September is over, it's finally summer summer in San Francisco and somewhere in the city, Emmylou Harris is drinking a cup of tea. Put all those things together and it can mean only one thing: Hardly Strictly Bluegrass starts today.
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass is the only music festival you ever need to go to. It's free, for one thing, a gift to the city from the late Warren Hellman, and it is in Golden Gate Park at the only time of year when it is possible that Golden Gate Park isn't freezing cold and covered in fog. Also: you can bring your own alcohol. Also, see above, Emmylou Harris plays every year and she WILL rip your heart out.
This year the festival is filled with amazing acts. Right now, as I stand at my standing desk at work, I am missing MC Hammer. Let me repeat that: MC HAMMER! Let's all make a pact not to miss one more single thing. To that end, I have rounded-up the most important local guides to the festival. Read them, right after you watch the band First Aid Kit (playing today at 4:30pm) play their song "Emmylou" (the real Emmylou is playing on Sunday at 5:45pm). And guys, let's not get cocky. Don't forget to bring a sweater!
Don't Be an Ass at Hardly Strictly BluegrassGoing to Hardly Strictly? Me too, and like all other festivals, I'm going to wander around in a contemptuous disdain for every attendee besides myself. While I'm trying to boogie-woogie to some Boz Scaggs, some tall asshole is going to be standing in front of me wearing an oversized hat and spilling boxed wine on my shoes.
Your Guide To Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 2013Friday marks the kickoff of the 13th annual Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival, generously underwritten in perpetuity by the late Warren Hellman. Things kick off in Hellman Hollow in Golden Gate Park with a kids program in the morning, hosted by MC Hammer, and the concert begins at noon.
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass: The Acts You've Got to See, and Our Guide to Doing the Festival RightIt's here! Hardly Strictly Bluegrass: three days of free roots music in Golden Gate Park, and all the attendant daytime drinking, Muni crowding, barefoot dancing, and general good times that come with a massive music confab and gorgeous early-October Bay Area weather.
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Survival Guide 2013Hardly Strictly Bluegrass is one of the most anticipated events of the year in San Francisco, but with it's increased size over the past decade it can be a daunting weekend for some. Showbams breaks down all the pro tips you could need to enjoy long days of stellar, free music in a stunning setting.
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 2013 GuideFriday Banjo Stage 12 p.m. Jesse Dee 1:15 p.m. Jesse DeNatale 2:35 p.m. Seldom Scene 4:15 p.m. Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band featuring Yunchen Lhamo 5:45 p.m. Bonnie Raitt Arrow Stage 12 p.m. Manchester Orchestra 1:15 p.m. Freakwater 2:35 p.m. Low 4:15 p.m. Father John Misty 5:45 p.m. Calexico Rooster Stage 12 p.m.
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 2013Get ready to feast on the 13th Annual Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival with this mix of just a few of the acts playing in Golden Gate Park this weekend (October 4-6), including: Trampled by Turtles, First Aid Kit, Cave Singers, Alla Lahs and other bands you have actually heard of.
