From metal/punk kids to older classic rockers, the Coachella Valley is packed with creatives—some of whom are always looking to create new opportunities, to ensure that our local scene continues to be as open and expressive as ever.
Robert Wood is one of those conscious creatives. Ever since his band In the Name of the Dead formed in 2010, Wood has been as supportive of local music as he is ferocious when performing his death metal. In the Name of the Dead has played both backyard shows and venue concerts, and every step of the way, the band has found room to showcase and share the stage with up-and-coming bands.
This is continuing with Coachella Music and Ink Fest, happening at 7 p.m., Friday, Sept. 8, at the Coachella Container Park. The evening will feature live performances from In the Name of the Dead and four other bands, while local tattoo booths sell art, and more.
During a recent phone interview with Robert Wood, he explained how booking metal nights at The Hood Bar and Pizza in Palm Desert led to the inception of the Coachella Music and Ink Fest.
“I’ve been booking the bands for metal night at The Hood for the last few months, and I was trying to get a band from out of town named Contortion to come play with us,” Wood said. “Because they were booking a tour, they were only available for Sept. 8, so I was like, ‘All right, that’s not one of the nights, but let’s see what I can do.’ I knew about the Container Park … and I just got the idea of, well, why don’t we try to put on a show at the Container Park? It’s a cool place to go, and we’ve always had a good time in Coachella with In the Name of the Dead.”
The Container Park is not your average music venue. It’s outside, next to a train track, and features space for more than just music.
“I was just thinking, ‘What’s going to get people to come down to see my band and these other bands in Coachella on a Friday night in September?’” Wood said. “There’s a bunch of space, and it lends itself really well to a little festival, so I said, ‘Well, why don’t we just do something like that?’ I was talking with my wife, and I was just like, ‘You know what? There’s never any tattoo stuff out here.’ Honestly, some tattoo artists or tattoo shops want to have an exposition and not do tattoos. They’ll just show off their work, maybe sell some canvases or some piercings and jewelry and stuff, and just make connections. It’s a way to have things that I like to do going on while my band is playing.”
Wood loves metal music, and loves having a thriving local scene.
“In the valley, there is a lot of music going on, but not a lot of individual genre scenes or anything like that,” Wood said. “… Bands from out of town like coming through here, so I’ve just been trying to get as many shows going as I can. There are some other people working on it, too, to just build up a scene here for those of us who are into it, and for the younger kids coming up who want something to do besides sweat and do drugs.”
Besides In the Name of the Dead, four other metal bands will be performing at the fest, ranging in style and age.
“There’s a bunch of space, and it lends itself really well to a little festival, so I said, ‘Well, why don’t we just do something like that?’”
Robert Wood, on the Coachella Container Park
“We have Contortion, a death metal band from Southern California, and they’re pretty awesome,” Wood said. “We’ve also got Instigator, another local thrash band. They’re quite a bit younger than us, and they’re really the young energy of the entire music scene around here, and they’re real cool guys, and they put on a great set. They’ve got great songs. They’re a lot of fun, and they tie back to a lot of old-school thrash and stuff, so that’s cool for us old guys.
“We’ve got Hollow Crown. I’m going to call them kids, because they’re younger than me, but we’ve played with them a couple of times, and they’ve got a lot of power and a lot of energy. They’re not necessarily metalcore, but more of a youth-oriented metal, which is pretty cool to see. Then we’ve got Grins and Lies, which is a local heavy rock and punk and metal band that hasn’t been doing much lately, but they’re cool guys.”
The Coachella Music and Ink Fest is being organized to appeal to all ages—and all fans of art.
“We want to try to get a good, intense, four- or five-hour experience where people can check out the bands and check out tattoo artists and piercers and maybe buy something,” Wood said. “Buy merch from the bands, or set up an appointment for a tattoo, or get some food. If they want to go across the street for a beer, they’re welcome to do that, and come back without the beer.”
Both art and music have been grouped together for a long time, and you can’t go far in the metal scene without seeing a few tattoos.
“Here in the valley, there are a lot of different events that combine the two, that I’ve noticed from all styles of art and music,” Wood said. “… While this isn’t a new idea necessarily, this particular strain of music and art festival is a bit more focused on tattoo art and heavier music.”
When Wood isn’t performing and cultivating local music, he’s a full-time teacher at La Quinta High School. The first time I saw In the Name of the Dead, he paused one of his death-metal vocal deliveries to sweetly yell, “Hey, there’s one of my students!”
“Mostly, I’ve kept the two worlds separate,” Wood said. “Music, and just going to shows or playing shows … that’s definitely something I think is beneficial for younger people. There are a lot of little pockets in high schools of kids who are really into their genre, and every high school has got its metal kids, and it’s sad to say there are not as many punks as there used to be. I’m from an even smaller desert town, so having something (like music) is another avenue for self-expression, to find a group, or get the rage out in the pit or something like that in a safer environment than taking some pills and fighting somebody in the wash.”
The Coachella Music and Ink Fest will take place at 7 p.m., Friday, Sept. 8, at the Coachella Container Park, 85980 Grapefruit Blvd., in Coachella. Tickets are $10; kids 18 and under get in for free with a paying adult. For more information, visit facebook.com/inthenameofthedead.
Glad to see these alternative art forums where self expression appeals to a wide variety of people in different ways. It’s freeing and allows one to experience life in different ways. It provides joy and connection.