COACHELLA RECAP

(Busy P holding our Golden Bloggen CD Sampler)

So I have been talking about Coachella for months now and if you have never been then you dont completely understand how amazing it is. It is 3 days of non stop music and partying. There is not a bad band there, and everyone brings their A game. Seeing a band at your local venue is NOT the same as seeing them at Coachella. Anyway ... here is my recap of Coachella weekend with my top 3 picks for each day!

FRIDAY - Click Here 4 Pics

1. Paul McCartney - How more people weren't hyped about how big of a deal that Paul McCartney was at Coachella is beyond me. The dudes name is "SIR" Paul McCartney and he was a FUCKING BEATLE. Anyway Paul killed it, playing from 10PM - 1AM! He weaved Beatles tracks into his own stuff and it all sounded amazing. I am not a crazy die hard Beatles fan so please believe me when I say dude is that good.

Paul McCartney - Dance Tonight

2. Crystal Castles - This was one of my favorite new bands of 08 and I was real hyped to see that they were going to be at Coachella. Even more exciting was that they were going to be in the dance tent. I couldnt wait to see a sea of fans rocking out with Crystal Castles. They are certified stars and their live presentation is something to see. Alice climbed up on one of the pillars on stage and sang while she was hanging on with one arm. It was awesome!

Crystal Castles - Air War

3. Peanut Butter Wolf - PB Wolf is one of my favorite DJs that I've seen live. He plays great Hip Hop and has sick visuals playing behind him coinciding with the music. I love dude and he is one of the most important figures still trying to keep Hip Hop alive with what he does with the amazing Stones Throw records.

Peanut Butter Wolf ft. Madlib - The Wigflip

Recap: I always like to get Coachella started off with a really good band. Last year it was Midnight Juggernauts and everything fell into place after that. This year I got to see the last ten minutes of Felix da Housecats set before walking over to see the Black Keys. And then I knew Coachella had officially begun. I also was lucky enought to see 15 minutes or so of Leonard Cohen including getting to see him perform "Hallelujah," a song I did not think I was going to see. But of course the Coachella Gods worked their magic and the timing was perfect.

SATURDAY - Pics

1. Crookers - Probably my favorite set at all of Coachella were from Crookers. They came fucking correct. The first half hour of their hour set was good stuff, dancey and a good time. The second half hour however was the fastest set I have ever heard. And Im not talking about Girl Talk/ DJ AM fast. I'm talking about song after song, drop after drop. It was fast and hard for 30 minutes and was exactly what I was waiting all year to see at Coachella. The crowd really wasnt prepared for most of the stuff they were playing and they got their minds blown.

Crookers - Love to Edit

2. Chemical Brothers - I was all ready to give these guys the #1 spot for Saturday, maybe all of Coachella. But the Crookers stole that title from them. They were as amazing as I thought they would be. I dont understand how their set was a DJ set as I have never heard anything like what they played anywhere on Earth before. Everything they do is good. I wish they would have played longer. Why dont they come around more often?

Chemical Brothers ft. Q-Tip - Galvanize

3. MSTRKRFT - Ive seen these guys a bunch of times and they never disappoint. The first time I saw them live was last time they played Coachella and Ive tried to catch every MSTRKRFT show since. They are building a nice body of work, including having just released their second LP, a claim Im not sure any other new dance act can make.

MSTRKRFT - Easy Love

Recap: Other highlights from the dance tent include Bloody Beetroots. They had a great set like always. Ive seen them a few times and they are always good. I caught a few songs from Fleet Foxes and Thievery Corporation as I took a break from the dance tent. But I missed what I heard was a great set by M.I.A. to see Crookers set and I dont regret it for a second.

SUNDAY - Pics

1. The Cure - Described by Caseys brother as "The Kings of the Darkside of New Wave" I couldnt have been more pleased with The Cure's set. Not only did every song they played sound amazing but they NEVER stopped playing. I think they're still playing right now in fact. The Cure went on at 9:30 and kept playing past 12:30 in the morning. They actually got their music turned off at 12:30 but kept playing! You could hear the faint sound of their instruments playing in the background as fans sang "Boys Dont Cry." Unbelievable.

The Cure - Boys Dont Cry

2. Etienne De Crecy - Etienne's set was so crazy. More dance acts need to take notice from Etienne and Daft Punk and bring some visuals to their set. Etienne brought out his big magical cube and played some really crazy dance music. He dropped one song 4 different times and it got crazier with each drop, the song lasted for about 20 minutes. It was so good. What a way to close out the dance tent.

Etienne De Crecy - Hope

3. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Karen O and her band are rock stars. They used to be some small garage rock band, now they kill it at a crowded Coachella main stage. Their new CD is really dope and they are getting really comfortable with their sound, which seems to be more of the melodic, groovy rock than their screeching, squealing early stuff (which I actually prefer).

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Heads Will Roll

Recap: Fucking Sunday was kind of a let down, but not because of the music I saw, but instead of the music that I didnt see. First of all a group I was real hyped to see, one of the only Hip Hop groups at Caochella, Clipse, didnt fucking show. Another really dope band I was pumped to see, The Horrors ended their set 15 minutes early so I saw about a song and a half. Weak. And I gotta talk about the craziness that was My Bloody Valentine. Fucking insane noise rock.