Remy Supar, of Albany enjoys Weezer's set at Outside Lands, on Sunday, Aug. 7, 2022.
Outside Lands 2022 has come and gone, leaving festivalgoers young and old with memories they'll never forget, as well as a few they'd rather not remember.
Throughout the three-day event, SFGATE had five writers on the grounds of Golden Gate Park soaking up all the action. Everyone agreed that the real MVP of the festival was the weather, which may have been the best in at least a decade. But beyond the sunny skies, here are our takeaways of favorite moments, as well as some things that could use improvement in 2023.
SZA, center, performs at Outside Lands in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco on Aug. 5, 2022.
It can be hard to create a personal connection when you're playing to tens of thousands of people, but SZA's charming and understated banter between sets gave me a new appreciate for her music. Bonus points for pulling it off while being fresh off a tough case of COVID-19. — Dan Gentile
Phoebe Bridgers performs at Outside Lands in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco on Friday, Aug. 5, 2022.
When you hear an artist play “Down with the Sickness” swiftly followed by “Motion Sickness” as flames erupt on the screen behind them, you think to yourself, “Surely nothing could be better than this.” Yet, Phoebe Bridgers’ Friday night performance was full of surprising contradictions.
Despite the otherwise balmy day, a drizzle washed over the Twin Peaks stage as she crooned the chorus of “Moon Song,” setting the tone for the emotional set that lasted just over an hour. And while her heart-wrenching lyricism and dreary harmonies certainly made for a moody evening, the joy among festivalgoers was palpable. Bridgers passed the mic to a couple of lucky fans to sing “Scott Street,” and the memorable show came to a close as she bounded off the stage to crowd surf. — Amanda Bartlett
Bay rappers have a penchant for somehow turning their slowest songs into head-bopping dance tracks. Expectedly, Larry June hit that stride with ease. What was unexpected for those who hadn’t seen June live were the real oranges being thrown out into the crowd like T-shirts, and the constant words of affirmation. Larry June showed that although he has a sound tailored for true hip-hop heads, he can command the crowd like he’s been selling out arenas for decades. Good job, Larry. — Rod Benson
A wait time of 30 minutes for festivalgoers to enter the SOMA Tent at Outside Lands in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco on Aug. 6, 2022.
I was familiar with most of the artists on the bill for the SOMA Tent, but aside from DJ Seinfeld and Avalon Emerson, there wasn't much to my taste. That said, I love dropping in on a superstar like Dixon, just to see what they're playing and how the crowd reacts.
But every time I walked by the SOMA tent, there was a 30-minute wait to get in. That's an eternity in festival time, especially if you only want to sample a few minutes of a set. Expanding the 2,000-person capacity of the tent seems tough, but it wouldn't be hard to create an outdoor dancing area with a projection screen so more people could sample more of the DJ talent. — Dan Gentile
“Don’t cry,” one fan said to another as the opening chords of Mitski’s 2016 hit “Your Best American Girl” rang out from the Sutro Stage. “I’m not going to cry,” her friend agreed.
By the time the song was over, I glanced over my shoulder. Tears were streaming down both of their faces, and they were locked in an embrace.
Severe and spellbinding all at once, the indie powerhouse had everyone in the crowd hanging on her every word during the final evening of Outside Lands. Awash in red-tinted stage lights, Mitski resembled the heroine of a 1970s horror movie (Jessica Harper in “Suspiria” came to mind) as she stalked the stage before breaking out into Butoh-influenced choreography during the synth-laden standout “The Only Heartbeaker” from her newest album, “Laurel Hell.”
She conveyed emotional ferocity as she slowly licked the microphone, punched the air, and mimed walking around on marionette strings. It could have been a callback to her music video for “Love Me More,” in which she encounters a creepy, puppet version of herself. Or it could have been a reference to her apprehensive relationship with the music industry and her fans, both of which she has said she felt commodified by in the past.
“Thank you for connecting,” she said to the audience at the end of the night. “Thank you for giving your hearts and your time.” — Amanda Bartlett
Speedy, cheaper than an Uber or Lyft and faster than taking Muni. They are well worth the cost. That said, it would be ideal if the shuttles required (or even highly recommended) masks on the half-hour shuttle. It is not a big ask. — Joshua Bote
There isn’t a version of PawPaw Rod that can be bad, so there’s no need to go there. What felt weird was watching him perform his hits while Ravi Kapur made papaya-marinated pork belly. The audience could hardly see what the cooking process was, they damn sure didn’t get to taste the food, and going from watching a charismatic and inspired set to an awkward interview about food no one is actually going to make at home felt forced at best. — Rod Benson
Pussy Riot performs at the Panhandle stage at Outside Lands in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco on Sunday, Aug. 7, 2022.
As much as I support Pussy Riot, I've seen them at festivals before and been underwhelmed by the music, which felt like half-baked deconstructed club music. But this show was a dramatic departure, a tight set of grungy pop music. It verged into nu metal territory at times, but frontwoman Nadezhda Tolokonnikova has earned the right to rage. It was refreshing that the quality of the music finally matches the resonance of her message. — Dan Gentile
The GastroMagic Culinary Stage at Outside Lands in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, Calif. on Aug. 6, 2022.
Popular YouTuber Babish (Andrew Rea), known for his cooking show “Binging with Babish,” in which he reimagines fictional foods from TV shows like “Bob’s Burgers,” joined forces with digital hyperpop duo 100 gecs to prepare a meal honoring their 2022 single “Doritos & Fritos.”
Fittingly, it was Dorito pie, a concoction of chilies, tomato paste, garlic, cornmeal, ground beef and queso, all served in a single-serving bag of the namesake snack. Prior to making the dish, Laura Les confided that she was a “terrible cook,” with the exception of making a mean box of mac and cheese.
It's safe to say the audience had no idea what to expect, but they definitely weren’t disappointed. There’s nothing like being in a crowd of hundreds of people screaming with joy at the sight of an online celebrity chopping an onion. At one point, everyone started chanting for beef, and then stone fruit after a kind fan offered the musicians an apple he had purchased from the farmers market earlier that morning. It was goofy and glorious — and the few people who got to taste the finished meal gave it a thumbs up of approval. — Amanda Bartlett
A festivalgoer waits for a portable toilet at Outside Lands in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco on Aug. 6, 2022.
Proof that you should broaden your musical horizons beyond the main stage; you're rewarded with relatively clean stalls with brief lines — a miracle for a festival of Outside Lands' stature. — Joshua Bote
Perhaps it was my brief experience with the Golden Gate Club's pristine toilets, but something needs to be done about the Lands End bathroom situation. I understand that by the end of the night they're going to be a literal s—t show, my issue is the 20-minute wait to use them. Other areas like Twin Peaks admittedly have smaller lines, but the trek from the main stage takes equally as long. — Dan Gentile
Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day performs at Outside Lands in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco on Aug. 6, 2022.
Near the end of Green Day’s explosive performance at San Francisco’s Outside Lands on Saturday night, front man Billie Joe Armstrong told a story reminding the crowd that one of the top bands in the world had started out in the Bay Area’s underground punk scene.
Armstrong recalled a time in 1991 when they played at SF's Dolores Park with a bunch of other punk bands.
“The cops came and shut it down. … They didn’t shut this one down,” Armstrong shouted. Read SFGATE's full review. — Amy Graff
Festivalgoers take the McLaren Pass at Outside Lands in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco on Aug. 6, 2022.
My problem with navigating Outside Lands was twofold. The print map lacked a list of artists, set times and stages, while the map in the mobile app often failed to provide a point of reference that showed where I was on the festival grounds, despite using my location. The designated passageways for VIP passholders seemed excessive and made it even more difficult for regular festivalgoers to walk from stage to stage when they often had just a few minutes to spare between shows. Our feet ached enough as it was, so avoiding the guesswork of aimlessly wandering around would have been nice. — Amanda Bartlett
I've been to Warriors games with worse reception than Outside Lands. Hats off to whoever was responsible — I was able to text my friends even during the mass exodus of festivalgoers at the end of the night. — Joshua Bote
Weezer performs at the Lands End stage, during the final day of Outside Lands, on Sunday, Aug. 7, 2022.
There was a magical moment during Weezer's Sunday afternoon set when they were playing a cover of Toto's "Africa." I looked up, and there was not a cloud in the sky, just a beautiful sun coming out from over the eucalyptus trees. — Amy Graff
It may not seem like it, but Outside Lands is convenient as hell. There are long lines for bathrooms and food, and the SOMA Tent is akin to waiting in a line for Space Mountain, and yet Outside Lands is one of the easiest music festivals out there. The bathrooms are rarely more than a couple hundred yards away, food is everywhere and there are diverse offerings even in the same food category. Plus the longest walk between stages is a lot shorter than at Coachella. Even the general admission entrance is just minutes from the street, and entry is a breeze because security is only checking for weapons and not weed (again, like they do at Coachella). Long lines be damned, the entire festival has a VIP feel even if the festivalgoers don’t know it. — Rod Benson
The Linda Lindas perform at Outside Lands in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2022.
Hot on the heels of an electrifying performance at Mosswood Meltdown in Oakland, the Linda Lindas are an endearing force to be reckoned with. The Los Angeles punk band — guitarist Bela Salazar, 17, drummer Mila de la Garza, 11, her sister and guitarist Lucia de la Garza, 14, and their cousin and bassist Eloise Wong, 13 — was a treat for fans who arrived at the festival bright and early (read: at noon) on Saturday.
Known for their viral hit “Racist, Sexist Boy,” the riot grrrl revival group raced through a frenzied set of songs about loneliness, self-doubt and cats with all the vigor of their mentors — like Go-Go’s drummer Gina Schock, who joined them on stage for a cover of “Tonite” from the band’s legendary 1981 record “Beauty and the Beat.” I can’t wait to see what this band does next. — Amanda Bartlett
Rina Sawayama at Outside Lands 2022.
Easily one of the most captivating shows of the weekend, the British pop ingenue very well should have been a headliner — or at least deserved the promotion of a set at Lands End. Read more about her Saturday show in our review. — Joshua Bote
It’s a small thing, but the convenience and proximity of the show meant that scalpers were essentially as much a part of the experience as anyone. There was no walking in and out without having to say “no” over and over again to the seemingly endless hordes of dudes screaming, “I need tickets!” — Rod Benson
Dan Gentile is the culture editor at SFGATE. He moved to San Francisco from Austin, TX where he worked as a vinyl DJ and freelance writer covering food and music. His writing has been featured in Texas Monthly, American Way, Rolling Stone, Roads & Kingdoms, VICE, Thrillist and more. Email: Dan.Gentile@sfgate.com.
Amy Graff is the news editor for SFGATE. She was born and raised in the Bay Area and got her start in news at the Daily Californian newspaper at UC Berkeley where she majored in English literature. She has been with SFGATE for more than 10 years. You can email her at agraff@sfgate.com.
Amanda Bartlett is a culture reporter for SFGATE. Prior to joining the newsroom in 2019, she worked for the Roxie Theater, Noise Pop and Frameline Film Festival. She lives in San Francisco with her rabbit, Cheeto. Send her an email at amanda.bartlett@sfgate.com.
Joshua Bote is an assistant news editor for SFGATE. He grew up in the Los Angeles area, went to UC Berkeley and has previously worked as a reporter at USA Today and a music writer at NPR. Email: joshua.bote@sfgate.com
Rod Benson is a columnist for SFGATE, a fine artist, and a former professional basketball player for the NBA D-League and Korean Basketball League. He's previously written for Yahoo Sports! and SLAM magazine and is a graduate of U.C. Berkeley.