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Bowl Concerts
updated: Aug 09, 2012, 9:16 AM

By Edhat Subscriber

Do Edhat readers attend County Bowl Concerts much? What are the opinions of the concerts thus far this year? Sorry that I've missed a few of the legends here lately. It's good to read opinions of more than just the entertainment media critic.

Most recent Comments first | (reverse order)

COMMENT 307128P	2012-08-10 11:00 PM
For the price we pay for tix, there better not be any idiots with a cell phone up blocking our view! They may find it in the bushes on worse yet, on the stage!
COMMENT 307053	2012-08-10 05:28 PM
@Curious - I get what you're saying, but consider the hundreds (maybe thousands) of people in town who would love a prime property near the bowl so they could hear all the wonderful music. What might be annoying to you is something I'm SURE you could pass on to someone else by selling your home and moving to a place in town where you're not as bothered by the noise. One person's nuisance is another's joy, I guess?
CURIOUS	2012-08-10 04:59 PM
@883: Only around people like you. Otherwise I am a real sweetheart!
COMMENT 306904	2012-08-10 01:21 PM
stevie wonder was brilliant. could not believe how good his pipes were. bowie was good, amongst many others..looking forward to joe cocker...please dont yell at me when i spark up.... curious...well, you know.....
COMMENT 306883	2012-08-10 12:38 PM
People actually are complaining about the SB Bowl? The best venue is the entire country - we'll maybe a close second to Red Rocks..) Why on earth would someone live near a well established venue and then complain about the venue? I guess people just expect the world to mold to their views... I suggest you move to some gated community somewhere. BTW - Alcohol, marijuana, dancing, talking and maruading are inherent to rock shows. If you dont like these things perhaps a show at the Granada is more up your alley... I actually had someone yell at me for smoking a doobie at Willie Nelson! That pretty much sums up the typical uptight SB crowd. Lighten up people, lifes more fun when you're smiling. As for me? I've been to hundreds of venues across the land and we are soooooo sooooo lucky to have one of the best right here - all within walking distance of Downtown. Most of you sound like old curmudgeons - were you always this grumpy?
COMMENT 306870P	2012-08-10 12:12 PM
CURIOUS: Neighborhood noise is something that should have been disclosed during the escrow process. Perhaps you have grounds to sue the people you bought your house from? Just a thought. I am surprised it was not mentioned when you put in an offer.
CORKY	2012-08-10 12:04 PM
I was sorry to miss Norah Jones. I'm surprised smoking is allowed. That would definitely be a turnoff for me.
CURIOUS	2012-08-10 11:47 AM
@Sy and Fangirl: Yep, I have to agree with you about choosing the wrong area. Unfortunately I didn't think to ask about electronically-amplified noise levels when we moved here. Still, I was unsettled about finding the "money-first, citizens last" orientation so forthrightly obvious. It's my problem, of course. I guess somehow I thoughtlessly expected a bit more civility from Santa Barbara. I was new to the area, but even so I know that was silly of me. After all, there are good people and bad people, good manners and bad manners anywhere one goes. But hopes and dreams, even the smaller ones, sometimes seem to die hard.
FANGIRL	2012-08-10 11:10 AM
Ditto that Sy ...
COMMENT 306830P	2012-08-10 11:09 AM
Love the Bowl and have never experienced they kinds of annoyances that people are mentioning. Best concert I ever saw there was The Eagles a few years back. They sounded fantastic and I don't think the crowd sat down once during their solid 3 hour set. They set the bar for me, although I have thoroughly enjoyed others since then.
COMMENT 306827	2012-08-10 11:06 AM
The Bowl has been there for over seventy years, CURIOUS. Maybe you made the wrong decision in moving to an area that near an open-air performing arts venue?
CURIOUS	2012-08-10 11:00 AM
Reading that the music isn't loud enough gives me a chill. I live near the Bowl and am too frequently assaulted by the sounds of the performances (grossly distorted by the air, of course) thudding and booming through the walls of my home. As you can guess, I would like much less sound! Indeed, I would be pleased to see the Bowl shut down forever even though I recognize that there are some superb performances at the Bowl. It's unfortunate that the neighbors must pay the price of disrupted evenings so that others can enjoy themselves. I gather that the Bowl management isn't interested in giving the neighborhood a decent break because it might reduce their revenue. (I was told as much by someone there when I called about the noise level.) A last "sour grapes" comment: I suspect I can pretty well estimate the quality of the performer by checking the amount of annoyance the performance creates. More annoyance = less quality (or at least less class). Oh well.
FLICKA	2012-08-10 09:59 AM
I've never been surrounded by rude people at the Bowl. Santana loves the place and always gave great concerts in September, don't know if he still comes. We are going to Further in Oct., saw them there 2 yrs ago; and Phil Lesh and Friends (Jackie Green played with him, fantastic young musician). Yes, it is expensive! Tickets were $2.50 if bought ahead ($3.00 at the door) when I started going to rock 'n roll concerts @ Earl Warren; Doors, Janis, Jimmy, etc. There were always 2 warm-up groups, The Santana Blues Band was a warn-up. Unbelievable light shows; tigers jumping over dew covered mushrooms is one thing I remember.
COMMENT 306780	2012-08-10 09:54 AM
Radiohead and the Cure were highlights for me. Just fantastic! But I have to agree with those complaining about cell phones and loud talkers during a performance. These bands are artists putting on a SHOW. We should show respect and watch and listen. I am upset by some of the rude behavior I've seen there. Cell phones should be banned or at least there should be a public service announcement like they do at the movies. Doesn't stop some cretins though.
COMMENT 306759	2012-08-10 09:30 AM
We love the SB County Bowl. My wife and I have been going since the 70's when a friend GAVE us tickets to see the great Bob Marley. BTW, he smoked a "splif" on stage the size of a cigar and the crowd roared their approval. Last year I was on a boat in the Indian Ocean and the skipper put on a DVD of that concert and he was blown away when I told him I was in the crowd....this Bowl concert took place before the skipper was born! We've got our tickets and can't wait for Dylan and Knopfler.
COMMENT 306747	2012-08-10 09:18 AM
now if they would just ban smoking in the Plaza area and if the Bowl Foundation really thinks that they need to have smoking in the facility...move it to the new concession area at the top. Just saying
COMMENT 306721	2012-08-10 08:46 AM
Best place to see a concert EVER!!! Thoroughly enjoy the shows there! This season have loved Radiohead, Beck, Ben Harper (even seeing Radiohead in the rain was awesome!). Last year, Katy Perry and Eddie Vedder gave amazing shows. Looking forward to many more!!! Highly recommend!
COMMENT 306679P	2012-08-10 07:52 AM
Moved to the area sometime ago; haven't been to the Bowl yet and now I know it's full of rude people who drink, blab, and wave their smart phones around, I think I'll give it pass. As for rude people, well as Matthew said "The rude will always be among you" or something like that.... :-)
COMMENT 306543	2012-08-09 05:40 PM
Deadmau5 Was super cool!!!
COMMENT 306465	2012-08-09 03:15 PM
302 - I'm sorry you've had such a bad experience at the Bowl and don't enjoy it. Now, excuse me while I walk up the hill with all my friends and have one heck of a time in the most beautiful venue in the United States.
COMMENT 306431	2012-08-09 02:34 PM
I love the Bowl and really enjoyed seeing The Beach Boys and will be there to see Ms. Krall. When Kris Kristofferson and Merle Haggard were here not that long ago we decided to wait to see them at the Ohio State Fair in Columbus. That was a very good decision. What a kick to be in that huge venue. And here I go again. . . The audience was very polite. I heard no chatter whatsoever. Another positive experience in Ohio.
COMMENT 306348P	2012-08-09 12:20 PM
I go to about 15 concerts a year. Yes, it is getting expensive for the bigger acts. I think of it as my summer vacation that goes on all summer. What a place to vacation. It is such a beautiful venue, and we are so lucky to have it in SB. Favorite concerts this year have been Radiohead and Dukes of September. I have been turned on to a few newer bands like Mumford and Sons and Snow Patrol. I am very exited Bonnie Raitt is coming. I dig her new album. That lady rocks!
COMMENT 306344	2012-08-09 12:14 PM
I've seen Jack Johnson (OK but not loud enough) and Massive Attack (fabulous) and enjoyed both despite the obnoxiously drunk people around me and their cell phones. I love the venue despite all that and would have given my eye teeth to have snagged a Radiohead ticket - maybe next time.
COMMENT 306342	2012-08-09 12:09 PM
I like the Bowl but where do all the rude people come from? Is there a central location where they are raised to be totally oblivious to their impact on the folks around them? Who raised these people?
COMMENT 306338	2012-08-09 11:59 AM
336: It's not artists that make that determination, it's the venue. And unfortunately the proliferation of cameras in cellphones has made it difficult to enforce the longstanding "no cameras" rules that most venues have. At any rate, people have always bootlegged concerts one way or another. Always will. Now it's just with a cellphone instead of a pocket recorder.
COMMENT 306336	2012-08-09 11:58 AM
Why do artists allow cell phones in events? Years ago you could get busted for smuggling in tape recorders and now it seems everyone records the concerts and post online. Applying this logic, shouldn't the music be free to download?
COMMENT 306335	2012-08-09 11:57 AM
one of the best outdoor venues in the country, and this is proven by the caliber of artists that come play here. Bands like Radiohead and Black keys are selling out venues five times the size in seconds, but we are still lucky enough to get to see them here. This has been a fantastic season with Radiohead, Flo, Beck, Ed Sharpe, Snora, Janes Addiction, Black Keys, Peter Gabriel to name a few. Too many great shows in SB, and not enough time or $$ to catch them all. We are very lucky to have such a wonderful venue here. The seats are much improved and I am really excited about the new concessions at the top. The best keeps getting better.
COMMENT 306332	2012-08-09 11:51 AM
Love the Bowl! I go 10 to 15 times a year.
COMMENT 306302	2012-08-09 11:09 AM
Sorry to seem un-Santa Barbaran, but I have never liked the bowl that much. The seating is uncomfortable, the venue itself seems less intimate than it should be and the experience has often been ruined by excessive alcohol or marijuana consumption. I don't think I have ever really enjoyed any of the shows I have seen at the bowl going back to the 1980s.
COMMENT 306288	2012-08-09 10:45 AM
Any latin artis coming any time soon to the bowl?
COMMENT 306283P	2012-08-09 10:40 AM
Thanks to those who answered the posting - what were the performances like? Good to know which concerts were enjoyable. Getting out and about isn't as easy for some of us as others, but it's good to know what the audiences thought.
COMMENT 306276	2012-08-09 10:30 AM
Chicken Foot was fantastic. Yanni was fun, Dukes of September was a real surprise. All performers love the Bowl. They always remark about it if it is their first time here. I go to as many as I can. I love the Bowl. I just wish I could go to all of them. I am always surprised at how many out of towners come to our Bowl. I am a Concert Club member and will be as long as the Bowl is there.
COMMENT 306274	2012-08-09 10:26 AM
Seems to be filled with people "being seen at the bowl", yapping on cell phones while we try to enjoy the music. I was fine with wood benches, porta-potties and affordable tickets. Marley and the old bowl are sweet memories.
COMMENT 306267	2012-08-09 10:16 AM
One of my most favorite venues to see a concert, growing up in LA I spent a lot of time at places like the Palladium, Roxy, Whiskey, Universal Ampitheater, Greek Theater, etc. The Bowl here is easily one of my top 2-3 places to see a show. This year's lineup has been a big disappointment to me though after last year (saw four awesome shows last year there), unless they announce something good in the next couple of months, this will be the first year in a long time where I don't see a show at the Bowl.
COMMENT 306266	2012-08-09 10:15 AM
i agree with 238 - smart/cell phones have completely ruined the concert experience. until i can attend a concert without having to see a hundred bright phone screens in my field of vision i am staying away. i also agree that most concerts at the Bowl are not loud enough. i go to concerts to see and hear the band, not to listen to rude chatty losers and look at their smart phone screens.
COMMENT 306253	2012-08-09 10:02 AM
Lots of times you can't hear the music because of the babble of party people and drunks. I'd like to see a section reserved for people who came to watch and listen.
COMMENT 306251	2012-08-09 10:00 AM
Love the bowl! absolutely beautiful, and I have been going there all my life but lately seems like alot of yearly repeats and not a wide variety of genre's...
COMMENT 306248	2012-08-09 09:47 AM
Its been good.... but will be nice to have some latin artis come to bowl.
LIZTISH340	2012-08-09 09:46 AM
Love the bowl! Music, stars, fresh air (most of the time). It's a unique experience. Go! Enjoy!
COMMENT 306238	2012-08-09 09:33 AM
Such a magical place to see a show. My main gripes have less to do with the performers are more to do with that is not loud enough, tickets are often absurdly expensive, and crowds that spend the whole time talking or with their cell phones up in the air taking video. who watches these silly grainy cell phone recordings. I can deal with snapping a quick picture, but recording the whole thing, come on. Put it down and enjoy the moment! Cell phones with recording capabilities are the worst thing to happen to concerts in recent times.
COMMENT 306235	2012-08-09 09:27 AM
I volunteer at the bowl and frequent this site as well. So far it has been an awesome season and there are more surprises on the way! While some of the shows have not been my type of music, I must say that some of the shows that I wasn't as excited about as others, actually proved to be some of my favorites! If you have concerns, questions, or comments I'd encourage you to let the Bowl know, as they always are eager to get input, and honestly I am not just saying this because I help them, but because the crew I work with and see there is honestly a group of great people!
EDHATBARBARA	2012-08-09 09:26 AM
I try to go at least two or three times each season. I have enjoyed some fabulous concerts there and love the fact that I can see legendary performers without having to travel down to LA. In recent years, have seen James Taylor, Crosby, Stills & Nash, the Beach Boys, Linda Ronstadt, Dylan and an amazing cadre of others. Will be going to the Huey Lewis & the News/Joe Cocker concert on the 19th and greatly looking forward to it.

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