Primavera Sound 2023 has its first day with fans on stage for The Killers and a historic tribute to Rita Lee | Primavera Sound 2023

The first day of Primavera Sound 2023 was marked by a theatrical and dazzling performance from the band The Killers, who invited a fan to play the drums on stage, and the historic – and surprising – participation of musician Roberto De Carvalho in Marisa Monti’s show. To honor his wife, Rita Lee (1947-2023), he took the stage for the first time in 10 years, according to the concert’s production team.

In its second Brazilian edition, the first at the Autódromo de Interlagos, Primavera Sound showed that it is certainly the most alternative event to ever occupy the venue. Where Lollapalooza and The Town also take place, the lineup, from the beginning, brought shows that were far more independent than those held at other festivals.

London band Black Midi took the stage to Bonde do Tigrao, just after 2:30pm, when the thermometer reached 35°C. After a funk-sounding intro, the band introduced their experimental rock sound, with spoken vocals that were well received by an audience of around 800 people. More experimentally, Texas native Dorian Electra performed on one of the smaller stages dressed as a “paquita” and dancers at one point danced around the stage with paper bags on their heads.

This was the path in the beginning, and most people still pray. After a show by Metric, a Canadian pop rock band led by singer Emily Haines, the sound became more traditional.

With an audience of around 50,000 people – half the capacity of the Autodromo’s larger events – Primavera Sound has a leaner structure, queues and less hassle for those participating. Water and sunscreen were distributed in the festival area.

Without changing their theatrical and exhilarating style much, The Killers closed out Primavera Sound São Paulo’s Saturday night, on their sixth visit to Brazil. Back at the Autódromo de Interlagos, where they played in front of 100,000 fans at Lollapalooza 2018, the American band performed in front of half that crowd: 50,000 people, according to the event’s production team. The setlist changed from show to show: this time, it opened with “Mr. Brightside”, which had been played at the end on previous tours. As in Lola, the band repeated the part of the show where they called in a fan to play drums in “For Unknown Reasons”. Read more about The Killers performing at Primavera Sound 2023.

To the beat of fast beats and the sounds of motorcycles, MC Bin Laden brings São Paulo funk to the São Paulo stage at Primavera Sound. Competing for the festival audience’s attention with the Pet Shop Boys, who were still finishing their set within the first minutes of the funk singer’s set, Bin Laden found a modest but relatively full audience. Two crowd-pleasing moments during his performances were “Controllah,” his partnership with British band Gorillaz, and “Shake it Bololo,” his song that samples Taylor Swift’s “Shake it Off.” Read more about MC Bin Laden’s show at Primavera Sound 2023.

The Pet Shop Boys duo travel on a “Dreamworld” tour covering the greatest hits of the band’s 40-year career. But this retrospective is less extravagant than the duo’s other shows — which doesn’t mean it’s any less beautiful or exciting. Singer Neil Tennant and keyboardist Chris Lowe could not do without, for example, the enthusiastic costumes (which were changed during the show) nor the lighting structure and the large screen that dominated the stage. Read more about the Pet Shop Boys performing at Primavera Sound 2023.

Marisa Monte washed the souls of the passionate and broken hearts that beat at the festival. In an emotional tribute to Rita Lee, who died at the beginning of the year, the singer used the end of her show to pay tribute to the rock singer – whom she identified as “this unforgettable woman who gave a voice to so many of us” – and invited to the stage Roberto de Carvalho, a musician and Rita’s husband. This was the first time in ten years that Roberto appeared on stage, according to the festival’s production team. Read more about Marisa Monti’s performance at Primavera Sound 2023.

Most fans no longer handle hangovers well, but Cansei de Ser sexy’s show at the festival had a certain air of unruly adolescence. An icon of the alternative generation from the early 2000s, the band has indulged in nostalgia on stage since the first hype – the sound of dial-up internet connection, familiar to anyone who lived through CSS’s heyday. The collection included early years’ hymns such as “Alala” and “Bizzi”. But the audience was surprised by the absence of “Meeting Paris Hilton” and the song “Suprafem”. Read more about Cansei de Ser sexy show at Primavera Sound 2023.

The repertoire of the Swedish group The Hives had eleven songs and included well-known songs to the delight of their fans. “Good Samaritan” and “Go Right Ahead” were celebrated. And it didn’t take long for them to remember “I hate to say I told you so”… The fun song “Tick Tick Boom” had the crowd screaming as a sixth member of the group. Read more about The Hives performing at Primavera Sound 2023.