Mega-Festival Coachella sold out in a record 6 days in 2011, leaving many folks, including myself in a bind. But when life throws you lemons, what is left to do but make lemonade, and thus NOCHELLA was born! With a ton of parties popping up to take advantage of the extra people in Palm Springs and the surrounding desert cities, the idea of driving out to the desert to hit up a few FREE parties seemed pretty logical (and thrifty).
With Palm Springs accommodations on lock and trusty sidekick George by my side, I made the journey to the desert Friday night and headed straight to the Ace Hotel. Our goal was to catch Flying Lotus but that didn't happen. There were just a bunch of random hipsters looking for something to do. We made our way to our lovely house (666 Thornhill Road) and prepared for the next day of fun.
Saturday was a bit of a mission to drive from Palm Springs to Bermuda Dunes. Roads in Palm Springs tend be geared towards locals so getting lost if actually quite easy. I finally touched down at a Interscope party sponsored by Belvedere. It was at a really sexy house and Chad Hugo from the Neptunes was spinning. There was free vodka but by the time we got there all that was left was Bloody Mary Flavor(who thinks of this shit?) so after one drink we were out. So it was back to the Ace for Scion's Rhonda party. It was a little light by the time we got there so we then made our way to LA's Smog party in downtown Palm Springs. The all-dubstep affair featured a nice surprise set from Magnetic Man's Skream. The vibe was on point and the music was proper all night.
After an all-night rager at our 666 house and lot of pool action on Sunday morning, the Ace Hotel called again. Although I wanted to drive out to Bermuda Dunes to check out the Brainfeeder party, driving 20 miles in the heat did not seem like a great idea when the Ace was just 1.5 miles away. The Do-Over went off at the Ace. BoysNoize and Cosmo Baker dropped sexy and varied sets that kept the crowd moving. The party actually had a covered dancefloor and in the 100 degree weather this was an essential element to keeping bodies moving. Props to the Do-Over for the smart move.
Overall my Nochella weekend was a fun getaway from LA that was inexpensive, yet packed with lots of new places, people, and experiences. For those looking to soak up some of the Coachella vibes without breaking the bank, this is definitely a wonderful option for 2012!
