COACHELLA 2014: 25 things we’ll remember about the festival

If I count up all of the hours I spent at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on the grounds of the Empire Polo Club, I think I spent 76 solid hours wandering the fields and seeing the music and more.

This is what we’ll remember about Coachella 2014.

1. “Escape Velocity,” a.k.a. the Coachella astronaut
While our old friend Helix Poeticus the Coachella Snail wasn’t around, artists Poetic Kinetics made a giant roaming moon man that moved around the field, posing for pictures with tens of thousands of adoring fans. He did get to check out some music, too, including Big Gigantic’s big Sunday night set on April 20. The art was really stunning this year.

2. Arcade Fire
Whether it was how Arcade Fire ended its sets with a New Orleans second line musical parade into the crowd with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, covering Blondie’s “Heart of Glass” with Debbie Harry during the first weekend or punking everyone weekend two with fake Daft Punk, Arcade Fire put on two memorable performances.

3. Pharrell Williams’ parade of stars
Pharrell Williams’ two sets at Coachella could have been used to cast a remake of “The Love Boat” and “The Love Boat Returns.” Joining you on this desert cruise are Gwen Stefani, Nelly, Snoop Dogg, T.I., Usher, Jabbawockeez and a guy named Jay-Z. See photos of Pharrell. 

4. The Replacements
Um, guys, The Replacements played together twice within a week. And they got along. And week two, Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day became a replacement Replacement. See photos of The Replacements.

5. OutKast’s reunion
While OutKast’s highly anticipated set weekend one had Janelle Monae twirling and singing “Tightrope,” Andre 3000 and Big Boi turned up the energy and changed up the order of the set list to keep people to dancing to songs such as “Ms. Jackson” and “The Way You Move” without rushing through them at the end on the second weekend.

6. Beyonce’s dancing
During weekend one, Beyonce joined sister Solange on stage for a dance break and everyone there freaked out.

7. Real bathrooms
Seriously, real bathrooms might be the greatest Coachella gift of all. Thank you, Goldenvoice.

8. High-end food
Forget pizza and garlic fries–Coachella got high end with some really amazing restaurants creating pop-ups for the festival weekends. My favorite was sitting at the sushi bar at Kazu Nori.

9. Craft Beer Barn
So many different beers and only $1 more than a large Heineken–the Craft Beer Barn might be the second greatest Coachella gift, after the real bathrooms. Also, some Inland breweries were represented, including Wiens in Temecula and Hangar 24 in Redlands.

10. The Do Lab’s new home
This year there was no threat of the Do Lab drowning out some more intimate acts, like Rodriguez in 2013, because it was moved to the Terrace area. It also made traveling across the field much easier.

11. Neutral Milk Hotel
You have to remember this one, because Jeff Mangum wouldn’t let you pictures during this sunset set. This was another hotly anticipated reunion show.

12. Girl Talk’s dance party
So much confetti. So many balloons. So many mashups.

13. Este Haim’s bass face
Haim not only played two solid sets at Coachella, but Este Haim’s face while she’s playing the bass is the best.

14. Saxophones
Whether it was Fishbone, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Arcade Fire, Blood Orange or Big Gigantic, saxophones are the best.

15. Unlocking the Truth
The three junior high students who make up metal trio Unlocking the Truth were one of the best things about the festival this year. They are the youngest band to ever play the festival.

16. Dust storm redux
If you were at Coachella weekend 1 in 2013, you remember the brutal dust storm that ripped through Sunday night and you were less than pleased when another one came through Saturday of weekend one.

17. Future Islands
The squatting dance moves of singer Samuel T. Herring combined with his somber, melodic voice that sometimes turns into a metalcore growl will not be forgotten by anyone in the Gobi Tent for the set.

18. Preservation Hall Jazz Band
Real music played by real musicians–the 5-plus decade long tradition of Preservation Hall traveled from New Orleans to the desert.

19. The Dismemberment Plan
Anyone who caught either of the two Dismemberment Plan sets will agree that it was the best set they saw that day. Even if we couldn’t rush the stage for “The Ice of Boston,” it was still a blast.

20. “Reflection Field”
Next to the Coachella Astronaut, Phillip K. Smith III’s stunning “Reflection Field” installation was the most memorable, and photogenic, of the fest. During the day it was a mirror and at night, colorful blocks of light.

21. GOAT
It was sensory overload with the Swedish band wearing masks, costumes and tribal rhythms. Plus, there were feathers, fringe, finger symbols, a rhythm ribbon, woah.

22. Lorde
The 17-year-old was one of the Coachella favorites out of the two weekends. She could very well headline (or close to it) on her next trip to the fest.

23. Coachella Art Studios
The Coachella Art Studios might be the coolest activity at the event. You can make your own souvenirs and get creative and be part of the arts in the name of the festival.

24. Big Gigantic
Big Gigantic brought out a band for its Sunday night Sahara Tent–the Shadow Hills High School marching band straight from Indio. That has to be a first for the Sahara, right?

25. Beck
Beck’s Sunday night set was jam-packed with his hits and random stories. Weekend one, he talked about the first time he played Coachella. Weekend two, he mentioned waiting in the rain to see a little band called the Arcade Fire play a show in Los Angeles more than a decade ago.

What are you going to remember about Coachella 2014?