Coachella Sunday 2013 Weekend Two

Check out my photos from Coachella Sunday 2013 Weekend Two over at OC Weekly.

Coachella Saturday 2013 Weekend Two

Check out my photos of Coachella Saturday 2013 Weekend Two over at OC Weekly.

Coachella Friday 2013 Weekend Two

Check out my photos from Coachella Friday 2013 Weekend Two over at OC Weekly.

Last Shot: Coachella 1 Cancer 0

Check out my eighth Last Shot column about my battle with Stage IV colon cancer over at OC Weekly.

Coachella Sunday 2013 Weekend One

Check out my photos from Coachella Sunday 2013 over at Stereogum.

Coachella Saturday 2013 Weekend One

Check out my photos from Coachella Saturday 2013 on Stereogum.

Coachella Friday 2013 Weekend One

Check out my photos from Coachella 2013 Friday over at Stereogum.

Coachella 2012 2nd Weekend

Check out my photos from the 2nd weekend of Coachella over at Stereogum.

Coachella Sunday 2012

Check out my photos from Sunday at Coachella over at OC Weekly.

Coachella Saturday 2012

Check out my photos from Saturday at Coachella over at OC Weekly.

Coachella Friday 2012

Check out my photos from Friday at Coachella over at OC Weekly.

Coachella 2010 Sunday

Check out my photos from Sunday at Coachella over at OC Weekly.

Coachella 2010 Saturday

Check out my photos from Saturday of Coachella over at OC Weekly.

Coachella 2010 Friday

Check out my pictures from Friday at Coachella over at OC Weekly.

Coachella 2009

Check out a few of my photos from Coachella over at Stereogum from Friday and Saturday.

My Guide to Coachella 2009

It looks like I will be heading out to Coachella this year. Last year, I published a guide to Coachella to help you navigate through the massive roster. Friday is going to be rough.

Friday

The Courtneers 2:00-2:25 (Coachella Stage)
Noah & The Whale 2:25-2:50 (Outdoor Theatre)
We Are Scientists 2:50-3:40 (Coachella Stage)
Cage The Elephant 3:40-4:05 (Mojave)
The Airborne Toxic Event 4:05-4:30 (Coachella Stage)
The Hold Steady 4:30-5:20 (Mojave)
The Black Keys 5:20-5:45 (Coachella Stage)
White Lies 5:45-6:10 (Mojave)
Conor Oberst & The Mystic Valley Band 6:10-6:35 (Outdoor Theatre)
Franz Ferdinand 6:35-7:00 (Coachella Stage)
Crystal Castles 7:00-7:30 (Sahara)
Leonard Cohen 7:30-8:30 (Outdoor Theatre)
Morrissey 8:30-9:30 (Coachella Stage)
Silversun Pickups 9:30-9:55 (Outdoor Theatre)
A Place To Bury Strangers 9:55-10:35 (Outdoor Theatre)
The Presets 10:35-11:00 (Sahara Tent)
Paul McCartney 11:00-? (Coachella Stage)

Friday by far has the worst number of conflicts. I wish they would have shuffled some of these bands to Saturday.

Saturday

Ida Maria 1:30-2:10 (Gobi)
Liars 2:30-3:15 (Outdoor Theatre)
Blitzen Trapper 3:45-4:05 (Gobi)
Drive-By Truckers 4:05-4:30 (Outdoor Theatre)
Dr. Dog 4:30-4:55 (Mojave)
Superchunk 4:55-5:45 (Outdoor Theatre)
Glasvegas 6:05-6:35 (Mojave)
TV On the Radio 6:35-7:15 (Coachella)
Fleet Foxes 7:25-8:15 (Outdoor Theatre)
Band of Horses 8:40-9:00 (Outdoor Theatre)
M.I.A 9:00-9:45 (Coachella)
Jenny Lewis 9:50-10:25 (Outdoor Theatre)
The Killers 10:25-11:05 (Coachella)
Mastodon 11:05-?

There is time for lunch, dinner and multiple water breaks.

Sunday

Vivian Girls 12:45-1:30 (Mojave)
The Night Marchers 1:30-1:55 (Outdoor Theatre)
No Age 1:55-2:30 (Mojave)
Friendly Fires 2:30-3:00 (Gobi)
Okkervil River 3:00-3:25 (Coachella Stage)
F**ked Up 3:25-3:40 (Mojave)
Lykke Li 4:00-4:55 (Outdoor Theatre)
Peter, Bjorn & John 5:00-5:50 (Coachella Stage)
Anthony & The Johnsons 5:50-6:15 (Outdoor Theatre)
Yeah Yeah Yeahs 6:15-7:00 (Coachella Stage)
Paul Weller 7:00-7:50 (Outdoor Theatre)
My Bloody Valentine 7:50-9:00 (Coachella Stage)
The Kills 9:00-9:25 (Mojave)
The Cure 9:25-10:10 (Coachella Stage)
Throbbing Gristle 10:10-? or head back to The Cure

A little more breathing room compared to Friday.

My Guide to Coachella

If you are baffled by choices to make this weekend for Coachella, I decided I will help you out and give you my recommendations as I have covered a majority of these bands this year. I probably won't make it out this year as I usually venture out to Las Vegas but who knows.

Friday

Rogue Wave 1:30-2:15 (Coachella Stage)
Midnight Juggernauts 2:15-2:50 (Sahara)
Battles 3:00-3:45 (Gobi)
Black Kids 3:45-4:10 (Mojave)
Jens Lekman 4:35-5:15 (Mojave)
Cut Copy 5:15-6:05 (Gobi) (Highly Recommended)
Vampire Weekend 6:05-6:30 (Outdoor Theatre)
Tegan And Sara 6:30-6:55 (Coachella Stage)
The National 6:55-7:45 (Outdoor Theatre)
The Racounteurs 7:45-8:00 (Coachella Stage)
Aphex Twin 8:00-9:00 (Sahara)
The Verve 9:00-10:10 (Coachella Stage)
Serj Tankian 10:10-10:45 (Outdoor Theatre)
Black Lips 10:50-11:40 (Mojave)

Saturday

The Bird and The Bee 12:30-1:10 (Mojave)
Yoav 1:10-1:30 (Gobi)
The Teenagers 1:30-2:10 (Mojave)
Carbon/Silicon 2:10-2:45 (Gobi)
Dredg 2:45-3:10 (Outdoor Theatre)
MGMT 3:40-4:30 (Mojave)
Cold War Kids 4:30-4:50 (Coachella Stage)
Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks 4:50-5:40 (Outdoor Stage)
St. Vincent 5:40-6:10 (Gobi)
Hot Chip 6:10-6:25 (Sahara)
Scars On Broadway 6:25-6:45 (Mojave)
Death Cab For Cutie 6:45-7-20 (Coachella Stage)
Rilo Kiley 7:20-7:50 (Outdoor Theatre)
Kraftwerk 7:50-8:50 (Coachella Stage)
M.I.A. 8:50-9:10 (Sahara)
Portishead 9:15-10:15 (Coachella)
Calvin Harris 10:15-10:45 (Gobi)
Enter Shikari 10:45-11:00 (Mojave)
Prince 11:00-? (Coachella)

Sunday
Grand Ole Party 1:20-1:45 (Outdoor Theatre)
Annuals 1:45-2:25 (Gobi)
Holy F*ck 2:50-3:35 (Gobi)
Shout Out Louds 3:00-3:50 (Coachella Stage)
Manchester Orchestra 3:50-4:15 (Outdoor Theatre)
Stars 4:15-5:00 (Coachella Stage)
Swervedriver 5:05-5:50 (Mojave)
Metric 6:15-6:35 (Outdoor Theatre)
Spiritualized 6:35-7:00 (Mojave)
My Morning Jacket 7:00-7:45 (Coachella Stage)
Love and Rockets 7:45-8:25 (Outdoor Theatre)
Roger Waters 8:30-11:00 (Coachella Stage)
Justice 11:00-? (Sahara)

Autolux at the El Rey Theatre

I go to enough concerts that I sometimes get deja vu. This was case as I walked up to the El Rey theatre to see Autolux and Health. It turns out I witnessed the same line up in April 2007 at the Casbah that I reviewed here. As nice as it was to see both bands up close at the tiny Casbah, the larger El Rey held up well to tsunami like waves of noise and feedback turned out by both bands.

Health

Health is not for the weak at heart. If you like blasts of feedback, distorted vocals, spacey guitars and haunting tribal drum patterns then you will not be disappointed. It was an all out war, as Health pummeled the audience with ferocious drums and shards of noise. Health's music could easily be the new soundtrack to "Lord of the Flies" or "Apocalypse Now". "Triceratops" sounded like a dinosaur running through a primal world leaving nothing it its wake of destruction. "Crimewave" was a tribal call to arms as all members were armed with drumsticks hitting anything and everything. It was an orchestration of organized chaos and noise. It was such a display of non commercial music friendly that it could very well breakthrough. The secret weapon of Health is hands down their drummer who frantically drives the life from his drums in a way that would make John Bonham proud. Their album is available on itunes via Lovepump United Records. Health will be joining Crystal Castles on tour and will make at stop at the Roxy on March 9th. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Autolux







I have managed to review Autolux a number of times at Little Radio, Casbah, a mind blowing Natural History Museum performance, Epicentre , Sunset Junction and a highly memorable Wiltern show. Autolux are so good that the most recent performance you attend trumps the prior show as your favorite. This was true again as the El Rey show featured Autolux at their finest. "Finders Fee" opened the evening with squalls of harmonious feedback accompanied by Carla Azar's syncopated drumming. "Finders Fee" was revamped compared to prior live versions that I have heard with added noise from Greg Edwards (Guitars) and a faster drum break by Carla. A new song that contained the lyrics "Your Future"(?) followed with screaming guitar octaves from Greg and trade off vocals between Eugene and Carla. The characteristic drum shuffle of "Turnstile Blues" followed with a slight echo placed on Eugene's vocals before collapsing into a tidal wave of Greg's distortion and fuzz. "Subzero Fun" had an extended intro by Greg until Eugene sneaked in on the vocals as Autolux carved out another sonic masterpiece. "Capital Kind Of Strain" had Greg sample his a riff with E-bow for the haunting loop intro. "Plantlife" was vicious as Greg tore eardrums apart with his Gibson SG blasts. "Reappearing" also seemed to be reworked with its hazy psychedelic intro that turned into an epic noise showcase to end the song. "The Science of Imaginary Solutions" had Greg use a capo on the 1st fret of his guitar. Autolux also worked through "Blanket", "Robots In The Garden" and "SSW". I knew I was witnessing something special when Autolux came out for a rare encore of the song "Headless" as mentioned by Scott. Autolux will be playing Coachella and should not be missed. I eagerly await the day I can hold a new Autolux record in my hands.