Bowl'ed Over

In what became a whirlwind weekend of enjoying summer outdoors, I had the good fortune of snagging tickets to Dengue Fever / Of Montreal / Grace Jones at the Hollywood Bowl with E, my partner in exploring the many great concerts always going on around town. First of all, let me go on a small tangent in saying that I love all three acts, so do check out their music if you're not familiar. Secondly, Grace Jones is one fierce woman. She changed costumes every song (some images here), each more outrageous than the previous. And I am definitely getting her album. Seriously - is this woman really 61? I can only hope to age so well.

But back to the topic at hand. The Hollywood Bowl is one of my favorite places in LA, consistently listed as one of the best outdoor music venues, and such a great place to spend a summer evening. As with the Getty and Barnsdall Fridays, it mixes great music with a relaxed atmosphere and B.Y.O. spirit. Bench tickets are usually in the neighborhood of $30 or less, even with Ticketmaster fees tacked on. Pack a picnic, bring a bottle of wine, and enjoy a great show. Perfect.

My one major tip will be on parking/traffic. I've found Franklin to be a good way to get around going east/west. There are free shuttles from Griffith Park and other locations around LA. I generally avoid the Bowl lots as much as possible since it's stacked parking; instead, park at Hollywood & Highland, grab a bottled water and get validation for $2 parking (fine, so maybe $4 including the water), and walk up the hill to the Bowl.

Concerts with fireworks make the night even more fun. Remaining shows really span everything; my goal is to try and catch one of the LA Phil shows before the season ends.

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The Hollywood Bowl
2301 N. Highland Ave.
for schedule, tickets, directions:
http://www.hollywoodbowl.com/

LA Weekly Review

photo: Omar Omar via flickr