Wow! Coachella unearths 2023 set times & drops another surprise as blink-182 unexpectedly gets ready to rock the Empire Polo Club

April 13, 2023 by 1 Comment

Coachella 2023

Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival //
Empire Polo Club – Indio, CA
April 14th-16th & April 21st-23rd, 2023 //

When the calendar turns to April, we all know what that means …

Yeah, that’s right — Coachella is just around the corner, and unlike a year ago when Swedish House Mafia and The Weeknd were elevated to headliner status with less than two weeks to go, it looks like there won’t be any last-minute lineup changes in 2023 (and we can thank the absence of a particular rapper for that).

But after casually including Grammy winners Arcade Fire in its 2022 set times for Weekend 1, the three-day music and arts festival has once again stunned us with another surprising addition while unleashing the schedule for the first weekend of its 22nd installment and after 11 p.m. PT on Wednesday no less (at 11:07 p.m. PT to be exact).

This time, it’s blink-182 being thrown into the mix despite not being listed on the official lineup poster as Mark Hoppus (bass, vocals), Tom DeLonge (guitar, vocals) and Travis Barker (drums) storm the Sahara Tent on Friday for their first-ever appearance at Coachella. It’s particularly shocking given that the band had to postpone the Latin American leg of its highly anticipated reunion tour because Barker dislocated and tore ligaments in his left ring finger during rehearsals earlier this year. The last proper show that the reunited pop-punk icons played with their original lineup prior to DeLonge’s second exit was in 2014, so we would recommend getting there early — as in, well before their scheduled start of 6:45 p.m. — if you are hoping to catch what should be a memorable performance. Heck, maybe that’s why DeLonge typed 6:30 p.m. in his tweet? Or could it simply be a typo? Either way, it won’t be too long before we know for sure which one it is.

Regardless of what time blink takes the stage, there are always so many tough decisions to make at Coachella, and it doesn’t get any easier when a legendary 90’s act finally gets the chance to rock the Empire Polo Club. There’s also a world-famous DJ making his long-awaited return — seven years, in fact — on Saturday in case you forgot (we imagine Calvin Harris fans certainly haven’t).

Nevertheless, we want to hear it straight for those of you who are headed out to the desert: What’s your biggest conflict this year and who are you most excited for?

WEEKEND 1 SET TIMES

Coachella 2023 - Weekend 1 - Friday set times

Coachella 2023 - Weekend 1 - Saturday set times

Coachella 2023 - Weekend 1 - Sunday set times

WEEKEND 2 SET TIMES

Coachella 2023 - Weekend 2 - Friday set times

Coachella 2023 - Weekend 2 - Saturday set times

Coachella 2023 - Weekend 2 - Sunday set times

As you can see above, Coachella has finally confirmed with the release of its set times for Weekend 2 that Frank Ocean’s headlining performance has been canceled and will be replaced with another dose of blink-182 — for at least part of Sunday — as we shared a day ago.

But there’s also a TBA act now listed at 10:25 p.m. once blink wrap things up around 10:20 p.m., and we now know it will be Four Tet, Fred again.. and Skrillex following their big night in NYC at Madison Square Garden a couple of months ago already stamping their footprint squarely on this year’s electronic scene less than a quarter of the way into 2023.

MAP

A little more than 24 hours before the gates officially open, this year’s map has arrived and there’s not a whole lot that has changed in a matter of 12 months. There is one alteration that’s worth noting for those keeping tabs, however.

After allowing guests only one way to access the Sonora, Gobi and Mojave Tents last year, the fest has reinstituted a direct — albeit narrow — path from the Sahara Tent to them like there was in 2019. While that might create a bit more foot traffic close to The Do LaB Stage, the walk to those three stages won’t be nearly as far if you’re coming from that side of the polo fields. For many attendees, this route should definitely come in handy (and save you a few steps) at some point from Friday to Sunday.

Coachella 2023 - map

So whether you’ll be in Indio or watching the YouTube livestream from the comfort of your couch, there’s plenty of good music to witness over the course of three days. If you’re still thinking about going and are looking for tickets, you can hop on the waitlist for Weekend 1 here or purchase them for Weekend 2 (GA and VIP) here along with whatever parking and shuttle passes remain.

Happy Coachella!

UPDATE (April 16th): The first two days didn’t see any last-minute changes to the schedule, but there was one announced on Sunday. Los Fabulosos Cadillacs have been moved from the Coachella Stage to the Outdoor Theatre and will begin at 2:10 p.m. instead of 2:30 p.m., leaving Jacqk Glam to slide up 40 minutes and pushing Stick Figure back to 3:20 p.m.

But the most disappointing news on Day 3 was for those watching all of the action at home. Despite listing both acts on the schedule earlier in the day, Coachella has pulled the livestream for Björk and Frank Ocean this evening. 2023 will mark Björk’s third appearance at the Empire Polo Club and first since 2007, while Ocean is expected to close out the festival as Sunday’s headliner after postponing what has been considered to be a highly anticipated performance — his first in six years — and was originally announced when the 2020 lineup dropped. Despite there being no official word about Björk, YouTube did confirm the change for Ocean. With that in mind, we will have to make do with Noname, Big Wild, Weyes Blood, 2manydjs, Kali Uchis, Jai Wolf, DRAMA and Sudan Archives, among others, providing the entertainment. Stream on, Couchchellans!

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Coachella comes clean with 2023 lineup as Bad Bunny, BLACKPINK & Frank Ocean land headlining slots in the desert

January 10, 2023 by 4 Comments

Coachella - 2023 lineup

Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival //
Empire Polo Club – Indio, CA
April 14th-16th & April 21st-23rd, 2023 //

It’s that day again when Coachella finally lets the cat out of the bag each year.

Many had speculated the famed California music festival would offer up its big secret this week as it often does once we ring in a new year, and Goldenvoice did just that for its latest installment on the same day Bonnaroo, Boston Calling and Sonic Temple all revealed their own lineups as well.

But after last year saw late lineup changes with Ye (fka Kanye West) — unsurprisingly — backing out as the headliner for Sunday and being replaced by Swedish House Mafia and The Weeknd, it appears that Goldenvoice CEO Paul Tollett is prepared should the same sort of scenario happen again at the Empire Polo Club this April.

Headlining will be Bad Bunny, BLACKPINK and Frank Ocean, and while two of those artists check the box that we referred to in 2022 when it comes to the fest featuring more international acts, this year’s Day 3 headliner — whose set was originally announced for the 2020 edition but was pushed back to 2023 as the COVID-19 pandemic sent Coachella on a three-year hiatus — is also one who has been known to cancel his performances.

If Ocean does this time, Tollett and company will have Calvin Harris waiting in the wings and ready to step onto the main stage after 10 p.m. much like SHM did in 2022 (with some help from The Weeknd). He could even elevate sub-headliners Gorillaz, ROSALÍA and/or Björk to the No. 1 spot since two of them have headlined Coachella before. Either way, the man who has been organizing the three-day event — which expanded to two weekends in 2012 — for more than 20 years now certainly has his share of options after locking down Harry Styles and Billie Eilish to lead the charge a year ago.

We should note that it’s not clear yet which day Harris will perform if all goes according to plan, but the five-time Grammy-nominated DJ/record producer has headlined once before in 2016 and was included as a sub-headliner in 2020 before it was ultimately canceled. We will provide updates about his status below whenever we have more information.

Given those contingencies, the roster for Coachella’s 22nd year has a lot to consider below the top line for all three days and there are plenty of names that stick out among the undercard. And though those receiving high placement on the poster like Burna Boy, Eric Prydz, Kali Uchis, The Chemical Brothers, Porter Robinson, boygenius, Porter Robinson, Kaytranada, $uicideboy$, Fisher + Chris Lake, Blondie, the Kid LAROI, A Boogie, Becky G, Charli XCX, Dominic Fike, Metro Boomin, Labrinth, Jai Paul and Underworld are worth considering, there are others farther down that deserve being mentioned here such as FKJ, SOFI TUKKER, Jai Wolf, Wet Leg, Chromeo, 2ManyDJs, SG Lewis, TESTPILOT, Mura Masa, Weyes Blood, Marc Rebillet, Alex G and Hiatus Kaiyote.

Tickets for Weekend 1 are almost sold out, though you can always jump on the wait list here after three-day GA and VIP passes go on sale here during a presale this Friday, January 13th at 11 a.m. PT.

UPDATE (April 19th): So much for not having any last-minute changes this year. But considering how capricious Ocean remains as a performer and what transpired during his Weekend 1 headlining set, it should not come as a complete shock that the Grammy-winning singer-songwriter has pulled the plug on his Weekend 2 performance only a few days before it’s scheduled to happen. What might be more surprising to learn, however, is that Ocean sustained two fractures and a sprain in his left leg while at the Empire Polo Club last week and still decided to perform (sort of). blink-182, the reunited pop-punk icons who were tapped as this year’s surprise addition when set times for Weekend 1 dropped (much like Arcade Fire were in 2022), will reportedly take over the headliner slot on Sunday after rocking the Sahara Tent last Friday to mark the band’s first show with its original lineup since 2014. If you thought last year was bad after Ye’s cancellation with less than two weeks to go, we think it’s fair to say Ocean just one-upped him but feel free to chime in with your thoughts in the comments section below.

UPDATE (April 20th): Coachella has confirmed with the release of its set times for Weekend 2 that Frank Ocean’s headlining performance has been canceled and will be replaced with another dose of blink-182 — for at least part of Sunday. But there’s also a TBA act now listed at 10:25 p.m. once blink wrap things up around 10:20 p.m., which will be Four Tet, Fred again.. and Skrillex following the trio’s big night in NYC at Madison Square Garden a couple of months ago when they performed a five-hour B2B marathon.

Coachella 2023

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After making Coachella history, Klangstof are blazing a trail for other Dutch indie bands

May 8, 2017 by Leave a Comment

KlangstofPhoto by Jack McKain // Written by Josh Herwitt //

Those of us who have been attending Coachella for a while know how difficult it is for artists filling early-afternoon slots to draw large crowds at the Empire Polo Club. The sun, for one, is usually scorching hot by then, and most of the acts performing between the hours of 12 and 3 p.m. are still relatively unknown.

But for some on the come up like Klangstof, who this year became the first Dutch band to ever perform at Coachella, just the opportunity to play one of the oldest and biggest music festivals in the U.S. has already paid huge dividends back home.

“We’ve never really been big in our home country,” says bandleader Koen van de Wardt, who started Klangstof as a solo project when he was 14 years old and living in Norway at the time. “Being the first (Dutch) band to play Coachella gave us that boost.”

It’s only been a little more than a couple weeks since Klangstof hit the stage for Coachella’s second weekend, but since returning home to Amsterdam, van de Wardt says the response has been palpable.

“I hope it’s a start for more Dutch bands to play big U.S. festivals,” he adds. “We have a pretty cool indie scene. I hope we’re a band that can get things going for Dutch indie culture.”

So far, they’re off to a strong start. This month van de Wardt (vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards) and his colleagues — Wannes Salome (keyboards, vocals), Jun Christian Villanueva (drums, programming) and Jobo Engh (guitar) — kick off a 21-date North American tour that will see them open for The Flaming Lips and Miike Snow and make appearances at other major U.S. festivals like Sasquatch!, Bonnaroo and Firefly along the way. That’s not bad for a new band with members who have only been playing together for a year.

As van de Wardt explains, turning Klangstof into a touring outfit wasn’t his intention. When he first started writing the demos for what would become — over a seven-year stretch — the group’s 2016 debut LP Close Eyes to Exit, it was simply “out of boredom.”

Yet, everything changed for van de Wardt when he uploaded “Hostage” as the first Klangstof song to his Soundcloud account in 2015. Two days later, he picked up the phone in the middle of the night to learn it was David Dann from Mind of a Genius, the London/Los Angeles-based indie label that has ZHU, Gallant, THEY. and KWAYE currently signed to its roster. Dann liked what he had heard and saw Klangstof as the next addition to his growing list of clients — and van de Wardt was more than happy to oblige to deals with Mind of a Genius and subsequently Warner Bros. Records months later.

“I never thought something like that would’ve happened,” the 24-year-old frontman admits.

It was from that point that van de Wardt had to consider something he hadn’t had to quite yet: How was he going to play his music live? He spent the next six months searching for the right musicians to join him before settling on Villanueva and Engh, two of his friends from Norway, as well as Salome, whom van de Wardt had only “met” through Facebook but knew to be one of the “top synth wizards in The Netherlands.”

“It has been a pretty weird journey because I never wrote the record as something that I was going to play live,” he says. “I just did everything myself.”

And while turning his solo project into a live band was an adjustment for van de Wardt, it’s not like he hadn’t played in bands before. In fact, just a few years prior, he had moved from Norway to The Netherlands to join Dutch indie band Moss, which he says ultimately helped him decide if he wanted to pursue music as a full-time profession or not. Even more, it gave van de Wardt the confidence to start his own project and eventually assemble his own band, the same one that he’ll bring this week to The Theatre at Ace Hotel in LA and Fox Theater in Oakland as opening support for the three-time Grammy-winning Flaming Lips.

“I feel now after one year with the band, I know what the Klangstof sound is,” he asserts.

Such a sound, with its alt-rock roots and electropop tinges, has drawn lofty comparisons to Radiohead, a group that van de Wardt cites as one of his major influences, but you can also hear hints of other prominent UK “indie” bands, from alt-J to Foals, in the finished product. Meanwhile, onstage it’s been an exhilarating experience for van de Wardt, who can’t wait to jump back in the studio with his bandmates once they’re off the road at the end of this year.

“I’m really excited to go in and record the second album because I feel like all four of us know what we’re doing and how it should be sounding now,” he says, and hearing that from van de Wardt should be music to any Klangstof fan’s ears.

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