by 
After taking two years off, Coachella finally returned to the festival circuit and I think I share the sentiment that most people had once they stepped onto the hallowed Polo Grounds, “I’m back, baby.” And so was Coachella. We had the opportunity to scamper around the festival again this year and it reminded us why we love Coachella every year.
For a lot of people, it’s the only festival they go to all year. Its proximity to Los Angeles makes it a hot spot for a huge variety of people from quite literally, all over the world.
Don’t let social media chatter fool you. Coachella is much, much more than an influencer playground. In a social media world where the vocal minority sometimes gets the biggest stages, don’t ever let it deter you from experiencing Coachella.
Here’s some of our favorite things we saw at Coachella 2022 (Weekend 2).
Disco is Alive and Well.
If you spent all three days at Coachella, odds are you saw some disco at Coachella, whether you wanted to or not. It was sprinkled into sets all three days across almost every stage. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
The disco highlight for me was Madeon and Yung Bae performing b2b at the Do LaB night one to close out the stage.
I think I can sum up that set with one sentence I overheard a bit after midnight – “I was going to go see someone else but I caught a vibe here.”
For 75 minutes, Yung Bae and Madeon took turns curating a really fun dance party. In the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t anything monumental it was just fun. And at the core of it all, isn’t that why we choose to sweat all day, deal with the elements, and eat just one meal through the course of an all-day music festival? For those sets that a week later you are still thinking about. It was jam-packed with original tunes from each of them, with the majority being specially selected disco selects.
Don’t let people tell you disco is dead.
Skream’s Suprise Dubstep Set
It started with an errant tweet from Skream the day before the music festival.
Do I play a #dubstep set at @coachella tomorrow or not??????
Playing in between @IvyLab_ and @theglitchmob so feel like it would make sense……… What ya reckon?— Oliver Jones (@I_Skream) April 21, 2022
After a resounding YES from the internet, it looked like the writing was on the wall and the eager crowd knew what it was in for. After a sensational set from Ivy Lab, Skream took the stage, didn’t say one word and launched into an onslaught of proper, proper dubstep.
It truly felt like being transported back in time some 13,14 years ago and he treated it as such. There’s no words that can describe the crowd’s reactions. It was raw energy from start to finish. He spun back certain drops, he handled his double drops like a seasoned veteran, and at one point he quite literally had four tracks playing at once.
SKREAM. HE DUNNIT. COACHELLA. pic.twitter.com/ET0BLOJWOO
— SPACE YACHT (@spaceyacht) April 23, 2022
og dubsteppers, make some noise if you remember this tune @I_Skream pic.twitter.com/5uZB8ivBF6
— dj not reporter robinson (@reporterrobnson) April 23, 2022
I caught myself just looking around at everyone and it was probably the most primal hour at Coachella. A true hour+ of dubstep history from one of the dons of dubstep himself.
The mad lad actually played Midnight Request line into his legendary remix of In For The Kill. If you know you know.
He’s already announced a 6-hour b2b with a mystery DJ in London, and hopefully, it’s the catalyst for more Skream Dubstep sets coming in.
Day Club Pool Parties
Every year, The Hilton in Palm Springs hosts pool parties which feature a slew of DJ’s. Most of them are performers in some capacity at Coachella, and some may just be some friends that are in the area for the weekend.
After going to Coachella for three years I finally opted in to stop by the Day Club pool party for a bit before arriving at Coachella and on a day when the California heat was beating down, it was one of the better decisions I’ve made
It’s similar to a Las Vegas pool party, but a bit more intimate. It’s not a huge pool – but the vibes were on point. I stopped by on Saturday and got to enjoy sets from Austin Millz, A-Bo and exclusive DJ sets from Elohim, Kasbo, and Louis The Child.
Being able to hop in and out of the pool to just beat the heat for a few minutes during a long Coachella weekend is something that cannot be overlooked.
If you have never been in the audience for a Louis The Child DJ set or Playground set – I can’t recommend it enough. Their track selection is always on point and they seem to always find the perfect songs for the mood. If you were wondering, “IDGAFOS” by Dillon Francis still hits all these years later.
Swedish House Mafia Bringing Progressive House BACK to the Mainstage
After weekend 1 had some technical difficulties and Swedish House Mafia‘s headlining portion of their set had to be shortened – it was imperative that weekend 2 came out with a bang and that they did. Their joint headlining set with the Weeknd featured about an hour long Swedish House Mafia set – and they did it the only way they know how – BIG.
Their setlist featured hits from their new album Paradise along with some classic tunes from years past. The highlight for me was hearing “Calling (Lose My Mind)” on a main stage at Coachella. All these years later, Swedish House Mafia reminded everyone of one thing – Swedish House Mafia were kings for a reason and they are BACK.
The Pure Bliss From Fred Again…’s set
Fred Again… came into Coachella with one of the most anticipated sets of the weekend from almost everyone I’ve talked to. He rose to prominence during COVID Lockdowns so has not had a chance to tour in the states yet.
His set was emotional in more than one way. It was euphoric, it was blissful, it was sad, it was pure. He was the conductor to a dance party that leaked out of all sides of the Mojave tent. And for that short hour – I truly believe that everyone was in sync. There wasn’t one person left out, and if you looked close enough you could catch a few people crying.
The Do LaB and House Music is like Peanut Butter and Jelly
If it wasn’t clear from this post, I am and will probably always be a Do LaB ‘stan’ and there’s nothing anyone can do to stop me. At a festival like Coachella where huge production is expected and world-class headliners can be playing on multiple stages at a time, the Do LaB feels almost like a D.I.Y. oasis. And I mean that as a sign of respect.
At first sight, it might look more like an art installation than a stage, but upon walking in and catching a set you’ll soon realize it’s so much more.
One set in particular sticks out from the weekend. I had originally meant to swing by and catch a bit of it before moving on but after getting deep into the crowd and being adopted by the vibes, I couldn’t leave. SIDEPIECE – a house-oriented side project – from Nitti Gritty & Party Favor led the crowd in a non-stop dance party. They featured familiar vocals, absolutely thumping tunes, and a certain flavor that comes when your only goal is to catch a f**king vibe.
It was a set that I think could have controlled most stages at Coachella – but when the energy is captured at an intimate stage like Do LaB that energy is so easy to spread from audience to performer and it creates a certain magic that you can’t recreate. You can never have that as a goal – you just have to hope it happens. And it happened.
Here’s your reminder to abandon your scheduled plans if you do catch that magical vibe.
Coachella 2022 – you were amazing as always. See you next year.
STAY IN THE KNOW! FOLLOW US ON SPOTIFY
Our 6 Favorite Things We Saw at Coachella 2022
