The best and worst of Outside Lands 2023

rewrite this content and keep HTML tags Caitlin Nguyen and Omar Pena enjoy the music of Coco and Breezy outside the SOMA tent at Outside Lands in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 13, 2023.Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATEThe 15th year of Outside Lands has come to a close. The sold-out event drew 75,000 people to Golden Gate Park each day, with headliners like Lana Del Rey sending chills to their fans through the foggy air.For many, it’s the most highly anticipated weekend of the year, a chance to frolic in the park with friends while taking in a musical buffet of old favorites (Foo Fighters) and trending indie darlings (Wednesday). But as with any event, it’s not without a few issues that could use improvement. We’ve put together a list of SFGATE staffers’ favorite moments from the fest, along with a few things we’d like to see change next year.AdvertisementArticle continues below this adKendrick Lamar performs a headlining set on the main stage, at Outside Lands on Friday, Aug. 11, 2023.Charles RussoKendrick Lamar proves his ‘greatest rapper alive’ statusAn abridged version of his record-breaking “Big Steppers Tour,” Kendrick Lamar’s Outside Lands headlining set Friday achieved a rare feat: an hourlong (and some change) performance that let Mr. Morale himself run through a decade’s worth of awe-inspiring singles while still preserving the artistic ambitions of the stage show he toured last year. It really could have lasted twice as long and been just as powerful. But it played phenomenally for everyone who went to Outside Lands: For casuals, it was a chance to turn up; for the devout, it was a compendium of what makes Kung Fu Kenny the greatest rapper alive — really. — Joshua BoteChuck Gunn and Stoned Fruit perform at the Dolores stage at Outside Lands in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 13, 2023.Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATEAdvertisementArticle continues below this adThe SOMA tent vs. the Dolores stageThe SOMA tent’s closure on Friday and Saturday was a huge disappointment, but at least the structural issue seemed to be dealt with in a responsible manner. The broader issue was that even when the tent was open, long lines made a quick trip to the dance floor impossible (literally 1,000 people must have been in line for the outdoor iteration on Sunday). Thankfully, the locals-only Dolores and bigger-name Music Den stages filled that void, allowing casual dance music fans a chance to let loose between bands. Let’s hope they’re back next year. — Dan GentileSoccer Mommy performs at the Panhandle stage at Outside Lands in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 13, 2023.Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATESoccer Mommy’s secret showAdvertisementArticle continues below this adOne of the best-kept-secret shows of the weekend came from Nashville singer-songwriter Soccer Mommy — aka Sophia Regina Allison — who played a gorgeous, intimate set at lunchtime Sunday to a small but adoring crowd. Between playing The Independent on Saturday night and performing on the Sutro stage Sunday night with her full band, she took to the tiny Toyota Den stage alone to play a sweet solo set that included fan favorites “Circle the Drain” and “Shotgun.” Outside of the brief moment of panic when Allison told the crowd she was allergic to bees as one circled her guitar, the show was a lovely, relaxing start to the first sunny day of the weekend. — Andrew ChamingsA festivalgoer uses their band to enter Outside Lands in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 11, 2023.Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATEChoosing the right festival entranceIn years past, I’ve always entered on the Fulton Street side of the park, which is typically a rude awakening to the sardine-packed festival environment. Depending on when you arrive, it can take a half hour out of your day. But this year, I found the Lincoln Street entrance to be a downright breezy experience by comparison and the clear choice when it comes to entering the festival. — Dan GentileAdvertisementArticle continues below this adCrumb performs on the Sutro stage at Outside Lands in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 11, 2023.Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATECrumb’s creativityMaybe I’m just a sucker for a saxophone played through a delay pedal, but Brooklyn’s Crumb was everything I’m looking for in a creative rock band. No-wave knuckle dragging across keyboards, vocals sliced into a robotic stutter and fuzzed-out guitars all added up to one of the best sets of the weekend. — Dan GentileLil Yachty performs at the Lands End stage at Outside Lands in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 13, 2023.Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATEAdvertisementArticle continues below this adLil Yachty’s ‘intermissions’Lil Yachty played at the Lands End stage shortly before Megan Thee Stallion, attracting a large crowd at the festival’s main stage. However, a brief intermission with occasional synth music left me confused. I couldn’t tell if something had gone wrong or if the rapper was just creating an extra-lengthy transition. Lil Yachty also took the pause right after a few hyped songs, including “Yacht Club” and “Broccoli,” which left me hanging — which happened a few more times in the rock portion of the set — but maybe that was the point. — Madilynne MedinaLucas MacFadden, known as Cut Chemist, mixes some music with the Invisibl Skratch Piklz at the Gasto Magic stage at Outside Lands in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 12, 2023.Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATEInvisibl Skratch Piklz represents the real hip-hopAdvertisementArticle continues below this adFor the past few years, the Bay Area’s master turntablist scratch DJs, the Invisibl Skratch Piklz, have featured at Cocktail Magic, one of the smallest stages at Outside Lands. Led by the legendary DJ Q Bert, the Skratch Piklz’s daily sets at 6 p.m. invariably made you bob your head to the hip-hop beats while shaking your booty nonstop. On Friday, Q Bert traded beats and created new sounds with longtime DJ companion Shortkut. Saturday, the Piklz made turntablist magic with Cut Chemist from Jurassic 5. The set included Cut Chemist mixing with his elbows at one point. To bring it home, Del the Funky Homosapien joined the Piklz with a surprise appearance Sunday, rapping to the crowd’s delight. It was the perfect way to honor the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, which occurred last Friday. — Douglas Zimmerman(Left to right) Winter, Ningning and Karina of Aespa perform on the Twin Peaks stage at Outside Lands in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 11, 2023.Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATEAll the set conflictsOutside Lands has some of the worst set conflicts I’ve seen in the many music festivals I’ve attended. When set times were released, festivalgoers flooded the OSL Instagram with frustrated comments of people forced to choose between Janelle Monáe and K-pop phenoms Aespa. The schedule could’ve been balanced with more well-known artists spread throughout the day or even throughout the evening. One of the worst set conflicts had to be between Kendrick Lamar and Zedd, both big names who put on amazing shows. — Madilynne MedinaAdvertisementArticle continues below this adFestivalgoers hang out at the Electric Bubble Tea Test, home of Grand Artique, at Outside Lands in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 13, 2023.Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATEThe oasis of Grand ArtiqueOne thing you don’t necessarily expect at a music festival is karaoke. But that’s exactly what I found while walking between the festival’s two main stages when I stumbled across Grand Artique. Grand Artique bills itself as an art collective focused on “immersive magic through innovative design and meticulous building.” With a popup tent and ringmaster performers, Grand Artique’s Outside Lands installation felt like an old-time circus, the kind you could have run away with around a century ago. Except that when I walked by, a festivalgoer was singing “Dreams” by The Cranberries. Along with karaoke, the installation featured face painting, jump rope competitions and a trading depot. Given that the rest of the festival was dominated by Gen Z culture, it was a nice respite to feel like you were in 1923 instead of 2023 for a few moments. — Gabe LehmanAdvertisementArticle continues below this adSan Francisco local La Doña kicks off the Outside Lands Festival on the Lands End main stage, on Friday afternoon, Aug. 11, 2023. Charles Russo/SFGATESpread out the local loveOutside Lands does an admirable job of booking local acts — especially with the addition of the Dolores stage — but all too often, Bay Area stars are relegated to the opening time slots. Consolidating acts like Sour Widows and La Doña onto a stage of their own would allow late arrivals a chance to experience more local sounds, especially for patrons less plugged-in to the midday Gen Z bookings. — Dan GentileMary Jane holds up a marijuana leaf at Grass Lands at Outside Lands in…

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