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- August 8, 2022
Outside Lands 2022 Day 3 Recap: An Excellent End To An Excellent Weekend
For the third and final day of Outside Lands 2022, we kept right at it. We never slowed down – except for a little break over by Wine Lands and GastroMagic. Who did we see? What did we drink? Read on to find out!
First things first: we have to talk about Forester. The L.A.-based indie electronic duo took Twin Peaks at 12:30, and even though it was the first set of the day on that stage, they brought it down. Their visuals were absolutely stunning, they knew how to engage a crowd early on the last day of a festival, and their performance was astounding. Xander Carlson’s voice was carrying throughout Hellman Hollow, and David Parris’ energy from everything he was doing – he was doing a lot, covering tracks, percussion, some keys, and guitar – was electrifying. They even brought out their friend Madeline to perform a few tracks towards the end of their set. The crowd was moving the entire time, and it was the jolt of energy a lot of us needed to keep going on the last day.
Following Forester was Unusual Demont on the Panhandle stage. Demont’s blend of funk and soul with a dash of hip-hop was everything we could have asked for and more. He took the crowd on a bit of a roller-coaster set, going from energetic and bouncy to slow and moody at the drop of a hat. That may sound a bit out of left field, but it was working well for him. He got the crowd invested right away and then slowed it down. Then he brought the energy back up with “PURPLE” before slowing it down again. It showcased the intricacies of his songs and allowed the crowd to ride the wave of the performance. With support from an excellent band, Unusual Demont showed his vocal virtuosity, his moves, and, best of all, his lyrical prowess. We got a chance to sit down with Demont for an interview later in the day, so be sure to look out for that to go up soon!
Of course, we couldn’t miss Tyla Yaweh. The Orlando-born L.A.-based rapper took Lands End by storm, using Post Malone’s ramp to get close to the crowd as he delivered energetic banger after energetic banger. When I say close to the crowd, I of course mean that he was in the crowd on multiple occasions, leaving the comfort of the stage to be among the people as he got them moving and yelling along with him. He asked fans for a lighter so he could light one up before performing “High Right Now,” he rocked with the crowd during “Tommy Lee,” and he promised the amassed fans before his set ended that chasing dreams is a beautiful thing to do, and if anyone needs any help, he’s got them. For all the braggadocio and bravado in Tyla’s music, that moment is what lasts. Not many artists will offer help and mean it, but the audience could tell that Tyla meant it. This rising star is continuing his trajectory and wants as many people with him as possible. It’s incredibly admirable. Mad props to Tyla Yaweh.
We then headed back to Hellman Hollow to catch Griff on Twin Peaks. The talented English vocalist was playing one of her first US festivals, and the 2021 Brit Awards’ Rising Star didn’t disappoint. She gave one of the most uplifting performances through both her lyrics and sounds, taking the time to thank the crowd for “coming here and dancing with us.” Her presence glowed onstage, and the waist-length bubble braid that she has pretty much single-handedly brought back into fashion gave her a recognizable silhouette, even at a distance in the blazing sun. Griff is absolutely one to watch, and this rising star is going to keep going up.
After Griff was our interview with Unusual Demont! We got a chance to talk about his inspirations, what pushed him towards music, and which painters and artworks are serving as his current muses. The video will be available soon, so keep your eyes peeled!
Then it was off to Lindley Meadow to catch Briston Maroney on Sutro! Briston brought his Nashville indie-rock to the Bay in spectacular fashion, allowing his voice to carry the day through some exceptional instrumental performances. Through his guitar dances, his stage banter, and his crowd control – those up front were hanging on his every word – Maroney showed why he has been on the come-up. Using humor to calm his nerves gave the crowd a breath of fresh air as well, as the opportunity to laugh with an artist on stage doesn’t come up as frequently as it used to. As he finished “It’s Still Cool If You Don’t,” he acknowledged the situation, saying “Thank you so much for having us. This doesn’t even feel real. In a way that’s slightly scary.” The charm in his lyrics comes from an honest place, and we were so grateful to catch a festival set from him.
After Briston, we had a chance to taste some beer from Old Caz! Their Czech Pilsner was incredibly light and crisp with a fantastic taste of several types of hops. Paying respects to the brewing culture of Bukovany, a small Czech town where the Old Caz founder’s great-grandparents ran a pub out of their house, the Bukovany Pivo is a must-have beer. This was Old Caz’s first time participating in Beer Lands, and we hope to see them for years to come.
Of course, we had to get right back at it on the ground. Pusha T took the Lands End stage at 3:45, and he got into it immediately. Right from the jump, he was bringing his best flows and greatest hits, starting with “Let The Smokers Shine The Coupes” immediately into “Brambleton,” both off his new album, It’s Almost Dry. He didn’t stop at any point, and his stamina is awe-inspiring. “Diet Coke” in the middle of the set was a power move, showing that King Push doesn’t need to close on the most recent hits. The MC brought his A-game like always, and the crowd was bouncing for his entire set. Even in the midst of the radiant afternoon heat, he was spitting fire. Maybe that’s why my face is so burned.
While King Push was tearing up Lands End, there was a movement starting at the Panhandle. Rising Russian act Pussy Riot took the stage decked out in fishnets, thigh highs, and feminine rage. The crowd headbanged almost the entire time as she filled the space with unhinged anger and rage, her heavy vocals echoing in the crowd’s bones. She even brought out two surprise guests: Salem Ilese and Boyfriend, both of whom contributed mightily to Pussy Riot’s politically charged performance. As she stated over the course of her set, “The only thing about the war on Ukraine is that Putin needs to die,” and “We are here to protest the thievery of the freedom of our bodies.” The Bay Area crowd was hanging on every word, and the performance was truly once-in-a-lifetime.
Naturally, I had to make my yearly trek to Grass Lands as well. Though the set-up hasn’t changed since last year, there were even more people engaging in everything the area has to offer. Photo-ops, live music with a man chopping wood as an instrument, a community art wall, and, of course, legal marijuana consumption all combined to make Grass Lands an even more elevated experience than it has been in prior years, and I’m excited to see how it keeps growing over time.
After the pilgrimage to Grass Lands, we sprinted over to Sutro to catch The Backseat Lovers. Much like Dr. Dog last year, they brought an amazing indie rock set to Lindley Meadow, with the crowd screaming every word back to them. As frontman Joshua Harman noted, “It feels very special to just exist right now. I don’t know what else to say.” Though timid with their stage banter, the band ripped through their songs with technical prowess and excellent crowd engagement through the lyrics. It truly did feel very special to just exist in that moment.
Of course, no trip to Outside Lands is complete without catching at least one GastroMagic set. This year, we caught Illenium making lobster with Tom Colicchio, the James Beard Award-winning chef who is “the head judge and executive producer” of Top Chef. It was probably one of the most wholesome moments of the entire weekend, and it’s the type of thing you can only experience at Outside Lands.
This is where the madness began. We went from GastroMagic to Sutro (not too insane yet) to catch Mt. Joy, who played their old and new songs as well as a few fan favorites. Their electric guitar solos swam in the audience’s ears, and the crowd was incredibly friendly and laid-back. Not too mad yet, but then we went to Lands End to catch Weezer and Twin Peaks to catch Kim Petras. Rivers Cuomo has grown out his hair since we last saw him, and the band turned in a great performance, one that Weezer fans have to be accustomed to at this point. Meanwhile, Kim Petras was putting on a clinic in vocal performance on Twin Peaks, covering Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” and performing her hits like “Future Starts Now,” “Heart To Break,” and “Coconuts,” constantly making the time to tell the audience how much she loves and appreciates them. Just an insane hour of music all across Golden Gate Park, and we somehow caught it all. Not to pat ourselves on the back too hard, but “please clap.”
After that insanity, we headed to Panhandle to catch Baby Tate put on an absolute show. Her DJ, Sky Jetta, got the crowd hyped up with a mix of hip-hop and pop-punk, and when Baby Tate took the stage, the crowd was foaming at the mouth. Throughout her entire set, she was bouncing around the stage, asking where her Dancing Queens were at, and keeping the crowd involved with call-and-response. The last performance on the Panhandle of Outside Lands 2022 was outstanding, and Baby Tate is absolutely one to watch. Perhaps she’s already arrived and we just haven’t been paying attention.
At long last, the final performances of the day: Mitski and Post Malone. Mitski brought the house down on Sutro, but not in the way most would expect. Her movements were so subtle in comparison to full-on choreographed dances, but they brought a power to the performance that is hard to attain as a performer. From bowing to the crowd during “Love Me More” to slight dances and hand movements, Mitski’s movements gave her performance a theatricality that didn’t seem embellished. Of course, her voice and her band sounded incredible, but the subtle-by-comparison movements paired with the lack of stage banter – the only real banter came during “Washing Machine Heart” when the crowd screamed the entire first verse at her and she responded with “Good job” – made her set impossible to forget. If anyone ever gets the chance to see Mitski, they need to.
And finally, there’s Post Malone. The crowd was deafening upon his arrival, and he towered over the crowd with a godlike presence. Holding a red solo cup in his hand throughout his performance, he powered through hit after hit, making sure the crowd was safe and having a good time, ending the weekend on a high that could only really come from the synthesis of experience that Outside Lands provides. From the sights and sounds to the tastes and smells, Golden Gate Park was perfect as always, and we couldn’t have had a better weekend.
Be on the lookout for our full festival recap! There’s more to Outside Lands than what we’ve covered in our daily recaps, and we can’t wait to fully dive into all of it.
