By Rich Henrich
The Rolling Stones. Bob Dylan (and his band). Paul McCartney. Neil Young and Promise of the Real. Roger Waters. The Who. This is the line up for the first Desert Trip put on by none other than the champions of economic impact in the Coachella Valley and the creators of “Coachella” Music and Arts Festival, Goldenvoice. Only this time, crowds, of Millennials donning the misappropriated Native American headdress, a.k.a. the “hipster headdress”, won’t over take the valley. No, this time around, we will be seeing lots of Baby Boomers in sun hats and sunglasses.
The concert of the century will take place at the Empire Polo Club grounds in Indio with the line up of megastars playing back-to-back three-day concerts. The Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan and His Band, will kick off the party on Friday night followed by a Saturday night with Paul McCartney and Neil Young and Promise of the Real. The festival will end with Roger Waters and close out with The Who. The festival will begin October 7th and run through October 9th and will begin round two on October 14th through the 16th. There are still a limited number of tickets available for Weekend 2.
More than just a concert with rock and roll legends, Desert Trip has crafted an experience for all to enjoy. From premium travel and hotel packages to camping, culinary and craft beer, Desert Trip sets out to be a curated, concert savoir-faire. If it’s only rock and roll and you like it, then you will love what is in store for you! Around 70,000 fans of classic rock are expected to attend the first weekend and take over the Coachella Valley, infusing cash flow into many businesses in the area. The festival boasts one of the highest budgets ever, with some insiders suggesting headliners on the ticket to be guaranteed as much as $7 million each. Add in the elevated production for an upscale audience and the festival is likely to cost over $100 million to put on. No doubt, the economic impact for the Valley will far surpass the millions spent to produce the event.
One of the unique aspects of this festival is the impressive lineup of world-class chefs. With options from a la carte to all-inclusive culinary faire to seated dinners billed as Outstanding in the Field, this will be like a food fest wrapped in rock and roll. According to the Desert Trip website, over 100 vendors will serve up everything from handcrafted hamburgers, authentic street tacos, wood-fired pizza and fresh-from-the-wok pad thai. The food options will accommodate the most discriminating taste buds and budgets with items also available for special dietary needs such as vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free. This will be a wonderful way to experience a world-class food and craft beverage festival before the concerts begin in a fun communal air-conditioned environment.
The all-inclusive food and drink menu will feature over a dozen top regional and national restaurants including Chef Matthew Kinney’s Plant Food + Wine, Broken Spanish’s Chef Ray Garcia, Sotto’s Chef Steve Samson, Hanjip Korean BBQ’s Chef Chris Oh, Rose Café’s Chef Jason Neroni and deserts by Mallow Mallow’s Latanya Lane, Rich Labbate’s Rocco’s Sweet Shoppe and many, many more. This is a culinary concert for the rock and roll tongue! As Beefsteak’s Chef Marcel Vigneron puts it: “We value the intimate connection between our food, our farms, our planet and our health and aim to be sustainable in all of our practices. We realize that in our fast-paced, modern day society people frequently eat on the run, but to us that doesn’t mean that “fast food” can’t be “fast good food,” which is why we place a large emphasis on creating dishes that will provide our guests with the sustenance they need to get them through their busy days, as well as fulfill their desires with regard to flavor.”
Desert Trip has also tapped some of the top professionals in the beverage world to pour paired brew, wine and libations. Champion of craft beer and the co-founder and CEO of Stone Brewing, Greg Koch will be on hand to provide the right balance of hops with your meal of choice, with a carefully selected assortment of craft beers to taste. The Craft Beer & Food Experience includes a choice of two entrée’s from over 50 of the country’s best restaurants along with access to full pours of wine, craft beer and cocktails from multiple cash bars. The cost of a curated culinary experience starts at $129 per person. Greg Koch will also curate the selection at the Craft Beer Barn, a special spot for all attendees, serving the finest in craft beer, specialty cocktails and food vendors. Cocktail & Food Experience will be an unlimited tasting by L.A.’s Cedd Moses team at 213 and the Houston brothers of Houston Hospitality. Renowned sommelier Rajat Parr rounds out the experience with unlimited wine tastings from a curated program of wineries. The Weekend Bundle of all three experiences includes 3 days of food and beverage for $499 per person.
Desert Trip brings more excitement to the Coachella Valley over the next two weekends with an upscale festival experience complete with wine, women and song not to mention the added bonus of camping, glamping, golf, luxury and fine culinary cuisine and adult beverages to quench any arid thirst. While week one will prove the proof is in the pudding, remember the inconvenience you may experience in the stores, restaurants and roads around town helps our local economy thrive and grow while providing jobs for so many of our residents.
For more info go to DesertTrip.com.
