Heat, Heroes and Spicy Pie

Carlos and I have been going to shows together since 2002. We've followed our favorite musicians to the bay area, to San Luis Obispo, to Mexicali and all over the Los Angeles area to support the music we love. Then we got pregnant and our dates with the night became less frequent. Coachella changed for us, what was first a place to see the bands we had been fanatical about on the biggest stage of their career has become the space for us to discover or reconnect with bands we love. It's fun to see other musicians as fans. We've seen the members of Cafe Tacuba walking the fields every year since 2001, we've seen Thom Yorke gush over the fact that he's playing right after the Pixies. It's cute to see, but here are my top 3 favorite encounters:::

The Arcade Fire- I had just found out I was pregnant and Carlos had just had gall bladder surgery a week before. We still were there, slow motion and on a different level. The Arcade Fire had been given the honored sunset time slot at the Outdoor theater. They gave a memorable show and later on during Bright Eyes set there they were there. I told Regine this was my home and thanks for playing, I rambled happily. They shook our hands, she felt my belly.

Elefant- Diego Garcia is a tall gorgeous Argentino. We had seen his band like 5 times in 2003, Carlos and I told him after a show that we would be seeing him at Coachella one day. That's true, we really were into that first album and believed in him. Then guess who comes up to Carlos while we're walking through Coachella but Diego himself. Like what?!? Nos saluda con besito y abrazito y todo. Ahhh great.

Huell Howser- This is the most recent OMG moment of celebrity status. I may have strutted/skipped my 8 month pregnant belly towards him but I just had to. I wanted to thank him and then I end up on his show. Great time.

It's not just about the people you encounter, or the friends you spot out in the mass of thousands, or the complete beatdown you get just from walking from the parking lot... it's the total experience. I'll stop when it's not fun for me anymore. I look forward to the sunny cloudless day, the tent to stage shuffle, the $6 pizza slice. Doesn't bother me yet.


Plan smart for the sun set. Some of my favorite memories are watching the sun go down as the magic begins. When the sun goes down it becomes a different party.

Chuntster's Guide to Coachella

The Coachella Valley is my home, doesn't matter where I live. When I was a student at Indio High School I always wanted cool shows to go to. The date festival concerts, the Art Laboe killer oldies concert, the POWER 101 summer concert jam, the backyard and palm grove 'raves', the all ages clubs and the many 15neras were my only musical outlets.

The real Coachella is a hard working Mexican community. In the 90s it was known for its banda clubs and the Chalino/cowboy look was born and bred here. This is the city that boasts Pollo Dieta buy one get one free chicken Sundays and the original Toda Moda. Coachella also had a mala fama of being a cholo hangout. So this is why it boggled my mind when in 1999 a music festival down the street from my home base was going to be called COACHELLA. It's still hilarious to me that Coachella is on the map, it's a true international word now synonymous as a meeting place for music lovers. Really? Really.

I'm in love with this festival and I have ten years worth of stories to share. I'll be posting up some tips for newbies, there are some essentials to survive the desert. I have been victim to mistakes: wearing black pants that made my sweaty legs turn purple, the chafing situation (come on big girls you can relate) losing cameras and friends. Coachella 1999 made me so happy, but I left thinking "this is never going to happen again". The landscape seemed so huuuge then since there weren't that many of us, now you literally sweat other people's sweat.

monday

we are days away from our musical pilgrimage. i think i'm sharing too much on facebook and i guess most of my 'friends' don't care. this week i get excited, we'll be back to the sunny blue skies, the soft green grass and 3 days of non stop music. how is that not the best?

buried alive

i watch the show hoarders, a little too much. it just intrigues me to see people become possessed by their possessions. some of us are owned by our homes and cars, working hard to pay them off but this hoarding thing is a little different. it's trash to us, but to them it's theirs.

i'm always making up stories about my neighbors (in my head) and this morning the jungle house with the parked car full of trash had visitors. on his way to work carlos saw the cops outside that house. i went out to see a sheriff and several cops outside still talking, animated with their hands. i asked the postal worker dropping off mail if she knew what happened. she said the coroner was there-they found a dead body. i didn't ask much, i just said that we really have to take care of our elders. in my head, the person found is an older man, his house full of papers, junk mail, books and cats. his home became a great tomb like the pharaohs of egypt. what is trash to us, is gold to them. rest in peace.

the earth quakes

it's been in the back of my mind since i was in high school. the MEChA central conference at UCR had a workshop on the end of the world, i forget but the long haired xicano power told us teenagers that 2012 was it for us. perhaps. i remember reading somewhere, or maybe i heard it on cristina, that our calendar was 2 years off. so this year would indeed be 2012. perhaps.

what we know is that there has been major earthquakes this year. i remember telling my earth science class last year that there is only one major jumbo quake a year (7.0+). it's only april and there has been haiti, chile, mexicali and now indonesia. i'm not even checking the official stats, it's been a lot.

i'm thinking that i should not care about my awesome fico score anymore and just play with the credit again. i want to go to the hollywood bowl all summer and watch dudamel at the walt disney hall. i want to travel to mexico and guatemala and show off the babies before they can protest. i want to a house in the desert. i want a long weekend in santa barbara. i want to eat fancy. simple little dreams, i just want simple for a while before it all gets complicated.

field trips

spring is here, no matter what the calendar says. i'm buying jumbo ziploc bags and putting away all the closet hogging winter clothes to make space for breezy sun gear. our little man started walking last summer, this summer he's running. he's an exploring boy on the verge of hitting the infamous two year old tantrum filled drama that his sister never expressed. don't worry little man, oh the places we will go...

la comPUTAdora

the pee wee herman show made me super happy, then we see this. now i know i'll love him forever. til the end of the calendar.