Today’s update comes from southern Colorado, making the journey back to Austin from Denver. The last two weekends were quite memorable.
The 11th Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival in San Francisco was possibly the best music festival experience I’ve had. For those who are unfamiliar, HSB is the incredibly generous gift of one man, billionaire Warren Helman, to the city of San Francisco. It brings in some of the finest in American roots music and is completely free to the public. Devoid of corporate sponsorship (which upon careful analysis has a subtle but refreshingly positive effect on the subconscious). The setting is idyllic–the hallowed, musically-sacred grounds of Golden Gate Park. The weather all weekend was sunny and unseasonably warm. I heard that the attendance on Saturday was nearly 400,000 people…that’s right, 400,000! I sat stage right for Gillian Welch and Dave Rawling’s set Saturday afternoon. Just prior to their opening number (“Scarlet Town”, from the new record) the emcee announced to the crowd that there was an estimated 250,000 people in that meadow alone. Looking out at that mass of humanity was awe-inspiring, but what amazed me more than anything was the peaceful vibe that was radiating from the crowd. Words don’t suffice here…As for Gillian and Dave, their performance was just as soulful and sincere as can be. We were all very moved. Our set earlier that afternoon felt great, in large part due to the warm response we received. The highlight was easily finishing with “Brokedown Palace”–there were smiles all around and it was a very appropriate nod to the Dead. As for the other acts, I can honestly say there was nothing I didn’t enjoy immensely. Bela Fleck, Zakir Hussain, & Edgar Meyer demonstrated masterful musical ESP; Del McCoury and The Preservation Hall Jazz band was again amazing–a huge ensemble playing at an incredibly high level and relatively low volume on stage; Earl Scruggs–87 years old and still throwing it down. The Jayhawks, The Mother Hips, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Robert Plant’s Band of Joy, Dr. John! It was all quite uplifting and inspiring.
This past weekend was spent in Denver as we had a two-night run at Cervantes’. I can’t say enough about how enjoyable it is there, and in Colorado in general. We recorded and filmed both shows and hope to release either a live album or video or both. There were a few hiccups/minor technical difficulties here and there, but we all seem to agree that both nights had some great moments. We’ll see.
I picked up a bunch of records recently and have a few I’d like to recommend checking out. Soulero by Kenny Burrell and Alligator Boogaloo by Lou Donaldson.
Both are great for ‘chillin with a funky feelin’…which is expertly demonstrated in the video below by Bill Withers and his band from 1972. Get a copy of Bill Withers Live At Carnegie Hall and you’ll know what I’m talking about.
Peace,
TN