Party people, cool kids, trust-funders and weekend wildmen alike have completely overtaken Coachella, but rather than sulk in the hypercommercialized fashion show the festival has become, we’re rolling with the post-selfie punches for the kickoff to the Summer festival experience. It’s still a hell of a musical party in the desert, and as with any festival, the experience is entirely what you make of it.
After a searing and celebrated start yesterday, we hit our stride on Coachella Day Two with performances from Queens of The Stone Age, Lorde, Sleigh Bells, Pixies, Foster The People and many more. Check out our highlights below as we dig the sand out of our unmentionables.
Bazooka to a Knife Fight Award: Queens of The Stone Age
It’s just not even fair.
“Welcome to my hometown,” Joshua Homme announced with a beaming grin as the desert kings kicked off their hits-sticking performance, a lean and mean strut-dance-a-thon with only two downtempo breaks: “…Like Clockwork,” the title track to their tremendous latest release, and the sexual charm of the Desert Sessions gem “Make It Witchu”.
Jon Theodore has made the drum intro to “Song For The Dead” his own, filling some gargantuan footsteps left behind by Mr. Dave Grohl. The stop-starts at the end of the track were particularly pummeling, and mighty confusing to the intensely fucked up kids who took their drugs too early before Muse. Half the battle is timing your intake, people. Get it together.
Coachella Curve-Ball Award: The Wind
The afternoon’s primary setting was one of hazy chaos, people running frantically from tent to tent and sound problems galore plaguing many a set. Fashion agendas went right out the window, and all those stupid fan signs were blown off, tumbleweeds of annoyance mercifully fleeing the scene. Bad as it got, that says nothing of the insane sandstorm gusts that caused road closures all through Palm Springs later in the evening.
Random Ultimate Warrior Tribute Award: This Guy
Coachella Demotion Award: Pixies
Back in 2004, the Pixies played the main stage and minds were absolutely blown that the festival locked such a legendary act. Now, they barely pulled half the crowd that Lorde did despite constant hipster declarations of worship. Even with the gorgeous Paz Lenchantin on bass, this revived hipster idol didn’t hold the attention they once commanded.
Sad Sunshine Award: City and Colour
Midday revelers were met with a downtempo main stage performance by Dallas Green’s City and Colour project. A good sunshine buzz is no match for the heartbreak sighs and delicate sadness of the band’s performance. Goddamnit.
White People Dancing Award: Capital Cities
As Beyonce looked on approvingly, Capital Cities rocked their matching-suited asses off. The whitest, nerdiest kids at Coachella danced accordingly, before the sunburns really set in.
GTFO Award: Foster The People
Out promoting their new album, Supermodel, FTP gave it their all to a moderately large crowd on the main-stage run-up to QOTSA’s blistering set. But the whining, preening nonsensery of frontman Mark Foster derailed any momentum of goodness. You can only hide bad songwriting and sound gimmicks behind ominous lights for so long before it becomes obvious.
Hype Bottleneck Award: Lorde
17-year-old sensation Lorde took the stage at the peak of the wind’s power in the evening, but the New Zealand chanteuse commanded the stage in ways that go beyond defying her age; she’s downright spooky good. Saving the smash-hits “Team” and “Royals” for late-set treats, she pulled casual radio fans in much, much deeper, sprinkling in “Tennis Court” alongside the likes of “Glory and Gore”. Good luck getting anywhere near the Outdoor stage, however, as a lack of direct schedule competition and a whole lotta hype made for an intense fan bottleneck heading to the stage. Read our full review.
Never Leave Early Award: Nas & Jay Z
Damnit.
Lorde, Nas photos: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
All other photos: Johnny Firecloud
