Have you ever been interested in a music fest — say, Coachella, or Lalapalooza, or Governor’s Ball — only you didn’t give a damn for all of the smaller acts that haven’t been around for three or more decades? Does the thought of dozens and dozens of bands and the inevitable scheduling conflicts give you a headache to rival that of a desert campout hangover? Are you able to understand the live vocals of Bob Dylan? Then Desert Trip, from the organizers of Coachella, might be for you!
It was announced today that Paul McCartney, the Who, the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, and Roger Waters will be performing at a three-day festival at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, October 7 thru 9. The festival will also feature dozens of food options from around the country — because beer and hot dogs just won’t do for a Dylan show!
Paul Tollett, the CEO of organizer Goldenvoice, told Rolling Stone exactly how the idea came to be:
“Two years ago, Tollett made a wish list that he says consisted only of the six acts. He traveled to see each one play, and he sold them on the idea slowly. ‘If I’d made a financial offer first, I would have been rejected,’ he says. ‘[The Stones] asked what I was working on. I said, ‘I’m working on one of the greatest shows of all time. I don’t know what that means, but I’ll come back to you.’ The biggest challenges included getting the first act to sign on (Tollett is not saying who it was). ‘A couple said, ‘What are you going to do if we don’t do it?’ [I said] ‘If we don’t get these six, we’re not going to do the show.’ They said, ‘OK, that’s kind of interesting.’ The only act Tollett has not met with personally is Dylan: ‘I live out near him, but he’s not the type of guy you run into at 7-Eleven.’ It’s been reported that acts are receiving upward of $7 million per set. ‘They’re all getting what they’re worth,’ says Tollett.”
Head over to the website to check out pricing. Passes range from $199 to $1599. Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are right around the corner, everyone.