Coachella 2015: Stromae, a big surprise party

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Who: Stromae in the Mojave Tent
In 3 or Fewer Words: Lights, action, dance!
Memorable Because: It was an absolute delight to walk into the tent when Belgian singer, rapper and electronic superstar Stromae started his electrifying set. Although more and more fans crammed their way into the Mojave Tent, this blogger still couldn’t have predicted how thrilling of a performance Stromae was about to execute. Opening his set with “Ta Fête,” the crowd was already singing along in French as if it were their first language. (To be fair, there were most likely many French-speaking in the crowd.) Then Stromae’s light show began to mesmerize. To go along with his bona fide acting skills — there is something about watching a man of Stromae’s stature that is completely entertaining — and his wild dancing, the art projected onto stage was not just your typical, trippy visuals. They were part of a story, whether he and his band were hiding from a creepy spider during “Quand C’est?,” or he was leading an army during club banger “Humain L’eau” or he was collapsing from emotionally binge drinking during “Formidable” and dragged off stage only to be carried back on as a magical mannequin during his last dance number “Papaoutai.” Combining hip-hop, classic vaudeville and modern electronica, Stromae proved to be one of the best acts Coachella has seen in years.
What I’d Tell My Friend Who Was At St. Vincent: I’m sure Annie was great, but there is no way she put on a better than show than Stromae.
— S.L.