Jane's Addiction's Festival Relapse

Just ask Perry Farrell--who dove into another frantic relapse Saturday in front of more than 30,000 fans at the eclectic Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Dressed in an ivory-white pimp outfit, the band's lanky frontman swaggered to the stage and triumphantly nodded to the crowd, chugging a bottle of red wine and howling into the black desert sky.

With a tip of his fly-guy hat, Farrell inquired: "And how long has it been?"

Four years, the fans lovingly responded. After a successful comeback and tour in 1997, the seminal Los Angeles alt-rock outfit has once again reunited, this time boasting a new batch of solo albums and some ambitious summer plans--namely, to once again reshape the way people enjoy concerts.

Farrell has done it before, shepherding the hugely successful Lollapalooza festival in 1991. It's now a decade later, and with his new album, Songs Yet to Be Sung, due June 19, Farrell, guitarist Dave Navarro (whose own solo disc, Trust No One, is due in June) and drummer Stephen Perkins are hoping to do it again with Jubilee--a traveling festival featuring a mix of rock and electronic artists to challenge music goers.

Given their plans, it seems only fitting that (aside from a warmup date last week in Santa Barbara) Jane's Addiction chose to make its much-anticipated return with a gig at the Coachella Festival. Just two years after its acclaimed debut (in which Farrell performed solo), the Southern California concert has earned renown for introducing a European influence and welcoming a diverse mix of performers--this year ranging from the geeky-pop stylings of Weezer, to the earnest hip-hop of the Roots and the manic electronica of the Chemical Brothers.

The idea of mixing main-stage performers with dance-tent DJs has apparently caught on, and two famous Coachella alums are now creating their own alternative festivals to hit the road this summer. Aside from Jane's Addiction's Jubilee, Moby has announced his own plans for "Area: One," an extravaganza featuring pop-rock stars like Nelly Furtado and Incubus, alongside DJ Paul Oakenfold and ambient mainstays the Orb. The 18-date festival kicks off July 11 in Atlanta.

While such gatherings have been going on in Europe for years, Saturday's second installment of Coachella proved the idea can work here in the U.S. A peaceful (if not downright friendly) contingent of hipsters, ravers and college-radio listeners all converged on a well-manicured polo field surrounded by palm trees in the middle of nowhere--better known as Indio, California, just east of Palm Springs.

Concert goers, undaunted by the 100-degree weather, took in 14 hours of music from some 50 different acts, including Iggy Pop, the Dandy Warhols, Nikka Costa, Mos Def and Fatboy Slim, who presided over a sweat-filled tent the size of two football fields.

Jane's Addiction, meanwhile, headlined the main stage, as the group smiled approvingly at each other and launched into a string of old favorites, including "Mountain Song," "Three Days" and "Jane Says." All the while, a rotating crop of dancers (among them cheerleaders, flamenco dancers and confetti-shooting soldiers who looked like Planet of the Apes extras) joined them onstage for the carnival-style spectacle.

Even Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea can't seem to shake Jane's Addiction. Although the band announced that former Porno for Pyros bassist Martyn Le Noble this summer would replace Flea (who replaced original member Eric Avery during Jane's 1997 tour), it still didn't stop the Chili Pepper from making a surprise entrance Saturday. Dressed in purple, Flea appeared for a bass solo during "Been Caught Stealing," and then stayed with the group for the most of its set.

Once an addict, always an addict.