Coachella 2014: Hometown Girls Haim Make A Triumphant Debut

Mike Wass | April 12, 2014 1:17 am

The Haim sisters are so quintessentially Californian that it’s hard to fathom that Coachella without their sunny brand of retro West Coast pop/rock. Alana, Danielle and Este made the packed Outdoor Theatre their own, delivering a pitch-perfect set jam packed with killer cuts from Days Are Gone, dazzling hairography and endearing banter.

Oh, and let’s not forget the manifold joys of Este’s iconic bassface. The rock chick’s awe-inspiring grimace is now a legitimate cultural phenomenon. Drugged-up bros yelled “gimme the face!”, while adoring fans waved cut-out posters of her trademark just-electrocuted look. It’s now a major draw and the eldest Haim sibling good-naturedly plays up to it.

The talented trio has been gigging non-stop since their 2011 breakthrough, which translates into an extremely tight live show. Singles “Falling” and “If I Could Change Your Mind” gave way to more obscure album tracks “Honey & I” and “My Song 5” (which Este described as her favorite) but the crowd’s enthusiasm never wavered. By the time Haim finally made their way through a holy trinity of songs that should have been massive radio hits (“Don’t Save Me”, “Forever” and “The Wire”), any doubt that the band is headed for much bigger things was erased. 

Did you catch Haim’s Coachella gig? Let us know what you thought in the comments below.

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