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A line of strong thunderstorms, with wind gusts of up to 60 mph (about 97 kph), prompted organizers of the 2023 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival to delay the Saturday (May 6) opening at the Fair Grounds by at least two hours.
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In an announcement on Twitter, the festival told festgoers to “stay tuned” for more information and “See you this afternoon!”
“Due to weather conditions, the opening of today’s Jazz Fest will be delayed by one to two hours. Please stay tuned for more information. See you this afternoon!” organizers wrote.
The festival is in its final weekend for its 2023 two-week run.
Saturday’s scheduled performers include rock band Dead & Company, R&B singer/musician H.E.R, alternative folk band The Lumineers, jazz trumpeter Terence Blanchard, featuring The E Collective and Turtle Island Quartet, blues singer Keb’ Mo and gospel artist Anthony Brown and group therAPy.
New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival’s final day is Sunday.
Due to weather conditions, the opening of today’s Jazz Fest will be delayed by one to two hours. Please stay tuned for more information. See you this afternoon!— New Orleans JazzFest (@jazzfest) May 6, 2023
An Atlantic City, N.J., music festival that was slated to feature Limp Bizkit, Rick Ross and Steve Aoki has been canceled just a week before kick-off after fans revolted over what they saw as unfulfilled promises and the city declined to issue a final permit for the event.
Organizers of the Bamboozle Festival, which was set to hold its first edition in more than 10 years at Bader Field from May 5-7, announced the cancellation in a notice posted to the festival’s official website on Friday (April 28).
“After extensive discussions, we have made the heartbreaking decision to cancel Bamboozle 2023,” reads the post on the website, which has been scrubbed of all other information. “An incredible amount of time, dedication, passion and hard work was invested into making this comeback a success. We appreciate everyone who supported this festival. Refunds should be requested at point of purchase.”
Though the festival did not cite the reason for the cancellation, a separate statement put out by Anthony Swan, city business administrator of Atlantic City, said the city put the kibosh on the event after failing to receive the paperwork necessary for it to proceed.
“We asked for this information months in advance to protect the city and the taxpayers of Atlantic City,” said Swan. “The event was fast approaching, and these issues were still unresolved.” After organizers failed to meet the city’s April 27 deadline to submit the documents, Swan added, “the attorney for the festival organizers has been notified … that the event is canceled consistent with our prior notice.”
The cancellation follows weeks of contention between Bamboozle organizers and fans, which began when those who bought tickets during the presale started complaining that the “stacked” lineup promised by founder John D’Esposito in a post on Bamboozle’s official Instagram page failed to come to fruition. Making matters worse, D’Esposito had said that the $400 three-day ticket prices would “jump” as more artists were announced, but instead they fell by nearly $100 after the fest offered a discount code.
The war of words between D’Esposito and fans ramped up in February when an anonymous Instagram account bearing the handle @scamboozlefest began making critical posts about the festival, claiming that organizers were refusing to honor refund requests and re-posting screenshots that showed D’Esposito harassing angry ticket buyers over Instagram, email and text. The Bamboozle Festival’s official Instagram account also began posting negative comments on Scamboozle’s posts, calling fans names like “clown,” “dork,” “pinhead” and “jackass.”
One post on the Scamboozle account bore screenshots of emails in which D’Esposito threatened to doxx a disgruntled fan named Alphonso Cino: “Maybe we have a street party in front of your home address,” one of the emails read. In an interview earlier this month with The Philadelphia Inquirer — which reported that Cino filed complaints against the promoters both with his local police department and the New Jersey State Police Cyber Crimes Unit — D’Esposito claimed the emails were “tongue in cheek” and that he “was joking around.” In the same story, D’Esposito said he expected roughly 15,000 attendees at the festival and claimed that a total of just 47 fans had been refunded the price of their tickets by their credit card companies.
According to NJ.com, numerous Bamboozle ticket buyers have also filed complaints with the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs for false advertising and refund requests.
Following Friday’s cancellation, vendors also began scrambling to recover the money they had shelled out. Speaking with The Press of Atlantic City, Nick Richetti of Canna City Hemp said he was worried about receiving a refund after paying out $10,000 for a booth on the festival grounds. “I own one small CBD store in North Carolina, and $10,000 will absolutely break me,” he said.
Billboard reached out for comment to an email listed on Bamboozle’s official Facebook page but hadn’t received a response by press time.
D’Esposito founded Bamboozle in 2002 and kept the festival going for the next decade, with previous editions featuring top-tier acts such as 50 Cent, Foo Fighters, Bon Jovi, Snoop Dogg, Mac Miller, My Chemical Romance and Fall Out Boy. At its peak, the event was drawing more than 100,000 fans over a single weekend. Following an alleged dispute between D’Esposito and his partners in the event, Live Nation and House of Blues, the festival went dormant in 2012. D’Esposito told The Philadelphia Inquirer that he repurchased the festival’s trademark in 2020 in order to resurrect it.
Coachella 2023 was a rollercoaster ride — at least as far as the headliners were concerned. After Frank Ocean was announced for the 2023 edition of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival even before the 2022 fest took place, Bad Bunny and BLACKPINK rounded out the slate of headliners upon the lineup announcement earlier this year. Then, an abrupt change between the first and second weekend of the fest: Ocean pulled out of the latter due to an ankle injury, with Blink-182 and the trio of Skrillex, Four Tet and Fred Again.. instead closing out the main stage.
After months of anticipation, Coachella 2023 is in the rearview. Naturally, it’s time to start wondering who will top the 2024 lineup.
We’ve got a full year until Coachella 2024 and roughly nine months until its lineup is unveiled, but we can start daydreaming about which A-listers could possibly be en route to the desert in April 2024. These 10 artists could feasibly top next year’s lineup, thanks to a mix of star status, recent commercial wins and/or clues that new music is in the works. For the sake of simplicity, this list doesn’t include any past Coachella headliners who are currently active, like Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar, The Weeknd or Drake — so while Beychella Part II would be welcomed by all far and wide, we’re only thinking of artists who would be making their debuts as Coachella headliners, which is often the case for these bookings anyway.
So who are some names to keep in mind for 2024? Here’s a preliminary list of A-listers who would headline next year’s Coachella:
Rihanna
After rocking the Super Bowl halftime show in 2023, could Rihanna finally be headed to the desert as a Coachella headliner in 2024? Rih was heavily rumored to top the 2023 festival lineup in the spot that ultimately went to BLACKPINK, and perhaps the baby bump that she revealed during her Super Bowl LVII extravaganza last February can help explain why.
Rihanna is about to become a mother of two, but not much is otherwise known about her next 12 months – including any timetable for the release of new music, after she issued a pair of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack cuts late last year, as well as any non-Super Bowl shows planned. Anytime she wants to headline the fest, Coachella will presumably be happy to have her; we’ll see whether or not the Navy can find love in a hopeless place in 2024.
Dua Lipa
“I gotta get out the studio more and see some sunlight,” Dua Lipa wrote on social media in February – a good indication that new music from the UK pop star, and perhaps the follow-up to her 2020 sophomore album Future Nostalgia, are very much in the works. Whenever Lipa does return, she’ll be able to add her new music to an arsenal of hits, spread out across her two studio albums (“Don’t Start Now,” “Levitating,” “New Rules”) and one-off collaborations (“Cold Heart” with Elton John, “One Kiss” with Calvin Harris).
If Lipa’s LP3 is ready to roll by this time next year, she would fit into the mold of recent headliners like Ariana Grande, Harry Styles and BLACKPINK – ultra-cool A-listers with new material to promote and/or premiere at Coachella. The shortlist of potential pop headliners at Coachella should undoubtedly include her name.
SZA
The artist behind the biggest song in the country — which hit No. 1 on the Hot 100 after eight weeks in the runner-up spot — is on a hot streak that extends far beyond “Kill Bill.” SZA’s long-awaited sophomore album SOS has been one of the biggest albums of the year thus far and has been showered with critical acclaim, setting up a potential awards-season run pushing into 2024.
The success of SOS has also pushed SZA into arena-headliner territory, as her tour in support of the album has added more dates due to high demand. Headlining Coachella would be the ultimate victory lap for a singular artist who has long been beloved by R&B fans, but has recently leveled up her commercial profile in every conceivable way.
Doja Cat
At the 2022 edition of Coachella, Ye backed out as the Sunday night headliner, and Swedish House Mafia with special guest The Weeknd shifted into the empty space at the top of the bill. Before the replacement became official, however, some fans pointed to another potential headliner already scheduled for the main stage on Sunday: Why not Doja Cat? After all, her 2021 album Planet Her spun off five top 20 Hot 100 hits, in addition to previous smashes like “Say So” and “Streets”; furthermore, Doja is a force of personality, and although she hasn’t been in the spotlight for too many years, she commands its presence.
Since Coachella 2022, Doja Cat has earned another top 10 entry with the Elvis soundtrack single “Vegas,” and hopped on hits with Post Malone and SZA. If she releases the follow-up to Planet Her before the end of the year, it will be one of the most highly anticipated albums of 2023. And a Coachella 2024 headlining booking would be a slam dunk, for both Doja Cat and the festival itself.
Olivia Rodrigo
Olivia Rodrigo’s 2021 debut album, Sour, became such a commercial triumph that her sophomore LP, whenever it arrives, will be greeted with feverish enthusiasm. That’s why the Grammy winner for best new artist could headline Coachella next year even with a limited catalog: Rodrigo has a finite number of released songs, but everyone in a headliner crowd would know them all by heart, from “Drivers License” to “good 4 u” to “Deja Vu” to whatever she deems to release next.
Consider a potential Rodrigo booking in 2024 similar to Billie Eilish’s headlining gig at Coachella in 2022: a young superstar with a sky-high approval rating, running through the ubiquitous hits and beloved album cuts that recently made her a household name. And as a nod to the festival’s rock roots, maybe Veruca Salt can join Rodrigo for her cover of “Seether,” too!
Cardi B
A few weeks ago, Cardi B celebrated the five-year anniversary of the release of her 2018 debut album, Invasion of Privacy… as well as the five-year anniversary of fans asking her when the follow-up will finally arrive. It’s hard to blame them: Invasion of Privacy remains one of the most cohesive, engrossing hip-hop debuts in recent memory, featuring No. 1 hits like “Bodak Yellow” and “I Like It.” While the wait continues for Album No. 2, the rap superstar has been able to tide fans over with chart-topping one-off singles like “WAP” with Megan Thee Stallion and “Up.”
If a sophomore LP materializes for Cardi B in the next 12 months, expect her name to show up in the Coachella Possibility conversation. Honestly, it could show up even if an album doesn’t arrive — such is her continued, all-encompassing appeal.
Shakira
This year, Coachella made history by booking Bad Bunny, its first headliner who records predominantly Spanish-language music. The festival should consider giving future opportunities to Latin music artists as well — and who better to lead the potential 2024 headliners than Shakira, an international superstar currently experiencing a renaissance near the top of the Hot 100?
Shakira could have headlined any recent iteration of Coachella, thanks to her decades-long track record of hits. But in 2023, the Colombian star has returned to mainstream pop prominence with a pair of top 10 singles, thanks to her fiery Bizarrap team-up “BZRP Music Sessions, Vol. 53” and her Karol G collaboration “TQG,” which peaked at Nos. 9 and 7 on the Hot 100, respectively. Although Shakira’s relevance within the Latin pop community has never flagged, that one-two punch has returned her to the U.S. mainstream in exciting fashion — and a Coachella slot could punctuate that run.
Miley Cyrus
Speaking of a veteran star coming off a rejuvenating hit: Miley Cyrus scored the biggest smash of her career earlier this year when “Flowers,” the lead single to her Endless Summer Vacation album, logged eight nonconsecutive weeks at the top of the Hot 100. In the past, Cyrus has headlined festivals like Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits thanks to a slew of past hits and audacious stage persona — could she head to Indio next year armed with her longest-running chart-topper yet?
Cyrus has yet to announce a tour in support of Endless Summer Vacation, so we’ll see how exactly she plans to support her latest full-length on the road. If she ends up snagging a Coachella ’24 headlining slot, though, expect the set to become one of the more must-see (and potentially star-studded) performances of the festival.
BTS Members & Friends
A proper BTS headlining set at next year’s Coachella is going to hit an obvious roadblock: the mandatory military service required of their members, which has already halted larger group activities for the time being. While members have embarked on solo projects and performances over the past year, a full-on reunion isn’t likely until at the very least 2025, based on the members’ own comments on the matter.
Maybe that precludes BTS from having a presence at next year’s Coachella… or maybe the members who can perform at the 2024 festival get creative, with a one-of-a-kind set that functions as both a showcase to recent solo endeavors and a stopgap salute to ARMY before a globe-conquering group return. Imagine a headlining set featuring BTS members playing their solo material off of each other, special guests arriving to deliver features, and a few see-you-soon performances of the collective’s biggest hits to date. That type of show is unlikely at this moment, but it would also be the ultimate care package to fans if they can pull it off.
Taylor Swift
I mean… this works all too well, right? The superstar behind the most in-demand tour of 2023, capping things off with her Coachella debut in 2024? The festival constantly wants to one-up its collection of headliners, and after a blockbuster trio in 2023, no artist would raise the stakes quite like Taylor Swift would as a 2024 bill-topper.
Swift has long favored headlining tours over festival appearances, and this year is no exception with her Eras stadium run. So, no, Taylorchella isn’t likely for 2024. But we can dream.
Despite the reliably sunny Las Vegas weather, a dark cloud loomed over Mandalay Bay as organizers prepared for its inaugural We Bridge Music Festival and Expo. Slated as a K-pop concert-meets-celebration of all things spotlighting Asian creatives, the three-day event from April 21-23 took a day to respond to the April 19 news that beloved Korean singer Moon Bin of ASTRO had died in Seoul the night prior.
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While some parts of the K-pop industry continued as usual (like live TV broadcasts, including the April 20 finale of popular boy-band survival competition Boys Planet on Mnet, or the April 21 episode of KBS’ Music Bank), some plans did shift (a single by K-pop veteran Kangta was postponed from its original April 20 release day to the 22nd with SM Entertainment citing wanting to pay respects to the recently deceased). As some fans called to cancel the event, particularly worried that artists wouldn’t be able to pay their respects in Korea properly, We Bridge shared how they would honor the fallen star.
“On behalf of the We Bridge team, it is with a heavy heart that I am addressing the tragic and sudden loss of K-Pop icon Moon Bin of ASTRO, who recently passed away,” wrote Alex Kang, the event producer for We Bridge under Infinite Prospects Entertainment. “Our heart goes out to his family and loved ones, and the fans and community worldwide who are mourning his loss. It’s our united goal to honor his memory and legacy with a special “Light up Tribute” and moment of silence for the fans to all come together as one and shine a light in his memory. This light up tribute will take place on Friday evening, inside the theatre ahead of our first concert performance.”
Day 1 of the festival opened with business-oriented panels, on-site activities like choreography lessons and art galleries, and Grammy Museum interviews performers. Despite the anticipation for the first night of concerts that included headliner Monsta X, the evening opened on a meditative note with the tribute to Moon Bin opening the show.
As MC for the two nights of We Bridge concerts, actor Yuri Park told audiences, “I want you all to raise up your phones with the lights on, and can we please have a moment of silence.” A soft piano track played throughout a quiet Michelob Ultra Arena as a montage of Moon Bin photos, most featuring his unforgettable smile, played on the stage’s massive LED screens—all quickly put together by a team with the festival’s publicity reps, Miller PR, Billboard learned.
While most support was for the night’s performers, there were a few posters in remembrance of Moon Bin spotted in the crowd too. Boy bands CIX and ONEUS, girl group Dreamcatcher, and solo star Kang Daniel all delivered the on-point, intense choreography. Rapper Jessi was the highlight with her un-K-pop candor as she made jokes about back aches and nip slips while roaring through viral hits like “Zoom” and “Nuna Nana.” Multiple times throughout her set, Jessi would pop into the crowd to hug a fan or sign a T-shirt as a refreshing display of intimacy between K-pop artists and fans not typically seen.
Even as Monsta X wore all black when departing the Seoul airport in honor of Moon Bin, members Kihyun, Joohoney, Hyungwon and I.M also brought a more relaxed performance, focusing less on their athletic dance moves and more on connecting through their recent English crossover releases like “You Problem” and the R3HAB-assisted “Burning Up.”
Despite We Bridge’s successful launch, there was extra concern around Day 2 as female trio VIVIZ had members SinB and Umji who counted Moon Bin as a close friend—all three were the same age and SinB counted Moon Bin as her best friend for more than a decade. Fans were calling on We Bridge and VIVIZ label Big Planet Made Entertainment to entirely excuse them from the event while mourning.
Early in the morning hours before the Saturday programming began, VIVIZ’s social media accounts shared that the group would be pulling out of their Grammy Museum interview and the festival’s red-carpet “due to the artists’ conditions” but would still perform at the concert “out of love and respect to the fans.” Hours later, Big Planet Made Entertainment added that SinB and Umji would not participate in the trio’s “hi-touch” fan-meeting event that day “due to poor condition.” Still, the remaining member Eunha met VIVIZ supporters with a bright smile and connected with each individual in line for the hi-touch (i.e., a high five).
That same accommodating atmosphere extended into the concert when SinB shuffled off stage after the group’s opening number “Pull Up.” Eunha took the lead in speaking to the audience as Umji appeared visibly concerned, checking behind the stage for SinB, amid waving and smiling at fans. When SinB wasn’t back after a minute of stage remarks, Umji spoke up and said, “Would it be okay if you guys just gave us a little of time before our next song?” with the audience screaming in encouraging recognition of the group balancing performing and mourning.
Rising singer-rapper BE’O joined VIVIZ for Day 2 concert, as did Thailand-born GOT7 member BamBam, ONEUS, plus headliners ENHYPEN. As the cheers grew throughout the evening until ENHYPEN performed the final chorus of their encore song “Polaroid Love,” one could easily catch host Yuri Park saying the goodbyes on behalf of the festival before adding that he’d see fans next year.
Even as We Bridge Day 3 was less elaborate when it came to programming with a panel that included Crazy Rich Asians actor Chris Pang and former Marvel designer Anthony Francisco, plus fan meetings with Jessi and BE’O, attendees were still out in droves for the final day of Vegas festivities even without a concert that night.
We Bridge Music Festival and Expo faced a significant, unexpected difficulty hours before its official kickoff. Still, its ability to be flexible and rise to the moment instead of shying away or pushing ruthlessly forward gave a noted human element among all the K-pop superstars. Ideally, 2024 will be kinder to We Bridge, with the festival-expo able to prove itself even further in the increasingly competitive K-pop event space after such a test run.
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.
A federal appeals has rejected a lawsuit claiming Live Nation was “stringing along” a country singer when the company considered – but ultimately passed on – her proposal for an all-female country music festival in Chicago.
Rae Solomon claimed the concert giant led her to believe it would invest in her idea – a “modern” riff on the famed Lilith Fair with a “predominantly country spin” – only to unfairly back out later. She says Live Nation then stole the concept when it organized an all-women day at 2019’s Lake Shake Festival.
But in a ruling Thursday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit ruled that Live Nation had not made “any misrepresentations in its dealings with Solomon.” The court said Live Nation had offered only “sales talk, future intention, and opinion,” not concrete plans to work with her.
“An expression of interest in participating in a project is not a promise to do so,” the court wrote. “The statement represents nothing more than Live Nation’s interest in the project.”
All of Live Nation’s interactions with Solomon were “non-specific and noncommittal nature,” the court wrote, and the company “did not conceal its questions, doubts, or lack of commitment” to her project.
Solomon pitched the idea of her “Zenitheve” festival to Live Nation’s Women Nation Fund, a program that aims to help “underrepresented female entrepreneur” in the live music industry. And Live Nation’s interest was initially piqued; in early meetings in 2018, company reps told her that Zenitheve was “right down the fairway for the kind of stuff we’re interested in” and “exactly what the fund is set up for.”
But according to court documents, Solomon soon ran into hurdles. She envisioned a lineup including Kacey Musgraves, Maren Morris and other female country stars, but she had not actually booked artists to perform. And after meetings in which Live Nation suggested “keep[ing] the conversation going,” the company soon expressed serious doubts.
Michael Wichser, Live Nation’s senior vice president for mergers and acquisitions, said Solomon’s business plan was “lackluster” and “worried about Solomon’s abilities to obtain artists or get a team in place.” Live Nation’s chief communications officer Carrie Davis, meanwhile, thought her idea was not “compelling or unique” and noted that Solomon had not “confirmed any sponsorships or artists.”
A month after Live Nation formally passed on the idea, the company announced the plan for the all-women day at Lake Shake, a yearly country festival in Chicago. Solomon claims the move led her investors to pull out of Zenitheve, forcing her to halt the project.
She quickly sued, claiming Live Nation had made intentional and negligent misrepresentations to her and demanding more than $25 million in damages. Among other things, she claimed that Live Nation had acted the way that it did so that it could copy her plan.
But in Thursday’s decision, the Sixth Circuit said that motive was directly contradicted by the facts of the case.
“[Solomon] claims that Live Nation misrepresented any intention of working with [her] because it had only one motivation from the start: stringing Solomon along and stealing her idea,” the appeals court wrote. “That speculation, however, crumbles against Live Nation’s uncontradicted evidence that the organizer of the Lake Shake Festival, Brian O’Connell, had no knowledge of the Zenitheve proposal.”
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.
Super-producer Metro Boomin embarked on a star-studded hero’s (and villain’s) journey during his Coachella performance Friday night (April 14).
Metro feels like he naturally sits at the intersection of Marvel and music, inviting his interconnected web of friends (who are chart-topping rappers) into a comic book world of his own design. “In this life, we all must make a choice, to be a hero or a villain. But let this be a warning: When Metro appears, you better know damn well which side you’re on,” narrated Morgan Freeman, with comic illustrations of Coachella and Metro’s thrilling arrival projected on the screens before plumes of smoke cleared them and descended on the stage.
It’s no wonder he was tapped to work on the soundtrack for the forthcoming film Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. But across festival grounds at the Sahara Tent, Metro assembled his own Avengers for his self-proclaimed “Trochella,” and even saluted the ones who couldn’t physically be there like A$AP Rocky, whose pre-recorded audio of him officially introducing Metro boomed from the speakers. He emerged from a black cloak at the top of the stage, a full orchestra accentuating his sinister presence. But Metro’s not the villain in this story, as he brought out Future for a haunting yet victorious rendition of “Superhero (Heroes & Villains).”
Future zoomed through his hits — including “Wicked” and “Mask Off” — before Metro sent Young Thug a remote moment of hope in the midst of his RICO trial in Atlanta by playing “Metro Spider.” Don Toliver then graced the stage while donning sunglasses that resembled a mask, playing into the motif of Metro’s latest Billboard 200-topping album, Heroes & Villains, and playing “I Can’t Save You (Interlude),” “Too Many Nights” and “Around Me” off the project.
Thick clouds of smoke covered the stage once more, creating even more mystique around Metro’s set. “Legendary s— only!” he bellowed while praising fellow producer Mike Dean on the synths. He rolled out the red carpet for his beloved collaborator 21 Savage as they ran through fan favorites from their Savage Mode days and other beloved 21 tracks, such as “Bank Account” and “Knife Talk.” But there was one person who received a special dedication from him.
“Long live my mom Leslie Wayne… She with me right now, Lord Jesus, she with me right now,” he bellowed before leading the rowdy crowd in a sobering moment of silence in honor of his late mother, who died last June.
Suddenly, Dean cued the chaos back up with a dizzying array of green strobe lights before a faint, yet very famous falsetto caused an uproar for none other than The Weeknd. He performed “Faith,” “Escape from LA” and “Heartless,” which were all produced by Metro from The Weeknd’s fourth album, After Hours. With help from his close collaborator Dean, The Weeknd executed the same genius transition from “Heartless” to “Low Life” he debuted at Coachella just last year, when he co-headlined with Swedish House Mafia. Now, he comfortably assisted a billed act and shared the spotlight with other A-listers like Future, who joined him for “Low Life.” But when he got a moment to himself again, The Weeknd treated fans by performing a brand new song.
“Temperature rising, bodies united, now that I tried you in my arms. No need to fight it, no need to hide it, now that I’ve seen what’s in your heart,” he sang before letting his vocal runs synch up with the electrifying synths and Dean’s sexy saxophone.
21 Savage eventually returned for the first live performance of “Creepin,” which is No. 4 on the April 15-dated Billboard Hot 100. The remix’s guest Diddy made for another major surprise guest on the already star-filled night, which could very well have been just an average day in the studio for Metro Boomin.
Becky G’s debut as a billed Coachella act was a long time coming, but good things come to those who wait. While the Mexican-American artist was at Coachella last year, when she joined Karol G to sing their hit song “MAMIII,” Becky G hadn’t had a solo performance at the festival.
“What’s up Coachella?” she asked a sea of festival-goers who had stationed themselves at the main stage for her 45-minute set after immediately being hooked with her reggaeton banger “Mayores.” “You’re looking mighty beautiful from up here,” she briefly said after performing her first song. “I’m so happy to be here with you guys today.”
Becky was a woman of a few words and let her music do the speaking instead. With a Luis Barragán-inspired set as her background, she stepped out in a dark blue denim three-piece and white sneakers to perform “Fulanito,” “Cuando Te Besé” and “Bailé Con Mi Ex” back-to-back before transitioning into a special segment that paid tribute to her Mexican roots.
“México en la casa! I’ve been working on my regional project and it’s been so beautiful,” she expressed. “I’m proud to be Mexican-American. And I couldn’t come to Coachella and not share the stage. Who else did we invite to the carne asada (cookout)?” she asked her DJ.
With a tuba in tow, Marca MP joined Becky — who wore a tejana for this part of her set — to sing “Ya Acabó.” But that was just the first artist of a parade of acts who joined the star. Following MP, Jesús Ortiz Paz of Fuerza Regida took her side to sing “Te Quiero Besar.” Paz stayed to sing Becky’s “favorite” song of his, the cumbia-powered “Bebe Dame.”
The third surprise guest was an artist who is relatively new to performing in front of crowd, let alone a festival of this magnitude, but fans went crazy when corridos up-and-comer Peso Pluma appeared on stage to sing his collab w Becky, “Chanel.” The surprise guests didn’t end there. Becky, who by this point had changed into a sparkly blue mini-dress, brought out bestie Natti Natasha to sing their girl-power track “Sin Pijama.” The two shared a friendly kiss with Becky after singing together.
To close her set with a bang, Becky sang her Karol G-assisted “MAMIII,” which she ended with the iconic wailing part of “Killing Me Softly.” And to end with a trip down memory lane, she performed her first hit single “Shower.” “Let me take this in for a second,” she said before leaving the stage. “It has truly been an honor.”
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It had all the makings of a headlining set: the reunion of a beloved band, a hits-filled discography and thousands of fans all belting along.
And yet, the highly anticipated set from Blink-182 filled the sundown slot at a much-too-small stage. It made it all the better.
On Thursday evening (April 13), when Coachella finally revealed on Instagram its weekend one set times, the caption read: “Take off your pants and jacket.” Fans of the band immediately knew it signaled the good news that Blink had been added to the lineup at the last minute.
In October, the legendary pop-punk band announced it would reunite with its original lineup of Mark Hoppus, Travis Barker and Tom Delonge. On Friday (April 14), the band delivered its first show since. (Blink was originally scheduled to kick off a South American tour in March, but had to cancel due to Barker’s finger injury).
The band fittingly entered to the Star Wars theme song (with noted U.FO. researcher DeLonge wearing a shirt that read, “To the stars”) and selected “Family Reunion” as their celebratory opening song. As DeLonge basked in the roars for his return to the band, he couldn’t help but smirk as he held up a middle finger, later telling the crowd how much they’re loved.
After performing “Anthem, Part Two,” Hoppus said something so simple yet staggering: “Hi, we’re Blink-182 … Welcome to Coachella 2023.” The fact that the ’90s-formed act is just as much of a force today as in its heyday is a testament to its catalog and staying power — particularly at a time when pop-punk has returned to center stage. And in the case of Blink, the band brought its boyish sense of humor along for the ride, with Hoppus and DeLonge trading quips about everything from UTIs to testicles throughout the set.
As Barker’s wife, Kourtney Kardashian-Barker, and her sister Khloe watched from the stage, the band tore threw hits like “Rock Show,” “Feelin This” and “What’s My Age Again,” which welcomed a sing-along worthy of the Guinness World Records as a mosh pit formed. And before live debuting their newest single “Edging,” which arrived with the original lineup’s reunion announcement, DeLonge confessed with a laugh, “There’s a lot of testosterone in this s—.”
Minutes past the set’s scheduled end time, Hoppus noted that the band had blown right past it — and that they weren’t about to stop. He said there were three more songs to get through, and they were naturally some of the bands biggest hits to date, closing with an epic hat trick of “I Miss You” into “All the Small Things” into “Dammit,” for which Hoppus interpolated a bit of TLC’s “No Scrubs” for good measure.
But it was Hoppus’ Instagram post that summed up the experience better than any one song could. “Chemo to Coachella,” he captioned a photo of himself on stage with the soon-to-be-packed field behind him. “Very much in my feelings today.”