Kegs. Poolside rock bands. Phoebe Cates gliding across the diving board in “Fast Times at Ridgemont High.”
Hmmm. Somehow I get the feeling that the swimming pool at the Owyhee Plaza Hotel might not live up to the expectations of my wildly imaginative mind’s eye.
No sweat. When temperatures spike to 1,100 degrees in a week or two — this is Idaho, after all — any sort of free, weekly pool party will sound amazing.
Blocks away from Alive After Five this summer, the Owyhee is throwing an alternative Wednesday shindig. “Splash Bash” starts at 6 p.m. Local bands perform from 7 to 10 p.m.
So “Splash Bash” isn’t exactly competing with Alive After Five, which ends at 8 p.m. It’s more like an after-party. Or an additional, swimwear-friendly hangout for Boiseans in search of the perfect suntan. Or a place to go when the band performing at Alive After Five isn’t your cup of daiquiri.
Every group at “Splash Bash” will be insanely good by default. Years ago, I saw a cover band called the Pygmies rocking poolside in Boise. I have no idea where the pool was. I can’t remember what songs the band played. (Might have been AC/DC tunes. I remember a J-105 sponsorship banner.)
All I’m sure about is that the Pygmies ruled. How could they not? They were playing poolside.
“Splash Bash” should be an enticing place to go for cool drinks and appetizers at the Owyhee’s poolside bar. Swimming is optional, but you get the feeling the dress code will be nicely casual. Incidentally, kids are welcome.
Upcoming “Splash Bash” bands are Soul Serene (June 8), Dan Costello (June 15), Jeff Crosby and the Refugees (June 22) and The Quartertons (June 29). Check the 10 Days Out calendar in Scene each week for additional performers as summer heats up. Weather permitting, the series runs through Sept. 28. The Owyhee Plaza Hotel is at 1109 W. Main St.
There are two ways to purchase concert tickets: The right way and the slap-yourself-across-the-nose-with-your-wallet way.
Buy tickets through those outlets and minimize the unavoidable damage. That’s the right way.
The other, often more painful option is to Google the band’s name and concert venue — then buy tickets when you find a pair. By using an online search engine, you’re probably going to find links to ticket brokers. Brokers are fine if you’re looking for sold-out seats — and are willing to pay — or if you simply enjoy parting with unnecessary mounds of money.
It’s a confusing-enough issue that I recently was contacted by Land of Rock, the local promoter that puts on concerts at Eagle River Pavilion.
“I’ve had quite a few calls from people Googling tickets to our shows,” says Kristine Simoni, marketing and entertainment director. “Of course, places like StubHub or TixxFixx come up first. So, these people think tickets are triple or quadruple the real price.”
Simoni says a person purchased tickets to a Steve Miller Band concert through a broker before the concert had even gone on sale last summer and “spent hundreds on tickets he never received,” she says. “Bummer.”
Yep, bummer. Do your wallet a favor: If you’re thinking about going to a concert in the Treasure Valley, check for the show’s official ticket outlet. It runs next to every concert listing in Scene.
The Moody Blues concert slated for May 31 at the Idaho Botanical Garden got nixed on the day of the show “due to the unexpected illness of one of the key band members,” according to a press release. Originally, there was speculation that the concert might be rescheduled. Stick a fork in it. It’s canceled.
After the upcoming Cake concert (June 17) got relocated to the Idaho Botanical Garden, music fans began wondering — understandably so — about the other gigs scheduled at Woodriver Cellars in Eagle. So far, organizers won’t comment about any possible movement for Widespread Panic (June 29) or Peter Frampton (Aug. 16). Whether those shows stay put or not, it’s looking less likely to me that Woodriver will host a significant number of major concerts this summer.
Michael Deeds co-hosts “The Other Studio” at 9 p.m. Sundays on 94.9 FM “The River”; he appears Thursdays on Channel 6 News. Twitter: @IDS_Deeds
