Past INmusic Festival lineups & sets (Archive)

A bit late to the party with my comments here...

Someone mentioned that Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival feels soulless, much like those wine tasting days out in Jackson... I find myself agreeing entirely. Now, don't get me wrong—I’m no anti-capitalist leftist; frankly, I couldn't care less who signs the checks as long as the lineup holds water. But I can't shake this feeling that since its inception, this festival has been slapped together as a rushed response to Lollapalooza. It feels driven by a desire to book big names that aren't even particularly cohesive musically—just "whatever the kids are into"—and they happen to be touring nearby when some massive corporate sponsor decides to pull the strings. It manifests most clearly in the crowd. It is completely disjointed. You have everything from philosophy majors acting like hippies, to the preppy types who wandered over from some trendy lounge downtown, indie geeks, die-hard football fans... then there are parents with toddlers, lost metalheads, questionable nu-ravers, even Damien Chazelle wandering about... but the vast majority? Just mainstream folks with zero specific musical taste who heard something was happening in the city and decided to show up instead of hitting an AMC Theatres. The end result is a crowd where 70% of people just stand there with a beer in hand, passively observing. And if we consider that acts like Outsider Art, Editors, Lily Allen, Tricky, or even Kraftwerk aren't exactly "festival music" meant for the midday heat—they belong in a venue like The Fillmore or a small concert hall—it’s no wonder the vibe was so stale. Personally, I would have swapped those performers for Flogging Molly, Limp Bizkit, or Slipknot, who were recently in the States... or maybe Motörhead. Something to actually energize a crowd rather than lull them to sleep. I’d also push the schedule back two hours; why waste money flying in bands for 150 hungover people to stare at in the blistering sun? Everything wraps up by midnight anyway, leaving you with a choice: go home or squeeze into some cramped, sweltering tent to watch nobodies until dawn. Most choose the former and are passed out by 2 AM. Instead of that metal stage, which felt like a complete misfire and didn't fit the programming (and looked deserted from what I saw), a dedicated clubbing stage would have worked better. Something that starts once the other stages wind down, catering to the crowd that wants to stay wild until morning. My impression is that this is just a commercial, sterile festival with a lukewarm audience. Across two days and forty artists, there wasn't a single standout moment. Sure, seeing the Foo Fighters or Kraftwerk was fine; the lines weren't too bad, and the experience was decent. But it wasn't *it*. It lacked that spontaneous madness, that true atmosphere. It could be so much better. 5/10.

shadowdrifter6 said:I'm a little late to the party here...

Someone mentioned that Coachella is a soul-less affair on par with those wine festivals out in Jackson... and I honestly have to agree. Look, I’m not some anti-capitalist leftist, and frankly, I don't care who's cutting the checks as long as the music is actually good. But I can't shake the feeling that this festival was thrown together as a quick response to Lollapalooza, aiming for big names but lacking any real musical identity—just booking whatever is trending with kids or whatever massive corporation happens to be touring nearby and willing to sponsor. It shows in the crowd, which is a complete mess of people who don't belong together—you've got hippies from philosophy classes, club kids wandering over from the downtown scene, indie geeks, football hooligans... then there are parents with kids, lost metalheads, questionable ravers, even Damien Chazelle showing up... but the bulk of them are just mainstream types with zero specific taste who heard something was happening in town and decided to come instead of hitting AMC Theatres. You end up with a crowd where 70% of people are just standing around with a beer, staring blankly at the stage. Plus, if you consider that acts like Outsider Art, Editors, Lily Allen, Tricky, or even Kraftwerk aren't really "festival music" for an outdoor daytime set—they're more suited for The Fillmore or a smaller venue—it's no wonder the vibe was so dead. I’d swap that lineup for someone like Flogging Molly, Limp Bizkit, or Slipknot, who were recently in the States... or maybe Motörhead. Something that actually wakes a crowd up instead of putting them to sleep. I'd also push the schedule back two hours because there's no sense wasting money on bands playing to 150 hungover people under a scorching sun. And since everything wraps up by midnight, you're left choosing between going home or squeezing into some crowded, sweltering tent to watch nobodies. Most choose home and they're passed out by 2 AM. Instead of that metal stage, which felt totally out of place and half-empty, they should have had a clubbing stage that kicks off after the main sets finish, keeping the party going until morning. To me, it feels like a commercial, sterile festival with a lukewarm audience that failed to produce a single highlight over 40 acts in two days. Sure, the Foo Fighters and Kraftwerk were fine, and we didn't have to wait forever for anything, but it just wasn't *it*. It lacked that spontaneous madness, that atmosphere. This could be so much better. 5/10.

Look, first off, the festival was definitely an improvement over last year. 🙏
The point is, they were trying to cater to all kinds of different musical tastes, which is why they had more stages, including the metal one.
What's wrong with having a diverse crowd? 🤷
And let's face it, the American public is what it is; I stopped expecting anything else a long time ago.
As for the comments about "questionable sexual orientations"... fine, I'm not even going to dignify that with a response.

Betty Barnes57 said:Look, first off, the festival was definitely an improvement over last year. 🙏
The whole thing is that they were trying to cater to all sorts of musical tastes, which is obviously why there were more stages—including the metal stage...
What's wrong with having a diverse crowd at a festival?! 🤷
The crowd here is just the way it is; I made my peace with that a long time ago...
Questionable sexual orientations?!?!?!?!!?!?! Okay, I'm not even going to touch that...

I agree. Some people are never satisfied, no matter how you slice it. What's the problem with bringing different groups together? To me, it was great seeing everyone—the metalheads, the alternative fans, the rockers... it was beautiful. For a moment, I actually felt like I wasn't in America, where certain cliques act all high and mighty because they're wearing branded merch. People came to have fun, dance, and listen to good bands.
And what's this about whether Lollapalooza is better than Coachella? We haven't even finished debating which one is bigger yet. Excuse me, which one is better.

What I was actually trying to get at was the absence of a certain kind of band—one capable of igniting a crowd of completely different personalities and forcing them into some sort of collective movement. You know? Something more than just standing there with your hands shoved in your pockets, catching up with old friends, or nursing a beer... I wanted something that starts later and carries that momentum deep into the night... yet you all seem determined to twist my words into something they aren't.

Honestly, who actually cares if someone’s just standing there with their hands in their pockets, catching up with friends, sipping a beer, or just vibing in the front row... There was always a decent number of people doing exactly that compared to those dancing hard, so you definitely didn't feel like an outsider if you just wanted to unwind and listen to the music... I know this is a forum and everyone has the right to vent their little complexes and talk trash without being judged, but some people really take it way too far. Like, what difference does it make when Moby, Foo Fighters, or Yee are playing and ten thousand people are losing their minds, that those ten people chatting at the back with a drink in hand are bothering anyone? And that whole idea about 70% of people showing up just because there was nothing else happening in town is honestly just ridiculous. If you didn't realize, tickets were $183 on the day of the show—who on earth has that kind of money just to wander around and see what's happening? Even though all this talk about idiots throwing wristbands at the stage makes it sound like a random crowd just stumbled in, I think it's highly unlikely anyone ended up at this festival by accident, since even the cheapest ticket at $83 is pretty steep for us, especially during these weird economic times...

The outdoor stages could only run until midnight, though they pushed it back to 1 AM later on, so that delay wasn't really avoidable. It isn't the organizers' fault, it's just people not wanting the loud music to keep the retirees awake... On the first day, Dorfmeister put on a totally solid party, even if it isn't my usual style, and the tent was packed, plus it went until a little after 2 AM so nobody had any reason to complain...

Gregory Harris8 said:Honestly, why should you even care whether someone’s just standing there with their hands in their pockets, chatting with friends, sipping a beer, or losing their mind in the front row? There’s always been a decent number of people doing exactly that compared to those actually dancing, so you shouldn't feel like some outsider just because you wanted to unwind and listen to the music. I realize this is an online forum where everyone feels entitled to vent their insecurities and talk trash without being challenged, but some people really take it too far. I mean, back when Moby, Foo Fighters, or Yee were playing, did those ten people hanging out in the back with a drink really bother the ten thousand people who were actually going wild? And this whole idea that 70% of the crowd showed up just because there was nothing else happening in town is frankly retarded. If you didn't know, tickets on the day of the show were $183—who has that kind of money just to wander around and see what's happening? While looking at all these stories about idiots throwing wristbands at the stage, you might think a random mob just stumbled upon this festival, but I think very few people, if anyone, ended up here by accident, since even the cheapest ticket at $83 is a bit much for our standards, especially during a period like this that we could call a crisis.

Even the outdoor stages could only run until midnight, though they moved it to 1 AM later, so the complaints about the late start were basically impossible to justify. That isn't the fault of the organizers, but rather certain people who don't want loud music to ruin the sleep of retirees. On the first day, Dorfmeister put on a solid party, even if it's not my style, and the tent was packed, lasting until shortly after 2 AM, so nobody should have any grounds for complaining.

I SECOND THIS!! 👍👍👍👍

Yeah, honestly... if you're actually immersed in the music and the vibe, you don't even have the bandwidth to care about the people standing around with their hands in their pockets.
I just do my own thing, listen to what I want, and frankly, I couldn't care less what anyone else thinks. You’re never going to find a band that everyone universally loves anyway, and half the crowd probably only bought tickets to see one specific act.
Not every lineup appeals to me either, which is exactly why I only bother showing up for the performers who actually interest me...

gentlepuma20 As requested by copperjackal89:
copperjackal89, there is nothing quite as peak provincialism as forcing yourself into a crowd while clutching a cigarette—whether you’re at a punk show or just drifting through some other subculture—and yet you have the audacity to spend these last few days complaining far too much. 🙂

I certainly concur that approaching people while clutching a cigarette in your hand is nothing short of pure provincialism, though that wasn't actually my primary point. As for all this incessant complaining, you have two choices: either endure the present misery and wait for better days to arrive, or simply filter it all out. 🙂

I was wondering if some kind soul might be willing to put together a setlist featuring Kraftwerk, Moby, FF, and NERD.

Thanks so much in advance!

shadowdrifter6 said:the crowd was just totally all over the place—so diverse, really. You had your philosophy hippies, makeup-heavy club kids who clearly wandered over from some other scene, indie geeks, die-hard football fans... even parents with their little kids, lost metalheads, those nu-ravers with questionable vibes, even Dalibor Matanić... and honestly, most people were just mainstream folks without any real specific taste in music.

For me, it was actually 🙂, I get so bored constantly partying with nothing but rockers and metalheads 🙂

Anyway, here's the FF setlist:

1. 1. do you Want to
2. 2. Tell Her Tonight
3. 3. no you Girls
4. 4. Michael
5. 5. biti hard
6. 6. Walk Away
7. 7. The dark of The Matinée
8. 8. Turn IT on
9. 9. taka me out
10. 10. What She Came for
11. 40' 😍
12. Outsiders bis
Bis:
13. Ulysses
14. The Fallen 15.
15. Jacqueline 16.
16. Lucid Dreams 17.
17. this Fire

feralwalker said:I was wondering if any kind soul might be willing to put together a setlist featuring primarily Kraftwerk, Moby, FF, and NERD.

Many thanks in advance!

Moby:

Kiril was absolutely tearing it up during the second day at the tent afterparty 👍

Kevin Chavez3 said:I was feeling even more sharp today, so I didn't have the bright idea to start taking shots at the performers again. 🤷 It’s mostly just a matter of not being an idiot. ☕

I don't know if it’s just a matter of the audience's intelligence... You can't filter that. There aren't any "prerequisites" for it. $83 Regarding the ticket.

I just hope the organizers actually learned something from this mess. For starters, maybe don't arm 15,000 drunk people with glowing projectiles next time.

Who knows? Maybe next year they'll start handing out spears or bows and arrows as "giveaways." 🙂

redmaker18 said:Well, I'm not entirely certain if it boils down to the collective intelligence of the crowd... there's no way to filter them out, and there certainly aren't any "prerequisites" required to purchase a $83 ticket.

Look, you could potentially engineer a self-sustaining system by offering some sort of reward for the scalp of every idiot who decides to toss a glowstick.😍

casualtrucker38 said:Personally, I found that whole thing 🙂. Honestly, partying exclusively with rock and metalheads gets old after a while 🙂

Anyway, here is the FF setlist:

1. 1. do you Want to
2. 2. Tell Her Tonight
3. 3. no you Girls
4. 4. Michael
5. 5. biti hard
6. 6. Walk Away
7. 7. The dark of The Matinée
8. 8. Turn IT on
9. 9. taka me out
10. 10. What She Came for
11. 40' 😍
12. Outsiders bis
Bis:
13. Ulysses
14. The Fallen 15.
15. Jacqueline 16.
16. Lucid Dreams 17.
17. this Fire

I felt like they missed Darts of Pleasure and Auf Achse. If I were calling the shots, I’d have swapped them in for tracks 2 and 10, but even so, the show was decent enough 😁

Richard Evans98 said:I personally missed Darts of Pleasure and Auf Achse. I'd probably swap out 2. and 10. for those, but honestly, the set was still solid as is 😁

Whoa, you hit the nail on the head! 🙂
But even for me, it felt 😍, especially considering how much they've evolved since the 40s. At first, I was just sitting there like, "WTF," but man, they just kept getting better and better with every single song 🙏

Richard Evans98 said:I really missed hearing Darts of Pleasure and Auf Achse. If I had to choose, I’d probably swap them out for 2. and 10., but honestly, the set was still pretty solid as it was. 😁

For me, it’s gotta be Darts of Pleasure or Live Alone—maybe even Send Him Away.

Alright, thanks a ton for those Moby and FF setlists.

I could still use the ones for Kraftwerk and NERD!

Thanks again!

The festival was actually pretty great, honestly—there was something for everyone, the beer wasn't overpriced, and even though the lines for the bathrooms, the bars, and the food stands were a total nightmare, the food selection itself was decent enough...

Look, it definitely wasn't perfect, $12 and having some guy pile all the toppings onto a kebab before he even touches the meat is just plain moronic, but whatever, it's fine...

And yeah, I definitely stocked up on some bourbon, so maybe I was looking at everything through a slightly distorted lens 🙂

Oh, and did anyone else catch that group of people snatching up three, four, or five freebies from AT&T? I seriously don't get it, what kind of greedy nonsense is that? 🤷

Where did those little guys even get handed out? 😕