One hell of a night with Mikey Lion and Lee Reynolds

Genuine, passionate, energetic – these are all the first words that come to mind when I hear that Desert Hearts is set to play another show in San Francisco. Last Friday night saw the highly anticipated return of Mikey Lion and Lee Reynolds to Public Works, and they certainly did not disappoint. Mikey and Lee are two of the four co-founders of Desert Hearts – a collective based in Los Angeles that operates primarily as a record label, in addition to hosting a multitude of events across California. It comes as no surprise that Desert Hearts has been one of the fastest-rising and influential record labels the West Coast has seen in the past few years. This collective showcases everything that is good within the electronic music community today. Between hosting consistently amazing parties throughout California, releasing quality records on their label, and even getting involved within their community, it is no surprise that everyone exposed to their movement feels a genuine connection with them. After all, electronic music has always been about experiencing a connection with other people in a moment and space that can never be replicated. It’s crucial that we don’t get jaded and lose sight of the roots of this music given the influx of massively produced shows and festivals that are so prevalent today. There’s certainly nowhere more appropriate to experience this important connection than on a Desert Hearts dance floor.

As with any event at Public Works, getting there either early, or late enough, to beat the queue is crucial to a good night. The latter happened to work for me this time, luckily. As I walk down the narrow corridor towards the crowd, the pumping Funktion-One sound system was increasing in volume as I quickly found myself in the heart of the dancefloor. Within two seconds I was already feeling the groove and in tune with the crowd – the night was underway. Lee Reynolds, also known as Papa Lee, was rocking the crowd in his usual fashion, and although I’ve seen him play on at least three separate occasions, it’s always a sight to see. As is typically evident with any DJ set that sticks out in my memory, when the selector is having the most fun and dancing more than anyone in the crowd, it’s sure to be a memorable night. However, there’s always a slightly more joyous and comical side to seeing Lee’s contagious energy command the dance floor. Not to mention that he kind of un-ironically reminds you of Rick Sanchez (to Mikey Lion’s Morty). By the time Mikey was on the decks, it’s hard to say how long Lee was playing, but one thing is certain: he absolutely killed his set.

When Mikey Lion steps up to the decks, you know that he is more than likely to play the best set of the night. Sporting his usual top hat and a brightly colored floral button-up, he took the stage to a dance floor full of people moving in unity with one another to the 4×4 beats. With the rare exception of a few camera flashes, cell phones were kept to a minimum use by a majority of the crowd. What usually results in the ever-annoying selfie on stage with a DJ was actually replaced with gleaming faces of pure joy and presence in the moment – a true testament to the ethos of a Desert Hearts party. Before I knew it, it was already well into the early hours of the morning and the party was showing no signs of winding down. Another successful Desert Hearts takeover at Public Works was in the books.

“House, Techno, & Love… We are all Desert Hearts”