Coachella Valley Independent January 2014

VOL.2 | ISSUE 1

THE HIGH COST OF HOMELESSNESS Down-on-their-luck residents are being repeatedly ticketed for petty offenses—making it impossible for them to get back on their feet

Plus: Does the proposed California Homeless Bill of Rights treat the symptom rather than the problem?

PAGE 14

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JANUARY 2014

A Note From the Editor

Mailing address: 31855 Date Palm Drive, No. 3-263 Cathedral City, CA 92234 (760) 904-4208 www.cvindependent.com

Editor/Publisher Jimmy Boegle Assistant Editor Brian Blueskye Editorial Layout Wayne Acree Advertising Sales Matt Stauber Advertising Design Betty Jo Boegle Contributors Richard Almada, Gustavo Arellano, John Backderf, Victor Barocas, Max Cannon, Nic Coury, Kevin Fitzgerald, Bill Frost, Bonnie Gilgallon, Bob Grimm, Alex Harrington, Valerie-Jean (VJ) Hume, B. Lynn Ingram, Brane Jevric, Keith Knight, Christina Lange, Marylee Pangman, Erin Peters, Deidre Pike, Anita Rufus, David Schmalz, Jen Sorenson, Robert Victor

The Independent is a proud member and/or supporter of the Association of Alternative Newsmedia, the Local Independent Online News Publishers, the Desert Business Association, the LGBT Community Center of the Desert, artsOasis and the American Advertising Federation/Palm Springs-Desert Cities.

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COVER DESIGN BY wayne acree; PHOTO BY BRANE JEVRIC

The Coachella Valley Independent print edition is published every month. All content is ©2013-2014 and may not be published or reprinted in any form without the written permission of the publisher.

The Independent is available free of charge throughout the Coachella Valley, limited to one copy per reader. Additional copies may be purchased for $1 by calling (760) 904-4208.

The Independent may be distributed only by the Independent’s authorized distributors.

When we launched the Coachella Valley Independent in late 2012, we knew that we’d face numerous obstacles and dilemmas along the way.

However, this issue presented us with a unique dilemma that I didn’t see coming. The question at hand: When should the Independent start its new volume?

For years, magazines, newspapers and other print publications have divvied up issues into volumes. Most publications change volumes on a yearly basis—quite often on the anniversary of the publication’s launch. For example, the publication I worked at before the Independent came to be, the Tucson Weekly, will start its 31st volume in late February, when the publication celebrates its 30th anniversary.

That’s all well and good—but in the Independent’s case, we have at least four “launch” dates.

We launched CVIndependent.com in beta in October 2012. We took the website out of beta on Jan. 1, 2013. We published our first print issue, a quarterly, in April 2013. After another quarterly in July 2013, we published our first monthly edition in October 2013.

So, taking this all into consideration, when should we start our new volume? One could make the case that we could have done so in October 2013, with our first monthly, to coincide with the one-year anniversary of our beta launch. But that was only our beta online launch; our full launch happened a year ago this month. However, we didn’t do a print issue until April—and it’s the print edition, not the website, that is divided up into issues and volumes.

After much inane back-andforth—I think everyone can agree that when to start a new volume is not a dilemma that anyone would categorize as “serious” in any way— we decided to start Volume 2 with this, our January issue. It marks the fact that the Independent has a year of great, full-time content and coverage under its figurative belt, so it felt like the best answer to this silly question.

On a not-so-silly note: We’re kicking off Volume 2 with quite a bang; there’s a lot of great stuff in this issue. Our cover package looks at some of the issues that people within the Coachella Valley’s homeless population face—including a crippling amount of petty legal citations, with not-so-petty fees. Check that out on Page 14. Our News section features a story on the Desert Ice Castle, and its ties to potential Winter Olympics glory; our Movies section offers a quick history of the Palm Springs International Film Festival; and our Music section is packed with coverage on everything from the newly restored Purple Room to a third-wave ska act that’s making an appearance at The Hood. And that’s just scratching the surface on all the coverage in this, our first print issue of 2014.

Welcome to Volume 2, Issue 1, of the Coachella Valley Independent.

—Jimmy Boegle, jboegle@cvindependent.com

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 3

JANUARY 2014

OPINION

KNOW YOUR

NEIGHBORS

Post-Adoption Miracles Can Indeed Happen

WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/OPINION

By Anita Rufus was struck by the recent story of a 65-year-old woman who gave up a baby son when she was 19 and unmarried. The story ended tragically: She discovered he had been one of the victims of the Lockerbie bombing when he was only 21.

Then I saw the movie Philomena, based on a terrific book by Martin Sixsmith. It’s the lovely story of a woman who sought to find her adopted son after more than 50 years of anguish.

Those stories brought home for me how lucky I was to receive perhaps the greatest gift I’ve ever received, about nine years ago.

I, too, had given up a baby boy at birth, when I was barely 18 and unmarried. It was the “dark ages” of the 1950s, when young women had few choices. Most adoptions then were “closed,” meaning no information could be garnered by the birth parent after the legal adoption was completed.

Young women were often consigned to homes for unwed mothers to wait out a pregnancy with the understanding that they would not be able to keep the child. It was a secret we kept, even within our own families, as if it had never happened.

But I never forgot, and I spent years agonizing about whether I had made the right decision for that child. Had he been raised in a good family? Did he feel abandoned? Was he loved?

Over the years, I made sure the agency that handled the adoption, Vista del Mar, knew where to locate me in case my son ever wanted to make contact, but I never wanted to push myself into his life. Maybe he didn’t know he was adopted.

Maybe he didn’t want to know me.

I found a reunion website where I could register for free, the International Soundex Reunion Registry (ISSR), and completed their application form. Their policy is that if they receive an inquiry from both sides, they will let each know of the other.

When my later-born twins, Michael and Susie, were about 16, I thought it was time for them to know they had a half-brother out there somewhere. Michael fantasized about his older brother, deciding his name should be Steven. When Michael’s son was born— my first grandson—he was named Stephen: same name, different spelling. My heart swelled.

After almost 45 years, I got a phone call. It was on a Sunday night. My husband answered the phone.

“It’s for you,” he said. “It’s a woman who says she’s a social worker with Vista del Mar.” My heart skipped a beat. “Oh, my God,” I thought, “he’s dead.” I always figured that if my firstborn died, someone would let me know.

I took the phone, and a lovely woman gave me the news that my son was seeking to find me. She cautioned that reunions go badly sometimes, and that I might want to seek some counseling before contact was made.

“Do you want us to give him your information?” she asked.

“Absolutely! And please tell him it’s enough for me just to know he’s alive, in case the only reason he wants to make contact is for medical information or something like that. But if he’s willing, I would love to talk with him.”

Early the next morning, I got a call from ISSR. They informed me that my son was seeking me through their registry as well.

“Do you want his contact information?” they asked.

I responded by telling them I wasn’t sure why he was seeking

to make contact, and that I didn’t want to push myself into his life any further than he might want. “Please tell him that I would be very happy for him to call,” I said—and silently hoped he would.

Not an hour later, the phone rang, and there he was. He spoke in a rush of words, clearly a bit nervous, as was I. He told me about his family, and why he had decided to find me.

My son is an adult-school teacher who was conducting a creative-writing class. He had given his students the assignment to write about their greatest regret in life. One of his students, an older woman from England, wrote about how she had given up a child at birth and had spent the rest of her life worrying whether she had handed him over to a better life. After the discussion, my son decided to find his birth mother so he could let her know that she had, in fact, made the right decision for him.

Amid his rush of telling me about himself, he dropped into the middle that he was gay and had a longtime partner. I responded by saying, “You couldn’t have chosen a better birth mother!” We both laughed.

We talked some more and decided to meet the following week in Los Angeles, where he lived.

I knocked on his door, full of anticipation, and very nervous.

When he opened the door, my first thought was: “He looks like Michael’s brother!”

Michael loves to brag that he can eat the hottest peppers imaginable. My first-born grows such peppers in his garden.

Other similarities blew me away. When he proudly showed me his closet, full of animal prints, I knew he was my son!

I had brought pictures of his half-brother and half-sister, and other members of my family. He proudly showed me pictures of his family. His father had died a few years before. It was his mother who had given him the information that allowed him to find me.

After our first meeting, he scanned some of the family pictures I had brought and inserted himself into them. He found beautiful poems written by others who had been through similar situations and shared them with me.

A few months after our initial contact, he was able to meet Michael and Susie here in Palm Desert. We were having drinks in a restaurant when a couple sitting at the next table offered to take a picture of us all. The man asked, “Are the two boys twins?” We all laughed.

Not everyone who reaches out has a positive experience. In my case, I’m grateful to no longer live with the doubt about whether I did the right thing. He had a much better life than I could have given him.

In my letter of thanks to ISSR, I wrote: “My other children are thrilled that they have the chance to know their half-brother after so many years of fantasizing about him. If you don’t already know the story, my other son had made up a name for his ‘brother’—calling him Steven. To then find out, so many years later, that my adopted son’s name IS Steven was almost more than we could comprehend!”

My wish for others who have gone through a similar experience is this: Never lose hope. Share your stories— miracles can happen!

Anita (back right) with her children: Michael (back left), Susie and Steven (front).

CVIndependent.com

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JANUARY 2014

OPINION

THE WEST’S WILD CLIMATE

History Proves the West Needs to Prepare for Extreme Weather Events

WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/OPINION

By B. Lynn Ingram he rains had been heavy on and off for weeks, soaking the ground, washing away the soil and undercutting our yard and the yards of our neighbors. This happened 45 years ago, when we lived on a steep mountain ridge in the Santa Ynez Mountains of Santa Barbara, about 100 miles northwest of Los Angeles.

Where once we had an ample yard, 15 feet of grass now separated our house from the precipitous edge of the slope. That led to anxious nights with images in my mind of our house sliding down the slope while I slept. Although our house never went over the edge, those feelings of anxiety sometimes recur during big storms.

A little research reveals that the worst storm ever recorded in California struck on Christmas Eve of 1861. The rains continued almost nonstop until February 1862, soaking California with almost four times its normal rainfall, and creating enormous brown lakes on the normally dry plains of Southern California.

In the Sierra Nevada, the deluges filled rivers, transforming them into raging torrents that swept away entire communities and goldmining settlements in the foothills.

In California’s enormous Central Valley—a region more than 300 miles long and 20 miles wide—the floodwaters streaming from the Sierra produced an inland sea, covering farmlands and towns. Sacramento was submerged under 10 feet of brown, debris-laden water, forcing residents to move about the city by boat.

California wasn’t alone in its misery: Diary

CVIndependent.com

and newspaper accounts suggest that most of the West Coast, as well as inland areas in Nevada, Utah and Arizona, suffered their worst floods in recorded history.

Then there’s drought. I recall living through the severest drought on record for many Western states, which happened during the winter of 1976-1977. In California, this period is known as “the year with no rain.”

I was a teenager, and for the first time, I had to confront the realization that water was a finite resource. My family had always used water liberally, with little thought about supply, but that year, every drop counted.

Washing cars, watering lawns and taking baths or long showers were banned. These “sacrifices” paled in comparison to the far harsher impacts we heard about on the news, faced by farmers with little water, ski areas

with no snow, and forests drying and burning.

This bipolar behavior of our Western climate left me wondering what a “normal” climate really was.

Today, I am one of a small cohort of scientists trying to answer that question, by searching for evidence of past droughts and floods, wildfires, periods of warmth and cold, and so on, over the geologic past—the period before humans kept records in the West.

If we step back and view our climate history over a very long time period—say, hundreds to thousands of years—we begin to see the forest for the trees. We can pick out extreme events and how often they occur. This natural history is written not in paper and ink, but in the Earth itself, in sediment, stone, trees and ice. Like investigators at a crime scene, we try to piece together seemingly random and unrelated clues about our past climate, and eventually, we begin to see patterns.

Our discoveries are occasionally surprising—and sometimes unsettling, even anxiety-provoking. Evidence is mounting, for example, that two prolonged droughts, each lasting more than a century, gripped the Southwest during medieval times, about 650 to 1,100 years ago.

Decades-long droughts have also occurred more frequently and fairly regularly, telling us

that these dry periods are a normal feature of our climate.

We have also found evidence of previous catastrophic floods in the region, suggesting that the “megaflood” in 1861-1862 was not a freak event. Our studies indicate that huge floods—much larger than we have experienced in the past century—occurred every 100 to 200 years over the past few thousand years.

It’s unsettling to think about the implications of extreme climate events—and the reality that global warming may make severe weather much more frequent and even more extreme. These days, of course, my adult mind can provide diversions, and some people are getting quite skillful at outright denial.

This might alleviate unease in the short run, but I know that the best long-term solution is for scientists to prepare everyone living in our Western states for a future of unpredictable and extreme climate change.

B. Lynn Ingram is a contributor to Writers on the Range, a service of High Country News, where this piece originally appeared. She is a professor of earth science at the University of California at Berkeley, and author of The West Without Water: What Past Floods, Droughts, and Other Climatic Clues Tell Us About Tomorrow.

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JANUARY 2014

OPINION

ASK A MEXICAN!

What Would a Latino-Controlled America Be Like?

!

WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/OPINION

By Gustavo Arellano EAR MEXICAN: Longtime reader, first-time writer.

I watched the brown-pride marches of the early 1970s and heard the shouts of La Raza, and was told how things were going to be different now that the “Chicano” had arrived: The Mexicans were going to change things for the greater good. I remember when President Ronald Wilson Reagan gave amnesty to some 3 million illegal Mexican immigrants, and hearing how this was going to change things once and for all, bringing the Mexicans into American society with welcome arms and citizenship. Nothing was going to hold the Mexicans down anymore.

And here we are.

Mexico might not be falling, as you say, but the police, the military and the citizens seem unable to stop the killing. Predominantly Latino school districts in Santa Ana and Los Angeles are failing; Latinas are having babies out of wedlock at the rate of Guatemalans; and the young Latinos are still

tagging and banging. Mexicans are re-colonizing not only the Southwest, but of most of America; it will take only a matter of time for the colonization to become complete, with brown pride and illegitimate children filling this great country.

So what are you going to do with it, Mexican? History does not paint a very bright future for a Latino-controlled America.

Reading The Turner Diaries to Prepare DEAR GABACHO: Sure it does! Rather than me offering you my usual pendejadas, I’ll direct you to the research of an ¡Ask a Mexican! pal, University of Southern California professor Jody Agius Vallejo, whose book Barrios to Burbs: The Making of the Mexican-American Middle Class was recently released in paperback (with a rambling intro by your favorite Mexican).

Her pioneering research shows how, contrary to Know Nothing assertions, Mexicans are following the same assimilation and financial-achievement patterns as previous immigrant groups. You can’t argue with facts, yet I’m sure

you will, which only shows why your kind deserves your halfbrown grandkid destiny.

DEAR MEXICAN: Why do Mexicans drag their asses when crossing the street? I have noticed that wherever I go in Orange County, when a Mexican is crossing the street, and folks are waiting for him or her to clear the crosswalk, the Mexican seems to slow his/her already slow ass down, just because he/she knows the cars have to wait. Is this simply a ploy to piss people off who are in a hurry? Because it’s working.

I have also noticed this is a peculiarly Mexican trait; Asians, blacks and white folks actually briskly walk across the street when they see someone waiting for them. For a race that seems to be all about respect, it seems pretty disrespectful.

Cruising Ambulators Really Rip Off Suckers DEAR CARROS: They’re slowing down not because they

want to disrespect commuters—but because they don’t want to die.

The Federal Highway Administration of America’s The Pedestrian and Bicyclist Highway Safety Problem as It Relates to the Hispanic Population in the United States found that Latinos make up 16.3 percent of pedestrian fatalities, with Mexis making up nearly 65 percent of that stat. However, both stats are about on par for Mexi representation in this country, so it’s not exactly an epidemic.

While the report did find fault with Latinos importing the traffic laws of their home countries to el Norte, it also reported that these pedestrians found “a lack of respect from drivers” most of the time that led to accidents. So, sí: Our raza is all about the respect—but we give it when you’re not running us over.

Catch the Mexican every Wednesday morning at CVIndependent.com.

Ask the Mexican at themexican@askamexican.net; be his fan on Facebook; follow him on Twitter @gustavoarellano; or ask him a video question at youtube.com/askamexicano!

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JANUARY 2014

OPINION

THE POTTED DESERT GARDEN

Tips on Bringing the Tropics Home to Your Desert Oasis

WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/OPINION

By MARYLEE PANGMAN was very fortunate in 2013. Not only was I able to finally marry my partner of 20 years; we were able to spend our honeymoon, including the holidays, on Kauai, in Hawaii. We enjoyed every minute of our time on the island.

As I tried to write this column from my lanai (porch)—looking out at a tropical natural garden and the distant ocean, as I listened to the birds and the waves crashing—I thought about how to bring a touch of the tropics back home to the desert.

Freezing nights are rare in the Coachella Valley, so we are able to stretch our plant choices a little further than those in many other desert areas—as long as we can provide most of our plants with heavily filtered sun or afternoon shade.

The south side of my home, with an 8-foot-wide side yard, is shaded by my neighbors’ towering oleanders. This is really the walkway to the backyard, but I was able to turn the side yard into a mini-oasis which tends to be about 10 degrees cooler than other areas of my landscape.

Many plants that we have come to know as “house plants” are actually tropical plants that cannot survive the cold temperatures that most of the United States experiences; we are familiar with names like pothos, dracaena and philodendron. In full shade, and with cold protection (if the temperatures go below 40), these plants can offer tropical wonders for our patio oasis.

Plants that will tolerate more sun (but still will want afternoon shade most of the year) are the Rose of Sharon, hibiscus, sago palm (Cycas revoluta), daylilies (which offer clumps of arching sword-like leaves and can be evergreen, semi-evergreen or deciduous, depending on the species), agapanthus, butterfly iris, cordyline and coleus.

Full-sun plants include many of our palm trees; the entire Yucca family (many of which are very tropical in appearance); and broadleafed agaves.

Design tips: • Plan your tropical garden to be near your home, perhaps as part of your seating area.

Most of the plants require heavily filtered light; since you can appreciate similar conditions, why not make the garden part of your outdoor living area?

• Make the flooring as cool as possible.

Non-reflective colors in earth tones or blue hues work well. You might consider adding an outdoor carpet to the seating area.

• Think in levels or layers of plantings, as you would see in a tropical garden. Low CVIndependent.com

plantings around the seating areas in low pots will do well; they’re also good for bordering walkways. Then add mid-height plants in taller pots or pots up on pedestals, as well as pots with trellises for some vines.

• Further back—toward walls or away from the patio—think about larger plants and trees, while still trying to keep the layered effect of the three heights of plants. A couple of citrus or palm trees would work well, as would an evergreen pistache tree, with a mixture of hibiscus and a blue-leafed agave such as the Agave colorata. Definitely keep in mind your

bougainvillea and birds of paradise, both tropical (shade) and Mexican (sun)!

• Consider adding a water feature to your garden. It will contribute a lot to your tropical paradise in the desert.

Aloha!

Marylee Pangman is the founder and former owner of The Contained Gardener in Tucson, Ariz. She has become known as the Desert’s Potted Garden Expert. Email her with comments and questions at potteddesert@gmail.com, and follow the Potted Desert on Facebook.

While your tropical garden won’t look quite like this, it can have elements of island-style beauty. MARYLEE PANGMAN

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 7

JANUARY 2014

➑ The first full year of California marriage equality ➒ January Astronomy ⓫ Inmates on the wildfire front lines ⓬ The mysterious case of the Desert Ice Castle ⓭ Snapshot: Festival of Lights, Tamale Festival and more www.cvindependent.com/news

FIXING A FISHY PROBLEM A Thermal fish farm teams up with a Los Angeles company to promote new water-cleaning technology

10

KEVIN FITZGERALD CVIndependent.com

8 \\ COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT

JANUARY 2014

NEWS

THE FIRST FULL YEAR OF EQUALITY

As LGBT Californians Continue to Make Marriage Decisions, Planners Hope to Make Palm Springs a Gay-Marriage Destination

WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/NEWS

By Brian Blueskye iouxzan Perry, a graphic designer and website developer, was the manager of Tura Satana, the lead actress in the 1965 B-Movie classic Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!

“She passed away in 2011 on my birthday,” said Perry.

Perry was devastated by the loss of her client and close friend. At Perry’s home, Tura Satana is in every room in some way—paintings, photographs, film props, movie posters and even some of her personal items.

While Perry has always been open about the fact that she’s a lesbian, she was in no rush to date. She explained that past romances have included drama, ex-girlfriend issues, and other things she didn’t want to deal with.

Then Helen Macfarlane entered her life.

“I met Helen on Facebook through a friend. I do something called ‘LP of the day.’ I’ve been doing it for five years now: I put up an LP everyday that’s absolutely hideous, and I just let everybody go with it,” said Perry.

Macfarlane, a commissioned artist and language interpreter, felt immediately connected to Perry after reading her Facebook page.

“We just started to have contact. I knew she was a real person, and it wasn’t a catfish situation,” said Macfarlane.

There was only one problem with their online romance: Macfarlane, a native of New Zealand, was living in Austria, and had been for 30 years.

Perry was hesitant at first to meet Macfarlane.

“Before I knew it, she came out to visit, and she fell in love with the desert—and with me! She went back, and it took about two years to make preparations to bring her here,” said Perry.

Then came June 2013, when U.S. Supreme Court rulings struck down much of the Defense of Marriage Act, and reversed Proposition 8 in California, again legalizing gay marriage here.

Macfarlane was out of the country and in the process of returning to the United States when Perry called her with the news.

They decided it was time to make that leap themselves.

“We want to be married, not just because we love each other and we know that we want to be together, but also because it will help with Helen with getting her green card and getting sponsored so she can work here,” Perry said. “Right now, she’s here on a six-month visa, and everything is going through Austria. It’s a pain.”

The Reverend Lisa: “I send out 150 Christmas cards each year, and six have called me this year to inform me that their partner has passed since their weddings.” JEHD TIENZO. CVIndependent.com

They are having two weddings: They enjoyed a small ceremony on Dec. 26, and early in the new year, they will go all out with a Hawaiian-themed event, featuring Hawaiian food, Hawaiian music and tiki-related items.

Meanwhile, the gay-marriage rush has led to good times for local LGBT wedding planners and officiants.

Richard Cadieux of Palm Desert, known as the “Wedding Professor,” said that he couldn’t be happier with the boom in business. He said he’s performed more than 900 wedding ceremonies for couples both straight and LGBT over the past 13 years, and he’s enjoyed the increase in business since June.

“On Nov. 22, I did 27 (weddings) back to back in Palm Springs under the Marilyn statue,” said Cadieux. “In November, I did 47 total. In December, I did 18. Ever since July, my business went up 400 percent.”

Cadieux said many couples rushed to tie the knot before the year’s end.

“There’s a thrust of people who are beating the clock before Jan. 1 because of tax purposes—and there’s been pent-up excitement,” he said. “The first year, I know, is going to be the heaviest year; the second year will trail down, and the third year will tail off from there.”

Still, there is the potential for Palm Springs to become a gaywedding hub, of sorts, Cadieux said.

“We hope as a tourist destination that people come from states where it’s too cold, even if (marriage there is) legal or not, and that we develop a tourist destination for weddings here,” said Cadieux.

Cadieux has noticed trends developing regarding LGBT wedding ceremonies—some of which have been surprising.

“The ones who are spending the most money are girls,” he said. “Recently, there were a couple of women from Long Beach who were taking over the Farrell Compound. It was probably a $40,000 wedding.”

The first wave of same-sex couples who are getting married has included many couples who are older and have been together longer—25 to 50 years or more, in many cases. The Rev. Lisa Phillian, of Rainbow Weddings—she prefers to be known as The Reverend Lisa—provided one example of an

Helen Macfarlane and Siouxzan Perry were married in a small post-Christmas ceremony—but have plans for a big Hawaiian-themed party in the new year.

older couple she married earlier this year.

“There was a gentleman—his name was George,” she said. “… He came with his oxygen tank and his partner. We made a makeshift chapel in our living room and married them in front of it. A month after they were married, his husband, Kenny, called me and said George had died. I send out 150 Christmas cards each year, and six have called me this year to inform me that their partner has passed since their weddings.”

At the same time, The Reverend Lisa has witnessed more elaborate weddings that have included the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway and hot-air balloon rides in Temecula—and there was even one on a helicopter pad at a Beverly Hills hotel.

“What we try to promote to our clients is romance,” she said.

“Every couple I have ever married has said they’re just doing it for the taxes, and it’s a piece of paper. Out of 150 couples, at least 125 of them have stood and cried, so it’s not just a piece of paper.”

Both Richard Cadieux and The Reverend Lisa offered some advice to couples considering taking the leap.

“A wedding is more than just flowers, cake, a venue and a reception,” said The Reverend Lisa. “Hire a good planner, and allow your event to be pleasant. Your day should be special—whether it’s small or large. … The right planner makes a difference. Also, do it in reverence. We sometimes jump at something because we’re afraid it’s going to leave. (Gay marriage) is not leaving this time.”

Richard Cadieux emphasized the importance of the wedding’s attendees.

“Talk to your partner about the guest list,” said Cadieux. “Get realistic so that feelings don’t get hurt. … I knew Harvey Milk when I was living in San Francisco, and he said, ‘Come out, come out, wherever you are!’ My experience is when there are a number of straight guests who have never been to a same-sex wedding, they see who we are. … If (people getting married) can invite some people who have not seen love in a same-sex marriage, it will affect their consciousness, and we will gain our rights across the country faster.”

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 9

JANUARY 2014

NEWS JANUARY ASTRONOMY WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/NEWS

Venus Changes Venues; Jupiter Pulls an All-Nighter

by Robert Victor t the turn of every year—the night of Dec. 31-Jan. 1—Sirius the Dog Star, the brightest of nighttime stars (but not as bright as Venus or Jupiter), follows the sun across the sky by almost exactly 12 hours. This means that the bluewhite twinkling star reaches its high point in the south on Dec. 31 near local midnight.

Sirius attains its high point in the south about four minutes earlier each night, or two hours earlier with each passing month. Enjoy Sirius and the attendant stars of Canis Major, the Greater Dog, marching across the southern sky, acting out the lines of Robert Frost’s poem, “Canis Major”: The great Overdog / That heavenly beast / With a star in one eye / Gives a leap in the east. / He dances upright / All the way to the west / And never once drops / On his forefeet to rest. / I’m a poor underdog, / But to-night I will bark / With the great Overdog / That romps through the dark.

The moon passes all five bright planets this month, including Venus twice. In the evening sky, within 30 minutes after sunset on Jan. 2, look for soon-to-depart Venus to the lower right of a thin crescent moon low in the southwest to west-southwest. (You’ll need a vantage point without high mountains blocking the view!) A nearly full moon will keep company with Jupiter from dusk until the first light of dawn on the night of Jan. 14-15. An hour before sun-up on the mornings of Jan. 22 and 23, watch the waning gibbous moon leapfrog past Spica and the brighter reddish planet Mars just above Spica, well up in the south-southwest. The moon is closely to the left of Spica on the morning of Jan. 23, and appears at last quarter phase (half-full) on the morning of Jan. 24; the next morning, the fat crescent appears just below Saturn. Venus, by then a prominent morning “star” low in the east-southeast, will appear to the lower left of the waning crescent moon an hour before sunrise on Jan. 29. The next morning, look for the last thin old moon rising to lower left of Venus. Back in the evening sky on Jan. 31, the thin young crescent moon will appear low in the west-southwest at dusk, a few degrees to the lower right of Mercury, which pays a brief visit to evening twilight skies in late January and early February.

Venus switches from the evening to the morning sky (with an overlap of a few days), and Jupiter is visible all night early in January.

Use binoculars in twilight to reveal Jupiter as

Evening visibility map at mid-twilight.

ROBERT D. MILLER

a disk, and, all this month, an even larger (in apparent diameter) Venus in a crescent phase.

On Jan. 1, Venus is 15 degrees to the upper left of the setting sun. As Venus traverses the near side of its orbit, it will pass only 5 degrees north of the sun on Jan. 10-11. By Jan. 31, Venus will be 29 degrees to the top of the rising sun.

This month, Venus and Jupiter will play hide and seek. The two planets appear in nearly opposite directions in the sky, because Earth overtakes Jupiter on Jan. 5 (creating an opposition of Jupiter, when the giant planet rises at sunset and sets at sunrise), and Venus overtakes Earth on Jan. 11 (creating an inferior conjunction of Venus, when Venus rises and sets nearly together with the sun).

After Venus emerges into the morning sky, see four planets: Venus rising in the eastsoutheast, Saturn in the south-southeast, Mars in the south-southwest, and Jupiter setting in the west-northwest. Because of our surrounding mountains, you probably won’t spot Venus until after Jupiter has set.

Robert C. Victor was a staff astronomer at the Abrams Planetarium at Michigan State University.

He is now retired and enjoys providing skywatching opportunities for school children in and around Palm Springs.

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NEWS

CLEARING THE WATER

A Company Looks to Boost the Valley’s Fish-Farming Industry—and Help Save the Salton Sea—With Its Technology

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By Kevin Fitzgerald ish-farming—also known as aquaculture—was the fastest-growing segment of agriculture in the United States back in 1998, according to an article in the Los Angeles Times.

At that time, the Imperial and Coachella valleys generated roughly 70 percent of the farm-raised fish coming out of California, according to the same Times story. In 2012, the production of farmed fish worldwide surpassed the production of beef for the first time in modern history, according to an article from environmental think-tank Earth Policy Institute. That same piece notes that this year, the worldwide consumption of farmed fish may surpass the consumption of fish caught in the wild.

But here in the Coachella Valley, the aquaculture industry has suffered setbacks as the demand has grown.

“The whole fish-farm industry in the U.S. has been hit by high feed costs and energy costs,” said Riggs Eckelberry, CEO and inventor with OriginOil (www.originoil.com), a Los Angeles-based company that develops water-cleanup technology. According to him, the problem got so bad that some California fish farms closed as the Great Recession set in back in 2007 and 2008—including some here in our valley. But Riggs Eckelberry and his brother Nicholas, OriginOil’s co-founder and chief inventor, believe that their new technology can bring about a resurgence of aquaculture in Coachella Valley.

On Wednesday, Dec. 18, the pair were present at Thermal’s Aqua Farming Technology (www.aquafarmingtech.com) fish farm, which farms tilapia and catfish, as OriginOil unveiled its relatively new Electro Water Separation (EWS) Algae screen S60 process, which couples with the Aqua Q60 water-purifying process to form the foundation of a relatively inexpensive solution to sustainable organic fish farming here and around the world. Aqua Farming Technology fish farm has partnered

with OriginOil to become its permanent showcase facility.

“This farm is owned by a company that is trying—with the combination of solar panels to provide cheaper energy—our algae feed for nutrition and our inexpensive water-cleanup solution, to create a package that will enable the restart of all the fish farms in Coachella Valley,” explained Riggs Eckelberry.

“They want to make us part of their secret sauce. Hopefully, it won’t be so secret soon.”

The media event was attended by State Assemblyman V. Manuel Pérez and Coachella Mayor Eduardo Garcia.

“Today’s a good day,” Mayor Garcia said. “Anytime we can

OriginOil recently established an alliance with the Green Academy of the Desert Mirage High School in Thermal, led by teacher Tony Korwin.

KEVIN FITZGERALD CVIndependent.com

Coachella Mayor Eduardo Garcia: "Anytime we can introduce a technology that is clean and green, and can address a wide range of issues here in our region ... it's a good day."

introduce a technology that is clean and green, and can address a wide range of issues here in our region, such as job-creation and environmental matters … it’s a good day.”

Of course, the other big-picture environmental matter that was discussed most frequently on this day was the threat to the survival of the Salton Sea. “Working with partners like OriginOil,” said Pérez, “we can integrate and bring in academicians, engineers, inventors, entrepreneurs and those who believe in sustainable communities to advance efforts to restore the Salton Sea.” In fact, Nicholas Eckelberry said he already has at least a partial solution to the Salton Sea problem. The lake’s future is being threatened by a decreasing water supply, and increasing salinity and pollution.

“I’ve designed a system for ocean cleanup which could effectively clean up the Salton Sea—at least all the suspended solvents,” said Eckelberry. “The technology we’re showcasing today is applied to algae-harvesting. Then we apply this same technology in a different format to ammonia-reduction. And we apply it in another format to frack-water-cleaning in the oil industry. And in another format, we can apply it to wastewater treatment as well.”

One immediate positive local impact resulting from the OriginOil presence is a newly established alliance with the Green Academy of the Desert Mirage High School in Thermal.

Lead teacher Tony Korwin brought nine of his pupils with him to gain some firsthand knowledge of this new technology in their neighborhood.

“The Green Academy is a school within a school,” said Korwin. “These students study green energy—solar, wind, geothermal. We were invited to come down here today, and they want to partner with us for continued education and potential scholarships for my students.”

Riggs Eckelberry sees real value for all participating partners.

“The Coachella Valley can be a source of organic fish-farming, which is not only invaluable to this community, but will set an example for the rest of the world and change perceptions of farmed fish. We’re super-excited.”

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NEWS

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Inmates in the California Conservation Camp Program Help Battle Wildfires

By David Schmalz s I approached a crew of firefighters on the edge of smoldering redwoods, just west of Central California’s Big Sur River, it struck me that their uniforms were orange—not the yellow you usually see on firefighters.

It was just 12 hours after the Pfeiffer Fire broke out; it started on Dec. 16 and burned around 1,000 acres, destroying more than 30 homes in the process. I had arrived in the valley a few hours earlier.

I greeted the first crew member I encountered, and asked if he would answer some questions; he just shook his head with a grin and didn’t say anything. Then a whole bunch of other heads turned my way.

“I’ll answer some questions!”

Four of them came to my side and told me of a redwood tree falling in the night and almost hitting a member of their crew. They’ve been out since 2 a.m., they said, and a tree seems to fall every five minutes. They were effusive, excitable. I asked where they were from.

“We’re from Gabilan Camp, in Soledad,” one said, pointing to the decal on his helmet. “You heard of Gabilan Camp?”

Gabilan Conservation Camp was formed in 1986 as part of the California Conservation Camp program, administered by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

The program’s aim is to allow able-bodied (and willing) inmates to perform meaningful work for the public. And since 1947, after teaming up with Cal Fire, much of that work is firefighting.

“For the Department of Corrections, it’s the one ray of sunshine,” Gabilan Conservation Camp Commander Steve Pate said. “It’s a great program.”

There are camps closer to the Coachella Valley, too. For example, the Bautista Conservation Camp, in Hemet, is home to 107 inmates, as of Oct. 31, according to the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation website. (Two crewmembers,

Victor Ferrara and Aaron Perry, actually died while battling a fire in 1990, according to the camp website.)

Pate spoke to me on Dec. 18 from Big Sur, as he oversaw 374 inmate firefighters from throughout the state’s conservation camps, including those from Gabilan, where 134 inmatefirefighters had been assigned.

At the time we spoke, inmates made up more than 42 percent of the fire suppression personnel. “We’re the largest force out here,” Pate said.

Each of their 11 strike teams in Big Sur consisted of 34 inmate firefighters, and two each of correctional officers, corrections supervisors, Cal Fire captains and Cal Fire strike team leaders.

Gabilan’s inmate firefighters are convicts who have met a

Inmate Chris Thome glances at the camera as he battles the Pfeiffer Fire. NIC COURY

Inmate Charles Jones takes a brief break while battling the Pfeiffer Fire. NIC COURY

list of qualifications including good behavior, being medically fit, and having no convictions for sex offenses or arson. Their training begins at a prison, the Sierra Conservation Center in Jamestown. After passing tests for fitness and skills, they are assigned to a camp, where their lives change markedly.

“There’s a lot of freedom in the camp,” Pate said. “They’re not in cells; they have an open dorm. The doors are not locked, and they can go to the yard anytime.” He added that the food is much better than regular prison food. “Probably better than I eat every day,” he said.

When Gabilan’s inmate firefighters are not fighting fires around the state, they’re out in Monterey County, performing public-works duties. They sandbag in Carmel when a flood hits, or clear brush in the forests of Pebble Beach.

“Our crews account for $280,000 a month in labor saved by community,” Pate said. That number is conservative, he added, since it assumes minimum wage; inmate firefighters are paid $1 per hour.

I met three of them at the Pfeiffer Fire incident base on Dec. 19, after they’d come off a 24-hour shift. Pate indicated that the three prisons they came from—New Folsom, Santa Nella and Corcoran—are a far cry from Gabilan Camp.

“They’re the three hardest prisons in the state,” he said.

Melvin Gray, 47, was in prison for 11 years before coming to Gabilan, where he’s spent the last two. “It changed my whole life,” he said, adding he plans to apply for a job with Cal Fire when his sentence is up, just four months from now. “I have something to go home to.”

Patrick Meyer, 59, voices a sentiment they all share: It’s great to be part of a team, to work together and help the community.

“We’re more than a crew,” Meyer said. “We’re a family.”

Mark Nunez, 40, relays tales of locals cheering them on, driving by them on Highway 1 and saying, “We love you!”

“They don’t treat you like an inmate,” Nunez said. “It makes you feel good.”

A version of this story FiRST appeared in the Monterey County Weekly.

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NEWS

AN ICY RECEPTION

The Curious Case of Cathedral City’s Desert Ice Castle

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STORY AND PHOTOS BY KEVIN FITZGERALD

here is but one ice rink operating in the Coachella Valley: Cathedral City’s Desert Ice Castle, offering “the coolest fun in the desert,” according to its slogan.

While the Desert Ice Castle is open to the public, it also has a mysterious element to it— including the fact that it’s a main training spot for a potential 2014 Olympic medalist.

I wanted to talk to the owner—Anthony Liu, a former Olympic men’s figure-skater and a seven-time Australian champion—about the Desert Ice Castle. But for weeks, he eluded my phone calls and requests to talk.

So at 7 a.m. on a recent Saturday morning, I went to the DIC with my camera, hoping to photograph and talk to Liu. I’d been told that he was back in town briefly between international trips to skating competitions being held in preparation for the Olympics— two of which had been won by his star pupil,

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Japanese Olympic medal contender Tatsuki Machida. On this morning, he was coaching some advanced skating pupils and was already on the ice when I got there.

Shortly after I started taking pictures, I spotted Liu through my telephoto lens: He was staring right at me, and did not look pleased. I lowered my camera, smiled and nodded across the ice. With a curt nod of his own, Liu skated toward me.

I introduced myself and explained why I was there. He smiled and said: “Please don’t mention me in the article.”

“Don’t mention you?” I replied, quite surprised. “But you own this place.”

Again, he smiled. “Well, you can mention I’m an owner, but please don’t use a picture of me.

Thank you.”

He turned away and stepped back onto the ice. With that, the hoped-for photo session and interview came to an end.

n a recent warm winter day, as I followed assistant manager Jennifer Gonzalez into the rink area, I was met by an Arctic air blast. The Ice Castle was indeed living up to its aforementioned slogan.

What brings the most people to this Perez Road facility? “The hockey leagues definitely bring in the most money right now,” said Gonzalez. “We have four travelling teams for the kids (ages 4-17), and an in-house adult league with six teams, one of which is made up entirely of players from the 29 Palms Marine Corps Air Ground Combat base.

“The public skating is pretty popular, too, along with the birthday-party-room bookings, and it’s particularly busy on the weekends,” Jennifer said. “Friday and Saturday nights, the crowd is mostly younger folks without parents, while Sundays, we get mostly families skating together. And we’re always busiest in the summer, because it’s so cool in here.”

There must be obstacles to keeping the ice in good condition during those steamy desert summer months. “In the summer, it’s very expensive to run the three compressors needed to create and maintain the ice,” Gonzalez concurred. “And another challenge is to manage the condition of the ice, because the figureskaters need soft ice, while the hockey teams must have hard ice, or the surface gets so chopped up that it’s unusable for figure-skating.”

The DIC is a family business. It’s owned

by Liu, and managed by Andrew Luczynski, Liu’s father-in-law. Caroline, Liu’s wife, plays a substantial role as well.

Built on the site of a former Coca-Cola bottling plant, the DIC development effort began in earnest in mid-2010. The management team projected the rink would open in April 2011, but financial and construction challenges pushed back that date to Sept. 9, 2011. During construction, the common belief in the international competitive figure-skating community was that the Desert Ice Castle was built to complement the training capabilities of a Southern California sister facility, the world-renowned Arrowhead Ice Castle, which had been bought by Liu in 2003.

For several decades, the Arrowhead Ice Castle was the picturesque training site of choice for many of the world’s most-serious Olympic figure-skating contenders, as well as their coaches, including the legendary Frank Carroll. The reigning 2010 Olympic men’s figure-skating champion Evan Lysacek trained

Jennifer Gonzalez

there, as had Michelle Kwan, Robin Cousins, Nicole Bobek, Surya Bonaly and Chen Lu. The list goes on.

When the DIC opened, Frank Carroll (who has a home in Palm Springs) committed to using the new rink as his training base. But in May 2013, an announcement came that he was returning to his former host rink, the Toyota Sports Center, in El Segundo. “Our figure-skating department is thrilled to have the return of this elite level of training,” said Juliette Harton, the director of skating at the Toyota Center, in a press release issued at the time. “Mr. Carroll brings strong, respected leadership to a superb staff deep with Olympic, world and national level coaches.”

That development was followed by another surprising move, made this past August: Liu closed the beloved Arrowhead rink. The announcement shocked the competitive figureskating community. Liu cited the inability to get enough revenue from communityparticipant activities such as hockey leagues and public sessions, and invited all of the coaches and athletes still working there to follow him to his new rink in Cathedral City.

It’s unclear how many have.

Today, when you walk into the DIC foyer, you are confronted immediately by the wall of competitive figure-skating coaches who work there—headed up by Frank Carroll. Given Carroll’s publicized departure, one wonders why his photo still leads off the coaching display.

So who has replaced Carroll as the Ice Castle’s most-accomplished coach? It’s none other than Liu himself, thanks in part to his tutelage of Tatsuki Machida, who trained often at the DIC in 2013.

But no photo of Mr. Liu can be found on the coaching wall of fame, or anywhere else I saw at the DIC, for that matter.

Why does Anthony Liu insist on keeping such a low public profile, when promoting his professional stature could benefit his Desert Ice Castle endeavor? And what will happen to the stature of Liu and the Desert Ice Castle if Tatsuki Machida wins an Olympic medal, with the whole world watching?

Stay tuned.

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NEWS

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SNAPSHOT

Images From December in the Coachella Valley

Cold weather (cold for the Coachella Valley, at least) didn’t stop a typically large crowd from gathering in downtown Palm Springs for the annual Festival of Lights parade on Saturday, Dec. 7. The parade’s grand marshal was Three’s Company actress Suzanne Somers (not shown here). She wore a white fur coat and waved to the audience from a vintage red convertible. PHOTO BY BRIAN BLUESKYE

Eddie Spaghetti, the frontman of the Supersuckers, asks the audience at The Hood Bar and Pizza to flip him off as he takes a picture during his solo show on Thursday, Dec. 5, at the Palm Desert music venue/bar/pizza joint. He later posted the photo of him getting the bird on Facebook for all the world to see. PHOTO BY BRIAN BLUESKYE

Old Town Indio was the site of the 22nd Annual Indio International Tamale Festival on Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 7 and 8. Organizers projected that some 125,000 people would attend the free-to-all festival to enjoy entertainment, revelry—and, of course, delicious tamales. Those projections may have been a bit exaggerated—but a large crowd enjoyed both days nonetheless. PHOTO BY ERIN PETERS

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The High Cost of

HOMELESSNESS After Eight Years on the Streets, Felicia Tichenor Owes $7,000 in Tickets and Fines

By Brane Jevric t’s 9 p.m., and my Porsche’s thermometer reads 55 degrees. Felicia Tichenor is wrapped in a thin blanket on her concrete “bed” behind the Staples at Gene Autry Way and Ramon Road.

We’re supposed to have a night photo shoot, but Tichenor is out of it. Next to her is a big Budweiser can.

She’s not going to pose tonight.

Tichenor, 41, is not good at keeping appointments. She has been homeless for eight years now. Her blonde hair is tangled, and her blue eyes are bloodshot. It wasn’t always like this. She had a home once, and a family, too.

“My mom died when I was 14, and my dad in ’06,” Tichenor says, shrugging her shoulders.

“I have a son; he’s 20 now.”

She stops to light a cigarette. “At 32, I lost my job; things in my life turned for the worse.

I lost all I had, and when the money ran out, I ended up on the streets. I’ve been homeless ever since.”

She admits she made some bad choices.

Addictions, drinking in particular, didn’t help.

“I love my Budweiser,” she grins, “but I don’t drink hard liquors, and I’ve done my drugs

when I was younger.”

Her story is pretty typical, sadly, for a homeless person here in the desert, except for one detail: Tichenor owes about $7,000 in unpaid tickets and citations.

She doesn’t own a car, nor does she drive one. She doesn’t even own a bicycle. She keeps everything she owns in a shopping cart. That’s part of the problem—a number of her tickets are for the illegal use of a shopping cart.

“I’ve gotten about 16 tickets for pushing a shopping cart full of my stuff around (the area of) Walmart and Staples,” Tichenor says.

“I even get tickets if I leave a cart around here with my personal belongings in it.

“I’ve got to put my blankets and my clothing somewhere. ... That’s all I’ve got! My whole property!”

She’s also received a number of tickets for drinking in public and being drunk in public.

“I did get tickets for ‘camping’ and sleeping at the grounds here,” she says, “and for public drunkenness (and possession of an) open container.”

Tichenor has her own explanation for why continued on next page ➠ she’s been picked on.

Felicia Tichenor: “At 32, I lost my job; things in my life turned for worse. I lost all I had, and when the money ran out, I ended up on the streets. I’ve been homeless ever since.” BRANE JEVRIC CVIndependent.com

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“Someone from the Walmart called the police and complained, I guess,” she says. “…

I’ve got it; (the police officer’s) gotta do his job, but I’ve got no money to pay for any of it! If I had seven grand, I’d be living the hell outta the streets.”

Jeffrey Adams, 44, has had a similar problem with court fines. His latest “Failure to Pay Notice” stood at $2,552.68 as of Oct. 9. By now, it’s likely higher due to penalties.

“I went to the public defender, got a payment plan and paid the first $50, but then fell behind,” says Adams as he produces the court papers from his backpack. “I’m ill now, in need of a hernia surgery, and I’ve got not a penny to pay for fines. All I’ve got now is my health scare!”

During the day, Adams sticks around the park at the Palm Springs Library, and he spends nights at the Roy’s Desert Resource Center (www.desertsos.org/ RoysDesertResourceCenter.aspx), a local shelter. He hopes to get his hernia surgery soon, before it gets strangulated.

Like Adams, Tichenor went to the Riverside County Public Defender for help. However, again like Adams, she wasn’t able to make it to court as often as she needed; after all, they don’t have their own transportation.

“I took a two-hour bus ride to Indio court, and I got a public defender, but it didn’t work for me,” Tichenor says, sounding resigned. “It’s hard to make it anywhere on time when you’re homeless.”

Daniel Schmidt, a seasoned local lawyer who spent a large part of his legal career working as a public defender in Indio, has an impressive record of representing the underprivileged.

“These cases are so bizarre when big-buck companies, like Walmart, are causing such a burden to our court system—the judges, the police force, jails and, in particular, the public-defender offices—because someone has removed a shopping cart from their lot,” says Schmidt. “Let the Walmart take those individuals to small-claims court instead of spending the taxpayers’ money on such frivolous charges and offenses.”

A bill currently being considered by the California Legislature could make it harder for the police to ticket homeless men and women; for details, see the accompanying story.

According to the Riverside County 2013 Homeless Count and Subpopulation Survey, there are 242 unsheltered homeless persons in Indio, while Palm Springs has 60, Cathedral City 59, Coachella 37, Palm Desert 11, Desert Hot Springs 9, La Quinta 5, and Rancho Mirage 1, with dozens more in the unincorporated areas and in the towns heading southeast of the Coachella Valley down to the Salton Sea. How many of those homeless people owe hundreds or thousands in unpaid tickets, like Adams and Tichenor? It’s hard to tell; we couldn’t even get the numbers for the town of Palm Springs. Sgt. Harvey Reed, of the Palm Springs Police Department, says “it would take a public record request to reach the exact number of the citations issued to the local homeless population.”

In other words, there are probably a lot of them—and society is paying as a result.

“I guess eventually,” says Tichenor, “I’ll do time, because there’s nothing on Earth I can do about that seven-grand fine.”

Jeffrey Adams: “I went to the public defender, got a payment plan and paid the first $50, but then fell behind. I’m ill now, in need of a hernia surgery.” BRANE JEVRIC CVIndependent.com

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A HOMELESS BILL OF RIGHTS? Our Wine Columnist and Resident Journalism Professor Ponders a Legislative Effort to Help People Living on the Streets

By Deidre Pike

ast night, hubby Dave bought a bottle of 2011 Tobin James Ballistic zinfandel, an old fave. The wine’s about $18, not terribly expensive.

For our budget.

It’s a jammy zin, without apology. As I enjoyed it, I thought back to a recent conversation with a fellow drinker about my age named Lea, 46.

Lea is homeless, or at least “in transition,” a less-permanent-sounding term. In September, Lea returned to California from Colorado. Lea camps out most nights. I spotted Lea sitting under a tree, drinking a 40-ounce Miller and smoking a hand-rolled cigarette. She had a worn paperback book open across her chest.

For Lea, the holiday season we just went through is like any other time—although she has a slightly better chance of getting a tasty meal. She was expecting a care package from a friend in Colorado. The package had been mailed to general delivery and had not yet arrived. She wanted to use my phone to call her friend.

I have a newish phone. I bought it because it has twice the battery life of other phones on the market. Choosing a cell phone and plan from the oodles of choices was rough. First World problems are the only problems I have.

A friend handed Lea a paper carton with what looked like mac-and-cheese. Lea drank beer with her dinner, noting that she was drinking in public.

“But I’m not breaking any glass or anything, and I’m not being loud or picking fights,” she said. Public is the only place she has to drink.

“I drink wine with my dinner most nights,” I said, in a lame attempt to connect.

“I like wine,” she replied, “but it’s too expensive.”

I thought of my embarrassing collection of wine, which lines a wall of our kitchen pantry.

This is how I justify my wine-spending habits: I don’t have a big-screen TV. My car is dented, high-mileage and paid for. Instead of paying for a gym membership, I go for daily hikes. I buy clothes at thrift shops. I pack lunches and cook in rather than dine out.

That’s how I buy good wine.

Niggled by liberal guilt, I wonder how others reconcile privileged lifestyles in a world where so many starve, lack health care, lack housing, lack everything. Sometimes I think I could quit my college-prof gig and head to a developing nation to help. But I’m not the Mother Teresa CVIndependent.com

type. I don’t like bugs or uncomfortable sleeping arrangements. I do like flush toilets and hot showers.

So to do my part, for now, I plan to devote some time, money and political attention to the needs of others. (You couldn’t call this noblesse oblige, because I have no noblesse.

Maybe middle-class oblige?) I give a tiny bit of dough to an international agency that helps kids in Nepal obtain food, school and health care. But a person doesn’t have to look to distant nations to find poverty. Plenty of need is apparent right here at home.

I’ve been considering volunteer work in literacy education. I teach, so that makes sense. But recently I learned of a California street newspaper that could use some pro bono assistance. That’s how I ended up interviewing people in transition recently.

People I met: • Mike, a middle-age man confused about why he wasn’t getting disability checks, who panhandled to get grocery money.

• Star, a 21-year-old who drove across the country from Pennsylvania with her husband, five other people, three dogs and no jobs lined up.

• Martha, born in California, who’d been recently assaulted in a homeless camp. No phone—so no call to the police. She had to wait until the next day to get to the emergency room. A gash on her face that needed stitches didn’t get them.

Overwhelming, right? Who needs a drink?

A bill has been working its way through the California Assembly that would create a Homeless Bill of Rights. AB 5 was approved by the Assembly Judiciary Committee, but in May 2013, the bill was put on hold, probably until early 2014. The Appropriations Committee needed time to figure out how the state might pay around $300 million to build and operate an estimated 540 public-hygiene centers with showers and bathrooms—one in each city and county. That’s just one of the bill’s stipulations: The State Department of Public Health must “fund the provision of health and hygiene centers, as specified, for use by homeless persons in designated areas.”

The bill’s sponsor is Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, a San Francisco Democrat, who told The Sacramento Bee the bill would end laws that “infringe on poor peoples’ ability to exist in public space, to acquire housing, employment and basic services and to equal protection under the laws.” The law could keep

people like Felicia Tichenor and Jeffrey Adams (see the accompanying story) from racking up thousands of dollars in petty offenses.

I’m no expert on solutions to help people in transition, but I think a bill like Ammiano’s is needed. That said, I’m not sure how I feel about building showers, aka treating the symptoms and not attacking the problem at

its roots. It seems more logical for California to spend $300 million getting individuals into apartments with their own bathrooms and showers.

It’s an issue that I’ll be following. Turns out nothing pairs better with a trek through the California Legislature’s website better than a viscous Paso Robles zin.

Lea spoke to Deidre Pike while she was expecting a care package from a friend in Colorado. The package had been mailed to general delivery and had not yet arrived. She wanted to use Deidre’s phone to call her friend.

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•• Melissa Morgan Fine Art explores "Form and Figure" •• Elena Bulatova opens in downtown Palm Springs •• Western Lit: "Hammett Unwritten" and the Maltese Falcon •• This DHS mural is the cat's meow •• JANUARY theater www.cvindependent.com/arts-and-culture

STREET ART AND THE SALTON SEA Can artists help save the struggling East Valley?

21

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ARTS & CULTURE

OH THE HUMANITY

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Melissa Morgan Fine Art Explores the Body in the Powerful ‘Form and Figure’

By Victor Barocas he human form has been celebrated since individuals first began to draw. Melissa Morgan Fine Art—in the gallery’s first offering of the new season—is now revisiting this timeless subject with a 21st-century perspective.

Form and Figure explores the human body in various mediums and levels of abstraction. While some artists explore psychology, others idealize the human form. Melissa Morgan Fine Art is featuring sculptors including Vancouver, British Columbia-based David Robinson, and Wanxin Zhang, who lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Robinson works primarily in bronze and mixed media, and he’s undeniably the star of the show. The gallery is showing 10 of his works, including one in the outdoor sculpture garden.

Robinson’s pieces depicting the human figure in an idealized form are the most powerful. Robinson articulates—especially with his smaller figures—external musculature and bone structure masterfully. His clear and clean attention to detail shows his understanding of the human body, and how it works.

With his 65-inch tall bronze “Forced Perspective,” Robinson creates the appearance of movement, perspective and, perhaps, loneliness, through only two elements: the human figure, and a ladder. The size of Robinson’s ladder is not uniform: The rungs gradually decrease in size going down the sculpture toward the bottom. Robinson magnifies the sense of perspective by positioning the top rungs much farther away from the wall than the ladder’s bottom rungs. Whether the lone man—situated about one-third down from the top—is climbing up or down is irrelevant. What is clear is that he is both alone and moving.

“Terra,” “Luna” and “Sola”—Robinson’s three most-complex sculptures in this show—are all fabricated from bronze, concrete, aluminum and mirror. With “Terra,” a comparatively small Atlas balances a much-larger bronze Earth on his shoulders. Atlas stands precariously upon a hollow, thin and highly raked aluminum geometric form; he and the globe are surrounded by a larger convex disk, also in bronze, which—in conjunction with the orb and aluminum—further dwarf the central figure. Robinson enhances the sculpture’s complexity by strategically positioning a large mirror toward the back. Atlas appears alone, despite his being seen in triplicate.

Wanxin Zhang’s fired-clay sculptures more than merely populate the room; they live in their space. Born in China, Zhang created these contemporary figures to pay homage to the

Terracotta Army. The army, created in the third century B.C., was unearthed by farmers in China’s Shaanxi province in 1974.

As with the Terracotta Army figures, each Zhang sculpture is constructed in pieces, put together after firing. Zhang seems to adopt the army’s armor, sometimes with a modern twist; the faces in both the army and Zhang’s works appear emotionless.

However, there are clear differences. Craftsmen made each Terracotta Army face unique, while Zhang seems to use the same model for several pieces. Also, Zhang’s pieces are shorter than the emperor’s life-sized army. While the sculptor creates a unique glaze for each piece, the Terracotta figures were apparently painted in bright pigments (red, green, blue, lilac) before being finished with a coat of lacquer.

Zhang’s works are most successful when his figures are not free-standing. Specifically, “Local Dr.” emerges from an amorphous base; “Jesusir” seems to be walking out of a larger backdrop. The intense look and bent knees of “Local Dr.” create a somber tone and enhance the sense of depth, respectively.

Two paintings in Form and Figure by Catherine Woskow (“Profile,” “Orange Oxide”) deserve notice. Woskow is clearly grounded in the figurative tradition, and her acrylic-andgraphite images produce visceral responses. In Woskow’s oversized portraits, torsos and extremities are non-existent.

Her impasto, not overly dense, makes her vigorous brushwork visible, creating a sense of depth and movement. Her facial features, too, are almost non-existent; they are, at best, blurred.

“Terra,” by David Robinson.

(In some ways, they seem reminiscent of faces created in paintings by Richard Diebenkorn, some of which are currently on display at the Palm Springs Museum of Art.) The show also includes a tapestry by Chuck Close. In Close’s trademark style, a large face stares out, emotionless. However, this large tapestry seems far more subtle than other Close works. Restrained textures, especially on the black background, produce tremendous shading. Not only do these textures make the face larger; they seem to offer greater insights into the man’s internal world.

Other artists in the show include William Catling, Markus Schaller, Deborah Oropallo, Devorah Sperber, Marianne Kolb, DJ Hall and Eric Zener.

Form and Figure will be on display through late January at Melissa Morgan Fine Art, 73040 El Paseo, in Palm Desert. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday; and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday. For more information, call 760-341-1056, or visit www. melissamorganfineart.com.

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ARTS & CULTURE

ART EXPANSION

Backstreet’s Elena Bulatova Opens a New Space in Downtown Palm Springs

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By Richard Almada first met Elena Bulatova at her Backstreet Art District gallery, at 2652 S. Cherokee Way. I was impressed by her work, her international lifestyle and her world-class education. That gallery has been a success for Bulatova; she’s now in her third season in Palm Springs. Not bad for a relatively new arrival in the desert.

Even better: In November, she opened her second gallery, this one in downtown Palm Springs, with a ribbon-cutting featuring Mayor Steve Pougnet.

Bulatova credited her parents for exposing her to various art museums during their travels. She honed her skills with seven years in art school; she painted, danced and even played the violin in the chamber orchestra at Moscow State University. She then came to the United States to study economics at Yale.

“To be a successful artist, it is not just knowing how to paint,” she told me during an email conversation. “Running the galleries is a separate business that includes managing people, client relations, marketing, social media, contacts with press, accounting, financial planning, etc. Success doesn’t come overnight, and many years of studies … helped me to grow in my career as an artist.”

Her art is bright and vivid, often featuring perfect compositions. While she works mostly with primary colors, she also has a series of muted, darker mixed-media works with an iridescent metallic quality. The new Palm Canyon Drive gallery boasts new hand-blown glass pieces, adding a dramatic element to the high ceilings and open space in the unique building across from the Hyatt.

The new gallery will also show carved paintings on panel and bronze sculptures

by Delos Van Earl; Larry Weitz’s abstract paintings; and “screw art” by Efraim Mashiah.

Starting in January, the gallery is also hosting monthly exhibitions.

I asked her who was collecting her art.

“My paintings can be found in many private collections, locally in California and

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all over U.S., but we see a lot of international tourists coming from different countries to Palm Springs,” she said via email. “I shipped paintings to Canada, Mexico, Australia and Europe.”

Why did this woman who grew up in Russia choose the desert as the place to make and sell her art? Why not a place like, say, Miami? (In fact, she recently took part in the Red Dot Art Fair in Miami, in conjunction with the worldfamous Art Basel show.)

“I think the desert art scene has a lot of potential,” she told me, later adding that Miami has too many distractions compared to the relative serenity of the desert. “Palm Springs is very close to Los Angeles, and there are a lot of people visiting. Miami once became a hub for contemporary artists with the coming of Art Basel to the city, which grew in 10 years and attracted numerous satellite fairs and artists to relocate there. We (have) the Palm Springs Fine Art Fair, and its third season is coming. There are already a lot of creative

people here—and more coming.”

Bulatova said she opened the second gallery because of the growth in the art industry and because of the potential of Palm Springs.

She found the new location, took a month to remodel it, and presto: The new gallery came to be.

There is no doubt in my mind that the new gallery will bring much success to Bulatova— and allow more people to experience her wonderful art.

Elena Bulatova Fine Art’s new downtown Palm Springs location is located at 232 N. Palm Canyon Drive. The gallery is open daily from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., with extended hours on Thursdays during Palm Springs VillageFest. For more information, call 760-600-0417, or visit www.ElenaBulatovaFineArt.com.

Elena Bulatova

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 21

JANUARY 2014

ARTS & CULTURE

THE ART OF THE MURAL

The Salton Sea Gets a Taste of Street Art—With More to Come, Perhaps

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By Christina Lange riving north on Highway 86 one sunny fall afternoon, I almost crashed when I came across the sight of beautiful ladies and snakes hugging the walls of a market in Desert Shores.

“Shesha Sand Storm,” the mural that so surprised me, is a show-stopper.

It’s monochrome, dramatic, loud and obviously the work of someone skilled and talented. It offers an urban contrast to the desert skies, yet somehow suits the backdrop of the market and surrounding area.

As it turns out, not one, but two artists created this mural: Finnbar Dac (aka FinDac) and Angelina Christina. They’re the same people who created the beautiful and controversial mural at Bar in downtown Palm Springs.

FinDac hails all the way from London, England; Angelina is from the Los Angeles area. They were traveling across the U.S., leaving their larger-than-life painted women and snakes all over the country, in places including Los Angeles, Minneapolis and New York City— culminating in early December’s Art Basel, one of the largest art events in the world, in Miami Beach, Fla. Urban areas like Minneapolis and even Palm Springs make sense for street-art-style murals.

But Desert Shores? Its last Census population: 1,104. It’s in the middle of the Colorado Desert, sitting quietly alongside the Salton Sea. Desert Shores is largely populated by families, mostly lower-income. It has a laundry business, a closed bar, a couple of churches, a closed marina and a fire station. Life is quiet here.

But sometimes what draws a mural artist is not mere location, but the size and availability of an empty wall.

Angelina and Fin came to Desert Shores with friend and fellow artist Craig, aka B4Flight, who has been documenting their journey. The muralists saw the sea for the first time and were intrigued.

Angelina had heard of the Salton Sea, but like most Angelinos, she had not ventured out this way. FinDac had come to Los Angeles to expand on his work. Born in Ireland and based in London, he wanted to explore the world and its empty wall spaces with his paintbrush, stencils and spray cans. He only started painting about five years ago—as an act of self-preservation: It gave him peace and a space away from whatever it was that was haunting him.

He met with Angelina, a muralist and artist based in Venice Beach, and they connected.

Same vision, same ideas—including embarking on their epic road trip.

They arrived in Desert Shores and headed for the seashore. Slightly perturbed by the fish smell, ever curious about the circumstances of the sea, and on the lookout for potential wall space, they spoke with a local resident who recommended they pay the market a visit: There was a big, empty wall there.

The owner approved, so they got to work.

Local residents came up, curious about their

work and impressed by the scale and beauty; kids surrounded them, wanting to see their techniques. (Some of those kids had been tagging in the area and were well-versed in street art.)

The result: “Shesha Sand Storm.”

In addition to meeting with Fin and Angelina, I got in touch with Carmen Zella, whom I met at a Salton Sea-related conference.

Carmen is the executive director of the Do Art Foundation (www.doartfoundation.org), based in Los Angeles.

While Do Art did not play an official role in the Desert Shores mural, Carmen has been promoting Angelina and Fin, as well as other artists and projects that “are artistically uplifting spaces and communities’ access to art.”

I was intrigued by how it was that an L.A.based foundation came across the Salton Sea, and why Zella felt it was important to bring public art to this location. I recently interviewed her via email.

When was the first time you came down to the sea? How did you hear about it, and what intrigued you?

Living in Los Angeles, the allure of the Salton Sea has been mystified and demystified. It’s an area of significance and creative splendor—yet disregarded by the society at large because of its troubled waters. Artists see beauty where others do not; artists exemplify and portray beauty in areas that are largely ignored.

By opening up the area for this type of investigation and exploration, wheels can start turning, and positive attention to the area can be restored.

Do you have any particular locations in mind where you would like to see murals?

I love seeing murals that incorporate the surroundings and are sensitive to the architecture. Spaces that are more remote, or demand a sensitive palette, because they have exquisite qualities of decay, or abandon—when they are restored by an artist’s touch with an addition of character, love and tenderness in the way that they spend time together, it’s powerful.

Which artists are you thinking of bringing in?

I would love to move more into the Salton Sea … and the community of artists would as well.

There are two classifications of artists: the

Angelina Christina and Finnbar Dac (aka FinDac).

ones who are born as artists who make work because their mission is to express and evolve, and those who make work because their mission is to be known and made legendary.

I prefer the former, and I think that the sensitivity of the Salton Sea deserves this type of artist as well.

Do you think it’s possible to have collaboration between local artists and more well-known artists on these murals?

Absolutely. Involving the community is always important. Sometimes, outsiders see things that we do not; having lived in the same environment for so long, we forget. …

Mixing this with a local culture is the best mix.

Most artists need to develop collaborative relationships, so I would never pair people together in this practice, because it is a forced marriage … but there are many ways to incorporate unity. We learn from each other in observation as well as in shared experience.

What do you think the murals and public art will do for the Salton Sea? Whenever artists move into areas, transformation begins to take shape. This area is equated to decay and environmental tragedy; artists (can) bring in new life and take what is existing and showcase its beauty.

The Do Art Foundation would love to work with local community members, (helping) owners and local artists to make a significant effort to bring the opportunity to the area in the form of a large-scale art movement. For this, we will need support, both financially and in terms of participation of businesses to house, feed and host the artists who would happily come there to share their work. … We are ready at the Do Art Foundation to help connect the artists and make this happen.

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ARTS & CULTURE

THE FALCON’S FURY Western Lit: ‘Hammett Unwritten’ Blends Fictional Intrigue With Real-Life Events—but It’s Confusing

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By BRIAN BLUESKYE ashiell Hammett is a name that’s familiar to fans of mystery novels; the prolific noir-era writer penned numerous renowned books, including several that became legendary big-screen successes.

Now Hammett is himself the subject of a novel. Hammett Unwritten, by Owen Fitzstephen (aka Gordon McAlpine), a Southern California resident, is a fictionalized account of the late author’s life and his masterpiece, The Maltese Falcon.

The book starts out on New Year’s Eve 1959 in Long Island. At that time, it had been almost 30 years since Hammett had written a new story; he is in the midst of health issues he will not discuss. He is reviewing the obituary that he wrote for himself; we see how troubled he is over divorcing his first wife in San Francisco, and only keeping in contact with his children through support payments and the occasional phone call. Booze, smoking and women have definitely had an impact on Hammett’s life.

“The Black Falcon Affair of 1922” in San Francisco is portrayed in the novel as a true story, even though the real Maltese Falcon is based on the Kniphausen Hawk (a centuriesold ceremonial pouring vessel). The mysterious statuette of a falcon with a jewel on it was said to offer the person who owned it various powers. It’s the sort of archeological artifact you’d expect to see in an Indiana Jones film.

Hammett Unwritten depicts the falcon as real, and suggests that Hammett was both blessed and cursed by it—and that the story about it consumed him.

As Hammett recalls the case of the falcon, he goes down memory lane after one of the scam artists he was involved with while cracking the case arrives in his office. Other real-life people—including Lillian Hellman, with whom Hammett had a decades-long love affair—get worked into the plot as well. The book also has Hammett cracking his final case in the days after the House Un-American Activities Committee caught up with him and blacklisted him for his refusal to cooperate—something that really happened.

While Hammett Unwritten is well-written, the overly complex story is hard to follow at times. The book jumps around various eras of CVIndependent.com

Hammett’s career, the numerous women with whom Hammett was involved, the characters related to The Maltese Falcon, and so on; at times, it’s hard to determine the era in which a particular scene is set. Bits and pieces of interviews that Hammett did throughout his career are worked in, which muddles things even more.

Did having the mysterious falcon in his possession give the fictional Hammett the fortune and fame he enjoyed as a writer?

When the fictional author gave away the falcon, did that lead to his string of bad luck?

How much of this novel happened in real life, and how much of it is pure fiction? These are all questions you’ll be asking yourself after reading Hammett Unwritten.

Hammett Unwritten, by Owen Fitzstephen (Seventh Street), 160 pages, $13.95

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JANUARY 2014

ARTS & CULTURE

THE CAT’S MEOW

Mural Art Takes Center Stage at a DHS Animal Hospital

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By BRIAN BLUESKYE f you’ve driven down Palm Drive in Desert Hot Springs recently, you may have seen a new mural on a wall of an animal hospital run by Save-a-Pet (saveapetonline.org).

The mural features a mountain view—the type you’d expect see in Desert Hot Springs.

There are windmills on the left side, and if you look closely on the right, near some palm trees, you’ll see the street sign for the “Spa Zone” of Desert Hot Springs—along with a roadrunner.

Toward the front of it all is a German shepherd, a tortoise (modeled after Dozer, a tortoise that lives at the Save-a-Pet shelter), and an orange tabby cat.

The painter is mural artist John Coleman.

Coleman moved to the Coachella Valley about two years ago from Reno, Nev., and this is his first Coachella Valley-area mural. He said he’s looking to do more.

Coleman said that he has painted around 150 murals, most of them at public schools in the Reno area.

“I took painting in high school, and took college courses,” said Coleman. “I’m mostly self-taught. I taught myself how to paint, taught myself how to run a sprayer, and taught myself how to paint with both hands.”

What made Coleman decide to paint murals?

“I guess I would say the expression,” he said.

“I had a full-time job, and I decided to do a mural for a school after visiting some killer whales, which was the subject for the mural.

When I was done, I decided I wanted to paint murals for a living—so I quit my job and started painting murals.”

However, he hadn’t found it easy to catch a break here in the desert—until recently. While

the DogSpa Resort in Desert Hot Springs was being built (www.dogsparesort.com), he was part of the painting crew. Dr. Paula Terifaj, a veterinarian and owner of the DogSpa Resort, noticed his artistic talent.

“I know some of the people at Save-a-Pet, and when they bought this building last year, everyone noticed this blank wall,” said Terifaj.

“I knew them, and I knew the building, (and) John said he wanted to paint a mural on it.

I just called them up and asked, ‘Would you like to work with an artist for a mural?’ They wanted to see his portfolio; I gave them a copy, and they took it to the board meeting. They unanimously wanted to do it.”

The mural, of course, is much more appealing than a blank wall—especially considering that graffiti is known to be a big problem in Desert Hot Springs.

“The community has been great. People drive by and honk and wave, and they’ve stopped in to talk about it,” said Coleman.

“It was approved by the city of Desert Hot Springs. The (Community) and Cultural Affairs council green-lighted it, passed it on to the city, and the city had no problem. Save-a-Pet provided some paint after I donated the mural.

Vista Paint in Cathedral City bought most of the paint and donated it to us.”

When it comes to Save-a-Pet as an organization, Coleman has nothing but good things to say.

“I think they’re doing great things,” he said.

“When I see the people working in the hospital, they’re very professional, and everything is clean. … They’re a no-kill shelter. They’re trying hard, and they have a lot of good people trying to get the dogs and cats adopted.”

John Coleman stands in front of his Save-a-Pet creation at 13700 Palm Drive.

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JANUARY 2014

JANUARY THEATER Annenberg Theater (Including Coyote StageWorks) Dance for Life is a showcase of performances by renowned dance companies to benefit the AIDS Assistance Program, at 6 p.m., Friday, Jan. 17. $95; $200 VIP. Tony nominee Christine Andreas performs her one-woman show be-Mused at 8 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 18. $60 to $75. Coyote StageWorks’ starstudded fundraiser performance of The Man Who Came to Dinner takes place at 6 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 19. $75 to $500. Coyote StageWorks’ The Andrews Brothers, a salute to the swinging ’40s, is performed at various times Wednesday through Sunday, from Friday, Jan. 24, through Sunday, Feb. 16. $39 to $55.

At the Palm Springs Art Museum, 101 Museum Drive, Palm Springs. 760-325-4490; www.psmuseum.org/ annenberg-theater.

Blazing Guns at Roaring Gulch—from Desert Theatreworks Blazing Guns at Roaring Gulch … Or the Perfumed Badge: An Ol’ Fashion’ Melodrama is the latest show by the new Desert Theatreworks. At 7 p.m., Friday; 2 and 7 p.m., Saturday; and 2 p.m., Sunday, from Friday, Jan. 24, through Sunday, Feb. 2. $25; $23 students; special kids’ prices and group rates available. At the Arthur Newman Theatre in the Joslyn Center, 73750 Catalina Way, Palm Desert.

760-980-1455; www.dtworks.org.

Country Royalty: A Musical Tribute to Hank Williams and Patsy Cline Hank Williams: Lost Highway star Jason Petty plays Hank Williams, while Grammy-nominated Carolyn Martin performs as Patsy Cline, backed by a live band, at 8 p.m., Friday, Jan. 10. $15 to $45. At the McCallum Theatre, 73000 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert. 760-340-2787; www.mccallumtheatre.com.

The Importance of Being Earnest—from Theatre 29 Oscar Wilde’s classic focuses on country gentleman Jack Worthing and his imaginary big-city brother, Earnest. 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday, from Friday, Jan. 10, through Saturday, Feb. 8, with additional matinees at 2:30 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 19 and Feb. 2. $12; $10 seniors and military; $8 students. At 73637 Sullivan Road, Twentynine Palms. 760-361-4151; theatre29.org.

Indian Wells Theater/CSUSB Palm Desert Events I Do, I Do!, a concert version of the musical, features Joyce Bulifant and Roger Perry; it’s a benefit for the CSUSB Autism Program, at 7 p.m., Friday, Jan. 17. $50. A tribute concert featuring “The Piano Men”—Elton John, Ray Charles, Billy Joel and Little Richard—takes place at 7 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 18. $40 for first three rows; $35 for the remainder of the house. An afternoon Pops! concert featuring Yve Evans and the All Star Big Band occurs at 2 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 26. $50. At the Indian Wells Theater at CSUSB Palm Desert, 37500 Cook St. 760-341-6909; pdc.csusb.edu/eventstheater.html.

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Invasion of Privacy—from Dezart Performs This drama is based on the real 1946 case of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, who was sued by her friend Zelma Cason for libel and the right to privacy.

At 7:30 p.m., Friday; 2:30 and 7:30 p.m., Saturday; and 2:30 p.m., Sunday, from Friday, Jan. 31, through Sunday, Feb. 9. $22; $18 students, seniors and military. At the Palm Springs Womans Club, 314 S. Cahuilla Road, Palm Springs. 760-322-0179; www. dezartperforms.com.

Les Miserables—from the Palm Canyon Theatre The classic musical is produced by the downtown Palm Springs mainstay. 7 p.m., Thursday; 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m., Sunday, from Friday, Jan. 24, through Sunday, Feb. 9. $32; $10 students/ children (call the box office). At 538 N. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs. 760-323-5123; www. palmcanyontheatre.org.

Luis Bravo’s Forever Tango The Broadway hit features 14 tango dancers, a vocalist and an 11-piece orchestra. 8 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 11; 2 and 7 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 12. $25 to $75. At the McCallum Theatre, 73000 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert. 760-340-2787; www.mccallumtheatre.com.

Man of La Mancha Enter the mind and world of Don Quixote as he pursues his quest for the impossible dream in this renowned musical. 8 p.m., Friday, Jan. 24; 2 and 8 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 25; 2 and 7 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 26. $35 to $105. At the McCallum Theatre, 73000 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert. 760-340-2787; www.mccallumtheatre.com.

Nite Club Confidential—from the Desert Rose Playhouse The midcentury modern film noir musical stars Joey English as Kay Goodman. 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m., Sunday, from Friday, Jan. 10, through Sunday, Feb. 16. (The Saturday, Feb. 8, show is a 2 p.m. matinee.) $28 to $30. At 69260 Highway 111, Rancho Mirage. 760-202-3000; www. desertroseplayhouse.org.

A Perfect Ganesh—from Coachella Valley Repertory CV Rep’s season focusing on the works of Terrence McNally continues with this show about two middleaged women throwing themselves into a tour of India. 7:30 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday; 2 p.m., Sunday, from Wednesday, Jan. 22, through Sunday, Feb. 9. $35 preview (Jan. 22 and 23); $40 regular; $50 opening night (Jan. 24). At the Atrium, 69930 Highway 111, No. 116, Rancho Mirage. 760296-2966; www.cvrep.org.

Similar Journeys—from Script2Stage2Screen Similar Journeys, a play by Palm Springs playwright Robert Abrami, features a cast of six characters in denial, in love, in crises, and in the process of defining their own lives. 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday, Jan. 10 and 11. $10. At the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Desert, 72425 Via Vail, Rancho Mirage. 760-345-7938; www. script2stage2screen.com.

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 25

JANUARY 2014

MOVIES

NOW SHOWING AT HOME

Consider Adding These New Blu-Ray Releases to Your Collection

THE VIDEO DEPOT

TOP 10 LIST for DECEMBER 2013

WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/MOVIES

By Bob Grimm The Wolverine 20th Century Fox, released Dec. 3 I’m not a hater of X-Men Origins: Wolverine; I thought it was stupid fun. I am in the minority, though, so along came The Wolverine, a new attempt to take Hugh Jackman’s Logan into a freestanding franchise.

Directed by James Mangold (3:10 to Yuma), The Wolverine goes in a darker, more-serious direction, although the film still includes some fine action scenes. (The opening scene in Nagasaki and a fight above a bullet train are both incredible.) Jackman, who has a lot more veins popping here than he did last time, again has a blast in the title role.

The plot involves an old friend of Logan looking for the key to eternal life—a key which Wolverine actually has, making him a mutant with extra value. Most of the action takes place in Japan, and Wolverine loses his powers for a stretch, so we get the odd sight of him bleeding and getting lethargic.

Mangold and his crew deserve credit for filming two of the world’s most beautiful women: Tao Okamoto and Rila Fukushima. The also-remarkable-looking Famke Janssen makes some dream appearances as Jean Grey—and stay through the credits to get what some might consider the film’s best scene.

While I didn’t hate X-Men Origins: Wolverine, this is a better movie. The upcoming X-Men: Days of Future Past looks like the stuff of a comicbook-lover’s wet dream, and is sure to give Mr. Jackman another wondrous showcase for those sideburns.

Special Features: The extended edition comes on its own disc and features about 12 more minutes, as well as a commentary by Mangold.

You also get the theatrical version, with a nearly one-hour documentary on the film’s making, and an alternate ending. There’s also a short preview for X-Men: Days of Future Past.

Breaking Bad Sony, released Nov. 26 My personal list of truly great TV shows is a bit short: Twin Peaks, Mr. Show, Monty Python’s Flying Circus, Happy Days (the first two seasons), Lost and this, Vince Gilligan’s epic masterpiece.

The conclusion of Breaking Bad was astoundingly, astonishingly good. Bryan Cranston’s final moments as chemistry teacher turned meth master Walter White count as one of the best series finales I’ve ever seen (along with Agent Cooper’s bloody face laughing into a cracked mirror on Twin Peaks).

The final season starts where the prior season left off, with Dean Norris’ Hank finally figuring out what his brother-in-law was doing in his spare time. From the moment he confronts Walter, to the musical strains of Badfinger’s “Baby Blue” in the last episode, the final season is a wild, wild ride.

You know a show is great when you feel a void as it ends. Breaking Bad is a series worth viewing multiple times—which I have done. This is a true gem.

They’d better throw a bunch of acting Emmys at this show. Nobody in the history of TV did a better job of creating a character than Mr. Cranston did here (and I’d put his dad from Malcolm in the Middle in the Top 20 as well).

Special Features: All of the seasons come to you in a nifty “money” barrel; those who saw the final season know of the barrel’s significance.

You get a nice booklet, an awesome Los Pollos Hermanos apron, and many hours of special features, including a documentary, more than two hours long, special to this set. The alreadycirculated Malcolm in the Middle fake ending is here, too.

The World’s End Universal, released Nov. 19 Simon Pegg and Nick Frost star in The World’s End as members of an old gang of friends getting back together to finish a hometown pub crawl they failed to complete 20 years earlier.

Pegg plays King, the group’s leader, a slightly disturbed man-child; Frost plays Andy, the group pessimist who is still recovering from a partying incident years before. They start drinking pints— only to discover that robots have overrun their old town. So in addition to completing the crawl, they must save the world.

This is the third film from Pegg and director Edgar Wright after Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, and it is a worthy conclusion to their “Cornetto” trilogy (named for a brand of ice cream that appears in all three films). It delivers a lot of laughs, great action and even a

significant emotional punch.

It’s the second great apocalypse comedy of 2013; This Is the End is the other.

Special Features: This package is absolutely loaded with extra material, including three commentaries, long and enjoyable documentaries, lots of making-of shorts, and much more. Trust me: You get your money’s worth.

Blackfish Magnolia, released Nov. 12 Director Gabriela Cowperthwaite puts together a compelling argument against keeping killer whales in captivity.

The No. 1 argument: the death of head Sea World trainer Dawn Brancheau in 2010. She was killed during a non-show exercise by Tilikum, one of the amusement park’s star-attraction killer whales. Trainers and friends of Brancheau recall, in chilling detail, how Brancheau died—and the extent of her injuries are a shocker. She didn’t simply slip into the tank and get dragged under by her hair, as Sea World first claimed: She suffered many, horrible injuries in the mouth of the whale.

Tilikum has been involved in three human deaths while in captivity, including one at another, smaller park. It’s sad to hear the stories about this majestic, sometimes-placid creature basically losing his mind in captivity.

There’s also stunning footage of a 2006 incident in which a whale seemed determined to drown its trainer, taking him to the bottom of the pool numerous times during an extended incident.

Blackfish is a blistering indictment of Sea World’s practices. Clearly, trainers shouldn’t be allowed to swim around in tanks performing tricks with these whales, a practice currently legally banned at Sea World (a fact Sea World execs continue to protest).

Hopefully, this film will lead to further steps— including the stoppage of killer whales being used for the purpose of amusement.

Special Features: There’s a director’s commentary, and some unused segments, including one about excessive damage to a whale’s teeth during captivity, and another featuring a former trainer talking about his positive experiences with whales.

Fast and Furious 6

1. Fast and Furious 6 (Universal) 2. Man of Steel (Warner Bros.)

3. We’re the Millers (New Line) 4. The Wolverine (20th Century Fox) 5. 2 Guns (Universal) 6. Prisoners (Warner Bros.)

7. The Lone Ranger (Disney) 8. Kick-Ass 2 (Universal) 9. Insidious: Chapter 2 (Sony) 10. Don Jon (20th Century Fox)

CVIndependent.com

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JANUARY 2014

FILM

A QUARTER-CENTURY

OF CINEMA

A Look Back at the Palm Springs International Film Festival by Someone Who’s Watched It Grow

WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/MOVIES

By Brane Jevric wenty years ago, I covered my first Palm Springs International Film Festival.

The PSIFF was a much more modest event back then, and that year, the star of the festival was Sophia Loren. I remember it well—since she kissed me before a sea of cameras! She did it after I publicly asked her to send a message of peace to my country, the war-torn Yugoslavia.

Then and there, I fell in love with Sophia—and the festival, too.

In 2002, I was invited to a special event celebrating the 90th birthday of Loren’s husband, famed producer Carlo Ponti, with their son, Carlo Ponti Jr., conducting a symphony; their second son, director Edoardo Ponti, was also in attendance. I believe Spencer’s Restaurant owner Harold Matzner underwrote the event.

Matzner’s a Jersey fellow and a longtime PSIFF chairman. Following the event, I went to see him at his office, and we came up with an idea for the next PSIFF: Matzner was going to pay to bring an entire symphonic orchestra, with conductor Ponti Jr., to the fest! The orchestra was going to perform “Lara’s Theme,” from Dr. Zhivago, a movie produced by Ponti Sr. The idea was that Sophia Loren would give a lifetime achievement award to her hubby, and Edoardo Ponti would show his new movie at the fest.

It didn’t happen, because Ponti Sr. fell ill.

It takes a lot to run a film festival, including loads of money, and the PSIFF has long depended on the hefty help of its wealthy supporters. The Palm Springs International Film Society’s grand dame, the late Jackie Lee Houston, hosted so many events for the fest that it’s hard to count them all. The city of Palm Springs has pitched in, too; hey, the mayor, Steve Pougnet, has even been employed by the festival to assist in bringing in the dough!

Aside from money, the growing film fest needed star power—and, again, a lot of it. The fest’s most connected publicist, Ronni Chasen, steadily delivered the stars to the fest for a decade. Shockingly, Chasen was shot to death in 2010. According to reports, Chasen was shot four times by a convicted felon while she drove her Mercedes on Sunset in Los Angeles. Later, the man who allegedly shot her killed himself during a standoff with the police. (There are many conspiracy theories about her tragic end, of course.) The festival offered a $100,000 CVIndependent.com

reward for information leading to the capture and conviction of the perpetrator. The PSIFF is run by a nonprofit organization, so Chairman Matzner, once again, footed the bill.

But, as they say, the show must go on.

Nowadays, the PSIFF—going into its 25th year—appears to be a well-oiled machine, with exclusive sponsors and record attendance. Still, by film-festival standards, the Palm Springs fest is fairly young; after all, the Venice Film Festival just celebrated its 70th year.

Though the PSIFF often has some Best Foreign Language Film Oscar buzz attached to its image, when it comes to popularity, the PSIFF lags behind the Tribeca fest, founded

by Robert De Niro, as well as Robert Redford’s Sundance fest. The fact is, the star-power of the movie icons serves their festivals well.

Here, the PSIFF was founded by the late Sonny Bono, in order to bring movie glamor back to Palm Springs. I’ve covered film fests in destination cities such as Rio and Bangkok, and little Palm Springs can’t match them in terms of glamor and image.

The tradition and reputation of a film fest matters. The legacy of a film fest matters. But what matters most are the films: Despite the tycoons and the big stars, a film festival is really about the movies being presented—and the PSIFF always offers a top-notch selection of films. And those films are what attendees will remember the most.

That’s a wrap!

The Palm Springs International Film Festival takes place Jan. 3-13, 2014. Most films are $11 or $12. For more information, including pass information and a complete schedule, visit www.psfilmfest.org.

Brane Jevric and Sophia Loren. COURTESY OF BRANE JEVRIC

JANUARY 2014

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 27

CVIndependent.com

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JANUARY 2014

FOOD & DRINK

the SNIFF CAP

Make Your Wine Sexy: Take Proper Steps for Full Enjoyment

WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/FOOD-DRINK

By Deidre Pike he couple picks up a bottle of expensive wine for a special occasion—something off the top shelf at the strip-mall liquor store, perhaps. They know they like cabernet sauvignon. But faced with a row of bottles that are relatively pricy, they’re lost.

What year? What winery? In the end, they choose the wine with the most-attractive label.

Call it crapshoot cab. Maybe they like it. Maybe they don’t. Maybe they won’t be able to figure out, exactly, why this wine costs more than a case of three-buck chuck. Is it really that good? They may think: Are we just too stupid to appreciate the finer qualities of this wine?

Nah. Really, all wine is a crapshoot. Like lovers, no two bottles of wine are alike—and they won’t ever be experienced in the same way twice. But if you’re after an erotic experience with a bottle of fine wine, keep a few things in mind.

1. Choose wisely, grasshopper. Buy wine you’ve sampled at a tasting room or wine bar. Know what’s up at your local wine-bottle shop. Mega-wine stores track their inventory closely, and when wines get too dusty, they end up on sale.

A grocery store or gas station can keep bottles on its shelves forever and ever—not so good. It may be best to avoid discount stores altogether. You don’t know where that wine has been, or to what temperatures it’s been exposed.

and send its molecules of deliciousness at my nose. I prefer thinner glass on my lips.

2. Older is not always better. Some wine is built to age well. Oh so patient are the people who stayed behind in Europe, making wine in France and Italy, while the cool kids were colonizing the Americas. However, many California reds are built for drinking sooner rather than later. We do not like to wait. That said, my favorite Napa and Sierra Foothill cabernets right now are from the 2006-2008 vintages. Five or 6 years old—kindergartners.

6. Spend a few minutes on foreplay. You’ve picked a decent wine, and you’re decanting or aerating.

It’s waiting in the nice, bulbous glass. Sniff it. Give it a swirl. Like what you’re smelling? Inhale deeply.

Your mouth should water a bit. Tease your palate. Get excited. This is going to be good.

This all sounds like lots of work, I know, but it’s really just a start—habits I’m still learning.

I hang out at a bar that pours Carter Cellars 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Revilo Vineyard (www.cartercellars. com) by the glass. A glass is $16—not something I can really afford—but it’s half-price during happy hour. I can and do pay $8 for a glass of this Revilo Vineyard cab.

If Bartender Zach opens a new bottle, and I swill that redness down right away, I’m going to be sorely disappointed—even if Zach pours it in a giant wine glass, shaped especially for cabernet sauvignon. Without enough exposure to the atmosphere outside of the bottle, the wine’s tight and chalky, with dust on the nose. Not something you’d want to drop $16 a glass on.

Zach is a smart dude. He’s offered to pour my wine when he comes in to work and set it on the back of the bar (when I give him advance notice that I’m coming, of course). When I show up an hour later, it’s almost ready to drink. I can give it a hearty swirl in the giant glass and, man oh man, let the adventure begin. I inhale warm swirls of cocoa and black cherries and leather. I smell the wine so long that others at the bar give me sideways glances. There’s a reason that this wine costs so damn much.

My tongue gets all tingly.

And then I take a sip.

Ah, mouth-gasm.

3. Unleash the beast. Get that wine out of the bottle, and introduce it to the air. Like the Genie of the Lamp, a wine needs to stretch a bit after being cramped up in a bottle for long periods of time. This is what decanting and aeration is all about. If you’re great at planning ahead, you can decant the wine by pouring it into any large glass container with lots of surface space. You can buy reasonably priced decanters for $15 to $20. If you possess less patience, invest in an aerator.

Dave has a sturdy Vinturi (vinturi.com) that’s survived after being dropped on tile and rolled in the dirt under picnic tables. I have a Soiree (www.winesoiree.com) that fits in the top of a bottle and aerates as you pour. It’s a sexy but fragile little gizmo.

Note: Decanters or aerators are only good for those heavier red wines. White wines and light-to-medium-bodied reds like pinot noir most likely get enough air simply being poured into the glass.

4. Use decent wine glasses. The wine won’t be all it can be if you drink it out of plastic cups or Mason jars. Shape— the architecture of the bowl, stem and base—counts. Large wine glasses help aerate full-bodied wines. Stemware makers contend that glasses specifically shaped for a varietal—say, one for a pinot noir, and another for a cabernet—help deliver that varietal’s bouquet, texture, flavor and finish. Burp. I’ll drink out of anything that’s big enough to aerate the wine CVIndependent.com

5. Manage the flavors in your mouth. A fine red wine consumed after something tangy may not feel as smooth and refined as the same wine after cheese, bread or olive oil. Experiment with a few foods to see what you like. Keep dark chocolate on hand for emergencies.

Deidre Pike is an assistant professor of journalism. Sniff the Cap appears every other week at CVIndependent.com.

Oftentimes, air + wine = a very good thing. DEIDRE PIKE

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 29

JANUARY 2014

FOOD & DRINK

the

These Winter Beers Will Please Your Palate and Warm Your Soul

WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/FOOD-DRINK

By Erin Peters he colder winter months not only bring us sparkly lights, spiced aromas, family gatherings and football bowl games; they also bring us sanity-saving winter warmers and ales with malt, spices and fruit.

Here are some winter beers worth checking out: Alaskan Winter English Olde Ale (Alaska, 6.4 percent alcohol by volume): Supposedly made with ingredients based on Captain Cook’s historical recipe, this beer has clean, slightly sweet, bready malts, and is accented by fresh Sitka spruce tips. Citrus and fruity flavors like orange zest, blueberry and peach cream pack this beer with some serious revelry. The ale, made with glacier-fed water from the Juneau Ice Field, is brewed in the old ale style, which means it’s a little heavier on the alcohol and the malt. The brewery suggests pairing it with roast goose, turkey, ham, lamb or apple pie. I suggest sipping it front of a roaring fire, even here in the not-so-chilly Coachella Valley.

Avery Old Jubilation Ale (Colorado, 8.3 percent ABV): This winter strong ale has flavors of plums, raisins, burnt sugar, vanilla and hazelnuts, and finishes with mocha and toffee. It is chocolaty goodness in a glass. It pairs with all manner of game birds, as well as roast duck, rack of lamb and prime rib.

Abita Christmas Ale (Louisiana, 5.5 percent ABV): Sweet caramel and slight pine scents blend with clove for a subtle, earthy aroma in this brown ale. The ale is lightly spiced, with hints of cinnamon and brown sugar; piney and floral hop flavors ornament the profile. This year’s edition is hoppier than most brown ales. The spicy character is excellent with foods such as spiced nuts.

Brouwerij De Smedt Affligem Noël (Belgium, 9 percent ABV): Brewed by monks from an abbey that was founded in 1074, this bottle-conditioned strong ale has apple, brown sugar, nutmeg and molasses in the nose. Candy sugar, toffee, cherry and soft flavors of clove blend beautifully with a complexity of malt flavors and fruity yeast esters. The finish is full with substantial stickiness.

Brasserie Dubuisson, Scaldis Noël (Belgium, 12 percent ABV): At 12 percent ABV, the little Scaldis Noël bottle packs a giant punch. Caramel malts, plum, alcohol-soaked raisin and cracked pepper notes—with hints of anise—make this festive beer sweet and drinkable. The boozy heat of this Belgian strong dark ale will keep you warm on the cold winter nights. This beer has amazing complexity and balance. The high alcohol content makes it a good candidate for cellaring, so start a tradition, and store a few away. Suggested food pairings include some cheeses and goose. Fun fact: This beer is sold in other countries as Bush de Noël. The Bush name hasn’t been trademarked in the U.S., so it is sold here as “Scaldis” instead.

New Belgium Frambozen Raspberry Brown Ale (Colorado, 6.5 percent ABV): The aroma is sour raspberry candy, hibiscus flowers and woodsy roasted coffee. Berries from the Pacific Northwest are turned into a pure juice that is added during fermentation. The resulting taste: fresh, tart raspberries backed by nut, chocolate and caramel malts. Pair with certain cheeses, seared duck and mushroom risotto—or chocolate-rich desserts.

Alesmith YuleSmith Winter Imperial Red Ale (California, 9.5 percent ABV): Sweet caramel, orange

marmalade and woodsy pine resins make for an earthy and rich aroma. Significant sweet malts—like toffee and toasted bread— balance with hop grassiness, grapefruit and piney notes. This is an exceptional beer from the San Diego brewery, as proven at the World Beer Championships: It won gold in 2003, 2004 and 2005.

Deschutes Jubelale Festive Winter Ale (Oregon, 6.7 percent ABV): This is a classic annual winter warmer that also celebrates artists by showcasing them on the label. Pouring with a burgundy hue, Jubelale pleases the palate with piney hops, coffee bean hints, caramelized flavors, cherry notes and a bit of a floral edge. Hops make their presence known in the end—a nice little surprise. Pair with short ribs and various cheeses.

Brasserie Dupont Avec Les Bons Voeux Saison (Belgium, 9.5 percent ABV): The name translates as “With the best wishes of the brewery Dupont,” and this beer pours a clear golden color. Wonderful and complex aromas accompany a hint of spices, banana and even rising bread. The typical saison funk and mustiness is present, but not overpowering. This beer is fresh, with a hint of Belgian candy sugar, coriander and lemon peel. It’s a full-flavored beer with zing!

Samuel Smith Winter Welcome Ale (England, 6 percent ABV): Welcome this winter ale into your home, and you’ll enjoy toffee, caramel and toasty notes—as well as a full body, resulting from fermentation in “stone Yorkshire squares.”

There’s a healthy amount of carbonation, bringing a lively feel.

Bonus: The Winter Welcome Ale has a collectable label. The picture in the middle changes every year.

Odell Isolation Ale (Colorado, 6.0 percent ABV): A sweet, bready malt aroma accompanies caramel and nutty accents in this winter ale. This winter warmer is brewed with English hops; the spices, malt and hops work in perfect harmony. That sturdy hoppiness joins plum and citrus flavors, great drinkability, and hints of toasted grain and clove to make this a world-class beer.

Port Brewing Santa’s Little Helper (California, 10 percent ABV): Pouring a jet-black color, this beer from San Marcos has a big, roasted malt character; hints of coffee and dark chocolate fill the air. The flavor is complex but still balanced, with cocoa and toffee overtones, burnt sugar, chicory and some barrel flavors. The assertive alcohol content offers a bit of spice blooms over the tongue. Buy a couple, and age this big guy to round out the flavors next winter.

The Bruery 6 Geese-A-Laying Belgian-Style Dark Ale (California, 11.5 percent ABV): This is the sixth beer in The Bruery’s “12 Days of Christmas” winter seasonal ale series. The classic Christmas verse has been honored with gooseberries, and gives off notes of plums and dark cherry. The sugary malt balances with the tart berries, making for a voluptuous beer with holiday cheer. It’s perfect now, or age it for a year or two.

Enjoy this with a post-holidays roast!

These festive releases are perfect matches for the cooler winter months. Enjoy!

The Bruery 6 Geese-A-Laying Belgian-Style Dark Ale, Odell Isolation Ale, New Belgium Frambozen Raspberry Brown Ale, and Abita Christmas Ale CVIndependent.com

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JANUARY 2014

FOOD & DRINK

Restaurant NEWS BITES

WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/FOOD-DRINK

By Jimmy Boegle IW CLUB BECOMES VUE GRILLE AND BAR There’s good news for lovers of fine food and drink in the Coachella Valley: The restaurant formerly known as the IW Club has changed its name—and stepped up its game.

The restaurant, located at the Indian Wells Golf Resort at 44500 Indian Wells Lane, officially changed its name and concept on Thursday, Dec. 5. Hundreds of people came out that evening to celebrate at a party that included food, cocktails, beer from La Quinta Brewing Company, and live music in the city-owned resort’s brandnew events pavilion.

Why the change?

“A lot of people had heard of (the IW Club),” said Scott Winant, the director of food and beverage at the restaurant and resort, “but the word ‘club’ gave off a private connotation. The main premise is to let everybody know it isn’t a private country club, so to speak.”

Indeed: The restaurant is open to all for both lunch and dinner seven days a week (as well as brunch on Sundays, of course).

Executive chef Cale Falk has reconfigured the menus to emphasize a farm-to-table approach, with the use of many local ingredients. Prices, while certainly not cheap, aren’t astronomical, either: Most lunch dishes are in the $15 range, while dinner entrées range from $21 to $38 (for a prime filet mignon).

I was fortunate enough to sample several of Falk’s new dishes at a private media lunch a couple of days before the grand opening, and everything we tried—including the aforementioned filet—was splendid. Other highlights included the Jamie Farms beet salad, with “beet soil,” goat-cheese dressing and honey pearls ($15); a seabass dish with Manila clams, pork belly, potatoes, carrots and a sauce that made the plate into a deconstructed seafood chowder, of sorts ($29); and the Medjool dates with gorgonzola, apple and honey ($12).

Winant said that Vue is hosting three different concepts under its one roof (and assorted patios, one of which will soon be covered for year-round comfort): an upscale, fine-dining area; a gastropub/bar area, featuring the craft-cocktail creations of local bar veteran Javier Santana; and a sushi bar/lounge featuring the work of sushi chef Akio Naito.

At that media lunch, I got to try some of the fish that Naito is offering, and it was amazing. But that isn’t even what I am most excited about: It’s those cocktails being offered at the gorgeous bar. The Coachella Valley has been slow to catch on to the craft-cocktail craze, and Vue has one of the most intriguing drink selections I’ve found in the valley. Santana’s bar menu includes five different types of Manhattans, for starters.

One carryover from the IW Club days: Vue offers live music six days per week.

For more information or reservations, call 760-834-3800, or visit www.vuegrilleandbar.com.

THAI SMILE PALM SPRINGS NOW IN NEW DIGS Thai Smile Palm Springs, the popular restaurant that called 651 N. Palm Canyon Drive home for years, has finally moved to its new location at 100 S. Indian Canyon Drive.

The move into the spot at Indian Canyon and Tahquitz Canyon Way has been in the works since at least May; a representative back then told us that owners hoped to have the new and bigger location open by August.

Obviously, that projected opening date was overly optimistic—but Thai Smile management wisely managed to stay in their old spot as long as they needed. In fact, only several days passed between the old location closing and the new one opening its doors.

Call 760-320-5503, or visit www.thaismilepalmsprings.com for more information.

PARADISO CLOSES ITS DOORS Paradiso, the newish Cathedral City restaurant known for its pastas and its all-you-can-eat pizza on Monday nights, closed its doors rather suddenly in late November.

Mike Ramos and Chip Yarborough opened the restaurant, at 35903 Date Palm Drive, last spring. After a summer closure during the month of August, the restaurant reopened on the Monday of Labor Day weekend, and seemed to be gearing up for the height of season. However, around Thanksgiving, everything regarding the restaurant went silent, without any explanation.

If we receive further word on what happened, we’ll pass it along.

IN BRIEF Just as our print deadlines approached, we received glorious news via Facebook: Twin Palms Bistro and Lounge, at 1201 E. Palm Canyon Drive, celebrated a soft reopening on Monday, Dec. 23. After a seemingly minor fire on April 9, managers thought the restaurant would be closed for a few days, tops. Red tape in various forms turned those few days into weeks and then months. Watch CVIndependent.com and/or pick up next month’s issue for more information. … The Copa Room Palm Springs, at 244 E. Amado Road, the sister nightclub of The Tropicale restaurant, officially opened its doors with a “soft opening” and a packed house on Wednesday, Dec. 11; watch www.copapalmsprings.com for more info. … The Miramonte Resort and Spa, 45000 Indian Wells Lane, in Indian Wells, has named Adam Votaw—a veteran of restaurants both large and small around the world— as its new executive chef.

CVIndependent.com

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 31

JANUARY 2014

FOOD & DRINK the

INDY ENDORSEMENT

Two Delicious Dishes Worth Your Money

WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/FOOD-DRINK

By Jimmy Boegle WHAT The Chicken Caprese WHERE Cello’s, 35943 Date Palm Drive, Cathedral City HOW MUCH $18 for lunch; $20 for dinner CONTACT 760-328-5353; www.cellosbistro.com WHY It’s subtly delicious.

The word “delicious” is surprisingly versatile.

Most people use “delicious” to refer to yummy food, but didja know that the first definition of the word in the Merriam-Webster dictionary is simply “affording great pleasure”?

Of course, the second definition relates a little more specifically to food—“appealing to one of the bodily senses, especially of taste or smell,” to be exact—but regarding the word’s versatility, think about how many different foods you consider “delicious.” Some delicious foods figuratively smack you over the head with flavor; others are subtle, yet nonetheless incredibly enjoyable.

This brings us to the signature dish at Cello’s, a delightful restaurant tucked into a strip mall at Date Palm and Gerald Ford drives in Cathedral City. The chicken Caprese is not a plate that will smack you over the head with flavor—but it will indeed offer you great pleasure.

The dish is a symphony of mild flavors. The “lightly breaded” chicken breast is juicy and tender—almost schnitzel-like. The yellow and red cherry tomatoes are fresh, firm and slightly sweet. The mozzarella is smooth with just a hint of salt. Add in an ample amount of basil and olive oil, and the dish is set.

The result is an entrée that’s greater than the sum of its parts. No flavors dominate, but they all make their presence known. There are no big taste crescendos—just a perfect, harmonious, subtle melody.

If you’re looking for something that will knock your taste buds around, try another dish. But if you want something fresh, filling and subtly splendid, we heartily endorse the chicken Caprese. It truly is delicious—in every sense of the word.

WHAT The croque madame WHERE L’Atelier Deli, 129 La Plaza, Palm Springs HOW MUCH $9 CONTACT 760-778-7895; www.latelier-deli.com WHY Lots of flavor in a small package.

As the story goes: Raphael and Charlotte Farsy, a young French couple from Paris, came to Palm Springs in March 2012 on their honeymoon. As often happens when people visit here, they became smitten with the desert—and decided to stay. Raphael is a pastry chef, so L’Atelier Deli was born.

We should all be happy about Raphael and Charlotte’s decision to stay, because as a result, we get the benefit of this small, utterly charming French café tucked into a blink-andyou’ll-miss-it spot in downtown Palm Springs’ La Plaza. You’ll find Raphael behind the counter, most likely, with Charlotte handling the bulk of the serving.

The menu includes breakfasts, salads, sandwiches, quiches and a variety of French pastries and desserts. The dish that has our mouths watering the most comes from the breakfast menu: the croque madame.

It’s a simple treat: ham and melted cheese between two toasted slices of white bread, with béchamel sauce and, on top, a fried egg.

Individually, these ingredients, while of high quality, aren’t anything to write home to Paris about. But put them all together, and the result is yummy. The salt in the ham and the béchamel are muted by the bread; the richness of the egg and cheese add a ton of taste; and so on. It’s all pretty basic, really, yet the flavors that result are far from basic.

While pretty much everything we’ve enjoyed at L’Atelier has ranged from good to outstanding (especially the quiches; always check the specials board to see what’s available), be warned: The food here is not cheap. For example, that delightful fruit salad accompanying my sandwich in the picture above was a whopping $4. The small, artfully presented round of apple, strawberry, banana and kiwi was refreshing and delightful, yes, but I wouldn’t pay $4 for it again.

But thanks to the charm of Raphael and Charlotte’s little café, as well as all of that flavor, I will happily pay $9 for that croque madame again. It’s fantastic.

CVIndependent.com

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•• Haunted Summer finds quick dream-pop success •• The Gand Band leads the Purple Room's rebirth •• Buck-O-Nine and ska's third wave •• The Lucky 13 •• Fresh Sessions with All Night Shoes www.cvindependent.com/music

THE LION IS IN THE HOUSE In the Blueskye Report: Who knows what will happen when Snoop Lion plays at Fantasy Springs?

35

Snoop Lion: Fantasy Springs, Jan. 11 CVIndependent.com

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 33

JANUARY 2014

MUSIC

COLLABORATION

WITH LOVE

John and Bridgette Seasons Find Quick Success With Their Dream-Pop Band Haunted Summer

WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/MUSIC

By Brian Blueskye ince Haunted Summer formed in 2012, the Los Angeles band has enjoyed virtual overnight success, including performances in famous Southern California venues like the El Rey Theatre. On Thursday, Jan. 16, the band will perform at another famous venue: Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace.

Haunted Summer starts with John and Bridgette Seasons. The longtime friends—now married—had played music together in other bands. Then came an opportunity that turned into their founding moment.

“There’s a venue out here in L.A. called the Echo. They basically enlisted us to put together a cover band covering Animal Collective,” said John Seasons. “Long story short, I asked Bridgette, and that collaboration led to love—and led to the band sticking around beyond that one show.”

John and Bridgette’s influences include Cocteau Twins, Björk, The Flaming Lips and Fleetwood Mac. Add in Bridgette’s theater background, and John’s exposure to all sorts of musical genres—his father is a jazz drummer—and the result is a unique sound that would place them somewhere within the “dream pop” genre.

“It just naturally came out,” said Bridgette Seasons about the band’s sound. “Last Thanksgiving (2012), we brought our instruments and just jammed. We wrote our first song, and we just sort of understood what we were playing at the time.”

Added John: “It was really organic. The album and songs we do in our set, we wrote in about a month. The next step was getting our music out there.”

They indeed started getting their music out there, opening for various national bands.

They said their favorite live shows to date were with The Polyphonic Spree, a psychedelic pop group that features a chorus and orchestra.

“Tim DeLaughter of The Polyphonic Spree is the most wholesome guy,” said John Seasons.”

Everyone in that band would come up to us after a show and see how we were doing.

Everybody bought our merch, and it felt like a big family in that atmosphere.”

Added Bridgette: “That band tours with 16 people, and they’re all in a giant van staying in small hotels and having to take turns with the shower. You would think they’d be stressed out and mean, but they’re all really nice people.”

The Polyphonic Spree is just one of the acts with whom they’ve shared the stage. Others include Taken by Trees, Coeur de Pirate and Meiko, to name a few.

“We’ve been able to play with a lot of really different acts. It’s just been very viable for us,” said Bridgette Seasons.

Their EP, a five-track effort called Something in the Water, is an independent effort that has been posted on Bandcamp (hauntedsummer.

Bridgette and John Seasons

bandcamp.com) and sold at Amoeba Records in Hollywood and San Francisco. They are now working on their full-length album.

Bridgette Seasons talked about what can be expected from their show at Pappy and Harriet’s.

“Usually when we perform, it’s (as) a twopiece,” she said. “The show at Pappy and Harriet’s will have a four-piece band. It’s very driving and drony, but really full, heartfelt and psychedelic. It wraps you up in a whole different world of sound.

“We’re really excited about that show. … The show might be a lot bigger than we thought.

Robyn (Celia), one of the owners of Pappy and Harriet’s, was nice enough to give us that date.

This will be our last hurrah before we head on a national tour.”

Haunted Summer will perform with Islands at 8 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 16, at Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace, 53688 Pioneertown Road, Pioneertown.

Tickets are $8. For tickets or more information, call 760-365-5956, or visit pappyandharriets.com.

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MUSIC

CLASSIC ONCE AGAIN

The Gands Are Turning the Purple Room Into an Old-School Music Paradise

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By Brian Blueskye he Purple Room at the Club Trinidad became a legendary place to have dinner and watch a performance in the 1960s, thanks in part to appearances by the Rat Pack.

After numerous changes over the years, the Purple Room is under brand-new management, and has gone through a complete makeover in an effort to have the classic venue return to its glory days.

Who is in charge of the entertainment aspect of this ambitious effort?

None other than Gary and Joan Gand, who handle booking for the venue, and themselves play Friday and Saturday nights at the Purple Room.

The Gand Band’s story starts long before the Gands’ arrival here in Palm Springs—back in the city of Chicago.

“We met when we were 17 years old,” said Joan Gand. “Gary was a guitarist in my friend’s band, and I was the keyboardist in another blues band.”

Said Gary: “She was going out with the drummer. I was determined to steal her away from the drummer.”

Responded Joan: “We’ve been together and playing music ever since, and we won’t tell how many years that is.”

The Gands were part of the Chicago blues scene, playing in legendary clubs around Chicago and getting to know some of the wellknown Windy City blues musicians.

“In Chicago, the blues for us as musicians was every day,” said Gary Gand. “You go to the liquor store, and you’d see Muddy Waters—he was a local guy. It wasn’t until the Rolling Stones came out later talking about how great Chicago blues was, the Chess (Records) sound and all that stuff, that we really thought it was special.”

Blues music definitely runs deep in the Gands’ repertoire.

“It’s the emotion of (the blues),” Gary explained. “Blues is about the hardships that are in your life every day. (In) the great music, whether it’s blues, classical or country, there’s always a story of sorrow. You lost a woman; you lost your castle; you lost a war—there’s a whole religion built around that stuff.”

Joan Gand credited a high school friend for introducing her to blues.

“I was taking jazz theory and messing around with improvisation,” she said. “A friend of mine who was two years older than me and had a blues band heard me playing in the music department at school. He said, ‘You should come play in my blues band!’ I said, ‘Well, I don’t know anything about blues,’ and he said, CVIndependent.com

‘You don’t have to; if you know jazz, jazz is based on blues.’ I went and played in his band, and ever since then, I’ve always been a fan of blues and that whole world.”

The Gands later headed to Palm Springs, and played regularly at the late, lamented Blue Guitar.

“We ended up coming to Palm Springs because of the modernism thing going on,” said Joan Gand. “With the architecture preservation, all the amazing buildings in town, and the whole town of Palm Springs, we just fell in love with it from the architecture point of view. That’s a hobby of ours, and we collect modernism furniture—and, of course, that fits in with guitars from the era. All that design adds together with the music, so we got deeply involved in that.”

Their favorite local show thus far was put together by the Palm Springs Art Museum at the Bob Hope house.

“We played a fundraiser there, and when we were looking for an area to set up the band, we discovered this huge outdoor fireplace made out of concrete,” said Joan Gand. “They weren’t using it, and it was a warm night, and it actually looked like a giant stage. Imagine a fireplace that big—that a whole band could fit in there.”

Gary added: “When I went into the backyard, it was right off the patio. I said, ‘Oh, look, they’ve got a stage right here.’ I was talking to the house manager, and I asked, ‘What’s that big pile of wood for?’ and he said, ‘That’s for the fireplace.’ I asked him, ‘Where’s that?’ and he said, ‘You’re standing in it.’ I asked, ‘Are you planning to use it tonight?’ He said, ‘No,’ and I said, ‘Great! Then we’ll set up in here in the fireplace.’ That was really fun.”

After playing fundraisers and home

The Gand Band. LANI GARFIELD

shows—one of which included Max Weinberg, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band’s drummer—friends convinced them to seek a new regular gig. However, it was not easy to do; they said there was not much variety in the local scene, and many venues wrapped up entertainment around 9 p.m.

After residencies in various local places, they found the Purple Room last season.

“When we played here last year during the season, it was barely making it,” said Joan Gand. “It hadn’t been renovated in a long time; it had been reopened by new management who didn’t know what they needed to do to make it work. We have a lot of fans in Palm Springs, and they would come because there was nowhere to hear this music. It would be just packed in here, and when they tried to do other nights of music, no one would come, because (the other acts) didn’t have a following.”

Gary Gand shared a pet peeve that he and Joan share.

“It was a lot of track acts—people singing around with their computer,” said Gary Gand. “Our policy here is no tracks: It’s live musicians playing live music in front of a live audience. Everything that comes off the stage is someone playing a musical instrument. DJs are great for the late-night dance crowd … but what we’re not cool with is a guy crooning along to his laptop.”

When Tony Marchese and Mark Van

Laanen, the owners of TRIO, took over management of the Purple Room over the summer—remodeling it and returning food service to the venue—they brought in the Gands to put together a great music program.

They have assembled residencies that include local band Machin’, jazz musician Michael Holmes, and Barry Minniefield, a singing chef who performs soul music. The Gands have a special musical lineup planned for Modernism Week in February, too.

As a result of the music, the food and the renovated venue, business has been pretty good since the October reopening.

“It’s been very well-received by the public,” said Marchese. “All the old groups are coming out again. … We’re 40 percent above what we thought we were going to do.”

Joan Gand said they want to make sure the Purple Room stays true to its roots.

“The main point of everything is to preserve the traditions of live music and roots music,” she said. “If people don’t hear it performed live, it will be forgotten.”

The Purple Room, at the Club Trinidad at 1900 E. Palm Canyon Drive, is open from 3 p.m. to midnight, Sunday and Tuesday through Thursday; and 3 p.m. to 2 a.m., Friday and Saturday. Live music is featured every night. For more information, including a complete schedule, call 760-322-4422, or visit purpleroompalmsprings.com.

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The Blueskye REPORT

MUSIC THE SEMI-RETIRED

WAVE

JANUARY 2014

By Brian Blueskye

Third Wave Ska Band Buck-O-Nine Keeps Playing for the Fun of It

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By Brian Blueskye n the 1990s, “third wave ska” brought the genre to new heights in terms of popularity—and San Diego’s Buck-O-Nine was one of the bands that enjoyed the ride.

On Friday, Jan. 17, the band will be making a return performance to The Hood Bar and Pizza in Palm Desert, after playing there about a year ago.

Ska—a Jamaican style of music that combines Caribbean elements with jazz and R&B—originated in the late 1950s. It found popularity in the United Kingdom in the late 1960s; in the late ’70s and early-to-mid ’80s, a second wave known as 2 Tone began with groups such as Madness, The Specials and The English Beat. During the ’90s, American bands created the third wave by combining it with a punk-rock sound.

Buck-O-Nine started in 1991 in San Diego; frontman Jon Pebsworth became involved after answering a newspaper ad looking for a singer.

During a recent phone interview, he talked about his love for ska music at an early age.

“Ska music and punk rock were my two favorite styles of music,” he said. “When I was a really young kid in sixth-grade—when I was buying my own records with my own money that wasn’t my parents’ kind of music—it was all 2 Tone ska like The English Beat, Madness, The Selecter, and all that stuff. I got into punk rock when I was in junior high and high school.”

When he saw the ad the band put in the San Diego Reader looking for a singer, he knew he had found a place for himself. “It said, ‘Ska band looking for punk singer.’ I was like, ‘Fuck, dude! That’s the band for me right there.’ The rest is history.”

Pebsworth said punk and ska have a history of working well together.

“Both styles of music are high-energy. … The melding of punk and ska together (actually began in) the 2 Tone era, when you think about it. They took traditional ska from the late ’60s and early ’70s and infused it with the punk rock that was happening in the late ’70s and early ’80s. That second wave already has a lot of punk rock in it. They seem to go hand in hand.”

The early third wave also included bands such as the Voodoo Glow Skulls, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones and No Doubt, just to name a few.

Buck-O-Nine released its debut album, Songs in the Key of Bree, in 1994. The band’s fourth album, Twenty-Eight Teeth, featured the song “My Town,” which made it to No. 32 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. The band was a heavy favorite in San Diego’s music scene,

and wound up on tour opening for The Specials.

Third-wave ska wound up becoming watered down, and eventually left the mainstream as quickly as it arrived. No Doubt eventually went toward a pop sound, while other third-wave bands went back into the underground.

“It was a trippy time,” Pebsworth said.

“With bands like Green Day and The Offspring bringing actual punk rock to the more-popular culture, a lot of people were interested in … making records that had more broad appeal. I think it had a positive and negative effect. … It was definitely positive, because a lot of people got turned on to that music, but it was also a negative, because when you have something like that that’s generating money, and bands being signed to major labels, you’re going to see watered-down versions of these bands pop up. The media sort of turned it into a frat-boy, rock ’n’ roll house-party kind of music.”

Pebsworth said the band members currently refer to themselves as “semi-retired.” The band members have families, live in different cities,

Buck-O-Nine

and have other commitments and even day jobs. Therefore, they play eight to 12 shows per year.

“Honestly, at this point, we don’t really make any money doing Buck-O-Nine,” he said.

“We do it for the same reason when we first started: Because it’s fun as shit.”

Buck-O-Nine hasn’t recorded an album since 2007’s Sustain—and it appears fans will be waiting a while longer.

“We’d like to, and seem to think we will,” he said about a new album. “We talk about it every time we’re together. Unfortunately, nothing has really materialized in the way of songs or new ideas.”

So what keeps Buck-O-Nine fun for Pebsworth?

“Obviously, the most fun part is walking out onstage with the guys,” he said. “I also love the stuff that goes on after the shows. … When we get together, we’re still the best of friends, and we have a blast. Whether it’s hanging out at the club we’re playing at, going to a bar down the street, or buying beers at a 7-Eleven and going back to our hotel, just telling jokes and fucking around—that’s the most fun.”

Buck-O-Nine will play at 8 p.m., Friday, Jan. 17, at The Hood Bar and Pizza, 74360 Highway 111, in Palm Desert. Admission is $10 at the door; Machin’ and Spankshaft are also on the bill. For more information, call 760-636-5220, or track down the event page on Facebook.

Now that the holidays are over, it’s time for a breather.

During the month of January, the Coachella Valley is experiencing a slowdown in the number of music events—so it’s all about quality over quantity. Thankfully, there’s plenty of quality.

The McCallum Theatre will host Shirley MacLaine at 7 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 19.

MacLaine will be speaking about her experiences in Hollywood, her private life and her spiritual journey. Tickets are $35 to $75. Jazz vocal artist Patti Austin will be performing at 8 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 28. Austin, best known for her 1981 duet “Baby, Come to Me” with James Ingram, is a live delight. Tickets are $35 to $75. At 8 p.m., Friday, Jan. 31, and Saturday, Feb. 1, Pink Martini will

Pink Martini: The McCallum Theatre, Jan. 31 and Feb. 1

take the stage. The modern-day alternative lounge-music act has always had a feel good vibe and will definitely put on a fun show.

Tickets are $35 to $95. McCallum Theatre, 73000 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert; 760-3402787; www.mccallumtheatre.com.

Fantasy Springs Resort Casino has a solid schedule throughout the month. The Golden Boys will be performing at 8 p.m., Friday, Jan. 3. The supergroup includes three heartthrobs from the early days of pop: Frankie Avalon, Bobby Rydell and Fabian. They’ll be onstage together crooning each of their hits. For those who remember the heyday of these singers back in the ’50s, it will be a special night. Tickets are $29 to $59. And now for something completely different: At 8 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 11, Snoop Lion, aka Snoop Dogg, aka Snoop Doggy Dogg, will be performing in the Coachella Valley for the first time since his headlining slot with Dr. Dre at Coachella in 2012. It’s hard to predict what to expect from Snoop, since his recent conversion to Snoop Lion has also included a shift in sound. His most recent release, Reincarnated, is a reggae album; Snoop’s conversion to the Rastafarian religion was shown in the documentary with the same name. He was a no-show at a scheduled performance in Portland, Ore., a few months back, and he seems to be more open to being called Snoop Dogg again, so who knows continued on next page ➠ CVIndependent.com

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Dolly Parton: The Show at Agua Caliente, Jan. 24

what to expect? (He turned down an interview request from the Independent, for what it’s worth.) Tickets are $39 to $89. At 8 p.m., Friday, Jan. 31, country-music star Martina McBride will close out the month in style. Her career goes all the way back to 1988, and she’s had quite a run ever since; she also has a new album slated for release in 2014. This should definitely be a treat for country-music fans. Tickets are $39 to $99.

Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, 84245 Indio Springs Parkway, Indio; 760-342-5000; www.fantasyspringsresort.com.

Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa has a slower January compared to other recent months—but the resort’s schedule does feature an undeniable legend. At 9 p.m., Friday, Jan. 24, country legend Dolly Parton will bring her classics to the Agua Caliente. The “9-to-5” singer is still going strong and is inspiring younger generations after being covered by artists like the White Stripes. Tickets were $90 to $160, but the show is sold out. The Show at Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa, 32250 Bob Hope Drive, Rancho Mirage; 888-999-1995; www.hotwatercasino. com.

Spotlight 29 Casino has a couple of great events worth mentioning. At 8 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 11, comedienne Kathleen Madigan will be performing. Thanks in part to her high-profile comedy specials, including Gone Madigan on Showtime, she’s become a huge success.

Morris Day and Sheila E: Tickets are $20 to $40. At 8 Spotlight 29, Jan. 25 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 25, Morris Day and the Time will be performing with Sheila E. Morris Day is a well-known cult hero thanks to his song “Jungle Love.” Day was also in Prince’s Purple Rain as Prince’s nemesis. Speaking of Prince: His former drummer is Sheila E. Tickets are $25 to $45. Spotlight 29 Casino, 46200 Harrison Place, Coachella; 760-775-5566; www.spotlight29.com Morongo Casino Resort Spa doesn’t have much going on in January, but the Cabazon resort will kick off the next month with Foreigner, at 8 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 1. While Mick Jones is the only remaining member, the band’s hits make them worth experiencing live. Also, for those of us who watch Aqua Teen Hunger Force, we know the powers of the “Foreigner Belt.” Tickets are $59 to $69. Morongo Casino Resort Spa, 49500 Seminole Drive, Cabazon; 800-252-4499; www.morongocasinoresort.com.

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Pappy and Harriet’s, meanwhile, has another great month of shows booked. At 8 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 9, Pappy’s will host the Bobby Nichols Band. The high-desert band is a hit with the local crowd, thanks to their smooth electronic instrumental grooves; it will be a perfect night to be in Pioneertown for dinner and a show. Admission is free. At 7:30 p.m., Friday, Jan. 10, The Palominos will be performing. The San Diego based honky-tonk band is helping keep the California country music sound alive. This show is free, too. After hosting the Weirdos in December, Pappy’s will be hosting another punk band at 9 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 19: Parquet Courts. Since forming in 2010 in Brooklyn, N.Y., the band has been a hit in the underground—and has even gained some attention from the mainstream music press. Tickets are $12. Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown The Palominos: Palace, 53688 Pioneertown Pappy and Harriet’s, Jan. 10 Road, Pioneertown; 760-3655956; www.pappyandharriets.com.

The Hood Bar and Pizza is unfortunately losing booking mastermind Brandon Henderson. The good news is he will be replaced by War Drum frontman Jack Kohler. At 9 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 9, The Hood will host its new Industry Night.

DJ Bent will be spinning during the all-vinyl night. Attendance is free (21 and older). At 10 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 18, Flower Boy and Giselle Woo and the Night Owls will be playing.

Attendance is again free (21 and older) The Independent wishes Brandon Henderson well in his new journey. The Hood Bar and Pizza, 74360 Highway 111, Palm Desert; 760-636-5520; www. thehoodbar.com.

We’re finally getting a better look at the Hard Rock Hotel’s entertainment plans. The hotel will now feature DJs every Friday and Saturday in the lobby from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m., and poolside from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Hard Rock Palm Springs, 150 S. Palm Canyon Drive; 760-325-9676; www.hrhpalmsprings.com.

Vicky’s of Santa Fe has some great music events to go hand in hand with the restaurant’s fine dining. Every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 6:30 to 10 p.m., jazz musician Pat Rizzo performs with the All That Jazz Band. Every Tuesday,

Well-Strung: The Copa Room, Jan. 3 and 4

from 7 to 10 p.m., the restaurant features Michael Dees and Trio. Fans of swing music can enjoy Carolyn Martinez and Trio every Thursday from 6:30 to 10 p.m. John Stanley King performs every Sunday from 6 to 9 p.m. Vicky’s of Santa Fe, 45100 Club Drive, Indian Wells; 760-345-9770; www.vickysofsantafe.com.

The Ace Hotel has added a monthly event to its lineup in the Amigo Room. At 8 p.m., Friday, Jan. 10, The Full House Band featuring Nena Anderson will perform “gypsy jazz,” Americana and Western swing. The event will be every second Friday of the month going forward. Attendance is free to those 21 and older. The Ace Hotel, 701 E. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs; 760-325-9900; www.acehotel.com/palmsprings.

The newly opened Copa Room is hopping; the new spot has a lot to offer thanks to its old-school lounge appeal. At 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday, Jan. 3 and 4, the Copa will host WellStrung, an all-male string quartet playing the works of artists from to Mozart to Vivaldi to … Lady Gaga? Yes, that’s right.

Tickets are $25 to $35. Check the Copa’s website, as the folks there were adding a variety of shows to the lineup as we went to press. The Copa Room, 244 E. Amado Road, Palm Springs; 760-866-0021; www.coparoomtickets.com.

Zena Bender, in collaboration with the folks at Radio Free Joshua Tree, will be holding a second fundraiser at the Sky Village Swap Meet in Yucca Valley, at 4 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 8. The nonprofit radio station was founded by Teddy Quinn to serve as an outlet for Coachella Valley and high-desert musicians, poets and artists. The effort is worth your support. A suggested donation is $10. Sky Village Swap Meet, 7028 Theatre Road, Yucca Valley; www.radiofreejoshuatree.com.

Foreigner: Morongo, Feb. 1

JANUARY 2014

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the

LUCKY 13

Our Continuing Mission: Getting to Know Our Local Musicians

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By Jimmy Boegle

NAME David Gonzalez GROUP Brain Vat MORE INFO Gonzalez is the bass player for the heavy rock ’n’ roll quartet. Get more info at www.facebook.com/BrainVatmusic.

What was the first concert you attended?

Ozzfest 2004. So epic!

What was the first album you owned?

It had to be Slipknot, Slipknot.

I heard their guitar style, it was epic to me: It had punk, and was bluesy, and heavy. I learned to (mix) different styles.

What musical act, current or defunct, would you most like to see perform live?

The Beatles, of course.

You have one question to ask one musician. What’s the question, and who are you asking?

I would ask Jimi Hendrix, along with Dimebag Darrell: “Do you want to smoke a couple of joints?”

What’s your favorite musical guilty pleasure?

1970s soft rock.

What song would you like played at your funeral?

“Goodbye to Romance,” Ozzy Osbourne.

Figurative gun to your head, what is your favorite album of all time?

Pantera, Cowboys From Hell.

What song should everyone listen to right now?

Pantera, “Cowboys From Hell.”

What bands are you listening to right now?

Generation Kill, and Channel Zero, from Belgium. Channel Zero is currently recording a new album which I am really looking forward to. Mikey Doling from Snot and Soulfly is in the band. They’ve got Roy Mayorga from Stone Sour and Soulfly, recording drums only.

What artist, genre or musical trend does everyone love, but you don’t get?

Techno and pop punk. Oh, and melodic metal.

I hate it!

What musical act, current or defunct, would you most like to see perform live?

Snot with Lynn Strait, in 1997. He had so much energy!

What’s your favorite musical guilty pleasure?

I love classical. … Symphonies are great.

What’s your favorite music venue?

The Roxy (in West Hollywood). I saw Invitro there, and it was epic.

What’s the one song lyric you can’t get out of your head?

“If you’re 555, then I’m 666!” from “The Heretic Anthem,” Slipknot.

What band or artist changed your life?

How? It has to be Snot. The style was so unique to me. They were hardcore; the lyrics were hardcore. I’m originally a guitar-player. Once CVIndependent.com

NAME DJ Bobby California INFO Bobby California (real name: Bob Deck) spins every Sunday from 7 to 11 p.m. at DiGS Bar (36737 Cathedral Canyon Drive, Cathedral City) as part of Super Fuzz, a day of celebration for bears, leather aficionados and everyone in between. For more info, visit digsbar.com.

What was the first concert you attended?

Mötley Crüe.

What was the first album you owned?

Paul Stanley’s self-titled solo album.

What bands are you listening to right now?

Tame Impala, King Khan and the Shrines, Kid Congo and the Pink Monkey Birds, MGMT, The Flaming Lips, Dungen, The Amazing, and Black Lips.

What artist, genre or musical trend does everyone love, but you don’t get?

Miley Cyrus.

What’s your favorite music venue?

There’s a little pinball bar in Lawrence, Kan., called the Replay Lounge. My old band (The Hefners) used to play there a lot in the ’90s. I just attended its 20th-anniversary party.

What’s the one song lyric you can’t get out of your head?

I love the way that The Zombies’ “Care of Cell 44” starts: “Good morning to you; I hope you’re feeling better, baby.” It pops into my head almost every morning.

What band or artist changed your life?

How? Kiss. I met them at a hotel restaurant when I was in grade school. They were out of makeup, but had their platform boots on. I went to their table and asked for autographs, but Paul Stanley was the only one who signed my paper placemat. That made me want to be in a band—I thought they were so cool! Years later, I taught myself to play drums and played in several garage-rock bands.

You have one question to ask one musician. What’s the question, and who are you asking?

Otis Redding. He was killed in a plane crash three days after recording “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay.” The whistling was just filler until he came up with the words for that part.

I would ask him what lyrics he was planning to replace the whistling with.

What song would you like played at your funeral?

Big Star, “The Ballad of El Goodo.”

Figurative gun to your head, what is your favorite album of all time?

The Millennium, Begin.

What song should everyone listen to right now?

“Pentecost Hotel” by Nirvana (the British band from the ’60s, not the grunge band from Seattle).

FRESH SESSIONS WITH ALL NIGHT SHOES: JANUARY 2014 It’s a new year, so it’s time to give my monthly mix a FRESH new look.

FRESH Sessions will feature not just my own mixes each month; I also plan on collaborating with other local artists. I’ve always craved some type of outlet to distribute my music here in the Coachella Valley, my home. I always wondered how to get my music out to people—a difficult task for many artists. Well, FRESH Sessions will provide an outlet for such musicians and artists.

For you, our readers/listeners, FRESH Sessions will allow you to discover new music while learning about the talent we have in the valley.

This month’s mix is about feeling good! What better way to start the new year than with a mix of uplifting and soulful tracks that can turn your day around? These aren’t your typical dance tracks … they’re deeper! Wonder what that means? Give it a listen at CVIndependent.com, and find out for yourself.

Also: I’m offering Independent listeners a free download of my new single! After Jan. 1, head to soundcloud.com/allnightshoes/need-u-dub to get it.

Enjoy!

• Just Kiddin, “Time, Space and Honey” • Bit Funk, “Soul Satisfaction” (Club Mix) • Mitzi, “Falling” • The Swiss, “Elouisa” (Original Mix) • Edwin Van Cleef, “Two as One” • Azari and III “Lost in Time” (Blende Remix) • All Night Shoes, “Need U” (Dub Mix) • Anna Lunoe, “Up and Down”

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JANUARY 2014

COMICS & JONESIN’CROSSWORD

Across 62 Retail chain that offers meatballs 1 “Armageddon” author Leon 63 Airline hanging on the edge 5 Mos Def collaborator Kweli (three hours ahead)?

10 Drains, as of energy 66 Takes for a ride 14 Jazz great Thelonious 67 Suitcase attachment 15 Crack up 68 Kernel 16 “___ se habla español” 69 Slip or square follower 17 Guy who avoids fighting 70 “Gee, that’s swell!” (one hour behind)?

71 Places for peels 19 Litter critter 20 Bite-size Down 21 Handy children’s game 1 Strike callers 23 Advance 2 Go outside the service area 26 Deep sleep 3 ___ Empire 27 Consumer protection org.

4 Technique 30 On the Caribbean, poetically 5 Mai ___ (bar order) 32 Nobel Peace Center city 6 “Breaking Bad” network 35 Scenic fly-fishing activity 7 Coal unit (one hour behind)?

8 Late singer Hayes 40 Cookie in pie crusts 9 Japanese box lunch 41 Drone, for instance 10 Snidely stated, perhaps 42 Frozen drink company with a polar 11 Pastel shade of blue bear mascot 12 Jello Biafra’s genre 43 The key elixir (one hour behind)?

13 Web presence 46 Short footrace 18 Ice cream concoction 47 PayPal co-founder ___ Musk 22 Singer/songwriter Tori 48 Electronics co. whose slogan was 24 Beijing Olympic gold medalist once “So Real” sprinter ___ Powell 49 Baseball stat 25 “Elysium” director Blomkamp 52 “Carmina Burana” composer 27 College VIP 54 2,640 feet 28 Disinterested next___ page ➠ Social Club” 58 Bird in the constellation Aquila continued 29 on “The Vista

31 Hayao Miyazaki genre 33 Allowed 34 How hair may sometimes stand 36 “Hold it right there, buster!”

37 “The Voice” judge/coach Green 38 Intense devotion 39 Person who’ll argue about Windows vs. Linux 44 Baba au ___ 45 Derive by reasoning 50 Promotional gimmick 51 Former Washington senator ___ Gorton 53 Viper features 54 The ___ from French Lick (Larry Bird) 55 “Konvicted” hip-hop artist 56 Joking Jay 57 Shakira’s “___ Noche Voy Contigo” 59 Golf lesson subject 60 Maggie’s sister 61 CPR experts 64 Skin design, briefly 65 Star’s propulsion, maybe? ©2013-2014 Jonesin’ Crosswords (editor@jonesincrosswords.com) Find the answers in the “About” section of CVIndependent.com!

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