Gorillaz + The Clash!
Originally uploaded by gliuoo
- Getting into the camping ground took longer than the whole drive there. and it was the most poorly planned thing I've ever experienced. I had to hear Vampire Weekend from the parking lot. JJ got so frustrated, he eventually just drove to the RV line with his hazards on proudly saying, "We look legit!" I noted that the security people were pointing at us. This resulted in a heated argument and the security guy saying they were going to call the cops. So, JJ told them to. After about 17 minutes, they let us in. We made it, just in time for..
- Jay-Z: charismatic. I was very impressed and found myself kind of falling in love with him. Too bad he's already taken by Beyonce, who can definitely sing. I was also impressed by her amazing voice. Overall, he had great energy and it was a great start.
- the Almighty Defenders: They came out screaming in choir gowns. That pretty much set the tone for the energy of the entire show. Good funk, soul and rock.
- Portugal, the Man: was such a pleasant surprise. I wasn't too familiar with them before Coachella, but fell in love with them during the show. It felt good to the soul.
- the Raveonettes: most of their band members were stuck in Europe because of the volcano, but I liked the stripped down versions of their songs. The show felt intimate.
- the XX: pretty sounds, but I'm not sure the crowd really appreciated them. It may have been better in one of the tents. I still liked the mellow show.
- Hot Chip: I felt like I was back in a club in London, which is a good thing.
- MGMT: Besides the fact that I almost died because people nearly got trampled towards the front rows, this was a fantastic show. They sounded wonderful.
- Muse: Caught a bit of the show, but at this point, taking a shower was imperative. I've already seen Muse.
- 2ManyDJ's: these Belgian guys can spin! They seamlessly transitioned between Pink Floyd, MGMT, Gossip, P.Diddy... ended with Joy Division. Pure radness.
- King Khan and the Shrines: good sound, but I think we had to leave to go ... I don't remember where. We heard Sly Stone came out and was doing high kicks. Sad we missed that one.
- MUTEMATH: just caught a couple of songs
- Mayer Hawthorne and the County: enjoyed the range of music. We wanted to stay longer, but had to go see...
- De La Soul: my favorite part was when part of the band had to go pee, so the DJ just dropped a beat and De La Soul went at it. I wish the whole show would have been like that. Overall, it was a fun show.
- Julian Casablancas: I find him so dreamy and he sounded good, but I wasn't too impressed. He sounded the best when he did Strokes songs.
- Charlotte Gainsbourg: she's pretty and sounds pretty.
- Sly Stone: Remember how we heard he was doing high kicks at King Khan's show? As soon as someone said that, JJ prophesied, "Oh shit, that's not good news. The last time I saw him, he was in a wheelchair." He didn't show. Crowd reactions: "Get your shit together, Sly! Stop doing dope!", "Why? Sly? Why?"
- Phoenix: Solid, fun show. There were so many people and everyone seemed to be having a pleasant time.
- Pavement: seemed to be having a blast and they sounded good.
- GORILLAZ: an experience. The story, nautical outfits, flow, string orchestra, guitarists from The Clash, guest artists, two drummers, backdrop... It was all just amazing. I think Damon was having just as much fun as we were. They sounded amazing and it was an overall spectacular show.
So many artists I wish I could have seen... I guess there are always more festivals.
