I have a confession to make. I used to love EDM. There, I said it! Skrillex, Bassnectar, Flux Pavilion, Odesza, Valentino Khan, Benny Benassi…the list goes on. All I had was iHeart Radio and a dream. Spincycle was my favorite channel, along with one that featured Pete Tong. They introduced me to the world of disc jockeying and radio DJs before artists like pinkpantheress and the Nia Archives came into existence as a further evolution of this music genre. Because of this, along with my Emma Chamberlain obsession, I soon came to learn what Coachella was. I used to watch so many vlogs of people’s experiences at Lollapalooza, Burning Man, Tomorrowland. I still have not gotten to fly across the country and attend a live music festival, but after the 2023 Coachella livestream, I have to experience something like that in person.
The energy coming through on the livestream was electric. It felt intimate to be sitting in the chat with hundreds of other people, all across the globe, all waiting to see our favorite artists come onstage. Just being allowed the chance to see some of these artists through YouTube was incredible! I had put Coachella out of my mind after seeing the line up months before and being disappointed I wouldn’t see Weyes Blood, Flo Milli, Remi Wolf, or The Garden. I’ve written about YouTube before, so it may not surprise you all when I say I’m on the platform very often, and the livestream was being advertised!
Due to the timing of the acts, and my need to finish pressing assignments as finals breathe down my neck, I did miss some of the acts I desperately wanted to see. I’m not entirely sure if Coachella will be rebroadcasting or rereleasing each day as a separate video, but I really hope so. I dislike the shorts and “VODs” the channel has, although they are helpful to see snippets of an artist’s music that you missed (or that you loved!), I just wish there was a more complete option. It does encourage you to live in the moment as the event is already being livestreamed, so why take pictures, videos, or screen recordings at home, when the artist is sweating in the same tent as you! The Garden’s set was incredible, and the crowd’s excitement was coming through the screen. Their outfits were amazing, their athleticism was shocking, and their guest appearance was silly. Seeing the camera pan over their fans screaming every word and headbanging at the barricade made me want to get up and dance, even in the middle of the night. The camerawork was perfect, from the fans it chose to linger on, to the zooms on phone screen’s recording and zooming out to show the whole crowd. TV Girl’s set was an understated, superb festival-appropriate experience. ROSALÍA’s set was also amazing, on the gargantuan Coachella Stage with experimental camera work and choreography, clearly inspired by TikTok (but very fun nonetheless!). Every time a beat came on that I recognized, I would scream along with the crowd!
Across all six livestreams, talented, passionate artists were simultaneously performing from Friday through Sunday, and it made this weekend one of true joy for me. I can’t wait to tune in again this week!