Viejas Concerts in the Park

We bumped into a Jazz band while at the Outlet Mall. They had comfy seating for this. If your looking for shade good luck… It was evening and it was difficult to find. They have a listing of shows for the Casino, but couldn’t find one for this park. I came up for San Diego, but I wouldn’t make the trip just cause. It’s a good pit stop if your up here shopping around at the Outlets or if you could find out who’s here before you make the efforts…

I went to see Hank Williams Jr with my then girlfriend. The price of the tickets were affordable and the fact it was General admission, you can’t beat it. The sound system was perfect and we were able to here every word sang and the crowd was friendly. You can see everything from the shopping areas. The security is a bit of a stickler because they wouldn’t let shoppers stand in one area for too long. Hey, they spent money to shop let them enjoy the sounds at least. The only reason I gave it a 4 star rating.

Sure it’s way way way out of the way, but it’s an open park concert arena! It’s set up pretty awesome and gives you a kind of utilitarian feeling in a close, yet comfortable atmosphere. The sound sucks pretty bad though.
Some fears people may have are:
— Driving to a far off land to see music sounds shitty. It is.
— Driving to a far off land and drinking doesn’t make sense. It doesn’t, so don’t.
— Can I gamble after wards? I don’t want to lose a shit-​ton of money. Well, the downside is that if you drink, you gotta sober up. And I’m sure that’s where they take your fortune because the damn outlet mall is closed and the only thing to do out there is gamble, or more drinking. So you’re effed either way.
— Can I meet the girl of my dreams there? Sure.
— What if it’s not an idea date spot? It’s way better than PB. You should go for it. Plus it gives you a long car ride to get to know your date.
Venue on the merits of being a venue. Aces.

This past weekend I saw my third concert here ‘in the park’ (Flogging Molly, hell ya!). And I must say that all three times were awesome.
I don’t ask a lot of concert venues but I don’t like it when a venue
–Treats me like a criminal
–Treats me like cattle
–Rips me off
So I’m giving this place a star for the staff who treats you with respect yet keeps things orderly. A star for having a big open venue that’s easy to move around. A star for giving me some good beer choices without charging me double what they should. Add two more for good sound, good sight lines and real working bathrooms.
And there you have a five star venue in a national forest, on an Indian reservation, in the middle of an outlet mall.

After seeing a couple shows here I decided this would be the perfect venue to take my six year old to for his first concert. It is never overly crowded, there is a good mix of people, and they do a good job with security (controlling the out of hand drunks that are typical at just about any show in San Diego these days). My son had a wonderful experience here I’m sure he will always remember. I still remember my first show at age 8. He wants to go back already, I think we passed down the concert bug. Next time I will bring more blankets though, it does get a bit cold at night.

Great venue.
Went to the Rilo Kiley show in late May… perfect weather, sunset during the opener and enough space to choose your seating preference. I sat for the first band (bring a blanket or jacket for a more comfortable lounging experience), then stood for the next two as more people arrived and filled in up front.
The best part about this venue is you can pretty much make it whatever you want it to be. Drinks in the back (wine, beer, water) and a large lawn up to the stage. Cram in up front, stand in the back or lay out on the lawn somewhere in between. Easygoing, young crowd.
Merch booth was pretty lame, but that’s on the bands, not the venue.
Free parking, easy to find and get in & out of.
Worth the drive to Alpine

Initial thought: what a random venue, the outlet mall at the casino?
But…I was pleasantly surprised. The show I attended was not sold out, so general admission worked out really well. We got there, had a drink ($ 7 for a beer, $ 6 for wine, $ 2 for water), and chilled on the grass as the sun set. Think about bringing a blanket if you want to sit/​lie on the lawn more comfortably.
My fears were:
1. the crowd would be seedy, burned out casino goers
2. the sound would suck since it’s kinda a random venue
3. the drive would be unbearable from north county
They were alleviated:
1. youngish, hipster group showed up (matching the normal scene you would expect at a Rilo Kiley show)
2. Sound was good. The 1^st opener had some issues, but they got resolved quickly and when the headliner got on stage, the sound was close to perfection.
3. backseat passenger… ahhh
Other plusses:
–Free parking
–coat optional… comfortably warm on a summer evening
–roomie venue… tons of space for a ‘pit’ and you can sit/​stand farther back out of the way but still have a sweet view of the stage

I really liked this venue! Granted, Alpine is definitely out of the way from pretty much anywhere in San Diego, but it was an adventure driving up. The security guards I must say were not jerks like most other venues around San Diego, so props to them. And the bathrooms at this place are spotless! Wow! Incredible! The grass area was very large and had plenty of space for everyone to comfortably hang out at.
The stage was very large and the sound system was amazing. I would for sure go back to see another concert here, except the only downside was that the weather dropped in temperature so quickly that it for sure got a bit chilly for that; thank goodness for the Liars Club selling coffee!
Oh and I have never seen so many beer vendors! Nothing like drunk-​20 somethings hitting on you in the midst of who knows how many drinks they’ve had… And another thing, smoking DURING the show? Wow. Indians are with it. You wouldn’t see that kind of thing any where else. Guess that’s what you get on the reservation.
I highly recommend this venue to everyone; the warm beginnings of the night can make for an excellent date.
FANTASTIC NIGHT.

Just about the best place in San Diego to go and see a concert! There is not a bad seat in the house. It is great in the summertime on a warm summer night to sit outside, listen to awesome live music and sip a nice chilled glass of white wine. If you get the opportunity to go to a concert at Viejas… don’t pass it up. I’m sure you’ll love it!