California Blog #24: Coachella

 

Have you ever been to a music festival in California for some time on a daily basis?

Well today, I'll be blogging to you about my first future trip to the Coachella. The Music and Arts Festival here at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, CA.

So what is the meaning of Coachella anyway? Coachella comes from a misspelling of the valley's old name, Conchilla, from a Spanish word meaning "little shell" that referenced the fossil shells found in the area. The valley was also called Cahuilla for a time, for the Cahuilla Indians who lived there. The origin of the name Coachella is unclear. Some locals believe it was a misspelling of Conchilla, a Spanish word for the small white snail shells found in the valley's sandy soil, vestiges of a lake that dried up over 3,000 years ago.

Coachella happens for two weekend every year.

In the future when I'm living in California once again, I wanna participate at Coachella Music and Arts Festival. It would be just like the time I joined my dad at the Wakarusa Music Festival in Kansas. Back in the day, I joined my dad at the Wakarusa festival and had a great time there. I even got to see The Flaming Lips in concert for the first time here.

But for the first time here in Coachella, I can hang out, campout in the tent, play around, and jam out to some musical artists and bands performing.

My dad wants to join in a jam session with his friends in an indoor tent, and maybe I can sing along to my favorite songs with them.

One of the best things about Coachella is that it's also the home of the Stagecoach.

Here's some info about it that you should know. The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival (commonly called Coachella or the Coachella Festival) is an annual music and arts festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Coachella Valley in the Colorado Desert. It was co-founded by Paul Tollett and Rick Van Santen in 1999, and is organized by Goldenvoice, a subsidiary of AEG Presents. The event features musical artists from many genres of music, including rock, pop, indie, hip hop and electronic dance music, as well as art installations and sculptures. Across the grounds, several stages continuously host live music.

During the festival, several stages continuously host live music. Two outdoor stages are used, along with several tents named after deserts. The primary stages that have been in use since Coachella's inception are:

Coachella Stage – the main stage that draws the largest crowds. This outdoor stage is where the headlining acts perform.

Outdoor Theatre – a smaller outdoor stage adjacent to the Coachella Stage

Mojave – a mid-size tent named after the Mojave Desert that hosts acts across multiple genres and varying stages of development. In 2017, it was moved behind an access road. A year later, it received further changes, as it was enlarged and moved again, this time to the Sahara's previous spot near the rose garden.

Gobi – a mid-size tent named after the Gobi Desert that hosts acts across multiple genres and varying stages of development. Like the Mojave, it was moved behind an access road in 2017.

Sahara – a large, hangar-like tent named after the Sahara Desert. It generally hosts the top electronic dance music acts. In 2013, the tent was expanded in size, reaching a height of 80 feet. Further changes were made in 2018, as it was built 25 percent larger and relocated west from the row of tents near the Empire Polo Club's rose garden to a spot on the Eldorado Polo Club near the festival entrance. The new location offers more shade and alleviates issues with foot traffic. The stage was also moved from one of the open ends of the structure to one its sides, allowing a wider field of view to attendees.

Additional performance areas have been added over time, including:

Yuma – a small indoor tent introduced in 2013 that primarily hosts emerging DJs. The tent was intended to be "a sophisticated space that dials down the noise and strobe lights in favor of thoughtful sounds and underground acts".

Sonora – a small indoor tent introduced in 2017 to host punk rock and Latin acts

Heineken House – a small venue introduced in 2014. It was dedicated to "legendary musical performances" and "live mash-ups from a wide array of musical artists". Originally designed as a walled structure to provide a club-like atmosphere, it was redesigned in 2019 to feature an open beer garden layout with a slanted roof, eliminating the long waiting lines and giving more visibility to attendees.

Despacio – a small indoor tent used in 2016. Co-created by James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem, the venue played "slow-simmering disco and vintage club music" on vinyl with the intention of creating a joyful setting. It featured a 50,000 watt sound system and air conditioning.

Antarctic – an indoor dome introduced in 2017 to screen 360-degree immersive videos. The structure is 120 feet in diameter, features 11,000 square feet in projection space and air conditioning, and can seat 500 people. Obscura Digital produced the film shown in 2017.

Oasis Dome – used in 2006 and 2011

Look closely at the satellite view of the festival.

So if we have a chance of when things get better soon, maybe someday when I move back here, maybe aunt Leta and uncle Mark can meet my cousins, my dad, and everybody else here for my first trip to Coachella. Because when I do, I wanna hang out and camp out on the land of Indio, hang out with the bands and stars, play around and enjoy some fun-filled activities.

Ever since I joined my dad and participated at the Wakarusa Festival in Lawrence Kansas, I was totally into music, concerts, and the arts. And I've been doing that since 2005. When I was young, my dad came up with the idea of joining Wakarusa for the first time. It was that time that Stephanie and I went there. And I even got to make a custom music CD. It was a great day.

So in other words for my first future trip, I'd say "Here I come, Coachella!".