Monolith on the Mesa 2019

Poster art by Simon Berndt @1horsetown • www.1horsetown.co.za
Press Links
“At Monolith on the Mesa, the heavy sounds dug deeply into sacred lands, pulsated with the ancestors in a heavy, rhythmic dance….The Mothership itself, open to the elements, stands in deep contrast to the dark, heavy indoor stage. Both carried the potent sound, engulfing its postmodern tribes in a crescendo that threatened to burst from the confines of each.”
– Ramona Beezus and Corey Yazzie, Weekly Alibi
“Monolith on the Mesa is, after all, as much a journey toward inclusive community and positivity as it is toward people who want the release afforded by heavy live music.”
– Luke Henley, Santa Fe Reporter
“Dano [festival founder], who is a well known artist in his own right, has intentionally curated a small group of local artists to display their work amidst the musical performances to create an unforgettable weekend on the Mesa.”
– Girl Wunder, Live Taos
“Taos is now the epicenter for a new music and art festival. Monolith On The Mesa: A High Desert Rock & Art Experience is a music experience intertwined with an art event. It features an indoor stage with a 400 person capacity and an outdoor “earthship” amphitheatre which holds 1,500 people.”
– Teresa Ewers, New Mexico Entertainment
“It’s a loose comparison, but with the camping, the desert setting, the psychedelics and the towering art installations, it had a slight “heavy-metal-burning-man” vibe, a remark I heard numerous people make. For sure, the architecture, the landscape, the arid earth, all felt distinctly Southwest.”
– Mike Goodwin, Ritual of Sin
“If camping, wilderness, beer, doom, and desert sound good to you, Monolith on the Mesa is your jam. It’s doom in the desert.”
– Addison Herron-Wheeler, New Noise Magazine
“Monolith on the Mesa, which kind of came out of the gate in full-fledged upstart fashion this year and put Taos, New Mexico, on the map as a destination for heavyheads from all over…”
– JJ Koczan, The Obelisk
“A stunning roster of bands that represent multiple sub-genres of rock and metal including stoner rock, heavy psych, doom, sludge, drone, and retro rock, will be accompanied with interactive art presentations.”
– Pat Whitaker, Riff Relevant
“Curated by mastermind Dano Sanchez, the fest combines a picturesque location, replete with outdoor activities — Taos Mesa Brewing, at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, on the edge of the Rio Grande Gorge — with interactive art, a light show, and two days of music on two stages, featuring “heavy riff-rock acts from across multiple sub-genres including stoner rock, heavy psych, doom metal, sludge, drone, and retro rock.”
– Ken Shimamoto, Stash Dauber
“Monolith could possibly be the first of its kind in New Mexico, a two-day music fest full of metal, hard rock and psychedelic bands, add in some local artists and have the entire festival on the Taos high desert mesa.”
– Jesse Moya, Taos News
“[the festival] left an indelible mark on the audience and bands alike.”
– Jonathan Levitt and John Galuska, Blurt
“an incredible event taking place in the southwestern mountain setting.”
– Keith Chachkes, Ghost Cult Mag
– Mike Strigl, Talking Metal Wino interview about Monolith on the Mesa
https://talkingrock.net/2019/05/talking-metal-811-wino/
Arise Seance Podcast
https://soundcloud.com/user-164701677/arise-music-podcast-seance-11-monolith-on-the-mesa
Guitar Girl Magazine
https://guitargirlmag.com/news/festivals/om-the-obsessed-dead-meadow-wovenhand-at-monolith-on-the-mesa-festival-may-16-18-in-taos-nm/
The Hype Magazine
https://www.thehypemagazine.com/2019/04/monolith-on-the-mesa-music-and-interactive-art-festival-in-taos-new-mexico-may-17-18-with-pre-festival-party-may-16th/
JamBase
https://www.jambase.com/festival/monolith-on-the-mesa-2019
KERRANG!
https://www.kerrang.com/features/here-are-9-metal-bands-keeping-denver-as-heavy-as-it-is-high/
KickAss Forever (New York, NY)
https://kickassforever.com/monolith-on-the-mesa-festival-announce-after-party-line-up-lord-dying-with-year-of-the-cobra-may-18th-from-1130-p-m-to-1-a-m-at-taos-mesa-brewing-in-taos-new-mexico/
KNAC
http://knac.com/article.asp?ArticleID=32222
http://www.knac.com/article.asp?ArticleID=32305
LA City of Devils
http://cityofdevils.info/events/2019/5/17/monolith-of-the-mesa
Live Taos
https://livetaos.com/uncategorized/monolith-on-the-mesa-celebrate-festival-season-in-taos/
https://livetaos.com/events/monolith-on-the-mesa/
Marquee Magazine (Boulder, CO)
http://marqueemag.com/2019/04/summer-festival-guide-2019-2/
Metal Injection
https://metalinjection.net/tour-dates/om-the-obsessed-the-well-more-slated-for-monolith-on-the-mesa-festival
Taos.org
https://taos.org/events/monolith-on-the-mesa-2019/
Below are a bunch of great photos taken by Michael Goodwin @boilingdenim from our very first Monolith on the Mesa 2019. We can’t thank him enough for letting us share these moments with you.