Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 14 presents McCrary Sisters
2014-10-04
Banjo Stage, Hellman Hollow
Golden Gate Park, 50 Overlook Dr, San Francisco, CA 94122
11:00 AM, Saturday, October 4, 2014

Back to the previous event! ☸ Up to the 2014 yearbox! ☸ Up to the 2014 event list! ☸ On to the next event! ☸

[11:m AM announcements; missed first two songs as I was still walking in to the park and settling down]

1. [11:m AM] ? Introduction > We're Going to Take It Higher > Brand New Day
2. [11:m AM] Come On
3. [11:10 AM] I Am Free
4. [11:15 AM] Let it Go
5. [11:21 AM] Train
6. [11:26 AM] ? Fire (in My Bones)
7. [11:31 AM] I'll Take You There
   [set ends 11:45 AM]
   

McCrary Sisters

• Demarco Johnson: keyboards;
• Alfreda McCrary: vox;
• Ann McCrary: vox;
• Deborah McCrary: vox;
• Regina McCrary: vox;
• Anton Nesbitt: bass;
• Derrick Phillip: drums;
• ?Mike Pruit?: guitar;

(alt possibilities) * Bob Britt: guitar; * Rob McNelley: guitar; * Todd Sharp: guitar.

After making the mistake of trying to dodge traffic (utterly unavoidable this weekend!) by staying in SF to eat (another mistake, it's a Friday night baby!), we stay up way too late just decompressing. Whups! The pros would be in bed before midnight, but we barely make it home by then. Consequently, we have a rough time getting started this morning, and while traffic is light and parking is easy, we still miss the start of the show, though we can hear it as we trundle through the park with all our gear. Oh well, that's how these old bones roll some mornings.

We wander in to the sparsely populated field and up to the front to say hello to Dr. Dave, who is shooting pics on his family and friends pass. We scope out the scene while making chit-chat, and Ted waves us over to join him in the prime spot, next to the center rail, about 50' back from the stage. We do our best to arrange ourselves and then settle in for the rest of a scorching set of high octane gospel R&B from the McCrary Sisters.

Hot diggity, these ladies can really belt 'em out. I really enjoy their set, and while I'm kinda bummed that today's festival format means that they'll play no more than 45 minutes, that's just how they schedule these things. It's small consolation to know that the group will be sitting in with Buddy Miller for his extended free-for-all set over at the Rooster stage. I won't be there, but hopefully they'll be streaming video of it online for me to watch later on.

I“m lovin' it as the group closes with an extended, fiery take on the Staple Singers classic hymn, I'll Take You There. Oh yeah! With these ladies leading, I'll be dancing my way across the River Jordan in no time. Hoppefully they'll be back this way soon; I'd love to get a chance to hear them do a full show!

Back to the previous event! ☸ Up to the 2014 yearbox! ☸ Up to the 2014 event list! ☸ On to the next event! ☸