Herb Alpert returns to Hollywood Bowl after 59 years
Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass packed the Hollywood Bowl on Sunday, July 5, 2026, for their first full show at the venue in 59 years. At 91, Alpert led a nearly all-1960s set that Variety's Chris Willman called a great sugar rush, proving the nostalgic tour belongs on L.A.'s biggest stage.
Key Takeaways
- Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass returned to the Hollywood Bowl for the first time since 1967, drawing a packed crowd on July 5, 2026.
- Paul Williams opened with a surprise speech before Alpert, at 91, led a brass-heavy set of Tijuana Brass classics plus "Rise" and "Route 101."
- The show featured vintage TV clips, Teaberry gum commercials, and a crowd singalong of "This Guy's in Love With You."
- Variety praised Alpert as undiminished at 91, with the band dancing off stage after a 27-song setlist.
- The tour continues across the U.S. and Canada through October 2026.
Why did Herb Alpert return to the Hollywood Bowl?
After a sold-out theater run that climaxed at the Dolby Theatre last November, family and business partners convinced Alpert to build a purposefully nostalgic Tijuana Brass show—and audiences responded. Moving uphill to the Bowl this summer let the 1960s time-travel effect feel all-encompassing, as Variety's concert review noted.
"This is a dream come true for me," Alpert told the crowd. "I never thought I'd be doing this at 91." The Hollywood Bowl was far from empty Sunday night as the Brass made their Cahuenga Pass comeback.
How did Paul Williams set the stage?
Sunday's show opened with a surprise appearance by fellow pop legend Paul Williams, who joked that Alpert "left his horn at home" before delivering a laudatory speech about A&M Records starting in a garage. Williams's introduction ran long enough to count as an opening act.
Some fans noticed Alpert and his musicians reached the stage moments after the Mexico-England World Cup game ended—a five-minute delay after a 59-year wait, as the review wryly observed.
What made the setlist a nostalgic sugar rush?
The nearly all-1960s program leaned on horn-driven staples like "Spanish Flea," "Tijuana Taxi," "Whipped Cream," and "The Mexican Shuffle," paired with vintage TV clips from "Laugh-In" and Teaberry chewing-gum commercials. Alpert mostly performed seated but still pulled his weight on trumpet alongside Kris Bergh and Ryan Dragon.
He went post-1960s for only two numbers: 1982's "Route 101" and 1979's chart-topping "Rise," which stretched to nine minutes with an epic Bill Cantos piano solo. The crowd also sang along to his lone vocal hit, "This Guy's in Love With You."
What's next for Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass?
The Hollywood Bowl set on July 5, 2026, closed with "Up Cherry Street" as encore and included a tender "Smile" tribute to Sérgio Mendes, Karen Carpenter, Burt Bacharach, and Jerry Moss. Alpert literally danced off stage, and Variety concluded the show could feel like it added years to your life.
For more live music and entertainment coverage, see our Streaming & TV Alerts section. The tour rolls on through Richmond, Wilmington, and Vancouver, BC, with dates scheduled into October 2026.