Coachella Highlights: Ten Epic Moments from One of Music’s Iconic Gatherings
By now, nearly everyone has heard of Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, the now bi-weekend event taking place mid-April annually in Indio, California. Since its inception in 1999 and status as a yearly occurrence since 2001, Coachella has garnered an almost cult following amongst music fans everywhere and has produced some rather memorable moments. To usher in weekend one of Coachella starting tomorrow, we would like to recap some of the best moments in the history of the festival to get you pumped for what’s in store!
Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg Perform with Tupac (2012)
One of music’s most iconic and oft-missed performers, fans have wished for one more chance to see Tupac Shakur since his untimely murder in 1996. Thanks to modern technology, awed fans got the surprise of their lives when Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Wiz Khalifa, 50 Cent, Eminem, and Warren G took over the stage and resurrected Tupac in lifelike hologram form to perform two songs for the crowd.
The Pixies Perform After an 11 Year Hiatus (2004)
Ask anyone who was in high school in the late 1980s/early 1990s and they will most likely name The Pixies as a favorite when asked what rock bands they loved as a teenager. After being absent from the live music scene for over a decade, the band brought joy to the hearts of alt-rockers everywhere by touring in 2004, including headlining Coachella. This announcement helped cement the festival as the household name it is today.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhoUt9y-DHs
Paul McCartney Is the First Beatle to Headline the Festival (2009)
Sir Paul McCartney has become no stranger to festivals in recent years. With a mind-blowing set at Bonnaroo 2013 and an upcoming headlining spot at Lollapalooza 2015, he is well known and well loved in the festival scene. In 2009, Macca visited Coachella for the first time, becoming so far the only remaining Beatle to headline the festival. He played a selection of Beatles classic and solo favorites, including tributes to John Lennon and his late wife Linda.
Daft Punk’s Pyramid Party (2006)
French EDM favorites Daft Punk were huge in the 1990s, with songs like “Get Lucky” becoming staples still heard today on American radio. In 2006, the duo made a triumphant return to the music scene by emerging in their iconic robot getups from a massive LED pyramid, spending the next hour and a half melting faces and dropping killer beats. Ask any long-time Coachella attendee or seasoned critic and they will likely tell you that this show is the best in all of the festival’s run.
When In a Sales Slump, Call Prince (2008)
2008 saw lower ticket sales than in previous years, so to boost interest and drive sales up again, Prince was added as a last minute headliner just a few weeks before Coachella began. This proved to be an excellent addition, as ticket sales ended up jumping again and fans were ecstatic to see the Minneapolis native on the stage. Prince affirmed his own awe in being at the festival by telling fans during his set that “you are in the coolest place on Earth.”
*Due to copyright requests from Prince, we are unable to find a video from his performance in 2008 online, as they have all been removed. We apologize!
Jane’s Addiction Reunites… Again (2001)
The first reunion for Jane’s Addiction created what is now Lollapalooza, Chicago’s premier festival, in the early 1990s, but they also had another reunion in the California desert valley exactly a decade later. Coachella promoters Goldenvoice were in a quandary, as they had lost close to $1 million on 1999’s festival, and needed a big act to boost them back up. Jane’s Addiction joined forces again and did just that, getting Coachella on track for an unstoppable present in the festival scene to this day.
Iggy Pop and the Stooges Back Together After Nearly Three Decades (2002)
Punk rock would be a far different ball game if it hadn’t been for Michigan rockers Iggy and the Stooges, active through most of the 1970s but overlooked for the most part in their prime. Iggy Pop’s (aka James Osterberg) various drug issues caused the band to break up in 1974, after which he embarked on a fairly successful solo career. Various critics said that, while Pop seemed to be a bit rusty, the group as a whole didn’t sound too different from the last time they all graced the stage 28 years prior.
Arcade Fire’s Headlining Extravaganza (2011)
Arcade Fire’s The Suburbs won a Grammy a mere month before their headlining performance, but that didn’t stop frontman Win Butler from still being humble about the honor of being present at Coachella. The band’s most memorable moment that set was the release of dozens of blown up balls into the audience (think Blue Man Group on steroids in the middle of the desert), bringing the party right into the middle of the festivalgoers. In fact, Butler was quoted as saying “If you had told me in 2002 we’d be playing Coachella with Animal Collective playing before us, I’d have told you you were full of (crap).”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtDahGbwPu8
Lana Del Rey Brings West Coast to the West Coast (2014)
Lana Del Rey is known for her dreamy, sultry brand of pop with its retro influences. Her headlining set at Coachella came before the release of her latest album Ultraviolence, leading to the then 27-year-old to become the most tweeted-about artist at the entire festival. She used her headlining spot to promote the first single off the album, “West Coast,” which was met with widespread acclaim. Del Rey will be embarking on tour this summer, and we can only hope she will find herself in the top billing at some of the world’s most popular festivals this season.
Roger Waters Plays Tribute to His Own Band (2008)
Sans Pink Floyd, Roger Waters caused quite the excited buzz when he was added to the bill in 2008. While he was lacking the remaining members of his iconic band, that didn’t stop him from putting on one of the best Pink Floyd tribute concerts in recent years. He made the crowd forget that the rest of the band wasn’t even on stage with him as he performed classic favorites like “Comfortably Numb” and material from Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nxDkNr2V2U
Coachelle 2015 kicks off tomorrow, with Jack White, AC/DC, Florence + The Machine, Alabama Shakes, Drake, and many more ready to rock out and melt faces. Who will we add to the list next year of iconic and epic performances? Guess we will have to see!
If you’re attending Coachella this year, we want to hear from you! Tweet us @musicfestnews_ or tag us on Instagram @musicfestnews with #musicfestnews and #coachella so we can see what’s going down in the valley this year!