Media Monday: Coachella, Day 1

Below, I have linked each of the bands that I saw on the Friday night (4/20) of Coachella to a youtube video of either their performance at Coachella (if available) or one of their songs I enjoyed. Enjoy a virtual tour of my Coachella experience! Yours will be far less hot and crowded. Most of the videos are from the April 13th Coachella performances.

• honeyhoney ★ ★ ★ -- This folksy band really drew in the crowds on Friday at the height of the heat of the day, and I never really understood the allure. For the guys, I think they were drawn in by the adorable leading lady, but the tunes weren't catchy enough and the guitarist looked too earnest, like he was playing in the warmth of God's presence, to really ensnare my attention.
• Gary Clark Jr. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ -- Riding on the coattails of his uncle's success or blues in his blood? Gary Clark Jr. was easily my favorite show of the day. The tunes he jammed out on his guitar were sick and I was dancing without realizing it for the first 20 minutes of the show.
• Jimmy Cliff and Tim Armstrong ★ ★ -- Watching Cliff and Armstrong (the show immediately prior to Arctic Monkeys) was like having to watch Inspector Gadget before Arthur came on--I saw the show, but I wished there was something better with which to occupy my time before the Monkeys came on.
• Arctic Monkeys ★ ★ ★ -- And then the Arctic Monkeys played and it was a letdown. I have seen them live before at the Rialto in Tucson, a small venue where you can watch bands jam up close and personal (also the concert where I passed out on the stairs and conned some guy into buying me water). Maybe I compared this show to their last too much, but it was lackluster and not worth sweating with thousands of other fans to see.
• M. Ward ★ ★ ★ ★ -- M. Ward's piano jams were unique, fresh and hauntingly beautiful. Each song was better than the last, building upon one another until the very end, a sad ending indeed.
• Alesso ★ ★ ★ -- Alesso is not my kind of music at all. It's EDM, something I find very difficult to dance to. I know, I know, it's all the rage and has a crazy huge underground following and all, but since I don't do ecstasy, it's kinda hard for me to get behind it. However, with that being said, Alesso still received three stars because of the AMAZING light show that accompanied their performance. I highly suggest checking out their video.
• Mazzy Star ★ ★ -- Although I am glad I checked out Mazzy Star, it just really wasn't my kind of music.
• Explosions in the Sky ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ -- It was Explosions. What else can I say????

It has been a LONG time since I have seen a live concert, so Friday of Coachella was a good way to ease back into the claustrophobia, the cloying heat, and all the crap that comes with being around 25,000 other people. It definitely made me realize how much I dislike large venues and large crowds. 

Have you ever been to any festivals like Warped Tour or Coachella? How was your experience? I know it's supposed to be oh-so-amazing, but what was in like in all honesty for you?