Coachella Goes Back in Time

Indie festival taps Pink Floyd frontman Roger Waters as closing-night headliner

By Sarah Hall Jan 22, 2008 7:09 PMTags

Coachella's indie roots will be watered down with classic rock this year.

Pink Floyd frontman Roger Waters has been tapped for the festival's closing slot, performing the band's 1973 opus, Dark Side of the Moon, in its entirety, organizers announced.

The full lineup for the 2008 edition of the music festival was revealed Monday at a news conference in Mexico, with mellow rocker Jack Johnson and trip-hop trio Portishead set to hold down the other two headlining slots.

Other highlights at this year's Coachella include Kraftwerk, the Breeders, the Verve, Death Cab for Cutie, My Morning Jacket, Rilo Kiley, the Raconteurs and Fatboy Slim.

As soon as the official lineup was announced, message boards were jammed with reactions from fans, many disappointed that some of the bands most mentioned by the rumor mill in recent weeks—among them Radiohead, David Bowie, No Doubt and My Bloody Valentine—were absent from the bill.

Nor did the headliners meet with universal approval, considering that the festival has upped the ante in years past by featuring reunions of bands such as the Pixies and Rage Against the Machine. Somehow Jack Johnson, whose most recent album was the soundtrack to 2006's Curious George, failed to generate the same levels of excitement.

Also at Monday's conference, promoter Goldenvoice revealed the launch of a new three-day festival in New Jersey, dubbed the All Points West Music & Arts Festival. The inaugural event is due to take place at Liberty State Park in Jersey City, Aug. 8-10.

The three-day Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival is scheduled for Apr. 25-27 at the Empire Polo Fields in Indio, California. Tickets go on sale Friday, with a single-day pass retailing for $90 and a three-day pass going for $269.