Disheveled Musings: Coachella

We crawled into bed at 2:30 Sunday morning after another big day at Coachella, only for the alarm to wake us at 6:00 am so we could begin the three-hour drive back to Los Angeles and subsequent five-hour flight back to Toronto. I can't remember the last time I was so tired. J

It was an exhausting weekend with me getting less than eight hours sleep - total over the two days. Zach unfortunately is starting to get a head cold after his hectic and sleepless weekend, although he did snatch a few zzzz’s in the car on our way back to LAX.

Loving Capital Cities

What can I say - Coachella was everything and more that I expected in terms of a musical education this past weekend. I saw everything from the soulful sounds of Laura Mvula, cool vibes of the Dum Dum Girls (thank you Sandra Vu for my new appreciation of drumming – way cool!), the heavy metal of Graveyard, to the iconic Bryan Ferry with a host of pit stops in between.

Some of my other favorites were Capital Cities and the dance party they put on Saturday late afternoon was out of this world, Bryan Ferry rocking out the Mojave on Friday night, Pixies (one of Seattle’s best and a key inspiration for Nirvana way back when) at the Mojave venue on Saturday night, Ellie Goulding Friday night at the main venue followed by Chromeo, Girl Talk and of course the big headliner – OutKast.

Zach has a hard time choosing who his favorite performers were over the two days, but he also raved about Nas, Pharrell Williams, HAIM, Kid Cudi and Flatbush Zombies and of course OutKast. I think getting the drumstick from the drummer of HAIM (which he wants to frame for his bedroom to go with the Jimi Hendrix album cover) was the highlight of the weekend. I think I guessed that after he asked me for the third time whether I had the drumstick in my carryon bag…yes I had to check.

There were a couple of other really important things to point out about this weekend. First, buying the bus pass and staying at a local hotel was genius (even if I say so myself) as it took the hassle out of searching for your car in one of the miles of parking lots near the festival site. It was also just 30 minutes door to door without a hiccup or a wait for the shuttle, even at 2:00 am.

Another great sunset at Coachella

Now, who would have thought that the food would be surprising? Last night after watching Capital Cities I strolled over to the VIP enclosure and picked myself up a Grilled “Mac’n cheese with pulled pork” sandwich…a super fancy grilled cheese by any other name, but I’ve got to tell you it was purely divine!

And how about the weather, with the thermometer topping out yesterday at 34C and blue clear skies it was just what the doctor ordered after a somewhat lengthy and miserably cold winter in Toronto. Shorts and tank tops both days just soaking up the sun watching those amazingly talented performers.

Overall this past weekend was one for the ages all right. In fact, Zach is already talking about next year and either coming back to Coachella or perhaps hitting the Bonnaroo Festival in Tennessee…

He’s going to need to save up – just sayin’!