5 must-see Coachella acts that blew us away Weekend 1

Sometimes finding a band or artist to fall in love with at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is a volume game. The more artists you see, the greater your chances of finding your new favorite, even if you have to wade through a few auditory disappointments.

Team Desert Sun was doing some of that work for you during Weekend 1. We scoured the grounds listening to new acts and long-time favorites, and have come up with a clunker-free list of the best thing we saw.

Here are our you-gotta-see-ems for Weekend 2 at Coachella.

Chromeo

Why: Coachella veterans making their fifth appearance, Chromeo, aka the Funklordz, did their thing again this year. Their thing is pumping out cool funk dance jams to a delighted crowd. The duo of David Macklovitch and Patrick Gemayel are unique in that they don't have a backing band, it's just the two of them, this year in a shiny polished chrome space capsule-looking set. Their act is polished, too. They've been doing this together since 2002. Adding to the fun this year was special guest La Roux, who they coaxed into doing her megahit "Bulletproof." They are also in a perfect time slot, on Saturday night right after BLACKPINK finishes and before Calvin Harris starts. Head over to the Gobi Tent and give Chromeo a try. I gave them a try in 2014 at Coachella and I've been a die-hard ever since.

When and where: Saturday in the Gobi tent

— Shad Powers, Columnist

The Chemical Brothers

Why: The electronic music duo featuring Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons played the first Coachella in 1999 and have returned many times in the years since. But these techno veterans still have plenty of gas in the tank and a new stage production with mind-bending visuals, classic songs such as "Block Rockin' Beats," "Go" and "MAH" and the other songs have catchy danceable rhythms. Even though the set didn't feature any guests on Friday, Rowlands and Simons included a cover of New Order's "Temptation." This set at the Outdoor Theatre is sandwiched between the Gorillaz and Bad Bunny's Coachella Stage performances and will put you in a dancing mood.

When and where: Friday at the Outdoor Theatre

— Brian Blueskye, Arts and Entertainment reporter

Charli XCX

Why: I have been raving about Charli XCX's performance all weekend. I've been a fan of her for a few years now, but I've never had the opportunity to see her perform live. Well, she entirely blew me away in every way. Her vocals were top notch, her dancing was equally impressive and she literally had the crowd in the palm of her hands. When Icona Pop's hit "I Love It" — a tune she wrote — started playing, people started jumping, singing and having a great time. Song after song, she impressed me, and now all of her songs are stuck in my head — the definition of a pop superstar.

When and where: Saturday on the Coachella Stage

— Ema Sasic, features reporter

MUNA

Why: I fell in love with the pop band MUNA a few years ago when I stumbled upon the song "I Know A Place" in a random Spotify playlist. It's the kind of song that, if you crank it and close your eyes, you feel like you're cruising through some breathtaking scenery with your best friends by your side in either a music video or a new take on "Crossroads." It turns out that the pure, unbridled joy that song embodies translates perfectly to Coachella's Mojave tent.

I genuinely forgot I was working the festival and just let the music — and the resulting urge to dance my butt off — wash over me for the 40 or so minutes I watched MUNA perform. When bandleader Katie Gavin came out in a sultry black leather number and the fans went crazy, I found myself cheering along before a single note was even sung. There's something about Gavin's commanding stage presence, as well as her chemistry with equally (ridiculously) talented bandmates Josette Maskin and Naomi McPherson that just makes for a nonstop celebration the whole time they're onstage. And when they topped it all off with a performance of "Silk Chiffon" joined by fellow Coachella act boygenius (a surprise because only Phoebe Bridgers is on the original "Silk Chiffon track, but having the whole trio come out was even better), like most people in the crowd, I couldn't stop smiling.

When and where: Friday in the Mojave tent

— Niki Kottmann, features editor

Dominic Fike

Prior to checking out his Sunday set, I knew maybe three Dominic Fike songs. "Euphoria" fans (which I am decidedly not), meanwhile, know the 27-year-old talent for his turn as the troubled character, Elliott, in seasons two and three of the hit show.

But after catching him at Coachella, we're all going to know Fike for a different reason: having one of the best voices at the festival. Seriously, this guy can really sing, and that is something that is only partly apparent on his biggest hits: "3 Nights" and the rappy "Phone Numbers — although those songs also sounded plenty good.

Even better, Fike showed he had jokes and plenty of personality. I don't think I heard as much laughter all weekend as when Fike jokingly asked the audience to "jump up and down for the livestream to "make it look like it's poppin' out there" in a clever acknowledgement of the somewhat absurd reality of being on the ground at a Coachella that is now staged as much for online consumption as in-person enjoyment.

The highlight of his set came when Fike played "King of Everything." He explained that the emotional nature of the song makes it tough for him to play now, but said people are always clamoring for him to do so, and he obliged during Coachella. After hearing him play it, I can see why it is one so many want to hear.

I did, however, have one disappointment that will hopefully be easily corrected during Weekend 2: Seriously, what will it take to get Fike and Remi Wolf to perform their banger "Photo ID" together? Wolf did perform the song without Fike to close out her Saturday set, but not getting a chance to see the two play it in its fully glory is practically unforgiveable given they are both on the Coachella lineup. On the other hand, that omission gives fans all the more reason to attend one (or both) of their sets this weekend in hopes they make things right.

When and where: Sunday on the Outdoor Stage

— Paul Albani-Burgio, Palm Springs reporter

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Coachella 2023: From Chromeo to MUNA, don't miss these bands Weekend 2