I’ve mentioned the perils of daytime before: it’s hot, it’s deadly, and it’s annoying. The whole key to Coachella is surviving the day so that you may enjoy your night. It’s tougher than it looks, but with proper hydration, a nice spot to shade it up, and the occasional nap in the Sahara tent (I take a few every year), you should be alright.
Strangely enough, all the best acts from 2007 on this list were during the day. This means the bands were that damn good that I felt like standing up and dealing with the fatigue and weather in order to be entertained. That’s got to be one of the highest marks I can give a band!
#5 – Soulwax
The draw of this tech-rock act was that they were playing their fantastic album “Nite Versions” in its entirety. Soulwax is an interesting group, as the two main members often spin under 2 many DJs and have a ton of well known remixes of even weller known acts, such as LCD Soundsystem, Justice, Chemical Brothers, and Daft Punk.
Whenever a real band takes the stage in the Sahara tent, I’m interested. The ability to switch from “mm-cha mm-cha” and actually perform some live music with some real instruments is impressive. Even better was the material they were playing, as that is a fantastic album that solidifies them as more than just an electronica act, which they proved that day.
#4 -Rodrigo y Gabriela
First, Mr. Rodrigo.
The lovely Ms. Gabriela.
Two guitars, properly strung and tuned, can be powerful weapons. The Mexican guitaring duelists have brought a distinct style to their instrument of choice. Not quite flamenco, not quite metal, and not just stringing and plucking; the flare required to play the way these two do comes from more than just talent and practice combined. They pound the frame, work the frets like spiders encasing its victim, and bring a genuine joy to their artform.
This was my first time viewing them live, and while they did not disappoint, I was in for a bigger treat my next occurrence with them. They zipped through their only album of the time, including a couple excellent covers of Metallica’s “Orion” and Led Zep’s “Stairway to Heaven.”
The video is not from Coachella, but quality is important and this one is of the highest. It pays to start your career in a death metal band 
#3 – MSTRKRFT
This band erupted like the Phoenix from the ashes of one of the coolest bands I never got to see live: Death From Above 1979. Yes, that was their name and they were badass. The toured with Nine Inch Nails, but stopped about a half dozen shows before I hopped on that tour. The lead singer/drummer Jesse Keeler and his homie Al-P took their new found free time and jumped into the electronic scene guns a blazin’. Their remixes are solid, their own work is catchy and refined, and their live show is full of energy. The only thing keeping this from landing at #1 was the fact that it was during the day; basically a death sentence for all live electronic acts. You can’t get the lights, the lasers, and the release that comes with the night time. They came back the next year and tore it up, so, everything worked out.
By the way, Keeler smokes about 1,000 cigarettes while playing live, which probably led to the naming of the track “1,000 Cigarettes” on their second album.
#2 – The Decemberists
Some bands have epic songs that are so involved, so engaging, that to perform them live would risk boring 95% of your audience while making the other five percent’s dreams come true.
For Seattle-based shanty masters The Decemberists, the song was “The Mariner’s Revenge Song” and I was in that five percent. It’s a nine minute tale of revenge, fate, and murder. They played it for a year after it was released, but retired it for fear of it becoming stale. That’s why when I saw it happen live I was stunned and stoked. They got the whole crowd to rock side-to-side, brought out some excellent accordion playing, and seeing it in this setting made it all the more special.
These guys and gals never put on a bad show, and if it weren’t for the niche nature of their style they could be as big as Arcade Fire. Speaking of which, those two played together in San Francisco about a month before I knew who either one was. I wish I had a time machine to go back and check that one out…
#1 – The Avett Brothers
Let me introduce the brothers in question…
and
These two North Carolinians, with fellow Southerner Bob Crawford on bass, were the best daytime act I saw that year and maybe during my entire Coachella experience. No other band inspires me to write and enjoy music as much as this trio and I’ve had the great fortune to see them many times. Their act is simple: a banjo, a guitar, a stand up bass, and a life full of lessons sung to all that will listen.
The stories are tried and true, the emotions are raw yet refined, like a prisoner who has had time to reflect on their life. I admire anyone with the testicular fortitude to tell complete strangers how shitty they were to women and how stupid they feel for their mistakes. In an industry filled with machismo and overblown exaggerations, the humility of it all only propels the sound musicianship.
This set was fantastic, as they covered the wide range of original music they have been putting out for years. When lead singer Seth Avett brought out the kick drum and his brother had a single cymbal on a stand, you need the rowdiness was about to be jump started. Yes, the music is sometimes sappy and filled with love, but the way they deliver it would make Iggy Pop proud. Extremely rambunctious behavior seems to exacerbate the message.
I’ve seen them twice in Chico at the Sierra Nevada Big Room with my cousin and a few friends, and every time they had a cellist with them. I’m glad to have caught them before adding this piece, as the records they put out were only as a trio and I wanted to see that version of this band. These guys do not need to change a thing, and with the help of Rick Rubin, they put out their most successful album last year to some pretty rave reviews.
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