It's only slightly surprising that those annual baby name lists, the ones that report on the trendiness of certain infant names, haven't yet spotlight monikers ending in -chella for babies born in Southern California around the middle of April.
For many a happening has now been -chella'd, including the stance of no happening at all: #nochella. Call it the rise and rise of the "I'm not at Coachella" hashtag, a quippy wink for all the stay-in-towners.
But it isn't as if the #nochella crew is not enjoying music and music-related things. The middle portion of the fourth month blossoms, like so many geraniums, with great tune-listening, tune-seeing opportunities.
Well, like every week of every year around LA does, truly; there's never a dry run, but just because one of the world's most talked-about music festivals has pulled many a fan and artist to the desert doesn't mean a hush has fallen over the City of Angels. Need your music goodness, #nochella crowd? Then look to...
THE DARKROOM: The Melrose photog-central spot has been putting up some fine exhibits detailing big musicians, and one of the seminal bands of LA's music-making bigness is next up on the walls: X. True, the punk push-forwarders influenced artists the globe over, but the band was born here in LA. See Michael Hyatt's top-notch photos, drink drinks named after the band's songs, and soak in the scene on Thursday, April 16. And on Saturday, April 18? There's a punk-homaging "New Orleans-style memorial procession paying tribute to punk icons of times past." Be there at 4:30 p.m.
BROKECHELLA: We'd never say anything had gotten too big for its britches (because, truly, the size of anyone or anything's britches is their own business). Let's call this downtown alternative to the desert festival nicely sized and growing at a sensible speed. The live tunes are not all that sensible, and thank goodness -- artistic freedom and occasional outlandishness reign. Yay that. Also yay: It's twenty bucks. Also yay: It hosts something called #Puppychella. Saturday, April 18
RECORD STORE DAY: And Saturday, April 18 happens to be Record Store Day. Nope, there are no record stores out on the Empire Polo grounds, or at least brick-and-mortar stores, though the desert has a few most excellent shops. So if you want your vinyl you can stick around town, #nochella observers, and help out some mom-and-pop people, too. Special deals and such await.
