Coachella Weekend 2 recap: Billie Eilish, Danny Elfman, Phoebe Bridgers, Japanese Breakfast, more!

An art installation at Coachella.
Photo credit: Robert Kinsler

Review by Robert Kinsler

Maria Zardoya of The Marias.
Photo credit: Beth Sarah / Getty Images
For Coachella

Weekend 2 of Coachella 2022 (April 22-24, 2022) offered up so many great performances, it's impossible so soon after the event to proclaim any single performance — or even any day — the best of the event. 

One thing that is clear is how this year's running of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival clearly thrust women into the limelight. In addition to Billie Eilish's incredible headlining set on the Coachella Stage on Saturday night, the parade of top-tier women extended from early-in-the-day emerging acts such as Holly Humberstone, Nilüfer Yanya, The Regrettes, Yola and Giselle Woo & the Night Owls to bona fide favorites Phoebe Bridgers, Japanese Breakfast, The Marias, Beach Bunny and Maggie Rogers. Weekend 2 Coachellagoers even got Paramore lead singer Hayley Williams as a guest during Eilish's turn. 

Here is a recap of my favorite performances I caught at Weekend 2.

Friday, April 22, 2022

The HU performing on the Outdoor Theatre Stage.
Photo: Robert Kinsler

The HU — Mongolian hard rock outfit The HU lived up to their well-deserved buzz with a 40-minute set of electrifying cuts that fused head banging rhythms wrapped in in guttural singing and propelled by undeniable grooves. Founded in 2016 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, The HU is unlike any group this writer has ever seen and the use of instruments from their native land like the Morin Khuur (horse head fiddle), Tovshuur (Mongolian guitar), Tumar Khuur (jaw harp) and strong presence made for an unforgettable outing on the Outdoor Theatre Stage. "Wolf Totem" was among the otherworldly tracks the band performed with absolute perfection.

Phoebe Bridgers at Coachella.
Photo credit: Getty Images for Coachella

Phoebe Bridgers — Standing out on a three-day bill featuring more than 150 artists isn't easy, but Los Angeles singer-songwriter Phoebe Bridgers did that with her bewitching hour-long set Friday night. Launching her showcase with the lovely "Motion Sickness," Bridgers performed a set that showcased her amazing songcraft and ability to use her musical talents — and those of her amazing band members — to create a soundscape that is fully her own. It didn't hurt that the video projection screen would feature a colorful animated book that would flip pages between the songs and twinkling night sky adding additional atmospheric magic to the setting. Her nuanced and artful performance reached a dramatic close with the explosive finale of "I Know The End."

Other Friday highlights included area favorites Giselle Woo & the Night Owls, English rockers Spiritualized, the soul-meets-pop New York-based Lawrence (featuring siblings Clyde and Gracie Lawrence), rising Los Angeles band The Marias, French singer-DJ Madeon and headliner Harry Styles — the latter who was joined by Lizzo for a version of "I Will Survive." 

Saturday, April 23, 2022

Beach Bunny performing on the Outdoor Theatre stage.
Photo credit: Jacob Mulka / Getty Images for Coachella

Beach Bunny - an early Saturday standout, the Lili Trifilio-led Chicago outfit Beach Bunny offered up a winning mix of melodic punk and power pop on the Outdoor Theatre Stage on Saturday afternoon. Although the quartet was reduced to a trio (the band's guitarist Matt Henkels was not in the lineup for some reason), the group's second-ever appearance at Coachellafest was a success with Trifilio handling all the guitar duties with enough power to help propel their great 45-minute set.

Michelle Zauner of Japanese Breakfast at Coachella.
Photo credit: Julian Bajsel / Getty Images for Coachella

Japanese Breakfast — The moniker for singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Michelle Zauner, Japanese Breakfast was clearly a wonderful discovery for many at the festival. Japanese Breakfast delivered a fully original and joyful set inside a packed Mojave Tent on Saturday afternoon. The diversity of the material included the lovely "Glider" (written for a video game), melodic sortie "Savage Good Boys" and set-ending experimental art rocker "Diving Woman." The yearning "The Body Is a Blade" from her latest album "Jubilee" was one of the most affecting songs this writer heard during the fest.

Danny Elfman at Coachella.
Photo credit: Rachael Polack / Getty
Images for Coachella

Danny Elfman — On Oct. 31, 1995, Danny Elfman said goodbye to his beloved Oingo Boingo via a 3-hour, 40-minute finale at the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles (read my review of that legendary concert HERE). With that well-publicized finale, Elfman dove full time into his burgeoning career as a composer and has since written a slew of acclaimed film scores. Fast forward 27 years to Elfman's appearances at Coachella 2022 and the artist has truly come full circle. On Saturday night, Elfman and an amazing band along with an orchestra and choir performed a handful of Boingo classics as well as selections from some of his most beloved film scores along with new material from his 2021 solo album "Big Mess." This was a dazzling and satisfying run through Elfman's singularly rich sonic universe. Standouts included an amped take on the "Simpsons" theme, a medley of songs from "The Nightmare Before Christmas," and gorgeous symphonic run through "Ice Dance / The Grand Finale" (from "Edward Scissorhands"); it was marvelous to hear Elfman and company run through inspired versions of Boingo classics like "Just Another Day," "Only a Lad" and "Dead Man's Party." The new material was compelling too, especially the decidedly dark "Happy."

Billie Eilish performing on the Coachella Stage.
Photo credit: Andy Boyle / Getty Images for Coachella

Hayley Williams, left, with Billie Eilish in Indio, CA.
Photo credit: Andy Boyle / Getty Images for Coachella

Billie Eilish — Although Weekend 2 attendees didn't get the celebrated Damon Albarn (who appeared at Weekend 1) as a guest during the "Bad Guy" singer's highly anticipated set on Saturday night, they did get to enjoy a guest making her first-ever appearance at the famed festival. "Oh, look! An empty seat. Who is that for?" Eilish asked. She then introduced Paramore's Hayley Williams; they joined forces along with Eilish's brother FINNEAS (the latter who handled acoustic guitar duties) for a powerful take on Paramore's 2007 rocker "Misery Business." Make no mistake; 20-year-old Eilish is already a bona fide star. In addition to her unique vocal and musical style, she is a compelling songstress more focused on nuanced songcraft than glitzy bombast. Sure, her set included dance-minded cuts like "NDA" and "My Strange Addiction," but the gorgeous "idontwannabeyouanymore," "Lovely" and "Getting Older" revealed a greater force at play than the majority of her contemporary hitmakers. 

Other Saturday highlights included rising British rock quartet Yard Act, Disclosure and wonderful R&B singer Amber Mark.

Sunday, April 24, 2022

FINNEAS performing on the Outdoor Theatre on Sunday, April 24, 2022.
Photo credit: Rachael Polack / Getty Images for Coachella

FINNEAS — FINNEAS repeated the power of his previous week's solo set with his appearance on the final day of Coachella. Standouts of his 45-minute set on the Outdoor Theatre stage included the soulful piano-anchored "I Lost a Friend," R&B-meets-rock foray "The 90s" and heart-wrenching "Break My Heart Again." He closed out his set with the soaring Americana mining "Till Forever Falls Apart" and breezy acoustic nugget "Let's Fall in Love for the Night."

Maggie Rogers — Appearing on the Coachella Stage, singer Maggie Rogers' emotive "Light On" and soulful follow-up "Falling Water" really showcased her uplifting approach and soaring vocals. She ended her 45-minute appearance with the driving dance track "That's Where I Am." 

For more coverage of Weekend #2 of the festival, read writer George A. Paul's coverage via Rock Cellar Magazine HERE. 

The Zombies bring magic to a global audience via performance from Abbey Road Studios

The Zombies

Where: Studio 2 at Abbey Road Studios in London

When: Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021

Learn more: www.thezombiesmusic.com

Review by Robert Kinsler

Photography by Jules Annan

The Zombies took advantage of every single moment of their only public performance of the year on Sept. 18, 2021 to celebrate a 60-year legacy that continues to grow and thrill fans across the globe.

The Zombies, from left, are keyboardist Rod Argent, bassist Søren Koch,
singer Colin Blunstone, drummer Steve Rodford and guitarist Tom Toomey.

It is hard to believe that the British band — whose inception dates back to a jam held in St. Albans, England in 1961 — continues to be among today's most exciting rock groups. The growing parade of the band's admirers includes everyone from Paul Weller and the late Tom Petty to Paramore singer Hayley Williams, Arcade Fire and Susanna Hoffs (the famed Bangles singer-guitarist famously inducted the band into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019). At the worldwide livestream staged in Studio 2 at Abbey Road Studios on Sept. 18, the quintet thrilled with a mix of enduring classics, artful covers, deep cuts as well as the live premiere of new songs set to be included on an as-of-yet untitled album likely to be released in 2022.

Colin Blunstone at Abbey Road Studios on Sept. 18.

Led by founding members Rod Argent (keyboards, vocals) and Colin Blunstone (lead vocals), the group also includes guitarist-backing vocalist Tom Toomey, drummer Steve Rodford and bassist-backing vocalist Søren Koch. The five members have a strong chemistry and together displayed top-tier musicianship and resplendent harmonies to bring the Zombies signature masterful style blending classic rock, baroque pop, jazz and blues to life throughout their 90-minute livestream. Blunstone's vocals defy time, and his soaring tenor remains a true wonder.

Rod Argent performing on Sept. 18, 2021.

Opening with a luminous version of "Moving On," the band's performance was equaled by the fantastic high-resolution visuals and great sound provided via the livestream. The band's 1965 single "I Want You Back Again" followed, this rendition a nod to the version covered by Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers featured on their The Live Anthology released in 2009. Argent's wistful keyboard solo and Blunstone's soaring tenor bolstered the classic.

The jazzy "Edge of the Rainbow," driving "I Love You" and rocking cover of Denny Laine's "Say You Don't Mind" were other early standouts. 

From left, Søren Koch and Tom Toomey.

The Zombies then premiered several new songs, bringing the Q Strings quartet to the stage to further boost the new selections. The first of the songs, a beautiful chamber pop gem titled "Different Game," featured Argent playing a Mellotron; the song ended with the strings sans the rest of the group in a beautiful instrumental section. The lovely "You Could Be My Love" followed, bolstered by the strings and Argent's playing on a grand piano. A version of "I Want To Fly" also benefitted from the work of the quartet (sisters Laura, Ellie and Amy Stanford, and Jess Cox).

Throughout the event, Argent and Blunstone often shared interesting insights into the background of the creation or recording of their songs. For example, Blunstone noted that while in the studio recording "Tell Her No" around Christmas in 1964 they learned that they had just scored their first number 1 hit in America ("She's Not There"). 

They then performed a four-song set of tracks from their 1968 album Odessey and Oracle, noting that when they entered Abbey Road Studios to begin work on the LP in June 1967 they literally were there right after The Beatles completed work on Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. The Zombies were able to use some of the same instruments used by the Fab Four on their sessions.

A divine "Care of Cell 44," joyful "This Will Be Our Year" and melodic "I Want Her She Wants Me" were performed first, with the band's beloved "Time of the Season" expanded with an extended solo by Argent. 

From left, Rod Argent, Søren Koch and Tom Toomey.

The winning rock original "Merry Go Round" and debut performance of the reflective "Run Away (For All My Life)" followed.

A marathon-length version of Argent's "Hold Your Head Up" was dedicated to Jim Rodford (the long-time bassist of the Zombies and former member of Argent and the Kinks died in January 2018). 

The main set ended with a sweeping take on "She's Not There" complete with Argent and Toomey dueling on their instruments before Steve Rodford and Koch were featured in a rhythm section break-out.  Before leaving the studio, a tender version of "The Way I Feel Inside" focusing on Blunstone's vocals and Argent's skillful work on the grand piano provided the perfect close to the latest chapter in the Zombies' singular journey.  

The Zombies' setlist at Abbey Road Studios on Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021

Drummer Steve Rodford of The Zombies.

Moving On

I Want You Back Again

Edge of the Rainbow

I Love You

Say You Don't Mind (Denny Laine cover)

Different Game (live debut, with string quartet)

You Could Be My Love (live debut with string quartet)

I Want To Fly (with string quartet)

Tell Her No

Care of Cell 44

This Will Be Our Year

I Want Her She Wants Me

Time of the Season

Merry Go Round

Run Away (For All My Life) — (live debut)

Hold Your Head Up (Argent cover)

She's Not There

The Way I Feel Inside