Outside Lands 2016 review: Tech lands, basically

Radiohead, LCD Soundsystem and more: Will 2016 be remembered as the year Outside Lands hit peak tech?

Probably not, but it did feel like the festival truly mirrored the controversial state of San Francisco.

Camp Grounded, the relaxing space where technology was ditched in favor of typewriters, face paint and tiny folk shows, was no more. In its place, bartenders shook up craft cocktails while magicians blew drunk people’s minds with card tricks. Those people also could only pay for their drinks via wristband, which could be loaded with denominations of $5 via long line or app.

The new payment system drove some attendees—and vendors—crazy, particularly when problems inevitably arose and everyone was briefly forced to barter in cash Friday evening. How archaic.

In bathroom lines, strangers struck up the prescribed conversation: “How could an app make this more efficient?” “Wouldn’t an app improve the lines at the comedy tent?” “How can my startup make Outside Lands really great?”

Meanwhile, a cool-looking, interactive-seeming, steampunk installation turned out to just be another place to download an app.

That all said, a sold-out crowd of 210,000 people didn’t flock to Golden Gate Park last weekend just for mini-golf paired with wine tasting. The star attraction remains the music, with the highest anticipation this year reserved for Radiohead.

It was a special booking for Outside Lands, as Radiohead was the first band to ever play at night in its inaugural year. This time around, the band focused on its new record, A Moon Shaped Pool, and complemented those songs with other low-tempo tracks dating back to Kid A. All together, the set was more beautiful than epic, with moments so quiet you could hear a couple whispering across the field.

LCD Soundsystem’s headlining set on Friday delivered a disco ball and dance party for thousands of fans so relieved they didn’t miss out on seeing their favorite act live like they once thought. Before the set, the word “redemption” filled the air.

Grimes easily gave one of the best performances of the weekend, accompanied by fierce dancers, heavy bass and killer hooks. Just when you’d think she’d settled into a pop star role, she’d collapse and unleash a high-pitched, murderous scream, followed by metal-esque, possessed-sounding growls.

After watching Grimes move like a short-circuiting robot, a neighboring tween made an insightful evaluation: “Ew, Grimes is weird.” Then she left, probably to get in line for a ramenburger.

A more enthusiastic crowd formed Sunday afternoon for Dr. Teeth & the Electric Mayhem. Yes, that’s the Muppets house band. Yes, it’s hilarious that thousands of people gathered to essentially watch Muppets YouTube videos together.

Still, in a festival climate where every lineup starts to look the same, the Muppets proved to be a huge get for Outside Lands. This was the first and potentially only time Dr. Teeth & the Electric Mayhem played “live” for a real audience.

Other fun surprises: Third Eye Blind performed a David Bowie medley with a 30-person choir and 12-person orchestra; E-40 and Warren G gave an unannounced pop-up set on Saturday night; and a small brass band randomly marched second line-style through the grounds on Friday afternoon.

Culinary attractions got ramped up even further this year. In addition to the aforementioned Cocktail Magic area, there was also a new, spacious cafe by Four Barrel; Outside Clams, a spot devoted to seafood such as oysters and lobster rolls; and an intimate, $175, four-course dining experience in the forest. Wine Lands offered its biggest selection yet—and doubled as a much-needed break from college kids who preferred soaking tampons in vodka.

The Barbary saw some of its longest, most dedicated lines ever, with folks queueing hours in advance with hopes of catching Portlandia star Fred Armisen in the comedy tent. Saturday Night Live writer John Mulaney and Paul F. Tompkins, voice of Mr. Peanutbutter on BoJack Horseman, drew long, angry waits as well. Seriously, the Barbary could really use its own app or something.