Outdoor concerts Oregon style: Oregon Zoo Summer Concert 2008

It's a lazy Sunday. I get a call from a friend. She has an extra ticket to go see the final Summer Concert at the Oregon Zoo for 2008. Who's playing? Doesn't matter. I'm in.

The summer zoo concerts go back to my childhood. It was the one event the entire family participated in and enjoyed. My folks would sit on the lawn and watch the concert while I would peruse the zoo with a friend. Always good times.

It was also such a concert where my boyfriend, Dave met my parents for the first time and professed his love for me. These zoo concerts have never failed me.

The forecast called for rain beginning at 3pm.

Now if Dave were going to the concert with me, he would have started to immediately prepare tarps, umbrellas and rain pants. He always over packs and it drives me nuts. He offered all of these before I left, but I brushed him off. I should have listened.

This time the forecast was spot on.

Due to general seating, we arrived two hours before the event to find that perfect unobstructed view. Upon our arrival, it is overcast with a sprinkle or two. No biggie. I came prepared with an extra blanket and a rain coat and my friend supplied an umbrella and waterproof ground blanket. All was good.

We found our spot, laid out our blanket, chairs and coolers and went to get a bottle of wine. By the time we returned to our spot, the sprinkle turned to slight showers. We watched as umbrellas popped up throughout the crowd. The unobstructed view was now filled with the tops of colorful ‘rain shedders'.

With a couple of hours to kill, my friend and I ate food, drank wine and caught up on our latest adventures. The slight showers turned to full on showers.

Alas, the concert began with Shawn Mullins. My friend and I were those people my dad hates to encounter at these open air events as we continued our conversation through the music. Mind you we did have moments of silence to enjoy the talent and marvel at the Northwest exuberance despite the downpour. Everyone was smiling.

The showers turned to outright rain. We took the umbrella and covered the food (we can survive a bit of rain, but crackers and hummus cannot). It was the first time I realized that my raincoat was completely waterproof if not for the zipper which did not have a ‘zipper flap' to stop small puddles from forming and seeping through to my shirt. The umbrella which covered the food was handy for keeping my jeans dry except for the umbrella spokes which dripped water onto two areas of my pants. I pulled out the extra blanket to take the brunt of these drops. The music continued.

Those same umbrella spokes were sending water into the cuff of my ‘waterproof' rain coat. I didn't realize until it was too late. I lifted my left arm and a river of water ran into the elbow of the interior of the coat. I knew at that point that the rain was going to win. All I could do was sit back and enjoy how green it made the trees.

By the last set of Shawn Mullins performance it was pouring down rain. It no longer mattered. With the exception of two places near my knees, I was soaked to the bone.The ‘Shawn fans' quickly dispersed, leaving us the option to move a bit closer. But every bit of movement I tried made me feel as if was going to drown in my own clothing. We stayed put.

People watching is equally fun rain or shine and so we took note of our neighbors. There was the ill-prepared family who were singing to the music together. The ‘wimps' that chose to sit under the food tents, the poor girl on what appeared to be her first date, wearing a black suede coat to ‘keep her dry' (her date was not much more prepared), the Californians who were enjoying their last night in Portland and ‘The Barneys' who were dubbed their collective name due to their matching purple rain throws.

Between sets, some impressively dry occupants behind us pulled out a camera and took our picture. I really hope they remember my email address because if they send me a copy, I will post it here. (Update: 9/4 Thank you Krista for sending the picture posted to the right!) Why were they barely wet? They had raincoats, an umbrella for their legs and (this is key) one larger umbrella for their heads. Brilliant. Sure, I had an extra umbrella and water resistant shoes in the car, but once in the concert area of the zoo, the ticket holder was roped off and given no option but to remain there. We were stuck, but having a blast.

On to the headlining act; The Avett Brothers. Immediately a good quarter of the crowd rushed forward including ‘The Barney's'. The Brothers were so energetic on their cozy covered stage that it seemed as if they were mocking the crowd for sitting through the rain. But we north westerners know that if you wait for a sun break, we'll never be getting out of the house!

It is note worthy to state this weather is not the norm. I've been to hundreds of outdoor summer concerts in the area over the years and this is the first to receive more than a sprinkle of rain. But it is because of the rain (and company) that this is one I will remember most fondly.

Happy end of summer, everyone ~