Flashback to Desert Trip 2016: You Just Might Find, You Get What Ya Need

Inimitable Experience at Desert Trip (Originally published October 2016)

Indio, Calif.- “Any more fun and we’d be in trouble”. Perhaps it was the heat of the desert sun, but those words spoken by a fellow camper captured the mood and spirit at Desert Trip 2016 more than any creative words this digital crayon could conjure up. For an unplanned, spur of the moment trip, things just aren’t supposed to go this well…ever.

With a hurried and last minute decision to grab tickets, pack a bag and throw a tent in the car with no lodging lined up, we expected to be pitching a tent among the desert sand, tumbleweed, and blistering heat far afield from the event. Logistics and planning be damned, we’ll scramble and figure it out when we get there. After all, we’re only heading 537 miles down the street with nothing lined up.

Thankfully, we ignored the adult voices in our heads that kept asking, “what the hell are we doing?” as we were amply rewarded by the concert and travel gods. Every time we thought the weekend couldn’t get any better…it did.

Shadow Hills – Epic RV resort experience

En route and with luck on our side, we booked a tent spot at ShadowHills RV Resort in Indio and along with our early arrival secured a spot on a grass field right alongside a pond with a fountain. The prime location and very popular Coachella destination is just a few miles from Empire Polo Club. We were quite pleased at our good fortune to have a base of operations closer than expected to Desert Trip. Our hosts informed us that shuttles depart every half hour to and from the event in an air-conditioned bus. Perfect, no driving required for the next few days. Free poolside massages, music blaring, and sweet smells wafting in the air made us realize this wasn’t going to be an ordinary stay.

The first evening ShadowHills threw a lively and casual outdoor BBQ party. The drinks and conversation flowed as music rocked in the background. The BBQ party was a great opportunity to meet fellow music fans from all over the world and from around the states. Host Paula Turner and her staff do a tremendous and first class job of welcoming and serving their guests throughout their stay. She mingled with guests all weekend and appeared to enjoy herself as much as the travelers. This place has an exceptionally friendly, relaxed and fun atmosphere. Not your average RV resort!

Very clean with all the required amenities, it was the perfect spot to chill and have some fun prior to each evening’s show. Coffee and breakfast on the patio were served each morning to the hungry campers. Not long after breakfast, the pool became the focal point of recovery and restoration. Live, local bands were brought in and played under the shaded porch while guests floated, frolicked, and recovered in the pool. ShadowHills RV Resort is a fun, friendly and affordable destination on trips to Coachella Valley.

Desert Trip 2016

What can we say that hasn’t already been said in the last 50 years about these six iconic bands performing at Desert Trip. Thrilled fans from around the globe found their way to this desert oasis for the final weekend of Desert Trip and all those with a reasonably open mind came away in awe and delight.

The Empire Polo Club is a spectacular outdoor venue surrounded by desert mountains, palms, clear skies, and stunning sunsets. An enormous and exceptionally comfortable complex with over-the-top audio visuals where you had room to roam. Short lines at all concession and flush toilets along with plentiful food selection and a bar in the middle of the field made this a first rate concert experience. It was perfect for the over middle aged crowd.

Now onto the performances: (Artist set lists provided at end of article)

Bob Dylan

Opened the weekend with a great set of music and backing band. A tip of the hat to his incredible influence and mark on music and songwriting that transcend generations. Winner of the 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature.

Rolling Stones

Larger than life. Seeing Mick and Keith on those jumbo screens ignited the crowd. They sounded great. A few musical missteps but after all these years who the heck cares? Terrific and fun set from one of the greatest bands in history.

Neil Young

Opened with classics on piano and acoustic guitar, then he torched the place. Energized by the younger Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real, Neil jammed, then jammed some more and then kept going. High energy fun.

Paul McCartney

Was in a band called The Beatles or something like that. Polished, professional with fun little history lessons in between songs. A setlist that makes you shake your head and weep. Awesome.

The Who

One great song after another. Roger Daltrey laughing off trying to hit his signature scream, priceless. Townshend’s energetic windmills one last time. Loved every minute of their set.

Roger Waters

There’s a reason Roger Waters closed this show of giants. An audio-visual, mind melting circus of illusion that exists on its own level. A captivating feast for the senses during its entirety.

Desert Trip is now a memory and I suspect the magnitude of these past two weekends will only grow and reverberate for years to come as it takes its spot among the greatest music festivals to ever take place.

Perhaps that’s just the heat of the desert sun speaking or as another camper told me following the show, “I’m still trying to wrap my head around what just happened.”

Desert Trip Set lists – Weekend Two

Bob Dylan Set list

Rainy Day Women #12 & 35
Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right
Highway 61 Revisited
It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue
High Water (For Charley Patton)
Simple Twist of Fate
Early Roman Kings
Love Sick
Tangled Up in Blue
Lonesome Day Blues
Make You Feel My Love
Pay in Blood
Desolation Row
Soon After Midnight
Ballad of a Thin Man
Like a Rolling Stone
Why Try to Change Me Now

Neil Young Set list

After the Gold Rush
Heart of Gold
Old Man
Long May You Run
Mother Earth (Natural Anthem)
Out on the Weekend
Comes a Time
Harvest Moon
Terrorist Suicide Hang Gliders
Show Me
Helpless
Words (Between the Lines of Age)
Alabama
Powderfinger
Texas Rangers
Cowgirl in the Sand
Seed Justice
Like a Hurricane
Peace Trail
Rockin’ in the Free World

The Rolling Stones set list

Jumpin’ Jack Flash
Get Off of My Cloud
It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll (But I Like It)
Tumbling Dice
Just Your Fool
Sweet Virginia
Angie
Live With Me
Paint It Black
Honky Tonk Women
You Got the Silver
Little T&A
Midnight Rambler
Miss You
Gimme Shelter
Start Me Up
Sympathy for the Devil
Brown Sugar
You Can’t Always Get What You Want
(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction

The Who set list

I Can’t Explain
The Seeker
Who Are You
The Kids Are Alright
I Can See for Miles
My Generation
Behind Blue Eyes
Bargain
Join Together
You Better You Bet
5:15
I’m One
The Rock
Love, Reign O’er Me
Eminence Front
Amazing Journey
Sparks
Pinball Wizard
See Me, Feel Me
Baba O’Riley
Won’t Get Fooled Again

Paul McCartney set list

A Hard Day’s Night
Jet
Got to Get You Into My Life
Letting Go
Day Tripper
Let Me Roll It
I’ve Got a Feeling
My Valentine
Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five
Maybe I’m Amazed
We Can Work It Out
In Spite of All the Danger
I’ve Just Seen a Face
Love Me Do
And I Love Her
Blackbird
Here Today
Queenie Eye
Lady Madonna
FourFiveSeconds
Eleanor Rigby
Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!
A Day in the Life
Give Peace a Chance
Why Don’t We Do It in the Road?
Something
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
Band on the Run
Back in the U.S.S.R.
Let It Be
Live and Let Die
Hey Jude
Birthday
Rip It Up
Helter Skelter
Golden Slumbers
Carry That Weight
The End

Roger Waters set list

Speak to Me
Breathe
Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun
One of These Days
Time
Breathe (Reprise)
The Great Gig in the Sky
Money
Us and Them
Fearless
You’ll Never Walk Alone
Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts I-V)
Welcome to the Machine
Have a Cigar
Wish You Were Here
Dogs
Pigs (Three Different Ones)
The Happiest Days of Our Lives
Another Brick in the Wall Part 2
Mother
Run Like Hell
Brain Damage
Eclipse
Vera
Bring the Boys Back Home
Comfortably Numb