Outside Lands 2009: Day 3

My apologizes for not Tweeting like a good little Web 2.0er, but I decided that my last day in the Shangri-La that is Outside Lands was going to be all about the music and good times. That's why I'm filling you in now, after the good times were had. As such, the final day of the San Francisco's second Outside Lands came to a tremendous and wild conclusion. Here were the highlights...

12:45: Chris and I shuffle through the gates and find that the overcast day keeps the sun at bay.

1:00: We go and visit our friends David and Whitney at the Farmer's Market tent. They were working, so we thought they should have visitors that are familiar. The farmers gave Chris a peach that was apparently incredible. Whitney and I discuss Outside Lands plans, Paramore, and the other blog I'm maintaining with David. We agree to meet up during M.I.A.'s set.

1:30: Chris and I camp out in front of the Twin Peaks stage, awaiting the arrival of Atmosphere. We discuss Inglorious Basterds and the whole of Quentin Tarantino. We come to the conclusion that most people like Tarantino movies for the wrong reasons. Namely, the violence.

2:15: Atmosphere takes the stage with a roaring reception from the hungry crowd. Anthony Davis settled behind his turntables as Sean "Slug" Daley took to greeting the crowd, goading them to chant "GOD LOVES UGLY!" alongside him.

2:20: After a few numbers featuring the quick wordplay of Brother Ali, Atmosphere break into a rousing rendition of "Yesterday" the thick soul beats and jaunt piano piercing through crystal clear over Slug's amped up delivery. Slug's suave spit of "Listen all ya'll/It's a Sabotage..." during "Puppets" drew a wave of applause for the Beastie Boys, who were sadly absent from the festival due to MCA's brush with cancer.

2:35: Slug taught us a new dance. It consisted him holding his hands up. Good thing it segued into the entrancing storytelling of "Less One."

3:15: Chris and I venture over to the Intel dome. We are served blue liquids in viles. We are unsure if they are an energy drink or Gatorade. We are underwhelmed by Intel's 1998 version of "The Future."

3:30: I buy some sweet potato fries. Chris and I lament on the proper uses for ginger in dipping sauces. We do not come to an appealing consensus.

4:00: We stake out an area for Modest Mouse. The wind picks up and Chris and I ridicule hipsters in bad plaid.

4:20: Issac Brock leads his indie counterparts on stage for a smooth take of "Gravity Rides Everything." This perks me up for a set that might contain a great deal of The Moon & Antarctica. It doesn't, but it hardly makes it a bad set.

4:30: The band keep a mellow tone throughout their set, drummer Joe Plummer keeping time effortlessly alongside Eric Judy's steady bass. Shockingly, Brock kept his haggard vocals in check in an attempt to follow his band. Smooth versions of "Fire It Up" and "Dashboard" really hit the crowd.

5:10: They launch into the long twangy rhythm of "The Whale Song." Brock's hypnotic guitar makes me enjoy this more than the EP version.

5:25: They don't play "Float On." Modest Mouse earn kudos from me.

5:30: Fooding commences. Hard day of rocking makes one hungry.

5:45: Steven, David, and Whitney join Chris and myself. We catch up and are informed that Jack White's band The Dead Weather was good.

6:05: M.I.A. takes the stage with horribly dressed backup dancers, a fleet of percussionists and one smooth DJ. Her costume appears to be a cheetah with heart ears. I forget the fashion, and indulge in a booming version of "Bambo Banga."

6:30: While she'd sometimes hold the mic too far away, M.I.A. was quite the show(wo)man. Her and her oddly dressed cohorts turned the Polo Fields into a gigantic dance party. Clever sampling of the Beastie Boy's "Sabotage" as she spit "Bird Flu" drew even more applause and was a nice gesture on her part.

7:00: It's clear that M.I.A. does a great job on her live show. The beats are deep and pulsing, her DJ energetic and spontaneous, and her delivery lively. "Paper Planes" closed everything nicely, sampled gun fire ringing all throughout Golden Gate Park.

7:30: We push forward for Tenacious D. The cold sets in.

7:50: After a great deal of screaming, The D make their way on stage. They take us on a rockin' odyssey where they whip out Zeppelin-influenced classics like "Wonder Boy" and defeat the Devil.

8:45: After making careful work of "The Metal" in sinks in that despite their joking stage show, Jack Black and Kyle Gass actually put on a great concert. They're voices on pitch, their energy rivaling a great classic rock band, and their acoustic playing precise, Tenacious D might be a satire on bone head rock but they end up being so much more.

9:20: I bid farewell to Outside Lands under a starry sky.

Special thanks to SPIN Magazine for awarding me free tickets. I like free music and they obliged.