Coachella. Just say that out loud. Co.Chell.ah. It even sounds epic.The now legendary Music & Arts Festival rocked through the Empire Polo Field in Indio this past weekend with three days of sensory overload; featuring more than 125 bands " including Death Cab for Cutie, My Morning Jacket, Fatboy Slim, Portishead, M.I.A. and Kraftwerk " plus hippy art instillations, on-site camping and of course the festival's' big act, Prince! This is not some little festival in the park. If you want to party in the desert for three days straight, you have to beat the heat. It takes a little more than an enthusiastic party attitude to survive.Although the Empire Polo Field is covered in cushy grass, the ginormous dirt parking lot serves as a reminder this event takes place in the middle of the desert. You need a survival pack: sunglasses, super-ultra SPF, travel sized antibacterial wipes, earplugs, eye drops, the works.The Coachella site is a great resource for all the other stuff you can and can't bring, plus upcoming events and anything related to the festival. Sign up for their newsletter so you don't miss another amazing year.In fact the site delivers your most necessary arsenal for getting the most out of the fest: the Coachella Scheduler (called the Coachooser). Once the full line-up is released, just plug in a wish list of acts to catch each day. The choices are saved and when the play schedule is locked down (usually a week or so before the event), the wish list creates a fantasy program with times, dates and places ready to print.Hurrah for technology. That's what the internet is supposed to be all about. Party planning! And time wasting, but let's not get into that because if you're reading this at work I don't want you to feel guilty.Next year is Coachella's tenth anniversary. Get on that email list now, my dears.I'll see you there next year --Wes

SHARE: