Then and now: USFS amphitheater hosted VP
As vice president, Al Gore took time to stroll around the Taylor Creek Visitor Center and pause for an interview aside the Lake of the Sky Amphitheater stage.
Photo/Lake Tahoe Historical Society
In July 1997, President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore were at Lake Tahoe to launch what became the $1.7 billion environmental improvement program. VP Gore took time to stroll around the Taylor Creek Visitor Center and pause for an interview aside the Lake of the Sky Amphitheater stage.
Lake of the Sky Amphitheater on the South Shore. Photo/Bill Kingman
The amphitheater, which is owned and operated by the U.S. Forest Service, was remodeled about 10 years later. The single 1997 stage was in the area between the twin structures. Lake Tahoe Community College has had commencement ceremonies at this site.
— Bill Kingman
Etta James at the starlight jazz festival.
Is there a story here someplace?
What about Etta James? Coming there? Was there? ????? Love Etta James.
It must have been 15+ years ago that Etta James played the FS Amphitheater. The Tahoe Tallac Director, Carol Spain, needed more volunteers & grabbed me on the way in, so I server her band their pre-show meal. They put on an excellent show!
It was about 20 years ago. Newly single, I’d been living at Tahoe for a little over 20 years, enjoying the various nightlife – the restaurants, the drinking establishments, the showrooms and cabarets. So one evening I took a date to the Amphitheater to see Mark Twain and practically got in a fight with the guy sitting behind me. Right there in row 4. Tough crowd.
I had the pleasure of working with Carol Spain on the Starlight Festival both at the amphitheater and the top of the tram at Heavenly. Etta James, Queen Ida, and many others provided excellent shows. Fun times.
Why they(The Forest Service) can’t put on some quality mini-concerts of conducive live music to accent the surroundings of this lovely venue is beyond me. There it sits for years now unused, they have decent parking for these types of events. You know, smooth jazz artists, mellow instrumentalist artists, original poetic readings, story telling of the legends of Lake Tahoe, appropriate legit fund-raisers, a Play, etc., etc., & etc.
The Forest Service only stands to make money on a very nice venue that is unused generating nothing period.
Don’t get it, yes Carol would get things moving there, she was a mover and a shaker!
US Forest Service ARE YOU READING & LISTENING, you have nothing to lose and a lot to gain$!
USFS Basin Management Unit is badly understaffed. Perhaps if a group of local volunteers stepped up to plan, organize and run events at the amphitheater, the FS would provide a rep or two at the events for security and support. Good luck finding someone with the FS to work with on this, though. Staffing is even lower than usual this year. Very discouraging.
OK, I for one I’m semi-retired with a 32 year career in professional entertainment and special events technically speaking, that’s my skill set I can offer.
What I don’t know is the legal side of special events regarding liability, etc. I’m your creative/technical type and not your business/PR/diplomatic liaison type side of the entertainment industry.
I willing to take this Venue on and kick-start it up again if there are similar out there with different attributes to offer on a volunteer basis as I would.
To late in the season for this year, but if interested and if know your stuff, you may contact me at musicforu@netzero.com and see if we can put a event committee together for next season. Seriously.
Let’s use the USFS Amphitheater for a variety of things. Fireside Chats put on by The Lake Tahoe Historical Society, fundraisers for The Women’s Center, a forum with people with ideas to get our local economy going, talks on improving our local environmental issues, and locally based musicians and bands performing under beautful clear skies, local artists showing their artwork…
The list is long and keeps growing. Take care, OLS
Sept 8th 1990.
the Forest Service will not allow any fun at their amphitheater.
if you don’t know why then you don’t know how the Town works.
Chief has does the town work? I’m curious to what you about to write?!
Tahoe Heritage Foundation is presenting programs at the Lake of the Sky Amphitheater Fridays in July and August. There are now five programs left in the series including Beavers of Taylor Creek, An Evening with Mark Twain, Birds of Lake Tahoe, Winged Flight at Night, and Wild Things. Please come out and enjoy these programs in the beautiful setting of the amphitheater. $5 donation goes back into supporting programs at the Visitor Center. For more information visit http://www.tahoeheritage.org or Tahoe Heritage Foundation Taylor Creek Visitor Center on Facebook.