My husband and I recently attended our first concert at Vina Robles Amphitheatre, enjoying very much the David Crosby & Friends show. We were very pleased with the intimate venue and all that it had to offer.
Parking was effortless due to the efficient staff on hand. After having driven 2.5 hours to Paso Robles we immediately made a “freshening up” stop at the very clean and well stocked restrooms. The air was crisp and quite breezy. Concert goers were dressed in winter type gear, leading me to wish I had worn warmer clothing. Viewing the Amphitheatre, we were impressed to find there was not a bad seat in the house. Making our way to the food service building, we found a menu appropriate for a casual meal. There was comfortable seating and or standing space available for our dinning before grabbing a local cabernet in a disposable carafe with stemless cups for our convenience. Pleasant and attentive staff directed us to our seats.
As we sipped our delicious wine we noticed most the crowd to be in our age group, causing us to reminisce of our youth and of the bands we enjoyed where David Crosby had been a member (as these fans presumably did as well). The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, Jefferson Starship (1970), Crosby Stills and Nash, Crosby Stills Nash and Young and now his success with the members of this group including his extremely talented keyboardist, son James. The band appeared on stage, on time, and dressed for a cool evening as well. David Crosby’s voice was stronger than ever. The band was tight and the three, sometimes four-point harmony was exceptional… Like days of old. They played a mixed set of favorite songs from his previous solo albums, a few sentimental hits from his days with Crosby Stills Nash flavored with current jazz infused, soulful blues/rock melodies from his new album Lighthouse. We thoroughly enjoyed the artistry of David Crosby and his band, almost as if they were in our living room, bringing back delightful memories of his history in rock and roll.
After a two-song encore, he said goodbye, thanking us for coming out in inclement weather. We left our seats and purchased a hot cup of coffee from the one, still open kiosk, which also offered what looked to be decadent dessert items, and made our way out to any easy get away. Overall it was a wonderful experience.
Story by Chris Butler, Photos by Shannon McMillen
