If Woodstock was America's last moment of innocence, then Coachella's 10th gathering was merely a glimpse of the new Love Generation wanting to give peace a chance.
Traipsing around in the scorching desert for three days may not sound like much of a good time. Fortunately mine included this charming man, a Beatle and a killer fedora-wearing ladies man.
In fact, even though the day started with extremely long lines and triple digit heat, once we passed the impressively green grass into the grounds and started our music revolution, the sun beating down couldn't match the beating drums.
Coachella will likely be remembered best for bringing the AARP crowd to blend with the latest hipster bands. Like all music festivals, the big headliners play later in the day.
It's only fair that I lead with "Macca," the great former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney. Easily the largest crowd all weekend, one must be prepared when sitting through a McCartney set to experience every sort of human emotion possible. Accompanied by his four-piece band, he played bass as he ran through a handful of Wings standards.
McCartney then switched over to the piano for the Beatles classic "The Long And Winding Road."
"It's a very emotional day for me and my family today," he then confided to the crowd. "April 17. Linda (McCartney) passed away 11 years ago. We play this for Linda tonight."
McCartney got choked up while singing "My Love" one more time to his late wife. They often performed the song together when Linda toured with Wings.
McCartney then switched to an acoustic guitar to perform the beloved Beatles track "Blackbird" while standing alone on the stage. That alone was worth the $300 price of admission.
But the pivotal moment for me was not his infectious charisma. It was not the fact that he played for more than two hours or reprised Beatles hits from "Hey Jude" to "Yesterday." For me it was hearing that one lonely song that explores the profound existential angst of loneliness. "Eleanor Rigby" breaks my heart every time.
My enthusiasm for Morrissey is far from feigned, and I screamed like a 15-year-old schoolgirl when he hit the stage.
Kicking off his set with The Smiths classic tune "This Charming Man," he performed in front of a backdrop with a black-and-white photograph of the naked torso of a sailor smoking a cigar with the word "Refusal" written across his chest.
The singer humbly asked, "Does it sound OK?" The audience cheered loudly in response.
Midway through the set, a disturbed Morrissey said, "I can smell burning flesh and I hope to God it's human" as the smell of barbecued meat from nearby food stands wafted through the air. A few minutes later, the famous vegetarian walked off the stage in the middle of "Some Girls are Bigger than Others."
For a minute it seemed as all hope was lost but he returned shortly.
"The smell of burning animals is making me sick," he groused. "I just couldn't bear it."
Diva antics? Yes.
The lady's man that is Leonard Cohen was maybe the oldest person to set foot at Coachella. He proved to the audience that age has no boundaries. Cohen captivated the audience by singing an impeccable "Hallelujah."
Much time was also spent at the Sahara tent. A gigantic rave-like atmosphere, where the only drug not being consumed is Percocet. The likes of Crystal Castles and The Chemical Brothers helped dehydrated adolescents dance the night away.
Other highlights included My Bloody Valentine's grand set with a turbulent ending of sonic holocaust. A stunning dream and maybe even a pleasant nightmare.
Some might find their grand finale to be analogous to Warhol's Campbell's soup can, that is to say, extremely pretentious and contrived. But as die-hard Valentine fans know, with epic proportions comes great sound.
Fleet Foxes was pure bliss to the ear. Robin Pecknold's voice of an angel took the stage in perfect timing as the sun set. The golden light turned out to be the perfect accompaniment for the band's gentle sound. Harmonies and lush acoustic guitars fed the crowd as we lay peacefully on the grass, closed our eyes and rode out the fading light.
Yeah Yeah Yeah's frontwoman Karen O had no trouble playing for the massive crowd. Dressed like some X-woman superhero in a metallic gold top with lime-green and blue tights, she literally took over the stage. A workout that had her reaching for the Heineken beer she was chugging.
Closing the event was the 1980s band The Cure who, even as their sound was turned off, continued to play.
As people made their way out of the vicinity there was a sense of satisfaction, but not quite elation. For most of them the smooth-tempered vibe that I felt throughout the weekend was even more apparent during these last moments.
I will miss Coachella, but there is no need to mourn. Spring will return in a matter of months and Coachella will be waiting.
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