Fans of L’Impératrice dance during their performance on the outdoor theater stage at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio on Friday, April 12, 2024. (Photo by Drew A. Kelly, Contributing Photographer)
Everyone makes it to Coachella until headliner Lana Del Rey comes on Friday night. Its 11.40pm start is almost Saturday, though.
But if you’re sleeping, hanging out at the pool, spending all day getting in shape, you’re going to miss out on a lot of musical moments that might have entertained you, confused you, moved your body, or changed your life.
Our team was hard at work on Friday covering the 2024 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Here are some of the musical highlights, memorable moments on Day 1
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Afro-Cuban funk singer Cimafunk played the first set of the day at the Gobi Tent, and if you were there, well, you weren’t standing still, that’s for sure.
Were the lyrics in Spanish? yes Did it matter? Not when the beats are as funky and the frontman as charismatic as this one. When his shirt came off we were already in love. With the music.
— Peter Larsen
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What are the chances that the first two acts in Gobi will feature women … on trombone? Kokoroko, an Afropop meets jazz ensemble from London, followed Cimafunk, and while the music was colder, the horn section here was all female, as in the previous band.
— Peter Larsen
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The Sonora Tent, known for showcasing emerging punk and indie acts under the direction of Renee Contreras of Viva! Pomona, featured Narrow Head’s mid-afternoon shoegaze and grunge rock vibes. Fronted by Jacob Duarte and backed by Carson Wilcox, William Menjivar, Ryan Chavez and Kora Puckett, the band exudes ’90s grunge with a brutal edge, drawing inspiration from My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, as well as hardcore acts like Hum and Failure.
Narrow Head’s 35-minute set came with the energy of a frenzy and marked the bands Coachella debut. Duarte doesn’t shy away from using metallic screams and heavy vocal lines between tracks like “Nodding Off,” “Ashtray” and “Nervous Habit.” Initially seeking refuge from the heat, attendees soon found themselves converted into fans, lighting impromptu mosh pits and even staging daring dives as the set progressed. Since forming in 2013, Narrow Head has steadily climbed the rock charts, poised to become a cornerstone of the shoegaze genre.
— Holly Alvarado
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The Japanese House, the stage name of British indie pop singer-songwriter Amber Marie Bain, took the stage with her band to play to a big crowd in Mojave…then called for a repeat.
“You know what, we’re going to pretend this never happened,” Bane said as technical issues were frustrated here. “We get off the stage, fix this and come back.”
Fifteen minutes into her 40-minute set passed before The Japanese House returned, and even then, Bain braved more technical issues as she sang beautiful versions of “Sad To Breathe,” “Something Has To Change” and more.
And she wasn’t the only artist to struggle with issues from day one. Kokoroko was also delayed to start, and Late Night Drive Home did its first number without a working microphone for its singer.
Later, pop singer Sabrina Carpenter had problems with the pedals on her piano — it was placed in the trunk of a car on stage for some reason — but told her tech and the main stage audience that it probably died because of her five-inch heels.
— Peter Larsen
