This month, San Francisco, California hosted the eclectic festival Outside Lands, a festival that brings together acts from a truly diverse branch of genre with the whimsical nature and wondrous setting of one of Northern California's most magical forests.
This years Outside Lands had something for everyone, ranging from elusive left field rap icons such as Billy Woods and Schoolboy Q to the poppy inclusion of Chappel Roan and Sabrina Carpenter. With the inclusion of a new space, the SOMA Stage, focusing solely on electronic and house acts, the line up was stacked this year so EARMILK went and saw numerous artists I've never seen live before and the following five gave a noteworthy performance.
Rocco
Rocco is actually based out of New Jersey but took the gigantic leap of moving to L.A right after high school. His intimate style of bedroom indie is akin to an early Michael Seyer or Rex Orange County. His performance carried that same level of interconnected passion throughout the entire set for the Sutro stage and was a real treat for new listeners such as myself. His closing song was his new single “What Am I To You?” but it was sung with a filter that gave the audio the same static sound as an early home telephone, really giving it a haunting effect and a lasting impression of his artistry.
P1nkstar
P1nkstar is a real one because she came all the way from Austin Texas, bringing the cowboy energy not just to her performance but to the stage attire as well. One element incorporating this was her DJ, sporting a very CAMP wrestler costume. P1nkstar was one of the final acts on the DOLORES stage for Friday, highlighting other vibrant LGBT+ acts.
P1nkstar is an electric artist who brought even more electrifying energy to her set, urging all nearby to not only dance but really free their inhibitions and revel in their authentic selves.
Lady wray
Lady Wray is one of the most exciting names on the Big Crown Records roster, fostering an admiration for golden soul music, while forwarding the genre to new and ambitious heights. Wray had the golden opportunity to start Saturday with a bang as the first performer for the Lands End stage, performing some stand-out hits from her 2022 project Piece of Me, really easing the crowd for what would come later that day.
With Wray performing some golden R&B cuts, she ended her set with an homage from an earlier time. After bringing some colleagues on stage, they actually ended with a cover of “Didn’t I” by Darondo, which was sampled in her song “Melody.” A great way to tie the old and the new.
AG Club
Out of all the rap performances, the Bay Area duo was very involved with the crowd, often riding a bike around the VIP walk and physically getting the mosh pit organized. This was the group's first appearance at the San Francisco festival and they did not waste any time becoming an instantly recognizable name. Despite being so early in the day, the group performed on all cylinders, performing a number of songs from their 2024 release Brodie World, along with other notables from their catalog. The crowd was a mix of half-dedicated Yay Arean stans and new listeners and the two matched the energy sonically.
Darumas
The trio consisting of Aldana, Ceci, and Vedala blessed the Sutro stage at the start of Saturday, showcasing their revolutionary sound influenced by Latin funk and pop to an unbeknownst San Francisco crowd. The three have been on a hot streak since the release of their debut LP, which they performed during their set.
The three bring a multitude of sounds and influences from all over the Latine diaspora, culminating in something that sounds inherently inventive yet familiar at the same time. Mixed with their dynamic chemistry and stage presence, they really represent a girl group you want to root for, creating sounds that are meant to bring everyone together.
Photo provided by the Outside Lands team
