Coachella season is here. Unlike most festivals that come and go over the course of a weekend, Coachella engulfs nearly a month of musical attention. Other than the two weekends of the festival itself, a whole series of activations come along with it, both within the polo grounds and beyond.

There’s “Goldenvoice Presents April,” when Coachella artists perform throughout SoCal and The Bay Area across the whole month. Throughout all of April, venues like The Roxy in Hollywood, The Midway in San Francisco, and The Glass House in Pomona offer Coachella-bound acts a second stage. 

Another is the Heineken House which has become a hot spot for alternative hip hop and electronica and a cool spot for beer. Take a break under the air conditioner while artists like Jacques Greene, Flying Lotus, and Thundercat perform for an intimate crowd. 

But the most exciting of all the activations is the Do LaB stage. What began as a chill place to take in some mist and shade under the desert sun has become a festival within the festival. A hub for showcasing up-and-coming talents that offer unique sounds and a welcome change of pace from the rest of the festival. 

Each weekend the lineup is different (and in truth, no one ever actually knows who’s going to show up at Do LaB). Still, the lineup for the first weekend sets the tone for how the energy will exist under the likely-to-be-animal-inspired tent throughout Coachella 2022. Check out some of our favorite artists performing the first weekend below: 

Life On Planets

Ever since live events opened up amid the pandemic, Life On Planets has been shaking things up on lineups around the country. The producer, vocalist, guitarist, and who-knows-how-many-other-things has combined his various skill sets on stage at events like CRSSD Festival and Dirtybird Campinn for an awe-inspiring experience. Dance floors usually flow better when people face each other, but a Life On Planets set is a sight to behold.

Follow Life On Planets on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Tik Tok

QRTR

QRTR is a house music producer with a bass-driven attitude. Having put out numerous releases on Dome of Doom, a label that is home to music from heavy-beat artists like Huxley Anne, Daedalus, and Jon Casey, among others, QRTR has the power and the ability to satisfy and surprise any nature of music fan. With Do LaB’s reputation for exploration, there’s no telling where she’ll take the crowd.

Follow QRTR on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Tik Tok

Prospa

The UK breaks-masters known as Prospa are undoubtedly one of the most exciting inclusions on the Do LaB lineup. These guys are more than established enough and far more than talented enough to get a slot on the primary Coachella roster, but instead, they will man the decks within the shaded, whimsical cove. In that more personal setting, their breakbeats are likely to break hearts.

Follow Prospa on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Nala

Within one single month, Nala shared “Habits Die Hard,” her indie-dance collaboration with Ardalan, and “The World Is Always Ending,” her leftfield pop jam with Nikki Nair, Clearly she is defining a new era of her artistry in 2022, and Do LaB is the place for her to expand that new definition. 

Follow Nala on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter 

Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs

Grammy-nominated producer Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs (TEED) will release a new album in 2022, his first in over ten years. A new LP is always a landmark moment, no matter the artist, and with ten years of anticipation building, every incoming DJ set will hint at what that anticipation has been building towards for TEED. 

Follow Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Tik Tok

Holly

Holly is a certified beatsmith who understands that beats can actually be anything. At a certain point throughout music history, people became obsessed with postulating specific parameters for specific styles. In reality, those parameters don’t exist. Music is shapeless and formless in the best way possible, and Holly manipulates this truth in the studio and on the stage.

Follow Holly on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Chloé Caillet 

When done properly, house music is sexy, and Chloé Caillet always does it proper. Her grooves are silky, bawdy, bodacious, and irresistible, and she’s shared them on dancefloors at famed parties like Circoloco, Rumors, and more. Don’t be surprised if people fall in love at Do LaB (more than they usually do) during her set. 

Follow Chloé Caillet on Facebook | Instagram | Tik Tok

UNIIQU3

What separates a good music festival from a great music festival is a good music festival will put together a roster of premier talent. A great music festival will allow attendees to learn more about the history and evolution of the culture. UNIIQU3 is one of the reasons Coachella is a great festival. This year, Do LaB is hosting one of the modern masters of Jersey Club. For those who haven’t heard of Jersey Club, look it up and see that it's influenced practically every subgenre of dance music rocking the club in 2022. 

Follow UNIIQU3 on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Tik Tok

Rochelle Jordan

There aren’t many artists who can say they’ve touched the antithetical worlds of rap superstars like Drake and leftfield synthetic stalwarts like Special Request. Rochelle Jordan is one of those artists. Since 2011 she has been a paragon of the alternative side of electronic music. On her latest album, Play With Them Changes, she combines jungle, house, neo-soul, and a wide palette of other genres supporting her pristine vocal work.

Follow Rochelle Jordan on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Tik Tok

Special Guests

Those who have been attending Coachella for a few years now know the gravity of Do LaB special guests. 

There was a period of time when special guests wouldn’t even be a part of the roster. The set times for the festival would come out when they do (usually the Tuesday or Wednesday before gates open), and special guest slots would be listed without any prior indication. Most often to close out the night.

In this period, attendees would have to show up to Do LaB and find out who was playing right then and there. Most of the time, those attendees were greatly rewarded with sets from Skrillex, Major Lazer, RÜFÜS DU SOL, or Chet Faker back-to-back Bonobo.

As Do LaB has become far more in demand amongst attendees in the past couple of years, special guests are now announced on the lineup and revealed midway through the festival. Still, the epic caliber of artists has remained.

At the most recent edition of Coachella in 2019, Bob Moses, Guy Gerber, and Gorgon City were three artists to play surprise sets. There are currently two blurred-out names on the roster for weekend one at Do LaB, and only time will reveal who they are. Those looking to speculate can refer to the main roster, but it could be anyone in reality.