Outside Lands Friday August 10th 2012 Line Up Preview

From August 10th to 12th, thousands of fans will pour into San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park for the annual Outside Lands Music + Art Festival. In addition to the fifty-plus bands, including headliners Metallica, Neil Young, Stevie Wonder and Skrillex, dozens of food, wine and beer vendors will be at the park. Tickets are completely sold out, but for the lucky bunch attending, here is a preview of the best shows this weekend has to offer.

FRIDAY

Tanlines (Panhandle Stage, 1:30-2:10) play one of the weekends first sets, bringing their tropical, cool sounds to what, in my opinion, is the festivals best stage. If the sun is out, starting off your weekend with a bit of dancing before your legs have gone numb from all the standing will be a blast.

If you are up for a bit more dancing, Oakland’s Wallpaper. (Twin Peaks, 2:15-3:05) are a must see. Front man Ricky Reed often wears full, retro-suits to big festivals, usually ending a set with the jacket off and shirt half-unbuttoned and drenched in sweat.

After that, it’s worth putting up with the usually over-crowded and out of the way Sutro Stage for the Walkmen (3:55-4:55) and Of Monsters and Men (5:25-6:25). If you’d rather catch something louder and more outlandish, Die Antwoord play the Twins Peak stage from 5:25 to 6:15. Straight out of South Africa, Yo Landi, the Ninja and DJ Hi-Tek always put on a crazy show.

At this point, you make your final decision: rock or EDM. Either way, the night will be spectacular.

The Foo Fighters (6:10-7:25) open for Neil Young and Crazy Horse (8:10-9:55) on the Lands End stage, while MSTRKRFT (7:00-7:50) and Justice (8:40-9:55) will bring their spectacular light shows and crazy beats to Twins Peaks.

I plan to get a bit of both, skipping MSTRKRFT for the Foo Fighters and chillwave icons Washed Out (Panhandle, 7:50-8:35) and then letting Justice finish off my night.

Must See Set? Wallpaper.

Biggest Conflict? Of Monsters and Men vs. Die Antwoord vs. Beck.