atlantamoi

Your review definitely puts the experience in perspective. I think I'd agree that all that trouble would weigh heavier in not wanting to go. Saturday night I was watching the Foo Fighters with 10,000 other people... standing near the back just watching a big screen. Didn't really seem worth the trouble at all. Add burning sun to that and it would probably forever make me stick with club shows.

zak52

How was the Trail of Dead.

B.A.

I'd like to know, too.

Jackskeleton

Perhaps you should have also gone to see them at the glasshouse when they played the friday night before coachella. Now that was one hell of an awsome pre-coachella show. Small club and beyond awsome.

I only went saturday cause I've been to both days before and it sucks for weather.

This year was as unorginized as ever. food/water lines like others described, the tents were the best place to stay out of the heat but the body counts kept that from being all but cool. Radiohead wasn't there typical best but blame that on how tom was feeling. The pixies were great (but the glasshouse show takes the cake) enjoyed it.

MJKTool

I've been to two of these Coachella events (99 & 01) and I swear I'll never go again because of the reasons described above. Got sick both times I went, probably from going inside those nasty hot bacteria tents. And even though seeing Tool in 99 was probably my favorite show of all time, just remembering the nasty hot weather, waiting, long lines, parking, outrageous price for basic food and water....yeah I think I'm done with festivals.

professorbooty

wow. amazing that so many people on this board have an unfavorable opinion of it. this was my fourth Coachella, and I never plan on missing one ever. this year was definitely the best time I had at the festival as well.

being from Phoenix, the weather doesn't bother me. i'd say that 90% of the people that pass out every year at Coachella are not being wise about attending a festival in the desert...if you drink plenty of water, NOT beer, then you will be fine. i was trapped in a sea of sweaty people in the hot 4:30 pm sun, listening to Beck do an amazing acoustic set in the Gobi Tent. all it took was a light breeze to make me forget that i was completely drenched.

although i completely disagree with that article's stance about the Pixies, i suppose the festival is a different experience for each person. for me, i was completely blown away by Radiohead's performance after i saw the Pixies. i was literally in a daze for half an hour afterwards, contemplating what i just saw onstage. i just saw RADIOHEAD - holy shit. the Pixies were also great, and they came out with big smiles on their faces, which made me appreciate them even more - a band that adores their fans and playing for them.

being my 4th Coachella, i will say that Saturday was freakin' packed like no other time i've ever gone, including Sunday's show. yes, the parking lot was a complete nightmare. but, you know what we did? we all met at the RV, poured our beers into cups, pulled out our lawn chairs, cranked up music, played frisbee, and met new friends. shit, we were break-dancing to Z-Trip's B-Boy Breaks CD and giving out beers to people we didn't even know. we finally packed up at 4 am and headed back for the lake, with extra people following to camp with us. actually, hanging out in the parking lot saturday night was one of the highlights of the weekend. i certainly won't mind in the future if this happens again (for the record, this was the worst it ever was)

on Sunday, Muse rocked my world, 2 many DJs made me bounce, Crystal Method made me dance, Air made me ponder, the Cure made me yawn, and Paul Van Dyk amazed me and then made me realize how truly tired i was and could not dance any longer.

sorry for anyone that had a crappy time! i already know what to expect every year i go though: hot weather, dusty winds, crappy lines, lots of walking...but also: fantastic music, good vibes, new friends, carefree partying, and GREAT people with a like-minded attitude towards music: it's what we came to Coachella for!

i hope my experience makes a difference to anyone contemplating going in the future. it's what i look forward to every year!


edit to add: i am very pale, i wore 30 spf sunscreen and a hat until the sun went down, got into the festival around 3 pm each day, and i didn't get burned at all.

Jackskeleton

Here is a funny story that happened to me after the 1st coachella concert.

-In the doctors office feeling sick-

Doctor: "Uh, Javier, were you in any third world country in the past few months?"

Me: "No.. well I was in the Coacella valley"

Doctor: "Oh, that explains it then."

though I still went this year. the place is tough. Main reason why I only went for one night only. And if I knew of the pixies show before that thursday night at the glasshouse I would have sold my ticket. The glasshouse show was more then enough for me to leave happy. Seeing radiohead is great, but when you are standing in a crowd instead of sitting in a box seat at the hollywood bowl, then it's a different situation.

Supermallet

Jack, I would have gone to the Glasshouse show if I wasn't driving to Indio so I could spend a night in a hotel so I didn't have to get up at 6 AM to make it to Coachella at a decent time.

And, professorbooty, I would have to respectfully disagree with your review. Clearly it was fun for you, and that's great, but standing in that tent watching Beck, I almost couldn't breathe. And I only had water the whole two days. I don't know where you were getting your light breezes from in that tent, but the only breezes I got were made of sweat.

Also, I have no interest in DJs, and your comment of "The Cure was a yawn" shows that we had different reasons for going to the festival. So I'm glad you enjoyed it, but don't put down people who didn't love it.

The only reason the parking lot thing was any good at all was that the gridlock let me go walk outside and call a special someone. Considering that our cell phones didn't work almost the whole rest of the time, that was the only reason I felt happy about being stuck in the parking lot.

professorbooty

i don't recall 'putting people down' for not loving it - i only spoke of my experience, and said that it's a different experience for each person. clearly, Coachella isn't for everyone.

and, i wasn't "in" the Gobi Tent, Beck was - i was on the outside edge of the tent, near one of the flaps that people were pulling down to get a better view of him. just to clarify.

Rivero

Pixies kick all other asses.

auto

2005 Coachella Valley Music Festival

Supposedly, the lineup will be announced tomorrow. Anyone already planning on going this year? Any predictions on who will play?

I went last year and had a blast. There was a lot of negativity towards the festival on these boards but I had no problem with the heat, crowds, prices, etc. I may go again this year if they can even come close to last years classic lineup (Radiohead/Pixies/Cure/Flaming Lips/Beck/Kraftwerk, etc.).

Brain Stew

I heard New Order may play. It makes me angry to live on the East Coast.

auto

Funny you should mention that, I just heard the New Order are confirmed for the festival.

I live in Michigan so I know where you're coming from. Like I said, it'll take a helluva lineup to get me out there again this year.

fliggil

I interviewed Donavon Frankenreiter last week and he said he was gonna be playing Coachella, so any fans out on the west coast, enjoy, he's great.

Metrodub

Here is the list of acts. I'm impressed.

April 30, 2005 Saturday

coldplay
bauhaus
weezer
cocteau twins
chemical brothers
wilco
keane
snow patrol
rilo kiley
cafe tacuba
doves
sage francis
armin van buuren
the raveonettes
bloc party
mercury rev
fantomas
hernan cattaneo
zap mama
dj peretz
the secret machines
jamie cullum
m83
ambulance ltd
four tet
mf doom
josh wink
amp fiddler
tiga
the kills
donavan frankenreiter
spoon
boom bip
katie melua
dj marky
immortal technique
jean grae
razorlight
swayzak
radio 4
buck 65
eisley
the sexy magazines
k-os

May 1, 2005 Sunday

nine inch nails
new order
bright eyes
gang of four
prodigy
black star
the faint
roni size
the arcade fire
roots manuva
dj krush
thrice
junkie xl
m.i.a.
british sea power
the dresden dolls
miss kittin
the fiery furnaces
aesop rock
the perceptionists
jem
autolux
sixtoo
tegan and sara
stereophonics
the bravery
matthew dear
diplo
subtle
beans
shout out louds
the futureheads
sloan
kasabian
the blood brothers
matmos
wolf eyes
gram rabbit
smokestacks
zion i

gmal2003

For the first day, did you meanto type the Killers instead of the Kills. I heard the Killers were doing Coachella.If so, with that lineup, Ill start walking to the West Coast from MI now.

Metrodub

According to the website, it's the Kills. I had heard that the Killers were playing as well. Maybe they'll be added or it was a typo on the site?

Achtung

So... very... tempting...

remjim

OMFG!!! Why, oh why, don't we have anything that even remotely resembles this on the east coast?

There was that debacle on Long Island that was moved to Giants Stadium a couple of years back but....

Have I said OMFG??!!

Ergyu

Fucking A man. So many bands on both days I want to see. Too bad I'm taking too much time off for other things around that time to go....

Jackskeleton

I'm there for night both nights. this line up you just can't beat.

SomeVoices

I'm VERY tempted to buy tickets for the 2nd, and possibly the 1st day as well. I'd love to see Coldplay, Cocteau Twins, NIN, New Order, the Arcade Fire, Autolux, and the Dresden Dolls, among others.

I have a couple questions though for those who went last year. What time does it start/end each day? And, with all those bands I'm sure there must be multiple bands playing at a time on different stages. Will they come out with some sort of schedule of who's playing on what stage at what time, or is that something you don't really know till you get there? I imagine it's inevitable that two bands I want to see will be playing at the same time.

Gil Jawetz

Wow, great lineup

Cocteau Twins... are they touring? My GF would love to see them again.

ETA: According to their website it may be a one off... but then again that's what Pixies seemed like when they announced Coachella last year... Hmmmmm...

fliggil

Bonarro isn't bad...

ChiTownAbs, Inc

I bought 4 tickets to this show .... I figure I'd buy the option of going.