SAN FRANCISCO USA
SOUNDTRACK
First Aid Kit - Blue
DATES
Dec. 2009 & Sept. 2011
HIGHLIGHTS
Hardly strictly bluegrass
This 3 day festival which is completely FREE is a great reason for you to book a trip to San Francisco. The fact that the event is free of charge doesn’t mean you’ll end up seeing Z list celebrities from past season’s of X factor. The artist that come to Hardly strictly bluegrass are established musicians. When I was there in 2011, I saw Robert plant, Broken Social Scene and Hugh Laurie... just to name a few. Beware, the golden gate bridge park where the festival is on gets jam packed but it’s worth the trip. The fact that a festival like this has managed to stay open to everyone is unreal, especially in America. Then again it’s in San Fran’ a city of its own!
When?
End of September/beginning of October
http://www.hardlystrictlybluegrass.com/2015/
Amoeba Music
This place is a music lover’s paradise. The first Amoeba’s music shop opened in Berkeley and quickly multiplied in all of California. The most impressive shop is their San Francisco branch in Haight Ashbury, the space which used to be a bowling alley is enormous, especially for a record shop (2.200 square metre). The store also stocks upwards of 100,000 CDs, vinyl records, and audio cassettes, both new and used. If you’re looking to for a good old tune, this is your go to place. I’ve personally spent hours wandering around the music retail institution.
Haight Ashbury
You probably have heard about this infamous hippy haven! This neighbourhood used to be the home of many legendary sixties band such as the Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin & Jimi Hendrix. All the houses come in different colours which gives the area a warm and creative feel. You can also wander around the boutiques, hippy shops and vegetarian cafés too.
Here’s a list of famous people’s addresses (found on http://www.examiner.com/article/famous-addresses-around-haight-street-myo-haight-ashbury-walking-tour-w-map-and-slideshow)
710 Ashbury St.- The Grateful Dead
719 Ashbury St.- The Hell’s Angels
635 Ashbury St., 112 Lyon- Janis Joplin
638 Ashbury St.- Country Joe McDonald and The Fish
1018 Page St.- Big Brother and the Holding Company
1550 Page St.- “Hippie Temptation” house (site of CBS documentary)
1828 Page St.- Ron Donovan (psychedelic concert poster artist)
1524 Haight St. - Jimi Hendrix
616 Page St.- Charles Manson
731 Buena Vista West- Graham Nash (and several owners later) Bobby McFerrin
264 Downey St.- Michael McClure (Beat-era playwright, poet)
1235 Masonic Ave.- Patty Hearst hid in Symbioses Liberation Army safe-house here
32 Delmar St.- Sid Vicious (site of non-fatal overdose after last Sex Pistols show).
2400 Fulton St. - Jefferson Airplane Rehearsal Space, House and Office
318 Parnassus St. - Hunter S. Thompson’s Apartment (where he shot off his shotgun out his window. Hunter and his)
Cafe International
This cafe on Haight Ashbury has been recommended by locals I’ve met on the tram. It’s a lovely place to grab a home made bagel and coffee during the day. At night time, the place hosts jazz music and open mike nights too. The perfect place if you’re looking to chill out in an artsy laid back environment.
