Lefsetz on Festivals

All things considered, Lefsetz has a very neutral stance. Not that one takes a "stance" in regards to festivals, but if you've read this guy before you know that he can be very opinionated. Turning his focus on festivals, he makes the point that the promoters are the new sheriffs in town. Taking the vacancy left by the "the label guys". Interesting read:

"So, if you flew all the way to Palm Springs are you a he-man of the universe or a laughable loser? If you went to have a good time, and did, more power to you. But your attendance at Coachella is no longer a badge of honor. Because there no longer are any badges of honor. The scene’s been democratized, it’s positively niche. If you expect those new acts that played at Coachella to break out, I’m laughing. But that’s not what it’s about. It’s just one person’s vision/scene, Paul Tollett’s. Nothing more, nothing less. Despite the hype in the major media, Coachella is not representative of the country at large, never mind the world, it’s not where you break acts, it’s just a scene."
[Lefsetz Letter]

Coachella Recaps @ Ultra8201

For Coachella recaps that don't talk about Paris Hilton sightings, how superior the author's music taste is to the readers' and/or how Kimberly Stewart looked like a crack-whore, look no further than our blogger-in-arms, Ultra 8201. Here's his breakdown:

Coachella Is Here
Phoenix
Day 1 (Sort Of)
Rage Against The Machine - Setlist
The Battle of Coachella

Rage Against the Machine @ Coachella

We weren't there.

01. "Testify"
02. "Bulls On Parade"
03. "People Of The Sun"
04. "Bombtrack"
05. "Bullet In The Head"
06. "Down Rodeo"
07. "Guerrilla Radio"
08. "Renegades Of Funk"
09. "Calm Like A Bomb"
10. "Sleep Now In The Fire"
11. "Wake Up"
12. "Freedom"
13. "Killing In The Name"

Snap.

Coachella Set Times

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Coachella: Staying Put & Sold Out. Bonnaroo: On Sale 2.23.07.

Coachella 2007
From Billboard.com:

In a first, the 2007 edition of the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival is officially sold out in advance, more than two months prior to its April 27-29 engagement at Empire Polo Field in Indio, Calif. And despite rumors to the contrary, Coachella will remain at the palatial desert venue for the foreseeable future, according to Goldenvoice co-founder Paul Tollett, who books the festival.

One of the key reasons: Goldenvoice committed to a second event at the Polo Field, the country festival Stagecoach, which will launch the weekend after Coachella. "There are rumors about that whole area being developed for houses and golf courses," he tells Billboard.com. "We said we'd make this commitment to them, but please don't make houses here, and it worked."

Bonnaroo 2007
[Photo Credit: Bonnaroo @ MySpace]

The fact that Tool is playing an additional live date at a venue that encourages long, big performances will bring in a lot of their fanbase, particularly those that missed their most recent run. The fact the Police are reuniting and this may be the easiest way to get a reasonable ticket outside of the Ticketbastard feeding frenzy and subsequent outrageous scalping means that Bonnaroo tickets are going to go quick. Note that the prices gradually increase. Early bird gets the worm. The following info is straight from Bonnaroo.com.

Tickets for the 2007 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival go on sale Friday, February 23, 2007 at 12:00 PM EST through BonnarooTickets.com.

TICKETS
Tickets for 2007 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival are priced at three levels.
The first tickets will be priced at a special rate of $184.50 each. There is a limited allotment of tickets at this price. When the first allotment is sold out, ticket prices will increase without notice to $199.50 and then again without notice to $214.50.

*All tickets are 4-day weekend passes, which include camping and parking (except for RVs, and other oversized vehicles, which will require an additional pass, see below).

*Prices do not include service and shipping charges.

*Service charges are $21.85 PER TICKET. This includes a $3 fee for Coffee County, $6 Facility Fee, and $1 for charity.

*You will be offered two shipping options: UPS 2nd Day Air- No Signature Required for $10.00 per order OR UPS Second-Day Air Signature Required for $12.00. Shipping costs for International Orders vary based on the country to which the order is being shipped.

*There is a limit of 10 tickets per order.

IMPORTANT: ALL TICKETS WILL BE SHIPPED ON Wednesday, May 30, 2007. PLEASE REMEMBER TO HAVE YOUR TICKETS SHIPPED TO AN ADDRESS WHERE YOU OR YOUR AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE WILL BE IN EARLY JUNE.

Guard your tickets carefully - just like cash! There will be ABSOLUTELY NO REISSUES for lost or stolen tickets! These tickets are like your children, except they won't ask you to put them through college. Please visit the website regularly for updated information about 2007 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival. Please visit your dentist regularly for updated information about your incisors.

The ticket will be a specially designed souvenir ticket, unique to the 2007 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival. Incidentally, your ticket will also make you more popular with the opposite sex and appear seven years younger. You will be notified via email as to precisely when the tickets will be shipped.

ALL SALES ARE FINAL. The 2007 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival will take place RAIN OR SHINE. All acts advertised have confirmed their appearance at the 2007 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival; however, acts are subject to change without notice.

Preparing for Coachella

I don't know if InMyTree is planning this year's Coachella trip but last year's on-site drunken Blackberry posts were instant classics. If you're considering the trip, our friend in bloggerdom, Ultra2801, has gone above and beyond with MySpace links to every band performing. Check it out, there are bound to be some hidden gems in here. He's done the work so you don't have to.

Coachella 2007 Lineup

[Official Site]
[Ticketbastard]

Rage Against the Machine: Coachella Primer

If you can't tell. I'm a little bit excited. Tool last year. Rage this year. Just a little bit pumped. Just a touch. Trying to figure out some logistics. Formalities. You know the deal.

"Bulls on Parade"

"Bombtrack"

"Renegades of Funk"

"Testify"

"Guerilla Radio"

"Freedom"

"People of the Sun"

"Calm Like a Bomb"

"War Within a Breath"

Rage Against the Machine Expected to Re-Unite @ This Year's Coachella

Los Angeles Times
"Rage Against the Machine, the seminal L.A. band that made heavy music into political manifesto, will reunite after a seven-year lull for one show as the headliners at the 2007 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.

"Sources say Rage, which played the main stage at the first Coachella in 1999, will be joined by other familiar faces for the eighth edition of the festival, which covers three days this year and begins April 27: Red Hot Chili Peppers, which headlined in 2003, are back, as is Björk, who topped the bill in 2002.

"Organizers were mum this weekend and it was not clear which day Rage or the other acts were slotted to play; that announcement is expected in the next few days. Other acts expected in the eclectic lineup: Arcade Fire, Interpol, Willie Nelson, the Roots, Manu Chao, the Decemberists, Arctic Monkeys, Sonic Youth, Crowded House, Air, Tiësto and Kings of Leon.

"Tickets go on sale Saturday, via Ticketmaster. Three-day passes will cost about $250 and there will be a limited number of single-day passes available." [LA Times]

Pitchfork
"OK folks, stay calm. CALM LIKE A BOMB that is, because the only rap-rock band we actually remember (somewhat) fondly is back. That's right, as reported by the Los Angeles Times and confirmed by the festival's organizers, Rage Against the Machine will come out of retirement to play the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, taking place April 27-29 at Empire Polo Field in Indio, California.

"Rage will headline the festival's final night, April 29, while Björk will headline on Friday, April 27 and the Red Hot Chili Peppers on Saturday, April 28. (Ugh, why do the Red Hot Chili Peppers always have to come around and ruin these sorts of things?)

"Other awesome artists confirmed to play Coachella: the Arcade Fire, Interpol, Willie Nelson, the Roots, Manu Chao, the Decemberists, Arctic Monkeys, Sonic Youth, and Air. Other debatably awesome artists confirmed to play Coachella: Crowded House, Tiësto, and Kings of Leon.

"And although the festival hasn't officially announced it yet, !!!, LCD Soundsystem, and Lupe Fiasco are also playing Coachella, as we've gathered from previous news stories."
[Pitchfork: Amy Phillips Is Still Useless]

Arma-Fucking-Geddon

Coachella is now a three day event. April 27 - April 29. 2007. Year of our lord. Get some.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Gold Lion" (Live @ Coachella 2006)