The second day of Outside Lands returned in full force on Saturday. This was the first day of the event that sold out as a single-day event, and the massive crowds gathered to see the likes of Wallows, Flume and Childish Gambino were a testament to how hyped the Bay Area was about this day’s slate of artists. Plenty of artists also had fun with how marijuana could be legally sold and used within Golden Gate Park, a first for the major festival. “Canna-bliss, am I right?” quipped Wallows vocalist/guitarist Dylan Minnette during the band’s afternoon set. “We at the first festival with legal weed,” Childish Gambino later added in his transcendent headlining set. “Make some noise for that.” Here are five acts that burned bright on the second day:
Delacey
Delacey sparked an impromptu dance party to help kick off the afternoon at the Panhandle Stage. After rolling through “The Subway Song”, a melancholy cut of synth-pop bliss, the LA-based singer attracted a group of fans bouncing along in the front for the next two songs. She briefly dialed things back for the down-tempo “Too Poor to Live in LA”, but ramped the energy back up shortly thereafter. The fans responded in kind by picking up the dancing again and even tossing a couple personal items onstage. “I got a flower, I got a bra, mama’s happy,” Delacey said with a grin.
Wallows
It’s safe to say that there were quite a few Dylan Minnette fans watching Wallows’ set at the Land’s End Stage. Every time the steely gaze of the guitarist/vocalist popped up on the video boards flanking the stage, the band was met by shrieks of adoration. The LA rockers grabbed the attention of the crowd from the get-go with a ripping cover of Violent Femmes’ “Blister in the Sun”. In the middle, they even interspersed their spin on The Beatles’ “Blackbird.” Of course, the band rocked through a decent portion of their catalog as well, with a jangly, laidback style reminiscent of The Strokes. Minnette and fellow guitarist/vocalist Braeden Lemasters delivered frantic dueling riffs to open “Remember When”. The crowd waved their hands in unison on “Pictures of Girls”. And Minnette implored the crowd to sing along one last time on closer “Scrawny” — and the audience eagerly obliged.
Edie Brickell & New Bohemians
“These are the New Bohemians,” Edie Brickell said as she introduced her band. “We’ve been playing together since we were 18, so this is fun.” The veteran band’s effortless chemistry was on full display throughout the set, even as this was their first gig of 2019. Brickell got the crowd clapping along to the skittering riff and jamming bassline on “Exaggerate.” The singer showed off her effervescent, sturdy vocals on “Nothing.” And guitarist Kenny Withrow was a constant highlight throughout the set as well, delivering reverb-drenched riffs and sprawling solos on “Green Magic” and their big hit “What I Am”.
Better Oblivion Community Center
Better Oblivion Community may have only released their debut album within the past year, but Conor Oberst and Phoebe Bridgers already have their harmonies (and introductions for each other) down pat. On the opening track of their set, “My City”, the two singers each held a soaring note as they crooned the “wear a smile like it’s camouflage” line. And though the duo’s collaborative tracks are generally pretty low-key, the band’s heavier moments were the most exciting parts of the set. Oberst delivered a headbanging riff on “Big Black Heart”. And the two ramped up their crowd interaction over the throbbing synth beat of “Exception to the Rule”. Oberst splayed out on all fours in front of a camera operator; Bridgers sang her vocals seated on the edge of the stage. In the latter half of the set, the band also unleashed their spirited first single “Dylan Thomas” to raucous cheers from the audience.
Childish Gambino
If there’s a single defining moment of this Outside Lands, it may just be when Childish Gambino began his set (which he called “the second to last show we’ll be doing”) on a hydraulic-lifted b-stage above thousands of screaming fans.
The crowd was enraptured from the start, and as the emcee sashayed to the stage, he declared, “We just found out this is the biggest crowd we’ve ever had at Outside Lands.”
This massive audience witnessed Childish Gambino’s transformation into a true musical Renaissance man, incorporating elements of hip-hop, R&B, soul, funk and gospel into his live music melting pot. Gambino gave way to a searing guitar solo on early track “I. The Worst Guys”. On “II. Worldstar”, he descended into the crowd to show just how you should take a video of him (“hold it horizontal”).With the backing of a live band, these Because the Internet tracks took on new life. Ditto for “V. 3005” and “IV. Sweatpants”, which featured some funky bongos.
Throughout the set, Gambino also made sure to give many heartfelt shout-outs to the local scene beyond the standard banter. He talked about “III. Telegraph Ave. (”Oakland” by Lloyd)”, and likened the Bay Area to a friend you met on the first day of college and are still super close with. In another poignant moment, the singer recalled that “when I lost my dad, Ryan Coogler was the first one to hit me,” referring to the Oakland-born director of Black Panther, Fruitvale Station and Creed.
In addition to recent hits like “This Is America” and “Summertime Magic”, Gambino even gave a preview of a new track as he commanded “everybody in this crowd to bounce when this beat drop.” When the beat did drop, the crowd pulsed up and down as far as the eye could see.
Gambino closed out his set with “Redbone”, strafing through the crowd once more and reaching as many fans as possible. As he returned to the stage, he spilled on the floor but rallied to close out the set at the fierce urging of the crowd. Earlier in the evening, Gambino said he would rate this audience on a 1-10 scale. “You guys are at a 14,” he said with a grin. “I like doing these shows because I get to see the future right in front of me.”
