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Carl
- A 'Fifth' Catholic -
Ireland
11546 Posts |
 Posted - 02/01/2006 : 23:30:58
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http://www.virtualfestivals.com/festivals/article.cfm?articleid=2416
http://www.aversion.com/news/news_article.cfm?news_id=5884
Pumpkins reunion for Lollapolooza?
01 February 2006
With the much-rumoured Smashing Pumpkins reunion now looking like it's not going to happen at Coachella, attentions have focused on the Lollapolooza festival, which has just announced its dates.
Lollapalooza Festival return this year to Chicago's Grant Park from 4-6 August.
Thievery Corporation have told Billboard they'll be playing and those Smashing Pumpkins rumours just won't go away. As previously reported, Billy Corgan has apparently made moves to get the band back together and it was exppected that Coachella would provide the springboard - as it did with Pixies reunion in 2004.
However, with no mention of Smashing Pumpkins in the first Coachella lineup announcement, there are whispers that Corgan and co, who headlined the Lollapolooza tour in 1994, could make a nostalgic return to the 2006 event.
Founded by Jane's Addiction's Perry Farrell in 1991, Lollapalooza became one of the best known alternative festivals of the '90s and the ultimate touring circus, stopping at up to 30 US cities each summer.
The festival was eventually pulled in 2004 following poor ticket sales but was revived just a year later as a one-off event in Chicago, featuring Pixies, Kaiser Chiefs, Dinosaur Jr, Weezer, The Killers, and more.
Of course the whole Pumpkins thing could be a load of tosh, but we'll see. Stay posted for more info as it comes in.
Lollapalooza Nails Down Dates
Feb 01, 2006
Lollapalooza secured a weekend in August to hold this year's installment of the festival.
The onetime traveling music festival will make its second appearance as a one-stop, weekend-only festival. Like last year, organizers will hold the festival at Grant Park in Chicago. This year’s festival will be held Aug. 4-6.
The festival, which was mothballed for seven years from 1997 to 2004, made a false start in ’04, attempting to return as a two-day traveling festival. Poor advance ticket sales caused those plans to be cancelled before the package tour ever left home (read full story). A slimmed-down, one-weekend festival returned last year with Weezer and The Pixies kicking off the new format.
A lineup for this year's festival has yet to be revealed.
http://top40-charts.com/news.php?nid=20461
Pop / Rock (2006-02-03)
Coachella 2006 Line-up Announced
INDIO, CA. (COACHELLA VALLEY MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL) - Headliners Depeche Mode (Saturday, April 29) and Tool (Sunday, April 30) are among the 80-plus acts set for the seventh annual COACHELLA VALLEY MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL at the Empire Polo Field in Indio, CA. Other artists confirmed for America's most critically acclaimed music festival include Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Franz Ferdinand, Scissor Sisters, Coheed and Cambria, Matisyahu, James Blunt, Common and returning COACHELLA performers Atmosphere, Bloc Party, Hybrid, Ladytron, Mogwai, Paul Oakenfold, The Section Quartet, Sigur Rós, stellastarr* and Sunday headliners TOOL (the complete line-up-as of 1/31-is listed below).
"We've always heard so much about Coachella," said Saturday headliners Depeche Mode, "so it'll be a real honor to headline the festival. It's going to be fantastic to see our devoted Southern California fans out in the desert while greeting a few new faces."
Tickets go on sale this Saturday, February 4 at 12 Noon and are available through Ticketmaster charge-by-phone lines at (213) 480-3232 and at all Ticketmaster retail ticket centers or via www.ticketmaster.com. General admission tickets are priced at $85.00 for a one-day ticket and $165.00 for two-day pass, plus applicable service charges and a $1 donation per day for charity. In addition, fans can also purchase a two-day pass which includes a pre-order of the COACHELLA documentary DVD for $190.00, plus a $2 donation to charity and all applicable service charges (DVD's will be shipped out separately approximately two-three weeks prior to the festival). Note that there is an eight ticket limit per person. In the COACHELLA festival tradition, there is free parking and the doors to the venue will open at 11:00 AM on both days. Parking lots and the box office open at 9:00 AM.
In addition, camping passes will go sale at the same time and are available for anyone 18 and over. The cost is $35 for a three-night stay (Friday, April 28 at 3:00 PM through Monday, May 1 at 10:00 AM).
The campground facilities include a general store, food court, restrooms, showers and shade areas. The COACHELLA campground is conveniently located adjacent to the festival grounds and campers may park in a special camping parking lot next to the campground. Parking is included with the price of each camping ticket.
For information about nearby hotels, camping facilities, restaurants and more, check out www.coachella.com.
The COACHELLA MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL line-up (as of 1/31) is as follows:
Saturday, April 29th:
Depeche Mode, Franz Ferdinand, Sigur Rós, Common, Damian Marley, Atmosphere, Carl Cox, My Morning Jacket, Ladytron , Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Tosca, Cat Power, Animal Collective, HARD-Fi, Derrick Carter, Devendra Banhart, She Wants Revenge, The Walkmen, The Juan Maclean, Audio Bullys, Imogen Heap, Lady Sovereign, Deerhoof, The Duke Spirit, Editors, stellastarr*, Lyrics Born, Matt Costa, The New Amsterdams, The Zutons, Platinum Piped Pipers, White Rose Movement, Chris Liberator, Colette, Joey Beltram, Hybrid, Wolfmother, The Like, Living Things, Nine Black Alps, The Section Quartet, Infadels, Youth Group, Shy FX & T Power, Infusion.
Sunday, April 30:
Tool, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Bloc Party, Paul Oakenfold, Scissor Sisters, Matisyahu, James Blunt, TV on the Radio, Sleater-Kinney, Mogwai, Coheed and Cambria, Gnarls Barkley, Coldcut, Phoenix, Digable Planets, Amadou & Mariam, Little Louie Vega, Mylo (DJ Set), Seu Jorge, Wolf Parade, The Go! Team, Kaskade, Metric, Art Brut, Dungen, The Dears, Jamie Lidell, The Magic Numbers, Los Amigos Invisibles, Jazzanova, Michael Mayer, Mates of State, Gilles Peterson, Gabriel & Dresden, The Subways, Minus the Bear, Be Your Own Pet, Giant Drag, Kristina Sky, The Octopus Project.
Stay tuned for updated line-ups in the weeks leading up to the festival.
www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001921757" target="_blank">www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001921757" target="_blank">http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001921757
http://thecelebritycafe.com/features/4862.html
http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=musicNews&storyID=2006-02-04T081700Z_01_N04284430_RTRIDST_0_MUSIC-FESTIVALS-DC.XML&archived=False
Bonnaroo Goes Rock With Radiohead, Petty, Beck
Radiohead
February 01, 2006, 12:00 AM ET
Ray Waddell, Nashville
Radiohead, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Elvis Costello & the Imposters, Beck, Bonnie Raitt and Buddy Guy are among the acts lined up to play the fifth annual Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, to be held June 16-18 in Manchester, Tenn. The festival is produced by Superfly Presents and A.C. Entertainment. Tickets go on sale Feb. 11.
Though Bonnaroo's roots are firmly planted in the jam-band scene, this year's lineup tilts more toward mainstream and indie rock, with bands like My Morning Jacket, Death Cab For Cutie, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Cat Power, Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks and Bright Eyes booked alongside more traditional jam scene acts like Phil Lesh and Friends, Blues Traveler, Bela Fleck & the Flecktones, Robert Randolph & the Family Band, moe., G. Love & Special Sauce and Medeski Martin & Wood.
"From the beginning we've always tried to reflect people's music collections," Superfly president Jonathan Mayers tells Billboard.com. "People have diverse musical tastes and that's what we're trying to showcase with our programming. While we're not trying to get too far away from our core, Bonnaroo has been a great platform to introduce different music to our fans."
Asked if Bonnaroo is running the risk of alienating the core jam band fans that put the festival on the map, Mayers responds, "We don't want to dismiss our core in any way, but we also think it's great to bring all these different types of music together. As great as Widespread Panic has been to us and has been a really big part of what we've done, we can't have Widespread Panic every single year."
Mayers adds that this lineup announcement does not reflect the complete final bill. "We still have a good amount of announcements to make and once the lineup is complete, I think that our fans are going to be satisfied with all the different genres we're presenting," he says.
Bonnaroo will also boast performances this year from the Neville Brothers, Damian Marley, Ben Folds, Dr. John, Matisyahu, Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder, Nickel Creek, Mike Gordon and Ramble Dove, Gomez, Jerry Douglas, Soulive, Rusted Root, Sasha, Bill Frisell, Mike Doughty, Shooter Jennings, Dungen, Steve Earle, Devendra Banhart, Dresden Dolls and Bettye LaVette.
In its brief history, Bonnaroo has become the top-grossing festival in the world. Last year, it took in $13.4 million and drew 76,049 people to its rural setting about 60 miles south of Nashville. Last year's numbers were down from $14.5 million and 90,000 attendance in 2004; attendance will be capped at 80,000 this year and ticket prices will be increased slightly from the $172.50-$146.50 charged last year.
The Graceland... Of Rock
3-Feb-2006
Written by: Ellen Wernecke
Is Tennessee music festival Bonnaroo the next Lollapalooza?
It may be known for the Grand Ol' Opry, but soon Tennessee's musical legacy may be held up by another event: Bonnaroo.
The Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival is facing its fifth edition this June in Manchester, and the line-up has a distinctly rocky flavor compared to past editions.
While earlier editions of the festival emphasized jam bands like Dave Matthews Band and last year's headliner Widespread Panic, the latest edition features acts from Radiohead to Tom Petty, with special attention to buzz bands like Death Cab for Cutie, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! and My Morning Jacket.
Of course, the jam-band aspect of the festival will still be well represented by acts like Phil Lesh and Friends, Blues Traveler, Bela Fleck & the Flecktones and Robert Randolph & the Family Band.
But Lollapalooza isn't giving up its title without a fight. The Perry Farrell-helmed fest is returning to Chicago's Grant Park after a blockbuster showing last year headlined by Weezer, Pixies, Widespread Panic and Death Cab for Cutie and featuring over 60 acts during its two-day run. The 2005 concert, which came out in the black, despite sweltering temperatures in the Chicago area, was seen as a reinstatement of the financially troubled festival which was forced to cancel its tour in 2004. Rumors abound already that the 2006 edition will feature a reunited Smashing Pumpkins, which may give some tourgoers serious cases of 1996 nostalgia.
Tickets go on sale Feb. 11 for Bonnaroo, which will be held June 16-18.
Bonnaroo, Coachella fests boast similar bills
Sat Feb 4, 2006 3:18 AM ET
By Ray Waddell
NASHVILLE (Billboard) - Now that the basic lineups for the Bonnaroo and Coachella festivals have been unveiled, this much is clear: the musical identities of the two events have blurred.
Both festivals -- which are among North America's most successful -- maintain distinct differences. Not the least is geography: Coachella is in the southern California desert, and Bonnaroo is in the hills of Tennessee.
But the events' talent lineups are starting to look more similar, with at least a half-dozen acts playing both. Talent buyers are trying to stay true to the fans as they attempt to gauge where the next big music trend may emerge.
Bonnaroo, set for June 16-18 in rural Manchester, Tenn., trotted out Radiohead, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Elvis Costello & the Imposters and Beck as its headliners. Tickets go on sale February 11.
A day earlier, Tool and Depeche Mode were named as the headliners for the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, which will be held April 29-30 at Empire Polo Field in Indio, Calif. Tickets go on sale February 4.
Bonnaroo's roots are firmly planted in the jam-band scene. But this year's lineup tilts toward mainstream and indie rock, with acts like Death Cab for Cutie, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Cat Power and Bright Eyes booked alongside more traditional jam bands like Blues Traveler, Phil Lesh & Friends and others.
Conspicuously absent are such jam titans as Gov't Mule, Dave Matthews, Widespread Panic and Trey Anastasio.
"We've always tried to reflect people's diverse music collections," says Jonathan Mayers, president of Superfly Presents, co-producer of Bonnaroo with A.C. Entertainment. "We don't want to dismiss our core in any way, but . . . as great as Widespread Panic has been to us and has been a really big part of what we've done, we can't have Widespread Panic every single year."
Mayers stops short of saying Bonnaroo talent bookers were responding to a jam-band scene that lost some commercial clout during the past two years. Bonnaroo's gross and attendance dipped in 2005, to $13.4 million and 76,049, respectively, from $14.5 million and 90,000 in 2004.
"I don't think that (dip) consciously entered into it," Mayers says. "From a creative standpoint, each year we want to keep our programming fresh."
Mayers adds that the lineup introduced January 31 is just the initial bill, and that "once the lineup is complete, I think that our fans are going to be satisfied."
Meanwhile, Coachella has a marquee attraction in Tool, which performed at the first Coachella in 1999 but has not played live in the United States since late 2002. Other acts on the bill include Bloc Party, TV on the Radio, Sigur Ros, Scissor Sisters, Daft Punk Common and Gnarls Barkley, a collaboration between producer Danger Mouse and rapper Cee-Lo.
Paul Tollett, president of Coachella producer Goldenvoice (a division of AEG Live), says he is particularly excited about some of the lesser-known acts, comparing their ranks to last year's crop of the Arcade Fire, Keane and M.I.A.
"When the ad came out last year, maybe those bands weren't so big, but when the day came around, they'd blown up," he says.
Among the acts playing both Bonnaroo and Coachella are Damian Marley, My Morning Jacket, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, the Magic Numbers and Hasidic reggae rapper Matisyahu.
There is sure to be more duplication as the rest of both lineups are revealed, along with the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, set for April/May, Ultra Music Fest March 25 in Miami and Lollapalooza, tentatively set for August 4-6 in Chicago.
Reuters/Billboard
© Reuters 2006. All Rights Reserved.
 pas de dutchie! |
Edited by - Carl on 05/08/2006 22:00:11 |
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Homers_pet_monkey
= Official forum monkey =
United Kingdom
17125 Posts |
Posted - 02/02/2006 : 05:00:31
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Yeah I was talking about this to my friend the other day. I reckon they will headline Reading over here.
 I'd walk her everyday, into a shady place
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Daisy Girl
~ Abstract Brain ~
Belize
5305 Posts |
Posted - 02/03/2006 : 19:01:04
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For some reason the radio station said the Pumpkins weren't getting back together after he said they were getting back together the day before. I can't remember what day he said it.
But that's cool if they still are.  |
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PixieSteve
> Teenager of the Year <
Poland
4698 Posts |
Posted - 02/05/2006 : 08:16:35
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lollapalooza just sounds like another fun extension of lol
Your mum |
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Homers_pet_monkey
= Official forum monkey =
United Kingdom
17125 Posts |
Posted - 02/07/2006 : 05:20:58
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I know I'm having fun with it.
I'd walk her everyday, into a shady place
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Daisy Girl
~ Abstract Brain ~
Belize
5305 Posts |
Posted - 02/07/2006 : 19:10:51
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| Thks for keeping me in the loop Carl! You da man! |
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Carl
- A 'Fifth' Catholic -
Ireland
11546 Posts |
Posted - 02/15/2006 : 03:44:43
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http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1524270/20060214/farrell_perry.jhtml?headlines=true
Lollapalooza Returning As A Three-Day Festival
02.14.2006 7:29 AM EST
Eight stages with 130 artists will take over Chicago's waterfront from August 4-6.
Perry Farrell
Photo: Matt Carmichael/Getty Images
After a triumphant return as a destination festival last summer, Lollapalooza is spreading its wings ... while staying put. The granddaddy of American summer fests will add a third day to its lineup and double its size when it returns to the Chicago waterfront from August 4-6.
According to organizers, the former touring extravaganza will again set up shop in Chicago's scenic Grant Park, where it was reborn last year after going on hiatus in 2004 (see "Weezer, Killers, Pixies, Dashboard Confessional On Board For Lollapalooza"). Though no acts have been announced yet, this year's plans call for an increase to eight stages hosting 130 artists spread out across the Chicago waterfront in the shadow of the city's skyline.
(Check out photos of Lollapalooza through the years)
"Lollapalooza is a place where young upstarts become legends, and legends return to claim their fame," said festival co-founder and former Jane's Addiction singer Perry Farrell in a statement. "For three days this summer, people will come to Chicago to witness musical history in real time."
Though plagued by triple-digit heat, last summer's July 23-24 event was considered an unqualified triumph by the city and organizers with few hitches and solid attendance of 65,000 fans, who saw the likes of the Pixies, Killers, Dashboard Confessional, Death Cab for Cutie, the Arcade Fire, Weezer and Dinosaur Jr (see "Lollapalooza Thrives In Withering Heat With Killers, Weezer, Pixies"). With the increase in size of this year's event, promoters estimate that as many as 225,000 people could attend the show, according to a Chicago Tribune report.
"It was love at first sight when we visited Grant Park as a possible location," said Charlie Jones, principal and executive producer at CSE, one of the festival's co-presenters. "The setting is as much of a star as the headliners on the stage." With four stages set up at the corners of baseball diamonds in the heart of downtown, fans were easily able to walk from set to set, or escape the heat by lounging under the trees that surrounded the site. The family-friendly event also drew plenty of toddlers, who had their own play area and side stage that, at one point, hosted Farrell playing an acoustic set of Porno for Pyros songs (see "Perry Farrell Promises Top-Flight Rock, Family Fun At Retooled Lollapalooza").
In addition to the stages on Lower Hutchinson Field and the area leading up to the city's iconic Buckingham Fountain, the expanded site will also include the Petrillo Music Shell, a popular summer destination in the city for outdoor concerts.
Organizers have not announced ticket prices, which they said they intend to do within the next two months.
Get your MTV News fresh daily as a podcast — in video or audio. Click on Mac or PC for more info.
— Gil Kaufman
http://www.spin.com/features/news/2006/02/060214_lollapalooza/
Lollapalooza Alive and Kicking for '06
February 14, 2006
What's better than partying outdoors for two days in the dead of summer with 65,000 music fans? Rocking out for three days, in the August heat, with around 225,000 people.
Lollapalooza, the music festival that won't quit, is returning to Chicago this summer and turning it into a three-day event. Organizers expect the extra day will bring in close to four times the number of people who attended last year, according to AP.
The festival will return to the site of last year's event -- Chicago's Grant Park -- from August 4-6, and will include 130 artists over the course of three days. That's 70 more than last year, when the lineup included acts like the Killers, Dashboard Confessional, the Arcade Fire, and the Pixies. No acts have been announced yet, but organizers say they expect a more diverse roster with even bigger stars. Look for a lineup announcement in March.
http://www.chicagoist.com/archives/2006/02/14/its_back_lollapalooza_returns.php
FEBRUARY 14, 2006
It's Back - Lollapalooza Returns!
Just when the darkness of winter is getting to be too much - it's Valentine's Day! Something there to remind us how dark our days really are, but today, of all days, the City gives us the present we've been dreaming of - Lollapalooza. This year our present will last 3 days from August 4th-6th, have 130 performers on eight stages and take up more space in Grant Park.
No one act is signed on for sure, look for that announcement in mid-March. The Trib today has a section asking who would be the dream line-up and the Red Eye lamely picked people who played last year. Chicagoist agrees that The Pixies, Arcade Fire and The Killers were fun - but we like change even more. The Texas-based Capital Sports & Entertainment has a great history of getting large-named bands to headline their events in Austin. REM, the year Chicagoist headed down, last year it was Wilco. Who do we dare to dream about for our Lollapalooza?
Ahh, Grant Park, sun, music and Perry Farrell - who could ask for more? Lolla's home.
Posted by Julene McCoy in Music |
Edited by - Carl on 02/15/2006 07:18:29 |
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Carl
- A 'Fifth' Catholic -
Ireland
11546 Posts |
Posted - 03/04/2006 : 18:07:14
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http://www.nme.com/festivals/news/22219
Lollapalooza extended for 2006
A third day will be added to bash
The Lollapalooza festival is to once again take place in Chicago this year - with a third day added.
This year's bash will once again take place on Grant Park on the waterfront of the city between August 4 and 6.
As well as the extra day, the event will double in size.
The bash took place in the same venue in 2005 after taking a year off, when the likes of Pixies and Weezer performed. No acts have been announced for the 2006 event yet, thought this year's plans include an increase to eight stages hosting 130 artists, reports MTV News.
Festival co-founder and former Jane's Addiction singer Perry Farrell said in a statement: "Lollapalooza is a place where young upstarts become legends, and legends return to claim their fame. For three days this summer, people will come to Chicago to witness musical history in real time."
With the increase in size of this year's event, promoters estimate that as many as 225,000 people could attend the show, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Organisers say they intend to announce ticket prices within the next two months.
Perry Ferrell
Picture: Sebastian Artz
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Edited by - Carl on 03/04/2006 20:37:43 |
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Daisy Girl
~ Abstract Brain ~
Belize
5305 Posts |
Posted - 03/05/2006 : 12:43:29
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I missed out on those $45 dollar pre sale tix. I guess there were only 3,000 or so. The side said that there will be more good deals. I missed it last year and am definately going.
Bonnoroo is close to my better half's side of the family, but I hear it's really hard to get hotels there too, plus it's further away.
Cochella is too far away too. |
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kfs
= Cult of Ray =
USA
889 Posts |
Posted - 03/06/2006 : 14:18:26
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quote:
Originally posted by Daisy Girl
I missed out on those $45 dollar pre sale tix. I guess there were only 3,000 or so. The side said that there will be more good deals. I missed it last year and am definately going.
Bonnoroo is close to my better half's side of the family, but I hear it's really hard to get hotels there too, plus it's further away.
Cochella is too far away too.
I live in middle Tennessee. You can stay at my place! |
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Carl
- A 'Fifth' Catholic -
Ireland
11546 Posts |
Posted - 04/24/2006 : 12:43:26
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http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/entertainment/homepage/article_1113520.php
Sunday, April 23, 2006
No longer the capital of cool?
The Coachella festival's line-up has left some underwhelmed, while Tennessee's Bonnaroo event boosts its star power.
By BEN WENER
The Orange County Register
Jan. 31: The Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, arguably the nation's finest festival and one of the most influential showcases of new and veteran cutting-edge artists, announces its hotly anticipated seventh lineup.
"Hotly" is an understatement, actually. Speculation had been rampant all month, partly fueled by a fake poster, widely circulated on the Internet, indicating a much-rumored Smashing Pumpkins reunion would top one of the weekend's two bills.
Would that indeed occur? Would, say, the Red Hot Chili Peppers make another stop at the two-stages-three-tents gathering to promote a coming double album? Or what about those fearless freaks the Flaming Lips - might they return and concoct something even crazier than Wayne Coyne's famous walk-atop-the-crowd-inside-a-bubble-ball stunt?
No, no and no.
And no to the Strokes, the Arcade Fire, the White Stripes and Jack White's new Raconteurs project.
Instead, prog-metal giant Tool, the first repeat headliner, having preceded Rage Against the Machine at the end of the first Coachella in October 1999, would now close out the 2006 edition, scheduled for next weekend at the Empire Polo Field in Indio. Topping Day 1: Depeche Mode, the beloved electro-pop outfit which had very recently sold out several shows at various SoCal venues.
Thus, many Coachella regulars exhaled a sigh of slight disappointment.
Where, some wondered, was the big reunion act - a Pixies or Stooges or Gang of Four? Where was the major headliner to match Coldplay and Nine Inch Nails in 2005 or - the quadruple threat many contend cannot be beat - Radiohead ("the Pink Floyd of this generation," says Coachella organizer Paul Tollett), the Pixies, the Flaming Lips and the Cure in 2004?
But then it got worse.
Feb. 1: Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival announces its hotly anticipated lineup. Since 2002, the larger, arguably more eclectic three-day festival has been staged annually before 80,000 people (almost twice as many as attend Coachella) on 700 acres of farmland in Manchester, Tenn., just outside of Nashville.
Some acts were expected: Grateful Dead mainstay Phil Lesh; Oysterhead, featuring former Phish-er Trey Anastasio, Police drummer Stewart Copeland and Primus bassist Les Claypool; and improvisational bands like moe. and Rusted Root. The sort of acts, in other words, that established Bonnaroo's reputation as a void-filler in the jam-band scene.
Yet in recent years the event has wildly expanded its roster to include both rootsier rock legends - the coming incarnation, June 16-18, spotlights Elvis Costello, Tom Petty and Bonnie Raitt - and edgier fare from outside the mainstream.
This year, for instance, Coachella scored rapper Common, Hasidic reggae star Matisyahu, breakout acts Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and the Magic Numbers and late-blooming critics' favorites like My Morning Jacket and Cat Power.
Bonnaroo has all of them as well. Plus Bright Eyes. And Death Cab for Cutie, Sonic Youth and the Streets. And Ben Folds and the Dresden Dolls.
And Beck - who hasn't properly played Coachella since '99.
And Radiohead, in its only stateside date announced so far this year.
"That Bonnaroo lineup is just creepy, it's so good," says Laguna Beach surfer-turned-songwriter Donavon Frankenreiter, who last year played Coachella and this year appears at Bonnaroo. "It's like Woodstock, but, like, times a million."
Thus, a whole lot of Coachella regulars have had to ask themselves: "Well, if I can only go to one festival this year ?"
Tollett, the Goldenvoice concert promoter who hatched Coachella as an American response to similar long-running English festivals like Glastonbury and Reading, is well aware that some people think Bonnaroo has Coachella beat this time out.
"That fake poster really hurt us," he admits. "That made it harder to announce our lineup when people were expecting that one. And you hate to be in the position of trying to explain why the bands you picked are better than what people were hoping.
"But, then, you gotta look at those expectations and realize that people trust this show a lot and think they deserve to have a good lineup. I'd rather have people be invested in the concept and be critical than not care at all."
It could be said that some Coachellans care too much, however, something that became especially noticeable when Tollett announced a late addition: Madonna, who will unveil (in slightly downscaled form) her latest production inside the expanded and renovated Sahara dance tent a month before she plays high-ticket dates at the Forum.
Some gripes have been mild: "(She's) a pretty mainstream artist," Chris Ross of Australia's new hard-rock outfit Wolfmother (appearing Saturday) has said. "I'd expect a bigger alternative kind of artist." Other complaints have been harsher: "I hope (she) chokes on a crumpet," wished one anonymous message-board post at www.coachella.com.
Yet though the indie kids grumble - something Tollett says he hears "anytime I get a big act," regardless of genre - he thinks Madonna's inclusion is one of the better things to happen to Coachella this year.
"It's a gift to the dance crowd. There are lots of people who go to Coachella and stay in the Sahara tent all day. This is for them."
What's more, "the entire process with her and her management has been smooth. They have gotten into the spirit of it. Right away they asked us what the guidelines of the show are, not 'Here's our demands.' It was more like 'We don't want to disrupt anything.'"
Madonna's appearance, though, is only one such new twist Tollett wanted to add - or subtract, as the case is regarding what he calls "reunitements."
"I'm not looking to do that every year," he says, despite several reports that the Smiths were presented with a $5 million offer to perform. "Some years it works out. The Stooges reunite - you grab it. Pixies, too, of course. But we're not going to go after that just to fill a token slot."
Instead, Coachella, like Bonnaroo, has diversified. There is more world-beat than before, courtesy of Malian duo Amadou & Mariam, Portuguese performer Seu Jorge and Venezuela's Los Amigos Invisibles. There are buzzed-about acts about to break out or just garnering notice: Gnarls Barkley (a collaboration between rapper Cee-Lo and DJ Danger Mouse), She Wants Revenge, James Blunt, Nine Black Alps, the Zutons.
There are more subdued singer-songwriter types, including psychedelic folkie Devendra Banhart and Huntington Beach's own Matt Costa, only the fourth act from O.C. (if you count Rage alongside Frankenreiter and Thrice) to appear at the festival. And then there are plenty of exclusives: English newcomer Bloc Party, the outrageous Scissor Sisters, Sigur Rós, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and the first appearances from Massive Attack and Daft Punk in nearly a decade.
"This one has more different types of music than we've ever had before," Tollett contends. "And it needs to get that way. It needs to change and grow. If we stuck with the same exact show every year, then the criticism would be, 'Oh, they've got a formula and they're done.' I'd rather take a chance that we book something people don't like than to do the same thing again and again."
Turns out that's the same philosophy behind Bonnaroo. "The jam band has been the core of our event and will continue to be," explains Jonathan Mayers, who via his Superfly Productions stages Bonnaroo and the Las Vegas festival Vegoose each year. "But we've consciously opened up our programming just for the health of the event. We want to keep challenging our audiences. What keeps a festival fresh is that it keeps evolving."
So Bonnaroo going after Radiohead and other Coachella-type acts isn't a competitive response, he says. "Coachella is a great festival, I've been out there before, but we don't really take it into consideration. We're not trying to emulate them any more than I think they're trying to emulate us when they have acts like Ben Harper or Jack Johnson."
They are radically different events, of course. "At Bonnaroo I imagine I'll be dodging a lot more Hacky Sacks," jokes Banhart. "And I guess there might be more methamphetamines at Coachella, more opiates at Bonnaroo."
But seriously, the two fests don't match up. Coachella is about a hip two-day oasis in the California desert, the heat of which attendees escape by retreating to hotel rooms. Bonnaroo is a long-weekend, round-the-clock, camping-community experience whose patrons begin to feel as though they live there permanently.
"When people come from all over America to camp at that, and it feels like a weeklong pilgrimage to get there, it's a totally different vibe," notes Frankenreiter. "You create a little nest, a little home, and the experience is constant. Coachella is completely different - every bit as great, but with its own approach."
And as that approach undergoes revision this year more than ever, all the festival's visionary can do is gauge reaction. If only people would wait and see how it all goes down.
"You know, report cards shouldn't be given out until after the semester, not Day 1 going into school," he says. "You can't judge Coachella by the lineup announcement. You really can't even judge it until after April 29. Wait till it's over. And then judge it based on what really happens."
CONTACT US: (714) 796-2248 or bwener@ocregister.com
DAY 1: Dave Gahan and Depeche Mode are due to headline.
DAN TREVAN, THE SAN DIEGO UNION TRIBUNE
COACHELLA VALLEY MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL
Day 1 Depeche Mode, Daft Punk, Franz Ferdinand and dozens more
Day 2 Tool, Massive Attack, Madonna, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and dozens more
Where Empire Polo Field, 81-800 Avenue 51, Indio
When Saturday-Sunday
Tickets $85 per day, $165 for a two-day pass (limited quantities)
Call (714) 740-2000
Online www.coachella.com" target="_blank">www.coachella.com, www.ticketmaster.com
There was a similar news story to the one above here, but it's disappeared:
http://feed.insnews.org/v-cgi/feeds.cgi?feedid=145&story_id=1796475 |
Edited by - Carl on 04/26/2006 12:23:13 |
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Apesy
= Cult of Ray =
USA
411 Posts |
Posted - 04/26/2006 : 15:37:27
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Anyone in New England confused as to why there's no awesomely giant music festival here? Because I am.
-=Apesy |
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Carl
- A 'Fifth' Catholic -
Ireland
11546 Posts |
Posted - 04/26/2006 : 22:27:35
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http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/cl-wk-cover27apr27,0,7478261.story?coll=la-home-entertainment
COACHELLA
Oasis or mirage? Your call
Coachella has a sizzling rep. And Kanye West. And — Madonna? Is that hot, or not?
By Geoff Boucher, Times Staff Writer
April 27 2006
Say you're wandering in the desert and your canteen springs a leak. Half your water spills out on the sand. Is your first reaction to be glad — hey, you did manage to save half of it, after all — or is it to grumble about what you've lost?
In that same way, there are two ways to view the 2006 desert bash that is the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Is it half-full or half-empty?
First, the optimistic view: Today, organizers of the massive festival in Indio will announce that Kanye West will be a surprise addition to the Saturday main stage, adding a zing to a lineup that already featured Depeche Mode, Tool, Massive Attack, Franz Ferdinand and (could it be?) Madonna in a dance tent. Going into this seventh edition of the franchise, Coachella is one of the most potent brands in the business and a model that changed the way huge American festivals are staged.
But, there are also those nagging thoughts about what has already evaporated: The months of fan chatter about a Coachella-hosted reunion of the Smiths and the Smashing Pumpkins never materialized (the latter, it turns out, was never really a viable option — more on that later). And seeing Depeche Mode and Tool at the top of the bill feels vaguely like a repeat episode: Mode recently did three arena dates in the L.A. market and Tool was a headliner at the inaugural staging of Coachella, which runs counter to the festival's goal of avoiding recycled bookings for the top spots.
There's also muttering that the curious booking of Madonna is hardly the way to win over the proud, cred-conscious fans who have made Coachella so successful. Some would argue she earns a pass here because of her electronic-dance credentials, but others say aging pop stars should be left to Wango Tango, not the premier festival for music on the new edges. The addition of West will add to that swirl of opinions; critically acclaimed, certainly, he's also the most mainstream pop act ever on Coachella's main stage.
None of this should suggest Coachella is wilting in the sun, even with that (ugh) 97-degree forecast for Sunday. It's on track to be a sellout, with 50,000-plus expected each day and, at $85 per ticket per day, that's a powerful vote of confidence from the public. And the second and third tiers of the bill are arguably the strongest and strangest ever, with Sigur Rós, Daft Punk, Matisyahu, Common, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Sleater-Kinney, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley, Hard-Fi, Wolfmother, Cat Power, Gnarls Barkley and plenty of others from rock, dance and hip-hop.
An optimist would say: This is a sparkling chance to see a future headliner on the way up. A pessimist might counter: All it means is that this year the main stage doesn't matter. That's the thing about wandering in the desert, people can't agree on whether they see an oasis or just a mirage.
Sometimes Paul Tollett isn't even sure what he sees in Coachella. Tollett is the affable chief promoter of the festival, a quiet guy in a business that is geared more toward barking P.T. Barnum-types.
"I can't really tell what we have, what type of show it really is, until we make the poster and I can see all the names together," he said. "When I book it, I book it off a list. It doesn't seem as real until we make the poster. When it's just sitting in black and white on a piece of paper, I don't understand it all the way."
A few weeks ago, between bites of an ahi tuna sandwich at Pete's Café in downtown L.A., Tollett admitted he had fretted about the Madonna booking and how it would be perceived, but in the end he was won over by the pop star's instant affinity for Coachella and its goal.
"I don't want there to ever be a typical Coachella, I don't want people to really put it in a box because then it's less exciting for everyone," Tollett said. It was no snap decision to bring the pop icon to Indio; Tollett was talking about it at last year's show after he ran into Guy Oseary, Madonna's co-manager, who attended the festival with another of his clients, the Prodigy.
The booking of West, however, was very much a case of late-minute serendipity. The deal came together only last week and Tollett was plainly thrilled by it, and with good reason; when the Village Voice tallied the votes of 795 music critics earlier this year, West was said to have the best album of 2005 ("Late Registration") and the year's best single ("Gold Digger," which teamed West with Jamie Foxx). West has also earned rave reviews for his stage show, which is far more theatrical than most hip-hop shows and features live musicians, props and, on special occasions, plenty of guest stars.
Booking a festival is like mapping out the paths of shifting icebergs and trying to pick a spot in the sea where, months from now, the shiniest of floes will briefly come together. Some icebergs take months to capture. For eight years, Tollett had tried in vain to lure Daft Punk to Coachella. This year, he got them.
"It's all about timing; you can beg for Daft Punk forever but you're not going to get it," Tollett said of the eccentric and long-revered electronic-music duo from Paris. "Then, one year, they're ready to come out of their shell and you're in. You have to be patient. That's what happened with Massive Attack. I wanted Massive Attack to headline a third day our first year but it didn't happen."
This time, Tollett did net the British act that pulled on disparate sounds of rock, electronic, reggae and trip-hop for a series of 1990s atmosphere-rich albums that hugely influenced musicians who followed those paths.
The time was right for those two signature acts — but that was not the case with the Smiths or the Smashing Pumpkins.
A Smiths reunion would be something along the lines of a global music moment for people who dress only in black, so there was quite a ripple in the press in March when lead singer Morrissey revealed that Tollett had offered a cool $5 million for the band to reunite for one set at Coachella. Morrissey, who has performed at Coachella as a solo act, told the interviewer, David Fricke, that no check needed to be cut "because money doesn't come into it" when it comes to the band's estrangement.
A downcast Tollett said he was disappointed that the Smiths were not an option, but dismissed as "a myth" rumors that he'd been actively pursuing a Smashing Pumpkins reunion. Tollett said Pumpkins lead singer Billy Corgan has not given signals that he is ready to pursue a reunion, and the promoter knows Corgan well enough to leave it at that. "I didn't think they were even close to getting back together so I didn't make an offer or even think about going there. You've got to wait. There's nothing I can say or do that will make that happen. I hope it does happen though."
Tollett said this has been the most difficult Coachella to book since the first Coachella. Back then, the challenge was persuading people that a huge, standing, European-style festival could work; now one of the problems is that Coachella has worked so well that it has a host of competing festivals across the country. In other words, Coachella's novel approach was so special that now it has become entirely common, with similar shindigs in Las Vegas, Seattle and elsewhere. The San Diego Street Scene has tilted its ambitions closer to a Coachella-style event, and a reconfigured Lollapalooza will again set up shop in Chicago as a standing festival instead of touring, a nod to the Indio model.
There's fan chatter, too, that this time Coachella finds itself in the rare position of being second runner-up in the competition for the best headlining acts.
The most alluring festival lineup this year, for reasons of music and the heart, is actually in Louisiana — the six days of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival that begin in late April have room enough for Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon, the Dave Matthews Band, Jimmy Buffett, Dr. John and many, many more. That show is being staged as a revival of New Orleans and its music scene so it's unfair to compare it with anything short of Live 8, but Coachella might also be looking up this year to a second competitor. That's because the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in Tennessee in June will plug in with Radiohead, Tom Petty, Beck, Elvis Costello and Bright Eyes among its notable names. Previously, Bonnaroo was a jam band affair, but now (like Coachella, with West and Madonna) it's widening its view of viable acts to sit better with fans whose genre tastes seem to be set on shuffle, just like their iPods.
"The great challenge is now music fans don't identify themselves as being a rock fan or a hip-hop fan or dance fan, they say they like everything, and that wasn't the case even five years ago," Tollett said. "That makes it very hard to book a show and very hard to schedule who is on stage when ... but all of it is good, it should be a challenge. You want to earn it each year."
Coachella is also competing against its past success; the festival's scrapbook includes a powerful Pixies reunion, scorching sets by the White Stripes and the evocative power of Radiohead and Coldplay. Sometimes the competition with history is literal: Radiohead's last show in America was at Coachella in 2004, and its next one will be at Bonnaroo. "There was no way they were going to come back and play Coachella first, and we wouldn't want that anyway, so that was sort of off the table," Tollett said. "It's too soon for them to come back to us."
There had been rumors of a U2 visit too, but it didn't work out this time — more of that business about icebergs and timing. Tollett was asked if U2 would be too big to fit in the lineup. His answer didn't sound like one from a person who sees things as half-empty: "No. No one is too big for Coachella, not anymore."
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/features/20060427-9999-lz1w27coachel.html
Full speed ahead
Coachella fest started slow, but this week's event is guaranteed to take the desert by storm
By Nina Garin
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
April 27, 2006
Before the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival turned into the taste-making event it is today, the two-day concert was in danger of failing miserably.
That's because tickets for the first Coachella went on sale the same week as the Woodstock '99 fiasco. For those who don't remember, Woodstock '99 was the festival that ended in fires, riots, looting and violent rapes.
Though it was supposed to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the original Woodstock, the 1999 version pretty much erased any good feelings associated with outdoor festivals. It did so by featuring macho bands like Limp Bizkit and Creed singing about “breaking stuff.”
The concert was held at a stifling, concrete Air Force base. The food was ridiculously expensive. The bathrooms overflowed. There wasn't enough shade. There was miles of traffic, causing cars to overheat. Trash piled up. So did the flies, the odor.
No one was eager to put themselves in that situation again anytime soon.
“We had the worst possible timing with our on-sale date,” said the organizer and president of Goldenvoice Concerts, Paul Tollet. “We lost a lot of money that first year. People were afraid to go to festivals. Festival was a bad word back then.”
But the 1999 Coachella fest went on anyway.
It featured a lineup that included a mix of alternative and dance acts like Beck, Pavement, Morrissey, Cibo Matto, Underworld and Chemical Brothers. Tollet said he was inspired by the creativity of Southern California's rave culture and wanted to combine that artistic influence in a rock atmosphere.
So those 39,000 fans who did venture out to the concert in Indio quickly realized that there was something different going on. For one thing, it was held on a polo field full of pretty, green grass. And there was space – lots of it – so that people never felt uncomfortably crowded.
It was still blazing hot – especially in the early years when the concert was held in October – but there was plenty of shade. The food was reasonably priced and parking was free.
That may seem like small, irrelevant details, but those are the things that helped build Coachella's reputation as the successful music festival it is today. In fact, Coachella has spawned countless of other festivals around the country including Bonnaroo in Tennessee and the return of Lollapalooza – now a two-day event in Chicago.
“I hope that we've added a good feeling to festivals in general,” Tollet said. “One festival can affect the other. If people have problems at a show, it creates a bad vibe for festivals in general. So the better the other festivals are, the more it helps ours too.”
Festival chic
Now in its seventh year (the concert took a break in 2000), Coachella attracts big-name fans like Cameron Diaz and Justin Timberlake as well as indie music snobs looking for the Next Big Thing. It's also become a place where bands like the Pixies, Bauhaus, Jane's Addiction and Gang of Four reunite.
“This year, I tried not to have it be big on reunions,” Tollet said. “I don't want the concert to become formulaic.”
Still, he admits that he did try to get the Smiths back together – allegedly for $5 million. But the band's King of Mope, Morrissey, refused.
“Well, if the Smiths said yes, I wouldn't be fighting that reunion,” Tollet said. “I'm not shameful of the fact that I would love to get the Smiths back together, but, oh well.”
He may not have been successful with the Smiths. But Coachella did manage to charm the biggest star of all: Madonna.
The superstar singer-performer is scheduled to close out the dance tent Sunday night. And Tollet said it wasn't all that difficult to get her to do it.
“You'd think it would be impossible,” he said. “But it naturally came together.”
At last year's event, people from Madonna's Maverick label came out to check out the concert. That's when Tollet “planted the seed.” With the release of Madonna's club album, “Confessions on a Dancefloor,” the booking just fell into place. Now, her name is expected to bring even more people out to the desert.
“All the people out in Coachella Valley are telling me that this is the first time they recognize one of the performers,” Tollet said.
But Madonna might be too big for this too-cool fest.
Coachella regulars have already expressed concern. Mostly, they're worried there won't be enough room in the dance tent. Last year, it couldn't even house fans of the Chemical Brothers. But Tollet said he's made some changes and there will be a much bigger space available for Madge's performance.
Along with booking Madonna, Tollet is just as interested in giving the unknowns a chance. This year, Tollet solicited unsigned musicians on Myspace.com.
He took submissions from bands and DJs and awarded Sunday spots to a band called the Octopus Project and DJ Kristina Sky.
“We're always looking for new music,” he said. “My ears are open all year long. I think we've got one of our most diverse lineups.”
And now that the bands are booked, the stages are set and the festival atmosphere is positive, Tollet's main concern is the weather.
He has control over everything but that.
“I look at the forecast constantly,” he said. “Just a few degrees can really change everything. Some of our fans don't really like the sun. But funny enough, the people who come over from England don't seem to mind.”
HIT THE ROAD AND ROCK ON
If Coachella has you in the festival spirit this summer, here are some other options to check out:
 JAM ROCK
Bonnarro Music & Arts Festival (June 16-18)
Where: Manchester, Tenn.
Lineup: Radiohead, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Phil Lesh & Friends, Beck, Bonnie Raitt, Death Cab for Cutie, Cypress Hill, Ben Folds, Common, Dr. John, Sonic Youth, My Morning Jacket, Nickel Creek, Gomez, Medeski Martin & Wood, Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks, Dresden Dolls, Son Volt, the Streets, Seu Jorge and more.
Tickets: $169.50 to $184.50 for a three-day pass.
Information: www.bonnaroo.com/2006.
Snobs only
INTONATION MUSIC FESTIVAL (June 24 and 25)
Where: Union Park, Chicago.
Lineup: Bloc Party, Annie, Bill Dolan, Boredoms, Chromeo, Constantines, Dead Prez, High on Fire, Jon Brion, Kano, Lady Sovereign, Robert Pollard, the Stills, the Streets, the Sword and more.
Tickets: $20 for a one-day pass; $35 for a two-day pass.
Information: www.intonationmusicfest.com.
Cool enough for you and big brother
LOLLAPALOOZA (Aug. 4-6)
Where: Grant Park, Chicago
Lineup: Red Hot Chili Peppers, Kanye West, Manu Chao, Wilco, Death Cab for Cutie, Raconteurs, the Flaming Lips, Ween, Queens of the Stone Age, the Shins, Common, Matisyahu, Ryan Adams, Sonic Youth, Sleater-Kinney, Thievery Corporation, Blues Traveler, Broken Social Scene, Iron & Wine, Poi Dog Pondering, Cursive, Stars, She Wants Revenge, the Go! Team, Aqualung, the Rapture and more.
Tickets: $130 to $150 for a three-day pass.
Information: www.lollapalooza.com.
For backpackers
READING FESTIVAL (Aug. 25-27)
Where: Reading, England.
Lineup: Pearl Jam, Franz Ferdinand, Kaiser Chiefs, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Audioslave, Belle & Sebastian, Fall Out Boy, the Futureheads, Arctic Monkeys, Panic! At the Disco, My Chemical Romance and more.
Tickets: 60 pounds for single-day tickets.
Information: www.readingfestival.com.
– NINA GARIN
DATEBOOK
Coachella Valley
Music and Arts
Festival
11 a.m. to midnight
Saturday and Sunday
Empire Polo Field, 81-
800 Ave. 51, Indio; $85
for a one-day pass; $165
for a two-day pass; (619)
220-TIXS or
ticketmaster.com |
Edited by - Carl on 04/27/2006 18:49:55 |
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paintmeister
= Cult of Ray =
USA
347 Posts |
Posted - 04/27/2006 : 18:39:24
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WAKARUSA Music and Camping Festival
The word “Wakarusa” is a Native American term meaning "ass-deep". In and around the Lawrence Kansas area, it refers to the Wakarusa River, which is the primary stream that feeds Clinton Lake. Oddly enough, the river's average water depth is about "ass-deep".
The Wakarusa Music and Camping Festival is a 4-day foot-stomping party in the heart of the Midwest. Born in 2004, Wakarusa burst onto the scene with a diverse and eclectic lineup featuring over 70 artists. The 2004 bill perked the interest of both devout and casual music fans alike. Fans that made the trip to Wakarusa left with unforgettable stories of the music and the beautiful surroundings of Clinton Lake and the Lawrence area. In 2005, Wakarusa returned and quickly established itself as a premiere, grassroots event in the nationwide outdoor music scene. Attracting folks from all 50 U.S. states and 5 countries, the 2005 event featured over 80 artist, 5 stages and over 4 days of non-stop music and entertainment.
Artist Line Up
June 8-11
Tickets: 4 day pass $119-$139
* The Flaming Lips
* Gov't Mule
* Robert Randolph and the Family Band
* The Greyboy Allstars
* STS9 (Sound Tribe Sector 9)
* Yonder Mountain String Band
* Bela Fleck and the Flecktones
* Disco Biscuits
* Les Claypool
* Keller Williams
* Michael Franti and Spearhead
* The Mutaytor
* Buckethead
* Dirty Dozen Brass Band
* Cross Canadian Ragweed
* Railroad Earth
* Bernie Worrell and the WOO Warriors
* Benevento-Russo Duo
* ALO (Animal Liberation Orchestra)
* Perpetual Groove
* Tim Reynolds
* Cracker
* New Monsoon
* Tea Leaf Green
* Brother's Past
* Oteil & the Peacemakers
* Moonshine Still
* Assembly of Dust
* The Cat Empire
* Hot Buttered Rum
* Pnuma Trio
* Bassnectar
* Papa Mali
* Chubby Carrier
* Todd Snider
* Lucero
* Will Hoge
* Donna the Buffalo
* Gabby La La
* William Elliot Whitmore
* Jake Shimabukuro
* Bob Schneider
* Jerry Joseph and the Jackmormons
* Samantha Stollenwerck
* Larry Keel and Natural Bridge
* Delta Nove
* MOFRO
* Shooter Jennings
* Camper Van Beethoven
* Lotus
* Andrew Bird
* Shanti Groove
* Alfred Howard & the K23 Orchestra
* Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band
* Yard Dogs Road Show
* Jackie Greene
* Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers
* Truckstop Honeymoon
* Chris Berry & Panjea
* Hackensaw Boys
* Rose Hill Drive
* The Avett Brothers
* Trampled by Turtles
* 56 Hope Road
* Del Castillo
* Virginia Coalition
* Deep Fried Pickle Project
* Honeytribe featuring Devon Allman
* Backyard Tire Fire
* Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
* Groovatron
* Green Lemon
* Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band
* White Ghost Shivers
* Bootyjuice
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Carl
- A 'Fifth' Catholic -
Ireland
11546 Posts |
Posted - 04/27/2006 : 19:13:19
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http://www.sdcitybeat.com/article.php?id=4312
DESERTED:
COACHELLA SURVIVAL GUIDE
The theory is simple—for two days, pack as many bands as humanly possible onto polo fields in Indio, Calif. Create a music lover’s mirage in the sweltering desert heat. Convince 100,000 people to buy tickets.
Goldenvoice Concerts lost a million bucks when it debuted the Coachella Music & Arts Festival in 1999. Some argued that the lineup—mostly electronica and hip-hop at the time—was too eclectic, too underground. Goldenvoice didn’t hold an event in 2000 and refused to accept offers of corporate sponsorship.
Eight years later, it rivals the Bonnaroo Festival in Tennessee as the annual mecca for U.S. music fans. It’s got so much clout that when The Smiths were offered $5 million to reunite for this year’s event, even Morrissey superfans—who know Satan has a better chance of ice dancing—thought the band might do it.
There have been huge moments, like Flea jamming with a reunited Jane’s Addiction in 2001 and Queens of the Stone Age with Dave Grohl on drums in 2002. The Stooges, Pixies, Bauhaus and Gang of Four all reunited for the festival. This year Madonna will play in a tent while Depeche Mode and Tool take the main stages. But just as many music fans would contend it’s the side stages that make Coachella as good as it is—whether seeing hip-hop eccentric MF Doom in 2005 or psyched for this year’s appearance by Swedish prog-rock champs Dungen.
In less time than it takes to snooze through The English Patient, San Diegans can drive to the event. We strongly suggest you pony up—and we heed our own advice by dedicating this issue of CityBeat to Coachella 2006.
THE ESSENTIALS
What: Coachella Valley Music Festival
Where: Empire Polo Fields in Indio.
When: April 29 and 30
Times: Parking and box offices open at 9 a.m. Gates open at 11 a.m. First bands will start around 11:45 a.m. Concert ends at midnight both days.
Cost: $86 for one day, $167 for both. Tickets available at Ticketmaster: 619-220-8497. Parking is free. Kids younger than 5 get in free. There’s no “ins and outs,” so make sure you have everything you need before going in.
Directions from San Diego: 15 North to the 215 North to the 60 East to the 10 East. Exit 10 at Jefferson Street or continue on and exit at Monroe Street. Traffic personnel will direct cars to the Empire Polo Field and the event parking lots.
Website: www.coachella.com
What you CAN bring
• medium-sized backpacks
• hats
• sun block
• lighters
• sunglasses
• cigarettes
• small beach towels
• fanny packs
• digital, film and disposable cameras (“non-pro,” which means it can’t have a removable lens).
What you CANNOT bring
• instruments
• chains (including chain wallets)
• blankets
• food and drink
• camelpacks
• flags (meaning those tall ones that help you find your friends)
• chairs
• video cameras
• audio recorders
• bota bags
• animals (neither stuffed nor real)
SATURDAY
(Note: Hard-Fi cancelled due to sickness)
Depeche Mode
Daft Punk
Franz Ferdinand
Sigur Rós
Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley
Common
Atmosphere
Carl Cox
My Morning Jacket
TV on the Radio
Ladytron
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
Tosca
Cat Power
Animal Collective
Derrick Carter
Devendra Banhart
She Wants Revenge
The Walkmen
The Juan Maclean
Imogen Heap
Audio Bullys
Lady Sovereign
Deerhoof
The Duke Spirit
Eagles of Death Metal
Lyrics Born
Matt Costa
The New Amsterdams
The Zutons
Platinum Pied Pipers
White Rose Movement
Colette
Joey Beltram
Hybrid
The Rakes
Living Things
Wolfmother
The Like
Nine Black Alps
Celebration
The Section Quartet
Head Automatica
Shy FX & T Power
Infusion
Rob Dickinson
SUNDAY
Tool
Massive Attack
Madonna
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Bloc Party
Paul Oakenfold
Scissor Sisters
Matisyahu
James Blunt
Sleater-Kinney
Mogwai
Coheed and Cambria
Wolf Parade
Gnarls Barkley
Phoenix
Coldcut
Digable Planets
Amadou & Mariam
Louie Vega
Mylo (DJ Set)
Seu Jorge
Ted Leo & Pharmacists
The Go! Team
Kaskade
Metric
Editors
Art Brut
Dungen
The Dears
Jamie Lidell
The Magic Numbers
Los Amigos Invisibles
Jazzanova
stellastarr*
Michael Mayer
Murs featuring 9th wonder
Mates of State
Gilles Peterson
Infadels
Gabriel & Dresden
The Subways
Minus the Bear
OneRepublic
Be Your Own Pet
Chris Liberator
Youth Group
Giant Drag
Kristina Sky
The Octopus Project
4/26/06
© 2003-2006 Southland Publishing, All Rights Reserved
www.ucsdguardian.org/cgi-bin/hiatus?art=2006_04_27_03" target="_blank">www.ucsdguardian.org/cgi-bin/hiatus?art=2006_04_27_03" target="_blank">http://www.ucsdguardian.org/cgi-bin/hiatus?art=2006_04_27_03
Friday, April 28, 2006
Coachella 2006: Weathering the Cruelest of the Siren
Songs
Gaëlle Faure
Going to Coachella? In the anticipatory weeks, this question is second only to “are you graduating?”, fluttering on hordes of music-lovers’ lips as van windows get festively painted by those for whom it’s tradition. For others, myself included, the decision process of whether to attend or not is a long, lazy back-and-forth. My experience with various gigantic festivals, including Coachella two years ago, provides just as much material to fill the plus as the minus side of my debate.
Coachella’s Web site, at the time of writing, reads “Countdown: 2 days, 17 hours, 44 minutes and 27 seconds.” The Indio desert festival is, by any measurement, a highly anticipated happening. But more than that, like all great rock festivals, it’s a certain kind of dream (and this year, a wet dream — see www.coachella.com for the full lineup).
OK, maybe I won’t shed hot tears over Matisyahu, James Blunt, stellastarr*, Bloc Party or (shudder) She Wants Revenge. Depeche Mode and Tool are headlining, followed close behind in print size on the posters by Daft Punk, Franz Ferdinand, Massive Attack and — what the hell — Madonna?! But the best is the rest — Amadou & Mariam, Seu Jorge, Cat Power, Go! Team, Dungen, Jamie Lidell, Sigur Rós, Animal Collective … I could go on, but the lineup hurts my eyes.
Though ridiculously expensive ($86 for one day, $167 for both), it’s easy to rationalize Coachella as the best deal ever if you divide the price by the number of bands you plan on seeing. Just $5 for Mogwai? Sweet Lord.
But a festival is always less than the sum of its parts.
First, there’s the inhuman task of choosing between the two days. In 2004, festivalgoers got a no-brainer, with both the newly-revived Pixies and Radiohead billed on the same night. This year, the quality of talent, from small names to big, is roughly evenly distributed. Whether you manage to make a confident decision or splurge for the whole weekend, you still won’t be able to see all the acts on your wish list — once there, the schedule will make damn sure to break your heart by overlapping all the best shows.
Then, there’s plenty more ammunition I can conjure up to defend keeping my meager funds. Beyond the ticket price, I’ll rekindle my outrage at being denied my water bottle in 100-degree-plus weather, then getting charged $2 a pop. Greedy bastards. This is criminally comparable to those organized raves that ban outside water (yes, at raves — and then they wonder how a lot of bug-eyed kids drop from severe dehydration). Coachella turns tragic when hordes of stylishly-layered, tight-jeaned hipsters in dark hues fight for shade.
If you’ve ditched style for comfort, though, you can’t deny the perverse glee in people-watching as the makeup runs. (This year, the smart ones will pretend they’re Devendra Banhart devotees and wear flowing hippie robes and turbans. That, or dress like Madonna in better times.) You won’t regret it when you enter a concert tent only to realize that you can’t see the stage due to the condensation hanging above hundreds of perspiring brows. But this can work to your advantage in making your way through the crowd, as it dissuades even the most rabid of fans from pressing against one another too tightly.
Oh, and don’t plan on meeting up with any friends, or drifting away from your festivalmates either. Thousands of cell phones crowding the network at once equal complete communication breakdown. It’s not a pretty sight. What’s even uglier is the hours of post-Coachella traffic just to get out of the parking lot — if you can bear to, skip out on the end of the last act.
And so, reviewing these notes, I came to my final decision to abstain from this round. Maybe I’m too lazy, maybe I’m too cheap, maybe my old bones require smaller venues instead of elbowing the sweaty masses. But if you’re a freshman or have never been to such a production, erase everything I said, dream big festival dreams, and do it right. Which is to say, get drunk, get sunburned, lose your friends, miss half the bands, and come back extremely content.
Two days, 17 hours, 38 minutes and five seconds … And just a few more before you watch Sigur Rós play under the palm trees silhouetted against the pink desert sunset.
Damn you. |
Edited by - Carl on 04/27/2006 19:48:54 |
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danjersey
> Teenager of the Year <
USA
2792 Posts |
Posted - 04/27/2006 : 19:26:28
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What you CANNOT bring
• instruments
• chains (including chain wallets)
• blankets
• food and drink
• camelpacks
• flags (meaning those tall ones that help you find your friends)
• chairs
• video cameras
• audio recorders
• bota bags
• animals (neither stuffed nor real)
and this is the tops:
"General admission tickets are priced at $85.00 for a one-day ticket and $165.00 for two-day pass, plus applicable service charges and a $1 donation per day for charity".
oh what a festival it is
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Carl
- A 'Fifth' Catholic -
Ireland
11546 Posts |
Posted - 04/28/2006 : 19:47:06
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http://www.thedesertsun.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060428/OPINION01/604280337/1004
Coachella Music and Arts Festival: We should be proud of
such a gem
Weekend festival has become premier event
The Desert Sun
April 28, 2006
It's appropriate that a giant magnet sits at the center of this weekend's Coachella Music and Arts Festival. The annual event, which runs Saturday and Sunday at Indio's Empire Polo Club, itself attracts a lot of attention to the valley.
So even if your taste in music falls somewhere between Bing Crosby and the Beatles and the last dance craze you got into was the lindy hop, the music and arts festival is something to celebrate.
This weekend the valley becomes a magnet for artists and popular entertainment, adding to our diversity and ambience. We don't just have some of the best golf courses and tennis courts in the world, we've also got shows by some of the top performers in rap, hip-hop, alternative rock, electronica and dance music. Most notable among this year's 90-plus performers are Madonna and Grammy Award-winning hip-hop artist Kanye West as well as popular chartoppers Tool and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. In the past, the festival has attracted such big name rock acts as Radiohead, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, the White Stripes, Bjork, the Pixies, Oasis and Morrissey.
Indeed, musicians come from all over the world to perform at the festival. This year, popular pop stars Franz Ferdinand and Depeche Mode represent Britain while Sigur Ros makes the trip from Iceland (Who knew Iceland even had a music scene?).
This weekend the valley also becomes a magnet for music fans and lovers. Festival organizers anticipate up to 100,000 festival-goers will attend. To put that in context, about 90,000 people went to the famous 1985 Live Aid concert in Philadelphia while the latest Bob Hope Chrysler Classic in the valley pulled about 85,000. That's not bad, considering the first festival held just seven years ago attracted a mere 10,000.
Let us not forget that most festival-goers will stay a couple of nights at local hotels, not to mention purchase gas, food, bottled water, ice, sunscreen and more to survive the two-day event. The festival helps keep our valley economy humming.
The event truly has become a highlight of the popular music scene. Footage from the festival recently was turned into a feature film. Variety magazine calls it "arguably the best annual U.S. rock festival."
And that's something to be proud of.
http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/entertainment/homepage/article_1124536.php
Sunday, April 30, 2006
Coachella Day One:
Mediocrity reigns
supreme
Review: Only a few riveting performances in a
scorching desert oasis make a reviewer feel teased.
By BEN WENER
The Orange County Register
Let’s not mince words. No need to be overly charitable
just because there were highlights, or because this
traffic-jammed temporary weekend wonderland in the
sun-scorched desert remains a marvelously
discombobulating experience, no matter how little
excitement may not have lived up to months and months
of frenzied anticipation.
No, let’s immediately get the bad news out of the way:
Saturday’s first half of the seventh Coachella Valley
Music & Arts Festival was perhaps the single weakest
day of eclectic (but rarely riveting) performances that the
nation’s most ballyhooed event has ever presented.
Don’t get me wrong: I’m having a great time out here. But
in terms of solid performances, an especially strong
Weenie Roast could show up much of today’s Coachella
fare.
The only rival for the Most Mediocre crown that I think
comes close is the lone footnote in Coachella’s history,
when the good folks at Goldenvoice (the independent
concert promoter that nearly went belly up after the
inaugural edition in October ’99) reverted to a single-day installment in 2001.
I can’t really be sure which was more aggressively
forgettable -- then or now -- as I re-read this ramble in
the dark at 4:11 a.m., my senses fried, my memory of
even the past 12 hours rapidly becoming one long blur. I
do know that I never remember anything about the
sophomore slump of Coachella ’01 without scouring the
archive for notes, whereas this time next year I’ll likely
still recall My Morning Jacket’s jagged yet sumptuous
spage-age Southern rock, Franz Ferdinand’s wiry
strength and the coolly detached yet potent half I saw of
utterly odd Daft Punk’s distorted rethinking of Kraftwerk’s
man-machine music.
But, look, don’t take the word of a seven-for-seven
veteran Coachellan who has noticed the ranks of seen-
’em-all types dramatically dwindling.
I’m not alone out here, you know.
No one’s ever alone out here, though one of the finer
delights of this endurance test is to wander off solo, get
swallowed up in swarms of humanity (reportedly
numbering 60,000 this year), then chase the fleeting
breeze and see where it leads you. Might not even be
music. Might be one of the greatly improved interactive
art installations. Like the giant dome housing what I’m
calling the Arctic Pirates, who drape a ship coated in
artificial snowflakes while people nap on lounges around
it.
Most people don’t drift alone, however. Most of us
operate in loose cohesion -- which is to say we arrive
with a posse but we don’t spend our entire day hanging
with that posse. Instead we spread out in pairs and trios
as part of some freakish diaspora, each of us on fact-
finding expeditions that come together at allotted times
for quick rounds of critiques.
And so it is that crashed in the bed and on the floor of my
hotel room are mi novia Roxanne, her lifelong friend
Heidi, work pal Laila and her friend Lisette, who the rest
of us just met the night before. Niyaz, one of our newer
music writers, has his own room now, but he spent last
night with us as well. He conked out near the sink a little
after 1.
Naturally, we’ve bumped into others. Desert Jeff is in
attendance, of course, occasionally uniting with his large
crew while working angles for a half-dozen different
publications. And earlier today Niyaz found three of his,
er, homies: Matt, Nasser and Fess, who’s a dead ringer
for the leader of Coheed & Cambria.
Given that nearly 50 acts are shared across two stages
and three tents in only a dozen hours, everyone
experiences Coachella differently. Niyaz, who’s primary
goal is to get as close as possible to Tool Sunday night,
gravitates toward heavier rock and harder hip-hop -- so
the chance to take in rap superstar Kanye West and the
Jack-White-does-Zeppelin assault of Australia’s
Wolfmother and the grimy garage noise of Eagles of
Death Metal was enough to make the day worthwhile.
About Mr. West, a very mainstream late addition who
stumbled on in a Miles Davis T-shirt and red bandana 20
minutes late: I only heard three huffy cuts, but left
thinking he wasn’t wowing ’em like he can. Niyaz and Co.
were suitably blown away, even if they disagree with his
boast of freestyling as good as Nas and Jay-Z. What
they described to me sounds like last December’s
Gibson show, sans special guests. Kanye needs to feed
off his crowd, and even though West played three hours
before Dave Gahan surfaced, the audience down in front
was heavily loaded with Depeche Mode fanatics.
Heidi came for Cat Power, aka Chan Marsall, an
intensely shy singer-songwriter who is known to suffer
from severe stage fright. Friday night over Thai food with
Desert Jeff we heard that rumors were suggesting she’d
cancel here, just as she had scrubbed her entire tour
after issuing the wintry Memphis soul of her critically
acclaimed new album. “The Greatest.”
But perform she did, though her delicate sound often got
subsumed by the thump emanating from the Sahara
Tent. Or so I’m told. Heidi and Laila and Lisette managed
to secure stage-close spots inside the Mojave Tent. Rox
and I were busy racing from Franz’s razor-sharp dance-
punk to the Eagles’ spin on classic-rock, right down to a
bashed-out remake of Stealers Wheel’s “Stuck in the
Middle With You.”
Everyone followed his or her own path. For me and
mine, it was breeziness in the early afternoon
(highlighted by Huntington Beach’s Matt Costa, whose
band achieved a warm fullness that more accomplished
groups like Rilo Kiley have failed to achieve here) and
grooving in the late afternoon, first with Liverpool’s lean-
and-hooky Zutons, then with inspirational rapper
Common on the main stage. And while Niyaz took in
Kanye (we’ll see him again at Wango Tango
on Saturday), Rox and I took in what was probably the
breakout show of the day, from My Morning Jacket and
its high-pitched wailer and flying-V guitarman Jim James.
By nightfall, we had lost touch of virtually everyone we
had come with; cell-phone reception is spotty, and text
messages often take an hour to get through to intended
eyes. And yet everyone managed to see some of what
was a better-than-average Depeche Mode performance,
notable less for obvious hits (“Personal Jesus,” “World in
My Eyes”) than for new additions that the techno-pop
forefathers threw into their set, like a suitably sensual
“Stripped” or the reworked primitivism of “Photographic,”
from their 1981 debut, “Speak & Spell.”
But here’s the thing: None of the satellites in my orbit
returned to the hotel raving about anything. Except for
our friend Stephanie, who is among those for whom
Depeche Mode can do no wrong and is worth waiting for
all day at the rather spotty main stage.
Niyaz and the boys across the hall spit out their Top 3
quickly (Wolfmother, Kanye and Eagles), but there
wasn’t much else that measured up. L&L couldn’t even
name three; Depeche was a letdown compared to a
recent arena gig they caught, and too many other bands
held their attention only for 20 minutes at a time.
The exceptions: Cat Power, whom they found charming,
and Brooklyn buzz band Clap Your Hands Say Yeah,
which they caught by sliding under the tent-flaps of
Mojave to get a better look. Many colleagues had warned
that the band didn’t work as well live as on record, but I
don’t know -- it sure sounded good from just outside the
tent. I’d like a more intimate interaction.
That’s the biggest frustration of this particular Coachella.
More than ever before -- perhaps because there are so
many new bands on the bill -- I’ve come away feeling
teased, not sated. As if I were only allowed to have a
small appetizer at Morton’s but not the filet mignon. Clap
Your Hands, the far-too-brittle Walkmen, the Duke Spirit,
Lady Sovereign (dubbed “the British female Eminem” by
more than a few people I know), going-for-broke English
rockers Nine Black Alps, the sweetness of the New
Amsterdams -- these are all acts who would be better
served by a night at the Galaxy or the Avalon.
And combined they don’t make for a powerful shared
experience. Coachella isn’t supposed to be so disjointed.
At some point on all of the best days the majority of
Coachellans have rallied around one or two or three
bands that comand everyone’s attention and reunify the
afternoon’s diaspora. Radiohead and the Pixies and the
Flaming Lips in ’04, for instance, or Bjork in ’02 -- most
people who went to Coachella those years took in those
sets, singing and screaming all the while.
But Saturday, while Depeche was at its swaggeringly
synthetic peak, I could still waltz in between people and
get within 50 feet of the stage. That’s not a unification of
souls. That’s just another band on another stage.
In fact, the only outfit that seemed like it could bring the
masses together was Daft Punk, the French duo who
presumably were underneath those robot costumes
tweaking knobs on stage in Sahara. I heard no more
rousing reception anywhere.
Unfortunately, I made a tactical error that Roxanne tried
but failed to stop. I insisted we leave with a half-hour to
go and see whether Interpol clone She Wants Revenge
was really as bad live as people had been saying.
Turns out those people were right. Meanwhile, I’ll bet Daft
Punk’s faithful minions are still raving to very sleepy
nearby campers about their set.
Ah, well, there’s always Sunday’s lineup. Maybe, despite
all the hostile grumbling that has greeted her
appearance, Madonna will wind up being the great unifier
I’m still hoping to find. Though I’ve got nearly as much
money on Tool, Massive Attack, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and
Matisyahu.
CONTACT US: (714) 796-2248 or
bwener@ocregister.com
http://www.nme.com/festivals/news/22945
Gnarls Barkley make festival
debut at Coachella
Plus all the action as the second day of the
Californian bash gets underway
Gnarls Barkley have made their festival debut this
afternoon (April 30) on the second day of Coachella
2006.
The duo who topped both album and single charts
in the UK today, played only their second ever show in
Californian event's Gobi Tent. The group had only
ever played a secret warm-up show before, just two
days ago at the Roxy in Los Angeles.
With the tent packed, Danger Mouse told
NME.COM he was pleased with the interest despite
the fact the group's debut 'St Elsewhere' isn't yet
out on this side of the Atlantic.
"The record doesn't come out for two weeks so it's
interesting, but we're just letting it come together
slowly, actually it's getting quite quick now," he
explained.
The pair, completed by vocalist Cee-Lo, opted to
use a band rather than samples for their live
incarnation. "We've got a 14 piece band together
and it's sounding really good," explained Danger
Mouse. "I've never done anything like this before, so what we've tried to do is just recreate the album
around what we've got and I'm pretty pleased."
Dressed as characters from Wizard Of Oz with Danger Mouse as the Tin Man and Cee-Lo as the
Cowardly Lion the pair's UK number one single Crazy induced a mass sing-a-long among the crowd.
With the second day of the Coachella Festival getting underway in blistering sunshine, Giant Drag were
forced to overcome a series of technical difficulties as they played early on the Outdoor Theatre Stage.
"Everything went wrong," singer Annie Hardytold NME.COM. "So it was a bit tough, especially as it was
the first ever festival we've ever done."
Montreal's The Dears then used their Mojave tent appearance to preview tracks from their forthcoming
album 'Gang Of Losers', including possible next single 'Bandwagoneers' along with several other new
songs in their set.
They were followed on the same stage by James Blunt, who packed out the tent with fans desperate to
hear him play 'You're Beautiful'.
In addition Blunt also covered of Slade's 'Coz I Love You', joking with his audience, "You won't have
heard this British rock song from the 70s before and by the end you won't want to hear it again." Blunt
also played regular Pixies cover 'Where's My Mind'.
There was more MOR at the festival from French outfit Phoenix who closed their set with their track 'Too
Young' from Lost In Translation's soundtrack.
British representation at the festival was then continued by The Magic Numbers who played the Main
Stage under the searing afternoon sun, before Bloc Party enjoyed cooler evening conditions on the
Outdoor Theatre Stage.
Including the likes of 'Helicopter' and 'Banquet' in their set, the band also played two new songs which
they are currently working on for their second album.
"It seemed a bit empty last year when we played, but after Glastonbury we had to come back for the
weather," drummer Matt Tong joked with NME.COM, as the band enjoyed one of the day's largest crowds
so far.
The Coachella Festival continues now with Madonna set to make her festival debut in the Sahara
dance tent, while Editors, Scissor Sister and headliners Tool are all also set to play.
For coverage straight from the festival site stay tuned to NME.COM.
Gnarls Barkley live at Coachella 2006
Picture: Phil Wallis
© IPC MEDIA 1996-2006, All rights reserved
http://www.pr-inside.com/coachella-rocks-as-60-000-hit-the-desert-r3884.htm
Entertainment
COACHELLA ROCKS AS 60,000 HIT THE DESERT
Movie & Entertainment News © WENN.com All Rights Reserved
2006-05-01 23:18:34 -
California's Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival smashed attendance records over the
weekend (29-30APR06) as more than 60,000 music fans basked in the sun at the Indio
event.
Temperatures hit surpassed 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius) on both days of the festival as acts
including KANYE WEST, MADONNA, MASSIVE ATTACK,
DAFT PUNK, JAMES BLUNT and main stage
headliners TOOL and DEPECHE MODE performed
highlight sets.
Madonna's 30-minute, six-song performance in the
Sahara Tent late last night (30APR06) marked her
festival debut, but the show, which attracted the
biggest crowd of the weekend, didn't go completely
smoothly.
Fights broke out amid the crushed crowd as Madonna
delayed her start time by 25 minutes and then she
lost her cool at one point during her show when she
asked fans to stop throwing water at her.
The mood changed when the pop superstar, who
began the show by emerging from a giant disco ball,
asked fans if she should take her pants off.
She puffed, "It's too hot to wear clothes," and then,
stripping to her tights, she asked, "Does my a** look
good?"
Madonna wasn't the only act making her festival debut - GNARLS BARKLEY also performed outdoors for the first
time yesterday (30APR06).
The hip-hop hitmakers were joined by a 14-piece band for their performance, during which duo CEE-LO and
DANGER MOUSE dressed as characters from the WIZARD OF OZ.
Another highlight came when DAMIAN 'JR GONG' MARLEY performed covers of his father's classics COULD YOU
BE LOVED and EXODUS during his set.
James Blunt also wowed the crowd with covers - he performed SLADE's COZ I LUV YOU and the PIXIES' WHERE
IS MY MIND.
But the festival's highlight came in the shape of British supergroup Massive Attack, who were joined onstage by
COCTEAU TWINS singer LIZ FRASER and HORACE ANDY. (KL/WN/SC)
Entertainment News by: www.pr-inside.com
Contact information: e-mail
Disclaimer: The International Movie, Film, TV, Music, Hollywood, Showbiz, Entertainment & People News are
owned by WENN.com and published by PR-inside.com. If you have any questions regarding information in this
article please contact Wenn.com. PR-inside can not assist or help you giving information about this Movie, Film,
TV, Music, Hollywood, Showbiz, Entertainment or People News articles.
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/states/california/northern_california/14462158.htm
Posted on Sat, Apr. 29, 2006
Alt rock, electronica acts in desert for
Coachella Music Festival
RON HARRIS
Associated Press
INDIO, Calif. - Alternative rock and electronica acts braved the desert heat to bring their
music to the masses Saturday at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival,
an annual oasis of youthful sound set in an otherwise placid stretch of affluent golf resort
living.
Early top-notch acts on the first of the two-day event were White Rose Movement and
The New Amsterdams. Depeche Mode, a top band from the 1980s with a signature
sound that has influenced many other artists, was slated to headline the event after
sundown Saturday.
About 50,000 people milled about bobbing their heads, sipping water and soaking up
sun at the festival, which debuted in 1999. Organizers had a planning page on their
Web site to help festival attendees navigate the many bands playing simultaneously.
Jennifer Bocca, 40, of San Francisco, sat in the Mojave Tent waiting for the next act.
Bocca said there were a few must-see bands for her and concert buddy Jill Steinfeld,
35, who wore a sparkling blue wig for extra style points.
"Depeche Mode was phenomenally huge," Bocca said. "But I'm excited to see the
smaller guys."
As the acts played on two large outdoor stages and inside three massive tents, various
"chill-out" domes were erected for those seeking a little down time from the bustle.
In one such tent, people lay around on plush sofas designed to look like logs and
branches. In the center of the circular dome stood a large art piece "tree," with lawn
rakes for branches and its body adorned with wind chimes.
In another dome, a disc jockey spun energetic dance tunes while the crowd churned
up the dance floor. Two girls locked hands, twirling in unison to the swirling bass-heavy
beats. Fans sprayed air and mist on those looking to beat the heat.
Sam Forrest, lead singer of Nine Black Alps, sweated his way through a 45-minute set
while the crowd pressed toward the stage to see the Manchester, England-based
band. The band is one of several from the U.K. and Australia appearing at Coachella.
Curran Wegner, 20, of Burbank, sat near the front of the stage in the Mojave Tent, taking
a breather in between acts. He and his younger brother, Max Wegner, are three-year
veterans of the annual festival. This year they came for Tool, Sunday's headliner.
The Wegners applauded the concert organizers for a varied lineup. The addition of Tool
put the Wegners in a good mood.
"Just when you think the lineup can't get any better, they blow your mind," Curran
Wegner said.
http://www.nme.com/festivals/news/22940
Kanye West scores biggest
crowd so far at Coachella
Plus the latest news from the Californian
festival
Kanye West has attracted the biggest crowd so far
at this year's Coachella festival today (April 29).
Though appearing over half an hour late at the
Californian festival, West drew the music fans of all
persuasions for his set which was only confirmed
days before the bash.
Dressed in a t-shirt paying tribute to jazz trumpeter
Miles Davis, West opened with 'Diamonds From
Sierra Leon', before the likes of 'All Falls Down'
and 'Gold Digger' spurred the large audience into
life.
Backed by a full string section and his DJ A-Trak,
West concluded his set with the highlight, a
euphoric rendition of recent single 'Touch The Sky'.
West's set followed a series of performances that
kicked off Coachella 2006.
Despite the burning mid-day sun, The Like's early
set saw the band attract a large crowd, though the
heat almost proved too much for the three piece. The band told NME.COM they almost passed out three
times, though managed to hold on to thrill the growing crowd.
Lady Sovereign impressed the American audience, playing with just a DJ rather than her regular live
band, she attracted a crowd that bulged out of the Gobi tent.
However she was not impressed with the gifts of some of her admirers, objecting to the colour of a hair
band thrown on stage.
"It's pink!" she told the crowd. "I'm not wearing pink, sorry, I hate pink!"
The Zutons reconfirmed their status as a festival favourite, causing large parts of Coachella crowd to sing
along as the band tore through songs from both of their albums.
Wolfmother's back to basics rock pulled in a sizeable audience, as the Australians put in a sweaty and
typically loud performance.
Meanwhile, TV On The Radio used their festival set to premiere new material from their forthcoming
second album in front of hardcore of indie devotees.
Coachella 2006 is now continuing with Franz Ferdinand, The Rakes, Sigur Ros and headliners
Depeche Mode all set to play. The festival will also witness the live return of Daft Punk tonight at the
dance tent.
For more coverage straight from the site go to NME.COM/festivals.
coachella festival main stage 2006
Picture: Phil Wallis
© IPC MEDIA 1996-2006, All rights reserved |
Edited by - Carl on 05/02/2006 01:01:16 |
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Carl
- A 'Fifth' Catholic -
Ireland
11546 Posts |
Posted - 05/04/2006 : 04:48:22
|
http://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/2006/04/coachella_wolfm.html
Saturday, April 29, 2006
COACHELLA: An afternoon with
Zutons, Wolfmother, Clap Your
Hands and Kanye
AEI editor, 07:35 PM in Music
By Tim Ball | Mercury News
INDIO – The sun has set on the first day of the Coachella
Valley Music and Arts Festival here, but the heavy hitters
are just getting started. (Thankfully, the sun seems to be
done for today, as does the 95-degree heat that came with
it.)
More reports – and photos – after the jump. ...
Our day started with The Zutons' electrifying set on the
second stage, and no matter how many of these we've
been to (this is No. 4), it's still hard to get used to seeing a
band you'd normally find at Slim's or The Fillmore play
outdoors in the middle of the day. Nevertheless, the
Zutons did an impressive job of overcoming that
awkwardness, and even had the crowd (mildly) bouncing
around in the sun.
Next up was Wolfmother, whose late-afternoon set was
more packed than many will be later this evening, wowing
the crowd with their brand of Australian retro-rock. Bushy
hair bouncing, hipsters sweating and singing along and the
desert sun streaming through the back of the tent... this is
what Coachella's all about.
Phew... that's not much of a first report (we also saw Clap
Your Hands Say Yeah - pictured below - and Kanye West -
pictured above), but Sigur Rios is taking the stage, with
Franz Ferdidnand to follow, and missing that would be
unforgivable.
'Til next time ...
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/la-me-coachella30apr30,1,237193.story?coll=la-headlines-pe-california
60,000 Rap, Rock and Hop in Desert
By Geoff Boucher, Times Staff Writer
April 30, 2006
INDIO, Calif. -- For the record, sweat doesn't dampen the sound of thundering guitars. It
was ticking toward 3 p.m. and triple-digit temperatures Saturday when the Walkmen, a
young band from New York, sent a tremor of power chords across the Empire Polo Field
in this tiny desert city. The echo sent a message — the kids (a record 60,000 plus) were
back in town.
A week ago the vast green lawn belonged to affluent sportsmen and the horses they rode
in on, but this weekend it was transformed by the Coachella Music and Arts Festival into
a churning, sweaty, deafening hub of youth culture and music. More than a concert, the
premier festival in California is a snapshot of edge music of the moment in the nation, and
this year's staging showed that, like a giant iPod set on shuffle, pop culture may be more
random than ever in its playlist.
With hip-hop superstar Kanye
West, the arch rockers Franz
Ferdinand, Parisian electronica
heroes Daft Punk and the strange
soundscapes of Iceland's Sigur
Ros, the seventh annual Coachella
was, depending on your view, either
wildly scattered or exceptionally
eclectic. In past years, the event
split its sound between dance-tent
throb and bohemian rock attitude,
but the presence of West and
Madonna (scheduled to play
tonight) stuck a mainstream finger
in the show's indie eye.
The show itself was one of the
smoothest operations in the
franchise's history, although the medical-aid tent was clogged with fans suffering from
heat-related problems.
Tickets were sold in all 50 states and the audience came from six continents for the show
that has established itself as the model for the modern festival in America.
But even with that proud position, Coachella is at a crossroads. Competitors have set up
similar shows around the country; that has not hurt Coachella's fan turnout, but it has
created a poaching problem when it comes to booking a distinctive bill.
"It's harder than ever," said Paul Tollet, the event's chief promoter. "The really difficult
thing is that fans aren't into just one type of music; they don't say 'I'm a rock fan,' or 'I'm a
rap fan,' they like everything. That's made it very different than it was just a few years
ago."
There's also some nagging concern about the changing landscape of the event, literally.
Housing developments have recently encroached on the venue and there have been
rumors of a change in the site's ownership.
Tollet concedes that there have been "numerous substantial offers of very big money" but
he says the owners of the property are committed to keeping it as it is and says he has a
multiyear agreement to stage the event here, although he declined to provide details.
"I keep hearing from everyone out there," he said, pointing to the field, "that this is the last
Coachella here. Believe me, it's not, we're here to stay."
Since its launch in 1999, Coachella has romanced fans not just with music but with an
oasis-like setting and a halo of mountains that light up purple at twilight. Moving the show
would be a potential calamity and, at the very least, a painful transition that could border
on reinvention.
All of that, though, was a backstage issue for the thousands of music fans who braved the
heat and long lines to soak up the festival's massive serving of music. More than 90 acts
are scheduled for the weekend, with today's bill topped by Tool, Massive Attack, the Yeah
Yeah Yeahs and, in a tent, pop superstar Madonna, whose booking stirred more than a
little criticism from rock purists who cherish the festival.
On Saturday, there were two Coachellas — a day Coachella, with its sunscreen and laid-
back vibe, and a night Coachella, with its denser crowd and torqued-up energy level.
The Los Angeles band called the Like, a trio of young women, performed on the second
stage at the height of the afternoon heat and their main challenge was stirring a crowd
that seemed to be somewhat addled under the sun. Tennessee Thomas, the drummer,
came off stage dizzy from the weather and her hands bloodied from thrashing her drum
kit. "It was all a bit of blur out there," she said, looking for a cool drink. "It is a bit warm,
isn't it? The crowd was great though."
For the Like and other young bands, it was the biggest crowd of their career. Not so for
Saturday night's headliner, Depeche Mode, the British band that created a signature
sound in the 1980s with songs laced with a decadent keyboard sound and grim, pulsing
guitar.
It was the first festival since the early 1990s for Depeche, but they would look out at a
crowd packed with loyal fans. It was a less certain environment for rapper West, who had
the second-bestselling album of 2005, a claim to the fame that sets him apart from the
festival's usual acts; at Coachella, critical acclaim is usually more coveted than retail
success.
But West, wearing a Miles Davis T-shirt and a red bandanna around his neck, took the
stage to thunderous applause. As he launched into his hit single "Gold Digger," he called
it "the new national anthem," adding, "Even though the Grammys got it wrong, this was
the song of the year."
During the down time between bands, the sparsely populated lawn surrounding the
outdoor stage, Coachella's second-biggest venue, resembled a giant alt-rock picnic.
People lazed on the grass sunning themselves. Guys with backward baseball caps
munched on pizza while several young women applied suntan lotion to their tattoos as
roadies for British space rockers the Zutons set up the group's equipment.
The Coachella Music and Arts Festival is usually far more music than arts, but the
organizers tried to even that up a bit this year.
In addition to the two huge stages and tall dance tent dotting the field, there were domes
with performance artists and elaborate creations inside. The "summer" dome, for
instance, contained a faux tropical forest and misting machines, while the "winter" tent
had a deep-freeze motif that included a fake shark stuck in a glacier and refrigeration
equipment that made it an especially popular spot to visit.
There were also, after nightfall, lightning machines that lighted up the center of the field
with an impressive, crackling display. A film tent was set up this year, too, but one fan
was using it more for shade than show.
"I just want to get out of the sun and I want it to be nighttime so I can dance," said Chuck
Farrior from San Francisco, tugging his hat down over his sunburned brow. "I love this and
I'm having fun. But it's more fun when the sun goes down and the music goes up."
*
Times correspondent Chris Lee contributed to this report
http://www.nme.com/festivals/news/22941
Daft Punk make live comeback
at Coachella
The band help close the first day of the
Californian festival in style
Daft Punk have drawn huge crowds for their live
return at the 2006 Coachella festival.
The French duo was swamped tonight (April 29) as
the audience spilled almost a hundred deep outside
of the dance tent.
Dressed in their usual robot costumes, Daft Punk
appropriately opened with 'Robot Rock' as the pair
launched into a upbeat DJ set which showcased
their greatest hits including 'Around The World'
and 'Da Funk'.
Daft Punk's set had followed on from the event's
official headliners Depeche Mode, who mixed new
songs with classics including 'Personal Jesus',
'Enjoy The Silence' and oldie 'Shake The
Disease' during their main stage appearance.
The evening session of the first day of Coachella
also saw sets from the likes of Devendra Banhart,
who treated the crowd to a bare-chested Mick
Jagger impression during 'I Feel Just Like A
Child', while Josh Homme's locals Eagles Of
Death Metal had called Hollywood star and festival veteran Danny Devito to introduce them on stage.
With the desert sun setting, Damian Marley treated fans to a selection of his father Bob's hits including
'Exodus', 'Could You Be Loved' and an instrumental version of 'Jammin' along with his own dub anthem
'Welcome To Jam Rock'.
Icelandic outfit Sigur Ros drew large numbers for their main stage appearance, before Franz Ferdinand
played an energetic set which included a laser light show.
"We're Franz Ferdinand from Glasgow, Scotland and we're happy to be here," frontman Alex Kapranos
told the crowd, as the band tore through tracks including 'Dark Of The Matinee', 'The Fallen' and 'Take
Me Out'.
The evening was closed on the Mojave stage by The Rakes who played a set that courted some
controversy.
"A lot of people have seen Depeche Mode and not us, never mind they're old," frontman Alan Donohoe
affectionately joked with the crowd, before checking himself. "I probably shouldn't have said that, I'm sure
they're very nice."
Watched by Franz Ferdinand's Kapranos, the band then played a set including the likes of 'Retreat',
'Binary Love' and recent single 'All Too Human'.
The second, and final day of Coachella 2006 kicks off tomorrow with Bloc Party, Madonna, Gnarls
Barkley, Scissor Sisters and headliners Tool among those set to play.
For more coverage straight from the site go to NME.COM/festivals.
daft punk live at coachella 2006
Picture: Phil Wallis
© IPC MEDIA 1996-2006, All rights reserved |
Edited by - Carl on 05/04/2006 06:20:29 |
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Carl
- A 'Fifth' Catholic -
Ireland
11546 Posts |
Posted - 05/04/2006 : 06:38:31
|
http://www.dailybulletin.com/news/ci_3767935
Entertainment priceless amid $7 slices
By Mari Nicholson, Staff Writer
INDIO - Rock band The Like bellowed lovely in the background, but some
festivalgoers at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival were
preoccupied.
Next to the stages, beer tents, $7 slices of pizza and $2 waters, four people
swung around on the Cyclefuge, powered by four other people pedaling on
stationary bike-like stations.
The ride garnered so much attention, others waited in line in 90-degree
heat Saturday to take a turn.
Was it good times or obsessive exercising?
‘‘Ready, set, pedal!'' was the call, and the teamwork that followed produced a strong start and exhausted finish.
‘‘It's hard work but fun. Everyone should try this,'' said Bryan Pearson, 26, of Pomona.
‘‘You catch a breeze doing it, too,'' Pearson said, ‘‘and breezes are good.''
Cyclecide, the San Francisco group behind Cyclefuge, was back again at this year's festival, which drew nearly
60,000 people to the Empire Polo Field in Indio.
Cyclecide is one of 14 art installations featured at the seventh annual art and music festival, produced by
Goldenvoice, which wraps today with performances by Tool and Madonna. Tickets are no longer available.
‘‘This year is the most art we've ever had,'' Goldenvoice President Paul Tollett said in an earlier interview.
Referring to the dome installations, large metal sculptures, and 11 decorated Port-A-Potties representing a
century of music, ‘‘we wanted to offer people more who travel from far away,'' said Tollett.
Like Mike Dicicco, of Boston, who was looking forward to performances by Youth Group and Tool.
He spent approximately $300 on plane fare, $200 on tickets, $35 to camp and, as yet, an undetermined amount
on food for the weekend, but he wouldn't call himself a huge fan of the festival itself.
‘‘It's more corporate ... than other music festivals,'' said Dicicco, 27.
Independent clothing lines, $10 vegan food and ATMs are everywhere.
‘‘I mean, the first thing you see when you walk in is an air-conditioned Heineken tent,'' Dicicco said.
‘‘Don't get me wrong, it's still a great lineup, though, and can't be topped,'' he said.
The diversity of musical acts dominated the festival more this year than in years past.
Jordan Mingle and Becky Carter, both 21 and of Santa Barbara, turned out Saturday to see Cat Power.
‘‘We're hoping she sings her old stuff,'' Carter said.
Festivalgoers who showed up early enough Saturday got more than a sunburn as they watched some lesser-
known bands.
Shortly after 1 p.m., The New Amsterdams went onstage, and performed hits off its ‘‘Story Like a Scar'' album as
well as Jackson Browne's classic, ‘‘Doctor My Eyes.'' Lead singer Matt Pryor offered this advice to the crowd:
‘‘Drink lots of water. And just because beer has water in it, it's not the same thing.''
Mari Nicholson can be reached by e-mail at mari.nicholson@dailybulletin.com or by telephone at (909) 483-
8549.
Depeche Mode performs at the
Coachella Valley Music and Arts
Festival held Saturday in Indio.
(Mediha Fejzagic DiMartino/Staff
Photographer)
http://www.thedesertsun.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060430/EVENTS17/604300312/1003/business
Event equals lots of money
Festival’s crowds fuel valley coffers
Debra Gruszecki
The Desert Sun
April 30, 2006
INDIO - Woodstock never had it so good.
From the alfalfa fields of Max Yasgur's farm to the well-coifed turf on Indio
polo grounds, the Coachella Valley Music and Art Festival is a prime
example of how far counterculture rock concerts have come since 1969.
Tents still are pitched. Food still is shared, as it was when rain-soaked
hippies woke to the greeting, "Good morning, what we have in mind is
breakfast in bed for 400,000."
With music as the common denominator, the tourism revenues derived
from the Coachella Valley Music and Art Festival have clearly changed.
The Coachella Valley Music and Art Festival, drawing more than 100,000
fans, has become a world-class breakfast of champions as evidenced
by these tidbits:
Hotels were booked solid from east valley to Yucca Valley, Banning and
Beaumont. The last available rooms were posting rates of $399 to $619
a night.
Campgrounds - from Lake Cahuilla Recreation Area to Joshua Tree
National Park - were full.
Beverly Hills-based Coachella Concierge, an online site offering
exclusive travel packages reported selling out its exclusive "King of the
Mountain" packages starting at $12,400 for a party of eight.
Businesses like Ralphs grocery along Jefferson Street reported strong
sales of water, ice, wine and beer.
The java flowed
at nearby coffee
franchises. Ciros
Ristorante and
Pizzeria on
Highway 111 in
Indio beefed up
its staff to
prepare for a 15
percent hike in
sales.
"I can feel the
power," Marcus
Brown of Los
Angeles-based
CAT, said last
Wednesday as he took a break from stage set-up work to roll enough
electrical cable through the grounds to light up a small city.
"A tourist typically spends about $200 a day" to buy food, water, gasoline,
sunscreen and hats; dine-in restaurants; pick up souvenirs; and ride in
taxis, shuttles or limousines, according to Rick Daniels, executive
director of Coachella Valley Economic Partnership.
That could mean as much as $20 million could be pumped into the
economy, Daniels said.
Paul Tollett, president of Los Angeles-based Goldenvoice, which puts on
the event, said millions of dollars, alone, are spent on infrastructure.
"I'd say we've hired at least 1,000 people when you count security, stage
hands, food and beverage providers just to work the site,'' Tollett said.
Brown checked into a valley motel with a full crew of workers one week
before the event, as he has in previous years, spending at least his $35
per diem allotment.
Production Transport, a trucking outfit delivering the sound, lighting and
rigging equipment to the grounds, said at least 400 people were involved
in the set-up.
"We do everything but porta-potties and tents,'' Ron Osmus, a driver
affiliated with Production Transport, said.
"It sure helps the bottom line," Bud Anderson, owner of Coachella Valley
RV Rentals of Indio, said after four consecutive years of renting out his
RVs to vendors handling parking, concessions, sound system work and
the guests of Alex Hagen III.
"I'll have about 15 RVs out there,'' he said, noting that the event hits at the
perfect time.
"It falls right after Easter and gives you one helluva April going into May."
Everyone benefits from the event, he said, right down to the towing
companies.
"You have no idea how many people call for a tow because they left their
headlights on,'' Anderson said.
Even Coachella fest's official sponsors - Heineken, Dodge, AT&T and
Virgin - were gearing up for a wide range of events to tap into the cachet.
Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, which filled all of its rooms in
the 12-story hotel Friday through Sunday, was the site of a Pre-Coachella
Pool Party on Friday, which was hosted by Heineken.
"Obviously, it has a very large economic impact on the local community,''
said Gary Bongiovanni, editor-in-chief of Fresno-based Pollstar U.S.A.,
which considers the Coachella Valley music festival to be one of only two
major destinations in North America of its kind.
That fact, coupled with Madonna's appearance in an electronica techno-
environment, will undoubtedly garner worldwide media attention,
Bongiovanni said.
This year's appearance of "Material Girl" Madonna changed the
demographics of the outdoor extravaganza, largely attracting a 30-and-
under college-minded crowd from all over the world.
"It spreads the wealth,'' said Charlie Robles, a director of Mission Hills
Country Club's spa and fitness center.
And the wealthy apparently are forking out big bucks to attend the event.
Son Vo, a customer representative of Coachella Concierge, said most of
50 premium experience packages the online service offered were sold
out.
The packages, which began at $1,500 for two VIP tickets to the Sunday
venue and a night's stay at Hilton Garden Inn and capped off with a
$12,400 concert weekend in a private home close to Coachella, were
largely booked with "upper echelon" customers from around the world.
They included a few, "love-to-be-pampered" record executives, he said.
"I'd say about 80 percent of the purchases were booked in through private connections,'' Vo said.
"I think it reflects the true spirit of the times: It's kind of like an upper-crust Woodstock."
Taya Lynn Gray, The Desert Sun
People rest on the grass near the main stage
as The Section Quartet performs at the
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival at
the Empire Polo Fields in Indio, Calif. on
Saturday, April 29, 2006.
TOURISM'S IMPACT
It is the backdrop of life in the
Coachella Valley, as an estimated
3.5 million people visit annually
and stay in spots from Cabazon to
Indio.
Thousands of people either work
in local hotels, restaurants,
entertainment venues or
attractions.
Many visitors ultimately buy a
second home or condominium
here, or land a job to make the
valley their home.
Bed taxes paid by visitors helps
support local government,
supporting such public services as
police and fire protection,
education, utilities, and road
repairs.
DID YOU KNOW?
The event, when taken in sheer
numbers, rivals other magnet
events like the Bob Hope Chrysler
and the Pacific Life Open tennis
tournament, which draw
thousands of visitors.
It crosses all age groups and
countries. Visitors come from
around the world.
SETTING THE TONE
“We were a sell-out since
February,’’ JoAnn Bryant, a clerk at
Inn at Deep Canyon in Palm
Desert. “Our guests are coming
from all over, along with Italy and
Germany.”
“They bought the best rooms at the
highest rates published,’’ Mike
Islava, director of sales of La
Quinta Resort & Club, recapping
rates that ranged from $395 to
$3,500 a night.
“We’re taking 25 calls a day from
people who are frantic for a room.
We’ve tried to call around and
everyone was sold out, too. We
didn’t know what direction to point
them to,’’ Anna Rodriguez,
Travelodge of Indio.
“We have campers going into the
overflow and primitive camp
ground areas. We brought in extra
lifeguards, and we have extra help
coming in from Idyllwild and Hemet
to help out over the weekend,”
David Wooten, volunteer, Lake
Cahuilla Recreation Area.
PRICEY PACKAGES
Here are some samples of
Coachella concert and lodging
packages:
Desert and Dice:
Accommodations for three nights
at Fantasy Springs Resort and
Casino, with two VIP passes for
two days, with transportation,
$3,300.
Relax in Style: A three-night stay
at Hilton Palm Springs Resort, with
two VIP passes and car service for
two days at the event, $2,800.
Hole in One: A three-night stay
at Hyatt Grand Champions in
Indian Wells, with two VIP passes
for two days; car service; one round
of golf; and a Coachella "swag-
bag,'' including two T-shirts, sticker
and button pack, poster and DVD,
$3,600.
Party of 6: Spend three nights
in a private condo that sleeps six,
with maid service, six VIP passes
to two days of the festival, car
service and "swag-bag,'' $10,000.
http://www.thedesertsun.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060430/EVENTS17/604300323/1050
Coachella brings music-lovers together
Maggie Downs
The Desert Sun
April 30, 2006
Lori Howe, 20, and Sandi Summers, 21, of Eugene, Ore., both made the
trek by land.
"It's a long drive," Howe said.
The cousins passed the time driving to Indio by eating Doritos, listening
to music and "having deep conversations," Summers said.
Once at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival, the two made friends with
Joe Perez, 22.
Perez hitchhiked from San Francisco to Indio.
Marilyn Chung, The Desert Sun
Lori Howe, 20, (left) from Eugene, Ore., with
friends Sandi Summers, 21, (center) also of
Eugene, and Joe Perez, 22, from San
Francisco, were among thousands of fans
who converged on Indio this weekend for the
Coachella Music and Arts Festival |
Edited by - Carl on 05/05/2006 02:09:33 |
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Carl
- A 'Fifth' Catholic -
Ireland
11546 Posts |
Posted - 05/04/2006 : 12:20:51
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http://www.thedesertsun.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060430/EVENTS17/604300317
Crowd of 60,000 sets new festival attendance record
Bruce Fessier
The Desert Sun
April 30, 2006
An expanded lineup, an enlarged dance tent and more headline acts
than ever before has resulted in record attendance for the Coachella
Valley Music and Arts Festival.
Festival officials reported 60,000 people attended Saturday's opening
day at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, and at least that many are expected
for today's finale featuring the Queen of Pop, Madonna, at 8:10 p.m.
That two-day total would eclipse the attendance record of 110,0000 set in
2004, the year Radiohead and The Cure were headliners.
In a reversal of a report from earlier this week, a spokesman for
promoter Paul Tollett of the Goldenvoice company said tickets are still on
sale at the Empire Polo Club gate.
The dance tent in which Madonna is performing, which Tollett says is
actually a canopy, contains 50 percent more space than last year's tent.
But the entire grounds were more crowded. The mid-size Mojave Tent
overflowed with people trying to see such afternoon indie rock acts as
Wolfmother and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. The crowds slowed
pedestrian traffic almost the way alt-rock star Beck blocked it two years
ago.
But Ashley Flores, 18, of Rancho Cucamonga, was one concert-goer
who didn't seem to mind the increased attendance.
"It's fun," said Flores, who got her ticket early Saturday from a friend. "I
like it."
Alt-rock, hip-hop and electronica artists played compelling music
throughout the day, but Grammy Award-winning hip-hop star Kanye West
got the party started before 6 p.m.
He kept the audience bonded to the main Coachella Stage ,which later
featured Sigur Rós, Franz Ferdinand and Depeche Mode.
Police reported
15 arrests and 11
hospitalizations,
mostly heat
related.
The Coachella
resumes today
with more than
45 new artists
shortly after noon.
LIVE FROM
COACHELLA
TIDBITS
Check out our LIVE from Coachella blog and keep checking back throughout the day and into the night for
updates and photos.
Section Quartet kicks off musical festivities
The welcome to Coachella announcement has become almost traditionally expletive.
“Are you ready to #%@*&%$! rock ’n’ roll???”
Last year it was the high desert band, Gram Rabbit, kicking off the Coachella with some almost hysterical rant.
This year it was the sophisticated, classically trained Section Quartet showing a lack of restraint not normally
associated with a band of two violinists, a cellist and a viola player. But the Section Quartet, which played two
sets at the 2004 Coachella, was the perfect band to launch an intelligent alternative music festival shortly after
noon Saturday.
This “chamber ensemble” covers alternative rock bands. It began its set with rocking, albeit not terribly powerful
versions of songs by Radiohead, The Clash, The Muse and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
Arranger-violist Eric Gorfain introduced Franz Ferdinand’s “Take Me Out” by saying, “We’re going to do a song by
a group playing later on in the festival — I think today!”
There was scattered clapping along to the music, a bit of body movement here and there. But it really made you
look forward to hearing Franz Ferdinand perform that song tonight.
Australian band Youth Group in here for 1 gig only
The Australian band Youth Group, kicking off the action on the Coachella Stage at 1:10 p.m. today, is only in
America for this one gig.
The critically acclaimed band, which took its name when the band members couldn’t think of anything else to
call themselves before their first well-publicized concert, finished its American tour in support of its second CD,
“Skeleton Jar,” a month ago. But when an offer came to play Coachella, they decided to stay a month and record
a new CD in Los Angeles.
Their bass player, Patrick Matthews, played bass with the Vines at the 2002 Coachella and made singer-
songwriter Toby Martin long to come here.
“It’s a great opportunity,” Martin said in a section of the Empire Polo Club swarming with media from all over the
world. “It’s hard to divorce that from actual fun. My main thing is fun.”
Youth Group joins Infusion and Wolfmother as a highly anticipated Australian contingent at Coachella. After the
international success of the Vines and Jet, Martin was asked what they’re putting in the water in Australia.
“Plutonium,” he replied.
José Omar Ornelas, The Desert Sun
Kanye West performs at the 2006 Coachella
Valley Music and Arts Festival on Saturday.
The magic usually starts after dark at
Coachella, but West, wearing a red
handkerchief, a white Miles Davis T-shirt and
white tennis shoes while performing with a
string section, kicked things into a higher gear
with a recent hit he called "the national
anthem," "Gold Digger," featuring samples of
Ray Charles' "I Gotta Woman."
http://www.nme.com/festivals/news/22930
Madonna to make festival debut
tonight
The star will play Coachella later
Madonna will be making her festival debut tonight
when she takes to the stage at California's
Coachella festival.
Despite appearing at events such as Live8, the
star's set will be her first ever at a festival proper,
which is taking place this weekend at the Empire
Polo Fields near Palm Springs (April 30). The date
will also serve as a warm-up for her eagerly awaited
'Confessions' world tour.
Also taking to the stage on the second day of the
event will be Bloc Party, Scissor Sisters, Gnarls
Barkley, The Go! Team, Art Brut, The Dears,
The Magic Numbers, Be Your Own Pet and
Giant Drag.
Tool will round off the festival with a headlining
appearance.
For more coverage straight from the site go to
NME.COM/festivals.
Madonna
Picture: Phil Wallis
© IPC MEDIA 1996-2006, All rights reserved
http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002425369
Coachella Day One:Depeche Brings The
Pain, Kanye Sizzles
April 30, 2006, 2:45 PM ET
Jonathan Cohen, Palm Desert, Calif.
Depeche Mode, Kanye West and Daft Punk
highlighted the first day of the Coachella Valley
Music & Arts Festival in Indio, Calif., which drew a
record crowd of 60,000 people to the Empire Polo
Field in this desert oasis. The event concludes
today (April 30) with a headlining set by Tool and
the first-ever festival appearance by Madonna.
Depeche Mode closed the main stage last night with a set that drew from all eras of its three
-decade career. At the outset, the veteran synth-pop act favored such new songs as "A Pain
That I'm Used To," "Precious" and "Suffer Well," but then transitioned into oldies like "I Feel
You," "Walking in My Shoes," "Stripped" and "World in My Eyes."
The biggest hits came toward the end, as the crowd roared for "Personal Jesus" and "Enjoy
the Silence." The encore saw the most vintage selection, "Photographic," from Depeche
Mode's 1981 debut "Speak and Spell." Belying his nearly 44 years, shirtless frontman Dave
Gahan commanded the stage in tight black pants and often growled between-song thank-
yous to the masses.
West was a late addition to the lineup, but proved a crowd-pleasing choice despite having to
alter his set list mid-stream due to his late start time. The hits were plentiful, from "Jesus
Walks," "All Falls Down" and "Slow Jamz" to "Gold Digger" and "Heard 'Em Say." West also
showed off his dance moves while DJ A-Trak spun portions of Al Green's "Let's Stay
Together," Michael Jackson's "Rock With You" and A-Ha's "Take on Me."
Common performed just before West, engaging the audience with a break-dancing
demonstration and by selecting a woman from the crowd to dance with him while his DJ
began playing R. Kelly's "Bump 'N Grind." His set featured "Faithful," the peppy "Go" and "It's
Your World," during which he jumped onto the drum riser to bash a cymbal.
Playing its first U.S. show in years, Daft
Punk did not disappoint, pummeling an
overflow crowd in the dance-dominated
Sahara Tent with tracks like "Around
the World," "Robot Rock," "Television
Rules the Nation," "Technologic" and
"Da Funk." The performance was made
all the more dramatic by the duo's
metallic robot costumes and a
psychedelic light show.
My Morning Jacket were a highlight of
the smaller outdoor theatre in the late
afternoon, its members thrashing their
bearded heads to rockers like
"Mageetah," "Wordless Chorus," "One Big Holiday," "Gideon" and the stoner jam "Off the
Record." TV On The Radio got the crowd in the Mojave tent moving with skewed, arty tracks
such as the set-closing "Ambulance," which featured an impressive beat box rhythm by Dave
Sitek.
Other highlights from day one included an afternoon performance by U.K. rock act the Duke
Spirit (whose bassist, Toby Butler, played with his right arm in a sling), Cat Power's Southern
soul-drenched set with the Memphis Rhythm Band, Eagles Of Death Metal's cover of Stealers
Wheel's "Stuck in the Middle With You" and Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley performing his fathers
classics "Exodus" and "Could You Be Loved."
Depeche Mode
http://www.virtualfestivals.com/festivals/article.cfm?articleid=2633#
Daft Punk crown Coachella, Day One
30 April 2006
Enjoy the silence? Thousands did when a
dour headline set from Depeche Mode came
to an end, before the hoards descended on
the dance tent to witness a jaw-dropping
live show by Daft Punk.
In a frenetic finale to the first day of California’s Coachella festival,
the French disco kings showed their elders the real meaning of
electro by reworking hits from their first ten years, including 'One
More Time’, ‘Around The World’, and ‘Da Funk’.
Dressed in their customary robot suits and helmets, the pair
packed the Sahara dance tent, which has been expanded by 50
per cent since last to cater for the likes of Daft Punk, Audio
Bullys, Carl Cox and Madonna, who plays tomorrow (Sunday).
Record crowds attended the opening day, with organisers
estimating that at least 60,000 battled the queues and searing
heat to enjoy what many claim to be the most glamorous festival
in the world. The Coachella main stage played host to the
disappointing Depeche Mode as headliners, plus others including
Franz Ferdinand, Sigur Ros, Kanye West and Common. (see
previous story).
But unlike previous years when the festival hasn’t got into full flow
until the sun goes down, the party got started almost as soon as
the gates opened. Crowds packed out the three tents (which
actually look more like aircraft hangars), with people spilling out of
amazing early shows by Wolfmother and Clap Your Hands Say
Yeah.
Police reported little trouble with only 15 arrests and 11 people
were taken to hospital, mainly with heat related problems.
The action resumes at 1pm tomorrow with some of the highlights
expected to be coming from Tool, Bloc Party, Yeah Yeah Yeahs
and Scissor Sisters.
 |
Edited by - Carl on 05/05/2006 03:00:36 |
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Carl
- A 'Fifth' Catholic -
Ireland
11546 Posts |
Posted - 05/04/2006 : 14:28:01
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http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/states/california/northern_california/14468525.htm
Posted on Mon, May. 01, 2006
Madonna headlines eclectic mix at
Coachella Music Festival
RON HARRIS
Associated Press
INDIO, Calif. - Madonna thrilled thousands of fans at the Coachella Valley Music and
Arts Festival Sunday, even as she brought a mainstream feel to the traditionally edgy
event.
A swollen outdoor crowd erupted in cheers after the Material Girl made her entrance
inside a glittering disco ball that split in two and launched into "Hung Up" for her
opening number.
The audience spilled outside the tent where she performed an abbreviated set of five
songs in less than a half hour.
Not everyone was excited to see the pop star at the musical extravaganza best known
for its lineup of indie-rock bands and dance-oriented DJs.
"I'm here for anything but Madonna," said Alessandra Ambrosio, a Brazilian model.
"Madonna is too pop to be here."
It was the second of two sellout days that brought more than 100,000 people to the
inland desert for sun and sound.
Hours before Madonna went on, the San Francisco-based Mates of State, a husband
and wife duo, performed their unique blend of alt-pop drum and organ music.
Jason Hammel, a former cancer researcher, bounced in his seat as he beat his drums
furiously, while his wife, Kori Gardner, a former school teacher, swayed in her red
summer dress and played complex passages on her organ. The couple has grown
from Oakland party gigs to receive a wave of attention for their smart, singable tunes.
With 47 acts on Sunday's bill alone, fans had so many choices they had to miss some
bands to catch others.
"It's hard, you make your decisions and you get to the point where you have to sacrifice,"
said Jon Hioki, 21, of Nevada City.
His sister, Theresa Hioki, 20, sat next to her bother on a large expanse of grass,
contemplating the rest of the day's music ahead of them. She planned to check out
Madonna's evening show, but wasn't certain about joining the crush of fans inside the
Sahara Tent where the pop queen's set was planned. Sunday's lineup also included
the up-and-coming Matisyahu, a Hasidic reggae and hip-hop artist.
British chart favorite James Blunt drew one of the day's larger crowds, playing to a
wedged-in audience in the Mojave Tent. Near the tent openings, the crowd stood 20
deep just to catch a glimpse of the singer as he crooned mellifluous tunes, capping his
performance with the hit "You're Beautiful" from his album "Back to Bedlam."
Elsewhere on the Empire Polo Fields, a few dozen people tinkered with a 7-foot-tall
metal robot sculpture. Speakers inside the scrap heap emitted voices, imploring
onlookers to kick the machine. When they did, wacky metallic sounds echoed, mixed
with a little comic relief.
"Somebody get my beer," the robot begged to chuckles from the crowd.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,4-2006200047,00.html
Brits get on the Coach
You Zutey ... Zutons go down a treat in US
BRIT acts DEPECHE MODE, FRANZ
FERDINAND and THE ZUTONS
shone at the Coachella Valley Music
Festival — America’s answer to
Glastonbury.
While The Zutes livened up a
sundrenched Saturday afternoon
crowd, Franz wowed at sunset
with tracks that included Dark Of
The Matinee and Take Me Out at
the event in California.
Then the 2,000-strong crowd —
including celebs such as DANNY
DEVITO and ALI G — sang along
with headliners Depeche Mode,
who put on a stunning set.
All three acts proved this year’s
Coachella wasn’t just about
MADONNA — who headlined in the dance tent last night.
http://www.oudaily.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2006/04/30/44557539c9a0c
Entertainment
Rich music in desert land
Staff Column: 5-1-06
by Danny Marroquin
April 30, 2006
INDIO, Calif. — Valleys are generally defined by water. Chiseled to their
mountainous shape by fluid activity, valleys are a geographical marvel. Or,
they're fine to look at when mountains are absent.
But The Coachella (Valley) Music and Arts Festival, in its seventh year
running, isn't located in a valley, but more so a desert. And this year, what
added to the mystery of the jagged rocks was Coachella's most punishing
line-up yet. Tool was the headliner.
As of Saturday, it wasn't just Tool heads. The indie elite, rave seekers,
rastafarians, California outdoor folks and music lovers — all walks, ages and
races (as always can be said of a music festival where 50,000 are attending) — raided Indio, Calif., roughly 94
miles outside of the Arizona-California border and shortly past Joshua Tree National Park.
Lines of cars swirled the streets of Indio. Indio is a weird town with desert sands, orange orchards, budding
strip-malls and a heavily Mexican-American population.
Leveled politely against the sweltering desert heat waves of nowhere, the mountains
of steep granite and flocks of desert palms, which stand together in cliques, is a rich
elite of polo clubs, an orange-grower hacienda. These are the lands on which the
Coachella indie-rock explosion happens.
The townsfolk had a good time handing out groceries, and most of the Mexican
population enjoyed attending bands like Franz Ferdinand and Depeche Mode (a band
that left waftings of Morrissey at the end of their 11 p.m. set.)
Saturday at Coachella, campers could leave and enter — Indio was a packed town.
Inside, thousands hardly knew what to do. Neither did the town or more importantly,
the radio stations.
99.5 blared through trucks and cars promising the
best “new" alternative music. But alternative radio
knows only what was marketable in 1991.
Nirvana, Live and Sublime are mixed with festival
headliners Franz Ferdinand, Yeah Yeah Yeahs
and Tool, Tool and some more Tool.
At Coachella, it seemed with the avant-garde artwork in the festival's
courtyard, people were looking for a shield from the radio world. And if nothing else, those steep hills of granite
gave this desert, valley, oasis, that shield.
Bands had to squeeze 40 minutes on stage. Worldwide in representation, Daft Punk attracted Europeans who
flew in just for the rave-up from a French duo that rarely comes to America.
T.V. on the Radio answered the call that all the hip, glossy magazines seem to be taunted with on the release
of their second record, “Return to Cookie Mountain." The band invited members of the Celebration and used all
sorts of percussion, windchimes and barber shop harmonies to whisper, shout, and drop its beat poetry onto
the Mojave Tent.
Depeche Mode delivered hits and techno glory with a light show that pounded harder than the music. The
Walkmen looked bored, as many other indie bands did, but it was the energy of those like Radio, Animal
Collective and Kanye West that kept vultures from flocking to Beer Gardens, of which there were eight.
In the middle of their set, Animal Collective inspired a mass exodus. Mets hats didn't quite “get" why skinny
white guys needed to foil with their vocals and ditch the guitars and bass in favor of tribal bass drums to create
a scary mix of Amazonian avant-garde.
It wasn't for everyone. But if you kicked up the sands, ignored the high vendor prices, and rolled with the
schedule, there would be something for you. Which is more than you can say for most deserts.
PHOTOS PROVIDED
David Gahan, of Depeche Mode,
performs at the 2006 Coachella Music
and Arts Festival.
PHOTOS PROVIDED
Hip hop producer and
rapper Kanye West
performs on one of the
many stages at the
festival in Indio, Calif.
http://www.nme.com/festivals/news/22946
Madonna makes festival debut
Singer attacks George Bush at Coachella
Madonna has made her festival debut this evening
(April 30) at Coachella.
The singer played a six song set in the Sahara
Dance Tent at the Californian bash.
Arriving over 20 minutes late on stage, Madonna
began with recent single 'Hung Up' as it seemed
nearly half of Coachella's festival goers crowded
around the tent.
Getting into the spirit of things, the singer joined her
band on a flying-V guitar for two tracks, while robotic
dancers wore stockings over their heads.
Madonna used her set to attack the US President,
changing the lyrics of 'I Love New York' to "Just go
to Texas and you can suck George Bush's dick".
She then joked with the crowd asking them "Do you
wanna see my arse?", before concluding the set
with her first ever single 'Everybody'.
Madonna played:
'Hung Up'
'Get Together'
'I Love New York'
'Ray Of Light'
'Let It Will Be'
'Everybody'
The festival now continues with Scissor Sisters and
headliners Tool among those still to play.
For more coverage straight from the site stay tuned to NME.COM.
The view most people had of Madonna at Coachella -
a video screen
© IPC MEDIA 1996-2006, All rights reserved
http://www.nme.com/festivals/news/22945
Gnarls Barkley unveil live band
at Coachella
Plus all the action as the second day of the
Californian bash gets underway
Gnarls Barkley have made their festival debut this
afternoon (April 30) on the second day of Coachella
2006.
The duo who topped both album and single charts in
the UK today, played only their second ever show in
Californian event's Gobi Tent. The group had only
ever played a secret warm-up show before, just two
days ago at the Roxy in Los Angeles.
With the tent packed, Danger Mouse told
NME.COMhe was pleased with the interest despite
the fact the group's debut 'St Elsewhere' isn't yet
out on this side of the Atlantic.
"The record doesn't come out for two weeks so it's
interesting, but we're just letting it come together
slowly, actually it's getting quite quick now," he
explained.
The pair, completed by vocalist Cee-Lo, opted to
use a band rather than samples for their live
incarnation. "We've got a 14 piece band together
and it's sounding really good," explained Danger
Mouse. "I've never done anything like this before, so what we've tried to do is just recreate the album
around what we've got and I'm pretty pleased."
Dressed as characters from Wizard Of Oz with Danger Mouse as the Tin Man and Cee-Lo as the
Cowardly Lion the pair's UK number one single Crazy induced a mass sing-a-long among the crowd.
With the second day of the Coachella Festival getting underway in blistering sunshine, Giant Drag were
forced to overcome a series of technical difficulties as they played early on the Outdoor Theatre Stage.
"Everything went wrong," singer Annie Hardy told NME.COM. "So it was a bit tough, especially as it was
the first ever festival we've ever done."
Montreal's The Dears then used their Mojave tent appearance to preview tracks from their forthcoming
album 'Gang Of Losers', including possible next single 'Bandwagoneers' along with several other new
songs in their set.
They were followed on the same stage by James Blunt, who packed out the tent with fans desperate to
hear him play 'You're Beautiful'.
In addition Blunt also covered of Slade's 'Coz I Love You', joking with his audience, "You won't have
heard this British rock song from the 70s before and by the end you won't want to hear it again." Blunt
also played regular Pixies cover 'Where's My Mind'.
There was more MOR at the festival from French outfit Phoenix who closed their set with their track 'Too
Young' from Lost In Translation's soundtrack.
British representation at the festival was then continued by The Magic Numbers who played the Main
Stage under the searing afternoon sun, before Bloc Party enjoyed cooler evening conditions on the
Outdoor Theatre Stage.
Including the likes of 'Helicopter' and 'Banquet' in their set, the band also played two new songs which
they are currently working on for their second album.
"It seemed a bit empty last year when we played, but after Glastonbury we had to come back for the
weather," drummer Matt Tongjoked with NME.COM, as the band enjoyed one of the day's largest crowds
so far.
The Coachella Festival continues now with Madonna set to make her festival debut in the Sahara
dance tent, while Editors, Scissor Sister and headliners Tool are all also set to play.
For coverage straight from the festival site stay tuned to NME.COM.
Gnarls Barkley live at Coachella 2006
Picture: Phil Wallis
© IPC MEDIA 1996-2006, All rights reserved |
Edited by - Carl on 05/05/2006 03:54:36 |
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Carl
- A 'Fifth' Catholic -
Ireland
11546 Posts |
Posted - 05/05/2006 : 04:37:34
|
http://www.thedesertsun.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060430/UPDATE01/60430006
Madonna wows crushing crowd at Coachella
Bruce Fessier
The Desert Sun
April 30, 2006
Madonna is the queen of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
No doubt about it.
Madonna helped Coachella set a two-day attendance record Saturday
and Sunday when at least 60,000 people a day crammed into the Empire
Polo Club in Indio.
The demand was so great for Madonna, it took the crowd 30 minutes to
inch their way across the field after her performance. Coincidentally, that
was just how long her performance was.
The Queen of Pop started 25 minutes after her scheduled start time,
emerging out of a disco ball with her ensemble of spacemen-like
dancers in a black outfit and shades. After opening with her recent dance
hit, “Hung Up,” which she sang to open this year’s Academy Grammy
Awards, she told the audience this was her first festival and “give me
some love.”
Madonna, 47, then sang songs from her most recent album,
“Confessions on a Dance Floor,” with a throbbing, enhanced electronica
beat. She played guitar on “I Love New York.” Then she asked the fans —
perhaps 30,000 people including beer garden patrons and indie rock
fans for The Editors at the next tent over — if they wanted her to do an old
song.
Then she asked if she should take her pants off. “It’s too hot to wear
clothes,” she teased. Then, stripping to her tights, she asked, “Does my
ass look good?” — knowing she is incredibly buff.
Then she sang an old song, One song. “Get Up and Dance.” She writhed
around the floor a bit and then the concert was over.
There were people who didn’t want to see Madonna at the alternative-oriented festival.
Fonzie Hernandez of Coachella wore a T-shirt he designed that said, “Madonna killed Coachella.”
“She doesn’t belong here,” he said. “She’s pop.”
But even fans stuck in the glacial-like retreat from the Madonna set said it was worth it to see Madonna.
“I think it’s awesome and incredible,” said Kymberly Whitaker of La Quinta. “She’ll probably never be here again
in our little Coachella Valley.”
Paul Tollett, founder of the Los Angeles-based Goldenvoice promoters, said the increase in attendance
presented few challenges. Madonna was as easy to work with, he said, as the management for Tool and
Depeche Mode.
“From the beginning,” he said. “They wanted to fit it and not overpower the show.”
Tool was the Coachella Stage headliner. Other top performers included the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Matisyahu and
Paul Oakenfold.
Michelle Yee, The Desert Sun
Madonna performs in the Sahara Tent at the
2006 Coachella Valley Music and Arts
Festival at the Empire Polo Fields on Sunday
in Indio, Calif.
http://www.calendarlive.com/nightlife/reviews/cl-et-coachsecond1may01,0,6695374.story?coll=cl-show-reviews
May 1, 2006
POP MUSIC REVIEW
Shining without help of spotlight
They're not the big names, but acts such as My Morning Jacket and Cat Power made their musical presence felt.
By Steve Appleford, Special to The Times
The big names sell tickets, but some of the finest moments of the Coachella Music and
Arts festival can often be found elsewhere, surprising fans year after year on the smaller
stages, scattered across the site's 78 grassy acres. On the weekend's opening lineup,
those moments included stirring sets of varying styles by Cat Power, Damian Marley, My
Morning Jacket and the Eagles of Death Metal.
Several memorable musical peaks came roaring from My Morning Jacket, which played a
midafternoon set on the second stage, at its best sounding something like the Band on a
raw Crazy Horse jones, transforming what can sometimes seem soft and pastoral on
record into some raging modern rock. It was only when the Louisville, Ky., band slowed
down for several songs of atmospheric, folky, jammy tunes that the momentum began to
drift.
Later, on the same stage,
Damian Marley found the bridge
between the classic roots reggae
sung by his iconic father, Bob
Marley, and the more intense
dancehall sound that emerged in
the generation after. As the sun
finally slipped behind the
mountains, Marley engaged the
crowd in songs and messages
that ranged from antiwar to tips
on personal nutrition, hopping in
place to sounds that were
alternately excited and soulful,
some original ("More Justice")
and others by his father ("No
More Trouble").
Marley proved himself a modern,
master showman, melding rich
reggae passages with a stage that never stopped moving, from background singers who
doubled as dancers to the dreadlocked man whose only job was to wave a giant flag
bearing the Jamaican Lion of Judah.
Not all the day's surprises were musical, as when actor Danny DeVito stepped out to
introduce the Eagles of Death Metal, one band that could actually call the desert concert a
hometown gig. The band, led by singer Jesse Hughes, erupted with ecstatic music
steeped in '70s riff-rock and shoved forward by two drummers: Josh Homme (Queens of
the Stone Age) and Samantha Maloney (Hole).
At about the same time in the nearby Mojave Tent, Cat Power — the band project headed by
Chan Marshall — turned a too rare local appearance into an emotional, engaging survey of
American roots and indie rock, from country songs complete with strings and pedal steel to
a low, haunted take on "House of the Rising Sun." Thumping dance beats bleeding over
from the next tent occasionally spoiled the most delicate moments, but Marshall's Memphis
Rhythm Band easily overpowered them.
Earlier, on the main stage, singer Hamilton Leithauser of the Walkmen faced the desert
sun with bursts of livid energy and a fine Dylanesque snarl, singing "Good for You's Good
for Me" with frayed, jangled guitars and real punk ferocity. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
rocked with sophisticated melody and a singer (Alec Ounsworth) with the edgy presence of
early David Byrne and the Violent Femmes. And the Like played rock-pop songs from its
debut album, "Are You Thinking What I'm Thinking?," with growing authority.
The day eased into being at about noon with a performance on the big main stage with a
set by the Section Quartet, performing string versions of songs by Radiohead, Led Zeppelin
and Queens of the Stone Age — which was just one more surprise that set the stage for
the many to come.
http://www.calendarlive.com/nightlife/reviews/cl-et-coachmain1may01,0,2653923.story?coll=cl-show-reviews
May 1, 2006
POP MUSIC REVIEW
All together now
Kanye West and Depeche Mode? Thankfully, everyone's welcome
By Richard Cromelin, Times Staff Writer
KANYE WEST didn't play one of his smoothest shows Saturday, but it was one of his most
significant — if not for him then for the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. By
showcasing the hugely popular rapper on its main stage, the country's preeminent rock
gathering not only undertook a fundamental redefinition but also dramatically demonstrated
a new ecumenical spirit in popular music.
As the rapper strode the stage in front of thousands of cheering fans packed onto the lawn
of the Empire Polo Fields, it was easy to remember the notorious day in 1981 when rock
fans waiting for the Rolling Stones at the L.A. Coliseum booed young R&B-rock firebrand
Prince off the stage.
West would be followed Saturday
by the ethereal soundscapes of
Iceland's Sigur Rós, the smart,
bracing rock of Scotland's Franz
Ferdinand and the synth-pop of
England's Depeche Mode, all
more typical of the festival's
alternative rock identity. But he
was welcomed and heard on
equal footing by Coachella
nation.
The spectacle seemed to affirm
a new openness after the
decades of musical
Balkanization that followed
punk's monolith-busting
revolution. With the new
alternatives that resulted from
that mid-1970s upheaval came
codes of cool that kept partisans
of one sound isolated from certain others.
Now those divisions seem increasingly obsolete. That development was played out on
other stages and in other genres Saturday, the first day of the two-day festival, but nowhere
more dramatically than in rap.
That music's audience has long been substantially white, but West's brand of rap hadn't
reached into the segment of the rock world associated with Coachella. In its previous six
editions the festival has showcased plenty of hip-hop, but the kind compatible with its
frame of mind — underground in breeding, noncommercial in the marketplace, progressive
in spirit.
West was the perfect bridge to a new vision, a performer who racks up huge record sales
and mainstream radio hits but also gets critical acclaim for pushing the music's
boundaries and makes headlines for feisty comments about such matters as the
president's feelings about black people and hip-hop's prejudice against gay people.
On Saturday he was straightforward and fiery in a relatively brief set that came to a stop
early while he consulted with his backing musicians. "I have to adjust my set," he told the
crowd. A few minutes later, seemingly impatient, he asked, "Y'all have any specific songs
you want to hear?" But once he got rolling he was thoroughly commanding and
authoritative, a ball of intensity wearing a Miles Davis T-shirt and a red bandanna around
his neck. He brought along the string section that's a big part of his distinctive sound and
delivered some of his best songs, including "Jesus Walks" and "Touch the Sky."
Playing in the bright, early-evening sun, West didn't belabor the significance of his
appearance, but he had fun with the encounter, introducing the N-word-studded hit "Gold
Digger" by saying, "White people, this is your only chance to say [the N-word]." He also
played a selection of oldies that were inspirations to him, including Michael Jackson's
"Rock With You" and, no joke he insisted, a-ha's "Take on Me."
West wasn't the only rapper to do some hands-across-the-genres bonding Saturday. He
was preceded on the main stage by Common, a leading figure in progressive or
"conscious" rap and a beneficiary of the Kanye touch — West produced his latest album,
the highly regarded "Be." The tall Chicagoan was similarly commanding and comfortable,
more of a smooth operator than a fiery preacher. He alternated romantic interludes with
reflections on the social and political saga of the black community and the history of hip-
hop, getting a big roar from the crowd with some flashy break dancing.
That one-two hip-hop punch wasn't the only instance of an unlikely alliance Saturday.
Earlier in the day in the sweltering Mojave Tent, the young Australian band Wolfmother
accelerated the momentum it's been building in the last year by playing a set of power-trio
rock straight out of the late '60s and early '70s.
The rhythm-section thunder and Andrew Stockdale's guitar-hero playing and Ozzy-cum-
Plant wail touched on Cream, Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, while his major-league
afro could be seen as a nod to Grand Funk Railroad.
Anachronistic for sure but not really nostalgic, especially with the style being applied to
some strong original songs. The enthusiasm from both band and crowd seemed totally
free of irony, with everyone simply savoring the freedom to enjoy previously disdained
qualities such as virtuosity.
In a way, Coachella has played a role in this melting of genre boundaries. The festival
experience encourages curiosity, making it easy to stop on a whim at one of the two stages
or three tents and meet up with something foreign. And with seven stagings now in the
books, that's a lot of people exposed to new possibilities.
With 48 acts reflecting the event's traditional eclecticism on display Saturday, that dynamic
continued in force, though the record-setting crowd of 60,000 did tend to inhibit circulation.
As strong as the bill was top to bottom — from dynamic London rap newcomer Lady
Sovereign to new-folk avatar Devendra Banhart to the experimental sound-collagists
Animal Collective, to name three at random — the crowning of Depeche Mode as
Saturday's headliner had been met with some disappointment, considering the lofty
standards of that position and the Brits' many recent shows in the Southland.
The veteran band closed the main stage with a solid if dutiful procession through their long
history of catchy, existential hits, which exerted a strong influence on the development of
dance, electronica and Goth.
Besides the rap revelation of Kanye and Common, the real main-stage star was the band
Franz Ferdinand, which preceded Depeche Mode. The Scottish band made a big U.S.
breakthrough last year, but its second album, "You Could Have It So Much Better," hasn't
maintained the commercial momentum. So the group seemed to pack a something-to-
prove intensity into its set.
http://www.nme.com/festivals/news/22947
Scissor Sisters close Coachella
in style
But cast doubt on the festival's future
The Scissor Sisters have closed Coachella 2006
by giving fans a preview of their second album
tonight (April 30).
The New Yorkers brought a carnival air to the West
Coast bash as they mixed favourites including 'Take
Your Mama Out' and 'Laura' with songs expected
to feature on their forthcoming record including 'Paul
McCartney'.
However speaking from the stage singer Ana
Matronic appeared to cast doubt on the festival's
future.
"We could be one of the last bands to play
Coachella, on this site" she declared. "They've lost
the lease on this site, have you heard that? So we
need to dance on some graves tonight."
Festival spokesman Mitch Schneider dismissed
Matronic's concerns, telling NME.COM the
question mark over Coachella's lease was "just a
rumor, it's not true at all".
The possible cloud over the festival's future did not
however dampen this year's climax as Tool returned
to the Main Stage for the first time since they played the inaugural Coachella in 1999.
With a robust set, Maynard James Keenan'smen repeated the evening's new material theme as they
used the opportunity to showcase tracks from their new record '10,000 Days'.
Earlier, the evening session of Coachella's last day got underway with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs fleshing out
their new album 'Show Your Bones' on the Main Stage with tracks including 'Cheated Hearts' and
'Gold Lion' alongside older crowd pleasers including a electrifying version of 'Maps'.
Over in the Mojave tent Editors managed to defy the undoubted draw of Madonna by playing to a packed
crowd who lapped up the likes of 'All Sparks', 'Blood' and new song 'Bones'.
Acknowledging the draw of the singer who made her festival debut at the same time in the neighbouring
Sahara tent, Editors' frontman Tom Smith encouraged the crowd to quieten down so they could they
could have a "Madonna listen" which drew a loud chorus of boos so the band launched into 'Munich'
instead.
"It was at that point we decided to drop the 'Holiday' cover," Smith joked with NME.COM after coming off
stage. "I was surprised, I wanted to see Madonna myself."
On the Main Stage Bristolian trip hop veterans Massive Attack played a greatest hits set.
Joined by Cocteau Twins vocalist Elizabeth Fraser and reggae stalwart Horace Andy, before the band
concluded their set with 'Unfinished Sympathy' which sent the Californian crowd into rapture.
The Go! Team added some DIY charm to proceedings on the Outdoor Theatre Stagewith a frantically
paced set, while Swedish rocker Dungendelivered a slice of psychedelic bliss ahead of Art Brut's finale
in the Mojave tent.
Stay with NME and NME.COM for live, on site reports from all of this summer's key European festivals.
Scissor Sisters live at Coachella Festival 2006
Picture: Phil Wallis
© IPC MEDIA 1996-2006, All rights reserved |
Edited by - Carl on 05/05/2006 06:08:10 |
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Carl
- A 'Fifth' Catholic -
Ireland
11546 Posts |
Posted - 05/05/2006 : 06:27:34
|
http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2006-04-30-coachella_x.htm
Coachella festival turns up the heat
Updated 5/1/2006 9:31 AM ET
By Bruce Fessier, USA TODAY
Crowds at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, facing
temperatures in the 90s, didn't need much warming up. The
seventh annual fest in Indio, Calif. — widely regarded as the
nation's most influential alternative music festival — broke
attendance records (officials estimated 120,000) and featured
95 artists (from Tool and the Yeah, Yeah Yeahs to Kanye West
and Hasidic reggae/hip-hop artist Matisyahu) Saturday and
Sunday in five stages in the middle of the Southern California
desert.
Queen of the day:
Though Tool was set to close out the festival, the biggest draw
by far was Madonna, warming up for her first tour since 2004.
Giant screens were set up so the overflow crowds could see.
She emerged with her dancers from a giant disco ball, nearly
30 minutes after her scheduled start time. Clad in black with
purple accents and wearing shades, she launched right into
Hung Up. The show was lively: At one point, she yelled for the
crowd to stop throwing water in her face; at another, she told
them to check out her back side.
'Beautiful' Blunt:
Near the entrance of the tent where British singing sensation James Blunt was performing, people stood 20
deep just to catch a glimpse. He sang his hit You're Beautiful, then he introduced his subsequent number as "a
song from the '70s you've probably never heard before. And if you're lucky, you'll probably never hear it again." He
was right.
Slow Mode:
Electronic giants Depeche Mode emphasized their older songs, with a lot of slower-tempo material. But the
throbbing pulse was constant, and it kept the crowd moving. Frontman David Gahan spent a lot of time without a
shirt, and the band performed three encores, a rarity at Coachella, ending with an infectious Never Let Me Down
Again.
Business plus pleasure:
Australia's Youth Group finished its American tour in support of its CD Skeleton Jar a month ago, but when the
Coachella offer came, they stayed. "It's a great opportunity," said bass player Patrick Martin. "It's hard to divorce
that from actual fun. My main thing is fun." Martin was asked, considering the success of The Vines and Jet, and
the presence of fellow Aussies Infusion and Wolfmother at the fest, what they're putting in the water in Australia.
"Plutonium," he said.
Lip-smacking Walkmen:
Eclectic New Yorkers The Walkmen performed We've Been Had (also featured in a Saturn Ion commercial),
among other tunes. Lead singer Hamilton Leithauser was somehow able to chomp on his gum while also
blasting the crowd with vocals.
Expecting inspiration:
Singer Josh Groban, attending his first Coachella, said seeing so many of his favorite performers live "is like a
dream come true." He looked forward to Sigur Ros, Imogen Heap, Common, Massive Attack and Madonna. "It's
not the kind of music I perform, but I listen to all kinds. I'm sure this will inspire me in my own work."
Contributing: Fessier is the entertainment editor for The Desert Sun in Palm Springs, Calif. Also contributing:
Maggie Downs, also of the Desert Sun, and the Associated Press
Posted 4/30/2006 11:40 PM ET
Updated 5/1/2006 9:31 AM ET
By Matt Sayles, AP
Though disco is Madonna's main agenda for her
new tour, she did break out the guitar for her
Coachella set.
http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002425444
Coachella Day Two: Madonna Makes It
Quick, Gnarls Goes 'Crazy'
May 01, 2006, 5:00 AM ET
Jonathan Cohen, Palm Desert, Calif.
Madonna made her festival debut last night (April
30) at the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival in
Indio, Calif., performing six songs in front of one
of the largest crowds ever to witness an artist at
the event. Day two of Coachella was also
highlighted by performances from Massive Attack,
Scissor Sisters, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Tool and Gnarls
Barkley.
Madonna was more than 20 minutes late starting, and her delayed set drew several rounds
of booing from the sea of humanity packed into and around the Sahara Tent. But she oozed
personality once taking the stage, at one point shouting at a fan who had thrown water onto
the stage and then wiping it up herself, and later asking the audience, "Everybody, does my
a** look okay?"
The set featured her latest hit single "Hung Up," "Get Together," "I Love New York," "Ray of
Light," "Let It Will Be" and the vintage "Everybody." The show served as a warm-up for the
May 21 kick-off of her Confessions tour in Los Angeles.
Playing one of their first U.S. shows in eight years, Massive Attack did not disappoint with a
powerful set led by material from its 1998 album, "Mezzanine." Cocteau Twins vocalist Liz
Fraser made a rare appearance to sing such tracks as "Teardrop" and "Group Four," while
Horace Andy took the mic for "Man Next Door" and "Angel." The set also featured "Inertia
Creeps," "Safe From Harm" and "Future Proof."
The Scissor Sisters kept the party going on the second outdoor stage with unabashed dance
pop tunes like "Take Your Mama," "T*** on the Radio," "Laura," "Mary" and their hit cover of
Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb." Vocalist Ana Matronic also led the crowd in a collecting
howling at the moon early in the set.
Gnarls Barkley shared Scissor Sisters'
flair for the dramatic, choosing to take
the stage decked out as characters
from "The Wizard of Oz." Vocalist Cee-
Lo eventually stripped down to his
undershirt to belt out "Transformer,"
"Smiley Face," "Necromancing" and
"Crazy," which is now in its fourth week
at No. 1 on the U.K. singles chart.
Not to be outdone, Yeah Yeah Yeahs
frontman Karen O trotted out one of
her trademark sparkling stage outfits
for the band's early evening set on the
main stage. The group opened with
"Cheated Hearts" from its new album "Show Your Bones" and also played new single "Gold
Lion," "Phenomena," "Art Star," "Turn Into" and its breakthrough hit, "Maps."
Tool closed the main stage by debuting three songs from its brand new album, "10,000
Days," including "Jambi" and the epic single "Vicarious." Never to be upstaged in the stage
attire department, frontman Maynard James Keenan came out wearing a cowboy hat, which
he quickly doffed (with his shirt) to reveal a mohawk. Keenan also teased the audience's
familiarity with the new songs, telling them, "I know you f***ers already downloaded" the
new album. The performance, the band's first in the United States since late 2002, also
featured the hit '90s single "Stinkfist," "Lateralus" and "The Patient."
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0605010202may01,1,479386.story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-hed
PERSONALS: WHO'S WHO & WHAT'S UP
Coachella festival draws record
crowd
Published May 1, 2006
Chicago's own Kanye West and Common joined Depeche Mode and
festival first-timer Madonna at the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival
in Indio, Calif., over the weekend.
The two-day festival, which drew a record crowd of 60,000 to Indio's
Empire Polo Field on Saturday, ended Sunday night with headlining sets
by Tool and the Material Girl.
----------
The Personals page was compiled by Cheryl Bowles from Tribune news
services and staff reports.
Copyright © 2006, Chicago Tribune
http://www.entertainmentwise.com/news?id=16509
Madonna Makes Very Brief
Festival Debut
At Coachella...
By: Scott Colothan on 5/1/2006
Madonna made her festival debut last night (April 30) at the
Coachella festival.
However, Madge kept things very brief only playing a six song set at
the American extravaganza.
She rattled through the tracks ‘Hung Up’, ‘Get Together’, ‘I Love
New York’, 'Ray of Light’, 'Let It Will Be’and 'Everybody’ to a
rammed Sahara Tent.
Things didn’t kick off too well, with Madonna turning up twenty minutes
late onstage which caused some agitated audience members to boo.
Other acts that performed yesterday included Gnarls Barkley,
Massive Attack, Scissor Sisters and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
http://www.thedesertsun.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060501/EVENTS17/605010307/1050
Coachella Music Fest
First, they came for the music
But lots of other good stuff got noticed, too
Staff reports
The Desert Sun
May 1, 2006
Vignettes from the Coachella Music Festival in Indio. Check out our LIVE
from Coachella blog for more comments and photos.
Los Amigos
I thought Kinky was the best Latin band I've seen on the main stage, but
Sunday, Los Amigos Invicibles blew them away. Mixing all kinds of music
like bossa nova, hip-hop, rock and dance, Los Amigos had the crowd
dancing in the middle of the afternoon heat. Most in the audience knew
the words to every song and the band perfectly re-created their album
sound on a live stage, which is not easy to do for a band as diverse as
Amigos Invicibles.
Bluntly ridiculous
Brit singer-guitarist James Blunt sang his huge hit, "You're Beautiful," as
the third song of a tepid set in the hot, humid Mojave Tent Sunday
afternoon. Surprisingly, few people left when he was done.
Blunt introduced his subsequent number as "a song from the '70s you've
probably never heard before. And if you're lucky, you'll probably never
hear it again."
He was right on both counts.
Freestylin’ with the Murs
Murs in the Gobi Tent rocked the stage as its frontman freestyled, rolling
he hip hop lyrics so delicately off his tongue like butter: "I'm at Coachella
tryin' to make some friends I'm a really good dude but a very bad man."
The Murs took me back to a style of hip hop I haven't heard since high
school in someone's basement. But when they switched gears to
perform the song, "Silly Girl" about a girl who thinks it's cool to wait to
have sex, I thought, OK, they're really about to say something of
substance here until I heard them say, "If you wait too long, the milk goes
sour." I had to shake my head, because that line was just ridiculous!
Saturday in the park
Coachella's riches struck again Saturday. It's not fair, it's just what is.
Late super-add Kanye West took the late afternoon slot on the Coachella
Stage and delivered the type of dynamic performance fans had come to
expect, complete with string section and West's commanding,
charismatic stage presence.
But across the grounds in the Mojave Tent was an epic set by eagerly
awaited TV On The Radio. The New Yorkers' almost symphonic washes
of guitar winningly reconciled its blues and soul strains with its more
aggressive downtown sounds, developing and extending its own
language in the process.
Their 45-minute
set, riveting,
experimental,
quirkily off-kilter,
was an early
festival highlight
that left fans
searching for
superlatives.
"Phenomenal,"
said Darren
Delacruz, 23, of
Fountain Valley,
here for his third
Coachella and
first TV On the
Radio performance.
Big winds will forever send Oakenfold to play indoors
Electronica star Paul Oakenfold chose to play in the big Sahara Tent
Sunday after his experience at the 2002 Coachella Festival - where he
was almost blown off the stage.
"We played on the main stage and the wind was so bad it was blowing
the needle off the record," he told me. "I went through quite a traumatic
situation. Apart from the needle being blown off the record a few times,
the big black curtain behind me actually blew over my records. One time I
turned around and couldn't see my records. I had to literally crawl under
the curtain, drag my records back to the other side of the curtain while
performing in front of 20,000 people. But what was strange was the
crowd saw what I was going through and really went with it. I think to a
certain extent they understood exactly what I was going through."
The mix master was set to introduce original material from his forthcoming CD, "A Lively Mind," in a set just
before Madonna Sunday.
I'm looking forward to his track with actress Brittany Murphy singing with "American Idol"-like sultry expertise on
"Faster Kill Pussycat." That should be on more radio stations this summer than Oakenfold's last reworking of
Elvis Presley's "Rubbernecking."
Are you down with VIP? Yeah, you know me
While the masses battle for crumbs of shade, those in the VIP area listen to the show in style. There are
pretend-leather couches throughout and plenty of shady areas to lounge on. Fans blow mists of water
throughout and some of the restrooms are even air-conditioned. It’s a place where the pretty and the famous are
seen. Sometimes, even pretty famous stars like Danny DeVito hang out there. The Hollywood star walked
around like regular folk ordering food from the vendors and hanging by the grassy hill. It’s also where the
musicians are interviewed and even some that aren’t on the bill can be seen, like Control Machete DJ Toy and
Audioslave drummer Brad Wilk. But who else hangs out in the VIP area? And what did they have to do to get
here?
Find out all you ever wanted to know and some stuff you didn’t about the VIP area by logging on to
thedesertsun.com and clicking on the “One Night Stands” podcast Mondaytoday. My sidekick Nelsy and I will
give you the skinny on the VIP.
Got BlackBerry?
This year the most popular accessory seems to be the BlackBerry —complete with hands-free earpiece.
They are almost popular as tattoos — well, not quite that popular.
Saturday night highlights
Franz Ferdinand performing “Walk Away.” The Scottish band has a lot of catchy songs from just two albums, but
the sound gets a little redundant after a while. “Walk Away,” from “You Could Have It So Much Better,” expresses
a guy’s recovery from the sting of rejection with literary skill. The chorus says it succinctly: “I love the sound of you
walking away. Why don’t you walk away. Won’t you walk away?”
The pulse of Depeche Mode. These electronic giants emphasized their older songs and selected a lot of slower
tempo material. But the throbbing pulse was constant and it kept the crowd moving like a subliminal undertow.
David Gahan spent a lot of time without a shirt, recalling a past moment on the Coachella Stage with Iggy Pop.
But his vocals, even when he was just punctuating Martin Gore with an occasional shout, didn’t waste a single
sound. Deviating from Coachella custom, these guys performed three encores, ending with an infectious “Never
Let Me Down Again.”
Ramon Mena Owens
Julio Briceño, lead singer of Los Amigos
Invisibles performs on the Coachella Stage.
FIVE THINGS TO DO TO
IMPROVE COACHELLA
Add electronic foot massagers.
After 12 hours on your feet –
walking maybe 10 miles in a day
and standing in line for hours – the
festival’s most popular attraction
might be those vibrating machines
you see at county fairs. Or they
could create another long line
increasing the demand for foot
massages.
Set up low-density footlights a
hundred yards or so from the
Coachella Stage. We’re tired of
stepping on people passed out on
the lawn. Create at least a couple
paths lined with footlights so
people can walk and rest in peace.
Improve the stage lighting in the
Mojave Tent. It’s hard enough to
see the band when there are a
thousand people in front of you, but
when there’s more light behind the
bandstand than in front of it, you
can’t see any of the artists’
features. Let those performers
shine!
Hire more Coachella Valley
residents as event staffers on the
street. I’ve been coming to the
Empire Polo Club for 25 years and
I still get confused in those crowds.
I asked a couple staffers how to
get to Madison and they replied, “I
don’t know.” “Where you from?” I
countered. “Los Angeles,” both of
them said.
Hire real massagers. I know
you can’t put masseurs in tents
with tables. That would probably
have to be licensed by the
government agency that monitors
lap dancing. But a 10-minute
massage for $10 on a head rest,
like they have in malls, would be
excellent. |
Edited by - Carl on 05/05/2006 12:59:14 |
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scruvs
= Cult of Ray =
353 Posts |
Posted - 05/05/2006 : 23:24:17
|
I didn't read all that. Are we supposed to vote?
I vote for Bonnaroo.
_____________________
Boy, you sure can holler. |
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Carl
- A 'Fifth' Catholic -
Ireland
11546 Posts |
Posted - 05/06/2006 : 04:37:33
|
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/features/20060501-9999-1c01coachell.html
Hot acts under the blazing sun
Big names draw fans, but fronting new music is Coachella's
aim
By Chris Nixon
UNION-TRIBUNE
May 1, 2006
On any other day, the sand
surrounding Palm Springs serves as
home for desert rats, meth freaks and
golfing retirees. For two days a year,
the Coachella Valley Music and Arts
Festival welcomes backpacker rap
lovers, indie rockers sporting thick
black glasses and long-haired retro
rockers – everyone trotting out their
version of cool and getting scorched in
the blazing sun.
Held on the Empire Polo Fields in
Indio, 104 bands spread across five
stages congregated Saturday and
yesterday to represent a wide swath of
modern music. From Cat Power's
mellow soul to Kanye West's popular
brand of rap, familiar names and new
music mingle under the desert sun.
The formula works: Coachella sold out
60,000 tickets for each day.
Beyond the name recognition of
headliners such as Tool and Depeche
Mode, the seventh annual Coachella
finds itself struggling to expose large
crowds to new music while pulling in
mainstream audiences with big-name
acts. While organizers generally
succeed in accomplishing both
objectives, the festival at times felt like two separate gatherings.
During the afternoon on both days, smaller crowds gathered to hear buzz
bands like Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Metric and The Magic Numbers.
Audiences were rewarded with worthy performances, also discovering
innovative groups while wandering the expansive grounds.
As the light faded and day turned to
night, brand name bands took the stage.
Crowds grew larger, and the effects of a
long day in the sun took its toll on
concertgoers: Space became a
premium, and lines grew larger for the
beer tent and bathrooms. The focus
shifted away from the music to a more
party atmosphere.
Saturday's lineup offered a bevy of
opportunities to see iconic groups and
artists embarking into brave new
worlds. Great Britain's The White Rose
Movement – named after the German
resistance group opposing the Nazis
during World War II – gave people a
fresh name to remember from the festival. Most people had never heard the
band's music. But the U.K.-based five-piece ripped through a half-hour set of
fiery keyboard-driven New Wave that injected a bustling energy into the
Mojave Tent crowd. Lead singer Finn Vine set the tone for the day with his
stage banter: “Maybe later we can all get naked and eat some mangoes and
have some fun in the sun.”
Later on the same stage, Wolfmother's muscle car rock found guitarist and
vocalist Andrew Stockdale cranking raw power chords on his Gibson SG,
much like fellow Aussie Angus Young (AC/DC). The trio busted out '70s-
inspired van rock: part BTO, part Black Sabbath.
Standbys like Depeche Mode and Franz
Ferdinand delivered inspired sets on
the main Coachella stage, giving people
the name recognition and familiar
songs audiences crave at the end of a
long 12 hours of music.
Yesterday's lineup was packed with
diverse artists such as the Malian blues
of Amadou and Mariam and the
ballistic theatrics of Tool. The festival's
second day also provided the toughest
choice of the weekend.
Five extremely different and talented
artists at five different locales graced
stages at 8 p.m.: Brazilian crooner Seu
Jorge in the Gobi Tent; retro alt-
rockers The Editors in the Mojave
Tent; classic jazzy hip-hop trio Digable
Planets at the Outdoor Theatre Stage;
the infectious vocals of Karen O and the
Yeah Yeah Yeahs on the main
Coachella Stage; and, of course, pop
icon Madonna in probably the most
hotly anticipated show of the entire
festival.
If it was up to me, I'd probably chill with Seu Jorge. But I'd be remiss on my
duties here if I didn't poke my head into the Sahara Tent to check out the
Material Girl in action.
Probably the largest crowd of
the festival gathered around
the Sahara Tent last night for
Madonna's performance. Was
it devout fans finally seeing
Madonna's first festival
appearance or vague
curiosity? The latter, I think.
The huge crowd made for the
worst sight lines of the entire
two days. After making the
audience wait 20 minutes
beyond her scheduled start
time, the queen of pop finally
graced the crowd with her
presence.
A guy near me sarcastically
squealed, “Oh my God, it's
Madonna!” The Material Girl
rubbed herself all over a few
male dancers and pulled off a
few tired choreographed
dance moves.
After a couple of new songs,
most of the overflow crowd
standing outside the tent
wandered away in boredom.
So did I.
For the generation of kids
that grew up in the '90s listening to alternative rock, Coachella and its
headlining bands serve as a nostalgic look back. Tool, Depeche Mode and
even a sugary sweet dose of pop culture with Madonna provided known
quantities musically. The big names bring the people in; hopefully, they get
exposed to new music along the way.
With the sheer volume of
cutting-edge bands
weighing down the early
part of the bill, Coachella's
sweaty masses discovered
bands like Deerhoof, the
White Rose Movement and
Amadou and Mariam. After
the high ticket prices (close
to $100 per day after
charges and fees), the hot
sun and massive crowds,
the festival can take
endurance and a hearty
soul. But discovering new
music along the way makes
it worthwhile.
Chris Nixon is a San Diego writer.
CRISSY PASCUAL / Union-Tribune
Among the tens of thousands of
revelers Saturday were Ryan Lotz of
Santa Cruz and Ahmy Rossini of Los
Angeles.
CRISSY PASCUAL / Union-Tribune
Depeche Mode, with frontman Dave
Gahan, was one of many big-name
acts at Coachella Valley Music and Arts
Festival over the weekend.
CRISSY PASCUAL / Union-Tribune
Metric frontwoman Emily Haines
performed at Coachella yesterday. Last
Gang Records is set to release Haines'
first solo album, "Knives Don't Have
Your Back," in the fall.
CRISSY PASCUAL / Union-Tribune
Fans crowded one of the tents to listen to
Toronto's four-piece Metric yesterday afternoon at
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio.
CRISSY PASCUAL / Union-Tribune
Coachella sold out 60,000 tickets for each day of
the two-day festival. As day turned into night,
crowds became larger for big-name bands, space
became a premium, and lines grew larger for the
beer tent and bathrooms.
http://www.thedesertsun.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060501/EVENTS17/605010306/1050
Coachella Music Fest
Portal exhibit is flush with talent
Darrell Smith
The Desert Sun
May 1, 2006
Portable toilets as canvases? Outhouses as works of art? Sounds, um,
interesting.
But the irreverent display at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
sponsored by the activist organization Global Inheritance has something
to say.
Using artist depictions of the past 100 years of Southern California
music decade by decade, Global Inheritance hopes to rally support for
music education in California's schools.
And the display "Portal Potties" is turning heads in the process, from the
goth and glam excesses of 1980s Los Angeles hard rock and multi-culti
'90s fashion to the earlier golden ages of 1930s Central Avenue jazz
scene and the city's motion picture beginnings.
"I always like seeing nontraditional mediums," said Eric Weiner, 31, of
San Diego, who posed for a photo in front of the 1980s rock display.
"When you take something from a different context and use it as an art
form, it's pretty cool."
Simon Steinhardt, an editor with Los Angeles-based publication Swindle
Quarterly, became involved with the organization and exhibit after
interviewing its founder, Eric Ritz. He hopes the exhibit will educate and
spur others to action to save and promote music education.
"Hopefully, the people who come through here are voters or concerned
citizens," he said. "Hopefully, they will lobby their school board members
(or) accept donations for instruments. There are loads of contributions
they can make."
In the meantime, the unlikely exhibit is making fans one at a time.
"It's a really artistic way of making something artistic that's not artistic,"
said Ben David Grebinski, 23, of Los Angeles. "That we're talking about it
says a lot."
The Desert Sun
The "Portal Potties" display at the Coachella
Music and Arts Festival in Indio takes an
irreverent look at the past 100 years of
Southern California music decade by decade.
http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/entertainment/homepage/article_1125291.php
Monday, May 1, 2006
Coachella Day 2: Tool
ruled
Review: Meanwhile, Massive Attack returned from the dead.
Tons of great music, and a rumor that it’s all over. Welcome to
Day 2 of Coachella 2006.
By BEN WENER
The Orange County Register
Got this little ditty in my head.
Sounds like rapper Cee-Lo of
Gnarls Barkley (who had the
set of the fest, for those who
saw it) singing a nursery
rhyme with those plucky so-
and-so's from the Go! Team.
Goes like:
Tool. Madonna.
Tool, Tool. Madonna.
It's my way of explaining that I
can't quite figure out where to
start talking about the Great
But Clouded Sunday Rebound
of Coachella 2006 right now.
Oh, and did you hear that this
may have been the last
Coachella?
Ever.
Yeah. I know.
Tool, Madonna. Tool, Tool.
Madonna.
Oh, I'll just avoid the dilemma
altogether and get to them
later. (Short version: Tool was
incredible. Madonna, too
much the diva, fizzled. Big
time.)
Because right now I know what you're thinking: "Someone says
they hear there's never gonna be another Coachella every year."
I'm aware, and I've already debunked this one, for the most part.
"There will be another Coachella," says Marcee Rondan, of the
publicity firm the Mitch Schneider Organization, which has
handled this event from the start.
But in the wee hours when you've heard such a rumor direct
from the stage - second stage, anyway - it makes you wonder.
See, that's where Roxanne (I was at Tool) happened to hear
Scissor Sisters vocalist Ana Matronic (not her real name, you
might have guessed) say something like, "This is your last
chance. Last chance to dance.
"They lost the lease.
"This is the last one."
Was she just snidely joking? She can be that way. Was
unresolved small news item from last fall, about the Empire
Polo Field being sold to a new owner, finally causing
speculation among bands and managers backstage?
At daybreak Monday, I had no way of knowing. So I wrote:
"Let's not speculate on the bitter end, then, for it remains
hypothetical. Let's speculate on this: Should this be the last
Coachella?"
Coachella isn't simply a festival. Doheny Days - that's simply a
festival. Fun-in-the-sun on a couple of stages with some BBQ
stands attached. Nothing more.
Coachella, on the other hand, is a living, breathing, body-
pounding, mind-probing, sometimes exhausting work of
conceptual concert art. Its ambitious programming is as
challenging to conceive as it is to sell to 100,000 people across
two days - or even make run on time.
About that: No surprise Madonna was every bit as late as
Kanye. But, then, Tool was 20 minutes late, too, and nobody
booed them. Know why?
Because they put on a proper show.
Ten songs total - not roughly half that, as Madonna tossed out
during her 30 minutes that most fans who waited and waited
and waited in and all around the Sahara tent thought would be
at least 15 longer. Heck, when she left, I thought for a second it
might just be for a costume change. Bet that's where it goes in
the real Madonna show, anyway.
And I don't doubt the real Madonna show - three nights of it at
the Forum in Inglewood, starting in two weeks - will be another
typical dazzler. I've never been one who thought she didn't
belong at Coachella. But she should have owned that dance
tent, left people talking for days.
They'll be talking, of course, but not for the reason she
intended, because instead of fully pleasing dead-tired fans, she
offered something that felt like the sort of tour tease you'd get at
Wango Tango. The new stuff was solid, but delivered as pop
product, not as dance manna. Only "Ray of Light," with
Madonna on guitar, had me going. She should have come back
immediately and played at least "Music," "Holiday" and maybe
something truly erotic (like "Erotica") to reassert her roots in
being naughty (since the roots on her head were already
showing).
Tool, on the other hand, drew as large a crowd, offered three
riveting new ones (including a hellacious version of funky
departure "The Pot") and gave a full performance that felt like a
satisfying tease to a much larger coming tour. Which, by the
way, could be the hard-rock tour of the decade and signal a
shift away from so much effete new-wave and art-rock and
toward, for better and worse, turbo-testosteroned, sonic-
overload-rock. That's how powerful it was.
In fact, everywhere I turned Sunday the offerings were
consistently a cut above, often fantastic, at the very least highly
engaging. Never did I sense the day lag musically; Madonna
was the only letdown, and a sudden one at that. Overall the day
was a remarkable rebound from the aimlessness and disunity of
Saturday. Roxanne said this during Matisyahu, who was so
invigorating - and broadly appealing - I feel sheepish for ever
suggesting the Hasidic reggae sensation might amount to
nothing more than a novelty: "If nothing else, you've found your
unifier."
I found more than a few. Tool for sure, my eyes and ears having
been opened. Massive Attack for those who really felt it. Bloc
Party and the Magic Numbers at times. Even Madonna, during
"Ray of Light."
Much greatness ensued.
But is it all downhill from here? Can Coachella wipe whatever
egg some think is on its face and continue evolving into an
accurately eclectic reflection of a large segment of Southern
California's uncategorizable taste in music? Or has it played
itself out? People like to imagine they've actually heard
organizer Paul Tollett often say, "Let's just do the DVD and say
we're done." Well, the DVD's out. Is it time to move on to the
next creation? Maybe refocus on other types of smaller festivals
and large one-off events? (Tool at Home Depot Center! Tool at
Home Depot Center! With two other cool bands!)
Coachella is a ridiculously long annual double-album, and the
people who stage it are the band. They had a sophomore
slump, and were primo by albums four and five. But ask
yourself: How many bands do you know that could put out a
double-album year after year and still be ingenious, let alone
staggering, by the seventh?
Maybe it isn't meant to last through this seven-year-itch
flirtation with the mainstream.
Maybe it's just time for a new location.
Or maybe it's time we broadened our focus to other festivals.
The Jazz & Heritage Festival in New Orleans (heavy emphasis
on the "Heritage" from what I read) was the truly important
musical gathering this past week. It's the one teased on the
front-page of my hotel-room's courtesy newspaper. Not
Coachella.
"Dude ... it can't run forever, you know."
Yeah. I know.
But I'm not ready for it to be over yet.
CONTACT US: (714) 796-2248 or bwener@ocregister.com
Madonna's presence helped
sell out Day 2.
Photo: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
http://www.calendarlive.com/music/la-et-madonna1may01,0,900079.story?coll=cl-music-features
May 1, 2006
COACHELLA
The 'Material Girl' cranks up Coachella's glitz factor
Though critics assert that she's too mainstream for the indie music fest, her six song set packs them in the tent.
By Chris Lee, Special to The Times
INDIO, Calif. — Madonna was barely through her second song at the Coachella Valley Arts
and Music Festival tonight when she addressed what was on almost every festival-goer's
mind.
"This is my first festival," she said to wild applause from the capacity crowd of several
thousand.
Madonna paused a moment and
then joked: "Now who's going to
share their drugs with me?"
Far and away the most
commercial artist in the festival's
seven-year history, pop music's
Material Girl arrived with six
dancers in tow amid controversy.
Some critics and alternative
music fans complained that her
inclusion among the festival's
alterna-rock stars and
underground electronica and rap
acts signaled a shift toward a
more mainstream Coachella.
Bowing to that perception
somewhat, Madonna opted to bill
herself as a "dance act" and
played in the Sahara Tent - the so-called "dance tent" here.
One T-shirt being sold near the tent this weekend addressed the mixture of bewilderment
and excitement surrounding her set. It read simply: "Madonna in the dance tent!"
Although she has performed individual songs at MTV Europe's Video Music Awards and
with the Gorillaz at the Grammys in February, Madonna's 40-minute, six-song Coachella
appearance marked the first time the singer performed an extended set in two years. (On
May 21, 23 and 24 she will perform at the Great Western Forum in Los Angeles.)
Tonight she stripped down onstage (behind a screen), from a glittering purple jacket and
velvet pants to a blue violet leotard, knee-high boots and a purple feathered boa. The outfit
highlighted the 47-year-old's well-muscled physique.
"She looks so skinny, it's amazing," said Julianna Shepard of Thousand Oaks.
Her 14-year-old son, Sam, put a finer point on Madonna's appearance. "She looks hot," he
said.
The singer's physicality was put through its paces as she karate kicked, writhed on the floor
and thrust her pelvis through three songs from her latest album, "Confessions on a Dance
Floor," and three older hits.
During her closing number, her first hit single, "Everybody," Madonna appeared visibly out
of breath.
"She looks tired," someone in the crowd was heard to say.
The crowd cheered wholeheartedly during her performance but once she left the stage,
fans didn't sustain their applause - hence, no encore.
Asked if a performer of Madonna's stature belonged at Coachella, Roger Vambrazano of
Los Angeles, 24, said: "Look around. This is the most crowded any tent has been all day. I
had no expectations coming in, but she blew me away." |
Edited by - Carl on 05/06/2006 07:06:13 |
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Carl
- A 'Fifth' Catholic -
Ireland
11546 Posts |
Posted - 05/06/2006 : 07:20:58
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http://www.thedesertsun.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060501/UPDATE/60501004
Police: Arrests routine at Coachella fest, traffic biggest
headache
Marie McCain
The Desert Sun
May 1, 2006
More than three dozen people were arrested at the Coachella Valley
Music & Arts Festival this past weekend, Indio police said today.
In addition about 65 others suffered some kind of medical emergency —
most were due to dehydration, officials said.
Exact numbers are expected to be released sometime this afternnoon, said Officer Benjamin Guitron, a
spokesman for the Indio Police Department.
Despite the arrests and the medical mishaps, traffic still remained the number one headache, Guitron said.
Many motorists took advantage of maps and directions issued by the media, but many didn't, he added.
Organizers have not released an official count of those in attendance, but unofficial estimates put the number of
attendees at about 120,000.
Guitron said at least one person suffered a heart attack on Saturday.
And there were a number of heat-related illnesses reported Sunday, he added.
On Saturday:
19 people were treated and released at the event’s medical tent.
13 people were transported to area hospitals, including one person who suffered a heart attack.
On Sunday:
21 people sought treatment at the event’s medical tent and were treated and released.
12 were transported to area hospitals.
Arrests were made on a number of charges, Guitron said. They were mainly drug- and alcohol-related incidents.
One arrest was made for domestic violence.
“When you have an event that is the size of a small city that kind of thing is bound to happen,” he said.
An unofficial tally of those arrested stated:
15 people on Saturday.
26 people on Sunday.
Guitron said this year’s arrests were mainly routine compared to previous festivals.
At one point, following Madonna’s performance on Sunday, some officers donned “riot-gear” as festival goers
were leaving the tent.
However, Guitron said, they’re actions were not because they anticipated a riot.
“We had extra staff there that weren’t wearing uniforms, so they put on what they had available,” he said. “Plus, it
was also a way for us to get the crowds moving quicker. It was merely to get people to move.”
http://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/2006/05/coachella_the_w.html
Monday, May 01, 2006
COACHELLA: The wrapup.
AEI editor, 11:37 AM in Music
By Tim Ball | Mercury News
INDIO – The bands are packed up, the trash is swept up
and it's about time to roll on back to San Jose, but not
without a few last words on this year's Coachella festival.
Sunday was a mellow day for the Mercury News crew,
arriving just in time for Sofia Coppola's favorite French
band, Phoenix, and returning to the homestead after about
half of Mogwai's set, just in time to hear Madonna
serenade us as we walked through the parking lot.
Coachella, re-enforcing its status as the best festival in
America, hands down, set attendance records this
weekend with an estimated 120,000 tickets sold, breaking
down to roughly 60,000 sweaty bodies each day. But as
equal as those crowds seem on paper, Sunday seemed
much more crowded, and we're pretty sure that's not just
because of the sunburn and exhaustion that set in by
nightfall.
The musical highlights were just as plentiful in Sunday's
94-degree heat: Phoenix wowed the overflow crowd in the
Gobi tent with several numbers before tearing through an
extended version of its hit "If I Ever Feel Better," taking it
from a mellow, atmospheric ditty to a rollicking, hard-
rocking take on a song most in the crowd were at least
moving to, if not singing along with. (That song is fighting
with Franz Ferdinand's "Outsiders" for my highlight of the
weekend.)
From there, it was next door to the Mojave tent for the
long-anticipated set from Canada's Wolf Parade, which
overcame technical difficulties (the sound crew never could
get its piano to work), made some adjustments (it used its
Yamaha keyboard instead), and started 30 minutes late,
which is almost unheard of at this well-organized weekend.
Guitarist Dan Boeckner had this to say: "Sorry about that.
Our (stuff) breaks. All the time." But the crowd quickly
forgave the band, and it appeared that the sloppiness from
its recent San Francisco show has been sufficiently
tightened.
On the other end of the spectrum, Gnarls Barkley (pictured
above), playing only its second show ever, made the
confines of the small Gobi tent look like a joke. So many
fans flocked to see the collaboration between Cee-Lo and
Danger Mouse, there were just as many people gathered
outside the tent as were enjoying the shade inside. Cee-Lo
started the set dressed in drag, while the rest of the on-
stage crew donned "Wizard Of Oz" costumes, but quickly
abandoned his getup for a less weighty costume in the
heat.The show was, to borrow a song title from their No. 1
single, "Crazy," indeed.
Karen O kept things rolling on the main stage, as Yeah
Yeah Yeahs (pictured below) had Sunday's first set post-
sundown. We were skeptical that the band could hold its
own on such a large stage in such a large space, but Karen
O's enviable stage presence was so strong, and the rest of
the band so proficient, we needn't have worried. She
embraced the stage (and the "biggest [expletive] crowd
we've ever played to in our lives!") and won over
thousands of new followers, to be sure. Sunday's version
of "Phenomena," off the new album, had even more impact
on stage than off.
But after all that, we just couldn't bring ourselves to make
the trek over to the Sahara tent for Madonna's set. And,
really, we'd have had to abandon at least an hour's worth
of music to actually get inside. Not worth it. From what we
hear, there were, quite literally, more people squeezed
around the openings to the tent than inside it. And from
what we saw of the crowd at Mogwai's show on the outdoor
stage, very few people were doing anything but trying to
catch a glimpse of the Material Girl. The bodies sprawled
on the grass elsewhere were those who were too
exhausted to deal with 50,000 people in one place. Count
us among them.
And Tool? Well, we'll just pass along the slogan from a T-
shirt the folks at the Desert Sun spotted on Saturday: "I
Bet You're Here For Tool." 'Nuff said.
And with that, our time in the desert is up. 'Til next year!
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/10190987/madonna_franz_heat_up_coachella
Madonna, Franz Heat Up Coachella
Tool, Depeche Mode, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and more also dominate desert fest
ROLLING STONE EXCLUSIVE
"This is my first festival," Madonna said, looking out at
thousands of fans on night two of the Coachella Valley
Music and Arts Festival. "Now who's going to share
their drugs with me?" No one threw any joints onstage,
which was probably just as well, given the out-of-place
diva's reaction when another substance landed near
her microphone: "Do not throw water on my stage,
motherfuckers!" She then wiped up the mess herself
with a towel and threw it into the audience.
Madonna's brief set -- confined, for reasons never
explained, to a dance-music tent instead of one of the
two outdoor stages -- was the biggest anomaly in the
seven-year history of the alternative-leaning Coachella
festival, held each year in the Southern California
desert town of Indio. And her presence on a diverse
bill otherwise headlined by Tool, Depeche Mode, Franz
Ferdinand and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs prompted some
grumbling. From the stage, Sleater-Kinney's Carrie
Brownstein suggested she'd be skipping Madonna's set,
adding: "We're more like Tool than we are like
Madonna." And a t-shirt worn by a few attendees read,
"Madonna killed Coachella." But backstage, Franz
Ferdinand drummer and Madge fan Paul Thomson
seemed to reflect the majority view: "Madonna in a
tent? That's insane!"
A tank-topped Madonna took the stage twenty minutes
late Sunday night, prompting boos during the wait. Her
performance was short, but had its share of thrills,
even for haters -- including a rocked-up version of "Ray
of Light" that found her bashing out a chord or two on
an electric guitar. The staging was stripped down by
her standards -- the only part of the show that felt
completely out of place was a predictable bit where
sweaty, shirtless back-up dudes ground themselves
against her. Still, after two days filled with indie anti-
frontmen, the showbiz polish was refreshing.
The other pop star on the bill was Kanye West, who
played a short greatest-hits set of his own on Saturday
-- and also killed time by dancing to other people's
songs played by his DJ (including "Take on Me" by A-
Ha). Indie snobbery aside, no one seemed able to resist
singing along with Top Forty hits like "Gold Digger,"
especially with West offering his permission to sing a
certain word in the chorus: "White people, this is your
only chance to say 'nigga!'" he shouted.
With two outdoor stages and three tents, Coachella
offers the opportunity to craft your own festival
playlist -- you could easily skip all the headliners and
spend all your time in the tents seeing bands like the
arty, chops-heavy Deerhoof, who at their best sound
like the Who trapped in a Japanese cartoon. Some of
the best sets were in those tents, including garage-
metal revivalists Wolfmother's arena-worthy Saturday
show, which featured the kind of grandiose keyboard
and guitar solos that get even more awesome when the
kid next to you passes a joint.
Another tent highlight were blind Malian couple
Amadou and Miriam, whose singular, blissed-out mix
of Western guitar riffs, African rhythms and chanted
French-language choruses seemed to be creating more
fans by the minute. Also of note was a bravura debut
live performance from Gnarls Barkley -- the genre-
ignoring supergroup of the charismatic, huge-voiced
singer/rapper Cee-Lo and DJ Danger Mouse. The pair
was backed by a full band, including string section --
and everyone onstage, except Cee-Lo, was
inexplicably dressed as characters from The Wizard of
Oz (Danger Mouse was the Tin Man). The set peaked
with a bonkers cover of the Violent Femmes' "Gone
Daddy Gone," with Cee-Lo bouncing onstage and
grinning as if he'd been waiting his whole career for this
moment.
Franz Ferdinand were among the strongest of the main
stage bands, with a sharp, note-perfect, hit-heavy act
honed at countless Euro-festivals; Franz's pogo-ing
Alex Kapranos and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' manic Karen
O were the weekend's two best non-Madonna stage
performers. Damian Marley's set was a pleasant
surprise; Bob's son delved even deeper into roots-
reggae than on record, with the help of a Wailers-
worthy backing ban. He made the fest's other big
reggae artist, Matisyahu, sound like a sub-Sublime
pretender. Meanwhile, Depeche Mode's performance --
taken directly from their current arena tour --
meandered through too many new songs before finally
revving into gear with a raucous, future-bluesy version
of "Personal Jesus" and a mass sing-a-long on "Enjoy
the Silence."
The festival's final act, Tool, brought no back-up
dancers -- in fact, they barely brought themselves.
They used the main stage's video screens only to show
their bizarre, comic-book-hellish film clips -- never
once showing the actual bandmembers. And frontman
Maynard James Keenan delivered his otherworldly
vocals from a mike stand set up way back next to the
drum kit, making it difficult to see him. But his stage
banter was surprisingly human: "Welcome to our first
show in many years," he told the crowd of tens of
thousands. "We wanted to keep it intimate, invite a few
friends."
The band debuted a chunk of its upcoming album
10,000 Days, including the ultra-heavy first single,
"Vicarious," which Keenan introduced by saying
simply, "Single!" The set, and the festival, ended with
the furious "Aenima," with drummer Danny Carey
unleashing an earthquake of tom-tom rolls as Keenan
sang about wishing for Armageddon.
But the crowd didn't even want the show to end, let
alone the world. When Keenan yelled, "Had enough?"
the masses gathered in the desert answered with one
voice: "No!
BRIAN HIATT WITH BRIAN ORLOFF
Posted May 01, 2006 2:33 PM
Madonna in a tent??
Photo by David Atlas
http://www.livedaily.com/reviews/Concert_Review_Coachella_in_Indio_CA-10007.html?t=98
Concert Review: Coachella in Indio, CA
May 01, 2006 11:56 AM
by Jim Harrington
liveDaily Contributor
The Coachella (music)
Valley Music and Arts
Festival is a supreme test
in scheduling. There's
simply no way to catch
everything worth seeing
and hearing, given that the festival offers more than 80 acts on five
stages.
Do you watch Sigur Ros or Damien "Jr. Gong" Marley? My Morning
Jacket or Kanye West (music)? She Wants Revenge or Daft
Punk? Sleater-Kinney or Bloc Party?
Those are the types of problems that a music fan loves to have.
Once again, the Coachella festival presented an absolute
smorgasbord of musical talent during its two-day run (4/29-30) at
the gigantic Empire Polo Fields in Indio, CA. Some 60,000 fans
turned out each day to see such major headliners as Depeche
Mode (music), Franz Ferdinand, Cat Power, Tool (music), Scissor
Sisters, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Matisyahu and Digable Planets.
The talk of the town centered on Madonna (music), who was
making her debut appearance at the festival. The Material Girl is
about ready to kick off her own mega-tour, but she was savvy
enough to make time for Coachella first.
That's the kind of juice that this festival has in the biz. Folks like
Madonna really want to play Coachella and they are willing to
rearrange their schedules to do so.
Some acts are even willing to go to more extreme measures on
Coachella's behalf.
For instance, Massive Attack made its first stateside appearance
in more than eight years at Coachella. Also, Daft Punk played its
first live show in some six years in Indio.
Going into the weekend, the two days seemed pretty evenly
stacked in terms of talent. Saturday was going to be a better time
for hip-hop heads, given that Kanye West was on the bill, and
Sunday would be a bigger thrill for hard rockers, thanks to Tool.
Both days, however, looked like winners for music lovers in
general. And that's exactly how it turned out.
One of Saturday's true highlights wasn't one of its most heralded.
Lyrics Born, performing fairly early in the day on one of the smaller
stages, delivered a knock-out set of tunes from 2003's great
"Later That Day," many of which were later remixed on 2005's
equally fine "Same !@#$ Different Day."
The San Francisco Bay Area has received much media exposure
as of late due to E-40 and the hyphy hip-hop movement, but Lyrics
Born, an Oakland-based rapper, showed again with his set that
he might be the most talented MC in the "Yay Area."
The most talented rapper in the entire entertainment business,
however, is probably Kanye West. The fantastic Mr. West delivered
what was arguably the finest show during Coachella Day One.
Using a dynamic string section and more charisma than should
be legal, West had the crowd jumping to such selections as
"Jesus Walks" and "Gold Digger."
Although hip-hop fans have heard these pop-smart tracks a zillion
times by now, West's best tracks aren't getting old in the slightest.
Those previously mentioned tunes, as well as an armload of
others, keep getting better and more powerful each time they are
played. Plus, no rapper does a better job in translating his music
from the studio to the stage than Kanye. A truly impressive outing.
Sigur Ros, which immediately followed West on the main stage,
was nearly as impressive. As the sun began to set and a nice
breeze cooled the sun-baked music worshipers, this Icelandic
band delivered its patented blend of uniquely intoxicating music.
In an industry where everybody seems to be trying to sound like
someone else, Sigur Ros is one of the few bands that boasts a
truly unique sound.
Part of that has to do with the lyrics, which are sung in the band's
native Icelandic dialect as well as in a made-up language that the
group has deemed "Hopelandic." But, mostly, it has to do with the
sound, which shares as much in common with classical music
and, well, whale noises as it does indie rock.
In contrast, Cat Power, one of the most buzzed about performers
of 2006, didn't quite cut it. Her show had its moments, but she
also seemed a bit distracted and overwhelmed by the magnitude
of the setting. It's easy to venture the guess, however, that she
would be much better in a more intimate setting.
Depeche Mode closed the main stage offerings on Saturday in
expected fashion. The synth-pop trio wowed its longtime fans, as
well as converted a few thousand newcomers, with memorable
renditions of both old and new songs. New songs such as "A
Pain That I'm Used To" and "John the Revelator" proved to be
even more powerful than many of the old fan favorites. This band
clearly isn't ready for the senior-citizen rock-star circuit yet.
On Sunday, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists kicked off this critic's
viewing schedule with a set that bristled with punk-rock energy
and Who-alicious '60s-garage-rock 'tude. It was amazing that Leo
was able to deliver as much energy as he did, given how draining
the midday sun was in the desert.
"I would so gladly change places with James Blunt right now and
be in one of those [expletive] tents," he said, squinting in the
blistering sun and sweating profusely on one of the outdoor
stages.
It was almost too hot to dance at this point in the day, but that
surely didn't stop fans from moving their feet to the sounds of
Matisyahu. The artist (born Matthew Miller) mixed reggae, hard
rock and hip-hop as toasted his way through tracks from his latest
release "Youth."
The vibe changed considerably once Sleater-Kinney took the
stage. The riot grrl-inspired trio rocked hard enough to make one
wonder why Ozzy hasn't thought of booking the band for Ozzfest.
The dueling guitars and vocals of SK's Corin Tucker and Carrie
Brownstein were superb as usual, but Janet Weiss' drumming,
both ferocious and tuneful, seemed particularly inspired on this
afternoon.
After catching a brief bit of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, the majority of
the crowd made its way over to one of the DJ tents to watch
Madonna perform a very brief set. It was a mob scene over there
and most of the audience surely couldn't see what the Material
Girl was up to on stage. Still, it was Madonna, the one true legend
on the festival's bill, and that made the whole thing worthwhile for
most fans. She sounded pretty strong as she worked the kinks
out for her upcoming tour by playing a number of her new club
tunes.
Most people will remember Coachella 2006 for being the one that
featured Madonna. That's unfortunate in a way, given that Tool
definitely brought the most paying customers to the house.
The band put on its regularly heavy show, complete with dramatic
lighting and wacko videos, and got this crowd ready for the
release of "10,000 Days," which hits stores on Tuesday (5/2).
There's a saying that one needs the right tool to do the job. Along
those same lines, organizers need the right band to close a
festival.
Tool, without a doubt, was that band.
 |
Edited by - Carl on 05/06/2006 09:15:54 |
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Carl
- A 'Fifth' Catholic -
Ireland
11546 Posts |
Posted - 05/06/2006 : 10:16:05
|
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1529895/20060501/west_kanye.jhtml?headlines=true
Madonna, Kanye Just Add To
Coachella's Eclectic Atmosphere
05.01.2006 4:23 PM EDT
Commercial acts join headliners Tool, Depeche
Mode and newcomers Gnarls Barkley,
Wolfmother in desert.
Kanye West performs at Coachella on Saturday
Photo: Karl Walter/Getty Images
INDIO, California — Approximately 100 hours of music was performed at Coachella over the
weekend (12 hours times five stages times two days minus set changes), yet the desert
festival's 2006 edition will likely be remembered for two 30-minute flashes.
That's because, whether it's
technically accurate to say so or not,
this was the year Coachella went
commercial, with pop superstars
Kanye West and Madonna invited to
the hipster kids' party. (Dozens of
commercially successful bands, from
Rage Against the Machine in 1999
to Coldplay in 2005, have played
Coachella, but this was different,
hence the "Madonna Killed
Coachella" T-shirts seen around.)
And with Kanye and Madonna came
a beautiful oddness tailor-made for
a festival that prides itself on
eclecticism. (Icelandic weirdos Sigur
Rós followed Kanye, for example,
while metal weirdos Coheed &
Cambria started seconds after
Madonna finished in the next tent
over.) Unfortunately, it also brought
along a few elements typical of a
commercial concert: Both were about
20 minutes late, a Coachella rarity,
and both were also rather sassy,
although it played out well during
their respective shows.
Kanye, seemingly frustrated by his
late start, picked up his set list and
crossed off songs, although it might
have been his best move as he left
nothing but hit singles, from "Touch
the Sky" to "Jesus Walks." In
introducing "Gold Digger," he
boasted, "The Grammys got it
wrong: This was the Song of the
Year."
And later in the song, the rapper,
sporting a Miles Davis T-shirt,
encouraged a sing-along by joking,
"White people, this is your only
chance to say n---a, so you better
take advantage of it."
While Kanye hit the main stage on
Saturday, Madonna took the Sahara
tent, so the question going into her highly anticipated 8 p.m. show (by far the biggest crowd the
"dance" tent has ever seen) was whether it would be a hits set or something for the ravers.
Madonna went the latter route, opening with the same performance of "Hung Up" she did at the
Grammys (giant disco ball and all), followed by two more tracks from 2005's Confessions on a
Dance Floor: "Get Together" and "I Love New York." Perhaps it was the song choices or the
volume, which seemed about half as loud as Paul Oakenfold's set just before, but the crowd
started dispersing early, even though no act was on the main stage.
Maybe Madonna noticed or maybe she was just being herself, but the sass came out in
comments like, "Do not throw water on my stage, mother------s" and "Does my ass look nice?"
Madonna, who danced seductively, played guitar on a few tracks and added the line "Just go to
Texas and suck George Bush's d---" into "I Love New York," got some energy going with "Ray of
Light," and earned her loudest cheers of the night when she asked: "Do you want to hear an old
song?" (After which she asked, "Should I take my pants off?" and proceeded to do so.) The
feather boa she donned indicated it might be "Material Girl," but she instead went with her very
first single, "Everybody."
As the track came to an end, a curtain closed on Madonna and her dancers, leaving the crowd
collectively wondering, "Is that it?"
It was, for Madonna at least. So it's a good thing there was another 99
hours of music. And here are a few highlights:
Kanye and Madonna were all the talk, but the festival's headliners
were actually Depeche Mode and Tool, and both seemingly left their
massive audiences thrilled. Depeche front-ended their set with newer,
slower material, but those who stuck around were treated to hits like
"Personal Jesus" and "Enjoy the Silence." Tool, on the other hand,
came out fighting with "Stinkfist" (and frontman Maynard Keenan
saying, "Hello, hippies") and plowed through their best-known
material, with a few new tracks included. Unlike past years, where
some headliners have struggled with filling the giant venue sonically,
both Depeche and Tool were near pitch-perfect.
Several acts came out of lengthy hiatuses for Coachella (Tool,
Massive Attack, etc.), but the most welcomed back were Daft Punk,
who played for a near-Madonna-size crowd at the Sahara tent to close out Saturday. Dressed
as robots and perched in a booth high above the stage, the DJs spun an electrifying techno
mix (with frequent snippets of their smash "Around the World") that made it almost impossible
not to dance.
Every Coachella features a breakthrough afternoon tent performance (last year it was Bloc
Party, who graduated to the Outdoor Theater this year) and the new breakout was clearly
Wolfmother. The Australian vintage rockers ripped through their Led Zeppelin-esque tracks
with fervor while afroed frontman Andrew Stockdale worked the crowd with his rock poses.
With the temperature soaring near triple digits on Sunday afternoon, Matisyahu took the main
stage and delivered a spiritual, reggae-fied show fit for the occasion. "It's divine intervention
that I'm here in the desert today," the Hasidic rapper said. "This is the time in the Jewish
calendar when the Jews traveled the desert for 49 days." Matis also rocked the mic with some
serious beatboxing and achieved the Coachella sing-along moment when he closed with "King
Without a Crown" (sorry, Kanye), which recalled a similar vibe to Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley
singing his dad's "Exodus" and "Could You Be Loved" the night before.
If you don't count their secret club show Friday in Los Angeles, Cee-Lo and Danger Mouse
debuted their Gnarls Barkley project Sunday, despite what the former said from the stage.
"Gnarls Barkley couldn't be here, so we're going to play their songs," he joked. "We're called
Mean Old Lion and the Hearts." The joke was a reference to their stage attire, which was
inspired by "The Wizard of Oz" with the band as witches, singers as Dorothy and Scarecrow,
and Cee-Lo as the Lion. Gnarls could have come out dressed as James Blunt, though, as it
was their funked-out soul tunes that turned the crowd, well, "Crazy."
A few special guests hit Coachella stages, from Cocteau Twins singer Liz Fraser joining Massive
Attack on "Teardrop" to No Doubt guitarist Tom Dumont joining laid-back rocker Matt Costa, to
some girl in the crowd grinding with Common. The weirder, slightly familiar faces were in the
audience, though, including Josh Groban, "American Idol" finalist Lisa Tucker, "Project Runway"
finalist Santino Rice, Danny DeVito (enjoying Daft Punk), Nicky Hilton, Nicole Richie and Linkin
Park's Brad Delson.
Once again, the U.K. served Coachella a smorgasbord of sweet stuff, including the unique
grime sounds of firecracker Lady Sovereign, the sexy saxophone rock of the Zutons, the
dance-rock perfection of Franz Ferdinand and the feel-good jingles of the Go! Team. Non-
exported highlights included New York's Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Stellastarr*, Montreal's Wolf
Parade and Kentucky's My Morning Jacket.
Despite the mid-afternoon heat, mainstage standouts the Walkmen still donned their
trademark suits, with singer Hamilton Leithauser in a khaki getup. "It was either this or black
corduroy," he said backstage. "This is all I packed."
For more sights and stories from concerts around the country, check out MTV News Tour Reports.
— Corey Moss
http://www.thedesertsun.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060501/UPDATE01/60501014
Coachella promoter commits future to valley
Bruce Fessier
The Desert Sun
May 1, 2006
The Coachella Music and Arts Festival will return for many years to come,
says the promoter of the recently concluded mega-event at the Empire
Polo Club in Indio.
Paul Tollett, founder of the Goldenvoice division of the Anschutz
Entertainment Group (AEG) that presents Coachella, said he has a
multi-year contract with Empire, and his company just secured another lease Sunday from a neighboring
property owner.
Tollett, based in Los Angeles, declined to go into details about his lease, but Paul Stephens, owner of the
neighboring Rusty Spur equestrian property, said the Empire and the Rusty Spur are among four different
pieces of land with multiple owners used to present the Coachella festival.
Stephens, who has rented his 20-acre property for Coachella parking since its inception, said the festival
acreage has doubled since Coachella began in 1999.
Stephens said the economic impact of the Coachella festival goes beyond filling hotel rooms and fast food
restaurants with Coachella concert goers. He said the Coachella fest gives businesses that advertise near the
festival a chance to reach concert goers from around the world on just a few acres of space.
“I’ve got people from Alaska parking on my property,” he said. “I’ve got people from Canada on my property, I’ve
got people from San Diego on my property. I’ve got people from all over.”
The festival attracted more than 120,000 people to the two-day event Saturday and Sunday.
http://www.calendarlive.com/music/cl-et-coachmain2may02,0,4007965.story?coll=cl-music
May 2, 2006
COACHELLA MUSIC FESTIVAL
Pop goes a haven of rock
An electrifying set by Madonna confirms the changing identity of the indie fest.
By Richard Cromelin, Times Staff Writer
INDIO, Calif. — You could say she was like a virgin when it comes to playing festivals, but
Madonna acted as if she owned the place on Sunday in her much-anticipated, much-
debated appearance at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
Haughty and swaggering (in a good way), the pop star made her first appearance at a
music festival, and Coachella hosted its first bona fide pop star. For Madonna it was just
another notch on her career belt, but for Coachella it was the dawning of a new era.
Actually, the dawning began the
previous day, when rap star
Kanye West appeared on the
main stage at the Empire Polo
Club. Madonna, though, is a
much more polarizing cultural
figure, and when she was added
to this year's lineup you could
feel the shudders throughout the
community of serious rock
followers who regarded
Coachella as their unsullied
haven.
So the Madonna moment was
more high noon, a showdown
between Coachella's past and
future.
Say what you will about the
material girl, there's no denying
her magnetism, and with no one playing the main stage opposite her, it seemed as if many
concertgoers were simply pulled by her gravity to the area of the Sahara Tent, the hangar-
like canopy where DJs keep the dance-music crowd sweating all day.
She sold tickets, generated conversation and finally delivered a scene packed with
excitement and intensity — like Saturday, Sunday logged a Coachella record attendance of
60,000, and an estimated 30,000 people were in the tent and on the field outside for her
show.
It was one of those peak moments that Madonna lives for, and when the curtain rose about
20 minutes past her scheduled 8:10 p.m. start time, she absorbed and magnified the
crowd's energy and anticipation and sent it back on the giddy, ABBA-based "Hung Up," from
her recent album of disco-flavored dance music.
The singer, backed by a four-member band and a troupe of dancers, never let the energy —
nor the attitude — flag. Playfully imperious in manner, she vamped through songs old and
new, including a couple of more from the new album as well as "Ray of Light" and the
vintage "Everybody." She played guitar for a good stretch of rock-flavored music,
summoning feedback and bumping instruments with her bass player. And, of course, she
did the sex thing, leaving no horizontal surface unwrithed upon and eventually removing her
pants to finish up in leotard and tights. "Does my ass look OK?" she asked the audience.
And perhaps getting into the Coachella rock spirit, she stopped things at one point and
glared at some ringside fans.
"There's water on my stage," she yelled, adding a salty expletive to describe those fans.
"Don't throw [stuff] on my stage." Then she got down on her hands and knees, wiped the
floor with a towel and tossed it into the crowd. Thanks for the souvenir, lady.
Gnarls Barkley, others bring in the fun
It's not as if Madonna's presence diminished the weekend's roster of high-credibility
performers, which on Sunday included electronic/dance pioneers Massive Attack, reggae
wunderkind Matisyahu and the creepy (also in a good way) hard-rock band Tool, which was the
headliner for the festival's second and closing day.
This was a good time for Coachella to mix things up. For the first time, it's being challenged
by other festivals around the country, such as Bonnaroo and the concurrent New Orleans
Jazz and Heritage Festival, that can boast similarly substantial lineups and more notable
headliners, including Radiohead and Bruce Springsteen.
The genre-blurring theme continued Sunday with the afternoon's main-stage performance
by Matisyahu. The Hasidic Jewish reggae singer continued his unlikely march to
prominence in the rock world, delivering his spiritually connected messages with engaging
urgency in the desert sun, gesturing at the scenic mountains on the horizon as he sang
about "the mountains all around Jerusalem."
Few acts in pop music mash it up like Gnarls Barkley, a new collaboration between L.A.
-based producer-musician Danger Mouse and Georgia singer Cee-Lo Green. Their single
"Crazy" is already on rock radio, and Sunday they drew a big crowd to the Gobi Tent for their
live debut. Or maybe it was Oz. Danger Mouse was dressed as the Tin Man, while band
members were done up as witches and the string players wore the uniforms of the Wicked
Witch's minions. The rotund Cee-Lo fronted the party, rocking out on the Violent Femmes'
"Gone Daddy Gone" and then dipping into a scary Screamin' Jay Hawkins mode.
The band showed that the return of fun to pop music is also high on the current agenda, an idea that also resonated in
acts from the funk-lounge Venezuelans Los Amigos Invisibles to sunny soul-sampling Brits the Go! Team.
Taking the contrary position was L.A.'s Tool, which closed the day with a fascinatingly dark immersion in the recesses
of the subconscious, carried on meticulous waves of anguished guitar and gracefully pummeling rhythms.
So Coachella came through the Madonna experiment unscathed, for now anyway. Whether it will result in some deeper
institutional damage to its soul and credibility remains to be seen, as does the direction its new vision will take. But the
audience's embrace of the winds of change over the weekend suggests there's no turning back.
http://www.calendarlive.com/music/cl-et-coachsecond2may02,0,6961788.story?coll=cl-music
May 2, 2006
POP MUSIC REVIEW
Offering plenty of alternative
One of the festival's finest, weirdest, funniest moments came from the young five-piece British act Art Brut.
By Steve Appleford, Special to The Times
INDIO, Calif. — "I see how the desert can be a spiritual place." Corin Tucker of Sleater-
Kinney was reacting to the afternoon scene in front of her, addressing thousands of sun-
baked music fans gathered near the big stage Sunday at the Coachella Valley Music and
Arts Festival.
Like others on the bill, Sleater-Kinney is an esteemed indie-rock band accustomed to
creating its loud, contemplative sounds in theaters. But the annual festival takes things to
an epic scale, delivering adventurous rock, dance, hip-hop and other sounds to a massive
audience hungry for the challenge.
Although spaces this big don't
often lead to optimal musical
experiences, quality sound is a
tradition of Coachella, and
Sleater-Kinney made the most of
it, with an edgy, springy guitar
sound and a wild, feminine wail
all its own, performing several
songs from the trio's newest
album, "The Woods."
Alternative rock sounds (punk,
indie rock, etc.) have always had
a special place in the history of
Goldenvoice Productions, which
founded the fest in 1999. And
Sunday's lineup offered a full
collection of that and more,
including Bloc Party's sometimes
manic, danceable rock —
echoing early Buzzcocks — and Mogwai's waves of melody and eruptions of guitar angst,
turning hypnotic shoe-gazing sounds into jarring passages of ecstatic noise.
The Swedish band Dungen brought a different flavor of noise, the kind of sound that could
easily turn to sludge with the wrong mix, but the band soared often with a roar sometimes
straight ahead and loud, other times surreal and also loud. The quartet of young dudes
kept the ancient tradition of wailing rock guitars vivid and contemporary.
This year's festival also experimented with a bit of world music, with the blind West African
duo Amadou & Mariam and, later, the urgent tropical acoustic songs of Seu Jorge. As the
fest's huge Tesla coil erupted nearby with crackling, purple bolts of electricity, Jorge
performed songs rich with warmth and energy.
One of the festival's finest, weirdest, funniest moments came at the very end of the day, as
the young five-piece British act Art Brut wailed with a farcical sound drenched in excitement.
The band's set opened with the epic metal riff of Metallica's "Enter Sandman," which quickly
shifted into Art Brut's signature song, "Formed a Band." Singer Eddie Argos vented and
kicked the air during sharply written tunes that rocked with a frayed post-punk grace and the
challenges of the modern world in songs with titles such as "Bad Weekend" and "Moving to
L.A."
It was a vivid, hilarious way to close the night and the festival, delivering one last new band
to exhausted fans before the long drive home — always one of the best reasons to come to
Coachella. |
Edited by - Carl on 05/06/2006 14:49:20 |
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Carl
- A 'Fifth' Catholic -
Ireland
11546 Posts |
Posted - 05/07/2006 : 12:04:20
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http://www.calendarlive.com/music/cl-et-coachdance2may02,0,4609321.story?coll=cl-music
May 2, 2006
DANCE MUSIC REVIEW
Sahara tent is an oasis
Sets by Paul Oakenfold and Massive Attack prove there will likely always remain room for the underground faves.
By Steve Baltin, Special to The Times
INDIO, Calif. — There may be no question the face of Coachella is evolving with the
presence of Madonna and Kanye West among others, but Sunday night proved there will
likely always remain room for the underground faves. Massive Attack, the Bristol ensemble
who pioneered trip-hop, made a triumphant return.
Taking the main stage under a haze of smoky red lights that reflected its sinewy, sultry
sound, the group, joined by several guest vocalists, including the Cocteau Twins' Elizabeth
Fraser and frequent collaborator Horace Andy, opened with "False Flag." With the festival in
a post-Madonna hangover, the set didn't really kick into gear until about halfway through
with the hip-hop-flavored "Karmacoma," off of 1994's "Protection."
Backed by an unusual five-piece
setup that included two
drummers, the group fleshed out
its dark, atmospheric grooves
with a dense, more muscular
framework throughout,
punctuating several selections,
including "Safe From Harm" and
the closing "Group Four," with
extended solos, the latter rising
in a frenzied pace until its
explosive finale.
There was plenty of other
dance/electronic music spread
out over the grounds on Sunday,
including the warm sounds of
Jazzanova and acid jazz pioneer
Gilles Peterson in the Gobi tent.
But the heart of the dance scene
remained the Sahara, albeit a very different than normal scene. Reconfigured with a
massive VIP pit in front for Madonna, the tent took on a live vibe as fans waiting all day in the
sweltering heat pressed up against the barricades, turning DJs such as Kaskade into rock
stars.
House music favorite Louie Vega made some new fans, but it was Paul Oakenfold, in
essence opening for Madonna, who made the most of the night, supplying the packed
house with crowd-pleasing expansive trance grooves and such proven hits as
Underworld's "Born Slippy."
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/reviews/review_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002425869
Madonna's half-hour-long performance proved to be just a
tease for her upcoming tour. (WireImage.com file photo)
May 02, 2006
Coachella Valley Festival
By Darryl Morden
"Even the stars look brighter tonight,
nothing's impossible." As Depeche
Mode's Dave Gahan sang the band's
life-affirming ballad under painted
desert skies, he touched on the heart of
this year's Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio,
Calif.: a remarkable community of musical diversity.
With 60,000 people braving hot temperatures Saturday and
Sunday, Day 2's sell-out was credited in part to Madonna's
appearance. However, her half-hour performance in the dance-
themed Sahara Tent -- with a massive overflow crowd outside
watching video screens to get a taste of the pop icon -- turned
out to just be a tease for her upcoming tour.
Playing its largest U.S. market of Southern California, Saturday
headliners Depeche Mode reworked a trimmed version of its
current tour set to include fan treats like the early '80s single
"Photographic," not performed live in about two decades.
Returning to the festival it helped launch in 1999, Sunday's top-
billed Tool issued howling and dark industrial rock on the main
Coachella Stage. Their angry and severe songs were contrasted
by the '70s-inspired pleasure pop of the campy Scissor Sisters as
well as Britain's bubbly The Go! Team, each playing on the
Empire Polo Field's neighboring Outdoor Theatre stage.
Saturday's second-billed Franz Ferdinand delivered heat of its
own with amicable yet antsy hook-filled art-rock, while the new
beat-enriched, rousing sound of Yeah Yeah Yeahs was equally
exuberant the next day.
Taking the main stage late Saturday afternoon, rap star Kanye
West was the event's other mainstream entry. He wisely left his
ego at home and checked his usual theatrics at the door to win
over any skeptics. Joined by live musicians rather than just a DJ,
he was self-effacing yet forcefully delivered his hits, including a
gripping "Jesus Walks."
Sunday's breakout performances came in back-to-back Mojave
Tent sets from stellastarr* and the Editors, whose bold,
thoughtful songs recalled the earnest passion and sonic
discovery of early U2. The crazy patchwork musical quilt of
Gnarls Barkley (comprising rapper Cee-Lo and mixer Danger
Mouse) also was a winner, drawing thousands in and all around
the Gobi Tent.
Atmospheric, often orchestral landscapes by Iceland's Sigur Ros
were perfect for Saturday's sunset slot, transitioning into the
night and giving folks a chance to recharge.The soulful yet
symphonic works of Britain's Massive Attack proved equally
dramatic mid-Sunday evening.
The magic of Coachella is being able to dash away from a big
name for another rewarding experience. While Depeche Mode
was playing for tens of thousands, the Living Things fired off
rounds of politically charged yet swaggering rock 'n' roll for a
couple hundred inside the Mojave tent.
Among Saturday's snapshot moments were My Morning Jacket
summoning Claptonesque guitar firepower for the extended coda
of "One Big Holiday," the retro-with-a-wink '70s riffing of the
Eagles of Death Metal and the uplifting reggae from Damian
Marley carrying on the family tradition.
Other notable performances Saturday came from tough U.K.
rockers Nine Black Alps, Australian metal stompers Wolfmother,
England's soul-dipped, tilt-a-whirl Zutons, impish English rapper
Lady Sovereign and an impressive main stage showing from the
Walkmen.
Sunday's lineup also included the spirited and tuneful Hasidic
reggae-rap of Matisyahu, veteran indie rabble-rousers Sleater-
Kinney, boisterous Brits Bloc Party, the bittersweet Dears, the
ever-quirky Digable Planets and the buoyant pop of the Magic
Numbers.
As with past years, Coachella 2006 was so rich a buffet, it
offered more than anyone could sample -- even over two days.
Bottom line: From icons
to acts on the rise,
richly diverse sounds
thrive.
Copyright 2005 The Hollywood Reporter
http://www.insidebayarea.com/entertainment/ci_3773466
Article Last Updated: 05/01/2006 06:45:30 PM PDT
Variety is the spice of life at Coachella
By Jim Harrington, STAFF WRITER
It's hard to name a stranger one-two punch in the music
business than Kanye West and Sigur Ros.
KISS and Yo-Yo Ma? George Jones and Nine Inch Nails?
Well, maybe. But you'll never see those acts share the same
stage on the same evening.
Unless, of course, Coachella organizers book it.
The eclectic booking approach is the single greatest thing
about the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. It's what
makes Coachella the most important annual rock festival in
the United States, far above other, more one-dimensional
large gatherings like Bonnaroo.
The seventh annual two-day fest, which drew some 120,000
ticket holders to the desert town of Indio last weekend, was
another diversely entertaining affair. The event featured big-
name hip-hop acts (West and the Digable Planets, playing in San Francisco Wednesday and Thursday), popular hard
rockers (Tool), young buzz bands (Wolfmother, the Editors), huge pop stars (Madonna, James Blunt) and indie-rock
darlings (the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Sleater-Kinney).
All of this variety would mean less than zero if the mix didn't
gel. Yet, Coachella's vibe, which is very reminiscent of the
old Lollapalooza tours, is very welcoming and
encompassing. It doesn't hurt that the event is incredibly
well-organized and that the fans, in general, are
surprisingly well-behaved.
The result is that all of these different musical styles achieve true synergy in this shared setting — even a back-to-back
booking of West's killer hip-hop and Sigur Ros' bizarre Icelandic indie-rock.
With more 80 acts performing on five stages, there's simply no way to catch everything worth hearing and seeing during
Coachella. Here's what this critic did catch during his stay in Indio.
Day one
It's appropriate that the first performer I caught at Coachella was the East Bay's own Lyrics Born. The Oakland rapper,
best known for the catchy single "Callin' Out," delivered a crowd-pleasing set that drew heavily from his debut disc,
2003's "Later That Day."
The 'Yay Area' hip-hop scene, as you've all probably read, is currently ruled by East Bay rapper E-40 and his hyphy
cohorts. But LB is every bit as talented and as interesting as E. His lyrics are sensational, coming across like a mix of
the Streets and Jay-Z, and he possesses one of the best flows in the business.
LB's greatness was further underscored when I headed over to catch Common, a rapper who possesses a flow as
deep as a dry creek bed. Common's set was pretty much a waste of my time, but it did allow me to finagle a good spot to
watch Kanye West, who followed Common.
The incomparable Mr. West further established himself as the current king of hip-hop with a drama-rich showing that
mixed great tunes from the rapper's two blockbuster discs, 2004's landmark "The College Dropout" and 2005's "Late
Registration."
Backed by a dynamic classical-style string section and clad in a Miles Davis T-shirt, West hit the crowd with powerful
renditions of "Slow Jamz," "Gold Digger" and "Jesus Walks."
Sigur Ros was an odd choice to follow Mr. West, but it worked. What's really impressive about this Icelandic troupe is
that it really doesn't sound like any other band. There's a little bit of Radiohead and some Pink Floyd in the mix — but,
largely, the dreamy, intoxicating sound is all its own.
I also got a chance to see the heavily hyped Cat Power, who is appearing tomorrow and Thursday at the Palace of Fine
Arts in San Francisco. She seemed a little out of it and not
quite in sync with the other musicians on stage. Still, Cat
Power's voice was fine, a mix of Fiona Apple and Carly Simon,
and her Memphis-R&B-meets-indie-rock sound was
intriguing.
The evening climaxed with another fine outing by Depeche
Mode, the legendary synth-pop act who prepped for Coachella
with a show at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View last
week.
Day two
In general, the performances given on Sunday — at least the
ones I caught — didn't quite live up to what was seen and
heard on the previous day. It was, however, the more heavily
hyped of the two days, given that it featured both Tool and
Madonna.
While waiting for those two megastars to take their respective
stages, I filled the day with Ted Leo and the Pharmacists,
Matisyahu, Sleater-Kinney and a brief bit of the Yeah Yeah
Yeahs. That's not a bad way to kill time — I'd pay to see that
lineup at Shoreline.
Folks have been telling me for ages that I needed to go see Ted Leo and the Pharmacists and, well, they were right. The
group delivered a highly likable set that combined a wealth of rock styles, from punk and college to garage and pop.
Matisyahu drew plenty of attention from curious concert-goers. The rap on the artist has been widely reported — he's a
Hasidic Jew who rhymes about Judaism over dancehall grooves. That's only part of what differentiates him from the
competition. He's also got mad skills on the mic, which include beatboxing, and he shapes his tunes in very interesting
ways, often with a touch of hard-rock guitar.
The highlight of the day, at least in this critic's book, looked to be Sleater-Kinney. The riot grrl-influenced punk trio is one
of the finest live acts around, arguably the best that Coachella had to offer this year.
Unfortunately, it wasn't one of the Northwestern threesome's finer outings, owing in large part to an iffy set list.
I caught a brief glimpse of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and would have liked to see more, before heading with the rest of the
crowd over to one of the DJ tents to watch Madonna. The Material Girl wasn't spinning records, but she might as well
have been.
The tent was jammed and most fans couldn't see Madonna as she kicked out recent club tunes from her catalog. She
did sound pretty strong, which got me excited for her shows on May 30 and 31 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose.
The evening closed with the avant-garde hard rock of Tool. The band just released its highly anticipated new CD,
"10,000 Days," and will support that album with a show Thursday at the Paramount Theatre in Oakland.
At one point during the darkly appealing set, I shook my head in amazement that someone actually booked Madonna
and Tool on the same bill. I mean, that's almost as strange a combination as Kanye West and Sigur Ros.
And that's the beauty of Coachella.
Write music critic Jim Harrington at jharrington@angnewspapers.com.
Kanye West performs at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts
Festival last weekend in Indio, Calif. (Rollie Blue) |
Edited by - Carl on 05/07/2006 13:30:01 |
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fbc
-= Modulator =-
United Kingdom
4903 Posts |
Posted - 05/07/2006 : 12:37:03
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You got a secret hankering for Madge, eh?
Lol-la-pa-looza / I don't mean maybe / Lol-la-pa-looza / She's Carl's baby ;) |
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Carl
- A 'Fifth' Catholic -
Ireland
11546 Posts |
Posted - 05/07/2006 : 13:23:57
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 Er, there is a bit too much Madge, there!
I came across a load of Coachella stories in Google News , and, of course, got that nagging compulsion to post some of them....then some became....Google News just has pages and pages of stuff! |
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Carl
- A 'Fifth' Catholic -
Ireland
11546 Posts |
Posted - 05/07/2006 : 13:38:33
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http://launch.yahoo.com/read/news/32079596
Coachella Recap: Saturday, April 29
05/01/2006 7:00 PM, Yahoo! MusicMolly Kochan
The parking lot at Coachella's opening day was reminiscent of a high
school cafeteria. There were punks, goths, jocks, stoners, nerds--
you name it. But instead of coming together for a plateful of
cafeteria slop, these people had traveled far and wide to convene
under the blue Indio sky for what promised to be more than just an
earful of music.
Founded in 1999, the Southern California desert musicfest Coachella
is touted as the premier concert event for the sophisticated fan--
featuring, through the years, a who's-who of up, coming, and
already-come modern rock artists.
This year, the festival began as eager crowds warmed up with the
Section Quartet, who rocked an orchestral rendition of Led
Zeppelin's "Heartbreaker"; the Like, teens whose frontwoman Z.
Berg majestically wielded a heavy guitar, a serious pout, and sultry
vocals; the body- and groundshaking beats of Hybrid; and the
Walkmen, sharply-dressed East Coasters whose sound was familiar
enough not to be a reinvented wheel but hooky and original enough
to hold its own.
And so the day began, with sounds streaming from the two stages
and three tents, and a record 60,000 music fans streaming onto the
lawn.
A few hours in, incendiary Australian power trio Wolfmother took the
art of performance to another level, allowing their music to infuse
their every move. Anyone able to fit into the packed tent where they
played will undoubtedly remember them. Meanwhile, on the main
stage, Common kicked off his set with his hit single "Be" and shared
messages of self-belief and the importance of being faithful.
Spectators hung on his every word, enjoying his wisdom as much as
his antics (which included executing near-perfect breakdancing
moves and inviting a female audience member to dance with him
onstage). Common's set was marked by a sense of deep mutual
respect passed between artist and crowd.
However, it was Kanye West that got the crowd arm-waving in
unison. Backed by a string section and DJ, West proved that he is a
natural born performer and someone who just loves to be watched.
He stormed through hits like "All Falls Down" and "Gold Digger,"
providing, as he said, the only chance for white people to say the
"n-word." One of the many highlights of his appearance was a
spastic hop-around to A-Ha's "Take On Me" that brought to mind
Molly Ringwald in The Breakfast Club.
As the sky dimmed, Glasgow's Franz Ferdinand took the main stage,
and their sense of fun was also contagious. As they played "Take Me
Out," a fan far away from the stage, who was making his way
across the back of the lawn, uncontrollably uttered the chorus as if
the words were part of his own thought process.
The evening's two main headliners, Depeche Mode and Daft Punk,
offered something very different to the crowds they respectively
entertained. With new songs mixed in with the requisite older
favorites, main-stagers the Mode did not disappoint their diehard
fans, taking them on a journey backwards from recent single "A
Pain That I'm Used To" to classics like "Walking In My Shoes" and
"Personal Jesus." Faceless French techno duo Daft Punk, however,
were all about the future: Sporting shiny metal space helmets, they
opened their much-awaited set in the dance tent with "Robot Rock."
But before they even began, the tent was sealed with people, all
dying to escape into the ultramodern world of Daft Punk.
And so it went. At the close of the first day, everyone walked back
to cars or tents, heads filled with music and bodies covered in dry
sweat. Their neatly made-up facades had long melted away, along
with the genre-based musical differences that once seemed so
important. The magic of Coachella had taken over and the crowd
had been blissfully equalized by the thing they had come to enjoy:
the music.
http://launch.yahoo.com/read/news/32079773
Coachella Recap: Sunday, April 30
05/01/2006 11:00 PM, Yahoo! Music
Lyndsey Parker
Despite an impressively high-wattage amount of Sunday star power
this year (the first performance by Tool in nearly half a decade, an
equally rare appearance by reclusive trip-hop pioneers Massive
Attack, a surprisingly intimate side-stage set by easy-listening chart-
topper James Blunt, a career-making performance by Hassidic
reggae wunderkind Matisyahu), day two of the 2006 Coachella Music
& Arts Festival was for all intents and purposes Madonna Day. Ever
since it was announced that the leotarded diva would grace not the
main stage but the comparatively teeny-tiny dance tent for her first-
ever festival performance, the subsequent megahype and seriously
out of control Craigslist ticket-scalping proved this would be the
Coachella event to end all Coachella events. The re-emergence of
the Beastie Boys and Iggy & the Stooges in 2003, the Pixies reunion
of 2004, Bauhaus's Peter Murphy dangling from the ceiling in a
vampire-bat costume, the Flaming Lips' Wayne Coyne crowd-surfing
inside a clear plastic bubble...not even these memorable moments
of Coachellas past could possibly compare with a chance to see the
one-and-only Divine Mizz M on a scaled-down stage previously
reserved for techno headliners like Fatboy Slim and Basement Jaxx.
However, Mrs. Ritchie wasn't scheduled to justify all that Coachella
love until 8:10 p.m. (or more specifically, 8:33 p.m., according to
this impatient writer's wristwatch), so Sunday's lineup was packed
with plenty of worthy distractions leading up to the main event.
Highlights included Australia's Youth Group (featuring moonlighting
Vines bassist Patrick Matthews) winning over the early-afternoon
crowd with an unexpectedly un-ironic cover of Alphaville's goopy
prom ballad "Forever Young"; fey Frenchies Phoenix rocking the
Gobi Tent with "Too Young" (even more entertaining than when Bill
Murray warbled it in Lost In Translation); British brother/sister act
the Magic Numbers warming up the uninitiated but highly receptive
main-stage audience with their sunshiny harmonies; and post-punk
press darlings Bloc Partyunveiling some stunningly good new tunes
to quickly quash any rumors of an impending sophomore slump.
But there were really only two Sunday acts that had any chance of
upstaging Madonna. First was the avant hip-hop duo of Cee-Lo and
Danger Mouse--aka the superhyped Gnarls Barkley--whose Gobi
Tent spectacle swiftly let any out-of-towners attending Coachella
know they weren't in Kansas anymore. They kicked off their brain-
boggling Wizard Of Oz-themed showcase (witnessed by noted fan
Danny DeVito, incidentally) by strutting onstage to the strains of
Pink Floyd's Dark Side Of The Moon intro "Breathe," Cee-Lo
resplendent in a Cowardly Lion outfit, sidekick Danger Mouse
dressed as the Tin Man. Accompanying this dynamic duo were a
colorful cast of characters that included a string quartet of Flying
Monkeys, a bevy of Dorothy and Scarecrow backup singers, and a
band of Wicked Witches. And while the sweltering, sweaty heat
inside the triple-packed tent had many suffering spectators on the
verge of howling, "I'm melting, I'm melting," it was still a truly
magical, over-the-rainbow event.
The only other band able to steal any of Madonna's seemingly un-
steal-able thunder was the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, whose Karen O once
again proved she is just as much a femme-fetale superstar as
Madge. Hair shorn in a Joan Of Arc bowl cut, face smeared with
Adam Ant warpaint, lanky frame wrapped in sequins, slashed
harlequin tights, and a puzzling batik romper (only this chick can
rock a tie-dyed skort and an Emo Phillips bob and still look cool),
Karen took total command of the main stage, even writhing around
on the floor like Madonna in her "Lucky Star" heyday.
But it was soon clear that Madonna's heyday is far from over,
because the minute the YYYs finished their set, pretty much all
60,000 or so Coachella attendees (including Nicole Richie and Andy
Dick) began their mass migration to the dance tent on the far end of
the field. It was the Million Madonna March, so to speak.
Concertgoers were fleeing the nearby sets by the unfortunate
Editors and Mogwai (who are probably firing their booking agents
right about now) with such urgency, one might have assumed there
had been a bomb threat. Soon the idea of the biggest female pop
star of the past 25 years playing the dance tent--rather than the
more suitable main stage, which oddly remained dark and vacant
during Madonna's set--seemed foolish rather than cool. Despite the
fact that the tent had been built out to be roughly one-third larger
than usual and was now flanked by helpful giant video screens for
the vision-impaired (i.e., everyone who wasn't in the front row, in
this case), the tent still couldn't accommodate an audience as
massive and enthusiastic as this. Desperate fans began climbing on
top of the porta-potties in hope of catching a clearer glimpse of their
idol, refusing to budge when the beefed-up security staff tried to
yank them down or even when the AndyGumps' flimsy plastic roofs
started to buckle under their weight. (Talk about a crappy concert
experience!) And when the woman of the hour--as noted previously--
was still nowhere to be seen 20 minutes after her advertised set
time, and the crowd began to get restless, ominous visions of the
Who in Cincinnati and other infamous concert disasters raced
through this worried writer's mind.
But such dark thoughts were quickly brushed aside as soon as
Madonna finally got the party started. Ditching her disappointingly
mumsy, English-socialite-at-teatime persona and instead looking like
a post-makeover Sandy from Grease with her blonde Farrah flip,
Goldfinger complexion, wraparound shades, and skintight black
leather biker outfit, she gloriously basked in the refractive glow of
both an enormous Studio 54 mirrorball and the audience's
adoration. The Queen of Coachella kicked off her set with "Hung Up"
and from that moment on truly put on the show of shows. She
crawled, slow-mo and pantherlike, along the stage's edge. She
engaged in a good old-fashioned dance-off with a backup dancer
during "Get Together." (She won, by the way.) She strummed a
single open chord on a black Les Paul during "Ray Of Light" (sure,
she's no Jimmy Page, but she sure looked cool with a guitar slung
around her neck) while an army of silver-jumpsuited dancers
vogued behind her. "Should I take my pants off?" she queried
rhetorically before stripping off to one of her trademark leotards,
declaring, "It's too hot to wear clothes!" and then asking the
audience if her ass looked OK in such form-fitting Lycra. (It did, by
the way. It looked very OK.) And she closed her all-too-short set
with her classic early-'80s Danceteria anthem "Everybody," as
confetti and glitter rained down from the desert night sky.
True, Madonna threw a bit of a kink into this year's Coachella: The
record crowd she drew led not only to caved-in porta-potties but to
an agonizing three-hour wait to exit a parking lot that resembled a
monster truck rally pile-up. But to those who can say they were
there, it was worth it. The Coachella organizers are really going to
have a tough time topping themselves in 2007.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/02/arts/music/02coac.html
FESTIVAL REVIEW
Coachella, an Indie-Rock Festival With Room for
Madonna
By BEN RATLIFF
Published: May 2, 2006
Correction Appended
INDIO, Calif., May 1 — The
concertgoers at the seventh annual
Coachella Valley Music and Arts
Festival, which filled a polo field here
over the weekend with nearly 60,000
people a day, did not go to be one with the music and get
dirty. Nor were they sad, suburban metal teenagers being
treated like liabilities, roped and cordoned and
overmanaged.
This was an indie-rock festival, 94 acts on five stages, and
the operation was delicate: a sleek round of commerce for
the taste-making class. Yet Madonna and Kanye West
played here this year, and they encountered even more
love than the alternative-rock groups that are at the heart
of this festival. And for all the famous discernment of these
taste makers, one didn't feel much palpable reaction
among them.
Until the final acts — including the prog-rock band Tool, the moody electronic pop group
Depeche Mode and the French dance-music duo Daft Punk — offered an appropriate
moment to loosen up and shout in the dark a little, the participants gamely absorbed and
contextualized.
This is not an audience that wears T-shirts of its favorite band or beer. Two hours east of
Los Angeles, in the golf-resort desert lowlands, the festival started off six years ago with a
crowd that knew what it was traveling there for. Now it has inevitably become larger and
more mainstream, but the audience is still largely mid-20's, white, upper middle class,
educated: prize ponies for advertisers, who must tread lightly around them.
Coachella crowds are leisure mavens used to exercising choice, and they favor small
designers, like Junker and NaCo, rather than Nike logos or keepsakes from old rock
concerts. But exercising prudent choice is not the same thing as declaring love. Coachella
is not a rock festival for communal bliss: it can feel almost like a trade show, filled with
informed and fairly dispassionate consumers sampling a band, checking it off a list,
moving on.
Often this was a peculiarly tepid response to brilliant shows. Several bands, including the
Yeah Yeah Yeahs, the Duke Spirit, Animal Collective, Cat Power and Deerhoof, gave it
everything they had, each staging remarkable, potentially career-changing performances.
The sense of informed caution was everywhere but onstage.
What is a Coachella band, then? A band that has just reconvened, for one thing, or wants
to give a teaser of a forthcoming tour. The original lineup of the Smiths was said to have
been courted by the festival but turned down a $5 million offer to reunite. Instead, on
Sunday, Tool, a band that hasn't toured in four years, devoted about a quarter of its set to
songs from its new album, "10000 Days," with a stage show involving enormous sound
and enigmatic, ponderous bad-dream films on the giant video screens. (Its brooding, riff-
heavy music upped the festival's low testosterone quotient.)
Madonna previewed her summer tour, which starts in earnest at the end of May, with a
45-minute set of mostly recent songs from "Confessions on a Dance Floor"; she had a Les
Paul strapped to her body, a phalanx of dancers, and a live backing band to play letter-
perfect late disco. Being a Madonna show, geared toward the visual language of fashion
magazines, it was reified on delivery, full of blocked and posed freeze-frame moments. She
gave some decent action, however, by cursing at someone in the front row for spilling
water on her stage, and mopping the spill herself.
Madonna was in line with another characteristic of Coachella bands: she is a clinical
analyst of music from the 1970's and 80's. The Magic Numbers, My Morning Jacket, Bloc
Party, Eagles of Death Metal, the Zutons, the Duke Spirit: they all carry deep marks of
music from a long time ago. Kanye West, in his Saturday afternoon show, was no
different. After performing his hit "Gold Digger," with its old Ray Charles sample, he
played old-school D.J., giving the crowd a snippet of Al Green's "Let's Stay Together," then
Michael Jackson's "Rock With You."
"I'm going to play you one of my favorite songs," he then said. "I swear it's not a joke." It
was "Take on Me," by Ah-Ha, one of the most fey radio hits of the 80's. Mr. West did a
New Wave dance around the stage, looking as serious as he said he was, and the crowd —
which may have been wondering what an emissary of true-blue pop culture was doing on
its turf — appreciated the perfection of the counterintuitive cheesiness.
Mr. West used a string section to boost his live sound, and he wasn't alone. Sigur Ros used
strings and brass in its dusk-hour set of rock songs fit for cathedrals, hovering for long
stretches in the middle ground between crescendo and decrescendo. Gnarls Barkley, a new
collaboration between the singer Cee-Lo and the producer Danger Mouse that treads the
line between misfit indie-rock and freaky R&B, used samplers, a band and backup singers,
with everyone dressed as a character from "The Wizard of Oz." And Chan Marshall
performed songs from the new Cat Power album, "The Greatest," with a slick band full of
Memphis studio musicians.
For a singer who has conditioned her audiences to shaggy, discontinuous rambling, this
was a glaring act of professionalism. Ms. Marshall warmed to the role, pulling her hair
back from her face, smiling, keeping the show brisk. At the set's middle, she went back to
her strange old ways for a minute: she gave the band a break, sang with a cracking voice
and some rudimentary guitar chords, and covered her face with her hair.
Animal Collective played a set of well-practiced, neatly arranged freaking out, using
electronic sound samples, processed guitar and lots of wild, elastic, almost ecstatic singing:
working under the afternoon's dry heat, the band seemed to be expelling demons and
worked against the coziness and knowingness of the crowd, the I'll-blog-about-you-
blogging-about-me energy. And Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs won the prize for most
sincere response, looking genuinely moved and energized by the sight of a crowd that she
said was the biggest she had ever played to.
Moving her long limbs slowly and imposingly, giggling and crooning and screaming
maniacally, she was trying to feel something, and finally made the crowd feel something
too. In the ballad "Maps," when she carefully sang the line "They don't love you like I love
you," many women in the crowd turned to the men they were with and mouthed the
lyric, making it theirs.
Correction: May 3, 2006
A picture caption in The Arts yesterday about the opening of the summer concert season
misstated the surname of a member of the group Franz Ferdinand, which performed at
the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif. He was Alex Kapranos, not
Kaprano.
Lucas Jackson/Reuters
Madonna was in line with another
characteristic of Coachella bands: she
is a clinical analyst of music from the
1970's and 80's.
http://music.monstersandcritics.com/news/article_1160023.php/Coachella_day_two
Music News
Coachella day two
By Jonathan Cohen May 2, 2006, 5:28 GMT
Madonna made her festival debut Sunday night
(April 30) at the Coachella Valley Music & Arts
Festival in Indio, Calif., performing six songs in front
of one of the largest crowds ever to witness an
artist at the event. Day two of Coachella was also
highlighted by performances from Massive Attack,
Scissor Sisters, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Tool and Gnarls
Barkley.
Madonna was more than 20 minutes late starting,
and her delayed set drew several rounds of booing from the sea of
humanity packed into and around the Sahara Tent. But she oozed
personality once taking the stage, at one point shouting at a fan who
had thrown water onto the stage and then wiping it up herself.
The set featured her latest hit single 'Hung Up,' 'Get Together,' 'I Love
New York,' 'Ray of Light,' 'Let It Will Be' and the vintage 'Everybody.' The
show served as a warm-up for the May 21 kick-off of her Confessions
tour in Los Angeles.
Playing their first U.S. show in eight years, Massive Attack did not
disappoint with a powerful set led by material from its 1998 album,
'Mezzanine.' Cocteau Twins vocalist Liz Fraser made a rare appearance to
sing such tracks as 'Teardrop' and 'Black Milk,' while Horace Andy took the
mic for 'Man Next Door' and 'Angel.' The set also featured 'Inertia Creeps,'
'Safe From Harm' and 'Future Proof.'
The Scissor Sisters kept the party going on the second outdoor stage
with unabashed dance pop tunes like 'Take Your Mama,' 'Laura,' 'Mary'
and their hit cover of Pink Floyd`s 'Comfortably Numb.' Vocalist Ana
Matronic also led the crowd in a howling at the moon early in the set.
Gnarls Barkley shared Scissor Sisters` flair for the dramatic, choosing to
take the stage decked out as characters from 'The Wizard of Oz.' Vocalist
Cee-Lo eventually stripped down to his undershirt to belt out
'Transformer,' 'Smiley Face,' 'Necromancing' and 'Crazy,' which is now in
its fourth week at No. 1 on the U.K. singles chart.
Not to be outdone, Yeah Yeah Yeahs vocalist Karen O trotted out one of
her trademark sparkling stage outfits for the band`s early evening set on
the main stage. The group opened with 'Cheated Hearts' from its new
album 'Show Your Bones' and also played new single 'Gold Lion,'
'Phenomena,' 'Art Star,' 'Turn Into' and its breakthrough hit, 'Maps.'
© 2006 VNU eMedia. All Rights Reserved |
Edited by - Carl on 05/08/2006 05:45:58 |
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Carl
- A 'Fifth' Catholic -
Ireland
11546 Posts |
Posted - 05/08/2006 : 06:10:46
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http://www.sbsun.com/entertainment/ci_3773203
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival: Good
things come in threes
Mari Nicholson, Staff Writer
Indio offered a girl for every boy . . . and girl.
No matter which way you swing, the Sunday lineup I concocted for myself at the seventh Coachella Valley Music
and Arts Festival was sultry enough to make any straight girl confused, at least for a little while.
Mine was a goddess-filled three hours worthy of the pushing and extreme sweating that went along with it.
When I say extreme, I do mean extreme sweating; I only had to use the little girls' room once in 12 hours.
Before Madonna's first festival performance in her professional music career spanning nearly 24 years, I watched
Sleater-Kinney at the main Coachella Stage.
Singer/guitarists Corin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein and drummer Janet Weiss jammed to a moderate-sized
crowd, perhaps due to their having performed at Coachella before and the band Bloc Party having the same time
slot.
Nevertheless, they were worth and I followed those wailing elder stateswomen of rock with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
I was about 20 feet from the main Coachella Stage and surrounded by Massive Attack and Tool fans in addition
to Yeah Yeah admirers. Some camped out at the stage nearly four hours early but weren't entirely unhappy with
what they had to watch.
"OK, I don't like her, but she is hard-core,'' admitted Tool fan Mike Benson of San Francisco, of Karen O's
screaming yet almost cute conversation in between songs.
Those waiting for her to touch herself onstage might have been disappointed, but she put an entire microphone in
her mouth, and less was more for me.
"She puts on quite a performance. At least she's not Madonna,'' said Benson, 31.
That kind of Madonna bashing was going on the all over the Empire Polo Field stage prior to and during the
Material Girl's performance. I felt like a hypocrite for leaving the Tool fans, but it became clear to me you were
either with Madonna or against her, and I had a female trilogy of sorts to complete.
I was set on trying to catch a glimpse of her in the Sahara Dance Tent (with approximately 40,000 other hopeful
viewers, way over half of the day's festivalgoers), so I bolted.
At this point, my fear of heat exhaustion subsided unreasonably, and since I wasn't about to climb onto Port-A-
Potties like many desperate individuals, I went for the tent.
My dangerous Converse sneakers and boxy messenger bag enabled me to push my way over halfway into the
room. I was amazed, but the crowd was accommodating or at least too faint to fight back.
Madonna went on around 8:50 p.m., nearly 40 minutes
after she was scheduled, and she opened with "Hung
Up.'' For lack of a better cliche phrase, the crowd went
wild and didn't stop throughout her set.
She sounded great, looked great and she knew it. She
asked the crowd how her butt looked and took her pants
off, revealing her legs and leotard. Some seemed
surprised, but I expected no less from her.
Her unabashed attitude inspired my own confidence, I
guess. Though in a pretty good location audibly, I
couldn't see a thing unless I repeatedly jumped, and my
legs already felt like Jell-O.
I got a 6'2'' audience neighbor to hoist me on his
shoulders around 9 p.m. Props to that nice guy and
luckily he didn't pass out, or I'd have fallen and broken
my neck.
Miss Madonna performed several songs from her current "Confessions on a Dance Floor'' album, including some
classics: "Ray of Light'' and her first-ever single, the dance song "Everybody.''
And then she was done. It was short, way too short, but all female performers considered, I saw a highly satisfying
stretch of music.
I had a "good'' time on Saturday, though. Don't get me wrong. It just wasn't as sexy.
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah lived up to the massive, buzzed and sweaty crowd's expectations during the 5 o'clock
hour.
Alec Ounsworth's smooth vocals on "Gimme Some Salt'' got them dancing, and the movement allowed me
weaving room from the back of the Mojave Tent to the center.
TV on the Radio followed them with a performance I didn't expect; they haven't released a new record since
"Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes'' in March 2004, but they've perfected their experimental, melodic music to
a tee.
Close up, their crazy, high-pitched vocals and lesser-played instruments -- the accordion for one -- was as
musically sound as anything I saw the rest of the evening away from the Coachella Stage that night, occupied by
Franz Ferdinand and Depeche Mode.
- Mari Nicholson may be reached at mari.nicholson@dailybulletin.com, (909) 483-8549 or in care of the Daily
Bulletin, 2041 E. Fourth St., Ontario, CA 91764.
http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_3773198
Article Launched: 05/02/2006 12:00:00 AM PDT
Coachella's broad horizons
By George A. Paul, Staff writer
Has the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival gone too mainstream?
That was debated last weekend when an estimated 120,000 people (the largest attendance in the event's
seven-year history) headed into the Empire Polo Field in Indio to watch big stars like Madonna and Kanye
West.
It's too soon to tell whether such high-profile bookings have tarnished Coachella's credibility or not, but the
influx of concertgoers definitely made navigating the venue an uncomfortable process compared to years past.
As a Coachella veteran, I've discovered the best way to approach the concert is to treat it like a musical buffet:
sample liberally and you'll leave with a much fuller (albeit exhausting) experience. I caught partial or full sets
from 29 of the 90-plus acts on the bill. The following is a selected roundup by stage.
SATURDAY
Coachella Stage: L.A.'s The Section Quartet opened the proceedings with its smart classical interpretations of
Radiohead, Muse, Franz Ferdinand's "Take Me Out" (the original's jittery rhythm worked especially well with
strings) and The Clash's "London Calling."
A ragged cacophony of noise from New York indie rock fave The Walkmen kept the moderate crowd's
attention. The band debuted some punchy tunes from an upcoming album, but "The Rat" and "We've All Been
Had" made the most impact.
Common's latest album, "Be," contains some supremely soulful hip-hop, but his tired rap concert cliches
(especially during "It's Your World") got old real fast. Ditto for his benefactor/producer Kanye West, whose set
started late. The hit single "Jesus Walks" proved less than engaging.
Icelandic band Sigur Ros was on many concertgoers' "must see" lists, but the epic, majestic tunes (sung in
the native tongue and a nonsense language) from latest album "Takk…" lost their impact outdoors. Nagging
sound problems didn't help matters.
Franz Ferdinand has gained a reputation for putting on rousing performances; the Scottish alt-rock band didn't
disappoint at Coachella. "Do You Want To?" (where frontman Alex Kapranos added, "here we are at a desert
party"), "Dark of the Matinee," the frenetic "Michael," and rapid-fire vocal urgency of "This Fire" were standouts.
Definitely one of the best sets overall.
Depeche Mode has been touring the world for the past six months, so leader Dave Gahan's vocals were a bit
ragged. Yet that didn't make the veteran synth-pop band's first concert festival appearance since the early 90s
any less memorable. Gahan is still the ultimate showman. Outdoor Theatre: Liverpool band The Zutons
impressed with a heady dose of upbeat, late 60s-inspired Merseybeat rock. The slinky "Pressure Point," with
its doo wop-styled refrain and the breezy were audience favorites.
The first truly spellbinding set of the day came from My Morning Jacket, which ho channeled the spirit and
style of vintage Neil Young & Crazy Horse with several intense jams. Singer Jim James was quite the sight,
letting that heavenly falsetto loose as long bushy hair and beard covered his entire face. Notable standouts
included the reggaefied "Off the Record" and spacey "Gideon."
Damien "Jr. Gong" Marley stirred up a crowd pleasing party a major improvement from his uneven opening stint
with U2 at Staples Center last year. "No More Trouble" and a cover of father Bob's "Could You Be Loved?"
showed this Marley is carrying on the family reggae tradition with spirit.
Scantily clad women in wedding veils signaled the start of She Wants Revenge's electro-goth set. Justin
Warfield's deep baritone and Adam 12's Cure-styled soundscapes on "Red Flags and Long Night" and "These
Things" made for an intriguing mix.
Sahara Tent: It was rave central by the time Daft Punk
approached the conclusion of their late night set with
bouncy dance club hit "One More Time." Mojave Tent:
Former Catherine Wheel frontman Rob Dickinson
displayed his dry British humor during a memorable solo
acoustic guitar performance. The romantic songs
"Oceans" and "My Name is Love," along with the wailing
"Crank" and moody shoegazer classic "Black
Metallic" (both from his previous band) were amazing.
SUNDAY
Coachella Stage: Aussie alternative pop act Youth
Group started the afternoon off on a dreamy note with
several solid selections from last year's underrated U.S.
debut disc "Skeleton Jar," particularly the melancholy "Shadowland." Its striking cover of Alphaville's "Forever
Young" was even more enchanting live.
Jewish reggae performer Matisyahu had with large crowd pumped from the get-go, but his set lost steam early
on during "Late Night in Zion." A human beat box routine was hardly compelling and nothing really showed him
to be the hot emerging talent CD sales would suggest.
Massive Attack made its first American appearance in nearly a decade. The influential British hip-hop group
crafted some mesmerizing, often entrancing soundscapes that were perfect for the big stage at night.
Standouts included "Angel" and "Unfinished Sympathy."
Tool arrived onstage later than scheduled. Despite a penchant for over-the-top visual presentations, the prog-
rock leaning band made do with bizarre film clips and shadowy lighting. Sahara Tent: This quickly became the
"sauna tent" as several thousand Madonna fans arrived early during remix extraordinaire Paul Oakenfold's high
energy, 90-minute set and quickly filled the place to capacity. People were packed in like sardines and the
place was chaotic.
Following an extended break, Madonna emerged amid mirrorballs for a taster of her upcoming tour. The dance-
pop icon was as playful and sexually suggestive as ever, teasing everyone about taking all her clothes off and
writhing on the floor at one point.
The 35-minute set featured some hot dance numbers with her male dancers and perfect sound. "Hung Up"
sizzled, "I Love New York" saw Madonna play a bit of impressive electric guitar and ad lib a slam against
President Bush, while "Ray of Light" was both vibrant and exciting. Finally, Madonna pulled out a revamped
version of 80s fave "Everybody."
Outdoor Theatre: Scissor Sisters closed the evening with a fun, partying set that recalled Earth, Wind & Fire,
mid-70s Elton John and "Saturday Night Fever"-era Bee Gees.
Flamboyant lead singer Jake Shears clad in a gold lame outfit and his vocal counterpart Ana Matronic bantered
playfully throughout as the band locked one tight groove after another. The band's hit cover of Pink Floyd's
"Comfortably Numb," an infectious slice of hi-NRG dance, was the clear standout.
http://www.thedesertsun.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060502/COLUMNS50/605020341/1215
Coachella stargazing was hot
Darrell Smith
The Desert Sun
May 2, 2006
Record-breaking crowds, big-name acts, critical darlings and stars,
stars, stars. That's the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio
and, again, we have the scoop on who was where for the biggest show
in town.
Super Saturday
Coachella's VIP area lived up to its name again with stars, musicians,
industry types and hangers-on mingling shoulder to shoulder on
Saturday.
Reality TV star Nicole Richie, she of MTV's "The Simple Life," was spotted Saturday. It was Lionel's girl's return
to the festival. Richie was on the VIP lawn for last year's festival featuring Coldplay, Nine Inch Nails, Weezer, Rilo
Kiley and a host of others. Outside, Coachella regular Danny DeVito took over emcee duties, grabbing the mic
to introduce desert faves Eagles of Death Metal. The band, side project of Queens of the Stone Age frontman
Palm Desert's Josh Homme, made its homecoming at the festival's Outdoor Stage. Also in the VIP area
Saturday, rock auteur Sean Lennon hung out and even took time to pose for photos with fans.
Star search
The stars weren't just at Coachella. They had to eat and shop and sleep, too.
Take filmmaker/actress Sofia Coppola ("Lost in Translation"), spotted at El Mirasol restaurant in Palm Springs
having a late bite at the eatery on Friday night.
The Coppolas turned the festival weekend into a family vacation with Sofia joined by brother, director Roman and
father, legendary filmmaker/winemaker Francis Coppola all staying at the Parker Palm Springs.
Nicole Richie also stayed at the Parker amid rumors of possible marriage plans. Will she or won't she? Talk is
that she and on-again, off-again boyfriend Adam "DJ AM" Goldstein may tie the knot. The pair backed out of
Christmastime nuptials last year. Paula Abdul, a frequent desert visitor, also enjoyed luxe living at the Palm
Springs hot spot and sat down for a dine bite at mister parker's.
Festival promoters Goldenvoice turned Randy's Cafe in Palm Desert into a desert headquarters. And the
aforementioned Josh Homme was back in Palm Desert for a little home cooking at the mid-town breakfast spot.
last but not least
In recent days, two big, black sport utility vehicles pulled up outside Palm Springs' legendary Ingleside Inn and
10 men sprinted out. Now this worried the Ingleside's Mel Haber until friend Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger
climbed out. The Governator, in town for a speech, gave Haber a big hug and said he had to show the fellas his
favorite desert spot.
http://www.thedesertsun.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060502/EVENTS17/605020335/1050
Coachella presenter says event will return for many years
Bruce Fessier and Xochitl Peña
The Desert Sun
May 2, 2006
INDIO -- Watching the sun descend on the mountains surrounding the
green polo fields is one of the many highlights concertgoers experience
at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
"The sunset is phenomenal," said Allyson Kolan, from Seattle, in town for her
second Coachella Fest.
Empire Polo Club's soft grass and picturesque surroundings also add to
the concert experience.
Concertoers and performers worried that this would be the "last
Coachella" - had the show lost its lease, would the green grass become
rooftops with development?
But the Coachella Music and Arts Festival will return for many years to
come, says Paul Tollett, founder of the Goldenvoice division of the
Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) that presents Coachella. Tollett
said he has a multi-year contract with Empire, and his company just
secured another lease Sunday from a neighboring property owner.
Los Angeles-based Tollett declined to go into details about his lease,
but Paul Stephens, owner of the neighboring Rusty Spur equestrian
property, said the Empire and the Rusty Spur are among four different
pieces of land with multiple owners used to present the Coachella
festival.
Stephens, who has rented his 20-acre property for Coachella parking
since its inception, said the festival acreage has doubled since
Coachella began in 1999.
"I've got people from Alaska parking on my property," he said. "I've got
people from Canada on my property, I've got people from San Diego on
my property. I've got people from all over."
The festival attracted more than 120,000 people to the two-day event
Saturday and Sunday.
Landscape
could change
In time though,
some of the
grounds where
fans listen to
nearly 100 bands
for two days, may
be replaced with
residential villas,
condominiums
and a hotel.
Owners of the
Empire Polo Club
and the Eldorado Polo Club are in the 11th year of a 35-year
development agreement that gives them the right to build a resort that
includes "a mix of various housing types."
Neither have submitted plans to the city for development of the fields, but
rumors are swirling about Eldorado being up for sale.
Empire Polo Club, owned by Alex Haagen III, houses the concert.
Neighboring Eldorado Polo Club - owned by 22 different partners as of
August - provides parking and some campground space for the concert.
Alex Jacoy, general manager of the Eldorado Polo Club, declined to comment on whether that club is up for
sale.
And Haagen could not be reached for comment to verify the length of the contract with Goldenvoice, the concert
promoter.
"This is the perfect place. It would suck," Rocky Yazzie, 28, from Phoenix said about the concert potentially
changing venues.
Eventually though, the plan is to develop both clubs.
Both polo fields also are home to several community events and festivals other than the music festival, such as
the Indio Chamber of Commerce Southwest Arts Festival and the Red, White and Blue Polo and Balloon
Festival.
Ben Guitron, public information officer with the Indio Police Department, has fond memories of events at the
polo fields, including Prince Charles playing there.
"I've grown accustomed to seeing these open, meticulously maintained grounds. They're gorgeous," Guitron
said. "If it does get developed, how much of it would be around to benefit the community?"
During previous interviews with The Desert Sun, Haagen said his plan for Empire Polo Club include a resort
where people can stay in a hotel, condo or villa and take in a polo match.
The area bound by the development agreement includes all the property between Avenue 50, Avenue 52,
Monroe Street and Madison Street.
While no project plans have been submitted, the Indio Planning Commission in February did approve an
amendment to Haagen's development agreement for the Empire Polo Club that allows him to add six parcels
totaling 57 acres.
Mayor Gene Gilbert said the polo fields in Indio help set the city apart from other communities. He would like to
see the fields remain.
Whatever Haagen has planned for the area eventually, though, Gilbert said should fit in nicely with the area.
"Whatever it is, will be first-rate with Alex (Haagen). That's all he builds. He builds great stuff," said Gilbert.
Kolan, who drives down 22 hours from Seattle for the concert, would be sad to see the venue move elsewhere.
"I love coming here," she said.
File Photo, The Desert Sun
Owners of the Empire Polo Club and the
Eldorado Polo Club (grounds seen here) are in
the 11th year of a 35-year development
agreement that gives them the right to build a
resort. |
Edited by - Carl on 05/08/2006 07:37:26 |
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Carl
- A 'Fifth' Catholic -
Ireland
11546 Posts |
Posted - 05/08/2006 : 07:48:46
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http://www.thedesertsun.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060502/EVENTS17/605020336/1006
120,000 at Coachella; 50 arrests, 65 injuries
Marie McCain
The Desert Sun
May 2, 2006
Indio -- Fifty people were arrested at the Coachella Valley Music & Arts
Festival over the weekend, Indio police said Monday.
In addition, about 65 others suffered some kind of medical emergency -
mostly due to dehydration, officials said.
Exact numbers were released Monday afternoon.
Organizers for the event have not released an official count of those in
attendance, but unofficial estimates put the number of attendees at
about 120,000.
Officer Benjamin Guitron, spokesman for the Indio Police Department,
said at least one person suffered a heart attack on Saturday.
And there were a number of heat-related illnesses reported Sunday, he
added.
On Saturday:
19 people were treated and released at the event's medical tent.
13 people were transported to area hospitals, including one person who suffered a heart attack.
On Sunday:
21 people sought treatment at the event's medical tent and were treated and released.
12 were transported to area hospitals.
Arrests were made on a number of charges, Guitron said. They were mainly drug- and alcohol-related incidents.
One arrest was made for domestic violence.
"When you have an event that is the size of a small city, that kind of thing is bound to happen," he said.
An unofficial tally of those arrested stated:
24 people on Saturday.
26 people on Sunday.
Guitron said this year's arrests were mainly routine compared to previous festivals.
At one point, following Madonna's performance on Sunday, some officers donned "riot-gear" as festival goers
were leaving the tent.
However, Guitron said, the officers' actions were not because they anticipated a riot.
"We had extra staff there that weren't wearing uniforms, so they put on what they had available," he said. "Plus, it
was also a way for us to get the crowds moving quicker. It was merely to get people to move."
http://www.thedesertsun.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060502/EVENTS17/605020306/1050
Beat goes on long after dark
Many Coachella fans keep the fun going by camping out afterward
Richard Guzmán
The Desert Sun
May 2, 2006
The music on the stages had ended Saturday night. Thousands of
music fans slowly made their way across the grassy fields to search for
their cars for the slow ride out of the Empire Polo fields.
But some were staying behind.
"It's going to be a long night in traffic for them and I'm already home,"
said 21-year-old Los Angeles resident Joel Martin as he unzipped the
door to his temporary home.
Martin was one of about 11,000 campers who called the grassy fields of
the polo grounds home for the weekend in what became a small town
within the festival.
Hundreds of tents organized in square neighborhoods marked by letters
filled the field.
A general store provided any necessary goods, while the Cantina poured
Bloody Marys and food vendors fed the crowd until 3 a.m.
For the campers, their tent city was a place to continue the musical
celebration with impromptu drum circles pounding tribal beats and a few
guitars whispering in the night.
"Everyone here's got a guitar or drums. They're all making their music,"
said 24-year-old Luis Soto of Las Vegas as he strummed his guitar for
his friends Chris Guerguiev and Beth Drumm, also from Las Vegas.
"We're just relaxing tonight, everyone is tired. Last night was a lot wilder,"
he said.
Campground
organizer Kevin
Lyman said the
majority of people
arrived at the
campgrounds
between 7 p.m.
Friday night and 6
a.m. Saturday
morning.
Those who were
there Friday night
were treated to a
viewing of the
Coachella
documentary film,
karaoke and a dance troop.
"We wanted them to have a good time," Lyman said.
But by Saturday, with a full day of music, walking and heat behind them, many of the campers were exhausted
and ready for a mellow night, or at least mellow by Coachella standards.
"It's real kickback tonight, we're all just chilling, tired," said Northern California resident Julia Henry, as she beat
her drum and a few other campers stopped to nod their heads to the rhythm.
It was past 1 a.m. and Henry heard another drum beat coming from the tent next door. It was her neighbor, 30-
year-old Bran Kerr.
"It's all about connection here. She heard me playing and came over to make some more music," he said while
continuing to drum a lazy beat.
Los Angeles resident Brian Duran came out of his tent when he heard the beats.
"Where is that coming from?" he asked.
"I'm going to go find it keep the music going," he said as he set out in search of the drums.
Richard Guzmán, The Desert Sun
Luis Soto of Las Vegas plays the guitar for
his friends Chris Guerguiev and Beth Drumm
as they camp out after the Coachella Valley
Music and Arts Festival.
http://www.thedesertsun.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060502/EVENTS17/605020307/1050
Staff members share their memories of Coachella
Staff Reports
The Desert Sun
May 2, 2006
Our features staff members and bloggers share their fondest memories
of the Coachella Music Festival:
In the top 20
Of the thousands of concerts I've seen, the 2006 Coachella ranks in the
top 25. The 1999, 2004 and 2005 Coachellas are in the top 10.
The '06 might have made the top 10 if it wasn't so damn crowded. One of
my most vivid memories of the festival is inching across the polo field
with my hands crossed like a mummy in a packed crowd after
Madonna's abbreviated set. Another is seeing police in riot gear march
single file pass our press tent before Tool's set to prevent VIPs from
getting a drink after 11 p.m.
Best musical memories: Depeche Mode, Wolfmother, the Yeah Yeah
Yeahs, Matisyahu (pictured above) and Kanye West, for the incredible
show he put on.
I just wish I had been able to get to more great shows.
Bruce Fessier
Is that Sean?
Kayne moved 'em, Eagles of Death Metal rocked 'em and Franz
Ferdinand nearly stole the show, but my favorite memory from this year's
Coachella happened backstage Saturday, near the VIP area. It was
there, among the privileged that Desert Sun reporter Maggie Downs and
I stumbled onto rock royalty - Sean Lennon. Contrary to what you might
expect from the son of an icon, Sean was warm and friendly, albeit a bit
shy. For a Beatles worshiper, it doesn't get much better, short of a one-
on-one with Paul McCartney. But I was never a Macca guy anyway.
Michael Felci
Fatigue buster
It was during the middle of the afternoon heat that Amigos Invisibles hit the main stage. But even the sun took a
back seat to their incredible performance. The group mixes rock, hip-hop, bossa-nova and Latin beats and they
recreated that sound perfectly on stage. The crowd was dancing non-stop and singing along with every song. I
was exhausted and hot from a night of camping and on two hours of sleep but I found myself dancing in the
middle of the hot crowd, that's the power of great music.
Richard Guzmán
Courtesy Of Michael Felci
Sean Lennon and Michael Felci.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20060503.MUSICFESTS03/TPStory/TPTravel/Music/
Summer music lovin'
Pack your sunscreen, your water bottles and
your bong. The season for outdoor music
festivals is about to begin
KEVIN CHONG
Special to The Globe and Mail
'Remember that the city is a funny place," Lou Reed once sang in his
1975 song Coney Island Baby, "something like a circus or a sewer."
Reed was referring to New York in the song, but his description also
serves as an apt characterization of the delights and lunacy of the
outdoor music festival.
The light shows, the guitar slinging, the flailing tattooed men and the
occasional beach ball in the crowd bring to mind a circus-like
spectacle. As for the sewer -- find yourself packed into a humid
huddle near the front of the stage or in a long lineup for the porta-
potties and you'll know why.
The music festival is like the buffet-dining version of the concert-going
experience. Some of your favourite bands and others all smushed
together over a couple of sweaty days in the summer, among tens of
thousands of inebriated music fans in a muddy field.
It makes sense that the music festival appeals to people in their early
20s who have enough time to travel to and attend the event, as well
as a taste for stadium-sized events, crowds and camping.
But I'd also argue
that these festivals
hold some appeal
for older, tweedier,
bespectacled music
nerds who are
accustomed to
seeing their
favourite bands in
small, dark clubs
while nursing a
bottle of Stella
Artois. Festivals
usually have an act
or two that they cannot afford to miss. In the past few years, the
Coachella Valley Music Festival in Indio, Calif., for instance, has been
the place where seminal, long-disbanded groups like the Pixies, Iggy
and the Stooges, and Bauhaus have reunited.
You can plan a trip to a music festival based on geography or musical
taste. There seems to be a music festival in every corner of the world,
from the Dawson City Music Festival in the Yukon to Quilmes Rock
festival in Buenos Aires. Other rock festivals cater to specific musical
subgenres such as ProgPower USA in Atlanta and the Heathen
Crusade Metalfest in Minneapolis.
Below is a list of some notable festivals this summer in Europe and
the U.S. To prepare yourself, veterans of outdoor music festivals
agree on this advice: Bring plenty of water and sunscreen; get a
good tent and some lawn chairs and choose a landmark as a meeting
place if you plan to split up with your friends. Above all -- pace
yourself.
Isle of Wight Festival
Find It: Seaclose Park, UK.
Date: June 9-11.
Draw: 35,000.
History: On a small island off England's south coast, this event was
originally held between 1968 and 1970. When nearly a million people
arrived in 1970, the local government banned future music festivals.
But in 2002, the Isle of Wight Festival was reborn and found a
permanent home in a local recreation ground.
Hot Acts: Coldplay, Foo Fighters, Lou Reed, Richard Ashcroft,
Goldfrapp, the Prodigy.
It's Not Just About the Music, Baby: This month, a life-sized statue
of Jimi Hendrix will be unveiled. He played at the festival, in front of
500,000 people, in 1970.
Details: No tickets? Make friends with a scalper -- this show is sold
out. Meanwhile, ticket holders can check out
http://www.isleofwightfestival.com for camping and ferry information.
Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival
Find It: Manchester, Tenn. , on a 283-hectare farm.
Date: June 16-18.
Draw: 80,000.
History: First held in 2002, Bonnaroo initially concentrated on "jam"
bands -- rock bands that featured long, noodly instrumental
passages. More recently, the festival has also welcomed hip hop,
reggae, electronica, roots, soul and indie-rock acts.
Hot Acts: Radiohead, Elvis Costello and the Attractions, My Morning
Jacket, Seu Jorge, Steve Earle, Blackalicious, The Streets
It's Not Just About the Music, Baby: The Daily Show comedian Lewis
Black appears in the comedy tent. A playground with monkey bars
and swings will, according to the Bonnaroo website, "help you get in
touch with your inner child."
Details: Tickets start at $204.35; Check out
http://www.bonnaroo.com for VIP packages that include air fare, a
shuttle bus, camping and cheap drinks.
Danube Island Festival
Find It: Vienna.
Date: June 23-25.
Draw: 2.5 million.
History: Started in 1984 (billed as "Europe's largest youth party"),
this free concert invites visitors to a manmade island in the Danube
river for over 500 hours of music.
Hot Acts: To be announced.
It's Not Just About the Music, Baby: There will be a fireworks display
on June 24. Plus, Danube Island features 42 kilometres of beach,
including nudist areas.
Details: The Danube's website at http://www.donauinselfest.at is
available only in German.
Roskilde Festival
Find It: Roskilde, Denmark.
Date: June 29 to July 2.
Draw: 97,000.
History: Founded by two high-school students in 1971, the Roskilde
Festival is now run by a non-profit organization that also promotes
culture and humanism. All the festival's proceeds go to charity. In
2000, nine concertgoers were killed during a crowd surge at the
beginning of Pearl Jam's set.
Hot Acts: Bob Dylan, Animal Collective, Franz Ferdinand, Guns 'N
Roses, and Thastrom.
It's Not Just About the Music, Baby: The world-music stage also
features spoken-word performances, cinema and art.
Details: Tickets start at $251. Check the website at www.roskilde-festival.dk/object.php?code=1
for train schedules, camping,
caravanning and festival volunteer information.
T in the Park
Find It: Balado, Scotland.
Date: July 8-9.
Draw: 69,000.
History: Formed in 1994, Scotland's biggest music festival is named
after its major sponsor, Tennent's Lager, and features over 170
artists on 10 stages. In 2005, the event won two UK Festival Awards
for "best major festival" and "best facilities and organization."
Hot Acts: The Who, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Franz Ferdinand, Felix Da
Housecat and the Strokes.
Maybe It Is Just About the Music: Local bands perform on the T
Break Stage, while the Slam Tent is devoted to dance music.
Details: This show is currently sold out, but scalpers are quite likely
more than happy to help. For travel details, check out
http://www.tinthepark.com.
Reading Festival
Find It: Reading, England.
Date: August 25-27.
Draw: 60,500.
History: The Reading Festival evolved from the National Jazz Festival,
which was first held in 1961.
Hot Acts: Audioslave, Belle & Sebastian, Arctic Monkeys, Pearl Jam, My
Chemical Romance.
It's Not Just About the Music, Baby: The Carling Stage features
emerging acts, while other tents showcase comedy and dance
performances.
Details: At this point, you're stuck with scalper prices only. For
information, visit the festival's official site at
http://www.readingfestival.com. |
Edited by - Carl on 05/08/2006 15:03:11 |
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Homers_pet_monkey
= Official forum monkey =
United Kingdom
17125 Posts |
Posted - 05/08/2006 : 14:59:10
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Do you get a prize if you read this thread?
Jeez Louise!
I'd walk her everyday, into a shady place
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Homers_pet_monkey
= Official forum monkey =
United Kingdom
17125 Posts |
Posted - 05/08/2006 : 15:03:23
|
If anyone wants to buy any Reading tickets, I have 5 for sale at face value ('cos I'm good like that).
I'd walk her everyday, into a shady place
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Carl
- A 'Fifth' Catholic -
Ireland
11546 Posts |
Posted - 05/08/2006 : 15:44:48
|
http://wildcat.arizona.edu/media/storage/paper997/news/2006/05/03/GoWild/Crowds.Kicked.It.In.The.Sun.At.Coachella-1899731.shtml?norewrite200605081816&sourcedomain=wildcat.arizona.edu
Crowds kicked it in the sun at Coachella
By Andi Berlin
Very rarely does the
Arizona Daily Wildcat do
concert reviews. But then
again, very rarely does a
concert come along that
explodes with international
talent and revolutionizes
the world music scene at
the same time. Besides
Live 8, of course.
The Coachella Valley
Music Festival in Indio,
Calif., is an annual bastion
of the most talented artists,
performers and musicians
from all over the world. Two
days, five stages and about
100 bands make the event
as priceless as a Mastercard, except without the interest rates.
Because so many wonderful performers were crammed into the festival this year, it
was impossible to see everyone. For the sake of logistics, here are some of the
highlights:
Animal Collective: Considering that this band had just put out possibly the most
creative and best album of 2006, it was surprising that most of its set consisted of
older material. During the 45-minute performance, the band played maybe one song
from Feels, and about five more total (the songs were relatively lengthy).
Nevertheless, it was a diverse collection filled with chaotic mouth noises, distorted
rhythms and purple paint that singer Avey Tare poured all over his body to emulate
blood.
Sigur Ros: This Icelandic experimental band came on the main stage right at sunset.
With a background of pink sky and silhouettes of palm trees, the band jammed
through 10-minute-long pieces craftily and with ease. The music was relaxing,
beautiful and abstract due to a lack of clear melody.
Daft Punk: This electronica duo was the highlight of Coachella and honestly the best
performance I have ever seen in my entire life. In fact, it was 10 of the best
performances I have ever seen in my entire life. For the hour and a half the band
played, the dance tent was crammed with people and devoid of any air circulation
whatsoever, making it impossible to breathe.
But for some reason, it didn't matter. The music was so powerful, so primal that it was
hard to think of anything else. The duo appeared in robot suits, standing in the middle
of a gigantic pyramid that exploded with bright, colorful lights, images and laser
beams. Playing a DJ set, the two mixed all of their songs together instead of just
playing one after the other, creating something new and exciting.
Madonna: Although I only got to see her for a few minutes, the experience was
priceless. For some reason, the big guys decided to put her in a tent instead of the
stage, so the audience stretched outside for what seemed like miles, even reaching
the tent next door, where another band was playing. Some people sat on port-a-
potties and others must have waited for hours to see her. Just before she came on,
four people on stilts with goth makeup tried to step through the crowd to get to the
front. Dozens of people emptied their purses for ammo.
Massive Attack: Although it may have been out of tune a few times, this trip-hop band
performed an amazing night set on the second day. The songs "Teardrop" and "Inertia
Creeps" were heart-wrenching to hear on a live setting, especially for Santino Rice
from Bravo's fashion design reality TV show "Project Runway," who I stood next to.
The Scissor Sisters: This New York band was the last thing I saw at Coachella,
capping up the amazing weekend with pure energy and fun, danceable songs. The
two singers came out dressed in gold, talking to the audience between every song
and telling the audience to collectively howl at the moon together. They played a large
amount from their new album that comes out in a couple of months, but interspersed
it with classics such as "Filthy/Gorgeous" and "Take Your Mama." They concluded by
informing the audience that this might be the last Coachella ever (apparently, the
festival lost its lease) and then bursting into their light-hearted dance tune "Victim." It
was an energetic end to an amazing weekend.
Media Credit: Andi Berlin
Scissor Sisters played to a hot crowd on Sunday at the
annual Coachella Music Festival. |
Edited by - Carl on 05/08/2006 15:56:07 |
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The Music Festivals 2006 Thread.
