Prince outshines Jack Johnson at Coachella fest

By Darryl Morden

INDIO, California (Hollywood Reporter) - Prince brought down the sonic purple rain on the second day of the Coachella Valley Arts and Music Festival Saturday.

On a day of sweltering heat, he took the stage at the Empire Polo Field in Indio, Calif., nearly a half-hour late (blame arty, trip-hop Portishead, also running behind), coming on like Prince of the '80s, helped by an all-star revue. Cronies Morris Day of the Time slipped into "Jungle Love," and percussionist Sheila E. sang "The Glamorous Life."

Following a Santana-like Afro-Cuban jam, he kicked into "1999," and the party was on. The hit-filled set also included "Little Red Corvette," "U Got the Look" and surprise covers of Radiohead's "Creep" and the Beatles' "Come Together."

It was all a marked contrast to Friday's kinder, slightly breezy weather, capped by top-billed mellow man Jack Johnson. His easygoing, toes-in-the-sand songs included the acoustic-based "Flake" and "Hope" plus a beach shack-style cover of Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love."

Despite Johnson's headline status, the day's finest performances came on the secondary Outdoor Theatre in back-to-back sets from Ireland's Swell Season and Brooklyn's the National. The "Once" duo of Glen Hansard and musical/romantic partner Marketa Irglova were warmly engaging with their delicate yet also intense songs, including the Oscar-winning "Falling Slowly," which brought a crowd sing-along from the heart, plus covers of Kraftwerk (who also played Saturday) and the Pixies.

The National's mix of emotionally claustrophobic vocals giving way to bursts of guitar and flashes of lyrical piano punctuated by horns found the band reaching for epic greatness. New York's overhyped Vampire Weekend, on the other hand, had no teeth, no bite, just preppy party boys-do-Afro-pop with empty airy guitar lines.

Reunited after a decade, the Verve's wall-of-sound Britrock on the main stage climaxed with the inevitable "Bittersweet Symphony," while the Raconteurs, which includes the White Stripes' Jack White, showcased blistering, greasy, blues-drenched garage rock.

Saturday, the Outdoor Theatre saw Los Angeles Celtic-punks Flogging Molly deliver a winning, Guinness-worthy set. Earlier, U.K. producer-musician Mark Ronson was joined by members of Kaiser Chiefs and Klaxons, Steven Malkmus and the Jicks unleashed fuzztone-drenched indie rock, and Rilo Kiley played smartly crafted funky pop.