Festival gets back to its roots

If I had to choose one word to describe my experience at Coachella last year, it would definitely be “absolutely miserable.”

It may have had something to do with the oppressive heat. It may have had something to do with the absurd price of food and drink. But it probably had more to do with the fact that, halfway through Cat Power’s set, I started to feel very, very sick.

This feeling only worsened after spending 20 minutes in an overheated porta-potty. I was forced to skip Daft Punk’s reportedly incredible set and head back to my tent, where I slept sparingly through the night and woke up feeling worse than ever.

I ended up having to drive back to UCLA that morning, where I would spend the rest of the day writhing in my bed, thinking about how I’d spent $200 to see three-quarters of Coachella’s first day. After several hours of deliberation, I decided that it was probably the hamburgers that were to blame.

I think I can safely say that I’m expecting my experience this year to be a little bit better, and not only because I plan on staying healthy the whole weekend. I’m also expecting more because Coachella is returning to its roots.

Since the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival’s debut in 1999, its lineup has become increasingly diverse, incorporating reggae, dub, electronica, hip-hop and dance as the years went on. This year’s lineup, however, abandons much of this diversity in order to focus on indie and alt-rock artists.

Yes, this means that we won’t get to see Madonna drop in from a helicopter, hear James Blunt be abrasive in every way or watch the Crystal Method destroy a turntable. But I believe that these will be small sacrifices to make for a better overall festival experience.

One of the strangest things about last year was the number of cliques that existed, even within the on-site camping grounds.

The frat boys were there for Kanye West, Matisyahu and Wolfmother; the indie kids were there for Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Cat Power and Wolf Parade; the goth kids were (only) there for Tool; and the casual festivalgoers showed up to see Gnarls Barkley, Madonna and Depeche Mode.

The presence of these cliques eliminated one of the crucial elements of a festival: the unity that stems from thousands of people being in the same place for the same reason, sharing the same love.

Sure, Coachella 2006 was the most accessible festival to date, but what it lacked was togetherness and coherence.

And so, instead of bonding with our next-tent neighbors, my friends and I sat wondering how the Tool fans could bear to wear black long-sleeves, cargo pants, and layers of makeup in temperatures well exceeding 100 degrees.

This year, I’m hoping to feel some of that old-fashioned festivalgoer unity again. Other genres still have a presence in the lineup, but they’ve eschewed the bigger names for underground acts that indie kids aren’t embarrassed to admit that they listen to.

Instead of Madonna, Regina Spektor and Amy Winehouse will be representing the pop realm. There’s no more Kanye, but Ghostface Killah and Busdriver are more than suitable alternatives. Fans hoping for a good dance band won’t have Depeche Mode to look forward to, but !!! should have just as many pairs of hips shaking.

Maybe (read: probably) I’m being elitist, but I think that because of its more specific target audience, 2007 is going to be one of Coachella’s best years. Judging by the fact that the festival has extended its length to three days and sold out in half the time, I’d say a lot of people agree.

Then again, the only thing I need to guarantee myself the best Coachella experience ever is to stay well away from the hamburger stands.

If you think the people who come solely to see Rage Against the Machine will be a rather sizable clique, e-mail Duhamel at dduhamel@media.ucla.edu.

If you think the people who come solely to see Rage Against the Machine will be a rather sizable clique, e-mail Duhamel at dduhamel@media.ucla.edu

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