Coachella - The "Got My Struttin' Dress On" Report

Another Coachella has since come and gone. I arrived back home from the desert this morning still wearing the same clothes put on almost 24 hours before, which caused a bit of a freak out once I awoke and could barely remember checking out of our lodging the day before.
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Sleep deprivation be damned, there are many reasons one puts up with scorching 100 degree heat, dust so potent that it should be a narcotic, squishing into skinny black jeans despite said 100 degree heat...oh, and braving curry bowls despite all of the above.
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Your choices are as follows:
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A) The Music - Going to see Prince anytime soon? Featuring Sheila E.? Yeah, didn't think so.
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B) The People - Guy with screen printed penis speedo? Check!
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C) The Sights - See above, ACTUAL purple mountains (no pun intended), real life re-enactment of "The Hills" episodes
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D) The Smells - Arid desert air, burning flesh, cookie pie, several grades of pot, did I mention curry?
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If you selected any of the above, you would be correct! If you placed them in any hierarchical order, then you may have a problem. Deciding to go to Coachella this year was a no-brainer but in it's ninth year of existence, it was by all accounts on the verge of being musically underwhelming. Oh! Music snob you say?...hell yes, I founded the damn club. The promise of Jack Johnson getting top billing over Hot Chip (who packed as many people inside their tent as J.J. did on the main stage) and some seemingly self-centered choices made by Paul Tollett, made me scratch my head and wonder if this too was like a bastardized American version of a great Britcom like AbFab or Kath & Kim - everything to everyone and way over-produced.
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But the greatest thing about Coachella 2008 (as it is every year) is the A-game that each of these acts bring to this festival. Smirk or not, Coachella is still a benchmark in tastemaking for the year to come. Discovering gems like Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, or the booty twerking spectacle of Kid Sister could make even those with the most severe sweat wedgie grin from ear to ear. This year, stand out performances also came in the form of Mark Ronson's genius guest listing of Ricky Wilson, Tim Burgess, Kenna, Sam Sparrow and...Kelly Osbourne? performing songs off his ever-evolving album "Versions," or the spectacular face melting stylings of Chromeo. You just can't get this eclectic kind of of sampling anywhere else. At least not first, or with such a spectacular backdrop.
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Another reason that makes Coachella so great is the fact that so many people come from all over with the same intention of having a great time. I find this to be the opposite of seeing a show in, say, your home town where boredom breeds idiotic behavior, and anyone with two bits and the ability to call sick the next day can, and usually will, crowd the floor with the intention of spoiling an otherwise great show by acting out in ways that would make baby Jesus cry.
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Yes, I feel a bit like a poseur for playa-hating this year's initial line-up, but given the chance to redeem myself, I would like to just say it is cathartic to air out my lack of foresight and now have the ability to just be happy to have celebrated music and art and cookie pies. Isn't that after all what a blog is for?
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This year's biggest regret of course is missing Battles (who will no doubt be packing an even bigger tent at next year's festival), and the show stopping spectacle of Roger Waters performing Dark Side of the Moon in what I have been told was the hand-down biggest stunt that Coachella has ever pulled since placing two French robots atop a giant LED pyramid (which I luckily did have the foresight to witness). But alas, that is yet another reason that this festival is so great. You are allowed to make choices and live with them and make peace with that. Reflected especially well in this election year, it is something that I think I will be carrying forward. Of course, to those that have ever dropped in on this blog before, I couldn't help but point out two amazing things: First is that the promoters behind Coachella impressed me thoroughly by being able to present almost every artist on the Ed Banger label in one festival. Something that was not lost on me as I was able to make all but two of their sets. Secondly - this was the year that saw Hot Chip become voted "Most Popular" at the festival and (not to give myself much credit), three years ago I began campaigning on the Coachella message boards for this to happen. Luckily, either fate, record sales, sanity, common sense, or timing prevailed. I would love to think that it was my blatant whisper campaign that got the boys from London to play to an overflowing crowd, and made the almost unbearable conditions inside the Sahara seem like heavenly caramel.
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To my Coachie friends, thank you again for an amazing year and for really making this about more than the music. Grandpa Kelley loves 'ya!
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