At Outside Lands, Anderson .Paak Pays Homage to the Bay With E-40

It turns out Anderson .Paak is an honorary Baydestrian. “What the fuck is poppin’? I’m finally home,” the Oxnard-raised MC told the Sunday night Outside Lands crowd, as mist set over Golden Gate Park. “I never play around in the Bay ‘cause you guys show me so much love.”

Rocking a red plaid kilt and a “Fuck ICE” pin on his beanie, Paak took his perch atop his drum kit, presiding over a funky set that was equal parts laid-back house-party feel and instrumental excellence. He and the Free Nationals were locked in, flowing out of Paak’s drum solos into jazzy keyboard crescendos and sunbursts of brass.

While Hozier headlined the main stage, Paak’s legions of fans at the Twin Peaks stage two-stepped to the provocative “Am I Wrong” (“If she can’t dance / then she can’t — ooh”), puffed their chests to to “Come Down” and turned up as Paak brought out surprise guest Cordae for “RNP.” A particularly vibey moment came when the Free Nationals’ keyboardist, Ron Jerome Arvant, delivered a Zapp-esque cover of Sade’s “Paradise” on the vocoder, making everyone’s lips involuntarily curl into a stank face.

In Paak’s ultimate show of love to the Bay, he brought out none other than E-40 to perform “Tell Me When To Go” so his Outside Lands crowd could go dumb together as the festival closed out its final night.

Ca7riel & Paco Amoroso prove they’re on their way to stardom

Ca7riel & Paco Amoroso aren’t household names in the States, but at Outside Lands, their high-wattage star power proved they will be soon. The lovably weird Argentinian rappers took the stage accompanied by a jazz-meets-hip-hop live band with a big brass section, trading verses with a trap cadence while pulling goofy moves like action-figure poses and campy, Mick Jagger-esque hip pops.

Much of their set drew from their EP Papota, an absurdist parody of their rise to fame since their Tiny Desk concert blew up earlier this year. “#Tetas,” about a gringo A&R pushing plastic surgery on them to make them marketable, got the audience jumping and rapping along in Spanish. Fans demanded more when their afternoon set was over, and they obliged with an encore, performing “El Único,” their conversational hit about each realizing they’re hooking up with the same girl. As fans held up the Argentinian flag and posters inscribed with lyrics, Ca7riel and Paco shared a smooch and flexed their biceps for an epic finale.

Jorja Smith’s phenomenal vocals

Jorja Smith transported Outside Lands to a jazz speakeasy with her rich, exquisite voice on Sunday afternoon, opening with a moody take on “Try Me,” whose lyrics are self-protective like a rose’s thorn. During “Feelings,” she sang a duet with one of her angel-voiced backing vocalists. The fresh takes on her discography were a treat for the devoted fans who lined up early for for the British star.

Smith’s performance picked up energy at the end when she sang two of her dance hits, “On My Mind” and “Little Things,” changing the vibe from awestruck appreciation to uninhibited dance party.

More photos and highlights below.