A weekend full of highs and lows, including many technical difficulties, there was one band that stood strong at The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Bleachers.
Launching their American tour, “From The Studio To The Stage,” Bleachers arrived at weekend one of Coachella in high fashion. Lead vocalist and founder of the band, Jack Antonoff, took the “Mojave” stage and the spotlight never left him. From running around and jumping, to playing numerous different guitars, to displaying a collection of dance moves, Antonoff’s energy was on a different level during the performance.
Opening their set with “I Am Right on Time,” fans quickly roared in cheers the moment the band stepped out. The band continued their opening setlist by playing “Modern Girl” and “Jesus Is Dead”, which are the first three songs off their most recent album, Bleachers.
Drummers, Sean Hutchinson and Mike Riddleberger, kept the energy alive and the crowd engaged with numerous back-and-forth moments between them. Another highlight of the night was saxophonist Evan Smith, who had multiple solos throughout the set. But the brightest moment was when Smith and Zem Audu had their own saxophone-off, displaying the jazz side of Bleachers.
Bleachers did not disappoint at Coachella
Midway through the performance, during the fan-favorite song, “Rollercoaster”, Antonoff allowed the crowd to have their own solo, singing the chorus to the track. While the fans were singing, Antonoff began shouting “I can’t hear you,” repeatedly until the crowd was the only thing you could hear. He took the microphone back and once again, all eyes were on him as he danced around the stage.
Bleachers’ stage presence is known amongst fans to be in the upper echelon of performers. The band proved why the Mojave stage was completely filled as they put on another performance for the ages.
From taking the instrumentals out and allowing the fans to sing, to putting on an incredible pyro show, Bleachers covered just about every single aspect any fan would want to see in a live performance. The performance was so well perceived, that even Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce were seen dancing the night away during the show.
Despite being placed on a smaller stage at an earlier time, Bleachers walked out of Coachella with a larger fan base due to a performance many will never forget.
Bleachers will take the stage once again on Saturday, April 20, for weekend two of Coachella. After that performance, they will kick the second leg of their tour off with Samia, returning to the stage on May 18.