By Katherine Nichols
When a barefoot Jimmy Buffett started his concert by singing a duet with Don Ho, the crowd of 2,200 gathered in and around Duke’s Canoe Club knew it was in for a uniquely Waikiki experience.
“This is what happens when you get bored on Maui,” the lei-draped Buffett, who has been writing a book on the Valley Isle, told the crowd. “You got to come to the big city.”
While Buffett played, the 400 fans in the restaurant-bar — and the 1800 others who were turned away and spilled onto the beach — screamed “Aloha!” for thousands more watching via live Web cast.
The last-minute concert yesterday drew thousands of fans who began lining up nearly four hours early for a chance to buy a $25 ticket for seating inside Duke’s, and to hob-nob with the famous in attendance, including actor Bruce Willis and country icon Glen Campbell.
Roy Speaks said he left work early to get in line by 1:15.
“We thought we’d miss out,” said Speaks, a 38-year-old stationed at Schofield Barracks and a longtime Buffett fan who was one of the lucky ones to get a ticket inside for the 5 p.m. concert.
Jim Vanderkamp of Kailua wasn’t as fortunate. After waiting for 90 minutes, he found out the restaurant had reached capacity. But Vanderkamp only shrugged and said that if he couldn’t get in, he’d listen from the beach.
And that may have been the best deal around. Said Duke’s floor manager Geoff King, gesturing to the crowded beach: “There’s your concert right there.”