Outside Lands weekend is set to take shape at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco from Aug 8 – 10. Some combination of top-billed sets from Doja Cat, Anderson Paak & The Free Nationals, and Tyler, The Creator belongs firmly on your weekend itinerary if you’re planning on being at the park. And while the San Francisco fest can feel top-heavy (hat tip to Doechii, Hozier, John Summit and Gracie Abrams), there’s a bevy of other acts that you positively should not be missing — artists who define scenes in LA, NY, the UK, the Bay Area, of course, and then some. Check out our picks from across the spectrum for the most compelling performances to catch across Outside Lands’ diverse eight stages.
Fcukers
Friday, 6:10 p.m., Panhandle
Fcukers are the toast of NYC these days. The electronic duo exudes an edgy cool that’s forged in the spirit of the 2010s post-DFA Brooklyn scene. “Bon Bon” is having yet another standout summer, and they just put out a new track produced by Kenny Beats. Aside from their Friday night set on the intimate Panhandle stage, their Thursday night pre-fest official night show at Rickshaw Stop is sure to go off. Ditto for a 7:30 pm Friday night set as part of Fake and Gay’s curated Dolores’ stage slate.
Mannequin Pussy
Friday, 3 p.m., Land’s End
The Philly punk band is fronted by force of nature Missy Dabice, and put out one of last year’s best records in the John Congleton-produced I Got Heaven. The band is on a tear and about to play a slew of opening slots for Turnstile. The main stage billing at Outside Lands is a grand showcase of Dabice’s mix of accessible punk and bone-rattling screamo bliss.
Jorja Smith
Sunday, 5:50 p.m., Twin Peaks
Jorja Smith never misses. The UK singer’s sultry R&B comes packed with clubby UK beats with drum, bass, and garage sensibilities. She’s dropped two sweat-dripping bangers this year in “The Way I Love You” and “With You,” both begging you to dance your ass off to them. Get there.
LaRussell
Saturday, 2:45 p.m., Land’s End
Outside Lands does a solid job of giving a stage to the Bay Area rapper of the moment each year. But they don’t always get slotted on the main stage. It’s a testament to the Vallejo lyricist’s growing fan base and marquee resume that includes performing at the NBA All-Star Game and co-signs from E-40, P-Lo, and Larry June.
Jamie XX
Sunday, 8:20 p.m., Sutro
Look, there might not be a better DJ in the business right now. Jamie just crushed back-to-back nights at Brooklyn’s gloriously seedy and monstrous Under The K Bridge venue this past weekend, expertly telling deeper stories through records about the tracks off of his spectacular latest album, In Waves; an instant classic — like his just released single, “Dream Night.” Everything he does on stage has a purpose that’s relative to the city he’s performing in, and his closing set on Sunday night promises to be a paean to San Francisco alongside his unparalleled productions.
Vampire Weekend’s Opening Set
Saturday, 12:45 p.m., Twin Peaks
Here’s your reason to get into the festival early on Saturday. Yes, Vampire Weekend is near the top of the lineup and closing out the Twin Peaks stage on Saturday night. But they’re bringing their “day/night” set concert concept to the festival and are playing an opening set on Saturday.
Big Freedia with the SF Gay Men’s Chorus
Sunday, 1:15 p.m., Land’s End
The bounce queen, Big Freedia, has been a fixture at Outside Lands over the years. The NOLA icon will not only be starring throughout Oasis’ curated Saturday at the queer celebration that is Dolores’ stage, she’s also playing an ultimate Big Freedia set with the legendary SF Gay Men’s Chorus at the onset of a Sunday funday.
Jessica Pratt
Friday, 4:40 p.m., Sutro Stage
This is a homecoming performance of sorts for the former resident of the nearby Haight-Ashbury. Jessica Pratt was synonymous with the SF music scene for nearly a decade, and hearing her play songs off of the lauded Hear In The Pitch will be a full circle endeavor for Pratt. This time slot at the misty, sunken Sutro Stage is exactly where her serenely hushed folk, fueled by sublime nylon-stringed guitar, belongs.
DJ Koze and Floating Points
Friday, 4:40 p.m. and 6:15 p.m., SOMA Stage
The SOMA dance music stage is continuously getting perfected, and Friday afternoon’s stretch from DJ Koze to Floating Points is easily the most compelling block of the weekend. Koze and Points are at the top of their game, are both insane mixers and remixers, and if you only venture off into SOMA once, it should be for the moment when one giant of electronic production’s set morphs into another’s.
Destroy Boys
Friday, 1:35 p.m., Land’s End
The surging Sacramento alt-punk band is everything we want to see in music today. Youthful energy with serious bite from singer Alexia Roditis and company is a refreshing break from the similar fodder that’s destined for alt radio. That’s because Destroy Boys will straight-up punch you in the heart with emotionally-charged songwriting. They’ve played with Deftones and Alkaline Trio, and here’s hoping that they’re the torchbearers for the future of alt-punk.
Ludacris
Saturday, 5:25 p.m., Land’s End
The legacy artists are lacking on this year’s lineup, but Luda will look to hold things down for the OGs on his own. These Saturday afternoon nostalgia-paloozas at Land’s End stage (Nelly, Billy Idol, Third Eye Blind in years past) are always the perfect way to tip into the second half of the weekend. What better way to do it than sharing some lols with friends over “Stand Up” and “Act A Fool”?
Duboce Triangle
New for this year, the Duboce Triangle stage gives festival artists an opportunity to play an additional set, often in a more stripped-down fashion, in a unique, tree-sheltered setting in McLaren Pass. We’ve got Nourished By Time’s 4:45 pm avant-R&B set on Sunday and Kate Bollinger’s gorgeous psych-folk at 3:35 pm on Saturday earmarked as the ones to see.
Casa Bacardi
Look, Casa Bacardi definitely looks like it’s part of Scarface’s real estate portfolio, but it’s a fun hang. The two-level, ornately tiled structure features primarily Latinx artists, and we highly recommend a stopover at some point over the weekend to just let the mojitos flow while letting loose to reggaeton and electrocumbia joints.