Headlining Saturday at Coachella are large shoes to fill, especially when your fellow top-billers are Paul McCartney and The Cure (both bring long lineage of fanfare). There is no doubt that the Killers when standing in between McCartney and The Cure looked a tad young and over their heads. The Killers definitely brought their A-game to Saturday's performance and following the master hype woman that is M.I.A. they certainly needed to. The band played cohesively and sounded spot on bringing tons of energy. For me the performance and set list were not in question. I found myself jumping up and down like a sorority girl for "Somebody Told Me" and chanting "I've got soul but I'm not a soldier" for "All These Things That I've Done" (by far The Killer's best track to date). On paper (prior to M.I.A.'s performance) The Killers looked well placed as the Headliner. However, then came what can be referred to as "on the day." "On the day," it was very apparent that Saturday was the big day out. The Main Stage and Outdoor Stage traded blows like a great heavyweight fight starting with TV on the Radio (Main Stage) at 6:25 in the evening. TVOTR was followed (slightly overlapped) by the Fleet Foxes (Outdoor Stage), then Thievery Corporation (Main Stage), then band of Horses (Outdoor), then M.I.A (Main). then Jenny Lewis (Outdoor), then the Killers (Main), then Atmosphere (Outdoor). And all of these bands overlapped at one point in time. (I would have loved to see an overview of the thousands of people ushering from the neighboring stages). Then on top of the energy and fulfillment created by a seamless line up, The Killers had to follow M.I.A.'s performance that got the crowd beyond ruckus. The grounds seemed fertile for The Killers to "sink or swim" and perhaps the only way to stay afloat would to be near the caliber of Paul or Robert. There is no doubt that I was into the group and enjoyed myself greatly, and to that avail I wanted more. (More specifically I enjoyed the homage to Ian Curtis and Joy Division in form of a visual slide show behind the band as they played the very New Wave "Shadowplay"-- Brandon Flowers having dressed from Curtis's closet in all black jeans, boots, vest, and shirt) But The Killers don't have the deep pool of fans nor the amount of material to throw Main Stage worthy 3 hour, 3 encore bonanzas (ie. McCartney and The Cure on their respective nights). At the end of The Killers performance it just didn't feel right that the Main Stage was vacant near 11:45 PM and MSTRKRFT was still lighting up the Sahara Tent until the early hours of Sunday. In sum, The Killers were hugely entertaining, but, did not prove to be a main attraction.
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The Kills
Vocalist/Guitarist, Alison "VV" Mosshart and Guitarist Jamie "Hotel" Hince took the stage late Sunday, taking note "Thanks for sticking around so late." The Kills capped off my Coachella experience (with the exception of a brief listen to The Cure) and sent me home packing eager for Mosshart's up and coming Dead Weather experiment (a la Jack White). They opened up with "U.R.A. Fever" off of 08's Midnight Boom and turned the Mojave Tent into a rock n' roll Sonne and Cher affair. The two play with pure angst-like flirtation. Mosshart strangles her guitar notably on "Kissy Kissy." She theatrically lights up a cigarette and sings facing Hince as if to say this song is about you. The Kills were a much needed blues/rock act at the end of Coachella as The Black Keys were to start it. The dim basement attitude was perfect for the nine o'clock hour, with songs that spit in your face like "Pull A U," up beat punches like "Getting Down," which spews seduction as Mosshart moans with rhythm and shakes her tall curvy frame behind the mic pole as if she is saying "where I'm from you can either be a stripper or a rock star, I chose to be a rock star." While I once called "Black Balloon" "the fulcrum" of Midnight Boom, it did not translate well live. It was noisy and lo-fi, contradicting the weightlessness and trance-like effect it has on disc. "Fried My Little Brains" was the epitome of what The Kills brought to Coachella. With most people in the audience having fried their little brains all weekend, the song's dangerous and clunky guitar accompanied by Mosshart's sex appeal was a blues rock translation of the three day madness that was Coachella.
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Fleet Foxes
As a first-timer to Coachella, I looked at the set times and noted Fleet Foxes was at the Outdoor Stage on Saturday. Being one of the many new fans sparked by their self titled debut, I thought to myself, "thats great I get to see these low key exceptional musicians play outdoors." Then came Friday (day before the Fleet Foxes would play) and I saw the scope of the Outdoor Stage and again corrected one of many notions I had about Coachella, "how are the Fleet Foxes going to fill this plot of land?" followed by an inner dialogue along the lines of "good more for me and you." If the Fleet Foxes couldn't amass a crowd large enough to fill the Outdoor field it wasn't the end of the world, but as a fan you certainly want to see the group succeed. Would the Fleet Foxes be dwarfed and put into their indie-context at the hands of the great Outdoor? To the contrary, the Fleet Foxes appeared to be very sucessful on Saturday evening. With the sun already behind the mountains and the orange glow hanging over the music festival, the Fleet Foxes packed the Outdoor field with interested and enlightened fans. "How nieve am I?" I thought, "like I'm the only one that reads Pitchfork.com and saw their debut was rated a 9.0, or, DVR'd their SNL appearance." (the former you constantly ask why do I, and, the later you sometimes wonder if you are the only one) It was very evident that I am not the only lover of everything Fleet and that the Foxes are truly admired by all. There was no better band to close out the euphoric sunset vibe created by TV on the Radio. Their harmonies were tight as they sang the acapella "Sun Giant," (on the EP of the same title) "what a life I lead in the summer/ what a life I lead in the spring/ what a life I lead in the winded breeze/ what a life I lead in the spring/ what a life I lead when the sun breaks free/ as a giant torn from the clouds/ what a life indeed when that ancient seed/ is a berry watered and plowed/ what a life." What a life it was, Outdoor[s] with the Fleet Foxes.
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Lykke Li
The fair skinned Sweden native took the stage dressed for a summer funeral. Wearing all black from her knee high stalkings to the ironic abyss colored sun hat, Lykke Li was appropriately dressed for what her music represents. Her lyrics of heartbreak and dark issues involving child bearing ("Knocked Up") are all woven into euro club beats. You often find yourself dancing to songs that are about break ups, "Breaking Up" (in which she busted out the underused megaphone), spiteful abandonment, "I'm Good, I'm Gone," and "Dance Dance Dance, a mellow groove that says "my hips they lie 'cause in reality I'm shy, shy, shy." (not entirely an upbeat dance song) Her stature is tiny but demands attention with dance moves that are endearing as much as they are ferocious. She often would sing blocking the sun from her eyes in a meaningful action of deniability. The highlight and brief departure from her introspective dance party was her cover of "A Milli," in which the short blonde flowed "I'm a millionaire, no I'm not a motherfucking millionaire, so throw your fucking hands in the air." Shortly after her set on the Outdoor Stage she joined fellow Sweeds and label mates Peter Bjorn and John on the Main Stage for "Young Folks." Lykke Li left her mark on Coachella much like the sun left her legs rosey. (she definitely needed to reapply)
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Blitzen Trapper
Blitzen Trapper played a cozy, late afternoon set in the Gobi Tent. They played songs from 08's acclaimed Furr, with precision. Lead singer, Eric Earley, juggled his vocals, guitar and (Dylanesque) harmonica with ease. Barefoot, smoking cigarillos with a special punch, Blitzen Trapper was a great blend between alternative styles and folk music. The coming of age story of love, responsibility, and creation (musically or human) told in "Furr" is relatable to all and packed the greatest sentiment, in which Blitzen Trapper was there to represent. You weren't there to jump up and down or sweat provocatively, however, you were present to hear a meaningful and well orchestrated set. Blitzen Trapper's docile sound wont lead them to the Main Stage anytime soon, however, they are perfect for the tents of Coachella Valley and any small local stage they choose.
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