Who: Ride in the Gobi Tent In 3 or Fewer Words: Heaven at dusk. Memorable Because: The Oxford quartet’s set suffered the same fate as Suede’s reunion show in 2011 — a virtuoso turn, under-attended. The shoegazers’ dreamy-cum-grandiose music has influenced dozens of indie-rockers since their four-album run in the 1990s, and Mark Gardener, Andy […]
Who: Azealia Banks on the Main Stage. In 3 or Fewer Words:Â Nailed the return. Memorable Because:Â For someone who’s recently been in the news more for her shit-talking than her music, Azealia Banks had quite the triumphant return to Coachella. Three years ago, the viral hit “212” prompted an over-flowing Gobi tent that went wild for […]
Who: Kimbra in the Gobi Tent In 3 or Fewer Words: KCRW Kiwi Memorable Because: If you played the last 10 years of Morning Becomes Eclectic Broadcasts simultaneously at moderate volume, it might sound something like Kimbra’s charming afternoon set, so chock-full of references and borrowings from the pleasant sounds of yesteryear (soul, jazz, R&B, […]
Who: Charles Bradley and His Extraordinaries on the Main Stage. In 3 or Fewer Words: Soul and glitter. Memorable Because: For a guy who spent time moonlighting as a James Brown impersonator, it’s nice to see someone like Charles Bradley commanding the main stage as he does. With the most of the festival’s attendees young […]
Who: Sylvan Esso in the Mojave Tent In 3 or Fewer Words: Dances with structure. Memorable Because: Amelia Randall Meath and Nicholas Sanborn are like those nice graduate students who live next door. You invite them for dinner, they offer to play you some of their music and you don’t know whether to dance or […]
Who: Lil B on the Outdoor stage. In 3 or Fewer Words: This a joke? Not Memorable Because: It’s hard to believe Lil B is actually a returning performer at Coachella. It’s actually infuriating to know that people’s weekend passes contributed to Goldenvoice’s funds to pay this guy to come out on stage in a blue and gold […]
Who: Allah-Las at the Outdoor Stage In 3 or Fewer Words: Allah blahs. Memorable Because: I’ll say this much: It’s an impressive feat of maturity, to go from playing sweat-stained unwaxed jam-outs on the floor of the Smell to a prototypical midday Outdoor Stage groovefest at Coachella. There’s nothing wrong with what Allah Las did […]
Who: Cloud Nothings in the Gobi Tent In 3 or Fewer Words: Dissertation in disaffection. Memorable Because: Cloud Nothings provided the only shade of relief in an afternoon overloaded with sun-shining lackadaisical grooves and showboating MCs. Exemplifying everything you ever loved about noise rock and art punk, Dylan Baldi and company perfectly played the part […]
Who: Action Bronson on the Main Stage In 3 or Fewer Words: F*ck, that’s delicious. Memorable Because: Action Bronson was not the one-man marijuana dispensary he was in 2013, but he was still unforgettable. The Queens rapper, backed his DJ Alchemist, regaled the crowd with songs from his new album “Mr. Wonderful” (highlights: “Baby Blue,” […]
Who: Reverend Horton Heat in the Mojave Tent In 3 or Fewer Words: Rockabilly tent revival. Memorable Because: Fresh-faced Coachella attendees looked agog in surprised delight when Reverend Horton Heat took to the stage with a rockabilly blitz of slap-bass and rebellious rhythm guitar. And why shouldn’t they? Coachella’s target demo is too young to […]
