Coachella: A message from Paul Tollett

In the interest of reducing world Internet traffic, we can tell you that the lineup for the 2009 edition of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival will NOT be announced today. That’s according to Paul Tollett, the chief architect of the signature California rock festival, who feels the pain of fans who JUST. NEED. TO. KNOW.

Tollett says, “I know everybody is going crazy, but we’re not stalling, we’re still working on the show. Everything we do is in service of the show, not in service of the announcement of the show. Believe me, we’re excited to tell everybody and we want to tell everybody, but the show is still being put together.”

So lay off the refresh button, kid.

-- Geoff Boucher

Photo: Justice's set at Coachella in 2008. Credit: Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[gaypalmsprings]

What's the problem, Paul? Short on cash flow?

[JustinPaix]

Thank You!

It's all we ever wanted!
:)

[nicko]

mannn. how long am i gonna have to wait for this? and why was i not so concerned about it last year. wtf. i'm confused.

[mr bob dealy]

rubbish

[inhawaii]

well hell, at least it we got some kind of info. thank god!!!

[Coachella-goer]

Dear Geoff Doucher,
Thanks for your self-righteous blog. Go back to our homes? You sure told us.

[Jigs]

i know nicko, i feel the same exact way. i must have stored my anticipation from last year with my anticipation for this year and im losing my mind. i need that lineup.

[Oh come on]

Don't want to rush you Tollett, definitely want the best show you can put together. But tell the bands to just sign already!!!!!!!!!!! COACHELLA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Cannot wait for lemonade icee.

[juniti]

I'm amazed that I survived
an airbag saved my life.

[kooskoos]

re: What's the problem, Paul? Short on cashflow?

Dude, what are you talking about?? It's not Paul's money... it's MR. Anschutz money.
go back to your umbrella drinks in Palm Springs... while I break it down for you:

AEG is one of the leading sports and entertainment presenters in the world. AEG, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Anschutz Company, owns or controls a collection of companies including facilities such as STAPLES Center (Los Angeles, CA), Prudential Center (Newark, NJ), Sprint Center (Kansas City, MO), The Rose Garden (Portland, OR), WaMu Theatre (Seattle, WA), XL Center (Hartford, CT), El Rey Theatre (Hollywood, CA), Colosseum at Caesars Palace (Las Vegas, NV), Target Center (Minneapolis, MN), Rentschler Field (Hartford, CT), Nokia Theatre Times Square, Nokia Theatre at Grand Prairie, Acer Arena (Sydney, AU), Color Line Arena (Hamburg) and The O2, a 28-acre development located in the eastern part of London along the Thames River which includes a 20,000-seat arena and over 650,000 sf of leisure and entertainment use; sports franchises including the Los Angeles Kings (NHL), Los Angeles Riptide (MLL), Manchester Monarchs (AHL), Reading Royals (ECHL), Houston Dynamo and Los Angeles Galaxy (MLS), two hockey franchises operated in Europe, the Hammarby (Sweden) Futbol Club and management of privately held shares of the Los Angeles Lakers; AEG Facilities, a stand-alone affiliate that operates or consults with more than 60 of the industries preeminent venues worldwide; AEG Marketing, a sponsorship, sales and consulting company; AEG Merchandising, a multi-faceted merchandising company; and AEG Creative, a full-service marketing and advertising agency.

In addition, AEG developed and operates The Home Depot Center, a $150 million national training center located on the campus of California State University, Dominguez Hills in Carson, California which has been designated as an “Official U.S. Olympic Training Site” by the United States Olympic Committee and features major facilities for soccer, tennis, track & field, cycling, lacrosse, rugby, beach volleyball, boxing, football, field hockey, basketball and other sports in addition to concerts and corporate retreats as well as The David Beckham Academy and (Andre)Agassi’s Safe Passage All Stars program.

Events such as the Amgen Tour of California cycling road race, the ING Bay to Breakers foot race and the East West Bank Classic WTA tennis tournament as well as an ongoing schedule of soccer exhibitions in the United States featuring the most popular international teams are part of the portfolio of AEG Sports.

AEG LIVE, one of the world’s leading concert promotion and touring companies, with thirteen regional offices, is comprised of stand-alone affiliate divisions devoted to all aspects of live entertainment including: AEG LIVE Events, creators and producers of special events of all sizes; AEG-TV, creators of live events for television, DVD, pay-per-view, cinema and other electronic media; and AEG LIVE Tours & Special Events, Concerts West, Goldenvoice, The Messina Group and AEG Exhibitions, the company’s national entertainment promotion and touring divisions. AEG LIVE is currently overseeing two international museum tours of the artifacts of King Tut: “Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs” and “Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs,” and produced Celine Dion A New Day…Presented By Chrysler, a spectacular theatrical production starring Dion and directed by Franco Dragone which just concluded an unprecedented five-year “residency” at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. AEG LIVE co-produces the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and Goldenvoice, the company’s southern California-based regional promotion division created and operates the award winning annual Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival.

AEG is overseeing the development of L.A. LIVE, a 4 million square foot / $2.5 billion downtown Los Angeles sports, residential & entertainment district featuring the recently opened Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE (7,100-seat live theatre), a 54-story, 1001-room convention “headquarters” hotel (combining The Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott brands and 224 luxury condominiums – The Residences at The Ritz Carlton – all in a single tower), Club Nokia, a 2,300 capacity live music venue, a 14-screen Regal Cineplex, “broadcast” facilities for ESPN, along with entertainment, restaurant and office space. The company is also developing arenas including O2 World (on 45-acres in central Berlin), Citizen’s Business Bank Arena (Ontario, CA) and on the Las Vegas Strip.

I'm sure it will be a great Coachella line-up this year once they announce it- and worth every penny.

[Jason]

Dude, seriously. Seriously, dude. It's in three months, you've had 9 months to plan it. Dude.

[akilleeez]

...just say it. "Line-up announcement: Friday, January 30th." And I say, 'an unbelievable lineup it will be...' *I'm getting friskeeez* =)

[NAte]

this is a ploy to raise anticipation of the show. Also they need to hype it because of the world economic issues so people still pay for the tickets. many years the show has lost money and everything comes down to that in the end. to kooskoos. Thanks mr i have WAY too much free time!

[robinjill]

Thanks for the update. Much appreciated! Hopefully it won't be too much longer :)

[southbeachbryce]

so while you are waiting maybe some of you should check out Bonnaroo's line-up. Superfly Productions and AC Ent. will be announcing on Feb. 3rd, next tuesday. Maybe your Coachella boys should take notes from them, that is a festival that has it's stuff together!

[Chrisitan Alexander]

I can't control myself. I HAVE TO KNOW!

[Will]

Why can't you announce what is finalized now and then announce additions as they are confirmed.....like every other festival on earth does. Even Coachella in the past. Paul Tollett is an idiot. I will take his job one day.
Just a heads up Bonnaroo will be announcing it's lineup in 4 days despite the festival being 2 MONTHS after Coachella. It's a much better festival anyway. Decide for yourself. He's really going to look stupid when those lineups come out at the essentially the same time and are compared side by side.

[Finley]

Good thing you didn't have this same philosophy last year, we would have waited up until the last week before the show before you announced Prince!

[Den]

I hope that the delay is due to a surprise headliner.

[J]

Why is Bonnaroo able to commit to announcing on a specific date, but Coachella can't? I realize Coach puts more emphasis on getting impossible headliners, but logistically speaking, isn't it the same dilemma? Money, schedules and deadlines? And why were they able to make such a huge event out of last year's announcement (in MEXICO), but not this? Easy way out is to blame the economy, but I'm sure there's more to it.

[Stefany]

Can I come out of my home now?

[dcr]

friday morning kroq for details! according to twitter/kroq

[Philm]

twitter.com/kroq says tomorrow morning is the time for news!

[impatient in indio]

I understand he's not releasing it yet, but maybe if they just told us when he's going to release it we'd be more patient.
God help me I actually went to Ryan Seacrest's website for news on this. I hope in the future that things aren't held back to the point that I have to turn to Ryan Seacrest for news.

[tom]

Lineup is due tomorrow AM. That means it's up to Boucher to get it ASAP. Do your job!!!!