Sat July 24, Pioneertown (near Joshua Tree): Radar Bros., Sleepy Sun, Assemble Head in Sunburst Sound * FREE * all ages

poster artwork by Pete Toms

Arthur Magazine is super psyched to welcome longtime office favorites (and ArthurFest ’05 alumni) Radar Brothers, Sleepy Sun and Assemble Head in Sunburst Sound to High Desert honkytonk Pappy and Harriet’s Palace in Pioneertown, California, near the Joshua Tree National Park.

The Radars—makers of “space cake/ice cream art rock” (their words)—are touring behind their sixth album, The Illustrated Garden, recently released by Merge Records. Gorgeous as always, it’s their first with a new rhythm section, which picks up the pace here and there from the usual Radars lope and burn. (You can listen to a stream of the album at the Merge site.)

Arrive early, as our friends from Los Angeles will go onstage at 8pm, as the sun goes down over the High Desert—in other words, right when and where they belong.

Around 10pm, Assemble Head in Sunburst Sound will take the stage. Here’s a warm, almost mournful slice of archetypal West Coast psychedelic guitar rock off When Sweet Sleep Returned, the Bay Area quartet’s second album, out via Tee Pee Records.

Download: “By the Rippling Green” – Assemble Head in Sunburst Sound (mp3)

Pappy and Harriet’s is located in Pioneertown, which is about 2.5 hours’ drive from Los Angeles. It is next to Yucca Valley. The Joshua Tree National Park is 20 minutes’ drive away. Daytime in the summer is bright and hot, but, because of the high elevation (4,000 feet), significant cooling occurs as the sun sets and the stars come out. This ain’t Palm Springs or Coachella—nights are really pleasant here. Especially if you bring some space cakes.

Bonus: there is almost zero cel phone reception in Pioneertown, which helps you to enjoy where you are…

For inexpensive motel and camping options right behind Pappy & Harriet’s, check out

Pioneertown Inn

and

Pioneertown Camp Corrals

Categories: MP3 | Tags: , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

About Jay Babcock

I am an independent writer and editor based in Tucson, Arizona. In 2023: I publish an email newsletter called LANDLINE = https://jaybabcock.substack.com Previously: I co-founded and edited Arthur Magazine (2002-2008, 2012-13) and curated the three Arthur music festival events (Arthurfest, ArthurBall, and Arthur Nights) (2005-6). Prior to that I was a district office staffer for Congressman Henry A. Waxman, a DJ at Silver Lake pirate radio station KBLT, a copy editor at Larry Flynt Publications, an editor at Mean magazine, and a freelance journalist contributing work to LAWeekly, Mojo, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Vibe, Rap Pages, Grand Royal and many other print and online outlets. An extended piece I wrote on Fela Kuti was selected for the Da Capo Best Music Writing 2000 anthology. In 2006, I was somehow listed in the Music section of Los Angeles Magazine's annual "Power" issue. In 2007-8, I produced a blog called "Nature Trumps," about the L.A. River. From 2010 to 2021, I lived in rural wilderness in Joshua Tree, Ca.

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