Everything you need to know from Coachella Day 3DSC 3822

Everything you need to know from Coachella Day 3

Everything you need to know from Coachella Day 3

Day 3 of Coachella suffered from an interesting duality. Bringing the strongest dance music lineup of the weekend, it was subsequently the most conflict-ridden. One had to choose between sets like Gesaffelstein and Odesza; Kaskade and Guy Gerber; Ben Klock and Madeon — which, for fans of both the under and over-ground, proved more than a bit frustrating. Yet, at the end of the day, these aren’t the worst problems to have, and it’s hard to go wrong with any of the options presented. From a surprise set at the Do Lab to new song premieres on the main stage, Day 3 was eventful to say the least.

Read on to check out everything you need to know from Day 3 of Coachella 2015, and make sure to check out our recaps of Day 1 and Day 2 as well.

Words by Michael Sundius; Photos by Stephen Bondio.

Gesaffelstein's last live show was worth all the hype

It took just three words to send the dance music world into a frenzy — “Last Gesaffelstein Live.” The simple statement — whether meant to be an everlasting determination or not — resulted in one of the most anticipated performances of Coachella. Rarely does reality live up to this amount of hype, yet it’s safe to say Gesaffelstein’s Sunday night performance exceeded all expectations.

Set in the Mojave Tent, the Frenchman took the stage to a packed tent, only to deliver one of the most engaging sets of the entire weekend. As both an accomplished musician and gifted DJ, Gesaffelstein has found a way to merge the best of his talents with his live show. Performing synth strokes with one hand while filtering and cutting beats with the other, he appeared perfectly in control at all times. Though initially only scheduled to play an hour, Gesaffelstein simply could not stop when his end time rolled around. The show must have appeared to finish five different times, and eventually, the technicians had to slowly fade his volume to silence.

Kaskade debuts new Galantis collaboration on the main stage

For an EDM act to get booked on the main stage of Coachella requires a certain kind of stature as an artist. While Swedish House Mafia fit the bill in 2012, Kaskade found himself in a similar position Sunday night of the festival. As a Grammy-nominated producer who has been active in the scene for nearly 20 years now, it’s safe to say Kaskade was one of the most deserving choices for the slot. With a teeming crowd extending far into the depths of the Polo Fields at sun set, Kaskade did not disappoint.

With a mix of future house, progressive, electro, big room and the like, Kaskade proceeded in his usual fashion of blending gorgeous vocals with some of the biggest dance tracks of the day. Two particular surprises during the performance — officially revealed via Kaskade’s now public tracklist — included his new collaboration with Galantis, “Mercy,” as well as new single “We Don’t Stop.”

Madeon's new album sounded perfect in the Sahara

Madeon’s moment has finally arrived. While previous YouTube stints and Hypem-topping remixes have earned him his fair share of press, his debut album — signed to Columbia records — represents the pinnacle of his career thus far.

While the album is certainly engaging over home speakers and headphones, Madeon’s Coachella performance looked to prove how well Adventure would translate to a live environment. Fortunately for him (and the crowd in attendance), it was one of the best sounding performances in the Sahara all weekend. In many ways, it was reminiscent of Nero’s new work in the fact that every element felt immaculately tuned for loud sound systems.

Bonobo played a surprise DJ set at the Do Lab

The Do Lab on Sunday was something of a house music haven. With Till Von Sein performing into deep house wizard Edu Imbernon and Get Physical co-founders M.A.N.D.Y., it was easily the grooviest block of music found on the stage all weekend. To cap off the stage properly, the Do Lab promised a surprise performer for the final hour. Right on cue for the closing set of the night, UK downtempo mastermind Bonobo appeared.

Though typically known for his festival sets alongside his full-band, Simon Green is just as comfortable spinning deep house for hours on end. With the Do Lab illuminated in the night air, Bonobo effortlessly captivated fans luckily enough to be in attendance for the surprise performance.

Tags: , ,

Categories: ,