Live music rocks hardest in the open air, sonically speaking. Natural arenas like the Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Washington—or the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles or Red Rocks in Colorado—give concertgoers more audio bliss by offering less interference.
"Outdoors there's nothing for sound to bounce off of," says Gary Ford, a live-sound reinforcer. (Yes, that's his real title; he's serious about making sure tunes reach the entire audience.) "Ninety-eight percent of what you hear is the true source without any delay." His company, Ford Audio Service, is one of two outfits that manage sound for the Sasquatch Music Festival at the gorge each May.
When they're inside arenas and stadiums, sound waves hit various surfaces—roofs, bleachers, concrete floors, and so on—and get deflected or absorbed. If audio engineers calculate all those variables correctly, the listening experience can be immersive. If they get it wrong, you'll hear bass and drums banging at you from all angles at incremental intervals. That's not true in the open.
"Sound-wise, it's easier," says Mark Carlson, CEO of Sasquatch's other sonic supervisor, Carlson Audio Systems. "The PA won't ever sound better than it does outside. The clarity of sound is a breath of fresh air." Take note, summer concert lovers: It's better au naturel. (But wear deodorant anyway.)
