Outside Lands Music Festival, Greening and Gearing Up

Heather Jacks
May 31, 2013
3 min read

Summer is here, the beer is chilled, the barbeques are fired up and festival season is upon us. With so many festivals happening around the globe, it would be impossible to even scratch the surface of the season; so I will focus on what’s literally, right in my own backyard: Outside Lands. Outside Lands is a music festival that is relatively young. The first one being held in 2008, in which Radiohead and Beck were the headlining acts. Since then, it has grown into a massive orgiastic feast of food—(some illicit/some not), beer, wine, celebration and amazing music. This year, Sir Paul McCartney and The Red Hot Chili Peppers will be the headlining acts; but, Outside Lands, like most music festivals will be peppered with stages and musical spaces throughout the 1017 acre Golden Gate Park; and it is on these stages that you will discover those indie acts that are building a fan base one person at a time, selling their merchandise and playing their hearts out on the smaller stages and intimate alcoves. It is here that you will discover the next great song you are going to hear.

Over the next few weeks, I will be catching up with many of these indie folks who will be taking the stages at Outside Lands, and introducing you to them and their sound. These are hardworking musicians who are not doing it by themselves; but are doing it without the support of a major record label. In the upcoming weeks, if you dig what you hear, dig a little deeper and grab a CD for yourself or for a gift. In the indie world, a little goes a very long way. Remember, in indie we trust. First, let’s back up a little bit and check out what Outside Lands is all about.

Golden Gate Park is a vision, specifically the vision of John McLaren. In the late 1800’s, the development of the park began, when the state legislature passed an act bringing the Parks and Recreation Commission into existence. Directly thereafter, the Parks Commission began to sell bonds to finance park improvements. Enough bonds were sold and Engineer William Hammond Hall and his assistant, John McLaren, master gardener, won the contract to survey the potential for Golden Gate Park. In 1871, fences, grading and water were installed and 22,000 quick growing trees were delivered to the park. Visitors began to arrive by the thousands. But the park was wrought with challenges across the board; from engineering to financial; political to social. Golden Gate Park was literally created from sand dunes. The land was considered inaccessible and uninhabitable and located in the then unincorporated area west of San Francisco. The area was known as the Outside Lands. The park itself was never meant to be modest. It was meant to provide San Franciscans with a feeling of spaciousness and freedom within the 7 square mile island they inhabited. John McLaren lived in Golden Gate Park until he died at the age of 96 in 1943. Today Golden Gate Park houses so much great stuff; a music concourse, museums, arboretum, conservatory of flowers, botanical gardens, lakes, stadium, polo fields, windmills, bison, carousel, and so much more. Today the park continues to be modified, expanded upon and beautifully maintained.

The Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival lovingly referred to simply as; Outside Lands are known throughout the world. It is held in August of every year, presenting art installations and musical acts from across the globe. There are several stages; Lands End Stage, Twin Peaks Stage, Panhandle Stage, Sutro Stage and Presidio Stage, all named after various neighborhoods of the City by the Bay. Well over 60,000 people will attend the festival throughout the weekend.

And true to San Francisco fashion, a city that has set a Zero Waste goal by 2020; Outside Lands has made a huge move in keeping the city on track to meet this goal, with the ban of plastic bags, recycling and compost bins set up everywhere, bike valets, rideshare opportunities, solar powered stages, a recycling store, refillable water stations to decrease the use of plastic bottles, 100% bio-degradable and compostable cups, plates, utensils and ‘compost bins’. Don’t know which bin to put your refuse in? Find a ‘Trash Talker’! These are easily identifiable volunteers who will guide the green day all the way. They also have Eco-Lands which are educational seminars and workshops that showcase urban gardening, locally sourced food, farmer’s markets, sustainable living and more.