Must-See Photos And 5 Takeaways From Desert Daze 2019

BEVERLY HILLS, CA — "So, you got any pets?" he asked as an icebreaker.

It struck me for several reasons — one, it was the sweetest icebreaker I've ever heard, and two, it was genius. It sent the group into a tailspin, swapping photos and stories of our pets.

My camping neighbors were a cute, young married couple from West Virginia, and like most people at Desert Daze, they become my instant friends for the weekend.

Another year at Desert Daze has come and gone, and it remains my favorite festival to date — the people are the friendliest you'll meet thanks to the intimacy of the small event, the music is a perfect blend of eclectic bands and old favorites, and the beautiful setting at Lake Perris brings out your inner child.

Last year, long lines made for a slow slog to the campgrounds, a thunderstorm shut down headliner Tame Impala and some festival goers were less than happy, calling it a "train wreck of logistical nightmares and unfortunate weather patterns." In my opinion, it was all part of a big adventure.

This year's festival experience kept all the good from last year — friendly strangers, a well-curated lineup, beautiful art installations and the intimacy that comes with a small festival — and was rid of all the bad — lack of organization and unpredictable weather patterns. What a weekend.

Here are 5 takeaways from Desert Daze 2019:

1. The people are unparalleled.

At large-scale festivals, attendees stick to the friends they came with. At Desert Daze, it's not uncommon for people to show up alone (thanks to a can't-miss lineup) and make friends along the way. There are festival goers young and old, and people even bring their dogs — one chihuahua was a big fan of Animal Collective, go figure.

It's easy to make friends with strangers at a small festival — with a lineup that has bands with overlapping genres, you're bound to have something in common with the people you camp next to.

2. Desert Daze brings out your inner child.

Remember when you were young, and it was so easy to make friends? Desert Daze reminds you what it was like to be a kid. There was a swing set, surrounded by billowing white tapestries, a lake filled with inflatable pool toys and rafts, and art installations that were colorful and interactive.

A couple played tag in the sand, a man flailed his arms while he ran toward a stage when his favorite song came on, and beach balls were smacked, bouncy balls were thrown, and light-up necklaces were tossed into the crowd throughout the weekend.

Someone brought a huge carrot totem pole to wiggle around while the music played, a couple came dressed in fuzzy panda bear costumes and nearly everyone wore the famous red DEVO hats Saturday before they performed.

3. Desert Daze artists know how to put on a show.

The performances at Desert Daze were grandiose — almost like all the artists were trying to one-up each other. The Flaming Lips brought out an inflatable robot, a huge rainbow and dozens of rainbow balloons spilled out from the stage as they performed "The Soft Bulletin" in its entirety.

Flying Lotus provided 3D glasses to watch insanely intricate visuals while he mixed, sang and rapped — it was like watching a movie during a concert. Iconic hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan brought out Khraungbin, a psychedelic band from Texas, to perform a funky rendition of their hit "Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuthing Ta F' Wit." From then on, they were known as Khru-Tang.

4. You can see artists from all around the world.

Ever wonder what psychedelic music from Niger sounds like? Desert Daze had Mdou Moctar. They also had W.I.T.C.H, the "Beatles of Zambia," Sessa from Brazil, Altin Gün from Turkey/Netherlands, Klaus Kohann Grobe from Switzerland, Anika from Germany/England, Trupa Trupa from Poland and a feminist band from Russia, just to name a few.

The influence of western psychedelic music can be heard in all of these bands from around the world, but with their respective country's own flair. Desert Daze brings together some of the most unique artists, leading to discovering new artists before or during the festival every year. You can't go wrong wandering to a stage if you're waiting in between sets.

5. Organization improves every year

Last year, there were some undeniable organizational problems. Did it take away from my experience? No. Was it an inconvenience? Yes. Desert Daze heard the criticism and took it to heart, because there were vast improvements from last year. Getting into the campgrounds was much smoother, thanks to an added entrance, the staff was more well-informed, campgrounds were much roomier and getting into the festival went smoothly each time.

Desert Daze was held at Lake Perris from October 10-13, featuring headliners The Flaming Lips, Ween, DEVO and Wu-Tang Clan.