There’s a post making the rounds on Bluesky that shows the Coachella lineup and says, “Your real age is 70 minus the number of musicians you recognize playing at Coachella 2025.” Apparently my real age is 44, which actually isn’t bad considering I just turned 42. Go me, barely doing worse than expected for my age at knowing pop culture!

Most of the reason that I only know 34 bands out of 148 is because I’m old. With a few exceptions, good bands stopped being formed when the 20th century ended. But I still kept up a bit more than most grumpy middle-aged guys because I covered Outside Lands every year, exposing me to what the youths insist on calling music. But no longer! My knees finally gave out to the point I can’t do it. So I’ve returned to the metaphorical darkness.

That doesn’t mean I’m completely useless. My oldness does confer one benefit to kids these days: I have an encyclopedic knowledge of bands that they mostly know as “that old stuff my dad likes.” I can point you to some really good music you may otherwise skip.

So here you go, youths. Here’s some wisdom from your elder. If you go to Coachella, be sure to see these artists.

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The Misfits — “Last Caress”

I’m sure you noticed the Misfits; their name on the poster is the first ever to be their actual logo rather than the default font.

Since you’re probably wondering, I know why they get special treatment. Goldenvoice, the promoter that puts on Coachella, got its start in the ’80s booking hardcore punk acts. Stuff like TSOL and the Circle Jerks (who are also playing Coachella). So back in 1983, they booked the Misfits as headliners at a community center in Goleta, just west of Santa Barbara. They’ve been working together ever since so, in honor of that, they got their own font.

The honor is well-deserved. If you’ve read more than a few of my columns, you know how much I love horror punk and the Misfits pretty much invented it. Like any good punk rockers, they’ve been through a few frontmen, a few breakups and a lot of infighting. The current lineup is known as The Original Misfits because it’s a reunion of their golden age: Glenn Danzig, Jerry Only and Jerry’s brother Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein.

They are extremely punk, and while they may not have the frenetic energy they had 40 years ago, they’re still worth seeing.

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The Go-Go’s — “Vacation”

The Go-Go’s are reuniting. It’s very exciting.

Another band originating in the late ’70s and early ’80s, the Go-Go’s were huge in their day. And, unlike punk bands, their lineup stayed pretty much exactly the same the whole time. There were breakups and haituses—lead singer Belinda Carlisle went solo during one of them and had a bunch of hints including “Heaven is a Place On Earth”—but the original lineup is the one that was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2021. And the one that ended the band in 2023.

I mean, end didn’t stick. They played a one-off acoustic show after being inducted into the California Hall of Fame and apparently they liked it, because they’re playing Coachella next April and Vegas’ Cruel World Festival in May. If you’ll be at either, you get to see them!

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The Prodigy — “Breathe”

Just a heads up: I don’t know if I can truly vouch for this one. I had assumed the band hung it up when co-vocalist Keith Flint died in 2019. He was a huge part of the spirit and energy of the band, and I’m not entirely sure how they’re trying to replace him.

They did tour in 2022, but it was only in the U.K. and I never actually heard anything about how it went. The band’s creative force, Liam Howlett, and vocalist Maxim are still there. So… maybe it’ll be fine?

Back in the ’90s, the Prodigy were pioneers of big beat music, which I never fully understood, but it included the Chemical Brothers, so I liked it. They were also inspired by Rage Against the Machine, which is a big point in their favor. If I were there—which I won’t, because I’d lose the ability to walk within the first three hours—I would absolutely go see whether they’ve still got it.

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Kraftwerk — “Radioactivity”

I should’ve said this earlier, but if you’re a youth and you’re familiar with these bands, great! You have excellent taste; tell your friends! But I’ve mentioned bands that I thought were universally known only to get blank stares from everyone under 30 often enough that I’ve made it my mission and duty to spread the good word.

I have no idea how well-known Kraftwerk is in 2024 and I hope it’s still recognized. The band was one of the first electronic bands in the ’70s and its influence led to pretty much anything you’d hear at a rave today. Plus, a pretty significant chunk of hip-hop pulled from the German innovators. Professional Music Knowers have said that you can trace a majority of modern music back to either the Beatles or Kraftwerk.

So, yeah. Go see them. They’re cool. Some of it may seem a bit simplistic by modern electronic standards, but keep in mind that’s because they invented it.

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Missy Elliott — “Get Ur Freak On”

The best remaining artists I like from back in the day are really high on the billing, suggesting they’re famous enough for you to know already. I first heard Green Day back in middle school and they’re headlining! (If you’d have told my parents that the band that did that awful loud Dookie album would be headlining festivals in 2025 they’d have laughed at you.)

So, even though she’s second-billed behind Lady Gaga on Friday, I’m going with Missy Misdemeanor Elliott. (Though she did drop the “Misdemeanor” at some point.) In the late ’90s and early ’00s, she was one of the biggest stars in the world, but around 2007 she was diagnosed with Graves’ disease, an autoimmune disorder, and dropped out of public view to recover. She became a renowned producer during that time but she still hasn’t released a full album since 2005.

If she’s performing, you owe it to yourself to see it. She’s a legend.

Follow publisher Daniel J. Willis and send column ideas to him at @bayareadata.press on BlueSky.