High school bands, much like high school romances, rarely survive graduation—but Coyote Theater is no ordinary high school band.
This isn’t your grandparents’ band of wasted teenagers chugging beer and savaging classic rock tunes. Coyote Theater is a surprisingly mature art-rock blend of catchy phrases, odd time signatures, and clever stage histrionics. Think Frank Zappa meets The Flaming Lips via The Last Dinner Party with a little R&B sprinkled over the top.
This weekend, the San Lorenzo Valley-based band takes a big leap forward when they travel to the Mojave Desert to play a Saturday set at the Joshua Tree Music Festival.
“It’s a little nerve-wracking,” says Dimitri Lamendella, 18, the founder of Coyote Theater. “The logistics of getting five teenagers, one of which is still in high school, to a gig that far away hasn’t been easy. But we’re really looking forward to playing the festival.”
Lamendella, a multi-instrumentalist songwriter from Boulder Creek, formed Coyote Theater in the summer of 2025 as a student at Coast Redwood Charter School. He calls piano and saxophone the bases for his “musical foundation,” but switched to guitar to lead the band.
“I posted a call for musicians on Instagram and, well, it’s kind of laughable now, but I held auditions. Only two or three people showed up, but Kaitlyn [Spurlock] was one of them and she was this great singer who could also play keys,” he says. “So, in hindsight, it worked, I guess.” With vocals, keyboards, and lead guitar covered, Dimitri enlisted his sister, Claire, on bass, but moved her to second guitar when Coyote Theater’s twin engine—the rhythm section of bassist Caleb Mackessy and drummer Jeffery Dixon—came aboard in early 2026.
Over the following nine months, Coyote Theater developed their unique sound and look by playing live shows and parties at and around San Lorenzo Valley High School. This summer, their rabid teenage fanbase (and a smattering of gobsmacked adults) packed a Taekwondo Studio in Scotts Valley. The resulting live video was key to their invitation to the Joshua Tree Music Festival.
“It was an unusual venue,” says Lamendella. “But we’re an unusual band.”
What makes Coyote Theater a cut above your average teenage band is not its dadaist tendencies, willingness to experiment, or even its musicianship. It’s their songwriting and the strength of their vision. For instance, “Chachlik’s Proclivity” consists of a complex, oddly melodic instrumental section in 7/4 that the band unwinds into a 4/4 jam.
“We have to really concentrate during that one,” Dimitry admits.
Fortunately, Coyote Theater is made up of dedicated, developing musicians willing to put in the time and energy to perform his unusual compositions.
Jeffrey Dixon, 18, is not only an excellent drummer, he’s also an experienced sound designer who cut his teeth in the San Lorenzo Valley High School theater department. He now pursues the craft as a profession. As a result, Coyote Theater’s stage lights and sound are better than most bands in the county.
Colin Mackessy, 19, the elder in the band, holds down the low end for other San Lorenzo Valley bands, including the Post-Folk Revivalists. He plays bass with the confidence and swing of a stage veteran.
Guitarist Claire Lamendella, 17, the only band member still in high school, and singer Kaitlyn Spurlock, 18, act as perfect foils to Dimitri’s frontman antics. Their quiet, intense energy rises and falls with Theater’s frequent pivots and crescendos.
But at center stage is lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter Dimitri Lamendella.
“When I was about 13, I discovered the soundtrack to The Shining and was totally enthralled by it. I didn’t think classical music could be haunting and evil. It opened my mind to the limitless possibilities of music, I guess,” he says. “It’s weird, but I think The Shining was a real catalyst for how I compose music and write songs.”
Dimitri also attributes his affinity for improvisation to his father, Somesh Lamendella, who led countless drum circles and eclectic tribal instrument jams in the home during Dimitry’s formative years.
“Making stuff up on the spot has always felt very natural to me,” he says. “Of course, the stuff you make up on the spot can be the worst music in the world, but when it works, it’s the very best. And I think that dangerous place between success and failure sort of highlights the absurdity that Coyote Theater is all about.”
Follow Coyote Theater on Instagram and YouTube @theunreal.coyotetheater.
