Coachella 2012 Day One Wrap Up

Once again it is a Monday after a long Coachella weekend. This was by far the strangest festival I have attended so far; featuring the oddest weather, lack of amazing sets, and crowds that would test the strength of Job. I think what bothers me most about this past weekend is that there are really three types of people that attend this (and likely most) festivals: (1) those that are there because of the love the music, (2) those that are there to do drugs and trip out all weekend, and (3) those that are there to be "seen" (and sometimes a combo of 2 and 3). When numbers 2 and 3 get in the way of 1, it becomes frustrating, then annoying, then rage inducing. Based on this entire weekend, I will have to say it is unlikely I will be returning. I think it is time to check out other festivals, or just return to seeing solo shows only.

Day one got off to a nice start. The weather was fine that morning, partly cloudy and cool, and we got into the festival grounds with few hiccups. The cool temps were a welcome change from the usual brutal heat. After a quick run at the merchandise tent we headed to the first band of the day, Abe Vigoda. First sets of the day are difficult. Most of the festival goers are not there yet, the set times are short, and there is a definite ADD factor going on. Abe Vigoda is an LA band that have transformed from a noise rock band to a pretty decent synth rock band. They had a very short 30 minute set that, aside from some sound problems (which the small Gobi tent seemed to have all weekend long), was a nice way to start the festival.

You come to savor and enjoy the breaks you get during the day, and I had about an hour to kill so we went to the beer tent and relaxed a bit. I left everyone to go catch Other Lives, which sound like Radiohead meets Fleet Floxes. Again, aside from some horrific sound issues in the Gobi tent, they put on a nice show. It was a little too mellow for me, but their musicianship was wonderful.

Third set was for British 90s alt rock revivalists Yuck over at the Outdoor Theater. I had missed them through Atlanta and was really looking forward to seeing them. The weather took a turn for the worse and got cloudy, windy, and for the first time ever at Coachella it began to rain. Thankfully, the rain throughout the day and evening was merely drizzle and no outright storms. Yuck's set was a bit disappointing, the wind created sound issues, and the band just seemed listless.

At this point the weather became a huge issue as the wind picked up and it got colder and colder. Thankfully I had bought a hoodie and had a wind breaker that kept me relatively warm. If you were in the tents it was fine as the collective body warmth helped matters. But if you were at the Main Stage or the Outdoor Theater the wind and rain made things miserable. Kurt and I went to the Sahara tent and saw a DJ set from Feed Me. It was not as intense as his With Teeth tour, but he put on a great set.

My first must see of the festival was British buzz band WU LYF. They have a unique singer whose voice is a love it/hate it kind of thing. I happen to enjoy its melodramatic nature. The Gobi tent still suffered from sound issues, with the vocals being too low in the mix. The set was intense and striking and definitely makes me want to see what they do next.

I ventured over in the wind and rain to catch the legendary Pulp. Jarvis Cocker is a consummate showman and ripped through a tight hour long set, hitting all the high points, including tracks like "Disco 2000," "Sorted For Es and Whizz," and crowd favorite "Common People."

I checked out M83 in the Mojave tent which was the first Coachella mistake of the night, as M83 have blown up and needed to have a larger stage in order to accommodate their crowd. Luckily, I found a spot next to the sound board and didn't have deal much with the swelling crowd. The M83 set started out a little slow and drowsy, but as the set progressed, it picked up in intensity and ended on a rousing note of "Midnight City" and thrilling instrumental "Couleurs."



Reunited Swedish hardcore band Refused was next on the agenda. They sounded great and tore through a blistering set of hardcore classics.



By this point in the evening it was in the low 50s, windy, and rainy and my misery level was at its highest. Plus it was now midnight and I was exhausted. I was resolved to suffer through it so I could see favorite band The Horrors. Again, the Gobi tent had shitty sound and the band's vocals were too low in the mix. Also, the band uses lots of guitar effects on record and it doesn't translate very well live. It was an ok, yet not amazing set.

That ended Day One and we wearily headed home to get warm and dry.