Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, the annual celebration of roots music and a lot of other stuff in Golden Gate Park, is happening now, with the first acts taking the stage at noon and as always, it's all free.
The full day line-ups are here, and that annoying friend of yours who doesn't need to work on Friday is probably already Snapchatting from the park, making your afternoon that much worse.
Here's what you need to know about Friday's headliners: Mavis Staples takes the Banjo Stage (i.e. where the Twin Peaks Stage is for Outside Lands, in Hellman Hollow) at 5:45 p.m. (Boz Skaggs will be on first there, at 4:10 p.m.) Conor Oberst also goes on at 5:45 on the Rooster Stage (near where the WineLands tent was for OSL, in Marx Meadow). See the map here.
There's a Silent Disco this year. See more info on that here, and you pick up your headphones in Shady Grove (between the Banjo and Rooster stages).
If you can, you should just bike there. Also, there's the 5-Fulton bus. Get out around 30th Avenue and follow the crowds.
Things wrap up at 7 p.m. So, if you're not getting out of work until 5:30, it might not be worth it and you should wait for tomorrow.
Saturday's line-up is good. Mary Chapin Carpenter and Steve Earle will be on the Banjo Stage; Yo La Tengo, Chris Isaak, and Cyndi Lauper will be on the Swan Stage; M. Ward will wrap up the day on the smaller Porch Stage; and the Mother Hips are on at 4:15 on the Arrow Stage.
Don't bring glass. You are allowed to bring in beer or wine that comes in cans, and you should try to keep from letting police see if you have hard alcohol. But there's no one checking bags at a gate like OSL.
You can bring a little folding and/or low-backed chair. You could also just bring a blanket, but unless you arrive very early any of the three days, you'll be hard pressed to get anywhere near the main stages.
Sunday's line-up is also good, and more country. Look for Wynonna and The Big Noise on the Banjo Stage, opening for Emmylou Harris; John Hammond, Roseanne Cash, and T Bone Burnett will be on the Rooster Stage; and the California Honeydrops and CAKE will be found on the Swan Stage.
Bring snacks! Also, sunscreen, even though it's going to possibly be rainy for a minute on Sunday.
Previously: Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Isn't Actually Endowed Forever Or Technically At All
