Independent Publishing - COACHELLA 2009! ROCKIN’

Known primarily as the movie guy, let it also be known that I’m an avid fan of music. Perhaps I’m not the cornucopia of infinite music knowledge that Kyle England is, but I still love me some tunes. I even ran a CD store here in sunny St. George for several years. I’ve been out of the loop since closing my music shop three years ago, so Coachella 2009 promised to be just as much about discovery as anything else.

For those not familiar, Coachella is the premiere rock festival in the United States. It sits right alongside Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, and Sasquatch as one of the most anticipated musical showcases amongst music fans.

The festival takes place annually at the Indio Polo Fields right outside of Palm Springs, CA. Each April, thousands of music fans descend on the fields to catch their favorite artists in action. The smoldering heat and enormous crowds make for a daunting grind, but it’s always worth it. So worth it in fact, that Kyle and I have been attending for seven years.

So how was Coachella 2009? In a nutshell, the weekend belonged to the veterans. Here's a look at the highlights:

TOP FIVE BEST ACTS AT COACHELLA 2009!

PAUL MCCARTNEY
I’m...speechless. Words can’t possibly describe what I felt as I watched this living legend perform. Seeing and hearing a Beatle live was a dream come true for me. In fact, had McCartney not been on the roster, I probably would have skipped out on Coachella this year. Not that there weren’t other artists on the bill that I wanted to see, but this living legend was certainly the big draw for me. I’m happy to report that Sir Paul McCartney surpassed my wildest dreams. This joyful, 67-year-old veteran rocker ripped through an epic thirty-four-song set list that consisted of classic Beatles tunes, memorable Wings songs, and an unforgettable Jimi Hendrix cover. Highlights included Eleanor Rigby, A Day in the Life, and Live and Let Die (which, fittingly, was accompanied by a brilliant display of awe-inspiring pyrotechnics). Through the course of the evening, this icon also found time to pay heartfelt tributes to John Lennon, George Harrison, and Linda McCartney. What else can I say? Paul rocked it like a musician half his age, and vocally, he’s still got it. Every note was right on target, and his falsetto is as effective as ever. On a side note, props to McCartney’s stellar back-up band. There were many terrific acts at Coachella this year, but the weekend belonged to Paul McCartney.

LEONARD COHEN
If Paul McCartney brought the joy to Coachella this year, than it was certainly legendary singer/songwriter Leonard Cohen who brought the class. While this iconic crooner hardly seems a perfect fit for Coachella, you never would have guessed it by the reaction he got from the respectful crowd. Cohen received a bigger response than Rage Against the Machine did two years ago–an even larger accomplishment considering the 74-year-old icon was given a slot on the outdoor stage instead of the main stage. From the moment Cohen began performing, he commanded the crowd with his distinct lower register vocals. He performed a variety of winning tunes, including I’m Your Man and Everbody Knows, but it was the haunting Hallelujah that proved to be the real show-stopper. And what a class-act this guy is. Every time one of his band members would break into a solo, Cohen would remove his hat as a sign of respect. If that weren’t classy enough, Cohen repeatedly referred to the cheering crowd as his “friends.” This was a truly unforgettable set. I can only assume that this is what it must have been like seeing Frank Sinatra live. Only Cohen is—dare I say it—cooler. Leonard Cohen and Paul McCartney in the same night! Are you kidding me? Day One was worth the price of admission alone.

PAUL WELLER
The veterans show continued on Sunday with a fierce, high-energy set by The Jam front-man Paul Weller. As Weller hit the stage, our group was more entertained by Kyle than the rocker we were actually there to see. Our fearless music guru could barely contain himself. Seriously, I thought he might spontaneously combust. You see, Kyle has an undeniable passion for Paul Weller, and finally getting to see this legend live was as big a deal to him as seeing Paul McCartney was for me. Five minutes in, I totally understood why. Weller took control of the stage with absolute ferocity. And wouldn’t you know it? The only real surprise of Coachella 2009 came during his unforgettable set. As Weller prepared to launch into a memorable rendition of The Jam’s Town Called Malice, out popped Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr. Unbelievable! It was simply a once-in-a-lifetime moment. Even more unbelievable? The fact that Marr and Morrissey played the same festival. True, the estranged band-mates performed two days apart, but it was as close to a Smiths reunion as you’re ever going to get. After being completely disappointed by Morrissey earlier on in the weekend, it was clear to me that Marr had the upper hand at this particular festival. In the end, though, this set was really about Paul Weller. What a performer! Truth be told, I could have watched this guy for another three hours. Unfortunately, we had to settle for one. Such is life in the festival scene.

PUBLIC ENEMY
Interestingly enough, my plan was to watch Public Enemy for ten minutes. Then, I thought, maybe I’d straggle off and see a band I wasn’t familiar with. I should have known better. Once Public Enemy took the stage, it was virtually impossible to leave. It had nothing to do with the massive crowd surrounding us. It had everything to do with the showmanship exhibited by one of the most legendary hip-hop acts of all time. Flava Flav’s rapping career was thought to be over after his VH1 antics, but put him up onstage with Chuck D, and he’s still got it. In fact, he has it now more than ever. His 50 years of age didn’t keep him from repeatedly stage diving, nor did it keep him from climbing the stage scaffolding. While Chuck D certainly appeared a little less limber than his zany comrade, he still brought the energy to the mic. As a special treat to the fans for sticking it out with Public Enemy through their 22-year history, this iconic hip hop act decided to play “It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back” from start to finish. Public Enemy appeared to relish the notion that this seminal hip-hop record was released before many of the Coachella attendees were even born. Chuck D even playfully suggested that none of the crowd had been born when Paul McCartney started making records. In the end, Public Enemy nailed the gig, and for a fleeting 70 minutes, it felt like 1987 all over again. Like I said, it was the wily veterans who owned Coachella 2009.

JENNY LEWIS
The gorgeous Jenny Lewis has come a long way since starring alongside Fred Savage in The Wizard. Since then, she’s gone on to front Rilo Kiley, worked wonders with The Watson Twins, and established herself as a truly gifted songstress. Dressed in a classy white suit, Lewis playfully made mention of all the skimpily dressed women in the crowd, then proceeded to tear them down with an amazing rendition of Carpetbagger. Not many singers could have gotten away with such a comment, but coming from the lips of Jenny Lewis, it came across as endearing rather than insulting. Much of Lewis’ set consisted of tunes from 2008's Acid Tongue, and her strongest moment came in the form of an acoustic version of Silver Lining. I’ve seen Jenny Lewis perform a handful of times, and she never disappoints. She can be a powerhouse vocalist, but she also knows how to strip it down. A solid set from a performer who’s sure to be around for years to come.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

BAND OF HORSES, THE HOLD STEADY, FLEET FOXES, CALEXICO, SUPERCHUNK, M. WARD, MASTODON, DRIVE -BY TRUCKERS, AMANDA PALMER, T.V. ON THE RADIO, THE BLACK KEYS, and BOB MOULD BAND

BREAK-OUT PERFORMANCE

LYKKI LI

Swedish indie-popster Lykki Li dazzled the crowd with her spunky attitude and smooth moves. With an eccentric vibe that recalls Icelandic icon Bjork, Lykki Li benefits from her high-energy showmanship and up-tempo tunes. In my humble opinion, this up-and-coming dance queen upstaged the more popular M.I.A.

THE ACT I'M BUMMED I MISSED

GHOSTLAND OBSERVATORY

I saw these guys play at Vegoose a couple of years ago, and they were absolutely amazing. Unfortunately, timing didn't permit me to see them at Coachella. They played the same time as Leonard Cohen. Bummer!

BAND MOST UNDESERVING OF THEIR HEADLINING SLOT

THE KILLERS
Listen, I’m a fan of The Killers, but after their all-too-brief 75-minute set, I couldn’t help but think there would be another act to follow. Alas, there was no other act. The Coachella message boards had swirled with rumors that the festival’s headliner-light Saturday night would see a special guest. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. Again, The Killers are a decent live band, but with only three albums under their belt, they seemed a wholly inappropriate headlining act. Particularly when stacked up against legends like Paul McCartney and The Cure.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT

MORRISSEY
As was the case with Paul McCartney, Morrissey is another one of those performers I’ve been dying to see through the years. After his diva-inspired antics at Coachella, I don’t care if I ever see him again. Morrissey complained more than he performed. First, there were issues with the sound, and then there was his constant complaining about the smell of animal flesh coming from the food vendor tents. For the first five minutes or so, I was fine with Morrissey’s bitching. It’s a Morrissey show, and I’m told such behavior comes with the territory. But as the diva attitude continued, this famed musician wore out his welcome rather quickly. Not once did I feel any sort of connection between Morrissey and the crowd. A shame, too, because vocally, he remains a master. Props to his back-up band for continuing to soldier on even when Morrissey would disappear back stage. I wish I could say that Morrissey lived up to my hefty expectations. Sadly, he didn’t even come close.