Being in town for Nello’s Birthday pre-celebration and Hardly Strictly Bluegrass was a very special start to my intentional trip to my homeland. I had not been to this FREE 3-day festival in 23 years and was very excited about the line-up. San Francisco turned on the magical October weather, and hundreds of thousands of us wandered from stage to stage. There were many acts I wanted to see, but I was really looking forward to The Third Mind…but they were not on until Day 3.
Elizabeth Cotten (above) and Steve Poltz (below) during the Todd Snider Rules tribute.
Golden Gate Park was filled with music fans and people adorned with tie-dye and Dead Shirts. The smell of marijuana and the crowd with gummy eyes and tequila breath danced and smiled and sang along. There were many highlights.
Emmylou Harris came out with Buddy Miller, Los Lobos did a fabulous festival set that included Bertha, and Steve Poltz brought laughter and joy wherever he turned up. You always have to choose between seeing someone new and someone you love. For example, I had to pick between Marty Stuart and Los Lobos and I went for the band from LA.
Along with the choices, there are always acts that surprise you. Sierra Hull, a virtuoso on the mandolin, was someone I wanted to check out live. Her records did little for me but she and her band were the pick of the litter on Day 1. I checked in later with my HSB entourage and they all agreed her set was amazing.
There was a tribute to the late great Todd Snider who left for parts unknown in the last year. There was some great music provided by John Cragie, Aaron Lee Tasjan, the Rugburns and Steve Poltz. We all shed a tear and a laugh and felt Todd with us as we danced barefoot in Golden Gate Park.
Tyler Ballgame and his band I had heard on record but live they produced a lively sound and Ballgame’s voice was unique and carried through the park. I also got to see Molly Tuttle for awhile and although I love her playing I found her set/songs a bit too poppy for my ears. I wandered over to Lukas Nelson and he closed down Day 1 for me.
Each day you wander from stage to stage and I covered 10 kilometres plus each day. On Day 2, I was on my own as all of my mates decided to rest and go to see Billy Strings that Saturday night. It was the hottest day of the festival and I arrived early to get in as much as I could before I melted. Laurie Lewis and The Right Hands kicked it off with some bluegrass and then Aaron Lee Tasjan rocked out with his band.
Tasjan has several records out that go from country to pop, and if I had to compare him to someone, he sort of reminds me of a young Nick Lowe in style and grace. Tasjan at 42 has been around and self taught himself on guitar at 11, played with Peter Yarrow at 16 and was also in the New York Dolls for a moment.
The sun was high in the sky when Mavis Staples hit The Banjo Stage. It was hot and I was not near any shade. She sounded as marvelous as ever doing covers of Tom Waits (Chicago) and Kevin Morby (Beautiful Stranger) mixed with Staple favourites like Respect Yourself, Freedom Highway and City In the Sky.
Shade was calling me and I also needed to get Hot…as in Hot Tuna. Jack and Jorma were joined on stage by Ross Garren (harmonica) and Justin Guip (drums). Sea Child, Hesitation Blues, Been So Long and Blind Willie Johnson’s Keep Your Lamps Trimmed And Burning were excellent as I soaked up the cooler grassy area. Of course we were here in San Francisco so the boys pulled out two classic Jefferson Airplane songs to bring things full circle. (Good Shepard and Trial By Fire).
It had been a long day and I could only fit in one more act before I had to make my way to the ferry back to San Rafael to avoid a 100 Aussie Dollar Cab ride. Buddy Miller never comes to Australia and he is one of my favourite country songwriters. et.
Buddy kicked off with the Tom T Hall song, That’s How I Got To Memphis and Olivia Wolff joined him for Gasoline and Matches a song he recorded with his wife Julie. Things were about to go up a notch as Emmylou Harris came out and did a duet of Love Hurts.
Buddy busted out Somewhere Trouble Don’t Go from his 1999 Cruel Moon release and some long haired senior citizen sauntered out to play harmonica. He’s 78 years old but he is a rock and roll icon and his name is Robert Plant. Mr. Plant was on stage for the last five songs and Elizabeth Cook and Miko Marks also joined in on vocals.
The songs were:
Satan, Your Kingdom Must Come Down
Angel Dance (Los Lobos Cover)
Fortune Teller
Rich Woman
Steve Earle and The Dukes and Old Crow Medicine Show were shutting Day 2 down on 2 seperate stages but this old cowboy had to roll on home.
We were all relaxed and festival-weary by Day 3. Some bluegrass by Dry Branch eased us into the day as beer was sipped and gummies digested. The early highlight was a Steve Poltz set. He is one bright ray of sunshine and positive energy and his stories made the ground shake with laughter.
Los Lobos and Steve Poltz brought on the Grateful Dead moments.
Ending with the Grateful Dead’s Wharf Rat was heartwarming as the crowd sang along. Poltz should be wrapped in cotton so nothing ever happens to him. He is a one-off storytelling folk-singing maniac.
The Darrel Scott String Band with Rob Ickes was bluegrass heaven and The Tribute To Joe Ely with The Flatlanders gave us that band with Emmylou and Dave Alvin and others. I was itching for the band that was going to close it down for me. The Third Mind was the one group I was not going to miss.
These songs have been with me for decades. To hear them here in San Francisco was something I will never-ever forget.
The Third Mind is:
Jesse Sykes (vocals, guitar),
Dave Alvin (guitar),
Victor Krummenacher (bass),
Michael Jerome (drums),
Mark Karan (guitar),
Willie Aron (keyboards).
Setlist:
Sally Go 'Round the Roses. (The Jaynetts cover)
Pretty Polly [traditional]
Darkness, Darkness. (The Youngbloods cover)
The Creator Has a Master Plan. (Pharoah Sanders cover)
Morning Dew. (Bonnie Dobson cover)
East-West. (The Paul Butterfield Blues Band cover)
Someone just uploaded their set in the last 4 hours….so here it is. This was the same stage they played their debut gig 3 years prior. Magic.
We all left after that huge dance and Mexican food was on the horizon.
Bedraggled, slightly stoned but filled up with the love, music and beauty of this very special 3-day gathering the mission was completed.
And I missed Welch and Rawlings, My Morning Jacket and Steve Earle….but you know, I have seen them all before.
