06:28 PM PDT on Thursday, April 27, 2006
By LILLEDESHAN BOSE
The Press-Enterprise
If it's your first time ...
You're in the desert. That means you'll be in for a lot of sun. Dress for comfort, bring a hat, lip balm and plenty of sunscreen. Since the
festival takes place over enormous fields of grass you also might want to bring comfortable shoes and lightweight long pants if your legs get itchy.
There are no ins and outs, which means once you're in you're there to stay.
If you're a last-minute attendee ...
You can try to snag tickets on Craigslist.com or outside the grounds. Annette Ortiz, a Monterey Park resident and two-time Coachella attendee, said
she scored tickets at half-price both years by buying them from campers whose friends flaked out at the last minute.
If you're on a tight schedule ...
Parking opens at 9 a.m., gates open at 11 a.m., and the festival ends at midnight both days.
If you're into celebrity spotting ...
You will not be permitted to bring in professional cameras (with lenses), but you can bring digital and film cameras for personal use. Keep your eyes
open -- Cameron Diaz and Jason Lee were only a couple of the celebs spotted at last year's festival.
If you hate waiting ...
Play music trivia games to pass the time. Charles Gray, bassist for the West Covina band far*out, recommends the "Name that band from A-Z"
game, where you start with ABBA and the next person names Bad Religion and so on until you end with the Zutons. Other games you can play to satisfy
the music nerd in you: "Which bands have siblings in them?" "Which bands have couples in them?" "What songs have (insert word
of choice here) in them?"
If you're on a tight budget ...
Water will cost $2, and food ranges from $5 to $15 a meal. Food, beverages and other items are sold for cash only, but there will be ATMs throughout
the venue. You're not allowed to bring outside food and beverages, but according to Ortiz, you can try to sneak in granola bars.
If you're a die-hard Madonna fan ...
You can breathe easy. According to organizers, there are no main stage acts going on at the same time as Madonna, and they will make room in the
Sahara tent to make sure everyone will be able to watch her.
If you're a pack rat ...
Only backpacks 20-by-15-by-9 inches can be brought inside. No weapons, drugs, blankets, recording devices and umbrellas will be allowed in the venue.
If you like to party ...
Take note of events going on around Indio during the festival. A pool party at the Frank Sinatra Twin Palms Estate will feature Ima Robot on Saturday
and the Court & Spark on Sunday, noon -5 p.m.
If you're into meeting bands ...
Note the meet-and-greets with the bands at the Virgin tent. This year, Franz Ferdinand, Common and the Magic Numbers will be signing your CDs, your
sweaty arms or your ticket -- whichever you prefer. |
