From talking about fears with Jarvis Cocker to an impressive psych rock band from Japan, this is what you need to know about the first two days of Desert Daze at Lake Perris State Recreation Area.
Desert Daze packed plenty of drama in its first two days at the Lake Perris State Recreation Area.
On Friday night, severe thunderstorms rolled through, prompting organizers to pull the plug on the whole night early in Tame Impala’s set. A day later, it was like the rain had washed away the bad vibes of the night before (and the opening day parking woes) with hours of psychedelic rock at the lakeside park.
But Friday wasn’t all bad. Pulp’s Jarvis Cocker brought his new project Jarv Is, which includes a harpist, to the secondary Block stage. Cocker, ever the engaging frontman, got intimate with the audience, at one point jumping into the crowd with his microphone to have a conversation about fear. It ended up with Cocker waxing poetic about how the fear of failure is like jumping into the cold water of Lake Perris and while it might shock the system for a few moments, it’s more rewarding than dipping your toe in and running away.
But that kind of deep-thinking perspective was a perfect match for the festival, which had discussion sessions scheduled on topics including medicinal mushrooms and cultivating empathy. In addition to his deep conversational moments, Cocker also led his band in a fantastic rendition of Pulp’s “His ‘n’ Hers.”
After the soul-affirming set from Jarv Is, British punk band Idles gave a life-affirming one inside the Theater tent. The blistering, commanding performance was impossible to ignore and stands as the most energetic set of the festival so far.
And while Tame Impala only had 15 minutes on Friday night between coming to the stage late and then being ushered off while the site was evacuated, the set had the makings of something spectacular, particularly when the lightning was in the far distance. At least we still got “Let It Happen” and some confetti.
On Saturday, Desert Daze hit the reset button, reworking the logistics of getting fans into the venue (this time without waiting for hours) and keeping the grounds in unbelievably great shape after Friday’s downpour. And while dark clouds hung overhead early, the rain stayed away and cooler temperatures prevailed.
Hand Habits was moved from the secondary stage to the larger Moon Stage along the shore of Lake Perris, a perfect setting for Meg Duffy’s dreamy indie pop akin to Beach House and Mazzy Star.
Duffy performed on stage again a couple of hours later as part of Kevin Morby’s band, at one point playfully jumping on his back while he played, as Morby delivered a fine set that kicked off with “City Music,” “Crybaby” and the punky “1234” all from his 2017 record “City Music.”
While Mercury Rev came on a bit late after taking extra time to soundcheck, it was worth it. The band had arguably the best sound of the weekend as it turned its 1998 album “Deserter’s Songs” into a living, breathing lush soundscape against the hills and water as the sun sank behind the horizon.
But once darkness took hold, things got way trippy — and this was after a polar bear went around doling out high fives in the afternoon — thanks to the psychedelic rock soundtrack.
JJUUJJUU, the band of fest founder Phil Pirrone, had the best visuals not only behind them on the smaller Block stage, but also on the canopy above the crowd, where a kaleidoscope of colors moving accompanied the sludgy, fuzzy rock.
Over on the largest stage, Chelsea Wolfe channeled Siouxsie Sioux, if Sioux had been a teenager in the age of Hot Topic. It was very goth and very dark, literally, but she attracted a large crowd.
The highlight of the day was easily the Japanese band Kikagaku Moyo, which followed JJUUJJUU on the secondary stage, returning to the fest for the first time since 2014. Yes, it was psychedelic, and there was a sitar in the mix, but there were also plenty of funk elements and disco drums thrown in, getting a crowd that extended far beyond the canopy up and dancing.
Back on the main stage, Slowdive’s shoegaze and powerful distortion gave a preview of what was to come Sunday with My Bloody Valentine.
That stage closed down for the night with headliner King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard — an Australian seven-piece psych rock band that has two drummers. The band drew a crowd of thousands that rocked out through songs like “I’m In Your Mind” and “Rattlesnake,” culminating the festival’s second day in a frenzy of fuzz.
