Coachella 2009

Coachella certainly wasn’t getting high marks from everyone. We were stoked to be able to go again this year. Waiting patiently in January for the day when they would announce the line-up. And finally when the line-up made it’s appearance there was a bunch of hand wringing from the local news rag – the Desert Sun – how could Paul Tollett ruin Coachella by inviting Paul McCartney, the Killers and the Cure. Mr. A. had told me of his experiences at past McCartney concerts – what energy Paul would put out on the stage and I was sold. We both wanted to see Morrissey, Leonard Cohen, the Presets, Los Campensinos!, Franz Ferdinand, Joss Stone, Drive By Truckers, TV on the Radio, Henry Rollins, Booker T with the DBT, GlassVegas, the Chemical Brothers, The Killers, Lykke Li, Antony and the Johnsons, Paul Weller, the Orb, the Kills, X, Peter, Bjorn and John, Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Tall order and then with the set times bumping into each other we saw some – missed others and added some new sounds to our experience. It was a great time.



Somehow out of some greater luck and Mr. A working for the resort he does we not only had bought tickets but we got Side Stage passes – we had entered the realm of the world of the proper wrist band, a purple cloth band with the words SIDE STAGE in black that got us through the entrance gates for the VIP areas, and to the backstage areas for Outdoor Theater, Gobi, Mohave and Sahara Tents. The plus side of these wrist bands was that we were allowed into areas that had clean toilets, alcohol (really expensive for the shit scotch brand they carried (Dwers) and down right miserly poured and to top it off ice seemed to be as precious as it is in the small bars in France), and the advantage of moving around the back areas although we were not allowed into the main stage area – we didn’t have the proper rank and of course when the act became higher ranked – at the outdoor theater – the less access we had. When Leonard Cohen was slated to be on stage – access was closed as it was for Paul Weller and the security guys got to be pretty testy during the Lykee Li concert. As for the downside – well the worst thing you could say about it was that instead of seeing your favorite group head on you were on the stage with them off to the right or left and you got a side view of the whole process. I really would rather see the show from the front of the house instead of the side – but it was an experience I wouldn’t pass up on again.

The weather could not have been better. There were some slight breezes and the temp the first day Friday was in the mid 70’s. We had spent the morning out in the desert on our bikes and had a great ride and Mr. A went off to work and I was to come get him later in the morning. Taking Avenue 50 from the LQResort made for a straight and easy road to get into the line going directly into the parking lots. I think it took us about 20 minutes from the moment we left LQResort. It was to be a very long and enjoyable day.

Once we were in and sure that the side stage passes were for real and usable we called up some friends who had asked if we would give them our Friday tickets if we weren’t using them. We passed on our good fortune and walked over to the VIP area for a drink and to scope out how the day would open up for us. We sat and listened to the Courteeners and We Are Scientists while we at some lunch, the vegi burger with cheese – barbecued – it was tasty and filling with a coke. I have to say everybody working behind the counters of all of the food and drink concessions were very nice. I really liked We Are Scientists. After a while we decided to drift over to the tents and took in a group called Cage the Elephant. I’m not sure what they were like from the front of the stage but they certainly were exciting from the sidelines. The group hails from Bowling Green, KY and their intensity for their music is energetic. Matt Shultz (vocals), Brad Shultz (guitar), Daniel Tichenor (bass), Lincoln Parish (guitar), Jared Champion (drums)  really put on an exciting electric blitz of sound – these guys were a great find. This is the first song of their collection on iTunes and the rest of the songs are of the same great sound. The lead singer Matt Shultz was truly enjoying himself and jumped out into the crowd to be carried away across the sea of hands. Great act. Enjoy.

After Cage the Elephant we walked over and took in the crazy sounds of Los Campesinos! The drum crazy lead singer was downing the beers like there was no tomorrow and had the crowd going crazy with his quick voiced lyrics. Posted on their myspace page is a couple songs they have posted – of course their “We Are Beautiful We Are Doomed” is loud and upbeat. They remind me of PWEI and some Bloc Party thrown in – oh yeah I forgot to say we got see Bloc Party on Wednesday right before the Coachella Festival – at the Palladium – oh my god they are back and back with a vengeance – with their bass player back in the lineup they redeemed themselves from their horrible set at the Glass House… And what ever happened to PWEI – that’s what I want to know - 

After Los Campesinos! we wondered over to the outdoor theater hoping to see if we could get to the side stage for Leonard Cohen but that was a no go – so we stood out front and listened to Conor Oberst – his set was enjoyable but I have to admit I was only interested in one thing getting in close to the center and as close to the front of the stage as we could. It was surprising how many young people were crowding in to see Mr. Cohen. There was a bit of a wait – I think he came on ten minutes late but the anticipation was like a smell in the air that the desert breezes could not dissipate. Although disappointed that we wouldn’t get on the side stage – getting right smack in the middle about 10 rows back was a great vantage point. I can’t tell you how long I have been listening to Mr. Cohen’s music – I remember listening to Judi Collins, Joni Mitchell and others covering his songs and then when I’m Your Man came out I couldn’t get enough of him. The Jennifer Warnes covers album, I’m Your Fan covers by many of different groups and the tribute to Leonard album were all cds that have been on Mr. A’s and my playlist since the 90’s. Of course the Antony rendition of “If It Be Your Will” is the most heart aching song I have ever heard sung. And to think that we were about to see Mr. Cohen. What an honor. He came out and just started singing after a look of surprise at how many people had gathered before him. Dressed dapper with suit and hat he did each song with a showmanship that is missing in many acts these days and at the end of each song he would tip his hat to the audience and to the members of his band. When those musicians he had on stage with him were playing solos he stood raptly watching them, paying them his respect as we all were as he sang songs from I’m Your Man and The Future, and he sang Bird on the Wire and Who By Fire and then finishing up with Hallelujah. I have heard Rufus Wainwright sing Hallelujah and he does it justice unlike KD Laing who tortures it, John Cale is my all time favorite singer of the song, but we have never seen him do it live and now – now we have heard Mr. Cohen sing his great song in person and the feeling was overwhelming because of these things, the combination of desert night air, the presence of Mr. Cohen and his band, and the crowd who joined into the chorus as if it was a hymn. The night air was filled almost as if a cathedral with all of us raising our voices louder and louder as we moved through the song. I think we were all regretting that the show was about to end. Mr. Cohen chose to do one for song which was unfortunately having sound bleed from the Morrissey show that had started. This was definitely a highlight of the Festival and we had been able to see it.

Unfortunately we had to eat so we missed some of the Morrissey set, but from what I heard he sounded great – especially when he did two songs from the smiths and I’m Throwing My Arms Around Paris – one of the best songs in my opinion he has ever written and sung. We made our way as close as we could to the stage to see and hear Paul McCartney – for all of the poopooing that went on about having the old Beatle being part of Coachella the area was filled with expectations of sharing a special evening. He came on about 15 minutes late – not like the hour wait we had for that ass Prince the year before and he did such a much better more energetic set. Starting off with Jet, and playing so many songs from the Beatles’ catalog is is impossible to say which ones were the best – it was like a mounting crescendo of pure joy and energy. He play some songs from Wings, and he did My Love which brought tears to a lot of people’s eyes (everybody around us was wiping the tears away), and then there was Live and Let Die with the fire bombs and the fireworks – and then it was Helter Skelter, Sergeant Peppers, The End. And the evening was over and it was the best day we had at Coachella. Unfortunately we had to miss the Presets whom we really wanted to see and we missed seeing the new sensation Silversun Pickups whom I would have really like to catch.

Silversun Pickups:

 

The Presets:

Saturday we caught Drive By Truckers twice once in the afternoon set and then later than night we saw them play a very simple elegant set with Booker T. It was a very cool set with Booker T and the DBT playing Green Onions. We were able to watch the act from the side stage and I think we got some rather good shots. The Henry Rollins talk was enjoyable and of course I don’t agree with Mr. Rollins on alot of things, but he had the entire tent filled with people listening to him intently – a small miracle when you think of the din that is the sound of coachella. We were hoping to see Glasvegas unfortunately the lead singer got sick and they had to cancel hopefully they will be back next year. Tinariwen were great sounding but I got to be frank I have a hard time watching these guys in their desert robes without thinking about the killings that have gone on against gay people in the Muslim world – we left the tent rather quick – I’m sure their music is good just can’t get past that though. We went to the dance tent and enjoyed the set by the Bloody Beetroots and then headed over to listen to TV on the Radio from the VIP area. We had no desire to sit and watch the Killers and so instead joined the dancing with the Chemical Brothers – that was a great evening of just plain dance music really ramped up. We left after the Chemical Brothers – watching one song by the Killers and found that to be saccharine enough for our tastes – and we did have to be back for Sunday so we called it an early night – 12.

 

Sunday kind of sucked because we wanted to see alot of different groups but they all were playing at the same time. We watched Okkervil River and enjoyed their music, I would have like to see Peter Bjorn and John, Brian Jonestown Massacre, X, Devndra Banhart, but we did get to see Lykee Li – we were back stage but were not able to get up on the stage as there were alot of people who were there before us. And as I told Mr. A I wanted to see Antony and the Johnsons from the front of the stage. We enjoyed the Lykke Li set and moved quickly to center and 3rd row to see the Antony show. Although there was a sound glitch on the second song – he did and his group did not disappoint. I found myself overcome with emotion with each song he sang – I can’t say much more about how much he thrilled me, other than we were able to steal back stage and have his organist get us an autograph – oh my god Mr. A was just choked up by this small gesture by Antony. He will never know how much joy he brought us that day. We wandered around after than sort of in a daze and watched Yeah Yeah Yeahs from the VIP area and then wandered over to hear Paul Weller. Weller was great and we got some great photos of him but we were just drained by Antony’s set and slowly made our way out of the crush of people seating themselves for the Cure at 7:30 and they weren’t going to play for another 3 hours. We exited and were totally wiped after a full three days without seeing the Kills and the Cure. Oh well.

Just a short shout out to the blog staff at TDS (the Desert Sun) maybe if you had left your little tent in the VIP area you would have seen the surprises you complained weren’t available this year. Cage the Elephant and Los Campanios! put down some fun sets, the surprising silence in the body filled tent when Henry Rollins gave his talk, Paolo Nutini’s set at the main stage, Leonard Cohen’s singing Bird on a Wire and Hallelujah with a rousing chorus from the crowd that sounded like a chant, the energy that was Lykke Li and the songbird tremulous sounds of Antony and the Johnsons, the great dj set by Busy P sunday afternoon, the Bloody Beetroots, Crookers, Chemical Brothers and of course 2 and half hours of Paul McCartney. Come on Fessier you need to think about how bloated with self importance you must be when you trash on a once in a lifetime opportunity for most people to see one of the Beatles, let alone it being Paul, who played Jet with the energy we saw the young kids play in the afternoon, and to do Helter Skelter better than U2 and man who would have thought we would ever hear it  – not in a million years – and then to finish off with Sergeant Peppers and The End from the While Album – have you become so bloated with your backwater paper bullshit to believe you could come up with a better set list that included Live and Let Die, Yesterday, Long and Winding Road, Paperback Writer and everybody and I mean everybody in the crowd singing with him and never drowning out his sound system. Bruce Fessier you are a hack.