How to See a Concert at The Hollywood Bowl

The Hollywood Bowl is an institution in Los Angeles—it’s been the site of concerts and Easter sunrise services since 1922. Everyone from Vladimir Horowitz to the Beatles has played the Bowl. I just went again last summer and saw Garrison Keillor do Prairie Home Companion there (featuring Meryl Streep and Lucinda Williams!). The Bowl is a fun venue but it has some quirks—read on for tips on how to have a great time there.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Pick a concert you’d like to attend. Some people still grouse about the acoustics of the place (me, I can’t tell the difference since the re-model of the band shell), so if you like pitch perfect sound and an auditorium where you can hear a pin drop, maybe this isn’t the venue for you.
2. Get your tickets. They can be ordered on-line or purchased at the box office (saves you a service charge). The Bowl is so large that often at the last minute you can get cheap seats in the nosebleed section for even the most popular concerts. Here’s some other good news: they’ve recently installed huge viewing screens on the sides of the Bowl, so even if you’re in the cheaper seats, you can watch the projected image of the singers and musicians and be able to tell the difference between Lyle Lovett and Lucinda Williams.
3. Pack a picnic dinner. It’s tradition. And go all out—luxurious desserts, nice wine. Just remember, you have to schlep it from your bus stop and up a moderate incline (and many escalator rides) to get to your picnic spot or seat.
4. Pack seat cushions, most of the seats at the Bowl are hard benches. They do rent them at the Bowl, but if you have room, bring your own.
5. Come early to get a picnic spot. They're sometimes in obvious places and other times hidden. Be adventurous and climb around to find them—but the choice ones go early!
6. DO NOT DRIVE TO THE BOWL. Parking is a nightmare—it’s stacked. The rows of cars look like sardines. At the end of the evening, you will have to wait for so many cars in front of you to leave, you’ll be certifiably insane. Take public transportation for three bucks. Park your car at one of the bus locations around town (check HollywoodBowl.com) and then let the bus driver whisk you to the Bowl—from Griffith Park Zoo, from Ventura Blvd. in the Valley and elsewhere. Consider taking the Metro subway. You can park at the Universal Station and ride the Red Line down to the Hollywood and Highland exit. It’s then a half mile walk up to the Bowl.

Tips & Warnings

• Bring layers. It is notoriously chilly in the Bowl—cold air naturally collects there at night even when it is hot during the day.
• Don’t forget your binoculars—even with the big screens, you might want to get even closer to Sting—I know I did.
• There are high-priced boxed seats down in front with real tables--if you can afford those, more power to ya!
• Do not leave your wine bottle at your feet during the concert. Every concert I’ve been to at the Bowl has been punctuated at some point—usually during a quiet, dramatic moment—with a wine bottle that has been kicked down the cement steps.