Nestled in the hills of Burbank since the Summer of 1992 is the city run Starlight Bowl Amphitheater. It is lesser known than the more prestigious Hollywood Bowl but still has the charm to make concert going worthwhile. I was lucky enough to escape the house this past Sunday night to attend one of the Summer night's concert series featuring the Stone Soul and the Sounds of the Supremes. My cultural companion for the evening was once again Teddy - the local wino who thankfully was recovered from our last excursion and managed to stay sober for most of the evening's festivities.The first thing one notices when attending a Starlight Bowl concert is that the area surrounding the bowl is very pleasant. It is located up in the hills past the Burbank downtown area if one takes Magnolia Boulevard east up into the hills to where it tees into Sunset Canyon Drive. From there you just take a left and follow the signs. Parking is easy to come by and also patron friendly for it is not usually stacked as parking is at the Hollywood Bowl. Stack parking does still occur, but only on highly popular nights like July Fourth for fireworks.
Teddy and I arrived on the scene around 5:30 pm with hopes of finding a sweet spot to put our blanket. Unfortunately, we were quickly schooled in the ways of the Starlight. First of all we found that one needs a ticket in order to attend a concert - not having one is highly undesirable. Secondly, there is a strict no pet policy that limits a dog's ability to get into the venue. Undaunted, we decided to ride out the evening on the fringes and try to crash the event later in the evening.
Teddy made out quite well with the public for they placed coins and other paper bills into his hand as we rested on the grass outside the bowl. I also received a fair share of attention as patrons patted my head - telling me what a pretty dog I was and whispering to each other that I looked so fit and well kept considering I was a bum's dog. Overall I'd say that the pre-concert festivities were very enjoyable. Teddy raked in a cool $20.00, a couple of Bud Lights, and a bottle of Charles Shaw Cabernet Sauvignon which he quickly decided to partake in.
Once the concert began, we found it difficult to actually hear the music for we were behind the stage but the crowd sounded enthusiastic so it must have been a good show. I did catch a peak or two of a few coyotes in the hills surrounding the venue but thankfully I'm large enough that they don't bother me like they would a little dog or run of the mill house cat. The hills are scattered with signs listing lost dogs or cats but me thinks that they are not so much lost as found for dinner but that is another story.
As the evening wore on, Teddy became a bit more enthusiastic about the music prompting stares from the security detail. They were especially displeased when he lowered his trousers to show them his bare bum - yelling, "I've got your Sounds of the Supremes right here!" By that time, the police were called in and I was once again forced to flee into the woods to prevent being caught. Teddy on the other hand was not so lucky for they grabbed him and roughly took him away in their cruiser thus ending his night of music and culture. I'm told he was locked up until Tuesday when a relative finally came to get him out. I really must find another cultural companion.
Haley's Dog Ratings: Starlight Bowl
- Outer Grounds - 5 barks
- Stone Soul - N/A
- Sounds of the Supremes- N/A
- Ambiance -Inside - N/A
- Programs - 5 barks - smelled crisp and new
Until next time - have a great day folks!
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