Doechii dominated Day 1 of Exterior Lands.
Certain, there have been greater than 40 acts on Friday’s invoice, but the one that almost all of the 70,000-plus followers in attendance gave the impression to be buzzing about — each earlier than and after her set — was this rising-star rapper out of Tampa.
Doechii not solely delivered the highest second on Day 1, but in addition what positive felt prefer it’s destined to be remembered because the signature efficiency of your complete 2025 Exterior Lands.
Sure, she was that spectacular, spinning memorable traces over rock-solid beats whereas completely commanding the eye of what might properly have been the most important crowd ever assembled in entrance of 1 single stage at Exterior Lands at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco.
It was a reasonably brief set, solely lasting some 45 minutes, however it was sufficient to persuade the tens of hundreds in attendance that Doechii may have an extended and affluent profession forward of her within the music world.
The efficiency additionally served as an effective way to get individuals pumped up for her second highway present, Stay from the Swamp Tour, which features a return journey to San Francisco on Nov. 7 for a present on the Invoice Graham Civic Auditorium. These Doechii tickets go on sale to most people on Aug. 11, apeconcerts.com.
Doechii sits on a desk as she performs on the Lands Finish stage throughout the first day of the Exterior Lands music competition at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco on Aug. 8, 2025. (Chris Riley/Occasions-Herald)
Doechii shone the brightest on a Day 1 invoice that additionally included Doja Cat, Beck with Symphony, John Summit and Nonetheless Woozy. The three-day competition is anticipated to proceed by Sunday, Aug. 12, with Hozier, Glass Animals, Jamie xx, Anderson .Paak & the Free Nationals, Julie and Jorja Smith among the many acts set to take the a number of phases.
Doechii took the stage proper round 7 p.m., simply because the fog was rolling in and the once-wonderfully heat climate was swiftly cooling off, and proceeded to warmth issues up with such tunes as “Bullfrog” and “Boiled Peanuts.”
The rapper, who first made her identify on TikTok earlier than inking offers with Prime Dawg Leisure and Capitol Information in 2022, sounded fairly robust on the microphone as she caught primarily to her platinum-selling second mixtape, “Alligator Bites Never Heal,” which received the Grammy for finest rap album earlier this 12 months.
The group was in her nook from the get-go, clearly understanding that they have been watching one thing particular as they bounced concerning the Polo Discipline and waved their palms within the air as Doechii continued by “Nissan Altima,” “Alter Ego” and her unimaginable “America’s Got a Problem” freestyle.
Doechii is carried by her dancers as they carry out on the Lands Finish stage throughout the first day of the Exterior Lands music competition at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco on Aug. 8, 2025. (Chris Riley/Occasions-Herald)
Doechii closed her 15-song set with a double shot from “Alligator” — “Denial Is a River” and “Boom Bap” — additionally taking time to additionally promote her upcoming headlining tour earlier than she left the stage. Given the energy of this efficiency, I anticipate many of those Exterior Lands attendees will even attempt to catch Doechii’s present on the Invoice Graham Civic.
Doechii was the second to final act to take to the competition’s large Lands Finish stage on Friday. Subsequent up was Doja Cat, who would shut down the Day 1 proceedings with a prolonged set filled with crowd favorites. So, in a manner, Doechii was reprising her function because the opening act on Doja’s “The Scarlet Tour,” which kicked off on Halloween night time 2023 at Chase Heart in San Francisco.
But, Day 1 of the competition peaked so dramatically with Doechii’s set that it made Doja Cat’s headlining present really feel anticlimactic, which is loopy to say however true. Simply ask the hundreds of hip-hop followers who left the sphere after Doechi’s efficiency– both to benefit from the ample music on the different phases or to make for an early exit — leading to a noticeably thinned-out crowd for the headliner.
That didn’t cease Doja from placing on a comparatively satisfying set, because the Los Angeles hip-hop artist showcased her robust vocals whereas drawing from all 4 of her studio albums — 2018’s “Amala,” 2019’s “Hot Pink,” 2021’s “Planet Her” and 2023’s “Scarlet.” It was the latter that ate up the lion’s share of the setlist, contributing eight songs to the combo.
Doja Cat performs on the Lands Finish stage throughout the first day of the Exterior Lands music competition at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco on Aug. 8, 2025. (Chris Riley/Occasions-Herald)
I lower away from Doja Cat’s set for some time to additionally catch a few of Beck’s efficiency with an orchestra on the Sutro Stage (my favourite stage of the competition’s many phases). I solely caught round for 4 songs or so — “The New Pollution,” “Ramona,” “Paper Tiger” and an incredible tackle Scott Walker’s Montague Terrace (in Blue) — however what I heard was adequate to make me want I may’ve devoted the time to take pleasure in your complete set.
Earlier within the day, followers loved performances by Moraga’s personal indie-pop act Nonetheless Woozy (higher identified to his former classmates at Campolindo Excessive College as Sven Gamsky), electropop vocalist Marina (now taking the mononymous route after beforehand making music as Marina and the Diamonds), great Sacramento punk act Destroy Boys and dozens of different sights.
But, the one competition act that individuals will nonetheless be speaking about as we speak — and certain for a lot of moons to come back — is Doechii.
Sure, Day 1 of Exterior Lands belonged to her.
Doechii setlist1. “Stanka Pooh”2. “Bullfrog”3. “Boiled Peanuts”4. “Nissan Altima”5. “America Has a Problem”6. “Alter Ego”7. “Persuasive”8. “Spookie Coochie”9. “Nosebleeds”10. “Crazy”11. “Anxiety”12. “GTFO”13. “Catfish”14. “Denial Is a River”15. “Boom Bap”
Doja Cat performs on the Lands Finish stage throughout the first day of the Exterior Lands music competition at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco on Aug. 8, 2025. (Chris Riley/Occasions-Herald)
Alexia Roditis performs with Destroy Boys on the Lands Finish stage throughout the first day of the Exterior Lands music competition at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco on Aug. 9, 2025. (Chris Riley/Occasions-Herald)
Initially Revealed: August 9, 2025 at 10:36 AM PDT
