When my wife and I arrived at the Great American Music Hall Friday night on October 5th, I should have read more into the marquee.  It read "Nick Lowe + The Super Friends of Jesse Winchester."  The line waiting to get in for the show was buzzing about Jesse's illness and the fact he was being replaced by Elvis Costello, Buddy Miller and other legends who were appearing at Hardly Strictly over the weekend.  While waiting in line two paramedics vans and a fire engine came racing up…

I've been watching with interest as Dawn Holliday and her crew pieced together the lineup for Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 2012 after the loss of Warren Hellman, the event's inspiration,  last year.  The Hardly Strictly Facebook page posted four weeks of recorded medleys that challenged the listener to guess the artists who had been invited to play Hardly Strictly 2012. The event will be held on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, October 5th, 6th + 7th in Hellman's Hollow in Golden Gate Park.

I…

Last Sunday a crowd that has been estimated up to 20,000 people gathered for seven hours in a large parking lot at Ocean Beach in San Francisco along with some of the best Americana artists in the business to pay tribute to Warren Hellman, the founder of Hardly Strictly Bluegrass.  Warren died of complications from leukemia treatments this past December.  He was 77 years old.  Warren's passing is a huge loss to both the roots music community as well as to the Bay Area philanthropic…

Auburn is a strange town about 40 miles east of Sacramento in the foothills. It's a working class town where you get the sense that the Great Recession has had a particular impact on its people.   In 1849 a group of French gold miners arrived and camped in what became known as the Auburn Ravine. By 1850 the towns population had grown to 1500 people and Auburn was chosen as the seat of Placer County.  It was also the final stop for the Pony Express.   This rural whistle stop…