This time next week the 8th annual Outside Lands Festival will be underway! Here are some tips to help get you prepared for three days of festivities in Golden Gate Park.
With over 100 bands on 7 different stages scheduled at this year's Outside Lands chances are the list of bands you want to see is pretty long. A key element to being festival ready is knowing when and where those preferred bands will be. Thanks to the wonderful promoters at Another Planet Entertainment who've so kindly released the schedule of daily set times for Friday, Saturday and Sunday you can devise a plan of action before then!
Visit the Outside Lands website to create your customized line-up pick list then easy access it on your mobile device onsite. Or you can do like I do and roll old school: get your hands on a Festival guide (or three) when you get to the fest and keep it handy so you can check to see where you want to be all weekend long! The guide comes complete with the daily lineups, set times and a map! You've already prioritized all of the acts you want to see so do a loop as soon as you get there to get a lay of the land. Then you'll be ready to get around the Festival more efficiently later!
Pick a meeting spot! If someone gets separated from the group in the crowd/lost amidst the lines for port-o-potties it's a great idea to agree on a meeting spot as soon as you get to the fest! Cell phones don't always work when there's so many people in one place and being alone in the thick of it can be overwhelming, but if your posse pick a "if we get lost spot" (the ATM closest to the outside lands stage near the South gate entrance, in front of the VIP entrance near the Twin Peaks Stage...) you'll have peace of mind that if you get lost you'll be found.
And if this happens don't panic! You're still at a Music Festival so try to enjoy it!
When deciding what to wear at OSL this year, I advice not to forget the famous Mark Twain quote, "the coldest Winter I ever spent was a Summer in San Francisco." Yes, Music Festivals can be a great place to let your inner fashionista free but don't freeze for the sake of looking (being visibly cold isn't a good look on anyone). Dressing in layers is the "rule" for San Francisco's unpredictable weather and it's one that should be followed closely at Outside Lands. Don't be fooled by the seasonal heat waves! Check the weather report for the weekend of August 7th and throw extra socks, scarves, gloves, hats and beanies in your bag so you're not stuck out in the cold!
Here's a helpful hint for all you beer drinkers: bring a coozie! It keeps your beer cold while keeping your beer holding hand from getting too cold!
The latest festival fads for ladies seem to be: anything and everything crochet, white lace dresses, maxi dresses, sunflower print, wide brim/floppy hats, round sunglasses and foil tattoos. Flower crowns still fare well as far as festival garb goes yet the furry bear hat phenomenon we saw a few years back has been on the decline. My friends coined the term, Festival-core to explain this recent fashion sense wave at music fests: it's a hybrid of goth meets bohemian. It's almost witchy and very trendy, so trendy in fact that H&M actually launched a Coachella themed line this Spring (much to the dismay of my friends). You might not be able to buy from that line specifically any more but you'll definitely be able to build an outfit with similar pieces from plenty of places like Forever 21, Target, Brandy Meville and Pac Sun.
If for whatever reason you forget to bring clothes to bundle up with, stop by the San Franpyscho booth and pick up a rad snuggly hoody or a blanket from the Outside Lands Merch tent or any of the many other vendors but it will cost ya!
No matter if you have tickets to one day, two days or all three days of OSL you will be out in the elements all day long which will be physically draining if you notice it or not. An easy way to start your OSL 2015 experience on the right foot is showing up properly hydrated! This means simply drink plenty of water the days (and every day for that mater) leading up to the Festival. Bring a water bottle then take advantage of the refillable water stations at Outside Lands.
San Francisco is a foodie city so of course there's an abundance of food vendors to choose from but beer + lunch + beer + snacks + beer + wine + dinner + wine + beer + beer + beer can and will add up fast! Music Festivals are spendy by nature, but you don't have to break the bank completely. Eat a protein filled breakfast (eggs, spinach, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese) paired with healthy fats (nuts, avocados, coconut oil, olive oil) and complex carbs (carbohydrates containing starches and fiber: whole grains, legumes) and you'll stay fuller, longer!
Drinking plenty of water plus the breakfast plan listed above will give you lasting energy, too! Throw some fruit and nuts in your bag and you'll be ready and set for a full day of fun!
There are a number of official OSL night shows!
August 6th: Alvvays with GRMLN at California Academy of Sciences
August 6th: Strand of Oaks at Brick and Mortar Music Hall
August 6th: The Notorious Wilco Brothers at The Independent
August 6th: DJ Wnidows 98 (aka Win Butler of Arcade Fire) Popscene at The Rickshaw Stop
August 7th: Leon Briges with Langhorne Slim & the Law at The Independent
August 7th: The Drums at Brick and Mortar
August 7th: METZ with Speedy Ortiz at The Rickshaw Stop
August 8th: RL Grime at The Independent
August 8th: Twin Peaks with DMA's Day Wave at Brick and Mortar
August 8th: Clasixx, STRFKR &Aaron Axelsen at Mezzanine
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