photo: Jay Blakesberg

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, the annual three-day free concert in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park has announced its initial artists. This will be the 26th installment of the event, set to take place from Friday, October 2 through Sunday, October 4.

The initial slate of performers confirmed for this year’s HSB include: My Morning Jacket, Gillian Welch & David Rawlings, Hot Tuna Acoustic, AJ Lee & Blue Summit, Kathleen Edwards, Old Crow Medicine Show, Hiss Golden Messenger, El Khat, Tyler Ballgame, William Tyler & Yasmin Williams, and John Craigie with The Coffis Brothers.

The festival will be preceded by a benefit concert that will honor Steve Earle, who has appeared at every installment of the event since the second year. An Evening Honoring Steve Earle will take place at The Masonic on October 1. Confirmed participants include: Emmylou Harris, Gillian Welch & David Rawlings, Jackson Browne, Hot Tuna, Larry Campbell & Teresa Williams, Elizabeth Cook, Molly Tuttle, and others. Buddy Miller will be the musical director, with Reckless Kelly, featuring Greg Liesz serving as the backing band. Tickets are now on sale. Tickets are now on sale.

A series of “Out of the Park” benefit concerts in support of the Sweet Relief, Bay Area Musicians’ Fund also will occur. The confirmed are listed below.

Molly Tuttle – Bing Concert Hall Stanford – Sep. 28
AJ Lee & Blue Summit & Bandits on the Run- Sweetwater – Oct. 2
Gillian Welch & David Rawlings – The Fillmore – Oct. 2
John Craigie & Anna Moss – GAMH – Oct. 2
Tyler Ballgame – Cafe Du Nord – Oct. 2
El Khat – The Freight – Oct. 3
Old Crow Medicine Show & Ismay – Sweetwater – Oct. 3
Kathleen Edwards – The Guild – Oct. 4
Jimmie Dale at Hopmonk (Novato) – Oct. 5