The battle for the best coast (West Coast, East Coast, Third Coast) goes beyond Tupac and Biggie, and In-N-Out and Shake Shack. Ultimately Coachella and Lollapalooza must join the fight. (Yes, Lolla is set in the Midwest, but we did say Third Coast. Got it? Good.)
So now that Coachella is a distant, but vivid, memory, and with recently released Lollapalooza lineup, we wondered: which is the better music festival?
Having been to both, we narrowed down a couple of pros and cons for each festival and here are the results:
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GETTING THERE
Lollapalooza: Lollapalooza is easier to get to. O'Hare Airport is 45 minutes away on public transportation.
Coachella: The polo grounds in Indio are about two to three hours away from any international airport, and not counting the time stuck in traffic.
WINNER: Lollapalooza
FESTIVAL FASHION
Coachella: Everywhere you look in Indio, beautiful people are wearing whatever they're wearing (feathers, bikinis, dayglo) in style.
Lollapalooza:
It's said Midwesterners have no fashion sense, and although that might
be true, we do see a lack of personal vibe at Lollapalooza. Everyone just seems to blend
in, and everyone also seems less beautiful.
WINNER: Coachella
LINEUP
The Big Reunion Act
Lollapalooza: The Cars!
Coachella: Suede!
The Mainstream Draw
Lollapalooza: Muse
Coachella: Kings of Leon
For Cult Followers
Lollapalooza: A Perfect Circle
Coachella: The Strokes
The Hip-Hop Concession
Lollapalooza: Eminem
Coachella: Kanye West
WINNER: It could be a perfect tie.
POST FESTIVAL ACTIVITIES
Lollapalooza: You can do a ton if you stay in Chicago after the festival is over.
Coachella: Indio isn't much of a social town, but the Coachella parties are awesome.
WINNER: Lollapalooza
LODGING
Lollapalooza: Chicago hotels are definitely expensive, but if you can crash with people you know in the city, you can take the train to Lollapalooza easily.
Plus, you don't have to camp!
Coachella: If you don't book a hotel a year in advance or buy camping passes, sleeping in your car at the Indio Walmart parking lot is your only choice.
WINNER: Lollapalooza
AESTHETICS
Lollapalooza: Lollapalooza has a cooler back drop, but it never feels like an actual escape, just another festival in a city. Plus, you're on concrete the whole time.
Coachella: Coachella's palm trees and soft polo field grass make you feel like you're on another planet, and all the art installations are larger than life.
WINNER: Coachella!
CELEB SPOTTING
Lollapalooza: Not counting the artists, there's about 97.5 percent less celebrities at Lollapalooza.
Coachella: Even when the lineup is bad, there's always a D-lister to be seen roaming around.
WINNER: Coachella!
Okay, so that last point might put an end to this whole thing. And while Coachella oozes spirit that you can't get anywhere else, once we tallied the results it was A TIE! But Lollapalooza is right around the corner, so who knows, maybe this year the real party will be in Chicago. We'll just have to wait and see.
