What does it take to draw jaded Hollywood hipsters out to the barren Southern California desert besides outlet malls, gleaming Indian casinos and the promise of cheap methamphetamines?
Six years ago, the organizers of the Coachella Music and Arts Festival bet that an enormous two-day European-style concert that bills alternative-rock heroes alongside buzz-worthy new bands and fashionable electronic artists would do the trick. Since then, nearly 50,000 music fans from all over the world have faithfully made the annual pilgrimage to a polo field in Indio (Riverside County) to witness once-in-a-lifetime performances by the likes of Radiohead, the Stooges and Pixies, as well as a slew of lesser-known acts that are just as feverishly worshiped.
This documentary attempts to cram all the highlights from the past six years of the festival into just under two hours. Mostly it hits the mark, give or take the odd pointless backstage interview or lingering clip of an inscrutable on-site art installation. But it also leaves out a lot, including much-talked about live sets by Nine Inch Nails, Beck and Queens of the Stone Age. Even last year's headliners Coldplay get the shaft.
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