BLACKPINK as the BNP: Imagining Weekend 1 Coachella sets as local valley icons

At some point between when Pearl Jam first got the idea to head to the desert to stick it to Ticketmaster and the livestreaming of Beychella by half a million people, Coachella became the subject of worldwide interest.Which is cool and kind of flattering (us desert dwellers have had a conceited side since the Dean Martin days), but that also means that we are now subject to endless commentary from a bunch of know-it-alls from New York and the dreaded metropolis-that-I-won’t-name to our west who think scoring a press wristband means they have what it takes to tell the world about our festival.

But here at The Desert Sun, we have only the interests of you, our local readers, at heart. Which is why we have decided to do a story breaking down the sets in a way that only we can understand.

So, without further ado, here’s a look at some of the most memorable performances at the festival so far (and one to come) through the lens of their Coachella Valley doppelgangers (Spoiler alert: Frank Ocean is a certain controversy-plagued unbuilt college campus).

Bad Bunny was... the Palm Springs City Council

The Friday headliner's set started late and went on much longer than anyone else's. Sound familiar? If not, you must not be the Desert Sun's Palm Springs City Council beat reporter. Plus, neither party is immune from occasional technical difficulties (as one of Bad Bunny’s special guests, Post Malone, can attest after his microphone didn’t work during his appearance.)

BLACKPINK was... the 2023 BNP Paribas Open

As fun, flashy and generally on point as the K-pop sensation's headlining set was, it still felt like it was missing the extra oomph that would come with adding one or two more famous guest’s faces into the mix. Which felt similar to what it was like to head out to the tennis garden last month knowing that Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic wouldn't be lending their legendary gravitas to the event.

Although, I must note that there is one aspect in which this comparison falls short: the spectacular drone show that kicked off BLACKPINK's set was far superior to the one at the Indian Wells venue last month (which I had to watch on a screen because it couldn't be seen from the stadium — seriously, whose idea was that?).

Blink-182 was… La Quinta’s NIMBYs

These people tend to be a little older, are set in ways that are starting to seem increasingly problematic, and are adamant they would rather face “cancellation” than get with the times. They also don’t get together often anymore, but when they do, they are there to really raise quite a ruckus. Which sounds a lot like the band I saw on the Sahara Stage Friday evening (I still love ya guys!) But at least Bink still sounds great when they play “Rock Show,” which is more than I can say for those looking to stop a 284-unit apartment complex in the city that would provide much-needed housing.

The Kid Laroi was… the Coachella Valley Firebirds

This kid rocked his Coachella debut, much like the Firebirds have exceeded any and all expectations in their first season on the desert ice. Which begs the question of what we will see first: a Kid Laroi headlining set or a Firebirds championship? I am leaning toward the latter — but only because a 2023 Firebirds Calder Cup win is still on the table.

Charli XCX was… Palm Springs Pride

She looked fierce, was bursting with pro-LGBTQ pride and constantly told everyone to get sexy. ‘Nuff said.

Labrinth was... Desert Hot Springs

Shoved into the northwest corner of the valley smack between the sexier destinations of Palm Springs and Joshua Tree National Park, DHS is often overlooked, or ignored altogether. Which is a pity, because this place packs quite a punch, whether you are looking for some of the valley's best tacos (and yes we are fully aware of how steep the competition in that category is) or the area's best lowkey cool bars: Playoffs (come check out Rainbow Wednesdays).

But DHS' position at the short end of the stick is a lot like Labrinth's, who was relegated to the Mojave stage at 10 p.m. Saturday despite proving he was worthy of a much grander stage. But just as Labrinth proved he is so much more than just the guy whose music is in "Euphoria" (although I did get goosebumps when he played "Formula"), here's hoping that people start giving DHS a second look and appreciating what makes this desert gem so great.

The Linda Lindas were… Cathedral City’s Fountain of Life

It was no fault of the band’s, but this set was plagued by numerous technical issues. Just like its no fault of this still-beautiful-but-now-silenced fountain that Cathedral City can’t seem to get it working.

Frank Ocean is... College of the Desert's Palm Springs campus

Fans have been waiting six years for this reclusive artist to perform again (as he is scheduled to do Sunday). But Palm Springs residents have been waiting a lot longer for anything at all to happen to the vacant lot at the corner of Farrell and Tahquitz Canyon Way. Plus, no one is really sure if either the artist or the campus is actually ever going to show up. Even worse, in COD’s case, there weren't even any sultry melodies and lyrical descriptions of broken connections to look forward to when this wait ends. Heck, we'll be lucky to get a few classrooms and a cafeteria at this point.

Desert Sun reporters Erin Rode and Ema Sasic contributed to this story.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: 8 Weekend 1 Coachella sets and the Coachella Valley icons they remind us of