Although many of us would love to be heading to Coachella 2015 next weekend, sometimes life (and money, or lack thereof) gets in the way and we're unable to make the pilgrimage out to the desert. But fear not Los Angeles. Here are four local alternatives that will prevent any feelings of FOMO that may arise:
1. KXLU Fest II A pretty lo-fi affair in contrast, the completely free KXLU Fest II embraces all of the underdog values embodied by the plucky college radio station. Held from 11am-6pm on the LMU campus, the lineup includes The Muffs (recently signed to Burger Records), Tony Molina, Colleen Green, La Sera and a few KXLU DJs. Sunday, April 26
2. Desert Daze If you still want to visit the desert before heat climbs to unsuitable outdoor temperatures, drive a bit past Indio in early May to check out the strong lineup at this year’s Desert Daze. This one-day event is hosted on Sunset Ranch Oasis in Mecca, California—right next to the Salton Sea—and you can even get the camping experience by sleeping over on Saturday night. Saturday, May 2
3. Los Angeles Times Festival of Books Head down to USC for fine purveyors of books and a speaking lineup that could stand up to any music festival. Admission is free for this event, but be sure to purchase tickets early for any of the indoor conversations. Saturday and Sunday, April 18-19
4. Pop Up Magazine Rather than booking a room at Ace Hotel Palm Springs for the weekend, go to Ace's much closer location in Downtown LA to experience San Francisco-based Pop-Up Magazine. They will be presenting “a night of new true stories, documentary films, photography, sound and music” at the gorgeous Theatre at the Ace Hotel. Sunday, April 19
Want to catch more music without going to Coachella? Check out our list of Localchella bands performing closer to town (and for less money).