COACHELLA 2013: Lou Reed leads way for outsider legends

Lou Reed is playing Coachella 2013. (2009/AP Photo)

The lineup for Coachella 2013 is out and it’s excitement city here at the Audio File blog.

Even with all of the lineup predictions, I love that the festival still surprises me and this year one of the artists I wasn’t expecting was Lou Reed. UPDATE: As reported on March 25, Lou Reed is no longer playing Coachella 2013.

Lou Reed, he of the Velvet Underground, who took a walk on the wild side, who once played UC Riverside in a guest appearance with wife Laurie Anderson (true story, it was on her “Homeland” tour a few years ago), is coming to Coachella 2013.

I’m calling it now–Lou Reed on Friday, April 12 and April 19 in the coveted sunset set on the Outdoor Theatre stage and everyone should be there. He’s in that same class as Leonard Cohen (who played Coachella in 2009)–that league of iconic songwriting legends responsible for inspiring not only the acts playing, but the bands that inspired those acts.

Let’s all bust out “Transformer” in praise of Reed.

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds are likely to be on the Coachella 2013 lineup. (Cat Stevens/Contributed Photo)

But Reed isn’t alone. There’s a lineup full of icons. Nick Cave gets to be counted twice. He’s playing Coachella 2013 on Friday as Grinderman and on Sunday with Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. All we need is for The Birthday Party to suddenly materialize on Saturday for the trifecta.

I was expecting the Bad Seeds after news of a San Diego date leaked last year for the time around Coachella, but I am pleased to see that Grinderman is back after claiming no more shows back in 2011.

Any Nick Cave and Lou Reed fans out there? Did you expect both to be on the lineup?

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