Coachella 2009

Coachella certainly wasn’t getting high marks from everyone. We were stoked to be able to go again this year. Waiting patiently in January for the day when they would announce the line-up. And finally when the line-up made it’s appearance there was a bunch of hand wringing from the local news rag – the Desert Sun – how could Paul Tollett ruin Coachella by inviting Paul McCartney, the Killers and the Cure. Mr. A. had told me of his experiences at past McCartney concerts – what energy Paul would put out on the stage and I was sold. We both wanted to see Morrissey, Leonard Cohen, the Presets, Los Campensinos!, Franz Ferdinand, Joss Stone, Drive By Truckers, TV on the Radio, Henry Rollins, Booker T with the DBT, GlassVegas, the Chemical Brothers, The Killers, Lykke Li, Antony and the Johnsons, Paul Weller, the Orb, the Kills, X, Peter, Bjorn and John, Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Tall order and then with the set times bumping into each other we saw some – missed others and added some new sounds to our experience. It was a great time.



Somehow out of some greater luck and Mr. A working for the resort he does we not only had bought tickets but we got Side Stage passes – we had entered the realm of the world of the proper wrist band, a purple cloth band with the words SIDE STAGE in black that got us through the entrance gates for the VIP areas, and to the backstage areas for Outdoor Theater, Gobi, Mohave and Sahara Tents. The plus side of these wrist bands was that we were allowed into areas that had clean toilets, alcohol (really expensive for the shit scotch brand they carried (Dwers) and down right miserly poured and to top it off ice seemed to be as precious as it is in the small bars in France), and the advantage of moving around the back areas although we were not allowed into the main stage area – we didn’t have the proper rank and of course when the act became higher ranked – at the outdoor theater – the less access we had. When Leonard Cohen was slated to be on stage – access was closed as it was for Paul Weller and the security guys got to be pretty testy during the Lykee Li concert. As for the downside – well the worst thing you could say about it was that instead of seeing your favorite group head on you were on the stage with them off to the right or left and you got a side view of the whole process. I really would rather see the show from the front of the house instead of the side – but it was an experience I wouldn’t pass up on again.

The weather could not have been better. There were some slight breezes and the temp the first day Friday was in the mid 70’s. We had spent the morning out in the desert on our bikes and had a great ride and Mr. A went off to work and I was to come get him later in the morning. Taking Avenue 50 from the LQResort made for a straight and easy road to get into the line going directly into the parking lots. I think it took us about 20 minutes from the moment we left LQResort. It was to be a very long and enjoyable day.

Once we were in and sure that the side stage passes were for real and usable we called up some friends who had asked if we would give them our Friday tickets if we weren’t using them. We passed on our good fortune and walked over to the VIP area for a drink and to scope out how the day would open up for us. We sat and listened to the Courteeners and We Are Scientists while we at some lunch, the vegi burger with cheese – barbecued – it was tasty and filling with a coke. I have to say everybody working behind the counters of all of the food and drink concessions were very nice. I really liked We Are Scientists. After a while we decided to drift over to the tents and took in a group called Cage the Elephant. I’m not sure what they were like from the front of the stage but they certainly were exciting from the sidelines. The group hails from Bowling Green, KY and their intensity for their music is energetic. Matt Shultz (vocals), Brad Shultz (guitar), Daniel Tichenor (bass), Lincoln Parish (guitar), Jared Champion (drums)  really put on an exciting electric blitz of sound – these guys were a great find. This is the first song of their collection on iTunes and the rest of the songs are of the same great sound. The lead singer Matt Shultz was truly enjoying himself and jumped out into the crowd to be carried away across the sea of hands. Great act. Enjoy.

After Cage the Elephant we walked over and took in the crazy sounds of Los Campesinos! The drum crazy lead singer was downing the beers like there was no tomorrow and had the crowd going crazy with his quick voiced lyrics. Posted on their myspace page is a couple songs they have posted – of course their “We Are Beautiful We Are Doomed” is loud and upbeat. They remind me of PWEI and some Bloc Party thrown in – oh yeah I forgot to say we got see Bloc Party on Wednesday right before the Coachella Festival – at the Palladium – oh my god they are back and back with a vengeance – with their bass player back in the lineup they redeemed themselves from their horrible set at the Glass House… And what ever happened to PWEI – that’s what I want to know - 

After Los Campesinos! we wondered over to the outdoor theater hoping to see if we could get to the side stage for Leonard Cohen but that was a no go – so we stood out front and listened to Conor Oberst – his set was enjoyable but I have to admit I was only interested in one thing getting in close to the center and as close to the front of the stage as we could. It was surprising how many young people were crowding in to see Mr. Cohen. There was a bit of a wait – I think he came on ten minutes late but the anticipation was like a smell in the air that the desert breezes could not dissipate. Although disappointed that we wouldn’t get on the side stage – getting right smack in the middle about 10 rows back was a great vantage point. I can’t tell you how long I have been listening to Mr. Cohen’s music – I remember listening to Judi Collins, Joni Mitchell and others covering his songs and then when I’m Your Man came out I couldn’t get enough of him. The Jennifer Warnes covers album, I’m Your Fan covers by many of different groups and the tribute to Leonard album were all cds that have been on Mr. A’s and my playlist since the 90’s. Of course the Antony rendition of “If It Be Your Will” is the most heart aching song I have ever heard sung. And to think that we were about to see Mr. Cohen. What an honor. He came out and just started singing after a look of surprise at how many people had gathered before him. Dressed dapper with suit and hat he did each song with a showmanship that is missing in many acts these days and at the end of each song he would tip his hat to the audience and to the members of his band. When those musicians he had on stage with him were playing solos he stood raptly watching them, paying them his respect as we all were as he sang songs from I’m Your Man and The Future, and he sang Bird on the Wire and Who By Fire and then finishing up with Hallelujah. I have heard Rufus Wainwright sing Hallelujah and he does it justice unlike KD Laing who tortures it, John Cale is my all time favorite singer of the song, but we have never seen him do it live and now – now we have heard Mr. Cohen sing his great song in person and the feeling was overwhelming because of these things, the combination of desert night air, the presence of Mr. Cohen and his band, and the crowd who joined into the chorus as if it was a hymn. The night air was filled almost as if a cathedral with all of us raising our voices louder and louder as we moved through the song. I think we were all regretting that the show was about to end. Mr. Cohen chose to do one for song which was unfortunately having sound bleed from the Morrissey show that had started. This was definitely a highlight of the Festival and we had been able to see it.

Unfortunately we had to eat so we missed some of the Morrissey set, but from what I heard he sounded great – especially when he did two songs from the smiths and I’m Throwing My Arms Around Paris – one of the best songs in my opinion he has ever written and sung. We made our way as close as we could to the stage to see and hear Paul McCartney – for all of the poopooing that went on about having the old Beatle being part of Coachella the area was filled with expectations of sharing a special evening. He came on about 15 minutes late – not like the hour wait we had for that ass Prince the year before and he did such a much better more energetic set. Starting off with Jet, and playing so many songs from the Beatles’ catalog is is impossible to say which ones were the best – it was like a mounting crescendo of pure joy and energy. He play some songs from Wings, and he did My Love which brought tears to a lot of people’s eyes (everybody around us was wiping the tears away), and then there was Live and Let Die with the fire bombs and the fireworks – and then it was Helter Skelter, Sergeant Peppers, The End. And the evening was over and it was the best day we had at Coachella. Unfortunately we had to miss the Presets whom we really wanted to see and we missed seeing the new sensation Silversun Pickups whom I would have really like to catch.

Silversun Pickups:

 

The Presets:

Saturday we caught Drive By Truckers twice once in the afternoon set and then later than night we saw them play a very simple elegant set with Booker T. It was a very cool set with Booker T and the DBT playing Green Onions. We were able to watch the act from the side stage and I think we got some rather good shots. The Henry Rollins talk was enjoyable and of course I don’t agree with Mr. Rollins on alot of things, but he had the entire tent filled with people listening to him intently – a small miracle when you think of the din that is the sound of coachella. We were hoping to see Glasvegas unfortunately the lead singer got sick and they had to cancel hopefully they will be back next year. Tinariwen were great sounding but I got to be frank I have a hard time watching these guys in their desert robes without thinking about the killings that have gone on against gay people in the Muslim world – we left the tent rather quick – I’m sure their music is good just can’t get past that though. We went to the dance tent and enjoyed the set by the Bloody Beetroots and then headed over to listen to TV on the Radio from the VIP area. We had no desire to sit and watch the Killers and so instead joined the dancing with the Chemical Brothers – that was a great evening of just plain dance music really ramped up. We left after the Chemical Brothers – watching one song by the Killers and found that to be saccharine enough for our tastes – and we did have to be back for Sunday so we called it an early night – 12.

 

Sunday kind of sucked because we wanted to see alot of different groups but they all were playing at the same time. We watched Okkervil River and enjoyed their music, I would have like to see Peter Bjorn and John, Brian Jonestown Massacre, X, Devndra Banhart, but we did get to see Lykee Li – we were back stage but were not able to get up on the stage as there were alot of people who were there before us. And as I told Mr. A I wanted to see Antony and the Johnsons from the front of the stage. We enjoyed the Lykke Li set and moved quickly to center and 3rd row to see the Antony show. Although there was a sound glitch on the second song – he did and his group did not disappoint. I found myself overcome with emotion with each song he sang – I can’t say much more about how much he thrilled me, other than we were able to steal back stage and have his organist get us an autograph – oh my god Mr. A was just choked up by this small gesture by Antony. He will never know how much joy he brought us that day. We wandered around after than sort of in a daze and watched Yeah Yeah Yeahs from the VIP area and then wandered over to hear Paul Weller. Weller was great and we got some great photos of him but we were just drained by Antony’s set and slowly made our way out of the crush of people seating themselves for the Cure at 7:30 and they weren’t going to play for another 3 hours. We exited and were totally wiped after a full three days without seeing the Kills and the Cure. Oh well.

Just a short shout out to the blog staff at TDS (the Desert Sun) maybe if you had left your little tent in the VIP area you would have seen the surprises you complained weren’t available this year. Cage the Elephant and Los Campanios! put down some fun sets, the surprising silence in the body filled tent when Henry Rollins gave his talk, Paolo Nutini’s set at the main stage, Leonard Cohen’s singing Bird on a Wire and Hallelujah with a rousing chorus from the crowd that sounded like a chant, the energy that was Lykke Li and the songbird tremulous sounds of Antony and the Johnsons, the great dj set by Busy P sunday afternoon, the Bloody Beetroots, Crookers, Chemical Brothers and of course 2 and half hours of Paul McCartney. Come on Fessier you need to think about how bloated with self importance you must be when you trash on a once in a lifetime opportunity for most people to see one of the Beatles, let alone it being Paul, who played Jet with the energy we saw the young kids play in the afternoon, and to do Helter Skelter better than U2 and man who would have thought we would ever hear it  – not in a million years – and then to finish off with Sergeant Peppers and The End from the While Album – have you become so bloated with your backwater paper bullshit to believe you could come up with a better set list that included Live and Let Die, Yesterday, Long and Winding Road, Paperback Writer and everybody and I mean everybody in the crowd singing with him and never drowning out his sound system. Bruce Fessier you are a hack.

Coachella Line Up Announced

Finally after alot of speculation and rumor the line up for the 2009 Coachella Music Festival was announced. Some interesting artist and a definite must see Leonard Cohen is on the line-up. Paul McCartney, Franz Ferdinand, the Cure, Morrissey, Amy Winehouse, the Killers, the Kills, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Paul Weller, Peter Bjorn and John, Antony and the Johnsons, Drive By Truckers, Hercules and Love Affair, Perry Farrell, the Presets.

Tickets go on sale 9 am January 30, 2009. 3 day pass $269.00, Single day pass $99.00. A layaway plan has been established for ticket buyes feeling the economic crunch which can purchased at Sears and other retail chains.

Coachella day two

Got onto the road same time as the day before – but the car line to get in was slow moving so we missed to the two early shows we wanted to view. CarbonSilicon. But the security lines were short – no searching of under hats, bags were not inspected. 120 Days were a very exciting group – the set though seemed a bit short – but we both really enjoyed and are looking forward to seeing them again. Bonde do Role I had heard before on one of our complilation cds from inRadio now Ecolocations. Bonde do Role were a great treat – exciting and really had the crowd in the tent jumping around – lots of smoke filtering through the group – . Stepped over to hear MGMT but didn’t really hear anything we thought worth staying for. We then made our way over to listen to Café Tacuba as the LA Times had claimed they were very good to listen to. We sat in the beer garden and listened – it was very load and we just sat there listening to all of the noise, Dwight Yoakam and Café Tacuba trading barbs for our right and left ear, while the chill dance tent in the middle of grounds was competing for some of our attention. Once the Café were done we made it over to stand and wait through the set of the whining Death Cab for Cutie set – boy the Seattle boys certainly whined alot about the desert, LA and shit – it wasn’t that thrilling of a set. Kraftwerk was a great blast from the past – and an exciting beginning of what was a very long evening. They played Tour d’ France and that was really great as Mr. D and I bought that extended playing lp when we first met – also alot of older songs which we both really enjoyed. We left the area for Portishead audience coming in droves once Kraftwerk was finished. It was a long dreary set – where were we when they were very popular – what were listening too. couldn’t fathom how we had missed this teutonic drone. We decided after half the set was done to try to get into the mix for the Prince appearance. We thought oh my god we aren’t going to get close but we slowly snaked our way down to about 100 ft from the front stage. It took forever for Prince to come out but I have to admit it was well worth it. We finally got home about 3 am that night and just felt we didn’t want to see Rodger Waters and we know that even though we were going to miss Dimitri of Paris we would have to forego the day and get some rest. We’ve got some up and coming events we are really looking forward to. Bruce Springsteen, Radiohead, Joseph Arthur, Bloc Party, Eddie Izzard, Madonna – sounds pretty exciting and it is spread out over sometime so that will make it easier to accomodate.

coachella day one

Archetecutre in helsinki really rockin crowd lively and grooving with their sound. I don’t think I would buy their music but did enjoy the music out on the lawn. Vampire Weekend – well they certainly were tight with the music from their cd and introduced two new songs. Although it seemed everybody was into their music it just didn’t catch fire. I have listened to the CD mutliple times and the tunes are catchy and i know most of the words – but i am just not going to be a big fan – the music after all is too syrupy and in my head i kept thinking that sooner or later Tom Hanks would come out claiming to be their manager – ala – that pop music movie he was in – can’t remember the name of the movie – but the group and the sound just seemed to be in that genre. Actually the two new songs introduced were well done for new songs. God knows how many times we have heard new songs in concerts and they really shouldn’t have been played until they were better honed. Had VIP tickets for Friday – Mr. D snagged them at the hotel – so what does that mean – not a hell of alot – oh yeah hard drinks in the VIP tent and clean toilets but beyond that nada. The vegetable egg roles at the thai tent were good – but the closeness to the Coachella stage made it impossible to get away from the sonic mess of the Verve. Oh but my god the Raconteurs were great. Jack White although he is supposed to be just a member of the band stands out and guides the sound. Twenty rows back from the stage our ears were filled with the music of his guitar, and Brendan Benson’s voice and deft guitar work. I don’t recall which song it was – I think the fourth song – Jack did this incredible guitar solo that had me literally weeping, sweet and melodic and growing and moving leaving one thinking that he is probably the greatest guitar player today in the rock business. Of course you can’t be a great player if you don’t have a tight band and the rest of the band was tightly melded – were key in keeping the music sounding close to the recorded pieces and yet so much better. Really an exceptional set. I know we probably should have stayed for either Fat Boy Slim or for Jack Johnson but left after the Raconteurs.

bday and Coachella

What do you get the guy who is turning 50+ and has everything. Orchids, a dinner with friends and tickets to the Sunday April 30th Coachella Festival where his favorite band is performing – Bloc Party. I think the surprise of the flowers was a great idea. His face was beaming when he saw the box of orchids from Calyx & Corolla our favorite floral company. The spray of white orchids in the black vase with gold trim was perfect for his desk. The surprise on his desk was worth every cent. Although the flowers have drifted into dead flower land today the vase is a handy reminder of a great day.

Arrival was set for the day for his birthday and his office smelled of orchids for the entire week. D’s birthday was spent doing alot of running around on his part – he had two weddings go down and we had planned to go out to dinner for the evening with Col and Harry at Flemings, a very meaty restaurant indeed, and why would D want his birthday party celebrated in such a den of meat – put simply – we both enjoy the vegetables served in these meat caverns. The side plates are plentiful and the service, drinks and wine are very specifically designed for enjoyment. We had a bottle of Heitz Cellar Cabernet, a wonderful cheese plate with some really incredible sharp cheeses we all enjoyed devouring. Col and Harry’s dinner plates looked great – done to perfection and the side plates looked great, I had a baked potatoe, something we don’t fix at home, and asparagus, and shared with David a plate of grilled mushrooms, and we were all mesmerized by the steamed vegie plate David was served, a bowl made out of sliced potatoes filled to overflowing with fresh green pea pods, carrots, cauliflower, peppers and more. It was an incredibly delightful evening, good friends, good cheer and a very crowded restaurant. Dessert was served with a candle – creme bruele and a key lime cheesecake, the bruele was a bit soft but the cheesecake and whipped cream were devine. Here’s some shots of us enjoying.




The look on David’s face when he opened his card at the table told me I had gotten him the right present. Sunday at the Coachella Fest, with headliners Tool, Madonna, Paul Oakenfeld and of course our Favorite group today…Bloc Party. He chimed in “We’re going to see Bloc Party!”, over and over – it was a mantra all week long. I hate to bring up the past, but the Hollywood Palladium concert we saw with Bloc Party, the Kills and Noisette, is up there with the Bowie concert at the Wilshire and the Moby concert at 4th and B – incredible – sweat pouring off of every inch of these two 50 year old guys bodies, loving every minute of the energy of the music and their fans. Neither one of us could wait for Sunday Coachella. God it was an incredible evening – the night was just the perfect temp and The River (shopping complex) had the right mix of people for a Saturday night – it was too bad it had to end. Of course how could it end without a trip to the Borders – book and music were on D’s list of things to do – so we wandered aimlessly through the aisles – myself I picked up Frommer’s French Phrasebook with 5,000 phrases, it is a great little addition to my CD/book lessons for French – I feel that this time in Paris we are going to be able to communicate with a bit more confidence. I’ve been practiciing everyday. David of course wanted some music and I couldn’t say, “No”. What with the excitement of Coachella I haven’t had a lot of chance to listen to the new music, but from what I’ve heard and played over and over I really like, Prarie Wind by Neil Young – this is an incredible set of music, touching, sweet, soulful, The Painter of course is beautifully rendered, but I am especially touched by Falling Off The Face Of The Earth, Paumayo Presents Paris a collection of chanson – Nouvelle Scene music from Paris, music that follows in the tradition of Piaf and Aznavour delightful tunes, easy to listen to, and perhaps learn a few phrases from, especially pleasant are the following tunes, Les Pages by Myrlille, Jardin d’Hiver by Karen Ann and Ta P’tite by Flamme, we have been listening to Aznavour for years, I remember listening to him all the time when I would borrow records from the Boise, Idaho library record collection. I truly love his voice, and we have purchased tickets to his concert tour coming to LA in September, possibly the last chance to see him as he is getting in his 80’s. Of course a birthday is never great without some real downhome twangy guitar so we bought Alligator Records 35 x 35 which is a robust collection of blues guitarists from the Alligator Records roster of blues artists. Incredible set of music – 2 CDs jammed packed with blues masters, some living, some dead and I want everyone of their music collections. This is a true piece of gold. Salt In My Wounds by Shemekia Copeland, Speaking In Tongues by The Holmes Brothers, Lollipop Mama by William Clarke, Your Love is like a Cancer by Son Seals and Honey Hush by Albert Collins are tunes that stand out but every piece on these two CDs is worth a dozen revolutions on the turntable. I have listened to these two CDs everyday on the way back and forth to work in the Miata and I got to tell ya the time passes even in the traffic jams in Cathedral City. Confessions on a Dance Floor by Madonna is catchy and energy filled, a continuous mix of old dance buzz sounds with her vocals, make you want to get up and dance the day and night away…wait of course I am supposed to be talking about Madonna in the Coachella Fest area of this tome, but had to mention that this soundtrack is a great pick me up for a warn summer day. The only one I haven’t given alot of thought to is the newest Morrissey purchase – Ringleader of the Tormentors – I’ve listened to it a couple times, and it’s great, but I haven’t found the time yet to sit down and listen to his lyrics, this a poet singing, words that mean something, there is a Smith’s – The Queen is Dead sound and contemplation to these tunes, definitely looking forward to getting into the Moz.
Coachella:
Preparation for Coachella was a bit daunting. With D’s diabetes we were a bit worried that we wouldn’t be able to get him the right food for his diet, especially since we do the vegie thing and our main source of protein is protein whey and soy products, which we were sure they wouldn’t have, and having been at a fest before we knew at best that the concessions for vegans would probably be corn on the cob barbequed. So David had to get a doc’s script for him to carry protein bars, his blood testing kit and etc into the festival, as there was a whole list of NOs that were enforced at the entrance of the festival. The list is a bit of a turn-off, but once past the entrance the festival grounds opened up to a great arena of grass, tents, people and music. A side note – i’ve read alot about the difficulty of parking, – well David wanted to be there from the start of the fest to the end and we drove into the parking lot at 11 am and it took about 15 minutes, and less to get out. I guess if you like to try to rush in to get to see Madonna or just your favorite act – you’re going to have problems getting in, but if you go prepared, go to enjoy the day – then the parking isn’t an issue. Just my perspective though on the whining – these are probably the same people who pissed and moaned about Madonna coming on late and not doing more than 6 songs. Stay home please. We downloaded the play and tent times for the artists we wanted to see. First on the list, the Octopus Project, which David had checked out on the web, he actually checked out every band offering music on Sunday on the web while making his choices,

The crowd wasn’t huge yet, but everybody that was there was enjoying this highly energetic group of guys dressed up like Mormon Missionaries and the girl was dressed up Betty Boopish. Their music was fresh, excited and jumping and they were very happy it seemed to be playing at the festival and have people there to greet them. I especially liked the energy of the drummer, who also played guitar and was pretty much all over the stage, being apart of the music, his enthusiasm flowed out over the crowd and the girl “Yvonne” played this great instrumental with this sci-fi instrument which is basically a wand that must pick up vibrations in the air, she played it with her hand, her breath and body. It was a great set,

and by the end of the set you knew the day was going to be a scorcher. We put on our sunscreen and marched off towards the tent where the next act we wanted to see were going to be – The Dears a band from Canada, and who put out a pretty good CD last year that D bought for my birthday a year ago. We had wanted to see them, but had not yet, so the Coachella was a good opportunity. The tent wasn’t crowded so we moved up to the front, as the people who had just been watching the group before The Dears were leaving. We were about 10 people back from the front stage. Although I really like the Dears I felt their set was a bit weak, it could be these Canadian natives were too hot, or that it is difficult to get into the groove at 1 pm for a great set, I would have liked it a bit better, if they had been tighter,


Your’s truly was sweating already – dancing to the tunes and being inside of a tent with more and more people drifting in, what with James Blunt being the follow-up band after the Dears, made for a cramped tent and concert, even if the start of the set was a bit off, by the time the Dears had gotten to their “We Can Have It” they had won over the audience.


Time for a beer and one of D’s protein bars – the beers were $7.00 each and the water was surprisingly $2.00 each. Yikes. And they had to be pouring the near beer cuz there wasn’t a buzz to these two quaffs of brew. Of well – it was sweltering and we were getting ready to enjoy more. We wandered off to the Sahara tent to see where Oakenfeld and Madonna would be performing. Huge Huge tent.

We moved up to the very front to listen to Louie Vega to listen to his afternoon set. Alot people were in the tent but it wasn’t full.

We danced for over an hour and watched people watching people, a small cadre of Madonna fans had already plotted out areas where they were going to die-hard stay the entire day until she came in. It was going to be along wait – 3pm to 8pm. yikes, of course I am reminded of the time we waited for Dylan for 5 hours in the rain…so a hot steamy tent with dancing, some pot smoke wafting around the area and lots of exciting music who could complain. Well we bid farewell to the dance party – knowing we would be back – but we had to get over and get ready for Bloc Party

Spot on Guys! An incredible set by the 4some. The crowd swelled after Minus the Bears

enthusiastic fans started milling away. Really not my music I guess, nothing of noteworthiness other than they were a very tight, highly professional guitar group, but I just couldn’t get into the music…Oh well not everything for everyone. The crowd really got tight waiting for Bloc Party and the sun was beating down on everybody, no sun block was going to keep the rays from burning your skin. If you wanted to hear them, see them, they ya had to wait in this steaming mass of people, pushing, shoving, winnowing between slight openings between one another’s shoulders, the excitement was intense, and when they finally came on stage, the crowd went crazy, screaming, jumping up and down and going bezerk when they started playing. A small mosh tried to get moving about 10 feet away, but the heat either strangled it, or tempers would have flared – pushing, pushing and just plain happiness that these guys are making music. They played most of their first album and played one great new song off of their new music and if it’s an indication of the up and coming CD it is going to be grand – Kele says, “Bowie has been a big influence on their new music” – looking forward to it.


I was exhausted after the Bloc Party party, so we had a beer and bought four bottles of water cuz we knew we were going to be in the dance tent for along time. Paul Oakenfeld’s set had just started and then Madonna was going to come on. We wandered down to the Saraha tent and found our way inside the tent – center of the tent, behind the sound tables. It wasn’t real crowded, but it was full of people wanting to dance to great music Paul was making.


Incredible music, and a beat that just wouldn’t die. We were both surprised by how many people were dancing, guys with guys, girls with girls, couples, kids, everybody, just grooving to the great dance music, drifting into states of bliss. Sweat pouring off of everyone, the tent beginning to fill up with the excitement that the Queen was going to be in the tent soon. You could feel it in the air, but let me tell you the music bore us all up in waves of great enthusiasm, making everybody smile and it just made you feel so damned happy to be alive…..one of the great things about the Empire Polo fields as a concert area is the grass – no concert floors, no sticky floor like the 4th and B in San Diego, just soft grass and cushiony earth. Although it was hot, the heat was absorbed into the wafting desert breezes that were lifting up as the sun set and everybody was getting ready for Madonna

to say it got crowded once Paul left the stage is an understatement. Masses of people streamed into the tent, pushing, pushing, and we must have moved up 50 feet, and still they were pushing forward, the room got to be suffocating, about 1 ft of space around each person, the tent was open on the sides, and in the back they just kept coming, some people who had been standing by us left once it started getting so crazy, but we decided to stay. 25 minutes standing in a can of sweating humans is alot to take, probably good practice for when we are standing on the soccer field in July waiting for Robbie Williams, it was fun, it was sweaty, it was very close.



We didn’t take pictures once she came out, there were so many people, so much sound, the excitement was overpowering, our water was gone, we were being crushed and we were loving every moment of her 6 song set. She gave it all. Slowly undressing for the fans, rubbing a blue feather boa between her legs, dancing with her half naked dance boys, rubbing her face with a towel and then throwing it out into the crowd, and then she was done, the crowd was stunned, six songs were a short set, but it was more than enough for me, we moved out as fast as possible, i for one was exhausted. I wanted a beer, some water and something more than a protein bar, we found some falafel and they were tasty, but what pigs we all are, the tents where you were supposed to eat were overflowing with garbage, left but a hungry mass, water bottles, cigarette butts, the entire floor of the fields was covered in human garbage, the surprising amount of garbage was endless. In less than 8 hours the entire place had been turned into a garbage pile. D wanted to see Scissor Sister and the Go Team. We went over to listen. I was spent, so I just laid down and listened to the Go Team they sounded like they would have been great – but like I said – exhausted. Scissor Sister were a great ending for the evening, somewhat of a cross between the B52s and My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult – these guys were not an alternative band in the alternative sense – gold lame outfits just don’t fit the bill…but for excitement – they were jumping as were all of the people who had chosen to watch them instead of those tired old metal heads Tool. Maybe it’s my age but Metal is hard to keep excited about after a song or two, and the sexy innuendo blended tunes by Scissor Sister are just the perfect way to end the evening.

Well that’s it kiddies – the festival is over and packed away – back to work the next day, actually the work week was worn – I was beat all week and have only now begun to feel back in shape, too much sun, too much sound, too much excitement – can’t wait until next year – D says we are going to do both days next year. On to our next projects – Robbie Williams – Paris – Tour de France – Smokey Robinson in LA, Dr. John and Buddy Guy in LA, Lucinda Williams and John Fogary in LA, and Charles Aznavour sometime in September. Ta