Hollywood Bowl

On August 25th we got to explore a little bit more of this city we live in, and attend a show at the Hollywood Bowl. Thanks to my darling sister and brother-in-law, we had tickets to see Goat Rodeo Sessions. After spending the afternoon at The Grove, we headed into Hollywood for a night of entertainment.

The Hollywood Bowl is the largest outdoor natural amphitheater in the United States. Jeremy has been once before, and this was the first time I've gone. The Bowl is home to the Los Angeles Philharmonic over the summer, and tickets for their shows are very reasonably priced, so we've talked about going this summer but never followed through. Leave it to my sister to give us an opportunity we weren't giving ourselves!

I was immediately pleased with the location upon first walking to our seats. The amphitheater is surrounded by the Hollywood Hills on all sides, and while it sits just beyond Highland Avenue, the noises of the city don't exist too prevalently at The Bowl. There is a view of the Hollywood sign just over the top right of the stage; there's a good view of it depending on where you sit. I'd imagine you could even come across some wildlife if there weren't 18,000 people there.

The Hollywood Bowl stage

Close-up to see the sign.

And yes, 18,000 people! The maximum occupancy at The Bowl is close to 18,000, and Goat Rodeo Sessions played a sold-out show. Thankfully, I didn't feel like I was surrounded by that many people while we were being entertained by the music.

Goat Rodeo Sessions is a primarily instrumental band comprised of four members who are the best of the best at what they do, including Chris Thile (of Nickel Creek fame) and Yo-Yo Ma (no explanation needed there?) There was, if I may, a ridiculous amount of talent sitting on stage that night.

The term "goat rodeo," as described by one of the band members that night, refers to many different pieces entwining together, and every part has to be just perfect in order for it to be right. If one part is off, nothing works. As the band blends bluegrass and classical music together, their title naturally makes good sense.

Stuart Duncan is a Nashville-based bluegrass musician who primarily plays fiddle for Goat Rodeo Sessions, and has played for more recognizable musicians that you can count on both hands. Edgar Meyer is a bass player of many genres due an equal amount of talent credit, and Aoife O'Donovan is a surprisingly American girl, with the voice of an angel. I literally have no other words to describe her vocal talents. I typically don't enjoy female vocalists, and I could listen to her for the rest of my days.

It was one of those evenings that reminded me that I should be practicing violin again. And maybe learn how to sing, because Aoife was amazing.

We were treated to a plethora of songs from their 2011 album (the only of their recorded collaborations), and a few extras- a classical piece originally written for flute (if I remember correctly), and others.

One of my favorite parts of this set up was that we got to see Yo-Yo Ma in a relaxed environment. He was up there with the other guys, talking to the crowd and showing his personality. I don't imagine that he interacts with audiences during his black tie classical performances. Classical musicians remain much an enigma, in a way, since there's no audience interaction. It was nice to have that stripped away in this environment.

We should have taken this from the opposite direction with the stage behind us.

All-in-all, it was quite the memorable night. It is always wonderful to see talented people do what they love, and it is especially affecting to me when the talents are musicians. I definitely look forward to finding another opportunity to be at The Hollywood Bowl, and I absolutely would seek out another time to see Goat Rodeo Sessions play together live again!