THE MORNING BRIEF: Loomer Log

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)








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