Photos by Chloe Catajan
@riannachloe
Review by Staff Report

Outside Lands returned to Golden Gate Park for day one of three on Friday, August 7, bringing thousands of music fans into San Francisco for the first day of a weekend packed with music, food, art and a huge amount of walking from stage to stage.

The day’s lineup gave something to everyone with every genre of music playing throughout the day. San Jose’s own Nezza brought some hometown pride to the Twin Peaks stage, while Tinashe gave a standout pop set and debuted her new song “Crash Out.” Geese brought their awesomely wild brand of guitar-driven rock to the Sutro Stage, and Wet Leg was a huge crowd pleasure and draw with their combination of humor, attitude, and catchy indie rock.

Then Turnstile at 7:30pm at the Sutro stage got nuts.

It was pure energy, with a crowd that became a sea of movement with a huge mosh pit opening up in front of the stage, with lots of people saying they’d never experienced anything like it. Earlier in the day, Bad Nerves and Austin’s Die Spitz had already gotten the rock crowd moving at Sutro, proving that the energy of Outside Lands is day-long and not just for the evening headliners.

In addition to the nonstop music there was food to investigate, drinks to find, art installations to wander through and people to see. The food lineup this year is a big draw, with a $35 wagyu burrito getting the most clout, but there is no shortage of good eats from great local restaurants.

As the sun went down, Golden Gate Park had that unmistakable Outside Lands feeling. The paths were packed, people were wrapped in layers against the chilly air, and music was coming from every direction. There were groups running from one stage to another, people sitting in the grass taking a break, and plenty of attendees who looked happy to wander around and see where the day took them.

Then it was time for headliner Charli XCX to close the night, and the energy in the air got more intense. Her set was dark, stylish, and visual, incorporating songs from her new album Music, Fashion, Film along with some of her big, popular tracks. When “Club Classics,” “365” and “Von Dutch” started, the crowd turned the Lands End field into a giant dance floor.

By the end of the night, the first-day combination of music, fog, food, crowded walkways, and tired feet officially set the tone for the weekend. Two more glorious days to go! For all the latest news including set times, check out @outsidelands. Have fun!