Posted in Whathaveyou on February 13th, 2026 by JJ Koczan
The Patient Mrs. looked over at me the other day and was like, “Kind of a hard comedown from Vegas this year, huh?” And she was right, it has been. My second voyage to Planet Desert Rock Weekend (review here) was a really, really good time, and I guess a couple days away from the overarching weight of reality circa early ’26 was something I couldn’t see I needed as much as I did. I had been hoping to come home and hit the ball rolling on writing and feel like my head was back in it. That wasn’t really how it’s worked out.
Fortunately for me, Planet Desert Rock Weekend‘s founder and curator John Gist is already rolling out names for 2027’s PDRW VII, and it’s a get-your-ass-here assemblage with Greenleaf headlining the first announcement, Shun following up on Throttlerod‘s appearance this year and being part of a strong initial showing from Small Stone Records alongside Winds of Neptune (I still need to review that one; a Quarterly Review is coming later this month I hope) and Sundrifter, while Sergeant Thunderhoof return and Brimstone Coven make a first appearance, Humulus travel from Italy (that’s going to be a good one) and recent Ripple Music signees Florist round out.
As has been the case for the last few years, the sense of curation bleeds through the names being dropped, and if we assume the bands announced today are a little more than a quarter of the full lineup — that’s going by a max of six bands on a night this year, making this announcement more than one night’s total worth of bands, not that they’re all necessarily playing the same night, etc. — then I’m eager to see how the rest shakes out over the next weeks and, presumably, months before next January gets here. And I’m glad to have it to look forward to, frankly.
The PR wire has it like this:
Planet Desert Rock Weekend VII – 2027 Presale & Lineup Announcement
Planet Desert Rock Weekend is proud to announce its volume 7 for 2027! The dates are January 28- 31, 2027 and will take place again at The Usual Place!
We have 8 bands including 3 international to divulge and some new new ticket options. The 2026 version was our biggest one since the inception of Planet Desert Rock back in 2018. The feedback has been amazing and now the pressure is on to curate a lineup that will be held to the standards we have created. We hope you join us for this new sonic adventure in rock music.
PDRW will now have a VIP ticket option that will allow early entry to be behind the scene and see soundcheck as well as get your wristband for the evening that will permit you to be able to re-enter quickly and avoid the line. In addition we have a poster included with the VIP package. We offer 3 and 4 night choices. We will only being selling 400 total as we are not going to compromise the atmosphere and comfortable environment as well sell too many to have to move to a larger venue. So it’s 1st come 1st serve and we will see in the future if nightly tickets are an option!
The lineup:
Greenleaf/ Sweden
We have tried for a number of years to get this amazing band over and we are overjoyed to have one of the top heavy rock bands from around the world joining us for an exclusive west coast event. Meaning just Vegas… no California, Arizona, Washington, Oregon etc…. Flying in just for us! We are honored to have them!
Sergeant Thunderhoof / England (U.K.)
Returning after an amazing set at PDRW V, we are fired up to have this spectacular British band back and they will be playing a regular set and exclusively Muramasa from their split on Ripple Music they did with Howling Giant. This should be a very unique set to witness and rock to!
Humulus/ Italy
Long time heavy psych rockers Humulus makes their USA debut to continue to tradition of Italian bands playing PDRW. The band has been in the scene since 2012 and their recent 2023 release “Flowers of Death” with new vocalist Thomas Greenwood was a killer release ushering in an evolved sound.
Brimstone Coven/ West Virginia
Veteran retro hard rocking band Brimstone Coven has been steadily dropped cool albums since the early 2010s including a fantastic 2025 release “The Light Not Shines for Thee”. Key highlights including smooth harmony vocals and an homage to rock music of years past.
Sundrifter/ Boston
Returning to PDRW out of Boston all 3 of their releases have been phenomenal. The band’s sound has a near futuristic sound at times that touches upon other worlds in the galaxies and vocals that belong near the top of the heavy underground.
Shun/ North Carolina-South Carolina
Real excited to have Shun join the party in 2027 with their heavy atmospheric post rock sound that harkens to a more 90s vibe. Features fromtman Matt Whitehead from Throttlerod. This will be their west coast debut!
Florist/ Tampa
Heavy psych rockers Florist might be one of hotter bands in the scene right now on the heels of their 2025 release. They have played multiple east coast fests and we are excited to have them head west for PDRW with their theremin and other instruments. This is gonna be spacy stoney cool!
Winds of Neptune/ Detroit
Debut album in late 2025 on Small Stone Records created a lot of cosmic waves so much so they landed #1 for the November Doom Charts. Their retro 70s rocking vibe with massive riffs fits right in with PDRW. Oh and the drummer from Flogging Molly is in the band! COOL!
Posted in Reviews on February 2nd, 2026 by JJ Koczan
Before Show
As I mentioned yesterday, Spaceslug — who flew from Warsaw, Poland, to L.A. and drove through the desert to Las Vegas, having apparently also done so when they were here a couple years back — are staying with Adam as well. There was talk last night of going to the Valley of Fire today. I offered to bring my camera, and it kind of turned into a photo shoot. Incredible sights driving around with Spaceslug, sitting in the back with classic rock radio on. “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting,” “Revolution,” “Me and Julio Down by the School Yard,” etc. Some Edgar Winter.
I met a Hungarian couple in a parking lot by a closed visitors center in the state park, went up and introduced myself and did my best to hold a conversation in their language. That they didn’t tell me to fuck off immediately I took as a big win. I don’t usually do stuff like that.
The shoot was fun, climbing over rocks, taking shots with incredible backdrops, some pictures by a cool cave overhang. No idea if they’ll use any of them for anything, but I probably will put some in posts unless I’m told not to.
This is the last night of Planet Desert Rock Weekend VI, which is of course bittersweet. I look forward to getting home to my family tomorrow evening, and I’m bummed to leave a great time behind. I spent much of 2025 talking up the experience here last January. I feel like this something really special and its own thing among fests. It’s like a boutique festival. John Gist, who promotes and curates, should probably be charging $300 for tickets.
Because I went back to Adam’s and napped for an hour, then had a cup of coffee before going to The Usual Place, I missed Spaceslug’s soundcheck, but got there in time for Bask’s, which was cool since I hadn’t seen them before, so like a little preview. Westing got a check after, which is how the other nights have mostly gone. Lots of hustle around the place as the crew gets everything ready. That tense thing in the air is real.
I’d already had a good day by the time I set foot in the venue. I still was looking forward to the night to come.
Here’s how that went. Thanks for reading:
The Show
Westing
They were the only band of the weekend who brought their own drumset. Westing’s 2023 album, Future (review here), was their first under the name, which had been Slow Season until 2021. Onstage, guitarist/vocalist Daniel Story Rice thanked John Gist for getting the band “out of semi-retirement” and noted it was their first show with their new guest lead guitarist Josh Cuevas. It was my first time seeing them under any name and in any incarnation. They did “Back in the Twenties” and “Nothing New” back-to-back, which is also how Future started, and their heavy ’70s-via-’10s sound was both ready for raucousness but still letting the music breathe in a way that made it feel laid back. I wasn’t surprised to dig them — and the drums that Cody Tarbell brought did sound perfect in the songs, to be fair, bassist Hayden Doyel rolling smooth lines alongside for a Zeppelin nod, benefiting from the sound in the room that’s been kind to bassists (and everybody) all weekend — but I’m glad I did. It was such an inviting sound, I’m not sure how you would not. I put my phone down and stopped writing for a few just to take it in. It’s the last night. Time for it.
Familiars
The only Canadian band on the bill, and another first for me. Toronto’s Familiars made an awful lot of sense coming off Westing, with a classic-rooted sound, purposeful and expressive melody, and a fuller, fuzzier tone (on average). The trio of guitarist/vocalist Kevin Vansteenkiste, bassist/vocalist Jared MacIntyre and drummer Anton Babych, set themselves to task early and were quintessential non-aggro heavy rock. The groove came through loud and, yes, warm, but they weren’t a bash-away kind of band. A more subtle touch, like when you see the wavforms of recordings from the ’70s and there are peaks and valleys where modern recordings shove everything so far forward. They had more country in them than just Vansteenkiste’s hat, and that ‘Gold’ (in the FM radio sense; they closed with “Bonanza,” also about the gold rush) had a shimmer whether a given part was loud or quiet. And in terms of the themes for the night, some twang made sense, at least up to Bask. Familiars were not a band I’d be likely to see otherwise, and I appreciated that about the set, but also just the set itself. You wouldn’t call them raucous on stage, and if they were thrashing around, I dont think it would work with the songs. Faor enough. They got into it in their own way, and with a light sway, the audience did much the same.
High Desert Queen
There aren’t a lot of American heavy rock bands who at this point can hold a candle to what High Desert Queen bring to the stage. They’re one great record away from headlining things like this, and at PDRW, they were a needed kick at just the right time; very much the centerpiece of the lineup, taking the flow of the first two bands and upping the energy level admirably. Chill vibes it ain’t, with High Desert Queen, with frontman Ryan Garney doing calisthenics early in the set to get the crowd on the band’s side, then making it worth their while for the rest of their time, drummer Phil Hook, bassist Morgan Miller and guitarist Rusty Miller conjuring a roll that could ebb and flow but was never really all the way gone. This was my third time seeing them, and if you never have, they’re an impressive watch. Garney shouted out “Head Honcho” to John Gist, which was fitting, and went on to demonstrate what can happen when you’re both a really good band and inclined to work your collective ass off, as without being cloying, High Desert Queen are about as engaging a stoner band as you can get. They played “Tuesday Night Blues.” Killed. I’m learning that’s how it goes. The crowd was pretty consistent all night, but High Desert Queen brought more to the front. As they will. Then Garney started the weekend’s only moshpit. Of course.
Bask
While also being quite heavy — I mean, it’s been four nights of this stuff at this point, and I’m talking remarkably heavy — Bask’s sound was lush in a way nothing else this weekend has been. Some of that is arrangement — unless Spaceslug have one hiding or somewhere, Bask have the only pedal steel guitar of the weekend, and they use it to cast a floating sunrise over proggy guitars, Southern-style noodling and riffs. I recalled digging 2025’s The Turning (review here) but hadn’t really gone back to it, which I regretted watching them play — is the notion of Americana emotional baggage? — and I was glad at very least to be in the room to be subsumed into that wash of sound, somwtimes a lead cutting through but rarely not beautiful. An unexpected highlight of the weekend for me, but mostly just because I’m a yutz and this is the first time I’m seeing them. I was good and tired, but as heavy as it was, it wasn’t abrasive. And even when they heavy-countried, that nod was there. Drift, crush, soothe.
Spaceslug
There’s the blowout. I was wondering before they went on how Spaceslug fit into the narrative. Westing was classic, Familiars added Canadiana, High Desert Queen brought it to ground in rock and electrified the room, Bask called back to Southernism on the part of Familiars and High Desert Queen, and then there’s cosmic psych prog metallers Spaceslug. But it’s the weight, the notion of a heavy atmosphere, and an attention to the details of their sound that make it fluid, though honestly I’d be pretty happy to watch Spaceslug no matter who was opening. But the context of the night up to that point was part of what made it special. And it was that. Maybe Spaceslug do that all the time — I’ve never seen them seven nights in a row, I’m kind of sad to say — but I don’t always get to see it. Accordingly, I stopped writing for a while to loosen the earplugs and let the full range (and volume) in. Not like my ears weren’t ringing anyway. Wish I could say I lasted, but I’m too old not to know what’s good for me. Even so, Spaceslug were glorious in sprawl and volume and depth, all three sharing vocals, absolutely locked in. That was how I ended the night, off to the side of the stage, being bowled over. I didn’t end up writing again until they were done, and that was the right choice. Some moments you just need to exist in. I’m lucky to have existed in these.
After Show
The Uber driver had disco lights and funk grooves, so that was a win.
Thank you John Gist. Thank you Adam and Jocelynn Sage. Thank you The Patient Mrs. Thanks to my mom. Thank you for reading. Everybody who made this trip possible, which to some degree or other, is everybody.
I met a bunch of cool people and saw a bunch more I already knew. Real interpersonal interaction, like the humans do. It can be scary stuff.
Tomorrow (today by the time you read this) you won’t hear from me after this post. Travel day. I get to New Jersey at around 8:30PM, so not much time to write. I have a couple posts ready to roll on Tuesday, but give me a few days to get home, catch up on home/housework and be with my wife and daughter. I’ve had a really, really good time here, and I look forward to being with my family. My life is an embarrassment of love.
Thanks again for reading. More pics after the jump.
Posted in Reviews on February 1st, 2026 by JJ Koczan
Before Show
Today is the most beautiful it’s been yet. Warmer, sun is out. I had a stoner rock power lunch with Ryan Garney of High Desert Queen — all business, definitely not sharing our concerns for aging parents or anything — and afterward, did some meandering in a street market that had closed a block of Fremont St., where the venue is. It’s the kind of weather that I’m not going to talk about with my wife who is back in subzero conditions with maybe-more-snow. “Oh it hasn’t been that nice.” Like you can pretend 70 degrees Fahrenheit in January is hard times. Nah, it definitely is that nice.
After lunch, I found a shady spot to sit for a bit and write, watch people come and go, do the thing. Tonight is night three of Planet Desert Rock Weekend VI, but even going inside felt a ways off, and it was good to relax a bit. Six bands were to follow, and the last of them was The Atomic Bitchwax. It would be plenty of evening.
Kids running by. Dude railing against the injustice of a vending machine by shaking the living crap out of it. Hard. Big mad didn’t get his M&Ms. His friend told him to break the glass. It’s high stakes in Vegas. Sights, smells, a galleria made out of old shipping containers a couple blocks up with an appreciated public restroom, cars up and down the street. A kind of quiet weekend day, except busy with families and such. I spent a little bit further up Fremont, by Slotzilla and that way-overwhelming screen roof and all that. Felt like I was in Minority Report.
Meanwhile, at The Usual Place, The Atomic Bitchwax and Kind soundchecked back to back. Loud, duh. Knowing that’s coming doesn’t hurt it for me. Tonight I’ve seen four of the six acts playing, with Black Water Rising and The Heavy Eyes new, so that’s a thing to look forward to too, along with the rest of the night. Again, duh. The walking around was fun. I ran into Riku from Kaiser, who was literally walking out from his own wedding, so yes, it was a joyous meeting. Life happening.
Got caught up chatting and didn’t write a segue. Here’s the night:
The Show
Kind
Good for the soul. I knew it would be, and that’s not me trying to toot my own horn, but there’s not a ton of things that make me nostalgic for living in Massachusetts — I couldn’t be there when my mother had cancer; I worked jobs I hated and lost a career, such as it was; I put the best dog to sleep; I couldn’t make a baby and I developed an eating disorder that kind of almost killed me — but a greater chance of seeing Kind on the regular is a big one. The last record, 2023’s Close Encounters (review here), I would float as their best, and the new single “Bladelicker” (premiered here) is likewise killer and was aired, but live they’re an entirely different level of fun. An air of smirking shenanigans with Craig Riggs up front, Tom Corino hitting it hard on bass to punctuate Matt Couto’s inimitable swing on drums while Darryl Shepard’s guitar makes ready to scorch the ground they’re standing on. Riggs explained early on they’d be doing two songs from each of their three albums and then two new ones, and they did precisely that, rolling out a density of groove that felt kin to the concrete floor playing havoc on my old man knee this weekend, but when they hit into a gallop, that push is no less immersive for the urgency. Great band. “We really are, unapologetically, a stoner rock band.” And the first anti-ICE shirt I’ve seen this weekend, so thrice commendable at very least and that’s before you get to the fucking riffs or how nice they all are.
Dirty Streets
Wanna see something cute? Here’s a single premiered here in 2013 for Memphis heavy blues rockers The Dirty Streets that was sponsored by Scion A/V. Remember them? I swear, the things you find in the back end of this site. I’m sure all that stuff is collectable now to someone. Me probably. But if I’m nostalgia all over the place tonight, fair enough for the day it is (more on that later; look at me be vague on the internet) and for the classic/classy mellow-hangs heavy blues wrought by The Dirty Streets. They boogie a bit, but don’t need to push hard, and they dig in and feel jammy without really giving over to that impulse — everything in service to the song, is the ethic I’m talking about. They’re a songs band. I apparently haven’t seen them in 14 years, but I’ll tell you, I still knew to look forward to a bit of funk, and they brought that along too. I’ll never be 100 percent sure whether I should call them Dirty Streets or The Dirty Streets, but whichever it’s supposed to be sure did rock, and that includes the make-it-tasty “Stayin’ Alive” cover. Disco ball was going and everything. And sure enough, Saturday night. Clever. Underrated band with the the tonal equivalent of shag carpeting, and a cool pick to follow the early blowout with Kind, reorienting to a clearer tone and more straightforward approach, but keeping the focus on melody and songwriting. Or maybe the theme for tonight is riffs. I guess we’ll find out. All the bands tonight are from the US as well, which makes it unique among the four.
The Heavy Eyes
It’s been six years since The Heavy Eyes (they’re definitely The) released their last album, Love Like Machines (review here), and that means it came out at arguably the worst time in the history of releasing records, but it was my first time seeing them, so it was all fresh to me. They played the first Planet Desert Rock Weekend in 2018, and are a band that fest curator John Gist has championed all the while. The reasons were readily apparent from the stage, as the four-piece led by guitarist/vocalist Tripp Shumake, who mentioned from the stage he lives in California now; the rest of the band, so far as I know, is Memphis-based. That means they share a hometown with Dirty Streets and they shared a bit of the bluesiness of their vocals with them too, but it was a fuller fuzz push from The Heavy Eyes, dirtier and more in line with Kind when they locked in a bigger groove or two, sort of drawing elements of the first two bands together, taking the flow of the evening in their own direction. They had the biggest crowd of the night so far. Night three you enjoy watching your friends having a good time as much as the bands.
Throttlerod
Apart from the bands I’ve never seen, I think Virginia’s Throttlerod hold the record for it being the longest time since I last saw them, Sept. 2011, in Philly (review here), at a Small Stone Records show. Granted they haven’t been touring all the while or anything, but that’s coming on a decade and a half. They’re such a fascinating band, right up to what Matt Whitehead is doing now in Shun, bridging heavy rock, noise rock, post-hardcore, Southern vibing and so on. It’s a blend of influences that’s probably only possible coming from VA, now that I think about it, but even among VA bands (and I’m pretty sure they’re not all in VA anymore, but the influence of a place and its atmosphere and effect on your life don’t go away because you move), Throttlerod stand on their own. There’s nobody else at this festival that do what they do, and yet you wouldn’t call them a radical departure, what with the full-bore riffage steamrolling everybody in the room. I guess it’s the musical honesty. And the heart. There aren’t a lot of bands who can tap into where they’re coming from, make something coherent and theirs from it, and then get onstage and kill with that thing they made, but that’s apparently where Throttlerod are at. I’m very glad and very fortunate to have found out tonight in the manner I did — see “steamrolling” above. There was some technical issue with the guitar. Didn’t slow them down. Ron was pleased. That’s all you need to know. Phenomenal.
Black Water Rising
They’re from New York. That’s a thing I found out. They were here in 2019. I needed to learn this stuff because I’ve never seen Black Water Rising before and so I’m trying a bit too catch up with the riffs they rolled out. Themes? Riffs, American heavy, singers always. That kind of night. Black Water Rising were professional sounding as hell. They were kind of on the line between hard and heavy rocks, and could probably play on a bill with some kinds of metal. It didn’t really turn out to be my kind of thing in terms of sound, but no arguing with the delivery. They were filling in for Saint Karloff from Norway or Fuzz Sagrado from Brazil/Germany, depending on how you want to look at it. Not an easy slot to take at all, but they held their own in it, not sounding like either but holding it down on stage. Also I learned that guitarist/vocalist Rob Traynor was in Dust to Dust. I remember when that first Dust to Dust record came out. I was doing college radio at the time. Like I said, nostalgia all over the place tonight. No escaping it. It’s okay. I’ve lived long enough to know someday I’ll be nostalgic about this too.
The Atomic Bitchwax
Speedriff heroes of my beloved Garden State, The Atomic Bitchwax might be the band playing this weekend I’ve seen the most — I don’t have those numbers; it goes back further than this site — but it remains a pleasure when they take stage. The Chris Kosnik-led three-piece, of course with Bob Pantella (Kosnik shouted out his birthday) on drums and Garrett Sweeny on guitar/backing vocals, are over a quarter-century removed from their debut, and they’ve had their ups and downs like everybody, but they hit harder now than they did two decades ago, and they’ve pushed themselves to become the band they are, creatively and physically, because yes, some of their stuff is pretty fast. Capping the night, they did a bevvy of the hits between “Hope You Die,” “Birth to the Earth,” the Core cover “Kiss the Sun,” “Coming in Hot,” “Ninja,” etc. People had stuck around, so it was a good late crowd, and the Bitchwax did what they do. I would wager most in the audience knew what they were in for — I’m sure it was somebody’s first time, but not everybody’s — and the band still managed to knock you off your feet. I didn’t get to harass them about when a follow-up for 2020’s Scorpio (review here) might be coming, but the set they played was so air tight and had so much nuance with intro riffs, little asides, sprints and whatnot, that I found myself thinking of a live record more. Could be time, though obviously if they happen to have a new studio LP in the can and just haven’t told anybody yet, that’d be just fine as well. Band rules. I take them for granted, but they’re a treasure of New Jersey heavy and the voluminous reminder they issued of that fact was very much appreciated. Thanks, Bitchwax. I’ll hope the next one comes around soon.
After Show
Hard not to feel an adrenaline charge after the Bitchwax. All that infectious shred and the t-t-t-total freedom.
I went up to the guy who owns The Usual Place tonight. His name is Carlos, I found out. I didn’t tell him who I was, because I’m nobody and who cares, but I said his place was awesome and thanked him for hosting this festival for four nights. It’s a great spot, and I got to take in a bit of the area around it today, which I hadn’t before — the parties were going hard on the walk up Fremont to where Adam had parked — and that only emphasized the point. I also met Glenn Dehmer from 8-Trax Sound, who’s been running the board all weekend. It has been bass-heavy and stellar. Thick, soupy groove. Fucking a.
The cats from Spaceslug — actually they’re people — are staying at Adam’s tonight and I think tomorrow too after they play. I look forward to hanging out a bit tomorrow and there was talk of more look-at-old-rocks sightseeing, and you know I’m up for that.
But tonight’s over for me and I’m about three minutes away from falling asleep at the keyboard, so photo-sorting in the morning it is. Today was a big coffee day. Tomorrow I anticipate will be much the same.
Posted in Reviews on January 31st, 2026 by JJ Koczan
Before Show
Did some driving around in the afternoon. Adam took me up and out of town into the mountains where the views were insane. I’m an idiot for that kind of stuff. It was jawdropping. Back east, all of our mountains are water-weathered. Here it’s wind erosion, and younger plate-tectonics, and it’s a totally different thing. All of a sudden there’s just a billion-year-old layer of rock jutting up out of the ground, and it’s a novelty for me, so yeah, I dug the ride.
Side note: listened to most of the last Queens of the Stone Age record on the way back, and didn’t hate it.
Tonight’s show is the Ripple Music showcase. Five bands — Kaiser, Wolftooth, Freedom Hawk, The Devil and the Almighty Blues headlining, and Paralyzed closing the night — all of whom, of course, are signed to the label. Like last night, it’s majority haven’t-seen-before for me, as I’ve yet to catch Kaiser, Wolftooth or Paralyzed, but I’ll tell you that knowing what’s coming from both Freedom Hawk and The Devil and the Almighty Blues does not lessen my anticipation for their sets. It’s gonna be a good night.
I was pretty done by the time The Quill were yesterday, and part of that I think was because I played it dumb on food. Today will be better, and by that I mean I brought a protein bar to the venue so I’ll have something to consume beyond calm-the-fuck-down-why-are-you-terrified-of-everything weed gummies, gum, and the free water that is so graciously available with little paper cones and everything at either side of the bar at The Usual Place. Will it make all the difference? I guess we’ll see when Paralyzed are finished how I feel about the prospect of sorting photos before bed. I am less tired than I was yesterday. O, that fresh mountain air.
I was in time for The Devil and the Almighty Blues’ soundcheck — I love a soundcheck lately — and thusly was gifted prescience of groove to come, which naturally I appreciated. A quiet tension in the room, then loud volume. More water in paper cones. Heck yes, thank you.
Follows here the night, as it happened from wherever I was standing, be it figuratively or literally. Or sitting, if we want to be honest. The caveats on typos (I’ll fix them sometime in the next however-many years; I fixed one from 2011 today) and flexible tenses apply. Time is weird when you’re thinking of a thing after it’s happened while it’s still happening. That processing in the moment. Anyway, onward:
Kaiser
One of my most anticipated bands of the fest, and I don’t think I was alone. They pulled an early crowd that knew what it was coming for, and delivered with vigor and tone, launching a groove that may indeed roll through the rest of the evening. Their soundcheck had also been killer, but they hit it harder in the set, as one would, and they put them over the top in my mind. Fest auteur John Gist had them out here in the Beforetimes, but I’m not that cool so wasn’t here for that, though it felt pretty cool to be here for this anyway. “Is Vegas awake?” We are now, man. They came all the way from Finland just to put boot to ass. Volume and force, and I guess I haven’t seen live video of them yet because they had more energy than I was knew was coming, which I’m not complaining about, but the nod was also elephantine, so the fact that they were making it move and moving with it made them all the more infectious, before you get to the good time they seemed to be having and the songs being right on. Not hard to see why John would bring them back, or how they would end up on Ripple. It’s by being really good, in case that wasn’t clear.
Wolftooth
Signed to Ripple for last Fall’s Wizard’s Light, Indiana’s Wolftooth brought together heavy tones with metallic precision and spot on vocal melody; that thread from last night for sure continues this evening, and it was all the more enjoyable to watch Wolftooth unite decades of rock and metal for it. “Valhalla” was a highlight, and some of the newer songs had me kicking myself for having not yet reviewed the album, but more than my punk rock guilt, what Wolftooth’s set underscored was the band’s utter mastery of their approach. And part of why I persist in thinking of them as a metal band is because their execution is so precise and their sound so crafted and hammered out feeling. Also the gallop. Also Iron Maiden. The guitar and bass tones were warmer live, but they don’t strike as a band who are leaving things to chance onstage or off. They hit it like pros, with chemistry and dynamic, soaring vocals and thrust to match. It’s debatable whether they’ll be the fastest band of the weekend — you’d have to sit down and take bpm averages against The Atomic Bitchwax, amd I have neither the technology nor time — but they’ve got the songs to change it up, as “Wizard’s Light” did, and the room was accordingly swept into it.
Freedom Hawk
The Virginian contingent never disappoint. I don’t know how many times I’ve seen Freedom Hawk over the years, but let’s have fun and call it “several-plus,” and they’ve never not satisfied. Consistent, and they made sense coming off of Wolftooth, since they also have a penchant for classic metal, though the balance is different. But that’s part of what Planet Desert Rock Weekend does so well, is bring together a lineup that is more than an assemblage of cool names or whoever has a new record out (nothing against that, mind you) but that has a narrative to the flow created from band to band, elements that tie together and/or distinguish, like Freedom Hawk. How’re you gonna come up against “Blood Red Sky?” “Solid Gold?” “Indian Summer?” Why would you? I didn’t know this but it’s their 20th anniversary this year and I think month, which is wild to conceive, but fair enough. Like Wolftooth, they knew what the fuckles they were doing, and while they sounded bigger than I’ve ever heard them coming through The Usual Place’s P.A., and it suited them well. I have probably said this before, but Freedom Hawk is a band you could watch any night of the week and they’ll make your day better. They tore it up for Friday night at Planet Desert Rock Weekend VI, and I was right during Kaiser; groove is the thread for the night. Somebody farted just as they were starting “Indian Summer.” Real life, folks. Stay tuned for more gritty reportage.
The Devil and the Almighty Blues
What to do when the band’s soundcheck was already a high point of the night? Well, you stick around for the set, dumbass. Pretty easy answer, actually. And The Devil and the Almighty Blues were very much the answer. Truth be told, I was already looking forward to this when I saw them last summer at Freak Valley in Germany (review here). That was a considerably larger space than this one, with the Rockpalast cameras going and such, and this is the most intimate setting for me yet. That they would take ownership of the stage wasn’t in question, as the Norwegian five-piece have done that every time I’ve seen them (this is my fourth; no, that doesn’t make me cool, but it has made me a fan), but I was curious how some of the moodier moments would go over with a crowd that’s been partying for the four hours prior. Turns out a party where sometimes you feel feelings is still a party. I’m pleased to report they did just fine, but which I mean the set was incredible, thanks. Like Freedom Hawk, they had volume on their side, and their tones, so classy and warm, lost none of their heart for it. Vocalist Arnt O. Andersen managed to find — or maybe he brought one from an extensive wardrobe thereof — a robe in which to cloak himself, and with rare charisma, he held down center stage while the band recast the history of heavy blues in their image. It felt like they were doing the genre favors. Very much a headliner set. I expected no less, got more than I expected.
Paralyzed
German rockers Paralyzed were supposed to open the show according to the original plan for the evening, but they wound up closing owing to a canceled flight or somesuch. The point is they made it, and people were glad to see them setting up gear. Classic rock carried over from The Devil and the Almighty Blues like Freedom Hawk carried over metal from Wolftooth, like Kaiser setting a high bar early and everyone holding up their end of the bargain while each doing something of their own. My first time seeing Paralyzed, but I had high hopes nonetheless. Their records have always had such an aspect of performance to them, but of course persona comes through bigger live. They had the classic rock, but they also had blues, and they were still their own thing. That’s what I’m talking about. The whole night has a flow from one to the next, and sometimes it’s blatant and sometimes you have to squint a little but it’s always there. I think about Paralyzed if they had started the night as intended — Kaiser would’ve inherited ‘brash’ — and it would’ve flowed differently, but the way it’s ended up, with Paralyzed using travel frustration as fuel, capping the show with a current of energy that would’ve certainly worked at the start of the night, makes a whole lot of sense too. So I suppose what I’m trying to tell you is I’m lucky to be in this room, to spend my time the way I do — here and at home — and it feels really good to know that while my head is being blasted out by Paralyzed’s next hard boogie strut. Thanks John Gist.
After Show
Man, night two went down smooth. From Kaiser on, not a dud set in the bunch. Paralyzed making it at the end was the perfect finish. A welcome reminder that sometimes things work out. God damn I needed this trip.
Can I tell you I thought I’d hate that Queens record? It was hyper-produced, as it would have to be, but I wasn’t mad about it. The one before was so forgettable. I’ll have to give it a real shot, which I guess means close a week with it at some point.
I stayed till the end tonight too. The crowd thins out — reasonable; it’s late and I don’t know the average age in the room, but would guess conservatively it’s north of 30 — but the bands still bring it. If these were full-day events, no way would I be able to hang out until 1AM. As it is here, it’s doable. It works.
Night two, just about everybody who’s gonna know each other does, and folks are way friendly. I’m pretty sure I’m the biggest asshole in the photo pit.
And speaking of, I could probably do it tonight, but I’m still leaving photo sorting for the morning. Good night. Thanks for reading.
Posted in Reviews on January 30th, 2026 by JJ Koczan
Earlier – Before Show
My flight got in last night, and even waking up already in the town where I’m seeing a show tonight feels like a relief, as opposed to getting here and needing to rush to the venue, which is how it might otherwise generally go. I made this trip to Las Vegas last year for Planet Desert Rock Weekend, and it was a highlight of the whole year, and set a positive tone that I’ll just say helped and leave it at that.
A lot this year is the same. I’m staying with Adam from Sonolith and his wife Jocelynn (and the power trio of weimaraners) again, which is great, and I feel ready for it. I woke up at about six this morning — which means I slept late with the three-hour time difference, but I was also up late thanks to the same temporal shenanigans — and had a Hungarian lesson on WhatsApp that, surprise, I forgot to cancel, before I even had time to brush my teeth. My teacher was very forgiving.
But Count’s Vamp’d, which was where three of the four nights last year were held, has closed, so The Usual Place, which was the bigger spot last year, will be home to the whole festival. And if you’re not familiar with the concept, Planet Desert Rock Weekend is put together by John Gist of Vegas Rock Revolution promotions. It’s five or six bands a night, tops, and it’s impeccably curated to such a degree as to make each one of them count.
Tonight, as an example, will feature five bands, three of whom — Saturna (Spain), Isaak (Italy) and The Quill (Sweden) — are European imports. I think The Quill might’ve come over at some point in their career, but the other two I’m pretty sure are making the trip for the first time. That would make it special enough. They’re to be joined by Oakland’s Phantom Hound, and Austin’s The Well, who play first and third, respectively. For me, it’s firsts for all save The Well, and I’m not Joey Goestoeveryshow, but nights of such proportion and anticipation are not of regular occurrence. So yes, special. That’s what you come for.
Here’s the night as it happened. I was there early enough to see The Quill soundcheck, which was well before doors. I’ll do my best on tenses, but no promises for consistency will be made. Reread this paragraph if you don’t know what I’m talking about. Typos too, while we’re doing disclaimers. I’m on my phone and doing my best to give some sense of what it’s like to be here while I am. Thanks for reading on if you do.
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The Show
Phantom Hound
It’s gonna be a (Planet Desert) rocker weekend, and Phantom Hound rocked the start of it. Big Alice in Chains circa Facelift/Soundgarden vibes vocally on their 2024 album, From Boom Town to Ghost Town, but the delivery was more direct from the stage, and there was room in the sound for the grunge later anyhow. That wasn’t the whole story, is what I’m saying. The room had been filling up, and the Oakland trio brought folks to the front, as one would hope for the night’s opener. That goes back to Gist’s curation, which was the thread last year for sure, and which gives every band a purpose in each slot. The ability to put people where you want them is not a thing to be taken lightly, and Phantom Hound were moody, but in a style able to crossover generations in its appeal, familiar in its roots but heavy and modern in tonality. If you like point of view, and I do, they had it. They nestled into a steady groove in material I didn’t know, and as a first impression of the night, weekend, and for me, the band, since I’d never seen them before, they came across like they know their strengths but are in it for the love of what they do. That gave the songs their soul, which was everything. Dude also shouted out his mom, who was in the crowd, and that was awesome.
Saturna
They said from the stage this was their second time in the US, and for them, this was the culmination of two weeks on the road, so yes, Saturna were basically on fire from the outset. I guess it’s fair to call them veterans since they’ve been around more than a decade, but even after 2024’s The Reset (review here), it’s fair to call them underrated, but they’re right up PDRW’s alley, with a take that blends ’70s and ’90s dual-guitar heavy with strong vocal melodies, enough instrumental flexibility to boogie when called to do so and songwriting that reaches into the progressive without feeling overly self-indulgent. As ends to tours go, they set themselves up (or whoever booked it set them up, anyhow) for a banger finish, which I guess one might do their second time over, but of course they had a hand in that too, with a performance that gave a sense of air, of letting it breathe, while still hitting tight. Hail heavy Spain. I’d never seen Saturna before, but I’m glad I did tonight, and not just because they covered “Never Say Die,” but yes, also that. They also set a high bar for a big rock finish.
The Well
I could tell you the last time I saw The Well, but I’m stoned enough at just this moment to skip the link-dump, and that feels better. It’s been a while. Their soundcheck found them right in the balance vocally, with guitarist Ian Graham and bassist Lisa Alley sharing the role, and after Saturna and Phantom Hound, killer vocals was fast becoming a theme fitting for an evening that would end with The Quill. But The Well. Different approach than either of the first two bands, but carrying elements of both forward from their own standpoint. Their West Coast tour is just starting — they were in Albuquerque last night, are on from here to CA — but their bounce was on point, and that feeling of movement is important to what they do. They had what was diagnosed from the stage as “technical bullshit,” but it was momentary and the sampler was going again soon after, and all was riffs and merriment of a dark but warm variety that the square universe neither could nor will ever realize but sure feels like gnarly mana for weirdos. They’re a pro shop. Maybe the theme for the night is ‘bands who make you happy to be in the room.’ No arguments. Time for a new record from The Well, but I wouldn’t rush them. They’re doing just fine as is. “Here’s a song everyone can relate to. It’s about the end of the world.” Of course it was “This is How the World Ends.” There was no chance they were lying. They had new stuff too, so bonus.
Isaak
I’ve been writing about this band since they were called Gandhi’s Gunn, over 15 years ago now, so to see them for the first time now is a trip. Understand, that doesn’t make me cool any more than it makes me an aardvark (though I also think being an aardvark would be kind of cool), but it gives seeing them some context for me. Their 2024 split with Geezer (review here) was both a hoot and a holler, and again, I was glad again to be here for it. If The Well were bounce and nod, Isaak were a shove, and that was more than called for. I’ll admit I was lagging before they went on (in part the jet- variety, in part just the old man variety), and that was a piece of why I went and sat in the photo pit more than 10 minutes before they went on — penance is I’m pretty sure I sat in spilled beer — but their energy left no room for it. They hit it hard and fast and if I didn’t know them before this I’d be concerned they were blowing themselves out before the tour, but I’m perfectly willing to believe this was how Isaak roll every night. Classic desert riffing, and they made it go. Sixteen years later, it feels nice to have been right in thinking something kicks ass. They might’ve enjoyed “The Way” most, or that might be me projecting. But as much as the immediacy suited them, I was still up front when they turned it hypnotic at the end and absolutely zero regrets on that. I did regret not introducing myself before to go up to the merch table after they were done, which is not always a thing I’m brave enough to do, being social interaction and all.
The Quill
Entering their maybe-40th year as a band, the heavy rocking monsters of Mönsterås were classic to start with, so I’m not sure how you would define them now other than how I just did. And unlike most of the other bands tonight, The Quill didn’t make a tour of it. Frontman Magnus Ekwall even said from the stage they were here just for this occasion. And they made it one. There’s metal in their sound as well as no shortage of rock, but when they hit into the hook of “Queen of Illusion,” it was all of it out together. Ekwall indeed tipped off the night for singers, with backing from guitarist Christian Carlsson and bassist Roger Nilsson, and in addition to respecting The Quill for having been at it as long as they have and, particularly, for making the trip to Vegas, they also killed. Midnight came and went and they made it worth sticking around. With drummer Jolle Atlagic adding to the roll, Carlsson had his Sabbath cross well placed, shredding with precision and soul alike; someone born to do a thing and who’s worked on it for probably well over four decades anyway. Craft was part of the appeal, the memorability of their material, recent or old (they did “Voodoo Caravan,” which they might every show, I don’t care, it was still cool), but it was the heart that sold me on it. If they didn’t love it they wouldn’t be here telling people to buy shirts so they don’t have to take them back to Sweden, belting it out. And once again, it was a shift away from what Isaak were doing, who were a shift from The Well and in through Saturna and Phantom Hound, but there was consistency too, in the songs and the way they handed them to the crowd along with the room’s collective ass. An arena set.
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After Show
Yo it’s like two in the morning, no way am I sorting photos tonight. I entertained the notion for actual earth seconds, but it’ll be there in the morning and presumably so will I. So we’ll have no more talk of that. I’m even more tired than when I did that Hungarian lesson at 6:30 this morning.
It was a good night, and in its sans-bullshit spirit, I’ll dispense with wax poetry about it. PDRW VI picks up tomorrow bright and early (not really) and I’m gonna sleep the crap out of the rest of the night so I can be ready for it.
By the time this is posted, there will be more pics after the jump. Thanks again for reading.
Posted in Whathaveyou on December 22nd, 2025 by JJ Koczan
Last time around, when Bask and Kind were added to the bill, word was that was the final update from Planet Desert Rock Weekend VI set for the end of next month, but you know how these things go. Change is the order of the universe and all that. Bone Church are out and Wolftooth are in. So it goes. Wolftooth‘s new album, Wizard’s Light, streams at the bottom of this post.
The Indiana riff-metallers will take part in the Friday lineup at PDRW, playing alongside imports like The Devil and the Almighty Blues, Kaiser and Paralyzed, as well as Virginia stalwarts Freedom Hawk, as the centerpiece slot in a five-band Ripple Music showcase. You can see the full lineup as it stands in the poster below. It both totally speaks for itself and begs much nerding out about who’s making the trip, from Spaceslug and The Quill to Throttlerod and Kind. I’m stoked Familiars will be there, and Isaak and Saturna along with others I’ve never seen and surefire hits like The Atomic Bitchwax, Dirty Streets and High Desert Queen. It’s a hell of a bill, hand-picked and assembled for four killer nights in Las Vegas.
I’ve been looking forward to this since before it was announced, and I know I’m not alone. Here’s the latest from the PR wire:
Planet Desert Rock Weekend VI – Wolftooth
Well, we thought all the dust had settled, but we have a shift in the lineup for Planet Desert Rock Weekend VI. We are excited to announce that Wolftooth out of Indiana will be joining us in Vegas! This killer stoner metal band recently released their 4th album “Wizard’s Light” and landed #3 on the November Doom Charts. Ripple band Wolftooth will be playing on Night 2 (Friday) as part of the Ripple Music Showcase.
In a lineup that is very rock centric this year, Wolftooth brings some metal to the party. With influences coming from early Sword and more melodic side of metal, they deliver a hard two guitar punch every show. Had the good fortune to catch them years ago at The Spider Ballroom down in Austin and they crushed. This will be their 1st trip out west and will be just playing Planet Desert Rock Weekend while out here. Sadly, Bone Church had to cancel due to some internal band challenges. We were really looking forward to having them.
Planet Desert Rock Weekend VI in Vegas is shaping to be the most anticipated one yet as presales show we have fans coming from 6 countries (not including USA) and 31 states. The lineup features bands from 9 countries and really shows the strength in the heavy underground scene worldwide. Rock is NOT DEAD. We hope to play a small part in helping get the word out about all the amazing bands that create music that many more will love once discovered!
All sets are in the evening so fans can enjoy lots of the cool stuff in Las Vegas like museums (Punk Rock, Mob Museum, Haunted Museum, Atomic Museum + more), hiking in parks, sightseeing, gaming, cannabis lounges, shows and much more during the day. Our temps have usually been in the 50s – 60s. Each night is specially curated and will have premium sound in a comfortable indoor venue that is located at the lower end of Fremont Street. We can’t wait to see so many familiar faces back….. they have been part of the inspiration behind why Planet Desert Rock Weekend has continued to grow. We will have 4- 5 shirt designs and 5 posters all done by the amazing Joey Rudell (Fuzz Evil)! We can’t thank him enough! See you soon everyone!
Cheers, John Gist
The lineup for the Friday January 30th- Ripple Showcase is: The Devil & the Almighty Blues (Norway) Freedom Hawk (Va Beach) Wolftooth (Indiana) Kaiser (Finland) Paralyzed (Germany)
Posted in Whathaveyou on December 1st, 2025 by JJ Koczan
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!
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!
Posted in Whathaveyou on November 10th, 2025 by JJ Koczan
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.
