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Tens of thousands of music fans had the weekend of Aug. 7-9 circled on their calendar, in anticipation of returning to Golden Gate Park in San Francisco for what was to be the 13th annual Outside Lands.
Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit and basically shut down the U.S. touring industry, eventually leading promoters to announce that there would be no Outside Lands in 2020.
It is scheduled to return next year, with a lineup that includes Lizzo, the Strokes, Tame Impala, Tyler, the Creator, Vampire Weekend, J Balvin, Kehlani and The 1975. So, I hope to see you all at the park Aug. 6-8, 2021; sfoutsidelands.com.
In the meantime, let’s relive some of the best moments in Outside Lands’ history (and yes, we have videos).
Radiohead rules
(OSL1: Aug. 22-24, 2008)
Opening night — of the first-ever Outside Lands — with Radiohead? Talk about a great way to get the party started as well as proclaim to the world that this was a festival that deserved to be on everybody’s radar. Indeed, just a few moments into Thom Yorke and company’s transcendent set, made all that more magical by the fog rolling in among the colorfully lit trees around the stage, people probably started thinking that was event that would be around for years to come. Not everything was perfect — there were a couple of glitches with the sound — but it was still a magical first night.
Other highlights: Boots Riley shows why he’s one of the top rappers on the planet as his East Bay troupe The Coup funk it up for fans. Sharon Jones proves once again to be a truly generational talent, turning up the soul power with the Dap-Kings.
‘Let’s Get It Started’
(OSL 2: Aug. 28-30, 2009)
One of the strongest memories of Year 2 was the disappointment of not getting to see the Beastie Boys, the legendary hip-hop band that was forced to bow out after vocalist Adam Yauch was diagnosed with cancer. But it’s also hard to forget the fun Saturday night dance party delivered by the Black Eyed Peas, who definitely brought the energy and the hits — “Let’s Get It Started,” “Pump It,” “I Gotta Feeling,” etc. — to the park.
Other highlights: Silversun Pickups take us into the eye of the alt-rock storm. Pearl Jam reminds us why we fell in love with them in the first place.
Go Green
(OSL 3: Aug. 14-15, 2010)
The festival has done a great job over the years hosting both newer acts and longtime music icons. And when it comes to the latter, really, how much more iconic can does it get than the one and only Reverend Al Green. The gospel/soul/R&B titan was simply incredible as he led the joyful, multi-generational crowd in a sing-along of such classics as “Tired of Being Alone,” “Let’s Stay Together” and “Love and Happiness.”
Other highlights: Social Distortion, of course, as Mike Ness and crew blast through “Story of My Life,” “Prison Bound,” “Ball and Chain,” “Ring of Fire” and other winners. Levon Helm dusts off some true classics from The Band songbook.
Find your Muse
(OSL 4: Aug. 12-14, 2011)
This Muse show doesn’t just rank as the best set of Year 4 — it ranks as one of the very best performances that I’ve seen at any of the 12 Outside Lands to date. It was an absolute masterclass in arena-rock, as the band somehow managed to combine the power of Zeppelin with the ambition of Floyd, as well as Bono’s pop savvy, as it held the audience in a near-trance-like state during the duration of its high-flying set.
Other highlights: Phish shows why it’s the world’s greatest jam band. Best Coast charms with its sunny California indie-pop.
This is Metallica territory
(OSL 5: Aug. 10-12, 2012)
Leave it to the Bay Area’s own mighty men of metal — vocalist-guitarist James Hetfield, drummer Lars Ulrich, guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo — to turn in a performance that topped even what Muse delivered the year prior. Indeed, when asked what’s the best set I’ve ever seen at Outside Lands, I always answer it was the first time Metallica played the festival. It was just so powerful to witness this legendary act hammer out “Ride the Lightning,” “For Whom the Bell Tolls” and other metal masterpieces in this dramatic setting.
Other highlights: Tom Morello accomplishes things with the guitar most of us didn’t know were possible on his cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “The Ghost of Tom Joad.” Bob Weir joins Norah Jones on the Grateful Dead favorite “It Must Have Been the Roses.”
Beatlemania by the Bay
(OSL 6: Aug. 9-11, 2013)
There were fine performances this year from a wide range of acts, but none was more transcendent than Paul McCartney’s nearly three-hour set filled with such Beatles classics as “Eight Days a Week,” “Paperback Writer,” “The Long and Winding Road,” “Blackbird” and “Let It Be.” The best part of the set — nay, the entire festival — was when Sir Paul led tens of thousands of voices in a mighty shout-along during the final moments of “Hey Jude.”
Other highlights: Nile Rodgers and Chic — a last minute fill-in for an ailing D’Angelo — brilliantly revisit “Le Freak,” “Good Times” and other dance-floor favorites. Vampire Weekend was at the top of its game, especially on the frantic “Walcott” closer.
Rising star
(OSL 7: Aug. 8-10, 2014)
In a lineup filled with such well-established acts as Tom Petty, Kanye West and The Killers, it was relative newcomer Kacey Musgraves who shone the brightest during the seventh annual Outside Lands. Touring in support of what was then her sole full-length release — the modern-day country music masterpiece “Same Trailer Different Park” — the singer-songwriter showcased the kind of immense talent that would led her to win the 2019 album of the year Grammy with “Golden Hour.’
Other highlights: Disclosure has the crowd in a frenzy. Mike Campbell (of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers) delivers the goods on “Runnin’ Down a Dream.”
Kendrick rocks the park
(OSL 8: Aug. 7-9, 2015)
Kendrick Lamar was a dynamic force on stage, commanding our attention and moving our feet as he showcased material from his stunning debut, 2012’s “good kid, m.A.A.d city,” and the 2015 followup “To Pimp a Butterfly.” It was right around this same time that fans started to realize Lamar could very well turn out to be the most important artist of the decade.
Other highlights: First Aid Kit roars through a mighty cover of Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs” that would’ve made Tony Iommi proud. Wilco succeeds with “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart.”
Cole in control
(OSL 9: Aug. 5-7, 2016)
J. Cole exhibited a potent mix of towering talent and near-blinding star power as he rolled through an exuberant set filled with “2014 Forest Hills Drive” material and other selections. It served as further proof that this North Carolina rapper is great on record — as underscored by his six No. 1 albums — but perhaps even better in concert.
Other highlights: Duran Duran covers David Bowie’s “Space Oddity.” Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir joins Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem onstage.
It’s Lorde time
(OSL 10: Aug. 11-13, 2017)
Lorde is amazing in the studio and, really, still has yet to release anything less than a good song. But she’s also mighty capable in a festival setting, which she illustrated by thrilling tens of thousands of fans with a set that mixed “Royals,” “Tennis Courts” and other favorites from the landmark debut “Pure Heroine” with “Green Light,” “Liability” and more from the superb follow-up “Melodrama.”
Other highlights: Belle & Sebastian delivering “The Boy With the Arab Strap” on a stage full of happy, dancing fans. The return of Metallica, which was nearly as good as the band’s first Outside Lands appearance in 2012.
Soul sensation
(OSL 11: Aug. 10-12, 2018)
We were so lucky that Lizzo’s road to superstardom made a stop at Outside Lands, where the R&B/soul/hip-hop artist wowed fans with a mix of sheer charisma, powerhouse vocal work, superb material and plenty of fun. Her set even included a “twerk tutorial,” as she called it, as she instructed some 10,000 fans in proper twerking technique.
Other highlights: So many memorable performances from talented women, including Janelle Monae, Margo Price, Salt-N-Pepa, Billie Eilish, Carly Rae Jepsen, Florence Welch (of Florence and the Machine) and Janet Jackson.
What a voice
(OSL 12: Aug. 9-11, 2019)
Lauren Daigle delivered a high-flying vocal clinic during her 50-minute set, which opened with a stellar version of “Still Rolling Stones” and continued through such gems as “Rescue,” “This Girl” and the title track to her Grammy-winning “Look Up Child.” Each lyric came across as so beautifully heartfelt and engaging, especially during the smash hits “Trust In You” and “You Say.”
Other highlights: Having retired from regular touring, Paul Simon makes a rare concert appearance. Hardly Strictly Bluegrass veteran Mavis Staples is great, as always, in her return to Golden Gate Park.
