Coachella Round-Up: Day 2

Becky Bain | April 18, 2010 2:00 pm

The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival started out with a bang—and yes, Beyonce’s bangin’ bod in her hipster desert-wear. Could Day 2 of the music fest, featuring giant acts like Muse and MGMT, keep the party going? Well, yes and no. Find out which band’s performance bummed us out the most, which artist proved unexpectedly patriotic, and who did Madonna proud in Idolator’s daily Coachella round-up below:

Least Delusional: “Who’s on drugs here?” asked MGMT before playing “Time to Pretend.” And yes, thunderous cheering followed. At least they know their fans, though it’d be nice if the band didn’t alienate them and then awkwardly apologize.

Biggest Bird: This one.

Biggest Non-Surprise: As expected, Muse put on a dramatic, powerful show as Saturday’s headliner on the Coachella stage, closing with their epic “Knights of Cydonia.” Absolutely perfect. (Check out Matt Bellamy’s Kanye-style glasses in our pics).

Biggest Surprise: That MGMT didn’t. (Though Coachella vet Paris Hilton evidently enjoyed both bands.) First off, MGMT kicked things off with their mellow, sprawling new single “Flash Delirium,” and whatever your opinion of the song is (mine is unfavorable, to say the least), everyone seemed to agree that that was the wrong song to start with. What’s worse? Following it up with the meandering psychedelia of their Congratulations album and the lesser-known album tracks from their 2007 breakthrough Oracular Spectacular, when all the crowd really wanted was to get revved up on their electro-pop. Finally, about six songs in (after many fans had dispersed out of lack of interest), they played “Electric Feel” and the place went nuts. Same with “Time to Pretend.” But the most heinous part of their show?

Biggest Disappointment: Those crazy kids in MGMT did not play “Kids.” We all expected it to be the closing number, but… it wasn’t. I even stuck around, missing the beginning of Muse (blast!), thinking they would play it as an encore, but no. Does a band need to play all of their hits during a live show? No, but when you’ve only got three hits, and one of them is on Rolling Stone’s Best Songs of the Decade list, and you know everyone loves it and wants to hear it, refusing to play it is really obnoxious.

Most Confused: These guys, who looked like they got a little Lost on the way to MGMT.

Best Cover: Sia singing a beautiful, dreamy rendition of Madonna’s “Oh, Father.” “This one’s for Madonna,” said Sia. “Maybe she’s here. As if!” Well, she was in 2006, it’s not a complete impossibility. No word on whether Sia caught sight of Ke$ha straight-up stealing her style last night. UPDATE: she did, and she’s not mad. On a separate note: Was Sia competing with Matt Bellamy for coolest glasses? See her glow-in-the-dark specs in our new Sia gallery.

Most American: Muse (a British band, mind you) performed “The Star-Spangled Banner” on the electric guitar. How very American and Jimi Hendrix-at-Woodstock-y of them.

Best Outfit: Beth Ditto looking like Liza Minnelli during Gossip’s set—Cabaret haircut, Egyptian eyes and a black sparkley frock I swear she stole from out of my Great Aunt’s closet.

Best Quote of the Day: “Aww, straight boys holding hands!” said a random girl, pointing out a line of macho men having to hold hands to wriggle their way to the front of the Outdoor Stage to see MGMT.

Best Ride: Although I drove myself alone, in my own car, like a chump, if you carpool with four or more people and write “Carpoolchella” on your vehicle, you stand a chance at winning a lifetime VIP pass to the fest. (One given out per day.) I hope this yellow submarine won, cause it’s uber-adorable (although it might have been more appropriate last year, when Paul McCartney headlined.)

Alright folks, time to head back out into the constant traffic that’s headed straight to Coachella — if I leave now, I may just get there sometime in July. Come back tomorrow to check out all the deets on Gorillaz, Thom Yorke’s Atoms For Peace, B.O.B., Little Boots, and every other act I can catch.