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| Whether it's the art installations, the performances or just the sun setting over the desert, the sights of Coachella Valley are always beautiful and a welcome sight when it's still snowing occasionally in Wisconsin. |
Something that's been apart of my life for longer than just the last six years is the now 47th annual WWSP-90FM trivia contest which also happens to take up an entire weekend every April. Somehow, these two event weekends have never managed to conflict until this very upcoming weekend (April 15th - 17th). So, what does this music obsessed/trivia fan choose this upcoming weekend? Easy, both! Yes, both events do take place from Friday through Sunday BUT the festival always ends before 3 AM and starts in the late afternoon, thus giving me ample time to test my trivia skills (and help any teams that call upon me for answers I typically do not know). With Coachella, the live-stream schedule is typically not known until the very last minute so no, I cannot perfectly preview that aspect of the festival but, the set times have been announced this Wednesday and it is time for anybody that cares to plan accordingly for their favorite acts and set aside the time to see them in the valley or watch them via Youtube. Again, we do not know the live-streaming schedule and therefor cannot foresee another act that does not want to appear on the stream (Thanks AC/DC) or any cancellations due to illness (2015 George Ezra).
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| Friday's Headline Act: LCD Soundsystem |
Friday
Pre-Streamers that are worth checking out anyway
Masha (Pop-rock singer with a ton of hype from both VH1 and even the Grammy's a few years ago)
Mbongwana Star (One of the better foreign language bands I've heard, coming off rave reviews of their latest album)
Frances (English pop singer)
Lapsley (Ambient 19-year old singer with mature vocals and a new album that I kind of dig)
Skepta (SHUTDOWN)
Mavis Staples (Legend)
The Front Bottoms (Fun indie rock band)
Joey Bada$$ (Young rapper with throwback vibes might bring out some guests like Flatbush Zombies, Kiesza or even Raury)
Goldroom (Electronic music meets live instrumentation)
Must-see Acts
3:45 - Robert DeLong - Just watching this electronic artist produce and sing while frantically trying to keep pace makes me nervous just thinking about it. DeLong will wow the crowd with his on-stage work ethic and for those in the back rows that cannot quite see the stage, they get to dance to some solid EDM.
4:10 - Years & Years - This exciting pop band burst onto radios worldwide last year with their first album, Communion, an excellent synthpop record with an interesting lead singer in Olly Alexander whose voice is easily discernible in a world where most pop singers sound like Justin Bieber and Demi Lovato (pleasant but not too interesting). The hits will be played like "King", "Desire" and "Eyes Shut" but the entire set will be worth the viewer's time.
6:15 - The Kills - With a new album to be released on June 3rd, Alison Mosshart and Jamie Hince are back after five years of expanding their musical boundaries and ready to potentially unveil some new songs in the valley this Friday.
7:30 - A$AP Rocky - Even with a somewhat underwhelming result to last year's At. Long. Last. A$AP, Lord Flacko himself is performing right after sunset and the vibe will hopefully be more laid back than A$AP Ferg's 2014 ragefest. Rocky has a much more eclectic style and even though he looked like he didn't know who BØRNS was while talking to him at the MTVU Woodie Awards this year, his taste is music is much broader than the rest of his A$AP mob would have us believe. There are sure to be guests (Ferg?, Kanye? Florence Welch?) and if he calls back to his first album often, this set is certain to feature some great tunes.
PS: People really don't use the word "tunes" in any context anymore and that is a shame.
7:55 - M83 - Coming off of last week's release of their seventh studio album, Junk, this ambient dreampop band won't feature many guests (if any at all) but, will be a perfect fit for the vibe of their timeslot with a darkening sky. There will be new tracks played and do not worry, "Midnight City" and most of their phenomenal Hurry Up, We're Dreaming album are probably still going to be in their set. For those first experiencing Coachella or M83, this is a performance one might not forget.
8:45 - Sufjan Stevens - I have yet to see a Sufjan Stevens live performance and only in the past couple of years have I fully dived into his discography. The vibe is going to be much more relaxed at this stage than any of the other stages mentioned up to this point in my post. "Chicago" is worth everyone's attention every time.
10:05 - Jack Ü - This is a must-see for anyone that doesn't understand the rise of EDM up the ranks of festival lineups or for those that can't get into G-Eazy and Savages. Diplo and Skrillex might not be the best producers around but, they are certainly two of the most famous and always put on a show. Major Lazer (Another Diplo project) were my favorite EDM set of any in the last five years and the hits are sure to be plentiful again after the biggest year yet for both artists.
11:05 - Rae Sremmurd - Just turn off the brain for a bit and get crunk because these two kids are this generation's Lil' Jon of meme-able songs.
11:10 - LCD Soundsystem - It's a reunion and a headliner. I shouldn't need to say much else. Hopefully they close with "All My Friends" or "Someone Great" or really anything because this band is the most perfect band to close out the night in a festival environment.
Other acts I will definitely try to check out (and you should too!)
5:00 - Lord Huron
5:25 - Foals
5:45 - Christine and the Queens
6:40 - Of Monsters and Men
7:15 - BØRNS
8:20 - The Last Shadow Puppets
9:10 - G-Eazy
9:20 - Ellie Goulding
10:45 - Snakehips
12:30 - Purity Ring
Saturday
Pre-streamers that are worth checking out anyway
Phases (formerly known as JJamz, a super group of indie artists in an indiepop band)
Ex Hex (All-female punk bands are in)
GoGo Penguin (Everyone needs some more weird jazz in their life)
Protoje (Everyone needs more reggae in their lives)
Cloves (Another teen singer/songwriter that nobody knows about yet)
Alvvays (New album on the way? Hopefully)
Must-see Acts
4:30 - James Bay - One of the biggest new artists of 2015, Bay is here to stay as the more upbeat counterpart of John Mayer. The English singer/songwriter sounds great live and has performed with Tori Kelly multiple times so, there is a possibility of a surprise cameo from her. Bay is this year's Hozier that everyone seems really excited about in the moment but, might just forget about over time which is a shame as he is bound to only get better with time.
4:55 - Run The Jewels - For the second year in a row, RTJ is about to tear down Coachella's main stage after completely packing the Sahara tent last year. The duo of Killer Mike and El-P put on one of the best sets last year and unlike most acts, are ready to return one year later and probably debut a new song or two just to build up hype for Run The Jewels 3.
5:50 - Bat For Lashes - Natasha Khan's 2013 Coachella performance is another one of my favorites and with her blending of synthpop and powerful ballads, the 36-year old UK singer is one of the more interesting performers this weekend. With a new album, The Bride, coming out July 1st, there is bound to be new, previously unheard material debuted on Saturday. It might not match 2012's The Haunted Man but if it does, we'll all be grateful for watching.
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| One of the highlights of Coachella 2013: Bat For Lashes. |
6:10 - CHVRCHES - The great Scottish synthpop band in the world (Take that, Prides), this band is not doing anything revolutionary yet continues to put out excellent songs that never reach the mainstream airwaves for no reason at all. Lauren Mayberry's band is currently in between albums but, missed last year's festivities and are 100% worth tuning in anyway as their first two albums are worth the repeat listens.
6:45 - Courtney Barnett - With the #1 and #8 songs of 2015, it's easy to assume that I will be tuned in to Barnett's whole set. The breakthrough artist of 2015, Barnett's first official album, Sometimes I Sit and Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit, is widely regarded as one of the best albums from last year and if you dug that album, she'll perform just about every song from it along with some tracks from her A Sea of Split Peas EP like the infectious "Avant Gardener". The combination of Bat For Lashes, CHVRCHES and Barnett all playing within an hour creates the biggest time conflict of the weekend for me.
7:35 - Disclosure - The great thing about the rise of electronic music is the plethora of guest appearances that can pop up at any given set. Disclosure is the best example of this as they will almost assuredly bring out a Sam Smith, a Lorde or a Mary J. Blige. Even if they don't have every guest vocalist from every one of their songs, they still have a long catalog of catchy songs ready to be played and their only real competition as they close their set will be Vince Staples in the Sahara tent.
9:05 - Ice Cube - When is the last time Ice Cube performed a whole set anywhere? I honestly don't even know the answer. I guess I gotta say that Saturday will be a good day.
10:45 - Grimes - Performing in the Sahara tent should hopefully prevent her from being electrocuted again. The coolest woman from Canada is competing with headliner Guns N' Roses and (controversial opinion time) might get the bigger crowd despite the tinier stage. Her music and performances are all chaotic excitement and I would expect her Coachella set to be no different.
Other acts I will definitely try to check out (and you should too!)
3:35 - Gary Clark Jr.
6:40 - AlunaGeorge
6:55 - The Arcs
7:05 - SZA
7:55 - Vince Staples
8:10 - Unknown Mortal Orchestra
9:25 - Silversun Pickups
9:30 - Zedd
10:30 - Guns N' Roses
10:55 - BADBADNOTGOOD
12:00 - Shamir
Sunday
Pre-Streamers that are worth checking out anyway
Steady Holiday (Beautiful music produced by a guy who's worked with Beck & The Black Keys, singer Dre Babinski has yet to really make a name for herself and this performance has a chance to get people to recognize some of the great music she's been putting out)
Girlpool (Like I said earlier, all-female punk is in right now)
Tei Shi (Chill out after two days of exhausting every limb by listening to this solo Argentinian indie popper)
Young Fathers (If you don't listen to this band already, "Shame" on you)
Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats (Come for "S.O.B.", stay for the rest of the soulful rock)
The Heavy (We liked their one song seven years ago and have totally forgotten about them since so, how do we like them now?)
Kamasi Washington (The jazz saxophonist has blown up this past year thanks to collaborating with Kendrick Lamar and rave reviews for 173-minute album, The Epic)
Must-see Acts
4:25 - Wolf Alice - I fell for this band last year when I first listened to their debut album, My Love Is Cool, and was immediately impressed with how different each song sounded while still all falling under the umbrella of alternative rock. The album has some 90s-era grunge headbangers, chill wave-surfing Best Coast tracks like "Bros" and songs that are completely unique on their own and they put it all together into one very good album.
4:55 - Matt & Kim - If you're looking to see two people have the time of their lives while working their asses (and potentially clothes) off on stage (and possibly in the crowd), then tune in to these two because they amaze me every time I see them live. Their last album, New Glow, did not get many positive reviews as the critics appear to have grown tired of the duo's constant upbeat melodies and personality. Since that album was released 12 months ago, I would expect them to perform the hits and not try to further shove the album that most did not care for (I actually liked it) into their set as they don't need to further advertise anything at the moment and they just need to have fun as they always do.
5:40 - Cold War Kids - Just a quality indie rock band that quietly has ten years worth of good music to play at the Outdoor Theatre.
7:30 - Major Lazer - Diplo's second cameo of the weekend, this should be the most enjoyable crowd to be a part of. As I mentioned earlier, Major Lazer's 2013 set was one of the most fun sights I have seen in the past five years of Coachella. This will be a must-see for anyone that's not a fan of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros or Chris Stapleton because if anything else, it will be total chaos.
8:15 - Beach House - Perfect for anyone that needs to cool down after enjoying Major Lazer. The mood will be perfectly calm with Victoria LeGrand's soothing vocals and Alex Scally's beautiful instrumentals being the perfect for the night time chilled out vibe that the entire audience will be a part of.
9:00 - Sia - I've never seen Sia at Coachella before so, I am very intrigued to see what her stage set-up will look like and whether or not she'll be showing her face ever again (probably not). Will she bring Maddie Ziegler the now-teenage dancer that she's featured in many of her videos? Will she bring mimes? Will she continue this design trend of black and white? Will their be guests? Her set seems to be the most unpredictable of the entire weekend.
10:35 - Calvin Harris - Not the most exciting EDM act out there but, the show will always be enjoyable as he could bring out the most impressive list of guests out of anyone this weekend.
Other acts I will definitely try to check out (and you should too!)
3:45 - Meg Myers
4:50 - Pete Yorn
4:50 - Hudson Mohawke
6:10 - The 1975
7:00 - Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
7:10 - Chris Stapleton
8:25 - Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals
9:35 - Flume
9:45 - Miike Snow
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| It's almost here... |
I leave you with my picks for the NBA Playoffs First Round...
Cavs over Pistons in 6.
Raptors over Pacers in 5.
Hawks over Celtics in 7.
Heat over Hornets in 5.
Warriors over Rockets in 4.
Spurs over Grizzlies in 4.
Thunder over Mavericks in 5.
Clippers over Trail Blazers in 6.
Please enjoy this wonderful weekend.
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