popwreckoning

Buzzed about California band Young The Giant, known for their live shows, which boast arena-sized hooks influences ranging from jazz rhythms to surf pop harmonies, will continue to tour in support of their self-titled debut. The band is pleased to announce that they will provide sole support to Incubus on their late summer tour. Young The Giant will join the tour on the August 30th in Columbus, Ohio, wrapping up on October 9th in San Francisco.

Young The Giant are planning several performances at a series of festivals including KROQ-LA’s Weenie Roast June 4, Live 105’s BFD on June 5, Summerfest in Milwaukee July 5, main stage of Lollapalooza in August and Austin City Limits in September.  Their self-titled debut has been hailed as “vivid, vibrant rock… a pop masterpiece” by Wall Street Journal, while Billboard deemed them “rising stars.”

Below is a complete list of supporting dates with Incubus:

8/30/11 Promowest Pavilion Columbus, OH
8/31/11 AE Stage Pittsburgh, PA
9/1/11 SPAC Saratoga, NY
9/3/11 Jones Beach Theater Wantagh, NY
9/4/11 PNC Bank Arts Center Holmdel, NJ
9/7/11 Mohegan Sun Hartford,CT
9/9/11 Comcast Center Boston, MA
9/10/11 Susquehanna Bank Center Philadelphia, PA
9/11/11 Merriweather Post Pavillion Baltimore, MD
9/13/11 Virginia Beach Amphitheatre Virginia Beach, VA
9/16/11 Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre Charlotte, NC
9/18/11 1-800-ASK-GARY Amphitheatre Tampa, FL
9/20/11 Bayfront Park Amphitheater Miami, FL
9/29/11 Gexa Energy Pavilion Dallas, TX
9/30/11 Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion Houston, TX
10/1/11 The Backyard at Bee Cave Austin, TX
10/5/11 Comerica Theatre Phoenix, AZ
10/7/11 Hollywood Bowl Los Angeles, CA
10/8/11 The Joint at the Hard Rock Las Vegas, NV
10/9/11 Shoreline Amphitheatre San Francisco, CA

For more information, visit www.youngthegiant.com

The first day of the second annual Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival held in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park was filled with all of the ingredients you would expect at such a mammoth, eco-conscious festival. Expressions of art in many forms, lots foodie-centric vendors and throngs of music-adoring fans packed the event for three days of music, activism and celebration in a picture-perfect setting.

West Indian Girl
One of the early highlights was the set by West Indian Girl with guest vocalist Miranda Lee Richards. WIG delivered a psychedelic set of dreamy pop to an appreciative SF crowd.

Built To Spill
Often mentioned and praised by other bands throughout the day was the swirling, guitar-driven performance by Built to Spill.

Loop!Station
A San Francisco favorite, Loop!Station played three days in “The Barbary,” a magnificent “venue” brought in from Belgium. The effect of Robin Coomer’s soaring vocals, set atop layered samples and powerful cello from Sam Bass is absolutely mesmerizing.

The Dodos
Displaying their unconventional techniques for the hometown crowd, San Francsico’s The Dodos gained some much-deserved exposure with their opening-day performance.

Silversun Pickups
Often compared to Smashing Pumpkins, Silversun Pickups have built out their own sonic wall of sound. Delivering the most powerful set of the festival, Silversun Pickups brought their familiar “Lazy Eye” and “Swoon” in all of their fuzz-out, screamed-out glory.

The National
The performance by Brooklyn-based The National was filled with well-crafted gems of surprisingly interesting indie pop. A band familiar to San Franciscans from their song “Fake Empire” which was used in the Obama campaign, The National had the crowd won over before they hit the stage.

Incubus
Struggling with some vocal issues, Incubus lead singer Brandon Boyd did his best to power through the hit-laden set. The fans were more than happy to fill in the gaps while Boyd nursed his pipes with a Cotes du Rhone.

Tom Jones
In an odd Vegas-meets-the-Bay moment, Tom Jones brought his endearing sing-along show to Golden Gate Park. I wasn’t sure if “It’s Not Unusual” or “She’s a Lady” would resonate with the hipster, boomer and ubiquitous ironic t-shirt-clad festival crowd. Sure enough, Sir Tom had everyone, young and old, dancing and singing right along.

Thievery Corporation
Even exceeding my expectations as a long-time devotee of Thievery Corporation, Rob Garza and Eric Hilton led fans through an amazing spectacle during their performance on Friday night. The opening minutes of the show featured no less than three lead vocalists, a cross-legged Rob Myers on sitar and were followed by one of the most stunning performances of the entire festival. Pearl who?

Check back for days 2 & 3!