Did the pretty-standard-really roster for Vegoose 2006 turn you off from music festivals? Hopefully not, because the mother of all alternative music events is not only fast approaching, but located only 3-1/2 hours away.
The Coachella Music and Arts Festival will take place April 27-29 — organizers added a third day to the proceedings — and boasts one of the best line-ups in its eight-year run. Headlining a night apiece will be Icelandic charmer Bjork (Apr. 27), modern rock radio kings Red Hot Chili Peppers (Apr. 28) and political firebrand act Rage Against the Machine (Apr. 29), the latter reuniting for what is so far just a one-off performance. Coachella is renowned for snagging must-see headliners and reuniting disbanded acts, so the three bill-toppers aren't any surprise — especially because they've all headlined the festival before.
Two nostalgia bands that have recently reformed and will play Coachella are U.K. acid house pioneers The Happy Mondays and Australian group Crowded House. And, perhaps the most surprising inclusion next to Rage, seminal Scottish post-punk act The Jesus and Mary Chain will regroup after eight years apart for the occasion. Having never seen the band despite a generous intake of their music in high school and college, this music fan is particularly thrilled about the JAMC booking, praying feverishly the news doesn't go the way of the Cocteau Twins, who were scheduled to reunite at last year's Coachella only to flake out a month before the festival.
Other notable bookings include The Arcade Fire, who will no doubt graduate to the main stage after its legendary performance at the event in 2005, The Decemberists, Air, The Roots, Arctic Monkeys (who should have played last year's edition, when their buzz was at its apex), Willie Nelson, Interpol, DJ Shadow, Rufus Wainwright, Ghostface Killah, Sonic Youth, Lilly Allen and The New Pornographers.
Dance talent scheduled to play include DJ Mag's Top 100 2006 poll winner Paul van Dyk, former Top 100 champ Tiesto, Felix da Housecat, Infected Mushroom and others (though maybe not enough others).
If those names don't whet your appetite, acts are usually added leading up to the event. A few weeks after tickets went on sale for Coachella 2006, Madonna joined the slate of performers, while Kanye West shoehorned himself into the schedule just days before the festival weekend. Rumors abound with potential late signees, which you can usually follow (and snicker at) on Coachella.com's message boards.
Tickets — a three-day pass goes for $249; $85 single-day tickets will be limited — go on sale 10 a.m. ]Jan. 27. For more info, visit Coachella.com.
