Every year, we say we're not going to battle the heat and the crowds and the traffic on the 10 to spend a weekend at the Empire Polo Fields in Indio; and, every year, Coachella puts together a list of acts that we'd kick ourselves if we missed.
This year, we'd made a deal with ourselves. We'll only go for one day. We'll drive up and arrive around three or four, catch the cool Saturday acts and then leave early and head back to the air conditioned loveliness of Los Angeles. Yeah, that's not going to happen because while Saturday really is spectacular with Wilco, Keane, Snow Patrol, and Rilo Kiley all on the lineup to warm our little KCRW hipster hearts, Sunday not only features current music darlings the Arcade Fire and a hard rocking close out set by Nine Inch Nails but a reunion of English post-punk Wunderkind,Gang of Four.
Now, admittedly, the rest of Sunday doesn't do that much for our own musical fancies (The Faint and Black Star obvious exceptions) while Saturday is packed to the gills with the best of 2004's urban alternative (Zap Mama, Amp Fiddler, MF Doom, Jean Grae, K-Os) but we just can't imagine missing The Gang of Four. If they even slightly approach the magic that was the return of the Pixies to performing on last year's stage, the heat stroke and aggravation will all be worth it.
