Outside Lands 2013, Concert Review

Outside Lands 2013, Concert Review

Show: Outside Lands Festival 2013
Date: August 9-11, 2013
Venue: Golden Gate Park
City: San Francisco, CA

Outside Lands Festival 2013

Photos by Nicolas Bates
Written by Dan Sinclair

 

outside lands crowd 1

This was the sixth year for San Francisco’s three-day summer musical extravaganza known as Outside Lands. People from all over the world flocked to Golden Gate Park to take part in all its fabulousness. And it was fabulous. And I don’t even use that word.

But it wasn’t the four stages – Lands End, Sutro, Panhandle and Twin Peaks—all with an overloaded amount of talented musicians in attendance, the countless arrays of edibles from food to beer to wine to chocolate, the working artists, the body painting, the environmental awareness, the electronic music or comedy tents that made 2013 the best Outside Lands yet. No, it was the fact that it was MY first Outside Lands ever that made this year so special. Sure, I had to drive over five-and-a-half hours up from Los Angeles to get there, but I am willing to make those kinds of sacrifices to grace amazing events such as these with my presence. And you know why, dear readers? It’s because I care about music and I care about YOU! So, hooray for outside music festivals. Hooray for San Francisco! Hooray for Nicolas Bates for shooting some amazing photos! And hooray for me and you! Let’s do this, Outside Lands!

The National

The National aren’t afraid of the light mist falling at Outside Lands’ main stage. As guitar player Bryce Dessner takes the stage, he asks, “Did it just start raining for us?” Yes. Just to make the mood extra dark for the dark and moody band from Cincinnati.

Bryce’s twin brother Aaron, who plays guitar and keys, joins him along with brothers Bryan and Scott Devendorf, on drums and bass respectively. But what would The National be without that famous baritone Matt Berninger? He takes the stage last donning a fancy-pants suit and sunglasses though there is no sun.

The band wastes little time and goes right into their most recognizable songs, kicking things off with “Fake Empire.” But the crowd doesn’t seem more than “half awake” as they clap, dance and sing along.

Next up the band introduces San Francisco’s Kronos Quartet: “We’re big fans.” The extra horns and strings add enough layers to “I Should Live in Salt” you’d think there was a fucking orchestra backing Berninger’s extra- low, melodic apology to a lost love: “I should live in salt for leaving you.”

This current tour is in support of their latest album, Trouble Will Find Me, so the lead track from it is followed by the first single, “Don’t Swallow the Cap,” pleasing both the crowd and the writer. Tom, I’m glad to hear that I’m not the only one with “Only two emotions/Careful fear and dead devotion.”

Berninger dedicates the hit single from High Violet, “Bloodbuzz Ohio,” to his mother who is in attendance. And you can tell “Sea of Love” is from the new album as it actually features the line “Trouble will find me.” But best line in the song? “Hey, Jo, sorry I hurt you, but they say love is a virtue.”

Next up is the writer’s favorite off the new album Demons. Guess which of the following words San Francisco yells out loudest: “When I walk into a room/I do not light it up/Fuck.”

High Violet’s “Afraid of Everyone” and “Conversation 16” set a nice, relaxing calm over the crowd as they sway back and forth before the driving rhythm of Boxer’s “Squalor Victoria” gets them moving again.

After “This Is the Last Time” and “I Need my Girl,” the band admits to some Tom Jones jealousy over the last time they played Outside Lands. “The girls threw their underwear on stage for Tom and not us—we were crushed!”

Berninger screams the end to “Graceless” louder than anything all day and “England” features the best-sounding keyboards. Proving that he’s the “great white hope,” Matt then jumps into the crowd to sing “Mr. November” as fans literally get the chance to pat the frontman on the back as he walks past them.

The National close playing “Terrible Love” with San Francisco native and Grateful Dead founder Bob Weir. During the song, Berninger proclaims “San Francisco is amazing,” and as I look back at the thousands and thousands behind me singing along and dancing to this amazing set, I couldn’t agree more.

Paul McCartney

The chances of ever seeing a Beatle perform live are constantly shrinking with only one of the Fab Four still breathing. Okay, Ringo Starr is still alive, too, but come on, honestly… who cares? Okay, in case you haven’t figured it out by the title to this article, it’s Sir James Paul McCartney who’s the one you can still catch perform and this lucky dog of a writer did just that the first night of Outside Lands, and he will be forever grateful that he did.

I mean, come on, the man’s been knighted, he’s in the Guinness Book of World Records with album and single sales in the 100 millions, he plays pretty much every instrument, he’s in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, he even married a model with a prosthetic leg—the man is legendary.

Paul is 71 years old, but none would’ve known it as he marched on stage with some long-ass hair and a guitar. He goes right into the Beatles’ “Eight Days a Week” with enough energy you’d have thought he reversed the order of those two numbers in his age. Just when I was thinking Paul is standing tall, I notice the size of the heels on his boots. Well, do what you got to do, Paul. Heels are in on dudes if Beatles are wearing them, I always say. He does the Wings’ song “Junior’s Farm” before going back to the Beatles with “Magical Mystery Tour” and then goes Wings again with “Listen to What the Man Said.”

Paul says hello and the thousands and thousands yell hello back. He gets comfy and takes off his jacket. “This is so cool.” And I agree. This is really fucking cool. Then he plays “Let Me Roll It,” but closes it with a nice “Foxy Lady” guitar jam, which he dedicates to his late-great friend Jimi Hendrix.

The crowd goes nuts for “Paperback Writer,” with Paul feeling like a kid up there. But he is old, remember, so he sits down at the piano to play “My Valentine,” which he dedicates to his wife.

And Sir Paul doesn’t stop. He plays fucking EVERYTHING. “The Long and Winded Road,” “Maybe I’m Amazed,” “I’ve Just Seen a Face,” Jesse Fuller’s “San Francisco Bay Blues,” “We Can Work It Out,” “Another Day,” “And I Love Her,” “The Blackbird,” “Here Today,” “Your Mother Should Know,” “Lady Madonna,” “All Together Now,” “Lovely Rita,” “Mrs. Vandebilt,” “Eleanor Rigby,” “Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite,” “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da,” “Band on the Run,” “Back in the USSR,” “Let It Be,” “Live and Let Die,” “Hey Jude,” “Day Tripper,” “Hi, Hi, Hi,” “Get Back,” “Yesterday,” “Helter Skelter,” “Golden Slumbers,” “Carry That Weight,” and of course, “The End.”

That’s right, the elderly knight went on to play the longest set of the entire event… by far. Almost three fucking hours of rock and roll. Not bad for 71, right?

Oh, and witness a Beatle live in concert is now officially checked off the ol’ bucket list. Ob-la-di, ob-la-da, bitches.

Bombino

My bitching about a five-and-a-half drive to San Francisco sounds rather petty, especially considering how far Bombino has come to play here at Outside Lands. The band is named for the lead guitarist and singer Omara “Bombino” Moctar, and they trekked all the way across the world from Agadez, Niger to perform at the small stage known as The Panhandle. Yet, as they take the stage, they don’t look ready to complain at all. They all wear smiles too big to wipe away. The large crowd greets them with warm cheers.

Bombino wears a pair of dark sunglasses to go with his off-white garments. His bass player is dressed in green to his right and the other guitar player wears blue to his left. The drummer settles in behind them and a man sits to the side to play some slide. Bombino and his mates are Tuaregs, and all songs are sung in Tamasheq, often dealing with the geopolitical struggles of the nomadic Saharan tribe. Bombino plays his guitar and the band joins him in the groovy first song.

Bombino gets into it moving back and forth as he plays his guitar. He’s been quoted before as citing Jimi Hendrix and Dire Straight’s Mark Knopfler as his earliest influences. And he’s not the only one who’s into it. The bass player thrusts his pelvic region hard to every beat while the other guitar player dances along. Oh, and not to mention every single person in attendance who all start to feel the music as well.

The sound is mesmerizing. It’s soothing, it’s layered, there’s heart behind every bass pluck, every slide and every drum fill. All with Bombino’s friendly voice guiding the way over his complicated guitar licks. Perhaps it’s during the slower, but just as funky “Tar Hani (My Love)” where the crowd lets all inhibitions go, dancing like no one’s watching.

But I’m watching. This little dude with a gray shirt and glasses appears to be making his first ever attempt at dance. He’s a little spastic with his hips, legs and upper body, all apparently hearing completely different beats, but the effort certainly is there. He looks to his stoner friends for guidance, but they are lost in their own mindless dancing the same as everyone else in attendance, all moving in different ways, but together in celebration of Bombino’s musical magic.

The songs go on longer than most as I don’t think a single one of them was under seven minutes, each ending with extensive jam sessions, and not a single person complained. The writer’s personal favorite was the closer “Azamane Tiliade.”

Sometimes when a band’s set ends, a music fan feels something special, like they just witnessed history in the making. This writer guarantees he was not alone with this feeling taking hold of him as Bombino the band, arm-in-arm, bow multiple times to the crowd.

You want more? Go check Bombino’s new album Nomad and the documentary Agadez, the Music and the Rebellion.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs

I hate Barnaby Clay, and not just because of his ridiculous, made-up-sounding name. It’s because he’s married to the deliciously vivacious rock star all decked out in the ultra-sparkly silver and purple pants suit taking the stage. Yes, my music-world crush, Miss Karen Lee Orzolek, better known simply as Karen O., along with the rest of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs— guitarist/keyboardist Nick Zinner and drummer Brian Chase—look ready to rock. Yeah fucking yeah fucking yeah!

With a big smile, Karen O. says hello to me (and I guess the other many a-thousands in attendance, too) before starting the set off with “Sacrilege,” which gets the crowd going right off the bat.

The thumping, steady bass drum and the funky guitar lets the faithful fans know that the band’s shifting from new to older with “Gold Lion.” And then Karen’s dancing all over the stage screaming, “He’ll suck your blood” for “Mosquito.” She wears a blue veil over her face as she shifts from the poppy “doo-doo-doo” to screaming “Art Star” for the brilliant track off their self-titled debut EP. She dances next to Zinner during “Under the Earth” as “Down under the earth goes another lover.”

Then Miss O. stands alone at center stage holding the microphone over her head like a sword and the crowd goes nuts as the recognize the intro to “Heads Will Roll.” I turn back to see the crowd even all the way back to the food tents all jumping up and down singing out, “Off, off with your head/dance ‘til your dead!” After the song ends, Karen holds her hand as a fake gun to her head and pulls the trigger.

Next is “Soft Shock” and then Karen dedicates “Despair” to all the fans who sang for their contest, which according to my fact checking, ended the day before this performance. I didn’t win.

Everyone immediately recognizes Zinner’s distorted guitar intro to “Maps,” which Karen dedicates to all the lovers. Though everyone sings along, none drown out the best singer present: “Wait, they don’t love you like I love you.” At the end she drills the microphone into her heart.

Karen takes-takes-takes off her jacket for “Cheated Hearts,” revealing a bright neon t-shirt. She passes the microphone to the front row who all get their chance to “Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh,” and judging by her ridiculously oversized smile, this is Karen’s favorite part.

After “Pin,” Karen leaves to get her jacket for “Zero.” A giant blow-up eyeball launches into the crowd, bouncing around until the band’s final song “Date With the Night.” They freeze for a few minutes during this last one, before Zinner plays the riff again, jumpstarting the band into finale mode.

And, Karen, Oh, what a finale. The rock goddess pretends to swallow the microphone, but instead of her throat, it goes down her shirt… then her pants. All the way down. So far down she has to pop open her pants and unzip, giving Outside Lands a spectacular view of her panties. Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!

Nine Inch Nails

Standing patiently waiting for Nine Inch Nails to take the stage, I ponder, “Is anybody actually watching Phoenix at Sutro right now?” Nah, can’t be. They’re playing to only a couple of hipsters who found it ironic to miss the best show of Outside Lands and an old drunk lady who passed out there on Friday. But soon Trent Reznor is armed with a guitar and I forget just what a phoenix or a hipster even are.

With the electronic beat behind him, Reznor sings out that he’s “Just a copy of a copy of a copy,” and the crowd moves to the beat of the new song. I’m relieved that Trent has stopped with the David Fincher soundtracks and gotten back to what he does best in Nine Inch Nails. “Copy of A” is a great way to get things started. Different color lights start to strobe and the rest of the traveling musicians join Trent on stage. They stick with the new stuff, going into “Disappointed,” followed by “Came Back Haunted.”

Things get heavier with “1,000,000” off of 2008’s The Slip. It’s the first song that really starts to rock, giving us the first real taste of that old familiar Trent Reznor hissing and howling. And then things really get going with one of my favorite Nine Inch Songs of all time in “March of the Pigs.” The crowd starts moving and yells along: “I want to break it up/I want to smash it up/I want to fuck it up!”

The stage goes black and Trent is alone again as piano plays from somewhere. He slows it down to sing one of the most powerful NIN ballads: “Something I Can Never Have.” We all know the words and sing along.

Next Reznor plays some heavy guitar for “Reptile” before another great performance in Pretty Hate Machine’s “Terrible Lie.” Giant screens behind the band show TV static outlined by the performer’s shadows. Reznor takes down the mic stand with his guitar at the end of the song.

Hearing “This world rejects me,” fans know “Burn” is next, all ready to “Burn the whole world down.” When it’s time for “Closer,” everyone proudly yells out to everyone next to them, “I want to fuck you like an animal!” Since there was this weird-looking bald dude standing next to me, I had to close my eyes to pretend he was Karen O. as I sang.

The energy keeps up as the songs keep coming: “Gave Up,” “Help Me I Am In Hell,” “The Warning,” “Find My Way” and “The Way Out Is Through.” And just when you think things can’t get any better, Reznor goes ahead and plays my choice for best song of the night in 1993’s “Wish.”

“Only,” “The Hand That Feeds” and “Head Like a Hole” close it out and it’s the song so dark Johnny Cash had to cover it for the encore. By the end of the night our wish of sharing something real, of sharing something true, is granted and no one can wait for the new album.

KURT VILE and The Violators

First band of the last day of Outside Lands for this writer is Mr. Kurt Vile and his viley violating Violators out of the wonderful city of Philadelphia. The super long-haired frontman says hello to the crowd and then proceeds with a simple “Here we go” as he and his band launch into the first song of the day “Jesus Fever.” His folky and partly dead-pan vocals, reminiscent of some of Pavement’s best, come alive: “I pack my suitcase with myself but I’m already gone.” They extend the poppy, yet scratchy ending of the song several minutes as Kurt and his Violators jam.

“Wakin’ on a Pretty Day,” off his latest album Wakin’ on a Pretty Daze, is next, which is pretty memorizing with the soothing, scratchy guitar melody and Kurt’s “Yeah, yeah, yeah(s)” (which are not to be confused with the lovely Karen O.’s band). Though the day is cloudy, Kurt joins this writer in wearing sunglasses anyway.

Kurt takes a little time to adjust levels before getting to the next song and calls out to the sound guys, “Can I get a little more amp up here? Thank you.” When finally ready, he sticks with the new album playing both “KV Crimes” and “Was All Talk.”

After these songs, the stage gets more crowded as a sound guy whispers something in Kurt’s ear. He responds, “I’ve got nothing. It’s not just the vocals.” And more dudes come out on stage to help as the musicians remain silent. Kurt tells us, “Okay, while they fix the equipment, I’ll take this time to say hello.” But that’s about all he says to us. Instead he tells the new guys on stage, “The band doesn’t need the monitors. I’m top priority.”

Eventually they sort it out and the band plays “Girl Called Alex.” It has a much slower rhythm than the previous little ditty, but it’s been so long between songs, I wonder if anyone even remembers. But the sound issues aren’t complete as Kurt asks, “Check my vocal, please?” I’m surprised that for how many problems he’s experiencing, he still remains extremely pleasant and polite with the sound guys.

After “Ghost Town,” the Violators turn the stage into one, leaving Kurt to play “Peeping Tomboy” all by his lonesome and the dedicated Vile fans love it. And Mr. Vile himself truly appreciates the enthusiasm: “You’ve been a beautiful audience.”

The last song features both the first electronic beat and fist saxophone appearance of the day for the Violators for “Freak Train.” It’s a perfect way to close the set as it’s faster and heavier than any of the other songs and even has the best dance to, which the crowd instantly responds to. Kurt screams out his most passionate vocals, “Riding on the freak train, train, train!” Vile fans new and old dance side-by-side, all more than ready to ride away together on their grateful, long-haired conductor’s say so.

Trombone Shorty and Orleans Ave.

Music fans, if you’re feeling horny, there’s only one man who can satisfy you, and that is none other than Mr. Trombone Shorty. Get it? Horn-y? I am funny. Those seeking something different this fine Sunday afternoon at Outside Lands journeyed over to Sutro and were treated to one of the best performances of the entire weekend in Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue.

Orleans Avenue takes the stage first and starts rocking out all thrashy and funky at the same time. Don’t overlook these talented musicians featuring Pete Murano on the guitar, Mike Ballard on bass, Joey Peebles on drums and Dan Oestreicher and Tim McFatter playing sax. Only a couple of minutes into the instrumental intro, and the crowd’s 100% committed in moving to the beat. Then the main attraction Troy Andrews, best known as Trombone Shorty, takes stage and gets right into it, blowing that trombone just the way his fans like it.

Then Shorty takes the lead on another heavy instrumental jam session fully featuring his extensive tromboning skills. The music is heavy, it’s mounting, and then it breaks into a great rendition of Rage Against the Machine’s “Killing in the Name Of.” The crowd goes nuts with people jumping up and down. Don’t think I’ve ever seen people headbanging to a band with so much brass. It certainly didn’t blow.

Shorty asks the crowd to “Clap your hands like this” and they oblige. The bass gets funky and Trombone exercises his impressive vocal chords, singing, “She got a wonderful style/she got a wonderful grace,” for the song “Mrs. Orleans.” He can do it all. After this song, Shorty proudly announces, “I think we really warming up now!” And judging by the crowd’s screams, they are in full agreement. Next Orleans Ave goes into “One Night Only” and in between singing the vocals, Shorty rocks his trombone and then stands in the middle of the stage, back to us, directing the band.

Orleans jams out and the crowd dances along. This one dude in a green shirt starts his own one-man dance party in an open area of the crowd. A couple people try to join him, but he’s more interested in a Billy Idol-type exercise apparently.

Peebles gets a nice long drum solo and I can’t tell who’s happier between his Animal-esque banging with a smile or the crowds’ enthusiastic cheers. Then Orleans Avenue joins him for an awesome cover of Green Day’s “Basket Case.” Trombone Shorty makes sure, “Y’all aren’t getting tired yet, are you?” No one is and Orleans Avenue continues to rock out shifting between instrumental jams, great bluesy rock and hitting everything in between.

Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue finish their day with their catchy single “Do to Me.” The crowd loved every minute, dancing the entire set and scream out for Shorty and the boys long after they leave the stage. This may have been Shorty’s first trip to Outside Lands, but it surely will not be his last.

DAWES

For those of you that don’t know Dawes, they’re a folky/rocky/country/bluesy band from Los Angeles. Dawes is fronted by singer and guitar player Taylor Goldsmith and backed by his brother Griffin on the drums. Wylie Gelber plays bass and Tay Strathairn plays keyboards.

They start with their first single from Stories Don’t End, “From a Window Seat.” It’s kind of fitting that Hall and Oates plays on the main stage simultaneously because this first track sounds like the layered, non-corny song that Daryl and John never got around to writing. And that’s not a knock by the way. Well, maybe it’s a Hall and Oates knock, but it’s a compliment to Dawes and a damn good start to the set. Taylor goes from one side of the stage to the other to play his guitar to the grateful crowd.

Next up, the band keeps it going strong with “If I Wanted Someone” from 2011’s Nothing Is Wrong. And I totally agree with the line “If I wanted someone to spend my money, I wouldn’t need to get paid.” Oh, who am I kidding? I don’t get paid and I spend all my money on diet soda and Chex Mix. But it’s a good song and Dawes is two for two.

Taylor appreciates the enthusiastic crowd and thanks them for “Spending your time with us.” The next song, “Most People,” has more of a modern-day country sound to it and isn’t as strong as the first two, but the crowd sticks with them all the same. “Fire Away” has a similar sound. Neither is bad, just not as memorable as the first two performances.

The crowd recognizes “When My Time Comes” from the guitar intro, and even though I don’t, I am happy to hear it all the same as it gets the show back going again. The crowd passionately sings along with its unforgettably emotional chorus. It easily becomes this writer’s choice for best song of the set.

Strathairn gets to showcase his skills on the keys with a solo on “Peace in the Valley.” The whole band then joins him and they jam for a long-ass time and no one complains. Afterwards Taylor says, “I hope you guys are having as much fun as we are.” And as far as I can tell, they are as even those who aren’t singing or dancing are, at least, clapping along.

They finish their day with “Time Spent in Los Angeles” and “From the Right Angle” and the crowd finishes their time here with smiles on faces. Taylor recalled that the first time they played Outside Lands they were stuck on a small stage in the back and hardly anyone showed up. Well, this time next year, who knows? Maybe they can replace Hall and Oates on the main stage. We can only hope.

Willie Nelson and Family

Something I can’t quite grasp is why living legend Willie Hugh Nelson is playing on the second stage while rock posers Vampire Weekend play their extra-radio-friendly jingles to the bigger crowd on the main stage. What has the world come to? Well, fear not, my dear readers, I skipped that main stage shit to watch a real musician perform. I mean, I did sneak back to the media tent for a beer and a bathroom break, but definitely made it back before Willie began his set.

While Willie Nelson and Family fill the stage this evening, marijuana smoke fills the air. Surprised? No, you’re not. Willie greets the largest crowd for the Sutro all weekend and goes right into “Whiskey River.” The age range for those in attendance varies from the very old to the relatively young and they all fucking love Willie. They hang on his every word and dance to his every beat.

And staying on the alcohol theme, next was “Beer for my Horses.” Then Willie asks how everybody’s doing and they answer him with screams, which I think means they’re doing okay? Willie says, “Let’s do one for Waylon Jennings,” and goes into “Good Hearted Woman.” Willie is 80 years old, but shows no signs of slowing down, looking to continue this well into his 100s. Weed is good for you.

Willie admits “It’s been a long time” since he’d been in San Fran. He makes up for it by playing, “Crazy,” and if there were any harsh feelings about his long absence, all were now forgiven.

Afterwards, Willie informs us, “This is my little sister Bonnie and she wants to play ‘Down Yonder’ for y’all.” While she does, Willie throws his hat into the crowd and I immediately regret my decision to take a seat on the hill so far away instead of fighting my way through the crowd to get close to the stage. I want Willie’s hat, goddamnit! I do, however, get to see some gophers trying to force their way out of the ground as we apparently are sitting on their home. Shit, I really hope I am not literally sitting on one right now.

Next it’s “Me and Paul” and then “It’s Flooding Down in Texas,” which features a big finish with every musician tearing it up on stage much to the crowd’s appreciation. But they appreciate the classic “Mamas, Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys” even more. He follows that up with “Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground” before going into another all-time favorite in “On the Road Again.” He even played “Always on my Mind” and even covered some Hank Williams with “Hey, Good Lookin’” and “I Saw the Light.” It was one of the most memorable sets of the weekend.

I never got to see Johnny Cash live and will forever regret it. But thanks to Outside Lands 2013, my Willie Nelson experience will not suffer the same fate. Thank you, San Francisco.

Red Hot Chili Peppers

The Chili Peppers have been doing their thing since 1983, but touring has been a rarity in recent years, so many are well-beyond psyched to see them here tonight for the final Outside Lands set of 2013.

A long horn solo plays and the crowd explodes. With Flea on bass, Chad Smith on drums and Josh Klinghoffer on guitar, the band goes right into a heavy, funky jam for a few minutes before frontman Anthony Kiedis joins them on stage. The jam quickly changes to “Can’t Stop” and the crowd explodes even bigger. They can’t stop. They’re all “addicted to the shindig.” Flea slaps his bass like crazy, more passionate about his instrument than any other artist I’ve seen all weekend—and believe me, that’s saying a lot. He then introduces Smith, who drums out an impressive solo before “Dani California.” Good to see him get some recognition for something other than his resemblance to Will Ferrell.

They slow it down for “Otherside,” but things pick right back up for “Look Around” as the crowd really starts to move. They keep right on going matching Kiedis word-for-word to sing “Snow (Hey Oh).”

Flea gives us the friendly reminder to “Be kind to your neighbor. And if they don’t mind, gently massage their buttocks.” Unfortunately, no one near me takes him up on the advice and my buttocks remain unmassaged.

“She’s Only 18,” “Right on Time,” “Universally Speaking” and “The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie” keep coming and so does the energy from the long-time rockers. Kiedis is jumping all over the place, Flea practically seizuring and turning into a bass, Chad banging the fuck out of his drums and even the newcomer not playing light on his guitar. The Chili Peppers haven’t toured for a while and they’re getting out all that frustration tonight. Outside Lands reaps the benefits.

And they fans try to match the energy as they all jump around for the famous Stevie Wonder cover “Higher Ground.” They give their all to sing every word to the Red Hot Chili Peppers most famous song “Under the Bridge.” They get funky with Flea for “Ethiopia.” The crowd is really going now and they want more.

Flea and Klinghoffer jam in each other’s faces hardcore for several minutes and I think we all now experience “Californication” personally because of it. Kiedis then jumps up on the drum set to say hi to Chad as the set closes out to “By the Way.”

After a short break the band returns for an encore of “Around the World” and “I Could Have Lied.” But the crowd has saved all their energy and the band is ready to give their all for the final song of the weekend, “Give It Away.”

It’s a beautiful sight as BFFs Anthony Kiedis and Flea jump in unison, giving it all away to the thousands of music lovers here in Golden Gate Park. And that, my dear readers, is how Outside Lands 2013 ends.

For more info go to:
sfoutsidelands.com