Desolation Center (2018) on Netflix
NR20181h 33mDocumentary
During the Reagan era, punk artists in Southern California start organizing and playing their own shows in the desert. The gatherings are guerrilla punk and industrial happenings.
- Watch on NetflixThis title is not on Netflix right now. Please check back later for updates.
- Watch on Prime
- Watch on NordVPN
- Netflix4.4/5
- IMDb7.4/10247 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes100%
Trailer
Plot summary
A group of punk artists put on their own shows in the Southern California desert during the Reagan era. Those guerrilla punk and industrial gatherings are now recognized as having inspired Burning Man, Lollapalooza and Coachella. The documentary tells their story through interviews and rare performance footage, with appearances by Savage Republic, Swans, Sonic Youth, Minutemen, Meat Puppets, Redd Kross, Einstürzende Neubauten and Survival Research Laboratories.
Cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about Desolation Center (2018)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- The Desolation Center desert concerts were an inspiration for three giant festivals: among those who attended were Perry Farrell, later of Jane's Addiction, Gary Tovar, founder of the promoter behind Coachella, and John Law, founder of Burning Man.
- Stuart Swezey, 22 years old at the time, organized the desert concerts partly to dodge the Los Angeles police, who were waging a private war on punk rock shows and had made it hard for him to stage gigs downtown.
- At the last Desolation Center concert, the Gila Monster Jamboree, New York's Sonic Youth played their first ever concert in California, sharing the bill with Redd Kross, Meat Puppets and Psi Com.
