Photo Essay | Heat stroke, ‘untzing’ and too many lawn chairs: the highs and lows of Coachella car camping
All Photos by Maika Suaya, Music Editor
In early March, a group of 25 Phi Gamma Delta (Fiji) fraternity members created a group chat to start planning their yearly camping trip for Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Up until the very last day before the trip, this group chat summed up to a total of 54 students, alums and flip-flop enthusiasts, all attending and camping together for this music festival, from April 11 to 13.
At 12 a.m. on Thursday morning, the group gathered in the Anderson Parking Structure to get a headcount and make their way over to Indio, California.
Excitement filled the air throughout these early hours of the morning.
Upon the 2:30 a.m. arrival, the group met at a Denny’s in Indio, constantly checking the r/Coachella Reddit for any updates on when the gates would finally open.
At around 3:30 a.m., we headed towards the festival, meeting an enormous line of cars, all there for the same reason.
“Bumper to bumper everyone, no one should be able to get through the wall we created,” said
Rex Wiel, a senior business administration major, right before departing to the gates of the festival.
“We are an impenetrable force,” said Robbie Cullerton, a junior business administration major, in a text to the group chat. “Nobody breaks this fortress.”
What started off as excitement quickly became dread and frustration, as security lines to get to the car camping area took upwards of seven hours of the night.
Security consisted of an unload of all gear, a quick flashlight through our things, and leaving us behind to reload our cars again.
As we waited for all 15 cars of the group to get through security, the sun came up and it was at around 10:30 a.m when we were finally able to set up camp.
Cars were parked and camps were immediately set up. All hands were on deck to bring out the E-Z Ups, lawn chairs, tables and tents. We made do with what we had.
On day 0, temperatures in the desert reached upwards of 106 degrees, making post-drive relaxation nearly unbearable between the hours of 11 AM and 3 PM.
“Nine-hour lines, no sleep (and) 100-degree heat resulted in a visit to the medic tent with a heat stroke. Would camp again, five stars,” said Smith Romney, junior creative producing major.
We resorted to fighting the high heat in many different ways; handheld fans, pouring water bottles onto each other, or just trying to sleep through it.
Through all the hardships, the first day of Coachella came upon us, and it was finally time to hit the festival grounds.
Music is love, and love was in the air.
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is a pivotal point for many artists in the industry. Mau P, a dance and electronic DJ, got a grasp of his fame and expressed gratitude towards his fanbase during his notorious song “Drugs from Amsterdam”. Famous 90s hip-hop group, The Pharcyde, reunited for a groovy set in the Heineken stage. For new artists, such as DJ-duo Parisi, this is their very first time playing at Coachella, and they brought one hell of a show to the Gobi stage.
The infamous ferris wheel and colorful set design of the Do LaB stage: two sites one cannot miss.
“Coachella music made me feel a sort of euphoria where I just looked around, and was with my favorite people, listening to my favorite artists, and made me appreciate my life on a whole new level,” said Gabby Gateley, a junior film production major.
A personal favorite act was Argentinian duo Ca7riel y Paco Amoroso. Previously gaining traction for their Tiny Desk concert, followed by their short film and album “Papota,” this performance brought a blend of experimental trap, hip hop, electronic and pop. This is the first time this duo performed in the United States and it’s a show I would not miss if I were to go again for weekend two of the music festival.
Bedroom pop musician Clairo took advantage of the big audience Coachella brings to artists, and opened her set with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who pushed for younger generations to take a stand with climate change, women’s rights and healthcare services.
The people were dancing — fan-clacking, frat-flicking, head-bopping and “untzing” to the melodies.
Fifteen camping spaces, 54 people and one big happy Coachella family.
Night falls on Sunday, the very last day of this music festival, and one leaves with numerous recollections, and an ache that has suddenly caught up to you because the adrenaline rush from seeing live music has come to an end.