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Music

We Asked Dad Rockers at Coachella What They Think about 'EDM'

​For those about to dad rock, we salute you.

This year more than ever, Coachella seemed like two different festivals taking place on the same grounds. On one end, electronic beats blared from the Sahara, Yuma, and Do Lab stages with everyone from David Guetta to Bonobo to Gesaffelstein representing the wide world of dance and the sound of this generation. On the other, seemingly immortal acts like AC/DC and Steely Dan brought in a more mature crowd to the main stages.

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Often, these scenes don't collide. But we decided to bridge that gap and find out just what dad rock dads actually think about this whole 'EDM' thing. The results were…enlightening.

Rene

What do you think about EDM?
Who? What?

Y'know, like the Sahara Tent, with all the crazy electronic music.
Oh, I didn't really come to hear that. My daughter did, though! She really likes that stuff. She's seventeen years old and this is her first festival ever. It's our first time here. My wife is dropping us off, driving us back…Taking a shower, sleeping in your own bed…That's the way to do it.

So who are you stoked about here?
I came to see AC/DC and Hozier, that's about it. I went to like Ozzfest and stuff back when I was young, but now, I'm here for my daughter. We're gonna go see her favorite Lana del Rey in May. She loves music like I love music, so I wanna do that for her.

David

What are your thoughts on 'EDM'?
It's amazing! You think about the Sahara Tent, I mean, there are people who never leave that place. They come Friday morning and leave Sunday morning. That's Coachella to them. Coachella to me is a mix, I go to every single stage.

What's the best show you ever went to at Coachella?
Roger Waters, which was not dance music. Prince was amazing. Janelle Monae, last year. This is consistent with Coachella's tradition. They've had Leonard Cohen, amazing artists that maybe aren't cutting edge currently – but you think about Steely Dan back when I was growing up, they were the critical darlings.

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Is there a difference between EDM and dance music?
There is. "EDM' has a pulse, a currency that is more contemporary than what people think of as traditional house music. It's hard to say what's dance music. All you know is that when you see the crowd start moving, start throwing their hands, that's dance music. Hip-hop makes me dance. Have you been to The Do Lab? We heard a great set of DJs there earlier today, they had the crowd, hands in the air and going for it.

Gabriel

What's your favorite thing about Coachella?
The people! This is a worldwide festival. Goldenvoice is doing it right. Thank you for making my backyard a fucking Superbowl fucking festival. But this is our backyard, and we get to do the festival like it's our backyard party! Thank you Coachella fest, all the people that are staffed all the way down to the people that are selling water. You don't stay hydrated, you're done! You need to drink water in the desert…For three days straight you can't just be drinking liquid gold.

So you been over to the Sahara Tent yet?
Dude I was in the Sahara tent last night. You guys gotta check it out. Because when you go into the Sahara tent and it's all going down and the speakers are blasting in your face, it's crazy!

You get down?
Nah. I'm just gonna chill in the back and relax.

Brian and Craig

Who did you come to see?
Mostly guitar bands, AC/DC, Built to Spill, Steely Dan, Jack White, but I've come six years in a row and I'll go in the Sahara at least once in the weekend. I did my walkthrough of the Yuma as well, checked it out.

What do you think of people who only listen to EDM?
They weren't brought up right! They didn't have the advantage of having parents that brought them up correctly. I'm not gonna say guitar music is better, but you really have to have the background to appreciate it.

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Is there a difference between EDM and dance music?
Yeah, there's like Top 40 stuff that's also dance music, and that's the worst, the bottom of the barrel.

Last thoughts?
There need to be more jam bands at Coachella! And what's all this Gesaffelstein hype about? Is he worth seeing? I've heard a lot of people say we gotta check it out.

Mark and Richard

What do you think of 'EDM'?
…I like it, but i'm not really up on it. I DJed, started in the 1980s and worked straight through to 2006: hip-hop, techno, deep beats, underground house. When I stopped DJing, I sort of lost touch with it. You can't keep up with it. Perfect example: Last year, we went to see Moby, and I'm expecting to see Moby. And he was playing everybody else's stuff. And then I went to see another DJ, and it was basically the same set. It's all the same! I will say, Alvin Risk blew me away today. It's all original stuff and he sang and we loved it.

Is there a difference between EDM and dance music?
The problem is, now it doesn't' even matter what you play, as long as it's got that punch-em-in-the-gut, and these guys, so many of them don't even play. It's a recorded set! I wanna watch you work!

Grant

Who are you here to see?
Primarily AC/DC and a few others. Stromae on Sunday, really that's about it.

What do you think of 'EDM'?
I've been in it for a long, long time. I like it. Typically, melodic kind of EDM, melodies, chords, anything like that.

Do you go in the Sahara Tent?
Not yet, but I'm looking forward to R3hab.

Is there a difference between EDM and dance music?
EDM is a particular kind of dance music. It's a particular kind of music that I enjoy, just like blues. It's still music to me. I don't differentiate it that much.

Jemayel Khawaja is Managing Editor of THUMP and once played in a prog-rock band. Nathan Beer actually loves Steely Dan. Lead photo by Galen Oakes.