A new free concert series called Due South is ready to take the stage at the Jerry Garcia Amphitheatre with acts like Helado Negro and Giraffage set to bring their unique styles of pop and electronica to San Francisco’s John McLaren Park.

Due South is an initiative several years in the making, backed by Friends of the Jerry Garcia Amphitheatre, San Francisco Parks Alliance, San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, District 11 Supervisor Ahsha Safai, and Bay Area event producer Noise Pop.

“Free music and cultural entertainment — that’s a big priority for us,” says Noise Pop founder Kevin Arnold, “and I think it’s an increasing priority for the city.”

In Due South’s first year, the Mexico City DJ Camilo Lara — known for mixing traditional music with modern electronica under the name Mexican Institute of Sound — is on the lineup, scheduled to play on Saturday, Aug. 24, with Helado Negro, also known as Robert Carlos Lange, a Joyce Foundation award winner from Brooklyn whose bilingual lyrics focus on the intersection of politics and identity.

The second installment in Due South set for Sept. 7 features Giraffage, the stage name for electronic artist and San Francisco native Charlie Yin, who has toured with artists like Flume and Phantogram. Electronic artist Edrina Martinez from Los Angeles, also known as Astronautica, is also scheduled to perform.

Another priority for Due South — one that started up the whole project in the first place — is to bring more people to the Jerry Garcia Amphitheatre and McLaren Park.

“The first time I saw it, I absolutely fell in love with it,” says Linda Litehiser, a longtime San Francisco resident and a member of the volunteer organization Friends of the Jerry Garcia Amphitheatre. “I was like, ‘How has this been here since the early 1970s, and I never knew about it?’ Nobody ever talked about it. It just feels magical.”

Much of the work Friends of the AMP has been doing in past years involved bringing musical talent to the amphitheater in hopes of making it more of a community gathering space — or at the very least, putting it on the map for San Francisco residents.

McLaren Park is the second-biggest park in San Francisco, but it doesn’t get as much attention as parks such as Golden Gate or Dolores, Litehiser says.

“Its wildness and its remoteness give it a beautiful charm,” Litehiser says. “Same thing with the amphitheater. You can’t see it until you’re right on top of it, and there it is. And it just sticks out like this wonderful little gem that’s hiding in the trees.”

Charlie McCone, the marketing communications manager for the San Francisco Parks Alliance, describes having a “contemporary, family-friendly, diverse lineup of musicians” as a way to invite more people to come see what McLaren has to offer.

“Big picture, our mission is to champion, transform and activate parks and public spaces throughout San Francisco,” McCone says, “… to bring communities together.”

Due South: Helado Negro and Camilo Lara. 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 24; Giraffage and Astronautica. 2 p.m. Sept. 7. Free. Jerry Garcia Amphitheatre, 45 John F. Shelley Drive, S.F. www.noisepop.com

Related articles

Noise Pop’s 20th Street Block Party celebrates community, music and Bay Area

Phono del Sol music festival springs back from break with Noise Pop’s help

Treasure Island Music Festival canceled with no plans to return