Everybody wants to get sweaty and thrown about like a rag doll at one of the country’s most famous music festivals, but with the ticket price, traffic and crowded quarters, is the 2014 Coachella lineup worth it? By dissecting the bands, the prices you might normally pay and the added pain and suffering getting to, through and home from the festival, we’ll answer one of life’s toughest questions for you.
When you break down the cost of the festival, you have to assume you’ll pay $375 for entry, then either another $68 for camping or up to another $300-400 for lodging. All this together – plus food and drink – is something of a deal IF you happen to be a fan of most of the acts coming through and plan to see them all. Although the lineup is impressive, it tastes a bit overdone and could probably stand for some more classic rock ‘n’ roll. Fans of electronica and solo songstresses will be pleased, but if you were born before 1980 and came to get nostalgic, you might be a tad resentful.
Having a look at the best of the lineup, decide if you can find ten – give or take – acts you’re excited to see. Otherwise, the traffic, tickets and bartering weed for water might not be worth heat exhaustion in the middle of the desert. Let’s get into it, shall we?
Outkast
Is it time to party like it’s 1999 again? Fatboy Slim and Outkast returning as two headliners for the festival is a little lackluster but does provide some excitement. It would be wrong to say Andre 3000 and Big Boi won’t be welcomed with open, weed-toting arms for the first time in seven years, but those are somewhat small potatoes for one of the country’s biggest festivals. Expect a live band and hopefully some guest appearances, but this pales in comparison to Prince, Paul and some of the other headliners of Coachella’s past.
Skrillex & Girl Talk
Drugs and loud noise. Drugs and loud noise. That’s what the kids love. These two acts alone are enough to drop all the panties of Southern California, so don’t expect to get the best standing spot in the house. Keep in mind, though, that there’s likely no other place you’ll get to see these two acts in one weekend in California’s lovely early summertime weather.
Muse & Arcade Fire
These bands come in with a certain energy that could carry the festival in terms of rock ‘n roll, albeit it’s not what the old fogies were hoping for, but it’s still pretty impressive. We could sit around all day and talk about who the festival could have gotten, or we could sack up and be happy they managed to get these acts, even though it feels like a repeat of previous festivals. Oh wait, it is. They were there in 2010 and 2011. Well, welcome back. Let’s get somebody new (but old) next year. Is Led Zeppelin free?
The Replacements & Queens of the Stone Age
Bringing old bands back from the dead is Coachella’s trademark move, but why The Replacements when they could have gotten Pearl Jam in promotion of their new record Lightning Bolt? The Replacements are all right, but they’re like a poor man’s ’90s grunge/alt-rock band.
Queens of the Stone Age, however, will likely blow the doors off the joint while they drop a few new live ones on the kids from their latest album. Could the festival have done a smidge better? Maybe, but getting a classic dirty rock band to play your festival is probably a chore, not to mention a butt-ton of cash.
Beck & Pharrell
If you were going to catch the best in singer/songwriters, Beck would clearly be one of the best answers, unless Jeff Buckley’s hologram is planning an appearance. Since Beck’s new album Morning Phase will drop in late February, the timing couldn’t be better to get out to see him.
And Pharrell Williams is nothing if not the black Beck, small and charismatic in a unique way for the genre he’s in. They’re both like little stuffed animals you want to squeeze and make music come out.
Beady Eye & Broken Bells
Here’s a pleasantly surprising name on the list, Beady Eye, which is essentially Oasis sans Noel Gallagher in the U.S. for the first time in years, and it’s their only current North American tour date thus far in support of their second newly released album BE. We should be so lucky.
Additionally, with a sophomore album out mid-January, Broken Bells is the best/only worthy alternative to having The Shins show up, so this will be a nice treat for people who like good music. While we’re on the topic, anybody who doesn’t know these bands should be put down.
Foster the People, Empire of the Sun & Grouplove
The middle-fame bands of the moment that you could probably see for 25 bucks each will guest the stage this summer to pull up the weight for the lack of big rock names. With bands like The Killers, Pearl Jam and Jack Johnson on the road with new records, it’s a letdown they didn’t make the bill, but expect some quality new music from these semi-new bands of the moment, especially Grouplove.
MGMT, The Knife & Sleigh Bells
MGMT has earned their spot in almost any festival as they continue to promote their latest album, so expect them to go for all the wildness of the festival.
But who the fuck is The Knife and why are they headlining? It’s just another electro-pop duo, maybe a bit overdone when the festival already has the biggest acts set to appear. In addition to Sleigh Bells, the electric pop daisies will be over the hill, but Coachella is starting to show a large move away from rock with the introduction of so much noise.
Lorde & Lana del Rey
They’re sexy gals with a little groove, but is Coachella the right forum for these lovely ladies? Why not! Every girl and gay man in the desert will be tickled every shade of the rainbow when they get to see both of these talented women perform their sets. It’s a refreshing sidestep for the festival as it brings in a little bit of everybody, along with their big hats.
Conclusion
All in all, it seems like Coachella 2014 is packing enough punch to draw in the crowds, as it may lack incredibly astounding acts, but it provides just what a good festival should — quality bands who are current, strong and can entertain a crowd with their music alone. Yes, the traffic and cost can be a bitch, but that’s all part of the experience.
So in our expert opinion, it will be worth the trip to take your Coachella tickets, pack up the car with your friends, and go on a musical weekend road trip. The festival is sold out, so if you don’t have tickets and this article has convinced you you need them, you’ll probably have to overpay a stranger, steal from a friend or, as a last resort, give handies to the first guy who offers you a spare pass. Still worth it.
