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Coachella at night is always magical. Photo credit: Robert Kinsler

Weekend 2 of the 2025 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival was one of discovery to be sure. I not only enjoyed catching a number of artists for the first-time ever, I was more able to fully appreciate a few returning favorites (Lady Gaga, Japanese Breakfast, The Marias) and saw the Go-Go's for the first time in more than 30 years! Here I showcase my favorite artists seen as Coachella last weekend (April 18-20).

 Glixen — The first artist I caught on day one (April 18) was Glixen, a strong shoe gaze-styled quartet whose sound came off as a cross between Mazzy Star and Dinosaur Jr. The band made the most of its 30-minute set inside the Sonora tent and pleased the enthusiastic crowd on hand with a powerful set of heavy originals. 

 TOPS — Canadian quartet TOPS blended melodic rock, ear candy-styled songcraft, new wave, occasional jazzy flourishes and winning vocal harmonies across their 40-minute set in the Sonora tent. 

 The Go-Go's — Although the Go-Go's were not as tight as many of the other bands that appeared at Coachella over the weekend, there is no denying the unbridled enthusiasm of the groundbreaking all-female Los Angeles outfit elevated their performance on the Outdoor Theatre stage on Friday afternoon. With a setlist filled with catchy and memorable material, the band thrilled the faithful with tracks including "Vacation," "Lust to Love," "Head over Heels," "Our Lips Are Sealed" and set-ending "We Got the Beat." However, I thought the single best selection of their set was "This Town," a song that showcased the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers' formidable strengths.

Benson Boone Photo courtesy of Coachella

Benson Boone — The biggest surprise of Weekend 1 was when rising 22-year-old singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Benson Boone covered Queen's timeless hit "Bohemian Rhapsody" and brought out that band's Brian May to play his timeless lead guitar work on that 1975 classic. Although May didn't show up for Boone's Weekend 2 set on the Coachella Stage, Boone had no trouble impressing the audience with his signature style of modern pop-rock. Opening with "Sorry I'm Here For Someone Else," other uptempo cuts included "Cry" and "Mystical Magical." He proved equally skilled when sitting on the piano and performing more intimate material as evidenced by the early sections of "Slow It Down," "There She Goes" and the piano-anchored power ballad "Forever and a Day." Late set standouts included the title track from his forthcoming album ("American Heart"), a stunning take on Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" (the latter complete with a large vocal choir) and rousing version of his 2024 hit "Beautiful Things."

Maria Zardoya of The Marias. Photo courtesy of Coachella

The Marias — Los Angeles' the Marias attracted such a large and enthusiastic crowd to the Outdoor Theatre it's clear the quartet could have performed on the larger Coachella stage. Lead singer Maria Zardoya is a particularly charismatic singer and she connected strongly with Coachellagoers on Friday; the stylish talents of drummer Josh Conway, guitarist Jesse Perlman and keyboardist Edward James enhance the Marias' remarkable style. Highlights included a shimmering take on "Real Life," the fanciful "Only in My Dreams" (the latter a track fully utilizing the striking set design), intense "Hush" and bewitching "Paranoia." The Marias closed with the Spanish language gem Cariño," with Zardoya venturing out into the crowd to greet excited fans. 

 Parcels — One of the best sets of Weekend 2 belonged to Parcels, a five-member Berlin, Germany-based group that masterfully blended synth pop, disco, funk and alternative dance styles together on the Outdoor Theatre stage. Opening with the intoxicating dance track "Overnight," the group proceeded to keep the dance-minded party going with winning tracks including the harmonies-adorned "Lightenup," "Tieduprightnow" and the new single "Safeandsound," the latter featuring an explosive finale.

 Lady Gaga — No matter any Coachellagoer's specific taste in music — be it rock, jazz, dance, rap or you name it — there is a better than good chance they were blown away by Lady Gaga's 20-song performance spread over five specific acts on the Coachella Stage to cap the opening day of Weekend 2. The large audience was immersed in the artist's so-called "Mayhem Ball" (named after her mega-successful new album Mayhem), and were treated to a fast-moving concept concert featuring Lady Gaga singing and dancing up a storm. Following her acclaimed Coachella Weekend 2 performance, it was announced that Lady Gaga will bring her "Mayhem Ball" tour across the nation beginning in Las Vegas on July 16.

Michelle Zauner of Japanese Breakfast. Photo courtesy of Coachella

Japanese Breakfast — As wonderful as indie art rock troupe Japanese Breakfast was at Weekend 1, the Michelle Zauner-led band was even more impressive Weekend 2. Over the course of 45 magical minutes the band ( which also features guitarist Peter Bradley, bassist Deven Craige and drummer-keyboardist Craig Hendrix) brought a mix of literate, musically diverse and fun material to the Outdoor Theatre stage. Zauner played guitar at times, danced at others and sang with palpable emotion throughout. A wide range of material connected with the crowd including alt rock ("Honey Water"), uptempo dance-minded cuts ("The Woman That Loves You," "Paprika," "Be Sweet"), breezy pop ("Road Head," "Picture Window") and semi-acoustic sorties ("Winter in LA," "Kokomo, IN"). 

Beth Gibbons at Coachella. Photo courtesy of Coachella

Beth Gibbons — Best known as the singer and lyricist for groundbreaking English band Portishead, Beth Gibbons delivered one of the most ambitious and memorable sets of Weekend 2. Like Radiohead, Kate Bush and Peter Gabriel, Gibbons brings an intensity, depth and immersive soundscape to her sonic world. Backed by a seven-member band of virtuoso players, Gibbons made the most of every moment of her 45-minute set in the Gobi tent. Her set featured a number of amazing originals from her acclaimed 2024 album Lives Outgrown including her set opening "Burden of Life," the lush "Floating on a Moment," the edgy "Rewind" with its creative use of strings and a horn, and "Lost Changes" — the latter with its probing and potent exploration of mortality and love. Additionally, she thrilled music lovers with a powerful take on the Portishead favorite "Glory Box."

The Beaches turned in an impressive set at Coachella. Photo courtesy of Coachella

The Beaches — Canadian indie rock heroes the Beaches were one of my top discoveries of Coachella 2025. The all-female band blended New Wave, post punk and alt rock sonics throughout their fiery audience-pleasing appearance on Sunday. It's rare for a modern rock band to have undeniable chemistry across their complete lineup but Jordan Miller (lead vocals, bass guitar), Kylie Miller (guitar, backing vocals), Leandra Earl (keyboards, guitar, backing vocals) and Eliza Enman-McDaniel (drums) showcased that in spades. Standouts of the Beaches' set included the catchy opener "Cigarette," '80s-flavored "Takes One To Know One," sweeping "Jocelyn," confessional rocker "Edge of the Earth" and explosive closer "Blame Brett."

 Kraftwerk — Pioneering German electronic band Kraftwerk conjured up the beginnings of electronic music with a set of the quartet's distinctive material constructed via generally sparse arrangements, mechanical vocals, drum machine-driven rhythms, synthesizers and snappy melodies. Led by co-founder Ralf Hütter, highlights included the driving opener "Numbers / Computer World / Computer World 2," unsettling "Autobahn," pulsating "Radioactivity" and engaging "The Robots." 

 Editor's note: You can read George A. Paul's coverage of Weekend 2 on the Desert Local News website HERE