Read about Day Two here and Day Three here.
It’s that time of year again, the annual hipster pilgrimage to that oasis in the California desert, Coachella. Join me, won’t you?
;
10:16 AM – 100+ sunscreen check, sunglasses check, converses check, ironic T-shirt check, let’s do this Coachella.
10:55 AM – wristband on my left wrist. Guess which wrist it’s supposed to be on? They should have put directions on the box. Oh. Dammit.
12:00 PM – Just finished waiting in line to get on the shuttle to take me to wait in line to get into Coachella. Coachella logistics this year are crazy efficient (so far).
12:19 PM – Shuttle is the way to go. Drops you off right in front of the entrance. No mile march this year.
12:28 PM – Some guy just pulled out an entire bottle of alcohol from his crotch at the security check. I guess that’s better than from between his butt cheeks.
12:34 PM – Left wrist, right wrist. Got into Coachella without a kerfuffle. (Very excited about getting to type “kerfuffle.”)
12:42 PM – Not used to waiting in lines this long without getting on Space Mountain at the end.
1:00 PM – If the hipsters are all here, then who’s running American Apparel?
1:30 PM – WiFi at Coachella! Welcome to 2012. Here are some pics of the fields.
1:36 PM – Wolf Gang
2:13 PM – Other Lives setting a comfortable, mellow mood.
2:26 PM – A Dear Hunter is auditioning to be on the soundtrack of Zach Braff’s next coming of age romantic drama. Also, no band has better beards.
2:30 PM – “Raining at Coachella” sounds like the title to a Coldplay song. By the way, it’s raining at Coachella.
3:14 PM – DJ set at the Heineken Party. Upbeat music + legal depressants. I’m so excited! I’m so scared!
4:00 PM – James. His bed is still on fire with passionate love….. He might want to get that checked out.
4:45 PM – This guy’s here.
4:45 PM – and this is how he went from “that guy” to awesome.
4:50 PM – Eric Clapton + Jimi Hendrix = Gary Clark Jr.
4:55 PM – The words “cold” and “Coachella” belong together about as much as the words “Twilight” and “awesome” do.
5:08 PM – The lounges this year are badass.
5:30 PM – We’re not in Kansas anymore. Especially if Kansas is a place where it doesn’t look like its about to dump buckets.
5:35 PM – GroupLove played one hell of a set. They’re like the Captain Planet of bands. One guy looks like he’s from Rusted Root, another from ZZ Top, a girl from Sugarland, but their powers combined, they are in the Mojave Tent at Coachella.
5:45 PM – Jimmy Cliff, “Ruby Soho,” “I Can See Clearly Now,” “The Harder They Come.” You could have punched me in the nuts and it wouldn’t have ruined my mood.
6:30 – Dawes. FUCK these guys are good. Their drummer’s facial expressions constantly fluctuate between combinations of constipation, electrocution, and orgasm. Some of the best written and musically composed songs out there. “Time Spent In Los Angeles” and “The Little Things” are amazing. These guys will headline here in a few years.
7:15 PM – Madness has definitely still got it. Every kid in the crowd is dancing like crazy with their parents’ friends. Both have promised not to tell that they’ve skipped school/work to come to Coachella.
8:00 PM – There are two types of people: Those who think Pulp is awesome….. and assholes.
9:00 PM – Seriously, can anyone listen to Mazzy Star now and not think about Reese Witherspoon getting fingerbanged by Marky Mark on a rollercoaster?
10:00 PM – The Black Keys were white hot as they rightly took their place headlining Coachella. They are what music should be. Opened with “Howlin’ For You,” “Next Girl,” and “Gold On The Ceiling” before Dan and Patrick played songs from their earlier albums by themselves. The accompanying band members returned and Dan and Patrick continued to scorch through the rest of the songs on Brothers and El Camino. Closed the set with “Tighten Up,” “Lonely Boy,” “Everlasting Light,” and “I Got Mine.” Everything they do is awesome. Fuck you Nickelback.
11:30 PM – Apparently Sweden produces hockey players, bikini teams, and sick beats. It’s a good thing it was cold and rainy, otherwise Swedish House Mafia might’ve burned the main stage down.
12:30 AM – If you’re going to ride in the Coachella shuttles, request the music selection that includes awesome mash-ups. Notorious B.I.G’s “Juicy” with Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer” was awesome.
