JTMF HEART OF THE MATTER 2021
A Well of Love, Kindness, and Live Music Returns to the Desert
It has been two years since the Joshua Tree Music Festival grounds opened their gates and came to life with their display of colorful art, music, and humanity. Its bouquet of unique artists, vendors, and beautifully diverse congregation have been a tradition in Joshua Tree, predating the pandemic by 18 years. What has been missed as much as the keenly selected collective of sui generis minstrels, teachers, and health and wellness collectives, is the culture of kindness and love that emanates from the magic dirt of the festival grounds, something this world seems to thirst for these days. These attributes were planted in the first festival in 2003 and have grown into thriving energies not found elsewhere. This place has become an oasis of good feels for people who aren’t afraid to dance in the dirt, are open to genuinely show love and appreciation to strangers (the stranger the better), bask in sunshine or starlight, and the gift of music. If it sounds like a dream, it is, brought to fruition by Barnett English, a man who isn’t much at ease if he isn’t soaking up live music, building something, or both.
When the whole world came to a screeching halt, English will tell you that he found himself having to question who he was, and what his purpose would be, uncertain if the future would ever return to any kind of normal or need his skill set again. Even now, as he plans the return of the music festival, his approach is measured and cautious, willing to postpone the event if his conscience tells him he cannot provide a safe environment. “At the end of the day,” he says, “you’ve got to do the right thing.” This is no small statement and is one that is painful for him to make, because he really means it. For today, Barnett stands on the precipice of this beautiful property that he literally carved out of nothing, anticipating a long- overdue reunion with the man he’s always been, and the musicians and attendees he considers family.
“This October marks 2 full years since we gathered together to revel and commune and celebrate,” Barnett announced on his social media platform. “We’ve truly missed the beautiful oasis of your smiling faces and look forward to reconnecting and revitalizing. Together. Outdoors. Again.”
“To make more room for healing and feeling, to maximize serendipitous moments, and to soak up the outrageous goodness of meaningful interactions, the JTMF experience will be transformed. Less people. More space. Fewer concurrent activities. More time to engage one another.”
“Some things will be different. Much remains the same: Supreme live music experiences to feed the body, mind, and soul. Deep dive workshops to uplift and inspire. Random acts of mindfulness inviting you to interact and connect. Spontaneous eruptions of gratitude. That friendly familial spirit.”
“We’ll gather once again to solidify the ties that bind, swim in the oceans of emotions, rehumanize ourselves, and fuel the flames of feisty hope. To get to the Heart of the Matter.”
And therein lies the beautiful and necessary theme of this October’s festival of kindness and musical brilliance.
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
All attendees must show a test, even if you are fully vaccinated.
The testing window is 72 hours to give you better options for getting your COVID test.
Attendees may test ahead of time. Keep in mind, most free tests process in 2-3 days. See the website for FAQs and testing resources + locations.
Attendees may test at the gate. The joshuatreemusicfestival. com/attendee-info/ website has info on rapid testing at the gate.
We love you all! THANK YOU for making the extra effort to help ensure a safe event.
The health and well- being of the artists is important. If an artist must cancel for COVID related reasons, trust that festival founder, Barnett English, will find another amazing artist to fill their spot!
Dirtwire: One of the most creative bands making music on the planet today. The trio – David Satori, Evan Fraser & Mark Reveley – will play more than a dozen instruments in just the first song of their set. Globalistas. Aural Explorers. Dirtwire stands poised between ancient Mother Earth and modern technology, a blend of ethnomusicology and the psychedelic trance state, gut-bucket delta blues and what the band variously dubs “back-porch space cowboy blues, swamptronica, and electro-twang.”
Mike Love: Mike is devoted to revolution through sound. Born in O’ahu to a family of musicians, he’s used music as a conversation for as long as he can remember. He comes from a unique convergence of influences, all bound by their ambition to inspire positive change in the world. Love releases his music independently on his own Love Not War Records label, and his sound, while rooted in the spirituality and message-based music of roots reggae, fuses a variety of influences including progressive and classic rock, soul, blues, flamenco, jazz, classical, and more.
ORGŌNE: Orgone is home to wildly talented & tight-knit collective of west coast funk musicians. Irresistibly gritty funk and soul. They’ve shared the stage with the Roots, Al Green, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, and Galactic; and appeared at Bonnaroo, the New Orleans Jazz Fest, High Sierra, and Jam Cruise. It’s a HUGE honor to have them grace the stage here once again!
Moontricks: Grassroots blues. Wistful soul. Boot stomping bass. Nestled deep in the beautiful Kootenay mountains of Western Canada lies the home of Moontricks, a duo whose timeless sound captures the essence of their rugged roots. Combining their love of folk, blues, and electronic music, Nathan Gurley and Sean Rodman are blazing their own trail, merging musical worlds previously unacquainted and capturing audiences along the way.
moked Out Soul: They meld greasy Memphis vintage soul & delta blues influences with thumping bass and west coast groove sensibilities for some wicked electro- fantasmagorical, dance-it-up, outrageous goodness. Ain’t no party, like a Smoked Out Soul party, and a Smoked Out Soul party don’t stop.
JTMF Presents: Heart of the Matter, Oct 7-10.
moked Out Soul: They meld greasy Memphis vintage soul & delta blues influences with thumping bass and west coast groove sensibilities for some wicked electro- fantasmagorical, dance-it-up, outrageous goodness. Ain’t no party, like a Smoked Out Soul party, and a Smoked Out Soul party don’t stop.
JTMF Presents: Heart of the Matter, Oct 7-10.
All photos provided by the wonderful Paul Moeller
