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Last Sunday night, Coachella concertgoers attending Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg’s set in the deserts of California received a huge surprise when the late Tupac Shakur took the stage with them. Crazy, right? Well, it wasn’t actually Tupac, it was a hologram of the rapper—an insanely good hologram, precisely emulating his movements and voice. It was as if the rapper had come back to life for the performance. (For those of you who believe the “Tupac’s not dead” conspiracy theory, I’m sure you’re having a field day with this.)

His unexpected resurrection got me thinking: who are some deceased artists that I would like to see hologram-ed for my entertainment? I came up with a list of my top five….

Elvis Presley

If we’re going to start somewhere, we might as well start with the King. It would be great to see him bust out those Blue Suede Shoes again for the Coachella stage. I have little doubt that his hip-gyrating dance moves would have the same effect on the crowd today as they did on the Ed Sullivan show in 1956, sending the audience into a fevered frenzy with his soulful voice and sheer sex appeal. He’s an icon and a legend. I’d love to see Elvis tear it up more time.

Janis Joplin

I don’t care how good anyone’s cover of “Me & Bobby McGee” is or how many Grammy tribute performances I have to suffer through–no one will ever do it like Janis. And what better place to resurrect her than a music festival? She played Woodstock in ’69 so I’m sure she’d be right at home at Coachella. All the girls there dress like her anyway. I could see her rubbing elbows with Florence Welch and Feist while chuckling with Cat Power wondering who the hell let David Guetta in.

Sid Vicious

Punk’s not dead, but Sid Vicious is. If a hologram of Sid Vicious took the stage, it would be a sight not seen in rock music in far too long. Sid Vicious was punk rock embodied. The Sex Pistols’ manager once famously said “if [lead singer] Johnny Rotten is the voice of punk, then Sid Vicious is the attitude.” With the grungy black hair, sloppy purple nail polish and “Gimme a fix” carved into his chest, he was absolutely one-of-a-kind.  I’d pay good money to simply see him shoot a glare at The Black Keys.

Aaliyah

Okay, I’m taking one for the team here. I’m not all that crazy about the late Aaliyah, but apparently everyone else is. Have you ever noticed how much she’s still referenced in music today? Last week I was watching her “We Need A Resolution” video and I have to admit, there really was something about her that you don’t see in artists today. She had this mysterious sensuality about her and her look and sound were ahead of their time. Would I watch a hologram of Aaliyah performing? Hell yes I would, if only for the chance to further examine her and what makes her so unforgettable.

Britney Spears

Sorry, I had to. Yes, I realize Britney is technically still alive, but the Britney that we all knew and loved has long since passed. Let’s say Brit circa 2001: 20 years old, at the top of her game, all eyes were on her. People could say what they wanted about her, but when Britney took the stage, she shut it down—without actually singing a word! Fast-forward 10 years to the release of her seventh studio album Femme Fatale. With sub-standard dance tracks, vocals that sounded more like my microwave than a pop star and performances where she looked sleepy and confused, it is clear that Britney is over it and her best days are behind her. What I wouldn’t give for another performance of “I’m A Slave 4 U,” complete with a python around her neck. That’s another hologram that I’d pay embarrassing amounts of money to see.  Sorry, I’m not sorry.

Who are some artists that you would want to see hologram-ed?

–Tynan Sinks

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Filed under: Hip Hop, Pop, Punk, Rock, Singer-Songwriter | Tagged: 2pac hologram, Coachella 2012, Coachella hologram, Coachella Music Festival, Madison WI concerts, madison wi music, Tupac hologram, Tupac Shakur hologram |