Spinning Platters Tackles Your Tough Outside Lands 2011 Decisions

We will make this a little easier for you to navigate.

For four years running now, the good people at Another Planet and Superfly have put together a massive outdoor music festival in the part of San Francisco so far west that most people don’t even know it exists. The weather is unpredictable, the terrain in this portion of Golden Gate Park is difficult, and with 5 stages, decisions are always tough to make. Well, all I can say about the first two is to bring layers and wear sturdy, comfortable shoes. As for who to see when? Well, I’ve studied the band schedule and the map, and based on my impeccable taste in music I am ready to present to you the most fulfilling plan for your Outside Lands experience.

Continue reading “Spinning Platters Tackles Your Tough Outside Lands 2011 Decisions”

Outside Lands Festival Journal: Log 2, Day 3

The D Battle The Metal
The D Battle The Metal

Today I attended the show as a volunteer. It’s a good deal, you help out with some element if the show in the morning, and by late afternoon, you are free to enjoy the rest of the show. If you work at night, you get to see an entire different day.  It’s a pretty decent deal, and if they do it next year, I recommend it. Just check out the official site next year, and you will find the instructions on how to sign up.

Continue reading “Outside Lands Festival Journal: Log 2, Day 3”

Outside Lands Festival Journal: Log 1, Day 2

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Os Mutantes!!!!!!!!!

Here’s my Outside Lands story. You may already be asking yourself why I am starting on Day 2. The answer is simple. I did not attend the first day. I went last year on Friday, and was so annoyed by the set up of the festival, that I did not attend again, and I was considering not doing it at all this year. I felt that security was far too sparse throughout the inside of the venue, and I also felt that they layout of the stages made it difficult to navigate through the venue. The biggest issue from 2008 was placing Radiohead on the main stage immediately after Beck played a side stage, which was about 15 minutes away by foot on a normal day, but they also made the walkway between the two stages about 2 people wide. To make matters worse, the audio kept cutting out during Radiohead’s set.

Continue reading “Outside Lands Festival Journal: Log 1, Day 2”

Outside Lands Festival Diary: Part 3 — Saturday, 8/29/08

Like watching TV on the Radio in my backyard
Like watching TV on the Radio in my backyard

I was excited to wake up and find my cold had subsided, and off I went back to Golden Gate Park for an early afternoon of volunteering and listening to bands chosen especially for me based on their proximity to my volunteering site.  My exciting adventures for today included potentially getting food poisoning, a random passerby saying some really strange stuff to me, and almost getting into a fight.  Join me on Saturday at Outside Lands. Continue reading “Outside Lands Festival Diary: Part 3 — Saturday, 8/29/08”

Outside Lands Festival Diary: Part 2 — Friday, 8/28/09

He seems surprised to be here
He seems surprised to be here

You know how when you have a little cold and you take cold medicine, and when the medicine finally kicks in, your cold breaks?  And you get really sweaty?  Now what if you were taking cold medicine on a hot day at a sunny music festival?  You’d be having my day.  So for me, and surely for many others, Friday at Outside Lands was a fun, sweaty time. Continue reading “Outside Lands Festival Diary: Part 2 — Friday, 8/28/09”

Outside Lands Festival Diary: Part 1

I have to know this backwards and forwards
I have to know this backwards and forwards

Some news organizations get full access to festivals like Outside Lands.  They get a photo pass, backstage access, free tickets, free food, special parking, and other forms of special treatment.  Some blogs get a lower level of access to these festivals, which would include free tickets, and perhaps a photo pass. And finally, there’s up-and-coming, fast growing music sites like Spinning Platters, who work for a ticket.  This will give you an entirely different perspective on Outside Lands, access be damned.  We’re not here to hobnob, we’re here to have a good time.  And answer your questions at the info booth. Continue reading “Outside Lands Festival Diary: Part 1”

Spinning Platters Podcast: Episode 4 – Outside Lands Festival

We're getting psyched for this weekend
We're getting psyched for this weekend

Episode 4 of the Spinning Platters podcast is now available below, and in iTunes.  Dakin, Gordon and D.P. are joined on this episode by Carlos Rodela of Mevio.  You can see him weekly on Rad on the Web and Press Pause, or hear him below.  This week’s topics are:

  • What we’ve been listening to
  • Outside Lands Festival Cage Match — We put bands playing at the same time up against each other to decide who you should be seeing
  • Rad on the Web, and what other joy you’ll find on the Mevio Tech channel

Click on to listen, or even better,  subscribe to the Spinning Platters podcast on iTunes. Continue reading “Spinning Platters Podcast: Episode 4 — Outside Lands Festival”