Mailing address: 31855 Date Palm Drive, No. 3-263 Cathedral City, CA 92234 (760) 904-4208 www.cvindependent.com
Editor/Publisher
Jimmy Boegle
staff writerS
Haleemon Anderson
Kevin Fitzgerald
coveR and feature design
Dennis Wodzisz
Contributors
Melissa Daniels, Charles Drabkin, Katie Finn, Bill Frost, Bonnie Gilgallon, Bob Grimm, Valerie-Jean (VJ) Hume, Clay Jones, Matt Jones, Matt King, Keith Knight, Cat Makino, Brett Newton, Greg Niemann, Dan Perkins, Theresa Sama, Jen Sorenson, Robert Victor
The Independent is a proud member and/ or supporter of the Association of Alternative Newsmedia, the California Newspaper Publishers Association, CalMatters, DAP Health, the Local Independent Online News Publishers, the Desert Business Association, and the LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert.
A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
Palm Springs makes a prominent appearance in a recent episode of HBO Max’s fabulous comedy series Hacks.
The show’s central character is legendary standup comedian Deborah Vance (played by Jean Smart), who again becomes a huge star when she’s forced to reinvent herself after her Las Vegas residency suddenly comes to an end. On the aforementioned episode, she’s supposed to come to Palm Springs for a “House of Vance” event at Pride—but she gets delayed while she’s in Berkeley to receive an honorary doctorate, leaving her company’s pissed-off chief operating officer, Marcus (Carl Clemons-Hopkins), to deal with the gay men disappointed due to her absence.
This is just one of many prominent appearances the Coachella Valley has made in the country’s zeitgeist as of late. Kelly Ripa and her husband, Mark Consuelos, can’t stop talking about their love of Palm Springs on their syndicated Live With Kelly and Mark talk show; in fact, Visit Greater Palm Springs has reportedly set aside $1 million in an effort to get the show to tape a few episodes here this fall.
Entertainment Tonight is reporting on what Kim Kardashian wore to Janet Jackson’s concert at Acrisure Arena. The words “Coachella Valley” are relevant in the team-sports world thanks to the Coachella Valley Firebirds’ second-consecutive run to the American Hockey League’s Calder Cup finals, and Acrisure Arena’s hosting of both Los Angeles Lakers pre-season games and top-notch NCAA basketball teams in the late-November Acrisure Series.
Finally, Palm Springs is the setting for a possible new Hulu series inspired by The Golden Girls (!) called Mid-Century Modern, produced by six-time Emmy Award winner Ryan Murphy, and starring Matt Bomer, Nathan Lane and Linda Lavin.
Yep. Our li’l Coachella Valley is becoming incredibly popular. The folks behind big events, like Modernism Week and the Palm Springs International Film Festival, deserve a lot of credit for this; so do the people at the Oak View Group, the company that built Acrisure Arena. But they’re not the only ones.
The Coachella Valley is chock-full of people who work hard every day to make this a better place—and a number of them are covered in this month’s issue. On Page 6, Kevin Fitzgerald shines a light on some of the people, such as those on DAP Health’s harm-reduction team, working to decrease fentanyl-related drug-overdose deaths. On Page 8, Haleemon Anderson tells the story of Shoes for Students, a program of the Foundation for Palm Springs Unified School District that provides kids in need with new shoes—in a school district where more than 97 percent of the kids are considered “socioeconomically disadvantaged.” (No, that’s not a typo.)
Turn to Page 10, where Melissa Daniels writes about the efforts of the Joslyn Center to better serve the aging population of autistic adults. On Page 16, Charles Drabkin explains how the LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert has partnered with a local chef to develop recipes so clients at the Center’s food bank can properly prepare the food they receive.
Without these amazing individuals and organizations, the Coachella Valley would not be a place where—just to use one example—Kelly Ripa dreams of living.
Welcome to the July 2024 print edition of the Coachella Valley Independent As always, thanks for reading.
—Jimmy Boegle jboegle@cvindependent.com
HIKING WITH T
HDuring the summer, consider hiking cooler trails—like those at the Oak Glen Preserve
eat-related hiking rescues started early this year—and have continued at a steady pace, despite the warnings.
A couple was recently rescued via helicopter in Painted Canyon on the Ladder Canyon Trail in Mecca. It was a day with triple-digit temperatures, and apparently the couple had run out of water. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office reported that a 911 call came in from a man stating that his girlfriend was weak and dehydrated. The department dispatched its Rescue 9 helicopter, and the crew found the couple flat on the ground in a dry creek bed, trying to seek shade from a nearby ocotillo. The man was trying to shield his girlfriend from the heat. The rescue crew airlifted them out of the area separately and flew them to a nearby landing zone, where an Valley desert floor. It’s less than an hour drive away on Interstate 10 from the Coachella Val-
aeromedical helicopter rushed the woman to a hospital “due to her severe condition.” The man was transported to a local hospital by ambulance, the department said.
I love the desert trails and hiking as much as anyone—but this is not the time to be hiking on desert trails where there is little to no shade.
When exposed to extreme heat, your body may experience heat exhaustion or heat stroke, with symptoms such as cool, pale skin; head aches; dizziness; weakness; and nausea. If you start to feel any of these symptoms, seek shade, if possible, and call 911 immediately.
Try to avoid direct sun exposure as much as possible by starting your hike early in the morning or later in the day, before or after high-heat hours: You should not be on trails between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Plan to hike where there’s shade, water or both. If you insist on hiking in extreme heat, wear appropriate clothing—light-colored, loose-fitting and made from cotton or sweat-wicking fabrics. Don’t forget to wear a brimmed hat, sunglasses and sunscreen; add a wet bandana or neck gaiter to keep your body temperature cooler. Drink more water than usual—two 8-ounce glasses an hour or two before starting your hike—and always take more water than you should need, at least one liter per hour. Finally, always be prepared for the unexpected. Have a plan, and always tell someone where you’re going. In addition, don’t forget the “10 Desert Hiking Essentials” suggested by Friends of the Desert Mountains (www.desertmountains.org/ 10-essentials).
I usually get out of the desert heat to do my hiking this time of year. A great escape from the extreme temperatures that is not too far away is the quaint little town of Oak Glen, and The Wildlands Conservancy’s 909-acre Oak Glen Preserve. Nestled in the foothills of the San Bernardino Mountains at an elevation around 5,000 feet, the preserve’s majestic forests keep things cooler in the mornings and evenings even during the summer months. Temps there can be around 25 degrees (or more) cooler than temps on the Coachella
After exiting Interstate 10, you’ll take a 15-minute scenic drive to Oak Glen, where you can visit Riley’s at Los Rios Rancho, the largest and oldest apple farm in Southern California. Los Rios Rancho has been in operation since 1906, and it’s a great place to picnic, hike and pick strawberries (or apples in the fall). There’s a Farm Kitchen (with the best tri-tip around) and a store offering homemade preserves, pies, cider, gifts and more.
The preserve is also the home of the South-
ern California Montane Botanic Garden and Children’s Outdoor Discovery Center. The Botanic Garden has excellent representations of montane habitats including ponds, streams, wetlands, and oak and pine forests. The trails are nicely groomed and accessible, and it’s only about a six-minute leisurely walk. The signage is great, and there are seats near the entrance. You can walk more than five miles of trails enjoying the pristine gardens, ponds, redwood trees and more. The Main Loop Trail is a very easy 2-mile loop that starts at the garden entrance, trailhead and information kiosk. It’s located at the top-left corner of the parking lot, facing the main road, to the left of Riley’s at Los Rios Rancho. This trail offers a nice leisurely walk for all ages; it has many unique sections and is very well-marked, with scenic views and plenty of shade. As you browse through the “Conifers of California” section (one of my favorites), you’ll see some of the largest trees such as giant sequoias, coast redwoods, Jeffrey pines and sugar pines. From there, you can continue left to the ponds; stay left from there to continue downhill through
the deciduous forest and along the stream trail. Stay on this trail (and stay left at all the forks), and it will loop around and take you back up to the parking lot where you started. The end can be a bit steep, but there are places to rest along the way.
If you’re up for more of a challenge, you can try the Preservation Point Trail. It’s a 3.1-mile out-and-back with stunning views from a dramatic overlook. This trail is steep and strenuous and takes about two hours to complete. I haven’t done this hike yet, but I’ve heard it can be more of a solitary experience during quieter times. To get to Preservation Point, take a right at the bottom of the Main Loop Trail before starting uphill back to the parking area. Be extra-cautious of bees near the deciduous forest, and watch out for snakes; there have been several rattlesnake sightings lately. I have seen bear scat along the stream trail near the chaparral loop, too.
The Oak Glen Preserve’s summer hours are 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily, and admission is free. Visit wildlandsconservancy.org/preserves/ oakglen for details.
A BICYCLING MANIFESTO
BY BOND SHANDS
Bicycling and other forms of nonmotorized transportation top my list of personal interests. After reviewing how the activity is treated much better elsewhere, I hoped to see improvements in Palm Springs (and eventually other valley cities). I produced my “Bicycling Manifesto” with the hope that it would receive interest and support at City Hall. I sat down with both Councilmember Lisa Middleton and City Manager Scott Stiles, presenting each with copies of my manifesto and making a fervent plea for support. Councilmember Middleton said she would send it to the Sustainability Commission. She did so—and there, it appears to have died. The city manager allowed me a courtesy interview, and I presented my manifesto. He thanked me, but I have no reason to believe it received further attention.
Having failed to interest the Palm Springs bureaucracy, there appears to be little left for me other than posting the manifesto as public commentary.
The Palm Springs Community Bicycling Manifesto
The purpose of this Bicycling Manifesto is to offer support to the city of Palm Springs should it decide to implement the 2007 General Plan bicycling goal—“Establish the city as the premiere provider of recreational trails and bikeways in the Coachella Valley”—by adopting, implementing and publishing an active and ongoing official policy supporting bicyclists and bicycling as a significant form of transportation. Here is a list of desired bicycle-related policies respectfully submitted for consideration.
Bicycle Master Plan: Adopt and publish an official policy committed to supporting bicycling as a form of preferred mobility and recreation. Include support for the planning and development of bicycle-friendly development projects, streets and neighborhoods for both commuter and recreational riders. Adopt and publish a continually updated citywide Bicycle Master Plan.
The Bicycle Master Plan should address all issues related to local bikeways such as planning, community involvement, utilization of existing resources, facility design, safety and education, funding and more. Recognition that the sharing of bicycling paths and trails with other authorized users is a requirement that must be observed and enforced by all.
Update or create a comprehensive Bicycle Master Plan in the city’s General Master Plan.
Mobility Commission: Create an advisory body to the City Council and city manager on policies and issues related to the local transportation network. It should analyze transportation decision-making to ensure that people driving, walking, bicycling, taking transit, parking or using other transportation modes will have safe, easy-to-use choices to move around the city. An annual report should be
prepared and published detailing activities and recommendations.
Suggested implementation plan: The overall bicycling goal should be to increase opportunities to use bicycles safely for everyday transportation, recreation and general mobility within the local community.
Appoint a “Bicycling Champion” in the city manager’s office to facilitate safer mobility, including traffic-calming treatments, protected bikeways, road diets, pedestrian improvements, traffic circles, etc., where feasible. Publish an updated bicycle project list annually for project selection and prioritization. New project requests to or compiled by city staff should include input from the community.
Bicycling website: Create a significant, detailed and updated bicycling page or section on the city of Palm Springs website. The page should detail bicycling goals, support policies, accomplishments, current implementation activities and future plans.
Pedestrians, bicycling, motorized bicycles and scooters should all, where practical and possible, be equally recognized, and relevant policies and goals should be incorporated into the bicycling website page.
The city of San Diego has a comprehensive website page that served as a reference in the preparation of this manifesto. It is recommended as an excellent example of a comprehensive Bicycle Master Plan. Their current Bicycle Master Plan was adopted in 2013 and prepared by the Alta Planning + Design team. The San Diego bicycling website page is www. sandiego.gov/bicycling/general-information.
Bicycle policies implementation: Inform all officers and employees of the city of Palm Springs of the requirement to recognize and support bicycling as an officially approved form of transportation within the community.
Advise all officers and employees of California Vehicle Code Section 21211, which states that “stopping, sitting, loitering, parking, impeding or blocking of any bicycle path or trail is not permitted,” and enforcement of the law is required of all.
The city of Palm Springs should do more to address the needs of bicyclists
Bicycling needs funding: Annually include in the city’s budget specifically identified monies intended for the current year’s bicycling policies, plans and infrastructure costs.
Bicycle maps and trail signs: An updated comprehensive community bicycle map should be published annually. It should include all bicycle paths, trails, links and routes. Copies should be distributed and made freely available from relevant sources and locations.
Consideration should be given to working with other Coachella Valley communities to compile and publish a comprehensive interactive regional bicycle map covering the entire valley.
All designated bicycle routes should be clearly identified using appropriate official trail signage. Trail names and directional signs should be posted at all intersections. Replacement of damaged or missing signs should be made on
a priority basis. Records and lists of pending replacement tasks should be kept and reported on a monthly basis.
eBike policies: Specifically addresses issues and support for the different types of eBikes and other electric vehicles authorized to use bicycle routes, paths, links and trails.
Implement 2007 General Plan elements: These include 2007 GOAL CR6.1: “Create a trail along the north side of the Palm Canyon Wash levee.” Publish an update of the proposed Palm Canyon Wash levee new trail. This seemingly overlooked goal has been in the General Plan for 17 or more years.
Finally, there is 2007 GOAL CR6: “Establish the city as the premiere provider of recreational trails and bikeways in the Coachella Valley.”
Bond Shands can be reached at bond.shands@ gmail.com.
FIGHT AGAINST FENTANYL
by Kevin Fitzgerald
The scourge of fentanyl-related overdose deaths has steadily grown within Riverside County since 2020—but Riverside University Health System (RUHS) data shows that those numbers may finally be leveling off.
In some communities—particularly Cathedral City and Palm Springs—and within certain younger demographic groups, the tide has either slowed or turned within the last year. However, fentanyl overdose deaths have increased in older age groups and among Latinx residents, particularly in the eastern end of the Coachella Valley.
According to the RUHS Riverside County Overdose Data to Action dashboard, 543 people died
due to fentanyl overdose deaths in 2023, a small increase from the 528 in 2022, but nearly twice the number of 283 deaths in 2020. Meanwhile, in the 15-24 age group, deaths have dropped from 66 in 2021 to 43 in 2023. In the 25-44 group, deaths went from a high of 276 in 2022 to 260 in 2023.
But the number of deaths among people 45 and older is on the rise. In the 45-64 age group, deaths jumped from 110 in 2021, to 175 in 2022, and 209 in 2023. Among county residents in the 65-74 age group, fatal overdose numbers have gone from 22 in 2021, to 19 in 2022, and up to 28 in 2023.
“When we look at the last couple of years, there’s been about a 20% decrease in overdose deaths in the younger age demographics for those people (under) 35 years old,” said Wendy Hetherington, the RUHS chief of epidemiology and program evaluation, during a recent phone interview. “It is concerning, though, that (deaths in) the older age groups continue to increase, particularly those over age 35. And when we look at age groups from 35 to 44, and then 45-60 years, overdose deaths have increased by more than 20%.”
Hetherington also addressed a concerning trend among the Coachella Valley’s Latinx residents. “When we look at overdoses cumulatively for 2021 through 2023, Coachella Valley had 663 overdoses during those years total, of which 41.5% were in the Hispanic-Latinx group. When you compare it to the county as a whole”—which shows 36.2% of deaths occurring in the Latinx community—“that’s a higher percentage.”
Dr. Conrado Barzaga is the vice president and chief project officer at Innercare, a nonprofit health organization that provides primary and specialty medical care in eastern Riverside and Imperial counties.
“This is a very complex issue,” Barzaga said. “It requires a multitude of strategies and very heavy investment. No. 1, the health-care infrastructure is important, because we need to work on prevention. We need to have more access to therapy and other tools that will help people cope with anxiety and depression in
the early stages, rather than living with them for many, many years until they find a rather drastic coping mechanism, like using drugs or alcohol and other substances.”
Barzaga mentioned the recent death of Brian Nestande, a former local member of the state Assembly who died due to an overdose of fentanyl and cocaine, according to an autopsy.
“Those things elevate the visibility of addiction, and it makes us realize that addiction is around us,” Barzaga said. “Many times, we see the person, but we don’t know that they’re suffering from this disease. As a first step, I think we need to eliminate the stigma of drug addiction and realize that this is an issue that we are dealing with in our society, and it affects all (regardless of) socioeconomic status. It’s often more visible in resource-strapped communities, because they’re the ones who are using the cheapest forms (of drugs), and those are typically the ones that come laced with fentanyl. That’s why we see the increase in morbidity and mortality in areas like Imperial County, the eastern Coachella Valley, and in the corridors of Hemet and San Jacinto.”
Indio Police Chief Brian Tully told the Independent that the emergence of fentanyl has had a devastating effect.
“It is so potent and so powerful that it’s killing our community … more particularly, our Latino community, which is very relevant here in Indio, because we have a population that’s about 70% Hispanic,” Tully said. “What’s different about fentanyl is that it does target our more challenged communities for a number of reasons. But it’s also a different type of drug in that it is affecting all drug users. In the old days, you had opiates, which were downers, and there was a particular group of people who preferred that type of drugs. And then you had the uppers, like speed or meth, MDMA and hallucinogenics. They each had their own community. Now fentanyl has somehow connected all these drug users—because it’s in all their drugs.”
What can be done?
What steps can local government, health providers and community leaders take to combat
Fentanyl-related overdose deaths in Riverside County are decreasing among youth—but increasing among older and Latinx people
the spread of fentanyl-related overdose deaths? Hetherington echoed Barzaga by citing stigma reduction as a strategy.
“Addiction is a disease that is chronically relapsing, and it’s never a straight path,” Hetherington said. “(We’re promoting) harm reduction, because it’s just a matter of fact that people use drugs. Whether you’re a chronic addiction case, or you experiment, or you’re a social user, people use drugs. Using some of the harm-reduction practices and services can help to prevent overdoses in those groups of people who use drugs.
“There are things like drug-checking, for instance. There are fentanyl test strips that someone can use to test the substance that they’re taking to see if there’s fentanyl within that drug. … A downside to the test strips is that they can tell you (fentanyl) is in there, but they can’t tell you what amount is in there.”
Hetherington also encouraged people who use drugs to confide in someone.
“Have someone else who’s sober aware that you are using drugs,” she said. “Also, there are different online services where people can sign up and have a message that says if they don’t check this button, or do something within a certain (amount of time), the service will text a
friend or do something.”
Hetherington said the increasing availability of Naloxone/Narcan has been vital in decreasing overdose deaths.
“I think there’s some good news out there. It may be contributing to some of the (overdose death) declines in certain populations,” she said. “When we look at Naloxone administered to someone with a suspected overdose prior to EMS arrival, those numbers have been going up for the last couple of years. What’s really heartwarming to me is that, most of the time, it’s law enforcement (officers) who are the primary people who administer Naloxone prior to EMS arrival. … The family and bystander numbers are going up for this year, too.”
Chief Tully agreed that having his officers armed with Narcan has yielded life-saving results the state began distributing Narcan to police agencies.
“Oftentimes, our officers are the first emergency services on scene,” Tully said. “… The officers will look at all the signs and symptoms, and if necessary, they’ll apply Narcan. I can tell you that we documented 30 uses of Narcan in 2022, and we had 21 documented uses of it in 2023. … I would say that those are lives saved.” Neil Gussardo is the harm-reduction super-
Over all of DAP Health’s distribution avenues, the organization has handed out 2,500 boxes of Narcan (containing two doses in each, or 5,000 doses total) in 2024, through June 6.
NEWS
visor at DAP Health’s campus in Palm Springs.
“DAP Health does have a vending machine,” Gussardo told the Independent during a recent interview. “We only have one at this point, but we’re looking to get more. In that vending machine, two of the multiple items are fentanyl test strips and Narcan. We’re actually working with a local bar (Hunters in Palm Springs), and it’s really terrific. They’re allowing us space to have our vending machine; the machine is available to the patrons whenever the bar is open.”
Gussardo said he hopes DAP Health will soon have an always-accessible vending machine placed outdoors, to expand outreach.
“We’re looking at a machine at a price of around $10,000 to $11,000 that is going to have the ability to dispense a few less items than the one that’s in Hunters, but will be refrigerated,” he said. “Funding a vending machine for $10,000 is far less expensive than funding a whole program, and it’s also far less expensive than having people go to the emergency ward, or people having to go to the morgue. So I think it’s great, and a really good use of funds.”
From Jan. 1 to June 6 of this year, the vending machine at Hunters dispensed 400 fentanyl test strip kits and almost 600 Narcan boxes. Over all of DAP Health’s distribution avenues,
the organization has handed out 2,500 boxes of Narcan (containing two doses in each, or 5,000 doses total), including some to hotels, and close to 2,000 fentanyl test-strip kits so far this year, Gussardo said.
“Not only are we handing (test kits) out,” Gussardo said, “but we’re educating people about what to look for, what drugs to test with it, what it looks like and how to cope with it if you find fentanyl.”
What advice is given to users should the kit confirm that fentanyl is present?
“Certainly, first and foremost would be to not use it,” Gussardo said. “But sometimes that’s not something that somebody can do. Sometimes they are going to use it anyway, and then the next steps would be to (advise them) to start slow; don’t use a lot. Try it out. See how strong it is. Always have somebody with you, so don’t use alone. And always have Narcan with you.”
The law enforcement aspect
Another tool being used by the Indio Police Department, in coordination with community partner organizations, is educational outreach and communication.
“One of the things that’s real important is that your police department has to be engaged in the community,” Tully said. “Our officers have to have relationships with the people they deal with on a regular basis. You don’t realize how important school-resource officers are, and our quality-of-life officers and our regular patrol officers who are connecting with the community every day. … We train our officers to be aware of the signs, the symptoms and the resources that they or other people can use, because you never know what you’re going to run into.
“Our school-resource officers do presentations to bring awareness to our young people of the dangers, and (drug) identification issues and what to stay away from. … Oftentimes, those students are going home and talking to their brothers and sisters and family members about what they learned. We’re also feeding all the information that we get from our sources into our investigation team, so that they can shut down whatever operation is affecting the part of the community that we received that information from.”
Tully said his officers work to get people who need help into treatment.
“Those in our community who have insurance, they’re using their HMOs or their health insurance to get to treatment centers,” he said. “But most of our people are uninsured, so we are working through our nonprofits, like the Coachella Valley Rescue Mission and the ABC Recovery Center, to get those people the resources there.”
Chief Tully also emphasized the enforcement aspect of what his department does.
“For that, we partner with the Riverside
County District Attorney’s Office,” he said. “District Attorney Mike Hestrin has been a big proponent of prosecuting the dealers … and they’ve been really helpful in providing assistance in our prosecutions. I have an investigative team we call our Street Crime Unit. I have a group of detectives and a sergeant assigned to that, and they continually seek out investigations that involve narcotics. Like I said, every (type of) narcotic that we’re dealing with has fentanyl. Mostly, what we’re recovering are pills. … (The drug-dealing) is connected to our gangs.”
Tully said that what he calls “gangs” are different today than what they used to be.
“Gangs today are people who don’t necessarily have tattoos, and they wear regular clothes. They are in our high schools, and they can be anywhere from age 13 to 60-something,” Tully said. “… Today’s drug dealer is connected to a bigger network of drug distribution coming out of mainly Mexico, and they look like regular people.”
Stopping addiction before it starts
Back at Innercare in the east end of the valley, Dr. Conrado Barzaga said he’s focused on more comprehensive strategies to save community members from the threat of fentanyl addiction—and potential death.
“We see those community members who are dealing with high levels of anxiety and depression, and sometimes more complex pathologies,” Barzaga said. “We are strengthening
our behavioral-health department and implementing a number of initiatives to increase the number of behavioral-health providers in our region. Right now, we’re actually writing … a grant (application) to the federal government to bring more resources into the region, and we’re also partnering with other local entities to bring in telehealth so we can do tele-psychiatry. We have tele-psychiatry already inside, but we need more of that.
“Eisenhower Health is also working on developing a psychiatric residency program that is going to bring psychiatrists as faculty to the region, and also psychiatrists in training. They’re going to be educating 12 psychiatrists—three per year, and it’s a four-year program. … Our hope is that those psychiatrists will stay in the region and become part of the workforce and the health-care infrastructure of the Coachella Valley.”
Finally, Hetherington pointed out one crucial aspect of drug overdoses: While fentanyl is getting a lot of attention, drug overdoses can be deadly, regardless of the presence of fentanyl.
“About 90% of overdoses in Riverside County are fentanyl and/or methamphetamine,” Hetherington said. “But there are still a lot more methamphetamine-only overdoses. … There’s this big focus on fentanyl, which is very appropriate, because it is very dangerous, and a lot more dangerous than methamphetamine—but you won’t be able to completely address the fentanyl crisis unless you also address methamphetamine. That is my point.”
Dr. Conrado Barzaga, of Innercare: “We see those community members who are dealing with high levels of anxiety and depression, and sometimes more complex pathologies. We are strengthening our behavioral-health department and implementing a number of initiatives to increase the number of behavioral-health providers in our region.” Kevin Fitzgerald
Indio Police Chief Brian Tully: “The officers will look at all the signs and symptoms, and if necessary, they’ll apply Narcan. I can tell you that we documented 30 uses of Narcan in 2022, and we had 21 documented uses of it in 2023. … would say that those are lives saved.”
THE POWER OF NEW SHOES
by HALEEMON ANDERSON
Yessenia Calderon never imagined new shoes could make such a difference.
“They were just so excited,” Calderon said about her daughters opening new boxes of tennis shoes from the Shoes for Students program. “To see their faces, and they’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m getting shoes.’ It was nice to see that.”
Life has been hectic for the family since the oldest child, Zeki, almost died in a go-kart accident in July 2022. He suffered a traumatic brain injury and multiple broken bones, and required fulltime care. Calderon’s youngest boy was just 2 years old at the time, and the mother of six left her job selling solar panels. That meant the family would have to get by on one salary; Calderon said
she worried about the strain on her husband, Jerry, who works repairing and renovating apartment buildings.
Calderon said even small things made a big impact while her son was in critical condition.
“One of my daughters, she was growing (out of clothes) every three months,” Calderon said. “It was hard. And then someone decided to give the kids some shoes.”
Shoes for Students is an annual campaign to raise money to buy shoes for K-12 students in need. The Foundation for Palm Springs Unified School District organizes the fundraising effort and runs the massive shoe give-away. The nonprofit is aiming to provide 2,500 pairs of shoes before the start of the 2024-2025 school year. They want to help more families like the Calderons—and they need the community to join in.
New shoes are distributed to students in August, right around the time families are buying school supplies. The link to donate is secure.qgiv.com/for/shoesforstudents, and every $100 qualifies for a match.
Foundation director Ellen Goodman said PSUSD Student Support Services identified shoes as a critical need throughout the school district. “Shoes are the No. 1, biggest request that we get,” Goodman said.
Many residents of the Coachella Valley don’t realize how much poverty is in the region. “It’s really amazing, but out of all of the schools and all the school districts in Riverside County, Palm Springs Unified School District has the highest poverty rate,” Goodman said.
PSUSD includes 28 schools in six different communities; the student enrollment is over 21,000—and a staggering 97 percent of students are considered “socioeconomically disadvantaged” by the state of California. Nearly a third of students are English-language learners; 12 percent are homeless.
Jo-Anne Ebensteiner is the marketing chair for the PSUSD Foundation. She said many people are shocked when they hear those numbers.
“It’s a very wealthy community,” Ebensteiner said. “It’s the population that lives here year-round that these (wealthy) communities
are built on. I think we need to find a way to shine a light on the kind of heroes of our community who actually have children here, (who) need greater support than seems obvious at first blush.”
Created in its current form in 2013, the PSUSD Foundation has mission to “close gaps in public and state funding by providing a sustainable stream of private-sector funds to support” the students of PSUSD. It works with businesses, individual investors, teachers, parents and community leaders/givers to provide a “sustainable stream of private-sector funds” to support “the arts, new technologies, college readiness and other ‘extras’ that prepare students for a future tomorrow (that) must be privately funded today.”
Three full-time PSUSD Foundation staff positions are funded by the district. With no administrative overhead for the nonprofit, 100 percent of the funds raised go directly to student programs, Ebensteiner said. It’s a unique model.
“There aren’t a lot of foundations that support school districts,” she said. “If we’re going to try to get these kids prepared for a future that’s very high-tech and requires a lot of creative and critical thinking, they need more than just the basics that tax dollars cover.”
Some of the innovative educational programs supported by the foundation include eSports, robotics, an automotive careers academy, a sports institute, wellness centers, a Native studies curriculum, college scholarships and mentoring, and musical-theater training.
With August just around the corner, the PSUSD Foundation is making the last push for funding for Shoes for Students. The district only buys new shoes. Converse is a partner, and shoes are purchased with style and basic colors in mind. The rollout is a major operation; someone, or perhaps several people, will get to wear the lace-up tennis shoe costume, courtesy of Converse; it will put a smile on the grumpiest of faces.
New shoes lift spirits—that’s what a recent study at Texas Christian University found. Sam Sayed studied the effects of receiving a new
The PS Unified School District Foundation works to put shoes on the feet of students in need
pair of athletic shoes on self-efficacy among underprivileged youth; the results showed significant increases in students’ academic, athletic and social engagement.
Ebensteiner didn’t need to consult a study; she’s seen the positive effects up close.
“This happens to be one of those programs that we actually have hands-on involvement with,” Ebensteiner said. “We’re actually distributing shoes, working with students, putting them on their feet, making sure they’re the right size. So it’s kind of neat, because it’s a very tangible thing. In this case, we get to come face to face with students and see their reaction, which is really enjoyable.”
Goodman looks forward to the day when the district can bank a couple hundred pairs of shoes for growing feet—but that day is not here yet.
“We have about a 12 percent homeless population,” Goodman said. “Some people get homes while they are in school, and then others become homeless while they’re in school, so there’s this constant need for shoes year-round. We’ve been trying, little by little, to build a reserve. We choose to do the 2,500 (pairs), because that’s how many homeless kids we have. We haven’t put into place any system or campaign for us to get a surplus, but it would surely be helpful if we had an extra 500 pairs of shoes throughout the school year that we could constantly be giving out.”
Yessenia Calderon said she hasn’t told her kids yet to expect new shoes this year. “I wasn’t sure if the program would come around again,” she said. “I normally surprise them. They love that.”
The younger Calderons are 14, 10, 7 and 4—and Yessenia said they all need new sizes
since last year. They’re part of the homeschool program via the Desert Learning Academy, and the family is managing, living off just her husband’s salary.
Zeki’s condition has improved somewhat since the horrible accident. He talks about wanting to join his sister Jasmine, 17, when she crosses the stage at commencement in June 2025, but Yessenia doesn’t know if that will happen. Doctors say Zeki is losing his vision and will require multiple surgeries to walk again— but his mom is hopeful that he can earn a certificate of completion for high school.
She hopes Shoes for Students can expand. She knows other families who could benefit.
“It makes a big difference,” said Calderon. “It either makes the outfit, or it doesn’t, right?”
She remembers the joy that a new gifted pair of tennis shoes can bring—a small kindness that goes a long way.
“When you know there are so many things that sometimes go wrong, to know there are still people out there looking out for you— sometimes it might not be a big thing, but for us it’s a blessing,” she said.
The Foundation for Palm Springs Unified School District is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that raises money to support educational initiatives not covered by federal and state funding. To donate to Shoes for Students, go to secure.qgiv.com/for/ shoesforstudents. For information on other programs supported by the PSUSD Foundation, visit www.psusdfoundation.net. Haleemon Anderson is a California Local News Fellow. She can be reached at handerson@ cvindependent.com.
PSUSD Foundation director Ellen Goodman (in the shoe costume) smiles with a family benefiting from the Shoes for Students program.
NEWS
HAPPY REUNION
by Cat Makino
After 59 years apart, Palm Springs resident Jerome Joseph Gentes has reunited with his birth mother.
Gentes, 60, was given up for adoption when he was about a year old by his mother, who was 20 at the time. He reunited with her in Seattle last year. He had been searching for his birth mother since the age of 18. “As an adoptive child, you always think about researching your birth family,” he said.
Gentes is not alone. There are approximately 5 million American adoptees, and 2.5 percent of American children younger than 18 were adopted, according to the Adoption History Project
at the University of Oregon. Many adopted children and adults have lingering feelings of being unconnected to their roots. The American Adoption Congress Search Institute found that 72 percent of adopted adolescents wanted to know why they were adopted; 65 percent wanted to meet their birth parents; and 94 percent wanted to know which birth parent they looked like.
Gentes credits Ancestry.com for helping him make the connection.
“For the last five years, I was getting DNA matches and messages from people from Ancestry who asked how I was related to them,” Gentes said. “I didn’t reach out unless the match was very close. Then in December 2021, right before Christmas, I got a message from someone with a strong DNA match. It was from my Auntie Dolly, my birth mother’s sister.”
After chatting with Dolly, and exchanging emails containing facts and photos with her, he found a copy of his birth certificate—with the full name of his birth mother.
“Boom, the record came up, and I realized that Selma Matte was my mother,” he said. “When she found out, Dolly texted me, saying, ‘She’s in shock.’ So was I.”
He didn’t phone Matte right away, because he was overwhelmed and needed to take everything in before working up the courage to call her.
“I couldn’t believe that after all these years of wondering and imagining and longing for it to happen, and even sometimes despairing that it would never happen, I was connected to my birth mom,” he said.
They agreed to meet in Seattle in late September 2023. “I took a 7 p.m. flight, and I got into Seattle at 10 p.m.,” he said. “I was excited and nervous. I remember staring out the window a lot, trying to stay calm and centered. I couldn’t believe I was flying to meet my birth mother!”
The reunion was delayed by a day—because Matte’s car broke down. They decided to meet at his cousin’s house near Seattle. (Gentes first met that cousin earlier in the day.)
“I was bummed that my mom and I wouldn’t
get the ‘Hollywood’ reunion in the airport; we even had a plan with each of us carrying a red rose to be able to find each other in the airport,” Gentes said.
It was 2 p.m. the next day when his mom’s car pulled up to the house. He was upstairs, holding the stair banisters for balance, when he heard a bunch of relatives spilling into the house with his mom. “I heard the front door open, and my mother’s voice called out: ‘Is that my son?’”
Gentes described the moment as emotionally overwhelming. “I couldn’t believe that the person I was hugging was my mom—not just a person I was related to, but my mom,” he said. “‘We look exactly alike!’ I said to her, then we hugged and hugged and hugged. I was crying; she was crying; all these other people who were related to me were crying. It was like we were just stepping back into a hug, and we’d been hugging our entire lives.”
Gentes had a good childhood, he said. He was adopted by Mary and Joe Gentes, Roman Catholics in San Jose; he described his life with them as “really happy.” They couldn’t have children of their own, and they supported him in his search for his birth parents.
“My adoptive parents always said to me, ‘You were special and came to us as a gift from God,’ which made me feel special,” he said.
Mary Gentes died suddenly due to an embolism in 2019. “I was incredibly sad,” Jerome said. “I had such a special bond with her.” He remains close to his father and nine siblings. Matte, now 80, was born and raised at the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation in Montana with four sisters and three brothers. She was 19, living in San Francisco and working at Bank of America, when she got pregnant. Jerome’s birth father promised to help after the baby was born, but instead returned to his Indian reservation in North Dakota before the birth, because his grandmother was ill. He never came back. (Gentes’ birth father died two months before the reunion with Matte.)
“I felt alone and abandoned. How was I going to raise my child?” Matte said. “Back then, it was different being unmarried, and I felt ashamed.” She also had a drinking problem, and she decid-
A Palm Springs man finds his birth mother 59 years after being put up for adoption
ed it was best to give her son up for adoption via Santa Clara County Social Services.
Years later, she stopped drinking, went back to school in her late 30s, graduated from college, and worked at a Veterans Affairs medical clinic. Gentes was her only child; Matte said she thought about her son every day.
“I always kept in touch with a clerk at the Santa Clara Services. She told me my son was a real smart boy, and his adoptive parents were taking good care of him,” Matte said.
Later, after the laws on adoption information changed, she asked for her son’s information, but never received a response. Discouraged, she didn’t try again—but fortunately,
Gentes was trying.
“I’m so proud of him—just amazed,” Matte said.
Gentes, a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley and Columbia University, is now the owner of TigerBear Productions, where he writes and produces with theater and film companies. He also produces the monthly Indigenous Magic art series at the Magic Theatre in San Francisco.
Gentes flew Matte to Palm Springs for Mother’s Day, and they frequently talk on the phone.” He said he now calls her “Mom.”
“I felt like a piece of me was missing,” Gentes said. “I’m whole now.”
Selma Matte and Jerome Joseph Gentes during their September 2023 reunion.
CIVIC SOLUTIONS
by Melissa Daniels
Helping older adults is day-to-day business at the Joslyn Center. And retiring executive director Jack Newby knows how this help can lead to positive changes, whether that’s someone no longer needing a walker after attending exercise classes, or simply meeting up with friends in the morning.
The next change the Joslyn Center wants to make: addressing the needs of autistic adults and seniors.
“The biggest concern is that while there are so many special classes for autistic students and younger people, what happens when people, for lack of a better term, age out of those programs?” Newby said.
While there isn’t a reliable tracking system, a widely cited statistic used by organizations like Autism Speaks and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that one in 45 adults in the United States has autism. That’s more than 2% of the population.
The Joslyn Center is believed to be the first senior center in the nation to receive a certification as a Certified Autism Center. The certification comes from the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards, an independent training organization that works to help institutions better serve people who have cognitive disabilities.
The Joslyn Center, a nonprofit located in Palm Desert, serves anywhere from 250 to 400 individuals over the age of 55 each day. Newby said the idea to get certified started with an employee who has two autistic children and saw a lack of support for older adults. The idea caught on with Newby and the board of directors, and the training was completed earlier this year.
“Most people know someone or have a relative who is autistic, and so it really is something that many people are aware of and sensitive to,” Newby said.
He said the goal in getting certified is to make sure staff members understand what autism is and how to talk about it; they’re trained on behavioral issues that can arise and how to handle those. There are now noise-canceling headphones on hand for people who need less stimulation, and the center is working on developing a quiet room.
The center is now getting the word out about its services to members of the community who might be interested. That includes getting referrals from the Inland Regional Center, and being a continued resource for individuals who are getting services from the Riverside County Office on Aging.
One unique facet of the referrals: There is currently no autism-only programming, as
the goal is to get autistic adults engaged in the activities at the center.
“That’s why we wanted to make sure that everyone was trained, and understood what could happen, what to look for, and the best way that we can address their needs and issues—like we do with all of our members,” Newby said.
While our society has become more aware of the prevalence of autism, much of the support focuses on younger people. Even scientific research tends to focus on autistic children or broader populations—not the specific needs an
The Joslyn Center works to serve more autistic adults as the population ages
older adult might have. Fortunately, that’s slowly changing. The CDC says it’s supporting multiple projects looking at how to support people with Autism Spectrum Disorder as they age.
A June 2022 research piece by Autism in Adulthood found 212 articles on the topic of older autistic adults—a 392% rise from 10 years earlier. Still, the segment represented less than 1% of all research on autism. The authors concluded that more research is needed about the issue of social isolation and living arrangements for older autistic people; also needed are studies that look at older autistic adults with intellectual disability.
Newby agrees. Loneliness, he said, is one of the most pressing issues facing older communities. Simply getting out of the house and socializing can go a long way.
“The lack of activity and engagement for
older adults, it’s serious and can lead to serious medical consequences, akin to smoking about a pack of cigarettes a day,” he said.
The Joslyn Center and other forward-thinking organizations will need to go through more of these types of specialized trainings as the population ages. There are ongoing partnerships with the Braille Institute on how to serve people with low vision, Newby said, and they’re working on developing an exercise class for people with Parkinson’s disease.
“We’re also looking at other disabilities and being inclusive of anyone who needs the services that are provided by Joslyn,” he said. “We want to incorporate and meet their needs. That’s what we’re here for.”
Learn more about the Joslyn Center at joslyncenter.org.
A game of bingo at the Joslyn Center. Photo courtesy of the Joslyn Center
NEWS
COACHELLA-BORN OLYMPIAN
by Kevin Fitzgerald
With a career amateur boxing record of 56-7, Coachella native and women’s boxing champion Citlalli Ortiz will achieve her lifelong dream this summer: At the age of 24, Ortiz is slated to represent Mexico in an Olympic boxing ring, in the 75 kg (165-pound) weight class in Paris.
Her first fight is set for July 31. She spoke to the Independent via telephone from Targu Mures, Romania, where she was getting ready to fight in the pre-Olympic Golden Belt amateur tournament there.
“Since there are 16 fighters, total, in my weight class, it would be four fights. After two fights,
I would already be getting into the metal rounds, right?” she said. “But it just depends on how it goes, and how the draw turns out.”
She said qualifying for the Olympics still feels like a dream.
“I haven’t really soaked it all in yet,” she said. “I think I’m looking forward to all the emotions that I’m going to feel when I’m there, representing Mexico. In a sense, I’ll almost be representing back home (in Coachella) and all the people who support me there. I’m not even sure what I can expect, but I know it’s going to be one of the best times in my boxing career.”
The path that brought her to this point has been unusual. The Independent first met Ortiz in 2016 as she was training for the nowdefunct Desert Showdown amateur boxing tournament, which took place at Fantasy Springs in Indio every July. By 2017, she was stepping into the ring to represent the United States sometimes, and Mexico at other times. She explained how she eventually wound up fighting for Mexico.
“I had won my world championship in India in 2017. Knowing that I won that medal, and having also won the nationals, I thought that was going to give me the opportunity to fight for a place in the 2018 Youth Olympic Games,” Ortiz said. “Well, I was wrong. USA Boxing had their own qualification system, and they just denied me—not so much the Olympics in general, but that specific tournament. Since I wasn’t going to turn 17 or 18 again, it was really important to me.
“Mexico also called me to represent them in that same (Youth Olympics) tournament, but since I had already represented USA Boxing in the world championship, I couldn’t go. … It was just the decision of USA Boxing who was going to the Youth Olympics, and they weren’t going to change their mind.”
When the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020, Ortiz returned to her family’s home in Coachella to train and wait for that storm to pass. Given the unsettled status of the Olympics as she dealt with a suspension for switching from the U.S team to the Mexico team, she decided it was time to go in a
different direction with her boxing career.
“Back in Coachella, the mountains on Dillon Road became my gym,” she said. “That’s where I kept my activity going. … My dad (trainer Alex Ortiz) and I decided to turn professional. It wasn’t one of my easiest decisions. I really did want to wait until I knew more about the Olympics, when they started changing the qualifications and everything … but things kind of took a turn, and I ended up taking the professional road. Honestly, I thought that I wasn’t going to go back (to the Olympic dream) from that, so it was a dream crushed for a bit.”
When the pandemic eased, Ortiz compiled a 4-1 professional record.
“The one loss that I have is kind of controversial for me,” Ortiz said, “but it was a rematch. Still, we’re going to accept it just so that they don’t say I’m a sore loser.”
After the suspension triggered by her move to fight for Mexico ended, she returned to the amateur ranks and began her calculated journey toward a spot on the Mexican Olympic boxing team.
“This past year, I’ve gone to tournaments like the 2023 Central American and Caribbean Games in El Salvador, where I won a silver medal,” Ortiz said. “That qualified me to go to the Pan American Games in Chile, and I got a bronze medal there. That one was tough, because I was one fight away from punching my ticket to the Olympics right then. … Sadly, I lost against a tough opponent. Next, there was another qualifying event which was a world tournament (in Italy), and I lost in the first fight, against Sweden, I believe.”
Her final qualifying opportunity came at the 2024 World Boxing Olympic Qualification Tournament, which took place May 24-June 2 in Bangkok, Thailand.
“That’s where I finally was able to make this dream come alive,” she said. “… I think I was really set to leave it all in the ring, you know? It was kill or be killed, and I feel like that stood out a lot in my preparation. Also, the nerves that I had before each fight helped me be more cautious and aware. That kind of centered me to do what I do best, and not let anything
block my mind.”
She admitted that it was odd to face a U.S. boxer in the second round of the 2023 Pan American Games in Chile—the aforementioned tournament where she won a bronze medal.
“I ended up beating them by unanimous decision,” she said. “So I had a lot of emotions at that fight. It was just a (choice) that was made for the best. … But everything was spoken in a very respectful way. No hard feelings, and they even congratulated me. To this day, they say hi to me as if I were still part of them. That’s the importance of leaving things in a good way, in a good manner.”
Now that her spot on the four-person Mexico Olympic boxing team—with two men and two women—is locked down, Ortiz is making her final preparations for her Olympic debut.
“Right now, I’m at this tournament in Romania. I feel like it was a good idea to come out here to fight, because we were told that there were going to be a few Olympians who had already qualified (fighting here),” she said.
“So it would be a taste of what we were going to face in Paris. But sadly, there aren’t that many boxers in this tournament, so I’m only going to be fighting once.
“We’ll be going back to Mexico City after this. … Mexico City helps us a lot, because besides it being where we’re from, the altitude in Mexico City helps us a lot with our conditioning, as well as our stamina.”
The one constant throughout Ortiz’s career has been her father, Alex, who has served as her coach and manager since her first tournament bout at the age of 12 back in the Coachella Valley. Ortiz confirmed that he’ll be with her in Paris—but he won’t be able to man her corner as usual.
“When it’s an international tournament with the team, usually the coaches are already set,” she said. “… I’m always able to kind of hear him (during the fights) even through all the noise, if that makes sense. It’s an automatic thing, where I listen for his voice, and I know what he’s telling me to do. He’s not in my corner, but he’s with me always.”
Local native Citlalli Ortiz heads for the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics as part of Mexico’s boxing team
Coachella native Citlalli Ortiz (right) poses with her older sister, Brenda Ortiz, in Bangkok, Thailand, after she won a spot on the Mexico boxing team for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games.
CV HISTORY
ADuring World War II, a million soldiers came to the desert to prepare for battle
t first, Chiriaco Summit seems like a nondescript desert turnoff from Interstate 10, at exit 173. About 30 miles east of Indio, Chiriaco seems like an unlikely place for a museum, but there is a very good reason that the General Patton Memorial Museum is located there. During World War II, Maj. Gen. George S. Patton Jr. was called upon to train U.S. troops in by greg niemann
desert warfare. By the fall of 1941, German soldiers were in North Africa, threatening to capture the critical Suez Canal. This called for a new type of warfare.
British Prime Minister Winston Churchill had been urging President Franklin D. Roosevelt to send U.S. Army troops to support the allied campaign in North Africa. However, U.S. soldiers were not prepared for desert combat, prompting a massive training plan.
In February 1942, Gen. Patton was called to Washington and received these orders: “Locate, create, equip and command a training center for Army ground and air forces to be skilled in desert warfare.” His mission was not only to train units and personnel to live and fight in the desert, but to test and develop equipment, and to develop tactics. The only thing the War Department had settled beforehand was this general location description: “southeastern California, western Arizona, and southern Nevada.” Patton immediately began to establish the
Desert Training Center (DTC) in the Mojave and Sonoran deserts, and it ended up stretching all the way from Pomona, Calif., eastward to within 50 miles of Phoenix, southward to Yuma, Ariz., and northward into Nevada. It became the largest military training ground in the history of the U.S. military. A site near Shavers Summit—now known as Chiriaco Summit—between Indio and Desert Center was selected as the headquarters. The site, called Camp Young, became the world’s largest army post.
Patton and his team established 12 divisional camps and several auxiliary camps within the huge 18,000-square-mile area. They tried to locate camps as close as possible to major roads (like Route 66), existing power lines and the Metropolitan Water District aqueduct for water, but most camps were quite isolated. The camps were situated so that each division unit (roughly 15,000 soldiers) could train without interfering with other camps. Airfields, hospitals, supply depots and sites for other support services were built. Conditions were harsh, including high temperatures and a lack of running water.
The vast majority of soldiers who trained at the Desert Training Center were not used to the blistering desert climate. Summer temperatures often surpassed 100 degrees—something those of us in the Coachella Valley know all too well—and temperatures inside the tanks could hit 160. In fact, the 773rd Tank Destroyer Battalion described the DTC in their official journal as “18,000 square miles of nothing, in a desert designed for hell.” Patton, who lived with his troops and oversaw every aspect of daily training, said: “The desert is a killer, and we must acclimate our soldiers to the climate.”
The training included daily physical exercises, live-fire exercises, day and night marches, and at least one 24-hour exercise with little food and water. The average tour for training was 14 weeks. Divisions would battle in mock and live-fire air, tank and infantry exercises. A two-division exercise would involve as many as 30,000 troops. These were considered some of the most realistic war games ever conducted. Between April 1942 and April 1944, when the DTC was deactivated, more than 1 million soldiers trained at there.
In July 1942, just months after the center
was organized and established, Gen. Patton was called to Washington, D.C., to help plan Operation Torch, the invasion of North Africa. While the DTC continued under subsequent leaders, Patton led U.S. troops in some of the most decisive World War II victories.
In January 1947, the U.S. Army returned most of the DTC lands to the Department of Interior, and the majority of the land is now managed by the Bureau of Land Management. The remnants of the camp sites are isolated, but some can be visited on all-terrain vehicles.
The General Patton Memorial Museum was established at Chiriaco Summit off Interstate 10, at the site of the entrance of Camp Young. The mission of the museum is “to promote peace by honoring the service and sacrifice of America’s veterans while educating the public on the life of General George S. Patton Jr., World War II, and the Desert Training Center.” Exhibits include a collection of tanks used in World War II and the Korean War, as well as memorabilia from Patton and soldiers who trained at the DTC. There are also exhibits about the development of the Colorado River Aqueduct and natural science. A 26-minute video detailing Patton’s military service and the creation of the Desert Training Center is shown.
During a recent visit, I was mesmerized by
the scale of the Desert Training Center. As a veteran who served during the Cold War, I was engrossed for a couple of hours, seeing some familiar Army weapons—as well as a lot of stuff I didn’t know. Most overwhelming was how this desert was home to so many of America’s fighting forces during World War II. At that time, there wasn’t much to the Coachella Valley; Indio, which today is the largest Coachella Valley city, with a population of 91,000, in 1942 was the main supply railhead for the DTC—with a population of 1,600.
The 1 million soldiers who came through the area during the war years were treated to incredibly harsh desert conditions. From their dusty, hot and arid environs, I’m sure they could not even imagine the swimming pools and golf courses that dominate the Coachella Valley today. They suffered the hardships and did their jobs so that future generations might enjoy an entirely different desert experience.
Learn more about the General Patton Memorial Museum at generalpattonmuseum.com.
Sources for this article include “Desert Training Center,” by the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Department of Interior; and The Land That God Forgot by Brig. Gen. David C. Henley (Western American History Series, 1989).
A map of the Desert Training Center. Don Bufkin/BLM
The statue of Gen. Patton outside of the museum. Greg Niemann
JULY ASTRONOMY
By Robert Victor
Many beautiful events involving the moon and planets—against a striking background of stars—will reward early risers this July.
Predawn skies feature a display of the three bright outer planets, all easily visible to the unaided eye. The best time to look throughout the month is about 75 minutes before sunrise. At that time, Jupiter, gleaming at magnitude -2 in east-northeast to east, appears as the brightest “star” in the sky. The other two planets glow at first magnitude—or only 1/16, or 6 percent—as bright as Jupiter. Reddish Mars appears to the upper right of Jupiter, by 22° on July 1. The gap between these two planets decreases by half a degree daily, so Mars-Jupiter will appear 15° apart by July 15, and 7° apart at the month’s end.
This year, Mars joins Jupiter in the constellation Taurus, the Bull, from July 12 through Sept. 5. Jupiter, which takes nearly a dozen years to circle the sun, entered Taurus in late April 2024 and will remain within its boundaries until June 2025. Taurus is noted for its two fine star clusters, the Pleaides and the Hyades, impressive to the unaided eye, and especially so when using binoculars. Firstmagnitude Aldebaran, marking the Bull’s reddish eye, completes a V-shaped pattern with the Hyades, constituting the head of Taurus, with all its stars fitting within a single field of view of binoculars.
Saturn stands off by itself, in the southsoutheast to southwest, in the predawn sky during July. A telescope reveals the rings, appearing almost needle-like at low magnifications, as they’re tipped at an unusually small inclination of 2° to 2.4° from edge-on this month.
The waning crescent moon sweeps through the field of Mars, the Pleiades, Jupiter, Aldebaran and the Hyades on July 1-3 and July 29-31, creating especially beautiful vistas on those six mornings. Watch also for these events:
July 4, one hour before sunrise: The old moon—3% full and at its northernmost point this month—rises in the northeast to eastnortheast, 17° to the lower left of Jupiter. The span of four solar system bodies—Saturn, Mars, Jupiter and the moon—is 96° long. (Faint Uranus and Neptune also sit within the lineup.)
July 8-22, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours before sunrise: Uranus appears within 5° of Mars, within same binocular field. Mars is moving 0.7° per day against background stars. Look for 5.8-magnitude Uranus 4.8° to the lower left of the red planet on July 8, and 4.6° to the upper right of Mars by July 22. They’ll appear closest on July 15, when Uranus appears within 0.6° north (to the upper left) of Mars.
July 9 and 19, about 1 1/4 hours before sunrise: Jupiter passes within 4.8° north of Aldebaran, a once-in-12-years event. Jupiter
moves slowly, and so remains within 5° of Aldebaran July 3-16.
July 21, about 1 1/4 hours before sunrise: The full moon is low in the southwest. Mars passes within 4.8° south of third-magnitude Alcyone, brightest member of the Pleiades. Six solar system bodies—the moon, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus, Mars and Jupiter—span 133°. Follow the moon daily through Aug. 3, and watch it sweep past the other bodies by July 31.
July 30, about 1 1/4 hours before sunrise: Mars is 5° from the moon and 7.5° from Jupiter, while Aldebaran forms a nearly isosceles triangle with the two planets, about 6° from each.
By the closing week of July, Orion, with his two bright stars Betelgeuse and Rigel—and the vertical line of three stars marking his belt midway between them—emerges low in the eastern, early twilight morning sky, below and to the right of the triangle of Jupiter, Mars and Aldebaran.
Other bright stars in the morning twilight sky are zero-magnitude Vega in the northwest, accompanied by Altair and Deneb, completing the Summer Triangle; Fomalhaut, mouth of the Southern Fish, below Saturn; zeromagnitude Capella in the northeast; and the “Twin” stars of Gemini, Pollux and Castor, 4.5° apart, far below Capella.
Evenings: Both inner planets, Mercury and Venus, set during dusk twilight in July, and require binoculars for a reasonable chance for a successful sighting. That’s especially true for Venus, to the upper left of the recently set sun, by less than 8° on July 1, to 16° on July 31. Using binoculars, soon after sunset, scan the horizon to the left of the sunset point. You’ll need very clear skies and an unobstructed view. Setting later in twilight, Mercury will be easier to see than Venus. Its magnitude fades from -0.5 on July 1, to 0.0 on July 12, to +0.5 on July 24, and +1.0 on Aug. 1. On July 7, Mercury will appear 3°-4° to the lower right of the crescent moon, and climb highest, but still only a few degrees up in the west-northwest in mid-twilight, the following weekend.
Planets and Bright Stars in Evening Mid-Twilight
The
planets and the moon line up to create a fantastic early-morning show
For July, 2024
This sky chart is drawn for latitude 34 degrees north, but may be used in southern U.S. and northern Mexico.
Evening mid-twilight occurs when the Sun is 9° below the horizon. July 1: 46 minutes after sunset. 15: 45 " " " 31: 44 " " "
Skipping Venus and Mercury—which don’t impress, because they’re currently deep in twilight—the most prominent evening stars are golden Arcturus, high in the southwestern sky, and blue-white Vega, ascending in the east-northeast. Altair and Deneb complete the Summer Triangle with Vega.
During July 1-7 at nightfall, the sky is dark and moonless for fine Milky Way viewing, and for three nights more, after moonset and before midnight. At dusk on July 8 and 9, the waxing crescent moon appears 6° from Regulus, heart of Leo, the Lion.
On Saturday, July 13, as seen from Palm Springs, the star Spica is occulted by the leading dark edge of the moon in daylight, at 7:43 p.m.—a difficult event to observe, even with optical aid. Spica is still hidden by the moon at sunset, and emerges along the moon’s bright, sunlit edge at 9:02 p.m. Later in the evening, as the moon continues eastward,
Spica will become visible to the unaided eye, to the moon’s lower right.
On the night of July 20-21, the moon is full. Thereafter, the moon rises later each evening, and by July 24, it is well below the horizon at nightfall, and the sky will again be dark for Milky Way viewing.
The Astronomical Society of the Desert will host a star party on Saturday, July 6, at Sawmill Trailhead, a site in the Santa Rosa Mountains at elevation 4,000 feet. For maps and directions, visit astrorx.org.
The Abrams Planetarium Sky Calendar is available by subscription from www. abramsplanetarium.org/skycalendar.
Robert Victor originated the Abrams Planetarium monthly Sky Calendar in October 1968 and still helps produce an occasional issue. He enjoys being outdoors sharing the beauty of the night sky and other wonders of nature.
Stereographic Projection Map by Robert D. Miller
“Since time immemorial” is how the Cahuilla describe their place in history.
From steep canyon trails to casinos, golf resorts and well springs bubbling up from deep within the earth, all around the Coachella Valley are reminders of the resilience of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians.
Since its opening last November, the Agua Caliente Cultural Plaza has stood as a symbol of this resilience. Situated in the heart of downtown Palm Springs, the state-of-the-art facility encompasses a museum, an outdoor plaza, the Spa at Séc-he and the Oasis Trail.
The 5.8-acre campus sits on hallowed ground—at the site of the original Cahuilla hot springs, across from the first Agua Caliente casino, It’s a monument to the tribe’s ancient heritage, wrapped in strikingly modern design. It may be the most important project the Agua Caliente have ever built, said Reid Milanovich, chairman of the Tribal Council of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians.
“When you go into that museum, you’re seeing pictures only of Agua Caliente,” said Milanovich. “The videos, pictures and the voices you hear, those are all Agua Caliente people. We wanted that. It’s not the Smithsonian—we have great relationships with the Smithsonian; we’re actually an affiliate of theirs. But it’s not them. It’s not another museum, or another company telling our story. It’s us.”
Every aspect of its design is carefully wrought to reflect Cahuilla culture. The muse-
um is designed in tandem with the Séc-he spa, with the buildings appointed to resemble the reeds of a basket in mid-production.
The Gathering Plaza is a public square of sorts—quiet and serene, until bird singers and dancers fill it with music and movement on special occasions. The Oasis Trail winds around the perimeter of the museum, providing a walkway that invokes in the idea of the Indian Canyons, replete with a waterfall and a flowing brook. Native plants figure significantly throughout the plaza.
Milanovich points out images of the earliest Cahuilla bath houses on display at The Spa at Séc-he. The hot mineral springs that once fed those rough-hewn enterprises now power a world-class facility with 22 private mineral soaking tubs, two zero-sensory flotation pods, saunas, steam rooms, hot tubs and more.
Those sacred waters are inextricably linked to the Agua Caliente and the tribe’s development in the city.
“We’re very intertwined with the city of Palm Springs,” said Milanovich. “The very first bathhouse was where we’re sitting right now. That was the first tourist attraction over 130 years ago, in the 1890s. We wanted visitors to the area to experience sacred water. That hot spring water is the centerpiece of this cultural plaza, and of the tribe. It’s something that our ancestors have been soaking in for years.”
Milanovich said a spa session is key to understanding the Cahuilla. (Because of this, Agua Caliente staff provided me with onetime guest pass for a salon service and to “take the waters.”)
had for thousands of years, but also the community and guests from around the world. So the focal point is always going to be about water, including in the museum.”
A PROJECT WORTH THE DELAY
The Agua Caliente broke ground on construction of the Cultural Plaza in May 2018 after years of planning, with plans to open in early 2020. But excavation was halted almost immediately, as just two months in, more evidence of the Cahuilla’s enduring roots was unearthed.
“About 10 to 12 feet down, they noticed what looked like a hearth feature, remnants of a human-made fire,” said Kate Anderson, director of public relations for ACCM. Anderson said cultural monitors are typically present at excavations of lands with known Indigenous significance. The site was declared an archaeological find, and the work of delicately sifting through tons of earth began. The tribe poured over the site for several months, recovering thousands of artifacts—some carbon-dated back 8,000 years. Some of those items, including decorative shells and projectile points used in hunting, are on display in the new museum’s permanent galleries.
“Séc-he” is the Cahuilla word for “the sound of boiling water.” The hot mineral soak is a bearable 105 degrees; it and the other lavish amenities are definitely a treat.
“The plans grew to where we are today, with the idea of allowing our members to soak in that water for physical healing powers and mental healing powers,” Milanovich said. “This is a facility that allows not just our tribal members to sit in water that our ancestors
Inside the museum, technology takes visitors on a journey into the past. Visitors can view an animated version of the Cahuilla’s creation story, and sit inside a ceremonial hut and hear the voices of Cahuilla elders as they speak of lost traditions.
A three-dimensional diorama presents a changing tableau of displacement and migration, from the earliest days of life in the canyons to the advent of the railroad and the adverse effects of the gold rush. The display ends with the checkerboard map that divided
Construction of the Cultural Plaza began in May 2018, but it was paused just two months later, after workers discovered artifacts. Some of those items are on display in the new museum’s permanent galleries. Photo courtesy of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians
Inside the new Cultural Museum. Photo courtesy of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians
land granted to the tribe with land taken by the Southern Pacific Railroad.
The museum doesn’t shy away from uncomfortable parts of Cahuilla history. “History is history. We can never go back and change history,” Milanovich said. “But absolutely, you can learn from that, and you can grow from it. So, there’s a sense of acknowledging what happened, but not dwelling on it.”
A MOVEMENT TO HONOR INDIGENOUS HISTORY
Verlon Gould is a member of the Lemhi and Eastern Shoshone tribe. The Idaho resident visited the Cultural Museum in April with his multi-generational family in tow. He said that Indigenous history needs to be shared with future generations—even if it makes people uncomfortable to learn certain aspects, including the oppression tribes suffered at the hands of white settlers and the U.S. government.
“My feeling is it does help to know exactly what happened,” said Gould. “It’s hard to think about the past and not feel hardened by it. But … for the younger people, it’s good for them to see that we’re able to overlook those awful things that happened. It's not their fault. We shouldn’t make them feel guilty about it, but we should let them learn it and not repeat it.”
In January, representatives of the Osage Nation met with the Agua Caliente Tribal Council and other members of the tribe. They exchanged gifts and renewed their commitment to telling their own stories.
Milanovich said other tribes are taking up this charge. The Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians is close to completion on its new museum, and other tribes are building museums as well.
“We try to collaborate as much as possible,” Milanovich said. “We invite other tribal leaders and other tribes to see what we’re doing and to get ideas.”
What the Cahuilla and other Native tribes
hope to share about Indigenous life is a simple message, Milanovich said: “The message is truth. This is who we are. This is our history. This is where we are today. This is where we want to be in the future. When guests and visitors come from all over the world and learn about the tribe and the history, let them feel how they want to feel. This is what happened. This is our story, this culture. This is what is important to us. That’s the message of truth, told by us. When we share our culture, it really helps protect our culture,” he said.
Gould said the museum can serve an inspiration to Native people everywhere. “What’s been created from the sacred springs, that draws people in; it’s a magnet,” said Gould. “So when you find out how you can share that, it’s important to abide by it.”
Brenda Pree came to the museum for the first time in May. She brought a friend who was visiting from Georgia. Pree, who works for the city of Palm Springs, said she got an education she didn’t know she needed.
“To get the knowledge and understanding of the history of what has taken place, it was very interesting,” said Pree. “To see the past, present and future of how this land was formed, who owned it, how they were moved
off of it, how they have survived even after that … it was very moving to see how well the Cahuilla maintained and thrived in this area, where they actually started.”
Kwanda McMillan said it was eye-opening to learn about how the Cahuilla took agency over their culture, even while choosing to let some parts fade away. She was especially moved by a story about tribal members deciding to burn down their ceremonial house in the 1950s after the death of Albert Patencio, marking the end of more than a century of male Patencios serving as chief.
“Their decision to burn down the ceremonial house, the young lady in the video said she wished that wasn’t done,” McMillan said. “I mean, it’s still (a loss) from a historical perspective, because it ended something—but at the same time, that may be the point. They took ownership of their culture, and they decided that it was time for that part of it (to die).”
McMillan said keeping oral histories alive and passing them on from one generation to the next is vital for cultures that have been marginalized. “With the museum, it’s like they are putting pride back into the culture,” she said.
Milanovich echoed that sentiment. From its inception, the Cultural Museum was conceived as a way to look forward while preserving knowledge about the past. Oral histories were being lost, and there was an urgency to document what remained, to showcase the Cahuilla way for future generations. Seeing the museum come to fruition from a vision that started almost 30 years ago was “incredibly inspiring,” he said.
“We have a very involved membership, including our elders who we consulted with. They provide us with guidance, with context and so much history,” Milanovich said. “To be
able to walk with our elders—with any tribal members, really—through both the museum and the spa, it’s a feeling. I can’t really explain it. I’m just honored to be walking with them. “It came to life. There was a time when I couldn’t believe it’s actually here. We did it. Not the Tribal Council, not myself—we, as a tribe.”
The Agua Caliente Cultural Museum is located at 140 N. Indian Canyon Drive, in Palm Springs, and is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday. Admission is $8 for Coachella Valley residents with ID, with other discounts. Learn more at accmuseum.org.
The Spa at Séc-he, next door at 200 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way, is open daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Learn more at thespaatseche.com.
Haleemon Anderson is a California Local News Fellow. She can be reached at handerson@ cvindependent.com.
SUMMER SUNDAYS
The Agua Caliente Cultural Museum is hosting a series of community programs called Summer Sundays. The free artsand-craft events will be held June 30, July 14 and Aug. 4, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. An RSVP to programs@accmuseum.org is required, and free same-day museum admission is included.
SUNDAY, JUNE 30: ANIMAL PRINTS
Visitors will learn the Cahuilla names of local desert animals and make their own art-print animal tracks. Observation stations will teach about the animals’ tracks and mannerisms.
SUNDAY, JULY 14: AGUA CALIENTE GAMES
Visitors will learn the rules and about the materials used to play games like the “stave and coyote game” from Agua Caliente and Cahuilla culture.
SUNDAY, AUG. 4: WEAVING PATTERNS
Cultural educator Lorene Sisquoc (Fort Sill Apache/Cahuilla) will teach visitors techniques to complete a step-by-step reed basket project. Visitors will view coiled Cahuilla baskets on display.
CURRENTLY ON DISPLAY
In the museum’s changing gallery, the exhibition For a Love of His People: The Photography of Horace Poolaw showcases photographs by Horace Poolaw (Kiowa, 1906-1984). Poolaw began documenting American Indian subjects in the mid-1920s and continued for the next 50 years. The exhibit runs through December 2024.
The Spa at Sèc-he sits on the site of the hot springs which have been used by the tribe for thousands of years. Photo courtesy of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians
Grinding tools for food preparation on display at the Cultural Museum. Credit: Haleemon Anderson
DO-GOODER
RECIPES FOR SUCCESS
By Charles drabkin
Food banks are a lifeline for people struggling with food insecurity. Food banks provide food to individuals, help seniors and families stretch their budgets, offer a helping hand to people who have hit a rough patch, and ensure our unhoused population has access to nourishment.
However, food-bank clients sometimes face challenges in effectively using the food they receive. These obstacles range from practical issues (like not having access to cookware, or not
knowing how to cook) to more systemic barriers—and they all contribute to the complex nature of food insecurity.
I had the privilege of chatting with Charles Huff, the director of food security at the LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert, and Mitchell Battersby, chef and host of Neighbors Cooking on YouTube and Facebook. They’ve come up with an innovative approach to address at least some of these barriers with humor and love, by creating weekly recipes highlighting the food being distributed.
The Community Food Bank at The Center, which offers food from 5 to 7 p.m. each Thursday at 610 S. Belardo Road, in Palm
Springs, is committed to serving the needs of not just LGBTQ+ individuals and families, but anyone facing food insecurity here in the valley. Every week, a dedicated team of volunteers and staff from the Center assembles food boxes and distributes them to around 275 families in need.
“We do not discriminate against anyone based on sexual orientation, race or color,” Huff said. “We recently eliminated the waitlist for joining our food bank. If people want food and are hungry, they need it now, and the waiting list does not serve anybody.”
Many food-bank clients lack cooking skills or knowledge. They may not have had the
The Community Food Bank at The Center and chef Mitchell Battersby create recipes to help clients prepare the items they receive
opportunity to learn how to cook due to generational poverty, a lack of education, or other socioeconomic factors.
“When I moved to the valley, I utilized the Food Bank, so this is just one way I could give back,” Battersby told me. “Every week, Charles sends me the list of ingredients, and I start thinking about what I could make with it. We’re trying to use everything in the bag and give people some ideas on how to utilize what they receive without purchasing other items.” This process ensures the recipes are practical and tailored to the recipients’ needs.
Cultural knowledge can also provide a challenge with donated food.
“We were distributing boxes to our Coachella office that had two bunches of bok choy. The people just didn’t know how to use it,” Huff said. “Mitch’s recipes help give people an idea about what to do with the foods they aren’t familiar with.”
The recipes Mitch creates are distributed in every food box, and over the social media accounts of Battersby and the Center.
“I’ve had staff people and people in the
community who have stopped me and said, ‘We saw the recipes Mitch put online, and I tried it,’ which helps us all feel more connected,” Huff said.
Huff doesn’t always know what will arrive on the truck until a few hours before distribution begins. The lion’s share of the perishable products come from FIND Food Bank, but other foods come from a variety of sources, including private citizens, community food drives, local grocery stores and bakeries; every week has its own challenges and surprises. This is where Battersby’s experience proves invaluable.
“There are often similarities from week to with each box, so I have an idea of what recipe I am going to write up, and then adjust things accordingly,” Battersby said. “We want to make sure people are getting nutritious and delicious foods, but also some variety in their diets.”
To find out more about the Community Food Bank at The Center, visit thecentercv.org. To find out more about Mitchell Battersby’s cooking show, visit facebook.com/NeighborsCooking.
Chef Mitchell Battersby in a scene from Neighbors Cooking
ARTS & CULTURE
SCASUAL CONCERTS
By Matt king
ummers in the Coachella Valley can be slow. It takes a lot to get people to leave their airconditioned homes to bear the triple-digit heat—but CVRep is pulling out all the stops to get people out of the house and into the theater.
Since May 25, CVRep’s Summer Cabaret Series has hosted a number of artists—some local, and some not—for entertainment experiences that combine show-stopping performances with an inviting, casual setting, and the series will continue through July 25. During a recent phone interview with CVRep executive artistic director Adam Karsten, he explained what makes the series so special.
“We’re bringing in artists from around the country—from New York, from Northern California, from Los Angeles. There are Tony (Award) winners, Tony nominees, lots of Broadway veterans, and some local celebrities who are just performing at such a high level in such a nice, intimate, comfortable setting,” Karsten said. “You really get to know who they are from the stories they tell about the past, how they came to be, who they are—and it feels like you get a little window into their lives that you wouldn’t normally have.
“We open the doors an hour before the shows start so people can come in, have a glass of wine and something to eat, and have a night out of the heat. It’s a nice experience, and I’m glad that we’re continuing it—and we’re doubling down. We’re doing two cabaret shows per week, whereas last year, we only did one. We’ve increased it 100% in that regard, and it’s been doing really well. We also like it because we make it affordable. The ticket prices are really affordable for the quality of the entertainment that you’re getting.”
Summer attendance can be a challenge for any business owner in the desert. However, Karsten said attendees are showing their support in a big way.
“It’s a challenge in the summertime, because there are definitely fewer residents—but (a number of people have purchased tickets for) the whole season and recognize that it’s here and are grateful for it,” he said. “We’ve also had quite a few over the summer who have come in who said, ‘I’ve never been here before; what else do you do?’ I say, ‘We actually have an entire season of shows that we produce throughout the year in addition to our summer cabaret acts.’ That’s been beneficial. It’s nice to bring in a new audience. Some come depending on the artist, and some come just because they’re looking for an evening of something to do during the summer.”
The July shows are: Wednesday, July 10: Deven Green and Handsome Ned—Deven Green and Handsome Ned are desert locals who make
cabaret pop with their adventurous journey through music history—with nonstop comedic momentum.
Thursday, July 11: Broadway Barbara— Songs, stories, dancing, comedy and more are part of each performance by social media star Broadway Barbara.
Wednesday, July 17: Glenn Rosenblum’s “Broadway Showstoppers” Part III—Rosenblum’s beautiful tenor voice is combined with his insider info from a career of acting and singing, leading to a show that is half Broadway musical and half theater history lesson.
Thursday, July 18: Brent Barrett & Bernie Blanks—Barrett and Blanks will team up to provide a variety evening of songs from myriad productions, as the two combined have been part of more than 30 musicals.
Wednesday, July 24: Julie and Janna Cardia—Identical twin sisters Julie and Janna share more than just looks, as both of their résumés include Broadway and other fun performances; they’re perfect for a night of intimate entertainment.
Thursday, July 25: David Burnham— David Burnham will tackle movie songs, American Songbook tunes, and selections from productions he’s been in like Wicked, The Light in the Piazza and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
An expanded 2024-2025 season
CVRep’s new season will kick off in November with Next to Normal. The 39 Steps follows in December, with 2024 bringing The Light in the Piazza, Jesus Christ Superstar and Other Desert Cities.
“We’ve announced the shows for the season, and we’re excited about that to come,” Karsten said. “Something that hasn’t been publicly announced is that we’re going to be expanding the season to a sixth show—and the sixth show will be a world premiere of a completely new work that we discover through the Origins program.”
Origins is a “page to stage” program that allows playwrights to have their works fully
CVRep mixes world-class performers and intimate vibes during its expanded Summer Cabaret Series
funded, produced and staged by CVRep. Last year’s winning play was Summer Session With the Bones Brigade; the show, which received rave reviews, had a set including a life-size skate ramp.
“Last year, we did (Bones Brigade) as part of the announced season, so it was one of the five shows,” Karsten said. “This year, we’re doing five shows, and then we’re adding this show. It’s an example of how well we’re doing with the shows during the season, and how many people are staying later. The organization is able to expand further into the spring months as well.”
Karsten explained how the Origins program works.
“Each year, we take four new works that we select for staged readings,” Karsten said. “Those staged readings are open to the public and free, and then we form a committee and work to actually produce it. Last year, we did (Bones Brigade) for the second show of our season. We learned a lot from that experience, and it was really interesting. … We’re excited about what’s to come.”
CVRep after being executive artistic director for two years—but he’s learned a lot about a balanced approach to theater programming.
“I’m getting a better understanding of our audience, and knowing that, yes, our audience wants to find challenging subject matter in plays that will obviously make them think, but at some point, they also need some time to be able to be entertained,” he said. “It’s a discussion I have with my wife all the time. I think theater can be both, and it’s my job to find and prepare a season that’s balanced and can give us both.
“In the five shows that you’ll see this season, there’s a balance of musicals and plays. … It’s finding a balance that will challenge audiences and make them think, but at the same time, allow them to cathartically get lost for a moment in time and forget their worries and troubles.”
Karsten said he’s still finding his groove at
CVRep’s Summer Cabaret Series continues on most Wednesdays and Thursdays through July 25 at 68510 E. Palm Canyon Drive, in Cathedral City. All shows start at 7 p.m., and tickets are $50. For more information, visit cvrep.org.
Julie and Janna Cardia will take the CVRep stage on Wednesday, July 24.
SUMMER CABARET SERIES
CAESAR CERVISIA
JASON DAVID
HAIR STUDIO
By brett newton
LOVE YOUR HAIR
egular readers of this humble beer column likely know what this month’s installment is Firestone Walker was kind enough to once again invite me, and I made the trek to Paso
Country Club and Cook Street Palm De sert
For those who aren’t familiar, let me quickly recap what goes down every year. Firestone invites their brewer friends to Paso Robles for the weekend and typically releases a collaborative brew made with an attending brewery. (This year’s was made with Half Acre Brewing and was a tasty American pilsner.) On Saturday, the festival commences with said breweries and local eateries
760-340-5959
www.jasondavidhairstudio.net
should be a great time from start to finish, but carries the consequence of me missing out on some breweries I’d otherwise like to try.
Just one of many blessings that come with receiving a press pass is the accompanying VIP ticket to the fest. This means entering one hour early, which I did on a gorgeous, sunny, 80-degree day. The festival’s app allows attendees to view the breweries’ beer lists and make a wish list of beers. I grabbed some quick bites of food to build the crucial base in my stomach and walked over for my first pour of the day: Pliny for President from Russian River Brewing. If I had been shrewder, I would have spent that VIP hour making it to every brewery I knew would have a huge line later, but I instead chose the usual tack of enjoying myself at my own pace. This avoids any stress at what
This year’s huge lines were reserved for New Zealand’s Garage Project, Trillium, Side Project and a few others—but waiting in long lines at beer festivals is something that offends me to the very core of my being, so those will have to wait for another year.
I stopped and tried everything on offer at Wildflower Brewing & Blending‘s booth and had a lovely conversation with Topher about his beer and how everything is going in Australia. I won’t recap everything, as I gushed about his beers in last year’s column, but the barrel-aged sour ales are all brilliant, and the 2.9% alcohol-by-volume table beer was bright as could be with organic Motueka hops. I hope to someday enjoy their beers in their taproom outside of Sydney. There are not enough breweries doing stuff like they are—due in part to
This year’s Firestone Walker Invitational showcased some of the world’s best breweries
the dedication, passion, knowledge and creativity required to pull it off.
Before the large general-admission crowd entered, I was able to catch up with Julian Shrago of Beachwood Brewing. Julian is an old friend I met through friends who attended the University of California, Santa Barbara, and we share two passions: music (especially metal) and beer. We spent most of the time in a corner so I could hear the guitar tones he got thanks to our mutual friend, Ross, who is both an excellent guitarist and recording engineer. I was professional enough on our walk over to try an excellent Yuzu Session Ale at the booth of Yo-Ho Brewing (which came all the way from Nagano, Japan!), and to ask Julian how he felt about 10 years of Firestone Walker Invitationals. He said he’d been invited to all of them.
“It’s an honor, and I don’t take it for granted,” he said, adding that he strives to bring his best beer—and that goes for the Beachwood Blendery half of their killer craft-beer equation, which brought an amazing barrel-aged sour inspired by a Manhattan cocktail, with vanilla beans, maraschino cherries and Amburana wood chips. The New Zealand-hopped pale ale, Silver Fern, was equally tasty and very crushable. Find a Beachwood location—and go. Speaking of Amburana wood, Revolution Brewing had a new trick up their sleeve. They consistently bring the most refined and delicious barrel-aged strong ales at every invitational. Rioter’s Reserve 2024 is “triple bourbon barreled, double French oaked, Amburana-finished imperial stout.” At 19% ABV, this big boy is rich with dark fruit, chocolate vanilla and so much more, including the contribution from the Amburana, which imparts a flavor very similar to a cinnamon roll with icing.
I spoke at length with brewer Jim Cibak, mostly about the possibilities with Amburana, a wood native to Brazil that is huge in craft brewing today. He said the beer touched the barrel for a mere 48 hours in order to emerge with a distinct cinnamon flavor. I brought up the possibility of aging something longer and using it to blend into other barrel-aged beers, and he thought it was a good idea. All I ask is to be able to taste the results—but I usually have to wait until the next invitational to try anything from this Chicago brewery. Rioter’s Reserve and the Stoopermassive Cafe Deth barrel-aged coffee imperial stout (at a mere 14.9% ABV) were my winners yet again for best barrel-aged beers at the fest.
I’m running out of space, and I feel like I’ve barely touched the surface. I was able to try two helles lagers side by side, from Germany’s
FrauGruber and Oregon’s Heater Allen. Both were superb. I talked mostly about metal with Austin from Oakland’s Ghost Town while I sipped a Geisterfaust lager, and talked to Scott from Balter Brewing from Queensland, Australia, while I tried an IPA with NZH-109 hops that gave it a fruity, piney, slightly peppery character. Blackberry Farm from Tennessee had a killer saison that brought me back 15 years, to when people cared about saisons. After a nice conversation with a couple of women from Orlando, I was pointed toward Tampa Bay’s Green Bench, whose export lager and Alsatian pilsner were both simple and beautiful.
As I spent the last hour trying to get different brewers together for collaborations, I wound down and felt a warm feeling in my heart. The year since the last invitational was a tough one for me, but I made it, and it was worth it all. Thank you, Firestone—and keep up the brilliant work.
Brett Newton is a certified cicerone (like a sommelier for beer) and homebrewer who has mostly lived in the Coachella Valley since 1988. He can be reached at caesarcervisia@gmail.com.
Brewer Scott Hargrave came all the way from Queensland, Australia, to share Balter Brewing’s creations at the Firestone Walker Invitational. Brett Newton
VINE SOCIAL
JASON DAVID HAIR STUDIO
By Katie finn
h, summer in the desert, that special time of year that can make even a cactus reconsider
When the sun feels closer than your nosy neighbor, and you start questioning your own sanity, there are only a few things that can make the blazing heat a tad more bearable: ice cream, air conditioning—and the perfect summer wine. Since I’m sure you have the ice cream and A/C covered, I’ll leave you with my Summer Survival Wine Guide, which will help you forget you’re
Yep, it’s hot—but there are a lot of wines that can help you keep cool
ner velt-leener). This Austrian gem offers a peppery kick and mineral undertones that make it stand out from the crowd. Bonus: Gruners often come in one-liter bottles, which is very important if you have company and are forced to share your wine provisions.
delicate notes of strawberry and peach, or a bolder Spanish rosado with aromas of ripe raspberries and rose petals, rosé’s versatility and thirst-quenching qualities make it an ideal choice for those sweltering desert afternoons and evening get-togethers.
There is no doubt these are the months when white wines reign supreme. Chilled whites are like the little black dress of the wine world— always in style and always appropriate. But in the desert summer, they take on a whole new level of fabulousness. Forget about the typical chardonnay (unless it’s unoaked and chilled to perfection); I’m talking about the zippy, the zesty, and the utterly gulpable whites that can quench your thirst like nothing else.
When the weather is doing its best impression of an industrial blow dryer, it’s time to reach for something that’s cooler than a polar bear’s toenails: sauvignon blanc. This fresh white wine is full of citrusy flavors and offers
a subtle herbaceousness with a hint of green apple. Think of it as the liquid equivalent of air conditioning for your mouth. The styles from Marlborough in New Zealand, Loire Valley in France, and Sonoma County here in California are all bursting with bright, crisp notes of lime zest, lemon curd and clementine oranges, making them the perfect match for your favorite summer salads.
If sauvignon blanc and rosé are the popular kids, Albariño is the cool exchange student everyone wants to get to know. This Spanish white wine jumps out of your glass with flavors of peach, apricot and a hint of salty sea air. It has more weight and body than a sauvignon blanc but is still light on its feet and offers up beautiful aromas of blossoms and white flowers. It’s like a beach vacation in a bottle— minus the sand in uncomfortable places. While Spain is the original home of Albarino, I adore the Bodega Garzon Albarino from Uruguay; here in California, Edna Valley and Lodi are creating some excellent examples as well.
If you’re feeling a bit more adventurous, you can take your taste buds on a global adventure with some crisp and delicious (albeit hard to pronounce) wines, like Gruner Veltliner (grew-
Spain’s Basque region is known for a vibrant and zippy white known as Txakolina (cha-kolean-ah). It is made from an indigenous grape called Hondarrabi Zuri, and you’ll love this wine’s flavors of fresh herbs and citrus fruits, with a little salinity and a subtle effervescence. Don’t let the tall, skinny shape of the bottle fool you: This wine is bone dry and goes down dangerously easy.
We can’t talk about summer wines without mentioning Vinho Verde, Portugal’s gift to parched throats everywhere. This young, slightly fizzy wine is a revelation for anyone looking for a perfect day-drinking beverage. With its low alcohol content and bright, citrusy flavors, Vinho Verde is practically begging to be enjoyed under misters and an umbrella. It’s light enough to drink all day without feeling like you need a nap by noon, and it pairs beautifully with ceviche, sushi and lots of sunblock.
Lastly, don’t forget you can always cool down those red wines, too! In fact, there is an entire category of reds that are meant to be chilled. Yes, you heard it right—red wines that love the fridge. There is something so delightful about sipping a glass of chilled Beaujolais, grenache or Trousseau, or a light pinot noir, while basking in (or hiding from) the 110°F heat. These wines, ideally served at a cool 55°F, offer a surprising burst of refreshment. Their light body and fruity profiles make them the perfect companion with everything from grilled veggies to barbecue ribs.
So, there you have it—a lineup of wines to help you not only survive, but thrive in the desert heat. Remember, the key to summer wine enjoyment is keeping it chilled and light, much like your sense of humor during a power outage in August. So go ahead, pour yourself a glass—and toast to making it through another scorching day. Cheers!
Katie Finn is a certified sommelier and certified specialist of wine with two decades in the wine industry. She can be reached at katiefinnwine@ gmail.com.
FOOD & DRINK INDY ENDORSEMENT
the 3 Restaurants Unlimited Flavors
We have a breakfast sandwich in Palm Springs, and an eggy appetizer on El Paseo
By Jimmy Boegle
WHAT The 5-alarm panini
WHERE Play Lounge and Café, 2825 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way, Palm Springs HOW MUCH $10 CONTACT 760-808-8588; www.playloungeps.com
WHY It’s an addictive breakfast sandwich. I’ve been trying to eat just one meal a day in recent weeks—it’s time for me to lose some weight, alas—and for work and social reasons, that one meal is usually dinner.
WHAT Overstuffed bacon and eggs
WHERE Shorebird, 73061 El Paseo, Palm Desert HOW MUCH $12
CONTACT 760-404-0455; shorebirdrestaurant.com
WHY It’s a unique twist on a classic treat. Ah, the deviled egg. It’s an all-American appetizer classic—a staple at potlucks and summer barbecues across the country.
But Play Lounge has been making it rather challenging for me to skip breakfast and lunch, because my office is quite close to the café— and the breakfast sandwich there is soooo darned tasty. The sandwich is called the “5-Alarm Panini,” and it includes egg, cheddar cheese, house-made salsa and a protein (bacon, ham, sausage or a Beyond patty), all on warm, pillowy ciabatta. It’s simple, but it’s delicious. The salsa adds a nice little kick; it’s more like a two-alarm level of spiciness, not five, but that kick enhances the other ingredients. Yum.
If breakfast sandwiches aren’t your thing, no worries; Play Lounge offers an increasingly large variety of eats, including multiple sandwiches, salads, flatbread pizzas and baked goods, in addition to coffee, beer, wine and other drinks.
You can enjoy this fare while playing board games, or enjoying a variety of events, including cribbage, trivia, karaoke and game nights; a Sunday brunch featuring Best of Coachella Valley winner Keisha D; other concerts; and special food-related events, such as an ice cream social scheduled for 1 p.m., Saturday, July 13. Owner Matt Irby has done an incredible job of creating both a great coffee shop and a community hub for lower-key gatherings and events.
Even if you’re not located close to Play Lounge like I am, it’s definitely worth a visit—for both good food and a welcoming, inclusive vibe.
But you’ve almost certainly never seen deviled eggs like the ones on the menu at Shorebird, a newer “coastal” restaurant located at The Shops on El Paseo. These overstuffed eggs are tall, stacked with swirled mixture of egg, celery, bacon, chives and paprika. Additionally, each of the four pieces is affixed to the plate with yet more of that egg mixture.
The egg concoction is well-seasoned and delicious, if slightly grainy, while bits of wonderful crispy bacon are sprinkled on the top of each egg and all around the plate. While I suppose individuals with large mouths could eat an entire egg with one bite, I would not advise it; instead, I recommend grabbing a spoon—and having at it.
The Palm Desert spot is the third Shorebird location, following Newport Beach and Sedona, with a fourth soon to come in San Diego. In addition to starters, soups, salads and sandwiches, offerings include taco platters, meats prepared over “almond wood fire,” a handful of cooked seafood dishes, raw oysters, and a variety of sushi, including rolls, sashimi and nigiri. (An endorsement within an endorsement goes to the carne adovada taco platter, featuring Santa Fe-style smoked pork shoulder; boy, it was tasty.)
The management at Shorebird has their work cut out for them, to make the place stand out among the plethora of meat-andseafood spots on El Paseo. However, I really enjoyed our recent dinner visit. The service was top-notch; the vibe was slightly upscale yet casual—and those eggs were both enjoyable and unique.
By charles drabkin
LAW BANNING RESTAURANT SURCHARGES MAY—OR MAY NOT—TAKE EFFECT
Barring a last-minute change, a new California law banning restaurant surcharges and other “junk” fees on bills will go into effect on July 1—but that last-minute change may be coming. According to the new law, passed last year as Senate Bill 478: If a restaurant charges a mandatory fee, it must be included in the displayed price. Under the law, a restaurant cannot charge an additional surcharge on top of the price listed. This is great news for diners! However, at our press deadline, a bill was moving through the California Legislature that would soften the new law. So what will happen? Stay tuned; we’ll keep you posted.
SUMMER HELP FOR PEOPLE IN NEED
It’s summer, and school’s out—but hungry adults and kids still need food. Here is some news on local efforts to address food insecurity:
• Food pantries remain open on all College of the Desert campuses for students enrolled in at least one class.
• The state has a new summer food program in 2024. Families with school-aged children who qualify for free and reduced-price meals through CalFresh, CalWORKS or Medicare, as well as children attending Head Start, experiencing homelessness, living in foster care or part of immigrant families, will be automatically enrolled in the SUN Bucks program, which provides $40 per month for each child in June, July and August. Learn more at cdss.ca.gov/sun-bucks.
• The food bank run by the LGBTQ Center of the Desert has eliminated its wait list for accessing its services. The food bank, at 610 S. Belardo Road, in Palm Springs, is open to everyone from 5 to 7 p.m. each Thursday regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.
IN BRIEF
Congratulations to chef Antonello Zito of Palmina by Puglia, at 2500 N. Palm Canyon Drive, in Palm Springs, for winning the “Battle Italiano” on longtime Food Network TV show Chopped. To celebrate, the restaurant is offering a special menu of appetizers, an entrée or pizza, and a glass of wine for $39.95. Learn more at www.palminabypuglia.com. … Palm Springs Wine Tasting and The Good House, at 12885 Eliseo Road, in Desert Hot Springs, have launched a Soak and Sip series combining wine, food and a relaxing soak in the mineral-rich waters of The Good House’s pool. From 6 to 9 p.m., Saturday, July 27, they will feature six summertime wines and handmade pizzas, crudites and cheeses. Tickets are $50; more information can be found at palmspringswinetasting. com. … Call it the Chef Shuffle. Chef Jeremy Loomis, formerly of Trio Restaurant in Palm Springs, has moved to La Quinta Cliffhouse, at 78250 Highway 111. He tells me he will slowly adjust the menu and honor the restaurant’s long history. Meanwhile, chef Gladis Lizarraga has taken over the kitchen at Trio, at 707 N. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs, with a mission to expand the seasonal offerings while maintaining the quality and reputation of Trio. Chef Lizarraga was most recently heading the kitchen at Wildest Restaurant and Bar, at 72990 El Paseo in Palm Desert. … A new coffee house has opened in Indio. K-Fé 7, at 43763 E. Circle Drive, is a faith-inspired coffee shop where every cup comes with a touch of scripture. Learn more at www.instagram.com/ kfe7coffee. … Also new in Indio: Italica, at 82867 Miles Ave., aims to create an immersive Italian experience with food, cocktails and decor. The restaurant enforces a strict upscale dress code—a rarity here in the desert—so dress up before you go to enjoy pasta. See the full menu and check out the vibe italica.bar. … A third valley location of Dave’s Hot Chicken has opened at 31875 Date Palm Drive, in Cathedral City, so those in the west valley now have an opportunity to get chicken tenders ranging in spice level from “no spice” to “reaper”; get details at daveshotchicken.com. … This summer, Maleza at the Drift Palm Springs, at 284 S. Indian Canyon Drive, is taking a break from regular service. But don’t worry—you can still get your taco on thanks to their “taco pop-up,” featuring tacos, crudos and cocktails through September. Two tacos will cost between $14 to $16, with happy hour fish and carnitas tacos costing just $6. See the full menu at malezapalmsprings. co. … Joyce’s Sushi has opened a second location at 425 S. Sunrise Way, in Palm Springs, in the space formerly occupied by Asadero Los Corrales. The Rancho Mirage location is well known for its whole tuna-cutting demonstrations. Get details at joycessushiranchomirage.com. … Popular Palm Springs eatery Birba (622 N. Palm Canyon Drive) will open a full-service restaurant in the Desert Hills Premium Outlets, at 48400 Seminole Drive, in Cabazon. This is being billed as the first full-service restaurant at the outlets. Get more info at birbaf10.com. Do you have a hot tip or
to share? Reach out: foodnews@cvindependent.com.
MUSIC
MOUNTAINS OF EDUCATION
By matt king
Just up the mountain from the Coachella Valley, the gorgeous town of Idyllwild will welcome visitors to the Idyllwild Arts Academy for Jazz in the Pines.
Part concert series, part fundraiser and part teaching experience, Jazz in the Pines features the academy’s students performing alongside music greats, including Grammy Award winners. The two-week festival will run from June 30 through July 13—for one final time.
During a recent phone interview with Pamela Jordan, president of the Idyllwild Arts Foundation, she discussed how Jazz in the Pines came to be three decades ago.
“They started with the one-day festival, and at the time, it was sponsored by and hosted by a group called the Associates of Idyllwild Arts Foundation,” Jordan said. “They actually hosted it for 20 years before turning it over to the school to run, although it’s been on our campus the entire time. Dr. Marshall Hawkins (co-founder of Jazz in the Pines) was very well known, having played with Miles Davis and Richie Cole and many other greats. They took it the next year to a two-day festival, and then it turned into a three-day festival, running several stages at a time. We sought to change the format of it for the 25th anniversary, because it happened at a time on our campus when there were no students, and we really wanted our students to benefit from these jazz greats who were coming up and playing on our campus.
“We took a hiatus after the 25th anniversary—not knowing that COVID was coming. We did come back in 2022, and we moved the festival from early August to early July, when we have about 70 jazz students in our summer program on our campus. We have John Daversa, who is a Grammy winner, and Wayne Bergeron, another Grammy (nominee), coming up specifically for that jazz camp.”
Jordan explained why this year’s Jazz in the Pines, the 30th edition of the festival, will be the last.
“It was a really tough decision to make, and in fact, Marshall Hawkins, who’s turning 85 years old this year, when I was talking to him about the possibility of this, he looked at me and simply said, ‘Mission accomplished,’” Jordan said. “… It became very clear that we needed to return our attention back to our primary purpose, and that’s concentrating on teaching and learning and the health and wellness of our students. We needed to provide more resources to students, even in our summer program, but especially in our academy. We needed to provide more support, and we needed to ensure that we returned to arts-education excellence following a pandemic. … It’s
a very difficult decision, but we know it’s the right decision. We can already see our students returning to their vibrant selves when they come to campus. It was a tough decision, but well worth it if it meant caring for our students in a way that they need it.”
While Jazz in the Pines is great for attendees to enjoy great weather and even better music, the festival provides priceless education to all of the students involved.
“During the summer program, when Jazz in the Pines happens, the students really are in the presence of legends,” Jordan said. “… I mentioned John Daversa, who’s an incredible trumpeter, and those students in Wayne Bergeron’s group. Students are broken out into different bands, and they actually have two concerts during the Jazz in the Pines period. I’ve heard them play music that John Daversa wrote and created, that I’ve heard his big band play, so they’re … being directed by jazz legends, and that’s a very rare occurrence. It can’t happen on a regular basis in an academy, because you just don’t have access to people like that all the time. You can just tell the difference. They have their first concert at the end of their first week, and it’s good—but by the time they have their second concert, you can just see so much incredible growth from those students.”
Festival attendees are often awed by the level of talent exhibited by Idyllwild Arts Academy students.
“We have nearly 300 students who come from over 30 countries, so they’re very, very talented in our academy. In the summer, you get a lot of parents and visitors who are not familiar with our students, so when they hear them play, they’re very impressed,” Jordan said. “There’s also something about this particular setting, and (attendees) see and hear how being in the woods and being in nature really complements what the students are doing. … The feedback from the visitors seeing the students is, ‘I can’t believe these are high school students.’”
Jordan explained how the academy attracts such top-notch students.
“These students have to audition or have a portfolio review to get into the school, and that means that nobody is pointing them on this path,” Jordan said. “They know that they
Jazz in the Pines at the Idyllwild Arts Academy is taking a final bow after 30 years
are an artist, and they want to pursue that path, and they want to do it with other young people who also have a passion in the arts. It doesn’t necessarily mean they want a career in that, but they’re very passionate about art and creativity, and they want to be in that environment. … That’s part of the immersion that an academy student gets. While they are learning their craft—learning to play their instrument, or learning to be a visual artist—they’re also doing it with roommates from other parts of the country.”
Jordan takes pride in the fact that students leave Idyllwild Arts Academy as “citizen artists.”
“We have a program that we call Art in Society. No matter how long a student is here, we want to make sure they’re thinking about who they are as a creative being, and what impact they want to have in the world,” she said. “We call them ‘citizen artists,’ and we have a weekly assembly in the academy that we call an allschool gathering, and it ends every week, as it has since the beginning of our academy, with the head of school saying, ‘Remember who you are,’ and the students respond, ‘And what you stand for.’ That’s at the center and the heart of what they do. They go out, and they become incredible professionals, both in the arts and outside of the arts. … There are many art schools around the country, but the difference here is that you emerge as a citizen artist.”
Jordan encouraged people unfamiliar with
the Idyllwild Arts Academy to learn more.
“It feels like no matter what we do, not enough people know about it, or they think about Idyllwild Arts as a very narrow experience,” Jordan said. “(People think that) if you go and study the arts, then you only have one path forward for your career, but that is not true. I think people should make a trip up to Idyllwild and make a trip to our campus; all of our performances throughout the year are free and open to the public. Our theater students just did an incredible production of Cabaret Our film department has an IdyFilm Award ceremony that is up there with the Academy Awards. They have put it together with a house band and opening singers. There are always things going on at the campus for people to get a better understanding of who we are—and, of course, we hope that they support us.
“Most importantly, Idyllwild Arts is a very special place for the right student. If parents know that their child is creative and interested in being in an environment where creativity is really the center, I hope they consider enrolling.”
Jazz in the Pines will take place Sunday, June 30, through Saturday, July 13, at Idyllwild Arts Academy, 52500 Temecula Road, No. 38, in IdyllwildPine Cove. Ticket prices vary, with some shows being free. Some events take place off-campus. For a complete schedule and tickets, visit idyllwildarts. org/jazz-in-the-pines.
The Idyllwild Arts Academy’s Euphoria Brass Band. courtesy of Idyllwild Arts
MUSIC
YOUTH-DRIVEN ROCK
By matt king
Youth-led musical projects are packing local venues—and a large number of those young rockers have the Academy of Musical Performance to thank.
The Academy of Musical Performance, known as AMP, is a music-education program based in downtown Indio. Students ages 8 through 18 go through a number of musical-learning environments—most notably, AMP’s Rock Band program. Students are placed in bands, and
while learning more about playing and creating music, they learn cover songs and perform them in their assigned band.
AMP’s Summer Camp is returning from July 8-26, culminating with a final showcase from 2 to 4 p.m. and 5 to 7 p.m., Saturday, July 27, at College of the Desert, in Palm Desert.
During a recent interview with Abie Perkins, AMP’s musical director, he talked about this year’s AMP Summer Camp, which this year will take place on the COD campus.
“In the past, we’ve had them get in bands and stuff like that, which we still would do, but because we’re at the College of the Desert, they’re also going to offer a commercial music-production program,” Perkins said. “They have a room that, being a keyboardist and a sound engineer, I was just salivating over, because it’s literally a room of keyboards and computers. They’re going to teach them how to do their own recordings and possibly make their own beats and things like that. This year, we’re still going to have them in bands … but we’re also going to teach them some real-life skills: ‘This is how you set up a PA properly.’ ‘This is how you use a microphone properly.’ ‘This is how you advertise your band or your act properly.’ ‘This is how you make an (electronic press kit).’ Anything that we do as professional musicians in the business, we want to teach them these skills, so if they stay in the field, they’re ready to go.”
I’ve covered many musicians and bands who have come from the AMP program. Perkins provided a few more examples of the academy’s hard work paying off.
“My oldest daughter is at Cal Poly Pomona studying music industry,” Perkins said. “She went through the AMP program for five years, and she not only became the musician who she is by going through the program; she also became, in my opinion, a better person. Our motto is, ‘Create, communicate, collaborate,’ and we want them to learn how to collaborate with folks, so she’s now working for a nonprofit organization—doing slightly different stuff than AMP, but because of the foundation that she’s learned here at
AMP, not only is she good at producing; she’s good at talking with people and doing the stuff that you need as a musician, and just in my opinion, as a good human being.”
Another great example is a new band called Whitewater. Led by Jason Zembo (formerly of Pescaterritory) and two other AMP alumni, the band has quickly gained a sizable following on TikTok and Instagram thanks to a faithful approach to classic ’90s rock gems. Check out more at www.instagram.com/ whitewater.official.
“Jason Zembo was one of my first students in my first year of camp, and to see the growth he has taken—it’s just leaps and bounds from the last time I saw that kid,” Perkins said. “Daniel (Duardo), the drummer, has been trying to find a band, and I remember the last time I talked to him … I said, ‘Hey, the hardest part is finding that right connection, but once you find it, you’ll know it’—and they finally found it. When I saw them, it was during Coachella, and I was like, ‘You guys could have easily been at Coachella.’ It just makes me proud to see how much they’ve grown, how much they took the experiences and everything that we tried to teach them, and they utilized it.”
This is the 10th year for AMP.
“It’s been a great experience,” Perkins said. “The program’s been around 10 years, and I’ve been with the program nine, so I’ve gotten to see just so much. Even seeing the alumni, sometimes it does remind me I’m getting old, but it also reminds me that this program really is awesome.”
A few years ago, AMP moved into a space on Miles Avenue and has had a front row seat for the music-driven revitalization of downtown Indio. The city’s Second Saturdays event recently featured a performance by AMP alumnus Jordan Austin.
“It’s all coming together, and everything that’s happening on this street right now is really uplifting,” Perkins said. “It’s really inspiring. When it’s all said and done, if everything goes correctly, there are going to be five stages on this street alone that kids can play on.”
As AMP looks toward its second decade,
The Academy of Musical Performance celebrates 10 years of education with the annual AMP Summer Camp
Perkins and his team are looking forward to offering even more.
“When I came on board, it was considered a contemporary music program,” Perkins said. “It was inspired by the School of Rock, and I got that. I remember my first year, we were more focused on singer-songwriting, writing your own originals, and then somewhere within my third year, all of a sudden, we became like, ‘Let’s just do rock and Led Zeppelin and Rolling Stones,’ and I’m like, ‘Wait a minute. What happened to all the original music and the songwriting?’ So I’m telling the board members everything I remember about the first year and how it
was more about contemporary music and doing what the kids love to do, and not just so focused on rock ’n’ roll. Michele Penn (AMP’s executive administrator) pulled out these little thumb drives from the first year of AMP, so I’m watching the videos, and literally everything that I was talking about going back to is what they wanted to start with the first year. … Now, up to the 10th year, I see that we’ve literally come full circle.”
AMP’s Summer Showcase will take place at 2 and 5 p.m., Saturday, July 27, at College of the Desert, 43500 Monterey Ave., in Palm Desert. For more information, visit ampcv.org.
The Academy of Musical Performance is open to students ages 8 to 18. courtesy of AMP
MUSIC
BUBBLY AND BADASS
By matt king
You’d be hard-pressed to find a band more unique than the glammy-punk SoCal pop-rock outfit known as Redd Kross.
Since 1978, brothers Jeff and Steve McDonald have left indelible marks on every genre they have approached, inspiring bands like Black Flag, Melvins, Red Hot Chili Peppers and others. Their mix of bubbly and badass led to hits like “Linda Blair” and “Annette’s Got the Hits.”
This is shaping up to be a huge year for Redd Kross. Documentary Born Innocent: The Redd Kross Story is on the film-festival circuit, while the book Now You’re One of Us: The Incredible Story of Redd Kross is being prepared for an Oct. 24 release. The band was slayed to drop a self-titled-double LP in late June and head on tour—while making a special stop at Pappy & Harriet’s on Wednesday, July 3.
During a recent Zoom interview with Jeff McDonald, he said 2024’s happenings are welcome, but “not overwhelming.”
“It’s kind of a surprise that all this stuff all came to fruition at the same time,” said McDonald. “The movie Born Innocent: The Redd Kross Story was started eight years ago. Andrew Reich, the director, just periodically dropped in and did interviews with us and collected footage. We didn’t make the movie; it’s his vision of who we are, so that was just kind of always in the background. The book, Now You’re One of Us: The Incredible Story of Redd Kross, was brewing as well. We weren’t even planning on making an album until we were commissioned to do a song for the film, and we had such a great time working with our producer, Josh Klinghoffer. … Steve had some time off from touring, so we just kind of went in there and started recording an album. It ended up turning into a double album, and then all of a sudden everything is coming out at once.”
The Redd Kross book is a companion piece, of sorts, to the film, and includes some stories that didn’t make it into the film—and things that weren’t allowed to be shown on camera.
“Andrew created the film to be for fans of Redd Kross, but it’s also a story that’s interesting to people who’ve never heard of us,” McDonald said. “It’s really an interesting tale, but it’s a 90-minute movie … (and) hardcore fans who have followed us for decades, they’re like, ‘What? You didn’t cover this; you didn’t cover that.’ Fortunately, the book is a companion piece so we can really get into the weeds about all that insane stuff.”
McDonald said he’s enjoyed reliving moments from the past.
“When we started playing music live, it was the bitter end of the ’70s, early ’80s, and there was no video,” he said. “People didn’t film
shows; people didn’t have cameras … so the only ones who ever photographed shows were people who drug their whole photo studio with them to a gig. It’s almost like it was the 1930s or something, and we’re Robert Johnson. I thought there wasn’t a lot of source material, but actually there was much more than I thought. … With social media, it’s amazing how people pop up with these photos that I didn’t know existed. It’s really neat to have them in a film, the photos and then the rare television or cable television appearances.”
One of the most exciting moments of the documentary is footage from one of Redd Kross’ first television appearances on a Los Angeles TV show.
“There was a show called New Wave Theatre that ran on cable in Los Angeles just for a couple of years in the really early ’80s,” McDonald said. “It was hosted by Peter Ivers, who was famous for his role in David Lynch’s Eraserhead. This show actually had some of the only known TV footage of groups like 45 Grave, Circle Jerks and all these L.A. bands that had never been on television. We had done a couple of tapings, and I had never seen them, and one of the tapings, which I thought was forever lost, showed up in the film. I was completely, insanely stoked. Steven is, like, 14, and it is television broadcast quality.”
Redd Kross began when Jeff and Steve were 15 and 11, respectively. Jeff explained how his brotherly bond has allowed Redd Kross to remain a constant force.
“Steven and I are brothers, so anytime we felt like working or making a record and doing tours, we would just make plans and do it, because we already have this relationship,” he said.
A big shift in their lives came when Redd Kross took a near-decade hiatus in 1999.
“We had a nine-year hiatus from performing live, and that was really interesting, but at the same time, we were still creative,” McDonald said. “Steven was doing a lot of bass for hire. … I had a child, and I was just kind of having fun, making weird films and doing experimental recording. … It was really cool to have that kind of almost-decade to just do what we wanted, and maybe that’s another reason why we’re still doing it today.”
The
band Redd Kross makes a stop at Pappy & Harriet’s
with a new album, a documentary and an upcoming book
The making of Born Innocent: The Redd Kross Story reminded the brothers how—even though they hit just as hard as many of the other punk, metal and rock bands—their glam, bubblegum and pop tendencies have always stuck out.
“For some of our tours, we would end up in Seattle, and it was in the time before the grunge explosion, but all those bands were just kind of starting, so they were all Redd Kross fans from the time we made our Neurotica album,” McDonald said. “Seeing interviews with the guys from Soundgarden or the Melvins talking about Nirvana, everyone always considered us extremely happy, and playing on a bill with us would be strange, because they didn’t have any happy songs. I never even saw it that way. I mean, we were always very happy to be performing and playing rock ’n’ roll music, but we didn’t know that we carried such a sunny disposition. We were probably just as miserable as those guys, but it wasn’t really part of our image.”
Some of Redd Kross’ first shows were with hardcore punk pioneers Black Flag.
“Those shows were great,” McDonald said. “That was before there were a bunch of suburban hardcore bands. All the bands in Los Angeles were all art-school students or people left over from the glitter scene. Black Flag was one of the first kinds of heavy bands to come from
the L.A. punk scene, so if you were to go to those shows at the time, it would be extreme pop, extreme art rock, heavy Black Flag, and then pop, like we were. … L.A. was like that for maybe a year and a half to two years before it kind of switched over to full hardcore.”
The McDonald brothers are fully aware that a double-record in 2024 is odd, but they are excited to have a creative surplus at this stage in their career.
“Most people don’t have a surplus of good material in their 45th year, and we just happen to have a lot of really good songs that kind of span our entire catalog,” McDonald said. “We didn’t intentionally make a record that sounds like all of our records combined, but it kind of sounds like that. It has the total double-record journey, which is cliche and stupid, but it really plays well as a record. I know it’s a novelty to play a record all the way through in this day and age, but that experience is really great, and anyone who wants to experience what it’s like to put a record on and listen to it from beginning to end, they’re going to know what it’s like with our new record.”
Redd Kross will perform at 8 p.m., Wednesday, July 3, at Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace, 53688 Pioneertown Road, in Pioneertown. Tickets are $25. For tickets and more information, call 760-228-2222 visit pappyandharriets.com.
Redd Kross. WANDA MARTIN
MUSIC
MEANING IN METAL
TThe Venue REPORT
Shark Fin makes heavy music even heavier with symbolism, emotionally driven lyrics
By matt king
he surge in the Coachella Valley’s metal, hardcore and counterculture scene can be attributed, in part, to the meaningful songwriting from many bands.
Shark Fin has been giving the desert something to mosh about, as their mix of metal and hardcore hits even heavier when someone listens to the lyrics—helping the listener understand the message of the band. The rockers from Twentynine Palms are Joseph Gonzales (vocals and
guitar), Malachai Rosmino (bass) and Seth Garleb (vocals). Shark Fin is set to release the album Eventide on Tuesday, July 9.
During a recent interview with Joseph Gonzales, he discussed how the hard and heavy band was formed out of the ashes of an indierock group.
“Shark Fin was formed in 2018, and it’s the product of me and the bassist,” Gonzales said. “We just were getting out of another indie band where I was playing drums, and we were itching to play our own music, because we were playing another person’s music and a lot of covers. We essentially talked to our high school buddies, and we were like, ‘Hey, let’s get the old high school band back together,’ and that’s pretty much what we did.”
Shark Fin’s mix of intense riffs, spiraling lead lines, ferocious drumming and emotionally driven screams and growls reared its head in the early stages of the band’s formation, taking inspiration from each of the founding members’ styles, resulting in a concoction of punk, emo and hardcore.
“We recorded our first at-home EP, called December, and we just recycled some old songs that we wrote in high school and tried to make them better, and wrote some new ones,” Gonzales said. “Instead of playing indie stuff, we
wanted to venture into the heavier music that we grew up listening to together. It’s a clash of genres. Our bassist was really big into punk; I was really big into emo; and our singer at the time brought a more hardcore aspect to it.”
New singles “Distilled Habits” and “Lurking in the Depths” contain catchy riffs and vocal phrases that have engaged audiences—but there are deeper meanings behind lyrics like “Another excuse to avoid the blame / Blatant misuse to block the pain / End of the day, it’s all the same,” from “Distilled Habits.”
“We wanted to make our favorite music that we could put a message behind that we agreed with,” Gonzales said. “We’ve (borne) witness to having addictions, not just alcohol, and that’s something that’s been prevalent in our lives. If we’re feeling like this, someone else is bound to feel like this as well. We wanted to put that in our music.”
Gonzales said the band is very lyric-oriented.
“You’ll hear it on the album, but we’re trying to paint a picture and tell a story, and I think people will appreciate that,” he said.
Eventide provides a brutal mix of metal jams, and the stories enhance the depth of what listeners will take away. “Liquid Courage” discusses the dangers of alcoholism with the refrain, “Drink all your liquor so you get sicker,” while
“Buried in Black” deals with loss via lyrics like, “I fucking miss you, now there’s no turning back.”
“I feel like struggle is a part of the human condition, and some people either learn to roll with the punches, or let them overcome them,” Gonzales said. “I think maybe some guidance in some places might help people overcome that, and maybe see that they’re not alone. I hope people draw comfort from that.”
In other moments on the album, the members of Shark Fin swim through multiple subgenres of metal. “Artificial Enemy” is reminiscent of classic thrash metal, with some moments of hardcore breakdowns sprinkled in; “Breaching the Water” experiments with the trippy, effects-pedal fun of modern metalcore. This genre fusion is one of the many reasons for Shark Fin’s growing support across the desert.
“The valley has been so supportive of us— and we’re not even actually from there,” Gonzales said. “It’s so hard to get things going up where we are (in Twentynine Palms). You could count on one hand how many actual hardcore bands are up here—and it doesn’t even have to be hardcore; it’s just any heavy bands.”
Even the band’s name plays a role in the overall message of their journey.
“The band name Shark Fin is derived from the idea that the shark is your problem, and you’re cast out to sea, and a lot of people are afraid of that,” Gonzales said. “We want the shark to represent your fears and troubles.”
The stunning album cover for Eventide features a swirling vortex in the middle of the ocean, while a ship, trapped in a bottle, is seen between the vortex and a giant shark fin.
“We use a lot of symbolism in the lyrics and also in the picture itself, because the ship in the bottle is supposed to be you—and you’re in turbulent waters,” Gonzales said. “Maybe in your life, you’re going through some stuff, and the vortex is about to suck you in, surrounded by maybe toxic people in your life. Having gone through a lot of things myself, I really related to that picture.”
Gonzales is most excited for the desert to hear the final track on the album.
“The last track on the album, ‘Megalodon,’ is probably the hardest song, musically and lyrically, but it also sends a really awesome message that I love,” he said. “One of the opening verse lines is: “‘Stuck in the dark of our minds / Don’t even have a place to hide / We’re searching for the answers / and the bottom of a bottle holds advice.’”
Learn more at instagram.com/sharkfin_music.
JuLY 2024
By
matt king
Il Divo
Happy July! Here’s a taste of what the desert’s entertainment scene has to offer this month. Acrisure Arena is hosting two events—one featuring 1990s icons, and another featuring a new star. At 7 p.m., Saturday, July 6, New Kids on the Block will bring their boy-band legend to Palm Desert. Openers include Paula Abdul and DJ Jazzy Jeff. Tickets start at $27. At 8 p.m., Saturday, July 13, one of the kings of the modern Mexican music scene, Junior H will set the area ablaze with his Spanish hits. Tickets start at $128. Acrisure Arena, 75702 Varner Road, Palm Desert; 888-695-8778; www. acrisurearena.com.
Fantasy Springs has two events worth bearing the heat. At 8 p.m., Saturday, July 6, the “Godmother of Soul,” Patti LaBelle, will grace the Indio stage. Come experience this one-of-a-kind talent, still belting out R&B goodness at age 80. Tickets start at $59. At 8 p.m., Saturday, July 13, multinational vocal group Il Divo will celebrate 20 years of music and harmony. Tickets available as of this writing start at $79. Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, 84245 Indio Springs Parkway, Indio; 760-342-5000; www.fantasyspringsresort.com.
Spotlight 29 features a diverse lineup. At 7 p.m., Saturday, July 6, celebrate the legacy of The Eagles with Hotel California, a band that pays tribute to both the legendary band and the iconic album. Tickets start at $10. At 8 p.m., Friday, July 19, rapper, singer and No. 1-hit-maker Flo Rida will fire through his wildly popular discography. Tickets start at $50. At 8 p.m., Saturday July 20, regional Mexican music performer and songwriter Pancho Barraza will head to Coachella. Tickets start at $40. Spotlight 29 Casino, 46200 Harrison Place, Coachella; 760-775-5566; www. spotlight29.com.
Morongo is hosting some unique live music in Cabazon. At 8 p.m., Friday, July
CVINDEPENDENT.COM/SUPPORTERS
The Venue REPORT
continued from page 27
19, Enigma Norteno and Luis Mexia will combine for an evening of Spanish jams. Tickets start at $49. At 8 p.m., Friday, July 26, reggae and pop hybrid UB40, the band behind “Red Red Wine,” is set to perform. Tickets started at $117 as of our press deadline. At 8 p.m., Saturday, July 27, actor, singer and former member of boy band B2K, Omarion will perform an evening of R&B tracks. Tickets start at $69. Morongo Casino Resort Spa, 49500 Seminole Drive, Cabazon; 800-252-4499; www. morongocasinoresort.com.
Agua Caliente is hosting a nonstop schedule in July. At 8 p.m., Saturday, July 6, comic Tom Papa, who preaches unity through stupidity, will perform a standup set. Tickets start at $35. At 8 p.m., Friday, July 12, Southern rockers 38 Special will celebrate four decades of arena-rock hits. Tickets start at $35. At 6:30 p.m., Saturday, July 13, Armenian singer Sirusho will perform an evening of Armenian music that mixes traditional and modern sounds. Tickets start at $50. At 8 p.m., Friday, July 19, honor the legacy of reggae music and the Marley family with Ziggy Marley, an accomplished musician and Grammy Award winner in his own right thanks to his mix of reggae and funk. Tickets start at $75. At 8 p.m., Saturday, July 27, classic-rockers Cheap Trick celebrate five decades of pop hooks and badass riffs. Tickets start at $65.
Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa Rancho Mirage, 32250 Bob Hope Drive, Rancho Mirage; 888-999-1995; www.aguacalientecasinos.com.
Agua Caliente in Palm Springs’ residencies are on fire this month. Desert Blues Revival Wednesdays showcase the blues-guitar-led Robert Parker Jr. Trio (July 3), Brazilian guitarist and California harmonica duo Celso Salim and Darryl Carriere (July 10), Bill Magee Blues (starring the former Hendrix bandmate, July 17), local rockmixers The Desert Crows (July 24) and the upbeat rockabilly blues of The Jackpot Club (July 31). Shows are at 7 p.m., and
tickets start from $10 to $15, available at eventspalmsprings.com. Carousel Thursdays bring 1960s jazz and blues from Brass Brothers (July 11), the spirit of Sinatra performed by Douglas Roegiers (July 18) and a tribute to Nina Simone from Claude Hall (July 25). Shows are at 7 p.m., and tickets start from $10 to $15, available at eventspalmsprings.com. For big-name comedy: Paul Reiser will perform at 8 p.m., Saturday, July 13, and Cristela Alonzo will take the Cascade Lounge stage 8 p.m., Saturday, July 27. Tickets for both shows start at $40. Agua Caliente Casino Palm Springs, 401 E. Amado Road, Palm Springs; 888-999-1995; www.aguacalientecasinos.com.
Pappy and Harriet’s has the goods this summer; here are some highlights. At 9:30 p.m., Friday, July 5, fuzzed-out country rocker Tennessee Jet will electrify Pappy’s indoor stage with heavy-Western tunes. Tickets are $17.50, or $15 per person in a four-pack. At 9:30 p.m., Saturday, July 6, modern honky-tonk performer Emily Nenni will rock Pioneertown. Tickets are $15. Multigenre rock outfit Cracker returns to the desert for another two-night stay at 9 p.m., Thursday, July 25, and 9:30 p.m., Friday, July 26. Tickets are $39.50 for each night. At 9:30 p.m., Saturday, July 27, experimental ’70s musician Gary Wilson will perform an intimate evening. Tickets are $22 in advance. Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace, 53688 Pioneertown Road, Pioneertown; 760-228-2222; www.pappyandharriets.com.
Oscar’s in Palm Springs features one special event on top of their residencies. At 7 p.m., Tuesday, July 16, director Robert Drake will lead a cabaret show featuring performances by Katy Monroe, Carole Hampton, Jimmy Emerson, Vickie Rabjon and the Robert Drake Trio. Tickets start at $39.95. Tickets include a $25 food-and-drink minimum. Oscar’s Palm Springs, 125 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way, Palm Springs; 760-325-1188; oscarspalmsprings.com/ events.
Cracker
Jason Thrasher
MUSIC
LUCKY 13 the
Get to better know a repair master gone viral, and a desert-rock icon making a comeback
by matt king
NAME Jayce Levi
OWNER Sunny Sounds Recording Studio, Repairland
MORE INFO Jayce Levi is the mastermind behind a number of musical projects, but has recently been best known for his work running Sunny Sounds Recording Studio, where he offers his production expertise and impressive resume, as well as Repairland, where he fixes up, revives and cleans instruments. Levi recently moved his two businesses to Indio— he’s celebrating the grand opening from 6 to 8 p.m., Thursday, July 11—and hit viral fame on Instagram around the same time. At instagram.com/worldfamousrepairland, sitting at more than 131,000 followers as of this writing, you can see Levi’s infectiously soothing voice and quirky sound effects narrating his repair wizardry.
What was the first concert you attended?
The Beach Boys. My dad worked the back gate at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., and brought me in.
What was the first album you owned? Tupac’s All Eyez on Me on double cassette.
What bands are you listening to right now?
Bully, The Supremes, beabadoobee, Chappell Roan, and The Regrettes.
What artist, genre or musical trend does everyone love, but you don’t get? I try to find something cool about everything.
What musical act, current or defunct, would you most like to see perform live?
Smoking Popes. I bought tickets a few years ago and completely forgot about it, and it makes me so sad.
What’s your favorite musical guilty pleasure?
I don’t really feel guilty about liking anything. Technotronic is probably something I listen to way too much while I’m just chilling—and I’m not doing anything they are talking about in their songs, though.
What’s your favorite music venue?
Outside at Pappy and Harriet’s is pretty great!
What’s the one song lyric you can’t get out of your head?
“It was a charity event, but the Hulk didn’t show,” Macho Man Randy Savage on “Be a Man,” his Hulk Hogan diss track, or “Phil is my father, because my biological didn’t bother,” from Shaquille O’Neal’s “Biological Didn’t
Bother (G-Funk Version),” from the album
Shaq Fu: Da Return
What band or artist changed your life?
Jerry Garcia. The way he speaks through his guitar, you can hear his emotions and personality come out through his fingers, whether it’s his optimism and radicalism when he is younger, or his frustration and sadness when he gets older—and everything in between is really inspiring.
You have one question to ask one musician. What’s the question, and who are you asking?
I’m asking Thelonious Monk what it sounded like when he pushed the piano out of his apartment window.
What song would you like played at your funeral?
Probably the song “Sherlock” by my band Astro Safari USA.
Figurative gun to your head, what is your favorite album of all time?
Nas, Illmatic
What song should everyone listen to right now?
“Sick Ride” by Karen Dió.
NAME Patrick Brink GROUP VOLUME
MORE INFO Desert-rock group VOLUME recently reunited, as singer/guitarist Patrick Brink found new members to help him revive his heavy-rock outfit that once toured with Queens of the Stone Age and Mastodon. VOLUME’s psych-driven stoner-sludge riffs hit just as hard in 2024 as they did 20 years ago, and as the band sets out to play live again across the desert and beyond, they are releasing new music after remastering 2003 epic Requesting Permission to Land. For more information, visit instagram.com/volume_rocks.
What was the first concert you attended?
Billy Idol and Chequered Past (Steve Jones from the Sex Pistols) in 1982.
What was the first album you owned?
Elvis Presley’s Greatest Hits, but the first record was Ernie’s “Rubber Duckie” single.
What bands are you listening to right now?
1980s era Soul Asylum, Thee Hypnotics, and MC5.
What artist, genre or musical trend does everyone love, but you don’t get?
Most of today’s hip hop/rap. I love old-school rap from the ’70s/early ’80s.
What musical act, current or defunct, would you most like to see perform live?
The Stooges (OG lineup) and MC5.
What’s your favorite musical guilty pleasure?
Country pop, Taylor Swift.
What’s your favorite music venue?
The Wayfarer in Costa Mesa.
What’s the one song lyric you can’t get out of your head?
Too many. Lots of craziness going on in there vying for my attention.
What band or artist changed your life?
Sex Pistols totally changed how I approached music and gave me the courage to join a band. It was perfect timing that helped me channel my energy in positive ways, like writing and playing most of all.
You have one question to ask one musician. What’s the question, and who are you asking?
Ron Asheton (of the Stooges): How were you able to handle going from being the guitarist to playing bass? The humility in that and still kicking butt is inspiring!
What song would you like played at your funeral?
“Psalm 138” by Sons of Korah.
Figurative gun to your head, what is your favorite album of all time?
Even with the finger on the trigger, you’re not getting a single album. I’ll go to my grave jamming out to Fun House (Stooges), Spine of God (Monster Magnet) and High Time (MC5).
What song should everyone listen to right now?
“Colossal Freak” of course!
OPINION COMICS & JONESIN’ CROSSWORD
“Freestyle, Full Substance”— celebrating puzzle No. 1200!
By Matt Jones
Across 1. Uninspired order, with “the”
6. Butt heads
11. 3-D map type
13. Keep tempo with, as a song (just not on beats 1 and 3)
14. Namesake of element #106
16. Scored 72, perhaps 17. It may precede 44321
18. Sour reactions
19. Pay phone need, once
21. Reno and Garland, for short
24. “Here’s the thing ...”
25. ___ Boot
26. Holiday that lined up with Feb. 10,
2024
27. Singer settings, in literature
28. Suffix after ion or union
29. Actor Heo Sung___ who played gangster Jang Deok-su in Squid Game
30. Alex P.’s TV mom
31. Millennium div.
32. MKE abbr.
33. On edge
35. Chicago Med areas
36. “Son of,” in some surnames
37. Namesake, say
38. Edinburgh-toLondon dir.
39. Far from
41. Some Bronze Age artifacts
42. Silicate mineral that sounds like paradise?
47. Crafts under investigation in 2024
48. Sierra follower
49. Played
50. Sci-fi villains that debuted in 1963
51. Middle name in the black-ish cast
52. Bingo coinage?
Down
1. Bear seen outdoors
2. Resort to 3. Cell finish?
4. Onetime Sony line of robotic pets
5. Washington Mystics and Capitals owner Ted
6. Headwear that may ring a bell?
7. Andy’s role on Taxi
8. Material at the back
9. They may look up to a Leo
10. Savvy 12. Throughout 13. Dim
15. Air of horror
16. It may cause some division on TV
20. 2002 Wimbledon winner ___ Hewitt
21. Like some goals
22. Manual replacement?
23. Propeller on the Mississippi, maybe 33. Adam’s group
34. Capital city close to Mount Ararat
40. Children’s movie that interrupted a 1968 Raiders-Jets broadcast
