Over the past 16 years, Josh Heinz has combined music and charity into a series of events that are always some of the local music scene’s yearly highlights.
The Concert for Autism is back, again raising funds for the Desert Autism Foundation, with four events spanning dates, locations and genres. On Friday, Sept. 29, the kickoff event will occur at the Big Rock Pub; Sunday, Oct. 8, is the Acoustic Afternoon for Autism at Coachella Valley Brewing Co.; Saturday, Oct. 14, is the lead-up event at The Hood Bar and Pizza; and Saturday, Oct. 21, is the main event at the Tack Room Tavern.
Some 35 artists are set to share their musical talents across the four events, including Fatso Jetson, Instigator, Analog Lab and Derek Jordan Gregg, to name just a few. (Full disclosure: I will be performing at the Oct. 21 show with Empty Seat.)
Shortly after Heinz announced this year’s dates and headliners, he shared some news about the revival of one of his old musical projects.
“I’m happy to announce the return of the band that started the benefit 16 years ago—playing with the original lineup for the first time in 18 years,” Heinz wrote on Facebook. “DUFREIGN will reunite for this year’s 16th annual Concert for Autism main event (on) Saturday Oct. 21.”
During a recent phone interview, Heinz talked about how the band helped start the Concert for Autism.
“Dufreign had played a few other benefit concerts, so I thought, ‘We’ll just do one night, and whatever money we come up with, we’ll give to an organization that helps kids with autism,” Heinz said. “The rest of the guys were down with that, and that’s how the benefit started.”
The band broke up later that year.
“It wasn’t a nasty breakup, but we kind of felt, at that time in our lives, we’d gone as far as we were going to go creatively,” Heinz said. “We were like, ‘We don’t want to end up being angry at each other, so let’s just go ahead and wrap it up right now.’ That was fine; it was all amicable, and then, of course, Blasting Echo started a few months after that. That started with Jeff Fortson and Armando Flores, and they both have boys on the autism spectrum, and they were like, ‘Hey, man, we’re the autism dad band; we have to keep doing the benefit.’”
Heinz explained how the members of Dufreign found their way back to each other.
“Nathan Marchi, the drummer, who lives in Oregon now, we’d occasionally talk, and he’d be like, ‘One of these days, we’ve got to do a reunion,’” Heinz said. “Greg Lesnjak was our original guitar player, and Dufreign started because Greg saw me at a showcase that (now-CV Weekly publisher) Tracy Dietlin did where I played just acoustic. Greg came up and was like, ‘Hey, I really like what you’re doing; is that stuff aimed at being in a band?’ And I was like, ‘Heck, yes.’ Greg introduced me to Nathan. … Greg was only in the band for nine or 10 months, and then he left, so then it was just me, Nathan and Dave Virginia, the bassist. … Nathan calls me last year and says, ‘Hey, Greg has moved back into the desert, and we’ve been talking for a while, rekindling our friendship, and we want to approach you with serious consideration for Dufreign doing a reunion.’”
Heinz said he was originally conflicted about featuring Dufreign at the benefit. The Concert for Autism’s usual 35- to 45-minute set times differ drastically from Dufreign’s old set length of 90 minutes, and Heinz was hesitant to feature both of his bands at the main event. Then, fate intervened.
“Joe Wallace, the bass player from Blasting Echo, he and his wife are celebrating 25 years, and their anniversary falls in October, and they’re going to Europe for three weeks—so Blasting Echo couldn’t play the main event,” Heinz said. “When I learned that in the springtime of this year, I went to the Dufreign guys and said, ‘I would totally entertain Dufreign doing the main event if you guys are serious about it.’
“Greg and I have been practicing just together … since probably about April. Dave lives in Orange County, so it’s not too much of a stretch for him, but Nathan has to plan, because he’s driving all the way from Oregon. He came over in June, and we had our first practice in 18 years with the original lineup. It certainly wasn’t perfect, but I wouldn’t have been embarrassed if people had seen it.”
Last year’s Concert for Autism featured a return to the Tack Room Tavern after the pandemic drastically altered the event in 2020 and 2021.
“Julie, who manages the Tack Room, she’s just great, and her staff is great,” Heinz said. “I meet with her a couple of times before the event; we go over what we need, and it’s always there, and if it’s not there, they make it happen. … It’s just such a great venue, and of course, it’s all covered now, which is even better if there is rain or something. It’s just so perfect where we can have the two stages, and we can have the silent auction tables there against the wall, and it gives enough distance … so that if people don’t want to be blasted by the main stage, they can sit on the patio and still have a conversation. It’s worked so well for us, and last year was perfect.”
The raffle and silent auction is returning yet again, and Heinz shared some of the highlights.
“I just got a 12-string guitar today from Guitar Center,” Heinz said. “With the silent auction, the things that really generate money are things like hotel staycations or golfing or things like that. Indian Wells Golf Club just set us up with a round. We’ve got wine tasting from Kempe Wines, photography from Rebecca Kirkpatrick, tickets to the tram and tickets to The Living Desert. … The JW Marriott is sending us some stuff; the Renaissance Esmerelda is giving a staycation; (the) BNP (Paribas Open) is going to give us some tickets, which is great. Mission Hills Country Club is going to get us some golf. That’s just the tip of the iceberg.”
“If somebody drops at the last minute, I can always find somebody else. I don’t ever get the sense that somebody is upset, like, ‘You just called me because somebody dropped out.’”
Josh heinz
This year’s events are somewhat broken up by genre. Friday, Sept. 29’s kickoff event features some fantastic blues rock bands; Sunday, Oct. 8’s Acoustic Afternoon for Autism is all about softer acoustic jams with singer/songwriters. Saturday, Oct. 14’s lead-up event hosts more hard rock and metal; and Saturday, Oct. 21’s main event is a mixed bag of Coachella Valley music offerings.
“There are some bands that really want to play the main show, and I’m like, ‘I kind of have a formula here,’” Heinz said. “‘It would actually be better for the event as a whole if you played this show.’ Then there are some bands and acoustic artists that are like, ‘Hey, we actually can’t play the 21st; can we do another one?’”
Heinz said he’s grateful that the local music community helps the event run smoothly.
“The valley is so chock full of people who I can call directly and switch a band out if needed,” said Heinz. “If somebody drops at the last minute, I can always find somebody else. I don’t ever get the sense that somebody is upset, like, ‘You just called me because somebody dropped out.’ They’re always just super-nice and very happy to be part of it. I’m very grateful for that.”
The Concert for Autism’s kickoff event will take place at 7:30 p.m., Friday, Sept. 29, at the Big Rock Pub, 79940 Westward Ho Drive, in Indio. The Acoustic Afternoon for Autism will take place at 12:30 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 8, at Coachella Valley Brewing Co., 30640 Gunther St., in Thousand Palms. The lead-up event will take place at 7 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 14, at The Hood Bar and Pizza, 74360 Highway 111, in Palm Desert. The main event will take place at 3 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 21, at The Tack Room Tavern, 81800 Avenue 51, in Indio. A donation is requested at the events. For more information, visit concertforautism.com.