Coachella Morality and Some Major Keys
A few years ago I wrote PT and the Goldenvoice team about how nice everyone at Coachella was. Security at other fests would be so aggro. Humans are not wired to dance and smile, get shit on by some giant full of negative energy, and then go back to dancing and smiling. Coachella was the exception, where for some reason, all of the staff were lovely and made the experience very warm.
I had more fun at the festival than in many years, but this year had different energy. On Sunday (last day of two fests in a row), the traffic guy cursed me off because he couldn’t see my pass when I was holding it up in my hand — thought I was being helpful. A rickshaw driver blocked our entrance, I asked him to move, he turned around and said “fuck off man I’m working do not talk to me.” A kid shotgunned a beer and threw it over the fence. I told him he should not litter, he said he didn’t see a garbage (not the point).
Inside, we went to Katsu Nori, the incredible DTLA sushi treat in the desert — wow. Long line, but we waited happily. When we finally got to the sushi bar, more friends showed up. “Oh perfect timing, let’s order for you,” one of my friends said. “No fucking way,” I replied. My group argued no harm would come of us, as nobody was regulating. Everyone was wearing wristbands supplied by yours truly, so I put my foot down and only my friends who waited in line ordered.
If my friends cut the line and ate in front of 40 others waiting 45 minutes each, we turn all of those in line into that traffic cop, rickshaw driver and litterer.
I think that traffic cop, that rickshaw rider, and that littering kid all received disrespect and offense at some point shortly before I met them. They took that disrespect and offense and spat it right back out on me.
I saw 40 vulnerably hungry and potentially aggro people waiting patiently in line at Katsu Nori and did not want to contribute to a cycle or disrespect and offense. Indirectly, that would probably come back to us, but that doesn’t matter because it would definitely go somewhere.
I think this change is due to a value and culture clash.
FOMO dominates our collective energy, and Coachella is the peak of events. It’s beyond demographics, everyone wants to be there. It’s so major that it’s stressful for people. For artists, a big Coachella performance means you dominate the summer — this stress is productive, and we saw some of the best performances ever. For civilians though, a good outfit, or being at the right parties, can mean you’re “cool” for the whole summer, or at least a weekend on IG — stupid stress.
Attendees feel pressure and put significant, well-documented effort into their outfits. There are so many different demographics at Coachella, that no outfit can satisfy them all. People put tons of energy in, and don’t get that energy back. It has to go somewhere. When they don’t feel special, they take it out on others. When they shit on someone, that person shits on someone else.
And so it goes.
The Coachella demographic has no rules nor ideology, so unlike the expansion of Burning Man, there is no consistent adoption of principles nor style. Ideological clashes lead to disrespect which leads to a loss of morality. People treat others poorly when they feel under appreciated and react, and they do not have sufficient respect for those whose tastes they do not share. All leads to a shitty energy.
Worth noting, there’s also a well-documented hierarchy of wristbands, with those wearing Artist wristbands actually, seriously actually, (seriously, what a fucking world) feeling superior to those wearing VIP, Guest, GA, etc. This helped my elitist friends feel superior to the others on line.
This can all be stopped by breaking the connection between ideology and morality.
You should never say “fuck you” to anyone, regardless of if they are a fair weather EDM fan or die hard punk rocker. You should never cut someone in line, even if they are wearing GnR shirt and a GA wristband. You still shouldn’t push a girl to get a better spot in the viewing area even if she didn’t get the memo that flower crowns are over.
Don’t worry what your selfish asshole friends think. Don’t be quiet about your morality. I know the take away from that was I was a stuck up dick. But hopefully it subtly taught them a lesson that at least they’ll get called out for treading on people. And fuck them either way, they’re selfish assholes and I’m happy I had other friends I could hang out with too.
It was otherwise an amazing festival though, bravo and thank you to Goldenvoice and co. And LCD Soundsystem. And Despacio tent — WOW.
Reversing this Coachella experience, was one at my friend’s club the other night. At closing time, the security guard yelled at everyone to get the fuck out. He was super aggro, yelling, cursing at the girls with me “Go to the fucking bathroom before closing, you know when we close, get the fuck out.” I intervene, “they are drunk on the drinks your bar served them, they were understandably not thinking ahead, they’ll be quick, I promise.” I stayed calm. He realized I was sober and not trying to disrespek (Birdman) him, and asking something completely reasonable. He did a 180, started joking around, let them into bathroom and completely flipped our heated interaction into a super positive friendly one. Very nice guy who was not only just doing his job, but going above and beyond to make everyone feel good. Shout to Gary Allen at Tenants of the Trees.
Another Coachella highlight tho was meeting this dude Swack (who says everyone asks once if that’s his real name, but then nobody ever forgets). Swack is a serious tea dude. He brings a full blown proper Japanese tea set with him to Coachella. So we got to drink some amazing Pu-Erh tea during the festival. Moral of all of this is that all you motherfuckers need to chill the fuck out and drink more tea! And water your plants! #MajorTea #MajorKey
love
sg
