My heart thudded painfully in my chest when I heard those dreaded few words. Those two words had destroyed my dreams for making this the first year I would attend the auspicious event known as the Coachella Music Festival.
Sold out?
My mind could barely comprehend that this infamous concert had sold out as quickly as it had—only a mere week after tickets went on sale. Obviously after the realization hit that this was not going to be “the year," a slight depression set in at the thought of all the great music I was going to miss out on. However this mood only lasted for a few weeks, as a plethora of acts performing at the festival were suddenly slated to perform in AZ: Arcade Fire, Local Natives, Menomena, The New Pornographers, The Black Keys, and even Robyn.
It’s like Coachella is coming to Arizona, on a slew of different dates and for a cheaper price of course. To say I was filled with joy was an understatement. However, as with any good fortune there is always a darker undertone. Apparently I was not the only Arizonan missing out on the music extravaganza taking place in Indio, CA. With the mad rush for the few precious tickets of the Mesa Amphitheater, the Black Keys promptly sold out. Soon after, decent Arcade Fire tickets were nowhere to be found (it’s taking place at the Comerica theater, and who wants to be in section 304, the row way the hell out in no man’s land?).
Though these acts were coming to Arizona, many would still miss their chance due to the expeditious ticket selling of these shows. I felt frantic/ insanely obsessive trying to procure tickets, which definitely took away my jubilated anticipation I had built for these performances. It was bringing flashbacks of disappointment for Coachella, and the knowledge that some of these bands might not return to AZ for years to come.
But I digress. The point was that I had enough. I love concerts, but I really didn’t want to run myself (or my bank account) ragged trying to get tickets to them. What was my perspective-altering conclusion from these events? If it was meant for me to see these acts, then it would happen. Or at least if they visited California, a road trip could be scrapped together to catch them live. I wasn’t going to engage in ditching work or school to simply get a ticket to a show.
There was one lesson I learned from all of this hoopla. If you’re going to a show that has a high probability of being sold out (or has tickets on sale the day after the Grammy’s), it’s best to purchase right away. If not, hey, there’s always next time (or a brief trip to the state of California).
For a list of upcoming acts from Coachella and beyond head over to: http://www.silverplatter.info/shows/all_upcoming.
