Mon Petit Mojave, drive-in concerts imagined by Jérémie Levi Samson

On Saturdays and Sundays, as soon as the day sets over Joshua Tree, a desert patch is transformed into an unusual concert hall. And the cars parade for an unforgettable evening. Because, in the middle of a pandemic, while the concert halls are closed and the festivals canceled, a French violinist and his American wife have found a solution to make the music sound and the artists express themselves. Jérémie and Jacqueline Levi Samson created Mon Petit Mojave, a musical drive-in in Yucca Valley, south of Los Angeles.

This drive-in works on the same principle as the open-air cinema. Music is transmitted through your vehicle’s radio, and the listener can enjoy the view of the stage and the starry sky during live concerts on Saturday and Sunday evenings.

This idea followed the suddenness of the containment measures, when ” everything stopped suddenly », And in particular for the artists of the desert of Joshua Tree and Palm Springs. ” We have fifteen acres of land, on which we plan to build a house and possibly offer glamping in a western atmosphere. With the crisis, we wanted to use it to create a drive-in », Explains Jérémie Levi Samson. Thus, a first concert by the violinist took place on Sunday March 22, with the only staging, a carpet.

A diverse career

The French had not imagined the craze. And yet, this very option covid-friendly »- which offers forty parking spaces, respecting the limit of 200 people per gathering – refills every weekend. And the artists jostle to offer their performance. So much so that the violinist is even considering offering concerts on Friday evenings.

As the performances progressed, the place was perfected, Jérémie Levi Samson having built a wooden stage and invested in the sound system. An optimization that is also felt in the programming. Rap, mariachis, Brazilian music, blue-grass, gypsy jazz or the versatile cabaret of Lola Ohlala: the groups that parade offer eclectic universes like the career of Jérémie Levi Samson.

Coming from classical music (Lille Conservatory, then higher violin studies in Switzerland), he made a career in jazz in France with the group Swingin ‘Partout, before playing on various pieces, ranging from Stéphane Chapuis’ tango to variety of Pauline or Kendji Girac. Since his arrival in Los Angeles, five years ago, he has been building part of the Festival of Holidays for Disney California Adventure, and has increased performances in surrounding clubs, ranging from Sunnylands to Pappy & Harriet’s. ” This versatility is specific to France », Pleads the one who has been playing the violin since he was seven years old.

A different and intimate experience

Mon Petit Mojave presents itself as the reverse of a business, emanating from a voluntary initiative. ” It’s more of a state of mind, a different and intimate experience, people come to my garden. »Thus, concerts are free, and donations to support musicians are recommended. ” Our philosophy is that people who have more means, a beautiful car, participate more than others, on a principle of solidarity. It’s like coffee in Italy », Defends Jérémie Levi Samson.

Its success lies in particular in the heterogeneity of its audience. ” Very conservative and very liberal people move and mix, that’s the magic of the concert. »Dedicated to being temporary, this volunteer project is bound to drag on, thanks to its enthusiasm. But by evolving to be able to become sustainable. The artist is pursuing, in parallel, a project allowing him to perform solo, but “ doing something other than Bach “. Thus, like a man-orchestra, he plays via a looper, allowing him to record live and loop the sounds emitted by his guitar, drum, violin or piano. ” This makes it possible to meet demand when there is little space. », Argues the French. During confinement, he also created and hosted a local radio station on a bus, for which he played live every day for an hour.

For him, the future of artists does not lie in social networks, but in interaction with the public. And he likes to say: ” When the war lasts, people come out and dance. You can’t live with fear. Proof of this is that he still hopes to return to a less unusual scene.