Mojave Experience Festival: Acid King & John Garcia Added to Lineup
The first announcement from the inaugural Mojave Experience Festival — headed and curated by Patrick Brink of long-running heavy rockers Volume — brought Dead Meadow and Earthless to the bill of the two-dayer set for next March in Joshua Tree, California. This second featured John Garcia and Acid King, so yes, one could say the no-filler trend continues amid the four-thus-far killers yet revealed. I have no idea what the schedule is for names, if it’s a weekly thing or monthly or whenever they get around to it, but I’ll do my best to keep up from here, in no small part because with just these four, that’s already a show I’d like to see. Not that that necessarily means I will, you understand.
You’ve got till March to make your travel plans, so go ahead. My recommendation from copious experience is to leave it all to the last minute so you get really completely overwhelmed by the whole thing. An essential part of going, well, anywhere really.
The festival posted the following on socials, heralding the additions:
Lori S. of Acid King has spent nearly three decades forging some of the heaviest, most hypnotic sounds in underground rock. Emerging from San Francisco’s fog with a molten blend of proto-metal groove and mind-expanding doom, she built Acid King into a cornerstone of the stoner-psych movement—its sound equal parts thunder and trance. From club stages to major festivals across the globe, Lori’s signature low-tuned riffing and commanding presence have inspired a generation of heavy-music lifers.
At the heart of Acid King is more than volume or distortion—it’s an atmosphere. Lori’s music evokes vast spaces and head-clearing horizons, the same cosmic desolation that defines California’s desert. Her vision aligns perfectly with gatherings like The Mojave Experience, where tone, texture, and timeless heaviness meet under open skies. With a career rooted in authenticity and sonic exploration, Lori continues to lead Acid King into new terrain, inviting audiences to lose themselves in sound, light, and dust.
Come ready. Come raw. The Mojave Experience isn’t here to entertain you — it’s here to change you. See you March 20 & 21.
John Garcia stands as one of the defining voices of desert rock — a genre born from the scorched landscapes of Southern California and fueled by fuzz, groove, and grit. Best known as the frontman of Kyuss, Garcia helped shape an entire musical movement whose influence still echoes through generations of heavy rock. His unmistakable vocal power — equal parts soulful, feral, and commanding — became the desert’s own signature sound, bridging psychedelia, punk energy, and Sabbath-esque weight into something timeless.
Beyond Kyuss, Garcia carried that fire into projects like Slo Burn, Unida, and Hermano, each reaffirming his ability to turn raw atmosphere into pure electricity. Yet it’s on stage where he remains most formidable — his live performances radiate intensity, reverence, and a sense of communion with both his band and the crowd. Whether fronting a full electric lineup or delivering stripped-down sets under the John Garcia and the Band of Gold banner, his shows feel less like concerts and more like desert rituals, summoning the spirit of a scene he helped create.
Today, Garcia’s legacy isn’t just about his past bands; it’s about his ongoing embodiment of what heavy rock can be — honest, grounded, and alive. His voice remains a beacon for the desert underground, proving that true legends never fade; they just keep echoing through the canyon walls.
Come ready. Come raw. The Mojave Experience isn’t here to entertain you — it’s here to change you. See you March 20 & 21.
Dust Rider Tickets on sale October 24th 8am: mojaveexperience.net
Event page: https://facebook.com/events/s/mojave-experience/1125642332836970/
THE MOJAVE EXPERIENCE 2026:
03/20-21/2026 Joshua Tree, CA – Joshua Tree Lake & Campground
https://www.mojaveexperience.net
https://instagram.com/mojave_experience_festival
https://www.facebook.com/mojave.experience.festival/
