Outside Lands 2014 lineup is mediocre at best.

Outside Lands is a music and food festival that takes place every August in Golden Gate fields in San Francisco.

Outside Lands is little different that other festivals in the way that they typically don’t have the same line up as Coachella every year. With Coachella hosting an Outkast reunion naturally people thought that they would headline Outside Lands as they are doing for many other festivals.

Outside Lands is good at keeping you on your toes and trying to spice up the festival circuit but this year it seems they are going a little mainstream.

In past years Outside Lands has been known to have classic acts in the headlining performers such as, Stevie Wonder, Neil Young, Hall &Oates, John Fogerty and Paul McCartney.

Although they have brought back Tom Petty to headline, one of his co-headliners in particular was strange to me; Kanye West.

Many local Bay Area people have taken to the Internet on such websites such as The Huffington Post and Spinning Platters, a Bay Area review site to lend their opinion on the lineup.

Amber Gregory of Spinning Platters says, “Every year the OSL lineup features 3-4 artists I absolutely LOVE. This year is no exception — Arctic Monkeys, Chvrches, Chromeo, Holy Ghost! – but unfortunately it’s also no exception on the other side of things. The rest of this lineup is disappointing, and that’s how I feel every. single. year.”

Jonathan Pirro, another writer from Spinning Platers, says “Despite having The Flaming Lips on the lineup, and a small handful of a few other favorites, this year’s Outside Lands lineup seems lazy, dispirited, and thrown together to fill the space. The pop trifecta of Kanye, Tiësto and Macklemore doesn’t help their case.”

I like some of Kanye’s music but to headline a more alternative festival, left me quite surprised.

It seems like this year Outside Lands is really trying to advertise for the younger generation, people like Capital Cities,  Grouplove and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, whom I cannot stand.

Don’t get me wrong there are people I am excited to see such as, Jenny Lewis, Death Cab for Cutie, Disclosure and The Flaming Lips. I am just afraid of what might come of this festival.

Having people like Kanye West will definitely sky rocket sales and bring in revenue but is it going to bring in the same music loving people as past dates. I am afraid that by getting people so mega-star popular for this concert can potentially change the whole dynamic of the festival. Outside Lands was always a cool place to try new food and discover new music.

I am curious to see the kind of people that will be attending this year and if Outside Lands will continue to book acts that are so mega-star popular.

Other than their scary choice in headliner and what I can only presume is the “opening act” for that headliner, there are some acts in which I am excited to see. Will I buy a 3-day pass? Probably not.

Outside Lands will be August 8-10, 2014 you can get more information about tickets and see the full line up at sfoutsidelands.com.