Mozaiq was on stage when I arrived. Their mix of reggae and some R-N-B from what I heard had me bopping a bit.It’s smooth and “reggae”-punchy at the same time. They have a great sound and I have seen many reggae bands, including being invited by Steel Pulse to their shows and backstage in the 90’s. God, that seems so long ago….ahh, back to the show…
Zach Huskey took the acoustic stage while waiting for Blackwater Gospel on the main stage.
Black Water Gospel has some good hooks and I am sure once I hear them a few times, I will start to know the tunes and the lyrics. Lance, the lead singer and guitarist, does know how to command an audience. The sax player layers well into the songs and truly complimented the sound. Dan, the bassist, is one of the top bass players I have seen in the desert – he’s got the bottom beat that fits right in. Dan is also in Bridger, and his commanding bass runs in that band are almost a world apart from the bluesy-rock sound of BWG.
Up next was Rob Lawrence on the acoustic stage. Rob is also in Upper Class Poverty, another great sounding band here in the desert. His acoustic set was awesome and quite a change from the sound of UCP.
The main stage was then blessed with the Hellions, one of the few bands to perform for all 10 years of the benefit, as Josh got up to tell us.
The Hellions have a hard charging beat and sound, and they have a sound reminiscent of the early days of the Ramones with some surf punk mixed in. The Hellions also did a tribute to the late David Bowie with Suffragette City and the crowd loudly joined in. I look forward to more of The Hellions and would love to see them tour with Bridger and Throw the Goat – a trio of sound that would knock an audience off their feet.
Michael Keeth was up next on the acoustic stage with Martin Barerra. The two guitarists have a unique sound – both are incredible musicians. I don’t know exactly how many bands Martin is in, but he has stepped up to cover a guitarist missing from other bands many times and never misses a note. Michael has the vocal charm to carry almost any tune, high or low, and keeps the audience enrolled in his set from the start. You can catch Michael around the desert as he is booked almost the entire season – every place wants him!
Saturday’s event closed with Giselle Woo and the Night Owls, with a guitarist I had not seen yet in the desert. By far , this gentleman could play, with his influences from Jimmy Page and Slash, and a little bit of Carlos Santana clearly coming through. Trust me, this got my attention immediately.
His solos demonstrated a clear mastery and control of the sound, tone and fretboard on both of the guitars he used for the show. He had a Les Paul Standard and a Telecaster, each with unique and distinct tones.
Giselle has some true gold in this guitarist. At one point, he leaned over to the bassist and asked for the Bic lighter in his pocket. This started a run using the lighter as a slide – it clearly made me thing of Jimmy Page using the Theremin during “Whole Lotta Love”.
Giselle’s songs have a mix of rock and Latin sounds – some reminded me of Carlos Santana’s hooks, without copying them. The energy and interactions on stage with her band really brought the audience to their feet – some brought chairs and others just got up and danced.
As the curfew hit again at midnight, the show and benefit closed.
It was an honor to photograph this year’s event and get to hear some great bands!
Thanks to Josh, all of the volunteers who gave their time to make this a truly unique event in the desert!
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