Coachella Index: Year 2 (or, I Didn't Do My Homework But I Can Still Follow Along With the Class)
My new favorite band: The Teddybears. Trust me, you have not lived until you have seen Swedes in three-piece suits and giant bear heads playing guitars. (Said defenestr8r:"Well, that was unexpected!")
Trend alert: Bands with "Wolf" in their names are out. Bands with "Bear" in their names are in.
Biggest disappointment: tied between The Decemberists and Sonic Youth
Best show of the festival, and possibly ever: Gogol Bordello
Number of bands with accordions: 3
Number of bands who whistled: 3
Number of hiphop bands with a tuba: 1
Oldest people at the event: We were close. This year felt really young. But then again, there was the mass exodus of people who were clearly over 30 after Rage played "Bombtrack." That made me feel slightly better.
Best thing to blame logistical problems on: Rage Against the Machine fans
Most popular t-shirt: Well, discounting Rage shirts, Led Zepplin, which I thought was weird.
Biggest mystery: Why is the ghost of Joey Ramone DJing instead of Daniel Ash?
Most popular genre: What's a genre?
The new black: inane lyrics (yeah yeah yeah, la la la, whoo whoo whoo, etc)
Most popular band activity: commenting on how much hotter it is here than in the UK
Best quote of the weekend, from fightingwords: "Worried your girlfriend can't see the show? Try dating taller girls." This was followed by the throwing of bottlecaps at girls on their boyfriends' shoulders who were blocking the view. Rock.
Best comment from the audience, during Arctic Monkeys (recall that they're Scottish): "What the fuck are they saying?"
Length of time my excitement at seeing the Red Hot Chili Peppers lasted: 90 seconds
Best team effort: subsequently running away in terror from the Red Hot Chili Peppers
Sentence I never want to utter again in my lifetime: "I think it's time for Willie Nelson."
Weirdest musical transitions: Explosions in the Sky --> The Roots --> Willie Nelson
Biggest increase in age of performers from one show to the next: Arctic Monkeys --> The Jesus and Mary Chain
Band that seemed the most freaked out by being there (but in a cute way): Silversun Pickups
Worst facial hair: Anthony Kiedis
Second worst facial hair: Interpol
Best dressed band: The Arcade Fire
Hottest band: Placebo, duh
Funniest moment: The people in the truck next to us who decided to kill time while stuck in traffic by having sex. In broad daylight. So we of course had to point this out to everyone on the road. And take pictures.
Best musical moment: The Roots covering Bob Dylan (and did I mention the tuba?)
Best non-musical moment: champagne + hot tub
Number of bands I saw: 33
Number of bands that sucked: 7 (up from last year, but still not bad)
Most missed person at Coachella: bodyfour
Women who rock: kampachi, defenestr8r, fightingwords
Trend alert: Bands with "Wolf" in their names are out. Bands with "Bear" in their names are in.
Biggest disappointment: tied between The Decemberists and Sonic Youth
Best show of the festival, and possibly ever: Gogol Bordello
Number of bands with accordions: 3
Number of bands who whistled: 3
Number of hiphop bands with a tuba: 1
Oldest people at the event: We were close. This year felt really young. But then again, there was the mass exodus of people who were clearly over 30 after Rage played "Bombtrack." That made me feel slightly better.
Best thing to blame logistical problems on: Rage Against the Machine fans
Most popular t-shirt: Well, discounting Rage shirts, Led Zepplin, which I thought was weird.
Biggest mystery: Why is the ghost of Joey Ramone DJing instead of Daniel Ash?
Most popular genre: What's a genre?
The new black: inane lyrics (yeah yeah yeah, la la la, whoo whoo whoo, etc)
Most popular band activity: commenting on how much hotter it is here than in the UK
Best quote of the weekend, from fightingwords: "Worried your girlfriend can't see the show? Try dating taller girls." This was followed by the throwing of bottlecaps at girls on their boyfriends' shoulders who were blocking the view. Rock.
Best comment from the audience, during Arctic Monkeys (recall that they're Scottish): "What the fuck are they saying?"
Length of time my excitement at seeing the Red Hot Chili Peppers lasted: 90 seconds
Best team effort: subsequently running away in terror from the Red Hot Chili Peppers
Sentence I never want to utter again in my lifetime: "I think it's time for Willie Nelson."
Weirdest musical transitions: Explosions in the Sky --> The Roots --> Willie Nelson
Biggest increase in age of performers from one show to the next: Arctic Monkeys --> The Jesus and Mary Chain
Band that seemed the most freaked out by being there (but in a cute way): Silversun Pickups
Worst facial hair: Anthony Kiedis
Second worst facial hair: Interpol
Best dressed band: The Arcade Fire
Hottest band: Placebo, duh
Funniest moment: The people in the truck next to us who decided to kill time while stuck in traffic by having sex. In broad daylight. So we of course had to point this out to everyone on the road. And take pictures.
Best musical moment: The Roots covering Bob Dylan (and did I mention the tuba?)
Best non-musical moment: champagne + hot tub
Number of bands I saw: 33
Number of bands that sucked: 7 (up from last year, but still not bad)
Most missed person at Coachella: bodyfour
Women who rock: kampachi, defenestr8r, fightingwords