A view that is to die for when the sun sets at such an optimum time as to create that oh-so-rare and wonderful earthly gift known as the Green Flash ” is it merely fantasy, or is it real?
It will be a bit of both when the Birch Aquarium, 2300 Expedition Drive, at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, presents its Green Flash seaside summer concert series beginning Wednesday, May 23, from 6 to 9 p.m.
“It is really a fun thing for all people, but particularly maybe for folks that like the type of music we are playing,” said Nigella Hillgarth, executive director of Birch Aquarium. “A lot of it is outdoors as well as inside the aquarium, and it is just a wonderful, relaxed environment where people can take their time to enjoy both the music and all that the aquarium has to offer.”
The second annual concert series, which is targeted to those ages 21 and over, happens once a month through September and features local bands and singer/songwriters, food and drinks from Rock Bottom Restaurant and Brewery and a cultural arts program outside on the Preuss Tidepool Plaza.
Luck be a lady tonight for those who might see the Green Flash, a rare optical phenomenon that occurs when the sun sets and hits the horizon over the ocean on a really clear day, with a refraction of light that makes a brilliant green flash.
“We started the series because we very much still feel that the aquarium is one of the most hip places in La Jolla, and with the added bonus of the concert stage people can enjoy the aquarium in a whole different way,” Hillgarth said.
The Bayou Brothers will perform during the first event, and rounding out the lineup are Rockola, Eve Selis, Len Rainey & The Midnight Players, and The Bigfellas. Concerts begin precisely at sunset on each day.
“It is a very successful series that people really enjoy and have lots of fun,” Hillgarth said. “I would encourage people to come and hear great music in one of the beautiful settings in San Diego County and enjoy all of our wonderful exhibits and fish.”
The concert series is co-sponsored by radio station KPRI 102.1 FM and Rock Bottom Restaurant and Brewery, and it raises funds for the aquarium’s latest exhibit, “Feeling the Heat: The Climate Change,” which opens May 19.
Tickets cost $15 per concert ($65 for series) for aquarium members, $20 ($90 per series) for pre-purchased tickets or $25 per walk-in admission.
The price includes parking, the concert and aquarium entrance.
For more information, see www.sio.ucsd.edu.
