From the Muppets to Major Lazer, Outside Lands was a good time.
The Bay Area became the center of the music world this past weekend, with Outside Lands taking over Golden Gate Park for three straight days. Music, art, food, and more filled the air, and we take a look at our favorites from this year's festivities.
Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem
If you were only going to see one thing this weekend at Outside Lands, it should've been Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem. For those of you who aren't familiar with the Mayhem, they're only the biggest band in history. You probably know them best as the house band for the Muppets, but Dr. Teeth, Animal, Janice, Floyd Pepper, Zoot and Lips were all in San Francisco for a Sunday afternoon performance.
Thousands of fans gathered for the first (and only) stop on the band's world tour, and a "one more song" chant lasted throughout the crowd all the way until the group's digital backdrop was shut off.
Food Lands
From bacon to beer, cheese to chocolate, there was a dedicated zone for everyone's favorite food groups. Forget hipster food trucks (except for Señor Sisig, which made the finest Filipino burrito ever consumed) and watered-down $12 beer, the food and drink lineup at Outside Lands was just as impressive as the music.
Dozens of ethnicities of food filled the ground, with everything from high-class items to bacon cheeseburgers served on doughnuts coating concertgoers bellies. There was also plenty of visual art to admire while you scarfed down hundreds of dollars worth of culinary delights, including multiple gorilla-themed pieces. Reminding everyone of the true hashtag of the weekend: #RIPHarambe.
Major Lazer
No one throws a party like Diplo throws a party, and a Major Lazer concert is basically just a giant Diplo party. If you're looking to book one giant act for your festival that's going to make tens of thousands of people go absolutely bonkers, Major Lazer should be the first group you call up.
Whether you know any of their music or not, you're going to feel the energy of the set (even from halfway across the city) and you're going to like it. Do yourself a favor and get a ticket to the next festival Major Lazer plays near you. Even if you don't like electronic music, you won't regret it.
The Barbary
Although many festivals attempt some kind of comedy and/or theatrical tent, few succeed on the level of Outside Lands. All weekend long, the Barbary hosted some of the top names in comedy, from Kyle Kinane and Anthony Jeselnik to Natasha Leggero and Fred Armisen. While a lot of the "comedy" sessions at the outdoor culinary-themed GastroMagic stage fell flat, just about every performance in the Barbary was packed with laughing guests. We're still a bit away from having a multi-day music and comedy festival where the two are actually even, but this was certainly a step in the right direction.
Foals
Of all the bands coming from overseas to play Outside Lands, Foals provided one of the best sets of the weekend. The English quintet pepped up the crowd on Friday afternoon with their unique brand of indie rock, and they likely gained quite a few new fans along the way. Although they didn't get to play on one of the two biggest stages, the band made the most of their location, as they were the first thing many people saw (and heard) as they entered the festival grounds for the first time.
Surprise Sets
When a secret Big Boi set was announced on a tiny stage across from the main stage on Friday afternoon, only a few hundred people got the memo in time to see the Atlanta legend perform a few classics like "Ms. Jackson" and "B.O.B."
Although the set only lasted about five minutes (he then went on to perform as a part of Big Grams for a full set the next day), Saturday followed with a surprise performance from the Bay Area staple of the hip-hop scene, E-40, and SoCal icon Warren G. For that, the crowd was bigger than the gathering for many scheduled artists, and watching E-40 perform in the Bay is always a good time.
Vince Staples
While rock bands didn't have the best showing at Outside Lands (Radiohead sounded great, but they're a little slow for a festival), rap music had a great weekend. J. Cole did his J. Cole thing on Friday night. Chance the Rapper proved why many consider him the breakout star of 2016 on Sunday afternoon, and Vince Staples tied the whole thing together on Saturday. If you're wondering what the kids are into these days, just go to a Vince Staples concert and see the future of hip-hop for yourself.
The Weather
Seriously though, it was like 60 degrees and alternating between clouds and sunshine all weekend. It was a glorious break for those of us who are sick of the summer heat.
