It’s late July / early August, which means it’s time to start plotting out your Outside Lands plans! This means you get to hear MY OPINION on the best acts from the “lesser known” half of the poster! There is a lot of good stuff happening early in the day, so get your money’s worth, load up on coffee, and get to the park when the gates open! A full slate of performers can be found here, and there are still *some* tickets left as of press time, and those limited ticket types can be found here.
In addition to the list below, Outside Lands added a new, gay-centered stage named after every hipster’s favorite Castro-adjacent park, Dolores‘! On Friday the area is being taken over by Fake & Gay. On Saturday, SF Drag Laurette, D’Arcy Drollinger is bringing her club, OASIS, to the park. And on Sunday, the most legendary local party, Hard French will be making sure you feel very French all Sunday long.
Upsahl
It took me a long time to wrap my head around what makes Upsahl great. Sure, she’s got hooks galore and one intense stage presence… But these lyrics? I remember someone describing Bright Eyes as someone ripping their heart out and handing it to you. Upsahl is so blunt, honest, and multidimensional that it sounds like she’s ripping her heart out and throwing it at you.
Fake Fruit
I hate making direct comparisons, but for those of you who are upset that they never got to see Television before Tom Verlaine passed away earlier this year, Oakland’s Fake Fruit is your best option. I would argue that Fake Fruit’s self-titled debut is a BETTER record than Marquee Moon. Are you looking for angular guitars and droll singing? Hannah D’Amato has that down and shreds harder than almost anyone else playing like this.
Samia
The other day, when I started researching this list, I landed on Samia and listened to tracks. Next thing I knew, it was two hours later, and I kept wanting more Samia. Every song sounds like a warm hug from somebody you haven’t seen in years, but when you reconnect, it feels like yesterday. And, not, it doesn’t make sense that an entire catalog of widely varied songs all feel like this, but it does. I hope to find an old friend during Samia’s set, because I’m pretty sure my heart will explode. In a good way, of course.
No Vacation
Criminally underrated No Vacation are one of those SF bands that somehow gets missed when hearing folks praise our local scene. Hopefully, the dreamy, surfy, joyful melodies will seep into the ears of the folks in the park for the weekend, becoming the hometown heroes they deserve to be.
Donny Benet
Yacht Rock is alive and well. Donny Benet has the chops and the sense of humor of Steely Dan, with just enough modern touch to not be seen as merely a throwback act.
Nanna
Of Monsters and Men’s secret weapon is billed surprisingly low on this lineup. Her solo work is as strong and stunning as her band work, and her stage presence is potent. This set is one that you shouldn’t sleep on, and crying is almost guaranteed.
Grace Ives
Janky Star is about the best name you could ever give a record. And, sure enough, Grace Ives’ lofi synth workouts couldn’t be described any better way. Ives’ music is so genuine and about the punkest thing I’ve heard in a long time.
Venus & The Flytraps
The pop-punk revival is gifting us a whole new generation of bands that weren’t even alive when Kerplunk! came out. Venus & The Flytraps could have scored the classic Josie & The Pussycats movie and would’ve clearly been on Warped Tour in 1998 and I’m here for every minute of this.
La Doña
It’s hard to believe that La Doña is making her first appearance at Golden Gate Park. She’s essentially a local celebrity- I’ve never seen her perform, but I’ve been to shows she’s been at, and people fawn over her. I’m excited to make it a point to hear her clever Spanglish wordplay live.
Adi Oasis
A YouTube comment referred to Adi Oasis as a fusion of Erykah Badu and Thundercat. This is close, but you’ve gotta toss a whole lot of Prince into the mix, and you’ve got a masterclass is how sexy you can make psychedelic soul sound.
