Coachella continues with Weezer, T-Pain and politics

INDIO, CalifORNIA (AP):

Coachella’s second day featured high-profile guests from Hollywood and Washington, DC, an emotional performance from Weezer and a peaceful transfer of power between electropop stars.

The cultural breadth of the influential Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival was on full display Saturday at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California.

Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Republic Maxwell Frost of Florida travelled to the desert to introduce Clairo, praising the 26-year-old singer-songwriter’s political activism.

Less than an hour earlier, Charli XCX commandeered a minimalist stage where she was joined by Troye Sivan and Billie Eilish, with an audience that included Oscar nominee Timothée Chalamet in the front row wearing a big smile and a backpack.

As for that power transfer: After last year’s “brat summer”, the English pop star concluded her performance with New Zealand electropop star Lorde by declaring “Lorde summer 2025”.

Sanders’ appearance wasn’t the day’s only dose of politics. Billie Joe Armstrong adjusted the lyrics of Green Day’s set-opening American Idiot to declare he’s “not a part of the MAGA agenda” and changed lyrics in Jesus of Suburbia to “running away from pain like the kids from Palestine”.

T-Pain brought mash-ups and covers to the main stage, singing Journey’s Don’t Stop Believin’ and Chris Stapleton’s Tennessee Whiskey.

Earlier, Weezer delivered a dozen songs in a well-received performance featuring Undone (The Sweater Song), Buddy Holly and a cover of Metallica’s Enter Sandman.

Coachella kicked off Friday with Lady Gaga headlining with a crowd-pleasing, extravagantly theatrical, five-act performance. K-pop star Lisa drew a massive crowd to the Sahara tent and Benson Boone sang Bohemian Rhapsody with Queen’s Brian May on guitar.

The festival runs through Sunday, with another round of performances April 18 to 20.