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Father John Misty

Apr 22, 2013 Coachella 2013 By Laura Studarus Photography by Helen Boast

ItsthelastdayofCoachellaandIcantfeelmyfaceandyesIamthekidfromAlmostFamousthanksforasking….

Mental haze threatening to become an impermeable fog, I took the quality over quantity approach to the final day of Coachella, and caught impressive sets from DIIV, Jessie Ware, and Father John Misty. And you know what? I loved every last one of ‘em. The phrase is “all killer, no filler” but alas I am not prepared to stoop to that level of cliché. Even after a glorified four-hour nap that some might call “sleep.”

New York’s DIIV never once let us forget who they were, announcing both their name and place of origin several times. Not that their dreamy C-86-refrencing tunes would allow us to forget. Nearly a year after its release, the songs of Oshin still sound as blistering and dynamic as they did on first introduction. Already at work on a follow-up, the band trotted out two new songs; one so new that frontman Zachary Cole Smith simply called it “New Song,” dedicating it to his girlfriend Sky Ferreira. The other new song, “Dirt” was a nihilistic take on city life. Both boded well for future releases.

Confession: I didn’t like Jessie Ware the first time I heard her live. I have no justification for this snap judgment—but rest assured I’m doing my best to make up for it now. A confident performer, the songs of her Mercury-Prize nominated debut sound sultry live. Exactly the kind of thing you need to prevent your brain from going into screen-saver mode. Ware seemed to be enjoying the performance as much as her crowd. “You’re all in the shade and you’re all mine!” she laughingly told the audience.

No matter how good DIIV and Jessie Ware were, the winner of the day (and perhaps the festival as a whole), was Father John Misty (a.k.a. Josh Tillman). The ex-Fleet Fox member once again demonstrated why it was a smart decision to strike out on his own. Tillman filled his set with wicked humor and furious renditions of songs from his solo debut, Fear Fun. He joked about being put up against Vampire Weekend, noting that if you listen to both sets simultaneously you’ll hear the voice of God. He also dove down into the fans several times. Once to high five the front row (so he’d know how it felt, not as an egalitarian exercise) and another time to steal a flowered headdress. None of his charismatic antics (which included hauling a chair on stage for a mid-song lounge) distracted from the fact he’s a remarkable musician, bringing a unhinged quality to “Everyman Needs a Companion” and a hip-shaking sexiness to “Only Son of a Ladies Man.”

I could go on to tell you about Nick Cave (my reaction to which proved once and for all that I am not a Goth) and Red Hot Chili Has-Beens (err…Chili Peppers) but doing so would be counter to the spirit of Coachella. In a festival this big and this grueling, it’s always best to end on a high note. After three days of strong sets, including highlights from Beach House, Purity Ring, Bat For Lashes, Phoenix, Jessie Ware, and Father John Misty, I had gathered enough high notes to last me until next year. See you all on the field for Coachella 2014.

Check out a gallery of day 3 photos here.

(www.coachella.com)

(www.facebook.com/diivnyc)

(www.jessieware.com)

(www.fatherjohnmisty.net)