Sabrina Carpenter’s Weekend 2 performance on Friday, April 17 proved once again that she delivered everything a headliner needs — and that she’s the very definition of star power.
The colorful and extravagant production drew on the familiarity of her popular songs and presented a reimagined version of Old Hollywood, referred to as “Sabrinawood.” It featured performances by famous actors and plenty of cinematic staging — oh, and it also included someone else you might have heard of: the one and only Madonna.
Telling an Old Hollywood tale with true stars
Carpenter’s entire performance told a story, and it started from the moment the video intro, starring Carpenter and Sam Elliott, just like last week, started playing. The plot? An aspiring actress goes west to California, but she is pulled over at the beginning and warned by a police officer, played by Elliott, that California “isn’t right.”
But like her Weekend 1 performance that included a long monologue about show business delivered by Susan Sarandon, this weekend, a monologue before the set’s third act was delivered by Geena Davis — the other half of “Thelma and Louise,” which was no accident — and it ran about half as long. Instead of Will Ferrell appearing as a technician for another costume change moment, it was Terry Crews this week who, after removing the top of his jumpsuit to reveal his muscular physique (a move not pulled by Ferrell), “turned the lights back on” before the set’s fifth and final act.
I preferred this week’s actors to last week’s. Sure, Sarandon is an icon and Ferrell always gets laughs, but Davis kept her monologue shorter, which made it more engaging, and I just found Crew’s bit funnier.
Getting her Madonna moment
Madonna was rumored to be a special guest on Friday, which included speculation that Carpenter was featured in a collaboration on the icon’s upcoming new album, “Confessions on a Dance Floor: Part II.” Carpenter also covered Madonna’s “Material Girl” on her Short and Sweet tour, and it was Madonna’s 20th anniversary of performing at Coachella in the Sahara tent in 2006. The rumor proved to be true, much to everyone’s delight (though, admittedly, it was a bummer that the crowd of mostly 20-somethings didn’t cheer for her louder).
After Carpenter sang “Juno,” the intro for “Vogue” played, and Madonna appeared in a lavender one-piece ensemble. The pair performed “Vogue,” a new, yet-to-be-announced Madonna song, “Get Together” and “Like a Prayer” before Madonna gave a lengthy speech thanking Carpenter.
“Thank you for inviting me to your show, what a gas,” Madonna said to the Friday headliner.
She then gave the crowd an astrology lesson and said it’s the “new moon of Taurus” and that “we need to work on our communication skills” — at which point, Carpenter seemed to have a look of “what is she talking about?” on her face before returning to a smile. Also notable, according to Madonna, Carpenter is the first person she’s appeared with on stage who is shorter than her.
“The great thing about music is that it brings people together. It’s the one place that people have to put their differences aside, put their shit down, and just everybody have a good time together. So, I am thrilled to be a part of that healing experience for you,” the queen of pop added.
I saw Madonna perform at nearby Acrisure Arena back in March 2024, and I was equally as impressed by her performance at Coachella as I was at the arena show. Her voice isn’t 100% what it used to be, but it was up to par — and honestly, she could have forgotten the words and most of us still would have eaten it up because it was just such a classic only-at-Coachella moment.
After Madonna left the stage in style, Carpenter closed her set — which was scheduled for 10 minutes longer than last week’s — with “Espresso,” “Goodbye” and ”Tears.” Just like during Weekend 1, she left the stage in a classic car, smoking a cigarette as she drove and water gushed from the stage onto the crowd.
The performance was a journey of many stars — from both the worlds of cinema and music — going back to the golden age, and the interludes between songs make it feel like she’s being directed or doing screen tests. The production on stage was extensive and represented the 1950s through the 1980s in a way that felt authentic and immersive.
Modern pop concerts have always been unconventional. Every detail, from stage production to song presentation, choreography, and wardrobe, is designed to enhance themes, tell stories, and build to the big finish.
Carpenter understood the assignment. Her larger-than-life set pieces, colorful costumes and big-name guests packed the punch that we all needed after a bit of a sleep first day of Weekend 2, and her voice and stage presence absolutely exceeded my expectations.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Madonna and Sabrina Carpenter prove short really is sweet at Coachella
Reporting by Brian Blueskye, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
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