Coachella moments: Five performances to remember

For two weekends every April, the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival draws the attention of the world to the desert.

Social streams feed the public updates from the Empire Polo Club in Indio. Twitter notched more than 1 million mentions of this year’s opening weekend. Snapchat even added a flower-crown filter for photos in a nod to the festival’s headgear of choice.

Now that the 17th edition is in the rear-view mirror, we reflect on its most memorable performances:

1. Guns N’ Roses, April 16

Why it was great: At one time the biggest rock band in the world, the rebel outfit’s members publicly spat vitriol at one another for decades. So fireworks, good or bad, were anticipated as they regrouped.

Witnessing Axl Rose, guitarist Slash and bassist Duff McKagan together again was like seeing a unico rebo. Even though Rose was forced to stay seated while nursing a broken foot, the band fired on all cylinders through its big hits and deep cuts. And then AC/DC guitarist Angus Young showed up to unleash “Whole Lotta Rosie” and “Riff Raff,” amping up the crowd for the news that Rose would be singing with AC/DC on the band’s upcoming dates.

Add to that an encore closer of “Paradise City” complete with confetti and fireworks, and you have the perfect over-the-top rock ’n’ roll set.

Search YouTube for shaky smartphone video of this song: “Welcome to the Jungle”

2. Sia, April 17

Why it was great: The Coachella stage has never seen anything like Sia’s stuing, idiosyncratic art-house performance. It started with Sia, floating in the exaggerated layers of a giant white dress, “birthing” a mini-me dancer. Then it got interesting.

A combination of live-action choreography and film segments, featuring stars such as Kristen Wiig, Paul Dano and Tig Notaro, made her appearance the buzziest of the first weekend.

Search YouTube for shaky smartphone video: “Alive”

3. Ice Cube, April 23

Why it was great: The hot rumors were that the rapper was going to reunite N.W.A on Weekend One. While DJ Yella and MC Ren appeared, Dr. Dre was a no-show. But that just built anticipation for Dre’s Weekend Two appearance. Granted, he didn’t perform any N.W.A songs, but, still ...

Oh, and then Kendrick Lamar showed up, too.

Search YouTube for shaky smartphone video: “Califoia Love”

4. Sufjan Stevens, April 22

Why it was great: Known for his folkier work, Stevens doed wild costumes and took the showbiz up a notch. Among his outfits: a suit with angel wings, a tinfoil covering that looked like it had been in a battle with a paper shredder and a disco ball-toned tunic bedecked in party balloons.

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And with the second weekend framed by the passing of musical legend Prince, he performed the best tribute of all: bringing up R&B star and fellow Coachella performer Gallant to combine on “Purple Rain.”

Search YouTube for shaky smartphone video: “Purple Rain” tribute with Gallant

5. Mavis Staples, April 22

Why it was great: At 76, Staples still can command a room, or in this case, a tent. She preached her blend of soul and gospel to the Coachella masses in a revival that was a welcome respite from the heat. And then she shared stories about her late friend Prince and asked for a moment of silence in his honor.

Search YouTube for shaky smartphone video: “I’ll Take You There”

Honorable mentions

• Prince, April 22, via video: One of the biggest performances of the weekend wasn’t live. On Friday night, a day after the passing of Prince, Coachella showed his rendition of Radiohead’s “Creep” from the 2008 festival before LCD Soundsystem headlined the main stage. Watching Prince’s guitar virtuosity and remembering how he created one of the greatest memories in the festival’s history as the field was lit up purple in his honor was just as goosebump-inducing as his original performance.

• Anderson .Paak & the Free Nationals, April 24: While this up-and-coming rapper had a blazing set on his own, he had some help to take it to an even higher level with guest spots from Dr. Dre and Eastvale property owner Lamar.

• Rancid, April 24: The Bay Area punk band time-traveled to 1995 with a set that inspired multiple mosh pits as fans danced and sang along to hits such as “Time Bomb” and “Ruby Soho.”

• Calvin Harris, April 17: The EDM headliner closed out Weekend One with a huge surprise guest, Rihaa, to perform “We Found Love.”

• LCD Soundsystem, April 22: The reunited dance rock headliner led by James Murphy not only honored David Bowie both weekends by covering “Heroes” but also played “Controversy” Friday night in honor of Prince’s passing.

• Disclosure, April 16: The EDM duo snagged two huge guests with Lorde and Sam Smith on opening weekend.

• Halsey, April 16: An explosive set design only continued to fuel the buzz for this budding star.