With history dating back to 1903, Scripps Institute of Oceanography is one of the oldest and largest centers in the world focused on studying the oceans, land and atmosphere. Its founders were committed to communicating scientific findings to the public, and since 1905 the Institute has maintained a public aquarium to do so. Birch Aquarium sits perched atop the bluff at La Jolla Shores, overlooking the Scripps pier and dozens of surfers. One Wednesday a month during the summer, the back porch of the Aquarium is retrofitted with a stage for their Green Flash Concert Series (named after the mythical green flash seen at sunset, not the brewing company.) Each month, a few hundred concert-goers show up to enjoy a killer view with tunes, drinks and food. In my mind, this falls into the category of quintessential San Diego music venues.
Now, the most important part of the night. As you are walking up to the entrance, ticket in hand, stop by the unassuming Subaru information booth manned by a few laid back gentlemen. Get chatty. And you may find yourself with VIP tickets for the show. Subaru helped sponsor the concert series this year, and has 20 VIP tickets per show to give away to those lucky enough to stop by their booth. Moving on from my shameless plug for Subaru.
The evening started with Trouble in the Wind. A self-proclaimed “rock band,” this eclectic mix of accordion, banjo, bass, pedal steel guitar and vocals makes you want to pull up a lawn chair and crack a cold one. The group is from Carlsbad and recently scored a slot at this year’s Kaaboo. They also just won the Best Country/Americana Album at the San Diego Music Awards. They were my favorite of the night, and I’m proud to say their album “Lefty” is my first ever record purchase.
After that came Cracker. You may remember their song “Low” from the 90s. Turns out they are still making music and touring furiously. They put on a laid back show into the twilight at the aquarium. Not nearly as animated as the previous band, but the audience didn’t seem to mind.
One of the perks of being at the aquarium for a concert is you can wander the exhibits, exploring all the nocturnal creepy crawlies that live under the sea. You can’t miss the exhibit on Climate Change and its effect on our oceans. Thank you Birch Aquarium for sharing science and knowledge in an era when politics seem to have trumped both.
And special thanks to Lauren and Andrew for inviting me to be your third wheel, VIP style. Best third wheel date ever.