COACHELLA DAY 2: A DUSTY REPORT

Day 2 at Coachella was a literal whirlwind—the gusts kicked up enough dust to challenge even the most seasoned festivalgoers.

The Last Dinner Party made a memorable Coachella debut during an early set in the Gobi tent, weaving through tracks from the group’s debut album including “The Feminine Urge,” “Sinner” and hit single “Nothing Matters” as well as new song “Second Best.” Over in the Mojave tent, Bleachers ignited the crowd with anthems like “Rollercoaster,” “Modern Girl” and “Don’t Take the Money” with Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce among the rapt attendees.

Tay made her presence as audience member felt again when Ice Spice gave her a shout-out before launching into “Karma” and a fresh track that reinvigorated Sean Paul’s 2002 hit, “Gimme the Light.” To the disappointment of many, though, Swift did not take the stage.

LE SSERAFIM marked their Coachella debut with a stylish bang, adorned in custom Louis Vuitton and backed by a live band for the first time. Their set list included fan favorites like “FEARLESS” and “The Great Mermaid,” plus a new unreleased song, “1-800-hot-n-fun.” The K-pop quintet’s performance reached a peak when legendary guitarist-producer Nile Rodgers joined them for “UNFORGIVEN.”

I managed a brief glimpse of Vampire Weekend’s exclusive Weekend 1 performance, which unexpectedly featured Paris Hilton playing cornhole during “Married in a Gold Rush.”

The day was significant for reunions. Sublime’s first festival performance with Jakob Nowell fronting his late father’s band felt like a nod to the past, his voice echoing his father’s legacy. Blur, returning after their 2013 headline, delivered a powerful set that spanned their career, including new tracks from their 2023 album, The Ballad of Darren.

Billie Eilish made her surprise Do Lab party a mini-sneak peek of her upcoming album, Hit Me Hard and Soft. Between some of her own favorite songs, she previewed tracks “Lunch,” “Chihiro,” and “L’Amour De Ma Vie.”

And as for the long-awaited reunion of No Doubt, I’ve got two words: fucking spectacular. Gwen Stefani, timeless as ever, led the band through a slew of their greatest hits. On top of performing fan favorites like “Just a Girl,” “It’s My Life,” “Hey Baby” and “Don’t Speak,” the band surprised the crowd with giddy guest Olivia Rodrigo, who dueted with Stefani on “Bathwater.”

Tyler, The Creator’s headlining set was quintessentially eclectic and was everything fans could expect, hard, a little weird and absolutely mind-boggling. The rapper brought out Childish Gambino for “Running Out of Time,” followed by A$AP Rocky, who performed two tracks, “Potato Salad” and “Who Dat Boy,” and even Kali Uchis. And lastly, Charlie Wilson joined Tyler at the piano for a rendition of “Earfquake.”

And as for my last set, I hit the Sahara tent for Dom Dolla, who put on quite the dance party with hits like “Saving Up,” “Rhyme Dust” and “San Francisco” before bringing out Nelly Furtado, who not only performed the pair’s collab, “Eat Your Man,” but its predecessor “Maneater.”

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve still got some dust in my hair, ears and nose. Off to Day 3 we go.