Monolith on the Mesa isn’t screwing around. The 2022 edition of the Taos, New Mexico, festival features a welcome-back-to-this-thing lineup that’s as desert as the sands on which it’ll take place and more besides. Ever wonder what Eyehategod and Yawning Man might sound like going back-to-back? Here’s where you’ll find out.

Those two, as well as import acts like Mars Red Sky (from France) and Belzebong (from Poland) will feature, alongside The Obsessed, Nebula, The Freeks, Red Mesa, Stöner, Ruby the Hatchet, Ecstatic Vision and others. This being the first Monolith on the Mesa since the untimely passing of festival co-founder Dano Sanchez, it’s a bittersweet occasion, but there’s no question looking at the lineup that it’s being executed in a spirit of celebration, both of that life and of the music itself. If you’d dare ask more than that, well, Eagle Twin are playing. Fucking bonus.

Info came down the PR wire, as well as the nifty poster art by Nick Filth:

MONOLITH ON THE MESA ANNOUNCES FULL LINE-UP, REVEALS POSTER ARTWORK BY NICK FILTH, AND FESTIVAL SPONSORS

Artists include Mars Red Sky, The Obsessed, Nebula, Eyehategod, Ruby The Hatchet, Stöner, The Freeks, Mondo Generator, Yawning Man and others

Monolith on the Mesa reveals final poster artwork by Nick Filth and full festival line-up in conjunction with summer solstice. The festival returns to Taos Mesa Brewing The Mothership on September 16th, 17th, 18th, 2022 for three days filled with music, art, and community. Tickets are on sale now HERE. Artists include internationally acclaimed acts such as Mars Red Sky, The Obsessed, Nebula, Eyehategod, Ruby The Hatchet, Stöner, The Freeks, Mondo Generator, Yawning Man and Red Mesa. In the words of belated festival visionary Dano Sanchez fans should get ready for a “weekend of live music heaviness blasting onto the high desert mesa in full view of the Sangre de Christo mountains.”

Roman Barham, festival co-founder and talent buyer says: “I am really excited to have Monolith on the Mesa back! This year’s line-up is a roll over from both 2020 and 2021. We had bands confirmed and then COVID happened. It was cool that so many bands were still down to be a part of Monolith once we got back. What’s really intense about the line-up is how it fits the surrounding high desert environment. With bands like Yawning Man, Stöner, Nebula, Mondo Generator — so many legends of the desert will be jamming. I know Dano would be really proud of the line-up for 2022. Summer solstice connects us deeply with Dano and how he saw the cosmos and life and how they coincide. Out here, we follow the astrological interpretations of the seasons and change.”

“The Mothership will have the same intent,” Jayson Wylie, Taos Mesa Brewing President/Director of Brewing Operations says, “but with a little different feel post reconstruction after the devastating fire we had. We still have two stages, both of them outside. We have transitioned our indoor space to accommodate more beverage production. Customers will notice an enhanced amphitheater with state of the art house PA and lighting. Out here on the mesa, summer solstice signifies a transition to shorter days and hopefully more rain.”

Festival producer Ashley Sanchez says “The summer solstice is the time of year when you start to see the fruits of your labor – financially, agriculturally, in relationships, or otherwise. The solstice reveals if we’re still living in alignment with the goals we set at the beginning of the year. Dano and I worked to live in sync with nature and it’s still very much something I hold in my own center. In honor of this cornerstone of our relationship together and how our family shows up in the world, we chose the summer solstice to announce the complete lineup for the 2022 Monolith on the Mesa festival.”

Monolith on the Mesa is an open air festival focused around the “earthship” amphitheatre which holds 1,500 people. The festival sits at the base of the Sangre de Cristo mountains and at the edge of the Rio Grande gorge minutes from Taos Pueblo and the Gorge Bridge. Activities in the vicinity include rafting, hiking in the desert or in the mountains, mountain biking, soaking in the natural hot springs, as well as strolling the beautiful and historic streets and plazas of Taos. In founder Dano Sanchez’s words: “It is truly a magical place and combined with awesome music and art it’s like no other music festival.”

DATES AND TIMES
September 16th, 17th, 18th, 2022
Doors at 12 noon daily.

VENUE
Taos Mesa Brewing The Mothership
20 ABC Mesa Rd, El Prado, NM, 87529
taosmesabrewing.com/mothership

TICKET INFORMATION
Monolith on the Mesa will honor tickets and other arrangements purchased in 2020 and 2021. Tickets will be rolled over to this year’s Will Call list.

Single Day Pass $60 ticket HERE: https://holdmyticket.com/event/358415

Two Day Pass $100 ticket HERE: https://holdmyticket.com/event/358428

Three Day Pass $150 ticket HERE: https://holdmyticket.com/event/344139

Rain or shine event!

FESTIVAL LINE-UP

Friday, September 16th, 2022
Doors at 12:00 pm
Mesa Stage-1:00-1:45/ Greenbeard
Mesa Stage-2:00-2:45/ Blue Heron
Mesa Stage-3:00-3:45/ Caustic Casanova
Mesa Stage-4:00-4:45/ Red Mesa
Mothership Stage-5:00-5:45/ Owl
Mesa Stage-6:00-6:45/ The Atomic Bitchwax
Mothership Stage-7:00-7:45/ Daikajiu
Mesa Stage-8:00-9:00/ Eagle Twin
Mothership Stage-9:00-10:00/ Belzebong
Mesa Stage-10:00-11:00/ The Obsessed
Mothership Stage-11:00-12:00/ Mars Red Sky

Saturday, September 17th, 2022
Doors at 12:00 pm
Mesa Stage-12:15-12:45/ Via Vengeance
Mesa Stage-1:00-1:45/ Terra Damnata
Mesa Stage-2:00-2:45/ Heretical Sect
Mesa Stage-3:00-3:45/ Love Gang
Mesa Stage-4:00-4:45/ Heavy Temple
Mothership Stage-5:00-5:45/ Year of The Cobra
Mesa Stage-6:00-6:45/ The Otolith
Mothership Stage-7:00-7:45/ Nebula
Mesa Stage-8:00-9:00/ Warhorse
Mothership Stage-9:00-10:00/ REZN
Mesa Stage-10:00-11:00/ Ruby The Hatchet
Mothership Stage-11:00-12:00/ Stöner

Sunday, September 18th, 2022
Doors at 12:00 pm
Mesa Stage-12:15-12:45/ Fever Dog
Mesa Stage-1:00-1:45/ Heave
Mesa Stage-2:00-2:45/ Lilith
Mesa Stage-3:00-3:45/ Communion
Mesa Stage-4:00-4:45/ The Freeks
Mothership Stage-5:00-5:45/ Duel
Mesa Stage-6:00-6:45/ Tabernacle
Mothership Stage-7:00-7:45/ El Perro
Mesa Stage-8:00-9:00/ Mondo Generator
Mothership Stage-9:00-10:00/ Ecstatic Vision
Mesa Stage-10:00-11:00/ Eyehategod
Mothership Stage-11:00-12:00/ Yawning Man

After sundown every evening visual magicians, Mad Alchemy Liquid Light Show, illuminate the night sky.

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Mars Red Sky, Live at Sidéral Festival, May 5, 2022

They say there’s more to come and given the scope of past editions of Monolith on the Mesa, one expects that’s the truth. It’s a different universe since the last time the El Prado, New Mexico-based festival was held, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t note — as you can read below — that this is the first Monolith on the Mesa to be held without co-founder Dano Sanchez, who passed away last Fall. Fellow founder Roman Barham, along with Ashley Sanchez and the Taos Mesa Brewing director Jayson Wylie have continued forward in collaboration, and the first lineup announcement is a celebration of the underground deep and high. Mars Red Sky, WarHorse, The Obsessed, The Otolith, Duel, Love Gang, and Red Mesa are the initial cohort, and that’s an admirable grouping on the levels of style and geography alike, representing West Coast, East Coast, in between and Europe in the span of seven bands. Right on.

I’m glad this festival is moving forward with Monolith on the Mesa 2022, and I’ve no doubt it’ll be a party.

To wit:

MARS RED SKY, THE OBSESSED, WARHORSE, THE OTOLITH, DUEL, RED MESA, LOVE GANG, AND MORE SET TO PLAY MONOLITH ON THE MESA: MUSIC AND ART FESTIVAL IN TAOS, NEW MEXICO

SEPTEMBER 16-17-18, 2022

located at Taos Mesa Brewing The Mothership the festival is open air

Monolith on the Mesa takes the cosmic opportunity of the vernal equinox to announce its return to Taos Mesa Brewing The Mothership, after the forced two year hiatus due to the global pandemic. Dates are set for September 16th, 17th, 18th, 2022. The festival is proud to share part of the line-up today including Mars Red Sky, The Obsessed, Warhorse, The Otolith, Duel, Love Gang, Red Mesa and visual magicians: Mad Alchemy Liquid Light Show.

The line-up remains “true to concept” and will focus on heavy riff-rock acts from across multiple sub-genres including stoner rock, heavy psych, doom metal, sludge, drone, and retro rock. The festival will once again be billed as “a truly singular and mystical experience. A weekend of live music heaviness blasting onto the high desert mesa in full view of the Sangre de Christo mountains.”

This past September the festival lost visionary co-founder, Dano Sanchez. In a statement Monolith on the Mesa producers Ashley Sanchez and Roman Barham, together with brewery director Jayson Wylie, say: “the festival experience is dedicated to our dearly beloved, fallen brother, and co-founder Dano Sanchez. Dano’s contribution has influenced only great times, as summed up in his signature phrase: “Hey bud, let’s party!” We’ll honor Dano by putting on an amazing festival featuring specialty crafted beers from Taos Mesa Brewery (served in reusable cups to reduce single use plastic), interactive art installations in conjunction with Revolt Gallery, and some of the best bands from around the world.”

This year the festival will be open air and focused around the “earthship” amphitheatre which holds 1,500 people. Upcoming festival announcements will detail efforts to make the event more eco-friendly, with less single use plastic and other disposables.

DATES AND TIMES:
September 16th, 17th, 18th, 2022
Doors at 12:00 pm. Bands start at 1:00 pm.

VENUE:
Taos Mesa Brewing The Mothership
20 ABC Mesa Rd, El Prado, NM, 87529
https://www.taosmesabrewing.com/mothership

TICKET INFORMATION:
Monolith on the Mesa will honor tickets and other arrangements purchased in 2020 and 2021. Tickets will be rolled over to this year’s Will Call list.

Single Day Pass $60 ticket link:
https://holdmyticket.com/event/preview/event/be9b80e802fe934571af2d383f254a67

Two Day Pass $100 ticket link:
https://holdmyticket.com/event/preview/event/a2d1bf3d2a361e7df590738ee74e72c4

Three Day Pass $150 ticket link:
https://holdmyticket.com/event/preview/event/79c197fd39ff30a21f68fc545f003cb1

Rain or shine event!

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Mars Red Sky, “Crazy Hearth” official video