Paul McCartney Ignites Coachella

The troubled economy couldn’t stop this year’s Coachella Music and Arts Festival, which delivered an unforgettable weekend of music from a typically diverse lineup of bands, including Paul McCartney, Leonard Cohen, the Killers, My Bloody Valentine and Morrissey.

McCartney’s three-hour set was heavy on nostalgia, opening with 1971’s “Jet” and ending with the Beatles’ “The End.” Other Beatles songs peppered into his performance included “Get Back,” “Hey Jude,” “Eleanor Rigby,” and “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.” McCartney also dedicated an emotional “My Love” to Linda McCartney; the evening fell on the 11th anniversary of her death.

The Killers brought Saturday evening to a close with songs from their latest album, Day and Age, and a cover of Joy Division’s “Shadowplay.” Morrissey, a staunch vegitarian, was haunted by the smell of burning meat products from nearby vendors. “The “meat is murder” singer gifted the audience with classic Smiths songs like “Ask Me,” “Girlfriend In A Coma,” and “How Soon is Now.” “I can smell burning flesh and I hope to God it’s human,” he quipped from the stage.

Other highlights of the Festival included high-energy performances from M.I.A., the Black Keys, Conor Oberst, The Airborne Toxic Event, TV on the Radio and Franz Ferdinand.

Too bad Rihanna wasn’t there to sing about her “Coachella, chella, chella.”

This article has been corrected from a previous version.