Last spring my wife and I took a ‘desert trip’ to Palm Springs for a long weekend. The talk poolside was of the upcoming Desert Trip concert; three nights with six rock and roll icons: Bob Dylan and the Rolling Stones on night one, followed by Neil Young and Paul McCartney on the following night, then closing with The Who and Pink Floyd frontman Roger Waters.
Tickets were to go on sale– online only– that Monday morning. We kicked around the idea of going. I favored night one, while she favored night two (“Paul was my favorite Beatle!” was her trump card).
After sleeping on it, we found ourselves in the queue with no decision made. After 45 minutes our little man icon advanced all the way; we then had 10 minutes to decide.
What the hell; We’re IN!
We justified the expense several ways: “once-in-a-lifetime,” “This-will-be-our-vacation,” and “we-can-stay-at-my-cousins.’” All such thoughts were rationalizations, of course, but we had our tickets on reserve.
Following are some comments on the trip:

The Venue – Admittedly I had no idea what to expect from a three-day rock fest with 75,000 attendees. Visions of Woodstock danced in my head– sans the mud, this was a ‘Desert Trip’ after all. The entire venue was well organized, excellent food and beverage options (albeit at a steep price). The air-conditioned bathroom trailers were cleaned each day. Hundreds of shuttle busses provided transportation at the modest price of $25. It was well worth that cost. All in all the organizers did a first class job. Special note: the accommodations for ADA attendees was excellent.
For the Techies – The sound system was state of the art and not properly utilized until Roger Waters took advantage of its full potential. The multiple BIG screens, allowing artist close-ups while simultaneously projecting the selected video accompaniments, were fantastic.
The Distractions – Available options for the campers during non-performing times were numerous: Games, rides, classes, activities of all type were available. For all attendees, an exhibit of 200 photographs of all the performers stretching back to their teen years was very popular. The workers were all great, most welcoming and very helpful.
The Crowd – My wife and I are in our early 60s, and we probably represented the median age of the crowd. ‘Geezer fest’ was one of the names heard often for the show. Suffice to say that people from a multitude of nations were represented. Canada seemed at the top, but we interacted with people from Italy, Brazil, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, England and Germany. All of these people were united in a singular focus: a love for the music. I saw not a single action which required the attention of security. The geezers were well behaved.

THE PERFORMERS: These impressions are not meant to be a review. In order of appearance:
Bob Dylan – Opening with “Rainy Day Women # 12 and 35” was appropriate, as the “Everybody must get stoned” line was received by immediate plumes of fragrant smoke. Overall, Bob was Bob. You love him, or you don’t. I love him and enjoyed his performance for what it was: No theatrics, just him and his band playing the songs you know and the ones you wanted to hear. I was surprised though at the changed lyrics of “Tangled Up in Blue.” All in all, a solid Dylan performance, with rare clarity of voice in many songs.
The Stones – Mick Jagger’s opening remarks brought down the house: “Welcome to the ‘Catch ‘em before they Croak tour.” Long-time Stones fans knew what to expect. I did not, but all the songs were well known. The show was excellent. Even Keith Richards surprised with two of his own: “You Got the Silver” and “Little T & A.” Accompanied by Ronnie Wood, the soft interlude was well received and afforded Mick a well-deserved 15 minute midway break. The Stones’ outstanding two-hour high energy performance was surprising and very enjoyable. They exuded joy, as well as an appreciation of their long-time fans.
Neil Young – Unless one includes Buffalo Springfield and Crosby Stills Nash & Young, my music collection contains no Neil Young, which serves to define expectations, (i.e. I had none). Neil Young‘s discography of 39 studio albums contains 19 gold or platinum records! The opening set was classic Neil: he and his guitar playing a few songs that you knew, including the very fitting “Old Man.” Neil was excellent, and his guitar work was better expected. His set was a mix of old and new. The pipe organ he played was a nice touch on two songs. Outstanding!
Paul McCartney – Paul played up the nostalgia, but in an elegant, gentlemanly way. His voice, though not as strong as earlier years, emanated a warming sincerity. One highlight, a tribute to George Harrison, was Paul’ playing “Something” on the ukulele. It was a nice touch, as were his comments regarding John Lennon. The show was entertaining, nostalgic and very enjoyable.
The Who – Ages ago I, along with my future bride, saw the Who in Long Beach, when Pete Townshend directed a profanity-laced tirade at the audience for having the audacity to shout out musical requests. My lovely wife has hated Townshend ever since. Saturday night all was forgiven. Though John Entwistle and of course the great Keith Moon are no longer with us, the show did not seem diminished. Yes, Roger Daltrey has slowed and his voice has weakened, but not enough to be unable to carry on in respectable fashion. Pete Townshend soothed old wounds by admitting the break up in’82 was his fault. The crowd seemed to accept his apology. Townshend soldiered on through the show, without interruption, despite a self-inflicted head wound, likely caused by his pick during a signature arm whirl riff.
Roger Waters – A retrospective look at the trials and tribulations of the internal strife of Pink Floyd is beyond the scope of this piece. Suffice to say that Roger Waters was a key contributor to much of the success of the group. To steal a line from “Have a Cigar,” I would say that Waters may be riding the gravy train, just a tad. But having said that, many aspects of the show were outstanding. One point of curiosity was that G. E. Smith, one of the best-known studio musicians was on guitar, yet was not only not introduced (his name was casually mentioned), but he was never given a noticeable solo. The recreation of the “Animals” album cover, complete with steam stacks replicating the Battersea power plant, was a notable achievement. The Segway into politics, including the demonization of Donald Trump, detracted from an otherwise most enjoyable show. Perhaps because some of the songs droned on a bit, or because of unwelcomed politics or simply because it was day three, much of the crowd was leaving early. Even the closing set, taken from “The Wall,” was not bringing them back.
The Cost – In spite of the high prices, the experience was truly a once in a lifetime event. However, bargains were available for those who waited. We spoke to one fan who paid $600 for three nights of Standing Room Only seats in the pit. Others reported paying half of face value for general admission seats. Had the organizers not added a second weekend, this likely would not have been the case.
Overall – All in all the experience was very positive, the music great, the minor technical issues were just that; minor. The performers all seemed to be having a blast by doing what they love. There is talk of “next year,” and there is too much money to be made to ignore that probability. I would encourage all to attend given the opportunity. If need be, seek last-minute bargains as they become available.
Conclusion – Who is in the lineup for next year?

Dennis Lund is a mechanical engineer who lived in Benicia for more than 20 years.

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