Outside Lands 2019 & Outside Lands 2019 night shows

The 12th Annual Outside Lands in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park is the first music festival to legally sell marijuana and have participants reap it's rewards right there. This year, the festival also included about 20 new foods vendors, un-doubtedly upping the ante for it being one of the best food line-ups at a music festival. 

Outside Lands 2019 music line-up

Outside Lands 2019 food line-up 

The three day long festival was packed with a variety of musical acts, from headliners Twenty One Pilots, Childish Gambino and Paul Simon to Hozier, Blink 182, Little Wayne, Flume, Aurora, Counting Crows, Santigold, CupCakKe, Bea Miller, Denzel Curry, Bob Moses, Anderson. Paak,  Leon Bridges, Kasey Musgraves plus so many more. 

Aurora @ Outside Lands 8/9/2019 

photo by Marc Fong 

Little Wayne @ Outside Lands 8/9/2019 

photo by Marc Fong

https://www.mafoph.com/

Mark Hoppus of Blink 182 @ Outside Lands8/9/ 2019 

photo by Marc Fong 

Travis Barker of Blink 182 @ Outside Lands 8/9/2019 

photo by Marc Fong 

Counting Crows @ Outside Lands 8/9/2019 

photo by Marc Fong

Twenty One Pilots @ Outside Lands 8/9/2019 

photo by Marc Fong 

Twenty One Pilots @ Outside Lands 8/9/2019 

photo by Marc Fong 

Twenty One Pilots @ Outside Lands 8/9/2019 

photo by Marc Fong 

Santigold @ Outside Lands 8/10/2019 

photo by Marc Fong 

Bea Miller @ Outside Lands 8/10/2019 

photo by Marc Fong 

CupCakKe @ Outside Lands 8/10/2019 

photo by Marc Fong

Hozier @ Outside Lands 2019 8/10/2019 

photo by Marc Fong 

Childish Gambino @ Outside Lands 8/10/2019 

photo by Marc Fong 

Childish Gambino @ Outside Lands 8/10/2019 

photo by Marc Fong 

Denzel Curry @ Outside Lands 8/11/2019 

photo by Marc Fong 

Kacey Musgraves @ Outside Lands 8/11/2019 

photo by Marc Fong 

Bob Moses @ Outside Lands 8/11/2019 

photo by Marc Fong 

Leon Bridges @ Outside Lands 8/11/2019 

photo by Marc Fong 

Anderson. Paak @ Outside Lands 8/11/2019 

photo by Marc Fong 

Anderson. Paak @ Outside Lands 8/11/2019 

photo by Marc Fong 

This year, like past years, Outside Lands had a handful of nights shows on dates prior to the main event, as well as late night post OSL show days. 

So, if three days of fun in the sun (it was actually sunny and warm at OSL this year!) wasn't enough for you, or you didn't have 3-day tickets, or you didn't attend Outside Lands 2019, you had the option to go see someone, from the bill, at one off show. 

It was the first time I bookended a music festival with night shows and I think it's my new favorite way to do a festival! Heading into Outside Lands 2019, I went to the Outside Lands night show with The Neighbourhood at The Independent.

The Neighbourhood @ The Independent 8/8/2019

photo by Marc Fong 

It was the Thursday night before Outside Lands and the show was sold-out. The crowd was young and pumped, like kids on Christmas Eve waiting for Saint Nick. 

The guys hit the stage blazing, and by the sounds of it, they gave the girls pressed up against the stage exactly what they were there for. He might look like he's too cool for school, but Jesse Rutherford chatted quite a lot between songs, asking at one point who was going to be at Outside Lands the next day to see them. 

The Neighbourhood @ The Independent 8/8/2019 

photo by Marc Fong

They played the Lands End stage on Friday afternoon but that night they gave show-goers the best gift to give, a fully charged show in a small room. 

The Neighborhood set-list 8/8/2019

    1. RIP 2 My Youth 

    2. Afraid 

The Neighborhood @ The Independent 8/8/2019 

photo by Marc Fong 

    3. You Get Me So High

    4. Prey 

    5. Paradise

6. Wiped Out! 

7. Daddy Issues

    8. Void 

    9. Blue 

    10. Livin' the Dream 

    11. Wires 

    12. Warm 

    13. Sweater Weather 

    14. Stuck With Me 

At 11:00pm on Sunday, August 11th Better Oblivion Community Center headlined at The Independent. The newly formed indie-rock band played the Sutro stage the day before and filled the room Sunday night for their late show. 

Better Oblivion Community Center @ The Independent  8/11/2019 

photo by Marc Fong 

Better Oblivion Community Center @ The Independent 8/11/2019

photo by Marc Fong 

Conor Oberst and Phoebe Bridgers have a chemistry on-stage that simply strikes you as, kind. Their demeanor towards each other on stage seem shy almost, with passive glances and giggles of encouragement.  They both played guitar and they both sang, giving  a humble performance that was just enough rock while being just mellow enough, especially following a 3-day fest.

It was cool to see this very indie duo in that setting, at The Inde(pendent): Oberst has played a hand in many different projects including Bright Eyes and The Faint, as well as maintaining  his solo career and Bridgers is  really starting to create a buzz around her name. They've only just released their first album together this January and they haven't announced any more shows after playing at The Observatory and The Wiltern in LA before they came up to SF for Outside Lands. But, BOCC will be back. 

Better Oblivion Community Center set-list 8/11/2019 

1. My City 

Better Oblivion Community Center 8/11/2019 

photo by Marc Fong 

2. Big Black Heart 

3. Sleepwalkin' 

4. Little Trouble 

5. Service Road 

6. Exception to the Rule 

7. Chesapeake 

8. Lime Tree (Bright Eyes) 

9. Forest Lawn 

10. All the Umbrellas in London (The Magnetic Fields) 

11. Funeral (Phoebe Bridgers) 

12. Scott Street (Phoebe Bridgers) 

13. Dylan Thomas 

14. Didn't Know What I Was in For 

Save the dates! Outside Lands 2020 is August 7th - 9th! 

Chocolate Lavender Cupcake from Flying Monkey Bakery in Philadelphia

The Reading Terminal Market wasn't too far from where I stayed on my short work trip to Philadelphia this Summer. I made it point to walk there and explore all it has to offer in the down time that I had and I am so happy that I did. 

photo by Nikki DeMartini

inside Reading Terminal Market 

photo by Nikki DeMartini

Located at 12th and Arch Street in a Historic Landmark Building,  it's one of America's largest and oldest public markets. It offers a wide selection of locally grown produce, meats, poultry, seafood, cheeses, confections and baked goods. It reminded me of Pike Place Market in Seattle and the Farmer's Market in LA, with all of the sights, smells and people swarming about.  

Flying Monkey inside Reading Terminal Market 

photo by Nikki DeMartini

After getting a Philly Cheesesteak sandwich for lunch (I was in Philly, it was a must!) I perused around in hopes of finding some cupcakes. It didn't take long before I stumbled upon Flying Monkey Bakery. And, the first thing that caught my eye was the pretty purple frosting on their Chocolate Lavender Cupcake. 

The friendly guy behind the counter was quick to help me package one up in a single cupcake "clam shell"  being that I got my order to go. I felt I would probably need the sweet relief and relaxing benefits of Lavender at some point during my work endeavor that was ahead of me. Afraid that the frosting would melt outside of the safety of air conditioning, I hurried back to the hotel and promptly put the cupcake in the fridge. 

Chocolate Lavender Cupcake from Flying Monkey in Philadelphia 

photo by Nikki DeMartini

All of the baked goods from Flying Monkey are baked from scratch in small batches using real butter, sugar and eggs. So sticking the Chocolate Lavender Cupcake in the mini fridge probably wasn't the best idea because a fresh cupcake tastes best at room temp. But I'm telling you, it was hot, capital HOT. 

Chocolate Lavender Cupcake from Flying Monkey 

photo by Nikki DeMartini

When my alarm buzzed until my eyes opened at a painful 4:30am, after not nearly enough sleep, the only thing that got me out if bed and moving was that cupcake. I love a cupcake with my morning cup of coffee but there was no time to wait, or waste. I unwrapped the purple delight and, quiet honestly, shoved it into my mouth while simultaneously getting ready. My hazy thought process was that I needed the sugar rush. 

The perfectly smooth dollop of fresh Swiss Meringue buttercream frosting was made stiff and cool from being refrigerated overnight.  It's lavender fragrance wafted over my senses  as I ate it. The chocolate cake was just chocolatey enough.  With two dominate flavors like chocolate and lavender, anything more would have been too much. There was definitely more frosting than cake, every frosting junkie's dream.

Chocolate Lavender Cupcake from Flying Monkey 

photo by Nikki DeMartini

I enjoy this flavor pairing because Lavender always seems to be paired with safer flavors like vanilla or more complimentary flavors like honey. Though this cupcake looks very decadent and rich, it wasn't: the subtleness of both flavors and the semi-sweet frosting serve the Chocolate Lavender Cupcake from Flying Monkey well.

The intended sugar rush lasted a couple of hours, getting me through the roughest part of my early morning. The Chocolate Lavender Cupcake from Flying Monkey is a great little cupcake and it was a sweet start to a tough day.  

The Head and The Heart @ Bill Graham Civic Auditorium 7/26/2019

Before releasing their fourth studio album, Living Mirage (via Warner Brothers Music/Reprise Records ) on May 17th, The Head and The Heart released the single, "People Need Melody" that same month. The Seattle based band then kicked off a 38 city tour on June 21st in Buffalo New York, making stops in Austin, Denver, Chicago, Atlanta, San Francisco and more. 

The Head And The Heart @ Bill Graham Civic Auditorium 7/26/2019 

photo by Marc Fong 

The Head And The Heart @ Bill Graham Civic Auditorium 7/26/2019 

photo by Marc Fong 

The show in San Francisco was at The Bill Graham Civic Auditorium on July 26th with Hippo Campus, who joined them on all of their shows in July. The boys from Saint Paul, Minnesota gave an earnest, pop-rock, opening performance in SF as the auditorium filled up that Friday night. 

The headliners came on under twinkling lights that made you feel like you were under a big night sky. The pretty aesthetic went well with their humble approach to their wholesomely warm indie-folk. In his now signature look, Jonathan Russell donned a wide-brim hat as he seamlessly shared vocals violinist Charity Rose Thielen throughout the set. The band's sweet instrumental harmonies graced the large, concrete auditorium making it feel like a cozy nook as they played: intertwining layered sounds and hymns with tender feelings. 

The Head And The Heart @ Bill Graham Civic Auditorium 7/26/2019 

photo by Marc Fong 

The Head And The Heart @ Bill Graham Civic Auditorium 7/26/2019 

photo by Marc Fong 

They kicked the night off with two new tracks  "Living Mirage" and "Missed Connection". An  acoustic-style rendition of  "Lost in my Mind" was the first throw back track of the night with "Let's Be Still", "Fireflies" and crowd favorite "All We Ever Knew" to follow. 
 The picturesque set was a lovely medley of THATH catalogue. 

The Head And The Heart @ Bill Graham Civic Auditorium 7/26/2019 

photo by Marc Fong

Russell, Thielen and Gervais gave a goose-bump worthy en-core performance of "Glory of Music" before the rest of the band joined them on stage. They closed out the night with more of a chaotic joyous noise with "Shake" and "Rivers and Roads".  

July 26th was the final show of their Summer dates but after playing Jimmy Kimmel Live! on August 1st they'll be back on the road in September. Along with a slew of headlining shows through October, The Head And The Heart will be at Pilgrimage Music Festival in Franklin Tennessee next month. 

The Head And The Heart @ Bill Graham Civic Auditorium 7/26/2019 

photo by Marc Fong 

THATH 2019 Fall tour dates 

Sept. 6th = Murat Theater at Old National Centre - Indianapolis, IN 

Sept. 8th = PNC Pavilion at Riverbend music Center - Cincinnati, OH 

Sept. 10th = Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica - Cleveland, OH 

Sept. 11th = 20 Monroe Live - Grand Rapids, MI 

Sept. 13th = Chicago Theater - Chicago, IL 

Sept. 15th = The Sylve - Madison WI 

Sept. 18th = The Armory- Minneapolis, MN 

Sept. 19th = Stephens Auditorium - Ames, IA

Sept. 21st = Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival - Franklin, TN 

Sept. 23rd = Avondale Brewing Company - Birmingham, AL

Sept. 24th = The Fillmore - New Orleans - LA 

Sept. 26th = Thomas Wolfe Auditorium - Asheville, NC 
Sept. 27th = The Tabernacle - Atlanta, GA 

Sept. 29th = Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheater - Charlotte, NC 

Oct. 1st = Red Hat Amphitheater - Raleigh, NC 

Oct. 3rd = The Anthem - Washington, DC 

Oct. 8th = The MET, Philadelphia, PA 

Oct. 9th = Palace Theater - Albany, NY 

Oct. 11th = Toyota Presents Oakdale Theatre - Wallingford, CT 

Oct. 12th = Agganis Arena - Boston, MA 

Oct. 14th = UPMC Events Center - Moon Twp, PA 

Oct. 15th = The Fillmore Detroit presented by Cricket Wireless - Detroit, MI

Oct. 16th = Palace Theatre - Columbus, OH

Oct. 18th = Algonquin Commons Theatre - Ottawa, ON 

Oct. 19th = MTELUS - Montreal, QC 

Oct. 20th = Sony Centre for the Performing Arts - Toronto, ON 

The Head And The Heart @ Bill Graham Civic Auditorium 7/26/2019 

photo by Marc Fong