The famed Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival has rolled out its grand plan for the 2024 spectacle, with none other than revered musician and poet Patti Smith topping the lineup, teeming with 65 acts ready to hit Golden Gate Park this October 4-6. Among those joining Smith are indie darlings Sleater-Kinney, troubadour Chuck Prophet, Americana jack-of-all-trades Buddy Miller, and a cavalcade of other talents spanning the folk, country, and rock spectrums, as per the San Francisco Chronicle.
It's not just the daytime strumming and twanging that's going to permeate the city; "Out of the Park" nighttime gigs are slated to add an extra dose of melody to San Francisco's thriving music scene, all while tipping the hat to the Sweet Relief Bay Area Musicians Fund, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass director John Caldon emphasized the significance of these efforts in supporting local artists who may be grappling with health, disability, or financial challenges, as per Hoodline.
Honoring past greats is not lost on the festival planners, who, in their anticipatory buzz, have woven in a tribute to Greg Wynn, the event's former operations producer, as a part of the ceremonial fabric, his memory anchoring at the newly christened Wynn's Crossing at the park. Furthermore, enthusiasts can dive into the festival's storied history with the debut of "Portals to the Past," a treasure trove of archival footage spotlighting yesteryears' highlights, already streaming for the eager and nostalgic, says the San Francisco Chronicle.
For those itching to map out their festival journey, the organizers have stamped the full festival lineup, which includes Cat Power Sings Dylan '66, blues expert Cedric Burnside, and the poignant Songwriter Circle featuring Peter Case, into the digital ether, both by way of the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass's Facebook page and through the festival's website and app. This assembly of diverse acts is a testament to the festival's unrestricted embrace of musical varieties plush with both emergent and established talents, each day an anthology of sounds not relegated to strictly bluegrass.
