Snow Patrol (A&M) - to walk in on this show for day one of the festival is a great thing. This was a perfect sounding show from a perfect sounding band. Unfortunately, it was still very bright out and hot, so it prevented too many antics.

Razorlight (Universal) - only stayed for a few songs and got bored and moseyed to the Mojave tent for The Kills.

The Kills (RCA) - Amazing, simply amazing. This two-person duo pulled off what huge bands have never been able to do. Loud, angry and gritty equaled everything the crowd liked.

Keane (Interscope) - A great set by ugly people. I don't particularly like this band, but I was truly flat out impressed. The romantic and scorn-heart lyrics sounded great from the seemingly emotionally wounded band as they even pulled out new material for the show. I was soon converted to a fan.

Stereophonics (V2/BMG) - I love these guys. They sounded great in the Mojave tent as well. A more sedated band afforded the ability to do some of their biggest hits in their own fashions (such as acoustic, solo, etc.). They sounded great and kept the audience amped.

Wilco (Nonesuch) - Now, not being a Wilco fan, i tried to give them the benefit of the doubt...but now I know I can't stand this band. They sounded terrific on the Coachella stage, but Keane outshined them. That's pretty bad when the piano players outshine you. I've never liked Wilco and now, I never will. It wasn't even worth the photo I took!

Weezer (Geffen) - Horrible sound! I'm convinced a 3-year-old could have mixed this show better. Weezer is a solid band. I buy their records, but they've become boring and complacent. I lost enthusiasm and hiked back to the Mojave stage for The Secret Machines.

The Secret Machines (Reprise/Warner Brothers) - Um, okay, without a doubt, the sickest show I've seen in quite some time. Hushed vocals and pounding bass lines, plus screaming guitars yielded an ecstatic audience. Dancing and flailing like banshees, this show was the reason to enjoy Coachella, bar none!

Sage Francis (Epitaph) - Angry collegiate rap from political musician who now looks like Fidel Castro! Too politically incorrect by nature, that I hesitate to even comment on the show!

Bauhaus (Beggars Banquet) - Goth crooner Peter Murphy looks like a corpse, as did Daniel Ash. The band sounded amazing and they played the tunes old school fans needed them to play in order to get their Goth fix. Thank God for Bauhaus. I even got into an argument with a fellow attendee about the relevance of Bauhaus...i won.

Coldplay (Capitol) - What can i say? Coldplay wins my vote for great headliner. Their set of solid music and great audience interaction was well received and enjoyed by all. They played various new tunes and even mixed in 'Hurt' by Nine Inch Nails as a teaser for the next night, as well as the line: 'what's with these homies, dissin' my girl' by Weezer as social commentary (I guess) about Chris Martin's wife's celebrity profile. Keep your commentary to yourself Chris, but play here. I'd pay for it again and I think so would 50,000 other people there.

SUNDAY MAY 1

The Futureheads (Sire/ADA) - A tolerable band but definitely not great. Truly a strange performer for the main Coachella stage but nothing major to speak of really.

The Bravery (Island) - Unreal! What a solid set by the new rave in bands. Again at the Mojave tent and great sound! This band will definitely be heard from more and more a la Franz Ferdinand.

The Arcade Fire (Merge) - So, the outdoor theater is a perfect spot for this band. Their record is a step forward in the right direction of music and the antics of the band were just right for the setting sun and the vibe of the crowd. No disappointments here though. This was a terrific act through and through.

New Order (Warner Brothers) - Old timers getting together for reunions is kind of like etiquette at Coachella (Jane's Addiction in 2001, Siouxsie & The Banshees in 2002, Iggy Pop & The Stooges in 2003, The Pixies in 2004). This is no different. The band didn't do anything out of the ordinary, but they certainly nailed every single note to a raging crowd happy to hear their staple "Blue Monday" as an encore.

Nine Inch Nails (Nothing/Interscope) - With a bevy of new and old songs, Trent Reznor truly blew minds. Although Dave Grohl was not on drums (as many suspected since he is on the new record), it ruled the night. The only disappointment is that the set wasn't longer and that NIN was not the headliner. Regardless, the best NIN set to date. Dipping into the old material ("Burn", "Suck", etc.) and mixing it with the new was just what the crowd needed. I cannot say enough about this performance. A truly mind blowing set that I still can't believe I witnessed.

The Prodigy (Maverick) - After NIN, it seemed that everyone hiked to the Sahara tent for Prodigy. From the outside, they sounded muted, but inside the tent (for the one second I could stand the glow sticks and raver kids) I thought they sounded great. The stay was cut short due to the excessive crowd that kept growing by this point.

Bright Eyes (Saddle Creek) - For a band that I saw just months ago and gushed about, I wasn't impressed. Just last year I caught Bright Eyes at the same stage at Coachella and they ruled the night. This year sound problems and a listless audience that brought down the vibe plagued them. This might be somewhat because it was late and everyone had been walking the grounds for two whole days already (and even survived a dust storm on the grounds), so maybe that had something to do with it.

Black Star (Rawkus/Universal) - Mos Def and company closed the night out as the crowd still raged on, while others watched from afar. Sound? Great. Vibe? Great. Maybe Black Star wasn't such a bad idea to end the festival with!

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