Those of you who read the 2005 live from Coachella last year will be in for a treat as we add a whole cast of new voices for 2006. Three of our veteran Coachella bloggers are back (Bruce Fessier, Kevin Broadie, and Richard Guzmán), and Nick Bolland you may recognize from the ShortFest 2005 Festiblog. We’re introducing two new voices this year, the ladies of the Funkadelic Blog Machine, Maggie Downs and Nelsy Rodriguez. Watch for photos, our comments live from the festival with thoughts on anything and everything Coachella, and new this year, comments from our mystery blogger…
Complete coverage




The load out
May 01, 03:15 a.m.
The festival has come and gone and it was a great time -- until the end of the night.

2 things:

1. Trying to force every person at the entire festival out of the grounds through only one 20-foot gate is an extremely difficult task..

2. If you are going to put up giant yellow balloons with numbers on them in the parking lot to give festivalgoers a landmark to help find their cars amongst the sea of vehicles -- you should leave them there until AFTER the parking lot is empty

We were quite surprised to return to the parking lot and find our giant yellow 3 missing. We could have spent the whole night there if we hadn't gotten lucky and found one of our cars.

Other than that the festival was great, looking forward to next year already!!

---

Tool
May 01, 00:46 a.m.
By Jay Calderon

---

Massive Attack
May 01, 00:46 a.m.
By Jay Calderon

---

Paul Oakenfold
May 01, 00:44 a.m.
By Jay Calderon

---

My opinion on Madonna.
May 01, 00:11 a.m.
A fan said it and I agree with it."Madonna Killed Coachella." Coachella is about today and tomorrow, not yesterday. It's about what's happening now and who will be IT next. It's not about the material girl and her tired act. It's about the music and the vibe that comes from discovering something new. It's not a memory of an old has-been, it's the guitar in the garage and the next big thing. Madonna, stay on VH1, where you're used to be seen.

---

Yeah Yeah Ya's Too Loud!
May 01, 00:06 a.m.
This was cute.

---

My Madonna
May 01, 00:02 a.m.
oh wait, forgot to add what Madonna meant to Coachella to me. She was the first song I learned to carry a tune to, even my dad, who couldn't easily speak in english, whistled what she was singing. Borderline. Like a Virgin, Just like a prayer, Spanish... too many to go on/ Richie's byting at the bit for the comp.
P:lease Madonna, what's it like to live in a castle? What do you call your chambermaids?
And for the love of god please tell me you kept some of that great black lace.

---

nite
April 30, 11:57 p.m.
I'm out. Not actually out, but in the uncaged section of Coachella.
VIP serves great bar tenders, the skinniest of the skinnies and a couple steps above the whordes and whordes of people. But what it don't give you is the sticky heat of bein in a crowd at a show you want to see.
nelsy

---

Tesla Coils are Sweet!
April 30, 11:46 p.m.
Photo by Marilyn Chung

---

Much more Madonna
April 30, 11:45 p.m.
Photos by James Ku and Michelle Yee

---

adios amigos
April 30, 11:38 p.m.
buenas noches Coachella! Has anyone seen my tent?

---

Tool live
April 30, 11:26 p.m.
Tool's kicking a$$. Many years since they've played last and they invite the staggering crowd to an "intimate" performance.
Even from the brightly lit white media tent, I feel like I'm listening to the sound I heard on the weekend I drove down with a similarly smiling friend on our way to consider UCSB. Damn fine dance program.
Anyway, if you like Tool, you'd be wanting to get out there as quickly as me.

---

Armed and potentially dangerous
April 30, 11:09 p.m.
They're still out there, looking hard.

---

Tool has just taken the stage
April 30, 11:04 p.m.
The closing act on the main stage....stay tuned for photos

---

Riot Police
April 30, 10:49 p.m.
About 20-30 riot police have gathered in the VIP section of the Coachella Fest before Tool gets up on stage. They say that they want to make sure that when the concert is over things end smoothly.

---

More Madonna photos
April 30, 10:02 p.m.
By Michelle Yee

---

Madonna photos
April 30, 9:25 p.m.
By Michelle Yee





More coming shortly...

---

More on Madonna
April 30, 9:17 p.m.
There was more people outside the tent trying to get in than people inside the tent.

She asked the crowd "How does my ass look?" and tore her pants off!

---

Madonna was ABSOLUTELY CRAZY
April 30, 9:10 p.m.
People were litereally hanging off the rafters in the Sahara Tent.

She bloody yelled at the crowd to quit throwing water at her face.

A few small skirmishes also broke out in the crowd.

--Monica Torline

---

Nightfalls on Coachella
April 30, 8:56 p.m.
As the sun started to set at Coachella, Digable Planets gave birth to hip hop again. Adam Winkel, 29, and his girlfriend, Paula Mantle, 20, of San Francisco arrived at Coachella as Digable Planets made their home on the Outdoor Theater stage singing anything from "Spaces and Places We Fly" to "A Nickel Bag of Funk."
"I just wanted to take it easy," Winkel said. "We got here 20 minutes ago to eat, soak in the music and to see Digable Planets and Tool later on. We're lucky the sun has gone down now."

But it was the Sahara Tent that seemed to attract the largest festival crowd with or without the presence of the sun. I think everyone including Jesus flocked to the tent to see the quintessential pop icon take over the stage. It got so crowded, some people left because they couldn't see the performance. I know because I'm one of them.

Madonna proved in the end that she still has the power to pack a house regardless of how popular the other lineups may be. After all, she didn't wear that cone-shaped bra back in the day for nothing.

---

Sleater-Kinney
April 30, 8:40 p.m.
Performed on the Coachella Stage.

Photo by Ramon Mena Owens

---

The Main Stage...
April 30, 8:28 p.m.
...is practically empty -- the majority of the crowd has drifted towards the Sahara Tent to try and catch a peek at Madonna

IT'S PACKED over there

---

Overheard
April 30, 7:53 p.m.
A girl in a very short skirt to another, "Is there a VIP line for the bathroom?"

---

More dough for less
April 30, 7:28 p.m.
The demise of American currency comes to us in the unassuming form of a churro.
Soft dough, white and brown sugar - $1.50, right?
Nope.
$4.
It's called inflation people, look it up.

---

Can you hear me now?
April 30, 7:18 p.m.
Maybe more congested than the jungle dome with hanging vines and spraying water are the air waves. Radio stations announced Saturday that though cell phones would get no reception on site, text messaging was said to be working fine. Not exactly so, 25-year-old Nina Guglielmana said.
Delayed text messages separated her from her friend, so imagine her surprise when her cell phone actually rang.
"Seeing as the snowglobe was pretty hot and humid much like a locker room and less like a snowglobe, I sought refuge under the big medal thing and got reception," the San Francisco woman said.
But Guglielmana cut the call short. She didn't want her friend who bailed on the festival to mooch the sounds from her cell phone.

---

Festival footwear
April 30, 7:09 p.m.
Really ladies? Heels? At an outdoor festival?
"It's so stupid," said 23-year-old Melanie Nahas of Sydney, Australia, as she relaxed her dirt-stained toes under a tent of shade. "I hope they sink in the grass."
No stiletto casualties to report, but one boisterous shout out to the women in the fierce six-inch platform goth boots. Rocking it even from way in the back of the crowd.
Another one to Nahas whose pink-crushed jump suit and bulbous orange glasses made her glow in the sun light.
And remember ladies:
Bikini tops = hot.
Bikini bottoms = grass where you don't want it.

---

You down with VIP? Yeah you know me
April 30, 6:33 p.m.
While the masses battle for crums of shade, those in the VIP area listen to the show in style. There are pretend-leather couches throughout and plenty of shady areas to lounge on. Fans blow mists of water throughout and some of the restrooms are even air conditioned. It's a place where the pretty and the famous are seen. Sometimes, even pretty famous stars like Danny DeVito hang out there. The Hollywood star walked around like regular folk ordering food from the vendors and hanging by the grassy hill. It's also where the musicians are interviewed and even some that aren't on the bill can be seen, like Control Machete DJ Toy and Audio Slave drummer Brad Wilk. But who else hangs out in the VIP area? And what did they have to do to get here? Find out all you ever wanted to know and some stuff you didn't about the VIP area by logging on to thedesertsun.com and clicking on the "One Night Stands" podcast Monday. My sidekick Nelsy and I will give you the skinny on the VIP.

---

Los Amigos Invisibles
April 30, 6:09 p.m.
Played on the Coachella Stage

Photos by Ramon Mena Owens

---

Some fans having fun
April 30, 6:06 p.m.
Photos by Ramon Mena Owens

---

The funniest thing I've heard all day
April 30, 5:38 p.m.
Some girl on a cell phone just came up to the media tent and asked if this was the Outdoor Stage -- Priceless!!!

---

Metric
April 30, 5:27 p.m.
Played in the Mojave Tent

Photos by Michelle Yee

---

James Blunt
April 30, 5:00 p.m.
Performed in the Mojave Tent

Photos by Michelle Yee and Ramon Mena Owens

---

Ted Leo
April 30, 4:43 p.m.
Even while wearing all white, Ted Leo dripped with sweat on the Outdoor Theatre stage in the blazing afternoon sun.

He wiped his brow and joked about a fellow musician who was performing at the same time, but under the cover of the Mojave Tent.

"I'm so jealous of James Blunt right now," Leo said.

He stopped to tune his guitar and played a few chords from Daft Punk's "One More Time."

"Did anyone see that s#@& last night?" Leo said, then shook his head. "Amazing."

---

Madonna anyone?
April 30, 4:36 p.m.
Patricia Minnich, 25, of Dana Point, stood patiently as James Blunt rocked a new tune no one had ever heard before in the Mojave tent. She was away from the crowd but close enough to let the music infuse her body. I just knew James was her man, but to my surprise, Minnich was just killing time.

"I'm here for Madonna and Tool," Minnich said with beads of sweat running down her face. Don't worry James Blunt, I still think "you're beautiful."

---

Freestylin' with The Murs
April 30, 4:25 p.m.
Murs in the Gobi Tent rocked the stage as its frontman freestyled, rolling the hip hop lyrics so delicately off his tongue like butter, "I'm at Coachella tryin' to make some friends . . . I'm a really good dude but a very bad man."

The Murs took me back to a style of hip hop I haven't heard since high school in someone's basement but when they switched gears to perform the song, "Silly Girl" about a girl who thinks it's cool to wait to have sex, I thought, OK, they're really about to say something of substance here until I heard them say, "If you wait too long, the milk goes sour." I had to shake my head, because that line was just ridiculous!

---

Half Naked Women
April 30, 4:08 p.m.
Wow, if my mother only knew some of the things that I've seen today at Coachella. Women, no older than 21 walking around in skimpy underwear with confidence too. That's right, there's no shame in their game and there are tons of men with their shirts off as if they are working with a six pack. I guess since women can't go topless like their male counterparts, wearing nothing but panties will have to do.

---

At least 50 percent water
April 30, 3:57 p.m.
Yes, Ben Guerechit, Fran Michelena and Brandon Swanson were hot. Yes, they were thirsty. No, they were not happy about having to throw out the seven sealed bottles of water at the gate Sunday morning.
"You pay $200 for tickets," San Diego resident Michelena said. "They should give you a voucher for some water."
Saturday they were allowed to bring in sealed drinks, they said. But today their self-hydration was refused.
Now they were thirsty and plotting.
"I'm not going to drink water all day," Seattle resident Guerechit said. "Hopefully I'll pass out."
"Then you can sue them," conspired Monterey resident Swanson."

---

Nature Boy??
April 30, 3:54 p.m.
I wrote a story for Monday's Desert Sun about the overnight campers at Coachella. I camped out overnight with them and everyone I talked to really liked sleeping under the stars at night. It seems music fans love to camp. Well, I'm not one of those music fans. I hate camping. My $9 tent was advertised as being 5 by 6 foot but it was more like 4 by 5 so I ended up in the fetal position most of the night. I forgot a pillow so I had to use my bag to rest my head but for some reason I decided not to take the pens out of it so it made for a real comfortale headrest. I only slept for about two hours but it seemed that everyone else around me was out like a light since the guy camping next to me was snoring like a locamotive. I was awaken from my short sleep at 7:30 a.m. by a long hot slap from the sun as it blistered through my tent, locking me in a virtual microwave. I couldn't stay inside any longer and the Coachella doors didn't open until 11 a.m. so I wondered the fields like a lost child for nearly two hours. Next year, I'm camping at home, under a real roof.

---

Island to desert
April 30, 3:49 p.m.
Sweat running down the length of his spine, 26-year-old Ronald Rivera of San Juan Puerto Rico swivled his hips. Sweat pooled in the small of his back where a minute pair of nude-colored nylon shorts clung to his darkening skin.
"This is what we came for," he said of the heat, the drinks and the lineup. Los Amigos Invisibles in his ears now, later it will be the Scissor Sisters and Madonna. "I love everything."

---

Hot and cold
April 30, 3:45 p.m.
Surrounded by white dust and enormous decorative snowflakes, Roberta Gitten's watermellon and black cherry snow cone was melting.
"I was so disappointed," she said in the snow dome, one of four depicting the seasons, of which we get very little in the Coachella Valley. "I thought that they were very good in concept but I thought this was going to be freezing cold and I thought that was so important."
Dome decorator, Keith Greco, said Sunday at the feestival that he would open the freezer, which will fill the snowglobe dome down, in the second half of the day when cooler temperatures wouldn't suffocate the cold air.

---

Los Amigos
April 30, 3:44 p.m.
I thought Kinky was the best Latin band I've seen on the main stage but today, Los amigos Invicibles blew them away. Mixing all kinds of music like bossa nova, hip-hop, rock and dance Los Amigos had the crowd dancing in the middle of the afternoon heat. Most in the audience knew the words to every song and the band perfectly recreated their album sound on a live stage, which is not easy to do for a band as diverse as Amigos Invicibles.

---

Bluntly ridiculous
April 30, 3:39 p.m.
Brit singer-guitarist James Blunt sang his huge hit, "You're Beautiful," as the third song of a tepid set in the hot, humid Mojave Tent Sunday afternoon. Surprisingly, few people left when he was done.
Blunt introduced his subsequent number as "a song from the '70s you've probably never heard before. And if you're lucky, you'll probably never hear it again."
He was right on both counts

---

Burn and Murs
April 30, 3:36 p.m.
Moving slowly around the exterior of the Gobi Tent a pack of Cathedral City Police eyed the crowd. They were following a smell - a very distinct smell. Murs featuring 9th Wonder rapping into the mike that he works hard, "God damn hard." Sweaty heads bumped back and forth in agreement, they work hard too, they seemed to be saying.
The police were working too, to no avail. They missed the pair of bare-backed men lighting a small, purple, glass pipe about 10 feet in front of them. They missed the two in dark shirts slinked on the side of the tent burning a chubby joint. They missed the single guy sucking the last of a browned roach behind them.
Or maybe they weren't looking for pot.
"It's ridiculous," said 25-year-old Trish Reineccius of San Jose who was not smoking marijuana. "I don't think that there's a point. We know how to hide it."
As the police continued their slow patrol the barebacked boys zoned into Murs, the dark pair melted into the side of the tent.
Murs growled, "I work hard," and the crowd agreed.

---

Mates of State
April 30, 2:59 p.m.
Performed at the Outdoor Theatre

Photos by Michelle Yee

---

Got Blackberry?
April 30, 2:22 p.m.
This year the most popular accessory seems to be the Blackberry -- complete with hands-free earpiece.

They are almost popular as tattoos -- well, not quite that popular

---

The temperature is rising
April 30, 1:50 p.m.
But the crowd in the Gobi Tent doesn't seem to mind -- Murs and his DJ 9th Wonder have got the crowd worked into a frenzy and the tent is packed all the way to the back.

It feels warmer than yesterday already -- and another day without a cloud in the sky.

---

Hell
April 30, 1:13 p.m.
I wore black today, what was I thinking? It's hotter than hell out here and I'm just getting started. I envy everyone in shorts right now. People are insane to be out here in the sun but the music is worth it! Rock on party people!

---

Disco balls everywhere
April 30, 1:01 p.m.
The Sahara tent has more mirrored disco balls than "Solid Gold".

I stopped counting after 20........

---

Rumored Madonna setlist for tonight
April 30, 12:14 p.m.
Hung Up
Get Together
I Love NY
Ray of Light
Let it will Be
Everybody

---

Oakenfold likes to play indoors
April 30, 12:12 p.m.
Electronica star Paul Oakenfold chose to play in the big Sahara Tent today after his experience at the 2002 Coachella Festival -- where he was almost blown off the stage.
“We played on the main stage and the wind was so bad it was blowing the needle off the record,” he told me. “I went through quite a traumatic situation. Apart from the needle being blown off the record a few times, the big black curtain behind me actually blew over my records. One time I turned around and couldn't see my records. I had to literally
crawl under the curtain, drag my records back to the other side of the curtain while performing in front of 20,000 people. But what was strange was the crowd saw what I was going through and really went with it. I think to a certain extent they understood exactly what I was going through.”
The mix master will introduce original material from his forthcoming CD, “A Lively Mind,” in a set just before Madonna at 6 p.m. today. I’m looking forward to his track with actress Brittany Murphy singing with “American Idol”-like sultry expertise on “Faster Kill Pussycat.” That should be on more radio stations this summer than Oakenfold’s last reworking of Elvis Presley’s “Rubbernecking.”

---

Five things to do to improve Coachella
April 30, 11:53 a.m.
*Add electronic foot massagers. After 12 hours on your feet – walking maybe 10 miles in a day and standing in line for hours – the festival’s most popular attraction might be those vibrating machines you see at county fairs. Or they could create another long line increasing the demand for foot massages.

*Set up low density footlights a hundred yards or so from the Coachella Stage. We’re tired of stepping on people passed out on the lawn. Create at least a couple paths lined with footlights so people can walk and rest in peace.

*Improve the stage lighting in the Mojave Tent. It’s hard enough to see the band when there are a thousand people in front of you, but when there’s more light behind the bandstand than in front of it, you can’t see any of the artists’ features. Let those performers shine!

*Hire more Coachella Valley residents as event staffers on the street. I’ve been coming to the Empire Polo Club for 25 years and I still get confused in those crowds. I asked a couple staffers how to get to Madison and they replied, “I don’t know.” “Where you from?” I countered. “Los Angeles,” both of them said.

*Hire real massagers. I know you can’t put masseurs in tents with tables. That would probably have to be licensed by the government agency that monitors lap dancing. But a 10-minute massage for $10 on a head rest, like they have in malls, would be excellent.

---

It's HOT today
April 30, 11:47 a.m.
Definitely can tell the temperature is up already -- it feels pretty muggy too.

It's gonna be a hot one today so bring the sunscreen and be prepared to drink plenty of water. Stay hydrated or you're gonna regret it!

Take a break during the heat of the afternoon -- try and find some lounging space in one of the tents -- come nightfall you'll be glad you did.

---

Getting out
April 30, 11:30 a.m.
Can be rather difficult -- tonight is gonna be even worse with the additional traffic from everyone leaving the campground.

ALL traffic was routed North from ALL the parking lots --- no way to exit to the South at all.

The quickest route is to sit patiently in traffic heading North, then take the first opportunity to turn left--which last night was 48th.

Traffic moving East and West was smooth --- so I suggest either heading West to Jefferson or Washington and taking that North to the 10.

Monroe is bad the entire way to the 10 since most people are just following the cars in front of them --- avoid Monroe if you can and you'll be glad you did.

---

Saturday night highs
April 30, 11:27 a.m.
*Franz Ferdinand performing “Walk Away.” The Scottish band has a lot of catchy songs from just two albums, but the sound gets a little redundant after a while. “Walk Away,” from “You Could Have It So Much Better,” expresses a guy’s recovery from the sting of rejection with literary skill. The chorus says it succinctly: “I love the sound of you walking away. Why don’t you walk away. Won’t you walk away?”

*The pulse of Depeche Mode. These electronic giants emphasized their older songs and selected a lot of slower tempo material. But the throbbing pulse was constant and it kept the crowd moving like a subliminal undertow. David Gahan spent a lot of time without a shirt, recalling a past moment on the Coachella Stage with Iggy Pop. But his vocals, even when he was just punctuating Martin Gore with an occasional shout, didn’t waste a single sound. Deviating from Coachella custom, these guys performed three encores, ending with an infectious “Never Let Me Down Again.”

---

Good morning Coachella!
April 30, 10:34 a.m.
It's 82 degrees this morning in Coachella. Humidity is at 41% and the UV index is 5, which is considered moderate. But, expect it to heat up quickly today to a high of 98 degrees. You'll definitley want to bring a hat and sunscreen.

---

Richard......
April 30, 08:43 a.m.
Time to wake up....

---

So Cold, So Alone
April 29, 11:47 p.m.
I might be forced into a one night stand of my own.

When my friend forgot his ticket back at my place, I loaned him my car to go get it. And I haven't been able to touch base with him since.

I know he's over in the Sahara Tent, watching Daft Punk right now.

But do you know how many people are in that tent with him? About 84,000. And it's dark.

This is hopeless. I'm going to have to find some kind soul to share a sleeping bag with me.

---

Camping time!!!
April 29, 11:42 p.m.
I’m going camping!!!!! I have my $9 children’s tent, and my *
$8 sleeping bag and James Ku by my side. We’re going to capture the craziness of staying overnight at Coachella!

Nelsy and I will be podcasting from the festival tomorrow night so make sure you check out One Night Stands on Monday to hear what happens.

---

Depeche Mode
April 29, 11:19 p.m.
Photos by José Omar Ornelas

---

The Forbidden Om
April 29, 10:54 p.m.
I had no idea what was going on inside the Lucent Misting Oasis (or wet cardboard jungle, whatever you want to call it). When I entered to find out I was even more confused. It was a Cirque de Something show, complete with suggestive dancing and skimpy clothing.











The show is called 'The Forbidden Om' performed by (this is how they capitalize their name) The Do LaB featuring LucEnt dosSier Vaudeville Cirque.

---

Funny
April 29, 10:38 p.m.
Another great T-shirt in the crowd:

"I bet you're here for Tool."

---

Surprise Guest
April 29, 10:36 p.m.
The crowd at the Outdoor Theatre was getting testy. The hometown band, Eagles of Death Metal were more than 20 minutes late getting on stage.
"Give us a show, sound check man!" screamed one loudmouth in the crowd to the guy who kept fiddling with the equipment.
"Give us Eagles!" yelled another.
Finally a round little guy waddled on stage.
"Hey Coachella!" he said.
The sound of Danny DeVito's voice was unmistakable.
"I'm so happy to introduce this band," he said, gesturing to the members of the band walking on stage.
The crowd cheered with wild appreciation.

---

Franz Ferdinand
April 29, 9:22 p.m.
Photos by José Omar Ornelas

---

Imogen Heap
April 29, 9:00 p.m.
I was introduced to her music only a week ago and wasn't sure what to expect live. Her vocals are very synth-chorus heavy, which to me meant she's probably covering up her bad voice; I was wrong. The effect is used to compliment her music (possibly her message, It was hard to make out what she was singing about above the screaming fans) and implimented with a 15" Powerbook she controls above her keyboard.

She sang a new song, don't remember the title, and forgot the lyrics to the second verse. The music stopped, she admitted her mistake, the crowd cheered and laughed, then she remembered and picked up where she left off. It was a very cute and human moment, reminding me how much more I enjoy music as an event and not a commodity.

---

More Crowd Photos
April 29, 8:35 p.m.
Photos by JosŽ Omar Ornelas

---

More crowd photos
April 29, 8:15 p.m.
Marilyn Chung

---

The sun has gone down...
April 29, 7:47 p.m.
...and the fest is PACKED!

Long lines for everything -- food, drinks, bathroom -- you name it

Everyone is having a great time though!!!

---

T-shirts
April 29, 7:36 p.m.
There's a lot of music-inspired fashion here -- mostly of the basic concert tee variety.

But my favorite, by far, is hilarious to anyone familiar with the work of Interpol and She Wants Revenge.

It reads, "Interpol Wants Revenge."

---

Trance beats
April 29, 7:34 p.m.
Music blasted from the various stages at the Coachella Music Festival, but inside the Lucent Misting Oasis Tent, dancers were in a world of their own. It was a post-apocalyptic world inspired by jungle beats and animalistic moves. About 50 dancers and performers from the Lucent Hossier and The Do Lab performed dance and acrobatic routines to the tribal beats of DJ Imagika. Dressed in revealing jungle themed threads, they twisted and turned to the fast beats as the crowd joined in the dance. “What we are trying to create is a jungle mood,” said producer Jesse Fleming. With cardboard trees, vines and barely dressed dancers inside the circular tent, there was a trance-like mood in the jungle.

---

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
April 29, 7:32 p.m.
Photos by Marilyn Chung

---

The Duke Spirit
April 29, 7:31 p.m.
Photos by Marilyn Chung

---

Beautiful Boy
April 29, 7:21 p.m.
In the VIP section, Sean Lennon sat cross-legged in the grass, relaxing with friends.

He said he came to the festival with no expectations about which acts he should catch.

"But now that I'm here, I really want to see Devandra Banhart and Sigor Ros," he said.

The two acts overlap by about a half hour and are located across the grounds from one another, probably why Lennon wore his orange running shoes.

---

Five things overheard at Coachella
April 29, 6:53 p.m.
“Does it look like there’s a trail here?” – a guy to a girl trying to snake her way to the front of a packed tent.

“It’s not my genre, but I’ll check it out” – a guy on his way to see a band.

“Once you’ve been in there, you have been to Coachella” – a woman talking to another woman in front of a porta-potty.

“You can only get these right here” – a man distributing Coachella schedules, which were everywhere at the Empire Polo Club.

“Want some of this?” – a guy to two girls he had just met.

---

The crowd is havin' a good time!
April 29, 6:41 p.m.
Photos by Kevin Broadie

---

Common and the crowd
April 29, 6:16 p.m.
Photos by José Omar Ornelas

---

Validation
April 29, 5:57 p.m.
Sometimes when I mention my favorite bands to my friends, they give me puzzled or blank looks.

"You listen to the weirdest music," they say. "Nobody else listens to this stuff."

That's why it's so validating to be here at a festival with like-minded people who enjoy similar music as me.

And yet, it can be frustrating as hell, like just now when I couldn't make my way into the Mojave tent to see Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. The crowd was packed so thick and tight, a snake couldn't wiggle into that space.

---

Temperature update:
April 29, 5:41 p.m.
Starting to cool down finally -- down to 85 now and even cooler in front of the Comfort Cool!!!

Forecast is for temperature to dip to a low of 66 by 5 a.m. -- so all you campers be sure to bundle up.

Richard, I hope you brought a sleeping bag...

---

Lines lines everywhere lines
April 29, 5:40 p.m.
As mid afternoon hit and the crowds began to grow, the inevitable happens, lines, lines, everywhere lines. The line stretched out more than 100 feet for the Ticketmaster will call window . Inside the polo fields those wanting to go to the restroom painfully waited about 20 minutes for their turn. But by far the longest wait was at the ID check line for those that wanted to drink. “I’ve been waiting for about an hour to get my (drink) wristband,” said Los Angeles native Pat Lora. “It’s a long wait but it’s worth it. I know after this I’ll have to stand in the bathroom line too,” he added.

---

Locals in the Mix
April 29, 5:38 p.m.
With the musical world in their backyard, locals were in the mix at the Coachella music festival. One got star treatment from rapper Common who pulled her on stage during his performance. “Where are you from?” he asked her. “Palm Springs,” the blond screamed. Common then proceeded to serenade her with a song. Meanwhile near the Gobi tent Palm Desert resident Monica Moronez and her friend La Quinta resident John Seago took in some sun and waited for other local friends to arrive.“There’s a bunch of us here," she said. "We took the backroads to get here,” she said.

---

Common thread
April 29, 5:24 p.m.
While Tom Shimura, aka Lyrics Born rocked the jam-packed Gobi Tent, Eagles of Death Metal frontman Jesse Hughes and Bloc Party singer-guitarist Gordon Moakes moved with ease among the crowd. Each made frequent stops to pose for pictures with excited female festival goers, the mustachioed Hughes even planting kisses, presumably for good luck.
Meanwhile, rapper Common had the crowd moving from the main stage. The Chicago emcee filled time between song breaks with freestyle diatribes on past beefs and relationships.
“You girls got to get your (blank) together too,” he said.

By Michael Felci

---

Many people enjoying the fest
April 29, 5:04 p.m.
All photos by Taya Lynn Gray, The Desert Sun

---

Overheard
April 29, 4:57 p.m.
"Wow, this place stinks like weed."

-- Liela Moss, lead singer of The Duke Spirit

---

The Walkmen
April 29, 4:53 p.m.
The Walkmen rocked the house with such songs as "Good For Me's Good For You" and "We've Been Had" (also seen in a Saturn Ion commercial).

What I can't figure out is how lead singer Hamilton Leithauser can chomp his gum at the same time he's blasting the crowd with his uber-powerful vocals.

---

Camping Starts
April 29, 4:34 p.m.
While the music starts at Coachella life in the tent city begins. Hundreds of campers built their weekend homes in the grassy fields. It’s by all accounts a temporary city with a general store, showers, temporary restaurants and bikini clad women taking some sun while a few toss the Frisbee around. Many campers got here a Friday and attended a party thrown by festival organizers. Others arrived early Saturday from all over the world. Jose Montenegro came from Argentina for the festival. “It’s the best music event in the world. We couldn’t get hotels but we are here and camping is better,” he said as he and his friends built their tent. Their tickets are for Sunday and they’re here to see Madonna. But they decided to take in the atmosphere a day early. “We can hear the music from here and it sounds awesome,” he said.

---

Chicken fightin
April 29, 4:05 p.m.
Though the low-90s temps were mild compared to years past, many festival goers opted to beat the heat inside the Lucent Misting Oasis, which resembled an adult version of Disneyland’s old Jungle Book treehouse.

Inside the golf ball-shaped tent revelers cooled off while grooving to impromptu drum and bass collaborations. And then there were the chicken fights.
Just like you remember, except these chicken fights featured bulky guys against other bulky guys with good-looking, scantily-clad young women on their shoulders.
All in all, a fine reason to come in from the sun.

---

Perry Farrell + Hybrid
April 29, 3:55 p.m.
Perry Farrell performs in the Sahara Stage with Hybrid.

---

Free handouts!!!
April 29, 3:50 p.m.
Stan and Brynn from San Diego. They said I was the first person they've seen with a long sleeve shirt (not pictured) and gave me a dollar. Of course I graciously accepted.

---

Messy Buisness
April 29, 3:50 p.m.
“Do not do that sir,” the security guard barked at the man attempting to enter the Port-O-Potty near the main entrance.
“Are they divided?” the man asked.
“Yeah they are divided,” the security guard retorted. “And I’m enforcing it.”
Whew. Even going to the bathroom is serious business at Coachella, with those using the makeshift facilities forced into gender-segregated lines.
Step out of line and, well…

---

Sold-out tickets no longer sold out
April 29, 3:38 p.m.
Oh, sure, they’ll tell you they’re sold out.
But tickets have somehow been found for Sunday’s sold-out Coachella show, featuring Madonna, Tool, Matisyahu, etc., etc., etc. They’re being sold at the gate of the Empire Polo Club gate.
Scalpers were getting $200 a ticket in the parking lot, but, after a half-mile hike to the polo field entrance, they were selling for less than you could buy them online from Ticketmaster.
Attendance was reported at 60,000 for Saturday and for Sunday. But a spokesperson for the Los Angeles-based Goldenvoice promoter said tickets would be sold even beyond the 60,000 attendance milestone for Sunday.

---

A view from above
April 29, 3:37 p.m.
Aerial shot of the main stage

---

Australia's Youth Group to bat lead-off Sunday
April 29, 3:30 p.m.
The Australian band Youth Group, kicking off the action on the Coachella Stage at 1:10 p.m. Sunday, is only in America for this one gig.
The critically acclaimed band, which took its name when the band members couldn't think of anything else to call themselves before their first well-publicized concert, finished its American tour in support of its second CD, "Skeleton Jar," a month ago. But when an offer came to play Coachella, they decided to stay a month and record a new CD in Los Angeles.
Their bass player, Patrick Matthews, played bass with the Vines at the 2002 Coachella and made singer-songwriter Toby Martin long to come here.
"It's a great opportunity," Martin said in a section of the Empire Polo Club swarming with media from all over the world. "It's hard to divorce that from actual fun. My main thing is fun."
Youth Group joins Infusion and Wolfmother as a highly-anticipated Australian contingent at Coachella. After the international success of the Vines and Jet, Martin was asked what they're putting in the water in Australia.
"Plutonium," he replied.

---

The Comfort Cool
April 29, 3:27 p.m.
Is one of the best inventions ever!

It's a huge fan that shoots a mist of water like a breath of cool air. They're littered about the grounds--usually with a small crowd of people gathered in front.

I highly recommend these for distribution throughout the Coachella Valley.

---

Bands That Lift Him Up
April 29, 3:22 p.m.
In the crowd at the festival was superstar singer Josh Groban, attending his first Coachella.
"I've been touring pretty consistantly for the past couple years, so I haven't had a chance to make it yet," he said. "But now, to see all these performers live is like a dream come true."
Groban said he was most looking forward to seeing Sigor Ros, Imogen Heap, Common, Massive Attack and Madonna.
"It's not the kind of music I perform, but I listen to all kinds of music," he said. "I'm sure this will inspire me in my own work."

---

Vendors galore
April 29, 3:03 p.m.
There are a TON of vendor booths on the grounds -- one section almost feels like an outdoor mall. Most of the booths are pretty packed with people looking looking for everything from a cool pair of sunglasses to that one special shirt they've been looking for.

---

Riding High with the Platinum Pied Pipers
April 29, 2:56 p.m.
The early-afternoon crowd inside the Gobi Tent were indeed “Riding High,” and the illegal aroma eminating from within was only partly to blame.
Performing was Detroit’s Platinum Pied Pipers — an urban/funk/R&B outfit featuring three smoothed-out vocalists and a female emcee, supplemented by a DJ and live drums. Typical Coachella hipsters not accustomed to the group’s brand of musicality (a fine mesh of mid-’90s Jodeci and mid-’70s Parliament) managed to put their hands in the air, and wave ’em like they just didn’t care.
The PPPs closed their short set with an improbable cover of Paul Simon’s “50 Ways To Leave Your Lover.”

By Michael Felci

---

Less than 3 hours until My Morning Jacket performs
April 29, 2:55 p.m.
Gather round y'all. Gather round. Outdoor Theater y'all.

---

Some photos...
April 29, 2:03 p.m.

---

Black Metallic
April 29, 2:01 p.m.
Rob Dickinson was really the only act I wanted to see this afternoon.

I planned my whole morning arround his 1 p.m. set, even allowing time for extreme traffic and difficult parking situations. But just as I was about to pull in, my friend realized he forgot his ticket back in Palm Springs.

I was on a quest for Rob Dickinson, so I told the friend to take my car and go without me. He dropped me off in the parent/child drop-off and I hauled my butt about two miles to the press will call booth as fast as I could.

After some difficulty with picking up the press pass, I made it inside and to the Mojave tent by 1:25.

Rob was on stage, about to finish his set ...

And then he played my favorite song, the only song I wanted to see.

"Black Metallic," a song he did with his former band Catherine Wheel.

"It only took me about four minutes to write this, but on the album it ended up being eight," Dickinson told the crowd, which was going mad.

"I know this song means some very special things to some people in California," he said. "Enjoy."

---

Weather update
April 29, 1:45 p.m.
Currently 84 degrees -- feels like 82 and even better in the shade, if you can find it.

UV index is at a 9 -- very high!! -- make sure to put on the sunscreen liberally!

LA - 70 with a UV index of 4
San Diego - 67 with a UV index of 8

isn't it better to be here?

---

Traffic...
April 29, 1:19 p.m.
on Monroe is still backed up to the freeway--

---

Section Quartet launches festival with a classic overview
April 29, 1:16 p.m.
The welcome to Coachella announcement has become almost traditionally expletive.
"Are you ready to #%@*&%$! rock 'n' roll???"
Last year it was the high desert band, Gram Rabbit, kicking off the Coachella with some almost hysterical rant. This year it was the sophisticated, classically trained Section Quartet showing a lack of restraint not normally associated with a band of two violinists, a cellist and a viola player.
But the Section Quartet, which played two sets at the 2004 Coachella, was the perfect band to launch an intelligent alternative music festival shortly after noon today.
This "chamber ensemble" covers alternative rock bands. It began its set with rocking, albeit not terribly powerful versions of songs by Radiohead, The Clash, The Muse and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
Arranger-violist Eric Gorfain introduced Franz Ferdinand's "Take Me Out" by saying, "We're going to do a song by a group playing later on in the festival -- I think today!"
There was scattered clapping along to the music, a bit of body movement here and there. But it really made you look forward to hearing Franz Ferdinand perform that song tonight.

---

The longest line
April 29, 12:57 p.m.
So far is at the ID check station. My suggestion is that if you wanna drink, get in this line ASAP so you can access the alcohol areas.

If you're not in a hurry to get your drink on, take some time checking out the grounds since the line is sure to die down by the afternoon after most people get their wristbands.

Also -- a word about ATM's
There are lines at the ATM's at the front of the venue -- but there are plenty more once you get inside the venue so if you don't have cash stop before you get here or wait until you get inside the venue -- they are everywhere and no lines inside.

---

The line getting in
April 29, 12:53 p.m.
Is moving pretty quick. It only took us about 30 min. from the time we got out of the car to get through security and into the venue

---

Traffic Update
April 29, 12:51 p.m.
Traffic on the 10 is moving at a steady pace.

Jefferson St. is backed up all the way to the 10 and Monroe St. is also thick all the way to the freeway.

Best suggestion is to take Washington St. -- traffic is moving at a steady 40-50 mph.

From Washington go left on 52nd, right on Jefferson, left on 54th. From there it's about a one mile straight shot to the parking area.

Don't be fooled by swiftly moving traffic at Jefferson and Fred Waring -- it will bottleneck at the wash.

---

The popular outfit this year
April 29, 12:21 p.m.
Seems to be nothing but a swimsuit -- male or female

Remember to put on A LOT of sunscreen if you decide to sport nothing but a bathing suit -- there isn't much shade and not a cloud in the sky right now

---

Temperature update
April 29, 11:57 a.m.
It is currently 81 degrees with 33% humidity and heating up fast.

The Outdoor theatre has drawn a large crowd as Head Automatica just began their set

---

The crowds are funneling in....
April 29, 11:46 a.m.
...by the masses

People are already getting comfortable just in front of the Main stage as The Section Quartet is getting ready to start their set.

Get comfortable -- it's going to be a long day!!!

---

Traffic update
April 29, 11:32 a.m.
Traffic appears to be backed up on Jefferson already -- the bridge that is under construction South of Fred Waring and North of 111 is bottlenecked pretty bad -- there are stop signs at every intersection and it is moving very slow.

Heading South on Monroe appears to be slow as well, backing up all the way to the exit on I-10.

More to come

---

If you have a lighter....
April 29, 11:13 a.m.
Don't try and bring it in the venue. They will confiscate it at the gate.

My suggestion is stop by a gas station on the way and pick up a couple books of matches --- otherwise you might have some serious nicotine fits

---

Backpacks- A word from the front of the line
April 29, 10:43 a.m.
Officials are being strict on the size of backpacks they're allowing into Coachella. If you have a backpack larger than 20"x15" you'll be turned away. Don't risk the long walk back to and from the car and another wait in the long lines.

---

37 minutes to showtime
April 29, 10:23 a.m.
The traffic

Not bad if you take Jefferson to Ave. 52, left on Ave. 52 and loop around.

The lines

The general ticket line is filling up quickly. Will call is not bad at this point. Better hurry.

Parking situation

Not too bad yet

The schwag

Many vendors selling Coachella knock-off t-shirts in the parking lot. They're charging about $10 per shirt - but you can haggle ;-)

The heat

It's about 77 degrees right now. Fans don't look too hot yet but there are some already looking for shade. If you're staying all day, dress in layers. Could get chilly tonight.

---