Here's a festival I've been wanting to attend the last two years, and now I'm on the fence for the upcoming Joshua Tree Roots Music Festival. It's on October 18-19 in the high Mojave desert, and once again it presents a great lineup of rootsy, mostly acoustic jam bands along with some very fine individual folk-roots voices.

In my book, Peter Case is among the finest songwriters of his generation, as was demonstrated by the recently released all-star tribute album of other artists playing his songs. He is also a compelling performer when he pays tribute to great bluesmen of the past Mississippi John Hurt and Sleepy John Estes. I fell hard for Carrie Rodriguez when she was paired with Chip Taylor a few years back, and I'd love to see her solo act. Among jamgrass outfits, South Austin Jug Band and Trampled By Turtles are two of the best. Plus there's Dusty Rhodes & The River Band, The Devil Makes Three, Elephant Revival, Hillstomp, The Belleville Outfit, The Stairwell Sisters, Nathan and plenty more—too much fun.

But beyond the musical attractions, the forlorn grandeur of the site adds a dimension that very few festivals can boast. For some, it can even be mystical. That sense of what I imagine the experience might be like is conveyed in this series of sepia images provided courtesy of the festival. And the color photo makes me feel like I've just dropped into a Gram Parsons dreamscape circa 1970. Won't you scratch my itch, sweet Annie Rich....

Check out our detail page for more information on the festival, and look for more coverage coming up as the festival approaches.