Coachella weekend one wraps up with Swedish House Mafia and The Weeknd
The Coachella Music and Arts Festival's first weekend is in the books,
bringing hip-hop and electronic music to fans at the Empire Polo Fields.
... Dance music trio Swedish House Mafia performed half of Sunday's headlining
slot days after releasing their 17-track debut studio album ``Paradise Again.''
... The Swedes shared the stage with Canadian R and B and hip-hop superstar The
Weeknd, who is featured on a track on their new LP. ... Swedish House Mafia and
The Weeknd replaced Ye -- the rapper formerly known as Kanye West -- who
dropped out of the top spot last week.
Also on Sunday's bill is 26-year-old rapper Doja Cat, who earlier this
month took home a Grammy, along with SZA, for best pop duo/group performance.
Other highlights include masked country singer Orville Peck, Los
Angeles psychedelic quartet Chicano Batman and Long Beach rapper Vince Staples,
who already made a surprise appearance during electronic musician Flume's
Saturday night set.
Saturday night also saw L.A.'s Billie Eilish return to the polo
grounds to make history as the youngest performer to headline the event three
years after making her debut appearance at the festival,
Fresh off an Oscar win for best original song, the 20-year-old Eilish
packed her set with crowd-pleasing stunts and collaborations with singer-
songwriter Khalid, Blur frontman Damon Albarn and her brother, Finneas, who
will make his own solo appearance on Sunday.
Day 2 also featured a high-energy performance by Houston rapper Megan
Thee Stallion, a K-pop reunion with 2NE1 joining former member CL following her
solo turn and an offering from composer and former Oingo Boingo member Danny
Elfman that included his music from TV and films including "The Simpsons,"
"Batman" and "The Nightmare Before Christmas."
American hip-hop boy band Brockhampton took the stage for the final
time in the Sahara tent. After 12 years together and six studio albums, the
group announced earlier this year that Coachella would be their final
performance. On Saturday they also announced that their final album will be
released this year.
Isaiah Rashad opened his set with a pre-recorded clip stitching
together various media footage reacting to a leaked sex tape that appeared to
out the 30-year-old rapper. Near the end of his set, Rashad addressed the tape
for the first time since the video leaked in February.
"I see all the messages and all the positivity," he said to cheers
and applause. "Y'all kept me alive these last couple months."
At 51 years old, electronic music pioneer Richie Hawtin made his
seventh appearance at Coachella, closing out the Yuma tent on Saturday. Hawtin,
who was on the inaugural Coachella lineup in 1999, recently released a re-
imagined version of his 1998 album "Consumed," which was put out under his
musical alter ego Plastikman.
The festival, which will feature the same lineup next weekend, opened
Friday at the Empire Polo Club following a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19
pandemic, with a shirtless Justin Bieber and a Harry Styles-Shania Twain duet
among the first-day highlights.
Festivalgoers have been met with strong winds and desert dust storms,
but Indio Police Department spokesman Ben Guitron said there were no
significant arrests or traffic incidents during the first days of the festival.
He encouraged attendees to stay hydrated, follow the rules and use
designated traffic routes.
Attendees are not required to show proof of COVID vaccination or
testing, and masking is not required at the outdoor event. But health officials
continue to urge precautions against the spread of the virus, and testing is
available on site and around the Coachella Valley.
This year's festival also features an innovation that has never
factored into previous events -- a commemorative NFT. Two years ago, NFTs were
almost unheard of, but the Coachella Music & Art Festival is offering all
attendees a free 2022 In Bloom seed digital NFT, redeemable through the FTX app
with each individual's ticket wristband. Once redeemed, the NFT comes with
perks, including a dedicated entry lane, limited-edition merchandise, along
with food and beverage vouchers.
As the In Bloom seed NFT blossoms into a desert flower, owners could
get one of six rare flowers that can grant them premium upgrades at the
festival. Upgrades include a 2023 weekend-two general admission festival pass,
premium merchandise, access to the FTX VIP Lounge, Ferris wheel rides,
Goldenvoice Concert Tickets or a 2022 VIP upgrade.
For those who can't attend the festival, performers including Louis
the Child, Tokimonsta, Tchami, John Summit and more are scheduled to perform at
events such as Day Club at The Hilton in Palm Springs this weekend and next.
Performances are also being live-streamed on YouTube at
www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3jFQ_UrIxU.
