| Take all the aspects of an ideal concert — the sweaty intimacy of a tightly packed bar, the thrill of seeing your favourite act up close, the marathon of encores that leave both the crowd and the band thoroughly exhausted by the end of the night. Transport it to a venue vast enough to host equestrian sports, with crowds so large they make the bands all but invisible, and with strictly enforced time limits that force many acts to quit just when they’re gaining momentum. Toss in 40 degree heat, price gouging water vendors and a roster of talent that makes it all worthwhile. Welcome to the Coachella Valley Music Festival – a two-day outdoor concert that took place in Indio, California on April 29 and 30.
LOWLIGHTS
· Food Vendors
After spending $8 for a hamburger and water only to discover the burger was stone cold, I asked the vendor about perhaps getting some food that had actually been cooked. His response? A succinct "no." Score one for capitalism.
· Madonna
Apparently Madge is not one for punctuality. Each time a new song came on the PA, the crowd erupted into cheers, only to start booing moments later when they realized the material girl wasn’t actually taking the stage. After 20 minutes or so, I started fighting through the crowd to get a dose of noisy indie rock from Mogwai instead. Sounds like I made the right choice, as Madonna took the stage 40 minutes late and played only five songs.
· Sigur Ros
Don’t get me wrong. On their albums, Sigur Ros’s Hopelandic lullabies are truly beautiful. But plagued by technical mishaps and poor quality speakers, that sense of majesty just didn’t carry through. The muddy remnants left the neophytes in the crowd wondering what they’d just seen and even longtime fans were disappointed. (Related highlight: Overhearing a pair of festival goers discussing when they should show up for Sugar Ray’s set.)
· Scheduling Conflicts
Of course you aren’t going to be able to see everything you want at a festival. But sometimes the choices are just cruel. Deerhoof or Common? Cat Power or the Eagles of Death Metal? And maybe most unfairly of all, forcing a choice between Art Brut and the Scissor Sisters to end off the festival. It’s hard to completely enjoy a show when you’re plagued by lingering doubts.
HIGHLIGHTS
· The Octopus Project
I had my doubts when this Austin trio took the stage early Sunday afternoon. Being completely unfamiliar with the band, my only clue as to their sound came from the ever-so-alternative teenage girls who couldn’t believe they’d be seeing their favourite act. Then they gave out free balloons and tambourines to the front rows and my wariness started to wane. By the time they finished, The Octopus Project’s mix of spastic drumming, vintage synthesizers and frenzied energy hadn’t just won me over, it had drawn an audience rivalling that of any of the headliners.
· Art Brut
After an extended sound check, drawn out by a roadie who couldn’t figure out why his guitar wasn’t working (even with the whole crowd chanting "it’s not plugged in"), Eddie Argos and his Modern Lovers rushed the stage to bash out their raw take on "Enter Sandman." From that moment on, the Brut made every effort not to take themselves seriously, from marvelling at Coachella’s willingness to let them play 15 minutes past curfew at a cost of $2,000 per minute, to Argos jumping into the crowd in the middle of "Modern Art." Simple, fun and brilliant.
· Gnarls Barkley
There’s no question that the union of Cee-lo and Danger Mouse was one of the most anticipated moments of the night. But no one was prepared for the sheer energy that the two hip hop misfits and their crack band would bring to the overcrowded tent. Dressed up as characters from the Wizard of Oz (complete with winged monkey string section), tin man Danger Mouse and mean ol’ lion Cee-lo transformed tracks like "Go Go Gadget Gospel" and the Violent Femmes cover "Gone Daddy Gone" into a Motown revival. Considering how many digital cameras were floating around, it shouldn’t be hard to find clips of this one on YouTube.
EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN
· Kanye West
It’s great that Kanye is trying to take some of the elitism out of hip hop, and it’s admittedly a little awesome watching him do the Carlton dance to A-ha’s "Take On Me," but when you’re doing a shortened performance because you took too long setting up, it’s probably a better idea to play your own music instead of someone else’s CD.
· The weather
On the one hand, more heat generally means less clothing, which makes people-watching all the more enjoyable. On the other, it also makes standing through full performances an endurance test. Was it a sign of weakness that I fell asleep instead of catching what was by all accounts a stellar set by Daft Punk? You win this round, sun. But I’ll get you someday.
· The pace
Twelve hours a day, two days in a row, there’s nary a moment that can’t be filled with watching a quality band. But thanks to the overlap, you’re forced to choose between watching a few bands all the way through or running frantically from stage to stage. I chose the latter, squeezing in at least partial sets from 35 bands that aren’t likely to come to Calgary anytime soon. What’d I learn? Cat Power is fantastic. Ladytron, not so much. And though I still prefer the intimacy of a bar show, there’s no question I’d do it all again. |
Copyright ©2006 FFWD. All rights reserved.