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Susan Weiand's Photos From Day Two:
Scott Bernstein's Sunday Highlights:
Camper Van
Beethoven –
1:15-2:00 p.m. – Sutro Stage
[Photo by Joe Russo]
Northern California's Camper Van Beethoven came out with a number of exceptional and
highly underrated albums between the time they formed in 1983 and their breakup in 1990.
The group parted ways just after they scored a hit with a cover of Status Quo's "Pictures
Of Matchstick Men" in 1989 and front man David Lowery went on to achieve even
greater commercial success with Cracker soon thereafter. CVB reformed in 1999 and picked
up right where they left off in terms of delivering more underrated albums filled with
exceptional songs. Lowery and Co. put songs from both eras on display during their early
afternoon set at Outside Lands. The older catalog was represented by a spirited "Pictures
Of Matchstick Men," a rollicking "Good Guys and Bad Guys" and perhaps their best known
song - "Take The Skinheads Bowling." But don't be deceived, a two-tune blast off this
year's La Costa
Perdida in "Too High For The Love-In" and "Northern California Girls" was just as good
as the "hits." Camper Van Beethoven set the bar high for an outstanding final day of music
at the picturesque Sutro Stage.
Hall & Oates –
4:20-5:20 p.m. – Lands End Stage
[Photo by Susan Weiand]
It's insane how many memorable songs Hall & Oates recorded 1975 and 1984. The duo stacked
their set with nine great hits at Outside Lands and didn't even get to "Kiss Is On My
List," "One On One" and "Method Of Modern Love." Yet with a set that includes crowd-
favorite smashes "Out Of Touch," "Family Man," "Say It Isn't So," "She's Gone," "Sara
Smile," "Maneater," "I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)," "Rich Girl" and "You Make My
Dreams," what do you possibly cut? The pair gave their extremely talented backing band
plenty of time to shine with versions of each song that differed just enough from the
album cuts to be interesting. If you're a child of the '80s, Hall & Oates is one act you
should cross off your bucket list as soon as possible.
Dawes –
5:10-6:00 p.m. – Sutro Stage
[Photo by Joe Russo]
Outside Lands sets tend to run on the shorter side, as for example Dawes only had a mere
50 minutes in front of a large Sutro Stage crowd on Sunday afternoon. Taylor Goldsmith
and Co. made the most of their time giving an enthusiastic performance that included three
songs a piece from the recently released Stories Don't End and 2011's Nothing Is
Wrong as well as a pair of tunes off their 2009 debut North Hills. The L.A.-
based four-piece opened up with Stories Don't End's first single, "From A Window
Street." The studio version belies the intensity Dawes infuses into the live version. Four
years after Dawes burst onto the scene "When My Time Comes" remains a show-stopper with
its chorus that will stick in your head for days and days. What surprised me most was how
the group extended nearly all of their tunes with meaty keyboard and guitar solos that
combined with their songwriting prowess makes Dawes a powerful live act.
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