.rapt is off to the desert!

As the years before, you can follow my Coachella adventures on .rapt's twitter!

See all of you there!

On the Rise; Coachella 2014

What was that about .rapt reawakening..... last September?

I'm just horrible. Feel free to send some hate. But I really have been busy. The past 7 months have been a roller coaster of changes in my life and I've really had to give up a lot of my free time.

For the moment, however, I have quite a bit of time on my hands. And time is an awful thing to waste, am I right? So let's reawaken .rapt for real this time, shall we? And what better way to do that than to scream and shout about something a little spectacular happening in T minus 9 days and 14 hours.

That's right, bromigos. In just over a week, the largest and easily greatest music festival on the West Coast begins! Get your knapsacks ready, because the lineup for Coachella 2014 is on another level.

 

 

With Empire of the Sun, Broken Bells, The Glitch Mob, Foster the People, MGMT, Krewella, and STRFKR to name a few, this year's set has easily become the highlight of my spring and potentially the best year I've ever attended. There are no regrets in purchasing the pre-sale passes. In fact, I highly recommend going that route for those of you who weren't able to score wristbands for 2014. I can't tell you how phenomenal it felt to sit back in January while millions of others battled in the online sales.

While I'm unsure of how many more Coachella's I'll be attending after this year, I'm fully devoted to making 2014 my best experience yet. For those of you who have followed my blog since day one, you'll know that I sprouted .rapt from the soil of my first venture to Coachella Valley. Standing in the enormous crowd, completely awestruck by the sweat, music and lights was what made me realize how momentous and powerful the music scene can be. I wanted to be a part of it, somehow. I plan to hold onto the memory of my 2010 adventure for the rest of my days.

So .rapt readers, who's visiting the desert this year?

I'll be prancing around during Weekend Two, surely sporting some sort of frilly white nonsense. Make no mistake, the preparation process for Coachella is endless. Because the weather is reliably blistering (How could anyone forget the heat wave of 2012?) it's important to garb yourself accordingly. So I've made it a point this year to carefully plan out my daily attire. But while fashion is a rather important element in the festival world, it's better to be comfortable than suffocatingly hot. Which is why it's crucial not to overspend on new outfits. All a fest-goer really needs is a swimsuit, some shades, and an awesome pair of kicks. I've decided to go the Kaftan/pullover route this year, with a fresh bikini top from Frankies Bikinis and a few accessories from Etsy. I still have some purchases to make... camping gear, etc. But for the most part, I'm solid!

As the dates approach us, I'll throw some more blog updates your way! Thanks for sticking with me through the quiet times. But it's time to get loud!

x

Who's this chick? Where'd she come from?

Whoa, hello!

I realized the other day how much I miss blogging about my musical muses and that I should probably devote some time to my beloved .rapt instead of venturing off into boredom land like I normally do in my down time lately.

How has everyone been? Is there anyone even still out there? I've been preoccupying myself with tumblr (aka my secondary real life) and fandoms here and there. Music, as always, remains a major part of my everyday somber, and although I always intend to write down and remember everything I want to say about certain songs and bands, I never seem to bring myself to do it. No more of that! I'm putting a stop to it now. I have way too many feels and there's only so much room inside my little head to keep them all.

But where do I even begin?

Empire of the Sun has become one of my most favorite bands as of late. I find myself wondering how glorious it would be to meet Emperor Steele and Lord Littlemore in person. Of course, this is purely the fan-girl in me. To give you a dose of how bad my love for them is, I've often been dreaming of what my face would look like smothered in Native American war paint, dancing under the sun alongside EOTS's leading imagineers. It would be great, right? I'm smitten, needless to say. Which is why I took a leap of faith and (with the little money I have) purchased a GA pass for myself to the Hard Summer Music Festival held in Los Angeles this August to see Empire of the Sun preform live. The festival as a whole is going to be worth while, I'm sure. But I've wanted to see EOTS for a couple of years now and L.A. was the closest venue near me that they'll be visiting. I'm more than enthralled. I can't wait to witness them in powerful, translucent, and true force. Oh yes ~

On September 25th, I plan to pay a visit to The House of Blues here in San Diego to finally see The Naked and Famous live. The boy and I have been quite fond of them for a couple of years now (they were featured as one of my Band's of the Week in 2012), and we missed their tour date in Seattle by an inch back in April of 2012 due to flying home from Coachella on the same day (insert sad face). So when I received word that they would be playing downtown, I jumped on tickets faster than a cat on a dot of light....(Ouch, bad metaphor.) The band hasn't released anything new since Passive Me, Aggessive You Remix and B-sides record, which dropped this past May. Somewhat of a refresher to their debut album of the same title, which was released back in 2010. There are however some newer songs showcased on the B-sides, which include Sow, Wild, Bright Lights, and Crazy? Yes! Dumb? No! Let's not forget about their two EP's which came out in 2011, This Machine and No Light, both of which are wonderful in their own right. I'm looking forward to hearing all of these at The House of Blues, but nothing beats their hit single Punching in a Dream from their debut, which I'm pining to dance to as they serenade SD this September. Any of you lot from the So-Cal region should really join me. Tickets are still available on TicketMaster.

I suppose the only other music-related news I have to offer you, loyal .rapt readers, is my biting the bullet and jumping on the payment plan wagon that is Coachella-bound in April 2014. After not attending this year's festival, I really felt like I had betrayed myself. I feel that it's crucial that I attend at least one more year of messy Coach madness before hunkering down into hardcore student life in the Fall of 2014. SO.....I'm slowly but surely paying my debt for two Weekend 2 passes for next year's Coachella Music and Arts Festival. Joy is felt within my broke and happy heart.

As far as my personal life goes, I can't complain. Working hard and planning out an extraordinary summer. I've got a pool down the road, the ocean 5 miles west, tequila in the freezer, the desert sun directly above, and a flower crown tangled in my hair. What more could a girl want?

x

.rapt's off to the Golden State!

At last, lot. The time has come to hop a flight down to So-Cal. Hopefully all the prepping, buying, and saving will be put to good use. I'll be traveling this morning on 5 hours of sleep, acquired on Tuesday night, but I figure once I get to Indio I'll be able to set up camp and take a well deserved snooze. I wish I could catch some zzz's in the air, but I'm always denied sleep on planes. The extra passes, in case anyone was wondering, were sold! Glad to make fest-goers out of complete strangers. I'll try and update here and on twitter as often as possible. I'll be camping near La Quinta and will possibly see some of you at the gates Friday morning! The time has come, kids. Coachella valley awaits.

Extra Coachella Weekend Two Pass for Sale!

Sadly, a friend of mine can't accompany us to the Weekend Two festivities and due to this .rapt's selling the extra pass!

Included is a GA admission wristband and a Tennis Garden Shuttle pass combo.

Is it just me, or does it sound like I'm auctioning off fast food? Might as well be. These passes are in high demand!

Though I wish I could cater to anyone who wants to purchase the pass, I have to stick within my limits. I've sent the pass via rush mail to the San Diego CA area, where my cohorts are available to meet for a face to face sale.

Pricing you may ask?

Currently, I'm going for best offer. I would prefer to sell it for at least $400, though if circumstances become dire, I may come down to the original selling price of $350.

If any one of you lot are interested and want to attend 2012's Coachella festival, now's your chance! Contact me via twitter or email (found on contact page) for further info.

I'm uncertain about this, but there may be another GA pass + Shuttle Pass combo still available via my dear friends down in San Diego who will be dealing with my extra pass. I believe they're selling theirs separately, but if you're looking for 2 combo passes rather than 1, we can possibly strike a deal for both!

It's all about first come, first serve!

Have at it, lot. Looking forward to hearing from you! Don't let these extra passes go to waste.

Two Weeks and Counting....+ The Naked & Famous ; Band of the Week April 2nd - 8th

While those of you Weekend 1 goers have already packed your bags, us Weekend 2 brood are still stewing and prepping for our time to shine. Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2012 Weekend 2 is officially two weeks away....and I more than have my hands full with preparations for the Southwestern journey!

Though I still feel the need to add to my collection of festival attire, I keep reminding myself that the last time I was in Indio, clothing was far from necessary. If you're a first-timer and you're fretting about what to wear to the festival, STOP. Fashion is important and all, but the forecast will range between high 70's to low 90's during both weekends. If you wear anything more than a pair of shorts and a light-weight top you're going to regret it. When it comes down to the nit-grid, a good swim suit, shorts, and some breathable, light-colored shirts or dresses are all that's needed. Don't try and over-do it. You've already spent enough money buying your fest passes, paying for gas or airline tickets, and reserving campsites. Don't spend more money shopping! If you do have the mula to splurge, save it for band merch or food instead! Trust me, clothing is the least of your worries. I myself bought a new swim suit that I plan on wearing with a few breezy tops. I purchased some new sandals and sunglasses and a good fest tote also, but anything more and I know I'd be wishing I hadn't. Coachella is an amazing event, but it is also on the expensive side. You'll want to salvage as much fundage as possible to leave room for the unexpected!

Enough of my advice for the evening.



I've decided to toss a Band of the Week out for you guys...since I have homework to do tonight and I'd rather do something else.
I haven't done Band of the Week in almost a year! Curse my horrid lazy habits..... I apologize to any .rapt readers who keep up with my blog for the sheer reason of discovering new music. FALK. I'll be a better music blogger from now on.

The Naked and Famous, a band that has currently captured my soul in their rapturous sounds, is a New Zealand-bred indie rock quintet who formed in 2008. Band members include Aaron Short; electronics and producer, Alisa Xayalith; vocals and keys, David Beadle; bass, Jesse Wood; drums, and Thom Powers; vocals, guitars, and producer.


Releasing 2 EP's at the beginning of their rein, This Machine (2008), and No Light (2008) under label Round Trip Mars, The Naked and Famous went on to record and produce their debut album Passive Me, Aggressive You in early Autumn 2010 beneath their own label Somewhat Damaged. The songs on this album not only inspire a group of people to get up and move, but the lyrics are driven and enthralling, sending chills up your spine as Alisa and Thom's vocals shout out youthful promises to the stars.

My first time hearing their work was this past year while watching the snowboard culture film The Art of Flight. Tracks Young Blood and No Way caught my attention and later led me to purchase their album on iTunes. It was no surprise that I fell in love instantly. I highly recommend The Naked and Famous to anyone needing a motivational-boost in concurring the world. Favorite track Young Blood (featured below) makes me feel like I can do anything if I set my mind to it....like life is being handed to me and all I have to do is just reach out and grab it.


Passive Me, Aggressive You can be purchased on iTunes or at your local record shop.

Official Website

Give them a chance, lot.

New Beginnings, New Header, and Coachella Updates!

Hello lot.

It has been far too long.

College has been eating up my time...... and also, I've been lazy. I'm finally on Spring Break though! And this post marks a new beginning for .rapt. I've wanted to create a new header for quite a while now. I was finally able to sit down tonight and do it!
How original, yes? A triangle for an A with space images flashing by at a crude pace. What can I say? I've been sucked into the trends.

I actually thought of this idea whilst dancing about in my room one night to one of my favorite songs, Julius by Starfucker. So I guess, just listen to that when you stare at space running around inside that triangular A.

Updates, updates, updates?!

None too exciting..... Except that I believe I failed to post anything regarding the battle I endured with the Standby page to snatch passes for Coachella 2012. I was originally trying for Weekend One passes, but of course most of them were bought out earlier in 2011. I then fought like a mad woman for Weekend Two passes. After about 2 hours of endless waiting and sweat, I received a tip-off from a twitter resident who suggested trying a different web browser. I jumped over from Firefox to Internet Explorer and low and behold, several minutes later I had myself 3 primed passes to Coachella's Weekend Two event. I have new faith in IE. It was worth the effort, but I was stunned at how much things have changed since 2010.
I remember that I bought passes 2 weeks before the actual 2010 event with old-school Ticketmaster action.
I guess this is what happens when everyone realizes how amazing something is. Coachella's popularity has caught on like wild fire. But with the lineups they've dropped over the past 3 years, it's no wonder. Passes for 2012's two weekend events sold out within 2 and a half hours of their release date.

That, my friends, is insanity.

I feel like I don't even deserve my passes, due to the thousands of others who were sorely disappointed when they didn't make it past the Standby page.

All I can say to those kids is to try again next year and don't feel down about it! There are so many other crazy-wonderful music festivals during the summer from coast to coast! Look for one with an adequate lineup and you'll be well on your way to a good time.

I have a sour feeling that this year's Coachella is going to be ridiculously crowded, more so than what I experienced 2 years ago. I'm looking forward to it, nonetheless. But it will be utter chaos getting in and out of the fest grounds every day.

On a lighter note, I received the passes in the mail on the 19th of March, and all I have to say is WOW. Not only do they now send you your wristbands ahead of time in a conservative "signature required" package, but you're given a bunch of other cool stuff to go along with it! Have a look:






Tell me, did they do the same thing in 2011? I'm quite amazed.

I've been planning my trip down to the Golden State for a couple weeks now. Working on my tan and wardrobe selections. I still have a lot to prepare for, but it will all come together in the next 3 weeks.
The boy in question and I will be flying out of Washington in the early morning on April 19th and land in San Diego, where we'll meet up with friends and drive into the desert. We'll be camping in Indio and be in line on the morning of the 20th for the 11:00 a.m. opening.

I'll be sure to keep you lot updated as frequently as possible! I'll finally be returning to Coachella, the fest that inspired this blog!

Do let me know if anyone out there will be attending either weekend!

I suppose I should also mention quickly that I've at last made up my mind and I'll be packing my things and moving down to San Diego this August. My homeland of Washington will be missed, but there are times in a youth's life where they need to dare to jump.

Have a great Spring Break, Lot. I'll be spending my week sprawled out on any comfortable surface I can find.

IT IS HERE.

Today's the day, lot.
And my decision is made.

.rapt's going to Coachella 2012!

Enjoy the lineup.

The Imminent 'Next Week'

It approaches, lot...... The lineup that will (hopefully) blow all other festivals out of the water this year. The 2012 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival lineup is due to drop in the next several days! And I can hardly contain myself...

I've been keeping a watchful eye on the Coachella facebook feed for the past few weeks, and have noticed 2 things:
1.) The Lineup and Passes are nearly in our grasp...
and 2.) Everyone is pining HARD.
It's only a matter of time before our hopes and dreams are fulfilled....What bands will be apart of this momentous occasion? And WHO will be the lucky brood to get in on the two weekends of festivities?

It was because of Coachella 2010 that I realized how undeniably amazing music fests really are and wanted to share my passion with the interwebs..... Having only experienced Bumbershoot prior til, it was an eye-opening and life-altering interval in my life. It's difficult for me to assume that 2012's lineup will be any better than 2010.... it's certainly hard to top Gorillaz, MGMT, Deadmau5, Tiesto, Passion Pit, Phoenix, and other artists and bands of that caliber... However, it is 2012. Though I don't believe the world will explode on us anytime soon, this year should mark the dawning of a new era. What better way to start off a fresh celestial beginning than under the hot April sun in Indio, CA. surrounded by passionate, music-loving individuals!

Personally, I don't have much of a lineup wishlist for 2012.....I suppose if I had to suggest some potentials, I would love to see Ellie Goulding in on the action again this year...I saw her in late March of 2011 in Seattle, however since then I've wanted to see her live once more. Her music is near and dear to me.
I would faint if Empire of the Sun was included this year. Yet again, another from 2011 that I felt horrid for missing. I've yet to see them live and they are currently one of my favorites.
Another band I've yet to see is Neon Indian, who is likely to appear on the lineup, as they are newer.
I'd love to see Florance and the Machine and Starfucker, as well as perhaps Little Dragon. Wolf Parade! And Radiohead, of course. The possibility of seeing Radiohead as a headliner is very high, considering The King of Limbs was released in 2011. Another band that has recently dropped a new record is Foo Fighters, who could also appear as a headliner.

These are only a few of the many bands that I can think of off the top of my head that would have me throwing my money at Goldenvoice the moment the lineup surfaces.

I hope you're all prepared, lot. And hopefully you haven't forgotten our pact from last year.

Hold onto your fedoras! Just a few more days.

Donde Esta?

I hate leaving .rapt so vulnerable and quiet....

So my beloved lot, you can further follow .rapt's antics on:

.rapt's TUMBLR

Not that Blogspot won't remain .rapt's main residence...However, with college eating away all my time, I've found it easier to keep up with Tumblr.
.rapt's Tumblr is more of a collection of personal interests. Feel free to poke fun at my obvious love for Regular Show and the hundreds of fandom-related things I rant about. I'm a geek, what can I say.

With Coachella's Lineup looming in the wake of the new year, .rapt will be back up in full swing SOON. I've made the decision that if Coachella's lineup isn't completely orgasmic, I'll take some new chances and attempt to attend the infamous Electric Daisy Carnival in Nevada this June.... It's a decision that I'll make soon.

Hope you had a Happy Christmas and started 2012 off right.

coachella. 2010

April 8th, 2010. 9:31 p.m. All the past music festival experiences endured over the years had led me up to this very crucial moment.
Opening the email from ticketmaster. Clicking the link that took my browser to the pdf file. Exhaling slowly as the mouse made contact with the print button. And listening to the printer zip back and forth for a few seconds, gradually working out the piece of paper to put all pieces of paper to shame.
I reached for it, grasping the freshly inked paper with both hands. Grinning slightly. This was IT! The official.
My 3-day pass ticket for the Coachella Music and Arts Festival.

This was the beginning of my rather infamous journey from Washington State clear down to the deserts of Indio, California to attend this festival for the first time.
My best friend and I decided we would go for it on a whim. Just the two of us on the open road, with little to no plan of action in mind. Just the satisfying goal of getting there. Whatever life had to throw at us, we would be fully armed and prepared. Or at least, that's what we told ourselves when we took leave from home at 6:00 a.m. on April 14th. The first day of many long days to come....

APRIL 14TH, 2010

It's odd how when you know you have to get up early for something big, you just can't go to bed early. Despite knowing that you SHOULD, or that if you don't you're going to face death in the morning, it just doesn't seem to happen. You'll get to bed at 3 when you have to wake up at 5. This makes no sense, but to the bodily anticipation of the early rise, fatigue has no say in the matter.
The 3 to 5 thing... that was all me. Or was it 2 to 4? 1 to 3:45.....one of those.

We planned to leave around 4:30 a.m., but the departure time for any occasion like this, almost indefinitely gets pushed ahead...this is a fact of life. We left at 6:00 a.m. instead. The venture ahead was completely clear of any travesties or worry. We were escaping our classes, the nuisance of everyday life, work hours, and the total deranged hometown folk and their ideals. At last, the essence of liberation was vivid. A natural high was brewing.
We made it to Oregon in a heartbeat and traded off paying for gas and the obligation of driving. We flooded our car with intoxicating bass and gazed forward, bright eyed, at the road ahead. The horizon and the vibe of reality loomed upon us. This was really happening! The event we had been awaiting for months was actually going into effect! All the warnings and lectures from our parents, co-workers, and other friends didn't penetrate our hopes for a second. We were ready, and we were stoked!

At a rest stop, we pulled out our car paint. We needed to let the masses know where we were headed and gather some fellow Coachella-goer's respect. Back on the road, our spirits rose to the welcoming honk of the first car driving by, waving and throwing thumbs up our way. This would be the start of many other Coachella-bound car sightings we would encounter during the week. As we got closer and closer to the California border, the more cars we spotted and traveled with for miles. It wasn't until we got into Cali that the number of run-in's with others escalated. This really started putting the festival-populations into perspective. Just how many people were destined for this event? We wouldn't understand until we reached Indio. At that time, we were just glad to be seeing others headed in the same direction. It was as if all of us were coming together, the youth, collaborating towards something amazing. It didn't matter who you were or where you were from, what you looked like, or your status in society. We were all on the road and our brains were all in the same frequency.

Mt. Shasta came into view as we proceeded down i-5. There was no expectancy of obstacles ahead. Oh how little we knew.

We stopped in Weed for a picture, but they had taken down the original 'Welcome to Weed' sign and had replaced it with something more moderate.
Instead, we just took a picture of this -->
And were on our way.
The subway there was very nice though, go Weed Subway!

Our destination for the night was an offer we had received from a friend we both knew who lived down near Sacramento. My friend, we'll call her Mac, had been good friends with this guy for a few years and he was trust-worthy. He told us that his place was along the way. We would have a nice bed to sleep in and time to refresh ourselves before we completed the track down to Indio the next day.... It sounded ideal!
So we're driving along, really starting to feel the effects of being in the car for 17 hours. Having driven through all of Washington and Oregon, one can imagine how tired we were. It was starting to get darker as we approached Sac-Town. We were so relieved to be close! A good friend of mine, PJ, was giving us directions frequently...and I still love him for it!
We called our guy-friend, asking where exactly he was at...We were started to get out of Sacramento and were wondering how far he was. To our astonishment, he suddenly confesses that it would be another hour and a half's drive completely OFF our beaten path to get to the meeting point..... Not really knowing what to do, we figured we might as well go for it. We just wanted a place to sleep. However, as the night wore on and midnight finally struck, we were still on this back-land highway traveling further and further into a moon-lit desert. As rustic as this sounds, we were beginning to question whether or not this was actually worth it.


APRIL 15TH, 2010

At LAST, after 2 hours of driving out of our way, we make it to the gas station where our friend said he would meet up with us. We were in this middle-of-nowhere town in the boons of California....probably a half hour from Nevada by now!
We're sitting and waiting for these guys to arrive.....Finally they show up in this poser-60's VW Beatle, acting all cool and "Californian." It failed to impress... They were trying a little TOO hard to act cool and it was more or less annoying. But we said to ourselves...."Ok, at least we're going to be able to sleep soon. Let's just follow them to the house and rejoice in slumber." Oh no...NO no, that was far from the case. We started following their heinously tricked out VW up this hill....no, not a hill.....more like a monstrous mountain! On this windy road in the middle of the night. We're deep in some woodland area....going up and up, further and further away from civilization! It is at this point that we are about to either ram their car with our mazda, or run off the cliff in utter frustration.
The drive literally took another 20 minutes, before we made it to this "community," you could call it. I'm almost sorry that I don't have pictures of all this.....but you can imagine in your mind a few strewn houses across a hill-top thickly wooded with dirt roads.....and two 20-year-old extremely tired girls sitting in a mazda3, staring blankly at the homestead offered to us. Hick-ville. NOT that I have anything against Hicks, because I am from the country myself....but this was just ridiculous! We dubbed this community at the top of the mountain "Giant Ant Hill," and proceeded to follow the bug up to a dimly-lit house amongst some trees.
Pouring out of the house, unexpectedly, were a pack of locals. Apparently, it was our friends birthday that night and he was hosting a rather loud and obnoxious get-together at his abode...the place where we were supposed to be sleeping.
Partiers surrounded our car and peered in at us through the windows, making slurred remarks and drunken assumptions. We're trying to be nice, or at least Mac was. I was about to slap someone. Not only was I so tired that I could have slept standing up, but I was also car-sick from driving around and around the damn Ant Hill mountain all night! I forced myself out of the car, hoping there would be some sort of relief waiting inside for us.
Our friend led us inside his home......the instant stench of substance filled the air. We climbed some stairs to his room, which was heavily, and I mean HEAVILY decorated in 60's and 70's memorabilia...Led Zepplin, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Marley, lava lamps, hemp...you name it. Not that I haven't seen all this before, but it was almost too much for one person. Again, trying too hard much? The best part about this stage of the evening was his introduction to the bed we would be sleeping in...... You guessed it. No? A water bed. A gosh dang boat on the sea water bed. This was not what we had expected....needless to say, the entire night was not what we had expected. He offered us to come join the loud and bustling party downstairs, and we just....stared at him. Really? Honestly? We have driven through 3 states, have gotten 2 hours of sleep in the past 24 hours, and have a full days drive yet again in the morning...which was approaching quickly, as it was already 3:00 a.m.. He merrily went back downstairs to his escapades, leaving us alone in his psychedelic room. We plop down on the water bed.

5 minutes later... we looked at each other.
"Let's go."

We ended up deciding that it was 100% more worth it to keep driving on through the night rather than try to endure this. It wasn't a huge deal, we just thought it would make more sense. We wouldn't be getting any rest here anyway, and we were somehow wide awake now.
When we went to tell our friend about our decision, however...he got a bit upset. I say "a bit" lightly. He's always had a thing for Mac, you see. This little invitation for us to stay with him overnight was just an excuse to win her over. She had told him bluntly that she wasn't interested and that our visit to his house was just so we could rest and then leave in the morning. It wasn't meant to be a social event or a bonding ritual, anything of that sort. He had told us he understood this, but his true motives were completely clear from the moment we arrived. His laid-back, surfer Cali boy image was suddenly lost when he started getting all worked up about our leave.....muttering things like, "You are both so stupid, it's my birthday, how could you do this to me, I don't believe you, all this was for you, blah blah blah..." Goodness. The kid could have won an Oscar with his dramatic going-ons.
I had just about had it... Both Mac and I were standing there with neutral faces as he went on and on. He needed to CALM down, but it wasn't happening. He made it a huge issue, when really it shouldn't have been. If he was the calm and mellow Californian that he oh so tried to portray, he would have been fine with the decision, bid us ado, and wished us luck. Instead, drama ensued. Poser fail.

We quickly drove at full speeds off of the Ant Hill. We had to drive 2 hours to get back to the main road. Our GPS, another lovely feature in the events to come, began leading us down deserted dirt roads where cell phone service was negative zero.... The GPS proved it's retardation and we shut it off. The next few dim hours were spent forcefully driving down 99, trying to find a rest area to sleep at. We attempted to pull into a hotel parking lot, but that was a bad idea. It wasn't until about 5 in the morning that we found a nice little rest area, covered the car windows with clothes, and tried to get some sleep.

The sun leaked into our eyes at about 8:00 a.m. We sighed heavily and decided to try and forget about the events of the night and start over fresh. It was a new day and there was so much ahead of us...no time to dwell. We were officially bums of the road, brushing our teeth at the rest area, nearly leaving one of our phones in the bathrooms, then pulling into a gas station for some 50 cent hot water to cook our instant oatmeal. We turned up the music and started off down 99 towards Bakersfield.

Along the way we made it a point to stop at an In-n-Out for lunch. Revival...--->
California-must, after all.

The rolling green hills we hit before approaching LA sent our radio stations into white noise. Our ipods died, but we were still full of endurance. LA was so close!

It was an unplanned event, but we decided we would stop in Santa Monica to walk on a Cali beach, something neither of us had ever done. We somehow managed to wheel our way through the hot afternoon traffic to Venice Beach, where we paid for a full-days parking just to stop for an hour. The crowd there was phenomenal! That's where I decided that was the life... by the beach, on a vintage bike, rolling through the beautiful people. Oh yes. I walked bare-foot in the sand and felt complete.




With still a ways drive to go, we got back on the road....
But oh, of course we had to hit traffic right at 4:00 p.m., smack dab in the middle of LA. We were getting hungry and tired again, feeling the aftermath from only getting 2 hours of sleep in the past 30-some hours. And with the setting of the sun, we were also getting worried about the location of our stay for the night once we reached Indio. The original plan was to meet up with some friends of ours who were camping down in La Quinta for the festival, which was basically right next to Indio. But to our dismay, our friends called us saying that the campground was too full and there could only be one car per campsite. This was...crude. So we began trying to book a new campground while we sat in traffic.....again with the help of dear friend PJ.
Pretty sure we saw Ziggy Marley while we sat in this...
At last we reserved a campsite up the Yucca Valley. A bit off track, but still, somewhere to sleep. With a destination in mind, we eased up a bit and finally made our way out of traffic. We were both getting irritable, due to lack of food and sleep...so we stopped at another In-n-Out.... But Mac wanted Subway, so after we got my meal, we went and scoped out a subway. I pondered the idea of staying in the car with my food while she went inside to get her own, but I needed to use the bano, so I went in with her. When she tried paying for her food the man behind the counter needed to see her ID for her Debit. Looking around her, she realized she had left her wallet in the car. Looking around her again, she realized her keys were no where to be found either. My stomach dropped. She couldn't have....Oh, but she did.
The keys to the Maz were locked inside the car, laying in the drivers seat neatly. My food also locked in too! It was now dusk and we were in some unknown town on the outskirts of LA.... Not to mention, we are running low on cash. Suddenly, the thought of home came to mind, and how much we took it for granted! The bitter reality of the world was brutal.
We had to call a locksmith....a Chinese man who spoke non-fluent English came to our aid and charged us 70 dollars. My food was cold and we were both exhausted/miserable. Another night in the car might have been ahead of us... We got back on the road, going East on 10. We hoped we would find the campground in Yucca Valley SOON.

It took us another hour or so before we started seeing signs for Palm Springs. We turned up a road heading into Yucca Valley and started driving into the desert night. Had it honestly only been 2 days? It felt like it had been an eternity.

APRIL 16TH, 2010

Midnight passed and we found ourselves in Joshua Tree, CA. We felt like we were in the middle of no where, another night spent in some desolate area. The campground we were told to find was apparently in the Joshua Tree National Park....and to get there, we sat at a stop light waiting to turn up the road that would lead us there. The town was dead...no one in sight... and the road was so faded and cracked, it was almost illegible.
We were sitting at this stop light for what seemed like ages...it wasn't turning green! We were at near hysteria, thinking about all the things that had happened to us so far...just laughing aimlessly about it. What else could POSSIBLY go wrong?
As if we had tempted fate, a large truck came bombing out of no where from behind us, pulling up to our window. It was a cop, yelling at the top of his lungs, flailing his arms about in a wild rage.... We were stunned, where did this copper come from and why was he so angry with us? Well, apparently the light wasn't turning green because we weren't in the turn lane! Mind you, we couldn't even see the lines in the road to indicate where the turn lane was...So the cop took it upon himself to come after us, thinking that possibly we were some scandalous hooligans of some sort. We didn't know what to say to him! After he was done yelling at us, he sped around to the other side of the street and parked...proceeding to watch us. We didn't know what he wanted us to do! Did he want us to back up and get into the turn lane, or did he want us to just go ahead and drive through the intersection, even though the light was still red? We decided that maybe he was going to pull up behind us in the turn lane so the light would turn green so we could go....instead he just sat there, watching us. Flustered and a bit frightened, we backed up and tried to get in the turn lane. It turned green and we started to go, but we must have taken longer than he wanted, because he wasted no time in turning his lights on and pulling us over.
We just looked at each other, like....are you serious right now? we had done nothing wrong! It had been a simple mistake. The cop came to our window and we asked him why on earth he was pulling us over. He acted suspicious, looking in our car windows with a flashlight at the mounds of luggage we have in the backseat. We explained to him that we were just tired and came from a super long road trip, just trying to find a place to sleep. He told us we weren't in the turn lane and it could have caused an accident...even though there was no one on the road. He got Mac's license and registration and went back to his car. We are dumb-founded...could this seriously be happening to us right now? Was this karma for coming down here to California on a whim? Were all our friends and parents right? Maybe we should have just stayed home and dwindled away....

The cop came back to our car and told us that Mac's tags are expired. FML! She had forgotten to get them renewed before we left and she was just going to try and be super careful about speeding. A lot of good that did us, getting pulled over when we weren't even moving! Luckily, the cop finally realized we were terrified and lost, so he cut us some slack and didn't charge us. That was pretty lucky, I've got to admit. A small lecture about paying closer attention to the roads and he sent us on our way.... But then continued to follow us up to the National Park, riding our bumper the whole way there. When we got into the park, what greeted us was a vacant ranger booth and a forest of the scariest looking freak trees we'd ever seen. This was like something out of a nightmare...Doctor Sues on acid. We started driving down the road... it was pitch black and the Joshua trees around us seemed to be closing in.....I was just waiting for some unidentified species of ape to leap out at our car. Our cell phones lost service, so I couldn't call PJ to ask him how far we were supposed to go into the park. There was NO ONE in sight. No campground. It is just emptiness, desert, and fear.
It wasn't long before we gave up and turned around. Being so deep in that with no cell service creeped both of us out.
When we got service back, I received a message from PJ telling us to turn around immediately. He had accidentally given us the wrong directions for the campground.
We were feeling a little bit unsure of everything now. We just wanted to sleep, we didn't want to be in the car anymore...we wanted to bathe and recollect ourselves, and all we could think of was being horizontal for once. It was then that an idea dawned on us....despite the fact that we were completely broke by now, getting a motel was basically our only option. Trying to set up a tent now was a waste of time.

So we pulled into a Super8, forked out 75 dollars, and hauled our sore and withered bodies to our room. It was....amazing. Fully equip with shower, wi-fi, toilet, and 2 beds with tv! And mirrors! :D It was exactly what we needed....
Things were looking up, at last.

Morning came in a haste. Today was the day. The Festival would begin at 11:30 a.m.! Unnnnfortunatly, when my eyes fluttered open from blissful slumber, I realized that it was 10:30 and we had a half hour before our check-out time! We slept through our alarms. Couldn't blame us, really.
We packed our things and flew out of there. This was it!! All our suffering was about to pay off....

When we got to La Quinta, the truth of the amount of people attending the festival became quite clear...the traffic. Bumper to Bumper! It was 1:00 p.m. when we started in the line of festival-attendees....and we made it to the parking areas at 4:00 p.m. 2 miles of that can kill a person!
The excitement was building. It was 95 degrees out! The palm trees lining the streets were wafting in the breeze, and the massive crowds of people gathering were massive. We had to walk to the venue entrance, where we had to stand in line for an hour. I was worried we wouldn't make it in to see the first band we planned on seeing! But finally we got our wristbands, and walked in.......

COACHELLA!!!


And oh, the many faces. The different people. I had never seen so much diversity....every type of person you could possibly think of was there. And the sights.... the Farris wheel towering overhead, the Merch booths, the stages standing tall in the background, spotlights illuminating the venue overhead, planes flying by trailing signs behind them, the giant crane greeting everyone...people painted in gold..monkey suits, hippies, goths, surfers, ballers, dancers....you name it.

We heard "Make Light" in the distance....Passion Pit!! The first band that we had wanted to see was just starting.
This started our Friday line-up.... we saw Passion Pit, Vampire Weekend, Benny Benassi, and Deadmau5. All of which were amazing....best had to be Deadmau. It was my first time seeing him live, and I fell in love with his entrance. So very epic, I applaud the mouse. Passion Pit was also great! Vampire Weekend was alright, definitely different in person.

We got out of the venue with the crowds after midnight...... destination of the night: unknown.

APRIL 17TH, 2010

We finally made it to Coachella. The air was crisp and the evening was warm. I had a cold, but that wasn't stopping me. Our luck with sleeping arrangements was still on the fritz though. We were homeless traveling hippies with just our car and the item inside it. If only we could find the car... Again we were tired and just wanted to rest, but we had forgotten which parking lot we had gone in...and the thousands of people around us didn't help much. We ended up walking down the entirely wrong street.... it took us nearly an hour to find the car. We were parked in a big grassy field, looked like a baseball field. Victory was ours, discovering the car amongst the rest. But then stood another problem; getting out of the parking lot! All the tons of people trying to get in earlier were now trying to get out! Except for the lucky lot who stayed in the on-site campground where all the love-making, partying, and identity discovering was going on. We didn't get entangled in that mess....50 bucks, man.
So we sat and waited .....it was 2 in the morning, and the line out of the parking lot was atrociously backed up. There was no way we could get out. Both of us, being so tired, decided it would be more beneficiary to sleep in the car. Oh joy. I recall that we woke up for a second around 5:00 a.m. to see that there was a backed up line STILL trying to make it out. Ridiculous! The one thing we had to complain about Coachella the whole time was the disorganization. Simply awful....!

We woke up around 8:30 a.m....the sun was shining, the line was gone, and the livin suddenly felt easy. We crawled out of our bed on wheels to discover that people in other cars around us were doing the same.... guess we all had the same idea. It felt so calm and fresh, like this was the way to do it! It was so nice to just know we had made it! We were there! Being apart of something so huge made everything worthwhile.
We made our way to the local grocery store and re-stocked our water supply and some food items. Then we called our friends, who said to come check out the campground to see if we could possibly get in. We didn't think we could, but surprisingly, when we got there, there was a TON of spots available! We officially had a home! For now. Super cheap too, 15 bucks a night! No problemo!

The view once we pulled up to look over the campground..... Our mouths just dropped, and we had to take a picture of the moment. Things were finally working out for us! :]

We set up camp and visited our friends at their site... we got ready and took off for the venue.... Day 2 of Coachella was beginning! The line-up for Saturday was scattered, but it was one of the best days. We saw Temper Trap, Bassnectar, Hot Chip, MGMT, Muse, and DJ Tiesto.
Tiesto had to have been the highlight of everything. That was the best rave concert I've ever witnessed! Everyone was completely absorbed...
MGMT is one of my favorite bands, so seeing them live was nothing short of amazing.

This was my "OMG, it's MGMT and I'm standing in the front row!!" face.
We happened to look over and see some of the VIP blokes standing alongside the stage....suddenly Paris Hilton popped out of no where. That was the first wtf moment of the night, She was like 10 feet from us. so random.

Bassnectar was also amazing! Pretty much everyone on Saturday was worth seeing.

APRIL 18TH, 2010

We were super tired after everything and dead-set on making it back to the campsite. We were NOT spending another night in the damn car. We parked in a different area this time, it was easier to get out.
Looking forward to some sleep in our tent, we pulled into the campground and drove around the hill where our site was. What we saw next was the second wtf moment of the night.... A huge rave was going down, literally. Half of the campground was partying hardcore....more Coachella folks who had to keep the insanity going. There were Lazer lights and everything! Professional status. We got to our tent and passed out right away...somehow the pounding bass didn't bother us.

Morning came like a bat out of hell. Today was the day to relax. Not very many good bands were playing, not until later in the day. So we took our time getting ready, finally took showers... we tanned and went to the pool, went to the store again... super laid back. All the while, I was downing my cold meds and hoping to stay alive long enough to see the final day of the festival. This day would be momentous...at least for me. Gorillaz, live. GORILLAZ!!
We did try to go see Delphic earlier in the day, but due to the volcanic ash in Europe they couldn't make the show. Huge bummer.
We showed up to the venue around 7:00 p.m. to see Pheonix! Their performance made me appreciate the band more. They were humble and fun, and ended their slot with 1901. When everyone sang along to "Falling, Falling, Falling, Falling!" Oh man...that was one of the highlights of the night.
I was super sick all through the night; the chills, headache, runny nose, the works. But I toughed it out....we saw Thom Yorke, who was outstanding. He had a massive collection of fans...more than I realized. I love the guy, but his music was too low-key for me at the time. Everyone was convinced that the read of Radiohead would show up during the performance, but to our dismay they never did. I made Mac leave his concert early to get a good spot for Gorillaz.... we got to the main stage an hour early just to get a good place in the front! I was beyond stoked. I fought my way through the crowds. Gorillaz has been one of my favorite bands since I was 12! This was huge. We were along the rail, right side of the stage (well, our right.) It was a good spot, but also not as satisfying as the middle front would have been. We had a huge screen above us, and there were a lot of tall people in front of me....but I had a birds eye view of Damon. Good enough for me! When the artists stepped onto the stage I immediately wondered where Muds, 2D, Noodle, and Russel were... then I realized, oh they're on the big-screens.
Gorillaz were grade-A!! I rekindled my love for them that night.

It was too bad though, Mac and I both were about dying of fatigue, and my cold had gotten to the point of no return... I regret it now SO much, but we left early from the Gorillaz to get out of the parking lot in time to get to camp and sleep. We had a LONG drive home in the morning.. But walking away from the venue, they began to play El Manana and I SO wanted to stay!!! Missed Feel Good Inc. and Clint Eastwood too....aaaah! I'm making it a point to get to their next closest show during their Plastic Beach tour, which I am SO excited for! 22 days in the states...oh yes! Come to Washington!

As we left the venue for the last time, my heart sank... our goal had been reached. To get there, to be apart of it all! It was ending now, but the experience was enough to last us a lifetime. I've since then convinced myself to come back for next year's festival, definitely.

APRIL 19TH, 2010

Even though we left early, beating the crowd by nearly 60%, it mattered little. We had parked in the same parking lot as Friday and the line to get out was already beginning to pile up! Not to mention we lost the car again, so that took awhile to find. Sleeping in the car wasn't legit this time around, we had to at least get some form of horizontal rest before the drive home. We sat in the line to get out for 2 hours. It was insanely disorganized.... they had to let all the VIP hotel buses out first. At one point, we looked ahead of us to see a black Range Rover with trippy lights flashing from the inside. We called it the 'Rave Rover.' People were starting to get impatient, and some even bent the fence surrounding the parking lot and drove right over it! Rave Rover was getting antsy too and getting ready to plow the fence down, freeing everyone! We were all cheering for it out our windows, but just as it revved it's engine, the police came and stopped them. Honestly, too bad. The waiting was unbearable.
Note to Coachella: Do a better job next time organizing your event traffic!! That is all.

We got back to the campground around 4:00 a.m. and slept hard for 3 hours, then got up, packed up our stuff, and left Indio. Saddened to go... The weather was perfect down there!
We wasted no time in making stops on the way back. We had enough to eat and had just enough money for gas....
We stopped by Sac-Town to say hi to PJ, who we totally should have stayed with that first night instead of going to the Ant Hill with our other guy friend... Peej helped us out so much! It was good to see him.

We drove, trading off driving, until the sun was setting. We were tired and a bit grouchy, our ipods were dead, all we had was the radio and conversation. We were laughing constantly about all the shit we had to go through for the trip...just delusional, but glad to be alive.

APRIL 20TH, 2010

I took the liberty of driving almost entirely through Oregon that night, not stopping until 4:00 a.m.. We slept at a rest area near Salem, and then kept driving when it got light. My cold was still bad and we were out of things to talk about...out of everything, pretty much. We bombed back into town around 3:00 p.m. that day, and I had to rush off to work after that! I made it just in time.

Our trip finally came to an end....every moment of it elapsing over us one after the other. I still can't believe we did it! I was out for a few days after we got home, totally exhausted. But it was worth every penny, heartache, and difficulty we endured. It's trips like these that make you stop and realize what life's all about. It's about...well, living! And experiencing new things.... pushing yourself to the limit for something completely worth it!
Out of every music festival I've been to, nothing can even come close to Coachella. I'd say go for it, if you're thinking about going in 2011. Just have a plan....whims are great and all, but not when you have to sleep in your car and worry the whole time whether or not you'll have enough money to make it home. Guess that's what I learned, if anything. That and, don't lock your keys in the car or drive 2 hours out of your way for nothing.... Stay away from Joshua trees, make sure you're always in the turn lane at a stop light if you're turning! Stay close to Rave Rovers, they'll plow fences down for you. Have a place to stay that doesn't include a water bed. And above all other things, travel with someone you can laugh about everything with. That's really all you'll need. That and, probably your will to just keep going, no matter what life throws at you.
You never know how great something can turn out to be, unless you face the obstacles and put in the effort for it.

Other images of our Coachella trip can be found on my .flickr.