Coachella producers announce 2013 dates and prices
Reuters/Mike Blake/Landov
Skeptics had little faith in Coachella's plan to stage the festival with identical lineups on consecutive weekends for the first time this year, but the folks putting on the show ended up laughing all the way to the bank.
Coachella 2012 was a wild financial success, and thanks to the specter of a deceased rapper, became the most talked-about weekend in the desert since Roger Waters lost track of his inflatable pig.
It only makes sense, then, that the same plan will be executed in 2013. Next year's Coachella will run on April 12-14 and again on April 19-21. Advance passes go on sale this Thursday morning for $349, though you can dole that out in installments using their payment plan.
When you consider the additional money you'll spend on travel, lodging, food, water, and a healthy supply of sun-blocking floppy hats, that's a not-unserious chunk to invest in a festival that as of now (and most likely, for the at least next six months) has exactly zero confirmed acts.
Luckily, the Coachella lineup tends to follow a pattern every year, which is why there are a few safe assumptions about who you'll see in Indio next year.
It's pretty much a given that there will be a reunion set, and perhaps more than one. This year, Pulp and At the Drive-In both dusted off their old songs for high-profile returns after spending most of the 21st century apart, and past years have seen everyone from Rage Against the Machine and the Pixies to Portishead and My Bloody Valentine.
So who is due for a Coachella coming (back) out party in 2013? With a new album out this fall and a home not too far away, expect No Doubt to find their way to the stage for a headlining set. The Smiths have been a holy grail for rock revivalists for years, but considering that will never happen, perhaps we can hope that Damon Albarn will bring Blur back one last time for a go in the United States? Failing that, expect lots of conversation about the perennial likes of Hüsker Dü, Fugazi, Cocteau Twins… the list goes on.
Coachella is also an excellent place for dormant artists to re-assert themselves as players and launch new albums or tours. With that in mind, it seems like it would make sense for U2 and Beck to both be in the discussion. And wouldn't Coachella be an ideal place for Jay-Z to get back to the grind after what we assume will be a quiet winter at home with the family? Of course, they'll also add dozens of indie rockers, mixtape rappers, and DJs on the undercard.
Who would you want to see at Coachella 2013? Will you be buying tickets without knowing who will be playing? And is it too much to ask for Coachella organizers to deliver on the promise of Hulk Hogan and the Wrestling Boot Band?
Read more on EW.com:
Coachella Sunday night: Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg bring along a lot of friends…and a Tupac hologram
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