Sisters Jordan and Harper Kim had seen the Lollapalooza photos: Last week, more than 100,000 people huddled at Grant Park for the chance to see ascendant queer pop star Chappell Roan. An aerial shot of the crowd went viral, and all but confirmed the Chappell effect: Even at early slots, she commands headliner-level attention and hype, and then some.
The Kim sisters arrived at Outside Lands at 12:30 p.m., not long after doors for the festival opened. Already, a crowd had started to form around the main Lands End stage. They had half-expected an early congregation, but to see so many in wait for the “feminenomenon” in-person was a bit disconcerting.
“When we walked in, it was already full up front,” Harper told Gazetteer SF, with a hint of shock in her voice. They had never camped out for an artist at a festival, until now.
By 2 p.m., Polo Field was awash in pink, frilly cowboy hats and Chappell Roan-branded bandanas and tees. A critical mass had gathered in front, while those wary of a potential crowd crush laid out blankets behind them, with snacks and beers in tow to prepare themselves for the inevitable.
The appeal of Roan is obvious: She’s a consummate, theatrical performer, an underdog, and a songmaker with an uncanny ability to craft perfect singalongs, all wrapped into a campy, iconoclastic package. Her ascendance this year was dizzying, and everyone wants in on the ride.
Gabi Asmar, an 18-year-old from Redwood City, well and truly committed to the bit: Dressed in a tiara and a long flowy gown, Asmar decided to mimic the cover of Roan’s breakout album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwestern Princess.
She bought her pass just weeks ago to see Roan, and wanted to do something special for the day. It helped that her curly brown hair wasn’t far off from Roan’s own shade and cut.
Devin Pineda was camped out at stage right on a picnic blanket with a couple of friends, a bit away from the critical mass of fans in wait. “Without getting too claustrophobic,” Pineda Pineda told me, “we decided to get a bit closer for Chappell.” It was already pretty packed by the time they arrived at 1:30 p.m., he said, and he was concerned.
They saw the Lolla photos, too. “I think that’s why we were worried for this situation,” Pineda added.
San Francisco resident Christian Berney was seated on the grass, and had camped out since 2 p.m. The 27-year-old had also seen the Lollapalooza photos. “It’s gonna get worse,” he cautioned with a laugh. “That’s why we have to get here now. There are 80,000 people here today.”
Berney wanted to see Roan for himself — he knows that so many people were there for the same reason he was. He recalled the first time he really sat down and heard Roan for the first time.
“We both had a moment where we sat through and listened to the whole album and had a full-body chills moment,” Berney said, gesturing to his friend next to him. His favorite song? “Pink Pony Club” — a song about finding joy and community far away from home in a drag club. “As queer people, that really speaks to me,” he said.
The crowd, by the end of her set, had sprawled all the way past the windmill in the center of Polo Field. Camping out did work. But everyone, no matter where they were at the set, was invited to the pink pony club.
