I'm always happy to see indie/alt acts coming to the West Palm Beach area - we don't get many and to get a bunch of bands on a package tour like this was a great deal for this part of the state. However, the acts on the bill for the Coral Skies Festival weren't all my favorites. I could have done without Julian Casablancas, for sure - not a fan of his new stuff w/the Voidz and I didn't like it any better live than I did on vinyl.
But a few acts that I had wanted to catch made the day worthwhile. Bombay Bicycle Club are a solid group, and they sounded good live, though they weren't too exciting to watch. Bleachers was a real standout - I've loved the album for a while now, and the whole band was energetic and having fun from start to finish. The cover of Dreams (by 90's band the Cranberries) was a great surprise. Jack Antonoff is an excellent frontman and he puts on a hell of a show. And the headliners, Cage The Elephant, were awesome. Definitely on form, very energetic and sounding great.
Add in the great weather and the food trucks, and you've got a fantastic way to spend a Sunday in South Florida. I went to Coastline last year and I have to say I enjoyed that fest better - Matt and Kim on their own just destroyed the place and nothing could top that - but I hope to see Coral Skies and other indie festivals coming to West Palm again.