Zach Bryan wraps 3rd weekend of music in SF's Golden Gate Park

SAN FRANCISCO - For the third weekend in a row, music is filling San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. 

Friday's concert, featuring Zach Bryan and Kings of Leon, started at about 3 p.m., and is the last in a series of concerts over the last three weeks.

Concert fans lined up outside the park ready to welcome the musicians and performers. 

Life-saving lyrics

Dalton Doran was first in line, getting out at 7:30 a.m. He said Zach Bryan is worth the wait. 

"In my opinion, he brings poetry to life in his music and, yeah, he's got some deep, powerful lyrics that actually saved my life," said Doran.

Fans came from far and wide. "Toronto, Canada," said Sophia Hirschfield and Billie Spilfogel. "It was a long flight. But this morning we took a bus. Woke up at 3 on the bus at 5. Here at 8:30." 

Summer of concerts

For four weeks, with a marathon and three weekends of shows, Richmond and Sunset residents have seen their neighborhoods filled with visitors. 

For some neighbors, the concerts came at a cost. Residents reported noise, traffic congestion, litter, and parking violations.

"It’s been noisy. It’s been busy. We’ve had some issues with people parking in our driveway, had to get them to move. Issues with food thrown on the floor," said Paul Meredith, who lives near the park.

Many residents said they're taking it in stride. 

"I personally don't like this music," said Olga from San Francisco. "But, I like when people are around, smiling, having a vacation. I like it, but not very much. If it's not very often."

Concert promoters said they've worked hard to provide enough bathroom facilities, clean up after concert-goers and even adjust the sound levels to make the shows as unobtrusive as concerts can be.

Phil Ginsburg, the head of San Francisco's Recreation and Parks Department, said that even with 17 years of experience with Outside Lands, they still meet before and after each show to discuss how to make sure the concerts work, and fit into the surrounding area. 

"How we make adjustments, you know what went well, what needed improvement," said Ginsburg "We are very, very, very committed to continuous improvement as we host and administer these shows," Ginsburg said.

Rec and Parks also credited partnerships with city agencies such as SFMTA, SFPD, and the Department of Emergency Management for the series' success. Ginsburg said complaints received through the city’s hotline are being taken seriously.

"Great cities do great things, and sometimes that causes us all some inconvenience," he added. "I live in the neighborhood. There’s traffic, some noise, and congestion. And we do understand that, and mostly we’re thankful to the residents in the Sunset and Richmond who are most closely adjacent to the park, who understand how important this is to San Francisco."

Rec and Parks also credited partnerships with city agencies such as SFMTA, SFPD, and the Department of Emergency Management for the series' success and said complaints received through the city’s hotline are being taken seriously.

Economic impact

The seven shows, including Dead & Company and Outside Lands, brought an estimated half a million people to the park and injected an estimated $150 million into the local economy. $70,000 of that goes directly to the Richmond and Sunset Districts, city officials said. Businesses in the surrounding neighborhoods saw a surge in sales.

"It feels very vibey. I think the city’s definitely rebounding more now than it has in the past couple of years," said Samantha Montgomery of Alameda.

"I think it's exciting to see new businesses opening, new shops," said Alexandra Marquis of San Francisco.

Rampant Bottle and Bar, a recently opened business on Balboa Street, reported that its happy hour sales more than doubled on Friday compared to a typical day.

Simple Pleasures Cafe, one of San Francisco’s oldest coffeehouses, extended its hours to midnight each concert weekend to accommodate the crowds. The business saw a 20% jump in sales.

"Profit margins in cafes are around 10%, so you can just imagine what 20% does for you," said owner Ahmed Riad. "We need it. Business hasn't been that good with all the price increases. You need some events to make people come to the city."

Mayor Daniel Lurie posted on social media, welcoming the shows, and thanking neighbors for putting up with any inconveniences. "I want to thank our neighbors in the Richmond and Sunset. I know it's a lot to ask, but it's worth it. Let's go San Francisco."

The shows aren't over yet. Shaboozey returns to San Francisco's Civic Center Plaza on September 13. Then, on the first weekend of October, the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass music festival takes over Golden Gate Park.