See LA Weekly's complete Coachella coverage -- plus the top moments from Friday, April 20 and four highlights from Saturday, April 21, including Black Lips' Biggie Smalls "hologram."
Photo by Timothy Norris
By the third day of Coachella's second weekend -- the sixth and final day of this year's festival -- folks had more or less learned to ignore the dust and the heat. Here are our intrepid writers' favorite things about the final hours of the 2012 event.
Fucking Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre
Yeah, the show was exactly the same as last week's, down to the banter. But damn if we wouldn't watch that performance every Sunday night for the rest of the year, craptastic hologram and all. Perhaps most impressive was the lack of a backing track; even awkward, clunky old Dr. Dre was performing all of his rhymes live without a net. The cameos were plenty, and everyone made their songs count, from Wiz Khalifia to an undernourished Kurupt to a dreamy-and-shirtless 50 Cent to Eminem, who in his capri pants looked about as masculine as our baby yoga instructor. It was two decades of G-funk hits, surrounded by your best underdressed homies in the desert; call it the most fun you can have with your clothes off. -Ben Westhoff
Santigold's Party Atmospherics
Taking a beating from the sun was worth it to experience Santigold's set in the (uncovered) main stage area. Not only was she accompanied by robot-like back up dancers, she invited a bunch of fans up with her onto the stage to create a sweet mid-day dance party. Though security looked utterly confused, they let it commence and seemed won over in the end. --Gabriel Ryan
The Hives
"Usually sequels aren't better than the first original," Hives singer Howlin' Pelle Almqvist said yesterday, referring to their second Coachella performance. "But we're going to change that!" And lo and behold, they did. The tuxedo-clad Swedes had the crowd at their mercy, blitzing through a thunderous 45 minute set that included songs from across their catalog. Almqvist worked the crowd like Geppetto; making them scream and even directing the entire front stage area to lay down on their backs to look at the sky. "We actually played here in 2003, so this would be final chapter in the trilogy," the singer said. "But we should play every year!" No doubt. --Daniel Kohn
Beirut
Beirut brought an old world feel to Coachella yesterday. His trumpet and accordion-driven tunes made us feel as if we were vacationing in Paris or Bratislava when in reality we were being pushed up against a railing, getting cozy with sweaty strangers while the ground smelled of wet hay. His set list included all of his whimsical hits and a peppering of his best newer songs. A truly romantic performance, fit for picnic blankets and wine or a waltz with your significant other. -Taylor Hamby
Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre's Awesomely Cheesy Graphics
The Tupac hologram was back last night, and again it looked almost exactly like a video game character. We were wondering: couldn't Snoop and Dr. Dre have thrown in a couple little surprises for us second weekenders? Or at least switched out any other song for "I Need a Doctor"? One thing we appreciated, however, was the '80s-style computer class-designed graphics that were projected on the screen behind them as they performed, including low-riders with hydraulics and some kind of Tetris-like Rastafarian thing. It's as if the entire production budget were spent on the hologram, and somebody was like, "Well, one of the kids in Snoop's football league is pretty good with computer stuff; why not let him do them?" --Rebecca Haithcoat
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