Coachella Music Festival 2006 Review
June Caldwell
May 07, 2006
Review by June Caldwell with additional reporting by Rodger Caldwell, Nga Luu and Tim Estrada
We sweated, we danced, we laughed, we cried! All the more poignant against a backdrop of rumors that this is the last year it will be in this, it?s flagship location, the Empire Polo Field in Coachella California once again became the annual magical, mystical Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival! Think Woodstock meets the Burning Man during the last weekend of April, with 90 bands and 60,000 fans.
And the Coachella memorable moment awards go to:
Most ?overhyped band we never thought could live up to the hype but did?: Wolfmother (Saturday) . The excitement in the tent was so palpable, you could cut it with a knife! Andrew Stockdale, the lead singer- guitarist is an old fashioned rock star evoking Steve Tyler of Aerosmith. Led Zeppelin meets Ozzy Osbourne meets Free meets something completely new from down under and the return of killer guitar and keyboard solos.
Alice in Wonderland award for ?giant superstar in grotesquely undersized tent with microscopic proportions compared to the crowd trying to squeeze in?: Madonna (Sunday). Doing the math, one realizes of course only maybe one-kazillionth of the fans that wanted to could see or hear any of her set!?fortunately nobody was hurt too bad, apparently nothing the beer garden across the field couldn?t heal. Or, in our case?a shot of pure joy from The Go! Team?
Most ?I finally get why people love them band?: The Go! Team (Sunday) whom we dragged ourselves to see, disgruntled and disheveled from our unsuccessful foray into the chosen circle of those who actually caught a glimpse of Madonna. Before I knew it we were dancing singing laughing caught up in the sheer glory of their joy. Now I understand what it?s like to be a manic-depressive without meds (and I?m sticking to the claim I couldn?t have understood that any other way!).
Most ?unifying hero?: Kanye West (Saturday). His set was the exact opposite of the Madonna debacle. He was on the big stage, the biggest star having the second most popular album of 2005 in the US. The crowd for him spread across the desert all with room to dance and a view of the huge screens. Kanye is energy, love, and defiance all rolled into one! Starting with a string quartet, he jammed through a whirlwind of his influences which spanned from Al Green?s ?Let?s Stay Together? to Aha?s ?Take On Me? showing us that sometimes hip-hop and rock are all really just music and we are all really just people as we sang and danced along at the top of our lungs as if our life depended on it! Somehow he was singing to and for all of us.
Most ?whoops! they did it again? country: Canada, for Wolf Parade (Sunday). Last year?s Canadians, Arcade Fire was the unexpected break-out act of Coachella; this year Canada?s native Wolf Parade marched away with that mantle. Wolf Parade?s underground buzz exploded in a set of tight eloquent lush keyboards and bouncing spiky guitars like Boston meets David Byrne meets Futureheads in a passion that was stopping people in their tracks walking by who were yanked into the tent by the sheer force of the music!
Most ?return of Kacy and the Sunshine Band meets Captain and Tennille complete with gold lame and their guitarists were killer too?: Scissor Sisters (Sunday). Fun and funny, looking like a schmaltzy Las Vegas act and kicking ass at the same time with sparkling unforgettable songs and brash searing guitars.
Most ?adorable epitome of a Coachella indie band stereotype?: Magic Numbers (Sunday). Never sweeter or more beautiful vocal harmonies or catchier songs than these! They are the down-to-earth indie epitome of the band you expect to see as you sit in a big field of grass with a desert breeze kicking in. They are so cute someone must make a set of plush toys based on each of them immediately! More assured since I saw them last year, they played a song from their upcoming album with an added kick of some full throttle rock, they now officially have it all.
Most ?Weezer with an Arkansas twang?: The New Amsterdams (Saturday). These guys were more nerdy looking than a high school chess club, yet laying down masterfully melodious, and searing power guitar licks plus they had the irresistible Arkansas twang that takes you out into a big field in the sun, er?actually come to think if it, that is where we were when we saw them at Coachella!? nonetheless, their sunny power pop had heart and soul to spare, a rarity in a genre generally overpopulated with formula clones.
Most ?uplifting moment?: when Matisyahu the Jewish rapper was imploring the Lord to "Lift me up!" (Sunday) His cross between reggae and rapping combined with his traditional Jewish garb and beard sound like the set up of a joke (?the Rabbi, the Rastafarian and the Rapper all walk into a bar??) but completely work for no reason that makes any sense to the logical mind, he just happens to rock the house and you just have to be there!
Most ?South Bay punk muscle overtones in a Brit pop band?: Nine Black Alps (Saturday). The UK band with the young Tim Robbins look-a-like lead singer starting out with the barroom brawl Brit sound of the Art Brut and Arctic Monkeys lineage, they seared into some testosterone blazing guitar and vocal harmonies that would be as at home at the Warped Tour as Coachella.
Most ?Detroit R&B from across the pond?: The Zutons (Saturday). From the UK, sweet harmonies with a rockin? rhythm section and skillful guitar. They dish up soulful sweet pop with a dash of metal guitar, a pinch of R&B horns getting folks dancing til they are dizzy in the desert heat.
Most ?Latin rhythms get the hips moving just when you think you will sit this day out!?: Los Amigos Invisibles (Sunday) Latin rockers from Venezuela, Los Amigos Invisibles, were clearly at home on the Main Stage. Their lively percussive rhythms & charismatic performances by lead singer, Julio Briceno, and guitarist, Jose Luis Pardo, woke up the crowd still a little sleepy from Day 1. They quickly got everyone within hearing distance dancing to the beats.
Most ?cheerfully still doing what they do, but we just can?t take them seriously?: Franz Ferdinand (Sunday). One of the biggest names of the festival: they sing, they dance, they have great stage dressing! Their updated eighties white dance music sound all but defined the last two years, and they have been given credit for kicking off the new Brit invasion. Somehow they are still happy fluff, like a sitcom that makes you laugh but you forget the next day.
Most ?creative freaks of the night?: Daft Punk (Saturday) boasted wicked beats with sweet rhythms and most exemplified the heart of Coachella, dance club in a tent.
Most ?spacey tripsters for the hipsters': Sigur Ros (Saturday). Sigur Ros were the soundtrack to a beautiful desert sunset as the temperature cooled and that gorgeous orange glow settled on everyone?s skin. They created a sonic atmosphere out of bowed guitars, surging strings, and wailing horns, bringing the night to life, like seal pups popping from the snow while just discovering how to keep warm while at play.
'Band with name most likely to be mispronounced': Stellastar (seriously, try saying it right the first time!) (Saturday). The steamy tent was packed with sweaty Stellastar fans. Just before sunset it was still plenty hot, but the festival seemed to be awakening from afternoon siesta. Flavors of punk pop rock and new wave are all nicely blended together into a danceable mix of rockin' melodies by this group that, in spite of being compared to everyone from U2, the Pixies and Talking Heads, really have a sound all their own.
Most ?contortions, gyrations, exhortations, & supplications in an effort to make us believe they really got sometin' there?: Depeche Mode (Saturday). With an elaborate spaceship stage setting, Depeche Mode started off their set with singles from their latest album, such as ?A Pain That I?m Used To? and ?Precious.? They sounded perfect in an effortless way, with an energetic Dave Gahan covering the entire stage and Martin Gore suited up in black feather wings and mohawked cap. Truly making Coachella a special event, the band performed the first song they?ve ever recorded, ?Photographic.? Classics like ?Personal Jesus? and ?Enjoy the Silence? evoked one monstrous sing along after the other.
Most ?exactly like their name?: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (Saturday). Sounding like the bastard child of David Byrne and Paul Banks, the lead singer of clap Your Hands Say Yeah dragged the audience up, down, left, right, and everywhere in between with his distinctive, wavering voice. Defying the scorching, unrelenting sun, the crowd danced along to CYHSY?s playful melodies as well as, you guessed it, clapping their hands.
Most ?exact opposite of it?s name?: the ?VIP section? (as usual) with walls of people waving their ?VIP wristbands? in the face of the guards demanding to be let into the VIP area gate like obnoxious lemmings... hoping to catch a glimpse of some of the band members ? whom of course all generally avoid that area like the plague! Most of the lemmings got their wristbands passed out at the DKNY corporate sponsored pool party or paid a few hundred extra bucks. The real VIP?s were the workers scrubbing and cleaning the outhouses throughout the day (a first in festival history).
Most ?perfect band to end the festival on a high note?: Art Brut (Sunday) I have never seen a fuller tent for the last band pulling away a good chunk of crowd from the headliner, Tool. As Art Brut hit the stage we were all immediately reminded of listening to your favorite band at the corner pub no matter how big the stage is, singing along with their anthem-like songs like our life depends on it, and wondering when they will go ahead and act on ??Considering a Move to LA!?
We sweated, we danced, we laughed, we cried! All the more poignant against a backdrop of rumors that this is the last year it will be in this, it?s flagship location, the Empire Polo Field in Coachella California once again became the annual magical, mystical Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival! Think Woodstock meets the Burning Man during the last weekend of April, with 90 bands and 60,000 fans.
And the Coachella memorable moment awards go to:
Most ?overhyped band we never thought could live up to the hype but did?: Wolfmother (Saturday) . The excitement in the tent was so palpable, you could cut it with a knife! Andrew Stockdale, the lead singer- guitarist is an old fashioned rock star evoking Steve Tyler of Aerosmith. Led Zeppelin meets Ozzy Osbourne meets Free meets something completely new from down under and the return of killer guitar and keyboard solos.
Alice in Wonderland award for ?giant superstar in grotesquely undersized tent with microscopic proportions compared to the crowd trying to squeeze in?: Madonna (Sunday). Doing the math, one realizes of course only maybe one-kazillionth of the fans that wanted to could see or hear any of her set!?fortunately nobody was hurt too bad, apparently nothing the beer garden across the field couldn?t heal. Or, in our case?a shot of pure joy from The Go! Team?
Most ?I finally get why people love them band?: The Go! Team (Sunday) whom we dragged ourselves to see, disgruntled and disheveled from our unsuccessful foray into the chosen circle of those who actually caught a glimpse of Madonna. Before I knew it we were dancing singing laughing caught up in the sheer glory of their joy. Now I understand what it?s like to be a manic-depressive without meds (and I?m sticking to the claim I couldn?t have understood that any other way!).
Most ?unifying hero?: Kanye West (Saturday). His set was the exact opposite of the Madonna debacle. He was on the big stage, the biggest star having the second most popular album of 2005 in the US. The crowd for him spread across the desert all with room to dance and a view of the huge screens. Kanye is energy, love, and defiance all rolled into one! Starting with a string quartet, he jammed through a whirlwind of his influences which spanned from Al Green?s ?Let?s Stay Together? to Aha?s ?Take On Me? showing us that sometimes hip-hop and rock are all really just music and we are all really just people as we sang and danced along at the top of our lungs as if our life depended on it! Somehow he was singing to and for all of us.
Most ?whoops! they did it again? country: Canada, for Wolf Parade (Sunday). Last year?s Canadians, Arcade Fire was the unexpected break-out act of Coachella; this year Canada?s native Wolf Parade marched away with that mantle. Wolf Parade?s underground buzz exploded in a set of tight eloquent lush keyboards and bouncing spiky guitars like Boston meets David Byrne meets Futureheads in a passion that was stopping people in their tracks walking by who were yanked into the tent by the sheer force of the music!
Most ?return of Kacy and the Sunshine Band meets Captain and Tennille complete with gold lame and their guitarists were killer too?: Scissor Sisters (Sunday). Fun and funny, looking like a schmaltzy Las Vegas act and kicking ass at the same time with sparkling unforgettable songs and brash searing guitars.
Most ?adorable epitome of a Coachella indie band stereotype?: Magic Numbers (Sunday). Never sweeter or more beautiful vocal harmonies or catchier songs than these! They are the down-to-earth indie epitome of the band you expect to see as you sit in a big field of grass with a desert breeze kicking in. They are so cute someone must make a set of plush toys based on each of them immediately! More assured since I saw them last year, they played a song from their upcoming album with an added kick of some full throttle rock, they now officially have it all.
Most ?Weezer with an Arkansas twang?: The New Amsterdams (Saturday). These guys were more nerdy looking than a high school chess club, yet laying down masterfully melodious, and searing power guitar licks plus they had the irresistible Arkansas twang that takes you out into a big field in the sun, er?actually come to think if it, that is where we were when we saw them at Coachella!? nonetheless, their sunny power pop had heart and soul to spare, a rarity in a genre generally overpopulated with formula clones.
Most ?uplifting moment?: when Matisyahu the Jewish rapper was imploring the Lord to "Lift me up!" (Sunday) His cross between reggae and rapping combined with his traditional Jewish garb and beard sound like the set up of a joke (?the Rabbi, the Rastafarian and the Rapper all walk into a bar??) but completely work for no reason that makes any sense to the logical mind, he just happens to rock the house and you just have to be there!
Most ?South Bay punk muscle overtones in a Brit pop band?: Nine Black Alps (Saturday). The UK band with the young Tim Robbins look-a-like lead singer starting out with the barroom brawl Brit sound of the Art Brut and Arctic Monkeys lineage, they seared into some testosterone blazing guitar and vocal harmonies that would be as at home at the Warped Tour as Coachella.
Most ?Detroit R&B from across the pond?: The Zutons (Saturday). From the UK, sweet harmonies with a rockin? rhythm section and skillful guitar. They dish up soulful sweet pop with a dash of metal guitar, a pinch of R&B horns getting folks dancing til they are dizzy in the desert heat.
Most ?Latin rhythms get the hips moving just when you think you will sit this day out!?: Los Amigos Invisibles (Sunday) Latin rockers from Venezuela, Los Amigos Invisibles, were clearly at home on the Main Stage. Their lively percussive rhythms & charismatic performances by lead singer, Julio Briceno, and guitarist, Jose Luis Pardo, woke up the crowd still a little sleepy from Day 1. They quickly got everyone within hearing distance dancing to the beats.
Most ?cheerfully still doing what they do, but we just can?t take them seriously?: Franz Ferdinand (Sunday). One of the biggest names of the festival: they sing, they dance, they have great stage dressing! Their updated eighties white dance music sound all but defined the last two years, and they have been given credit for kicking off the new Brit invasion. Somehow they are still happy fluff, like a sitcom that makes you laugh but you forget the next day.
Most ?creative freaks of the night?: Daft Punk (Saturday) boasted wicked beats with sweet rhythms and most exemplified the heart of Coachella, dance club in a tent.
Most ?spacey tripsters for the hipsters': Sigur Ros (Saturday). Sigur Ros were the soundtrack to a beautiful desert sunset as the temperature cooled and that gorgeous orange glow settled on everyone?s skin. They created a sonic atmosphere out of bowed guitars, surging strings, and wailing horns, bringing the night to life, like seal pups popping from the snow while just discovering how to keep warm while at play.
'Band with name most likely to be mispronounced': Stellastar (seriously, try saying it right the first time!) (Saturday). The steamy tent was packed with sweaty Stellastar fans. Just before sunset it was still plenty hot, but the festival seemed to be awakening from afternoon siesta. Flavors of punk pop rock and new wave are all nicely blended together into a danceable mix of rockin' melodies by this group that, in spite of being compared to everyone from U2, the Pixies and Talking Heads, really have a sound all their own.
Most ?contortions, gyrations, exhortations, & supplications in an effort to make us believe they really got sometin' there?: Depeche Mode (Saturday). With an elaborate spaceship stage setting, Depeche Mode started off their set with singles from their latest album, such as ?A Pain That I?m Used To? and ?Precious.? They sounded perfect in an effortless way, with an energetic Dave Gahan covering the entire stage and Martin Gore suited up in black feather wings and mohawked cap. Truly making Coachella a special event, the band performed the first song they?ve ever recorded, ?Photographic.? Classics like ?Personal Jesus? and ?Enjoy the Silence? evoked one monstrous sing along after the other.
Most ?exactly like their name?: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (Saturday). Sounding like the bastard child of David Byrne and Paul Banks, the lead singer of clap Your Hands Say Yeah dragged the audience up, down, left, right, and everywhere in between with his distinctive, wavering voice. Defying the scorching, unrelenting sun, the crowd danced along to CYHSY?s playful melodies as well as, you guessed it, clapping their hands.
Most ?exact opposite of it?s name?: the ?VIP section? (as usual) with walls of people waving their ?VIP wristbands? in the face of the guards demanding to be let into the VIP area gate like obnoxious lemmings... hoping to catch a glimpse of some of the band members ? whom of course all generally avoid that area like the plague! Most of the lemmings got their wristbands passed out at the DKNY corporate sponsored pool party or paid a few hundred extra bucks. The real VIP?s were the workers scrubbing and cleaning the outhouses throughout the day (a first in festival history).
Most ?perfect band to end the festival on a high note?: Art Brut (Sunday) I have never seen a fuller tent for the last band pulling away a good chunk of crowd from the headliner, Tool. As Art Brut hit the stage we were all immediately reminded of listening to your favorite band at the corner pub no matter how big the stage is, singing along with their anthem-like songs like our life depends on it, and wondering when they will go ahead and act on ??Considering a Move to LA!?
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