Coachella
8 out of 10 - Great. Good show.
Sunday, May 01, 2005
Sunday | Indio Polo Fields
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SUNDAY
Midlake, The Bravery, Z-Trip, New Order, NIN, The Faint, The Prodigy, Bright Eyes, The Locust
Sunday May 1st
Hotter than Saturday, I got into the venue really early and immediately made my way to the Heineken tent (an air conditioned tent with velvet couches, projecting subliminal advertising on the ceiling but no beer!). This became the pit-stop for the entire event, making the trip from the Sahara tent to the main stages possible. Unfortunately the Heiny tent was not open yet, so I had to relax under one of many shade tents.
The first show I caught was Midlake in the Mojave Tent. Midlake is a great piano driven indie rock band that doesn’t rely on whiney piano rock to bore you into submission but rather creates upbeat, Beatleseque tunes to get your feet tapping.
I caught a moment of The Bravery’s seemingly competent show but needed the cool waves and soft couches of the Heiny Tent!
After a couple hours of lost time (sleeping in various locations), I found myself at the Gobi Tent listening to the politically infused Z-Trip set. He dropped a great mix of classic rock and hip-hop on the grateful ears of his fans.
Next up on the Coachella stage was New Order. This was perhaps the biggest disappointment of the weekend. Not because of anything in particular, it was just lackluster. I am not sure if I was too excited about NIN or tired from the long days of dirt and heat, but I just couldn’t get into their show. A couple hits, especially bizarre love triangle got me to move my ass but for the most part I was just waiting to see Trent.
Then it happened. The biggest tantrum of the millennium unleashed itself. Trent and his new vision of Nine Inch Nails unleashed their tirade on the unsuspecting Coachella audience. An emotional roller coaster, NIN seemed rawer then I have ever seen them before. NIN has evolved from the precision of a midi synth-metal opera into a jagged real live rock extravaganza. The hits kept coming. Song after song reminded us that this is one of the most important acts of the last or any century.
After dancing away the entire NIN show, I went straight to The Faint set at the Outdoor Theatre. I missed the beginning of their show but didn’t miss a beat and proceeded to frantically throw my body about in a ritualistic celebration of post-apocalyptic synth-punk. The perfect follow-up to NIN, The Faint took control of the stage and exploded!
Next I finally had to eat something but managed to catch The Locust while waiting in line for enchiladas. Most of the people around me complained about the ‘noise’ coming from the Mojave Tent but I was intrigued, although too famished to investigate. The din was amazing, sounding like a great beast winding itself into action.
After the much needed food break, I made my way to the Sahara Tent to catch the last half of The Prodigy show. Once again space was a problem. The Chemical Brothers and The Prodigy are two of the biggest acts in Electronica and no tent is big enough to hold them! Great show anyway (I learned my lesson and watch the show from the side).
I had to run the entire length of the polo fields to catch the end of the Bright Eyes set. The stage was packed with every type of musical instrument imaginable and a band of at least 12 musicians stood packed on stage like sardines. The set was ornate to say the least, although there were too many straight grunge couples making out for my taste – get a room and wear a condom.
When I got back to the campgrounds Sunday night my tent had collapsed. I almost gathered my gear and headed home, except that I had a massive mushroom headache and needed to relax. So I put the tent back up, smoked a bowl, and watched the clear sky for a bit. One last night of clarity before heading back to the smog filled and light polluted skies of LA.
In the end, I had had a great time, saw some amazing acts, played with interactive art exhibits, and got the hell out of my head for a couple days. And even though I left exhausted, I can’t wait for next year! Best rumors for next years headliners: Depeche Mode and The Smiths.
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