By Christine Lee
Daily Bruin Contributor
[email protected]
The age old saying that good things come to those who wait was
certainly true for the thousands of people waiting to get into
Sunday’s Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
Complete with troubadours on a moving metal structure, beer
gardens and an electricity-producing rod in the middle of the
venue, Sunday’s festival allowed attendees to relax on a
pleasantly warm day and to partake in the variety of music.
New Jersey’s Saves the Day, emo-punk’s latest crop
of fresh-faced young rockers, put on smiles, ready to rock the
crowd surrounding the main Coachella stage.
Lead singer Chris Conley started off the show with one of the
songs from their new album “Stay What You Are.”
Bouncing around with mic in hand, Conley sang in earnest tones
to the younger crowd gathered around the stage. Heads bobbed to
album favorites such as “Certain Tragedy” and
“Cars and Calories.” Filled with old songs as well as
new, the group changed the set up with the slow
“Freakish” and brought back the punk with the
MTV-friendly radio-hit, “At Your Funeral.” Saves the
Day managed to prove that they were worthy to rock out on the main
stage.
On the Outdoor Theatre stage were more of indie rock’s
best acts.
Blonde Redhead took the stage mid-afternoon, ready to play for
the pleasant Indio crowd.
Kazu Makino, one third of the trio, was shy on stage, almost
apologetic when she played her guitar and sang in her eerie tones
for the crowd. Italian twins Simone and Amadeo Pace set up their
drums, guitars and synths to start the set off with a song from one
of their older albums.
Birdlike and delicate, Kazu Makino managed to shriek out the
oddly dissonant, yet attractive tunes.
They concluded their set with the popular “This Is
Not,” causing the mostly contemplative audience to shake
their bodies to the electro-dance number.
Makino bowed after every song, showing the group’s quiet
appreciation for its audience.
No quasi-European music festival would be complete without
elf-rock’s Belle and Sebastian. Stuart Murdoch and team won
over the mellow crowd with a variety of music. Taking requests such
as “String Bean Jean,” the group members charmed the
crowd with their quiet, cheerful banter.
Murdoch managed to endear himself to the audience, asking for a
soccer ball to hug while singing, “Don’t Leave the
Light On Baby,” claiming that he needed something to hold on
to while singing this slow ballad.
And although the band may be known for its quiet rock, it got
the audience moving around and dancing in hippie-like movements.
The group proved that what Murdoch claimed to be its first-ever
outdoor festival performance should not be its last.
But if you talked to any of the festival attendees, the
highlight of the day was The Strokes.
In his signature style, Julian Casablancas, lead singer for The
Strokes, stumbled on stage, thanking the audience for coming to
watch the group.
The Strokes started off the set with one of the songs from its
album “Is This It” and included the non-album hit
“New York City Cops” as well as songs the members were
working on for their new album. The band exuded rock energy,
playing “Psoma” and “Last Nite.”
The crowd bounced around harder when Casablancas came down into
the audience, inducing more shoving and grabbing. Finishing a
cigarette and drinking the last of his Heineken, Casablancas
finished the set thanking the audience once again for coming to the
show.
Maybe the Strokes should have been the closing act, because
Oasis, the festival’s finale, did not garner as much
attention as the other fashionable quintet.
While people started leaving the Empire Polo Field, Oasis played
songs mostly from their newer albums, with only two songs from the
crowd-favorite “What’s the Story Morning Glory.”
The Gallagher brothers did get through the show without a scuffle,
and ended the festival with a cover of the Beatles’ “I
Am The Walrus.”
Although the tickets were pricier than previous years, the
smattering of musical talents at the festival was definitely worth
digging deeper into one’s pocket for that extra cash.