Hardly Strictly Bluegrass is an annual “free” event held in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park every fall. October 1-2, 2011, nearly 800,000 people showed up at one of the largest (and free-est) music festivals in the country where a flurry of banjos (and many other instruments) took over six stages in the park for two full days.
Hundreds of bands and performers entertained while food vendors tempted you with their offerings, everything from tacos and BBQ chicken to lamb on a stick, gyros and corn on the cob.
The 2011 Lineup included Bob Mould, Chris Isaak, John Prine, Kris Kristofferson & Merle Haggard, M. Ward, Bright Eyes, Bela Fleck, Fitz & the Tantrums, MC Hammer (yes, MC Hammer), Robert Plant, Broken Social Scene, Robyn Hitchcock, The Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Emmylou Harris, plus tons and tons of bluegrass, country and folks bands. Full 2011 Lineup here.
I had a chance to listen to Broken Social Scene, Reckless Kelly and Gillian Welch & David Rawlings. The weather was fabulous, the mood electric and the energy passionate. The longest set I managed to take in was Steve Earle & the Dukes (and Duchesses – lead here had a fabulous voice). Below, their band wows the crowd on the Towers of Gold Stage.
People dressed for the occasion, not in black tie of course, but San Francisco style….a bit like where Burning Man meets 1970s energy. Face painting guru took over this woman’s face. Who wouldn’t want to be painted with his precise and dedicated commitment?
Below is a short video clip of Steve Earle & The Dukes:
At one point, this woman had 4 coke cans on her head and prior to that piled up inside her shirt.
And, Big Tony Brown barbequed up a storm – meat, sauce, buns and all.
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
