Hardly Strictly Showy Bluegrass

Hold on tight, it's gonna be a hell of a weekend.

My top picks for Hardly Strictly Bluegrass are all below. The stuff in bold is the really really really can't miss shazzle.

See you in the park!


| | | | | | | | | | SATURDAY 10/3 | | | | | | | | | |

HARDLY STRICTLY BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL @ Golden Gate Park - $FREE

11:00am - the Wronglers @ Porch Stage
Warren Hellman's band! Banjo player and financial mogul Warren is the man we have to thank for this very festival—he puts it on OUT OF POCKET. The band is nothing stellar, but damn, he deserves a hearty cheer from us all!

1:05 - Austin Lounge Lizards @ Arrow Stage
A satirical country band that should be a kick—good musicianship with lots of hilarious lyrics and themes.

2:30 - Boz Skaggs & the Blue Velvet Band w/ a Ton of Great Guests @ Rooster Stage
The funk bass playing legend is apparently pulling together an enormous ensemble for the festival. Whatever has cooked up, I'm sure it'll be interesting.

2:40 - Steve Martin & the Steep Canyon Rangers @ Banjo Stage
We all knew Steve Martin (yes, THE Steve Martin) played some banjo, but damn, here's your chance to see him with a full bluegrass band instead of in the middle of an old stand-up routine! Sweet.

3:30 - Old 97's @ Towers of Gold Stage
These guys sounds really good—kinda like an badass indie country-rock band. Great energy and creative rock arrangements combine well with a bit gritty authenticity.

4:05 - Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder @ Banjo Stage
Hands-down the BEST traditional style bluegrass band I've ever seen live. They do EVERYTHING right. Simple as that.

5:25 - Gillian Welch @ Banjo Stage
One of the sweetest and most iconic voices in all of American roots music, she will melt your heart.

5:40 - Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives @ Towers of Gold Stage
One of the fastest-pickin', most-impeccable-harmonied traditional style bluegrass bands I've ever heard, color me STOKED to finally get the chance to see them live!

6:45 - Robert Earl Keen @ Rooster Stage
I've been wanting to catch this man for some time. His flavor of country/folk is very rootsy, very honest, and very clever.


| | | | | | | | | | SUNDAY 10/4 | | | | | | | | | |

HARDLY STRICTLY BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL @ Golden Gate Park - $FREE

12:15 - Booker T. & the Drive-By Truckers @ Arrow Stage
Wow, what a hybrid! Booker (of Booker T. & the MGs) is an old school R&B legend. He's teaming up with one of the best alt-country rock bands on Earth. Should be very interesting.

1:15 - Billy Bragg @ Rooster Stage
A talented genre-hopping alt-rocker who has a serious sense for proper roots music and a snarky hilarity to his lyrics.

1:25 - Doc Watson & David Holt @ Banjo Stage
The elder statesman among bluegrass elder statesmen. He is a flat-picking guitar legend and a living storybook.

2:45 - Earl Scruggs @ Banjo Stage
The man who invented the bluegrass style of 5-string banjo is still a total badass.

3:05 - Galactic @ Star Stage
New Orleans jam-funk-rock all up in here! Hero Staton Moore and crew will work to make you dance and put the 'Hardly' in 'Hardly Strictly.'

4:00 - Ralph Stanley & The Clinch Mountain Boys @ Banjo Stage
Yet another living legend, Ralph's voice embodies the term 'high lonesome.' He is straight out a western film and has to be heard to be believed.

4:25 - Todd Snider @ Arrow Stage
A brilliantly clever songwriter (B double E double R U N!), Todd is a great performer too. Soulful, honest, and full of energy and edge.

5:20 - The Del McCoury Band @ Banjo Stage
One of my very favorite traditional bluegrass bands, Del's high-toned nasal voice is unmistakable and the picking of his sons is nothing short of ferocious.

5:20 - Neko Case @ Star Stage
Another one in the 'Hardly' category, Case is an indie rocker whose richly layered music is hauntingly beautiful.

6:45 - Emmylou Harris @ Banjo Stage
Emmylou's voice IS bluegrass. And she sings with the vigor and genre-bending creativity of a woman half her age. She's a legend, and she damn well deserves every bit of it.

6:50 - Amadou & Miriam @ Star Stage
This one is Hardly Hardly bluegrass! A duo from Mali, I have it on good authority that these two are really something to see. They merge traditional music of their homeland with rock guitar and several other instruments and styles from around the world.

7:00 - Old Crow Medicine Show @ Rooster Stage
Woohoo! Finally gettin' the chance to see these guys. They're an earthy, crew of bluegrass and country miscreants with a bit of punk attitude. They get me just right with what they do.