Coachella Baby!
Coachella is my religion. Each year for a weekend in April some of my bestest friends who are now scattered all over the country convene in the desert for a celebration of music, art, people and hallucinogens. A hundred and fifty thousand strangers join us over the course of three days and there is no better way to describe it than to say it is a fucking of the senses and boy it feels good.
Two years ago I ventured to Coachella on my maiden voyage. The twelve months preceding my Coachella conversion were marked by endless coaxing, cajoling and all out brainwashing by Ben and Anna to ensure I attended this three day party. Let's just say the Scientologists should recruit these two. I am a devoted lover of music and art but the logistics of this festival deterred me at first. To say I'm prissy is a bit of an understatement. I shower twice a day, b.o. makes me gag and I really can't sleep without two down pillows. I know, I hate even admitting this shit. Point is, all of the reasons that kept me from committing to Coachella in the first place (hot, dirty, crowded, smelly, no showers, camping) go completely unnoticed once you arrive. And once you are a convert, you will never turn back.
Each year there has been a moment that epitomizes all that I love about Coachella. In honor of the lineup being dropped today I thought I would reflect for a minute on those memories of years past and share them with you.
2008
This came straight from my back then blog. I wanted to get a little inspiration, a reminder of how I felt and you know, I don't think I can say it any better than I already did.
This weekend was my virgin Coachella experience and with it came some seriously high expectations for a good time. I had been hearing about how amazing C-Fest was for a full three hundred and sixty five days prior to laying a sandaled foot on the campgrounds. Ben and Anna acted as if it was a religion and as the days approached I started to wonder if I had gotten myself into something of Scientology-sized proportions. I breathe music but I wasn't sure this hippy-fest would resonate with me the way it did with my displaced flower children friends.
My faith was confirmed around four o'clock on Saturday afternoon. Ben, Anna and I had pushed ourselves to the center of the massive throbbing crowd jamming out to the twisted beats of lesser known Boyz Noize. This super sexy DJ was spinning so fiercely that the crowd appeared to move as a vast rolling wave of energy, ecstasy and enthusiasm. Although I was missing the chemical part of that equation I was still feeling the sound to my very core. I closed my eyes, swallowed my self-consciousness and let the music move me.
After a few minutes of unbridled writhing I opened my eyes to see this veritable mid-afternoon rave around me. Everywhere I looked I saw smiles on faces, and wanton movement and unabashed excitement for EXISTENCE. It occurred to me that music and movement are one of those rare universal experiences that translate across ages, sexes, races and time. One need look no further then to a child in the presence of music to see the profound effect it has on humanity- spiritually, emotionally, physically. It resonates in each of us even if only to the extent that when we hear it we tap our foot to the beat or hum along.
Anyway, I had this moment of clarity of the beauty of existence and sharing this moment with strangers -- with friends and I looked at Anna and yelled over the music, "This is what living is all about!" She smiled a smile so full of understanding that I knew I needn't say anything more. And then my eyes welled up with tears and a wave of inexplicable emotion washed over me. I blinked a few times and it passed as suddenly as it came. Call me a convert.
2009
Getting to Coachella in 2009 was a journey of epic proportions. I left the office at three on Friday afternoon hoping to make the typically two hour trip to the desert in roughly the time it takes to watch a movie. Unfortunately the Universe conspired against me and the drive took twice that long. To say that I was frustrated when I exited the freeway to get to the massive festival grounds is an understatement. I wanted to cry. I did my best to see the cup half full though and reasoned that I still had plenty of time to park, find my friends and get my booty shakin. And then I got in line to park my car. Two hours later I had crept the quarter of a mile into the parking lot and the lights on my dash read 10:00. Anxiety was all over me as I worried about missing the lineup entirely for the night, knowing the festival closed down at midnight. I wanted nothing more than to simultaneously discover teleportation and beam my bitch ass inside those gates of happiness.
More obstacles ensued before I finally made my way inside but right around ten thirty I found myself wading through the masses in search of my friends. Cell phones work sporadically out there so finding them the easy way was out- I had to rely on my faith in miracles to find those fuckers. As I wandered aimlessly around the electronic tent searching in vain for an eight foot tall man otherwise known as my best friend Ben, I really started wishing I hadn't come to Coachella this year. It had started as a comedy of errors and I had a sinking feeling that maybe this just wasn't my year. As visions of spending the rest of the night searching for my friends shadowed my mind, I caught out of the corner of my eye a fist pumping giant- Ben!!!! I ran towards him and the moment was transformed into one of those slow-mo movie sequences where I'm surrounded by a golden glow and Ben is my treasure at the end of the rainbow. It was beautiful people.
Anway, once I collected my peeps I was happier than a pig in shit. We pushed ourselves deep into the crowd of people dancing to the dj and the joygasm commenced. After a little while Anna and I decided to break away from the throbbing mass and walk towards the main stage. There were stars overhead shining bright in the absence of city lights and a Beatle sang the sweet lyrics of "Yesterday" as Anna and I linked arms and walked towards the stage. Beautiful, larger than life art installations dot the field so that everywhere you look there is something mind-fucking to behold. We came to a fire breathing dragon made of metal, a ring of people sat around it watching it spit flames. Anna and I plopped down to take it in. As we leaned against each other and listed to "Hey Jude" we could hear the kid next to us talking on his cell phone. He was obviously trying to have his friend meet him.
"Yeah, come over to where we are. Come over here. We're at the Serpant Mother," he said telling his friend the official name for the art installation we were sitting in front of. His friend must not have known what he was talking about though.
"What? Get here! The motha fucken fire breathin dragon dude!" he practically yelled.
Anna and I simultaneously burst into a fit of laughter. We were rolling on the desert floor. This was totally what Coachella was about.
I cannot wait for this year's festival. It is a reunion and a rebirth. To have the people I love so much together under the desert sky, surrounded by music and art... life just doesn't get any better.
Two years ago I ventured to Coachella on my maiden voyage. The twelve months preceding my Coachella conversion were marked by endless coaxing, cajoling and all out brainwashing by Ben and Anna to ensure I attended this three day party. Let's just say the Scientologists should recruit these two. I am a devoted lover of music and art but the logistics of this festival deterred me at first. To say I'm prissy is a bit of an understatement. I shower twice a day, b.o. makes me gag and I really can't sleep without two down pillows. I know, I hate even admitting this shit. Point is, all of the reasons that kept me from committing to Coachella in the first place (hot, dirty, crowded, smelly, no showers, camping) go completely unnoticed once you arrive. And once you are a convert, you will never turn back.
Each year there has been a moment that epitomizes all that I love about Coachella. In honor of the lineup being dropped today I thought I would reflect for a minute on those memories of years past and share them with you.
2008
This came straight from my back then blog. I wanted to get a little inspiration, a reminder of how I felt and you know, I don't think I can say it any better than I already did.
This weekend was my virgin Coachella experience and with it came some seriously high expectations for a good time. I had been hearing about how amazing C-Fest was for a full three hundred and sixty five days prior to laying a sandaled foot on the campgrounds. Ben and Anna acted as if it was a religion and as the days approached I started to wonder if I had gotten myself into something of Scientology-sized proportions. I breathe music but I wasn't sure this hippy-fest would resonate with me the way it did with my displaced flower children friends.
My faith was confirmed around four o'clock on Saturday afternoon. Ben, Anna and I had pushed ourselves to the center of the massive throbbing crowd jamming out to the twisted beats of lesser known Boyz Noize. This super sexy DJ was spinning so fiercely that the crowd appeared to move as a vast rolling wave of energy, ecstasy and enthusiasm. Although I was missing the chemical part of that equation I was still feeling the sound to my very core. I closed my eyes, swallowed my self-consciousness and let the music move me.
After a few minutes of unbridled writhing I opened my eyes to see this veritable mid-afternoon rave around me. Everywhere I looked I saw smiles on faces, and wanton movement and unabashed excitement for EXISTENCE. It occurred to me that music and movement are one of those rare universal experiences that translate across ages, sexes, races and time. One need look no further then to a child in the presence of music to see the profound effect it has on humanity- spiritually, emotionally, physically. It resonates in each of us even if only to the extent that when we hear it we tap our foot to the beat or hum along.
Anyway, I had this moment of clarity of the beauty of existence and sharing this moment with strangers -- with friends and I looked at Anna and yelled over the music, "This is what living is all about!" She smiled a smile so full of understanding that I knew I needn't say anything more. And then my eyes welled up with tears and a wave of inexplicable emotion washed over me. I blinked a few times and it passed as suddenly as it came. Call me a convert.
2009
Getting to Coachella in 2009 was a journey of epic proportions. I left the office at three on Friday afternoon hoping to make the typically two hour trip to the desert in roughly the time it takes to watch a movie. Unfortunately the Universe conspired against me and the drive took twice that long. To say that I was frustrated when I exited the freeway to get to the massive festival grounds is an understatement. I wanted to cry. I did my best to see the cup half full though and reasoned that I still had plenty of time to park, find my friends and get my booty shakin. And then I got in line to park my car. Two hours later I had crept the quarter of a mile into the parking lot and the lights on my dash read 10:00. Anxiety was all over me as I worried about missing the lineup entirely for the night, knowing the festival closed down at midnight. I wanted nothing more than to simultaneously discover teleportation and beam my bitch ass inside those gates of happiness.
More obstacles ensued before I finally made my way inside but right around ten thirty I found myself wading through the masses in search of my friends. Cell phones work sporadically out there so finding them the easy way was out- I had to rely on my faith in miracles to find those fuckers. As I wandered aimlessly around the electronic tent searching in vain for an eight foot tall man otherwise known as my best friend Ben, I really started wishing I hadn't come to Coachella this year. It had started as a comedy of errors and I had a sinking feeling that maybe this just wasn't my year. As visions of spending the rest of the night searching for my friends shadowed my mind, I caught out of the corner of my eye a fist pumping giant- Ben!!!! I ran towards him and the moment was transformed into one of those slow-mo movie sequences where I'm surrounded by a golden glow and Ben is my treasure at the end of the rainbow. It was beautiful people.
Anway, once I collected my peeps I was happier than a pig in shit. We pushed ourselves deep into the crowd of people dancing to the dj and the joygasm commenced. After a little while Anna and I decided to break away from the throbbing mass and walk towards the main stage. There were stars overhead shining bright in the absence of city lights and a Beatle sang the sweet lyrics of "Yesterday" as Anna and I linked arms and walked towards the stage. Beautiful, larger than life art installations dot the field so that everywhere you look there is something mind-fucking to behold. We came to a fire breathing dragon made of metal, a ring of people sat around it watching it spit flames. Anna and I plopped down to take it in. As we leaned against each other and listed to "Hey Jude" we could hear the kid next to us talking on his cell phone. He was obviously trying to have his friend meet him.
"Yeah, come over to where we are. Come over here. We're at the Serpant Mother," he said telling his friend the official name for the art installation we were sitting in front of. His friend must not have known what he was talking about though.
"What? Get here! The motha fucken fire breathin dragon dude!" he practically yelled.
Anna and I simultaneously burst into a fit of laughter. We were rolling on the desert floor. This was totally what Coachella was about.
I cannot wait for this year's festival. It is a reunion and a rebirth. To have the people I love so much together under the desert sky, surrounded by music and art... life just doesn't get any better.
Tear.
ReplyDelete4-16-10, we'll do it all again =)