Bands

Stagecoach: Punk turned country for Nick 13

Posted by Beth Roessner on April 28, 2013
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An appearance at Stagecoach may seem a bit of a stretch for lead singer and songwriter Kearny Nick Jones of psychobilly band Tiger Army, but the artist was right at home among country fans during his Saturday performance.

Unlike Jones’ three-piece gig, his solo act under the stage name Nick 13, allows him to completely submerge himself in the blue grass tunes of the 30s through 60s, eras of music he’s fascinated by.

“As the years went on, I found myself going further and further back to those years as a listener,” said Jones. “I’m just drawn to it.”

Stagecoach 2013

Nick 13 poses with reporter Beth Roessner

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Stagecoach: Brown Bird heats up the afternoon

Posted by Beth Roessner on April 28, 2013
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Playing at a country festival under intense conditions could be enough to throw a band off their game, but Rhode Island-based, folk duo Brown Bird showed fans a bluesy side of music.

The Americana-style band kicked off the final day of Stagecoach on the Mustang Stage. The two don’t consider themselves a country act–the almost-bluesy style or the ornate tattooing on both partners could be indicators–but as the hour-long set continued, the crowd steadily grew.

The heat of the desert wasn’t something they’re used to, admitted singer David Lamb, but the performance didn’t lag.

Stagecoach 2013

Rhode Island-based Americana band, Brown Bird, weathered the heat and showed the country fans they can fit right in. (Beth Roessner/The Desert Sun)

MorganEve Swain lent her female voice and effortlessly switched from stand-up bass, violin and cello, while her partner, Lamb stomped out simple-foot percussion and strummed the tunes.
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Stagecoach rambles into its final day

Posted by Beth Roessner on April 28, 2013
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The mercury slowly crept higher and higher and the line approaching the Stagecoach main entry grew longer.

Fans queued up outside of the main gates, seeking shade from a rot iron fence. The impending noon heat and high temperatures of the day were no deterrent for country music fans on the final day of the Stagecoach festival.

The past two days and heat may have taken a toll on some, but many fans were still in high spirits and anxiously awaiting the day’s lineup. Headliner Zac Brown Band was an act on many radars.

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Stagecoach: Lady Antebellum’s family is expanding

Posted by Bruce Fessier on April 27, 2013
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Hillary Scott of Lady Antebellum

Hillary Scott of Lady Antebellum talks with bandmates in their trailer backstage at Stagecoach at the Empire Polo Fields on Saturday, April 27, 2013, in Indio, Calif. (Marilyn Chung/The Desert Sun)

Hillary Scott of Lady Antebellum wasn’t showing much of a baby bump when the band appeared this week on “The Voice.” That’s because the segment was shot in February.

Scott is heading into her seventh month of pregnancy and she said while sitting in the band’s air-conditioned trailer waiting for the opportunity to perform for more than 40,000 fans as Saturday’s headliner she’s having to compartmentalize her life.

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DJ Alf Alpha to play College of the Desert event Wednesday

Posted by Brian Indrelunas on April 24, 2013
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DJ Alf Alpha performs at the Ace Hotel and Swim Club in Palm Springs on March 30, 2013. (Wade Byars, The Desert Sun)

DJ Alf Alpha performs at the Ace Hotel and Swim Club in Palm Springs on March 30, 2013. (Wade Byars, The Desert Sun)

If you missed Alf Alpha at Tachevah last week and our photos and video from the Palm Springs block party aren’t quite enough to satisfy your Alf Alpha needs, you can catch the Coachella Valley DJ on Wednesday evening at a free College of the Desert event.

Alf Alpha is set to perform at the artists’ reception for the annual COD student scholarship exhibition, which also serves as the closing reception for the Desertscapes exhibit. Continue Reading

Video: ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ finds fake-band fans at Coachella

Posted by Brian Indrelunas on April 23, 2013
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Have you heard of Coachella acts Dr. Schlomo and the GI Clinic, The Obesity Epidemic and The Chelsea Clintons?

If so, you or someone you know may have been fooled by “Jimmy Kimmel Live.” Continue Reading

Eric Prydz at Coachella: Fun set with a weak finish

Posted by Brian Indrelunas on April 22, 2013
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Fans raise their arms as Eric Prydz performs in the Sahara tent Sunday, April 21, during the second weekend of Coachella 2013. (Brian Indrelunas, The Desert Sun)

Fans raise their arms as Eric Prydz performs Sunday at Coachella. (Brian Indrelunas, The Desert Sun)


The closest I came to hearing Eric Prydz‘s “Call On Me” performed this month was when a poolside DJ at the Ace Hotel played “Valerie” by Steve Winwood — despite the fact that I was at Prydz’s Coachella set from the beginning to the bittersweet end Sunday. Continue Reading

Coachella wraps up: Red Hot Chili Peppers play the festival to a close

Posted by Kate McGinty on April 22, 2013
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Thank God for second chances.

This time around, as the Red Hot Chili Peppers closed out Coachella, Anthony Keidis didn’t have enough sand in his lungs to “throw up a small sand box.”

The finale still wasn’t spectacular. There no holograms. There weren’t any surprise guests or or stand-out moments.

But in their fourth performance at the festival — assuming this year counts as two appearances — the famous lead singer showed off his familiar pipes. They brought their reliable energy and guitar riffs to the main stage.
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