It’s been nearly a week since we first stepped into Golden Gate Park for Outside Lands, but with the return to the daily grind it feels like even longer for most of us. This year’s festival, yet another record-breaking one by attendance, featured all the amenities that make OSL special–amazing food, craft beers, a star-studded comedy lineup, the beautiful backdrop of Hellman Hollow and of course a top-notch bill of musical performances. With its rapid expansion came some growing pains as well, though, and our main gripe was the inaccessibility of the Heineken House, which featured some great DJs, due to overcrowding. At the same time, the greater depth of the lineup made the previously overlooked Panhandle stage the place to be and when the crowd came together at shows, the energy was unbelievable.
In the stupor that follows music festivals, it can be easy to allow your precious experiences to fade in the rearview of your memory bank, but there will always be sets that you’ll never forget. We’ve recounted 14 sets that have been stuck in our minds all week and also tried something a bit new with this review by asking random fans to review our favorite sets. If you were in attendance this year, we hope this brings you back and, if not, it might just make you want to check out OSL next year.
All images by Ninja Dominic Powell. All writing, unless otherwise noted, by Ash.
Chet Faker Delivering Flawless Feels
Songs of the Set
Chet Faker wasted no time in getting the crowd engaged opening his set with his legendary cover of “No Diggity,” which helped launch him into stardom four years ago. The set only went uphill from there, though, with Chet’s multi-faceted on-stage talents on full display–from delivering flawless vocals to mixing his electro-soul beats live. In addition to music that got the crowd moving, his expressive stage presence made his performance even further engrossing.
What’d you think?
Chet Faker was a fucking legend! – Madeline
His first song got the crowd going. All in all it was a great set. – Julian
Taking a trip to the Church of Funk and Soul with D’angelo & The Vanguard
Songs of the Set
I’m not sure if I’ve ever experienced a show that felt as much like a religious experience as D’angelo & The Vanguard‘s performance on Friday night. Not only did D’angelo’s voice move the soul, but his band built incredible, extended jams out of the songs from his phenomenal latest album.
Amon Tobin Puts the Eyes and Ears of Fans in the Spin Cycle
Song of the Set
I went into Amon Tobin 2.0 having absolutely no idea what to expect from the performance; like purposefully not watching a trailer for a movie before going to see it. I left Outside Lands on Friday night having no idea what I had just experienced. A completely overwhelming and foreign experience, Amon Tobin 2.0 was a blend of bizarre elements – one part Pretty Lights, one part Modestep, the performance was unsettling, intriguing, and by all means a standout among Day 1. – Dom P.
‘Another One’ for the Books – Mac Demarco Strikes Again
Songs of the Set
As one of my favorite live performers, expecting a great set from Mac Demarco is a foregone conclusion. With the release of the newest album Another One the day before his performance, new and old fans alike were treated to a rocking good time over at main stage. In following up hit song “Ode to Viceroy” with his new single “The Way You’d Love Her”, Mac once again executed a flawless indie-rock set attracting festival-goers of all types. – Dom P.
What’d you think?
I love Mac DeMarco. You can tell it all comes very naturally to him. – Alex
Toro y Moi Flexing his Versatility and Gaining Fans in the Process
Songs of the Set
Stepping out onto the stage in a Patagonia sweater, Chaz Bundick aka Toro y Moi was fully in his element just across the Bay from his current home base in Berkeley. As with his music, the set spanned genres from the early chillwave days to the smooth, psychedelic R&B of Anything in Return to the indie rock from his latest album What For?. Through out, cohesion was never sacrificed with the texture on songs like “So Many Details” and “Rose Quartz” pulsing through the audience while tracks like “Empty Nesters” and “Spell it Out” rocked even moreso than they do recorded. The extraordinary range of Chaz’s catalogue never fails to impress live. 
What’d you think?
At first I was confused at how quiet the crowd was but, when I looked around, I realized everyone had looks of awe on their faces and were definitely mesmerized. -Chad
Giraffage Doing the Most with the Least
Songs of the Set
With his standard (and modest) stage setup, Charlie Yin has never been one for overly flashy production value. Instead his hometown performance on the one-time-afterthought turned dance-party-go-to stage that was the Panhandle quickly became a crowd favorite at Outside Lands. Giraffage’s interactive shows always lend themselves to an overall good time, and his playful, R&B-injected style of music was a novelty among this year’s lineup. – Dom P. 
Riding the ‘Currents’ to Success, Tame Impala’s Psychedelia Wins Fans Over
Songs of the Set
My (possibly irrational) love for Tame Impala has been well documented, and the performance met every lofty expectation I had set for them. By playing a healthy dose of Lonerism to go along with their recently released masterpiece Currents, Tame Impala was able to please both the fringe fans who could sing along to “Elephant” and the more dedicated following who chanted in frenzied stupor to new hits like “The Moment” and “Eventually.” – Dom P. 
What’d you think?
I absolutely loved it. Being at a stage where I could mellowly chill out but then pull my friends together and vibe to the music was amazing. Nobody else today could compare. -Salah
‘Holding On’ to the Vibes – an Electro Dance Party with Classixx
Song of the Set
Classixx’s popular song “Holding On” is nearly ancient comparatively; at 3 years old, it is a dated relic of the genre. Despite an influx of new music on a daily basis, steering our attentions down the spiraling rabbit hole of experimental electronic music, tunes like “Holding On” are the audial form of nostalgia. The live set up of Classixx only further demonstrates the timelessness of their earlier works, much to the pleasure of their fanbase. In addition, they unleashed a brand new, yet-to-be-named new song that absolutely rocked the Panhandle stage. – Dom P. 
What’d you think?
This was my first festival and Classixx have been the best artist so far. It was a smaller stage and I felt more part of the experience. -Chase
King Kendrick Reigns Supreme
Songs of the Set
King Kunta’
Having already seen Kendrick Lamar perform 3 times before his Saturday night headlining set, I thought I knew, at least to some extent, what to expect. To say my expectations were surpassed would be an understatement. The way he connected with the crowd was unlike anything I’ve ever seen at a hip-hop show. He put it best when he said “this isn’t just a show, it’s a party” setting the crowd into a frenzy before unexpectedly diving into his verse from “Fuckin’ Problems.” It was truly the first time I’ve seen him that comfortable on stage with that level of crowd interaction–effortlessly getting lighters/cell phones in the air on request and regularly having the audience repeat choruses multiple times (“m.A.A.d. City” being an especially fun one). For some performances, that could get redundant, but with Kendrick the fans only got more enthusiastic with each iteration. Unlike other recent performances, he included multiple tracks from his latest album, including extended versions of crowd favorites “King Kunta” and “Alright.” To close out his set, Lamar spit a vicious, autobiographical freestyle before giving his Day 1 fans a treat with “A.D.H.D.” Kendrick’s undeniable charisma positioned him as not only an iconic musician but also a social leader and philosopher of our time. 
Shakey Graves’ Intimate Performance at the Toyota Tent
Songs of the Set
The Toyota Tent was a pretty well kept secret at this year’s Outside Lands offering opportunities to see brief sets from bands that you might have missed on larger stages through out the day. Shakey Graves played an extra early set, but luckily we were able to catch him later on in the day there and it was amazing to, for once, be completely upfront for an act. Their 30-minute set packed a number of our favorites including a live version of “Family and Genus,” one of his most electronic leaning tracks, and the explosive “The Perfect Parts.” Check out a short video from the set below.
Why make sense? Hot Chip Bucking the Trend on Lands End
Songs of the Set
Usually artists play a sort of shell game with fans; knowing exactly which song the majority of fans come to hear, performers typically save it until the very last moment in order to keep the crowd engaged and on their heels. Hot Chip went the opposite direction with their set, opening with their latest and greatest work, “Huarache Lights.” Immediately getting the crowd jumping, while causing the stragglers wandering over to dash forward for position. Hot Chip was as energetic and impressive as we could have ever expected. – Dom P.
Odesza Dazzle, per Usual
Songs of the Set
Any regular TMN reader will know that we’ve been fans of Odesza pretty much from the very start so we’ve all got quite a bit of experience seeing them perform–I believe this was the fifth time for me. With their style of performance, though, their sets never really get old. Combining live electronic percussion with beautiful melodies that sparkle putting smiles on fans faces, Odesza are truly spectacular and watching them perform and succeed at such a high level couldn’t make us happier. They closed out their set with an enormous, yet to be officially released, trap banger–a remix of Alex Adair’s “Make Me Feel Better”–that they’ve been teasing for a while now at shows that had the crowd in a frenzy. You can listen to a rip of the track from their Coachella set above.
What’d you think?
I’ve never seen Odesza live and they sound exactly like their records. I really liked the live drums, that’s what made it enjoyable for me. The crowd was live! -Rebecca
From ‘Mars’ to the ‘Sun’: Endless Emotional, Percussive Grooves with Caribou
Songs of the Set
As amazing as it is, Dan Snaith aka Caribou‘s recorded music can never do justice to the emotional roller coaster of his live sets. Incredible percussion work from both Snaith and his drummer elevate songs from his most recent album, particularly the opener “Our Love,” which had the crowd moving from the jump. “Mars,” a track that always felt a bit out of place on his most recent album, transforms into an insanely intoxicating dance experience in the middle of the set making listening to the original a completely different experience in retrospect. The song that truly packed the most feeling, though, was “Back Home,” crescendoing into its heart-wrenching chorus with unmatched beauty. In fact, that might be one of my favorite single songs I’ve ever heard live. “Sun,” which seems to be Caribou’s go-to closer, served as the perfect way to wind down the dynamic performance.
What’d you think?
It’s been a weathery storm, and Caribou has calmed my sea. -Spencer
An Electronic Music History Lesson from Get Real
Songs of the Set
Since the Heineken House was literally impossible to get into, the very last thing I wanted to do before I finished off the weekend was dance at Get Real–a super duo consisting of Claude VonStroke, the father of San Francisco’s Dirtybird Records and Green Velvet, aka Cajmere, one of the grandfathers of Chicago’s techno/house scene. The entire set was action packed and had the crowd jumping from start to finish. They even pulled in a huge audience despite overlapping Elton John and Slightly Stoopid. One of the highlights of their set was when Green Velvet took over the decks and sang the vocals for one of his most legendary songs, “Flash”–a track originally released in 1995 just to give you a sense of how long he’s been in the game. Hopefully this isn’t a short term project and they start producing/performing a lot more together. – Adrian
The Crowd & Additional Photos
