Last weekend, I went to a public park owned by the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation—the Hollywood Bowl! And yes, you can bring your own food and beverages to picnic with friends and family. I love the open-air venue (and according to her latest memoir, Dolly also thought it was a special place). I remember when I first came to LA, and friends invited me to enjoy an outside concert. Honestly, I had such a fun experience—and it was even better this time around because I didn’t have to fight traffic (hurrah for the Hollywood Bowl shuttles!).
Last Friday, I attended a John Williams tribute concert. He’s composed so many emotional movie scores, from Jaws to Indiana Jones to Schindler’s List. Plus, he’s done themes for the Olympics and PBS’s Great Performances. And he’s even been an uncredited pianist in things like Bernstein’s To Kill a Mockingbird. What can’t the man do? And so it was an extra special treat when he surprised us by appearing at the end of the show to conduct “The Imperial March.” We definitely raised our lightsabers to him!
Speaking of which, I’m appreciative of all the Star Wars movies. I remember my family renting and watching the original ones together. Later on, I watched the prequel trilogy in the theater with my own kids. I’m a huge fan (as you can see from my costume) of the strong and brave Rey!
My main takeaway from the night, though, was how music moves us. And I was in awe of Williams’ genius and the way creatives inspire and build community.
P.S. The 50th anniversary of Stars Wars is coming up, so there will be special showings in 2027!
Do you have a favorite John Williams song? Or a neat Star Wars memory?
Jennifer J. Chow writes cozies filled with hope and heritage. She’s been a finalist for the Agatha, Anthony, Lefty, and Lilian Jackson Braun Memorial Award; her newest series is the Magical Fortune Cookie mysteries. She wants to use The Force for good and more creative stories. Connect with Jennifer by subscribing to her (sorta) monthly newsletter at JenniferJChow.com.
I enjoy most of his songs, my favorite songs are from Star Wars, Jaws, ET, Jurassic Park
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Yes, classic! In the tribute concert, they played the music along with clips of the movies, which definitely refreshed my memory.
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Wow! I love that they included clips from the movies. Perfect!
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I went to the Hollywood Bowl a fair amount when I was in high school–mostly because this band/orchestra nerd loved hearing Beethoven, Mozart, and the like. One of the most exciting experiences of my life was going to the Beethoven Extravaganza and then getting to go backstage and meet the conductor of the concert, André Previn (then the director of the London Symphony Orchestra). I still have his autograph.
As for John Williams, I’m a fan of all of his Star Wars music, and love how he created leit motifs for the characters and themes, à la Wagner.
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Leslie, I love that he created leitmotifs for each Star Wars character too! So fun!
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Ooh, what an honor to meet the conductor!
And ha, I needed to look up leitmotifs…
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It was indeed a thrill, especially since I had a big crush on him at the time!
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Jennifer, what a fun post! I’m so glad you were able to attend the John Williams tribute concert. That must have been amazing!
I love New Hope, Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi. I have those movies. I also love Rogue One. Great movie! John Williams’s scores for the Star Wars movies are inspired. I love them. His theme for Jaws is perfection. I’m so impressed that he and Spielberg have collaborated on 30 films. His theme for Disclosure Day is powerful. But nothing gets my adrenaline going like his theme for Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. LOL! That music makes me believe I can actually finish a workout. Ha!
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What was also amazing was this sense of camaraderie among all the concertgoers. I loved the feeling of unity and excitement.
Yes! Gotta use the Indiana Jones theme for workouts! 🙂
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I got to see the Hollywood Bowl from a distance (above and away) while visiting El in LA! I’d love to attend a performance there someday–sounds like you picked a great one, Jen. (And you make a very cute Rey!). Of course I adore all of John Williams’s work. But I always think of him conducting 4th of July concerts at the Hatch Shell on the Charles River Esplanade (Boston). Also, I will forever have that 5-note mathematical motif from Close Encounters of the Third Kind in my head. (Williams created 300 of them for Spiellberg to choose from).
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300??? Wow. Get out of town. Amazing!
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I know, right? I think he picked the right one.
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I agree 1,000 percent. But, good heavens, I bet it wasn’t an easy decision.
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Lisa – I now have that 5-note mathematical motif from Close Encounters in my head…da-da-da-da-da. Love the trivia info that Williams created 300 of them for Spielberg to chose from. A fun fact to know and tell!
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I think Close Encounters might’ve been the first Spielberg movie I watched… Wait, the motif is math-based? I had to look that up, and Williams actually consulted a mathematician to calculate the numerous (~134,000) possibilities.
That July 4th concert sounds amazing!
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Wow!! I’m not sure whether the tones were really math-based, but I think they were supposed to be to communicate with the aliens?
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Lisa, I believe you’re right. I believe in the movie they explained the notes were based on math. Will have to rewatch it to verify. LOL!
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Jennifer – I love your Rey outfit. You look super. And so cool holding your lightsaber, ready for action. You’re all set for your next Star Wars night out!
And I totally agree, music moves all of us, I say as I glance at the medley of 200+ CD’s (including a John Williams Boston Pops Orchestra-Pops on Broadway 1990) all stacked next to the vintage CD player that I cross my fingers will never stop working.
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Ha, thanks about the costume!
Oh, I still have quite a collection of cassette tapes and CDs that I haven’t parted with…
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Ah! A fellow collector. We’ll both stay mellow listening to those golden oldies.
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I don’t know if I have a favorite John Williams song/theme. He’s done so many wonderful ones.
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Hilarious! Mark, I agree with you. He has so many wonderful works. Tomorrow I’ll probably change my mind and pick another theme. But Raiders of the Lost Ark will always have a special place in my heart. It’s gotten me through so many running events. LOL!
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What I love most about John Williams music is that it is so evocative. No matter what you hear, it immediately puts me in front of that screen and I see the movie in my mind and yes Lisa, I agree, those 5 notes from ET live on forever. They were the first thing that came to mind when I read what Jen wrote. Love the Rey costume, Jen!
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Aww, thanks!
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You were there?! Awesome! I’m over the hill from the Bowl. We used to live walking distance. I’d buy a dozen cheap seat and invite friends. We’d meet up at our apt and stroll over. Well, stroll is euphemistic. We got our steps in!
I love all of his work. I was lucky enough to see him conduct his own work at the Bowl once. But I don’t remember which pieces. And I had no idea he was a pianists for Hermann!
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Ooh, to live walking distance…
So great you got to see him conduct!
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That’s so cool! My main association is Monty Python because of their live album, Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl. Such a cool place. I’ve always wanted to go there! Some day!!
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What fun!
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