Kevin Bronson on April 20th, 2009

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When she supported Beck in opening Club Nokia in downtown Los Angeles in December, Jenny Lewis seemed not-quite-ready to fill a stage of that size. Sure, the Los Angeles’ songstress’ vocals were crystalline and sweet, and she was amiable and charismatic as ever, but she never commanded the place. At least, not like she commanded the proceedings at the Outdoor Theatre at Coachella on Saturday night.

Now settled in with the crackerjack band she has playing behind her album “Acid Tongue,” Lewis was every bit as dynamic, in her country-fied way, as M.I.A. (playing across the field at the main stage) was in her fastidiously choreographed way. Playing to a crowd that varied greatly in age – it was clear from some of the teenaged female faces who their American idol was – Lewis sailed through twangy stomps and soared through her saccharine ballads, and even got help from Conor Oberst on her album’s title track.