Two years ago, the Joshua Tree National Park Association hosted two concerts at the Indian Cove Amphitheater, bringing desert musicians deep into nature to both raise funds for the park and foster appreciation for the desert. Local rock pioneer Dave Catching (Mojave Lords, earthlings?, owner of Rancho de la Luna studio) curated one of the shows and treated it as a love letter to the desert.
In 2023, the Beneath the Desert Sky concert series returns for another two nights of music, again with Catching’s help. The first evening will take place at the Indian Cove Amphitheater, featuring Barrett Martin on Saturday, Aug. 5; the second will be at Pappy and Harriet’s, with performances by Mojave Lords, Flames of Durga and C’est Claire on Saturday, Aug. 19.
During a recent phone interview, Catching talked about how his performance at the Indian Cove Amphitheater in 2021 took place on the hottest day of the year.
“It was 118 degrees when we had to load in and set up the PA and the projections and everything,” said Catching. “By the time we played, I think it had cooled down to about 110. It wasn’t the easiest show ever, because the whole week was pretty warm. The rehearsals leading up to that were really hot—but the show itself was fantastic. It was one of the first shows where COVID restrictions were starting to become lax. In fact, the next day, we played at Pappy and Harriet’s, which was supposed to be only 100 tickets because of the COVID restrictions, but that day, they laxed the COVID restrictions to 80% (capacity) for venues, so we actually played outdoors at Pappy’s and sold about 800 tickets, so it sold out. The whole thing was great, because hardly anyone had been going out, so it was a real freeing experience for everyone.
“We had the best time, and anything that we can do for Joshua Tree National Park Association, that’s a plus for us. We love those guys a lot, and they made everything go off without a hitch.”
Beneath the Desert Sky didn’t happen in 2022—but it wasn’t for a lack of trying.
“We tried to do another one last year, at the Tortoise Rock Casino in Twentynine Palms,” Catching said. “It was outside, and we set up, sound-checked and were ready to go—and this crazy storm blew in at the last minute. There was hail coming down sideways; it was really intense. … It sucked, because we had to cancel the show, but at least no one was hurt, and everything was OK.”
As long as the weather cooperates, Beneath the Desert Sky could become a yearly tradition.
“I’d love to see other bands doing it so they can enjoy the things that we do,” Catching said. “There are so many great bands out here now, and the people from Joshua Tree National Park Association are so cool. Everybody I know who has a band would be more than happy to join in to help in any way possible, so I think they’re trying to make it a yearly thing.”
This year’s event at the Indian Cove Amphitheater will feature an intimate performance by Barrett Martin, a Grammy Award-winning musician who has done everything from working with Queens of the Stone Age and Layne Staley, to producing albums as an ethnomusicologist for the Shipibo Shamans in the Peruvian Amazon Rainforest and the Neets’ai Gwich’in in the Alaskan Arctic.
“He plays drums in Mojave Lords, but he is a master musician and storyteller, and he travels the globe learning and sharing his experiences,” Catching said. “He’s been a great friend of mine. We started recording together at Rancho in the mid-’90s, and we’ve known each other since a little bit before he came out to record, so probably in the early ’90s. He’s just one of the most fantastic individuals, and one of the best musicians I know. He’s a true master of his craft for sure, and his show at the Cove should be great. It’s going to be a multimedia experience with him playing and showing slides and movies of his world travels.”
Catching’s performance at the amphitheater in 2021 brought some nostalgia to the musician.
“It was really exciting for us, because I go there all the time,” Catching said. “I used to go camping there sometimes if every place else was booked up. This is the 30th year that we’ve had the studio (Rancho de la Luna), and I’ve been coming here forever. My first trip through the desert was in 1983, and I fell in love with this area, then I started coming back a few years later. Fred Drake, who moved here first and started the studio with me, moved here in ’92, so I started coming a lot around that time.”
Some special celebrations are in store to celebrate 30 years of Rancho de la Luna.
“We’re actually working on a really cool album with tons of people who have recorded here over the years,” Catching said. “So far, we’ve gotten at least 25 to 30 friends to join us, and we have well over 30 songs at this point. We’re getting together in early September to finish the record, and we’re going to start doing a string of shows. We’re just trying to figure out where and how we’re going to do these shows, since there are so many people involved.”
Catching called his three decades of recording albums for artists including Queens of the Stone Age, Iggy Pop and Foo Fighters “fantastic.”
“I’m the luckiest person in the world,” he said. “I get to do what I love, and I get to be surrounded by people who are not only amazing artists, but great people as well. Every session is a joy, and I couldn’t be happier.”
This year, Beneath the Desert Sky includes a show at Pappy and Harriet’s, another great place to enjoy the desert scenery. Catching talked about C’est Claire (Claire Wadsworth) and Flames of Durga, the two artists playing alongside his band, Mojave Lords.
“Claire Wadsworth, she and her wife own La Copine, which is the best restaurant out here,” said Catching. “They’re also my neighbors, and we’ve been friends, and she also has played in earthlings? and Mojave Lords, and she’s a fantastic singer, songwriter and musician. I’m so excited to have her play, and I think she’s going to join us for a few songs, but she’s going to open the set solo on piano and guitar.
“Then there’s a really cool local rock band called Flames of Durga, with two twin sisters. It just so happens that it’s their birthday that night, and they recorded their album with me here about a year and a half ago. They’re really great, and they’re so excited because they get to play on their birthday as well. … Then we have a few secret guests we’re going to be bringing up, and I guess people will see when they’re at the show. Hopefully the weather will be really nice.”
Catching hopes that continuing to host events at the Indian Cove Amphitheater will foster an appreciation for the unique music venue.
“They were doing a few things at Indian Cove for a while, and then I’m not sure exactly what happened,” Catching said. “They took a little break, but I think they’re trying to bring it back. It’s kind of like a small Red Rocks (a renowned music venue in Colorado). It’s really beautiful, and it’s really intimate, so there’s really only enough room for 100 or so people. … They’ve taken into consideration all sorts of things, like how to have it where it’s quiet enough, and where it doesn’t disturb the natural beauty of the area or the animals or the neighbors. It’s so nice there, and everything just sounds perfect. You are in the park, so it’s a win-win for everybody.”
The Beneath the Desert Sky concert series kicks off at 6 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 5, with Barrett Martin at the Indian Cove Amphitheater, inside Joshua Tree National Park. Shuttles will pick up ticket holders at the Joshua Tree National Park Visitor Center, 6533 Freedom Way, in Twentynine Palms. Tickets are $100, available here. The other event will take place at 7 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 19, with Mojave Lords, Flames of Durga and C’est Claire at Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace, 53688 Pioneertown Road, in Pioneertown. Tickets are $36, available here.
