Indio, CA’s Coachella Valley Music & Arts
Festival concluded last night with reunion performances by a pair of long
dormant bands: Rage Against the Machine and Crowded House. Rage Against the
Machine parted ways in 2000, but were coaxed out of retirement earlier this
year by longtime Coachella promoters Goldenvoice. The group’s decision to
headline Coachella was particularly special since Rage Against the Machine
headlined the festival in its inaugural year The politically-charged rock band
will headline the rap/rock mash-up Rock the Bells later this summer. Australian
stars Crowded House disbanded in 1996 and were welcomed back by a rowdy crowd,
including one fan who threw a bottle which knocked over singer Neil Finn's
microphone stand during the group’s second song.
Throughout the
weekend, Indio, CA’s temperatures hovered around the
100-degree mark, causing many fans to seek refuge in the festival’s multiple
tents. As expected, several intriguing collaborations took place throughout the
weekend. Perhaps most intriguing, actor Scarlett Johansson sang backup vocals
with Jesus and Mary Chain, confirming numerous rumors circulating throughout
the blog world the weeks before Coachella. In addition, the Coup’s Boots and
Perry Farrell played with Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello during his
solo set as the Nightwatchman. System of a Down vocalist Serj Tankian also sang
with Fair to Midland.
Also of note,
alt-country couple David Rawlings and Gillian Welch performed in Flying Burrito
Brothers costumes as a nod to Gram Parsons, who was cremated a few miles from
the Coachella site in Joshua Tree National Park. The Roots ran through their
cover of Bob Dylan’s “Masters of War,” which the collective performed at a
recent Dylan tribute held at Lincoln Center in New
York City.
Arena-size alt-rockers Red Hot Chili Peppers drew one of the
festival’s largest crowds and included the Frames’ Glen Hansard, who joined the
group onstage with a towel over his head during “Give it Away” (his towel
quickly fell off). Flea, in turn, gave a shout-out to Ghostface Killah onstage
and sat through Willie Nelson’s performance. As a treat, the group opened its
set with an entirely instrumental composition.
Other standout
performances include co-headliner Bjork, British stars the Kooks, punk-folk
heroes Against Me and the Fratellis, a group whose profile has increased since
jamming with Pete Townsend at SXSW.
Coachella promoter’s Goldenvoice will remain onsite
throughout the week as the company gears up for its new country festival,
Stagecoach. The only act currently confirmed for both events is Willie Nelson,
who agreed to play Stagecoach only if he also played Coachella. The
country-rock star peppered his Coachella set with standards like “Whisky River”
and "Will the Circle Be Unbroken." He also joked about his recent
arrest and recent physical problems in a joke song which includes the line “too
many pain pills / too much pot / I tried to be something I'm not.”
Reporting by Wes Orshoski
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