'Margaritaville' Comes to Sachem Library

Ed Travers Band, one of Long Island's premiere Jimmy Buffett tribute bands, brought their gulf and western sound to the last week.  The show was set to kickoff the library's 2011, but was moved indoors do to the inclement weather. 

However, the change in venue didn't deter music lovers and Parrotheads, a nickname for Buffett fans, from getting into the spirit of summer, and enjoying the tropical-rock sounds of Travers and his band:  Irv Berner, on lead guitar; Tom Maxwell on acoustic guitar and backup vocals; Dave March (also of local progressive folk-rock band ) on bass guitar; and Dave Rogers, on drums.

Everyone in attendance received festive leis to wear around their neck, and several wore brightly-hued Hawaiian shirts. So many came out to hear the band that chairs had to be set up in the lobby to accommodate the overflow of people who couldn't fit inside.  Travers playfully referred to those listening in from outside as "pirates", in a nod to one of Buffett's songs performed that night.

The song "A Pirate Looks At Forty" captures the recurring themes of much of the artist's most beloved tunes, which tell the tales of outlaws, misfits and beach bums who believe in the "Buffett-ism" that it's always five O' Clock somewhere.

Travers has been entertaining people for over three decades, and is known for his eclectic musical range.  He is adept at rendering hits from the '60s through today.  He and his band have more recently become synonymous with their faithful interpretations of Buffett's laidback catalog.

The front man is a proud member of the Metro Parrot Head Club, and for the fourth consecutive year is the spokesman for Anheuser-Busch's Land Shark Lager, the house lager for "Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville" restaurant chain.  Ed Travers Band will perform over 30 free concerts this summer sponsored by the brand, in addition to other local gigs, including their annual performance in the Jones Beach parking lot before Buffett's show.

This year, not only will they be playing close to the gate then seeing the show, the band also has backstage passes, and will get to meet their inspiration for the first time on August 19.

The Long Island Parrot Society of New York (LIPS) was scheduled to showcase some of their birds at the outdoor performance "to add to the parrotness among the Parrotheads," said Lauren Gilbert, the library's head of community services.  Since the feathered friends couldn't be brought inside, Lanette Raymond, president of LIPS had to wing it by bringing a parrot puppet instead.

"We wish we were outside; from here you guys look very tropical ... We want to put you in a Key West mood," said Travers at the start of the show which was a sonic vacation to exotic destinations with Travers as tour guide.

He set the tropical scene for the set spanning from Key West, to Miami, to Cuba and finally "Margaritaville."