Desert Mountain Tribe at The Monarch

We all know the blues are full of troubles. So many emotional musicians resort to them to cathartically release their moans and groans, in order to cope with the harshness of life. Yet that foundation of the blues has been transcribed onto so many levels of sub-genres that it’s hard to trace back where it all began. When you incorporate elements such as psychedelic and hard rock, though, you’re bound to get a hybrid that’s a joy to hear. Desert Mountain Tribe brought exactly that to The Monarch in Camden last night.

The band opened with a psychedelic blues jam that put us in a trippy state of mind, and went right into their first song with aggression and style. The crowd got really into it from the off, singer/guitarist Jonty Balls showing his artistic prowess with some crazy solos that roused in us a Hendrix-esque nostalgia of Woodstock 1969.

The trio put on a fun and energetic live performance that got even the people enjoying their meals and beers to get up close and pay attention. They performed their new EP Take a Ride, and the crowd were taken. The music was a mix of hard rock and psychedelic blues, with the kind of sound that you would want to wander around Arizona’s Death Valley to while tripping peyote with your friends.

These guys know how to rock and stay true to their foundation. They are still young, but certainly have the potential to be a serious act in the future, and even garner recognition among old-time blues-goers and rockers. A true delight to see performing live.

 Joe Hoffman

For further information and future events visit Desert Mountain Tribe’s website here.

Watch the video for Take Me Away here: