Coachella fans disappointed by high lineup expectations
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival goers frolic at sunset.
Coachella, a $400 excuse to do whatever you please for three days within the bounds of the law and festival gates. Just be sure not to start thinking about the number of sweaty humans you will brush up against over the course of the day in the 100-degree weather. And don’t read too much into the $15 dollars you spent on lunch, and the $9 12 ounce beer you bought to wash it down. Forget about showering. And sleeping.
Apart from those financial and hygienic details, the only thing one really has to worry about at a music festival is seeing the bands one wants to see. That is-if there are bands one wants to see.
In the past, Coachella and its host, Goldenvoice, have pulled through in a big way when it comes to headliners. They’ve served up The White Stripes (a personal favorite) as well as Beck, Paul McCartney, The Cure, Radiohead, and even Prince. With a repertoire like this, Coachella worshippers expected a lot from the music festival gods when the 2013 lineup came out. Daft Punk (despite playing at my house) was supposed to be there. According to Rolling Stone Magazine, Goldenvoice posted a picture of a “stone” “rolling” around on the Empire Polo Field in Indio, CA (Coachella festival grounds) on Instagram. The “stone” turned out to be just a polo ball on the polo field with no ulterior motive… a trait most stones and polo balls tend to have.
I know I’m biased because I hate the Red Hot Chili Peppers, but the 2013 headliners are absolutely blasphemous. Phoenix isn’t bad. Blur has that one song that I love, and I know The Stone Roses from Guitar Hero. But they’re no Radiohead. Honestly, I’d rather see Kanye West.
Now, it’s not like the 2013 Coachella lineup is a complete flop. Tegan and Sara, Franz Ferdinand, and the Postal Service are all great. I love Hot Chip, and New Order is classic. If I had procured tickets, I would be beyond excited. And there are plenty of people who are.
“The headliners could be better, but there’s plenty of really good artists,” said Saddleback College student Dustin Strong, 19, journalism. “There’s a huge variety of genres with legends like Lou Reed and Wu-Tang Clan performing.”
The folks pulling the strings for Coachella seem to understand the ubiquitous response received when you ask the average person what kind of music they like: “I like everything”. From Passion Pit to Social Distortion to 2 Chainz, they’ve got whatever you like… Except country. They save that for another weekend.