Photo Credit: Tritt Visuals
From the Mojave Desert to premiere clubbing destinations around the world, DIY party crew Desert Hearts has defined a global movement for over a decade with an ever-growing family, becoming a portal into a utopian world crafted as much by the participants as the organizers. Now, the brand is set to celebrate its 10 years of existence with its biggest event to this date as it takes over Lake Perris this April 28th through May 2nd for their Desert Hearts Festival.
For this special occasion, the DH crew is recruiting its most wide-reaching and eclectic line-up to date as they are set to host performances by Carl Craig, Omar S, DJ Harvey, Danny Daze, Robag Wruhme, Kenny Larkin, Township Rebellion, Juan MacLean, Doc Martin, Anja Schneider, Francesa Lombardo, Yulia Niko, Latmun, Joyce Muniz, Kevin Knapp, Kim Ann Foxmann, DJ Heather, Doorly, Oscar L, SHADED, Lubelski, RINZEN, Andreas Henneberg, Mary Droppinz, and more, alongside stalwarts Mikey Lion, Marbs, Lee Reynolds, & Porky.
As the DH camp gets ready for their Desert Hearts Festival, EG caught up with Porky as he recalls his 5 favorite memories from the event:
1. At the time of our 2nd Spring Desert Hearts, aka ‘Snowy Hearts’, we were still learning the ropes of running a festival with logistics, contracts, etc. I’m not sure if we even had proper contracts back then, but DJ T. just got done performing an amazing set and had to take off to the airport for another gig. We couldn’t find Marbs anywhere (who paid out the artists with his checkbook), but finally found him “getting busy” with his girlfriend at the time in his tent. We told him that DJ T. had to leave and that he needed to get paid. We just kept hearing, “hold on one minute!”. Haha! He finally scribbled on an unreadable check and went back to business. I don’t think he was able to cash it in, but we made sure to get it squared away as soon as possible with his agency. We’re much more professional nowadays, but to this day, we still laugh about it with Thomas (DJ T.) whenever we run into each other.
2. My all-time favorite memory was when my grandparents on my mom’s side surprised Mikey & me in 2016. They’ve always been very conservative, yet the life of any party. A few months before, we threw a 12-hour party at Spin Nightclub in San Diego that went from 10 pm-10 am. My Grandma knew we were having a party from my mom, and actually, on her way to the Pearl Harbor Memorial, she decided to show up at the tail end of the party at 9 am to see “see what all the ruckus was about.” With the bar reopening at 6 am and everyone on a good one at that hour, that was quite the shock! Mikey & I thought we were dreaming, but nonetheless, she had a blast. I didn’t want her to think all of our parties are like that, and knew she needed a redemption to see what we really do best. Low and behold, when I was playing my set just as the sun went down, both my grandparents surprised me in the DJ booth. Bringing them up on stage to show them what we created is a moment I’ll never forget for the rest of my life. On top of that, both my parents, godmother, and sister were there by my side… Talk about a total family affair!
3. At the 2017 festival, Mikey & I had a very special b2b brotherly set with Justin & Christian Martin. Ha, no one knew who the ‘Super Bash Bros’ were on the lineup, but it was the Leon brothers vs. The Martin brothers. We actually played an amazing impromptu set together a few months before at Exchange LA for Christian’s 40th birthday, and we knew we definitely had to do it again sometime. The Martin brothers have always had a major influence on us since we discovered electronic music early on, so getting to play with our idols on our home turf was surely a great surprise for everyone!
4. For years and years prior to the 2019 festival, I was trying to do anything to get my hands on this special unreleased Joyce Muniz remix of Paul Simon’s ‘You Can Call Me Al’. Despite begging for it, she was unable to share it with anyone. Towards the peak-end of my set, Joyce ran up to the DJing booth while I was playing and plugged in her USB. I was a bit confused at first, but then she turned to me and said.. “I’ll let you play my remix of Paul Simon.” To this day, it will never see the light of being released, but being able to play one of my all-time favorite feel-good tracks, was a moment I’ll never forget.
5. Reflecting on all the amazing memories from Desert Hearts, I wanted to give a shoutout to all of the amazing contributors that have risen and grown with us over the past decade. Seeing everyone grow, excel in their passions, and flourish into the people they have become today, has been an absolutely incredible ride to watch. Our community is one of a kind, and we couldn’t have done this vision without all the support everyone has given us since day one. So thank you to all the artists, volunteers, vendors, theme camps, media team, build teams, side-ops, and everyone who helped contribute to making this one of the best parties on the planet… Lastly, I want to share my greatest gratitude to my core DH brothers & our team behind the scenes. It’s just the beginning, and I can’t wait to see what the future of Desert Hearts has in store for us. Cheers to making our 10 Year Anniversary the best one yet!
You can learn more about the Desert Hearts Festival and purchase your tickets here.
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