Despite the oppressive temperatures associated with the “City of Festivals,” Sabrina Carpenter turned up the heat during her set at this year’s Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival with a cameo-filled performance featuring actors like Susan Sarandon, Will Ferrell, Samuel L. Jackson, and Sam Elliot.
During her headlining Old-Hollywood-themed performance, Sabby shared a show-stopping set that paid tribute to Alfred Hitchcock, The Wizard of Oz, and Snakes on a Plane. The chart-topping pop star opened her set with a black-and-white short film in which she played a character reminiscent of a “Hitchcock Blonde,” driving down a desolate highway at night in a 1950s classic car while singing along to Kool & the Gang’s “Hollywood Swinging.” With Psycho vibes on display, police lights flare in her rearview, eventually revealing a creepy police officer played by Sam Elliott, who hounds her about her nightly activities.
After Sabrina escapes the disturbing grill session, we discover that she’s driving toward Coachella. When she gets out of the car, the black-and-white presentation transforms into Technicolor, similar to 1939’s The Wizard of Oz. There’s even a Yellow Brick Road tribute in the form of a Hollywood Walk of Fame leading toward the festival’s main stage.
The crowd nearly passed out when Sarandon showed up, portraying an older version of the “Manchild” singer, as she delivered a monologue in the middle of Carpenter’s set. Sarandon’s speech, shared from the seat of a classic car at a drive-in, reflected on “what it was like to be a star” back when days were golden. Carpenter’s former Girl Meets World co-star, Corey Fogelmanis, arrives to give “Sabrina” her check before continuing with the performance.
Later in the set, Carpenter’s performance of “Bad Chem” leads to a faux power outage, prompting a quick repair from the fest’s on-call electrician, played by Will Ferrell. Ferrell’s character complained about the job, telling the crowd he thought he was working at Stagecoach, not Coachella. As it happens, Stagecoach happens the weekend after Coachella. Check your calendar, Will.
Finally, Samuel L. Jackson made a voiceover cameo during Carpenter’s performance of “Juno,” which, near the end, included a reference to Jackson’s Snakes on a Plane. After a gong was struck, the show paused, making way for Jackson’s melodic vocals and instructions.
“Hello, Coachella, this is your spiritual guide,” Jackson said, as if hearing the voice of God. “I’m here to take you motherfuckers on this journey to relaxation.” After guiding the crowd through a brief tour of peace, asking them to breathe in the Indio dust, Jackson concluded his contribution by saying, “Now, Sabrina, finish the motherfucking song!”
Man, I’ve not wanted to return to the Indio Desert to attend Coachella in a long time, but this performance is making me miss the sweaty magic of that festival. I traveled from New York to California to attend Coachella 2006, with bands like: Tool, Depeche Mode, Daft Punk, Madonna, Sigur Rós, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Digable Planets, Scissor Sisters, Mogwai, Animal Collective, and more leading the fest. It was a hot, enchanting weekend filled with surprises, in-fighting among my group, swollen feet, and lots of visits to the Budweiser AC tent and oxygen bar. At 45, I don’t think I’m built for music festivals anymore, but then again, there aren’t many happening in my area of Canada. I would have loved to be there for Sabrina Carpenter’s set. It sounds like it was quite special.
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