Posted in Whathaveyou on December 2nd, 2025 by JJ Koczan
Who’s up for a potentially-life-changing weekend in the desert? Well, me, for one. Barring a magic invite, I don’t imagine I’ll be there to see the inaugural Mojave Experience Festival when it takes place over two days next March, but looking at the lineup I fail to see how you wouldn’t want to. Look at that Friday bill. They call it a pre-party. Look at that Saturday bill! How many nights in your life are you going to be treated to a succession of acts like that?
It was pretty clear out of the gate — Dead Meadow and Earthless were the first two bands announced — that Mojave Experience meant business this first time out. I don’t know if this is a one-time thing or if there are intentions toward an annual happening, but either way, the assembled lineup crosses generations and stylistic borders, fostering an immediate sense of identity that’s tied to the history of the Californian desert underground with the likes of Mario Lalli, John Garcia, Gary Arce, Nick Oliveri and The Freeks involved, but that is already looking to reach beyond those geographic and aesthetic confines as well, whether that’s the doom of L.A.’s Early Moods or the acidblasting psych of Philly’s Ecstatic Vision. SoftSun and Borracho. Acid King and Hippie Death Cult. I could just go on saying names until I’ve said them all. None of them suck.
The dust has settled… and the full lineup is here. Two days !
FRIDAY • Mojave Gold (Pre-Party) Rubber Snake Charmers feat. Sean Wheeler The Freeks Arthur Seay & The RiffKillers Borracho Insomniac SoftSun
SATURDAY • Joshua Tree Lake (Main Event) Earthless Dead Meadow John Garcia Acid King Yawning Man Hippie Death Cult Nick Oliveri’s Death Acoustic Ecstatic Vision Howling Giant Early Moods
Single-day Riff Rider Passes drop Dec 5 — Friday or Saturday, your choice. Two-day bundles already gone.
Posted in Whathaveyou on November 3rd, 2025 by JJ Koczan
King Buffalo, Dozer, Pelican, High Desert Queen, Blackwater Holylight, Howling Giant, Daevar, Bottenhavet, Moonstone, The Sword, Russian Circles — I mean, do I really need to say more here than the list of names. Desertfest Oslo 2026 will be the third edition of the Norwegian Desertfest installation, and one might accuse them of coming out of the gate swinging. Some of these — The Sword, Earthless, High Desert Queen, etc. — are being shared with Desertfest Berlin and Desertfest London, setting up the possibility of three weeks of touring at least for a few acts here. Then there’s King Buffalo, who I think are just spending their entire summer abroad next year. Not gonna complain about it if there’s a chance I can see them.
To that end, I was lucky enough to be invited to cover Desertfest Oslo last year and, unsurprisingly, I had a blast. Should I be so fortunate as to be invited again, I’ll go, but I’m not about to presume. Whether I’m there to see it or not has no bearing on the sickness of the lineup-thus-far, as you know, but still makes for a nice daydream.
They’ve got tickets on sale now, as per socials:
Let’s get this train running! 🔥
We’ve been so excited to share the first batch of bands coming to Oslo the 8th and 9th of May 2026.
From great geniuses of the genre, to guitar-wielding warlocks of the wasteland. From divine drop-d decibels, to new necromancers of nostalgic noise.
Posted in Whathaveyou on September 22nd, 2025 by JJ Koczan
First of all, this art frigging rules. Kuba Sokolski Illustration is apparently the party responsible for the look of Desertfest Berlin 2026, and I dig it. The colors, the theme, the implication of narrative in becoming part of something bigger than yourself. Oh yeah, and the first band announcements are pretty killer too.
Russian Circles, Hermano, The Sword, Acid King, King Buffalo, Truckfighters, Earthless, Crippled Black Phoenix, Pelican, Mother’s Cake, High Desert Queen, Zerre, and Dope Purple comprise the first cohort to join the lineup, and aside from having me at Acid King and King Buffalo — which, yeah; also Hermano — it’s good to see The Sword will take their reunion to Europe next Spring, and Truckfighters will likely be out supporting their new album, which is due around that time as well.
This won’t be nearly all of it, but it’s plenty and it’s a killer start. As with every year, I look forward to seeing how Desertfest and the European underground circuit will shape up for next Spring. Here’s the announce from social media:
BERLIN, THE DESERT IS CALLING! 🌌
We’re beyond stoked to drop the first wave for Desertfest Berlin 2026 // 14.-16. May 2026 – and it’s a riff-heavy ride straight into the void 🌙
Russian Circles will crush you with their cinematic post-metal soundscapes, while desert rock legends Hermano return with John Garcia at the helm. Texas riff titans The Sword are back to shake the ground, and the mighty Acid King keep the doom thick and smoky. King Buffalo invite you to drift away on cosmic psych grooves, while fuzzlords Truckfighters bring the Swedish desert storm with their first new album in 10 years.
Earthless will melt your mind with endless space jams, and Crippled Black Phoenix deliver apocalyptic rock full of grandeur. Expect instrumental heaviness from Chicago pioneers Pelican, plus wild progressive energy from Mother’s Cake. Adding Texan groove power from High Desert Queen, new wave of würzburgs thrash metal Zerre, and psych-doom freakouts from Taiwan’s Dope Purple – the storm is real.
If this line-up speaks to your soul – better grab your tickets now before they vanish into the haze:www.desertfest.de
DESERTFEST BERLIN 2026 14.-16. MAY 2026 COLUMBIA VENUES, BERLIN
⚡FIRST ANNOUNCEMENTS⚡ RUSSIAN CIRCLES HERMANO THE SWORD ACID KING KING BUFFALO TRUCKFIGHTERS EARTHLESS CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX PELICAN MOTHER’S CAKE HIGH DESERT QUEEN ZERRE DOPE PURPLE AND MANY MORE!
Posted in Whathaveyou on September 15th, 2025 by JJ Koczan
There are only two acts announced so far for the first-ever Mojave Experience Festival, set to take place next March in Joshua Tree, California, but a couple things about that. First, the two bands are Earthless and Dead Meadow. Second, Patrick Brink from Volume is curating. Third, if you go to the festival’s website, there’s a picture of Yawning Man, so maybe they’ll be there too. In any case, the fest notes intention toward a blending of acts old and new. Fair enough for the headliners, then, to probably be among the more familiar names included.
It’d also be something of a waste if Brink‘s own band didn’t play, but I guess you never know until it’s confirmed and it’s not that yet, so don’t go saying I said a thing because, no, I don’t have any idea what I’m talking about.
Whoever else takes up the however-many lineup slots available, no question Mojave Experience is off to a rousing start. I look forward to seeing how it shapes up, but here’s first word from the PR wire on it:
The Mojave Experience Festival announces first annual dates and early lineup
Desert music & culture festival revives the free spirited vibe of Desolation Center, High Desert generator parties and early days of Coachella
The Mojave Experience festival announces the dates of the first annual event taking place from March 20th-21st, 2026 in Joshua Tree, California. The festival is the brainchild of organizer and High Desert native Patrick Brink, frontman of VOLUME and former lead singer of desert rock legends Fu Manchu. Early tickets go on sale on October 3rd.
Co-headliners Earthless and Dead Meadow are the first artists to be announced in the lineup, with many more of the 16 bands confirmed to perform over two nights. The lineup includes legends in explorative and countercultural music, as well as future ones now making waves.
The Mojave Experience takes place in Joshua Tree, California at the Joshua Tree Lake & Campground. Attendees are encouraged to make use of the camping, hiking and rock climbing in the area while taking in the vast beauty and mystery of the region that birthed the Desert Rock movement.
The Mojave isn’t just a backdrop — it’s the raw, unfiltered stage where music, art, and chaos collide. Out here, under endless stars and brutal sun, the desert strips away the fake and leaves only what’s real.
The Mojave Experience was born from that spirit. It’s not another sanitized festival in a city park, it’s a gathering for the wild ones, the wanderers, the true believers who know the desert doesn’t hand out comfort, only freedom. This is where local desert legends share the stage with national heavyweights, weaving new stories into the myth of the Mojave. No velvet ropes. No corporate gloss.
Just artists, misfits, and seekers coming together for a weekend that won’t be forgotten. We bring the sound. You bring the fire. Together we’ll carve something into the desert that echoes long after the amps shut down. This is more than a festival — it’s a ritual. A pilgrimage into the heat, dust, and sound that will rattle your bones and rewire your soul.
Come ready. Come raw.
The Mojave Experience isn’t here to entertain you — it’s here to change you.
THE MOJAVE EXPERIENCE 2026: 03/20-21/2026 Joshua Tree, CA – Joshua Tree Lake & Campground
Posted in Whathaveyou on September 1st, 2025 by JJ Koczan
Green Lung to headline at Desertfest London 2026! How about that. A celebration on the festival’s part of the homegrown, the London outfit’s ascent will mark a decade next May as the band take the stage at The Roundhouse for what I can only imagine will be an over-the-top, absolutely-classic-metal-style s-h-o-w. Do you think the unspoken part here is a new album to follow-up 2023’s Nuclear Blast label debut, This Heathen Land (review here)? Because I kind of do. Green Lung aren’t the kind of band to let an opportunity like that slip, and you might say that’s how they got to the point of headlining Desertfest in the first place. Also they’re killer.
Desertfest has already had Elder headlining, and if you’re looking for next-generation blood, I believe Green Lung are ready for that next level. Note also the reunion of instrumentalists Capricorns here, as well as Earthless, Truckfighters and The Sword, whose reunion began earlier this year. I was stoned on Facebook the other night when I saw they posted the dates and I left the comment “can I come this year?” It got 10 likes. Sadly I don’t think that’s going to be enough to get me there, but golly it would be one to cover.
This of course is just the start. At some point in the process, Desertfest always drops a bundle of like 30 names, so keep your eye over the coming months and make your travel plans accordingly.
From the PR wire:
GREEN LUNG TO HEADLINE DESERTFEST LONDON 2026 AT THE ICONIC ROUNDHOUSE. PLUS, THE SWORD AND CAPRICORNS TO PERFORM EXCLUSIVE REUNION SHOWS, ALONGSIDE EARTHLESS & TRUCKFIGHTERS
Desertfest London is extremely proud to announce that Green Lung will headline the 2026 edition of the festival. A band whose story is almost inseparable from our own, Green Lung formed amidst the electric atmosphere of Desertfest 2016 and their journey has nigh on mirrored the spirit of the festival – rooted in the underground, nurtured in Camden’s sweat-drenched venues and propelled into the wider world on the strength of unfathomable riffs.
What began as a cult phenomenon has since flourished into one of the UK’s most celebrated heavy bands and now, a decade later, their ascension reaches a fitting peak as Green Lung return to Desertfest London to take their rightful place at the top of the bill.
Vocalist Tom Templar shares the following; “Back at Desertfest 2016, our guitarist Scott, drummer Matt and ex-bassist Andrew met in the hallowed confines of the Black Heart, and over a few ales decided to form the band that would go on to become Green Lung. Ten years later, we couldn’t be more honoured to be headlining the festival. This will undoubtedly be the biggest moment of our career to date and an opportunity to take our stage show to heights we’ve always dreamed of. It’s also a testament to the power of the incredible London heavy rock scene that launched us, and we can’t wait to bring together friends and fans old and new to celebrate a decade of the Lung at the Roundhouse! Bring on the May…”
Desertfest & Green Lung have a gargantuan amount of news to reveal for this very special performance, so prepare yourselves for a colossal celebration of our culture and community with our favourite folklore fiends.
An undeniable influence on re-shaping modern stoner metal, 2026 sees the return of heavy legends The Sword for an exclusive UK performance at Desertfest London.
Blending doom-laden riffs, mystical lyricism and a primal groove that speaks directly to the stoner/doom/psych scenes – fans can expect a career-spanning set for The Sword’s first UK show in eleven years. It’s going to be heavy, loud and utterly unmissable.
San Diego’s seminal psychedelic power trio Earthless will make their return to the Desertfest London stage for a one-off exclusive UK show. Acid-drenched riffs and transcendent improvisations are at the hypnotic centrepiece of these instrumental icons.
Continuing the theme of Desertfest London lore, we welcome back stoner rock veterans Truckfighters to the 2026 edition. Having played the inaugural edition back in 2012 and returning over the years to deliver a dose of Swedish fuzz, Truckfighters are Desertfest family.
Historical reunions continue as instrumental doom legends Capricorns will make a seismic return to the stage for a very special show at Desertfest London 2026. Marking their first live performance in eighteen years and reuniting for the first time since disbanding in 2008, this is a truly rare opportunity to witness a band that helped define the progressive doom underground of the 2000s. If you know, you know.
With much more still to announce, Desertfest London 2026 is already shaping up to be a historic edition, it’s a pilgrimage no disciple of the riff can afford to miss.
Posted in Whathaveyou on May 6th, 2025 by JJ Koczan
Cali psych-shred lords Earthless will spend the first half of August on tour in Europe for festivals and such — look up Palp if you haven’t; jaw-dropping — and as September brings in the Australian Springtime, they’ll head down under for a stretch of six shows wrapping at Blacken Festival on Sept. 20 in Alice Springs. They’ve got some off-days there, and one can’t help but be curious if guitarist Isaiah Mitchell might team up with Seedy Jeezus — whose Lex Wattereus handled the poster below — for another Tranquonauts jam, perhaps to be released sometime in the next few years to follow later-2024’s 2 (review here). Not holding my breath, not privy to insider info, just a thing that would be cool that could potentially happen next to another cool thing that already is happening — i.e. the tour.
Of course, Earthless have been hither and yon, back and forth to Europe since their 2022 album, Night Parade of One Hundred Demons (review here), came out on Nuclear Blast. As the bulk of their impact has always been on-stage — no, I have nothing against Earthless records; calm down — this is only appropriate. The European run will see them celebrating the 20th anniversary of 2005’s Sonic Prayer, their first album. As good an occasion as any, but really, the point is once you see Earthless on stage, you understand the band in a different way, and I guess maybe I’m speaking to anybody who hasn’t and maybe doesn’t see the impact they’ve had and what they’re able to tap into musically, but in their own or any other generation of rockers you’d want to place them, they are something special.
From socials:
We are beyond stoked to be returning to the beautiful land of Australia this coming September 2025!! Australia is a home away from home for the band and any opportunity we get to play there is a massive honor. Thank you for all the love and support through the years!! We’re really looking forward to seeing you at the shows!! Tickets are on sale now:https://www.earthlessofficial.com/tour-datesORhttps://davidroywilliams.com/
AUSTRALIAN TOUR 2025 10 Sept – Brisbane – Crowbar Brisbane 11 Sept – Sydney – Crowbar Sydney 12 Sept – Melbourne – Corner Hotel 13 Sept – Castlemaine – Theatre Royal Castlemaine 14 Sept – Geelong – The Barwon Club Hotel 20 Sept – Alice Springs – BLACKEN OPEN AIR Poster by Lex Waterreus 🤯
EUROPE SUMMER 2025 TICKETS:www.earthlessofficial.com/tour-dates 2 August – Milan IT – MAGNOLIA STONE FESTIVAL 3 August – Bagnes CH – PALP festival 5 August – Barcelona ES – Sala Upload Barcelona * 6 August – Portugalete ES – Groove * 7 August – Ancora PT – SonicBlast Fest 8 August – Madrid ES – Nazca Madrid * 10 August – Kortrijk BE – ALCATRAZ MUSIC 11 August – Breda NL – MEZZ 12 August – Dortmund DE – Musiktheater Piano 13 August – Berlin DE – Neue Zukunft 14 August – Hamburg DE – Knust Hamburg 15 August – København DK – Spillestedet Stengade *: Heavy Trip (Canada) supporting
EARTHLESS Lineup: Isaiah Mitchell – Guitar & Vocals Mike Eginton – Bass Mario Rubalcaba – Drums
Posted in Whathaveyou on April 2nd, 2025 by JJ Koczan
If you’ve never had the pleasure of seeing Earthless live, certainly a hot Europe in August is as good a time as any. The Cali instrumentalist kingpins are set to appear at Italy’s Magnolia Stone Festival, PALP Fest in the Swiss Alps, SonicBlast Fest in Portugal and Alcatraz Festival in Belgium on an efficient two-week stint presented by Ben Ward of Orange Goblin‘s agency, Route One Booking, as well as Napalm Events. They’ll be joined for the run by Canadian upstarts Heavy Trip, who also this month undertook their first tour of the US East Coast.
Earthless touring, well, yeah, it’s not exactly a surprise when they get out at any point. It’s probably pretty convenient if you’re in a band to be able to basically look anywhere in the world and say, “okay, let’s go here at this time,” and then make it happen, and Earthless aren’t playing stadiums, but among underground heavy of any sort, they’re one of the farthest reaching bands the genre and its infinity of offshoots has to offer. Kicking ass is the least of what they do, and their influence continues to spread as a new generation of heavy psych and heavy anything takes shape in their wake.
Looks like a good time to me:
EARTHLESS – EUROPE SUMMER 2025
HEADS UP! 🌍✈️🔥🤯 We’re returning to Europe this summer! Tickets are on sale now for all dates! Hope to cross paths with many of you on the road…
2 August – Milan IT – MAGNOLIA STONE FESTIVAL 3 August – Bagnes CH – PALP festival 5 August – Barcelona ES – Sala Upload Barcelona * 6 August – Portugalete ES – Groove * 7 August – Ancora PT – SonicBlast Fest 8 August – Madrid ES – Nazca Madrid * 10 August – Kortrijk BE – ALCATRAZ MUSIC 11 August – Breda NL – MEZZ 12 August – Dortmund DE – Musiktheater Piano 13 August – Berlin DE – Neue Zukunft 14 August – Hamburg DE – Knust Hamburg 15 August – København DK – Spillestedet Stengade
*: Heavy Trip (Canada) supporting
Flyer illustration by Mike Eginton Flyer design by Ake Arndt EARTHLESS Lineup: Isaiah Mitchell – Guitar & Vocals Mike Eginton – Bass Mario Rubalcaba – Drums
Posted in Whathaveyou on March 26th, 2025 by JJ Koczan
Starting with a slot at Desertfest London 2025, Earthless guitarist Isaiah Mitchell (also known for touring with The Black Crowes, Golden Void, that time he taught an entire San Diegan psych scene how to play guitar, and so on) will embark on a tour that’s being called ‘CHÖD’ in honor of the Buddhist ritual it’s intended to convey. Mitchell will be touring with graphics and video courtesy of the likewise-esteemed Arik Roper, and while it’s not the biggest run you’ll ever see Mitchell do — Earthless have a tendency to tour like bastards, and he’s got plenty going on besides — it seems like something special for fans in a few cities in Iberia to get to have the chance to see.
Do I know for sure that anyone in any of these places is going to see this on the site and go to the show and have their life changed for the better by an interpersonal interaction with creative work being made in the moment? Nope. But there’s always the off-chance, and from where I sit it’s just good to keep in mind cool things are happening somewhere on the planet.
I’ve included video from a different Mitchell solo performance below. No idea if it has anything musically to do with what ‘CHÖD’ will be or not, but it seemed relevant nonetheless and one has a habit of putting these things in posts, so whatever. Check it out or don’t but this sounds awesome to me, and if you’re in the NY area, heads up Mitchell will be doing a show April 5. More on that is at this external link.
Here’s this from socials:
I am very excited to announce that my artistic collaboration with @arikroper and @doc_kelley will be travelling to Europe for a handful of dates in Spain and Portugal this coming May!!! This performance is an interpretation of the Tibetan Buddhist Ritual CHÖD, which means roughly “to sever” or “cut through” the attachment to our ego and clingings to reality and embrace impermenance by facing our fears. I will be performing music arranged specifically for this practice and the art and animation of Arik Roper will be accompanying the music as to take you on an immersive cerebral journey to the depths of our self in hopes of transcending all that is unreal and awaken to our true nature. A huge thank you to @ @thunderricky at @swampbooking for setting these shows up for us, to @cbruno1983 for the use of his amazing photographs and to my wonderful wife @hathamartahatha for making this awesome poster. See you all at the shows🙏🙏🙏🙏 @psychedelic_sangha @dharma_art_productions
