The news that Kind are playing Planet Desert Rock Weekend VI is welcome, and likewise that they’ll open the third night of the fest, which culminates later that evening with long-established Northeastern Corridor speed heavy rockers The Atomic Bitchwax. You know how it is on a four-nighter. There’s always that moment where you’re staring down the second half of a festival, any festival — even one as utterly doable as PDRW — and you ask yourself if you have it in you. At that moment, Kind will take the stage to remind you the magic has been in you all along.

Also Bask! Ha. The North Carolinian trio’s The Turning (review here) came out earlier this year as a well-received return, and it was kind of the first time I really dug into the band front-to-back, so I guess the timing is right for me to see them play it live. Oh, by the way, my flight’s booked and I’ll be back out for Planet Desert Rock Weekend for my second year in a row. It was such a killer time this past January, in a few ways really set up my whole year, and I look forward to seeing Bask, Kind and everyone else on the bill here. Not sure I imagined I’d ever see The Quill, you know.

From the PR wire:

The time has come to finally announce the last two bands for Planet Desert Rock Weekend VI! With these final two bands, we end up with 21 total which of course when in Vegas is the magic number for BLACKJACK! This pair of groups have differing styles that fit like a glove with PDRW VI.

Kind of out Boston will be joining the party! Long overdue to have this fantastic band be part of our weekender. With 3 albums on Ripple Music, they have really carved out a name for themselves as a very good heavy rock band. For those out of the loop….. on vocals is Craig Riggs known for his days as singer for Roadsaw as well as drummer for Sasquatch. On guitar is Darryl Shepard who formerly fronted Black Pyramid for a time. On Drums is Matt Cuoto who was the original drummer for Elder. Holding down the low end is Tom Corino from Rozamov. Kind hasn’t played out west since their tour with Salem’s Bend so we are super excited to have them. Always a party with these guys around!

Bask out of Asheville North Carolina will be cruising out possibly for the first time out west to be part of Planet Desert Rock Weekend! This 5 piece band has 4 releases to their credit including their 2025 release on Season of Mist “The Turning” which landed #7 on the August Doom Charts and has received outstanding feedback from the heavy rock and psych crowd. Their style is quite varied and would be probably a cross between heavy psych and heavy rock but with progressive and Americana influences injected in there as well. Their music has a depth to them and creative spills over throughout their majestic catalog.

There has been a change with venue for Night 4 – Last Call as we have moved it from Swan Dive to The Usual Place thus making it all 4 nights in the same killer venue!

We also have our nightly lineups set as well! So see below!

Thursday – January 29th- Opening Night

The Quill (Sweden)
The Well
Isaak (Italy)
Saturna (Spain)
Phantom Hound

Friday January 30th- Ripple Music Showcase

The Devil & the Almighty Blues (Norway)
Freedom Hawk
Kaiser (Finland)
Bone Church
Paralyzed (Germany)

Saturday January 31st – All American Lineup

The Atomic Bitchwax
Black Water Rising
Throttlerod
The Heavy Eyes
Dirty Streets
Kind

Sunday February 1st – Last Call

Spaceslug (Poland)
Westing
Bask
High Desert Queen
Familiars (Canada)

Sunday promises to be a really unique night of diverse sounds including Bask who plays with Americana tinges while Familiars has Canadiana elements. Finishing off with Poland’s Spaceslug playing their album “Lemanis” in its entirety and other great tracks from their spacey catalog. High Desert Queen energetic presence and a rare show from Westing (formerly Slow Season) playing also!

For all ticket link options
https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/planet-desert-rock-weekend-vi-128-21-2026-4110273?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=creatorshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=odclsxcollection&utm-source=cp&aff=escb

Planet Desert Rock Weekend is 4 evenings of 21 bands from all over the world. With only night shows our fans can enjoy all the cool stuff to do in Las Vegas like museums, gaming, sightseeing, national parks, shows, shopping and much more!

https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/planet-desert-rock-weekend-vi-128-21-2026-4110273

Event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1890287758376482/

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

Planet Desert Rock Weekend VI Preview Playlist

I believe lineup dropoffs should be handled like removing band-aids, so in that spirit, I’ll not slow-peel the disappointment that Fuzz Sagrado (from Germany/Brazil) and Saint Karloff (from Norway) won’t be making the trip to Las Vegas in January for Planet Desert Rock Weekend VI. But when it comes to festivals of any size or shape, cancellations are part of the thing, and neither band is done, so you say ‘maybe next year’ and move forward with the fest to come. I was looking forward to seeing those bands, not the least since Fuzz Sagrado‘s Christian Peters is just coming back to the stage after the end of Samsara Blues Experiment, but it’s a big unknowable future and hopefully those paths will cross sooner or later. The conclusion every time, every context, is “so it goes.”

There are few bands who I could name in this paragraph who wouldn’t feel like a consolation prize, but Spaceslug is one of them. Fest curator John Gist — who thanked me in the below press release and I took it out because I’m all ego but also hyper-introverted; anyway, thanks for the thanks — and they and Black Water Rising, plus a couple teased confirmations to come, will add to the shape of the four-nighter from Jan. 29-Feb. 1, which also boasts The Atomic Bitchwax, The Devil and the Almighty Blues, The Quill, Westing, High Desert Queen and more.

Gist sent the following down the PR wire:

Vegas Rock Revolution is excited to announce the next two bands for Planet Desert Rock Weekend VI in Las Vegas! Two very different styles of bands to continues the legacy of PDRW. Both of these bands are already legacy PDRW bands and we are honored to have them back!

Spaceslug from Poland will be returning to play only their 3rd USA show ever for this exclusive set. Their spacey blend of atmospheric heavy psych with doom is a magnificent thing to see live. They will be playing their epic album Lemanis in its entirety plus a few more killer tracks to honor the 10th anniversary of the album. They will be headlining Night 4 on Sunday for the Last Call show at Swan Dive. We will have some sort of visuals set up for the evening as well! Should make for an amazing final night.

Spaceslug, “Proton Lander”

Black Water Rising is joining the party as well. This NYC heavy rock band played PDRW II back in 2019 and are no strangers to Las Vegas as they have played a number of times Vegas Rock Revolution shows. Their 2025 release “The Edge” landed #9 on the August Doom Charts and has really lit a spark in the rock scene. This is a very rare west coast show for these boys from Brooklyn and they are flying in just for the show so…..there are no other shows in surrounding area. The band brings great riff action while also providing strong vocals with smart lyrics that you can understand. If you are a fan of bands like COC, Crobot, Sasquatch, Monster Magnet and others then this band is right In your wheelhouse. Their breakthrough song “Brother Go On” catapulted itself to many ears via Sirius XM’s Octane Radio vis Jose Mangin.

Black Water Rising, “Brother Go On”

Now we have some disappointing news as Fuzz Sagrado and Saint Karloff will not be making it to PDRW VI. Possibly in the future we may have them if the timing is better. We wish it wasn’t so but this the reality.

We have two more bands to still announce and we don’t want to wait much longer to get those names to you. Our curation is done very carefully and we want to make sure the right bands that are a fantastic fit for our loyal and incredible fans is chosen. Nightly lineups will start coming out very soon as well as single night ticket options!

Also a massive thanks to our several sponsors we have so far. Ripple Music will again be part of PDRW and will have a full night of music from the label on Friday at The Usual Place. You might be able to figure out which bands are locked in for that evening already! Mettle Media run by long time contributor to the scene Leanne Ridgeway will again be part of Planet Desert Rock Weekend. She has been vital on helping with the Webpage and PR.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2EBcJHjbMeDokzdhXNSZS6?si=3d7d1437262c4023

https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/planet-desert-rock-weekend-vi-128-21-2026-4110273

The Atomic Bitchwax, “Hope You Die”

With Westing‘s sign on, announced below, the lineup for next January’s Planet Desert Rock Weekend VI is complete. Maybe? Probably. At least until fest curator John Gist decides to squeeze in one more, so call it a non-zero chance. But officially, for now, it’s done, and Westing cap off a staggering assemblage, internationally sourced at a time when that is getting and will continue to get rarer, and still intimate enough that by the end of the weekend, just about everybody will know just about everybody if they want. I went this year and I’ve been talking about it all frigging year. I very much hope to make it back.

The lineup is a big part of why. While far removed ethically from the spectacle that typified the notion of a Las Vegas-based heavyfest for most of the 2010s and into the 2020s, Planet Desert Rock Weekend has more of a reach — and more of an interest in having a reach — than most if not all other US underground to-dos. You’re an American. How the hell else are you ever gonna see Saint Karloff, or Fuzz Sagrado, or Saturna, The Quill and Isaak? On average, the last three years I’ve gone to three or four European festivals a year. I’ve never seen any of those bands. Here you get Kaiser and Throttlerod. The sense of these bands as “hand-picked” is palpable, and that absolutely includes Westing as well.

Formerly known as Slow Season, the band made their debut under the new moniker with 2023’s Future (review here) and further refined the prior outfit’s penchant for classic-heavy songcraft and unpretentious melody, renewed in purpose and sun-baked as ever.

The PR wire has all the details and such:

We love to come up with cool surprises and we hope this is one many from the scene will be excited for! We have Westing joining Planet Desert Rock Weekend VI in Vegas! Westing originally started out as Slow Season before switching to their new name. This is a rare show for Westing as they have only played a couple times over the last 7 years. Fronted by Daniel Story Rice, this band embodies the 70s sound authentically through their 4 releases. Vegas Rock Revolution had them as part of a show back in 2018 with Mos Generator and we can tell you that this band is superb live.

At PDRW we try to delicately blend artists that represents the amazing heavy underground scene into our lineups each year. The respect we have for the 70s rock sound is something we honor as without it…. there is no scene. For 2026 we have legacy bands like Atomic Bitchwax (Heavy rock/Stoner), Throtttlerod (Classic Stoner rock), Freedom Hawk (Heavy rock/Stoner), The Quill (Sweden/ Heavy Rock/Classic rock), Heavy Eyes (bluesy psych), Dirty Streets (Vintage rock) and Fuzz Sagrado (Brazil/Germany) which is a continuation of German heavy psych/kraut rock band Samsara Blues Experiment mixed in with strong newer bands like The Devil & the Almighty Blues (Norway/Heavy Psych Blues), The Well (Heavy Psych-Doom blend), Saturna (Spain/ Hard-heavy rock), Kaiser (Finland/ Heavy Rock-Stoner), High Desert Queen (Heavy Rock), Saint Karloff (Norway/ Stoner-heavy rock-doom), Isaak (Italy/Heavy hitting stoner), Bone Church (Stoner/70s ), Paralyzed (Germany/ Vintage hard rock), Familiars (Canada/ Heavy Psych-Folk) and Phantom Hound (Heavy Rock/90s tinge).

At PDRW we strive to create a fun environment for fans and bands to enjoy each evening’s music as well as create long lasting memories. Our shows do not start until the evening so people can enjoy all that Las Vegas has to offer such as museums, gambling, sightseeing, shopping, parks and much more! We are humbled by the killer support and can’t wait to show everyone a good time in Sin City!

Here is a nifty guide –> https://scenetrekker.com/planet-desert-rock-weekend-vi-las-vegas-travel-planning-guide/

Ticket link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1254021715709

Event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1890287758376482/

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

Planet Desert Rock Weekend VI Preview Playlist

Bit of shuffle to the lineup for Planet Desert Rock Weekend VI next January in Las Vegas, as Swedish and Canadian bands are traded out on a one-per-one basis — The Quill and Familiars added, Huanastone and Mooch dropping off — and Memphis heavy blues rockers The Dirty Streets are added.

I don’t know when the last time The Quill came to the US was, presumably some metal festival somewhere along the way, but I have no idea. That’s a band with 30-plus years of history behind them. Familiars are rad and I’ve never seen them, and it’s been a long time since I caught Dirty Streets, whose addition here is exactly the kind of “ooh, nice pick” that emphasizes the quality of curation for Planet Desert Rock Weekend. I don’t know that Dirty Streets, or The Quill, or Familiars will or won’t be promoting a new album at the start of 2026, but they’re being brought to Vegas anyway at the festival’s behest, and it’s not an accident. Ever.

The announcement follows, as per the PR wire:

Planet Desert Rock Weekend VI lineup has 3 new additions to it and each with a very distinctive different kind of sound.

We are super excited to announce the addition of a band that has been rocking the stage for 30 years! The Quill will be coming over from Sweden to play Planet Desert Rock Weekend VI in Vegas! The Quill has consistently put out super strong albums with all of their last 3 albums landing very high on Vegas Rock Revolution’s end of the year lists and their 2024 album landing #24 on the March Doom Charts. This band is the essence of pure heavy rock and roll with a high accent on stupendously strong vocals, driving riffs and songwriting that captures what rock music from its early roots is all about. We know the addition of The Quill continues to show broaden the scope of bands we want to represent Planet Desert Rock Weekend.

Bluesy rocker Dirty Streets out of Memphis has long been a band that Vegas Rock Revolution has championed and we are pumped to have the trio come out! Their bluesy based sound really captures part of the roots of what rock music was founded from. Heavy accent on great vocals from singer/ songwriter Justin Toland and an unmistakable groove by his bandmates get the feet moving live. If you are a fan of bands like Rival Sons, The Cold Stares, Heavy Eyes, Slow Season, El Perro, 20 Watt Tombstone and others then you just might have found your new favorite band. Their version of Stayin Alive is epic!

PDRW has a running tradition of having cool Canadian bands as part of our weekend with Sandveiss and Sons of Arrakis playing back to back years. Well in 2026 the Canuck tradition continues with the band Familiars. They have been steadily putting out stuff since 2014 with a sound that has some good range to it. No doubt some heavy psych leanings in there but also some stoner rock make up as well. In addition, some folk-rock aspects enter the picture as heard on their 2024 release “Easy Does It”. As they call it they have a Canadiana vibe to them that derives stories from days gone by and a soundtrack of summer drives with the windows down. Their music is patient, well thought out and this power trio is known for being excellent live.

Also, we have to announce two bands that will not be joining PDRW VI in 2026. Mooch and Huanastone unfortunately won’t be part of the event as they say “timing is everything”. Although disappointing, we have hopes they can come out for a future year. So, we already are finalizing a number of bands from “our list” to slide in with no drop-off in the quality of bands.

We currently have a 4 night pass special going on now but the price will be going up after the next big band announcement….

Ticket link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1254021715709

Event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1890287758376482/

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

Planet Desert Rock Weekend VI Preview Playlist

The Quill, “Left Brain Blues”

The Dirty Streets, “Stayin’ Alive”

Familiars, “Rocky Roost” official video

German classic heavy rockers Paralyzed are the latest import announced for Planet Desert Rock Weekend VI next Jan. 29-Feb. 1. The band’s 2025 release, Rumble and Roar, has been roundly well received, and similar to the fest bringing over Fire Down Below from Belgium to play earlier this year, the impression here isn’t that PDRW top-banana John Gist isn’t thinking of these guys as headliners, but just that they’re a band he wanted to see so he’s making it happen. Curation as an act of self-care, perhaps.

In any case, Paralyzed join the banger-ass lineup already in progress, and no question Planet Desert Rock Weekend VI is going big on international acts. The Devil and the Almighty Blues, Fuzz Sagrado, Kaiser, Saturna, Isaak, Saint Karloff, Huanastone, Mooch and now Paralyzed make up the import contingent thus far. That’s nine bands. If you want some context for that, eight domestic acts have been announced to-date, so there’s more international here so far than domestic. Specializing in stuff you can’t see every day, meticulously hand-picked. Are you seeing the appeal of this yet?

I hope so, because the experience of the fest mirrors the standout nature of the lineup. There are three bands left to announce, so I don’t know whether the balance will tip toward foreign or domestic bands, but that it’s a balance at all tells you this is something special. That’s before you even get to Throttlerod coming out. Jeezus.

From the PR wire:

Planet Desert Rock Weekend is proud to announce Paralyzed is joining us for our 6th edition next January! This will be this German band’s first time playing in the USA! We have been a fan of them since their debut release in 2019. Their style and sound very much is part of the roots of what Planet Desert Rock is trying to highlight in our scene. They are firmly rooted in 70s influenced rock music and have created songs that catch you quick. There is no doubt about The Doors vibes, but this is a bit more guitar driven. Their influences also are Graveyard, Steppenwolf, Rival Sons, Black Sabbath and Kadavar. Paralyzed 2025 release on Ripple Music landed on The Doom Charts at #2 as voted on by heavy underground insiders from around the world. They will be playing on Friday as part of the Ripple Music Showcase. Ripple is one of our sponsors again for PDRW. We have at least one more band to announce for that evening’s lineup.

We have 3 more bands to announce and likely within the next 2 months we should have all the bands announced. Recently a 4-night pass has been added which has the best value offered. Keep in mind some of the bands announced will be playing on Sunday! The 4-night pass / poster combo is one helluva deal. Artist Joey Rudell from the band Fuzz Evil will exclusively be doing the art this year and has unveiled his 1st work today!

Thanks again to all the killer folks who snagged tickets already as well as the bands for jumping aboard our rock n roll party!

Ticket link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1254021715709

Event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1890287758376482/

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

Planet Desert Rock Weekend VI Preview Playlist

Upstart doom rockers Psalm present their second EP, In Darkness… Have Mercy, tomorrow, July 15. Based in Las Vegas (and maybe also California?), the three-piece of bassist/vocalist Jon “Fro” Torres, guitarist Carlos Martinez and drummer Ian Henneforth (also Sonolith, ex-Spiritual Shepherd, etc.) have restructured somewhat since their first short offering, 2021’s Blessed Are the Cursed, as this encouraging 19-minute/four-song release both introduces Henneforth to the band and slides Torres from guitar to bass, with Martinez new on guitar. That’s a two-thirds-new trio, just to do the math real quick, and it puts Torres in the position of being the lone founding member of an outfit who got together just five years ago, in the year of our pestilence, 2020.

There’s two ways that can go. Either Psalm will have figured out their lineup dynamic and In Darkness… Have Mercy will be like a second debut EP setting them on a forward course together into an unknown-but-that-much-more-doomed-for-their-presence future, or the lineup will keep changing, as happens sometimes for myriad reasons. For what it’s worth, listening to the second-half takeoff of “Messiah” on this EP, Psalm are nothing if not solidified. They unveil a hint of nascent melodic complexity in the opening “Misery,” and “Messiah” trades between loud and quiet in a first half underscored by the bassline before the riff kicks back in for the chorus. It’s classic stuff; doom wrought by doomers, traditional but with a generational shift in perspective as the younger Psalm adopt the methods of genre and begin to make them their own.

I’ll spare you the poignant musing about Black Sabbath retiring even as their influence spreads through up and coming bands 50-someodd years later — you know it already and how much wax poetry do you need in your life? — and out of respect to Psalm and the work they do here, making their lumbering tones move in the penultimate “Value the Suffering” while taking a risk on some oldschool-style double-kick behind a Troubled riff and so on, they feel more in league with Los Angeles Early Moods in their young-band-taking-on-an-old-sound realization. It’s not just the ‘fro. There’s a gnash in the vocals as “Blessed Are the Cursed” — which appeared as the title-track on the first EP, but has been re-recorded by the band as they are now — and if you told me “Messiah” was playing off a buried-vocal Candlemassian flow early on, I wouldn’t argue the point. The fact that you can hear multiple ideas playing out in the songs is a strength.

Through the character of their tones, the detailing of the mix that puts the vocals low to make the guitars sound that much bigger, and the dug-in-but-not-staid energy they bring to doom, plus the fact that they’re obviously still growing as a band and figuring out who they want to be — which is reasonable for a band who don’t have a full-length out yet, or, I suppose one who has 15 — Psalm give an exciting glimpse at their doom in the process of its shaping. It’s nice to feel good about an act with potential, and Psalm make it easy to root for them and want them to do well, because the end result of the songs is demonstrative of the care put into making them. You can hear commitment to ideology in the material, but it’s an exploration of its own farthest reaches too, and speaks to the band actively pushing themselves forward in craft.

One looks forward to a first album from Psalm, but don’t let the fact that it’s only four tracks keep you from taking on In Darkness… Have Mercy in the moment of its arrival, i.e. the present. This is a band with something to offer in doom, and they’re just starting to manifest that in their work. It may be they sound all the more fresh for the shiny-new incarnation of the band, but screw it, I’ll take it either way as they immediately lock in the nod of “Misery” at the outset for the next return and herald the mark they hope to leave on the style. Chug and immersion, as part of a sound that bridges generations and will hopefully continue to flourish.

In Darkness… Have Mercy is out tomorrow. Stream it in full on the player below, followed by a few words from the band, and please enjoy:

After four years and a couple of grueling months of preparations, it is finally time to welcome Psalm’s new EP ‘In Darkness…Have Mercy’. These tracks are nothing short of heavy and are ever-evolving, and with this EP we’d like to introduce a new lineup to take you through a soul- crushing journey that you won’t forget. With Carlos Martinez on guitar and Ian Henneforth on drums, we aim to conjure a full wall of sound made of earth- shaking guitars, low metallic bass, and atomic, pounding drums.

Psalm – In Darkness… Have Mercy
EP out July 15th, 2025
Self-released (Digital)
CD, Cassette, & Vinyl coming soon
Las Vegas, Nevada

Psalm is:
Jon “Fro” Torres – Vocals/Bass
Carlos Martinez – Guitar
Ian Henneforth – Drums

Psalm links

Psalm on Bandcamp

Psalm on Instagram

Psalm on Facebook

This press release is my first exposure to Las Vegas’ Psalm, who got their start in plaguetimes and are self-releasing their second extended-player, In Darkness… Have Mercy, next month, and my presumption is that’s because I suck at this, but here we are. There’s no audio from the new release yet, but the band’s prescient-of-horrors-to-come 2024 single “Ruin” is streaming below, and I dig the blend of rawness and traditionalism. And you may recognize drummer Ian Henneforth from Sonolith, or his prior outfit, Spiritual Shepherd. I even got to see that band one time in 2014. Six lifetimes ago.

In the spirit of the press release and the music, I’ll make it as straightforward as I can: here’s a thing to keep an eye out for. Info came from the PR wire:

Las Vegas doom power trio Psalm’s sophomore EP “In Darkness… Have Mercy” out July 15th

Psalm is an up-and-coming Las Vegas doom metal band formed in 2020, during the Covid pandemic in the depths of the San Fernando Valley. Evolving from the old school doom of yore into the modern age, the three-piece concoct a vicious blend of heavy, groovy, and a bit of speed to craft the Psalm sound.

Recently having the opportunity of being featured in Weedian’s 2024 “Trip to California (Doom Edition)” compilation, and recruiting new members Carlos Martinez and Ian Henneforth (Sonolith), a bright future for Psalm glimmers from the shadows. Heralding the new era is sophomore EP “In Darkness… Have Mercy”, to be released July 15th.

“After four years and a couple of grueling months of preparations, it is finally time to welcome Psalm’s new EP ‘In Darkness… Have Mercy’. These tracks are nothing short of heavy and are ever-evolving, and with this EP we’d like to introduce a new lineup to take you through a soul-crushing journey that you won’t forget. With Carlos Martinez on guitar and Ian Henneforth on drums, we aim to conjure a full wall of sound made of earth- shaking guitars, low metallic bass, and atomic, pounding drums. As part of gearing up to lay the tracks down, we had a very adrenaline-driven show opening for Pentagram at the famous Whisky a Go Go to get the juices flowing for what was next to come. The show’s energy and vibes carried into our recording, and thus ‘In Darkness… Have Mercy’ was born.”

Psalm – In Darkness… Have Mercy
EP out July 15th, 2025
Self-released (Digital)
CD, Cassette, & Vinyl coming soon
Las Vegas, Nevada
FFO: Trouble, Solitude Aeternus, Pantera, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath

Tracklist:
1. MISERY
2. MESSIAH
3. VALUE THE SUFFERING
4. BLESSED ARE THE CURSED

Psalm is:
Jon “Fro” Torres – Vocals/Bass
Carlos Martinez – Guitar
Ian Henneforth – Drums

https://psalm666.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/psalmdoom/
https://www.facebook.com/PsalmDoom/

Psalm, In Darkness… Have Mercy EP (2025)

It happens. I feel fortunate to have gotten to Count’s Vamp’d to see Planet Desert Rock Weekend earlier this year, because at least now I know what I’ll be missing if I’m lucky enough to go back in 2026. The good news is The Usual Place is a rad spot as well, and while I haven’t been to Swan Dive (yet), I did get to tool around the Las Vegas Arts District for a bit while I was there in January and it’s mellow hangs and good times, bars and art spaces and second-hand shops, etc. If you’re thinking this is the kind of thing where you go and get a room at a casino, it’s not. I didn’t touch the Strip once when I was there, and without judging anyone who might feel otherwise, that suits me just fine.

This is a procedural update, though, and fair enough. Wherever and whenever it happens, Planet Desert Rock Weekend VI remains impeccably curated, and there are four band slots still to be unveiled at some point between now and the more than half a year from now when it actually takes place. With acts like Fuzz Sagrado, Saint Karloff, The Well and The Devil and the Almighty Blues confirmed, one has to wonder how far the festival’s reach will ultimately go. Planet Desert Rock, indeed.

From the PR wire:

With the sad closing of the iconic rock venue Count’s Vamp’d , we had to find a new home for our 3 nights Planet Desert Rock Weekend VI were to have there. Vamp’d has been part of PDRW since our 2nd one. This amazing venue is sadly on the market now and is closing on June 28th. Owned by Danny Koker from the TV show Counting Cars on History Channel and his wife Korie, they have been a staple of the rock and metal scene. Vamp’d has been a pro spot where the sound, decor, food, stage and everything was at a very high level. Bigger bands like Armored Saint, Y&T, Michale Schenker, Winery Dogs, Geoff Tate, Jackyl, L.A. Guns, Faster Pussycat, Wednesday 13, Krokus, John 5, Uli Jon Roth, Stephen Pearcy, Jake E. Lee, Fozzy, Saxon, Lizzy Borden, Saliva and so many more. Vegas Rock Revolution had the honor of being one of the only outside groups to have shows there with such undergrounds acts gracing the stage: John Garcia (3x), Brant Bjork (3x), The Obsessed, The Skull, Fireball Ministry, Unida, 1000mods, Nebula, Mondo Generator, Earthride, Radio Moscow, Fatso Jetson, Black Water Rising, Kyng, Earshot, El Perro, Hippie Death Cult, The Cold Stares, Haunt, Duel and many more.

For 2026 we were set to have 3 nights there, so we are super lucky to be doing nights 1-3 at The Usual Place which has been part of PDRW since the 3rd one. Located on the lower end of Fremont Street it’s a great location where folks who are staying on Fremont can simply walk down to the venue!

Night 4 which we can affectionately “Last Call” will be held at Swan Dive in The Arts District. This hotspot is one of the newest venues in town and is located in a choice spot in The Arts District which is a great area where you can walk around to cool shops, bars, antique spots, restaurants and more! Swan Dive features a massive outdoor deck to hangout that looks over Main Street. Plenty of room for merch areas etc for the bands! Their stage is really big and recently acts like The Melvins, King Buffalo and others have played there and the upcoming Dozer show as well!

So an end of an era for Vegas and for PDRW but we are feeling really good about being able to align with these 2 very good venues to continue the legacy of Planet Desert Rock Weekend. We have 4 night passes now available that are the best value!

4 more bands to be announced in the upcoming months as we carefully work on bands that deliver at a high level for our super cool fans!

Ticket Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/planet-desert-rock-weekend-vi-in-las-vegas-jan-29-31-2026-tickets-1254021715709

Event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1890287758376482/

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

Planet Desert Rock Weekend VI Preview Playlist