Saturday, May 28, 2011

A Night at the Hollywood Bowl

Just as LA is warming up to the comfort level of picky Angelino's, the Hollywood Bowl is getting ready to have its opening night concert. The bowl is one of LA's best summer concert spots, with a variety of acts and a variety of experiences. There's a few specific reasons why I love going to the Bowl on any night, even if there's isn't a specific concert I want to see. Here's some of my favorite attributes of the Bowl:

You can bring a picnic!
The Hollywood Bowl actually let you bring your own food in! There are picnic tables and grassy knolls where you can enjoy your food and wine before the show, or you can bring it with you to your seats to enjoy while you listen to music. Some people really go all out, (tablecloths, full meals fit for Thanksgiving), but I like to get some cheese and crackers from TJ's and have it with a nice red wine. Yes, you can even bring wine. (That being said, that is only for the Hollywood Bowl produced shows, such as the classical nights and sing-alongs. The "leased shows," i.e. most of the big popular bands, do not allow alcohol. For their policies check this part of their website.)
Not only can you bring food, you can even bring candles! Can you think of a better date night? Under the stars...surrounded by mountains...listening to a live orchestra...eating strawberries and drinking wine by candlelight. *sigh*

Tickets start as low as $1.75
Ok, so you're not going to see some well-known pop band for under $2 a ticket. But you can see the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, live jazz, or go to a musical sing-along. The Orchestra is amazing, and I almost feel like I'm cheating for seeing them this cheaply. The ticket usually has a small processing fee, but even when you just show up at the Bowl to buy them their still around $7 a person. Even their larger shows are really reasonably priced, especially if you're willing to sit in the back bench area. This season they have Eddie Izzard live, and the bench seats are only $32! So the gist: live shows thrown by the Bowl = awesome prices.


The view....the sunset!
This place is called the Bowl for a reason...it sits in a bowl, surrounded on all sides by the rolling mountains of the Hollywood Hills. Usually the shows start while it's still light, and you get to watch the sunset over the hills as the bands play on. Just don't forget that LA gets chilly at night, so bring a warm blanket or jacket. And a cushion to sit on isn't a bad idea either.

Where to get tickets and info: http://www.hollywoodbowl.com/
 What to bring: 
  • Warm clothes
  • A blanket
  • A cushion to sit on 
  • A small cooler, bag, or picnic basket (be sure to check their cooler size limitations here.)
  • Good picnic food. (A Trader Joe's run isn't a bad idea.)
  • Wine and wine glasses. (Be sure it's a bowl-sponsored event, and not a "leased" event.) 
  • Candles (if you want some mood lighting) 
  • Napkins or plates to eat on. 
Have fun and long live summer!

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