The Evolution of a Ten Year Old Kid’s Hyper Active Music Fetish
By Lisa Morgan
A lot of people have dreams and aspirations as children. The determined ones fulfill them. Barnett English began collecting music at the age of ten with whatever he could get his hands and ears on. As an adult, he collected music through music festivals. English attended over 600 music festivals before finding himself looking around the beautiful high desert and thinking, “This would be a great place for a music festival!”
In regard to booking the over 30 acts that perform on the multiple stages made of recycled materials, “There is no criteria per se,” shared Barnett. “We have all kinds of performers here and all types of genres. Basically, the performer / band has to really stand out in some unique way. I’ve been collecting and listening to music hyper-actively since I was 10, so I constantly research, listen to music, and I go to 20 plus festivals a year – I’m a music junkie.”
Repeat local entries to the lineup of over 30 artists include bands The Adobe Collective, Desert Rhythm Project, Gene Evaro, Jr., and the musical burlesque show Cactus Wine Experience.
I spoke with the supremely lovely and talented Byanna Evaro from Desert Rhythm Project about what makes this festival special to her, and who she looks forward to seeing most: “This year, I am really excited to see a lot of artist – Dumpstaphunk for sure, Stone Soul, and Dam Funk. I’m also really looking forward to seeing Trevor Green and his new project that he’s been working on. There are a ton of amazing upbeat funk fusion bands, which I love, so I’m really looking forward to watching them all. JTMF feels like a family holiday to me. Ever since we moved back to the desert, we’ve always had a hand in the happenings one way or another. Probably my most favorite part is cruising around the festival grounds and seeing that my sister Gabriella’s art work is everywhere. That is so special. It’ll be there long after the music fades… I love that! She is so multi-talented, and was really able to let her art and creativity flourish and grow at JTMF. That is kind of the theme for JTMF – ‘Community.’ Community is crucial. There is so much talent and beauty living right here amongst us. JTMF is a family affair. It’s for everyone. The young, the old, the freaks, the geeks and everything in between. There is something for everyone. It’s just so easy… so easy to get around, it’s super safe. Kids run the fest. I mean literally – kids are running around everywhere, having the time of their lives! It’s the most amazing thing to witness! It’s just love…all love.”
Byanna Evaro’s little sister, Gabriella is not only a talented artist, but musician and dancer as well. She is the founder of the Cactus Wine Experience, a project she began to fuse her love of playing music with her family and her performance art. She has created, along with her talented collection of friends and family, a true musical “experience” that will take you back to an old watering hole in the 1800s. I had the absolute joy of seeing this wild west burlesque show at Pappy and Harriet’s and I promise, you will not be disappointed. Of their second performance at the Joshua Tree Music Festival, the younger Evaro teases, “Come walk into a true Cactus Wine Experience. Bubble baths, Henry the horse on a stick, and juicy Watermelon love. We are anticipating this to be the best show yet! With music from Big Bill Broonzy to Harlem Hamfats, this show will have you wanting more!”
One duo who is playing in collectives throughout the festival is High-Def Horns which include the dynamic horns duo of Scott “Drago” Kisinger (trombone) and Clint Stoker (tenor sax). Kisinger shared, “I first played the Joshua Tree Music Festival in 2011 with The California Celts, featuring The Poland Brothers, Chris and Aaron. I’ve also played there with The Collective, featuring Gene Evaro Jr., Gabrielle Evaro, Kennedy Mike Madsen, Piper Robinson, Bobby Nichols and Mitchell Arganda. I’d say Dumpstafunk would get my vote for an awesome band not to miss at this year’s festival. They are crazy good! I am performing five shows at the Joshua Tree Music Festival starting Thursday at 7:15 pm with Gene Evaro Jr., then Friday at 11:50 am with The Adobe Collective, Saturday at 2:50 pm with Desert Rhythm Project, Saturday at 11:30 pm with the Cactus Wine Experience, and again on Sunday night with Gene Evaro, Jr.”
Speaking to Tim and Faith Chinnock of The Adobe Collective, who are enjoying a second invitation to play the festival, it becomes clear that this unique festival experience had gifted them with many sweet memories long before they ever performed there. Faith remembers being 37 weeks pregnant and listening to Tim Easton. “This festival is different from the others in how family focused it is,” shares Tim, now a father of two. “There are a lot of activities for kids, and the vibe is really laid back – the people who make their way to this festival are generally very open.” Performances on the Chinnocks’s must see list, include, Third Ear Experience and Megan Hutch.
The first Joshua Tree Music Festival took place on April 11-13, 2003. “There is a radical difference between that first festival and what it has grown into today,” Barnett shared with CV Weekly. “The first festival was 500 people and one stage. It was great fun, but very disorganized; we improve every time!”
Barnett has worked hard to make this festival a family friendly, global music experience, with a REAL community vibe and feel. He describes it as, “a restorative, instead of depleting, experience for attendees.” To help accomplish that goal, there are several things at this festival that you might not find at many others.
KIDSVILLE: The festival is a “family affair, and uber kid friendly.” Kids 10 and under get in for free and young ones aged 11-16 get an all weekend festival pass for $80. Family Camp is a designated area for those with families and for a quieter space after hours. The area provides fresh artesian well water for drinking, hot showers and cooling shower stations at no charge. Over 30,000 square feet of shade cloth is hung for daytime cover so kids (and adult kids) are comfy.”
YOGA & HEALING: Yoga from sunrise to sunset is available through 39 classes by 15 instructors over all three days of the festival.
POSITIVE VIBRATION STATION: Experience a Zuni Elders Ceremony and presentation, self healing techniques through breathing, sound baths, education, free movement and dance, gong meditation, instruction in how to play the Didgeridoo, and more.
LIVE PAINTING AND AUCTION: Artists will paint live at the festival, feeding off the energy of the music and audience. Their works will be sold via silent auction. Half the proceeds go to the artists, and the other half will go to a children’s music program.
RANDOM ACTS OF MINDFULNESS: This includes a photo booth, a create your own festival t-shirt booth, the Joshua Tree Astronomy Theater, Roaming Sounds Recording Studio, a Pop Up Tea Party and more.
Online ticket sales are over, but tickets can be purchased at the entrance. For more information on the bands, activities and camping go to www.joshuatreemusicfestival.com.
