Tag Archives: Coachella 2014

COACHELLA 2014: From party wings to a PB&J cookie

In case you missed it, we wrote a Coachella food roundup for the print edition today.

But there was only so much we could fit. On Saturday I tried out several festival food novelties — $12 “party wings” from one of the new, organic-type pop-up tents by Night + Market Song, plus a $3 peanut butter and jelly cookie from Fancy Boyz.

I tested a $7 iced chai tea latte from Stumptown Coffee Bar and sipped a $10 IPA from the new Craft Beer Barn (It’s no longer strictly Heineken for Coachella attendees). Tough work, I know, but someone has to do it.

PARTY WINGS

The folks at Hollywood-based Thai restaurant Night + Market Song say their party wings have been the biggest hit of the festival so far, so I gave them a go. They’re a nice little upscale take on the chicken wing. You get five of the slightly-spicy wings for $10, or 10 for $20.

An exhausted Chef Kris Yenbamroong came out and said hello when I poked my head in on Saturday and inquired about the food. The wings sit in a brine and fish sauce, he said. The wings themselves are coated with tempura flour, along with palm sugar, fish sauce and vinegar. Chives garnish the top.

I’d recommend giving them a try if you’re going to Coachella weekend two — or perhaps test out the cooler papaya salad, another popular item. Night + Market Song also just opened a second location in Silver Lake, in case you’re in the neighborhood.

PB&J COOKIE

This little $3 cookie from The Fancy Boyz bakery in Los Angeles has also been a popular Coachella purchase, employees said. The ingredient list is straighforward: organic peanut butter, sugar, flour, eggs, butter, milk, strawberries, salt and baking soda.

Even though I love a good peanut butter and jelly sandwich, I usually dislike goodies that attempt to mimic them. Yet the Fancy Boyz cookie does a nice job as primarily a peanut butter cookie (and who doesn’t like those?) with only a hint of the J.

They offer other offbeat cookie flavors you can try, too.

SPENDY EATS

Courtney Angeley, a six-time Coachella attendee from Huntington Beach, estimated the food in the new pop-up tent section only costs about $2 more per plate. I think she’s about right.

Even in the “normal” festival food section, you’re looking at $15 for a plate of chicken and waffles, $11 for a pulled pork sandwich, $12 for a little pepperoni pizza, $8 for a lamb gyro and $12 for a teriyaki plate.

If, as Angeley says, the food from a few of the higher-end joints inside The Terrace really does pack a little more health and flavor, you might as well spend the extra buck or two.

I’ll keep posting odds and ends from my first time at Coachella throughout this next week. Feel free to email me with questions, lramseth@pe.com, and follow me on Twitter, @lramseth.

COACHELLA 2014: No Neutral Milk Hotel photos? No problem

Before the Neutral Milk Hotel reunion show took the stage at. The 2014 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, on the Outdoor Theatre for the coveted sunset set, an announcement was made that the band has asked that no photos or videos be taken during the performance, including cell phones.

Since leader Jeff Mangum had the same policy during his solo set a couple of years ago, it wasn’t unexpected.

When he came onto the stage he reiterated the photo policy, asking people to put cameras and cell phones away.

“Let’s just be together right now,” he said.

Even the Jumbotrons flanking the stage didn’t show the band, only the Ferris wheel in the sunset.

So, as a dedicated journalist and a terrible artist, I proudly present my rendering of what Neutral Milk Hotel looked like on stage at Coachella weekend one Sunday night.

Neutral Milk Hotel didn’t allow photos at their set, so I improvised. (Vanessa Franko/Terrible Staff Artist)

COACHELLA 2014: Rocking out with The Dismemberment Plan

The Dismemberment Plan.

There’s something special about seeing a band you grew up listening to that isn’t a huge arena act. It’s special when you see their final show and even more extraordinary when you get to see them back together.

For me, The a Dismemberment Plan is that band. The post rock band out of D.C. Played up against Muse, Pet Shop Boys, Skrillex and Nas last night.

While the audience was only 200 people, it was a passionate group.

The band wasn’t fazed by the wild winds and dust that ripped through the festival during their Gobi Tent set at 12:05 a.m.

“Thanks for staying so late in the dust storm, you could have died,” singer Travis Morrison said.

His dry sense of humor delighted the crowd. But the band, which played a set with so much energy that you would have thought we were in a sold-out show at a club, paid the faithful in the crowd with lively renditions of its best work.

Among the biggest highlights were sing-alongs to “You Are Invited” and “Gyroscope,” off the band’s near-perfect album “Emergency & I.” The one-two punch of set Enders “The Ice of Boston” and “What Do You Want Me to Say?” was a great way to close put Saturday night at the festival, even if we weren’t able to climb on stage for the end.

COACHELLA 2014: Enjoying the pop-up sushi of Kazu Nori

We have been checking out the special high end food offerings and pop-up restaurants added to the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.

Eatery: KAZU NORI
From: Los Angeles
Menu: Sushi in the desert sounds like a recipe for disaster, but this fish is high-quality. Items include 3 hand roll set ($15), halibut sashimi ($9), bay scallop hand roll, ($6) other various hand rolls and combinations ($6-$25)
Related to the famed Sugarfish sushi bars in Los Angeles, the fish is driven from Los Angeles at 6 a.m. to the Empire Polo Club daily, where skilled chefs make the sought-after hand rolls, in a pop-up sushi bar setting.
It’s one of the more exclusive venues at Coachella, because it’s only accessible to VIPs in the Rose Garden area. The bar gets jam-packed after sunset and there’s a line to get in and get some sushi.
Diners get a seat on a stool and a place set up that includes a small white pitcher of soy sauce and a tin to pour it into. Each roll is made fresh, just like sitting at a traditional sushi bar.
The hand roll has fresh, crisp seaweed on the outside and delicately flavored, sushi rice, that’s fluffy and not hard-packed and of course, the delicious fish.
There’s even a daily hand roll, which can change between toro and yellowtail. Saturday’s option was velvety fresh toro, ice cold and a fresh pop of flavor.
Kazu Nori is certainly high-end, but it is a better deal than dining in Los Angeles–the service charge is included and you don’t have to find a place to park.
–Vanessa Franko

COACHELLA 2014: Be prepared for wind and dust

Lorde played a solid set, despite wind gusts and dust.

Lorde played a solid set, despite windy, dusty conditions. (Tom Bray/Staff)

High winds ripped through the Indio Polo Club grounds on Saturday and day three of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts festival could see more of the same, according to the National Weather Service office in San Diego.

The wind, with gusts of up to 40 mph, brought with it clouds of dust that left a thin film on nearly everything. Many festival-goers turned to wearing bandannas over their faces. Singers complained of hoarse voices. And the breezes also made for a chillier evening than usual, with many attendees looking unprepared with only tank tops or bikini tops for protection.

Still, huge crowds stuck around to the bitter end Saturday night to see acts like Pharrell, Nas and Skrillex.

Today could see some of the same: the Weather Service is forecasting wind speeds of 15-20 mph this evening, with gusts up up to 30 mph. Temperatures will likely top out at about 90 degrees this afternoon.

The takeaway? If you’re going to Coachella weekend two, don’t forget to bring a bandanna and a few extra layers, no matter what the forecast looks like.

COACHELLA 2014: Sunday set times

Arcade Fire at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto on Thursday, March 13, 2014. (AP Photo)

We have one more day for the final weekend of 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.

These are the Coachella set times for Sunday, April 13, 2014.

Coachella Stage
Tombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, 12:40-1:30 p.m.
Fishbone, 1:55-2:45 p.m.
Chance the Rapper, 3:10-4 p.m.
Zoe, 4:25-5:15 p.m.
The Naked and Famous, 5:40-6:30 p.m.
Calvin Harris, 7:30-8:25 p.m.
Beck, 8:55-9:50 p.m.
Arcade Fire, 10:20 p.m.

Outdoor Theatre
Ratking, Noon-12:30 p.m.
J. Roddy Walston & the Business, 12:50-1:25 p.m.
Surfer Blood, 1:45-2:30 p.m.
STR…, 2:55-3:40 p.m.
The 1975, 4:05-4:50 p.m.
Blood Orange, 5:15-6:05 p.m.
Neutral Milk Hotel, 6:35-7:30 p.m.
Lana Del Rey, 8:15-9:05 p.m.
Disclosure, 9:35p.m.

Gobi Tent
Bo Ningen, Noon-12:30 p.m.
Factory Floor, 12:40-1:25 p.m.
Bombino, 1:45-2:30 p.m.
Courtney Barnett, 2:50-3:35 p.m.
Frank Turner, 3:55-4:45 p.m.
Superchunk, 5:10-6 p.m.
AlunaGeorge, 6:25-7:10 p.m.
The Toy Dolls, 7:35-8:25 p.m.
John Newman, 8:50-9:35 p.m.
Jhene Aiko, 10-10:45 p.m.
Lucent Dossier Experience, 11:10 p.m.

Mojave Tent
Machin’, 11:25 a.m.-Noon
James Vincent McMorrow, 12:15-12:55 p.m.
Preservation Hall Jazz Band, 1:20-2:05 p.m.
Poolside, 2:30-3:10 p.m.
Classixx, 3:25-4:20 p.m.
Rudimental, 4:45-5:35 p.m.
Flosstradamus, 6-6:50 p.m.
Little Dragon, 7:15-8:05 p.m.
Daughter, 8:30-9:20 p.m.
Motorhead, 9:50-10:50 p.m.
Netsky, 11:10 p.m.

Sahara Tent
John Beaver, 11:30 a.m.-12:50 p.m.
Anna Lunoe, 1:10-2:10 p.m.
Flight Facilities, 2:25-3:25 p.m.
Showtek, 3:45-4:45 p.m.
Krewella, 5-6 p.m.
Alesso, 6:15-7:25 p.m.
Big Gigantic, 7:55-8:50 p.m.
Adventure Club, 9:10-10:05 p.m.
Duck Sauce, 10:25 p.m.

Yuma Tent
Equip, 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
Cooper Saver, 12:15-1:45 p.m.
The Martinez Brothers, 1:45-3:15 p.m.
Scuba, 3:15-4:30 p.m.
Lee Burridge, 4:30-5:45 p.m.
Art Department, 5:45-7 p.m.
Maceo Plex, 7-8:15 p.m.
Laurent Garnier, 8:15-10:15 p.m.
Bicep, 10:15 p.m.

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

COACHELLA 2014: Looking back on Saturday

Oscar-winning actor and 30 Seconds to Mars singer Jared Leto snaps photos with fans at Coachella. (Vanessa Franko/Staff)

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 Twitter. Here’s your recap of Saturday. It also includes Jared Leto.

COACHELLA 2014: Lorde, just 17, brings poise plus a diverse crowd

There’s a certain curiosity factor about Lorde that seemed to bring out the big crowds on Saturday evening at Coachella.How does the 17-year-old New Zealand native do it?

Everyone apparently wanted to know, from the younger crowd packed around the center of the Outdoor Theatre stage, to the older generation — and even several parents with young kids — who planted themselves on the outskirts.

Lorde, who’s real name is Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O’Connor, manages to incorporate mysterious, cool and family friendly all into one. And for someone so young, her stage presence was remarkable. There was this casual banter with the crowd throughout the set that could easily have come across as forced, yet instead sounded entirely natural and experienced. She paced the stage, making big, dramatic arm motions, her dark hair whipping in the high winds that tore through the festival grounds tonight. It was captivating.

And with her huge, slowed-down single “Royals,” a catchy yet introspective song critical of pop artist luxury, out came a sea of cameras. She followed that up with “Team,” a more upbeat tune that had everyone grooving.

I’d pay to see Lorde again as-is, but at her age she’s only going to get better.

COACHELLA 2014: Pharrell Williams dazzles with hits, guests

Pharrell Williams performs at the 2014 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Saturday, April 12, 2014, in Indio. (Tom Bray/Staff)

With the glitz and glam of backup dancers and a roster of super special guests, Pharrell Williams put on essentially what was a headlining set on Saturday night at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.

Opening with “Lose Yourself to Dance,” which Williams sang on Daft Punk’s excellent “Random Access Memories,” he set the stage for a giant dance party that seemed to draw the attention of the entire Coachella crowd.

Williams kept apologizing for his voice amid the gusty winds and subsequent dust, but he sounded great and the spectacle was so much fun, even if he didn’t, it wouldn’t have mattered.

Williams, who is not only known for his work behind the microphone, but also his work behind the mixing board, brought out a blend of his own songs and work he did for others.

And with the hits came the stars. “Hot in Herre,” made famous by Nelly, but co-written and produced by Williams as part of The Neptunes, was the first number that brought out a star during the set. Nelly was there and that just kicked off a star-studded adventure that was packed full of more talent than Prince’s 2008 set.

Snoop Dogg, another former headliner, joined Williams for “Drop It Like It’s Hot.” Diplo, Busta Rhymes (who also showed up during Girl Talk’s set Friday night) were among the other stars.

And then, wait for it, Gwen Stefani came out to do “Hollaback Girl.” It was bananas. B-A-N-A-N-A-S.

When Williams got to “Blurred Lines,” his hit with Robin Thicke and T.I. that dominated 2013, I was surprised to see Williams going it alone. We only got a little taste of it, though.

Williams wrapped up his set with “Get Lucky,” another hit of 2013, but there were no French robots in sight, and then his big hit “Happy.”

The dance party was a blast, everyone seemed to have a good time and the star power was staggering.

OutKast, you might want to take some notes for next week.

But Williams wasn’t the only one bringing out the starpower during the gusty night. Solange brought out sister Beyonce to dance and Bey’s husband, Jay-Z, a headliner in 2010, joined Nas onstage, too.

COACHELLA 2014: The Afghan Whigs howl and yowl in the Mojave

The Afghan Whigs perform at the 2014 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. (Tom Bray/Staff)

I know I’m in the minority, but the artists I’ve been the most excited about at the 2014 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival have been those who came to fame with their rock music in the ’90s.

Two of those sets stuck out for me yesterday–Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, a power trio whose charged, psychedelic blues garage rock set likely rocked harder than tonight’s headliner, Muse–and The Afghan Whigs.

The band has a new album coming out, “Do the Beast,” and included some of that new material in the set. Singer Greg Dulli was as acerbic as ever, yowling “You’re gonna make me break down and cry” in the new opener and then “Your kiss is poison” in the second song from the set.

Singer/songwriter Van Hunt joined the band for some of the new songs.

However, the band shined the most on its classics, with “Something Hot,” “Algiers” and set closer “Miles Iz Dead.”

Want more Afghan Whigs? Check out our photo gallery.