Outside Lands – Showbams

Outside Lands 2015 highlights: Eight years strong and feeling ‘fantastic’!

August 17, 2015 by The Bam Team 3 Comments

Photos by James Nagel, Marc Fong & Benjamin Wallen // Written by Molly Kish, Nik Crossman & Brett Ruffenach //

Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival //
Golden Gate Park – San Francisco
August 7th-9th, 2015 //

We’re finally putting our lives back together after what was easily the biggest and most raging Outside Lands to date in its eight years. This year, local concert production company Another Planet Entertainment outdid itself on all fronts, bringing the best the Bay Area had to offer to Golden Gate Park. They pulled out all the stops and man, did they deliver!

From the amazing lineup of music, comedy, food and beverage to the near perfect weather and best crowd of characters you could ask for, Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival has officially become a bar-setting force to be reckoned with on the festival circuit. Those lucky enough to attend this year will wholeheartedly agree that the festival has become not only a staple within the Bay Area community, but also a premiere destination for crowds from around the world and one of the fastest growing festival experiences currently in production.

Here’s what stood out to us at Showbams in 2015. What was your standout moment?

TOP SETS:

Artist: Lindsey Stirling
Set date/time: Friday, 3:40-4:30 p.m.
Location: Twin Peaks

Hailing from Gilbert, Ariz., Lindsey Stirling leaped around the Twin Peaks stage on Friday afternoon with violin in hand. Combining classical violin riffs with modern electronic beats, Stirling had the entire crowd dancing alongside while she made use of every inch of the stage. Despite her modesty, Lindsey put the violin down and treated Outside Lands with a rare and beautiful singing performance. Based on the reaction to the violin fairy’s voice, Stirling should be proud to put her strings down from time to time. -NC

Artist: D’Angelo & The Vanguard
Set date/time: Friday, 7:45-9 p.m.
Location: Sutro

“The Black Messiah” made his triumphant return to the Bay Area on Friday evening for a soul-clapping set with a sea of devoted fans. Outside of Karl Denson’s mighty performance on the Twin Peaks stage later on in the weekend, this was one of the few opportunities for funk fans to get down this year — and D’Angelo pulled out all the stops. Mirroring more of a religious revival than a R&B jam session, the sunset spectacle hit the crowd’s Friday night sweet spot. D’Angelo’s silky smooth vocals ushered in all the post-work/late arrivals, crooning out audience favorites from his latest joint “Ain’t That Easy” and “Sugah Daddy”, which book-ended a sultry set. For anyone who missed his sold-out shows at the Fox Theater Oakland earlier this year, the performance served as the perfect redemption amidst a collective of festival fans who all came prepared. -MK

Artist: Angus & Julia Stone
Set date/time: Saturday, 4:20-5:10 p.m.
Location: Sutro

Recently reunited after a few years of time apart, the brother-and-sister duo played a mix of old and new hits at the Sutro stage on Saturday afternoon. Their latest album brings a new sound to their discography and marks a milestone of achievement for the Australian siblings. Anyone with a brother and/or sister can appreciate the banter shared between Angus and Julia on stage. Describing Angus laying in the grass of a park staring at the clouds as inspiration for “Other Things”, Julia poked fun at his peculiar “state of mind.” -NC

Artist: Toro y Moi
Set date/time: Saturday, 5:15-6:05 p.m.
Location: Twin Peaks

Chaz Bundick is almost a great artist. Touring with a new full band as opposed to his typical synth-and-drum-machine combo, the new sound of Toro y Moi is a very nice expansion on their sound. That being said, Toro y Moi seemed to often come up flat when singing throughout the set, leaving more to be desired. I did love the new version of “So Many Details”, though. -BR

Artist: Tame Impala
Set date/time: Saturday, 6:30-7:40 p.m.
Location: Lands End

As the de facto opener for The Black Keys, Tame Impala brought their heavy compositions and trippy visuals to the Lands End stage to the delight of a crowd of young, old, sober and heavily intoxicated folks alike. Tame Impala’s ability to expand on and change up their studio recordings is what makes them the greatest rock band touring right now — breakdowns and glitchy, sonic asides in songs like “Mind Mischief”, “Elephant” and “Apocalypse Dreams” came out of nowhere, creating a wave of awe and amazement in the crowd. They were certainly a highlight of the weekend. -BR

Artist: Kendrick Lamar
Set date/time: Saturday, 8:40-9:55 p.m.
Location: Twin Peaks

As Kendrick Lamar’s incredible performance began to wrap up with his newest single “Alright”, a group of fans in the crowd proceeded to lift someone up in a wheelchair, who, if I recall correctly, was the same guy who had his photo famously taken at Outside Lands in 2013. Kendrick took notice and called him out — his sense of sincere appreciation for a place like the Bay Area was written all over his face. -BR

Artist: Hot Chip
Set date/time: Sunday, 4:20-5:20 p.m.
Stage: Lands End

An anxious crowd remained at the Lands Ends stage after Nate Reuss’ solo set on Sunday afternoon for an all-too-rare performance from percussion powerhouse Hot Chip. In recent years, only ever getting the chance to see the outfit in stripped-down DJ sets or as part of side projects/collaborations, the afternoon crowd full of die-hard, nu-disco fans were not disappointed as the UK dance veterans set the polo fields ablaze. Refraining from any slow builders, Hot Chip performed an hour-long set of career-spanning bangers, keeping the crowd moving with hit after hit, that seamlessly blended into one another. The set procured one of the most viral dance party moments of the festival, with the audience spiraling into a collective bliss as it came to a close. -MK

Artist: Dan Deacon
Set date/time: Sunday, 5:55-6:35 p.m.
Location: Panhandle

Dan Deacon, everyone’s favorite electronic experimentalist and figurative “adult camp counselor”, was the perfect pick-me-up for a festival-weary crowd between neighboring bass-heavy sets from ODESZA and Caribou. Playing to a crowd partially made up of Deacon enthusiasts and otherwise occupied by enthralled passersby, the one-man spectacle reeled in a sizable audience to the Panhandle stage for a lesson in crowd participation that was rivaled by no other act over the course of the weekend. Excited to see how his live-show magic would translate to a large-scale festival crowd, the audience was equal parts bewildered and attentive as they were beckoned into a storm of peer pressure and oddball antics, maestro-ed by none other than the king of interactive showmanship. The crowd relinquished control of the moment to the man in charge as he orchestrated colorful coordination amongst a sea of noise and frenzied electronica. Needless to say, established fans of Mr. Deacon were pleased while new converts lives were changed on Sunday afternoon. -MK

Artist: Caribou
Set date/time: Sunday, 6:40-7:40 p.m.
Location: Twin Peaks

Described by fellow musician Dan Deacon as “one of the most brilliant acts touring right now” just before their set, Caribou lived up to the hype. Starting with “Our Love”, the four-piece band led by Dan Snaith perfectly set the stage for the next hour — a series of tightly wound compositions that, as the song progresses, expand in rhythmic complexity before reaching a climax that will get even the most tired Sunday afternoon crowd moving. Heavily augmenting its live performances from its studio recordings, the band’s live rendition of “Jamelia” in particular was a highlight of the set. Caribou is a band not to be missed. -BR

Artist: Elton John
Set date/time: Sunday, 7:35-9:35 p.m.
Location: Lands End

The star-spangled legend sat at his majestic piano as the sun went down on Sunday and moved the crowd with his brilliant playing. The adoring audience hung on every word and joined in singing his most popular hits. Walking off stage quickly after his last song, the audience demanded more and Elton happily obliged. With rumors of Lion King songs being played at past performances, some doting fans wanted a second encore to the tune of “Circle of Life”. While he didn’t indulge the Lion King fans, his stellar performance was a perfect ending to an amazing weekend at Outside Lands, leaving everyone’s festival tank full of love. -NC

OUTSIDE LANDS 2015 AWARDS:

Biggest a.m. crowd: Leon Bridges

Best make-out session: Angus & Julia Stone

Biggest equipment malfunction/distraction: St. Vincent’s blown-out sound system

Best stage dive: Mac Demarco (obviously)

Biggest band crush: Tie between Tame Impala and First Aid Kit

Best shirtless appearance: Billy Idol

King and Queen of GastroMagic: Beignets & Bounce Brunch with Big Freedia & Brenda’s Soul Food; Morimoto Karaoke

Best Unofficial Stage: #NoMoFoMo by StubHub

Food & beverage crowd favorites: Berry Lemonade; Ringmaster Doughnut Cheeseburger

Best Avant-Garde Act: Lindsey Stirling

Sexiest Set of the Weekend: D’Angelo & The Vanguard

Best Fairground Change: The Barbary’s relocation

Rowdiest Crowd: Kendrick Lamar

Best Hometown Act: Green Velvet & Claude VonStroke

Best Vocals: St. Paul and The Broken Bones

Best Commitment to the Bit: Mac Sabbath with Richie Nakano

Most buzz-worthy artist: SZA

Best Crowd Participation: Dan Deacon

Biggest DJ Drop: ODESZA

Crowd Favorite DJ: DJ Mustard

Best Cover: Hot Chip’s transition from Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing in the Dark” into an outro snippet of LCD Soundsystem’s “All My Friends” to close their set.

Most “Fantastic”: Elton John

Outside Lands 2015 - Unknown Mortal Orchestra

Outside Lands 2015 - Alex Bleeker and the Freaks

Outside Lands 2015 - Karl Denson's Tiny Universe

Outside Lands 2015 - D'Angelo & The Vanguard

Outside Lands 2015 - Green Velvet & Claude VonStroke

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Festival Reviews, Festivals Tagged With: Alex Bleeker and the Freaks, Angus & Julia Stone, Another Planet, Another Planet Entertainment, Benjamin Booker, Bill Kreutzmann, Billy Idol, Caribou, Chet Faker, Classixx, Cold War Kids, D'Angelo and the Vanguard, Dan Deacon, Deltron 3030, Django Django, Elton John, G-Eazy, Giraffage, Green Velvet & Claude VonStroke, Hot Chip, Hundred Waters, James Bay, Karl Denson's Tiny Universe, Kendrick Lamar, Lindsey Stirling, Mac Sabbath, METZ, Mumford & Sons, Nate Ruess, Odesza, Outside Lands, Outside Lands 2015, Outside Lands Music Festival, Outside Lands Music Festival 2015, Slightly Stoopid, St. Vincent, Strand of Oaks, Tame Impala, The Black Keys, The Family Crest, The Revivalists, Toro Y Moi, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Waters, Wilco

Going to Outside Lands this weekend? Take a bite out of our 2015 food guide

August 6, 2015 by Molly Kish Leave a Comment

Written by Molly Kish //

We are less than a day away from this year’s Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival, and our stomachs are starting to growl. Beyond the stellar music and comedy lineups, the festival continues to draw crowds by celebrating the best of what the Bay Area’s culinary masters have to offer.

From local favorites to Michelin-rated cuisine, the holy trifecta of Beer Lands, Wine Lands and of course Choco Lands + Cheese Lands returns. Highlighting the mouth-watering fare of more than 75 regional vendors along with a boutique stage devoted to cooking performances and artist collaborations, Outside Lands has continued to evolve its food and beverage programs into the festival’s eighth year with its most impressive music lineup to date.

Although we could spend an entire weekend gorging ourselves on all of the grub each magical “land” has to offer, we’ve decided to streamline your experience with our top-five picks and pairings from this year’s “Taste of the Bay Area” at Outside Lands 2015.

By the way, here’s a pro tip: take some notes and print out a festival map here to better navigate your edible endeavors.

View the 2015 schedule and create your custom grid to share with friends!

Eatery: El Huarache Loco
Dish: Huaraches

These Mexican treats are to be eaten during Hot Chip’s late Sunday afternoon set. We highly recommend chomping down on one during the opening beats of “Huarache Lights” to make the most of the moment.

Paired with: Sierra Nevada’s Outside Lands Saison

Eatery: Humphry Slocombe
Dish: “Secret” Breakfast Ice Cream or Bourbon Coke Floats

Perking you up on Day 2 of the festival, Humphry Slocombe’s “Secret” Breakfast Ice Cream and/or Bourbon Coke Floats, either individually or as a combo, will get your engines revved up as you catch a riotous Outside Lands debut from the Chicago punk rockers in Twin Peaks.

Paired with: Even more whiskey or Calicraft Brewing Company’s Buzzerkeley

Eatery: AQ Restaurant & Bar
Dish: Sweet, Spicy and Shroomy Waffles

Tap into your earth child and get your cruelty-free protein fix while tripping out to the heady vibes that will shine through during Aussie neo-psych rockers Tame Impala’s Saturday sunset set on the Lands End Stage.

Paired with: Crossbarn Winery’s 2012 Cabernet

Eatery: Nojo Restaurant
Dish: Spicy Japanese Style Tater Tots

Matching your flavor palette with your body temperature that will be both equally rising during D’Angleo and The Vanguard’s set on Friday night, Nojo provides some taste-bud tinglers served up in bite-size potato form and easy enough to simply pop in your mouth while you’re getting down to the sexiest act of the weekend. They could just be the perfect culinary scapegoat for a potentially drool-inducing performance.

Paired with: SakeOne’s Momokawa Pearl

Eatery: Long Meadow Ranch
Dish: Cheese or Charcuterie Plate

Kendrick Lamar may be far from a “thug eating cheese from the government,” but be sure to pull some leaves from those “Money Trees” and treat yourself at Cheese Lands on the walk over to Twin Peaks before catching K-Dot on Saturday night.

Paired with: Almanac Beer Company’s Farmer’s Reserve Blackberry

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Eatery: Rocko’s Ice Cream Tacos
Dish: Ice Cream Tacos or Frozen Bananas

Eatery: Three Babes Bakeshop
Dish: Chicken Pot Pie, Peach Pie or Apple Cider

Eatery: Stones Throw
Dish: Chicken Parmesan Sandwiches

Eatery: Namu Street Food
Dish: Japanese Pizza or Ra Bap Ramen Soup

Eatery: Straw
Dish: “The Ringmaster” Donut Cheeseburgers

Check out the full “Taste of the Bay Area” lineup here, the full Beer Lands lineup here and the full Wine Lands lineup here.

WINE LANDS REMINDER:

Wine Lands will be completely cashless this year, and your Outside Lands wristband will be both your ticket and digital wallet. Also, be sure to stock up on “Bison Bucks” before the festival and select the “Enable Auto Top-Up” option. For every 75 “Bison Bucks” that is added to your cashless account before Friday at 10 a.m., Outside Lands will add five bonus “Bison Bucks” to your account. Begin your “cashless” registration here.

GASTROMAGIC WEEKEND HIGHLIGHTS:

Friday, August 7th

Event: “Morimoto Karaoke”
Time: 5:30-6 p.m.

Iron Chef Morimoto shares his expertise in the art of sushi rolling and rocks the stage with his hidden talent. It’s only rock ‘n’ roll, but he likes it.

Saturday, August 8th

Event: “Truffle Shuffle” with Mina Test Kitchen and DJ Vin Sol
Time: 1:50-2:20 p.m.

Chef Adam Sobel from The Mina Group will be joined by dance instructor Julia Hubara to reinterpret the infamous “Truffle Shuffle” from 1985 cult classic “The Goonies”. Fans must “shuffle” for a taste of Sobel’s Truffle Ribeye Cheesesteak.

Event: “Beignets & Bounce Brunch” with Big Freedia and Brenda’s Soul Food
Time: 3:10-3:40 p.m.

New Orleans queen diva Big Freedia is back to shake and bounce during the second annual bounce brunch. Beignets from Brenda’s Soul Food will be available for those willing to twerk.

Event: “PopStars” with Emilie Baltz and Dan Deacon
Time: 6-6:30 p.m.

Baltimore-based electronic musician Dan Deacon provides the sweet sounds for this lickable popsicle orchestra imagined by experiential artist and storyteller Emilie Baltz. Join them on stage to help bring this concept to life, one lick at a time.

Sunday, August 9th

Event: “Sexual Chocolate” with Karl Denson and Guittard Chocolate Company
Time: 5:20pm – 5:50pm

The “Sexual Chocolate” band led by Karl Denson is going to take us back in time while renowned pastry chef Donald Wressell explores chocolate art. Make sure to look out for delicious Guittard chocolate bars, too.

Event: Mac Sabbath with Richie Nakano
Time: 6:50-7:35 p.m.

Los Angeles parody heavy metal tribute band Mac Sabbath bring their one-of-a-kind “Drive Thru Metal” show to GastroMagic while local chef Richie Nakano, formerly of Hapa Ramen, creates his “one time only” Nakano Nuggets. Join in if you dare!

View the full GastroMagic schedule here.

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: Almanac Beer Company, AQ Restaurant & Bar, Big Freedia, Calicraft Brewing Company, Crossbarn Winery, El Huarache Loco, GastroMagic, Guittard Chocolate Company, Humphry Slocombe, Karl Denson, Long Meadow Ranch, Mac Sabbath, NOJO, Outside Lands, Outside Lands 2015, Outside Lands Music Festival, Outside Lands Saison, Richie Nakano, Rocko's Ice Cream Tacos, SakeOne, Sierra Nevada, Stones Throw

Outside Lands Shows of the Week // GO4FREE to The Knocks, Classixx & STRFKR or Karl Denson

August 6, 2015 by The Bam Team Leave a Comment

Written by Josh Herwitt //

Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival is almost here, and as we mentioned a few weeks ago, the party doesn’t have to stop after the music ends at Golden Gate Park each day. For all of you who want to dance and get your groove on well past midnight, the festival is hosting a number of late-night shows throughout the Bay Area — and Showbams has your tickets to three of the best taking place this weekend.

Win a pair of free tickets to one of our Outside Lands Shows of the Week by entering your name and email below.

The Knocks (DJ set): August 7th (FRI) @ Mezzanine // BUY TICKETS

New York-based producers and electronic music duo The Knocks return to SF after they turned The Independent into a raging house party back in June. And after releasing their latest EP So Classic this year, Ben “B-Roc” Ruttner and James “JPatt” Patterson are coming a knockin’ again. This time, they’ll take their bass-driven, high-energy show to Mezzanine for a DJ set with Cut Snake and The Aston Shuffle also hitting the decks beforehand.

Contest ends this Friday at 3 p.m.

Classixx & STRFKR (DJ sets): August 8th (SAT) @ Mezzanine // BUY TICKETS

Los Angeles electronic music duo Classixx have come a long way since their early beginnings in 2008. After delivering the perfect set at Treasure Island Music Festival last fall, childhood friends Michael David and Tyler Blake have continued to show that they’re on the up and up, putting on an impressive main-stage performance at CRSSD Festival in March. At Mezzanine this Saturday, they’ll be joined by Portland electro-rockers STRFKR, who will play their own DJ set despite being absent from this year’s Outside Lands lineup.

Contest ends this Friday at 3 p.m.

Karl Denson superjam: August 9th (SUN) @ The Independent // BUY TICKETS

Funk/jazz virtuoso Karl Denson has stayed plenty busy over the past year. The San Diego native most recently toured with The Rolling Stones on their “Zip Code” tour and is getting ready to release a new album with his Tiny Universe crew in early 2016. To close out the 2015 edition of Outside Lands, the multi-instrumentalist (saxophone, flute, percussion, vocals) will take over The Independent for a special “superjam” with friends that will be one performance you won’t want to miss this weekend.

Contest ends this Friday at 3 p.m.

Pick the show you would like to attend from the dropdown, then enter your name (First and Last) along with your email. 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.

Filed Under: Contests Tagged With: Classixx, Karl Denson, Karl Denson superjam, Karl Denson's Tiny Universe, Mezzanine, Outside Lands, Outside Lands 2015, Outside Lands Music Festival 2015, Outside Lands night shows, STRFKR, The Independent, The Knocks

Outside Lands unveils 2015 schedule with set times

July 23, 2015 by Josh Herwitt Leave a Comment

Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival //
Golden Gate Park – San Francisco
August 7th-9th, 2015 //

Believe it or not, the eighth Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival is just around the corner, and the festival’s beloved Ranger Dave has finally disclosed what everyone has been asking for: set times!

Back in March, the festival released its daily lineups, and we knew at the time that at least Sunday’s headliner Elton John wouldn’t be pitted against one of hip-hop’s finest, Kendrick Lamar. Now, all the cards are on the table as you can see the set times for each day here.

Some of the biggest conflicts of the weekend include Friday’s headliner Mumford & Sons vs. D’Angelo and The Vanguard and Saturday’s headliner The Black Keys vs. Mr. Lamar. We know who we will be checking out (hint: both of them aren’t at the Lands End Stage), but with so many top-notch artists on this year’s bill, there’s bound to be some very difficult decisions that every festivalgoer will have to make. It’s a big reason why Outside Lands is one of our eight California music festivals you won’t want to miss before the end of 2015.

Want to keep the party going after the festival wraps up each night? Check out the late-night schedule that Outside Lands has planned here.

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: D'Angelo and the Vanguard, Elton John, Kendrick Lamar, Mumford & Sons, Outside Lands, Outside Lands 2015, Outside Lands Music Festival, Outside Lands Music Festival 2015, The Black Keys

Outside Lands announces 2015 night shows

July 9, 2015 by Molly Kish 1 Comment

Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival //
Golden Gate Park – San Francisco
August 7th-9th, 2015 //

The eighth annual Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival is less than one month away, and with the Bay Area’s crown jewel of music festivals approaching, the anticipation couldn’t be higher for this year’s stellar lineup of music, food, wine, beer, art and comedy.

In addition to all the action taking place August 7th-9th at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, festivalgoers once again have the ability to keep the party going late into the night with a host of different shows throughout the City.

Gracing the stage at some of SF’s favorite small to mid-size venues will be plenty of top talent, including The Notorious Wilco Brothers (a Wilco offshoot of sorts), Texas-based gospel/soul singer Leon Bridges, who has recently shot up the charts with his hit single “Coming Home”, Brooklyn indie-pop outfit The Drums, Toronto noise rockers METZ and Arcade Fire frontman Win Butler’s electronic side project DJ Windows 98.

We’re speculating a few more night shows may drop a bit closer to August with some evening slots still unannounced for several local venues, so stay tuned here for more updates.

Tickets for all the night shows go on sale at Noon this Friday, July 10th over at DoTheBay.

Here is the schedule for the upcoming night shows with links to purchase tickets:

August 6th: Alvvays with GRMLN at California Academy of Sciences, 6 p.m., $12, 21+ // BUY TICKETS

August 6th: Strand of Oaks at Brick & Mortar Music Hall, 8 p.m., $15/17, 18+ // BUY TICKETS

*August 6th: The Notorious Wilco Brothers at The Independent, 8 p.m., $75, 21+ // BUY TICKETS

August 6th: Popscene and Flood Magazine present DJ Windows 98 (aka Win Butler of Arcade Fire) at Rickshaw Stop, 9 p.m., All Ages // BUY TICKETS

*August 7th: Leon Bridges with Langhorne Slim & the Law at The Independent, 10 p.m., $25, 21+ // BUY TICKETS

August 7th: The Drums at Brick & Mortar Music Hall, 10 p.m., $20, 18+ // BUY TICKETS

August 7th: METZ with Speedy Ortiz at Rickshaw Stop, 10 p.m., $20, All Ages // BUY TICKETS

August 8th: RL Grime at The Independent, 10 p.m., $35, 21+ // BUY TICKETS

August 8th: Twin Peaks with DMA’s, Day Wave at Brick & Mortar Music Hall, 10 p.m., $15/$18, 18+ // BUY TICKETS

*Outside Lands night shows scheduled for August 6th and 7th at The Independent require a password strictly for festival ticket holders. Passwords will be sent via email to those who purchased passes online.

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: Alvvays, Arcade Fire, Brick & Mortar Music Hall, California Academy of Sciences, Day Wave, DJ Windows 98, DMA's, GRMLN, Langhorne Slim, Langhorne Slim & The Law, Leon Bridges, METZ, Outside Lands, Outside Lands 2015, Outside Lands Music Festival 2015, Rickshaw Stop, Speedy Ortiz, Strand of Oaks, The Drums, The Independent, The Notorious Wilco Brothers, Twin Peaks, Wilco, Win Butler

James Bay puts a spell on The Independent

May 18, 2015 by Marc Fong Leave a Comment

By Marc Fong //

James Bay with Elle King //
The Independent – San Francisco
May 12th, 2015 //

It was a packed house, not only with excited fans, but also with raw talent from extremely talented artists last Tuesday at The Independent. Elle King, full of sass and skill, opened for the dynamic, 24-year-old James Bay. A Los Angeles native, King (whose real name is Tanner Elle Schneider and is the daughter of comedian Rob Schneider) was funny and soulful as well as engaging and personable. Her sound, a mix of deep-rooted bluegrass and pop rock, was upbeat and fun. She ultimately won over the die-hard James Bay fans in attendance.

Bay’s music, meanwhile, is compelling and sincere. The British singer-songwriter’s live show is full of the vibrancy you’d expect after listening to his debut album Chaos and the Calm, which was released in March. He hypnotized the crowd with his music and definitely put a spell on them. If you missed this show, Bay will be back in SF this August to play at Outside Lands Music Festival, and you won’t want to miss his return then.

Filed Under: Featured, Photos Tagged With: Elle King, James Bay, Outside Lands, Outside Lands 2015, Outside Lands Music Festival, The Independent

Outside Lands 2015: Lineup locks, likely acts & long shots

March 11, 2015 by The Bam Team 15 Comments

Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival //
Golden Gate Park – San Francisco
August 7th-9th, 2015 //

UPDATE: The lineup has been announced. View the full lineup here.

Outside Lands 2015 speculation season may now commence.

For the first year, wristbands will be used for all three-day GA and VIP tickets instead of paper tickets or PDF printouts. Could this be a sign that single-day tickets are a thing of the past?

As a comparison, Coachella moved over to wristbands the same year single-day tickets were abolished. If Superfly and Another Planet can sell out the entire weekend with only three-day passes, than why wouldn’t they punt on the one-day option?

We’ve looked at tour dates, researched competing festivals and considered Outside Lands’ curation history. Squamish Valley Music Festival in BC may be the same weekend from August 7th-9th, but those large metal flying birds make it so musicians can easily do both fests.

The same goes for acts booked in Europe the week after Outside Lands — many artists will play Lollapalooza or Osheaga, followed by Outside Lands, then they cross the pond for mid-August festivals abroad.

If you have a lead or opinion, drop us a comment below. We’ll be updating this list as new developments happen. So, allow us to play Nostradamus and offer these predictions.

Lock It In

Kendrick Lamar – Ranger D tweeted he DLed KDot’s new album on March 16th, and he’s also headlining Bonnaroo.
Mumford and Sons – OSL fits their schedule between Squamish and their Washington “stopover.”
Tame Impala – These Aussie psych-rockers and APE loyalists are ready for a prime-time slot.
Deadmau5 – The mouse is atop many major lineups, including Bonnaroo, so his return to OSL seems logical.
St. Vincent – Annie Clark is worthy of headliner status, and she’s confirmed for Osheaga.
Sam Smith – The big question remains: Is he a Land’s End or Twin Peaks headliner?
Bassnectar – This APE regular is long overdue to helm Twin Peaks for a hometown blowout.
Hot Chip – Basically confirmed via Twitter. And they’re in LA on August 11th.
Wilco – The stars are aligning … Tweedy, Cline and company are confirmed for LA on August 5th.
Alabama Shakes – Playing Squamish. Remember how packed their first OSL appearance was?!?!
Run the Jewels – Accidentally confirmed on RTJ’s tour page and would mark OSL’s first B2B booking.
Sylvan Esso – They’ve played The Independent and Fox Theater Oakland in the past year, and they’ll be in the Midwest the week after OSL.
Django Django – Playing in LA on August 6th.
!!! (chk chk chk) – Played OSL four years ago, and they’re touring with Hot Chip in LA on August 11th.
Jeff the Brotherhood – Dates open and booked for Mumford “stopover” up north in Walla Walla.
Laura Marling – Playing LA on August 6th and a perfect selection for a Sutro Stage. (added March 17th)

Seems Likely

Elton John
The Black Keys
The War on Drugs
The Avett Brothers
Brandon Flowers
Death From Above 1979
Toro Y Moi
Of Monsters and Men
Interpol
First Aid Kit
Stromae
ODESZA
ScHoolboy Q
Gorgon City
The Kills
Slow Magic
Slightly Stoopid

Looking Plausible

Drake (Downgraded to “Looking Plausible” 3/16)
Bruce Springsteen
Chance the Rapper
Caribou
Florence + The Machine (upgraded to “Looking Plausible” on March 18th with Osheaga announcement)
Axwell Λ Ingrosso
alt-J (upgraded on March 18th with Osheaga announcement)
Belle & Sebastian
The Decemberists (upgraded on March 18th with Osheaga announcement)
Flying Lotus
Father John Misty (upgraded to “Looking Plausible” on March 18th with Osheaga announcement)
Future Islands
Mac Demarco
Glass Animals
Hozier
Benjamin Booker
Alvvays
AWOLNATION
Strand of Oaks
Bahamas
Hiss Golden Messenger

Long Shot (but could happen)

Jack White
Sleater-Kinney
D’Angelo
Weezer (added March 18th with Osheaga announcement)
Jack Ü
Nas (added March 18th with Osheaga announcement)
TV on the Radio
Todd Terje
Gary Clark Jr. (added March 18th with Osheaga announcement)
Action Bronson (added March 18th with Osheaga announcement)
Viet Cong (added March 18th with Osheaga announcement)
Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals (added March 18th with Osheaga announcement)
Marina & the Diamonds
MS MR (added March 18th with Osheaga announcement)
Charli XCX
Jamie xx
Kygo
San Fermin (added March 18th with Osheaga announcement)
Milky Chance

View our predictions from 2014.
View our predictions from 2013.

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: Action Bronson, Alabama Shakes, Alt-J, Alvvays, Awolnation, Axwell Λ Ingrosso, Bahamas, Bassnectar, Belle & Sebastian, Ben Harper, Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals, Benjamin Booker, Brandon Flowers, Burce Springsteen, Caribou, Chance The Rapper, Charli XCX, CHK CHK CHK, Coachella, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, D'Angelo, D'Angelo and the Vanguard, Deadmau5, Death from Above 1979, Django Django, Drake, Elton John, Father John Misty, First Aid Kit, Florence & the Machine, Flying Lotus, Future Islands, Gary Clark Jr, Glass Animals, Golden Gate Park, Gorgon City, Hiss Golden Messenger, Hot Chip, Hozier, Interpol, Jack Ü, Jack White, Jamie xx, JEFF the Brotherhood, Kendrick Lamar, Kygo, Laura Marling, Marina and the Diamonds, Milky Chance, MS MR, Mumford & Sons, Nas, Odesza, Of Monsters and Men, Outside Lands, Outside Lands 2015, Outside Lands Music Festival, Outside Lands Music Festival 2015, Predictions, Rumors, Run The Jewels, Sam Smith, San Fermin, Schoolboy Q, Slightly Stoopid, Slow Magic, St. Vincent, Strand of Oaks, Stromae, Sylvan Esso, Tame Impala, The Avett Brothers, The Black Keys, The Decemberists, The Kills, The War on Drugs, Todd Terje, Toro Y Moi, TV on the Radio, Viet Cong, Weezer, Wilco

The best of Outside Lands 2014

August 15, 2014 by Molly Kish 3 Comments

Photos by Pedro Paredes, Benjamin Wallen and Marc Fong // Written by Molly Kish //

Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival //
Golden Gate Park – San Francisco
August 8th-10th, 2014 //

With so much to offer this seventh year of Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival, the celebration of music, food, art and everything in between was at an all-time high! Boasting a packed lineup of diverse performers, culinary innovators and artists, Golden Gate Park hosted a wonderland of possibilities. Here are our favorite features from this year’s extravaganza.

Read our daily recaps from Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
View artist photography by Pedro Paredes below.

TOP SETS FROM THE WEEKEND

With a lineup of more than 70 diverse performers, naming the best shows of the weekend is at best an exercise in personal point of view. With opinions running rampant on headliners, under cards and buzz-worthy acts, we instead choose to focus on what caught our attention as some of the most memorable performances of the weekend for better or worse.

How do your favorites match up with our top sets and moments from the weekend? Leave your comments, opinions and personal picks below!

Most Controversial Headliner: Kanye West
Most Explosive Dance Performance: Flume
Biggest Crowd of the Weekend: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Biggest Local Draw: Atmosphere
Best Rock Performance: Deer Tick
Best Hip Hop Performance: Run the Jewels
Breakout Artist of the Festival: Lucius

Best Crowd Engagement/Dance Moves: Cut Copy
Best Use of Stage Design/Props: The Flaming Lips
Heineken Haus MVP: Gorgon City
Loudest Sing Along: The Killers
Best Comedy/Improv Performance: Improvised Shakespeare Company (with guest Patrick Stewart)
Best Quote: “You’re gonna tell your kids about this!” -Kanye West

TOP TACTICS TO KEEP THE GROUP TOGETHER

A festival at maximum capacity can already be hard to navigate, especially with large groups of various paced members, and Outside Lands is no exception. With the innumerable obstacles present in the park’s terrain, even the most seasoned shepherd will at some point find difficulty in herding their festival flock.

This year, especially with the stricter rules regarding what attendees can bring in concerning poles, flags, hoops, etc., the Outside Lands crowd got creative with their tracking skills.

Innovative Beacons/Totems: No pole, no problem! Although the presence of PVC pipes still managed to make their way into the masses, people got pretty imaginative with their signage and “find us here” monuments. Ginormous balloons (even full bouquets of them by weekend’s end) soared hundreds of feet in the air, flocks of Flabongos bounced together above the crowd all weekend and cardboard cutouts of Hodor, crying Kim Kardashian and poop emojis received praise from the crowd. Even those with a history flag waving kept the tradition alive amidst the pole ban by finding the biggest stick within Maclaren Pass to wave their banner high.

Festival Wear: Fickle weather kept the costumed crowd members on their toes this past weekend, with temperatures fluctuating as quickly as a set change, Karl the Fog intermittently reared his mischievously muggy head. Outside Lands is an atypical festival in the sense that it fails to adhere to most counterparts’ “clothing optional” fashion guidelines, so attendees have to get creative in the Bay Area when it comes to group uniforms — and this crowd didn’t fail. Most effective use of costumes this year included creepily monochromatic “balloon people” with fully inflatable body suits and face masks, a storm trooper masked duo (made out of cereal boxes) donning a “show us your taun-tauns” sign and flocks of animal onesies.

TOP OUTSIDE LANDS FOOD MOMENTS

With almost as much excitement revolving around the fare of Outside Lands as the music and art portions of the festival, this year’s attendees were treated to an exorbitant amount of delicious options to satiate their palette. Marrying the festivals’ live entertainment with culinary prowess, a lot of the action took place on this year’s inaugural debut of the GastroMagic stage and surrounding food “lands”. Some of our favorites included:

Big Freedia’s and Brenda’s French Soul Food “Bounce Brunch”: This was where fans of Southern cooking and the transgender twerking sensation, the “Queen Diva” herself, were treated to an early Saturday afternoon, interactive mini set. Freedia took the stage with her co-ed twerk team and two members of Brenda’s French Soul Food, coerced the crowd to join her on stage and twerk for made-to-order beignets. Almost immediately, lines formed to strut in front of the audience for the piping-hot pastries, with the restaurant staff joining in on the fun, tapping their powdered sugar dispensers along to chants of “Shake for your beignets…”

Photo via Pop Sugar.

Bacon Bacon Lands flights: For the truly decadent, this year’s Bacon Lands covered all the delicious meat-candy bases. Most often seen floating throughout the park via the Bacon Bacon flights, the well-known Bay Area food truck offered a skewered sampling of three various types of cured fat, packaged as a between set “meat-sicle” snack comprised of everyone’s favorite part of our piggy friends. The aroma wafting from this “land” was hypnotic, coaxing weary festivalgoers rummaging through Maclaren Pass to the magical pork stand tucked away in the trees. Surpassing all of its other neighboring “lands”, this location easily had some of the most enthusiastic lines with patrons salivating for their chance at some greasy goodness on the go.

Macgyver Mini Bars: While we at Showbams do not condone attempting to smuggle in anything restricted by Outside Lands (or any festival for that matter), we have to acknowledge the attempts both successful and foiled. By the weekend’s end, security was a force to be reckoned with, but what seemed like an ocean of alcohol still made its way inside. Even in a setting that one can traverse the fairgrounds openly with some of the world’s best beer and wine while adorning a legal ID wristband, people got ingenious with their covert booze operations, tipping authorities off to some of the greatest sneaking-in secrets in the festival’s history.

Beyond hiding alcohol in legal food boxes, wrappers and the obvious camel back and thermos containers, many used the park’s topography to literally bury their liquor treasures. There were hollowed out loaves of bread, burrito wrapped liters, creepy nether-region containers and more. Some successful showoffs even boasted about it to local press and spattered social media with their accomplishments.

TOP “ONLY IN SF” OUTSIDE LANDS ATTRACTIONS

Digital Detox, Camp Grounded Analog Zone and Sober Lands: In an attempt to reunite the festivalgoer with the true concept of what a music festival essentially is/used to/should be, Outside Lands brings a truly “unique” experience to the forefront with its campaign to “disconnect to reconnect” with these three features. Attempting to remove attendees from the digital noise of the modern world and get back to a simpler, more organic festival experience, Digital Detox and Camp Grounded Analog Zone provide the opportunity to drink tea in a yurt while making arts and crafts, playing board games, meditating, face painting or writing love letters on a typewriter to leave on a missed connection board sans social media and telephones.

If you’re not a fan of partying with the inebriated masses, Sober Lands had you covered. With meetings scheduled throughout the day, the tent offered a place of solace for those looking to clear their head between smushing up against sweaty booze-soaked bodies all day amidst the craziness of the typical festival crowds.

Outsider Art and The Barbary: This year’s art program, curated by Jeben Berg and the legendary SF art publication Juxtapoz Magazine, brought an incredible roster of talent to the festival forefront. Between the live graffiti art, painting, theater and insane installations, the visual art at this year’s festival was better than ever before. From the individual wall panels lining the polo fields to Dennis Mcnett’s incredible sculpture piece, even Ranger Dave got in on the fun with his larger-than-life welcoming statue next to the North Side entrance/Sutro Stage.

Along with the stunning visuals, Dr. Flotsam’s Hell Brew Revue dominated the Barbary area, causing mischief throughout the McLaren Pass with his frolicking band of Carny Bastards. Very rarely could you make the mission through the woods without encountering a circus sideshow of random clowns playing “bowling for drunks”, whips cracking, roots revival hoe-downs and odd Nordic funeral processions clouding up the overpass. It wasn’t something most would consider having to navigate around at a sold-out music festival, but when in SF, one better come prepared for more than just cold weather and marathon-style walking.

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: GastroMagic, Outside Lands, Outside Lands 2014, Outside Lands Music Festival 2014

Outside Lands superjam features comedic guests, MC Hammer

August 14, 2014 by Marc Fong Leave a Comment

By Marc Fong //

Kool & the Gang with special guests //
The Independent – San Francisco
August 10th, 2014 //

Sunday night’s Kool & the Gang show at The Independent promised a slew of special guests, and most were of the comedic variety. Barbary Tent standouts from Outside Lands — Craig Robinson, along with the stars of Silicon Valley, Thomas Middleditch and T.J. Miller — helped get things going. Robinson got in on the musical action, and the Bay Area’s very own MC Hammer helped throw it down with Kool & the Gang.

Filed Under: Featured, Photos Tagged With: Craig Robinson, Kool & The Gang, MC Hammer, Outside Lands, Silicon Valley, T.J. Miller, The Independent, Thomas Middleditch

Outside Lands Day 3: Flume draws massive crowd, inspires tree dancing

August 11, 2014 by Mike Frash 3 Comments

Photos by Marc Fong // Written by Mike Frash //

Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival //
Golden Gate Park – San Francisco
August 8th-10th, 2014 //

When we wrote about Flume possibly playing Outside Lands this year in our artist rumors article, we mentioned the Australian DJ could headline this year, a divisive point that got some folks questioning our claim. Based on the crowd that showed up and the high level of sustained excitement on Sunday, that possibility isn’t too far away for Harley Streten. Sure, CHVRCHES’ cancelling their set caused some massive swelling at the east end of the festival for Flume, but many of the disappointed must have found a new favorite.

Australian producer Harley Streten weaved together a crowd-pleasing set that had a saturated Twin Peaks field bouncing along with hands up for the duration, all in the 3 p.m. hour on Sunday. In the past year, Flume’s set has become more sophisticated, led by a restrained approach that intermingles hip-hop, trap, R&B and rap. The drops are inverted in their intensity compared to traditional EDM, offering slight delays and unpredictable syncopation.

Flume has helped to create and capitalize off music’s popular trend toward marrying dance music and hip-hop, and his ability to curate a festival-sized mega party cannot be questioned at this point. Fortune favors the bold …

Add in remixes, including Major Lazer’s “Get Free” & Lorde’s “Tennis Court”, while throwing back to Friday with a rework of Disclosure’s “You & Me” and “Insane” with Killer Mike’s verses, and even the uninitiated were pulled into the excitement. Streten was also able to bring in “Touched” by What So Not, his new duo with Emoh Instead.

And did I mention how packed it was? Twenty minutes before Flume was to start there was nowhere to go. Some folks had to resort to tree dancing … for mostly hilarious results (watch the video above). While the conservationist in me says raging out a tree for an hour isn’t right, it was pretty funny — but not to Ranger Dave. According to a user on a Reddit thread titled FLUME FUCKING KILLED IT, “Apparently he got fined, and just posted his ticket on Facebook.” So think twice before trying this next year.

Some shows, per usual, were very crowed this year. Perhaps too crowded. Atmosphere’s show on Saturday left no room to breath. Capital Cities looked really packed. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis easily outdrew Tom Petty. So, would you pay a little more money if Outside Lands sold less tickets? Or do you prefer the masses like penguins huddling to keep warm in the winter, or maybe just going to where the crowds aren’t.

• Woods are the most quintessential California band that is not from here — they call Brooklyn home. The group curates the Woodsist Festival down the road in Big Sur, their most famous song before this year was “Cali in a Cup”, and they felt right at home in the confines of Golden Gate Park early Sunday. When they played their new song “With Light And With Love” — one of the best songs of 2014 — the spirit of the Grateful Dead performances from the late ‘60s felt present on what used to be Speedway Meadow.

• Jenny Lewis, sporting a snazzy technicolor dream-coat that matches her new album cover for The Voyager, delighted with a slew of new cuts from the record along with some Rilo Kiley joints.

• A buzzy yet not overwhelming crowd came together for Spoon, who released their addictive new record They Want My Soul the Tuesday before Outside Lands. There are a bunch of future classics to be found in the new material that was played, including “Inside Out”, “Do You” & “Outlier”, and the new jams mixed in seamlessly with songs such as “I Turn My Camera On” and “I Summon You”. Britt Daniel looked inspired after four years on break from Spoon with Divine Fits. Watch for Spoon to have a big year, and give the new album a listen if you haven’t yet.

• You certainly can’t say The Flaming Lips aren’t trying. They seem to change from year to year, and when the Lips form a set that centers around Wayne Coyne’s voice as they did at Outside Lands, it can feel uninspired at times and triumphant at others, but our heroic muscle man gives 100 percent the entire time amongst psychedelic spectacle. Their Halloween show from 2013 in SF made my top 10 shows list last year because they took the opposite approach with Coyne’s voice, modulating it into an electronic instrument, and gone were the hyper happy Yoshimi songs, the cheerleaders, the confetti cannons and human hamster ball. All of it. Instead, the Halloween show was a glorious drone-filled, psychedelic freak out, reflecting the studio work they’d released the past two years.

Coyne and company realize a festival set is different than a normal show, so they have tried to find middle ground. The Flaming Lips leader wore a muscle body suit as if he was skinned, the cheerleaders are now put in rainbow, sun and earth costumes, while songs like “Do You Realize?” and “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds” were played with a dystopic, bleak tone. So, by having a setlist of lighter hits that were played through a jarring lens, nobody got what they really wanted. On a positive note, the Flaming Lips are keeping it weirder than ever, and many of the extended whiffs of Pink Floyd’s languid guitar hit the spot.

• We weren’t that excited about The Killers or Tiësto to finish the festival, but we’re ready to eat our hat. I went to Tiësto since I firmly believe it’s best to say goodbye with a dance party, leaving it all on the field. The Dutch DJ was far less anthemic than anticipated, dropping some surprisingly powerful bass that speaks to his progressive nature behind the dials. Lands End was going bonkers. The overall reaction to The Killers from various press and social media websites has been very positive — Another Planet Entertainment and Superfly Presents have got their fingers on the pulse of what works for entertaining the masses at Outside Lands. We’re already looking forward to the schedule for year No. 8 in 2015.

What was your favorite act on Sunday? Did you see the dude in the tree at Flume? Tell us your story below.

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: Flume, Jenny Lewis, Outside Lands, Outside Lands 2014, Spoon, The Flaming Lips, The Killers, Tiësto, What So Not, Woods

Outside Lands Day 2: HAIM take another step toward the top

August 10, 2014 by Mike Frash 1 Comment

Photos by Marc Fong // Written by Mike Frash //

Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival //
Golden Gate Park – San Francisco
August 8th-10th, 2014 //

Saturday brought a more celebratory tone to Outside Lands Music and Arts Festiva despite the typical August fog’s return to SF’s Golden Gate Park. Following Kanye West’s exciting Friday set that was marred by multiple man-baby moments, it was time for smiles to become contagious and for the communal spirit of the fest to take flight.

No one led this Day 2 transition better than HAIM. “I want to see babes on babes on babes. Totem pole!” demanded ESTE FUCKING HAIM of the Outside Lands crowd, and oblige they did. An effective festival technique, Alana, Danielle and Este quickly counted as festivalgoers doubled up toward the sky like a meerkat looking for a predator. And by the time the awesome threesome blasted into “Forever”, the crowd had been primed by funny, engaging banter.

More importantly, they are remarkably talented at what they do. HAIM fucking rocks live. They elongate and have adapted some of their songs, like “Forever”, for the better. Before introducing “The Wire”, Danielle prepped the audience for the call and response of “Right!”. Full buy-in permeated the Lands End stage as most everyone joined in the fun.

If HAIM continue to write undeniably catchy songs while retaining their fierce attitudes, the sky’s the limit. The atypical vocal phrasing never gets old, and I hope they continue to create music that develops around their quirky approach to modern pop while re-purposing the familiar. These Los Angeles-based sisters could be headlining big festivals in 3-5 years.

• Jagwar Ma displayed noted improvement since their show last year at The Independent, the group has expanded their sound further on stage, stretching out the vocal mantras into delirious territory. Jano Ma’s production showed shades of Nine Inch Nails, balancing Moog synthesizer and a squelchy analogue sound.

• Big Freedia was everywhere Saturday. The Queen Diva brought a taste of NOLA to the new GastroMagic stage, allowing proactive patrons to cook up a beignet while they got there bounce on. Then, Freedia was at the Soundwave tent, and finally for her proper set at the Panhandle Stage. Ass Everywhere!

• SF-based graphic designer-turned-musician-turned-full-band Tycho had a prime spot mid-day at Twin Peaks, but it’s unclear if Scott Hansen’s minimalist approach translates in a big, open field at a festival. While the crowd energy was low as expected, it was a solid set accompanied by a new, intriguingly odd video component.

• The Sutro Stage was alive with an intimate crowd for Deer Tick. Screaming fans belted out lyrics and danced with interlocked arms to the group’s raucous, twangy Southern rock.

• Duck Sauce is refreshing for embracing the absurd, boiling down dance music into explosions of bass with melodies as obnoxious as “Gangum Style” or happy hardcore. But A-Trak and Armand Van Helden have pinpointed the perfect equation for a ridiculously good time, making sure not to ever get too jarring or obvious. When looking for a raging, good time in a festival setting, nothing may be more fun than Duck Sauce. Quack.

• Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers are just about as “legend” as it gets, and tracks from Petty’s 2014 LP Hypnotic Eye were laced throughout the main stage headliner’s set. “Friend of the Devil” was covered, a nod and a wink to the Grateful Dead’s home turf, while “American Girl” finished of the night on a high note.

• Macklemore & Ryan Lewis at Twin Peaks was way more crowded than Tom Petty’s show. Macklemore brought out Mary Lambert for the GBLT anthem “Same Love”, which included a wedding proposal well-suited for SF.

What was your favorite show or moment on Saturday? What are you looking forward to Sunday?

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: Big Freedia, Day 2, Deer Tick, Duck Sauce, Golden Gate Park, Haim, Jagwar Ma, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Outside Lands, Outside Lands 2014, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Tycho

Outside Lands Day 1: Kanye West rants like a petulant child

August 9, 2014 by Mike Frash 4 Comments

Photos by Marc Fong // Written by Mike Frash //

Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival //
Golden Gate Park – San Francisco
August 8th-10th, 2014 //

Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival has graduated to the upper tier of festivals in its seventh year, selling out within 24 hours and packing in SF’s Golden Gate Park on Friday afternoon much earlier than past iterations. And for the first time, the Lands End main stage featured rap and electronic-oriented music, drawing a youthful crowd usually reserved for Justice or Pretty Lights at the Twin Peaks stage.

But more than imagined and expected, Friday’s headliner Kanye West showed that he behaves like a petulant child, launching into mini temper tantrums throughout the night, amidst an inspiring show the crowd was digging. His performance confirmed everything his detractors spout —- that he’s a narcissist to the point that he truly believes it’s a form of art.

Yes, I understand that this is what Kanye does. It was expected. It’s still a buzz kill, almost a tactical time killer.

“I want you to tell your kids about this night,” he said. This advice came amongst one of the four rants that cut off songs at their best moments, stopping all the natural momentum so Kanye could drop all sound and preach. It’s reminiscent of Andy Kaufman’s “challenge the audience” mentality, getting people to question why they came in the first place.

There were moments of complete crowd elation, but when the encore was over by 9:50 p.m. (10 minutes before last call), you have to ask, did he give it his all? Kanye is the ideal artist of this generation —- innovating to push the lines of contemporary pop while being completely self-absorbed.

Should Kanye give up the rants for the sake of entertainment or will you be telling your kids about it? Leave a comment with your favorite rant line, your top show of the day, a link to your photos or video.

“Imma need y’all to make a bigger circle!”

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: Arctic Monkeys, Day 1, Golden Gate Park, Kanye West, Outside Lands, Outside Lands 2014

Outside Lands 2014 beer/artist pairings

July 21, 2014 by Steven Wandrey Leave a Comment

By Steven Wandrey and Corey Jay //

Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival //
Golden Gate Park – San Francisco
August 8th-10th, 2014 //

When strolling through the polo fields at Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival, sometimes you need a refreshing beverage. Most of the beers listed here are so good that you’ll have a sip and be forced to stop walking to take in the overwhelming flavors, but don’t lose your friends. Located conveniently at the back of the main stage, Beer Lands has been getting better and stronger with (mostly) local craft beer selections. Here is a carefully curated list of beer/artist pairings that will even further accentuate each other at the festival.

The wind rips through the park at night with a chill from the ocean, which is why there is a focus on darker more robust beers here. While all of these beers may not be the exact selections offered on the days of the festival, there are sure to be plenty of tasty options from these tip-top breweries.

View the 2014 schedule and create your custom grid to share with friends!
View our Outside Lands night show breakdown!

Bitter American by 21st Amendment Brewery for Kanye West

Here’s Kanye on a review for College Dropout: “A horrible album with just Jesus Walks on it is a four! C’mon dog, the demo version was a five! You need to rate it again, but you’ll have to create a new rating system.” Bitter, Kanye? While he may not actually be the most bitter person around, I think we can all agree that he is always full of … confidence. In spite of Kanye’s overflowing self-love and general obnoxious behavior, we’re all plenty stoked to go see the production Yeezus puts on. Bitter American is a hoppy American pale ale with relatively low ABV that’ll be perfect for the polo fields during the rap king’s headlining set. Just remember not to be too bitter while he’s ranting about how incredible he is (in the third person), and have fun. -SW

Wookey Jack American Black Ale by Firestone Walker Brewing for The Flaming Lips

When subjecting yourself to the intense sensory onslaught of the Flaming Lips’ live show, you may need a hefty beer to anchor yourself down. That’s where the Wookey Jack comes in. This 8.3-percent beer will give your taste buds a grip with a balance of syrupy but crisp, roast-y, hoppy goodness. The Flaming Lips may decide to play a set deeply mired in psychedelia or a poppy one heavy with Yoshimi, and you’ll be dually covered with the Wookey Jack. -SW

Inception by Triple Voodoo Brewing for Typhoon

Only four years since their debut release, Typhoon is experiencing a breakthrough in exposure and popularity. Their anthemic indie rock is cathartic and widely appealing. Triple Voodoo is also close to its debut release, and the SF-based brewery has been making big strides as well. Inception is a Belgian-style Triple with a dry finish that neatly disguises its burly alcohol percentage of 8 percent. Hopefully both Typhoon and Triple Voodoo continue to grow in popularity, because both are well deserved of their acclaim thus far. -SW

Campfire Stout by High Water Brewing for Woods

High Water Brewing out of San Leandro, Calif., has been making some fine brews for a while now, and one of the best is their Campfire Stout. Made for the outdoors, roasty malts, vanilla, caramel and marshmallows will swirl around your palate as Woods’ psychedelic-folk swirls in the air around you. This beer is as close to eating a s’more in liquid form as you can get. Touring in support of their new album With Light and With Love, Woods has a hefty slate of shows on the docket, including a night show at Brick & Mortar the night before their Outside Lands performance. -SW

Kalifornia Kolch by Magnolia Pub & Brewery for Nikki Bluhm and the Gramblers

Nikki Bluhm is a local favorite in SF because of her powerfully soulful singing and classic feel-good rock. What better way to enjoy the show than with a beer most likely brewed within five miles from her? Magnolia is making fantastic beer with storefronts in the Dogpatch and the Upper Haight. Assuming this is a day time show, their Kalifornia Kolch will blend perfectly with some sun and dancing. Clearly a group of heady guys, whatever Magnolia decided to bring will be solid. Other favorites are their Proving Grounds Double IPA and the Weakapaug Gruit. -SW

Bigfoot Barleywine Ale by Sierra Nevada Brewing for Duck Sauce

Right as the true depths of the intensely flavored Bigfoot by Sierra Nevada surface, the non stop rhythm and beastly sounds of the “Big Bad Wolf” by Duck Sauce should be allowing your true inhibitions to surface. The pairing will create a plethora of robust favors, explicit undertones, and sensual excitement if given the chance to groove side by side. When you see “Barbara Streisand” on the dance floor, just make sure to thank the local Bigfoot by Sierra Nevada. -CJ

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: 21st Amendment Brewery, Bigfoot Barleywine Ale, Bitter American, Campfire Stout, Duck Sauce, Firestone Walker Brewing, High Water Brewing, Inception, Kalifornia Kolch, Kanye West, Magnolia Pub & Brewery, Nikki Bluhm and the Gramblers, Outside Lands, Outside Lands 2014, Sierra Nevada Brewing, The Flaming Lips, Triple Voodoo Brewing, Typhoon, Woods, Wookey Jack American Black Ale

Outside Lands 2014 daily lineup highlights

April 17, 2014 by Mike Frash Leave a Comment

Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival //
Golden Gate Park – San Francisco
August 8th-10th, 2014 //

So, three-day tickets for Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival sold out in record time. Now’s your chance to snag single-day passes for SF’s premier music festival. Get ready: tickets go on sale Thursday, April 17th at 10 a.m.

Still choosing which day might be best for you? Here’s our take on the headliner options, along with choice picks and reasons to get there early this August in Golden Gate Park.

Friday, August 8th

HEADLINER OPTIONS: Kanye West Vs. Arctic Monkeys (or Disclosure)

Yeezus himself will handle headlining duties on day one, but the real question is whether or not Arctic Monkeys or Disclosure will helm Twin Peaks come nightfall. Both acts are worthy of a headlining slot — time will tell.

CHOICE PICKS:

Run the Jewels: El-P + Killer Mike , “Rap’s most dangerous Duo”, are returning to SF after their game changing shows last year at the Independent. Expect top notch beats over future-forward production. In a perfect world they would open for West.

Phosphorescent: Matthew Houck’s understated, twisted take on indie rock is refreshingly breathtaking, exemplified most strikingly by the majestic “Song for Zula”:

Holy Ghost!: Ready for a disco-dance party fed by instrumentals? Yes you are. One of our favorite acts from the last year will set Golden Gate park ablaze.

DIGGING DEEP: (reasons to get there early)

• Mikal Cronin
• Greensky Bluegrass
• Typhoon
• Bear Hands

THE VERDICT: Eclectic with as many rap options as dance choices.

Saturday, August 9th

HEADLINER OPTIONS: Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers vs. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

This one’s going to be a pretty simple choice for most folks — the classic rock singalongs versus the contemporary pop-rap anthems. These headliners starkly contrast from one another.

CHOICE PICKS:

SBTRKT: Known to perform with iconic tribal masks, Aaron Jerome fuses innovative electronic production with drums, synth, keys & live singing, usually with help from touring partner Sampha. SBTRKT’s new EP Transitions delves into icy-instrumental territory.

Atmosphere: Slug and Ant are back this year, and they’ve got a new song entitled “Kanye West”, which doesn’t go after the Day 1 headliner, but it does address hip-hop crowd interactions in a playful, positive way.

Tycho: Scott Hansen is as much a visual artist as he is a musician — his projected imagery melds simple geometry and super slow-mo romanticism and works in hand with his newly cemented band’s ambient, yet driving beats. This one deserves a night time slot, say closing down the Panhandle Stage?

DIGGING DEEP: (reasons to get there early)

• Woods
• Jagwar Ma
• Valerie June
• Trails and Ways

THE VERDICT: Save for a handful of rowdy spots (Macklemore, Duck Sauce, Capital Cities), the offerings are relatively mellow.

Sunday, August 10th

HEADLINER OPTIONS: The Killers vs. Tiësto (or The Flaming Lips)

These two options to end the weekend are, once again, clear cut. But here’s hoping Ranger Dave harkens back to the early years and offers a third headliner option in The Flaming Lips. Their drone-psyche spectacle of a freak out deserves darkness and would offer an incredible third option.

CHOICE PICKS:

Cut Copy: Every time these electronic-oriented Australians swing through the Bay Area, we’ll be there. Dan Whitford & Co. will make you dance and reach for the sky.

Lykke Li: The Swedish Songstress is returning to the touring circuit this year, and her first offerings from her forthcoming LP I Never Learn are more sedated than swirling. Li’s ownership of the stage and visceral passion request your attendance.

Flume: Skyrocketing electronic-music amalgamator Harley Streten creates big, bold beats centered by a chill tone. Since releasing his self-titled LP to worldwide acclaim in 2012, he’s brought in a host of top level rhymers to give the music new meaning and fresh life (listen below). We’re excited to see how this influences his live show.

DIGGING DEEP: (reasons to get there early)

• Gold Panda
• Courtney Barnett
• Jonathan Wilson
• Tumbleweed Wanderers

OVERALL VIBE: Sunday has a lot of high-decibel acts. A good day for dance enthusiasts.

Check out our Outside Lands 2014 playlist:

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Festivals Tagged With: Arctic Monkeys, Atmosphere, Bear Hands, Courtney Barnett, Cut Copy, Disclosure, Flume, Gold Panda, Greensky Bluegrass, Holy Ghost, Jagwar Ma, Jonathan Wilson, Kanye West, Lykke LI, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Mikal Cronin, Outside Lands, Outside Lands Music Festival 2014, Phosphorescent, Run The Jewels, Sbtrkt, The Flaming Lips, The Killers, Tiësto, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Trails and Ways, Tumbleweed Wanderers, Tycho, Typhoon, Valerie June, Woods

Five Outside Lands trends in 2014

April 9, 2014 by Kevin Quandt & Mike Frash 3 Comments

Photos by Marc Fong // Written by Mike Frash & Kevin Quandt //

Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival //
Golden Gate Park – San Francisco
August 8th-10th, 2014 //

The lineup for the seventh annual Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival, taking place August 8th-10th in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, was announced Tuesday. Headliners Kanye West, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers and The Killers were the focus of the many knee-jerk reactions, but what does the lineup say as a whole? Here are five trends we’ve spotted.

Three-day passes for the festival go on sale Thursday, April 10th at 10 a.m.

1. RAP IS REPRESENTED MORE THAN EVER
Outside Lands missed out on the OutKast nostalgia sweepstakes, but the far more controversial (and relevant), Yeezus has been crowned as the first rap headliner in the festival’s history (see below). Beastie Boys were slotted to headline the festival in 2009, and they sadly had to pull out due to Adam Yauch’s cancer diagnosis. Tenacious D ultimately became the headliner over M.I.A. The Bay Area doesn’t attract an abundance of hip-hop or rap in general, yet many in the SF music community have wondered when Outside Lands, now a top national festival, would get into the game. El-P and Killer Mike, one of most dynamic music duos in years, are working on a follow-up to their incredible Run the Jewels debut and are sure get Golden Gate Park pumped. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis performed at noon in 2011 at Outside Lands, and since then, they own four major singles and seemingly sell out every show they perform. But they are dangerously within the range of overexposure, and since winning “Best Rap Album” at the Grammys over Kendrick Lamar (and Macklemore felt the need to text-apologize to Lamar), some music fans are out for vitriolic blood. That said, Macklemore’s impact on the popular music landscape is undeniable. Atmosphere, Aer and Watsky, also successful suburban-oriented spitters in their own right, are also on the bill this year.

2. KANYE WEST IS AS DIVISIVE A FIGURE AS EVER
Reaction to Kanye West as the top headliner was distinctively negative Tuesday, at least from the loudest people. West is at the peak of his career, releasing two of the most essential albums of the past five years with Yeezus and My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. The mega-narcissistic artist of a generation is already busy working on a follow-up to be produced by Q-Tip and Rick Rubin, and it may be out before Outside Lands in August. Odds are Yeezus will pull back from minimalist trap production and go back to his soul-sampling roots to cast a wider net. West has won over music critics with his recent boundary-pushing efforts, but the question becomes, can he avoid a Kardashian-enhanced mainstream backlash bigger than the “Swifting” he pulled at the MTV Video Music Awards? Our money is on ‘Ye.

3. THE FIRST REPEAT HEADLINER
Now in its seventh year, Outside Lands has finally reached the point when we see our first repeat headliner in the form of classic rock demigod, Tom Petty and his band the Heartbreakers. Having played on the second day of the inaugural year to a healthy-sized crowd, Petty worked through some technical errors with a set heavy on his standout hits from the past decades. A new release and tour recently announced lead us to think that Mr. Charlie T. Wilbury is primed to have a big second half of 2014.

4. A SLIGHT SHIFT IN ELECTRONIC MUSIC CURATION
One thing that Showbams noticed when culling through the lineup was the inclusion of slightly more progressive EDM. What was once a genre more reserved for Treasure Island Music Festival is making its way to Golden Gate Park, hoping to turn some folks onto a newer style of electronic production. This new shift is mainly represented by Disclosure, Flume, SBTRKT and Gold Panda. Each act brings a quality that is slightly out of the “dance music” box, whether it’s Disclosure’s 2-step-garage sound or Gold Panda’s experimental beat production. Even after all these years, Another Planet and Superfly keeps us on our toes.

5. THE MOST ECLECTIC LINEUP YET
Outside Lands has always basked in musical diversity, and this notion is true now more than ever. As our collective access to music becomes easier and more plentiful, so does our acceptance of a greater variety of genres. In one weekend, festivalgoers will bounce to Big Freedia, get rural with Kacey Musgraves and dance with Duck Sauce. Whether it’s folk, EDM, hip-hop, indie rock, country or soul, Outside Lands’ eclectic lineup suits the integrity and character of SF and the Bay Area.

Follow our Outside Lands 2014 playlist on Spotify.

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: Big Freedia, Disclosure, Duck Sauce, El-P, Flume, Gold Panda, Golden Gate Park, Kacey Musgraves, Kanye West, Killer Mike, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Outside Lands, Outside Lands 2014, Run The Jewels, Sbtrkt, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

Outside Lands 2014: Lineup locks, likely acts & long shots

March 12, 2014 by Kevin Quandt & Mike Frash 18 Comments

Photos by Tim Hampson // Written by Mike Frash & Kevin Quandt //

Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival //
Golden Gate Park – San Francisco
August 8th-10th, 2014 //

As we inch towards springtime, leading to summer, and Coachella is within a month’s reach, some Bay Area music freaks (like us) begin to speculate about who is gonna be gracing those stages freckled throughout Golden Gate Park come August. Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival is set to return to SF on August 8th-10th.

The greatest indicators are the group’s touring schedules — Osheaga Music Festival in Montreal and Pickathon in Oregon have announced their schedules the weekend prior to Outside Lands (with Lollapalooza to still be announced). Squamish Valley Music Festival in British Columbia is the same weekend as Outside Lands, but Vancouver is close enough for artists to double dip.

Conversely, we can confirm some big acts that won’t be on the bill due to scheduling conflicts. But if this is even close to what the Outside Lands 2014 lineup looks like, the Bay Area should be in for a delicious, fog-enhanced treat.

UPDATE 4/7: The lineup has been announced!

Lock It In (we think)

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band: A new album on the way and a lack of dates out West makes him a solid candidate for top billing this year. Also, keep in mind that OSL has never repeated headliners, as well as the fact that Super Fly (Bonnaroo), who along with Another Planet Presents, handles the bulk of the booking.

Arctic Monkeys: [CONFIRMED] These festival stalwarts announced an extensive tour with a noticeable gap in the western demographic which leads to speculation that they’ll return for a sub-headlining set. Confirmed for August 10th at Osheaga.

Chromeo: [CONFIRMED] A Red Rocks date on August 5th is a good sign that these party starters are en route back to San Francisco for a possible Twin Peaks headlining spot.

Modest Mouse: Confirmed for Osheaga, and with no California dates on the calendar for the recently announced tour, Modest Mouse is starting to look like a lock.

Cut Copy: [CONFIRMED] Cut Copy and Chromeo are on parallel tracks. Both will have played APE shows in the past year, and their tour buses are aligning toward the Bay in early August.

CHVRCHES: [CONFIRMED] Confirmed for Osheaga, it just makes sense that one of the the biggest breakout acts of 2013 will triumphantly return to the Bay after playing the Independent, Mezzanine & Fox Theater Oakland over the past year.

Flume: [CONFIRMED] It’s due time for this EDM heat-seeker to return to San Francisco, and what better place and time than Outside Lands. Flume’s popularity could land him Twin Peaks headlining duties.

Tycho: [CONFIRMED] Having become the darlings of Another Planet, what better progressive act to grace the bill than Tycho. Sold out shows in the coming weeks lend to a strong demand.

Foster the People: Performing at Squamish Valley Music Festival Friday lends a good possibility that Mark Foster and band will trek down to Golden Gate Park for a Sunday set. A slot at Osheaga Festival the weekend prior says they’ll be hitting many large events as they support their latest release Supermodel.

Iron & Wine and Glen Hansard: These two artists are booked to play Hollywood Bowl on August 10th, leading most savvy music aficionados to make the leap that these acts will be present.

Danny Brown: A lack of Bay Area dates coupled with spots on the ‘OSL crossover’ festival, Squamish, could mean we are in for a ‘Kush Koma’ with oddball, Danny Brown.

Likely To Appear

Elton John: The announcement of Sir Elton playing Bonnaroo has fueled this rumor nicely, even if questions of availability swirl. The main issue would be surrounding a clause with Caesars where John has a residency. However, this Vegas run ends in April, so it looks possible.

Green Day: These Bay Area legends have surprisingly never played Outside Lands, and it seems possible we’ll see them grace the main stage for a night with Billy Joe and company.

Coldplay: New music on the way, coupled with scheduled appearances at South by Southwest is a clear sign that Chris Martin and lads are gearing up to re-dominate the world with their anthemic rock. Also, never headlined OSL.

Tiësto: [CONFIRMED] Ranger Dave likes to book some of the biggest names in the EDM world to ‘compete’ with headliners, attracting a slightly younger crowd to congregate at Twin Peaks on most evenings. Tiësto’s production would fit nicely into the bigness of past DJ spotlights.

Frank Ocean: Frankie is mounting his come back after a relatively quiet past few years. His billing on Bonnaroo fuels the speculation that Super Fly booked him, and other acts, for more than just Roo.

The Flaming Lips: [CONFIRMED] Wayne Coyne has had a busy past few months with a recent release and some serious Fall touring. Now, as summer looms, it appears the Lips will be omnipresent at summer festivals. Recent Another Planet shows coupled with Bonnaroo presence make these weirdo legends a likely booking.

Lorde: Has any act ever gone to sub-headliner status this quickly? Based on her popularity and the way she’s altered the pop landscape, Lorde deserves it. She’s confirmed to play Osheaga and her April dates at Fox Theater sold out immediately.

Chance the Rapper: No longer Chicago’s secret, Chancelor Bennett needs to get better acquainted with the Bay Area. There is a gap in his schedule, and the Acid Rapper is confirmed for Osheaga.

HAIM: [CONFIRMED] For being California girls, sisters Este, Danielle and Alana could show a bit more love to the Bay Area (They’ve played in England over 20 times). Their first ever show in the Bay was at Treasure Island Music Festival last year, and their fauxchella Fillmore dates were tough tickets to snag as they sold out in seconds.

Lykke Li: [CONFIRMED] Confirmed for Friday of Squamish, it’s very possible the breathtaking Swedish singer-songwriter could grace Outside Lands on Sunday.

Foxygen: Even though there has been turmoil (broken legs, inner-band conflict), the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic should come play “San Francisco” in it’s namesake. The group is confirmed for Pickathon as well.

Mikal Cronin: [CONFIRMED] The singer-songwriter has become quite the popular local musician and would be ideal for a showcase of SF rock. Booked for the Oregon Pickathon means he’ll be active around this time.

Valerie June: [CONFIRMED] The American singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist is playing Pickathon and other West Coast dates prior to Outside Lands. June’s sound will fit nicely into the festival’s curation net.

It Could Happen

Kanye West: [CONFIRMED] As it appears OutKast will not be the infamous first hip-hop headliner, we look to Kanye West as an outside possibility as the debut of rap taking center stage one summer evening. Inclusion on Bonnaroo’s docket makes a reasonably strong start to an argument for Yeezy.

Eminem: Already a rumored headliner for Lollapalooza, Slim Shady has also booked a co-headlining date with Rihanna at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena the Thursday before Outside Lands while also confirmed for Squamish on Sunday the 10th. Starting to trend toward “likely”, should we be adding RiRi as a rumored headliner?

Tool: Already playing two SF shows in March, would it be that much of a surprise to see Tool headlining one night? Certainly they are big enough to handle top billing duties.

Pharrell Williams: A Ranger Dave’s “hat” tweet has led many to speculate the possibility of Williams’ presence on the festival grounds. Limited dates pepper his itinerary, so it’s anyone’s guess.

The Avett Brothers: Having not played the event in over five years and select festival appearances over the summer, one could make the argument that Avett will return. Bonnaroo booking also helps this case.

Kendrick Lamar: K-Dot’s touring schedule is open, but there are no obvious indicators an Outside Lands appearance will happen. But for a festival that’s usually short on hip hop & rap, it would be too fun to see the Outside Lands stage and surrounding area get crazy during “Backseat Freestyle”.

Gogol Bordello: The Gypsy-punk freaks are confirmed to play Osheaga, and they played Outside Lands in 2010. A return seems possible.

Jagwar Ma: [CONFIRMED] Being rather active in the festival realm in 2014, these party-starters can easily jump from Osheaga over to SF. A previous Another Planet-booked show at the Independent demonstrates there is communication present.

Long Shots: Already booked elsewhere (don’t count on it)

OutKast: Andre 3000 and Big Boi might be playing over 40 festivals this year, but Outside Lands won’t be one of them. OutKast is confirmed for Flow Festival in Finland the same weekend as Outside Lands.

Arcade Fire: Win Butler and company are performing at Squamish Valley Music Festival, but they have a date set at Shoreline in July, and they headlined three years ago.

Jack Johnson
Queens of the Stone Age
Robert Plant
Santana
Neutral Milk Hotel
Janelle Monae
DARKSIDE
Mac Demarco

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: Arcade Fire, Arctic Monkeys, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Chance The Rapper, Chromeo, Chvrches, Coldplay, Cut Copy, Elton John, Flume, Foster the People, Foxygen, Frank Ocean, Glen Hansard, Gogol Bordello, Gramatik, Green Day, Haim, Iron & Wine, Jack Johnson, Jagwar Ma, Janelle Monáe, Kendrick Lamar, Lord Huron, Lorde, Lykke LI, Mac Demarco, Mayer Hawthorne, Mikal Cronin, Modest Mouse, Neutral Milk Hotel, OSL, OutKast, Outside Lands, Outside Lands Music Festival 2014, Pharrell Williams, Portugal. The Man, Queens of the Stoneage, Robert Plant, Santana, Sharon Van Etten, The Avett Brothers, The Flaming Lips, Tool, Tycho, Valerie June

2013 Outside Lands schedule announced!

July 25, 2013 by Mike Frash 2 Comments

Photos by Mark Fong // Written by Mike Frash //

Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival //
Golden Gate Park – San Francisco
August 9th-11th, 2013 //

The schedule has been released for the completely sold-out 2013 Outside Lands Music Festival, meaning the schedule conflict stress has already begun. Some folks have the misplaced assumption that they can see half, or even most of the artists on the OSL bill. They are wrong. With four stages and long walks from Lands End/Sutro to Twin Peaks/Panhandle (and back), you won’t see more than 1/4 of the performers on any given day.

So, now it’s time to start dealing with this first-world festival problem by making some tough choices. But remember, you don’t have to commit! Sometimes it’s best to choose shows while at the fest based on your mood.

Here are the biggest conflicts we see on the schedule — along with the sets we are most likely to attend in bold.

FRIDAY SCHEDULE // AUGUST 9th

• Paul McCartney vs. Yeasayer, Chromatics & Pretty Lights
*Macca has a two-hour, 45-minute set!

• The National vs. Rhye vs. Zedd vs. Stanton Warriors
• Band of Horses vs. Jessie Ware vs. Twenty One Pilots vs.
• Surfer Blood vs. Wild Belle vs. Jeffrey Ross
• Smith Westerns vs. Midi Matilda

SATURDAY SCHEDULE // AUGUST 10th

• Nine Inch Nails vs. Phoenix

• Yeah Yeah Yeahs vs. The Head & the Heart vs. Grizzly Bear
• Jurassic 5 vs. Thao & The Get Down Stay Down vs. Baauer
• Young the Giant vs. Youth Lagoon
• Gary Glark Jr. vs. Milo Greene vs. Atlas Genius

SUNDAY SCHEDULE // AUGUST 11th

• Red Hot Chilli Peppers vs. Dillon Francis, Kaskade

• Vampire Weekend vs. Willie Nelson & Family vs. Matt & Kim vs. MS MR
• Dawes vs. A-Trak
• Hall & Oates vs. Trombone Shorty vs. King Tuff
*4:20 Hall & Oats set. Just sayin’
• FOALS vs. Kurt Vile and The Violators vs. Deap Vally
*Winner of worst conflict: FOALS vs. Kurt Vile

Check out our previous Outside Lands articles:
• Outside Lands 2013 Beer/Artist Pairings
• Outside Lands 2013: Ten sets not to miss
• Outside Lands Music Festival Lineup 2013: Rumors vs. Reality

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals, Outside Lands Tagged With: A-Trak, Atlas Genius, Baauer, Band of Horses, Chromatics, Dawes, Deap Vally, Dillon Francis, FOALS, Gary Glark Jr., Grizzly Bear, Hall & Oates, Jessie Ware, Jurassic 5, Kaskade, King Tuff, Kurt Vile, Kurt Vile & The Violators, Kurt Vile and the Violators, Matt & Kim, Midi Matilda, Milo Greene, MS MR, Nine Inch Nails, Outside Lands, Outside Lands Music Festival, Paul McCartney, Phoenix, Pretty Lights, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Rhye, Smith Westerns, Stanton Warriors, Surfer Blood, Thao & The Get Down Stay Down, The Head & The Heart, The National, Trombone Shorty, Twenty One Pilots, Vampire Weekend, Wild Belle, Willie Nelson & Family, Yeah Yeah Yeah's, Yeasayer, Young The Giant, Youth Lagoon, Zedd

Outside Lands 2013 beer/artist pairings

June 21, 2013 by The Bam Team 6 Comments

Written by Kevin Quandt & Kevin Raos //

Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival //
Golden Gate Park – San Francisco
August 9th-11th, 2013 //

For the first time last year, Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival in SF’s Golden Gate Park introduced “Beer Lands”, a heavenly oasis for brew aficionados and party animals alike. Beer Lands is back for this year’s fest, taking place from August 9th-11th, and the stable of California brewers has somehow grown stronger.

So it got us thinking, with such delicious local brew options (something that virtually no other festival curates … ahem, Coachella), what would be the ideal adult beverage to enjoy during some of our favorite acts?

Indica IPA by Lost Coast Brewery for Willie Nelson // “How’s the glaucoma?”

Nothing will go straight to your head like some Willy Nelson and Indica IPA by Humbolt county’s Lost Coast Brewery. Based in Eureka, Lost Coast brewery has been a staple in the Northern California beer scene since 1986, producing such favorites as Great White, Downtown Brown and Indica IPA. One dose of the Red Headed Stranger washed down with some Indica IPA and you’ll be hanging out with Ranger Dave in the forest after the set. Don’t forget to bring a towel, as you’ll be foaming from the mouth from these delicious beers. -KR

Back in Black IPA from 21st Amendment for NIN // “Dark, rare and slightly dangerous”

21st Amendment Brewery has been churning out some seriously amazing beers over their short history in the shadow of AT&T Park, and Back in Black IPA was lucky enough to make the jump from spout to can, an honor only held by a few of their brews. Don’t be too scared off by the darkness of this beer, as it can go down smooth, sometimes too smooth. So, if you are feeling no pain and need to let off some steam, then Trent Reznor’s Nine Inch Nails headline set is sure to suit the dark beer drinker in all of us. Though the NIN lineup is still in sway after some personnel changes, this set is sure to be the most hardcore of the weekend, so expect moshing, headbanging and the possibility of some scattered mayhem to beloved songs such as “Head like a Hole” and “March of the Pigs”. -KQ

Drake’s Denogginizer Imperial IPA for Pretty Lights // “Mind-melting goodness”

Mix a little Denogginizer Imperial India Pale Ale with little Pretty Lights and your noggin will be rockin’ in no time. Hold onto your head – the bass notes will hit as hard as this mind-melting brew that boasts an ABV of 9.75%. An East Bay beer titan, Drake’s Brewery has been making quite a name for themselves by putting out some of the best beers in the bay. Classics such as 1500 Pale Ale and their Kölsch-Style Blonde Ale anchor a seasonal beer selection that is constantly rotating. Like Pretty Lights’ beats, you might not know what your getting into, but you know it’ll be good. -KR

Honey Saison from Almanac Beer for Jessie Ware // “Sweet but complex”

Almanac Beer Company is another reasonably new brewery in San Francisco whose emphasis is on small batch farm-to-table beers utilizing local producers for the bulk of their ingredients. After only 3 years in the beverage industry, Almanac has crafted some seriously impressive, and environmentally honorable, beverages including a Bier de Chocolat, an Extra Pale Ale with local Mandarin oranges and a celebrated Honey Saison. The latter will likely be on tap this August as this sweet, complex adult beverage is sure to go down smooth while enjoying the neo-R&B powerhouse that is Jessie Ware. Her contemporary sound touches on many genres with one constant; her powerful vocals that cut through so cleanly. She’s already started a successful festival season and is sure to garner more fans at Outside Lands. -KQ

Urban People’s Common Lager by Linden Street Brewery for The Head and the Heart // “Familiar and friendly”

Linden Street Brewery is going back to the roots of brewing, paying homage to the once bustling Oakland brewing scene of the pre-prohibition days. Differentiating themselves from the “West Coast” style ales, Linden Street is replicating “Old California Style” lagers brewed the way European immigrants did it during the Gold Rush. Their flagship beer, the Urban People’s Common Lager, has it’s own unique flavor while still honoring the tradition of all those that have come before. The Head and the Heart, like the Common Lager, have a comfort to them that traces it’s lineage to the folk rock roots of Americana. They might not be that big of a name yet, but they are friendly, easy going and will never do you wrong. This is a great pairing, especially in the afternoon sun – if the fog decides to subside. -KR

California Lager by Anchor Brewing for The Soft White Sixties // “SF originals you can win with”

Anchor Brewing is the quintessential SF brewery and is well regarded among locals and out-of-towners, alike. Almost 120 years of brewing experience has led to a string of successful beers over the past century, most recently released is the California Lager, which many attendees are hopeful to imbibe at Beer Lands in the coming months. What better nod to the local brewery and their tasty new creation than enjoying one, or two, during local breakout band The Soft White Sixties. The distinct golden hue and creamy head should pair perfectly with a breezy summer set of the Sixties’ patented soul-drenched Cali-rock. A recent sold out record release show not far from Golden Gate Park is a sure sign this set will be highly attended. -KQ

Big Daddy by Speakeasy Ales & Lagers for Paul McCartney // “Who’s your daddy?”

Sir Paul McCartney, arguably one of the biggest acts in live music right now, and one of the biggest song writers of all time, is headlining the biggest music festival in the Bay Area this year. The ultimate ‘big daddy’, Paul McCartney pairs too perfectly with the robust citrusy hops of Big Daddy IPA from Speakeasy Brewery in San Francisco. Familiar, kind and good for almost any occasion, you can’t go wrong with either Big Daddy IPA or Mr. McCartney. Don’t know what to listen to? Put on the Beatles. Don’t know what to drink? Make it a Big Daddy. -KR

Check out 10 sets you won’t want to miss this year at Outside Lands.

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals, Outside Lands Tagged With: 21st Amendment Brewery, Almanac Beer Co., Anchor Steam, Drakes Brewing, Jessie Ware, Linden Street Brewery, Nine Inch Nails, Outside Lands, Outside Lands Music Festival, Paul McCartney, Pretty Lights, Speakeasy Ales & Lagers, The Head and The Heart, The Soft White Sixties

Outside Lands 2013: 10 sets not to miss

May 14, 2013 by Kevin Quandt & Mike Frash 10 Comments

Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival //
Golden Gate Park – San Francisco
August 9th-11th, 2013 //

UPDATE: The Outside Lands schedule has been announced. Check out these conflicts.

The Outside Lands lineup for 2013 has been unleashed, and it’s as strong as ever. We made our predictions, and they were pretty good, but now it’s time to take a look at the sets that peak our interest most.

There are so many incredible artists not listed below, including Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Grizzly Bear, Yeasayer, Kurt Vile and A-Trak. But with so many great acts to see (and we’re not even including the comedy tent, the Heineken Dome, late-night shows around SF or possible pop-up shows), it’s good to get an idea of which sets you will want to see, as conflicts will happen. Here are ten sets we’re looking forward to.

Follow our Outside Lands 2013 playlist on Spotify, featuring three tracks from each artist.

Paul McCartney

Were you one to pass up on Stevie Wonder last year for Skrillex? Then this does not matter to you. The ‘law of legend’ applies here — you don’t pass on a set by a member of The Beatles, with the exception of Ringo. Even then you probably should pick a Ringo set. I like dance music plenty, and often an EDM show can be the single most fun thing you can do at a music festival. It’s just not an option here, not for Kaskade or Pretty Lights — have an after-party at your apartment after the festival to make up for it and piss off your neighbors. Paul’s son James will also perform, so look for a father-son collaboration and other special guests. Macca would be an ideal Sunday closing set, but look for Sir Paul to play Friday or Saturday since he has dates scheduled in Canada the Monday through Wednesday after Outside Lands. -MF

Nine Inch Nails

Trent Reznor just cannot slow down. It’s a simple musical fact. Whether it’s winning Academy Awards for the “Social Network” soundtrack or forming a new band with his wife, he never lets up and he has totally reconfigured the 90’s industrial-rock staple that we have grown to love. With Adrian Belew of King Crimson fame playing guitar on NIN’s latest studio effort Hesitation Marks, songs are sure to take on a new identity, which seems to be what Reznor is going for. Add in Josh Eustis of now-defunct Telefon Tel Aviv, and this latest lineup that Reznor has put together is sure to excite the masses in Golden Gate Park. -KQ

UPDATE 5/15: Bassist Eric Avery has decided to quit the band.

Vampire Weekend

Vampire Weekend has gone from “skip” to “must-see” at Outside Lands with the release of their new album Modern Vampires Of The City, and what a gem it is. It’s convinced me not to skip them this year, unless they are up against personal bucket-lister Sir Paul McCartney. Their live act was beginning to feel stale, but the introduction of inspired new material with improved songwriting makes this Outside Lands set one not to miss. Do yourself a favor – check out Vampire Weekend and their new songs live. -KR

D’Angelo

The R&B genius is back at it after a multiyear hiatus, and this return has been slow and seemingly calculated, making one wonder if an album isn’t too far behind. His recent shows in NYC were widely hailed for their simplicity in intstrumentation, anchored by D’Angelo’s smooth vocals and a mix of old favorites, new offerings and choice covers. One cannot deny the brilliance of albums like VooDoo and Brown Sugar, and though it’s a name from the past for many, he is an artist with a rising stock. -KQ

The National

The nuanced, somber music created by The National is not for everyone, but those who are into The National love them, and for good reason. The knock-you-down then build-you up songwriting structure the Brooklyn-based indie group uses is contemplative yet comforting, and their show setlists include songs from their extensive catalogue. The National’s sixth LP will be available May 21, and you can stream it now (and it’s pretty damn good). The Pro-move here will be ditching a larger group to slinky up to the front of the main stage with a few like-minded friends, as proximity will be key – you’ll want to be closer to swooning super-fans with their hand over their heart as opposed to loud drunk chick inadvertently chatting into your ear during the quiet parts. The National will be performing in Los Angeles Saturday and Sunday, so plan on seeing them Friday. -MF

The Tallest Man on Earth

Kristian Matsson’s one-man show as The Tallest Man on Earth is a bit of a surprise on the bill. The Swedish singer-songwriter is not scheduled to play any other shows in the US after Bonnaroo summer, so San Francisco seems to be getting a one-off treat in August. He’s tenacious on stage, whipping around like a cobra ready to strike at critical moments for added emphasis. Matsson’s gritty, passionate vocals can be hynotic, and The Tallest Man should help music fans float away at the main stage with a mid-afternoon time slot. -MF

FOALS

Already approaching headliner status across the pond, these English rockers produce indie dance-punk that that runs the emotional gamut, from mysterious wall-of-sound ragers (“Inhaler”) to upbeat, rock-your-socks-off party anthems (“My Number”). No matter where the music takes you sonically, it’s pretty impossible to not dance, or at least gyrate when seeing this act live. Their set at Coachella was a top set of the weekend, and word is spreading about their third LP Holy Fire – it’s one of the best records of 2013 so far. FOALs are performing in LA on August 9th, so plan on catching them Saturday or Sunday (and hopefully at a late-night show, fingers crossed). -MF

Gary Clark Jr.

This hard-rocking blues guitarist has been making waves for the past year or two, and is on a meteoric quest to the top. Whether he is sitting in with the Stones in NYC or for the President at the White House, Clark can’t stop turning heads and taking names with his virtuosic guitar chops. Much like Alabama Shakes last year, the popularity of this act lies in a modern spin on Southern music and its palpability to many age groups. Fans of the blues are sure to be pleased as Clark weaves that genre into other styles, creating something fully unique. -KQ

Chromatics

The shimmering beauty from the Chromatics will shower upon Golden Gate Park as they continue to tour on the strength of their 2012 LP Kill for Love. Ruth Radelet’s angelic-cool voice breezes over minimalist noir-electro disco, and their live performance can be serious, sexy and danceable all the same time. Chromatics are one of the only acts in synth-pop territory this year at Outside Lands, so plan on seeing this foursome if you’re a fan of the Drive soundtrack (they were in it). -MF

Atlas Genius

Is Atlas Genius the Foster the People of 2013? When one hears the slickness of summer-tinged track “Trojans,” it’s pretty clear that it’s a strong contender for ‘Song of the Summer.’ One could even dub them part of the ‘Australian Invasion’ over the past few years alongside the likes of Tame Impala, Cut Copy and Empire of the Sun, all heralded acts that Atlas Genius will inevitably be compared to. When It Was Now will certainly fuel their massive summer schedule of festivals galore and loads more radio airplay. -KQ

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Festivals, Outside Lands Tagged With: Atlas Genius, Chromatics, Coachella, Coachella 2013, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Music and Arts Festival 2013, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival 2013, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2013, D'Angelo, FOALS, Gary Clark Jr, Nine Inch Nails, Outside Lands, Paul McCartney, The National, The Tallest Man on Earth, Vampire Weekend

Outside Lands Music Festival 2013: Lineup rumors vs. reality

April 1, 2013 by Mike Frash 19 Comments

Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival //
Golden Gate Park – San Francisco
August 9th-11th, 2013 //

The best fest in the West returns this August! Many may disagree with that statement due to the fact that Outside Lands is geographically located between two other premier music festivals in Coachella and Sasquatch! (and don’t forget the gem that is High Sierra Music Festival), but the Northern California fest now in its sixth year that is organized and curated by Another Planet Entertainment has a lot going for it.

The location in Golden Gate Park on the west side of SF, surrounded by public transportation, is prime and convenient. The foggy weather allows for extended high-energy partying. The sun is nice and all, but not when you have to hide from it for half the festival. There are no beer gardens — carry around your world-class beer like the grown-ass adult you are. And the food! The beer! The wine! It’s local and delicious. Outside Lands has unmatched food and beverage selections for a music festival. And the music is pretty choice as well.

So, it got us thinking, who will be performing at Outside Lands in August? By taking a look at bands & artists touring this summer and the shows/festivals they have already booked, we’ve narrowed down the lineup possibilities and classified each outfit as “rumor” or “reality.”

UPDATE: We didn’t do half bad! The lineup was announced on Tuesday, April 16th.

Paul McCartney – Reality

Already announced as a headliner for Bonnaroo, Paul McCartney has been listed as a confirmed artist over at Last.fm. And based on Outside Lands’ history, this legendary act makes too much sense. Envision the polo fields chanting “naaaah, naah nah nanana naaaaaaah” to close out the weekend. Sounds better than a mailed in Happy Birthday (sorry Stevie).

Daft Punk – Rumor

Just … no. Don’t get your hopes up. Even though APE tweeted this recently:

A James Murphy DJ set seems more likely. Rumors swirled around Coachella, then Lollapalooza and Glastonbury after Daft Punk announced their new record Random Access Memories will be out via Columbia on May 21st.

Save it. The iconic French duo already said they will not be touring in 2013, but a 2014 tour seems likely once they update their live show to incorporate the new jams, which sound like true 1970s disco. Hope I’m wrong on this, but Daft Punk does not seem likely.

Green Day – Reality

Festival organizers mentioned last August that they had already booked a headliner for 2013. This immediately made me think Green Day, as they had three records pending release at the time. Green Day would certainly be playing festivals in support of the new material throughout 2013 (and they are), and the Bay Area natives have never played Outside Lands. There is a big gap in their touring schedule in early August as well.

Atoms for Peace – Rumor

Thom York’s electronic/rock supergroup, which also features Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich & Red Hot Chili Pepper’s Flea, would be a suitable headliner at any summer festival. But the group will be touring Europe in July and have no dates set in August. Atoms for Peace announced an LA & Santa Barbara show October 16 & 17, so plan on seeing them at Treasure Island Music Festival.

Nine Inch Nails – Reality

Nine Inch Nails would be a great grab and a must-see headliner, and their current schedule makes it possible. They’ll be headlining Lollapalooza, and they have dates scheduled in Europe starting August 15, but NIN still has Outside Lands weekend open. The new NIN lineup is Reznor, Eric Avery from Jane’s Addiction, Adrian Belew from King Crimson, Josh Eustis from Telefon Tel Aviv and previous NIN members Alessandro Cortini and Ilan Rubin.

Mumford & Sons – Rumor

Mumford & Sons have a gap in their schedule from August 9-11, and they will be in North America for Lollapalooza & Osheaga Music Festivals the weekend before Outside Lands. They will also be touring in North America after Outside Lands, so it’s possible they could headline OSL. But Mumford & Sons will be playing the Greek Theater Berkeley for three dates in late May, so Outside Lands seems far fetched. Tickets ~~go on sale Friday at 10am~~ are sold out.

Phoenix – Reality

It already seemed fishy that Phoenix would skip the Bay Area during Fauxchella, opting for Davis over SF or Oakland. Then on Thursday The Independent added a last-minute Phoenix date for Monday April 1, and obviously many people did not score tickets. Phoenix is a confirmed headliner at Lollapalooza, then they have a gap in their schedule from August 9-11 before heading to Europe.

Queens of the Stone Age – Reality

Queens of the Stone Age will be at Outside Lands, as they are performing at Lollapalooza, then Squamish Music Festival in BC Canada right before and during Outside Lands. SF is the next logical festival stop.

Vampire Weekend – Reality

Just like QOTSA, Vampire Weekend are signed onto Lollapalooza and Squamish Music Festivals. Plan on Vampire Weekend being near the top of the Outside Lands lineup when it comes out.

The Postal Service – Rumor

The Postal Service has a gap in their schedule from August 9th-11th, but they most likely will not be at Outside Lands. They have two dates lined up at the Greek Theater Berkeley, and there are tickets still available for the July 27th show.

Willie Nelson – Reality

Willie Nelson falls right into the wheelhouse of Outside Lands legends that have played in the past. And the red-headed stranger will be playing at The Hollywood Bowl on Friday, August 9.

The National – Reality

The National will be playing the Greek Theater in Los Angeles on August 10th, so it only makes sense that they will be at Outside Lands on Friday or Sunday. Last.fm has already indicated The National is a confirmed group. The National into Paul McCartney to end the weekend would be a winning combination.

Other Likely Performers at Outside Lands:
The Lumineers
Pretty Lights
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Hot Chip
Grizzly Bear
Jurassic 5
Kaskade
FOALS
Crystal Castles
Gogol Bordello
Divine Fits
Fitz & the Tantrums
Band of Horses
Young the Giant
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
Toro Y Moi
Major Lazer
Ben Howard
Steve Martin & Steep Canyon Rangers
Tegan & Sara
Freighted Rabbit
Hall & Oates
Holy Ghost
DIIV
Wavves
Matt & Kim
Childish Gambino
Jessie Ware
Wild Nothing
Atlas Genius
Reignwolf
Baauer
Capitol Cities
IO Echo
Icona Pop
Wild Belle
Midi Matilda
Bear Mountain
Deap Valley
Diamond Rings
Little Green Cars
Family of the Year
Keys N Krates
The Neighbourhood