On Friday, we saw Lana Del Rey ride in and out of her headlining set on a motorcycle and surprise the crowd with Billie Eilish after Peso Pluma brought the party to the main stage.
That was after a day packed full of music from the likes of Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter, L’Impératrice, Deftones and more. And did we mention that Shakira showed up with Bizarrap?
Saturday might be one of the most Southern California-centric lineups in the festival’s history. Beyond headliner Tyler, the Creator, there’s No Doubt, Sublime, Blxst, the Aquabats, Kevin Abstract, Militarie Gun. the Red Pears and Gabe Real, among others.
Follow along with all of the happenings at Coachella on Saturday with The Times’ August Brown, Danielle Dorsey, Vanessa Franko, Nate Jackson and Mikael Wood.
2:40 p.m. It’s Day 2 of Coachella and the weather has mellowed to mid-80s — downright brag-worthy temperatures compared to L.A.‘s current drear. I started my eating journey at Indio Central Market which, pro-tip: is completely covered so it’s automatically 10 degrees cooler than the rest of the grounds, and a nice respite in between sets with plenty of picnic tables, charging outlets, bars, food vendors and the Heineken House stage off to one side.
I started with Tacos 1986, which specializes in Tijuana-style tacos that come swaddled in corn tortillas with a hefty scoop of guacamole on top. They’ve got a plate with three tacos and they typically ask you to choose one protein, but because it’s early and there was no line, they accommodated my request to try three: carne asada, adobada al pastor and mushroom. I’m taking it as a positive omen for the rest of the day. So much so that I capped it off with a frosé from Kim Crawford Wine’s pop-up. Cheers! — Danielle Dorsey
2:45 p.m. Sporting shades and smiles in their air-conditioned artist trailer in Coachella’s artist village, Sublime bassist Eric Wilson and drummer Bud Gaugh have the look of two guys who just won the lottery–again–with their band.
Before the newly reformed Sublime take the stage before sunset, the two reflect on what it’s been like picking things up with Jakob Nowell, the son of their fallen friend and former frontman Bradley Nowell, stepping into his fathers sandals to bring their distinct SoCal sound to a generation that never got to see them live. Though they’ve always kept things loose, the airtight rhythm section has no doubt when it comes to finding its swing on the festival world’s biggest stage.
“I mean the timing is incredible,” Gaugh said. “Brad left us when he was 28 and now we have Jakob, who is the same age as his dad. You know, things are coming together so easily. We know our brother [Brad] is up there working some miracles for us.” — Nate Jackson
3:17 p.m. The Sonora Tent remains my favorite stage at Coachella because it feels like an intimate rock club just dropped into the middle of Coachella. There’s a lot of rock on today’s lineup and I started my day o’ guitars in Sonora with L.A.’s Militarie Gun.
“The idea that anyone here knows us is crazy,” singer Ian Shelton said from the stage.
The band packed a lot into the 35-minute-set, with funny stories about trying to get into Norway. They followed the humor up with a touching moment, dedicating “My Friends Are Having a Hard Time,” to Cola Boyy, an Oxnard musician and former Coachella performer who died in March.
Despite the serious moments, there was plenty of energy to go around, culminating in set closer “Do It Faster.” —Vanessa Franko
3:28 p.m. If you noticed the skies were particularly hazy around Coachella today, blame the 30 mph wind gusts from Friday night.
The South Coast Air Quality Management District issued a windblown dust advisory for the Coachella Valley from Saturday afternoon through Sunday night, with more wind gusts expected. South Coast AQMD recommended people limit their exposure, avoid vigorous physical activity and stay inside with doors and windows closed.
Since that isn’t exactly an option at Coachella, wearing an N95 face mask is suggested for those spending extended time outdoors. From experience, this unfortunately portends a nastier bout of the Coachella cough. Don’t forget a face covering! — V.F.
4:30 p.m. Coachella often feels like an alternate universe where hours can stretch like days and everyday words take on new meaning. Take TKB Deli, an Indio-local, family-run bakery that’s popping up next to Pies and Lows’ shaded pizzeria not far from the Spectra installation. TKB advertises its sandwiches as “giant,” which even before ordering, I thought to be a bold and highly subjective claim. I guess the marketing worked because I ordered the turkey club that comes on a house French roll.
The sandwich is definitely stacked, with layers of sliced turkey, strips of bacon, provolone, thick rounds of tomato and lettuce, plus mayo and mustard. It comes with a side of chips that taste like they’re seasoned with chives or cayenne pepper. Overall, it’s deeply satisfying and a good deal for $20 (in the Coachella universe, we call this a steal), but I still think “giant” is a bit too generous an adjective. – D.D.
4:35 p.m. A partial list of vintage alternative-rock acts — beyond Blur, Sublime and No Doubt — that I wouldn’t have minded seeing at Coachella on this, the day a mid-’90s KROQ playlist came back to life:
That Dog
Matthew Sweet
Belly
Everclear
Supergrass
Cibo Matto
Sloan
Luscious Jackson — Mikael Wood
5:06 p.m. I have seen many a Coachella set and I can guarantee you that the Aquabats’ turn in the Sonora Tent is among the most fun in the festival’s history. The costumed ska-punk band kicked things off with “Pool Party” and a bunch of beach balls thrown out into the crowd. Then the creatures of “Yo Gabba Gabba” showed up. (The Aquabats’ frontman, MC Bat Commander, a.k.a. Christian Jacobs, is the co-creator of the Nickelodeon show.)
By song three, “Frankenstein,” a giant cat and the abominable snowman were on stage. The tent quickly filled to capacity, a notable feat for an early afternoon Sonora set, and among those watching from the crowd was Paul Tollett, president of Coachella promoter Goldenvoice.
With hits like “Karate Body!” and “Cat With 2 Heads!,” the entire set was one big dance party.
And when you thought it couldn’t get any wilder, the band, which formed 30 years ago, played “Pizza Day” and at least four giant pizza slice pool floats were tossed into the crowd. Coachella should put the Aquabats on the bill every year. — V.F.
6 p.m. An unlikely guest appearance during Vampire Weekend’s set: Paris Hilton, who popped out to play a round of cornhole as the veteran indie-rock band did a countrified take on its “Married in a Gold Rush.”
“I haven’t played this game since ‘The Simple Life,’” the reality-TV icon said, referring to her mid-2000s series with Nicole Richie.
Vampire Weekend’s performance was itself a surprise, announced just days before Coachella began on Friday.
Wearing a green-and-white-striped Pogues sweatshirt, frontman Ezra Koenig told the crowd at the Outdoor Theatre that he’d been sitting on a piece of land sipping ranch water in Texas last week when his band got the call to join the bill.
“A week ago we didn’t know we were gonna be here — you didn’t know either,” he said. “Life’s funny like that.” The band’s set mixed crisp VW oldies and a handful of knottier new tunes from the band’s just-released fifth album, “Only God Was Above Us.” — M.W.
7 p.m. In January, two of L.A.’s most respected underground musicians – Luis Vasquez of The Soft Moon and Juan Mendez, who performed as Silent Servant – died of a suspected fentanyl overdose in downtown L.A. The news devastated local and global electronic and heavy music scenes (Mendez’s partner, Simone Ling, also died the same night).
In the wake of the tragedy, many musicians and fans with ties to their scene have taken a hard look at the escalating risks of drug use today, given the prevalence and deadliness of synthetic opioids like fentanyl in the drug supply. Should a friend suffer an opioid overdose at Coachella or anywhere else, a five minute Naloxone training session in Coachella’s community center might keep them alive.
Anthony Bañuelos is the director of operations for End Overdose, a non-profit that’s administering a speedy training in how to use the nasal spray (also known under brands such as Narcan and Evzio) that can revive someone suffering an opioid overdose. The group has a visible presence at fests across the country, and hopes any and everyone can take his primer to know what to do.
“Overdose is the number one cause of death for individuals from 18 to 45,” Bañuelos said. “We’re seeing 150 deaths per day from synthetic opioids like fentanyl. It’s so important that we spread this lifesaving resource to everybody.”
Bands in L.A. are getting more vocal about the urgency for this. I did the training with Bañuelos – it takes three minutes and will give you the confidence to know the basic steps to save a life in the terrible scenario when you need to use it. The community center is facing the main stage in the Coachella courtyard, it’s absolutely worth doing if you’re here. – August Brown