There may not be anyone still living who attended the 1936 opening of the Santa Barbara Bowl (then called the County Bowl) 88 years ago during Old Spanish Days Fiesta.
A torchlight procession of costumed riders and horses called the “Santa Barbara Bowl Riders” made their way down a hillside to the newly completed stage “filled with dancing and singing caballeros and senoritas in ravishing costumes and hundreds of prancing horses with gleaming silver trappings,” according to the program. And there was a surprise: the stage rotated!
The closest the present day Bowl comes to that is an uptick in the number of country music acts booked this season. Sadly, there are no horses.
Rick Boller wasn’t born when it opened but he grew up locally and was a volunteer usher while at Santa Barbara High School – right across the street – for shows by Santana, Dire Straits, the Eurythmics, and others. He’s been involved with the Bowl since 1992, ran the box office (then at the Lobero Theatre), and is now chief executive officer.
But he can recall the state of the venue when the Santa Barbara Bowl Foundation took over its management in 1994, and was a member of the team that implemented and added to an improvements Master Plan to the tune of more than $42 million.
Big capital improvements were made in the early 2000s, like the new production roof to support tech for large touring shows and the reconceived entrance and lovely walk through the glen to the venue.
“We now keep the facility in top shape,” he says. “While we may not have large scale projects, each year we identify what is important for maintenance and repair, so we stay cutting-edge.”
In the last off season, they repaired the access road used by artists’ buses and trucks, worked on food and beverage storage, and improved backstage catering areas. Resurfacing the floor of the stage was a major undertaking.
“The stage has been here since 2001 and I don’t recall the last time the stage covering was addressed. It was wearing out,” says Boller. “Artists want the best environment in order to hear themselves, and the floor makes a difference in the way the sound bounces around.”
They had to find a material that was both durable and had positive acoustics. A sound consultant reviewed acoustic characteristics and they ultimately settled on flooring made with a five-layer process.
A total of more than 150,000 people attended 37 Bowl shows last year. The same number of shows are planned for this year. Bowl staff work with concert promoter Goldenvoice to plan the programming to achieve a good mix of genres.
“When I first started, we did 13 shows a year,” says Boller. “Thirty-seven a year is a feat I couldn’t have imagined. As we started doing more shows, the artists would have a good time, the manager would be pleased and book other artists, and the word just got out.”
Twenty-five shows have been announced to date, with more to come through the first week in November.
According to the Bowl’s online concert database, this Thursday is Willie Nelson’s seventh appearance, starting in 1984.
More country music is in store including “outlaw country” artist Cody Jinks on May 18, Brothers Osborne’s “Might As Well Be Us Tour” on May 31, and Whiskey Myers (“Ballad of a Southern Man”) on June 18. The Bowl has just been named a nominee for the Academy of Country Music’s Outdoor Venue of the Year award.
For some headliners, the Bowl may be the smallest venue (at 4,500 seats) they will play on tour, such as the Queens of Stone Age on May 24, Daryl Hall + Elvis Costello & The Imposters on June 14, and Kings of Leon on Aug. 26.
John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival fame plays the Bowl on Sept. 1, with special guest George Thorogood & The Destroyers, who celebrate their 50th anniversary this year. (It’s even longer for Fogerty, as CCR’s first album came out in 1968 – you do the math.)
Is there someone special Boller wants to see at the Bowl? He’s diplomatic, saying, “All our shows are special to us, and we’ve been fortunate to have major artists here like The Who, Foo Fighters, and David Bowie.”
When pressed, he laughs and confesses. “Someone like the Rolling Stones, I guess.” Let’s hope that he can get “satisfaction” in an upcoming season.
Insider tip: The Bowl Box Office is the most affordable place to buy tickets. There are no phone orders, but it’s worth a visit for smaller fees and a friendly, knowledgeable staff.
For concert and ticket information, visit www.sbbowl.com.
Correction: The previous version of this story said Willie Nelson’s concert was on Friday. It’s scheduled for Thursday.
