Who:Â Belle add Sebastian on the Outdoor stage In 3 or Fewer Words:Â Stuart Murdoch sunset. Memorable Because:Â If anyone remembers the sunset that accompanied Belle and Sebastian’s set in 2002, then Saturday’s set might have brought back some wonderful memories. “We’re here to usher in the evening,” frontman Stuart Murdoch claimed when they took the stage. They […]
Who: Yelle in the Gobi Tent In 3 or Fewer Words: Voulez-vous? Oui. Memorable Because: “Are you ready to move your hips with me?” Julie Budet, aka Yelle, asked denizens of the Gobi Tent in her lilting French accent. They were. As she did in 2011, Yelle worked the crowd like a mime on a […]
Who: Hozier on the Main Stage In Three Words or Fewer: Just take me. Memorable Because: While U.K. funksters Jungle did their best Prince imitation, Hozier did without the pretenses, offering a forgettable “Jungle Love†cover — along with surprise guest Este Haim — on the Main Stage before corrupting Coachella’s cool with his ever-present hit […]
Who: Jungle in the Mojave Tent In 3 of Fewer Words: Funk you up! Memorable Because: Jungle got the whole place popping 1970s-midtempo style, inflected with just enough digital glitz to feel fresh. Fun stuff. The U.K. upstarts with one album to their credit funk-rocked perilously close to some royalty checks for The Purple One, […]
Who:Â Chet Faker at the Outdoor Theatre In 3 or Fewer Words:Â A monological meastro. Memorable Because: Although Nicholas James Murphy, aka Chet Faker, was basically a one-man show (he had some help from one musician behind him), the Australian electro maestro impressively held his own on the big Outdoor Theatre stage. Even the silly white beanie […]
Who: Bad Religion on the Main Stage In Three Words or Fewer: SoCal, so-so. Forgetable Because: Bad Religion played their first-ever Coachella (hard to believe, right?) on the Main State around 3:30 in the afternoon, a par-for-the-course SoCal punk set of the same songs you probably heard at a KROQ Weenie Roast. You could do […]
Who: Bad Suns in the Mojave Tent In 3 or Fewer Words: Coming-out party. Memorable Because: “Four years ago — I was 16 at the time — I came to Coachella for the first time,” frontman Christo Bowman told a very young crowd who seemed to have his lyrics memorized. “This is a dream come […]
Who: Royal Blood at the Outdoor Theatre In 2 or Fewer Words: Bloody good. Memorable Because: Two men. Two instruments. Monstrous stage. Blistering sunshine. No problem. Yes, Royal Blood makes you feel like you want to be concise, even in recounting their 40-minute set, which was so hot you could fry an egg on it. […]
Who:Â Clean Bandit on the Main Stage In 3 or Fewer Words:Â With strings attached. Memorable Because:Â Clean Bandit’s fun electro-pop, laced with intricate string arrangements (Grace Chatto on cello and Neil Amin-Smith on violin), made way for an afternoon dance party. With a slew of successful songs, including the worldwide hit “Rather Be,” the quartet featuring vocalist […]
Who: Parquet Courts in the Gobi Tent. In 3 or Fewer Words: Snot-nosed satisfaction. Memorable Because: “Real sorry about your water supply, just keep partying and you’ll forget about it. Until next year,†Parquet Courts’ guitarist Austin Brown astutely deadpanned early in a set reminiscent of the best DIY throwdowns you might have witnessed in […]
