Austinist on the Road: Prince and Kraftwerk mark Day Two @ Coachella 2008

If Prince wasn’t the entertainer that he is, the opening of this post might have been dedicated to the German gentlemen known as Kraftwerk. One of the pioneers of electronic music, the band’s influence on the world of music today is unmistakable. Their set up was simple -- four terminals with a laptop for each of them, with varying backdrops adding to the ambiance as the legends tore through a “Greatest Hits” type set-list. “The Man-Machine” kicked off the set and was followed up in quick succession (a medley of sorts) with “Numbers” (matched by ascending digits on the screens), “Computer World” (complete with an image of a retro machine as the visual candy), “Tour de France” (yes, Tour de France footage), “Vitamin” (plenty of pills to admire), and “Autobahn” (illustrations and video of mobiles on German roads). The band members remained motionless and emotionless throughout, turning in a commanding delivery and hypnotizing the crowd for a memorable hour. Trans Europe Express selections like “Showroom Dummy” (“They haven’t played this song in 25 years!” quipped the Swede next to us who claimed to have seen Kraftwerk five times prior to this concert) and the title track took our breath away while “Computer Love” (sampled by Coldplay on their “Talk” single) was also included.

Although the majority of these songs were concocted in decades past, there is an eerie relevance to their subject matter in the world today. We couldn’t help but feel a hint of Nostradamus-esque prophecy as they expertly performed “Computer World” while “Vitamins” brought to fore the fact that biotechnology continues to be a leading industry in the markets. “Radioactivity” warned of and served as an ominous reminder of the hazards related to pursuits in that field, and we might not have yet experienced the full brunt of “The Robots”, amusingly performed by four robots that replaced the band members. (“They get to have a cup of tea and the robots play” added the Swede.) The band continued on returning with “Music Non Stop” but unfortunately that was the end. Still, we had fulfilled a childhood lifelong dream and could not be disappointed, despite at the lack of “The Hall of Mirrors” and “Europe Endless.”

We would love to elaborate on excellent sets by Man Man, 120 Days, MGMT, Bonde Do Role, and Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks at the festival but we’ll stick to highlighting two other performances that were extremely stirring. Hot Chip took over the Sahara tent with floating balloons and all, and had the capacity crowd dancing and sweating for a good 45 minutes. From their opener “Shake A Fist” through “Over and Over” all the way to “Ready For The Floor”, the lovable U.K. outfit held the lively crowd in its fist. Even the insistent heat could not deter these fans from turning the tent into a full-fledged dance party. Portishead, sandwiched between Kraftwerk and Prince on the main Coachella Stage, held their own with a number of selections from their wonderful debut Dummy as well as newer ones (“Silence”, “The Rip”, and “Machine Gun” were stand-outs) from Third. “Mysterons”, “Glory Box”, and “Wandering Star” were naturally greeted with fervor and “Sour Times” was majestically mournful, while “Over” from their self-titled second studio album was another highlight. The droning “We Carry On” ended yet another splendid Coachella show.

So what did we learn? How did the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival compare with our mostly beloved, sometimes maligned Austin City Limits Music Festival? Just off the bat, Coachella had many more covered areas for respite from the Sun (all but the two main stages were enclosed in tents) and also a DJ stage plus misters area (The Do LaB) smack in the middle of everything, allowing for frequent, quick walks through the desired wetness. Scattered set times and shorter set changes also were a convenience, especially when staying in front of the same stage for long periods. Our plan to set up camp in front of the Coachella Stage for Kraftwerk, Portishead, and Prince would have been a lot less bearable if there was an hour in between each act’s performance. And the art was special. Much as we appreciate ACL Fest’s SoCo feel, the art at Zilker does not come close to matching what Coachella had in store for us. Roaming machines with some sort of artificial intelligence (Swarm and Hotshot The Robot), gigantic structures (The Steampunk Treehouse and Big Rig Jig), and sound inducing artifacts (Sonic Forest and Parabola) to name a few, were all magnificent. Night time creativity with lights including some photogenic exhibits assembled especially for after-dark viewing were an added bonus.

However, fear not Austinites, ACL Fest still rules the roost in our opinion in a few other intangibles. For one, access to the venue itself -- never again can we complain about the walk to Zilker Park or the long bus line at the end of the days. We circled Empire Polo Field on both days before entering, often not getting the help we needed with directions, nor finding an entrance that was easily accessible. We are even disregarding the fact that the field is (relatively speaking) in the middle of nowhere! And not a stone’s throwaway from a number of clubs, bars, and eateries, like our city’s well placed event. Alcohol was almost shockingly only confined to certain fenced areas, which had some positives but definitely not the kind of policy we'd ever get used to. Personal preference might be the reason for our alignment with the ACL Fest food vendors but honestly, the gimmicky options like the “Burgerrito” and the “Naanwich” just did not match up with the stellar fare usually available at Zilker. All in all though, both festivals offer a multitude of amazing acts and countless, unforgettable memories -- when all is said and done, we live in an incredible city and can continue to look forward to September here in Austin.