I’m Myke, a resident music festival fanatic, here to provide insight into one of the dopest events of the year — the Coachella Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California.
In recent years, Coachella has embraced international artists and genres that rarely existed in the same space. With an Aperol Spritz and Red Bull cocktail in hand, I roamed the Empire Polo Fields, rediscovering everything I loved about the polarizing festival.
For the uninitiated, Coachella is comprised of various stages strategically placed across the field. The largest stages are the Coachella Stage and the Outdoor Theatre. Five tented stages are named after real-life deserts: Sahara, Mojave, Gobi, Sonora, and Yuma. And finally, there’s the innovative art installation music oasis stage, Do LaB, and the newest stage, Quasar.
But these are no ordinary stages. The production behind every stage is unique and sets the bar incredibly high for similar festivals. I spoke with Dan Norman, a light designer from Silent House Studios who programmed shows at festivals like Glastonbury, Hyde Park, Lollapalooza, BottleRock, and Rolling Loud, about creating those unbelievable visuals.
With almost 150 artists performing at Coachella this year, I had to find out what it’s like to be on the other side of the festival experience. Luckily, I had the opportunity to ask music artists about their favorite moments at the festival, their biggest takeaways, and even their dream headliners.
Here’s what 16 incredible artists who performed at Coachella had to say about the festival!
1.
The K-pop group ENHYPEN — Jungwon, Heeseung, Jay, Jake, Sunghoon, Sunoo, and Ni-Ki — performed at the Sahara Stage and reignited my admiration for boy bands. As an aspiring ENGENE (their fans), securing a front-row ticket to their Walk the Line World Tour might be my future.
Here’s what ENHYPEN had to say about Coachella.
2.
The iconic French electronic duo Polo & Pan performed at the Outdoor Theatre and took everybody on a colorful sonic journey that brought me to tears at one point, whether it was pure emotion or just the perfect timing of the wind.
Here’s what Polo & Pan had to say about Coachella:
3.
Sara Landry, who performed at the Sahara Stage during Coachella, had my undivided attention from start to finish. I was jealous of Weekend 1, who had the chance to see her perform three times, including her surprise Do LaB set and the Goldenvoice Surf Club, but her main set was fierce.
Here’s what Sara Landry had to say about Coachella:
4.
Guyanese-American singer SAINt JHN performed at the Mojave Stage beside the VIP Rose Garden, and it was the perfect setting for his music. His Coachella debut reminded me that he’s not new to this, he’s true to this.
Here’s what SAINt JHN had to say about Coachella:
5.
Spanish singer Judeline performed at the Sonora Stage during Coachella, and it was the perfect blend of eerie R&B and traditional Latin music. I couldn’t take my eyes away from her poetic interactions with dancer Héctor Fuertes.
Here’s what Judeline had to say about Coachella:
6.
Singer-songwriter d4vd performed at the Gobi Stage, and although he killed it both weekends, his second performance landed a little better than his first. I can’t wait to put his debut album, WITHERED, on repeat.
Here’s what d4vd had to say about Coachella:
7.
UK DJ and producer Eli Brown performed at Yuma during Coachella Weekend 2, and he brought down the house. There’s a reason they call him a sonic architect: the way he constructed his set completely reconfigured my brain.
Here’s what Eli Brown had to say about Coachella:
8.
Berlin-based DJ and producer Yulia Niko made her Coachella debut in the Yuma Tent. Her genre-defying sound was the perfect soundtrack to the dark, strobe-lit, air-conditioned atmosphere and polished floors of Yuma.
Here’s what Yulia Niko had to say about Coachella:
9.
House DJ and producer Kaskade performed an epic back-to-back set at the Quasar Stage with Idris Elba, and it felt like I was in the middle of a blockbuster action movie. Watching Kaskade from the balcony of the Red Bull Mirage was a life-altering experience.
Here’s what Kaskade had to say about Coachella:
Until next time, Coachella!
If you could see anyone perform at Coachella, who would it be? Share your responses, and doesn’t matter if they’re living or dead, popular or underground.
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