Outside Lands returns to three-day schedule
By Jeffrey V. Smith
www.sfoutsidelands.com
August 12-14
Golden Gate Park
San Fransico, CA
Despite being a relative newcomer to the festival scene, Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival in San Francisco has become a beloved institution in its hometown, and well-known throughout the country as a celebration of what makes the Bay Area great – food, wine and music. Its setting in one of America’s most beautiful city parks only adds to the merriment.
The 2011 edition of the event brings a return to the three-day format, abandoned in favor of a two-day festival last year. The 2011 lineup is one of its most diverse to date and unites major national headliners with the best emerging artists. Heavy-hitters like Phish, Muse, and Arcade Fire are standouts, but the lineup is stacked with great acts of all varieties.
Other highlights include The Shins’ first set since 2009, a rare non-Jimmy Fallon show from The Roots, a reunited Big Audio Dynamite – which disbanded in 1997 – featuring the Sex Pistols’ Mick Jones and legendary artists like John Fogerty and Mavis Staples.
The festival also prides itself on its extensive “greening” efforts and implements innovative approaches to ensure the most environmentally sustainable event possible.
You’re going there to see: Phish, Muse, Arcade Fire, Deadmau5, STS9, Big Boi, Original Meters, Warren Haynes Band.
You’re going to come home talking about: Toro Y Moi’s laid-back, eclectic electronic pop; Grouplove’s soaring harmonies and sweeping anthems; the grungy pop of Northern Wales trio The Joy Formidable.
TRAVEL TIME:
(As calculated by maps.google.com from Denver, Colo. to San Francisco, Calif.)
Total Est. Time: 19 hours, 54 minutes
Total Est. Distance: 1,270 miles
YOU NEED TO KNOW: Bring your appetite. Outside Lands has one of the best opportunities to eat food beyond ordinary festival options, and more than 25 of California’s world-famous wineries and vineyards are also featured at the event.
Camping: No.
