Coachella | 04.17-04.19 | Indio, CA

Sunday | 04.19.09

Karen O - Yeah Yeah Yeahs :: Coachella 2009

Sunday was to be the hottest day of the festival, with temps breaking into the 100s but this was it, the last day and better make the best of it!

First up for me was Canadian hardcore band Fucked Up. Lead singer Damian Abraham, also known as Pink Eyes, was up to his crazy antics, which resulted in a bloody mess when he hit his head. I didn't see him actually strike his head but he was certainly gushing blood by the end of the set. Along with the Red Bull in my bloodstream, this proved to be a very powerful start to my last day on the Polo Grounds.

Lupe Fiasco opened his set with radio hit "Kick, Push," which was a nice dance friendly track to begin the afternoon. I had Peter Bjorn and John, Perry Farrell and Murder City Devils to see within the span of an hour and a half, which flew by. But, I managed to hear some of my favorite PB&J songs, jump into the Murder City Devils' mosh pit and dance to a bit of Perry Farrell's well-performed set. It will be interesting to see what project Perry brings next year (crossing my fingers for Jane's Addiction).

Apparently Glasvegas wasn't the only act to cancel. Clipse did as well. I never heard why but it was too bad I couldn't catch just a little more hip-hop. Instead, it was time for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs with the lovely Karen O leading the show dressed in a shirt/blouse composed of palm-sized mirrors. She always impresses both vocally and fashion-wise. "Zero," "Y Control" and "Maps" were the highlights of their sunset show, with Karen O strutting her stuff as only she can. Along with Amanda Palmer, Karen O has become one of my Coachella '09 crushes!

My Bloody Valentine :: Coachella 2009

After a quick walk to the Gobi Stage, we arrived just in time to watch Devendra Banhart and his band of super-musicians. I haven't kept up with Devendra in a while but since I last saw him at Coachella in '06, his music seems to have received a facelift to where he now rocks a little heavier with hooky riffs and lyrics in all types of languages. He is indeed a hipster's hipster, who finished his set just as I could hear My Bloody Valentine sound-checking. MBV, along with bands like Built To Spill and Sonic Youth, are credited with precipitating the popularity of the indie rock, shoegazer movement. They had only played a handful of show in the States over the past decade, so the anticipation was a bit intense. As they took the stage and played their first few chords, it seemed as if the main speaker levels had been turned up to 11. Man, they were loud. For some, that's exactly how they liked it but for many non-fans it was a bit on the extreme side and many moved on to see The Horrors or Late of the Pier, but I imagine you could hear MBV as far as Palm Springs, which may not have gone over well with the other acts! I personally found solace in the pillow of sound created by the jangly guitars and wailing riffs.

The '80s were represented fairly well in the lineup this year with the über popular and nostalgic Cure taking the stage late in the evening, but not before Public Enemy brought down the house performing their 1988 album It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back in its entirety, opening the set with "Bring the Noise" and closing with "Fight the Power" (which appears on 1990's Fear of a Black Planet). Of course, Flavor Flav was up to his hype-man antics, energetic as ever and now 50-years-old! Unbelievable. Chuck D, the mastermind of Public Enemy, and turntablist Terminator X both lived up to the standard of a Rock And Roll Hall of Fame act and delivered one of the best sets of '09.

Flavor Flav and Chuck D - Public Enemy :: Coachella 2009

My fiancé is a huge Cure fan and we set ourselves up with a great view of the stage as Robert Smith and crew began their set. It started slow but a few songs in we got the classics like "Pictures of You," "Love Song" and "Just Like Heaven." As we looked out into the sea of heads, there was a joyous feel to the evening's mood. Couples were embracing, even making out, and it was a fitting end to this three-day soiree. Apparently, The Cure isn't afforded the same slack as Sir Paul, and at 1 a.m. festival organizers started powering down the sound system and bringing up the lights during the finale of "Boys Don't Cry," which eventually turned into an acoustic, audience-lead sing-along.

The speculation now begins as to who will play next year. Let the rumors fly! Conversations I overheard throughout the weekend had fans digging the idea of the Smashing Pumpkins (or whatever is left of them) taking the stage, or perhaps Daft Punk wowing the masses with new material currently being fine tuned in the studio. The rumors are always as interesting and funny as they are hopeful, but they bolster the idea that only the best bands in the world can possibly take the stage at such a fabled festival.

For some, Coachella is the ultimate camping experience, with tremendous music rounding out the madness, and for some it's a pilgrimage that takes months of penny-saving and liver conditioning as preparation. Whatever the motivation, the Coachella Music and Arts Festival has once again left a mark on the 2009 festival season, with a recession-proof kick off of the most enjoyable sunburns and sore feet one will experience this year.