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ES&TMZ: The Joshua Tree Music Festival

Phobiac - 5-14-2009 at 05:33 PM


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Vanessa Franko: Audio File Try a music festival near you


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10:00 PM PDT on Thursday, May 14, 2009
By VANESSA FRANKO
The Press-Enterprise
Every year, the Joshua Tree Music Festival gathers an eclectic group of artists that play everything from dance music to world beats at the Joshua Tree Lake Campground. This year's festival kicks off today and runs through Sunday.

One of the essential acts to catch at this year's edition is the Zydepunks.

The New Orleans-based band's initial idea was merging folk music and punk music, according to Christian Kuffner, who plays accordion and fiddle and handles lead vocals for the group.

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Special To the Press Enterprise
The Zydepunks mix Cajun music, Celtic music and punk rock and will perform at the Joshua Tree Music Festival this weekend.
"My goal was always to do world music and see where it goes," he said in a telephone interview from a tour stop in Arizona earlier this week.

The Zydepunks, which also includes violinist Denise Bonis, drummer Joe Lilly, bassist Scott Potts, and accordion and melodica player Eve Venema, play music that incorporates multiple languages, as well as blending punk, Celtic, Klezmer, Slavic, Ecuadorian, zydeco and many other genres of music.

Kuffner said marrying different genres is a natural and organic process for the band, such as on the song "Por La Orilla Del Mar," which has an Ecuadorian song and Slavic melodies, but also in music as a whole.

The Zydepunks will perform at 9 p.m. today at the festival.

The entire lineup is stellar but here are my other can't-miss picks of the fest:

Nortec Collective: Bostich & Fussible, 8:50 p.m. Saturday. Nortec Collective is a killer live electronic act.

Kraak & Smaak, 10:15 p.m. Saturday. If you missed Kraak & Smaak at the How Sweet It Is Festival in San Bernardino, definitely catch this set and bring your dancing shoes.

Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, 1:30 p.m. Sunday. You might recognize Alex Ebert, who is going by Edward Sharpe these days, from IMA Robot. Word is that the band's sets are insane.

Extra Golden, 2:55 p.m. Sunday. This band blends Kenyan Benga music and American rock.

6 p.m. today, 11 a.m. Saturday, 11 a.m. Sunday, Joshua Tree Lake Campground, 2601 Sunfair Road, Joshua Tree. Three-day passes are $110, two-day passes are $100. Tickets for today and Sunday are $45 each and tickets for Saturday are $60. Camping is $15 per person, per night.

Log on to www.joshuatreemusicfestival.com for more information on the festival.

Temecula Music Fest

The Temecula Music Fest kicks off today and runs through Sunday with the top local talent from the Inland region. Divide the Day, Stone Mecca, Destroy the Runner, Inverse, War Stories, Science Fiction Theater, Amue, Fellguard and about 80 others are playing over the weekend.

3 p.m. today, 11:30 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, Temecula Community Recreation Center, 30875 Rancho Vista Road, Temecula, 951-491-9053, $10 each day for adults, $5 for adults 62 and older and kids 6-12. Children 5 years old and younger get in for free.

Log on to www.temeculamusicfest.com or read this week's cover story in the Guide for more information.

BEST OF THE WEST

Riverside's own honky tonk queen Heather Myles and Inland roots rockers Bucksworth will be at Pappy & Harriet's Pioneertown Palace on May 22 for the Best O' the West Fest. David Serby and Dale Peterson will also be there that night, but the fest runs on May 23 as well.

Bring your boots.

7:30 p.m. May 22 and 23, Pappy & Harriet's Pioneertown Palace, 53688 Pioneertown Road, Pioneertown, 760-365-5956, $10 per night.

Go to www.pappyandharriets.com for more information.

Reach Vanessa Franko at 951-368-9575, vfranko@PE.com, www.myspace.com/Audio_File or PE.com/blogs/music

SKG - 5-14-2009 at 05:43 PM

i wish i could go :(

jZel18 - 11-6-2009 at 09:39 PM

It is important to provide a wide variety of recreational options. Most of our choices are inexpensive in the initial outlay of funds but provide maximum return in terms of the enjoyment by the guest.





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MESinc. - 9-29-2011 at 08:46 PM

wow two years already? why dont they play these live anymore, theyre my favorites?

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JPG - 9-30-2011 at 02:23 PM

My favorites too.

Alex says it hurts and ruins his voice when he sings Kisses, so they have stopped playing it, but I always request it anyway.

MESinc. - 10-1-2011 at 02:54 PM

haha i should start requesting it too "Alex, dear, I dgaf about why you dont play Kisses Over Babylon, just PLAY IT!"

JPG - 10-1-2011 at 03:41 PM

I'll tell a story about Kisses Over Babylon.

August 3th 2009, Sara and I made a trip out to Chicago for a couple days to see ESMZ (for the first time) play Shubas tavern in Chicago. OH the days of small venues!! When the time came to head down for the show, for Sara and I this was 3 hours or so early. We could see Alex in the distance standing on the sidewalk infront of the venue. You can imagine the excitement. We hugged and introduced ourselves Alex was pumped, the word got out that the Riddler was here (Sara's old handle). The next thing Alex says is that Neckbeard was inside. We got even more excited! Alex let us inside and we got to sit there and listen to soundcheck and chat with everyone. Now I'll skip forward to the Kisses Over Babylon part. After all of this happiness w/ meeting the band, Bling giving our free posters. Neckbeard, listening to soundcheck, Listening to the show. My mind was blowing! When Kisses started it instantly became my new favorite song. They played every song on the album except Simplest Love (they didn't know that one as a full band yet) also, Kisses was one of the last songs. I think I remember Om Nashi Me being last? Anyway, I love Kisses because it is a heart pounder, your heart beats to the rhythm, its a chest pounder and being at a show live and having the bass shake you is amazing. Alex jumped in the crowd and danced with us all. He stared at me (and im sure neck and sara) with that look he has, I dont know how to explain it, he looks right into you. So with that connection we had, durring that song, durring that day made it my favorite song. That is why I always request it. Oh, and i havent heard it since then.

JPG - 10-1-2011 at 03:43 PM

P.S. Neckbeard didn't have a place to stay so he slept with us in our hotel. HAHA!

I hope I can sleep with you again one day Aaron!

MESinc. - 10-2-2011 at 01:03 AM

Not gunna lie that is a beautiful story. Fuck, I want something that special at an ESMZ show!
And I totally know what you mean about how Alex looks at you; it's almost intimidating at a point because you know he's looking straight into you and he might see that you're thinking, "Holy fuck, that's my hero."

JPG - 10-2-2011 at 07:38 AM

Quote: Originally posted by MESinc.  
Not gunna lie that is a beautiful story. Fuck, I want something that special at an ESMZ show!
And I totally know what you mean about how Alex looks at you; it's almost intimidating at a point because you know he's looking straight into you and he might see that you're thinking, "Holy fuck, that's my hero."


Exactly. I was listening to ES last night and I thought of a good explanation of the staring. If you go listen to Up From Below (Live In D.C. 2009) the one that came as a bonus track on the album and he is talking about making love to everyone, then he says "especially if its eye to eye". So now I think when he is giving you that look he is making love!

MESinc. - 10-2-2011 at 02:39 PM

Quote: Originally posted by JPG  
Quote: Originally posted by MESinc.  
Not gunna lie that is a beautiful story. Fuck, I want something that special at an ESMZ show!
And I totally know what you mean about how Alex looks at you; it's almost intimidating at a point because you know he's looking straight into you and he might see that you're thinking, "Holy fuck, that's my hero."


Exactly. I was listening to ES last night and I thought of a good explanation of the staring. If you go listen to Up From Below (Live In D.C. 2009) the one that came as a bonus track on the album and he is talking about making love to everyone, then he says "especially if its eye to eye". So now I think when he is giving you that look he is making love!



hahaha or he's just a creeper