10 Acts That MADE Coachella 2014! (Photos, Set Lists + Review)

10. Duck Sauce

Duck Sauce aka A-Trak and Armand Van Helden played the closing set at the Sahara tent weekend two and brought the house down with their mega club hits “Barbara Streisand” and “Big Bad Wolf.” While the duo played many songs that were not yet familiar to fans (as they released their full length debut ‘Quack’ the Monday before weekend 2), they were able to rouse the crowd with high energy mixes of their new tracks with familiar old disco house tracks. Duck Sauce did more than just pump out dance track after dance track, they also teased the crowd cheerleaders and break dancers. The party started and closed at the Sahara tent thanks to Duck Sauce.

9. Foxygen

Look no further for the wild frontmen of the 70s, Foxygen has Sam France. France puts the “Roll” back in Rock N Roll. You’re either rolling with laughter or rolling with wonder when witnessing a Foxygen show that embodies the spirit of the 70s and the nuances of modern technology. Despite the problems with sound on stage the performance by singer Sam France was extremely entertaining between the dancing and stage banter. We were pleasantly surprised to see that the tracks were performed so well despite the technical difficulties. Songs like “San Francisco” and “Shuggie” had the audience clearing and clapping and “We Are The 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic” incited a dance riot in the middle of the crowd. Overall it was one of the few rock shows you shouldn’t have missed.

Set List
How Can You Really
On Blue Mountain
Shuggie
Coulda Been My
Brooklyn Police Station
No Destruction
In The Darkness
You + I
We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic
San Francisco
Cannibal
Oh No 2

The FUZZ: Static, breaks, crazy frontman, awesome songs, everything you love about the late 60s, early 70s in real life.

8. Temples

Little was known about Temples weeks before Coachella 2014 debuted its first weekend but the band’s popularity grew even by the second weekend when the lead singer announced that the tent doubled in occupants. Even in the earlier hours of the day the band was successfully able to garner an impressive crowd. Temples blasted through songs off their debut album Sun Structures in a tight, tuned and professional manner. There was no Foxygen-style show but the music spoke for itself.

Set List
Colours To Life
Sun Structures
A Question Isn’t Answered
Ankh
Move With The Season
Keep In The Dark
Mesmerise
Shelter Song

The FUZZ: Tight set, awesome music, no showmanship. Download Temples newest album Sun Structures immediately. You won’t be sorry, seriously.

7. Grouplove

Grouplove has been a Coachella staple for 3 years now and finally hit the big stage this year proving that their hard work has paid off. The group dressed in their typical flower-child outfits and played songs from their sophomore release Spreading Rumors and debut album. However, it wasn’t THEIR songs that really riled the crowd it was their rock rendition of Beyonce’s “Drunk In Love” that really got the crowd to let out a raucous roar.

The FUZZ: Grouplove gets the entire crowd to its feet with Beyonce’s “Drunk In Love.”

Set List
I’m With You
Itchin’ on a Photograph
Spun
Raspberry
Shark Attack
Borderlines and Aliens
Bitin’ the Bullet
Tongue Tied
Drunk in Love
(Beyoncé cover)
Ways To Go
Colours

6. Broken Bells

Broken Bells already had a head start being that the duo has individual success but when you conjoin two guys from such different musical backgrounds expect the unexpected and that’s exactly what we got with Broken Bells who packed the outdoor stage at Coachella weekend 2. They mainly played songs from their most recent album A Perfect World. 

Set List
Perfect World
The Ghost Inside
After the Disco
Medicine
The Mall & Misery
Holding On for Life
Vaporize
Control
Meyrin Fields
October
The High Road

5. STRFCKR

STRFKR (Starfucker) made the stage their playground last weekend when they playfully dressed up like various characters from what looked like a crazy children’s novel and jumped around stage like they were in desperate need of their Ritalin. Their performance definitely stood out as one of the top performance considering the visual aspect, the playfulness and the fact that they covered Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Want To Have Fun.” Even the macho guys were dancing to that one!

The FUZZ: Hearing a psychedelic rock band’s rendition of “Girls Just Want To Have Fun” is worth everything.

Set List
Boy Toy
Atlantis
While I’m Alive
Rawnald Gregory Erickson the Second
Medicine
Girls Just Want to Have Fun
(Cyndi Lauper cover)
Millions
Bury Us Alive

4. Chvrches

CHVRCHES is one of the hottest electronica acts around today and it was visible from the audience that gathered early around outdoor stage to see them. They played a very tight set that replicated the recorded singles almost perfectly just louder…a lot louder. The bass on “Lies” could be felt at the Sahara tent (festival goers will understand this). Of course it was their hit “The Mother We Share” that brought ground stomps like that of a stampede. With a festival so geared towards electronica music, this was a set not to be missed.

The FUZZ: Pounding electronic beats and near record quality.

Set List
We Sink
Lies
Lungs
Gun
Science/Visions
Recover
Tether
Under the Tide
The Mother We Share

3. Pharrell

Image: Chris Pizello/Invision/Associated Press

Pharrell’s performance was a showcase for everything he’s done and everyone he’s work with; and that’s a lot. In a short period of time Pharrell has had an astonishing career and worked with the likes of Daft Punk and Madonna. During his performance at Coachella he played many of the hits he’s produced and brought a number of the artists he’s collaborated with including Jay-Z, Busta Rhymes, T.I., Pusha T & Busta Rhymes. The show was full of surprises; Coachella style.

Set List
Lose Yourself to Dance
Come Get It Bae
Blurred Lines (with T.I.)
Hunter
Grindin’ (with Pusha T)
Hot in Herre
Pass the Courvoisier, Part II (with Busta Rhymes)
Lapdance
(N*E*R*D song)
She Wants to Move
(N*E*R*D song)
Beautiful
(Snoop Dogg cover)
Drop It Like It’s Hot
(Snoop Dogg cover)
U Don’t Have to Call (with Usher)
Aerosol Can
(Major Lazer cover)
One (Your Name)
(Swedish House Mafia cover) (Track)
Frontin’ (with JAY Z)
Excuse Me Miss (with JAY Z)
La-La-La (Excuse Me Miss Again) (with JAY Z)
I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me) (with JAY Z)
Get Lucky
(Daft Punk cover)
Happy

The FUZZ: Guest superstars from Jay-Z to Busta Rhymes and everything in between.

2. HAIM

The sisters of Haim made their impression at Coachella giving us a jam-tastic, 70s-like set full of guitars, drums, riffs, jam sessions and of course, bass face from Este Haim. Their heavy Eagles/Fleetwood Mac influence shone through their raucous set that included many of the trios big hits.

The FUZZ: Lots of bass face and gritty, downright rockin’ good time.

Set List
Falling
If I Could Change Your Mind
Oh Well
(Fleetwood Mac cover)
Honey & I
My Song 5
Don’t Save Me
Forever
The Wire
Let Me Go

1. The Knife 

Who would of thought that the reclusive electronica sister/brother duo would be the hit of the night? The Knife packed the outdoor stage by blaming mind numbing beats from a collection of mainly new singles from Shaking the Habitual but a few classic gems in there including “We Share Our Mothers Health.” Their elaborate dance show featured a collection of snazzy dancers, percussionists and singers that stepped in to lip synch Karin Anderrsson’s vocals. It was one of the most mesmerizing and hypnotic shows of Coachella 2014.

The FUZZ: Read above.