Thousands of people rocked out to the Strokes’ nostalgic set at Outside Lands Music Festival in San Francisco Saturday, with special guest Charli XCX joining forces with the band for one song. This photo is by Raymond Ahner.
The Indie rock band began its set at Golden Gate Park, delivering a punchy performance of “Ize of the World” from its 2006 album “First Impressions of Earth,” with forceful guitar sounds ripping through the crowd. Lead singer Julian Casablancas poured his distinct voice into the microphone through each song over the band’s signature guitar riffs. Attendees rocked their heads and belted out lyrics from their favorite songs, dancing throughout the headlining set.
The band played old hits like “Someday” and “Last Nite” while also weaving in a few tracks from their latest album “Reality Awaits.”
“It felt like the band was really into it,” said San Francisco resident Raj Sangha in an interview. “It was cool because even their older songs didn’t seem tired or played out. It still sounded new and fresh, which I like.”
In the middle of the set, the Strokes brought out pop singer Charli XCX, a fellow Outside Lands headliner who performed at the same stage Friday night. The “giant pop star,” Casablancas said on stage, sang with the band on the song “Take It Or Leave It.”
The crowd roared with excitement during Charli XCX’s surprise appearance that kept the party going.
“When Charli XCX came out, it didn’t feel like it was forced,” Sangha said. “It just felt kind of natural when they performed together.”
The band continued with upbeat tracks like “Reptilia” and “One Way Trigger,” with audience members continuing to dance as bright strobe lights lit up the foggy skies that blanketed Golden Gate Park. “This is a nice evening, it turned out to be,” Casablancas said between songs. The Strokes appeared to finish off with its hit “The Adults Are Talking,” drawing applause from the thousands of people before walking off the stage. As attendees started to leave for the exit, the band returned for an encore with “You Only Live Once” that saw some fans running back to hear one last song.
