Three Days in the California Desert

It’s undeniably challenging to illustrate the experience one has at a festival like Coachella. The desert in the middle of the palm trees that has hosted the festival for more than ten years now, Indio, was surely an unparalleled experience and one that will forever hold many unforgettable memories. Although the image still remains of Kanye West’s entrance as he was raised in the air to the amazement of a fervent crowd behind the chants of “Can we get much higher?” there are always the personal memories one builds with Coachella that always lasts longest. The festival itself is a celebration of music and although they incorporate arts, a Ferris wheel and other singular aspects that are purely ‘coachella,’ the festival is all about, the music. And after all, there is great reason why it sold out in record time with one of the best line-ups in the festival’s twelve-year experience.
To best summarize some of the feelings, Coachella is a tremendous experience because of its sheer magnificence. Built around the idea of gathering thousands of people for one massive three-day weekend of varied music is truly a magical thing. The fact that it’s succeeded for so long now, that so many other festivals are now compared and held up to its standards, and the fact that it serves as a great setting to see as many of your beloved bands and artists in one huge ball of awesomeness, not many could really say no. The location is indisputably something to measure: the weather peaks over the 100 degree mark during the hot day while many sport a sweater during the chilly nights. And to top, the music is great from early afternoon until all the way in the early morning. It’s exhausting, it’s demanding and it takes a toll on you, but Coachella reminds you that it’s worth every second.
Friday saw some of the festival’s best moments with strong opening showings by The Rural Alberta Advantage and Titus Andronicus. Bands shined in the hot sun with Warpaint gelling off the crowd’s energy with soaring songs like “Composure.” The festival is about some of your favorite artists playing at or around the same time and needing to make tough decisions – while they’re difficult, sometimes you have to listen to your heart. The main stage featured many late starts but by the time Lauryn Hill and her band got going, they sounded amazing; seeing Interpol play songs like “Slow Hands” was definitely outstanding but the performance of the day, for many, went to The Black Keys and their tremendous energy. Saturday continued with The Tallest Man on Earth’s quiet set to the eager Gobi tent crowd, before Erykah Badu reminded everyone just how beautifully amazing she is back on the main stage’s beaming sun. Broken Social Scene’s full band beckoned the sun to go down with their rocking drive before Bright Eyes’ impressive return to form delighted the crowd’s fever to a rise as Mumford & Sons took the stage. The latter admitted that better bands were to follow – essentially foreshadowing Arcade Fire’s unforgettable Saturday night closer – but many of the fans were too awestruck to care. Sunday found a hazy crowd letting loose and entirely out of control for Death From Above 1979’s riot-like show before The National once again played host to a festival frenzy on a lulling Sunday evening. The latter is easily, one of the best current bands around, period. The Strokes played a good-natured set to many rabid fans as they spanned “Reptilia” through “Hard to Explain” through “You Only Live Once” and the much-heralded, much-announced and much-deserved West closed the festival with a performance that some are referring to as an ‘instant classic.’ It’s hard to pinpoint everything when you look back in retrospect but every single performance carries personally strong memories and with so much music to choose from, there was always something to jam out to at Coachella.
You always end up feeling entrenched with the people by the time it all ends. Maybe it has something to do with half the tickets going to Californians and how the state and its natives have a way of making everything seem that much chiller, that much more laid-back and, that far less serious but Coachella is without a doubt, a festival for everyone to enjoy. Sometimes you end up finding new loves at a festival but one thing’s for sure, Coachella is a festival unique to its own breed of togetherness.

Bryan Sanchez | [email protected]