We had the best gang in the world helping out Amanda Rae & me this weekend. Much love and appreciation to Jared Eberhardt and LifeWithoutAndy.com for the rad photos and mellow beers, Steve Van Doren & crew for the great job in the camp ground, Andrea from Vans Mexico for holding down the international flavor, and Kurt Soto for working the whole thing out.

See the entire collection of artists we saw at Coachella 2011 on Vans Flickr.

This is my 5th year coming to Coachella, and I can for sure say it has been the best. I think I realized it when I was in the photo pit for an artist I really admire. I'm not telling you who it was, because I don't want you to be like, "Ew! I don't like them!" and not listen to the rest of my story. Many times you're rushing around taking so many photos that you forget to be exactly where you are. It's as if the camera separates you from the person you're photographing. It seems surreal. Alright, alright. With that established, back to the photo pit. I'm shooting. shooting, shooting and I lower my camera for a moment. I realize that this artist that I've listened to for years Is doing her thing directly in front of me. I'm almost toe-to-toe with her in front of at least 20,000 people. Not a bad day. Yeah, I think I'll be able to work this into my schedule for next year.



The Presets


Neon Trees


Neon Trees


Phantogram


PJ Harvey


Chromeo


Foster The People


Foster The People




Lightning Bolt

It was Amanda Rae's first time at Coachella so I felt a bit like her tour guide. There is a dome in the middle of the other stages. It's kinda off on its own. No one really talks about it. it's full of mud, smells, costumes, and people that feel that their mission in life is to express their artistic vision. They are going to be damned if they're going to let a bunch of sarcastic jerks like me bar them from achieving ultimate nirvana on Earth for reals. Anyway, back to Amanda. So I say, "Hey Amanda. Trust me. You gotta go over here and check this out. Just look at it. It's honest and weird as hell." We enter the tent. As promised, there was 7 different kinds of everything going down in there & we loved it all.

As it was my first year going to Coachella I really didn't know what to expect and my preconceived ideas all probably came from YouTube videos of Jay-Z's closing performance last year where you just saw a gajillion person mob scene rocking the f out. I went in excited about a lot of bands playing and planned on watching and shooting so many sets, what happened last night at Kanye was not really in the plan though. I by no means had the intention of being all up in that mix, I thought I'd casually watch from the back with a snocone or something... So It's about 10:00 PM and Kanye is set to be on in half an hour. I can see the photo pit line already a mile long and some other mess of a comotion at the VIP gate. I mellowed out and watched the rest of Phantogram and grabbed a Lemonade then out of boredom/curiousity I wondered over to the chaos and found myself being shoved through the crowd into the front row area.... Hmmm I'll take it? So I sat on the little baricade for a few minutes and met some dudes named Matt and Scott and before I knew it there were 100 thousand people behind me and somehow I was stuck front & center waiting for Kanye with some new friends. All of the sudden Kanye was up above our heads singing on some robot arm and there was a slew of theatrics happening on stage including some amazing dancers and a definite highlight for me, Bon Iver joining him on stage to sing. Also randomly enough, apparently everyone loves Kanye including Paris & Nicky Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Tara Reid, and Usher. So the view above was from my post with my new BFF's, then awesome photos below were shot by our pal Mitchell. Check out more of his photos from the whole weekend on the Vans Flickr.

Here are a few photo highlights from some of our favorite performances Sunday . You can check out tons more photos of our time at Coachella on the Vans Flickr.

Duran Duran


OFF!


City & Colour

The first time I heard about Nas was when I had my first job in high school. I worked at the mall record store in my hometown. Nas had just released his album "I Am". I had one million people come into the store the month after the album was released saying stuff like, "Oh, hey. Do you have that song about that thing where that guy is talking about what he is like?" In spite of that I've been super into Nas ever since. Damian Marley is no slouch either. I can't even get into that.

Straight away first thing when we got to the festival grounds yesterday some guy started yelling sarcastically, "Happy end of Coachella everyone! It's the last day! It's done! Everyone go home!" You know what? That guy sucked. Everyone booed him, and I kicked him in the leg. All of that is true except the leg-kicking part. Yesterday was by far my favorite day of the show. No one rained on our parade. Our parade was rolling deep all day!







CSS


Health




Ratatat


Andrew Doheny






Wiz Khalifa


Death From Above 1979

So many amazing bands played Coachella this year, and I have to give a little attention to the ladies especially. From solo acts like Erykah Badu, Ellie Goulding, Yelle, and Robin to girls in bands like The Love Language, Yacht, Marina & The Diamonds, Sleigh Bells, Best Coast, Crystal Castles, Arcade Fire, Phantogram, Warpaint, and many more... Here are a few of my favorite photos of the girls. Check out more coverage of music, fashion, and general Coachella fun on the Vans Girls Blog.

Ellie Goulding


Best Coast


Warpaint


Sleigh Bells

Emma: My name is Emma

Nikki: Where are you from?

Emma: Originally from Spain, but now I live in Claremont CA

Nikki: Oh wow, how did that come to be?

Emma: I decided to go to college here in the states and so I ended up here in beautiful Southern California.

Nikki: How long have you been speaking English? Your accent is perfectly So Cal.

Emma: Well my parents are American so I just grew up in Latin America.

Nikki: Oh so you got this. What are you going to school for?

Emma: I’m an economics and philosophy major.

Nikki: Who’s your favorite philosopher?

Emma: Hmm… I would have to probably say John Rawls, he’s phenomenal. His interesting concept of behind the veil of ignorance, essentially what your standards would be if everyone was born into the same world…

Nikki: How do you think you’ve adjusted your life since you learned about him?

Emma: I definitely think that there’s a standard for development and human rights in general. I personally try to live my life with the certain basis, like there’s a parameter or standard for all. You can work above that but you also have to understand by you working for whatever you’re striving for you should still be making the person most worst off in that society better off in some capacity…

Nikki: That’s awesome thanks so much.

Of course, the legendary Big Audio Dynamite never cease to impress. For those of you who live around NYC or in the UK, you have a chance to see BAD right now. Their current tour info is posted on their site.

One of the best things about festivals is the characters that you meet throughout the day. All of the sudden, you have 100 new best friends. There are people that I see once a year, at Coachella. We hang out for 3 days, rage, and then we don't talk for the next year. The moment you see each other again, it's like no time has passed at all. You hug it out, pound some drinks, and watch some music.

Geez, these guys give it a good shot even in the blazing hot midday sun. Everyone at Coachella is going for it all day, to be honest. Here's what I overheard this girl going on about to her guy friend, "I can't believe that cop had all that weed! All he had to do was give it to me..."

Erykah Badu is beautiful and amazing. Homeslice could sing the Sioux Falls, South Dakota phone directory, and I'd have no choice but to kick my shoes off and roll around on the ground and cry. Yeah, I mean that in a good way.

Right after these photos were taken the guys got into a water gun fight. Who knows who fired the first shot? Apparently, someone shot water into someone's eye & someone got mad & shoved someone else and then it turned into some wrestling & then the security guards came over & pulled someone(s) apart. Shit gets dangerous.

We saw so many bands yesterday it was stupid... And by stupid I mean really really awesome. Here are a few favorite shots from the day. Check out tons more on the Vans Flickr.

Empire of the Sun


Yelle


Foals


The Delta Spirit


Jenny & Johnny


Bright Eyes


Animal Collective


Wire


Glasser


The Kills

Yacht took a few minutes to catch up with us about their forthcoming new album on DFA Records, Shangri-La, and the tour to boot. Give it a listen. If you're into super dry humor you're going to get a kick out of these guys. They're a crack up. It's not all jokes, though. Jona & Claire give some details on taking over to create a true utopian society. Just kidding. No, but I'm seriously serious. No. What? Wait. Tell them about your existential crisis and how you want to help them build a world at Team Yacht. All stills from the video are on Vans Coachella Flickr.

Here's a few of our favorites from yesterday. Plenty more where these came from on Vans Coachella Flickr.

Cold Cave




Crystal Castles


The Pains of Being Pure of Heart


Robyn




Sleigh Bells




The Drums

If you've never had the privilege of attending an Aquabats show, you need to get there. These guys are all about the crowd and being entertainers. It's an adult birthday party...where the adults are impersonating kids pretending to be adults. Of course they are fantastic musicians, but creatively they up the ante with their live performance. it's FUN! Let the photos do the rest. More Aquabats on Vans Coachella Flickr.

it's pretty tough to get a good one of the man behind the curtain, or soundboard as it were. I mean really. The one of Skrillex with his #1 finger is duh #1. We have a few more on Vans Coachella Flickr.

The people that you meet when you're walking down the street...or at Coachella. Whatever. Don't criticize me.



Nikki S. : Andrew where are you from?

Andrew H. : El Paso, Texas.

Nikki S. : So you drove here from El Paso. Texas with a broken leg?

Andrew H. : Actually, fractured foot

Nikki S. : And how did you do that?

Andrew H. : Playing ultimate Frisbee in the park.

Nikki S. : You got super ultimate?

Andrew H. : Yeah, definitely.

Nikki S. : Obviously, it’s not your first time playing ultimate Frisbee…

Andrew H. : It was. It really was.

Nikki S. : You went for it. You have a lot of heart.

Andrew H. : Yeah, definitely.

Nikki S. : Did you win?

Andrew H. : No, we lost.

Nikki S. : Are you concerned that your other shoe is going to look too new when you can wear both of them again?

Andrew H. : Yes, I am concerned about that. I’m probably going to have to buy new Vans.

Nikki S. : Oh, nice segue.

Andrew H. : No problem.

Hey, hey kids. Here's an old-timer tale for ya. Way back when I was a hot young thing in Philadelphia, there was an onslaught of great bands that came onto the scene with the color 'Black' as part of their name: Black Black Black, None More Black, The Black Eyes, Black Dice, & The Black Keys. One night I trucked it on up to The Northstar bar to see The Black Eyes. As soon as they started playing I realized that I was actually watching The Black Keys. Everyone loves a happy ending. Sigh, my life is a fairy tale. More great Black Keys photos on Vans Coachella Flickr Set.

Everyone needs a good solid Flogging Molly set to round out the night. They were closers, for sure. I was already passed out in the front with a bottle of Jamison under one arm & my bagpipes in the other. Yes. More Flogging Molly shots on Vans Coachella Flickr.

Interpol was up on the main Coachella stage last night. Jared snagged these shots. If I'd have been there I would have made sure to do the Ian Curtis shuffle. Eff, it. I'm doing it right now.

Marina and The Diamonds set yesterday had to have been my favorite of the day. i am a fan of their album and had never seen them play so I was pretty stoked to get to shoot their set. Marina really blew me away with her awesome stage presence and voice. Check out a few photos of their performance below and see more coverage on the Vans Girls Blog.

While Amanda Rae, Mitchell, Jared & the crew were shooting the shows, I broke off to drop into the Filter Magazine Yacht Club Party. The Blackouts, Atiba & Ako Jefferson, were DJing and ya know we gotta give the OTW crew all the love. I finally got to meet Brian from Leg Up!, too. I've been texting and emailing with that guy for a year at least and never met him face-to-face. Oh, technology. I guess my favorite part of the afternoon with Ako & Atiba was watching as the first notes of "This Charming Man" spilled from the speakers and a pretty mellow crowd hit the started to boogie. There was partner dancing. Turn on The Smiths and the next thing you know, a little model-looking-hipster girl is being twirled around the floor by a thug-life dude with a shaved head.















LA's Active Child also dropped in for an ephemeral set. As much as i love a good fist pump, it was the perfect pretty moment of music.













Eventually, it was time to high-tail it back to the festival venue for the night bands. Plus I needed to pick up all the yayhoos that I dropped off earlier. I'm such a good friend. I should get a medal. I digress. Anyway, do not believe the blue dot in your iPhone GPS in the desert. I ended up in Stab-ville. This is where they bury the body.

While waiting in the photo pits to shoot your favorite bands all day you gotta make friends in the front row. Here are some of the crew that were hanging out on the baracade all day at Skrillex, Warpaint, and Sleigh Bells. Photos of all those bands coming soon.

Psyched we got to see Odd Future yesterday. From across the field you could hear people screaming, "WOLF GANG! WOLF GANG!" People climbed up on the scaffolding that structured the tent because, of course, even in the middle of the day people were freaking out to see these guys. The funniest thing I saw was this one girl, one of the people who'd climbed up on the scaffolding, she was dancing around trying to be all sexy, right? Totally fell the hell off the platform on her ass into the dirt. hahaooops. More photos on Vans Flickr Coachella 2011 Set.

After a year of planning, waiting, freaking out; today was the first day of Coachella. We left the house this morning full of piss & vinegar & ready to do this. We had our maps. We had our sunblock. Fast forward 15 hours to right now and we're all sitting around a table swapping our best photos, talking shit and eating cookies. Hardcore giggles from delirium. You're going to have to wait until tomorrow morning for the stories. We have more than a few. You shoulda hung out maaaaannnnnn!

Yesterday was the day of 75,657,494 hours in the car. Dudes, it was serious business. Amanda Rae & I were super pumped to have Andrea (aka Andrw) from Vans Mexico along for this trip. The poor girl had travel hell, too. Ah! US customs even took her toothbrush. Everything was all good to go when I finally got her packed safely (or unsafe depending on how you rate my driving habits) into my car. We headed to the Vans office to pick up Miss Rae & got on the road.







After a few hours of car dancing and screaming profanities out the car window into the wind, we hit Palm Springs. We had about an hour to get to the wristband check-in before it closed. Hilarity had already ensued. Our friend Colin Moore had been in town for exactly one hour before almost being arrested. Why? For riding his bike and looking like Brooklyn. Don't do it! Get a haircut, kids. And for godsakes don't ride a bike.

One more funny thing. The first group of people that we ran into at Coachella was amazing. Literally, the first person I saw when we got out of the car was a kid that I met on a plane heading to a Wiz Khalifa show last year (he makes custom Vans for Wiz) -- Anthony, Pheo, Afta-1, C.Green, these guys have an artist tent in the campground. We're def heading to see what they're working on out there.



Yeah! Here's our dream. Vans Coachella House.

Look out for the Vans crew hitting up Coachella on Friday, April 15th through Sunday, April 17th and be sure to catch our friends, The Aquabats, The Black Keys, Gogol Bordello, OFWGKTA, Mariachi El Bronx, She Wants Revenge and OFF! playing all weekend. We can't wait!