Greenbeard at Planet Mammoth 2023

Planet Mammoth 2023 brought a lot of talented heavy rock bands from all over the U.S. to Pub Rock Live in Scottsdale, Arizona. From the brutal melancholy of the bands Ugly and Sorrower to the sludgy doom of Bongzilla, it was a feast of destruction for the ears and eyes and a coming together of very different worlds. United by our love of heavy music, the audience had a great time.

The highlight of the Planet Mammoth festival for me, by a landslide, was the set by the stoner desert rock band, Greenbeard. I had only just discovered Greenbeard’s heavy music a few months prior whilst down a rabbit hole of heavy music on the internet. I was excited to hear them play at this festival, along with Ugly and Bongzilla. I know that many may think I live under a rock since I had never heard Greenbeard until now. I kind of do, live among the rocks anyway, in Joshua Tree, CA. But whatever twist of fate led me to discover Greenbeard, I am grateful for it.

Greenbeard is a desert doom psychedelic bluesy rock band from Austin, Texas, that has been playing for nearly a decade. The current lineup is Chance Parker on lead guitar and vocals, Joe Samson on guitar, Pat Seals on bass and Buddy Hachar on drums. I didn’t know what to expect of their live show. I hadn’t known how their music was about to become glued inextricably into my soul. At this point, I’m sure I could listen to “Lanesplitter” on repeat forever.

To say they put on a killer show is an understatement. They brought all the black magic needed to summon a demon but with a good dose of heady instrumental wizardry and a slathering of unexpected soul. Yes, soul.

The sinister riffs and dark, sludgy vibe of the opening song “Lanesplitter” came on like a cruel villain overtaking the room. The band members looked like towering Vikings ready for battle, tattooed with serpents and wild animals, with long hair. Their weapons of choice included a Gibson SG, a Les Paul, and an Orange half stack. The long-bearded bassist Pat moved like a crazed beast, strong and bursting with energy, rocking a monitor with his boot. At times he twisted up in his cable with a fury that made me certain the cable was going to be accidentally pulled out, or he was going to trip, but he quickly snaked out of the twist each time without missing a beat. These guys are masters of their craft and well-tuned to each other. The guitar leads were tasteful and heavy, emphasized with an octave pedal as well as with a classic wah effect. Chance’s vocals were commanding and soulful, like Jim Morrison. At times, he would scream or growl like a gremlin who had been trapped in a cage.

The contrasting fast tempo of the second song “Creatures of the Night” was a smack in the face, faster than my brain wanted to adjust. “WCCQ”, a driving, blasting anthem for consumable pleasures, refreshed with an interesting break in the middle and ambient sonic experimentation at its close. Bursts of angst spewed forth from instruments and vocals like stones dumped onto the floor. I really particularly liked the riff near the last few bars of “Exodus III”. The whole set was abundant with all of the heavy fuzz doominess that I love and with a stream of sonic surprises, including waves of feedback distortion and pulsing spacey sounds made with effects pedals.

The set was:

Lanesplitter I

Creatures of the Night

WCCQ

Unbecoming

Exodus III

Sinsemilla

Thee Voyager

Battle End

Heady, psychedelic riffs and deep grooves all wrapped in heavy fuzz. What more could any heavy music lover want?

Their show was fueled by fury, fire, passion and spiced with madness. These guys are at the top of their game and happy to share their crushing, powerful music with an audience. They will melt your face while they dig deep into your soul.

I left with a signed copy of Lodarodbol, which contains a full, extended instrumental version of “Lanesplitter” to my surprise! Even through my busted up old record player, the sound of this album captured me.

Planet Mammoth was well worth the drive and the energy. I left with both some new friends, fun memories and a new favorite band.

-The Black Widow