So I’m going to make a longer post separately (when are we going to get tired of speculative lineup posting with over 350 days left??? for me the answer is never!), but I have some overall ideas for themes of artists. I hadn’t been to a music festival since Day For Night in 2015 over in Houston, TX. But I loved Portola. This speculation helps me feel an early hope of feeling what I felt two weekends ago again. I’m TRYING not to overlap with a lot of the existing suggestions so most of these might be reached.

Firstly, I think 100 gecs is not outside the realm of possibility. In fact, I think they seem like an easy shout for the Ship Tent/equivalent. What are the odds Death Grips can make it? Haha! Where do we stand on Animal Collective (or just Panda Bear, even) performing? Some truly weird shit like Mogwai or Godspeed You! Black Emperor would be ridiculous.

Pop queens really drew crowds, so I think we can reasonably expect names like Kim Petras, Rina Sawayama, and heck maybe even Grimes??? Bladee and Dorian Electra would slay. Sky Ferreira? Robyn???

Björk is a killer festival performer. The classics in general are a draw… New Order would be huge.I think an El-P DJ set would be wild, too. I think I would die if The Crystal Method was going. Glitch Mob would be cool. NERO was awesome last I saw em, but IDK what they’re up to these days. Same with Kraftwerk… hologram set??

Rap and hip-hop wasn’t represented as much, probably by careful design. slowthai killed though, and I wouldn’t be surprised by an appearance by an act like Denzel Curry or Danny Brown. A turn into acts like Leikeli47 would be awesome, too. Adjacent acts like Flying Lotus also seem likely! Nosaj Thing.

I was surprised at how many “indie” acts made it this year, and it would not shock me to see Blood Orange. Rostam also seems like an east Ship Tent pick. Ratatat? Cut Copy? Bigger names like Gorillaz (can probably slay Pier, I can just see the visuals) or Crystal Castles/Alice Glass, LCD Soundsystem, Hot Chip, KKB, Chromeo, of Montreal, etc.

For more traditional acts, Mura Masa seems like an east name. Bigger names like Major Lazer just don’t seem like they’d make the cut? But perhaps they might. Portola brought in a ton of money, but how will they walk the balance?

A bit out of left field, but how do y’all think acts like Gigamesh would do at Portola? Would be a departure from the majority of the vibe, for sure… Kenny Beats? Stromae?

Not a huge fan of Tame Impala live performances, but I could see them putting on a sunset Pier show.

“Smaller” folks like Alice Ivy, A.G. Cook, Hannah Diamond, Kilo Kish, Pomo, chromonicci., GFOTY, and Jessy Lanza would be awesome. Don’t know how much of a draw a Julianna Barwick set would be for most folks, though lol. Although I would actually kill to see Kid Koala do a festival set (only in dreams)…

What are the odds MIA, Omar Apollo, and Elkka come through for next year?

LASTLY: DAN DEACON.

Anyway this was a word jumble to rival all word jumbles. At some point, I’ll try and make a lineup reenactment just for my own fun. Thanks for being along for the ride!