The iconic Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival is gearing up for its 25th year with a tribute concert honoring the legendary Emmylou Harris, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. The special event, aptly named "A Tribute to Emmylou Harris & 25 Years of Hardly Strictly Bluegrass," will set the stage on Oct. 2 at the Masonic to commemorate both the festival's anniversary and Harris's unparalleled contribution as the only artist to play the festival every year since its inception.
For the tribute, a constellation of celebrated musicians and esteemed friends of Harris, including Buddy Miller who will act as musical director, Rosanne Cash, Rodney Crowell, Allison Russell, Margo Price, Patty Griffin, Sam Bush, Shawn Colvin, and Steve Earle, will hit all the high notes alongside the honored songstress as confirmed by the San Francisco Chronicle. The Red Hot Dirt Ramblers will back them up with a blend of Harris’s longtime bandmates joining in to create a rich tapestry of sound celebrating the history of this storied festival that blooms anew every year in San Francisco's very own Golden Gate Park.
Ticket sales for the benefit concert have officially begun with the presale code HSB25, as detailed by a Facebook post from Hardly Strictly Bluegrass. Fans are encouraged to snag their tickets early to be part of a night that promises to be etched in the memory of attendees and participants alike. Additionally, proceeds from the event will support Bonaparte's Retreat, the dog rescue organization founded by Harris, which focuses on finding homes for senior and medically vulnerable dogs, a cause near and dear to her heart.
Following the tribute, the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival will unfold over three life-affirming days from Oct. 3-5, once again transforming the lush meadows of Golden Gate Park into a thriving hub of American roots music, as reported by Riff Magazine, the complete lineup for which is yet to be announced; however, fans can rest assured that the festival's tradition of high-caliber performances across genres will be very much in evidence. Tickets to witness this grand convergence of music and community spirit will be available from tomorrow on Ticketmaster.
