I can't remember the last time I saw so many great bands for free or had so many different drugs offered to me in the space of five hours (in a park). I passed by a gentleman selling rolled-up balls of aluminum (presumably hallucinogenic drugs wrapped in foil, but who knows, it could have been candy...) at one festival stage, several pot dealers on the grounds of another stage, and a purveyor of "magic" brownies at a third. Alas, I was short on cash and brownies give me the runs, but I sure was curious to find out just how much more fun I could be having.
As it turns out, we had a blast anyway. We missed Bonnie "Prince" Billy's set at 1:00, but managed to catch all of the other acts we were hoping to see: Elvis Costello's High Whines and Spirits (who opened with "[The Angels Wanna Wear My] Red Shoes" from Costello's first album, My Aim Is True), Iron and Wine (Sam Beam sans band), Gogol Bordello, Loudon Wainwright III, the tail end of Pegi Young's set, and Emmylou Harris. Highlights of the day were Gogol Bordello's blistering, gypsy-punk and Emmylou Harris who performed an amazing set with the Red Dirt Boys (scroll down to download songs from these artists).
It's great to know that the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival will be able to continue for a while to come thanks to Warren Hellman (Why can't all billionaires be this cool?) and festival organizers. Read the SF Chronicle article about this year's festival here and a nice recap of the event on the Mercury News blog here.
Elvis Costello - I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself (live Burt Baccarach cover, My Aim Is True - Bonus Disc, 1977)
Elvis Costello - Poison Moon (Honky Tonk demo, My Aim Is True - Bonus Disc, 1977)
Elvis Costello & The Attractions - New Amsterdam (Get Happy! 1980)
Iron & Wine - Sodom, South Georgia (Our Endless Numbered Days, 2004)
Iron & Wine - My Lady's House (Woman King EP, 2005)
Iron & Wine - Love Vigilantes (New Order cover, iTunes Live Session, 2006)
Gogol Bordello - Against the Nature (Vio-la Intruder, 1999)
Gogol Bordello - 60 Revolutions (Gypsy Punks: Underdog World Strike, 2005)
Loudon Wainwright III - The Man Who Couldn't Cry (Attempted Mustache, 1973)
Loudon Wainwright III - Motel Blues (A Live One, 1990)
Loudon Wainwright III - He Said, She Said (Career Moves, 1993)
Emmylou Harris - When I Stop Dreaming (Louvin Brothers cover, Luxury Liner, 1977)
Emmylou Harris - Pancho & Lefty (Townes van Zandt cover, Heartaches and Highways: The Very Best of Emmylou Harris, 1984)
Emmylou Harris - All That You Have Is Your Soul (Tracy Chapman cover, All I Intended To Be, 2008)
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