Musicians and fans find much to believe in at Outside Lands
Marcus Mumford faced a sea of smiling, dust-caked faces as the sun dipped behind the trees on the Polo Field on Friday. Holding court at the Outside Lands music and art festival in Golden Gate Park, the front man for the British rock band Mumford & Sons had a hard time containing his enthusiasm after what felt like a perfect opening day.
“I think this is one of the best festivals we've played, ever,” he said, shortly before leading the audience in a bounce-along rendition of the hit single “Believe.”
Outside Lands, which wraps up Sunday night with a headline set by Elton John, entered its eighth year with a wildly eclectic lineup of music for a sold-out crowd of 210,000 over the weekend.
With more than 100 scheduled performances, and probably just as many happening on the side stages and inside various corporate-sponsored tents, the park is buzzing with activity.
On Friday, people packed Lindley Meadows for shows by folk-pop newcomer George Ezra and veteran soul man D’Angelo; Hellman Hollow for bass-heavy sets by electronic musicians of the moment Porter
Robinson and RL Grime; and the Polo Field for angular indie rock by St. Vincent and the longawaited return of Wilco.
The entertainment extends well beyond the music, too.
Fans can catch popular comedians like Jen Kirkman and Tig Notaro inside the Barbary tent; recharge their phones in plush cabanas and sample local brews in Beer Lands; and nosh on everything from porcini donuts by Rich Table to garlic chimichurri fries by 4505 Meats.
They can also shop for seasonal melons and figs at an on-site farmers’ market, watch celebrity chefs behave like rock stars on the GastroMagic stage and gorge on sweets in Choco-Lands, an area deep in the woods dedicated entirely to decadent desserts.
And if all the noise proves too much, they can unplug completely at a digital detox retreat called Camp Grounded, where the entry rules stipulate “no networking” and “no technology.”
After being hit with a deluge of counterfeit tickets last year, promoter Another Planet Entertainment has increased security around the festival site with higher perimeter fences, more personnel and the introduction of RFID (radio frequency identification) wristbands, which are required not only for concert admission but to gain access to the park.
Other improvements include the expansion of the festival area and moving Wine Lands, which this year includes a threehole miniature golf course, away from the main thoroughfare.
The San Francisco Police Department didn’t report any major incidents as the festival kicked off.
But with access to the concert reduced to just two Online: Get updates and see more photos from Outside Lands at www. sfgate.com. To live-stream Sunday’s concert, visit www.sfoutsidelands.com. main entry and exit arteries, there is a significant increase in traffic and noise around the park.
Parking enforcement officers are also out in full force, writing $288 citations for drivers using nearby bus zones to unload their passengers for Outside Lands.