TUIW Goes to Coachella: Saturday

Beach House

TUiW spent the past weekend in Indio, CA for this year’s Coachella festival. Here’s our recap of Saturday:

Beach House
When Beach House took the stage, they promised to “cool us off,” and they easily succeeded. Playing their dreamy pop in the middle of the day might not have seemed like the best of situations, but it was perfect, with the crowd gently swaying to tunes from their stellar Teen Dream, as well as favorites like the gorgeous “Gila.” Jay-Z was in the house watching (he reportedly saw The xx too) as the band did a cover of Gucci Mane’s “Lemonade,” which they passed off as a “work in progress.” One of the better sets of the weekend, Beach House started Saturday with a chill bang. (Just a note, we missed both Girls and Camera Obscura thanks to traffic and water lines. Thanks Coachella!)

The Raveonettes
With the rest of their band stuck in Europe due to the volcano in Iceland, the Raveonettes’ Sune Rose Wagner and Sharin Foo played on as a duo. This didn’t stop them from bringing the noise as Wagner’s droning, fuzzy guitar riffs blared over Foo’s bass and steady drumming. Both admitted to being nervous and uncertain about playing just the two of them, but they hardly missed a beat, playing their blend of 50′s and 60′s rock run through a blender with the Jesus and Mary Chain. The Raveonettes were one of the great surprises of the weekend with their really phenomenal set.

Dirty Projectors
In the year since we last saw the Dirty Projectors, they became some of the bigger indie darlings of 2009, thanks in part to their funky hit “Stillness is the Move.” The band didn’t disappoint at Coachella, their syncopated guitar riffs and perfectly timed vocal harmonies intertwining effortlessly. The Dirty Projectors have garnered all sorts of praise and dislike for their unique sound, but regardless of what you think, they are a terrific live act. The set was also made better by the fact that we stood right next to Vincent Chase himself, Adrian Grenier (!).

MGMT
Congratulations bro! MGMT is already getting a lot of flack for their new, different record, but you have to give them credit for sticking to their guns and playing new songs with as much gusto as the older, much loved ones. While the crowed danced and sang along to hits “Time to Pretend” and “Electric Feel,” they mostly seemed bored during the Congratulations tracks, and genuinely disappointed that the band didn’t even play “Kids.” It’s going to be an uphill climb for MGMT.

Major Lazer
Major Lazer was probably the most ridiculous live show of the whole weekend. Their show quickly turned into a sort of rave, with the unhappy MGMT fans coming over to dance and party. A manic blend of hip-hop, trance, and electronica, Major Lazer is all about one thing: dancing.

Flying Lotus
Though he was sadly not joined by Thom Yorke (who appears on his new record), Flying Lotus put on a great set of chopped beats and hooks, and appeared to be having way more fun than your average dude at a laptop. Like Major Lazer, Flying Lotus is all about dancing, but with more emphasis on hip-hop than dance. Those disappointed by the absence of Yorke were treated to an awesome live remix of the Radiohead track “Reckoner,” which stood out in an all around stellar set.