Coachella

The beauty of Coachella is that everyone experiences it differently. Whether you drank too much or the sun got to you or you were stuck in traffic that got you grouchy -- all of those things figure into the final equation. Where you were standing for a certain band, which acts you saw, which ones you didn't see -- those things count too.

Coachella for me this year was a four day affair. Drove out to Indio Thursday night with Rhonda and came back Monday afternoon with Chris. We went to the shows Friday and Sunday and kicked it by the pool at a friend's Palm Springs rental on Saturday (had a lovely dinner in downtown Palm Springs that night too).

There's really only two ways to attack the festival: either go early and burn out around sunset or wait out the sun and whoop it up for the late afternoon/evening acts. This was the first year in a long time that I went to the show early and departed early and that was mostly due to my company and the line-up.

So here is my own review of Coachella 2009:

FRIDAY, APRIL 17
Molotov (Outdoor Stage) -- My favorite Mexican band played in the middle of the day facing the scorching sun on what I think is the best stage at Coachella. No sweat for these Mexicanos. They rocked reliable hits like "Puto" and "Give Me the Power" and made a few converts, I'm sure. The party vibe was in full force and they played their punk and metal songs ferociously. There was a bit of a sound problem that bothered me throughout the set but it didn't ruin the performance, thankfully.
Los Campesinos! (Gobi Tent) -- I only managed to catch a couple of songs from this seven-member outfit (all of whom changed their last names to Campesinos) but man, were they good. They have a high energy Arcade Fire-like full sound with the lead singer playing the xylophone. Got to see them perform "You! Me! Dancing!" and was impressed. At one point the lead singer jumped into the crowd to sing and two other band members crowd surfed to close the show. Awesome! The ladies in the band were cute, well-dressed and had nice voices.
The Black Keys (Main stage) -- Wanted to see the Ting Tings in the Sahara Tent but they were running late and we had the Black Keys on the mind. This duo rocked as expected, though I wasn't as captivated as I thought I was going to be. I think it was because we were far away from the main stage and came in after they'd built momentum.
N.A.S.A. (Mojave tent) -- This two-man DJ gets high marks for presentation. They had a nice "NASA" sign on their turntable platform and better yet, had female dancers covered entirely in green body paint. Some of the beats were catchy but they lacked consistency. I'd be into a song and then not interested in the next. They brought robots on stage too, so like I said, they get an "A" for performance/presentation.
Ghostland Observatory (Sahara tent)-- I remember being impressed by this band and now can't really remember what they sounded like. It was electronica dance music, I believe. I remember being impressed that two guys could produce so much sound. I kept referring to them as DJs and my friend Audrey would keep reminding me that they were actually a band. Worth checking out again.
Morrissey -- (Main stage) Ahhhh, Morrissey. What can I say? He was grouchy, choking on "burning flesh" and still has a great voice. His band was rocking even though he hardly ever moved to the rhythm. The drama of his performance and general prissy-ness didn't bother me at all -- an avid vegetarian, he kept complaining about the smell of cooking meat. He actually gagged at certain points. I had never seen him before so it was theatrical and fine for me. Ana said it was one of the worst performances she's seen him do. Apparantly, we were lucky he didn't walk off stage. He canceled his show the next night. Must still have been choking on hot dog fumes. Seeing him rip his shirt off was entertaining too.
Paul McCartney, aka Sir Paul, Macca, the Mac (Main stage) -- I am a Beatles fan, therefore I am a Paul McCartney fan. Got excited as soon as strains of his music started up on the P.A. I gotta give McCartney credit, first off, for playing such good remixes of his songs before the show started. Seriously, there were some dancable, jams. He started the show with the Wings' tune "Jet" and the first Beatles tune of the night, "Drive My Car."

I thought the next couple of songs were so-so until he played the '70s jam, "Let Me Roll It." Goddamn, that is a great song! I had never heard it before that night. Great guitar licks, a catchy chorus -- even reluctant Rhonda, who didn't really want to see Paul, shouted out her props for that tune. It's a Wings song and I am going to buy a live version of it somewhere.

We had all petered out by that time and headed for the hills. The last song I heard was "The Long and Winding Road," which is not my favorite. Had we stuck around one song later, we would have heard Paul make his emotional speech about the anniversary of Linda McCartney's death and her love of the desert. From what I've heard, the concert really kicked in after that.

Oh well, I've accepted that you can't do it all at Coachella and now I have to see Sir Paul some other time.

SUNDAY, APRIL 19
No Age (Mojave tent) -- Started the day super early to catch L.A. alternative rockers No Age. They opened with their "hit," "Teen Creeps." No Age sounds like a Matador band from the '90s with their off-key singing and love of the noise/feedback. I was surprised that so many people turned out for their show at such an early hour (1:45 with the temperature rising). I missed the last couple of songs but my boyfriend says the guitarist busted open a pinata with his guitar. Now that's entertainment!
Lupe Fiasco (Main stage) -- Lupe Fiasco was one of the most pleasant surprises of the festival. He had lots of energy and reminded the crowd that festivals are supposed to be festive! I had no idea what he sounded like and was suprised that he was a rapper. His beats were solid and catchy and his co-rapper was on fire on the "Go Go Go" song. I could never rap that fast! Matt something came on to sing a couple of songs and hit all his high notes with ease. I can see why he gets radio play and think he can get much, much bigger. There were some sound problems at the beginning of his set but they were fixed. He closed the set with a sped up version of "Superstar" that was fantastic. Chris recognized a few other of his tunes. I also liked that people were dancing and singing along to Lupe. It was a nice vibe. Anyone who sings about skateboarding is okay with me too.
K'Naan (Gobi tent) -- Another pleasant surprise. This was the most intimate, relaxed show I saw all weekend. Just a good rapper with political and positive things to share. His spoken word/rap about Somalia and his need to spread the word about his homeland was really touching. K'Naan also played some dancable, solid beats.
Murder City Devils (Mojave tent) -- Met up with a couple of friends during this show. Can't say the hard rock/punk music was up my alley but they were giving it their all. The lead singer sang with the mic IN his mouth and you don't see that every day. Another "A" for effort but not really my cup of tea.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs (Main stage) -- It took a while for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs to warm up. I was wowed by them when they opened for the White Stripes years ago but wasn't that impressed this time. There was also the fact that the sun was really beating down on us at this point and I couldn't see the stage. People were closing in tight on me and I couldn't take it at one point. Had to move out of the crowd. The sun eventually hid behind the hills and all was better. They played the dancey first two tracks off their new album well -- I think they were into this material more than their older stuff. They could have been better for sure.
My Bloody Valentine, or, My Bloody Eardrums (Main stage) -- I was fading by the time My Bloody Valentine took the stage. Their ear-splitting feedback didn't help matters either. What can I say? I didn't like them. It was LOUD. When they did play melodies it was nice but for the most part is was like a Sonic Youth concert gone bad. I couldn't take it and spread out on the grass for most of the set. We left towards the end of the set and could still hear what Chris described as their "airplane" drone everywhere we went.
Public Enemy (Outdoor stage) -- Awh yeah. Public Enemy was just about the polar opposide of My Bloody Valentine. I could understand the lyrics. I didn't have to wear earplugs. They played with a band and did the album "It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back." Flava Flav was pretty energetic for a guy his age but I got tired of his "we are the best, we are Public Enemy" rantings. Chuck D has an awesome voice and told the crowd to question authority. Right on! We left after "Don't Believe the Hype" because I was fighting a losing battle against tiredness by that point. But at least I got to see them.

Other thoughts:

• I am sorry I didn't see Paul Weller play before Public Enemy. I read his set got cut short. Not cool.
• For some reason, I wasn't into the dance acts this year. Some of the electronica I heard made me downright agitated.
• Caught three songs of Perry Farrell and he was solid. A true entertainer, that one.
• The Do-Lab in the middle of the field was awesome. There were good DJs playing there all day and you can't argue with any spot that has misting machines and mist machine guns. It was an oasis.
• Coachella really is a great festival. It is super organized and the crowd is fantastic. Sure, there are your drunk frat boys and burn-outs but for the most part, it is full of people just wanting to hear good, and sometimes new, music. Kudos.