Check out my top Non-EDM performances you cannot miss at this year’s Coachella!
There are just a few more weeks until we get to make our return to Indio for another edition of Coachella! As the day creeps closer I get more excited for all the amazing talent on this year’s lineup. Although Coachella veterans may not be as stoked on the pop headliners there is more than enough great music to make everyone happy if you look hard enough.
From top to bottom there are a number of artists, bands, and genres represented. It can be difficult to familiarize yourself with every group on the lineup so I wanted to let you know who I think are my cannot miss sets at this year’s event!
Zach’s Top Non-EDM Artists to Catch at Coachella 2018:
Portugal. The Man
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Portugal. The Man crushed 2017 with their acclaimed hit “Feel It Still” and they are a perfect fit for Coachella. They won their first Grammy for the track even though they have a collection of music that could have rightfully won in earlier years. Their indie rock sound is exactly what our ear holes will need while enjoying the beautiful landscapes and sunsets of Coachella.
Every time I have seen Portugal. The Man they get better and unlike other bands, their albums continue to evolve while staying true to their indie rock sound. The group has played Coachella before, but have never been this highly billed. Billed just under Eminem and ODESZA on Sunday, I can see them playing the main stage while ODESZA closes the Outdoor, similarly to how Flume did in Coachella 2016.
Chromeo
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The Funk Lordz will be making their return to Coachella and I am stoked to boogie down. Dave 1 and P Thugg are no strangers to the main stage and will have released their new album by then, which means we will get to hear some new music fresh off the press as well as their obvious hits like “Fancy Footwork”, “Momma’s Boy”, and “Don’t Turn The Lights On”.
Bedroom Calling was one of the first singles they released from their upcoming album and if it is any indication of what we can expect from the full-length album then we are in for a treat. The duo has been booked for major festivals across the globe, but Coachella is always a special place for artists to bring guest performers and put on their best shows. I wouldn’t doubt that Chromeo has a few tricks up their sleeves for this set!
Bleachers
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Jack Antonoff is an extremely talented musician who you may also know from the bands Fun. and Steel Train. While on the road with these bands he began working on a new side project, Bleachers, and released the first single I Wanna Get Better in 2014. The track boasts 80s and 90s influences while still carrying that pop-rock sound. It is very uplifting and fun (not a pun related to his other band), and was very well received by fans across the world.
It has been a couple years since I last saw Bleachers and I cannot wait to see what Antonoff and the band have been working on since. Not to mention, last time I saw Bleachers I don’t think I have ever seen a crowd so happy and bouncy. This will definitely be an undercard act worth arriving at the Polo Fields early for!
Alt-J
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Alt-J have climbed the Coachella ranks over the years playing the smaller stages, but have finally notched a top-billed spot and rightfully so. In an era of music where there is a large focus on pushing out singles, the English trio has produced album after album of quality of music. Their debut album, An Awesome Wave, released in 2012, has tracks such as “Fitzpleasure”, “Breezeblocks”, and “Taro” which all remain some of my favorite tracks to listen to.
They have differentiated themselves with their experimental rock sound and are sure to draw a large crowd when they play the main stage. One of my favorite things about the group is that Alt-J translates to a delta symbol, or ∆, when inputted on a computer. The symbol, which signifies change or difference, very well defines the group’s sound. This will be one of those sets where you just kick back and let the music take you on a little journey and just thinking about it gets me oozing.
BØRNS
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BØRNS played his first Coachella in 2016 and will be happily making his return to the Polo Fields! In the past two years, the Michigan native released his sophomore album The Blue Madonna and embarked on a tour as support for Lana Del Rey. With much more experience under his belt, I believe his return to Coachella will be bigger and better than ever.
His debut studio album, Dopamine, features the catchy track “Electric Love” which had no trouble finding its way into the hearts of many. The album also features tracks such as “10,000 Emerald Pools”, “American Money”, and “Past Lives” among many other great productions. If you dig “Electric Love” you are sure to enjoy the whole set as he serenades the crowd and gets everybody moving and grooving.
HAIM
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You don’t get much better than watching three sisters crush a live show. Ever since HAIM released their debut album Days Are Gone I have been a huge fan of their sound. The album features tracks like “Falling”, “My Song 5”, “Forever”, and “The Wire” which captured my ears immediately. They have a family chemistry when performing live, but you can hear it on their recordings in the way harmonize.
They released their sophomore album Something To Tell You in late 2017 and embarked on the Sister Sister Sister tour in wake of its release. Since the tour has concluded, I am hoping the sisters play a Coachella set balanced with old and new material. Although I love their new album, I am a sucker for all the tracks from Days Are Gone. Either way, you cannot miss Este’s bass face and all the sisters’ awesome energy.
MØ
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After seeing MØ at CRSSD Festival Fall 2017 and having a ball I feel more than confident saying: do not miss this set. Her sets are full of infectious energy and she performs with an unparalleled passion. Although most people know her because of her collaboration with Major Lazer and DJ Snake on “Lean On” MØ has a catalog of her own fire productions. “Lean On” does have over a billion streams on Spotify, but it is not even close to her best track.
The Danish artist released her first EP Bikini Daze in 2013 and followed it up with her debut album, No Mythologies To Follow, in 2014. 2017 was a huge year for MØ as she released another EP, When I Was Young, as well as my favorite track, “Don’t Leave” with Snakehips. There is a lyric from “Don’t Leave” that says “I may not ever get my shit together, but ain’t nobody going to love you better.” I feel that. You bet I’ll be singing and dancing my butt off to her set in the desert and you should too.
Jungle
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I discovered Jungle at Coachella 2015 and have been wanting to see them again ever since. Discovering new music at Coachella is one of my favorite parts of the festival and I am hoping my discovery can lead you to enjoy their set as well. I remember walking into the Mojave as they began playing “Busy Earnin'” and thinking, “Who the heck is this!?”
They had a stage full of people from vocalists, to percussionists, horns, and strings, all coming together to create a set full of energy and each song that followed was easy on the ears, but not on the legs. I danced harder at the Jungle set than I did at any electronic set the whole weekend. When the music is that good you just have to wiggle it out. Don’t sleep on this set!
Tash Sultana
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I shouldn’t be telling you about Tash Sultana because I want it to be as intimate a show as possible, but I’d be selfish if I kept to myself. Until this year, she was a busker on the streets of Melbourne, and now she is being booked for the world’s largest festivals. She is a one-woman band that plays multiple instruments including guitar, piano, and a midi.
She loops those instruments and combines them with her powerful and soulful vocals to create seamless and emotional ballads that will make your ears yearn for more. One of my favorite things about watching Tash is seeing the music take over her body. As she plays, you can tell music is life for her and is the way she expresses and connects with the world.
She is definitely one of the reasons I consider the undercard so stacked, and I cannot wait to see her on the Polo Fields. Hopefully, she plays the Outdoor or Main stages because she is sure to draw a large crowd. You cannot miss this performance. She is more than amazing at what she does and it will be an experience that will make your whole weekend.
Eminem
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This is a bucket list set for me, 100%. Eminem has long been one of my favorite rappers and I believe he has been one of the most influential people in the scene over the last 20 years. When he made an appearance during Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg’s Coachella set in 2012, I got a little taste of an Eminem show, but this time we’ll get closer to one and a half hours. Hopefully two, since he is closing out the fest and he’s got tracks for days.
Music snobs and half fans will say his most recent work is amiss, but I don’t agree. Eminem has evolved and continues to rap about things he is passionate about–he always has. Everyone loves his old stuff because it was raw and his music told a story people could relate to.
The content of his raps have changed because he has changed, but to say his delivery and the constant push to use new words or rhyme a different way separates him from anyone in the scene. Especially the mumble rappers that are claiming fame now (what a joke).
Don’t miss this set. You might never have a chance to see this legend again. Definitely, don’t miss it because you’re too good for his new records. Remember every other sick track he has produced? “Stan”, “Criminal”, “Shake That”, “Lose Yourself”, “Til I Collapse”, “Without Me”, “Forgot About Dre?”, “My Name Is”, “The Way I Am”, everything D12? Yea… Don’t forget about Eminem.
