I return to the office on Tuesday, but here is a special update for you, a tasty Coachella treat. My favorite thing about covering Coachella is getting a chance to listen to and learn about new bands I didn’t know…
In case you missed the big announcement, Coachella added new acts. One of them is Kate Nash. I was wondering why she wasn’t listed before because she is this year’s Lily Allen. Anyway, check out her most excellent clip for…
Serj Tankian is making a return trip to Coachella. (The Associated Press) Last night an announcement came in about more Coachella bands Serj Tankian System of a Down is on hiatus, but Serj is coming back to Coachella solo….
This just in: There are more additions to the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival lineup. Here they are: Aphex Twin Goldfrapp Kate Nash Serj Tankian Redd Kross Adele The most interesting thing about the additions is that Serj Tankian…
Welcome to another edition of A Taste of Coachella. In order to get prepped for the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio in April. Today is all about the Swell Season. Or, if you’re a film fan, Glen…
Question: What happens when you David Bowie tangoes with Mika, ELO and Erasure for some ridiculously fun electro-pop? Answer: Midnight Juggernauts I cannot get this song out of my head. It’s called “Into the Galaxy” and it’s 25 different kinds…
Happy foggy Friday from downtown Riverside. Since I’ve been getting some good response on the “A Taste of Stagecoach” snippets, I thought it might be time to roll out “A Taste of Coachella.” Up first–Justice, “D.A.N.C.E.” If you like Daft…
Remember the All Points West festival happening in New Jersey this summer? It’s being put on by the core organizers of Coachella? Well, the lineup came out and guess who the headliners are? 1. Radiohead 2. Radiohead 3. Jack Johnson…
Pearl Jam, Metallica and Kanye West are heading up the Bonnaroo Festival in Tennessee June 12 to 15. The lineup was just announced and includes a number of Coachella performers–Jack Johnson, the Raconteurs, Rilo Kiley, My Morning Jacket, Death Cab…
Here’s one final reminder that tickets for the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival go on sale through Ticketmaster today at 10 a.m. Single-day passes are $90, three-day passes are $269. Both have additional fees. Camping passes are $55. You…
These guys are going to Coachella. Even though they look like fans, they’re actually the band Animal Collective, and they’re playing on Friday, April 25. (The Associated Press) Tickets for the 2008 Coachella Valley Music and Arts festival go…
Private eyes, they’re watching you: Hall and Oates would make the ultimate surprise act at Coachella. Seriously, who would call that one? I think I might be getting a little too consumed with work. Last night I had a…
Before you get to be in the crowd, you need to know the Coachella basics. (Rodrigo Pena/The Press-Enterprise 2007) Now that some of the commotion around the lineup announcement for the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival has died…
Robots rule! (The Associated Press) “Any time you got yourself a robot, count yourself in,” Paul Tollett of Goldenvoice said during the announcement for Coachella on Monday afternoon. He was talking about headliners Kraftwerk, who played the festival in…
Roger Waters is not a fan of thought control. Who would have guessed that? (The Associated Press) And finally, Sunday’s headliners at Coachella -Roger Waters Paul Tollett of Goldenvoice promised huge production values on this one. I am hoping…
Death Cab for Cutie plays Washington, D.C. in Nov. 2006. (Vanessa Franko/The Press-Enterprise) Here’s my take on Saturday’s headliners: -Portishead Hipsters of the world, attack me now. I do not understand how Portishead is the big headliner. I just…
I finally slept last night and let the promises of Coachella’s lineup percolate in my head. Honestly, I thought that perhaps a dream would somehow explain the trio of Jack Johnson, Portishead and Roger Waters as the headliners. Oddly…
Singer Richard Ashcroft of The Verve performs in Anaheim in 1998. (1998/The Press-Enterprise) I have typed up the full list from the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival Check it out behind the cut. I can’t wait to hear…
Hot off the presses, here are the headliners By VANESSA FRANKO THE PRESS-ENTERPRISE This year’s Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival relies on blasts from the past and burgeoning independent acts, including a number from across the pond. Roger Waters…
We were supposed to see the Coachella announcement almost a half-hour ago. I think everyone is overloading the Coachella site. In the meantime, I’m making my eyes cross with hitting the refresh button so many times. Even Robert DeNiro’s waiting!…
One more Coachella prediction: Hot Chip. The British electropop outfit played the festival last year but it looks like their tour dates stop in San Francisco on April 24, conveniently right before the start date of this year’s Coachella Valley…
Billboard is reporting Portishead for Coachella. They’re saying the Breeders, too, but that’s old news. I’m expecting the official announcement at 3 p.m., but I have a feeling things will be trickling down all day. In the meantime, I am…
Death Cab for Cutie could play the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. (Special to The Press-Enterprise) The big 2008 Coachella announcement is on the horizon. As soon as I get it, it will be up here, so keep…
Well-bred: The Breeders have told reporters they’re playing the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio in April. Billboard is reporting that AEG Live and Goldenvoice (the fine people who put on Coachella and Stagecoach and a ton…
Radiohead is coming to Los Angeles AND San Diego in 2008. I am still banking on them as one of the Coachella headliners. Also, the Breeders have announced they’re playing Coachella….
When my alarm woke me up this morning, I thought the news I heard of Led Zeppelin playing Bonaroo was part of this wacky dream I had in which Charming Boyfriend was assembling Ikea furniture in this weird apartment…
So Radiohead posted enigmatic tour dates on the band’s Web site today. A couple of notes… 1-When does Radiohead do anything that’s not enigmatic? This time, the dates are listed with cities and countries. 2-Although there are no U.S. dates…
Gary Coleman is still wishing you a happy holiday season. So many holiday concerts, so little time. 12/13 Twisted Sister, House of Blues on Sunset. 12/14 The Oak Ridge Boys Christmas Cookies Tour at Pechanga 12/15 Andy Williams Christmas…
Queens of the Stone Age: A band you don’t want to mess with in an underground tunnel. Queens of the Stone Age are coming home. The alternative rock band, whose lead singer Josh Homme grew up in Palm Desert,…
I think the Stagecoach stage might be turning into the “American Idol” stage. Bucky Covington is now listed on the bill for the country music festival in Indio. He’ll join fellow “Idol” contestants Carrie Underwood and Kellie Pickler. Someone…
So the Stagecoach lineup came out last night (The Judds reuniting!)and this morning I got confirmation on Coachella’s dates. The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival will be back at the Empire Polo Field in Indio on April 25 to…
The Judds will reunite for the Stagecoach Country Music Festival on May 3 in Indio. The Stagecoach lineup is out. Coachella’s country music cousin will be taking place May 3-4 at the Empire Polo Field in Indio with a…
Vanessa Franko/The Press-Enterprise David Serby plays on the Palomino Stage at the 2007 Stagecoach Country Music Festival. It’s that time again. The Stagecoach Country Music Festival in Indio is announcing its lineup on Friday, according to the official Web…
Gary Coleman is not touring Inland Southern California with a Christmas show this year, but it would be so awesome if he did. Well, I might as well start harassing you now with holiday stuff because the stores already…
NPR means New Performances from kickin’ Rockers, although not all of them are rock, and some are more folk and just eclectic, and it’s not like they’re playing a lot of Black Sabbath on there, but I digress. NPR is…
Known for beheadings on stage, electric chairs, a “Wayne’s World” cameo and boa constrictors, Alice Cooper seems to stick out from the retiree image of the desert. However, Alice is coming with his merry band of shocksters to Fantasy Springs…
Slideshow: Highlights from Rock the Bells Rock the Bells is about old school hip-hop. It’s not a concert for the Chamillionaires or the Nellys or even the P. Diddys of the world. Most of the acts playing have a message,…
I caught some of The Roots’ show at Coachella this year and they were great. I think they were even better here. They’re very dynamic, yet utterly cool. How can you not love an act that has a tuba on…
Rage is the band on everyone’s mind today. Rage Against the Machine T-shirts dominate the crowd by far. The crowd actually looks pretty similar to the closing day of Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, where Rage first reunited, with…
I’ve received a couple of new show announcements I thought I would pass along. Rascal Flatts and Jason Aldean will play the Hyundai Pavilion at Glen Helen in Devore on Sept. 15. Paging Dr. Noah Drake to the Coachella Valley,…
Two days of Comic-Con was plenty to zap my energy. People who told me it was like covering the Coachella music festival weren’t kidding. Only a superhero can make it through all four days of Comic-Con and I salute those…
One of the best things about living in SoCal is that the festival-style concerts never seem to stop. The latest music festival to pop up on the calendar is San Diego Street Scene, which announced its lineup this week. The…
So last week I interviewed Palm Desert native Josh Homme, better known as the front man for Queens of the Stone Age and formerly of Kyuss. Now, I’ve interviewed a lot of musicians over the years (from Kevin Bacon to…
After surviving Coachella last weekend, I had no idea what to expect at Stagecoach. This is what I found: Number of concertgoers on Saturday: 30,000 Number of cowboy hats I spotted: 23, 463* Number of times the words “honky tonk”…
At Coachella, there weren’t many vendors around. At Stagecoach, there are a ton, peddling everything from underwear to wood-burned signs to saddles. I’m not exactly sure who buys a saddle at Stagecoach and carries it around all day, but they…
The only way to avoid seeing a cowboy hat in some fashion at Stagecoach is to look directly to the ground, and if you do that — there’s no way to avoid seeing a pair of cowboy boots. This, of…
The rocking horse sculptures that have been here since Coachella were cordoned off Sunday. Located by the entrance, the sculptures, made out of rebar and tread from the New Jersey Turnpike, were fan favorites for pictures, with audience members climbing…
Willie Nelson played Coachella last week and went over well with the hippies and hipsters, but this week he took it to a new level. From “Always On My Mind” to “On the Road Again,” he played them all and…
Unlike Coachella, a cover song seems to be a staple in a Stagecoach set. Sara Evans is covering Fleetwood Mac’s “Go Your Own Way” on the Mane Stage on Saturday evening as I type. Miranda Lambert sang Creedence Clearwater Revival’s…
Nickel Creek, an L.A. hipster bluegrass outfit — yes that’s right — played Coachella last week to little fanfare, but really resonated this afternoon on the Appaloosa Stage. It’s always interesting to think how a band from this area can…
Concertgoers at Coachella made hats out of the recycling bin lids, but I’ve seen a number of people at Stagecoach wearing cowboy hats made out of beer boxes. They’re rectangular on the top and have a brims similar to a…
Back at the Polo Fields in Indio a week after Coachella and the fans on the grounds could not be more different. Dreadlocks and mohawks have been replaced by cowboy hats and golf caps. The crowd is older, richer but…
The gates have just opened at the inaugural Stagecoach Festival at Empire Polo Field in Indio. About a thousand people lined up to get in, busier than the Coachella line last Friday, armed with camping chairs, hats and sunscreen. Concertgoers…
Stagecoach has announced some artists who will be giving their John Hancocks for fans at the Virgin Megastore tent this weekend. Saturday: 3 – 4 p.m. Jason Michael Carroll 5:15 – 6:15 p.m. Eric Church 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. Miranda…
This weekend at Indio’s Empire Polo Club won’t be a preview of summer in the desert, according to forecasters. The Weather Channel is reporting 88 degrees F. for Saturday and 92 degrees for Sunday. Last weekend, music fans at the…
Rodrigo Pena / The Press-Enterprise Rage Against the Machine rocks the house during the final day of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio on Sunday. Rage Against the Machine may have been the most important and…
New Zealand popsters Crowded House played a set on the Coachella Stage Sunday night to a crowd of not-so-enthusiastic people who were merely waiting for Rage Against the Machine. Singer Neil Finn tried to get the crowd to sing along…
Willie Nelson is oblivious to the outside world and because of that he may just be the coolest man alive. He just chills up there on stage with every hair still in his head, a smile on his face and…
Nothing says fun like a solid cover song and British guys The Feeling obliged by playing a stellar cover of The Buggles’ “Video Killed the Radio Star” Sunday afternoon on the Coachella stage. It looked like about half of the…
One of the things people talk about at Coachella every year is the surprise guests and performers. “Lost in Translation” actress Scarlett Johansson already joined the Jesus and Mary Chain on Friday night to sing backup on “Just Like Honey”…
The Coachella stage definitely has the most eclectic lineup for Sunday. Rapper Lupe Fiasco is on now, Willie Nelson is playing later and Rage Against the Machine is closing the day. The lineup started off even stranger with next-big-pop-thing Mika…
By noon on Sunday Carmen Zacarias had already staked out her spot for Rage Against the Machine’s set, which is slated to start at 10:40 p.m. Zacarias and friend Omar Castillo traveled from El Paso, Texas to get a spot…
Indio’s Police Department had to quiet down 250 or so campers in Coachella’s “tent city” (pop. 15,000) at 3 a.m. Sunday but Indio police spokesman Benjamin Guitron said it wasn’t an unruly crowd — no bottles thrown, no fires, no…
Day three of Coachella has finally arrived and all everyone seems to be talking about is the Rage Against the Machine reunion. Early Sunday afternoon, people blasted Rage throughout the parking lot. It may just be my perception, but judging…
Flea is a great bass blayer, John Frusciante is an otherworldlly guitarist and Chad Smith plays drums like an octopus — then there’s Anthony Keidis, who’s now sporting a mustache. Unfortunately the charismatic front man just doesn’t have any vocal…
It looks like Montreal indie darlings the Arcade Fire have packed the field facing the Coachella stage Saturday evening with more people than Bjork attracted as a headliner on Friday night. The band opened with “Keep the Car Running” from…
While I love the Decemberists’ literary lyrics and sea shanties on the album, I did not know what to expect in a live show, especially at a festival. However, the Portland-based band did not disappoint with the fun and theatrics….
We’re heading down the stretch of day two at Coachella and I think we have a winner for the “best stage banter” category. Drumroll, please. The New Pornographers! This Canadian supergroup with artists from other indie bands played the Outdoor…
As the sun began to set on day two of Coachella Kings of Leon played its brand of dirty Southern rock to usher in the evening. Dusk is great at Coachella because it serves to transition the sweaty hot Southern…
Mike Relm is wearing a black suit backstage at Coachella. “It’s advantageous,” the San Francisco-based DJ said. “I won’t get burned on my arms and chest and legs like everyone else.” The DJ who uses video in his sets is…
If anyone asks you what the best song of the last five years is the answer is the Fratellis’ “Flathead.” You’ve heard the tune on the Apple iPod commercial and seeing it live and in person at Coachella under the…
Personally, I’m a fan of Fountains of Wayne’s brand of quirky power pop but since their mainstream success with “Stacy’s Mom” I thought they were an odd choice at Coachella. However, the band seems to be trying to up their…
Your faithful Press-Enterprise reporters are back at the Empire Polo Field in Indio for the second day of Coachella. On the way in, there seemed to be a lot of people chugging bottles of water and a few caring for…
I wonder if the guys in Interpol go home, change out of their suits and lip synch to ’80s hair metal while dancing around the house. That would be the carefree alter-ego to the suit-wearing quartet that took the Coachella…
Pulp lead singer Jarvis Cocker recently issued a solo album, and his solo set at Coachella has been filled with energetic pop songs and plenty of live panache. Cocker knows hw to interract with a crowd, which is something the…
Coachella Art Curator Philip Blaine said that when he selects the large-scale sculptures for the show, he looks for pieces that will have different senses depending on the time of day. Now that the sun has gone down, there are…
Some things are in short supply at Coachella: restrooms and cell phone reception. Some things in surplus: vast open spaces between stages to run through and people wearing comic book superhero shirts (someone’s been shopping at Target). — KIMBERLY PIERCEALL…
Drawing people away from the packed Amy Winehouse set, British lads the Arctic Monkeys played a blistering set on the Coachella stage this evening. They played a mix of old songs and a few new ones off their latest effort,…
Amy Winehouse, the young British chanteuse with a classic sound that finds a home somewhere between Motown and Trojan records, easily created the biggest buzz thus far. For some reason her 6 p.m. slot in the miniscule Gobi tent, which…
Gillian Welch and her songwriting partner David Rawlings opened their set in the Gobi tent with a cover of Johnny Cash and June Carter’s “Jackson,” which was every bit as authentic and soulful as the original. As an ode to…
Belated kudos to the folks who set up the handy signs with clear arrows directing traffic seamlessly to the Empire Polo Club, venue for the Coachella music festival. Granted, it helped to get to the concert early at about 10:30…
So stand-up-comedy may fit in with Coachella much like a mime performing in a casino (heat-exhaustion folks, my head and metaphors are weak) as fellow blogger Paul Saitowitz mentioned, but I did enjoy the greeting comedian Patton Oswalt gave the…
Perry Farrell has been a part of Coachella in several incarnations — first as a part of Jane’s Addiction, later as a solo artist and DJ and now as a part of his rocking new band, Satellite Party. Think Jane’s…
Three and a half hours after the gates opened, the rock finally appeared at Coachella in the form of British trio the Noisettes. Mark my words, this band, which sounds like a new-wave rock Yeah Yeah Yeahs, could be the…
For you computer addicts coming out to Coachella on Saturday and Sunday, fear not–you can check your e-mail and your MySpace. The AT&T; Blue Room is open and has a number of computer terminals for concert-goers. They also claim that…
Comedians of Comedy are funny, but it just doesn’t seem to work here in a tent at Coachella. This is a music fest and fans want music. It’s too hot hot to concentrate on jokes. Let’s rock!…
The first act of the day took the Coachella Stage at 2 p.m., a DJ duo from Chicago called Flosstradamus. “Let’s kick this . . . off right with a dance party,” member Flosstradamus member Autobot yelled to the crowd…
My third Coachella and by far the most difficult time crusing in. I was caught in one endless single-file line of cars filled with impatient fans. Maybe it’s because the festival is now three days long, maybe it’s because two…
Skin is in full supply at Coachella today, but few have outdone three men from San Diego who returned to Coachella Music and Arts Festival wearing Speedos, fanny-packs and little else. “FRISK ME!” shouted Greg Gallegos, 29, before he walked…
The gates have opened at the eighth annual Coachella Music and Arts Festival and people are filing in and checking out the food, vendors and projects. Event organizers Paul Tollett and Bill Fold have been riding around the massive grounds…
The line to get into this year’s Coachella Music and Arts Festival is already hundreds of people long. On the 10 cars are whizzing by with signs such as “Coachella or Bust.” The smell of sunscreen is everywhere as festivalgoers…