Posts

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 2022

  One by one the big events in San Francisco have returned. It had been three years since Golden Gate Park had heard the twang of banjos and the screeching of fiddles that is Hardly Strictly Bluegrass. Five hundred thousand were expected. It’s held over three days in early October. I had to miss Friday. I really wanted to be there for the return of the festival to Golden Gate Park, but duty called.   I wasn’t in San Francisco in the Sixties, but I imagine that Hardly Strictly Bluegrass is the event that comes the closest to the vibe and atmosphere of those free shows in the Golden Gate Park. Most of the HSB crowd are white geezers, but it is a very family friendly event. There were plenty of strollers. People are encouraged to spread a blanket and picnic in the park. The crowd is still diverse.  The event has changed. Security was increased after the shooting at the Gilroy Garlic Festival. It’s still a free festival, but cyclone fences surround the festival ground...
Post a Comment
Read more

Bob Dylan 2022

  Bob Dylan’s “Never Ending Tour “was coming to the Bay Area. This was a must show for me. If I missed it, I knew it would haunt me. Dylan had just turned eighty one! It was unusual for me, but I jumped on the pre-sale. I probably could have gotten better tickets, but I got confused and pressed the button too soon. I would be up in the balcony for about a hundred dollars. Not a bad deal for a big Rock show these days. I was chasing legends again!   There would be three shows in Oakland’s beautiful Fox Theater. June 9,10,11. I would be going to the first one on Thursday night. About a week later I was surprised to get a paper ticket in the mail. This would be a “cell phone free show.” I’d seen this at The Masonic Auditorium in San Francisco. Your cell phone is locked in a pouch. You keep it in your possession but you can’t open the pouch to take pictures, video, text or call friends on the phone to show them how cool you are. The pouches are unlocked after the show.  ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Athens and Delphi

Monday. September 23.  This was my second ferry ride in Greece, so I knew the drill better. Blue Star Ferries would take me from Mykonos to Athens. I arrived early and waited with other passengers. We watched the spectacle of vehicles being loaded onboard.     I have a ticket in “economy.” All right with me. The setup inside the ship was a little different than the first ferry. This is a converted cruise ship. There were tables set out like a cafeteria. I got aboard early enough to set up next to a window. I’m not letting the bag out of my sight.  A young Greek guy, his girlfriend and another younger woman join me at the table. The couple looked like they were in their thirties. The guy has long hair and spends all his time under earbuds. The women try to spread out and catch a nap. It’s just another ferry ride for them. I enjoy the scenery. There would be stops in Timos and Syros. The last stop was Piraeus. This confused me. I asked a woman who ran a ...
Post a Comment
Read more