Coachella Music and Arts Festival
Indio, California April 27th - 29th, 2007
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When the lineup was announced for this years Coachella Festival I was in shock! Rage Against the Machine to reunite? That reason alone was enough to get me looking for flights and any other possible means to Indio, California. A few months went by and it was becoming clear that my chances of attending Coachella were slim to none.

On Wednesday April 4, 2007 a friend told me 99.5 KISS was giving away a trip to Coachella, if you could unscramble four Rage Against the Machine songs. I figured it would be an easy task since I have been the biggest Rage fan since my teen years. With luck on my side, I got through to Randy Bonillas three times (the third time being the charm). Qualifying for the trip was a victory in itself and I could not have been more optimistic about being the grand prizewinner. When Friday the thirteenth came around I had almost forgot this was the day the winner would be announced. I was busy all day with errands and time just seemed to pass. When my phone rang at 4:30pm on the dot, Friday afternoon, I honestly knew I was going to hear some good news. I was going to attend Coachella. It was a dream come true and I was the most excited I had been in a while.

The Coachella Music and Arts Festival was first born in 1999 with a purpose of promoting underground, independent, and experimental music. This two day festival has featured acts such as Tool, Rage Against The Machine, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jane's Addiction, Weezer, Cake, Foo Fighters, Nine Inch Nails, and Depeche Mode just to name a few. Indio's Empire Polo Fields is the location of this massive festival that gives a unique feel. With a backdrop of mountains and a vast quantity of palm trees surrounding you, a feeling of serenity is inevitable. The weather in Indio is unique as well. We would top off the day at about a hundred degrees and then drop to a beautiful 60 or 70 degrees that felt wonderful as you lay on the cool grass of the polo field.

This year's event was expanded to three days for the first time. There were so many acts this year that everyone has to make a full proof plan just to see them. I had that plan and was lucky enough to see everyone I wanted. Some of the bands I saw included The Nightwatchman (Tom Morello's solo project), The Fratellis, Hot Chip, Air, Arcade Fire, Ozomatli, Kings Of Leon, Tiesto, Paul Van Dyk, The Roots, Lily Allen and Austin Texas's own Explosions in the Sky. Coachella is such a big festival that sometimes it can be hard to focus and take everything in. We usually would see a couple of songs from a band then move onto another just to get a variety in for the day. Besides the size, I felt so in tune with people there. We were all on equal footing. One way or another we all drove to be there, whether it was from other cities in California or elsewhere. To get to Indio, California you have to drive!

While walking on the grounds I was aware that a great number of people were there to see two bands, Rage Against the Machine and The Red Hot Chili Peppers. It has been seven years since Rage last performed together so this was a reunion that was long overdue. With all the turmoil our country is going through we needed that voice of the youth culture to speak. For the Chili Peppers it would be a triumphant return to the festival since 2003.

As night fell on the polo grounds on Saturday, The Red Hot Chili Peppers took the stage and delivered a great performance. It was great to see them in California because they are one of the most influential bands that California has produced. Hearing them play "Under the Bridge" was a highlight for me because that is a song that most identifies them with. The performance was extra special because I felt like he was singing it to the home crowd, which we were apart of that night. The Chili Peppers are one of the greatest live bands (ever) and solidified it for me once again in their home state.

Sunday was upon us and it was all about Rage Against the Machine. Everyone was sporting the older tour shirts and especially the new commemorative shirt, which had the "The Battle of Coachella" in its center. I was thrilled to be apart of the reunion show; I knew this would go down in the books. Rage was to be the closer going on at 10:40 p.m. As the lights dimmed and the bulbs began to flash Rage Against the Machine once again took the stage together. Opening with Testify, it was as if they had never left. Rage played a solid set covering all albums including Renegades. Lead singer Zack De La Rocha had a quick rant in the middle of "Wake Up" off the first LP, which was classic Zack. They did one encore to close out the night, putting an end to a memorable weekend.

Lastly I would like to thank my Concert Authority 99.5 KISS for giving me the opportunity of a lifetime, I had a blast. Thank you Randy and Jennifer for being there with us, we truly had a great time getting to know you guys. Until we meet again.

Cheers,
Steven Moya