Michael Pankonien
Staff Writer

Roaring crowds, sweat, blasting amps, more sweat. These are the most immediate sensations of any music festival. Fighting for a place in line, people stretched out as far as the eye can see, high-ticket prices and let’s not even mention hotel rate; why would anyone go through this? Because that’s where the bands are; to give you a brief look at this year’s festivals, we are going to look at the two of the best festivals across the country: Coechella in Indio, Calif., and South by Southwest in Austin.

Coechella: April 15 – 17

Tickets: SOLD OUT ($647 – $10,000 on Stubhub.com)

Bad news: passes for this festival are already sold out. Good news: the bands are good enough to kill for. Problem solved! But seriously, let’s take a quick look at how this festival could play out. You arrive and check into your overbooked hotel on April 14 and spend the day navigating the roving crowds that now inhabit Indio, Calif. Then, you wake up the next day and take your pick between Interpol and the Kings of Leon, two rock bands who’ve cultured their own distinctly northern and southern sounds respectively. April 16: take on the crowds and fight for a spot to see Arcade Fire – not only easily the biggest indie act of the year but also the 2011 Grammy winner for Album of the Year – and roar along with the crowd as they play their hit classic, “Wake Up”. Wrap up the festival by choosing between two of the biggest hip-hop acts of the year: Kanye West and Wiz Khalifa (here’s a tip: avoid the crowd and check out Khalifa’s show). And that’s only five out of 181 acts scheduled to perform.

Click here to see Coechella’s official website.

South by Southwest: March 15 – 20

Tickets: $750 – $1250

The first thing you have to know about South by Southwest is that it is not just a music festival; It’s a film/music/interactive mega festival. However at the moment we’re only concerned about the music, which lasts for five days starting on Ides of March. That being said, the interesting part about the music festival is that it isn’t just music: there are also a variety of panels hosted by various music industry big wigs. Interested in the connection between the decline of the music industry and the decline of music? Check out the “I’m Not Old, Your Music Does Suck” panel on March 17. Curious on how brands are connecting with pop culture connoisseurs? Go listen to the “How Brands Are Using Emerging Music to Reach Consumers” panel that same day. OK, so you’re not really interested in either of those things, but hey are worth mentioning; there are almost as many panels as there are bands so there’s probably at least one worth listening to.

What makes SXSW unique amongst music festivals is throughout its myriad number of bands; you can still find its distinct Texas roots. Go see folk music king, Robert Earl Keen, on the 18th; his naturally nasally voice will amaze you as you stand there tapping your feet thinking, “So this is what a honky tonk is!” Now for a more modern spin on the festival’s Texas roots, you can put Los Lonely Boys to the test. With their latest album, Rockpango, due for release this spring Los Lonely Boys will definitely be putting up their best to help promote the new album. You may even get a live performance of their hit single “Heaven”. But maybe you’re not exactly in love with Texas’s style of music? No problem. Go check out Phoenix-based Miniature Tigers; easily the opposite side of the music spectrum when compared to Robert Earl Keen – expect a loud, animated show with a much cozier setting than the two previous shows.

A little word on ticket prices however: If you do plan on attending the big shows, you’ll need to shell out the $750 for the music festival pass (ignore the gold and platinum passes). However if $750 is all you brought, don’t sweat it: the area surrounding SXSW is covered with venues boasting swarms of bands. You’ll still be able to check out the action, albeit much less known action.

You can browse around SXSW’s official site here.