As one the biggest annual music festivals in North America, Coachella generates a lot of attention. Did the first weekend live up to the hype? The return of deceased rapper Tupac Shakur, performing as a hologram with Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg was by far the biggest talking point (see the video below) but it wasn't the only one.
There was a wide range of musical generations over the weekend. We saw triumphant returns by Refused, Pulp, James and At The Drive-In. Strong sets from the new kids: Real Estate, Azealia Banks, Santigold, A$AP Rocky, Andrew Bird, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, SBTRKT, St. Vincent and Frank Ocean that featured a Tyler cameo and a Bob Dylan cover. And Squeeze proved that they're still cool for cats.
Toronto's very own Abel Tesfaye of The Weeknd made his United States debut. Some friends of the show had stand-out sets, like The Sheepdogs, Childish Gambino and Laura Marling. And BadBadNotGood, a jazz-trio that met while attending Humber College, are serving as the resident band at Coachella's campgrounds. Even in the desert, there's a healthy dose of Canadiana. Here is a video roundup of some of the best:
The Black Keys
Bon Iver
Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg
Florence + The Machine
Justice
M83
Pulp
Radiohead
Santigold
The Weeknd