Jimmy Buffett has been around for almost five decades, and he has only released four studio albums in the past decade, and he was never a huge radio draw. How, you might wonder, does he still constantly top the list of summer tours? One word: Parrotheads. Like the Grateful Dead’s "Deadheads" and Phish’s "Phish Heads,’ Buffett has a very loyal group of fans that come back for more of his summer spirit every year.

Buffett has been perfecting the art of holding a great concert since his first "A Pink Crustacean Tour’ in 1976. It was then that he spread his easy-going island-oriented spirit across North America, wowing fans everywhere. Since then, he has embarked on 29 outings, most recently this summer’s "Year of the Still Here Tour.’ Taking a closer look at a finely-tuned Buffett outing, it makes perfect sense why fans keep coming back for more, and why they get more and more popular every year.

First: we have the tailgate. Considering Buffett’s most popular tunes through his career, he is essentially instructing fans on a proper pre-concert party ("Cheeseburger in Paradise,’ "Margaritaville.’ The parking lot is one big Buffett party before the show, with his greatest hits and grills both blasting and the beverages flowing freely.

Next: the company. Parrotheads are most comfortable among their own, which normally means a bunch of laid-back people enjoying the tunes of the most laid-back in the land. Concertgoers rarely wear more than sandals, a Hawaiian-themed shirt, a grass skirt, and a sun burn.

All of Buffett’s business exploits have certainly helped him to promote this island way of life, including Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville in a number of resort countries,

Finally: The music. Last but certainly not least, Buffett originally earned a name for himself in the summer tour arena for consistently providing fans with a set list full of Buffett classics and fun loving covers.

After 32 years of touring, Buffett’s concerts have become like a work of art. He and his Coral Reefer Band perform between 26 and thirty songs, and usually have two separate encores. The first part of the second set normally focuses on Buffett’s slower songs, while the rest is relatively upbeat. However, things get more somber at the end, normally, when the show is closed with an acoustic ballad.

Before 2008, there was "The Big 8,’ the eight songs that were played at every concert without fail. They included "Margaritaville,’ "Come Monday,’ "Fins’ "Volcano, "A Pirate Looks At Forty,’ "Cheeseburger in Paradise,’ "Why Don’t We Get Drunk’ and "Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes.’ "It’s Five O’clock Somewhere’ and "One Particular Harbour’ broadened the list from eight to 10, but "Why Don’t We Get Drunk’ was taken off the list, so fans can now expect Buffet’s nine most popular songs.

Traditions have begun at the concerts, as most concertgoers return year after year. Buffett and the band prepare the audience for "Fins’ by a "Jaws’ theme teaser. "Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes’ often shows video of the tailgating Parrotheads that haven’t made it to the performance.