Outside Lands 2017, Day 2

Day 2 got off to a fine musical start with bands such as San Fermin and Joseph filling in the earlier performance slots. While the Lands End stage highlighted groups with a hard rock edge — gearing the mood up for the night’s headliner Metalica — over at the Sutro stage, the atmosphere was awash with sounds for more pop and folk minded listeners.

Real Estate got the crowd going with their rocking set list, before Australian favorite Vance Joy took the stage. The sun came peeking through the fog as Joy launched into “Mess is Mine” from his 2014 record Dream Your Life Away. His clear bright voice filled the grove as he ran through his hour-long set that included “Wasted Time,” Red Eye,” and a rousing cover of Paul Simon’s “You Can Call Me Al.”

Next up were the Grammy-nominated brothers Scott and Seth Avett. They opened with “Head Full of Doubt,” a heartfelt semi-ballad from their breakthrough record I and Love and You. Accompanied by a drummer, bass player, and formidable string players, the Avett Brothers trotted out 14 songs during their set, pulling mostly from I and Love and You, The Carpenter, Magpie and the Dandelion, and their latest, True Sadness.

Particularly moving was their rendition of Soundgarden’s “Black Hole Sun”; the brothers killing the difficult vocal range with seeming ease.

As night fell on the verdant setting, colored klieg lights shone into the trees fringing the polo field, enchanting the open space. Heavy metal legends Metallica closed the night at Lands End with their shredding guitars and agro vocals delivered by frontman James Hetfield.

At the opposite end of the Outside Lands expanse, Australian duo Luke Steele and Nick Littlemore of Empire of the Sun wowed eager fans with their dazzling costumes and tight performance.