Kevin Bronson on April 12th, 2018

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The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival — that annual test of stamina, attention spans and bank balances — is upon us. It keeps expanding and expanding. The 2018 version, headlined by Beyoncé, the Weeknd and Eminem and deep in manufacturers of hip-hop and electronic music, has grown bigger than a trust-funder’s folder of selfies from exotic locations. Bloated, you might say. Abundant, we counter.

There is no shortage of artists who inspire emotional somersaults, to be sure. St. Vincent; David Byrne; Haim; Tyler, The Creator; the War on Drugs; Alt-J; SZA; Fleet Foxes; Vince Staples; Perfume Genius; Miguel; King Krule; Jessie Ware and plenty more to offset the festival filler.

||| Also: Our coverage of Coachella 2017; Coachella 2016; Coachella 2015; Coachella 2014.

Buzz Bands LA’s festival warriors Kevin Bronson and Andrew Veeder asked each other a bunch of questions. You might be curious about some of these things too:

Did Coachella’s ‘traffic engineers’ get it right?

As Coachella slowly grows from 99,000 to 126,000 attendees in the coming years, the festival layout has been both expanded and restructured. The south side of the grounds is much more open, with the Mojave tent moving south to be Rose Garden-adjacent, the Sahara tent sliding over to the south side below the Ferris wheel near the main entrance, and the Sonora tent moving to the east edge. Hopefully this alleviates some of the massive human logjams that plagued last year’s fest.

Will Beyoncé be worth the wait?

After bowing out of Coachella 2017 due to her pregnancy with twins, Queen Bey will headline the main stage Saturday night this year. In advance of her On The Run II tour with husband Jay Z this summer and fall, is it too much to expect a cameo from Hov for “Crazy In Love?”

Can rock be mainstream again?

Legendary Japanese heavy metal band X Japan have the unenviable task of not only playing the Mojave tent while Beyoncé is on the main stage, but carrying the torch for hard rock. They’re really the only metal band here, and, says drummer Yoshiki (who is returning from emergency cervical artificial disc replacement surgery), “I’ll make rock mainstream again. After being nearly paralyzed and coming back, nothing is impossible!”” Moreover, X Japan will perform with holograms of two deceased band members, Hide and Taiji. Which, of course, begs the punny query: To Beyoncé or not to Beyoncé?

Who’s the most interesting act you knew nothing about until this month?

That would probably be The Blaze, the French duo of cousins Guillaume and Jonathan Alric. The musicians/filmmakers are making their U.S. debut at Coachella, playing at 7:15 Friday in the Gobi tent — albeit scheduled up against Vince Staples, the War on Drugs and the Buttertones. For a primer, you can watch “Heaven,” “Territory” and “Virile.” And maybe hope for a concert hall show somewhere down the line.

Will Cardi B be all that?

On the heels of dropping her debut album “Invasion of Privacy,” headlining “Saturday Night Live,” and co-hosting “The Tonight Show” this week, rap’s reigning duchess Cardi B will play the main stage at 6 p.m. Sunday. With her fiancée Offset’s group Migos performing later that night, don’t be surprised if they join her for their collaboration “Drip,” or if other guest stars appear in typical Coachella fashion.

What kind of festival has the best singer on the bill performing at 1:35 p.m.?

Coachella, apparently. With no apologies whatsoever to anybody whose name is in bigger type on the flyer, that singer would be Laura Pergolizzi, whom you know as LP. She is charged with entertaining the hangover crowd in the Mojave Tent at 1:35 p.m. on Sunday. At least Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, who precede her, will have everybody awake by then.

For that matter, are afternoons passé?

With the abundance of daytime things like Day Club Palm Springs, Desert Jam and Indio Invasion, will anybody even be at the festival in the afternoon? We wonder.

How will the Sahara Tent be like Cirque du Soleil?

Thirty-year-old trap/rap/house/pop guy TroyBoi promises a “very unique” show featuring not just special guests but aerialists and break dancers. Get high with the Londoner at 9 p.m. Friday.

Will it be Japanese Breakfast or Snail Mail?

Those looking for a break from electronic artists and rappers on Sunday afternoon have options in emotive singer-songwriters Japanese Breakfast (fronted by Michelle Zauner) and Snail Mail (fronted by Lindsey Jordan). The only problem is they’re slotted against each other, with Japanese Breakfast at 3:25 p.m. in the Gobi tent, and Snail Mail at 3:05 p.m. in the Sonora tent. (They also both play the Roxy next Tuesday.)

Any acts this year worth excessive genuflexion?

Young fans might not be keen, but about half the artists on the Coachella flyer ought to bow down before Nile Rodgers & Chic (3:55 p.m. Saturday, main stage). Because disco-R&B. Oh, and David Byrne (7:05 p.m. Saturday, Outdoor Theatre). Just because.

Who’s going to put a smile on my face, just because of their artistry?

Two acts immediately come to mind: New Orleans’ Tank and the Bangas (4:55 p.m. Friday, Gobi), whom you can learn more about here. And French-Cuban twin sisters Ibeyi (8:05 p.m. Sunday, Gobi), making their second trip to Indio after a dazzling turn in 2016.

Are there other early acts you shouldn’t miss?

Why, of course, sleepyhead. With music scheduled 12-13 hours a day, many may opt to arrive later in the day, but there are reasons to brave the high sun and beat the crowds. A handful of recommendations include: Smiles Davis (12:25 p.m. Friday, Mojave); Benjamin Clementine and Moses Sumney (back to back starting at 1:30 p.m. Friday, Gobi); KITTENS (1:30 p.m. Saturday, Sahara), Declan McKenna and Django Django (back to back starting at 2:40 p.m. Saturday, Mojave); Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever (12:30 p.m. Sunday, Mohave) and Giraffage (1:50 p.m. Sunday, Sahara).

How is L.A. repped?

Best year for L.A. artists ever. Beyond the outdoor stages and tents (where you’ll find the likes of Haim; Vince Staples; Tyler, the Creator; the Neighbourhood; Kamasi Washington; BØRNS; Elohim; FIDLAR; Kelela; Sudan Archives and BROCKHAMPTON), all you have to do is look at the Sonora tent, celebrating its second year as a de facto L.A. club space. Make time for post-hardcore vets the Bronx, and gorge on Moses Sumney, the Marías, the Buttertones, the Regrettes,  Cherry Glazerr, Oh Sees, Mild High Club, Cuco, the Delirians and Hundred Waters. There’s a Top 10 right there. And say hi to Jim Smith at noon on Friday.

Are there any art installations that seem more than just polo ground props?

Color us curious about Spectra, a seven-story orgasm of light from the U.K. design studio NEWSUBSTANCE. It’s described as a “spectrum of color offering 360-degree views of Coachella and beyond. From the outside, Spectra appears as an impressive architectural entity. Inside, it’s less about itself and more about your experience: Light, color, and perspective change with every step you take.” With 31 colored panels and 6,000 feet of LED lights, it sounds like a photo opp.

How will we handle the inevitable food coma?

The festival again ratchets up its food game, notably with the new (centrally located) Indio Central Market, which will not only feature fare from more than 15 restaurants but is situated in a shaded tent with (they promise) plenty of seating. After a cheeseburger from Cassell’s, though, will we be too busy digesting to ingest more music? There should be nap time built in to the set times, y’know?

Hydrate, sunscreen, respect other human beings’ space. See you there.

||| Get your set times right here.