The Best Bands to See at San Francisco’s Portola Music Festival

Here are our favorite artists playing this weekend, ranging from underground DJs to some of the biggest alternative pop stars in the world.

Sofia Kourtesis

Saturday, 3 p.m., Crane Tent

A set planned in the middle of the afternoon is often an opportunity to discover artists. No other artist from Portola’s inaugural year deserves new ear canals like Sofia Kourtesis. The Berlin-via-Lima house producer and singer emerged with “Fresia Magdalena” last year. The EP is packed with mid-tempo beats that color the spaces between beats with vibrant samples of field recordings she captured in Peru at her family’s seaside neighborhood, Magdalena. The ocean – particularly its restorative properties – guided Kourtesis on her album, which she crafted as a tribute to her mother Fresia who was a prominent neighborhood activist. The EP’s opening track, “La Perla”, stands out for its refreshing tranquility. According to Kourtesis, “’La Perla’ is about looking at the sea. It’s the first thing I’ll do when I get back to Peru. My father used to say that looking at the sea is like meditating, it clears your head. Center your Sunday afternoon with this opaline opus. —Silas Valentino

The Avalanches

Saturday, 4:45 p.m., Pier stage

When it comes to sampling, few artists in history have dug as deep – and as wide – as Australian duo The Avalanches. Their 2000 opus “Since I Left You” was a veritable Rosetta Stone crate-digger consisting of around 3500 samples. They then disappeared for 16 years before reappearing with 2016’s ‘Wildflower’ and 2020’s ‘We Will Always Love You’, two LPs packed with enough guest stars to fill a Grammys after-party (although it’s at debating whether Rivers Cuomo really needed to be invited). The late afternoon Saturday timeslot is perfect for samples of sunny Avalanche scenery, and it’s likely to be one of the most uplifting sets of the day. —Dan Gentile

Caroline Polachek

Saturday, 5 p.m., Boat Tent

Frequent Charli XCX collaborator Caroline Polachek will also perform at the inaugural Portola Festival. Before becoming a singer-songwriter herself with tracks big enough to start TikTok trends, Polachek wrote and produced music for major artists, even winning a Grammy for her work on Beyonce’s 2014 self-titled album. Although she has a huge catalog of songs to choose from for her Saturday set, you could bet she won’t perform “RIP Harambe,” an ill-fated 2019 collaboration with billionaire-turned-rapper Elon Musk. —Gabe Lehman

Charlie XCX

Saturday, 6:50 p.m., Warehouse course

Charli XCX first gained popularity after appearing on two of the biggest songs of the early 2010s: Iggy Azalea’s “Fancy” and Icona Pop’s “I Don’t Care.” In the years that followed, she became a pop star in her own right with hits like “Boom Clap” and “Boys.” With lyrics that can range from the wink to downright profane, XCX delivers their hits with the confidence of someone who’s never been the coolest kid in the room. The British singer’s fans – the ‘Charli’s Angels’ – are as dedicated as any fandom and their passion alone will make Charli XCX’s set a performance not to be missed. —Gabe Lehman

Caribou

Saturday, 7:15 p.m., Ship stage

Electronic music has long been a genre defined by singles, but Caribou’s Dan Snaith is the rare master of the LP. His breakout album ‘Our Love’ feels like a journey through the sad ruins of a relationship, punctuated by emotive synth hits and propelling drum machines. He’s a hero to many a bedroom producer, but one of the few artists at the festival to travel with a full band, incorporating live drum duels to punctuate an arsenal of synthesizers. —Dan Gentile

eug

Sunday, 12:35 p.m., Warehouse stage

Although DJ Shadow and Toro y Moi represent the Bay Area, the schedule on the main stages is a bit light for San Francisco-based artists. Alongside ubiquitous promoter DJ Dials, the only other San Franciscan on the lineup is Eugene Whang, a polymath who works as a designer at Apple by day and gets the party started by night. Eug’s monthly residency at Bar Part Time quickly became one of the most popular parties in town (and the only one where James Murphy could turn up as a surprise guest). Expect a polished selection of house tracks, including a few from his own label Public Release Records. —Dan Gentile

Danilo Plessow

Sunday, 4 p.m., crane tent

The artist formerly known as the Motor City Drum Ensemble stopped by San Francisco in March for a rowdy round of piano-house and disco montages at 1015 Folsom, and was spotted heading to the legendary party Hard French day trip the following afternoon in El Rio. It’s been over a decade since he released his last single “Raw Cuts”, but there are few artists since who have matched the perfection of these sample-heavy house tracks. This will probably be the most Shazammed set of the weekend (but hopefully there will be no rewind). —Dan Gentile

Yaeji

Sunday, 4:05 p.m., Pier stage

The Korean-American DJ and producer dubbed “the raver next door” by Fader started hosting DIY parties in Williamsburg called “Curry in No Hurry,” where she would actually bring a pot of Japanese food to share with the crowd. She carried that quirky aesthetic with her mercurial rise, maintaining an authentic voice when she could have easily fallen into the “business techno” trap of some of her peers. As a result, his single “Raingurl” racked up 79 million Spotify plays, with legions of fans drawn in by its understated party-starting lyrics and subtle house beats. —Dan Gentile

Kelly Lee Owens

Sunday, 4:40 p.m., Entrepôt Stage

Welsh electronic artist Kelly Lee Owens refuses to be put in a box. The solo performer’s latest album, “LP.8,” begins with bursts of industrial noise on “Release,” transitions to dreamy ambient chimes on “Anadlu,” then a poignant ballad (“Nana Piano”) and returns to a searing noise on “Sonic 8.” The album is a stark departure from his moody Radiohead cover “Arpeggi” and the dancefloor workout of “Jeanette,” but whatever direction Owens plans to take Portola, it’s likely to be one of most memorable. —Dan Gentile

DJ Shadow

Sunday, 5:35 p.m. Boat tent

What better way to spend the hours of waning sunshine than in the presence of DJ Shadow. Just your favorite DJ savior, Shadow emerged from campus radio station KDVS in his hometown of Davis in 1996 to produce the holy grail of trip hop sampledelia: “Endtroducing…” The record is a mosaic of samples explosives he found after years of determined digging at record stores in the Central Valley and Bay Area. The kaleidoscopic sonic daze invades the brain to get you moving or tripping. DJ Shadow, born Josh Davis, could have stopped there and he would remain a living legend. But luckily he continued to shape the sampling and rehash drum beats for an endless future. From the country-western bravado “Nobody Speak” with Run The Jewels to the gorgeous shoulder wave “Scale It Back” he recorded alongside Little Dragon, DJ Shadow has continually made his music fresh and engaging, always worthy of a new introduction. —Silas Valentino

Toro and me

Sunday, 6:10 p.m. Pier Scene

The Bay Area has a tendency to lose musicians, but Toro y Moi mastermind Chaz Bear bucked the trend by planting himself in Oakland to establish a creative hub. He swapped the east coast for the East Bay and the electronic soul that emanates from it continues to embrace the psychedelic inclinations of our region. His summer album “MAHAL,” released earlier this year, features the inverted guitar chiller “Déjà Vu,” a stone-cold groove said to have revived George Harrison from the “Revolver” era. Elsewhere, the track “Way Too Hot” pays homage to the bygone Madchester sound that infused rock ‘n’ roll with pulsating acid. —Silas Valentino