Coachella Day One: Crazy From The Heat

The first day of Coachella 2007 is in the books, and since J.I. didn't get to bed until almost 4 a.m. local time, you'll have to bear with him as he rattles off some observations in stream-of-consciousness fashion:

On The Clock: Sets ran like clockwork on day one, except for Jarvis Cocker's at the Outdoor Theatre, which started about 15 minutes late.

Annoyances: There's an old railroad train parked in the grass close enough to the Gobi and Mojave tents that its steam whistle is more than audible during performances in those areas. Move this thing out of the way! Also, food seems to be more expensive. We paid $6 (!) for a solitary slice of pizza.

There's Still Showmanship In Indie Rock: We watched from backstage as Of Montreal frontman Kevin Barnes changed outfits mid-set. Goodbye, white pants, hello, turquoise short shorts and matching boots. Rufus Wainwright also started his performance wearing pajamas but doffed them in favor of a spangly suit jacket.

When In Doubt, Go With Bob: Marley brothers Stephen and Damian were the perfect duo to perform in the early evening at the Outdoor Theatre, covering their dad's "Catch a Fire," "Buffalo Soldier," "Exodus" and "Could You Be Loved," alongside Stephen's "Mind Control" and Damian's smash hit "Welcome to Jamrock." They also had a guy on stage with the best job in music: doing nothing but running around and waving a giant Jamaican flag (presumably while high).

They Have Risen: The Jesus & Mary Chain were outstanding during a set that only got better as it progressed. The group splintered in 1998 but is now back in action; it even played a new song, although nobody is talking yet about a possible new studio album. The simple, sludgy rock coursing through "Head On," "Snakedriver," "Teenage Lust" and "Frequency" was impossible to ignore (pictured: JAMC frontman Jim Reid).

Juicy, But No Pulp: Cocker played one of the most entertaining sets of the day, despite not doing any old Pulp songs. He treated the crowd like the avuncular substitute teacher who would let the kids be naughty and avoid the usual boring lecture. His band gave life to songs from Cocker's recent solo debut, "Jarvis," particularly "Fat Children," "I Will Kill Again," "One Man Show" (key line: "I have a hot date with a baked potato tonight") and "Big Julie."

Not Very Arresting: Interpol's after-dark set on the main stage was pretty monochromatic. The new songs ("Pioneer to the Falls," "The Heinrich Maneuver," "Mammoth") from the upcoming "Our Love To Admire" didn't stand out from the catalog; everything felt like it could have come from the same album, despite actually coming from three. They created a mood, but they didn't vary it at all. What was most notable was bassist Carlos D's transformation from scary Goth guy with greased New Wave haircut to an equally scary character straight out of 1842 we dubbed Edgar Allen Copperfield (poufy hair, pencil-thin mustache, bolo tie, Victorian top coat).