Photo by Marc Fong // Written by Molly Kish & Kevin Quandt //
Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival //
Golden Gate Park – San Francisco
August 5th-7th, 2022 //
Outside Lands takes over Golden Gate Park this weekend in celebration of its 14th year. Growing in fans and footprint since 2007, it has become a pilar of the Bay Area music scene and remains widely known as one of the country’s top-rated festivals. OSL kicks off August with three-jam packed days of music, food, art and magic, and this year’s edition aims to maintain its legacy while also continuing to diversify the fest’s roster of genre-expanding talent.
Changes for this year include several new lounges, an expanded SOMA Tent and augmented-reality installations throughout the festival grounds. Food vendors appear to have a larger presence, and the Outsider Art showcases have returned with live painting, balloon art and crowd-controlled AV pathways.
With the lineup being stacked, there are definitely plenty of tough conflicts, many of which are forcing attendees to make some tough decisions. To help you navigate OSL 2022, we put together a guide of recommendations and scavenger hunt (PRINT HERE) so you can get the most out of the experience.
Plus, don’t forget to create your own schedule here!
Tough Conflicts
Like death and taxes, one thing is for certain at any given music festival: the dreaded schedule conflicts that can dampen many attendees’ plans to see all their favorite artists. Unless you plan to work on your GGP sprinting skills, you’ll likely be forced to make some rather difficult decisions. Below, you’ll find a few of our toughest conflicts.
Dayglow (Friday, 5:20 p.m. Twin Peaks) vs. Washed Out (Friday, 5:20 p.m. Sutro)
This is kind of an interesting conflict as sonically, these two artists aren’t super far away from each other, yet a decade separates their rise to success. Dayglow, aka Sloane Struble, is a young Texan that continues to build his brand of throwback indie-pop in exciting ways that has been making waves with the younger demographic that is likely to be in strong attendance. His earworm tracks certainly bear influence from bands like Phoenix and Foster the People. I also have to believe Struble is keen on Washed Out in his formative years, hence why this conflict will be tough for the crowd and artist alike.
It’s been a couple years since the release of Washed Out’s last album, but that doesn’t mean the “godfather of chillwave” still can’t draw a crowd. It has been 13 years since this artist cemented his hipster status with “Feel It All Around” being featured as the opening track to the TV series “Portlandia”. Will we see a “generational divide” in the crowd between these two sets?
Green Day (Saturday, 8:25 p.m. Lands End) vs. Polo & Pan (Saturday, 8:30 p.m. Sutro)
It’s no big surprise that GD is up against one of the more popular dance acts on the bill for this year. The tricky part here is that both acts are simply crushing it with their current live show., Billie Joe and company put on one helluva headline performance at Lollapalooza over the past weekend, and you can surely bet they’ll only want to top it for their hometown crowd. That’s no easy feat as the power trio is widely known for their crowd interplay, covers and wall-to-wall energy.
Strike that 90’s punk angst against the French swagger of Polo & Pan, and we’ve got a real “Sophie’s choice” on our hands here. The Saturday party crowd is sure to be assembled in Lindley Meadow to hear the tropical-laced French house that is simply infectious.
Dixon (Sunday 3:30 p.m. SOMA Tent) vs. Wet Leg (Sunday 4 p.m. Sutro)
Sure, these two artists bring radically different music, so many fans of these acts won’t see this as a conflict. However, German powerhouse DJ Dixon is always worth catching, especially in the newly expanded SOMA Tent. Expect a pummeling mixture of techno and house, chock full of dramatic emotions that may transport you to the storied Berghain in Berlin. On the other hand, Wet Leg continue their dominant year as the tongue-in-cheek indie darlings hailing from Isle of Wight. Sure, Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers are still earning confidence onstage, but if you’re looking for more light-hearted guitar rock, head to Sutro.
Must-See Acts
Artist: Robert Glasper
Set date/time: Saturday, 2:50-3:40 p.m.
Location: Sutro
We’re thrilled to see some jazz make its way onto the OSL bill in 2022, and Glasper was a keen choice as he steps out to make a bigger name for himself after being a sideman for far too long. Even if the name isn’t recognizable, there’s little doubt that you’ve heard his playing on many of your favorite hip-hop releases of the past 10 years. He recently made waves at the Blue Note Jazz Festival in Napa this past weekend, playing in multiple configurations with various jazz and hip-hop stars. It wouldn’t surprise us if Dave Chappelle or Yasiin Bey (aka Mos Def) made a brief appearance for this afternoon set.
Artist: Illenium
Set date/time: Sunday, 8:20-9:35 p.m.
Location: Twin Peaks
It hasn’t been more than four years since we’ve seen Illenium grace the OSL bill, and we’ve included this selection as it’s billed as a “Special Hometown Performance.” What exactly does this mean? To be honest, we aren’t sure but are certainly curious to see what added production or even special guests Illenium may include. His bass-heavy selections that run the gamut of future bass to beat-driven pop-punk will certainly please the younger crowd, but his recent prevalence in the Las Vegas nightclub scene could pull the 30-something tech crowd to finish their weekend at Twin Peaks. Wonder who will have more lasers: Illenium or Posty? A laser battle in Golden Gate Park is the stuff we dream of, right?
Beer Lands
There’s little doubt that the masses that will stampede Golden Gate Park over the next three days will arrive thirsty. Literally. The beer-swilling variety know where to go for all things craft brews, and this year is no exception as the ever-changing list of breweries offers all our local favorites alongside some fresh choices. Also, don’t be fooled by the name, as Beer Lands offers options for cider (i.e. Ace and Golden State) and hard kombucha (i.e. Strainge Beast).
New to the “Beer Lineup” this year is a nice mix of up-and-coming local breweries. Santa Cruz’s buzzy Humble Sea will make their debut and are likely to offer some of their DDH hazy IPAs that have put them on the map in the past couple of years. SF’s Laughing Monk has no shortage of varieties to offer to attendees, but we think their Peach Kettle Sour or Prophetess Blonde Ale would go down easy in the polo fields. Old Caz Beer, out of Rohnert Park, are a young brew crew with a lot to offer, so keep your eyes peeled for potentially pouring their RPX Pale Ale and maybe they’ll even bring their Lavender Radler or Pineapple Seltzer. Golden State Cider of Sonoma will make their debut in 2022, yet the question remains if they will bring their Mighty Dry, Brut, Jamaica, Ginger Grass or maybe something exclusive to the festival. Come thirsty, my friends.
OUTSIDE LANDS 2022 SCAVENGER HUNT: PRINT HERE
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With perhaps the most appropriate name for musical act on the planet, Massive Attack capped Treasure Island Music Festival 2014 in stunning fashion. With a balancing act of bass-infused downtempo brilliance highlighted by Martina Topley-Bird’s singing and industrialized synth-stabbing electronic pieces, a range of emotion is achieved for the listener. With contrasting tempos and a duality of tranquility then intensity, a cause-and-effect narrative starts to take shape — especially when paying attention to the video elements of the intense songs. “United Snakes” left nothing to the imagination with its barrage of corporate logos and national flags. It appeared the expanded duo slipped in one frame of a Ferris wheel, reminding us that yes, us consumers at TIMF, the only U.S. festival Massive Attack played on this tour, are part of the system. “Future Proof” visuals stripped out rows of zeroes and ones, using the simplicity of computer code to inspire multiple paths of thought, especially while absorbing this show in the Bay Area. And Tunde Adebimpe from TV On The Radio joined in for “Pray For Rain” for the grand finale.
It’s almost the end of the biggest reunion tour in decades, and TIMF patrons were lucky enough to witness one of OutKast’s last shows. The Bridge Stage was more packed in than any show in memory, and festivalgoers outwardly had more fun compared to performances from past years. The set was perfectly paced, with André 3000 seemingly having a fun time — an important part of the equation compared to Big Boi’s rock-steady appearances throughout 2014. The guys gave shout-outs to Casual and The Misfits in the “local love” part of the show, and “Roses” (including a half-hearted apology for the “crazy bitch” outro) once again was one of the highlights. The set ended at least 20 minutes before the scheduled end of the day, emptying a large percentage of patrons into the shuttle line at the same time — there were some reports of people not making it back to SF until 2 a.m.
TVOTR gave one of the best sets of the weekend with their wonderful mix of slow burners, dance-punk blasts of energy along with three new songs: “Happy Idiot”, “Careful You” and “Could You”. The latter two were particularly impressive and fit perfectly into the band’s catalog. A couple other notes on the show: producer and multi-instrumentalist David Sitek now looks like Bono, Kyp Malone is still professionally chill and Tunde Adebimpe continues to be offended when listeners don’t give him full attention. After completing “Wolf Like Me”, wherein the TI faithful went nuts, the lead singer said that he couldn’t believe he saw someone leave during the song. Agreed Tunde, and we’re looking forward to the forthcoming record.
Chet Faker had the crew bring out a huge bass speaker to put directly behind him after his first song to give his music more oomph. And when he dipped into his career-making collaborations with Flume, “Left Alone” and “Drop the Game”, the Tunnel stage instantly began moving like the rhythm of the ocean. But otherwise, the set was downtempo to the point of boredom. And it’s not a good idea to take one of your best songs, “Talk is Cheap”, and strip it down even more. Some ladies still felt compelled to rock their friend’s shoulders as if it was a dance show, something that I’m still trying to figure out.
The focus on larger themes of mortality and spirituality in Modern Vampires of the City have catapulted this indie group from angst-ridden collegians to mainstream players — and in the process Ezra Koenig and company crafted an American classic. Compulsively listenable, this record matured with age in 2013, just like the artistic path Vampire Weekend seem to be on. The album continuously waxes poetically about death and higher powers, and “Unbelievers” sums it up best: “Girl you and I will die unbelievers, bound to the tracks of the train.” The ambiguousness is biting, as it is tough to tell if the statement is earnest atheism or harsh criticism of Godless existence. In “Step”, we’re told, “Wisdom’s a gift but you’ll trade it for youth, age is an honor it’s still not the truth…we know the true death, the true way of all flesh. Everyone’s dying, but girl – you’re not old yet.” Even “Dianne Young” is a double entendre for ‘dying young’. Every track is filled with high-level substance lyrically, but sonically it’s multi-faceted as well, melding baroque sensibilities and African grooves at a wonderfully variant pace throughout. Ultimately, it’s a supremely empowering coming of age album from Vampire Weekend, one that stares mortality in the face while celebrating time’s finite quality. 
Early in Run The Jewels, Killer Mike announces, “Producer gave me a beat, said it’s the ‘beat of the year’, I said ‘El-P didn’t do it, so get the fuck outa here.’ El-P, the sole producer of rap music’s most dynamic duo, bases his production in captivating weirdness, micro-sampling everything from classic organ to nintendo glitch sounds to electric guitar, building epic beats for Killer Mike & El-P to deliver clever rhymes, based both in reality and playful hyperbole. One of Run The Jewels’ greatest successes is that it can be both funny and deadly serious within the same song, and often within in the same flow or line at times. So motherfuckin’ grimy, “Job Well Done” highlights how successfully dolphin sounds can contrast with aggressive lyricism, for example. Killer Mike broaches serious topics, bringing up the “elephant in the room” whenever possible, and EL-P is hyperactive and light-hearted as he spits his ‘future shit’. Put these two together and you have the best hip hop album in years. 
The beauty is in the build with FOALS, and that is the case with Holy Fire more than prior album as the UK-based festival-headliners-in-the-making have largely abandoned their post-dance punk sound aesthetic for a more ballad-based approach. Sure, “My Number” and “Providence” continue the upbeat, math rock-dance-freak-outs, but overall FOALS have centered their 2013 record around patient song development in order to establish more memorable, ecstatic moments. “Milk & Black Spiders” does just that, taking a full three minutes and forty five seconds to reach it’s blissful summit. “Late Night” is a harrowing slow burner, repeating the line, “Calling out your name,” asking for the subject of the song to “Stay with me.” Lead singer Yannis Philippakis’ impassioned vocals, paired with the band’s guitar interplay and non-standard rhythms make FOALS a unique force in the world of modern rock.
Matt Berninger has a way with words — who else could make the phrase “full of punks and cannonballers” sound eloquent and measured in the track “I Need My Girl”? The National thrives on non-literal lyricism, but the instrumental elements from The National in Trouble Will Find Me prop the singing up on a pedestal better than prior records. Void of any filler, this contemplative record easily allows the listener to take their own meaning from any given track, applying it internally. The first half impresses quickly with “I Should Live In Salt” through “Sea Of Love”, but it is the second half that solidifies the effort as The National’s best work to date. An album that also gets more addictive with subsequent listens, Trouble Will Find Me works well as both a “pick me up” record and one to embrace life’s good times, an odd duality indeed.
Who needs Bon Iver when Justin Vernon is making music like he has with The Shouting Matches and Volcano Choir in 2013? Vernon, the creative centerpiece behind Bon Iver, announced while promoting Repave that Volcano Choir is his new band. Arguably, this is a genius move, as Vernon is exhibiting a higher level of confidence and innovation with this possibly permanent collaboration with members of Collections of Colonies of Bees. Repave traverses a path that balances grandiose and minimalism, choosing off-beat, unexpectedly contrasting moments to ‘drop the sound hammer’ in both “Comrade” and “Byegone”. “Drop the sound hammer” refers to the mesmerizing technique Volcano choir uses to quickly transition from falsetto-based minimalist intros into hard-hitting Philip Glass-like synth blasts and authoritative drums. I’m fine with Vernon considering himself a legend, as long as he continues creating music with cryptic, poetic lyrics and the progressive intermingling of intense and soothing sounds. 
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