Concerts
Page: 49
“Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d walk along [that runway.] I saw Ariana Grande walk along there, and now it’s going to be me. We have to do that.”
So declared Four Tet in a video posted to Fred again..’s Instagram Sunday afternoon (April 23), hours before the pair — along with their frequent companion Skrillex – closed out Coachella 2023 with a mainstage performance as thrilling as it was both improbable and historic.
The trio secured the Sunday night slot only after weekend one’s Sunday night headliner, Frank Ocean, dropped out of weekend two following a leg injury and a controversial weekend one performance that, for many in the audience, fell flat. Ocean left behind not only an open set time, but an absurdly unlikely remnant – an ice-skating rink/satellite stage built for his weekend one performance that was never used, but connected to the main stage via the aforementioned runway.
It was there that Four Tet got his pop star moment, as he Skrillex and Fred again.. walked down it to the satellite stage in a side-by-side formation similar to Destiny’s Child’s segment from Beyoncé’s 2018 headlining show. The level of frenzy in the crowd as the guys made their way to the stage (which was circular, and sans ice) had a very frantic pop hysteria vibe, with people screaming for the trio of electronic music producers as if they were Kelly, Michelle and Bey, or the Backstreet Boys, or Grande herself.
It was the culmination of not only a wild week for the trio – whose addition to the Coachella lineup was first reported this past Thursday night — but also a pretty remarkable four months. The three producers representing different sounds and generations of electronic music are widely recognized to be among the best artists of their respective realm of dance music and are now also frequent collaborators and seemingly BFFS. They played their first show together at a club in London this past January, sold out Madison Square Garden in February and have now closed out Coachella, marking a landmark moment not only for them personally, but for dance music at the festival.
Upon their arrival to the satellite stage — where they played the entirety of their set — a beam of white light composed of roughly 20 lasers organized around the circle stretched far into the sky, as a siren sound blasted through the speakers, leading to peak anticipation. The hour and 15-minute set then launched with Skrillex’s “Leave Me Like This” from his February LP, Quest For Fire, which was blended with “Baby Again,” the latest in a list of cross-collaborations from the trio, and punctuated with the iconic “OH MY GOD” from Skrillex’s 2010 “Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites.”
Coachella’s hierarchical structure is one the festival’s most pronounced elements, with those in possession of VIP and artist wristbands typically getting the best real estate in front of the mainstage. Not so with this show! Instead, the guys played to the GA section surrounding their circular stage, while their faces were projected on the main stage big screens behind them. The main stage itself was populated by a bank of bright white lights, giving the whole scene a cinematic glow.
The set list took equally from each of the producer’s catalogs – including Four Tet’s “Baby,” Fred and Skrillex’s collaborative “Rumble,” Fred’s “Strong,” “Billie (Loving Arms),” Four Tet’s simply undeniable remix of Taylor Swift’s “Love Story,” the intro riff of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” melded with dubstep and long stretches of straightforward drum & bass, riddim and garage. It altogether formed what was arguably the weirdest, hardest, purest and most EDM-antithetical dance music played on the Coachella main stage since the festival’s early days, when acts like Chemical Brothers and Underworld topped the bill.
As it was with their MSG show in New York, the guys were clearly having a ball, also intermittently appearing sort of gobsmacked by the size of the audience before them – with this show certainly being among the largest any of them have ever played. Skrillex and Fred, dressed in black and white t-shirts, respectively, expressed their excitement about it all with a sort of boyish delight while dancing around on the decks. Meanwhile, Four Tet gave more satisfied dad energy while just walking around the stage in his green t-shirt and cargo shorts with a stunned look on his face.
And who could blame him? If you had said last year — or even last weekend — that Four Tet would close the Coachella mainstage, many people, maybe even Four Tet himself (born Kieran Hebden) — would have said it was impossible. The IDM pioneer, or “the grandmaster Four Tet” as Fred called him during the show, is one of the most well-respected electronic music producers of the last two-plus decades. But he has long been contained to Coachella’s smaller stages.
Last year it also would have been hard to predict a headlining set for Skrillex, who’s played Coachella Outdoor and Sahara Stages multiple times, but who up until this past February hadn’t released a new solo album in nine years. And while Fred’s breakout moment at Coachella 2022 basically functioned as a rocket launcher for his star-making last 12 months, few would have pinned him as a 2023 headliner.
But there they were, playing for the tens of thousands of people in the flesh and countless more watching around the world via livestream. The show felt like an exclamation point on this current moment of dance music, which feels ripe and rich with fresh energy, artists, sounds and fans.
During the EDM heyday, a headlining spot at Coachella was basically the gold standard of crossover success. Over the last few years dance music on the festival’s main stage has relied on stars of the EDM era, with Swedish House Mafia headlining last year and Calvin Harris closing the main stage on Saturday night (April 22). While Skrillex is certainly a peer of the latter two acts, what he’s doing with Fred and Four Tet feels more like the future of the genre than any sort of homage to past eras or hits as the lines between underground and commercial become blurrier and popular dance music becomes increasingly less reliant on pop structures. (And to be clear, we love those past hits, too.)
The last 20 minutes of the set were its best, with Skrilex winding up the crowd by starting, then stopping, then restarting, his recent Missy Elliot collaboration “RATATA” four or five times before letting it just play out as everyone danced — like really, truly raved. The guys then played Fisher’s new classic “Losin’ It,” subbing its tech house drop for bass music so heavy it could be felt rippling through the nervous system.
“We have three more” Fred said as the clock got closer to Coachella’s 12 a.m. sound curfew, and – incredibly, blissully unpretentiously – one of the songs they decided to close the show with was Miley Cyrus’ “Party in the U.S.A.” Fred then got on the mic to say the next song would be one he learned to play on the drums as a kid, then playing an edit of “Miss You,” by Blink-182, an homage to the band who’d played the main stage before the three producers took it over. The whole thing ended with a mix of Skrillex’s 2011 “Cinema” remix and Four Tet’s “Teenage Birdsong,” – which got the full Coachella climactic fireworks treatment.
Then it was over. Onstage the guys hugged each other a few times, Four Tet grabbed his tote bag, Fred put his backpack on, and they trio walked back down the runway — a bit like actual pop stars, but more like three dance music stars who deserved to be there as much as anyone else.
Post-pandemic album cycles for A-list pop acts have often been accompanied by major, career-high concert announcements. Bad Bunny’s all-stadium World’s Hottest Tour preceded the release of Un Verano Sin Ti, Taylor Swift’s Midnights was followed by The Eras Tour, and Morgan Wallen’s One Thing at a Time is being supported by his first run in stadiums. For the Jonas Brothers, similar announcements would trickle out. But before going big, they went intimate.
In March, Joe, Kevin & Nick Jonas put on five shows at Broadway’s Marquis Theatre, recently the home to stage musicals Beetlejuice, Tootsie and Evita. Located on 46th Street between 7th and 8th Avenues in Manhattan, the Jonas Brothers took on Broadway with a series of (relatively) small shows that set the stage for the year ahead.
Titled Jonas Brothers on Broadway = 5 Albums 5 Nights, the band played its entire discography dating back to 2007, one album at a time: Jonas Brothers on the 14th, A Little Bit Longer on the 15th, Lines, Vines and Trying Times on the 16th, Happiness Begins on the 17th, and this year’s as-yet-unreleased The Album on the 18th.
Speaking to Billboard, Brad Wavra (SVP Global Touring, Live Nation) commented, “The Jonas Brothers’ Broadway shows were all about doing something unique and special for their fans. The intimate setting combined with the format of celebrating five albums over five nights was meant to bring fans along on the band’s personal journey from day one all the way into their new upcoming album.”
According to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore, the Jonas Brothers grossed $1.6 million and sold 7,291 tickets over these five consecutive shows.
Scaling for the week of shows was relatively consistent, ranging from 1,387 tickets on the final night to 1,500 on the 16th. Accordingly, grosses barely budged, from $298,000 to $322,000. Tickets were priced between $299 and $89, averaging out at $213.
Having toured arenas and amphitheaters for the last 15 years, the Marquis Theatre is the smallest venue the Jonas Brothers have played since 2008, dating back to a sold-out underplay at London’s Carling Academy Islington (591 tickets, now known as the O2 Academy). To further illustrate the Broadway run’s rare intimacy, it’s the first reported engagement at the venue in Boxscore history.
Since the Jonas Brothers’ 2019 reunion, the band’s New York presence has been spread between Madison Square Garden, Barclays Center, the Prudential Center (Newark, N.J.) and Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater (Wantagh, N.Y.). Those five shows (there were two at MSG) averaged $2.2 million and close to 15,000 tickets.
But the Marquis Theatre shows don’t represent a step down from historical business. Since their Broadway concerts, the JoBros announced a two-night stay at Yankee Stadium, marking the biggest area play of the band’s career. “The momentum is only going to build from here with their stadium shows coming in August, and with what more lies ahead for 2023,” says Wavra.
Throughout their history in arenas and amphitheaters, the Jonas Brothers have dipped their toes in the stadium circuit. Most recently, they played one show at Boston’s Fenway Park (Oct. 1, 2021) and two at Hersheypark Stadium in Hershey, Penn. (Aug. 31, 2019 and Sept. 24, 2021). Those shows peaked at 31,000 in attendance and $2.6 million, leaving room to grow for Yankee Stadium’s 45,000 capacity.
Since the group’s earliest Boxscore reports in 2006, the Jonas Brothers have grossed $326.8 million and sold 4.5 million tickets across 359 shows. With three secret-location shows later this month in Los Angeles (April 25), Dallas-Fort Worth (April 26) and Baltimore (April 28), plus the Aug. 12-13 New York dates, those numbers will continue to grow in 2023.
Frank Ocean will reportedly not get a second chance to skate into history at this weekend’s Coachella festival after reportedly dropping out of his second headlining slot on Sunday (April 23) due to a leg injury suffered on the festival grounds in the week before his controversial first weekend set.
And while Ocean has not personally detailed the extent of the injury or discussed the staging many described as awkward, former hockey players and Empty Netters podcast hosts Dan and Chris Powers were more than happy to spill the tea on what the puck happened on Tuesday’s edition of their show.
The two described an elaborate setup that was to spotlight a hockey rink as a stage, which required more than a month of rehearsals for the pair and dozens of other professional hockey and figure skaters. Dan described getting the gig after an audition at a Paramount Studios sound stage on an “elevated ice surface.” Once they were chosen, he said, “for about a month, we’ve been doing rehearsal, we’ve been hanging with Frank. We’ve been hanging with the other skaters. Hanging with these incredible figure skaters. Going through this whole process, it’s this huge ordeal.”
Chris said the intense rehearsal time was needed because, “the skating portion was going to be huge. It was going to be 120 skaters. And the people that walked [during the reconfigured show] was only like 30.” In fact, they said, the skaters went to the Indio location last week to do rehearsals on the main stage for Ocean’s first major performance since 2017.
The pair said those intense rehearsals continued until the Tuesday before last weekend’s show, which was when they claimed things began to melt down and Dan said the “wheels started to fall off” after the call times for makeup and wardrobe were repeatedly rescheduled. When they eventually were shuttled to the hotel for final fittings, skates in hand, Dan said, “it’s a nightmare… We sit at this hotel, we run into the figure skaters. These Olympic figure skaters, mind you, and they have a disgruntled look on their faces. And they casually mention to us that got a phone call and they’ve been cut from the show.”
“‘What the f–k is happening right now?’” he recalled thinking when they saw some other skaters who hadn’t gotten the bad news yet — and who he described as being done up in “ridiculous chrome/diamond makeup.”
That was when Dan said they began to get word that Ocean had allegedly been in an accident that resulted in an ankle injury, with rumblings that the elusive singer was “‘not in a good head space’ and they ‘don’t know what’s going on.’ And we’re sitting there, and it is becoming clear that things are not going well with this show.” The pair described getting a call from their handler saying the ice was being deconstructed and the show was being reconfigured at the 11th hour.
“Those figure skaters got cut not because there was an ice issue, not because there was something wrong,” Dan said. “There was no malfunction. He [Ocean] just straight-up was like, ‘F–k this. I’m not doing this anymore.’ And [to] these 120 people [he] had bused out here, he was just like, ‘You guys aren’t doing s–t now.’ So it was just like a wild flip.”
Dan said he was confused and thought, “‘these olympians just got cut from this Coachella performance with Frank Ocean and they think that we’re gonna go on? You’re saying goodbye to these skaters, but a bunch of dips–t former hockey players are gonna go up on that stage and buzz around?’” He added that at that point the remaining performers were handed sequined Prada suits and told they were to “walk back and forth on stage for about five minutes,” but not skate.
When asked by their handler if they wanted to participate in that, Dan said he and Chris said, in front of Ocean, “‘F–k no, dude. No thank you.” Despite the chaos and disorder, both said they had nothing but respect for Ocean, with Chris saying, “he really cares about the production… He had a very clear vision, and even though that vision changed a lot, he was always on us, helping us, making sure everyone hit what he was picturing in his mind.”
In a statement provided to Billboard, Ocean’s reps said that due to the leg injury, Ocean was unable to “perform the intended show but was still intent on performing, and in 72 hours, the show was reworked out of necessity. On doctor’s advice, Frank is not able to perform weekend 2 due to two fractures and a sprain in his left leg.”
The enigmatic singer added in a statement, “It was chaotic. There is some beauty in chaos. It isn’t what I intended to show but I did enjoy being out there and I’ll see you soon.” Instead of the ice rink, the performance found Ocean — who came on an hour late — hanging behind a giant screen for most of the set of reimagined version of his most beloved songs, with just a small square of space hardly visible to the audience in the field; the planned livestream was also cancelled at the last minute.
At press time Ocean’s team had not publicly responded to the Powers’ podcast claims.
Watch the Empty Netters talk about the Ocean meltdown below.
Shhh. The Jonas Brothers will be playing three special shows later this month, but keep it on the down low.
On Tuesday (April 18), the trio announced their plans to play three “secret” concerts this month at unannounced venues across the United States. They’ll perform somewhere in Los Angeles on April 25, Dallas-Fort Worth, Tex. on April 26 and Baltimore, Md. on April 28. That’s all we know for now, though, as the exact locations of each show won’t be revealed until a later date.
Fans with hopes of attending the top secret events have until 1 p.m. ET Thursday (April 20) to register for a Verified Fan Onsale on Ticketmaster. Only those who receive a special code from the ticketing service will have access to tickets to any of the three shows.
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“Heads up Los Angeles, Dallas-Fort Worth and Baltimore…,” the band wrote in an Instagram announcement. “We’re coming to town for three secret shows on April 25th, 26th and 28th!”
The news comes just a week and a half after the Jo Bros dropped their new single “Waffle House” on April 7, effectively launching their new era. Their next full-length record, The Album, is slated for May 12, their first LP since 2019’s Billboard 200 No. 1 Happiness Begins.
Joe, Nick and Kevin performed the new track while serving as musical guests on April 8’s episode of Saturday Night Live. They also debuted “Walls” featuring Jon Bellion on the show, and took part in a hilarious “Sally O’Malley” dance sketch with that night’s host Molly Shannon.
See the Jonas Brothers’ secret shows announcement below:
All Things Go Festival is coming back for its ninth year in 2023, and women are leading the top of the bill. The Washington, D.C.-based fest unveiled its full lineup and dates on Tuesday (April 18), in addition to details on how fans can get tickets.
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The two-day festival (Sept. 30-Oct. 1) at Merriweather Post Pavillion will be topped by Maggie Rogers, Carly Rae Jepsen and Mt. Joy on day one, while Lana Del Rey supergroup Boygenius will headline day two. Fleshing out the rest of the festival lineup are: MUNA, Beabadoobee, Arlo Parks, Mt. Joy, Lizzy McApline, Fletcher, Tegan and Sara, Suki Waterhouse, Raye, Ella Jane, The Wombats, Peach Pit, Dayglow, Vacations, Sudan Archives, Meet Me @ The Altar, Alex G, Vundabar, Alvvays and more. The lineup follows last year’s sold-out festival, which featured headliners Lorde, Mitski and Bleachers.
The fan presale begins on Thursday (April 20) at 10 a.m. ET, with the general on-sale slated to follow on Friday (April 21) at 10 a.m. ET.
Single-day general admission tickets for the festival start at $105 ($125 for tier two), and increase depending on the seating type or VIP; two day passes start at $185 ($225 for tier two). There is also a “Super Suite” VIP pass ($450/$550) that includes access to the VIP suite, elevated, unobstructed views from the balcony of the Pavilion Stage and a VIP viewing area on the Chrysalis Stage, a VIP host with concierge service to cash bar and food and other upgrades. Presale and general on-sale tickets will be available through seated.com.
See the full line up for All Things Go Festival 2023 below.
Billy Joel has a pair of Swifties on his hands. The Piano Man took his two young daughters to see Taylor Swift during her Eras Tour stop in Tampa, Fla., on Saturday night, much to their excitement and delight.
The “Scenes From an Italian Restaurant” singer shared a carousel of photos to his personal Instagram page on Sunday, which included images of his wife, Alexis Roderick, and their two little girls, Della Rose, 7, and Remy Anne, 5 — who appeared to be dressed in outfits inspired by the folklore/evermore and Lover eras — posing for pictures before the show and later dancing along as Swift sang “Are You Ready for It?”
“Rockin’ into our new ‘era’ thank you @Taylorswift we loved the show! #swifties #taylorswift #theerastour,” the veteran musician captioned the images. The girls also got an extra special treat: They were able to meet Swift herself backstage alongside their mom and dad.
Joel and his family are far from the first celebrities to geek out at Swift’s Eras tour. Selena Gomez, Jack Antonoff, HAIM, Aaron Dessner, Marcus Mumford, Diplo and Shania Twain are among a handful of the tour’s celebrity attendees (see a full list of all the famous guests at The Eras Tour here).
The Eras Tour is scheduled to continue with a trio of dates at Houston’s NRG Stadium this weekend, with Beabadoobee and Gracie Abrams opening. The tour will make stops in Nashville, Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, Minneapolis and more before concluding at Inglewood, Calif.’s SoFi Stadium on Aug. 9.
See Joel’s pictures from The Eras Tour below.
Peachtree Premier and 46 Entertainment have announced the inaugural At the Station Festival, headlined by country star Zach Bryan. At the Station takes place Oct. 21, 2023, at the Snook Rodeo Grounds in Snook, TX. Flatland Cavalry, Treaty Oak Revival and Jacob Stelly have also been added to the lineup.
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“Zach Bryan is one of the hottest talents in country music right now,” says Shane Quick, festival owner. “The community and culture in Texas are unmatched. We’ve wanted to bring a festival there for years. BYE week in the fall gave us the opportunity for “At the Station,” and Zach as the headliner is a dream come true.”
Peachtree Premier is the partnership of two independent promoters: Premier Productions and Peachtree Entertainment. Founded in 1996, Premier Productions has been a top 20 global promoter, producing events with over 20 million tickets sold. Peachtree Entertainment, founded by Bradley Jordan in 2013, has been essential in discovering and developing country music acts throughout the Southeast. 46 Entertainment is an all-encompassing event management and production company.
Pre-sale registration for Live at the Station is available at atthestationfest.com. Pre-sale is Thursday, April 20, from 10 AM – 10 PM CT, and tickets will go on-sale to the public on Friday, April 21 at 10 AM CT.
Day three of Coachella is a wrap.
Festival-goers trekked to the desert for the final day of weekend one, which was headlined by Frank Ocean. But before the artist, who gave his first live performance in six years on Sunday (April 16), took the main stage, artists such as Kali Uchis, Björk, Willow and Latto performed noteworthy sets of their own. For those at home, YouTube streamed live from all stages of the festival — and will continue to do so during the fest’s round two April 21-23.
Kali Uchis’ show-stopping performance featured a parade of surprise guests, including her pals Tyler, the Creator and Omar Apollo. She was also joined by her significant other, rapper Don Toliver, to perform “Fantasy” together. The night’s biggest moment was, of course, Frank Ocean, who was originally set to headline the fest in 2020. A huge crowd gathered at the main stage to welcome the acclaimed artist back to the desert after 11 years (he first performed in 2012) — and only those in attendance were able to experience Franks’s nearly 90-minute set, which wasn’t live-streamed.
After fans patiently waited for Frank to take the stage, he finally appeared (almost an hour late) and wasted little time before telling the crowd what they all wanted to know: “I want to talk about why we’re here — because it’s not about the new album, not that there’s not a new album,” he said. There’s hope.
Check out Billboard‘s six best moments from day three of Coachella 2023 below.
Latto Gasses Up the Girls
It was giving female empowerment at Latto’s Sahara Tent set, from the female rappers she brought up on stage to the messages she shared. “It’s a lotta ladies in here! Where my boss b—–s at? Where my b—–s who pays their own bills?” she asked the crowd. She later introduced her track “P—y” — which she released soon after Roe v. Wade was overturned last June, a historical push against women’s rights that Latto vehemently rapped about protecting — by asking the crowd: “Why would I let a ni–a police my own p—y?” All the while, her backup dancers held their own form of a women’s march right on the stage as pink-hued footage of real-life protests flashed on the center screen, which resembled an antique purple TV box.
Latto, who held a sequined scepter in hand, used her set both for good and… for some downright dirty. During “Nasty Nasty,” she used the mic to mimic fellatio while later asking, “Who wanna come up here and get wet with me?” As for her guests, Latto welcomed TiaCorine to perform her latest hit “FreakyT” (which Latto chimed in with her own verse); Lola Brooke who gave her first major festival performance, delivering her breakout hit “Don’t Play With It”; and last but not least, Saweetie, who joined Latto for the billed act’s own breakout hit “B—h from Da Souf.” After, Saweetie took a moment to give Latto her flowers, saying, “She can rap her ass off! And you look better than me, I know that’s motherf—king right!” She then led the audience in an “I Love Latto” chant before exiting the stage, leaving Latto alone for the big finale of her Billboard Hot 100 No. 3 smash, “Big Energy,” making sure to give Mariah Carey props by letting her verse from the remix play on through. – Heran Mamo
Kali Uchis Scores Big-Name Guests
Kali Uchis delivered an epic performance on Sunday that featured back-to-back surprise guests. The Colombian-American artist started off strong performing her bilingual hit “Telepatía,” which earned the singer-songwriter her first leader on Billboard‘s Hot Latin Songs chart in 2021. “How we feeling Coachella? Thank you for having us. My name is Kali Uchis,” she told the crowd. Wearing a two-piece denim piece (bustier and shirt) with matching boots, Kali introduced her first guest, none other than Tyler, the Creator to sing their duet “See You Again.” She then brought out Omar Apollo to perform “Worth the Wait.” For her last guest, Uchis invited rapper (and her significant other) Don Toliver for “Fantasy.”
“Are you guys hot?” she asked the crowd after Toliver left the stage. Things were only about to get hotter when she performed OG reggaeton anthems “Rica y Apretadita” by El General and Don Omar’s “Salvaje.” Most recently, Kali dropped her new album, Red Moon in Venus, which earned her her first top 10 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. During her set, she teased that she’s about to drop a Latin album next. — Griselda Flores
Christine & the Queens Deliver High Drama
Christine and the Queens’ frontman sauntered on stage in a black trench and angel wings to introduce what would be a captivating and theatrical dusk set. Opening with “Saint Claude,” Chris delivered two more songs before presenting a mini monologue of great importance.
“This is a curse I put on myself,” he began. “My life as a man… my life as a very good man. They asked me who I was and I said the guardian of the doors — I am keeping them safe from the disaster of [patriarchy]. Oh please, close your eyes and let me live my life as a man.”
The artist fittingly then performed the declarative “iT” — which features the line “I’m a man now / And there’s nothing you can do to make me change my mind” — and after took a seat to interpolate Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Under the Bridge” alongside his guitarist, part of the artist’s mighty three-piece band.
To end, “If I’m Honest” — the lead single off the act’s upcoming album Paranoïa, Angels, True Love — got its festival debut, for which Chris donned the tench and wings once more. He then leave fans with one final message: “This life is about knowing what your heart is about … Angels of transformation, I am calling upon you.” — Lyndsey Havens
Willow’s Family Affair
“It’s quite a serendipitous night, if I do say so myself,” mused Willow as she stepped on stage for her set at the tented Mojave stage. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think you all know this one.” The star then ripped into “transparent soul” as her parents, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, proudly looked on from a sectioned off corner within the artist guest section that’s packed with friends and family, including Moises Arias.
“Honestly, I’m so grateful to just be here and rock the f–k out with you guys,” said Willow. And that’s exactly what she did, especially on songs like screamo-rock epics “Falling Endlessly” for which she picked up her guitar, and “Why?”
Yet the standout moment came during “Summertime in Paris,” her collaboration with brother Jaden who joined in on stage — and stuck around a moment to shower his little sister with praise. “Willow, I look up to you. You’re an amazing person. You’re an amazing artist. It brings tears to my eyes as your brother to see you do this. I’m so inspired and happy for what you’re doing in the world and the amount of peoples lives that you’re changing and the music that you’re making.”
And while he remained the set’s only guest — Camila Cabello has been spotted at the fest all weekend long, though didn’t appear for her Willow collab “psychofreak” — she indulged fans with her hit “Meet Me At Our Spot,” on which she played the bass. (Though Initially released in 2020 the song went viral on TikTok the following year, pushing it up to No. 21 on the Hot 100.) “That was splendiferous,” said Willow as her set came to a close — adding that she’s fairly certain it’s a word. — L.H.
Björk’s Big Return to the Desert
Icelandic artist Björk played alongside an orchestra in her first return to the desert since headlining in 2002. Donning a tinsel outfit, complete with a hoop skirt, tabi platform heels, and a face mask — designed by longtime collaborator James Merry — she began her set with “Stonemilker” and ended with a transformative, strings-based cover of her techno-leaning track “Pluto.”
For the last few years, Björk has played many of her shows with an orchestra, led by Icelandic conductor Bjarni Frímann Bjarnason. Yet, despite the avant-garde costuming and moving arrangements, the set seemed likely better appreciated as a touring performance for fans rather than a festival set that ultimately served as many newcomers’ pre-Frank Ocean entertainment while they stood waiting for hours. — Kristin Robinson
Frank Ocean’s Long-Awaited Headlining Set
For his first live performance in seven years, Frank Ocean came out of hiding — kind of — to close out the third and final day of the festival. In the hour leading up to his set, the main stage gradually transformed into one giant screen that only left a sliver of its interior visible, which is where Frank remained tucked away for the duration of the one-hour-and-a-half set.
Inside the recording studio-like set-up, the ever-elusive star hunched over a mic to reimagine his most beloved songs, including a stripped-down, acoustic version of “Pink + White,” a turnt up remix of “Solo,” a drill edit of “Chanel” and punk-rock remix of “Wiseman.” The headliner later lent his spotlight to DJ Crystalmess, who took a stab at spinning his own discography as she played a Jersey Club remix of “Slide” and a bounce edit of “Pyramids.”
And yes, Frank even performed snippets of new music, at times using his self-proclaimed “inner child” Josiah as a vessel. Despite his ambiguous comment on whether fans can expect new music to be released soon — “I want to talk about why I’m here because it’s not because of a new album… Not that there’s not a new album,” he teased — he did expand on his decision to return to the desert more than a decade later.
“You know, these last couple years, my life changed so much…. My brother and I, we came to this festival a lot,” he reflected somberly about their Coachella memories of watching Rae Sremmurd together. “I know he would’ve been so excited to be here with all of us. I want to say thank you for the support and the ears and the love over all this time.” — H.M.
Just a couple days after teasing an “encore” of their Born Pink Tour in the U.S., BLACKPINK has revealed new tour dates.
On Sunday (April 16), Jennie, Jisoo, Lisa and Rosé added four summer stadium shows to their list of upcoming tour dates: East Rutherford, New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium (Aug. 12), Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium (Aug. 18), San Francisco’s Oracle Park (Aug. 22) and Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium (Aug. 26).
The K-pop group had hinted at the tour news on Friday via an Instagram Story with a smoky pink visual of all four girls and a link to blackpinklive.com, where Blinks can now register for ticket presale access.
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The Born Pink Tour previously made it to North America in the fall, with a string of concert dates that concluded with a pair of performances in Los Angeles.
BLACKPINK made history with their Coachella set this weekend, becoming the first Korean act to headline the festival. “I must say, this is a dream come true … the reason all four of us are here is because of you,” Rosé affectionately told the crowd. See Billboard‘s recap of their Coachella set here.
See details about the new show dates in BLACKPINK’s tour announcement below.
The second day of Coachella delivered its own set of surprise guest appearances, like Rauw Alejandro and Billie Eilish — the latter of whom live debuted her “Never Felt So Alone” collaboration with Labrinth during his set. Plus, the day included Jai Paul‘s first-ever live performance as well as BLACKPINK‘s historic headlining set.
Saturday’s stacked lineup also included performances by Charli XCX, Rosalía, boygenius, The Kid LAROI, and Calvin Harris, who officially “returned to the desert,” according to his billing.
For those at home, YouTube streamed live from all stages of the festival — and will continue to do so throughout this weekend and during the fest’s round two April 21-23. On Sunday night, April 16, Frank Ocean will close out the festival with his highly anticipated headlining performance and first live performance in six years.
As for BLACKPINK’s headlining performance, the beloved foursome reflected on the beginning of their Coachella journey in 2019, when they became the first K-pop girl group to perform at the U.S. festival when they were booked over at the Sahara Tent. Fast forward four years later and global superstars Jennie, Jisoo, Rosé and Lisa were taking over the main stage and making history as the first Korean act to headline the festival. Almost two hours later, Calvin Harris returned to the main stage for the first time in seven years to bang out the hits and, by a “Miracle,” play a new one with an old friend, Ellie Goulding.
Check out Billboard‘s eight best moments from day two of Coachella 2023 below.
Charli XCX’s Sexy Set
Even though the day had gradually cooled off by the time Charli XCX hit the main Coachella Stage, she unabashedly dialed the intensity all the way back up. While donning a studded black leather bodysuit and matching knee-high boots, Charli asked the audience, “Who’s getting sexy this weekend?” before launching into “Baby.” After performing “Beg For You” sans Rina Sawayama, Charli led a “We’re really, really hot! I’m really, really hot!” chant as her way of “begging” Troye Sivan to come out for their “1999” collaboration — which he gladly did.
But it was her performance of “Track 10” that was especially electrifying, as it offered a hyper-pop escape from the heartbreak. To really drive it home, the singer gyrated at the same frenetic pulse of the music before crawling across the stage in a beautifully bizarre manner that captured her vulnerability and passion all in the name of love. Only the chilling whisper of her own name could resurrect her body that by now was sprawled out on stage, as she revved herself back to life in time for “Vroom Vroom.” — Heran Mamo
Rosalía & Rauw Alejandro Are Couples Goals
Rosalía brought out her fiancé Rauw Alejandro to perform “Beso” and “Vampiros” off their recently-released joint EP. “How many of you have already listened to RR,” the Spanish star asked the crowd. “Four years ago, I came to Coachella, and I came alone. Not this time around.” A few seconds later, the Puerto Rican hitmaker joined his lover onstage where they sang, kissed and twerked. “Qué dice Coachella? Where’s my Latin people?” he asked the roaring crowd. Rauw’s surprise appearance was one of the best moments from Rosalía’s emotional and riveting set, during which she performed music from her albums El Mal Querer and Motomami. — Griselda Flores
Jai Paul’s First-Ever Live Performance
Major anticipation culminated during Jai Paul’s set in the Mojave, where the mysterious experimental singer-producer played the first show of his 12-year career. Known for his 2011 debut track “BTSTU,” the artist recently returned from a seven-year hiatus with a pair of singles “Do You Love Her Now” and “He.” And ahead of his historic set, he released his project of unfinished demos, Leak 04-13 (Bait Ones), on vinyl for the first time following its infamous leak 10 years ago.
Those songs filled his Coachella set, of which he said in a pre-show statement, “I always wanted to do something like this, but yeah, I’m not gonna lie, I am absolutely sh-tting it.” The U.K. artist came onstage 15 minute late, wearing a wig and sunglasses — perhaps part of a plan to put him at ease. He didn’t look entirely comfortable in the spotlight (and his mic could’ve been turned up louder), but he powered through a show that opened with “Higher Res” and later included “BTSTU” — a must for any fan, casual or otherwise. And though the show didn’t entirely dissolve his mystique, the crowd — which included Justin Bieber, Channel Tres and Kaytranada — finally got a sense of what Jai Paul can do. — Katie Bain
Boygenius Supporting Trans Rights
Earlier in the week, supergroup boygenius — Phobe Bridgers, Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus — warmed up for Coachella with a performance in Pomona, treating fans to a celebratory set of new music off its debut album, the record. While their stellar songbook was the focus of the band’s festival set, Baker took the opportunity to also voice support for trans rights. “I want to say before we keep going, I don’t know if you’ve been checking the news and seeing the tomfoolery that’s going on in Florida, Missouri, and so many other places. But trans lives matter, trans kids matter,” she said. “We’re going to fight it, and we’re going to win.” — Lyndsey Havens
BLACKPINK’s Historic Headlining Set
“So… let me start off with, four years ago, we were invited to perform here for you at Coachella at the Sahara Tent and that made a mark in all of our hearts,” BLACKPINK’s Rosé affectionately told the crowd. ”I must say, this is a dream come true … the reason all four of us are here is because of you.”
In 2019, BLACKPINK — composed of Jennie, Jisoo, Rosé and Lisa — became the first K-pop girl group to perform at Coachella — a set that also marked the foursome’s first full U.S. concert. And tonight, in 2023, the global superstars became the first Korean act to headline the festival.
“We are so so happy to be back here,” adds Jennie. “It’s crazy within the four years we made it from Sahara to main stage …. We love you Coachella.” Throughout the set, which featured hits old and new like “Pink Venom,” “Kill This Love,” “Whistle,” “BOOMBAYAH” and “DDU-DU DDU-DU,” each song felt like a grand finale in its own right. The act used the additional set time and main stage prominence to make their distinct personalities and voices known, dedicating time for each artist to perform their solo work. Jennie went first with “You & Me” featuring a new rap verse, followed by Jisoo, who performed her debut single “Flower,” followed by Rosé, who delivered “Gone / On the Ground,” and ending with Lisa’s set (which was introduced using her birth name Lalisa) of an explicit version of “Money.”
The historic and celebratory set tapped into what Jennie, Jisoo, Rosé and Lisa do best together as BLACKPINK: making Blinks feel seen. And by allowing each member a moment of their own to shine, they allowed their individuality to be seen, too. — L.H.
The Kid LAROI’s Tribute to Late Friends and Special Message For Justin Bieber
“I’m very, very blessed to be on this stage,” echoed The Kid LAROI’s voice throughout the Sahara Tent in the middle of his performance. It was a sincere moment of gratitude considering some of his dearest friends are no longer here, like fellow rappers Juice WRLD and Saiko, whom he honored while performing a new song “about loss and about losing people,” he somberly told the crowd. “It’s very personal to me and very vulnerable.”
The 19-year-old artist’s mature rebranding wasn’t just about cutting off his golden, boyish locks or dropping “The Kid” from his moniker when he introduced himself to the audience. It involved diving deeper into what pains him — in this case, lost loved ones — with piercing lyricism. While crouched atop a beaten up pickup truck, he sang about reflecting on the words he wish he had said to his friends.
And he stuck to his word when he praised his “Stay” collaborator Justin Bieber, who LAROI said was watching from the crowd (immediately shutting down any hope of a surprise onstage appearance; he did, however, later bring out Fivio Foreign, who performed their Far East Movement-sampling pop-drill collaboration “Paris to Tokyo”). “You’re such a special f—king human being…. Everybody here’s gotchu, bro,” he said speaking directly to Bieber. “Thank you for being not only an incredible musician and a collaborator, but thank you for being my f—king friend.” — H.M.
Labrinth and Billie Eilish’s Live Debut of “Never Felt So Alone”
Ahead of Labrinth‘s upcoming album, ENDS & BEGINS, the experimental artist treated fans to songs old and new — including his latest single “Never Felt So Alone,” which features Billie Eilish. His best treat of all? Bringing her out to live debut the song together. “She’s so f–king talented,” Lab said of the star as she exited the stage. “Billie, forever I f–king love you.” Elsewhere in the set he played Euphoria hits like “I’m Tired” (which features Zendaya, who did not come out during the set) and “Still Don’t Know My Name,” among other fan favorites — all of which showcased his stellar vocals, proving just how much of a powerhouse he is both in the studio and on the stage. — L.H.
Calvin Harris & Ellie Goulding’s Live Debut of ‘Miracle’
While other sonic trends blow in and out on the desert winds, dance music is a foundational element of Coachella, with nearly every style of the genre spread across every single stage. This year sets by U.K. icons The Chemical Brothers and Underworld — who both played the first Coachella in 1999 — felt as thrilling and relevant as ever. James Murphy did the lord’s work while DJing Despacio, low key Coachella’s best dance space, and Eric Prydz dazzled on the Outdoor Stage with his technical/sonic masterpiece of a show, HOLO.
But while dance music was everywhere, it’s marquee look was Calvin Harris’ set on the main stage. BLACKPINK was the night’s headliner, but Harris in fact came on after them and played to a crowd as massive and sprawling as nearly any we’ve seen assembled there over the years.
But what does an EDM titan do on this stage a decade after the EDM heyday (and seven years since his last Coachella main stage appearance)? He bangs out the hits, baby — but gets kind of weird, too. Indeed,, Harris throttled through his insane catalog, hitting all the highs — “One Kiss,” “This Is What You Came For,” “Slide,” “Feel So Close,” “Sweet Nothing,” “Summer” — with the audience heard chanting along en masse whenever the Scottish producer turned his volume dial down.
But, unsurprisingly given Harris’ recent forays into acid house and adjacent styles, he also veered off into harder and way ravier territory, with some of these moments not sounding all that different than what Underworld had done hours earlier — demonstrating a throughline across eras of dance music and Coachella lineups.
Interestingly, Harris’ set entirely avoided anything from his most recent album, last summer’s Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 2, thus bypassing appearances by any of the massive stars on it. Instead, a resplendent Ellie Goulding helped Harris close the show with the first-ever live performance of their recent hit, “Miracle,” itself a trance throwback anthem. — K.B.