The Bowl Abides

The Santa Barbara Bowl closed 2019 with a string of epic performances: Hozier, Thom Yorke, and Lila Downs, in that order. After seeing the last patrons leave, and cleaning and buttoning up the venue for the off-season, the staff could finally take a break — until the music began again in the spring of 2020.

But life throws unexpected curveballs, and the pandemic came at the human population so fast that by mid-March, the world as we knew it had shut down. Just like that, the vibrant spring-summer-fall Bowl concert season that was to begin in April was put on hold. Bands that were already booked postponed their shows, and subsequent announcements planned for the coming months never happened.

It’s a familiar story now — COVID came; live performances went. For the past six months, many artists have turned to streaming technology to get their work out to the people. But watching a concert alone on a screen cannot compare to the multifaceted experience of seeing and hearing a band play live. There’s a synergism that occurs between audience and performer, electricity and emotion that flows back and forth from stage to floor. For many, live music is their lifeblood, and going without has caused a deep sense of loss.