Posted: 6:15 pm PDT June 19, 2009
The annual Stern Grove Festival of free music and dance concerts celebrates its 73dd year with an impressive schedule of performers. In addition to traditional appearances by the San Francisco Symphony and Ballet, this summer's line-up brings a parade of blues, soul and world music acts to the beautiful venue. While concerts don't start until 2 p.m., attendees have been known to arrive as early as 5 a.m. to stake out prime real estate near the stage. There is bench seating directly in front of the stage as well as picnic tables available for reservation, but most people simply lay out blankets or tarps and sit on the grass.
The festival continues this Sunday with popular Hawaiian band Hapa. The most popular musical export from the islands this side of the late Don Ho's "Tiny Bubbles," Hapa has established itself as the foremost interpreter of Hawaii’s musical heritage by incorporating oli, slack-key guitar and hula for a quarter of a century. Founded by native New Yorker Barry Flanagan in 1983, Hapa has evolved to include vocalist Charles Ka’upu and multi-faceted musician Nathan Aweau. Hapa’s latest offering, 'Slacking Off,' takes a more relaxed approach to the melding of the trio’s cultures, featuring traditional melodies overlaying folk bass lines and slack-key guitar, incorporating southern rock rhythms and vocals while maintaining the island vibe that is their trademark sound. The band is joined by Academy of Hawaiian Arts, an East Bay hula school that will offer a presentation of traditional dance and music before the main event.
Hapa
Sunday, June 26, 2 p.m. Free
Stern Grove
Sunday, June 26, 2 p.m. Free
Stern Grove