Kevin Bronson on April 19th, 2010

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Who: Charlotte Gainsbourg at the Gobi Tent.
In 3 or Fewer Words: Beck didn’t show.
I’ll Remember This Until I Leave the Tent Because: Given the sheer multitudes of options available each hour at Coachella, artists playing the fest have to make sure to capitalize on their buzz and live up to their promise, lest they lose their audience to the ether that is the other stages. So give Charlotte Gainsbourg credit where it’s due – the French chanteuse wasn’t bad, per say, it’s just that the possibilities were so limitless, the reality seemed like a letdown. The sometime-actress and daughter of fillmmaker/musician Serge Gainsbourg, Charlotte came to Coachella with most fans knowing one thing about her: local-boy favorite Beck produced and co-wrote her new record, “IRM.” So, she had one strike against her going in: When the band emerged, Beck was nowhere to be found, instead leaving the chanteuse abetted by talented – if personality-less – non-famous instrumentalists. Strike two and three came concurrently: Gainsbourg was tentative, in a not-so charming way, and live, the songs contained none of the joie de vivre of the recorded versions. An exodus, then, was unfortunate, but not entirely undeserved.
What I’d Tell a Friend Who Was at Jonsi or Julian Casablancas: You win, I lose.
– Jeff Miller. Photo: Scott Dudelson