“It’s what I always wanted,” says Erika Papac about working as box office assistant for the Santa Barbara Bowl, where she’s been full-time since 2008. “It’s a magical place to be part of. I love music and especially live music.”
She’s also a well-known visual presence due to her “eye-catching” fashion sense. “When I’m up on the terrace, I like being complimented,” says Erika of her concert fashion choices, which are inspired by the evening’s headliner. Some shows are easier than others. “For Katy Perry, I had pink sequined bell bottoms and a purple wig,” she says.
Tim McGraw was her first concert at the Bowl, but she started her volunteering during the Mariachi Festival in 2000, when she was 20 years old. “I started as the Cox Camera Girl,” she explains. “Cox would provide point-and-shoot cameras capturing people having a good time.” After two years, she moved to concessions. In 2004, she became a cocktail server at the McCaw Terrace, and then got into the box office in 2006 as a temp. “You can say I’ve been climbing that ladder,” she says.