The All-Time Top Festival Sets from Desert Trip Headliners

Article by: Emily Ward|@_drawylime

Thu October 06, 2016 | 00:00 AM


Megafestival lineups these days tend to retain a smattering of pop music's hottest, that one big EDM act, a rapper or two, some flavor-of-the-year indie rock, a touch of folk, and a classic rock headliner for taste. If you're one of those folks who shells out the big bucks just for the classic rockers, Desert Trip is this weekend's classic rock smorgasbord going down in Indio, California and it's right up your alley. Big time. Only six rock acts will take the stage at the Empire Polo Grounds, but you don't need a to know The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan & His Band, Paul McCartney, Neil Young & Promise of the Real, Roger Waters (of Pink Floyd fame), and The Who are the cream of the classic rock crop. This is it. The big guns are out. 

Indio is the California capital of an intriguing slate of mega-festivals. Each year, the smoke has only barely cleared on April's massive two-weekend Coachella bender when country megafest Stagecoach rolls the pickups into town. And now, exactly six months later,  Desert Trip happening October 4-6 and October 11-13, will be a gathering of classic rock's most legendary artists with incomparable contributions to music. Call it "Oldchella," whatever you want – this one will go down in history books. Two weekends, six acts, and oodles of nostalgia. We combed through these legends' festival performances, and found a few of our favorites. It's a blast to the past, coming your way.

The Rolling Stones: Isle of Wight, 2007, Seaclose Park, United Kingdom

Word on the street is that The Rolling Stones will release a blues album later this month – their 25th studio album since the band's birth in 1962. It's perfect timing for a huge show, as their set will likely unveil new tracks. This 17-minute-medley, from 2007's Isle of Wight Festival in Seaclose Park, United Kingdom, shows the rambunctious band in top form.  Mick Jagger (in a fantastic red glittery duster coat, damn), Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood and Charlie Watts rev the crowd with "Start Me Up," "Sympathy for the Devil," and "Ain't Too Proud to Beg," (with a surprise appearance from Amy Winehouse, RIP), making for a high-energy, high-octane set from the guys who just. can't. stop. 

Paul McCartney: Glastonbury 2014, Pilton, England

 

Paul McCartney needs no introduction. With a solo career that's stretched long past The Beatles' days of glory, he more than knows how to hold his own on stage for hours at a time. At almost all of his festival appearances, he whips out "Hey Jude," perhaps one of the most universally loved crowd-pleasers in music history. Glastonbury 2004 was a lucky beneficiary of Sir Paul's touring schedule that year, and the resulting set is a delight. Macca knows how to work a crowd (his charisma and charming smile certainly help), and the adoring masses at The Pyramid Stage were more than happy to sing along with Sir Paul's direction.

Bob Dylan: Newport Folk Festival, 1964, Newport, Rhode Island

Bob Dylan and The Newport Folk Festival have a long and illustrious history. The fest put Dylan on the map as a major player in the folk rock scene, and was his first major exposure to the national stage. Newport Folk was also the first place Dylan "went electric" in 1965 with "Like A Rolling Stone." This 1964 footage, an excellent snapshot of the enigmatic musician, features a tender rendition of "Mr. Tambourine Man." The nostalgia is dialed up in this performance, with superb quality to boot.

Neil Young: Roskilde Festival 2016, Roskilde, Denmark

A festival like Desert Trip is the perfect showcase for a sonically heartwrenching wordsmith like Neil Young; there's no chance the event's producers won't pull out all the stops on production value, so Young's singular voice will be well-served. Harmonicas, guitar licks and captivating lyrics are Neil Young staples, and he pulled them all out most recently at Roskilde Festival for "Heart of Gold," a hit off his the seminal 1972 album Harvest Moon. Young is a co-founder and host of The Bridge School Benefit , an all-acoustic showcase with a festival-like atmosphere that is held for charity each year in Mountain View, California. Young's style has influenced many genres over the years, including rock, grunge, folk and punk rock, and whether solo or with a backing band, he knows how to wow festival crowds.

Roger Waters: Coachella 2008, Indio, California

 

Man, what a trip. Those eerie moons, coupled with Roger Waters' haunting vocals, was an aesthetic and aural swirl at Coachella's main stage in 2008. The familiar melody of "Speak To Me/Breathe in the Air," drifts through the air to the far reaches of the crowd for the ultimate atmospheric effect. Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon is just one of those albums, and we're stoked to see Roger Waters bring it back again and again. And a bonus? There will undoubtedly be many tracks from The Wall, as well.

The Who: New Orleans JazzFest 2015, New Orleans, Louisiana

 

"Baba O'Reilly," known familiarly for its "Teenage Wasteland" chorus, packed a punch for the elated crowd at New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival back in 2015 when the band hit the road again for "The Who Hits 50!" tour. Anthemic and stirring, lead singer Pete Townsend gets a little shaky on vocals a few times, but it doesn't distract from the band crushing it after all these years. The Who still blows you away.

But Also, The Who: Live at Woodstock, 1969, Bethel, New York

Because Woodstock, and because they performed almost all of their legendary album, Tommy.

What's your favorite classic rock festival performance of all time? Did we miss any?

Desert Trip 2016 Lineup

Photo by: Desert Trip