Coachella Day 2: Everything Looks Perfect From Far Away

Yesterday Coachella was the breeding ground for tons of band reunions – but the biggest highlight for me was seeing The Postal Service live for the first (and possibly only time.) It has been about eight years since Ben Gibbard, Jimmy Tamborello and Jenny Lewis became active again as The Postal Service, and they gave the Coachella valley a very endearing performance.

After playing about three songs Ben greeted the crowd and said, “We’re an imaginary band, The Postal Service.” Although I was in a huge field with thousands of people I felt a connection to the performance. It’s been 10 years since The Postal Service released their only full-length album Give Up but even with only one LP, TPS managed to cultivate a loyal fan base. There was even a group of fans dressed in US Postal Service uniforms.

Photo courtesy of Los Angeles Times..

Ben and Jenny had some very sweet moments, putting down their instruments and singing to each other during “Nothing Better.” When they went into “Such Great Heights” later in the set everyone went crazy, but hearing that song live brought me right back to when I first heard it. 2004, summer, my buddy Ryan’s house while we were swimming in his above ground pool. I think it was the first time I had heard any electronic influences in music. It was a lunching off point for me to discover a whole new world of music and later and obsession with Death Cab For Cuties’ 2005 release Plans. Ben left us with an ambiguous statement regarding their return beyond this anniversary tour – so fingers crossed they get back to that second LP they were working on back in 2007.

So yes standing in the valley with the palm trees changing from orange, to red, to pink – and yellow balloons arched in the sky – made for a very special scene from far away.

You can watch the full-set that was streamed on YouTube below.

Will you try and catch The Postal Service live?

Let’s talk music, let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

Coachella Day 1: A Little Bit Closer