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TMB v13,
Issue 4
April 22, 2010
LOCKDOWN
If you were at all saddened by the fact that last year's edition of Coachella
lost money (it did), you can let that emotion go now. The decision to forego
selling single-day tickets and only offer 3-day festival passes changes the
dynamic, and the business model, of Coachella instantly and forever. Who'd
have thought the new Festival Passes only policy would have yielded the event's
first complete sell out?
Not I. Though I did manage to grab my pass a mere 5 days before the window
closed. I remember all the shows I go to (the memorable ones, at least) as
well as the ones I don't, and I never like to miss a Coachella. Ever. An eventuality
faced by many upon receipt of last Monday's e-mail announcing tickets were
no longer available and wouldn't be on sale at the venue. For all intents
and purposes they weren't. And that wasn't all that was new at Coachella 2010.
With this year's evolutions and innovations, Coachella has become much more
about: 1) the kids, who want to go to the biggest and best American music
fest so badly they will pay now and not ask questions later; 2) the tourists,
traveling in from other states and/or countries looking for a full weekend
experience and willing to invest in tickets, hotels, packages, etc., a boon
for merchants in the Desert Cities area who receive a solid payday from Coachella
before the desert heat descends; 3) the artists, who are given the best music
platform on earth to make an impression on open and passionate audiences,
are paid well and haver the rule of the roost (after Event Security); and
4) the money, which was made by AEG/Goldenvoice, the desert cities, and the
artists by the truckload this year, more so by far than any Coachella yet.
Flipping the coin, Coachella is now much less about 1) the jaded, who claim
they won't go to Coachella unless it's free. Yes, one can still do Coachella
for free or on the cheap, but the numbers of people who do so were cut into
a tenth this time around, 2) the bridge-and-tunnel crew of the LA and OC,
who can no longer buy a single day pass, jet in by morning and cruise out
at night, and 3) adults, who, while still in attendance at Coachella, are
going to continue to see a trend of younger and younger at the show, with
all of the energy, exuberance and exasperation they add to the mix.
None of this is good or bad, just a shift, and one that makes significant
differences on the field and in transit to and from the event. The most important
part of Coachella, still, is the music. And if you thought this year's lineup
was one of the best in several years, you were right. Especially the small
to mid-size acts which were so plentiful you couldn't help but be "Coachellified"
(the transcendental state of having so many great bands to see at the same
time you don't know what to do) more in Coachella 2010 than ever before.
One of the best new realities of "Money-Bags Coachella" is that
a decent portion of the cash does go to the artists, who consistently tell
me they are compensated generously. The not best part is that one could feel
the money-ness of the event -- in the balls-to-the-wall attitude of some security,
in the faces of hundreds of kids who walked away from the entrance empty-handed.
Buying a pass on the grounds was either super-expensive (on Friday) or not
happening at all (by Sunday). There was also more fence-jumping, wristband
faking, and overall fraud in attendance this year. The tightening of screws
can lead to other forms of tightening, which can leave one feeling a bit cold
in humbling economic times.
Logistics aside, in Coachella 2010 the weather was better, the traffic was
worse, the food was better, the vibe was a bit worse, the VIP was significantly
better, the price of drinks was worse (higher), the art was more interesting,
and original, than ever, and the music, as always, was sublime across the
board. Especially of note was the major upgrade of talent on the Outdoor Stage
in the post-Leonard Cohen era. A corner of the Polo Field that came alive
like never before in this year's version.
So, for music lovers everywhere, here are my Best Ofs, Worst Ofs, smile makers
and furrowed foreheads for Coachella 2010:
Best In Show
1. Phoenix
2. Rusko
3. Deadmau5
4. Plastikman
5. Bassnectar
6. Public Image Limited
7. Hot Chip
8. Orbital
9. Miike Snow
10. LCD Soundsystem
11. Infected Mushroom
12. Glitch Mob
Biggest Disappointments
1. MGMT
2. Sly Stone
3. Grizzly Bear
4. Sia
5. Major Lazer
Most Pleasant Surprises
1. Phoenix
2. PiL
3. Vampire Weekend
4. The Specials
5. Plastikman
6. Pretty Lights
7. Miike Snow
Best Dance Acts
1. Deadmau5
2. Bassnectar
3. Rusko
4. Infected Mushroom
5. Glitch Mob
6. Miike Snow
7. All day and night at The Do Lab
8. 2ManyDJs
9. Tiesto
Most Theatrical
1. Plastikman
2. PiL
3. LCD Soundsystem
4. Miike Snow
5. Muse
6. Infected Mushroom
7. Deadmau5
Shining Moments
1. PiL - "Warrior"
2. Hot Chip - "Over and Over"
3. Gorillaz - "Feel Good Inc."
4. Crowd reaction to Bassnectar
5. James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem playing lounge lizard
6. Gil Scott-Heron
Missed Opportunities
1. MGMT doesn't play "Kids"
2. Thom Yorke plays "The Eraser" beginning to end
3. Not enough oomph from Gorillaz
4. Volcanic Ash keeps Gary Numan in Europe
5. Sly Stone 4 hours late and hammered for his much-anticipated gig
Wish I Got to See:
1. Craze & Klever
2. Gary Numan
3. Flying Lotus
4. Little Dragon
5. Pavement
6. Les Claypool
7. Charlotte Gainsbourg
8. Little Boots
9. Porcupine Tree
10. Camera Obscura
Have a great weekend!!
I'm DJing at Area 33 Friday night, and Create:Fixate Saturday night. Come and play!!
Your pal,
David.
@ @ @
SIX DISK CHANGER >>> Weird stuff you probably never heard of:
1. Donnacha Costello,
"Together is the New Alone"
2. Plump DJs, "Global Underground DJ"
3. Seu Jorge, "Cru"
4. William Orbit, "My Oracle Lives Uptown"
5. Drummatic Twins, "Hammer + Tongs"
6. Harbour Boat Trips: 01 Copenhagen by Trentemoller
7. DJ Loomer, "Breaks of Fire" (shamless self-plug)
And in the Morning Brief Music Machine, 10 mixes for your listening pleasure:
1. Breaks of Fire
2. Minimal 1
3. Minimal Too
4. Holding Flame (breaks)
5. New Adventures in Space Time (minimal)
6. CF_Minimal
7. Area33_Tribal
8. Independance Electro
9. Burn Night (breaks)
10. First Fridaze (tribal)
