Aphrodisiac Jacket // Mighty Jack // Vasoline Tuner
Friday, May 8, 2026 – 8:00PM
Instigator // Sacred Origin // The Hellions
Saturday, May 9, 2026 – 8:00PM
This weekend The Dune Room will be rocking! A loaded line-up on Friday and Saturday of local Rock bands. Friday features Aphrodisiac Jacket, Mighty Jack and Vasoline Tuner. Saturday includes Instigator, Sacred Origin and The Hellions. Pre-sale ticket available here: duneroomindio.com or you can pay at the door.
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NOE GUTIERREZ – Lead Vocalist of Aphrodisiac Jacket
CVW: A lot of bands can play songs, but not everyone can own them. What’s your approach to making a cover feel like Aphrodisiac Jacket instead of karaoke?
NG: “I’ve been listening to and singing these songs since 1985. I’ve listened to them over and over and gone over them in my head. As much as I love the original/recorded versions, I enjoy how Ian Astbury (The Cult lead vocalist) and the band still embellish all the strong points of their songs when they perform live. Playing with these seasoned guys (Marc, Eric, Jeff and Armando) also brings out the originality in me. It’s a reciprocity of respect for the music; we feel it in rehearsal.”
CVW: As a frontman covering iconic vocalists, how do you balance respecting the original while still putting your own stamp on it?
NG: “Studying the greats, learning their idiosyncrasies while honoring mine is key. I enjoy singing in general. I feel singing other people’s songs can be an art form. Yungblud made the Black Sabbath song Changes his own while honoring Ozzy at the Back to the Beginning show and won a ‘Best Rock Performance’ Grammy! There’s a place for all of us in music.”
“Several years ago, I had the opportunity to record an original song with another band I was in, Joe’s Boyz. So, I’ve felt the challenge of staying true to the structure of your song while adding to it in a live setting. Recently I spent some time in Hemet, California with Billy Tsounis (Vasoline Tuner) and we created 17 songs in one afternoon! Cover songs…original songs…I love it all!”
CVW: What’s the one song in your set that consistently gets the biggest reaction and why do you think it hits so hard live?
NG: “Easily, She Sells Sanctuary from ‘Love’ (1985). It’s the one song, I feel, we look at with the most reverence. She Sells will be here long after we are gone. It’s iconic, it’s melodic, it’s meaningful. John Garcia (Kyuss) introduced me to that song in high school. John points to The Cult as an early major influence. We all know how well he did”.
CVW: Reading a crowd is everything for a cover band, what’s your go-to move when you feel the energy dipping?
NG: “Ha, I wish I had a go-to move! I believe it’s having trust in the set of songs you built and how you execute them. There’s that conversation in any band before a show where you determine the set list and order. It’s all in the planning. If the energy is dipping, it has nothing to do with the crowd. I enjoy being funny, so I always have something smart-ass or witty to say”.
CVW: What’s the hardest song to pull off vocally in your set, and what makes it such a challenge?
NG: “I would say Fire Woman from ‘Sonic Temple’ (1989). There’s a lot of harmonies to be executed in that song. Coincidentally, Billy Duffy (The Cult guitarist) says it’s one of the most difficult songs for him to perform live. If you ask Eric (my guitarist), he doesn’t think so. There is so much soul and Blues in Ian’s delivery, he leaves a lot of ‘room to move’ if you know what I mean.”
CVW: What’s a song you wish you could add to the set but haven’t nailed yet?
NG: Heart of Soul from their ‘Ceremony’ album (1991) is a powerful song to me. I’ve suggested it to the band since 2014. I feel I can nail it but it’s one of those forgotten B-side kinda songs. I encourage anyone reading this to go listen to it now on your chosen platform”.
CVW: At the end of the night, what makes you feel like you and the band actually won the crowd?
NG: “If we feel good about what we did, I feel the crowd experienced that too. We enjoy hanging out together at rehearsal and socializing before and after shows. I believe we are all at an age now where overthinking is not something we do. There’s that sports analogy of ‘leaving it all on the field’… we ‘leave it all on the stage’.”
APHRODISIAC JACKET:
Made up of several Desert Music diehards, Aphrodisiac Jacket is the brainchild of guitarist Marc Gentry. The motivation behind this band is to honor the music that helped shape us as teens from a band that continues to amaze audiences around the world from playing their classics to still writing new material.
This show includes Noe Gutierrez on vocals, Jeff Bowman on drums, Eric Willman on guitar and Armando Flores on bass and backing vocals. Past musicians who have participated include; Martin Barrera (B Movie Superstars), Randy Caserta (The Barflys), drummers Benny Cancino, Jr. (Kelly Derrickson, The Whizards, Invitro), Dominic Jimenez (The Flashback Boyz, Courtney Chambers, Wyte Gye), Mike Cancino (House of Broken Promises, Unida), Steve Ussery (The Barflys), bassists Rob Martinez (Macho Combo), Mike Jimenez (Wyte Gye), Jerry Bryson (Stonz Thro, Joe’s Boyz, Black Water) and Dub Wallace (Blasting Echo, Long Duk Dong).
MIGHTY JACK:
Mighty Jack are an equitable balance of Punk-Surf-Lounge Rock. With Charlie ‘Count Chuckula’ Ellis on vocals, guitar and keys, Marcos ‘Cooska’ Gentry on guitar and background vocals, Jeff ‘Papa Looch’ Bowman on drums and Armando ‘El Grande Chorizo’ Flores on bass. Despite the absence of original bassist Aaron C. Ramson “The Hawaiian”, it is believed this will be his last show. Mighty Jack have a couple of ‘Best Rock Band’ Coachella Valley Music Awards under their belt. You don’t want to miss this performance!
VASOLINE TUNER:
Vasoline Tuner is the psychedelic and experimental rock project of Los Angeles–based guitarist, songwriter, and producer Billy Tsounis. Blending Garage Psych, Noise Rock, Lo-Fi aesthetics, and outsider sensibilities, the project delivers raw, surreal music driven by instinct, distortion, and vivid imagery. Live performances are high-energy and immersive, built for underground clubs, art-spaces, and alternative venues. The project is open to label collaborations, curated releases, and live bookings.
Vasoline Tuner’s music is characterized by dense, hypnotic grooves, heavily effected guitars, and eccentric vocal stylings. Their sound collides 1970s hard-rock energy with neo-psychedelic textures, drawing comparisons to The Flaming Lips and Neutral Milk Hotel. Humor, surrealism, and improvisation are core elements—often described as the sonic equivalent of a Salvador Dalí painting.
INSTIGATOR:
Melting faces since 2016, Thrash Metal band Instigator are Mark Wadlund, (lead guitar and vocals), Jaxon Fischer (rhythm guitar and vocals), Garrison Calkins (bass), Chance Azar (drums). Still young in age and heart, Instigator has literally ‘instigated’ a Metal movement within the dirty desert. Influencing artists like Mourning High, another Coachella Valley-borne band now touring Europe. This is Instigator’s time to shine and headline in their return to The Dune Room!
Mark Wadlund – Lead Guitarist of Instigator
CVW: Every great guitarist has a signature feel—what do you think makes your playing instantly recognizable in Instigator?
Wadlund: Instigator is all about aggression.
Ironically, the guitar sound in Instigator is signature in its tightness- Jaxon Fischer and myself are extremely locked in, we’ve learned each other’s nuances over the course of an entire decade, and we shape the entire guitar tone around how we play- I’m personally a little more heavy handed so I like a slightly thicker tone, whereas Jaxon’s pick attack and speed is second to none, and it shines in his Boogie Mark V’s Mid section.
CVW: What’s your relationship with solos—are they a moment to show off, or another way to serve the song?
Wadlund: Personally, I’d say even that answer itself depends on the song-
In ‘Left With Scars’ for example, the leads are designed to add craze and texture- Whereas in a song like ‘Necessary Evil’ or ‘Destructive Tendencies’, the guitar solo really had its own dedicated slot in the arrangement that makes it pop.
CVW: Who are the players that shaped your style early on, and how have you broken away from those influences over time?
Wadlund: My holy trinity:
Eddie, Dime, Zakk.
The true innovators of the guitar.
I find that all of these legends had one thing in common- They were unapologetically themselves…!
For myself as a player, it started with the guitars;
I play a Modded 2008 Gibson Explorer, and a Modded 2011 Gibson Flying V Tremolo edition-
At this point in my career, I’ve LITERALLY sold all my other guitars… By refusing to play signature guitars, and modifying my own guitars to my tastes; It actually helps me to explore my own hands, and the things they can do.
CVW: What’s the most physically or mentally demanding song in your set to play?
Wadlund: ‘Saturn’. We often end the set on the song actually, it’s become a staple and a fan favorite.
It’s so technically diverse and quick, it is not a song for the faint of heart to play effectively.
CVW: If someone’s seeing Instigator for the first time, what do you want them to walk away saying about your guitar work?
Wadlund: Completing the objective. As a professional, my sole responsibility is to create a sound that matches the songs, and especially the band as a whole.
I want people walking away from Instigator knowing that they witnessed the sound of thrash metal in its purest form.
Real Double Bass Drum Kicks from Chance Azar, Monstrous Bass Tone from Garrison Calkins, and surgically precise guitar assault from Jaxon Fischer and myself.
SACRED ORIGIN:
Sacred Origin members Rick (guitar/vocals), Ivan (guitar) and Tomas (drums) began their Metal journey in 2017 in South Gate, California. A mix of Thrash and Death Metal, the band will be making their return to The Dune Room supporting Instigator. “We are excited to be back at The Dune Room and stoked to be playing with our good friends in Instigator who invited us on.” Their sound is intricate and precise. The combination of Thrash and Death Metal genres is known as Deathrash, a subgenre characterized by its fast and aggressive guitar riffs, intense drumming, and harsh vocals. The lyrics often deal with themes of violence, war, and death, with a raw and uncompromising sound. Sacred Origin is raw and uncompromising, a speed and intensity like you’ve never seen.
THE HELLIONS:
I don’t think anyone can do anything for 28 years. The Hellions; Angel Lua, Bob Llamas, Travis Rockwell and Jamie Hargate have done just that. Since 1998 they have reigned over the Coachella Valley overseeing the Rock/Punk scene and seeing bands come and go. They’ve performed on virtually every surface and stage in the Coachella Valley and High Desert. Their triumphant return to The Dune Room will be epic as they are a band that can attach themselves to any line-up.
