Who: The Stone Roses on the main stage In 3 or Fewer Words: Color me blue. Memorable because: Who are the Stone Roses? They are not the four gentlemen who appeared on the main stage at a quarter till midnight on Friday, properly posed for little more than cashing Coachella’s paycheck. To a certain generation […]
Who: How to Destroy Angels in the Mojave Tent In 3 or Fewer Words: Geometrically covert electronica Memorable Because: The word on the grounds was that NIN frontman Trent Reznor, Mariqueen Maandig, Atticus Ross and Rob Sheridan had an impressive visual show, and this proved to be true when the drapes parted ways to reveal opaque white panels […]
Who: Blur on the main stage In 3 or Fewer Words: Brilliant (add accent). Memorable because: Midway through Blur’s crisp co-headlining set, front man Damon Albarn sprinted to the far end of the stage to dole out a hug to the sign-language interpreter. No translation needed – it was but one giddy moment in an […]
Who: Yeah Yeah Yeahs on the main stage In 3 or Fewer Words: Yeah, well, maybe? Memorable Because: Watching Karen O croon “Maps” never gets old. For the rest of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs set”¦ well, some of their songs are starting to get liver spots. Previous festival appearances by New York rockers played for […]
Note: Edited version of the post to show that the set was shortened because the band was over its time allotment. Who: Modest Mouse on the main stage In 3 or Fewer Words: Lonesome Crowded Mess Memorable Because: Modest Mouse broke my heart. We can only speculate on the state of Isaac Brock’s mind Friday […]
Who:Â Local Natives at the Outdoor Theatre In 3 or Fewer Words: Natives at Sunset. Memorable Because: Things got personal when Local Natives opened their set at the Outdoor Theatre with “You and I.” The L.A. quintet could have easily played this stage the last time they were on the Coachella bill, but the crowd spilling […]
Who: Palma Violets in the Mojave Tent ”¨In 3 or Fewer Words: In your faces. ”¨Memorable Because: Alt-J are a nice indie band, the bespectacled boys down the block who own all the right albums, hang all the right posters and read lots of books, many of which seem to inform their songs. Palma Violets […]
Who: Japandroids in the Gobi Tent In 3 or Fewer Words: “Celebration Rock” rocks Memorable Because: Japandroids may have had the largest devoted following of pre-sunset bands on day one of the fest. One trick ponies they may be, but the hard-rocking punkish Canadian duo of Brian King and David Prowse seem to have tapped-into […]
Who: Divine Fits at the Outdoor Theatre ”¨In 3 or Fewer Words: Spoon, fork and knife. ”¨Memorable Because: “We’re called Divine Fits. This is not a beautiful day,” Britt Daniel said, wilting in the oppressive late-afternoon sun in Indio. Well, now, that depends. Because the songs from “A Thing Called Divine Fits,” lock-jawed, feral and […]
Who:Â James McCartney in the Gobi Tent In 3 or Fewer Words:Â Makin’ Dad proud. Memorable Because:Â The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, and perhaps that’s why people showed up at the Gobi tent to see James McCartney (yes, that would be Sir Paul’s son). Not only was this singer-songwriter a spitting image of his father, […]