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Desert Still Life by Michele Yamamoto

Apr 09, 2015 By Michele Yamamoto

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If you don’t hear from me by Monday night, tell the kids I love them.

While all of California is becoming a desert, throngs of people are making their way out to that special pretend desert we call the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. You know, that place where you can easily never realize you’re actually in the Colorado Low Desert subregion of the Sonoran Desert.

[As a native Californian, I must ask that all attendees please do what they can to observe our fresh batch of water restrictions. Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth and limit your shower to 5 minutes. Thank you in advance. Really.]

This year’s festival only furthers my confusion. It’s officially sold out, but a sweep of StubHub and Craigslist reveal a bevy of wristbands listed for well under face value. There are plenty of great acts in store, but the chatter on my social feeds has been neutral at best, negative on average. It’s an arts and music festival, but despite Goldenvoice’s efforts to minimize branding, it feels like the draw are the air-conditioned “activation” tents over the stages.

But you’re all in luck. After extensive hours of “research” (and I’m sure it was no where near enough time spent), I can finally and confidently share that this is gonna be a good one for the music-types.

You’re gonna have your indie big-hitters (Lykke Li, The War on Drugs, Father John Misty, Florence + the Machine, Jenny Lewis, and more). You’re gonna have your solid throwbacks (Sloan, Ride, Steely Dan, AC/DC*). And best of all, you’re gonna have a great class of artists that are still below the radar for most—your bread and butter. I’m talking about Parquet Courts, JUNGLE, Perfume Genius, MØ, Night Terrors of 1927, Saint Motel, Chicano Batman, Radkey, and more.

What won’t you have? You won’t have a packed house if the number of wristbands festering away on resale is an accurate indicator. And most importantly, you won’t have to listen to Kanye West. Period. This year is a gift.

*You’re excited about AC/DC, believe me.

FRIDAY:

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