Day 3
Random festival thoughts
Either Veronica and I are getting older or there were some real good fake IDs / poor ID checking as we remarked several times that we saw groups who were no way old enough to be wearing the beer tent bands
There were a number of impossibly tall and skinny females wandering around. We passed a group of three who turned both of our heads to the point that we almost walked into each other as well as trash box. The shortest must have been like 5� 10� and the tallest possibly 3� taller. However what was really eye catching is that I think the three of them together might have weighed like 280.
Actually, beyond the giraffes of the above story, there was a bunch of way too skinny women at the festival. Eat something for crying out loud
In an unexpected turn of events, the folks in the drinking areas tended to be more courteous than those just wandering around the fields and tents. Of course, some of them had more to apologize as they stumbled into one but at least they said sorry and excuse met. Perhaps it has something to do with age as they were also older. Oh, and since drinkers tend to actually consume calories so realistic people were more apparent in the drinking areas.
Though at the same time, the festival had set up these wooden boxes, kind of looking like open crates in which they had placed three cardboard recycling bins. One of these set ups was in the beer garden and was in a location that was just begging to be sat on. However the edge was only the width of a 2� x 4� so most people gave it a glance and moved on. Right up to the group of three drunk women who we saw pass through the area while we were sat at a nearby bench enjoying our beer and cider. Women 1 and 2 sit on the edge while woman 3 attempts to take a picture. In the 30 seconds or so while Woman 3 is lining up the shot, woman 1 leans back and manages to end up heels over head with head back in the recycling bin. In classic drunken fashion, her friends are eventually there for her but not before laughing for at least a minute.
So the last day of the festival starts again at Elmer�s though this time I almost run into Macklemore as I leave the bathroom. He also ends up passing by our table at which point Veronica quips after he passes: �Hey, Macklemore you don�t have to wear the whole thrift shop at once� I hadn�t really recognized him as I left the bathroom but I definitely noticed the guy wearing jean overalls with no shirt but he did have three flannel shirts wrapped around his neck as some sort of layered scarf / cape thing. We�d been at the festival for two days and had seen plenty of questionable fashion choices but this was a whole different thing.
We�ve kind of got a fairly loose schedule today with first must see act being Grimes at 415. Turns out that the drive, parking and security go much smoother than the previous day and we�re in the facility to catch The Airborne Toxic Event set at 220. Fantastic set from the band and we also stop to notice that it is cooler today but perhaps a bit breezy at that point.
Check out a bit of Thee Oh Sees set as they are in the same tent that Grimes will be on before doubling back to the main stage to listen The Gaslight Anthem. Thee Oh See was a classic garage band type sound but not really Veronica�s thing. The Gaslight Anthem left no impression on me but that has everything to do with that not being my type of music or something.
So back over to where Grimes is going to perform. This is one of the acts that I�ve really wanted to see. I�ve also got real fears about how this is going to go as I�ve read reviews of her live performances being kind of static given the nature of her music. However, I think that our little Canadian artist has read the criticism as well as understands that if at possible one needs to step it up a Coachella. So instead of being trapped behind the sequencers and mixers that she uses to perform her music, she spends about an equal amount of time in front the boards signing and engaging the audience. Of course, she has to sometimes sprint back around to adjust the voice effects or tempo of the backing tracks so by the end of the set, I got the impression that she was like the performer trying to keep all the plates spinning. She also ends up with this ever growing smile and look of relief as the set goes on and it becomes apparent that she is winning the crowd over.
As soon as the set is over, Veronica hustles us out of the tent and back over to the main stage to catch the Lumineers as their set started about 15 minutes ago. As it will turn out, I owe Veronica on this one as the Lumineers apparently led with their singles and so we have missed her favorite songs. I�ve never been a fan but Veronica enjoys the set.
Now knowing that there is cider to be had, Veronica suggest a trip back to the beer area as it is close to where we from the main stage. This time in wandering around we find a food booth that is setup that straddles the area we are in and the VIP section over the fence. The Standard has set up shop and is selling Jalepeno Mac and Cheese and some fancy chicken sliders so this is decided on as an early dinner. While the line to order moved fairly quickly, we end waiting quite awhile for our food. During this time Social Distortion has taken the stage and they provide the soundtrack for our dinner as the area has speakers playing the performance from the main stage.
Now it starting to be flat out windy and enough dust has kicked up to give the festival grounds a hazy glow as the sun sets. Since it never got really hot that day, as the winds come up and the sun goes down, the temperature starts to drop. We head back to the lockers but not before waiting what seems like forever to purchase a Wu-Tang Clan t-shirt. I�m not that hip but instead a gift for my younger brother who has been checking on the zoo (two dogs / four cats) that we left back at home.
What we thought would be plenty of time before the next sets turns out to be just enough time. After re-confirming the location (in front of Java A Gogo) we head off to our respective set. Her to Vampire Weekend, me to La Roux.
La Roux was one of my discoveries from three years ago and been slotted in one of the smallest tents. That year we got to set late and slowly moved my way into the tent but was very much in the middle of things went they closed with Bulletproof and the crowd went justifiably nuts. This year playing about the same time (715) but now in the largest of the tents. They started about 10 minutes late and by that time the much larger tent seemed to be completely filled from what I could see. They started with In for a Kill which promptly had the crowd singing along. Mixing in what I think was three new songs along with their previous material, they had the audience truly enjoying themselves. All leading to the expected finale of Bulletproof
So I find Veronica in line for coffee and take her place while she goes off to find a bathroom. I swear that they were growing the coffee beans as by the time she returns (not an insignificant amount of time), I think the line moved like 6 people as I�d bet that most of those people gave up. It is now windy to the point that this is something new for Veronica and I, we�ve never seen this level of dust and these type of winds. It is to the point that everybody in line is standing back to the wind. To the point that Veronica does the whole sunglasses at night thing. Me, I hadn�t notice that aspect since I�ve worn glasses since like 4 years old or something. We give up on the coffee and head over to OMD which thankfully in one of the tents. Actually, they�re at the smallest stage in the festival
I might be old. I might have kind of found part of my music identity in the synths of the 80s (Erasure, Depeche Mode, Howard Jones, Book of Love, Pet Shop Boys, Yazoo) but for whatever reasons this OMD set is my headlining act for this day and will be way to close this year. Well at least I hope so
Since we�re early and initially it looks like there�s about of hundred or so fans right at the rail (mostly our age or so), Veronica and I set up at the corner of the sound board. This allows her to sit down and use the fence to lean against. So first off there�s the single Asian dude handing out at approximately the same location who turns out to be waiting for his friends who eventually show. After they go through the initial greetings and hug it out, he states: �You know why I�m at OMD? I�m fucking old�. Ummm, excuse me? About the time that I�m thinking if you�re old, I must be ancient. His friend states: �You�re old? I�m 30� Stupid kids�
As it gets closer to set time, I am gladdened to see the tent slowly filling. I�m off staring into space or otherwise distracted (mebbe reading ST) when Veronica says something that I can�t quite hear. Turns out she�s trying to call attention to group that has arrived directly behind me so since she�s trying to be somewhat discrete, she all but pulls me over so she can talk to me. �Behind you. That�s Ashley Greene� Ok it is Coachella, it could be. Hey it is Coachella, no need to be discreet so I turn around expecting to stare. It is not Ashley Green. It might be her older sister as there is a resemblance but trust me I would recognize Ashley Greene at those close quarters. So we also note that Diane Krueger and Joshua Jackson are also in the same area. Veronica keeps muttering that not Ashley Greene is still in fact some actress. Eventually comes up with Don Draper�s wife at which I reply Jessica Pare. In hindsight that�s some trivial pursuit type answer on my point as I�m not a Mad Men fan.
So eventually the set starts and all credit to OMD as their lead comes out and gives a fantastic performance. Dancing (I guess you could call it dancing) and singing his ass off. Perhaps because of his white shirt, perhaps of his age, it reminded both Veronica and I of Hugh Grant�s stage performance in Music and Lyrics. It turned out that I am bigger OMD fan than I thought as I knew every song in the set including there just released Metroland (thanks Spotify) as well as Sister Mary Says which I remember as kind of their reunion single from 3 years ago. Other than tease of walking out to the bars of Locomotion but instead starting with Enola Gay (best dance song I know of about atomic war), I had no complaints about the set.
Though Joshua Jackson on the other hand, fucking Pacey would not shut up during the set. Luckily they left after If You Leave. Some amount of people do the same but the majority stay on and OMD continues on with Sailing on the Seven Seas, Secret and closing on Electricity. Or so I seem to remember. Even Veronica apparently absorbed the last two on a subliminal level back in the day as she sings along as well.
So while it is well short of 10 at the end of that set, we are done with Coachella 2013. We empty the locker and head back to the purple path. Luckily the majority of the walk is with the wind at our back. Till next year. Though last this is year 2 of the two weekend setup and last year weekend #1 it rained, this year crazy wind, mebbe will opt for Weekend #2. Plus it is record store day this upcoming Saturday and we�ve always been able to shop at the Zia Records pop-up shop for record store day for previous festivals.
Oh, regrets? I have a few. I wish that all things would have lined up a little bit faster so that I could have seen Savages. Should have chosen Johnny Marr over Metric. On a lesser level, I wish that we hadn�t been so tired on Saturday and that we could have made it to the close of the night for Veronica�s Phoenix / Sugar Rios / New Order set time as that would have allowed me to see the Janelle Monae set. The least regret was not seeing Deap Vally at noon on Sunday. Sleep was good and I figure that I�ll have my chances to see Deap Vally since they�re from Silver Lake or Echo Park or something.