On his 1972 live album Hot August Night, recorded at the Greek Theatre, Neil Diamond gave a shout-out to “the tree people,” those fans who couldn't get into the sold-out concert and were instead sitting on the hillside just beyond the amphitheater's back fence in Griffith Park. It's long been an Angeleno tradition to climb down the steep hill on the eastern side of Griffith Observatory, circle past the water tank and continue down the slope above the Greek to listen to concerts for free. Because of the shape of the canyon, the sound rises up clearly, and the views downhill are much better after dozens of drought-damaged trees were cut down a couple of years ago.

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