The 2011 Coachella lineup has just been announced. Headliners, though somewhat predictable, will doubtless please many: Kings of Leon (Friday), Arcade Fire (Saturday), and the Strokes and Kanye “Foot in Mouth” West (Sunday).
Delving further down the bill is where the true gems can be found. Cee Lo Green leading a Coachella-sized crowd through choruses of “Fuck You” will likely be a highlight of Friday’s schedule. Conversely, waiting for Ms. Lauryn Hill to hit the stage will probably have folks cursing for a whole other reason.
Mumford & Sons have been at the forefront of the folk rock revival in the UK. After playing buzz-generating shows at the Hotel Café and Troubadour, their Palladium show in Hollywood last year sold out faster than anyone could have predicted, and the band’s inclusion on the Saturday night bill will seal their next level status on this side of the pond.
After hitting the top spot on the iTunes charts in 15 different countries simultaneously just before Christmas with All You Need Is Now, Duran Duran are riding the wave all the way out to the desert on Sunday night. The new album is quintessentially Duran Duran, and is one of the group’s best, so it’s fitting that over three decades into their career they’re finally getting the legitimate nod of respect that inclusion on a Coachella bill signifies.
Meanwhile danceheads have two other blast-from-the past treats on Sunday with performances from Frankfurt trance pioneer Sven Väth and the recently reformed Leftfield, a UK group that in their prime enjoyed similar status to that of Underworld.
As with past years, other notable names are expected to be added to the Coachella bill between now and April 15. My personal dream addition would be Kate Bush, who, according to an EMI spokesmen quoted by The Guardian, will release a new album later this year (her first since 2005’s Aerial). However, this will never make for a decent Coachella rumor given that the reticent performer rarely takes to the stage – she rarely ventures beyond her back garden for that matter, being worthy of a Grammy in the yet-to-be-added Howard Hughes category.
Tickets go on sale this Friday, January 21, at 10 AM PST, and are available via www.coachella.com.
What would your fantasy Coachella act be? Leave your answers in the comments section below.
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