Alex and I have been to the Hollywood Bowl at least once a year since we started dating. It is the quintessential LA summertime activity. Our first date to the Bowl was back in 2011. Trying to impress my new boyfriend with how cultured and classy I was, I got us tickets to a Tchaikovsky concert. That was a memorable night because our seats ended up being right in front of a man who, drunk off his ass, decided that he needed to sing along with the LA Philharmonic (?!). I kid you not. This guy was making mouth noises that sounded like trumpets and violins. It was annoying to say the least, and rather unfortunate that six years later a drunk guy is what I remember most about that concert.
Unpopular opinion warning: I’m not a huge fan of concerts. Don’t get me wrong. I will never turn down the opportunity to attend a concert with a loved one, but I also don’t tend to seek them out for entertainment. It has nothing to do with the music; it’s the crowds. Being stuffed in with a bunch of strangers who all have differing values when it comes to the concepts of personal space, hygiene, and public propriety (Tchaikovsky mouth-noise guy being a prime example) has all the makings of a bad time for me personally. Also, I’m short, and in some venues I am more likely to spend the night staring at the back of someone’s shirt than watching the band play. That being said, since 2011 Alex and I have had many wonderful nights out at The Hollywood Bowl. We have seen John Williams, Surfjan Stevens, and several other famous acts while nestled together under the stars in that beautiful space. We are very lucky and thankful to live so close to this famous venue.
With our big road trip taking up a good chunk of the summer, I was resigned to the idea that we probably wouldn’t make it to The Bowl in 2017. That was until Alex surprised me with tickets to see The Fleet Foxes in late September. And if that wasn’t enough, he had somehow procured discounted box seats.
Cue song: “Let’s Hear It For The Boy”
Now THIS is a concert experience I can get behind. It was awesome. We got to our private box a full hour before the opening act (Beach House) just so we could enjoy having our own little table, drinking our wine, and watching the sky turn dark.
The show was incredible. I have never seen an act at the Bowl from such a close vantage point before. Even now, two weeks later, we still talk about it.
Looking forward to keeping this LA summer tradition going (box or no box)!
