After last year brought purple royalty to the Empire Polo Field in the California desert, the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival had a lot to bring to the table for their 10th anniversary. This year GoldenVoice promoters had an ace under their sleeves that proved to be none other then a living Beatle. Paul McCartney was just one of the many acts that played through the course of three days that also included headliners The Killers and The Cure. The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival kicks start the summer music festival season and finds a way to out due themselves every year.
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Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
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 Entertainment
Art
Empire Polo Field
Indio, CA
April 17 - 19, 2009
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Day One was a night of legends, bringing two of music’s most important songwriters of our time to the two main stages. Paul McCartney brought his impressive catalog of hits to the main stage that included every aspect of his forty-plus career. Opening with The Wings hit “Jet” and The Beatles’ classic “Drive my Car,” Paul set the tone for a night of sing-along fun. The 66-year old McCartney proved to any naysayers that he could still rock in 2009 and has arguably influenced every musician that will grace the Coachella stages over the weekend. Paul delivered hit after hit including Beatle favorites “Got to Get You Into My Life,” “Blackbird,” “Eleanor Rigby,” Can’t Buy Me Love,” “Yesterday” and Wings songs “Let Me Roll It,” Band on the Run” and “Live and Let Die.” Paul also offered tributes to his fallen Beatle comrades that included renditions of George Harrison’s “Something” and Paul’s own penned “Here Today” about John Lennon. Paul’s set included a couple new songs off of his latest album by his alias The Fireman that introduced fans to “Highway” and “Sing the Changes.” McCatney’s 34-song set closed with “Get Back,” “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)” and “The End.”
Earlier in the evening, the 74-year old baritone singing Leonard Cohen graced the Coachella fans on the Outdoor Stage, with his haunting stories rich in religion, relationships and isolation. Dressed very dapper in his signature dark suit complete with matching hat, Cohen silenced the packed stage and climaxed with a moving rendition of his classic "Hallelujah.” Morrissey on the other hand seemed to be having an off night. The former Smiths’ front-man whom usually dominates the stage seemed unfortunately preoccupied with sound glitches and smells that were emitting from the festival. "I can smell burning flesh and I hope to God it's human," the very vocal vegetarian singer proclaimed during his set. Singing over a large “sailor” picture flexing his guns, Morrissey still managed to deliver some of his classics including "This Charming Man," "Girlfriend in a Coma" and "Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others." Of course these big guns were only a few of the many great artists that played on Friday that included The Ting-Tings, Crystal Castle and Girl Talk over at the Sahara Tent, The Hold Steady, White Lies and Beirut at the Mojave Tent, Noah & the Whale, M.Ward, Conor Oberst and Silversun Pickups at the Outdoor Theatre, and of course The Black Keys and Franz Ferdinand at the Coachella main stage.
Day Two may have promoted The Killers as the headliner playing their 80’s pop sound to the Coachella main stage, yet many were easily lured away by the bombastic sound of Atlanta’s heavy metaler’s Mastodon. Playing their recently released fourth album Crack the Skye in its entirety, Troy Sanders and the boys blew the flaps wide open of the Mohave tent to an ear piercing sound of beauty. Mastodon proved worthy of their metal crown and easily closed day two and stole the night away from Brandon Flowers and his dandy fellow band-mates. Earlier in the day Joss Stone played the Coachella stage and flashed the crowd with her revealing white dress. London’s thenewno2 proved promising and showed that Dhani Harrison has learned a few tricks from his father on the guitar. I’m sorry and I know it’s obvious but it’s scary how much he looks and sounds like his father.
Later in the same tent, Henry Rollins arrived to offer up his one man act with his always intelligent opinion on everything controversial. At the same time, Amanda Palmer was hot and sexy at the tent next door as the recently reunited Superchunk was playing the Outdoor Theatre stage in the blazing sun to their devoted followers. Fans of The Dive-By-Truckers had two opportunities to see them once playing their own songs on the Outdoor stage, or a few hours later backing the Staxx legendary keyboardists Booker T as the DBT’s. On the main stage you had great acts like Spearhead, TV on the Radio and yet another Coachella appearance by M.I.A. fresh from the GRAMMYS and sans baby. Of course you could have easily just camped out all day at the Outdoor Theatre with heavy hitters like Calexico, Fleet Foxes, Band of Horse and Jenny Lewis (with a special appearance by Conor Oberst) that is easily a satisfying and perfect day of music.
Day Three may end early but that doesn’t mean its short on musical magic. Robert Smith and the recently re-united guitarist Porl Thompson of The Cure closed the main stage. The Cure known for their dark gothic 80’s New Wave pop, delivered a evening of hits and hidden gems to their faithful followers. The Cure known for playing long sets was given a healthy time slot starting at roughly 9:30 but still easily passed it with their 31-song set. In fact the promoters finally pulled the plug (literally) when they passed the 40 minute curfew mark after midnight. During their third encore, the house lights came on and the main speakers were turned off right after they began “Boys Don’t Cry.” Still the boys kept playing to their on-stage amps. While following it with “Someone Elses Train” and “Grinding Halt,” their amps were turned off halfway through the song and ended the perfect encore to a great well rounded set. Too bad, with Porl back in the band and these tracks all being from The Cure’s debut, it would have been nice to see them perform these great songs un-interrupted. Speaking of fighting the power, Public Enemy brought the funk and the noise to the Outdoor Theatre stage playing their seminal album "It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back" in it’s entirety. Chuck D, Flavor Flav and Professor Griff delivered their signature political rap and proved they haven’t lost a beat these twenty-one years.
Day Three also proved to be a night of reunions including the deafening sounds of My Bloody Valentine, back together delivering wonderful feed back noise to the main stage and the garage punk sounds of Murder City Devils sneaking in mid-day at the Mohave tent. The Mohave tent was a good place to plant your self on Sunday with bands like Fucked Up, Brian Jonestown Massacre, X, The Horrors, The Kills and Throbbing Gristle all making appearances. Of course the two main stages had some nice offering as well. The Outdoor Theatre had The Gaslight Anthem, Lykke Li, Antony and the Johnsons and Paul Weller. While the Coachella Stage had artists like Okkervil River, Lupe Fiasco, Peter Bjorn and John, and of course the fun that is Karen O and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival every year brings people from all over the world united in the desert for a three-day weekend of legendary acts and the latest buzz artists. With two main stages and three tents, music fans every year have a lot to choose from each day. If that’s not enough, you never know what you are going to see just walking around the grounds on your way to your stage. Who knows you may even see a guy remove his “Wizard” outfit and then get his naked body tasered by the Police. Can’t wait to see what’s in store for next year.
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