Automatic have spent the last few years building one of the tightest, most confident live shows in the current wave of post-punk-adjacent rock, and their Saturday afternoon set on the Panhandle stage at Outside Lands was proof the trio's new record only sharpens that reputation further. Touring behind Is It Now?, Izzy Glaudini and Halle Saxon brought a set that balanced synth-driven cool with real physical urgency, and Golden Gate Park was fully locked in from the first note.

The middle of the set brought the title track "Is It Now?," and hearing it live made clear just how much this song functions as the emotional center of the new record, tense and searching, with Glaudini's vocals carrying real weight over the interlocking groove. "Black Box" and "New Beginning" kept that momentum taut, while "Lucy" pulled from the band's earlier catalog and got one of the loudest responses of the whole set, longtime fans clearly thrilled to hear it sitting comfortably alongside the newer material. "Too Much Money" and closer "Mercury" sent the crowd off on a high, propulsive note, guitars and synths locking into a groove that felt built for exactly this kind of open-air, late-afternoon slot.

We caught up with Izzy and Halle around their Outside Lands stop to talk about the making of Is It Now?, who's currently topping their wish list of dream collaborators, what's ahead on their upcoming tour, and how a band this precise actually builds a festival setlist night to night. That full conversation is part of this coverage, and it's a genuinely great watch for anyone who left the Panhandle stage as big a fan as we did.

Sonically, the band's live mix does a great job of honoring the record's production while still giving the songs room to breathe and hit harder than they do on tape. The trio's chemistry on stage is obvious, tight, wordless cues between songs, real joy radiating even through the coolest, most deadpan moments in their catalog. That's a hard balance to strike, and Automatic make it look effortless.

Around the Panhandle stage, the crowd kept building as the set went on, festivalgoers wandering over from nearby stages and staying rooted to the spot once they caught the sound. It's the kind of momentum that speaks well for where this band is headed next, especially with a run of UK dates, including a stop at Green Man Festival, still ahead of them this year.

If Automatic are playing anywhere near you, don't sleep on it. Is It Now? sounds even better live, and Outside Lands was proof this band is only getting sharper.

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Automatic Prove "Is It Now?" Sounds Even Sharper Live at Outside Lands