Celebrating music in the desert

The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival kicked off its annual three-day, two weekends of music featuring artists such as Lana del Rey, Lorde, Pharrell Williams, Nas, Outkast and Muse. Each year the festival attracts over 50,000 people for each weekend to experience the carefree ambiance and enjoy music from up-and-coming artists, as well as the more popular artists, and even reuniting bands. Coachella celebrates art, music, fashion and exposes young and new artists to the public.

Day 1 of the festival headlined with Outkast, and included popular artists such as Ellie Goulding, Broken Bells, Bastille, Girl Talk and Chromeo. Day 2 headlined with Muse and included Pharrell Williams, Lorde, Foster the People, Kid Cudi, Skrillex, and MGMT. Day 3 featured Arcade Fire, Lana del Rey, Calvin Harris, Disclosure, John Newman and Chance the Rapper.

Coachella is known for bringing underground artists and bands to the light, but often times, many people purchase tickets to see more of the popular artists perform. Senior Christina Khachaturova says everyone should experience Coachella from time to time, regardless of the fact that the artists aren’t as mainstream or popular. “It is definitely worth the money, not because of the amount of artists you see but the vibe and having an amazing weekend filled with great music, food and music,” says Khachaturova.

Khachaturova attended the second weekend of Coachella, and she was able to see many of her favorite artists up close and personal. It was her first time experiencing the festival and she plans on attending it every year. “I was able to stand front row for a lot of the artists like Pharrell, Lana Del Rey, Lorde, Carnage, The Glitch Mob and A$AP Ferg. I think that Coachella is worth the money and you should definitely go if you love a great portion of the lineup, and you’re also free to enjoy different sets and activities Coachella has to offer,” says Khachaturova.

General admission tickets cost $375, and the VIP tickets are $800. Since last year, the price has increased for general admission by $25, and VIP increased by $100. Often times, many students do not attend the festival for cost reasons; however, there are also other underlying issues. Senior Sarah Balaian says that money is not so much the problem as the atmosphere of Coachella. “If I really wanted to go I could save up the money, but my parents aren’t okay with me going with friends because of everything they hear about these types of events on the news,” says Balaian..

Balaian is referring to the drugs and alcohol that are a major part of the culture of Coachella. “My parents watch the news often and there is always a story about some person that went to a concert and got drugged,” says Balaian.

Besides the freedom to drink and smoke excessively, Coachella also allows people to dress uniquely; often times festival-goers are seen wearing booties, long patterned maxi dresses, crop tops and even attachable tails. Senior Christina Galajan said everyone was very put together with their outfits and paid a lot of attention to detail. “I once read this quote that said Coachella is where music, fashion and beautiful people coalesce, and that’s definitely true,” Galajan said. “Everyone is dressed so well, the people are beautiful and the music is amazing.”

The festival not only brings great music but sets trends for the summer and often attracts the attention of major clothing companies such as Urban Outfitters, Free People and Brandy Melville. Although it is great to dress up in the desert, Galajan suggests that anyone who goes to the festival should come prepared. “I advise anyone who is going to dress cute but to be practical,” Galajan said. “You are in the desert and you will want water the whole time you are there. Try and find outfits that are comfortable but cute, like cloth shorts and loose shirts.”