Outside Lands came to end last night with an epic performance by the legendary Janet Jackson amidst a cold gray sky and neon-lit trees in the polo fields of Golden Gate Park. For the few brave souls that had crusaded throughout the festival the entire day in freezing cold temperatures, the reward of a flawless performance by the little sister of pop, had them partying well into the night.
For the die-hard Janet fans, the dire weather conditions weren’t enough to keep them away from the main stage to catch a glimpse of the hip-hop legend. Tunes like “The Skin Game (Part 1),” “The Knowledge,” “BURNITUP!,” “Nasty” and “Miss You Much,” got them hooked from start to finish dancing the night away in spite of the thick blanket of fog that laid looming over their heads.
Janet looked great. She was all glammed out and back in shape. The years have been kind to this pop starlet who still sports that same innocent smile that she did as a child actor in Good Times. Her dancing and the overall choreography were exemplary and brought back memories from her early days of Rhythm Nation.
The one, the only, Mrs. Janet Jackson closing out Outside Lands last night in San Francisco.#janetjackson #SanFrancisco #OutsideLands2018 #outsidelands #bayarea #sfmusicscene pic.twitter.com/S2EO0xshSY
— ⚡️⚡️ MUSICinSF ⚡️⚡️ (@sfmusicscene) August 13, 2018
Prior to Janet’s set, Portugal the Man got the chance to warm things up a bit. They opened up the show with a Beavis and Butthead clip that was projected on giant LED screens. After the usual banter between the two 90s adolescent goofball cartoon characters, in a moment of clarity, they realize the band does in fact rock, and so Portugal the Man kicked it into overdrive for an hour full set of some of their best material. Songs like “Live in the Moment” and “Feel it Still” received the best audience response, but it was the long extended jams and covers of Metallica, Pink Floyd, and the Rolling Stones that really showcased the prowess of these guys on their instruments.
Portugal the Man killed it at Outside Lands in San Francisco.#outsidelands #OutsideLands2018 #portugaltheman #sfmusicscene #sanfrancisco pic.twitter.com/N1gfqsoBXa
— ⚡️⚡️ MUSICinSF ⚡️⚡️ (@sfmusicscene) August 13, 2018
All in all, this year’s edition of the festival was a huge success. Outside Lands continues to be one of the better music festivals in the country if not the world. The fact that attendees continue to brave the less than ideal weather conditions (and not to mention steep ticket prices) for three days straight, for the chance to see some of their favorite artists, is a true testament to the quality of this event. Check out some of our best photo selections from the yearly event below.
Photos by Louis Raphael
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