Lana Del Rey wowed fans on day two of “Outside Lands” with a roughly 75-minute performance that was visibly linked to the massive crowd that had gathered to headline the pop star on Saturday, August 12 watching the festival's Twin Peaks stage.
Some fans seemed on the verge of tears, so incredibly touched by the music's elegant and ethereal nature, as Del Rey played through tracks from at least seven studio albums from her fantastic catalogue.
The most dramatic parts of their set – and believe me, there was plenty to choose from – came as the crowd got up and sort of took over the lead vocals, passionately singing a number like “Summertime Sadness” like it was the right thing to do song in human history.
Well, the main single, of course, until Del Rey sang the next number.
Overall, she displayed an almost Taylor Swift-like connection with her fans throughout her winning set.
Lana del Rey – did you know there is a tunnel under Ocean Boulevard? #OutsideLands pic.twitter.com/6zCdRMNjUw
– MORE (@mrmorevlogs) August 13, 2023
The multi-platinum pop star's performance was a definite highlight of a strong second day of the festival, which also featured performances from Foo Fighters, Maggie Rogers, Alvvays, Conan Gray and more than two dozen other acts.
The festival, which celebrates its 15th anniversary this year, kicked off Friday with hip-hop hero Kendrick Lamar, NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal (with a DJ set under the stage name Diesel), funk-soul powerhouse Janelle Monae and others.
Outside Lands 2023 was set to continue on Sunday with Texas dream-pop band Cigarettes After Sex, Houston hip-hop star Megan Thee Stallion and incredibly popular electronic music act Odesza.
The second best set I saw on Saturday came courtesy of Alvvays, the groovy Canadian indie pop act who became a college radio darling with the release of their self-titled debut album in 2014.
The quintet – consisting of singer/guitarist Molly Rankin, keyboardist Kerri MacLellan, guitarist Alec O'Hanley, bassist Abbey Blackwell and drummer Sheridan Riley – performed on the main Lands End stage in the middle of the day and spent much of the day his 14-song set promoting his latest album, 2022's amazing Blue Rev.
Rankin proved to be an impressive frontwoman, capturing the audience's attention with her seductive vocals and solid guitar work, and the rest of the band was also extremely on point.
Alvvays' sound should appeal to fans of '90s alternative rock band The Sundays – but also to people who love dreamy yet driving indie pop music.
The Foo Fighters took the stage at the same time as Lana Del Rey, drawing their own huge audience onto the Lands End stage. It was the group's first Bay Area show since the death of popular drummer Taylor Hawkins at the age of 50 in March 2022.
Led by the always energetic Dave Grohl, the Foos opened their headlining set with a powerful version of “All My Life” and followed it up with an equally powerful “The Pretender”. They would spice up “No Son of Mine” with a little “Enter Sandman,” but you wish Grohl had played the whole track—because it would have been great to hear the Metallica classic right in the Bay Area band's backyard.
Josh Freese, the band's new drummer, did a great job on the decor. Freese may be new to the band but he's certainly not new to the music business – he's played/recorded with everyone from Devo and the Nine Inch Nails to Sting and Michael Buble.
Speaking of Buble, for reasons as obscure as the famous San Francisco fog that blanketed the festival site late in the day, the Canadian crooner did show up and guest-star with the Foo Fighters.
Other acts to wow fans on Day 2 included Niki, Maggie Rogers, Conan Gray, Zack Fox and Mariah the Scientist.
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