Coachella Festival Day 1 At-A-Glance
-
Artist:
-
Track:
Hollywood was nice, but Coachella would not wait. So after a nice breakfast with our little crew (now numbering 14 people), and after a side trip back to LAX to pick up my luggage, it was off to the desert to experience the joy of Coachella.
The challenge of being with a group that large is trying to catch a show with as many people as possible. That wouldn't be a problem except for a certain pathological need to get as close as possible to the bands. Nevertheless, great shows abounded.
The Courteeners/We Are Scientists
I had wanted to see both bands at the beginning, but the long drive killed that. Totally my fault since I was the dumb one who couldn't make my flight and then got separated from my luggage. I did happen to hear We Are Scientists sing "The Great Escape", and they sounded pretty good. Oh well.
Los Campesinos!
The cruelest conflict of the weekend, IMHO, featured three MOG faves at the exact same time. Most of the group went to see The Hold Steady, a few trickled over to see The Airborne Toxic Event. Since I was last to arrive in venue, I headed right over to see Los Campesinos! I was not disappointed, as they put on a spirited set of songs from both of their albums. Lead singer Gareth jumped off the drum riser, climbed onto the PA system, walked through the crowd, anything to get a reaction. At the end of set-closer "Sweet Dreams Sweet Cheeks", the drummer and guitarist both decided to do a bit of crowd-surfing. It was a great start to the day.
White Lies
I headed straight from the Gobi Tent to the Mojave Tent and managed to catch the last song by The Hold Steady and catch up with a large part of our group. This also gave me an opportunity to get to front row, in front of the bassist, for White Lies, my favorite new band of the year and an absolute "must-see". August decided to join me for this show. The band did their best to make an intimite club out of the tent, drawing the curtains and pumping in as much dry ice as they could. They ran through their set of songs from debut album To Lose My Life, showing off fine stage presence for such a young band, and overcoming some sound problems that left a lot of feedback on the vocals. They even slipped in album track "Nothing To Give", which they admitted only playing three times. Set closer "Death" sent your intrepid MOGger into spasms of delight, which was good since the song normally brings me to tears. You could say that this fear's got a hold of me. Look at how the singer puts in the pregnant pause as he introduces the last song.
Leonard Cohen
At this point, I had designs on going to watch Franz Ferdinand, but the size of the crowd told me that I wasn't going to get very close. That was fine, though; I grabbed a bite to eat, sat down in the shade and enjoyed their set from a distance. I then proceeded to the side stage to check out Leonard Cohen. This time, though, I wanted to see him with someone special. After some five minutes of searching, I found Laura (who you may know as Lucy, or lyriquediscorde) and her doppelganger daughter Julia seated on the lawn. We got to spend some time catching up, Mr. Cohen and band came out and played a truly stunning set. I had not been a true fan of his material before, not being very familiar with any of his songs except "Hallelujah", but his charm, wit, and manner made a an instant fan for life. When singing of love, he would frequently drop to one knee. After every song, he would doff his hat and say "thank you friends" with complete sincerity in every syllable of his deep, velvety voice. His voice mesmerized me; I found it very palatable, which seems strange since so many have written of his less-than-normal singing style. I think it fits the songs perfectly. I didn't need to see Laura's face to know she enjoyed it; I could feel great waves of joy after each song.
Girl Talk
I agonized over seeing Morrissey, but decided at the end that the pull of the Sahara Tent was too much, so I took off to see Girl Talk in a packed tent. Sometimes there's just nothing better than relaxing with 5000 of your closest friends, packed like sardines, and letting your inner music snob die a little while dancing to pop music with some SICK beats underneath. Good times, good times.
The Presets
After Girl Talk finished I powerplayed to about third row to catch The Presets, another "must-see" band. After some minimal setup, just a drum kit and one small bank of synths, the bans started by jumping right into "Talk Like That", and while the shirtless guys in front of me didn't quite get into it, the rest of the tent was going strong. Their set kept the energy high for the most part, with the live drums providing an especially nice touch, only cooling down for a while for "This Boy's In Love". I even got to witness a mosh pit, something I hadn't seen since the mid-90's. My only complaint (and again, it's a small one) is that they didn't play anything from Beams, deciding to stick to songs from Apocalypso. I, for one, would have welcomed "Down Down Down" or at least "Girl And The Sea". They closed with "My People", which got the crowd hopping furiously.
The Crystal Method
At first, The Crystal Method had a great set going, but at the midway point, the shiny robots came out and killed their momentum, at least for me. So, I didn't stick around very long. Meh.
Paul McCartney
Since The Crystal Method didn't hold my attention, I decided to end the night with Sir Paul. That was a good choice. I got to his set just as he finished "Let It Be", and kicked back toward the back and let the Beatles tunes I had heard since my infancy wash over me. Sir Paul's voice sounded as good as ever, and his backing band kept pace. This was the perfect capper to a fantastic day of music, and it was only Day 1.
Comments (14)
That just sounds so crazy-fun! So many bands ... which to go to?? Lucky you!! :)
I loved when White Lies did such an emotional rendition of 'Nothing To Give'. I can see why they'd only done it 3 times before since it seemed to be emotionally gutwrenching for the lead singer. Their set was incredible!
And I was a fan of The Presets but seeing them live made me a fan for life! Annie, Amber & me all danced our asses off!
I wish I could have seen Girl Talk and The Presets, but the pull of Paul McCartney was just too much for me!
Great day one report Dale.
Cindy, that's both the blessing and the curse of festivals. While these were the shows I caught, I wouldn't be so arrogant as to say that mine were the "right" shows to see. There were lots of good shows to see; I missed Morrissey, for crying out loud!
August, those two sets totally justified the months I spent to both bands' albums obsessively. I wish I had known that you guys had been @ Presets; dancing with strangers was pretty cool, but dancing with the family would have been teh awes0me!
Andi, you need not excuse yourself, Sir Paul was worth being there as well. I was delighted with the small amount that I saw, and I bet the rest of the show was just as good.
Mike, next year we want your report first, k? :)
I wish! But April is a bad month for me workwise every year.
I agree with August....The Presets were off da hook.
Seriously I couldn't stop dancing....and dancing.....and dancing.....and dancing.......
I discovered something. The older you are, the more room you are given by the younguns to dance. Score.
And I agree about that crappy Friday conflict. Airborne Toxic or The Hold Steady or Los Camp!. That killed to choose.
I can only disagree on the room for dancing thing. At the front, there was no room for anyone, even someone as geriatric as myself. I had to make sure I bounced in time with my neighbors or there would have been clothes-related mishaps galore.
Sounds wonderful. I would go see Los Campesinos over The Hold Steady any day. (Shall I duck while things are thrown at me?)
Don't know that I dig festivals all that much, but if Leonard Cohen put on half the show he did at the Paramount in Oaktown last week, he killed.
Oh, he (and his band) killed. They were so tight; the guitar work alone was intricate and gorgeous.
Darla, you're safe. The best thing about this group of old-school long-time MOGgers is the respect we have for good music, even if it does nothing for us. :)
Yeah, Dale, I actually have respect for the Hold Steady, even though I don't listen to them.
everything I have read and heard about your adventures there makes me so want to book my trip next year