Photo Credit: Lindsay Keare

OneRepublic performed their hit songs at Summerthing in Golden Gate Park.

Radio Alice’s Summerthing, a free concert in San Francisco, took place this past Sunday in Golden Gate Park.

The concert, sponsored by radio station 97.3 featured popular musicians Andrew Allen, Parachute, Michelle Branch, Matt Nathanson, and OneRepublic.

I knew there would be a fair amount of people there, but I was amazed when I came over the hill into Speedway Meadow, and saw the entire valley filled with people lounging on picnic blankets and walking around.

In order to get as close to the stage as possible, my friend and I sat on a tree-covered hill to the side of the stage. Although we had a decent view, all the bugs crawling around made me kind of skittish.

I did not arrive for the beginning of the concert, and consequently missed Andrew Allen and Parachute’s performances. Let’s just say they were good.

Michelle Branch, who I’m sure most of us girls sang to as tweens, played her hits including Are You Happy Now, and All You Wanted. She sounded awesome live, despite the fact that outdoor concerts often don’t have the best acoustics.

Matt Nathanson, most frequently known for his song Come on Get Higher, performed a set that was, quite frankly, confusing to follow. He would start playing one of his songs, then play thirty seconds of a cover, such as Cee Lo Green’s Forget You or Rick Springfield’s Jessie’s Girl and then morph into another song. These weren’t mash-ups. They were snippets. I felt like he hardly played a complete song.

I was most looking forward to the show’s final act, OneRepublic, whom I had seen open for Maroon 5 back in October. They did not disappoint and played all their well-known songs including Stop and Stare, Secrets, Apologize, and Good Life.

Lead singer Ryan Tedder, who was performing on his birthday, said that he was not considering taking the gig until he found out it was in San Francisco. This statement led to a large cheer and a round of Happy Birthday from the 15,000 fans at the concert.

Overall, this excellent day in the park set me back only $4, the price of one of San Francisco’s famous ItsIts.

I’m already looking forward to next year’s Summerthing and you should be too. But make sure to get there early, so that you’re not stuck up in the trees with bugs crawling around you.