Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival

Did Daft Punk Play Avalon Last Night? Nope! It Was a Prank

Reporting by Dennis Romero The buzz on Twitter today: Daft Punk played at surprise set at Avalon Hollywood last night. Starting after midnight, lots of folks in attendance reported witnessing -- or thinking they were witnessing -- the helmeted French duo, famous for teasing us by not playing Coac ... More >>

Why Are Old School Electronic Artists Annoyed With EDM?

Broadly speaking, if you're an electronic music fan over 40, you probably dig Danny Tenaglia more than Skrillex. And chances are, if you're a Skrillex fan under the age of 30, you're like, "Who the hell is Danny Tenaglia?" Coachella 2013 exemplified the generation gap in the world of dance music. ... More >>

Best of Coachella 2013: Weekend Two

The Visual Stimulations for People Who Were High Coachella's art installations -- the ones designed to impress you while you're high, aka all of them -- were particularly impressive this year. There was the tesla coil, the crane that was formerly a flower but now a praying mantis, the giant floresce ... More >>

Worst of Coachella 2013: Weekend Two

Here's everything that bothered us about Coachella's second weekend. Hey, at least there was no dust storm! Native American Headdresses These have still not gone away. In fact, one particularly irritating woman (not pictured) wore a towering feather mohawk weave, a sartorial statement that combined ... More >>

Which Coachella Stages Have the Best (and Worst) Sound?

It's the last day of Coachella. Your last chance to smuggle in drugs, possibly get caught, possibly make things easier on yourself in court later, and possibly be out on bail in time to see some more good shows. But which stages are the best? The sound quality varies widely, so much so that where ... More >>

The Sahara Tent Kicked Ass This Year

The EDM-focused Sahara tent is twice as tall this year, and much wider and longer too. It's now roughly the size of an airplane hangar. The arched mega-tent is not just a dubstep paradise, but a behemoth of truss and LED panels. The visuals are otherworldly, with kaleidoscopic light and graphic disp ... More >>

We Hang Out With Some Crazy Marines Drinking Their Asses Off at Coachella

Coachella can be brutal: Dry desert heat, sand storms, endurance tests. It's hard for folks to survive with their health intact. That is, unless you're in the Marine Corps. Jimmy English and Tidas Friday (not their real names) repair tanks and other military vehicles. They recently returned from a ... More >>

Etiquette Faux Pas at Coachella

Oliver Scherillo./td> The crowds at Coachella this year have been by and large well-behaved. Still, between the heat and the beer, there's a tendency for crowds to get reckless, and we've seen a slew of downright disrespectful behaviors this year. Here are five of the worst -- as well as some tips ... More >>

Here's How People Are Trying to Sneak Drugs Into Coachella

If you're at Coachella, chances are you experienced full throttle security measures attempting to snatch any drugs you might have. As usual, these include three tiers of security checkpoints, at which eventgoers are frisked and searched. It can all feel a bit personal, particularly considering that ... More >>

Five Great Hang-Out Spots at Coachella

Have you heard of Coachella? We've been writing a lot about it! Though most of you are there to, um, see the music (and, of course, smuggle in drugs) sometimes you want to take a break from all that and roam around. So here are five spots you might not have yet hit up, to cool off, people watch and ... More >>

Coachella's Apocalyptic Finish

The lights on the main stage went dark and Coachella was over. As folks headed toward their cars (and their demolished tents) I went in the opposite direction, to the press tent. A high wind had caused its imitation canvas flaps to buck in the wind. The tent was empty except for me and one photograp ... More >>

The Five Best EDM Performers at Coachella

The first weekend of Coachella was packed with EDM revelers; in fact, dance music lovers are growing in numbers so much that every other car in line at the campgrounds checking in was blasting some sort of EDM anthem. The festival even dedicated a new, underground-leaning stage this year, called the ... More >>

The Coachella 2013 Awards

The brunette in the backward pink mesh trucker hat and booty shorts grabs a megaphone and addresses her fellow campers. "WECOME TO COOOOACHEELLLA." The congregation of twenty 20-somethings lustily applauds. It's Thursday night, a dozen hours before the festival officially begins, and the rules ar ... More >>

The Economics of Music Festivals: Who's Getting Rich, Who's Going Broke?

By Chris Parker It's as though the sad, lamentable death of recorded music was accompanied by a kick-ass wake. Sure, label executives have had to sell their fancy homes and put their kids in public schools, but the rest of us have been feasting on a musical smorgasbord. Nothing better exemplifies ... More >>

Coachella Parties: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

The lineup of events thrown in conjunction with Coachella is almost as extensive as event itself. Many folks come just to attend the pool parties, the dance parties and the swag giveaways thrown at local hotels and mansions by various brands and media outlets. See also: *A road map to the best f ... More >>

10 Types of People You See at Coachella Parties

See also: *More Coachella coverage *5 Fashion Combos to Expect at Coachella *10 Best L.A. Art Galleries For Partying Festival schmestival. The party scene that's emerged and evolved around the Coachella Music Fest has gotten nearly as huge and musically plentiful as the main event. This year, our W ... More >>

It's Chaos at the Coachella Campsites

The Coachella campgrounds are the Wild West of the festival. They are the sort of place you can imagine Hunter S. Thompson running around with his pants around his ankles. Drugs are more plentiful than food and going to bed before 4 a.m. is considered an early night. Campers built incredible structu ... More >>

Prepping To Shoot Coachella, While Battling Cancer

[Editor's Note: Longtime concert photographer Andrew Youssef found out almost two years ago that he had stage IV colon cancer. In that time, he has continued to shoot tons of music events for outlets including our sister paper OC Weekly, on top of hisday job at a hospital, of all places. As he conti ... More >>

Best of Coachella: Weekend One

Karen O's Outfit Karen O's wardrobe on Friday night was bad ass. The Yeah Yeah Yeah's front woman appeared on the main stage in a technicolor cape draped over a suit that looked like it was made of mercury. The vibrant collage was topped with a headpiece that Liberace might have worn had he ever bee ... More >>

Worst of Coachella: Weekend One

Daft Punk Fake-Out Friday and Saturday, all anyone could talk about was if Daft Punk was going to show up during Phoenix's set. Why? Because we were fucking teased. On the main stage before the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, a long commercial for their new album played, and then we found out that members of the ... More >>

New Order - Coachella - April 13, 2013

New Order Coachella April 13,2013 While over at the main stage the bulk of the Coachella crowd was enduring Phoenix with the hope that Daft Punk would come out -- they instead got R. Kelly -- a smaller but perhaps-more-enthusiastic crowd got a first-rate greatest hits set from New Order last night. ... More >>

Coachella: Questionable Fashion Statements

The fans at Coachella tend to wear things no humans should. (Except for the bros, of course.) But the artists on stage can commit some cringe-worthy fashion faux pas as well. (Here's hoping they take some of those hard earned Coachella dollars from this weekend and hire a better stylist for weekend ... More >>

No, Seriously, Is Daft Punk Playing Coachella?

This is, so far, the burning question of this Coachella, being asked everywhere from the campsites to the press tent. Even though the French dance-punk duo officially squashed the rumors, not many people seem to be buying it. At least, not since last night. Just before Yeah Yeah Yeahs took the ... More >>

Earl Sweatshirt - Coachella - April 12, 2013

Earl Sweatshirt Coachella April 12, 2013 It was past midnight in Coachella's Gobi Tent when Tyler, the Creator climbed the scaffolding like a gargoyle. He clung to the metal bars above the stage with one arm, ready to pounce on the crowd at any moment. Earl Sweatshirt rapped with a black bucket hat ... More >>

The Best Concerts to See in L.A. This Weekend

Friday, April 13 Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival EMPIRE POLO CLUB Although it's unlikely that the Rolling Stones and their sprawling entourage will descend on this sun-baked music festival for a surprise set, as was rumored earlier this year, there are still many intriguing storylines scatte ... More >>

Doing Drugs at Coachella? Here's How to Avoid Trouble With the Police

Hate to say it, but some of you at Coachella (which starts today!) are going to be approached by police officers assuming you have drugs. Well, you just may, but guess what? You still have rights, man. See also: Everything You Need to Know About Coachella Cameron Bowman is here to help! As a music ... More >>

Five Great Lesser-Known DJs To See At Coachella

For dance fans there has been little difference between Coachella and Electric Daisy Carnival in recent years, except that the former supplemented its Tiesto-Kaskade-Deadmau5 lineups with alt-rock while EDC did so with dubstep and drum 'n' bass. See also: Everything you need to know about Coachella ... More >>

Music Picks: Coachella, Merle Haggard, Spiritualized

Under-the-Radar Acts to See at Coachella

[Editor's note: Weekly scribe Jeff Weiss's column, "Bizarre Ride," appears on West Coast Sound every Wednesday. His archives are available here.] Beware any tutorial about the "right way" to do Coachella. Stay sentient, steer clear of phosphorescent forms in spirit hoodies, drink water, and never m ... More >>

Coachella Coverage Ahead!

Not sure if you've heard but Coachella -- yes, the Coachella -- starts Friday. And, because we love you with a deep abiding passion, West Coast Sound is sending a team of reporters and photographers out to the desert to cover the thing from top to bottom. Together with the music folks at our sister ... More >>

Coachella 2013: What to Eat While Waiting to See Tegan and Sara

If you, like the rest of Silver Lake, is heading to Coachella this weekend or next, then you no doubt already have most of your itinerary planned out: How you'll get there, where you'll stay, and -- with the set times just released -- what bands you'll see. To this, you might want to add what you pl ... More >>

Coachella Tickets Are Cheap Right Now

Besides the extreme, fluctuating temperatures, the drive, and the dust, folks' main complaint about Coachella is the price. This year weekend passes went on sale for $349, and that doesn't include accommodations, food, or one of those credit-card-like things with which to grind your weed. Plus, they ... More >>

Lightning in a Bottle 2013 Lineup Announced

The lineup for Lightning in a Bottle 2013 is out! This year's electronic-heavy festival will feature headliners Nicholas Jaar, Rusko, Tycho, Emancipator, Griz and Paper Diamond. Ten GIFs of Ultra Ravers Shaking Their Shit As exclusively reported by West Coast Sound in January, the fest is going ... More >>

Lindsay Lohan's Rehab Deal Had To Work Around Coachella Parties, Report Says

Coachella is a must-see event on the annual Southern California party calendar. And nobody is more aware of said calendar, it seems, than one Lindsay Lohan. RadarOnline says the celeb wanted to ensure that her recent deal for locked-up rehab, which might or might not be in jeopardy, did not conflic ... More >>

Worst Idea Ever: Travel Dating Site Calls Coachella a Great First Date

Ladies travel site Misstravel.com recently named named Coachella the number one music festival at which to go on a first date. For so many reasons, this is a terrible idea. Issue number one is that unless you have some day pass scenario worked out, a first date at Coachella means that you're autom ... More >>

Our Best Tweets From the Grammys Last Night

Last night we sat down with a Milky Way milkshake from Milk on Beverly and tweeted our face off. It was pretty, pretty good! Here are the highlights.

College Students Have Never Heard of the Stone Roses or Blur

So, as you may have heard, the Coachella lineup was just released. See also: Coachella 2013 Lineup Announced It's maybe not the best ever. At least, that's the opinion of a bunch of at DePaul University college students interviewed in Chicago below in a pretty, pretty funny Consequence of Sound vi ... More >>

Coachella 2013 Lineup Announced

The Coachella lineup is here. It's actually here! There have been ten tons of fakes, some quite convincing, and many of which had the Rolling Stones headlining. (West Coast Sound, however, broke the story that they would not appear.) But never mind all that! The lineup is here, and the headliners a ... More >>

Update: Times Story on Coachella 2013 Was Fabricated, Says Writer

Update: The Times writer whose byline appears on the screengrab, Mikael Wood, says that the post is completely fabricated. His comments are at the bottom of the post. According to a screengrab of what appears to be a page from the Los Angeles Times website -- which was posted on a Coachella message ... More >>

Sources: Rolling Stones Not Performing at Coachella

According to sources, the Rolling Stones will not perform at Coachella, despite rumors to the contrary.

Does This Photo Confirm That the Rolling Stones Are Playing Coachella?

Does this photo, posted on Coachella's Facebook page, mean the Rolling Stones will be performing there this year?

Coachella 2013 Lineup: Is This It?

Could the below be a leaked line-up for Coachella 2013? Or is just another fake like we get every year? Some signs point to the possibility that this flyer, which is going round the internets, might have at least a grain of truth. After all, there's reason to believe the Rolling Stones will be in at ... More >>

S.S. Coachella Fashion: Do's and Don'ts

By Liz Tracy Most of the people we met on the S.S. Coachella had never been on a cruise before. Like us, they weren't so sure what to pack or how to dress for three days of awkwardly saying hi to their favorite bands on a floating building at sea. But, like the festival, the fans also brought their ... More >>

S.S. Coachella: Getting My Nails Did Like Sleigh Bells' Alexis Krauss

By Liz Tracy Fashion and music are the funniest-looking twin sisters. They're always together, always kinda sloppy. Sometimes they dress up like a swan or wear a big mouse head. Together, they're always looking to make a bold statement. If you follow Sleigh Bells' Alexis Krauss on Instagram (@Kra ... More >>

S.S. Coachella Gossip: We Stalk Jarvis Cocker

No one's really interested in reading about the actual performances taking place on this musical ship of contradictions, the S.S. Coachella, amirite? (Well, if I'm wrong, here's our report from the first day.) Instead, you want a spoonful of gossipy anecdotal sugar, straight from the decks of this f ... More >>

Music Cruises Hit the High Seas, But Who Can Afford Them?

All aboard a tiny, star-packed boat

Pulp to Headline Coachella Cruise: Here's the Full Lineup

All aboard. Let the Coachella branding begin! Goldenvoice today announced a pair of Coachella boat tours; each will leave in December from Fort Lauderdale. Pulp will headline, with Hot Chip, Yeasayer, Girl Talk and Sleigh Bells among the bigger names.

Azealia Banks - Fonda Theatre - 7/14/12

See also: *Our review of Azealia Banks at Coachella *Slutwave, Tumblr Rap, Rape Gaze: Obscure Musical Genres Explained Azealia Banks Fonda Theatre 7/14/12 Hip-hop remains one of the last bastions of bald-faced homophobia. Rappers follow any remotely gay-sounding comment with "no homo," and histo ... More >>

Coachella Wins Again: Councilman Drops Tax Proposal

See also: Coachella Organizers Threatening to Take 2014 Off and Move the Festival Elsewhere The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival will remain in Indio, at least for now. City Councilman Sam Torres, who last month proposed an admissions tax that would cost promoters Goldenvoice an estimated $ ... More >>

Top Ten Awkward Electric Daisy Carnival Dance Move GIFs

By Christopher Victorio and Ben Westhoff See also: *Top Ten Awkward Coachella Dance Move GIFs *Our complete EDC Las Vegas coverage We love you, Electric Daisy Carnival Las Vegas. In fact, here are five reasons why you rule the roost. But my oh my you dance funky. We're not saying we're any better; ... More >>