Coachella concertgoers were greeted by the Chiaozza Garden, one of many stunning art exhibits at the two-weekend festival. Photo: Robert Kinsler |
Art - Sure the musical artists who appear at Coachella are the event's calling card (more on that follows), but there is little doubt that in an age of Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and the "selfie," the eclectic and visually-arresting art installations positioned around the festival are a tremendous part of the magic of Coachellafest.
Take "Lamp Beside the Golden Door," the creation of Brazilian artist Gustavo Prado. The beautiful and enticing lighthouse was created using thousands of rounded mirrors. The title of the work comes from the last line of the Emma Lazarus poem inscribed at the Statue of Liberty. As you can see in the image on the right (which I took on Saturday night, April 22, 2017), the piece attracted notice even after nightfall. An even more dramatic work at Coachella 2017 was the colorful "Is this what brings things into focus" by United Kingdom-based artists Joanne Tatham and Tom O'Sullivan, a work resembling a herd of species-defying animals (some as high as 75 feet), That work, as well as the "Chiaozza Garden" courtesy of Brooklyn-based artists Terri Chiao and Adam Frezza, and "Crown Ether" by Olalekan Jeyifous also provided some welcome shady spots for sun-drenched concertgoers during the day.
Radiohead singer Thom Yorke on April 21, 2017 Photo: Julian Bajsel courtesy of Goldenvoice |
Lady Gaga performing on April 22. Photo: Greg Noire courtesy of Goldenvoice |
A huge crowd took in Two Door Cinema Club's set at Coachella Weekend 2. Photo: Greg Noire courtesy of Goldenvoice |
Alex Trimble of Two Door Cinema Club on April 22, 2017. Photo: Greg Noire courtesy of Goldenvoice |
The Head and the Heart played in the perfect afternoon slot on the Coachella Stage on Saturday, bringing a joyful Americana sound that was ideally suited to the expansive outdoor setting. The Seattle-based collective performed nearly an hour, delivering wonderful sounding songs such as the spirited folk rocker "City of Angels," the inventive pop-rock gem "Ghosts" and utterly delightful "Lost in My Mind" that began as pure folk before the full band came in and transformed the song into a burgeoning sing-along.
Glass Animals singer Dave Bayley in action. Photo: Robert Kinsler |
Bruce Hornsby performing with Bon Iver. Photo: Robert Kinsler |
Blossoms lead singer Tom Ogden. Photo: Erik Voake courtesy of Goldenvoice |
Blossoms are a young band whose five members were all born in Stepping Hill Hospital and lived within walking distance of each other while growing up in Stockport, England. For the past few years, they have been earning high marks in their native U.K. and their performance on the Outdoor Theatre Stage during Weekend 2 was a revelation. The band's self-titled 2016 album is full of great songs, many of which were performed for an enthusiastic crowd that was swept up in the band's artful indie rock approach. "Blown Rose" (the intricate guitar work recalls Johnny Marr's best), melodic rocker "Blow" with some outstanding guitar play from Josh Dewhurst and the glorious "Charlemagne" were among the fantastic tracks featured in a fast-moving 10-song set. I look forward to hearing more great music from Blossoms in the near future.
The XX. Photo: Erik Voake courtesy of Goldenvoice |
Tycho offered up a mostly-instrumental set of ambient compositions that were ready made for twilight. The expansive sound created by synthesizers and guitars layered atop the rhythm section was enhanced by video projections of everything from crashing waters and people burning brush in the snow to dreamy images of surfers moving through golden waters.
Robert Kinsler
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