Everybody likes appetizers. They are teasers of the main course to come. The appetizer for Coachella is the Filter Magazine Coachella Kick Off Party, nestled in a secret location, which doubles as a yacht club. The event has DJed electro rock mash-ups, a choose-your-own T-shirt design screenprint station, lots of nooks crannies to hide out in and of course, drinks galore.

The best thing about it is that it’s an opportunity to meet people from around the world in a slightly more intimate setting than the vast Bermuda grasslands of Empire Polo Field, the location of the Coachella Festival. There were Brits, a sizable handful of Spaniards, folks who made the trek up from Mexico and gaggles of obliterated Canucks all cheerfully chatting and stumbling around the yacht club’s tropical-like grounds.

That is, until anarchy broke out. At some point, the DJs decided to crank the treble up to maximum, prompting people to clutch at their ears in agony and make a mad dash for the shuttles that were bussing people to and from a casino parking lot, which served as a rendezvous point.

Unfortunately, the three formerly laid back security guards were not equipped to handle a mass exodus of tired, grumpy, inebriated revelers and orderly lines dissolved into one pushing, shoving mass. People pounded on the sides of shuttles that frightened drivers refused to let anyone board. Groups stowed away in luggage compartments. It got ugly.

As we hoofed it to a nearby truck stop, a row of speeding, wailing police cars and fire trucks flew by us on their way to try to create some order of the chaotic situation. Apparently hours later, people were still trying to get back to their cars, but having flagged down a merciful cab driver, by that point we were already on to the next event.

Things can only get better from here. Tomorrow: Coachella Festival – Day One.