oachella Valley Music & Arts Festival
Empire   Polo Fields
Indio , California
5.1-2.04

DAY ONE

11:30 AM After a four and a half hour drive from Las Vegas on only two hours of sleep (and still feeling the effects of a $15 All You Can Drink special at the Frontier's Bikini Bull Ride night), we finally arrived in Indio . Despite a few traffic jams, some small issues finding the correct parking lot, and a major headache with our camping reservations, we set up our site as quickly as possible. It was already going on 1 o'clock , and I was missing DIOS , the first band I really cared to see. The tent was thrown together as quickly as possible, suntan lotion was slathered on, and it was off to the field.

2:35 PM The line to get into the festival moved fairly quickly, so we were in and wandering around in no time. We made our way over to the Gobi Tent to catch the Evens , Ian MacKaye's new band. Featuring the former Minor Threat singer on guitar and the Warmers ' Amy Farina on drums, the band plays low key acoustic songs in the vein of some of the material off of Fugazi 's Instrument . They pulled this off surprisingly well, with great harmonies carrying the set, turning the simple songs structures into compelling listens. However, after spending 25 minutes, we only heard one and a half songs thanks to Ian's constant political/social/whatever musings. Time to move on, I think, especially since the sun was beginning to bake the back of my neck.

It was at this point that I decided that my plan of tent skipping to catch as many acts as possible was a fool's dream. My print out of the schedule had a total of 16 bands highlighted to see, some of which started within 5 minutes of each other. That being said, and considering the fact that the Evens, a band with no press or records out, had a completely full tent, I started to head out to the Outdoor Theatre stage. Seeing Q And Not U would have to wait until their next DC show.

3:55 PM Hitting the stage during the height of the day's heat, And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead powered through a 50 minute set that saw the Texans trying out a boatload of new material from their forthcoming record. It also was the introduction of a new percussionist, although neither the Trail of Dead website nor the band members on stage mentioned his name or whether or not he's a full-time member. Playing with a modified kit that included a timpani, he really crushed home the urgency of the songs. When main drummer Jason Reece was on the other kit, the new member pulled back his sound, providing a back-up rhythm. When Conrad Keely took over drum duties, he took the lead, adding extra power to the songs.

The guys definitely showed some rust after a five month gap in playing live, and a touch of uncertainty of how to fully incorporate this new element. Despite all of this, the new songs sounded great, and the older songs gained new life with the additional hand on stage. "Homage," a Reece-sung number off of Source, Tags & Codes , was even more brutal than ever, and "Ounce of Prevention," off of their self-titled debut, has never sounded so forceful. Unfortunately, testing all of these new songs out meant that some of their greatest songs were absent. Still, the test-driven material suggested that their new album should be as tight as their previous.

4:52 PM I decided from there to head over and catch Beck at the Gobi tent. This was quite an exciting event, as Beck has been one of my longtime favorites, and the chance to catch him on the smallest stage was too good to pass up. My first impression of his acoustic set was that it was barely audible over the sound of the (International) Noise Conspiracy on the Main Stage. Of course, this probably wasn't too surprising since I couldn't get within 100 yards of the tent's perimeter. Apparently, everyone else at the festival had the same idea. After struggling to hear barely one full song, and baking in the sun outside of the tent, I decided that it just wasn't in the cards.

5:10 PM From the shade of the food tent, we sat tight while Death Cab for Cutie performed on the Outdoor Theatre stage. Ben Gibbard and company played a fairly solid set, focusing mainly on songs from Transatlanticism . If Death Cab has one major flaw when performing, it's not taking it to the next level. The band seems to be content to copy the songs note for note from the album, an approach that takes away much of the spontaneity that's inherent in rock music. It makes for a pleasant show, but not a very remarkable set. It's not to say that the show didn't have its highlights. "Why You'd Want To Live Here," for example, sounded great, as did "The New Year" and "Movie Script Ending." However, nothing really made the 50 minutes seem significant, and in an environment like Coachella, that's really the point.

6:00 PM Taking possibly the best stage positioning of the day (Main Stage, just around dusk, opening for the Pixies ), Sparta also used today's set to test drive some material from their soon-to-be-released new album Porcelain . Following the same formula as Wiretap Scars , the new songs sounded fantastic, and they definitely played like they had nothing to lose. They acknowledged the fact that they were playing in front of their biggest audience ever, opening for one of their musical idols. Incredibly, their set sounded great, especially in an outdoor environment, and on such a large stage, songs like "Air" and "Sans Cosm" still sounded urgent. While the political rant Jim Ward subjected was a little long-winded, the rest of the set went off without a hitch. Sparta really proved themselves to be a proficient live band, especially for being able to carry their headlining spot based solely on the strength of one album. While there were many other bands on the line up that probably deserved this placement, Sparta stepped up to the challenge and came out a winner.

7:20 PM Finally, after the sun had begun to sink behind the mountains surrounding the field, the Pixies took the Main Stage. As someone who was a little too late to ever see the band back in their heyday, I've got to say, they were just absolutely astounding. Opening with "Bone Machine" and never looking back, they plowed through most of their big hits, and sounded balls to the fucking wall the entire time. Time wasn't exactly kind to the band; Frank Black now looks King Kong Bundy, and none of the members except for Kim Deal has a full head of hair. However, they played like the 12 year absence never happened. All of the songs sounded exactly as I would've hoped, from the poppy bounce of "Wave of Mutilation" to the sonic explosion of "Debaser," all the way to the wicked solo that Joey Santiago laid down during "Vamos." The band seemed to be in good spirits and really loved playing again as well. Dave Lovering and Santiago both sported ear-to-ear grins the whole time, and Kim was definitely having a ball playing to such a large audience. Even Frank, who is notorious for his detachedness, seemed to be thrilled. While there did seem to be some tension between Kim and Frank over a slight misstep during "Here Comes Your Man," the band was a cohesive unit, even taking the stage together at the end for the applause. Were they perfect" Of course not. Twelve years have gone by, and the band wasn't as sharp as they most likely were when they parted ways. Frank's screaming is much more reserved, and the band doesn't quite have the stage presence that is witnessed on their just-released DVD. Still, it was a moment that I doubt I'll never forget for the rest of my life.

9:00 PM The crowd around the Main Stage was getting unbearable, so I decided to view Radiohead's set from afar, sitting halfway between their stage and the Outdoor Theatre. As with most of their recent tours, the set list was heavy on numbers from their latest albums. Thom Yorke's recent battle with a severe throat infection was evident, as he sounded horse for a good bit of their show. Try as they might to overcome this, the band never seemed to get their set entirely together, and some of their standard rockers, like "Myxomatosis" and "My Iron Lung," definitely lost some of their edge. That's not to say the entire set was bland. Radiohead were most confident sounding during their less intense, more melodic numbers, particularly with a beautiful version of "No Surprises" and the tribal rhythms of "There, There." Overall, however, the band has sounded fuller, more confident, and just plain better.

10:20 PM Leaving before the end of Radiohead's set, I made my way over to the Outdoor Theatre once more to catch Kool Keith . He wound up hitting the stage late due to the Living Legends running over their time slightly, which definitely seemed to annoy everyone involved. Keith and his stage partner Jacky Jasper ran through a short set that covered some of Keith's post-Ultramagnetic MC's work, the highlight of which being the title track from 1997's Sex Style . Unfortunately, not one song from his mainstream breakout, Dr. Octagon , was played, which was a downer. While live hip-hop acts occasionally fall into the rut of screaming lyrics over the beats, Keith displayed some amazing lyrical dexterity the entire set. The only painful misstep was his attempt at "freestyling," which included counting to 24 and rhyming eight consecutive lines with "shit." Not very impressive, if you ask me. His set ended on a sour note, as Keith and crew left the stage in a huff, seemingly frustrated by his lack of stage time and the fact that the Coachella crew didn't allow him to play for longer.

11:20 PM It was finally about time to head back to camp, as my legs and head were both aching. On the way out, we passed by the Gobi Tent once more and caught a few songs by Phantom Planet . They were without doubt enjoying their time at Coachella. Lead singer Alex Greenwald pounced around the stage, looking happy as could be, while the rest of the band pivoted around with their instruments, really throwing their all into the set. Their infectious good mood came across in the songs, giving already poppy numbers like "Nobody's Fault" and "Big Brat" a much stronger sound that begged the audience to sing along. Unfortunately, I was much too tired to hang around until the end, or to try and brave the crowd's around the Sahara Tent to see Kraftwerk . For now, it was time for bed.

DAY TWO

6:35 AM Sleeping outside was a great idea, except that the cold air gave me a pretty bad sore throat and stuffy nose, and the sun woke me up much earlier than I wanted. This turned out to be a blessing in the long run, though; the line for the showers almost tripled in the short time we waited.

1:00 PM For a band that I had no intention of seeing when I planned this trip, Pretty Girls Make Graves were a fairly enjoyable show. Former Murder City Devil 's bassist Derek Fudesco provided an intensely solid foundation, keeping even the weakest songs sounding solid. Vocalist Andrea Zollo's voice does have a certain charm to it, especially over such a strong foundation, and really shines through live. The band seemed to be having a great time, and genuinely thrilled to be playing Coachella. Would I buy their album" Probably not, but I definitely would recommend them to anyone that enjoys a good, fun show.

2:05 PM For me, seeing the next band was one of the most exciting moments of the entire festival. !!! took the Outdoor Theatre stage at two o'clock for one of the best sets all weekend. All seven members played like their lives depended on it, and sent the usually static crowd into a dancing frenzy. Singer Nic Offer particularly seemed to be on the top of world as he used the entire length of the stage to show his dance floor prowess. The band showed off some new tracks, like "Pardon My Freedom," along side old favorites like "Intensify." Every song was played with everything they had, and they really seemed to impress everyone in attendance. There may have been better live acts at Coachella, better musicians, and more accomplished bands, but I sincerely doubt that any set was as much fun.

5:15 PM After a quick nap, it was time to get up and head over to the Main Stage for the rest of the day. To get a good spot, I had to be diligent, which means I was able to catch most of Thursday 's set. I've never been a big fan of Thursday, finding their hardcore fairly paint-by-numbers and singer Geoff Rickly's voice grating. Still, their live show really does kick the intensity up to eleven, and I do have to give the band credit for having such a strong and loyal following. They took the stage by storm and worked the crowd into a frenzy, which is not an easy feat in 100 ° weather. However, the act got old fairly quickly, with every song following the same pattern of quiet section, louder chorus, and screaming backing vocals. The kids seemed to love it though, so you can't fault Thursday for that.

6:15 PM Belle & Sebastian took the stage for the start of the Main Stage's great run of bands that will close the festival. They sounded great the entire set, but their choice of songs left a lot to be desired. Entirely missing from the set were any tracks from Tigermilk and only "Sleep the Clock Around" from The Boy With the Arab Strap . While I'd have to give them credit for not playing to the masses entirely, it was a bit disappointing that they relied so heavily on Dear Catastrophe Waitress . Playing five songs from their most recent album seemed a bit much, although it was pretty great to hear "Stay Loose." Still, despite the weak choice of songs, they really got into every number, and seemed to be having a ball onstage. Front man Stuart Murdoch was his usually chatty self, although the band toned down their anecdotes and banter in order to dedicate their time to the music. Not the best time I've seen Belle & Sebastian, and I'm sure they didn't make many new fans following Thursday, but the set was enjoyable.

7:35 PM I've always been suspicious of electronic music, especially when duplicated on a live stage. Really, without live instrumentation, what's the point? Well, AIR 's set on the Main Stage opened my mind a bit. I can't pretend to be entirely familiar with the group's discography, having only really heard some of the bigger songs from their releases, but every song played dreamily against the backdrop of the sunset behind them. Jean-Benoît Dunckel took center stage with his guitar and keyboards, while Nicolas Godin sat stage left, surrounded by a shitload of synthesizers, keyboards and samplers. They proceeded to work through their set, starting with mellow numbers before moving into more upbeat tracks. It wasn't until Dunckel announced that it was "time to dance" in a monotone robotic voice that they launched into "Kelly Watch the Stars" and "Sexy Boy," two of their most popular tracks from Moon Safari , right as the sun set behind the mountains. Backed up by an additional keyboard player and an extraordinary drummer, their set really made any doubts about their live show vanish.

8:55 PM As I braved the crush of people climbing over each other to catch the Flaming Lips ' set, I was amazed to see that they had brought their entire touring spectacle to the Coachella Main Stage. Lights were moved to make room for the giant video screen, projectors were pushed into place, and animal-costumed fans began to fill in the spaces to the side of the stage. 8:55 came and went. By 9:10 , lead singer Wayne Coyne came out to assure the fans that they will be taking the stage soon, and that they would not at all take time away from the Cure . Well, the wait was worth it. Coyne arrived on stage in a giant, inflatable plastic bubble; an idea, he said, that came to him in a dream. As the band played, he walked out over the heads of the crowd, until being brought back for their first number, "Race for the Prize." The set relied entirely on tracks from The Soft Bulletin and Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots , so no real surprises were in store for anyone that hadn't already seen them live.

It's near impossible to not appreciate the Flaming Lips live, if for nothing more than the sensory overload they provide. The plushies on either side of the stage danced to each song, shining enough spotlights into the crowd to cause seizures. Multi-instrumentalist Steven Drozd and touring drummer Kliph kept the whole thing moving forward from their respective spots, letting Coyne act as the ringleader of this bizarre freak show. All the while, bassist Michael Ivins provided the calm center of the storm, apparently unaware of the chaos around him. He sat down the entire show, seemingly content with his bass and keyboard duties. Behind the entire circus, choreographed videos played to each song, from work- out footage of women doing jumping jacks to a microphone cam that gave us a much-too-close view of Wayne 's face. Can the spectacle of the Lips become more important than the music" Sure. But in the end, aren't you glad they're trying"

10:20 PM The claustrophobia was definitely getting to me by the time the Flaming Lips left the stage, and, considering I only had a passing interest in seeing the Cure , it was time to meet up with my friends (who reported back that the Danger Mouse set was the pinnacle of disappointment). To end this amazing trip, we sat back on the grass, and listened to the rest of the show. By this time, I was completely wiped out, and had pretty much given everything I had, so I quickly drifted off to sleep. My friends woke me at midnight , and it was time to head back. Our Coachella trip was over. Two days of blistering heat, dehydration, four hours sleep a night, blown ear drums, and lots of cash missing from my bank account. But man, it had been well worth the trip.