Levitt Amp Series continues tonight (10/17) with Palo Xanto, Hu Dost
On Tuesday afternoon, local musician Palo Xanto joined me on-air at Z107.7FM. Palo Xanto’s music is described as “desert groove,” and is a cross between alternative hip-hop and desert rock. He explained that his unique, bluesy sound is the natural product of his musical evolution.
“I started out as a hip-hop MC. That was my passion, and was what got me to writing music. When I was in Los Angeles, I expanded into experimenting with other sounds and working with other bandmates and producers…As a music fan, I’ve always loved classic rock. I’ve always loved hip hop. Playing the guitar, which I embraced coming out here, it just kind of fused together organically, nothing forced, all flow. It’s really just the two types of music that if you put me on an island, or a desert, that would be what I would gravitate to.”
Palo Xanto made music in both the Bay Area and Los Angeles before moving to the Morongo Basin in 2017. He credits the desert’s slow pace and community-driven appeal as instrumental to his creative process.
“Out here, it’s been significantly more embracing in terms of real community…it really feels home. I don’t know if it’s because it’s a small town, because folks are just a little more slowed down out here, take the time to converse, they’ll take the time to look you in the eye and get to know you a bit. I’ve built a lot of great friendships out here, my bandmates, those are my brothers. There’s something about the connectivity and the community out here that is very special.”
Palo Xanto will be playing a free show tonight in Twentynine Palms as part of the Levitt AMP Concert Series.
“It’s an amazing event series, and I was fortunate to be asked to host it fairly recently. It’s a really great board of people that are together organizing…proud to be a part of it, and proud to be performing.”
The Levitt AMP Concert Series continues tonight at Freedom Plaza in Twentynine Palms, with music starting at 4 p.m. in conjunction with the 90th Annual Pioneer Days Celebration. Palo Xanto takes the stage at 7 p.m., followed by the world rock and electric folk band Hu Dost. Attendees are invited to bring blankets, lawn chairs, and picnics to the free event; food vendors and other family-friendly activities will also be on site.
For more highlights on music, local and beyond, tune in to Z107.7 on weekday afternoons with me, Adeline, on-air from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
