Show: Outside Lands 2011
Date: August 12-14, 2011
Venue: Golden Gate Park
City: San Francisco, CA
Outside Lands 2011
Photos by Nicolas Bates
Written by Lindsey Murphy
Over the course of three days, 180,000 people flocked to San Francisco for the fourth annual Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival. Outside Lands takes place in three-mile-long Golden Gate Park, and was named after the 19th-century term for the area which contains it. The San Francisco “peace and love” narrative was in full effect, and many acts expressed their gratitude for the city and poured compliments over its citizens. With over 60 bands comprising its stellar lineup, the festival offered something for everyone.
A set of crosshatched wooden windmills flanked the entrance to the Lands End stage, where Macklemore started Saturday’s events. While many acts fell somewhere along the indie-rock spectrum, Macklemore represented the hip-hop minority. Hailing from Seattle, he immediately won over San Francisco by congratulating last year’s World Series win. But with his strong vocal stylings and charismatic stage presence, he didn’t have to suck up. He laced his lyrics with familiar beats—samples taken from the likes of The Bravery, The Killers, and Red Hot Chili Peppers. For Macklemore, the weekend wasn’t exciting merely due to his performance at Outside Lands; it also marked his anniversary of three years sober, a celebration he shared before launching into a song chronicling his journey to sobriety.
To the delight of all, the often impervious foggy blanket burned off in the afternoon to reveal bright blue skies. Over at the Sutro stage, a short walk from Lands End, The Stone Foxes played their ’60s/’70s-inspired brand of blues-infused rock. This San Francisco–based band manages to attain the difficult by producing derivative music influenced by a particular timeframe and collection of artists without being a diluted copy. The Stone Foxes are so dedicated to the organic energy of their live sound that they record their albums in a garage, shoddy mattresses lining the walls to create acoustics. Despite the early set time, fans showed up in droves to watch them essentially play their back yard. “This is the tastiest treat a man could have. Except for ice cream. Ice cream is delicious,” mused drummer Shannon Koehler. The band bantered similar sentiments throughout their set and encouraged the crowd to engage in the music, even “everyone out by the porta potties.” Sharing singing duties, their harmonizing and raspy snarls sounded incredible. They peppered their set with a few covers, like Slim Harpo’s “I’m a King Bee,” in between their own originals such as “Passenger Train,” “Psycho,” and “Serious People.” The Stone Foxes’ driving rhythm section, riffs reminiscent of the White Stripes, grooving guitar and harmonica solos, and undeniable magnetism made their performance a festival standout.
Back at Lands End, fans waited for OK Go to take the stage. A low, mutated voice, sounding like it belonged to a serial killer in a horror movie, came over the speakers and said, “Ladies and gentleman, the show won’t start until I hear you scream. Louder. Louder.” It then alternately instructed the males and females of the audience to yell “OK GO,” and when this mysterious man was satisfied, the band finally emerged. The members were dressed in their usual performance uniform of monochromatic suits: blue, green, yellow, red, all ending in pristine white sneakers. (Do they own multiple copies or just make daily laundry runs? The world may never know.) OK Go’s well-known music video creativity (treadmill choreography, Rube Goldberg devices, etc.) and fan engagement bled over into their live offerings. For one portion, they donned white gloves and played hand bells in order to balance out San Francisco’s sins. They also pulled out a camera and took pictures of the crowd, promising to post them to Facebook. Singer/guitarist Damian Kulash jumped off the stage, guitar and mic in hand, playing a solo song in the sea of people. At one point, they brought out past guitarist Andy Duncan to play a song he originally wrote. OK Go’s set list included songs mainly from their last two albums, playing staples like “Here We Go Again,” “A Million Ways,” and “All Is Not Lost.” The band initiated an a capella audience sing-a-long for “This Too Shall Pass.” While OK Go’s show may come off to some as gimmicky, it succeeded in pulling people from other stages and maintaining their attention with an entertaining performance.
Immediately following OK GO on the main stage was record-breaking English indie-rock group Arctic Monkeys. The performance marked the last day of their North American tour supporting their recent album, Suck It and See, before heading back for the European leg. After releasing a barrage of beach balls, to which fans responded fervently, frontman Alex Turner shared, “I think we’re going to get along.” Known for their crowd engagement, the band urged the audience to sing along on songs like newbie “Brick by Brick.” “Do Me a Favour” featured tight drumming courtesy of Matt Helders, and the band’s beat generally got fans moving. From “I Bet that You Look Good on the Dance Floor” to “Fluorescent Adolescent” (both met with excited screams) to “Brainstorm” and “Don’t Sit Down ‘Cause I Moved Your Chair,” the set choices mainly spanned their first two and most recent records; “Corner Stone” was the only song featured from third album Humbug.
As the sun began to set behind the stage, San Francisco mayor Ed Lee emerged. He sincerely thanked Bay Area residents for attending and cemented Outside Lands’ authenticity to San Francisco culture. The crowd had grown wide and dense, filling every crack and crevice, by the time The Black Keys graced the stage. An inflated dream catcher dangled behind the bluesy band. Singer/guitarist Dan Auerbach’s clothing – denim on denim with plaid flannel peaking out beneath – visually reflected the American feel of the band’s sound. The Black Keys were critical darlings for years before blowing up big with 2010 album Brothers, and the crowd responded most enthusiastically to newer fare like singles “Tighten Up” and “Howlin’ for You,” which they played back-to-back. Having merely two members didn’t limit the band’s performance; Auerbach spanned the stage during all non-mic-required parts, holding the guitar body to his face and strumming furiously. Drummer Patrick Carney similarly slaughtered their set, hunched over his kit pounding intensely the entire time.
The last remnants of light were snuffed out as headliners Muse sauntered onstage and launched into “Uprising,” the first single off their revolutionary-themed recent release. The rousing song and accompanying video, flashing the chorus’s lyrics, quickly incited the crowd. Muse played practically the exact same show as last fall’s slew of North American performances; same songs, same videos, same between-song mini covers (like “House of the Rising Sun,” “Back in Black” and “The Star Spangled Banner”), same wardrobe (frontman Matt Bellamy donning his American flag-plastered shirt beneath a sparkly silver jacket). Despite the heavy emphasis on new material—a third of the songs came from their fifth album—and complete lack of tracks from their solid debut Showbiz, it’s impossible for the ambitious Muse to put on a poor performance. The one surprise came as screaming guitars introduced “Citizen Erased,” an older song off Origin of Symmetry that the band rarely plays. It was easily the set highlight and broke up the saturation of newer material. War imagery and vertical blasts of smoke spewing from the stage supplemented the operatic “United States of Eurasia.” “Butterflies and Hurricanes” allowed Bellamy to demonstrate his arresting piano skills and phenomenal vocal range. Slivers of green lasers stretched distantly during “Stockholm Syndrome.” The audience loved every second, singing enthusiastically whenever Bellamy quieted his own vocal chords to encourage fan input. Toward the end of Muse’s set, they released dozens of veiny eyeball balloons that bounced about the crowd. Harmonicas preceded the galloping intro of epic “Knights of Cydonia,” signaling the end of Muse’s theatric set. Exhausted concertgoers headed home to rest up for the third day of shows.
Sunday brought another surprisingly sunny day, and people poured into Golden Gate Park to enjoy the last pack of performances. San Francisco sextet Diego’s Umbrella kicked off festivities at the Twin Peaks stage. The self-described “Gypsy Pirate Polka” group mixed their eccentric brand of energetic rock with entertaining antics that rendered them one of the festival’s hidden gems. They appeared dressed head to toe in white with their torsos encased in red vests. Diego’s Umbrella never arrives at a show with a prepared setlist; they instead customize each performance to the attending crowd, and at Outside Lands they began the set with “Kings of Vibration.” Their catchy sound is a melange of mariachi-ska with Eastern European influences, which they create with a couple vocalists, two electric guitars, an acoustic guitar, bass, drums, violin and accordion. Their quirky songs feature titles like “Lasers ‘n Lesbians.” Vocalist Vaughn Lindstrom particularly infused personality into the performance, his voice ranging from low growls to inspired falsetto and solid harmonizing. After playing new song “A Cowboy’s Work Is Never Done,” Diego’s Umbrella covered their version of Rhianna’s “Under My Umbrella,” referencing their name. Between-song banter included offers to sign boobs and song dedication to “the slope people” (audience members sitting to the side). Throughout the set, girls wandered the crowd handing out copies of the band’s new EP, Richardson/Downtown. With their infectious, unconventional show, Diego’s Umbrella certainly won over some newly minted fans.
Lord Huron’s dreamy set slightly overlapped with Diego’s Umbrella at the nearby Panhandle stage. The eco-friendly Panhandle stage is completely solar powered, with panels framing both sides. It was the smallest stage of the festival but still packed a punch. Drawing upon its theme, arms of vendor tents focusing on topics like farming and composting extended from the stage. In front, bales of hay constructed bleacher seating for weary concertgoers. The brainchild of Ben Schnieder, Lord Huron plays mellow indie rock characterized by a haunted beach vibe and polyrhythmic African influences. To date, Lord Huron has only released two EPs, Into the Sun and Mighty, but the band performed songs not found on either. Technically a solo project, Schneider plays all parts of his EPs solo but relies on a live band for touring purposes. While focusing on his vocal duties, Schneider alternated between strumming his guitar, jangling bells and beating a single purple snare drum. The performance itself was decidedly low key, reflecting the band’s laid-back Caribbean characteristics. “The Stranger” was a set standout, the crowd happily clapping along. Gushing with sounds of gurgling water and warm reverb, Lord Huron provided a chill respite for Outside Lands fans.
People sat on the sloping lawn left of the stage, some perched on patchwork blankets and others bare backing the ground, to witness Twin Peaks performer Junip. Swedish trio Junip consists of Tobias Winterkorn on keyboards and synths, Elias Araya on drums, and Jose Gonzalez on guitars and vocal. Of the threesome, Jose Gonzales is well-known for his acclaimed solo work. Despite being a band for over a decade, Gonzalez’s solo success impeded Junip from fully developing until recently. They finally released their first full-length this year. Worldly influences are evident throughout Junip’s music, from Afro-beats to English folk and German electronica. Gonzales wowed the crowd with his classical guitar work and even voice, which blended well with the band’s eclectic sound. Songs like “White Rain,” “At the Doors,” “Always” and “Without You” displayed the band’s deceptive complexity. Like Gonzales, the crowd viewing Junip was one of the more reserved at Outside Lands, but the music they witnessed didn’t require more movement than subtle head nodding.
While many additional artists graced the Outside Lands stages, seeing them all was impossible. Other acts playing this year included Arcade Fire, The Shins, Phish, MGMT, Deadmau5, The Decemberists, Girl Talk, John Fogerty, Foster the People, Beirut, Big Boi, Sia, !!!, Best Coast, The Roots and many more. After expanding from last year’s two-day program and continuing to book incredible talent, it’s clear that this event will only keep growing. At only four years old, Outside Lands has established itself as a cultural experience that authentically accesses the heart of San Francisco, providing a sense of community and spirited atmosphere surrounding excellent art and entertaining music.