As expected, didn't sleep great, was awakened by the son, and was both really cold and really hot. Such is the life camping at festivals.
I spent sometime hanging out with my neighbors. Parked to my immediate right were two sisters from two hours away, and it was their first time at Coachella (or any music festival). The day before I had met them when they not only parked next to my car, but also one of them dropped a beer on the ground causing it to explode and partially spray over me. They were the ones that told me about the partial disappointment of The Black Keys the night prior.
Despite the long lines for showers, I easily passed on that. Bonnaroo builds character. I again went back into the grounds early and loaded up on food. The foot-long Italian sausage seemed to be the best bang for the buck, still costing $9. But it was all overpriced.
The focus of Saturday was the big finish: The New Pornographers, Bright Eyes, Mumford & Sons, Animal Collective, and Arcade Fire. This became the important overall objective as we learned of the heat wave hitting desert. A desert is already hot. A heat wave in the desert? I could only imagine. It would push one-hundred degrees Saturday and Sunday.
Mariachi El Bronx - To be honest, never heard of them and I was completely drawn by the band name. They all dressed like the Three Amigos. But that didn't matter. A tight knit and tight sounding Mexican band who were all thrilled to play Coachella and seemed to put on the show of their lives. I kept gravitating towards the front until I was at the front rail. Fantastic music, energy, and musicianship oozing from each member. I really hope they continue to get recognized and do well. These guys were awesome.
The Joy Formidable - Typically I don't look to Wales for goth rock. This my first exposure. I love their energy and noise. The lead singer reminds me of Courtney Love but likable. Their future looks bright. This would be the first of several bands this day that made me realize that a rock revival is in good hands.
Bomba Estereo - They still have the energy from their great performance at Bonnaroo. In fact, they had so much energy despite the mid-day sun that I had to retreat to a palm tree for shade. "Fuego" was the perfect song for the moment. Their music blared and the crowd cheered. They played the main stage. That was awesome to see.
Gogol Bordello - These guys are hilarious. I have seen them before, but if possible they had an extra hop in their step during their mid-day performance. This may have been the best day performance of any band. They sounded phenomenal. They seemed faster and more acrobatic. For a hot, hot day that promoted inactivity, this was one rowdy crowd.
Two Door Cinema Club - The anticipation for them from the crowd was similar to Cut Copy. They were good. At times, the crowd seemed to have more energy than the band. I wouldn't say there were off, but I hope they loosen up as time passes. You couldn't tell if they were having fun up there.
Cage the Elephant - I had no previous exposure to this band. The lead singer showed up in a red dress. I was intrigued. The next hour was full of old school rock. The band was completely in sync. Lead singer was in command. He liked to crowd-surf too. "In One Ear" and "Ain't No Rest for the Wicket" were simply bad-ass. Again, like The Joy Formidable, these guys have awesome potential.
The New Pornographers - They were competing against another indie superband, Broken Social Scene. But having seen BSS and having missed the TNP too many times, I favored The New Pornographers. They were good, but I was a bit disappointed. I thought they'd be better live. Actually they were good, maybe it was because the crowd was smaller than I would've figured. Or maybe my standards were just too high. They also seemed a bit rushed. That being said, Neko Case can do no wrong. And "Bleeding Heart Show" is a fantastic closer.
Bright Eyes - Bright Eyes fails to disappoint. I was surprised to make my way to the front right rail. He was completely on the money this night. He played all the right songs, hit after hit, with one glaring omission: the solo acoustic version of Lua accompanied by trumpet, which would have undoubtedly been musical ecstasy. From talking to different people, he wowed the socks off those who hadn't seen him live or heard him at all.
Mumford & Sons - These guys were at the top of every Coachellan's list. With every right and reason. They put on a spectacular show. They four members are synergistic in their play. Marcus Mumford has great stage presence. Marcus Mumford admitted this was the biggest gig they've ever played and that they were stoked. Same here. The girl to my right said she was going to start crying since they sounded good; she actually did start crying. "Little Lion Man" provided the loudest chants: "I really fucked it up this time!" "The Cave" was a fantastic end to their set. As good as they are on the record, they are infinitely better live. They played even new songs: if these are any indicators of what might appear on their sophomore album, then Mumford & Sons will be here to stay and that's a wonderful, wonderful thing.
Animal Collective - Mumford & Sons giving way to Arcade Fire would've been an incredible one-two punch. But Animal Collective put on possibly the worst and most annoyingly disappointing set I've ever seen at a music festival. Though their music is typically dissonant, it was such a stark contrast to Mumford & Sons, that it was almost nauseating to hear. No danceable rhythms. Few lyrics. I don't think I have ever done this before during a live concert, but I sat down at the front rail, my back to the artist, and took a nap. Sadly, my neighbors on the front rail did this. The entire population of fans on the front rail did this. Overwhelmingly the worst and most disappointing act of Coachella 2011.
Arcade Fire - If there was any salvation, it would be Arcade Fire. Having listened to an hour of near garbage, the sounds of Arcade Fire rescued the entire crowd. I had seen them before and they easily catapulted to be one of my favorite live bands and I could only imagine what it would be like in a festival setting. With louder than life sound, a humble front man and band, tremendous energy, and some of the greatest melodies and chants by a modern band, they certainly did what they were supposed to do: they dominated Coachella. They had the right set list, picking the right tracks off of all their albums. The crowd was dancing, jumping, fist-pumping, and chanting. "Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)" for lack of a better phrase fucking rocked. Who am I kidding? Every song rocked! Of course, the perfect way to end the night: "Wake Up." This was even louder (from both the band and the crowd) when I saw them back in Georgia. The sensory overload continued further as Marcus Mumford emerged from backstage and took up a spot three feet to my left to cheer on Arcade Fire. Then out of nowhere hundreds of three-foot diameter LED-light balls spilled from above the stage and came from the security pit, pummeling the crowd, and transformed everyone into children. No better song to do this too. No better moment to do this. Amazing. Arcade Fire put on a show to remember.
My neighbors and I stayed up until 3 AM. We drank beer and relived the day. We ate snack foods, like Frosted Flakes. We relaxed and listened to music in the background. We turned in. There was still Sunday to go.
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