Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Outside Lands 2009!


In case you haven't heard, the Bay Area promotional company, Another Planet, has announced that amidst heated debate and speculation, its late-summer San Francisco music festival "Outside Lands" will make a return in 2009. It was released Tuesday, March 3, that the Outside Lands Music+Arts Festival will return to Golden Gate Park, August 28-30; with an extended lineup on the opening day (Friday), more local food, more wine and more eco-shit.
Aside from hoping they have more port-o-potties, beer tents, running buses and exits/entrances; I really hope they have lineup of musical acts greater than, or equal to Outside Lands 2008.
If you're like me, your immediate thought after hearing or seeing the announced dates was something like "I wonder who's gonna headline?!?" Well, festival promoter Another Planet has not yet given up any details, but the speculation has begun.
Let's start by assessing last year's headliners:

Radiohead - biggest act in modern rock, eclectic rock sound, tons of alt/rock-cred
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - cross-generationally popular, classic guitar-rock with tons of 'sing-a-long' capability
Jack Johnson - universally popular surf-rock, tons of collaboration-ability, very mellow - perfect for a Sunday

Unless I've totally missed something, these bands were your 2008 Outside Lands headliners.
Knowing what we know about the 1-yr history of the festival, the city, and the current state of modern music; who are the candidates to headline the Outside Lands Music+Arts Festival in 2009?

Here are some of my top candidates:

  • Paul McCartney
  • Dave Mathews Band
  • The Killers
  • Kanye West
  • Daft Punk
  • Neil Young
  • Depeche Mode
  • Pearl Jam

6 comments:

tommy o said...

Paul McCartney - Personally, I'd love it. But I don't know if he'd do it. And I don't know that his MUSIC is as loved by "our" generation as Tom Petty is. Which sounds weird. But I have that feeling. Paul is less cool to the hipsters than Lennon was. Maybe I'm wrong. Especially if he did Beatles songs, this would be spectacular. I hope you're right.

DMB: No effing way. Not enough SF-cred.

Killers: Ehhhhh. See: DMB, but to a lesser extent. It would be a step down from last year's headliners, in my opinion.

Kanye: I'd be shocked if he wasn't a headliner.

Neil Young: No opinion

Depeche Mode: Hmmm. Interesting. I feel they'd be a secondary-headliner, if that term makes any sense. It would certainly be a step down from last year.

Pearl Jam: I could definitely see this. I'm not really into Pearl Jam, but I think I'm in the great minority on this one.

Scrolling through my iTunes, other bands that stand out:

Ben Folds Five? Probably not big enough to headline.
Ben Harper: I think this could be a real possibility.
Cake: Again, not big enough.
Mos Def: Mos def. Hi oh! Haha!
Counting Crows: I could see it. And I'd dig it.
The Cure: Do they still tour?
The Flaming Lips
Foo Fighters
Modest Mouse
The Pixies

To Fill the Tom Petty Void:
Billy Joel: Hmmm. Maybe?
Elton John: Probably not his scene. I'd love it. He rules.
Bob Dylan: Please, no - he's terrible live.
Willie Nelson: I could see this happening. Definitely.
Elvis Costello: Same as Willie.
If Joe Strummer was alive, I think you could Pencil in The Clash
Simon and Garfunkle: This would be EPIC.

Other ideas:
Coldplay: Too likely for my liking.
Chili Peppers: Ehhhh?


My guesses?
Kanye, Foo Fighters, Willie Nelson

tommy o said...

My Second Guess:

After reviewing my entry, I reconsidered some choices and I am making a second headlining group guess:

Kanye, Peal Jam, Bob Dylan

Nob Hill Forreal said...

Id love to see the Foo Fighters, that one slipped my mind, and I had a friend suggest that No Doubt would be a quality headliner as well. Unfortunately, rumors that U2 would play have started to surface and that thoroughly, thoroughly disappoints me. Fuck U2

Lisa said...

I have never been to any sort of outdoor music festival (i.e. Coachella, Outside Lands) for a variety of reasons including cost, lodging, and the fact that the people who go to those sorts of things are typically elitist fucktards. But, if I was going to be in the country, I'd want the Foo Fighters, too. Or Ben Folds, or Paul McCartney. As long as he played "Band on the Run."

Osiris said...

i want to see prince damn it!!

tommy o said...

I got one out of 3!

The lineup has been announced. I got one out of three!

Pearl Jam! BAM
Beastie Boys
Dave Matthews Band