Last Thursday Standard Social sent me and my boyfriend out to San Francisco to attend the Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival, and I have to say it was overall the best music festival I have ever attended.

Whether San Francisco planned for it or not, the fall season crept up early. While Saturday begged sundresses and cold beer, then Sunday demanded hoodies, and homemade marshmallow smores from San Fran local Charles Chocolates. Friday saw Golden Gate Park jam-packed with talent on each of the seven stages. I was lucky enough to witness sets from Built To Spill, Q-Tip, Incubus and headliner Pearl Jam. While Eddie Veder’s voice was a little drained from the recent tour, “Better Man” sounded as good as ever; finishing the show with not one but two encores including a cover of Neil Diamond’s “Rocking in the Free World”.

Saturday brought one of my favorite live acts to the festival, The Mars Volta played an amazing energetic set with their usual never boring guitar smashing  and high notes unable to hit by most men. Black Eyed Peas and Dave Matthews Band finished out the evening both with energetic sets as well, they were great choices to dance the night away.

Everyone who is anyone hit the stages on Sunday, from indie-up and comers to pop-culture maniacs. We arrived just in time (with our all-access pass in hand!) for Robert Randolph and the family band , rocking the stage with their newest hit “Ain’t Nothing Wrong with That” as well as a tribute to the king of pop. MIA left something to be desired with a faulty mic and nauseating background images, the definite highlight of her performance was when she gave a shout out to the Beastie Boys who couldn’t make it out and ran through a few short remixes of “Intergalactic” and “Sabotage”.  We decided to end our festival experience by watching the Modest Mouse set from on stage. While the show was a bit mellow from what we have come to expect from the guys Isaac played a solid set with a combination of classics as well as songs off their new EP including my new favorite “Satellite Skin”.

All and all great weekend, beautiful city, amazing food, and even better  music, definitely heading back to the bay next year!