Coachella is streaming live on YouTube, and you might even chat with the bands

It's that time of year once again: Google and T-Mobile are streaming the Coachella festival live on YouTube. Tune in between April 11th and April 13th and you'll see big-name musicians play without making a pilgrimage to Indio. Much of the experience will be familiar if you've watched before. However, there is a social twist to this year's proceedings -- if you're in a Hangouts video chat at the right moment, you'll have a chance to speak with artists like Chvrches and Zedd while they're backstage. Yes, you may have a better time than fans who paid a premium to be there in person. We wouldn't count on getting that VIP treatment, but it's undoubtedly an added incentive to start streaming.

[Image credit: Viktor Rosenfeld, Flickr]