It’s like camp. For adults. Wine and gourmet food tents are pitched throughout Golden Gate Park and elaborate stages are hidden in the woods. There are crafts (and not just beer), tattoo parlors and clothing stalls. But let’s be real, we came for the music. Outside Lands, the three-day San Francisco music festival, kicked off Friday with performances by Wet, St. Lucia, Foals, Grimes, Duran Duran and LCD Soundsystem.
Outside Lands
The Brooklyn trio, Wet, brought its dreamy, indie-pop sounds to the Sutro Stage early Friday afternoon. The group has gained increased recognition following the release of their debut EP, Don’t You, in January 2016. Wet has an alluring, yet removed stage presence. Their energy and vocals suck you in, but the quiet Kelly Zutrau has not fully embraced her frontwoman role.
Wet
Wet
Wet
Wet
Wet
Outside Lands
Foals followed Wet on the Sutro Stage and stormed in with a “kick-you-in-the-chest” rock set. Drummer, Jack Bevan, stood on his drum set and hammered out a beat to ease fans into the madness. Lead singer and guitarist Yannis Philippakis tore across the stage and played the closing song from the crowd.
Foals
Foals
Foals
Foals
Crowd
Foals
Foals
Foals
Crowd
St. Lucia shared the Lands End Stage with Duran Duran. St. Lucia opened with “Do You Remember,” and played crowd favorites “Elevate” and “All Eyes on You.” Jean-Philip Grobler gripped the crowd with intense dancing and vocals. Duran Duran are ‘80s pop in all their glory. The English band paved the way for newcomers like St. Lucia, and their new-wave synthpop sound is still cherished by fans. They played their greatest hits like “Hungry Like the Wolf,” “Wild Boys” and rocked out in all their white-jean glory. Their cover of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” drew whistles and cheers from the crowd.
St. Lucia
St. Lucia
St. Lucia
St. Lucia
St. Lucia
Crowd
Duran Duran
Duran Duran
Duran Duran
Duran Duran
Duran Duran
Duran Duran
Grimes’ intensity is unmatched. One moment the Canadian singer/songwriter is wailing on a drum and then the next she’s howling into the mic while jumping up and down in front of the crowd. The mass that surrounded the Twin Peaks Stage bounced to the entire set and didn’t leave early to head to the next act. She slayed the closing song “Kill v. Maim.”
Grimes
Grimes
Grimes
Grimes
Grimes
Twin Peaks Stage
Grimes
Crowd
LCD Soundsystem closed the Lands End Stage with bright lights and an electronic rock set. During their first song, “Us v Them,” a large disco ball rose into the air casting streams of light on the Brooklyn band and crowd. They played “You Wanted a Hit” and finished the night with “All My Friends.”
LCD
LCD
LCD
LCD
Article: Alx Bear
