Well, it’s over, everyone. Another Outside Lands has come and gone. Nojo Fries — look them up, they’re delicious — were eaten, local brews were consumed and ears were ringing after listening to three days of music. Dreams came true when Paul McCartney signed the arms of two zealous fans, and others were crushed by the last-minute cancellation of D’Angelo. Though not everyone was there to witness a live performance of “Hey Jude” or “Helter Skelter,” there were more amazing performances throughout the weekend than Sir Paul’s three-hour set, though it was definitely one for the books. Here’s a recap of some of the most vivid, memorable performances from this past dusty weekend.
Emeli Sande
This year’s music selection at Outside Lands gravitated more toward the alternative and indie rock scenes. However, soul singer-songwriter Emeli Sande brought a refreshing break from the festival norms. Sande had a full band and background singers at her disposal and made full use of them as her soaring voice captivated the audience. Some of her songs even went into overdrive, such as her vibrant, gospel-style rendition of “Breaking the Law,” a song that is normally acoustic and solemn. Others, like “My Kind of Love,” highlighted harmonizing between male and female vocals. Sande also debuted “Lifted,” a new song that began as a serene melody building to a lively, danceable climax. Much like the aforementioned song, Sande had a consistently bouncy and animated onstage demeanor, smiling as she wailed away at the microphone. Sande closed with single “Next to Me,” which left the crowd singing the song’s sickly-sweet chorus.
NIN
While Paul McCartney had his trippy lights and pyrotechnics, Nine Inch Nails’ Saturday headlining performance proved to have the most stunning, mesmerizing and downright chilling stage show. Visuals included your typical light and fog styles in addition to enlarged shadows of the band superimposed onto scratchy, static video displays and swirling strobe lights. One of the most memorable images occurred during the twisted, animalistic sex anthem “Closer,” accompanied with singer Trent Reznor’s head digitized with an electric blue hue and projected onto a flowing red background. Other tracks included new songs like “Came Back Haunted,” and lesser-known tracks like “The Warning.” After inducing a massive headbanging frenzy with “Head Like a Hole,” Reznor came out one more time to close with a solemnly soothing rendition of “Hurt” as the murky yellow spotlight slowly faded on what was by far one of the weekend’s most captivating performances.
Vampire Weekend
It’s pretty hard to not want to at the very least swing your hips when New York lads Vampire Weekend start up a show from the opening licks of “Cousins” to the warm keys of “Oxford Comma.” With just a giant mirror and a backdrop of flowers as their only stage decor, the band turned the Polo Fields into a dance party where people could get down and boogie to funky jams like the classic stomper “A-Punk” but could also relax and sway with comforting tunes like “Hannah Hunt.” Fans also got to see tracks that incorporated the live voice-pitch manipulation, such as on the twisty-turvy single “Diane Young.” Keyboardist Rostam Batmanglij brought the vocal manipulation into full effect on the chorus of “Ya Hey.” Much like the chorus of “Ya Hey,” the crowd blissfully rose and fell, like an ocean of melodies, to the everlasting tunes.
Midi Matilda
Just as the sun was coming out on Friday afternoon, Midi Matilda opened up the Twin Peaks stage to a crowd ready to sway in the sun. The duo were ready for the crowd with Logan Grime on drums and vocalist Skyler Kilborn thrashing away at an electric guitar, which brought an analog feel to an otherwise digital, electronic band. While synths were still used, Grime and Killborn tweaked songs like “Ottawa” and “Day Dreams” to fit the guitar into it, with Kilborn ripping out screeching solos one moment and then switching to a plastic guitar frame-encased iPad for synth manipulation. The pair also made use of their backdrop, which cascaded between geometric, nature and silhouette videos throughout each song. All these components together further highlighted the duo’s passion, with Grime and Kilborn breaking out in a LMFAO-inspired dance routine before they left the stage.
Ian Birnam covers music. Contact him at [email protected].