Diggin Dirt Electrifies Fans
JTMF Tickets Worth Every Penny
(Joshua Tree, Calif.) - We did not expect much from a single band playing on the coldest night in Spring at the Joshua Tree Music Festival (JTMF), but we were pleasantly surprised when Diggin Dirt took the stage on Friday night. This seven-person, funky, rock, reggae band from Humboldt County blew us away with their electrifying guitar riffs, exceptional bass and drums, and their precision percussion saxophones – which made our mouths drop from amazement. But it was the singer who commanded the stage. Front man Zach Alder’s voice carried the band through each song like a Grammy Award-winning pro and kept the entire crowd on their feet for the duration of the nearly two-hour concert.
“He (Alder) reminds me of John Lennon meets Eddie Vedder with influences of James Brown – a unique sound I’ve never heard before,” said concert attendee Dr. Ashley Jordan of Palm Springs. “The band did a good job of creating sounds that all generations could enjoy – and that’s not easy.”
“He (Alder) is phenomenal, surprisingly good, and he never tired out. Amazing how he kept it going with the band, especially on a cold, windy night,” said Tom Devereaux of Desert Hot Springs. “They were playing to the crowd, which was mostly older folks. They played some Motown songs, and some oldies but goodies. It was wonderful. I loved their rendition of ‘Satisfaction.’”
“Diggin Dirt began planting its roots back in 2011 in the town of Arcata, CA. The original lineup was a peanut butter and jammed out quintet that consisted of a double guitar rhythm section, and a tenor saxophone. The original five (Rory Urquhart, Joey Incorvaia, Drew Weitzel, John Callahan and Aaron Gottesman) had high hopes of getting house party gigs and maybe one day performing on a stage. Many, many dreams later, the quintet became seven. As the band gathered and kept moving forward, all the while staying anchored to the heavy groove element that Diggin Dirt has become known for,” according to their website www.diggindirtband.com.
“Diggin Dirt found its current form when it added the soul man, Zach Alder, a Humboldt local. His commanding vocal element was a natural addition to the mix. The horn section with Aaron Gottesman rounded out its sound with the addition of Humboldt musician Tyler Martin on baritone saxophone. The newly conglomerated 7-piece band had instant chemistry, and after only a few months of playing together, released their Full Season LP of 11 tracks that showcase musical influences ranging from afrobeat to reggae and rock, always with that characteristic funky Diggin Dirt soul.”
“The band is influenced by funk heavy hitters such as James Brown, Funkadelic, Bootsy Collins and Sly and the Family Stone as well as reggae bands like Steel Pulse and modern funk like Orgone.”
Diggin Dirt is followed by: Con Brio (May 28 & 29) - Aptly named for the Italian musical direction meaning ‘With Spirit’ these cats are spirited. Their debut on the Boogaloo stage at the Joshua Tree Music Festival back in May 2016 was electrifying. To say the joint was jumping would be an understatement. They performed here again in May 2018. The Bay Area band plays energetic soul, psych-rock and R&B that’s as fresh and freethinking as the place they call home. Lead singer Ziek McCarter is dripping with charisma, bringing the dance moves, splits and all, of James Brown. The tight, veteran band that “comes across like a party punk version of Sly and the Family Stone.
Las Cafeteras (May 30) - Using traditional Son Jarocho instruments like the jarana, requinto, quijada (donkey jawbone) and tarima (a wooden platform), they sing in English, Spanish, and Spanglish with a remix of sounds, from rock to hip-hop to rancheras. Las Cafeteras have taken the music scene by storm with their infectious live performances. At the Joshua Tree Music Festival in October 2016, they blurred the line between artist and audience, whipping the crowd into a frenzied fever. Born and raised east of the Los Angeles River, Las Cafeteras are remixing roots music and telling modern day stories. Their Afro-Mexican beats, rhythms, and rhymes deliver inspiring lyrics that document stories of a community seeking love and justice in the concrete jungle of Los Angeles.
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