Coachella 2011: aftermath seven, Best Coast, Fistful of Mercy and Death From Above 1979

The voice of Bethany Cosentino, aka Best Coast has served as my soundtrack for my trip to California. I cruised around Long Beach listening to tracks seven and eight on repeat, playing it loud enough so I wouldn't hear my own voice.

Cosentino's voice isn't great. That was the consent between my friend and I. But there's something edgy about her voice that works with her '60s girl group meets girl punk sound. She can be super delicate or a train wreck when she needs to be.

I ran as hard as I could to catch her set. This was the hardest decision I had to make the entire festival - I was caught in a three-way tie between Fistful of Mercy (Ben Harper, Dhani Harrison (George Harrison's son) and Joseph Arthur), Best Coast and Death From Above 1979. I managed to very lightly satisfy all three.

I started off at Fistful of Mercy because they had a set that started fifteen minutes prior to Best Coast's. I made my decision because I thought I'd have more fun at a Best Coast set than a Fistful set.

I was right.

I ran the six hundred metres to get to the Outdoor Stage to catch Best Coast at maximum speed. By the time I could stop and take a breath I was sweating bullets and for once, I didn't really care.

The first two songs I caught (about four songs into her set) were "I Want To" (Track 8) and "Our Deal" (Track 7) in that order. Around that time I looked up to the sky to see a plane flying by with a flag that read - "Dance Like No One's Watching." I took those wise words to heart by brushing off my sweat and busting some sweet moves.

"I want to go back to the first time, the first place"





She did a cover of Lesley Gore's "That's the Way Boys Are" and introduced it by saying she was going to do a Lesley Gore song and encouraged everyone to listen to her if they haven't already.



You'll notice her drummer is the former Vivan Girls drummer Ali Koehler.
Also, note she doesn't have a bass player, but a second guitar player that occasionally plays bass lines with his guitar. Gives it a incomplete sound. Jenny and I wrote it off as a bad thing initially, but I don't mind it at all.

A few other notes:

I had no idea Death From Above 1979 were so big. I had just known them as a big hit in Toronto, as I had seen them with Alexisonfire a few times way back when. This was their second gig in five or six years and they had a slot at the main stage. Not bad for a couple of dudes from Toronto. Jesse F. Keeler slays the bass.

Death From Above 1979 with a back drop that says 2001-2006.

Fistful of Mercy:

Fistful of Mercy playing "As I Call You Down":

Dhani Harrison:

"Father's Son"

I wish I caught this song, he even sounds like George!