When I got there, though, I realized that, for many, Coachella is just another California party. Whereas I was going to surround myself with music and people who loved music, like I have done repeatedly at Bonnaroo for the past six years, many here were at Coachella, to, well, be at Coachella. There’s certainly nothing wrong with going somewhere for the sake of going somewhere, plus the added bonus of catching sets of music, but the Coachella experience definitely wasn’t all my pubescent dreams had longed for. I expected massive crowds of cultish fans going nuts for reformed acts like At the Drive-in, Refused, and Mazzy Star. I expected Radiohead heads to overtake the polo field and post up all day at the main-stage waiting for their beloved gods of rock to grace their eyes and ears. Maybe I was hoping for something that really doesn’t exist anywhere but in my head. Maybe I’m outgrowing the magic of festivals. Or maybe there simply were too many young, neon-clad partiers and not enough music-worshippers.

Photo by Ted Maider

For whatever reason, the music never felt as powerful as I would have expected it to, because, when it comes right down to it, for many sets, I felt alone in my excitement. I may be out of line here, but something about Coachella did not sit well with me. The music was great, the setting was phenomenal, I just wish my dreams weren’t so far from the reality. But I guess that’s the reality of high expectations, they can never be met.

I’ll never forget the unique experience of actually keeping an eye out for the Radiohead fanatics, and actually being able to get close for Jeff Mangum right before he started. In many ways, it kept the performances I wanted to see intimate, but in others, I wish I had a community to look on with. Because nobody goes to a festival just to see music, and sadly, for many here, that seemed to be only one of the fringe perks. Maybe Bonnaroo is my perfect festival after all.

Anyhow, here’s what we all saw.

-Drew Litowitz
Senior Staff Writer

Friday, April 13th

Photo by Ted Maider

Abe Vigoda – Gobi – 12:00 p.m.

Abe Vigoda’s tropical goth-rock was a perfect way to ease into the weekend’s festivities. Playing their subtle blend of dream pop, new wave, and doom-goth–a vaguely sunny take on Disintegration era Cure–the California natives sounded pretty good in front of the Gobi stage’s palm tree-lined backdrop. Crush’s “Repeating Angel” was a skittering, tribal romp basking in the desert sun, as Juan Velasquez’s low howl skittered atop the murky synth. -Drew Litowitz

Wolf Gang – Gobi – 1:00 p.m.

With a name like Wolf Gang, I decided to judge a band by its title and check these bros out. After all, I have been known to like a few indie groups with references to animals in their names (oftentimes wolves in particular). But instead of the strange Odd Future/Wolf Parade amalgamation stemming from the deepest, most twisted associative regions of my brain, the roles of Spencer Krug and Tyler, The Creator were swapped out for the sort of standard British pop-singing and songwriting you rarely see performed outside of rom-coms starring Hugh Grant as a washed-up former pop singer. Dude even wore a thin black scarf and a matching vest! In other words, this was not my cup of hot beverage. -Drew Litowitz

Other Lives – Gobi – 2:05 p.m.

Other Lives was one of the most pleasant surprises of the festival weekend. Their show was sort of like what would happen if Talk Talk was part of the Canterbury Folk scene, and Thom Yorke gave Mark Hollis a few singing lessons. (To be clear, frontman Jesse Tabish sounded nothing like Mark Hollis, but for the sake of my stupid comparison to Talk Talk’s instrumentation, let’s just say Mark Hollis started singing like a folkier Thom Yorke mixed with Bowerbirds’ Phil Moore and it ended up sounding like this). And since Other Lives opened for Radiohead on the first leg of their North American tour, Yorke may in fact have given the guy singing lessons. Aside from Tabish’s vocals, though, dissonant strings, brass swells, churning acoustic guitar, and heavy piano made for a set filled with fluttering, grandiose “post-folk” explosions. Subtle, elegant, and ultimately, unhinged. -Drew Litowitz

Kendrick Lamar – Coachella – 2:40 p.m. 

Photo by Ted Maider

It’s hard enough to win over a crowd of anxious festival goers, and even harder when it’s raining and said festival goers have just endured hours of ridiculously long lines, parking, and a seemingly endless series of security checkpoints. But Kendrick Lamar made it look easy, drawing the first real crowd of the afternoon with his sharp flow and huge stage presence. Kicking off with a couple of verses from “Buried Alive”, his feature on Drake’s Take Care, Lamar managed to keep the audience engaged even as he stuck almost exclusively to tracks off of his forthcoming Dre-approved LP, before ending with “Rigamortis” and “Hiiipower”, two highlights off of last year’s Section.80. -Möhammad Choudhery

Jimmy Cliff and Tim Armstrong – Coachella – 5:10 p.m.

Photo by Ted Maider

One of Jimmy Cliff’s most renown songs is a cover of Johnny Nash’s “I Can See Clearly Now”, a classic that digresses on rain clouds clearing and people’s situations improving for the best. Given Friday’s downpour, it felt like the wrong moment for a reggae star to sing such a track. Still, it didn’t matter though. If anybody could make people smile, it was Cliff, accompanied by punk legend Tim Armstrong, as they played a handful of reggae jams to try and brighten up the crowd. Cliff was lively on stage, while he danced charismatically and belted out tracks like “Vietnam” and Armstrong’s “Ruby Soho”, which had everyone dancing and looking past the rain. Shortly after his set ended, however, the clouds parted and Coachella returned to its normal state. Something tells me Cliff was behind the weather all along. -Ted Maider

Death Grips – Gobi – 5:45 p.m.

Minutes before the rest of Death Grips took the stage, Zach Hill’s drum soundcheck proved more than enough to inspire the first mosh pit of their set. And once they actually got to playing, it was clear that it’d hardly be the last. Frontman Stefan Burnett cut a downright terrifying figure onstage as he bellowed his way through “Beware” and “Spread Eagle Cross the Block”, both off the group’s first mixtape, the latter of which finds Burnett beasting over Link Wray’s surf-rock classic “Rumble”. New tracks “Lost Boys” and “I’ve Seen Footage” were met with raucous circle-pitting, as was the menacing “Guillotine”, which saw the audience attempt to shout along with Burnett’s half-intelligible shouts. In a way unlike any other act in recent memory, Death Grips fuses the blunt candor of hardcore punk with ferocious, low-slung hip-hop stylings that somehow caught the ear of Epic Records. To their credit, this marriage of ideologies works both on record and on-stage. -Möhammad Choudhery

Arctic Monkeys – Coachella – 6:30 p.m.

The last time they played Coachella, back in 2007, the Arctic Monkeys had just released their second album and were still being dismissed by many as just another NME-championed guitar boyband soon to go the way of the Fratellis, the Libertines, etc. Five years and two very solid albums later, they made their triumphant return to Coachella’s Main Stage, blasting through a greatest hits set that touched on all the best points of their catalog. Alex Turner has developed into one of the finest frontmen around in the years since then, cracking jokes in his dry Sheffield accent and leading his band through hits old and new with all the cocksure swagger and strut of a bonafide rockstar. Fan favorites “Still Take You Home” and “Pretty Visitors” were delivered with blistering precision, as was “R U Mine?”, one of two new songs the band played, whose thunderous groove nods heavily to tourmates and new chums the Black Keys. -Möhammad Choudhery

WU LYF – Gobi – 7:00 p.m.

The lead-up to WU LYF’s evening set was one of the most ridiculous of the weekend. Coachella’s few, proud young-alts packed themselves nicely into the Gobi tent to literally worship the vaguely enigmatic Manchester quartet. I mean, people were chanting “WU LYF” and shouting out “I’ll love you forever!” for a good ten minutes before the guys even came out to play. I really had no idea people were this apeshit over WU LYF up until this point. Shows how much I know. Throughout a set of bombastic, post-rocky pop, self-described by the group as “Heavy Pop”, I was awed by how gravely Ellery Roberts” voice actually was, especially in the live setting. Dude makes Tom Waits sound like Michael Jackson with minor laryngitis. His onstage banter was almost incomprehensible, too, since he even talks like he just swallowed a whole bucket of glass shards. “LYF” and “Heavy Pop” went over great, but the true highlight was probably when Roberts alluded to Kanye West’s “So Appalled” chanting “It’s like that sometimes man ridiculous” for seemingly no reason. Fine by me. After all, “We Bros”. And if we weren’t prior, we certainly are now. -Drew Litowitz

Pulp – Coachella – 7:50 p.m.

Pulp’s Coachella set was hilarious, fun, and exciting. No surprises there. But the relatively small crowd was a tad unsettling. It’s not like this was one of the first of the few U.S. performances this fairly popular band has played in nearly a decade, or anything. ANYHOW, before the band even entered, for a good ten minutes, Pulp’s deliberately overwrought “scrolling questions” introduction set the scene for a lighthearted, nostalgic jaunt through the band’s discography. Featuring green scrolling text operated by a seemingly arrogant, apologetic, insecure, and self-conscious, charmingly British computer, the ten-minute introduction certainly kept the crowd restless, with a seemingly never-ending string of ridiculous questions and commentary. But when Cocker and co. finally emerged, fans were promptly served a plate of the classic arty Brit-pop they anticipated.

With his captivating brand of British wit and his overtly sexual demeanor, Cocker played the role of sex-crazed ringmaster, momentarily turning Coachella’s main stage into Cirque du Pulp. Cocker even offered up grapes (yes, the man was eating grapes on stage) to the crowd, breaking down whatever fourth wall there could have been in a set during which the guy basically talked us through his sexual existence from beginning to present, from hiding in a wardrobe watching two people get it on, to eventually “Doing it for [himself] and entering the adult world,” (“Do You Remember the First Time?”). He even apologized for the band’s slightly slim set with a well-timed innuendo, “I’m usually great with timing, just ask my girlfriend.”

As for the particulars, obviously, “Disco 2000″ and “F.E.E.L.I.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E” hit pretty hard, and “Common People” was exactly the sort of “penetration” Cocker told us it would be. “I know we’ve only just gotten to know each other, and I’m sorry, but now I’m going to have to penetrate you,” he warned. Soon enough, Cocker’s ice cold “Ahs” and sensual whispers climaxed into the song’s yelped appeal for low-class monotony. As promised, we were all fucked. -Drew Litowitz

Frank Ocean – Gobi – 8:15 p.m.

Photo by Ted Maider

Mystery surrounded Frank Ocean’s debut solo performance at Coachella: Was he going to play tracks off his mixtape, last year’s Nostalgia, Ultra? How many songs could he actually do live? Were other members of Odd Future going to show up?  All of these questions were answered in a very awkward set on Friday. Frank Ocean’s band strolled out in welding masks about 15 minutes late and tipped off the set with a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Long Time Gone”. Throughout, Ocean kept cutting off his band, and it appeared as if nobody on stage really had an idea of what was going on. In hindsight, the only things that saved the show were Ocean’s fantastic vocals, which plucked all the right heartstrings when they were on, and a surprise appearance by Tyler, the Creator for “Analog 2”. -Ted Maider

The Rapture – Mojave – 8:45 p.m.

Still fresh off the release of last year’s In the Grace of Your Love, New York City natives The Rapture turned in a typically strong performance Friday night, with their blend of ’70s-era disco and spiked dance-punk making for one of the most assuredly crowd-friendly performances of the evening. Frontman/guitarist Luke Jenner was in top form, showcasing his pipes on the sax-infused “How Deep is Your Love”, in between digging into the band’s catalog for “Whoo! Alright, Yeah! Uh Huh.” and the obvious crowd favorite “House of Jealous Lovers”. -Möhammad Choudhery

Mazzy Star – Outdoor – 8:50 p.m.

It makes sense for a band that’s been defunct for about a decade to be a little rusty, but I also expect that same band to rehearse some of the corrosion away before returning to the stage of a major U.S. festical. Unfortunately, Mazzy Star’s Friday night set was a rickety, psychedelic mess. “She sings off key the whole time,” said one guy I talked to afterward. I personally found the band hopelessly in search for a psychedelic looseness, so much so that there wasn’t much for the audience to latch onto. The percussion was slightly out of time, the slide guitars squealed and bent aimlessly, Hope Sendoval’s voice wasn’t really even all that powerful or haunting. Sure, “Fade into You” peaked the crowd’s interest, and to be fair, the song’s sliding guitar melody aligned perfectly with its gorgeous chorus. But for such a draw as a reunited Mazzy Star, the set’s weaknesses were jarring. Certainly one of the weekend’s most disappointing sets. -Drew Litowitz

M83 – Mojave – 10:15 p.m.

Even the Black Keys and Explosions in the Sky couldn’t keep one of the largest crowds of the weekend from packing into the Mojave tent for M83 just after ten on Friday night. Anticipation built as the lights flickered off and on and the band’s soundcheck went 20 minutes over schedule. Hardly a soul left before Anthony Gonzalez finally took the stage, who was followed closely by bandmates Pierre Maulni and Morgan Kibby, and the collective wasted no time breaking into “Intro”, the gorgeous Zola Jesus-featuring first track off of last year’s Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming. M83′s set mostly consisted of tracks off that album, with the group’s ubiquitous hit “Midnight City” making for one of the most unforgettable moments all weekend. Though fan favorite “Kim & Jessie” was conspicuously absent from their setlist, M83 more than made up for it with killer renditions of “Couleurs” and Daft Punk’s “Fall”. -Möhammad Choudhery

Refused – Outdoor – 11:20 p.m.

Photo by Frazer Harrison // Getty Images

When all is said and done, Refused was one of Coachella’s defining moments. I’ll go out on a limb and say that, barring the almighty Radiohead and the absolute absurdity that was Dre and Snoop’s set, Refused’s late-night Friday set was the true highlight of the entire event. That’s saying a lot for a guy who a) is not all that crazy about punk to begin with (even post-modern punk) and b) is not too familiar with Refused’s recorded output, outside of listening to The Shape of Punk to Come a few times. The band was so intense and involved, they felt as vital as they must have been back when they were consistently touring. These highly complex, thoughtful songs were executed with a more than healthy dose of intensity, really exuding the sort of self-aware, agnostic vigor that made them popular to begin with. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that the band had always wanted to do The Shape of Punk to Come justice in concert because they never had a lot of time to promote it.

Frontman Dennis Lyxzén proved to be Cedric Bixler-Zavala’s true godfather, throwing his mic stand to the sky and catching it mid-air without giving his lungs any rest. Lyxzén even appeared to experience an on-stage epiphany, relentlessly appreciative of the crowd that came to watch a “group of Swedish dudes yell” and play songs over a decade old. “Stay curious,” he preached, “and don’t let boredom get you.” He was honestly, and overtly, thankful that Goldenvoice persuaded Refused to join the party in the desert. It was refreshing to see a band so consumed by their own songs. I couldn’t get “We want the airwaves back!” out of my head for the remainder of the festival. -Drew Litowitz

Saturday, April 14th

Photo by Ted Maider

Destroyer – Outdoor – 2:30 p.m.

I’d be hard-pressed to find a less enthusiastic frontman than Dan Bejar. It’s as if the dude is unwillingly being sent on an early morning Sunday school field trip with the lamest kids in his class. He’s almost never looking at the crowd. He sings like he just downed a pint of NyQuil, but then realized he had a show to do. That being said, somehow it’s not a total bore to watch Destroyer. This lackadaisical performing style actually suits Bejar’s ambivalent songs of artistic isolation. It’d be nice to see some enthusiasm, though, to feel like Bejar actually wants to be there, but I guess we just have to make do with the distance. Opening with “Rubies” got the crowd pretty excited, and a slow-burning “Bay of Pigs” closed out a set that was as dazed out as its removed frontman. -Drew Litowitz

Azealia Banks – Gobi – 2:50 p.m.

As one of the most buzzed-about acts of 2012, 20-year-old Harlem rapper Azealia Banks certainly had a lot riding on her early afternoon Coachella set. And though initial technical difficulties and a very early end (perhaps due to her lack of material; her debut EP was just delayed this week, in fact), Banks turned in what was arguably the breakout performance of the weekend, displaying a remarkably captivating stage presence that makes it hard to believe that this was one of her first live performances to date. Even as she delivered some of the downright filthiest lyrics of any performer this weekend (the refrain to her hit “212″ goes “I guess that cunt gettin’ eaten”), Banks was all smiles in a purple wig and black and white spandex. She saved the best for last, throwing down a searing surprise cover of the Prodigy’s “Firestarter” teasing the aforementioned “212″ before breaking into its first verse with the help of nearly everyone else packed into the Gobi tent. Banks was visibly choked up mid-verse when she realized this, but managed to finish the track off a high note. Though her set lasted a mere 25 minutes, the intense energy she brought to the stage and the promise displayed in the few tunes she did play ensure that the next time she plays Coachella, it’ll be for real. -Möhammad Choudhery

Childish Gambino – Coachella – 2:50 p.m.

Photo by Ted Maider

Donald Glover just oozes with talent. When he’s not hosting fictional morning talk shows as Troy Barnes, the dense jock on NBC’s Community, he’s tearing up stages on tour as Childish Gambino. But similar to his acting gigs, Glover takes the Gambino persona to another level, and seamlessly blends the best of both worlds on-stage. For the Hollywood-glazed crowd at Coachella, Gambino, despite a broken foot, delivered the goods, complete with an intense sing-along rendition of “Bonfire” and a crowd-erupting cut of “You See Me”. Nothing could top the surprising uppercut of “You Know Me”, however, which featured dynamite appearances by Danny Brown and Kendrick Lamar, who hopped alongside Glover to equal fervor. Whether he’s Troy Barnes, or Childish Gambino, Glover’s remains one of the most interesting characters in the rap game these days. -Ted Maider

The Big Pink – Mojave – 3:25 p.m.

Despite coming off a decidedly disappointing sophomore effort, this year’s Future This, Milo Cordell and Robbie Furze had no issue tearing up the Mojave tent Saturday afternoon. The duo, joined onstage by drummer Akiko Matsuura and Leopold Ross on bass, leaned heavily on their most recent effort, with noisy pop jams “Hit the Ground” and “Rubbernecking” sounding endlessly better live than they did in headphones. Beginning their set to a half-full tent with Future This‘ lead single “Stay Gold”, the crowd seemed to grow with each successive song, with “Dominos” – a highlight off of the Big Pink’s debut A Brief History of Love – warranting the loudest cheers of their set. -Möhammad Choudhery

fIREHOSE – Gobi – 4:00 p.m.

Mike Watt looks exactly how you’d expect anybody from a seminal 80′s post-punk slacker band to look 20-some years later: like a slob. He has not aged particularly well. On top of that, he’s hard to comprehend. I tried to understand any of his between song banter, but he talked like he was coughing up dust. On the other hand, his bass playing, the actual thing I should be reviewing, was as astounding as it should be. His unique blend of punk-funk rhythm was exciting to watch. Some of the songs felt more like an excuse to pack as much frenetic, technical punk instrumentation in as possible, but no complaints there. -Drew Litowitz

Laura Marling – Gobi – 6:30 p.m.

All I can say is Marling did her best to not let the blasting bass bleeding into the Gobi tent get to her head, but it certainly got to mine. Her precious folk couldn’t stand against the overwhelming low-end if it tried, which it did. I cut out after about two songs, which I could barely make out over the noise. -Drew Litowitz

Jeff Mangum – Outdoor – 7:20 p.m.

I’ve now seen Jeff Mangum a total of four times, and, for better or for worse, almost nothing changes from show to show. His crazed, emotive performances are consistently on-point. For whatever reason (really, it is so unclear as to why Mangum is doing this again, but I’m not complaining) Mangum delivers the songs his fans have been mulling over since 1998 with an unmistakable earnestness and sincerity. His Coachella set was no different. (Though palm trees swaying behind the always awkward Magum was truly a once in a lifetime opportunity.) Mangum smiled uncomfortably at outwardly doting fans in between wide-eye, crazed yelps about ashes falling from the sky.

In other words, it was as mind-blowing as any single man playing simple chord structures and singing over them could possibly be. The true surprise, though, was that Milk Hotel’s Santa-esque Scott Spilane and a slew of brass and accordion players made several appearances throughout the set. They came out to play “The Fool” and added the distinctive horns to “In the Aeroplane over the Sea”, which was an unexpected delight. Mangum looked like he hadn’t seen the sun in years, so I’m hoping somebody lathered him up with some SPF 80. -Drew Litowitz

St. Vincent – Gobi – 7:45 p.m.

Led by the ridiculously charming Annie Clark, St. Vincent deftly handled the unlucky fate of having to compete for a crowd against the Shins and a recently resurrected Jeff Mangum, even arguably coming out on top, with the gathered crowd stretching far past the Gobi Tent’s wings and back. The audience erupted when Clark broke out a theremin on opener “Northern Lights”, though the loudest cheers definitely came as she introduced “Cruel” by describing the plot of its music video. Clark’s angular guitar riffage took center stage for most of the set, with standouts including “Cheerleader” and new song “Krokodil”, which saw her temporarily ditch her axe for a bit of crowdsurfing. -Möhammad Choudhery

Flying Lotus – Gobi – 9:00 p.m.

L.A. resident Flying Lotus is hardly a stranger to the Polo Fields, having played three of the last four Coachellas. His stock as a performer has never been higher though; in the time since his lauded 2010 set, his Brainfeeder imprint has grown into one of the most respected labels in the country and he’s since collaborated with artists as diverse as Thom Yorke and Erykah Badu. His Saturday night set, which consisted largely of material from his forthcoming fourth LP, at Coachella’s Gobi Tent was easily one of the best performances of the weekend, exhibiting just how far he continues to stretch the limits of hip-hop and IDM to fit his singular musical vision. An array of Lotus’ famous fans – who ranged from Odd Future affiliate Earl Sweatshirt and Brainfeeder standout Thundercat to Dr. Dre himself – watched from the wings as Lotus had visible trouble containing his excitement. In between premiering new material, most of which sounds light-years from the space-jazz beat odyssey that was 2010’s Cosmogramma, Flying Lotus dropped a series of assured crowd-pleasing bangers, with “Yonkers”, “Hard in da Paint” and “Niggas in Paris”, all of which got the audience very riled up, though in his typically capricious style, nothing he played all night overstayed its welcome. -Möhammad Choudhery

Godspeed You! Black Emperor – Mojave – 10:00 p.m.

One of the most hotly anticipated acts of the weekend, Godspeed You! Black Emperor faced the unfortunate fate of sharing a timeslot with David Guetta, Bon Iver, and the half-hour before Radiohead’s set, a fact that meant few would relinquish their vantage point at the main stage for a chance to see the Canadian post-rock titans, but the 20-or-so people who did make their way over to the Mojave Tent for their set were treated to a performance for the ages. Muted applause greeted the band, who took the stage and barely acknowledged the audience, turning instead to form a half-circle facing one another before breaking into the quiet meditative drone of “Albanian”, an unreleased track the band often begin their live shows with. “Albanian” was followed by “Gathering Storm”, the opening movement off of the band’s hallowed 2000 album Lift Yr Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven.

Even as they battled noise bleeding over from David Guetta’s set over at the nearby Sahara Tent, the nine-piece band packed their every note with the riveting intensity that’s synonymous with their name. The spine-chilling evangelical minister ramblings that hark the start of “Chart #3″ quickly gave way to contemplative violin and a fragile, arpeggiated guitar line that swelled gradually into a mighty grand finale. Even as they only managed to fit three of their songs into their allotted timeslot, Godspeed You! Black Emperor’s first major American festival appearance to date proved a resounding success. -Möhammad Choudhery

Radiohead – Coachella – 11:05 p.m.

Photo by Wendy Redfern // Getty Images

On Saturday night, Radiohead returned to Coachella for the first time in eight years. It was a refreshingly familiar set from a band that’s made a business of challenging its fans, ushering them through fields of radio friendly grunge-rock, high-anxiety prog-rock, alienated balladry, prickly IDM, and finally, through the dub-infected rhythmic kaleidoscopes of The King of Limbs. So much has happened in the vast Radiohead landscape since their first trip to Indio, it was hard to know what moves they would bust out when they finally took the stage. Ultimately, though, Yorke and his cronies (including new addition Clive Deamer assisting with percussion) delivered a cohesive set that balanced new material with old (though, only going back as far as OK Computer). The band was loose, energized, and clearly happy to be back.

“Bloom” started things off right, with Jonny Greenwood perched atop a miniature drum set, pounding two oversized snares in syncopated bursts with all he had, cutting straight into Phil Selway and Clive Deamer’s dueling rhythms. The rhythms cracked, skittered, and splintered, creating a sound resembling a pop song being ripped apart by a menacing force, all in its own perfect time. During an explosive “Lotus Flower”, Yorke was at his danciest, raising his arms with his signature, possessed jitter. Select old staples were injected with Deamer’s auxiliary percussion, adding a frenetic flavor to songs with relatively straightforward rhythms. In a set that featured three OK Computer selections (“Karma Police”, “Lucky”, and “Paranoid Android”), three Hail to the Thief cuts (“The Gloaming”, “There There”, and “Myxomatosis”), and two songs off of Kid A, “Everything in its Right Place” proved to be the set’s real gift. In his own subtle dedication to the state of California, Yorke opened by playing a few verses of Neil Young’s “After the Gold Rush” on keyboard, before jumping into a decked out version of the meditative live fixture. Deamer’s dubbed-out propulsion felt right at home here, making a decade old composition feel almost completely anew.

Though they played for nearly two-hours, with a light show consisting of formation morphing screens and glass bottle LED lights, exploding in red, blue, and green, nobody there wanted it to end. And who could blame them? -Drew Litowitz

Sunday, April 15th

Photo by Ted Maider

Metronomy – Outdoor – 2:00 p.m.

Metronomy’s minimal synth-pop was yet another pleasant surprise this weekend. Songs began subtly and elegantly before exploding synthesizers and minute drumming brought them above the minimalistic surface. These disco and funk-laden indie pop songs were a great way to start off the weekend’s final day. -Drew Litowitz

Greg Ginn and the Royal We – Gobi – 3:00 p.m.

Photo by Ted Maider

I honestly thought Greg Ginn was sound checking for a good three minutes before I realized he had actually started his set. This was a very sorry excuse for a performance, and felt like the guitarist of Black Flag dicking around with a loop pedal, a theremin, and, oh yeah, a guitar for as long as I could put up with it. Seriously, dude, you could do this shit in your garage, but I don’t want no part of it. -Drew Litowitz

Real Estate – Gobi – 4:10 p.m.

Real Estate’s suburban guitar rock fit in so well with the Coachella atmosphere, I almost forgot they hailed from New Jersey. They looked real good in front of Palm Trees/ “It’s Real” had the entire crowd chanting along with its wordless chorus, while “Green Aisles” was as nostalgically heartbreaking as on record. The band’s atmospheric guitar rock was so perfect in the Indio sun, I never wanted it to end. Neither did the band, evidently, slowing the set’s final song to a lurking crawl, its ringing picking patterns drifting through the Sunday heat. -Drew Litowitz

Porter Robinson – Sahara – 4:20 p.m.

Photo by Ted Maider

Porter Robinson is 19 years old and already DJing in the biggest venues around the nation. What the hell were you doing at 19? I will be the first to admit I am not the biggest fan of dub-step, but when people told me about Robinson’s “shit-show rave” at Oakland’s Fox Theater, he seemed like a safe bet for a good time in the Sahara. Porter Robinson spun everything from his own hits like “Unison”, to tracks from today’s contenders (deadmau5’s “Animal Rights” to name one). What was the crowd reaction like? Girls were mounted on shoulders all throughout the Sahara, and a circle pit formed that spanned a radius of roughly 40 feet. These moshing ravers were not messing around, either. One could have thought they stumbled into a Refused crowd as the fans pummeled each other and tossed inflatables in the air. And all the while, Robinson stood up there mixing, grinning, and slaughtering it. -Ted Maider

The Weeknd – Outdoor – 6:55 p.m.

Photo by Frazer Harrison // Getty Images

With little more than a trio of acclaimed mixtapes and a handful of high-profile collaborations under his belt, Abel Tesfaye has spent the last year developing into one of the most compelling musicians around. For his first-ever gig on American soil and third live performance to date, he tore through a 13 song set in front of one of the biggest crowds of the weekend. Tesfaye’s notably disturbed lyrics, which consist largely of harrowing accounts of depraved sex and drug abuse, were delivered without a hint of irony and in the same pitch-perfect croon he sings with on record. Meanwhile, the five-piece live band provided an apt backdrop to his stellar vocal performance, alternatively electric (an uproarious take on Michael Jackson’s “Dirty Diana”) and delicate (on the downright heartbreaking, all-acoustic rendition of “Wicked Games” that closed out the Weeknd’s set) at all the right points. By the end of their hour-long set, Tesfaye and his band had very much warranted every shred of hype that’s been circling Tesfaye since last year’s House of Balloons mixtape surfaced online. -Möhammad Choudhery

At The Drive-In – Coachella – 9:10 p.m.

Photo by Kevin Winter // Getty Images

Perhaps the most awaited of the myriad reunions and first-time appearances to be found at Coachella 2012, At the Drive-In’s subheadlining slot Sunday night is one that’s been “in the works”, rumored, and otherwise heatedly anticipated for so long that I didn’t quite believe it was actually happening until I saw Cedric Bixler-Zavala’s massive curly coif onstage. The audience erupted when they broke right into “Arcarsenal”, followed closely by a searing take on “Pattern Against User”. The rhythm section of Paul Hinojos and Tony Hajjar, on bass and drums respectively, moved like a well-oiled beast of their own alongside the blistering twin guitar attack of Omar Rodriguez-Lopez and Jim Ward, whose finest moment came during the crashing climax of “Napoleon Solo”. While their criminally short nine-song set hardly did justice to their immense catalog nor did it even begin to make up for the ten years of lost time since they disbanded, At the Drive?In’s tremendous performance Sunday night ensured that even if these guys never cut another album, their legacy is as intact as ever. -Möhammad Choudhery

Modeselektor – Mojave – 9:45 p.m.

In a rare West Coast appearance (their first in almost two years), German electro-duo Modeselektor closed out Coachella’s Mojave Tent with a brilliant performance that showcased why they’re regarded as one of the best live acts in electronic music today. Known for blending crafty IDM with their own distinctly glitchy take on hip-hop, Modeselektor’s set consisted largely of material from last year’s Monkeytown. Whispers of a guest appearance from noted super-fan/frequent collaborator Thom Yorke pervaded the performance all the way till its end, but those anxiously anticipating the arrival of Mr. Yorke sorta got what they wanted, in the form of Modeselektor’s epic rework of “Morning Mr Magpie”. -Möhammad Choudhery

Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg – Coachella – 10:35 p.m.

Photo by Christopher Polk // Getty Images

You know how there are all these videos of The Beatles arriving in America to girls screaming uncontrollably? A slightly similar scene erupted when the 75,000 festivalgoers in attendance caught a glimpse of Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg arriving at the Coachella main stage. Without missing a beat, the two immediately launched into past hit “The Next Episode” and the chronic smoke engulfed the crowd. Everybody sang each word, and hardly a soul stopped floating the entire time.

As expected, the two legends brought out an entire entourage of guests, which only added another level of excitement. Kendrick Lamar had already announced his guest spot earlier in the weekend, and performed his new cut, “The Recipe”, alongside Dre; Wiz Khalifa showed up for a “session” with Snoop, Eminem made a triumphant appearance, the highlight of which was “Forgot About Dre”; and 50 Cent looked back on his career over three tracks (“Wanksta,” “P.I.M.P.” and “In Da Club”). Of course, everybody was most excited for the holographic resurrection of Tupac Shakur, who performed “Hail Mary” and “2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted” alongside an equally surprised Snoop. Everything about this spectacle of a performance was surreal, if not just downright mesmerizing.

In the end, however, a few things didn’t make sense. For one, the set lacked much love for Dre’s landmark LP, The Chronic, and most of the time he stalked the stage in silence, leaving the spotlight instead for Snoop and their guests. Some might argue that was to be expected; after all, the producer has kept behind the scenes for the majority of the past decade. With that in mind, it’s best to take this set as Dre’s idea of a West coast party, and considering the thousands who remained ’til the end, he’s still keeping their heads ringing. -Ted Maider

Gallery

Photographer: Ted Maider, Summer Dunsmore

According to the company’s website, “DayGlo Color Corp. is the world’s largest manufacturer of daylight fluorescent pigments. We develop technologies that improve and enhance any color, from subtle specialty effects, to glow-in-the-dark pigments, to our classic range of fluorescents.” One might argue they not only improve and enhance any color, but also human beings – that is, if Ultra Music Festival is any indication.

Throughout the festival’s three-day excursion, which sets down on Bayfront Park in Miami each March, thousands upon thousands of festivalgoers brand themselves with the stuff. Anywhere else this style would be considered fashion suicide, but it’s posh within the festival’s confines. In fact, if you don’t have any sort of neon, sparklies, or what have you, it’s as if you’re not one of them. No kidding, they’ll probably think you’re a narc.

As kitschy as DayGlo appears to the layman, it adds an aesthetic that’s oddly futuristic in scope. It may seem uniform, but when everyone’s showcasing radiant blues, yellows, pinks, lime greens, et al., it’s hard to imagine you’re anywhere else but some other post-modern world. It’s like you’re in a live-action rendition of The Jetsons, only it’s really loud, everyone’s zoned out on alcohol or drugs, and even the robots are cute.

Of course, there’s more to this festival than just arbitrary fashion decor, but really, that’s the stuff you remember. The music’s great, with dozens of artists pushing their respective genres, but it’s the people and the friendly community within Ultra that separates it from anywhere else. Look, whenever I told friends or colleagues that I was attending Ultra, I was met with sympathetic eyes, as I was shipping off to war, or something really dangerous – clearly they didn’t know what they were talking about.

Photo by Cap Blackard

I’ve never encountered a more jovial crowd, one thrilled to be alive and away from society. Sure, there’s a likely chance the drugs were doing most of the talking for everyone, but at the end of the day, a happy soul is sure better than an angry one. Also, something dawned on me while I shuffled around the park in a glorious stupor: This is the future.

It’s easy to write Ultra off as an escape to “get fucked up and laid”, but when you’re dancing under thousands of intricate LCD lights, ricocheting an array of colors that somehow go with the extraterrestrial music that’s being pumped out on stage, and everyone’s just synched together mentally, there’s something rather spiritually intelligent about it all. It’s as if there’s this higher plain of existence here that’s being attained, and perhaps we’re the fools for missing out.

You don’t even need the drugs to get there; instead, you just have to lose yourself in the ether, and go in with a sense of humor. Otherwise, you’ll begin to really think hell is on Earth.

-Michael Roffman
President/Editor-in-Chief 

Friday, March 23rd

Neon Indian – Live Stage – 5:20 p.m.

Photo by Cap Blackard

“I feel like we’re at a seminar right now,” Neon Indian frontman Alan Palomo observed. “And I should have a Q&A about the effects of having a loud monitor.” After some frustrations with sound check, the chilly Texas indie rockers, with a penchant for ’80s New Wave, submerged in the warbly synths of “Local Joke” just as the sun began its downward shift. It was hot, it was sweaty, but it was fitting. With so many DayGlo enthusiasts everywhere, the band’s glossy, liquified jams (or, just its name alone) felt almost too choice for the scene. For a nighttime act, this daytime set did well enough to entertain the hundreds stalking about and soundtrack the thousands having a frustrating time getting in. Plus, who doesn’t want to dance to “Polish Girl” again and again? -Michael Roffman

Chris Lake – UMF Korea – 5:50 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

Located directly in front of the main entrance, the beats pulsing from the UMF Korea stage were impossible to avoid Friday evening. Just two hours after Ultra 2012 kicked off, tech-house DJ Chris Lake was already performing to a tightly packed audience. The UK-bred, LA transplant worked through early monitor issues to develop a double-edged set of beauty and beats. Driving four-to-the-floor tech movements were cut with lush, live female vocals – a body-swaying mixture to help ease revelers into the more foreboding sounds that the stage would offer Ultra Weekend. -Derek Staples

Loco Dice – Carl Cox & Friends – 6:30 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

Initially walking into the Carl Cox tent was like wrapping oneself in a blanket of lights and sounds. And if not properly monitored, the melodic tech mixes delivered by Germany’s Loco Dice would ease attendees into an open-eyed trance. Delicate sounds ran through a solid bottom end, like morning dew trickling through porous sandstone. -Derek Staples

New Order – Live Stage – 6:40 p.m.

Photo by Cap Blackard

Technically, without original bassist Peter Hook, this isn’t New Order. But those who gathered around the Live Stage at dusk didn’t care to notice. Dancing ensued from the start when frontman and guitarist Bernard Sumner, donning his own band tee, strummed straight into the stormy distortion of “Crystal”. Tight and kinetic, this UK collective remains a popular export for Americans, especially with still club favorites “Bizarre Love Triangle”, “True Faith”, and “Blue Monday”, all of which were performed with precision for Ultra’s dance-obsessed crowds. Throughout, a couple of the band’s gooey tracks fell flat (“The Perfect Kiss” and “Regret”), but the two-hit punch of “Ceremony” into “Bizarre Love Triangle” and the set’s eventual closer, “Temptation”, showcased an act that deserved a bigger stage and a proper set time. Still, Sumner remained in high spirits: “It’s great to be back. It’s been a long time since we’ve been here – I dunno why – probably because it’s too nice. We don’t do that sort of thing.” There’s that familiar spirit of Manchester eking out. -Michael Roffman

Richie Hawtin – Carl Cox & Friends – 8:00 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

He may not fill his set with bass drops, but very few DJs deliver with the same level of low end as Windsor’s Richie Hawtin. Atop of the continued floor-rattling bassline, Hawtin mixed in nearly non-existent tones, making you question if you were actually hearing the bleeps or if your brain was simply continuing his well-defined pattern. Hawtin showed no fear juggling the beat and tempo through the mixes. While most DJs rest on the repetitive kick or hi-hat, Hawtin manipulated polyrhythms for jarring transitions throughout the two-hour set. -Derek Staples

Miike Snow – Live Stage – 8:10 p.m.

Photo by Cap Blackard

Maybe it’s that they’re on the coattails of a sophomore LP (Happy to You – due out Tuesday), but Sweden’s own Miike Snow commandeered the Live Stage. They had the tools, too. With a center console stripped from ’60s-era Star Trek, Christian Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg (or, Bloodshy & Avant) constructed all the cherry-flavored hooks and lines that strangle the group’s latest material. Opening with the piano and harmony-led “The Wave”,  this became a set that just did not let up, and all of the new tracks were ready-made for festival crowds everywhere. In fact, with accompanying visuals, tracks like “Devil’s Work” and “Vase” felt rather claustrophobic in the amphitheater setting, and frontman Andrew Wyatt, with his grungy decor, appeared as if he were too contained. Basically, they exuded the confidence of a headliner, and depending on the festival, they may very well be ready. Oh, and has anyone grown tired of “Animal” yet? Doubtful. -Michael Roffman

Skrillex – Main Stage – 9:10 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

Just a few years ago, it would have seemed impossible for a U.S. bass DJ to grace Ultra’s massive Main Stage post-sundown, but that was before Skrillex went and won three Grammy’s this year for his West Coast Jump Up. Now having toured the world, Skrillex showcases more substance and control than his earlier drop-heavy bass assaults. With stage production equal to that of his recent Mothership Tour, he had the audience “Breakin’ a Sweat” with his Doors collabo. Skrillex then showed some respect for dub, with a subtle bass remix (for Skrillex, anyhow) of Damian Marley’s “Welcome to Jamrock”. He then worked Avicii’s “Levels” through the bass grinder, adding his signature, mechanical bass growl to the track’s lighter aesthetic.

To the surprise of many, Skrillex went with some straightforward techno mid-set with “Make That Booty Clap”. At one point, he brought the song to such a standstill that you could hear the crowd’s collective inhale waiting for the drop, but no drop was to be had until Skillex blew the crowd back with the newer Wolfgang Gartner collaboration “The Devil’s Den”. The performance may not have included sufficient hyper-drive bass for the die-hard Skrillex fan, but the hour-long performance showcased an evolution in his ability to produce a complex set for an educated, international EDM community – and still get peeps on their feet to rage. -Derek Staples

Kraftwerk – Live Stage – 9:30 p.m.

Photo by Cap Blackard

“Do you think they’re even really doing anything up there,” someone asked me early on during Kraftwerk’s impressive hour-long set. It’s an honest question because, really, the four stoic members that make up the German industrial collective don’t ever do much onstage – at least from what we can see. Instead, they let the archaic CGI animations behind them do most of the work. A minimalistic journey that would have Pixar in tears accompanied “Autobahn”, creepy, robotic dolls (something out of The Twilight Zone) burned into our nightmares during “The Robots”, and a Marxist-like montage sold the crowd on a “Computer World”. In a word, it was weird, but when each member – who, by the way, were dressed in minimalistic Tron-ready suits – exited the stage in procession, it all made sense. The homogenous nature of the four – that structured unity – is downright intimidating with its precise force, and it’s something you just have to witness live to make sense of. Color me jealous: Those sold-out museum shows will blow everyone’s fucking minds. -Michael Roffman

Dada Life – UMF Korea – 10:20 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

Olle Corneer and Stefan Engblom of Dada Life are a mirror of the enjoyment shared by their audiences. A pair of sweaty bodies onstage, the Swedish duo produced high-energy, saw-jaw electro-house. Combined with the bright hues of the tent’s massive L.E.D. screens, the continual bass vibrations and hard-splashing synths were a suitable follow-up to all those still ready to rage following Skrillex’s Main Stage performance. And forget hydration, the duo would much rather pop some bottles of champagne during the peaks of the set than be seen with some thirst-quenching water. If revelers wanted to leave with their brain and all body parts intact Friday evening, this set was definitely the one to avoid. -Derek Staples

Nobody Beats the Drum – UMF Worldwide – 11:00 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

In the shadows of Tiësto’s monster Main Stage setup, the future of Dutch dance music, Nobody Beats the Drum, took to the tight confines of Ultra’s Worldwide Stage. Sjam Sjamsoedin and Jori Collignon mixed hip-hop, breaks, heavy bass, and electro to appease a younger audience that is continually besieged by diverse types of audio. Equipped with a classic analog synth and a table full of gear, the duo continually made eye contact to keep the tracks progressing and the people bouncing across the grass. The only negative was that the experience wasn’t shared with a larger number of people, but my guess is that this won’t be a problem for long. -Derek Staples

Saturday, March 24th

Yousef – Carl Cox Cocoon – 2:00 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

As the resident DJ at Space Ibiza during Carl Cox’s weekly showcase, Yousef holds one of the most sought-after gigs in the business. He kept early attendees gyrating with soft-drop techno and sexy Mushroom Jazz-esque melodies. To add an element of improvisation, he often mixed in new tracks with live drum pad patters. In line with classic house, Yousef pulled in beautiful male and female vocal samples to add contours to the set and give the audience a bit of a breather. -Derek Staples

Skream + Benga – UMF Brazil – 3:00 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

Seminal UK Dubstep DJs Skream + Benga have accelerated the evolution of the genre since joining forces. Once known for their dark, grimy productions, Saturday’s performance was a clinic of Jump Up and bass-heavy electronica. The duo scrapped all melody for underground bangers, made even more raw by the hoarse vocal accompaniment of MC Sgt Pokes. For everyone who felt the U.S. had the market cornered on bass music, the performance opened many ears to the ultra-aggressive, half-time, UK Bass sound. -Derek Staples

Nadastrom – UMF Worldwide – 4:00 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

The leading ambassadors of Moombahton – Dirty Dutch slowed to the tempo of reggaeton – Nadastrom are a perfect fit for the sunny embrace of Miami’s Bayfront Park. Set against the backdrop of a pristine, blue sky and million-dollar yachts, Dave Nada and Matt Nordstrom kept the gorgeous international crowd dancing in a picturesque scene that seemed too surreal to actually be possible. West Coast Jump Up was a bit of a death knell to actual dancing in clubs, but Nada’s brand of bass music added mounds of sexiness back to the dance floor. -Derek Staples

Little Dragon – Live Stage – 5:00 p.m.

Photo by Cap Blackard

There are a lot of faces to Little Dragon – not literally, but sonically. They shift from tribal trip-hop to “audibly okay” synthpop to soulful electronica, sometimes in the same song – actually, almost always within each song. That’s an intriguing element to the Swedish outfit and an attribute that could work to their advantage onstage – not at Ultra, however. Blame it on the picture-perfect sunny day, or just an all too early time slot, but the genre-hopping collective just felt sort of staple. Frontwoman Yukimi Nagano exhibited the only energy onstage, playing well to a devoted audience, but her surrounding band remained tranquil throughout. The percussion-heavy jams stocking each track offered moments of interest, but overall, it just didn’t do anything for me. -Michael Roffman

12th Planet and Skrillex – UMF Brasil – 5:00 p.m

With so many DJs in one place during a long weekend, surprises were bound to happen. And few surprises could be any more explosive than a tag-team set by bass juggernauts 12th Planet and Skrillex. Not announced until the day of show, the UMF Brasil tent was packed to capacity with ravenous bassheads ready for a non-stop serious of drops and Jump Up electro-energy. The set included recent collab “Right on Time” and the raucous remix of Nero’s “Guilt”. The duo also managed to separate their individual aesthetics, 12th’s focus on the darker UK Bass and Skrill’s love for West Coast electro-house. With bass literally vibrating the room and two ill-advised drops reverberating in my headspace (Skrillex fans sure love to share), photographic evidence just couldn’t do the set justice. So, please enjoy the vid below courtesy of Bassmaxx. -Derek Staples

Metronomy – Live Stage – 6:00 p.m.

Photo by Cap Blackard

English indie pop export Metronomy crafts flavorful electropop. Sure, it’s a genre that busted at the seams half a decade ago, but the group offers a slight spin on it: The bass takes precedence over the synths. Bassist Gbenga Adelekan’s bevy of lines undulates behind Joseph Mount’s vocals, infusing this quasi-electro funk that’s been a longtime coming for the genre – at least successfully. Through catchy, bubbly tracks like “Heartbreaker”, “Some Written”, and “Everything Goes My Way”, the group offers a tangible, catholic collection of genre shake-ups. The latter track runs off vocals by drummer Anna Prior, whose purple getup sparkled in the evening’s setting sun. Later in the set, the Live Stage erupted with smoke and pyro, after which Mount exclaimed: “There’s nothing more shocking than pyrotechnics when you don’t know they’re gonna happen.” Yeah, their surprised expressions were about as priceless as that highly aggressive jam they segued into at the end. -Michael Roffman

Duck Sauce – Main Stage – 6:45 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

No duo seem to have more fun at the decks than A-trak and Armand Van Helden (aka Duck Sauce). Backed by a massive inflatable duck, the duo resurrected smile-instigating disco tracks, keeping the mood light in the late afternoon sun. After beginning the set with “aNYway”, the visuals went dark for crowd favorite “Big Bad W0lf”. Not only did the duo turn the mix all the way down to build a tension among the crowd, they actually managed to initiate a daytime howl from the entire Main Stage audience – one that held around until set end for the hysterical “Barbara Streisand”. None of these hijinks distracted the two artists, each masterful at mixing, track selection, and working in tandem to bring the most out of one another. -Derek Staples

Carl Cox – Carl Cox Cocoon – 7:30 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

No one owns the tables like Carl Cox. A behemoth of a man, Cox counts down the transition between tracks with exaggerated arm motions, then jumps into the decks for the mixes. Often playing four or five tracks at a time, the set was deeply layered with hard dance and techno, keeping both the mind and body busy. The sensory overload continued with a visual onslaught. Lasers, mass amounts of smoke, robots, and hypnotic screen images completed the experience that was Carl Cox. The repetition of most house sets makes two hours nearly unbearable for bassheads and electro-junkies, but pulling away from the dynamics 0f the Cocoon was almost impossible. -Derek Staples

M83 – Live Stage – 8:00 p.m.

Photo by Cap Blackard

It was a short-lived dream of an epic set that never was. After attracting a mammoth crowd (the weekend’s largest for the Live Stage, at least at the time), minutes inched past eight o’clock, and yet Anthony Gonzalez and his team couldn’t be found. Instead, technicians raced about the stage, fiddling with wires and looking horrifically scatterbrained. Oddly enough, the crowd livened up – no thanks to the onstage DJ, who was relegated to essentially “babysitting” the sea of souls – and dancing ensued. Ten minutes passed, then 20, then 30, and eventually 45 minutes, most likely when M83 would have stepped offstage. However, this was when Gonzalez & Co. finally were OK’d to go on, but only to perform two cuts: “Midnight City” and “Couleurs”. The situation altogether was disappointing, but the band slapped out more energy than any act all weekend. At one point during “Couleurs”, Morgan Kibby fell to her knees as her hands just laid waste to the keys floating above her head, while newcomer Jordan Lawlor climbed up on anything he could get his feet onto, demanding the claps from the crowd. It wasn’t a great first visit to Miami for M83, but the devoted thousands who remained only proved that they’re wanted back very soon. -Michael Roffman

Justice – Main Stage – 9:40 p.m.

Photo by Cap Blackard

The French duo’s fan base arrived in full force Saturday. From painted crosses to already-fading band shirts, one couldn’t look around without seeing some sort of allegiance to Justice. So, yeah, the Main Stage was overstuffed and continued to fluctuate as the two issued their aggro-dance-y disco to much fervor. Now, it’s easy to toss around religious connotations – you know, because of the whole cross thing – but shuffling around with thousands of fans during an extended performance of “Audio, Video, Disco” might be enough to make an atheist a true believer. The track’s greasy arena rock standards delivered all the sensationalized giddiness that one reads about in retrospectives only it felt earnest. And for a crowd that held up shirts reading “Bitches Love Bass” or, um, an inflatable penis, this was the closest thing to church they’ll ever experience; there wasn’t an ounce of negativity in the air. Justice led the procession with blunt, minimalistic force, and they exorcised any and all demons. Also, chew on this: Who else could throw in a drop as long as John Cage’s 4’33″ WHILE offering (what appeared to be) The Black Panther Salute? Not even joking. -Michael Roffman

Dillon Francis – UMF Worldwide – 10:00 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

If this is the ADHD generation, Dillon Francis should be its musical figurehead. Francis continually switched between bass aesthetics – from a brain-jarring remix of “Right on Time” to a Luvstep take on Rihanna’s “You Da One”, complete with the slowed-up half-time of Moombahton. When not at the knobs adding the Moombahton flair to tracks like “Me & You” by Nero or Steve Aoki’s “Keep on Dancing”, Francis kept busy interacting with the crowd, pointing to the loudest fans and making funny, sometimes overtly sarcastic, banter behind the decks. In a show of great humility, Francis welcomed stage headliner, and BBC Radio 1 tastemaker, Annie Mac onstage during the close of his set and thanked her for helping him along in his career. -Derek Staples

2manyDJs – Live Stage – 11:00 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

2manyDJs are truly a multi-media experience. Dressed in crisp, five-piece suits Saturday evening, David and Stephen Dewaele worked their mashup skills on tracks such as MGMT’s “Kids”, 2 Unlimited’s “Let the Beat Control Your Body”, “Master of Puppets” by Metallica, and Blur’s “Parklife”, all with absolutely hilarious takes on their album covers. The visuals were taken to the extreme for a mashup of Boyz Noise and Erol Alkan’s “Lemonade”, where the cover seemed to actually be playing tennis.

The set ended as an absolute bash. After taking the crowd to “Out of Space”, the duo performed their take on Nirvana’s “Lithium”, while the famous baby from the Nevermind cover was barraged with trash from a rather grungy pool party. And nothing closes out a set like five straight minutes of confetti floating across the live stage. -Derek Staples

Avicii – Main Stage – 11:00 p.m.

Photo by Music Obsessed.com

The Madonna rumors started circulating early on. Whispers around the park hinted that the Material Girl would be appearing onstage sometime Saturday night. She spent the day in South Beach promoting her new LP, MDNA, so why wouldn’t she stop at that little electronic festival across the bay? As with anything nowadays, it became the worst-kept secret, and pretty much everyone knew she’d be appearing with Avicii at the Main Stage.

“I’ve been here in spirit for many years, but it’s good to finally be standing on the stage, looking at all you people who have come here from all around the world,” Madonna exclaimed, after observing the evolving blanket of flesh before her. ”In my world, the words ‘music’ and ‘dance’ are not separated. Electronic music has been a part of my life since the beginning of my career. I can honestly say that a DJ saved my life.” She gushed about Avicii some more, insisting she’s a “huge fan,” and then coquettishly asked, “How many people in this crowd have seen Molly?” It all felt forced and made even more transparent once Avicii opened his set with a remix of “Girl Gone Wild”, during which Madonna stood beside him wearing her MDNA shirt.

After the whole scheme, Avicii was left to his own vices. What’s odd, however, is how much of a promotional push Avicii received at Ultra, as well. Street teams handed out I Heart Avicii pins all day, while others wore shirts with the same logo. Also, regardless of the international acclaim, it felt odd that he followed Justice, who arguably closed the night proper. Still, the Swedish DJ (who probably had everyone swooning with his choice looks) had a pretty good night. Not only did he receive a resounding endorsement from Madonna, but he also had fireworks to end his set. Basically, you’ll hear more about him this year. -Michael Roffman

Sunday, March 25th

SBTRKT – Live Stage – 3:30 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

Having yet to see SBTRKT perform his self-titled album live, I was especially stoked for this set. However, after technical difficulties cut into the set time and extra time was shaved to set up for Flying Lotus, the set came and went in what seemed like 25 short minutes. SBTRKT (nee: Aaron Jerome) was joined onstage by Sampha, which was billed as SBTRKT Live, and the two brought tracks “Living Like I do”, “Pharaohs”, and “Wildfire” to life with the use of a table full of tools and a complete drum kit. Each track was edited from the album cuts, with “Wildfire” receiving a dark, two-step remix. Perhaps most surprising, other than the brevity of the show, were the vocal talents of Jerome, who performed and looped most of his vocals live. -Derek Staples

Flying Lotus – Live Stage – 4:40 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

Flying Lotus (born Steven Ellison) has always crafted a unique style of low-end-heavy, beat-driven, instrumental hip-hop. On Sunday, those beats received some lyrical flow courtesy of Brainfeeder’s Azizi Gibson. Flylo even showcased two of the tracks he produced for the up-and-coming emcee. The effort was noble, but Flylo’s production had enough depth and power on its own to outshine the freestyle attempts of Gibson. One unexpected bass drop alone had enough force to blow Gibson’s nonsensical verses backstage. Flylo continued to show some love for another young rapper, Odd Future’s Tyler, The Creator and his demented “Yonkers”. But Flylo didn’t just let the track play out, chopping the track up to add 8-bit elements and a boosted bottom end. To finish the set, Flylo went hard, cuing up Waka Flocka Flame’s ”Hard in da Paint”.

Minor note to Ellison: Fans understand the need to promote, but please leave Gibson in LA next time. Or just have him make a little less noise over the delicate, complex nature of your productions. -Derek Staples

Magnetic Man – Live Stage – 6:00 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

Following Skream + Benga’s high-energy Saturday performance, fans of the UK brethren just weren’t sure what to expect of Magnetic Man’s Sunday evening performance. Joined by producer Artwork, the set was exemplary of the more melodic side of UK Bass. Once again joined by Sgt Pokes, the emcee’s gruff vocals added harsh contrast to the project’s more atmospheric tones, especially during “Getting Nowhere”, which featured the vocals of John Legend. The three-piece settled into a trance-like dub production style until Pokes asked the audience if they wanted to jump, which sent Magnetic Man into a frenzy of darting synths and ratcheting bass lines. Magnetic Man saved their most recognizable tracks, “I Need Air” and “Perfect Stranger”, until the crowd reached full capacity nearing the ending of the set. To cap off the epic performance, Katy B joined the guys onstage and sang “Perfect Stranger”, complete with booming fan interaction.

Bloody Beetroots DJ Set – Live Stage – 7:20 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

The founder of the Bloody Beetroots, Sir Bob Cornelius Rifo, once publicly pondered on his genre, settling on the term Contemporary Electronic Dance Music. But when it comes to his DJ sets alongside Tommie Tea, the sound is simply clashing electro-house at its finest. Be it dancing, jumping, or moshing, it’s almost impossible to be still when SBCR is donning the black Spider-man mask behind the controller. With the sun setting, the redesigned stage setup took full effect for bangers “Warp 1.9″, “Push the Tempo”, and the metal-infused “Church of Noise”. After nearly an hour of mayhem, BBR changed course to end the set, jumping down from behind their wall of lights to spin the Isley Brothers and “Shout” with the audience. -Derek Staples

Chase and Status – Live Stage – 8:45 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

After 27 hours of electronic music, Chase and Status were like the deathblow to any remaining grey matter. Saul Milton and Will Kennard produce some of the darkest, most intricate drum and bass, half time, and drumstep around. Combine that with the abilities of live drummer Andy Gangadeen, the guitar skills of Milton, plus the vocal assault of MC Rage, and you have arguably the most entertaining live bass music outfit currently around. What separates Chase and Status is their ability as musicians, not simply producers. “No More Idols” had an amazing build and melody, and just when the song was about to reach its peak, we were blasted back into our seats with the intensity of the bass. As Milton joked, “This is the Unites States of Bass, and we salute you Chase and Status.” -Derek Staples

Armin Van Buuren – Main Stage – 10:00 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

Between 2007 and 2010, the Netherlands’ Armin Van Buuren held the crown as the world’s number one DJ. Through his “A State of Trance” podcast, Van Buuren has introduced countless electronic fans to the freshest in trance music and also helped shape the style of the genre. If Sunday night’s set was any indicator, lush, vocal trance is a thing of yesteryear, replaced by hard-hitting techno phrasing, periodic sub-bass lines, and the occasional sing-along vocal loop. To add to the communal nature of his music, nearly all of the words for the tracks were displayed across the L.E.D. panels of Ultra’s Main Stage. No track received a bigger rise from the audience than The Killers’ “Mr. Brightside”, which was accompanied  by a bright, yellow techno smiley face on the massive screens.

The set was not only a celebration of trance, but a massive party for the international electronic music community. Flags from around the globe could be seen with a simple turn of the head, “hellos” and “I love yous” were shared in a myriad of languages, and thousands of people danced like fools together as if no borders, feuds, or wars existed. During that one hour, people could lose themselves within those repetitive beats, content with the pure happiness that had settled over the massive Bayfront Park crowd. -Derek Staples

Gallery

Photographers: Cap Blackard, Matt Rainey, and Derek Staples

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Photo by Heather Kaplan

Like Red Hot Chili Peppers, Coldplay have recruited a few indie-friendly acts to open their upcoming U.S. tour. As an issued press confirms, Robyn, Wolf Gang, Marina and the Diamonds, and Metronomy will all take turns serving as support. Find Coldplay’s updated tour schedule below.

Prior to the jaunt, Coldplay will perform at Amnesty International’s Policeman’s Ball. Set for March 4th at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall, the event will also feature Russell Brand, Stephen Colbert, Seth Meyers, Sarah Silverman, Jon Stewart, Jason Sudeikis, Reggie Watts, Kristen Wiig, and more. EPIX will stream it live beginning at 7:00pm ET. Click here for more details.

The band is also scheduled to appear on Jimmy Kimmel Live! this coming Sunday, and on Good Morning America on March 2nd. So, yeah, lots more Coldplay coming your way.

Coldplay 2011-2012 Tour Dates:
03/04 – New York, NY @ Radio City Music Hall (Policeman’s Ball)
04/17 – Edmonton, AB @ Rexall Place *$
04/18 – Calgary, AB @ Scotiabank Saddledome *$
04/20 – Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena *$
04/21 – Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena $
04/24 – Portland, OR @ Rose Garden Arenaa *$
04/25 – Seattle, WA @ Key Arena *$
04/27 – San Jose, CA @ HP Pavilion *$
05/01 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl *$
05/02 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl *$
05/04 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl *$
05/18 – Porto, PT @ Drago Stadium
05/20 – Madrid, ES @ Vicente Calderion
05/22 – Nice, FR @ Stade Charles Herman
05/24 – Turin, IT @ Olympic Stadium
05/26 – Zurich, CH @ Letzigrund
05/29 – Coventry, UK @ Ricoh Arena
06/01 – London, UK @ Emirates Stadium
06/02 – London, UK @ Emirates Stadium
06/04 – London, UK @ Emirates Stadium
06/07 – Sunderland, UK @ Stadium of Light
06/09 – Manchester, UK @ Etihad Stadium
06/10 – Manchester, UK @ Etihad Stadium
06/22 – Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center ^#
06/23 – Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center ^#
06/25 – Houston, TX @ Toyota Center ^#
06/26 – Houston, TX @ Toyota Center ^#
06/28 – Tampa, FL @ St. Pete Times Forum ^#
06/29 – Miami, FL @ American Airlines Arena ^#
07/02 – Atlanta, GA @ Philips Arena ^#
07/03 – Charlotte, NC @ Time Warner Cable Arena  ^#
07/05 – Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center  ^#
07/06 – Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center  ^#
07/08 – Washington, DC @ Verizon Center ^#
07/09 – Washington, DC @ Verizon Center ^#
07/23 – Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre %+
07/24 – Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre %+
07/26 – Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre %+
07/27 – Montreal QC @ Bell Centre %+
07/29 – Boston, MA @ TD Garden %+
07/30 – Boston, MA @ TD Garden %+
08/01 – Detroit, MI @ Palace of Auburn Hills %+
08/03 – E. Rutherford, NJ @ Izod Center %+
08/04 – E. Rutherford, NJ @ Izod Center %+
08/07 – Chicago, IL @ United Center %+
08/08 – Chicago, IL @ United Center %+
08/10 – St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center %+
08/11 – St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center %+
08/28 – Copenhagen, DK @ Parken Stadium
08/30 – Stockholm, SE @ Olympic Stadium
09/02 – Paris, FR @ Stade de France
09/04 – Cologne, DE @ Rheinenergie Stadium
09/06 – The Hague, NL @ Malieveld
09/12 – Munich, DE @ Red Bull Stadium
09/16 – Prage, CZ @ Slavia Eden Stadium
09/19 – Warsaw, PL @ National Stadium
09/22 – Hannover, DE @ AWD Arena

* = w/ Meronomy
$ = w/ The Pierces
^ = w/ Robyn
# = w/ Wolf Gang
% = w/ Marina and the Diamonds
+ = w/ Emile Sande

The fault doesn’t lie with Metronomy, but the chosen remixes can’t match what was already created. Psychemagik gives the single an cosmic sendoff with twinkling keys, the magic of Clifford’s inclusion lost to moments of twisted vocals distorted into a foreign tongue. Jesse Rose works with the shell of the song, adding quiet trills, voluminous drums, and flairs of horn-like effects.

“Everything Goes My Way” gets an after-hours dark side by way of Pearson. The subtle addition of electronic drums and chilled drops of keys flourish into a suitably prominent ending, with instrumentals transforming to underlay Clifford’s smooth oooh’s. But the places where Pearson succeeded in creating a remix opener are later lost in a dub version that tosses away much of the main vocals in favor of groovy keys and an eruption of drums. After essentially listening to the same song four times, a drab closer that’s basically instrumental is a perfect moment for listeners to exit early from the recording.

A remix album isn’t meant to upstage the original but rather complement what has already been created. This EP is a mixed bag with no one particular remix really stealing the show. Metronomy’s brand of bouncy electropop is perfect for a series of reworks, but it requires the right elements, none of which are found here.

Essential Tracks: “Everything Goes My Way” Ewan Pearson remix

Canadians Sultan and Ned Shepard rework “The Edge Of Glory” to make it ready for a lounge, until they sample Guns ‘N Roses’ “Sweet Child Of Mine”, making the song into a fist-pumping anthem. Even though Foster the People’s consistently thumping, formulaic version gratifies more instantly, it’s clear who’s really on the edge of let’s-hear-that-again glory. The juxtaposition of “You And I”, on the other hand, is more evenly weighted: both Wild Beasts and British electronic duo Metronomy slow it down and space it out, the former adding sparse piano, while the latter relies on cut-up, auto-tuned Gaga samples to highlight her voice’s Whitney Houston-like richness and honky-tonk lyrics.

Other songs stand alone, both in quantity and quality. Two Door Cinema Club brands “Electric Chapel”, mixing it into a hauntingly guilty pleasure for dancing alone in your room. British producer Michael Woods, who has previously remixed La Roux and Deadmau5, reworks “Black Jesis/Amen Fashion” with appropriately catwalk-hard beats. Remix’s hidden gem, however, is French DJ Guena LG’s remix of “Scheisse”. The song builds behind Gaga’s delicious German into an “oh-AH-oh” chorus that dissolves all too quickly into its driving, industrial beats. It’s hard to compete with the Queen Monster, but these artists were born for it.

Essential Tracks: “Scheisse”, “Electric Chapel”

Lady Gaga has unveiled the tracklist for her upcoming Born This Way remix album and it comprises a lot of familiar names. Due for release on November 21st via Interscope, the 14-track compilation features contributions from The Weeknd, Foster The People, The Horrors, Wild Beasts, Röyksopp, Goldfrapp, and Twin Shadow, among others. Below, you can check out Wild Beasts’ remix of “Yoü & I”, along with the full tracklisting.

The remix album will be available as both a standalone release and as part of a three-disc set titled The Collection, which also includes a live film and the original Born This Way album.

“Yoü & I” (Wild Beasts Remix)

Born This Way: The Remix Tracklist:
01. Born This Way (Zedd Remix)
02. Judas (Goldfrapp Remix)
03. The Edge of Glory (Foster the People Remix)
04. Yoü And I (Wild Beasts Remix)
05. Marry the Night (The Weeknd & Ilangelo Remix)
06. Black Jesus (Michael Woods Remix)
07. Bloody Mary (The Horrors Remix)
08. Scheiße (Guena LG Remix)
09. Americano (Gregori Klosman Remix)
10. Electric Chapel (Two Door Cinema Club Remix)
11. Yoü And I – (Metronomy Remix)
12. Judas (Hurts Remix)
13. Born This Way (Twin Shadow Remix)
14. The Edge of Glory (Sultan & Ned Shepard Remix)
15. Judas (Röyksopp’s 30 Pieces Mix) (iTunes Bonus Track)

The album is full of these little nods. “Everything Goes My Way” and “The Bay” begin with keyboard parts that could accompany a kind of demonic Punch and Judy performance; the high-pitched, dawdling, mellotron-like synth melody of “Loving Farm” sounds like, if it isn’t referencing that idea directly, it’s at least appropriating it for the purposes of catchy pop. Perhaps the same could be said for “Some Written”, the light vibrato on its piano conjuring faint images of the seaside. Because of all this, the album feels playful and childlike. ‘The Look” and “We Broke Free” typify the album’s “bounce”, its willingness to indulge in light-heartedness perfectly.

In that sense, The English Riviera is nicely in line with a tradition of British psychedelia that saw Syd Barrett lead Pink Floyd with songs like “See Emily Play”and “Arnold Layne”, and Blur get away with instrumental fanfares like Parklife’s ‘The Debt Collector” and “Lot 105″. It’s fair to say that because of this tradition (and also the language associations of the album’s name), this album feels “English”: It has a sense of Englishness that people might associate with Pulp, The Kinks, early Pink Floyd and Blur, and maybe even The Beatles.

Of course, Metronomy have never been a Britpop band: They deal in electronica. Fans of their first two albums won’t be disappointed to know that the engine here is still a mix of gently pulsing drum beats and keyboards played to a decent, genre-defined tempo. But there does seem to be something a little more English about this album than others. It’ll be interesting to see if this gets Metronomy more fans in their homeland and whether that changes their fanbase.

The nominees for 2011 were announced earlier this morning and notables include Adele’s 21, PJ Harvey’s Let England Shake (she previously won in 2001 for Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea), James Blake’s self-titled debut, and Tinie Tempah’s Disc-Overy. You can check out the complete list of nominees below.

The winner will be announced on September 6th and along with bragging rights, the prize includes £20,000.

Also, per At Ease, an interesting tidbit: Though Radiohead has never won the Mercury Prize, The King of Limbs is the band’s first album since Kid A to not receive a nomination.

Mercury Prize 2011 Nominees:
Adele – 21
Ana Calvi – Ana Calvi
Elbow – Build A Rocket Boys!
Everything Everything – Man Alive
Ghost Poet – Peanutbutter and Melancholy Blues
Gwilym Simcock – Good Days At Schloss Elmau
James Blake – James Blake
Katy B – On A Mission
King Creosote & Jon Hopkins – Diamond Mines
Metronomy – The English Riviera
PJ Harvey – Let England Shake
Tinie Tempah – Disc-Overy

With their third album, La Liberación, out on Cooperative Music this August, Brazilian electro-rockers CSS are in promotion mode big-time. But with their U.S. tour set to wrap at the Metro in Chicago tomorrow night, the group is going to need a new way to generate some buzz. Proving themselves to be genius yet decidedly wholesome entrepreneurs, the five-piece have put together a mixtape entitled Songs for Cooking.

As if the title wasn’t obvious enough, it’s a playlist that lasts long enough (just under 50 minutes) to cook the band’s “Heavy Chocolaty Cookies That Will Remain Melted Inside Until Few Days Later” cookies (did Mrs. Fields ever bake those?). Said mix features delectable sonic offerings from L7, Ratatat, Dinosaur Jr., The Kills, Metronomy, and many more. Now, put on your best apron, crank those tunes, and channel Julia Child while you jam out. Bon appetit!

Check out the mix, the tracklist, and the recipe below. La Liberación hits stores August 29th via the Cooperative Music network.

Check Out:
“Songs for Cooking”

Pesacov is joined by Luke Top and other musicians who have played with bands like We Are Scientists and the Fall. The sound on the band’s self-titled debut is global in its reach. With American indie rock meeting the pop workings of Argentina and beyond, it’s American world music done with an international tinge. Their video for the song “Surprise Hotel”, which moves along with a rhythm culled from Paul Simon via Graceland, features elderly food fights, dogs, bikini clad sax players, and tons of other stuff you’d expect to see in a wacky Dutch student art film possibly influenced by Weekend At Bernie’s. And if that weren’t enough, the band hit the road last week for a two-month long adventure with Metronomy alongside Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros.

The self-titled debut is out now on IAMSOUND!

Fool’s Gold 2009 Tour Dates:
10/08 – La Jolla, CA @ The Loft – UC San Diego ^^^
10/09 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Roxy Theatre ^^^
10/10 – San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill ^^^
10/11 – Portland, OR @ Holocene ^^^
10/12 – Seattle, WA @ Nectar Lounge ^^^
10/13 – Vancouver, BC @ The Red Room ^^^
10/16 – Brooklyn, NY @ Cameo
10/17 – New York, NY @ Cake Shop w/ Lemonade
10/18 – Brooklyn, NY @ Sycamore
10/19 – New York, NY @ Knitting Factory w/ Ocote Soul Sound
10/21 – New York, NY @ Bowery Poetry Club – IAMSOUND CMJ Showcase
10/29 – Los Angeles, CA @ Westfield Century City – KCRW’s World Music on the Terrace
11/10 – Nashville, TN @ 3rd & Lindsley ***
11/11 – Athens, GA @ 40 Watt Club ***
11/14 – Charlottesville, VA @ IS Venue ***
11/15 – Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church ***
11/16 – Washington, DC @ Black Cat ***
11/17 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom ***
11/21 – Northampton, MA @ Pearl Street Downstairs ***
11/22 – Burlington, VT @ Club Metronome ***
11/23 – Montreal, QC @ Petit Campus ***
11/24 – Toronto, ON @ El Mocambo Club ***
11/27 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall ***
11/28 – Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon ***
11/29 – Minneapolis, MN @ The Varsity Theater ***
12/01 – Boulder, CO @ Boulder Theater ***
12/02 – Telluride, CO @ Sheridan Opera House ***
12/10 – Eugene, OR @ WOW Hall ***

^^^ – with Metronomy
*** – with Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros

Busdriver 2009 Tour Dates:

In support of his latest studio album, Jhelli Beam, Regan Farquhar, aka Busdriver, will hop on the tour bus later this month (pun intended) to embark on a month long North American. Joining the hip-hopper for the cross country trek will be fellow LA rapper and Good Life Café/Project Blowed alumnus, Abstract Rude. Tickets for select dates are available via Ticketmaster.com.

08/28 – Sacramento, CA @ Blue Lamp *
08/29 – Portland, OR @ Rotture *
08/30 – Seattle, WA @ Chop Suey *
08/31 – Bellingham, WA @ Nightlight *
09/01 – Vancouver, BC @ Media Club *
09/03 – Boise, ID @ Neurolux *
09/04 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge *
09/05 – Denver, CO @ Bluebird *
09/06 – Lawrence, KS @ Jackpot *
09/07 – Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock *
09/08 – Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle *
09/09 – Cincinnati, OH @ Northside Tavern *
09/10 – Columbus, OH @ Circus *
09/11 – Toronto, ON @ El Mocambo *
09/12 – Montreal, QC @ Il Motore *
09/14 – Boston, MA @ Middle East *
09/15 – New York, NY @ Santos Party House *
09/16 – Philadelphia, PA @ Kungfu Necktie *
09/18 – Baltimore, MD @ Talking Head *
09/19 – Washington, DC @ DC9
09/20 – Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506 *
09/22 – Knoxville, TN @ Pilot Light *
09/23 – Birmingham, AL @ Bottletree *
09/25 – Dallas, TX @ Cavern *
09/26 – Austin, TX @ Red 7 *
09/27 – Houston, TX @ Walter’s *
09/28 – San Antonio, TX @ White Rabbit *
09/30 – El Paso, TX @ Black Market *
10/01 – Phoenix, AZ @ Club Red *

* = w/ Abstract Rude

The Revival Tour 2009 Tour Dates:

The second annual Revival Tour is set to launch on October 13th in Louisville, Kentucky and will run until November 21st before ending in St. Petersburg, Florida. Drawing from a diverse group of established musicians in indie Americana, rock, punk, Irish folk, Cajun, zydeco and blue, this year’s edition will feature the talents of Hot Water Music’s Chuck Ragan, Avail’s Tim Barry, Frank Turner, The Loved One’s Dave Hause, Sparta’s Jim Ward, and others. Tickets will go on sale beginning Friday, August 7th via Ticketmaster.com.

10/13 – Louisville, KY @ Skull Alley
10/14 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle
10/15 – Richmond, VA @ The Downstairs Lounge
10/16 – Baltimore, MD @ Sonar
10/17 – New York, NY @ Blender Theatre
10/18 – Asbury Park, NJ @ Asbury Lanes
10/19 – Cambridge, MA @ The Middle East
10/20 – Philadelphia, PA @ Trocadero
10/23 – Pontiac, MI @ Eagle Theatre
10/25 – Chicago, IL @ Reggie’s Rock Club
10/26 – Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock
10/28 – Denver, CO @ Marquis Theatre
10/29 – Salt Lake City, UT @ In The Venue
10/31 – Seattle, WA @ El Corazon
11/01 – Portland, OR @ Berbati’s Pan
11/05 – Sacramento, CA @ Blue Lamp
11/06 – San Francisco, CA @ Slim’s
11/07 – Los Angeles, CA @ El Red Theatre
11/08 – San Diego, CA @ Casbah
11/09 – Las Vegas, NV @ Beauty Bar
11/10 – Tempe, AZ @ The Sets
11/12 – El Paso, TX @ Take 2
11/13 – Austin, TX @ Red 7
11/14 – Dallas, TX @ The Door
11/15 – Little Rock, AR @ Juanita’s Cantina Ballroom
11/16 – Memphis, TN @ Hi-Tone Cafe
11/17 – New Orleans, LA @ One Eyed Jacks
11/18 – Birmingham, AL @ Bottletree Cafe
11/19 – Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade
11/20 – Gainesville, FL @ Common Grounds
11/21 – St. Petersburg, FL @ State Theatre
11/22 – Orlando, FL @ The Social

Fool’s Gold 2009 Tour Dates:

On September, the 10-person Los Angeles collective known as Fool’s Gold will unveil its debut self-titled full-length. In support of the release, the outfit has mapped out a few U.S. tour dates, highlighted by a west coast trek with Metronomy in October and a five night stint in New York shortly thereafter (venues to be announced).

08/22 – Sliver Lake, CA @ Sunset Junction Street Fair
09/19 – Chicago, IL @ World Music Festival
09/20 – Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge #
10/03 – Joshua Tree, CA @ Manimal Festival
10/08 – La Jolla, CA @ The Loft *
10/10 – San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill *
10/11 – Portland, OR @ Holocene *
10/12 – Seattle, WA @ Nectar Lounge *
10/13 – Vancouver, BC @ The Red Room *
10/15-20 – New York, NY @ TBA

# = w/ BLK JKS
* = w/ Metromnomy