Coachella 2012: Ximena Sariñana states the obvious
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As day one of weekend two of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival dragged on Friday, a few artists seemed to have just as much fatigue as the sun-soaked audiences who came to see them.
“It’s really [expletive] hot,” Mexican singer-songwriter Ximena Sariñana shouted from behind her keyboard during her almost hushed set of Latin pop, sweat pouring down her face turning her glittery eyeshadow into murky streaks of gold.
The intense 100-degree-plus weather transformed the Gobi tent into a human sauna as seemingly thousands packed the venue-turned-shelter like sardines for Gary Clark Jr.’s 4:30 p.m. set. Clark came ready for the heat, opting for a more casual white tank-top that clung to his frame as he worked up a well-deserved sweat from strumming his guitar.
COACHELLA 2012 | Full coverage
With the sun reluctantly retreating for the evening, but leaving behind a warm aftermath, the best place to catch a breeze was atop the giant Ferris wheel that overlooks the Empire Polo Grounds.
Other highlights (from the safety of the ground):
M. Ward breaks out of his shell: The occasionally introverted singer/songwriter breezed through a handful of rollicking folk tunes and selections from his recently released seventh solo album, ‘A Wasteland Companion.’ Five songs in, he took off his sunglasses, in order to switch guitars, and locked his eyes on the crowd. A smile slowly appeared across his face before he asked, “How many of you did I just see seven days ago?”
Frank Ocean finds redemption: Odd Future’s eccentric R&B crooner had a rough Coachella debut last week as his otherwise nimble set was hampered by sound issues. Technical difficulties out of the way, Ocean’s performance Friday was flawless. Even the VIP viewing area was elbow to elbow as NBA legend John Salley and Joe Jonas could be spotted nodding their heads along to the music.
At one point a security guard left his post to flock into the sea of people and take pictures as he danced to instant fan favorite “Swim Good.” Ocean finally took a moment to take it all in during “Novacane,” when he stopped singing and stood still. Through disbelief, he made reference to Friday’s performance being only his seventh live show as a solo act. This before he blew kisses to the crowd and thanked them, leaving one nearby guy to scream his performance this week was “5,000 times better than last week’s.”
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-- Gerrick D. Kennedy @gerrickkennedy
