I don’t always make it to Outside Lands, but this year I made a point to bring my siblings and boyfriend with me to the festival grounds at Golden Gate Park on a Sunday. This was after all the last day of the 10 years Outside Landsaversary, so people surely made it worthwhile.
Sitting here today, I’m not sure how many outside lands I’ve been to, only the Polo Field may know. But either way around it, Outside Lands 10 was awesome outdoorsy fun. And in honor 10-year anniversary, here are my 10 Favorite Things About Outside Lands. (Spoiler It’s all about the music mannnn.)
1. The Killers
I mean, it is the REASON why people go in the first place. I’ve seen some of my favorite acts of all time at outside lands. One of the few times I’ve cried at a show was at Outside Lands 2014 (FACT CHECK) when the Killers played. It was breathtaking. I couldn’t help it, I get the feels when the music is that good.
2. Al Green
One of the best performances I’ve seen EVER was Al Green at outside lands 2010. He wore a fancy suit and shades, sang like an angel and looked like a big fluffy teddy bear that you just wanted to cuddle up. I remember it was sunny that day, which is harder to come by than anything else in these parts.
3. Jack White
I remember walking from Twin Peaks to the Polo Field coming over the cusp of the field when I heard the distorted chords of dead leaves and the dirty ground. I was the leaves, I was the dirty ground. It was a sublime moment of being lost in the music that only ever really happens at festivals.
4. The Guy in the tree
Action Bronson, the inimitable rapper, and host of Damn… That’s Delicious! was cooking up a storm at the tiny stage nested by the festival crossroads. At one point, some guy in search of a better view, with the help of a friend, climbed up a tree. Not just some tiny tree, but a really tall tree. In a glorious maneuver, Action Bronson threw him a fried chicken sandwich at the kid way up in the tree and he caught it!
5. Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder is the idol of spectacular showmen. Watching him perform was like looking at a Hopper or a Pollock. The energy from his smile has the radiance to heat up a cold crowd. The beauty of his music made for an unforgettable show.
6. Nas and Damian Marley
I experience live music in a brand new way watching Damian Marley perform with Nas: it was like a spellbinding. I felt pleasantly lost in the music and the surrounding aromas that it had inspired, or that had inspired it… wait, what? It was so great.
7. Karl the San Francisco Fog
An event in Golden Gate Park wouldn’t be complete without the appearance of Karl the Fog. This year’s festival proved that you can’t always count on headliners to show up (A Tribe Called Quest and Queens of the Stone Age), but you can most certainly expect Karl to pervasively pass through the event, creeping in from the ocean and peering in through the ancient trees.
8. San Franciscans
The thing that makes festivals unique is the crowd. In San Francisco, the crowd is friendly and cheerful. Going to the festival almost feels like being a kid and going to camp. Everyones there to communally enjoy the festivities by getting together and being nice to each other while listening to great music. It’s a good crowd.
9. The techno
The electronic artists in the lineup usually don’t make up the majority of the headliners, but they do bring the bulk of the dance crowd. When Above & Beyond, Chromeo or Tiësto perform, the noise of the stomping and dancing is only overshadowed by the trance of the chorus, treble, and base.
10. The venue
Golden Gate Park is the perfect location for festival grounds. It is one of the most beautiful parks in the Bay Area and many people would say that it is the heart of the city. And year after year, it unbiasedly welcomes visitors from all over the state, probably the country and maybe the world, for an epic Outside Lands adventure.
Penned by Alina K. A. 