The Only Reason To Go To California:

Rage On at Coachella

by Natalie Finn
Mon, 22 Jan 2007 06:02:00 PM PST

Apparently it's not much fun raging against the machine all by one's self.

So, in the spirit of unified revolution-sparking, the pioneering Los Angeles quartet Rage Against the Machine is reuniting to co-headline the 2007 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival Apr. 27-29 in Indio, California.

Frontman Zack de la Rocha, guitarist Tom Morello, bassist Tim Commerford and drummer Brad Wilk haven't shared a stage since September 2000. The following month, de la Rocha announced he had split from the group, saying that, although he was quite proud of what they had accomplished, Rage's "decision-making process" had "completely failed."

The dreadlocked musician-activist has kept a far lower profile than his former band mates, who joined up with ex-Soundgarden leader Chris Cornell to form Audioslave. Instead de la Rocha has kept busy recording tracks with the likes of DJ Shadow, Trent Reznor and British act Reprazent, and, although rumors of a solo album haven't come to fruition yet, his tune "We Want It All" showed up on the Songs and Artists that Inspired "Fahrenheit 9/11" soundtrack.

While there's no word on whether the Coachella gathering will lead to more joint appearances, a single line on de la Rocha's Website, which is currently under construction, reads, "Rage Reunion, yea!" A simple sentiment, yet one that pretty much says it all as far as the band's fans are concerned.

"You can not understate their influence on where music went after them," Goldenvoice promoter Bill Fold, who's helping to produce this year's Coachella, told the Riverside Press-Enterprise . "Their sound as well as their message has a lot of deep-rooted meaning for a lot of musicians and fans…This is huge."

This year marks the first time the increasingly popular music fest in the SoCal desert has been spread out over three days. Rage, which headlined the first Coachella back in 1999, will top the bill on Sunday Apr. 29.

The main stage will also play host to repeat headliners Björk (2002) on Friday and Red Hot Chili Peppers (2003) on Saturday.

Also letting bygones be bygones for at least one night this year are the Australia-based showmen of Crowded House, who haven't performed live since 1996, and Scottish alt-rockers the Jesus and Mary Chain, who haven't appeared together since a messy gig at L.A.'s House of Blues in 1998, after which guitarist William Reid left the band; the remaining members went their separate ways the following year.

- 2007, EOnline Article

And no HOchie 1, it's not the re-union of Crowded House.

People! April 27-29th! Rage Against The Machine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We need to be all over this!

There are two other reasons (for me to go at least and they are Tool and the Arctic Monkeys) but I'm sure the rest of you can find others in the extensive line up to make this trip.

But putting all that aside, it's all about FRICKIN' RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE!!!!!!!!!!!