Clasico or Coachella?

Saturday will be a memorable day in Southern California, but like so many other days the choices are vast. Saturday, though, may be a particularly tough day for some to choose an event to attend. You'll have the Chivas USA-Galaxy match in Carson and the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, a three-day event which starts on Friday.

It seems like a tough choice: soccer or music? music or soccer? Well, we decided to try and help sort out which event would be the better to attend.

LINEUPS

David Beckham and Landon Donovan bring the starpower while Maykel Galindo, Sacha Kljestan and Brad Guzan also add talent.

Out in the desert, you'll have a bit of everything: Flogging Molly, Dwight Yoakam, Cafe Tacvba, Death Cab for Cutie, Scars on Broadway, Portishead, and Prince are just a handful of the acts that will be there. And that's just on Saturday.

Advantage: Coachella

SONGS

"Soy de Chivas" by Legion 1908
"Hey ___ you suck" by LA Riot Squad

"When Doves Cry" by Prince
"Maria" by Cafe Tacvba
"Salty Dog" by Flogging Molly

Advantage: Coachella

AFFORDABILITY

Clasico tickets may cost you at least $30 per at this point. I found four tickets for $42 this morning on Ticketmaster. Add parking and it may run you well over $100.

Single-day Coachella passes are sold out. At this point, you'll need to fork over $269 for then entire-three day event. Add costs for gas and you're looking at quite a bit of money.

Advantage: Clasico

AMBIENCE

When it comes to soccer games in the United States, the Clasico provides about as good of a soccer atmosphere as there is. Regardless of who plays and who doesn't, a Clasico environment is unmatched.

With Coachella, there is something about being one of tens of thousands of people that makes you feel both special and insignificant at the same time. The tension and excitement and anticipation of seeing band after band, act after act and hearing song after song after countless song will only rise throughout the day and culminate with what should be energetic and memorable performances from the headliners.

Advantage: Coachella

COMFORT

At Home Depot Center, you'll have a seat - whether you choose to sit in it is a different story. Carson, also, is within easy driving distance for much of Southern California.

It's supposed to top out at 103 degrees in Coachella on Saturday, and you'll need to get there early if you want to be anywhere near the main stars, and even the minor ones. Oh yeah, and you'll need to stand for a lot of the time. Nevermind the drive out to the desert.

Advantage: Clasico

MEMORABLE

Each Clasico match is special and memorable. We've heard that from the start, and now it's really true.

When are you going to have another chance to watch Prince and Flogging Molly on the same day?!?

Advantage: Coachella

VERDICT

Go to the desert, enjoy the music, recover on Monday... and Tuesday if need be. There will be more Clasico games this year.

Musical choices

I know it's still two weeks away, exactly two weeks from today actually, but I'm trying to plan my road trip to Glendale, Arizona. Of course the most important part of any roadie is the music.

I know my travel companion will probably have had enough of my musical choices before we hit Indio so I'm going to make my choices count.

I might start off with a little Guns N Roses. I got the Greatest Hits CD for Christmas and it's really good. If I only have a few song choices, I'll probably start with track 2, move to 3, then go to 13 and 14.

Then, I think I may try a little Rage Against the Machine, in honor of their recent announcement. I may slip a song or two in while we pass by Coachella since I won't be able to make it out there in person.

A couple of bands I've fallen for lately I unfortunately don't have their CDs. I might still be able to catch some Black Stone Cherry and Wolfmother on my station of choice, Sirius Octane 20.

I know the drive is going to seem a lot longer than the 4 1/2 hours it will take from the Inland Empire. I'll be thinking about watching the best rivalry in North America and trying to picture the game and setting and all that stuff. I've actually only covered one US-Mexico game in person, the October 2000 meeting at the Coliseum. I wasn't able to make it to Mexico City in 1999, 2001 or 2005 or Columbus in either 2001 or 2005. Couldn't foot the bill. This time, though, it will be as energetic and electric as any other game. Bob Bradley and Hugo Sanchez will bring a different feel to the teams and a different style of play than their respective predecessors.

It'll be a good game and hopefully a good trip and if my travel buddy doesn't feel up for some rock n roll, it's all good. There's always this, one of my guilty pleasures...