Hardly Strictly Blugrass Festival

Gillian Welch.

Another crazy weekend of music, photos and lots of great people getting together to celebrate folk and bluegrass music in San Francisco. Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival took place this weekend in SF's Golden Gate Park. Three days of music ranging from Gillian Welch, Emmy Lou Harris, Old Crow Medicine Show, Okkervil River, Steve Earle and a surprise visit from Robert Plant. The concert grounds were packed with young and old, strollers, dogs and bikes. Logistics were a bit difficult at several instances, but overall the weekend went smoothly and the weather behaved (except for gail force winds knocking branches out the eucalytus trees).

Okkervil River

Best seat in the house.

Todd Snider

Steve Earle

OCMS

Robert Earle Keen

Rhett Miller of the Old 97's.

Jessica Lea Mayfield

Rhett Miller of the Old 97's

The crowd of Old Crow Medicine Show

Okkervil River

Gillian Welch and Emmy Lou Harris sings The Band's The Weight.

Aimee Mann

Neko Case

A young fan.

Aimee Mann

OCMS encore.
more crowd

Flags in the wind on Saturday night.

Mason Jennings and the Crash Kings @ GAMH

Mirrors capturing Jennings in a variety of angles.

Mason Jennings drew in the crowd of the Great American Music Hall last night for the second night in a row. Along with the impressive act of the Crash Kings, Jennings played a lengthy-2 hour show debuting his new album, Blood of Man, and much of his older catalog. Check out SF Weekly for the full story.

Crash Kings drummer demanded a presence with with jack-hammer drumming.

Mason goes electric and his bassist captures the audiences attention with a bit of rocking out.

Jennings belting out a tune.

Still a singer-songwriter, Jennings pulls it together with some harmonica action.

Jennings and band mate.

Mason Jennings.

Lead singer for the Crash Kings plays a whammy keyboard? Does anyone know what these things are called?

The Phoenix Supper Club-Meridian Gallery

The Menu.

The Phoenix Supper is named appropriately as it rises up out of San Francisco at different locations to create unique dining experiences. The latest event was held at Meridian Gallery on Powell @ Sutter. The multi-course chef's tasting started early in the evening lasting until long after dark, the combination of the fine dining atmosphere, sprawling art work and a epicureans menu made for quite the night of food, wine and ambiance. Check out their website for future events.

The Chef-Tommy Halvorson

Seared Halibut,
Red Curry Broth, Thumb potatoes, Escarole, De Vero Olive Oil

Guests

Service in motion.

Heirloom Gazpacho.

Caramelized levain, compote, vanilla sorbet, mint.

Guests.

Guests.

Guests.

Street Car passing the Meridian Gallery on Powell St.

Ambiance.

Soup du Jour

Caramelized Duck Breast
Rainbow Chard, nectarine, ginger, cippolini onions.

Poached Lamb Rack
Fennel bulb, roasted fig, balsamic jus, aranth.

San Francisco By Street: Van Ness

An old man out for a walk.

From Bernal Heights to the San Francisco Bay, Van Ness runs north and south through the city cutting it in half. I set out from Bernal Heights (the tall beacon of hope in the south of the city and in this photographers humble opinion the best neighborhood in SF) and trounced north through the Mission following S. Van Ness from its intersection with Ceasar Chavez. My idea was to walk streets of San Francisco from end to end to get an idea of how the street, city and most of all people change as the city is traversed. Making my way north past taquerias, run down hotels, and used car lots i went under 101 and headed toward Van Ness and Market. Here the rain started and so i temporarily abandoned my venture across the city. Two days later i took up where i had left off making my way from Market to the Civic Center, Japantown, Pacific Heights to where i met the water of San Francisco Bay at Fort Mason.

This nameless man donning a Obama shirt near Van Ness and 22nd talked my ear off for a few moments and as i was walking away yelled "don't give up".

Van Ness viewed from the top of Bernal Heights.

A woman and her bags- Van Ness and Market

Anything helps.

Tourists on the Fort Mason Pier watching a sea lion swim by.

Tree lined Civic Center.

Shadows on the sidewalk.

Names in the road.

An abandon shoe at Van Ness and Geary.

Walking the dog-near 101.

Southern end of S. Van Ness-the Ceasar Chavez intersection.

Apartments near the Fort Mason.

Silhouetted St. Brigid's Church at the corner of Broadway and Van Ness.

The north end of Van Ness, with Alcatraz in the background.