Who: PHOX at the Outdoor Theatre. In 3 or Fewer Words: Kinda folking great. Memorable Because: Keep an eye on Wisconsin’s alt-folk underdog heroes, who released their debut album last year and on Saturday played a noon-hour set on the Outdoor Stage. Singer-songwriter Monica Martin gave Coachella’s indie-bro frontmen a run for their money in […]
The good stuff at Coachella on Saturday started early (bonus points if you were there before noon for Until the Ribbon Breaks) and ran late (a gold star if you carried on with Swans after midnight). In between on a warmer Day 2, there were: Jack White shredding the Main Stage; coming-out performances from the […]
Photographer David Brendan Hall takes you on short tour around Friday’s first day of Coachella, starting with Alabama Shakes (top photo). Our Coachella mini-reviews
Who: AC/DC at the Outdoor Stage In 3 or Fewer Words: Rock or bust! Memorable Because: “I hope you guys like rock ’n’ roll, because that’s all we do!†singer Brian Johnson squealed as legendary hard rock band AC/DC took the Main Stage. He wasn’t lying. AC/DC’s electrifying set felt like a middle-finger to the […]
Who: Flying Lotus in the Mojave Tent In 3 or Fewer Words: Are we dead? Memorable Because: Steven Ellison, who performs under the moniker Flying Lotus, brought a cerebral experience to the Mojave Tent. Wearing a mask that had two circles of light (actually making look like a fly in the dark), Flying Lotus performed within a cubed […]
Who: Steely Dan at the Outdoor Theatre. In 3 or Fewer Words: Doing it again. Memorable Because: Eyebrows were raised, snark was dispensed and questions were asked when Steely Dan was booked for Indio, but the veteran jazz-rock fusionists made it look like a genius move. They brought their A game to a hit-laden set, […]
Who: Interpol on the Main Stage. In 3 or Fewer Words: Old reliable. Memorable Because: Interpol have become festival staples, worthy of no lower than second-line status on any flyer, because their exceptional noirish dance-punk never ages and they appeal to both rock and dance audiences. And as last summer at FYF Fest, they rocked […]
Who: Lykke Li in the Mojave Tent In 3 or Fewer Words: Lykke likes Drake. Memorable Because: Lykke Li has always been one to pull on the heart strings, and festival-goers must have been in the mood for some melodic melodrama because the Mojave Tent was overflowing so much there was barely room to walk from the adjacent Gobi […]
Who: Alabama Shakes at the Outdoor Theatre In 3 or Fewer Words: From fertile soil. Unforgettable Because: As the Athens, Ala., quintet took the stage, a rail-hanger shouted at Brittany Howard, “I love you, Mama!” It was more an acknowledgement of the 25-year-old singer-guitarist’s commanding presence, indeed a maternal one, than a dreamy-eyed come-on, and […]
Who: The War On Drugs on the Main Stage In 3 or Fewer Words: “‘Red Eyes,’ man!” Mostly Memorable Because: In the GA beer tent next to the main stage, there were many festival-goers were having some Springsteen-esque moments with Adam Granduciel. Although the War On Drugs are notoriously known for epic jam sessions, they provided one of […]
