I really don't know how people can party three days straight!
Even though I have survived Coachella, it was a struggle at times and I unfortunately came down with a nasty cold several days after I came back... You really need some stamina to party hard in the desert in April.
Okay so why don't we talk about the partying hard part first? ;)
In summary, the music was great; the weather was hawt; the people were CRAZY, but probably not as crazy as you thought they would be; the party life was hard, man. If you are interested in knowing more, here is a brief flashback of my 3 days at Coachella.
DAY ONE!!! - OMG it's finally Coachella!!!!
The energy was high! There were quite a few artists that I wanted to see and it was my first ever day of Coachella, so I was stoked!
We started driving to Coachella Valley around noon in LA and reached our hotel around 2pm. Luckily, we stayed at a hotel that is a Coachella shuttle stop so we arrived at Coachella around 4pm.
Some waiting was involved to line up and get in, but all in all, it wasn't that time-consuming.
The first artist that we saw was Glass Animals. Man, the band was such a great start to the festivity. Loved every single song they played. The Pork Soda song, which is linked below, was so beloved by my squad that, with moderate modifications, we made it our Coachella theme song. (Cue "pineapple is in my hair")
Pork Soda by Glass Animals - https://open.spotify.com/track/5C5gvDZsl6d8bh89URfKHr
(Picture - Lit Pineapple?)
After the grandiose start by Glass Animals, we found an awkward break when we couldn't find any artists that we were interested in. When the boredom kicked in, I started to really feel the heat of the desert. It was hawwwwt! And gawd, there was no escape. It was then when I made friends with the misters (sprinklers) and the best popsicle that I have ever had. It was also then when we started taking selfies.
(But first, lemme take a selfie)
The rest of the day kinda went by in a blur, but there were two artists that made an impact on me:
# 1. Loco Dice:
They were so good and they just kept giving, nonstop. They played some of the best EDM to dance to. Somebody might have spent two hours in that tent. Here is one of my faves from them for you to sample.
Get Comfy by Loco Dice - https://open.spotify.com/track/64ZmsU629oMbu6RL2hLraD
# 2. Dillon Francis:
Need I say more?! Actually, I forgot how good he was, until I started listening to his music again right before Coachella. And his performance at Coachella was just sensational. Here is one from him:
Bun Up the Dance by Dillon Francis - https://open.spotify.com/track/2cgZfcnb639TaZhd1AU8iz
DAY Two?! - It's only day 2? I'm already dying!
I almost couldn't wake up the second day. My legs were aching so much and I started coughing my heart out.
How do people even party in the desert?!
Here are my insider tips: 1) wear your god damn bandana, 2) drink plenty of water, and 3) just stop yelling all the time.
I know many people spend their gorgeous Coachella days at pool parties. (How did you manage to keep partying on?!) However, I really couldn't move at all and opted for a quick swim and a massage so that I wouldn't feel like a dead person.
My 2nd day experience might have been impacted by my lethargy so I did not enjoy it as much. I just remembered that DJ Snake was great.
Here is me, pretending to be unaffected by the sand and the sun.
I felt so sick on the 2nd day that I left around 10pm. Yes, I didn't even even stay for Lady Gaga, but I didn't plan to see her anyway.
DAY THREE - I'm back in the game!!!
I thanked myself so much for coming back early the night before when I woke up on the 3rd day.
I was such a baby and decided to go for a pedicure so that someone can massage my feet so that I can feel them again...
There were some drama with the hotel that I stayed in. The only thing that I think will benefit you is that you might want to do yourself a favor and stay away from timeshare spots if you are not the owner of the property.
Anyway, day 3 had a decent lineup and I was quite excited about it.
After a couple of drinks, I was finally ready to hit the road.
I enjoyed most of the artists on day 3. Here are some shoutouts:
# 1. NAO
She was so good! I loved her voice.
Fool to Love You by NAO - https://open.spotify.com/track/0uII79GWhvmTIvruhfIXlf
# 2. HONNE
The lead singer has such a soothing voice. When I reached this stage at Coachella, it was much needed.
Warm on a Cold Night by HONNE - https://open.spotify.com/track/6Dg2RJihNlbkLSmtXY3p5f
# 3. Jai Wolf
We had a great time at his set. Considering that we were all kinda exhausted at this point, I truly think that he was quite impressive. Here is a great song that I discovered then.
Weekend Jai Wolf Remix - https://open.spotify.com/track/5YdbKvwTk02eOn22jtibho
After Jai Wolf, we stayed for a little bit but just couldn't get our energy levels back up, so we decided to head back.
Really wanted to see Kendrick Lamar, but oh well. Maybe this is how Coachella get you hooked. You feel like you didn't have the full experience and thus want to come back for more.
Alrighty, here is one last look at Coachella.
So that was it! My three days at Coachella. It was a mixture of pain and joy, but all in all, I am so glad that I went. Moreover, I was left with tons of new music on my playlist to be reminiscent about this crazy experience.
So I guess, listen on!