Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival

81-800 Avenue 51

Tens of thousands of people trek to the middle of the desert for the Coachella Music Festival two weekends in April. Their line ups have included iconic band reunions from the likes of Iggy and the Stooges, Pixies and Portishead and even a reincarnation of Tupac with hologram technology. Popular headliners aside, the festival is most known to pack the three days (and now two weekends) with indie favorites like Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Modest Mouse and M83 as well as deserving newcomers like Portugal. The Man, DIIV and Wild Nothing. Electronic music has given rise to it’s own tent with the likes of David Guetta, Kaskade, Nicky Romero and Pretty Lights behind the decks. Festival fashion takes its own spotlight and abstract art installations dot the grounds as well as the sky. The pictured balloon chains are as much of a symbol for the festival as the ferris wheel and palm tree lined skyline.

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California's Coachella Music Festival Canvas

Tens of thousands of people trek to the middle of the desert for the Coachella Music Festival two weekends in April. Their line ups have included iconic band reunions from the likes of Iggy and the Stooges, Pixies and Portishead and even a reincarnation of Tupac with hologram technology. Popular headliners aside, the festival is most known to pack the three days (and now two weekends) with indie favorites like Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Modest Mouse and M83 as well as deserving newcomers like Portugal. The Man, DIIV and Wild Nothing. Electronic music has given rise to it’s own tent with the likes of David Guetta, Kaskade, Nicky Romero and Pretty Lights behind the decks. Festival fashion takes its own spotlight and abstract art installations dot the grounds as well as the sky. The pictured balloon chains are as much of a symbol for the festival as the ferris wheel and palm tree lined skyline.

If You Can't Make it to Burning Man, Coachella May Be the Next Best Thing

Okay, so there isn’t an entire city in the shape of a clock and it’s more about the music than the nothing-but-bacon-camp but, Coachella is still pretty cool. The art structures, music tents, surprise guests, and warm spring desert air make for a fabulous way to spend a weekend. A friend and I made a road trip out of getting there, starting at our home base of San Francisco and making a stop for Mexican food in Palm Springs. We rented a car and got upgraded to a Jeep Wrangler, which was fun to drive through the desert.

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