The Go-Go’s had blazed through half a dozen songs, many of them deep cuts from their debut album “Beauty and the Beat,” when Billie Joe Armstrong sauntered on stage late Friday afternoon. The crowd at the Outdoor Stage roared as the Green Day frontman, whose band headlines Coachella on Saturda y, joined Go-Go’s singer Belinda Carlisle on “Head Over Heels,” taking the lead vocal and adding his guitar to those of Go-Go’s guitarists Charlotte Caffey and Kathy Valentine. Fridays at Coachella start a little slowly, even more so on a day when temperatures topped 100 degrees before the gates opened at 1 p.m. Still, those who arrived early had plenty of great artists to choose from. Our music team scattered across the festival grounds in search of special moments like Armstrong’s surprise appearance in the Go-Go’s set. Here are highlights of what they found at the Coachella Valley Music Arts Festival in Indio on Friday. Glixen While the sun was glaring in the sky, Glixen was bringing a shadowy force of ’90s nostalgia to the Sonora tent. The group dressed in all black, sporting jeans at the hip and studded belts, a call back to the era when Hot Topic was the most eerie store at the mall. The music from the shoegaze outfit out of Phoenix, Arizona, could easily be part of an early 2000s horror soundtrack. —Charlie Vargas The band Glixen performs in the Sonora tent during day one of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio on Friday, April 11, 2025. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG) Thee Sacred Souls Thee Sacred Souls brought a wave of old-school soul and romance to the Coachella Stage with a set that opened on a high note with “Will I See You Again?” The crowd swayed along as lead singer Josh Lane asked, “Has anybody ever experienced a romantic relationship not working out?” before gliding into the smooth groove of “Easier Said Than Done.” Their live horn section added a nice warmth, bringing a nostalgic blend of Chicano soul and classic RB. Before closing, they encouraged fans to tell someone they love them, saying, “If there’s somebody out there that you love right now, tell them they make it easy.” The band delivered a heartfelt performance of their most beloved tracks like “Can I Call You Rose,” reminding the crowd why they’re such a standout in the modern soul revival. The Go-Go’s The Go-Go’s set also featured the full reunion of the band with drummer Gina Schock rejoining for the first time since 2022. Their set opened with “Vacation” and then dipped into the past with songs such as “Skidmarks on My Heart” and “Unforgiven.” Their set peaked after Armstrong left the stage with “This Town” and “Our Lips Are Sealed” before wrapping up with “We Got the Beat” mashed up with Chappell Roan’s “Hot To Go.” —Peter Larsen Austin Millz Austin Millz brought his signature mix of hip-hop and dance music and had the crowd feeling good at the Sahara tent. What started as a small audience quickly snowballed into avalanches of dancers and fans giving their best ooh-oooh-ahs. Millz also delivered an energetic set mixing the likes of Sean Paul and Panic! at the Disco that matched the party vibe in the crowd. He mentioned that it was special being able to perform at Coachella, and he reciprocated it with a celebratory set that Coachella’s EDM music is known for. —Charlie Vargas Kneecap The rap trio from West Belfast in Northern Ireland delivered a raucous set in the Sonora Tent, mixing party anthems with political screeds against the British rule of their homeland. Rapping mostly in Irish with profane and hilarious banter between songs—”Let’s turn this a wee bit up!” Fans danced and moshed throughout. “We’re not used to this heat,” one told the crowd. “Our pasty Irish skin is crumbling.” Highlights of the set included “Better Way to Live” and “Get Your Brits Out. “H.O.O.D” closed out their performance with Kneecap members Móglaí Bap, and DJ Próvaí both taking turns crowd surfing on the hands of fans. —Peter Larsen KNEECAP perform on the Sonora Tent during the opening day of Weekend One of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio on Friday, April 11, 2025. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, Contributing Photographer) Julie OC-based grunge rock band Julie turned up the energy at the Sonora Stage mid-day around 5 p.m. Their set leaned into raw sound and attitude, with mosh pits erupting throughout. Though light on stage banter, they let the music do the talking, offering a gritty, no-frills performance that resonated with longtime fans. Their brief farewell — “Hi… this is our last song” — kept the mystery intact and matched their low-key punk ethos. Highlights of the set were tracks “Skipping Tiles,” “Flutter,” and “Kit.” Julie perform on the Sonora Tent during the opening day of Weekend One of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio on Friday, April 11, 2025. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, Contributing Photographer) DJO Coachella has always included some talent who have made their way from the big screen to the stage, and this year it was Stranger Things‘ star Joe Kerry’s turn. DJO pronounced (your guess is as good as mine) delivered a performance to the packed Mojave tent. Fans weren’t just there to support one of their favorite actors; they were genuinely feeling the music, singing along, and cheering for their soft and groovy indie favorites, including “End of the Beginning,” which had the crowd so loud you could hear them at the neighboring Gobi tent. Kerry is a natural performer, and if you’d never seen him on screen, there would be no question he’d be deep in his music career. Who’s to say where he’s headed next? Either way, he’s clearly enjoying the ride. —Charlie Vargas Lola Young Singer-songwriter Lola Young comes from the same musical neighborhood as Amy Winehouse and Adele, a soulful RB sound mixed with personal confessional vocals. At 24, her breakout began last year with the single “Messy.” Performing in a packed Mojave Tent, with hundreds of fans watching from outside, Young’s powerful voice delivered chills on “You Noticed” and had the crowd dancing happily at the one-two finish of “Messy” and “Conceited,” two of the songs that have accelerated her career in recent months. That she did it all after getting physically sick, asking for a bucket and walking off stage for a month after her first song, made her performance on Friday all the more impressive. —Peter Larsen Tyla Tyla, the breakout South African pop star, made her Coachella debut feel intimate—even though she had the entire Outdoor Stage crowd at her fingertips. “This is my first time at Coachella ever,” she told fans. “You guys give me so much energy.” That energy was mutual. Midway through her set, she surprised the crowd by bringing out Becky G for their collaboration “On My Body,” sending fans into a screaming frenzy. It was a sweet moment between two powerhouse performers, especially as Becky G has a history with Coachella—she performed her own set in 2022 and made a guest appearance last year during Peso Pluma’s set. Tyla closed with her viral hit “Water” and the romantic “Make Me Sway,” dancing while completely drenched, something she’s already known for doing. Tyla, right, performs on the Outdoor stage during day one of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio on Friday, April 11, 2025. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG) Benson Boone Toward the end of Benson Boone’s inspired set, he announced his sophomore album “American Heart” would drop this year on June 20 to a dense crowd of screaming fans. As if the audience wasn’t already hyped, Boone then took the stage for his next song, donning a monarch’s imperial robe before breaking into Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.” He embodied Freddie Mercury with his range and stage presence, but then, in a uniquely Boone move, he dropped the robe before hitting one of his signature backflips. The highlight of the performance was Queen guitarist Brian May rising from a platform below the stage to play the iconic guitar riffs alongside Boone. The crowd went wild! Benson Boonse performs on the Coachella Stage during the opening day of Weekend One of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio on Friday, April 11, 2025. 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