Monday, April 4, 2016

Opening the Golden Gate

4/5 Update: Lana has been announced as the headliner of that new California festival we forecast, and Sigur Ros has announced tourdates leading up to a probable headlining slot at Treasure Island. We therefore downgrade the probability of both acts, but rule out neither. Our we-think-final forecast for the lineup to be announced tomorrow is:
Radiohead
Arcade Fire (or Lana del Rey) and/or Neil Young & Promise of the Real
LCD Soundsystem
J. Cole and/or Future
Duran Duran
Bassnectar
one or two of Ryan Adams, Broken Social Scene, Sufjan Stevens, and Ween

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Outside Lands will reveal its lineup early this week. Here are our fairly-heavy final (?) predictions for top-billed acts:

We are most confident that the headliners will include Radiohead, LCD Soundsystem, probably Lana del Rey (who may instead headline another California festival TBA), and at least one rapper, we believe J. Cole and/or Future.

That would be enough for most 3-day festivals, but we believe Outside Lands may, as it has in some past years, again overstuff its lineup with big-name acts. For instance, we believe that there is a serious possibility that one or both of indubitable headliner Arcade Fire and somewhat smaller-time Sigur Ros may join the lineup as well.

Moreover, while our earlier-predicted Dead & Company will likely instead return to San Francisco circa New Year's Eve as part of a string of shows at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium and LA's Forum, we would not be surprised if Neil Young & Promise of the Real takes their place at Outside Lands as this year's living legend act.

As for subheadliners, our predictions are more intuitive and not as probable. If LCD is joined by another large-drawing electronic act rather than slightly smaller ones like M83, we believe Bassnectar may be the likeliest name in the mix. Duran Duran similarly may be the likeliest of a number of fun ('70s-)'80s acts to join the bill. And we expect at least one of notable indie reunions Broken Social Scene and Ween to appear at either this festival or SF's Treasure Island in the Fall; Ween may be the likelier of the two to appear on its own.