Two Hellman family bands—Marco and the Polos and Purple Glaze—will celebrate their debut albums and honor the legacy of their father and grandfather, festival founder Warren Hellman, with performances at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, the beloved free music festival he launched 25 years ago as a gift to San Francisco.
Purple Glaze—a Bay Area acoustic Americana collective led by mother-daughter duo Katie and Tricia Hellman Gibbs—blends classic folk and bluegrass covers with shimmering originals on their debut How I Think About You. Known for luminous harmonies and a shared love of artisan pottery, the group embodies the “hardly strictly” spirit. Purple Glaze features some of the Bay Area’s finest acoustic musicians, including Frank Gibbs (mandolin, guitar), Barbara Higbie (fiddle), Erik Pearson (banjo, guitar), Anne Schrager (accordion, vocals), and Joshua Zucker (bass, vocals).
Marco and the Polos are celebrating the release of their debut album Love Will See You Through, a harmony-rich collection of Americana originals and soulful covers. The Bay Area sibling quartet—Judith, Tricia, Frances, and Mick “Marco” Hellman—is joined by guitarist Stevie Coyle, multi-instrumentalist Barbara Higbie, keyboardist/bandleader Austin de Lone, and bassist Joshua Zucker. The album, dedicated to the memory of de Lone, will be available for the first time at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, where the siblings will perform “O Warren Where Art Thou: The Hellman Siblings Remember Their Parents in Song.”
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Performances
Purple Glaze kicks off Hardly Strictly Bluegrass
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When: Friday, October 3 • 1:00–1:45 p.m.
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Where: Banjo Stage, Golden Gate Park
O Warren Where Art Thou: The Hellman Siblings Remember Their Parents in Song
(w/ members of Marco and the Polos and Purple Glaze)
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When: Sunday, October 5 • 11:40 a.m.–12:25 p.m.
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Where: Horseshoe Hill Stage, Golden Gate Park
All shows are free and open to the public. Festival details at hardlystrictlybluegrass.com.
Both albums are available now on all streaming platforms:
