Best Moments & Events From the 2015 Outside Lands Festival

Outside Lands is one of the hottest celebrations of music, wine, beer, food, comedy, and art. The festival takes place at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. Last year, this impressive festival offered concert-goers great music, good food, and wonderful guest comics. 

Although the music line-up for Outside Lands hasn’t been released for 2016, the festival brings some of the biggest acts in the world to San Francisco. In 2015, Kendrick Lamar and Elton John were among the stars that performed. 

If you are thinking about going to this event this year, check out some of the best moments from last year’s festivities to get an idea of what you might be in store for at this year’s event. 

Kendrick Lamar's Fan Dedication

The hip-hop artist performed one of his songs to a fan that was crowd-surfing in a wheelchair. He asked the audience to carry the fan to the front so that he could dedicate a performance of his hit song "Alright" to the fan.

The GastoMagic Stage

The GastroMagic stage was not a music stage, but rather a food stage. This stage featured world-famous chefs, dancers, musicians, and comedians for live cooking demonstrations. The stage showcased the great food offerings available in San Francisco. It also offered some of the most interesting performances at the festival. French Soul Food restaurateurs rewarded audience members who twerked with beignets. Local butchers performed their duties among break dancers. A discussion about mezcal was paired with mambo dancers. 

Billy Idol Rocking Out

Rock and roll icon Billy Idol delivered a high-energy performance that delighted fans at last year’s festival. He performed a number of his signature punk-rock hits, including “Dancing With Myself”. Billy Idol and his band rocked tight leather and cool hairstyles. 

Elton John’s Performance

Elton John closed out the festival in style last year. Fans were delightfully shocked to see Elton John perform his biggest hits. He performed "Tiny Dancer" among other hits. 

For 2016, Outside Lands will run from August 5th through August 7th. Last year, the festival sold out in less than one hour, so you will need to act very quickly if you want tickets for Outside Lands for this year. 

The Legend of Zelda Symphony: An 80s Video Game Becomes High Art

The Legend of Zelda, an adventure game centered on a pixie-like boy named Link who is tasked with rescuing a princess from a well-guarded castle, first appeared in the United States in 1987 on the original Nintendo gaming system. Since then it has become one of Nintendo’s most popular game series, spawning numerous game sequels across all of Nintendo’s gaming systems. In addition to complex adventure game play, the Zelda series has spawned some very good instrumental music, featuring orchestral arrangements, complex classical guitar solos and ocarina pieces that players can play along with by using the buttons on their game controllers. Now, the music from the Legend of Zelda series is being performed as a symphony concert that is touring North America, South America and Europe throughout 2016.

The Legend of Zelda Symphony of the Goddesses is a four movement symphony that is believed to be the first ever video game music concert of a classical nature. This is no pop concert. The concert's music was composed by Koji Kondo, who has also composed music for Nintendo’s Super Mario Bros. game series. Titles featured in the Zelda concert program will be familiar to players of the game, and they include:

• Gerudo Valley
• The Great Fairy’s Fountain
• Boss Battle Medley
• The Ocarina of Time
• The Wind Waker
• Suite from Majora’s Mask

The music is taken from several Zelda games and sequels, but those who are not familiar with the games need not worry: The excellent compositions and professionalism of the musicians should delight any fan of symphony orchestra. 

The 2016 tour began in Nashville and will move to several major U.S. cities including Boston, Miami, San Antonio, San Francisco and Chicago. Canadian cities that will host the symphony concert include Montreal, Edmonton and Toronto, and the concert will play in the European cities of London, Paris and Vienna, among others. Dates in Mexico and Chile are also on the 2016 schedule.

Hollywood Bowl Home of Hundreds of Musical Concerts and Events Each Season

 

Set in front of the Hollywood Hills and just southeast of the iconic Hollywood sign, the Hollywood Bowl is the perfect venue for outdoor music in Southern California. The Hollywood Bowl is the largest natural outdoor amphitheater in the United States. Thousands of visitors enjoy listening to a variety of bands and performance artists throughout the season. The venue is especially popular in the summer months, where family and friends gather together to enjoy music under the stars.

Construction of the Hollywood Bowl began in the 1920s when a distinctive shell was designed for the outdoor amphitheater. The arches that were designed for the shell in 1929 remained in place until 2003 when they were replaced with a larger version. The Hollywood Bowl gets its name from the concave hillside where the shell was built. The Hollywood Bowl museum is available for visitors who want to learn more about its history.

 
The Hollywood Bowl is home to the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra and seasonally houses the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Other popular past performance artists include:

• Elton John
• Janet Jackson
• Judy Garland
• The Beatles
• Journey
• The Beach Boys
• Alicia Keys

Hundreds of musical performances, jazz concerts, classical musicians, family sing-a-longs and more are featured at the venue each year. Tuesday and Thursday evenings are designated for classical concerts, bringing a variety of music fans to the amphitheater.

Seating is divided into three separate sections:

• Box Seats, canvas-covered collapsible chairs closest to the stage
• Super Seats, stadium-style seats made of plastic and located in the center of the theater
• Bench Seats, benches that extend to the back of the theater

Large screens set on both sides of the stage ensure that the show is easily in-view no matter where guests are seated.

Though people of all ages are invited to the theater, some shows are only suitable for older children and adults. No specific dress code is required. Food and drink can be brought into the theater and enjoyed during the show; however, several restaurants and concession stands are available throughout the Hollywood Bowl for those who wish to purchase food. Some concerts limit the type of food or drink that is allowed to be brought in, so always check in advance before packing food.

No matter the music preference, the Hollywood Bowl has an artist or performance for everyone to enjoy while enjoying the warm, summer weather of Southern California.

The History of Red Rocks Amphitheatre

If you want to listen to a concert, singer or speaker at an interesting venue, then the Red Rocks Amphitheatre is the perfect place to visit. Located in Morrison, Colo., this open-air amphitheater is only 10 miles from Denver. Over 9,000 individuals are able to sit in this rock structure that is located in Red Rocks Park. This venue is owned and operated by both the city and county of Denver and opened in the early 1900s after John Brisben Walker noticed how perfect the acoustics were in the location. The actual foundation of the stage was created during the 1930s and 1940s by workers from the Works Progress Administration and the Civilian Conservation Corps that were part of two federal programs. 

Who Has Performed at This Natural Formation Venue? 

Mary Garden made this venue known worldwide with her operatic performance in 1906. Since then, several musical artists and groups have help performances at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, including:

• Liberace - 1954
• The Beatles – 1964
• Jimi Hendrix - 1968
• Jethro Tull – 1971
• Stevie Nicks – 1987
• Ringo Starr – 2000
• John Denver 
• Sonny & Cher 
• The Carpenters 
• Pat Boone 
• Seals & Croft 
• Carole King 
• U2 – 1983
• The Moody Blues – 1992

There are Year-Round Performances at Red Rocks Amphitheatre

Not only have many performers and musical groups had live shows at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre, but also, they have recorded live performances because the location has perfect natural acoustics. The beauty of this natural venue has also led to it being a film and television location. In addition, the Colorado Music Hall of Fame opened at the Trading Post located near the venue. Despite being an outdoor venue, there are activities at Red Rock Amphitheatre year-round, including speakers, concerts and book signings.

Traveling to the Venue for Performances 

Visitors wanting to see a concert or speaker at Red Rocks Amphitheatre can drive along a highway to the entrance to park in a security-controlled parking lot. Parking outside the Red Rocks Amphitheatre is limited and regulated, and many visitors choose to travel with taxicabs, limousines or buses instead.