The first shock was that, after the 30C+ sunny weather of Walnut Creek, we were unprepared for the cloud and fog of SF. Luckily there were big crowds at each stage and nobody minded sharing their warmth. This is Northern California. The second (almost) shock was that the reputation of this festival for a different type of grass, one that isn't blue, has grown since we were last here.
Within minutes of entering the park we were offered a wide variety of "organic edibles". Brownies and muffins commanding suspiciously high prices were available everywhere, and my favourite hand-drawn sign advertised "chocolate-flavoured ganja fudge". Vince has to take a monthly drug test to keep his army commission and he was in serious danger of guilt by passive association.
Luckily there was also a ton of great music for us to enjoy. MC Hammer had made his annual appearance on Friday (in the "hardly" column) but we caught Margot Leverett & The Klezmer Mountain Boys (bluegrass clarinet!), Kinky Friedman, Steve Earle, John Doe, David Olney (great!), Holly Golightly (her real name) flying the English flag, The Magnolia Sisters who sing Cajun, and finishing with country great and Texas A&M alumnus Robert Earl Keen.
Eventually the cold and damp got the better of us (just not used to that British weather anymore) and we edged away from the large number of brownie and fudge fueled bare footed, bare chested dancers. We then enjoyed another NorCal tradition of insane traffic, but Claire sang, chatted and laughed for the two hours it took us to get home. She was the real star of the day.
Festival city.
The Klezmer Mountain Boys - country all the way on the Porch Stage.
Evidently I'm not the only person who likes free stuff.
Me and my country girl.
Holly Golightly. Woo!
