Support for LAist comes from
Local and national news, NPR, things to do, food recommendations and guides to Los Angeles, Orange County and the Inland Empire
Stay Connected
Listen

Share This

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.

Arts and Entertainment

Photos: The Glorious Vintage Band Tees Of Desert Trip

desert_trip_style_asset.jpg
You guys like The Rolling Stones or something? (Photo by Annie Lesser/LAist)
()

Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.


Everyone knows the #1 rule of band shirts is that you can't wear the shirt of the band you're about to see. Totally uncool.Well, at Desert Trip, where the average age of the main performer is 72, all pretenses of being cool were thrown out. When everyone's there for six of the most popular and well-regarded rock acts of all time, no one is impressing anyone else with their taste. Everyone there likes the same stuff!

If anything, the T-shirts on display at the Empire Polo Club that weekend could be used to show off the tours you'd attended in the past. Ask someone about their Rolling Stones tour tee from 1981, and they will definitely tell you which stadium it was at and which drugs they took.

With all due respect to dads, the style at Desert Trip was Very Dad. Lots of tacky fonts, tie-dye and corny designs (we're looking at you, Pink Floyd). But it's 2016, and what's uncool is cool again. If La Croix can get away with their can design, then Grateful Dead shirts will be stylish again.

It's time to make way for Bill Walton chic, because it's coming soon to Coachella and FYF Fest. And in the interest of full disclosure, this writer broke the very rule of band shirts by wearing a Who shirt on Sunday. I never said I was cool.

As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.

Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.

We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.

No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.

Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.

Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.

Chip in now to fund your local journalism
A row of graphics payment types: Visa, MasterCard, Apple Pay and PayPal, and  below a lock with Secure Payment text to the right
(
LAist
)

Trending on LAist