The latter list of acts have all had major hits on modern rock radio over the past few months - proof that event organizers continue to have their fingers on the pulse of what’s relevant.
The sold out event, with around 150 acts on nearly a dozen stages, had an official capacity of 125,000 per day. But somehow it felt like there were much more people as the day progressed and it took longer to travel between stages.
There were notable instances where musicians took aim – not always with subtlety - against the War in Iran and the Trump Administration at various points during either weekend sets. Devo projected a video sporting a tattered American flag as founding member Gerry Casale said, “Freedom of choice – use it or lose it. It’s going fast.” David Byrne had a video amid “Life During Wartime” that showed ICE agents chasing down people and protests across the country.
Meanwhile, The Strokes (which turned in a solid performance on the main Coachella Stage and used thought-provoking visuals amid a career-spanning set) played the song “Oblivius” for the first time in a decade. It was paired with a montage of universities destroyed in Iran and Gaza, world leaders reportedly overthrown by the CIA and more. The band’s singer Julian Casablancas also made various political asides, including asking whether concertgoers had seen Iran LEGO videos, how they were taken down from YouTube, and said, “land of the free, am I right?”
Below are my top six rock standouts from Weekend 2:
Last Friday, Turnstile’s sharp evening set at the Outdoor Theatre stage prompted a mosh pit (egged-on, in part, by bassist Franz Lyons). The Baltimore melodic hardcore band, which won two Grammy Awards back in February, changed its set order from the previous week’s Coachella and opened with an ominous buildup to the forceful “Birds.”
Singer Brendan Yates jumped around, spun himself in circles and basically let the music do the talking during Turnstile’s compelling performance. When he sang “deep in the night/I’m waiting for the call” during “Dull,” some female fans were shown on the screens holding up an old rotary telephone. Highlights included the tunes with dreamier guitar textures that evoked Andy Summers’ Police work (“Seein’ Stars,” a compassionate “I Care”), the samba bits during “Don’t Play,” as well as other times when the band came across like a heady mix of Jane’s Addiction and Rage Against the Machine.
A minor quibble: Camera operators often focused on the fans and nearby vendors’ reactions to sometimes humorous effect. But mostly, it was annoying because viewers towards the back of the large crowd couldn’t really see what was going on with the musicians in the shadows.
Earlier in the day, Joyce Manor did a memorable set in the Gobi Tent. The Torrance, Calif. punk rock band’s fans were extremely loud while singing along; so much that it harked back to the days when you’d see followers of like-minded acts Dashboard Confessional and Taking Back Sunday do the same thing. One Coachella attendee walked through the crowd carrying a sign that read: “Get off your phones and dance.”
Joyce Manor played half the tunes from its highly recommended new album I Used to Go to This Bar, produced by Bad Religion’s Brett Gurewitz and released on his Epitaph label. Endearing lead singer/guitarist Barry Johnson and his bandmates were all smiles onstage as they did three-part harmonies or gang vocals on songs like “I Know Where Mark Chen Lives,” “Gray Guitar,” and “Well, Don’t it Seem Like You’ve Been Here Before” (complete with harmonica ending). The guys also excelled during the jangly “All My Friends Are So Depressed” and endearing “Heart Tattoo.”
David Byrne closed down the Outdoor Theatre stage on Saturday night with one of the most brilliant performances at Empire Polo Field. His satisfying, long-awaited studio album, Who is the Sky?, which featured guests St. Vincent and Hayley Williams, came out in 2025 (this writer hoped for a guest appearance, but it didn’t happen).
The legendary former Talking Heads singer/songwriter adeptly utilized a roving troupe of choreographed singer/dancers and musicians carrying their instruments and clad in blue attire like their leader. Additionally, there were vivid images of various cityscapes or simple colors inside a square video wall, which resulted in a stunning visual presentation.
Everything got off to a fun and festive start with “Everybody Laughs” from the latest release. Byrne, who turns 74 next month, was in fine voice through the lively set, which featured a wealth of Talking Heads classics and a few deep cuts. He relayed an anecdote about a youthful encounter behind that band’s jubilant “And She Was” and explained the recent “When We Are Singing” was partially inspired by Europeans’ liberation from fascism (it drew a loud cheer).
All the world beat sounds on “(Nothing But) Flowers” were infectious, while the breezy “This Must Be the Place (Naïve Melody)” provided a welcome calmness. The strong final stretch included “Psycho Killer” (re-inserted into Byrne’s concerts last year after a nearly 20-year absence), “Life During Wartime,” “Once in a Lifetime,” and “Burning Down the House.”
Longtime Talking Heads fans note: In case you missed it, the band's box set Tentative Decisions - Demos and Live 1975-77, which arrived last month, provides a fascinating glimpse of the early days of the band.
Royel Otis filled the Mohave Tent late Saturday afternoon. The alt-pop Aussie duo – augmented by two other musicians - didn’t disappoint with their exhilarating, youthful relationship-minded tunes. Messages flashed on the tent screens before and during the set got the crowd amped up.
Highlights included the sleek “Kool Aid,” with a panoramic War on Drugs vibe; the melancholy “Car,” which recalled New Order and saw Royel give it an emotional delivery; the frenzied “I Wanna Dance with You” (containing a melodic nod to Stone Roses and breakdown section straight out of ‘60s Motown); Royel’s vulnerable singing on majestic new single “Sweet Hallelujah” and its sweeping orchestrated grandeur a la Oasis; plus two covers: the band’s infectious dance/rock spin on Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s “Murder on the Dancefloor” and dramatic reading of The Cranberries’ “Linger.”
Sombr (the stage name for Shane Boose) lucked out by landing the coveted Saturday golden hour time slot on the Outdoor Theatre stage. The 20-year-old, whose debut album I Barely Know Her was among last year’s best, launched his dynamic set with current single “Homewrecker.” It had an extended rocking intro, all the better to make a big entrance atop the high stage platform.
Clad in a black outfit that would likely meet Adam Ant’s approval, Sombr broke out the falsetto early and often as he traversed the stage. Some gals near the soundboard hoisted themselves atop guys’ shoulders to get a better view of the lanky studio wunderkind.
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He brought out Billy Idol and guitarist Steve Stevens to guest on their own hit “Eyes Without a Face” (a viral sensation lately on TikTok) and you could see the admiration in Sombr’s face. At one point while singing the lyrics, he put his hand in front of his eyes to mimic the lyrics, which gave Idol a chuckle.
Some women in the audience squealed as popular female model/influencer Quen Blackwell appeared onstage to hold onto Sombr as ballet dancers did their thing around them on the new funky, vocoder-enhanced breakup song “Potential.” Before doing a credibly impassioned version of Radiohead’s “Fake Plastic Trees,” Sombr introduced it as “by my favorite band in the world.” Then he saved the best for last: slow burn top 10 pop single “Back to Friends” and exhilarating drama of “12 to 12.”
On Sunday night, Iggy Pop, 79, gave an unrefined, yet entertaining performance that showed all the young whippersnappers how things are done. Shirtless as usual and wearing low slung dress slacks that looked as if they’d fall off at any time, the “punk rock godfather” still possessed an “I don’t give a damn” attitude.
His eight-member backing band included a three-piece horn section, guitarist Nick Zinner (Yeah Yeah Yeahs), bassist Brad Truax (Interpol), and keyboardist Joan Wasser (Joan as Policewoman).
Kicking things off a Stooges-heavy set with the wiry-sounding “TV Eye,” Pop let out a growl and off they went. The hard charging “Raw Power” contained a searing Zinner solo. “Gimme Danger” lived up to its name sonically as Pop sang in his deep voice and gestured wildly. The opening strains of “The Passenger” (once covered by Siouxsie and the Banshees) resulted in the first palpable sense of crowd recognition. After one musician purposely made a crashing sound, Pop - with his wicked sense of humor - said, “What’s that? Are they bombing Coachella? Is it Putin? Is it Trump? Who Knows?” Then they did a strong “Lust for Life” (famously used in the film “Trainspotting”).
Before the sinister sounding “I Wanna Be Your Dog,” Pop yelled, “touch me!” and proceeded to shake hands with people in the front area. He prefaced “1970” by telling the crowd, “If you live easy or hard, it’s hard to feel alive. This song is what it [felt] like to be alive” [back then]. As the music blasted away, he put the microphone down the center of his pants, did a shimmy, flipped the bird, and yelled, “apocalypse!” The sleazy “Nightclubbing” was shortened after he yelled that again and the band proceeded to do “Loose.” Finally, the madness ended with “Funtime.” Pop pretended to take down his pants, but gave the crowd a brief mooning instead, climbed into a coffin and was carried away. Bizarre? Yes. Par for the course with Iggy Pop? Definitely.
Its cool - figuratively and literally - immersive presentation, “Coachella: Then & Now,” allowed festivalgoers to design their own shirt, hoodie, etc. with a menu of merch element designs from the past. Examples of previous years’ Coachella t-shirts and lineups adorned the booth.
This writer also tried to view the special Radiohead art exhibit/film based on the albums Kid A and Amnesiac, located in an underground bunker near the Sahara Tent. But nabbing an advance reservation proved elusive and waiting in 90F heat in a standby line was out of the question.
Other noteworthy rock acts witnessed: Devo, Foster the People, Wet Leg, Newdad, Tijuana Panthers.
A version of this review originally appeared at rockcellarmagazine.com.
Top photo is of "Network Operations" by visual artist Dedo Vabo.
All photos by George A. Paul.
