Hardly Strictly Bluegrass was Strictly Awesome!

October 22, 2012

Set up in the Artists Area at Banjo Stage

Warren Hellman
photo by Ron Baker

As was posted a while ago, my little trailer was asked to become part of the set backstage at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, one of the country's largest (if not the largest) free multi day music festival. HSB as it's known, is a Bay Area treasure which along with the Treasure Island Music Festival and Bridge School Benefit makes October a very special month for music here abouts.

Created 12 years ago by the late Warren Hellman, the Bluegrass loving Billionaire and antidote to wall street greed and inhumanity, to introduce his beloved San Francisco to Bluegrass music, Strictly Bluegrass evolved from a 2 day 3 stage affair to Hardly Strictly Bluegrass a 3 day, 6 stage, multi genre music extravaganza that well over 100,000 attend each year. To give you an idea..Here's the line up from this year.

I had spent the better part of the last 3 weeks getting Aguadream a new paint job and generally cleaning and spiffing her up to be ready for her big debut. I'll back in another post on the painting process soon. Towing her over to San Francisco and into Golden Gate Park was fun, but really that was just the beginning. My friend Ed Valenzuela is in charge of decor at the Banjo Stage, the main stage where my trailer was situated. I had left a guestbook for folks to sign, but he said not to keep my hopes up. But he also quickly said that he thought it was likely that my trailer would become the backdrop for many many pics taken over the weekend.

Little did I know that Jay Blakesberg, one of the areas go-to rock/music photographers was soon to fall in love with my trailer and use both the in and outside for pics of everyone from bluegrass legend Ralph Stanley to music icon Elvis Costello, not to mention my favorite Emmy Lou Harris and many others. To say that I was thrilled is an understatement. What seems more accurate is to say that I now believe my trailer to be enchanted with the spirit of music and will endeavor to live up to the kharma brought to it by some of the best musicians on the planet. The music was spectacular, the weather perfect, and the opportunity to be so close to so much music and goodwill priceless. All photos copyright Jay Blakesberg, please do not use or reproduce without permission.