It’s been nearly a year since Jimmy Buffett passed away, yet he’s as ubiquitous as ever. You can stay in Margaritaville timeshare resorts, eat at Margaritaville restaurants, drink Landshark beer, and buy Margaritaville coconut shrimp. My niece’s boyfriend even bought a pair of Margaritaville-theme Hey Dude shoes.

But what about the music? Reportedly the last thing Buffett said to his bandmates was, “Keep the party going.” A star-studded event in Los Angeles back in April did that, and Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band went on a mini tour last week that included three cities that were special to Buffett: Orange Beach, Ala., Atlanta, and Cincinnati.

My brother, sister-in-law, and I had the thrill of seeing the Coral Reefer Band play at Atlanta’s historic Chastain Park last Friday night, and it was the perfect way to keep the party going. Surrounded by a friendly, fun-loving crowd in one of Buffett’s favorite cities, the band carried on Buffett’s legacy lovingly and expertly.

I went to more Buffett shows than I can count when he was still alive. At every show, he mentioned how special Atlanta was to him because it was one of the first cities to embrace him as an artist. He used to say that if he retired, he would announce it with a five-night stand at Atlanta's Fox Theatre. It wasn't a long stand at the Fox, but the crowd paid Buffett back with a warm reception for the Coral Reefer Band at another special venue.

Every member of the Coral Reefer Band has a career as a solo artist, session musician, or songwriter, so each one of them could carry a show on his or her own. But Mac McAnally has emerged as a natural leader for the band. He’s only a few years younger than Buffett was, and his smooth voice was the best for many of Buffett’s classic songs. McAnally is also a terrific storyteller; I could listen to his stories from decades in the music industry for hours.

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McAnally didn’t handle all of the lead vocals. Songwriters Will Kimbrough and Scotty Emerick, both relatively new members of the band, took a few songs, while longtime Coral Reefers Peter Mayer — himself a talented solo artist — and Nadirah Shakoor did the lead on some tunes as well. As an Atlanta native, Shakoor’s moments fronting the band went over especially well with the crowd.

The night was a fun way to keep partying with Parrotheads, but it also served as a special tribute to the man who made it all possible. Band members told heartwarming stories of Buffett as a musician, as a boss, and as a human being. Some of the songs gained added poignance after Buffett’s passing. McAnally dedicated “Come Monday” to Buffett’s widow Jane, and I’ll admit that I teared up during “Bubbles Up.”

“I think it’s really a part of the human condition that you’ve got to have some fun,” Buffett said in 2021. “You’ve got to get away from whatever you do to make a living or other parts of life that stress you out.” That’s what years of seeing Buffett live represented for me, and it’s what the Coral Reefer Band show did, too. I hope they’ll keep sharing the love with fans for years to come.

Here are a few clips from that amazing show: