See also "S.S. Coachella Cruise Causes Internet Uproar, Triggers Nazi Conspiracy Theories."
If a South Florida music fan wants three days of festival-quality indie rock, hip-hop, and other eclectic tuneage, does he or she have any other option besides buying a ticket aboard a cruise ship headed for international waters?
Well, no ... With the abject failure of the 2011 Langerado reboot and Ultra Music Festival's almost exclusive focus on EDM epicness, our only hope is, like, if Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival decides to get on a freaking boat and bring the fest to SoFla.
Impossible, right? Apparently not.
Yesterday via Twitter, Coachella's promoter, Goldenvoice, a subsidiary of AEG Live, posted an image that read "TUESDAY 6PM PDT" set against a baby blue sky. The obvious message: We got big news.
Fans went into a frenzy, music industry insiders started scrambling, and the Los Angeles Times worked its sources, AKA "those familiar with Goldenvoice's plans." And according to the newspaper's Pop & Hiss music blog:
The promoter has been quietly organizing a music-themed cruise that would sail out of Florida and further expand the Coachella brand. The cruise is expected to launch as early as December of this year. Artist lineup, dates and pricing details are not yet known.
Wait ... Are you telling us that a Coachella cruise might actually set sail out of Miami Fort Lauderdale in 2012?
UPDATE Indeed, as the New York Times has just reported, the "S.S. Coachella [will sail] in December, with two trips through the Caribbean featuring" about 22 acts.
S.S. Coachella Music Festival at Sea Lineup
-Pulp
-Hot Chip
-Yeasayer
-Girl Talk
-James Murphy (DJ set)
-Sleigh Bells
-Simian Mobile Disco
-Z-Trip
-!!!
-Warpaint
-DJ Harvey
-El-P
-Killer Mike
-Black Lips
-Gaslamp Killer
-Grimes
-Cloud Nothings
-Jason Bentley
-Rapture (DJ set)
-Father John Misty
-Tokimonsta
-Alf Alpha
Departing from Port Everglades for a three-day Bahamanian vacation on December 16 and then another four to Jamaica on December 19, this floating music fest will be steaming out to sea aboard the Celebrity Silhouette, a $750-million, 122-ton Solstice-class cruise ship that's operated by the Royal Carribbean-owned and Miami-based Celebrity Cruises.
"[The boat] even has a half-acre of grass," Goldenvoice president Paul Tollett tells the New York Times. "It wouldn't be Coachella without grass."
Ahoy!
Coachella Music Cruise. Sunday, December 16, to Wednesday, December 19, as well as Wednesday, December 19, to Sunday, December 23. Celebrity Silhouette, boarding at Port Everglades, 1850 Eller Dr., Fort Lauderdale. Cabins cost $500 to $9,000 per person. Sales begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 21.
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