SF PARKS ALLIANCE, SF REC & PARKS AND NOISE POP ANNOUNCE DUE SOUTH CONCERT SERIES AT JERRY GARCIA AMPHITHEATER IN MCLAREN PARK

New Free Concert Series to Feature Mexican Institute of Sound, Helado Negro, Giraffage, and Astronautica

SAN FRANCISCO, CA (August 15, 2019) ­–­ The San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department, San Francisco Parks Alliance, District 11 Supervisor Ahsha Safai, and Noise Pop are excited to announce the inaugural season of the Due South Concert Series.  Due South is a new series of free concerts made possible by the City of San Francisco, District 11 Supervisor Ahsha Safai, and SF Rec & Parks.

The concerts will be held at the Jerry Garcia Amphitheater in San Francisco’s McLaren Park on Saturday August 24th and Saturday September 7th from 3-6pm each day.  The series will feature a diverse lineup of contemporary talent that reflects the local neighborhoods and populations of the City’s Southern districts neighboring the park.

The kick-off concert will feature the Latin folk-infused electronica of Mexican Institute of Sound and the ambient cosmic pop songsmith Helado Negro.  Mexico City DJ and Producer Camilo Lara is the driving force behind Mexican Institute of Sound, who have built an international reputation and fanbase through an infectious mix of vintage Mexican pop and traditional music with modern loops and beats. Helado Negro is the current moniker of Brooklyn-based Ecuadorian-American producer and songwriter Robert Carlos Lange, whose lyrically personal and political avant pop music explores the expressivity within intense states of being, Latinx identity, and pluralistic sensibilities.

San Francisco-based producer Giraffage and lush electronica artist Astronautica will hit the stage for the second concert of the series. A son of Taiwanese immigrants, Giraffage (Charlie Yin) started posting his self-produced projects online in 2009 and quickly struck a chord with listeners and music blogs alike. Drawing from a wide crop of sonic cues including R&B and ‘70s Japanese techno-pop, Giraffage makes dreamy synth-pop that has seen international stages with Porter Robinson, Phantogram, and Flume. Edrina Martinez, aka Astronautica, channels the eclectic sounds of LA’s experimental scene and its web of global imprints. With elements of indie, EDM, and hip hop, Astronautica and her celestial beats have become a respected staple in the underground electronic community.

“I am honored to help make this community vision a reality,” said Supervisor Ahsha Safai, “It is about time the whole City discovered what a gem the Jerry Garcia Amphitheatre truly is through great music. I look forward to helping usher in a new generation of San Francisco residents who make McLaren Park and the Jerry Garcia Amphitheatre a regular stop for community events and concerts.”

McLaren Park is the City’s second-largest park, located near the southern border of San Francisco. This hidden gem features immense natural areas of scenic meadows, grassland and wetland habitat, and more than 7 miles of trails throughout 312 acres of native plants and wildlife. Established in 1927, the park is named for John McLaren, the ‘grandfather of Golden Gate Park.’

“From Outside Lands, to Stern Grove to Due South – music and parks go hand and hand,” said Phil Ginsburg, General Manager of San Francisco’s Recreation and Park Department.  “We are thrilled to bring great music to McLaren Park.”

Jerry Garcia Amphitheater is a Greek-style outdoor concert theater with outstanding acoustics and facilities. Originally created in 1970 by SF Rec and Parks, it was renamed in 2005 in honor of the Grateful Dead icon, who grew up in the nearby Excelsior neighborhood. The Amphitheater has a capacity of approximately 2,500 attendees, and has hosted many community and music events including the annual Jerry Day concert since 2002.

“Jerry Garcia Amphitheater and McLaren Park are amazing, under-appreciated spaces that deserve to be recognized and experienced by all of San Francisco,” says Noise Pop founder Kevin Arnold. “It’s a privilege to work with the Parks Alliance, Rec & Parks, and the City of SF to bring relevant, contemporary free music programming to this amazing space and the community.”

Expect afternoons full of music, food and drinks, and fun in the sun – all in one of SF’s most beautiful natural settings. Due South will celebrate the unique character and beauty of the park and neighborhood, and help to preserve and sustain other community spaces by donating a portion of the proceeds to the San Francisco Parks Alliance.  Also on hand will be representatives of Friends of the AMP/Jerry Garcia Amphitheatre, who produce regular community music events including this year’s Live from the AMP series. They work closely with a wide group of neighborhood and park advocates, including the McLaren Park Collaborative, Help McLaren Park, Save McLaren Park, FACE, EDIA, Excelsior Collaborative and OMMRA.

“We are excited to build on the success of the surrounding community groups who have championed this park for many years,” says Drew Becher, CEO of the San Francisco Parks Alliance. “We are also thrilled to bring more recognition to the second largest city park in San Francisco.”

RSVP online at dothebay.com/due-south to be entered to win reserved premium seating and special prizes at each concert. Due South VIP Packages including premium seating and a drink from the bar are now available for purchase with Parks Alliance Membership.

Stay tuned for more information on the full series line up and upcoming events soon!

Due South is produced by SF Parks Alliance and Noise Pop Presents in partnership with the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department. Special thanks to the City of San Francisco and our sponsors for their support in making this series possible.

Due South Concert Series Dates:

8/24: Mexican Institute of Sound and Helado Negro

9/7: Giraffage with Astronautica