Back from the Desert; Coachella 2009 JD Report (Friday)
Had a really good Friday starting with the discovery of Koffi in Palm Springs. Their malted mocha might be the best frozen coffee drink ever.
We got to the venue and through parking and security and getting our locker and getting merchandise pretty much exactly on time to see Airborne Toxic Event which up until then all Veronica and knew was their current single (Sometime Around Midnight). Left very impressed. They had a string section similar to some of the live performances they've been giving on the talk show circuit.
Wandered from there and walked by the small Gobi tent in time to catch about a song and a half from what turned out to be Los Campensinos! We were attracted by the energy of the crowd and were a more than a bit surprised that the small army of a band (7 members) was called Los Campensinos! as they were formed in Wales (though none are actually Welsh and one is even a Russian). Fun poppy stuff.
Zia Records was running the on-site record this year and we purchased the Airborne Toxic Event, Los Campensinos!, and Ida Maria albums as they were each $10 and they came with artist signing wristbands.
So Veronica went through and met the Airborne Toxic Event folks and apparently one guy is good looking to the point of the Almost Famous "Your looks have become an issue" level, there is a gaysian, and the female member was a bit of a bitch.
I ended up getting in line for the Los Campensios! signing and for whatever reasons turned out to be last on in line. They were extremely charming and as my wife points out, umm, yeah, it wasn't really why I got in line, it wasn't exactly like I was disappointed to spend a few minutes with the attractive English girls of the group.
From that point, we caught most of the Ting Tings sets which we really enjoyed and were impressed with the overfill level of attendance of the fans who had crowded and then some the largest of the tents: Sahara. They are also kind of unusual for playing that tent as they have real instruments with the male half playing drums and the female lead playing guitar.
Wandered in front of the tent that N.A.S.A playing and noted they seemed to be definitely remembering old school hip hop as well as tearing it up.
Got something to eat and listened to Leonard Cohen. The man can sing. We didn't stay completely to the end as we had to move on.
Morrissey and the Smiths are one Veronica's muscial heroes. Among the first concerts that I can remember going with her was to a Morrissey set. Veronica's comment when the set started: He's really starting to look his age. He put on a solid Morrissey show for the part I saw. I was kind of floored that he played Girlfriend in a Coma as he's stayed away from the Smith's stuff in previous performances. As the songs went on and it got closer to 9:00 (Moz started at 8:30), I was starting to get antsy. At about 5 till, I waited for the opening bars of the next song and when it wasn't Everyday is like Sunday, I signaled to Veronica that I was leaving.
I was headed to see Girl Talk. Say what you will about the lack of talent and that he's just stealing and whatever. I'm completely confidant in my choice as I and everyone in else in that tent had a fantastic fun time. According to his slogan, he's not a DJ but damn the skinny white kid knew how to throw a party. I never thought that for a festival a hip as Coachella is supposed to be that I'd be with thousands of folks singing the chorus to Belinda's Heaven on Earth or just loosing their minds when the teasing loop of Kelly Clarkson's Since You've Been Gone when from the tease loop to the actual chorus but there we were.
That let out in time for me to regroup a bit and find a spot for Paul McCartney's set. Started a bit slow but was an incredible performance of a ridiculous catalog.
As Veronica was more than I tired and had actually left about half way through the main set as she's not a Paul fan, we left after the main set. I could hear the first encore as we worked out way out the venue and started walking toward the car. Out in the parking lot I could make out Helter Skelter but hadn't realized that he had played Yesterday ahead of that until I read other reviews.
All in all a pretty fantastic day that even the almost three hour torture to exit the parking lot could completely sully. I mean we listened to two out of the three new albums we had purchased and still hadn't left the lot.
Koffi (www.kofficoffee.com)
