Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival (Archive)

Man, I hope Incubus actually shows up.

northerntrucker2 said:And yeah... I'm hoping we can look back and laugh at this eventually.

I'm hoping we'll be laughing about this together at Central Park soon enough! 😁

Honestly, if Justice showed up, I wouldn't even complain—I'd be right there celebrating with them.

Kevin Chavez3 said:😍

🙂

Should we start a petition?

hm, Incubus would be the absolute best for her.

I’m telling you, we need to book Florence + The Machine—honestly, I can't get enough of their lead singer lately 😍

They're touring through France in April and hitting Finland in mid-June, so they should actually be free during the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 🙂

man, I bet they’d just cancel the whole series right now.

☕

I guess Okkervil River is still safe though.

Call out the Anti-kidnapper weapon...

I’d love to see Klaxons and The Kooks join the lineup. 😢

Here are some suggestions for the lineup...

The Fratellis are such a powerhouse live act, offering a collection of hits that anyone would be thrilled to hear...
Spoon are simply brilliant.
Arcade Fire are absolutely phenomenal.
Cat Power offers such beautiful interpretations and songs that move you to tears—though perhaps that vibe is more suited for someone like Beck...
Beck would be an incredible gift as a headliner.
Calexico is a band I would happily watch for the hundredth time.
Built to Spill would fit the summer vibe perfectly, much like a classic pairing...
Belle and Sebastian
Beirut released a genius album, and their blend of Eastern ethnic influences would absolutely blow the crowd away.
Figurines from Denmark would also kill it, because much like certain French artists, they seemingly don't know how to make a bad song.
Phoenix whose latest album is a bit of a masterpiece; if not them, then who else?
Vampire Weekend would allow people to experience that unique fusion of indie rock, post-punk, ska, and African sounds.
Okkervil River provides that gorgeous Americana sound that fans of Calexico would truly adore.
Tapes 'n' Tapes are incredibly fascinating.
Bloc Party is a band loved by everyone, from the saints to the sinners.
Deus never misses with their albums, and their live shows are nothing short of fantastic.
Band of Horses are passionate performers.
Devotchka have been waiting for a chance to play in America for a long time; they would be a huge hit with fans of Beirut and Gogol Bordello, or even those who loved the soundtrack to Little Miss Sunshine.

Is that enough suggestions? Organizers, if not, please feel free to mock me...

Raymond Barrett12 said:Someone should call the Protiva kidnapper weapon...

They might be around, just definitely not at the festival.

Raymond Barrett12 said:Call the Protiva kidnapper...

Honestly, OPO doesn't even come close to the band that used to keep us all hyped up ten years ago... I know they've swapped members before, but this feels like if Black Francis decided to front a new version of the Pixies without any of the original lineup... We all know he was the backbone, just like how Nicholas was for OPO, but imagine if someone else was singing Gigantic instead of Kim Deal. 🤷
It’s actually way worse here because Dragan's vocals were basically the band's entire identity. I don't know, I just couldn't bring myself to head down to The Fillmore for their show, even though some people say it wasn't that big of a deal...

Jesse Sanchez60 said:I don't know, it didn't occur to me to hit up The Fillmore for their show, even though some people are saying it wasn't actually that tragic...

No, apparently it was a total disaster. Six told me everything she sang was off-key as hell and the band sounded as unpolished as the Misfits.

David Sullivan4 said:They were as unpolished as the Misfits.

😂

I've been scrolling through some online reviews like, "Man, I was drunk and had a blast," so I figured it wasn't actually that bad—at least for the people who weren't paying close attention...

I was there, and honestly, I was a bit tipsy and had an absolute blast—assuming we're talking about that concert from a few years back featuring that gorgeous singer from Mexico

Anthony Bennett46 said:They might be around, but certainly not at the festival.

Yay! Did you finally get back to that email? 😁 😉

Jesse Sanchez60 said:I haven't even heard a trace of that band that used to make us so happy ten years ago... I know they've swapped members before, but this feels worse than if Black Francis had somehow gathered a new Pixies lineup without any of the original members... we all know he wrote those songs just like Nicholas did in OPO, but imagine if someone else was singing "Gigantic" instead of Kim Deal.🤷
The situation here is even tougher because Dragana's vocals were basically the band's trademark and... I don't know, I didn't feel like heading down to The Fillmore for their show, even though some people say it wasn't actually that tragic...

That last show at The Fillmore featured a singer who didn't stay with the band for very long 😁. As far as I can tell, the current one is the third since then, and she seems better than the previous ones, at least on the recordings.
But I have to agree, Dragana is irreplaceable. 😢

Susan Clark10 said:weeeee, did you finally reply to that email? 😁 😉

I didn't even get it. 🙄 But I did get a forwarded email from Noah Ross4 instead. ☕😁

Anthony Bennett46 said:I didn't even receive it. 🙄 Instead, I just got a forwarded email from Noah Ross4. ☕😁

I'm not sure, I just followed all the instructions 🤷 (that one email you check more often 🙂), maybe there was a typo 😁

Anyway, thanks! 😍 😘

Anthony Bennett46 said:I didn't even get it. 🙄 But hey, I did get a forwarded email from Noah Ross4 instead. ☕😁

I told them they should reach out to you—but if you want, I can just give you their email so you can hit them up yourself.

Anthony Bennett46 said:They would have been there—but they weren't at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.

That’s lovely. 🙂

Jesse Sanchez60 said:OPO doesn't have even a shadow of the band that used to bring us so much joy ten years ago... I know they’ve gone through lineup changes before, but this feels way more extreme—it's like Black Francis decided to assemble a brand new version of the Pixies without any of the original members. We all know he was the primary songwriter, just like Nicholas was the heart of OPO, but seriously, try to imagine someone else stepping up to sing "Gigantic" instead of Kim Deal. It just doesn't work. 🤷
The situation here is actually far more dire than people realize—because let’s be honest, Dragana’s vocals were quite literally the band's entire identity. They were their signature. And... I don't know, it just never crossed my mind to head down to The Fillmore for their show, even though some folks around here are claiming it wasn't even that much of a tragedy.

Aha. You’ve said your piece. You're just sitting there tearing down a band that—well, you know exactly what you're doing. Not really. I watched it. Do I need to keep using bold text? 🙂

David Sullivan4 said:No, honestly—apparently it was an absolute train wreck. Six told me all about it, and from what I gathered, her vocals were as pitchy as an out-of-tune elephant. To make matters worse, the band sounded completely unpolished—they had all the musical cohesion of the Misfits on a bad day.

It’s funny how things work out—one minute you think you have a handle on the conversation, and the next, someone just starts talking. Honestly, I was sitting there thinking about the whole situation, and then it happened. Just a sudden shift in the room. It reminds me of that one time back in Chicago when everything felt like it was moving in slow motion until someone finally spoke up and broke the tension—it’s always the same pattern, isn't it? You spend all this time preparing for a discussion, weighing every single word, and then someone just drops a line and changes the entire trajectory. It’s exhausting, really—trying to maintain some level of decorum while everyone else is just riffing off the cuff. Anyway, that's where we are now. Are you kidding me right now...? 🙄 Do I seriously need to start using bold text just to get my point across? 🙂
Yeah, she completely missed the mark—she was shaking from nerves, plain and simple. It’s just a matter of being underprepared. Honestly, it felt more like a rookie athlete trying to step up to the big leagues without having put in the necessary training hours.

Jesse Sanchez60 Asks:
I’ve been scrolling through some of the reactions online—you know, the usual stuff like, "Man, I was just wasted and had a blast"—so it got me thinking that maybe things weren't actually that disastrous. At least, not for the people who didn't really know what they were getting themselves into in the first place...

There’s an old saying that really sums up the whole experience: "We've seen better, and we've certainly seen worse..."

Drew Adams58 said:Look, I was there—and honestly, I was pretty hammered, but I had a blast—if we’re talking about that concert from a few years back featuring that gorgeous Mexican singer.

I was there too—sober, mind you—and I actually enjoyed what I saw. The singer is alright.😁

Susan Clark10 said:That last show at The Fillmore featured the vocalist who didn't stay with the band for very long😁. As far as I can tell, the current singer is the third one since then, and she’s better than the previous ones—at least on the studio recordings.
But I have to agree, Dragana is irreplaceable.😢

Alright, look—dada is just the way she is, but SHE LEFT. Since her departure, they’ve cycled through at least four different players/singers in every single position; Nicholas is the only constant.
Ivana1 (the OPO singer who performed at The Fillmore) recorded "Maštoplov" and went on the promotional tour with them before leaving the group and being replaced by someone else (Dunja). After the market failed to respond well (again), Nicholas disbanded the group, only to pull together yet another lineup a few months later (again).
Then they put out that album "Znaš ko te pozdravio." It actually has some great tracks, and Ivana2 sings quite well. She isn't bland like dada, nor is she overly sentimental like Ivana1 (I haven't heard Dunja—though some folks might have caught her playing in Indianapolis back in the day), but she has that unmistakable OPO sound. Dammit, I actually like it.🤷 And I’d love to see this specific lineup live. I think they could sound incredible, especially considering the punk background of the lady on vocals and the guys on instruments.🤷