The Plan:
Meet Baba G at the Vendor Parking lot at Coachella at 11:00 am. Get our wristbands, see the bands on Saturday, work at his food booth on Sunday. One day free in exchange for one day of work.

Unfortunately things do not always go as planned. Dev was our liason to Baba G, I had never met the guy before, I had only heard enough to know he was a scheister. Dev unfortunately had to back out two days before the show. This meant we were all working for Baba G without Dev; it was not what was preferred but since we had already committed we felt obliged to. I was considering backing out because it sounded like a sham. I knew Baba G would screw us over, and Dev not being there just made it easier for him to do so. But still, we had to do it since we had already committed to it.

We exit the freeway to Coachella at 11:00am. Unfortunately we were met with unbelievable traffic. Hacker, Garret, and Jamie got out of the car and ran the 3 or 4 miles to the Vendor Parking lot, since they were the ones who were supposed to work that day (saturday). Paul and I stayed in the traffic, moving 15 feet in 15 minutes. Since we were not working Saturday we were less keen on getting there because we were in no hurry since it was still early and no bands had started yet. We arrive at the Vendor Parking lot an hour later, Hacker, Jamie, and Garret beat us by ten minutes ON FOOT.
We get to the entrance, we can’t get in. Baba G is inside and he’s taken all his wristbands with him. No problem, I’ll go in, get the wristbands from Baba G, bring them out to Paul, Jason, Jamie, and Garrett so they can start working and Paul and I can go and watch the bands.
I find Baba G’s tent, he’s busy. The health inspectors are making sure everything is kosher. Baba G asks me to hold on for a second. The second turns into half an hour. The health inspectors have come and gone, Baba G is avoiding me. I know exactly what has happened without having to ask.
“Baba G, can i have the wristbands so the people outside can come in and work for you?” I asked him over and over. He’s avoiding the question.
“You’re late” he tells me.
“Yeah we weren’t counting on being stuck in traffic for an hour,” I tell him.
“sorry man,” he looks at me thru his sunglasses. He’s given away our wristbands. We drove all the way out into the fucking desert where its well over 100 degrees, all because we stuck by our commitment. I didn’t want to be here. I didn’t want to come. But I didn’t want to back out on my promise. Baba G, unfortunately, had no problem.
I’m asking him where our wristbands are.
“Can you just help me move this table and put some ice in the tray?” he asks me.
“Yea in a minute. All my friends are waiting outside, just give me the wristbands and I’ll run back and get them.”
“I’m sorry, man. You’re late.”
He’s right, we are late. But we’re still here. He has my phone number, a call to let me know we were being replaced would have been considerate, instead of me having to wrestle it out of him.
“All of Dev’s friends flaked” he tells me.
“No they didn’t, they’re all outside waiting for the wristbands.” My voice is rising.
“Sorry, man.” He’s not sorry, he couldn’t care less. He’s got his lackeys running his booth, making him money while he pays them with our wristbands and free food.
I’ve had it with this guy’s bullshit.
“Baba G, do you seriously want to screw us over like this? We know who you are, we know where you live, you don’t want to mess with us.”
“What is that some kind of threat?” You’re damn right it is. We drove all the way out here for you, you weren’t going to pay us anything except for a free day at Coachella while you would be raking in the dough.
I realize at this point he’s not letting us in, especially when he tells me to leave.
“You’ll regret this,” I tell him as I’m leaving.

Now I got to figure out how the fuck i’m going to get my friends in. I eye Baba G’s golf cart, I jump on it when no ones looking but I cant get it to move so I jump back off. I convince this girl Judy (who apparently didn’t witness Baba G and I arguing) to talk the security guards into letting us in. She’s real sympathetic, mainly because she thinks we’re going to go help her. The guards say they’ll let us in so we go move Hacker’s car from the street-side to the free parking where he won’t get towed. We get back to the gate, the security guards won’t let us in.
“Judy only said you two, not all 6 of you.” fuck. this is no longer worth the effort and the heat.
“Ok,” I tell them, “Paul and I will go inside and get Judy to talk to you.” They let us pass. Once inside Paul and I have no idea how the hell we’re going to get the other 4 people inside. We can’t ask Judy because then she’ll want us to work, and we can’t work because I burned that bridge with Baba G. We had to come up with something on our own. Paul suggests the idea of calling and pretending to be Baba G. I laugh at the idea. Then I realize we have no other option. I call Garrett whos waiting outside with the others.
“Hey give the phone to the security guard and tell them hes going to speak with Baba G,” I tell him. The security guard gets on the phone.
“Hello? Hey what’s your name,” I ask him.
“Eric.”
“ok Eric, I’m going to give the phone to Baba G…” I make some muffle noises to simulate me handing the phone over to Baba G. I try my best to sound like a desperate Indian working at a food booth.
“Hello, yes Eric. Please this is Baba G, you’ve got to let these people in. I was not given enough wristbands, and now my day-shift has gone and we are so busy here. Please Eric.”
“..yea..” he’s not buying it. In fact I’m sure he’s laughing on the other end. I continue anyway, keeping my back to Paul who’s cracking up.
“Eric, please, man. I am absolutely swamped here. I am on the north food court, we are so busy and I have no one here to help me. Please Eric, I’m begging you, I can’t come down there because we’re so busy, no one can leave here, we don’t have enough people. It’s too busy. Please Eric?” I’m turning the desperation on High now. If this doesn’t work, its not going to happen.
“Please Eric, I’m begging you man.”
I wait for his answer.
“Ok,” he tells me.
“Thanks Eric” I hang up the phone, amazed at my acting abilities.
Eric the security guard escorts Hacker, Jamie, Garrett, and Sabah to the next check-point where he tells the security guard there “it’s ok, let them in. Theyre with Baba G.” And just like that, everyone is in.

Oh yeah and we saw some bands too.