Coachella 2023: Festivalgoers mosh and sing to The Garden's Friday night set
The Garden's Friday night set at the Gobi tent began with utter darkness. An ominous backing track played, complete with a jester's laugh in keeping with the band's look.
The two-piece experimental indie rock band comes from Orange County and consists of brothers Wyatt (bass guitar) and Fletcher Shears (drums).
Once the flashing yellow and white lights turned on, Fletcher Shears played a short yet energetic drum solo, with a cigarette in his mouth, to set the mood and get the crowd ready for the show that was upon them during Weekend 2 of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
The crowd only filled half the Gobi tent, but their presence was mighty. An eclectic bunch, they sported various hair colors, makeup that resembled the duo's on-stage jester look and, in one person's case, a banana costume.
It did not take long for a mosh pit to form inside the Gobi. The circle pit was large and erupted from the center of the crowd. The festivalgoers who did not want to take part in the rowdy dancing immediately scattered to the edges of the tent as other fans enthusiastically rushed to the pit.
The mosh pit dancers threw kicks and punches as they ran along the perimeter of the pit. Many of them bumped into each other, but it was all in camaraderie. A person fell down when the crowd was at its most hectic, and the people within the mosh pit stopped dancing to help the person get back up.
One of the songs the got the biggest crowd reaction was "AMPM Truck," which prompted audience members to sing along, chanting: "I can't fall asleep at the wheel."
However, there were more mellow moments in the set to take a break from the band's usual frenetic and high-tempo music.
The band played one of their older tracks, "Egg," from their 2015 album "haha." At this point, Wyatt Shears took his large leather coat off, revealing the denim vest he wore underneath.
"These fragile eggs will likely crack, unless you pick another track," audience members sang in melodic unison.
One of those fans singing along was Marcine Licea from Indio.
"Do I really think I'm at my best?" she belted out during the emotional peak of the song.
This was not the first time she has seen The Garden perform. Licea saw a 2019 show when the band opened for Mac Demarco.
Going into it, she wasn't expecting much from the Coachella festival crowd. She recalled getting stage dived on at the 2019 show by the band's lead singer, which put a smile on her face.Wyatt Shears did not do any stage diving this Friday night, but Licea stilled had great time, as evidenced by how often she sang along.
Kevin Caparoso is a features intern who covers arts and life around the Coachella Valley. His internship is funded by the Coachella Vally Journalism Foundation. Follow him on Twitter at @kevydean or email him at KCaparoso@gannet.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Coachella 2023: Festivalgoers mosh to The Garden's Friday night set
