Info
MP3 Live: Coachella with the flow
With 95 bands on five stages over two blisteringly hot days, attendees of the great American music festival must learn to write down a plan and tear it to shreds.
Last weekend's Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival had something for every music fan, especially for those that love sweltering heat, large crowds, and seven-dollar beers.
Though it is held on the Empire Polo Grounds in Indio, Calif., the only remnants of The Sport of Kings at Coachella is the occasional waft of horse manure and a host of stables near the parking lot.
Depeche Mode at Coachella.
This year's lineup consisted of the usual mixed bag of genres, with headliners Depeche Mode and Tool sharing the same stage as Franz Ferdinand, Kanye West, and Massive Attack, and pop queen Madonna taking over the dance tent Sunday night.
Once Coachella unveils its list of set times for each band, many attendees study the schedule intently and scribble out their itinerary on a piece of paper, hoping to catch as many bands as possible and clear out enough time for a beer break or dinner in between.
But once that schedule is written down and finalized, the next step is to either tear it to shreds, light it on fire, or throw it out the nearest window, because it isn't going to happen.
With 95 bands on five stages over two blisteringly hot days, Coachella offers so many options that it undoubtedly leads to too many sacrifices. Loads of extenuating factors come into play, from huge crowds and set delays to equipment problems and beer lines long enough to make even an alcoholic reconsider his addiction.
Despite the logistical hurdles and the relentless heat, Coachella is unquestionably a music fan's mecca. Here's one man's journey through two days of the sonic seventh heaven that is Coachella.
Wolfmother - Mojave Tent, Saturday 3:50
The Australian trio has become quite the media sensation in the US. With a sound that echoes psychedelic metal bands of the late 1960s such as Black Sabbath, Wolfmother can't just claim to be part of the new wave of rock revival--they're downright leaving other new "rock" bands in their wake. Though the band hadn't yet released an album in America (the album hit stores this week), there weren't many attendees who didn't list the band as on their "to-see" list.
Wolfmother at Coachella 2006
Their popularity was evident as the Mojave Tent was packed, spilling out of the sides. Still, the fans were treated to the act's trademark sound, and frontman Andrew Stockdale appears to be liking the whole success thing, encouraging the crowd to get further into the sound as they rocked through songs such as "White Unicorn" and "Dimension."
But given that newfound success, Wolfmother should have been scheduled to play on the larger Outdoor Theater stage, site of performances by eclectic indie bands like The Zutons, The Go! Team, and...
Animal Collective - Outdoor Theater, Saturday 4:25
This East Coast quartet defies convention by staying as far from it as possible. The band's most recent album, Feels, has been labeled by many as their "most accessible," but, in true Animal Collective fashion, the band didn't care to play much of it, merely selecting "Banshee Beat" as the opener of the set.
Because of this avant-garde style that combines chanting hippie folk and electronic psychedelica glued together by unmistakable melody, the attitude toward the band is a reverse bell curve, with music fans either pledging their undying love for frontman Avey Tare and his mates or walking away screaming in disgust. By the third song, much of the crowd that had assembled to check them out had left, many with perplexed looks on their faces. However, for the rabid Animal Collective fans present, no doubt too entranced to even notice others leaving, listening to "Peace Bone" outdoors in the sun was no doubt a show highlight.
My Morning Jacket - Outdoor Theater, Saturday 5:55
The Kentucky rockers sprung to the forefront of critic's lists with their latest effort, Z, adding a healthy dose of psychedelia to its core of Americana twang to make its most astounding effort to date. Five members strong and led by one of rock's most charismatic frontmen in Jim James, My Morning Jacket was spared having to play in a tent--likely for fear that they would have blown the roof off.
The band immediately jumped into "Anytime," following up with a rocking double-dip of "What a Wonderful Man" and "Off the Record." The complexity of the layered music and James' soulful howls resulted in one of the worthiest sets of the festival, turning the 50-minute set into what seemed like multiple hours. The band even reverted back to some older songs, laying down some bluegrass and temporarily transporting the crowd from the dry heat of Indio to the humid stickiness of Nashville.
Sigur Ros - Coachella Stage, Saturday 7:00
Placing the Icelandic atmospherics of Sigur Ros on the festival's main stage came as a bit of a shock. Scheduling the band immediately after last-minute addition Kanye West was even more confusing. But the timing proved to be on the band's side as the sun was falling rapidly, changing the mood of the festival and giving many a much needed break from high-energy music.
Sigur Ros at Coachella
Anchored by the chimes of xylophones, rumbling drums, and lead singer Jon Thor Birgisson's ethereal, haunting voice, Sigur Ros seems to break down the barriers between the corporeal world and the heavens. Unfortunately for the band, its performances rely heavily on a simple, yet effective, stage show that incorporates video screens and trippy lighting effects. Absent of these extras, Sigur Ros was merely good, not exquisite as is the case with their shows they play before seated audiences in symphony halls.
Carl Cox - Sahara Tent, Saturday 9:00
The UK's Carl Cox isn't required to dance about the stage like a rock-and-roll frontman, but he will when he wants to, anyway. Often called the best DJ in the world, Cox is no stranger to traveling and playing festivals--the man can be found on multiple flyers each year for New Year's Eve parties in different countries.
But even the presence of the world's biggest DJ doesn't affect those in the Sahara Tent, as unlike the other Coachella spaces, dancing space is the more important thing. The vibe is positive, and the sound is immense. Video screens are featured both inside and outside the tent on either flank, with ample space for the crowds that will flock to the bigger acts. Cox hyped the crowd from behind the decks, letting the music do its thing, and focused on a high-energy tech-house set. Night had set in, so the luminous LCD screens stood out as a focal point for those under the influence.
The beats, the heat, the beer...it all eventually leads to the need for sleep and relaxation to bounce back for another day.
Wolf Parade - Mojave Tent, Sunday 5:00
Wolf Parade's set was a perfect example of how one glitch in timing can alter the course of the evening. The Montreal-based band was set to play at 5:00 p.m., but an equipment malfunction on Spencer Krug's keyboard delayed the show at least 20 minutes. Restless fans, many of them hoping to beeline over to see Bloc Party at the Outdoor Theater immediately after, were left with a choice.
Many left partway through the inspired set, giving valuable breathing room to those who stayed in the sweltering tent. The buzz band of yesterday, Wolf Parade plays fuzzy organ-driven rock that depends on Krug's distinct singing style as much as it does on Dan Boeckner's distorted guitars.
Wolf Parade's strength is the dichotomy of the band's two singers--Krug's songs lean toward the romantic and eccentric, such as "I'll Believe in Anything," whereas Boeckner evokes the dirtier rock of the late 1970s both in his appearance and grittiness of songs, such as "Shine a Light." Those who chose Wolf Parade over Bloc Party weren't disappointed--the quintet played with passion and rocked the tent.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Coachella Stage, Sunday 7:15
New York City pumped out several testosterone-fueled rock bands during the early 2000s, but with charismatic singer Karen O, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs found success despite the male-dominated scene. The Coachella stage was perhaps a little big for a three-piece, but for O, who obviously lives to perform, the stage wasn't big enough.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs at Coachella
The brunette-bobbed singer is the heart and soul of the band, which otherwise doesn't stand out. Dressed in the requisite punk garb that includes torn fishnet stockings, O strutted the stage and was well aware of the cameras that projected her image on the two giant screens on either side of the stage. O seemed possessed by the music, eyes widening to saucers at times. Sadly, others didn't feel the same thing.
Mogwai - Outdoor Theater, Sunday 8:25
With night falling and the warm desert evening relieving the crowd of heatstroke-induced dementia, the time was perfect for Scotland's Mogwai to shoot the crowd back into space. The band creates musical collages and epic audioscapes that benefit from the lack of vocals.
The wall of sound created by Mogwai seems to have a life of its own, inhaling calm melodies and soothing guitar-driven space rock and exhaling cacophonies of distortion. The crowd responded by not responding--most stood in awe as the instrumentals resonated through the night air, strangely creating a personal connection despite the large crowd. It was the perfect opportunity to lay down and close one's eyes, drifting off to someplace far away from Indio.
Massive Attack - Coachella Stage, 9:10
Massive Attack's 3D at Coachella
Trip-hop vets Massive Attack haven't released an album since 2003, but with a greatest hits collection released in March, the band was a late sign-on to the lineup. With Tool following and, judging by the amount of Tool shirts at the show, heavily anticipated, much of the lawn was populated by rockers jockeying for real estate. Massive Attack concentrated mostly on older stuff, particularly from 1998's Mezzanine, and unfortunately, the performance felt dated. Nevertheless, the sound was a great way to wind down a long weekend.
Those who cruised the grounds catching a few songs of different bands over the course of the weekend experienced what can only be described as a bizarre live mix tape. Some may have been lucky enough to catch Gnarls Barkley, the "next big thing" collaboration by Cee-Lo and producer Danger Mouse. Others had a chance to catch Brazil's Seu Jorge, who brought live samba with a full band loaded with percussion to an otherwise rock-oriented show.
Matisyahu at Coachella
The heavily hyped Hasidic Matisyahu brought his reggae-tinged rhymes to the main stage, ditching his customary black suit jacket in the heat, and spread a message of love with dancehall beats. The experimental music of San Francisco's Deerhoof, at once both melodic and downright insane, translates better live in small doses than it does through headphones. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, a band that has successfully held onto the praise bestowed on its full-length debut, played before a sea of adoring fans that could not be contained by the Mojave Tent.
In the end, reflecting on the experience is a mixed bag of feelings. The music was great, but the crowds, the heat, and the scheduling conflicts all hindered Coachella from being a mind-blowing experience. Even the most diehard music fan will recognize that seeing a band during a regular show for an hour-and-a-half set is preferential to seeing an act in 100-degree heat among a crowd that is constantly moving and pushing. It's not an event that requires a return visit.
But then again, once next year's lineup is announced, that mindset might go out the window just like this year's schedule. After all, it's all about the music, right?
Just added
