Just when you think the summer is almost over, the San Francisco Parks and Rec, in conjunction with Another Planet Entertainment, launches what could prove to be one of the most spectacular events of the year, The Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival. This will be the first multi day event held in Golden Gate Park where you can party till long after the sun goes down. With an explosion of green technology, including a solar powered stage and an interactive online meeting place called CrowdFire, this festival rocks before it even begins.
Modeled somewhat after Superfly’s legendary Bonnaroo festival in Nashville, Outside Lands will have a Farmers market, a wine list of local flavors, six stages to showcase underground and outsider art and a rich menu of artists like Jack Johnson, Tom Petty, Ben Harper, Steve Winwood, Primus, and Mike Gordon. With the concert determined to send 72 percent of their garbage to compost bins, and leave no carbon footprint, Outside Lands is the Bay Area at its very best.
This year there has been a nationwide boost in festival attendance, and a decline in record sales. Steve Winwood had this to say, “Well, it probably (has) something to do with the decline of the record industry. . . I don’t think it’s bad for music. It gives people other roots and other avenues to get their music across, such as festivals and live music. . . there is something exciting about seeing bands live.” Winwood plans on playing a mixture of songs from his new album Nine Lives, and some of his older songs at the festival.
Les Claypool from Primus, a band that was birthed in the bay area, expressed some nostalgia about returning to his old digs. “It’s good to play the old hometown where we first sowed our seeds and stomped around,” he said on a recent phone interview, “and San Francisco is just a fantastic city. It is my favorite city in the U.S.”. Claypool went on to say that his live show at the festival could be pretty much anything. "As long as I am flanked by giant inflatable astronauts, I’ll be happy.” He also called Primus “a pair of old comfortable shoes,” and after his many solo projects, was looking forward to being on stage again with his posse.
Mike Gordon, the final celeb to comment on the upcoming festival, kept the PHISH philosophy of live performance alive, “we’ve really done a lot of brainstorming about making it creative. If people are willing to take risks, then they can trust their creativity. . . that involves not just thinking about what will make money, (but) what would make an event clearly different than any other event in peoples lives.” He remembered fondly his time in SF, “I’m such a fan of music from the Bay Area and I’ve had such fun times hanging out around there, walking up and down Hyde street at 4 in the morning, or riding a scooter around the city. It is a magical place for me, and (playing) in a festival there seems really cool.”
The Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival will begin on Friday August 22nd (first band kicks off at 5pm) and run through Sunday, August 24th. San Francisco’s vibrant culture will be represented by local acts, cuisine, electronic art, bay area cuisine, and new media mediums. The event isn't sold out yet and you can get your tickets here. See below for a complete list of artists performing.
Friday August 22nd (first band is on at 5pm)
Radiohead
Beck
Manu Chao
The Black Keys
Cold War Kids
Steel Pulse
Black Mountain
The Felice Brothers
Howlin’ Rain
The Dynamites
Carney
Saturday August 23rd (first band is on at 1pm)
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals
Primus
Steve Winwood
Lupe Fiasco
Café Tacvba
Regina Spektor
Galactic’s Crescent City Soul Krewe feat. Dirty Dozen Horns
M. Ward
Devendra Banhart
Matt Nathanson
Two Gallants
Dredg
Abigail Washburn & the Sparrow Quartet feat. Bela Fleck
The Walkmen
Sidestepper
Kaki King
The Coup
Donavon Frankenreiter
Nellie McKay
Goapele
Sean Hayes
Rupa & The April Fishes
Everest
Sunday August 24th (first band is on at 1pm)
Jack Johnson
Wilco
Widespread Panic
Rodrigo y Gabriela
Broken Social Scene
Andrew Bird
Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings
Drive-By Truckers
Toots & the Maytals
Stars
Rogue Wave
ALO
Jackie Greene
Mike Gordon
The Cool Kids
Grace Potter & The Nocturnals
Little Brother
Bon Iver
The Mother Hips
Nicole Atkins & The Sea
K’naan
Back Door Slam
Culver City Dub Collective