LIVE FROM JOSHUA TREE 2026
By Lisa Lynn Morgan
By the time the sun slips behind the boulders on Saturday, January 31, and the desert exhales its last breath of crisp winter air, something electric will happen. Stories will get louder. Truth will get closer. And community—real, scrappy, soul-deep, awe-inspiring community—will show up with open ears and open hearts.
That’s the pulse behind Live From Joshua Tree, a live and virtual spoken word experience that has become less of an event and more of a ritual here in the hi-desert. This beloved fundraiser for Mil-Tree, a nonprofit rooted in creativity, connection, and support for veterans and military families navigating life beyond service, always packs out the historical and sacred Joshua Tree Retreat Center sanctuary, so do not delay reserving your space.
Curated and hosted by Cheryl Montelle, Live From Joshua Tree is built on an evergreen idea: the desert isn’t empty—it’s listening and full of brilliant humans with vast depths of inspirational experiences and art forms with fascinating stories to tell, all vastly different from each other but all unified by the call to this place, this desert, this time.
A NIGHT OF VOICES, VERSE, AND DESERT TRUTH
This season’s lineup reads like a mixtape passed hand-to-hand at a bonfire—each voice distinct, each story necessary. The evening features desert-rooted storytellers, poets, and musicians including Beth Allen, Sarah Bliss, Annie Connole, Gretchen Grunt, Casey Kiernan, Andrea Kline, Brian, Liz Meyer, O’Hare, Kennedy Verrett, and Palo Xanto.
These aren’t polished monologues chasing applause. They’re lived-in stories—desert stories—about resilience, grief, humor, survival, and the strange beauty of staying.
Andrea Kline, R.N., B.S.N. served in the U.S. Army with the 31st Combat Support Hospital during Operation Desert Storm.
Annie Connole is a writer, artist, and mystic who has lived in the Mojave Desert since 2015.
Beth Allen is an ex-city girl — after 26 years in San Francisco she became a full-time desert rat in 2017, when she moved to Morongo Valley with her partner in crime, Shawn “Shonzie” Smith.
Brian O’Hare is a graduate of the US Naval Academy and former Marine officer. Currently, he’s an award-winning writer/filmmaker.
Casey Kiernan is a documentary filmmaker and award-winning photographer whose work explores the intersection of art, nature, and conservation.
Kennedy Verrett is a composer and multi-instrumentalist whose work, described as “hauntingly beautiful,” spans concert halls and film/TV scores.
Liz Meyer has called 29 Palms her home for 81 years. As a daughter of pioneers Bill and Ada Hatch, she grew up as a “desert girl” and has never lost her preference to be strong, active, and barefoot.
Palo Xanto is a lyric poet and sound artist whose work channels the raw magic of the Joshua Tree desert. After leaving LA’s indie music scene in 2017, he found creative renewal in the High Desert’s vibrant community.
Sarah has spent her life in Southern California and has dedicated the last 15 years to working in museums, historic preservation, and environmental management.
THE PLACE MATTERS
The setting is sacred for a reason. The show unfolds inside the Sanctuary at Joshua Tree Retreat Center, where the walls seem to remember every song, prayer, and confession ever offered inside them. Doors open at 6:30 pm, giving you time to settle in before the stories begin at 7 pm sharp.
There will be savory and sweet refreshments, a no-host bar, and a live DJ keeping the energy loose and alive between sets—because this isn’t a lecture hall. It’s a celebration.
FEED THE BODY BEFORE YOU FEED THE SOUL
Pro tip: don’t roll in hungry. Starting at 5:30 pm, L’Salsa will be posted up right outside the Sanctuary, serving up legit Mexican food. Grab a taco (or three), breathe in the twilight, and let the night unfold naturally.
WHY IT MATTERS
At its core, Live From Joshua Tree exists to remind us that art is not a luxury—it’s a lifeline. By supporting Mil-Tree, this event helps sustain creative programs that give veterans and their families a place to process, express, and reconnect through storytelling and community.
This is the kind of night you don’t scroll past. You show up for it. You sit shoulder to shoulder with strangers. You listen. And you leave changed—just a little, but in the way that counts.
Live From Joshua Tree – A Live and Virtual Spoken Word Event
When: Saturday, January 31 | 7 pm (Doors at 6:30 pm)
Where: Joshua Tree Retreat Center, Sanctuary Building
59700 29 Palms Hwy, Joshua Tree, CA 92252
🎟 TICKETS
Because out here, under the desert sky, the stories don’t just echo.
They stay with you.
