Hall & Oates...and the Hollywood Bowl

Last night, for the 4th of July, I had a chance to take the family and some friends to the Hollywood Bowl to see Hall & Oates and, given that this Blog is dedicated in part to the Arts, wanted to give a review of what a great performance it was. Actually, performances...three to be specific: the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra; Hall & Oates; and, the pyrotechnicians who [always] put on one of the best fireworks shows.

            The Hollywood Bowl Orchestra was -- figuratively and literally -- pitch-perfect. And so too was Hall & Oates, performing many of their hits from the 1970s and 1980s. What was especially enjoyable was both how good these guys sound live, but also the sense of fun they conveyed for an audience of fans that numbered well over 18,000.

            I am of the mind that "pop" groups like Hall & Oates are part of that wonderful rarity that can write/play AOR-type tunes whose melodies are deceptively elegant. Much of their music originally came out over a quarter of a century ago, yet sounds...well...somewhat timeless now. And that, as many music critics like to say, is the hallmark of what Classical music is really all about -- music that still resonates many years after the period of debut.

            Thus making a pop group and a philharmonic work so well together last night, especially with fireworks!