Warren Hellman Tribute Concert Will Feature Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle, Buddy Miller, Gillian Welch, and More

By Ian S. Port Tue., Jan. 24 2012 at 3:30 AM

Jay Blakesberg

Warren Hellman at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass founder Warren Hellman passed away at the end of last year, but the sprawling free music festival he started will continue. And on Feb. 19, Hellman's family and the festival's organizers will hold a sort of mini-Hardly Strictly as a tribute to Hellman. The bill -- which we're announcing first right here -- reads like a list of Hardly Strictly regulars, featuring big names like Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle, Gillian Welch, Buddy Miller, and more. (See the full lineup after the jump.)

The location for the festival hasn't been decided yet, but Dawn Holliday, Hardly Strictly's booker, tells All Shook Down that organizers are choosing between Hellman Hollow (formerly known as Speedway Meadow) and the parking lots at Ocean Beach. (Concerns over rain make her wary of holding the tribute concert in the festival's usual Hellman Hollow location.)

Also undetermined as yet are the precise hours of the concert. But as they did with Hellman's funeral, organizers are planning to stream the event live. The artists will perform back-to-back on two stages, so everyone in attendance will be able to see every set.

"It's just about the music," Holliday says of the concert. "It's about the joy Warren loved, and every one of these artists was hand-picked because he loved them."

The tribute concert's full lineup (not in order of performance):

Emmylou Harris
Robert Earl Keen
John Doe
The Wronglers with Jimmie Dale Gilmore
Old Crow Medicine Show
Boz Scaggs
Gillian Welch
Steve Earle
Dry Branch Fire Squad
Buddy Miller
Kevin Welch
Kieran Kane
Fats Kaplin
Poor Man's Whiskey

We'll update this post with details about location and time when that information becomes available. In the meantime, Hardly Strictly fanatics and Hellman fans should mark their calendars for Feb. 19.

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Tags:

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, Warren Hellman

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moonvalley

Updates, please?? Is this still happening?

joey sparks

SO excited! driving down there from northern oregon to see this. cold weather is the least of my concerns. Why is nothing on the bands website or the Hardly strictly?

anyways super stoked, GOing to be agreat time.

Marshall Heald

DEFINITELY A LOVE FEST...MARK YOUR CALENDARS

Marshall Heald

DEFINITELY A LOVE FEST...MARK YOUR CALENDARS

Marlene Aron

No matter where, a wonderful Tribute to a very generous man. Ocean Beach or Golden Gate Park: both of these are in the spirit of Warren. ["Shoreline" - Not.] Outdoors, in or near the Park, Nature. Rain, fog... we'll live with it. And enjoy the spirit of the day. Thank you, Dawn, and everyone for putting this together for us.

Scrumpy not Grumpy

I wished I'd said that before complaining about the crowds....nicely put.

Andrew

Thanks Warren. Even your memorial is better than most festivals.

Mike Tattoo

I know, and some people still have the nerve to complain.

“OMG! Did you have to have your free memorial concert in the park?! That means I'm going to have to walk and wear a jacket!! There are places with indoor heating in San Francisco you know!”

Stay classy, people.

Mike Tattoo

Oh please. If a free party in Golden Gate Park in February scares you so much then do the rest of us a favor and stay home.

“Hypothermia”, indeed. The rest of America that’s living in snow right now would like a word with you.

Scrumpy

Spread the word...lousy venue, cold, etc. Perhaps I'll finally be able to get near the stages.

Kevin

Website says Hellman Hollow: http://www.strictlybluegrass.c...

Haggie

Ocean Beach in February? Transportation nightmare PLUS guaranteed crappy weather. There are venues with roofs in San Francisco...

Emma

It will be held in GGP if the weather is good. It will be held at OB if it rains... tents and canopies will be put in place... the 18, 5, 31, 38, and N Judah all are muni lines that end at Ocean beach... but if a little cold weather scares you an outside concert in SF may not be for you!