Hardly Strictly San Francisco

Last weekend I took Friday off and headed to San Francisco for the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival. With an impressive lineup, a pricetag of $0, and a beautiful setting in Golden Gate Park, it was hard to pass up. The fact that I have superbly hospitable friends living on both sides of the park sealed the deal.

Friday was a lovely day at the festival, though it started and ended a bit chilly. Our brigade arrived early to camp out in front of the Banjo Stage and took in acts that included plenty of the "hardly" in Hardly Strictly Bluegrass. Augie March started things off, playing a relatively short (but enjoyable) set. They were followed by Buddy Miller and his band. I was pleased to see Buddy's cover of "Rock Salt and Nails" in person. T-Bone Burnett and friends came next, with an eclectic mix of friends indeed - Doyle Bramhall II, with whom I was not familiar; Neko Case, with whom I am quite familiar; and John Mellencamp, who is ... John Mellencamp. They ended the set with an all-star jam version of "Pink Houses" - a song I certainly never thought I'd see performed live by its original artist, let alone with backing vocals by Neko Case.

Friday's final act on the Banjo Stage was a fellow by the name of Jeff Tweedy. He played a very nice set of songs, and we were pleasantly surprised that the set went half an hour past the scheduled stopping time of 7:00. ("We" included the charming SF locals plus the welcome additions of Judy and family - yay babies! - and British import Andrew.) We were more than happy to get up and dance for the last couple songs of Jeff's set, and not just because we were freezing. The finger picking at the end of "Acuff-Rose" sounded right at home in that setting. We rounded out the evening with Best Burrito Night Ever, a trip down Lombard Street, and an illicit late-night visit to the Yoda fountain.

Saturday found U and I taking a break from the festival to fly a bit further south, meeting up with Heidi to check out that one guy we like to see at Largo. Due to bluegrass commitments Heidi was the only one to do the the Friday/Saturday Jon Brion double-header, but I'm glad we were able to make it for Saturday night. U and I also had enough time to hit up Farmer's Market and indulge our Pinkberry cravings once again. So much sooner than I expected to get my next Pinkberry fix! Jon's show that night probably won't go down as one of my all-time favorites, but it was a solid, enjoyable night of music. Ben Gibbard joining in for a few songs was a nice surprise, and we saw a lot of piano material from Jon. My favorite part of the night had to be the set-closing "Nowhere Man" in the style of Les Paul. A rather evil way of granting that request, indeed.

Sunday we were back in San Francisco in time to eat dim sum and arrive at Golden Gate Park before Earl Scruggs began his set. Andrew had become a HSBG crowd celebrity in our absence, staking out the best spot that day and earning an infinite number of hardcore fan points. We were only too happy to join him and bask in reflected glory. Earl Scruggs played a very enjoyable set - I kept feeling like I should be seeing him and his band at Cain's Ballroom in Tulsa or somewhere similar. And again, who ever thought I'd see the theme from The Beverly Hillbillies performed live by its original artists? Earl was followed by Doc Watson - who, though it's really impossible to compare him with Emmylou, may have been my favorite act. I loved his stories and his songs, and feel very fortunate to have seen him perform.

The finale of the night - and the festival - was Emmylou Harris. I'd never seen Emmylou before, but this may have been the perfect setting for my introduction. She looked beautiful, of course, and she has such an amazing voice. Her choice of material was inspired, and the crowd - stretching as far back as I could see - ate up the performance. A lovely ending for a lovely weekend. Overall, the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival impressed me immensely. The atmosphere was unlike any other festival I've attended - much more relaxed and, well, just good-natured. If all festivals could be like this, I would attend a lot more of them. As it is, I hope to make my way back to San Francisco for another HSBG in the not-too-distant future.

More photos here.