i started today off in a pretty good mood because i am no longer jetlagged, i had an awesome weekend hosting my friends michelle and stephanie from the bay area (we even did malibu wine safari in the rain) and i woke up before my alarm clock which gave me time to take a candlelit bath while it was still dark outside  before coming in to work a full day with about six hours of back to back clients.  is it really a monday if your workday isn’t totally slammed?  anyway, my day got even better when one of our admins delivered this magical box to my office…

 

 

this will be my fifth consecutive year going to coachella.  some might call me crazy and others might call me a music junkie – i cannot deny either of the aforementioned.

 

year one:

i didn’t have an exact idea of what i was doing but knew a couple of things: i needed a house with central air for 100 degree days, i did not want to wait in long lines to shower in the morning and my allergies probably couldn’t handle 24 hour exposure to dust.  a bunch of friends from college and work combined to stay in a house about one mile from the venue.

what i later found out: even 12 hours a day of exposure to dust is gnarly for my allergies, i should wear tennis shoes or a gladiator with the heel enclosed, braids were definitely the way to go for this black girl with a head full of hair and nothing compares to the high of hearing tame impala for the first time – jason and i have been fans ever since.  i was also told that i out performed drake – like every single line, rapped longer than him when he was switching songs, created my own dance floor in the field, sang drake the entire walk home with jason – it was a vibe.

*april 2015 with anj and jason

 

year two:

i learned a ton from year one.  a girl with thick thighs like me need to wear shorts or longer spanx under my dresses to avoid chaffing that is painful for a week afterwards, multiple pairs of sunglasses is an absolute must, there is a such thing as buying too much alcohol for the house – keep it light since it isn’t like you can bring any of it in with you.

what i later found out: guns n’ roses still has enough energy to perform for three fucking hours, ice cube is still a n**** with an attitude and i will always be here for it, i wish snoop dogg was my uncle in real life and i don’t care if sia never shows her face again if she keeps singing those sweet melodies to me.

 

*april 2016 – god, i miss being able to have my hair be a variety of colors that resemble my old lisa frank diaries

 

year three:

i had to exercise my basic bitch tendencies and wear a flower crown and i have no regrets. my friend makensy handmade them for all of us with fresh flowers.  i was beyond amped to see the xx, future, the head & the heart and kendrick lamar.

what i later found out: while flower crowns are stunning, when they are real, they are low-key heavy.  whatever – i did it for the gram.  the xx was a fucking religious experience.  future made me feel like i was at the dopest outdoor nightclub that i wish lasted for a full summer.  the head and the heart are so talented – their ability to harmonize and all of the live instruments – to die for.  kendrick lamar is one of the greatest rappers of our time – he makes me have hope for hip hop.

 

april 2017 – who wouldn’t want to kiss a man that looked like this? love you theo!

 

year four:

i splurged for vip and hoped i would not regret it.  beyonce had had the twins and was supposed to put on the performance of a lifetime. would miguel and daniel caesar make me melt in person? would cardi b live up to the hype? was eminem actually out of retirement? would the youngsters in greta van fleet put on a killer show?  i definitely needed a cute bandana for the walks through the dusty fields at the end of the night.

what i later found out: vip is worth every fucking penny.  beyonce was about to come for my entire life and then do it again with destiny’s child, thus fulfilling a childhood dream of mine. miguel not only made me swoon, but the love he has for his gorgeous wife nazanin is so apparent.  they are both so humble and smiled/acknowledged our group the day before his performance in vip and then nazanin replied to me on the gram.  daniel caesar’s voice is more buttery in person and he brought out h.e.r. which literally changed my life.  cardi b definitely lived up to the hype and somehow did not run out of breath while pussy popping on a handstand in 90+ degree weather while pregnant in full costume that paid homage to tlc – my old supervisor + amazing friend, joe, from my dealership days had never seen me rap like that – he was used to me singing along to coldplay in the office. eminem is definitely out of retirement and also, gave us all life by bringing out both dr. dre (real hip hop fans know how rare it is to see him out and about) and 50 cent (who might be petty but is incredibly talented).  greta van fleet absolutely killed it and truly blew up shortly after coachella.  i am glad i got to see them when i did. the bandana was a game changer.  shout out to my friend teki for making one for me in a print i absolutely adored.

 

april 2018 – how cute is the rose embroidery on the back of that dress?  my girl, roni, in photo two and me with roni (again) and her work wife, stacey, in photo three

 

year five:

will let you lovelies know in april after i go but as for now, i am hyped for another year in vip and cannot wait to see childish gambino, janelle monae, ella mai, dvsn, tame impala, solange, weezer, wiz khalifa, sheck wes, ariana grande, khalid, bad bunny, yg, h.e.r., pusha t, gucci gang and lizzo.

something i love about music festivals is how many different genres you can cover in one weekend or even in one day.  name another place where i could sway in the night skies with h.e.r. and then channel my inner thug with yg?   it is truly the best.

 

recommendations:

• sunscreen is crucial no matter the color of your skin – black people burn, too
• bring wet wipes to stay fresh during the day
• a mini stick of deodorant never hurt anyone
• comfortable shoes are a must – trying to break in a new pair at coachella will have you angry enough to curse out mother teresa
• pack a denim shirt/jacket or a sweatshirt for the evenings – the temperatures really drop at night
• a scarf or bandana is a must
• i would rather be cute and comfortable for the length of the days so i was all about t-shirt dresses – what is the most comfortable thing you own that is presentable in public?  buy it in your favorite colors and wear that.  all of the dresses you saw me in each year (with the exception of flower crown year) were from asos – the dress from flower crown year was from torrid
• don’t be afraid to see an artist by yourself that the rest of the group may not be into
• have meeting locations identified before the day starts because your cell service might be trash – there were people that did not receive texts until monday…from SATURDAY (i just used caps, so you know it is real)
• carry cash – i would recommend $100 per day; while many vendors take cards, oftentimes, the systems shut down due to poor signal and how many thousands of transactions there are
• bring an external charger and cord
• don’t be afraid to take a nap midday at the festival to recharge – use your purse or backpack as a pillow + thank me later

 

this was a lengthy one but a necessary one.  if you’ve been to coachella, i would love to hear about it.  if you are on the fence, let me know if you have any questions.

 

xoxo,

k. tap