Hardly Strictly Bluegrass announces final 2019 acts and security precautions
The producers of the Bay Area’s largest free music festival, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, have announced the final acts to perform, as well as several noteworthy security measures that will take place this year in light of numerous recent mass shootings nationwide.
The festival will take place Oct. 4 to 6 at Golden Gate Park.
“As the world changes, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass feels the need to respond, prioritizing safety over convenience,” producers said in a news release. “We understand that these changes will make our event differ from years past, but are hopeful that our long-time fans will embrace these new rules and enjoy the performances as they always have.”
Festivalgoers arriving this year will find the park fenced off, with four entrances that will open at 9 a.m. on each day: JFK and Transverse drives; Fulton Street and 30th Avenue; JFK Drive and 36th Avenue; and Golden Gate Park’s South Polo Field. The side paths that have been used for years to enter the festival will be fenced off this year.
Coolers are no longer allowed. Instead, the festival is going to offer more food concessions. Bags must be made of clear plastic and measure less than 16 inches by 16 inches and 8 inches deep. Blankets and chairs with a back no taller than 9 inches will be allowed but will be searched. Additionally, festivalgoers can expect to see an increased San Francisco police presence at the park, including officers in tactical (SWAT) gear.
The final additions to the festival lineup include:
St. Paul & the Broken Bones, The New Pornographers, Fantastic Negrito, Joan Osborne, Adia Victoria, Bill Frisell, Petra Haden, Hank Roberts & Luke Bergman, Bill Kirchen, Bobby Braddock, Brothers Gibb, The Budos Band, Chastity Brown, The Flatlanders, The Go To Hell Man Band, Ismay Presents, Joan Shelley, John Kay, Jon Langford and the Skull Orchard Welsh Male Voice Choir, Judy Collins, Laurie Lewis & the Right Hands, Lebo & Friends featuring George Porter Jr., John Molo, Wally Ingram, Adam MacDougall & Jenniffer Hartswick, Chris Thile with Grace Potter and J.S. Ondara, Mapache, Marco & The Polos, Mercury Rev & Beth Orton, Michael Nesmith & The First National Band, Moonalice, Moshe Vilozny, Nancy & The Lambchops, Parsonsfield, Punch Brothers, Rayland Baxter, Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley, Robert Earl Keen, Robert Ellis, Shooter Jennings, Travis Meadows, Will Kimbrough, Wood & Wire and and Y La Bamba.
Those acts will include the likes of Chuck Prophet & The Mission Express, the Kronos Quartet, The Milk Carton Kids, Calexico and Iron & Wine, the Margo Price, Robert Plant, Emmylou Harris and Kurt Vile & The Violators.
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass takes place within Golden Gate Park in Hellman Hollow, Lindley Meadow and Marx Meadow. All meadows open to the public at 10 a.m., with music starting at noon on Friday and 11 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. For more information, visit the festival’s website.