Palm Springs & Desert Trip

Heading back to Cali is always a good thing …

The impetus for this trip was the Palm Springs marriage of dear friends, both alumni of the Obama administration. The wedding and related events exceeded my high expectations. Everything from the unique attire (such as “cowboy casual” and “desert cocktail”), the various venues (second floor of a retro bar named Tonga Hut, a horse ranch, a chic, boutique hotel called the Avalon), three adorable, flower girls (no bridesmaids or groomsmen), to the couple’s signature drink (mai tais with little, cloth umbrellas and tiny, sipping straws were served at every gathering) made this three-day celebration of love and commitment memorable and most enjoyable.

This was my first time in Palm Springs. Fortunately, there was time to explore the area beginning with a picture-perfect lunch at the Ritz Carlton on a hill overlooking the city with my two West Coast sons.

Early the next day we headed out to Joshua Tree National Park, 800,000 acres in the Colorado and Mojave Deserts. The Joshua tree looks a bit like a giant cactus but it’s definitely a tree.

The story goes that the tree was named by a group of Mormon settlers in the mid 19^th century who thought the young tree with two spires looked like the biblical story of Joshua praising God with upraised arms.

We hiked 2.6 miles (5.2 miles roundtrip) to the top of Ryan Mountain (5,500 ft elevation). The hike could be shorter, depending where you park, but we chose the longer route and I’m glad we did.

Given the incline and the approximate 100 degree temperature, it was the perfect hike for a grand view of the harsh terrain scattered with giant rock formations.

I’m told living in Palm Springs is far less expensive than any of the areas close to the ocean. I found it full of character and beauty. But, it’s still an oasis in the desert which seems to be both isolated and artificial. There’s definitely an effort to focus on renewable energy. I noticed a lot of solar panels which makes sense given the year-round exposure to the sun. And, the Palm Springs Windmills form a veritable forest of thousands of windmills providing electricity.

This particular weekend, the city was full of people from all over the world who flew in to attend Desert Trip—three days of old-school rock featuring Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, Neil Young, Paul McCartney, The Who, and Roger Waters. Once the wedding festivities ended Saturday night, I drove to nearby Indio, in the Coachella Valley. As I walked in, old hippies were walking out but, undeterred by the time, I resolutely walked in and got to experience the last hour of Sir Paul McCartney. Fortunately, he brought back pitch-perfect Neil Young and special guest, Rihanna.

A couple very cool things about the timing of the show—on Friday morning, it was announced that Bob Dylan was awarded a Nobel Prize in Literature for his lyrics; he opened the show Friday night. And, while Neil Young was opening Saturday’s show, a full moon rose over the stage; of course, he played “Harvest Moon.” A music critic might say that some of the performers’ voices, including Paul’s, aren’t as strong as they were in the 60’s/70’s but it all sounded beautiful to me.

Paul’s duets with Neil were hard rocking and huge fun—Neil held up his guitar with broken strings flying in the wind as the crowd cheered. Every song, every note, was like embracing an old friend but my favorite moment was when Paul paid tribute to his dear friend, George. It started out with a remembrance of George and him sitting around one afternoon playing “Something” (the new song George had just written) on ukeleles.  Although I never heard him introduced, that was definitely Dhani Harrison on guitar, George’s only child, who looks so much like his late father.

Sunday I went back for the full show. The Who opened as the setting sun painted the sky pink and yellow. They played most of their hits–Who are You, I Can See for Miles, Pinball Wizard, Behind Blue Eyes, Love, Reign O’er Me, See Me, Feel Me, Won’t Get Fooled Again.  There’s no question that Pete Townshend is a terrific performer and one of the best guitarists ever. His signature jumps and windmill strokes make him ageless. Roger Daltrey is still in great shape, both physically and vocally. The music, the people, the sunset, the kindness in the air created a flashback  moment that felt like it was the 70’s and I was 18.

The nearly-full moon rose over the stage with Roger Waters mesmerizing the crowd to classic Pink Floyd.

His staging was superior with state-of-the-art visuals that were insanely authentic and had everyone questioning what was real and what was imagery. Yes, there was a lot of politics thrown into the show but it didn’t bother me. Music is a way to communicate thoughts and emotions. I agree with some of it and I’m not threatened by ideas with which I don’t agree.

At the classic Coachella Festival, there are 5 stages with overlapping performances throughout the day and night for an audience of 150,000. At Desert Trip there’s one giant stage, two shows per night from 6:10 to about midnight, for an audience of 75,000. On the far right and left of the stage, boxes were built with elevator access and VIP rooms for high-rollers and celebrities. I met people from Brazil, Scotland, England and cool groups like multi-generational families and old buddies reunited. The same line-up was repeated for two successive, sold-out weekends (Oct. 8-16). Transportation, parking, shuttles, and Uber were easy and efficient. Everyone I spoke with including merchants, hotel operators, Uber drivers and ticket-holders agreed that the festival was a huge success in every regard. Here’s my favorite Uber Events Operator. Daniel and his team worked from about noon to 3:00 or 4:00 AM during the festival; approximately 100 hours each week. They didn’t get to see the shows and were extremely exhausted, but even they were all smiling.

The refreshments and vendors were quite upscale with no excessive wait times and, while I never saw one law-enforcement person, I am aware of no altercations – only happiness, cooperation and pure joy.

No doubt Desert Trip 2017 is being planned now. I’m hoping it features Led Zeppelin, The Eagles, Jackson Browne, Crosby, Stills & Nash, and Stevie Wonder. So sorry that Linda Ronstadt can’t perform any longer. We’re losing so many of the great rockers. Just this year we’ve lost Glenn Frey, Prince and David Bowie. (Please forgive me if I’ve overlooked someone important. I write these blog posts contemporaneously which allows me to share my thoughts and feelings while they’re fresh but it eliminates reflection and thoughtful consideration.)

If you’re interested in getting tickets for Desert Trip 2017 when the show’s announced, contact me and we’ll plan a great adventure. In the words of Mick Jagger,

“I know it’s only rock ‘n’ roll, but I like it!”