We ruminated over how leaving a Coachella set early can cause you to miss some key moments, like Jay-Z bringing Beyonce on stage (oops!). You never know what chance pop culture milestone you might miss in the rush to catch another band. Say you skip Deerhunters last song, perhaps, and of course Lady Gaga or something shows up right then to sing a medley of Velocity Girl songs with them (the previous was merely hypothetical—no Gaga sightings at Coachella 2010, alas…).

By the end of the night, our insides felt coated with desert dust – a true sign that Coachella 2010 continued to be a success.

Coachella, the annual festival that’s become the most prestigious music event in the country, has become more and more of a party every year. This year, in the seemingly endless journey to get there and park on the first day (this past Friday, April 16), the excitement was uncontrollable amidst the surf-short wearing bros and half-nude girls (Coachella fashions for the ladies definitely seem hoochier in 2010) filling the road. Indeed, the occasion exudes a certain, erm, uninhibited casualness aided and abetted by the California desert vibes of the location.