Tuesday, May 03, 2005
the good, the bad, the bronzed
What rocked about Coachella 2005:
-Beating all the traffic on Friday and heading straight to El Mirasol for food and margaritas when arriving in Palm Springs.
-Ray’s backstage parking pass, resulting in a fast and pain-free journey to and from the show.
-Scoring VIP wristbands for myself, Brad and Lisa for both days. Thanks Allison! (again)
-Walking into the Sahara tent early on Saturday for Tiga and immediately getting a full-body rush (while completely sober) as everyone started going nuts.
-The 2.5 songs I saw The Kills perform. Holy fucking shit were they good. And sexy as hell.
-Misha making a fake wristband from a piece of pipe tape and using it to get in VIP the lounge all night.
-Bauhaus opening their set with “Bela Lugosi’s Dead,” the entire song performed by Peter Murphy while hanging upside down like a freaky bat.
-Perfect weather: mid/high 80s during the day, mid 60s at night.
-Staying in shorts all day and night.
-Brad bullshitting someone at the gate to get us past the clusterfuck crowd and into the URB and SPIN afterparties.
-Scoring a free pair of new Jack Purcell shoes at the SPIN party.
-Sooooo many hot, shirtless guys.
-Not having to deal with being the hotel room wrangler.
-Hearing some big news from some close friends and managing to keep it a secret all weekend long.
-Miss Kittin surprising everyone with a kick-ass set.
-Café Tacuba’s extended synchronized dance moves executed by all five frontline players.
-New Order playing a killer Joy Division trifecta: Atmosphere, Transmission and Love Will Tear Us Apart.
-Discovering much more than hype behind Bloc Party and The Bravery.
-That incredible green floppy hat worn by Megan's friend from NYC whose name I know I'd spell wrong.
-Finally finding Lydia just before Nine Inch Nails and dragging her deep into the crowd for a slow dance to “Hurt.”
-Making a last-minute decision to stay for the triumphant return of The Prodigy, who closed out Sunday night by making the entire Sahara tent go absolutely apeshit.
-High-fiving, handshaking and hugging total strangers who you just happened to be having the time of your life with.
-The girls who directed me into the ladies room trailer to use the “secret urinal.”
-Not getting sunburned.
-Better art, slightly smaller crowd.
-The post-Coachella pool party where Tabitha won the “Never Laughed So Hard in My Life” award.
-Lots of quality time with my unbeatable L.A. friends.
What sucked:
-Having paid for my tickets but never actually using them, as we walked in with Ray through the backstage entrance. Bright side: I never got searched.
-Never hooking up with my hot new buddy Bill after a valiant effort on both parts. Next time, my friend, you’re pitching a tent with ME.
-Finding out too late about Todd’s DJ set.
-Missing Kasabian, Ben Watt, Stereophonics and Coldplay completely.
-The Arcade Fire… though I’d give them another chance as my biggest complaint with what I experienced was the crappy sound, which may have been due to the wind that suddenly kicked up.
-Missing MIA, which I wasn’t bummed about since I’ll be seeing her next week but apparently the massive crowd she attracted was momentarily chased away by a swarm of bees, and that I would’ve liked to have seen.
-Not making it to the Grandaddy Talkscape Gathering house to meet a bunch of online pals, and also not making it to the B-sides house or the “much nicer yet cheaper” other house of friends.
-James Lavelle (aka UNKLE) making no effort to mix his records and ending with U2’s “Where the Streets Have No Name.”
-Not seeing Beck, for the first time ever at Coachella.
-The VIP food not cutting the mustard.
-Lack of quality starsightings.
-Never running into Kirsten, Gary, David, Allie, Todd, and many others.
-Shelley, Abe & Louie not being there.
-Tearing myself away from the pool to pack my bags.
-Carrying the new Fischerspooner record home after Megan gifted it to me.
-I wish my tan was a little darker.
-Beating all the traffic on Friday and heading straight to El Mirasol for food and margaritas when arriving in Palm Springs.
-Ray’s backstage parking pass, resulting in a fast and pain-free journey to and from the show.
-Scoring VIP wristbands for myself, Brad and Lisa for both days. Thanks Allison! (again)
-Walking into the Sahara tent early on Saturday for Tiga and immediately getting a full-body rush (while completely sober) as everyone started going nuts.
-The 2.5 songs I saw The Kills perform. Holy fucking shit were they good. And sexy as hell.
-Misha making a fake wristband from a piece of pipe tape and using it to get in VIP the lounge all night.
-Bauhaus opening their set with “Bela Lugosi’s Dead,” the entire song performed by Peter Murphy while hanging upside down like a freaky bat.
-Perfect weather: mid/high 80s during the day, mid 60s at night.
-Staying in shorts all day and night.
-Brad bullshitting someone at the gate to get us past the clusterfuck crowd and into the URB and SPIN afterparties.
-Scoring a free pair of new Jack Purcell shoes at the SPIN party.
-Sooooo many hot, shirtless guys.
-Not having to deal with being the hotel room wrangler.
-Hearing some big news from some close friends and managing to keep it a secret all weekend long.
-Miss Kittin surprising everyone with a kick-ass set.
-Café Tacuba’s extended synchronized dance moves executed by all five frontline players.
-New Order playing a killer Joy Division trifecta: Atmosphere, Transmission and Love Will Tear Us Apart.
-Discovering much more than hype behind Bloc Party and The Bravery.
-That incredible green floppy hat worn by Megan's friend from NYC whose name I know I'd spell wrong.
-Finally finding Lydia just before Nine Inch Nails and dragging her deep into the crowd for a slow dance to “Hurt.”
-Making a last-minute decision to stay for the triumphant return of The Prodigy, who closed out Sunday night by making the entire Sahara tent go absolutely apeshit.
-High-fiving, handshaking and hugging total strangers who you just happened to be having the time of your life with.
-The girls who directed me into the ladies room trailer to use the “secret urinal.”
-Not getting sunburned.
-Better art, slightly smaller crowd.
-The post-Coachella pool party where Tabitha won the “Never Laughed So Hard in My Life” award.
-Lots of quality time with my unbeatable L.A. friends.
What sucked:
-Having paid for my tickets but never actually using them, as we walked in with Ray through the backstage entrance. Bright side: I never got searched.
-Never hooking up with my hot new buddy Bill after a valiant effort on both parts. Next time, my friend, you’re pitching a tent with ME.
-Finding out too late about Todd’s DJ set.
-Missing Kasabian, Ben Watt, Stereophonics and Coldplay completely.
-The Arcade Fire… though I’d give them another chance as my biggest complaint with what I experienced was the crappy sound, which may have been due to the wind that suddenly kicked up.
-Missing MIA, which I wasn’t bummed about since I’ll be seeing her next week but apparently the massive crowd she attracted was momentarily chased away by a swarm of bees, and that I would’ve liked to have seen.
-Not making it to the Grandaddy Talkscape Gathering house to meet a bunch of online pals, and also not making it to the B-sides house or the “much nicer yet cheaper” other house of friends.
-James Lavelle (aka UNKLE) making no effort to mix his records and ending with U2’s “Where the Streets Have No Name.”
-Not seeing Beck, for the first time ever at Coachella.
-The VIP food not cutting the mustard.
-Lack of quality starsightings.
-Never running into Kirsten, Gary, David, Allie, Todd, and many others.
-Shelley, Abe & Louie not being there.
-Tearing myself away from the pool to pack my bags.
-Carrying the new Fischerspooner record home after Megan gifted it to me.
-I wish my tan was a little darker.
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