By: Shannon Joy
I've spent most summers of my adult life running the festival circuit throughout Europe, though oddly enough, I've never experienced their American counterparts until this weekend. Coachella 2010 marked my first large-scale festival on American soil, and while I only took part in Saturday's festivities, I was utterly impressed by the entire production.
Truth be told, the newly reformed FAITH NO MORE are, in complete entirety, what drew me to Coachella this year. Although many other bands that I love performed over the weekend (BARONESS, THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN), none were nearly as anticipated. And while Coachella wasn't necessarily the impetus for FAITH NO MORE's reunion, they did use the event to mark their official US return, flashing "FAITH NO MORE: Second Coming" in anticipation prior to their set.
Against a theatrical red curtain backdrop, FAITH NO MORE took the stage with an overtly appropriate cover of PEACHES AND HERB's Reunited. Covering tracks from 1985's We Care A Lot all the way to the band's final offering Album of the Year, FAITH NO MORE made the most out of their shortened, 12 song set (check the fan filmed footage of "Epic" below).
Following up "From Out of Nowhere", Patton questioned the crowd,
"Are we having fun, Coachella? You look confused. I know we look like we're 80 years old, but give us a fucking break!"
A cover of Michael Jackson's "Ben" found Patton (literally) frolicking amongst the crowd, rolling atop the mass of fans while keeping a tight hold on his extra-long mic cord. And during the King for a Day closer "Just a Man", actor Danny Devito made a surprise set appearance, sashaying across the stage with his shirt wide open.
FAITH NO MORE's entire set was well thought out and perfectly executed, living up to the hype that has been surrounding them since their reunion rumors proved true. The performance itself, as well as the massive crowd that came to witness it, proved that FAITH NO MORE's second coming is definitely here.
FAITH NO MORE set list:
Reunited (PEACHES AND HERB cover)
From Out of Nowhere (Album of the Year)
Caffeine (Angel Dust)
We Care A Lot (We Care a Lot, Introduce Yourself)
Last Cup of Sorrow (Album of the Year)
Ben (MICHAEL JACKSON cover)
Surprise You're Dead (The Real Thing)
Gentle Art of Making Enemies (King for a Day)
Midlife Crisis (Angel Dust)
Epic (The Real Thing)
Ashes to Ashes (Album of the Year)
Just a Man (King for a Day)
