Damn, Coachella. How do you do it? Every time us weekend two folks start to feel discouraged by the barrage of snark and dissatisfaction on social media from the wealthy one-percenters of weekend one, you come along and prove that the second round of the festival really does belong to the chosen people. Here's the best of what we saw this weekend at Coachella, weekend two.
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Action Bronson
Action Bronson knows showmanship. The blubbery rapper loves to stage dive, body slam disruptive attendees, and even rapped in a port-o-potty from time to time. He's also rap's resident philanthropist, the Albanian Oprah. Weed, TVs, video game consoles–the list becomes longer with every set. On Friday afternoon, he started with his sunglasses. He then proceeded to hurl box upon box of his signature G-Pen over hundreds of outstretched hands, commenting on every catch like an enthusiastic old man watching a Yankee game. As if all of the above weren't enough, he posed for selfies while rapping and shared his blunt with several people behind the first barricade. Between one song break, he told the crowd, “If you need better weed, holler at me.” Whoever did undoubtedly inhaled something wonderful.–Max Bell
The Do Lab Settles Into Its New Home
The Do Lab has been giving Coachella mystique for over a decade by creating an environment for underground artists, DJ's, and performers. Last year, Coachella organizers moved The Do Lab from the center of the festival to a corner across from the Sahara tent on the outskirts of the venue. Initially the move seemed to disrupt the flow of the festival, almost as if the heart of Coachella had been cut out and moved to an outer extremity. But this year, the almighty Do Lab hit its stride in its new home, touting a new, larger structure and enough hype and credibility to attract overflowing crowds throughout the weekend. The alt-circus troupe Lucent Dossier kicked off The Do Lab's weekend two headlining performance, and Do Lab organizers closed out the festival on Sunday with a surprise DJ set by Chet Faker and Bonobo.–Heidi Darby
DJ Snake at Sahara Tent
In true “Turn Down for What?” fashion, DJ Snake threw the crowd headfirst into his set at 8:28 p.m., with no warning at all to prepare the Sahara tent for the onslaught of bass. He tossed a tribute to Diplo and Skrillex out there, remixing the two's Jack Ü hit “Take Ü There” with a drop so heavy that the speakers struggled to transmit the varying pitches and instead delivered one, long, monstrous howl. Snake also brought several special guests onstage, including rap duo Rae Sremmurd, who performed a medley of their singles “No Type,” “No Flex Zone,” and “Throw Sum Mo,” and DMX, who did his classic, “Party Up.” For the most part, Snake did what he does best: the trappy, dancey, dirty drops that made him famous, the likes of “Turn Down” and “Get Low.” But he didn't seem to put enough thought into how best to incorporate all the exciting cameos, and the transitions between Snake's own pounding basslines and the relative calm of his support tracks for his guests felt choppy at times. The audience was more than willing to let it slide, though, and adapt to whatever new sound was happening at the moment. –Sarah Purkrabek
Families
Unlike past Coachellas, there were a bunch of strollers and parents who brought infants to what's likely their first concert. Families like the Garcias of Coachella decided to turn the festival into a family affair, and couldn't help but hide their joy in introducing their two children to new music, food and an experience that they'll be able to brag to their friends at school on Monday. For the brave parents who took their infants, they'll be able to look back at the photos and show their kids they were once cool too.–Daniel Kohn
Jack White Dedicates His Last Electric Set To The Late Ikey Owens
In what was arguably Coachella's most integral moment to date, Jack White performed his final electric set before an upcoming hiatus and dedicated the show to his late keyboardist, Ikey Owens.
“I'd like to dedicate this whole show to Ikey Owens, he's from Long Beach and this night is for him.”
White went on to tell the crowd that Owens would have loved performing at Coachella that night, and after the dedication the band tore through an impassioned set that included “Hotel Yorba,” “Love Interruption,” and “Top Yourself.” The set left the massive crowd salivating for more and White and his band returned to the stage for a four-song encore that ended with fiery version of “Seven Nation Army,” wrapping up an unforgettable performance that will go down as one of Coachella's finest.–Heidi Darby
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The Weeknd brings out Kanye
We were starved for it. That “holy shit” moment at Coachella that will live on your cell phone for the next 12 months and be the envy of all your friends. Well, we know that moment certainly didn't belong to Drizzy. Instead, his Canadian crooner pal the Weeknd got all the glory, surprising Coachella during his closing, Saturday night set with a guest appearance by Kanye West, the festival's patron saint of egotistical turntness. We all just about died when he stilled out on stage in front of a blood red backdrop, tossing out bars of “All Day,” “Can't Tell Me Nothing,” and “Black Skinhead” like raw meat to an ocean of selfie sharks ready to document the whole damn thing. Whether or not you're into the slow burning sexiness that the Weeknd provides, there's no doubt people will talking about his set until the next round of Coachella craziness.–Nate Jackson
The crowd at Brand New
There's no doubt that Jesse Lacey means every word that he sings, and the crowd feeds off of his negative energy, whether angry or sad. When the band broke into two fan favorites off of Deja Entendu (“Okay I Believe You, But My Tommy Gun Don't” and “Sic Transit Gloria…Glory Fades”), the crowd lost their minds. Jumping and screaming fans channeled their inner angry high school kids as the Mojave tent was bursting at the seams with teenage angst. From the front row to the people stuck looking through the entrances of the packed tent, the crowd at Brand New's Coachella set was undoubtedly one of the best of the weekend.–Josh Chesler
The Crowd at Flosstradamus
The crowd at Flosstradamus' set on Saturday evening extended out from the main outdoor stage area into the pathways that connect the whole fest, making for a mainstage level audience. To top it off, every single person was going hard and giving their dancing and moshing 120%.–Sarah Purkrabek
Coachella Dad-Trolling
There are folks who might complain that Coachella has become too family-friendly. For the non-breeding people who find having to be around children and adolescents tiring, off-putting, or downright buzz-killing, an age-open festival environment can be fraught with tiny bummers. Their point is well-taken when spliffs have to be passed over and around baby-bjorns and the machine-elves in psychedelic experiences are actually real small people dancing around. It can get awkward. It can make you feel like your fun is being intruded upon. But all of those icky guilt-laden sentiments are washed away when you see goofy greying dads and moms, wearing the same pre-revival fanny packs they had from the '90s, trolling the shit out of their pre-teen kids. Dozens of times, we spotted good clean dad/mom ball-busting and gawky tweens cowering in shame. Noogie-employing Ride dad? You, sir, are a Coachella hero.–Paul T. Bradley
See also:
How the Hell Do People Afford Coachella?
Standing Up to Pee at Coachella: A Tale of Triumph
Funniest Craig's List Ads for People Bartering Coachella Wristbands
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