Stern Grove Festival, the oldest outdoor music festival in California, is excited to announce a special ceremony preceding the final concert of the 86th season to honor the legendary rock band, The Flaming Lips, before their headlining performance on Sunday, August 20.
Celebrating August 20th being declared as “The Flaming Lips Day” by the City of San Francisco the Mayor of San Francisco, Mayor London Breed will present the special proclamation to the band while offering words in recognition of the band’s longstanding contribution to the unique cultural fabric of the San Francisco Bay Area. Along with Mayor Breed will be Festival’s Board Chair Matthew Goldman, Executive Director Bob Fiedler, and Commissioner and Chair of California State Parks Phil Ginsburg.
"We’re very grateful to embrace August 20 as The Flaming Lips Day in San Francisco. We’ve had many shared moments in this city and we feel grateful to be a part of the creative and eclectic fabric of the San Francisco music scene that makes this city so special” said Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips.
The Flaming Lips have deep roots in the Bay Area as the cosmic rock outfit has been championed by local residents for over two decades beginning with initial support from college radio station KUSF, to record stores like Revolver Records and Aquarius, to commercial radio stations like KITS, to local independent promoters like Bill Graham Presents and Noise Pop.
Many of the band’s career milestones have also taken place in San Francisco including, their first concert outside of their home state of Oklahoma, 1985 at I-Beam Club on Haight Street, the iconic performance at Union Square in 1995, a beat-box experiment at Bimbos 365 Club, and headlining festival set at Noise Pop Festival’s 20th anniversary, among many other countless performances.
The Stern Grove Festival team is honored to not only play host to such iconic rock pioneers as they close out the ten-week concert season, but also help bestow this great honor upon the band who has left such an unforgettable mark upon the Festival’s hometown of San Francisco.
"Stern Grove Festival is honored to proclaim August 20 as The Flaming Lips Day in San Francisco, recognizing the band's profound impact on our city's cultural tapestry through their creative expression, psychedelic performances, and indelible influence that has enriched our history and shaped our vibrant artistic landscape." Bob Fiedler, Executive Director of Stern Grove Festival.
With the final concert fast approaching, festival organizers are continuing to release a limited number of free ticket reservations daily via www.sterngrove.org on a first-come, first-served basis. Fans can anticipate free tickets to be distributed in the week leading up to the August 20 concert that will also feature a special DJ set from Alan Palomo aka Neon Indian.
This special summer concert also coincides with The Big Picnic, a fundraising event benefiting Stern Grove Festival and its mission to present free concerts and community outreach programs to the Bay Area. While the final concert will remain free to the public, reserved picnic tables are available for purchase starting at $5,000 for up to ten guests as part of the Festival’s fundraising efforts, with more information available by emailing bigpicnic@sterngrove.org.
For those unable to attend in-person, Stern Grove Festival has partnered with San Francisco’s CBS television stations (KPIX and KBCW) to livestream and broadcast the admission-free weekend concert, set to the backdrop of one of the most beautiful music venues destinations in the country, which is often mentioned alongside the likes of Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado, and The Gorge Amphitheatre in Washington.
Fans can tune-in to the concert beginning at 2:00 p.m. PST via CBS San Francisco's CW affiliate, KBCW, 44 cable12, and KPIX.com which will also be hosted by beloved local media personality Liam Mayclem, who celebrates his tenth season as the festival’s official host. By offering these memorable performances to the public free-of-charge via livestream and broadcast, Stern Grove Festival continues to fulfill its mission to make high-quality, musical performances accessible for all.
Learn more at www.sterngrove.org, while following along on social media including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
