Oregon Zoo Summer Concert Series

I recently attended a concert with vip tickets. Our vip tickets included dinner and drinks. Dinner consisted of a garden salad, a spinach salad with peaches, vegetarian baked beens, roasted red potatoes, bbq chicken legs, and pork ribs. Water and iced tea were available, but my friend and I opted for the Columbia-​Crest chardonnay. We had great seats for the concert, and enjoyed the show and the atmosphere very much.

Still not impressed with the music scene. We came on a Sunset Evening and paid full price for the family, $ 54.50. They said there would be nocturnal animals… not so much. They said there would be gourmet picnic baskets and food carts. Nada. There was one grilled cheese cart and that was it. The beers were $ 8 each. The place was pretty bare bones. The music was hard to hear. There was a weak attempt to engage the crowd with a kids howl/​meow contest. Not what it used to be.
I get that the zoo is remodeling and making improvements for the animals. I hope to come back next summer and have a better experience.

Last night I saw Amy Helm and the Handsome Strangers, Patty Griffin and Mavis Staples. The performers were wonderful but the guy running the sound didn’t seem to know what he was doing. Several times the performers tried to signal to him to fix it (the guitars mostly overwhelmed the singers and even the keyboard was too loud at some points. He just made it worse or didn’t fix it. He seemed to subscribe to the «loud is better» notion without any idea of balance. It was too bad, as these were fabulous performers whose performances were diminished by crappy soundboard running. I saw Pink Martini last summer and it was some of the finest sound I’ve ever heard. But not last night.

I thought this experience was awful, and had high expectations so maybe that made it worse. Went to see Lyle Lovett. Got there an hour b4 the gate opened (2 hrs before the show). Security at the gate threw out my sealed diet coke. Said only sealed water was allowed, not even gatorade. The line from the gate through the zoo out the back was really really long. We were told to wait in it and would have not gotten any lawn space if we had just gone in as instructed. Our friends didn’t have chairs so walked right past the line, through the gate and put down large blankets on the lawn to save us all space. Only bz. they ignored all procedures were we able to get a spot as they said it filled up in about 5 minutes. Sound was ok, concert itself was great but not worth the hassle factor. Dont’ go expecting a nice picnic and concert, but if you are willing to stand to hear a great band, just showup when it starts and stay in the back.

The new seating venue is cool, but even with reserved seating, you couldn’t see the performers very well. I think that they should put the seating further up. The venue is nice though. One of my biggest gripes about these concerts has always been that they shut down before 10pm. So, when a big performance like Pat Benatar comes into town, they only play for a little over 1.5 hours. It is disappointing. So, a lot of money and time waiting for not much payback. Also, don’t pay for the parking. You carry the ticket with you, so what are the odds of them checking? I’ve never gotten a ticket from parking there. I like that they have summer concerts, but may not go again for I’d like more bang for my buck I guess.
Selena

We arrived 20min before the gates opened and ended up sitting so far back that we couldn’t see the stage. The speakers in the back were not working for the opening act. Most venders only take cash and there was no mention of that on the website. If you want to actually see the band, get there about 2 hrs before the gates open to get in line. The venue is clean and there were lots of security, alcohol monitors and park employees to keep the peace. They also walk around with rulers to measure the chairs and make you stick to the «low chair» rules.

John Prine was awesome but their paid security are less than helpful. My friend with a broken leg got kicked out of ADA seating by them twice before they finally got approval from the zoo people to let her sit there. You think they would have done that before shuffling us around so much.

This review isn’t about the quality of the concerts, rather the noise, which can easily be heard and felt (low bass) way up on SW Patton Road. I doubt everyone appreciates dealing with it on an otherwise relaxing home weekend, especially if they don’t like the bands.
The sound takes on a somewhat surreal quality as it echoes up the Marquam trail south of Hwy 26.
Also, is it fair to subject the zoo prisoners (I mean animals) to that racket? Surely they must be affected and spooked. Odd place for a concert in my opinion.

There are few events better than a concert at the Oregon Zoo on a sunny day. If sitting on the lower lawn, the sound is excellent. The upper lawn is not as good, but better for kids who want to run around. The AfriCafe has a bacon, rogue smoky blue cheese, pear hamburger that is one of the best burgers I’ve ever had. Beer and wine are sold on site and are expensive (where is booze cheap unless you are serving it at home?) You can rent chairs if you forget your low profile chairs at home and picnics are allowed except for beverages. They only allow sealed bottled water. Parking is a pain so either arrive early or take the Max.

I love outdoor music venues and prior to my Portland trip I heard good things about the Oregon Zoo Summer Concert Series. The series runs every year from June-​September and features a variety of musicians. 2012 showcased artists like the B52’s, Grace Potter, Buddy Guy, Rosanne Cash, Chicago, Ziggy Marley and Melissa Etheridge.
Located inside the zoo parking is a pain. A lot of people take the public transportation known as the MAX to avoid such. But once inside it is very cool to be walking through the zoo grounds on your way to the back end of the zoo where there sits a grassy knoll and outdoor amphitheater.
You are allowed to bring in a picnic to enjoy on the lawn (no alcohol allowed inside and liquids must be sealed) and blankets and short style lawn chairs. No pets. The Oregon Zoo sells alcohol like beer and wine. You can buy wine by the bottle for prices between $ 25-​$ 30. The proceeds go to support the zoo so you are paying money for a good cause when you buy alcohol at this event. Any tips you may try to leave all go to the zoo.
I saw Robert Randolph and the Family Band play. The place was PACKED. The area is small enough for it to feel intimate but big enough to fill quickly. Get there early to get a good position. It was such an enjoyable experience. I only wish I could have gone with other people and brought a picnic. This is really the joy of this place. When the sun sets over the trees you will feel in a peaceful state of bliss.

Went to see Rosanne Cash at the zoo. This was the first time I’ve been to this venue, and it’s okay. I don’t really care for «bring your own chair» concerts. People stake out their own little patch of grass in willie-​nillie fashion. Folks end up weaving through the blankets and baskets with beers and snacks precariously balanced and often spilled.
I also don’t like kids at concerts. Their parents are usually pounding down booze in mass quantities, making me nervous thinking about who’s driving home. Yikes. The sound is okay and the stage is easy to see from just about anywhere in the place, unless you’re stuck behind a tree.
Anyway, those are my only complaints – except for the $ 7.50 beer price. If you’re going to a concert at the zoo, I highly recommend taking the MAX into the park. Easy breezy, unless there’s also a Timbers game going on the same night. Get there early, too. The general seating fills up fast.

Well 1 hour early wasn’t enough. 2 hours next time? Terrible venue for viewing. No high back chairs but I am sitting looking at high backs. Went & bought a chair just for this. Should of brought my regular chair.

A wonderful date night! We attended the Head and the Heart at the zoo on ⁷⁄₂₀. We were able to get to the zoo right at 5 pm when the seating area opened, which proved to be a good thing because we were able to get great spots in the main concert lawn. Boy did the area fill-​up quick though!
We brought in a picnic dinner because we thought the food on the inside might be spendy. We did share a couple bottles of wine with friends. While the bottles were on the expensive side ($ 30), it was great that we could buy whole bottles so we didn’t have to walk back and forth across the crowd 10 times. There were also decent varieties and quality of wines. We also spied some good ol’ Portland Food Carts, which we will sample next time we attend a Zoo Concert.
Overall, people in the crowd were polite and nice. Our spot did seem to be the walkway in and out of the concert lawn. But we engaged our inner go-​with-​the-​flow attitude and didn’t let it bother us.
The main event was really wonderful. The Head and the Heart put on a great live show and we enjoyed the songs we knew and a few new ones! Even if you aren’t familiar with their music, anyone would appreciate their lyrics and beautiful musical sounds!
I would really recommend making it a priority to get there early and enjoy some top-​notch people watching, wine (or beer) and food before the music starts. Bring some friends and the two-​hour wait will fly by!
From here on out we will probably make the Zoo Concert Series an annual summer event. Combine great music and some elephants and we are there!

I am a total sucker for an outdoor concert. I know a lot of people bitch about seating, because it’s not assigned and there are high back chairs and low back chairs and people who have spread out blankets. You kind of have to expect to roll with the punches. You can’t be too uptight. We have seen a few concerts here. If you don’t go early, then you will be in the very back which doesn’t have the greatest view, but you also don’t have people walking all over you and there is a concession stand back there so the lines are not nearly as long as the stands in front. My suggestion is to get yourself a little low-​back chair, cop a squat and enjoy. Prices for drinks were not that bad. Of course, we didn’t go to drink. We went to hear the music. Beer was all we needed. We take our own food. We bought teriyaki once and it actually was not too expensive. Super fun. I wish they sold a pass for all the concerts. I would go to every one if there was an all-​Summer pass sold for a small discount.

Such a great venue for hearing live music when it’s warm out. The only thing frustrating, which is like any venue, but it’s SO EXPENSIVE for refreshments. We saw Aimee Mann here though and LOVED IT!

For those who might not know this: When you buy a family pass to the zoo you get to go to the Wed concerts free. This is probably only useful for people with kids. We pack a dinner, go early, enjoy the zoo, set down our blanket at the earliest possible moment and enjoy. We’ve seen the Holmes Bros, Hugh Masekela, the Wailers (who play the Wed concerts every few years), Carolina Chocolate Drops, and many others this way. For this reason I give a 5. The acoustics are good, the feel is great, all ages, and the Zoo is a great venue — and a great way to introduce your kid to good music. I can, however, sympathize with those annoyed by long lines and costly drinks!

This is a terrific venue with a lot of potential. We saw KD Lang last night and her performance was incredible. Now we know what happened to Elvis, he came back as KD Lang. Her voice was pure like filtered wine and her interaction with the crowd was playful, genuine and without a trace of wear on the voice that has been performing for 28 years.
Yes, there are operational issues at the venue. Yes you must get there very early if you want to put down a blanket and yes, if you are not a «crowd» person you probably are going to be miserable. But if you plan ahead and get there early, the setting is wonderful. The front of house sound is well done and the security and zoo staff while diligent in enforcing rules are at least respectful, polite and friendly about it.
The «Dance Floor» is SRO and really is the best seat in the house if you can hang with the hardcore enthusiasts. No blankets allowed down there, and you are expected to stand.
Take the Max for sure and check out a show here!

One And Done.
We went to the Chris Issak concert. The weather was beautiful, but my god, the crowds were huge, parking was a nightmare and the food and drinks were EXPENSIVE. Are you kidding me, $ 30 a bottle for no name wine??? Lines for drinks were out of sight. The only saving grace for this venue is Chris Issak was GREAT and the zoo staff was friendly and helpfully as they could be. The animals were not all in cages.

I went to go see the Swell Season/​Black Francis shows here 8÷20÷10 for my birthday. I’ve never particularly enjoyed this venue because I am old and I don’t like sitting on the ground, but because it was for my bday and I had the chance to see such great performers I was able to overlook the agony.
The concert was awesome, especially at the end when the two bands combined to rock the elephants with a stirring rendition of «Where is my Mind?»
The problem with this venue, is of course, the prices of the booze on site. $ 24 for a bottle of Woodbridge? $ 6 for a smallish plastic cup of beer? Um, no I don’t think so!
So, overall I would give the concert itself 5 stars, and the venue 2 stars, making the rating a fair 3 stars. Bottom line: make sure when you go, that you REALLY want to see the performers or it just aint worth it.