Beck will cycle through over two decades’ worth of records when he joins the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl on Saturday, July 6th. Led by conductor Steven Reineke, the orchestra will accompany the freewheeling iconoclast for an unforgettable summer evening concert at the scenic hillside venue. Fans can find tickets for the show starting at $25-$95.

This feature was produced by Sandra Burciaga Olinger, and written by David Sosa

1. A Beck concert backed by an orchestra is an unmissable novelty

Across 14 studio albums, Beck has terraformed the soundscapes of every new collection with deft, effortless experimentation. In his journey from Mellow Gold to Hyperspace he’s reinvented himself a thousand times over. Now imagine his misadventures in folk, hip-hop, funk, blues, psych-rock, and synth-pop synced to the swell of instrumentals offered by the talented sections of the LA Phil. It’s the kind of strangely enticing concoction that has Beck written all over.

2. Tickets are refreshingly affordable, leaving you cash for a picnic and drinks

There aren’t many venues left that boast the same size, atmosphere, or a marquee offering big-name artists for an affordable price like the Hollywood Bowl. The beauty of an amphitheater that vast means you can get tickets for as low as $25 without compromising your concert experience. You’ll still be close enough to feel fully immersed in the show. But if the idea of nosebleeds still has you down, remember that this is an LA Phil-presented event, which means you’ll be able to put some of the money you saved on tickets toward bringing in your own food and wine! And let’s be real, to maximize those party vibes, bench seats are “where it’s at!”

3. Weekend concerts are an opportunity to truly experience the magic of the Bowl

Look, we all know navigating the 101 freeway after 5pm on a weekday to reach a show at the Hollywood Bowl is a masochistic journey. Luckily, the three to four hours you spend amongst the vistas and sounds of the stunning amphitheater are more than enough to soothe the mania of traffic jams. Yet those anxieties will be immensely lessened for Beck’s Saturday performance at the Bowl.

This means you can take the extra time to plan your night: we recommend taking all the food and drinks you can carry and that you arrive early to enjoy the venue’s beautiful grounds — which, let’s be honest, in the many times you’ve probably been to the Bowl you’ve never really appreciated since you’re always hurrying past to find your seats before the show starts. It’s also not a school night so if you’re bringing kids you can keep them out late and finally catch that encore!

4. No two Beck concerts are ever the same

There was a period when I caught Beck three to four times on the festival circuit — and not once did the show feel, sound, or function in quite the same way. Like LCD Soundsystem frontman James Murphy, when Beck Hansen takes the stage he tweaks songs to fit certain cities, riffing through his lyrics like he’s doing a musical theatre set you don’t know about, and never once lets the crowd off the hook. No one works massive crowds like him and we expect the entire amphitheater to be engaged in one giant sing-along and dance party by the end of the night. Paired with an orchestra who knows what the vibe will be at the show but all we know is Beck won’t disappoint!

5. A hometown show that promises special surprises

Beck’s gig at the Hollywood Bowl will be the second night of his upcoming summer tour with orchestras around the country. But because it is a hometown concert, we’ve got our fingers crossed that the Los Angeles-born artist has something extra special in store. He’s already shared via Instagram that these shows have been a “long time pipe dream that’s finally coming to light,” working with arranger David Campbell to transform his albums into epic arrangements. We also know that the original band that performed with him for Sea Change will be joining the show — so we’ll definitely be weeping over the symphonic version of “The Golden Age.”

Don’t miss out on seeing Beck with the LA Phil at the Hollywood Bowl on Saturday, July 6th! Tickets are currently available for $25-$95.

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Let this be your reminder that the Hollywood Bowl 2024 season is replete with incredible events and concerts you won’t want to pass up. Among some of our upcoming favorites is the Ballet Folklórico de México with the LA Phil, a Disney ’80s-’90s Celebration in Concert, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
plus Sylvan Esso, and Barbie The Movie: In Concert.

Words: Steven Ward