Prince at Coachella: Art or Commercial?

Perfumer, musician, and world's sexiest vegetarian Prince will headline the second day of the Coachella music festival (April 25-27) in Indio, California. Reportedly paid $4.8 million for the performance, his last-minute addition to the lineup has fueled speculation that he was only brought in to boost ticket sales. We're not so much buying that argument, though. It's not like Portishead, the Raconteurs, Death Cab for Cutie, Aphex Twin, the Breeders, Fatboy Slim, M.I.A., the National, Hot Chip, Animal Collective, Kate Nash, Vampire Weekend, etc., etc, are nobodies, especially for the typical Coachella audience. Did they even need Prince? But maybe we're just being naïve. Deja-vu: In 2006, Madonna was added a few weeks before the festival -- and they did offer Morrissey $5 million (which he turned down) for a reunion of The Smiths. Whatever the reason Prince arrives, it's his first U.S. festival appearance ever. And if his show-stealing 2007 Super Bowl performance is any indication, it should prove spectacular.

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