Tag Archives: Coachella Festival

COACHELLA 2014: On weekend two, OutKast shines among clouds

The sun sets with cloudy skies on Friday, April 18, 2014 at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, Calif. (Vanessa Franko/Staff)

I’m back out at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival for another round of music and sunshine–and at least on Friday, April 18, some dark storm clouds. Here’s my wrap-up of day 1 of weekend 2 of the festival.

Here’s a photo gallery of the opening day of Coachella’s second weekend.

Weather: The weather entering Coachella yesterday was beautiful. It was cooler than weekend one, and while a little humid, pretty darn pleasant. By the late afternoon, dark clouds rolled in and Coachella issued a warning through its app that a storm was brewing, but it just bypassed Indio so we didn’t have a repeat of 2012’s Rainchella.

OutKast: Andre 3000 and Big Boi were so much better than last weekend. The set list was tweaked. “Bombs Over Baghdad” still opened the set, but “Ms. Jackson” and “The Way You Move” were bumped up earlier, getting the attention they deserved rather than being rushed at the end. They still walked around that table, which someone compared to a David Mamet play, but the crowd was definitely more into it. There also seemed to be a lot more color in the lights and production this week. If you have AXS TV, watch the replay from home if you were a weekend one goer.

This blurry image is Billie Joe Armstrong playing with The Replacements on Friday, April 18. (Vanessa Franko/Staff)

The Replacements: I couldn’t stay away from The Replacements again (I mean, how many times are we really going to be able to see this?) and I’m so glad I did. Paul Westerberg injured his back sometime during the week and played a good chunk of the set from a couch on stage, but to help out, the band got a replacement Replacement, in the form of Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong. There were a few changes from last week’s set list, too. We didn’t get “Androgynous,” but we did get “Kiss Me on the Bus.”

From here on, I’ll go chronological through the day.

Gabba Gabba Heys: I started my day of music with a cover band. The Gabba Gabba Heys are the closest I’ll ever get to seeing The Ramones and man, they were spot on. Who doesn’t want to hear “Pet Sematary” at high volume at Coachella? The singer sounded just like Joey. I was curious as to why Goldenvoice booked them, but it was definitely a fun start to the day.

GOAT performs at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on Friday, April 18. (Vanessa Franko/Staff)

GOAT: I am still trying to process that set, but I liked it. The Swedish band had full on masks and costumes and tribal rhythms. Feathers, fringe, finger symbols, a rhythm ribbon, woah.

Title Fight: Title Fight sounded great. I love when Coachella captures the punk spirit. Definitely put the band on my list of albums to pick up post-festival.

Gareth Emery: Emery’s “Drive” is one of the finest electronic albums of 2014 and once again, he had the Sahara Tent going absolutely bonkers on Friday afternoon.

Neko Case: Case was hilarious. She kept talking about the juxtaposition of her nighttime music being played during the day. The best line was when she compared playing her music in the day to doing a striptease at an elementary school to the theme from “Ghostbusters.” Her set was happening as the clouds rolled in.

The Afghan Whigs: I cruised over to see the last few songs of The Afghan Whigs. They sounded even better than last week. Go get the new album, “Do the Beast.” It’s good stuff.

French electro swing group Caravan Palace performs at Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, Calif. on Friday, April 18, 2014. (Vanessa Franko/Staff Photo)

Caravan Palace: Holy moly that was a party. This French group merges swing jazz and electronica. It was like being in a futuristic speakeasy or stuck in some kind of time-traveling phonebooth for a set. I didn’t stay for too long so I could catch more of OutKast, but they were thoroughly enjoyable.

Parking: I have to say, one big improvement I’ve noticed this year is leaving the festival. There are actually people directing traffic inside the lots, not just at the exit. Anyone else notice this or are you still stuck in the same Coachella traffic?

COACHELLA 2014: Help keep Coachella beautiful

Fans walk across the Empire Polo Club during the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on Friday, April 18, 2014. (Vanessa Franko/Staff)

Tucker Gumber, a.k.a The Festival Guy, noticed that the grounds, which are normally impressively clean, had more litter than usual during weekend one.

So he started a campaign, “Clean Up Coachella,” to get people to pick up their trash. (If you’re on social media, the hashtag is #CleanUpCoachella.)

“People throw things down because they think that they’re just one in the crowd,” he said.

He said that when you think about up to 100,000 people in the crowd, that adds up.

After Friday night of weekend one he took a ride from the campground to Target to get poster-making materials to encourage people to stop littering.

He and a group of friends carried a sign and canvassed the field, with another friend holding a trash bag to collect the refuse. People came up and high-fived and thanked him, he said.

“Everyone wants it to be clean,” he said.

He posted on his website www.thefestivalguy.com, a challenge to Coachella weekend 2 attendees: be cleaner than weekend one.

“When you pick up one piece of trash, you’ve made the place cleaner,” Gumber said.

I’ll check in with Tucker to see what he thinks about weekend 2. I’m not so sure it’s cleaner, I stepped on about 5 watermelon rinds around the field last night. Seriously, people, throw it away.

COACHELLA 2014: Set times for Saturday, April 19

Fans watch Caravan Palace at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on Friday, April 18, 2014.

Ready for day 2 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 Saturday, April 19, 2014.

Coachella Stage
Unlocking the Truth, 1-1:30 p.m.
Graveyard, 2:00-2:45 p.m.
Cage the Elephant, 3:10-4:00 p.m.
City and Colour, 4:25-5:15 p.m.
Kid Cudi, 5:40-6:30 p.m.
MGMT, 7:00-7:50 p.m.
Foster the People, 8:20-9:10 p.m.
Queens of the Stone Age, 9:35-10:30 p.m.
Muse, 11:30 p.m.

Outdoor Theatre
Saints of Valory, Noon-12:30 p.m.
Syd Arthur, 12:40-1:15 p.m.
Foxygen, 1:40-2:25 p.m.
Ty Segall, 2:50-3:35 p.m.
CHVRCHES, 4-4:50 p.m.
The Head and the Heart, 5:15-6:05 p.m.
Capital Cities, 6:35-7:25 p.m.
Lorde, 7:50-8:40 p.m.
Sleigh Bells, 9:05-9:55 p.m.
Pharrell Williams, 10:30-11:30 p.m.
Nas, Midnight

Gobi Tent
AFTA-1. 11:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
Laura Mvula, 12:30-1:10 p.m.
The Internet, 1:30-2:10 p.m.
White Lies, 2:35-3:20 p.m.
Banks, 3:45-4:20 p.m.
Holy Ghost, 4:45-5:30 p.m.
Washed Out, 5:55-6:40 p.m.
Future Islands, 7:05-7:55 p.m.
Solange, 8:25-9:10 p.m.
Galantis, 9:35-10:25 p.m.
Darkside, 10:50-11:40 p.m.
The Dismemberment Plan, 12:05 a.m.

Mojave Tent
WoodysProduce, 11:15-11:45 a.m.
Young & Sick, noon-12:30 p.m.
Bear Hands, 12:50-1:20 p.m.
Drowners, 1:45-2:15 p.m.
Temples, 2:40-3:25 p.m.
Bombay Bicycle Club, 3:50-4:40 p.m.
Julian Casablancas, 5:05-5:50 p.m.
Warpaint, 6:15-7:05 p.m.
RL Grime, 7:30-8:20 p.m.
Pixies, 8:50-9:40 p.m.
Mogwai, 10:05-10:55 p.m.
Pet Shop Boys, 11:35 pm.

Sahara Tent
Ravell, 11:30 a.m.-12:20 p.m.
UZ, 12:30 p.m.-1:20 p.m.
MAKJ, 1:30-2:20 p.m.
Headhunterz, 2:30-3:20 p.m.
TJR, 3:30-4:20 p.m.
Carbon Airways, 4:30-5:20 p.m.
GTA, 5:30-6:25 p.m.
Dillon Francis, 6:45-7:45 p.m.
Fatboy Slim, 8:15-9:15 p.m.
Empire of the Sun, 9:50-10:50 p.m.
Skrillex, 11:25 p.m.

Yuma Tent
Lesto, 11-11:45 a.m.
Ricoshei, 12:45-1:45 p.m.
Sander Kleinenberg, 1:45-3 p.m.
Aeroplane, 3-4:30 p.m.
Guy Gerber, 4:30-6 p.m.
Cajmere, 6-7:30 p.m.
Nicole Moudaber, 7:30-9 p.m.
The Magician, 9-10:30 p.m.
Tiga, 10:30 p.m.

COACHELLA 2014: Get weekend two festival updates

Concertgoers run into the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival from the main gate in Indio on Friday, April 11, 2014. (Rodrigo Pena/Freelance Photographer)

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 is out on the field. If you see her, say hi!

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: Set times for Friday, April 18

Girl Talk releases balloons during the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio on Friday, April 11, 2014. (Rodrigo Pena/Freelance Photographer)

We are headed back to the desert for weekend 2 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. And don’t forget the photo scavenger hunt we’re having.

These are the Coachella set times for Friday, April 18, 2014.

Coachella Stage:
The Preatures, 12:30-1:15 p.m.
Anthony Green, 1:40-2:25 p.m.
MS MR, 2:45-3:30 p.m.
Grouplove, 3:55-4:45 p.m.
AFI, 5:10-6 p.m.
Ellie Goulding, 6:25-7:15 p.m.
Chromeo, 7:40-8:30 p.m.
Girl Talk, 9:20-10:10 p.m.
OutKast, 11:05 p.m.

Outdoor Theatre
The Bots, 11:30 a.m-noon
Flatbush Zombies, 12:15-12:55 p.m.
GOAT, 1:15-1:55 p.m.
Dum Dum Girls, 2:20-3:05 p.m.
A$AP Ferg, 3:30-4:15 p.m.
Haim, 4:40-5:30 p.m.
Neko Case, 5:55-6:45 p.m.
Broken Bells, 7:10-8 p.m.
The Replacements, 8:30-9:35 p.m.
The Knife, 10:10 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
KAB, 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, 5:25-6:15 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
Alf Alpha, 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 18, 2014 of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. (Coachella)

COACHELLA 2014: Play the Coachella photo scavenger hunt

Victoria Leksoa, 19, Alex Archibeque, 21 and Kayla White, 19, all from Los Angeles, hang out near the Escape Velocity art installation by Poetic Kinetics during the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio on Sunday, April 13, 2014. If they had been playing our #PECoachella Scavenger Hunt, they could get points for this. (Rodrigo Pena/Freelance Photographer)

I’ve been thinking about something fun to commemorate the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival this weekend and I came up with the idea of a photo scavenger hunt. If you want to participate, tag your photos with #PECoachella on Twitter and Instagram. (Or I think you can even post them in the comments below.) We’ll come up with some kind of cool prize for the winner.

#PECoachella Photo Scavenger Hunt

-Picture of a celebrity (10 points)
-Selfie with a celebrity (20 points)
-Selfie where a celebrity photobombs you (50 points) Aaron Paul did this at weekend 1. It was awesome.
-Photo of a special guest during a set. (5 points, but we may award more points for someone super famous)
-Holding 10 water bottles to recycle for a fresh one with the 10-for-1 program (5 points plus good karma)
-Picture while riding on the Ferris wheel (10 points)
-Photo where it looks like the giant astronaut (“Escape Velocity”) is about to get you (5 points) Read more about the big art installations.
-Photo of a local beer from the Craft Beer Barn (5 points and tell us what it is you’re drinking)
-Photo of a band shot from the front row (2 points)
-Selfie in the Sahara Tent (2 points)
-Make a craft at the Coachella Art Studios and get your picture taken with your creation (25 points). Want to know more about the Coachella Art Studios? Read our story from weekend 1.
-Photo of food from one of the new pop-up restaurant food vendors–there’s a whole list inside your booklet. (3 points and tell us what you’re eating and where it’s from) Want to know what food to try at Coachella? We wrote about that, too.

By participating in the scavenger hunt, we may use your photos in our coverage, so dont’ take a pic of anything you don’t want your parents to see.

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+. All weekend long I’ll be back at the festival. Hit me up on twitter to say hi.

COACHELLA 2014: Three survival tips for weekend two

A dust storm tore through the Empire Polo Club grounds during the Coachella festival last weekend. (Luke Ramseth/Staff)

As a festival newbie there were plenty of things I learned the hard way at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival last weekend. I happen to know I wasn’t the only one.

Here’s your short-ish survival guide — or simply a few friendly reminders — if you’re headed out to the Empire Polo Club for Coachella this weekend or the Stagecoach Country Music Festival next weekend.

1. Dress crazy, pack light — but be prepared.

There’s a balance to be struck somewhere between lugging a big backpack around all weekend and still having enough layers to keep yourself warm during a 40 mph dust storm, like the one that rolled through Indio on Saturday.

While a thick hoodie or jacket is probably overkill, you’d be keen to tuck a couple light, long sleeve shirts into a small bag. Obviously toss a little tube of sunscreen in there, too.

Press-Enterprise entertainment editor Vanessa Franko offered numerous times to give me one of her bandannas to cover my face. “Nah, I’m fine,” I kept stubbornly saying, as dust seeped into my nostrils, mouth, and most definitely into my lungs.

I also saw plenty of people with throwaway dust masks you buy at the hardware store, which probably work even better than a bandanna. Either way, cover up your face if the wind picks up — or else get ready for a cough and a runny nose.

2. Bring cash, and lots of it.

Nobody said Coachella was a bargain — you already paid that $375 entry fee, for gosh sakes — but I promise there’ll still be sticker shock when you sidle up to a food tent for your first meal. And if you’re out to try some of those healthier pop-up tent restaurants that are new this year, well, those cost even more.

I spent $98 on food and drink, and that was holding back. It could’ve easily doubled if I’d had a few more beers (it’s $9 for Heineken, $10 for a variety of craft brews), or really filled up for each meal.

Also, bring cash from outside the festival so you don’t have to stand in line or pay the hefty fees to use one of the ATMs onsite.

3. Planning ahead is key.

This kind of goes against the whole go-wild festival vibe, but you’d be savvy to slow down and do some planning now and again throughout the weekend.

It starts with the dirt parking lots, which are gigantic. Take a few mental notes of what lot you’re in (1A, 1B, etc.), and any landmarks (fences, light poles) you might be parked near. You could also drop a pin on Google Maps to show where your car is, as I overheard one group doing.

As much as you likely want to let loose and wing it once you’re inside, it’s crucial to know exactly what bands you want to see, and what time they’re on. Handy little pocket-friendly programs are available at several kiosks on the festival grounds. They have all the set times, info on the art displays, and some of the food items for sale.

Then, once you know the times, factor in how popular the group is. Want to be front and center for OutKast, or Pharrell? Get there at least 30 minutes early. If you want to be in the front row for The Dismemberment Plan, on the other hand, you can probably show up just about any time you like.

What’d I miss? Email me, lramseth@pe.com, or follow me on Twitter, @lramseth. I’ll be back in Indio for my first Stagecoach, next weekend.

COACHELLA 2014: Set times posted for weekend two

With a few minor changes, the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival has posted the set times for weekend two of the event.

It looks like some of the conflicts have been lessened this time. What do you think?

Set times for Friday, April 18, 2014 (Click to enlarge)

Set times for Friday, April 18, 2014 of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. (Coachella)

There are some big changes from weekend one. The new artists are the openers in the Mojave and Yuma Tents. KAB will open Mojave from 11 -11:50 a.m. and festival veteran and Coachella Valley native Alf Alpha will open the Yuma Tent from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Beyond that, nearly every band on the Coachella Stage is going on earlier than last week, with the exceptions of The Preatures and Anthony Green, the first two acts.

OutKast will hopefully make it on by 11:05 p.m., which was the rescheduled time the first week but they came on closer to their original time of 11:30 . Hopefully this means the songs at the end won’t be rushed.

Every act on the Outdoor Theatre stage Friday will go on earlier. This is a huge plus if your conflicts were Neko Case on outdoor and Afghan Whigs in Mojave. Also, if you want to see both The Replacements and Bryan Ferry, The ‘Mats got bumped up by 15 minutes so they only overlap by 20 minutes now.

Set times for Saturday, April 19, 2014 (Click to enlarge)

Set times for Saturday, April 19, 2014 of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. (Coachella)

Saturday’s lineup doesn’t change too much from weekend 1. All of the performers are the same. On the Coachella Stage, every performer except Unlocking the Truth, Foster the People and Muse will go on 5 minutes early. It’s the 5 minutes early rule over at the Outdoor Theatre, as well, with only opening act Saints of Valory and closing act Nas sticking to last week’s set times of noon and midnight, respectively.

Set times for Sunday, April 20, 2014 (Click to enlarge)

Set times for Sunday, April 20, 2014 of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. (Coachella)

The biggest changes on Sunday are two new additions to the bill. Tachevah winners CIVX replace Machin’ to open the Mojave Tent. Also, More Fire Mondays’ own Jeremy Campbell, a.k.a. Juicewon, will be the second act in the Yuma Tent, replacing Cooper Saver.

As for the times, Chance the Rapper gets 5 minutes less on the Coachella stage (that’s five minutes less of a possible Justin Bieber appearance), and everyone after him and before Arcade Fire (Zoe, Nakes and Famous, Calvin Harris and Beck) go on five minutes early. Arcade Fire still has the same start time.

Also, there are some Sahara Tent changes. John Beaver gets five minutes less to start the day. Then, Anna Lunoe, Flight Facilities, Showtek, Krewella and Alesso are going on five minutes earlier than last week. I think it’s probably due to Big Gigantic’s larger stage productions.

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

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

COACHELLA 2014: AXS TV announces festival broadcast lineup

Beck performs on the Coachella Stage during the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio on Sunday, April 13, 2014. (Rodrigo Pena/Freelance Photographer)

Not up for paying the cash or taking the drive to the desert for the second weekend of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival this weekend?

While viewers could celebrate Couch-ella via YouTube on weekend one, if you get cable channel AXS TV, you can soak up 20 hours of performances and coverage of weekend two on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

While AXS TV has filmed at the Stagecoach Country Music Festival in the past (and will again April 25-27), this is the first time a true TV crew has been allowed to film Coachella.

There will also be interviews with the artists conducted by KCRW’s Jason Bentley.

Here’s who you can see:

Friday, April 18
6 p.m. to 1 a.m.: Performances by Haim, Neko Case, Ellie Goulding, Broken Bells, Chromeo, Grouplove, Bastille, Bryan Ferry, Kate Nash, ZZ Ward, and AFI

Saturday, April 19
11 a.m.- 6 p.m.: Re-broadcast of Friday’s performances.
6 p.m.- 1 a.m.: Performances by Lorde, The Pixies, Queens of the Stone Age, Cage the Elephant, CHVRCHES, The Head and the Heart, Capital Cities, Future Islands, MGMT, Fatboy Slim, and Foster the People

Sunday, April 20
11 a.m.- 6 p.m.: Re-broadcast of Saturday’s performances.
6 p.m.-midnight: Performances by Beck, Arcade Fire, Fishbone, Frank Turner, Big Gigantic, Daughter and Calvin Harris. There will also be performances filmed Saturday night from Pet Shop Boys, Skrillex and Nas.

Monday, April 21
11a.m.-5 p.m.: Re-broadcast of Sunday’s coverage

COACHELLA 2014: My top 15 Coachella Festival weekend one moments

Concertgoers enjoy the Lightweaver art installation by Alexis Rochas during the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio on Sunday, April 13, 2014. (Rodrigo Pena/Freelance Photographer)

I’ve been covering the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival for eight years. The festival is unlike anything else I’ve been to before or since. It’s not just a concert, but a memory machine. I’m incredibly grateful that I get to cover this and report on it for my job. These are my 15 favorite things from the 15th edition of the festival. They’re not in any particular order, just how they came to mind as I process all of my experiences today. You can see all of our coverage from the weekend and dozens of photo galleries over at http://x.pe.com/coachellahome.

Win Butler of Arcade Fire sings at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on Sunday, April 13, 2014. (Rodrigo Pena/Freelance Photographer)

1. Arcade Fire
Arcade Fire’s set was spectacular, from the moment everyone was jumping around to “Rebellion (Lies)” to the Debbie Harry guest spot on “Heart of Glass” to the unplugged “Wake Up” second line with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band through the crowd. And I finally got a really cool confetti shot. Rodrigo Pena got even better photos of the show. You can see his photo gallery of Arcade Fire at Coachella over at PE.com. I didn’t think they were going to be able to top the LED balloon drop of 2011, but they so did, and in such an organic, truly musical way.

2. The Dismemberment Plan
You know when you love a band you haven’t seen them for a really long time and then they play every single song you want to hear? And they sound amazing, even in a crazy dust storm that is shaking the glass chandeliers in the tent? Yep, that’s what The Dismemberment Plan was for me. The last show I had seen was the farewell at the 9:30 Club in D.C. back in 2003 and I haven’t been able to see them since they reformed. By the way, the new record, “Uncanney Valley,” is top-notch. I highly recommend it, but if you’re just getting into them, “Emergency & I” is the gateway album. I don’t care that Muse, Nas, Pet Shop Boys and Skrillex were also playing–for all of us in the Gobi Tent at midnight Saturday night/Sunday morning, it was a high and being from Maryland, I felt a little bit closer to home.

3. Coachella Art Studios
This year I got to do a story on the amazing things going on at the Coachella Art Studios (it’s in the campground, but you don’t have to be a camper to partake in the crafts). I also got to make my own bracelet out of a bicycle inner tube. I was kind of tripping out that I was actually creating my own art at the festival. It was also great to meet and see so many Inland artists who were helping out at the fest. It is open Friday-Sunday 10 a.m.-2 p.m. so get there early and make some art! Go support the Coachella Valley Art Scene, too.

Walking into the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on Friday, April 11, 2014 was pretty darn magical. (Vanessa Franko/Staff)

4. Walking in
When I arrived on site Friday, I booked it over to the camping area to talk to folks about the Coachella Art Studios, but when I was heading into the festival from the campground, the scene took my breath away. There were some light clouds over the mountains in the distance and the Ferris wheel was straight ahead. It’s an image that will be forever emblazoned in my mind.

Pharrell Williams performs at the 2014 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. (Tom Bray/Staff)

5. Pharrell Williams
With a crazy amount of guest stars, how could Williams’ set not make you “Happy”? (See what I did there?) I would never have predicted that we’d see Gwen Stefani and Nelly. Maybe next week we get Daft Punk? As I mentioned in my Best and Worst of Coachella story, there were enough stars here to reboot “The Love Boat.” See photos of Pharrell at Coachella.

6. Dining at Kazu Nori
One of my assignments over the weekend was to try out the new higher-end foods at the festival (tough job, right?), but I had the chance to have sushi at the pop-up sushi bar Kazu Nori, and it really was a sushi bar where you sat and watched the chef make your rolls. The toro hand roll was amazing. We did an entire story about the food.

7. Meeting people
One of the greatest things about Coachella for me is meeting fellow music lovers. I love how Coachella brings us all together. I’m particularly grateful for the people I meet who turn out to be readers. They wouldn’t let me do this without you. Thank you.

8. The Replacements
How many years have I been wanting to see this reunion? I loved that Paul Westerberg and Tommy Stinson actually seemed HAPPY to be at the same place at the same time. I loved Westerberg’s magician’s roses. I loved their suits. Most of all, I loved the rock show they put on packed full of some of the most influential music at the festival. Hearing “Alex Chilton,” “Androgynous” and “Left of the Dial” was pretty rad. See photos of The Replacements at Coachella.

9. Sunset with Neutral Milk Hotel
I am a big fan of the sunset set. And sunset at the Outdoor Theatre is spectacular and possibly the all-time perfect venue for the reunion of Neutral Milk Hotel. They sounded great, and I created more art in order to capture the moment forever.

10. The Afghan Whigs
Greg Dulli’s howls and yowls made me happy. The Afghan Whigs are another band I was into, but never had a chance to see until now. Check out photos of The Afghan Whigs at Coachella.

Paul Hampton performs with Fishbone at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. (Charlotte Bray/Freelance Photographer)

11. Fishbone and the theremin
I really thought Angelo Moore might be right and we really were going to blast off into space. You need bright sunshine to hear “Everyday Sunshine.” It was also super rad to see The Skeletones’ Paul Hampton up there on the keytar. There need to be more keytars. Check out our photos of Fishbone.

12. Graveyard
Sweden brings some of the best music to Coachella. Case in point–Graveyard, who had that early blues groove of Black Sabbath and melted my face a bit on the main stage Saturday afternoon.

13. Pixies play “Wave of Mutilation”
Yep, I was wildly air drumming to this. I feel great about it.

14. Janelle Monae shows up with OutKast
I wrote a long post about OutKast’s Friday night set, but Monae doing “Tightrope” was pretty darn awesome. Check out some photos from the set.

15. “Escape Velocity”
The floating astronaut art installation was another home run by Poetic Kinetics. We did a story on the large-scale art in today’s paper.

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