It was a great weekend at the Murrieta Amphitheater last weekend!
Here's my review by subject:
Location: The Murrieta Amphitheater is very conveniently located just off the 15 freeway, it's easy to find and easy to get to.
Parking: There is plenty of parking and it's all FREE... not many venues this size or larger have free parking, so I think this worthy of being called a "highlight"
Venue: Although it's already had several shows, this was my first time at the newly built venue. Many of us remember the location from many previous "Get Shamrocked" festivals. The location has been transformed into a beautiful permanent set up with a huge stage, great facilities.. and even indoor restrooms (that can be a big deal for many at festivals). Credit to the City of Murrieta for this great investment.
The Crew: Big Ear Productions did all the technical of stage sound and lighting, and they were impeccable and kept the show on time for the entire weekend. That is NOT an easy thing to do, so BIG credit to all of them for that.
The Promoter: The Newman Hospitality Group are responsible for this and a few other shows at this venue. They did an amazing job of so many things. Festivals present a myriad of challenges and the staff (including Brandi who was in charge), handled every obstacle quickly and efficiently. I hope 2025 is a busy year for BHG, because they are top notch and will continue to deliver memorable events.
The Music: If you are a consumer of rock and hard you rock, you got your fill all weekend long. For me the viral moment of the weekend was when Nuno Bettencourt (from the band Extreme) got onstage to jam with the Wine Snobs. The Nuno and Jason Ewig (of the Wine Snobs) trade off jam was the single most memorable few moments of the weekend with Jason matching Nuno's shredding on the guitar lick for lick. The best "theme" happened on Sunday, when as the night progressed we were also watching from backstage on our phones as the Dodgers were winning the pennant. I gave an early 3rd inning update to the crowd as I introduced Gilby Clarke (of Guns & Roses). Halfway through there set, their drummer (who was watching the game while playing drums), gave the 6th inning update to the crowd, and just as Hoobastank hit the stage for the finally of the week nd (and the best overall performance), we all celebrated the BIG Dodger victory.
It was long weekend, and I am worn out still...but I wouldn't miss it next time or sure!
The first set of photos were mine...mostly take from backstage.
The second set...and much better photos were taken by Victoria Vaughn.