Many signifiers mark the end of summer, but one of the more uplifting ones is the annual Sound Summit music festival which takes place in the beautiful Mountain Theater located way up on Mount Tam.
This year’s concert has a remarkably hip lineup featuring Father John Misty, Guster, Jerry Harrison’s 50 Years of the Talking Heads, La Luz, and Angeline Saris and the Snack Machine. The festival takes place from 11am to 7pm on Saturday, Sept. 12, with doors opening at 10:30am.
Considering the quickly approaching event and the sheer amount of moving parts it must involve, festival executive producer and Sound Summit creator Michael Nash sounded remarkably chill on a recent early morning phone call. “This is my August,” he said, laughing. “The thing is you get used to it, but you never get used to it.” Of course, Nash also agreed he wouldn’t have it any other way.
This year’s Sound Summit marks the 10th official one. Previous lineups included Wilco, Bob Weir & Phil Lesh, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Lord Huron, Sierra Ferrell, Jim James, the War On Drugs, Herbie Hancock, Courtney Barnett, Grace Potter, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, Cake, Kurt Vile & the Violators, Dr. John & the Night Trippers, and Los Lobos, as well as local favorites like the Mother Hips, Vinyl, the Stone Foxes and Wreckless Strangers. The natural question involves just how Nash seems to pull together such stacked lineups.
“I throw the dice into the air and ask the music gods to be favorable,” said Nash, and he may not have been joking. But he still clarified that answer, saying, “some years you go in with certain intentions and an idealized vision, and it absolutely happens and that’s great.”
But he noted that the realities of shooting for the stars might not line up with the Sound Summit date, and that “a lot of times, a band or artist is already booked somewhere else or they’re booked nearby in the Bay Area market and can’t do it due to a radius clause”—which is showbiz speak for a clause wherein an artist can’t play within a certain radius of a show and/or within a certain date range. “It’s not an exact science, but it seems to work out every year,” Nash said.
This year’s headliner, Father John Misty, is no stranger to the Mountain Theater stage, having supported 2021 headliners Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real. Misty headlining Sound Summit this year really speaks to his ascension as an artist, as he also recently headlined a sold-out Greek Theatre show. Known for his somewhat eccentric personality, his laidback music is reminiscent of Harry Nilsson or perhaps Jim Croce. His recent duets with artists like Fiona Apple and Lana Del Rey add even more depth to his ever-evolving songbook.
If the name Guster rings a bell, it’s because they created the catchy song “Satellite” which, while not really a one-hit wonder, managed to earn a gold record after its 2006 release. Yet even before that their unique sound and production gave them hits like “Barrel of a Gun” in 1999 and their only certified No. 1 hit, “Amsterdam,” in 2003. Rather than resting on past hits, Guster continues to record and tour, building up a fan base that’s sure to make the trek up Mt. Tam.
Jerry Harrison’s latest project in a storied career sees him bringing his 50 Years of the Talking Heads to the stage, which is exceedingly cool seeing as David Byrne seems disinterested in getting the band back together any time soon. Rounding out the show is La Luz, an all-female rock band from Seattle which Nash says is the band he thinks he will be able to generate a ton of new fans with. Local upstarts Angeline Saris and the Snack Machine will open the show.
Tickets are on sale now, and please note: Getting to the top of Mount Tam can require some planning. There is limited parking on site, as well as a shuttle. More info at soundsummit.net.
