AC/DC Mural In Indio, CA Reportedly Damaged During Kendall Jenner Tequila Event
April 19, 2024, 8 months ago
A vibrant AC/DC mural was painted on the exterior wall of the Club 5 Bar in Indio, CA ahead of the Power Trip music festival last year. The mural was the only permanent decoration created for a pop-up celebrating the band's 50th anniversary and historic Power Trip performance — AC/DC's first time onstage together in seven years — but according to a report by Desert Sun, the physical reminder of the occasion is now tarnished.
Last week, the mural was damaged, and one of the bar's owners believed it happened during a pop-up event for Kendall Jenner's 818 Tequila, which was held during Weekend 1 of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
According to social media posts on the brand's social pages as well as the City of Indio's Instagram page, 818 Tequila installed various decorations for the event, which included a large company decal that was placed over the mural on the side of the bar's exterior. In the social media photos, the decal is seen in the same spot The Desert Sun photographed a mural during an AC/DC pop-up for Power Trip in October.
A spokesperson from 818 Tequila said in an email sent to The Desert Sun that the company values art and working with local businesses on pop-up opportunities, and that Club 5 "agreed to all changes" that were made in the space, including the mural, after 818 Tequila and representatives from Revolution Marketing packed up and did a walkthrough with owners.
Visual artist and muralist Miles Toland, who painted the mural on Club 5,commented:
"(818 Tequila) may be covered legally, but it’s still unethical to destroy public works of art for a pop-up promotional event. They left the place worse than how they found it. I see their actions as short sided, destructive, and disrespectful."
Read the complete report here.
Photos by Jay Calderon - The Desert Sun