A family friendly global music experience in the magical Mojave, The Joshua Tree Music Festival is one of the nation’s premier family friendly festivals. An intimate festival where lasting friendships are created, the element of belonging is tangible, and the experience is real. The music is diverse, and the Kidsville schedule is action packed. Magically magnificent art installations, a full spectrum of yoga classes, 27 different music playshops, late night Astronomy theatre, circus performers, and a World Market further inspire and intrigue. Discover your new favorite band and dozens of new friends in the shadows of the Joshua Tree National Park.
The spring line-up features the live electronic funk’n disco of Kraak & Smaak, gritty raw California soul with a heart from Orgone, the transcendent progressive intergalactic wizardry of House of Hamsa, the Korean folk rock of Jambinai (more a force of nature than a band), celebratory New Orleans high life from the California Honeydrops, Zimbabwe’s hottest export; Mokoomba, seminal house music pioneer Marques Wyatt, the otherworldly grooves of Liberation Movement, the Prince-meets-Stevie Wonder soul-funk of (Joshua Tree’s own) Gene Evaro Jr. and more.
The festival line-ups are diverse. They look for artists on the rise; the wildly talented dream chasers who deliver passionate performances as if their lives depended on it. Many artists have performed here as unknowns, and now have thriving music careers, such as: Brett Dennen, the Avett Brothers, Trombone Shorty, Deer Tick, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, Trampled by Turtles, Carolina Chocolate Drops, Ghostland Observatory, California Honeydrops, Greensky Bluegrass, Gene Evaro, Valerie June, Orgone and many more.
Kidsville is brimming with interactive, hands on projects happening throughout each day. Circus street shows, creation station projects, slack line instruction, music performances, free-range art and the Love Boat, keep the children inspired. Kids 10 and under attend the festivals for free, and young ones aged 11-16 get in for half price. Kidsville is fully shaded (as is the music bowl), and centrally located at the festival, within earshot of the music bowl.
The festivals (there are two each year; one in May, one in October) are cozy, community-centric, artistically infused and highly participatory affairs. They are produced by a family of friends and funsters convinced that music is the soul of life, and that art enriches and saves lives. With just one stage ‘live’ at a time, everyone enjoys each performance together. Those ‘shared experiences’ are where you find the magic. “This is a festival community that will take you in as a family member, and send you home with more than you came with; recharged and energized!” says Barnett English, event founder and organizer.
The desert is freedom, music is power, and community is crucial. Tap in to this magical trifecta and get your JTMF tickets at: www.joshuatreemusicfestival.com/tickets.html
For the full line-up and festival info, log onto: www.joshuatreemusicfestival.com.
Photos courtesy of Joshua Tree Music Festival
