A Trip to the Desert – A Diary of My Coachella 2012 Experience

by pandazackApril 18, 2012

I like to consider my body and mind a temple of pop culture. And in this temple, we worship three things: comics, movies, and music. For years I’ve gone to film festivals and comic conventions to gorge myself silly on those things that I love so it only makes sense that I make the pilgrimage once again to the desert for the Mecca of West Coast music festivals: Coachella. This year marked my third outing to the glorious festival and today I am here to share some of my experience as well as some do’s and don’ts if you plan on going to the fest for Week Two.

At this point you should know whether or not you plan on camping. This year I camped for the second time at the fest and I have to say it was a pretty rewarding experience. I was part of a group on Facebook called Chellavista.

This group mostly hails from San Diego but we also got some people to camp with us from Los Angeles. There were 20 cars in total and it was one of the biggest productions I had the honor of being involved in. I didn’t know a lot of these people but they taught me many things. If you plan on camping, make sure you have the following:

A tent: duh

Canopy: Who wants to wake up at 7 with the sun?

Plenty of blankets and a decent sleeping bag.

A portable stove top

Food to cook with: Your body will love you if you give it a nice hot meal when you wake up. I dined on chorizo and egg burritos or sausage in the mornings and it was pretty much heaven.

A well packed toiletries bag: Just because you are going to a place with a crap ton of hippies doesn’t mean you have to be one. I made sure my bag had deodorant, shower wipes, hand sanitizer, q-tips, aspirin, foot powder for all of the insane walking and of course a decent cologne.

The Chellavista group met at a Wal Mart close to the polo fields on Thursday morning. That way we could not only group up but also get a fresh stock of supplies. We bought a ton of fruit, nuts, meat and liquids. When you camp you can have a case of beer per person and when beer is 7-8 bucks a pop inside, it’s good to get a 30 case of Tecate on the cheap. The heat can also really get to a person so I recommend you fill your body with tons of fruit for some good natural energy. Some of this seems like common sense but when you enter into that festival…common sense can leave you sometimes.

Also, be mindful of the weather. Week 1 was really cold and we also had a bit of rain. I’ve heard its supposed to be in the hundreds for Week 2 so make sure you pack accordingly. I thought it was only going to be cold for one day and I took that for granted and ended up freezing up until it got hot on Sunday.

You can’t bring outside food in and the festival grub can be rather pricy so it is smart to eat ahead of time whether at your camp or the way in. As delicious as spicy pie pizza or the garlic fries are, they add up quickly and it’s best to save your money me thinks. Stay cool out there and make sure you bring an empty water bottle. I bought one of those Britta water bottles with a built in filter. The last time I went to the festival in 2009, they had a water refill station that was a glorified drinking fountain. The water it produced had large dirt deposits in it and was pretty gross. This year they have some decent refill stations next to a few of the bathrooms. The water they have for you to fill up on isn’t the best so I always felt better with the filtered bottle.

For the first night, I erected a make shift cave out of the back of my truck. I put a tarp over the bed and fastened it with ratchet straps and filled the truck bed with pillows, blankets and bedding. However it didn’t matter how much I put in there, the ridged lining of the back made it pretty damn uncomfortable, partnered with a nearby friend’s intense snoring and it made for a very rough first night.

A shot of our camping area, I drive the white honda truck on the right. — A shot of our camping area, I drive the white Honda truck on the right.

Sleep can be fleeting if you are in the campground. Whether it’s snoring friends like I mentioned above or annoying people 10 cars down playing dubstep at 3 in the morning it can be pretty tough to sleep. I recommend earplugs and not being afraid to call it an early night. Your friends might want you to stay up and hang out until the wee hours of the morning but trust me, you’ll be thankful you are able to have enough energy to do all the walking and waiting that happens the next day.

Since the lineup was released for the fest, I spent so much time listening and plotting who I wanted to see. Murphy’s Law comes into effect here. Its good to stack your schedule but be prepared to abandon bands if you want to see certain things. There was a time I wish I had a rechargeable phone battery on hand so I didn’t have to stand at a recharge station for my phone while Neon Indian was rocking out. Speaking of which, have a good charge on your phone and keep a charger on you in case you do need to charge it. I hate that our society depends so much on these devices now but if it means you might loose your people or a ride, charge the damn thing good and keep off of 3G since it’s pretty tough to get a signal most times anyways. Also, if you have a smartphone you should download the Coachella app. It has all the bands and events going on during the fest and is a fun thing to have. When my phone was dead however I found myself using the handy Coachella schedule booklet that you can get in the fest. Not only does it have the lineup for every day it also has a map and other useful info that is worth knowing.

If you can get to the Playstation Experience Early, have them charge your phone. — If you can get to the Playstation Experience early, have them charge your phone.

Musical acts I was really excited that I got to see were:

Wallpaper (A friend told me about this guy and all I have to say is he is a must see on Friday and he’s the first act. If you want fun dance-y music you owe it to yourself to check out someone you probably haven’t heard of. Check out a song here)

Listen to the song Stupidfacedd by Wallpaper right now! — Listen to the song #stupidfacedd by Wallpaper right now!

Flying Lotus: Saw him during Comic Con in SD last year but his show was brilliant at the Gobi tent this year. I can’t stand pretentious DJs who seem to cool for school when they are spinning. This guy is far from that sort of DJ since every time I have seen him he has the biggest smile on his face and seems like he really enjoys what he does. That mixed with his infectious homemade beats makes for a really enjoyable show.

Childish Gambino: I love “Mystery Team”, Community, and anything else Donald Glover does and he proves that actors can have a music career. He was funny, had a great backup band and also rocked out hard with a broken foot! Check it out.

Childish Gambino rocking out during "Freaks and Geeks" — "Heartbeat" and "Freaks and Geeks" are both awesome Gambino songs.

Jeff Magnum: Neutral Milk Hotel is one of my all time favorite bands growing up. When I heard that the front man of said band was going to be returning after a very long hiatus, I know I had to be present for it. I have to say he gave a great intimate show on the outdoor stage.

Oberhofer: They look like a bunch of wiry teens but man do they rock. Check out a song of theirs here

Modeselektor: These crazy Germans know how to bring a house down. They also have a jam with Thom Yorke that is really infectious.

Musical acts I’m sad I missed:

Explosions in the Sky: I’ve never seen a whole set from these guys.

Neon Indian: Some fun trippy dance music that was happening right when my phone decided to die.

Otherlives: One of those buzz bands that got away.

The Black Keys: I’d rather not get too into detail here lets just say I was bummed.

But if you want to see what my schedule looked like, here it is: Zack’s Coachella Sched. Of course it was great to see the big acts like Radiohead, Snoop and Dre, as well as Bon Iver. However, I really enjoy checking out obscure groups also and I feel like that can sometimes be more rewarding.

Another great aspect of Coachella is all the great art installations around. Years before, I witnessed large Tesla Coils, LED walls and all sorts of craziness. This year the highlight were LED remote controlled sharks that prowled the grounds at night. Look out for those things. The DO LAB is fun to check out for a bit but I only spent 30 minutes there period. If you like strange vaudevillian circus acts, it might be just the place for you.

I really enjoyed the Playstation experience tent. It’s right before you get to the Sahara and not only do they charge your phone but they will hand you a PS Vita and let you walk around and play with it. Mind you they will have your phone so best not loose it or think you can steal it.

The Tupac hologram was awesome to see from a sci fi fans perspective. However, I couldn’t help but feel like it was blasphemous in some way. Like Tupac is now omni-present and can play in every state of America at the same time if the music gods wished it.

I got to meet up with the one and only Brian Gilmore during the fest and I have to say it was a pleasure getting to see him experience the joys of Coachella for his first time. He and I talked about how Coachella is like Comic Con for music fans and I agree to an extent. Coachella is a treasure trove of stuff to behold like Con can be however I think Coachella appeals to many more because it can be a much more rewarding experience in terms of meeting people and having your eyes opened to many new and exciting bands that you might not have heard of otherwise.

For those who are staying at a hotel, just know I have no pity for you. You have a shower, bathroom, a quiet place to sleep and potentially air conditioning. All things that are scarce on the camp grounds of infinity. Camping can be a much more rewarding experience if you do it right. I hope this has been helpful for you and if you have any questions, message me on facebook and I will be more than happy to talk with ya about anything.

I got a fisheye lens for my Iphone and I fell in love with it if you haven't noticed.

The Geekscape Staff Roundtable: Our Favorite Movie Soundtracks

by GeekscapeStaffFebruary 27, 2012

Movie soundtracks. They’re the soundtrack to our lives… so for this week’s roundtable, we checked in with our writing staff to find out what their lives ideally sounded like.

Eric Diaz

What it sounds like when doves cry…

In my opinion, Prince’s soundtrack to his 1984 movie Purple Rain isn’t just the greatest movie soundtrack of all time, it is one of the greatest albums of all time, period. I admit, the movie itself is fairly terrible overall, but remains totally watchable today as a kind of pop culture/ fashion time capsule. Not to mention, about 50% of the movie is on stage performances from Prince and others, and that helps A LOT. But the album is another story all together: from the spoken word opening of Let’s Go Crazy (“Dearly Beloved…”) to the final fading melancholy strings of the title track, all nine songs on this album are pure pop perfection. Spawning four top ten hits and two number ones (“Let’s Go Crazy” and “When Doves Cry”) Purple Rain showcases Prince and the Revolution at the very peak of their musical powers.

Back in 1984/85, everything associated with this soundtrack turned into radio gold. It didn’t even matter if the songs from the album were even released as singles, many got massive radio play just the same. Even Erotic City, the B-Side to Let’s Go Crazy, got significant play. The two songs performed by Morris Day & the Time included in the movie became hits, as did Apollonia’s Sex Shooter, and none of these were even considered good enough by His Royal Badness to actually include on the actual final album release. While many consider Prince’s 1987 double album Sign O’ the Times to be his crowning achievement, the truth is there are still a couple of filler tracks on there. Purple Rain however, is lean mean perfection from start to finish. Over the past twenty eight years, I’ve owned it on vinyl, cassette, CD, mp3 and will probably have it directly downloaded straight into my brain one day.

Random Trivia: Track #5, Darling Nikki, was considered so obscene that it caused Tipper Gore to form the Parents Music Resource Center which is why you have all those annoying black and white Parental Advisory labels on your albums today.

Ben Dunn

When his mind’s made up…

One of the best soundtracks that comes to mind for me is from the little indie that could, Once. The movie is billed as a modern-day musical, but it’s not the traditional type with the characters breaking spontaneously into song. Instead you characters that are actually musicians trying to create music together. And boy does it ever do its job. The feelings that are expressed in the lilt of Glen Hansard’s voice and the way it mingles with Marketa Irgolva’s is heart breaking. Listen to the main theme or “Falling Slowly” and if it does not move you I would definitely go to the doctor and check to see if you have a heart.

Matt Kelly

Stands outside and yells at the rain…

Over the years Garden State has become the go-to joke for ‘Hipster movie’ and ‘Indie by Numbers’, but for me it’s always been an important movie. It reflected my post-high school, pre-college worried and concerns and became a huge comfort to me. The soundtrack is no different. Each song is so lovingly picked for each sequence. They all fit in the context of the scenes and flow beautifully on the album. My favorite track is the somber I Just Don’t Think I’ll Ever Get Over You by Colin Hay. I’d never heard of him before this album but the song made me go out and purchase more of his music and he’s now one of my favorite artists of all time. Whenever I’ve had a rough day I can still put on the Garden State Soundtrack and relax.

Molly Mahan

Understands who makes the rockin’ world go round…

When it comes to best film soundtracks THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE. With original music (and a few covers) by Queen, Highlander is the clear winner. It has no rival. No other collection of sound can be its equal: 26 years have passed since it was given to us and it is still the future of sound. From the epic “Princes of the Universe” (later used as the opening theme to the TV show) to the somber power ballad “Who Wants to Live Forever?” (Which I plan to have play at my funeral), the Highlander soundtrack is rife with music for any occasion and it’s bound to make your day better.

It also shows what kind of lasting power a soundtrack can have on a film. I mean, seriously, without music written and performed by Mercury, Taylor and May, where would Highlander be? The soundtrack is so blindingly amazing that not only does it make me forget the horrible experience that is the film proper, but I will rewatch it constantly and proclaim it as one of the greatest movies of all time. It’s just amazing. Not to mention that hearing Freddie Mercury halfhearted cry of “Bring on the girls!” makes me smile every time I hear it. It truly is A KIND OF MAGIC. So, GIMME A PRIZE, my fellow Geekscapists, as I do my best Kanye impersonation and proudly state that I’m gonna let you finish, but Highlander’s soundtrack is the greatest soundtrack of all time!

Shane O’Hare

Loves this Monday to Friday soundtrack…

Snakes on a Plane gets my vote for BEST movie soundtrack. It is one of the most odd amalgamations of music I have ever heard. The opening track is a scary, snakey sounding piece written by Trevor Rabin of YES fame. And then things get odd.

The main hit single by Cobra Starship, Snakes on a Plane (Bring It) was my ringtone all throughout my Junior year. It has a freakishly fabulous guitar riff and the best line in musical history ever: “We got a free upgrade for snakes on a plane/Fuck ’em, I don’t care.” Next, we have not one but THREE remixes by Tommie Sunshine of popular 2006 radio hits from Panic at the Disco, Fall Out Boy and The Hush Sound.

Then the Teddybear Remix of The Academy Is takes the mediocre existence of that band and elevates it to next level status. Then out of literally Nowherevilles, a township of Leftfield County, Cee-Lo Green drops an original track about the fear of snakes aptly called Ophidiophobia which includes a chorus only Cee-Lo could sing: “Send me an angel, an angel/No sign of the times, instead I’ll take it to mean I’m a stranger, to danger/But I’m scared ’cause I swore I saw a snake on a plane”.

SOAP soundtrack is HANDS DOWN the best movie OST on the planet. Feature epic original tracks, crazy ass remixes and epic genre flip flopping. Where else are you going to hear “Final Snakes” by Shranky Drank? HMMM? WHERE?

Noel Nocciolo

Still trying to make ‘fetch’ happen…

Clueless is the blueprint, in motion-picture soundtrack-form, for my music schizophrenia. Not only is “Clueless” one of my favorite movies from the 1990s, the soundtrack was my jam…and sort of still is.

The soundtrack, like the movie, begins with The Muffs’ straight-forward, solid version of Kim Wilde’s 1981 hit, “Kids In America,” a fine thesis in which to introduce Cher Horowitz.

Much like what I constantly have on current rotation in my headphones, this soundtrack is all over the place. And yet somehow it works. There are gorgeous acoustic versions of Radiohead’s “Fake Plastic Trees” and Counting Crows’ cover of The Psychedelic Furs’ “The Ghost in You,” and randomness from the Beastie Boys and Coolio. The Mighty Mighty Bosstones make an appearance in the movie as themselves, playing two songs at a frat party; one is on the soundtrack. My favorite track, which I think holds the most water in current times with regards to the evolution of what we (probably) now call “indie-rock” is “Alright” by Brit-pop group, Supergrass. I find myself listening to that cut about once a week.

The first day of classes at Fordham University, I met Rachel, whom I still count as one of my closest friends. Soon into our friendship, she told me about this incredible off-Broadway musical that was playing downtown at the Jane Street Theatre, called Hedwig And The Angry Inch, and that we must pick a night to go see it, as soon as humanly possible, because it was going to change my life.

We went, and she was right. It was unlike anything I’d ever seen on a stage. It was sort of a rock show; there was a multi-media component with the stage, but it was a play with a beginning, middle and an end. I was seventeen and a freshman in college in the biggest theatre-city in the United States, from a small town…and it blew my mind. It resonated for me in a way nothing had ever and nothing has ever since.

“Hedwig” was made into a feature film that I enjoyed immensely, but nothing duplicates the eccentric electricity of seeing it on stage. Beautifully, it forces empathy for sad, passionate and brilliant Hedwig, who is (partially) transgendered and searching for a place in a society that doesn’t quite know what to do with her. Both the movie soundtrack and the original cast recording are really incredible.

Joe Starr

One shall stand, one shall fall…

On behalf of geeks everywhere, I’d like to apologize to our readers that no one has given the correct answer to this discussion yet: TRANSFORMERS: THE MOVIE. No Michael Bay to be found here: it is the year 2005 and the treacherous Decepticons have conquered the Autobot’s home planet of Cybertron. But, from secret staging grounds on two of Cybertron’s moons the valiant Autobots plan to take back their homeland. And they plan to do so with the POWER OF STAN BUSH.

The album kicks off the most inspirational song ever written, The Touch, followed by the Ironhide killing Instruments of Destruction (this soundtrack kicking everyone’s ass was almost too easy, mighty Megatron!). All true movie soundtracks should be judged by the movie version of their theme song, and Lion’s version of Transformers is more than meets your eyes. And your face. And your god damn soul. Do you need more lifting up? The second most inspirational song ever written, Stan Bush’s Dare is be your hero. It will hold you up when you’re feeling down. It will make you smile in times of darkness. It will pull a triplechanger’s cannon out of the way so that you can avoid a swift death outside of Autobot City when you’re outside of Autobot City facing a swift death at the hands of a triplechanger. All of this plus Weird Al and Vince DiCola’s score makes the rock of this soundtrack stronger than unleashing the power of the Matrix. Also, I like Transformers.