San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
A guide to upcoming Bay Area music festivals.
If there’s one thing to celebrate locally during the postvaccine era, it’s the return of popular music festivals.
Some of the Bay Area’s biggest events — such as BottleRock (Sept. 35), Second Sky Fest (Sept. 1819), Lights On festival (Sept. 1919) and Outside Lands (Oct. 2931) — are already sold out this year, though magic, and deep pockets, could still score you a resale ticket.
Still, there are plenty of offerings to enjoy this year, and even a few lateseason darlings, like the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival typically held over the first weekend in October, that have yet to announce plans for 2021. Whatever festival style and vibe you prefer, there are options available to serve a wide variety of music lovers looking to get back in the mood with live music and fun for all.
Here’s a quick overview of the live music festivals coming to the Bay Area in the next few months.
Editor’s note: See event websites for health protocol details.
Stern Grove Festival: The free, outdoor performance series in San Francisco has returned this year with weekly, inperson performances. Upcoming shows include X and the Avengers on July 25; Joan Jett & the Blackhearts and DJ Allyson Baker on Aug. 1; Thundercat and Cassowary on Aug. 8; Fitz and the Tantrums and Devon Gilfillian on Aug. 15; and Tower of Power and Too Short on Aug. 29.
2 p.m. Sundays. Through Aug. 29. Free, advance reservations required. Live stream available. Stern Grove, 19th Avenue and Sloat Boulevard, S.F. 4152526252. sterngrove.org
Yerba Buena Gardens Festival: The outdoor performance series hosted at the YBCA Gardens has shows on the schedule through August. Featured on the agenda are Andre Thierry at 12:30 p.m. July 22; Ensemble Mik Nawooj at 1 p.m. July 24; LoCura at 12:30 p.m. July 29; Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers at 12:30 p.m.
Aug. 5; AfroSolo Arts Festival in the Gardens at 1 p.m. Aug. 7; Valerie Troutt Trio with See Through Soul at 12:30 p.m. Aug. 12; Cabanijazz Project at 12:30 p.m. Aug. 19; Native Contemporary Arts Festival with Winnama BaKay Yachma Pomo Dancers at 12:30 p.m. Aug. 26.
Through August. Free. Yerba Buena Gardens, Mission Street between Third and Fourth streets, S.F. 4155431718. ybg festival.org
Mendocino Music Festival:
Artistic director Allan Pollack presents a diverse lineup that includes performances by the festival’s string orchestra and big band ensembles with Kim Nalley, the Pine Leaf Boys and others; the Festival Chorale performing works by Kurt Weill; Brazilian guitarist Diego Figueiredo; pianist Stephen Prutsman; the Alexander String Quartet with works by Ravel, Haydn and Shostakovich; bluegrass legend Laurie Lewis and the Right Hands; and vocalistcomposer Perla Batalla.
7:308:30 p.m. Through July 25. $15$35. Cotton Auditorium, 500 N. Harold St., Fort Bragg. mendo cinomusic.org
West Edge Opera Festival:
Featuring “Katya Kabanova” by Janacek, “Elizabeth Cree” by Kevin Puts and “Eliogabalo” by Francesco Cavalli, the operas are set to be performed in California Shakespeare Theater’s solarpowered outdoor amphitheater.
8 p.m. July 24, 3031 and Aug. 57; 4 p.m. July 25, Aug. 1 and 8. $19$378. Bruns Amphitheater, 100 California Shakespeare Theater Way, Orinda. 5108411903. westedgeopera.org
Shooting Star Presents: Days Between Festival: A familyfriendly outdoor festival celebrating the memory and music of Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead. Two days of live entertainment are scheduled and include performances by the
Dark Star Orchestra, David Nelson Band, Stu Allen & Friends, Full Moonalice, Whiskey Family Band and the Grateful Bluegrass Boys. There are a variety of tent and vehicular camping options for this event.
8 a.m. Aug. 6 to 1 a.m. Aug. 7; 11 a.m. Aug. 7 to 2 a.m. Aug. 8. $260. Campground closes at noon Aug. 8. $260 for twoday pass. Includes camping. Black Oak Ranch, 50350 Highway 101, Laytonville. days betweenfest.com
14th annual Petaluma Music Festival: Listen and dance up a storm during this outdoor live music festival, featuring performances by the Motet, Monophonics, Full Moonalice, New Chamber Brothers, the T Sisters, Lebo, SambaDá, Sebastian Saint James and the Highway Poets, Stella Heath with Bandjango Collectif, Black Sheep Brass Band, Jinx Jones and others. Event requires participants and attendees to have been fully vaccinated for COVID19 at least two weeks prior, or to submit a negative test result for COVID19 72 hours before the festival.
11 a.m.9:30 p.m. Aug. 7. $55$149, available online. Limited $25 teen tickets available at the gates. Kids under 12 free. SonomaMarin Fairgrounds, 175 Fairgrounds Drive, Petaluma. petalu
mamusicfestival.org
San Jose Jazz Summer Fest:
Academy Award, Emmy and Grammywinning musician, actor and memoirist Common is set to headline the music festival’s 31st iteration. Other artists scheduled to perform include Goapele, Kandace Springs, Christian Sands, Helen Sung Quartet, New West Guitar Trio, Claudia Villela, George Brooks and Arjun Verma, Morris Day and the Time, and the Pete Escovedo Latin Jazz Orchestra.
5 p.m.midnight Friday, Aug. 13; 1 p.m. SaturdaySunday, Aug. 142 a.m.Aug. 15; noonmidnight Sunday, Aug. 15. $35$470. Plaza de César Chávez, downtown San Jose. 408 2887557. summerfest. sanjosejazz.org
Golden Gate Jazz Festival:
The threenight event is scheduled to include performances by Tony Saunders and the Rainforest Band, Kim Waters, Eric Marienthal, the Count Basie Orchestra, Pete Escovedo, vocalist Regina Belle and others.
5 p.m. for VIP and 6:3010 p.m. Aug. 2728; 4 p.m. for VIP and 5:309 p.m. Aug. 29. $85$135. Presidio Theatre, Presidio, S.F. goldengatejazzfestival.com
Kind Bud Campout Cannabis and Music Festival: Though the Hog Farm’s Black Oak Ranch took a pandemic hiatus from many of its annual music events this year, the venue plans to host an event featuring a fully licensed cannabis retail marketplace, educational panels and workshops, featuring an allweekend lineup of live music and entertainment presented on two outdoor stages.
The schedule includes Midnight North, featuring Grahame Lesh and Elliott Peck; Kind Bud and the Joints with Papa Mali, Bobby Vega, Matt Hubbard and Jay Lane; the Real Sarahs; and afterhours cabaret with Apothecary Raree. There are various tent and vehicular camping options for this event.
8 a.m. Friday, Sept. 3noon Sunday, Sept. 5. $100$215, includes camping. 21 and older. Black Oak Ranch, 50350 Highway 101, Laytonville. kindbudcamp out.com
Sound Summit Music Festival: Cushing Memorial Amphitheater, the large, outdoor stone venue set on the flanks of Mount Tamalpais, hosts a day of live performance featuring Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, Father John Misty, AllahLas, Cha Wa and Teal Collins. The event will benefit the local nonprofit Roots & Branches Conservancy.
11 a.m.7 p.m. Sept. 11. $65$115, available online. Cushing Memorial Amphitheater, Mount Tamalpais, Mill Valley. soundsummit.net Day to Night Festival: An outdoor event featuring live DJs Nora en Pure, Fehrplay, EDX, Jacklndn, Cassian, Marsh, Nox Vahn and others, food vendors and art.
Noon9 p.m. Sept. 18. $65$100, available online. 21 and older event. The Great Lawn, 699 Avenue of the Palms, Treasure Island, S.F. daytonightfestival.com 64th annual Monterey Jazz Festival: The festival is scheduled to take place live and in person from the Jimmy Lyons stage this year, and though it’s on a smaller scale than usual, the lineup is nothing short of supersized. Performances kick off on Friday evening with the inimitable Pat Metheny’s SideEye trio featuring pianist James Francies and drummer Joe Dyson, followed by a live set from jazz titan Herbie Hancock. Other highly noteworthy performers on the schedule include George Benson, drummer Terri Lyne Carrington and pianist Christian Sands.
7 and 8:45 p.m. Sept. 24; 1, 2:30 and 4 p.m. Sept. 2526; 5:30 p.m. Sept. 26. Threeday tickets available online. Monterey Jazz Festival, 2004 Fairground Road, Monterey. 8882486499. montereyjazzfestival.org Outlaw Music Festival: A national touring festival featuring performances by Willie Nelson and Family, Lucinda Williams, the Avett Brothers, Gov’t Mule and Ida Mae.
4:25 p.m. Oct. 23. $35$1,300, available online. Shoreline Amphitheater, 1 Amphitheater Pkwy., Mountain View. blackbird presents.com