Spring Festival Lineups

Last night the Sasquatch '13 lineup was announced, and with Coachella announcing their lineup last week, we now have some fun opportunities to compare!



I'm going to make an unpopular, at least among my friends, statement right now. I'd rather go to Coachella. I know my fellow Northwest hipsters are going to attack me with torn up Pabst cans for saying that, but it's the truth. Let's talk about why.

First, price. Last year many of my Sasquatch-bound friends paid about $300 for tickets, travel, and camping. That's $300 for a four-day festival in a beautiful outdoor amphitheater. I went to Coachella and paid $450 for a three-day festival in the desert and some terrible camping accommodations. In that case, the comparison was easy. Sasquatch had a better lineup, a better venue, better camping, lasted longer, and was cheaper. This year the story is different. Buying Sasquatch tickets will cost $340, the same as Coachella passes. I am sure that, all other costs factored in, Coachella will still cost more, but not by nearly as much as it did last year. The economic advantage that Sasquatch held has nearly disappeared.

But of course, the big thing is the lineup. If I went, who would I want to see? Who would make it worthwhile? Let's compare.

If I went to Sasquatch, here is the full, comprehensive list of the acts that I'd go out of my way to see. These are the ones I'd pay to see if they came through town (** means I've seen them at least once before):

Macklemore/Ryan Lewis**
The Postal Service
Vampire Weekend
The Arctic Monkeys**
Azealia Banks
Cake (I can't believe none of my friends have been shouting about Cake yet)
Bloc Party
Tame Impala
Michael Kiwanuka
Menomena
Reignwolf
ZZ Ward**
Red Fang**

13 artists. I'd stop by and have a listen to acts like The xx, Grimes, Tallest Man on Earth, Death Grips, and Dirty Projectors, but they aren't what would bring me to the festival. I wouldn't, at the moment, buy a ticket to see those groups outside the festival.

Now let's do the same list for Coachella:

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Modest Mouse
Passion Pit
Tegan and Sara
Beach House
Metric
Of Monsters and Men
Johnny Marr
The Neighborhood
Phoenix
The Postal Service
Portugal. the Man**
Ben Howard**
Allen Stone
Theophilus London
Reignwolf
Vintage Trouble**
RHCP
Vampire Weekend
Wu-Tang Clan
Tame Impala
Rodriguez (O FUQ)

22. I'd also probably poke my head into the tent for acts like The xx, Local Natives, Japandroids, Grizzly Bear, Janelle Monáe, The Wombats, La Roux, Grimes, The Airborne Toxic Event, Thee Oh Sees, and Mord Fustang. Again, wouldn't buy a ticket to see them outside of the festival, but might go sneak a peak if I had the chance.

Also note that I've seen three of these 22 acts while I've seen four of the 13 Sasquatch acts. That's 14% v. 31%, or to put it another way, 86% new material v. 69% new material. Numbers. Regardless of how many of the acts I've seen (because that, realistically, doesn't make a huge difference to me), in both categories, the Coachella list has nearly twice as many entries. You are free to chalk it up to my uneducated, mainstream taste in music and sound (I'd like to disagree), but it doesn't matter. I think Coachella's lineup is stronger, I think it's a more roundly curated festival*, and I'd rather go there. Hate me yet? Let me know what you think. Who would you see at either festival, and where is the money beter spent?

AV


*I say "roundly curated" and intend it to mean that Coachella brings a more varied and diverse audience. Both festivals have all of the genres represented (Sasquatch has comedy this year, which is freaking awesome), but with Sasquatch, most of the artists, even though playing in different genres, attract a similar crowd. It's hipster music. Not hating on hipster music, I love that shit, but still. Coachella brings a broader audience, which is why I consider its curation to be better.

I should also say this: Coachella's lineup is not as good as last year's was. Last year was definitely a little top heavy (big big names, little little names), and this year's is more centered on mid-sized acts, but I think last year's lineup was stronger. And all of the above pale in comparison to last year's Sasquatch lineup, which was legendary and that I would commit felonies for the chance to go back and see. Perspective is good.