Bay Area locals missed countless community staples over the last year and change of restrictions and lockdowns, but few were missed as much as the annual Stern Grove summer concert series which was forced into a season on hiatus due to the pandemic. However, 84 years of history proved to be no match for this stumble as Stern Grove returned this year with arguably their most robust lineup to date, featuring August 15th’s showstopper headlined by Fitz & the Tantrums.
As the city of San Francisco remains among the last to fully lift their Covid restrictions, the crowd at Stern Grove felt less dense than usual. Previous years where the audience could be measured in the tens of thousands were reduced to half that, but somehow it felt twice as loud as everyone in attendance seemed to appreciate finally seeing the return of live music in Northern California. Fans flocked to stake their claim on the hill and make up for lost time, bringing their kids, their dogs, and many bottles of wine to the casual yet monumental affair.
Opening act, Grammy-nominated Nashville soul rocker Devon Gilfillian set the tone, walking onstage with his band to the theme from “Mr. Rodgers’ Neighborhood,’ “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” Contrasted in tone but complemented in uplifting spirit with a set of heavy yet soulful hits including “High,” “Troublemaker,” and “Unchained.”
After a brief intermission, the barn doors behind the stage flew as headliner Fitz & the Tantrums took the stage. The crowd got louder and louder as each of the six members of the band took their spots behind their instruments one by one. Opening with their upbeat and bass-heavy hit “OCD” Michael Fitzpatrick and company got the audience jumping out of their seats fast, quickly turning the park into a disco. Fitzpatrick, initially taking the stage with an acoustic Gibson, put his instrument down after the first song and ran all about the stage during their second song “Complicated,” jumping atop the speakers beside the stage to engage with audience members, leaving no one in the crowd feeling left out of the fun. At times the crowd’s voices felt louder than the performers’ with the band putting their microphones down to let the house take over for a few lines at a time during hits like “Out of My League” and “Moneygrabber.”
The audience fell in love with co-vocalist Noelle Scaggs’ harmonies and stage presence, putting her microphone down for only brief moments to pick up her tambourine. Her soulful voice amounted to more than just a series of “ooh”s and “nana”s as she took the lead several times, almost upstaging Fitzgerald on songs like “6AM.” Saxophonist James King also enjoyed some time in the limelight for several long solos throughout the set, specifically drawing a roaring ovation from the crowd and impressed glances from Fitzpatrick himself who leaned in to appreciate King’s musicianship before he transitioned the band into a very funky rendition of “Spark” where he took center stage in between the two vocalists for much of the song.
Fitzpatrick took a moment to remark on the spectacularly San Franciscian weather, telling the crowd “This might be my favorite show ever. It’s 70 (degrees), there’s no sun, and we’re in the forest.” Proving once and for all that in California, it truly never gets too cold to leave the house in more than a tank top. The set was otherwise full of further crowd engagement, dedicating “Fool” to all the mothers in the audience, and briefly discussing the importance of taking care of mental health despite the stigma, a common theme in many of their songs, especially from their newest album “All the Feels.” Eventually, Fitzpatrick spoke to his own personal connection to the city of San Francisco, saying it was “one of the only cities” the band could afford to play in while they were first getting their footing.
In what was a mostly upbeat and danceable show, Fitz & the Tantrums did take a few breaks along the way to serenade the audience with a slower ballad from time to time. The fans got a chance to catch their breath for a moment halfway through the show when the artists showed the tempo down while they played “Don’t Gotta Work It Out” and “Maybe Yes” before they picked the pace up for the rest of their time onstage.
The band’s encore played just as energetically as the rest of their set. Thick black radios hit the pavement as even the staff couldn’t help but dance as vivaciously as the fans along to an encore featuring the band’s newest and oldest hits, comprised of “HandClap” and the titular tune from their newest album “All the Feels” before closing out the set with “The Walker.” There was not a single person who did not have a little extra pep in their step walking out of the park after that show.
The Stern Grove Festival has operated at no cost to it’s attendees since 1938, and continues to stand as a cultural touchstone in San Francisco’s history, funded by donations and modest merchandise sales. “We took a huge risk to hold concerts this summer, knowing that we’d probably do it at a loss.” Said one festival representative at the start of the show. Donations to Stern Grove’s foundation can be made at https://www.sterngrove.org/donate and go toward future shows as well as music education programs throughout the Bay Area.
One Response
I’m so glad you reviewed this. However, Stern Grove isn’t in Golden Gate Park. It’s at 19th and Sloat Blvd.
It was a very exciting day for all of us there to celebrate Judy Tsang, who was program director for 18 pre-pandemic years.