Outside Lands returns to Golden Gate Park this Fri/5-Sun/7, which is less than a year since the festival took place last Halloween weekend. I dug into the full lineup, listened to some of the many artists who felt fun to vibe with, turned on my turntables and recorded an exclusive mix to enjoy—whether or not you’re checking out the main event.
Listen via the embedded link below, and keep reading for more information on the song and artist selection.
Sampa The Great, “Final Form”
Born in Zambia, Sampa The Great studied at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco for two years before moving to Australia to study and build her music career. “Final Form” (2019) won an ARIA, the Australian equivalent of a GRAMMY, and incorporates sonic elements from around the world. This should be a special gig for her.
The Linda Lindas, “Racist, Sexist Boy”
The young women who went viral for their live performance in a Los Angeles library last year have been touring the country and are now a late addition to the Outside Lands lineup. They’re clearly going to nail it.
Wet Leg, “Too Late Now”
British indie rock darlings Wet Leg can charm even the most jaded within a few notes, and their festival set promises a deep dose of cuteness.
Larry June featuring Monroe Flow, “Trap Larry” (Nik Luis Edit)
The real Bay will surely turn out to see rapper and boba entrepreneur Larry June be his smooth self on stage. One can only dream about who might join him!
Lil Uzi Vert, ”Celebration Station”
This East Coast artist has been derided as a “mumble rapper,” but it’s pretty likely that he’ll harness and ride lightning in a bottle on stage this weekend—you can feel it in a song like “Celebration Station.”
Craze, “Scratch Sentence #1”
This “sentence” was presumably made with DJs in mind to isolate snippets to cut and scratch with, but it’s also worth hearing in its entirety!
Disclosure featuring Kehlani & Syd, “Birthday” (MJ Cole Remix)
English brothers Guy and Howard Lawrence are a solid choice for those who want to dance like it’s their very own special day at Outside Lands. Kehlani and Syd aren’t expected to perform with Disclosure over the weekend, but “Birthday” felt like a festive inclusion.
Miles Davis and Robert Glasper featuring Stevie Wonder—“Right On Brotha”
Award-winning jazz pianist Robert Glasper has had some of the illest collaborations with artists on both sides of the afterlife. The guest star potential for his festival set is just ridiculous.
Maxo Kream—”Pop Another”
A Nigerian-American rapper from Houston, Maxo Kream displays a mastery of creating catchy party tracks with “Pop Another.”
Purple Disco Machine—“Street Life”
This German producer releases a lot of singles that edit and remix old-school American hip-hop and disco tracks. Sample spotters can have a field day with “Street Life.”
Kali Uchis—“Telepatia (HNDRD PCT Remix)”
A lively house remix of “Telepatia” gives the international pop hit some extra bump for the dancefloor.
Amémé—“Balafonerra”
My weekend wish list includes catching this West African DJ and techno producer from Benin who lives in Berlin and Brooklyn. “Balafonerra” could drive a dancefloor anywhere in the world.
Kim Petras—“Slut Pop”
It seems guaranteed that the German transgender pop star Petras’ performance will be one of most fun and provocative at Outside Lands, with songs like “Slut Pop” and “Throat Goat.” I’m looking forward to the people-watching.
Disclosure—”Energy”
It felt necessary to include this recent single from Disclosure in addition to “Birthday.” “Energy” takes a motivational speaker’s advice and puts it into action. “Where your focus goes, your energy flows!”
SZA, ”The Weekend”
Men could only wish for more women who are as open-minded about infidelity as SZA is on “The Weekend.” She just wants her few days to keep him satisfied.
Jack Harlow, “Side Piece”
While I’m still not engaging too much with the white rapper, I will fully admit that there is one recurring lyric in “Side Piece” that makes me laugh and I’m starting to open my mind. I suspect he will be a crowd pleaser at Outside Lands.
Green Day, “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)”
The prom classic from Saturday night’s headliner clearly had to be the closer of this set! The band has already been doing live shows and dusting off certain songs for the first time in over 20 years, so it’ll be interesting to see what Green Day saves for this big Bay Area performance.
Listen to more 48 Hills mixes from Tamara Palmer:
