The penultimate announcement from the Vth edition of the Las Vegas-based Planet Desert Rock Weekend brings Jason Walker back to the proceedings. Walker appeared at the second Planet Desert Rock Weekend in 2019 with his band, Jason Walker and the Majestic 12, and for PDRWV, the also-Vegas-bassed guitarist tapped to tour as part of Gene Simmons‘ live band will take on one of the most monolithic heavy records of all time: Soundgarden‘s 1991 opus, Badmotorfinger.

Thus the confirmation below of Jason Walker’s Badmotorfinger, and it’s my understanding that Walker and his band will perform the album in full. It’s a hard one to take on, even before you get to Chris Cornell‘s vocals, and its legacy continues to resonate outward in terms of influence on new acts, which would seemingly include Walker too. Fair enough. No doubt by the final day of Planet Desert Rock Weekend, attendees will be ready to let loose a little bit, and something familiar made new like this seems like a fitting opportunity to do just that.

I’ve been looking at flights to this one and want to make it if I can. No guarantees in life, but the full lineup, with Sergeant Thunderhoof, Samavayo, Solace, Iota, Valley of the Sun, Unida and others, is a stunner, and putting Walker in the mix recounting some of the best rock and roll Gen-X ever produced doesn’t hurt that in the slightest.

Here’s the announcement from fest curator John Gist:

Planet Desert Rock Weekend V – Jason Walker’s Badmotorfinger

At Planet Desert Rock we like to go outside the box with our weekender. This idea came from a random moment one night at Count’s Vamp’d while I was hanging out with Jason Walker between sets at a show. Jason recently just returned from touring as part of Gene Simmons band in Europe playing in front of 1000s each evening. We both have a massive adoration for Soundgarden and I have seen him perform some of the lesser-known tracks with great precision.

So after some chatting, I offered Jason the chance to play Last Call! He will be playing the majority of the Badmotorfinger album but we will also substitute in a few other tracks from early Soundgarden as well. Jason will be returning to Planet Desert Rock Weekend as he performed open night of PDRW v2 (Radio Moscow headlined). Jason is currently in the final stages of production of his debut album that is being produced by Mike Varney who ran the legendary label Shrapnel Records.

Jason Walker’s Badmotorfinger + More will be opening Night 4 of PDRW Last Call and will be sure to kick start an amazing nightcap to a rocking weekend! Final band for Last Call to be announced late next week!

Tickets for PDRW Last Call: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1022254108557

Tickets for PDRW V: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/873750791137

FB event: https://facebook.com/events/s/planet-desert-rock-weekend-v-j/1399556780734695/

https://www.facebook.com/VRRProductions/
https://www.facebook.com/vegasrockrevolution/

Planet Desert Rock Weekend V preview playlist

John Gist, who is the gentleman behind the promotional company Vegas Rock Revolution and the Planet Desert Rock Weekend festival getting ready to hold its second edition this May, has passion to spare. Passion enough to spread around and have plenty leftover. There’s a little bit of that guy-who-runs-a-fest urgency about him as well — as one would hope for such an event to be successful — but he’s someone who knows his rock and wants everyone else to know it too. The primary driver is passion.

Planet Desert Rock Weekend 2 ups its predecessor this past November in terms of ambition. With a third headliner still to be announced, Gist will bring John Garcia back for a headlining spot and see the other go to Radio Moscow, who will play the first night at Count’s Vamp’d. In addition to this, he’s already got four — one, two, three, four — European bands on the bill in the form of Mr. Bison, Kaiser, Monsternaut and Green Desert Water, and to my knowledge none have played the US before. That’s a significant risk from a booking standpoint — those are good bands, but recall it took Truckfighters half a decade of laying groundwork for their first US tour — but there may indeed be more import acts added as well, since one way or the other, the lineup isn’t done.

Passion rarely is.

Info and links:

The time is near to start announcing Vegas Rock Revolution’s Planet Desert Rock Weekend 2 for May 16-19….

Desert legend John Garcia and 17 bands from all over the country …..very tightly selected lineups to showcase top bands from the long storied history of rock of heavy rock melded with hot younger acts. Oh yeah and cannabis is legal in Vegas !

The Lineup for Planet Desert Rock Weekend v2 so far is:
John Garcia and the Band of Gold — Friday
Radio Moscow — Thurs at Count’s Vamp’d
Nebula
Black Water Rising
Ape Machine Thurs at Count’s Vamp’d
The Watchers – Friday
Red Stone Souls
Sundrifter
RIFFLORD
Shotgun Sawyer
Jason Walker and the Majestic 12

European Showcase Bands:
MR.BISON
Kaiser
Monsternaut
Green Desert Water

Presale Tickets for just $20 for first 100 fans!
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/planet-desert-rock-weekend-v2-radio-moscow-tickets-55384782375

Only 300 tickets will be sold to this intimate show in one of the most premier rock clubs in the country. Count’s Vamp’d is owned by Danny “The Count” Koker from Counting Cars on the History Channel. All rock all the time and very good food also. Unique cool environment!

https://www.facebook.com/events/2193967267598051/
https://www.facebook.com/events/545651042582860/
https://www.facebook.com/VRRProductions/
https://www.facebook.com/vegasrockrevolution/

John Garcia and the Band of Gold, Live at Planet Desert Rock Weekend, Nov. 2018