A Bernie Sanders surprise, a Green Day hit fest and more highlights from Saturday

There were moments of Travis Scott’s Saturday night closing set that were some of the most astounding pieces of stagecraft I’ve seen at Coachella. Dancers dangling from cables to look like they were lifted into a fog-strewn ether (or hung like Mussolini). Scott rapping while walking vertically down a wall at an impossible angle, about 50 feet up. Kicking through a moat with a brass band on an in-the-round riser that vaulted him over the main stage field.

It’s no coincidence that Scott would use his long awaited Coachella return to assert complete, total mastery of his physical space onstage. Scott is still recovering from the aftermath of the 2021 Astroworld disaster, where 10 fans died and he lost control of everything.

He’s since released a new album, the sprawling and sleek “Utopia,” and toured stadiums to great acclaim. Now, leaving nothing to chance at this return to festivals, he made his case to be back in an elite tier of artists who can craft something genuinely transgressive at this level of fame.

Over a set that packed two dozen songs and several stage detours into just about an hour, Scott proved beyond a doubt that he’s still got it. An exemplar of meticulous creative direction guiding everything (it’s no coincidence he’s a Wes Anderson fan), his post-industrial, gothic monolith of a stage set was like pagan expressionism.

He’s toned down his physical performance a bit since the height of his rage-rap era, and his Coachella set was at times unexpectedly maudlin and melancholy. He got to all the bangers - “90210,” “Hyaena,” “No Bystanders,” “Goosebumps” - and his vocals were exquisitely dialed in. But the detuned brass band in face-obscuring hoods that followed him around were a tell. Scott’s set worked so hard at creating a mood of imposing sophistication that it sometimes dragged—maybe it was the Saturday late night exhaustion, but you could see fans getting lost in the bleary mood and artful distances. Older, grimier cuts like “Mamacita,” “Butterfly Effect” and “Nightcrawler” were bracing palate cleansers.

Scott had one job only on Saturday—remind the Coachella audience that’s been waiting for him since 2020 that he hasn’t lost a step in the interim. There was so much to behold at his set that you couldn’t claim he didn’t land it. But with Playboi Carti now the undisputed king of the ragers, Scott’s clearly attempting to level up into a cooler-toned, even-keeled version of his craft. He has so much mystery, atmosphere and toned muscle in his music and stage show now—let’s hope he still has it in him to get a little unhinged too.

At Coachella, the stages usually run very much on time. Not so much when it came to the Misfits who began their set at the Outdoor Theatre about 13 minutes after their 11:20 p.m. start time.

Both the band’s stage set— which included large pumpkins and a backdrop covered in the band’s crimson ghost skull logo— and the set list itself were similar to last summer’s No Values festival in Pomona but hit the highlights of the iconic punk band’s catalog, including “Where Eagles Dare,” “Last Caress,” “Vampira” and “Skulls.”

The band’s sound was significantly better than it was in Pomona, but goth punks have struggles in the desert. Singer Glenn Danzig remarked about how dry it was and you could hear him audibly huffing and puffing.

The band’s Coachella booking was a nod to the punk roots of promoter Goldenvoice, something not unusual for the fest. However, in recent years the festival has gone more pop and the band’s late-night show felt like a performance that would have fit in more with the festival 10 or 15 years ago. By the midway point in the set, the modest crowd had thinned out significantly, but it could be that some people were just done after the heat or headed to after parties, as the main field wasn’t fully packed for Travis Scott, either.

Billie Joe Armstrong has invited enough audience members onstage to sing or play guitar with Green Day for a song or two that at this point you figure he’s developed a keen sense for what type of fan is likely to pull off the bit.

But it’s possible the frontman has never called on somebody as confident as the dude he picked Saturday night to help finish Green Day’s headlining performance at the Coachella festival.

On-screen horses were running through open fields, the Mojave stage was filled with grass and the DJ Horsegiirl was in her element.

Wearing a hyper realistic horse mask with attached blonde hair, the performer takes the “horsegirl” archetype to a new level. Many of her songs have to do with galloping, trotting and barn life. But beyond her persona, she delivered an upbeat mix of deep house beats, pop cuts and hip hop beats.

Her audience resembled that of a body of water — constantly in motion and at the ready to come crashing down (in sync with the beat, of course).

By the end of the set, I swear I heard a few members of the crowd let out a “neigh.”

Green Day had tens of thousands of fans singing along to Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” over the PA before they even took the stage for their headlining set at Coachella Saturday night. There was much swaying and hugging among the crowd before the big crescendo and much headbanging ensued. (Coachella, you sang the “Galileos” beautifully.)

Then it was time for more singing, this time to the Ramones’ “Blitzkrieg Bop” led by a pink bunny wearing a black vest and red tie on stage.

When Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and Tre Cool took the stage at 9:15 they opened with “American Idiot,” inspiring a sing-along of their own.

To many, the world of Charli XCX consists of lime green, high-profile collaborations and hard drugs. But the British pop star’s Coachella performance reminds us, she’s much more.

Before she took the stage, murmurs took over the green-clad crowd. Could Billie Eilish make an appearance? What about Troye Sivan? No, it has to be Addison Rae. In her all black attire, the singer appears on the Coachella main stage, causing the crowd to roar. Behind her blacked-out glasses, she sets the tone, exclaiming, “What the f—?”

The most consequential cameo of Coachella so far was an unbilled guest slot from Sen. Bernie Sanders.

Fresh off a packed rally at Gloria Molina Grand Park in downtown L.A. that drew tens of thousands, Sanders (flanked by congressman Maxwell Frost, a Gen Z inheritor of his vision), Bernie spoke just ahead of Clairo’s Outdoor Theater set at 8:15 p.m.

“This country faces some very difficult challenges. The future of what happens to America is dependent upon your generation,” Sanders said. “You can turn away and ignore what goes on but if you do, you do it at your own peril.”

Like Lady Gaga on Friday night, Charli XCX declined to allow attending media to photograph her main stage set at Coachella.

When that happens, I try my best to offer an artistic rendering of the show with my notebook and pen for readers. Unfortunately, drawing is not one of my talents.

So here’s Charli XCX, the latest entry in my series of Terrible Stick Figure Drawings.

Charli XCX started to play the familiar opening notes of “Girl, so confusing,” the earworm about female friendships, and she asked the crowd to dedicate the song to their besties and teases. “Help me sing this with my friend,” she said.

Moments later, Lorde appeared, strutting down the catwalk in a casual gray T-shirt in what played out as a heartfelt display of friendship.

Just a few tracks later, the air filled with the pulsating bass of “Guess,” the song that opens with “You wanna guess the color of my underwear?” There was no guessing whom Charli XCX invited to perform the anthem: collaborator Billie Eilish. As the raunchy club beat played, both the 365 party girl and “Birds of a Feather” vocalist let loose on the main stage — further transforming the polo field into a full-fledged rave.

Coachella’s biggest surprise guest yet was Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. who appeared before Clairo took the stage on Saturday night.

“I’m not gonna be long but this country faces some very difficult challenges and the future of what happens to America depends on your generation. You can turn away and ignore what goes on, but you do it at your own peril. We need you to stand up to fight for justice,” he said.

Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez held a rally in downtown Los Angeles earlier on Saturday that drew tens of thousands of people.

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When I spoke to Gustavo Dudamel last week to talk about the L.A. Phil’s groundbreaking debut at Coachella, he stressed how important and thrilling it would be for the young, diverse pop audience to see an orchestra in person, possibly for the first time.

Music

Gustavo Dudamel and the LA Phil tune up for their ‘dream’ gig at Coachella

We talk to Gustavo Dudamel about the LA Phil’s strange but fitting crossover event at Coachella as he winds down his tenure.

April 11, 2025

Well, the reverse is true too: L.A. Phil players and Dudamel looked like they were having the time of their lives up there for the sundown set, celebrating conductor’s 17-year tenure before departure for the New York Philharmonic next year.

While the classical program ran through big crowd pleasers (Beethoven’s Fifth and Strauss’ “Also sprach Zarathustra” are up there with the greatest riffs of the millennium), the delightfully eclectic range of pop guests covered the whole of the festival. Zedd with a gospel choir and the most soaring backup arrangements of his life? Argentine rap duo Ca7riel & Paco Amoroso over galloping Latin percussion? All over the place, in all the best ways that embody L.A. music.

With Dudamel conducting, Laufey performs with the L.A. Phil on Saturday.

(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

Maren Morris, Becky G and Laufey each had a regal run with the orchestra on their pop hits. But Dudamel looked positively rapt locking in with LL Cool J, spinning John Williams’ “The Imperial March” from “Star Wars” into LL’s “Rock the Bells.” LL gave him one of his trademark hats as a parting gift. Here’s hoping Dudamel keeps the memento, as Coachella 2025 will become part of his legacy.

Dudamel soaks up the warm reception from the Coachella crowd.

(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

If everyone was wearing black leather for Lady Gaga at Coachella’s opening day, today the masses are channeling their inner brat.

The neon green of Charli XCX’s “Brat” album definitely inspired Coachella fashion ahead of her Saturday evening set.

Some people just had items in the electric color, but I also saw some homemade shirts that matched the album color font and were bedazzled.

On the other end of the fashion spectrum, plenty of punk fans sported T-shirts with the Misfits’ Crimson ghost logo or with various Green Day designs from over the years.

Beaming with excitement, fans dashed toward the Mojave tent to catch the Coachella debut of Yo Gabba Gabba. The five brightly colored characters helped the crowd to get its “wiggles” out and sang the hit “Party in My Tummy.” No matter their age, members of crowd sang along to tracks like “Don’t Bite Your Friends” and played games similar to Simon Says.

For “Beat of the Day,” Public Enemy rapper and “Flavor of Love” star Flavor Flav, beatboxed and sang about loving different kinds of bugs. DJ Lance Rock, the original host of the children’s program, joined his “Yo Gabba Gabbaland” successor Kammy Kam. To finish the show, Thundercat joined the cast in a pink furry cat suit to sing “The Orange Cat’s Special Time Outdoors” and stayed onstage to perform with Portugal the Man, Paul Williams and “Weird Al” Yankovic. The entire set carried a wholesome, nostalgic energy in keeping with all that Yo Gabba Gabba conjures.

“It took me 20 years to get on this stage,” T-Pain said near the end of his performance on the main stage, and that meant nobody could stop the pioneering hip-hop and R&B star from singing faithful renditions of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” and the country standard “Tennessee Whiskey.” T-Pain also ran through medley-ized snippets of his many early-2000s hits and had his DJ play Michael Jackson’s “P.Y.T.,” which Kanye West famously sampled for his “Good Life” in 2007, as he roamed across a post-apocalyptic stage set. Am I the only one who didn’t know that T-Pain had gone steampunk?

(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

No matter how much Gatorade and water I pounded in anticipation of another hot day at Coachella, I was feeling the pain hauling myself to the main stage to see Jimmy Eat World on Saturday afternoon after popping in on Weezer in Mojave, so it felt rather appropriate that the set opened with the 2004 hit “Pain.”

Jimmy Eat World’s blistering set in almost blistering heat (a little bit of cloud cover goes a long way) was full of both crowd pleasers and some cuts for the longtime fans — always impressive when you’re talking about a 50-minute-long afternoon festival set.

As one of the aforementioned longtime fans, I expected to hear “Lucky Denver Mint” off the band’s 1999 album “Clarity,” but I admit I squealed with glee when the group played the ballad “For Me This Is Heaven” off the record with a chorus that starts with the line, “Can you still feel the butterflies?”

Yes, Jimmy Eat World singer and guitarist Jim Adkins, I can.

I am guessing people at home could, too, perhaps when Adkins gave them a shoutout and declared that Coachella’s livestream audience was the largest the band has ever played for.

While the set included tracks throughout the band’s career, the obvious highlight was the set-closing trio of songs off of 2001’s “Bleed American” to round out the set: “A Praise Chorus,” the title track and, of course, the band’s biggest hit, the power pop masterpiece “The Middle.”

A multi-generational dance party was had, and after singing the last “everything, everything will be all right,” I am ready to get more electrolytes and rally for the evening.

When Weezer was announced last weekend as a surprise addition to this year’s Coachella lineup, few likely predicted that the veteran alt-rock band’s set would be among the festival’s most closely watched.

But that was before bassist Scott Shriner’s wife, Jillian, was involved in a bizarre episode in Los Angeles this week that ended with her being shot by police officers after they encountered her with a handgun in the backyard of a home in Eagle Rock.

It’s rare to see young bands emerge with such a fully conceived visual aesthetic as Glass Beams pulled off in the Gobi Tent just now.

The instrumental rock trio came out looking like the Bene Gesserit from “Dune” with gold mesh masks, flowing tunics and tight braids wound into sculptural forms. They played on separated diamond-shaped risers, with analog synths mounted on concrete plinths. They didn’t say a word outside of a few background vocal coos. Rather, they let their extremely expressive and dynamic playing lock into long, rigorous grooves that drew from Desi modalities and minimal techno alike. (The band is signed to the erstwhile dance label Ninja Tune.)

They looked imposing as hell onstage, just as the music was alluring and drenched in mystique.

They’re likely bored of any comparison to that other instrumental three-piece band with arid vibes and flamboyant guitar riffs, but this set affirmed there’s room on this hostile desert planet for more.

Producers, it feels like this band is one tasty hip-hop sample off “Mahal” from getting much, much bigger soon. Someone go make it happen.

In the far corner of the festival grounds, Travis Scott built “The Village by Cactus Jack.” In partnership with Nike, the area resembled the Waterworld show at L.A.’s Universal Studios — artfully rusty and made almost entirely of shipping containers. Inside the village, visitors are offered free Erewhon ginger shots, tattoos from fashion brand Vetements and even get the opportunity to participate in the “X-Bar” challenge where people can play soccer to win Cactus Jack merch. Scott also sells exclusive Coachella merch, in the Village and has an additional tent on the polo field for fans to shop.

A long queue of people line a shipping container that has been transformed into a Vetements tattoo parlor. Offering a selection of branded flash tattoos, Maurice Herrera is hoping to get an anarchy symbol.

“I wanted to get something memorable. Yeah, I come buy clothes or whatnot, but the tattoo’s gonna last forever. I already have a bunch of tattoos in. So, why not live on the edge and get a tattoo?,” explained Herrera, who describes himself as a massive Scott fan.

Scott is set to take the stage later tonight, but he’s already making his mark on both the festival and the dedicated fans lined up to get tatted.

While Friday night headliner Lady Gaga is likely the biggest fashionista at the 2025 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, there’s no shortage of interesting fan fashion around the still-lush fields of the Empire Polo Club in Indio.

Pinger Chan, Mandy Ng, Maggie Chou and Gianna Li.

(Ethan Benavidez / For The Times)

Ezra Fox, a five year-old from Los Angeles, is proud to be Yo Gabba Gabba’s biggest fan. Ahead of the colorful character’s Coachella performance, Fox raves about his favorite member, Plex (the yellow robot) and how excited he is to see them in person.

“I’m going to be dancing,” exclaimed Fox. He also brought his Yo Gabba Gabba red wig and glasses to wear at the set.

His parents, Michelle Gamboa and Elliot Fox, thought the children’s show performance would be the most memorable first concert for their son. They also look forward to seeing Weezer and Beth Gibbons later in the afternoon.

“Check in with us in five hours we’ll tell you what it’s really like to bring a kid to Coachella,” joked Fox, as they wait to be let in the festival gates.

Coachella’s YouTube livestream is back this year, capturing the magic of the fest for everyone back home. Day 2 promises to feature some of this year’s biggest performances, including Charli XCX, Green Day and Travis Scott on the Main Stage, Gustavo Dudamel and the L.A. Phil and the Misfits at the Outdoor Theatre, and Weezer and Yo Gabba Gabba! at the Mojave.

And check out Coachella’s livestream app on iOS and Android, where you can set reminders for sets and see some of the most-talked about moments from Day 1.

On Tuesday afternoon, the spring heat crackled over a near-empty Hollywood Bowl. The L.A. Phil had pulled down a sun visor over the stage for their rehearsals, where music and artistic director Gustavo Dudamel led the orchestra through a few heavy-hitter moments of their upcoming set this weekend.

On Saturday evening, the Phil will trek out to new ground. They’re finally playing the other verdant, globally recognized outdoor music venue that embodies the Southern California idyll — the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.

Max from from Portland, Ore., wrote in with a question about the art at Coachella.

I’d like to know more about interactive art at Coachella. Can you share more about the Coachella Art Studios that happens every year in the camping area?

For the past 16 years Sarah Scheideman has built an arts and crafts oasis on the campgrounds. As someone raised in the Coachella Valley, she says wanted to make sure the local art scene plays a role in the festival. This year, the tent is filled with different crafting stations. You can upcycle different pieces of clothing, build things with clay, make jewelry and even sketch some live models who lay by a faux pool. While some people make junk journals and others customize carabiners, a live DJ helps make for a lively, creative community hub.

“People come in here and are able to look inward. When you’re in the festival, everything’s a very outward experience. You’re looking at the people on the stage and you’re looking your surroundings,” said Scheideman. “But when you do art, you’re figuring things out, you’re using your hands. The cell phone has to be away. In some ways, it’s like a contrast experience.”

Scheideman emphasizes that all of the activities are free of cost — what she describes as a rarity at the festival.

“Some people come in, and tell me this is the only art they make all year long, and they’re like, ‘I come back every year and I come to make art.’”

The Coachella Art Studios is open in the camping hub, behind the large horse structure from 10 am to 2 p.m. daily.

Last month, Alvin Gibbs, bassist of the British punk band U.K. Subs, said he was turned away at the border before his Los Angeles show.

He wrote on Facebook that when the band got to LAX, they were “detained in a cold holding pen, along with a group of Colombian, Chinese, and Mexican detainees. My luggage, phone, and passport were confiscated.” He and most of the band were sent back to the U.K., Gibbs said, for having an incorrect visa. But he wondered if other factors contributed.

Inside her apartment in Madrid, the 22-year-old singer-songwriter Lara Fernández Castrelo, better known as Judeline, is rummaging through her closet, piecing together some desert-friendly looks before hopping a plane to Los Angeles. On Saturday afternoon she’ll make her Coachella debut on the Sonora stage.

It will also be the inaugural stop of her first-ever United States tour, which includes an April 17 date at the Roxy in West Hollywood. Over a video call, I see her standing outside her closet, visibly overwhelmed by the options. “My house is a mess right now — I don’t even know [how many] days I’m going to be in the States — then later Mexico City and Bogotá,” says Judeline. “It’s going to be a crazy trip!”

MEXICO CITY — Rawayana, a band composed of Venezuelan émigrés whose trippy, Caribbean-soaked pop has earned it global acclaim, was riding high.

Late last year the group had just been nominated for a Grammy, been confirmed for this month’s Coachella lineup and was about to release a new album with the beloved Colombian band Bomba Estéreo. And after two years of near nonstop touring around the world, Rawayana was preparing an epic homecoming: celebratory concerts across Venezuela that sold out almost as soon as they were announced.

We survived the blistering heat of the first day of Coachella. Today the Empire Polo Club will play host to see artists including Travis Scott, Green Day, Charli XCX, Enhyphen, the Misfits and more.

As we wake up and shake off the dust from opening day, our team in the desert offered up some tips and tricks for navigating the festival.

“Heineken 0.0. All the multivalent sensory bliss of cracking the first frosty beer of a scalding Coachella day. 100% less chance of getting hammered by sundown, losing your friends in the Sahara Tent, breaking up with your partner after fighting over where to watch Gaga from and unearthing years of resentments, and finally desperately searching for a place to plug your phone in to get a ride home,” — August Brown

“I am convinced that Emergen-C mixed with orange juice each morning before, during and after the festival will help keep the Coachella crud away. And if you hear something interesting as you’re walking by a tent, always poke your head in and check it out.” — Vanessa Franko

Usually the energy you bring to Coachella is the energy you get out of it. But sometimes you’ll need to rely on the positive vibes of your friends and strangers to get you through. One of the best things you can do to get out of your sun-beaten, Coachella malaise is to stop, go find a drink and some shade and make conversation with strangers. Engage a random person in small talk about your favorite set of the day, throw them a compliment or a high-five and see how quickly it can boost your ‘Chella endorphins.—Nate Jackson

“At the end of the night, never mind the windblown desert dirt coating the street dog you pay 12 bucks for in the parking lot. It won’t hurt you.” — Mikael Wood

“Try to get to the festival grounds early at least one day. Yes, it’s the hottest part of the day, but it’s also the most peaceful. Take advantage of short food and bar lines, explore immersive art or ride the Ferris wheel, and catch a rising act. (Fun fact: my first time seeing Kendrick Lamar was an early afternoon set at Coachella in 2012.)” — Danielle Dorsey

“Be sure to take advantage of each brand experience. (And don’t be afraid to go back more than once.) The festival grounds are filled with different tents from companies like Coca-Cola, Buldak Ramen and Pinterest. They usually offer various activities and sometimes give out freebies. Over the years, I’ve sampled different Lay’s chips, sipped on new iced coffee flavors and even received free Method body wash. The typically air-conditioned tents can be a much-needed break from the heat and a breather from the large crowds.” — Cerys Davies