Outside Lands 2009: Day 1, Part 1 - Pictures, Review

Well, it appears that the weather is significantly more on Outside Lands' side this year than it was last year. While last year's Friday date was overcast and chilly, this year was quite the opposite. The festival started out yesterday to blue skies and some killer San Francisco weather, and today appears to have the same in store. Can't really argue with that. Luckily, HAD will be on hand to enjoy the weekend in full, so keep checking back with us for updates. Here're some of the highlights from the first half of yesterday to get you going.


We started our day with Autolux, and we have to say, it was definitely the start of the day. The band delivered a totally solid set, but the crowd was a tad thin. The fact of the matter is that midday Friday is just a tough slot to get people packed in for. We were psyched to get to catch the band live, and really we think they deserved a bit more of a central time slot.

Built To Spill delivered their typically bullet proof set to their legions of devotees, and as is to be expected did so in highly stoic form. It's amazing that these guys can rock out, sound amazing, and look like they're about to fall asleep. Granted, it's part of their live persona, but sometimes we just wish we could see a bit of excitement in their live show.


The Dodos built up on their live set from Wednesday night by delivering another completely solid show. The crowd's enthusiasm was just as evident as it was at the Rickshaw, and we have to say that this band is dangerously close to being in "do no wrong" territory. They simply kill live, and there's no ifs ands or buts about it. Case in point: the mass of fans who waited it out to get there early for the set, and definitely got the payoff they were looking for.

We weren't exactly sure what to expect from Silversun Pickups after hearing that they hadn't quite delivered at Coachella. Well, we have to say: they certainly delivered in San Francisco. The band rocked out in the best way possible (including a little tribute to Sabbath's "Iron Man"), and had a definite rapport with the crowd. We don't know how things work in SoCal, but rest assured that at Outside Lands, rock is alive and well.

So, there you have it kids - your first field report from Outside Lands 2009. We'll have more coming down the wire, but meantime get out there and enjoy the day - it's gonna be a killer one!

Many more photos at the HAD Archive
Photos by Rick Audet