Just got the Police Blotter from last week and in it, Captain Richard Correia shared some stats and information about coverage of last weekend’s Outside Lands Music festival:

The cost of policing the event was borne by the promoter and our staffing levels were, when combined with more than two hundred private security personnel, sufficient to assure a safe event.

Department of Parking and Traffic, along with two tow trucks, were detailed to the Richmond District to handle calls of blocked driveways. This system worked well and it appears that we did not have any significant delays in responding driveway calls, which had been a problem in years past.

So all in all, pretty low rate of complaints for the festival. The department will give a more thorough report on Outside Lands at their next Police Community Forum meeting on September 21 (1pm, location TBD).

Did you experience any issues during Outside Lands? Let us know in the comments.

Sarah B.

Outside Lands 2009. Photo by tomtomkinson

Outside Lands returns for its third appearance at Golden Gate Park this weekend. Unlike previous years, the festival will only run on Saturday (11am to 10pm) and Sunday (11am to 9:20pm).

Headliners include Kings of Leon, Furthr featuring Bob Weir and Phil Lesh of the Grateful Dead, Gogol Bordello, Al Green, and dozens more across five stages at the Polo Fields and Speedway Meadow. See the full schedule or check out the festival map.

To kick things off, the Academy of Sciences is getting in the spirit for the festival, hosting “Parklife”, an Outside Lands/GGP themed Nightlife Thursday night from 6pm until 10pm. Live music from Dawes outside, DJ Omar spinning inside, plus activities from park mainstays like Rec & Park, the Conservatory of Flowers, Botanical Garden, Sharon Arts Studio, GGP Golf Course, and even the Archery Fields (William Tell re-enactment anyone?). Nightlife events at the Academy are 21 and over, tickets are $12 or $10 for Academy members. Tickets & info

Hype has been pretty low-key for this year’s festival, so if you’ve been on the fence about going to Outside Lands, I don’t think you’ll have trouble getting tickets. You can buy them free of service charges at the box office starting today at 12noon, or order them online.

The box office is located at the main entrance to Lindley Meadow (intersection of 30th avenue and JFK Drive). A single day ticket is $75, 2-day tickets are $140. VIP tickets, which include exclusive viewing areas, food, beverage and special restrooms go for $225 and $395.

Outside Lands is primarily about the music but there’s also some tasty food and wine vendors lined up. You’ll even find Richmond District faves Namu (“We are gonna bring the party into your mouth, and everyone is invited.” Uhh, ok.) and Gordo Taqueria on site.

If you are heading to the festival and you have a smartphone, don’t forget to install the Outside Lands mobile app. It will put a helpful map and schedule in your pocket. You can even customize your Outside Lands itinerary in advance so you’ll know when to be at which stage for your favorite acts.

And like any outdoor festival, some things are ok to bring (blankets, soft coolers, sealed water bottles, soft-side chairs) and others are not (weapons, tents, pets, laser pointers, umbrellas, glass) so check the do’s and don’ts list before you go.

If you’re biking to the festival, San Francisco Bicycle Coalition will be providing complimentary Valet Bike Parking service. Yay!

For those of you who frequent Golden Gate Park, keep in mind that much of the west end of the park will be fenced off for the festival, and many car entrances will be off-limits. Here’s a map showing the park entrances that will be closed to vehicles from Friday, August 13th at 8pm through Sunday, August 15th at 11pm:

There will also be extensive fencing up around the festival area, so be sure to check their Neighborhood 311 page before you head out to the park to find out what trails and walkways are affected.

The festival also has a community hotline: 752-2098 which can be used for any complaints or parking issues that neighbors encounter. It’s staffed from 10am to 11pm on the festival days.

The festival will have 2 dedicated tow trucks and 1 Parking Control Officer on each side of the Park to respond to blocked driveways or any other parking issues related to the event. You can also call parking enforcement at 553-1200 for assistance.

Are you headed to the festival this weekend? If so, have a great time! Here’s hoping the dreary fog takes the weekend off.

Sarah B.

The 4th annual Bicycle Music Festival kicked off at Marx Meadow in Golden Gate Park yesterday, and K9Video was on the scene to capture some of the live music and mechanics behind this 100%, bike-powered event. Enjoy!

Sarah B.

Yesterday, Green Apple Books got a visit from Paul McCartney’s production manager, who said “Paul loves your store – he said I had to come by and check it out.” Apparently the cutest Beatle likes to visit when he comes through San Francisco, but no word yet on whether he made an appearance himself this weekend.

There was no way I was going to miss Paul! He played for about 2.5 hours last night, I think the crowd would have stayed for double that. Jet, Band on the Run, Paperback Writer, Blackbird, Nineteen Hundred And Eighty Five, Let ‘Em In, My Love, Get Back – so many great songs.

Below are videos of Paul and the band performing “Hey Jude” and “Live and Let Die”, the latter containing some great pyrotechnics/fireworks which I am sure woke the neighbors.

Sarah B.

If you’re staying home for the long weekend, you might want to check out one of these musical events to celebrate our independence.

Park Chalet live music and BBQ | Saturday, July 3rd 2pm-4pm
Kick off the 4th of July weekend with music from a 50 piece patriotic band that includes the Half Moon Bay “Sit-Down” Marching Band playing patriotic tunes, The Deutscher Musikverein of San Francisco and the Heiwa Taiko Drummers providing cultural music that is central to our country of immigrants.

Outdoor BBQ in the back opens at 10am, drop by and bring your picnic blanket for what promises to be a great show. Park Chalet is located behind the Beach Chalet restaurant, 1000 Great Highway @ Ocean Beach between Fulton St. and Lincoln Way.

Independence Day Concert | Golden Gate Park Bandshell, July 4 at 1pm
The Golden Gate Park Band will perform a free concert of American patriotic music, featuring Sousa, Irving Berlin and Tchaikovsky.

And let’s hope the weather cooperates for a clear night of fireworks on Sunday!

Sarah B.

On Sunday June 27, stop by Speedway Meadow in Golden Gate Park for the free Summerthing concert, courtesy of Alice 97.3.

The 7th Annual Summerthing concert has some big names on the bill: Lifehouse, Kris Allen of American Idol fame, and the London-based One eskimo. Visit the Summerthing website for artists’ bios, pictures and video.

The concert will run from 12noon until 4pm. Speedway Meadow is located near the Polo Fields in the park. Alice’s website has some handy directions for reaching the meadow by MUNI, bike or on foot.

In addition to the music, Summerthing has a few fun activities like DoggieThing which invites concertgoers to “bring your Dog and take a stroll down ‘Water Bowl Lane’ for fresh water, doggie treats and more.”

I went last year to catch Train performing. Will you be heading out to this year’s Summerthing?

Sarah B.

Are you or is someone in your household a fan of the “Twilight” series? The next movie, Eclipse, comes out June 30. But before that, don’t miss The Cullens, a Twlight tribute band, when they perform a free concert at the Richmond branch library.

The band is from Arizona where they got deep into the movies and eventually formed their own tribute band, and their music is inspired by the Twilight characters and films.

Chronic Twilight watching resulted in songs inspired by parts of the movie, including “I Love Watching You Sleep,” “Fang Bang” and “Money Sex Cat.” The punkish “Bella Doesn’t Dance,” kicks off with the lines, “I know a girl named Bella/She is seventeen/She doesn’t know I’m a vampire/And she wants to have sex with me.” Yup, that’s Book 1, right there.

Bassist Diana Welsch says, “We do a really energetic show and we’re all dressed in black and covered in body glitter, because vampires shine in the sunlight, obviously.”

The Cullens will play a free show at the Richmond branch library, 351 9th Avenue, on Sunday June 20th from 3:30pm – 5:30pm. For more information, call the teen services librarian at 355-5610.

Sarah B.

The Golden Gate Park Band is celebrating its 128th year of playing under the historic Spreckels Temple of Music band shell in the Concourse. This weekend, they’ll host the 4th Annual “Let’s Do It Again Golden Gate Park Band Festival”.

The Festival showcases the professional Golden Gate Park Band, the US Air Force Band of the Golden West from Travis Air Force Base, and ten Northern California community bands. Each of the guest bands will present a 45 minute performance.

The Festival runs on both Saturday and Sunday from 11am until 5pm each day, with the Golden Gate Park Band playing their regular slot from 1pm to 3pm on Sunday.

FULL SCHEDULE:

Saturday, June 12
11:00 San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band, San Francisco
12noon Pleasanton Community Concert Band, Pleasanton
1:00 US Air Force Band of the Golden West, Travis Air Force Base
2:00 Foothill Symphonic Winds, Los Altos Hills
3:00 Oroville Community Concert Band, Oroville
4:00 Daly City AllStars Band, Daly City

Sunday, June 13
11:00 Pittsburg Adult Education Bands, Pittsburg and Vallejo City USD Community Services Symphonic Band, Vallejo
12noon Saratoga Community Band, Saratoga
1:00 Golden Gate Park Band, San Francisco
2:00 Golden Gate Park Band, San Francisco
3:00 AUSA Military Concert Band—The Sounds of Freedom, Clovis
4:00 Saint Helena Community Band, Saint Helena

And like every band shell concert, it’s free to attend. So bring out a lunch and grab a bench to hear some great band music. For more information, contact Patricia Wheeler at 925-443-5526 or ppwheeler@comcast.net.

The Golden Gate Park Band plays a free concert every Sunday at the band shell from 1pm – 3pm, April through September. Visit their website for more information.

Sarah B.