There's a lot to love about Outside Lands, the annual music festival that's taking over San Francisco's Golden Gate Park this weekend: surprise performances, a food lineup that requires just as much planning as your music schedule, Wine Lands, even the weather (we're partial to fog in these parts).
But above all, it's about the music. That's why we've asked this year's performers to tell us who they're most excited to see at the festival. Here are their picks, as emailed to The Huffington Post:
"Odesza have made some of my favorite music in the last few years -- including a recent remix for me that was super super good. Giraffage is a good friend of mine whose shows are just the best vibes. Don’t miss either of these."
"There are so many great artists so we'll wander around and see as many as we can. But definitely Elton John, Mumford and Sons, Wilco, St. Vincent, James Bay, Django Django -- I feel like I'm just listing the whole festival. We'll walk around and hopefully discover some new awesome bands and artists!"
"We are only going to be there on Sunday, so Karl Denson's Tiny Universe is the show to catch. Funk and more funk. Karl has been playing saxophone with us for a couple years as a featured soloist and recently he joined the Rolling Stones as a full time member of the band. He is an amazing musician and human and bandleader."
“We were pumped to see we were playing on the same day as Leon Bridges because we've been listening to his album a lot lately. He's nailed that throwback sound of soul and R&B from the '60s. His voice is a throwback and if you didn't know you'd probably think you were listening to a record from that time period.”
"Angus and Julia Stone and Ben Harper"
“Alvvays' 2014 debut was one of my favorite records last year and even though I've seen them play those tunes a few times, it'll be nice to hear them again. Plus, I seem to recall promising them all sodas via Twitter, so now I can settle my soda debt. We're all understandably excited to see D'Angelo, too.”
“I'm very excited to check out First Aid Kit. I got to open for them in Nashville probably 5-6 years ago at a super dingy rock club and they completely blew me away. They are great musicians and songwriters and I always love seeing sisters working together. I'm super close with my sister, but I never get to see her because she lives in Germany, so seeing sisters together makes me really happy.”
"Kendrick Lamar because I love his new record. I think it's our generation's Sgt. Pepper's."
"It has been said that the era of albums is over. That would overlook Wilco, whose every release stands aside the greatest offerings of the AOR era. But even more extraordinary than their songwriting is their live interpretation. Their live sets ... are propelled by Bay Area underground legend Nels Cline, who is finally getting the respect due to one of the Earth's greatest musicians."
"D'Angelo because he is one of the realest, rawest badasses of our time.”
"Jimmy Edgar. I'm a techno head, it's my favorite sort of music to dance to and I find that it's the type of music that can promote interesting trance-like-states given its proclivity for repetition and tendency towards abstract sound sets ... I met Moon Boots post-festival outside a hotel late one night over a beer, and it wasn't until later that I checked out his music, and there is something so fresh and fun about getting down to his groovy brand of house music."
"We are really excited to see Kendrick Lamar, Tame Impala and D'Angelo! All of their new albums are unbelievably amazing. Eric is planning to challenge Kendrick Lamar to a chess game backstage. Claire keeps having dreams that she's best friends with Elton John, a sign that she's very excited to see him! I think on Friday we are all going to see Speedy Ortiz then go kneel before the elegant fury of St. Vincent. We are also really excited to see MisterWives as we are big fans of them and blasted 'Reflections' all the time while we were making our new record."
"I'm excited to see Tame Impala and Mac DeMarco who have made a couple of my favorite records of the year so far. I've never seen Tame Impala and I hear it's great live. We're also always excited to watch our friends' bands like Toro Y Moi and Hot Chip. I'd also like to catch some of Elton John. That seems like something everyone should do in their life if given the opportunity. I actually met Elton John's keyboard player Kim a few days ago, and he was one of the coolest old rockers I've ever had the pleasure of having a few too many drinks with. Maybe we'll do it again at OSL. That should be fun. "
"Elton John! Why, you ask? Because he is a legend and we have never had a chance to see him live."
"Kendrick -- there's not much to say that hasn't already been said, but Kendrick is an important artist of this generation. Risk taker, positively talented and speaking truth. Tame Impala -- what a beautiful sounding band. I've become somewhat friendly with a couple of them and their heart's just as beautiful as their music ... I owe it to the DMA's to see their set ... METZ -- [I'm] kinda feeling finding some cocaine and watching METZ. But I won't do that. That's not good. I would never do that. I'll go watch them on MDMA."
"I'm really excited to check out the great local bands who are playing this year: Fantastic Negrito, The Sam Chase and Waters, to name a few," Laura Bergmann said. "I also can't wait to see Laura Marling, Leon Bridges, St. Paul and the Broken Bones, Mac DeMarco."
"I've wanted to see D'Angelo live since Voodoo dropped," Charlie Giesige said. "Now it's 2015, post-Soulquarians, but you know his band is going to be ridiculous. I also wanted to catch Tame Impala while they were touring here with The Flaming Lips, but we were on the road."
"I'm really interested in seeing Chet Faker," Charly Akert said. "I first heard him while visiting a friend back home in Alaska over Christmas. His music was playing softly at a little party and I ended up spending most of the night sitting by the stereo."
“I am really excited to see St. Paul & The Broken Bones! That band gets every individual toe of mine tapping so fast I practically lift off the ground … I'm excited to see Fantastic Negrito. That band is doing big things and I'm really excited for them. His music is haunting and beautiful. You've gotta represent your local musical Bay Area brethren. Langhorne Slim & The Law are going to show me the light and make me believe in love again!"
Responses have been edited for clarity.