Music fans will “drop dead” at the special guests from Saturday’s performances at Coachella.
The Indio music festival returned for day two with its iconic sweltering heat and star-studded lineup. From headliner Justin Bieber to up-and-coming artists, attendees engaged in a wide variety of genres and moods throughout the day, and many sets included surprise guests that were sure to make fans giddy.
Continue reading for the Daily Bruin’s coverage of the second day of Coachella.
Addison Rae
Addison Rae made sure the Coachella crowd listened to their favorite song.
At exactly 5:25 p.m., Rae’s dancers took the stage with the live intro for “Diet Pepsi” playing as the singer appeared on stage propped in a rotating “A” structure. Throughout her set, Rae’s performance was characterized by carefully choreographed numbers, interconnecting each song as part of a longer story. Performing songs from her debut album “Addison,” as well as her collaboration with Charli xcx, “Von dutch,” Rae’s vocals remained strong even after upbeat dance numbers.
Rae was no stranger to the surprise-guest trend, typical of the festival. The singer welcomed back Maddie Ziegler as the main dancer for “Aquamarine.” But the real crowd-pleaser was when singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo took the stage, performing both Rae’s “Headphones On” and Rodrigo’s new single “drop dead.”
Without a single dull moment, everyone at Rae’s crowd felt “so free.”
Sombr
The next big rock star showcased his true “Potential” at Coachella this weekend.
Sombr performed a dynamic set on Saturday, playing an array of his biggest hits and odes to past rock legends. The singer started off with one of his latest singles, “Homewrecker,” which immediately proved to the crowd his exceptionally strong vocals. He continued into other big hits like “undressed” and “back to friends,” each with an effortless display of high notes and captivating stage presence.
The artist also took his space on the stage to pay homage to previous rock icons by bringing out Billy Idol and Steve Stevens as special guests. The three performed “Eyes Without a Face” together, and sombr also covered “Fake Plastic Trees” by Radiohead, which he dubbed his “favorite band in the world.” Each of these songs proved sombr’s ability to belt out a rock song, signaling great vocal prowess that will only accelerate his growth.
Crowds would certainly “come closer” to see more of sombr in the future.
The Strokes
All the adults are talking about The Strokes’ set Saturday night.
The rock band took to the main Coachella stage to perform a lively set of their best hits throughout their long career, opening with the catchy “Hard to Explain.” They then moved into fan favorites, such as “The Adults Are Talking,” “Selfless” and “Juicebox,” each of which let the band’s true talents shine. Julian Casablancas showcased his powerful vocals on “Reptilia,” while guitarists Nick Valensi and Albert Hammond Jr. excelled in “Bad Decisions.”
What set The Strokes apart, however, was their incredibly unique stage visuals. The massive screens turned into a purple chess set during “The Adults Are Talking” and later portrayed grainy, nostalgic images of New York City during “Someday.” The vibrant aesthetics of the visuals amplified – but didn’t overpower – the indie rock vibe the band carried throughout the night.
It’s not “Hard to Explain” why so many people came to watch The Strokes last night.
Justin Bieber
Bieberchella will go down in history.
Justin Bieber split up his first headlining act at Coachella into three sets, dedicating the majority of his set to his latest album “SWAG.” Opening on an upbeat note, with “ALL I CAN TAKE,” “SPEED DEMON” and “FIRST PLACE,” Bieber alternated between the stage and walking down to sing with the crowd. The singer’s stage design was minimalistic, usually only implementing colorful lights throughout the stage, focusing the spotlight on his vocals.
After transitioning from the “SWAG” act, Bieber followed with an acoustic set that turned from calming to somewhat dull. Yet, the singer knew exactly how to bring the crowd’s excitement up, shifting to a computer on stage to play classic songs from his career – a bit the singer also implemented last weekend. In the second half of his performance, the singer brought out multiple special guests, including Sexyy Red, Big Sean, SZA and Billie Eilish, the latter of which took part in the “One Less Lonely Girl” act.
With a 17-year-old career in the books, Bieber’s voice was the star of the night.
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