Fans Flock to the Desert for Music Festivals

Road Trippin’ To Indio, CA For
Coachella Fest and Stagecoach Festival
April 16th – 25th, 2010
By L. Bremner of DesertUSA.com

Fans try to get a better view of the main stage.

For the past 11 years the Empire Polo Club in Indio, CA has been the venue for two major music festivals: the Coachella Fest and the Stagecoach Festival, both organized by Goldenvoice. Traditionally both festivals are scheduled in April after the polo season ends at the Empire Polo Club.  Three polo fields are transformed into a small city of music that features five stages, VIP lounges, large sculptural art, a variety of food vendors, a general store, and bars in every corner.  The neighboring polo club with 10 fields is established as a festival camping and parking area.

Desert temperatures can reach over 100°F in April, so fans come prepared with bathing suits, hats and plenty of sunscreen.  The culture that surrounds the music industry, combined with the desert heat, makes for some great people watching, interesting outfits and a spirit like no other.

The Coachella Fest
Music fans from across the country and around the world flock to the desert to attend the three-day music festival called “Coachella Fest” (aka Coachella). This year attendance reached a record high of 75,000 attendees per day, a big increase from the mere 25,000 attendees of 1999’s inaugural event.

Woodstock Meets Burning Man
Fans, asked how they would describe “Coachella,” almost always compare it to “Woodstock.”  It is a more conservative, larger relative of “Burning Man,” an art event held annually in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada which also features music, though it is more apt to be electronica or DJ-spun.  Many of the sculptural art installations present at Coachella were originally built and displayed at Burning Man.

Dusk at Empire Polo Club.

Over the years Coachella has become well known around the country and internationally.   Fans save up their money and often buy tickets eight months or more in advance.  This year Coachella sold out, even with the addition of 15,000 more tickets available than the previous year.

The 2010 headliners for Coachella were Jay-Z, Muse and Gorillaz. Other bands included: Faith No More, LCD Soundsystem, Tiesto, Pavement and Thom Yorke.  An eclectic mix of alternative rock, hip-hop and electronic music draws a diverse crowd.  What do these fans all have in common? They have Coachella Fever.  It stirs a seemingly undeniable need that draws fans from hundreds of miles away to a hot desert oasis, where they can submerge themselves in a world far away from their daily lives; a world filled with music, culture, and a spirit that you won’t find anywhere else.

Stagecoach: California’s Country Music Festival

As Coachella Fest fans start their long journey home, Stagecoach attendees begin to arrive in the desert.  With only a week to restage the music venue at the Empire Polo Club, the scene is quickly transformed from an alternative rock world into a country western setting.

The main stage at Stagecoach.

The sculptures and the Ferris wheel stay in place, but the main stage is moved, the vendors are swapped out and picnic tables are brought in.  Country music fans bring in their own chairs and the whole venue takes on a different feel.  Families with baby strollers and picnic blankets fill out the population, and a ton of RVs appear in the camping area.  Even with the temperatures up in the 90s, it is easy to stay cool at Stagecoach with all the squirt guns, water-fans and watering holes.

The two-day country music festival brought some “country-style” into the city of Indio, CA.  To join in the festivities all you needed was your favorite cowboy hat, a pair of boots and something fun for in between. Festival-themed outfits took on a whole new spin during Stagecoach.  Speedo Cowboys with matching blue Speedo-swimsuits, cowboy boots and western belts put a new notch on the style meter.  Bikini-clad cowgirls were not shy, and the phrase “cowgirl” took on a whole new meaning, as “Corn Fed” stickers graced the hindquarters of many ladies. Chaps, unique headgear and other western garb created a fun and playful environment.

A fan at Stagecoach.

As the sun started to set on Saturday, the headliners Keith Urban and Sugarland put on a high-energy show for the crowd. On Sunday, fans attended another spectacular performance by Brooks and Dunn, and Toby Keith. many other bands filled both days with music starting in the mid-afternoon continuing into the night. This year is the last tour for Brooks and Dunn, and it was a great opportunity to see them perform live before their retirement.

2011 Festivals

If you plan to attend the Coachella Fest or Stagecoach Festival in April 2011, get your tickets early.  Stagecoach didn’t sell out this year and tickets could be purchased by the day or by the weekend. Tickets were still on sale as the concert started.  Coachella only sold weekend passes, and all of the tickets were sold out months in advance, so plan ahead and get your tickets early.  You will also want to secure a hotel reservation or a house rental more than several months in advance.  For more information about Coachella visit http://www.coachella.com.  For more information about Stagecoach visit http://stagecoachfestival.com.