Wasting away in Dunn Meadow: Buffett cover band to hold fundraising concert

Attention Parrotheads: Don't "Jamaica Mistaica" and miss the Jimmy Buffett tribute band concert, Key West Express, Saturday evening at Dunn Meadow.\nThe Panhellenic Association and Interfraternity Council are teaming up to play host to the performance, which is open to the public, at 7:30 p.m Saturday.\n"We're really excited," said senior Erin McKeighan, the PHA vice president of operations. "The band's demo is amazing."\nMcKeighan said 250 tickets have already been sold for the event and she expects many more to buy tickets at the door. The $10 cover charge will go to the Muscular Dystrophy Association.\nThe theme of the concert -- "Changes in altitudes, changes in attitudes" -- was inspired by the title of Buffett's 1977 album of the same name, McKeighan said.\nThe concert will serve as a way for non-greek IU students and Bloomington residents to see the greek community in "a positive light." \n"We're trying to focus on coming together as a whole and giving back to the community," she said.\nIFC President Jason Growe said, too, that opening the concert to the public allows for those unfamiliar with the greek system to see the "good things they do."\n"It's a great way to reach out to people in the IU community in general to come together and raise money for a good cause," he said.\nGrowe said he foresees the concert to be more popular than last year's Greek Week concert, which featured Ari Hest, and drew a crowd of less than 200.\n"We've been pumping it up pretty well as a part of Greek Week," he said. "Response has been pretty good."\nIncentives for potential concert-goers include complimentary smoothies and raffle drawings for gift certificates from area merchants, including Total Tan, The Trojan Horse and Aver's Pizza.\nKey West Express, "the North Coast's premier Jimmy Buffett cover band," according to its Web site, will play until 11 p.m., McKeighan said.\nShe encourages people who aren't familiar with Buffett's music to think about attending. \n"His music attracts people of all ages," she said. \nIn addition, she would like potential attendees to consider the cause. The greek community would like to "give a substantial donation to the Muscular Dystrophy Association," she said.\nThe concert also serves as the culmination of Greek Week activities, which commenced last Monday and involved both philanthropic and social events like a "Kiddie Carnival" and the greek Olympics. "Greek Week is just a week when greeks can all get together and socialize and combine all our efforts to really make an impact," she said.\nDue to the nature of the performance and the inability to obtain an indoor venue, there is no rain date set for the concert, McKeighan said. \n"We're keeping our fingers crossed the weather will hold out," she said.