For Those About To Rock

N.W.A. film, Kendrick Lamar expose irksome issue about race, entertainment

A fan holds up a lighter as Kendrick Lamar performs in March at the Pot of Gold Music Festival in Arizona. Almost two weeks ago, Lamar electrified crowds at the Outside Lands Music Festival in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. (Courtesy photo/Nicholas Balanon)

The sun set on Golden Gate Park, but Kendrick Lamar lit it up.

The Compton rapper dazzled for more than an hour nearly two weeks ago during San Francisco’s Outside Lands Music Festival, playing a healthy helping of his acclaimed 2012 album Good Kid, M.A.A.D City and March’s To Pimp a Butterfly.

As he played his first song, “Money Trees,” an observation popped into my head that I haven’t been able to ignore.

A crowd of mostly white faces rapped along to every word of “Money Trees,” which kicks off with a home invasion and later mentions the deaths of Lamar’s Uncle Tony and a friend in between references to Halle Berry and Vallejo’s E-40.

In fact, much of Good Kid and Butterfly depict poverty, violence, alcoholism and issues of race in America. Lamar took a desperate life situation and turned it into poetry on Good Kid, while he explores contemporary issues about race that face African-Americans on Butterfly.

There was something that unnerved me about it, watching thousands of white people dine on his life-and-death struggles as entertainment.

That’s what struck me as I rapped along to “M.A.A.D City,” one of Lamar’s most famous tracks, singing how if certain gangs got along, “they’d probably gun me down by the end of this song.”

Only days later, on the eve of the release of the new film “Straight Outta Compton,” Lamar interviewed the surviving members of N.W.A. in a video for Billboard.com. Almost 30 years after N.W.A., Lamar, who hails from the same place, also is rapping about the same issues, depicting in a raw and real way the brutality of poverty, crime, violence, alcoholism and more.

The more I thought, the more I expanded this idea. The challenges of the lives of the poor — which, in America, is overwhelmingly people of color — are a source of amusement for the rest.

What is one of the most acclaimed television shows of all time? “The Wire,” for depicting in nuanced detail crime in Baltimore and the many facets that play into it. It has one of the biggest African-American casts in television history. From blackface to minstrelsy to spirituals to jazz to hip-hop, America has a historical precedent of seeing African-Americans as a form and source of entertainment.

It’s not limited to creative endeavors. Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Oscar Grant — they’re part of a culture that turns their deaths into headlines, but also its own sort of entertainment, analyzing the nature of their deaths, debating the reactions and creating fodder for the 24-hour news cycle.

It’s not so far removed from the barbaric gladiators of ancient Rome with thousands sitting in the Colosseum watching blood sport for fun. The television puts us at a safer remove and the Colosseum is now the whole country, the whole world.

The paradox of this is we, as a culture, need talented people such as Lamar, other rappers and anyone who tries to escape these issues by going into entertainment to speak their truth and inform society. Maybe they start the conversation and it still ends as entertainment for primarily white people.

But they have to start it.

With any luck, Lamar, “The Wire,” the “Straight Outta Compton” film, N.W.A. and more can help expand the dialogue and alter perceptions about people of color and how they’re treated.

It’s wrong to assume none of the thousands of festivalgoers do nothing to change race relations and institutionalized racism in America. I’m sure some fight passionately for greater equality, understanding and racial harmony.

But the fact that Lamar and N.W.A. are rapping about the same issues nearly three decades apart also tells me that not enough is changing and not enough is being done.

And that’s where I hope things change.

I don’t want to put the Kendrick Lamars of the world out of business, nor do I discourage their success. But I hope things improve enough that 30 years from now, as a culture and a society, another generation of Compton rappers aren’t talking about poverty, crime, violence, alcoholism, institutionalized racism and more.

On “M.A.A.D City,” Lamar also hopes “euphoria can slow dance with society,” a long, peaceful dream of harmony.

I hope we all get his wish.

Fan-shot video of Kendrick Lamar's entire Outside Lands performance (NSFW language):

Show review: 5 Favorite Moments From Day 3, Outside Lands, 8.9.15

1. Captain Fantastic’s fabulous festival finale

Elton John delivered songs to the West Coast in Sunday’s Outside Lands Music Festival-closing set, raining one hit after another on the crowd. It’s hard to pick one moment when Sir Elton's satchel includes a bigger collection of hits than any artist throughout the entire weekend: “The Bitch Is Back,” “Bennie and the Jets,” “Candle in the Wind,” “Tiny Dancer,” “Rocket Man,” “Crocodile Rock,” too many others to name. He mixed in a few deep cuts, such as Goodbye Yellow Brick Road’s “All the Girls Love Alice” and “Hey Ahab” from his 2010 Leon Russell collabo The Union, too. If forced to pick just one moment, it was probably seeing “Levon,” a personal favorite, and its extended outro.

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2. Bleeker’s ‘grateful’ tribute

Alex Bleeker and the Freaks kicked off the day on the Panhandle Stage, paying tribute to the Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia as Sunday marked 20 years since his death. It was a nice sentiment that jumped up to a memorable moment the instant Bleeker introduced Grateful Dead drummer Bill Kreutzmann, who sat behind the kit for “The Other One” and “St. Stephen.”

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3. Hot Chip’s cover mashup

British electronic band Hot Chip was sensational, turning the polo field into a dance floor for its hourlong set on the main stage. The likes of “Huarache Lights,” “One Life Stand” and “Ready for the Floor” got a weary crowd moving and dancing as the festival reached the midpoint of its final day. Although its originals were great — people streamed away halfway through to see the more popular Odesza, not because Hot Chip wasn’t slaying it — the closing cover mashup of Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing in the Dark” with LCD Soundsystem’s “All My Friends” was a wonderful surprise.

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4. Sam’s smart opener

The British crooner may have just one LP under his belt, but Sam Smith held his own on a strong day at the main stage. He set the tone by opening his set with one of his biggest hits, “I’m Not the Only One,” getting the crowd in singalong mode. As he rattled off cuts from In the Lonely Hour, Smith also turned in soulful covers of Amy Winehouse, Marvin Gaye and Le Chic. Near the end of his set, Smith turned in last summer’s smash hit single collaboration with Disclosure, “Latch,” but left out “Omen,” this summer’s big single between the two.

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5. Going for Broken

Alabama’s St. Paul and the Broken Bones were an early highlight Sunday thanks to the powerful voice of Paul Janeway. The honey-voiced singer said the band made it to the festival approximately 20 minutes before set time, but they showed little nerves, confidently blasting covers of Otis Redding, Sam Cooke and Tom Waits. But the showstopper for Janeway and his monster voice was an SP&TBB original, “Grass Is Greener” (above) which found Janeway digging deep to show off his skills.

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Additional day three YouTube clip

Metz plays “Get Off”

Additional day three Vines

Caribou plays “Can’t Do Without You”

Benjamin Booker plays “Happy Homes”

Hot Chip plays “One Life Stand”

Elton John plays “Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word”

Show review: 5 Favorite Moments From Day 2, Outside Lands, 8.8.15

Kendrick Lamar performs “Money Trees” (NSFW language) 1. Kendrick Lamar throws a West Coast party

Even though he’s played basically the same set at most festivals this year, K-Dot came roaring out of the gate for a packed Twin Peaks stage crowd Saturday at the eighth Outside Lands Music Festival in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. That’s no exaggeration – Lamar actually yelled parts of the lyrics to “Money Trees.” But the Compton rapper’s crowning moment came not when he rattled off song after song from 2012's Good Kid, M.A.A.D City, but after “A.D.H.D.” from his debut record. The thousands in attendance took up a thankful, chanting refrain: “Ken-drick. Ken-drick. Ken-drick.” Even the rapper himself seemed a bit humbled.

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2. Tame Impala’s Acid Test

Golden Gate Park and nearby Haight-Ashbury are no strangers to psychedelic rock. Tame Impala’s sunset freak out felt right at home in San Francisco, with video screens blasting swirling clips and blips of color to pair with the likes of “Let it Happen,” “Elephant” and "Apocalypse Dreams." As the sun began to dip behind the tree line, lead singer Kevin Parker encouraged a singalong for the band’s biggest hit, “Feels Like We Only Go Backwards.” Tame Impala’s evolution means its psychedelia is no longer imitation or flattery, but a beast it has tamed — no pun intended — during its rise up the festival ranks.

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3. Nice day for a White Wedding

The sun peaked out during British rocker Billy Idol’s set after hiding behind the clouds all day. Idol could’ve delivered an hour of hits during his main stage turn, but instead saved the firepower for a monster closing stretch: “Ready Steady Go,” The Doors’ “L.A. Woman” repurposed as “San Francisco Woman,” “Rebel Yell,” “White Wedding Pt. 1” and his indelible cover of Tommy James and the Shondells’ “Mony Mony.” Idol strut around the stage, sneering with confidence as he fired each volley. Years from now, it’ll be the final 25 minutes of Idol’s set the people remember, not the uneven first 35.

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4. Mac DeMarco meets murky mood

The sun came out during Idol’s set, but it was overcast early for Canadian jangle pop rocker Mac DeMarco, whose bittersweet, underwater guitar tones fit with the cloudy day. As I left the polo field to catch Laura Marling (whose 10-minute Once I Was an Eagle suite just missed this list), DeMarco dropped into a reading of “Reelin’ in the Years” that managed not to betray the mood he’d set during his show. For DeMarco, the day’s cloud cover worked and it made his Steely Dan cover that much better.

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5. I Sing “The Body Electric”

Hurray for the Riff Raff kicked off day two on the Sutro Stage, coaxing the work of Alynda Segarra to its fullest expression. While “The Body Electric” may not be HFTRR’s biggest rompin’, stomping’ slice of fun, it’s poignant and purposeful. Segarra said the song is about “the right to live and be a person just walk down the street and not be shot down.” It also subverts the “murder ballad” musical history – Neil Young’s “Down by the River” come to mind as Segarra sings of being shot down and having her killer “put my body in the river.” It’s one of those gems that makes showing up early to festivals count.

Check back Monday for Nick’s day three highlights.

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Additional day two YouTube clips

Kendrick Lamar performs “B— Don’t Kill My Vibe (Remix)” (NSFW language)

Laura Marling performs “Sophia”

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Additional day two Vines

Kendrick Lamar performs “M.A.A.D City”

Kendrick Lamar performs “King Kunta”
Kendrick Lamar performs “Alright” (NSFW language)

The Black Keys perform “Next Girl”

Tame Impala performs “Elephant”

Angus and Julia Stone perform “It Was Blue”

Laura Marling performs “I Feel Your Love”

Show review: 5 Favorite Moments From Day 1, Outside Lands, 8.7.15

Trying something new with this format. Let me know if you like/dislike it.

1. St. Vincent destroys Outside Lands

Not literally, of course, but Annie Clark and the gang put on an hourlong set that will go down as one of the best in Outside Lands history. The most indelible moment came early in the set, when Clark bolted down the ramp at the front of the stage during her concluding solo on “Rattlesnake” and leaned right into the crowd, cameraphones and professional lenses swarming around her as she served hot white guitar lightning. Between her choreographed dance moments and her sly confidence, she was everything we hoped for and more.

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2. D’Angelo’s dedication

D’Angelo and the Vanguard’s sunset show on the Sutro Stage was a thing of hot, funky, soulful wonder, coalescing into a fiery, jammed out reading of “Sugah Daddy” from last year’s Black Messiah comeback album. But it was another Black Messiah cut, “The Charade,” which provided the standout. The Philadelphia singer asked the crowd to put its fists in the air as he leaned into the song, dedicating it to the “victims (of) senseless police brutality.” It was the same emotion and social upheaval which birthed the record and made it one of 2014’s best. It made up for his 2013 OSL cancellation in grand style, too.

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3. Lake Street Dive, First Aid Kit’s unexpected covers

Both played early-in-the-day sets on the main stage and both delivered covers uncharacteristic from the rest of their material which both made their own. In the case of Boston-based Lake Street Dive, it was Annie Lennox’s “Walking on Broken Glass,” for which upright bassist Bridget Kearney provided just the right verve. For Sweden sister duo First Aid Kit, the wholesome, folksy pair showed how hard they rock, taking on Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs.” Although Klara and Johanna Söderberg’s voices harmonize well, the two soared while attempting to put their own spin on Ozzy Osbourne’s vocals.

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4. How Wilco got its groove back

Wilco’s 75-minute main stage set began with a full reading of last month’s free surprise album Star Wars, which received a tepid response from the crowd. Some of that owed to the newness of the album, but some of it owed to the band’s performance, which is already tweaking and playing with the songs to tighten them live. Yet it was the 20-year-old A.M. “Box Full of Letters” which said the most, showing the band’s evolution from an alt-country outfit into a muscular, dexterous torchbearer of the current six-man lineup.

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5. Amon Tobin’s colorful finish

The Brazlian electronic music artist closed the Twin Peaks stage with one of the final readings of his ISAM 2.0 installation, which projects visuals onto a giant icebox-looking display. The level of technical skill required to perform in time to the visuals is no small order, but Tobin’s show felt like it lacked intimacy, a quieter conversation writ large because it was turned into a performance piece. Nonetheless, it was impressive just to try something of that magnitude and I doubt Tobin will stop there.

Check back Sunday for Nick's Top Five from day two of Outside Lands.

Additional video clips ...

St. Vincent drops the "Huey Newton" bomb:

Wilco works out newcomer "You Satellite" from Star Wars

Wilco winds up for "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart"

Lake Street Dive boogies with "You Go Down Smooth"

Food plays tasty, pivotal role in annual Outside Lands Music Festival

A plate of Hawaiian ahi poke is seen at the 2013 Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. The festival and Pacific Catch return Friday through Sunday for the festival's eighth installment. (Courtesy photo)

Since its 2008 inception, the Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park has lured major-label talent to its stages.

This year is no exception. British folk rockers Mumford & Sons, Ohio blues rockers The Black Keys (below left) and English piano rock legend Elton John top the bill for the annual three-day affair this weekend, along with an undercard that includes Compton hip-hop sensation Kendrick Lamar (right), Philadelphia neo-soul singer D’Angelo and Swedish electronic dance music duo Axwell & Ingrosso.

But what’s also no exception this year is the festival’s lineup of wine, beer and food.

The festival has evolved into a NorCal foodie’s paradise, delving deeper each year into the Bay Area and Northern California eateries for its lineup.

One restaurant involved with Outside Lands since its initial installment in 2008 is Pacific Catch Westcoast Fish House, which will serve Hawaiian ahi poke, Alaskan cod fish and chips as well as sweet potato fries at the festival. Its chief operating officer, Tom Hanson, said he’s helped encourage other Bay Area restaurants to join the table.

“It’s gratifying to see it all come together,” Hanson said. “When we first started, I couldn’t tell how many local restaurants I was familiar with, but since then, not only has it probably doubled or tripled in number of vendors, they have food trucks up in there and they just added more areas for food vending. It’s really become a food festival.”

Months away from launching Pacific Catch’s seventh restaurant this fall in Dublin, Hanson said feeding thousands for a few days is a tall order – 1,800 pounds of sweet potato fries, 1,100 pounds of Alaskan True cod, 750 pounds of ahi tuna, 30 gallons of sweet Thai chili sauce, 40 gallons of ginger wasabi aioli and 40 gallons of jalapeño tartar.

Since Pacific Catch deals with raw fish, Hanson said his restaurant effectively sets up a refrigerated, diesel-powered mini-kitchen on site.

“All the prep work is done in a cold atmosphere,” he said.

As to the size of the line to order food, Hanson said they’re at the mercy of the music schedule.

“It ebbs and flows like a tide,” he said. “As one band is finishing, another is starting on a separate stage and you just watch the wave of people go from one side to another side, back and forth. The challenge is when the flow comes to your side of the tent or field, you have to be prepared for 30 minutes to go as fast as you can. Then it slows back down. . . . That’s not how a restaurant runs.”

Jared Crabtree, catering operations manager for Tacolicious, which will serve “shot-and-a-beer” braised chicken tacos, veggie tacos and Baja-style fried fish tacos, agreed that it’s a different animal than a restaurant.

“Staffing can be difficult with this kind of volume,” he said. “We call all of our friends and family to come help for a few hours and enjoy the festival.”

For Crabtree, Outside Lands means more than 650 pounds of tortillas, 300 pounds of cod for fish tacos, 80 quarts of salsa verde and 50 40-pound hotel pans of braised chicken.

In addition to Pacific Catch and Tacolicious are nearly 70 other restaurants and food trucks, from Freshroll Vietnamese Rolls and Bowls to Little Skillet's chicken and waffles (right) to newcomer Michael Mina’s Tailgate, which will serve hickory-smoked brisket, sorghum pickles and bourbon barbecue sauce.

In addition to the food are special food and beverage-related areas which celebrate their names: Wine Lands, Beer Lands, Choco Lands and Cheese Lands. Wine Lands will feature nearby Napa wineries such as Menage à Trois and Calder Wines.

This year's lineup for The Barbary, the comedy tent, stars Tig Notaro, Pete Holmes, Jen Kirkman and former members of “The Daily Show” news team.

One artist that will not perform is Toronto’s Alvvays, which canceled Wednesday due to international travel issues. Taking their place is English rock band Wolf Alice.

Now in his sixth year at the festival, Crabtree said it’s an experience unlike any other.

“(Outside Lands) is a unique festival that takes advantage of a beautiful public space,” Crabtree said. “It’s a showcase for talent, both musically and of the local culinary scene. We have never tried to reinvent wheel. We just make damn good tacos – with an Elton John garnish.”

The sold-out festival runs from Friday through Sunday in Golden Gate Park. For more information or to view the three-channel webcast each day, visit sfoutsidelands.com.

Tyler Blake from Los Angeles nu-disco duo Classixx performs at the Treasure Island Music Festival in October 2014. Classixx performs Saturday at the eighth annual Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival.

The Black Keys and Classixx images Daily Republic file photo.
Farmerbrown Little Skillet- Chicken and Waffles photo courtesy 44 Communications.
Kendrick Lamar photo courtesy Merlijn Hoek.