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Not long after the last Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival ended in August, music lovers started talking about the next one.
And, not surprisingly, the topic revolved around the possible headliners.
Fast forward six months and the chatter has only grown louder, as fans hotly anticipate the release of the lineup. We’re probably still several weeks away from that happening (last year’s card was announced March 26 and the 2018 bill hit on April 3), but that’s not going to stop me from looking into my crystal ball and trying to predict the names we might see headlining the 2020 Outside Lands, which runs Aug. 7-9 at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco.
I’ll start with the surest bets and work my way down to the long shots.
For more information, visit sfoutsidelands.com.
Lizzo
Likelihood: 80 percent
Previous OSL appearance: 2018
The skinny: Following her phenomenal 2019, this amazing soul singer now ranks as one of the most popular artists in all of music and she’s already signed on to headline the big Bonnaroo and Osheaga festivals. Plus, she’s already seemingly got a strong relationship with local promoter Another Planet Entertainment, having played Outside Lands in 2018 and followed up with two sold-out nights at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium last year. So, I fully expect to see Lizzo’s name atop the bill when it’s finally released. She’d be a great Saturday headliner.
Review: President @Lizzo? Campaign trail might have started in S.F. @LiveNationSF @apeconcerts @BillGrahamCivic https://t.co/uH7Z0LQlXC
— Jim Harrington (@jimthecritic) October 28, 2019
Strokes
Likelihood: 75 percent
Previous appearance: 2010
The skinny: I thought we might get these garage-rock revivalists last year, but now it appears I was one year off. The fact that they announced a string of West Coast/Pacific Northwest dates for March, but didn’t include the Bay Area in the bunch, only strengthens my view that the Strokes are coming to Outside Lands in 2020. And the band would be a cool Friday headliner.
Travis Scott
Likelihood: 65 percent
Previous: None
The skinny: This would be a huge booking for Outside Lands, one that would motivate thousands of fans to snatch up those three-day passes. Scott is definitely open to playing festivals — such as Southern California’s Coachella, which he’ll headline in April — so why not sign the contract and make his long-awaited debut at Outside Lands. He would make a great Friday or Saturday night headliner.
Review: Travis Scott takes Oakland fans on a roller coaster ride
Kendrick Lamar
Likelihood: 60 percent
Previous appearance: 2015
The skinny: He's appearing the previous weekend at the three-day Osheaga festival in Montreal, which seems to set the stage for this hip-hip hero to return to Outside Lands for the first time in five years.
Vampire Weekend
Likelihood: 55 percent
Previous appearance: 2013
The skinny: It’s been seven years since their last showing at the festival, so it’s definitely time for a return to Outside Lands. Plus, Vampire Weekend is already signed up to do Governors Ball and Bonnaroo so why not add one more?
Foo Fighters
Likelihood: 50 percent
Previous appearance: 2012
The skinny: The Foos weren't headliners the last time they appeared at the festival, instead playing second fiddle to Neil Young. But a headlining date at Osheaga has me thinking that maybe Dave Grohl and company could top the Outside Lands bill in 2020.
Lana Del Rey
Likelihood: 45 percent
Previous appearance: 2016
The skinny: Given the 2019 that she had -- which included releasing the best album of the year in “Norman (Expletive) Rockwell” -- Del Rey has certainly risen to the place where she should be headlining major festivals. It hasn’t happened yet. But maybe Outside Lands will change that.
Top 10 Albums of 2019: @LanaDelRey (of course) @billieeilish @nickcave @lizzo @slipknot @kanyewest and more https://t.co/Dx7iAZQ7Fo
— Jim Harrington (@jimthecritic) December 12, 2019
Missy Elliott
Likelihood: 40 percent
Previous appearance: None
She’s signed on for Governors Ball in New York and we’re really hoping that she decides to play a big festival on this side of the continent as well. And the best fit would probably be Outside Lands. And would Missy -- at this point as in her career -- actually work in the Sunday night “legacy headliner” role? I’d be down with that, for sure.
Aerosmith
Likelihood: 35 percent
Previous appearance: None
The skinny: It gets really tricky when trying to figure out who organizers will slot as Sunday’s legacy headliner. And that’s because Outside Lands has just been so awesomely unpredictable in filling it during past years. I mean, who could have predicted Lionel Richie (2016), Janet Jackson (2018) or, especially, Paul Simon (2019)? I’ve been thinking Aerosmith, however, since they have a break in their schedule in early August.
Santana
Likelihood: 30 percent
Previous appearance: None
The skinny: Seems like a natural match. But it doesn’t feel all that likely for 2020, given that the legendary guitarist already played two big Bay Area shows -- at Shoreline Amphitheatre at Mountain View and Chase Center in San Francisco -- plus the BottleRock Napa Valley festival in 2019.
Thanks @SantanaCarlos @TheDoobieBros for big sold-out show at @ShorelineAmp @LiveNationSF last night. Here's my review, plus great @rayinaction photos. If u dig, pls consider hitting blue subscribe now button. https://t.co/aLk0wzaqnV
— Jim Harrington (@jimthecritic) June 27, 2019
Diana Ross
Likelihood: 25 percent
Previous appearance: None
The skinny: Just love the thought of Ross leading tens of thousands of backup singers (aka, the crowd) through Supremes classics in Golden Gate Park.
Dead & Company
Likelihood: 20 percent
Previous appearance: None
The skinny: When the band announced its summer tour, minus any Bay Area dates, some people (such as me) started thinking that Outside Lands is a possibility. But the fact that Dead & Co. is performing Aug. 7-8 at Fenway Park in Boston makes a cross-country jaunt to play Outside Lands on Aug. 9 look like a real long shot.
Rolling Stones
Likelihood: 20 percent
Previous appearance: None
The skinny: Here’s the biggest wildcard of the festival. And if promoters can pull it off then it would truly be an occasion to remember for years to come.
It's past 10 pm and @Rollingstones are still rocking @levisstadium ... But, wait, it's not a curfew violation?https://t.co/pESQ2Ceve2
— Jim Harrington (@jimthecritic) August 19, 2019
Bruce Springsteen
Likelihood: 10 percent
Previous appearance: None
The skinny: I wish I could add another “0” to that percentage, because I’d love, love, love to be singing “Thunder Road” come August. But, The Boss just doesn’t seem like a festival guy to me.
Adele
Likelihood: 2 percent
Previous appearance: None
Maybe 2 percent is too high.
Beyonce
Likelihood: 1 percent
Previous appearance: None
The skinny: So I'm saying there’s even a chance? Well, no, not really.
Jim the Critic's Top Concert Picks of Week (Feb. 20-26) @SarahMcLachlan @MfnH @svddendeathdub @PHORAONE @andyshauf @DBrombergBand @hottunaband @foxoakland @SanJoseCivic @FillmoreSF @AugustHall_SF @livenationsf @mercnews @eastbaytimes @apeconcerts https://t.co/C1BNPkP6Ms
— Jim Harrington (@jimthecritic) February 13, 2020
Jim the Critic's Top Bay Area Concert Picks of the Week (Feb. 13-19) @violentfemmes @dashboardmusic at @FillmoreSF @LiveNationSF, @BatForLashes at @PalaceOfFineArt @POFATheatre @apeconcerts, @stefonharris at @SFJAZZ, @davidaugustx at @AugustHall_SF https://t.co/qwHLTjI6no
— Jim Harrington (@jimthecritic) February 6, 2020
REVIEW and PHOTOS: @lizzo @halsey @NCTsmtown_127 @Louis_Tomlinson @Normani @AllyBrooke at #poptopia @997now concert at @SAPCenter https://t.co/SnGaxn7OJ1
— Jim Harrington (@jimthecritic) December 6, 2019
