Hardly Strictly Bluegrass announces a ‘terrific’ lineup for virtual festival

‘Let the Music Play On’ streams Oct. 3

Hundreds of thousands of music lovers will have to break from their regular tradition of visiting Golden Gate Park in San Francisco this fall for Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, the beloved annual threeday festival that has been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Yet, those fans will still be able to check out many of their favorite HSB entertainers during the online “Let the Music Play On,” which festival organizers are presenting from 2-5 p.m. Oct. 3. The show, which marks the 20th anniversary of the festival, is being shown on HardlyStrictlyBluegrass.com, the festival’s Facebook, YouTube pages, Nugs.TV as well as on Circle TV. The event is free but donations are encouraged and will benefit musicians who are struggling during the pandemic.

“Let the Music Play On” features new performances by Emmylou Harris, Buddy Miller, Bonnie Raitt, Steve Earle and the Halfgrass Dukes featuring Tim O’Brien and Dennis Crouch, Birds of Chicago, Sierra Ferrell, Tré Burt, Carrie Rodriguez, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Butch Hancock and other artists.

“I’ve been so lucky to be able to host a day on the (festival’s) Rooster Stage for the last six years or so and invite friends and acts that I just love and think people would adore,” says Buddy Miller. “This year, we’re doing the ‘Cavalcade of Stars’ from my studio with a lot of those same people — Emmylou Harris, The War & Treaty, Ashley Monroe, Kieran Kane and Rayna Gellert, the McCrary Sisters and Jim Lauderdale.”

The new performances will be complemented by select archival footage and interviews.

Here’s the complete lineup for the show: Ashley Monroe

Black Banjo Reclamation Project

Bo&Lebo

Bonnie Raitt

Carrie Rodriguez Doobie Decibel System Duo

Jimmie Dale Gilmore & Butch Hancock

Jon Langford & Sally Timms

Kieran Kane & Rayna Gellert

Laurie Lewis & Nina

Gerber

Ron Thomason & Heidi Clare

Stuart Duncan

The McCrary Sisters The Sons of the Soul Revivers

Tre Burt

Aaron Lee Tasjan Alison Brown

Amythst Kiah

Birds of Chicago

Boz Scaggs

Buddy MIller

Chuck Prophet Emmylou Harris Fantastic Negrito

Jim Lauderdale

John Doe

Los Coast

Patty Griffin

Rhiannon Giddens & Francesco Turrisi

Robert Earl Keen Shakey Graves

Sierra Ferrell

Steve Earle & the Half Grass Dukes featuring Tim O’Brien and Dennis Crouch

The War and Treaty Yola