Coachella 2019

Longtime readers of this site know that my musical tastes do not run the gamut.  As I’ve said many times, if it is not sung by Britney Spears, Michael Bublé or Michael Jackson, or was produced in any decade other than the ‘80s, odds are I don’t know it.  But when I was offered the chance to go to Coachella this past weekend (thanks to Amazon Locker!), I jumped at it.  While I would never consider myself a “festival” person, I figured seeing the spectacle of the whole thing would be a huge thrill – not to mention the fact that three days of mandatory glitter and flower-crown-wear is pretty much my dream come true!  I enlisted my mom to be my plus-one (she was more excited than I was!) and last Friday afternoon the two of us headed out to the Empire Polo Club in Indio for Day 1 of Weekend 2 of the 2019 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.  While not really a filming location (though a scene from A Star Is Born was shot on the festival grounds in between Weekends 1 and 2 in 2017), I figured detailing our experience would make for a good blog post.  So here goes . . .

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My mom and I decided early on that we only wanted to be at Coachella during daylight hours, when the crowds would be less intense.  Those words must have the eyes of any music lover reading this post bulging right out of their head.  Yes, I know – all the good bands play at night.  We weren’t there for the music, though.  Because our main goal was to see the grounds, enjoy the scenery, eat some festival food, and do a lot of people-watching, our scheduling worked perfectly.

I can’t express how nice it was to be able to walk the venue easily, avoid lines, and get to experience all that was offered at a calm pace.

Upon walking through the entrance gates, we were greeted by the famous Coachella Ferris wheel and, like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, I knew I was not in Kansas anymore.

The venue is massive, whimsical, vibrant, splashy, and oh-so-picturesque.

It is not hard to see why the festival is a mecca for Instagrammers.

The backdrop is pretty darn spectacular no matter which direction you turn.

There’s just something about that combo of blue skies, palm trees, dramatic mountains, and colorful works of art.

My mom and I ended up only going to the festival on Friday and Sunday because the temps on Saturday ran too high.  (That’s Day 3 – Day 2 for us – below.)

But over those two days, I took almost 500 pictures!

Needless to say I was just slightly enamored with the grounds.  The views alone are worth the price of admission!

It’s no wonder the place is selfie Ground Zero.

The unique art installations, which reminded me quite a bit of Desert X, only added to the spirited aura.

Dedo Vabo’s H.I.P.O Hazardus Interstellar Perfessional Operations (pictured above and below), which featured a live element involving actors dressed as hippos (natch), was definitely the oddest of all the works.

And Colossal Cacti (which stretched up to fifty-two-feet tall) the most colorful.

Other installations included Mismo . . .

. . . Brighter in the Dark – an interactive sight and sound experience . . .

. . . and, of course, Spectra, a seven-story rainbow tower that debuted at the 2018 festival and wound up being left on the premises for good.

My mom and I were told the NEWSUBSTANCE-designed structure was a must-see.

And though it is very cool from the outside . . .

. . . and the inside does provide some fabulous vistas . . .

. . . and views of the concert grounds (not to mention stellar air conditioning), I can’t say it is really worth waiting in the long lines required to enter.

Also on display this year was Beyoncé’s 2018 Coachella stage, now aptly named Pyramid.

The piece served as the central backdrop during her groundbreaking performance, which you can see in its entirety in the new Netflix documentary Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé.

Overview Effect was by far my favorite work on display, though.

Initially installed at the 2014 festival, the seventy-foot-tall animatronic astronaut moved throughout the festival grounds, hovering above concert-goers.

I literally could have followed him around all day!

He even had Coachella wristbands!

By the end of the weekend, he had picked up various other accountremants, as well, and, like most festival-goers, was looking a bit worse for wear. 

Truth be told, everything at Coachella is artistic – right down to the food stands!

And yes, there is coffee – but it doesn’t come cheap!

This cost me $9! 

The stages themselves (there are eight total) are like works of art, too.

The main stage, aka “Coachella Stage,” is pictured below.

And that’s the “Outdoor Theatre.”

My mom asked me at one point why there was so much open space around each venue.  It wasn’t obvious at first, but it’s for the crowds – which is actually a bit terrifying.

Imagine this entire venue filled with people.

Or this one.  Actually, you don’t need to imagine it – here’s a pic.

I am pretty sure I wouldn’t enjoy that.  But being at Coachella during the day when crowds were light was a dream.

Things were just starting to get busy as we made our way to the exit both nights, which suited us just fine.

All in all it was a fabulous weekend and I am so thankful for the experience!  Until next time, Coachella!

And thank you, Amazon Locker!

Until next time, Happy Stalking