San Francisco’s Outside Lands Music Festival turns five years old this summer (August 10-12th to be exact), and it’s celebrating with some pretty big name talent. Metallica, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Foo Fighters, Jack White, Stevie Wonder, and Beck top this year’s bill. Other notable acts include Sigur Rós, Justice, Regina Spektor, Norah Jones, Skrillex, The Kills, Dispatch, Passion Pit, and Grandaddy.

Also appearing on the lineup are Big Boi, Bloc Party, Franz Ferdinand, Andrew Bird, Explosions in the Sky, MSTRKRFT, Portugal. the Man, Dr. Dog, The Walkmen, Alabama Shakes, Fitz and the Tantrums, Amadou & Mariam, Reggie Watts, Sharon Van Etten, YACHT, Zola Jesus, Tennis, Die Antwoord, Thee Oh Sees, Tanlines, Caveman, Of Monsters and Men, Father John Misty, Tame Impala, Big Gigantic, White Denim, Yellow Ostrich, wallpaper., Trampled By Turtles, City and Colour, and Two Gallants, among others.

Tickets will go on sale Thursday, April 19th at Noon PDT via the festival’s website.

What’s up world? Did you have a good week? I know I did because we got more fly videos, and “Yonkers” won some VMAs. It seems all is right in the music video world. The internet has become the place to see your favorite videos, and as always, we got the ones on the top of the food chain here at Cluster 1. You can always peep that shit here on our site.

But remember folks, we aren’t closed minded. In fact, we are always looking for the next awesome video to post. So, if you think you got some skills, and want to bring something to our attention, please feel free. The bigger the flow of superb filmmaking, the happier we are. And then you can see your work on here, and that will make you happy.

And maybe you could even get into our top 10 countdown, and that makes you happy and famous. Submit some of that quality work. -Ted Maider

CoS and Cluster 1 at Outside Lands ‘11

As always, we at Cluster 1 try to hit as much as we can within the festival circuit. Last month, we landed at San Francisco’s Outside Lands to see if the festival keeps the Bay Area spirit alive. Here’s what we found.

Clock DJ

It’s short, sweet, and a totally awesome idea. This video falls under a minute, and shows what it’s like to play with time in the modern world. Remixes, turntable scientifics, and all that stuff is really just manipulating time in a sense. Director David Salaices takes this concept to a whole new level, and mixes it up…with clocks!

Dolorean – “Black Hills Gold”

Forests can either be some of the most peaceful places on Earth or some of the scariest. In the case of “Black Hills Gold”, director Dicky Dahl goes with the latter. The fact that it was inspired by the untimely death of Beach Boy Dennis Wilson ups the creepiness of this Dolorean video tenfold.

Kid Savant – “4 Years”

Skydiving is pretty extreme – enough to warrant inclusions in Mountain Dew ads. But, Kid Savant takes it to the next level. Here, people jump out of the plane with plants, bicycles, and a Laz-E-Boy (hey, might as well be comfortable). The climax of this video is absolutely beautiful and visually mesmerizing, but you’ll have to fall a few thousand feet before you get there.

Panda Bear – “Alsatian Darn”

Some fan-made videos can be too pretentious and over-the-top. Not this one. Animation buff Ori Toor claims that he likes to improvise his animation. While this video was indeed made by a lone smarty-pants, it looks like something you would find in your iTunes visualizer (except hand drawn to perfection), but there’s almost specific images to go with the random shapes. In fact, it goes with “Alsatian Darn” so well, it’s hard to imagine this song without the simplistic, yet visually fascinating images that take forth.

Paristetris – “Sponge Ideas”

Claymation has always been a trip since its birth. Just think back to stuff like Gumby and Wallace and Gromit. This five-minute clip for “Sponge Ideas” takes that to a modern level of weird. Luckily, there’s a pet octopus around for all sorts of fun hijinks.

Pepepiano – “Fallopian Dudes”

There’s the apocalypse dudes, the Dude-Sons, The Dude, and now there’s “Fallopian Dudes”. This video is full of beautiful slow-motion shots of people jumping. Some are just casually jumping in the air, while others jump off dunes (from personal experience, I can say this is very fun), and jumping into pools. How’s the air up there folks?

Timber Timbre – “Too Old to Die Young”

Here’s something you’ll see in this video: sperm latches onto an egg, only to become a dude’s bald head, which then turns into a set of hands, which then turns into…okay, just watch it. Just not on any sort of illicit substances, please.

White Lies – “Holy Ghost”

This video starts off with the opening of a dusty old novel. However, I would like to know what novel this is, as the story seems very scattered and relatively erotic. Chapters include titles like “Wisdom”, “Understanding”, and “Piety”. Each chapter is accompanied by a sort of visual, whether it be a scenic landscape, a small child taming a horse, or people doing flips in the air. Eventually, things get biblical…

Wonderland

Photographer Catherine Hyland has beautifully captured the decaying husk of what was to be the largest theme park in Asia. With wide shots, creepy sounds, and unusual scenery, this video really does a good job of sending chills down your spine. You’ll never think of a place like Disney Land the same again.

If there’s anything we here at CoS love, it’s getting filthy and listening to great music. That explains our deep adoration of San Francisco’s Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival. And for the fourth installment of the fiesta, we went all out in our coverage. From a ticket giveaway and a survival guide to the piece de resistance that is the actual review, there wasn’t a moment of the fest that everyone couldn’t live through like they themselves were caked in mud and feeling the vibes live from Golden Gate Park.

But just becuase the fest’s over and done with until next August doesn’t mean we’re through giving you more of our patented coverage. Below is a short documentary of the festival’s in’s and out’s courtesy of Cluster 1 and our friend Sami Jarroush from Rock it Out! Blog. In the feature, viewers get a first-hand look at the rich musical history of the Bay Area along with the importance of the fest itself. We think this should facilitate everyone’s trip-planning efforts rather nicely.

Oh, but wait, it doesn’t end there. Along with the documentary, we’ve also got interviews with Deadmau5, Toro Y Moi, and The Stone Foxes, from the festival grounds. In said clips, each act reveals a little insight into their time at OSL and what they’ve got going on career-wise.

Now, let’s hope that’s enough to tide you over for another 12 months or so.

R!OB/Cluster 1 Interview with Deadmau5 at Outside Lands Festival ’11

Cluster 1 and R!OB Interview Toro Y Moi at Outside Lands ’11

Cluster 1 Interview with The Stone Foxes at Outside Lands Festival ’11

As always, Consequence of Sound and Cluster 1 keep it real in the summer festival circuit. And out on the West Coast, it is no different. Here, we have for you, the Outside Lands ’11 documentary, filmed on the scene in San Francisco just a couple weeks ago. While this documentary takes a look at the festival as a whole, it asks one very important thing….does it keep the spirit of the Bay Area alive? Would Jerry Garcia, Janis Joplin,  and Bill Graham see this festival and smile? Have a watch, and decide for yourself.

Filmed by: Sami Jarroush and Ted Maider
Edited by: Colin Peterson

Outside Lands marked its fourth year by showing that after all this time, San Francisco still remains one of the coolest cities on the planet. Hosted by Another Planet, a company known for having their fingers on the pulse of the Bay Area’s musical community, Outside Lands took all the elements of the Bay’s music culture and tossed them into the city’s most beautiful natural environment: Golden Gate Park. There was pretty much something for every Nor-Cal dweller to enjoy; from the jams of Phish to the electronic-dance of deadmau5 and the electro-dance-jams of bands like STS9 and Lotus. Not to mention indie rock icons like Arcade Fire, Arctic Monkeys, and The Shins.

But Outside Lands also kept it local in terms of everything else, which is inspiring to see in a time when everything is done via internet, with people who might live thousands of miles away. Between the food trucks, local wine tasting, local musical acts (Stone Foxes anybody?), and aspiring artists who filled the park with their good vibes, Outside Lands was a festival that compacted all the artistic elements of the city into the polo fields at Golden Gate Park. It literally was a taste of the Bay Area.

Photo by Ted Maider

And while they did encompass all the good things about the city, they also managed to showcase some of the downsides of it. For example, there was too much going on at once. Like any night you spend partying in the Bay, Friday involved a million conflicts, the worst being Vermont’s Phinest up against indie-rock legends The Shins. And Sunday contained another hard decision: deadmau5 or Arcade Fire? And there even managed to be rush hour traffic similar to that found on the Bay Bridge whenever you tried to get from the Lands End to the Twin Peaks stages. It was just utter chaos in that small, grassy section outside the trees.

But it didn’t matter, though, because in the end, everybody’s spirits were lifted. Everybody inside just cared about the good vibes, hearing some groovy jams, and enjoying the rare sunshine. In San Francisco, that’s just about all you can ask for.

-Ted Maider
Media Specialist

Friday, August 12th

The Joy Formidable – Sutro Stage – 1:10 p.m.

Blaring their noisy, little pop gems that are fast proving too big for tiny clubs around the world, Welsh trio The Joy Formidable continued their world domination with a stellar early afternoon set at the Sutro Stage. The band found themselves sudden stars, their foot-stomping rhythms and shout-along chorus of “Austere” proving especially effective as they drew the weekend’s first big crowd. -Möhammad Choudhery

Phantogram – Sutro Stage – 2:25 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

The surprisingly large crowd that showed up for Phantogram received a treat: two brand-new songs from a forthcoming EP and…the duo of vocalist/keyboardist Sarah Barthel and Josh Carter on guitar/electronics just sounded good. Really good. Yet Sutro Stage and moments on other large stages weren’t exactly “sound,” but more on that later. Phantogram pulled heavily and at an efficient pace from its debut, Eyelid Movies. (“When I’m Small” and “Mouthful of Diamonds” got great reactions; “As Far as I Can See” live sounded like Portishead doing club bangers.) Barthel and Carter, joined by a live drummer here, debuted “Don’t Move”, which has a distinct shimmer similar to U2’s The Edge. New song “Sixteen Years” didn’t mess around with a pretty gloss, however. Carter plugged a straight Kevin Shields-type shoegaze solo in, showing that while most of the crowd gawked at the beautiful Barthel, she wasn’t, as Karen O put it, “bigger than the sound.” -Paul de Revere

Foster the People – Sutro Stage – 3:40 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Apparently, lots of people seem to enjoy Foster the People. This was evident by two things: 1) Their crowd was huge in the sense that you could not get close to the stage if you arrived “just in time” for the show and 2) People did not stop talking about their show all weekend. Foster the People have literally skyrocketed in fame this past summer and rightfully so. They don’t just write catchy songs like some of their electro-pop counterparts; they know how to play. Members switched up instruments constantly in a playful, yet talented fashion, while the crowd sang along to tracks like “Houdini”, the charming “Waste”, and mega-sensation “Pumped Up Kicks” (even though everybody left after that song). Foster the People’s Torches album certainly has put them in the spotlight. Let’s just hope they stay lit. -Ted Maider

Toro Y Moi – Twin Peaks Stage – 3:50 p.m.

For an artist with such lively, fresh beats, Toro Y Moi’s Chaz Bundick is, as Bay Area bros would put it, “hella” subdued. But there’s still something imposing about Bundick’s sounds. The Stevie Wonder-like monosynth tone of opener “New Beat”, possibly Bundick’s best song to date, filled the large Twin Peaks Stage like it was gaseous. And the vamp only one minute into the song? Forget it. It was full. Toro’s sound filled up the space exactly as much as it needed to. Screw “chillwave,” this is ambient funk. To paraphrase old-school rapper 4-Ever Fresh, “Creating funk music ‘cause I never dug chillwave.” Indeed. -Paul de Revere

MGMT – Lands End Stage – 4:35 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

As the initial racket over how very antagonistic and unfriendly Congratulations was dissipates, people finally seem to be coming around to the record. Not that MGMT mind how long it took. In what more than a few in the crowd interpreted as arrogance (but was probably a bit closer to a “told you so”), MGMT blasted through a stellar sub-headlining set with their usual sort of understated awesomeness. Even as many in the crowd sounded legitimately disappointed at the lack of props, onstage antics, and the conspicuous absence of the band’s megahit “Kids” from the setlist, MGMT simply did what they do best. Andrew VanWyngarden cut surprisingly close to a young Mick Jagger as he howled his way through the band’s neo-psychedelic gem “Weekend Wars”, while James Richardson played guitar hero for a couple minutes, finger-tapping his way through a stellar solo at the end of “The Handshake”. Extra points for the dreamy little jam at the start of “I Found a Whistle”. -Möhammad Choudhery

Ellie Goulding – Sutro Stage – 5:00 p.m.

One of at least three victims (all female) to vocal issues due to the San Francisco’s seasonably cold August, Ellie Goulding hung in there for her set like a champ. She hit some of her vocals tremendously well, holding back a bit of her soaring vocals, of which there’s much in her light, airy, feminine dance-pop. Some of her vocals weren’t ideal. And it was her last U.S. date on her first earnest U.S. tour. But no matter, because it was ladies night (er, late afternoon) at Sutro Stage. The crowd’s female-to-male gender makeup was approximately 5-to-1, and Goulding dressed for it, looking amazing in her bright red coat (she is British, but somehow I don’t think she’s politically in the tank for King George) and heels. -Paul de Revere

Phish – Lands End Stage – 6:30 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

A giant billboard appeared on the monitors shortly after MGMT left stating, “Phish 6:30-10:30.” To some, this was a sign to turn around and head as far away as possible, but to others, it was a glorious declaration. After Furthur headlined Outside Lands last year, it made total sense for the Vermont quartet to take the reigns this year.  And Phish festival sets…well, they’re a different breed.

See, Phish plays nothing but solo shows throughout the country. It’s never Phish on tour with MGMT or Foster the People or The Shins for that matter. It’s just Phish. The band has played two big rock festivals since their reunion (Bonnaroo and Austin City Limits), and both times they played shows that were not necessarily geared towards their core fan base but rather baiting newcomers. At Outside Lands, plenty of people in the crowd had never seen Phish nor necessarily listened to them, so what happened for the next three hours with tens of thousands of people was a sensation you can only experience in this setting.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Phish arrived with “Kill Devil Falls” and continued to amp the pace for the entire first 90-minute set. The band cut deep with pieces meant to get people moving such as “Wilson”, “Funky Bitch”, “Possum”, the exhilarating “Axilla I”, and a rendition of “Sample in a Jar” that was one of the best versions of the past year or so. After delivering a sonic punch of a first set, Phish left the crowd for 40 minutes as everyone tried to cram in even further. The next set involved more spacey jams like “Piper” and “Fluffhead”, including a showy new track titled “Steam”. But that didn’t stop them from continuing to crank out gold: a cover of “Life on Mars?”,  the now-rare “Birds of a Feather”, and a “Tweezer Reprise” that made Bassnectar’s bass sound like complete shit. It was the perfect way for Phish to play Golden Gate Park.

Basically, what I’m trying to say here is, you haven’t lived until you’re in a 30,000+ Phish crowd, sweating, dancing, singing, and jammed up against the barricade. -Ted Maider

Big Boi – Sutro Stage – 7:00 p.m.

Ah, the set that never was. Big Boi did not, in fact, end up performing on Sutro Stage after having his set pushed back 40 minutes (a fairly last-minute announcement by the festival), leaving the audience, much of which slowly peeled away, hanging for another 30 minutes. Instead, Dave Chappelle, who had a stand-up gig in South Bay that weekend and is a known lover of San Francisco, came out and riffed for about five minutes. ”A lot of black youth never get to go to a concert where there’s beach balls,” Chappelle said.

With great resistance from the wind, the crowd passed one Chappelle’s way. And with seemingly great glee, Chappelle kicked the ball back into the crowd. It almost made up for the fact that Big Boi would end up not performing at all.

According to Big Boi’s Twitter, his DJ went to the wrong stage (apparently taking a fair amount of time getting to the right one). Big Boi continued on Twitter, saying festival staff would only give him 20 minutes to perform because of the delays, which he judged as not worth it. “I will NOT do a half-ass show,” he tweeted. “Tried to go on after Badu. Not possible. Sorry.”

Big Boi cited “artistic integrity” in the matter. -Paul de Revere

Best Coast – Panhandle Stage – 7:50 p.m.

No joke: Best Coast‘s Bethany Cosentino rivals Neko Case, a singer-songwriter nearly twice her age, in withering stage banter. In response to a random audience question between songs: “On a scale of 1-10, how much do you love rock ‘n’ roll?’” Cosentino answered back, “Negative zero.” Ouch.

To be fair, Cosentino talked as well as rocked. She had to save her voice, too, which held up well. And guitar-wise, it sounded better than ever in terms of her live sound, which stayed true to Crazy for You’s analog studio drone, no doubt using the remainder of the Panhandle Stage’s solar power for her and guitarist Bobb Bruno’s amps. There was the one-two step of slow dance numbers “I Want You” and “Our Deal”. “Bratty B” and “Honey” drew sweet coos from Cosentino, where charm actually snaked its way into her repertoire.

“This is our last song,” she said before launching into “Each and Every Day”. “After this, we’re gonna watch Phish.” Deadpan. “Just kidding. I don’t even know what Phish sounds like.” -Paul de Revere

The Shins – Twin Peaks Stage – 8:40 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Though they haven’t played a proper show in four years, haven’t put out any new material since 2007, and James Mercer is their only remaining original member, The Shins still warranted a headlining slot way across the park from Phish’s three-hour jam extravaganza. Mercer’s placid voice and The Shins’ calm, serene back-catalog were a perfect fit for the breezy, starlit evening, taking the reported crowd of 40,000 on a nostalgic trip back to cardigans, high school, and otherwise related sweet, sensitive times. Rather than devolving into a greatest hits affair, Mercer sounded as fresh as ever, indeed infusing his tracks (which, at their oldest, are now a decade past) with the energy of his work with Danger Mouse in Broken Bells. Classics such as “Caring Is Creepy”, “Australia”, and “New Slang” were delivered in pitch-perfect fashion, as was the new track — reportedly titled “For a Fool” — that the band debuted. So, uh…how about that new album? -Möhammad Choudhery

Saturday, August 13th

The Stone Foxes – Sutro Stage – 1:25 p.m.

Photo by Ted Maider

As stated, Outside Lands always showcases local talent, so they booked some of San Francisco’s hottest, homegrown acts. The Stone Foxes were one of the coolest bands of the entire weekend, not just because they lived up the street, but because they brought the rock. The blues-based quartet rocked super hard, thrashing about on stage like raccoons with broken necks to tunes with names like “Psycho” and “Stomp”. It was a call to go wild. Hook, line, and sink… they made me a fan. -Ted Maider

The Vaccines - Twin Peaks Stage – 2:00 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

The UK’s very latest guitar-buzz band is actually pretty good. Who would’ve guessed? Armed with a handful of late-night TV performances, a solid debut record, and the huge sort of performance they put on Saturday afternoon at the Twin Peaks stage, the quartet don’t look like they’ll flounder anytime soon. Blasting through highlights off of their debut, this year’s What Did You Expect From the Vaccines?, The Vaccines peaked with an uproarious cover of Minor Threat’s hardcore classic “Sometimes Good Guys Don’t Wear White”. -Möhammad Choudhery

Paul F. Tompkins, Moshe Kasher – The Barbary Tent – 3:00 p.m.

Why perform comedy under a tent? Mr. Show alum Paul F. Tompkins isn’t sure why (“We have structures!” Tompkins protested), but, boy, the dapper gentleman sure dressed for the Barbary Tent’s grand occasion. It worked for Tompkins, but Tompkins’ hilariously offensive opener, L.A. comedian Moshe Kasher, just had to keep swearing he wasn’t gay.

Kasher’s story about witnessing a woman in an airport using Fritos to scoop the filling out of a king-sized Snickers ice cream bar is borderline surreal in its gross-out factor. Tompkins kept to his standard 10 minutes of riffing and then a structured story, mostly talking about his pre-comedy career odd jobs and his days at the Largo nightclub in L.A., striking up a creative relationship with director Paul Thomas Anderson and, subsequently, reading through Magnolia seated next to Tom Cruise, a punchline in his own right. It was a regular circus. -Paul de Revere

STRFKR- Twin Peaks Stage – 3:40 p.m.

Photo by Ted Maider

Portland synth-poppers STRFKR couldn’t contain their excitement at the start of the biggest show of their young career, busting out their camera phones to capture the reported crowd of 15,000. With two records worth of tunes that are at turns emotive and very, very danceable, STRFKR turned in what was easily the breakout performance of the weekend. Touring guitarist Patrick Morris’s overdriven lead guitar lines stole the show on tracks like the hook-filled “Rawnald Gregory Erickson the Second” and “German Love”, while Josh Hodges’ hushed vocals lent the songs a nice, breezy touch. A bouncy, tripped-out cover of “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” was capped off by the raucous “Go Crazy”. At which point, of course, everyone did. -Möhammad Choudhery

Vetiver – Sutro Stage – 4:15 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Maybe it was because Vetiver was going up against Arctic Monkeys or even because of the band’s local residency, but Vetiver’s set was not well-attended. It was all well and good, as it gave the Sutro Stage’s isolated blanket liers, dancers, and the like more room to relax, which was at a premium on the festival grounds. Vetiver’s textured, mellow folk-rock mostly put a relaxed, spa feel to everything… if the spa had pot-scented everything. A cover from The Grateful Dead (“Don’t Ease Me In”) picked up the energy a bit and Michael Hurley’s “Be Kind to Me” was a nice, simple song to change up the sonic drawl of songs like “Can’t You Tell” off Vetiver’s latest, The Errant Charm. -Paul de Revere

Arctic Monkeys – Lands End Stage – 4:45 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Arctic Monkeys really have harnessed the modern indie sound. You can always tell when it’s them and their high-octane brand of rock. The British crew arrived on the scene playing cuts like “Brainstorm”, a track that is enough to turn the crowd into a boiling pot of water. People sluggishly sang along while glancing at their iPhones to tracks like “Brick by Brick”, but it was during moments like “I Bet That You’d Look Good on the Dancefloor”, “Fluorescent Adolescent”, and “The View From the Afternoon” that people began to bring out the party. Overall, it made for a good afternoon set, but it seems like a waste that they didn’t play “Fake Tales of San Francisco”. Oh well. -Ted Maider

Ximena Sariñana – Barcade Tent – 5:30 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

It’s worth emphasizing this much smaller, more intimate set of Ximena Sariñana’s in the festival’s Barcade Tent, a welcome break from the vast atmospheres of even the festival’s smaller stages. Sariñana performed mostly for die hards and Spanish-language fans, with at least half of her set sung in Spanish. “Wrong Miracle” and “Bring Me Down” were an English language stand outs, conjuring the semi-formal, sweet and quirky songwriting of Regina Spektor. The jazzy torch song “Mediocre”, which Sariñana said would probably “shred” her remaining voice (again), was an incredible peak to end the set. She left it all out on the field and her fans were left wanting more, chanting “Otra! Otra!” -Paul de Revere

Eskmo – Panhandle Stage – 6:05 p.m.

In what was likely one of the best-sounding sets at Outside Lands, San Francisco-based electronica producer Brendan Angelides, aka Ninja Tune Records artist Eskmo, absolutely tore apart the Panhandle Stage with few there to notice. It hardly mattered. Eskmo was too busy recreating his own production: ripping pieces of paper against a microphone and using various wood blocks and a frying pan among other items. Angelides also created his own vocals and vocal loops live on stage. You can’t say that for, you know, 99% of electronica producers. If Four Tet and Squarepusher had a club-banger collaboration project that defied you to dance, it might sound like Eskmo. Truly one of the best sets of the weekend. -Paul de Revere

The Black Keys – Lands End Stage – 6:15 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

In the four years since the White Stripes forfeited their seat as the blues’ ambassador to indie rock, The Black Keys have seen a huge ascent that culminated in Brothers’ smashing success last year. Here, sub-headlining at Outside Lands’ main stage, the duo proved to be every bit the monolithic force they’re reputed to be, as they tore through renditions of their golden oldies “Thickfreakness” and “Busted” before inviting a couple other band members to play through highlights off of their latest record, including “Tighten Up”, “Howlin’ for You”, and “Next Girl”. The duo closed things out with the one-two punch of Attack & Release’s “Strange Times” and their very own blues epic, “I Got Mine”. -Möhammad Choudhery

The Roots – Twin Peaks Stage – 6:50 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Everybody likes a show from The Roots. I mean, Jimmy Fallon picked them to be his house band for a reason. The Roots kicked back with their brand of funk-rap, and so did the San Francisco crowd. As the sun set behind everybody, people danced, climbed trees to get a better view, and enjoyed tracks like a sped up version of “The Seed 2.0” and the oft-covered “Jungle Boogie”. Seeing everyone in such high spirits certainly indicated that the Roots were there for the right reason: to spread the good vibes. -Ted Maider

Muse – Land’s End Stage – 8:10 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

How’s this for an opening trifecta? “Uprising”, “Supermassive Black Hole” into a Jimi Henrix-style “Star-Spangled Banner” in full view of a United States full-sized stars and stripes flapping in the cool breeze, and then “Hysteria”. Perhaps the interlude paired with “Hysteria” makes an implicit comment about the state of U.S. politics. Perhaps. But wait, what about Muse’s home country? Things are literally on fire there.

Well, Muse didn’t say a word, curiously. Though, the band’s cover of “Negative Creep” (yes, the Nirvana song) could’ve been a nod to a violent rioter’s state of mind. Nonetheless, “Negative Creep” isn’t very epic, and that’s what this show was for the most part.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

But, really, Muse is epic in a totally different way. Muse is theatrical not like U2 but like actual theater. “United States of Eurasia” is basically the disembodied finale reprise of a musical. A really, really big rock musical, one akin to 80′s progressive rock band Queensryche… or Rush. A riff or two of “House of the Rising Sun” into “Time Is Running Out”? Come on, how is this even Britpop anymore, except that it’s from Britain?

Yes, Muse fans, you like what is essentially a progressive rock band. This band’s ambitions don’t just reach into politics (which singer/instrumental genius Matt Bellamy spoke not one word about), they reach for the stars, they reach for fantastical heights. This band wants to grab starlight in its collective hand and throw it onto a stage for its fans’ viewing pleasure. And the band’s lasers are cooler than Coldplay’s, anyway. Just sayin’. -Paul de Revere

Girl Talk – Twin Peaks Stage – 8:40 p.m.

You can try to prep yourself for a Girl Talk performance with what seems to be everyone’s simple description: a guy puts a 90-minute dance/electro set together on the fly by meshing together a ridiculous assortment of samples from nearly every genre imaginable. What you can’t quite prepare yourself for is how well said meshing is done. Or how perfectly it all comes together, for that matter. Kicking things off with the ominous opening riff to the Sabbath classic “War Pigs”, Girl Talk mashed together everything from 80′s radio hits to rap acapellas to Neptunes beats to create a sort of otherworldly dance music. The best part: a confetti-burst finale set to the solo from “November Rain”. -Möhammad Choudhery

Sunday, August 14th

tUnE-yArDs – Sutro Stage – 1:15 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

tUnE-yArDs, that’s one-woman band Merrill Garbus in particular, is so talented, it’s not even funny. So, why was she forced to play so early in the day? Perhaps because Garbus, an Oakland native, just had to cross the Bay Bridge to get to work. Who knows? Regardless, Garbus punched in early, and delivered one of the best sets of the weekend. Her performance on songs like “Powa” (for which the crowd stayed quiet during its long buildup), “Bizness” (the crowd followed Garbus’ instructions to limber up before dancing), and “Gangsta” (the crowd obliged with the song’s ritual fist-raising) speak for themselves. “I think this is the biggest crowd we’ve ever had at a festival,” Garbus stated. Yeah, that’s because you’re easily one of the best acts of the festival. -Paul de Revere

Junip – Twin Peaks Stage – 1:30 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Led by folksinger José González (already with a successful solo career to his name), Swedish quartet Junip broke it down at the Twin Peaks stage while most of Outside Lands seemed to be racing down to Golden Gate Park’s other end for tUnE-yArDs. Though a bit more steeped in electronica than González’s solo work, Junip’s set mostly played like a fuller take on his own, spacious sound, as on the expansive “Without You”. -Möhammad Choudhery

Mavis Staples – Land’s End Stage – 1:45 p.m.

To be blessed by Miss Mavis Staples is a beautiful thing. It’s a passing of the torch, if you will. Colin Meloy of The Decemberists got the endorsement at Newport Folk Festival and so did Win Butler during Staples’ set at the Land’s End Stage, the festival’s largest. In a beautiful rendition of The Band’s “The Weight”, Butler took the fourth “Crazy Chester” verse of the famed song to huge screams. Otherwise, Butler demurred toward rhythm guitar. After he left, other Staples classics rolled out, including the Staples Singers’ “I’ll Take You There” (“The Staples Singers have been takin’ y’all there for 61 years… Now we want you to take US there,” Miss Mavis said) and gospel standards like “Wade in the Water”. Staples, at over 70 years old, still has it and had the best voice, gutbucket soul and all, of the festival. -Paul de Revere

Grouplove – Panhandle Solar – 2:20 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

With an opening tour with Florence + the Machine and a highly regarded EP under their belt, Grouplove seem poised for a big break. Christian Zucconi led the LA-based five-piece through a set of rootsy folk-pop that leaned heavily on their acclaimed self-titled EP, while offering a peek at their forthcoming full-length, Never Trust a Happy Song, in the lilting harmonies of “Lovely Cup”. -Möhammad Choudhery

Latyrx ft. Lyrics Born and Lateef – Sutro Stage – 2:30 p.m.

Photo by Ted Maider

Latyrx had a big band to organize on stage, but the band was assembled on time by 2:30 p.m.. Ten minutes later, Lyrics Born and Lateef took the stage and began to rap. Their flows were totally on point, and their antics were appreciated by the crowd, as they gave shout-outs to towns in the Bay like Vallejo, San Jose, Emeryville, and of course, San Francisco and Oakland. Meanwhile, a majority of the backing band just stood there, while the two rappers stole the show. They should have just hired a DJ, and nobody would have batted an eye. -Ted Maider

!!! – Twin Peaks Stage – 3:05 p.m.

Photo by Ted Maider

So, if LCD Soundsystem is retired and James Murphy stops performing, does that mean !!! inherits the live-disco DFA sound? Because it sure sounds like it. Like LCD, !!! use no computers of any kind (none that I saw, anyway) to create its disco jams. !!! lead singer Nic Offer is younger and less sedate than Murphy, jumping his silly ass around everywhere as a frontman. But similar to Murphy, he leans toward a bandleader role, indulging in an extended series of James Brown-style “hit me”’s. “Two times!! Three times!!!” And the band’s sonic textures make for interesting listening and great dancing: a rare combination. -Paul de Revere

Major Lazer – Twin Peaks Stage – 4:40 p.m.

Asses shaking everywhere on stage after cute girls get brought up, serious towel-swinging hype men, silly string sprayed everywhere, and a field of people helicoptering their shirts: This is a Major Lazer show. You might expect it on the beach or somewhere with warm weather or indoors in a club. Would you expect anything else? But the setting of Pacific Northwestern redwoods, pines, and oaks swaying in a chilly breeze with Major Lazer’s music? Well, that’s just incongruous as hell. And fun as hell.

The list of drops is too many to count, much less list. Major Lazer debuted a new, untitled song (with a martial snare riddim and clipped robot-rock vocals), two big dubstep drops that actually got the white folks really into it, a mash up of “6 Foot 7 Foot” by Lil’ Wayne with the Jamaican traditional “Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)”, sung by Harry Belafonte, and a drop of “Jump Up” that shook the earth of Golden Gate Park when Diplo instructed everyone to pogo. Louder sound and better subs on the Twin Peaks Stage would’ve really put this over the top but it was insane fun regardless. -Paul de Revere

Wye Oak – Panhandle Stage – 5:30 p.m.

One of the most confident young bands in indie rock today, Wye Oak took to the Panhandle Stage with poise, having already performed earlier on Sunday. To a warm, setting sun, Jenn Wasner’s guitar growled and howled like a well-trained bear the way a trainer wields it. Wasner may be one of the best guitarists in indie today, as she may have already gained a Thurston Moore/Neil Young-like confidence in her guitar sound after only three Wye Oak records in five years. Andy Stack’s double-duty as drummer and keyboardist provides the ground on which Wasner’s trained animal can roam, providing so much bottom end. For a duo, Wye Oak make a lot of noise like Young or Sonic Youth but can be tender like Yo La Tengo. Their set’s second song “Holy, Holy”, off its Merge Records-released Civilian, was a perfect example. Wasner braved the chilly wind hurting her hands to bust out wash after wash of guitar. If Sunday was good for any kind of performer, it was good for scrappy, determined bands like Wye Oak. -Paul de Revere

STS9 – Twin Peaks Stage – 6:15 p.m.

Photo by Ted Maider

Sound Tribe Sector 9 (STS9) was exactly what a festival in the Bay Area needed, a band that combines elements of jamming with electronic music, although their blend was more hip-hop-based. Girls climbed on boyfriends’ shoulders and were still rocking harder than most people on the ground. People waved everything in the air, ranging from giraffe heads to inflatable chimps, all to emphasize their joy, excitement, and the fact they could feel the groove. Dancing refused to subside as STS9 ripped their many synthesizers, bongos, and bass heavy grooves. It was easily one of the most surprising sets of the weekend. -Ted Maider

The Decemberists – Lands End Stage – 6:15 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

Following up a great performance by legend John Fogerty, The Decemberists were in high spirits late Sunday afternoon, playing a set heavy on songs from the old-timey The King Is Dead. Frontman and indie-folk’s poet laureate Colin Meloy cut a charming figure, as he worked his way through his own wordy lyrics and clever between-song banter, even offering up the band’s “The Soldiering Life” as camel-fighting music. (It worked. No less than three camelfights broke out in the crowd.) And who knew “The Mariner’s Revenge Song”, that weird nine-minute sea-shanty off of Picaresque, could be such a huge, crowd-pleasing festival set closer? -Möhammad Choudhery

Deadmau5 – Twin Peaks Stage – 8:00 p.m.

Photo by Ted Maider

“I’m with deadmau5! And where you at, hater?” –Haley Morenstein

It’s clear that Joel Zimmerman, aka deadmau5, is appreciative of his fans. Just “Like” him on Facebook to find out. But everybody at Outside Lands was able to see it in person. deadmau5 and his cube of glory graced us with their presence 15 minutes ahead of schedule, and with the sun setting just in front of him, no less. That didn’t stop the one-man wonder from turning the crowd upside down. To kick things off, the celebrated DJ delivered newer cuts like “Bad Selection” and a rendition of “Some Chords” that caused the temperature in the crowd to raise to at least 10 degrees. But he also brought it back, playing the most hypnotic (and perfectly timed) version of “Arguru” and teasing with “Sometimes Things Get, Whatever”. People did not stop moving, though, and they continued to shove through the crowd to try and get closer. Their attempts were made more difficult when “SOFI Needs a Ladder” (complete with SOFI) and a new mix of “Ghosts N’ Stuff” came out of the speakers. People may knock on him as an artist in the blog world, but he can put on one hell of a show. Where you at, hater? -Ted Maider

Arcade Fire – Lands End Stage – 8:10 p.m.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

If nothing else, Arcade Fire winning last year’s Grammy for Album of the Year cemented their place as indie rock’s first graduate to stadium rock supremacy. Between headlining every festival in the book over the past year and earning the egotistical rep that comes with their new stature, Arcade Fire have grown rather nicely into themselves. Closing Outside Lands out across the fields from deadmau5’s electro-party, they put on a dance party of their own. Even though they work the same stage setup and Spike Jonze-directed film clips and rock the same setlist as they have this whole tour, nothing felt remotely canned as the musicians switched parts, beat at their instruments, and howled into their mics with a fervor more akin to a circus troupe than a band of Canadian arena-rockers.

Photo by Debi Del Grande

At points on The Suburbs, such as the molten “Month of May”, it’s a bit hard to sell. Live, though, the band chug right through it, very at home in the heavy riffage before breaking into a spirited rendition of “Rebellion (Lies)”. The crowd was on their toes, dancing along and singing every line throughout the night. The band soon took their bows and left the stage, returning with their unforgettable symphonic anthem, “Wake Up”. For all I’d built it up to be, I couldn’t have possibly braced myself for that transcendental moment when all 30,000+ in attendance burst into the same wordless yell at the top of our collective lungs. Chills, man. Chills. -Möhammad Choudhery

The Culture of Outside Lands

Gallery by Ted Maider and Debi Del Grande

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Over the years, the great Mavis Staples has teamed up with a slew of musical heavyweights for spirited covers of The Band’s 1968 classic “The Weight”. (See: Billy Bragg, Elvis Costello, Cyndi Lauper, Michael Franti, and, most recently, The Decemberists’ Colin Meloy.) At this weekend’s Outside Lands Music Festival in San Francisco, Arcade Fire’s Win Butler got his chance; you can watch the duo’s rendition in the video below. The rehearsal picture above comes compliments of @bonnaroo.

And for comparison sake, here’s Meloy’s guest appearance:

Outside Lands is built off of the same blueprint as festivals like Lollapalooza, holding the music in a large metropolitan area without camping. But, just because you return to a nice hotel or apartment doesn’t mean you shouldn’t pack to survive. This may not be Coachella, but you still have to be comfortable. And not only that, these are the streets of San Francisco, which are some of the busiest, and hilliest in the nation. Like any festival, you should be prepared for anything. Sure, the rain may not effect your sleeping quarters, but it sure could ruin your day.

There are plenty of necessary, logical necessities for surviving a festival like Outside Lands. Some of them you may scoff at, but some you will definitely need, and could potentially forget. Below is a list of things to consider bringing. And remember, this is San Francisco, where the weather can shift at the drop of a hat, for better or for worse.

• A great pair of shoes: Festival sociology has taught us that people like to either go barefoot, or rock a solid pair of sandals. This is understandable, as people feel free when able to put their feet in contact with the Earth. But, this is the middle of the city. Sure, the staff will clean the park, but they won’t find everything. This might be a festival that requires some quality (and pumped up) kicks. Also, make sure they are ready for walking long distances; running from one side to the other is a decent-sized journey.
• Cash: Seems obvious to repeat visitors, but beware newbies: Inside, ATMs charge fees of over four dollars! Plan ahead, and hit up your local bank prior. Plus, if you are taking MUNI or BART to get there, you can’t swipe your Visa if you’re hopping on at street level (and the conductor will think you’re a fool if you ask him to break a 20).
• Warm clothing: Yes, San Fransisco has awesome weather, but it can get chilly, especially at night. Make sure you have a change of pants, or a nice sweater to rock when the sun goes down. But, the weather could remain nice, so keep shorts handy as well. This may be a good time to bring back the zip-offs.
• Water bottle: Bring your own. It’s eco-friendly and cheaper.
• Sunscreen: Have you ever sunned on the beach (a mere 10 blocks from the festival) in SF for hours? You get burnt…big time. Festival attendees will be outside from noon to nightfall, so make sure that the SPF level is high, and that you have plenty to go around. People WILL ask for some.
• Glow-sticks: Phish is playing….right?
• Sense of adventure: The show ends every night at around 10:30, and not everyone gets into the after shows. But the Bay Area has amazing nightlife, so use what energy you have left to explore the great places of the city.
• Positive attitude and open mind: This is San Francisco, the city of love. Be ready for new culture and experiences.

If you don’t want to take my advice, perhaps you’ll listen to Trevor Marcotte, Kevin Waldvogel, and Scott Robert Waldvogel – stars of Cluster 1′s No Cover. Below, you can check out their hilarious mini-documentary on the festival, which highlights many aspects of the event, including local eateries and late-night venues where after-shows will take place. Take some notes…

Well, that about wraps up our guide, but before you go, here are a few other things to jot down. 1.) Parking in the park-grounds will be extremely limited, so plan accordingly. 2.) The Sunset District has FREE PARKING all over, so if you do plan on driving, be ready to park in the surrounding neighborhood. 3.) There is plenty of food inside the festival (Taste of the Bay), and surrounding it, so come hungry. 4.) And finally, have a good time…this is Outside Lands.

Still need tickets? Grab ‘em now before they’re gone – only a couple of days left to decide, anyhow!

We’re in the latter days of festival season here, folks. Bonnaroo, Coachella, Sasquatch, Pitchfork, Glastonbury, and now Lollapalooza have all passed, and the final summer parties are drawing very close. Plenty of big festivals are just around the corner, but the folks on the West Coast have a big event coming up at a rapid pace. That event is Outside Lands, Another Planet’s gem of a festival that captures the spirit of the Bay Area (and California for that matter) over three blissful days in Golden Gate Park. This year, the buzz is even bigger than usual, as they have compiled a perfect selection of bands, including the likes of Phish, Muse, Arcade Fire, deadmau5, the Black Keys, the Roots, and many other contemporary, and classic acts.

We’ve got a Survival Guide sharing with you some things you’ll need to know to get by at the fest, but howabout some video too. Above, the cast of Cluster 1′s No Cover fill you in on what you need to know about this year’s OSL.  Go for the comedy, stay for the info.

Directed by: Ted Maider

Starring: Trevor Marcotte, Kevin Waldvogel, and Scott Robert Waldvogel

Watch all of season 1 of No Cover right here!

Hey there, groovy festivalgoer! We’ve got some special goodies for you: a pair of passes to this year’s Outside Lands Festival. Interested? If you’re lookin’ to be bookin’ your way to Golden Gate Park next weekend for dynamite sets by Phish, Arcade Fire, and The Shins, then no doubt those eyes of yours are flipping their wigs. Here’s the nitty gritty, brothers and sisters.

You need to dig our social networks:

– Consequence of Sound on Facebook, Twitter

– Cluster 1 on Facebook, Twitter

You’ll want to zone in on our feeds. Why? Because over the next 24-48 hours we’ll be posting one very choice message (and on only one of the networks) from quite the nifty dude, aka Ranger Dave. What exactly will the message entail? It’ll be an OSL-related question you’ll have to answer. How will you respond? The special posting will also contain a super duper special e-mail to accept entries. First one with the right words wins all the bread, or the tickets in this case.

So, don’t get down. This ain’t no bummer. It ain’t even a thang. Just hang loose, paddle on up to our networks, and keep your eyes open. It won’t get too hairy, man. There’s only one lucky hippie here – you never know, it could be you. It’s in your hands, dude.

Though, if you’re twitchin’ at all this work, regular three-day tickets are still available at the top-tier price level. Hurry on up, they’re bound to sell out. That…would be a drag, man.

Day one, Friday August 12th, sees Phish getting a mammoth three-and-a-half hour set to close the day. Needless to say, a few acts, and rather awesome ones at that, are playing opposite the legendary jam band, including The Shins, Big Audio Dynamite, Erykah Badu, Best Coast, and Big Boi. Before that, you’ll have to choose between Toro Y Moi and Foster the People and Ellie Goulding and MGMT. So good luck with all that.

On day two, Arctic Monkeys, The Black Keys, and Muse offers back-to-back-to-back mind-scrapping fun on the Lands End (main) stage. Over at the Twin Peaks stage, Sia plays into The Roots, who opens for Girl Talk.  Plant yourself at either, or bring along a pair of Nikes.

Arcade Fire and Deadmau5 close out the festival’s fine day. Before then, The Decemberist and STS9 battle it out. John Fogerty and Major Lazer do too, though we can’t imagine there being much of an overlapping fanbase for guys thrusting off ladders and ol’ school Americana. Hey, at least Beirut are by themselves.

Check out the complete schedule here, or below. Three-day and VIP tickets remain available. You can win tickets, too.

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

This week brings a whole slew of lineup news, including Voodoo Experience, Rifflandia, Outside Lands, Electric Zoo, Epicenter, Pygmalion, TakLiberty, 4Knots, Truck America, and more. Below, you can find all the pertinent information.

And while we have your attention, please be sure to bookmark Festival Outlook and follow us on Twitter. That way, you’ll get more timely updates! And if you see something missing from one of the thousand pages listed on Festival Outlook, please drop us a line and we’ll fix it asap. Of course, tips are also welcome!

AUDIOTISTIC

When/Where: July 3o at Nos Events Center in San Bernadino, CA

Who’s Playing: Crystal Castles, Diplo, Major Lazer, Lil B, Doctor P, Flux Pavilion, Benga, Datsik, Porter Robinson, Chris Lake, The Cool Kids, Chiddy Bang, Plastician, Super8 & Tab, Bingo Players, AC Slater, Daedelus, Bobby Burns, Zoo Brazil, Moren Breum, Mat Zo, Jaytech, araabMUZIK, and Showtek

Tickets: $55 GA passes are available via the festival’s website.

ELECTRIC ZOO 2011

When/Where: September 2-4 at Randall’s Island Park in New York, NY

What’s New: High Contrast, Daedelus, SBTRKT, Josh Wink, Egyptrixxx, and Tokimonsta

Who Else Is Playing: Tiesto, David Guetta, Armin Van Buren, Moby (DJ Set), Chromeo, Diplo, Richie Hawtin, MSTRKRFT, Boys Noize, Ferry Corsten, ATB, Plastikman Live, Super Mash Bros, Dubfire, Benny Benassi, Above & Beyond, Afrojack, Bloody Beetroots Death Crew 77, Tiga, and Rusko

Tickets: $249 GA passes, $294 GA passes with ferry trips included, and VIP options are available via the festival’s website.

EPICENTER 2011

When/Where: September 24th at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Irvine, CA

Who’s Playing: Limp Bizkit, Staind, P.O.D., Puddle of Mudd, Papa Roach, Skillet, Five Finger Death Punch, and Redlight King

Tickets: On sale Saturday, June 25th at 10 am PDT via Livenation.com

4KNOTS MUSIC FESTIVAL

When/Where: July 16th at South Street Seaport in New York, New York

What’s New: Yeasayer (DJ Set), Dan Deacon (DJ Set), and Mr. Dream

Who Else Is Playing: The Black Angels, Titus Andronicus, Oberhofer, Eleanor Friedberger, and Orbits

Tickets: Free!

OUTSIDE LANDS FESTIVAL 2011

When/Where: August 12-14 at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, CA

What’s New: Eskmo, K. Flay, New Orleans Klezmer Allstars, Kelley Stoltz, and Arann Harris and the Farm Band

Who Else Is Playing: Muse, Phish, Arcade Fire, The Black Keys, Deadmau5, The Shins, MGMT, Girl Talk, The Decemberists, John Fogerty, Erykah Badu, Beirut, The Roots, Arctic Monkeys, STS9, Big Boi, Big Audio Dynamite, and Warren Haynes Band

Tickets: $199.50 GA passes and $450 VIP passes are available via the festival’s website.

PYGMALION MUSIC FESTIVAL

When/Where: September 21-24 in

What’s New: The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Gang Gang Dance, Joan of Arc, Bass Drum of Death, Bear Hands, The Luyas, MiM0SA, and Marty Party

Who Else Is Playing: Explosions in the Sky, Cut Copy, Braid, Toro y Moi, The Dodos, Washed Out, Deerhoof, Xiu Xiu, Japandroids, STRFKR, The Hood Internet, and Owen

Tickets: $65.00 GA passes are available via the festival’s website.

RIFFLANDIA FESTIVAL 2011

Where/When: September 22-25 in Victoria, British Columbia

Who’s Playing: Broken Social Scene, Ra Ra Riot, Blackalicious, De La Soul, The Cave Singers, AWOLNATION, Suuns, Braids, Pepper Rabbit, The Knocks, and USS, with many more acts still to be announced

Tickets: Wristbands go on sale Friday, July 8th at 10am via the festival’s website.

TAKLIBERTY FESTIVAL 2011

When/Where: September 18th at PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, NJ

Who’s Playing: Coldplay, Richard Ashcroft,The Kooks, Two Door Cinema Club, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, and Grafitti 6

Tickets: General public tickets ($49.50 – $109.00) go on sale Friday, June 24th at 10am EDT via Livenation.com

TRUCK AMERICA 2011

When/Where: September 9-11 at Full Moon Resort in Big Indian, NY

Who’s Playing: Okkervil River, The Hold Steady, Ra Ra Riot, and Wye Oak

Tickets: $99 early-bird tickets are available via the Ticketweb.com.

VOODOO EXPERIENCE 2011

When/Where: October 28-30 in New Orleans, LA

What’s New: Major Lazer, Social Distortion, Mates of State, Fitz & the Tantrums, Givers, and The Stone Foxes

Who Else Is Playing: Soundgarden, Girl Talk, My Chemical Romance, X, Portgual. the Man, City and Colour, Soul Rebel’s Brass Band, and Ozomatli

Tickets: $150 three-day weekend passes and $450 VIP passes are available via the festival’s website.

Since last year’s beautiful LP So Runs the World Away, Josh Ritter has taken his knack for the written verse and put it to different use. The Americana singer-songwriter can now add “author” to his resume with the debut novel Bright’s Passage hitting bookshelves June 28th through Dial Press/Random House.

Written over an extended period of time on tour buses, between venues, and at predawn stirrings, Bright’s Passage is described as “a story that started as a song is now a world inhabited by characters that are still surprising to me.” The novel follows a widowed veteran of the First World War and his strange journey through the foothills of West Virginia as he explores memories from his childhood and the trenches of France. A preview of the books first chapter is available at www.joshritter.com.

Along with the big book drop, Ritter and his Royal City Band are set to embark on U.S. tour that include stops at San Francisco’s Outside Lands Festival and Dave Matthews Band Caravan tour. The trek will also be peppered with a series of select events in support of the novel. Find all the details below.

Josh Ritter & The Royal City Band Tour Dates and Bright’s Passage Book Events:
06/03 – Westhampton Beach, NY @ Westhampton PAC
06/04 – Elmer, NJ @ Appel Farm Arts & Music Festival
06/05 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Hartwood Acres
06/17 – New Haven, CT @ Daniels
06/18 – Croton-on-Hudson, NY @ Clearwater Festival
06/24 – Minneapolis, MN @ Fitzgerald Theather – NPR “Wits” *
06/28 – New York, NY @ Union Square Barnes & Noble *
06/29 – Boston, MA @ Coolidge Corner Theater *
06/30 – Washington, DC @ Politics & Prose Bookstore *
07/05 – Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground Ballroom
07/06 – Oneonta, NY @ Oneonta Theater
07/07 – Buffalo, NY @ Ashbury Hall at Babeville
07/08 & 09 – Orillia, ON @ Mariposa Folk Festival
07/10 – Ottawa, ON @ Ottawa Blues Festival
07/12 – Los Angeles, CA @ Book Soup *
07/13 – San Francisco, CA @ Ferry Building *
07/14 – Portland, OR @ Powell’s Books *
07/15 – Seattle, WA @ Eliot Bay Books *
07/16 & 17- Vancouver, BC @ Vancouver Folk Festival
07/17 – Vancouver, BC @ Vancouver Folk Festival
07/19 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Red Butte Garden Ampitheater
07/20 – Boulder, CO @ Chautauqua Ampitheater
07/21 – Tulsa, OK @ Cain’s Ballroom
07/22 – St. Louis, MO @ Off Broadway
07/24 – Birmingham, AL @ Alys Stevens Center
07/26 – Charlotte, NC @ Visualite Theater
07/27 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle
07/28 – Philadelphia, PA @ Free Library of Philadelphia *
08/11 – Sandpoint, ID @ The Festival at War Memorial Field
08/14 – San Francisco, CA @ Outside Lands Festival
08/16 – San Diego, CA @ House of Blues #
08/17 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern #
08/20 – Lyons, CO @ Rocky Mountain Folks Festival
08/26-28 – New York, NY @ DMB Caravan at Governor’s Island
09/02-04 – George, WA @ DMB Caravan at the Gorge

* = Bright’s Passage book event
# = Co-headling with the Old ’97s

Today brings a whole slew of lineup news, including Outside Lands, Bumbershoot, Essence, Pukkelpop, North Coast Music Festival, DeLuna Fest, Decibel Festival, Saturday in the Park, Afro-Punk Festival, and more. Below, you can find all the pertinent information.

And while we have your attention, please be sure to bookmark Festival Outlook and follow us on Twitter. That way, you’ll get more timely updates! And if you see something missing from one of the thousand pages listed on Festival Outlook, please drop us a line and we’ll fix it asap. Of course, tips are also welcome!

AFRO-PUNK FESTIVAL

When/Where: August 27-28 at Commodore Barry Park in Brooklyn, NY

Who’s Playing: Cee-Lo, Janelle Monae, Toro Y Moi, Santogold, Res, Rocky Business, and Reggie Watts

Tickets: TBA

BUMBERSHOOT

When/Where: September 3-5 at the Seattle Center in Seattle, WA

What’s New: Dam-Funk, Little Dragon, Vetiver, Fitz and the Tantrums, Phantogram, The Reverend Horton Heat, and Grant Lee Buffalo

Who Else is Playing: Hall & Oates, Wiz Khalifa, Broken Social Scene, Ray LaMontagne, Mavis Staples, Leon Russell, The Kills, Warpaint, STRFKR, The Lonely Forest, Toro Y Moi, Urge Overkill, and  Minus the Bear, with many more acts still to be announced. One act is being revealed each day during the month of May.

Tickets: $29 single-day tickets and $75 three-day tickets are available via the festival’s website.

Decibel Festival

When/Where: September 28th – October 2nd in Seattle, WA

Who’s Playing: Holy Fuck, Hanseen, Green Velvet, Opiuo, Star Slinger, Ulrich Schnauss, Mountains, Jon McMillion, and Motor City Drum Ensemble

Tickets: 130.00 GA passes are available via the festival’s website.

DELUNA FEST

When/Where: October 13-16 in Pensacola Beach, FL

What’s New: Toubab Krewe and The Limousines

Who Else is Playing: The New Pornographers, Betty LaVette, Cut Copy, Matt & Kim, Mute Math, Manchester Orchestra, Ra Ra Riot, The Airborne Toxic Event, AWOLNATION, The Constellations, and wallpaper.

Tickets: $99.95 Early Bird three-day passes are available via the festival’s website.

DIA DE LOS TOADIES

When/Where: August 26-27 at Whitewater Amphitheater in New Braunfels, TX

Who’s Playing: Toadies, UME, Whiskey Folk Ramblers, The Sword, Quiet Company, The King Bucks, Tornahdo, and The Black Angels

Tickets: $32.33 Friday ticket, $27.71 Saturday GA ticket, and $36.95 preferred tickets are available via the festival’s website.

ESSENCE MUSIC FESTIVAL

When/Where: July 1-3 at Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, LA

What’s New: Usher, Jennifer Hudson, Naughty By Nature, Doug E. Fresh, Chaka Khan, and Morris Day and the Time

Who Else is Playing: Kanye West, Jill Scott, Mary J. Blige, George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic, Boyz II Men, Macy Gray, Trey Songz, New Edition, M.C. Lyte, Miguel, and more

Tickets: Multiple ticket packages are available via the festival’s website.

NORTH COAST MUSIC FESTIVAL

When/Where: September 2-4 at Union Park in Chicago, IL

What’s New: Van Ghost, Wolfgang Gartner, Rubblebucket, California Wives, Midnight Conspiracy, Team Bayside High Gemini Club, Loyal Divide, BBU, Zebo, The Coop, and more

Who Else is Playing: David Guetta, Fatboy Slim, Thievery Corporation, Bassnectar, Common, of Montreal, Wiz Khalifa, Gogol Bordello, Major Lazer, Lotus, Little Dragon, and Neon Indian

Tickets: $95 three-day festival passes are available via the festival’s website.

OUTSIDE LANDS FESTIVAL

When/Where: August 12-14 at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, CA

What’s New: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Ellie Goulding, tUnE-yArDs, Christina Perri, and Bob Schneider.

Who Else is Playing: Arcade Fire, Muse, Phish, The Black Keys, Deadmau5, The Shins, MGMT, Girl Talk, The Decemberists, John Fogerty, Erykah Badu, The Original Meters, The Roots, Beirut, STS9, Arctic Monkeys, Big Boi, Big Audio Dynamite, and more

Tickets: $199.50 three-day passes and $450 VIP passes are available via the festival’s website

PUKKELPOP

When/Where: August 18-20 in Kiewit, Belgium

Who’s Playing: Foo Fighters, Eminem, The Offspring, 30 Seconds to Mars, Rise Against, dEUS, The Ting Tings, Deftones, The Streets, James Blake, Crystal Castles, The Raveonettes, Duck Sauce, The Kills, Battles, Wiz Khalifa, Lykke Li, Blonde Redhead, Warpaint, Gomez, New Found Glory, Skunk Anansie, Paul Kalkbrenner, No Use For A Name Good Charlotte, Panic! At The Disco, and more

Tickets: €79 Friday and Saturday tickets are available via the festival’s website. Three-day and Thursday tickets are sold out.

SATURDAY IN THE PARK

When/Where: July 2nd at Grandview Park in Sioux Park, IA

Who’s Playing: Ben Harper, Cee-Lo Green, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, and Los Lonely Boys

Tickets: FREE!

Outside Lands’ 2011 lineup isn’t even two days old, but the San Francisco, CA-based festival has already made a huge addition. James Mercer and The Shins will deliver their first performance since 2009 during the three-day festival, set to take place August 12-14 at Golden Gate Park. They’ll by joined by fellow indie royalty Arcade Fire, The Black Keys, The Decemberists, MGMT, Arctic Monkeys, Beirut, and more.

When last we talked The Shins, which was all the way back in June 2010, Mercer had confirmed that the follow-up to 2007′s Wincing the Night Away was indeed in the works. There’s still no ETA for the LP, so stay tuned for more details.

Update: TwentyFourBit points us to a video from a benefit concert last month in which Mercer and Modest Mouse’s Joe Plummer debut a song from The Shins’ forthcoming record. Peep it below:

Set for August 12-14 at the historic Golden Gate Park, the festival will be led by Arcade Fire, Muse, and Phish, the latter of which will perform two sets over the course of the weekend. Other heavyweights include The Black Keys, Deadmau5, MGMT, The Decemberists, Arctic Monkeys, The Roots, Girl Talk, Erykah Badu, and Beirut.

Also on the bill are musical icons John Fogerty and The Orignal Meters, along with the recently reunited Big Audio Dynamite. Plus, STS9, Big Boi, Major Lazer, OK Go, Little Dragon, Josh Ritter & The Royal City Band, !!!, Best Coast, Warren Haynes Band, Sia, and Mavis Staples will also play.

If that weren’t enough, Old 97’s, Charles Bradley, Phantogram, The Vaccines, Toro Y Moi, Vetiver, Wye Oak, Grouplove, Ty Segall, Junip, The Joy Formidable, STRFKR, Latyrx (featuring Lyrics Born & Lateef), and The Greyboy Allstars are also confirmed, as are The Limousines, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Pajama Party, The Infamous Stringdusters, Collie Buddz, Lord Huron, The Fresh & Onlys, Ximena Sariñana, Orgone, Ana Tijoux, and Tamaryn.

Three-day and VIP passes will go on sale Thursday April 14th at 12:00 p.m. PST via the festival’s website. A significant portion of every ticket sold will directly benefit San Francisco’s Recreation and Park Department.

Camp Bisco joins the ranks of festivals celebrating big anniversaries this year, with their 10th edition attracting big names, while the Hangout Festival continues to add A-list acts to its bill beneath the Mason-Dixon Line. The pleasant surprises didn’t end there, The Gathering of the Vibes managed to draw a diverse offering including Elvis Costello and Jane’s Addiction to its jam-based lineup.

For the full recap on the latest festival news and rumors, scroll down and check out this week’s edition of Festivals in Brief. And don’t forget to bookmark Festival Outlook and/or follow us on Twitter in order to stay informed every day of the week. After all, Wednesday only comes once a week.

NEWS:

– A dance act will headline this year’s Lollapalooza, according to founder Perry Farrell.

– Brooklyn’s Northside Festival landed Beirut and Sharon Van Etten as headliners for its 2011 edition. Other confirmed acts include Allo Darlin’, Deer Tick, and Twin Sister, with over 200 names still to be announced. This year will also feature a DIY film competition for shorts and features, and another CoS showcase! Early bird tickets are now available for $60 via the festival’s website.

– The initial lineup of the Gathering of the Vibes festival includes Elvis Costello & The Imposters, Jane’s Addiction, moe., Furthur, John Butler Trio, and Dark Star Orchestra. Passes are available at the festival website. Another installment of acts is expected to be announced in the next few weeks.

– Joining Def Leppard, Rob Zombie, Linkin Park, System of a Down, and others at England’s Download Festival will be glam-rockers The Darkness. The band announced it is reuniting to play their first show in five years. The festival is set to take place in Leicestershire, England, runs June 10-12. Three-day passes are now available via seetickets.com.

– The Hangout Music Festival’s organizers somehow found a way to make an already jam-packed lineup even better. The Avett Brothers, STS9, Mofro, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, and Brandi Carlile are among the Gulf Shores, AL-based festival’s latest additions. Head over to the festival’s website to snatch a three-day pass for $174 while you still can.

– Camp Bisco announced the initial lineup for its decennial; Cut Copy, Wiz Khalifa, Disco Biscuits, Bassnectar, and Pretty Lights are among the 100+ performers making an appearance at the Indian Lookout Country Club in Mariaville, NY this summer. Although more acts are expected in the following weeks, early bird tickets are available now for $140 here.

– The Reading and Leeds lineup announcement assured an appropriate end to the summer festival circuit. Muse, The Strokes, Jane’s Addiction, The National, and My Chemical Romance will play alongside an impressive undercard that includes Interpol, The Kills, Odd Future, The Offspring, Deftones, The Streets, Two Door Cinema Club. Tickets for bothReading and Leeds are on sale now for £192.50 via seetickets.com.

– 311′s Pow Wow Festival is scheduled to hit Florida’s festival hotspot Live Oak (already home to Bear Creek and Wanee) this August 4th-6th. Although other lineup details are forthcoming, 311 will be playing four sets including Transistor in its entirety. The festival will coincide with a nationwide tour the band will be making with Sublime with Rome. A fan pre-sale begins today, and Pow Wow passes can be obtained at SeatGeek.com.

LINEUP ADDITIONS:

– Rock in Rio (Brazil): Added Guns N’ Roses

– Outside Lands Festival: Cut Copy (Rumored)

– Rock On the Range: Day-by-day schedule revealed

– Beale Street Music Festival: Daily set times announced

– Rock Werchter (Belgium): Added Queens of the Stone Age

– Lollapalooza: Tennis (Expected), A Perfect Circle (Rumored)

– Heavy MTL: Added Kiss, Motorhead, Billy Talent, Anthrax, and Opeth

– Summerfest: Added Hall & Oates, Matisyahu, Meatloaf, and Jack’s Mannequin

– End of the Road Festival (UK): Added Joanna Newsom, Best Coast, and Lykke Li

– Movement: Paxahau Electronic Music Festival: Added Cassy, Guillaume & The Coutu Dumonts

– Rock am Ring im (Germany): Added Deadmau5, Pete Yorn, Frank Turner, Chapel Club, and Dredg

– Summer Camp: Added Huey Lewis, Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers, SOJA, and The New Mastersounds

– ATP’s Nightmare Before Christmas (UK): Added Flying Lotus, No Age, Marnie Stern, Archers of Loaf, and Omar Souleyman

– Bestival (UK): Added PJ Harvey, Fatboy Slim, Public Enemy, The Drums, Pendulum, Chromeo, and Big Audio Dynamite

– Sweetlife Festival: Official lineup announced, includes The Strokes, Ra Ra Riot, Cold War Kids, Lupe Fiasco, Girl Talk, and Crystal Castles

– Heavy T.O. (Canada): Official lineup announced, includes Rob Zombie, Anthrax, Motorhead, Megadeth, Billy Talent, and As I Lay Dying

– Camp Bisco: Initial lineup announced, includes Disco Biscuits, Wiz Khalifa, Bassnectar, Pretty Lights, Death From Above 1979, Lotus, Ghostland Observatory, STS9, and Beats Antique

– Reading and Leeds (UK): Official lineup announced, includes Muse, The Strokes, Jane’s Addiction, The National, and My Chemical Romance, as well as Deftones, Interpol, Elbow, Jimmy Eat World, Odd Future, Crystal Castles, and Two Door Cinema Club

San Francisco’s favorite end-of-summer music spectacular, the Outside Lands Festival, has announced the dates of its 2011 return: August 12-14. A lineup of acts is still forthcoming, but “eager beaver” tickets will be available Friday at 12PM PST for $149. All other necessary details can be found via the festival’s website.

Built in the 1870′s out of the undeveloped sand dunes called “outside lands” (hence the name of the Outside Lands Music Festival held here every August), the park was meant to rival New York City’s Central Park. And rival it, it did. Golden Gate Park ended up becoming a wonderful staging point for the various movements that the City by the Bay became known for over the last decade, such as the Human Be-In hippie movement with Jefferson Airplane, or The Greatful Dead and The Summer of Love progressive social phenomenon which brought 100,000 people to the park and the Upper Haight neighborhood. Today, the message of love, freedom, and unity in the park still lives with the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival (or HSB).

The thing that makes the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival special is the fact that it is free, and not free in the sense that it was shilled out by a massive corporate sponsor. In this case we have philanthropic multi-billionaire Warren Hellman who, since 2001, has funded the festival every year out of his love for music and his appreciation for San Francisco. It started out as a pure bluegrass exhibition, but as it grew more popular with the masses, the genres were stretched (hence the “Hardly”) with more and more eclectic acts being added to the three-day event.

A free ticket price does make for some difficulties. Because it’s free, it seems like everyone in Northern California attends and this year there was an estimated 600,000 people attending the event (350,000 on Sunday alone). The stages are step up along a narrow stretch of road within the park, creating a huge bottleneck during peak hours of the festivals, in addition to hellish line-ups for portable toilets and food vendors. There was a sporadic shuttle that you could take into the festival for $2, other than that you had to find parking outside of the park and prepare for a long hike in. There was also some kerfuffle with the lack of enough bike racks to handle the crowds – seemed like every tree in the park had a bike tethered to it.

That said, there wasn’t really too much you could complain about, especially since you didn’t pay anything for it. Though drinking in the park was allowed and everyone seemed to have a can of beer or jug of wine in hand, I never saw anyone get too inebriated or dangerous. Keeping with the true peaceful spirit of the park, everyone just seemed to have a safe, good time. (However, it wouldn’t have killed some people to wear deodorant.) But hey, it wasn’t all just dreadlocked hippies and Mission District hipsters. There were lots of families with children, elderly couples camped out with lawn chairs and coolers, roaming packs of smiling teenagers, carefree couples, and what seemed like all the wagging pooches in the Bay Area. There was an overall social atmosphere that felt like you were there to hang out and talk to people just as much as you were there for the music. It was very casual, very chill, and very Californian.

Friday, October 1st

MC Hammer
Star Stage, 11:30 a.m.

Unfortunately, due to logistical issues, I was only able to catch one act on Friday and I ended up going to the one that really makes the term “Hardly” hit home. It was none other than MC Hammer of Hammertime and Hammer pants fame. Why was Hammer there? I’m still not sure, other than it had something to do with an educational aspect for children. That would explain why the entire front section of the stage turned into a corral for about 500 dancing schoolkids.

Either way, he drew quite a crowd that morning as people gathered around the fence to watch MC Hammer perform hits such as “Pray”, “2 Legit 2 Quit”, and “Can’t Touch This”. I’m actually laughing as I type those songs out and that was pretty much the same reaction during the set. Not that it was bad by any means, it was just hilarious to watch a crowd of people dance like idiots and yell “Stop! Hammer time!” between fits of giggles. There were a few older women in front of us really get into it, chugging back on their beers, telling us joyfully “Our kids are at school!” Either that or they were with the other schoolkids who were getting just as in to it as the adults.

Regardless, Hammer sounded great; the sound was bumping and his dancers were actually pretty amazing. All in all, it was a really odd yet infectiously fun way for Hardly Strictly Bluegrass to kick off.

Saturday, October 2nd

Exene
Porch Stage, 1:05 p.m.

Singer/writer/artist Exene Cervenka has had an interesting and progressive past. She co-fronted the revered LA punk band X in the late 1970′s with her then-boyfriend John Doe, which released seven albums including the prolific Wild Gift, she’s written several books, and had a one-person exhibition of her journals at the Santa Monica Museum of Art. Nowadays, she fronts a band called The Knitters and does her own solo work just as Exene, which I got to see at HSB.

Exene and her band charmed the growing crowd at the Porch stage with her soft music and warm stage presence. It was not at all like anything she did with X – the punk had now been replaced with soft acoustics, haunting violin, and simple songwriting. It wasn’t anything spectacular but she did have the audience hanging onto her every word, with a few streaks of her rock and roll past coming through at opportune moments.

Songwriter Circle with Steve Earle, Robert Earl Keen, John Doe & David Olney
Rooster Stage, 2:30 p.m.

Next up was the Songwriter Circle, consisting of such music legends as the aforementioned John Doe, Steve Earle, Robert Earl Keen, and David Olney. The act was pretty much as the name suggested, except of being in a circle, they all took turns performing in a line, one after the other. It was actually a really neat way of doing things, allowing each artist to sing their songs and give an ebb and flow of variety to the surprisingly long set. Given the range of voices and backgrounds, they drew a massive crowd too with people flanking the stage from all sides, even all the way up into the wooded crests.

I didn’t know too much about David Olney (even though his songs have been covered by Johnny Cash), but he sang a wonderful, gruff song called “Titanic”, the only one about that fateful accident “sung from the iceberg’s point of view.” The suited John Doe was the more rousing singer of the bunch and the only one who stood up to perform, a dapper contrast to the rustic environment. Like Olney, Keen, and Earle, he stuck to a lot of his hits such as “The Golden State” (which naturally had everyone singing along) and the deep “Burning House of Love” but he also sang a few songs off of his new album as well.

It was a wonderfully fitting show for the time and place. A sea of people all seated quietly, intensely immersed in the swooning acoustics, soulful singing, and whispering fog that rushed past the stage and into the trees.

Sunday, October 3rd

Martin Sexton
Star Stage, 11:40 a.m.

Sunday was one of the most packed, artist-filled days in Hardly Strictly Bluegrass’s history, with Indigo Girls, Patti Smith, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, Emmylou Harris, and Rosanna Cash just to name a few. But because the day was so loaded, it made it impossible for me to see everything I wanted to. So I stuck to the Star Stage, which ended up being a great idea in the end. Tons of talented artists in a row from one comfy spot – what more could you want?

Opening up that stage was singer/songwriter Martin Sexton, whose wide-ranging vocals and beatboxing skills gave his folk music surprising depth and edge that is lacking in a lot of acoustic-driven music. Despite the fact that it was still early in the day, he had the sprawling area around the stage packed with fans eager to hear his famous mix of gospel, rock, blues, country and soul carried by his crystal-clear voice and amazing falsetto.

Umphrey’s McGee
Star Stage, 1:15 p.m.

I knew Umphrey’s McGee was going to be a wild ride compared to Martin Sexton, because as soon as the Sexton crowd cleared out, we had our blanket trampled by a bunch of hippies running to the stage. Turns out Umphrey’s McGee is just a step up from The Grateful Dead or Phish – a young, fun jam band based around “progressive improvisation” and, well, jamming. No wonder they brought a crowd that a friend of mine remarked she hadn’t seen in Golden Gate Park since the 1970′s.

Everyone was really into it too. It was probably a combination of the pot smoke, copious amounts of alcohol, and the sun finally making its appearance for the first time. Or it could have had something to with the music. Even though the songs seemed like they were about 10 minutes long each, the bongos, rolling bass, and guitarist Brendan Bayliss’ soothing voice kept the crowd moving and bopping for the entire set. This was the first moment I really felt like I was experiencing San Francisco’s notorious counterculture scene first-hand. The communal experience of listening to a jamband in the California sunshine will do that to you.

Randy Newman
Towers of Gold Stage, 2:05 p.m.

Backing on to the Star Stage is the Towers of Gold Stage, which meant during the break between sets you could hear the Gold Stage perfectly and as such we were all treated to a pleasing set by Randy Newman. Know for his countless awards, this Disney legend (and Family Guy punching bag) brought his droll, affable persona and scores of hits to the festival. Everything from “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” and “Short People” to “A Fool in Love” was covered with his the famous Newman charm and enthusiasm.

Elvis Costello and The Sugarcanes
Star Stage, 3:05 p.m.

This was the act that most of Sunday’s unending crowd found to be a “must-see” and Mr. Costello and his troupe of Nashville session musicians did not disappoint. With the notable Jim Lauderdale on guitar and various dobro, fiddle, upright bass, mandolin and accordion players, the Sugarcanes blended beautifully in the late afternoon air and gave Costello’s engaging demeanor a good heft of twang.

It was a very exciting and tight set. There were a few songs played off of his latest album National Ransom, but for the most part he covered a range of hits that spanned his career and all with a decidedly country slant. “Mystery Range”, “Friend of the Devil”, “Brilliant Mistake”, and “Allison” were all received very well, but it was the cover of “You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away” which really brought the crowd together. People of all ages were singing along to the classic, and despite its cynical lyrics, really made us feel the spirit of the weekend.

Mondo Cane
Star Stage, 5:20 p.m.

Last but not least, the most interesting act to ever play the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass has to go to Mike Patton’s Mondo Cane, his orchestral covers of Italian pop songs from the 50′s and 60′s. Having seen Mondo Cane in Poland this July, I knew exactly what I was getting into but HSB marked the first US appearance of this unique and genre-pushing outfit. Though most of the crowd filtered out after Costello ended his set, this gave Patton fans and other curious music buffs to come up close to the stage and witness this rare event.

Patton’s band was a little different than it was during his European tour but Italians Leonardo di Anguilla on drums and composer Daniele Luppi helped reel in the authenticity. The string section was made up of the fresh-faced Magik Magik Orchestra, who seriously looked like they rolled in straight from high school, and the special surprise goes to the appearance of Ex-Mr.Bungle member Trey Spruance on guitar, who was hidden by the string section for most of the night.

But enough about the technicalities – let’s get onto the music. I think Patton said it best by announcing they were going to “put the ass back in bluegrass” and did they fucking ever. The entire set with tight and rolling with a cacophony of classical music and rock riffs. Whether he was hitting all the soaring notes in the iconic and soulful “Ore D’Amore” or crooning to the joyous and retro-tinged “Deep Down”, Patton was making sure the auditory blend of styles was hitting you like a sledgehammer. Done live, the songs are a lot edgier than they are on the Mondo Cane album and Patton relished his chance to combine the various aspects of his schizophrenic musical persona – the suave serenader and the outrageous rock star. The most crowd-pleasing songs of the night were the two songs that work as a showcase for those two personalities “Urlo Negro” and “Storia D’Amore.” With those numbers, the crooner and the screamer blend with such rollicking enthusiasm that it became impossible for anyone to not “get” what Patton is trying to do with Mondo Cane: push the genre (whatever it may be) and have fun while doing it.

And fun is exactly what Patton was having on stage. He was smiling and laughing, both between songs and during songs, expressing the pure joy he has in his music. He was engaging with the crowd and supportive of his talented band. And you have to give props to them for taking on a show that’s a bit askew. The strings section especially handled the challenging set very well. There were times that you could see they were a bit unsure of how the crowd was going to handle the music, even laughing about it, but they soon found out that the audience wouldn’t have expected anything less from Patton. It was a lot of fun to watch Luppi conduct them too, having to get out of his seat and really throw himself into the motions of getting those strings to fly.

By the time the set was over, the sun had gone down and there were more than a few teary-eyed people milling around, soaking up the atmosphere of the magical performance they had just witnessed. Though Mondo Cane had an underground vibe at the festival and flew below most people’s radar, I hope the ones who were lucky enough to catch the show will help spread the word of how amazing it was. This stuff is too good for only one show.
——

Gallery by Karina Halle

[nggallery id=124]

]]> MC Hammer Star Stage, 11:30 a.m. Unfortunately, due to logistical issues, I was only able to catch one act on Friday and I ended up going to the one that really makes the term "Hardly" hit home. It was none other than MC Hammer of Hammertime and Hammer pants fame. Why was Hammer there? I'm still not sure, other than it had something to do with an educational aspect for children. That would explain why the entire front section of the stage turned into a corral for about 500 dancing schoolkids. Either way, he drew quite a crowd that morning as people gathered around the fence to watch MC Hammer perform hits such as "Pray", "2 Legit 2 Quit", and "Can't Touch This". I'm actually laughing as I type those songs out and that was pretty much the same reaction during the set. Not that it was bad by any means, it was just hilarious to watch a crowd of people dance like idiots and yell "Stop! Hammer time!" between fits of giggles. There were a few older women in front of us really get into it, chugging back on their beers, telling us joyfully "Our kids are at school!" Either that or they were with the other schoolkids who were getting just as in to it as the adults. Regardless, Hammer sounded great; the sound was bumping and his dancers were actually pretty amazing. All in all, it was a really odd yet infectiously fun way for Hardly Strictly Bluegrass to kick off. Saturday, October 2nd Exene Porch Stage, 1:05 p.m. Singer/writer/artist Exene Cervenka has had an interesting and progressive past. She co-fronted the revered LA punk band X in the late 1970's with her then-boyfriend John Doe, which released seven albums including the prolific Wild Gift, she's written several books, and had a one-person exhibition of her journals at the Santa Monica Museum of Art. Nowadays, she fronts a band called The Knitters and does her own solo work just as Exene, which I got to see at HSB. Exene and her band charmed the growing crowd at the Porch stage with her soft music and warm stage presence. It was not at all like anything she did with X - the punk had now been replaced with soft acoustics, haunting violin, and simple songwriting. It wasn't anything spectacular but she did have the audience hanging onto her every word, with a few streaks of her rock and roll past coming through at opportune moments. Songwriter Circle with Steve Earle, Robert Earl Keen, John Doe & David Olney Rooster Stage, 2:30 p.m. Next up was the Songwriter Circle, consisting of such music legends as the aforementioned John Doe, Steve Earle, Robert Earl Keen, and David Olney. The act was pretty much as the name suggested, except of being in a circle, they all took turns performing in a line, one after the other. It was actually a really neat way of doing things, allowing each artist to sing their songs and give an ebb and flow of variety to the surprisingly long set. Given the range of voices and backgrounds, they drew a massive crowd too with people flanking the stage from all sides, even all the way up into the wooded crests. I didn't know too much about David Olney (even though his songs have been covered by Johnny Cash), but he sang a wonderful, gruff song called "Titanic", the only one about that fateful accident "sung from the iceberg's point of view." The suited John Doe was the more rousing singer of the bunch and the only one who stood up to perform, a dapper contrast to the rustic environment. Like Olney, Keen, and Earle, he stuck to a lot of his hits such as "The Golden State" (which naturally had everyone singing along) and the deep "Burning House of Love" but he also sang a few songs off of his new album as well. It was a wonderfully fitting show for the time and place. A sea of people all seated quietly, intensely immersed in the swooning acoustics, soulful singing, and whispering fog that rushed past the stage and into the trees. Sunday, October 3rd Martin Sexton Star Stage, 11:40 a.m. Sunday was one of the most packed, artist-filled days in Hardly Strictly Bluegrass's history, with Indigo Girls, Patti Smith, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, Emmylou Harris, and Rosanna Cash just to name a few. But because the day was so loaded, it made it impossible for me to see everything I wanted to. So I stuck to the Star Stage, which ended up being a great idea in the end. Tons of talented artists in a row from one comfy spot - what more could you want? Opening up that stage was singer/songwriter Martin Sexton, whose wide-ranging vocals and beatboxing skills gave his folk music surprising depth and edge that is lacking in a lot of acoustic-driven music. Despite the fact that it was still early in the day, he had the sprawling area around the stage packed with fans eager to hear his famous mix of gospel, rock, blues, country and soul carried by his crystal-clear voice and amazing falsetto. Umphrey's McGee Star Stage, 1:15 p.m. I knew Umphrey's McGee was going to be a wild ride compared to Martin Sexton, because as soon as the Sexton crowd cleared out, we had our blanket trampled by a bunch of hippies running to the stage. Turns out Umphrey's McGee is just a step up from The Grateful Dead or Phish - a young, fun jam band based around "progressive improvisation" and, well, jamming. No wonder they brought a crowd that a friend of mine remarked she hadn't seen in Golden Gate Park since the 1970's. Everyone was really into it too. It was probably a combination of the pot smoke, copious amounts of alcohol, and the sun finally making its appearance for the first time. Or it could have had something to with the music. Even though the songs seemed like they were about 10 minutes long each, the bongos, rolling bass, and guitarist Brendan Bayliss' soothing voice kept the crowd moving and bopping for the entire set. This was the first moment I really felt like I was experiencing San Francisco's notorious counterculture scene first-hand. The communal experience of listening to a jamband in the California sunshine will do that to you. Randy Newman Towers of Gold Stage, 2:05 p.m. Backing on to the Star Stage is the Towers of Gold Stage, which meant during the break between sets you could hear the Gold Stage perfectly and as such we were all treated to a pleasing set by Randy Newman. Know for his countless awards, this Disney legend (and Family Guy punching bag) brought his droll, affable persona and scores of hits to the festival. Everything from "You've Got a Friend in Me" and "Short People" to "A Fool in Love" was covered with his the famous Newman charm and enthusiasm. Elvis Costello and The Sugarcanes Star Stage, 3:05 p.m. This was the act that most of Sunday's unending crowd found to be a "must-see" and Mr. Costello and his troupe of Nashville session musicians did not disappoint. With the notable Jim Lauderdale on guitar and various dobro, fiddle, upright bass, mandolin and accordion players, the Sugarcanes blended beautifully in the late afternoon air and gave Costello's engaging demeanor a good heft of twang. It was a very exciting and tight set. There were a few songs played off of his latest album National Ransom, but for the most part he covered a range of hits that spanned his career and all with a decidedly country slant. "Mystery Range", "Friend of the Devil", "Brilliant Mistake", and "Allison" were all received very well, but it was the cover of "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" which really brought the crowd together. People of all ages were singing along to the classic, and despite its cynical lyrics, really made us feel the spirit of the weekend. Mondo Cane Star Stage, 5:20 p.m. Last but not least, the most interesting act to ever play the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass has to go to Mike Patton's Mondo Cane, his orchestral covers of Italian pop songs from the 50's and 60's. Having seen Mondo Cane in Poland this July, I knew exactly what I was getting into but HSB marked the first US appearance of this unique and genre-pushing outfit. Though most of the crowd filtered out after Costello ended his set, this gave Patton fans and other curious music buffs to come up close to the stage and witness this rare event. Patton's band was a little different than it was during his European tour but Italians Leonardo di Anguilla on drums and composer Daniele Luppi helped reel in the authenticity. The string section was made up of the fresh-faced Magik Magik Orchestra, who seriously looked like they rolled in straight from high school, and the special surprise goes to the appearance of Ex-Mr.Bungle member Trey Spruance on guitar, who was hidden by the string section for most of the night. But enough about the technicalities - let's get onto the music. I think Patton said it best by announcing they were going to "put the ass back in bluegrass" and did they fucking ever. The entire set with tight and rolling with a cacophony of classical music and rock riffs. Whether he was hitting all the soaring notes in the iconic and soulful "Ore D'Amore" or crooning to the joyous and retro-tinged "Deep Down", Patton was making sure the auditory blend of styles was hitting you like a sledgehammer. Done live, the songs are a lot edgier than they are on the Mondo Cane album and Patton relished his chance to combine the various aspects of his schizophrenic musical persona - the suave serenader and the outrageous rock star. The most crowd-pleasing songs of the night were the two songs that work as a showcase for those two personalities "Urlo Negro" and "Storia D'Amore." With those numbers, the crooner and the screamer blend with such rollicking enthusiasm that it became impossible for anyone to not "get" what Patton is trying to do with Mondo Cane: push the genre (whatever it may be) and have fun while doing it. And fun is exactly what Patton was having on stage. He was smiling and laughing, both between songs and during songs, expressing the pure joy he has in his music. He was engaging with the crowd and supportive of his talented band. And you have to give props to them for taking on a show that's a bit askew. The strings section especially handled the challenging set very well. There were times that you could see they were a bit unsure of how the crowd was going to handle the music, even laughing about it, but they soon found out that the audience wouldn't have expected anything less from Patton. It was a lot of fun to watch Luppi conduct them too, having to get out of his seat and really throw himself into the motions of getting those strings to fly. By the time the set was over, the sun had gone down and there were more than a few teary-eyed people milling around, soaking up the atmosphere of the magical performance they had just witnessed. Though Mondo Cane had an underground vibe at the festival and flew below most people's radar, I hope the ones who were lucky enough to catch the show will help spread the word of how amazing it was. This stuff is too good for only one show. ------ Gallery by Karina Halle [nggallery id=124] ]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/10/free-love-free-music-cos-at-hardly-strictly-bluegrass-%e2%80%9810/feed/ 3 http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/08/end-of-week-recap-august-16-20/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/08/end-of-week-recap-august-16-20/#comments http://c438342.r42.cf2.rackcdn.com//wp-content/uploads/2010/08/endofweek819.jpg Fri, 20 Aug 2010 22:00:08 +0000 Emma Ramsay http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=62664 Another week, another recap.

Perhaps this wasn’t exactly the most exhilarating week in music in recent memory, but that’s not to say that nothing of note didn’t happen. There’s never a dull moment in music, not even during what seem like the slowest weeks. These last few days saw new material and details of potential collaborations come to light, band break ups, and legal strife, among other things.

And, of course, Kayne West made regular appearances on this site. There’s never a dull moment to be had as long as he’s involved.

As always, stay tuned. We’re here to keep you up to speed on everything. Even during the slow weeks.

Here’s a quick look at the weekend:

– Kanye West announced plans for a ”Power” film and collaborated with Kid Cudi.

– Queens of the Stoneage played stateside for the first time in over two years.

– Megan Ritt reviewed Rufus Wainwright‘s recent Chicago gig.

– Nick Freed imagined a world without digital formats “Alternative History X.”

And now for this week:

– Sufjan Stevens shocked the world with the release of a brand new EP, All Delighted People.

– Belle & Sebastian detailed their forthcoming LP.

– My Morning Jacket debuted a new song.

– Here’s more Kanye West-related news. His record won’t drop until November, but West’s G.O.O.D. Ass Mixtape will tide fans over. Get it here. Also, a collaboration with Justin Bieber is in the works. Oh, and his “Power” remix with Jay-Z is absurd.

– Here’s a shock: the new T.I. album was delayed.

– Conan O’Brien will release a spoken word 7″ next week via Third Man.

– Remember that goofy Weezer album cover? The group discussed that along with the tracklist for said album.

– Remember that “shitty” Kings of Leon show? The group rescheduled it.

– Remember that controversial video Erykah Badu made? Well, she’s paying for it. Literally.

– David Bowie disspelled the rumor of a collaboration with Lady Gaga.

– Eminem‘s Recovery reclaimed the top slot on the charts this week. (Sorry, Arcade Fire).

– Some of Pink Floyd‘s most essential albums will be temporarily out of print.

–Norwegian scientists “cured” the music industry.

– Pocahaunted, Bethany Cosentino’s pre-Best Coast band, broke up.

– Of Montreal put out a crazy new video.

–Speaking of new videos, Arcade Fire premiered “Ready to Start.”

– A new Raekwon track surfaced.

– E.N. May reviewed Fortress, the debut from indie upstarts Miniature Tigers. He also went to one of their shows.

–We did it. We actually posted a review of an Iron Maiden album.

– David Buchanan took on “epic” songs in a new edition of List ‘Em Carefully.

– Harry Painter interviewed Dean DeLeo of Stone Temple Pilots fame.

–A little while back, we asked We Are Scientists bassist Chris Cain to complete our Q & A. This is what he came up with.

– Our staff covered the “easiest festival to attend in the history of festivals”: San Francisco’s Outside Lands.

It’s already been a gloomy summer on the coast of California, so we needed this festival. SoCal already had its dominating festival, Coachella, and it was time for the Bay Area to strut its own breed of music festival again. And what better place to spend a weekend at than the legendary Golden Gate Park? The California coast might not have brightened up, but everybody was certainly in high spirits. In retrospect, how couldn’t you be?

This year, Outside Lands came off like a modern hybrid. For one, the lineup bridged a number of generation and stylistic gaps, opening up some people’s perceptions. This was one of the first festivals in which I can safely say a large chunk of the audience was over 40, and it didn’t seem creepy, or weird (a young girl asked about Furthur posting their set list online and everybody looked at her like she was insane). You had bands catering to the aged crowd who remembers what things were like “back in the day,” like Levon Helm, Al Green, and Social Distortion, but you had the top acts of generation-now like the Strokes, the Kings of Leon, Phoenix, and My Morning Jacket. This was a festival for all the freaks of the Bay to come out of the woodwork and unite under the sun, even if it wasn’t out.

And the freaks came out, rest assured, and it was wonderful to remember that if it weren’t for weird people like us, there wouldn’t be a festival to talk about. Outside Lands was a place this year where everybody could gather, be themselves, and rock out in one of America’s most historic spots in one of its coolest cities. Overall it was alright, I guess I’ll go next year.

Saturday, August 14th

People Under the Stairs
Lands End, 12:00 p.m.

Nothing could have made me happier than walking into Golden Gate Park to hear the San Francisco Knights themselves conducting some turntable Scientifics. “I think we got this party started,” they boasted to a crowd of “old hippies”: as they so eloquently put it. The titan twosome of Thes One and Double K threw it down to kick off the first day of the festival. The group had no problem representing the Bay Area, with their classic tune “San Francisco Knights”, and even discussed the weather, just before dropping into “Acid Raindrops”.

People Under the Stairs genuinely wanted to get the party going with their Mid-City Fiesta antics. Everyone around was totally indulging, as they lit joints all over the place, which was relished by the MCs themselves, who stated “shit was kicking in.” But they wanted to keep it positive, “It’s a little cold, but it could be warm if you believe,” Double K said. The group then launched into “Tripping at the Disco” to close their set of stoned age hip-hop for the early risers. -Ted Maider

Electric Six
Sutro, 12:40 p.m.

“That opening act was amazing. Rap rap rap. rap ra rap rap rap (in mock-rap tone). We are trying to start shit with the other bands so maybe they fight us and we get more press.” – Dick Valentine

Electric Six are instigators. They were out to start a party, get in trouble, make you dance, anything, really, to get you out of your 12:45 p.m. trance. And if you base you enjoyment of music by your engagement rather than what you actually hear, they were a success. Lead singer Dick Valentine is a ham, thrusting his pelvis, shaking his arms, and cracking jokes like he was at the Brea Improv, but I laughed at all of them, so I guess his mission was a success. When the group busted out “Danger, High Voltage”, I expected some kind of mass hysterics (like when I perform the same song at karaoke), but, alas, it was still the early afternoon and the moderate enthusiasm that was prevalent for everything was about as much as they were going to get. We sure had some laughs, though. - Philip Cosores

Freelance Whales
Twin Peaks, 12:45 p.m.

You can only read a band’s name so many times, and see them on so many festival lineups before you get curious enough to see them. Freelance Whales‘ brand of mellow indie seemed to win over the San Fran hipster crowd at Outside Lands on day one. Their music seemed mystical, and slightly warming on this dreary Bay day. But it wasn’t their show that drew me in, it was their bizarre instrumentation. For example, percussionist/keyboardist/guitar player Kevin Read had a watering can that he repeatedly beat with a mallet. Not to mention, Doris Cellar played some sort of tabled squeeze box for one of their slower and more melodic numbers. “We’d like to thank San Francisco for the last six months of our lives,” they said with pride towards the end of the show. So they thanked us, by playing some more cheery tunes. -Ted Maider

Sierra Leone’s Refugee All-Stars
Lands End, 1:25 p.m.

You got to have yourself some sort of reggae act at a festival to get the early and sunny crowd in high spirits. Well, there was no sun for Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Star’s performance, but they brought forth hypothetical sunshine with their slick reggae grooves. All throughout the crowd, girls splashed with tie dye and dancing in hula hoops were present, as well as several other patrons smoking copious amounts of marijuana to accompany the world music Sierra Leone and company put on. People didn’t necessarily sing along with lyrics that were a) in a different language or b) indecipherable, but the vibe of the music asked everyone to groove, and that’s exactly what they did. -Ted Maider

Pretty Lights
Sutro, 2:15 p.m.

I wandered around for quite some time before Derek Vincent Smith, aka Pretty Lights (aka the sole DJ I wanted to see at this festival), took the stage, and I planned on staying for every second of his jaw-dropping show. Just one year ago, I saw the guy at one of the tents at Bonnaroo, at 3 am, with the e-tard crowd coming down from Phish. Now he had his own slot on one of the bigger stages at Outside Lands in the middle of the afternoon, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t know how to throw down.

The thing about Pretty Lights is he embodies everything about the modern DJ. He’s got some sort of turntable scenario going on (whether they are digital or not is beyond me), as well as two laptops (one Mac, one PC) set up on both ends of his operation. Then, he takes his fantastic contraption of an instrument and brings in samples from all over the spectrum, from eerie piano to distorted guitars, thus getting everyone in the crowd to break it down. But he turns these samples into all different types of electronic music, making his work totally accessible to anyone endorsing in that medium. Pretty Lights is going to make things happen in the electronic world if his show keeps building and building up like his live music. -Ted Maider

Gogol Bordello
Lands End, 3:05 p.m.

Just prior to Gogol Bordello arriving on stage, I passed their singer while roaming through the VIP section. He looked, for lack of a better term, fucking menacing. And let me tell you, that menacing dude can rock in quite the menacing fashion. The high-tempo Gypsy insanity that is Gogol Bordello was a sound to be reckoned with at three in the afternoon. The band blasted through songs like the sonic insanity of “Start Wearing Purple” and “Wonderlust King”, while the audience proceeded to go into a gyrating frenzy. It’s not like the band took it easy either, though. Lead singer and guitar player Eugene Hutz sweat out his entire body weight as he rocked to the band’s furious songs.  To pronounce their ending, Hutz jumped up onto the drum set and took a bow. Everybody was quite pleased. But did you expect anything less from them? -Ted Maider

Levon Helm Band
Twin Peaks, 3:45 p.m.

Levon Helm and his gang of cronies showed up at the Twin Peaks stage in the mid-afternoon to lighten up the mood a bit. Between all the electronic, hip-hop, and rock music, it was finally something the older and Dead-Head crowd could truly appreciate. The group launched through some Band classics (like “The Weight”), covered the Dead (“Tennessee Jed”), and played a number of post-Band tracks, as well. His 10-plus unit performed some crunchy tunes that hippies gladly twirled around to in the grass. Meanwhile, the band had a good time by improvising with acoustic fury as they used their unique and large group of instruments to perform tunes for a sleepier, more laid-back crowd. -Ted Maider

Bassnectar
Sutro, 4:05 p.m.

Bassnectar is the scariest DJ ever. In fact, the whole time I was watching him all I could wonder was how in the fuck he became a DJ. As soon as the guy came out, everyone immediately lost their shit and began to rock their hardest electronic moves. Accompanied with hundreds of giant, black, beach balls, Bassnectar broke it down with his rare form of alternative metal dub-step, mixing bits from all over (most notably his remix of “No Sleep ‘Til Brooklyn”). The multi-genre mixer caused the earth to quake, people’s hearts to pump up a few notches, and me to freak the hell out. -Ted Maider

My Morning Jacket
Lands End, 5:00 p.m.

“God bless you, San Francisco.” –Jim James

My Morning Jacket never ceases to amaze me. The Bay Area crowd was genuinely stoked that Jim James and company had come to grace their presence with their rare, intellectual, and fantastic style of rock. The band kicked it off slow with tracks like “Tonite I Want to Celebrate with You” and “Gideon”. As the band jammed, escalated, rocked, and shocked, it really struck me that they truly work to perfection as a complete unit. If one member were to be replaced, the whole show would be at a loss. It’s the chemistry they share that speaks volumes. That… and their donkey, which happened to make an appearance at Sasquatch, too.

Eventually, the band busted out a chilling and hypnotic version of “Touch Me, I’m Going to Scream (Part 1)” and churned out a triumphant version of “I’m Amazed”, which sequed into a jet-fueled speedball rendition of “Highly Suspicious”, which fueled the crowd into a furious mosh. Towards the end, they brought it all back full circle as they lurched on with “Touch Me, I’m Going to Scream (Part 2)”.

Throughout the set, the band played a number of older tunes, too. “Golden”, “Off the Record”, “Steam Engine”, and “Anytime” were all showcased and all well-received. But, nothing came close to their powerful performance of “Wordless Chorus”, which saw the crowd uniting together under rain and through harmonies and reverb. But it wouldn’t stop there, either. Before they left, the group carved out a magnificent, 10 minute cut of “One Big Holiday”, which pumped out enough octane to tear apart the crowd. These guys may not be a jam band, but they sure do fucking jam. -Ted Maider

Wolfmother
Sutro, 6:30 p.m.

The biggest surprise at Outside Lands goes to Wolfmother, hands down. I attended mainly because my brother is a big fan and he dragged me along. However, thank goodness he did. It was the best decision I was forced into making all weekend. Little did I know this would be one of the most unexpectedly awesome sets of the festival. The only person who had more fun than the crowd at Wolfmother was frontman Andrew Stockdale. And why shouldn’t he have a bit of fun? With lineup changes galore since 2005, he deserves to smile. Despite the group’s latest effort, Cosmic Egg, they stuck to mostly material off their self-titled album. Climax? When the band busted into “White Unicorn”, transitioning midway through into a very fitting version of The Doors’ “Riders on the Storm”, only to transition back into the end of “White Unicorn”. Like I said, unexpectedly awesome. -Winston Robbins

Cat Power
Twin Peaks, 7:05 p.m.

I’ve never seen Cat Power before, so I won’t be too hasty in my judgment. But is she always so boring? Julian Casablancas nonchalance is one thing, but seeming utterly bored is something different entirely. Maybe it’s just her steaz, but she looked like she just rolled out of bed for this show. With her hair pulled back in a ponytail, and frumpily dressed in a hoodie and jeans, she spent most of the set with her hands in her pockets. There was a portion of her show where she got down off the stage and into the photo pit to sing two songs, which I’m sure was awesome for all 53 people who could still see her, but eventually the rest of us just forgot she was there. It’s not like her being onstage was that much more exciting. But enough about stage presence. Musically, Chan Marshall couldn’t have been more spot on. “Sea of Love”, “The Greatest”, and “Metal Heart” were all pitch perfect. Every note hit, every inflection impeccable. I just wish she would have been a little more excited about her own talent. -Winston Robbins

Furthur ft. Phil Lesh and Bob Weir
Lands End, 7:25 p.m.

“They really did take it one step further…” –Dead-Head in Sculpture Garden after the show.

I have to start by admitting this straight up; I am not the biggest Dead-Head in the world. This has always been the biggest problem amongst my friends and I. Granted, I enjoy some of their songs quite thoroughly (how could you not), but I have never been one of those kids who goes through phases and phases of nothing but obscure Dead sets. But this entire set-up seemed like something I would totally be all about. For one, you have Phil Lesh and Bob Weir back together on-stage. Secondly, you have John Kadlecik of the Dark Star Orchestra, stepping in Jerry Garcia’s shoes, which he seems to have already done for a portion of his career. Take notice of the setting, though. It was the climax of Jerry month in the Bay, and the band was in Golden Gate Park, the place that pretty much spawned them.

Needless to say, all the tell-tale signs of a Dead-Show were there. All day, my buddy kept saying, “In San Francisco, Dead-Heads just seem to grow up from the ground.” Sure enough, this is what happened. Just prior to Furthur’s show, I watched the kid behind me drop a tab of acid into his friend’s mouth as a surprise. There were more Stealies than I could ever fathom in one place. And people had managed to sneak in recording gear to obtain what they would believe to be a priceless piece of live memorabilia. Well, this night, they were right.

The band was no longer slow, dreary, and too-hypnotic. They were back to the old Dead-style, quicker and extensive jams that kept the pace up. Opening with songs like “Cassidy” and “The Loser” got people on their feet, and scribbling song titles on their notepads all around me. The band launched into a rendition of “Let it Grow”, which they wove into a cover of Pink Floyd’s “Time”. People were hip to the cover, considering cheers emanated throughout once those all-too-familiar sound of clocks chimed in.

But the band also launched into a number of Dead staples that belonged in Golden Gate Park. Extended jams on “Fire on the Mountain” and “Terrapin Suite” caused people to astro-project themselves back to the ’70s. To close off the single set, the band started up “Morning Dew” which spiraled into “I Know You Rider”, leaving all the Dead-Heads, who’d coughed up the 70 bucks to get in, very, very pleased.

When I was younger, I saw Ratdog and all the offshoots, but this to me was something far greater than a Grateful Dead recreation. This wasn’t a reincarnation; this was the future of the enterprise that is the Grateful Dead. Even I’ll admit it; they have had one of the best careers in history that any band could possibly ask for. Their material still impacts kids today as it did 50 years ago. So, the bottom line? I may not be a Dead-Head, but I can see that they have done a lot in their time, and they will continue to bedazzle their cult as time goes on. As I wandered off into the night, I heard techno drums going, infused the Furthur’s jamming, which somehow seemed to work in this modern age. Who knows what the future of music will bring? -Ted Maider

The Strokes
Twin Peaks, 8:45 p.m.

Let’s begin here: Why was Furthur headlining this festival? Look, we all know that Bob Weir and Phil Lesh are local Haight-Ashbury legends and were once a part of one of the most influential jam bands in the history of Rock and Roll, but does that really warrant a headlining slot? Seems like an irrelevant stretch to me. The tickets for day one sold, but they certainly didn’t sell out. The Deadheads are slowly dying off. The Strokes should have headlined. But that’s an argument for another time. It was funny, however, what a tangible barrier Furthur versus The Strokes created. In the impeccable words of Philip Cosores, everyone 30 and under was at one side of the park watching The Strokes, while everyone else was re-living their Dead days across the park.

At any rate, Julian Casablancas and company returned to performing on American soil once more after their Lollapalooza appearance, and I can only imagine that the shows were incredibly similar. I say that because tit for tat, the setlists were exactly the same, except Lolla got one more song that Outside Lands did. It was an unbelievable set in every way, musically, visually, you name it. But they were obviously missing one thing: chemistry. It was sad further proof that The Strokes might be on their way out.

However, it was fantastic to hear the songs that got me through the hard knock life of Middle School. They played mainly old favorites such as “Someday”, “Last Night”,  “Reptilia”, and “Hard To Explain” interspersed with only a couple First Impressions of Earth cuts. In between each song, they seemed to stall and talk amongst themselves about what they were doing, which showed a lack of preparation, perpetuating the rumors that they’re imploding. On a lighter note, though, Casablancas will never stop being one of the greatest frontmen of our time. He kept crowd interaction at a maximum and all night he made jokes and basically said whatever the hell came to his mind. It was an endearing, nostalgic run down memory lane that was ultimately enjoyable, but painful in that these are very much so not The Strokes I saw back in ’06. -Winston Robbins
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Gallery by Philip Cosores

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Sunday, August 15th

Amos Lee
Lands End, 12:45 p.m.

The Philadelphia singer/songwriter had the misfortune of playing to a tired crowd in the early afternoon, but made the most out of it. Amos Lee has the kind of voice the can sooth both the weary soul and the weary bones, managing to bring the crowd both to lie for the moment and awaken them at to the fun that laid on the horizon. Lee sings with conviction, and for a writer who had never heard him before and feels a slight bit of shame admitting that he enjoyed the set, it was a pleasant surprise to start a day.  -Philip Cosores

Mayer Hawthorne and The County
Sutro, 1:30 p.m.

If this day was about voices, Mayer Hawthorne was up to the challenge laid down by Amos Lee. Luckily for Hawthorne, where his voice lacks the immediacy of Lee’s, he has Mayer-ettes to provide the eye candy that the singer may lack himself. Sure Hawthorne may seem like a nerd, but he has soul and can get a giant crowd behind him. And somehow most of the crowd knew all the words (maybe this guy is huge) but even those that didn’t seemed to have a blast. Hawthorne may have made the most new fans of anyone at the festival. -Philip Cosores

The Temper Trap
Lands End, 2:15 p.m.

Well, I guess I just don’t get the appeal here. But people were sure excited to see The Temper Trap, to see their weird looking singer, to hear their harmless songs, even a new one that appeared three songs in and went absolutely nowhere. In hindsight, they are known for a song that came out last year with 500 Days of Summer, and oddly enough, it’s not really catchy whatsoever. <Shrug> -Philip Cosores

Janelle Monáe
Sutro, 3:05 p.m.

Most deserved Best New Music handed out by the almighty P4K should go to Janelle Monáe. Not only was her ArchAndroid fantastic from beginning to end, but she is quite the musician/dancer/fashionista. Playing mainly tracks from her most recent album, the crowd seemed to show particular interest in “Cold War” and “Tightrope”, and rightly so, as they were both spot on in every way (except Big Boi didn’t show up for his verse on the latter). Personally, I was quite moved by the stop-free four song medley which contained “Suite II Overture”, “Dance or Die”, “Faster”, and “Locked Inside” in one fell swoop. Impressive. Furthermore, her style is something that is to be simultaneously marveled and envied. Monáe is so much cooler than any of us will ever be, but we should love her for it, not be jealous. Some people were born to front bands (and Janelle is without question the best frontwoman I have seen in recent years), and others were born to write for/read music blogs. To each his own. -Winston Robbins

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
Twin Peaks, 3:40 p.m.

“This is a fucking miracle!” –Edward Sharpe (Alex Ebert)

I made it to the front of the crowd by the skin of my teeth, but goddammit, I made it. And thank the lord I did. Four months ago, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros were just some band that seemed to be playing every festival I wanted to go to. Now, they’re a crucial portion of my 2010 soundtrack, with a record that continues to sell and a fan base that continues to grow. Hey, you can only appear in so many car commercials before everybody understands your band rules that much.

The 10-piece band wasted no time kicking things up, opening with “40 Day Dream”, one of the stand-out and triumphant tracks from their debut record. The crowd went nuts at the opening drum beats, and then began to sway majestically while singing all the words. Luckily for them, the band played the majority of their album, Up From Below, and in order. Following the opener, they launched right into the happy-go-lucky tune of “Janglin’” and then continued with the album’s titular track.

The Magnetic Zeros did some great renditions of “Desert Song” and even let Jade Castrinos take over on lead vocals for awhile. The real gem though, of course, was “Home”, which the crowd screamed for the entire time. When the hot single finally did come on, everybody leapt up and down in a united frenzy, which seemed warranted for the song’s enthusiastic beat. During the breakdown, though, Alex Ebert and Castrinos discussed the first time they came to San Francisco, and what they did, but most all Castrinos wished the sun would shine. We were all right there with her, but it didn’t matter, because everybody was just elated to be in the presence of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, a band who will clearly be remembered when 2010 music is discussed for years to come. -Ted Maider

Al Green
Lands End, 4:00 p.m.

After Furthur took us back to the 60’s, somebody had to represent the 70’s, and no man was better for the job than Al Green. At 64, our beloved soul singer took the stage to a massive, loving crowd to give them a taste of his era. Not only did he come out belting his own barn burners “Tired of Being Alone” and “Let’s Stay Together”, but he did a tribute to all his contemporaries. He covered The Four Tops’ “I Can’t Help Myself”, The Temptations’ “My Girl”, and Otis Redding (whom he referred to as ‘Big O’)’s “Sitting On the Dock of the Bay”. At the end of the set, the soul mastermind was all smiles, as was the crowd. -Winston Robbins

Slightly Stoopid
Sutro, 5:00 p.m.

How many Slightly Stoopid shows do I normally hear about within a summer? Way too many is an accurate answer. Slightly Stoopid has been able to strike a chord with the cannabis culture, and in California, that’s about ¾ of the population. Basically, these guys picked up right where Sublime left off, and now their brand of reggae-rap-rock has begun to get extremely popular. Throughout the entire show, a cloud of smoke loomed over the crowd, while the band played their cheery reggae tunes. However, they were not afraid to bust out the punk rock when things got a little too mellow. This has always been one of the band’s more positive traits; that they appreciate their punk roots. Not to mention, they covered Ol’ Dirty Bastard, while the crowd held W’s in the air with their hands. After enough Slightly Stoopid, I began to feel slightly stupid due to how spaced out I was, so it was time to vacate the smog and see some other aspect of our culture. -Ted Maider

Chromeo
Twin Peaks, 5:15 p.m.

As soon as the sexy leg keyboard stands were unveiled, the cheers began to roar: Chromeo was on their way. Taking the stage to their signature Fancy Footwork intro, the crowd went berserk. It was a very distinct crowd too, filled with college frat boys, but that didn’t take away from the show in the slightest. Dave 1 and P-Thugg know how to work any audience. By the first song, they had us in the palm of their hands and we loved every minute of it. Unfortunately, they didn’t play anything from their forthcoming album (due out in September),  but maybe that was for the best because hearing their old songs just got me super pumped to hear the new record. The kids went nuts for Chromeo classsics “Tenderoni” “Bona Fide Lovin’”, and “Needy Girl”, and they had every right to. Chromeo knows how to write quirky electro love songs like no one else. -Winston Robbins

Phoenix
Lands End, 5:55 p.m.

Holy… shit… dude. Phoenix has become somewhat of a cultural icon. Singer Thomas Mars has begun to acknowledge this, as he embodied what is true rock star persona while running around the stage with his bright red microphone chord. The rest of the band kept it going too, as their drummer pounded on each head mercilessly to keep the beats of all their high-energy songs going. This was easily one of the best shows of the weekend, and it’s so easy to see why the French five-some were given a sub-headlining spot.

The band kicked it off with “Lisztomania” and the crowd wasted no time diving into the grooves. But neither did the band. While they tore through the majority of their opus, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, playing songs like “Lasso”, “Fences”, and a thrashing “Armistice”, they were not conservative about pulling out past numbers. Tracks like “Run Run Run”, “Consolation Prizes”, and “Long Distance Call” resonated well with those watching, even though they didn’t necessarily sing along.

But the band kept everything interesting. Mars climbed up the amps, over the audience, and across the stage, all while his band kept mixing up instruments, bashing their equipment, and rocking their hardest. It was all straight up amazing and with so much energy.  As they’ve done for the past year now, the band closed things off with a nearly 10-minute rendition of “1901”. It didn’t drag, but at one moment I felt they were playing a different song altogether. As the band’s set came to a close, all the clouds parted for the day, and the sun finally came out. It felt good to feel the warmth again, but it wasn’t the miracle we needed. The miracle we needed was another four songs from Phoenix. -Ted Maider

Nas & Damian Marley
Twin Peaks, 6:50 p.m.

I’ve always been intrigued by Damian Marley & Nas‘ collaboration. I respect both artists  in their respective genres quite a bit, and their duet on “Road to Zion” (off Marley’s 2005 album Welcome to JamRock) was fantastic. But a whole album? It seemed a stretch. I was wrong in thinking that. The second I heard the album, it all began to make sense. It was like I finally go the joke that had been eluding me for weeks. They’re obviously distant relatives due to their African-American complexion, but musically they’re distant relatives as well. Hip hop draws so much from reggae, and contemporary reggae is constantly borrowing from hip hop. And these two make for quite a pair. Two of the most talented in their respective genres, it only makes sense that they are incredible together.

At the Twin Peaks stage, the two played mainly tracks from their latest effort, Distant Relatives. They came out with barn burner “As We Enter” and hit us with a couple of curveballs just before exiting the stage. First, Marley (and his floor length dreads) pulled out his mega-hit “Welcome To Jamrock” out and got the entire place thrashing. Then, Nas and Marley both went back to play their JamRock collaboration “Road to Zion”. They closed the set off with a cover of Marley’s father’s classic hit, “Could You Be Loved”, which of course won the crowd over and had us all singing in unison like a bunch of drunk Irish soccer fans. Lesson learned? Damian Marley and Nas are a perfect combination. -Winston Robbins

Social Distortion
Sutro, 6:55 p.m.

True story: The last time I had seen Social Distortion, I stopped drinking for three years. Since then, I have not listened to the band nor paid any attention to where they are in their career. But, everything ends and so did my boycott of Social D on this Sunday afternoon.

The sun was finally out and the Orange County natives seemed no different that the tough thugs that drove me into a drunken frenzy of terror so many years back. Now that I can actually recall experiencing them, I was impressed by the level of professionalism they showed in their set. They covered all the bases of their long career, with Ness still as menacing as before. “Bad Luck”, “Don’t Drag Me Down” and “Mommy’s Little Monster” kicked things off, but as the set rolled on song’s like “Ball and Chain”, “Prision Bound”, and “Story of My Life” made their way into the set.

Even though their set has probably been similar for 20 years, the band never looks bored or withdrawn. In fact, Ness seems like he wants to relate to the fans just as bad as the young man who wrote these songs. In closing with “Ring Of Fire”, you can’t help but think that Ness has written some songs as timeless as Johnny Cash. It’s a weird thought, but remarkably, it’s true. -Philip Cosores

Kings of Leon
Lands End, 7:50 p.m.

When did the Kings of Leon become this big-time, American headlining band? I think I missed this part in recent pop culture, because I still find the Kings of Leon to be a good band, but not a spectacle worth headlining some of the biggest festivals in America. The thing is though, most people like the Kings of Leon, so they are able to draw a crowd. Kings of Leon just embodies that simple, classic, and timeless American sound, and they actually do a decent job of it.

The Oklahoma quartet of brothers looked like classic American figures as they rocked their finest in front of tens of thousands of people. Jared Followill was dressed up like James Dean, while Caleb Followill kept up his gritty and down-to-Earth persona. The band kicked things off with the ultimate creeper-track, “Closer”, which sent chills down my spine as I watched them grace the monitors in a black and white color scheme. One could feel the ground vibrating as they got closer to the stage and as the sun sank over Golden Gate Park to the Kings of Leon’s gritty, welcomin,g and rocking tunes.

The band also played their hit songs like “Sex on Fire”, “The Bucket”, and “Use Somebody”, while also covering the Pixies’ “Where is My Mind?”, which all seemed to keep the crowd genuinely pleased. The main stage was packed as far as one could see, so this was clearly a hot ticket for the last night of the festival. At the start, Caleb asked, “Mind if I have a drink?” and then toasted to the wonderful city of San Francisco. Clearly, the guy was the right man to finish off the show. As the band drew to a close, fireworks lit up the sky behind them and filled the polo fields with smoke. One had to ask, though… where was the crowd’s groove? -Ted Maider

Empire of the Sun
Twin Peaks, 8:25 p.m.

If you don’t listen to Empire of the Sun now, you will soon enough. The Australian electronic space bots from beyond will invade your stereo much like they invaded my brain Sunday night. For one, no band nowadays has a visual show like they do. It’s hard to explain (or do it justice), but the show involves spacey videos, frantic lighting, synchronized dancers in weird costumes holding even weirder props, and lots and lots of techno-future rock. Let’s just say that at one point I wondered if I was watching humans. Actually, looking back at the hour that was Empire of the Sun, I’m still trying to figure out what I saw.

Singer and proverbial captain of the group’s spaceship Luke Steele stood in what looked like a docking station in the center of the stage, surrounded by synthesizers, guitars, and microphones. You’d think this would be all overwhelming, and it probably would to an average musician, but Steele traded off instruments with no problem, and at times, he even managed to play several at once. Opening with the gem “Standing on the Shore”, the crowd found a perfect outlet to a.) find their groove and b.) trip the fuck out.

Basically, the band played their entire debut record, Walking on a Dream, but in an order that was more like a journey than an actual album. The group jammed on songs like “Swordfish Hotkiss Night”, keeping the drums loud, wild, and futuristic by mixing up all sorts of instrumentation from the great beyond. Other tracks like “Delta Bay”, “Half Mast”, and “We Are the People” were all accompanied by a light and video show that would make any performer rethink the entire visual aspect of their show. Think Bowie, but on a rare combination of steroids, coke, and MDMA. To close off the amazing spectacle, the band thrashed out its single, “Walking on a Dream”, as the ecstasy-starched crowd went nuts to finish off a night they didn’t want to end. -Ted Maider
——

Gallery by Philip Cosores

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Until then, kick back, relax, watch some webcasts of your favorite bands this weekend, and enjoy the following recap. These little tidbits can’t possibly be as entertaining or as memorable as, say, an Arcade Fire set on a perfect summer night in Chicago, but they’re better than nothing, don’t you think?

Here’s what didn’t make it into the last recap:

– It’s been well over a year since Michael Jackson passed away, but he’s still putting out new material. Or at least his estate is.  An album of ten previously unheard songs is slated for a November release.

– Spotify won’t make it stateside after all.

– Panda Bear isn’t the only member of Animal Collective who’s venturing out on his own. Avey Tare will release his debut solo LP this fall, and Deakin announced plans to tour North America.

Here’s a look at the latest festival updates:

– Lollapalooza offered its webcast schedule.

– Outside Lands published its day-by-day schedule.

– The lineup for Fun Fun Fun Fest went public.

– The inaugural City Arts Festival also unveiled its lineup.

Here’s this week in review:

– Just when you thought Arcade Fire couldn’t get any more awesome, they manage to pioneer album cover art and collaborate with Spike Jonze. All in the same week. And they covered Jay Reatard. Damn.

– Kings of Leon will have a new record out by mid-Ocotber. This means that FM radio stations will finally have something other than “Use Somebody” to play ad nauseum.

– Tour announcements galore: LCD Soundsystem + Hot Chip + Sleigh Bells, Massive Attack + Thievery Corporation, Black Mountain + The Black Angels, Grinderman, Wolf Parade, and Deerhunter.

– Paul McCartney personally offered some Beatles songs for use in Glee.

– Time has never slowed down Iggy Pop, and this week certainly wasn’t an exception. He announced some pretty crazy plans for the coming year.

– There were some interesting developments in the Lil Wayne “Prison Watch.”

– Weezer detailed Hurley, their eighth studio LP.

– Kanye West‘s latest album was delayed. He did debuted “Power” in both concert and painting form.

– Eminem scored both Megan Fox and Rihanna for his new music video. Must be nice.

– Wyclef Jean revealed that he intends to run for President of Haiti.

– Wale‘s latest mixtape is up for grabs. While you’re at it, check out Adam Kivel’s review here.

– Les Savy Fav fans are in for a treat. In response to an internet leak, the group bumped up the release date for their new album. We also ran our review of said album this week.

– Deadmau5 collapsed during a performance in DC. He has since cancelled the remainder of his North American tour.

– The RIAA issued warnings to blogs that offered  “unauthorized”  free downloads of Radiohead’s In Rainbows three years ago.

– Apple will soon offer a cloud-based streaming service.

– Philip Cosores interviewed The Dodos‘ Meric Long.

– Cosores also reviewed Joanna Newsom‘s performance at LA’s Orpheum Theater.

– Drew Litowitz covered Newport Folk Fest.

In two days time a lean, mean, festival-reporting machine of CoS staff will hit up Chicago’s Grant Park to cover the hell out of one of the world’s largest festivals. Be sure to check the website daily for all the latest Lollapalooza news and reviews, plus follow us on Twitter for those instantaneous updates. Also, if you see a CoS Staff member walking around the festival, please say hello. Who knows, you may even get something in turn.

To keep you up-to-date regarding everything else, we’ve compiled all of the week’s news in our resurrected Festivals in Brief feature. Please get educated below.

News

– [Insert fun pun here]. The 2010 edition of Austin’s Fun Fun Fun Fest features everyone from Devo, MGMT, and The Hold Steady to “Weird” Al Yankovic, Mastodon, and Bad Religion.

– Between spaced out set times and scheduling conflicts, prepare to do a fair share of walking at this year’s Outside Lands.

– Organizers of Toronto’s Imagine Concert announced the event will be free of charge for those who donate 2 non-perishable food items.  The fest’s initial lineup was also released.

– The inaugural City Arts Festival plans to bring the likes of Belle & Sebastian, Big Boi, She & Him, and Gogol Bordello to downtown Seattle in late October.

– Matt Wallin took in a healthy dose of classic rock and newer acts at  HullabaLOU Music Festival .

– Engaged metalheads rejoice! Ozzfest is now offering a wedding package complete with backstage tours, custom t-shirts, and a ceremony presided by ordained minister MC Big Dave.

Lineup Additions

– Sunset Strip Music Festival: Complete lineup released including Smashing Pumpkins, Slash, Kid Cudi, and more

– Nocturnal Festival: Texas: Official lineup released including Disco Biscuits, Kid Cudi, Bassnectar, and more

– Farm Aid: 2010 dates and location announced

– Soundwave Festival: Slash, The Gaslight Anthem, High on Fire; official lineup to be revealed Thursday (8/5)

– Riot Fest: Cap’n Jazz, Jello Biafra, Penny Wise, Torche, The Bronx

– Twenty Years of City Slang: Official lineup released including Broken Social Scene, Yo La Tengo, Menomena and more

– Electric Zoo: Axwell

– ATP’s Nightmare Before Christmas: Oneida, Thee Oh Sees, Tony Conrad

– Imagine Concert: Gareth Taylor, Junction Five, Wanda Jackson

– The Fest: Official lineup released including Look Mexico, Frank Turner, Hellmouth, Planes Mistaken For Stars, and many more

– Electric Picnic: Janelle Monae, Neon Indian, Freelance Whale, Duke Special, Mountain Man

Supporters of the schedule will note that bands really only overlap two at a time (except during Further, who enjoy a 2 1/2 hour set) and that the bigger bands enjoy relatively long sets. My Morning Jacket and Kings of Leon each get an hour and a half, The Strokes an hour and ten and Phoenix will play for an hour. But yeah, I foresee a lot of trampling, because people really don’t want to linger in front of an empty stage for an hour between sets.

Now, for the conflicts:

– Further vs Cat Power, Wild Beasts and The Strokes

– My Morning Jacket vs Tokyo Police Club

– Edward Sharpe vs Al Green

– Kings of Leon vs Empire of the Sun

– Slightly Stoopid vs Chromeo

Well, actually, the conflicts don’t really seem like conflicts at all and if you are like me, and only have a handful of must-sees on the docket for this festival, then life seems pretty easy. They just really don’t need 5 stages and are spacing the acts all excessively to overcompensate for the fact that they just didn’t book enough artists. I just hope the Wine Lands has cocktail waitresses…

Check out the complete day-by-day schedule below (click on the respective image to enlarge it). Also, feel free to let us know your comments, thoughts, gripes, etc.

Outside Lands takes place inside San Francisco, CA at Golden Gate Park on August 14th and 15th. Two-day and VIP passes are still available here.

You’ll also find lots of other things, some intriguing and others just plain ridiculous.

Need I say more?

– Let’s begin with the obligatory festival updates: Bumbershoot, Musicfest NW, Outside Lands , and Capitol Hill Block Party unveiled their lineups this week. The North Coast Music Festival debuts in Chicago this September. The economy put an end to the 2010 Canadian Virgin Festivals.

– And now the obligatory Arcade Fire news item: the group will play the first non-festival show of its upcoming tour in Sherbrooke, Quebec. Sorry, Toronto.

– Finally, the obligatory tour announcements: Paul McCartney, Arcade Fire, Belle & Sebastian, Pixies, The National, Smashing Pumpkins, Aerosmith, Robyn, Dirty Projectors, Yeasayer will all be hitting the road in the weeks and months ahead.

Moving on…

– M.I.A. blasted New York Times writer Lynn Hirschberg with a single entitled “Haters”.

– Ali-Ollie Woodson of the quintessential Motown group The Temptations passed away at the age of 58.

– Antoine Fuqua (of Training Day fame) is set to direct the Tupac Shakur biopic.

– Wilco and Coldplay are supporting youth sports teams.

– They might be on hiatus, but look for new material from Stereolab this fall.

– Radiohead‘s Phil Selway will make his  solo debut in late August.

– Nick Freed reviewed Expo 86, the hotly anticipated new album by Wolf Parade.

– Much has been made of the Rolling Stones’ Exile on Main St. reissue. Here’s what Stephen Foster had to say.

– Elias Newman chatted up Chad Elliot of Funeral Party.

– For those of you who missed LCD Soundsystem at Chicago’s Metro last Friday, Meghan Brosnan was there.

– On that note, Ted Maider, Winston Robbins, Kacie McKinney provided an extensive recap of Sasquatch! 2010.

– Oh, and we’re continuing our plot to take over the world.

Among the tickets on sale Friday include Outside Lands Music Festival, Arcade Fire, Robyn, and Roger Waters.

Arcade Fire w/ Spoon:

What: Pre-sale for North American tour

When: August

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster at 10:00 AM Local Time

Outside Lands Music Festival:

What: Two day festival featuring The Strokes, Kings of Leon, My Morning Jacket, Furthur, and more

When: August 14-15

Tixs: $125 for two-day; $75 for one-day

Buy: Ticketmaster at 10:00 AM PST

Robyn w/ Kelis:

What: Pre-sale for North American tour

When: July – August

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster at 10:00 AM Local Time

Roger Waters:

What: Pre-sale for UK tour

When: May 2011

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster at 10:00 AM Local Time

Other acts of note include Al Green, Phoenix, Social Distortion, Damian Marley & Nas, The Levon Helm Band, Cat Power, Empire of the Sun, Wolfmother, Chromeo, Gogol Bordello, Bassnectar, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes, Pretty Lights, Janelle Monae, Amos Lee, and The Temper Trap. Check out the full list of confirmed acts here; lineup announcement remix video below.

Two-day passes, priced at $75, will go on sale tomorrow, Wednesday, June 2nd at 10:00 AM PST via Ticketmaster.com. Stay tuned for additional details. Correction: Two-day passes will be priced at $125, while single day will be priced at $75. The original price, which came from SFWeekly.com, was incorrected.

Tickets are available through Ticketmaster.com and go on sale starting today, May 24th.

As for Chromeo’s upcoming studio album, speaking recently with the Wall Street Journal, frontman David Macklovitch, aka Dave 1, described the effort as more “sophisticated” than their previous releases. There’s more piano, more strings, more acoustic guitar. At the same time, he said, the serious funk and dance songs are “almost more fierce and dramatic this time around.”

Chromeo 2010 Tour Dates:
06/11 – Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo Music Festival ^
06/25 – Pilton, UK @ Glastonbury Music Festival
06/27 – Istanbul, TR @ Otto Santral
07/02 – Beflort, FR @ Eurockeennes Festival
07/06 – Montreux, CH @ Montreux Jazz Festival
07/07 – Novi Sad, SR @ Exit Festival
07/15 – Arvika, SE @ Arvika Festival
07/16 – Dour, BE @ Dour Festival
07/17 – Ferropolis, DE @ Melt Festival
07/18 – London, UK @ Lovebox Festival
07/26 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club #
07/27 – Philadelphia, PA @ Trocadero #
07/29 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom #
07/30 – Boston, MA @ House of Blues #
07/31 – Montreal, QC @ Metropolis (Osheaga Music Festival) #
08/02 – Ottawa, ON @ Capital Music Hall #
08/03 – Toronto, ON @ Phoenix #
08/05 – Detroit, MI @ Majestic #
08/06 – Chicago, IL @ Lollapalooza
08/07 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue #
08/10 – Calgary, AB @ Flames Central #
08/11 – Vancouver, BC  Commodore #
08/12 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox Market #
08/13 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater #
08/16 – San Diego, CA @ House of Blues #
08/19 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Twilight Concert Series
08/20 – Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre #
08/24 – Austin @ Stubbs #
08/25 – Dallas, TX @ Palladium #
08/26 – Nashville, TN @ Cannery Ballroom #
08/27 – Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade #
08/29 – Hollywood, CA @ Hollywood Bowl *

^ = w/ Daryl Hall
# = w/ Holy Ghost
* = w/ Chemical Brothers

So far, we’ve seen one festival use a word puzzle to unveil its 2010 bill. Another held us hostage at our computers for a good 12 hours. A third just made no attempt of fixing its leaky faucet. For this year’s Outside Lands Music Festival, the San Francisco based event has been giving hints about its 2010 lineup via its Twitter account. It also apparently gave a copy of that lineup to Relix Magazine, which published a selection of OSL 10′s scheduled acts in this month’s issue.

So even though this year’s bill isn’t set to be unveiled until June 1st, we already know the following: Kings of Leon, My Morning Jacket, Phoenix, Al Green, The Levon Helm Band, Black Star, and Gossip will be appearing at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park between August 14th and 15th.

Other rumored acts, based on the aforementioned Twitter clues, include Social Distortion, Chromeo, Bassnectar, Gogol Bordello, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, The Temper Trap, Tokyo Police Club, and Dirty Dozen Brass Band.

As mentioned all will officially be known on June 1st. Tickets will also be available on that date.

Among the tickets on sale Friday include The Dead Weather, The Black Keys, Built to Spill, Bloc Party’s Kele, The Gories, MGMT, and Gov’t Mule.

The Black Keys:

What: North American tour

When: July – August

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time

Built to Spill:

What: North American tour

When: July – August

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time

The Dead Weather:

What: North American tour

When: July – August

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time

The Gories:

What: North American tour

When: July – September

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time

Gov’t Mule:

What: Date for New York, NY

When: August 11th

Tixs: $40.00

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 12:00 PM EST

Kele (of Bloc Party):

What: North American tour

When: July – September

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time

MGMT:

What: Dates for New York, NY & Philadelphia, PA

When: August

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM EST

Outside Lands Festival:

What: ““Early Beaver” tickets for two-day festival

When: August 14-15

Tixs: $115.00

Buy: sfoutsidelands.com at 10:00 AM PST

Shakira:

What: Dates for New York, NY & Los Angeles, CA

When: September – October

Tixs: $39.50 – $149.50

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM EST

Widespread Panic:

What: Dates for Boston, MA & Upper Darby, PA

When: July

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM EST

Did we miss anything? Let us know below!

As usual, you can keep track of all the latest OSL news and rumors over at our Festival Outlook.