Hardly Strictly Bluegrass
It’s time for one of the largest (and free-est) music festivals in the country: San Francisco’s own Hardly Strictly Bluegrass. This totally free three-day festival in its 11th year is one of the most perfectly “funcheap” events each year (it’s totally free, and totally awesome).
But with nearly 350 artists on six stages, how do you choose who to see?
FuncheapSF’s Top 10 Picks for Hardly Strictly Blugrass 2011
- Del McCoury & The Preservation Hall Jazz Band Classic New Orleans jazz (Fri. 2:35pm / Banjo)
- Fitz & The Tantrums Dynamic ’60s-style rock and soul (Sun. 4pm / Towers of Gold)
- Robert Plant & The Band of Joy Led Zep legend dives further into bluegrass (Fri. 5:45p / Banjo)
- Emmylou Harris Sexiest silver-haired country songbird ever (Sun. 5:45p / Banjo)
- Kris Kristofferson & Merle Haggard Two country legends, two guitars (Sat 2:20p / Star)
- MC Hammer – Yup, MC friggin’ Hammer performs for the kids (Thu. 10:30a / Star)
- Zigaboo Modeliste The king of the funky drums (Fri. 12:05p / Star)
- Dr. John & The Lower 911 Legendary piano man (Sun. 1:20p / Star)
- Bela Fleck & Zakir Hussain & Edgar Meyer Finger-pickin goodness of banjo legend (Sun. 1:20p / Banjo)
- Chris Isaak Loquacious top 40 bay area favorite crooner (Fri. 4:30p / Star)
>> Download Map | Download Full 2011 Schedule
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 2011
Three days, six stages – over 750,000 attendees and 350 musicians
– Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Sept. 30 – Oct. 2nd (11a-7p)
– Speedway, Lindley & Marx meadows in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CA
– FREE
Website | Facebook | iPhone & Android Apps2011 Lineup includes 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
>> Funcheap Recommended Picks Denoted with *
Thurs. Sept. 29 – Pre-Festival Show
- 10:30am – Noon / Children’s Program with MC Hammer & Poor Man’s Whiskey / Star Stage
If you would like to come enjoy this program and are NOT part of an already-scheduled / planned school group, you are welcome to do so, but please be aware that the school kids’ area will be fenced off and you will need to find a spot to enjoy the music which is outside of the fenced area.
Friday, September 30
Plan on playing hooky as Friday starts early this year (at 11am).
Friday Highlights include the Preservation Hall Jazz Band (2:35p / Banjo) Robert Planet (5:45p / Banjo), a back-to-back performance of rock with M.Ward (4:45p / Rooster) and Bright Eyes (6p / Rooster), the King of the Funky Drums, Zigaboo Modeliste (12:05p / Star) and the loquacious NorCal-native crooner Chris Isaak (4:30p / Star)
Banjo Stage
- 11:00am Bill Kirchen & The Hammer of the Honky-Tonk Gods
- 12:00pm Seldom Scene
- 1:10pm David Bromberg Quartet
- 2:35pm Del McCoury & The Preservation Hall Jazz Band*
- 4:05pm John Prine
- 5:45pm Robert Plant & The Band of Joy
Rooster Stage
- 11:00am Jonathan Wilson
- 12:05pm Simon Joyner
- 1:15pm Woods
- 2:20pm Kurt Vile & the Violators
- 3:30pm The Felice Brothers
- 4:45pm M. Ward*
- 6:00pm Bright Eyes
Arrow Stage
- 11:45am Maxim Ludwig & the Santa Fe Seven
- 12:55pm Blame Sally
- 2:10pm Mekons
- 3:30pm Southern Culture On The Skids
- 5:00pm Thurston Moore
Star Stage
- 11:00am Charlie Musselwhite
- 12:05pm Zigaboo Modeliste – King of the Funky Drums*
- 1:20pm South Memphis String Band
- 2:50pm Jolie Holland
- 4:30pm Chris Isaak*
Saturday, October 1
Some classic acts return and some musical acts that put the “hardly” into “Hardly Strictly Bluegrass” make Saturday a memorable lineup.
Saturday Highlights: A classic HSB trifecta in a row of Earl Scruggs (2:45p / Banjo), Gillian Welch (4:15p / Banjo) and Steve Earle (5:45p / Banjo); a special performance by two legends with two guitars, Kris Kristofferson & Merle Haggard (2:20p / Star); New Orleans-style blues of Hugh Laurie (yes, from ABC’s “House”) (1:20p / Tower of Gold); Canadian indie superstars, Broken Social Scene (3:25p / Tower of Gold) and we can’t take our eyes off of literally-named Buckethead, formerly of Guns ‘N’ Roses who wears a KFC bucket on his head (5:30p / Towers of Gold).
Banjo Stage
- 11:00am Greensky Bluegrass
- 12:00pm Alison Brown
- 1:15pm Otis Clay with special guest Chick Rodgers
- 2:45pm Earl Scruggs
- 4:15pm Gillian Welch*
- 5:45pm Steve Earle & the Dukes (& Duchesses) featuring Allison Moorer*
Star Stage
- 11:00am Cass McCombs Band
- 12:30pm Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit
- 2:20pm Kris Kristofferson & Merle Haggard*
- 4:30pm Irma Thomas
Arrow Stage
- 11:00am Sarah Elizabeth Campbell
- 12:15pm The Band of Heathens
- 1:35pm Ruthie Foster
- 2:55pm Ryan Bingham & The Dead Horses
- 4:25pm Reckless Kelly
- 5:45pm The Flatlanders feat. Joe Ely, Jimmie Dale Gilmore & Butch Hancock
Rooster Stage
- 11:00am The Wronglers with Jimmie Dale Gilmore*
- 12:25pm Robyn Hitchcock
- 1:35pm Guy Clark & Verlon Thompson
- 2:50pm Patty Griffin*
- 4:15pm Punch Brothers
- 5:45pm Robert Earl Keen
Towers Of Gold Stage
- 11:40am Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder
- 1:20pm Hugh Laurie
- 3:25pm Broken Social Scene*
- 5:30pm Buckethead
Porch Stage
- 11:00am River Whyless
- 12:10pm AlofaSudden
- 1:25pm Seamus Kennedy
- 2:25pm Wendy Bird
- 3:40pm A.A. Bondy
- 4:50pm The Belle Brigade
- 6:05pm Nell Robinson & Jim Nunally and Their All-Star Band
Sunday, October 2nd
Sadly, the final day of this amazingly-free three-day festival of musical awesome.
Sunday Highlights: Banjo legend Bela Fleck on the… you guessed it… Banjo Stage (1:20p); closing set from country songbird Emmylou Harris (5;45p / Banjo); legendary pianoman Dr. John (1:20p / Star); the morose mumblings of U.K. rockers Elbow (4:50p / Star); Grateful Dead-inspired jam rockers Moonalice (11:55a / Arrow); Former Sugar/Hüsker Dü frontman Bob Mould (2:10p / Towers of Gold) and the retro ’60s rock and soul of Fitz and the Tantrums (4p / Towers of Gold)
Banjo Stage
- 11:00am Dry Branch Fire Squad
- 12:05pm Laurie Lewis & Tom Rozum w/ The Guest House Band
- 1:20pm Bela Fleck & Zakir Hussain & Edgar Meyer*
- 2:45pm The Blind Boys of Alabama*
- 4:15pm Ralph Stanley & The Clinch Mountain Boys
- 5:45pm Emmylou Harris*
Star Stage
- 11:45am The Low Anthem
- 1:20pm Dr. John & The Lower 911*
- 3:05pm DeVotchKa
- 4:50pm Elbow*
Arrow Stage
- 11:00am Joe Purdy
- 11:55am Moonalice*
- 1:10pm The Devil Makes Three
- 2:35pm Hot Buttered Rum
- 4:00pm Mother Hips
- 5:30pm Dark Star Orchestra
Rooster Stage
- 11:00am Jessica Lea Mayfield
- 12:05pm Kevin Welch & Kieran Kane & Fats Kaplin
- 1:20pm Brokedown in Bakersfield (featuring Nicki & Tim Bluhm, Scott Law, Lebo, Steve Adams & Dave Brogan)
- 2:10pm Ollabelle
- 4:15pm Justin Townes Earle
- 5:45pm The Jayhawks
Towers of Gold Stage
- 11:00am Abigail Washburn
- 12:30pm Buddy Miller
- 2:10pm Bob Mould
- 4:00pm Fitz & The Tantrums*
- 5:50pm Gomez
Porch Stage
- 11:00am Conspiracy of Beards
- 12:10pm Dive Bar Dukes
- 1:25pm Those Darlins
- 2:40pm Frank Fairfield
- 3:55pm The Swanson Family Band
- 5:10pm Over The Rhine
- 6:15pm Bill Orcutt
Want to Volunteer at the Festival? Join Hardly Strictly Bluegrass’s exclusive volunteer program to help out and get a behind the scenes peek at the festival – plus get a free lunch and a free limited edition commemorative T-Shirt.
>> Learn more about volunteering at HSB 2011
