Hardly Strictly Bluegrass

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, or HSB for short (previously Strictly Bluegrass) is an annual free music festival held the first weekend of October in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. From its outset, the festival has been subsidized by San Francisco venture capitalist Warren Hellman. The first festival was held in 2001, originally only inviting bluegrass musicians. By 2004 artists from other genres were invited and the "Hardly" was added to reflect the expanded scope. In 2011, the festival was expected drew an estimated 750,000 people over the course of the three-day event.^[1][2]

Performing artists include (first appearance noted in parentheses):

Emmylou Harris, Hazel Dickens, Alison Krauss (all 2001);

Steve Earle, Jimmie Dale Gilmore (all 2002);

Willie Nelson, Joe Ely, Old Crow Medicine Show, Gillian Welch (all 2003);

John Prine, Robert Earl Keen, Ralph Stanley, Del McCoury (all 2004);

Rosanne Cash, Joan Baez, Peter Rowan & Tony Rice, Doc Watson (all 2005);

Billy Bragg, Richard Thompson, Elvis Costello, T-Bone Burnett, Dolly Parton, Jorma Kaukonen & Jack Casady (all 2006);

Los Lobos, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Nick Lowe (all 2007);

Gogol Bordello, MC Hammer (both 2008);

Booker T., Little Feat, Lyle Lovett & His Large Band, Mavis Staples (all 2009);

Conor Oberst, Felice Brothers, Fountains of Wayne (all 2010).

Before her set in 2009, Emmylou Harris was awarded an honorary doctorate from Berklee College of Music by the president of the college.

The 2011 festival was dedicated to the memory of bluegrass icon and personal friend of Hellman Hazel Dickens, who died five months earlier and had performed at every HSB since 2001. Hellman has endowed the festival to continue for at least 15 years past his death.^[3]

References

• Festival web page
• NPR profile