 |
| "Take Flight" by Isabel+Helen |
Approximately 100,000 attendees witnessed over 150 international music artists and DJs on multiple stages over the course of three days.
This year’s edition featured the welcome return of a rock music headliner to the mix after several years’ absence with Green Day (making its Coachella debut), as well as Lady Gaga, Post Malone and Travis Scott. The rest of the stacked lineup ran the gamut of styles: EDM, Latin, K-pop, dance, pop, R&B, soul, rap, hip-hop, alternative rock and beyond.
There is
always so much to experience around the Empire Polo Field that it’s hard to check
everything off the “must see” list. But I usually come close. That entails
spending nearly 12 on the field and taking few extended breaks.
People
watching is a fun activity in itself during Coachella. People wear all sorts of
inventive and outlandish attire (or sometimes little at all). Lady Gaga’s
devoted fans were especially creative. Entire families could be found walking
around with children in strollers and grandparents in tow (especially during Ed
Sheeran’s set).
The rundown
below includes much of what I witnessed during Coachella ’25.
Maribou
State brought a chill,
totally enticing vibe to the Gobi Tent mid-Friday afternoon. The English
electronic music duo of Liam Ivory and Chris Davids, who recently released
their third full-length album Hallucinating Love (a top 10 charter in
the U.K.), were joined by vocalist Talulah Ruby on several tunes. With a soothing
vocal style akin to Dido, she danced around and was completely tuned into the
music. The clear standout was “All I Need,” which featured sumptuous organ, steel
drum sounds and a repeated male vocal sample.
Inside the
enclosed Sonora Tent, TOPS provided a welcome brief respite from the heavy
Day 1 winds. The Montreal foursome, which started in 2011, enchanted a sizeable
crowd with its exquisite indie pop/rock sound. Combined with frontwoman Jane
Penny’s helium vocals, the result often felt like the equivalent of aural
cotton candy. The fun and brawny title track to 2020’s I Feel Alive evoked
Rilo Kiley.
Thee
Sacred Souls’ brand
of retro soul went down easily Friday at the main Coachella Stage. The San
Diego retro soul trio performed songs from their 2024 Daptone Records album Got
a Story to Tell and 2022 eponymous debut long player, which were produced
by Bosco Mann (Gabe Roth) of Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings in Riverside. Singer
Josh Lane’s silky-smooth delivery, augmented by female backing vocalists and
other musicians in a live setting, made songs such as “Lucid Girl,” “Will I See
You Again” and “Easier Said Than Done” reminiscent of The Delfonics and Marvin
Gaye.
If Queen’s
Brian May and Roger Taylor ever decide to tour again and Adam Lambert declines
joining them, Benson Boone would be a worthy replacement. The young
Washington state pop/rock singer – whose “Beautiful Things” reached No. 2 on
Billboard’s Hot 100 and was the world’s most streamed song of 2024 – exudes charisma
and showmanship, plus an amazing falsetto. All were on full display last Friday
evening at the Coachella Stage.
Although May
didn’t reprise his guest spot as on Weekend 1 for Boone’s spot-on cover on
“Bohemian Rhapsody,” the rock classic, complete with choir and Boone’s brief
piano work, was still a high point among the set (And Boone jokingly carted
around a cardboard cutout of May). The stage design encompassed staircases and
ramps, which Boone constantly traversed and even did a few of his trademarks
flips from.
Everything
started with the pure adrenaline rush of recent single “Sorry I’m Here for
Someone Else.” A theatrical “Cry” saw Boone do some vocal gymnastics, while the
piano driven “There She Goes” bore shades of Robbie Williams. Soaring ballad “Forever
and a Day” was preceded by Boone eliciting some “Day-O” audience call and
response action – just like the late Freddie Mercury of Queen used to do.
Elsewhere, the singer provided background on some songs. The winsome
Broadway-styled pop of “Mystical Magical” and ebullient title track to Boone’s
upcoming “American Heart” album (out June 20) gave fans a much-anticipated
preview. Finally, the poignant “Beautiful Things” prompted a loud crowd
singalong.
Despite a Mojave
Tent slot that overlapped with an extremely popular The Marias on the Outdoor
Theatre, Miike Snow still managed to draw a decent-sized audience. The
Swedish/American alternative dance trio impressed with the 1990s Manchester rave
inspired “Paddling Out.”
New York
City bred frontman/co-songwriter Andrew Wyatt - an Oscar, Grammy and Golden
Globe winner for co-writing Lady Gaga’s “Shallow,” who has also worked with
numerous modern rock and pop artists ranging from Miley Cyrus to Liam Gallagher
was an engaging and gracious presence during the striking 2015 modern rock
radio hit “Genghis Khan” and a moodier “Silvia.” All the while, a shiny visage
of Miike Snow’s jackalope mascot (a jackrabbit with antlers) spun around on the
screens. Veteran sax legend Tom Scott guested on latest single “I Was a Sailor,”
which features a creepy children’s chorus.
 |
When a
recorded introduction by Lady Gaga explained the meaning behind her four
act show and production credits on the
big Coachella Stage screens included award-winning concert and theater stage
designer Es Devlin (U2, Pet Shop Boys, Adele), it was obvious something really elaborate
was in store for Coachella concertgoers. And Lady Gaga didn’t disappoint. New
album Mayhem, one of the best in the musician’s career and a contender
for 2025 albums of the year, debuted at No. 1 in 23 countries including America.
 |
| photo by Robert Kinsler |
A lion’s
share of the Mayhem tracks were performed. All sounded stellar in a live
context, with a sparkling, Yazoo-influenced “How Bad Do You Want Me,” Bowie-esque
“Killah” and the scary herky jerky rhythm of “Abracadabra” being highlights. On
the latter, which interpolates Siouxsie and the Banshees, Gaga encountered a brief
microphone malfunction and quipped, “At least you know I’m singing live.” Indeed,
there were a few extended pauses between songs where you could see her catching
her breath.
Older hits
such as “Poker Face” (the dancers dramatically went at it on a checkerboard
square) and “Paparazzi,” were equally impressive. Gaga played a brief “Die With
a Smile” alone on piano. I half expected recorded duet partner Bruno Mars to
appear; but he didn’t materialize. One for the Coachella performance history
books.
Bolstered
by creative screen animation effects that initially transformed Sheeran into a
cartoon, the fast, captivating “Castle on the Hill” kicked everything off. The haunting
strains in “Shivers,” immediately drew fan squeals and hand claps. Before
playing poignant early career single “The A Team,” Sheeran recounted how its
popularity slowly built up internationally, from playing it to uninterested small
pub patrons as an unknown musician to entering the U.K. and U.S. charts. Wiping
his face and joking how often gingers sweat, Sheeran added, “If you don’t know
the words, you’re at the wrong concert” and then launched into the set standout
“Thinking Out Loud” on electric guitar. The crowd’s singing briefly dwarfed his
own. “Perfect,” another romantic ballad highlight, prompted everyone to sway
along. “Bloodstream” saw Sheeran pounding his acoustic guitar for percussive
effect. Persian-influenced new single “Azizam,” making its official concert
debut, also proved intriguing.
Lead
singer/guitarist Jim Adkins and guitarist/singer Tom Linton (neither ever seem
to age), bassist Rick Burch and drummer Zach Lind all sounded strong as ever on
songs like “Pain,” “Sweetness,” the crunchy rocker “All the Way (Stay) and
exciting “A Praise Chorus,” with its canny nods to hits of the past. Other
standouts included the propulsive “Big Casino,” the careening, guitar-led
“Bleed American” and signature modern rock radio hit which crossed over to the
pop charts bigtime, “The Middle,” where everyone seemed to perk up to dance and
singalong.
Earnest BRIT and Ivor Novello Award-winner Sam Fender (pictured below) plays arenas such as London’s 02 back home, so it was a treat to see the English rock singer/guitarist inside the Mojave Tent early Saturday evening. Fender is a songwriting storyteller whose recent panoramic-sounding music makes judicious use of horns and glockenspiel (unsurprisingly, Springsteen is frequently covered in concert and “Born to Run” was played before showtime). Sporting a Clash t-shirt, he was accompanied by seven strong musicians onstage (two revved up the crowd for their mild-mannered leader).
His added electric guitar work helped fuel the fiery upcoming Neil Young & Crazy Horse-styled single “Tyrant” (Fender said, “That was brave” at the end), as well as hits “Seventeen Going Under” and closer “Hypersonic Missiles.”
Right
around dusk at the Outdoor Theater, the LA Philharmonic with conductor
Gustavo Dudamel, brought some high-brow culture to Coachella denizens mixed
with a bevy of guest stars; some were different than Weekend 1. The orchestra
played classical music standards like Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries” and
Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 5, Movement 1” and Strauss’ “Also Sprach Zarathustra,
Op. 30.” Hearing John Williams’ “Imperial March” (Darth Vader’s Theme from “The
Empire Strikes Back”), was goosebumps-inducing and a thrill to witness in another
Empire - Polo Field - setting.
At one
point, Dudamel said, “This may be the best two weeks of our lives…your energy
in this cultural environment” has been inspiring.” Following Natasha
Bedingfield’s pop tune “Unwritten,” and a pair of tunes by Ca7riel & Paco
Amoroso, Foo Fighters leader Dave Grohl brought the rock – and his electric
guitar for orchestral enhanced versions of The Foos’ “The Sky is a Neighborhood”
and “Everlong.” Some people who had been lounging on blankets near me suddenly sprung
to attention and the crowd energy was electric. “Neighborhood” was a wise
choice since it actually features cello, violin and viola on the studio
version. A choir added heft to it. But “Everlong” was more amazing to hear as
the LA Phil string section followed the original guitar melody. To close,
Cynthia Erivo appeared and really excited an obviously LGBTQ+ contingent nearby
as she sang “Brick by Brick” and one of the best covers of Prince’s “Purple
Rain” that I’ve ever heard.
Clairo had an interesting way of
beginning her performance on the Outdoor Theatre stage. She and her band replicated
a cocktail party and sat together chatting and drinking wine as Wendy Rene’s
1964 Stax soul single “After Laughter (Comes Tears)” played. Then they all went
to their instruments on the circular stage designed to replicate an old school
recording studio. The Georgia-born Clairo and her band opened with the idyllic indie
pop of “Second Nature” from 2024’s critically acclaimed Charm. Another fine
flute-enhanced cut from that album with a billowy vocal, “Thank You,” brought
to mind 1970s soft rock. “Terrapin,” with prominent piano flourishes, was another
alluring standout.
Singer/guitarist
Billie Joe Armstrong gave a master class in rock ‘n’ roll showmanship and how
to engage an audience (not to mention bringing fans onstage to sing and play
guitar). Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” made another festival appearance – this time
as Green Day intro music, along with The Ramones’ “Blitzkrieg Bop.” A costumed
drunk bunny bounded around the lip of the stage (side note: I’d personally recommend
the group’s Punk Bunny coffee), only to be revealed as Flavor Flav or rap
pioneer Public Enemy. Flav introduced the band, which steamrolled through opener
“American Idiot” (and the much-discussed lyric change to “I’m not part of a
MAGA agenda,” first done several years ago) with abandon.
There were
other political references. Before the rollicking “Holiday,” Armstrong noted
that it was an “anti-war song.” An extended harmonica-laden “Minority” saw him explain,
“This song is about unity. We don’t stand for fascism.” Bolstered by the usual three
tour musicians, Green Day’s sound was strong throughout the set.
 |
| photo by Robert Kinsler |
An
extended “Hitchin’ a Ride,” saw Armstrong borrow a concertgoers’ Charlie XCX “Brat”
hat and put it on. The dramatic “21 Guns” was especially powerful. Elsewhere,
Green Day tossed its old favorite cover of Operation Ivy’s “Knowledge” (a
change from Weekend 1) and prefaced an emotionally resonant “Wake Me Up When
September Ends” with a snippet of John Mellencamp’s “Jack and Diane” (instead
of Tom Petty the week prior). A louder than usual cheer erupted when Green Day
played the newish “Bobby Sox” and Armstrong rotated between “Do you wanna be my girlfriend/boyfriend/best
friend” and he replied, “I love California.”
To close,
Armstrong rushed through “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” on acoustic guitar,
flanked by bassist Mike Dirnt and drummer Tre Cool, because they were brushing
up against the time allotment. All told, it was an adrenaline rush from start
to finish.
On Sunday, The Beaches - an all-female alternative pop band from Toronto (the name is also a neighborhood in their hometown) that once opened for The Stones in 2019 - were obviously having fun during their Gobi Tent set. Talk about pure joy. A few fans waved Canadian flags toward the front of the stage as the group started with the New Order-ish “Cigarette,” off 2023’s Juno Award-winning album Blame My Ex. Jordan Miller, clad in a bikini top, sang the first of many sexually charged songs in a breathy yelp.
The band previewed some songs from forthcoming
third album No Hard Feelings, due in August. Among these, “Takes One to
Know One,” the dreamy “Jocelyn” and frenetic gang vocals of “Last Girls at the
Party” all sounded vibrant. Closer “The Edge of the Earth” was dedicated to
their LGBTQ fans and a brave soul decided to crowd surf.
All photos by George A. Paul, unless indicated. Selected content originally appeared in Desert Star Weekly.
