Last night at a festive announcement party at Local Edition—the old school press-themed bar that displays a copy of the first Bay Guardian ever, from 1966—Matthew Goldman of the Goldman family, who have run the Stern Grove free concert for five generations, extolled the virtues of funk’s infectious momentum. “I was at one of the concerts when I was younger, and started moving to the music, almost involuntarily. Then I looked around and saw everyone else moving, and thought, Wait, we’re suddenly in the middle of a big funk party! How did that happen? I love my job!”
Attendees were then launched into a multimedia presentation of the beloved outdoor weekly summer Sunday afternoon concert series’ 87th lineup, which included plenty of funk in the form of soul divinities Chaka Khan, the Commodores, and Herbie Hancock, along side newer groove practitioners Masego, Franc Moody, and Chicano Batman—plus a wealth of diverse sounds stretching from Tegan and Sara (kicking off Pride Week, no less), country goddess Lucinda Williams, former local boys gone big Poolside, esoteric electronic vibers Sylvan Esso, Gen Z heartthrob Alex G (with Fake Fruit!), and, of course, the SF Symphony in their annual appearance, this time with Broadway baby Jessica Vosk.
In the wake of the announcement we were given a lovely taste of the upcoming fest from Oakland singer-guitarist Satya, who will open for Masego on July 21. She took an enormous risk with her exquisitely intimate acoustic soul sound in a venue full of yappy schmoozers (guilty) with an open bar, but she held the stage like a pro and wowed us. One to watch for sure, and an example of the always adventurous Stern Grove’s commitment to not just pulling out legendary names, but nurturing fresh local talent as well.
Below is the 2024 lineup, all concerts start at 2pm. Advance ticket reservations begin on May 23 via SternGrove.org, with VIP table reservations available now (but not for long!):
2024 Stern Grove Festival Lineup
- June 23 – Tegan and Sara, King Isis
- June 30 – Chicano Batman, Lido Pimienta
- July 7 – SF Symphony with Special Guest Jessica Vosk
- July 14 – The Commodores, The Grease Traps
- July 21 – Masego, Satya
- July 28 – Franc Moody, Drama
- August 4 – Alex G, Fake Fruit
- August 11 – Herbie Hancock, SFJAZZ Collective
- August 18 – Lucinda Williams, Jobi Riccio
- August 24 – Sylvan Esso, Poolside
- August 25 – Chaka Khan
