Ah I saw this after I posted my "review" on Inforoo, but here it is too. I'll post some pictures for you wolf.
First off, the Creators Project might have changed American festivals forever. The visual performances of Interpol, Animal Collective, and Arcade Fire were some of the most memorable I've ever seen. The visual art in general was just leagues above any of the festivals I've been to. It was really nice to see such effort to make our experience the best it could be.
Also, the festival added screens to all of the tents, so every stage (besides the Do Lab and Oasis Dome) had awesome visibility from wherever you were. I want to address the fact that the teams of camera people were absolutely incredible all weekend. Beautiful shots one after the other, all edited completely on the spot, with the finished product looking like an official DVD release.
I will say that the beer gardens are a point of interest. On one hand, the crowds are really respectful and you don't really run into anyone obnoxiously wasted while seeing shows throughout the day, but on the other hand, I really think the crowds would bring more energy if beer was sold freely throughout the grounds. This might be the main difference between Coachella and Bonnaroo to me: the crowds during the day shows are just DEAD. There were a few exceptions, of course, but there's no reason people shouldn't be getting down to !!!.
So, the music. I only wasn't into two sets: Cults and Angus & Julia Stone. In both cases, it wasn't the music being terrible, just more not being in the right setting at that time or whatever for me.
Friday:The Rural Alberta Advantage - pretty cool way to start off the festival, the songs had a lot of energy and they had a great turn-out. The singer had a cold and was having a lot of trouble with the vocals, but it didn't really affect the set negatively.
!!! - Amazing performance, really dead crowd. I'm definitely going to have to try to make their Bonnaroo set, because people will be going apeshit.
Titus Andronicus - Probably my favorite of the afternoon that day. They brought a ton of energy, and I just love how they can sound so brutal one moment and so pretty the next.
Odd Future - I think the bass almost caved in my chest. Once again, a weak crowd sucked a lot of the energy out of the set, especially after the mass exodus after "Sandwitches". We were a little worried about Tyler; he wasn't onstage for the middle portion of the set, but came back out for the last 4 or 5 songs. All of the members are really talented with great flows live. The lyrics were easily made out but they still had a ton of that raw emotion in their voices. Tyler took a moment to say something like "this is about to be the best moment of my life" and they brought out Pharrell for a song.
Lauryn Hill - She killed it. I was worried, after reading all the horror stories, but her set was so awesome. She looked pregnant.
Interpol - As I said, beautiful visual accompaniment, but aside from that, the band sounded terrific. I was thinking it might sound a bit too monotonous, and at times it was, but they really let the songs take shape naturally, and before you knew it you'd be wrapped up in it.
The Black Keys - Terrific of course. The sound was a bit off for some of the first songs where they were just playing as a duo, but they gradually got it right, and the Brothers material sounded fantastic. The crowd was massive and really digging it. They busted out a disco ball too! (LCD homage?)
Kings Of Leon - Caleb said they were sick of playing new shit, they played a couple of old songs, and proceeded to close the set with like 5 newer songs. I will say, the songs aren't quite as terrible without all of their souls sucked out of them by the studio.
The Chemical Brothers - Absolutely insane. Easily my favorite of the weekend. They didn't stop for one second. There were times when I really felt like I was running for my life through a jungle.
Saturday:Maricahi El Bronx - Perfect setting to see that band. They were tight instrumentally and I don't see how anything unpleasant could ever be said about their music. They really set the tone for the rest of my day, where positive vibes were nearly tangible all around the festival grounds. Everyone was in incredibly high spirits this day, and the tone was set for the mainstage madness that would follow.
The Joy Formidable - They really kind of blew me away. I don't think I had even heard a song of theirs, but they have such a huge sound and really nice songwriting.
Cults - Like I said above, really forgettable performance for me. They came on ten minutes late, and left the stage about 20 minutes early. I guess they just don't have a lot of material, but I wasn't feeling any of the songs they played besides "Go Outside".
The Tallest Man On Earth - Terrific turn-out for this one. The tent was packed and everyone was really quiet and attentive. It was awesome to see his music performed live, and get a chance to talk to some people about it. Hearing appreciation for his simple, beautiful songwriting at a festival like Coachella was really refreshing. He brought out a lady friend for the last song and they sang the song into the same mic. I think they're in love.
Delta Spirit - I was much more into their Bonnaroo set. Those daytime Outdoor Theatre shows might just be doomed to dead crowds.
Erykah Badu - Killed it, as usual. Unfortunately her sound got cut off at the end, and before they could fix it, her time ran out. She just kind of abruptly had to end her set. Bummer of a thing to happen to her, especially after delivering such a terrific performance. Also a beautiful way to start my mainstage marathon.
Broken Social Scene - SO good. The sun was starting to sink behind the mountains, it was cooling off, and those worried about fighting off the heat were able to let themselves go a little bit to BSS's music. They played all of my favorites off the new record, and some amazing choices from the back catalog.
Bright Eyes - Completely caught me off guard. I didn't know what to expect at all, but aside from the beauty of the songs which I was looking forward to, they had so much energy! The band was so tight and they put in an incredibly memorable performance for me. Top five, for sure.
Mumford & Sons - They rose to the challenge of having possibly the largest crowd of the festival. The field was absolutely packed, and there was not a single person standing still. There was a great vibe for this set, and the band ripped through a lot of the album material. They even played some new songs which were just as good. They didn't kill the flow or momentum at all.
Animal Collective - I love the fact that Animal Collective used the opportunity of such a high profile set on the main stage at Coachella to play almost entirely new material. The funny thing is, the set didn't suffer at all. The new songs all sounded amazing, and the visual show the Creators Project threw together was so cool. One of the new songs, the one they played right before "Brothersport" was honestly one of the best Animal Collective songs I've ever heard. It was a really dancy, electronic sounding track that sounded so perfect in the middle of their set.
Arcade Fire - Pretty much lived up to all of the hype. They put so much into their performance, and Win Butler was so appreciative of the festival and the crowd itself. It was obvious just looking at his big goofy grin during "The Sprawl II" how much that night meant to him.
Sunday:Good Old War - Another band I didn't know much about at all, but really enjoyed their music. The general consensus from the crowd was the same: most of us were really surprised to be so into an band previously unknown to us at 11:30 in the morning of the last day.
Phosphorescent - Beautiful set. They mix that solemn sound so well with a slow, bluesy burn.
Delorean - Another nice surprise. I wasn't sure how they would translate live, but they sounded even better than on record. It was a straight dance party in that tent.
OFF! - The music was awesome, but every 2 or 3 songs, he would go on a pointless rant that had us scratching our heads. I'm all for banter, but not when the cost is absolutely killing any energy that may have been achieved prior.
Angus And Julia Stone - The songs are really pretty, but that show was boring as hell.
Nas & Damian Marley - Really fun set. The crowd was super into it, and I really enjoyed how they set up their show. They would do a couple of solo songs, do some songs together, etc. It all flowed really well and they ended it with "Could You Be Loved". That one really got everyone grooving.
Death From Above 1979 - Another one of my favorites. Dude absolutely rips the bass. He was doing stuff that I didn't even know was possible, and the songs were punishing and in your face. Impossible to remain still.
The National - The absolute perfect time-slot for them. The sunset was stunning, painting the sky all kinds of shades of orange, red, pink. It's still shocking to me how much energy those guys bring to their songs. Definitely a top three set for me.
Ratatat - I only got to catch about half an hour of their set, but they were really awesome. Another act that solidified my interest in seeing their Bonnaroo set. I might just be a sucker for dual guitar attacks, but the way they craft those beats and play guitar at the same time is damn impressive.
Phantogram - They were really good. We left to catch PJ Harvey, but the crowd was really into it, and pretty large, considering they were up against The Strokes and Chromeo. She is so damn hot too.
PJ Harvey - I do not know she can sing the way she can. She's such a tiny lady, but has the most incredible voice. She seemingly can do anything she wants with it, too. She didn't have a very big crowd though, unfortunately.
Kanye West - Wow. If Ashley Capps was in attendance, he is PISSED.
Top 10, in somewhat of an order:
1. Chemical Brothers
2. The National
3. Animal Collective
4. Bright Eyes
5. Kanye West
6. Death From Above 1979
7. Arcade Fire
8. PJ Harvey
9. Mumford & Sons
10. The Black Keys
Regardless, there is nothing festive about drinking beer in a holding pen. 