Stars of the desert rock scene shine at Mojave Experience

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Stop me if you’ve heard this before: There’s a new music festival coming to the desert.Unlike other festivals that set up shop in a hot, scenic locale to showcase performers from other places around the world, Mojave Experience has a more authentic vibe.Consider some of the artists who are playing this weekend at Mojave Gold in Yucca Valley on Friday at 7 p.m.and at Joshua Tree Lake & Campground on Sunday starting at 12:30 p.m.: Mario Lalli, Sean Wheeler, John Garcia, and Nick Oliveri.These legendary musicians helped establish the desert rock scene and put it on the map with bands like Kyuss and Queens of the Stone Age.

This festival didn’t come to the desert; it emerged from it.The Mojave Experience is the brainchild of Patrick Brink, singer and songwriter for the band Volume, who was born and raised in Twentynine Palms.Initially, Brink conceived of the festival as a way to showcase his band, but once he saw the festival had the potential to be something special, he decided not to play.“I wanted to come out swinging and focus on people really enjoying themselves,” Brink said.

“From the attendees and the bands to the vendors and volunteers, I wanted to make sure everything goes smoothly.”To ensure that happens, Brink enlisted the help of Mario Lalli, the godfather of desert rock, who gave the festival instant credibility.As a young musician, Lalli played with a lot of bands who were part of SST Records, an independent label that originated in L.A.’s South Bay and featured bands like Black Flag, Minutemen, and Saccharine Trust.Lalli got to know Dave Travis who had a generator and would set up his equipment so his friends could play at the beach, in the mountains, or all the way out in the desert.Lalli bought his own generator and started throwing shows in his back yard.

“We would take that thing out to the desert,” Lalli said.“We liked to get stoned a...