Coachella Day 1: Crystal Castles, Cut Copy, Sleigh Bells, Interpol, Cage The Elephant, Marina & the Diamonds, and a Killers reunion
Timing is everything here at Coachella, and on the first day, we sometimes had it and sometimes did not. We had it when Alice Glass leaped over our Phoenix/WFNX photographer during CRYSTAL CASTLES' monster performance of "Baptism" (video of that in a bit) and we didn't have it when we missed the Killers unannounced reunion during an encore of Brandon Flowers' set. Though we did catch the last 30 seconds of closer "Mr. Brightside" thanks to the massive screens at the Outdoor Theatre stage, we missed most of it while being captivated by CUT COPY in the Mojave tent. Watching a bunch of drugged-out hippie white kids rave out to "Lights & Music" was damn-near inspiring, but watching those same kids jerk and rock their body all fucked up like during Sleigh Bells boom-boom show earlier on was just plain awkward. Again, timing be everything.
(Crystal Castles and Cut Copy photos shot for the Boston Phoenix and WFNX by Janice Checchio.)
We were kinda bummed that Marina & the Diamonds didn't get much love in the Gobi tent ("It looks like the fucking Mid East upstairs," noted a friend about the fairly disinterested crowd), and wished Kings of Leon would just quit while they were ahead. They proved too much of a late-night hurdle to stick around for the Chemical Brothers day-one finale.
Back at the WFNX Sapporo House, Interpol, Cage The Elephant, the Delta Spirit, and Sleigh Bells came by to check out the pool, answer our irritating questions, and just shoot the shit. Today we hope to get Foals, Freelance Whales (who are currently 15 minutes late), Mumford & Sons, the Joy Formidable, and Black Joe Lewis over to our resort party house/radio base just outside the Coachella fairgrounds.
After we bang those out, FNX Program Director Paul Driscoll and I are going to chat with Arcade Fire at their hotel, then hit the Empire Polo Club to catch up with Suede. Excellent day ahead.
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