Author Archives: Vanessa

One of the things people talk about at Coachella every year is the surprise guests and performers.

“Lost in Translation” actress Scarlett Johansson already joined the Jesus and Mary Chain on Friday night to sing backup on “Just Like Honey” and today Serj Tankian, singer from platinum metal artists System of a Down, joined rockers Fair to Midland in the Mojave tent early Sunday afternoon.

Tankian signed the Texas band to his label last year.

While the guys in Fair to Midland jumped around and played hard, when Tankian joined them on stage for their second song, he just stood there, singing backup vocals and occasionally bobbing his head.

After he finished the songs, a bunch of people from the already sparse tent left, too.

The Coachella stage definitely has the most eclectic lineup for Sunday. Rapper Lupe Fiasco is on now, Willie Nelson is playing later and Rage Against the Machine is closing the day. The lineup started off even stranger with next-big-pop-thing Mika taking the stage at 1p.m.

“Good day,” Mika greeted the crowd. “This is the first festival of the season for us. I really don’t think it gets any posher than this–it’s a polo field.”

On his album he sounds a lot like the late Freddie Mercury of Queen, so imagine my surprise when he came onstage and sounded a lot more like Andy Gibb with some disco like beats behind him.

Mika must have broken out his Ouija board because when he started the third song he sounded like a reincarnation of Mercury.

By noon on Sunday Carmen Zacarias had already staked out her spot for Rage Against the Machine’s set, which is slated to start at 10:40 p.m.

Zacarias and friend Omar Castillo traveled from El Paso, Texas to get a spot at the front of the Coachella Stage for the Rage Against the Machine reunion.

“I’ve waited six-and-a-half years for this,” Zacarias said.

Zacarias said she didn’t mind waiting another 10-plus hours to keep her vantage point. She’s not worried about getting water, either.

“Our plan is to beg the security guards,” she said.

They weren’t the only ones who already started lining up for Rage. John Puga of Santa Paula, took a spot a couple of rows back and planned to enjoy the acts before the headliners. He said he paid $200 for his single-day ticket.

“I want to see Rage Against the Machine. I want to jump around and go crazy,” Puga said.

Indio’s Police Department had to quiet down 250 or so campers in Coachella’s “tent city” (pop. 15,000) at 3 a.m. Sunday but Indio police spokesman Benjamin Guitron said it wasn’t an unruly crowd — no bottles thrown, no fires, no injuries.

“They were still in their festivity mode,” Guitron said, nothing more. Only one person was arrested. The police reasoned with the remaining campers that sleep would be best.

Guitron said media had reported a riot, but that didn’t happen. If the media had reported it, it’s already been retracted. In a Google search, I couldn’t find any mention of “Coachella” and “riot”.

Day three of Coachella has finally arrived and all everyone seems to be talking about is the Rage Against the Machine reunion.

Early Sunday afternoon, people blasted Rage throughout the parking lot. It may just be my perception, but judging how most of them don’t have sunburn or look fatigued, it must be their first day.

Rage isn’t the only reunion today. New Zealand popsters Crowded House take the Coachella stage at 7:45 p.m. and Happy Mondays play the Sahara tent at 9:40 p.m.

I’m off to see metal guys Fair to Midland in the Mojave tent. Word on the field is they’re having a very special surprise guest.

Flea is a great bass blayer, John Frusciante is an otherworldlly guitarist and Chad Smith plays drums like an octopus — then there’s Anthony Keidis, who’s now sporting a mustache. Unfortunately the charismatic front man just doesn’t have any vocal chops or an ability to assemble a dynamic melody. The Chili Peppers are a great live band, but if they had a different person helming the vocals they’d be one of the all-time greats. At this stage they have to settle for being one of the all-time goods. They definitely have the star power to carry Saturday’s headlining slot, but next to Bjork and the mystique of Rage we’re looking at the No. 3 choice.

While I love the Decemberists’ literary lyrics and sea shanties on the album, I did not know what to expect in a live show, especially at a festival. However, the Portland-based band did not disappoint with the fun and theatrics.

Instead of the T-shirt and jeans fare I had seen most bands wearing at the festival, the group came out sporting suits and dresses in light colors, looking as if they would be attending a polo match instead of rocking out.

“Seersucker is the perfect material for this weekend,” singer and fashion maven Colin Meloy recommended to the crowd.

As the band played “The Perfect Crime #2” Meloy announced it was time for a dance contest and had the crowd make large open circles.

“You never thought you’d have a dance contest at a Decemberists show, did you?” Meloy asked the crowd.

After some dancing in the circles, Meloy instructed everyone to pogo, which they did, including Nate Query, who was playing his upright bass at the time.

The band closed its set with “The Mariner’s Revenge.” Meloy told the crowd that help was needed for the most important effect in the song, “screaming like [you’re] being swallowed by a whale,” when guitarist Chris Funk made a whale motion.

During a practice run, Meloy instructed the crowd to lament more.

When the time in the lengthy song finally appeared, a blue whale made of fabric came onstage and started eating members of the band before the gypsy-like jamming at the end of the song.

“Thank you very much everybody for making our first Coachella so amazing,” Meloy told the crowd.

Fear not, if you msised them at Coachella, the Decemberists will be back at the Hollywood Bowl with the L.A. Philharmonic in July. You can read about that upcoming performance here .

We’re heading down the stretch of day two at Coachella and I think we have a winner for the “best stage banter” category.

Drumroll, please.

The New Pornographers!

This Canadian supergroup with artists from other indie bands played the Outdoor Theatre at 5 p.m. and a video image of the cover of the band’s forthcoming album, “Challengers,” graced the screen behind the drum set.

“That’s our new album cover behind us,” singer Carl Newman noted. “We’re not going to play anything from it.”

Nearby, in the Mojave Tent, Scandinavian group Peter, Bjorn and John played. Newman asked if they could hear the band from the Outdoor Theatre.

“No? I was hoping to catch part of their set and make you wait,” he joked.

The band couldn’t hear Peter, Bjorn and John, but Travis, which was playing on the Coachella Stage, could be heard loud and clear as the band played the hit “Why Does It Always Rain On Me.”

“Hey Travis, keep it down,” Newman called into the microphone before cajoling the crowd into singing the chorus of the Travis song.

However, the New Pornographers played a number of songs from their most recent album, “Twin Cinema,” layering pretty harmonies over their indie power pop, crafting a solid set that kept the sun-drenched crowd laughing.

As the sun began to set on day two of Coachella Kings of Leon played its brand of dirty Southern rock to usher in the evening. Dusk is great at Coachella because it serves to transition the sweaty hot Southern California desert into a nocturnal wonderland of lights, sounds and people. People especially — it’s hard too navigate as the masses grow and the sunlight fades, but it turns this place into a dreamscape. More coming soon …