Council OKs plan for 234 affordable apartments
Festival drops lineup featuring Jack White, Thundercat
Get ready to rock. Desert Daze is back after a year off, and its return marks the festival’s biggest lineup to date.
Jack White, Cigarettes After Sex, Alex G, The Mars Volta, Thundercat and more will perform at the festival on Oct. 10-13 at Lake Perris State Park.
The lineup includes several heavyweight acts such as Fleet Foxes, Liz Phair, The Kills, Sleep, Marc Rebillet, De La Soul, Power Trip, Death From Above 1979 and more.
With the backing of business leaders who described an urgent need for more housing in Rancho Mirage for hotel and hospital workers, the city council has approved a 234-unit affordable housing project near Gerald Ford Drive and Monterey Avenue.
Known as Via Vail Apartments, the project approved last week is planned for 10 acres of vacant land just south of the Regal Rancho Mirage movie theater and just east of the city’s dog park.
The proposed development comes from Pacific West Communities Inc., which has similar projects in the works in Indio and Palm Desert, and it’s one of three affordable housing projects that could eventually be developed on about 25 acres of land just west of Monterey Avenue.
Late last year, the council approved agreements with several housing developers to eventually turn four parcels, including three near the dog park, into affordable housing. Via Vail Apartments was the first of those three to gain final approval, while the council also recently approved a development near Rancho Mirage High School that includes 94 affordable apartments.
Once completed, the new projects would mark the city’s first affordable housing development in over a decade: The most recent to be completed was the San Jacinto Villas, an 82-unit apartment complex for those 55 and up that opened in 2011, according to the city’s Housing Element. (In 2018, the city also
Desert Daze 2024: How to get tickets
A presale begins at 10 a.m. Wednesday for those who register at desertdaze.com and the public sale is at 10 a.m. on Friday.
GA passes are priced on a tier system from $299 to $399 and VIP runs from $699 to $899. VIP plus packages are $1,999 to $2,499.
A camping pass is $120 and other camping packages are available.
What is Desert Daze? Hint: It’s not just a music festival
Founded in 2012 by Los Angeles musician and JJUUJJUU frontman Phil Pirrone, Desert Daze is a festival for discerning music lovers of all ages that embrace rock ‘n’ roll and world music, but all four of its stages feature a mix of rock, pop, rap, R&B and electronic music.
The festival has grown to draw about 10,000 attendees and is a mix of Los Angeles scenesters, old and young punk rockers wearing denim vests littered with band logos, Burning Man attendees and more. Wu-Tang Clan, Tame Impala, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Iggy Pop, Eagles of Death Metal and more have performed at Desert Daze in previous years.
Desert Daze began in 2012 at Dillon’s Burgers and Beers in Desert Hot Springs with performances by the indie bands Dengue Fever, Dead Meadow,
Allah Las, local band Slipping Into Darkness and more. The festival returned in 2013, but at the Sunset Ranch Oasis in Mecca. It moved again in 2016 to the Institute of Mentalphysics in Joshua Tree before settling an hour away from Palm Springs at the Lake Perris State Recreation Area in 2018.
Why have a music festival at Lake Perris State Recreation Area?
Lake Perris features a beach, recreation areas, paved parking lots, boating, hiking and more. The setting provides a more laid-back atmosphere among attendees compared to other festivals. There’s panoramic views of the mountains, a beach, plenty of trees providing shade, grass to lay a blanket and lustrous sunsets in the evening.
Desert Daze doesn’t pour the same amount of resources into creating massive works of art like Coachella or Bonnaroo, but it does feature art installations that are just as majestic in the beach setting during the evening hours.
Despite its unique, chill vibe, hosting a festival at a state park has some drawbacks. Festivalgoers don’t need to worry about a long walk to and from the gates, but in lieu of the park’s standard entry fee, there’s a $100 weekend parking fee. The site’s mountainous terrain also limits cell phone reception.
But if you’re willing to pay the fees and want a live music experience that also offers waterfront activities, this year’s festival will still give you both — with a historic lineup to boot.
Brian Blueskye covers arts and entertainment for the Desert Sun. He can be reached at brian.blueskye@desertsun.com or on Twitter at @bblueskye.