Drafting a guide for a music festival has the same feel as writing a term paper for a class that is critical to graduation plans – the sense that you have done enough research never arrives. So, eventually you just put the pen to the paper (old-school reference).
Saturday is the most interesting of the three day of the San Francisco festival. That is unfortunate, since Saturday is almost always the most crowded day. Festival-goers will buy three-day passes knowing that they will miss much of Friday because of work conflicts. And by Sunday, folks who don’t properly pace themselves will skip some or all of of the performances. Saturday is the day with the fewest mispers (missing persons) and with the most early arrivals.
There are several reasons for proclaiming Saturday as the most interesting of the three days of Outside Lands 2018. The factor that most attendees focus upon is the strength of the large-font performers. At the top of the billing are Florence + the Machine and Future, who have overlapping set times. There are few (or no) similarities between the skills of the two options; this is a choice of genres – Adult Pop or Adult Hip Hop. The Sythpop band CHVRCHES and the Chamber Folk band Bon Iver are also near the top of the festival's promotion poster. Happily, they do not have overlapping set times. CHVRCHES carry an energy that will make their performance a popular one. The frontman of Bon Iver, Justin Vernon, has had his ups and downs, but he is one of the most influential individuals in today’s Indie universe.
A second reason to get excited about Saturday is that there are small-font bands that draw excitement. From our perspective, the best example is Gang of Youths from Australia. Seeing their Rock performance in San Francisco only a few months ago was not enough.
A third reason – the diversity of instruments. Starting in 1965, the sitar was introduced to Rock fans. Within a year, the Rolling Stones’ “Paint It Black” and the Beatles’ “Norwegian Wood” were highly acclaimed. Those days are gone; sitars at Indie performances are now like California condors, they exist, but sightings are rare. Early Saturday, Kikagaku Moyo will bring their sitar (but will conflict with Gang of Youths). Mid-day, Broken Social Scene will bring its horn section. And late Saturday, Florence + the Machine will have its harp.
The Saturday lineup (for times and stages CLICK HERE):
FLORENCE + THE MACHINE // FUTURE // BON IVER // CHVRCHES // JAMIE XX // ILLENIUM // TYCHO // SOB X RBE // BIG GIGANTIC // DANIEL CAESAR // BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE // GOLDLINK // LIZZO // JESSIE REYEZ // WHETHAN // SMOKEPURPP // POOLSIDE // CUCO // AMEN DUNES // PALE WAVES // GANGS OF YOUTH // FREYA RIDINGS // GOGO PENGUIN // JACK HARLOW // KNOX FORTUNE // KIKAGAKU MOYO
Below are videos of songs by some of the performers. The selection of videos has a bias toward:
(1) non-headliners,
(2) bands we look forward to seeing, and
(3) live performances, since they are more helpful in making the decision to see a band.
(1) non-headliners,
(2) bands we look forward to seeing, and
(3) live performances, since they are more helpful in making the decision to see a band.
Australian Rockers - Gang of Youths - noon at the Lands End stage
UPDATE - GANG OF YOUTHS CANCELLED THEIR U.S. TOUR FOR PERSONAL REASONS.
UPDATE - GANG OF YOUTHS CANCELLED THEIR U.S. TOUR FOR PERSONAL REASONS.
Jessie Reyez – 12:40 at Twin Peaks
Pale Waves – 1:05 at Lands End
Lizzo – 2:20 at Lands End (30 minute video, so skip around)
Canadian Chamber Folk – Broken Social Scene - 3:35 at Lands End
CHVRCHES – 4:55 at Lands End (30 minute video, so skip around)
Tycho – 6:15 at Sutro (a full concert, so jump around)
Bon Iver – 6:25 at Lands End (another full concert)
Florence + The Machine - 6:25 at Lands End
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