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After four hours of slow driving in bad traffic, it was ‘chella’ time, as a friend put it. There I was at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts festival in Indio Friday night, now greeted by an amassing of cool. It was beautiful people to the left and right and concert goers could be easily mistaken for fashion show contestants. After shaking off my daze, I made a B-line for the outdoor theater where hipster band of the moment, Vampire Weekend was playing. Honestly, their idea of a cute, bob-your-head performance didn't do it for me. As the sun set and temperatures dropped, I kicked myself for leaving my sweater in the car.
As my friends and I walked around, we caught Tegan and Sara, the Racontuers, and a killer set by Aphex Twin. I really enjoyed mingling with all the different crowds of people packed into the tents waiting for their favorite bands. As we waited in line for a $7 watered down beer, the Verve took the stage to "Bittersweet Symphony." It was truly one of the highlights of the night, and I really appreciated the giant mounted screens on either side of the main stage. That way, I could have my beer and drink it too.
Saturday was a different story. We opened up the door of the air-conditioned hotel room to sweltering 107 degree weather. Getting in and out of the parking lot was near impossible. I kept my eye on the prize by reminding myself that I was going to see everyone from Rilo Kiley to Prince today. Once we got there things got off to a great start with awesome sets by MGMT and Cold War Kids. My friends and I then had to figure out a way to kill time until Hot Chip and Death Cab came on.
We decided to head over to the "Do Lab" where they had some goofy forms of entertainment and more importantly, those misters to cool everyone down. After watching performers with stilts and face paint, and after chugging down a few bottles of water each, we headed over to a packed tent to see Hot Chip perform. They lived up to the hype, but we had to split see Death Cab on the main stage. Really feeling the heat, we laid down on the grass and let the magic of Death Cab take hold. Despite cooking in the sun and the lack of shade, it was beautiful. I was kind of bummed when set times overlapped and I had to choose Rilo Kiley over Islands, and Animal Collective over M.I.A.
I was pretty content with everyone's solidly stellar performances until Portishead took the stage and stripped everyone else of the crown. I was never a huge fan but that all changed after I heard them perform "Wandering Stars." The thump of the bass synth is still in my head. They had such a presence and created this eerie atmosphere as I pushed through the massive crowd to get to the front. Then there was Prince. I was starting to grow weary when a pair of light-up white platforms took the stage and shredded like no other. It was as though the man had landed in Coachella from another planet. Although most people watched for novelties sake, I thought he did a great job bridging the generation gap by covering Radiohead's "Creep." To quote Prince and his mispronunciation warmly, "Hello Koa-Chella!"
By the time Sunday rolled around and the five hours of sleep a night started to catch up with me, I was ready to go home. The only things that kept me going were Metric, Justice, and a little bit of Sean Penn. Once again, the heat was blaring and the overlapping set times for bands like Gogol Bordello and Modeselector were disappointing. We ate before we got there because as tempting as it was to shell out $13 dollars for a handful of grilled veggies, I had to pass. They say third times a charm and this time I had gotten the hang of things enough to know to bring a sweater and to use the restroom before hand. The facilities were filthy, but what did I expect. Although I had seen some less than average bands, the excitement of discovering new ones was still running strong. As 8:00 rolled around, I pushed my way into the Sahara tent. This would be my last stop as I would be in there for the next four hours on my feet until the close of the night. Once Chromeo finished a blase set, the crowd started to get rowdy and mosh in anticipation of Justice. What a show! It was like this giant dance party that never stopped. I couldn't be happier with the way I ended Coachella.
All in all, I feel that Coachella is a great experience because it allows people of all backgrounds the same advantage. Getting a great seat just takes dedication and a comfortable pair of sneakers. If you want front row for Prince, you have just as good a shot as everyone else at getting it; you just have to be willing to roast afoot while you wait. And it’s pretty great to sample such a wide variety of artists over such a short period of time. While my body is bruised from the frenzied, adrenaline fueled crowd, and my feet are heavy from the 10 hour days spent baking in the sun, I’m already waiting for next year when the ringing in my ears will start up again.
Elvis Costello - This Year's Model: Deluxe Edition
Roxy S.
8 out of 10
The man. The legend. The man behind the legend. It's hard to describe Elvis Costello without sounding like an episode of MTV 's "Diary." The self-professed "rock-n-roll Scrabble champion" is known for his biting lyricism and wordplay. This Year's Model was Elvis's second album, and his first backed by the organ-heavy garage-rock combo, the Attractions. In 1978, when this album was first released, Costello was an unapologetically stormy young man whose blood was boiling from past break-ups, governmental censorship, and fascism.
Having emerged during the post-punk era, his first single, "Less Than Zero," off his debut, My Aim is True, echoes now with the cynical nihilism of punk that was still in the air. Rock critic Greil Marcus described Costello as "combining the brains of Randy Newman and the implacability of Bob Dylan, the everyman path." Whether Costello is dabbling in reggae, Motown, and country, or delving into ska, new-wave and Brit-pop, the man does it with enough style to melt the heart of any hot, brainy girl into the dewey decimal system.
When I first heard Elvis Costello, I didn’t like him. I didn't understand his appeal. His voice was too whiny and the songs were often too riotous and chaotic. Sure, I got that the world was killing Alison, and that "Lip Service" had a great hook, but I never got Costello. Unlike the songs of Paul McCartney, with whom he has collaborated, I always found Costello's material inaccessible and moody. It was almost a question of high-brow versus low-brow, with Costello being the former; he is what you want to think everyone was listening to in the early '80s, but in reality, they weren't.
The moment of truth came when I was listening to Blood and Chocolate in a friend's apartment about a year ago. I remember talking my way through most of the album, when I was stopped mid-sentence by "Oh my baby, baby, I love you so bad it scares me to death…" I sat down and quietly listened to the rest of "I Want You" noting the cracks in Costello's voice and the inflection of every syllable. I had never heard vulnerability captured so well in a song.
My consumption of all things Costello began shortly thereafter. "Oliver's Army" became a fast favorite with its dazzling orchestration, and My Aim is True was a permanent resident in my CD changer. A friend once told me that no one writes women like Costello, and I wholeheartedly agree. I wonder what it would take to be one of those girls, to have Elvis Costello immortalize you in a timeless song. I began to understand the universality of his cool: the lyrics, the get-ups, the funky voice, the controversy. Take Costello and the Saturday Night Live incident back in 1977, when he launched into the protest-like "Radio Radio" after playing just a few bars of "Less Than Zero." Show me a band today that would go on Saturday Night Live and deliberately sabotage their set by launching into a different song than the show's producers were expecting, resulting in being banned from SNL for the next decade.
All these years later, why another reissue of This Year's Model? Whatever the reason, it prompts us to re-savor the sensational taste Costello and producer Nick Lowe cooked up when it was first released in 1978. The Deluxe Edition features 13 re-mastered tracks as well as live tracks from a February 1978 concert at the Warner Theater in Washington D.C.. The second you hit that little triangle that says "play," you'll be thrown into a foot-tapping, finger-snapping fit with "No Action." Can I just say "best opening song ever?" It showcases Costello's voice in its prime and is a great preview of witty lyrics to come.
One of my favorite songs, "This Year's Girl," gives a glimpse into the glamorous life of an "It Girl." I picture long, red nails, satin sheets, and supermodels adorning the covers of magazines. Who are these women, I wonder? It should come as no surprise that he dated some of the most beautiful women, including the infamous Bebe Buell, and thus may be painting pictures from life experience. The intro, the chorus, the drums, the lyrics: "Those disco synthesizers/ Those daily tranquilizers/ All this but no surprises for this year's girl." Brilliant.
Speaking of synthesizers, how can I not mention the uber-catchy keyboards in "Pump It Up?" There's a song for your early morning commute that can wake you up as much as that double shot espresso. Who could have predicted the reggae infused beat of "(I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea," the sick drum intro quickly coupled with punctuating guitar-and-bass syncopation? I remember hearing this song for the first time in the car and completely zoning out while listening to the story he painted with the lyrics; it was like a scene out of Pulp Fiction.
Another one of my favorites is "Living in Paradise" with its Nintendo-esque keyboard line. Only Costello could get away with such a blunt opening line as "I don't like those other guys looking at your curves." The sheer talent of the Attractions, featuring Steve Nieve on keys, Bruce Thomas on bass guitar, and Pete Thomas on drums is on display: the driving bass line, in congruence with the thumping bass drum and the boisterously-animated keyboard, so wonderfully backing Costello's gravelly spit. Bonus tracks include the smart poetics of the minimal "Green Shirt," allowing one to even better appreciate the feverish celebration of previous songs. The acoustic "Big Boys" is another breath of fresh air from some of the main album's furious tempo.
Idiosyncratic quirkiness is at its best when Elvis Costello has the spotlight on him on the live second disc. You can almost feel the sweat trickle down your shirt as you feed off the energy of the crowd from the Washington performance of "The Beat." Other highlights include, originally from his debut, "(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes," with the Attractions once again in their niche with backing vocals and harmonious guitars galore. While the second version of "Chelsea" on the first disc features a beautifully isolated, distorted, bass-keyboard effect with the vocals and drums slowly and comically coming in, the third version features a uproarious crowd with Costello shouting, "I wanna look at you! You're so fucking far away I can hardly see ya!" Don't be surprised that it dawns on you when you get to "Little Triggers" just exactly how good Elvis Costello and the Attractions are live. A real treat is the deliciously disjointed "Watching the Detectives." I used to B-list that song until I really listened to the lyrics and heard, "She's filing her nails while they're dragging the lake." It's almost getting to the point where I'm gushing.
As much as I wish Elvis Costello would write a song about me, I don't know that I would actively seek out this album and part with the $20 if I already had an earlier version. But if you're just starting out on Costello, or if This Year's Model is the missing link in your collection, I sincerely recommend it. Now, if I could just get him to write that song…
Comments
What an excellent evaluation and review. I haven't heard this music in a very long time and when I saw that the CDs were being re-released I wasn't that interested. But you've re-awakened my enthusiasm. Thanks!
For all of its myriad pleasures, "This Year's Girl" also features my favorite bass-driven coda in all of rock music. Thrilling to hear, no matter how many times. Two other notes: 1) Someone else - and I can't remember who as I type this - paid homage to the SNL "Radio Radio" incident many years later on another episode of SNL . By that time, the original switch-off was the stuff of legend, and the imitator was praised rather than banned. 2) "Tiny Steps" (a B-side? an EP extra?) is one of the greatest fell-thru-the cracks E.C. tracks - melody, poetry, and a big beat. Bliss.
Attention all Weezer fans! Clean-off your black glasses and pull out your cardigans- Weezer has just confirmed album number six, the self-titled "Red Album" with a tentative release of 6/24. The albums first single "Pork and Beans" hits airwaves today to the to the delight of fans who've had it up to here with the whole "hiatus" thing. The single returns to the band's garage-rock, low-fi roots and demonstrates Rivers Cuomo's mastery of tight pop melodies. The full story can be read here:
http://www.weezer.com/news/default.aspx/nid/13283
~Roxy
Comments
At last some good news amidst the grim echoes of depression, recession and detention.
MOGs That Trust Me (8 of 94)
MOG Meter
Comments
very jealous... if i could have seen just half of the sets you did... well, maybe next year!
What? No Goldfrapp?!?
Don't worry Mike, I'll be mogging about Goldfrapp's performance at Coachella since it was a MUST SEE for me.
Pink, sounds like you had a great time. I did as well & so enjoyed the great comraderie & experience that Coachella provides. And yes it does take awhile to get into the swing of the routine of the fest. You seemed to check out alot of the groups that I wasn't too interested in, like the overhyped & overrated Vampire W/E. Thought Aphex Twin sucked since he didn't perform any of his own original material & that's what I wanted to see, not a damn DJ set. Doubt I'll have another chance to see him(hope I'm wrong though).
Nice review of your experience. I agree Hot Chip was mind blowingly great, they killed it & they definitely got me dancing.