Kristen’s Playlist

The British Are Invading

I returned to the Hollywood Bowl recently to enjoy the LA Philharmonic play cool Britanica music. I didn’t know the genre existied but sure enough, it’s pretty cool to listen to a live orchestra play various scores from James Bond movies. They also performed some tunes from Austin Powers but the other tunes were a bit more sleepy than cool.

The big draw for the night was Jamie Cullem. I love him and he played with the orchestra. He sounded brilliant! He wasn’t as crazy as he usually is when it’s just his band but he did a good job showing off his talents to the somewhat older crowd.

What a cool night.

Picnics & Music

People have been enjoying picnics at parks for centuries. It is a sure sign of summer when you’re packing up some chicken, salads, cakes, and cold bubbly drinks.  I’ve been to some great parks that attract people to pull up a blanket and unwind with food. Parks like Austin’s Zilker Park (home of ACL Festival), Washington DC’s National Mall or Manhattan’s Central Park (of course).

Well, LA has a few great parks too, one of them being the Arboretum in Santa Anita (and even though I’m a native of LA, this was my first visit). An estate of open land originally owned by Elias “Lucky” Baldwin and converted to a park in 1947. The park has developed into a beautiful collection of trees and botantical plants.  For several summers now, the California Philharmonic has offered a summer series of thematic musical adventures. It’s a great show and pretty inexpensive to get general seating in the park area ($20 for the lawn, seen above). Bring your own eats and enjoy the view.

What’s your favorite park to picnic at? I’m hoping to check out as many as I can before the summer ends.

Summer Time: Santa Monica Pier Concerts

Santa Monica kicked off it’s 23rd year for the Summer Dance Series. I snapped a photo of Brandy Shearer who opend for David Lindley. Though we got a little fog that night, the rest of the summer should be full of beautiful sunset performances. If you’re in the LA area, the Santa Monica pier is not that far away.  Plus, it’s a free show and definitely a “must-see” event.  Other performances this summer will include Patti Smith, Arrested Development and Los Lobos.