"It's like the whole experience but without the icky bathroom situation."

Went to see The Coachella Film last night. Highly recommended movie for any fan of music! A major kaleidoscope of artists from new and exciting (Arcade Fire) to old and uninspired (Oasis) to classic (Radiohead, Flaming Lips) and even uber-classic (Pixies, Morrisey). Good camerawork and a wonderful sense of "place" really made these performances stand out as not just some concert but really Coachella.

All kinds of different genres were represented. No festival is complete with the pre-requisite hippie bands and they were well represented right up front with a great performance by a band called Spearhead. A quiet and smile-inducing performance by Belle and Sebastian was the highlight of the first quarter of the film. Those guys and girls would have make Satan smile, throw down his pitchfork, and dance. The spasmodic Mars Volta performance was scary in "what are these guys on?" way.

Highlights: Quirky and weird performances by The Polyphonic Spree and Fischerspooner take the cake for memorable moments. A typically heart-breaking song from Bright Eyes and leave it to Bjork to be the only singer in the world who brings an orchestra to a festival. Great choice of song from Radiohead ("Planet Telex" from The Bends) was a rocking good time. High-quality and confident songs from Morrisey and the Pixies. A given: Red Hot Chili Pepper's performing "Californication" in the chill SoCal night.

I was especially impressed by the electornica performances. Not the least because of the huge, beautifully lit, tent devoted to it but the high-energy, high-power performance by bands like The Crystal Method and The Chemical Brothers. It brought back my raver years to the forefront of my memory. Special shout-out to the DJ battle between Cut Chemist and Nu Mark, a definite highlight.

The film ended with a bang, as well. Arcade Fire's wild performance of "Rebellion (Lies)" and The Flaming Lips' over-the-top "Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots," complete with guys in animal suits, a huge spaceball, and that damn singing nun. Wonderful choice for a final performance: Zero 7 doing their usual downbeat, afterparty, thing.

Performance wise, all the artists were in top form (except, of course, for Oasis who validated their existence in this film with a hilarious juxtaposition with Saul Williams.) Typical shots of fans drinking water and hiding from the sun was interesting for their brevity. Celebrity interviews were short and widely dispersed as well.

Overall, I felt like this was a music doc made by people who have seen a lot of music docs and didn't want to over the same shit again and again. Don't miss it!