Photo Gallery: Día de los Muertos at the Santa Barbara Bowl

In the sensually arresting afterglow of the season’s first rain, the Santa Barbara Bowl celebrated Día de los Muertos in fine fashion on Saturday night. Café Tacvba and Ozomatli and Los Cafateras, to name but a few of the performers, rocked out for a near-capacity crowd while side-performances, like giant wandering skeleton puppets and Aztec dancers kept audience members on their toes in between bands and on their way to concession stands. And then there was Jerry’s Glen, the tranquil wooded area between the stage and the Bowl’s front gates, which was transformed into one big and truly moving ofrenda, celebrating lost rock icons, family members, friends, and pets. All in all, the evening was a rousing success for the venue’s second annual observance of a holiday so near and dear to the hearts of its neighboring community. Independent photographer Paul Wellman was on hand to document the action.