Outside Lands, Sunday

I woke up on sunday to a foggy cold morning and I was expecting Golden Gate Park to mellow out. Boy was I wrong. By our first show at noon it was already busy and by the time we saw Cage the Elephant at 12:45 the mass of people extended far and out behind us. Cage was pretty cool, we didn't know much about them but we enjoyed it, plus it's always fun to see some crowd surfing.

Truth be told, I think Sunday had the best ensemble line-up, we had shows planned almost back-to-back. After Cage the Elephant we had our first break and decided to warm up in the wine tent. We had another half-dozen BBQ oysters from Hog Island and tasted a few different kinds of red wine. The tasting tent does not equal a tasting room, the vendors did not really want to chat about their wine, and overall it was not very friendly in there. The wine was amazing compared to the festival's awful "house red" but not exactly cost-efficient.

We moved back to the Twin Peaks stage for Atmosphere and met up with some friends. This was really fun, most of what we see is rock and a little hip hop was a nice change. There's something to be said for beats in the park on a foggy day, the crowd was bumpin, completely unaffected by the cold weather. Next we caught a glimpse of Matt and Kim, they were cute but I'm not sure they are used to managing such a large crowd, they just looked so tiny on that stage! After Matt and Kim we wanted to check out The Dead Weather, Jack White's new band, of which he is the drummer. Basically the band consists of most members of The Raconteurs plus a lead female singer. We heard one song and decided we would prefer to see Modest Mouse on the main stage. I was interested in watching Jack White but I was a little put off by seeing him behind the drums and at this point we just wanted to have fun, Modest Mouse was a sure thing.

Finally we got another break and decided to have lunch. Today we chose Pacific Catch, we had the Ahi Tuna Poke and Sweet Potato Fries for $15. They gave you plenty of Ahi and it tasted really good, the sweet potatoes were also perfect and had a sweet and sour dipping sauce.

At this point we were ready to set up camp for Band of Horses, one of our favorite newer bands. They had a 2008 Beck-like crowd show up at the Sutro stage and we were glad to have arrived early. They played a solid set, most of our favorites and it was a great end to the weekend. They were also allowed to come back for an encore since they didn't have anyone else playing after them on that stage. I'm surprised at their turnout considering they were competing with Ween and MIA.

As we slowly moved out of Lindley Meadow, herded like sheep into the Polo Field, we heard Tenacious D get started and we decided to call it a night. We saw so much, heard awesome music, ate delicious food, it was a great weekend and we were ready to go home and lay on the couch.

Outside Lands, Saturday

I woke up a little discombobulated this morning, but ready to jump out of bed and prepare for another day of music. The sun continued to shine all through saturday and having very little shady spots in the festival got tricky. We arrived early, I guess festival volunteers and security had some big meeting on how to give people a hard time because the security was close to being in an airport. I hear that by 3pm when the crowds arrived they were barely opening bags anymore and meanwhile I was harrassed for having water in my water bottle and a personal camera with a questionable size zoom. The ID check people also requested that we remove our sunglasses for an accurate comparison of face-to-license. It's ironic that after all of that they always give you that American smile and say "Have Fun!" By now I am wishing I lived in Europe.

Moving on we tried to forget about our experience entering the festival and headed over to see Albino! Joe had seen them before, and wanted me to go, they were really upbeat, fun, and easy to move to. It was a great musical start to the day. We hung out by the same stage to watch Nortec Collective, a musical ensemble from northern Mexico blending electronica in the nortec ("norteño" + "techno") style. They sounded interesting and it was really cool when the beats picked up. We unfortunately had to leave that set about halfway through as we were trying to make it across the festival for Tom Morello's new band, Street Sweeper Social Club. I was a little disappointed with that, Tom Morello rocks my world but it was impossible to understand a word out of the vocalist. Then they sang that MIA song and I just thought that was a little lame. Rage would never have done that!

After Street Sweeper we took a break to have some grub. We split a half-dozen BBQ oysters from Hog Island and truffle fries from Eos. We thought about doing some wine-tasting but the ticket lines were way too long. The whole concept of needing tickets for the Wine Haven is an annoyance, I wish they would just have the vendors deal with cash.

Our next band was Mastodon, Joe's choice, but I happily compromised by having us watch them from afar under the shade of a tree, my shoulders were burning by now. They were loud but sounded good. Joe enjoyed it and he's the fan, so it doesn't really matter what I think! After they were done we moved up closer to secure a spot for TV on the Radio. This stage is next to the entrance and I could see people were packing in. Today was so much busier than yesterday, the lines are longer, porta's stinkier, and moving around isn't as easy. TV on the radio came out and played mostly songs from the new album, and then their hit "Wolf Like Me" which I always thought would be so fun live and they butchered it. He was screaming the lyrics incoherently and it just sounded bad. We left after this song terribly let down.

We make a quick stop for dinner at Taylors in the wine tent and shared a Caesar Salad and a pulled pork sandwich. Each was $5 and by far the best deal we've encountered so far, not to mention both were really tasty. The salad was cleverly served in a tall plastic cup which was pretty handy. We watched about 10 minutes of Deerhunter over dinner before heading over to the Polo Field.

Once again, we were transported to the 90's through Dave Matthews, except just in theory because I didn't know a single song for the first hour and a half (and I was a fan back in the day). They can still keep an awesome jam going, and I just love to watch Boyd Tinsley play the violin. We ended up leaving a little over two hours into it, I was just hoping to hear one of my favorites but it didn't look promising. My only Saturday regret is I wish we had made it to Os Mutantes...

Outside Lands, Friday

What do you know it's scorching hot in the city this weekend. Yesterday was our first day at the festival and it was a great way to start the weekend. We arrived in time to see Duke Spirit, sort of a subways/shiny toy guns/ rocking british band. There was plenty of room at the front of the stage but we clung to the shade of a tree. I've prayed for sunshine for so long but I was ready for the fog to provide some sweet relief. Afterwards we spent some time wandering, having some grub before our next band, Los Campesinos, later regretting not watching Built to Spill instead. Los Campesinos has a beautful sound, violin filled rock songs, but the singing was a little excruciating.

We shared different food items, a "Frankie" from Dosa (an Indian wrap filled with potatoes and all-natural lamb and spices) a "Maizewich," basically a sandwich of black beans, plantains and skirt steak in a cornbread pancake, some yucca fries and a couple of fruit smoothies. Day 1 for food was awesome. The Lines were not an issue today except for the "bathroom" around 7pm. Food and beverage lines stayed manageable throughout. May I also add the heat does not do a porta potty good, it's like doing bikram in a toilet (awkward chair pose ladies?).

After that we made our way to the main stage, we wanted a good spot for Silversun Pickups. They were better than last time we saw them and seem to have really grown since the first album. We had a plan to leave the main stage and come back for Pearl Jam, but at festivals you have to sacrifice one band for another so we decided to set up camp. I'm so glad we did because I had planned on ditching Incubus for Q-tip and Incubus was a highlight of the day. Having never seen them live, I was entertained, and truly impressed. The energy was amazing and they started off with an old favorite "Pardon Me" and that got everyone in the mood. Brandon was sick, but guzzled a bottle of wine in between songs to keep him going, he was very charismatic and friendly to the crowd.

And then night fell, the temperature was perfect and the crowd started packing in. Joe had finally made his way back, just in time to see Eddie Vedder walk out of 1995. I never saw Pearl Jam in their prime, but you could never tell this wasn't it. Their show was REALLY good, all that I expected from years of rocking out audiences. They played a good mix of songs, but all of my favorites. Black was particularly beautiful, the lyrics had never struck me that much and when the crowd sang along it was perfect. The same goes for Better Man, Eddie, also sick, enlisted the crowd to help, and I'm not even sure he had to ask. Alive has the best solo even on the album so I was hoping for them to stretch it out into an awesome jam, I was not dissapointed. Overall they seemed to be very connected as a band and with the crowd, it was a great end to Day 1.

Finally!

Joe and I have been looking forward to this weekend all summer and it’s finally here. We will be at the Outside Lands Music Festival, conveniently located 7 blocks from our apartment. This is also a very important week for me, I have been officially accepted to the Nutrition Educator program and will be starting class in two weeks. Coincidentally, Outside Lands 2008 was also a turning point in my life, I had just gotten a new job and was getting ready to move to San Francisco. I have worked really hard this week to get all the paperwork in order, not to mention running pre-festival errands that seem to be never-ending. Once those cars are parked Thursday night, they ain’t moving. It’s great to be that close to the festival, but it also means we are that much closer to the crowd. We’ve spent time planning for each day and have some basic guidelines, lessons learned from last year, and are ready to go. Here are some basic tips from an Outside Lands Grad.

What to Bring:
Cash. The ATM lines inside are scary.
A blanket. In SF, preferably one designed to be laid on wet grass. Most of the time you’ll be standing but it’s nice to have a place to sit and lay down on occasion.
A water bottle. This year they have water stations and if you buy a stainless steel souvenir bottle you can re-fill for free. If you bring your own I think there is a small fee. It’s still less annoying than plastic bottles. Give them some credit even if they are charging.
Alcohol. I know, it’s frowned upon and not really allowed, but realistically, if you are going for three days, it could make for a utopic experience. At $8 a Heineken you can thank me later. When you see the beer line around 7pm, you can also thank me.
An Appetite. Forget packing a sandwich, with the amount of good food at a reasonable price, you’ll be sorry you didn’t plan for it.

Your tickets. Last year the will call line was horrendous and kept a lot of people from seeing first acts.

A backpack for all this stuff and if available, a man to carry it around for you!

What your mom would tell you to bring (and she’s right):
Tissues. You never know when those porta-potties are going to fail you and it’s always nice to have napkins for those messy garlic fries.
Your Health Insurance Card: I was taught to always carry that on you when navigating crowds. God forbid-Knock on Wood- something happens to you, it could save your life or a lot of money given our healthcare system.

What to wear:
Good shoes. you’ll be on your feet, people will step on your toes, and unless you are one of the few lucky ones to snag a cab or hop on muni, you will be walking home.
Sunglasses. Everyone needs shades at a music festival even if it is foggy.
Layers. It’s San Francisco, the hotter the day, the heavier the fog.
Practical things. Remember you’ll be slipping in and out of whatever you wear in a porta-potty. For instance, I tried on a cute little romper that was hard to zip up and quickly axed that. Personally, I like to spend as little time as possible in them. Last year Joe said “you always walk out of there looking like you went to war.” And I feel that way too.

What to do:
Listen to great music, eat good food, have a cold one, enjoy the people-watching, taste some wine, don’t miss the oysters and have a ball!

Day 21 - Proud

"Waiting at the shoreline’s edge,
sinking, thoughts in my head
Breeze blows upon my skin
and all the worries bubble within
Sweet air I breath in slow
and exhale all I can’t control"

WP, The Tide

Last night we went to Brainwash Café, one of those “only in San Francisco” kind of places. Laundromat, Café, Bar, Live Music. Seriously. This Friday it just so happened that Weather Pending, a band of dear friends was playing. My journey/relationship with Weather Pending started in 2004 when I spent some time in London and met Janie, the singer/songwriter of the trio, who travelled to the UK through the same program I did. We had much in common, she worked for a music label and I for a contemporary art non-profit, and I have many memories of hanging into the wee hours, the night bus, amsterdam and the crazy art in that old church, standing on the prime meridian line and so on. Janie wrote a song while travelling in Ireland that really resonated with what it feels like to go abroad and often just to leave your comfort zone within your life. For some reason, I found myself reaching for these lyrics this week. I think it was all the rain, but who knows…

“And I left and I left but now I'm here and I guess that's the way it should be. And I’m weak and I’m strong and I’m weak again, and I guess that’s the way it should be. I walk down this old side street and I'm scared, I'm scared but I'm finally proud. And it rains like God needs some anti-depressants but it makes the hills that perfect green”

At that time there was no Weather Pending, just Janie Oliver with a dream. On my last drink in the last pub I sat in London town I told Janie: “I may never see you again, but I believe 100%, more than I have ever believed in anyone else that you need to pursue this dream, even if for a little while.” Shortly thereafter I moved to beautiful California and landed right alongside Janie. She was a wonderful rock during my settling in this new place, exploring yoga with me, teaching me how to drive (yes, as in a car), and we continue to drink lots of wine together! I am proud of her recently released album, how far she has come, and of the beautiful music Weather Pending makes. Janie may think I do her a favor by going to every single show that I can, but really, I am more than happy to be there. So without further delay…