Outkast, Pharrell Williams top L.A. Times readers' Coachella picks

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Visiting from Sydney are Katherine Looveer, 23, left, and Maisie Cao, 22, at day three of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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Carolina Corral, 23, left, from San Diego, and Alberto Casto, 26, from Los Cabos, Mexico, at the Coachella Festival. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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Friends from England -- Helena Wootton, left, with her husband, John Riley, and Siobhan and Paul Bradshaw -- pause for a picture at Coachella. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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Rosalie Barnes, 37, of Oakland, is volunteering as a guide for the large-scale moving sculpture “Escape Velocity” at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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Logan Mirto, 41, of San Francisco, at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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Travis Puglisi, 33, of Joshua Tree, holds a remote that controls the left arm of the large-scale moving sculpture “Escape Velocity” at Coachella. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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Jonathan Falconer, 27, of Salt Lake City, at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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Brian Prugach, 26, of New York City, got out the black marker for the Coachella festival. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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Dan Kujat, 32, of Los Angeles, rocks a thin mohawk hair style at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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Brothers Carlos Reyes, 29, left, and Joshua Reyes, 23, right, wear caps at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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Textiles flow behind L.A. resident Anna Bliss, 24, at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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Ramiro Magana, 20 of Cathedral City says he sports a handlebar mustache every year at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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Charles Du, 30, of Santa Monica catches some air at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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Ice cream vendor Manuel Leon, 29, of Los Angeles at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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Isabel Rodriguez, 19, left, Andrea Ramirez, 20, and Fabiola Rodriguez, 17, all from Venezuela, at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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Tim Lin and girlfriend Nicole Wong, both 22 and from San Luis Obispo, at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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Sarah Nathan, 26, of Los Angeles snaps pictures at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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“Becoming Human,” an art installation, at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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Courtnea Kimble, 21, of Atlanta at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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Jay Shah, 34, of Duarte, at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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Chris Dunn, 38, of Vista in San Diego County wears his hair in a ponytail at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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Athena Medina, 26, of Lahaina, Hawaii, is attending the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival for the third time. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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Chris Nonell, 28, of Chico attends the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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Kat Ortega, 19, left, and friend Jillian Morobito, both of Los Angeles, enjoy watermelon at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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Rich Bertrand, 40, of San Francisco, at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 11, 2014, in Indio. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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Izzy Cox, 8, left, and her brother Cavan Cox, 10, of San Diego at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 11, 2014, in Indio. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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Lindsay Clarke, 28, of Long Beach, at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 11, 2014 in Indio. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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Friends from left, Laurel Madsen, 23, Zac Penix, 23, Rhett Kemp, 24, and Sabrina Juarez, 21, all from San Diego at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 11, 2014, in Indio. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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Rhett Kemp, 24, right, and girlfriend Sabrina Juarez, 21, at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 11, 2014, in Indio. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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John Kearney, 29, of Fullerton at his third Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 11, 2014, in Indio. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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Ricky Carter, 22, of San Clemente at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 11, 2014, in Indio. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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James Stark, 26, of Miami at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 11, 2014, in Indio. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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Niamh Watmore, 28, from London at her first Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 11, 2014, in Indio. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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Mogley Spencer, 21, keeps a positive vibe as he tries to buy tickets for the sold-out first day of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio on April 11, 2014. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

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Alice Hamer, 22, of Bath, England, watches Tom ODell perform at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 11, 2014, in Indio. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

By Andrea Wangwriter

April 25, 2014 2:09 PM PT

You did it. You survived Coachella 2014. Here’s a look back at the festival’s most memorable moments and the most popular musicians there — according to our readers.

While our music staff compiled its list of “must see” talent, we asked you to plot your stage-hopping journey with our interactive schedule. With those results, we’ve narrowed down the acts L.A. Times readers were most excited to see.

L.A. Times readers’ top 10 Coachella picks (multiple bands on a line indicate ties):

1. Outkast
2. Pharrell Williams
3. Calvin Harris
4. Bastille, Disclosure, Lana Del Rey
5. Arcade Fire, Kid Cudi, Nas
6. Chvrches, Empire of the Sun
7. Ellie Goulding
8. Martin Garrix
9. Skrillex
10. Capital Cities, Lorde

So, did the 166-plus performers, an olio of personalities despite a strong EDM presence, exceed expectations or land flat? Weekend 2 saw unpolished acts shine bright with renewed vigor and bands that struck a chord Weekend 1 elicited only louder cheers their second time on stage.

Outkast’s long-anticipated reunion drew mixed reviews, but the duo made major improvements to its production, set and demeanor in Round 2. Pharrell ended his Coachella debut in retreat after losing his voice to nasty desert elements, but he amped up his subsequent Saturday with heavy-hitters like Jay Z (whose wife Beyonce sneaked into the Gobi tent to show sister Solange some love on Weekend 1), T.I. and Usher.

Arcade Fire grew more defiant, pranking festival goers by inviting Daft Punk imposters to aid them in a down-tempo version of “Get Lucky.” And all eyes were on the sultry Lana Del Rey and a lucky fan as she slinked into the crowd and planted a smooch on his cheek, sans the $1,100 leather boots a fashion brand hoped she’d don. The Sahara tent, boasting performances by Empire of the Sun, Skrillex and Zedd, was unmatched in its intensity.

Coachella 2014 also gave way to many firsts. Punky, seventh-grade metal band Unlocking the Truth was by far the youngest band to play in the festival’s history. More female artists got locked in to this year’s lineup than ever before, though just 16 strong. Attendees with extra cash could now indulge in a four-course meal, or avoid traffic with an intimate airplane flight. The L.A. Times taped its first exclusive acoustic session featuring singer ZZ Ward.

As for new festival trends: More audiences went stage-hopping in search of hits, as was the case with Bastille. Fashion-wise, thousands lined up for a Sephora makeover (including our reporter Todd Martens), and everyone brought their best desert concert outfit.

The Empire Polo Club grounds emptied as quickly as they filled, only to get packed again for this year’s sold out Stagecoach Country Music Festival, which runs from April 25-27, 2014. Check back soon for news and photos from Stagecoach 2014.

Outkast, Pharrell Williams top L.A. Times readers’ Coachella picks

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