For more than three decades, Sonoma County’s Harmony Festival has attracted folks from all over the West to the city of Santa Rosa, about an hour north of San Francisco, for an event that brings together a wide variety of musical attractions from different genres in conjunction with various booths, exhibits and workshops dealing with, as their logo states: “Music, Art, Ecology, Healthy Living, Spirituality.” It’s a good-vibes event that draws a great cross-section of people young and old to the Sonoma County Fairgrounds.
For this year’s 33rd annual Harmony Festival — which runs June 10, 11 and 12—such top acts as Primus, the Flaming Lips,Michael Franti & Spearhead, Railroad Earth, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros and Grace Potter & the Nocturnals and many more will appear on five stages over the course of three days and nights. The festival’s Harmony After Dark is a beloved late-night tradition there, too, and this year, in addition to a Saturday Night Techno-Tribal Community Dance, the Harmony Festival is putting on a very special after-hours concert on Friday, June 10, called “A Tribute to the Life of Owsley ‘Bear’ Stanley and the Musical Spirit of Jerry Garcia,” featuring performers Steve Kimock, the David Nelson Band,Jesse McReynolds, members of Railroad Earth and Moonalice. The show will be held in Harmony Hall on the festival grounds.
We’ve been raving for months about Jesse McReynolds and the Nelson Band and their wonderful interpretations of Grateful Dead songs. Well, this concert will give you plenty of those in addition to the magical presence of Steve Kimock and the others (Moonalice is like an all-star band in itself) interpreting Dead tunes and generally getting psychedelic on us for a few hours. Should be a great concert!
In the Harmony Festival tradition, the visual arts grab just as much spotlight as the sonic, and Harmony Hall will overflow with Rock Art by TRPS; live art and installations by Tribe 13 featuring original art by Jerry Garcia, Owsley Stanley, Rick Griffin, Alton Kelley, Stanley Mouse, The Merry Pranksters, Alex Gray, Mati Klarwein, Martina Hoffman, and more; a collection of Original Blotter Art curated by Shady Backflash and Rick McCloud; live painting by Stanley Mouse and Mark Henson; visuals by Jonathan Singer; and ambience and interactive “experientials” by Johnny Dwork and Peak Experience Productions.
Access to this Late Night attraction is included with Harmony Festival Three Day Plus, Whole Festival or VIP ticket, OR a separate Friday Night Ticket ($45 online in advance), which includes all of the other Late Night concerts and after-hours attractions.
For more on the Harmony Festival, including ticket info, go here.