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Daft Punk, Depeche Mode, Franz Ferdinand, Ladytron, Sigur Rós, and TV On The Radio Seven years ago Veronica and i went to Day 1 of the very first Coachella festival, featuring Beck, Morrissey, Spiritualized, and others. That year it was held in August, which meant the daytime temperature peaked around 110°F. Despite having a plethora of bands on our to-see list, the heat forced us into the shade and/or the mist tent until the sun went down. The drive back to LA to Veronica's grandmother's house was was pure torture, as V passed out and i struggled to maintain consciousness on the late night two hour drive. The experience was part of the foundation of my "no more festivals" policy. Flash forward to 2006, and V convinces me to try my luck at the show again after her fun time there last year. So we drove down on Friday, having secured a hotel room for ourselves as well as Naomi, Michelle, Kevin, and Amy at a swank Palm Desert spa. We relaxed on Saturday morning before braving the masses on the short drive to the Polo Grounds around 5pm. Part of what convinced me to give the festival another try is that it is now held in April, meaning temperatures should be more moderate. However, on this day the sun was in full force at the thermometer peaked at 95°F. We saw a few songs by TV On The Radio, a new favorite of mine, before getting refreshments in the beer garden. My verdict on the innovative Brooklyn band was that i need to see them on a smaller scale. I parted with my group to head back to the main stage for Icelandic neo-shoegazers Sigur Rós, who'd amassed a sizeable crowd despite their cerebral sound. Many there wandered away by the third song. They opened with "Glósóli" followed by "Hoppípolla" from their latest album Takk .... It sounded good enough, but singer Jon Thor Birgisson in particular seemed peeved by equipment problems. This dissatisfaction permeated the set and tempered my enjoyment of it. I'll definitely catch them in a more intimate setting on their next visit to California. Rejoining my group was more difficult than expected, given the overloaded cell network at the show and the fact that the sun had just gone down and visibility was poor. I caught the last few songs of Ladytron in the Mojave Tent ... unfortunately they were on at the same time as Sigur Rós so i couldn't see both in their entirety. Luckily i wasn't too taken with the renditions of "Destroy Everything You Touch" and "Seventeen" that i saw, reinforcing my previous opinion of them as cold and mechanical. After the set i did finally spot Veronica and co. near the ID check booth, and we walked back to the main stage in the now decreasing heat for Franz Ferdinand. That band is so tight and always entertains live, and nothing was different here. Highlights for me included "Jacqueline" as well as "The Fallen" from their latest record. At the close of their set, Veronica began her odyssey towards a spot closer to the stage for her heroes Depeche Mode. We made it to a cramped alcove perhaps 75 yards from the stage, but a combination of claustrophobia and lack of visibility for my shorter compatriots caused us to head to the back well before the band came on. We found a less dense spot next to the mixing booth where the girls could see the video screens. I could see Dave and Martin as ants on the faraway stage. Having been beaten down for years with tales of how southern California DM crowds are so much more energetic and fun than their northern California counterparts, i must say i was unimpressed with my first SoCal DM experience. No deafening sing alongs to be heard, despite Dave's frequent requests. A sea of swinging arms only during the closer "Never Let Me Down Again". The set was enjoyable, culminating in a great performance of "Stripped". Despite being thoroughly pooped by the time Dave, Martin, and Fletch called it a night, our group walked over to the overflowing dance tent where Daft Punk had just come on. What a way to end the night ... freaky dancing to electro-pop standards being spun by two Frenchmen in space suits atop a giant lighted pyramid. While we couldn't work our way into the tent, we did get a spot to dance where we could see a video screen. And luckily we were able to see DP themselves through a gap in the tent. The night ended with "Da Funk", causing us to celebrate the frogs as the act of the first day. I had to fly back to SF on Sunday in order to give a talk on Monday morning, so i missed the second day. The first day set attendance records that the second was expected to break, with the appearance of the Queen of Pop/over-the-hill hanger-on Madonna. I can't say this encouraged me to rethink my anti-festival outlook, but it was a worthwhile day of music.
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