5/17/2012 The Day Coachella Died.

[Larry Farnsworth]

Coachella has changed a lot over time. My first was in 2004. If you look at the line up for 2004 you can understand why I was hooked and went 9 years straight.

Look, I love Howie Day too, but let's not get emotional here.

[Vic Viper]

Yesterday I came home about 1pm ready to get my weekend 1 on payment plan. Saw there were only GA w/ shuttle pass left. I quickly understood what was happening. Called a friend and told them what was happening asked if they wanted to go to weekend 2. We both had the same reaction and decided to not buy. Sure enough about 15 minutes later every ticket was gone and you know what? I didn't care.

so you made the decision not to buy tickets at all once you saw that tickets were in fact still available? makes sense.

[heart cooks brain]

For reals. The rest of my group waited in line for the refills; they said they waited 20 mins at the most. I was like "fuck that, $2 waters please."

srsly. you buy a bottle of water at cvs it's going to cost $1.50 anyway. what the big fuckin' deal, bros?

[HandBanana]

Does this sort of thing happen on other festival boards or do we just have a unique culture here?

[heart cooks brain]

it's pretty unique, as far as i can tell.

[TomAz]

The perception that the coachella crowd is worse these days has more to do with people's perspectives changing than anything else. They now complain about the bros they used to be.

[hippityhip]

so you made the decision not to buy tickets at all once you saw that tickets were in fact still available? makes sense.

Exactly. It is about 5 of us who make Coachella happen every year. We were all on board to buy for weekend 1. None of us knew it would sell out in a few hours. We were all going to decide the best route ie camping or condo etc., and buy the tickets at the same time. I didn't want to buy 2 tickets for weekend one then be stuck with friends not getting the same weekend. That's why I called my friend to see what we should do. Unfortunately stalling on the phone for 10 minutes deciding cost us a chance to agree on buying tickets for everyone weekend 2. Oh well. We will try in January and if it doesn't happen then I'm sure right before the party if we really still wanna go we can find wristbands then. Not too much of a big deal for me.

[IlliniQ]

For anything north of Sahara, this was the LEAST crowded of the 4 that I've attended - by far. I walked up in the middle of Squeeze's set and stood comfortably about halfway between the soundboard and the stage - and this is a band that plays the Greek. Selfishly, I'm all for the bro-magnet acts in the Sahara. Makes for a much better festival for rockers like myself.

Took the words right out of my mouth. But then, even if they had more interesting DJ/Dubstep acts like Burial/Four Tet/Nicolas Jar etc, I'd still choose a rock show on one of the other stages nine times out of ten. I've just always preferred the full band experience to the "press play" experience live...on record, love 'em both.

[SepaGroove]

The perception that the coachella crowd is worse these days has more to do with people's perspectives changing than anything else. They now complain about the bros they used to be.

Lol this is sad but true. I used to be a bit of a bro back when I was 16-17. I'm a completely different person now than I was then.

[Hawkings]

coachella is fine. sorry you didn't get tix.

No one goes to Coachella anymore. It's too crowded.

Also, love your avatar Larry, I'm the Juggernaut B*$ch

[Shoulda Named Ya Laika]

5/17/12 the day hedonism realized he fucked up and missed out on tickets

The "fox and the sour grapes" phenomenon.

[fetuspiniata]

OP is hedo rick!

[Auenway]

These threads crack me up everytime.. People make it sound like Sahara is the only stage at Coachella.. haha. Get a life people, your exactly right Coachella is not a rave go to EDC to get your Electronic fix. Coachella just gives you a taste.. sometimes even surprises you.

[jaysocal]

I don't know - and maybe this is just me - but I have no problem with a festival having a few acts that are enormously popular but that I can't stand (or even a tents' worth). While all of brostep legion is raging their balls off at Skrillex or Aviici or Guetta or whatever crap is going on, there will be plenty of space for me at whatever I like. I can't be at all 5 stages at once, so why not use one to attract all the idiots anyway? Coachella is trendy enough where you're going to get plenty of mouthbreathers regardless, so rather than having the dude in the vintage basketball jersey and the snapback "woo"-ing over your shoulder while you're trying to enjoy Slint or Beach House or whatever the fuck, be glad he's fist-pumping in a tent far, far away.

^^ Correct!

[the goat]

Look, I love Howie Day too, but let's not get emotional here.

Running full speed (limping full speed, actually, but that's another story) in 103 degree heat from Pixies to Stereolab then back to Radiohead is probably still my favorite Coachella moment. Well, not the limping, per se, but the opportunity to do so.

[arsgunner]

Here's the pro-tip to have a great Coachella: don't go in the Sahara tent now.

^^^^^ exactly...i went toward the sahara tent once this year for 5 min to see some friends and quickly realized what coachella has turned into but just don't go there...its impossible for anything not to become trendy after 10+ years..stop bitching


ps

i personally wish they'd axe the sahara tent and put more actual bands but whatever GV has to make their please the mainstream crowd now more than ever

[hippityhip]

Running full speed (limping full speed, actually, but that's another story) in 103 degree heat from Pixies to Stereolab then back to Radiohead is probably still my favorite Coachella moment. Well, not the limping, per se, but the opportunity to do so.

That's fucking awesome man. I did the same exact thing that year. That was 3+ hours of radness.

btw you are at 666 posts with the goat as your username. Don't post ever again and leave it there.

[Bons222000]

If you do the same thing with a festival every year people complain that it's getting boring and repetitive.

If you try to do different things every year people complain that you've "sold out".

People complained about Radiohead's setlist before they even did a single show on this tour, months before Coachella.

People complained about Radiohead doing too many KoL songs at Coachella, even though they did 5 songs in a 21 song setlist.

People complain when bands like Arcade Fire headline because they aren't "big" enough.

People complain when acts like Kanye West headline because they are "too mainstream".

People complain about acts like Swedish House Mafia because they are "too cheesy".

People complain about acts like Bjork because they are "too boring".

For some reason people enjoy complaining...x100 when they can do it anonymously over the internet.

Coachella is the shit. That's why it sells out.

Quit fucking bitching.

[fatbastard]

You have a pretty good memory of what people have bitched about.

[suprefan]

He was the one who bitched about it all, not hard to remember.

[LAVeniceDude]

I totally agree. 2010 was the only Coachella that I thought was overcrowded, the past two years I've really had no issue with it at all. Other than the water stations of course.

That was my first Coachella. I thought it was just me. I'm a relative noob. Don't care. It's still the happiest place on earth, and I will love 2013. There's always something amazing going on, even if you don't like the headliners. Do-lab and Heineken tent alone were big fun last year.

Buy your passes. If you hate the lineup, sell 'em at face and stop complaining.

(Relative noob, but also was at the Pearl Jam show in '94...so in a way, not).

[the goat]

That's fucking awesome man. I did the same exact thing that year. That was 3+ hours of radness.

btw you are at 666 posts with the goat as your username. Don't post ever again and leave it there.

Vacuum cleaner plugs? Now? Really!?!

[the goat]

Also, my oldest niece turns 9 today, and no, I'm not ready for that shit.

[kneuller]

I think the people bitching about downhill changes are the same types of people who feel devastated when "their band" suddenly goes more mainstream and then go around saying "I saw them play at The El Rey 6 years ago in front of 75 people and now theyre subheadlining.....it isnt right."

[lt.roast.a.botch]

doesn't everyone feel devastated when that happens? some just handle it better

[Axtell]

As someone else mentioned in this thread, 2013 will be my first Coachella as well. Been wanting to go for a few years now, finally decided enough was enough and got in on the pre-sale. So yes, I, too, helped 'kill' Coachella.

The OP has the same attitude as every single person reminiscing about anything they like. Sports fans complain about games nowadays being so much more commercialized (but ignoring how much better stadiums are now, with better sight lines and food, etc). Music fans complain about their bands 'selling out' and going 'mainstream' but ignore that it means the same band now tours more now which lets them see them live more often, as well as their music being exposed to more people.

The facts are there is always going to be a small percentage of people who complain simply to complain. The notion about not being able to make everyone happy all the time is true in everything. But apparently Coachella is doing something right - not only do tickets sell at a breathtaking pace, but there's enough demand to fill TWO weekends. It's gone from an event that was nearly cancelled into one of the world's largest and best known festivals in under a decade. While it not be the OP's taste, they're obviously doing something that a HELL of a lot of people (myself included) want to be a part of.

[cman1098]

I don't think the days of those types of lineups are over. The size of the crowd doesn't bother me either other than 2010.

2010 was not bad at all. Last year was terrible. So many people and one big clusterfuck. 2010 was smooth and easy. I chose not to buy a ticket on lay away like I did the last two years. I feel a cash in is coming.

signed.

[algunz]

Cman, are you sure you were in the right place? 2010 will always be known as Clusterfuckchella.

[lowfront]

.








Fuck coachella

[spiggums]

Also the argument that you should avoid the Sahara and you'll be fine, is bullshit. You shouldn't have to avoid a tent at a festival that prides itself on getting a collection of great genre pushing/defining acts.

If that was the only stage that had dance music, you'd have a point.

But since they are still booking more interesting dance acts and just putting them on other stages (last year: Leftfield and Trentemoller come instantly to mind... this year: SBTRKT, Modeselektor, Shadow... to name a few) well, then it's actually a favor to the rest of us if they keep the shitty dance music in one tent.

And that's before we even consider that some high quality acts slip in to the Heineken Dome and Do Lab as well...