Stars Of The Desert Rock Scene Shine At Mojave Experience

Stop maine if you’ve heard this before: There’s a caller euphony show coming to nan desert.

Unlike different festivals that group up shop successful a hot, scenic locale to showcase performers from different places astir nan world, Mojave Experience has a much authentic vibe.

Consider immoderate of nan artists who are playing this play astatine Mojave Gold in Yucca Valley connected Friday astatine 7 p.m. and astatine Joshua Tree Lake & Campground connected Sunday starting astatine 12:30 p.m.: Mario Lalli, Sean Wheeler, John Garcia, and Nick Oliveri.

These legendary musicians helped found nan godforsaken stone segment and put it connected nan representation pinch bands for illustration Kyuss and Queens of nan Stone Age. This show didn’t travel to nan desert; it emerged from it.

The Mojave Experience is nan brainchild of Patrick Brink, vocalist and songwriter for nan set Volume, who was calved and raised successful Twentynine Palms. Initially, Brink conceived of nan show arsenic a measurement to showcase his band, but erstwhile he saw nan show had nan imaginable to beryllium thing special, he decided not to play.

“I wanted to travel retired swinging and attraction connected group really enjoying themselves,” Brink said. “From nan attendees and nan bands to nan vendors and volunteers, I wanted to make judge everything goes smoothly.”

To guarantee that happens, Brink enlisted nan thief of Mario Lalli, nan godfather of godforsaken rock, who gave nan show instant credibility.

As a young musician, Lalli played pinch a batch of bands who were portion of SST Records, an independent explanation that originated successful L.A.’s South Bay and featured bands for illustration Black Flag, Minutemen, and Saccharine Trust. Lalli sewage to cognize Dave Travis who had a generator and would group up his instrumentality truthful his friends could play astatine nan beach, successful nan mountains, aliases each nan measurement retired successful nan desert.

Lalli bought his ain generator and started throwing shows successful his backmost yard. “We would return that point retired to nan desert,” Lalli said. “We liked to get stoned and conscionable spell jam and make noise.”

These generator shows attracted nan attraction of section kids for illustration Sean Wheeler, a fourth-generation autochthonal of Palm Springs whose awesome grandparents were among nan town’s founders.

Wheeler caught nan bug aft going to an all-ages Black Flag show astatine Rumors successful Palm Springs and started playing successful bands. “They were arresting maine for disturbing nan peace,” Wheeler said astir nan sound complaints he received while playing successful his garage. “It conscionable made consciousness to get retired successful nan desert. You usually wouldn’t get busted retired there.”

John Garcia, nan erstwhile vocalist for Kyuss, jumped astatine nan chance to execute pinch his band.

(Kevin Estrada)

What started retired arsenic backstage sessions for friends who needed a spot wherever they could rustle disconnected steam and definitive themselves yet grew successful size and scope. “We put immoderate awesome bands together,” Lalli said, “and made flyers and tried to explicate to group really to get into nan mediate of nowhere. And we sewage successful problem doing it.”

The past generator show Lalli threw was called Splattering of nan Tribes and drew complete 1,200 group from each complete California, immoderate of whom had ne'er been to nan godforsaken before. “It was a beautiful, chaotic night.”

As a consequence of a post-COVID organization boom, location are now much places to play successful nan godforsaken than ever before. Lalli estimates that on nan agelong of road betwixt Yucca Valley and Twentynine Palms location are astatine slightest six venues pinch stages and sound systems.

That besides intends much restaurants and much things to do for visiting festivalgoers. In fact, Mojave Experience isn’t nan only show successful municipality this weekend. The Hi Desert Lo-Fi Lit Fest is hosting free panels, workshops, and readings each play along. [Full disclosure: I’m a participant.] The literate show besides features a capacity by Mike Watt & nan Missingmen astatine Mojave Gold successful Yucca Valley connected Saturday night.

It’s a acold outcry from erstwhile Kyuss ruled nan generator segment pinch a estimation for unforgettable shows that pulled from nan galore genres and sub-genres of dense stone to create thing epic. When Kyuss collapsed up, Queens of nan Stone Age roseate from nan ashes. As they gained prominence crossed nan state and astir nan world, nan fable of Kyuss grew.

Mojave Experience is simply a chance for those who went to those shows to relive immoderate of nan magic and for those who weren’t to perceive what they missed. John Garcia, nan erstwhile vocalist for Kyuss, jumped astatine nan chance to execute pinch his band. “Once I heard that Mario was involved,” Garcia said, “I knew it was legitimate. Everybody knows that Mario gives nan seal of approval.”

Garcia, who lives conscionable 20 minutes from Joshua Tree Lake, is looking guardant to sharing nan shape pinch aged friends and erstwhile bandmates. “I person an each caller appreciation for this type of stuff, because I person been fortunate successful regards to immoderate of nan things that I’ve done successful nan past.”

It hasn’t ever gone smoothly. In 2012 Garcia was progressive successful a ineligible conflict pinch erstwhile members of Kyuss complete usage of nan band’s name. Now Garcia is focused connected his family and making euphony pinch his friends. “I’m not looking to alteration nan look of stone and roll,” Garcia said, “but possibly we’ll put a mates stitches in, springiness it a achromatic eye, truthful to speak.”

Nick Oliveri, ex-Kyuss and Queens of nan Stone Age bassist who is now playing successful aggregate bands, including nan Dwarves and Bl’ast, is possibly nan astir astonishing addition. Not because of his godforsaken pedigree, but because he’ll beryllium playing acoustic.

“I play loud,” Oliveri said. “I singing difficult and I sweat and bleed for illustration I would pinch my band. I telephone it decease acoustic. There’s decease punk, there’s decease metal, and there’s decease acoustic, and that’s my jam.”

Earthless, who is co-headlining nan show pinch Dead Meadow, besides has heavy godforsaken connections. In 2021, nan instrumental psychedelic set from San Diego recorded a stunning unrecorded medium and video called “Live successful nan Mojave Desert Vol. 1.”

Earthless drummer and erstwhile pro skater Mario Rubalcaba skated nan infamous Nude Bowl extracurricular Desert Hot Springs while still a teen and saw Kyuss play. “At nan time,” Rubalcaba said, “there weren’t immoderate bands that sounded for illustration that.”

Lori S. of Acid King has played Pappy & Harriett’s successful Pioneertown galore times and besides saw Kyuss play successful her hometown of San Francisco, but is conscionable arsenic grateful to stock nan shape pinch newer bands.

“It’s bully to person a operation of bands for illustration ours that person been astir and younger bands that were influenced by that benignant of music,” Lori said. “I emotion that. You gotta walk nan torch and support nan euphony going.”

Jim Ruland is nan writer of “Corporate Rock Sucks: The Rise & Fall of SST Records” and writes nan play Substack Message from nan Underground. His caller novel, “Mightier than nan Sword,” will beryllium published by Rare Bird successful nan fall.