The Party Continues: Coral Reefer Band and Doobie Brothers Light Up Star Lake with Music That Matters

by Dave Parsons

On a perfect August summer evening of August 6, 2025, two of America’s most enduring musical institutions converged on the Amphitheater at Star Lake in Burgettstown, PA, in the rolling hills outside Pittsburgh. What unfolded over the next four hours was nothing short of excellence in honoring the past while keeping the music vibrantly alive in the present.

The pairing of Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band with The Doobie Brothers on the latter’s Walk This Road tour might seem like an odd coupling at first.  Island escapism meets California rock and roll. But, as the evening progressed, it became clear that both acts share something fundamental, and that is an understanding that great music transcends genre, generation, and even mortality itself.

When the Coral Reefer Band took the stage at 7 pm, there was a sense of loss that everyone could feel, but nobody wanted to acknowledge. This band performed their final concert with Buffett on May 6, 2023, about three months before Buffett’s death in September of that year. They could’ve played it safe and run through a set and called it a tribute. But that’s not how you honor a man who wrote music into souls with a wink in his eye. The Reefers played like their lives depended on it. And for a few sacred hours, Jimmy was with us.

Mac McAnally, the former right-hand and now leader of the group, led the all-star lineup that includes steel drummer Robert Greenidge, Scotty Emerick, and Will Kimbrough. The opening song, License to Chill, firmly set the mission statement. This wasn’t going to be a funeral dirge or a nostalgic wake, but a celebration of the man and his music. The crowd, a mix of aging Parrotheads clutching their signature drink holders and younger fans discovering the music for the first time, meshed into a trip to Margaritaville.

Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes followed, with the reflective line, I took off for a weekend last month, just to try and recall the whole year.  It took on new meaning in the context of trying to forget the last few years for this group. It served even more when a short video interaction of McAnally and Buffett appeared on the screen to introduce It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere.  Not exactly a song from the Buffett catalog, though he sang a few lines on the Alan Jackson recording.  The audience, especially the younger ones, sang along like they finally understood what that one line meant.

What followed next was a mini Greatest Hits CD lineup with One Particular Harbour, Come Monday, Volcano, and Son of a Son of a Sailor.  A 50-something fan confessed each as her favorite song before videotaping the performance on her phone.  When they got to Cheeseburger in Paradise, she added dance moves and backup singing to her recordings. I would dearly love to see those digital files today.

Fins brought the energy, A Pirate Looks at Forty brought reverence, and Brown Eyed Girl, a Van Morrison cover that Buffett did often in his shows, provided the setup to the song that’s become larger than music, that’s spawned restaurants and retirement communities, and an entire lifestyle brand?  McAnally asked the crowd to “stand for the playing of the National Anthem of Margaritaville, and the unison singing on the chorus had the crowd paying homage and respect, and venting some of their grief, as there were a few tears.

Mac McAnally stated at the beginning of the set that the Coral Reefer Band would continue touring and performing Buffett’s music at Buffett’s request. Based on this performance, and audience reaction was that the decision was the right one. Jimmy Buffett stated many times that Star Lake was one of his favorite venues.  I kept having the thought that if Buffett were looking down, he had to be smiling. Just knowing he was backed by some of the greatest musicians in the world, who care enough to continue to do this, but that the music outlived him, and continues to press into the hearts of future generations.

The Doobie Brothers took the stage at 8:45 p.m., opening with Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While). This cover has been a Doobies staple for years, but adding a video element of classic black and white dance party footage added another element.

Here to Love You, Dependin’ on You, and Walk This Road, showcased a group of seasoned musicians, still at the top of their game. Rockin’ Down the Highway brought the crowd to life, with the crowd immediately recognizing one of the band’s signature songs. It Keeps You Runnin’ followed up with its blend of rock, soul, and country.

Minute by Minute gave Michael McDonald the chance to shine as his voice and keyboards commanded center stage. The crowd’s reaction was immediate and continued through the epitome of why people love live performances.

Jesus Is Just Alright brought a different kind of energy. The band cut loose with some good old-fashioned rock and roll.  The crowd sang along, nearly creating a tent meeting revival intensity and sending Burgettstown to church on a Wednesday evening.  What a Fool Believes kept the energy going with a rousing performance.

Long Train Runnin’ took the train of hits closer to the finale, while China Grove closed the main set with appropriate power, the crowd singing along to every word of the tale of small-town America. The classic hits were tight and energetic, but what impressed was the way the band managed to make this familiar material feel fresh and immediate.

The three-song encore that followed felt less like an obligation and more like a gift. Black Water opened with its distinctive a cappella opening.  It was when the full band kicked in that the full effect became apparent.

The curveball came with the instrumental version of Amazing Grace.  Considering the reaction the earlier revival song received from a crowd of rock and roll believers, this subtle rendition was even better received in reverence, if not in tandem with surprise. It also gave those who had been rocking extra hard the chance to take a small breather before one more surge before heading for the exits.

Takin’ It to the Streets brought the political and social tones that have always been part of the Doobies’ music front and center. In 2025, with the country still grappling with division and inequality, the song’s message felt even more relevant. 

But it was the final song, Listen to the Music, that was the perfect conclusion to an evening that was all about the power of music. The crowd sang along to every word, even though they had been at it for hours. It was clear why the Doobie Brothers are still on the road after 50+ years.  They can still connect with fans, reaching them with music buried into their souls and collective memories of their lives.

As the fans filed out of the venue, many of them still very animated by what they had just witnessed, it’s clear this night is now a part of their lifelong memories just as much as buying the first 45 of the Doobies or Buffett. If you closed your eyes, you could almost pretend it was the summer of ’79. But that would be doing the present a disservice.

Jimmy Buffett is no longer with us in body. But the Coral Reefer Band made sure his music, full of kindness and truths, is still very much alive.

And the Doobie Brothers held up their end of the bargain. They brought the kind of seasoned performance that reminded everyone why they listen to the music.

And maybe tomorrow morning, everyone steps back into their daily lives with a little more spring in their step and a few more songs in their hearts.

Mission accomplished.

SETLISTS

CORAL REEFER BAND

1. License to Chill
2. Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes
3. It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere
4. One Particular Harbour
5. Come Monday
6. Volcano
7. Son of a Son of a Sailor
8. Pencil Thin Mustache
9. Bubbles Up
10. Cheeseburger in Paradise
11. Southern Cross
12. Fins
13. A Pirate Looks at Forty
14. Brown Eyed Girl
15. Margaritaville

THE DOOBIE BROTHERS

1. Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While)
2. Here to Love You
3. Dependin’ on You
4. Walk This Road
5. Rockin’ Down the Highway
6. It Keeps You Runnin’
7. Call Me
8. Minute by Minute
9. Learn to Let Go
10. Angels & Mercy
11. Without You
12. Jesus Is Just Alright
13. What a Fool Believes
14. Long Train Runnin’
15. China Grove

Encore:

16. Black Water

17. Amazing Grace

18. Takin’ It to the Streets

 19. Listen to the Music