We got an earlier start on Day Two, Saturday. Marissa, for some reason, wanted to see P.O.S., Minneapolis rapper Stefon Alexander, so we got to the festival for the day's first sets. While this strategy makes for maximizing the amount of music heard, it also makes for an extremely long, hot day - which we would realize that night. We didn't stay long at the Mojave, as P.O.S. failed to enthrall. Ida Maria (Sivertsen), though, next door at the Gobi tent was another story. This 24-year-old rocker from Norway led her quartet through an exciting, energetic, forty-minute performance, centered on punk/pop songs like "Oh My God" and "I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked" from last year's Fortress Round My Heart. I then caught a bit of Cloud Cult performing on the Outdoor stage, a band I knew nothing about but which hooked me immediately. They are an arty seven-piece group - also from Minneapolis - led by Craig Minowa. A brief snatch of their atmospheric yet tuneful music, channeling bits of Arcade Fire, was beguiling. Which was more than I could say for the loud, atonal clamor from the Bob Mould Band back in the Gobi. Mould is seen by many as a seminal figure in indie rock, thanks to his role in 80s band Hüsker Dü, but, with a need to quickly choose among the many available options, I went elsewhere.
With the experience of spending Friday at CVMAF under our belt, Saturday was a more comfortable time for Marissa and me. Though she ran into classmates throughout the day, she was mostly on her own. Our friends from the day before had left, so Marissa and I would reconnoiter periodically, maybe for a bite to eat, then head off according to our own tastes and text each other about where and when to rendevous. I had expected typical concert concessions, so I was surprised by the quality and variety of the food. I enjoyed such unlikely festival fare as ceviche and a "tandoori quesadilla," the latter served by a girl in American Indian garb - go figure.
The afternoon was non-stop music. On the positive side - strong sets from Philadelphia's Dr. Dog, Portland's Blitzen Trapper, and ex-Dresden Doll Amanda Palmer; disappointments included the story-telling Georgia bar band Drive-By Truckers, the post-punk Liars, and Chapel Hill rockers Superchunk. Young English soul singer Joss Stone turned in a proficient but dull performance (though her evening guest turn with Brit colleague James Morrison was apparently more inspired). Ex-Black Flag frontman Henry Rollins gave a rambling speech about world events and the festival ("spoken word" in the CVMAF vernacular). And it wasn't even 6pm.
I was fading. One of the bands I was most interested in seeing, Brooklyn's TV On The Radio, was a half hour away. I wanted to be fairly close to the front - they were scheduled for the main Coachella stage - so I headed in that direction early. Saturday was much hotter than Friday and, while short of blistering, the day's heat was wearing on me. I listened to the tail end of Michael Franti & Spearhead's polyglot set, a friendly but jumbled mix of rock, reggae, and hip-hop, and sucked on a lemon slushy in a bit of shade. TV On The Radio is a band that blends hard rock, electronica, gospel, and rap - they may be the current era's Roxy Music, trendsetting and inventive in their powerful, engaging mix of styles. It was a truly physical experience. The bulk of their bass lines in their music are synthesized (Moog), so the sound takes on a palpable, gargantuan quality. I could feel the bass rippling my shirt. The set was high voltage and breathtaking - dare I say a bit spiritual - as they "brought the sun down."
Another group I had focused on seeing was Fleet Foxes, the Seattle quintet known for high, soaring harmonies over elegant country/folk tunes. But the woolen ski cap on one band member's head - in 90+ degree weather - was an ominous sign, as were the reproachful comments from the stage to beer drinkers in the crowd. While there were moments when Fleet Foxes approached the lovely, crystalline high points of their recordings, they generally seemed overwhelmed by the setting and never quite found their stride.
Veteran Hammond organist Booker T. Jones, now with the DBTs rather than the MGs of "Green Onions" fame, entertained in the Gobi. Eclectic DC-based DJ duo Thievery Corporation got the dance groove going back at the main stage, only to be scuttled once the next act came on. A repeat CVMAF performer, Sri Lankan singer M.I.A. (Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam) was filling in for the immigration-constrained Amy Winehouse and making her first appearance at the largest of the venues. She clearly should have stayed in the smaller tents, as her irritating and shrill set seemed stretched and over-padded for the occasion, little more than flashy lighting, neon costumes, and awkward choreography. Not even closing with her hit, "Paper Planes" from Slumdog Millionaire, could make things right.
But, on the Outdoor stage, it was a different story. Rilo Kiley singer Jenny Lewis gave a wonderfully warm and charming set, knocking out tight, crisp renditions of songs from her two solo albums, Rabbit Fur Coat and Acid Tongue, In front of an enthusiastic crowd (including, on the VIP stage, Jake Gyllenhaal and Reese Witherspoon). I had expected a good performance, but got a festival highlight instead. Lewis - already recording with the likes of Elvis Costello and Death Cab For Cutie's Ben Gibbard - is in a good place career-wise, and a talent to watch.
It was approaching 11pm when Las Vegas band The Killers started their show - the night's closing one on the main stage. Marissa and I reconnected after our second day nibbling at the indie music smorgasbord that is Coachella. The Killers, very much like their hometown, exemplify a musical style that is polished, entertaining, but somewhat overblown, self-conscious - even a bit bloodless. They have a roster of good, memorable songs - "Mr. Brightside," "Somebody Told Me," "Shadowplay," "When You Were Young" - but neither of us were reluctant to begin the trudge back to the car.
SATURDAY HIGHLIGHTS: TV On The Radio, Jenny Lewis
BIGGEST (GOOD) SURPRISES: Ida Maria, Cloud Cult, Dr. Dog, Blitzen Trapper
(Next week - Last Day in the Desert)