Strictly Bluegrass - Golden Gate Park

[Bob Denton]

I've never been and thinking about Saturday and Sunday. Is it worth bringing instruments?

Thanks!

[SternART]

No

[Michael H Geimer]

I see folks every year who do bring instruments, but there really isn't much of a jamming scene.

I certainly wish that would change, and all it would take is for more people to bring their strings, and bring songs to share. There is plenty of room around the meadow to jam, that's for sure.

I think the biggest barrier is the lack of a parking lot, and a vague fear of leaving an instrument in your car if you weren't carrying it around with you all day.

[Bramble]

The line up this year is unbelievable...but as SternART and Benignus said, there isn't any jamming scene to speak of. I've only observed one small group in the few years I've attended.#

It has become a HUGE event, and I hate to say - I'm going to pass on it this year. Way too much crowd for me: you can't get close enough to hear or see, unless you stake out territory on one stage early in the day. How do you pick which stage...but then you still get too much sound from another stage nearby.

So I'm gonna miss out seeing Richard Thompson # http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif #and a whole lot of other great performers.

[Michael H Geimer]

I have house guest in town for the event, so jamming has already happened ... in the comfort of the living room! (presently there is some really sweet dobro music wafing up into the loft as I post)

My friends says the food this year is very good, so he's eating from the vendors. We're taking along a picnic lunch.

Gillian Welch
Laurie Lewis

Those are the folks I've just got to see today. The rest is a walk in park ... literally.

- Benig

[Michael H Geimer]

You can't always get what you want, but you might find you get what you need.

I reserved a campsite in the Presidio simply on the idea that someone should; such a great festival deserves some campground jamming.

But life is busy and full for me right now. I had little time to gather muscians, so our party only totalled six.

Then ... Mr. Ranger called me up on my way to the site with some bad news. Group Camp (A) had taken over the entire site, and no one was there to even discuss the issue ... they were all at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, you see.

"This might work out just fine.", I told Mr. Ranger. There was a decent sized plot of land for us to call home, and so we set up. Wondering if there wasn't a Martin or a Gibson somewhere among the tents and trailers surrounding us.

The group was from Telluride and there were some mighty good players in the mix. They were quite happy to have more music around and we all jammed by a huge bon fire until the small hours of the morning.

Good fun.

- Benig

[Jeff A]

500,000 people over 3 days. I don't think there has been anything bigger for this type of event. And one man pays for it all. Warren Hellman sponsers this festival and funds the entire event. Major kudos to him.