Performing at Joshua Tree Music Festival
Mikey Reyes, Bryanna Evaro, David Yuter and Tyler Saraca are the Reggae, Funk, Roots and Soul that comprise the multifarious Desert Rhythm Project. DRP will be performing songs from their recently released debut album, Mojave Roots, at the Joshua Tree Music Festival on Friday, May 18th at 8:15 p.m. We sat down with Mikey to talk about the JTMF, Mojave Roots and the DRP game plan for the remainder of 2018.
CVW: You have performed at Joshua Tree Music Festival multiple times. How are you feeling about DRP’s upcoming Spring JTMF performance?
MIKEY: “We are extremely excited and looking forward to our upcoming performance at this year’s JTMF. We have a great time slot, Friday night opening up for one of our favorite artists, Cory Henry & The Funk Apostles. We are also super stoked to showcase lots of new material, some of which has been requested, by popular demand, from my ‘Wordplay Wednesday 760’ series. We are also super stoked because we will be playing JTMF’s first-ever ‘Beats, Rhymes and Spoken Word’. We are hosting a late night Hip-Hop set backed by DRP and DJ ODC which will showcase six emcees; WilldaBeast, Provoked, Mikey Reyes, Michael Shawn Cuevas, Rollin, Xavier and Juju.”
CVW: What has the JTMF come to mean to you?
MIKEY: “The JTMF is family; it’s a feeling, it’s love, it’s life, it’s a catalyst for our creativity. It has served us and continues to serve us with not only love and fellowship but also opportunity. Not only have we gained new fans and followers but a space to showcase new music and ideas. We love you Barney!”
CVW: DMP’s music surpasses the outer limits of rock, reggae and funk. Where do you feel you are headed musically?
MIKEY: “Our music is a reflection of our experience and existence. We love all styles and genres of music, so our writing process is really an extension of what and how we are feeling. We have been writing a lot more Funk and Hip-Hop as of late. We love all styles of music and we really try to be open to the movement and let the creative process flow through us instead of controlling the direction of our sound. This music is a journey. It’s our journey and we are blessed to be along for the ride.”
CVW: The current line-up of DRP is cosmic. Tell us about each member and how you feel about them.
MIKEY: “DRP’s current lineup is me on lead guitar and vocals, Bryanna Evaro on bass and vocals, Tyler Saraca on drums and David Yuter on keyboards. As band leader, I am super stoked and so impressed with all of our players. Everyone has their own style and brings so much to the table. Tyler is a beast! He’s got grooves for days and is constantly raising the bar, not only for himself, but for the band as well. David is a shredder. He’s got such a wide range of musical capabilities which makes working with him such a breeze. And Bry, well, I mean what can I say that you don’t already know? Bry is magic! She’s the Yin to my Yang, my best friend, biggest supporter, my harshest and most honest critic. Not to mention, she slays it on bass and vocals, I mean really… need I say more?”
CVW: What is coming down the DRP pipeline?
MIKEY: “We are working on a summer tour to be announced very soon, but we can share that we will be playing June 16th with MarchFourth in Carson City, NV and at Wanderlust Music Festival this July in Squaw Valley, CA. There are some really amazing hard hitters playing this festival and we feel honored to be a part of the lineup.”
CVW: Mojave Roots is a breakthrough album and a long time coming. What’s it like to have your art out there for the masses?
MIKEY: “It feels amazing to know that something that was so close to our hearts for so long is now out there in the world, out in the world for people to share, to heal, to dance, to cry, to love. It’s such a great sense of personal accomplishment to finish a project that is so personal, sensitive and venerable and now thanks to digital media and online streaming, we can share it with the world. Wow! What an honor!”
CVW: As a member of this community, we are proud of how you have carried yourself and the love you share through your music and lyrics. Describe to me the feelings you get when you represent the desert when you perform outside of our area.
MIKEY: “I have a tremendous sense of pride of where I come from. I feel honored to be from Indio and am so proud to be a part of the next generation of music coming out of our desert home. I love traveling to new places near and far and telling people where I’m from. I carry the desert with me everywhere I go. The energy and love that resonates here between the low and high desert feeds my soul and creative flow. I’m looking forward to traveling the world playing my music but my roots will always be firmly planted here in the desert.”
On-line sales are over for JTMF but you can still purchase tickets at the box office.
BOX OFFICE HOURS – WED: Noon – 10pm (early entry)
THU / FRI / SAT: 8am – Midnight SUN: 8am – 8pm.
Don’t miss Bryanna in Songwriter Sessions on Sunday at 12:30 pm on the Boogaloo Stage.
http://www.desertrhythmproject.com/
