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As anybody who actually went to Coachella, or any large summer festival for that matter, can attest, it takes a few days to gather enough senses to write a review article. I travelled almost 3,000 miles to get to Coachella (and the same distance to stumble home). Baking in 95 degree desert heat for four days took its toll, but it was totally worth it. I was able to knock off twenty bands on my musical bucket list. I’m sure everybody has an opinion as to who rocked the most, but here is my personal assessment:

BEST PERFORMANCE

a) The Black Keys

b) The National

c) The Kills

d) Kanye West

e) Arcade Fire

 

 

The lineup at Coachella was extremely diverse. There were over 180 individual acts, so there was pretty much something for everyone. Since there was so much going on in a limited amount of time, I gravitated towards the artists that I was familiar with; I wanted to get my money’s worth! I was glad that all of the main acts put on energetic and memorable performances. I guess that isn’t too surprising; I bet Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh would be jazzed to play in front of a crowd of over 65,000 people. Kanye West certainly impressed his fan base, while The Black Keys and The Kills made five piece garage bands across the country weep with their explosive sound.  I was really blown away by The National’s drummer Bryan Devendorf; the entire band seemed to feed off his rhythm.

I think that the majority of the Coachella crowd would agree that Arcade Fire put on one hell of a show. The band played hits from their first record, Funeral, through their latest, The Suburbs with equal passion. Lead singer Win Butler was ecstatic that Arcade Fire were headlining, repeatedly thanking fans for their support and displaying a humbleness so rare in rock-n-roll front men. I guess Canadians really are super polite!

BIGGEST DISSAPOINTMENT

a) Fistful of Mercy

b) The New Pornographers

c) Best Coast

d) Cee Lo Green

e) Foster the People

 

I was very anxious to see Cee Lo Green after his post-“F* You” popularity boost. I caught him a few years ago when Gnarls Barkley opened for the Red Hot Chili Peppers and he was absolutely phenomenal. Apparently his manager booked a gig the night before Coachella because Cee Lo flew into Indio the day of the show. Cee Lo showed up 30 minutes late to his set and only got to perform three songs with his all-female band; Coachella wouldn’t let him extend his set. He then proceeded to curse Coachella concert management throughout his hits “Crazy” and “F* You”; singing off-key the entire time and never hitting his signature high notes. When he attempted to play a cover of the Journey hit “Don’t Stop Believing” after his allotted time, Coachella turned the sound off. Cee Lo stormed off stage, while his band defiantly finished the song. Kudos to the ladies, they redeemed an otherwise terrible set.

WTF JUST HAPPENED???

a) Wolf Gang Kill Them All

b) Empire of the Sun

c) Gogol Bordello

d) Skrillex

e) Animal Collective

At a festival in the Californian desert, you’re going to see some pretty crazy stuff. From people strolling around the grounds completely nude to individuals dancing around in elaborate costumes, Coachella has it all and then some. After walking from our base camp, aka the beer garden in between the two main stages, to the next act, something caught my attention…and it wasn’t the catchy base line. A man dressed as a peacock from outer space was hammering on a keyboard surrounded by elaborately choreographed dancing robot women. Like Odysseus’ men entranced by the Siren’s song, I was forced to watch the rest of their set. Best known for their hit “Walking on a Dream”, Empire of the Sun put on a spectacle for adorning fans. It was like watching Labyrinth without the muppets. Front man Luke Steele may have looked like Elton John at a Star Trek convention, but he was putting off enough energy to melt the mustaches off two dozen hipsters.

BEST CLOSING ACT

a) Kanye West

b) The Chemical Brothers

c) Arcade Fire

d) Steve Angello

e) Flogging Molly

 

For those that could survive the heat, there was plenty to do during the witching hours of the night. Closing acts received the luxury of flashy stage designs and extended sets. There were several late night shows on Friday; The Chemical Brothers and Flogging Molly closed down the main stages. Although I’m not a huge fan, Kanye West put on a huge spectacle Sunday night. He started the show suspended on a crane above the audience and had a troupe of Lion King inspired ballerinas frolicking around like a hip hop Disney cartoon!

Again, my vote went to Arcade Fire for their nearly two hour epic performance. After blasting through fourteen of their hits, the Canadian nonet (look it up, it means nine musicians lol) gave the only encore of the festival. They came back out with my favorite songs off the new album: Wake Up and Ready to Start. At the climax of Wake Up, over a thousand LED glowing balls were dropped onto the audience. Artists from The Creators Project crafted the mystic spheres to change colors in unison, thanks to built-in IR receivers and microphones; it was absolutely stunning.

We want to hear from you!

If you were lucky enough to attend the Coachella Music Festival, what artist did you choose? Did you get your dance on in the Sahara tent or relax in the Outdoor field? If you didn’t get a chance to go Coachella, what bands would you pick? Sound off below!!!

BEST HEADLINER

a) Kings of Leon

b) The Strokes

c) Kanye West

d) Arcade Fire

BEST DAY SET

a) The Rural Alberta Advantage

b) Delta Spirit

c) Trampled By Turtles

d) The Tallest Man on Earth

e) Jack’s Mannequin

MOST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK

a) The Black Keys

b) One Day As A Lion

c) The Kills

d) Chromeo

e) Kele

LUCKILY THEY PLAYED THEIR OLD STUFF

a) PJ Harvey

b) Kings of Leon

c) The Chemical Brothers

d) The Strokes

e) Duran Duran

MOST SOULFUL PERFORMANCE

a) Lauryn Hill

b) Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears

c) Erykah Badu

d) Bright Eyes

e) Mumford & Sons

SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE CLOSING ACT

a) The Strokes

b) The Black Keys

c) Mumford & Sons

d) The National

e) Ratatat

 

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