MF #26
Coachella 2019 – Weekend 1
Date
April 7th – 14th, 2019
Location
Indio, California
Reason
Pro Systems
I packed my bags Saturday night, preparing to leave my apartment for two full weeks. I was headed to Coachella Music Festival as part of the production team for Pro Systems. While I was only scheduled to work the next 5 days of the build process, I made sure to bring enough clothes to stay clean for the entire festival. I wanted to stay for the event, I just wasn’t sure how I’d get inside.
I prepared my car as well, laying down the back seats and setting up my memory foam mattress topper into a comfy bed setup. I brought my pillows and blankets from home. With my bed ready and my clothes packed, I was ready to hit the road.
I arrived at the Pro Systems shop Sunday morning and met up with the guys. My employer Pro Systems was in charge of the audio, video, and lighting at Heineken House, as well as a few other auxiliary projects associated with the festival. Our Coachella gigs emptied the warehouse of equipment. There was so much equipment, it made the trip to the festival in a hired semi truck. The team and I met up with the gear in the credential lot outside the festival grounds Sunday morning, April 7th.
The festival didn’t start until Friday, April 12th. This was the earliest I had ever arrived at a music festival. While I was excited to be there, the mood was eerie. A production worker had fallen from the top of the main stage the day before, dying on impact. My boss knew him personally. There was grief in the air.
The production world is hidden on purpose. The audience isn’t supposed to see the work that goes into setting up the event. Let me just tell you, some of it is incredibly dangerous. It’s construction work in the middle of the night with a strict deadline. While the regulations tell you to be safe at all times, I have seen multiple people put themselves in calculated risks in order to pull off the job. I had only been in the business for just over a year, but I had already seen a stage collapse, lights dropped on people, and thousands of pounds of steel trussing crash to the ground.
Still, the show must go on. All the crews continued to do their roles. Crowds were on their way and the stages needed to be ready.
All our team did on arrival day was sort out the credentials and push the gear off the truck. We couldn’t start setting up until the next morning, when Heineken House would be constructed by two large cranes.
Installing the Audio, Video, and Lighting Equipment in Heineken House, Coachella 2019
Monday we put the lights and audio equipment in Heineken House as it was being built. Tuesday I put the speakers in the Hippo SpaceShip art installation. Wednesday I set up lights on Beyonce’s Pyramid in the campground, a last minute addition to the festival sponsored by Adidas.
The show started the next day. We had successfully set up Coachella on time. All our gear worked and we were ready for the show. As our team went out to dinner to celebrate, our CEO Brad was contacted by the Beyonce Pyramid team. They needed someone who could work a generator and operate the lights. While the lights were already set up, there was nobody available who knew how to turn the lights on and off. It was a simple oversight, but someone needed to do it. Brad asked if I could stay for the event. I was already prepared and I immediately volunteered for the role.
That’s me installing speakers at the Hippo Spaceship
I was going to Coachella! Fuck yes. Brad told me the deal. I would get paid 8-hour days to turn the lights on at 6:00 pm, help out with Heineken House from 10:00 pm – 11:00 pm, and then turn the lights off at 3:00 am. I was free to enjoy the event for the rest of the time. That sounded like a fantastic deal to me.
While our crew had stayed in an Airbnb for setup, it was time to move to the RVs for the festival. I was happy to have a cozy car bed setup, as these RVs were already packed with three guys each. We were in a pretty cool location, staying in the backyard of David Corso’s mansion just a few blocks away from the festival grounds.
Our crew had the use of a 4×4 Kubota to get around the venue. While the team returned to the RV’s around 7:00 pm on Thursday, my job had already started. The pyramid lights were on, welcoming the first group of campers who had been arriving all afternoon. I had to switch the lights off at 3:00 am. With everyone else asleep, I was able to borrow the Kubota and drive over to the campground.
Beyonce’s Pyramid Stage – My job was to turn the lights on and off.
Coachella puts a limiter on the golf carts and buggies that are allowed on site. While every other vehicle was limited to 20 mph, somehow, this limiter had been disabled. I was able to get the 4×4 over 50 mph in the empty back lots of the festival grounds. I love cars and have several memorable automobile experiences, but this drive still stands out as one of my most fun automotive adventures. I zipped over to the pyramid, shut down the lights, and then zoomed back to the RVs. I may have done a few donuts in the back lot before retiring to the campsite and climbing into the back of my car for the night.
The next morning I woke up to an empty campsite. The crew had taken the 4×4 and already reported to Heineken House. I had a decent walk ahead of me, but I was stoked to be there.
I completed the 20 minute walk in the desert sunshine, arriving at Heineken House just two hours before doors were set to open. Our crew was in a fantastic place. While the final two hours before a show can be stressful, thanks to having a full week to set up we were fully prepared and ready to go. Brad swung by and checked in on things. He rewarded me with a parking pass, acknowledging the long walk and providing a solution. With this super parking pass, I could park in the production lot right behind the Sahara Stage.
With the doors open to the public, I set off into the crowd to enjoy the show. I explored the festival grounds, checking out the finalized setup. I explored a few of the art exhibits and stages, before heading to the Sahara Stage for Fisher.
I arrived early in time for JAUZ’s set. While his music was new to me, this show got the crowd moving. I particularly enjoyed the rising DJ booth, which provided my first opportunity to snap a few photos with my good camera. I had recently upgraded my camera from a Canon Rebel DSLR to a Canon RP Full Frame Mirrorless camera. This was my first festival with my new camera.
Fisher getting the party started at Coachella
Fisher took over the decks and launched into one of the best house sets I’ve ever witnessed. This set was superb. Fisher kept a steady driving bass beat the entire set. There was nothing to do but dance. The bass just kept hitting. Rat Sound had their 30” SuperSubs deployed at the Sahara Tent. The bass just kept hitting. I just kept dancing.
The crowd at Coachella is fascinating. It’s a ton of industry folks, celebrities, influencers, and the see-and-be-seen crowd. The entire world is watching. My grandparents have heard of Coachella. Personally, I prefer more down-to-earth people, but with all the attention every artist brings their very best performance.
Friday was jam packed with amazing sets. After Fisher, I swung by Beyonce’s pyramid and turned the lights on. The pyramid was in the campground closest to the Sahara stage, which was rather convenient. With the lights on, I made the long walk back to the main stage for Anderson Paak.
The 1975 on Coachella’s Main Stage
The 1975 followed up his show with an incredible mainstage performance. Just before 10:00 pm I reported for work at Heineken House. Everyone was in a great mood. The first day had gone smoothly and within 30 minutes we had everything packed up for the night. The guys offered me a ride back to the RVs in the 4×4 which I accepted. While I was ready to go out, if I went back with the guys now I could borrow the 4×4 for the 3:00 am turn off.
We had a long weekend ahead of us, so rather than rush back to the festival I decided to hang out with the guys at the RVs and share a few first night beers.
I took a quick joyride in the 4×4 back to Beyonce’s Pyramid to shut off the lights at 3:00 am, before retiring to the bed in the back of my car. Laying down I couldn’t believe my luck. This had been an amazing first day of the festival. I was in for an incredible experience.
I woke up in the morning to an empty campsite. Everyone else had to go to work already. I had other plans. I had been invited back to Vestal Village. Today would be my only opportunity to sneak away for a few hours.
I contacted my friend Nic and picked him up from his campground. With my production parking pass, I could go pretty much anywhere. We made the short drive over to Vestal Village, arriving around 11:00 am.
Vestal Village was a welcome retreat. We sipped on free drinks, grabbed a snack from a food vendor, and took a dip in the pool. While it was busy, it wasn’t quite as insane as the previous years. We enjoyed our time, but both of us were excited to get back to the festival.
We returned to the festival grounds right before the first sets of the day. With my amazing parking pass, I was able to pull up right behind the Sahara Stage and we were inside the festival in just a few minutes. Nic went to meet up with his friends and I went to check up with the Pro Systems team.
Heneiken House was running smoothly. Due to the extended hours of the event, our team set up a hammock in the Front of House area. I took advantage of the empty hammock and laid down for a few minutes, soaking in the music from the stage while attempting to reload my energy reserves.
With my energy back, I set off into the festival. Today was all about the music. I had a production wristband, full access to Coachella, my camera, and little to do but enjoy the show. I decided to act like a professional and treat it as a photography gig. This was my chance to photograph a major music festival.
I set off into the crowd with my camelbak backpack loaded up with 2 liters of water, my camera, extra batteries, and party supplies. The first set of the day was Arizona on the main stage. They kicked things off with a high energy daytime festival pop-rock set. I had a blast, but soon headed towards the Mojave stage for FKJ.
FKJ played one of my favorite sets of the weekend. Despite the packed crowd, the performance was intimate. Every song was built on the spot using a loop machine and a wide array of instruments. FKJ showcased his artistic abilities through a true one man show. This wasn’t just another collection of songs, it was a live jam set that reacted to the crowd.
Masego joins FKJ for a surprise performance of Tadow – Coachella 2019
The highlight of the show was a guest appearance by Masego who joined FKJ to duet on their hit song Tadow. The first few notes sent the crowd into an uproar. Everyone started dancing to the beat. Masego finished out Tadow to tremendous applause. To the pleasure of everyone, he stuck around for one more impromptu live jam before leaving the stage for FKJ’s solo finale.
With FKJ finished, I had a bit of a gap until Clozee performed at the Sahara Stage. That was the next set on my list that I had to see. With the goal of getting in a good position, I headed over to the Sahara Stage super early.
In the mosh pit for Sheck Wes
Sheck Wes was performing. While I had heard his hit song Mo Bamba, I had no idea the type of energy his live performance would bring. Sheck was only 17 years old, but he had the entire crowd in a mosh pit for most of the show. Compared to most festivals, the Coachella crowd can be a bit tame. This was the liveliest show of the entire weekend, with everyone accepting their fate and joining in the giant mosh pit.
Sheck Wes and Clozee are quite different musically, so the majority of the crowd cleared out at the conclusion of his set. This was perfect for me as I was able to get up close and center for the Clozee show.
While Clozee played a fantastic show, the crowd was a touch thin. Coachella is a bit too mainstream for the heady bass music. I have followed Clozee for years. I did my best to photograph the show as best I could as I knew landing a Coachella set was a big deal for any artist from the bass music scene.
Balkan Bump joins Clozee at Coachella 2019 – Weekend 1
Clozee finished up her performance just as it was time to switch on the Beyonce Pyramid lights. I made the quick walk from the Sahara Stage over to the pyramid, flipped on the lights, and quickly headed back to the festival. This was the best job ever!
Gryffin was playing on the Sahara Stage by the time I made it back. I hung out and watched the show for a bit before heading off into the festival grounds. I wandered, checking out all the art installations while enjoying my backstage access. I practically floated through the crowds.
The next set of the day was Weezer performing on the main stage. I love a good Weezer show and this one did not disappoint. I sang along to a good chunk of the songs and thoroughly enjoyed myself while attempting to capture a few good photographs.
Weezer on the Main Stage – Coachella 2019
It was time to help close out Heineken House for the night. I met up with the guys who were all in just as good of a mood as I was. The Roots had performed at Heineken House tonight. While I had missed the show, apparently it was fantastic. It was a real treat for the crew to work with a band of that quality.
Just like the previous night, the strike was over quickly and I was soon cut free to go enjoy the rest of the night. I declined the offer of a ride back to the RVs, knowing that the night was still young and I was headed out. Bassnectar was tonight. I was going to be there.
Leaving Heineken House, I headed to the main stage to watch the Tame Impala headline performance. This was my first opportunity to see Tame Impala live. Despite arriving early, it was packed. I was very far back from the stage, well behind the front of house structure. Despite the distance, the light show was top notch. It perfectly matched the music and connected the audience with the show from the front to the back of the crowd.
The light show for Tame Impala was insane!
I pulled out my zoom lens and snapped away, attempting to capture decent photographs of the performance from vantage point. I was surprisingly pleased with the results considering the circumstances.
I have a confession. I left Tame Impala early. I was too far back. I didn’t want to find myself in the same position for Bassnectar, so I headed to the next set extra early. Arriving while the stage hands were still setting things up, I was able to get right in front of the front of house structure. This spot was perfect. I was dead center, protected from the crowd push from behind, and in the perfect spot to watch the show.
Before I left Heineken House, I filled up my bag with a few free beers from the crew cooler. At Coachella, you can only buy beers in cups in certain beer gardens far from the stage. I now had a few cold beers in my bag and things were starting to feel heavy.
I pulled one out for myself and noticed the guy next to me seemed pretty cool. I offered him a beer. He looked confused but said, “sure?” as I handed him a closed ice-cold Heineken. “How did you get this in here?” he asked. “Perks of the job” I replied.
We spent the next several minutes exchanging stories about our mutual love of music festivals and bass music. He introduced me to his friends and even offered a small bit of a Molly pill, which I accepted.
The lights went out, the crowd got quiet, and then all hell broke loose. Bassnectar threw down. This set was wild. All I could do was dance. I’m not much of a dancer and I have a hard time letting loose, but I let it all go during this set.
Bassnectar closing out Saturday Night of Coachella
The hour was over in seconds. The feeling of total euphoria remained. While I had been sweating during the show, as the crowds cleared out the chill of the night started to set in. Lloyd let me know he would be back next week. We agreed to meet up at the same spot, said our goodbyes, and went our separate ways.
I swung back by my car to get a warmer jacket before taking off to explore the nighttime festival grounds. I was over socializing, but I was full of energy. I wandered through the various art installations and light night silent disco before heading to the pyramid to turn off the lights.
With the pyramid lights off, I decided to take advantage of my staff wristband and made my way back into the festival grounds. Only staff could enter at this point. Security had pushed the fans out. The crowds were gone and the grounds were silent. I set off on a true nighttime adventure. Knowing the way, I climbed to the top of the Hippo Rocketship to get a view of the entire place. The only higher vantage point was the spiral tower.
I had to see the view from the top! I set off towards the spiral tower and made my way up. I had my mini little dab rig with me and it was 4:15 am. I had to do it. I stayed put for 5 minutes before taking a little hit right at 4:20 am. With my mission complete it was time to head to bed.
I believe my presence had been noted as a golf cart started driving towards the spiral. I dipped out the back door and disappeared into the night before they got too close. I made my way back to my car, still parked up behind the Sahara Stage, and climbed into the back. I slept in the back of my car, just a few hundred feet from one of the stages.
I woke up Sunday morning unbothered in the night. I climbed out of my car and made my way over to Heineken House to check in with the guys. Everyone was feeling it at this point. The desert conditions are tough. Add in the late nights, early mornings, and no sleep and it’s certainly a marathon. Our crew had been out in these conditions for more than a week now. I could see it on everyone’s face.
Still, the vibes were good. I got the all clear to go enjoy myself and met up with my buddy Nic for the YG show. With such a packed Saturday, I decided to take it a bit easier and just hang out with friends on Sunday. We went to Playboi Carti, Ghastly, Gucci, and capped off the day with Dillion Fancis.
Playboi Carti at the Sahara Stage
I helped the guys at Heineken House strike, but we were leaving most of the large equipment in place for the following weekend so packing up didn’t take that long.
The only thing left to do was turn off the pyramid lights. Nic came with me to shut off the lights on the first weekend of Coachella. At 3:00 am, we pulled the plug and said goodnight and goodbye to an absolutely amazing weekend.
