This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Coachella Overheard
Love ‘em or hate ‘em, music festivals are the dim sum of the concert-going experience; try a little of everything and go back for more of what you like (or ditch out on what you don’t). This year’s Coachella was no exception, with acts like country crooner Dwight Yoakam vying for time against dance-rock lovelies Hot Chip, or Prince breaking down the funk for the masses after a particularly breathtaking Portishead set. With the desert heat not as heart-stopping as previous years and the lineup eclectic as it was educational, Coachella brought out all ages and backgrounds of super fans and the uninitiated alike. People-watching was good but people-listening was at an all time high, so I took advantage of all the close quarters on Saturday to do a little eavesdropping.
During Prince:
Girl: “HOLY SHIT IT’S MARVIN GAYE AND THE TIME!”
Guy: “Yeah, I think you mean Morris Day and the Time. I’m pretty sure Marvin Gaye is dead. Shot. By his dad.”
Girl: “Way to take it dark, man.”
During Hot Chip:
Guy1: “So, I think my cousin is gay.”
Guy2: “Nah, he’s just Panicked at the Disco. Buy him an Archers of Loaf CD and he’ll be fine.”
During Boyz Noize:
Girl: Recoiling in horror as a sweaty, shirtless guy tries to pass by too closely.
Guy behind her wearing a "YOUR RETARDED" shirt: “Dude, they make t-shirts for a reason.”
In the VIP drink line:
Girl 1: “I just saw (young blond starlet).”
Girl 2: “Oooh, is she as tiny as everyone says she is?”
Girl 1: “Well, not smaller than you. A hair more slutty, though.”
Sponsored message
Walking between Cold War Kids and DeVotchKa:
Guy to no one in particular: “Do you think these girls know how orange they really are?”
Pre M.I.A:
Girl: Looking anxiously around at the crowd and the giant speaker hanging overhead.
Guy standing behind her, smoking a sticky jay and a menthol simultaneously: “Hey, is the smoke bothering you?”
Girl: “No, I’m just kind of claustrophobic.”
Guy: “Ok, I’ll just blow it upwards then.”
On the grass during Kraftwerk:
Girl to group: “At least it’s not like last year. Nothing says “ignore me” like the entire A Team of the Victoria’s Secret roster drunk on vodka setting up camp three feet from you.”
Photos by Melissa Moore/LAist
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
