By Matt Elias
This past weekend at the Outside Lands Festival in San Francisco, we got a glimpse into a world that most music fans don't get to see. Backstage, an entire artist hospitality area was set up to make the musicians feel like, well, rock stars. Nestled between festival regular the Ice Cream Man and a fully stocked bar were a handful of vendors hooking up artists with high-profile swag all weekend.
One of the products that came in handy in the abnormally hot sun (for San Francisco, at least) were Kaenon Polarized sunglasses. We spotted artists all weekend rocking these shades, including members of Mastodon and Cage the Elephant. Originally developed for sailing and ocean sports, the polarizing lenses translate well to the bright summer days of the festival season. Thankfully the folks at Kaenon boasted enough styles to satisfy all of the varying tastes within a band, dodging any potential breakups over the weekend. Plus, all of the glasses came in a nifty little carrying case with a custom Outside Lands logo.
Next door, Altec Lansing was unveiling the boombox for the 21st century. The MIX Boombox seemed fit for the hardest of post-show afterparties, and the developers should know: They've been outfitting tour buses with this music machine all summer. Just slip in an iPod or iPhone and crank up the most obscure b-side tunes in your collection. The MIX also packs a digital FM radio, two auxiliary inputs and a badass 5.25" subwoofer on the side. But the wow factor was definitely the wireless remote that slides right out of the top. It's no wonder why members of Pearl Jam, Incubus and the Black Eyed Peas were so happy to score one. It easily won the "smile from ear to ear" award for the weekend.
Lastly, Onitsuka Tiger by Asics were on site to help any band on the run. Their line of sneakers have long been popular with indie rock and electronic acts, and we're told especially with drummers since they mimic the shape of the foot — perfect for stomping on that kick drum pedal. This weekend we saw Silversun Pickups and Incubus get their hands (or feet, rather) on them. The most sought after model seemed to be the Mexico 66 Baja kicks with Velcro straps, which must have been as sweet as they looked: One rep told us, "Everyone likes to put the shoes in their mouth."
