THE FESTIVAL OF THE DECADE: BE IN A BAND OR DIE DOES DESERT DAZE 22'
by SOPHIE PRETTYMAN BEAUCHAMP
We ran through the desert for a few days - check it out.
For the past 10 years, the psych-rock-focused Desert Daze has been a staple in the Southern California festival scene and beyond. From eclectic lineups featuring legendary headliners like Wu-Tang Clan to internationally beloved acts including Kikagaku Moyo and W.I.T.C.H., founder Phil Pirrone (of JJUUJJUU) and team have curated unforgettable and uniquely community-minded music and art experiences that they somehow top year after year. Joining in on the festival’s 10th year of festivities, we packed our bags and headed out to the desert for the weekend to see some of our favorite local acts and more.
Desert Daze’s most recent iteration boasted a stacked, three-day lineup, featuring headliners like Beach House, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, and Tame Impala, the latter of whom celebrated the 10th anniversary of their seminal record Lonerism (I can honestly say I probably wouldn’t be doing this today if it hadn’t been for that album changing my teenage life upon its release) by performing it in full.
Other notable acts on the bill included Seun Kuti and the Egypt 80 (the son of the late Fela Kuti and his father’s equally magnetic band), French jazz icons Cortex, slowcore luminaries Duster, and Tumblr pop queen Sky Ferreira.
SEUN KUTI AND THE EGYPT 80
CORTEX
SKY FERREIRA
Although Desert Daze didn’t technically commence until Friday, campers had the pleasure of an extra night of fun under the stars on Thursday, during which Shannon Lay, Hooveriii, Meatbodies, Quitapenas, and more incredible bands and DJs rocked the exclusive Outer Space stage.
With such a jam-packed schedule, we dashed from set to set to see as many of our favorite bands as we possibly could, including our friends Sloppy Jane, Frankie and the Witch Fingers, Surfbort, Automatic, and The Paranoyds, all of whom never fail to put on unforgettable performances.
SLOPPY JANE
SURFBORT
THE PARANOYDS
AUTOMATIC
Along the way, we also stopped to enjoy the sweet sounds of Black Country New Road (no photos, I just sat and cried in awe), Soul Glo, JPEGMAFIA, Nilüfer Yanya, Viagra Boys, and so many more.
VIAGRA BOYS
JPEG MAFIA
SOUL GLO
It was impossible to catch everyone on our list of must-sees, but we did our damnedest to capture moments of some of the best and our personal favorite sets of the weekend to share with you. Check out the gallery below to see more moments from what may be the most monumental Desert Daze yet:
