HSB 2025

Updated: Oct 22

Warren Hellmans' legacy....a warm, friendly and vibrant, annual San Francisco music event.

Every year in early October Golden Gate Park hosts a wonderful music event called Hardly Strictly Bluegrass. As it infers in the title, it's way more than Bluegrass, although there is bluegrass played, this festival is hardly strictly bluegrass alone...it's all genres...blues, pop, rock, country, jazz, punk and all kinds of music is welcomed and showcased.

Personally I love this festival. It's a full three days of music on six stages. This years' festival had perfect weather all weekend. Last year it felt like it was 150 degrees...it was way too hot, not this year....we couldn't have ordered lovelier weather.

As with all music festivals, it's difficult to get to all the stages and see all the music so one has to pick and choose. There are five main stages and one tiny stage that feels like it's out in the woods somewhere. I've only been there once, and it was last year for the British punk poet John Cooper Clark. He was well worth the walk to the small stage.

Day 1 of HSB had some great acts on but my favorites of the day were Rodney Crowell and ALO. A few years ago I got to work with Crowell at a music festival in Utah that I was flown to shoot. During a crew dinner on the third evening of the festival, me and Rodney celebrated our birthdays together, as we found that we were both born on the same day (a few years apart...but both on August 7). The whole day 1 at HSB had so much good music on offer, and I was able to see a bunch. A few who played on Day 1 was, Anderson East (another fave of mine from Day 1), Shaun Colvin, The War and the Treaty, Rev Horton Heat, ALO, Mother Hips, Nathaniel Rateliffe and the Night Sweats and many more.

One of the great things about HSB is meandering. One only has to walk a few steps before bumping into somone you know. And even if you don't know anyone, people are so open and so friendly that before the weekend ends you've made new music friends!

Day 2 was Roseanne Cash, Buddy Miller, Albert Lee, Steve Earle, Maria Muldaur, Jeff Tweedy, Courtney Barnett, Samara Joy, Patti Griffin and loads more. On Day 2 I was surprised by someone I should have heard of but hadn't before then, Courtney Barnett. It felt like I was the only one in the park that didn't know of this awesome Aussie. I definitley know of her now! And her along with Jeff Tweedy were my favorite sets of the day.

Day 3 brought Lucinda Williams, EmmyLou Harris, Nick Lowe, The String Cheese Incident, I'm With Her and many more...way too much to mention. A few great things about HSB weekends are that it's completely free, you can bring your own food and drink, there's no alcohol sold on premises, and it doesn't have that 'money grab feel' about it. Also, every year I've attended I always walk away with a new (to me) music find. And also the warmth of the event is lovely, everyone is helpful, and friendly.

If you are ever in Northern California at the beginning of October, seriously consider fitting HSB into your itinerary. Or make your California visit FOR the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass event specifically. You won't be dissappointed. Thanks solely to Warren Hellman. A local music lover who passed a few years ago but specified in his will to keep this event going with donations from his foundation. So a huge mountain of gratitude to Warren Hellman.

The huge crowd gathered for The String Cheese Incident - the last band of the weekend.

Last but not least..."Life is short, break the rules, forgive quickly, kiss slowly, love truly, laugh uncontrollably, be kind to each other, apologize easily, have the hard conversations because it makes life better, and never regret anything that made you smile".... Last, but definitley not least...see live music - it keeps our brain firing and it keeps us young!

With peace, love, art and music,

Cheryl ☮ ❤️🎵

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Here are a few affiliate links to some music and photo gear: Rodney Crowell, Airline Highway - https://amzn.to/48GSAMg Courtney Barnett, The Double CD - https://amzn.to/4nzreeR Jeff Tweedy Twighlight Over Ride - https://amzn.to/3L23p1u Canon R6 Mirrorless - https://amzn.to/3K6FoG8 Canon 70 - 200 2.8 lens - https://amzn.to/4mfGL2t Holdfast Camera Harness - https://amzn.to/3K9X6bG HSB 2025 - Day 1 ©Cheryl Alterman Photography 2025

HSB 2025

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