World’s best free music in a meadow: Hardly Strictly Bluegrass (October 2-4)

Posted by admin on Aug 31, 2009

Stretching across five stages and three meadows in Golden Gate Park, the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival is a free, three-day concert unlike any other music festival in the world.

Funded by Bay Area billionaire Warren Hellman, the festival is a favorite for both well-known headliners and bands on the rise. And while Hellman himself is a bluegrass aficionado, musicians of all stripes flock to this event for the chance to perform in one of America’s greatest parks, among one of the most musically diverse line-ups you’ll find anywhere.

As of this writing, the slate of performers for the 2009 festival is still growing, but so far includes: Austin Lounge Lizards, Richie Havens, Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder, Mavis Staples, Okkervil River, Old Crow Medicine Show, Neko Case, The Chieftains, Earl Scruggs, Steve Earle & the Bluegrass Dukes, Booker T. & the Drive-By Truckers, MC Hammer, Aimee Mann, Emmylou Harris, Nick Lowe, Robyn Hitchcock & the Venus 3, Lyle Lovett & His Large Band, Pamela Rose with Wild Women, Marianne Faithfull, Barefoot Nellies, and more. Check the website for updates.

Get there early to stake your claim on prime space. Bring a blanket and pack provisions to last you for the day, including a beer cooler if you’re so inclined. Alcohol will not be for sale at the festival, but those 21+ are welcome to BYOB. Also, be prepared for a trek though the park (no shuttles will be running), and expect transit delays. The best strategy is probably to bike in.