SAN FRANCISCO — The Outside Lands music festival ended a week ago, but the Polo Field at Golden Gate Park is still blocked off to the public as the site is readied for another major concert event Saturday.
Some neighbors are not thrilled about a second straight weekend of loud music and heavy traffic. Saturday evening, System of a Down and Sacramento band Deftones will co-headline the sold-out show that was announced last April.
The back-to-back concerts, put on by Another Planet Entertainment, make a lot of sense logistically. It takes a while to set up for a big outdoor event of this magnitude so most of the infrastructure was kept in place. That has meant an extended headache for some residents.
Pamela Kimball has lived off and on in the Richmond District since 1980. She’s well aware of Outside Lands but not the new event.
“This is a surprise,” Kimball said. “I thought this was over.”
Kimball said these events take away parts of the park that she enjoys along with causing problems associated with large crowds.
“Just our neighborhood,” she said. “We’re paying the price. The parking, the traffic, the road closures. I don’t want to be too much of a complainer about it but it does impact my life. Especially the Richmond side. They walk all over us in the Richmond.”
Commissioner Kat Anderson with San Francisco Recreation and Parks said Outside Lands has generated roughly $1 billion in economic activity since 2008 and this inaugural Golden Gate Park Concerts alone will add an estimated $1.4 million. Anderson insists their partners with Another Planet Entertainment have taken measures to alleviate the impact on neighbors.
“We did everything we can short of not having the concert which I think would be a mistake,” Anderson said. “This is something that needs to happen, has to happen. We are the kind of city that the world wants to visit and they expect fun things and we deliver.”
Maria attended Outside Lands last weekend and she feels these events are great ways to put a positive spotlight on San Francisco.
“I actually love the idea,” Maria said. “There’s so much setup involved, the fact that they’re keeping half of the infrastructure and using it for another concert seems to make a ton of sense for me. Especially when this city really needs to be revitalized and, I think, and a positive impression needs to be created.”
Residents like Kimball say they’re not against the concerts. She just wishes other neighborhoods would take the responsibility of hosting the events.
“You try to be a good sport,” she said. “You get the concert free whether you like it or not. I put up with it but the traffic and the parking is an aggravation and the thump-thump-thump, the bass has to be so strong.”
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