Recap: Coachella, Weekend 2

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Matt & Kim at Coachella 2016
Matt & Kim at Coachella 2016

I’ve gotta be honest: I went into this thing expecting it to be a breeze. Never would I have imagined that catching some rays and enjoying some live music for a few days out west would take such a toll on the body. Am I still exhausted from Coachella Weekend 2? Absolutely, but I couldn’t be happier about it. Once I logged about 20 hours over two days in the sun scampering from tent to tent so not to miss yet another stellar performance, I decided that I had found myself at a crossroads. I could either throw in the towel and zone out for the rest of the night with some brews and a nice meal, or I could just let the music carry me through the rest of the way, despite my legs feeling ready to give out and my lungs continuing to work through a steady stream of dust. Shoutout to SPF 50+ for allowing me to push through the fatigue and to treat myself to some seriously high-energy, heartfelt, downright spiritual performances from some of the best musicians around. Here’s a recap of some of my favorite moments from the festival:

Best Sets

The Arcs: At this point I think anything Dan Auerbach touches in the realm of music turns to gold. I’ve been jamming to The Arcs’ first album since I first heard “Outta My Mind” and having witnessed the live set whets my appetite for their sound even more.

Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats: Having played ‘til 2 a.m. in New Orleans the night before their show, we might have expected a slightly subdued performance from these fellas but they brought a ton of soul to an early afternoon crowd that grew rapidly as they moved through the set.

Matt & Kim: It’s amazing how far this duo can stretch the combination of nothing more than vocals, keyboards and drums – their secret is to bring more energy to their show than anyone else can.

Best Individual Performers

Alex Ebert (Edward Sharpe): The man’s stage presence was nothing short of divine, and he made the crowd feel like a big group of his best friends.

Anderson .Paak: On a mission to keep the party going Sunday night, Paak’s simultaneous lyricizing/drumming captivated the crowd from the get-go.

Gary Clark, Jr.: It was my first time witnessing GCJ in action, and though I had no doubts previously, I can now say definitively that he’s the real deal with a guitar in his hands.

Best Cameos

Dr. Dre/Kendrick Lamar: Both stepped up as guest stars for Ice Cube as well as Anderson .Paak. Kendrick’s performance of “Backseat Freestyle” pumped the crowd up even louder during Paak’s set.

Big Boi: Run The Jewels paid homage to what Mr. Patton’s been doing with his group Big Grams by bringing him out for a collaboration from RTJ’s first album.

Sean Paul/Akon: Blast from the past when these dudes showed up back-to-back during Matoma’s set for songs on which they were featured.

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