With over 100 different bands performing over the three-day festival, it can be difficult to pick which shows to go see. Because really, who has the time to listen to all that music and pick the best shows of the weekend?
We do.
Our DJs took the time to comb through the Outside Lands schedule and pick out the best shows on all three days so you don’t have to. Check em out:
No Name’s pick:
- The Who
- Lands End, 7:35-9:35 pm
Some of my earliest memories of rock and roll destruction I can attribute to The Who. I’m sure Pete Townsend wasn’t the first to windmill a guitar, but he is the most memorable. I wouldn’t necessarily consider myself a Who fan, but definitely had my Who phase mostly due to the fact that when I started playing drums I had a slight obsession with Keith Moon. (If you are a drummer you understand.)
When I first heard The Who was playing Outside Lands, I was pretty surprised. I asked myself: what other bands playing the festival will be playing 50 plus years after they were formed, and not only that but have the musical legacy to warrant a headlining slot? If you’re a true fan of music you should never pass up a chance for see a legendary band. This Sunday is your chance.
Rockwell’s pick:
- Khruangbin
- Panhandle Stage, 4:20-5:00
Some of my favorite moments at music festivals are spent just chillin’ with a beverage and swayin’ to a low-key groove put down by a relatively-unknown band on an out-of-the-way stage. A trio from Texas that’s into Thai Funk and Surf Soul? I’m in! Their first album is my go-to chill soundtrack of late at home – I can just put it on and sit and be. I can’t wait to hear where their new stuff is going. Kinda cinematic (think Tarantino), a good dose of psychedelic, always soulful and groovy – it’s definitely a “less is more” approach, it feels both familiar and new, it’s music you can just sink into and get lost in for a while.
Arthur’s pick:
- K.Flay
- Land’s End, 1:30-2:20 pm
Sunday is a bit of a conflicting day for me. I am ridiculously excited to see Queens rapper, and host of Viceland’s F*** That’s Delicious, Action Bronson. I have closely followed his career for well over 10 years, but have not had a chance to see him live. I understand that as a KFOG listener, he may not be your cup of tea, so allow me to suggest another artist that I am looking forward to seeing on Sunday: the Bay Area’s own K.Flay.
Since making her debut in 2010, K.Flay has been a tough one to categorize. A little bit pop, a little alternative, with a splash of hip hop, K.Flay has continued to develop her sound over the years, culminating in an impressive release this year titled Everywhere is Somewhere. The album features the fantastic track “High Enough,” which I featured several weeks back on “My New Song is Better Than Your New Song” on Mornings on KFOG. Again, this is an artist that I have never seen live, but I am really looking forward to seeing her energetic and slightly aggressive stage show.
Rosalie’s pick:
- James Vincent McMorrow
- Sutro, 3:50-4:40 pm
For me the “Sutro effect” is in effect again at Outside Lands; it always seems like the bands I want to see are all on the Sutro stage, the one in Lindley Meadow. Which is great, cuz then I can just stay put! This is where I catch a lot of the “discover” bands: folks you’ve never heard of, or the new bands where you love their song but don’t know much about, or for me, the bands I already play on Acoustic Sunrise but haven’t seen yet.
Sunday in Lindley Meadow it’ll be a nice dreamy mid-afternoon “catch your breath” set with James Vincent McMorrow – one of those guys with 3 names, and one of those Irish singer/songwriter with a gentle, lilting style. He’s part of the Lisa Hannigan/Damien Rice school of Irish modern folksters. This would be a good laid back set to get your second wind to in the middle of Sunday afternoon…on the Sutro Stage.
I’m sure I’ll still do plenty of running around too, to catch the headliners, and some newbies, too. That’s what Outsidelands is all about: stumbling into new bands you didn’t even know you liked! So see you there – you can most likely find me…at the Sutro Stage!
Alicia’s pick:
- Lorde
- Lands End, 5:40-6:50 pm
Lorde is one of the biggest artists that I have never seen live. To be fair, she’s not in the states often, and she’s only been around a few years. She wrote “Royals” when she was 12, hit big when she was 16, and now she’s rocking the main stage at Outside Lands at 20-years-old. Girl’s not even old enough to drink!
Elton John put it best: “Lorde had a big US hit with a song called Royals. It’s just her voice and a drum machine, and it’s beautiful in its simplicity. It’s the kind of direction Gaga should be going in!” Dayummmm girl; good for you!
Feature photo: “K.Flay performing at an X Ambassadors concert in 2014” by Abby Gillardi, CC BY 2.0, via Wikipedia, and “Bleachers” by Daniel Silbert, and James Vincent McMorrow.
