Massive downgrade incoming ... Open Letter to Goldenvoice: Are you fucks fucking serious? Did you go around attending different festivals around the nation, and, take -- piecemeal -- the very worst from each and everyone of them? Now all Coachella-goers -- thankfully those who never been to any previous iterations (which were not perfect either, don't get me wrong) won't notice -- get a taste of the shittiest aspects of all festivals. #1 Worst Change: That insanely huge guest/artist pit. Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuckkkkkkkkkkkkk you. That is what that pit says to everyone. Fuck how crammed you are. Fuck that you have been in the scorching sun all day -- contracting melanoma like John McCain in Hanoi -- to be on the rail for X headliner. Congratulations. You took Jazzfest's idea and made it sixty-five times shittier by making it basically impossible to even buy your way in, and created it for every stage (not just the main). #2: The pit is still number two. It is that insanely imbecilic. Who pays for the fucking festival to transpire? Oh, it is the GA wristband holders. Did you even listen to the rant from The Hives some years back? How much GA-generated revenue are you wasting on this shit idea? You have an Army of staff; and out of this: probably a platoon or perhaps even a company-sized element is wasted keeping this area empty (and soulless). Everyone expects change; but, you took the a turn for the worse. Way worse. #3: Stop with the embarrassing commercial pop line-ups. Does anyone actually believe Lorde belongs so high up on the line-up. It's embarrassing. #4: Broken water points ala Sasquatch. A water point should never be broken, ever. A meteor crashing into it or some other absurd act of nature should occur for this to be the case. #5: Unserviced shitters like Sasquatch in the early years, or Life Is Beautiful (AEG as well) currently. Maybe if you did not hire so many StaffPro to keep people out of all the Guest pits you created .... #6: Showers. We need more. We always need more. Get more. More! #7: I still can't believe this pit bullshit. I moved to the continental U.S. in 2007, and since then, I have been attending Coachellas. Next week will be my seventh iteration, so you do the math. I am not one first-timer complaining about inane nonsense. The pit is ours. Don't you forget it. We pay for this festival to even take place. If the guests are so important, hold a festival without selling any fucking passes to the general public and see how it turns out accounting wise. There are good things about Coachella, but I am in no mood. Go read about them in other reviews. Postscript. #8 The taxi line is an unrivaled disaster. You are lucky these yuppies can't fight worth a shit, because if it were a situation where they did, you would have mayhem. #9 The cops are rude and need to realise that they are there to support the festival, and if they don't want to be there, they can stay home watching the Rodney King beating in a loop or whatever it is that they do on their downtime. *signed, me* read more

I didn't know you can yelp Coachella. Since I'm here might as well. I went weekend two and though the weather was quite unbearable in the daytime I would still rather have the beating sun than flooded camp sites. Regardless I didn't camp. Thank goodness because people were waking up at 8am in the morning because of the heat. Coachella was three days of amazing performances, insane crowds, and basically a weekend of being carefree. This year was the year of water stations which was fine if you didn't mind the wait. I mind the wait so I cashed out $2 each time for a bottle (which was considered cheap). What I didn't like were the girls selling the water. They kept asking for tips. If I want to tip I will. Don't hustle for it because it makes me less inclined to tip. If you want a clean-er bathroom go the beer garden near the Sahara tent. The best time of the day is when the sun is slowly setting and the crowd gets louder and the recklessness begins. I love The Back Keys! read more

Review #250! Coachella, Brochella, Dustchella, Swolechella, Coachillin. Just some of the names used for Coachella. This year was my first year and (maybe) my last. I always tell myself, I'm done after this...I'm done...BUT man I can't stop going to these festivals. Coachella brings all kinds of artists from EDM to Rock to Hip Hop. You got people like Ice Cube, Calvin Harris, Disclosure, LCD Sound System, G-Easy, The Chainsmokers and so on and so forth. As you can probably already tell, there's something for everyone, which is what makes this music festival so great. Whether its twerking to some DJ mustard or singing my lungs out to Zedd, it was clear all the artists came to play. Not only that, all the artists tend to bring out some guests artists as well. Chainsmokers alone brought out G-Easy, Walk the Moon, Third Eye Blind, Roses, and Tiesto. What. The. Eff. One artist brought out that many guests?! Others like Zhu and Disclosure played a live set where they brought out an entire band and sang or played the songs with guitars and/or drums. It shows how talented these guys really are. Everyone knows how to put on a good show, that's for sure...except A$AP Rocky. I have no clue what the hell he was doing during his set. The venue itself is really cool. Parking was a breeze since they have actual cops directing traffic. I don't think I ever got in and out of a festival so quickly. There are art installations all around the festival that makes for good IG photos. While 2016 had a lot less art pieces, I do appreciate the ones that were there though. If you have ever been to another festival, you know that food options aren't normally the greatest. Normally, there's fries, chicken strips and pizzas. Yes, you can get that here, but why get that when there's like 50 other options available? From Ramen to GD Bro Burger to Ice Cream to Viet Sandwiches to poutine, there's something for everyone. The food is pricey, but that's already to be expected. At least here you get a huge choice of what you want to eat for the same amount of money you'd be spending on them fries and chicken strips. I can go on and on about Coachella but really Coachella is an experience you really have to go to rather than read about. If you have been on the fence about it, I highly recommend you go!! Tips: - Bring a bandana. It gets REALLY dusty, especially if you park in one of the lots and have to walk to the front gates. - If you're camping, bring baby wipes. I heard lines for showers can take a really long tmie - Bring a Camelbak if you have one. So much better than having to carry a water bottle around. - Go to the 21+ area and go to the portapotties there. Normally they are a lot cleaner and barely used. - There are fancy portapotties if you walk all the way to the back by the Sahara tent - Bring a light jacket and leave it in a locker if your group has one. It can get chilly at night - Bring sunblock. You're in the middle of the desert pretty much. read more

-heat stroke....check. -fucked up parking....check. -scantilly clad women wearing just a doily over each nipple....check. -contact high from those that love the ganja....check. -paying over $15 for garlic fries and some kettle corn (*cough* highway robbery *cough*)....check. -worst b.o. convening in one location...ever....check. -awsome looking art displays that make you look twice....check. -having a blast watching the yeah yeah yeahs, public enemy, and the cure!!!!...check, check, check, check, check, check, check, check, check!!! i would do you all over again. good times, good times. read more

Ok. I'm doing it. I'm reviewing Coachella. Coachella 2011 to be exact. My Coachella dreams started long ago when real bands still performed but weren't realized until 2011 when in a weak moment my husband (then fiance) decided to make my dream come true and agreed to join me in Indio for this crazy, drug addled, drunken, sweaty, music love fest. The lineup was on the better side of OK. Not amazing, but still worth it. It was a good mix of artists my husband wanted to see (Arcade Fire, Empire of the Sun, Cut Copy, Cold War Kids, etc.), artists I wanted to see (Bright Eyes, Jack's Mannequin, Mumford and Sons, The Felice Brothers, etc.), and artists we both wanted to see (The Strokes, Foster the People, City and Colour, Jimmy Eat World). So, off we went. We joined the hipster exodus from L.A. and headed for the sandy expanse of the desert. We didn't camp. Not for lack of trying. I wanted to so badly, but during the time I spent convincing my husband to even go to Coachella, camping sold out. We stayed in a hotel in Palm Springs and made the drive into Indio each of the three days. There are pros and cons to this. Pros: A clean, comfy bed in an air conditioned room with a real shower, toilet, etc. Cons: Parking, hiking through the campgrounds to the festival in the heat, not bonding with as many other festival goers. Now on to the festival itself. In some ways Coachella was every thing I imagined it would be and more. It's best at sunset when you are laying in the grass watching the sun set and listening to amazing music. It's at it's worst in the afternoon when it is hot as balls and there is no shade anywhere and you can't decide if you're having an "experience" or just suffering from heat stroke. The art installations were wonderful, my favorite being the oversized, brightly lit insects. The tesla coil is well... A TESLA COIL! How do you beat that? You can't. Don't even try. Seriously. Stop trying. The food is ridiculously good. How many times have you been at a festival and you are chugging pepto from all the gross food you were forced to eat? Not here. The market in the camping area has great snack options and inside the festival you can get everything from gyros, to burgers, to vegan options. All tasty. All reasonably priced, considering. Alright, here come the tips: Beer garden - Go. Seriously. Hang out in the shade there when it gets too hot. Indulge in the $8 beers and $11 cocktails. You probably already sold your first born child to pay for the ticket anyway. Now is not the time to be frugal. Drink your frothy Heineken, take in the view of the rest of the festival, don't stress when people spill beer on you, it's all part of the fun. Water - This seems obvious, but you really don't realize how hot it can get during the day until you are there. Drink up. The guys and gals selling bottles of water are so sweet, smiley, and awesome. Hand over your cash and stay hydrated, especially if you're drinking. Clothing - dress in light layers. Bikini, shorts, tank top. That's probably all you need. Wear comfy shoes because you'll be walking a lot. Sunscreen - Once again, that sun is unrelenting. You don't want to be that sad chap on day two that looks like a lobster. Bathrooms - It's Coachella. Get over your fear of port a potties and use them. They aren't THAT bad. If you're really worried, it's best to avoid the ones by the food. They are used most often and the lines are longer there. If you're really really worried, go after they clean them out. If you really can't handle it, join the long line of prissy people waiting for the air conditioned trailers that have toilets that actually flush. (I used this one in the beer garden because there was surprisingly no line.) It's nice, but do you really want to miss a band you like to wait in line for it? Probably not. Celebrities - They're there. Right next to you catching bands. Ignore them. Don't stare obviously. Don't ask for their autograph. Let them enjoy the music too. and possibly most important... Expectations - When you buy your ticket, realize that you will not see every band you want. There are so many stages, clubs, etc. that you're going to have to make some tough decisions when inevitably two or more of your favorite artists are playing at the exact same time. There are a lot of teenagers. I wasn't expecting that and it can get annoying when they are sloppy drunk and acting obnoxious. Some bands just aren't going to live up to your expectations on such a large stage. (Bright Eyes - I'm looking at you! I've seen you what? 12 times? More? and when I finally see you at Coachella you play "Lover I Don't Have to Love"? Really?!) Ugh. Anyway, I loved it. But I'm probably not going back. Now that it's two weekends plus having to buy three day passes, plus all the service fees, etc. It just seems like too much of a money making scam. read more

I've been to a lot of different festivals and Coachella is definitely one of the best. It's well organized in almost every aspect. It's all the little things like being able to bring in empty plastic bottles to refill at the free refill stations, shuttles on the camp ground that take you to the supermarket, eco-friendliness and recycling awareness, art installations that not only look cool but offer shade to relax, wristband tickets that allow you the scan in and out with ease, efficient cell phone charging areas, food court with a million different options, air conditioned Yuma tent, and GRASS. Yes, grass makes a huge difference in the experience. It's as if you're on one long picnic the entire weekend with all the sunshine and grass. Another great thing about Coachella is the car camping. I was hesitant at first about car camping but I grew fond of it as the weekend progressed. Why is car camping great? - You're allowed to bring beer as long as it's not in a glass container - Convenience! You can walk to and from the venue as often as you'd like - You save tons of money - Hanging out and meeting fellow campers - Being outdoors and being disconnected from the outside world for a few days - Cool camp ground communal area with activities and games The sunsets are amazing (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/coachella-indio-2?userid=ZNgHbkCzBgH1qyLxtAfu3A#Q743QURXBxHgteg6RPBGPQ). The ferris wheel in the backdrop is simply perfect. I feel the festival transcends the acts that are booked. It's about the total experience of just being out in the desert for a few days to take in all the sounds, sights and smells. The top notch music lineup is only the cherry on top. Tips: - Try not to consume too much alcohol during the day as it really slows you down in conjunction with the heat - Dry ice is really useful when camping; I'd get about 20 lbs to last you until the last day of the festival - Pack a light sweater as it gets chilly at night - Bring a bandana to protect yourself from all the dust in the air - Bring sunblock (30 spf+) into the venue so you can reapply when necessary - Bring earplugs read more

Coachella - The amazing coachella sunset - Festivals Near Me - Indio, California

2 WORDS. D A F T P U N K! Coachella, please try and get them to perform again because they're beyond amazing! read more

Had an awesome time car camping this time around. I loved every moment of it. Thanks to the security staff and volunteers for making it a great COACHELLA experience. See you again next year. Shout out to out wonderful camping neighbors.. read more

Coachella - Sunset @ coachella 2018 - Festivals Near Me - Indio, California

Long lines, lots of dust, hot as hell, slight wind that carried the smell of the horse tables... but in the end, IT WAS ALL WORTH IT! This was one of the best weekends of my life! The car camping thing was new this year, and i hope they do it again next year. This was my first time attending, so I didn't know what to expect. But in the end, the long drive to so-cal from the bay area + the heat + ticket price was all worth the experience. Let me break down the experience: Music/concerts: - Great lineup - Lots of choices -- Rap/hip-hop, latin, rock, indie, trance, house, electric - Huge venue, took 15-20 min to get from the entrance to our camp site, and 15 min to get from the entrance to the back of the venue - Good sound system - great lighting/effects - plenty of space to chill out - Music started at 12 noon - 1am, then the after party with 3 djs till 4am - The stages under the tents were a great place to go during the day to escape the heat - There was a stage in the middle which was the best place during the day. They sprayed water while dancing! it totally felt like a pool party or spring break. Food and booze: - Food was way expensive! considering that it was the only place to eat where whilst inside or for people camping. $6 for a slice of pizza is a rip-off - Waters were $2, which wasn't bad, but adds up quickly - Food was not that great... in fact, the only thing that was half decent was the pizza. - They only served Heineken beer and jack in the beer garden, so if you want something else, liquor up before hand - You can't walk around the concert grounds with beer, your stuck in the beer garden which sucks. Car camping: - This was awesome. I highly recommend that you car camp next year. - We met a ton of new people that we ended up hanging out with all weekend. New friends! - The party kept going, even after the after party. - It was way hot during the day, we had to improvise to make some shade - depending on where you are, the "portable restrooms" could be quite far - Portable restrooms were kept quite clean! i was amazed by how little they smelled. They cleaned them out like 3 times a day. - The spots were a bit tight, but if you are cool with your neighbors, it works out. - 10x30 is not 10x30 at Coachella, plan for 10x15 or smaller (some tents and cars almost didn't fit. Note to self for next year: - Bring a propane stove and grill, and LOTS of food for the camp site - Bring 1 case of bottle water per person - Bring the largest pack of beer you can per person (website said 6pack per person, they allowed way more than that) - Bring Gallons of water, not just bottled water - Bring 2 bottles of sun block (not just 1) - Tent + canopy = shade during day and sleeping place at night - Arrive earlier, probably before 10pm Thursday night (lots of people arrived between midnight and 4am Friday morning/Thursday night - Bring extra stuff (water, beer, food) to share with neighbors, they will share in return - Bring more camping chairs - Bring a hat - Bring my small back -pack - Bring a water container read more

It has taken me months to get around to writing this review because it is close to impossible to describe the perfect combination of joy and misery that is Coachella. When you are asked about Coachella, you can only say it is an amazing experience... so amazing in fact that you forget about the 100+ degree weather, the dry dust that fills your lungs, the zombie-like crowd that emerges around 9pm trampling you as they're running from stage to stage, and the pure exhaustion that comes from 3- 12 hour days of pure musical bliss. Although all of this seems like it would make Coachella a painful experience, it is actually what makes it wonderful. It's set in a desert surrounded by a breathtaking mountainous scene which brings heat and dust. The zombie-like crowd that's trampling you also danced and sang alongside you all day (they also provide added entertainment through their very brave fashion choices). And that exhaustion you feel at the end of the weekend is smothered by the excitement you feel from seeing so many of your favorite bands in one venue! Best of all, there's an energy you feel from the performers as they feed off of the excitement from the fans that you won't experience at a regular concert. A few tips I wish someone would've told me before I got there: - Wear something to cover your mouth and nose. That dust is no joke. - It's really easy to plan your lineup and pick back to back sets from 11am - 1am but give yourself some time to rest, eat and see the rest of the Coachella attractions. - Don't wait until the last day to ride the Ferris Wheel (if it's on your list). The line will be ridiculously long. Also, if you time it correctly, the best time to do it is when the sun is setting. - The charging stations are horrible. Take your own battery back-up or check if some of the sponsors tents... they usually have their own charging stations (with air conditioning!!) - They don't let you bring in your own food or drink, but you can bring in an empty container to fill with water once you're inside. Do it. - Finally, this is your chance to wear that outfit you wouldn't dare wear anywhere else in the world. Seriously... I've never seen such interesting wardrobe choices. You couldn't stand out if you tried. Enjoy!! read more

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Coachella 2013 week 1, some say that it's modern days Woodstock, where instead of hippies you have hipsters. After hearing so much hype about it from my buddies that went to last years event, I didn't even hesitate to purchase my ticket before the line-up was even presented. To be frank, this years line-up looked meh in comparison to the last couple years, with no disrespect to the artists of course, but they seemed to have over-stacked the last few shows and caused everyone to expect another over-achieving set. With that out of the way, I was ecstatic to just even be there. I had to adjust to the sensory overload that was occurring because this place was HUGE, and there where so many people and such a wide variety of music to choose from. Every single one of the stages was it's own unique little world that each supported an eclectic selection of artists at anytime, and what made this so awesome was the fact your able to jump from one great show to the next!.With the exception of the Sahara tent, which was it's own little dedicated island for EDM heads, my personal favorite. haha As for everything in the non-music category: All the vendors where pricey, as expected, luckily they where kind enough to charge $2 for water bottles but twist ankle off when it comes to $5 Powerade. They did provide free water, but from the stories I heard about people not reacting to well to it, I decided to spend dough towards not catching a virus. The food here ranged from $7-$12, and honestly it was not the bad. They had a large rage of dishes to choose from such as your standard fair grub to gourmet food trucks on hand. As for the restrooms, let's just there are some horror stories out there and I can't deny most of them....... Highlights: Despite my lack of intense appreciation for the line-up, I gained so much respect for all the artists I was able to catch. Every single one of them displayed their happiness to just perform there by going all out on every one of their songs. Shout outs to Yeah Yeah Yeah's, Dogblood (Skrillex+BoysNoize), Phoenix, Benny Bennasi, Moby, Two Door Cinema Club, and Wu-tang Clan for each and everyone of their special performances. Plus another special shout out to the stage production teams, for the mind blowing effects, sets/graphics designs and light coordination that simply amplified each respective show. As I mentioned earlier, this is a 3 day event of 10-12 hours of music everyday in the middle of the desert, so prepare for it to take a big toll on your body. Pro tips: Bring your own water bottle (empty), apply plenty of sunscreen BEFORE you arrive (they won't allow it in), bring a light long sleeve (it gets really chilly at night), antibacterial lotion, chapstick, CASH ON HAND, and a SHUTTLE/ PARKING PASS. I'll the time here right now to emphasize how bad you're going to need this because it's a small price to pay to avoid the grueling 2 hour plus line for taxis on a cold windy night, just buy the friggin thing! Aside from all the sucky weather that occurred for weekend 1, I have to say this was an experience that I'll never forget, mentally and physically (lack of sleep, extreme climate, walking, dancing, and what not). With music still freshly ringing in my head I'm going to go recover for the next couple days and adjust back to the real world. To those who've experienced this, Happy Coachella everyone & I'll see you next year! read more

# of texts reading- MEET AT TESLA COIL: 8 # of cell phones lost PRIOR to aforementioned texts: 1 # of friends with lockjaw in the AM: 5 # of cell phones recovered: 1 # of celebrities seen: 3 # of smuggled sundry provisions: 5 # of disturbingly severe sunburns: too many to count # of times at coachella: 2 and counting... totally worth the time and money! do they make neon glow-in-the-dark nose pinchers? note to self: invest in those. read more

I only went for Sunday driving 2 hours to be in 100+ degree desert on a school night, but it was SO worth it. *Devendra Banhart was biblical and my heart is racing now just thinking about him and his performance (*CRUSH*). *Public Enemy came out of the woodwork and 50 year old Flava Flav jumped into the crowd 3 times, bless his heart. *My Bloody Valentine, more like My Bloody Eardrum! *Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Peter Bjorn and Lykki Ly put on really good shows. *The Cure KILLED it! They are old and ugly as hell but fucking EPIC! They kept playing till everyone left. I love the lead singer.. He wrote all those love songs for his wife, you know. *Ran into Adrian Garnier (can't miss those big blue eyes) for the second time in my life while getting delicious vegan food from an Oregonian farm stand. Awesome! Coachella was dope but pretty expensive ($120) for a one day ticket. I'm going back next year but will wear my bathing suit! read more

Coachella * 3 days of desert heat * Too many bohemian style headbands * Ridiculous gladiator sandals * Neon colored fake ray bans * Fat people wearing swimsuits that shouldn't be * Lots of people on lots of different drugs * 14 and 15 year olds asking my friends and I if we had "E" * Dust in the air * Really awesome bands (yeah yeah yeahs, ghostland, and thievery corp (my top three) * My Bloody Valentine (awful, awful band) * Simon Rex jamming to Public Enemy right next to me * Not being able to find our car on Friday night and walking an hour to find it * Being locked into a parking lot on Saturday for 1.5 hours * Seeing Audrina, Kirsten Dunst, and Tara Reid in VIP * Blisters on the feet Awesome weekend. Coachella is now going to be an annual thing. I'm already sooo excited for Outside Lands 2009 in Golden Gate Park read more

2011 was my very first festival so I cannot be a snob and pretend like I know everything about the festival and bitch and moan about how much has changed over the past few years. Coachella 2011 was an amazing experience and for those of you who are considering going in the future - I say go for it! Don't knock it til you try it. What I loved about the weekend was that the experience is exactly what you want to make out of it. If you want to plan out a schedule to see as many bands as possible, you can. If you want to watch/listen to 2 stages at the same time, you can. If you want to stand in with the crowd and forget that there are literally thousands of people behind you, you can. If you want to sit on the grass and pretend you're watching a concert on Fuse.tv, you can. You can go car camping, rent a condo, stay at a house, get a hotel room, be naked, wear uggs, wear costumes, hunt down food trucks, stand in line for flushing toilets, watch a hockey game while eating chicken and waffles, nap, get trashed, etc..it is all doable! I saw everything from stilettos to barefoot here. People are generally friendly and just lets everything be and that's what makes the festival so awesome. People getting together for the love of music and just having fun with new/old friends. Considering how much concert tickets are nowadays, this festival is a steal! So for those of you guys that complained about having Kanye in the line up this year, take a chill pill and just go watch another band. After all, isn't open-mindedness of various music styles is what a music festival is all about? read more

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It's been 4 days since Coachella and I'm having withdrawals. I keep looking at my Coachella pics and watching YouTube vids of performances, trying to relive the experience. I can't seem to let it go and frankly, I don't wanna! Sure, the second weekend was hotter than a motha, our first bike ride out to the venue was brutal and we couldn't stop sweating profusely even while staying perfectly still, perplexed at the seemingly dry people around us. But that was all worth it to experience a multitude of amazing live music beneath a starry night sky and a cool breeze and hearing the crowds singing in unison with their favorite artists. I had bought my tickets during the pre-sale, months before they even announced the lineup. It was leap of faith but I knew I wouldn't be disappointed. Highlights of the weekend: Neon Indian, SBTRKT, The Black Keys, Gotye, Miike Snow, Frank Ocean, Bon Iver, Feist, "Fade into You" by Mazzy Star that apparently more than half the crowd was waiting to hear, RADIOHEAD, Santigold, Fitz and the Tantrums, Florence + the Machine, epic epicness while in prime location between JUSTICE and Girl Talk playing their sets, and of course Snoop/Dre/Tupac/Eminem. Seriously, day 3 finale made my head explode. I can't begin to even describe how fantastic the entire weekend was. Any avid music enthusiast should experience Coachella at least once, but I can assure you that once most likely won't be enough. I'm already looking forward to next year! My only regret: not getting a tshirt. I'd be wearing that baby for a week! read more

Coachella - Festivals Near Me - Indio, California

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Yay, I'm not a noob anymore!! I've been devirginized...figuratively speaking and initiated into the Coachellan experience. Having gone to Lollapalooza last year in Chicago which was held in Grant Park in the middle of the city, I had extremely low expectations for Coachella since it's held out in the middle of the desert where the tallest things are palm trees. I was pleasantly surprised and had a huge blast. The traffic was horrendous of course once we exited the freeway. It took 2 hours to travel a few miles from the freeway exit. Next time, I will take a side route on the Hwy 111 that I discovered after the event upon returning back to the Marriot resort we were staying 8 miles away. The parking was free but for concertgoers with shotty sense of direction and photographic memory, I suggest start taking the ginkgo biloba now. We concentrated very hard to remember our parking spot. I just knew that we parked next to a fenced enclosure where horses were grazing and designated that as our general landmark plus identified it by the extreme stench of manure, MOOO!!!!! Then, we hiked a zigzag mile long dirt stretch to the entrance. Man, I work out regularly and I was tired. I'd like to know how the balding fat men endure the trekking in these marathon-like events. Getting in wasn't so bad, the security isn't very strict and people sneak in everything especially weed. However, there's no turning back once getting in. Unlike Lollapalooza, there's no in/out privileges. That means all elimination occurs in the port-a-potties (or in the parking lot haystacks). I have a new found appreciation for lunges and squats. The 5 stages were spread out far enough from each other. The vast open landscape allowed people to walk around freely so that you're not constantly dodging drunk people or being forced into someone's sweaty armpit. There was cool artsy Dr. Seuss-like architectural creations that doubled as shady spots, some that sprayed mist. Unfortunately, there's not enough space in Grant Park for Lollapalooza to display such massive works of art. Speaking of sweaty, one empty bottle of water was permitted and water can be refilled for free at various fountains. Souvenir Coachella bottles were sold for $10 with unlimited refills and since it was so frikkin' hot, the money was well spent. I will reiterate: it was frikkin HAWT!! One major tip for the ladies, minimize the makeup!! In 97+ degree heat and after 8 hours of walking, dancing, hopping, and moshing, any lady will regret to have spent the 1 hour morning routine of caking on makeup just to end up looking like a melted Tammy Faye Baker by the end of the night. I saw lots of girls with raccoon eyes from smeared mascara. Just distracting and unattractive, I felt very embarrassed for them. I won't repeat the line up as other reviewers have posted and there's a link with all the info( http://www.coachella.com/ ). Everybody's gotta try Coachella once even if you're no music junkie. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Here's my checklist: -sunglasses -hat with a wide rim -sunscreen -beach towel -chapstick with SPF -a portable fan to wear around the neck(purchased at Rite Aid) -small backpack or satchel -customized lineup schedule printed from the website -lots of cash, no credit/ATM cards taken (side note: t-shirts are $25+ and popular sizes/styles sell out quickly so purchase merchandise when you enter) -empty water bottle -baby/alcohol wipes -camera -lightweight jacket (drops down to 50 degrees at night) -flip flops/comfortable walking shoes -eyedrops and allergy med read more

Okay, so lets just get this shower thing outta the way now. What was going on? Waiting in the shower line for an hour and a half with other disgruntled sweaty individuals didn't do much to enhance my weekend. Luckily, I camped with crafty mo-fo's who made us a mini tarp shower thing. Am sure campground passerby's saw my naked rear end at some point. Haha. That's what they get. Car camping was Amazing. Made all the difference that we didn't have to lug our shit through the dust. Unfortunately, some people couldn't handle the privilege of having a car, and kept honking their horn. If this was you, go to hell. I left a thinly veiled death threat note on their car, but they didn't notice it. Boo. Back to the fun... highlights: our DHARMA initiative campsite and shirts. we attracted a lot of geeks, just how i like it Jay-Z The Specials- skanking took me back to a much simpler time MUSE-amazing Devo, David Guetta, Thom Yorke Die Antwoord said some wonderfully offensive stuff during his performance (vagina was mentioned like 7 or 8 times) This years art installations were pretty lame. Where were serpent mother and tesla coil??? REgardless, it was worth it. I would go back next weekend if i could. read more

Coming from a non-Miley Cyrus fan, you can take this review to heart. Coachella 2011 was fanfuckingnomenal (pardon my church tone). This was my 5th consecutive romp-about in the desert, and I can safely say that this was by far my favorite. I'd like to consider myself a veteran, despite the fact that I haven't graced every Coachella since its inception. In my defense, it took a while for my proverbial musical balls to drop. My Coachella experience consisted of bouts of psychosomatic euphoria and hallucinations as a result of allergy meds, tequila and an overdose of vitamin D. Despite the heart attack inducing ticket prices, melanoma gang bang and mass brain cell suicide, it was the best few days of my life. Let me take you through a verbal tour. You are welcomed into the festival with unadulterated approbation by hippies who have spiked their kombucha with ample doses of THC.The security guards will search your orifices with a conviction one can only label religious. The air is saturated with Coors light-fueled declarations, and a dense layer of sativa smoke that is desperately trying to fingerbang the atmosphere. The festival itself is located in the sweaty cleavage of hot-as-balls California. A field of desert dreams where hipsters, bros and hippies alike can unite in the pursuit of a common goal-- to use a substantial amount of trust fund money to dress like a hobo. The tents are filled with electronic music and people who for a lack of a better explanation, feel like their faces are melting off. You will bleed music and dust for the better part of a week afterwards, the length of time it takes for your body to metabolize all of the #winning you consumed. You will walk away with new friends who will love you despite the fact that your skin is now the texture of triple-dried beef jerky. You will come back with a desert souvenir as well, for most it's a coca cola tan but for a lucky few, it is a persistent case of syphilis or a fertilized egg. See you next year, Indio! read more

The Good: :: it's focused on indie, electronica, hip-hop, etc kind of music. no country music here, no jam bands, etc. aiming at a younger demographic than other festivals like ACL Festival :: the DJ tent. we stayed there to head bobble for quite a bit of time. felix da housecat and digitalism were making everyone shake their money makers :: the grass. oh lovely grass....you don't need to bring a blanket or towel with you. you can just plop down on the grass and rest and it's awesome :: the heat. it's a dry heat so i was loving it. no humidity, just plenty of sun and me getting a tan :: big name acts you won't get unfortunately at other festivals (and no, i am not talking about madonna, barf) :: at night it got really nice and cool...no need for a jacket b/c when you are head bobbling like a jackass, you tend to sweat quite a bit. :: the big landmarks for arranging meetups with your friends The Bad: :: the annoying dance tent in the center of the festival. it made for hearing music from stages kind of hard, since you kept hearing a THUMP THUMP THUMP BADABADABADA THUMP THUMP. very annoying. :: was very hard to find water. the vendors were just not very well layed out and there were no big signs indicating water for sale :: you couldn't bring in your own water. they made you drink it or dump it out. not even factory sealed water bottles. that is really lame. :: mediocre food. everything tasted like bland kaka. :: $285 for a 3-day pass. why not take my kidney and liver while you are at it? oh, how about my firstborn? The Ugly: :: i had a girl explosion-puke all over everything in front of me in line to get in. that was so much fun stepping over her liquid vomit puddle! yay! a premonition? yes. :: $7 for a cup of beer. this beer did not come from the teet of a magical flying female unicorn that only appears once a millenium. this was kaka beer. for $7 a cup. :: no ins and outs. i paid $285 for a ticket. i'd like to be able to go in and out if i want. :: HORRIBLY marked parking lots. you had a big white balloon thingy that was lit that said your lot number and that's it. no markers within the lot, so no A, B, C, etc. it took a while finding the car and that was with landmarks. unless you had tagged your location using GPS, you were gonna be looking for a while. :: people kept pushing and shoving us to get through. i have been to festivals numerous times, this is expected. but it was like we had a beacon that said COME HERE AND PUSH AND SHOVE US BECAUSE WE LIKE IT. couldn't enjoy arcade fire b/c of the asstards that kept doing that. The REALLY Ugly: :: you couldn't walk around with your beer. no, i'm not kidding. coming from ACL Festival where you CAN, this was really annoying. so insult to injury: i paid $7 for a kaka cup of kaka beer, and you want me to drink it inside a chain-fenced area with cops positioned all around? like i am at a japanese internment camp?? despite the fact that i can simply hand over my booze to someone over the freaking fence?? despite the fact that this is just a stupid idea and i can easily circumvent it??? genius. not. who was the rocket scientist who thought that only allowing drinking inside of chain-fenced designated areas was a good idea should seriously have his/her head dunked into a toilet full of beer-induced kaka. :: the logistics of getting in and getting out. it was beyond ridiculous. there were no shuttles to take you out there. there were no taxis. you had to drive out there. it's in the middle of nowhere in the desert (polo fields out in yuppie boonieland indio). it took about an hour to get into the parking lot and from there you had to walk a bit to get inside. getting in, though, was a christmas miracle compared to getting OUT. to call the parking lot when the shows ended a clusterfart would be extremely generous thing. it took us over 3 hours to get out on the last night and that was because we cut across the parking lot clearing out to our left. they had 2 cops directing traffic. yes....2. directing over i'd say 40K-50K cars. Would I go back? Definitely not. Or as Will Smith would say: "Aw HAYELL no!" I'm sticking to ACL Festival here in Austin, TX. If I get nostalgic for a logistics nightmare, perhaps I will return to Coachella. This place is SO FREAKING OUT. read more

Alright I know the desert is hot, but seriously I thought I was gonna die of a heat stroke. I had a good time, the main reason I went was for Thievery Corporation, they sounded great. The crowd was kind of lame though, so few were even interested in Thievery on the main stage. They never tour here in the West Coast so to see them is a great honor in my opinion, but everyone was more interested in The Killers, which you can see anytime, anywhere. Yes the beer was $7, I knew it would be expensive but the cups were way too small. I wish they would have had misters, like the ones they have in Palm Springs, considering the cost you would think there would have them. I went back in '03 which landed on my B-Day 4/30, was much more temperate then, but what can you do. Overall I had a good time, if the lineup is good next year I'll probably go read more

Coachella - Thievery Corporation on the Main Stage - Festivals Near Me - Indio, California

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YA STANDIN' IN LINE ... no you're not! There were hardly any lines - 10 mins for entry, 20 mins for showers, none for beer, none for the toilets. It was wonderful. If you ended up in some long line, how did you fuck that up? BELIEVIN' THE LIES ... don't believe them! 'no free water, 4 dollars a bottle, no sneaking anything in, impossible to park, camping is hell, filthy toilets' - all lies! I brought my own water in, refilled it many times and accidently brought loads of vodka in too. Camping was easy, clean and you could drive off for breakfast outside the site in the mornings. YA BOWIN' DOWN TO THE FLAG ... yeah, but which flag? Canadians, Belgians, Scandinavians, Mexicans, Australians and so many Brits - all awesome, very entertaining and fun. And I mean the artists as well as the thousands of fans like myself who'd flown in from distant timezones. YA GOT A BULLET IN YA HEAD ... no not really. The 'festival' is a bit too civilized to be a real brain exploding festival like Glastonbury. No-one at Coachella will have a life-changing experience but then again no-one at Coachella was naked, caked in mud and just coming around from a three day drug binge wondering if they actually saw any acts and why they gave away all their possessions to a small Irishman. A BULLET IN YA HEAD ... okay, so the sun did feel like a bullet in the head every morning at 8am in the campground when it hit 100F and sleep was no longer possible. But you HAVE to camp, right? A BULLET IN YA HEAD ... well, maybe a bullet to the wallet as well. Tickets, camping, flights, rental car, 7 dollar beers, and Ticketmaster taking 50 bucks too, the swines! A BULLET IN YA HEAD ... yeah, I'll admit that I loved it and the whole weekend is still swarming around in my head - amazing line-up, fun artwork, peaceful attitude, great weather and the luxury of dancing barefoot on soft grass. YA GOT A BULLET IN YA FUCKIN' HEAD ... ok then Rage Against The Machine, if you do have to insist on bullets in heads, then please... Nikki Hilton at MSTRKRFT, Tommy Lee at Adam Freeland, or any other annoying celeb that I didn't come to see, don't want to see, and don't hope to ever see again. Not cool. read more

Happy Coachella!!! I've been to a lot of music festivals and Coachella serves up music and an enjoyable festival atmosphere that exceeds any other I've attended. I was so impressed last year that I got festival and camping passes for this year. In June of last year. Sight unseen, no lineup released. That's just how good Coachella was to me last year. Coachella pulls the top acts plus the up-and-comers, plus some acts that add a little nostalgia. For example, last year I saw Mumford & Sons, Kings of Leon, The Black Keys (greatest band in the universe), Kanye West, Wiz Khalifa, Nas & Damian Marley, Arcade Fire, Neon Trees, Foster The People, Cee Lo, The Strokes, Erykah Badu, Duran Duran, Lauren Hill, The Swell Season, Don Letts ... plus about 20 more bands that I can't recall at the moment. This year I'm going to see The Black Keys again, Radiohead, Florence & The Machine, The Buzzcocks, Bon Iver, Fitz & The Tantrums, Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg (WHAT?!?), The Shins, Gary Clark Jr., Santigold, Mazzy Star, Gotye, Jimmy Cliff... Pretty impressive, no? But there's more to a festival than just the music. I'm going to break down all the highlights for you, from start to finish. 1. Location - Empire Polo Club in Indio, California - superb weather (blazing hot days/cool nights), MASSIVE and well kept grounds, less than 2hrs from L.A. or San Diego 2. Price - A steal at $315 for 3 days of music on 2 stages plus 3 tents and a couple other smaller spots. Music continually in each of those places from about 1pm-midnight. Do the math. 3. Camping - Camping is what's UP! My friend and I rented a camper van (Escape Campervans, separate review) from L.A. and got a sweet spot close to the festival entrance. That camping spot only costs $75 for the entire 4 days and in my opinion is the only way to go. Hotels are ridiculously expensive (Super 8 for $250/night?!?) and I can only imagine that transportation would be a major hassle. 4. Facilities - Amazing. Everything you need right there. Food Courts on the camping grounds and in the festival. A general store for things such as sunscreen, batteries, toothbrushes, etc. Phone charging stations. Vendors like Vans and H & M. Arts & Crafts. Record Store Day. Hot showers in tractor trailers - separate male and female trailers each housing about a dozen stalls. Hot water, kept relatively clean, not gross at all. Porta-potties all over the place - definitely gross after the 3rd day but it's just the nature of the beast. 5. Security/Crowd Control - Executed very well. When you arrive at the grounds (if you're camping), first you have to go through a car search. They get all up in your business, searching all your bags for contraband. No glass allowed and a "reasonable amount" of alcoholic for the weekend. My friend and I had a case of beer and a box of wine for the 4 days. Interesting story from one of the security employees searching our van: We asked what kind of things he found during searches and he told us that once someone brought in a 5-gallon bucket of weed. Awesome and stupid at the same time. Once you get through the car search you go through the wristband inspection line to make sure your wristband is legit. These people don't play. After that you're directed to your camping spot. Throughout the event, security staff was abundant (on foot, bicycle and horses) and I felt completely safe at all times. 6. Food & Beverages - Anything your heart desires and it's not unreasonably priced. I was so pleased with the selection ... really good organic coffee, produce from a local farm, great breakfast items and baked goods along with the standard festival concessions (burgers, pizza, Asian, Mexican, ice cream), but everything was of a much higher quality than what you'd find at a state fair. Think food truck. Now we're talkin. They had a huge Heineken tent close to the main stage. This is the only place that you can buy an alcoholic beverage within the festival venue. You have to have a wristband (21 or over) to enter and you can't leave the tent with alcohol. Fantastic idea that I support. It really helps prevent the whole thing from turning into a big ugly drunken mess. 7. Other Random Awesomeness - There's a free shuttle (7am-2pm) from the camping grounds to Ralph's grocery store around the corner. After we had our morning coffee, we'd get on the shuttle to pick up any necessary provisions and sit with civilization for a minute. There was also a CVS in the little shopping plaza. Water Truck - It was 98+ degrees last year so obviously, it's important to stay hydrated. We drank plenty of water but Coachella also provided this badass water sprinkler/sprayer type vehicle that slowly crept down Main Street of the camping area. People running, skipping, hopping along side the truck as it sprayed us down. Just like kids and so much FUN! Gotta go..used up my 5001 characters. Last words: Coachella is AWESOME AND YOU SHOULD GO! read more

Coachella - Happy Coachella! With Nas & Damian Marley 2011 - Festivals Near Me - Indio, California

People, THIS IS NOT A RAVE! This is the DEFINITION of a music festival. Like hip-hop? Coachella's got it. Rock? Got that too. EDM? Sahara tent all day baby. Anything and everything in between? Got that too. Hands down the best MUSIC festival in the U.S. Yes, the sun will wake you up if you are camping and the you will feel burnt out (regardless if you are sober or not) but c'mon, if the music can't pump you up then just stay home and livestream it off YouTube. Plus where else can you get that kick ass tan in just 3 days? Each year Coachella does it bigger and better. While that may lead to commercialization and bring about more mainstream bandwaggoners, the essence and spirit of music appreciation is still there. Coachella 2010 was my first, while 2011 to me was considered a down year, 2012 was back, bigger & better than before. 2Pac, Dre, Snoop. Maybe next year they can bring back the hologram Lennon & Harrison and have a Beatles reunion.... read more

My review is for 2014 Weekend 1 // shuttle pass // GA I often hear iconic people speaking of life-changing experiences and have never been able to say the same about my life, until now! I didn't know what to expect but it was just perfect. _stay: We stayed at a house that we found on Airbnb that was about 20 miles from the venue. We got there Thursday and relaxed at the pool and dined outdoors. It was nice to break away from the noise of LA and have a mini vacation in paradise with some old and new friends. _travel: We simply drove to the nearest port where they shuttle people to and from the venue and it was completely hassle-free. _things to bring w you + tips: - Water bottle (free water filling stations). they sell crystal geyser for $2 which is not unreasonable - Some sort of scarf that can cover your neck, back face from the sun and if there's dust/debris/sand in the air (we had a sandstorm, no not zombie nation, on Saturday and found it to be a lifesaver) - Sunnies (this can be helpful for during the day for obvious reasons as well as at night if there are high winds blowing sand around. also, some sunnies that you don't mind getting sandblasted - i.e. not expensive ones) - Sunscreen (apply in the morning before heading out and another round in the afternoon; no sunburns or awkward tan lines!) - Purell ("haters shake my hand but I keep the sanitizer on deck". they have hand sanitizer in the portable toilets but you never know!) - Wet ones; hand wipes - Ear plugs (Yuma can be crazy bass heavy!) - Fanny pack, backpack, purse, murse, satchel, etc. - Hat (preferably a breathable hat. I took a cap w me but I wish I had brought one w a mesh top) - Back up USB battery pack (cell service was pretty dependable while I was there - AT&T. my phone's battery is dead so I got one w a capacity of 2 full charges) - Screen shot a note of all the people in your group and their phone numbers and set as your lock screen (this actually worked so have faith in humanity! - Physically write down names/numbers/address of your stay and shove it in your pocket should you lose your phone - Wear comfortable shoes as you'll be on your feet the majority of the day - Use speaker towers (?) #s (ex A3) as a way to tell your buddies where you'll be - Get an idea of what shows everyone in the group wants to see and meet in front of the stage signs at the start time (or a little before) _show planning: - PLAN tentatively who you want to see and familiarize yourself w the map. Sahara gets super packed w big name DJs - tried to check it out but barely went over that direction. - Download the free Coachella APP is amazing. I didn't use it but my friends raved about it - you select the sets you want to see and it gives you alerts and everything you need to know to get there - If you don't like crazy crowds, you can see the Coachella stage (main) pretty well from the side at the sectioned off beer garden; get ID checked, get your Heineken wristband and mosey on over My friends were well-prepared for this weekend. Had they not gone through this extensive preparation, I would have been destroyed - Thank you! I would definitely go again! Hope this helps! read more

I've attended coachella in 2012 and 2013 and had the best time of my life BOTH times! 2012 had an AMAZING lineup with some great headliners--TUPAC? WHAAAA--Swedish House Mafia?!?! dammmmnnnn. I love the venue. So open and free. You see so much greenery everywhere and you can easily find a place to relax or rage. Take your pick. I decided to Camp in 2013. I have to be honest and say that I was quite hesitant about the idea of camping to begin with. My previous memories of camping has never really been very positive and I thought, it would suck so much to sleep on the ground with no air conditioning and not being able to shower for THREE WHOLE DAYS... Boy was I wrong. Car Camping was the best decision I ever made. I could come and go as I please. I can drink at the campsite all I want then roam around in the fairgrounds feeling amazing! I can meet amazing new people who share common interests in music and in life. I STRONGLY SUGGEST THAT YOU GIVE CAR CAMPING A TRY. Here are some tips. -Go with people who has either gone before or are experienced with Camping. -Get a huge group of people to make a huge FORT inside of Coachella -BUY your stuff (tent, sleeping bags, any supplies) at COSTCO, then return it after. ;) -Bring tons of Alcohol. -Be prepared for wind -Wake up early (7am) to shower or wait until mid day (noon). -Do not use the first Porta-Potty when entering the bathroom line. (You'll thank me later) -YOLO. I can see myself attending Coachella every year for the foreseeable future and nothing else compares. SERIOUSLY. read more

I want to preface this review by noting that we went for one day. Maybe the experience is totally different if you're camping. But it is, after all, a music festival, so I think it's fair to evaluate it on the basis of the actual "music festival" part and not the all-night rave party afterwards. But having been to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival a dozen times and Austin City Limits a couple, as well as a few camping festivals, I have to say I was pretty stunned by the stark contrast. Those festivals are relaxed, easygoing affairs where there are few rules, lots of friendly, helpful people, basically no visible security of any kind. Coachella is exactly the opposite. My memories of the day are overwhelmingly dominated by security, lines, rules, and checkpoints. Let's start with the rules. The list is extensive, but make sure you read them all. Because buried in there is a note about "no professional cameras." What's a pro camera? it doesn't say. I found the answer somewhere else in an FAQ. "Any camera with a removable lens is not allowed." Wait, what? You can't bring in SLR cameras. Ouch! Half the fun of these big festivals is taking pictures. At Coachella, you'll be taking them with your iPhone. Anyway, once you've figured out what you can safely bring without it being confiscated, you'll get to experience security. Imagine TSA, except not relaxed and laid back. Full body pat-down. Every pocket will be turned out. Every zipper unzipped. Each person got 2-3 minutes of thorough review. Which made, of course, for a lovely 45 minute wait getting though that line, one of many you will wait in throughout the day. And that was Friday at 1:30 PM. I can only imagine what it was like on Saturday. But wait! There's more. You will wait in a line to scan your wristband. Twice. And you also need to scan your shuttle pass. There was yet another bag search and patdown before getting in. Really. The 2nd bag search was mercifully shorter, it only took about ten minutes. Then, scan your wristband again! I hope they are collecting stats on the average time to get in. And then, finally, I was in. By that time, about an hour and a half after I had stepped off the shuttle, I was more than ready to grab a beer and go chill out and see some music! But... no. Beer garden. A beer garden? At a music festival? Are you joking? That's right. You can't grab a ($9!!) beer and walk around the festival. If you want to drink, you will be doing it from the lovely double-walled chain-link confines of the beer gardens. Complete with heavily-guarded wristband-check-line to get into the beer garden itself and another line and inspection to get out, because we need to be absolutely sure you aren't trying to sneak a beer out to where it might be fun to drink it. I'm not kidding about the double-walled bit, either. There are two fences around the beer gardens with a buffer zone between them, just like a maximum security prison. I guess so they can shoot anyone who tries to sneak in? Because god forbid a regular fence isn't enough to keep the zombies from rioting. Practically speaking, apart from the fact that this does make the gardens look like a prison camp, it means you can't really even stand by the fence and watch the show outside the beer garden because you can't really see out. So hunker down at the beer garden. You and half the concert-goers, that is. Which makes for a ridiculously long wait to get a beer too, since everyone's crammed into the few beer gardens. Let's see, what else did they manage do do exactly wrong whereas every other festival somehow gets it right? There's the portajohns. At other festivals, they are intuitively located around the perimeter of the festival grounds. Need to go? Just look around. From wherever you are, you can see one. That tried-and-true format was rejected in favor of small, interior outposts scattered sparsely, and the telltale blue portajohn is invisible from outside these little enclosures. And not in the beer gardens, either. Definitely not. Because people drinking beer don't need to use the bathroom. No water stations that I saw, either. Thirsty? Shell out. Lost? No "you are here" posters. No flyers with a map & stage list. At the end of the day, if you choose to go to Coachella, you better really love the bands that are playing. I mean every last one of them. Because you really have to work for it. If you don't drink, I suppose these complaints would matter less, but I think even non-drinkers would prefer not to be treated like criminals when they pay $300 for a concert ticket. There were good things, and overall we had a good time. The artwork, the funky fun installations, and the sound was good. But that's not unique to Coachella. I had a good time because of the people I was with and the people I met, in spite of the construct, not because of it. It's just so much easier and better when it seems like the organizers actually want you to have fun. read more

Aarrgggghhhhh!! Shiver me timbers! A music festivus at Indio, CA. That sounds like the Indian Ocean.... Indiee..what? All the way in the desert. No this is not Burning Man, but you could be fooled into believing it was based on the amount of skin and freebooters that showed up. Everyone from banana leaf wearing man-pig ass pirates to old salty seadog pirates and even cute lassy pirates. It was a swashbuckling event! Normal pirate fare, salmagundi (ya know, pirate food!) The beer garden reeked of Black Jack, Cap't Morgans, Grog and Hogshead. The head was more like Davy Jones's Locker, with wenches walking barefooted into the porta potties and stepping through the plague laden brown puddles. Dead men tell no tales. The grub was pricey...they temptin to hornswaggle me booty. Me favorite bucco was Morrissey. He even quoted pirate slang, "I smell burning flesh!!........and it better be human!".....The crowd roared as he walked off the deck, later coming back to say, "Ahhh....How I love the smell burning animals! Aarrrggghhh!" The Jolly Roger was up and blowin in the wind! Don't bring your cutlass inside, the Privateers will pillage your booty. read more

RIP ADAM! This review is now dedicated to you. Now, I tend to hate reviews that arent about a business, but if you think about it, this is a well run business that seems to be getting better and better. So, instead of reviewing the festival that is ever changing, I decided to just give a run down of Coachella 2009 from my perspective....please enjoy Most Fun by far - Travis & DJ AM They ran the gamut of all genres, from classic rock to disco/RB to electronic to hard rock and on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QjshT5onss&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0vtlMgHOgg oh, and then there was this...nuff said http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAwTYn-wKCg Okay, one more thing...this was their closing song. There wasn't one person on their butt and not one person who wasn't singing along. I'm getting choked up just as I write this. SO SO GOOD! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qqle7vTGg9s Most Surprising - Zane Lowe How it looked http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sv_qZ7ebV3k&feature=related How it felt http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNv-HfKxzOA&feature=related Most Anticipated - MIA A look from the right side http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJ8ahq7UNMw Best Night Time Performance - Ghostland Observatory Piano Man the song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8r0mlA9pmg0 Laser show during the Midnight Voyage was easily one of my favorite parts of Coachella http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrIOED69vr0 Sad Sad City- OMFG, I can feel the chemicals running through my body again as a watch this clip. If you watch one clip, this is the one to watch. Damn, these guys are so good its a shame they aren't more popular or maybe that is a blessing http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgrDhc7rS9E Best Day Time Performance - Ting Tings Shut up and Let Me Go sounded almost like the actual record....good job performing a song that easily could not have translated to the stage http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBBA7cwYRYQ We Started Nothing featured a horn section that just blew me away. It was like the hipster blues brothers. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2rGqYhQwII That's not my name, but it sure is a hell of a good song. 2:20 into this she throws down the kick drum and sings for us. I sang that part for the rest of the weekend. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcwKTYTGYlI Most Slamming Performance - Bloody Beetroots I wasn't the biggest Bloody Beetroots fan and I'm still not, its a little hard for my taste now adays. That being said... The Intro with Steve Aoki http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRvbWtvNYRY Seriously, 19 seconds into this is basically how this show felt the entire time. I think I broke 3 peoples toes http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wc-kI7oyAyA Best as well as Cutest Performer - Lykke Li Great overall performer! People need to use the Kazoo or Harmonica more often http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Io3P92USvE0 Lykke Li rocking a Lil Wayne 'Milli" loop as well as her last song Breaking it Up. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoP7LmyXqb0&feature=related Emotional would be an understatement. On an overall blazing day, miraculously cooled down by a breeze which came in during this song. Whether it was the dust in the breeze or the song, I ended up shedding a tear. I'm blaming the breeze. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uE1YllpLYrk She also had the best line of any performer. Try to imagine this in a cute little European monotone accent. "Do any of you know who Kings of Leon are? (crowd roars) Well, they are back stage. (Crowd roars!!) ....just kidding, its just me!" Best Performance Overall - The Yeah Yeah Yeahs I can now die in peace. I cant believe it has taken me this many years to see Karen O perform. Well, it was worth the wait and I loved every moment of it. Maps- The picture kind of sucks, the audio kind of sucks...but I'm still speechless after seeing this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3andHj23d6o Zero- I saw her perform this song on SNL the other day and thought, oh boy, the yeah yeah yeahs are going down hill. Obviously SNL is just the wrong venue to showcase a song like that, cuz it rocked http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQqMK3seLDA Golden Lion- Just great! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBNRPKKHeGs&feature=related Human Fly- Easily the coolest cover of the night http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuWCo0rp13c&feature=related Best Stage Set Up - Etiene De Crecy I wasn't "Crecy" about the music, but just take a second to look at this set up. Screen saver anyone? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdQ2AJu4Sfo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TnurSONjds Best Hip Hop Performance - Lupe Fiasco Sorry Public Enemy but Lupe was way better http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlLnqtmqygQ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y29tKO8Dc9Q Honorable Mention - The Presets They had an awesome performance but by this time we were tired and needed to leave early...aww shucks, well here is what it was like http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5x6uImlyoY&feature=PlayList&p=BFB547268515271C&playnext=1 read more

Where do I even begin? I could write a book about how amazing Coachella was! If you love music and haven't been, GO! Here are some tips for first timers: 1. Go to a set at every stage. Even if you're a house junkie or just want to lay in the grass with hippies, BRANCH OUT. Make sure you go to every stage at least once - you won't regret it. 2. Dress like you're in Saudi Arabia. Yes - it's the middle of the desert. It's hot and sunny during the day and gets freezing at night. Make sure you bring a scarf or extra shirt to wrap around your face when the dust storm hits. 3. Bring a long stemmed flower or blow up toy (anything tall) to help you find your friends. Matching headdress costumes work too :) 4. Drugs from strangers are like a box of chocolates - you never know what you're gonna get. Plan accordingly! 5. Sneak in bubbles! read more

Last year I was that nerd at work watching Coachella on Youtube Live, wishing someday I would go. I knew I couldn't miss 2012. Even though I waited 2 hours to buy that ticket, I just knew it was going to be epic when April arrived. Coachella was exactly how I dreamed it to be. One of the best weekends in my life. All I can say is every moment of it was unbelievable. Here are some tips/facts to help you charge through the festival like a pro: -Register your wristbands -Take Cash, if not, no worries, there are ATMS -Don't wear sandals! (Boots + Toms Style shoes + Flats + Tennis shoes) -Water bottles are expensive, take an empty one or a flask -If you save 10 bottles of water, you get a free one -Drink at the hotel/resort/camp spot, drinks will cost you $10-$11 -Hamburgers and pizzas and all that jazz are $8-$20, so eat before/after -Take a small bag, backpacks and big bags get annoying -Try to go to the pool early to make it to the Festival on time -If you have a shuttles pass, they are every 25 minutes -Wear sunblock and watch out for retarded tan lines -Need to charge your phone? Some tents have A/C & phone chargers DON'T SLEEP, EXPLORE, MEET PEOPLE & RAGE!! My Highlights: -Flamethrowers/EDM enthusiasts with glow in the dark gadgets -Ridiculously Attractive people -Celebrities walking around: Robert Pattinson + Kristin Stewart, Katy Petty, Perez Hilton, David Hasselhoff, etc.. -100+ degree weather -Security + techy wristbands/shuttle passes -La Grande Wheel -Cool dude building a pyramid with 100 cups -Giant dinosaur, colorful flower, and other cool sculptures -Sweet potato and pesto pizza! -Frozen Lemonade/Red Bull stands -Beer Gardens with Vodka Bars -Quiet dance party where they made everyone wear sweet headphones What I didn't like: -Fat naked chicks lifted in the air -Sweaty & stinky ravers -Walking distances to shuttles -How everything was so expensive -Drinks should have more alcohol -Retarded VIP section that took up so much space -Beer gardens wouldn't let you in past 10 My Music Highlights: Snoop Dog, Dr. Dre, Eminem, Whiz Khalifa, 50 Cent, Tupac Hollogram SHM Alesso Nero Gotye Miike Snow Florence + The Machine Radiohead The Gaslamp Killer Avicii The Black Keys M83 Afrojack Guetta Santigold Madeon It's only been a couple days later and I still seem to have a bad case of the Coachellas. Tired, a little sick, and yet longing for that dusty polo field, the sun shining, and sweet music floating through the air. Viva Coachella! read more

People posting in here are turning these reviews into fan message board postings "can't wait" "this will rock" etc etc. Maybe festivals are for you, but it certainly wasn't for me in 2004 which was the first and will be my last time going. If you are going for the first time you may want to rethink and ask yourself if festival attending is for you. If you're a seasoned Glastonbury, Werchter, Pukkelpop, Benecassim or other fancy European rock it out for a week festival kind of person then stop reading this right now. This festival never sold out before, and it wasn't until 2004 when they managed to secure the biggest names in rock history, Radiohead, The Cure and the hugest union of all rock time, The Pixies plus some really cool lesser name acts. Needless to say 2004 sold out, and all 80,000 people were filling the fields normally used for polo (that's hockey on horses to put it lightly). Yes there were many favorite bands playing that year, but here's where that good part ended. The list of things that made Coachella suck and will continue to do so. Mostly it is the result of crowds. 1) The crowds - if you like being elbow to elbow with sweaty snotty attendees then be my guest. Extra points and stars to you if you like 105 F weather (if you're lucky). With global freezing going on these days who knows what the weather will be like this festival in 2007. Music is harder to enjoy when you have people who keep screaming requests at the artist (like they can hear them) and/or puffing the clouds of dope around your face. Let's see, cameras and recorders not allowed, or drinks/food from outside, but let's allow in as much shrooms and dope as possible from the crackheads and let them smoke it so people can smell that shit! F you Coachella security! 2) The crowds also cause long lines to form anywhere you go in the field, whether it be getitng a space up front by the main stage (impossible if people are hogging), food/alcohol and drink. Hungry at 6 pm? Well that hot dog or pizza will be a 45 min wait in line as the crackheads can't decide if they want ketchup or mustard on their pizza or grated parmesan cheese on their hot dogs, and whether to mix coke and sprite together to jazz things up a bit. 3) The crowds also cause the toilets to overflow. If you need to go, do so early. After an hour or two of intensive and stress usage, sewage leaks from the containment, into the field. I hope you are not wearing cloth shoes or sandals (or barefoot) as you try to walk up the stairs into the restroom. Let's hope you're not a clumsy oaf. Tripping or falling into puddles is the last thing you want happening at a festival (other than getting pillaged). 3) The crowds and this festival cause all hotel rooms in Indio and surround Palm Springs/Dessert to be fully booked and probably already by December. If you're thinking of booking now, expect to pay high prices, or camp it out. I'm sure the campgrounds are just homey and comfortable... Holiday Inn at Palm Dessert will run you over $100 a night a result of Coachella. I think I spent close to $600 ish to attend x2 days in 2004, including airfare, hotel, car rental, and food/drink. 4) Crowds also cause huge waits in line at the nearby IHOPs and restaurant food chains. Want a breakfast before 2nd or 3rd day? Hahaha good luck with the waits. 5) If the weather sucks and gets insanely hot, expect to spend way more on drinks and sunscreen. You'll sweat out so much you might not need to pee. Don't leave anything in the car in their parking lot that you don't want to melt. 6) Don't follow the directions on the website on how to get there by car. EVERYONE will be going that route and you'll get stuck getting into the parking lot 1.5 hours and miss your favorite opening act. Good thing is that you can turn left or right into the street you want to go to well in advance. Seasoned attendees might know this by now. 7) If in the case of too much good music going on at the same time, stay in one or two areas if you can. If you wanna see act A on the main stage and act B in a smaller tent across the field, ask yourself if you're willing to miss one or the other. By the time you run across the field, you might be SOL getting into the smaller tent, or be way way way at the back. 8) Each act plays on average of 35 to 45 mins. And that's if the previous act comes out and plays on time and finishes on time and/or has no technical difficulties. Short sets, greatest hits (not good if you're a die hard fan that's not into a band's singles). Very rarely would a performer play obscure songs to please die hard fans at a festival (unless this is a cult band where every song is good regardless). With so much going on and schedules overlapping, plan ahead. But you can't plan on paper, so the schedule and the tent locations will mess with your preferences. There's more to gripe, but I've hit the limit on words. read more

Came here for the first time this past year. Had a great time! Duh, it's Coachella. Will definitely come back. However, here are a few things I learned from my experience. 1. Bathrooms - always go past all the port-a-potties and use the bathrooms in the trailers. They have actual toilets, toilet paper, sinks, soap, and paper towels. 2. Water - Just buy the bottled water for $2/bottle. It's worth it instead of standing in the long lines. 3. Sarongs - Bring a sarong with you so that when you want to sit down on the grass, you'll have something to sit on. 4. Shoes - bring comfortable shoes, whatever that is for you. Your feet will thank you. 5. Money - many places do accept ATM, but make sure to bring cash. Not everyone takes plastic and you don't want to get stuck paying the surcharge fees from the on-site ATM machines. 6. Seek shade when possible. If not, wear a hat to protect your from the sun as well as plenty of sunscreen. With all that being said, the music is awesome and plenty of variety to suit most musical tastes. read more

Even in a smoldering hot 111 degrees weather and the stench of porta pottys, I give Coachella 5 stars!!! I shared my Coachella experience with fellow elite yelper, Lily A., and we were hot like fire from Thursday late afternoon, April 19, 2012 to the wee hours of the morning of Monday, April 23, 2012. Our journey began at the lot 8 car camping campground, the most prestigious of the other tent areas because it was close to the food, showers, cell phone charging stations, activities tents, but most of all, at a good distance from the porta-pottys (not too close where the stench would make us suffer, and not too far where we would have to endure the torturous long walk in the hot sun). We were in N 119 on Lot 8 and though we got lost a couple times trying to find our tent, one of the best ways to find our way back was from other campers who either had a balloon or flag attached to their car. The showers were on a mobile unit with little room to lay out your toiletries, so I suggest you bring a small caddy or bag to place everything you need and be prepared to wait in a long line (wear a towel over your head). There were VIP showers for $10, which perks had a sink inside the shower area, more room to undress and dress, and a shaded tent area to wait....not worth it in my opinion because you must expect a longer wait and it is co-ed. Enough shower talk, on to the show! The venue was a close walk from the campground and being that this is known as the Empire Polo Club, there were mostly open grass fields and palm trees that provided more of a backdrop than shade. I suggest you arrive in the late afternoon because from 10-3pm, the sun has a wrath of punishing heat that leaves you beaten down and in some cases, incomprehensible. Lily A. and I had a small blanket that we would layout and take multiple naps throughout the day as we waited for bands that would perform from 5 stages, 6 if you count our favorite stage...the misters, a band of people that would hose you down while a DJ mixes on the turntables. The food areas were plentiful, but to my astonishment, there weren't many long lines, many of us were deterred from eating due to the cruelty of the heat and porta-pottys. We survived on frozen lemonade, powerade, and fruit cups that riddled the vast venue. To our enjoyment, the weather cooled down to 90 degrees in the early evening and we felt almost normal as we raised our hands in the air and waved them like we just didn't care to some of our favorite artists: St. Vincent, Ximena Sarinana, Swedish House Mafia, Girl Talk, Martin Solveg, David Guetta, Florence and the Machine, and of course, Dr. Dre, Snoop, and the Tupac Hologram. Coachella was an awesome experience and definitely worth checking off of the bucket list! Up top to Lily A. for a 5 star adventure!!! read more

How can I explain this other than AHHHHMAZING!!! It's an event that everyone HAS to attend once in there lifetime! This was my first year and I'm hooked! The event is all ages from infants, 1 year old toddlers, to what looks like your 75 year old Grandma. 5 and under get in free. I personally would never bring my toddler here with all the heat, dust, and smoke, but to each his own. I purchased a last minute General Admission bracelet and really have nothing to complain about. However, I'll be trying VIP next year. Lines and bag check moved quick, parking was a breeze, no wait for the restroom, plenty of food and drink options (although I ate prior to arriving). There's also air conditioned rooms where you can just hang out (Spotify, H&M, Sephora, Frutare, etc.). Ginormous jaw-dropping art and sculpture pieces are displayed throughout the venue. Each stage was equipped with the greatest sound and tech systems! This is the one place where no one gets judged. So let your weirdo self out and just be free. This is also the place where celebrities slightly come off their high horses. You'll also feel the appreciation from the lineup artists. TIPS for GA (did not camp): * Register & activate your bracelet in advance. Don't wait until the day of! * Wear sunblock; especially on your face and shoulders. * Bring a hat. Your head may get hot. * Bring a scarf. There's dust flying everywhere! * Bring hand sanitizer and baby wipes. * You will most likely not get cell reception. Turn off your phone or put it on airplane mode. Save the battery for pictures and video recording. * Don't drink too much or even take drugs to the point where you're inebriated. It takes the fun out of the whole event and NO ONE wants to babysit you. You'll also want to remember the performances! * Stay hydrated. Bring an empty bottle and refill at the water stations. * If you plan on standing around rather than dancing and jumping around with the crowds, bring a jacket for the nighttime. You will get cold. * Wear breathable clothes. You'll sweat. You'll be sticky. * Wear deodorant. PLEASE. * Bring cash. I swore I only spent about $50 within 3 days. I ate and drank prior to arriving and hopped from one stage to the next more than anything. * Wear tennis shoes/boots not sandals in GA. Be forewarned that you'll be walking on plastic bottles, cups, and plates of food trashed across the whole area. * Note where you've parked (path color and lot number). * Write your friend's phone number on a piece of paper in the case that your phone dies. * Don't spend time finding your friends. Split up when you need to and just have a good time! read more

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It's that time again boys & girls. And yet again I won't be participating. I just can't anymore. The line up is (for the most part) impressive...as always...but I long for the old day. Days when the tickets were only $50/day. Days when you could bring in your own water (so long as it was sealed) and an umbrella to shield you from the unforgiving sun. Days when there weren't so many fucking people. So basically I'm asking for a time machine, cuz those days are over. I went to the first Coachella ('99)--nearly died of an asthma attack and overheating--but had the best.time.ever. Subsequently I was there again from '01-'03, skipped '04 due to lack of interest, and was back in '05. Haven't been back since and most likely won't ever go back. And while this does make me sad, I've become acutely aware that as I've aged I've become less tolerant of huge crowds, charring my body in 400 degree heat & spending $8-$10 on an Amstel Light. As I walk with my cane I will cherish my Coachella memories.... haha read more

Where music lover unite. I started going back in 2005 to see The Prodigy. Coachella is a place were you can see many musicians old and new, the best part for me is seeing performers that don't necessarily go on tour. From DJs and bands you'll see so much and appreciate other groups that you've never heard of. But also there is a case where you'll see one of your favorite muscians but they actually aren't that great live... but don't get your hopes up! The atmosphere is dope and you'll be running around from stage to stage or tent to tent to be catching people that you want to see. I've been some what bummed that the headliners haven't been as great as the past. The sahara tent has to be one of my favorites since this is where most of the big electronica performers have their sets, and also might I add Madonna's wack performance also it's where Daft Punk first performed with their giant pyramid. Be prepared for heat, greatness, disappointment (maybe but hopefully not), sweat, everything awesome, and porter potties. They've set up more tents where you can chill and are air conditioned, yes, I said air conditioned, I remember there was one shaped of an igloo where there were a bunch of couches and a giant boat u can play on but looked as if snow was falling. There are a number of beer gardens but you can't just walk around with an open container, don't forget we're still in California. But it's a great event to experience first hand not by I heard from so and so, because it actually might not be the way you expected it to be. There are also a bunch of art installations throughout the place, like a giant installation that makes lightening in the evening, or even trash bins that artists have done work on. But it's great a bunch of people plan and fly in just for this event. If you plan on staying in a hotel good luck on getting one some people reserve months and months in advance. Parking it quite far so don't forget anything and be sure to look up what's allowed in. Enjoy a great platform of performers from throughout the world read more

Coachella - Festivals Near Me - Indio, California

Hottest concert ever!! Literally! I almost passed out from the heat.. I didn't even give my good friend, Alcohol, a chance! Coachella is the best and most amazing music festival I have ever been to! Going every year has not been a possibility for me because of work and life but it is definitely something you have to experience at least once in your lifetime. When I went, I decided I wanted the full experience and camped out. It was hot and unbearable but would I do it again? In a heartbeat.. You meet so many people and it's a grand old time! There are tons of amazing artists who perform at Coachella! If you love music, then you must go to Coachella. Don't ask, just do it. Now, hitchhiking back to the Bay Area is a completely different story.. read more

After going 3 years in a row, I have decided that I want to be cremated and I want my ashes to be spread here. Yes, the tickets are overpriced, and yes, it is as much of a social statement as it is a music festival (like, if you don't get a Coachella Facebook profile picture, did you really go to Coachella?), but despite all this, I am drinking the Coachella Kool-Aid. But not the alcohol, because $12 for the smallest cup in the world of shitty wine is a joke. Seriously though, Coachella always manages to snag the acts that other music festivals get as sloppy seconds (or thirds or fourths, etc.). On top of this, it's only a 2-3 hour drive from LA. Recommendations: - Weekend 1 is better due to the element of surprise and also because it's generally less scorching hot out. But 4/20 will sometimes fall on weekend 2 so like, if that's your thing... - Stay in a house or hotel and book months in advance because everything about the porta potties on the campgrounds is disgusting. IF YOU STILL DECIDE TO CAR CAMP BECAUSE YOU WANT "THE EXPERIENCE" or whatever, REALIZE THAT YOU STILL NEED A TENT. - On the topic of porta potties, there are air-conditioned trailers that work for the first half of the day at the back of the restroom areas between the stages. - RVs are NOT allowed on official Coachella campgrounds anymore. There are non-Coachella campgrounds near the festival that allow them though. - Buy your tickets during presale an entire 11 months before like smart people do. Even if you end up hating the lineup, you can always sell them for a profit later on! Such a no brainer. I have zero pity for the idiots who pay $1000 for tickets that are worth $350. - Take as much vitamin C throughout the weekend without overdosing. Realize that you will probably be sick afterwards anyways and that you will need to take a couple days off of work/school to recover. - Drink water (especially if you are drinking or rolling the entire weekend). Buy bottled water for $2 or take your own sealed bottle in, and REFILL FOR FREE AT THE WATER STATIONS. Yes, it is tap water and doesn't taste the best, but you will be thirsty and bottled water will add up. - Most food/drink vendors are CASH ONLY and the ATMs there charge a fee (obviously). So plan in advance. - Speaking of planning in advance, sneak in your own fun things. Many handbags have secret compartments and as the day goes on and the lines get longer, security cares less and less. If you plan on getting drunk there, realize that you are probably going to need to spend $100 a day on just alcohol. - You are probably going to want to get in shape before Coachella. 1) It's hot as hell outside and you will be half naked. 2) All of the beautiful model types from LA will be there. 3) Coachella has the worst set-time conflicts and you will probably be sprinting across acres to catch certain acts. - But once you're there... GARLIC CRAB FRIES! Imagine beer battered fries with garlic aioli and crab on top. Like everything else at the festival, they are incredibly overpriced... but I am drooling just writing about them. See you in 2015 Coachella. Xoxo Deb read more

Coachella - GARLIC CRAB FRIES nomnomnomz - Festivals Near Me - Indio, California

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The music, booze, and drugs milkshake that is Coachella brings ALLLLLLL the hippies to the yard! And this year, it lured this granny into the yard! Thanks Coachella for the unmemorably, memorable birthday weekend ;p read more