In a city that never sleeps on music, San Francisco's alt-metal fans have spoken, and they have spoken quickly. Within a brisk 90 minutes on Friday morning, tickets for a powerhouse concert featuring System of a Down and Deftones at Golden Gate Park were snatched up by eager fans, leaving not a single stub up for grabs. This concert, set for August 17, is part of another initiative by Another Planet Entertainment (APE) to extend the musical revelry in the park following the iconic Outside Lands Festival.
Tickets for the booming event started at $169 plus fees for the general admission, with the high rollers opting for $399 VIP packages – a price tag that didn't deter the rapid depletion of entries to see the co-headlining sets. "We can't wait to see all 50k of you on Saturday, August 17 at the Polo Field!" exclaimed a post on the promoter's social media accounts after the announcement of the sell-out, as reported by CBS San Francisco. System of a Down, hailing from SoCal and praised as one of the most popular alternative-metal bands, despite a dearth of new albums for nearly two decades, has solidified its global fan base through infrequent yet memorable gigs, including this rare San Francisco appearance. Deftones, with roots in Sacramento, continue to push the boundaries of heavy alternative music, likened sometimes to the morose elegance of the Cure and Radiohead.
Adding to the vibrations, The Mars Volta, Viagra Boys, and VOWWS have been confirmed to join the heavyweights for an afternoon and evening of head-banging hits on the Polo Field stage. As detailed by SFist, the infrastructure from Outside Lands, including stages, concessions, and lounges, will serve a second weekend of sonic celebrations, suggesting this could be the dawn of a new August tradition in Golden Gate Park.
Outside Lands remains a hotly anticipated behemoth, selling out its "Eager Beaver" tickets in less than two hours. With the lineup yet to be announced, the demand is only intensifying. The recent decision by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors enables Another Planet to host a couple more concerts utilizing the Outside Lands setup, allowing fans to rock the Polo Fields with a smaller, more concentrated energy. APE isn't just about the ticket sales. The agreement includes the funding for free Muni rides to and from the Polo Field for concert-goers and the commitment to produce annual free concerts at various locations, including Civic Center Plaza and Union Square.
