As fans entered Golden Gate Park for a bittersweet third day of this year’s Outside Lands, audiences prepared themselves for the eclectic lineup to come. The feeling of community was strongly presented on the stages that day, with a robust lineup featuring artists on the cusp of breaking through, those at the height of their fame, some amidst a career-defining rebrand, and everything in between.
Starting the day on the Lands End stage, one of New York’s fastest growing, self-proclaimed “attic rock” outfits, Arcy Drive, opened the mainstage with a set that gave audiences plenty to look forward to from this next generation of artists. A well-balanced display with a great mix of heavier and fast-paced anthems to softer, more pensive ballads, the band kicked things off with a full sample of their work, including “Wicked Styley,” “The Itch,” and “Louie.”
Turning heads at the Sutro stage early that evening, resurging pop star Rebecca Black put on an immersive and energetically stimulating show that proved just how far they have come as a creative since their 2011 single “Friday.” While her early defining weekend-centric hit was understandably underplayed by this artist amidst her rebrand, the show definitively showcased the new direction she has unambiguously taken her career in. With strong LGBTQ+ overtones in the set design and choreography of her set, she made strong aesthetic decisions throughout the night, beyond the notes she played, that were well-received by the San Francisco audience. Making an impression with her music as well, she ushered in hits from her newest album into the limelight while paying homage to her history with singles including “TRUST!,” “Salvation,” and “Sugar, Water, Cyanide,” with brief moments of “Friday” making an appearance toward the end to the surprise and elation of the festival crowd.
As the sun began to dip below the stagetops, psychedelic pop powerhouse Glass Animals took their place on the mainstage for arguably the most energetic set of the weekend, which proved to be one of the most well-attended as well. Wasting no time getting to the hits, Frontman Dave Bayley and company took the stage and immediately began their show with their 2016 hit “Life Itself.” Immediately following, Bayley surveyed the audience and laughed. He then pointed at a bearded man sitting front and center against the barricade and announced, “That man was at our first ever show in America… What’s up, Nori?” Highlighting the strong connection the musicians have meticulously fostered with their fans over the years. From there, the artists hardly gave themselves a moment to catch their breath as they played through a robust sample of their repertoire, including “Gooey,” “Tokyo Drifting,” and “Heat Waves.”
Closing out the night on the Lands End stage, multi-platinum folk hero Hozier serenated the crowd of tens of thousands with a headlining event that lived up to all expectations. Wasting no time in getting the crowd invested in his setlist, the artist promptly walked onstage and started with his energetic 2023 hit “Nobody’s Soldier.” Projection screens were frequently lowered onstage in front of the artist throughout the performance, in the middle of songs, giving the show a more immersive experience through these visual effects. Taking full advantage of his platform in front of such a captive and passionate audience, the artist gave a robust speech toward the end of their time in San Francisco that stressed the importance of remembering our shared humanity while discussing a litany of current civil rights issues before appropriately following the monologue with his 2018 single “Nina Cried Power.” In place of an encore but serving as a showstopping finale nevertheless, the artist sent the crowd off into the night with a resonant and powerful rendition of his career-defining single “Take Me to Church,” complete with a fireworks show launching from atop the stage just after the final notes, his thick Irish accent present in his delivery throughout, and adding to the experience.
And speaking of the Irish, Anderson .Paak wore a kilt during his showstopping set to close out the night and the festival on the Twin Peaks stage, almost a mile away. The nine-time Grammy award winner simultaneously ended the night on the East side of the park with a performance that lived up to the artist’s prolific reputation, earning the admiration of the crowd enough to forgive the artist for referring to the city as “Frisco.” Starting the set with relentless energy, the artist jumped onstage with a microphone to begin with his 2022 collaboration with Fred Again, “places to be.” The artist quickly stepped behind a drum set at the back of the stage, showcasing his percussive chops as he played a series of songs, starting with “Heart Don’t Stand a Chance.” He quickly demonstrated his proclivity for narrative motivation in his work, showing a sentimental side to his musical identity as he played his 2016 hit “The Seasons/Carry Me,” which highlighted the close relationship between him and his mother from a young age. Entirely aware of his setting in the Bay Area, the artist surprised the audience when he brought Vallejo hometown hero E-40 out onstage alongside him to perform a series of songs, including his own 2006 hit “Tell Me When to Go” and a cover of his 2015 collaboration with Big Sean, “I Don’t Fuck With You.” Ending the night with a dedication, he sent the audience off with a heartfelt and resoundingly intimate rendition of his collaboration with the late Mac Miller, “Dang!”
Check out more photos of Outside Lands Day Three.
