By Andrea Martone
Where the Jimmy Buffett Party Never Ends: Parrotheads Gather for Fins Up Forever 2026
St. Petersburg has been a long-standing anchor in Jimmy Buffett’s Florida story, serving as one of his earliest and most frequent performance venues on the Gulf Coast. Buffett first appeared there in November 1974 at the Bayfront Center, an indoor arena that hosted top entertainers for decades, and from the 1970s through the 1980s he returned repeatedly, often with the Coral Reefer Band, drawing crowds that quickly learned to expect beach-bum anthems rather than standard rock shows. For local musicians and beach bars, playing Buffett became almost mandatory: “You can’t play the beaches without playing Buffett,” and his songs – especially “Margaritaville,” “Come Monday,” and “Cheeseburger in Paradise” – have become the unofficial soundtrack of St. Pete’s Gulf-side lifestyle.
That enduring popularity has translated into official recognition as well. In 2024, Florida created “Jimmy Buffett Day,” celebrated on Aug. 30, to honor his contributions to the state’s culture, music, and entrepreneurial legacy, and St. Petersburg remains a key stop for the Coral Reefer Band, which continues to tour under Buffett’s “keep the party going” ethos. While much of Buffett’s more detailed history is tied to Key West, St. Petersburg’s concert venues, beach bars, and Parrothead community have helped cement his music as part of the city’s identity, making the connection between the city and the artist feel as natural as the nearby skyline of the Sunshine Skyway and the warm Gulf waters themselves.
From sun bleached sandals to grass skirts and Hawaiian shirts, the most devoted Jimmy Buffett followers – those lifelong Parroheads who have turned his beachy tunes into a decadeslong lifestyle – now pack the Hotel Venezia in Venice every September for the Fins Up Forever concert, where the air smells of salt, tailgate food, and nostalgia as Gypsies in Paradise belts out “Margaritaville,” “Cheeseburger in Paradise,” and the signature tribute “Fins” to keep Jimmy’s party spirit roaring long after summer fades. Gypsies in Paradise is not a centuries old ethnic group, but a modern “Trop Rock” supergroup created specifically to honor the music and concert spirit of Jimmy Buffett during the Fins Up Forever tribute concerts. The name plays on Buffett’s island paradise persona while signaling that the band is a traveling ensemble of top regional performers united for a single purpose: to keep the party going.
Who is in the band called Gypsies in Paradise?
When performing as Gypsies in Paradise in Florida, the group features:
- Lucy Malia – lead vocals, keyboards, guitar, harmonica (founder of Lefty Lucy Band)
- Nick DiBlasio – vocals, guitar (cofounder of Lefty Lucy Band)
- Sunny Jim – 15-time Trop Rock award winner, guitarist/percussionist
- John Patti – steel pan star and multi-instrumentalist
- Jax Bowers – studio and live performer
- Klee Liles – studio and live performer
- Aloha Steve – studio and live performer
These musicians normally play in various local and regional bands (including the Lefty Lucy Band in Colorado and Southwest Florida), but they converge under the Gypsies in Paradise banner for Buffett tribute shows.
How Gypsies in Paradise Was Founded
The band was assembled by the nonprofit Fins Up Forever, cofounded by Denise Fox, to create a living tribute to Jimmy Buffett’s music and the unique tailgating, community driven concert culture he championed. After Buffett’s death in 2023, organizers wanted more than a single cover band; they wanted a rotating allstar lineup that could reproduce the energy of his legendary shows. Fox says Finns Up primary goal is to raise money for Eternal Reefs and Reef Relief. Based out of Key West. Jimmy Buffet was also a supporter. “We’re not trying to BE JB,” says Fox, “we’re trying to spread his joie de vivre and legacy and put that out into the universe to create fun, positive vibes.” Malia adds, “We are ambassadors of his lifestyle, his joie de vivre and his musical connection with people and his fans are missing out on this now that he’s dead. We ‘re honoring his lifestyle and his music.” Nick DiBlasio adds, “We are stewards of Jimmy Buffett’s lifestyle and music and being able to produce this concert year after year helps us further his motto “keep the party going.”
Lefty Lucy Band, already a well-known Buffett tribute act in the Gulf Coast region, became the core. Its founders, Malia and DiBlasio, brought in Sunny Jim, John Patti, Jax Bowers, Klee Liles, and Aloha Steve – musicians respected in the Trop Rock scene – to form a larger, more versatile ensemble. In other contexts, the same core musicians may perform as Lefty Lucy or in other configurations. The project also serves as a fundraiser: proceeds from Gypsies in Paradise tribute shows support Reef Relief and Eternal Reefs, organizations aligned with Buffett’s environmental and coastal conservation interests.
“Fins Up Forever” Concerts and the Florida Tribute
The third annual Fins Up Forever Jimmy Buffett Tribute Concert will be held on Sept. 4-5 at 7pm in Venice. See details below. The venue’s proximity to Venice Beach and the “Hotel Venezia” location underscore the coastal, Buffett-style atmosphere.
If You Go:
- Event: 3rd Annual Fins Up Forever Jimmy Buffett Tribute Concert (these concerts sell out fast so buy your tickets now!)
- Tailgating parties pre-concert! Pack your cooler and make a night of of it!
- Date: Sept. 4-5
- Time: 7pm (doors open at 6pm)
- Location: Hotel Venezia, 425 U.S. 41 Bypass N, Venice • Features: Full band performance, traditional parking lot tailgating, and lassic hits like “Cheeseburger in Paradise”
- Tickets & Details: Book your spot or check updates directly via the Fins Up Forever Official Site.
www.finsupforever.org
Email: gypsiesinparadiseband@gmail.com
Note: These concerts are not Parrothead events.