Well, Coachella season has kicked off and weekend one was a roaring success. First off, the Empire Polo grounds are bigger and better than ever, so prepare for some serious walking. Now, weekend two is just a day away, so get hyped for weekend two with our recap of the top six performances of weekend one!
Photo by Allison Benn
#6 - Bonobo
Simply, Bonobo was the perfect start to Coachella day one. Mellow grooves and lush instrumentation eased you into a celebratory weekend basking in art, music and sunshine. Bonobo's music is transcendent, and he took all the Coachellans with him to another level.
Photo by Allison Benn
#5 - Moderat
Berlin's finest electronic music supergroup Moderat brought the feels to the Mojave tent along with a big, big sound. It was dark and mysterious and their visual accompaniment was perfectly paired with the amazing Apparat vocals and Modeselektor production.
Photo by Allison Benn
#4 - Kendrick Lamar
King Kendrick aka Kung Fu Kenny closed out the main stage with the strongest headlining hip-hop performance since Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg brought out all their homies back in 2012. His special guests of Travis Scott, Schoolboy Q and Future was clearly a bold statement that these are the leaders in the contemporary hip-hop game, no need for any of the older rappers.
Photo by Allison Benn
#3 - Bon Iver
Justin Vernon's Bon Iver project lit the mainstage up with a moving performance that was as visually engaging as it was sonically. Bon Iver has a sound all to itself and it's simply magic to see the band do their work.
Photo by Allison Benn
#2 - The xx
The xx were very, very emotional. Both in their music, but they seemed to be having the time of their life on the stage, constantly thanking the crowd for their support. My favorite moment was when they gave Jamie xx to perform solo work to highlight that man's undeniable talent and tremendous contribution to the band.
Photo by Allison Benn
#1 - Future
Oh boy, Future did the damn thing! I was the most excited to see Future at Coachella and never before has an artist truly lived up to and exceeded my expectations. The moment he brought out Migos was huge, and then he even brought out Drake - possibly to give the Canadian a chance to redeem his former mainstage let down. Future is an act to see, whenever you get the chance!
Photo by Allison Benn
