Past INmusic Festival lineups & sets (Archive)

I rolled up on my bike yesterday, and honestly, I’m doing the exact same thing today. You can’t actually bring them inside—though I did spot a few cyclists who clearly ignored the rules—but there’s plenty of room out front to stash them. Just lean them against a lamp post, a fence, or one of those trees. I saw about four or five bikes hooked up to some poles earlier, but if you just wander a little further down, you can easily find a dedicated pole all to yourself. 😉

There’s a specific area for bike parking right near the wristband exchange station, but man, that spot gets snatched up faster than a front-row seat at Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.

Adam Moore said:Yeah, totally. Look, if you’ve got beef with something, go ahead and say it. I probably should've just walked away sooner.🙂

The sound system definitely lacked punch, but my point isn't that people couldn't hear each other talk. When I was at the radio station, we could all chat fine, but through the speakers, you really need that raw power to feel every single note. It's not like Arcade Fire is some weak, mid-tier band and they're lacking energy—it's the setup. I was in Austin late last summer and man, the vibe was pure, unadulterated joy and chaos. Last night? Not so much. Though, in my book, it wasn't exactly an "absolute disaster" either.

Look, I get it. I already said the sound lacked power, so being able to talk over it isn't the main issue.
They weren't a "total train wreck," sure, but were they boring? A massive disappointment? Absolutely. Seriously, these guys are my absolute favorite band out right now. I went in expecting a killer show, maybe even something perfect, and instead, I got nothing. I've got every right to be grumpy and complain about it.🙂

Yo that’s basically how my day went yesterday.

Adam Moore said:Man, that was my exact experience yesterday.

😂
How does it feel to be a frustrated little girl? Pretty lousy, I'd imagine.

No, though—the big surprise from Day 1 at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival👍

Adam Moore said:man, it was kind of like this for me yesterday.

👍

Watching Drake on Max right now. This might be their most terrible concert yet. 🤣 The Beatles are just exhausting; I regret not being there.

Mastodon was solid too. 😁

So, what was the vibe like at the Mastodon live stream? Did you actually manage to record any of it??? 😁

It was just a live stream. No actual recording 🤷

There’s gotta be some footage floating around somewhere. I was actually at the show, and man, Mastodon was absolutely killing it.

Solid sets all around—Prince, Beyoncé, and Rage Against the Machine held down the main stage, followed by Mastodon over at the third, a quick ten-minute burst from Drake, and then back to the main stage where our man Nick Cave basically gave us a masterclass.
Prince kicked things off to a crowd of maybe ten people—sweltering heat, mind you—but they still pulled it off flawlessly. Luke really showed he’s got some serious potential in him. Then Rage Against the Machine came on to tear things up; they don't have Orhan anymore, but the new guy is stepping up, especially with those brass parts on the upcoming album dropping in September. Between the bilingual lyrics, the raw energy, and a crowd that knows every single word... plus having Loša guesting on that song "See, see, see"—it was something else. I skipped Cypress Hill, but the folks who caught them are saying the Bosniacs totally stole the show. As for Mastodon, I don't know—metal isn't really my thing—but they seemed alright. Drake started strong with those first four tracks, but right around then, I decided to wander off to catch Grinderman, who turned out to be absolutely fantastic.

Here’s my breakdown and some thoughts from day two:

1. Elemental - really solid set, the band sounds tight and well-rehearsed, plus they bring way more energy and a different vibe than what you hear on their albums. Even those romantic tracks that I usually can't stand actually sounded great in a live arrangement... It's just a shame they played during the day because it's impossible to get that nighttime atmosphere when the sun is still out. This was my first time seeing them live and I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised...

2. TV On The Radio - hands down the best performance of the whole festival, honestly they totally outshined Arcade Fire. They didn't rely on studio tricks or effects, instead they just leaned into this raw energy that translated beautifully to the crowd (which was surprisingly huge considering CH and Mastodon were playing at the exact same time). It was loud, danceable, and creative, topped off with an incredible purple light show. Kyp was absolutely perfect on guitar and with his banter—especially when he said "We want to come back" after the third or fourth song. Their track "Repetition" completely blew the roof off; that gritty sound that isn't even in the studio version (which isn't even in my top five tracks from the new album anyway) just sent the crowd into a frenzy. It’s a bummer they didn't do an encore since the set was only 80 minutes, but overall, no complaints here...

3. The Streets - definitely the most fun set of the bunch. Live rap isn't always a given, especially when the lyrics matter more than the beat, but Mike made up for everything with his stage presence, and the band really worked hard to translate that electronic album sound into a live performance. Between "Go Low," the crowd surfing, and that one guy jumping into the audience, it was priceless. I originally thought about staying for just an hour before heading over to see Grinderman, but once I saw how things were going, I just had to stay until the end. Props to Mike... you might have stopped being "cool" on the records somewhere around 2004, but live, you've still got it...

4. Grinderman - if you miss the first 45 minutes, it's pretty tough to find your groove in the set, especially once most of the heavy hitters have already been played. But it didn't matter too much, the 45 minutes I did catch were loud, noisy, and interesting, particularly watching Nick and Warren messing around on stage. I'm sure the people who watched the whole thing were happy, but coming right after TVOTR and The Streets, Cave and the crew left me feeling a bit lukewarm, mostly regarding the music and the playing itself, even though it was incredibly loud. I'm sure Grinderman will tour the US again, and hopefully next time they won't overlap with such interesting acts so I can get a more objective take...

Despite some organizational hiccups, this has been my favorite festival experience so far, maybe even better than the one back in 2009. I managed to catch everything I wanted to see, and the only real regret is that Grinderman and The Streets overlapped, even though you could technically see bits of both if you moved around (though it's not quite the same thing). It’s nice to see that after a whole year of nothing but pop hits, jewelry ads, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, and that kind of nonsense, we can finally get back to our roots. It shows that in a place like Washington, D.C., you can still gather a respectable crowd of people who actually care about current, creative bands and artists. Even though the organization left me a bit frustrated, I'm already looking forward to the next one...

wrote this last night but my internet totally died on me, so here’s my recap of day one:
I had such an absolute blast seeing Arcade Fire! I rushed in right during Ready to start ali and managed to push my way all the way to the front—though I did knock over a few people in the process, since there was a massive crowd of folks who weren't even really there for them. But honestly, almost everyone just brushed it off and got back up, and the vibe in the crowd stayed incredibly beautiful. As for Arcade Fire, they were phenomenal! I mean, you just can't replicate everything from the albums live without a huge ensemble of musicians (and plenty of ego 😁), true. Yeah, the sound quality was pretty weak (which, if I'm being honest, felt like the same issue I had at the main stage last year), but if you're sitting there overanalyzing the audio during Power out, Rebellion ( Lies, no Cars go, or Wake up, then you're basically soulless 😛 (or maybe you just stood way too far back 😬))

Aside from those anthems, the most unforgettable moment was when they played Well, some things are pure and some things are right But the kids are still standing with their arms folded tight BECAUSE THAT WAS LITERALLY HAPPENING RIGHT IN FRONT OF US, YOU KNOW?! 🙂

Regine is just so sweet when she takes center stage, and while Win tries really hard to be the star—which is kind of charming in its own way—it feels like they don't even need to try that hard 🤷

And now I finally get why they (alongside National and all those other amazing indie bands) blew up so much—the reason is OOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO in every third song 😬
(Oh, and that was easily the worst singalong ever; honestly, it might have been better if they hadn't done it at all 😁)

The set was actually pretty decent overall; the lead singer has such a stunning voice, and they even did a cover of Tightrope by Janelle Monsa Đamirokvaj 😍

Đamirokvaj was playing in the background during the hangout, and it didn't seem nearly as terrible as I remember it being 😬

So, yeah, Arcade Fire was great, but it really reminded me why I both love and hate these massive festivals. By the way, isn't it just plain stupid that they can't assign more staff to handle the wristbands on day one, and then even fewer on day two? It ends up being the same amount of work for them even though the crowds are smaller 🤷

TV on the Radio—even with the absolute worst sound system ever (the bass was way too loud and everything else was just a mess :S)—for the first few songs I honestly had no clue what I was even listening to 😕 (but by the time they played I'm scared to death that I'm living a life not worth dying for, things were finally starting to feel alright) they totally blew the roof off! It was hands down the best performance ever 🙏 🙂 they actually managed to get even the crowd that looked bored at the start moving a bit (though, granted, I'm a white guy who can't dance, so take my definition of "moving" with a grain of salt 😬)
Honestly, I could sign off on pretty much everything Gregory Harris8 wrote about the second day. I didn't make it to Elemental because I ended up catching some Rage Against the Machine instead—they really know how to work a crowd, even if that kind of vibe isn't quite my thing. But after seeing the unexpectedly awesome The Streets (man, those bold Brits sure know how to deliver 🙏), I easily managed to fight my way right to the front for Grinderman. Cave is clearly giving it his all, but it felt totally lackluster, and then they topped it off by playing No Pussy blues, which is probably the least convincing song ever written. Maybe I'm just unrefined, but can he seriously not own the stage? 🤣 Plus, I'm not usually big on that rock/punk blues stuff (except for The Black Keys and Gun Club), so...

Sadly missed Mastodon for 😢, caught a little bit of Cypress Hill, though they were boring as hell until that one good beat kicked in

After a performance from The Streets like 🙏, Dan Deacon is going to have to work way harder than last time to top that 😁

if my parents are crying then I'll dig a tunnel from my window to yours... I'm gonna listen to a little more Funeral and then crash since it's already 3 AM :S

Day two was honestly leagues better than day one.

Elemental... man, even if they hadn't played a single note or sung a lyric, and it was just Remi jumping around on stage in those shorts, I still would've been watching them instead of Rage Against the Machine. She has such an incredible smile. Remi, if you're reading this, hit me up in the DMs! 🧐

Rage Against the Machine was actually kind of a letdown compared to Elemental, which really caught me off guard. It hit me halfway through—hey, we're all speaking the same language here. There was just way too much English for my liking. Still, overall, it wasn't bad.

Mastodon was solid.

Grinderman was impressive, sure, but honestly? A little boring.

The Streets were absolutely incredible. Such a massive surprise, but the guy just has it all—the energy, the storytelling, the stage presence, pure charisma. 5/5, seriously. Apparently, this is their farewell tour, and I am so glad I caught them live. They are a completely different beast compared to their music videos.

Grinderman - what an absolute explosion of energy! I honestly thought we’d never see that kind of raw, old-school intensity again—the kind you used to get from The Birthday Party or The Bad Seeds.

Bravo Nick 🙏 bravo Warren 🙏 bravo Martyn 🙏 bravo Jim 🙏

👍

Mastodon was absolutely incredible!
After that show, even Cave just couldn't quite hit the mark...

The crowd felt more like they were at a retirement home...

Laura Lee3 said:😂
how's that for a frustrated little lady? pretty lousy.

Exactly. Everyone just bows down to some absolute piece of trash who can't get anything right. It's funny how we all suddenly turn into geniuses once we start talking smack from the sidelines.

silentotter3 said:Hopefully there's some footage out there. I caught their set and Mastodon was absolutely killer.

If anyone finds clips of Mastodon, let me know.

Retro Stefson was easily the most entertaining band at the festival 👍

Grinderman 🙂 & Mastodon 🙂 were the best 🙂

Vote Warren Ellis for President 😍

Oh yeah, Grinderman!

Anyway, hope everyone's having a good one. Remi was sweet—really solid band, just great. I’m not exactly a huge Rage Against the Machine fan, but they definitely brought the energy. They totally crushed the weaker acts; that guy's performance was something else, seriously unforgettable. 😁

TV on the Radio were good too, though I think they would've been even better if the sound system hadn't been so weak. With those smart, indie bands, you never really know, but I have a feeling they’d be a total smash if they had a proper setup. I don't get it, though—I watched the sound tech, he wasn't wearing headphones, just listening to exactly what I was hearing, looking totally stoked with the sound. The Streets and Cypress were decent enough, I guess, even if they aren't really my style.

But then Warren and Nick showed up and absolutely leveled the place. That right there was worth every penny. Honestly, I’d pay even more just to see them again.