Posted in Whathaveyou on February 6th, 2020 by JJ Koczan
So let me get this out of the way and say that the whole friggin’ Stoned and Dusted 2020 lineup is incredible. Kudos to the California Desert Wizards Association, which is the mysterious entity putting on the festival out in the Mojave, both at Pappy and Harriet’s and in the open air itself, taking place outside with camping and all the rest of it. Whole thing, great job. Okay. But seriously, at the first night of the thing, they’ve got Los Dug Dugs from Mexico City playing, and if you’ve never dug-dug into their stuff, it’s yet another lost classic of the heavy ’70s that’s begging to be heard. That’s an impressive get through and through. Nicely done.
Now, onto the rest. Yawning Man, Brant Bjork, Corrosion of Conformity, Masters of Reality, Dead Meadow, Earthless, Mos Generator, Big Scenic Nowhere, The Well. The inclusion of all of the last three I assume means that Tony Reed of Mos Generator and Ian Graham and Lisa Alley of The Well will take part in the Big Scenic Nowhere set — could be a package tour in the making there — and it doesn’t seem unreasonable to expect Mario Lalli might be on hand to play bass either, as Yawning Man will be playing the first night.
Toss in Hippie Death Cult, Helms Alee, The Heavy Eyes, BALA, Jesika von Rabbit, Sean Wheeler, Hammer of the Ozz and a few more TBA, not to mention Mad Alchemy doing the lights, and you’ve got a three-night desert party that’s very, very clearly going to be something special for those fortunate enough to be there to witness it.
To that end, tickets go on sale Saturday, as per the PR wire:
STONED AND DUSTED 2020 LINEUP
Yeah buddy! Here it comes again! Are you ready?! Finally the scoop on this year’s Stoned and Dusted party, brought to you by your California Desert Wizards Association.
In 2020 we have THREE NIGHTS of fun: Friday May 22nd; Saturday May 23rd; and Sunday May 24th.
STONED AND DUSTED WELCOME PARTY: On Friday May 22 we have a very special lineup at California’s most famous cantina, Pappy & Harriet’s. Friday’s show is on the indoor stage and we are proud to present 1970’s psych legends from Mexico City, Los Dug Dugs, with desert legends Yawning Man and more TBA.
STONED AND DUSTED ROADHOUSE: On Saturday May 23 we are doing it up again at Pappy & Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace (outside stage), our favorite dusty, desert roadhouse. Pack your earplugs, rolling papers and bring a designated driver for this insane lineup: Corrosion of Conformity, Masters of Reality, Brant Bjork, Helms Alee, BALA and a late show inside from Jesika von Rabbit.
STONED AND DUSTED CAMPOUT: On Sunday May 24 we invite you to a generator party – a Memorial Day concert, cookout and campout at a secret desert location. You can camp on site and party with your friends and fellow desert wizards late into the night. The boulders are there; we are bringing the rock! Dead Meadow, Earthless, Big Scenic Nowhere, The Well, The Heavy Eyes, Mos Generator, Sean Wheeler Y Los Caminos, Hippie Death Cult and Hammer of the Ozz. The Mad Alchemy Liquid Light Show will light up the desert once again this year.
General on-sale begins late this Saturday night, Feb 8, around midnight into Sunday morning. Go to our website and join our email list for more information.
STONED AND DUSTED PRE-PARTY $22 STONED AND DUSTED ROADHOUSE $60 STONED AND DUSTED CAMPOUT $230
For the STONED AND DUSTED CAMPOUT, we also offer a camping gear add-on for those who can’t fly with a tent and want to camp out under desert skies.
Posted in Whathaveyou on December 10th, 2019 by JJ Koczan
The only question with The Well is whether they’re more undervalued or taken for granted. “Oh, The Well are popping back over to Europe to tour again? Ho-hum.” Yes, the Austin, Texas, trio are pretty well traveled, no less so to support this year’s righteous Death and Consolation (review here), but just because they’re out there now doesn’t mean they always will be. And hey, I get it, life gets in the way sometimes and you can’t make it to every show. It’s like the story of my existence right now. But if you can’t at least show respect for a band who put in the kind of work that results in a list of impending tour dates like the below — with just nine days between finishing one run in Salzburg, Austria, and starting the next in El Paso, Texas, then what the hell are you pretending to care about anything for? If that doesn’t matter to you, what does?
Songs and performance, you say? Style and substance, you say? Well fucking The Well have that too. Record and their latest video are at the bottom of the post. Take some time and really listen. Shit is awesome. How people aren’t all over The Well‘s collective junk, I just don’t know.
That’s my piece. I’ve said it.
To the PR wire:
The Well announce winter tour dates in North America, EU and UK supporting new album Death and Consolation
Austin trio The Well announce yet another round of North American, EU and UK tour dates in support of their critically acclaimed new album Death and Consolation (RidingEasy Records.) The band has spent much of the year on tour, and now continue the trek into 2020, sharing some US dates with label mates Zig-Zags and R.I.P. These will be The Well’s first ever tour in the UK, having only played London’s DesertFest in 2019, and fans’ first opportunity to see the band performing songs from the new album. Please see all dates below.
Death and Consolation is available on LP, CD and download as of April 26th, 2019 via RidingEasy Records. Orders are available HERE.
THE WELL TOUR 2020: 01/22 – Milan, IT @ Ligera 01/23 – Bologna, IT @ Freakout 01/24 – Turin, IT @ Ziggy 01/26 – Lille, FR @ La Bulle Cafe 01/27 – Tours, FR @ Le Canadian Cafe 01/28 – Nantes, FR @ La Scene Michelet 01/29 – Bordeaux, FR @ Les Voutes 01/30 – Dijon, FR @ Peniche Cancale 01/31 – Rennes, FR @ Le Melies 02/01 – Paris, FR @ Espace B 02/03 – Brighton, UK @ Hope & Ruin 02/04 – Milton Keyes, UK @ The Craufurd Arms 02/05 – Glasgow, UK @ Broadcast 02/07 – London, UK @ Black Heart 02/08 – Bree, BE @ Ragnarok 02/09 – Berlin, DE @ Zukunft am Ostkreuz 02/10 – Salzburg, AT @ Rockhouse
02/19 – El Paso, TX @ Monarch 02/20 – Phoenix, AZ @ Yucca Tap Room 02/21 – San Diego, CA @ Til Two Club * 02/22 – Oceanside, CA @ The Pourhouse * 02/23 – Los Angeles, CA @ Permanent Records Roadhouse * 02/25 – San Francisco, CA @ The Knockout 02/26 – Nevada City, CA @ The Brick 02/27 – Portland, OR @ High Water Mark + 02/28 – Seattle, WA @ Substation + 02/29 – Vancouver, BC @ TBA + 03/02 – Kalispell, MT @ Old School Records 03/03 – Missoula, MT @ TBA 03/04 – Boise, ID @ The Shredder 03/05 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court 03/06 – Denver, CO @ Streets of London 03/07 – Albuquerque, NM @ The Launchpad * w/ Zig-Zags + w/ R.I.P.
Posted in Bootleg Theater on October 28th, 2019 by JJ Koczan
We’re getting into November this week, which as far as I’m concerned means two things. 1: The holidays are coming, and man, fuck the holidays. 2: It’s getting to be year-end list time. For your consideration, Austin dark heavy psych three-piece The Well humbly submit the clarity of a 4K ultra-high-def video for the track “Raven” from their 2019 album, Death and Consolation (review here). Released this past April in a continuing alliance with RidingEasy Records as the band’s third full-length, it was yet another argument for them as an underrated outfit, the dual vocals of guitarist Ian Graham and bassist Lisa Alley — the three-piece completed by drummer Jason Sullivan — growing as an ever-more-prevalent standout factor of their approach. They’ve done no shortage of road time since their 2014 debut, Samsara (review here), and are currently touring the Eastern Seaboard with a stop in Puerto Rico before heading home to play Levitation Fest early next month. In the New Year, it’ll be the UK & EU — whatever configuration they might be in at that point; the nation-states, not the band — followed by the West Coast in February and March, so yes, they’re keeping plenty busy.
But as we get down to the nitty-gritty end-of-year business around these parts, The Well are a band who clearly deserve some manner of recognition, and if you want to hear/see why, they’re basically presenting their case in the clearest manner available in the “Raven” video. If you can watch the clip in 4K, you should, because it looks cool and is almost too real in its smoothness, but however you check it out, it’s easily worth the four minutes of your time, with its stonerly riff engaging a classic heavy rock nodder mindset even as their vaguely cultish leanings come through in the vocal melody. It’s never been about reinventing the wheel with The Well, but their radness is pervasive and multifaceted, and their approach has grown with each offering they’ve made. Death and Consolation is the kind of record you can put on regardless of mood and get into it. No pretense, quality craft, deep mix to lose your head in, and a heavy groove to march you right to oblivion. The only thing it asks is you take a little time to dig it.
So dig it:
The Well, “Raven” official video
Austin trio The Well share a new video from their recently released album, Death and Consolation (RidingEasy Records). Watch & share the 4K UHD video for album track “Raven” which was directed, shot and edited by William Orendorff HERE.
The band has spent much of the year on tour, and continue the trek now into November. Early in the new year, The Well return to headline shows in the EU & UK, followed by West Coast dates with labelmates Zig-Zags in February 2020. Please see all dates below.
Death and Consolation is available on LP, CD and download as of April 26th, 2019 via RidingEasy Records. Orders are available HERE.
THE WELL TOUR 2019: (remaining dates) 10/28 – Atlanta, GA – 529 10/29 – Gainesville, FL – Hardback Cafe 10/30 – St Petersburg, FL – The Bends 11/01 – Puerto Rico – Club 77 11/03 – Austin, TX @ COTA F1 Races 11/09 – Austin, TX – Levitation Festival – RidingEasy stage
THE WELL TOUR 2020: EU/UK – January/February (dates TBA) 02/19 – El Paso, TX 02/20 – Phoenix, AZ 02/22 – Oceanside, CA * 02/23 – Los Angeles, CA * 02/25 – San Francisco, CA * 02/26 – Arcata, CA * 02/27 – Portland, OR * 02/28 – Seattle, WA * 02/29 – Vancouver, BC * 03/02 – Kalispell, MT * 03/03 – Missoula, MT 03/04 – Boise, ID * 03/05 – Salt Lake City, UT * 03/06 – Denver, CO * 03/07 – Albuquerque, NM * * w/ Zig-Zags
Posted in Whathaveyou on September 20th, 2019 by JJ Koczan
Hey Psycho Smokeout 2.0 — sick fuggin’ lineup. With one headliner still TBA next month Psycho Entertainment and RidingEasy Records pair up to present the likes of Weedeater, Acid King, The Obsessed, Cough, Mondo Drag, Heavy Temple, The Well, Holy Grove, Salem’s Bend, and on and on, all on one day — April 18, 2020. Considering there are 19 acts confirmed, let’s assume there will be multiple stages going. I don’t know what that’ll do to the schedule — certainly possible to alternate — but however it happens, it’s a badass assemblage and there’s more to come. Tickets are on sale now, because seriously, why the hell wait?
So yes. Why wait?
From the PR wire:
PSYCHO SMOKEOUT 2.0 To Take Place April 18th, 2020; Lineup Includes Weedeater, The Obsessed, Acid King, Cough, And More + Early Bird Tickets On Sale Now!
Behold! PSYCHO SMOKEOUT 2.0 will make its annual descent upon Los Angeles’ multi-level Catch One Riff Compound April 18th, 2020!
Brought to you by Psycho Entertainment and RidingEasy Records, this year’s day-long puffathon features performances from nearly two-dozen artists including North Caroline stoner metal goliaths Weedeater, Maryland doom icons The Obsessed, California stoner rock veterans Acid King, and Virginia sludge bringers Cough, with the final headliner to be unveiled later this fall. Spread across three stages, the glassy-eyed gala will include a massive vendor market and more surprises to be announced in the weeks to come.
Early bird tickets for PSYCHO SMOKEOUT 2.0 go on sale Thursday September 19th. The limited early bird tickets are a cool $39 plus fees and are expected to sellout within 48 hours of being announced. The next tier will be $49 plus fees. The final tier will be $59 plus fees. Don’t sleep on this!
PSYCHO SMOKEOUT 2.0 is a 420 friendly, 18 and over event.
Psycho Entertainment & RidingEasy Records Presents: PSYCHO SMOKEOUT 2.0 April 18th, 2020 Catch One Riff Compound Los Angeles, California
Lineup (in alphabetical order): Acid King Casket Raider Cough Deathchant Great Electric Quest Heavy Temple Holy Grove India Tigers In Texas Leather Lung Mondo Drag Mother Iron Horse Mountain Tamer Pale Mare Salem’s Bend The Munsens The Obsessed The Well Vaelmyst Weedeater
Posted in Whathaveyou on August 5th, 2019 by JJ Koczan
So am I crazy, or are The Well playing Tulsa, Oklahoma, two nights after they play in Helsinki, Finland? I mean, that’s not an impossible scenario, by any means — it’s enough time to travel from one place to the other — but as the Austin, Texas-based three-piece get ready to embark on a Fall tour supporting their earlier-2019 offering, Death and Consolation (review here), it’s barely enough time for them to get their luggage from the baggage claim. I know there’s a day in between there, but still, that’s pretty tight. All the more so if they’re flying into Austin to get their gear and then driving north to play that Tulsa gig. And then they’ve got like 20 shows in a row! Clearly not a band big on doing themselves favors.
But hey, if you weren’t soul-obliteratingly tired afterward, would it really be rock and roll?
(Yes.)
If none of the three of them is yet writing their book about being on the road, I can only consider that an oversight. Hey, The Well. If you wanna do a tour diary, hit me up. I’d run that shit in a heartbeat. Also, your record rules.
Here’s info from the PR wire:
The Well announce new tour dates in support of new album Death and Consolation
Austin trio extend North American dates; first time in Puerto Rico
Austin trio The Well announce additional tour dates in support of their beloved new album, Death and Consolation (RidingEasy Records) today. The band has spent much of the year on tour, and here continue the trek through into November. Please see all dates below.
Death and Consolation is without a doubt a weighty album title. And, The Well is among the heaviest heavy psych bands in existence. So when we say that there’s even more darkness and intensity to the band’s third album than previous efforts, take heed. It’s a deep sea diving bell of enveloping heaviness and longing.
“This one is a little more personal,” says guitarist/vocalist Ian Graham. “2018 was a strange, dark year. A lot of change going on in my life, there was a lot of depression and coming out of it over the last year. I wanted to call this Death and Consolation, because in life that’s a constant.”
Death and Consolation is available on LP, CD and download as of April 26th, 2019 via RidingEasy Records. Orders are available HERE.
THE WELL TOUR 2019: 09/13 – Austin, TX – Empire Control Room 10/10 – Helsinki, FI – Blow Up Festival 10/12 – Tulsa, OK – Mercury Lounge 10/13 – Lawrence, KS – Replay Lounge 10/14 – Des Moines, IA – Vaudeville Mews 10/15 – Milwaukee, WI – Cactus Club 10/16 – Chicago, IL – Live Wire 10/17 – Detroit, MI – Sanctuary 10/18 – Toronto, ON – Grand Gerrand 10/19 – Ottawa, ON – House of Targ 10/20 – Montreal, QC – Katacombs 10/21 – Winooski, VT – Monkey House 10/22 – Rochester, NY – Bug Bar 10/23 – Brooklyn, NY – Saint Vitus * 10/24 – Philadelphia, PA – Barbary * 10/25 – Baltimore, MD – The Depot 10/26 – Richmond, VA – Wonderland 10/27 – Raleigh, NC – Slim’s 10/28 – Atlanta, GA – 529 10/29 – Gainesville, FL – Hardback Cafe 10/30 – St Petersburg, FL – The Bends 11/01 – Puerto Rico – Club 77 11/02 – Jacksonville, FL – Justice Pub 11/09 – Austin, TX – Levitation Festival * w/ Heavy Temple
Before I get started, I want to say thanks to Mark Kitchens from Stone Machine Electric for the artwork above. He did the platypus design and I added the blue background and yellow text kind of thinking it would be like one of those old title cards from David Letterman or something. I love it, so yeah. Thanks, Mark.
Like the prior episode, this one was themed around a playlist of some of the best of 2019 so far. I actually didn’t get to hear the whole show because I was at Maryland Doom Fest this past weekend, but I did check in on it while doing other stuff in Frederick. One way or the other, the playlist starts with Holy Grove and has Yawning Man, Magic Circle, Duel, Nebula, Roadsaw, Earth and Across Tundras on it, so you know it’s going to be killer. Really, the only thing I’d have listened for was to make sure I didn’t ruin it with my own derpy derp derp.
I wanted to include some lesser-known stuff here too, so check out the Cosmic Fall, SÂVER, Ealdor Bealu and Mount Saturn tracks if you haven’t, and that Centrum at the end I really dig a lot. Hell, the whole thing is great. You really can’t go wrong when your operating theme is “stuff that’s awesome.”
Thanks if you got to check it out.
Here’s the full playlist:
The Obelisk Show – 06.21.19
Holy Grove
Valley of the Mystics
Holy Grove II
0:10:37
Duel
Drifting Alone
Valley of Shadows
0:04:27
The Well
Death Song
Death and Consolation
0:04:48
BREAK
Across Tundras
The Rugged Ranges of Curbs & Broken Minds
The Rugged Ranges of Curbs & Broken Minds
0:06:58
Yawning Man
I Make Weird Choices
Macedonian Lines
0:07:21
Cosmic Fall
Lackland
Lackland
0:08:32
Lamp of the Universe
Rite of the Spheres
Align in the Fourth Dimension
0:05:12
SÂVER
Dissolve to Ashes
They Came with Sunlight
0:07:43
Atala
Upon the Altar
The Bearer of Light
0:06:06
Magic Circle
I’ve Found My Way to Die
Departed Souls
0:05:11
BREAK
Mount Saturn
Idol Hands
Kiss the Ring
0:04:11
Nebula
Man’s Best Friend
Holy Shit
0:04:56
Ruff Majik
Seasoning the Witch
Tårn
0:06:31
Earth
An Unnatural Carousel
Full Upon Her Burning Lips
0:06:51
Ealdor Bealu
Smoke Signals
Spirit of the Lonely Places
0:07:32
BREAK
Roadsaw
Under the Devil’s Thumb
Tinnitus the Night
0:03:54
Centrum
Sjön
För Meditation
0:08:39
The Obelisk Show on Gimme Radio airs every other Friday at 1PM Eastern, with replays every Sunday at 7PM Eastern. Next show is July 5. Thanks for listening if you do.
It was last Friday about an hour before I had to head out for the start of Desertfest NYC that I cut the voice breaks for this episode, once again on my phone, while in transit. I did the same thing last time and it sounded like crap. I know the stakes are pretty low — that is, nobody really cares — but if you’re going to do a thing, at least try to do it well. I backed off the phone this time and hopefully that cut some of the overmodulation in my voice.
I say “hopefully” because I actually haven’t heard the show yet. I was at the fest on Sunday while it aired, so I’ll be catching the rerun at 9AM this Thursday when that’s on. This is the 15th episode of The Obelisk Show and it’s been an exceptionally busy few weeks, but it’s still fun to put together, and there were some killer tracks included this time from Worshipper, Abrahma, Molasses, Stone Machine Electric, The Well, Kandodo, Methadone Skies, and so on. Any opportunity to throw in some Øresund Space Collective makes me happy, so that was a must, and I was kind of also doing myself a favor in including Natas as the “classic track” (yay! classic track!) for the episode.
So basically, unless I crapped it up, at least the music is good. That’s what matters anyhow, or so I’m told.
Here’s the full playlist:
The Obelisk Show – 04.28.19
Pelican
Midnight and Mescaline
Nighttime Stories*
Abrahma
Lost Forever
In Time for the Last Rays of Light*
Worshipper
Coming Through
Light in the Wire*
BREAK
Molasses
Drops of Sunlight
Mourning Haze*
Los Mundos
Subterráneo Mar Jurásico
Calor Central*
Kandodo
King Vulture
K3*
Omen Stones
Fresh Hell
Omen Stones*
The Well
This is How the World Ends
Death and Consolation*
BREAK
Natas
Samurai
Delmar
Smear
Old Town
A Band Called Shmear*
Methadone Skies
Where Were You When We Were into the Void?
Different Layers of Fear*
Stone Machine Electric
Purgatory
Darkness, Dimensions, Disillusion*
BREAK
Øresund Space Collective Meets Black Moon Circle
Afterglow in the Sea of Sirens
Freak Out in the Fjord*
The Obelisk Show on Gimme Radio airs every other Sunday night at 7PM Eastern, with replays the following Thursday at 9AM. Next show is April 28. Thanks for listening if you do.
Posted in Reviews on April 28th, 2019 by JJ Koczan
The Well — not to be confused with the Austin, Texas, band of the same name — is around the corner from where The Acheron used to be in Brooklyn and there still stands The Anchored Inn as a congregation point. I was there for not the day’s first cup of coffee before day two of the inaugural Desertfest NYC kicked off back at the venue. It was cloudy and the air was chilled — April in New York — but by the time Electric Citizen were done, the sun was out and would remain so for the bulk of the day. That helped all the more since the main stage was outside.
A large tent was erected on an expansive enclave of a patio space. In back was the merch area, seating at picnic tables and along the other side there was a bar, taco stand, and the raised shipping container up some stairs that had been converted to a backstage lounge, complete with deck. The vibe was immediately relaxed and cool, with another bar inside and the second stage, in a smaller room off to the side of The Well‘s main corridor. My first time in the space, and it seemed ready for the event from its basic structure to the tent outside, though if Desertfest NYC is going to be an annual event, they’ll need a bigger one.
The afternoon kicked off soon enough, but though the venue switched from the Saint Vitus Bar the evening prior, the mood around was much the same. It was something Ron Holzner of The Skull would effectively summarize in saying, “About damn time we had a European festival come to the States. A sign of good things to come.” One hopes he’s correct in the foresight.
It was a packed nine-band day, mostly alternating back and forth between the stages, and it went vaguely like this:
Electric Citizen
It had been a few years since I last caught Ohio heavy rockers Electric Citizen, but their 2018 album, Helltown (review here), was a stripped down and switched on groover that at the same time offered the band’s most developed sense of melody yet, so yes, it was something to look forward to. I don’t think they were helped by the early slot, but with the bill as stacked as it was, there wasn’t really anywhere else to put them. There was, fortunately, a good crowd to start the day off, and that only grew in number as the RidingEasy Records five-piece went on, their sound pulling elements from cult rock, glam, doom and proto-metal in order to create a brew that’s readily familiar and nuanced at the same time. They played as a five-piece, with keys alongside the guitar, bass, drums and vocals, and frontwoman Laura Dolan noted from the stage that this was their sendoff for a European tour. They’ll spend the month of May in the UK and EU, playing Desertfest in London and Berlin as well as other dates before and after. They sounded ready to go, to say the least.
Tower
Immediately after Electric Citizen wrapped on the main stage, the second stage launched with the classic metal stylings of Tower, who continue a tradition of gritty NY homage to the NWOBHM and early thrash that goes back pretty much to when that sound was current. There’s always been a place for that stuff in New York, and Tower represented well what Brooklyn has done in the wake of bands like Early Man in the last decade and Natur and others in this one, two guitars blazing to coincide with the first off-stage frontperson of the weekend — presumably not the last, though one never knows — and a riotous stage presence that all the more justified that spillover onto the floor. They were probably the most metal act of the day, but still well accessible to the Desertfest NYC crowd. I’ve made the argument a thousand times at this point that classic metal is the domain of the heavy underground. Tower were another notch in favor of that position, and they effectively captured the spirit of the metal to which they were paying homage via their material. Not unfamiliar, but that’s the point.
Danava
Back on the main stage, Portland, Oregon, stalwarts Danava answered such metallurgy with a bit of boogie, a bit of NWOBHM dual-guitar action, and a lot of soul. I’ve been fortunate enough to see Danava a couple times over the years, and though my initial impression of them wasn’t positive, they’ve proven consistent in terms of the high-quality of their work on stage and off — my initial impression, in other words, was wrong. The simple fact that they haven’t put a record out in eight years and continue to get booked on shows like Desertfest NYC and Psycho Las Vegas, where they’ll play the pool party in August, should speak volumes to their continued relevance, and though they had the At Midnight You Die single (review here) out through Tee Pee in 2016, you would have to say they’re due for a record. Overdue. But they killed. Founding guitarist/vocalist Gregory Meleney warned the crowd before they played what was presumably a new song, “Nothing but Nothing,” that they might screw it up, but by all appearances they nailed it, which was basically the case for their entire set.
The Skull
Yeah, I know The Skull is Ron Holzner and Eric Wagner from Trouble, and I know they’ve got Rob Wrong from Witch Mountain on guitar alongside Lothar Keller and they’ve got Brian Dixon from Cathedral on drums (though it was Chad Walls for this show). They’ve got all that, and I won’t take away from anyone’s pedigree whatsoever. But you know what else The Skull have? Songs. Songs. Songs. They’ve got songs that are memorable. Songs that stay with you after you put the album down and move onto the next thing. Songs that, when they play them on stage, you go, “Oh shit yeah, this song!” as I did when they launched into “When the Sun Turns Black” from their 2014 debut, For Those Which are Asleep (review here) and the title-track of last year’s follow-up, The Endless Road Tuns Dark (review here). Stage presence is a factor, of course, and if you’re going to call anyone in American doom a supergroup, it’s probably fair to do so for The Skull, but whatever they do, their foundation is there in the songs, and it’s the songs that carry them most of all. They were and are the best example I can think of for a band building something new out of a storied legacy.
Worshipper
Boston’s Worshipper packed the second stage room beyond capacity — there was a line out the door to get in — and played like a band who are about to release one of the best records of the year, which they are in the form of their second album, Light in the Wire (review here). They opened with “Visions from Beyond” and “Coming Through” from that offering and gave a preview of what they’re soon to take on the road in Europe with their Tee Pee labelmates in The Skull — they too will be at Desertfest‘s London and Berlin editions — as guitarist John Brookhouse and bassist Bob Maloney proffered dead-on vocal harmonies on material new and old, guitarist Alejandro Necochea tore into leads and offered more harmony alongside Brookhouse‘s guitar, and drummer Dave Jarvis pushed the entire thing forward, grounding the psychedelic stretches and keeping momentum on their side, which it was for the duration. They were the band I was most looking forward to in the lineup for the day, particularly in light of their new album, and they very clearly played to the momentousness of the occasion at the first American Desertfest. It was the kind of thing I’ll be glad to have seen.
Weedeater
Some technical trouble with the bass amp before Weedeater went on, but plenty of shenanigans to fill the time and bassist/vocalist “Dixie” Dave Colins spat out auctioneer’s chatter and lines like “crack rocks” and “wow, wow, mom” in checking the mic. The North Carolinian trio — Collins, guitarist Dave “Shep” Shepherd, drummer Ramsey Ateyeh (I think; someone please correct me if I’m wrong) — are on a forever-tour, their last record, Goliathan (review here), having come out in 2015, but they absolutely packed that tent and people went apeshit for them to the point that, when I went into the photo pit later for Windhand, the barricade had moved up in front of the stage to the point that there was no more access to the other side. Weedeater do nothing but deliver, and I know Dixie is kind of playing to character, but dude is working from the moment he hits stage to the moment he leaves. He’s the James Brown of sludge, and Weedeater‘s legend has grown all the more over their nearly-25-years because of that. They played the songs they always play, they kicked ass like they always do, and they proved once more that there’s only ever been and there only ever will be one Weedeater. Accept no substitutes.
Mirror Queen
Let’s face it: you’re never going to beat Weedeater at their own game. Luckily for all involved, Mirror Queen were on a different wavelength entirely. Their progressive-tinged classic heavy rock is a staple of New York’s underground, and with guitarist/vocalist Kenny Sehgal‘s dual-role as the head of Tee Pee Records, their inclusion was all the more fitting. The four-piece, with Morgan McDaniel on guitar, James Corallo on bass and Jeremy O’Brien on drums, bounced and careened through a set that acquitted them well with the Desertfest crowd — doubly fortunate since they’ll be in Berlin soon enough — and asked nothing by way of indulgence while bringing to bear material of melody and weight that wanted neither in perspective or delivery. Mirror Queen have been around, and have had their share of lineup turnover, but the band as they are now was only engaging, and to those familiar with them and not in the crowd, they were a return to consciousness after the bash over the head that the main stage had just delivered. Heavy rock and roll is always welcome, and Mirror Queen were a fitting reminder why.
Windhand
Like Weedeater before them, like Black Cobra the night prior and like Monolord and Elder to follow the next day, Windhand were not an unknown quantity, but for a festival brand feeling its way out in a hard city, they made perfect sense for the bill, and their doom was absolutely massive in the tent that held the main stage. I had been thinking after The Skull played that there was no doom left for anyone else — and certainly Windhand‘s 2018 album, Eternal Return (review here), had more going on than just that — but the Richmond, Virginia, four-piece managed to scrape enough together in order to feel like they were burying the crowd alive in low end. I will gladly argue for Windhand as being among the most important bands of their generation, particularly for those who’ve come up since and have taken influence from the sense of atmosphere they bring to their material in the studio and on stage, and though they had a hard act to follow on the main stage, they lived up to even the mighty expectations that are placed on them at this point wherever they go. They are a headlining band, full stop. They’ve worked hard to become one, and they deserve every bit of significant acclaim they’ve garnered over the years, while still sounding like they want nothing more than to move forward.
Steak
Ambassadors from London’s populous heavy underground, Steak were nothing short of a refreshing way to close out the night. They’ve been a staple act of Desertfest London, which guitarist Reece Tee is also involved in organizing via Desertscene, as he was with Desertfest New York, so like Mirror Queen, they also had a family connection to the proceedings, but even their soundcheck drew a crowd keyed in to the fuzz tone and heavy roll they let loose. They were not halfway through the first song before frontman Chris “Kippa” Haley was standing on the front-of-stage riser, and he’d spend a goodly portion of the set up there, toasting the crowd and personifying the entire band’s really-glad-to-be-here mood, which was infectious. They too packed out the second stage room and held the crowd for the duration, begging a revisit for 2017’s No God to Save (review here) and showing off the development in their dynamic since which is set to manifest on their next record, due out before they play Keep it Low in Munich this October. Seeing them live for the first time in I don’t even want to count how many years only made me look forward to that more, whenever and however it might actually show up, and for the first Desertfest New York, they hit stage like a mission statement of what the festival brand is all about, from top to bottom. It was right on and then some.
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It was not a small amount of day. As of now, it’s about two hours until it’s time to get back on the road from New Jersey to Brooklyn for the third and final round with Desertfest New York. The weather thus far seems to be uncooperative, but we’ll see how it all pans out this afternoon. Shower first. Shower first.
