The psychedelic extravaganza that is Desert Daze went down for a sixth year this weekend at Joshua Tree’s Institute of Mentalphysics, and baby we’re still tripping. The newly-expanded three day festival featured knockout performances from psych, garage, and experimental greats alongside rising talents, including Iggy Pop, Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile, the spectacular Spiritualized, Sleep, John Cale, Ariel Pink, Hope Sandoval & the Warm Inventions, Terry Riley, Eagles of Death Metal, Pearl Charles, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, and so many more.
The fest’s (extremely chill) crowd sprawled out across the desert site (designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and his son Lloyd Wright) to take in its three stages and explore interactive art installations, projections, a Mystic Bazaar, film screenings, and fever dream sunsets. Together they amounted to a surrealist’s playground that reminds us what festivals were like before festivals were Festivals™.
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Our photographer Matt Draper was on the ground documenting the sights and sounds of the long, strange trip. Check out photos from Desert Daze 2017 below.
