Is Jimmy Buffett a musician, a miracle man or simply a moneymaker?
The guy has only had one top 10 Billboard hit — the well-worn “Margaritaville” — and yet, more than 30 years after that song first charted, Fortune Magazine is still writing about him.
Whatever he’s selling, people are buying, quite literally.
Landshark Lager, available at your local QFC? His beer. “A Pirate Looks at Fifty”? His best-seller, one of several. Cheeseburger in Paradise? His restaurant chain, with locations in 12 states.
Somehow, Buffett has managed to parlay his brand of so-called “island escapism” into actual brand names.
And the man remains a big draw whenever he decides to pick up the guitar, which he will do during a few select dates this fall, including a stop at KeyArena at 8 p.m. Tuesday.
Tickets are $50.40 to $155.86 at ticketmaster.com or 800-745-3000.
Buffett’s not the only show coming to the area, though.
Snow Patrol
The WaMu Theater will host two acts familiar to fans of mainstream rock at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Snow Patrol headlines the show, which also features one of the former frontmen for Oasis playing with his new band, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds.
Snow Patrol went from being a middle-of-the-pack English band to a stadium draw after its song, “Chasing Cars,” popped up in an episode of “Grey’s Anatomy.” The track became a massive hit, spending a full year on the charts, peaking at No. 1.
The group now is touring behind “Fallen Empires,” which debuted last year at No. 5 on the Billboard 200, which features the single “Called Out in the Dark.”
Gallagher’s new band, meanwhile, was created after he had another row with his brother, Oasis lead singer Liam Gallagher. Noel’s new group is cut from the same cloth as Oasis, trafficking in familiar, arena-sized Britrock.
Tickets are $53.05 to $85.30 at ticketmaster.com or 800-745-3000.
DeVotchKa
Other acts coming to the area are farther outside the mainstream.
The Moore Theatre will host DeVotchKa at 8 p.m. Saturday.
The Gypsy-influenced indie rock band composed the Grammy-nominated music for “Little Miss Sunshine” in 2006 and has seen its fortunes improve ever since. It’s touring behind “100 Lovers,” its first album to crack the Billboard 200.
Tickets are $22.50 at stgpresents.org or 877-784-4849.
A string of buzzed-about acts will pass through the Showbox SoDo this week as well.
Crystal Castles is playing the venue at 7 p.m. Thursday.
The critically acclaimed electro-rock duo is releasing its third album this fall, and has been playing new tracks like “Plague” and “Wrath of God” during recent shows, including a stop at England’s Reading Festival.
Tickets are $28 at showboxonline.com or 888-929-7849.
Ghostland Observatory
Ghostland Observatory, another electro-rock duo, also will play the Showbox SoDo at 7 p.m. Friday night.
Tickets are $30 at showboxonline.com or 888-929-7849.
Finally, A$AP Rocky, the much-hyped rapper from Harlem, will play the same venue at 8 p.m. Sunday, as he prepares to release his major-label debut.
Tickets are $27.50 at showboxonline.com or 888-929-7849.
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