It’s true, Coachella is selling out. The set list often features top 40, hip-hop, rap, dance, and EDM artists galore. It’s swamped because everyone and their freakin’ mother is there (some who only like the crappy music offered, and even more who don’t care about the music at all). It is definitely being commercialized.

Based on that, it may be hard to understand why I would encourage you to go. But, this year I will be attending my seventh Coachella, and while I’ve seen plenty of the bad developing at the festival, I have mostly incredible memories. Yes, I wait in line with people who I wish would vanish from existence, who are only there to see Drake and other artists of that ilk. But, I also have seen some of the best performances of my life: being at the barrier for Arcade Fire twice (I had friends cry both times because the shows were so good), having the lead singer of The Drums sing to my phone because he saw I was videoing him, getting to see the last two living members of The Clash, Mick Jones and Paul Simonon, team up with Damon Albarn for the Gorillaz performance, witnessing Jeff Mangum (of Neutral Milk Hotel) perform for the first time in years and the subsequent reunion performance of Neutral Milk Hotel, seeing Moby do a crazy dance/EDM DJ set; I could go on and on. It’s easy to think that the current popular music culture has become the essence of the festival, but when the lineup is also filled with so many great indie bands, I promise you it doesn’t matter. You go to a stage for Tame Impala, for example, and you won’t be surrounded by a bunch of dumbass teens or celebs, instead other great fans of some incredible bands will surround you. “Coachella is about the experience” is a quote I, myself, have actually used many times before, but I don’t discount the music. If you go for the music, your experience will be about the music.

As a side note, however, Coachella is a d*mn experience. When people say that, it may sound ridiculous, but my first year at Coachella, I felt like I was in another world for a weekend—a bubble without rules, full of fun and bliss. It really is transcendent being in the sunny haze of the desert with echoes of some of the most talented artists and musicians in the music world. If I have to push past a few status-hungry posers who want to go so they can say that they went, then I think I can suck it up. Trust me, nothing beats dusk in the desert as the sun sets and the wind starts up, kicking up dust all around as you lay in the grass hearing tunes from Portugal. The Man wafting over you as shark robots roll by or illuminated balloon trains glow as they float overhead. (Don’t forget that Coachella is also an arts festival—there are tons of incredible and unique sculptural and interactive art pieces each year!)

So, go get lost in the desert. Save up your money and see nearly every important act of the year. Because one day the festival may really sell out, so we might as well see the good bands while they still have them.