There’s a reason everything tends to come back around. Yes, people love nostalgia and hindsight is 20/20, but the consistent resurgence of past trends stems from one thing: a lot of things were just better “back then.” Despite the technological progress made year after year, many photographers still swear up and down by film. Even with the endless possibilities laid out by virtual reality, millions of people still turn to Pokemon for entertainment.

Another year of Outside Lands flew by this weekend, and like it does every year, went out with its crown held high. Despite temperatures in the 50s and the festival’s pricey location in the heart of $an Francisco, droves of music lovers flocked to Golden Gate Park for the 8^th year in a row to dance the cold gray away. With a top notch lineup for music, food, beer, and wine, it’s hard to imagine a single fan went home unsatisfied.

It’s not always easy to get to a musical festival the minute the doors open. Between work and friends traveling from different pockets, and especially if alcohol is involved the night (or brunch) before, it gets even harder by the day. When your lineup is as stacked as Outside Lands’ though, you’d be a fool to show up late. Here are five acts that are sure to make the hustle worth it.

1. Speedy Ortiz, Friday 1:30 @ Panhandle 

“Buy a flower crown, they’re tacky!”

As soon as I heard the guy selling flower crowns charmingly belittling his own product, I knew I was exactly where I was supposed to be. Despite the cool fog that hung over the weekend, taking in the towering eucalyptus trees that encase Golden Gate Park, I felt warm. Back at Outside Lands for my third year, it almost instantly felt like I was home again.

San Francisco’s biggest music festival is set to take over Golden Gate Park for its seventh year next week. This year Outside Lands sold out in record time, within just hours of single day passes going on sale.

Golden Gate Park hosted San Francisco’s 6^th Outside Lands Festival this past weekend, bringing in scores of talent ranging from musical to culinary to comedic. The festival sold out more than a month in advance, yet the grounds felt deceptively spacious all three days. Although the fog hardly let up all weekend, two things were clear: the leggings-as-pants trend is here to stay, and the comedy aspect of Outside Lands has been severely underrated thus far.

Judging by the weather in San Francisco over the past few weeks, Outside Lands 2013 might be even chillier and grayer than it was last year. This year’s event will take place August 9-11 on its usual turf of Golden Gate Park, and if the lineup is any indication, there’s sure to be something for everyone.Feeling nostalgic for the 90s? D’Angelo takes the Sutro Stage on Friday, while Jurassic 5 plays Saturday afternoon just hours before Nine Inch Nails closes out Saturday night on the Lands End Stage.

A week removed from Outside Lands and I can still hear ringing in my ears, feel a subtle ache in my body, and play music sets over and over again in my mind. While my previous write-up mainly had commentary about the environment the festival was in, this article’s focus is on the music.

With a positive weather forecast and a backpack full of blankets, I wandered into Golden Gate Park for my second Outside Lands Festival. This was the first year in which all tickets sold out, so the park was filled to capacity. I didn't know what it would look like, but I was ready to experience it. The first day always has a kind of anxiety to it, whether it's dealing with Muni not being able to handle the amount of passengers on the bus or deciding which band to favor during a schedule conflict.

The final day of Outside Lands came and went, and I have never been more upset to see a festival end. My body, on the other hand, is thrilled. I spent the cloudy “Sunday Funday” of Golden Gate Park’s music festival planted at Land’s End Stage in Polo Field, determined to see Jack White with my own eyes as opposed to on the Megatron screen.