This weekend was a great one for live music with Coachella and Wanee music festivals both playing to the masses to kick off the festival season. I watched a ton of the Coachella webcast and really enjoyed the experience of being able to switch between sets, so let’s hope to see more of that with some free, festival webcasts going forward. As I was merely watching from the sidelines, following Twitter and fielding texts from my friends at the fest, I still got an idea of what I would have been interested to see or thought was a highlight. Upon further reflection, this lineup was amazing and I really wish I could have gone. Doh.
We hope to bring you some of our own friend-of-the-blog amateur coverage in the next day or so when our friends get back to reality, so stay tuned for that and read on for some links from Friday at Coachella 2010…
Unlike in previous years when the enormous desert music fest felt relatively organized, if chaotic, Coachella 2010 feels like an overcrowded nightmare — and it’s not just because we’re getting older. A lot of the acts sounded great, including She & Him, Passion Pit, La Roux, and LCD Soundsystem. Jay-Z brought down the house with numbers like “99 Problems” and a version of “Forever Young” featuring a surprise guest appearance by Beyoncé. But seriously, though, even the twenty-one-year-olds this year seemed battle-scarred and shell-shocked after a day of fighting through massive, shove-y crowds in the hot desert sun.
Follow the link for their photo gallery from the first day.
Under the chalky blue sky of Indio, they gathered, the heaving throng tens of thousands strong of alt-rockers and subculture aficionados, head trippers and ravers, ne’er do wells with expensive sunglasses and teenagers with deep pockets (at least deep enough to afford the $269 ticket price) — all brought together as one nation under a specifically Coachella groove.
JamBase got photos from tons of bands on day one; go here to check out their gallery. Spin was there. Billboard was there. And as always, brookynvegan got a ton of coverage up as well. We really need to be there next year.
Some Video Highlights
Beyonce & Jay-Z Forever Young live at Coachella music & Arts festival 2010 [YouTube]
LCD SOUNDSYSTEM – POW POW POW – LIVE @ COACHELLA 4.16.2010 [YouTube]
Passion Pit – Sleepyhead – Coachella 2010 [YouTube]
YEASAYER @ COACHELLA 2010 – “Ambling Alp” [YouTube]
Did you go to Coachella? What were some of your highlights? Drop some links in the comments!
