“Glad you could make it; pull up a chair.”

Sharing in the shell show

“You don’t need tickets to enjoy the concert.”

Downtown San Diego – After the Padres game on August 2nd, I cut through the Convention Center to catch my ferry home to Coronado. You can get a cardio workout walking up the stairs at the San Diego Convention Center. After huffing up the stairs, I noticed a group of people standing around. One guy was off to the side by himself, smoking a joint. I could hear a woman’s voice coming from the direction of the Rady Shell at Jacobs Park: “Thank you San Diego,” she was saying. I went over to where the group was standing and found I could see directly into the Rady Shell. Lo and behold, the grateful gal saying thank you was none other than Sheryl Crow.

I didn’t want to miss my ferry, so I headed home. But I could still hear the music while I was on the ferry. I could still hear the music, faintly, when I got off the ferry in Coronado. Periodically, I read complaints on social media from some fellow residents about the music being too loud. Not sure about the validity of those complaints.

Fast forward to August 6th: I decided to check out the scene for The Beach Boys with the San Diego Symphony, scheduled to play at the Rady Shell. I packed a backpack with alcoholic beverages, sandwiches, water and a few joints. I decided to take the trolley to Downtown from Old Town, because parking in Downtown is either a chore or a dent your wallet ($10-$25 for a paid lot). The trolley stop to get to the Shell is the Convention Center. To get to the venue, I cut through a dark jungle path by the Marriott Hotel. After exiting the darkness of the jungle, I entered paradise. The sun was shining down on the Shell and on the groves of concert goers entering the venue. I could see the kayakers in the harbor, paddling to get as close as possible.

I decided to do a perimeter check. On the pathways leading up the concert site, people on both sides had set up elaborate picnics, complete with pop-up chairs and tables. I saw boxed sandwich meals, wines, cheeses, and crackers. Some people brought their dogs. You could walk all the way around, but the best part was, you could walk up towards the stage, unfold your chair, and take a seat looking directly at the stage. Walking from the harbor side to the bay side, I saw a boat regatta on the San Diego Bay. I also saw a similar setup: chairs placed so that people could see directly into the Shell. After walking the whole perimeter, I decided it was time to take a drink break. I saw a sign that said Burgers, Bait & Beer. Unfortunately, it was closed, but there was a bar area in the back. It was like my own personal bar: a square shaped spot with a bar table going all the way around. Drank a vodka cranberry, ate my sandwich, and pulled out a joint. Another gentleman came over to smoke a joint as well and said, “This must be the place to do this.”

As a security guard walked by, I asked her if she had ever caught anyone trying to breach. Her reply: “You don’t have to try and break in, because you can walk in the park and pretty much walk up to the stage and get a free concert.” She added, “No reason to get arrested or a ticketed by the cops.” After finishing up my little picnic, I heard the San Diego Symphony start in with their version of “Good Vibrations.”

As The Beach Boys took the stage, I moseyed towards the front of the concert area on the bay side, facing Coronado. You could see and hear Mike Love and the rest of the band clearly, so clearly that you could spot all the non-original members of the band. Still, people danced all along the pathways to “Surfin’ Safari” and “Surfin’ USA”. I had the feeling of being in the concert.

After a few songs, I decided to head up to where people were watching from the Convention Center. Huffed up the stairs and encountered a couple watching the show. I asked them if they were enjoying it. The man said yes. I asked them if they would prefer to have tickets, rather than watching from the Convention Center. The woman replied, “You don’t need tickets to enjoy the concert, and the rocks close to the concert area are like blocks, so you can sit on them and see the concert.” It can be fun for the whole family, or solo if you’re walking around there by yourself. To enjoy a show at the Rady Shell, there’s no admittance required.