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Stop me if you\u2019ve heard this before: There\u2019s a new music festival coming to the desert.<\/p>\n
Unlike other festivals that set up shop in a hot, scenic locale to showcase performers from other places around the world, Mojave Experience<\/u><\/a> has a more authentic vibe.<\/p>\n Consider some of the artists who are playing this weekend at Mojave Gold <\/a>in Yucca Valley on Friday at 7 p.m. and at Joshua Tree Lake & Campground on Sunday starting at 12:30 p.m.: Mario Lalli, Sean Wheeler, John Garcia, and Nick Oliveri.<\/p>\n These legendary musicians helped establish the desert rock scene and put it on the map with bands like Kyuss and Queens of the Stone Age. This festival didn\u2019t come to the desert; it emerged from it.<\/p>\n The Mojave Experience is the brainchild of Patrick Brink, singer and songwriter for the band Volume, who was born and raised in Twentynine Palms. Initially, Brink conceived of the festival as a way to showcase his band, but once he saw the festival had the potential to be something special, he decided not to play.<\/p>\n \u201cI wanted to come out swinging and focus on people really enjoying themselves,\u201d Brink said. \u201cFrom the attendees and the bands to the vendors and volunteers, I wanted to make sure everything goes smoothly.\u201d<\/p>\n To ensure that happens, Brink enlisted the help of Mario Lalli, the godfather of desert rock, who gave the festival instant credibility.<\/p>\n As a young musician, Lalli played with a lot of bands who were part of SST Records, an independent label that originated in L.A.\u2019s South Bay and featured bands like Black Flag, Minutemen, and Saccharine Trust. Lalli got to know Dave Travis who had a generator and would set up his equipment so his friends could play at the beach, in the mountains, or all the way out in the desert.<\/p>\n Lalli bought his own generator and started throwing shows in his back yard. \u201cWe would take that thing out to the desert,\u201d Lalli said. \u201cWe liked to get stoned and just go jam and make noise.\u201d<\/p>\n These generator shows attracted the attention of local kids like Sean Wheeler, a fourth-generation native of Palm Springs whose great grandparents were among the town\u2019s founders.<\/p>\n Wheeler caught the bug after going to an all-ages Black Flag show at Rumors in Palm Springs and started playing in bands. \u201cThey were arresting me for disturbing the peace,\u201d Wheeler said about the noise complaints he received while playing in his garage. \u201cIt just made sense to get out in the desert. You usually wouldn\u2019t get busted out there.\u201d<\/p>\n John Garcia, the former vocalist for Kyuss, jumped at the chance to perform with his band.<\/p>\n (Kevin Estrada)<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n What started out as private sessions for friends who needed a place where they could blow off steam and express themselves eventually grew in size and scope. \u201cWe put some great bands together,\u201d Lalli said, \u201cand made flyers and tried to explain to people how to get into the middle of nowhere. And we got in trouble doing it.\u201d<\/p>\n The last generator show Lalli threw was called Splattering of the Tribes and drew over 1,200 people from all over California, some of whom had never been to the desert before. \u201cIt was a beautiful, chaotic night.\u201d<\/p>\n As a result of a post-COVID population boom<\/u><\/a>, there are now more places to play in the desert than ever before<\/a>. Lalli estimates that along the stretch of highway between Yucca Valley and Twentynine Palms there are at least six venues with stages and sound systems.<\/p>\n That also means more restaurants and more things to do for visiting festivalgoers. In fact, Mojave Experience isn\u2019t the only festival in town this weekend. The Hi Desert Lo-Fi Lit Fest<\/u><\/a> is hosting free panels, workshops, and readings all weekend along. [Full disclosure: I\u2019m a participant.] The literary festival also features a performance by Mike Watt & the Missingmen at Mojave Gold in Yucca Valley on Saturday night.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a far cry from when Kyuss ruled the generator scene with a reputation for unforgettable shows that pulled from the many genres and sub-genres of heavy rock to create something epic. When Kyuss broke up, Queens of the Stone Age rose from the ashes. As they gained prominence across the country and around the world, the legend of Kyuss grew.<\/p>\n Mojave Experience is a chance for those who went to those shows to relive some of the magic and for those who weren\u2019t to hear what they missed. John Garcia, the former vocalist for Kyuss, jumped at the chance to perform with his band. \u201cOnce I heard that Mario was involved,\u201d Garcia said, \u201cI knew it was legitimate. Everybody knows that Mario gives the seal of approval.\u201d<\/p>\n Garcia, who lives just 20 minutes from Joshua Tree Lake, is looking forward to sharing the stage with old friends and former bandmates. \u201cI have an all new appreciation for this type of stuff, because I have been lucky in regards to some of the things that I\u2019ve done in the past.\u201d<\/p>\n