Jimmy Buffett got rained out, fled to his boat, and still delivered the ultimate party.
Live by the Bay is a live video by the American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett and his Coral Reefer Band. It was released in 1986 by MCA Entertainment. The 87-minute video was recorded from back to back concerts in Miami on August 16 and 17, 1985, at Miami Marine Stadium and is the first concert video released by Buffett. Miami Vice star Don Johnson introduced Buffett to the crowd. A brief rain shower during the middle of the Friday night show prompted Buffett to retreat to his sailboat (docked by the stage) and caused a majority of the final video release to feature the Saturday night show. After the rain cleared on Friday, the band played Little Feat's "Dixie Chicken" to demonstrate the equipment still functioned before Buffett returned to the stage.
Acting
Don Johnson's inexplicable hype-man cameo in white linen.
Direction
Seamless blend of two nights after literal boat evacuation.
Practical Effects
Rain-soaked equipment test became legendary 'Dixie Chicken' jam.
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Miami Marine Stadium, the venue, was abandoned after Hurricane Andrew and remains a beloved ruin—making this footage a time capsule of its last great era.
The rain evacuation accidentally created Buffett's origin myth: a man so committed to leisure he'd literally sail away from his own concert.
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