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Who made that craft beer vs Miller comparison earlier? I guess this would be, what, Blue Moon? Wild.
The lineup is fine. Not mind-blowing, compared to what you would expect with the Coachella brand name, but the acts are nice. Copped presale, I'll be there W2.
A few first glance thoughts: Hope they put Vince on the main in the late afternoon. Hope it's SZA > War on Drugs at the Outdoor, or vice versa. Hope it's Kelela in the Mojave vs the Weeknd. Post Malone is a second liner? Beyoncé. Hope Cardi closes the Mojave. Miguel would be a sweet sunset Outdoor act. It's gotta be Migos > ODESZA > Em, right? Kamasi is cool but Thundercat is cooler. Princess Nokia will be great. Man, there's a real dropoff on Sunday.
Here are my initial thoughts on the lineup. Overall, it’s about what was to be expected after the headliners leaked. Hard to possess any strong feelings about this lineup upon initial review. Is it good? I guess. Is it bad? I guess. It’s simultaneously going to be an objectively great weekend of music while the Coachella-as-H&M-sponsored-YASS QUEEN-party-fest jokes have never been easier to write. I’d be surprised if a state-side +35k capacity fest beats it this year (excluding FYF, D4N, etc.), but that says more about the state of U.S. fests today than anything.
THE GOOD
The lineup is – as always – stacked with a plethora of talent that sometimes gets obstructed by some of the garbage sitting next to it (or, at least since 2013). Just on Friday there’s Jamiroquai (sadly, would have been this year’s “oh shit!” booking had it not been spoiled, but that’s the scoop game for you), St. Vincent, The War on Drugs, SZA, Vince Staples, Soulwax, and Jean-Michel Jarre in the first line and a half (for my money that 7 for 9 hit rate is the best batting average for a Coachella lineup day in years). Saturday has David Byrne, Chic, and Fleet Foxes, Sunday has A Perfect Circle, King Krule, and the surprise return of Kamasi Washington after only two years. On top of that, for the second year they’ve done a good job at hitting the Pitchfork-core in the bottom lines – Perfume Genius, Kelela, Big Thief, Moses Sumney, Priests, Japanese Breakfast, and others dominated the 2017 Best Of conversation, with many showing potential staying power. (Side note: if the lineup was only the ~15-20 names I’ve mentioned so far in some remote European town, everyone would be hooting and hollering about booking flights.) Lastly, for the most part we have been spared from large EDM shows; Kygo and ODESZA aside, we have no Chainsmokers, no Zedd, no Diplo, nothing on the second line from the DJ/EDM scene. Even a hallowed lineup like 2012 had David Guetta, Kaskade, and Miike Snow on the same second line with Sebastian Ingrosso right below.
THE BAD
It’s become evident that festival saturation is hurting the rock bookings at this fest. QOTSA gets scooped up to headline a couple butt rock fests and some spring training baseball (?!) fest in Arizona, Phoenix headlines Air + Sound vs. taking a demotion to sub-headline here, Bottle Rock gets an act or two for their top line that would have formerly been at Coachella (AM? The National?), certain acts are probably held over by GV for Arroyo Seco, and all of a sudden a seemingly diverse crop of rock sub-headliners gets dried up quickly. Maybe the fest is continuing to make a conscious decision to move away from rock and roll and toward pop/hip hop, but the current festival landscape is also forcing itself upon even an 800-pound gorilla like Coachella. Additionally, this year is easily, undoubtedly the worst Top Six in Coachella history. While Beyonce is a great headliner booking, she fits the profile of a standard “#1 overall” (rare stadium act making a highly anticipated performance) and the Top Six falls off from there. Eminem is a poor, unnecessary use of capital and awkward fit on a lineup clearly catering to be progressive, to a progressive audience (honestly don’t know if I can listen to some of these lyrics in 2018). The Weeknd also feels redundant and unnecessary, and even if he introduces 10-12 more hazy songs about having druggy sex by April, I’m not sure that changes that fact (ala Kung Fu Kenny last year). HAIM and ODESZA get ridiculous GV favorites teacher pet billings (maybe also the benefit of GV blowing so much money on Em?), and I would have found SZA being the first name on the third line to be more likely than first name on the second line hours ago. Also, Post Malone.
THE UGLY
Every year Coachella is and has an opportunity. While amazing stuff happens at other American festivals, it doesn’t happen as frequently and with as much meaning as it does at Coachella (barf all you want, Launchy). Whether it’s the first show of a reunion tour, an amazing set of diverse headliners not playing 18 other Live Nation festivals, a surprise undercard booking, etc., amazing lineup surprises just seem to happen regularly at Coachella. This year with Beyonce on the card, it feels like they’ve dropped the ball a bit by failing to take a major risk knowing they have goodwill stored up from everyone who bought presale tickets. Why not throw back the clock and book Bjork or Nine Inch Nails to headline? Why not take a risk on promoting Arctic Monkeys or The National? If you’re going to tank the budget, why not give it to Depeche Mode, Phil Collins, or spend the year trying to make another magic miracle reunion happen? Sadly, we all kind of know the answers to this. When “Starboy” comes on around 12:30 AM on Saturday morning, and 100,000 people scream in unison, the cheer will be multitudes louder than any cheer any R.E.M. song would elicit – that, frankly, is the “magic” GV is interested in making today.
Thundercat's more hit-or-miss live than Kamasi is. The highs are higher, but when they're off or when the crowd's not as into it the show becomes notably less exciting in a way that I haven't experienced with Kamasi.
Post by Nautical Disaster on Jan 3, 2018 0:09:14 GMT -5
When people realize this lineup f*cking SUCKS, and quit feeding the beast, only then will festivals begin to have life again. This is Coachella, not some state fair. It is nowhere near mind blowing. Uggg. All hope lost.
When people realize this lineup f*cking SUCKS, and quit feeding the beast, only then will festivals begin to have life again. This is Coachella, not some state fair. It is nowhere near mind blowing. Uggg. All hope lost.
Not their best but there's definitely plenty to watch everyday. Pretty disapointing though that it seems like there aren't many Sonora type bands on the lineup, I was hoping they'd bring back that stage.
Initial standouts Friday: Sza, Jamiroquai, St Vincent, The War on Drugs, Vince Staples, Soulwax, Jean-Michel Jarre, Los Angeles Azules, Maceo Plex, Kelela, Perfume Genius, Detroit Love, Helado Negro Saturday: David Byrne, Fleet Foxes, Angel Olsen, Jungle, Brockhampton, Alvvays, Black Madona, Benjamin Booker, Flatbush Zombies, Big Thief, Oh Sees, Hundred Waters, Priests, Sunday: Eminem, Cardi B, King Krule, Kamasi Washington, Jamie Jones, Kamaiyah, Fidlar, Ibeyi, Motor City Drum Ensemble, Princess Nokia, Noname, Chris Liebing, Talobman, Kolsch
I've been planning on going to this, and I think I still am?
The second line definitely feels lacking, just like it did last year, but in a more extreme way. It's not that I don't like a good bit of stuff there (Jamiroquai, Byrne, Vince, et al). I would just expect some of it to be on the third line. If I saw a mock with HAIM as the first act on the third line, or SZA, it would make more sense to me than this. HAIM are an imminently forgettable live act, and SZA has one album. Lorde was in a similar spot last year. She's way bigger and like 100x better live than HAIM is. I don't mean to trash SZA or anything. She's just so new.
Quick aside: I listened to APC in middle school and have a lot of love for them, but legitimately who cares? I'm pretty floored they didn't get something like NIN or QOTSA, maybe Arctic Monkeys. That's a massive bummer.
But I have enough faith in Coachella that I think with a little research I'll be super into a bunch of these acts that I haven't heard of. I just hope it's not literally all Yuma stuff.
Thoughts on Yuma? nothing too left field but I think it's a good lineup. I'm excited for: Avalon Emerson Bedouin Black Coffee Detroit Love Jackmaster Joseph Capriati Kolsch Maceo Plex (Live) <<-- What does this mean? Michael Mayer MCDE Omar S Pachanga Boys (just realized this is Rebolledo and Superpitcher) Peggy Gou TBM Yaeji
Saturday is really the problem for me. Jungle would be sweet but I’ll likely have a chance to catch them somewhere else. Brockhampton would be cool. There’s really just not enough on Fri/Sat for me to make just those two days work. Friday would be a great day, but just not worth the expense. Hopefully I can find a chance to catch Soulwax. I’ll have my eyes on the weekday GV shows. Sunday in the Yuma is where it’s at though (Kolsch, MCDE, Michael Mayer, Hannah Wants, Jamie Jones, etc). I could def make a day out of that.
Saturday is really the problem for me. Jungle would be sweet but I’ll likely have a chance to catch them somewhere else. Brockhampton would be cool. There’s really just not enough on Fri/Sat for me to make just those two days work. Friday would be a great day, but just not worth the expense. Hopefully I can find a chance to catch Soulwax. I’ll have my eyes on the weekday GV shows. Sunday in the Yuma is where it’s at though (Kolsch, MCDE, Michael Mayer, Hannah Wants, Jamie Jones, etc). I could def make a day out of that.
I'm in love with this reality in which Pussy Riot does not play Coachella but plays Hangout in Gulf Shores, Alabamy.
You think AEG is just fucking with Alabama?
I hope so? Phillip Anschutz is solidly conservative and likes making money so I'm skeptical, but then again Gulf Shores (and Baldwin County) have come to depend on Hangout as a major revenue source. The locals would have little (if any) leverage over the lineup.
Saturday is really the problem for me. Jungle would be sweet but I’ll likely have a chance to catch them somewhere else. Brockhampton would be cool. There’s really just not enough on Fri/Sat for me to make just those two days work. Friday would be a great day, but just not worth the expense. Hopefully I can find a chance to catch Soulwax. I’ll have my eyes on the weekday GV shows. Sunday in the Yuma is where it’s at though (Kolsch, MCDE, Michael Mayer, Hannah Wants, Jamie Jones, etc). I could def make a day out of that.
Saturday is really the problem for me. Jungle would be sweet but I’ll likely have a chance to catch them somewhere else. Brockhampton would be cool. There’s really just not enough on Fri/Sat for me to make just those two days work. Friday would be a great day, but just not worth the expense. Hopefully I can find a chance to catch Soulwax. I’ll have my eyes on the weekday GV shows. Sunday in the Yuma is where it’s at though (Kolsch, MCDE, Michael Mayer, Hannah Wants, Jamie Jones, etc). I could def make a day out of that.
But Saturday is the best day...
Not for me. Don't care about Beyonce, Haim, or Fleet Foxes. I'm burned out on Chromeo, Django, and alt-j. I've seen David Byrne and don't care enough to travel for Chic. I've had/have plenty of chances to see Tyler and Black Madonna. Oj Sees are all over. That day would be mostly about Jungle and Brockhampton for me and I"ll probably have another chance to see them.
Not for me. Don't care about Beyonce, Haim, or Fleet Foxes. I'm burned out on Chromeo, Django, and alt-j. I've seen David Byrne and don't care enough to travel for Chic. I've had/have plenty of chances to see Tyler and Black Madonna. Oj Sees are all over. That day would be mostly about Jungle and Brockhampton for me and I"ll probably have another chance to see them.
If Yuma Sunday were on Saturday I would be down.
I mean you'll probably have another chance to see just about any artist on any festival lineup...
Saturday is really the problem for me. Jungle would be sweet but I’ll likely have a chance to catch them somewhere else. Brockhampton would be cool. There’s really just not enough on Fri/Sat for me to make just those two days work. Friday would be a great day, but just not worth the expense. Hopefully I can find a chance to catch Soulwax. I’ll have my eyes on the weekday GV shows. Sunday in the Yuma is where it’s at though (Kolsch, MCDE, Michael Mayer, Hannah Wants, Jamie Jones, etc). I could def make a day out of that.
wait are you actually not going to go now? lmao
Melt already covered a lot over our bases. Gonna settle up on a California adventure with the family that weekend instead. My headliner may very well be the giant sequoia. It's also convenient that Day for Night is just so awesome.
Not for me. Don't care about Beyonce, Haim, or Fleet Foxes. I'm burned out on Chromeo, Django, and alt-j. I've seen David Byrne and don't care enough to travel for Chic. I've had/have plenty of chances to see Tyler and Black Madonna. Oj Sees are all over. That day would be mostly about Jungle and Brockhampton for me and I"ll probably have another chance to see them.
If Yuma Sunday were on Saturday I would be down.
I mean you'll probably have another chance to see just about any artist on any festival lineup...
That's not necessarily true. I will probably miss out on Soulwax all together now and I've been waiting years (much like Moderat last year). And I definitely won't have the chance to catch them in a run with a collective of other artists like Moon Boots > Detroit Love > Vince Staples > Black Coffee > Jamiroquai > Jarre > Carpenter Brut > etc.
I just don't see them playing too many festival dates or hitting Texas at this point.
Saturday is extremely top heavy and Sunday is extremely bottom heavy imo.
Yaeji, Big Thief, Oh Sees, Hundred Waters, Cherry Glazerr, Mild High Club, Priests, and Ron Gallo don't do enough for ya?
Big Thief might be the worst concert I saw all year. Would be down for Yaeji, Oh Sees, MHC and Priests. +Jackmaster, Bedouin, Pachanga Boys
Sunday bottom three lines of Talaboman, Joseph Capriati, Kolsch, Japanese Breakfast, Michael Mayer, Omar S, Peggy Gou, Rolling Blackouts is much stronger for me though.
