Pop Acts at Bowl Scrutinized

Last Friday, Paul Simon and his 17-piece band had a capacity crowd rocking at the Hollywood Bowl. But it wasn’t just another show at what is usually the summer home of the L.A. Philharmonic. Behind the scenes, promoters and other observers were watching to see if pop acts can be regular attractions at the venue that has hosted shows by acts such as the Beatles, Elton John, Jimi Hendrix, the Beach Boys and Aretha Franklin.

When Sting takes the stage tonight for the first of a two-night engagement, the Hollywood Bowl Community Advisory Committee will be taking notes on crowd behavior and control and traffic. The committee’s observations could influence the future of such shows at the Bowl.

Representatives on the committee include neighborhood associations, the Hollywood Bowl Assn., the Parks and Recreation Department and the LAPD.

“Based on our findings we will make a decision early next year regarding future presentations of such concerts,” said John Weber, committee chairman and assistant director for Parks and Recreation. “We wanted more cohesive plans, not just some shotgun measures.”

Anne Parsons, Bowl association general manager, said the organization is interested in hosting more pop concerts. However, she said, Bowl management is concerned for its neighbors’ safety and comfort: “We don’t want concerts presented (at the Bowl) to have negative effects on them.”

While the Bowl has been rented for numerous pop events over the years, it is only of late that neighborhood protests have grown.

For example, the Jimmy Buffett concert promoted in June by Avalon was a disaster, said Jeff Chufid, president of the Hollywood Heights Neighborhood Assn. Not only was there “much under-age drinking,” he said, but “near-riots inside and out, and patrons urinated all over the neighborhood and slept on the sidewalks after the concert.” In contrast, the Paul Simon concert was fairly orderly, Chufid said. (Unlike L.A. Philharmonic concerts, patrons are precluded from bringing alcoholic beverages, though they are sold on the premises.)

Indeed, future pop acts at the Bowl could lean toward sophisticated acts that attract more mature crowds. Bill Silva, the San Diego-based promoter of the Paul Simon and Sting concerts, said he would like to promote upwards of six concerts per year, some of which will be fine-arts soloists. But, he said, “I don’t think that given the Bowl’s proximity to homeowners in the area that we will see Guns N’ Roses at the venue anytime soon.”