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I missed nearly all of webcasts due to my shows this weekend, but I really want to talk about how awesome that Monarchy! show was, and how the Nationals set was awesome considering I didn't care for their album at all.
Radiohead, prince, muse, chili peppers, etc...and they are lucky if they get 1 mill, but they normally only get 500 k
then you have third tier : snoop, dre, J z...they get 100 k
then you have 4th tier : black keys, munford byoncee, Prince etcc: they get 50k
That National set was great. Kicking myself for missing Monarchy. And Kanye's set was good enough to keep me up until 2:30. Plus all the entertainment it provided on this forum.
I'd say the best streams I saw were Duran Duran, Arcade Fire, and Kanye, actually.
I want to say Omar Rodriguez Lopez Group, but their mix didn't sound great, and the show was too short... half the length of what I saw two or three weeks ago.
Post by Jones Jupiter on Apr 18, 2011 11:46:40 GMT -5
So before I board my flight and leave this oasis in California for my Texas home, I wanted to share my top 5's of the weekend. This years Coachella seemed to be what's to come for the festival. The new lights and video shows were amazing. It definitely had its faults, but the times everything worked perfectly made up for that. Now I know what Goldenvoice did with all of that money Daft Punk and the Rolling Stones didn't accept.
I was able to get right up front for both Kanye and The National yesterday. Even after the fan fair and all we've come to know from an Arcade Fire show (which they delivered as they always do), The National showed up and gave my favorite performance of the weekend (honest and real). It was the perfect tunes, time, and setting.
Kanye's entrance was worth every dollar I spent, so much fun! He kind of lost everyone with the 808's and Heartbreak Leno ("Gold Digger" got the party going again) but his intro alone met all of the buzz and expectations I'd hoped to see for his biggest show to date (Soooo ready for Eminem to come out and crush Kanye's set at Bonnaroo by simply rapping, he won't need all of the excess bullsh!t). The intro to "Can't Tell Me Nothing" received one of the loudest sing-along's I've ever heard at Coachella. I've still got goosebumps.
All in all, this year was a Coachella for the future and ready or not the future is here.
Best of Friday: 1. Nosaj Thing 2. Cut Copy 3. Magnetic Man 4. Tame Impala 5. Crystal Castles
Best of Saturday: 1. Arcade Fire 2. Mumford & Sons 3. The Joy Formidable 4. Elbow 5. Two Door Cinema Club
Best of Sunday: 1. The National 2. Kanye West 3. Trentemoller 4. Chromeo 5. Delorean
-When I Hear My Name -Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground -Blue Orchid -Passive Manipulation -Red Rain -Death Letter -My Doorbell -Hotel Yorba -Same Boy You've Always Known -Lovesick -Little Ghost -We're Going to Be Friends -The Hardest Button to Button -Black Math -The Nurse -I Just Don't Know What to Do With Myself
Encore: -Ball and Biscuit -Seven Nation Army -Screwdriver
Post by Funky Munky on Apr 18, 2011 14:07:53 GMT -5
I have to agree with a lot of jonesjupiter's analysis. The stage setups, lights and even sound at Coachella blow the Bonnaroo setup out of the water. It really isn't even worth discussing. Their tents have better setups than the Which stage. I hope AC was there taking notes, Roo has a ton to learn. The way they ran the festival was top notch too. I've only been to Bonnaroo VIP so I don't know what it's like going GA other than what I have read hear but the GA car camping experience at Coachella was pretty comparable to VIP at Bonnaroo. I waited an hour in line to get my car searched and never more than about five minutes to get into the festival.
I do think the Music at Bonnaroo is better in general, at least for my taste. I saw some good EDM at Coachella but that is really the only place they truly excell from a "who's playing" standpoint. They also have some real issues with sound bleed, worse than Bonnaroo even with the Lunar stage in play. You have to get up pretty close to only hear the band you want to when you are either the Outdoor Theater or the Gobi.
The weather is so much better they should just advertise that as their headliner. It was hot but not even close to the brutal temps at Roo last year. Sleeping was a breeze even until 9:00.
My favorite sets of the weekend in no particular order:
1. The Felice Brothers 2. Good Old War 3. Big Audio Dynamite 4. Cold War Kids 5. Arcade Fire 6. The Kills 7. Cage the Elephant 8. The Black Keys 9. !!! 10. DFA 1979
All in all it was a great weekend. I'll be back for sure.
Post by concertjunkie on Apr 18, 2011 16:45:39 GMT -5
Saw Coachella posted on their facebook page a save the date for July 30th. Announcing something involving Rage Against The Machine, Muse, Rise Against, and more. Those Cali people are friggin spoiled and yes I am jealous.
Post by Zappatical on Apr 18, 2011 17:05:20 GMT -5
First off, the Creators Project might have changed American festivals forever. The visual performances of Interpol, Animal Collective, and Arcade Fire were some of the most memorable I've ever seen. The visual art in general was just leagues above any of the festivals I've been to. It was really nice to see such effort to make our experience the best it could be.
Also, the festival added screens to all of the tents, so every stage (besides the Do Lab and Oasis Dome) had awesome visibility from wherever you were. I want to address the fact that the teams of camera people were absolutely incredible all weekend. Beautiful shots one after the other, all edited completely on the spot, with the finished product looking like an official DVD release.
I will say that the beer gardens are a point of interest. On one hand, the crowds are really respectful and you don't really run into anyone obnoxiously wasted while seeing shows throughout the day, but on the other hand, I really think the crowds would bring more energy if beer was sold freely throughout the grounds. This might be the main difference between Coachella and Bonnaroo to me: the crowds during the day shows are just DEAD. There were a few exceptions, of course, but there's no reason people shouldn't be getting down to !!!.
So, the music. I only wasn't into two sets: Cults and Angus & Julia Stone. In both cases, it wasn't the music being terrible, just more not being in the right setting at that time or whatever for me.
Friday: The Rural Alberta Advantage - pretty cool way to start off the festival, the songs had a lot of energy and they had a great turn-out. The singer had a cold and was having a lot of trouble with the vocals, but it didn't really affect the set negatively.
!!! - Amazing performance, really dead crowd. I'm definitely going to have to try to make their Bonnaroo set, because people will be going apeshiz.
Titus Andronicus - Probably my favorite of the afternoon that day. They brought a ton of energy, and I just love how they can sound so brutal one moment and so pretty the next.
Odd Future - I think the bass almost caved in my chest. Once again, a weak crowd sucked a lot of the energy out of the set, especially after the mass exodus after "Sandwitches". We were a little worried about Tyler; he wasn't onstage for the middle portion of the set, but came back out for the last 4 or 5 songs. All of the members are really talented with great flows live. The lyrics were easily made out but they still had a ton of that raw emotion in their voices. Tyler took a moment to say something like "this is about to be the best moment of my life" and they brought out Pharrell for a song.
Lauryn Hill - She killed it. I was worried, after reading all the horror stories, but her set was so awesome. She looked pregnant.
Interpol - As I said, beautiful visual accompaniment, but aside from that, the band sounded terrific. I was thinking it might sound a bit too monotonous, and at times it was, but they really let the songs take shape naturally, and before you knew it you'd be wrapped up in it.
The Black Keys - Terrific of course. The sound was a bit off for some of the first songs where they were just playing as a duo, but they gradually got it right, and the Brothers material sounded fantastic. The crowd was massive and really digging it. They busted out a disco ball too! (LCD homage?)
Kings Of Leon - Caleb said they were sick of playing new shiz, they played a couple of old songs, and proceeded to close the set with like 5 newer songs. I will say, the songs aren't quite as terrible without all of their souls sucked out of them by the studio.
The Chemical Brothers - Absolutely insane. Easily my favorite of the weekend. They didn't stop for one second. There were times when I really felt like I was running for my life through a jungle.
Saturday: Maricahi El Bronx - Perfect setting to see that band. They were tight instrumentally and I don't see how anything unpleasant could ever be said about their music. They really set the tone for the rest of my day, where positive vibes were nearly tangible all around the festival grounds. Everyone was in incredibly high spirits this day, and the tone was set for the mainstage madness that would follow.
The Joy Formidable - They really kind of blew me away. I don't think I had even heard a song of theirs, but they have such a huge sound and really nice songwriting.
Cults - Like I said above, really forgettable performance for me. They came on ten minutes late, and left the stage about 20 minutes early. I guess they just don't have a lot of material, but I wasn't feeling any of the songs they played besides "Go Outside".
The Tallest Man On Earth - Terrific turn-out for this one. The tent was packed and everyone was really quiet and attentive. It was awesome to see his music performed live, and get a chance to talk to some people about it. Hearing appreciation for his simple, beautiful songwriting at a festival like Coachella was really refreshing. He brought out a lady friend for the last song and they sang the song into the same mic. I think they're in love.
Delta Spirit - I was much more into their Bonnaroo set. Those daytime Outdoor Theatre shows might just be doomed to dead crowds.
Erykah Badu - Killed it, as usual. Unfortunately her sound got cut off at the end, and before they could fix it, her time ran out. She just kind of abruptly had to end her set. Bummer of a thing to happen to her, especially after delivering such a terrific performance. Also a beautiful way to start my mainstage marathon.
Broken Social Scene - SO good. The sun was starting to sink behind the mountains, it was cooling off, and those worried about fighting off the heat were able to let themselves go a little bit to BSS's music. They played all of my favorites off the new record, and some amazing choices from the back catalog.
Bright Eyes - Completely caught me off guard. I didn't know what to expect at all, but aside from the beauty of the songs which I was looking forward to, they had so much energy! The band was so tight and they put in an incredibly memorable performance for me. Top five, for sure.
Mumford & Sons - They rose to the challenge of having possibly the largest crowd of the festival. The field was absolutely packed, and there was not a single person standing still. There was a great vibe for this set, and the band ripped through a lot of the album material. They even played some new songs which were just as good. They didn't kill the flow or momentum at all.
Animal Collective - I love the fact that Animal Collective used the opportunity of such a high profile set on the main stage at Coachella to play almost entirely new material. The funny thing is, the set didn't suffer at all. The new songs all sounded amazing, and the visual show the Creators Project threw together was so cool. One of the new songs, the one they played right before "Brothersport" was honestly one of the best Animal Collective songs I've ever heard. It was a really dancy, electronic sounding track that sounded so perfect in the middle of their set.
Arcade Fire - Pretty much lived up to all of the hype. They put so much into their performance, and Win Butler was so appreciative of the festival and the crowd itself. It was obvious just looking at his big goofy grin during "The Sprawl II" how much that night meant to him.
Sunday: Good Old War - Another band I didn't know much about at all, but really enjoyed their music. The general consensus from the crowd was the same: most of us were really surprised to be so into an band previously unknown to us at 11:30 in the morning of the last day.
Phosphorescent - Beautiful set. They mix that solemn sound so well with a slow, bluesy burn.
Delorean - Another nice surprise. I wasn't sure how they would translate live, but they sounded even better than on record. It was a straight dance party in that tent.
OFF! - The music was awesome, but every 2 or 3 songs, he would go on a pointless rant that had us scratching our heads. I'm all for banter, but not when the cost is absolutely killing any energy that may have been achieved prior.
Angus And Julia Stone - The songs are really pretty, but that show was boring as hell.
Nas & Damian Marley - Really fun set. The crowd was super into it, and I really enjoyed how they set up their show. They would do a couple of solo songs, do some songs together, etc. It all flowed really well and they ended it with "Could You Be Loved". That one really got everyone grooving.
Death From Above 1979 - Another one of my favorites. Dude absolutely rips the bass. He was doing stuff that I didn't even know was possible, and the songs were punishing and in your face. Impossible to remain still.
The National - The absolute perfect time-slot for them. The sunset was stunning, painting the sky all kinds of shades of orange, red, pink. It's still shocking to me how much energy those guys bring to their songs. Definitely a top three set for me.
Ratatat - I only got to catch about half an hour of their set, but they were really awesome. Another act that solidified my interest in seeing their Bonnaroo set. I might just be a sucker for dual guitar attacks, but the way they craft those beats and play guitar at the same time is damn impressive.
Phantogram - They were really good. We left to catch PJ Harvey, but the crowd was really into it, and pretty large, considering they were up against The Strokes and Chromeo. She is so damn hot too.
PJ Harvey - I do not know she can sing the way she can. She's such a tiny lady, but has the most incredible voice. She seemingly can do anything she wants with it, too. She didn't have a very big crowd though, unfortunately.
Kanye West - Wow. If Ashley Capps was in attendance, he is PISSED.
Top 10, in somewhat of an order: 1. Chemical Brothers 2. The National 3. Animal Collective 4. Bright Eyes 5. Kanye West 6. Death From Above 1979 7. Arcade Fire 8. PJ Harvey 9. Mumford & Sons 10. The Black Keys
Sounds like you all had an amazing time! Sad I missed it this year, but at least there will be no KOL for quite sometime on the Polo Fields. Can't wait to see the knife next year!
2013 Pitchfork and TBA 2012 Bonnaroo and Maha Festival 2011 WakaROO (Wakarusa and Bonnaroo) Maha Festival 2010 Coachella 2009.... First Roo 2008 lost my festival virginity to Wakarusa
OFF! - The music was awesome, but every 2 or 3 songs, he would go on a pointless rant that had us scratching our heads. I'm all for banter, but not when the cost is absolutely killing any energy that may have been achieved prior.
I saw OFF! recently and it was just like that. Keith Morris talks a ton and it definitely kills the energy. I was thinking about it, though, and it's possible he does that because they don't even really have a full 30 minutes of material yet. That's not much of an issue for most hardcore bands, but there's a difference between dropping $5 at a DIY all-ages space and paying $15+ to see a supergroup in a proper venue (or at a festival where they've got more time than they need). Maybe the talking is a deliberate way of padding out the set.
AC tweeted about Coachella all weekend long. It sounds like he was a super VIP; seeing everything from the side of the stage with the likes of Paul McCartney.
Post by suspendedzen on Apr 18, 2011 19:05:47 GMT -5
The girl in the above photo is either taking the biggest (and most moist?) numb-er in the history of man...or people are trying way too hard with the whole paparazzo thing
Post by CNDYFLPPDRND on Apr 18, 2011 20:43:40 GMT -5
I caught the end of this on a fluke by watching the Baracka Flacka Flame video on youtube and seeing the link to his Coachella set. That shiz was incredible he put on a really good performance. I loved what he did with Runaway and Justin Vernon coming out for Lost in the World. He also had a ton of energy in All of the Lights. I was really impressed by what he did, and it actually just made me more mad about him not showing up in 2008 when I tried to give him a chance to make me a fan back then. It does seem though as he has stepped up his professionalism a bit, and even though hes still very arrogant at least you can tell hes extremely passionate about his music, even if it is to a narcissistic degree.
Kanye puts on a great show. I've seen him twice, and one was at the Summerjam concert where he Jay-z came onstage and they first did the Diamonds remix. Both times I've seen him the shows have been great, he really is a showman. It sucked that he was such a scumbag when he was at Roo, but hopefully he's grown up since then because when he inevitably makes his return to the Farm it will be interesting to see if he pulls out all the stops to erase that bad memory. He's certainly capable of doing so.
Last Edit: Apr 18, 2011 21:23:23 GMT -5 by Guest - Back to Top
The girl in the above photo is either taking the biggest (and most moist?) numb-er in the history of man...or people are trying way too hard with the whole paparazzo thing
Its not blow. Its the other white powdery substance that is rampant at festivals.
Post by Jones Jupiter on Apr 18, 2011 21:43:53 GMT -5
So that was fun.
Now that it's all said and done, I'm so glad that Kanye headlined. He played the roll everyone either hates/loves, multiplied that by 8000, and gave his most memorable performance to date.
I can't stress enough how amazing Nosaj Thing's set was. Surely other festivals will be booking this guy soon, he definitely deserves all of the exposure he's soon to get. Speaking of which The Joy Formidable established themselves as break out act of the weekend in my opinion. Their music live is just as powerful and emotional than the album is, which I must say is a really great recording. Their drummer is just as solid live and the other two members follow suit. Two Door Cinema Club were very tight and delivered one of the best sets of the weekend. I was really impressed. Why Tame Impala wasn't booked at roo still baffles me. Their music was a perfect fit for Coachella's setting and they will put on a great show regardless if it's in a small club (caught them in December) or in front of a large festival crowd. Also, Elbow, Trentemoller, and Delorean all killed. Definitely check all of those acts out as soon as you can!
Zapp was right about Odd Future. When I saw them at SXSW the crowd was crazy and the Cali crowd in no way matched that intensity. Same with DFA 79. Both of their sets at SXSW were much better and neither of them were able to truly capitalize on the buzz those shows created. Odd Future have nothing but time, they'll get better. As for DFA 79, they really have nothing left to prove but I wish GV would have put them in a tent instead. The little bar in Austin suited their music much better than that giant polo field.
And Nodep was right. Cut Copy should have been at roo this year (The kind of late night act we're missing this year and should have gotten. Does anyone else remember "Feel the Love" and "Lights and Music" being played before Jay-Z's set last year? I figured they would have been a lock for 2011). Their set was all I hoped it would be. A tent party filled with some of Cut Copy's most passionate fans. Everyone sang and danced their arsses off. It was beautiful. Speaking of which, Magnetic Man surprised me the most. He had the entire tent moving and it was the first time I was able to experience the new lights in the Sahara (definitely my favorite of all the new installations this year) which fit his music perfectly.
Arcade Fire did exactly what everyone knew they would do. Killed it. I've been lucky enough to see them come full circle as far as Coachella goes and it was perfect. I could say the same for Mumford and Sons. It was awesome to have seen them transform from that little 4 piece acoustic act I skipped the Avett Brothers for at Roo last year, to that powerhouse on the Coachella main stage proved themselves to be Saturday night. They deserve it. Speaking of which I was so proud of what The National accomplished last night. It was my favorite show of the weekend and everyone leaving their set said the same. I really don't have the words to describe it right now. Let's just say it was special...I'll be posting some pictures soon.
The girl in the above photo is either taking the biggest (and most moist?) numb-er in the history of man...or people are trying way too hard with the whole paparazzo thing
Its not blow. Its the other white powdery substance that is rampant at festivals.
