Outside Lands is a three day rock n' roll marathon experience. Massive crowds all in it together, mixed with great food, local beer + wine, live art and other luxuries make this our favorite festival in the country.
Dawes stood out as one of our Top 5 performances of the weekend. The band has released three albums since 2009, with each better than the last. Their sound is classic Southern California rock n' roll, with relatable storytelling visions, even modern radio has to embrace.
When Stories Don't End came out in April, FYM was so thrilled to hear a new record from Dawes. The last time we saw them live was on 11/11/11 in Seattle Washington at the Moore Theatre (supporting their second album Nothing Is Wrong). The band's Cannery Row of songwriting narratives continues to spark our imagination -especially during the dark days of Seattle winters.
Dawes' set on Sunday in Golden Gate Park was a perfect balance of old and new tunes. FYM was so into the cuts we were hearing off their last two albums and then BOOM, they pulled out their signature track When My Time Comes... and the crowd came together singing their hearts out on the chorus. It was truly a unifying magical moment.
Day two of OSL was full of surprises. FYM had a great time meeting new friends and seeing a few bands we absolutely love.
FYM started off our Saturday at Outside Lands catching Costa Mesa's The Growlers live at the Sutro Stage. Their latest album, Hung At Heart (released January of this year) is definitely worth a listen! Check out the band's website HERE.
While back in the VIP area FYM's Nick Codling took a moment to say hello to Thomas Mars, the lead singer of French rock band Phoenix. We saw Phoenix many years ago in San Francisco at Popscene. They were touring in support of 2004's Alphabetical record. It's pretty incredible to have watched this band rise to such great success over the years. Listen to their new single Trying To Be CoolHERE.
FYM also had a chance to say hello to Griffin Goldsmith, the drummer/singer in Dawes. The band's new album Stories Don't End, is their latest and greatest record (definitely in our top 10 of the year).
Up next FYM had the pleasure of seeing one of the best bands out of Seattle, The Head and the Heart! The group's self-titled 2009 release is one of our favorite records in the past 10 years. The Head and the Heart finally have a new album coming out on Sub Pop October 15th. Check out their latest single Shake, and view their Fall US Tour Dates HERE.
Nine Inch Nails closed out FYM's day two of Outside Lands. Trent Reznor is a music genius. His attention to detail, giving his fans an unparalleled live experience, is a true joy to see in person. We love hearing the classic material he created in the late 80's into the 90's... but the content he covers in post-Fragile albums, is what truly inspires us. NIN have a new album coming out this Septermber. Listen to their new single Copy of AHERE.
This Friday FYM will be heading down to California delivering our third year of press coverage for San Francisco's Art, Music, Culture, Food and Beverage Festival -Outside Lands 2013! Hopefully you already purchased tickets, because this 3-day party is completely sold out. Below we have curated a Spotify playlist showcasing 30 bands we are looking forward to checking out this weekend.
OSL has outdone themselves this year with a group of headliners we can't miss. FYM caught Sir Paul McCartney earlier this summer in Seattle, and we were blown away by how hard this 71 year old can still rock! We are also looking forward to hearing new tunes from The Head and the Heart (who have a new album coming out October 15th).
Other goto great live acts such as Dawes, King Tuff, and Smith Westerns will also be on our must see list. Plus, NINE INCH NAILS are back touring and playing live this year! It should be a great weekend, and FYM will be sending out live tweets and instavids throughout. Cheers, FYM.
Whether you are a Tom Petty fan or not, there is no denying the countless amount of hits that man has written. From pop rock anthems, to sad love songs, Petty has been the soundtrack to many Friday nights and long drives home for years, ever since he hit the scene in 1976 with the Heartbreakers. As time has gone by, his songs have remained influential to young songwriters trying to create that simple feel good rock song that will stay in hearts forever.
Best Fest curated Petty Fest, with some of the most formidable young artists, veterans, and celebrities taking the stage at the legendary Fillmore Auditorium in late February, to honor the man they admire so much. It was only fitting that the SF version of Petty Fest took place at the Fillmore, given the epic residencies Petty and the Heartbreakers held there back in 97 and 99. 100% of the proceeds of the night were given to Sweet Relief, which provides health care for musicians.
The house band for the night was the Cabin Down Below Band featuring Austin Scaggs, Alex Levy (pictured above), and Matt Romano, who opened the show with, what else but, a nice version of Cabin Down Below off of Petty's Rick Rubin produced “Wildflowers” record.
After Har Mar Superstar (pictured above) kicked off the first guest appearance with a few hand stances on one of Petty's best hits Don't Do Me Like That, the next act that got the crowd howling was Danny Masterson (That 70's Show, Men at Work) coming out to play guitar on Into the Great Wide Open with his co-star Adam Busch (Men at Work).
The best performance by an actor however goes to the surprise appearance by Jon Heder (Napoleon Dynamite, Blades of Glory), who did a karaoke like version of Don't Come Around Here No More including the one and only stage dive of the night. The runner up goes to Father Guido Sarducci (SNL, pictured below) who cracked jokes during his own version of Petty's lesser known Southern Accents while putting his own accent on the song.
After Sarducci performed, you had a feeling that this night was your chance to hear some of the deeper cuts from Petty's catalog that he rarely plays live anymore. That continued to hold true, as Ethan Miller from Howlin' Rain performed like a young and wild Petty on 1977's Fooled Again, and Isaiah Mitchell sleighed Mike Campbell's guitar solo.
The female acts of the night were definitely holding their own, as Aimee Mann (pictured above) came out and performed You Don't Know How It Feels and Even The Losers. The up and comer Jenny O. came out and performed a soulful version of Time To Move On, before later jumping on stage to back up Catherine Pierce on Mary Jane's Last Dance.
Local gal Nicki Bluhm (pictured above) along with her husband Tim Bluhm (The Mother Hips) gave one of the best performances of the night on You Got Lucky as Nicki strutted around the stage in her 70's inspired high wasted green pants showing off a voice of her own that could soon be a household name.
The local boys, Two Gallants, were the one act of the night to play without the Cabin Down Below Band and create their own unique acoustic version of Petty's A Thing About You. This was the one performance that deserved to be recorded on tape, as it was so much different from the original. Adam Stephens (pictured above) took his time with the lyrics, showcasing the song in a way that felt almost better than Petty's version.
One of the biggest surprises of the night was when Lucinda Williams came out, and performed a mumbled version of Rebels. It was apparent after the song had ended that she was very disappointed with her timing on the lyrics as she discussed what went wrong with guitarist Alex Levy for about 4 minutes by the drum kit before Boz Scaggs was brought on stage to join them.
Scaggs helped Williams perform her own Change The Locks which Petty covered on the Ed Burns “She's The One” soundtrack. It was hard not to notice Williams reading the lyrics on the monitor to her own song. Scaggs stayed on for two more including a duet with his son Austin on You Wreck Me, and Honey Bee, the first song of the night to feature Nick Valensi of the Strokes on lead vocals and guitar.
Valensi (pictured above) was in our top three performances of the night, as he portrayed the singing of Petty, and the guitar playing of Mike Campbell at the same time. Matt Sorum (Guns N' Roses, Velvet Revolver) who had performed earlier in the night with his fiance Ace Harper, joined the band on drums for the last two songs with Valensi, showing why he is in the Rock Hall of Fame. Valensi closed out the set with American Girl, which has an intro that as you may know, sounds almost exactly the same as The Strokes first hit, Last Night. You quickly forgot about that fact as Valensi's guitar playing got every mom in the audience to put a pause on their awkward clap and smile dance, and just shake their ass.
The night ended with a final performance of none other than Free Fallin' by all of the performers. Looking at the stage and seeing all of that talent in San Francisco was reminiscent of The Band's Last Waltz. As a concert lover, you are always searching for that one unique show that you won't see again. The organizers of the Best Fest are working to provide just that, and donate money to a good cause at the same time. We can't wait to see what they will come up with next.
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS:
Brownie points go out to Paul Sprangers of Free Energy, who after being introduced as Paul of Free People, got the crowd moving with Learning to Fly and his signature high kicks. Sprangers spoke on stage the next night at his own band's Noise Pop Festival show, about how performing at Petty Fest changed his life. Additional highlights included watching Nick Valensi and Jack Dischel (The Sheepdogs) smoke a joint by the drum kit during Free Fallin' instead of singing along.
Chuck Prophet also seriously impressed us performing Swingin', the only cut played off of Tom Petty's “breakup” album Echo. (words by: Michael "YouBuilt A Time Machine Out Of A Delorean" Courtney) (Photos By: Andrew "Castro" Seishas) Cheers, FYM. They Live!
Last week FYM had the pleasure of seeing Father John Misty and The Walkmen in an ideal setting... San Francisco's historic Fillmore. J Tillman (Father John Misty) kicked off the evening in style with Only Son of the Ladiesman -one of our favorite cuts off his brilliant 2012 release Fear Fun. Throughout the night J Tillman proved to be a definitive frontman.
His hypnotic posturing and hip shaking confidence is hard not to fall in love with. Multiple times during FJM's set J Tillman asked "Can I get some disco ball please?" -each request granted, adding to the magic/energy in the room.
The group ended their set with Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings which ignited a free love dance party in the corner of the venue. Father John Misty left us wanting more + inspired us to finally plan that spring road trip down to Los Angeles -to go on our own spirit journey.
The Walkmen were up next! These east coast indie veterans are celebrating their 13th year together in 2013. Three songs in, The Walkmen unleashed their marquee classic The Rat on a wound up Fillmore audience (personally being one of FYM's favorite songs of the past 15 years). Frontman Hamilton Leithauser continues to impress us LIVE. Hamilton commanded the stage with a sharp GQ presence that paired well with his soaring vocal stylings.
The Walkmen also preformed new favorites (We Can't Be BeatandLine By Line) off their 2012 release Heaven. We've managed to catch The Walkmen several times over the course of their career... here's to another 13 years of seeing these formidable talents live. Cheers, FYM.
Can you believe it? Outside Lands 2012 is this Friday, August 10th! FYM is here to give you a preview of the incredible food from local vendors that will pair well with this monster art/music/culture experience. A crowd shot from last years journey below:
Ten food trucks, and over 40 Bay Area restaurants have been added to this years festivities. Outside Lands truly is a COMPLETE festival playing host to amazing live music, while featuring world-class craft brews and quality wines. Below are a few of FYM Publicist, Nick 'can I have it like that' Codling's favorite picks!
Gilroy Mac from Homeroom:
FYM had the luxury of making a visit to Homeroom earlier this year in Oakland and it was a Mac and Cheese delight. The Gilroy Mac is going to be for sale at the festival. We guarantee you'll love the cheesy + garlic goodness that is Gilroy Mac. Pairing this meal with Lost Coast's 'Great White' will put you in foodie heaven.
White Pizza from Del Popolo:
Del Popolo opened possibly one of the most epic food trucks in the Bay Area, if you even want to call it that. Their goal for Outside Lands is to make 3,000 pizzas in 3 days. With the looks of the White Pizza that they'll be selling, the odds are very high Del Popolo will reach their goal. Fresh mozzarella, fresh ricotta, parmigiano reggiano, basil, and garlic rounds out this mouth-watering White Pizza. Might we recommend Sierra Nevada's 'Outside Lands Saison' made specifically for this fest.
Butt King Tacos from Le Truc:
Le Truc, which is actually run out of a full on school bus, has some of the best looking tacos we could ask for. The Butt King Tacos feature pulled pork butt, corn tortilla, green chili thai curry, and cilantro, rounding out this cleverly named taco. Snag yourself a 21st Amendment 'Hell or High Watermelon' beer to make this pairing complete. Head on over to Outside Lands food section HERE for more information.
FYM has also released this week our latest music video curation via Cull.TV. The theme encompasses our Top 20 Artists we are stoked to see at the 2012 Outside Lands Music Festival. Click HERE (or the image above) to watch our Top 20 on Cull.TV. Art Director J Thomas Codling, previews the playlist below:
Seeing one of the greatest rock icons in Golden Gate Park LIVE sounds like a good journey for us! This past June, Neil Young & Crazy Horse released Americana —an astounding ode to traditional folk and roots music. The Woody Guthrie classic This Land Is Your Land, featured on the new album, is sure to go over well this Friday in SF. Watch a classic video from 1987's Farm Aid, where Neil, Arlo Guthrie, Willie Nelson and friends perform this unifying tune above. Catch Neil Young & Crazy Horse this Friday at 8:10PM on the Lands End (Polo Field) stage.
Wallpaper. What can we say, FYM loves this guy. Our publicist, Nick 'White-Boi-Wasted' Codling even makes a short appearance in the video above (wearing a blue shirt and a lion mask). Wallpaper. frontman, Eric 'Ricky Reed' has exploded onto the national scene this year with party down anthems like #STUPiDFACEDD and Fucking Best Song Ever. We are excited to see this Bay Area native perform on the Twin Peaks stage at 2:15PM on Friday during Outside Lands.
Representing soulfully smooth sonic waves from our HQ in Seattle—Allen Stone has been an artist on our radar for quite some time now. ATO records just released his self-titled debut album this past June. See what all the buzz is about, catch Allen Stone live this Sunday at 12:15PM on the Lands End (Polo Field) stage. Cheers, FYM.
Jimmy Eat World released Bleed American July 18th, 2001, a masterpiece of an album which catapulted the band straight up the sonic ladder to mainstream rock radio success. Jimmy Eat World went through a lot, tirelessly pushing to produce the record on their on -working day jobs, scratching and surviving to make it happen. The hard work paid off as a bidding war ensued ironically with their former label Capitol Records and Dreamworks (who ultimately won in the end).
This past Monday September 26th, 2011 -FYM had the chance to hear this momentous time capsule of our youth in it's entirety live at The Fillmore in San Francisco USA. During the set lead singer Jim Adkinsreflected -that the album having been out for 10 years now makes you have one of those old people moments. Jimmy Eat World the rest of the night didn't have much to say to the San Francisco sea of dedicated followers, instead they let their tour de force album Bleed American speak for itself.
Throughout the entire performance Jimmy Eat World had to compete with an audience passionately singing word for word back to them what they had produced over a decade ago. Perhaps giving the crowd meaningful flashbacks (at least it did for us) of their former selves at impromptu teenage dance parties, learning to drive in vacant parking lots (while Bleed American was on the car speakers), and playing this album on repeat via a cd player instead of an iPod.
The second that Sweetness vocals started, the entire room of the historic Fillmore echoed with their best Whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh's. When Hear You Me began a disco ball lit up the room with luscious acoustic guitar tempting everyone to slow dance like it was their High School prom. It was a nostalgic night filled with fond memories, proving that Jimmy Eat World'sBleed American is timeless classic, that still sounds as fresh as it once did 10 years prior. Cheers, FYM.
PART ONE: San Francisco's premiere art/music/culture festival, Outside Lands, materializes every year in the remarkable setting of Golden Gate Park. This years event kicks-off this Friday August 12th, 2011. And that very morning, FYM's Art Director will be boarding a flight from Seattle to San Francisco ultimately meeting up with our publicist, to provide live press coverage for all three days. We are so excited to be back again this year! So over next couple days FYM will be dedicating our articles to the many highlights of this 2011 festival (that would make anyone want to fly, drive, BART, or walk to see).
DAY ONE: ERYKAH BADU Neo-soul goddess Erykah Bada has been a part of our must see live wish-list for many years. This Friday at 7:50 PM on the Sutro Stage, this Art Director's wait is over. From the onset, releasing Baduizm in 2007, to her latest 2010 offering- New Amerykah, Pt. 2: Return of the Ankh, Badu has never failed delivering her own unique brand of boundless kinetic-soul. Check the video above, Back in the Day (Puff), for a sampling of vibes to come this Friday.
DAY ONE: BIG AUDIO DYNAMITE Big Audio Dynamite came into fruition in 1984 after Mick Jones was ousted from The Clash the prior year. Most well-known for their dynamic sampling techniques, genre-bending pop tunes, and their quintessential 80's rhythms- the band has found new life in 2011, reforming with their original line-up playing this Friday at 7:00 PM on the Twin Peaks stage. Revisit Big Audio Dynamite's Top 40 hit Rush, performed live above.
FYM FRIDAY BONUS HIGHLIGHTS: And the list goes on... Friday's line-up also boasts the likes of, so fresh and so clean Hip-Hop Champ- Big Boi (6:20 PM Sutro), British Dance-Pop Diva Ellie Goulding (5:00 PM Sutro), TWO sets by Phish (6:30 PM Lands End), and a hard to miss opportunity to see Toro Y Moi live (3:50 PM Twin Peaks). For more Friday- artists and times, click HERE.
DAY TWO: THE ROOTS The Legendary Roots Crew roll into Outside Lands 2011 performing Saturday evening at 6:50 PM on the Twin Peaks Stage. This socially conscious, multi-instrumental renegade crew put on a ferocious live show. Let's hope Erykah Badu will stick around another day, and possibly make a guest appearance during their set. Above, watch Badu and The Roots do it up right, with You Got Me.
DAY TWO: ARCTIC MONKEYS These Brit rockers have traveled a long way from the polished-perfect sonic sensibilities of 2006's massively successful Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not. In 2009, the band's sound progressed into a much more diverse exploration of where these guys can actually go musically (with the help of producer Josh Holmes) on Humbug. Their 2011 record Suck it and See, continues down the same road as Humbug, with an even darker/heavier feel. Watch their video for Don't Sit Down 'Cause I've moved Your Chair above. Catch the Arctic Monkeys live at 4:45 PM on the Lands End stage.
FYM SATURDAY BONUS HIGHLIGHTS: Other highlights that will shine-on this Saturday included- a blazing dance party orchestrated by Girl Talk (8:40 PM Twin Peaks), a gritty set from psych-warriors The Black Keys (6:15 PM Lands End), and a special performance by (Seattle Hip-Hop Superheroes) - Mackelmore & Ryan Lewis (12:25 PM Lands End). Check the rest of Saturday's incredible schedule HERE.
DAY THREE: ARCADE FIRE If there was ever a song that deserves to be heard in a festival setting- Wake Up, by Arcade Fire will assuredly command Golden Gate Park's valleys while thousands of people become unified by way of passionate 'whoaaaing' together. Arcade Fire are the current reigning champions of rock n' roll (after winning Album of the Year at the 2011 Grammys). They are indeed the MUST SEE Sunday night closing act, performing at 8:10 PM on the Lands End stage.
DAY THREE: MAVIS STAPLES Windy City vocal-icon Mavis Staples, performs on the Lands End stage at 1:45 PM on day three of Outside Lands. This gospel/rhythm & blues luminary will most definitely be taking the Golden Gate Park audience to Church that Sunday. Check our classic jam above, of Staples taking lead, singing her heart out on Reach Out, Touch a Hand, Make a Friend.
FYM SUNDAY BONUS HIGHLIGHTS: The final day performances will be hard to miss, with Portland's The Decemberists making an appearance (6:15 PM Land End), local SF psych-hound Ty Segall (3:55 PM Panhandle), and Canadian itchy & scratchy house giant- Deadmau5 (8:00 PM Twin Peaks) providing a unique alternative for those who want to pass on seeing Arcade Fire (performing around the same time).
WORDS. GRAPHIC. J THOMAS CODLING: Check back tomorrow as forYoungModerns will shed light on a few of our favorite food vendors that will be catering to our hunger, as well as the eclectic cultural aspects that make Outside Lands more than your average music festival. Cheers, FYM.
FYM's go-to San Francisco nightlife sonic specialist Wallpaper. just released his latest video titled #STUPiDFACEDD. The tune itself is an instant club banger, dripping with filthy 808-rhythm focused ambience, and chopped & screwed witty one-liner vocal prowess. Wallpaper. seems to be hitting his stride in 2011, as his latest video is currently being featured on MTVU (the only channel worth watching in college dorms across the nation). Check out our new jam of the day below:
We totally dig the subtle, yet extremely well-done visual effects featured in Wallpaper.'s latest cinematic offering. FYM's Publicist Nick 'got a new lion's den' Codling was on set during the filming, and can be seen perpetrating the party in #STUPiDFACEDD rockin' a spooky lion mask, see below:
It's not everyday FYM sees one of their own on MTV, let alone for such an important SF-based artist like Wallpaper.. that is why #STUPiDFACEDD is ushering us into the weekend as our 'WhiteBoy Wasted' Jam of the Day.
