Life Is Beautiful 2021 Preview

Festivals are back, and so is Vegas, baby! So, head to The Strip for Life Is Beautiful, Friday-Sunday, September 17th-19th....
Life Is Beautiful
Life Is Beautiful

Festivals are back, and so is Vegas, baby! So, head to The Strip for Life Is Beautiful, Friday-Sunday, September 17th-19th:



FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 17th

Downtown Stage

 

Tame Impala, 11:15 PM – 12:55 AM

From Perth (QRO photos at a home) in Western Australia (QRO photos at a hometown festival), comes the psychedelic rock of Tame Impala (QRO live review), touring off of 2011’s Innerspeaker (QRO review), 2012’s Lonerism, 2015’s Currents, and last year’s The Slow Rush (QRO review), whose critical acclaim has won them fans across the world (QRO photos at a festival), and spots headlining a ton of 2019 festivals (QRO photos headlining a festival), and after their own COVID lockdown Innerspeaker livestream (QRO livestream review), come to Life Is Beautiful (QRO photos at a festival).

Tame Impala
   

Glass Animals, 9:20 PM – 10:35 PM

Out of Oxford and discovered by Adele’s producer, Glass Animals (QRO live review) bring their more mixed indie (QRO photos outdoors) on last year’s Dreamland back to the road (QRO 2021 live review) to Life Is Beautiful for a second time (QRO photos at a festival).

Glass Animals
   

LANY, 7:35 PM – 8:35 PM

L.A. electro-pop outfit LANY (QRO spotlight on) were already getting big (QRO interview) before 2017’s self-titled debut full-length, and bring that and the just-out gg bb xx as they return to Life Is Beautiful (QRO photos at a festival).

LANY
   

Brittany Howard, 6:00 PM – 6:50 PM

Alabama Shakes (QRO photos at Lollapalooza ‘15) energetic frontwoman Brittany Howard (QRO photos solo) decided to do the solo album thing in 2019 with Jaime, winning the Grammy Award for Best Rock Song with “Stay High”. See her come to Life Is Beautiful (QRO photos solo at a festival) on her 2021 tour (QRO 2021 photos outdoors).

Brittany Howard
   

Also:

Bia, 4:30 PM – 5:15 PM

Cannons, 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM

Cannons
   
   

Huntridge Stage

 

Purity Ring, 10:35 PM – 11:20 PM

From north of that ‘other’ border, Montreal’s Purity Ring (QRO photos) bring some of the indie-electronic (QRO live review) back to Life Is Beautiful (QRO photos at a festival), behind last year’s Womb.

Purity Ring
   

Also:

Noah Cyrus, 8:35 PM – 9:15 PM

Teddy Swims, 6:50 PM – 7:30 PM

Ant Clemons, 5:15 PM – 5:55 PM

Sa-Roc, 3:45 PM – 4:25 PM

Ant Clemons
   
   

Bacardí Stage

 

Megan Thee Stallion, 11:30 PM – 12:40 AM

From freestyling on Instagram to massive success for thee Megan Thee Stallion. She had a hit mixtape, 2019’s Fever, hit EP, last year’s Suga, hit LP, last year’s Good News. Her “Savage (Remix)”, featuring Beyoncé, was a number one hit, as was the song that got everyone hot, when she was featured on Cardi B’s one-and-only “WAP”. Grammy winner for Best New Artist, one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world, catch her on the big stage, but get there early, as you know there’s going to be a she’s-finally-headlining crowd.

Megan Thee Stallion
   

Don Toliver, 10:00 PM – 10:50 PM

Houston rapper Don Toliver boomed just last year with his debut studio album, Heaven or Hell, particularly on TikTok, along with being featured in Travis Scott’s “Can’t Say”.

Don Toliver
   

Willow Smith, 8:40 PM – 9:30 PM

Daughter to superstars Will & Jada Pinkett Smith, little Willow has grown up in the spotlight – and thrived. She’s slid nicely into music, mixing everything from alternative hip-hop to pop-punk, such as this year’s debuting-at-number-one single “Transparent Soul”. She comes to Life Is Beautiful (QRO photos at a festival) behind her already-fourth album, Lately I Feel Everything.

Willow Smith
   

Ashnikko, 7:20 PM – 8:10 PM

Ashnikko found popularity on TikTok with her 2019 single “Stupid” with Yung Baby Tate, and comes to Life Is Beautiful behind this year’s debut mixtape, Demidevil.

Ashnikko
   

Remi Wolf, 6:00 PM – 6:50 PM

From a contestant in high school on American Idol to major label debut I’m Allergic To Dogs! has been the tale of Remi Wolf.

Also:

Poorstacy, 4:40 PM – 5:30 PM

Remi Wolf
   
   

Freemont Stage

 

San Holo, 11:20 PM – 12:20 AM

2017’s Electronic Music Awards winner for New Artist of the Year, Dutch DJ San Holo first got notice for his remix of Dr. Dre’s “The Next Episode”.

San Holo
   

Also:

Clozee, 10:00 PM – 11:00 PM

Lost Frequencies, 8:45 PM – 9:45 PM

Shiba San, 7:40 PM – 8:40 PM

JammJam ft. Jacob Collier, 6:15 PM – 7:15 PM

Hook N Sling, 4:40 PM – 5:40 PM

Midnight Kids, 3:45 PM – 4:35 PM

Meditation with Deepak Chopra, 3:05 PM – 3:35 PM

Clozee

Lost Frequencies

   
   

The Kicker

 

’90 Dance Party, 10:00 PM – 11:30 PM

Sarah Cooper; Whitmer Thomas; Marcella Arguello, 8:15 PM – 9:10 PM

Sam Jay; Marcella Arguello; Rachel Sennott, 6:55 PM – 7:45 PM

Please Don’t Destroy, 5:40 PM – 6:25 PM

Sarah Cooper; Whitmer Thomas; Marcella Arguello, 4:10 PM – 5:05 PM

Sarah Cooper
   
   

Toyota Music Den

 

Ant Clemons, 7:00 PM – 7:30 PM

Cannons, 6:00 PM – 6:30 PM

Sa-Roc, 5:00 PM – 5:30 PM

Teddy Swims, 4:00 PM – 4:30 PM

Midnight Kids, 3:00 PM – 3:30 PM

Ant Clemons

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 18th

Downtown Stage

 

Green Day, 8:20 PM – 12:50 AM

Las Vegas welcomes one of the most successful punk bands ever, Green Day (QRO photos at a casino). Billie Joe Armstrong, Tré Cool, and Mike Dirnt emerged out of the late eighties/early nineties Bay Area punk scene and burst onto the world with 1994’s Dookie and such earworm singles as “Longview”, “Welcome To Paradise”, and “When I Come Around”, bringing punk rock to the masses. Unlike many of their fellow early nineties alt-hits, Green Day (QRO live review) have stayed highly popular into the twenty-first century. They had their 2004 Bush era rock-opera American Idiot (that was later turned into an actual Tony-winning musical), 2009’s follow-up 21st Century Breakdown (QRO review), and even an honest-to-god triptych, ¡Uno! (QRO review), ¡Dos! (QRO review), and ¡Tré! (QRO review). They come to headline Life Is Beautiful behind 2016’s political Revolution Radio (QRO review) and last year’s Father of All Motherfuckers (QRO review), and just after their massive ‘Hella Mega Tour’ (QRO live review) of baseball stadiums.

Green Day
   

HAIM, 9:20 PM – 10:30 PM

Sisters Este, Danielle, and Alana Haim, along with drummer Dash Hutton (QRO photos at a festival), only started putting out music in 2013, but have already been turning heads (QRO photos), thanks to great single “Don’t Save Me” and debut full-length, Days Are Gone (QRO review). They come to Life Is Beautiful (QRO photos at a festival) for a third time (QRO photos at a festival), after the release of 2017’s follow-up Something To Tell You (QRO review) and last year’s excellent Women In Music Pt. III (QRO review).

HAIM
   

Modest Mouse, 7:35 PM – 8:35 PM

Washington State’s Modest Mouse (QRO photos) broke through to mainstream success in 2004 with Good News For People Who Like Bad News, and followed that up by adding Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr for 2007’s We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank (QRO review) – unfortunately, Marr left to join the even younger Cribs and then solo. But they’re still big and great outdoors (QRO photos at a festival), and in 2015 finally put out their first new record since Sank, Strangers To Ourselves (QRO review). They will come to Life Is Beautiful behind this year’s great The Golden Casket (QRO review) and single “We Are Between” (QRO review).

Modest Mouse
   

Surfaces, 6:00 PM – 6:50 PM

Mixing everything from jazz and reggae to hip hop and calypso is Texas’ Surfaces, who come to Life Is Beautiful behind last year’s Horizons.

Surfaces
   

Trevor Daniel, 4:30 PM – 5:15 PM

Trevor Daniel had a viral hit in 2018 with “Falling”, and comes to Life Is Beautiful behind last year’s debut full-length, Nicotine.

Trevor Daniel
   

Also:

The Backseat Lovers, 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM

The Backseat Lovers
   
   

Huntridge Stage

 

All Time Low, 10:30 PM – 11:15 PM

Kind of the definition of emo-rock from a certain period in time, from their three-word name to starting by covering Green Day & Blink-182, All Time Low (QRO live review) come to Life Is Beautiful (QRO photos at a festival) behind last year’s Wake Up, Sunshine, after 2017’s Last Young Renegade, 2015’s Future Hearts (QRO review) and 2012’s Don’t Panic (QRO review).

All Time Low
   

CAAMP, 8:35 PM – 9:15 PM

Ohio’s CAAMP (QRO photos at a festival) make beautiful folk music, most recently on 2019’s By and By.

CAAMP
   

White Reaper, 6:50 PM – 7:30 PM

Giving Life Is Beautiful a kick in the ass is White Reaper (QRO photos at a festival), coming off of 2017’s oh-so-humble The World’s Best American Band (QRO review) and 2019’s major label debut You Deserve Love.

White Reaper
   

Also:

Amy Allen, 5:15 PM – 5:55 PM

Tom the Mail Man, 3:45 PM – 4:25 PM

Tom the Mail Man
   
   

Bacardí Stage

 

ILLENIUM, 11:40 PM – 12:55 AM

San Francisco DJ & producer Nick Miller, a.k.a. ILLENIUM (QRO photos at a festival), comes to Life Beautiful (QRO photos at a festival) to headline the Bacardí Stage, bringing the crowd higher behind 2019’s Ascend.

ILLENIUM
   

Ludacris, 10:00 PM – 11:00 PM

One of the first and most influential Dirty South rappers, Ludacris has found a whole new audience in The Fast and The Furious movies as Tej Parker and in the Oscar bait Crash – it was even just announced that he’s got a new children’s animated series, Karma’s World, out next month!

Ludacris
   

EARTHGANG, 8:40 PM – 9:30 PM

Atlanta hip hop duo EARTHGANG (QRO photos) is rappers Olu (a.k.a. Johnny Venus) and WowGr8 (a.k.a. Doctur Dot). They released a trio of EPs before 2019’s acclaimed Mirrorland, and come to Life Is Beautiful with word of new LP Ghetto Gods. He’s also from the same ‘Spillage Village’ musical collective as fellow Life Is Beautiful ’21 performers J.I.D & 6LACK (see below), so maybe some team-ups?

EARTHGANG
   

Also:

Drama, 7:20 PM – 8:10 PM

Slenderbodies, 6:00 PM – 6:50 PM

Sir Chloe, 4:45 PM – 5:30 PM

Chiiild, 3:30 PM – 4:15 PM

Chiiild
   
   

Fremont Stage

 

J.I.D, 11:30 PM – 12:30 AM

Praise & success has followed rapper Deston Choice Route, a.k.a. J.I.D, since his 2017 debut album The Never Story and the following year’s follow-up DiCaprio 2. He’s also from the same ‘Spillage Village’ musical collective as fellow Life Is Beautiful ’21 performers EARTHGANG (see above) & 6LACK (see below), so maybe some team-ups?

J.I.D
   

Dillon Francis, 10:15 PM – 11:15 PM

American electronic artist Dillon Francis (QRO photos at a festival) has worked with big name DJs like Calvin Harris and Diplo (and stars as the idiot best friend to James Van Der Beek’s Diplo on VICE’s hilarious What Would Diplo Do?), to the point where he’s a big-name DJ all on his very own.

Dillon Francis
   

Cash Cash, 9:00 PM – 10:00 PM

The trio of DJs that is Cash Cash (QRO photos at a festival) come to Life Is Beautiful out of New Jersey, and in addition to countless official remixes for everyone from Bruno Mars to Icona Pop, as well as this year’s full-length studio album Say It Like You Feel It.

Cash Cash
   

Yaeji, 7:40 PM – 8:40 PM

Blending hip-hop & house, English & Korean, is Queens’ Yaeji (QRO photos at a festival), who comes out to Life Is Beautiful (QRO photos at a 2021 festival).

Yaeji
   

Also:

NOTD, 6:20 PM – 7:20 PM

Jacques Greene, 5:10 PM – 6:10 PM

Anabel Englund, 4:15 PM – 5:05 PM

Monoky, 3:20 PM – 4:10 PM

Jacques Greene
   
   

The Kicker

 

Y2K Dance Party, 10:00 PM – 11:30 PM

Monét x Change; Sarah Cooper; Annie Lederman; Whitmer Thomas, 8:25 PM – 9:15 PM

Sibling Rivalry: Bob the Drag Queen & Monét x Change, 6:55 PM – 7:55 PM

Sam Jay; Bob the Dragon Queen; Rachel Sennott, 5:30 PM – 6:25 PM

Trevor Wallace; Annie Lederman; Brady Matthews, 4:15 PM – 5:00 PM

Deepak Chopra: Never Alone conversation with Gabriella Wright

Sarah Cooper

Deepak Chopra

   
   

Toyota Music Den

 

Amy Allen, 7:00 PM – 7:30 PM

Tom the Mail Man, 6:00 PM – 6:30 PM

Chiiild, 5:00 PM – 5:30 PM

CAAMP, 4:00 PM – 4:30 PM

Ekoh, 3:00 PM – 3:30 PM

CAAMP

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 19th

Downtown Stage

 

Billie Eilish, 11:15 PM – 12:45 AM

Just try to catch electro-pop sensation Billie Eilish (QRO photos at a festival), who turned a lot of heads and hips with her debut single “Ocean Eyes” and EP Don’t Smile at Me, and then debuting at #1 in 2019 with the hit “Bad Guy” and WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? (QRO’s #1 Album of 2020, duh). She has since become one of, if not the, biggest stars on the planet (QRO photos), from the No Time To Die Bond theme song (QRO review) to playing the Democratic Convention with “My Future”. “Future”, fellow single “Therefore I Am” (QRO review), and much more came together this year for killer follow-up Happier Than Ever (which also saw Eilish go blonde) (QRO photos at a festival).

COVID canned her massive tour last year, so it’s been rescheduled for next year, and in the meantime she did some great livestreams (QRO photos at a taping), but before that, just watch out for her hordes of screaming female fans (QRO photos) as she returns for her second Life Is Beautiful in a row (QRO photos at a festival), now to headline.

Billie Eilish
   

Young Thug, 9:25 PM – 10:25 PM

Atlanta’s Young Thug (QRO photos at a festival) gained major recognition in 2014 with hit singles “About the Money” and “Lifestyle”, plus mixtapes I’m Up and Slime Season 3. He’s risen further & further, like featuring on “Havana” by Camila Cabello, to being award the Grammy Award for Song of the Year in 2019 for “This Is America”. While we wait for sophomore full-length Punk, see him play Life Is Beautiful.

Young Thug
   

St. Vincent, 7:50 PM – 8:40 PM

After the one-and-only Annie Clark (QRO interview) made 2007 her break-out year, both as part of The Polyphonic Spree on The Fragile Army (QRO review) and with her own debut as St. Vincent (QRO photos), Marry Me (QRO review), she followed that up with even-better years (QRO spotlight on), gracing festivals (QRO photos at a festival), charming and surprising crowds with winning humor live (QRO live review), and bringing a stable of new songs (QRO live review). Those new songs, like “Laughing With a Mouth of Blood” (QRO video) and “Actor Out of Work” (QRO video) formed into 2009’s Actor (QRO review), which vaunted her into the even bigger time (QRO photos at a festival), including playing Lincoln Center (QRO live review) and other storied concert halls (QRO photos at a festival) & venues (QRO photos at Royal Albert Hall).

Admittedly, 2011’s Strange Mercy (QRO review) wasn’t quite as good, but then she teamed up with the one-and-only David Byrne (QRO photos at a festival together) for 2012’s Love This Giant (QRO review) and the holy St. Vincent (QRO photos) came back with a vengeance in 2014 on St. Vincent (QRO review), including an absolutely stellar live show (QRO photos), with her platinum grey hair and mannequin moves shining outdoors (QRO live review outdoors), at festivals (QRO photos at a festival) and in the Old World (QRO live review in Europe). In 2017 she had the massively seductive MASSEDUCTION (QRO review), and seductive stage show (QRO photos at a 2018 festival), followed by the stripped down seduction of remix album MassEducation (QRO review). And even COVID couldn’t keep St. Vincent down, with the seventies-channeling Daddy’s Home (QRO review), “Pay You Way In Pain” (QRO review), and live show (QRO Daddy’s Home livestream review).

A must-see as she comes back to Life Is Beautiful (QRO photos at a 2021 festival).

St. Vincent
   

Also:

SHAED, 6:15 PM – 7:05 PM

Half•Alive, 4:45 PM – 5:30 PM

Mob Rich, 3:30 PM – 4:10 PM

SHAED

   
   

Huntridge Stage

 

Death From Above 1979, 10:25 PM – 11:10 PM

For an act that was only gone for five years, Death From Above 1979’s reunion was actually one of the most anticipated (QRO photos at a festival). It helped that the duo of Jesse F. Keeler (who’s been in MSTRKRFT since the break-up) and Sebastien Grainger (who had his own solo career after the break-up – QRO album review) basically invented the dance-punk/noise-rock scene. Their initial reunion gig at South-by-Southwest in Austin in 2011 (QRO recap) was so mobbed that policemen came in on horses and used mace – won’t be that nuts when they come to Life Is Beautiful (QRO photos at a festival), but expect a wild time (QRO photos at a festival) as the band tours (QRO live review) behind 2014’s The Physical World (QRO review), 2017’s Outrage! Is Now (QRO review), and this year’s Is 4 Lovers (QRO review).

Oh, and they made peace with James Murphy’s Death From Above label and reverted to their old name (QRO photos at a festival without 1979), after having to add their birth year due to major label qualms. But then thought better of it, and the Gen Yers are back to 1979 again.

Death From Above 1979
   

Also:

Alaina Castillo, 8:40 PM – 9:20 PM

Jamila Woods, 7:05 PM – 7:45 PM

Brijean, 5:30 PM – 6:10 PM

Ekoh, 4:10 PM – 4:40 PM

Papichuloteed, 3:00 PM – 3:30 PM

Jamila Woods
   
   

Bacardí Stage

 

A$AP Rocky, 11:00 PM – 12:15 AM

Life Is Beautiful has always had the beats & rhymes, such as this year with A$AP Rocky (QRO photos at a festival), of the acclaimed A$AP Mob – so expect shouts for schwag (QRO photos at a festival) as he comes to the festival (QRO photos at a festival), after the international incident of his arrest in Sweden (Trump got involved…).

A$AP Rocky
   

FISHER, 9:20 PM – 10:20 PM

Hit Australian producer FISHER is “Losing It”.

FISHER
   

6LACK, 8:00 PM – 8:50 PM

In 2016, Ricardo Valdez Valentine, a.k.a. Atlanta’s 6LACK, broke out in a big way with single “PRBLMS”, and was named one of Rolling Stone’s ten new artists to watch. Last year he followed that up with his second album, East Atlanta Love Letter, and now plays Life Is Beautiful (QRO photos at a festival). He’s also from the same ‘Spillage Village’ musical collective as fellow Life Is Beautiful ’21 performers EARTHGANG & J.I.D (see above), so maybe some team-ups?

6LACK
   

Still Woozy, 6:40 PM – 7:30 PM

Check out the genre-bending psychedelic bedroom-pop of Still Woozy.

Still Woozy
   

Emotional Oranges, 5:25 PM – 6:10 PM

An audio engineer for Drake and vocal couch for Adele met at a bat mitzvah, and the rest is Emotional Oranges.

Also:

Odie, 4:10  PM – 4:55 PM

Emotional Oranges
   
   

Bacardí Stage

 

Gorgon City, 11:45 PM – 1:00 AM

Catch charting North London electronic garage duo, Gorgon City, as they play Life Is Beautiful (QRO photos at a festival) behind this year’s Olympia.

Gorgon City
   

Also:

Ekali, 10:25 PM – 11:25 PM

Keys N Krates, 9:20 PM – 10:20 PM

Surf Mesa, 8:10 PM – 9:10 PM

Joel Corry, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM

LSDream, 6:05 PM – 6:55 PM

Evan Giia, 5:10 PM – 6:00 PM

Ford., 4:10 PM – 5:00 PM

DJ M3, 3:15 PM – 4:05 PM

Ekali

Keys N Krates

   
   

The Kicker

 

The Emo Night Tour, 10:00 PM – 11:30 PM

Trevor Wallace; Rachel Sennott, 8:35 PM

Annie Lederman; Rachel Sennott; Brady Matthews, 7:20 PM – 8:05 PM

Jackie Schimmel’s The Bitch Bible, 5:50 PM – 6:50 PM

Stiff Socks with Trevor Wallace & Michael Blaustein, 4:15 PM – 5:15 PM

Sunday Soul Session with Deepak Chopra, 2:45 PM – 3:45 PM

Deepak Chopra

   
   

Toyota Music Den

 

Mob Rich, 7:00 PM – 7:30 PM

Odie, 6:00 PM – 6:30 PM

Drama (DJ set), 5:00 PM – 5:30 PM

Brijean, 4:00 PM – 4:30 PM

Ford., 3:00 PM – 3:30 PM

Mob Rich

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