Moby and Jacob Lusk Team Up for for “Natural Blues” at Coachella

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Before Coachella became the trendiest musical festival on Earth among Gen Z, its lineup looked quite different. Coachella was the place to see the most talked-about rock and indie bands of the aughts, with innovative electronic and hip hop sprinkled in here and there. This spirit seemed to briefly return to Coachella on Friday night, when musician Moby gave us one of the most memorable moments of the festival with an electrifying performance of his 2000s hit “Natural Blues.”

The song heavily features samples of the song “Trouble So Hard” by late American folk singer Vera Hall. To give the Coachella performance the same sort of depth and energy, Moby brought out singer Jacob Lusk. The performer, who is part of the group Gabriels and finished in fifth place on the 10th season of American Idol, elevated the sung parts of the track with his rich, mesmerizing voice. Rather than playing the original, more mellow version of the tune, Moby went with the 2019 BLOND:ISH remix of “Natural Blues,” turning the Mojave Stage into a full on reverie.

This wasn’t the first time the pair worked together. Lusk also joined Moby on stage to play their reimagined version of “When It’s Cold I’d Like To Die,” released earlier this year, and which spawned a remixes album featuring a dozen different versions. “This new version of ‘When It’s Cold I’d Like to Die’ with Jacob Lusk from Gabriels is just so beautiful,” Moby wrote on social media. “I first heard Jacob sing a few years ago and immediately fell in love with his voice.”

Lusk, who commanded the Coachella crowd like the great singers of yesteryear, posted about the response to this the moment on Instagram: “Completely overwhelmed from all the kindness I’ve gotten over the last few days. Thank you so much to Mr. Moby, the whole band and crew for letting me sing with y’all. This past weekend Coachella was just special. There was so much love in that tent and on that stage. I’ve often felt alone, afraid, awkward, and wondered if I was in the right place. These last few days have reminded me there’s a place for everyone, including me.”

As for Moby, he has announced that he will donate 100% of his profits from performing at Coachella to animal rights organizations, a cause dear to his heart since the beginning of his career. “My main job in life is working as an animal rights activist,” Moby said, “and to that end my hope is to use the revenue and attention from my Coachella show to draw attention to, and financially support, animal rights organizations.”

You can watch Moby’s Weekend 2 performance on Friday, April 17 at 8:10 p.m. on the Mojave stage channel on YouTube. While it’s not clear if Lusk will join, we’d surely love to see him there.