Coachella | 04.17-04.19 | Indio, CA

Saturday | 04.18.09

Joss Stone :: Coachella 2009

Even in the morning, I could tell the temps were a bit higher on Saturday than Friday, but once again, the tickle of excitement kept me cool and walking at a brisk pace to catch Joss Stone, whose cute (read: skimpy!) white dress and the flower in her hair was a nice touch on a sunny Saturday afternoon. But man, can that white girl wail with the best of them! Stone's diva pipes and festive presence were very much in command of the dance-addict audience.

I realized I had enough time to see thenewno2, who had already begun to play the Mojave Stage. For those unfamiliar with this group, it is Dhani Harrison's band, i.e. the son of Beatle George Harrison, though he has made a name for himself among tastemakers and has developed a fan base all his own. thenewno2 reminds me of The Vines but without the annoying, whiny singer. I caught a song and a half, which was enough for me to say, "I'm a fan!"

On my way to the Coachella Stage, I listened to a bit of Blitzen Trapper's set. These guys were truly a breath of fresh air, with well-written songs and instrumentation that took you back to an era of rock 'n' roll when songwriting was king. My friend likened them to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers meets The Eagles with a twist of Dylan. It's a winning combination, and I know the future looks bright for Blitzen Trapper.

As the afternoon moved on, I decided it was time to lay down on the grass with Paolo Nutini, whose folky brand of Southern rock with a dash of traditional jazz was the right companion for a little rest on the lawn. Who knew that a trumpet could add such a nice twist to an already cool sound? And when he transitioned into his hit "New Shoes" midway through the set, I felt the need to stand and get my groove on!

Coachella 2009

There is quite the buzz around songstress Amanda Palmer. I read a note she wrote recently to music industry blogger Bob Lefsetz describing how she's eager to get out of her record contract and be an independent artist. I watched a bit of her set and was blown away. What a cool chick! At the most random moment between songs in her set, she began crowd surfing to Richard Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries," only to cover Radiohead's "Creep," while in the crowd, on someone's shoulders, accompanied by her own ukulele, and then later she covered Muse's "Time Is Running Out" back on stage. These moments are the ones that make the Coachella Festival a fabled destination for music fans.

Next door to Amanda Palmer, on the Mojave Stage, was former Black Flag lead singer Henry Rollins. He didn't come to Coachella to punk it up but rather to give a rousing, politically charged, charismatic address to the "kids of this generation," calling the audience a group of people who are "academically switched on" and in control of humanity's destiny. It was an inspiring moment, and personally, a more stimulating address than Sean Penn's rant two years ago.

Feeling good about being a progressive-thinking citizen, I walked over to catch Glasvegas and although I waited anxiously with other fans, a stage manager grabbed the mic to let us know that lead singer James Allan was in bed with a fever and thus had to cancel. The air was thick with disappointment as everyone shuffled out of the tent looking for a back-up plan in our mini-programs. You would have thought that little booklet held the secrets to life with the way people were fixed on their next move. For me, it was time for some TV On The Radio, whose anthemic rock carried me toward the main stage. Although they've been a band since 2001, they've recently seen a spike in popularity with their stellar 2008 release Dear Science and the subsequent run through the late night talk show circuit, including an appearance on The Colbert Report.

M.I.A. :: Coachella 2009

After a quick cocktail, out came one of the acts that truly made the hair on the back of one's neck stand on end. Travis Barker and DJ AM, whose DJ/drummer combo has become somewhat of a phenomena, were the sole survivors of a plan crash a few months ago, which made their appearance this year a remarkable one in many ways. I've had one of their live bootlegs on rotation in my iTunes for months and was curious to finally see them live. After taking the stage to a thunderous crowd reaction, AM took to the turntables and began a scratch-tastic solo, which was followed by a spin of just about every hit song on the radio today as well as some throwbacks, including Metallica's "Enter Sandman," the Rocky theme, a little Notorious B.I.G. and Rage Against the Machine. About two-thirds into the set, a familiar beat dropped and Warren G walked out and rapped "Regulators" to a screaming, disbelieving audience. It was an epic set, probably my favorite of the entire festival. Travis Barker, I think, unseated Danny Carey (Tool) as my favorite drummer in rock music today!

I realized I was missing Thievery Corporation so I rushed over to the Coachella Stage just before Travis/DJ AM finished their set and caught a wild variety of beats, singers and genres, all within Thievery Corp's set. I'm bummed I missed most of it but I'm not sure I could have justified leaving TRV$DJ-AM any earlier! After a little dinner, I gathered some friends to watch M.I.A., who took the stage in a presidential press conference style with her Excellency on the mic(s). This crowd was certainly younger than Friday's and a bit more energetic. M.I.A. created quite the security fiasco when she asked as many people as possible to take the stage and dance with her as the beat to "Paper Planes" began to play, and the crowd reacted in elation!

Mastodon :: Coachella 2009

This had to have been my busiest day as I trekked back to the Sahara Tent to dance to the Chemical Brothers, whose audience was certainly digging the sounds. I had promised my fiancé we'd dance for a bit and for a moment, while dancing to some of the best trance music, I forgot that I was "working." It's absolutely a great time when a musician/band/DJ can take you to another place where it's all about the music, the vibe and the energy! Thank you, Chemical Bros!

The Killers had already gone on stage when I was able to race back to see at least a few songs. I was never a diehard Killers fan but I did see them in 2004 at the Mason Jar in Phoenix, AZ when they were opening for stellastarr* at the tiny venue, where I was blown away by their mesmerizing chord progressions and Brandon Flowers' delicately fierce pipes. This 2009 set couldn't have sounded or looked more grand! "Human," "Mr. Brightside" and many of their ubiquitous songs had the crowd reciting every word. I was torn whether to stay and watch The Killers finish their set or run to see Mastodon and MSTRKRFT before the end of my night. I decided to go for it and run to the Mojave Stage to catch Mastodon who were performing their new album Crack the Skye to a hypnotized audience and a ferocious mosh pit (read more on Mastodon in our exclusive feature/interview here). Next door, the Sahara Tent had MSTRKRFT throwing down the beats and heavy grooves, only to have John Legend appear on stage to sing a dance version of "Green Door," which concluded Saturday's festivities.