Coachella 2012: Madness, a step beyond (and back)

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Who: Madness at the Outdoor Theater
In 3 or Fewer Words:
Sweet senior skank.
Memorable Because:
“Our House,” a fairly stupid song, brought thousands of fans together and marked the official arrival of Coachella for everyone who was there. They opened with “One Step Beyond” (What else?), played “My Girl” as twilight struck, and from then on out Madness turned the Desert of Drizzle into a House of Fun. The aging skanksters conducted an hour-long service of silly rapture, (“Baggy Trousers” and the aforementioned hits) accented with romantic interludes. (“Wings of a Dove,” “It Must Be Love”) Madness might be in the mind, but last night it went straight to the heart. A masterful performance and festival highlight.
What I’d Tell My Friends Who Were at WU LYF:
YU SUK.
– Ben “Mouse” McShane (Concert photography by Scott Dudelson)