Each year, for one weekend in October, somewhere east of Los Angeles, beyond the material, exists the ethereal realm. Within this realm is the magic of expression, encompassed the the vastness of nature, and within its ether, the music in its glory and splendour. This moment in time is known as Desert Daze 2019, the pinnacle of all things psychedelic, groovy, and weird in our day and age, and this is the what the experience is all about.
The most underrated, and probably the most important aspect of this festival, is not only bands playing, but the day and time that they play. No other festival controls the pace of the party like Desert Daze does, and as the good times roll on, time and space exist only to tell what band plays next, and on which stage. Friday brought us a welcoming and wide array of sounds, most notably from Frankie and the Witch Fingers, Stereolab, and The Flaming Lips, but most importantly, the presentation and majesty of witnessing W.I.T.C.H. in all their glory.
Hailing from Zambia, W.I.T.C.H., (We Intend To Cause Havoc), has been at the forefront of Zamrock, playing their blend of Afro psych since the 70s, as evidenced of their self titled documentary, which also aired at the festival. Without a doubt the starters of the party, W.I.TC.H. and their grooves were as deep as they were infectious, and stood out as a highlight as Friday night came to a close.
Saturday afternoon, we awoke to the embrace of the sun, as swim trunks were donned and the lake’s appeal had become insatiable to so many. Also shining brightly were Dutch-Turkish talents Altin Gün, who ushered in the festivities with a hypnotic blend of psych, Turkish folk, combined with soaring vocals, and enchanting rhythms. Parquet Courts were simply brilliant, The KVB dazzled, and DEVO served as the perfect band to watch at sunset, undoubtedly the marquee of the event, with the sunset particularly symbolic as the band embarked on their farewell tour after 46 years.
As the night had turned into it’s own animal, the festivities grew, so as if to presume this party was far from over. Psychedelic Porn Crumpets were a tour-de-force of gritty and intricate fuzz, and Ween displayed some of the best musicianship of the festival, playing 1994’s “Chocolate and Cheese” in it’s entirety. However, when it comes to the defining moment of what Desert Daze embodies, Temples were the major takeaway from this evening. Majestic in essence and truly in form with their new release “Hot Motion”, their dreamy, smoldering guitar-driven set was the soundtrack for the festival. Accentuated by the lightshows from Lance “The Mad Alchemist”, the show was a cinematic experience of pure psychedelic delight, with the sensation akin to floating on a cloud somewhere between earth and the stage.
Just as Temples embodied everything we have come to expect from Desert Daze, the Viagra Boys performed such a wild and outlandish set that exemplified everything we could never have expected. Their bizarre and erratic stage presence bordered on gut wrenchingly hilarious, while the crowd never settled down for a second, with moshing, crowdsurfing and dancing unrelenting as the ‘Boys tore through their set. What is scary, is besides their live show, is that Viagra Boys are extremely skilled musicians, who brandish their creativity alongside what is a brand of musicianship which is unparalleled in pop culture today.
Though it was impossible for some to sleep, others had best well rested for the final day of festivities, and despite all the wonders of the past two days and nights, the last and final installment of Desert Daze 2019 was at hand. Greeted initially The Paranoyds, who played their girl-fueled punk rock, Sunday got off to quite a blast. Richard Rose brought the no-bs attitude to form with their cool as ever stage persona and riffing, while Alvvays and White Fence provided the melodies to sing along with, and The Black Angels never failed to deliver a riveting performance. Khruangbin overshadowed all else at the main stage though, with groovy after groovier dance floor boogies, and as night settled in, the bass lines rocked harder than ever before. After their non-stop set, one that saw them perform a 30 minute hip hop medley, The Claypool Lennon Delirium took flight with their wild and whacky brand of breakbeat grooves, fueled by Les Claypool’s signature brand of musical accents. With the infamous Carrot Man personally called out by Claypool, little doubt due to his iconic presence throughout the night, the crowd was having the time of their life and took to the dance floor without a moments notice. Its not every day you get to be a part of moments like this and it shows by how much everyone collectively was having.
Wu Tang Clan took the stage and the W’s took formation amongst the crowd. With the Clan peforming their classic hits, and everyone feeling the Shaolin vibe, it was Khruangbin who once again stepped right back onstage with the Wu to round off their set. Children on the backs of their parents, in a crowd of thousands, enjoying this spectacle of a show where it seemed the planets of music and culture were in collision. Without a shadow of a doubt, one can fully appreciate that Wu Tang Clan truly is for the children.
Though all the festivities were winding down, and the party seemingly coming to a close, the last bastion of hope for the night came in the form of the Mystic Bazaar and all it’s never ending wonder. Mime act Jonathan Bree were overwhelmingly entertaining and did not disappoint one bit in their bizarre and beautiful performance, and made the end of the night a lovely endeavor. This was only further accented by Phil Pirrone’s JJUUJJUU finishing all the festivities, accompanied by Sean Lennon and Les Claypool once more bringing the funk and groove back for us one more time to experience and reive. Without question, this entire festival was a spectacle to experience, from start to finish, and the only burning question to be asked, is this one on everyone’s minds:
Is it Desert Daze 2020 yet?
* * *
Photographed by [Danielle Defoe](https://www.instagram.com/danielle_defoe/?hl=en) and [Chaun Loose](https://www.instagram.com/chauncat/)
.jpg)
