Cut Copy Causes Dance Party at Coachella 2011

Playing to a packed Mojave tent just after dark in the desert, Australian synth-pop darlings Cut Copy provided the Coachella crowd a much needed burst of dance-rock energy on Friday night (April 15).

While their set would probably have been better suited for the Outdoor, open air stage, the band started their set off authoritatively with the rocking 'Nobody Lost, Nobody Found,' from their breakout sophomore album, 'In Ghost Colours,' sparking the crowd into a huge singalong of the "burning in the face of love" refrain.
"Coachella!" shouted frontman Dan Whitford. "It's good to be back! It's like an oasis!" The band then launched into the catchy "Feel the Love," another 'In Ghost Colours' standout, inspiring even more deafening crowd participation.

"F--k this old s--t, we're gonna play some songs from 'Zonoscope!'" Dan announced after the song's end, triggering the spacey first notes of 'Corner of the Sky,' from their recently-released third LP. The crowd, ranging in age and appearance from finger-pointing fraternity-aged dance-bros to 50-something music lovers who knew every word, responded well, but were clearly less familiar with the 'Zonoscope' material, which was released this past February.

It became clear when the band began to play 'Lights and Music,' that 'In Ghost Colours' was overwhelming the crowd's favorite, and perhaps their introduction to the Melbourne band's music; even the fan favorite 'Saturdays,' from their 2004 debut 'Bright Like Neon Love', did not elicit an equivalent response.

Alternately jumping and clapping to sequenced synths and rocking out to their more New Wave-inspired songs, the highlight of Cut Copy's set on Friday night was undeniably their exultant performance of 'Hearts on Fire,' which stirred the crowd into a dancefloor frenzy during the its party-sax build, heightened by Dan's enthusiastic direction "Alright Coachella, you know what to do!" at the song's peak.

Though the set took a somewhat downward turn with their more somber 'Need You Now,' and their bittersweet 'Out There on the Ice' to conclude the night, still the whole tent was smiling at the end and chanting the hook "if thats what it takes, then don't let it tear us apart/ Even if it breaks your heart!"