Why? Because tonight is my birthday party where we'll be shakin' everything we've got to some funky jazz and bad ass Afrobeat grooves. Please c'mon out and join the fun! Much silliness will ensue, but one must admit that it will hardly be a night of strictly bluegrass. In fact, aside from some stellar early evening sets in Golden Gate Park , there won't be any bluegrass at all.
Yet fret not my dear fans of the good stringed stuff. The incomparable Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival comes out in full force on Saturday and Sunday, and as soon as you're out of bed and recovered from the Showy Birthday Debauchery, you need to zip on out to the park and join me.
BELA FLECK, Keller Williams, and way too many other incredible musicians FOR FREE. I mean daaaaamn.
I cannot possibly tell you how thrilled I am to be staring into the face of such an intensely music packed weekend. Print out the list for Hardly Strictly below, I won't even be able to remember it myself. And this is just the shit that I know about, which is a tiny slice of the bands that are playing this year.
Is this real? Doesn't seem possible, but what the hell, here we go...
|||||| FRIDAY 10/5 ||||||
A VERY SHOWY BIRTHDAY @ the Connecticut Yankee - $10
Color me completely and totally psyched. I'd love to see each and every one of you beautiful folks at the Yankee for one hell of a dance happy good time. Music starts around 10pm with Adam Willis, Greg Garvey, and a little reunion of sorts with some of our old pals from the Urban Quartet cookin' up a tasty groove jazz stew. Headlining the gig I'm lucky to have Onibla! (most of the members of Bay Area Afrobeat powerhouse Albino!). They will rock the hell out this little joint, and will keep us all dancin' till the Yankee kicks our asses to the afterparty. I do hope y'all can make it, I think it'll be kinda fun and stuff...
http://tinyurl.com/3xggge
HARDLY STRICTLY BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL @ Speedway Meadow, Golden Gate Park - $FREE!
I'm all over this. All weekend, all the time. Hit me up if you're headed down. Freakin' delicious.
4:15pm: T Bone Burnett @ Banjo Stage. An americana singer, songwriter, and producer, T Bone (the man who produced the "O Brother Where Art Thou?" soundtrack among other huge achievements) will throw down his soulful stuff on the Banjo stage. And what a backing band he has! John Mellencamp? Neato.
5:45pm: Jeff Tweedy (of Wilco) @ Banjo Stage. Jeff is closing out the Friday afternoon kick off of the Festival this year, and I am really psyched to catch him. Everything I've heard says he's soulful and captivating just the way a true song craftsman should be.
http://
Dark Star Orchestra @ the Fillmore - $30
Friday & Saturday shows. I had no idea how amazing this band was until I finally saw them - on a night where they re-created a show from my favorite era of the Dead no less. The band literally does entire Grateful Dead shows live, note for note, and it's absolutely uncanny. I might even venture to say that on the night I caught them they sounded better than just about any recording I've heard of the real Dead. Tighter, cleaner, and soulful as hell, DSO is serious shit.
http://www.darkstarorchestra.
|||||| SATURDAY 10/6 ||||||
HARDLY STRICTLY BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL @ Speedway Meadow, Golden Gate Park - $FREE!
I'm all over this. All weekend, all the time. Hit me up if you're headed down. Freakin' delicious.
11:00am - Subdudes @ Star Stage. Straight outta New Orleans , the Subdudes mix up a gumbo of roots music that melds soul music, gospel music, Louisiana music, blues and good old rock n' roll in all the most delicious ways.
2:15pm - Alison Brown Quartet w/ Joe Craven @ Banjo Stage. Alison is a unique figure in roots music with her jazz influenced take on the 5 string banjo. Joining her is the legendary multi-instrumentalist Joe Craven.
2:50pm - Keller Williams @ Star Stage. Not to be missed! You'll be hard pressed to find a musician more skilled, entertaining, original, and hilarious than Keller. Best known for displays of acoustic music virtuosity, live looping with multiple instruments, and absurdly whacky lyricism, Keller is always a trip and never disappoints.
3:15pm - Boz Scaggs & the Blue Velvet Band @ Rooster Stage. Boz is one of the men who invented funk music, what more do you need to know? Okay, how about the fact that his Blue Velvet band is comprised of some of New Orleans ' biggest roots muscians too? He'll be doing some very unique takes on american icons like Bill Monroe, Hank Williams, Bob Dylan, and even Boz himself.
3:20pm - Ricky Scaggs w/Bruce Hornsby and Kentucky Thunder @ Banjo Stage. WHY OH WHY does he have to opposite Keller Williams and Bela Fleck? Ricky's set last year was maybe the most perfectly captivating traditional bluegrass music I've ever heard in my life. Legendary singer/songwriter/pianist Bruce Hornsby sits in for the set.
4:10pm - BELA FLECK & THE FLECKTONES @ Star Stage. Can you tell I don't want you to miss this one? Bela, probably the world's pre-eminent banjo virtuoso, is bringing his incredible band in full force to amaze us in the Park. He is just a towering figure of unique and jazzy song craft, and his band includes my own personal God Victor Wooten on bass, Future Man playing the most insane digital drum instrument you've ever seen, and phenomenal woodwind player Jeff Coffin. I can't say enough about how amazing this band is. If you've seen 'em you know. If you haven't JUST GO!
4:40pm - Gillian Welch @ Banjo Stage. A singer/guitarist with a completely unique, darkly rich (sometimes haunting) style, Gillian is an icon of modern acoustic roots music by any measure.
5:20pm - T Bone Burnett @ Arrow Stage. An americana singer, songwriter, and producer, T Bone (the man who produced the "O Brother Where Art Thou?" soundtrack among other huge achievements) will do his soulful thang to close out the Arrow Stage.
5:30pm - Los Lobos @ Star Stage. These guys just rock. Equal parts bluesy, funky, and straight up rock and roll-y, they put on a powerful and energetic show that will definitely get you movin'.
5:45pm - Belle Monroe & Her Brewglass Boys @ Porch Stage. Local favorites that I've been wanting to see for a little while now, Belle and her band play hard-driving traditional bluegrass along with whacky and humorous takes on unexpected cover tunes.
6:00pm - Steve Earle @ Banjo Stage. This man, leader of the Bluegrass Dukes, is a giant in the world of americana music. Word is his solo stuff is a powerfully soulful and authentic blend of true american roots and folk.
http://
Dark Star Orchestra @ the Fillmore - $30
Friday & Saturday shows, see above.
http://www.darkstarorchestra.
Izzabella | Garrin Benfield | JP Cutler | Bernadette @ 12 Galaxies - $10
A jam-filled Hardly Strictly afterparty if ever there was one, this gig features Izzabella with former players from Home at Last and special guests from Railroad Earth headlining with roots-rock grooves. Garrin Benfield will give us his amazingly soulful and original solo acoustic craft. JP Cutlet will rip it up blues rock style. And our pal Bernadette will open at 9pm with her songstress stylings and all star backing band of local jam-rockers.
http://12galaxies.inticketing.
|||||| SUNDAY 10/7 ||||||
HARDLY STRICTLY BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL @ Speedway Meadow, Golden Gate Park - $FREE!
I'm all over this. All weekend, all the time. Hit me up if you're headed down. Freakin' delicious.
1:05 - Hot Buttered Rum @ Arrow Stage. YEEEHAW! Smokin' hot chops, and high energy jazz influenced compositions combined with all around stellar musicianship make Hot Buttered Rum my favorite young string band. They're a force to be reckoned with, don't miss 'em!
1:10pm - the Secret Life of Banjos @ Porch Stage. Banjo virtuosos Bill Evans and Jody Stecher will rip it up on their five stringers.
1:45pm - David Grisman Bluegrass Experience @ Banjo Stage. Mandolin players don't get to be more iconic than Mister Grisman I'd venture to say. A true institution of bluegrass music, he's done everything from Old and In the Way with Jerry Garcia, to dropping into the Warfield with Gomez last year. I've heard this band in particular drops some of the best traditional stuff you'll hear anywhere.
2:55 - Earl Scruggs @ Banjo Stage. Yet another bluegrass icon, Scruggs is responsible for creating much of the sound that has evolved in banjo playing over the last two decades. His band the Foggy Mountain Boys were one of the most influential ever in string music.
4:30 - Railroad Earth @ Star Stage. Soooo psyched this band is playing. A fantastic combination of bluegrass instrumentation with hard jam rockin' energy, blended together with healthy doses of soulful authenticity make Railroad Earth a rad show every time.
5:45 - Emmylou Harris @ Banjo Stage. The darling of the festival, Emmylou is a living legend. With a voice that will bring a tear to your eye in both its soulful intensity and honey sweetness, there is simply no one like her.
6:00 - Del McCoury Band @ Star Stage. One of my personal favorites in the world of traditional bluegrass, Del and his sons take the stage by storm and are true to the ways of Bill Monroe and the roots of this beautiful music. Del 's voice rings out high and tight, and the harmonies and musicianship of the band are truly second to none.
http://
Burning Man Decompression @ 19th & Minnesota St. $10 in costume
The other huge party goin' on Sunday is of course Decompression. Live music will include Afrobeat rockers Albino (same as my birthday gig Friday night), surf rockers the Mermen, and livetronica outfit BLVD. With an all out attack of costumes, performance art, art installations, crazy vehicles, DJs, you name it, it will be an uber crazy time for sure. I'd go, but then I'd have to miss all the great bluegrass...
http://burningman.com/
Dark Star Orchestra @ the Fillmore - $30
Friday & Saturday shows, see above.
http://www.darkstarorchestra.
Railroad Earth @ 12 Galaxies - $22.50
Hardly Strictly afterparty. A fantastic combination of bluegrass instrumentation with hard jam rockin' energy, blended together with healthy doses of soulful authenticity make Railroad Earth a rad show every time.
http://railroadearth.com/app_
No comments:
Post a Comment