Luck was not on my side, however, as I started feeling sick the night before I left, and felt even worse after looking at the weather forecast which included highs of 107, making it the record hottest Coachella. But despite adversity, I packed up and made the drive down with dreams of what the fest would be this year. I was lucky enough to attend Coachella 2 years ago and it was as close to heaven as I could imagine; set free for 3 days to roam, dance, and listen with thousands of die-hard music fans. I hoped for thousands of radiohead-heads camping out at the main stage and arguing over what the band's encore would consist of. But as I arrived, I realized my expectations were far too high. Maybe there simply does not exist a place like my dreams, but instead of finding a paradise for music fans, I was surprised with a massive party blasting music that, well was not what I expected to hear. Due to the popularity spike, the festival has quickly become all about "the experience", with thousands of young L.A teens hoping to take molly with some celebrities.
Although this was semi-dissapointing, the interesting crowd did not stop us from seeing some phenomenal performances. And after all, the people watching is always a treat. Heres some of the highlights of shows we liked (in chronological order).
Although I was not a huge fan prior to this show, it was a performance that has lead me to buy all his albums that I did not already have. M. Ward had a down to earth demeanor which kept the show fun and entertaining. His peculiar voice and extremely talented band made for great sound quality as they played his songs as well as a Chuck Berry cover which had the crowd dancing. The highlight of the show was when he came back onstage for an unplanned encore and slapped and picked his guitar making a song that sounded like 10 musicians as opposed to 1.
2. Explosions in the Sky:
This was one show I was extremely excited for, and they exceeded all expectations i had. My friends and I were lucky enough to have close spots for the show and watch the 3 guitarists create builds and textures that left much of the crowd in tears. An hour and a half of music passed in what seemed like a few, emotional minutes. When their last song, "The only moment we were alone", hit the final climax, the audience was left speechless for the rest of the night. As I walked away from the show, i turned to a friend and said "It will be hard to beat that show".
3. Andrew Bird:
This guy is sooo talented. He looped his violin, guitar, whistling, singing, and every other instrument imaginable, while playing awesome songs he wrote. Im jealous. Because he has so much material to choose from, I did not recognize a lot of the songs he played, but this did not stop it from being a great show. I am already looking into seeing him in LA over summer.
4. Radiohead:
One of the most anticipated shows of the weekend, Radiohead took the stage and caused a deafening roar from the crowd. The setlist included classics such as Karma Police, Paranoid Android, and 15 Step, while still playing some lesser known hits such as Kid A, You and Whose Army, and Feral. With a ridiculous light and stage set, the impact the music already created was doubled resulting in an unforgettable experience. Some of the highlights for me included when Johnny hit the wrong note on piano during the catchy chorus of Karma Police, and Thom laughed and filled it in with guitar. The other highlight, and many would agree, was the inclusion of the 2000 hit, Exit Music. This song, originally written for Romeo and Juliet, is an emotional and haunting ballad that made an even bigger impact live, leaving many of us, including myself, near tears. Thank you Radiohead!
5. Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg
This show was just madness. With a new stage setup and special guest for nearly every song, including eminem, warren G, Whiz Khalifa, 50 cent, and yes... Tupac, the show was an expensive yet unforgettable performance. Although many of Dr. Dre's notable hits were left out, Snoop Dogg put on a great show twisting and "izzling" every other word leaving the crowd melting (or more appropriately, smoking). With dancey sing a long songs that everyone recognizes as radio hits spanning over the last 20 years, it was a perfect note to end on.
<- Me getting ready for the amazing Saturday lineup
Other Notable Acts We Saw:
-Other Lives
-Gary Clark Jr.
-Tijuana Panthers
-Keep Shelly in Athens
-Tune-Yards
-The Shins
-Bon Iver
-First Aid Kit
-Beats Antique
-Fitz and the Tantrums
-Justice
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