Lana Del Rey did what Lana Del Rey does — languid songs of love and loss, drenched in romance and longing — and for her fans at Coachella for her headline set on Friday that was perfect.
Sure, the songs all unfold at the same mid-tempo, and the themes don’t vary all that much, but Lana lulled ’em to ecstasy anyway in a show that finally pepped up when Billie Eilish showed up to duet on a pair of songs.
Jon Batiste and Jack Antonoff, both of whom will perform later this weekend, and both of whom have collaborated with Del Rey, also popped out to accompany her on piano. Or, we should say, Batiste accompanied Del Rey. Anotonoff accompanied a hologram of the singer-songwriter. a Lana-gram, if you will.
Del Rey and her backing singers arrived at the stage in style, riding on the backs of slow-moving motorcycles on a path between the barriers that kept the crowd corralled. She walked, or maybe sashayed, on stage in a sparkly baby blue skirt and bikini top with knee-high silver boots.
Del Rey opened her 90-minute set Del Rey with “Without You,” one of four songs from her official debut album “Born To Die,” in her show. Other highlights early in her set included a cover of the Sublime song “Doin’ Time,” which slipped into “Summertime Sadness” and from there into “Cherry.”
Her crowd wasn’t close to the biggest ones for past Coachella headliners, and it dwindled over the hour and half she sang, likely due to the chill wind that swept through the festival grounds after nightfall.
“Pretty When You Cry” saw Del Rey and her backing singers and dancers singing and moving as they lay on an ocean-blue stage floor, their movements reminiscent of a very tired group of Busby Berkeley swimmers. Our group chat started joking about Del Rey’s minimal choreography: She stood! She’s singing one seated! She’s alive!
Pianist Batiste came out to accompany her on “Candy Necklace,” a song he also played on her most recent album, “Do You Know There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd.” (She sang this one sitting on top of the grand piano.)
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Billie Eilish appeared next, joining Del Rey on a balcony on the fairytale castle-like set on stage. Giggling at times, and with a big grin on her face throughout, they duetted on Eilish’s “Ocean Eyes” and then Del Rey’s “Video Games.” It was a welcome jolt of energy, and a highlight of the night.
Jack Antonoff, who produced the last record, accompanied the Lana-gram 3000 — these things are better with a number on the end, right? — before “A&W” and “Young and Beautiful” wrapped up the night. Fireworks erupted, Lana and the ladies got back on back on their motorcycle daddies’ hogs, and cruised off into the night. Young, beautiful, sad, in love, or maybe not.
It was a very good show, but was it a great Coachella headlining set? Hmm. I’d have loved it in a theater. Let’s leave it at that.
