August 11, 2010

Outside Lands 2010 - Saturday Preview


Back in January, I spoke of the negative aspects of the one or two day festival format. The key to getting the most out of such an event is to plan ahead and schedule out your two-day attack so that you can be in the right place at the right time, factor in your need to eat, time it will take to stand in bathroom lines and transition from one viewing area to another, and, perhaps most importantly, not get burnt out halfway through each day and end up missing the headliners. Here at QuickCrit, Awmercy and I have thoroughly reviewed the two-day schedule for San Francisco’s Outside Lands Music Festival and suggested an ideal lineup with the above considerations in mind, naturally based on our own personal preferences. You may look at the schedule and say: “Screw that! I’m going to fill every second of my day with band viewing.” To that, I say: “Best of luck... sucka!”

Saturday (Time - Stage)

Electric Six (12:40 - Sutro) You gotta start out strong and while I like the sweet indie pop of the Freelance Whales they can't compete with kicking off the festival with the massive dance party Dick Valentine and his gang will surely whip up on the Polo Fields. It's guaranteed to be humorous, interactive, sleazy, and fun. Get ready to rock!

Langhorne Slim (2:10 - Twin Peaks) Langhorne Slim straight out of Langhorne, PA ranges from sentimental acoustic to raucous alt-country. In a live performance in an outdoor setting expect a set heavy on folky barn-burners that build until they are on the brink of coming unhinged.

Gogol Bordello (3:05 - Lands End) They played Hardly Strictly Bluegrass back in 2008 and had the whole Speedway valley bouncing to their infectious gypsy punk rock. You are guaranteed wild antics, heavy jamming and vocals similar to drunken pirate slurring that will induce spastic jumping and body slamming all around you. If you don’t like getting bumped during sets, this one may be best enjoyed from afar or the VIP section.

My Morning Jacket (5:00 - Lands End) Of all the bands at the festival, MMJ is probably the best known for their epic and amazing live performances. Note: MMJ has been allotted an hour and a half, rather than the typical 40 - 60 minute window given to other acts. As of late, frontman Jim James has been more active with side and solo projects so it should be interesting to see what the band has up their sleeves.

Wolfmother (6:30 - Sutro) A band that seems to blatantly channel the ghosts of Zeppelin, Sabbath and G n' R into heavy rocking anthem musical blasts. These Australians rampage through their sets with the goal of pleasing the familiar and converting the non-fan. Seeing them live in the park should be something to behold.

The Strokes (8:45 - Twin Peaks) They’re back! With no new material released, they have to play the hits. Despite the Strokes lack of production, Casablancas and gang have all been busy during the band's hiatus, so perhaps the set-list will be some sort of crazy hybrid. Regardless, the band established themselves as one of the best new rock bands of our generation and knows how to headline a festival, so there is no reason to doubt they will be anything less than great.

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