Desert Daze enlists Tame Impala, Iggy Pop and King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard as 2022 headliners to celebrate 10th anniversary

Desert Daze - 2022 lineup

Desert Daze //
Moreno Beach – Lake Perris, CA‎
September 30th-October 2nd, 2022 //

Itching to hit up a music festival this year?

Now that the live music industry has returned to its pre-pandemic ways, there have recently been a slew of festival lineup announcements in California and the latest just happens to be Desert Daze.

After all, on the same day that Ohana Encore announced a return to Doheny State Beach in Dana Point, the always-psychedelic Desert Daze has also revealed plans to celebrate its 10th anniversary at another beach in Southern California not anywhere near the ocean.

The three-day boutique music festival, which has found a home at Moreno Beach inside the 1,800-acre Lake Perris State Recreation Area since 2018, has put together a roster that falls right in line with past lineups as Tame Impala get set to perform their 2012 semifinal LP Lonerism in its entirety. Joining them as headliners will be Iggy Pop and King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, both of which are Daze alumni.

Desert Daze’s undercard in 2022, meanwhile, will be rounded out by Chicano Batman, The Marías, Sky Ferreira, BADBADNOTGOOD, JPEGMAFIA, Mild High Club, Men I Trust, Cortex, Fuzz, Pond, Perfume Genius, Aldous Harding, Sleaford Mods, DakhaBrakha, Boy Pablo, Cymande and more. See the poster above for the rest of the scheduled acts.

Three-day GA and VIP passes to Desert Daze are available to purchase here starting at $299 and $649, respectively, during the fest’s presale before the general public on-sale begins this Thursday, June 16th at 10 a.m. PT. Don’t sleep on picking up tickets for what’s sure to be an exciting weekend in the desert!

Desert Daze 2022 - daily lineups

UPDATE (August 2nd): Desert Daze has unleashed daily lineups for its 10th anniversary with King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard rocking Friday, Tame Impala performing Lonerism on Saturday and the legendary Iggy Pop closing things down Sunday to mark his only North American performance of the year. Single-day tickets are also available now, so grab those here for $139-179 (GA), $299-399 (VIP) and $666-777 (VIP Plus) while you can!

Desert Daze - updated 2022 lineup

Desert Daze 2022 - Friday set times

Desert Daze 2022 - Saturday set times

Desert Daze 2022 - Sunday set times

Desert Daze 2022 - map

UPDATE (September 22nd): With Desert Daze’s 10th anniversary only a week away, the festival has dished out this year’s set times and quite a few lineup changes, beginning with Beach House replacing Iggy Pop as Sunday’s headliner. The legendary singer-songwriter unfortunately won’t be able to perform in 2022 due to unprecedented visa delays involving his French band, but he’s not the only who won’t be making it out to Lake Perris as Boy Pablo and Los Retros have also pulled out. In their place, along with Beach House, will be English post-punk band Shame and an undisclosed secret set that organizers say “may cause havoc.” Don’t forget to take a peek at the entire schedule and map above, and if you haven’t already snagged yours, single-day and weekend tickets are still available here!

Surprise! Coachella offers a big twist while revealing 2022 set times as Arcade Fire joins the party unexpectedly

Coachella 2022

Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival //
Empire Polo Club – Indio, CA
April 15th-17th & April 22nd-24th, 2022 //

Well, Coachellans … if you thought last week’s news that saw Swedish House Mafia and The Weeknd replace Ye (fka Kanye West) as Sunday’s headlining acts was the only change before you head out to the desert, think again.

The three-day, two-weekend music and arts festival has surprised us all in revealing set times for its 21st edition just a little more than 24 hours before it begins — the latest they have ever been released — and casually including Arcade Fire, which was not listed on the official lineup poster, at the Mojave Tent on Friday. If you’re hoping to catch what should be an epic performance from Win Butler, Régine Chassagne and company during “magic hour” and likely hear some new tunes off their upcoming sixth studio album WE that arrives in May, we would recommend getting there early before 6:45 p.m.

And while there are always hard decisions to make at Coachella, it only gets tougher with the Grammy-winning band added into the mix.

Don’t be shy, though … what’s your biggest conflict this year and who are you most excited for?

WEEKEND 1 SET TIMES

Coachella 2022 - Weekend 1 - Friday set times

Coachella 2022 - Weekend 1 - Saturday set times

Coachella 2022 - Weekend 1 - Sunday set times

UPDATE (April 16th): We’re only one day into Weekend 1, and there are already some shake-ups to the schedule starting with Madlib being unable to join Freddie Gibbs at the Gobi Stage due to personal reasons. Gibbs, nevertheless, will still perform solo at his scheduled start time of 9:35 p.m. Meanwhile over at the Sahara Tent a couple hours earlier, Tchami will now begin at 7:03 p.m. instead of 7:15 p.m. You can peep the latest set times for Saturday in the tweet above.

WEEKEND 2 SET TIMES

Coachella 2022 - Weekend 2 - Friday set times

Coachella 2022 - Weekend 2 - Saturday set times

Coachella 2022 - Weekend 2 - Sunday set times

Arcade Fire are most notably missing from the Weekend 2 set times, but that’s not the only change that stands out if you’re comparing them to Weekend 1. Besides some changes to the early-afternoon slots as well as slowthai moving up and The Marías moving back to compete with Grupo Firme for some odd reason, another notable adjustment is Run the Jewels moving to Friday at 8:10 p.m. in the Mojave Tent after taking the Coachella Stage on Sunday at 4:35 p.m. during Weekend 1.

And as we saw last weekend with Shaina Twain, Justin Bieber, Damon Albarn, Snoop Dogg, Post Malone, Diplo, Khalid, Tyga, Saweetie, Metro Boomin and more all making cameos, Coachella has become a breeding ground for live collaborations and special guests so we’ll see if Weekend 2 has more surprises in store for fans after a star-studded return to the polo fields.

MAP

Less than four hours before the gates officially open at the Empire Polo Club, Coachella has finally shared this year’s map and it looks a lot like what we saw in 2019. But one change to the map that sticks out is the relocation of the Yuma Tent, which has moved farther away from the main entrance (though only slightly) and closer to the 12 Peaks VIP section adjacent to the Coachella Stage. Also, there’s only one way to access the Sonora, Gobi and Mojave Tents now as compared to prior years when guests could walk directly from the Sahara Tent to any of them, and while that might create for less foot traffic in the area near The Do LaB Stage, it will be a longer walk than before.

Coachella has long been considered to be one of the world’s best-run music festivals (and rightfully so), yet with Goldenvoice running behind schedule this week on the release of set times and other pertinent information, we’ll see how smoothly things go after a three-year hiatus for the concert promoter.

Coachella 2022 - map

So whether you’ll be in Indio or watching the YouTube livestream on your couch, let’s hope there aren’t any other artists or bands canceling at the last minute.

Happy Coachella!

Goldenvoice brings back Coachella sideshows for 2022

Goldenvoice Presents: April 2022

It’s Valentine’s Day once again, and Goldenvoice is honoring its long-running tradition now of unveiling Coachella’s sideshows in and around the greater Los Angeles area.

With the three-day, two-weekend music festival returning to the desert this April for the first time after a three-year layoff due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the concert promoter has lined up a slew of gigs over a stretch of more than two weeks. And although most of the venues hosting will be the same as before outside of the newly added Sound Nightclub, two in Pomona — the Fox Theater and The Glass House — will be the home for a good chunk of them starting April 12th with King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard.

The festivities, meanwhile, will officially kick off a few days earlier on April 9th when Rina Sawayama performs at The Fonda Theatre. In addition to the Japanese-born singer-songwriter, the following acts will also take the stage inside and outside of LA County:

Epik High, Chicano Batman, Denzel Curry, Pabllo Vittar, Role Model, 100 gecs, Molchat Doma, Honey Dijon, Arooj Aftab, BADBADNOTGOOD (with Freddie Gibbs and Madlib aka MadGibbs), Beach Bunny, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, Masego, MEUTE, Wallows (with The Regrettes), Amber Mark, beabadoobee, Chelsea Cutler, L’Impératrice (with Inner Wave), Purple Disco Machine, Still Woozy, Code Orange, Crumb, Damian Lazarus, Måneskin, Mika, Spiritualized, Viagra Boys, Ed Maverick, girl in red (with Holly Humberstone), Hot Chip (with Ela Minus), Koffee (with Mariah the Scientist), Michael Bibi, Nathy Peluso, Nilüfer Yanya and Altın Gün, PUP (with Skegss), The Marías, Dixon, Yard Act, Fred again.. and Omar Apollo. See the full list of sideshows in the poster above.

Unlike in previous years, no TBA dates are listed this time or a special showcase like there was back in 2017 at the Palm Springs Air Museum the night before Coachella’s first weekend.

Since 2012, Goldenvoice CEO Paul Tollett and company have made a point of monetizing off Coachella more and more by adding these sideshows to its portfolio and despite the number of them falling to 34 in 2019 after scheduling as many as 53 in 2018 and 62 in 2017, this year’s slate has climbed to 44 in total even with an average of 160,000 new coronavirus cases being recorded in the U.S. each day. But while Goldenvoice may have finally found a “sweet spot” when it comes to how many sideshows to book each spring, it has always showcased an eclectic array of genres and 2022 will be no different with a Brazilian drag queen (Pabllo Vittar) and a self-described “techno marching band” (MEUTE) on the bill.

Other highlights worth sharing include LA four-piece Chicano Batman at the Fox Theater Pomona, two nights of Canadian instrumental trio BADBADNOTGOOD with Freddie Gibbs and Madlib at The Novo in downtown LA, 28-year-old R&B singer-songwriter Amber Mark at the El Rey Theatre and London-based producer Fred again.. at The Fonda Theatre.

Tickets for the sideshows go on sale here this Friday, February 18th at Noon PT with the rest of them available on Friday, February 25th at Noon PT or Friday, March 4th at Noon PT.

Goldenvoice

Coachella unleashes a new group of headliners after three-year hiatus as Harry Styles, Billie Eilish & Ye spearhead 2022 lineup

Coachella - 2022 lineup

Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival //
Empire Polo Club – Indio, CA
April 15th-17th & April 22nd-24th, 2022 //

The wait is officially over.

Just a year after celebrating its 20th anniversary with Childish Gambino, Tame Impala and Ariana Grande at the top of the poster, Coachella was primed to make another splash in 2020 with Rage Against the Machine headlining for the third time in the legendary band’s career and Travis Scott scheduled to make his headlining debut on the polo fields as well as Frank Ocean.

But the three-day, two-weekend event became one of the first large-scale music festivals in the U.S. — along with South by Southwest and Ultra Music Festival — that was forced to postpone its plans when the COVID-19 pandemic took the world by storm almost two years ago. Goldenvoice worked to quickly reschedule Coachella for October, though with coronavirus cases and deaths spiking out of control all over the country, another delay came in June, signaling the unfortunate reality that there would be no festival in the calendar year for the first time since 2000.

With the state of the pandemic in flux and the U.S. still operating without a vaccination program in place by early January last year, Coachella in 2021 quickly became a fantasy. Fast forward another year, and the famed California fest is finally ready to give it another go in April.

However, none of the previously announced 2020 headliners are still booked for its 21st edition in less than three months. Rage Against the Machine, for starters, dropped out despite the Los Angeles Times reporting last summer in an exclusive interview with Goldenvoice CEO Paul Tollett that the band would still headline and Scott was also pulled following his disastrous Astroworld Festival — or as some might like to call it, Disastroworld — performance back in November while Ocean is now expected to perform in 2023, according to the aforementioned LA Times report.

Instead, Harry Styles, Billie Eilish and Ye (fka Kanye West) will spearhead the 2022 lineup after reports circled last week about Eilish and Ye being in talks to headline and another surfaced only hours before the roster was unveiled regarding a commitment from Styles.

Swedish House Mafia, in the meantime, will return to Coachella for the first time in a decade since the electronic supergroup’s closing set on the main stage in 2012, although their appearance is not all that surprising thanks to this tweet back in October. Which day they’ll perform, however, is anyone’s guess right now.

Coachella has had a penchant for booking more international acts — from BLACKPINK to Bad Bunny — in recent years, and 2022 will be no different with Grupo Firme, Anitta, Joji and Karol G on the bill. But this year’s undercard showcases plenty of other talent too, including Lil Baby, Flume, Doja Cat, Daniel Caesar, Megan Thee Stallion, Phoebe Bridgers, Disclosure, Jamie xx, Big Sean, 21 Savage, Run the Jewels, Danny Elfman, Maggie Rogers, Louis the Child, Stromae, Ari Lennox, Baby Keem, GIVĒON, Banda MS, Still Woozy, BROCKHAMPTON, Fatboy Slim, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, Rich Brian, Måneskin and more.

Tickets for Weekend 1 are already sold out, but there is a wait list that you can jump on here while three-day GA and VIP passes for Weekend 2 will go on sale here during a presale this Friday, January 14th at 10 a.m. PT.

UPDATE (April 6th): With less than two weeks to go, Coachella has revealed some changes to its 2022 lineup after reports surfaced earlier this week indicating that Ye (aka Kanye West) would not perform this year. Ye won a pair of Grammys a few days ago at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards and was scheduled to headline the festival on Sunday over both weekends but will be replaced by the previously announced Swedish House Mafia, who had yet to be assigned a specific day on the initial poster that came out back in January, and newly added The Weeknd — after his last appearance in 2018 — as co-headliners who will perform together as a new collaboration and something that neither Coachella nor many other music festivals have done before at the very top of the poster. That, of course, is the beauty of Coachella after all as Goldenvoice always finds a way to keep the programming fresh with new and exciting surprises.

Headed out to the desert this spring? Look back at our coverage of Coachella over the years here.

Coachella

Coachella locks down Rage Against the Machine, Travis Scott & Frank Ocean to headline in 2020

Coachella - 2020 lineup

Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival //
Empire Polo Club – Indio, CA
April 10th-12th & April 17th-19th, 2020 //

Well, if your New Year’s resolution was to see Rage Against the Machine perform at Coachella, it’s time to start packing your bags.

After the legendary rock band posted to Instagram on Halloween that it would be performing in Indio this April and multiple reports surfaced over the last few weeks confirming the news, the California festival made the announcement official with the release of its 2020 lineup.

It marks the third time that RATM have been booked to headline Coachella, with the previous instance dating back to 2007 when Zack de la Rocha (vocals), Tim Commerford (bass, vocals), Tom Morello (guitar) and Brad Wilk (drums) reunited following the group’s unforeseen break-up seven years prior.

Joining Rage at the top of the fest’s famed poster will be Grammy-nominated rapper Travis Scott and enigmatic crooner Frank Ocean, both of whom will be headlining the three-day, two-weekend event for the first time (though they each have played Coachella before).

And in what was nearly an unprecedented move by organizers, 2016 headliner Calvin Harris has retreated to second-line status. It’s just the second time that’s occurred in Coachella’s 21-year history, with the only other artist being Beck when he headlined its inaugural edition in 1999. But the rest of the undercard boasts some highlights like Flume, Lana Del Rey, Run the Jewels (with a de la Rocha cameo as we once witnessed likely), Thom Yorke, Disclosure, Rex Orange County, Daniel Caesar, FKA twigs, Danny Elfman, Louis the Child, BROCKHAMPTON, Fatboy Slim, Caribou, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, Charli XCX, Jai Wolf, Madeon, Yaeji, Chicano Batman, Hot Chip, Mura Masa, Duck Sauce, GRiZ, DJ Koze, Carly Rae Jepsen, Peggy Gou, Duke Dumont, Floating Points, J.I.D, IDLES, BADBADNOTGOOD, Daphni, Weyes Blood, Steve Lacy, (Sandy) Alex G, slowthai, Big Wild, TOKIMONSTA, Noname, Friendly Fires, Altın Gün, Crumb, Cashmere Cat, Sampha the Great and girl in red.

Like in more recent years, many of the acts on the bill lean in the hip-hop, R&B and electronic direction while rock continues to get phased out. Nevertheless, it’s worth mentioning that two of Dan Snaith’s projects are listed in Caribou and Daphni, the latter of which will assuredly be a DJ set in the Yuma Tent.

Coachella’s first weekend is scheduled for April 10th-12th, with its second weekend slated for April 17th-19th. With Weekend 1 passes already sold out, tickets for Weekend 2 will go on sale this Monday, January 6th at 12 p.m. PT here.

UPDATE (March 10th): Due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, Coachella 2020 has been rescheduled for October 9th-11th and October 16th-18th. All passes purchased for the festival’s previous dates in April will be honored in October, with refunds available to those who are unable to attend. Coachella becomes the latest major event to be affected after South by Southwest and Ultra Music Festival were both canceled last week.

UPDATE (June 11th): As coronavirus cases continue to spike in certain parts of the U.S., the sad and unfortunate likelihood of Coachella not occurring in 2020 has now become a reality. Goldenvoice instead has marked some 2021 dates down on the calendar — Weekend 1 will be April 9-11 and Weekend 2 follows April 16-18 with all 2020 passes purchased being honored — though sadly there’s always the possibility that Coachella could be postponed until October again as we near the New Year, when the festival usually reveals its annual lineup.

Ready to take the desert by storm? Look back at our coverage of Coachella over the years here.

Outside Lands 2018: A return to form in Year 11

Outside Lands 2018Photos by Norm de Veyra // Written by Kevin Quandt //

Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival //
Golden Gate Park – San Francisco
August 10th-12th, 2018 //

As another summer festival season winds down, we look back at the 2018 edition of Outside Lands with highlights, thoughts, musings and enough images to make you nostalgic for the Bay Area’s banner music festival. With the Superfly, Another Planet Entertainment and Starr Hill event celebrating its 11th edition, this incarnation of the annual Golden Gate Park soirée saw more of a return to form over the past year while also experiencing a notable shift in the sound that could be heard emanating through the eucalyptus and other flora.

While cancellations left a slightly sour taste in the mouths of last year’s attendees, this year only saw limited lineup hiccups. However, the bigger story at hand surrounds the changing tides of popular music. Sure, you’ve heard folks state “rock is dead,” but is a once-amusing quip starting to take greater shape as the youth clamor for a different sound and aesthetic? Though it was pretty evident on the 2018 lineup poster when it dropped in April, this query started to take greater shape once you were on the grounds and bouncing between sets. So, let’s jump straight into this now.

Outside Lands 2018 - Billie Eilish


Billie Eilish

Friday

Day 1 at Outside Lands tends to be a slow trickle of fans entering the park as some are able to play hooky, bounce from the office early or only show up for the headliners. Sure, some folks had to deal with longer-than-expected box office lines and others even had to bear the fest’s new bag policies, but luckily those in attendance were blessed with some clear skies instead of the usual August dread of the Outer Lands.

While Billie Eilish was relishing in her rising appeal on the Lands End stage, covering Drake and running through the majority of her singles, Rex Orange County was trying his hand at something a bit new and terrifying. The UK wunderkind was forced to play his first-ever solo festival set as his band and their gear ran into transit issues on the way to SF from the Pacific Northwest. The young crooner seemed a bit nervous about this predicament but competently knocked out a solid, eight-song performance that included “Sunflower” and closer “Loving Is Easy”.

N.E.R.D., meanwhile, played their first SF show in many years to a raucous crowd, opening with “Anti Matter” as a hyped Pharrell Williams feverishly worked every corner of the huge Lands End stage. The set featured a massive medley of tracks by The Neptunes, a cover of “Seven Nation Army” and a double dose of “Lemon” to send us on our way to the next set.

Simultaneously, Carly Rae Jepsen was apparently throwing down one of Outside Lands’ most enjoyable performances in front of a rather large crowd. While the pop sensation pleased the masses with a rendition of her breakout hit “Call Me Maybe”, she also performed more recent songs like “Emotion”.

ODESZA obviously drew a large crowd for their main stage afternoon showcase, putting the spotlight on the changing tides and tastes of the youth music market. That kind of youthful angst and energy seemed to be danced out to ODESZA, DJ Snake and Big Gigantic compared to the pits of rock bands from the 2000’s, be it Queens of the Stone Age, System of a Down or Deftones.

With the under-25 crowd predominantly stationed at Lands End, you could say there was a more intimate feeling at Twin Peaks for Father John Misty. Touting his expanded band that featured a string section and dialing back his quirky stage banter, Josh Tillman’s latest tour has been pretty much about presenting his music as faithfully as he can. “Nancy From Now On” opened his career-spanning performance as the shadows began to drape the park.

While FJM’s attendance was noticeably a bit small for a rock act, the king of “jizz jazz,” aka Mac DeMarco, was able to attract a rowdy crowd for his closing set on the Sutro stage. When the synth sections of “On the Level” opened DeMarco’s set, a certain air of relaxation swept the crowd as various smokeables were consumed in honor of indie-slacker royalty onstage.

Abel Tesfaye, popularly known as The Weeknd, enjoyed a sort of victory lap as he headlined the festival’s first day with an onslaught of hits such as “Starboy”, “Can’t Feel My Face” and “The Hills”, along with a few select covers of Future, Belly, Drake and Ty Dolla $ign. Though Tesfaye’s current large-scale show is nothing new to the live music circuit, he still threw one helluva party before sending the masses into the wilds of the City.

Outside Lands 2018 - Florence + the Machine


Florence + the Machine

Saturday

It has been a couple of years since Outside Lands was fortunate enough to have a truly clear, sunny Saturday — and not just for a few hours, but the whole damn day. Plus, it was topped off with another insanely gorgeous sunset, but let’s not jump the gun here.

As the day got underway, New York indie artist Amen Dunes performed an extremely tight set, showcasing his wavy take on psychedelic rock/folk. Led by Damon McMahon, the trio played heavy off its most recent release Freedom while also not completely ignoring its back catalog. Moreover, McMahon’s stage presence was infectious and somewhat akin to R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe, as his slender build moved to the emotive nature of his craft.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Lizzo was bringing down the early-afternoon house as she decimated the Lands End stage. “Fitness” opened her 10-song set as her pair of dancers, as well as Lizzo herself, left everything on the stage for the sizable crowd that was yearning for her energy, and some even yearned for a shot of tequila from her bottle of Patrón as she entered the photo pit for an up-close appearance during closing song “Good as Hell”.

When the Lizzo crowd dispersed, Broken Social Scene fans got prime real estate to catch the Canadian indie-rock demigods perform a blistering set of guitar-heavy tunes like opener “KC Accidental” and closer “Anthems for a Seventeen Year-Old Girl”. Even in such a large setting, the massive band was able to cook up a sense of intimacy and really engage.

While OSL this year leaned more toward R&B, electronic pop and other hip genres, UK jazz purveyors GoGo Penguin delivered a stunning set of avant-garde-leaning jazz. This punchy trio showed their chops over tracks like “One Percent” and set closer “Window” and could easily be compared to The Bad Plus. GoGo were a perfect palate cleanser before heading to more current stylings from either SOB X RBE or CHVRCHES.

Local legend Tycho performed to an enthusiastic crowd while Scott Hansen stated this would be the last incarnation of this phase for the group (we look forward to the next chapter). Back over at Lands End, Bon Iver delivered a prototypically powerful set as the sunlight dwindled, simultaneously providing a seriously stunning sunset.

As the limited amount of darkness fell over the park, one-third of The xx was preparing to hold court as the Sutro crowd swelled, moving their dancing feet to the new-school dance pioneer known as Jamie xx (born James Smith). Even as Jamie xx eased into his intro (The Animals’ “San Francisco Nights”) and more fans pushed in, it was rather evident that the Sutro’s sound system wasn’t able to fully reach the volume many were looking for. But an Above & Beyond nod (“Sun in Your Eyes”) eventually led straight into Smith’s mix of “On Hold” and all was right in the world, if only for about eight minutes.

There was a bit of controversy surrounding Saturday’s main slot as Florence + the Machine officially made the move to full-blown festival headliner. Some festivalgoers had their own doubts after FYF Fest 2018 was canceled with a near-identical top billing, but Florence and her bandmates proved, many times over, that she is more than capable of commanding any stage as her energy is unlike many others. She debuted a brand-new show, which featured “June” in the opening slot and was book-ended by “Big God” and “Shake It Out” for a two-song encore.

Outside Lands 2018 - Janelle Monáe


Janelle Monáe

Sunday

On the final day, the weather was back on track; by that, I mean it was cold, blustery and generally moist. Most were thankful for the two previous days as opposed to three days of “Karl the Fog,” as has been tradition for a good 3-4 years now.

The early afternoon of Sunday bore witness to some very lively performances from up-and-comers like Rainbow Kitten Surprise and Hobo Johnson & the Lovemakers, both of who are primed to make moves in the festival circuit over the next year if they play their cards right.

Continuing with the trend of electro-leaning acts playing to some big crowds, BØRNS fully commanded a youthful contingent with hits such as “10,000 Emerald Pools” and set closer “Electric Love”.

The incomparable Janelle Monáe was a tad late to take the stage, as she was fighting off a stomach bug, but when she did, she captivated the masses with a suite of tracks from her most recent release Dirty Computer and tossed in a fair amount of costume changes over a nearly hour-long set. Monáe proved that she’s easily one of the best in the business at the moment and will only continue to climb upwards.

Over at the Twin Peaks stage, The Internet was trying to hash out some sort of technical difficulties before beginning their abbreviated performance, which seemed to be a little lopsided and uneven as they did their best to deal with the 30 minutes that they had left. Fortunately, “Girl” got the majority who stuck around swaying to Syd’s sultry vocals and generally chilled demeanor.

Portugal. The Man held a fleeting rock slot on the main stage, putting their quirky brand of psych-leaning pop rock on display. Moreover, they tossed in some oddly placed Pink Floyd and Beatles covers before closing with their breakthrough hit “Feel It Still”.

Aussie newcomer Tash Sultana, meanwhile, was putting on a masterclass in instrumentation and looping. Sultana has really had one of the biggest breakout years in independent music, and it was clearly evident as she had a carefree stage presence backed by some truly unique, solo-delivered music ripe with psychedelic and world elements. The 23-year-old is certainly a name to watch over the next year and beyond.

As the last set of OSL artists got ready to play, James Blake brought us to church for this year’s final performance on the Sutro stage, failing to disappoint while the fog grew slightly thicker in Lindley Meadow. Highlights from Blake’s dreamy set were easily his take on Untold’s track “Stop What You’re Doing” and a semi-rare rendition of “Modern Soul”.

Some say Janet Jackson couldn’t pull in big crowds amid the current shifting landscape of large-scale music festivals, and although she didn’t pull in record-breaking numbers on a rugged SF night, it was clearly evident that those fans who stayed to watch her were all-in. Jackson’s career-spanning show touched on more than 35 songs and was accompanied by some fierce choreography and production elements. Sure, she wasn’t singing much of the time, but that didn’t stop a wide range of fans from showering Jackson with affection. Her closing performance was highlighted by “That’s the Way Love Goes” and later on, the MJ collaboration “Scream” that transitioned into “Rhythm Nation”.

As the music festival industry continues to deal with a shifting crowd and demand, Outside Lands regained its stride after a few hiccups in 2017. And while this year’s lineup might not have appealed to the core demographic from its incarnation, the event still offers something for everyone.

Outside Lands 2018: Don’t miss these performances

Outside LandsPhoto by Marc Fong // Written by Kevin Quandt //

Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival //
Golden Gate Park – San Francisco
August 10th-12th, 2018 //

Well, another year of Outside Lands descends upon our foggy metropolis once again, packing a varied, even genre-shifting bill of up-and-coming acts across three days and a multitude of stages. And as the music festival celebrates its 11th year in Golden Gate Park, Another Planet Entertainment and Superfly continue to stack on new and exciting elements. Some changes that attendees should be in store for include a slightly updated location for the Gastromagic stage and the addition of a cannabis-centric installation, appropriately named Grass Lands. In the meanwhile, let’s dig into what this event is all about … the music.

Also, don’t forget to create your own schedule here.


Outside Lands 2018 - Carly Rae Jepsen

This is ladies’ night … oh, what a night

Artist: Carly Rae Jepsen
Set date/time: Friday, 5:15-6:05 p.m.
Location: Twin Peaks

The “Call Me Maybe” star has shifted her sound over the past few years, and while she has traded in some of her pop sentiment for something more akin to indie dance, she has held steadfast to her popularity. Her Outside Lands Night Show at The Independent sold out in record time, but those shut out will still be able to see her on Day 1. While we haven’t seen much new music from CRJ, clamoring fans can hope to hear a new track or two.

Artist: Florence + the Machine
Set date/time: Saturday, 8:25-9:55 p.m.
Location: Lands End

It has been a long three years for Florence Welch fans as they patiently awaited the follow-up to 2015’s How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful. Alas, the indie-rock queen has returned, making the jump to festival headliner with her beauty-meets-power stage presence. While Florence + the Machine might not seem like top-billing material, her live show will definitely command your attention. Plus, this set will also be a tad more special now with the cancellation of FYF, making this her first U.S. performance since the release of her fourth LP High as Hope as well as the debut of her brand-new stage setup.

Artist: Tash Sultana
Set date/time: Sunday, 6:15-7:05 p.m.
Location: Sutro

While the two aforementioned female artists have become household names over the last half decade, it’s 23-year-old Tash Sultana who is poised to make the larger splash at Outside Lands in 2018. This Australian export has been turning heads in big ways for the past year or so and is on the cusp of stardom. While Sultana’s true calling is the guitar, this multi-instrumentalist weaves psych-leaning rock with reggae flare through a multitude of loops. Her artistry is hard to deny and will easily pull you in on Day 3.


Outside Lands 2018 - Florence + the Machine

For the indie heads

Artist: Father John Misty
Set date/time: Friday, 6:50-7:50 p.m.
Location: Twin Peaks

The return of Josh Tillman to Golden Gate Park took a solid six years to come to fruition, and boy how things have changed since those early Fear Fun days. Long gone are the days of LSD-slogan shirts and kitschy, from-the-pulpit rants, which he has traded in for a slick new, no-BS style that’s truly refreshing. The release of his fourth studio album God’s Favorite Customer in June, with its string flourishes and lush organ arrangements, has given fans a multifaceted LP to dig into as Tillman still strives to provide lyrics that are part reflection, part meta. Expect at Outside Lands a largely expanded live band, coupled with less witty banter.

Artist: Jamie xx
Set date/time: Saturday, 7:35-8:50 p.m.
Location: Sutro

Even though some might claim that this year’s Outside Lands lineup looks a tad homogenized on paper, there are luckily a few rare treats that make a fest vet perk up, and in 2018, Jamie xx (born James Smith) holds that title. Other banner dance names such as DJ Snake and ODESZA may pull larger crowds, but the purists will surely congregate for one-third of The xx as Smith lays down far-out selections as well as tracks from his 2015 banner release In Colour. Jamie xx live sets have become increasingly rare nowadays, so this performance will likely serve as the best jumping off point for your Day 2 closer, whether you go with Future or Florence.

Artist: James Blake
Set date/time: Sunday, 7:35-8:45 p.m.
Location: Sutro

SF was treated to a handful of James Blake shows in December at the Herbst Theatre, but we’ll certainly take another appearance from this UK dubstepper-gone-crooner. Some new material has trickled out over the last year with his next record on the horizon … somewhere. However, the main reason we included him in this list has more to do with location, time and vibe. With the Sutro stage hosting a more electronic lineup in 2018 (i.e. Jamie xx, Big Gigantic and Tycho) than in years past, the thought and likelihood of a thick fog rolling through GGP’s eucalyptus grove as the final light dwindles gives us those sought-after music chills. If he plays “Modern Soul” though, we’ll have to upgrade that status to full-blown goose pimples.


Outside Lands 2018 - James Blake

Rising to the top

Artist: Cuco
Set date/time: Saturday, 2:20-3:05 p.m.
Location: Sutro

This LA native has recently captured the attention of music lovers both young and old with his blend of jizz jazz, downtempo beats and multilingual singles. Fans of Mac DeMarco and The Internet should plan to be in attendance for this one as Omar Banos’ lo-fi song crafting will unequivocally get you swaying on a Saturday afternoon at Outside Lands. Moreover, his super-fresh collaborative track titled “Drown” that he dropped with fellow heatseeker Clairo should soon send his stock flying through the roof.

Artist: Hobo Johnson & the Lovemakers
Set date/time: Sunday, 1:10-1:55 p.m.
Location: Sutro

Frank Lopes, aka Hobo Johnson, arrived in 2018 out of nowhere due to the popularity of his breakout single “Peach Scone” along with its viral music video for NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest. This quirky collective whips up a musical style that’s unlike any other and what some might label as spoken word and/or alternative hip-hop. Sure, there’s a layer of novelty to Johnson’s select tracks, but he’s simply lovable and so easy to root for, much like his contemporary Rex Orange County.

Outside Lands - 2018 lineup

Outside Lands releases its 2018 schedule

Outside Lands - 2018 schedule

Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival //
Golden Gate Park – San Francisco
August 10th-12th, 2018 //

With Outside Lands just a little more than two weeks away, the three-day music festival has revealed what many fans have been waiting for since this year’s lineup dropped: set times!

Check out the fest’s schedule for its 11th edition here and start making your plans for which artists you’ll be seeing at Golden Gate Park this August.

As usual, there are enough scheduling conflicts to sort through in 2018. Friday’s action will see festivalgoers choosing between Rex Orange County/Perfume Genius, N.E.R.D./Chicano Batman/Carly Rae Jepsen, ODESZA/The Growlers/Father John Misty and The Weeknd/Mac DeMarco/Beck, while Saturday offers its own assortment of difficult decisions with Broken Social Scene, Poolside and Daniel Caesar pitted up against one another. Of course, there’s also CHVRCHES vs. Big Gigantic, Bon Iver vs. Tycho and Florence + the Machine vs. Future that the masses will have to consider on Day 2.

Outside Lands 2018 - daily lineups

Sunday’s slate offers even more, with Janelle Monáe and LP scheduled only 15 minutes apart and The Internet on 10 minutes later. Portugal. The Man’s and Tash Sultana’s performances, meanwhile, are only separated by five minutes, and to close out the weekend, attendees will have to choose between Janet Jackson and DJ Snake, which presents quite a dichotomy.

Trying to decide who to see might feel a little overwhelming right now, but just remember you really can’t go wrong with whatever you choose. Much like every year, there are so many good options at Outside Lands that it’s not worth stressing over in the long run. Just be sure to wear a comfortable pair of shoes and download the mobile app here before you head to the park.

Overjoyed for Outside Lands’ return? Take a peek at our coverage from 2017 here.

Outside Lands - 2018 lineup

Outside Lands taps The Weeknd, Florence + the Machine, Janet Jackson to lead 2018 lineup

Outside Lands - 2018 lineup

Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival //
Golden Gate Park – San Francisco
August 10th-12th, 2018 //

Outside Lands is bringing some heavy hitters to Golden Gate Park this August.

The three-day music festival, which celebrated its 10th anniversary last year, has inked The Weeknd, Florence + the Machine and Janet Jackson to headline its 2018 edition, and we had good reason to believe that the latter, who was already confirmed for FYF Fest in July, would come true as early as a few days ago.

Last week, Ranger Dave started releasing lineup clues via Twitter, including one in particular that indicated Jackson would be on the bill as well as others hinting that Bon Iver, Huey Lewis and the News, Mac DeMarco, Jessie Ware, Big Gigantic, BØRNS, Rex Orange County, SOBxRBE and to get things started, Portugal. The Man, would perform.

Now, we have this year’s complete roster that also boasts Future, Beck, ODESZA, DJ Snake, N.E.R.D., CHVRCHES, James Blake, Jamie xx, Illenium, Tycho, Father John Misty, Carly Rae Jepsen, Chromeo, The Internet, Gryffin, The Growlers, Tash Sultana, Broken Social Scene, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Daniel Caesar, Perfume Genius, Goldlink, Chicano Batman, Jessie Reyez, LP, Sabrina Claudio, Margo Price, Kelela, Claptone, The Mountain Goats, Lauv, Lizzo, Whethan, Smokepurpp, Quinn XCII, Poolside, Bahamas, CUCO, Amen Dunes, Shannon and the Clams, Aquilo and many more.

The festival’s culinary program, meanwhile, will continue to expand in 2018, with access to more than 200 menu items from some of the Bay Area’s top restaurants that you’ll be able to pair with hundreds of Northern Californian wines and beers and a collection of the region’s best cocktail bars. Taste of the Bay Area, Wine Lands, Beer Lands, The Back Wine, Cocktail Magic and GastroMagic are all back as well, so there’s plenty to be excited about in regard to the unique food and drink experiences that Outside Lands has to offer (and stayed tuned for the full food and drink lineup coming soon).

Moreover, adding to the overall experience will be Outsider Art, Eco Lands and The Barbary, which is named in honor of SF’s Barbary Coast district and features some of the best comedy and cabaret around. The environment has long been an important cause for Outside Lands, and its organizers aren’t afraid to say that after contributing more than $20 million to the SF Recreation & Park Department and rather remarkably turning 91 percent of 2017’s waste into reusable, recyclable and compostable materials.

Outside Lands has delivered seven consecutive sellouts since 2011, so you won’t want to wait on getting your tickets when they go on sale here this Thursday, April 5th at 10 a.m. PT. Plus, for the first time ever, the fest is offering fans the option for a three-day GA and VIP layaway plan that will allow them to pay for their passes in four installments. After last year saw an increase in ticket prices, three-day GA passes will start once again at $375 while VIP passes will be available for $795.

UPDATE (June 5th): Outside Lands has revealed its daily lineups for 2018, with The Weeknd gracing the stage Friday, Florence + the Machine playing Saturday and Janet Jackson closing down the festival Sunday. See the daily schedules below before single-day tickets go on sale for $149.50 (GA) and $345 (VIP) this Thursday, June 7th at 10 a.m. PT here.

Outside Lands 2018 - daily lineups

If you’re excited for Outside Lands now, make sure to check out our coverage from 2017 here.

Outside Lands 2017

Goldenvoice announces 2018 Coachella sideshows

Goldenvoice Presents: April 2018

It’s Valentine’s Day, so what could be a better way to celebrate love — or least your love for live music — than with a whole slew of newly announced shows?

Well, with Coachella’s 19th edition just a couple of months away, Goldenvoice has done it again, assembling another massive list of April sideshows at various venues all across the greater Los Angeles landscape, including some in Orange County (at The Observatory and Constellation Room), Santa Barbara County (at the Santa Barbara Bowl and The Arlington Theatre) and the desert (at Pappy & Harriet’s).

Sister trio HAIM kick off the festivities with their headlining performance at arguably our favorite Southern California venue, the Santa Barbara Bowl, on Saturday, April 7th before things ramp up the ensuing week with Kali Uchis, Chromeo, Tyler, the Creator, St. Vincent, Portugal. The Man (with Cherry Glazerr), Perfume Genius (with Big Thief), Princess Nokia, PVRIS, Marian Hill, Fleet Foxes, Carpenter Brut, Tash Sultana, The Drums & Alvvays (with Fazerdaze), alt-J (with BØRNS), Migos, The Bronx, Greta Van Fleet, A Perfect Circle, Yaeji, Angel Olsen, Jessie Ware, BROCKHAMPTON, First Aid Kit, Japanese Breakfast (with Snail Mail), Kelela, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, Buscabulla (with The Marías), Priests, MØ, Jorja Smith & Tom Misch, ODESZA, Miguel, Boogarins (with B Boys & Señor Kino), Ron Gallo, Moon Boots (Live), The War on Drugs, Jungle, Soulwax, Petit Biscuit, 6lack, Aurora, Motor City Drum Ensemble (with Talaboman), Los Ángeles Azules, The Drums, Hayley Kiyoko and Elohim all playing — some even more than once — inside and/or outside of LA’s city limits.

Unlike last year’s sideshows, which included a special showcase at the Palm Springs Air Museum the night before Coachella’s first weekend featuring several artists from British independent record label Young Turks, Goldenvoice has opted not to go down that route again. The two gigs that mirror that mini festival the closest both take place on Thursday, April 19th, as Motor City Drum Ensemble performs at the Palm Springs Air Museum with Talaboman and Los Ángeles Azules invades the Riverside County Fairgrounds with Cuco, Helado Negro and Ocho Ojos just one day before Coachella Weekend 2 commences at the Empire Polo Club. Check out the full list of sideshows in the poster above.

Year after year, Goldenvoice seemingly continues to outdo itself with more and more shows in and around Coachella, and this April the renowned concert promoter has done its best to give music fans in Southern California a little bit of everything, from electro funk and indie folk to hip-hop and alternative R&B. But at first glance, the 2018 sideshows that stick out the most to us include the following: Chromeo at the El Rey Theatre, St. Vincent at The Orpheum Theatre, Perfume Genius (with Big Thief) at The Mayan, Fleet Foxes at the Warner Grand Theater, Tash Sultana at the Fox Theater Pomona, The Drums & Alvvays co-headlining (with Fazerdaze) at Pappy & Harriet’s, alt-J (with BØRNS) at the Santa Barbara Bowl, Migos at The Observatory, A Perfect Circle at The Arlington Theatre, Japanese Breakfast (with Snail Mail) at The Roxy, The War on Drugs at the Fox Theater Pomona, Jungle at Pappy & Harriet’s, Soulwax at The Fonda Theatre, 6lack at The Novo and Portugal. The Man (with Chicano Batman and Deap Vally) at the Santa Barbara Bowl.

Tickets for most of the sideshows go on sale here this Friday, February 16th at Noon PT with the rest of them available on Friday, February 23rd at Noon PT or Friday, March 2nd at Noon PT.

Goldenvoice

Outside Lands 2016: Top sets, awards & what we overheard at Golden Gate Park

Outside Lands 2016Photos by Norm de Veyra & James Pawlish // Written by Molly Kish //

Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival //
Golden Gate Park – San Francisco
August 5th-7th, 2016 //

Celebrating its ninth annual year as Northern California’s premier music, comedy, food and arts festival, Outside Lands took over Golden Gate Park last weekend and entertained crowds of more than 60,000 attendees each day with a massive roster of world-renowned talent. This year’s highlights surmounted all previous editions and exceeded the expectations of the most veteran festivalgoers.

Beyond the daily artist lineups, mouth-watering fare and unparalleled comedy showcases, Outside Lands kicked it up a notch in 2016, playing to what seemed like a more refined crowd on a local and national level. The festival’s organizers created an environment that appealed to both novices and seasoned attendees, with convenience being the key factor and a running theme that helped establish a flow to the fairgrounds that was unattainable in past years.

The fest also worked with PayPal to set up an option for cashless transactions by uploading “Bison Bucks” to your wristband, creating a seamless navigation of all the food/beverage and merchandise options. Furthermore, the debut of additional boutique concessions at Oyster Lands and Cocktail Lands provided a reprieve from the long lines at food trucks, booths and beer stands for the mature palette.

Even the structure and pace of this year’s Outside Lands schedule felt more conducive to less park-length traversing, with each stage focusing more on specific genres and demographics. There are still certain aspects that could use improvement, such as an increased availability of trash receptacles, bathroom options and crowd control at the festival’s entrance, but the issues that Outside Lands faced this year were no different or more overbearing than any other large-scale production.

Now nine years on the circuit, the Bay Area’s premiere destination for festival revelers has definitely matured to an impressive standard in the live music business. As Outside Lands continues to set the bar high thanks to its innovative features, top-notch billing and overall experience, here are our favorite moments from 2016.

Outside Lands 2016 - LCD Soundsystem


LCD Soundsystem

TOP SETS:

Headliner: LCD Soundsystem

Hip-Hop: Anderson .Paak

Pop: Grimes

Singer-Songwriter: Lana Del Rey

Rock: FOALS

EDM: Zedd

Jazz: Kamasi Washington

Experimental: Air

Breakthrough artist: Jidenna

Local act: Down and Outlaws

Heineken Dome: Warren G & E-40 (pop-up performance)

Outside Lands 2016 - Chance the Rapper


Chance the Rapper

OUTSIDE LANDS 2016 AWARDS:

Biggest Crowd: Chance the Rapper

In one of the few transcendent moments of the weekend, a set that had everyone throughout the fairgrounds hyped into an anticipatory frenzy, Chance the Rapper performed at the Lands End stage on Sunday afternoon for easily the largest crowd of the entire weekend. Even those who stood their ground through Third Eye Blind’s preceding set felt the drastic change in both crowd size and personal space as the polo fields flooded and temperatures rose. Even though Chance could have used this to his advantage and conducted an explosive show, igniting the tightly configured crowd into a combustive state, he instead took his fans “to church” with a spiritually centered gospel set, making sure everyone was attentive and of course, that “his part” resonated among the masses.

Honorable Mention: Lana Del Rey, J. Cole

Most Magical Outside Lands Moment: Dr. Teeth and The Electric Mayhem

One of the biggest questions on everyone’s mind coming into Outside Lands was, “Who were Dr. Teeth and The Electric Mayhem?” For those who knew, it was, “How in the hell were the Muppets going to fill a Sunday slot on the main stage?” Because the band had never played a show of such magnitude or outside the context of a TV/film studio, no one had any clue what to expect during this early-afternoon slot. Though some festivalgoers (mistakenly) decided to forego the experience altogether, those present will not forget the incredible feat that Another Planet Entertainment and Jim Henson Enterprises were able to pull off for what was one of the most emotionally nostalgic, blissfully complex and once-in-a-lifetime festival performances maybe ever. The Muppet house band both effortlessly managed to pluck the heartstrings of multiple generations of fans while delivering the most conceptually beautiful “love letter” to the city of SF, blanketing the grounds in a sea of love and collective euphoria for a brief, yet unforgettable moment. Relive the full performance here.

Honorable Mention: Big Boi’s set at Heineken Dome (pop-up performance), Jason Isabel performing with Ryan Adams

Outside Lands 2016

Funniest Stage Banter: Ryan Adams and The Shining

Known to be quite the comedian with his sassy stage banter and on-the-spot ad libs, Ryan Adams and his backing band, The Shining, catered to the Bay Area audience by revisiting a moment from his 2014 Hardly Strictly Bluegrass set with a rousing reprise of “3 Balloons”. He not only called out his attending family’s and audience members’ concert etiquette faux pas, but he also mentioned his annoyance with the bass of Major Lazer’s simultaneous set as well as referenced the standout beacon of this year’s festival, which was hoisted up by a group of super fans watching from the crowd. Check out it here.

Honorable Mention: Dr. Teeth and The Electric Mayhem, Lionel Richie

Most Jaw-Dropping Performance: Peaches

For those familiar with the raunchy revelry that a Peaches show entails, we were front and center when the pro-sex powerhouse took the Panhandle stage on Saturday. As for novice audience members or anyone really within the general vicinity during the set, this festival performance was one that frontwoman Merrill Nisker was determined to make sure would be burned into our Outside Lands memories for life. Somewhat of a crossbreed between live sex show and avant-garde performance art, Peaches paired hard-hitting bass lines with spitfire lyrics and a stage show of elaborately X-rated costumes and choreography that left the crowd on one hand speechless and on the other frantically screaming for more.

Honorable Mention: Grimes, The Claypool Lennon Delirium

Best GastroMagic Moment: Skew It on the Bar B with Big Boi, Animal’s Jon Shook & Vinny Dotolo and State Bird’s Stuart Brioza

On the third and final day of Outside Lands, most attendees were camped out at their favorite stage, decompressing from the first two days of excitement and settling in to watch the final performances of the weekend. But if you happened to be one of the few wandering through the Choco Lands overpass or happened to remember Big Boi’s scheduled performance at the GastroMagic stage, you were in for a treat. Those present in the intimate crowd not only got a mini set of both Outkast and solo hits from the vivacious emcee, but they also got samples of some of the most sought-after BBQ shrimp in the Bay Area while listening to remixed versions of each song that incorporated the word “shrimp” into every chorus. Hilariously ridiculous and insanely delicious, those present may never hear those songs performed the same way again. In fact, we’re still giggling and singing “I like the way you shrimp” days later.

Honorable Mention: Beignets and Bounce Brunch (with Big Freedia and Brenda’s Soul Food), Shark Bites (with Jauz, Mother of Pearl and Guittard Chocolate Company)

Outside Lands 2016 - Big Grams


Sarah Barthel of Big Grams

Most “Thirst-Inducing” Performers of the Weekend: Big Gram’s Sarah Barthel, Miguel

Worst Decisions of the Weekend: The girl who climbed the windmill during J. Cole’s set and fell (watch here), deciding to bring a bag with you to the festival

Best Totems: The Red Balloon

Honorable Mention: Rick & Morty, Stranger Things Dustin

Biggest Festival Wear Trend of 2016: Hipster Bandito

Honorable Mention: Animal-themed onesies, flower crowns/bedazzled body parts

Best “Taste of the Bay” Menu Item: Bacon Bacon CA BBQ Bacon Burritos

Best Adult Beverage: Elixir’s Whatamelon Cocktail

Best Non-Alcoholic Nectar of the Gods: Straw’s Basil Strawberry Lemonade

Best Festival Feature: Cocktail Lands

Best Way to Waste Time Between Sets: PayPal Video Game Arcade

Outside Lands 2016 - Radiohead


Radiohead

OVERHEARD AT OUTSIDE LANDS 2016:

The best directly stated and heard in passing at the festival.

“An empty bag is still a bag!” – crowd members policing the “no-bag” entry lines to the festival

“Is this the Trail of Tears section of Outside Lands?” – crowd members while passing through Choco Lands

“I’m in the Upside Down …” – Day 3 entry ways to the festival

“Hurry up, run! The flower crowns are coming, the flower crowns are coming!” – crowd members exiting the Twin Peaks stage area before Lana Del Rey

“I must’ve missed the goth/bandito appropriation memo …” – in reference to this year’s style trends

“Meet me at the Red Balloon!” – various lost attendees throughout the grounds

“Tits out for Radiohead!” – an ambitious crowd member on Saturday night

“Jesus, Rachel!” – in reference to “basic bitch” behavior/clothing choices throughout the weekend

“I be on that shrimp tonight, straight up on that shrimp tonight, I be on that straight up on that, I be on that shrimp tonight.” – Big Boi during his GastroMagic performance

“Mmmm, porcini doughnuts …” (Homer Simpson voice) – mimicking nearby food vendors

“Who even is Lionel Richie … oh, Nicole Richies’ dad?!” – mortifyingly clueless audience member

“We’re all Diana Ross!” – Lionel Richie in reference to his “special guest”

“We’re all gonna die, whatcha’ gonna do about it?” – Sufjan Stevens contemplating life on stage

“This is the best moment of my life, can I live in an LCD set?” – enthused crowd member

“I’d follow you to hell …” – a member of a large group attempting to traverse the grounds

“But my mom and dad are in there …” – festivalgoers attempting to jump the line entering the festival

“You know San Francisco has totally changed, like I went back to my place on the pier and it was taken over by sea lions, like totally gentrified!” – Janus during Dr. Teeth and The Electric Mayhem’s set

SF Show of the Week // GO4FREE to A-Trak at Mezzanine 1/21 (THUR)

A-TrakWritten by Nik Crossman //

SB50 Collection Launch: A-Trak //
Mezzanine – San Francisco
January 21st, 2015 //

Hailing from Montreal, Alain Macklovitch (aka A-Trak) has more than just Moroccan and Russian ancestry running through his blood. As the younger brother of Chromeo frontman David Macklovitch, A-Trak was the first to win all three coveted DJ competition titles (DMC, ITF and Vestax), and at the age of 15, he shook up the DJ world by becoming the youngest — and the first Canadian — to win the DMC World Championship in 1997.

That’s not all A-Trak did in the 90’s, though. From developing a new notation for scratching to blogging about music innovation and starting a record label with his brother, he developed a variety of skills to make him one of the most sought-after DJs in the early 2000s. More than a decade ago, Grammy-winning hip-hop artist Kanye West recruited A-Trak to be his personal tour DJ, and the two have collaborated closely ever since.

Beyond his countless accolades and magazine cover shots, A-Trak’s long dedication to music innovation has changed the game forever. In 2015, he started a weekly two-hour radio show “Day Off Radio” on the iTunes radio station Beats 1 while continuing to tour the world as one of the industry’s premier DJs.

This Thursday, lifestyle apparel brands Black Scale, Benny Gold and 47 Brand will all come together to present their Super Bowl 50 Collection Launch at Mezzanine, and who better to bring life to the party than A-Trak, the MVP of the DJ world? Tickets are available for $20, or you could win a pair of tickets by submitting your full name and email below.

Contest ends this Thursday at 3 p.m.


Follow Showbams on Twitter for more contest giveaways throughout the week. Be the first to respond to our contest tweets to GO4FREE to these shows:

D.R.A.M.: January 21st (THUR) at The Independent
Krayzie Bone: January 21st (THUR) at Brick & Mortar Music Hall
The Good Luck Thrift Store Outfit: January 22nd (FRI) at Slim’s
Chicano Batman: January 23rd (SAT) at The Independent


Win-2-Tickets

Enter your name (First and Last) along with your email below. If you win a contest, you’ll be notified on the day the contest ends (details above).

Like Showbams on Facebook, follow Showbams on Twitter and follow Showbams on Instagram. Subscribe to our social channels for a better chance to win!

CONTEST CLOSED.

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PHOTOS: The Soft White Sixties at Slim’s 4/25

The-Soft-White-Sixties_post

By Tom Dellinger //

The Soft White Sixties with Chicano Batman, A Million Billion Dying Suns //
Slim’s — San Francisco
April 25th, 2014 //

One of the most talked about San Francisco bands, The Soft White Sixties, returned for an engagement at Slim’s this past Friday night. The band has been touring steadily since their last appearance at The Chapel in February which included a successful run at SXSW. With the winds of mounting critical acclaim at their back, they sailed into town and demonstrated once again why critics continue to claim, “this is a band to watch.”

Anticipation was in the air on Friday as the two openers, the eclectic Chicano Batman and A Million Billion Dying Suns got things rolling. It was a late night and by the time TSWS hit, the room was packed and ready for the hometown band to strut their stuff, which is exactly what they did. A heavy touring schedule has been kind to the Sixties. They were both fresh and crisp the instant they took the stage. In addition to his vocal abilities, lead singer Octavio Genera is one of the most energetic and charismatic performers around and on Friday, he once again put it all on the line as he worked that stage; delivering a performance as if there would be no tomorrow.

Everyone in the band seemed to have that extra punch in them as they drove through the set with an intensity that was palpable. Joey Bustos on drums was particularly sharp and driving hard as the band responded. At the end of the night one could see those sparkling eyes and smiles on the faces of the fans as they knew they had just experienced something special.

Next month will find the band at BottleRock in Napa. Just as one of the most talked about bands at last year’s event was Vintage Trouble, one can reasonably expect that to be the case for The Soft White Sixties. Much like Vintage Trouble, and their vocalist, Ty Taylor in particular, you simply can’t build a stage too big for Octavio and TSWS. Expect them to explode.