Coachella day 2: Hot Chip, Gossip, Devo, White Rabbits!
Devolution is back!
What? No Muse on top, you ask? My regulars know they’re my fave band of the last decade and that they’re the biggest live band in the world. They were amazing as always but it almost redundant to place them in a headline at this point in time. To their fans, they’re bombastic. To those who don’t like them, they’re bombastic. Day 2 was stronger than the first. Here we go in chronological order.
It was so many bands in so little time when I arrived. Girls, Camera Obscura, Temper Trap, White Rabbits, Beach House, Band of Skulls, and Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros all delivered in the partial sets I enjoyed. I saw the final two Raveonettes songs and heard them apologize for a crazy set, so not sure what was up except that there was no drummer when I was in their tent. Your faves will depend on your tastes. If forced to decide, mine would have been White Rabbits, Camera Obscura, and Ed Sharpe. White Rabbits were especially impressive on the main stage, showing they’ll be able to take that next step. Gossip was stellar as always, with a loud crowd. No surprise that The xx was clean, low-key, and dark; and loved by their fans. Hot Chip are always great and just keep growing. I was 100 yards from their stage and my area was packed tight with everyone into it. That’s no small feat for Coachella. I remember a few years ago when they were unknowns, playing mid-Sunday afternoon in the 1/3-full smallest tent. By the time they closed with “Over and Over”, the place was packed and going crazy. MGMT drew a huge crowd at a time when there wasn’t much else going on. Maybe 40,000, and “Electric Feel” got many of them dancing. Good thing they included some hits from album 1 since their radical sophomore departure hasn’t taken hold as of yet. How could the band not play “Kids”? I know they’re trying to prove a point, but the point should be to give a huge throng the best possible time. Faith No More seemed fun, the little bit I got to see. Muse were Muse–the best at what they do and a perfect desert headliner. The Dead Weather is one of the best live bands at the festival, although less my personal glass of scotch. Devo capped it off in fine fashion. The guys began by alternating between new and old and it was seemless. Later in the set, it was mostly old. They are amazingly current-sounding and it’s great having them back.