Thanks to a friend of mine, I was persuaded to go to Coachella 2017. By the time that this post is posted, weekend 1 of Coachella 2017 has already passed. My friends and I are going for the 2nd weekend, and I am getting (Coach)chella more excited each and every day.
I'll break down the Coachella getting ready guide into three different parts:
1. Music
2. Outfit
3. Traveling and lodging
I really hope this post is going to help you to get ready for Coachella, which might just be an euphemism for 3 days of no-sitting in the desert.
(The face you make on the 3rd day of Coachella.)
Part Uno - Music
I have to admit that I didn't know most of the artists when I bought the ticket (that was back in January). I have to give myself some credit though, because, do you know that there are around 213 artists performing at Coachella this year?
In order to make my music experience most enjoyable, I decided to do more research on each artist so that I can get a schedule for a list of my favorite bands before heading out for Coachella. How can I make that happen? Well, I owe my credits to Spotify and Excel.
Spotify:
There is this lovely human being that created a playlist including selected songs from all the performers at Coachella. You can click on the link below to check out the playlist.
spotify:user:1251088454:playlist:01v65s7UnlVjq1tCM80qNT
Excel:
Once I listened to the music by each artist, I got a feeling of whether I would like to see it live. In order to organize the list of artists that I would like to see. I created this spreadsheet that has the following 8 headers:
Singer
Interested?
Date
Start time
End time
Stage
Priority?
Rep Songs
Basically, I want this spreadsheet to check all the artists that I'm interested in, and then record their scheduled performance time. Then, I can check to see if there are any conflicts, prioritize on the artists that I'm most excited about, and compile a daily schedule.
You can create a spreadsheet like this yourself, but if you want a copy, please drop me an email and I send it your way.
Status for part 1 - music: In progress.
There are 45 hours of music in this playlist and I am working hard to go through most of the songs. Also, let me just preface this: there will definitely be conflicts between or even among your fave artists. Choose wisely and be flexible ;)
Part deux - outfit
This is probably the part that I spent the least amount of time but most amount of $$ on.
Also, I counted makeup/skincare as part of the outfit. So this is an all-in-one guide from me.
I believe that everyone has his or her unique taste, so I'm not here to offer any style guide. I do want to share some insights about what outfit will make your life easier at Coachella.
1. Wear close-toed shoes. Converse, ankle boots, and high platform shoes are all the hype this season. You have so many options to choose from rather than crying after being stepped on in open-toed shoes.
2. Bring face spray/mist. This is mostly for myself. My skin can get dry quickly, especially if I have makeup on. So I got a tiny bottle of Farmacy face mist. It works quite well when I have make up on. I am not sponsored by them. I just want to share this with you and you can check it out using the following link.
3. Be audacious! It's Coachella. Who cares? I'm going to rock my swimwear and blue eye liner. Just watch me.
Status for part 2 - outfit: Complete!
After several hours of wardrobe shopping and 5 hours of actual shopping, I finally got all I need. Sorry wallet, but hola Coachella!
Part tre - Traveling and lodging
I really can't say too much about this part. I am blessed to still be located in LA. Thus the whole trip will be about a 3-hour drive for me.
For lodging, I just want to share a couple things:
1. You will want to book your lodging ASAP. Lodging options go out so quickly for Coachella. Moreover, the price will rarely go down. So get on it, asap!
2. Try to stay with your trusted friends. They will make great companions and keep your cost down. Benefits of friends! (whoever read this as friends with benefits should get his/her mind out of the gutter :p)
Status for part 3: In progress. Still trying to figure out who will be the lucky friend to drive.
Alright, here is a long one from me. If you will head to Coachella, hope it helps! If you have already gone, share some tips here! If you won't be going this year, hope you enjoyed living vicariously from us crazy music festival goers!
Anyway, I'm back to my 45 hours of music. See you at Coachella (maybe)!
(Did someone mention desert?)