So the final drive from Phoenix to our destination seemed the longest, but we eventually made it. We set up camp and scoped out the area. Apparently, the Salton Sea Rec. Area is a hotbed for Coachella campers. It's a very scenic spot that almost gives that tropical/island-like feel. The weather was perfect, and the surroundings were beautiful. It was a shame that this was our only day to fully enjoy the campsite and park. At any rate, we dined, 'wined', and enjoyed the campfire that yours truly so nicely prepared. Opening day of the actual festival was the next morning so it was imperative that we were well rested. We're getting old, people. Back off...
Day 4 - The Festival Begins
Beer makes for a wonderful breakfast. Gates opened at 11am, and being virgins we weren't sure what exactly to expect.....mass hysteria or a well organized event. So we showered, had breakfast, and prepped ourselves for 9+ hours in the California sun. The venue was a mere 20-30 minutes away. We arrived, parked, and headed to the gates which were backed up. Once we finally made it inside, the atmosphere was unreal. Rather than drag this post out to your death explaining everything in great detail, I decided to hit the highlights, do's, and dont's of Coachella...
- Don't be a hero. Bring (and apply) sunblock and save the drinking until the sun goes down.I don't want to stereotype here, but if you're partial to bands like The Cure, Bauhaus, Nine Inch Nails, etc.... put a little extra sunblock on or cover your flesh. And for f*ck's sake, do not wear black from head to toe. We're not looking for dramatic change such as hot pink. Overheating and dehydration sucks.
- Props to the folks working throughout the food court. Good selection to choose from including Vegan and Indian cuisine. My personal favorite was the Mexican wagon that cooked up a phatty phat chicken quesadilla for 5 bucks. What a deal!
- Food/beverage prices were average depending on what you were fiending for. Water was 2 bucks a pop. But beer, my friends, a whopping 7 bucks for a 12oz. Amstel or Heineken. Ouch.
- Very well-organized with plenty of vendors & facilities. We rarely had to wait in line for the lovely toilets, which they continuously cleaned throughout the day.
- Save your souvenir shopping until later in the day. There's no sense waiting in the most slowest line ever in the hot sun when you can get your shirts and sh*t later with no wait. They have plenty of everything so don't panic.
- Take advantage of the shade tents. They are a Godsend.
- The 'electronic' tent rocks. Phatty DJs spinning all day, and plenty of room to dance.
- The various art exhibits and oddities were quite interesting. The people behind the art or the exhibits....even more interesting. The Tesla coil was by far the most outstanding exhibit to witness. Live, man-made lightning, folks.
- The festival grounds and surroundings were very pleasant. There were palm trees around the perimeter with various snow capped mountains in the background. The palm trees were also lit in various colors at night, which heightened the overall atmosphere.
It's only taken me one month to complete my grand Coachella post for f*ck's sake. And finally the music review portion of the show. Here are the bands I was able to catch while partaking in the Coachella experience....
- The Raveonettes: Love them but unfortunately I overheated and had to miss part of their set. They sounded great for what I was able to hear. I highly recommend picking up one of their CDs. They also have a new release out as well.
- Miss Kittin: Holy f*ck this girl can spin. I loved her set. She spun some phat house beats with a twist of punk. Loved it and danced my @ss off for the majority of her set.
- Bauhaus: Finally - check this band off my must see live list. Peter Murphy kicked off the set by singing 'Bela Lugosi's Dead' upside-down. I didn't spot any of the youngster bands pulling off any inverted stunts so all must bow down to the mighty creatures of the night. They sounded spectacular. Long, live Bauhaus.
- New Order: My favorite performance of Coachella. They kicked off their set with the Joy Division classic 'Atmosphere' right at sunset, which was very moving. They played a handful of classics including two more Joy Division songs as well as a few songs from the new album. These boys made it all worthwhile...at least for me.
- Nine Inch Nails: Sounded good but unfortunately I attended the Fragile tour show in my area so I knew a good portion of the set list. He did throw in a few new tracks from With Teeth including the title track. Trent looked stellar, though.
- The Prodigy: Last act of the festival (that I caught). They sounded good and got the crowd hopping. It was afterall one of the last performances of the night so we all went a little nuts at that point.
- Weezer: Wasn't that impressed with live Weezer. They were interesting to see, but they didn't produce much energy with their set list. I'm a fair-weather Weezer fan.
- Coldplay: I caught these guys from afar, but they were better than I assumed. They hyped the crowd up as they were the last act of the first night on the main stage. They sounded good live. Once again, I'm a fair-weather fan.
There were a handful of other bands that I unfortunately didn't get to see, but you have to prioritize folks. There is alot of music to take in over a two day period. Here are some of the bands I regrettably missed....
- Spoon
- Keane
- Fantomas
- Stereophonics
- Mercury Rev
- Snow Patrol
- Josh Wink
- UNKLE
- Bloc Party
- Gang of Four
- Bright Eyes
- The Blood Brothers
- Junkie XL
- The Arcade Fire
- The Faint
- Rilo Kiley
In a big salty nutshell, the Coachella Music Festival was one of the most wonderful musical experiences ever endured during my time on earth. If you've been considering going but hesitated because of the location or cost, I highly highly recommend you buck up and go for it. Don't be a pussy. Hell, I might have to go again sometime.
And that concludes my Coachella recap. Now back to reality....
