I honestly can’t even describe the experience that has consumed the past 6 days of my life.  To tell you what Coachella was like… you just need to live it.  And if you try to do that day-time shit I implore you to spend some time on the campgrounds, that’s the real experience .

This place was an absolute playground for my eyes and ears.  From the crazy and interesting (as well as interactive) art creations set up throughout the park or the multiple stages and tents to roam from, I was completely entranced.  I knew I wasn’t going to make most of the acts I had hoped to see but I caught the entire experience.  And honestly, I felt bad for the acts who had the earlier time slots – that desert heat is no joke.

I did catch a ton of different stuff (and plan to even more next year..).  One of my most favorite places was the Do Lab which featured a ton of DJs just throwing down set after set in a crazy, open-air tent.  The vibe was incredible and really fun inside.

The question I get most?  ”Did you see Kings of Leon?” For fuck’s sake…no.  I actually saw Crystal Castles kill it instead.  I heard some rumor’s about the lead singer and that doctor’s advised her against the show(?). Who knows but it was an incredibly set especially after seeing Skrillex earlier in the day basically dumping on Coachella.  They played a ton of songs but I’d say “Baptism” had just about everyone in the crowd going nuts, especially with the blacked out tent and the crazy lights.

Baptism – Crystal Castles

Untrust Us – Crystal Castles

Also caught most of Sleigh Bells which was fantastic..as much as I was afraid of them sucking since their new found hype over at MTV and all those god damn commercials.  When “Tell ‘Em” came on..well, the Mojave went insane.  Those heavy electric saw-sounding guitars are just perfect for the ridiculous sound system set up.  They were a great warm-up to The Chemical Brothers and their madness.  They killed Friday night hands down.  I checked out Flogging Molly for a tad but the light show over at Chemical Bros just called me over and that was that.

Tell ‘Em – Sleigh Bells

Infinity Guitars – Sleigh Bells

I was excited to see Freelance Whales. Bands like this I’d prefer to see them at smaller, more intimate venues but shit, this was Coachella man so I had to deal.   Plus, afterwards was Foals and Two Door Cinema Club.  These guys were just cute and played great..it was hot as hell but we were all singing along.  I heard great things for Foals’ live show and was not disappointed.  They went hard, a bit harder then I even expected.  The lead singer dove straight into the crowd off like a 10 foot cabinet..insane.  And my guys Two Door?  Killed as well.  I was on top of shoulders for this one, can’t quite remember the entire set but damn it was packed! I was with a few irishmen who were dying for their boys.

Generator ^ Second Floor – Freelance Whales

Black Gold – Foals

Eat That Up, It’s Good For You - Two Door Cinema Club

Sunday was pretty rad as well ( just like every other day).  Saw a bit of Jack’s Mannequin although I was absolutely dying of the heat at that point so it almost was a bit miserable.

Two words though…BARBARA STREISAND.

Duck Sauce was a lot of fun to watch in the Sahara and the inflatable duck was a fun feature.  After that I booked it over to the Mojave to check out Ratatat who were pretty phenom.  The duo was shrouded in darkness while an incredible light show was going on all around them.  Obviously I loved it.

Barbara Streisand – Duck Sauce

Germany To Germany – Ratatat

Wildcat – Ratatat

I’m pretty disappointed I missed Empire of the Sun..but I ate up Paul Van Dyk’s set in the Sahara Tent.  That was absolutely insane. The lights man..THE LIGHTS.  With a set like PvD’s…I’m sure his new album slated to drop this summer will be something big.  The crowd created some of the most intense energy I saw over the weekend and I was dancing non-stop during that set..even had to head over to the Do Lab to cap off.

Other then that..saw Cee Lo absolutely fail and be a drama queen.  And Kanye?  Yeah..I want to say he was ok.  I’m one of the people who was hoping he’d bring out some awesome random onto the stage for a collab but no..it was the “Kanye-show,” which was totally expected.  Interesting stage I have to admit.  Other then that, I had an amazing time catching a ton of shows and DJ sets, meeting new people and camping under the desert sky.

Keep in mind, I’m not telling you who was hot or who was not..this was my experience, feel free to live vicariously through it.

Right-click and enjoy.

Incoming search terms:

• coachella
• sahara tent