Ask anyone what they thought of Coachella, and instantly his or her face lights up with unrestrained joy. Amazing cannot come close to describing Coachella because if it did, the experience’s euphoria would have worn off by now.

DAY ONE
A sea of hands accessorized with cameras fought for a shot of Zooey Deschanel and her band She & Him. The sweet singer capitalizes on one thing, being adorable. She bounced up and down with excitement and she charmed. Unfortunately, Deschanel made several mistakes on the piano and made it known on her face. Perhaps she left the audience wanting more, but she disappointed when she left the stage early.

Before they came on stage, there was a buzz in the air for Passion Pit. Hands down, this band evoked the highest crowd energy. In the middle of the set, the lead singer admitted to Coachella being their biggest show yet. To top it off, Passion Pit fished a camera out of his pocket to take a picture of the audience because “this was the best moment of [his] life.” The poppy beats already made Passion Pit lovable, but the audience was enamored with their personality.

DAY TWO
“It’s a magical, mystery kind”- that’s the Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros experience, to quote their song “40 Days.” The charismatic band of ten folksy musicians graced the “Wizard of Oz” themed set with no premeditated act planned, which made room for spontaneity. Perhaps the mishaps such as Edward Sharpe accidentally dropping the mic stand on an audience member made it my favorite performance. The audience could feel Edward Sharpe’s love, both for his fiancee onstage and the audience (especially when he wrapped his shirt around the man who felt the blow of the mic stand).

The Dirty Projectors captivated listeners with their vocals that sounded like songbirds. The Edward Sharpe’s pianist, Tay Strathairn, clad his highlighter pink sweater, was in attendance as well. He commented on the what performing is like.

“It’s really interesting playing for such a huge audience,” Strathairn said. “It’s crazy. I’m just so grateful for everyone that came. I think it was our biggest show yet.”

For the rest of the show we stood listening to The Dirty Projectors’ show and exchanged comments in between songs.

“They’re brilliant!” Strathairnsaid. “Their sound is just so on. I have such respect for what they do.”

First row viewers of Muse endured a tightly packed crowd and bruises on their ribs from being pressed against the fence. Muse’s songs have intensity to begin with, but live performance projects the passion behind the moving music. Even the light show had images that enhanced the performance, such as videos of riots to compliment the feeling behind the song “Resistance.” When the audience demanded encore, it became clear why Muse was intoxicating. Beyond the lights and strong bass, their music evokes emotion and keeps audiences wanting more.

DAY THREE
The Brooklyn-based, brother-sister act Matt & Kim made their poppy keyboard and energetic drums come even more alive. Not only did Kim have a smile from ear to ear throughout their set, she also had crude yet hilarious wit. Matt & Kim improvised popular tunes in between songs such as ballpark theme song “Rock n’ Roll Part II.” From beginning to end, Matt & Kim truly entertained by showcasing their high-energy music along with their bubbly personalities.

The edgy animation in itself serves as entertainment, but the Gorillaz knew how to put on a show. With a short film for each song, the rappers collaborated with a small, sailor uniform clad orchestra. The Gorillaz’s new album happened to top their prior work in my opinion, so live performance enhanced the newness of their work.

The 2010 lineup ensured a phenominal weekend, but the element of surprise in every performance will keep audiences from across the world flocking to Coachella Valleyfor the yearly concert.