Outside Lands :: 08.10.12 – 08.12.12
:: Golden Gate Park :: San Francisco, CA
Now in its fifth year, Outside Lands makes for a truly unique festival experience in an age where mega-sized music events of all
types clutter the landscape. Tucked away in the depths of the blustery,
eucalyptus-filled fields of Golden Gate Park, Outside Lands carries
with it a distinctly Bay Area vibe that sets it apart in both its
lineup and its hassle-free, forward-thinking setup. The festival adds
something new every year, and this year an entirely new zone of
premium food vendors (spit-roasted lamb!) and a mini-stage were
tucked away in the tree-lined hills, bringing the gourmet to everyone
that bothered to make the hike up there.
But enough about the food. This year's
lineup again leaned heavily on bands with Bay Area roots, which
worked for the most part (having Neil Young headline over the Foo
Fighters may have been a mistake, though). For the most part, the
days flowed smoothly, but the utter size of the grounds and the
massive amount of people present (this was the festival's first
sell-out) brought on exhaustion earlier than expected. By Sunday, we
learned to pace ourselves, and opted to completely forgo the Twin
Peaks stage, which was probably a half mile away from the main Lands
End stage. Regardless of all the short, overlapping sets, the day
flew by, and plenty of fantastic music was enjoyed by all. The only real bummer
was the weather, which was freezing and foggy all weekend for the
first time ever (the sun came out at least a little bit in previous
years). No matter, the throngs still got down hard. Armed with a good
pair of hiking boots, a concert schedule, and many layers of
clothing, we set out to conquer Outside Lands, and I think we
succeeded.
Friday Highlights
- Andrew Bird :: 6:55-8:05 :: Sutro Stage
Performing opposite to the Foo Fighters
over at the main stage, Andrew Bird's set at the intimate Sutro stage
was the feel-good set of the day. His light-hearted, swinging
orchestral sound was just what the doctor ordered, and made the
relatively small stage and field even more intimate. Bird is a true
virtuoso – his tunefulness on songs like “Fake Conversations”
is exquisite and pure. Taking sweet, soaring violin solos, he can
switch between classical and fiddle-hill music on a dime. The man is
also a master whistler, executing bird calls during songs to a
perfect effect. His music has the soulful, uplifting charm of early
Van Morrison at his best, and we came away from it with a warm glow
that carried into the night.
- Reggie Watts :: 2:35-3:25 :: Sutro Stage
I had heard about this guy before, but
seeing him first hand made me a full-on convert. Watts'
stand-up/acapella set blew everyone away with its boundless,
free-thought creativity and hilarious riffs on whatever was at the
top of his mind. First and foremost, the guy is a supremely talented
musician – he has a voice like Bobby McFerrin, and employs a looper
to craft full songs out of thin air. The man is a master at riffing
on anything – he can follow any tangent (musical and/or comedic)
that pops into his head further than you would ever imagine, to a
side-splitting effect. Basically, you have to experience his
inspired, truly in-the-moment show to really get a sense of what the
guy is all about, as he can pretty much do whatever he wants
musically – and has a killer wit to match.
- Beck :: 4:30-5:40 :: Lands End Stage
Beck's loose, bluesy band delivered all
the hits you would expect, plus some surprises. Keeping true to his
grunge roots, Beck filled the massive field with deadpan grooves like
“Hotwax” and “Devil's Haircut,” though much of the set had a
melancholy vibe, thanks to a bunch of songs from Sea
Change (one of which was dedicated to Adam Yauch), and a
cover of Neil Young's “After the Gold Rush.” The one-two closer
of “Where It's At” and “E-Pro” ended things on a high note,
though.
Honorable Mention: Neil Young &
Crazy Horse :: 8:10-9:55 :: Lands End Stage
Right from the first song's 17-minute
feedback jam, it was clear that Neil Young didn't give a flying fuck
about what all the kiddies expected from his set. Those who stuck
with it were ultimately rewarded, but the band of grumpy old men
practically cleared the field of all but the die-hards with nearly 20
minutes of aimless, crushing feedback out of “Walk Like A Giant.”
The entire festival was polarized by Neil's dinosaur rock show, for
better or for worse.
Saturday Highlights
-
Alabama Shakes :: 3:50-4:40 :: Sutro Stage
This was probably the most crowded the
hills of the Sutro Stage got all weekend. Luckily, we got there
early, and had a prime spot to witness Brittany
Howard lead her band through a raunchy, spectacularly
soulful set that built from a quiet hush to a rowdy, soaring peak.
Howard has got pipes like Etta James, and can whip a crowd into a
gospel rave-up frenzy with both her voice and her exceptional guitar
playing on fantastic tunes like “Heartbreaker” and “Be Mine.”
She got plenty of sympathetic accompaniment from the band, who closed
the set with a Chuck Berry-like rocker. By the end, we were amazed to
see that the massive crowd extended to the very back of the field.
- Metallica :: 7:55-9:55 :: Lands End Stage
These guys sure know how to put on a
spectacle. Complete with a two-tiered stage, massive LED screens, and
enough pyro and fireworks to singe your eyebrows from 50 feet away,
Metallica brought a barrage of a hometown show that satisfied even
the most critical diehards. Their balls-out stadium metal was as
precise as it gets, with old chestnuts like “Master of Puppets,”
“Ride the Lightning” and the instrumental “Orion”(!!) getting
a good shredding – this was pure gold to the real fans, and an
eye-opening, overwhelming experience for the newbies. Songs like “To
Hell and Back” were a relentless, polyrhythmic attack on the
senses, and when the fireballs lit up the absolutely
packed field, it was surreal.
- Norah Jones :: 6:40-7:50 :: Sutro Stage
Norah Jones' mellow set amongst the
hills and trees of Sutro stage boogied a lot harder than probably
anyone expected. Complimented by tasteful, sympathetic accompaniment
by guitarist Jason Roberts and band, her pure
voice took us though gorgeous songs like “Come Away with Me” and
“She's 22.” The surprise of the set came near the end though,
when Bob Weir came out of nowhere to help play the Dead's “It Must
Have Been The Roses,” with Norah singing lead.
Sunday Highlights
- Stevie Wonder :: 7:20-9:30 :: Lands End Stage
There couldn't have been a better
closer for a festival than Stevie Wonder. Because it's impossible not
to love Stevie, it's easy to forgive him when he starts preaching
about God and Obama, but all his preaching aside, Stevie delivered a
loose, joyful set of his happiest songs which was started when he
walked on stage playing keytar to “How Sweet It Is.” Stevie is
always in a chatty mood, and makes his spirituality well-known, which
adds an extra loving vibe to his performance. He also has no problem
playing as many covers as he pleases, and goes with whatever comes to
the top of his head, expecting his poor band to follow his whims as
he went out on a limb. This carefree, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants
attitude worked in this setting, as hit after hit piled up.
Highlights included “Master Blaster (Jammin'),” a cover of MJ's
“The Way You Make Me Feel,” and “As,” which was peaked out in
a huge dance party groove. A truly joyful experience.
- Franz Ferdinand :: 2:40-3:35 :: Lands End Stage
These guys were the surprise of the day
for me – their rockin' percussive funk-punk sound got the afternoon
going right. Pulsing dance-rock songs like “Burn This City”
satisfied with their grungy guitars and new-wavy club bass lines. An
unexpected cover of Donna Summer's electro-disco “I Feel Love”
worked very well, and Alex
Kapranos and company really made it their own when
they mashed it with their similar-sounding original “Can't Stop
Feeling.” The sheer size and difficult maneuverability of the
crowds at the huge Lands End stage made it difficult to really get
into the moment, but the band ultimately filled the space well and
got people dancing.
- Jack White :: 5:25-6:35 :: Lands Ends Stage
After a secret acoustic show up in the
woods that I regret missing, Jack White delivered a ginormous Lands
End stage set with plenty of grease to spare. His dirty guitar tone
is unmistakable, and his solos ripped every time – songs like
“Dirty Leaves” packed quite a wallop. His band was a rowdy
version of 60's Stax-era R&B backing bands, and included a violin
and pedal steel taboot, which made the set sound very
Rolling-Thunder-esque in its soaring, majestic power. The electric
mayhem continued with “Hotel Yorba” and “Like A Buffalo,” in
which Jack cranked a dirty guitar solo that lit up the field. All in
all, it was a raunchy set of satisfying rock n' roll.
Check out Reggie Watts' mind-blowing set - the entire audience was simultaneously in awe of his musical abilities and in stitches from his hilarious ad-libs:
The Alabama Shakes delivered a soul-revue show-stopper on Saturday, which included this awesome take on "Be Mine:"
Closing the festival, Stevie delivered a cover-heavy, joyful set, which included this delightful Michael Jackson cover:
Check out Reggie Watts' mind-blowing set - the entire audience was simultaneously in awe of his musical abilities and in stitches from his hilarious ad-libs:
The Alabama Shakes delivered a soul-revue show-stopper on Saturday, which included this awesome take on "Be Mine:"
Closing the festival, Stevie delivered a cover-heavy, joyful set, which included this delightful Michael Jackson cover:
Great review Poodles! Sounds like this festie was a joyous, delightful experience.
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