text by Jorge Perezchica
The debut of 4XFAR Music & Adventure Festival presented by Land Rover included access to live musical performances, outdoor workshops and demos. From test driving the new 2020 Land Rover Defender on a purpose-built off-road course to ax throwing, rock climbing, mountain biking, outdoor photography, fly fishing, wilderness mixology, outdoor cooking and more. When I reminded my friend Treem Heff that it was the first annual and I don’t know what to expect. His reply was simply, “I’m sure nobody does. We are guinea pigs.” Yes, it was a different kind of festival experience with an element of unknown. But hey, that’s what adventures are all about right? Fortunately, I am glad to report, it was an experiment worth undertaking.
4xFar took place at the Empire Grand Oasis, which is owned by the same family of the Empire Polo Club in Indio. Aesthetically, it is a beautiful venue that shares some similarities with its sister property which hosts the popular Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and Stagecoach Country Music. The main striking difference is the freshwater lake surrounded by white sand, waterfalls, cozy hammocks hanging on palm trees and scenic views of the mountains. Among the artists performing January 18-19 were Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals, Q-Tip and Mark Ronson, Kaytranada, Kurt Vile, Sofi Tukker and Young The Giant.
Giselle Woo, a local musician and vocal art supporter commented favorably on social media, “4xFAR Music & Adventure Festival is pretty fkn badass. Loved the energy and set up. and of course the musical acts. Anderson .Paak, wow.. Kurt Vile & Tijuana Panthers, Kaytranada.”
Most of the activities at 4XFAR seemed geared towards beginners, which was fine, considering it was the first annual. Upon arrival, the first thing Treem Heff and I did was check out the new 2020 Land Rover lineup parked near the entrance. Admittedly, I wasn’t too familiar with Land Rovers, but seeing them up close and taking one for a test drive across the off-road course really got me excited about a future purchase. If the goal of the festival was to entice potential new customers, then it succeeded already.
Throughout the day, I circled the venue several times to observe the various activities as much as I could. And there were plenty of food truck options onsite to keep a hungry appetite satisfied. I went with Dang Brother Pizza which was wood fried on a firetruck and very tasty. I stopped by the wilderness mixology booth and sampled a few tropical inspired drinks. If you looked up to the sky now and then, you could see skydivers descending towards the festival grounds, which added to the outdoor excitement.
As the sun set and the music headliners took the stage the energy level definitely began to peak few notches — especially throughout Anderson .Paak’s performance. The good vibes and energy was palpable throughout the audience. Noticeably, there was a demographic that skipped the day activities and came just for the music. At one point, Anderson .Paak made his way through the audience, singing and dancing along with festival-goers. It offered an up-close and intimate experience, which I enjoyed. It was a good sign that 4XFAR offered a variety of activities and things to do that appealed to a wide audience.
Overall, 4XFAR was like a mash up between a car show, outdoors sports, music, art, food and a dash of vacay mode all rolled into one. By the end of the night, Treem and I agreed the first annual 4XFAR was off to a good start. I look forward to seeing how the festival evolves over time and especially more event offerings at the beautiful Empire Grand Oasis.
In retrospect, Anderson .Paak’s performance was one of the weekend highlights. But one of my favorite activities at 4xFAR was the outdoor cooking workshops. At first, I didn’t have high expectations, I had my doubts. “Is the food going to be bland and basic?” I thought to myself. I scheduled an appointment two days in advance, with Chef Corso for Saturday, January 18th at 2:30pm. Corso presented a 30-minute demo with simple ingredients and easy to prepare. When I finally tasted the results, all my doubts suddenly disappeared. I devoured every drop in the bowl. It was so good and flavorful. And to my surprise, it exceeded expectations. Thanks to Chef Corso, I returned for two more workshops that day to taste more dishes and observe. Attendees were genuinely enthusiastic about meeting new people, cooking, sharing the experience together — and of course enjoying the food. The workshop definitely inspired me to experience more outdoor adventures and try my hand at cooking trail meals. In this sense, the festival succeeded again.
After the weekend, I reconnected with Chef Corso to talk more about outdoor cooking and 4XFAR.
Coachella Magazine: Hi, Chef Corso. Tell us a bit about yourself and how you got started as a chef?
Chef Corso: I’m a classically trained chef from the Pacific Northwest outside of Seattle. I trained in Napa Valley and Northern Italy and most of my career was as a research chef testing and developing new food products. Cooking and sharing has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. My whole family loved to cook! I also love going outdoors and I want our meals to be a memorable, tasty part of our trips.
CM: What inspired Trail Meals?
CC: Trail meals was inspired by my own camping/hiking trips and realizing that the food options were pretty lacking. Either out of a bag or A LOT of time prepping and dehydrating in your kitchen prior to the trip. I want our trail meals to be tasty, fun and fast and to compliment our experience, rather than an afterthought.
CM: You mentioned onsite that recipes are a balance between taste and time preparation. Can you tell us more about some of the dishes prepared at 4XFAR and from your book Trail Meals?
CC: All MONTyBOCA recipes are 10 ingredients or less, ready in 30 min or less and focus on real, fresh ingredients rather than dry, salty or dehydrated options. They are fast, easy, fun and super tasty. All recipes are tested by a member of our recipe tester community. At 4XFAR we made elevated breakfasts like Dirtbag Eggs Benedict, quick dinners like Jambalaya and Beef Stroganoff and even Trail gate desserts of Caramelized Banana Nilla Wafer Bowl and Blue Lemon Rice Crispy Treat.
CM: What was your experience like at the first annual 4XFAR?
CC: It was the first time, so there were a few unknowns and small hiccups but overall it was really fun. Great to be a part of a mixed group of outdoor, music and art enthusiasts.
CM: What was some of the feedback and responses from the festival-goers at 4XFAR workshops?
CC: The responses have been extremely positive. Everyone had a great time getting their hands on real ingredients and camp stoves and cooking their own meal or snack. Each workshop had around 20-30 in attendance. So, I think folks liked meeting new people, cooking and sharing the experience together.
CM: What do you recommend to anyone who is interested in cooking outdoors for the first time?
CC: I recommend starting with a soup. They are forgiving and very satisfying. Tom Yum Noodle Bowl, Sesame Shitake Ramen or White Bean and Kale soup with lemon are great entry recipes. Check out our recipe bank of over 125 recipes here: www.montyboca.com/recipes
CM: What’s next for you?
CC: We are scheduling out hands-on workshops throughout the year with The North Face, Arcteryx and Pacific Northwest Outdoor Groups. We want to get outside as much as possible and share that you can eat well during any outdoor adventure. Also, we have a kickstarter launching in April to help fund our second pocket-sized cookbook: TRAIL MEALS Vista Edition. We appreciate your support!
CM: Sounds yummy. Thank you Chef Corso.
For more info about the festival visit 4XFAR.com