The Outside Lands festival in San Francisco's picturesque Golden Gate Park enjoyed their most recent edition with memorable sets from dozens of artists.
About 75,000 fans pilgrimage to the 1,000 acre historic park, veiled in fog, mild temps, natural aromas and excellent vibes.
Since 2008 the festival has drawn big acts like Radiohead, Stevie Wonder, Elton John, and The Who. This year was no different as Lana Del Rey, Janelle Monae, Kendrick Lamar and the Foo Fighters were some of the big names who brought their A-game.
Let's highlight two artists per day. Shall we?
Friday
Janelle Monáe
Sporting swimwear, sunglasses, towels, and snowcap, Janelle Monae and her crew had a fascinating production that looked like the best modernization of Frankie and Annette beach blanket bingo. Except now the sands are far more diverse, the music is funky, and she calls it Black Sugar Beach.
“I want to dedicate this moment to you all," the 8x Grammy nominee said to the audience. "I want to talk to my community, the LGBTQIA+ community. I love you so much. To be Black, to be queer, to be non-binary, to evolve, and to have family like you, is a blessing.”
After the applause she broke into "I Like That" from her 2018 Dirty Computer album. It was the cuts from her latest album though, The Age of Pleasure, that brought some of the best highlights. Of note was early in the set when Monae toasted her musicians and dancers while holding glass flutes and singing "Champagne S***."
Monae's tour will continue around North America with stops at Colorado's Red Rocks, Toronto's Massey Hall, and NYC's Radio City. Tickets available here.
Kendrick Lamar
After a critically acclaimed headlining appearance at Lollapalooza earlier this month, the Compton rapper wowed just as many by the bay. Doling out 21 tracks from his five studio albums, the audience was left dazzled by his lyrical majesty. Some just resorted to saying DAMN.
“It’s been a minute since we have been in San Fran,” the Pulitzer Prize winner, rocking a blue Dodger cap told the crowd on Friday. “We have to make this (expletive) special tonight.”
Riff Magazine accurately pointed out that unlike other artists, Kendrick's "light-speed, wordy rhymes weren’t the easiest to sing along with, but fans enthusiastically joined in on the memorable lines of 'Backseat Freestyle' and 'Alright, while a massive shout-along erupted during the one-two punch of 'DNA.' and 'HUMBLE.'”
Kendrick flies to Japan for a pair of festival dates, then he returns to the US for a stop home in LA before heading Texas where he will play two consecutive weekends at Austin City Limits. Tickets available on his website.
Saturday
Maggie Rogers
If Maggie Rogers was prancing around the giant Lands End Stage like she had been there before, she had, sort of. In 2017 Maggie had all the confidence and power as she has today except she was on a much smaller platform. This year she was entertaining a large crowd, many of whom have now been watching her for years.
The Harvard grad who began her musical journey on the harp, asked the huddled masses “is anybody out there in love right now?” When she got a crickets from the crowd she asked if everyone was ok.
Then she broke into the soothing track "Love You for a Long Time," from last year's Mixtape 002: Dusk. Exactly the message lots of us need to hear, especially if we were in the gloomy chill of the Golden Gate.
Maggie then zipped down to LA to headline at the Hollywood Bowl. She has a smattering of appearances scheduled in the US through October. Get tickets on her website.
Lana Del Rey
Lana is the queen of drama, not in the annoying gossipy way where one has to choose which team they're on... with her babydoll dresses, long hair, and cautious movements the drama is the wind, the fog, the darkness. It all mixed beautifully with the decidedly somber mood of her setlist.
She is not here to rock you, she is here to empathize and massage your temples.
Queen Mother as some call her, really does seem to wonder if we will love her when she is no longer young and beautiful.
Likewise, she knows if there is any joy to be had from the throngs who flood whatever field, stadium or woody nook that shines a spotlight on her, it is to be able to sing along with her as she tells tales of love, loss, and video games.
Speaking of, how do you send tens of thousands home with the four song emo gut punch of "Ultraviolence," Summertime Sadness," "Video Games," and the title track of her new album? No wonder the robot cars were all stuck together on the streets of San Francisco, they were sobbing.
Tears of bittersweet, dark, beautifully complex joy? Of course.
Lana is heading to Mexico for a few dates this week. Then she will be at Maryland's female-fronted All Things Go festival. Tickets for her gigs available here.
Sunday
Beabadoobee
The adorable Filipina who grew up in the UK and recently opened several dates for Taylor Swift, took a cadre of Fender Mustangs to her stage and won over the crowd with a variety of song styles and sweetness. Be they aggressively played or gentle, the 23-year-old showed poise and confidence on the foggy stage.
A cute tune that went over was one she dedicated "to the girls," called "She Plays Bass"
Hey, won't you call me back?
'Cause I've been waiting for a text back
It hurts my brain
This chick who plays bass
She plays bass, she plays bass
Nothing matters 'cause we're both in space
Pretty s*** we didn't ever date
She plays bass, she plays bass
Another song the crowd seemed to love was "Last Day on Earth," which was co-written by Matty Healy and George Daniel of The 1975.
Beabadoobe headlined at the Greek in LA after her show in SF. She will now take some time off before heading to Maryland for the All Things Go festival at the end of September. Tickets for that are sold out.
Megan Thee Stallion
Are there things to be inspired by from Ms. Thee Stallion? Absolutely. Before busting into the TikTok fave, "Body," Megan instructed the crowd, “if you love your body the way it is, make some noise! If you love yourself the way you are, make some noise!"
Needless to say the progressive and diverse Bay Area audience made hella noise.
A vision of pink and red, she sang, rapped, twerked, and cursed. Most notably at those who weren't on her side of the Tory Lanez drama where her foot was shot by the Canadian rapper. Lanez recently was sentenced to 10 years in jail for the shooting.
“F*** all my haters, none of that [stuff] you was doing or saying broke me,” the Houston rapper proclaimed during "What's New."
San Francisco's public radio and TV station, KQED said after her set, "not only is Megan Thee Stallion an icon of female sexual empowerment, she’s a beacon for those who’ve risen above obstacles."
This was the first show Megan has done since the Lanez sentencing. Her next appearance will be in NYC's Central Park for the Global Citizens Fest. Tickets available here.
