This week Brandon will pack his sunscreen and I will not because brown skin has its privileges occasionally, and we will fly to the desert, once more, for this year’s Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival. You already know the originally announced lineup is up an M.I.A. and down an H&LA, but now you can get even more specific: the official timetable and the Coachooser thingy are ready. Mostly we’re impressed at how few conflicts Goldenvoice has built into the schedule for people like us, which means most of us will be rubbing sweaty elbows all weekend:
If Switch at noon is too early on Friday, you can take a few hours to get used to the environs and all the Heidi Montag sightings before you get going at 4:20PM with Los Campesions or the Hold Steady, M. Ward (4:55), the Black Keys (or Buraka Som Sistema), Conor Oberst, and Franz Ferdinand. Then just settle into the old-timer rock block of Leonard Cohen, Morrissey, and Macca. End your day with Genghis Tron because that is the right way to end your day. Friday’s big losers: everyone that goes up against Moz (sorry, Beirut and Girl Talk).
Saturday starts with a 2:30PM set from Liars, which may sound early for Liars, but years of experience (P4K Fest, Øya) have taught us that Angus is even more dominant in the sun and sweat. There’s a showdown between Blitzen Trapper and Drive-By Truckers (3:40PM), but resolve that and you can follow it with Superchunk (4:55), then TV On The Radio (or Tinariwen, who are worthy), then Fleet Foxes before the next pile up at 8:40ish (Band Of Horses, M.I.A., and Junior Boys all start within 15 minutes of each other, but of course M.I.A.’s main stage debut will be the biggest party). The Killers headline that night, although our headliners hit the Gobi Tent at 11:15 in the form of Gang Gang Dance.
Start your Sunday early at the Mojave tent for a triple shot of Vivian Girls, No Age, and Fucked Up from 12:45PM to 4ish (you’ll miss Okkervil River this way, sadly), then hit Lykke Li (4:05PM) before either PB&J or Antony. After that, just camp out for the convenient triple header closing out the Main Stage: Yeah Yeah Yeahs, My Bloody Valentine, and the Cure. (Although you have time between MBV and Robert Smith for Public Enemy or the Kills.) Wrap your Sunday with Throbbing Gristle because you owe that to yourself.
Remarkably few clashes! Guess we’ll all be seeing each other all weekend.
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Aren?t Lykke Li and Antony (being decidedly ?delicate?) gonna get stomped all over by the sound from the main stage? ? They deserve the spot, but a tent might have been a better fit?
No conflicts? Yeah right! M. Ward, the Black Keys & Hold Steady playing all at once isn’t a conflict? What about Blitzen Trapper vs. Dr. Dog? My personal favorite: A Place To Bury Strangers/Paul McCartney. Yikes!
the morrissey vs. girl talk/beirut conflict is also underscored by the fact that leonard cohen’s set runs right up to the beginning of morrissey’s. i’ve never been to coachella so i’m not gonna talk as if i’m in the know, but doesn’t this pose a predicament for those who really like leonard cohen but want a solid viewing position for morrissey?
Much fewer conflicts than I had anticipated, I agree.
yes. i agree very few conflicts exceptttt for friday night.
morrissey/leonard cohen/beirut/girl talk/sir paul???
i’m horribly conflicted. it would have been so much better if girl talk could close out friday night instead of some 90′s horrible has been electronic band. i’ve seen moz 3x already, but i guess it depends if he’ll shell out some old smiths classics, or stick to new material, which i’m sorry to say is sometimes a boreeeee.
who thought it was a good idea to put the Silversun Pickups after Leonard Cohen. Seriously!?? He should swap times with Franz Ferdinand who then should swap with the Silversun Pickups. Then move Cohen up so he’s between Morrissey and McCartney (though in a perfect world he’d close the show).
Nothing too horrible aside from Sunday basically all day
Awesome. The only bands I wanted to see were Paul McCartney, The Black Keys, Crystal Castles Franz Ferdinand and Morrissey. I guess I wont be able to catch Franz Ferdinand but screw them, I saw them at Amoeba and they were a bunch of pretentious pricks anyways.
I’m only there on Sunday….I think I might have to miss The Yeah Yeah Yeahs to go see X (sorry – aging hipster, here)….the fact that they just released a disco album makes the choice easier….also….is it true that Public Enemy will be performing It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back in it’s entirity?
Hey Amrit,
Do you wear earplugs? If so, what kind? I’ve been going to too many shows (I’m 25) in life and I’ve started to notice a ringing in my ears. What kind do you recommend?
I use my fingers as earplugs.
etymotic research is good and pretty cheap like 12 bucks. or for like around 100 you can get custom molded earplugs.
Pretty much what d said. Before each of these festivals I stop into my local music gear store and pick up a $12 set of the ER20s
http://www.etymotic.com/ephp/er20.aspx
And promptly lose them within an hour. At that point I rely on whatever swaggy ear protection I can get my hands on. I want to get custom made ones (for fit, but also because they really preserve the music’s integrity), but I know I’ll just lose them too
(Also: Despite the warnings, don’t wear them for MBV. Actually being able to hear Kevin and Belinda through the guitar wash is worth any and all permanent loss.)
Seems safe to say we won’t be watching much stuff together Amrit…. To each their own.
Paul vs Presets is a god damn crime against fucking humanity
http://cranz.mybrute.com/
You forgot the dome, Rep it…
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