Baby’s first Coachella

I thought the age of festivals and live music was behind me. But then I went to Coachella and realized all of the difficulties of music festivals can be solved for. When the sun bore down on us in ninety degree weather, I sought shade behind the Record Safari shop or any number of brand activations from American Express to Medicube. The lack of proper plumbing can be addressed by abstaining from alcohol and thus not needing to run to the restroom every hour, lowering the chances of an unpleasant experience. Earplugs were essential, eschewing the risk of tinnitus. The exorbitant food prices were washed away by planning ahead and occasional splurges. I was also lucky to attend with my partner who towered over others, so my personal space was secured at each venue, and I freely saw every artist I planned to see, letting go of any expectations to see everyone. (In previous festivals, I would mill about to see artists I didn’t particularly care for and would have to wait hours. Once I even dropped my outfit into the portable potty.)

I found that the thrill of Coachella came from the unexpected surprises. The artist you’ve never heard of, the one you haven’t thought of in ages, but you just happen to saunter by while they’re in the throes of performance. Taemin, the maknae (youngest member) of the kpop group Shinee, was one such act. I was fully intent on heading over to listen to Nine Inch Noize (the collab between Nine Inch Nails and Boys Noize) but I suddenly found myself taken with Taemin and his choreographed dances. He alternated successfully between 2010s pop idol and a slower, smoother version of himself that flirted with jazz and piano-playing. Although he was definitely located in one of the smaller stages, we reached the front for his set.1

The music scene in Palm Springs, California has been alive and kickin’ for the better half of a century by now, and it seems no amount of automation has taken the joy out of listening to human-crafted melodies, words written with soul, and pole-dancing executed with grit. Coachella itself has been around since 1999, originally as a showcase for bands like Rage Against the Machine but also dance music like Chemical Brothers. I chatted with various Lyft drivers in their 60s and 70s who regularly serve the Coachella crowd. One noted he used to catch iguanas and sell them to the reptile store for $5 a catch in the ‘60s. He recalled seeing Jimi Hendrix for the first time with fondness.

The New York Times pop culture editor Caryn Ganz refers to Coachella as “a master class in marketing, an essential stop on the rollout calendar and, for the first time in a while, actually newsworthy.”

It was a marked shift from how the locals tend to talk about you when you’re in town for Twitchcon or for the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco. How the art district folks in the Mission tend to refer to techies. Going to Coachella might sound unbelievably indulgent to some but it’s also got history, and it’s more cogent to onlookers why you are there. The love of music is universal, whereas maybe selling B2B SaaS or virtual reality is still confusing to people. There was no need to engage in long explanations of what we were doing here; everyone got it.

Standing at attention for hours as artists blasted electronic, pop, or funk between the alternating intense heat, or the cool dark amid sand swirls, was its own gauntlet. I assumed I would be bored or uncomfortable and need to leave early. But I had more than enough stamina for the weekend, something in between preparing my On Running shoes with anti-dust repellent spray and being surrounded by my friends who are artists and creators.

Some sort of alchemy took place when we stood in the crowd to watch modern pop icons Sabrina Carpenter bring out Madonna and sombr invite Billy Idol onstage. A kind of interesting legacy was being passed on right before us. A changing of the guard. The New York Times pop culture editor Caryn Ganz refers to this as “a master class in marketing, an essential stop on the rollout calendar and, for the first time in a while, actually newsworthy.”

As I chat with folks in San Diego, I’m noticing a growing consensus that AI won’t be able to replace human expertise. In the near-term, it’s still worthwhile to build skills like reading, writing, critical thinking, and coding. I’ve been thinking of AI and using it more like a calculator or a word processor and at least in that form, it’s served some pragmatic functions, like navigating the bureaucracy of online drop-down menus or keyword editing.

I’ll be in New York on Sunday and Updater will be back with a more regular update next time around.