Quite literally, Grupo Firme lit up the stage on the opening day of Weekend 2, with intermittent fireworks and lights in green, white and red in a nod to the Mexican flag. It's an attestation to not only the different genres Coachella keeps booking every year, but the group's tremendous talent and stage presence. Grupo Firme made history at Coachella this year, becoming the first banda ensemble to ever play the globally-known festival. It's a typical side effect of Mexican banda, but I had never seen it in this capacity.
It didn't matter if festivalgoers were near or far from the Coachella Stage when Grupo Firme began playing Friday - as if on cue, people grabbed a dancing partner or went at it solo, jumping up and down to the beat. Grupo Firme performs on the Coachella Stage at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif., April 22, 2022.
