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We don’t normally review concerts at Sonic Weekly, but when special circumstances merit change, we make it. And the three-day, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival at the Empire Polo Fields in Indio, California so exceeded our expectations, we had to comply.
In one word—hot!
From the Friday afternoon performance of Arctic Monkeys to Brazilian Girls to hitting the Gobi dance tent for the off-the-hook house remixes of Felix Da Housecat to the steamy, 100-degree temperatures, this year’s Coachella festival was sizzling.
The onstage band reunions were equally spicy, from start to finish.
For fans of ‘80s songwriting, Scottish band, The Jesus and Mary Chain reunited on the main stage on Friday, opening night, featuring a cameo by a seemingly overwhelmed, Scarlett Johannson harmonizing on their classic, “Just Like Honey.“ On Sunday night, it was ‘80s rockers, Crowded House reuniting, led by New Zealand singer, songwriter, Neil Finn while across the field, famed English pop band, the Happy Mondays brought back the Manchester sound. And finally, there was alternative metal band, Rage Against the Machine who hit the stage after a seven-year hiatus, offering the tens of thousands of revelers a brilliant finale to the weekend.
All in all, this year’s festival got a lot right.
The performances that most hit the mark—and there were many—LCD Soundsystem’s dance punk sound had the crowd jumping en masse on Saturday night, as did the haunting Argentine tango sounds of French electronica trio, Gotan Project who were accompanied by a host of gorgeous violinists decked to the nines in slinky, white gowns, while their male counterparts looked dashing playing in white suits. Their elegant, yet sensual performance added a touch of class to the concert, where the heat dictates the fashion and men are frequently bare-chested while girls don little more than bikinis and shorts until nighttime, when the desert’s three-digit temperatures drop, but only slightly.
One of the most impressive aspects of this year’s line-up was the sheer variety of international artists being showcased. For music lovers it was like being offered a sampling of tapas at your favorite restaurant. But for a musical meal this delicious, tough decisions have to be made, like deciding between watching legendary American icon, Willie Nelson on the main stage, or listening to duo Mexican metal guitar superstars, Rodrigo y Gabriela. Throughout the three-day event, we were treated to a cornucopia of sounds from around the globe, from Paris-born, Spaniard, Manu Chao who sings in French, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic and English, to the energetic Swedish trio, Peter Bjorn and John, to cheeky British pop stars like Lily Allen, who admitted she was blown away by the sea of fans who turned out for her show.
But not all at Coachella was wine and roses. French duo, Air who rarely disappoint, easily filled the polo field to standing-room only capacity with fans waiting patiently. And wait they did. Air hit the stage almost 40 minutes late and played only five songs, ending their set abruptly.
Headlining Friday night, Icelandic singer, songwriter, Bjork a two-time Coachella opener was as bright, lively and adorable as ever. She kicked off her world tour accompanied by an all-female brass band, and she graced the stage in full regalia—donning a floor-length cape which she quickly slipped off to reveal a form-fitting black-and-white striped corset and green and orange hula skirt. Bjork has long been loved for her otherworldly charm and upbeat persona, but for the thousands of fans who weren’t skimming the stage, she was barely visible on the big screen as the video direction sadly focused more on her back-up band than on the colorfully-decorated and hypnotic Icelander. More Bjork please! Nevertheless, her performance shone through, even for those relegated to only listening and watching from afar.
Coachella continues to showcase some of the most talented musicians around. One of those performers, DJ Shadow had the unfortunate position of bringing a tired crowd to their feet after a long technical delay. After 30 minutes of sound checks, DJ Shadow positioned himself behind his Apple, keyboards and turntables. Then he laid down some of the most spine-tingling array of beats, sounds and visuals! Everyone got their second wind and grooved to a virtuoso performance, once again, setting another Coachella moment – a truly amazing set!
For those aspiring musicians hoping to grace the Coachella main stage one day, this year’s festival should be an inspiration. Many of the artists featured this year were playing in relative anonymity until recently. Mexican acoustic guitar duo, Rodrigo y Gabriela, for example, were discovered just two years ago by Damien Rice while living the traveling musicians’ life, busking and playing small clubs in Dublin, Ireland.
Now they’re stealing the show wherever they go.
As diverse as the talent on stage was this year, so was the art.
Installations were woven from stage to stage and venue to venue. There was the immense, multi-colored dome, styled after the famed, Burning Man Festival and featuring DJs such as former Bauhaus members, David J., Daniel Ash and Kevin Haskins.
Also featured were several Burning Man art pieces, including the Lucent Misting Oasis, a collection of flower-inspired tents by LA based “The Do LaB,” Clockwork Menagerie by the Bay area “Kinetic Steam Works” art collective, and a dazzling light sculpture called Big Round Cubatron—a hypnotic, three-dimensional beacon for party goers near the dance tents.
The mesmerizing combination of music and art attracted music fans from across the United States, Europe, Australia and South America. They traveled by planes, trains and automobiles to see and support their favorite musical artists and incredibly, they behaved. Despite, the tens of thousands in attendance, Indio police made only 25 arrests, mostly for alcohol, drugs or unruly conduct.
What was most impressive, considering the sheer numbers—100,000 music lovers in all over the weekend—was the level of courtesy on display. Arcade Fire frontman, Win Butler took notice, thanking fans for being so patient, “Manners are the cornerstone of a great society,” he said. Butler ultimately traveled through the audience during his performance, the only rocker to do so. It was a well-deserved toast to the audience.
Not only was the festival ultra-peaceful, but it was also the cleanest Coachella ever. Festival organizers this year implemented a simple yet sound idea—offering a free bottle of water for every ten bottles that music revelers recycled; a definite plus in maintaining the trash.
Yes, there were lines at the food court, and lines at the porta-potties. But considering the high numbers of fans of every age and ethnicity streaming elbow-to-elbow across the desert, the need to queue up briefly was a minor inconvenience. And that’s what made this Coachella festival so special—the combination of epic talent and an international base of loyal fans brought together from opposite ends of the globe to celebrate their love of music,
in peace.
And for us at Sonic Weekly, that’s the sweetest music of all.
Cheers.
