I don’t think that many sounds can or need to be assimilated in the same radius on one or two days. It’s a madhouse and maybe a microcosm of the state of this country each year cause though cloying woodstock seemed sincere
My experience with festivals was as a younger naiver position. College age like yourself. What I remember is a loss of faith in society and a faith that I don’t think society ever earned. At Bumbershoot around the 00s, Ben Harper closed the festival with My Own Two Hands. And I stayed late as one of the last to leave cause his set sparked some things I had to sit with. Anyways, the venue was littered with all kinds of trash and bottles and everything else. That always stands out in my mind when I hear that song to this day. Anyways, yes, thank you for continuing. Peace and Grace
I really, really loved this. The line about the lifelong adolescence required to survive America hits especially hard.
I didn't get into concerts until after college, but I grew up next to Disneyland CA and visited so frequently, that I realized their plan was for the "magical experience" to last forever for everyone. There was no plan for growing up, no model for a real adult to become. The failure or refusal to recognize the conveyor belt of disillusionment they had built struck me as the rusty fulcrum upon which our entire culture rotates.
This is validating. Music festivals are my own personal hell, and Coachella seems like the ninth circle. I’ve been to a few because I keep trying to torture myself into enjoying the experience. I want to get it! I wanna dress up and have fun and dance, too. Nope. My body and mind hate them.
I've only skimmed this so far but I instantly recognized the homage you paid to Bjork in the story about your grandparents, one of my all-time favorite songs. Looking forward to giving this piece the close reading it deserves.
Nice full rendition of a cultural moment that’s often glossed over. One Coachella experience I *don’t* recommend: attending it solo, as a reporter. For reasons I still don’t fully get, that early-00s day/night was one of the loneliest of my life.
I don’t think that many sounds can or need to be assimilated in the same radius on one or two days. It’s a madhouse and maybe a microcosm of the state of this country each year cause though cloying woodstock seemed sincere
Your writing has teeth. Moments of love and loathing. Thank you for continuing your work.
My experience with festivals was as a younger naiver position. College age like yourself. What I remember is a loss of faith in society and a faith that I don’t think society ever earned. At Bumbershoot around the 00s, Ben Harper closed the festival with My Own Two Hands. And I stayed late as one of the last to leave cause his set sparked some things I had to sit with. Anyways, the venue was littered with all kinds of trash and bottles and everything else. That always stands out in my mind when I hear that song to this day. Anyways, yes, thank you for continuing. Peace and Grace
I really, really loved this. The line about the lifelong adolescence required to survive America hits especially hard.
I didn't get into concerts until after college, but I grew up next to Disneyland CA and visited so frequently, that I realized their plan was for the "magical experience" to last forever for everyone. There was no plan for growing up, no model for a real adult to become. The failure or refusal to recognize the conveyor belt of disillusionment they had built struck me as the rusty fulcrum upon which our entire culture rotates.
This is validating. Music festivals are my own personal hell, and Coachella seems like the ninth circle. I’ve been to a few because I keep trying to torture myself into enjoying the experience. I want to get it! I wanna dress up and have fun and dance, too. Nope. My body and mind hate them.
Beautiful writing and reflections!
This might be a dumb question but what you do mean when you say audiences have outsourced their hedonism to the simulation?
I've only skimmed this so far but I instantly recognized the homage you paid to Bjork in the story about your grandparents, one of my all-time favorite songs. Looking forward to giving this piece the close reading it deserves.
I too was there in 2002. You brought back a lot of scandalous memories. No one writes quite like you!
Nice full rendition of a cultural moment that’s often glossed over. One Coachella experience I *don’t* recommend: attending it solo, as a reporter. For reasons I still don’t fully get, that early-00s day/night was one of the loneliest of my life.
I can imagine. I would love to read about that. I feel like every writer has to experience it at least once.
the attending alone I mean
Thanks for saying this.