What’s in a name? Well, in the case of next week’s Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival, quite a lot, actually.

Back in the 1800s, Outside Lands was the name used for what’s now San Francisco’s Sunset District. At that time, the area was covered in sand dunes and was considered uninhabitable. Development changed all that, and the former Outside Lands area is now home to Golden Gate Park.

The name conjures up an image of stark isolation — a place Mel Gibson’s “Road Warrior” might visit — but the Outside Lands festival is not alone. This year has seen the birth of many new, non-touring multi-day music events, to the point where 2008 will be likely be remembered in the industry as the year of the festival.
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