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Coachella
2008
Coachella 2008
---
Top 10 Performances
---
Day by Day: Friday
Day by Day: Saturday
Day by Day: Sunday
---
Stage by Stage
Sorry I Missed Them
And in conclusion
---
SIX DISK CHANGER
COACHELLA 2008
THE BEST OF THE BEST >>> The Top 10 performances at Coachella 2008:
10.
Booka Shade
9. Sia
8. Portishead
7. Roger Waters
6. Modeselektor
5. Goldfrapp
4. Gogol Bordello
3. Boyz Noize
2. Justice
1. Prince
@ @ @
DAY BY DAY: FRIDAY >>> Not since 2005 has there been such a mild afternoon and evening at Coachella as this year's opening day. The weather was warm, topping out in the low 90s, and cooling into the upper 70s at night. Technically a gorgeous day, and a day of some pleasant musical surprise, if few of the weekend's most memorable moments.
If the 2008 Coachella lineup was the weakest maybe ever, Friday was the leanest
single day. And yet, a perfect day in the desert with 43 distinguished and
different artists, how bad could it be? Not bad in any way. We arrived at
the 50th Avenue entrance at 3:45 p.m., and were quickly parked and up to the
front gate in 15 minutes. Lines were almost non-existent at the entrance,
in stark contrast to last year's Friday afternoon chaos. Thankfully, Will
Call and the Entrance Gate were simplified this year, and the other nonsense
that had gone on outside the gates in 2007 was now inside, where it belongs.
Stepping onto the green green grass of Coachella once again, I could hear the familiar sound of multiple stages and thousands of music lovers mixing it up for another spectacular weekend in the sun. Dropped by the Outdoor Stage for Architecture in Helsinki, which provided a few post-punk chords that didn't invite us to stay too long, typical of the Outdoor Stage this year, and cruised along to catch Adam Freeland crank out some infectious, trancey house in praise of Barack Obama at the Sahara.
Cut Copy captured the audience's imaginations and hearts at the Gobi, then we made the trek to see buzz band Vampire Weekend for the first and perhaps biggest disappointment of the weekend. Their sound lacked bite. Mum delighted the crowd at the Mojave with their virtuosity and original musings. When Sandra Collins' set kicked into high gear in the Sahara, it nearly drowned out Mum's soft, sweet sounds. So Mum joined in, jamming along to Collins' uptempo set, and capturing a little of that energy for their finale. I really liked Sandra Collins' guest vocalist, and the clean lines of her set. We left in time for a bit of dan le sac vs. Scroobius Pip playing funked up hip-hop at the Gobi on our way to catch as much Goldfrapp as humanly possible.
Allison Goldfrapp's ensemble came in like a lamb, and went out like a lion.
Starting slowly, the set built in both tempo and sonic intensity until the
crowd was roaring, and the generally tough-natured Ms. Goldfrapp was literally
cooing. Beautiful. I would catch them live any time. Highly anticipated Aphex
Twin opened with some very pretty, house-flavored techno-pop and
closed with some really strong, highly original sonic strangeness. Very good
if you were up to the challenge. We ducked out to hear the Raconteurs
close with a bang, though not as big of a bang as their mind-blowing performance
at Amsterdam's Lowlands in 2006.
Aesop Rock layered quick and clever rhymes on top of some excellent DJing, reinforcing their up and comer status, and Datarock was a really fun surprise, blipping out high energy post-punk with a funky edge in their bright red jump suits. The Verve were terrific, sounding deep and self-assured while performing a combination of new songs along with their classics, including "Bittersweet Symphony." Spank Rock featured progressive beats fronted by a solid female rapper, leading up to Jack Johnson, whose feel good sound and gentle presence always creates a lovely vibe in the desert, or anywhere.
Fatboy Slim did his Fatboy Slim thing, pumping his arms and gesticulating
wildly, getting the crowd more into it than they might be if it were only
about the music, and Professor Murder provided quirky pop-hop
fun for one of those end of the night Coachella jams that you share with only
a few hundred people, which are always a treat. The day never got what you
would call hot, either temperature-wise or musically, and the evening's usual
exit party cluster-fuck was in the medium range for Lot 3, due to a car that
got stuck exiting a non-exit and face-planting in the dirt.
Friday's Grades: Music - B-, Weather - A+, Traffic/Crowd control - B+.
DAY BY DAY: SATURDAY >>> Emboldened by a mild Friday, we took off an hour earlier to get a jump on the crowd, and get to the field in time for several key acts beginning at 4:00 p.m. A 2:00 departure time was a good idea, especially because the traffic to enter the event was significantly greater on Day Two. It took about 45 minutes to reach the parking lot from the west side of La Quinta, up from yesterday's 15 minutes. Happily, the lines at the door had been expanded to support a bigger crowd, with 15 entry lanes opened, as opposed to Friday's 10. In all, it took about 30 minutes longer to get door to door, not terrible given this would be the most crowded day by far.
We caught a little of pop-rockers The Cold War Kids and hard-edged MGMT on our way over to Sahara for the weekend's next big buzz show, Boyz Noize. And Boyz Noize, aka DJ Alex Ridha, Went Off. In the simplest possible terms, Boyz Noize was the musical highlight of the Sahara Tent in 2008, narrowly better than Justice, and edged out only by Prince in terms of the best show of the entire weekend. The sound and mixing was tight, the beats were phat enough to revive a cardiac victim without the paddles, and the performance from beginning to end was completely danceable, totally original and interesting, and incredibly uplifting.
One of my favorite moments of the performance was when Ridha instructed stage hands to move the bank of speakers on stage serving as his monitors in to face one another, surrounding himself in sound so he could hear and refine his mix. Technically brilliant and sonically spectacular, Boyz Noize had the crowd from the very beginning, and it just got better from there. A career-establishing performance. DJ and remixer Erol Alkan offered some jangling, tech-house infused beats leading up to Hot Chip's big performance at 6 p.m.. In between the two, we hopped around to Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, who brought some country-fried rock and roll twang to the Outdoor Stage. Kate Nash sounded to me like Kate Bush on a bad quaalude trip, and I still don't really get Cafe Tacvba, although they seem to make their fans very happy.
We returned to the Sahara for Hot Chip and caught all but about 15 minutes of their performance. I like this band, and some of their recordings, although I found their performance in 2006 slightly lacking. This year the buzz was bigger, the anticipation higher, and yet the mix wasn't much better. I know they program a certain amount of dissonance into their music, however, some of the songs simply sounded like the beats weren't matching, with two rivaling bass-lines clanking out of tune with one another. If I could I would ask the band if this is intentional, because from where we were it simply sounded like the beats were off. The Sahara is a big tent, and the sound system is one of the most exciting in the world, especially for an outdoor tent. For this year's show, Hot Chip -- unlike their label-mates LCD Soundsystem, on its way to the very top -- was hit and miss.
We missed the better part of Cinematic Orchestra by mistaking the Gobi and Mojave tents, suffering through Scars on Broadway for too long before giving up and walking back to Hot Chip for more (and better) at their finale, then back to hear a few minutes of the real Cinematic Orchestra, which has a beautiful, symphonic rock vibe, then caught a little Death Cab for Cutie (tastes like The Cure) from afar, and some Rilo Kiley from up close before heading back to the Coachella Stage for the always excellent Kraftwerk. The sound was crisp, the visuals were cool, and the music, which sounds like anything but the decade it comes from (the 70s), is still fresh as a newly minted micro-chip.
Making yet another of many trips between the Coachella Stage and the Sahara
Tent for Coachella poster-child and budding superstar M.I.A.
Usually terrific in concert, she came out in a very funky neon outfit with
blonde wig and proceeded to largely bum out the crowd with about a 10-minute
diatribe on turning up and down the lights, along with way too much gun-play
in her music, which never sounds very good, even when it's there to denounce
war. Yes, M.I.A., war sucks. And a few gun-shots as an exclamation point can
be theatrical and get the point across. But too much bang-bang at the rock
concert is a drag, and that's how I'd have to describe the performance of
one of the weekend's most anticipated artists. Huge letdown.
Fortunately, Sasha and Digweed turned up the volume, stopped fussing about the lights, and brought back the energy to the big tent. We hung out for about 15 minutes, then hustled over to see Portishead on the main stage. Their performance was uneven, emotional, rocking, weird, and ultimately very satisfying. Kind of like a rollercoaster ride with a loose wheel on your car. Nice comeback for them.
This also left us in perfect position to move forward to the stage for Prince's performance. By the time we were done, we had landed up in front of the soundboard, stage right, close enough to actually see the action on the stage in addition to the jumbo monitors on either side. Rumors of a special appearance by Morris Day and the Time inspired me to fire off a text message -- What Time Is It? -- just before the Purple One hit the stage. For all the big shows and hype I've caught at so many Coachella's over the years (although I missed Radiohead in 2004), only Rage Against the Machine delivered in a stratosphere close to this. Prince was, in a word, brilliant.
The band was tight, the backup singers were fantastic, and Prince was sensational
in every dimension. As a ringleader, guitarist, vocalist, dancer, and consummate
entertainer, Prince blew away a huge and discerning crowd. After "The
Bird" and "Jungle Love" from The Time, Prince shared the spotlight
even more, placing percussionist Sheila E. center stage for
"A Glamorous Life" before the Purple Experience kicked into high
gear.
Channeling Santana for a number of guitar solos, Prince still wants to be known as a rock star guitarist, and now he can deliver the goods. The band and arrangements were both tight and funky loose in all the right places, and Prince's personality on stage was simply perfect. Songs like "Little Red Corvette," "1999," "Purple Rain," and "Let's Go Crazy" have all aged remarkably well, as has the diminutive Prince (to Hendrix' King), who's been doing it since the late 70s. Another highlight, and great choice, for me was "I Feel for You," which splendidly showcased band, singers, and Prince's guitar virtuosity.
In an intelligent nod to both place and moment, Prince dropped his version
of Radiohead's "Creep" on the 80,000 or so crowded around the Coachella
Main Stage, slyly neglecting to call himself a creep until the last verse,
and launching the whole thing into the stratosphere with an unreal guitar
solo, a transcendent moment for all of Coachella. The show had it all, and
Prince not only delivered on the hype, he took it all the way to the top.
A truly tremendous showing.
Weather on Saturday was about five degrees hotter than Friday, and it was pretty war late in the afternoon. But by 6 the breeze had kicked in, and never did the day get uncomfortable. Night Two traffic, in spite of all the late-staying Prince-lovers, was actually better than the night before, and we were out and into a late night snack in less than an hour after the show was over.
Saturday's Grades: Music - A; Weather - A-; Traffic/Crowd - A+ (considering it was the most crowded day).
DAY BY DAY: SUNDAY >>> High clouds in the early afternoon and evening breezes made Sunday the coolest day at Coachella in many years. We took off even earlier in order to catch some of the daytime acts, and were rewarded by no traffic, and the longest lines of the festival, which weren't very long at all. From my perspective, they finally got the entrance right at Coachella, and hallelujah for that.
We walked across the field while the Shout Out Louds were
playing, and really enjoyed their raw rock sound. I'm From Barcelona
lit up the Mojave Tent with their celebratory vocals, kind of a Polyphonic
Spree with more variation, and less hosannahs. Holy Fuck's
symphonic rock a la Mogwai went over big at the Gobi Tent. They play with
passion and power and are truly a band to watch. The last few minutes of Dimitri
from Paris were very fun and energizing, although I think he relies
too much on old school soul and disco songs, and not enough on some of the
beautiful house music that's coming from France, inspired by his DJing.
Stars, who I've loved in concert and on CD, didn't quite go over on the Coachella Stage, sounding a little too much like just another rock band, and not enough like the post-Smiths/Housemartins pop confectioners that makes me smile. Too bad. The Manchester Orchestra couldn't get us to break our record of 10 minutes at the Outdoor Theatre, and Germans Deadmau5 were loud and strong in Sahara. Buzz act Booka Shade combined live drums with their outstanding Micro-House repertoire, although the 50 minute show took about 20 minutes to build, too long for a brief Coachella-sized gig.
Does It Offend You, Yeah? were pretty cool, lots of sharp edges and
very, very interesting. Gogol Bordello, one of last year's
best loved performers in the Gobi Tent took it long and strong to the Main
Stage. While Stars didn't quite translate for the jumbo-sized audience, Gogol
Bordello sounded great once again. A Non-Stop Gypsy Dance Party that is a
laugh out loud hoot.
Denny
Tenaglia blared the big, booming beats for which he's known, and
filled the Sahara for a little less than two hours. Spiritualized
seemed very important with lots of strings in the Mojave Tent, but frankly
the performance was a bit of a snooze. My Morning Jacket
was blaring on the Main Stage, and I think I'd have liked them more on a night
that I was in the mood for a slamming rock band. Sia, who
I would enjoy under just about any circumstances, was bubbly, in great voice,
briskly paced, and as usual, Coachella perfect. Great show for Sia.
Modeselektor was a very pleasant surprise in the big tent Sahara, completing the German Sweep of the Minimal Techno and House categories by Boyz Noize, Kraftwerk, and Booka Shade. Bumpy, chunky, dancelicious fun. We then headed over to the Coachella Stage for the better part of Roger Waters' performance, which was an excellent headline act and generously lasted for the better part of two and a half hours. Something almost spiritual about 80,000 people grooving to Dark Side of the Moon in the desert in the moonlight. I particularly enjoyed watching the pig balloon moving through the crowd, then flying up, up and away into the night.
Closing the show was French techno wunder-kinds Justice, who bear more than a little resemblance sonically to Daft Punk. Their songs aren't as recognizable, but the sound is their own, and like Daft Punk, they sound great very, very loud and you can dance to every note. Closing the best run Coachella ever, with the best weather, too, on a high note (with lots of thumping bass).
Sunday's Grades: Music - A-; Weather - A- (cold night, and I didn't bring my jacket); Traffic/Crowd - A-.
AND IN CONCLUSION >>> Interesting that the weather and the organization of Coachella 2008 would be the very best ever, when the music line-up was arguably the weakest. Perhaps because the show was run so smoothly -- so smoothly that VIP was not essential this year -- or perhaps because it was simply less crowded and it's just plain fun to attend a rock concert in the desert sun, this was one of the best Coachella's ever, in spite of the overall strength (or lack thereof) of the lineup.
Not that the show was shabby by any means. It simply didn't have the depth that created those excruciating choices of years past -- Groove Armada or Beastie Boys, Madonna or 5 world class bands, etc. This year's lineup at the Outdoor Stage was almost perplexingly different, and I wonder if the promoters chose to do something different there overall to get more bang for the buck, and keep the more rock and roll element over in the corner. Just guessing.
With the conditions, the lighter than usual crowds (except for Saturday night), and the brilliant weather, I was able to get to more music, and keep my energy levels higher for longer than ever before. We saw 17 acts per day for three days, which is a heck of a lot of great music for one weekend. America's best music festival got it absolutely right this year, and Coachella 2008 was a virtually glitch-free joy from beginning to end.
@ @ @
STAGE BY STAGE >>> The top performances by stage in 2008:
COACHELLA STAGE
1.
Prince
2. Gogol Bordello
3. Roger Waters
4. Portishead
5. The Verve
6. Jack Johnson
7. Kraftwerk
8. The Raconteurs
9. Shout Out Louds
10. Stars
OUTDOOR STAGE
1.
Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks
2. Rilo Kiley
3. Vampire Weekend
4.
Architecture in Helsinki
SAHARA TENT
1.
Boyz Noize
2. Justice
3. Modeselektor
4. Booka Shade
5. Aphex Twin
6. Hot Chip
7. M.I.A.
8. Erol Alkan
9. Sasha & Digweed
10. Sandra Collins
MOJAVE TENT
1.
Goldfrapp
2. Sia
3. Mum
4. I'm From Barcelona
5. Aesop Rock
GOBI TENT
1.
Holy Fuck
2. Datarock
3. Cut Copy
4. Does It Offend You, Yeah?
5. Cinematic Orchestra
6. Spank Rock
7. Professor Murder
SORRY I MISSED THEM >>> Coachella proves the old adage that you can't be two places at once. Here are the acts I wish I could have seen but missed because I was somewhere else:
1.
The National
2. Tegan and Sara
3. Bonde Do Role
4. Simian Mobile Disco
5. Battles
