The festival rumor mill is abuzz this morning, and Coachella is receiving some much-deserved gossip. More info on those rumors after todays history lesson.
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival held its first event in October 1999, just three months after Woodstock 99s violent failure. While Woodstocks vendors charged the absurd price of $4 for bottled water, Coachellas promoters handed out free bottles of water to every attendee. The gesture was more in tune with the original Woodstock, and Coachella quickly established itself as one of the heirs to Woodstock 69s throne. The festival has grown each year, bringing thousands of music fans to the California deserts for a weekend of music, good will, and hellish sunburns.
Coachella also has a history of reuniting bands. In 2001, the festivals organizers were running out of time to produce a major headlining band. They turned to Perry Farrell, who reunited Janes Addiction to play the Coachella event. This was the catalyst for a number of Coachella reunions, including the Pixies, Iggy Pop & The Stooges, and Gang of Four. 2007 continues the trend, with both Rage Against the Machine and Crowded House climbing aboard the reunion train.
The Coachella website hasnt confirmed 2007s reunions, nor has it posted any information about lineups or ticket sales. Such prized information has a habit of getting leaked, though, and the following bands will
very likely be playing this years festival: Air, Jacks Mannequin, Rage Against the Machine, Crowded House, Arcade Fire, Sonic Youth, Fountains of Wayne, Willie Nelson, the Roots, Of Montreal, the Decemberists, Rufus Wainwright, Kings of Leon, the New Pornographers, Ghostface Killah, and many other non-confirmed acts.
Stay tuned for more info, or visit Coachellas slow-running
website and bombard it with even more traffic. Those poor guys theyre probably receiving more hits right now than Google.
