Outside Lands 2009: Day 3 - Pictures, Review

Day 3 at Outside Lands brought about the return of what many would consider to be "typical" concert weather in San Francisco. Which is to say, blustery, foggy, and significantly colder than the rest of the weekend. That being said, it was a bit of a refreshing change, and it certainly didn't stop us from taking in a set of shows that was loaded with heavy hitters over the course of the day.


We started out by catching Modest Mouse, and were surprised to discover that Johnny Marr had taken a leave from being the band's guitarist. Clearly we need to do a better job at keeping up on our news. With this new knowledge, we got a little anxious, as Isaac Brock's live show can be a little screamy for us, and having Johnny to balance it was pretty crucial. Our worries, however, were ill founded, as the band has managed to recruit former Grandaddy guitarist Jim Fairchild to take over guitar duties. Fairchild didn't just meet the needs of the band; he added an immense amount to the show, to the point where we almost didn't notice Marr's absence. Long story short: MM delivered.

After Modest Mouse we made our way to catch M.I.A., and were rewarded with a set that was just as flamboyant as her sound would lead you to expect. Big video screens, crazy dancers, and bright clothes all combined to make for a show that had the entire crowd bouncing like there was no tomorrow. Given M.I.A.'s legendary showmanship (even when 9 months pregnant!), this wasn't exactly a shock, but it was great to see her deliver in a live environment.

Soon after, we (along with a massive swarm of the crowd) dug our way into catch Band Of Horses. We've been digging on these guys for quite a while, but had never caught their live show: you need to make sure you do so next time you have the opportunity. The band (who are surprisingly gritty looking given their melodic sounds) really delivered a set that was musically tight and completely enjoyable. There's a reason that these guys have garnered so much acclaim, and it's not limited to their recorded output.

We wrapped up the night with the third day headliners, Tenacious D. We have to admit: we had been extremely skeptical of the inclusion of the duo as a headliner, but it did sorta work. There's no question that Jack Black is a showman, and the band actually do have rock and roll chops. While they might not quite have the artistic integrity of some acts, their combination of rock and roll, comedy, and ridiculousness (including a Black's body double doing cartwheels) managed to be a fun way to wrap up an amazing weekend.

Photos By Rick Audet
Many more photos at the HAD Archive

A Word On M.I.A., "Paper Planes", And The Clash

Hey kids - we'd been meaning to post this for a while, but today's news the M.I.A. was nominated for an Oscar for "O Saya" put a bee in our bonnet. To be honest, we really, really, didn't even think we would need to post something like this. We kind of just assumed everyone knew. But after a vague survey amongst (we thought) musically astute friends, we discovered that a surprisingly few people seem to be aware. So, here you go: a public service announcement. Those of you who feel that this is old hat, please bear with us.

It's about Maya's "Paper Planes". We don't know how else to put it, so we'll say it straight: you know that's a Clash sample, right? The little organ riff that drives, oh, you know, the whole song? It's ripped straight from the beginning of "Straight To Hell", a tune off of the band's final album as a unit, Combat Rock.

We're not sure why we feel it's quite so necessary for you all to know this, except maybe that we think The Clash, despite all of the critical recognition, seem to still get lost in the shuffle sometimes. Their legacy is so much more than "Rock The Casbah" and "I Fought The Law", and while those who love them recognize it, a lot of others don't.

"Straight To Hell" is exactly the sort of epic, sprawling political commentary that made the band so popular, yet relevant at the same time. Given her history in art and politics, we're sure M.I.A. realized that when she picked the sample, so now, urm, you can too: have a listen.

mp3: M.I.A. - Paper Planes (YouSendIt, Click Through)
mp3: The Clash - Straight To Hell (YouSendIt, Click Through)