Coachella Q&A: Robert Delong
LA-based electronic rocker Robert DeLong is not only equipped with traditional - guitar and keyboard - playing chops, but also a rare toolbox of game pads, joysticks, Nintendo Wii remotes, and even a Sega Genesis controller that are disguised instruments that are incorporated into his live shows. The result is complicated choreography that is pacifying to the ears. Enter: This year's Coachella Music Festival where Delong will be performing and where the crowd will be glued to the stage.
We had the opportunity to host a short Q&A with this talented gent, and it went a little sumthin like:
1. When the Coachella lineup was announced, what's the best reaction you received from a fan, friend, or family member?
Most of my fans that commented on my being on the Coachella line-up were mostly kicking themselves for not getting tickets soon enough!
My family mostly has to have me explain to them what a "Coachella" is, and I suppose the most common friend response is "So...can I get on the guest list!?"
2. Are you a Coachella newbie? If so, what are you most excited or most nervous about? If you're a veteran, what's the one story that encapsulates your past Coachella experience? You know, the tale that all your friends make you tell over and over again.
I would consider myself a Coachella newbie, even though I did play early on Sunday for Coachella 2013. That was my only time at the festival, and, of course, the experience was amazing. I think the moment that I remember the most was taking a "vine" of myself and the whole audience at the end of the set (do people still have vine?). Also, getting to see Tame Impala was pretty dang cool. Father John Misty's show was also transcendental in 2k13.
3. What's in your Coachella survival bag and does that bag include any extra special add-ons for your set that we can look forward to?
The survival bag should include sunscreen, water, more water, some face paint, granola bars, a change of shirts, a bandana or something to put on your face because of the dust, sunglasses, a portable cell phone charger, another water, and a copy of Dune by Frank Herbert.
My add-ons in my survival bag for my set will include a cowbell, a variety of shakers, some roto toms, extra guitar picks, and more water.
4. What fellow Coachella artist are you most likely to watch front & center both weekends?
I'm not so great in large crowds, so I probably won't be front and center anywhere, but I am beyond excited to see LCD Soundsystem, and Sasha. LCD is just one of those bands I always wished I had seen, and now I can! Sasha puts on one of the most relentless, sprawling and cinematic house sets you'll ever experience, so if you are into that sort of thing, it's definitely worth a hang.
5. Post-Coachella, anything exciting on the horizon we should know about and share with the universe? Do you promise to tell KKS next time you play in LA? Pinky promise?
I am doing some shows with X Ambassadors in May, and beyond that I will be doing plenty of festivals around the US and Canada, with a few headlining shows mixed in. It's going to be a fun summer, check out my schedule on my website and hopefully we can "kick" it!
Of course I will tell KKS about my next LA play, though I don't have anything lined up besides the great Coachella adventure...SEE YOU ALL IN THE DESERT!
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