MTV.COM: Pavement, The Rolling Stones And My Chemical Romance Headline Our Fantasy Coachella Lineup

Dec 14, 2009

Pavement, The Rolling Stones And My Chemical Romance Headline Our Fantasy Coachella Lineup

http://newsroom.mtv.com/2009/12/14/coachella-lineup-pavement/

It's the dead of winter, but that doesn't mean we can't fantasize ourselves into the summer festival season. Details are beginning to emerge about a number of events, but the one that unofficially kicks off the season — the annual Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival — has sets its 2010 dates. The eleventh iteration of the festival will take place on April 16, 17 and 18, and layway tickets are already available (with a three-day festival pass going for $269, which doesn't include the cost of camping).

While Coachella always puts together a stellar lineup that bridges old, new, mainstream and super-weird, there still aren't any acts yet announced as part of the 2010 lineup. $269 (plus travel costs) is a lot to shell out for a lineup that remains mysterious, which is why we've done some educated guessing on who might top the bill this year. Keep in mind that we have no inside sources or tips from the rumor mill — these are strictly assumptions based on past booking trends.

The Big Reunion: Coachella always plays host to a seminal alternative act strapping the spurs on for one more time around the block. Past returnees have included Rage Against the Machine, the Verve and the Pixies. Considering their presence on a number of different lineups already, Pavement seem like an obvious choice for the festival's big return (it would be their first show on American soil in a decade). Of course, the holy grail for Coachella organizers has always been a reunion of the Smiths (they've even supposedly come close in years past). It seems unlikely, but introspective goths can still dream.

The Nod to Classic Rock: In the past few years, Coachella has welcomed "classic" performers like Roger Waters, Prince, Paul McCartney, Leonard Cohen and even Madonna to the Coachella stage. These nods to the past always seem to go to artists attempting to connect to a new audience or who have a new project to promote. Since it's been about an album cycle since we've heard from the Rolling Stones, let's speculate that Mick, Keith, Ronnie and Charlie will headline one of the nights of the festival. Talk of more Led Zeppelin shows has cooled off, which probably means that they're coming back around again soon. And you know who would make for a great Saturday night closer? The newly-revitalized AC/DC.

The Young Bucks: Most of the Coachella lineup is made up of cutting-edge alternative acts, and you need look no further than the 2010 release schedule to pick out some top-shelf talent. My Chemical Romance has a new album in 2010, and Coachella would make for a great coming out party. Same goes for Blink-182, whose album should be ready by the time the festival season comes back around again. Vampire Weekend seem like a lock for a high-profile slot as well. And while Adam Yauch's cancer derailed the Beastie Boys' plans in summer 2009, wouldn't a high-profile comeback in Indio make a great album release party for their upcoming Hot Sauce Committee Part 1. Other bands with new albums seemingly destined to be somewhere on the bill: Yeasayer, Hot Chip, Spoon, Interpol, MGMT and She & Him.

A Nod To Hip-Hop: There's typically one rapper representing all of hip-hop at Coachella. Last year's entry was the Clipse, though they canceled at the last minute. Now that he's popped his festival cherry at this year's Voodoo Festival, why not tap Eminem for a set?

The Curveballs: Every once in a while, there is an eyebrow-raising nod to pop music, country, or some other under-represented genre at the largely rock- and dance-oriented festival. While they probably won't be booking Justin Bieber, it's possible that they could reach out to somebody like Taylor Swift (because it's probably the last thing she needs to accomplish) or Adam Lambert (because he's just weird enough). Neither is very likely, but in the desert, anything goes.


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