Coachella 2017 lineup: 10 most underrated acts

Feb 3, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; Recording artist Beyonce performs during the halftime show of Super Bowl XLVII between the San Francisco 49ers and the Baltimore Ravens at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

Although some of the biggest names in music, like Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar, and Radiohead, will be performing at Coachella this year, we are here to help you find the 10 underrated artists you can’t miss this year.

Music festivals are pretty magical. Where else can you voluntarily choose not to bathe for three days, find an excuse to eat as terrible of foods as you can possibly find, while also getting the chance to hear some of the biggest artists in music? Music festivals, especially the larger venues, provide festival attendees with some of the largest arrays of music, from every genre, all for a fairly reasonable price.

Coachella, however, reigns above all other festivals for one specific reason: the festival consistently attracts the best talent. That doesn’t just mean the best headliners, though. Yes, it’s pretty hard to top Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar performing together, which is what I can only imagine is something usually experienced only at the opening of the Pearly Gates, but Coachella has an advantage over the other festivals for its deep undercard lineups, as well.

Furthermore, how can you really consider yourself a true Coachella-head if you’re not even familiar with the smaller bands you’ll have a chance to see at all hours of the day? Think of it this way. Kendall Jenner goes to Coachella, and people tend to think she’s cool. Do you think Kendall Jenner knows where all the great bands are going to play? You’re damn right she does.

That’s ultimately why I’m here to help because what else matters besides going to Coachella to be as cool as Kendall Jenner? First, we need to be able to define what makes a particular artist at Coachella “underrated”. You might find that some of the undercard artists can be very popular, yet also “underrated” compared to the field of artists in their genre, or day, they are currently matched up against. So let’s establish some qualifications for this category:

1. The artists on this list, popular or not, have to be considered “overlooked” in the context of this particular festival, and an artist that may have a shadow over it due to an even bigger performer.
2. This is not a list of the top ten acts at Coachella in terms of quality of music only. Instead, this is also about quality of music, potential showmanship during a live show, as well as the music they are more than likely going to play. The mood of their music is everything. (Example: Childish Gambino, while a very fun rap performer, may be an overrated rap performer on a year like this, if he was playing, because of his venture into the P-Funk genre.) The artist can only be underrated if festival-goers are more likely to overlook this artist in comparison to other artists on the lineup.

Now that we have that straightened out, let’s figure out which artists would be most likely to maximize your experience at Coachella.

10. Father John Misty (Performs Friday)

You would be hard pressed to find someone who truly disliked Father John Misty. At worst, his music is the music you zone out to on road trips. At best, he’s one of the most intriguing musicians and songwriters in rock music today. He’s also a helluva guitarist whose music translates extremely well to the festival atmosphere.

There’s no denying that Father John Misty is a popular artist, either. However, his style would provide an incredibly relaxing wind-down to a surprisingly hectic first day of shows that includes Travis Scott, Radiohead, Mac Miller, Dillon Francis, and Empire of the Sun. He’s bigger than some of the other names in his genre, such as Mac Demarco, yet provides just the right amount of fame, quality, and potential to be overlooked to make our list.