We were lucky enough to get tickets to the Gustavo Dudamel extravaganza at the Hollywood Bowl on Saturday night. (And, thanks to a ride on the Red Line and a short stroll up Highland, were lucky enough to skip the traffic extravaganza that accompanied it.)

Some reviews of the concert from the LAT, NYT, OC Reg, and after the jump (warning -- it was dark and there was wine) some pix.

The show began at 4 p.m. but the crowd began to arrive in earnest closer to the 7 p.m. start of the Dudamel portion of the evening:

First up, the Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles playing the Ode to Joy from Beethoven's 9th:

Thanks to huge screens, you could get a close look at the stage, kids in colorful t-shirts looking scared but game:

Dudamel, in a black t-shirt, looking like one of the kids:

The full moon rose as the LA Phil took the stage:

And then 35 minutes flew by as our city's amazing orchestra followed this new guy, followed the young Venezuelan with the full-body method of conducting and, just like that, brushed aside all the pomp and circumstance and earnestness and speechifying that had come before and made music, lord, the music they made.

Almost didn't need the fireworks:

But they sure were grand.