Air Margaritaville Landing at Dow Diamond

There are a lot of pretenders in the world of tribute bands, but if you’re looking for an authentic Jimmy Buffet experience that even the most diehard of “Parrotheads” resoundingly approve of, Dow Diamond on Saturday, August 16, is the place to be.

That’s when Air Margaritaville, an 8-piece band led by frontman and founder Frank Bama, will be performing as part of the musical lineup for the 4th annual Great Lakes Beer Festival. Air Margarativille’s Midland show at Dow Diamond is part of the group’s “The Rum That Got Away” Summer 2025 Tour. The largely Michigan-based band has performed in Midland including during last summer’s Commons Live Music Series on Main Street, but will be making its debut performance at the home of the Great Lakes Loons.  They are scheduled to play from 5-7 p.m.

“I’ve never been there,” said Bama. “We’ve played at a number of minor league parks and other venues in Midland over the years but not at Dow Diamond. We’ve made some great friends there. It’s very special when we get an opportunity to go back. We’re happy we were picked by the folks of the Great Lakes Beer Festival to play this event.”

Parrothead is the nickname given to the legion of devoted Jimmy Buffet fans. Like the late, great Buffet himself, Air Margaritaville has cultivated quite a fan following of its own with its performances over some 20 years. From the lakes of Minnesota to the Gulf Coast of Florida (and plenty of places in between), the group has played for thousands of Buffett fans at fairs, festivals, ballparks, auditoriums–small venues and big venues alike. It doesn’t matter. This group just loves to do what it does best–play Jimmy Buffet tunes.

“Anywhere there is a group of Parrotheads, we can pull together the band to play,” Bama said. “We have harmonica, sax, things you won’t get at the usual Buffet tribute shows. A lot of tribute bands, whether it’s the Eagles, Fleetwood Mac or any famous band, will play a lot of different artists’ music. We only do Jimmy Buffet. That’s all we do. We think it’s a pretty accurate representation of a Buffet concert. We’ve tapped into the Parrothead vibe.”

The genesis for Air Margaritaville dates back to around 1993. It started as a duo, moved to a trio and then the Big Band iteration in 1996.

“The lead guitarist and I started introducing some Buffet songs into our sets,” Bama recounted. “The rest of the band looked at us like ‘what are you guys doing’? We soon noticed that the same people would come back to hear us do Buffet things. I got to thinking we may be on to something here. We then grew into a larger band.”

After 20 years of playing Buffett’s most famous songs at venues across the country, “Margaritaville is still a lot of fun. We don’t get tired of it. The same question was asked of Buffett. Fans don’t get tired of hearing it, either,” he said.

Bama traces his love of Buffet’s music to a long-ago Thanksgiving dinner. A family member introduced him to his music following the dinner and “I was hooked after the first track. His songs say so much.”

He saw his first of what would be several Buffett concerts the following year.

“There’s nothing quite like a Jimmy Buffett concert and that’s the experience we work hard at re-creating,” Bama said. “The stories, the characters, and the fun make you want to drop everything and embrace the tropical lifestyle. That is, if we had the chance or the courage.”

The Air Margaritaville “Flight Crew” includes Marty Kane (drums), Bing Burris (lead guitar), Lamar Woodall (steel drums, saxophone), Albert Josa (percussion), Steve Teufel (bass), Joe DeHenau (harmonica/violin), Doug Brown (keyboard) and Bama (lead vocalist, guitar).

The band is a three-time Detroit Music Nominee as “Outstanding Tribute Band”, has opened for national acts and have made numerous appearances on the Mitch Albom radio show.

“We play all the songs Parrotheads know by heart and more recent Buffett hits,” Bama said. “There’s no sense resisting the urge to get up to sing and dance along to the music.”

Buffett passed away on September 1, 2023, at the age of 76. The famed singer-songwriter had long been revered by his legion of Parrotheads, so Bama hasn’t noticed a discernible difference in audiences for his group’s Buffett shows since his death. What has changed, though, “is there has been more interest from promoters who might not have considered tribute acts before,” he noted.

In addition to Air Margaritaville, the Great Lakes Beer Festival will also feature live performances at Dow Diamond baseball stadium by Frohliche Musiker Blasorchester, a German brass polka band and Alex McMath Music. McMath, a local musician, performs a wide range of covers–everything from The Cranberries, John Denver and Johnny Cash, to John Prine and Nancy Sinatra. She also performs originals. McMath’s latest songs, “Watching the Rain” and “Bloom” were released in April.

The festival, one of the fastest growing in the state, will provide attendees the opportunity to sample a bevy of beers and ciders from more than 70 breweries. It’s a venue Air Margaritaville has been looking forward to playing.

“Wear your best Parrothead outfits,” Bama said. “It’s always nice to see folks in formal flip flops, coconut bras and grass skirts. We’re looking forward to some cold brews and tropical tunes.”

The festival runs from 2-7 p.m. and also offers a number of food options and on-field games.

Visit greatlakesbeerfestival.com for more info and to purchase tickets