Billie Joe to the Rescue! Green Day Frontman Rocks Coachella on First Night of Weekend 2
If Friday night was any indication, Weekend 2 Coachella-goers don't have anything to worry about — they're in for just as much of a treat with regards to special guests.
Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day was the surprise hit on the first night of the music festival's second weekend, showing up for more than just a quick cameo alongside the Replacements. Armstrong lent a hand to the band's injured frontman Paul Westerberg; who performed while seated on a couch on stage for most of the set, having thrown out his back earlier this week.
Armstrong showed up early and stuck around for a while. Clearly having rehearsed, he fit in flawlessly with the alt-rock band that returned to playing live last weekend for the first time in 22 years.
[Related: Coachella '14: The Cameos Keep on Coming, From Blondie to Bieber]
Armstrong jammed with the band on some of their biggest hits, including "Alex Chilton," "Can't Hardly Wait," and "Color Me Impressed."
At one point bassist Tommy Stinson pointed out that Armstrong seemed to be getting the hang of the band's modus operandi. "It's in E like all the others," he said jokingly.
The band clearly had fine-tuned from their April 11 performance, right down to their outfits — matching tan patterned suits with black bow ties (except for the injured Westerberg, who opted for a more comfy t-shirt and jeans).
Just like last week, Busta Rhymes just couldn't stay away from Coachella. He was back on the main stage again this week with Girl Talk (Gregg Michael Gillis), a DJ who's known for mashing up '80s music with hip hop. Last week, Busta, Too Short, Juicy J, and E-40 all joined Girl Talk on stage as well. Busta also appeared last weekend with Pharrell and Diddy for the former's star-packed set on Saturday night.
Friday afternoon kicked off much like last weekend with stellar performances by acts that included Aloe Blacc, Bastille, and Ellie Goulding. Goulding's sunset performance on the main stage was yet again nothing short of mesmerizing, as she captured the crowd with her latest hits including opener "Figure 8," latest hit "Goodness Gracious," and her closer anthem, "Burn."
Friday headliners OutKast once again delivered the goods, appearing much more confident on stage this second time around — their sophomore outing in what's going to be a very busy 2014 festival circuit for the duo. The band had its share of critics during their Coachella debut last Friday, but this week they left no doubt that they were indeed back in fighting form. Fans including DJ A-Trak agreed:
Outkast were way better tonight. Knew they’d get it together.
— DJ Anti-Tweeze (@atrak) April 19, 2014
[Related: Coachella '14 Friday - OutKast's Audience More Idle Than Wild]
But once again the packed dance tents were where the majority of the festivalgoers flocked.
The Sahara tent, ground zero for electronic dance music (EDM) fans, seemed even more packed than last week, with early sets from Gareth Emery and Carnage. Emery opened up his set with a remix of Bastille's ubiquitous hit "Pompeii," which would be played just minutes later by the real band in the Mojave tent just next door.
[Related: Is Rock Losing the Way to EDM at Coachella?]
But things really kicked off at sundown when L.A. three-piece the Glitch Mob delivered an inspired performance to a packed Sahara. The band's live drumming and use of a series of iPads at the front of their perch, lent a unique element that set them apart from the day's other performers. They ended their performance with their biggest hit, "We Can Make the World Stop."
Yet again, Dutch 17-year-old Martin Garrix provided one of the most crowded performances of the night, opening up with an inspired remix of his Top 40 chart-topping hit "Animals." Like Muse last Saturday night, and several DJs throughout Coachella's first weekend, the teen also played tribute to Nirvana for the second week in a row, again dropping "Smells Like Teen Spirit" into the middle of his set. He rounded things out with rousing renditions of Bruno Mars's "Locked Out of Heaven," Krewella's "Alive," and a brand-new track with his fellow national Sander van Doorn.
Earlier in the day, Garrix tweeted this photo of himself with manager Scooter Braun on their way to Coachella via private jet. Braun also manages Justin Bieber, Carly Rae Jepsen, and Amber Riley — might we see a collaboration with Garrix and one of them in the future?
COACHELLA HERE WE COMEEEE @scooterbraun pic.twitter.com/oU5QcfbXJN
— MARTIN GARRIX (@MartinGarrix) April 18, 2014
Following Garrix and continuing the trend of adolescents behind the decks, the classically trained Zedd, 24, once again dazzled. He opened with his biggest hit "Clarity" (feat. Foxes, not present), served his latest "Stay the Night" (feat. Hayley Williams of Paramore, who was not there, in a missed cameo opportunity since the track was dropped by practically every DJ during Weekend 1), weaved in and out of many of EDM's biggest hits including Swedish House Mafia's "Greyhound" and Deniz Koyu's "Tung," and finally ended with a remix of Empire of the Sun's "Alive."
Perhaps the best addition to Coachella this year is the now-doubled-in-size fully enclosed Yuma tent, which serves as a veritable deep house nightclub for those who like their beats with a few less drops. Recent Astralwerks signee Duke Dumont packed the Yuma, kicking his set off with his current Whitney Houston-sampling hit "I Got U" and ending with his Grammy-nominated "Need U 100%."
And lastly in Yuma, handsome tattooed Brit newcomer Hot Since 82 (Daley Padley) played a deep house set that kept the crowd enchanted until late into the desert night.
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