Category Archives: Audio File

COACHELLA 2014: O.C. native Aloe Blacc makes early appearance

The Orange County native Aloe Blacc kicked off his Coachella set with the “I Need a Dollar” single on Friday.

It was a good call.

What started as a packed Mojave tent crowd for the soulful singer/songwriter/rapper was soon overflowing out into the sunny exterior — the place was hopping by the time he hit his other two biggest hits, “The Man” and Avicii collaboration “Wake Me Up.”

Blacc is a pretty fun live act, but it’s the full band behind him — including a knockout trumpet and tenor saxophone player — that made it a worthwhile stop.

Plus, who else does videos like this?

COACHELLA 2014: First impressions from a festival rookie

When Vanessa Franko, the Press-Enterprise’s veteran entertainment gal, asked if I’d like to help cover Coachella this year, I was embarrassingly a little unsure.

Vanessa, you sure you want me? A guy who’s never been to Coachella, or any festival so big — who’s admittedly far from any semblance of a music buff?

It only seemed to excite her more, that I would be such a rookie. Fresh set of eyes, she said. Pretend you’re a cultural historian.

I liked the sound of that, and so here I am. Hopefully I can highlight a few of the cool and random things that accompany the festival outside the music — some of the art installations (massive astronaut, anyone?) and the higher-end food that’s a first here this year — in addition to the people that travel from all over the country for this weekend-long party at the Empire Polo Club in Indio.

It’s day one, the crowds are growing, and the weather is hot.

Here are a few first impressions and an initial walk-around of the festival grounds, in pictures:

The weather isn’t too bad — low 90s, with a few clouds. I’ve been told to expect heat, though. It’s quite a hike from the parking lot to the venue, and you’ve got to go through three checkpoints.

The merch tent was jam packed already, and it’s just after noon on day one. Get you swag on.

British singer-songwriter Tom Odell was rocking the Mojave tent, which had one of the larger crowds so early on in the day.

Whoa! Big astronaut was a hit with the iPhone photography crowd. We’ll have more on the many are pieces on display in a larger story later.

On the Outdoor Theater stage, it was Brooklyn hip hop group Flatbush Zombies getting the crowd rolling — and smoking — with lyrics like “Murder! Murder! What you gonna do when them zombies come for you?”

A likely refuge for me later on in this festival weekend will be the foliage-covered snail structure. Plants sit on the outside, you sit on the inside.

Check back for some food taste-tests later tonight. And follow me on Twitter, @lramseth, or shoot me an email if you’d like me to check something out, lramseth@pe.com. Help a rookie out.

COACHELLA 2014: Making your own music at the festival

Sam Marsey, of Redlands, shows off a shaker made of an old tin can, cardboard and dry beans in the Coachella Art Studios. (Vanessa Franko/Staff)

The Coachella Valley Art Scene is the creative force behind the festival’s Coachella Art Studios, a place where you can let your creativity fly at the fest and do some crafts.

Here’s how you can make some of your own at home:

At the Beats Oasis section of the studios, you can make a shaker out of mostly repurposed goods, such as tin cans and brightly colored plastic Easter eggs, and rock out with DJ Alf Alpha, a Coachella veteran, who was playing music in the art studios.

Fill them with dry rice or beans.

“Rice is going to give you more of a softer, subtle sound,” said Sam Marsey, of Redlands, who helped crafters.

He preferred the beans in the tin cans, to maximize the beats.

Fellow helper, Giselle Ruiz, of Downey, said she preferred the rice in the eggs, and suggested filling it just under halfway for maximum rhythm potential.

You can also make a guiro, castanets out of smashed bottlecaps and cardboard and a bamboo stick shaker.

Where: Camping Lot 10, open to the public.
When: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. everyday of Coachella.
Price: Free

View more photos of the Coachella Art Studios.

COACHELLA 2014: Friday set times

Outkast will headline the main stage of opening night of the 2014 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival (File Photo)

We are en route to deliver the fun under the sun at the 2014 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Visit the iGuide Coachella site for photo galleries, live coverage and more from the fest.

If you want to get involved and share what you’re seeing with us, use the #PECoachella hashtag on Twitter and Instagram and follow our Coachella guru Vanessa Franko at @vanessafranko on Twitter and you could see yourself here. And don’t forget the 11 things you should bring with you to Coachella each day.

These are the Coachella set times for Friday, April 11, 2014.

Coachella Stage:
The Preatures, 12:30-1:15 p.m.
Anthony Green, 1:40-2:25 p.m.
MS MR, 2:50-3:35 p.m.
Grouplove, 4-4:50 p.m.
AFI, 5:20-6:10 p.m.
Ellie Goulding, 6:40-7:30 p.m.
Chromeo, 7:55-8:45 p.m.
Girl Talk, 9:40-10:30 p.m.
OutKast, 11:30 p.m.

Outdoor Theatre
The Bots, 11:40 a.m.-12:10 p.m.
Flatbush Zombies, 12:25-1:05 p.m.
GOAT, 1:25-2:05 p.m.
Dum Dum Girls, 2:30-3:15 p.m.
A$AP Ferg, 3:40-4:30 p.m.
Haim, 4:55-5:45 p.m.
Neko Case, 6:15-7:05 p.m.
Broken Bells, 7:30-8:20 p.m.
The Replacements, 8:45-9:55 p.m.
The Knife, 10:30 p.m.

Gobi Tent
Gabba Gabba Heys, Noon-12:45 p.m.
Wye Oak, 1:05-1:45 p.m.
Austra, 2:10-2:55 p.m.
Jagwar Ma, 3:20-4:10 p.m.
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, 4:35-5:25 p.m.
Kate Nash, 5:50-6:35 p.m.
Shlohmo, 7-7:45 p.m.
Woodkid, 8:15-9:05 p.m.
Flume, 9:30-10:20 p.m.
Caravan Palace, 10:45-11:30 p.m.
Anti-Flag, Midnight

Mojave Tent
Co.Fee, 11-11:50 a.m.
Tom Odell, Noon-12:40 p.m.
Waxahatchee, 1-1:40 p.m.
ZZ Ward, 2-2:40 p.m.
Title Fight, 3:05-3:50 p.m.
Aloe Blacc, 4:15-5 p.m.
Bastille, 5:35-6:15 p.m.
The Afghan Whigs, 6:40-7:30 p.m.
Bonobo, 7:55-8:45 p.m.
Bryan Ferry, 9:15-10:15 p.m.
The Cult, 10:40-11:30 p.m.
Crosses, 11:55 p.m.

Sahara Tent
Boubakiki, 11:30 a.m.-12:20 p.m.
DJP, 12:30-1:20 p.m.
Mako, 1:40-2:30 p.m.
DJ Falcon, 2:40-3:35 p.m.
Deorro, 3:50-4:45 p.m.
Gareth Emery, 5-5:55 p.m.
Carnage, 6:15-7:10 p.m.
The Glitch Mob, 7:30-8:25 p.m.
Martin Garrix, 8:45-9:45 p.m.
Zedd, 10:05-11:20 p.m.
Michael Brun, 11:45 p.m.

Yuma Tent
Jimbo Jenkins, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
Lee Wells, 1-2:15 p.m.
Davide Squillace, 2:15-3:30 p.m.
Damian Lazarus, 3:30-4:45 p.m.
Nina Kraviz, 4:45-6:15 p.m.
Duke Dumont, 6:15-7:30 p.m.
Nicholas Jaar, 7:30-8:45 p.m.
Solomun, 8:45-10 p.m.
Hot Since 82, 10-11:15 p.m.
Dixon, 11:15 p.m.

Set times for Friday, April 11 at the 2014 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. (Coachella/Contributed Image)

COACHELLA 2014: Follow Coachella Festival updates on Twitter

Follow us on Twitter for the latest happenings at Coachella 2014. (2011/File Photo)

We are out at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival at the Empire Polo Club in Indio this weekend. Entertainment Editor and Coachella Junkie Vanessa Franko and desert reporter and Coachella first-timer Luke Ramseth are sharing what they’re seeing on social media.

We want to see what you’re up to as well. Use the #PECoachella hashtag on Twitter and Instagram to be included in our coverage. For more galleries, interviews, blogs and more, visit the Coachella Festival’s home on PE.com.

Tweets about “#pecoachella”

COACHELLA 2014: Getting ready for the festival

Use #PECoachella to be included in our ongoing coverage of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. (2013/File Photo)

As we go through the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, we’ll be sharing photos, videos and insights not just from our staff on the ground, but also our readers. If you want to be included, use the hashtag #PECoachella on Instagram or Facebook.

COACHELLA 2014: 7 acts that will rock you

Motorhead will melt your face off at Coachella. Of course, with the heat, it might already be melted. (Contributed Image)

For those about to rock at the 2014 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, we salute you. Stay tuned to our coverage all weekend long at http://x.pe.com/coachellahome. If you’re headed out to the festival, be sure to use #PECoachella on Twitter and Instagram to share your photos with us.

Queens of the Stone Age
Lead singer Joshua Homme started QOTSA grew up a few miles down the road from the Coachella site, in Palm Desert. The band has often been described as desert rock. Hear how it sounds in its natural environment at Coachella. Plus, with Homme’s long list of collaborators, you never know what guest stars might show—we’re looking at you, Dave Grohl. (9:40-10:35 p.m. Saturday, Coachella Stage)

Motörhead
In that 1990s Brendan Fraser/Adam Sandler/Steve Buscemi rock ‘n’ roll comedy “Airheads,” it is proclaimed that “Lemmy is God.” The rock fans will be out to bow before Motörhead leader Lemmy Kilmister. Watch out for your leather, it gets hot out there. (9:50-10:50 p.m. Sunday, Mojave Tent)

The Cult
The Cult was was one of the best rock bands of the 1980s and is criminally underrated. You know the songs “Fire Woman” and “She Sells Sanctuary,” but singer Ian Astbury and guitarist Billy Duffy are incredible performers, too. (10:40-11:30 p.m. Friday, Mojave Tent)

Graveyard
This Swedish hard rock band was described by Rolling Stone as “somewhere between Slayer and Howlin’ Wolf.” That’s all you need to know. (2:05-2:50 p.m. Saturday, Coachella Stage)

J. Roddy Walston and the Business
Originally from Tennessee, J. Roddy Walston and the Business are known for intense live shows. If you wish My Morning Jacket got heavier but less progressive, you’ll dig this group. (12:50-1:25 p.m. Sunday, Outdoor Theatre)

The Bots
The Bots are like a post-punk Japandroids meets Bad Brains. There’s a lot of energy and noise and awesome here. (11:40 a.m.-12:10 p.m. Friday, Outdoor Theatre)

Unlocking the Truth
These three junior high students play hard rock and heavy metal. And they’re awesome. (1-1:30 p.m. Sunday, Coachella Stage)

COACHELLA 2014: Catch a ride with Uber

Uber, the popular app-oriented ridesharing service, announced plans to begin offering a full line of services in the Palm Springs area, beginning with the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival this weekend.

Using their smartphones users can find a personal driver nearby, rather than hailing a traditional taxi. The service is now available in dozens of cities around the world. The company said the price of its UberX service would be 25 percent less than a taxi.

Residents have been able to catch an Uber ride in Palm Springs for several months, but the official launch marks some higher-end services like UberBlack, UberSUV and even UberStretch, allowing users to hail a ride in a limousine via their smartphones between April 11 and 28.

The company will have a lounge at Coachella, at Lot 1C, where they can request a pickup ride.

The Palm Springs website also shows flat rates from Los Angeles to Palm Springs ($149), from San Diego to Palm Springs ($199) and from Orange County ($129).

RIVERSIDE: Kid Ink christens the Municipal Auditorium

The crowd watches Kid Ink at the Riverside Municipal Auditorium on Tuesday, April 8, 2014. The rapper had a drone fly above the crowd. (Vanessa Franko/Staff)

If you book it, they will come.

Even though it was a Tuesday night, a healthy crowd of 1,400 people came to the Riverside Municipal Auditorium to see rapper Kid Ink on his “My Own Lane” tour.

It was a coming out party of sorts for the venue, which reopened in 2012 as a stand-in for the Riverside Convention Center after being closed for two years for renovations. Promoter Live Nation inked a deal with the city at the end of 2013 to take over operations of the Muni as well as the Fox Performing Arts Center just a few blocks away. The Kid Ink show was Live Nation’s first at the venue.

Friends Chris Austin and Michael Hamlin of Riverside were impressed with the lights, sound and coordination of the venue.

There have been upgrades the lights and the sound at the Muni and the results were impressive, with the deep bass shaking the seats Tuesday night during Kid Ink and openers King Los and Bizzy Crook. There were also two VIP areas, which had waitresses, tables and bottle service, on either side of the stage. They were on risers, but didn’t block the view of the patrons standing on the floor.

But for the Riverside residents, there was another perk to the venue.

“It’s local–you don’t have to drive far,” Hamlin said.

Josie Garcia, of San Bernardino, who brought her kids to the show, found herself enjoying the music as she watched from the seats on the lower level. She works in Riverside and has noticed the uptick in events.

“It gives it a more upbeat feeling to the city,” she said.

Live Nation has already made some very smart choices at the Fox Performing Arts Center, hosting two Jason Mraz acoustic evenings, a Willie Nelson show and “The Sing-Off” Live, within a week. All were sellouts. And if the Kid Ink show is an indicator of things to come, Riverside will have two viable venues where music lovers won’t have to drive to LA, Orange County or San Diego to get quality entertainment.

Upcoming shows at the Muni include Swedish electronic music producer Basshunter on Thursday, April 17, Coachella Fest vet Julieta Venegas on Friday, April 18, and rap group Cypress Hill on Saturday, April 19.

Visit www.foxriversidelive.com for more information on the venue.

COACHELLA 2014: Set times posted, Pixies, Julian Casablancas added

The set times are out for the 2014 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and there are two surprises in them. Julian Casblancas and the Pixies have been added to the lineup.

What are your conflicts?

Friday set times (Click to enlarge)

Set times for Friday, April 11 at the 2014 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. (Coachella/Contributed Image)

Saturday set times (Click to enlarge)

Set times for Saturday, April 12 of the 2014 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. (Coachella/Contributed Image)

Sunday set times (Click to enlarge)

Set times for Sunday, April 13, 2014 at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. (Coachella/Contributed Image)

Remember to scout out the artists of Coachella 2014 with our interactive map.

I’ve covered the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and the Stagecoach Country Music Festival since 2007. For more Coachella news, photos, interviews and information, visit the iGuide Coachella page.

If you want to follow me on social media, I’m at @vanessafranko on Twitter, the Audio File on Facebook and on Google+.