October 31, 1975

Saturday night, upon entering the College cafeteria, which was miraculously transformed into an acoustically perfect concert hall, I was disappointed to see that the stage was located at the end of the room which supported such fantastically talented bands as the Strawbs and the Eagles. This observation led me to conclude that it would not be my fate to see a concert of the caliber of the performance by Bruce Springsteen and Bonnie Raitt, who hung out at the opposite end of the cafeteria by the food service entrance. However, I was pleasantly surprised when Jimmy Buffet arrived on stage.

Buffet humorously set the mood for his half of the performance. His easy-going stage presence combined with relevant lyrics pleased the audience. His song titles were also amusing: “The World Waits Behind Door Number Three,” “Who’s Going to Steal the Peanut Butter (I’ll Take the Can of Sardines),” and-my favorite – “Please Take Your Drunken 15-Year-Old Girlfriend Home.”

The problem with the music of Jimmy Buffet is that it lacks depth. His music is humorous and enjoyable, but doesn’t leave a lasting impression on the listener. Perhaps he too is doomed to the lowly position of a warm-up act along with David Buskin. (Buskin was the warmup act for the Eagles and has since gone nowhere.) He definitely has a place on the music scene, but his upward mobility is limited due to the nature of this material.

Roger McGuinn appeared on stage with a cocky attitude – with good reason. After all, McGuinn has been playing the same material for almost ten years and, as he proved Saturday night, he’s damn good at the little he does.

I really enjoyed the music of Roger McGuinn, perhaps because he was reminiscing, but it was sad to see an innovator in rock music reduced to playing music that once was the standard for bands that could be heard on the Quad or at high school dances.

McGuinn played such well known Byrd classics as “Hey Mister Spaceman,” “My Back Pages,” “Eight Miles High.” Perhaps he relied on his established music because his new releases such as “Bull Dog” just lack the quality that he and the Byrds once exhibited.

The innovative talents which McGuinn once displayed have long since past. Maybe he drew his inspiration from David Crosby, Chris Hillman, or other former Byrds. But, Roger McGuinn hasn’t progressed since those days. His heavy reliance on Byrd material seems to indicate that he is content at his present level. 

As I left the cafeteria I felt a sense of emptiness. I had seen Jimmy Buffet perform and although highly entertaining, he wasn’t nearly as dynamic a performer as I had hoped for. And finally I had witnessed the once dynamic Roger McGuinn, a performer living off his reputation. Perhaps I’ve seen too many good concerts lately and raised my standards too high, but the Roger McGuinn/Jimmy Buffet concert definitely falls into the mediocre category.