Supreme goes to Coachella

MANILA, Philippines - Move over, Woodstock. Coachella is this generation’s festival of choice. A three-day celebration of music, countless off-concert parties, and an orgy of different characters you’ll ever see in your life. Showcasing the widest range of music genres from rock to hip hop to indie to electronic music, and gathering more than 200,000 people, Coachella is without a doubt one of the biggest music festivals in the world. And if you’re still unsure about making the pilgrimage to the mecca of music festivals, Supreme is here to help sway your decision with the nine things we love most about it.

Carpoolchella: The road to the festival

Held annually at the vast grass field of Empire Polo Club in Indio, Southern California, driving is the preferred (and most likely only) means of getting there. An expedition of decorated buses and RVs head through the Colorado Desert towards the oasis. With every kind of vehicle decked in paint, flags, and exciting artwork, Carpoolchella is an experience in itself. (Think Pimp My Ride on acid.)

Best new artist: Discover new music

Lesbihonest. Not every attendee of Coachella is a music purist. Saw that Jimmy Kimmel Excited to see a band that doesn’t exist video? Try looking that one up. As soon as Coachella releases their lineup for 2013, normal festivalgoers check out their favorites and then proceed to explore the more obscure but equally good ones. To me, this is one of the best parts of attending Coachella — before you catch the acts you came over to see, you discover other artists whose music most probably ends up looped in your iTunes playlists for the rest of the year.

My way or the runway: Dress to express

What does one wear to Coachella? The magazines and blogs may try to give you ideas, but the truth is, anything goes. And I mean, A-N-Y-T-H-I-N-G. Never has so much random been together in one place. Girls redefine hippie and rocker chic with an abundance of crop tops, leather jackets, and flower crowns. The guys pretty much try their best to have as little clothing on as possible, with your classic band shirts, singlets, and sometimes, even Speedos.

Visual festival: Not just for the ears but for the eyes as well

Different acts perform simultaneously on all six stages: the Coachella (Main) Stage, Outdoor Stage, Gobi Stage, Mojave Stage, Sahara Stage, and Yuma Stage, giving Coachella attendees a slew of genres to choose from. As you strut the grass field from one stage to the other, you’ll come across different art installations that change every year. From a 125-foot-tall mechanic praying mantis to a 100-foot-long digital pool, it makes for rather interesting photo opportunities, rendering Coachella the most Instagrammable event you might ever attend.

Upsize me: The bonus special guests

This is the icing on the delicious, musical cupcake. Although last year’s 2Pac hologram in Snoop Lion’s (aka the artist formerly known as Snoop Dogg) performance was hard to beat, this year wasn’t short on the surprise cameos. Although, Daft Punk was heavily rumored to appear in the Phoenix set, it was R.Kelly who busted out on stage as the French band closed Day 2 of the festival. Their remix of 1901 and Ignition was one of the most tweeted about performances of the festival. Runners up for best in appearances were Solange as she performed with The XX and John Legend collaborating with Benny Bennasi.

Spring break forever: Off-concert parties during the weekend

Not everyone who goes to Indio is there to hit the concert grounds. Hordes of spring breakers from neighboring cities head to Palm Springs for the off-concert parties thrown by different brands and PR companies. These tend to start at lunch and end — well, frankly, they never really end. Venues range from private homes to small theme parks. Brands get inventive as they take advantage of the number of crowds that Coachella gathers. LA-based Pinoy and PR giant Rembrandt Flores was an A+ example, throwing four huge parties over Coachella weekend. So all you Pinoys looking to party hard come Coachella, you know who to look for.

Headliners: Putting the heavy in heavyweight

The 2013 headliners are Red Hot Chili Peppers, Blur, New Order and The Stone Roses. Never mind that the last time you saw them perform is hard enough to recall, the greater question is when will these bands play the same venue at the same time ever again? The beauty of Coachella is that it brings together legendary acts, aside from the usual fan favorites, to play for the hungry masses. Past headliners over the years put the heavy in heavyweight: Rage Against The Machine, Oasis, Radiohead, Coldplay, Jay-Z, The Strokes, and her majesty, Madonna.

Walk of fame: Celebrity sightings at Coachella

Jared Leto, Kate Bosworth, and Diane Kruger are some of the bona fide festival fanatics who grace Coachella every year. While most celebs go to the festival to hear their favorite songs performed live, others peacock in the grounds, hoping to get snapped by the paps. (Nothing new here.) Personal reasons for being at Coachella aside, this is what makes the view that much more interesting. This year’s sightings include R.Patz and K.Stew, Nicky and Paris Hilton, Alessandra Ambrosio, Leonardo Di Caprio, Katy Perry, Alexa Chung, Alexander Skarsgaard, and Chloe Sevigny, just to name a few.

United nations: It’s a small word after all

In its 14th year, Coachella has gained so much popularity because of social media. From Tumblr to Twitter to Instagram, it is one of the most talked about music events in the last decade. As the years progress the crowd gets only bigger and bigger. People from all corners of the world gather to experience this life-changing affair. And I do mean life-changing. The music, the crowd, the energy — it’s all an inspiring escape from daily life and into your wildest musical fantasies.

This list is definitely not enough to express all the reasons why Coachella is pure love, but some things are best left to experience. What’s that, you say? #Coachella2014? YES.