Spring Music Festival Preview 2015
By Rebecca Sarvady
April 10, 2015 2:29 a.m.
Music festivals can be a perfect remedy for the bored and restless, and California has one just about every weekend this season. Daily Bruin A&E looks at the most notable spring music festivals coming to California this year. From square dancing to yoga to artisan wine, each festival has something that differentiates itself from the pack.
Coachella
Indio
April 10-12 and April 17-19
A list of California’s festivals is never complete without a mention of one the state’s largest and most famous music festivals. The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, also known simply as Coachella, is known for its diverse lineup of rock, rap and alternative artists as well as its eclectic crowds. Last year, the festival had 579,000 attendees and grossed more than $78 million dollars, making it the most profitable music festival in the U.S. This year, festivalgoers attending both weekend one and two can see performances by Drake, AC/DC, the Weeknd, Tame Impala and Florence and the Machine and take a ride on the festival’s iconic Ferris wheel. Artwork and sculptures, such as giant robots and astronauts made for the festival by featured artists, are also weaved into the venue’s architecture.
Stagecoach
Indio
April 24-26
Stagecoach, held in the same venue and the weekend after Coachella, is regarded as Coachella’s country cousin. Stagecoach and Coachella bear no similarity with attendee attire, switching from flower crowns to cowboy boots. Activities at Stagecoach include country line dancing and meeting the famous Clydesdale horses. The headliners this year are Tim McGraw, Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton. The country music festival will have many barbecue dining options and even a barbecue contest.
Lightning in a Bottle
Bradley
May 21-25
Lighting is a Bottle is a festival of all trades. The counterculture festival advertises not only its music lineup, which includes bands Flume, SBKRT and RL Grime, but also the spiritual and healing experience they believe each attendee will receive. Festivalgoers watch musicians and listen to speakers, last year’s speaker lineup included Moby and YouTube co-founder Chad Hurley, in The Lucent Temple of Consciousness. There are nutrition classes, group yoga classes and healing sessions. Attendees have the option during the festival to live in The Village, an experiment in which participants create and live in a secluded sustainable community.
BottleRock
Napa
May 29-31
Started in 2013, BottleRock Napa Valley music festival is a new but big-name festival in Northern California. The festival hosts a slew of well-known bands every year; this year’s lineup includes Imagine Dragons, Snoop Dogg, Passion Pit, Foster the People and No Doubt. The festival’s trademark characteristic is the gourmet food and wine offered from the restaurants and vineyards surrounding the area. Last year, attendees dined on items like crab garlic fries and wagyu beef flatbread, a deviation from festivals’ typical menu of hot dogs and funnel cakes. With its haute-cuisine paired with fine wine and music, BottleRock aims to be what they consider “the first taste of summer.”
Compiled by Rebecca Savardy, A&E contributor.
