Coachella 2016 Weekend 1 Recap: Top 10 Performances
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Coachella 2016 Weekend 1 Recap: Top 10 Performances

From dance music to experimental hip-hop, I got you covered.

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Coachella 2016 Weekend 1 Recap: Top 10 Performances
Saeli Eshelman

Despite the fact that in my review of last year's Coachella I asserted that I had my best festival experience to date, I am now revising that statement to read "Coachella 2016 was my best festival ever."

Now because of my constant promising that Coachella is an experience about the music for me, I must admit that this year was the best not because the lineup was especially phenomenal but because I think I made it to more shows I intended to catch than I ever have before. In other words, I knew that this year's lineup left much to be desired amongst the bigger names on the schedule, but had many smaller shows I was happy to catch (despite the fact that they were a less edgy accumulation of new music from the year and more a bunch of nostalgia trips) and overall, I totally did!

Also, being 21 for this year's festival sure didn't hurt, as I had a delicious twist on a Moscow Mule flowing throughout the hot and windy the weekend, with a couple of craft beers and a Bloody Mary or two to boot.

So, without further ado, let me present to you my top 10 shows at this year's Coachella with some honorable (and dishonorable) mentions below.

1. LCD Soundsystem

Let's start with my absolute top show of the weekend: LCD Soundsystem. LCD Soundsystem are alternative dance-rockers (if that is even a genre category) who started out in the early 2000s and disbanded in 2011. However, in December 2015, they released a new Christmas song together, which kicked off a reunion tour that includes stops at a number of festivals, such as FYF Fest, Lollapalooza, Outside Lands, Glastonbury and Coachella, which they were the Friday headliner for.

Essentially this set was a collection of all of their greatest hits from a number of their albums, and they killed it. The set list went as such: "Get Innocuous," "I Can Change," "Daft Punk Is Playing at My House," "Us Vs. Them," "You Wanted a Hit," "Tribulations," "Movement," "Yeah," "Someone Great," "Losing My Edge," "Home," "New York I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down," "Dance Yrself Clean," and "All My Friends." I was there from beginning to end and danced the entire time, despite a completely full Red Bull getting thrown at my back mid-show, covering me in a nice sticky sheen. They also made a tip of the hat to two of our recently fallen musical icons: David Bowie and Prince. I was there Weekend 1 and got to hear a beautiful rendeition of Bowie's "Heroes" that had many of the older fans in the crowd with misty eyes, and for Weekend 2, they took on Prince's "Controversy."

Beyond the fact that they sounded great, their banter with the crowd was self-deprecatingly funny, noting that if they could stop talking, we'd get to hear more songs! And the way they were disjointedly filmed for the big screens made the show worth watching as a sort of concert film, even if you couldn't get that close, making it a kick-ass experience for anyone who could get involved.

The one unfortunate thing about this show, though, was the rather underwhelming size of the crowd. Usually headliners on the main stage pack in bodies going to essentially the back of the field space, spilling into the beer garden and toward the other big stage. But with Skrillex and Diplo's new DJ outfit Jack Ü playing on the adjacent Outdoor Stage at the same time, it seemed like all of the youths (which I should technically be a part of) decided to spend their time with a very different kind of dance music, snubbing the more intellectual and self-aware concepts put forth by LCD Soundsystem.

2. Sufjan Stevens

Another Friday night standout was freak folk (and sometimes just normal indie folk) multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens. I've been a fan of Stevens since early in high school, but until Coachella, I had only seen him once before at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles for his classical project "Planetarium." While this show was impressive in its own right, it wasn't exactly Stevens standing there and performing his music; instead he had a string quartet play a small selection of his songs instrumentally, reimagining them in a classical context. He followed this with a series of songs he had written for each of the planets as a sphere hovered above the performers, with the surface of each planet projected accordingly.

In short, I was excited to get to hear him perform his music in a more straightforward way, but that is not what I got at his set on the Outdoor Stage. Instead he opened with a technicolor outfit that sprouted wings as he played the religious-imagery laden "Seven Swans," calling our congregation a church of sorts, and breaking his banjo. He was flocked by equally neon-clad dancers (and a horn section), who changed outfits with Stevens nearly every song. Some of these outfits were completely metallic, some covered in balloons.

Nearly all of his songs were reinterpreted to a slightly more electronic or dance-y feel, including "All of Me Wants All of You" from his understated 2015 album, "Carrie & Lowell." At times he even used autotune! And there were moments set aside for dance, drum and horn solos. With all of this motion between Stevens and his dancers to his newly energized music, he fell twice.

Behind this cacophony of sound and sensory overload the screen was filled with a number of visuals depending on the subject matter being addressed in the music: at times there were candid shots of the performers and dancers and at times stop-motion animation. The visual correspondence helped make the show conceptually transparent in spite of its clear complexity.

Overall, this set was very intense on really any sensory level, but it was also beautiful, conceptually cohesive and inspired. There were even "AirDancers," alternatively referred to (as Wikipedia informed me) as "Wacky-Wavy-Inflatable-Arm-Flailing-Tube-Men," and really what more could you ask for when someone plays even freakier interpretations of freak folk music?

3. Run the Jewels

Run the Jewels is a rap duo comprised of rapper/producer El-P and rapper Killer Mike. I’ve been listening to their politically conscious beats for a while now, and they were a stand out act for me at both Coachella and FYF last year. In previous reviews of their work, I’ve said, “to give you an idea of their rapping prowess, one need look no further than Kendrick Lamar's Killer Mike shoutout on the song "Hood Politics" off his most recent album, "Critics want to mention that they miss when hip hop was rappin’/ Motherfucker, if you did, then Killer Mike'd be platinum.” However, most of you may know Killer Mike better as an outspoken supporter of Bernie Sander’s candidacy for the Democratic nomination for president, having vocally supported him on a number of talk shows, as well as fielding post-speech questions by reporters. But at Coachella, Sanders decided to return the favor. I was delighted as I heard Sanders’ voice projected through the crowd, as a pre-taped video he recorded introduced the band. So delighted that I couldn't help but make a Facebook status about it.

In it, Sanders discussed his friendship with Killer Mike, the importance of the music he was making to the politics he supports, and joked that he and El-P need to get to know each other better.

As expected by Killer Mike’s political involvement, their rapping was aggressive, confrontational, and lyrically deft, addressing real issues, such as police brutality and mass incarceration, making Sanders the perfect way to start their set. But they really won over the crowd with their performance skills, which combine their special brand of humor and energetic stage presence—something that is hard to with only two people on the main stage, although taking El-P out from behind a DJ set-up to rap alongside Killer Mike sure helped—keeping an open dialogue with fans, talking to us in between song breaks, and getting us involved in songs where they could. Not to mention, since this is their second Coachella booking in a row, they delighted with a number of new songs off their upcoming album, Run the Jewels 3. And they brought out a couple of great special guests, including rapper Nas and guitarist Gary Clark Jr., who had played on the same stage for the previous set. Even their famed logo, two mummified hands in the shape of a fist and gun (seen acted out in their photo above), got a performance upgrade, being turned into giant inflated balloons of some sort that were suspended above the stage throughout their performance.

In the end, though, beyond their impressive energy and song-crafting skills, I was most impressed by the dedication of my fellow RTJ fans. The crowd was a sea of red, with people holding branded flags, bandanas, posters, etc. I, too, bought a shirt soon after this set so I wouldn’t miss out on an opportunity to express both my musical and political tastes in one article of clothing. In one recap of their performance that I read, someone pointed out that it looked more like a political rally than a concert, and that couldn’t make me prouder to have been in attendance.

4. Kamasi Washington

Kamasi Washington is a jazz saxophonist, band leader, and producer who most recently came to prominence with his critically acclaimed album The Epic, as well as his work on Kendrick Lamar’s most recent album (To Pimp a Butterfly). With this in mind, I was very excited for this show, as some people have been questioning whether this is the first true jazz performance that Coachella has slotted, and also a little nervous that fellow fans of Lamar’s would show up expecting hip-hop and be disappointed by Washington’s funky, chewy, and often-times experimental jazz. Luckily, I was correct in my assumption of his work’s complexity, but wrongly assumed the crowd, which congregated on the hottest day of the weekend to have an amazing time together, with people dancing in the sun’s direct rays, including the lively band—although I did notice many of the members ducking into the shadows of the stage when they could, something I only wished I could do considering my incredibly pale complexion.

Washington was able to prove himself as a band leader almost by the amount of people he accumulated alone: there were keytars, horns, flute (played by Washington’s own father, no less), standup bass, trombone, drums, singers, and, of course, some sexy sax. The fact that the track that stood out to me the most was “Abraham” by upright bassist Miles Mosley, featuring Patrice Quinn as the vocalist, is testament to the community spirit created between these musicians and friends under the leadership of Washington. At one point, he even noted that his band is simply made up of all the people he knows who have something to musically contribute. He took this one step further when introducing a “dialogue” between his two drummers on the song “Magnificent Seven,” saying, “I have as many drummers as I have friends who play the drums,” before the two battled it out in polyrhythm.

And between the intuitive dancing of Quinn, the “Make America Decent Again” hat worn by keytarist Professor Boogie, and the numerous berets I sighted on both horn players and festival-goers in the crowd Washington and his clan proved themselves as not only incredibly talented musicians, but also performers, and friends. Sure, I had a blast grooving to their talented musical chops, but the vibe they let off, both individually and as a group was palpable and seemed to give a peek at what drives passion and truth in music: other musical and expressive people.

5. Matt and Kim

Now, I know that I keep saying that I’ve been a fan of all of these bands for years, and while I’ve truly meant it each time before, I really mean it when talking about Matt and Kim. Matt and Kim are an indie dance pop duo that I have found massive success with their upbeat, driving-in-your car-with-the-windows-down brand of dance music, and I have seen them live probably more than any other band—even those whose music I prefer!—at least in part because they are unbelievable performers. The first time I saw them was at my, and their, first Coachella experience in 2010; for clarification, they performed and I was only there as an attendee. At this particular show, they had a streaker, a fact they were quick to reminisce fondly about in their set this year, just one of the many jokes they made with their audience in their running comedy shtick. And even then they were intense performers with seemingly unbounded energy.

Seven years later, things haven’t changed much, except that they are now playing on the main stage. As I mentioned with Run the Jewels, this can be a hard venue for a two-person act. The Black Keys played the main stage for their first Coachella and struggled to bring to the stage the physicality necessary to engage a huge crowd on a huge stage. But they quickly learned their lesson and came back for their second Coachella spin as seasoned pros, completely changing the musical experience as an audience member. Matt and Kim have never seemed to have this problem. They are literally the most energetic and happy performers I’ve ever seen, standing on their respective instruments: a keyboard (stool) and drums. But that’s just where the energy starts, they could also be found running across the stage shooting confetti cannons into the crowd and for a moment Kim stood on fans' hands to twerk. Some of the energy came directly from their interactions with the crowd, too; they encouraged the creation of multiple mosh pits, played a number of memes as their background “art” (including some of Aziz Ansari from Parks and Rec, which easily made me giggle), and ended the set by telling people to get “weird” and take their shirts off, as they did when I saw them at the Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles in 2011.

Luckily, their music more than lends itself to this sort of chaos, with a number of hit singles that people love to shout the words to and dance along with—both of which I did throughout this set. But they also love to make other well-known songs their own. For Weekend 1 this included a cover of Rihanna and Jay Z’s 2007 hit “Umbrella” and running entries and exits to some rap. Throughout it all, they wore smiles on their face, clearly joyful from the entertainment they were bringing to others, and ended things off embracing. Did I mention they’ve also been a couple for forever? Because they have, and their love for each other and the work they do on a daily basis is infectious. I actually only follow them on social media to voyeuristically keep myself up-to-date on their happiness. Their fun becomes everyone else’s fun, and this show was a perfect reminder of that.

6. St. Germain

Wow. Where to even begin? St. Germain (or Ludovic Navarre) a French electronica musician who Wikipedia describes as combining house and nu jazz music—which is a level of musical sophistication I would not have expected from Wikipedia. The reason I had to look this up is because when I walked into the tent for which "he" was scheduled, I happened upon a full African (Mali, specifically) band who put on a crazy world house music experience unlike really any live show I've ever seen before. All of the vocals were looped, but the music was performed live, with the help of some synth work by Navarre in the background.

And when I say "perform," I really mean it. Not only were smiles ever-present but the musical interactions between the band were palpable and the groove they had going as a collective unit was amazing to witness. They had group dances that they would even bust out every now and again with some line shuffle/trot choreography as well as clapping routines.

Everyone in the audience seemed to be having such a good time, and those who were passing this tent to get to the EDM one down the line would hear vague sounds of house and pop their heads in occasionally, joining in on the fun.

7. Foals

Foals are an English indie rock band that I have been jamming out to since their debut album Antidotes, released in 2007. I have fond memories of driving to and from high school, years later, with this grungy (almost haunting) set of tracks blasting. While their most recent album What Went Down has gotten a lot of radio play, especially the single “Mountain At My Gates,” and turned away from a more alternative sound, I can’t say that I dislike where they are headed: to becoming the indie rock gods they have always deserved to become. And their performance on the main stage proved why, with them playing a number of songs off of Antidotes, as well as a slew of newer material to a huge crowd for a show that took place with a significant amount of sun and heat still in the day.

They were crunchy and raw, passionately showing off their musical skills and the emotionality driving it. Unfortunately, they caught cut off in a moment of crowd surfing bliss—damn Coachella and their strict set times! Overall though, of all of the indie rock and indie folk rock bands I saw (and there were many) Foals impressed me the most, putting on a true rock show that I was as engaged in as other, more alternatively captivating artists. I got to dance and sing, so everyone was happy and everything was good. Plus they’re English and kind of sexy, so I don’t think that hurt their crowd appeal.

8. Disclosure

Disclosure are an English electronic duo who are one of the biggest names in dance music right now, producing a number of radio-ready tracks featuring big-name stars like Sam Smith, The Weeknd, and Lorde. I really got into Disclosure when I first came to college because you literally could not avoid their music at parties, so I started looking into some of their EPs and earlier work and found myself a real fan. That year they graced the Coachella stage, as well, but their show that year was rather disappointing, mostly because the sound simply wasn't loud enough, making it hard to enjoy music that you're supposed to feel resonate within your body, leaving it through dance. But of course, that was just more Weekend 1 luck, as every review I read from the second weekend praised the duo's success at the festival, naming them one of the top acts of the year.

So this year, after playing their most recent album Caracal slightly too often when I'm studying, I was determined to see them. And even though I only caught part of it, in order to make it to Unknown Mortal Orchestra and The Damned, I was very impressed with what I saw. With such a guest-heavy discography, their show was bound to be the same, and in the time I was there they brought out AlunaGeorge ("White Noise"), Lorde ("Magnets"), LION BABE ("Hourglass"), and Sam Smith ("Latch" and "Omen"). In essence they played hit after hit, with some of their biggest guest singers and I just danced my ass off. They paired all of this with great visuals and the crowd was hooked. An eternal job well done.

9. Death Grips

Death Grips is an experimental hip-hop/rap group that blends this sound with punk and electronica, as well, making for very complex and very loud music. They were set to play FYF two years but announced the band's disbanding only a month-or-so before the festival, and were replaced. Luckily, since then, they have released more music and announced a world tour that included their slating at FYF again last year, leaving them on my list of top performances of the festival . Here's a snippet from that review: "my group (which included a die-hard fan) and I felt it necessary to see them while we still could, and they did not disappoint. Their energy and physicality was off the walls, as was the crowd's, and my friend got to mosh her way all the way to the front (while I remained a little further back after the previous night's ordeal). She came back grinning over her positive experience, both as a spectator and with the other fans. " I forgot to mention in that review that she had also almost lost a shoe and was covered with dirt, but I don't think that dulled her post-mosh buzz. Essentially their shows are crazy and crazy intense, a huge adrenaline rush and surprisingly easy to move your body to, and this performance was no different. With Flume on at a competing time, though, the turn-out was sadly underwhelming. But the people who were there seemed to be highly into it and I was entranced as always by their effortless yet unique sound, leaving me to encourage non-fans to stay with me for a little longer so I could dance.

Their performance level is off the charts and the physicality of it matches the sound, visually expressing their music, which makes them incredible to watch live. Also, they had a great visual of a tongue wiggling furiously just playing the whole time on the screens that flanked the stage, almost syncing to the music more often than not. I Snapchatted it, so clearly that was my highlight in the moment.

10. Sia

For anyone who does not know Sia she is an Australian (kind of pop) singer, and songwriter for a number of very famous chart-topping stars like Rihanna and Beyonce—although her early career was far more alternative. And for anyone who knows my taste in music, Sia is probably the last artist you’d expect to me to put in a top 10 list for really any musical accomplishment. Her voice is incredible, but her style and sound (besides her one indie rock single “Breathe Me” and work with the band Zero 7) do not generally appeal to me, as pop is simply not my thing. I hugely respect her as a conceptual artist, though, as her lyrics are powerful and vulnerable, and the visual artistic (and choreographic) style she ties to her songs makes them infinitely more impactful.

As such, I was astounded, like nearly every other Coachella reviewer by Sia’s dedication to maintaining this cohesive artistic vision—of which music is only a part—for her performance on the main stage. She brought many of her more famous music videos and previous live or televised performances into the desert, with familiar choreography and many familiar faces, including actors Paul Dano and Kristen Wiig, comedian Tig Notaro, alongside everyone’s new favorite young modern (pre-taped) dancer: Maddie Ziegler.

I also happened to be on a raised art installation during part of her show, and getting to look out over the staggering crowd standing in awe of this amazing spectacle unfolding on stage made me pretty happy about the state of pop music, showing it to often times be more complex and challenging than people give it credit for. Also, did I mention her voice is incredible? Because it’s really something else, it’s sheer magnitude seemed capable of moving mountains and her willingness to expose her flaws and demons in a triumphant way in her stories is truly inspiring. For all of this, she deserves all of the attention reviewers have been giving her, now me included.

Honorable mentions (in alphabetical order):

1. A$AP Rocky

I love hip-hop artist A$AP Rocky mostly for the aural landscapes he creates with his music production, but also because I'm quite attracted to him and his constantly on-point fashion game. In essence, I was very excited to see him live. Unfortunately, things got off to a rough start pretty early on, with A$AP going on almost 20 minutes late—we later found out that this was due to technological complications resulting from the windstorm that had been raging all day, and that his show almost had to be canceled. When he finally did start, though, the performance was intro-ed by a slightly off-kilter Juliette Lewis in an airline-safety style video and then the stage setup, with a large platform traversing most of the stage was revealed as well. The whole thing was very cool, but try as he might, not all of the audio issues were fixed, leaving the production value rather underwhelming on a number of tracks. I ended up leaving only to find out later that rap god Kanye West had made an appearance (as well as ScHoolboy Q). At first, I was pissed at a missed opportunity to see Yeezy for the second time, but it turns out the sound problems hit him the hardest, as his mic was completely off during his almost four-minute performance of "Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 2," a track off his latest album The Life of Pablo. Overall though, A$AP killed it despite the problems, putting on the best show he could in the face of a number of obstacles.

2. The Damned

The Damned are an old-school punk rock band that started in the '70s and have been making music ever since. I only was able to catch the end of their set but I was highly impressed by their wicked musicality, with the guitarist playing his guitar behind his back—multiple times! They were full of energy, despite all of them somehow wearing sunglasses at night. And I know this isn't a fashion show, but I can't help but comment on their kooky apparel: skull pants, black leather fingerless gloves, a Where's Waldo-like ensemble, berets, and camouflage pants were just some of the items present. Like Unknown Mortal Orchestra, the overlap with Disclosure (and Ice Cube) didn't help their turnout, as the tent was relatively empty. But the people who were there were old and moshing, seemingly unphased by the bright white lights I found blinding, so I think those who would have truly enjoyed it made a point of being there.

3. Deerhunter

Last week, I wrote about the state of the jam band in 2016, and how excited I was to see indie rockers Deerhunter live again, as they have an uncanny ability to transform a couple songs into an hour-long jam session. While they still put on a strong show, their songs were generally more cohesive than I would have liked (although their hit single "Helicopter" got a little reworking). But they were all quite stylish and musically deft, with a highly talented percussionist, who helped create their complex soundscapes with cranks, chimes, and a number of gadgets I couldn't identify. Also, their rhythm guitarist looks a little like a young Panda Bear, from Animal Collective, which made me smile.

4. Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros

This indie folk staple spent most of the show trying to be heard over the bass-heavy Major Lazer on the stage next door, which was probably not helped by the fact that frontman Alex Ebert was smoking joints from the crowd and drinking bottles of champagne on stage by the second song of the set. Overall the music was great and his performance was "magnetic" with him traversing railings; dancing (aka running place) or jumping around the stage; interacting with the crowd, which included being held up by fans, having them start off a couple of tunes, and eventually resulted in his acquisition of a GoPro which he attached to his mic for a good up-the-nose angle. Unfortunately, the sound went out for a brief period of time, and this coupled with Major Lazer's loudness and Ebert's frenetic energy made the show a little disjointed and hard to enjoy aurally despite the visual delight of his presence and his 10-piece band. He seemed grateful none-the-less, ending the show with their smash hit "Home," during which a fan explained how their music had changed his life.

5. Gary Clark Jr.

Gary Clark Jr. is a kick-ass guitarist who produces regularly acclaimed bluesy rock. His band was small (and stylish as fuck) but they created a huge sound, with his ability to shred at the forefront, along with the killer face he puts on when he's in the zone. He used 3+ guitars, and changed them out more times than I could count. I was blown away, and then he impressed again with his reappearance on the same stage just a few minutes later for Run the Jewels.

6. Ice Cube

If you haven't already heard, famed rapper, producer and actor Ice Cube aced it at Coachella. He brought out a number of guests, including Common, Snoop Dogg, his son O'Shea Jackson Jr., and the reunion of Compton rap legends N.W.A. (however, Dr. Dre only came out for Weekend 2, meaning I got to catch an incomplete reunion). But outside of the impressive guest list and their featured songs, Ice Cube reminded everyone of his greatest hit list on his own, proving himself as a member of one of the most important rap groups of all time, as well as an engaging and energetic solo star. He also showed a number of pictures of him in more youthful days, which allowed a nice trip down memory lane.

7. The Kills

What can I say about indie rock legends The Kills that hasn't been said before? They're effortlessly badasses, their music is crunchy and grunge-y, and their black and white aesthetics match their whole sound. They consistently rock and I wish I could be Alison Mosshart.

8. Lord Huron

Lord Huron are indie folk rockers whose recent single "Fool For Love" was featured on the hit HBO show Girls. I praise these guys for standing in direct sun in the heat of the day and still putting on a damn good show that was folksy and light, leaving people bouncing around the field despite likely being weighed down by sweat.

9. Major Lazer

From what I could hear over Edward Sharpe, Major Lazer, electro-dancehall kings that I was a very big fan of in their early, more alternative days, did sound incredible. Even though I was peeved that they had, in part, messed up Edward Sharpe's show, I danced to their music as I had to walk away from the stage. And everyone seemed very pleased with some sampling of Rihanna's recent single "Work," as well as a Sean Paul appearance. I was slightly disappointed in how many dancing girls were on stage, though.

10. Miami Horror

These indie rock-electronica hybrids hail from Australia and were the first show I was able to catch for the weekend. They were fun and dance-inducing, with smiles abound, and group jumps on the drops in their songs. It was a lively and energetic way to start off the festival!

11. Miike Snow

I've been a fan of Miike Snow's brand of indie electro-pop-rock since their first release, and have been digging their most recent album iii immensely. Unfortunately, the stage they performed at was simply too small for their fan base, but with famed producer Flume and even more famed DJ — and Taylor Swift boyfriend — Calvin Harris on the two biggest stages, there was simply nowhere else to fit them. So I was only able to stand outside the tent catching glimpses when I could. They sounded fantastic and everyone was dancing, but I had to leave eventually without anything to visually enjoy.

12. M83

M83 are a French electronic band whose singles you probably know better than you think you do! Their show was another run-through of soaring greatest hits, accompanied by great visuals. I didn't get to stay that long, but I had a good time while I was there!

13. Pete Yorn

Indie rocker Pete Yorn was one of my mom's favorite artists when I was about seven and his debut album Musicforthemorningafter dropped. She played it in the car all of the time, and one time I listened to his introspective lyrics and cried, leading to eternal teasing considering my less emotionally vulnerable adult self. He's released a number of albums since then, with his most recent Arranging Time receiving similar acclaim to his early work. As such, his show was a perfect blend of old and new, as he played most of the standout tracks from his first album with a great backing band. The show was subtle and understated (with most people laying or sitting), covering a song by the Smiths, and ending with my favorite song of his, "Strange Condition."

14. Unknown Mortal Orchestra

Unknown Mortal Orchestra is an indie psychrock band, and another I was able to catch at last year's FYF Fest, and they brought the same passion, energy, and "swag" (I know, but there really isn't a better word) to their set in the desert night, although being up against Disclosure noticeably thinned out their crowd. Overall, they shredded, and played in a more crunchy guitar style than I had necessarily seen from them before. But they played new and old material alike, and more often than not sounded as good as their studio albums, so the crowd was quite happy to dance and sing along.

15. Years & Years

While I'm not particularly a fan of this English synthpop group, I have been a fan of their frontman Olly Alexander for a while. Alexander got his start acting on shows like Skins and in the film God Help the Girl, created by Stuart Murdoch, the frontman of the Scottish indie pop band Belle and Sebastian. They were quite humble and seemed more than happy to have the opportunity to play at such an event, bringing along some great backup singers and showing off some great dance moves. And I saw on Instagram that Jonny Pierce, the lead singer of The Drums (one of my favorite bands) was hanging with him backstage, which makes me both happy for Alexander and jealous of him.

16. The 1975

Like Years & Years, this sort of synthpop music is not quite my style, but frontman Matt Healy is a great performer and musician, as are the rest of the band, so they put on quite the live show. And their backup vocalists soared, making for a very fun live performance. I may have danced a little to tracks like "Love Me," "Chocolate," and "The Sound."

17. "Make Donald Drumpf Again" Hat

This hat was everywhere. This hat is amazing. Bless everyone who wore this hat (or any version of it). Good to see that even in the California desert our liberals stand proud against bigotry.

Dishonorable mention:

1. Guns N' Roses

I'll be frank, I've never liked rockers Gun N' Roses at all. Slash is a phenomenal guitarist, and they have a couple catchy tunes, but that's about all that I have to say. Unfortunately, they really gave me a reason to not like them with their Saturday headlining set. Axl had broken his foot at the first show of their reunion tour, leaving him sitting in Dave Grohl's guitar throne (from when he broke his leg and had to continue touring). The only problem is that he couldn't seem to muster the energy to make the show interesting anyway. Instead, he overall sat in the lower register of his voice (which was not doing well), noticeably tiring out towards the middle of the show. His high notes and screams still sounded good, though, they aren't exactly my style, regardless. And when dancing girls in fishnets came out, I decided to call the evening quits. I heard that he perked back up toward the end with the AC/DC material, but I don't think I missed much.

In conclusion, I must note that this list is obviously subject to my biases of musical preference but are objectively the best of the skewed swath of artists I saw. Although, as I mentioned in the introduction, I think I did a pretty damn good job catching a wide array of artists this year.

Regardless, I hope you will take this opportunity to check out all of these deserving artists above and maybe take a chance on putting your own Coachella-biases aside to check out the great artists that will (hopefully) be heading to the desert again in 2017.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

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loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

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Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

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Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

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Student Life

Top 10 Reasons My School Rocks!

Why I Chose a Small School Over a Big University.

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man in black long sleeve shirt and black pants walking on white concrete pathway

I was asked so many times why I wanted to go to a small school when a big university is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a big university is great but I absolutely love going to a small school. I know that I miss out on big sporting events and having people actually know where it is. I can't even count how many times I've been asked where it is and I know they won't know so I just say "somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin." But, I get to know most people at my school and I know my professors very well. Not to mention, being able to walk to the other side of campus in 5 minutes at a casual walking pace. I am so happy I made the decision to go to school where I did. I love my school and these are just a few reasons why.

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Lots of people sat on the cinema wearing 3D glasses
Pinterest

Ever wonder what your friend meant when they started babbling about you taking their stapler? Or how whenever you ask your friend for a favor they respond with "As You Wish?" Are you looking for new and creative ways to insult your friends?

Well, look no further. Here is a list of 70 of the most quotable movies of all time. Here you will find answers to your questions along with a multitude of other things such as; new insults for your friends, interesting characters, fantastic story lines, and of course quotes to log into your mind for future use.

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