Stern Grove Festival closed its 89th season this afternoon in San Francisco with a truly spiritual and soulful lineup. The Glide Ensemble and the Change Band with guest vocalist Naté the Soulsanger, Bay Area indie R&B vocalist Goapele and the great Al Green rocked the crowd in the meadow and on the hill among the trees in Sigmund Stern Grove.
“It’s Sunday, we’ve brought church to you,” said Bay Area TV personality Liam Mayclem, who jovially hosted the show and called on folks in the 12,000-strong audience to donate, in efforts to keep San Francisco’s longstanding tradition of free concerts going for another nine decades.
“I feel good out here in San Fran,” said headliner Green, who sweetly waved and acknowledged fans at the back of the grove and spent a good deal of energy throwing long-stemmed red roses to fans in front near the stage. Backed by a large band including the iconic important horns, the reverend, at 80, still boasts his signature sultry voice (though he relied too much on audience sing-alongs for this fan’s sake). His too-short set included his classics “Let’s Stay Together,” “Tired of Being Alone,” “I’m Still in Love with You” and “Love and Happiness,” and covers “Take Me to the River” and “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart,” as well as “Amazing Grace” and snippets of Motown hits.
Under typical gray summer skies, the show began with the joyous Glide singers and band, led by music director Zoe Ellis and Glide director Gina Fromer. They invoked the names of Glide Memorial Church founders-activists Cecil Williams and Janice Mirikatani as they belted gospel and pop, including “Higher Ground” and “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” with a great solo by Naté. Their jubilation was infectious.
Goapele, looking gorgeous in shimmery slacks and jacket, said, “We’re here celebrating a legend today. I’m deeply honored to be onstage before him.” She offered a set list with “First Love,” “Milk and Honey,” “Color My Heart,” “Ojai,” Play” and “Killing Me Softly With His Song.” Her excellent backup vocalist Erin Stevenson stood out, as did East Bay rapper Red Lotus who joined her for one song.
Festival Board Chair Matthew Goldman greeted the audience with the message, “Stern Grove is more than a concert, it’s San Francisco at its very best. You are a part of Stern Grove” and thanked the staff and volunteers for their hard work and great effort putting the summer-long concert series together.
At the outset, Executive Director Bob Fiedler, mentioning how today’s average concert ticket price is $150, said, “We’re giving you a $15 million gift for free this summer.”