This past weekend, Golden Gate Park hosted a plethora of bands, assorted local food vendors and tens of thousands of people for the annual festival, Outside Lands. The genres of bands vary from alternative rock, electronic, folk, pop, and more to appeal to both Bay Area locals and people from around the world. The names of these performing artists are as varied.
I was lucky enough to attend the festival this year, and here’s what I thought of some of the band names.
Radiohead: Even though I didn’t see them (Zedd was playing at the same time), I really like this name — and their huge fan base must as well. After doing some research, I found the “head” component of their name is taken from the 1986 song “Radio Head,” in a nod to another hugely famous “head” band, the Talking Heads.
Miike Snow: I’ve been a fan of who I thought was just one artist named “Miike Snow” for a few years now, so when three members appeared on the ‘Lands End’ stage I was surprised. The group is composed of three people, and none of them are named Miike Snow, but overall I think this band name sounds pretty cool.
Major Lazer: This EDM (electronic dance music) set was super exciting with high energy both on stage and in the crowd. I think Major Lazer is a great name. The concept matches the intensity of the music and vibes given off by the group while the tweaked spelling suggests their unique approach.
Down and Outlaws: I’d never heard of this group, nor did I know what kind of music they played (after a quick Wikipedia search, I can tell you that they’re a rock and roll band), but I do enjoy the play on words in their name.
Third Eye Blind: When the band played their most popular song “Jumper,” the whole audience sang along. The name Third Eye Blind suggests some sense of mystery and definitely rolls off the tongue. A little research found the band’s name may reference the mystical third eye of the mind or may just have been chosen because it sounds cool.
Grimes: Claire Boucher goes by “Grimes” when performing, which definitely seemed like a good fit. In-between upbeat electronica/ synthpop songs, the artist would lie down on stage or scream high-pitched noises. While I’m not a huge fan of this moniker, she was definitely entertaining to watch and did embody her stage name.
Lettuce: When one searches “lettuce” into the search bar on Google, the green leafy vegetable pops up, which is definitely to be expected. This name doesn’t offer any indication this is a funk band and sounds more like a bad joke. (Knock knock. Who’s there? Lettuce…) Apparently the name derived from their early days when they were always asking other bands, “Would you let us sit in?” “Would you let us play your stuff?”
Overall, Outside Lands was a great musical experience. Regardless of what each band or artist called themselves, a full audience attended every set. From pop icons to slow indie bands, this San Francisco festival offers something for everyone.
This past weekend, Golden Gate Park hosted a plethora of bands, assorted local food vendors and tens of thousands of people for the annual festival, Outside Lands…
