Outside Lands
If you haven't bought your tickets, buy them; if you haven't cleared your calendar, clear it; and if you haven't stocked up on sunscreen, warm coats, and bottled water, do it, because the Outside Lands Music Festival is coming back to Golden Gate Park during the weekend of August 14th-15th. With over 50 acts, there is truly something for everyone.
The headliners this year are Furthur, featuring alums from the Grateful Dead, The Strokes, and My Morning Jacket on August 14th, and Kings of Leon, veterans Social Distortion, and Nas and Damian Marley on August 15th. While they are all impressive names, Outside Lands is about much more than just the headliners. Several more up and coming acts get the chance here to show their stuff, like new R&B sensation Janelle Monae, and Tokyo Police Club, among many others. Attendees also get the chance to hear some acts that are beloved in other parts of the world but not too well known here, such as the Colombian group Aterciopelados (see their video for "Complemento"), Vieux Farka Toure of Mali, and of course Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars as seen in the powerful documentary film of the same name. Rap, reggae, roots rock, indie rock, R&B, Latin tropicalia, African pop- there is truly something for everyone at the festival. There is even local favorite Quinn Deveaux and The Blue Beat Review playing New Orleans style jazz.
What do you need to know if you plan on attending? One good thing to know is that the festival organizers are doing everything they can to organize a truly green festival, from a solar stage to waste diversion to valet bike parking. Tickets are still available- two day tickets are $140, and a one day pass is $75 (service free tickets available at the Fox Theater Box Office in Oakland). When planning which acts to see and when, keep in mind that the two main venues are the Polo Fields and the Speedway Meadow at Golden Gate Park; food vendors will be stationed in between both areas, and include local favorites such as Pica Pica and Andalu.
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