Summer Concert Guide

Here’s the ultimate rundown on this season’s music scene—with insider tips—to make the most of the shows.

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I still get a buzz when I think about my first rock concert—Steve Miller Band at the Concord Pavilion. It was a hot summer night, friends surrounded me, and we danced, danced, danced all night on the Pavilion lawn. Good times.

Twenty-five years later, I am still hooked. I have a shoebox filled with ticket stubs from the thousand-plus concerts I’ve seen. Along the way, I’ve figured out  how best to enjoy every concert experience: where to park, where to eat, and how to score great seats for the summer’s biggest shows.

The Bay Area has one of the preeminent music scenes in the world. We boast massive venues for bands like Coldplay and U2, and smaller theaters for Band of Horses and Franz Ferdinand. We have ultrachic winery shows that bring on acoustic-culinary nirvana. And almost every city offers free concerts that keep the local music scene lively and accessible to all.

Summer 2009 will be one of the greatest concert seasons ever—Coldplay, Motley Crue, No Doubt, Aerosmith, Wilco, Jackson Browne, Sheryl Crow, Elvis Costello. Even Steve Miller has a Tri-Valley winery gig.

We've got a ton of info to help you navigate your way through the summer concert season in style: just click on one of the sections below ... and don't forget about our Ultimate Concert Ticket Contest—we'll give away freebies all summer long.

Main Stages

Intimate Venues

Outdoor Festivals

Free Concerts

Complete Concert Calendar

Ultimate Concert Ticket Contest

main stages

GREEK THEATRE

➜The century-old Greek, atop the UC Berkeley campus, offers spectacular views of San Francisco Bay and unparalleled acoustics. Thanks to recent upgrades by promoter Another Planet Entertainment, the 8,000-capacity Greek is a state-of-the-art venue that draws artists (Dave Matthews, Tom Petty) who easily sell out outdoor amphitheaters twice as big. Concerts are scheduled from May to October—usually on Friday and Saturday nights because of the neighborhood’s strict sound ordinances.

Top Tickets: Talking Head David Byrne brings fans up to date on June 26; Wilco on June 27; Death Cab For Cutie on July 11; East Bay legends Counting Crows on July 26; John Legend, with India.Arie on September 6.

Trivial Pursuits: William Randolph Hearst gave the Greek to UC Berkeley in 1903. President Teddy Roosevelt offered the commencement address from the unfinished stage that year. One of the first performances was a benefit for victims of the 1906 earthquake by legendary French actress Sarah Bernhardt.

Parking Priority: Don’t try to go out to dinner at Chez Panisse and then drive to the show just before it starts. You’ll find yourself circling the neighborhoods and cursing Alice Waters. Park first, then grab a bite at a nearby spot such as Top Dog or one of the ethnic restaurants at 2503 Hearst Avenue. Also, the Greek offers a larger and tastier range of food vendors than most large venues—killer steak sandwiches.

»»» CONCERT TIP  »»» E-mail blasts from Bay Area promoters offer premium seat presales, discounted four-packs, and other perks. Go to apeconcerts.com, goldenvoice.com, and livenation.com.

ONLINE EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Counting Crows guitarist David Bryson

In March 2008, I interviewed Counting Crows lead singer Adam Duritz about his East Bay upbringing and the band's then-new album, Saturday Nights and Sunday Mornings. We got a great reaction about the interview—and one letter from a reader who asked for why we didn't interview Counting Crows guitarist and co-founder David Bryson, who grew up in Lamorinda and still resides in the East Bay. Better late than never, I sent Bryson a list of questions about his favorite East Bay concert experiences.

What was your first rock concert?

It was Led Zeppelin at a Day On the Green in 1978. We were such geeks. We made banners of the band member's "signs". I'm not going to go into what these "signs" were but any geek worth his salt will know what I mean. We lined up at like 7 in the morning. By the time Zeppelin came on, most people were badly sunburned and hung over. We were in better shape than most and had an awesome time and waved our banner with pride.

What is your fondest memory of an East Bay concert?

Pink Floyd at the Oakland Coliseum. Not sure of the year. Might have been 1979? Anyway, it was amazing. They had a giant inflatable pig that floated out over the crowd. It was awesome.

What is your favorite venue to play in the East Bay?

The Greek Theater for sure! My first gig there was opening for Eddie Money circa 1985 with my band The Clique (bad band name I know). We played in the middle of the day and there must have been 40 or 50 people there but it was HUGE! We killed them!

What is backstage at every Counting Crows show that might surprise or amuse fans?

We are the most boring band in the universe. Our back stage is "G" rated all the way. I heard a story about a band that used to have a hot tub filled with strippers on a flatbed truck at their back stage.  I think the craziest thing we have at our backstage is probably Red Bull—unless of course you think soy milk is crazy.

Bryson and Counting Crows play the Greek Theatre in Berkeley on July 26.

SLEEP TRAIN PAVILION

➜Ahh, the Concord … er, Sleep Train Pavilion. Every kid who grew up in the East Bay remembers seeing a first Shaun Cassidy, or New Kids on the Block, or Destiny’s Child, or Jonas Brothers concert here. Opened in 1975, this 12,500-capacity venue is large enough to book big sellers such as this year’s Aerosmith with ZZ Top and Jimmy Buffett tours, but it’s considerably more intimate than other outdoor “sheds.”

Top Tickets: New Kids on the Block are back on July 9; Gwen Stefani reunites with No Doubt on July 21; Aerosmith and ZZ Top on August 19.

Trivial Pursuits: The Pavilion was designed by architect Frank Gehry, though much of his work was significantly altered in a TK remodel. It was the site of Bing Crosby’s last U.S. concert, and the last venue legendary concert promoter Bill Graham visited—he died in a helicopter crash leaving a Huey Lewis show in October 1991.

Early Birds Catch the Opener: Traffic can snarl for miles on Ygnacio Valley and Kirker Pass roads, so leave early to avoid the logjam. Alternative: An inexpensive BART shuttle from the Concord station will whisk you right up to the Pavilion entrance.

Cheap Seats, Great View: The lawn at the Pavilion is one of the most scenic general admission sections of any large venue, with its view of Mount Diablo behind the stage. Pick up a discounted four-pack of tickets online, arrive early with a picnic blanket (no cans or glass bottles; unopened water bottles are OK), and enjoy the spectacular surroundings.

No Service Charges: Ticketmaster service charges add up quickly if you’re buying a fistful of seats. Go to the Pavilion box office the day tickets go on sale, and pay face value.

»»» CONCERT TIP  »»» Radio station websites, such as kfog.com and ksan.com, offer presales and giveaways. Listen for Diablo's Peter Crooks on KFOG 104.5 FM's morning show on June 2.

SHORELINE AMPHITHEATER

➜Legendary promoter Bill Graham built this massive amphitheater, which houses nearly twice as many fans as Concord’s Pavilion, as a setting for the Grateful Dead to work their magic. It’s still the biggest venue and a great place to see a show—especially if you have one of the 6,500 seats. That massive, steep, general admission lawn can be a killer when packed with 18,000 rock fans at a sold-out show.

Top Tickets: Coldplay will be here July 13. Danville’s Vince Neil and his Mötley Crüe headline on July 30. Phish sold out its August 5 show in seconds. By the way, I have an extra seat for Phish, so e-mail me at pcrooks@maildiablo.com to let me know why you should help me review the show for diablomag.com.

Trivial Pursuits: The Grateful Dead were booked to play the Shoreline’s first concert in 1986, but the show was postponed when Jerry Garcia fell into a diabetic coma.

Preshow Prep: If you do get lawn tickets, arriving early is the key to enjoying the Shoreline. I showed up two hours late to my first Dead concert, due to bad carpool karma and Highway 101 traffic. Have a preshow picnic on the bottom third of the lawn to secure your spot. Otherwise, you’ll be watching the video screens all night.

»»» CONCERT TIP  »»» Premium parking passes can be worth the cost—usually about $20—to get in and out of a huge venue such as Shoreline or Sleep Train Pavilion.

ORACLE ARENA

➜The Oakland Coliseum’s indoor arena isn’t just the Golden State Warriors' home court; it’s a 15,000-seat year-round concert hall that’s hosted everyone from Elvis Presley to Britney Spears.

Top Tickets: Rock legends Steve Winwood and Eric Clapton combine guitar forces on June 29; Berkeley punk pioneers Rancid headline the Rise Against tour on July 9; Beyoncé on July 10; American Idol singers live the dream on July 11.

Sweet Seats: Get premium seats before they go on sale to the public by joining the Arena’s Concert Club. A minimum fee of $45 per year reserves the right to buy desirable seats to all shows.

Cheap Eats: There’s an In N’ Out drive-thru just across I-880.

»»» CONCERT TIP  »»» Looking for seats at the last second? Razorgator.com sells hard-to-get tickets. And, of course, there is always the classic craigslist.org.