While Coachella may be known for the headlining artists who take on the night on two separate weekends, it’s the smaller artists and bands who really carry on the events for the day. While other festivals try to do similar things, Coachella allows people to really get the chance to be introduced to lesser-known musicians or see your own favorite band from the past.
The Neighbourhood, who has always dreamed of playing the stage at the festival, had a midday time slot, where they got the crowd dancing and vibeing. As someone who has seen the band live numerous times, I thought it was very cool to see where they have ended up as a group. Over the years, they have lost members and added new ones, but their sound and shows have only gotten stronger.
During their time on the Coachella stage, The Neighbourhood played a good mix of older and new music. They started off with tunes like “You Get Me So High” and “Scary Love,” and they ended with their classic hit songs “Sweater Weather” and “RIP to My Youth.”
The lead singer, Jesse Rutherford, mentioned that they “created this band because [they] wanted to play this festival,” and he was not afraid to call people out for not dancing and having fun during their set.
Another really popular performer at the festival was St. Vincent. Everyone watching was really into her music, and the excitement everyone felt was coursing through the crowd. Wearing a bright red bodysuit with matching thigh high boots, St. Vincent’s theatrical performance was unforgettable. While her music is more on the indie side, most of the attendees knew every word to every song. The dancing in the crowd and on stage was contagious. The Lady Gaga-esque performer even sang a little tune about Coachella!
What was unique and interesting about St. Vincent was the fact that instead of standing in front of her band, she was in line with them, standing all the way to the left instead of center stage. That simple sentiment says a lot about her; she doesn’t see herself as any better than the other musicians on the stage.
Opening up for The Weeknd, SZA really brought her own to the stage. It was refreshing to see the relatively new artist so confident in her work and able to put on a great show. She said the festival was the biggest crowd she has played for, but the energy she gave is what she puts out in most of her shows. The crowd went even more wild when she brought Khalid out to perform his hit “Young, Dumb & Broke.”
SZA was a great artist to see live, and her excitement about being at the festival was awesome. She explained to the crowd what has inspired her songwriting to create her massive hits, a good move when performing to new listeners.
Coachella may be for the big names to reach as many fans as possible, but it is the smaller musicians who really carry the festival and get the exposure that they want in order to bring more fans into their families.