San Francisco Film Festival 2019

It was exciting to go to the historic Castro Theater and see what was planned for “the best two weeks of the year.” Member’s Night is when the program for the Festival is revealed to members.

Some of the programming highlights of 2019: Opening Night will be a screening of Armistead Maupin’s new Netfix series: Tales Of the City. Q Ball is a documentary on the San Quentin basketball team that was produced by the Warrior’s Kevin Durant. The Castro will show a documentary about the music scene in Laurel Canyon. It will be followed by a performance by Jakob Dylan.  

This year there will be tributes to Claire Denis, Laura Dern, Laura Linney and John C. Reilly. There will be documentaries on Dinosaurs, Weiwei, Miles Davis and Rock photographer Jim Marshall. There are numerous other events. Much of what I see is a matter of chance because of my work schedule. This usually works out good.  

The Festival is spread out over eleven venues this year. Most of them are in San Francisco. There are screenings at BAMPFA in Berkeley and at the Grand Lake in Oakland. The lounge will be at the 111 Minna Gallery in San Francisco. “We’re trying something new.” The lounge will be open to the public this year. The Opening Night Party was at the Regency on Van Ness. 

Here’s what I saw:

Minute Bodies: The Intimate World of F. Percy Smith. Stuart A. Staples, UK 2016. Smith was a pioneer in filming through a microscope: “micro-cinema.” The film is fifty-five minutes of one celled organisms fighting for survival and plants growing in slow motion. Some of the footage looked familiar. It was used in the science films shown in schools in the Fifties and Sixties. There was not a word of narration. Director Stuart Staples is a member of the group Tindersticks, and the group supplies the original dreamy soundtrack. 

The SFFilm program describes the film as a “hypnotic ode to the beauty of nature.” It opens with footage of one celled predators trying to consume their prey. It’s a jungle down there. There was some familiar Botany footage. We watch gyrations of plants growing in stop motion. It’s a bit psychedelic. I had a very odd, dreamy feeling after the film. I might have relaxed for a short time. 

The Seer and the Unseen. Sara Dosa. USA/Iceland. This screening was a rare chance to get inside the Dolby Sound Laboratory. It’s rarely open to the public. There’s no food or drink allowed inside. This is a laboratory! We entered under the watchful eyes of security looking for contraband movie treats. A mind blowing trailer shows off the advanced technology of the theater.    

Ragnhildur “Ragga” Jónsdóttir has seen and communicated with elves, trolls and other “hidden people” since she was a child. Now about seventy she consults with people planning construction projects on their property. No one wants to incur the wrath of the hidden people. They can cause “accidents” and other mischief. There are  stunning views of Iceland.  

Iceland went through a severe recession when the real estate boom melted down. Now “progress” has resumed. The government isn’t concerned with the wrath of the hidden people. There are plans to put a road through a lava bed that is sacred ground. The hidden people contact Ragga in her dreams. It is up to Ragga to stop the destruction. There are demonstrations and arrests, but the road does get built. As a compromise a large lava rock especially sacred to the hidden people is saved and moved. 

Ragga, her husband and many of the crew are in the audience! It must be great to see their film in the Dolby theater. During the Q&A Ragga is asked if she will attempt to communicate with the spirits of the Bay Area. She says they plan to visit Muir woods and see what happens. 

We Believe in Dinosaurs. Clayton Brown. Monica Long Ross. Producer and director. 

Ken Hamm bankrolled the building of The Creation Museum, which told the real story of Genesis. Now he’s built a scale model replica of Noah’s Ark. All the plans and specifics are right there in the Bible. The theme park will finally lay to rest the foolish ideas of the Evolutionists. Those misguided souls believe that the history of the universe goes back millions, maybe billions of years. Those who study the Bible know better. Creation took place in six days, just like the Good Book told us. This has to be true. It’s in the Bible! 

A very scary film. The town of Williamstown, Kentucky is chosen as the site for the theme park. The town gives the developers land that is practically free and allow huge tax breaks. They hope the visiting Creationists will revitalize the town’s failing economy.  

Not all the townspeople approve. One crusader fights the tax breaks. All employees of “The Ark Encounter” must pledge they believe in Creationism. The line between church and state is blurred. A geologist and a former Creationist are interviewed, but they are in the minority.   

We see some of the construction of the huge Ark. “The Ark Encounter” is designed by veteran designers of the Disney and Universal Studios theme parks. A huge crowd shows up for  Opening Day including some of its critics. There are demonstrators and counter demonstrators. 

The children of Creationists are often confronted with many who doubt their beliefs. They are taught to respond with, “How do you know? Where you there?” We’re treated to frightening scenes of classrooms repeating this catch phrase over and over. Yes. A scary film.

And what about the dinosaurs? How do Creationists reconcile their existence  with the literal interpretation of the Bible? It’s simple: Dinosaurs were on earth during the entire six thousand years of the universe. They were on the ark! It turns out Noah was a smart guy, even for someone six hundred years old. He took juveniles and eggs on the Ark. They didn’t have to make room for a full size, adult Tyrannosaurus Rex or Brontosaurus! The dinosaurs went extinct after getting off the Ark. There are exhibits on the replica Ark that show juvenile dinosaurs in little cages. Definite proof!

There are so many ways to go with this one. The scale model Ark is impressive and gives me a perverse desire to see it. The “Ark Encounter” is very successful and there are plans to expand it with more exhibits about Bible stories. A Tower of Babel is in the works!

The town doesn’t fare as well. Busses take most of the Ark’s visitors from the nearby Cincinnati airport directly to the theme park. Guess what? There are amenities for them at the Ark Encounter, and there’s no need to go into Williamstown. Downtown businesses close.

The producer and director are here for a Q&A. Clayton Brown and Monica Long Ross. One thing that surprised them was that many Creationists are intelligent, rational people. They really believe what they believe. They have rationales, reasons and “proof.” They didn’t want to portray Creationists as fanatic buffoons. “We wanted some balance.” 

During the Q&A a young women reminded us that we in the Bay Area live in a bubble. “It’s a good bubble, but...” She was lonely in Houston. When she went to see Michael Moore’s latest film she was the only one in audience.

Before the credits roll we’re informed that a Gallup Poll says 38% of Americans believe in Creationism.           

  

Show Me the Picture: The Jim Marshall Story. Alfred George Bailey. Amelia Edwards. UK/USA. 

There was a long wait to get into the Phyllis Wattis Theater at the Museum of Modern Art. It seemed like most of the people in the audience knew each other. It was a very talkative, chatty crowd. Many of the cast and crew of this documentary were in the audience.

Before the film Alfred George Bailey asked the audience to pose for a photograph. It’s a nod to Marshall’s photo of Johnny Cash giving a vehement middle finger to the camera. Bailey wants us all to flip him off for a group picture. We gladly cooperate. I wonder how the photo turned out.

I overheard someone in the crowd: “Everybody has a Jim Marshall story.” Marshall certainly wasn’t the faceless photographer who faded into the background. He  had a great eye. He carried a camera with him wherever he went. 

Jim Marshall came from a Syrian Catholic family. “Maybe that explains it,” someone cracks during the film. He took many of the iconic Rock photos of the Sixties. Bob Dylan. Hendrix playing in the Panhandle during the glory days of the Haight. Monterey Pop. The group shot of all the big San Francisco bands gathered during the Summer of Love. Johnny Cash at Folsom prison. Hendrix at Woodstock. The Who. The Grateful Dead on Haight Street. The Rolling Stones on tour. This guy always seemed to be there for the big, historic gigs.

He became famous for Rock photographs, but he started in early Sixties taking pictures of Jazz icons. His shots of a pensive John Coltrane gained even Miles Davis’ trust.

Marshall was on another assignment when he started taking pictures of the Deep South during the early days of the civil rights struggle. He lived with and photographed miners in the Appalachian mountains.  

It was a time when photographers didn’t have to get security clearance. He just went up to the stage and started shooting. Band members were pleased to be getting the attention. 

Marshall took the photo of Bob Dylan, Allen Ginsberg and Michael McClure hanging out in the alley next to Vesuvio’s. This means he probably got kicked out of Tosca’s with them. He was there for a historic North Beach night.  

Marshall was known to be difficult. The word “irascible” kept coming up. He had three obsessions: Photography, fast cars and guns. Oh yeah, and drugs.

He was hired by Life magazine to photograph The Rolling Stones 1972 tour. “A tour that was fueled by tequila and cocaine.” “People forget what a big deal Life magazine was back then.” Marshall more than held his own with the likes of Keith Richards. He also picked up a powerful coke addiction.

Marshall was at Altamont and took many photos. Even he got scared there and left in a hurry. He lost the film he shot that day! Despite a desperate search they have never been found. 

People interviewed for the documentary told some wild stories about him. He usually carried a gun, which can complicate things sometimes. The threat was usually  there. Marshall was banned from all Bill Graham events after a fracas at the Day on the Green featuring Fleetwood Mac. His ex-wife and friends try to explain how they were drawn to him. Most eventually lost their patience with him. There was a “good side” to Jim Marshall, but it’s just not as interesting.      

The producer of the film, Amelia Edwards, was Marshall’s personal assistant for years. She kept things together during his coke binges. When he passed away he left his archives and rights to her with the stipulation that she defend them.

She joins Bailey onstage for a Q&A after the film. Alfred George Bailey tells us that there are so many cuts in the film that it’s used by a film school as an example of editing. There is a long list of thank yous including people who appeared in the documentary and that are in the audience tonight. His ex-wife is there. She had some gut wrenching scenes in the film. Marshall once locked her in a closet to keep her from leaving him. The documentary certainly shows Marshall “warts and all.” He was strange, passionate and brilliant.  

This is “the spirit was willing, but the flesh was weak” year. It was 4/20 Saturday. Getting around The City was problematic. There were many events going on. I got to The Castro just in time to see the introduction of Loro, “a fictionalized portrait of Silvio Berlusconi.” Directed by Paolo Sorrentino.

Programmer Tod Armstrong says that the critics were sharply divided on this one. The Film Festival decided to screen it, “And let you decide.”  

Sergio Morreta is the son of an Italian business tycoon. He’s more of a hustler than his Dad. He’s not above using prostitutes and big parties to influence business decisions. He throws huge parties with bikini clad girls and cocaine! 

The film is set in the Eighties, but it’s very Seventies. An older gentleman at the party says that cocaine is “old fashioned.” “I haven’t done it in years!” That doesn’t stop him from joining in. Maybe it was because I just saw the Jim Marshall documentary, but cocaine seems to be a theme this year.  

I was starting to drift when Iggy Pop’s song “Down on the Street” blasted. The old Castro Theater does have great sound. The Iggy song got my attention and blood pressure going again.  

Morreta rents a villa and throws a huge bash to impress his neighbor Silvio Berlusconi. The young character of Sergio disappears for most of the second half of the film and the focus switches to Berlusconi, played by Toni Servillo. It’s like two separate movies. I learned later that the film was divided and released in two separate parts in Italy.   

We get a look at the other half in Italy. Many scenes are in villas and palatial mansions on the coast. Berlusconi has an artificial volcano built on his property. It must be good to be Prime Minister. 

But Berlusconi gets ousted from office. Even in his villa he’s bored and frustrated. Political retirement isn’t agreeing with him. A colleague suggests he get back in the game. He only needs to get a few of those votes back! There are political machinations.

There really are some Felliniesque scenes. It’s not just because they’re speaking in Italian with subtitles. At 150 minutes maybe it was a bit too long. Maybe it should have been a television series. 

All of my shifts are with the Schools at the Festival program (SAF) at The Castro Theater. I would get to the theater about nine in the morning when only a few of the regular staff were around. It was cool to be in the almost empty, historic theater. Even when the place was packed with students I still enjoyed the Art Deco surroundings. 

The kids oohed and aahed as they entered the theater. They stared up at the ornate ceiling. During screenings tourists from around the world would stick their head in the lobby. They had read or heard about the theater and wanted to take a look.   

The place is a remnant from a lost time. It’s hard to believe that it almost became a parking lot. One volunteer commented  that the theater itself was like another member of the staff.  “It’s like being around another person.”  

The Load. (‘Teret’) Serbia and Croatia. Directed by Ognjen Glavonic.

I visited Serbia in 2016 so I jumped at the chance of seeing a film from Serbia. The film touches on disturbing events that are more closely examined in Glavonic’s 2016 documentary Depth Two.  The Load is set in 1999 Kosovo and Serbia. The Civil War is raging.    

A gruff truck driver (Leon Lucev) is hired to take a cargo that he knows is very  suspicious. It will be a big payday for him. The truck is locked. The truck driver is stoic and seems resigned to his fate. The other Serbians in the film act that way too. Serbia has seen much tragedy.   

The bridge to Belgrade has been destroyed by bombing. Our driver tries to maneuver around burning vehicles, but he’ll have to take side roads. He stops at a ferry crossing and asks for directions. 

A young guy offers to guide him to Belgrade in exchange for a ride. The driver blows him off, “Some other time kid.” The kid sneaks onto the back of the truck and gets a ride anyway. It turns out he doesn’t know the way to Belgrade either. 

The truck rattles through gray Serbia. No one looks too happy. They stop at some kind of roadside resort. A wedding party breaks out. Our driver has a keepsake ring stolen out of his truck by juvenile delinquents.   

A cop pulls him over. What’s in the truck? Open up. The truck driver’s answer: “I’m not allowed to.” That quickly leads to, “License and registration.” The driver shows the officer a document. The cop hands it back and apologizes, and the driver is free to go.  

One scene is a close up of a piece of concrete. It’s gray. There are scuff marks and chips. The camera pans on it for a couple of minutes. It’s like Serbia. Gray. Damaged. Solid. 

The driver makes the delivery, but he learns he’s involved in some very evil stuff. 

Best quote: “Your grandfather went to war when he was 19. A real war. Not this video game war.”

The last day of the Festival. I’ll work a shift at The Castro, see two films and go to The Staff Party. It’s a marathon day for me these days. 

After my shift it’s over to the Roxie Theater to see Monos. 

“Colombia/Argentina/Netherlands/Germany/Sweden/Uruguay.” 2019. 102 min. Alejandro Landes.

It’s a “loose adaptation” of The Lord of the Flies. Teenage guerillas are at a training camp up in the mountains. Their assignment is to guard an American hostage. (Julianne Nicholson) They all have nicknames: Rambo, Dog, Wolf, Bigfoot. Little Bigfoot. Smurf.

Someone has lent a cow to the cause. Milk is important for growing teens. The cow must be returned unharmed, “as it was.” As soon as you hear that you know the cow is dead.

There is a painful looking birthday ritual beating. The hostage is goaded into joining in. They do have a teacher/mentor, but he’s called to nearby battles. This leaves them without adult supervision. Teenagers and automatic weapons are a recipe for disaster. They love shooting live ammunition into the air, and there’s no one to stop them. The cow is killed by stray gunfire. To make matters worse, the hostage escapes. This is very bad.   

Everyone fears the consequences from “The Organization.” Is it a death sentence? They go into the jungle. If they don’t recapture the hostage they probably shouldn’t bother coming back.   

Before they leave, there is a last gift from the cow. There are mushrooms in the cow’s last stool. Magic mushrooms. Now it’s the Lord of the Flies meets Apocalypse Now. There are some great jungle scenes. 

Rojo. Benjamin Naishtat. Argentina/Belgium/Brazil/Germany/France/Switzerland. 2018. 110 min.

It’s Argentina in 1975. The first scene shows an abandoned suburban house that is being quietly looted. The inhabitants have “disappeared.” People calmly walk in and out. They take out furniture and other household items. They don’t expect the residents to return. Peron is still in power.   

Claudio is a lawyer. He’s at a table in a restaurant waiting for his wife. An ominous guy waiting for a table complains. Is he some kind of government agent? He insists on getting Claudio’s table. He sure seems intimidating and sure of himself. 

Claudio gives in. “Do you want the table?” Then he verbally humiliates the impatient guy. Everyone in the restaurant stops as Claudio describes what a low form of life he’s given the table to. He ends with, “This never would have happened if my wife wasn’t always late.”

The wife finally shows up. After dinner the weird government agent guy confronts Claudio outside the restaurant. Then he shoots himself! Claudio dumps the body in the desert. Guess he doesn’t trust the justice system he knows so well as a lawyer.

There are many Noir twists and turns. Some grim Fargoesque humor. A great eclipse scene.

Another Film Festival in the books. The camaraderie is still there. It’s always an amazing experience. “The best two weeks of the year!”      

 

Noir City 17. 2019

There is winter in San Francisco. It’s not the science fiction nightmare of winter that is happening in the East or Midwest this winter, but the Pacific storms can be nasty. We just have to stay out of the rain here. It’s late January. It must be time for the Noir City Film Festival at the Castro Theater! This will be Noir City 17. 

It’s a Noir cliche, but it usually does rain during Noir City. The weather may hurt attendance, but it adds to the Film Noir atmosphere. It certainly doesn’t stop the hard core. I hated to miss Opening night. The first chance I had to attend was night three. This year’s theme is “Film Noir in the 1950s.” Each night is a different year, so this is 1953.

The old theater is buzzing tonight. Many are dressed up in the fashion of the Fifties. Especially the women. Matt Hagerty plays Noir standards on the mighty Castro Wurlitzer organ. 

The house lights dim and the disembodied voice of Noir City announcer Bill Arney begins: It’s 1953. The McCarthy hearings are in full swing. “Julius and Ethel Rosenberg have been convicted and executed for COLLABORATING WITH THE RUSSIANS!” This draws a laugh from the crowd. “Let’s hope old Sparky is still working.” The “always well dressed” Czar of Noir, Eddie Muller, takes the stage. 

  This has been a great year for Muller and so it was a great year for Film Noir. His show on Turner Classic Movies: Noir At Night has been popular. The show started in an early Saturday morning time slot. That is a tough time for Film Noir night owls. It’s been moved to a more appropriate Saturday night broadcast time. Maybe the time slot doesn’t matter in this era of streaming and taping. The show is presenting Film Noir to a larger audience.  

Muller says that it’s a sign of the strange and dark times we live in... “The execution of the Rosenbergs draws a laugh!” Muller sends out a round of thanks, including some TCM executives. The Film Noir Foundation continues to restore and save Noir for future generations. 

TCM and Criterion were going to stream Noir and other cinema classics, but when AT&T bought Time Warner executive John Stankey pulled the plug on the ambitious project. Muller says it bodes very ill for the future. There are plans to roll out cinema classics, but it’s going to cost us. Muller thinks corporate distributors like AT&T, Viacom and Netflix will have too much control of content. It’s a subject he’s obviously passionate about.  

Muller warns us that the first film tonight borders on the bizarre. The poster for The City That Never Sleeps brags that it is “Actually filmed in Chicago!” The film’s narrator is the city of Chicago. Chill Wills is the voice of “the city itself.” While running through some of the cast Muller mentions that William Talman, the bad guy in tonight’s film would go on to play Hamilton Berger on the Perry Mason series. “He’s the worst district attorney ever! He never won a case!” There is a mechanical man. “Yes,. This is how strange this film is. There is a Mechanical Man.”

The City That Never Sleeps opens with a panoramic shot of Chicago. We pan across gritty warehouses and abandoned looking factories. I couldn’t spot the Board of Trade building. The city is unrecognizable to me until the camera stops on the Wrigley Building. It’s the Chicago of the Fifties. A very dark and dangerous looking city. There is a shot of the stairs coming down from Michigan Avenue into the sinister underworld below the street. 

Gig Young is a young disenchanted Chicago policeman, Johnny Kelly. He’s followed the family tradition and joined his father, John Kelly Sr. on the Chicago Police force, but now he’s seen so much evil that he just wants to get out of Chicago. Kelly is  married, but he wants to resign from the force and run away with his stripper girl friend. It makes sense. Don’t most Chicago policemen have a beautiful stripper girl friend?

A very strange film. The stripper girl friend performs at a burlesque club with a sleazy looking exterior. Inside it’s a posh nightclub with huge dance numbers. The dancers parade across the stage in Carmen Miranda outfits. 

A “Mechanical Man” poses in the window of the club. A sign challenges those who walk by: “Is it human? Or a machine?” People in the Fifties can’t figure it out! They stop and stare.  

Kelly is not the only one who has been disappointed by life. Bad guy William Talman is a frustrated magician. Kelly’s mistress wanted to be a ballet dancer, but has to settle for starring in burlesque. The Mechanical Man is a former actor who is in love with the cop’s stripper girlfriend. Marie Windsor has a cameo as the ambitious, scheming wife of an attorney criminal mastermind.

Chill Wills is the mysterious “Joe.” Muller says, “He’s like Clarence in It’s a Wonderful Life.” Kelly shows up for a night on the beat. Joe comes out of the shadows to replace Kelly’s mysteriously absent partner. “Sergeant Joe” is full of sage advice for John Kelly. Does he really want to leave the Chicago police force?  

There’s all kinds of sleazy Chicago political stuff, but the police working on the street are heroic. They break up a crooked craps game to protect the marks and deliver a baby. We’re treated to authentic police calls. “This film could not have been made without the cooperation of the Chicago Police Department.”  

  Mechanical Man is the only witness to a murder. He tries to go back to his window like nothing happened. I won’t spoil the rest for you. (It is on Youtube.com.) There is a dramatic chase scene on and under the El trains.

I went upstairs for the intermission. Half the fun is seeing the vendors on the mezzanine. The wonderful people from Green Apple Books. A large collection of posters are for sale, including both of tonight’s films. It’s a Film Noir fan’s dream.  

The new alcohol sponsor is “Altered States.” Film Noir is like the Blues. You have to be a little buzzed to really understand or enjoy them. It also helps with the suspension of disbelief. I don’t have crafted cocktails often, but I did get some kind of cinnamon concoction. The bar tender used some kind of blow torch to light a cinnamon stick in the drink. “I didn’t know a bong was involved.” It was still smoking when I walked away.

There were familiar faces from the San Francisco Film Festival. It’s easy to spot Jason of Jason Goes to the Movies in his top hat. He usually sits in the first row. He says Noir City is his favorite festival.   

There’s a great short on Peggy Cummings the star of the iconic Noir: Gun Crazy. Muller says meeting her changed his life. They traveled together promoting Film Noir. He said that Cummings was friendly to everyone. From Hollywood moguls to cab drivers and doormen, she treated everyone the same. How does she get along with everyone? “I’m Irish!” Cummings recently passed away. The short has been shown on Turner Classic Movies.

Muller is still buzzing from the strangeness of the first film. He says that a line about the Mechanical Man could be his epitaph: “He doesn’t deserve to die like a freak in a window.” 

You’ve got to love the nightclub where Kelly’s girl friend dances. “It’s the kind of place where a Noir City audience wants to go.”

Muller has high praise for the director of the second film tonight. Pickup on South Street. Muller says that not only is he one of the greatest American directors, he’s one of the greatest Americans! Ever!   

“Fuller pushes all of my buttons... He was “the youngest crime reporter ever” at the age of seventeen. He was a reporter, “When that was the thing to do.” Fuller survived two beach landings on D-Day. He landed on the beach and then went back to get some equipment on another landing craft. So he landed on the beach twice. He got some of the first footage of liberated concentration camps. Fuller directed some movie hits, but was known more for being a screenwriter. He became a long time Hollywood mentor. Muller wonders, “What we would have lost,” if a stray bullet had found Fuller on D-Day. 

Pickup on South Street opens with Richard Widmark stealing Jean Peters purse on the subway. It turns out that she’s a spy and he’s stolen a microfilm that the U.S. government and evil foreign spies want. 

The authorities are desperate to get the microfilm back, and when they figure out it was taken by a pickpocket they consult “Moe” who is played by recognizable character actress Thelma Ritter. The “stoolie” knows the modus operandi of all pickpockets. For fifty dollars she will set them on the right track. Not a bad fee for 1953.  

“Did he carry a newspaper? Was it in his right hand or his left hand?” Moe’s questions are exasperating for the detectives. What does it matter? But Moe does figure out exactly who they’re looking for. Thelma Ritter was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for this role. 

Richard Widmark is Skip McCoy. He and the “streetwalker” figure out they’ve found something. It’s real Fifties Cold War meets Noir stuff.     

Noir City isn’t exactly spring training, but it is a sign that winter is ending.

  

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 2018

Time flies. It was hard to believe that it was the weekend of the 2018 Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival. The weather usually cooperates. There have been some years that it was a bit overcast, but usually there’s some kind of HSB magic or karma going on with the weather. This weekend was exceptional. Warm. Clear. Little wind. Almost perfect. The seasons don’t change like back east here, but Golden Gate Park does have its own autumn color.

Friday. October 5.  

Got a ride with Jack Stuber, Tree and Cornbread Willie. The dog, not the band. The band plays venues around the Bay Area. You can check them both out at: https://www.cornbreadwillie.com/  

Friday is the best day. Much more laid back. Not as crowded. We arrived in plenty of time for the first act. The David Bromberg Quintet is at The Banjo Stage.

  First song of the weekend: “The Hold Up.” Stand and deliver! Then a Blues song, “The First Time She Quit Me.” “Here’s a dance song I wrote when Jimmy Carter was president.” “Peanut Man.” An ominous “Dark Hollow.” “I’m going, but I’m not coming back.” 

Bromberg and the band do an acappella Gospel song. “Now that you’re totally confused...” They return to their instruments and play a long song about Riding.   

Bromberg makes an impassioned speech about how the country has changed. “It’s hard to recognize my country.” He’s preaching to the choir here. Bromberg says, “This is a dangerous time.” Get out and vote. 

The Friday Banjo Stage lineup was strong. It could have been the place to hang at all day if you have the patience. Next up were the HSB stalwarts, Dry Branch Fire Squad. “This is the strictly Bluegrass part of the weekend.” I love the band and Ron Thomason’s humor, but maybe I’ve seen them at HSB too many times. Maybe I’ve heard the stories too many times. Thomason is still amusing, and it’s only once a year. “I’m not talking too fast for you, am I?” They’re certainly the real Bluegrass deal. “My Mountain Girl.” “Barbara Ann.”

We wander. Friday is a good day to get the lay of the land at HSB, before the huge crowds of the weekend. Catch a little of The Mastersons at The Bandwagon Stage. This stage has an opened up camper trailer design. There is a large tent nearby that serves as a Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival museum. It shows signed posters from all eighteen festivals and many photos. Some archival footage is shown on TV screens.   

We return to The Banjo Stage for Dave Alvin and Jimmie Dale Gilmore with the Guilty Ones. They open up with the song about hanging out at The Ashgrove: “Downey to Lubbock.” A song by Steve Young (Not the quarterback.) “Silverlake.” 

“Fourth of July.” 

“Here’s a song I wrote for my brother to sing,” “Billy the Kid and Geronimo.” A rocking “Lawdy Miss Clawdy” gets the last laggards in the crowd up on their feet. It’s time for the first Hippie nostalgia of the weekend: “Let’s Get Together.” It’s Dino Valenti’s Summer of Love anthem. “Everybody get together, learn to love one another, right now.”  Golden Gate Park is where much of it happened. Seemed fitting to hear this song here. “Marie Marie.” “Dave Alvin always kicks ass. ”Friday is a shorter schedule. Things wrap up earlier. 

The only event at The Towers of Gold Stage today will be a taping of the NPR  radio show “Live From Here.” This will be a different kind of an event for HSB. The radio show is the shattered remains of Garrison Keillor’s Prairie Home Companion. The new host of the rebranded show is Chris Thile. Thile is an excellent mandolin player. I don’t know if that’s why they chose him to host the show.  

The band plays a song and then there are radio announcements and commercials. Some of the commercials are even real. Members of Hurray for the Riff Raff did a song with Susan Watkins from I’m With Her. (The band had this name before Hilary’s campaign.) We get to see several different bands and the show’s regulars present a skit. It was funny to see them reading from hand held scripts. 

It’s a Bluegrass variety show. There is comedy! Erin Foley is “a Lesbian standup comic.” Gaby Moreno sings La Malaguena. There’s a great cover of the James Brown classic: “It’s a Man’s World.”  

They did an amusing schtick about “Songs of the Eighties.” A K-Tel style announcer tried to sell us on a great offering of “Songs of the Eighties!” done in Bluegrass style. I didn’t expect to hear a version of Devo’s “Whip It” today. There are fractured covers of “Tainted Love” and Blondie’s “One Way or Another.”  

Lindsey Buckingham is the big guest. “We’re so lucky to have him!” The guy who ruined Fleetwood Mac. He did a song about the sunset that matched the quiet mood as the sun started setting.  

A couple of Fleetwood Mac songs. “Never Going Back Again.” They sold a lot of records, but we lost a great British Blues band. His set did have its moments. A big end to the day for Fleetwood Mac fans.   

Saturday. 10/6.

In recent years the mantra has been go early and leave early. I’ll be with a couple of musicians today. Jack Stuber and David Rice from Cornbread Willie. The band, not the dog. That link again: https://www.cornbreadwillie.com/ 

We’re back where we left off last night at The Towers of Gold stage for Glorietta. They’re “a collaboration” that got together after “a lengthy tequila powered jam.” “Loser’s Lament.” “Golden Lonesome” “Hard Way.” “Easy Come Easy Go.”  

I wander to the front and it’s still early so I get pretty close to the stage. “Heat Wave.” “Sinking Ship.” “Singing for Free. Hope it’s not me.”  

Hurray for the Riff Raff was at the neighboring Swan Stage. We had seen them play a bit during the radio broadcast yesterday, so we stayed put for I’m With Her. We’re told again that they had the name before the Hilary campaign. Sarah Watkins, Sarah Jarosz. “See You Around.”

We strolled to The Front Porch Stage. Still early, so the crowds are not that bad. Yet. On the way I got a news text: Kavanaugh was approved for the Supreme Court. God help us! Caught a little of Steve Forbert. Listened to a couple of hard Blues songs. 

It’s a short walk back to the Banjo Stage for Rodney Crowell. We arrive during “Earthbound.” Then there’s a great version of the old Blues song: “Come Back Baby.”

I’m leaning more on setlist.fm for song titles I don’t know: East Houston Blues. Reckless. It Ain’t Over Yet. Forgive Me Annabelle. Dancin’ Circles Round the Sun. (Epictetus Speaks) I Wish It Would Rain. (Not the Temptations song.) Wandering Boy. Leaving Louisiana in the Broad Daylight. 

Sounds like a lot of stage hopping, but it was done at leisurely pace. I’d still rather walk around. It’s early enough that we’re still able to move around, and there are ways to avoid the crowds. I’m not one of the tarp people. Would rather be one of the boat people, even if it means standing in the back.   

Took a look at Don Was and Friends at The Swan Stage. Don Was could attract big guest stars. The stage was way in the distance. The amazing thing about the huge crowd here is that it’s still early. In past years spots like Lindley Meadows would get filled eventually, but it looks full already. The Saturday night crowd keeps pouring in. We took a break near the concession stands. Stuber and David Rice will continue going west to the car. I’ll go back to The Banjo Stage for the Flatlanders.  

If anyone is the voice of HSB, it’s Jimmy Dale Gilmore. He plays at HSB with The Wronglers, Dave Alvin and The Flatlanders. He pops in for cameo appearances at other stages. His familiar twang is heard all over HSB every year. 

They start with “Had My Hopes Up High.” 

Don’t need as much help from setlist.fm on this one, but here it is: Wind’s Dominion (Butch Hancock song) Borderless Love. Julia. Rose From the Mountains. They start a soft version of Dallas. “Have you ever seen Dallas by a DC 109 at Night.” “That’s the way we did it yesterday.” A more rocking version follows. Cold Black Hammer (Joe Ely song) Right Where I Belong. Midnight Train. Sitting on Top of the World. Encore: If You Were a Bluebird. Sowing on the Mountain.

I couldn’t help but notice a guy sitting in a lawn chair, casually taking hits from a small vial. He had a nice little setup. Just doing a little coke at HSB. A rare sight nowadays. 

There’s no more Star Stage. The bands that were scheduled at The Star usually  attracted the Deadhead crowd. Moonalice, Malo, Steve Kimock, Hot Tuna. It drew the Hippie crowd, both old and young. The dream could be relived for a short time, but the crowd at The Star Stage did have an edge. It may have been the rowdiest stage, especially on Saturday night. (With apologies to Robert Earl Keen.) It was in a spot that created pedestrian logjams. Maybe it’s better that there’s no big stage in this corner of HSB. Traffic certainly flows better in this area now. It’s a rare example of HSB getting a little smaller.  

The Blue Angels passed overhead once in a while. It’s still a thrill to see them even from a distance. Our militaristic tax dollar at work. It seemed like they stayed away from the Golden Gate Park area. There weren’t as many strafing runs that drowned out the music.   

The shadows are getting long. People are still coming in. It really is an annual biblical Woodstock. The crush of the crowds was really getting to me. This was Saturday night. Prime time. I hated to miss a chance to see Los Lobos, but I didn’t want to go all the way back to The Towers of Gold. It was time to head home. I exited via The Rooster Stage. There was an equipment changeover going on and I hit it.

Sunday. 10/7. 

I saw the Bluegrass version of Tommy a couple of years ago. Doing a Bluegrass version of the Who’s Rock Opera was a stroke of genius. It was my personal project to get here by 11 am to see it again. “Prairie Prince Presents Tommy” was more rocking this year. It was Baby Boomer nostalgia with a twist. 

The early birds are still a bit groggy when we’re greeted with, “Good morning campers!” They can’t play the whole two record opera. “There are cuts.” Everybody knows the words. The opening medley. “Amazing Journey.” The sinister “Cousin Kevin.” “The Acid Queen.” Great versions of “Pinball Wizard” “Tommy Can You Hear Me?” and a standout “I’m Free.” 

I hadn’t heard some of these songs in a while. I have been neglecting The Who. This certainly brought back memories of seeing them live. It really seems like a long time ago now.

Prairie Prince was his usual driving, pounding self behind the drums. It was a chance for him to channel his inner Keith Moon. What drummer doesn’t want to be Keith Moon, at least for a song? Prairie Prince is the guy that still fuels The Tubes.

Chuck Prophet on guitar. The bass player, Chris von Sneidern, did an amazing job at doing most of the singing.  

The crowd is dancing and singing. It’s a real Sixties love fest. The finale, “See Me, Feel Me” is a nostalgic ritual. Some kind of catharsis was going on. Face it, the Sixties will never end! There were calls for more, but HSB runs on a tight schedule.    

It’s really a matter of chance who I see now, but I do consult the schedule. I’m in a Porch Stage mood. The Porch Stage is the smallest stage and usually has the “up and coming” acts. There may be “bigger” acts on other stages, but the lineup here could support its own festival.

Traffic is herded along JFK Drive. Cyclone fences direct people and golf carts to the west. This is the eastern entrance to HSB. I sit on the small hill and watch a constant stream of people arriving. 

The next act is Aki Kumar. An Indian Blues Harmonica player? I’d see if he was for real. I waited in the back. A group of five Sikhs sat near me. They wore white robes and turbans. One guy had a Cleveland Indians baseball hat on over his turban. It had the controversial Chief Wahoo logo. Would anyone in politically correct San Francisco have the nerve to tell him that indigenous could be offended? And, it was Columbus Day weekend!     

Kumar says America is the greatest, but he still misses India. A band mate suggested he just buy an airline ticket and go there. Kumar goes to a travel agent who immediately says, “You look like a Blues harmonica player.” This means that he knows Kumar can’t afford an air ticket to India. “Back to Bombay.” Kumar dedicates “Orange Buffoon” to our current president. 

I had a hunch and yes, Aki Kumar and his band was for real. Solid Blues sound. The last couple of songs feature a great wailing Blues sitar!

12:30. 

Back to the The Banjo Stage for Peter Rowan. Rowan brought Bluegrass into the Deadhead mainstream with Jerry Garcia in Old and In the Way. He played with Bill Munroe! 

“Riding That Midnight Train” was in progress. “Alabama Bound.” 

Rowan says that there is a “Bluegrass hierarchy.” You had to know someone to get a proper introduction to an icon like Carter Stanley. Monroe introduced Rowan and the result was: “Carter Stanley’s Eyes.”

“Drumbeats on the Watchtower.” “Panama Red” Whatever happened to this strain? Many in the crowd celebrate their memories. Many sang “Midnight Moonlight.” There’s a long Sixties jam. “Let Me Love You One More Time.” A great version of “Dharma Blues.” Another song that just fits in Golden Gate Park.   

The stage hopping sounds a bit crazy, but I do go at my own pace. Sometimes HSB just takes over. I’m drawn to The Rooster Stage by Heavy Metal sounds. Whoever it is, I’m going to at least check them out. It sounds like Deep Purple is playing over there. Aaron Lee Tasian might be the biggest surprise discovery this weekend. Bluegrass is great, but after a while I find myself craving some grinding metal. It is Hardly Strictly. There’s no Buckethead or Cheap Trick scheduled this year. From the HSB bios: Aaron Lee Tasian played in “a late period incarnation of the New York Dolls.” 

“Episode of Tears.” “The Dangerous Kind.” 

After a couple of songs the pace slows a bit. It’s not as Heavy Metal. I want to see some of Moonalice. It’s been a while since I’ve seen these keepers of the flame.  

Lindley Meadows is packed. They’re doing a long psychedelic jam as I approach. Then a long version of “The Times They Are A Changing.” A song that always seems to be relevant. I haven’t heard as many Dylan songs at HSB in recent years. Some years it seemed almost everyone covered a Dylan song during their set. 

It made me wonder again. Why hasn’t Dylan appeared at HSB? HSB has handled huge crowds in the past. Willie Nelson. Dolly Parton. Was he ever asked? It just surprises me that he’s never played here, especially in the early years.  

The beat of “Not Fade Away” starts. Long jam. The crowd loves it and gives them a big ovation. The MC announces that, “The spirit of psychedelic music is alive in Golden Gate Park.” 

Tim O’Brien at The Banjo Stage. “Cold Windy Mountain.” “I’ve Got to Move.” “Where the River Meets the Road.” Real old time Bluegrass. A Dylan song: the mournful Senor (Tales of Yankee Power.) “Three Thin Dimes.” 

“High Flying Bird.” Another gem that goes back to the folk music days. 

A song about an auctioneer! “Down That Lonesome Road.”   

2:45. Over to The Rooster Stage. Can’t resist a curious look: “Nick Lowe’s Quality Rock and Roll Revue with Los Straitjackets.” It’s hard to see them at the back of Marx Meadow. Los Straitjackets are two guys in Mexican style wrestling masks! Sinister and comic. Fifties Greaser Rock and Roll. Great stuff, but my big priority today was Booker T. Jones Stax Revue.

Booker T and the MGs were the headliners at the first “big show” I ever went to. It was a free show in Chicago’s Grant Park. Albert King opened. It was before the infamous Sly and the Family Stone riot. I was coming full circle again. 

“Hang ‘Em High” is the classic by Dominic Frontiere from the classic Western.  “Gee Whiz.” “Born Under A Bad Sign.” “Knock On Wood.” There’s a big band with him. Stax horns. The whole R&B deal.  

Soul medley: “Hold On, I’m Coming” “Hip Monkey” “Midnight Hour” “Mr. Big Stuff” “Soul Man” “Time Is Tight.” The Stax Revue has everything for the Rhythm and Blues fanatic. Finishes with Mavis Staples singing “Respect Yourself.”   

I couldn’t stick it out to see Roky Erickson. It had been quite a weekend. Roky is one of the more obscure shattered cases of the Sixties. He was in the Thirteenth Floor Elevators, one of the bands present at the creation of psychedelia. It’s not the same, but I did watch it online. The Heavy Metal sound was a bit of a surprise. He sat and growled lyrics about Satan, demons, vampires, alligators and Sputnik. A young guy played most of the guitar. Recognized an old 13th Floor Elevator’s song: “Levitation.”

Another Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival. It is an amazing event.    

 

 

   

Europe 2018 Delphi

Tomorrow would be another big tour: Delphi! I wanted to go somewhere close to the hotel. Saw a sign: Roof Garden. It was the place I could see from my room. There was a large screen that showed silent movies. I ordered a glass of wine. The waiter brought it out with a plate of tapas. Olives, bread, cheese. I had just had the lamb, but what the heck. When in Athens... I watched a couple of Charlie Chaplin shorts. In one he was in the trenches of World War I.   

The last tour. One I was really anticipating. The Delphi Full Day Tour. The sky was overcast with threatening clouds. There was a bit of a drizzle while waiting for the bus. The morning traffic was a bit tough and it took the bus a while to get out of the Athens area. It was an interesting look at Greece outside the tourist zone. 

Our guide was Mariana.  A real sweetheart. We would be on the bus for about two and a half hours, with a short break in Livadeia. She gave us a great running commentary on the places we were passing while in the bus, and many fun facts on the geography and history of Greece. We would not be taking the exact route that pilgrims used, but it would be close. She talked about the agriculture of the province of Boeotia as we passed through. She pointed out the road to Thebes where Oedipus had run into his father.  

We got our first look at Mount Parnassus. The top was shrouded in the clouds. We made a pit stop at a modern domed facility that looked designed for tourist rest stops. Levadeia. I had a great Baklava. The clouds still looked threatening. “Of course we can’t guarantee weather conditions at the archaeological site.”

We were headed up into the mountains. The scenery was getting more dramatic.  There was a view of Corinthian Bay and the Ionian Sea in the distance.

Passed through the mountain town of Arachova. It’s a resort town for nearby winter sports on Mount Parnassus. It’s famous for its carpets and wool. 

In Arachova we got into a medieval traffic jam. The streets are small. We were behind what Mariana said was probably a funeral procession. Someone “going to their last residence on earth.” It was a similar situation to the tight spots on Ireland’s roads. Our bus faced another tour bus. There was no confrontation. No yelling, swearing. Each driver backed up so each bus could squeeze past on the narrow street. It did take some cooperation and time. When we started rolling again our driver Socrates got a round of applause.  

Delphi was “the center of the ancient world.” It was the home of the fabled Oracle of Delphi. A mountain pass made it a crucial spot for trade, but it took on even more importance as a spiritual center. This was a sacred place even before the Greeks.

We kept winding up the mountains surrounded by spectacular green scenery. Mariana said that not only the area is protected, the view is protected. There are no power lines or industrial development. Bauxite for aluminum is mined here. It is done totally underground.

We left the bus and entered the site. A stone path went up the hill. Mariana pointed out the ravine formed by “The Phaedriades.” This gap had made the area the center of a crucial trade route. It’s easy to see why the Oracle was here.     

Marinana explained that the pilgrimage was a big investment for the people of ancient times. There was lost time and income. Many had to borrow money to make the trek. Here at the Agora pilgrims could buy “what we would call souvenirs” to thank their sponsors. There were also souvenirs to prove that you had completed the pilgrimage. The walls dividing the shop stalls are still visible. 

Delphi was the center of the universe. It was the “Omphalos,” the navel of the earth. The business model is pretty much the same. The Acropolis, Delphi and other sites draw people from around the world. Now they’re called tourists, but they have to be fed and lodged. An industry grows around it. The tourist dollar rules now. It’s easier to travel, but it’s still a bit of a pilgrimage to get to a place that is as revered as Delphi.   

 

We came to The Polygonal Wall. Mariana said it was one of the first structures excavated at Delphi. It was covered with inscriptions. Hundreds of them. We passed several more “Treasuries.” The Treasury of the Athenians. The Treasury of the Boeotians. The Treasury of the Thebans. Treasure and gifts poured into Delphi from all Greece. The gods had to be thanked or appeased. Some of the Treasuries look pretty good considering how ancient they are. Their facade and columns are still intact. 

Mariana pointed out a rock that was covered in brush and dried roots. It looked unusual, like a large overturned tree stump. I would have noticed it, but would have walked right past it without knowing what it was. It was the Sibyl rock. Legend says this is where the original Oracle answered questions. It’s great to have a tour guide. 

Mariana says that the scientists and archaeologists don’t have all the answers. The room where the Oracle sat has not been found. Excavations continue.

We come to the columns of the Athenian stoa. Plunder from the Persians was offered  to the gods here to thank them for the victory. 

We went up the Sacred Way to the Temple of Apollo. This was the goal of pilgrims for centuries. It was hard to imagine what it must have been like for the fervent pilgrims reaching the end of their journeys. Delphi definitely has an aura of its own. The ruins seem to take on a life of their own.

Mariana talked about the Oracle. She was always selected from the “normal” part of the local population. She wasn’t a priestess. The answers she gave were usually vague. Then it was up to the priests of the temple to interpret what they really meant.  

We had some free time to wander. I went a little farther up the hill. I would have spent more time here, but I did want to make sure I got a look at The Delphi Archaeological Museum. The small museum displays objects of great archaeological importance. Like the Acropolis artifacts have been moved into the museum for their protection and safe keeping. 

Original friezes have been moved indoors. Each room has at least one large, stunning statue. The Kouroi of Delphi. Statue of a Bull. The Sphinx of the Naxians. The facades of the Temple of Apollo. The ancient statues of humans are amazingly lifelike. The last room displays The Bronze Charioteer, on of the most famous and best preserved statues of antiquity.   

Even Delphi fell out of favor. Greece is plagued by earthquakes. Over the centuries Delphi was shaken by them. Other trade routes had been found. Religion changed. It had a rebirth under the Romans. It’s hard to believe, but Delphi was forgotten and buried. There were a few visitors who knew it was the site of the Oracle, including Lord Byron. Some drawings were made of buildings at the site.   

Delphi was “rediscovered” in the early Nineteenth Century. Over the years a village had grown on top of the buried ruins. The village was “relocated” after an earthquake. Excavation started in the 1890s.

Delphi isn’t just another pile of ruins up in the mountains. It’s a part of the spectacular surroundings. Delphi is not only a sacred spot, but the whole area is holy ground. 

We meet the bus outside the museum. We could see other ruins from the bus, including the Tholos. Mariana says that the wind creates waves in the many olive trees on the hillside. The trees have two colors. They are darker on the bottom and lighter on the top half. It’s usually windy and the wind and tree colors create wave effects. It’s part of the view from here. Mariana has the heart of a poet.  

We have lunch at Symposium. Everyone is blown away by Delphi and are very glad they took the tour. Lunch was another great fried chicken. We compared travel notes. “Where are you headed next?” On the way out I see a photo of a much younger Hilary Clinton posing with the owners.  

We stop at Arachova on the way back. We had thirty minutes of “free time.” A shop owner, John, greets everyone getting off the bus. Arachova is famous for rugs and carpets. It’s also famous for the view and the bell tower. 

I heard the shop owner John: “We’ll split the difference!”  

I was walking back to the bus. A large rainbow arced over the mountains and the road back to Athens. One of the largest I’ve ever seen. Really spectacular. Mariana said that, “We didn’t get the rain, but we still got the rainbow!”    

It was a long bus ride home. My epic trip was drawing to a close. I would fly the next day. Back to reality. It seemed like a long time ago that I had left San Francisco. Or Dublin. I had seen a lot. 

I was getting impatient. Wanted to get off the bus. My hotel would be at the last stop. I thought about getting off at Monastiraki, but I stayed on. I would get a look at a part of Athens that I hadn’t seen. We passed through some neighborhoods that looked pretty shaky. 

In one neighborhood there were fruit and vegetable stands set up in front of stores. It was getting dark. Maybe that added to the paranoia. I saw signs for Pakistani businesses. Maybe it wasn’t as dangerous as it looked, but I wondered what would happen if I went strolling through this part of town with my Rick Steves bag in tow. There were stone buildings that looked abandoned with boarded up windows. Some of them had impressive facades,. They had seen better days. Maybe it wasn’t as bad as it looked. There was always the graffiti.  

We were near Syntagma Square and The Parliament Building. The bus stopped. We would not be able to go any further because there was a demonstration. At least I knew where I was. I headed towards the hotel and turned a corner. I had walked right into some riot police. They had their game faces on. They were putting on helmets and adjusting equipment. Most of them had large riot shields and batons. These guys looked serious.  

I went another block and looked down Mitropoleos Street. My hotel was close. There were about a thousand demonstrators marching up the street. Right between me and my hotel. Might as well just watch the demonstration. There was definitely some hostility in the air. They were chanting and some demonstrators carried iron rods that they pounded on things as they marched up the street. They weren’t smashing everything in sight, but the menacing sound created tension. I pulled out my iPhone and started shooting video. I couldn’t see, but it sounded like they were attacking an ATM. There was a crash and then some cheers.

A young guy standing behind me yelled, “You can’t film this!” I put the iPhone down. “It’s for your protection, man. You can’t film this!” I felt foolish and I certainly wasn’t going to argue with him. I realized he was doing me a big favor and thanked him. Efharistoh! 

I was quickly losing my curiosity. It was a good time to go around the block and avoid most of the demonstration. Somehow I wound up on a street that was not Metropoleos. I wandered a bit and entered the now familiar Cathedral Plaza, which wasn’t far from the hotel. The demonstration was long gone. Syntagma Square is where most big demonstrations wind up. That’s where the action was.

Took a short break at the Pan Hotel. I wanted to get a last look at the Acropolis lit up at night. Wasn’t that hungry, but I did have some great fried calamarI. 

Tomorrow I would be flying back.