After weeks of various speculations, of fake posters being made and the rumored performances created by Rolling Stones Magazine, the true Coachella lineup for 2013 is finally here. Announced on Jan. 25, fans and music critiques should be equally excited for this year’s performers, for the lineup doesn’t disappoint. Or so I had thought.
To me, I couldn’t be more excited if I could score a ticket to this epic event. But it seems to me that the people disagree, and are reinforcing their annoyances via twitter and facebook.
For those of you who don’t know, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is an annual three-day festival, famous for brilliantly emerging musical artists, along with established favorites. The festival features various musical genres, such as Indie, Rock, Hip-Hop and Electronic music; and if that’s not enough, sculptural art is to be viewed as well.
Coachella is held in Indio, Cal. where the music is hot but the weather is even hotter. Yet since being introduced in 1999, fans come from all across America to see their beloved bands and performers.
Personally, I think this year’s lineup serves to be the most envied lineup I have seen in awhile. With returning artists such as Modest Mouse, Franz Ferdinand, Phoenix and Vampire Weekend, I cringe knowing I still don’t have my ticket just yet. Then again, these are some of my favorite bands, and to a small-town girl, this is just all too good to be true.
Being the safe-haven for most classic hipsters, I had thought that this year’s lineup could only excite, featuring underground music and various “unknown” artists that will also be performing. Grimes, the xx and the Lumineers are just a few of the many more fantastic underground performers. But to much of my dismay, I stand corrected.
On Twitter there were too many complaints to even count, but just to name a few, one tweeter said, “Wait…the Coachella lineup came out, and the Wu-Tang Clan is on the bill NOT headlining #fail #zzzzzzz.” Another tweet read as statement stubbornness, saying “Nothing will ever beat 2012’s lineup for Coachella Dr dre and snoop killed it.” But one tweet stuck with me, and made me see why some people might be upset over the Coachella’s announced lineup, saying “Strange Coachella lineup. 95% of the people who go are 21. Can’t imagine they’ve heard of the Stone Roses or Blur. Kinda underwhelming.”
Then it all made sense. The bands that make me giddy and crazy excited for, while amazing acts and awesome performers, are outdated. Vampire Weekend hit its mark in 2008 with their debut album, while the second album, “Contra,” was extremely successful in 2010.
But, it is not just Vampire Weekend that is considered outdated for this year’s lineup. There are the Stone Roses who were truly successful in the late ‘80’s and early ‘90’s. Coachella is a festival that tries its best to showcase new, up- and-coming artists, and yet this year it seems to try to remember the good.
Although the older crowd, or those with older musical knowledge created and formed before the 2000s, will look forward to performers such as the Three O’clock, Social Distortion and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, others who do not share this admiration will be displeased.
But whether you’re a fan of the new, the semi-new, the unknown and/or the semi oldies, this lineup is perfect in my eyes and will certainly uphold Coachella’s reputation as one of the greatest music festivals in America.