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MARCH 2022
A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR Mailing address: 31855 Date Palm Drive, No. 3-263 Cathedral City, CA 92234 (760) 904-4208 www.cvindependent.com
Editor/Publisher Jimmy Boegle staff writer Kevin Fitzgerald coveR and feature design Dennis Wodzisz Contributors Max Cannon, Kevin Carlow, Melissa Daniels, Charles Drabkin, Katie Finn, Bill Frost, Bonnie Gilgallon, Bob Grimm, Valerie-Jean (VJ) Hume, Clay Jones, Matt Jones, Jocelyn Kane, Matt King, Keith Knight, Kay Kudukis, Cat Makino, Brett Newton, Greg Niemann, Dan Perkins, Theresa Sama, Andrew Smith, Jen Sorenson, Robert Victor The Coachella Valley Independent print edition is published every month. All content is ©2022 and may not be published or reprinted in any form without the written permission of the publisher. The Independent is available free of charge throughout the Coachella Valley, limited to one copy per reader. Additional copies may be purchased for $5 by calling (760) 904-4208. The Independent may be distributed only by the Independent’s authorized distributors. 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.
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The Independent has a new sister newspaper in Reno, Nevada, the Reno News & Review. The first non-college newspaper byline I ever had was in the Reno News & Review, during a summer internship in 1996; at that point, the RN&R was just a little more than a year old. My second stint at the RN&R came a year and a half or so later. After I graduated from college, I worked for The Associated Press’ San Francisco bureau for five months, before deciding to move back to Reno to deal with personal and family matters. The RN&R had just hired a new staff writer who was unable to start for about two months, so I filled the gap as a temp staff writer before moving on to a small daily newspaper in Sparks, Nev. My third stint came about a year and a half later, when I became the RN&R’s news editor. Not quite six months later, the editor departed, and the owner offered me the job. I accepted—and became the editor of my hometown weekly a few weeks shy of my 25th birthday. In the scary craziness that followed the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, I moved to Las Vegas and went to work for Las Vegas CityLife as a political reporter and news editor. A little more than a year later, I was offered the job of editor at CityLife’s sister newspaper, the Tucson Weekly. I spent 10 years in Tucson—before my now-husband and I decided to move to Palm Springs to start the Independent. That happened more than nine years ago now. Through the years, I kept in touch with the RN&R. My writing would show up in the newspaper from time to time. I stayed in contact the owners, Jeff von Kaenel and Deborah Redmond; I even served with Jeff on a board for a couple of years. Then came March 2020. The RN&R, like a lot of newspapers, suspended its print edition; it’s struggled along online ever since. This brings us to last April, when my husband I went to Reno to visit our parents for the first time since the pandemic arrived. It seemed like every friend we saw asked me a variation of the question: “Hey, do you know if the Reno News & Review is ever coming back?” This led me to email Jeff and Deborah, and ask if there was anything I could to help out the RN&R. Jeff and Deborah replied—and that started off a series of conversations that culminated Coachella Valley Independent LLC becoming the RN&R’s owner as of Jan. 31. Rest assured: As I start my fourth stint with the Reno News & Review, nothing will change with the Independent. I’ll still be here as the editor and publisher. I may be a little more frazzled than normal, and I’ll be spending more time in Reno (not a bad thing, since my mom and my husband’s dad live there)—but Palm Springs is home, and I love the Independent more than ever. —Jimmy Boegle, jboegle@cvindependent.com
COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 3
MARCH 2022
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MARCH 2022
OPINION OPINION
HIKING WITH T A
CVINDEPENDENT.COM/OPINION
These two easy trails offer wildflowers and beautiful views to hikers at all levels
BY THERESA SAMA
re you looking for accessible trails with an easy skill level? There are many nice trails here in the Coachella Valley where you can get out for a nice, short stroll—while taking in breathtaking views of the area. This time of year brings a bonus joy: beautiful wildflowers! How many there are will depend on how much rain the season brings us. Let’s talk about a couple of those off-the-beaten path yet easy-to-access trails: The Mission Creek Preserve Trail is definitely off the beaten path. Located off Highway 62 just north of Interstate 10, it sits between the Sonoran and Mojave deserts. You’ll need to drive about 2.5 miles on an unpaved road to get to the starting point at the locked gate, but it’s well worth it: The trail is beautiful, flat, easy and dog-friendly. likely see some beautiful wildflowers and lots of birds. It’s definitely not a trail to do in the Shortly after you pass the gate, you will heat, as there is absolutely no shade until you notice four old buildings (remnants of what get to the stone house. were once an old ranch) that have been More accessible and closer to civilization is converted into picnic areas. From there, the Butler-Abrams Trail (aka Joe Butler Trail) it’s just a bit more than 1.5 miles (with an in Rancho Mirage. The trail is located right elevation gain of about 325 feet) to the old behind Wolfson Park, just off of Frank Sinatra stone house, another remnant from the Drive at Da Vall Drive. This trail offers paved ranch. The stone house is full of history, with and dirt (or sand) paths that parallel each interesting facts displayed on the walls; it has other for about a 2.5-mile out-and-back that running water and flushing toilets, too. ends at Country Club Drive. It’s perfect for a From the old stone house, you can continue walk, a run, a bike ride or even a horseback another 2 miles and connect to the Pacific ride; dogs on leash are also welcome. It’s a Crest Trail, north of Whitewater. Making super-easy trail for all skill levels. that your turn-around point means a 7-mile I first discovered this trail a few years back round trip. You may contact the Wildlands when I was having my car serviced at one of the Conservancy (wildlandsconservancy.org) and car dealerships in Cathedral City. This was back make arrangements for day-use access or in my running days, and I quickly noticed a trail camping at the stone house picnic area and that ran alongside a wash behind the dealership. campsite, parking included. To my surprise, it was the Whitewater Wash! I A creek parallels the trail, so that makes for had a while to wait, and it was a populated area, a lot of wildlife. The area is home to coyotes, deer, bears, bighorn sheep and mountain lions. so I felt safe enough to check it out. I had my So far, I haven’t personally seen a lot of wildlife running shoes in the car, and they hadn’t taken my car in for service yet, so I quickly changed on the trail, but I did see bear scat once. So … my shoes. I told the service manager what I was be aware—and be careful! Remember, you are doing—and away I went. in their territory, and trying to capture that I ran the path along the wash over to Frank perfect picture is not worth your life. Sinatra, then up the hill alongside the street to Now is the perfect time to do the hike while the Da Vall intersection. From there, I noticed the weather is cooler—and you will most
a cute little park across the street. (At the time, I didn’t know the name of the park or that the trail existed.) I continued on to find the scenery to be much more pleasant—and then it got even better as I meandered through the beautiful little park and onto the path that turned into the Butler-Abrams Trail. The paved path veers off to the right, at the end of the Club at Morningside golf course driving range, and goes down a small slope, across the wash, and back up the other side of the wash. This is really the only elevation that you will find on this trail, and it’s only about 45 feet. From there, the scenery became greener, with a mix of wildflowers, the sounds of birds signing, and views of the local mountains. The paved and dirt paths continued, with a residential area on the right side, and a golf
course along the left side. Tall trees border the path on one side, with a wooden fence along the other. The path ends at Country Club Drive, near Highway 111. This would be the turn-around point for 2.5 miles—but feel free to continue along Country Club for a longer distance, which is exactly what I did: I made a left at Country Club and continued on the sidewalk for another couple of blocks. Because I started out from Cathedral City, I ended up with somewhere around a seven-mile journey. The best time of day to enjoy this trail with a bit of shade would be either early in the morning or early in the evening, as there is little to no shade mid-day on a sunny day. Please continue to be vigilant and be safe out there—and I hope to see you out on the trails!
A stroll along the Butler-Abrams Trail (aka Joe Butler Trail) in Rancho Mirage. Theresa Sama
CVIndependent.com
COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 5
MARCH 2022
Jackie Evancho Fri, March 4, 8pm
Presented through the generosity of Henry & Carol Levy and Ron & Aviva Snow
Mitch’s Picks
3
George Hinchliffe’s
Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain Mon, March 21, 7pm
Mitch’s Picks
3
Voctave Thu, March 10, 7pm
Presented through the generosity of Jerry & Sarah Mathews
Pink Martini Featuring Singers
China Forbes and Storm Large Fri, March 25, 8pm Sat, March 26, 2pm & 8pm Sun & Mon, March 27 & 28, 7pm
Luis Bravo’s Forever Tango Sun, March 13, 7pm
Presented through the generosity of Manny & Linda Rider
March 26, 8pm – Presented through the generosity of Donna MacMillan
Melissa Etheridge One Way Out Tour
Tue & Wed, March 29 & 30, 7pm
Photo: Elephant Voices
March 29 – Presented through the generosity of Janet Grove & Carol Greer Gigli
North American Presenting Sponsor
Beautiful
Nature Roars Back Bob Poole
Mon, March 14, 7pm
The Carole King Musical Fri, April 1, 8pm Sat, April 2, 2pm & 8pm Sun, April 3, 2pm & 7:30pm
April 1, 8pm – Presented through the generosity of Jerry & Sarah Mathews April 2, 8pm – Presented through the generosity of Rebecca Benaroya April 3, 7:30pm – Presented through the generosity of Ron & Sylvia Gregoire
Proof of vaccination and photo ID required for entry into the McCallum Theatre. For updated information on health and safety protocols, please visit www.McCallumTheatre.org.
Order online
mccallumtheatre.org
Order tickets by phone
760-340-2787
73000 FRED WARING DRIVE, PALM DESERT • BOX OFFICE HOURS: MONDAY-FRIDAY, 9:00am-5:00pm Follow us
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MARCH 2022
NEWS
CVINDEPENDENT.COM/NEWS
PLAY BALL! S
A nonprofit partners with Palm Springs Unified to bring back middle school sports
by kevin fitzgerald
ome truly good news has arrived for all Palm Springs Unified School District middle school students and their beleaguered parents: Beginning the first week of March, any student can participate in an inaugural afterschool basketball program—for free. All required equipment, and services such as transportation, will be free as well. The funding is being provided via a grant from the LA84 Foundation, “a nationally recognized leader in support of youth sport programs and public education about the role of sports in positive youth development,” according to a press release from the LA84 Foundation’s partner, Think Together. The foundation’s total grant to Think Together is for $317,128, and will directly and organized sports need resources and benefit some 7,040 students at 88 schools money to pay for that.” within Los Angeles, San Bernardino and The students will be organized to play as Riverside counties. intramural teams after regular school hours at Think Together is Palm Springs Unified’s each of the five schools. The first sport being afterschool and expanded-learning provider, offered will be basketball. That season will begin and an organization that “innovates, the first week of March, and run for eight to implements and scales academic solutions that 10 weeks. A spring soccer season is planned change the odds for hundreds of thousands to begin in early May, followed by flag football of California students,” according to the in the fall, and volleyball in the winter. The aforementioned press release. possibilities of inter-school competition, and “We have a whole variety of academic of tournaments being played among the five support (we offer)—sports being just one,” different schools, are still under consideration. said Randy Barth, the CEO and founder of “This helps to pay for referees, the Think Together, during a recent interview. transportation, basketballs and other “We have deeper program models around equipment that may be required, like jerseys coding, and STEM (science, technology, and all the accoutrements needed to put on engineering, and mathematics), and making sports leagues and tournaments,” Barth said. sure that students are reading at grade Lucy Hansen is the coordinator of level. At middle schools, we’re very focused supplemental interventions for the Palm on how kids get prepared for algebra (and Springs Unified School District. establish) algebra proficiency. We think about “Our staff is starting the recruiting of it programmatically. For younger students, students as we speak, and getting them excited there are two gateways. There’s reading on about being a part of this initiative,” Hansen grade level by third-grade, and then mastery said. “We’re making fliers to go out, and if the of algebra in eighth- or ninth-grade. If you family wants to know more about the program, (succeed) in those two key areas, then you’re we’ll be there to answer any questions. I was on your way. But if you struggle with those thinking (about the fact that) this is new, and two gatekeeper areas, then you’re going to with the pandemic—and the amount of time struggle to get to college and beyond.” that the students have stayed at home—this Barth said Think Together started working is such a great thing for our students. … Just with PSUSD a couple of years ago, and now works with the district’s 16 elementary schools the social-emotional part of being able to work collaboratively with other students, and and five middle schools. compete, will be the fun part of it.” “Now, LA84—which is built on the leftover Elena Bosch, the communications and money from the 1984 Olympics—decided that public relations manager for Think Together, one of their top priorities is to fund middle explained via email: “PSUSD parents interested school sports, particularly in lower-income communities. Due to budget cuts that occurred in enrolling their middle school students in sports programming should ask their in schools, particularly after the 2008-2009 school principal for an interest form, and recession, a lot of middle school sports someone from Think Together will assist in programs got eliminated. the enrollment process. There’s no deadline “What’s happened in middle-class-andto apply, and there’s no cap to the number of above communities is that school sports have students (who) can be served by the grant.” become less important than youth sports, The grant is bringing more than just which, today, are more pay-to-play leagues or opportunities for middle school students; it’s club leagues. It’s another way that haves and bringing jobs, too. have-nots have become separated. A lot of the “The basic structure of our afterschool parents of children playing in these leagues CVIndependent.com
Students at Desert Springs Middle School—and the four other middle schools in the Palm Springs Unified School District—will be taking the court for intramural basketball in March.
program is that we have a fulltime site coordinator who’s there every day, and they’re employed by us,” Barth said. “They interact with the school and try to build alignment and cohesiveness with what the school has got going on in their instructional day. … Then, we have part-time program leaders for every 20 students. “In this case, with the sports, (students will) sign up for these sports clubs and teams. In many ways, it’s like what used to happen years ago, and then school budget cuts came. … So we’ve come back in, and we staff with paraprofessionals. At the site-coordinator level, they may or may not have a college degree, and often, the part-time program leaders are college students who might be (studying) to be teachers, and they’re attracted to this kind of work. In the Palm Springs area, we actually have some retired seniors who are looking for some additional income and work. So, we have a multi-generational workforce in the Coachella Valley. So, that basic infrastructure is there to allow us to bring in these sports programs. Bosch elaborated via email: “Students will get first-hand experience from a LA84funded Think Together sports coordinator staffer, a position (for which) we are actively hiring. Program leaders will also lead students through sports programming, and we’re always looking for passionate community members to join the team. Interested candidates can apply
at thinktogether.org/jobs.” PSUSD’s Hansen reiterated that the middle school program is indeed free of charge. “An $80 registration fee to go into softball or soccer, or $120 here for a uniform—that’s out of the budget for a lot of our students,” Hansen said. “So this is giving students an opportunity instead of just staying home. It’s an opportunity to learn a sport, and maybe they’ve got that gift. Then, when they get into high school, they can pursue it to a further degree. That’s why it’s so important for them.” We asked Think Together’s Barth—who calls himself a part-time resident of Coachella Valley, as he owns a second home in Indian Wells—if there were any plans for Think Together to expand these after-school sports programs into the other two Coachella Valley school districts. “We would like to,” Barth said. “Desert Sands does some of this themselves, and they partner with the Boys and Girls Clubs on some things as well. We had conversations (with DSUSD) a number of years ago, before we were anywhere in the valley. Then, over the last couple of years, we did come in, but it was in the middle of COVID, and we were just trying to get staffing and do our basic thing in Palm Springs Unified. We wanted to get that established— and then we can start engaging with the other districts and see if they’re interested. We’d love to be across the valley.”
MARCH 2022
COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 7
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MARCH 2022
NEWS
CIVIC SOLUTIONS W
by melissa daniels
e’re approaching the second anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic forever altering so many aspects of our lives. It is difficult to comprehend how much has changed—and how much is still in flux. Yet where public services are concerned, we can look back on these past 24 months of policymaking and implementation—and see sprouts of progress amid myriad challenges. One realm where I’ve seen significant leaps and bounds is public communications. As a journalist who has spent a good amount of time reading government websites, budgets and legal documents, I can confirm that our public institutions are often as clear as mud when it comes to workers and other underserved populations. communicating what’s going on. The multilingual campaign also included During the pandemic, though, testing and support-services information, communicating to people about staying safe supported by $1.2 million in CARES Act became essential. And here in the Coachella dollars and $500,000 from the nonprofit Valley, there were some significant steps taken Public Health Institute. in public-communication efforts that will Ultimately, good communication is hopefully outlast COVID-19. fundamental to achieve equity with our At the Desert Healthcare District and policy responses. Consider the obfuscation Foundation, the Coachella Valley Equity around the federal government’s Paycheck Collaborative’s COVID-19 response team Protection Program, which was meant to help made equity a top priority in their efforts to small businesses during the pandemic: Initial share information about testing, vaccines and guidance in 2020 made it difficult for nonother health messaging. The collaborative was citizen small-business owners to qualify, even established by the district in the fall of 2020 specifically to implement an equitable response though they could be eligible. Later versions of the rules clarified that people who are not to COVID-19. citizens could still receive the loan assistance, Will Dean, the director of communications and marketing at the DHCD, said it was critical according a February 2021 White House press release. for the team to disseminate fliers, video Though a focus on language and clarity PSAs and other messaging in Spanish as well may seem obvious, the unfortunate reality as English. About 40% of Coachella Valley is that many government institutions and residents speak Spanish at home, according to support agencies do not have the technology, the DHCD’s Community Needs Assessment money or knowledge to ensure that from September 2021. communications are effective. The district also works with a local “It’s considered a given that communication translator to provide materials in Purépecha. and marketing are ineffective if the intended This Indigenous language is spoken by recipients can’t comprehend the language; hundreds of valley residents who come from however, multilanguage health and wellness Michoacán, a northwest region of Mexico. The information isn’t always available,” Dean said. district’s partners have translated materials Special-interest groups often step in to fill into Mayan as well, Dean said. gaps where government agencies are lacking. But equitable communication goes beyond The Ask a Nurse LIVE project from the language. Dean said the biggest impact on American Nurses Association of California reaching local Spanish speakers has come allows people to virtually connect with a through working with promotoras, or nurse to ask COVID-19 related questions community health workers. They attend in English or Spanish. The goal of the vaccine and testing events to answer volunteer-staffed effort is to “build trusted questions and canvas neighborhoods with relationships, understand concerns and informational fliers. fears, and provide scientific information, not “They not only know the language, but they medical or clinical advice, to help visitors know the customs, challenges and concerns make informed decisions.” of the communities we serve, because these That last part is especially important. In are their communities,” Dean said. “They have a time of rapid change and invention, it is been and continue to be an invaluable resource helpful for people to have a chance to think for the Coachella Valley Equity Collaborative.” through what is being asked of them—and From the fall of 2020 to March 2021, the they can’t have that moment of deliberation if collaborative distributed more than 10,000 they’re denied the chance to get information in vaccine doses to farmworkers, essential CVIndependent.com
Some public agencies have learned valuable lessons about equitable communications during the pandemic
Children received a COVID-19 vaccine at a clinic in Thermal on Dec. 1—with an assist from superhero Captain Empath, who helps kids defeat the villain Rona. The clinic was an effort of the Coachella Valley Unified School District, the El Sol Neighborhood Educational Center, the Youth Leadership Institute and Coachella Valley Equity Collaborative. DHCD Facebook page
a safe, comfortable and understandable way. These lessons about public communications from this strange time could yield positive benefits for future public-health and societal initiatives. Health Affairs, an established health-policy journal, recently looked at how lessons learned from the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine could assist in efforts to get
people to accept the malaria vaccine. Public agencies and institutions must continue to take seriously accessibility and inclusion in how they disseminate information. They ought to be interested in reaching as many members of the public as possible— unless they want to risk alienating the very people they claim to be trying to serve.
COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 9
MARCH 2022
“I’ve been a regular client at great salons in New York, Miami and San Francisco.
EVENING UNDER THE STARS
This salon is by far the best on every level.” —Chet
FIRST LADIES OF DISCO
Saturday, April 30, 2022 The O’Donnell Golf Club, Palm Springs 5:30 Cocktails – 7:30 Dinner & Awards • Festive Cocktails
Honoring
• Dazzling Silent Auction
Nelda Linsk – Jeannette Rockefeller Humanitarian Award
• Heavenly Dinner
Geoff Kors & James Williamson – Gloria Greene Inspiration Award
• Inspiring Awards • Groovy Dancing
750 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way, Suite 3 Palm Springs • (760) 904-0434 psfinemenssalon.com
Patti Grundhofer – Community Impact Award
Festive, elegant attire encouraged. Be creative! Tickets available at aapfoodsamaritans.org or 760-325-8481
Aubrey Serfling – Community Leadership Award
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10 \\ COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT
SECRETS TO GETTING THE BEST RESULTS BY TALKING WITH YOUR PROVIDER
By Shonda Chase, FNP Nurse Practitioner, Co-owner, Artistic Director and Advanced Aesethetic Injector at Revive Wellness Centers in Palm Springs and Torrance, and Medweight, Lasers and Wellness Center in Irvine
This month, I’m sharing some secrets about the limits of noninvasive medical treatments—and when it might be �me to consider surgical solu�ons. Secret No. 1: A great injector will educate each pa�ent on what injec�ons and medical devices can accomplish for them, and what they won’t accomplish. For example, micro-needling with radio frequency can accomplish skin-�ghtening and rejuvena�on everywhere. But … what if what you really need to accomplish your goals is a neck li� or neck revision? A great provider will let you know the limits of what radio-frequency treatments can accomplish, or if a surgical procedure will provide be�er value for you. Secret No. 2: There are many body-contouring and permanent fat-reduc�on devices. CoolSculp�ng is probably the most recognized device in this category. Even though we have two CoolSculpting devices, we’ve switched most of our pa�ents to TruSculpt, which accomplishes be�er results without the discomfort, down�me and long-term risks CoolSculp�ng can cause pa�ents. Only half of my pa�ents are candidates for non-invasive fat reduc�on treatments. For the other 50%, it can be much more economical and produc�ve to get a Smart-lipo procedure. It takes three months to become swimsuit ready with either approach. A good provider will be able to determine which op�on will make you the happiest and help get the most from your investment. Secret No 3: Everyone is different, and what worked for your friend might not work for you. Be open to listening to what your provider shares with you about what would produce op�mal results for you. I went to the surgeon who has done mul�ple thread-li� trainings for me when I wanted a thread li� for my lower face. His first observa�on before he did my thread li� was: “You know, what you really need is a lower face li�.” I agreed with him. Great providers are always most interested in what will bring you the best results and the best value. Un�l next month, keep the Secrets. Our Revive Wellness Center loca�ons are in Palm Springs (760325-4800) and Torrance (310-375-7599); www.revivecenter.com. Our Medweight, Lasers and Wellness Center office is in Irvine (949-586-9904); www.medweightandlasers.com. You can email your individual ques�ons to Shonda Chase FNP, or Allan Y. Wu MD, Revive’s cosme�c surgeon, at shonda@revivecenter.com.
CVIndependent.com
MARCH 2022
SUMMER'S ALMOST HERE!
Time for a New Home CALL ME. LET'S FIND YOURS. Kevin Stern 760-250-1977 Town Real Estate Owner/Broker DRE 01376548
COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 11
MARCH 2022
NEWS
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CV HISTORY O
Zaddie Bunker was a Palm Springs icon well before becoming the famous ‘great-grandmother pilot’
by greg niemann
ne of the most colorful Palm Springs pioneers was Zaddie Bunker, a can-do woman who became nationally famous as the “Great-Grandmother Pilot.” Born in Missouri in 1887, she and her husband, Ed Bunker, came to the village of Palm Springs in 1914 in an old Maxwell car. They first lived in a corrugated lean-to on Main Street (now Palm Canyon Drive) and Andreas Road, where Ed worked as a blacksmith. They both studied auto mechanics from handbooks, and they opened Bunker’s Garage; they made the structure from sheet iron. They bought additional property and also built the Bunker Cottages. Ed eventually left Zaddie and their young daughter, Frances. He relocated with his new wife Fashion Plaza (in the area now between Palm up on the Palms to Pines Highway, where he Canyon and the new downtown park), which ran cattle out of the Bunker Ranch. Ed died opened in 1967. in 1969. In 1930, Frances married Earle C. Strebe. Zaddie stayed in Palm Springs and ran the Zaddie and her son-in-law began working garage alone—and went on to become one of together on many real estate projects—building the village’s most successful entrepreneurs theaters, and leasing most of the downtown and wealthiest landowners. Her daughter, block to Irwin Schuman for the historic Chi Chi Frances, would later marry Earle Strebe, who nightclub. They built the Village Theater next was instrumental in bringing movie theaters door to the garage in 1932. to town, including the historic Plaza Theatre. Zaddie became quite wealthy, and her In the early years, the person responsible grandchildren realized millions when Bunker’s for transporting mail and passengers from Garage and the Village Theater were sold. the train station to town was Nellie Coffman’s At an age when many people begin to slow son, George Roberson. Nellie had established down and enjoy the fruits of their labor, The Desert Inn, which had become the Zaddie Bunker was just getting started. She primary place to stay for visitors to Palm went on to become known as the “flying Springs. When George went off to World grandmother.” She took flight instructions in War I, those transportation duties went to San Bernardino, got her pilot’s license at age California’s first female holder of a chauffeur’s 60, and “soloed” in 1952. She received her license—the indomitable Zaddie Bunker. multi-engine rating at age 63. She was still Bunker’s Garage was, at the time, the flying when she was a great-grandmother, and only place in the area that repaired motor her private plane, “Zaddie’s Rocking Chair,” vehicles—and at first, there were only four had the name stenciled on its fuselage. cars in the entire village! Zaddie was a skilled The press loved her and regularly reported mechanic, and her bib overalls were often on her exploits, like winning the Powder Puff covered with grease as she took off to the Derby air race. In 1962, while in her mid-70s, train station to pick someone up. Zaddie won an airplane race from Dateland, Two of Zaddie’s sisters had also relocated to Ariz., to El Centro, Calif., beating five male Palm Springs. One, Henrietta Parker, who was pilots. married to a railroad brakeman, arrived at the At age 73, she had passed the tough Garnet train station (the earlier-named Seven physical for Air Force jet pilots, and became an Palms train station), in July 1914. In a 1988 honorary Air Force colonel. She was allowed to article in The Desert Sun, she recalled that Zadpilot an F-100 Super Sabre jet, becoming one die and her 7-year-old daughter, Frances, drove of the first women to break the sound barrier. her down the dirt road called Indian Avenue, In 1959, the “Supersonic Greatwhich was lined with pepper trees. Henrietta Grandmother” went to Spain as part of remained in Palm Springs her entire life. President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s People to The other sister, Lillian Goff, was the owner People program. According to The Desert Sun, of a hotel on North Palm Canyon Drive, on she “stole the hearts of city officials and 80 the site of what would later become the El little orphan girls in Seville.” Also in 1959, Morocco Hotel. Goff eventually left Palm she was a surprise honoree on the immensely Springs and relocated to Pasadena. popular national TV show This Is Your Life. Zaddie and Henrietta together bought a lot Once, while in Washington, D.C., for a race, across the street from Bunker’s Garage. The Zaddie returned to her hotel to learn that garage itself was remodeled and turned into then-Vice President Richard Nixon’s secretary the first bank in Palm Springs; later, in 1929, had been calling all afternoon. Nixon had it became the popular Village Pharmacy. It was wanted to meet the famous lady pilot, and part of the block that was razed for the Desert
invited her over the next morning. It was a real thrill for the former desert mechanic. With her can-do attitude, she even applied to take part in an Apollo moon flight. They let her have some time in the space-capsule simulator, but she didn’t get the bid. All who knew her felt she could have done it. The remarkable woman who refused to acknowledge failure finally proved to be
mortal; she died in 1969, one week shy of her 82nd birthday. Sources for this article include The Desert Sun, a 1988 article and assorted archives; Palm Springs: First 100 Years by Mayor Frank M, Bogert (Palm Springs Heritage Associates, 1987); Palm Springs Legends, by Greg Niemann (Sunbelt Publications, 2006).
Zaddie Bunker. Courtesy of Palm Springs Historical SocietY
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COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 13
MARCH 2022
NEWS
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MARCH ASTRONOMY B
The month brings daylight saving time,
Planets and Bright Stars in Evening Mid-Twilight spring, and aFor fantastic view of three March, 2022 This sky chart is drawn for latitude 34 degrees north, planets within a single binocular field but may be used in southern U.S. and northern Mexico. N
By Robert Victor
reak out those binoculars! In all of March, early risers will be rewarded with views of a pair of planets within a single binocular field; two pairs in separate fields during the first few days of the month; or even three planets within a single field. Background stars marking the head and tail ends of Capricornus provide additional interest. With the start of daylight saving time on March 13, viewing times suddenly shift an hour later, becoming more agreeable for folks averse to predawn consciousness. Bright Venus and faint Mars linger close together in the southeast an hour before sunup throughout March. They’re 5 degrees apart on March 1, within 4 degrees March 12 to 19, and widening to 6 degrees apart by March 31. Look for Mars to the lower right of Venus for most of month, climbing directly to its right during the about 3 degrees from Mars and 3.2 degrees closing week. from Venus. The best viewing time may be At the start of March, bright Mercury is about one hour before sunup. As the sky getting lower each morning, while Saturn, brightens, watch for Jupiter rising within 27 emerging from solar conjunction, climbs degrees to the lower left of Venus. Four planets, higher daily. On March 2, Mercury (magnitude Mars-Saturn-Venus-Jupiter, span 32 degrees. -0.1) passes within 0.7 degrees south (to the Mars and Saturn will form a close pair 0.4 E lower right) of fainter Saturn (magnitude degrees apart, some 7.5 degrees to the upper +0.8). Look for the pair very low in the eastright of Venus, on April 5. It’s expected they’ll southeast, within 23 degrees to the lower left be closely matched in brightness. Can you of Venus about 40-45 minutes before sunrise. notice any difference in their colors? This will Binoculars give a fine view of the conjunction be the morning of the least span of the four on March 2, and of the widening pair for a few planets, Jupiter through Venus to the Marsadditional mornings as Mercury sinks into Saturn pair—30 degrees. brighter twilight. In March 2022, the evening sky, though As Venus circles around the sun into without a naked-eye planet, still offers the part of its orbit more distant from us, plenty of attractions for the unaided eye and telescopes show the disk shrinking in size binoculars. Orion is well up in the south at while its phase waxes. In transition from dusk, and begins his slide toward the west. crescent to gibbous, the planet is halfOrion is easily recognized by his three-star illuminated when near its greatest angular belt, with bright, blue-white Rigel, his foot, separation of 47 degrees west of the sun, on below, and reddish Betelgeuse, his shoulder, March 20. above. Below the belt is a short vertical line of Follow the moon in morning twilight from stars, Orion’s sword. Through binoculars, the March 16 or 17 through March 29. After middle of the sword appears as a group of stars passing full on March 18, the waning gibbous in a fuzzy cloud of gas and dust—the Great moon appears 5 degrees from Spica on March Nebula, where stars are being formed. 20, and passes just 2 degrees north of Antares, Locate the brightest star, Sirius, not shown heart of the Scorpion, on March 23. The on the chart, by extending Orion’s belt to the crescent moon will appear 5 to 7 degrees below lower left. The “Dog Star” Sirius completes a compact gathering of Venus, Mars and Saturn, the nearly equilateral Winter Triangle, with 5.3 degrees wide, on morning of March 28. Betelgeuse and Procyon. Extend Orion’s belt Venus passes within 2.2 degrees south of away from Sirius to find Aldebaran, eye of Saturn on March 28 and 29. On the latter date, Taurus, the Bull. Fainter stars of the Hyades the 9 percent crescent moon appears within 15 cluster nearby complete the V-shaped head of degrees to the lower left of Venus. Taurus. Each arm of the “V” is 4 degrees long, On March 30, it will require a very clear fitting nicely into the field of binoculars. Next, sky 20 minutes before sunrise, with an look 14 degrees west of Aldebaran for the unobstructed view, to spot the 4 percent old beautiful Pleiades star cluster. Both clusters are crescent moon, just risen, 12 degrees south of wonderful sights for binoculars! east, as well as Jupiter, within 5 degrees to its Follow the moon at dusk, from a thin upper left. crescent low in west on March 2, until full, On March 31, the moon can’t be seen—but low in the east on March 17. On March 6 at three planets, Venus, Saturn and Mars, still fit nightfall, about 1.4 hours after sunset, using within 6 degrees. Saturn will be the middle one, binoculars, find a pair of sixth-magnitude
March's evening sky chart. ROBERT D. MILLER Deneb
Arcturus
Capella Regulus
Castor Pollux
W Aldebaran
Procyon
Betelgeuse
Rigel Sirius
Canopus
Evening mid-twilight occurs “stars,” 0.9when degrees andhorizon. 2-3 degrees to Sun isapart, 9 below upper right of 1: the percent Mar. 4020 minutes aftercrescent sunset. moon. 39 " of" the "pair is actually The upper left15:member 31: 40 A" telescope " " magnifying 100the planet Uranus.
power or more will reveal the difference: Uranus shows a tiny disk, and the star does not. The evening scene for March 8-13 shows the moon moving through Taurus March 8-10, starting between the Pleiades and Aldebaran on March 8, to near Beta and Zeta, the tips of the horns, on March 10. On March 12, the waxing gibbous moon appears near Pollux and Castor, the bright stars of Gemini, the Twins. On March 15, the moon passes a few degrees north of Regulus, heart of Leo, the Lion, in the eastern sky. Regulus, not shown on the chart, is 37 degrees east of Procyon and Pollux. Full moon occurs on the night of March 17 (technically, at 18 minutes after midnight on the morning of March 18). Moonrise on March
S
Stereographic Projection
17 occurs about 21 minutes Map bybefore Robertsunset, D. Millerand on March 18 in twilight, about 41 minutes after sunset. For the next few nights, moonrise occurs about 65 to 70 minutes later each night. Instead of staying up late, you can easily follow the waning moon in the morning sky March 18-29. Spring begins on Sunday, March 20, at 8:33 a.m. Illustrations of the events in this article can be found in the Abrams Planetarium’s monthly Sky Calendar. To subscribe for $12 per year or to view a sample copy, visit www. abramsplanetarium.org/skycalendar. Robert Victor originated the Abrams Planetarium monthly Sky Calendar in October 1968, and still produces issues occasionally, including April 2022. He enjoys being outdoors sharing the wonders of the night sky, and is hoping for the pandemic to end! CVIndependent.com
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On Oct. 8, 2021, Gov. Gavin Newsom
signed Assembly Bill 101 bill into law— making California the only state in the nation to require that students complete an ethnicstudies class in order to graduate from high school. The state’s school districts have some time to comply with the law. Beginning in the 2025-2026 school year, each secondary school must offer students at least one semester-long ethnic-studies course per year. In the 20292030 school year, the completion of such a course will become a graduation requirement. The three valley school districts, however, are ahead of the game. The Coachella Valley Unified School District started its ethnic-studies program in 2016; the Palm Springs Unified School District followed suit a year later. The Desert Sands Unified School District waited until a statewide model curriculum was approved in March 2021 to begin developing a curriculum; the class was taught for the first time during the August-December 2021 semester. On a national level, the phrase “ethnic studies” often invokes disdain and concern— in large part because right-wing politicians and pundits have stoked fears over critical race theory being taught in schools. For example, a FoxNews.com article on the signing of AB 101 concluded with this: “Others have accused the bill of opening the door for critical race theory, the controversial curriculum showing up in schools across the country that contends the United States is systemically racist.” Critical race theory, however, isn’t actually showing up in schools across the country. An NBCNews.com article from July 1, 2021, reported: “Teachers nationwide said K-12 schools are not requiring or pushing them to teach critical race theory, and most said they were opposed to adding the academic approach to their course instruction, according to a survey obtained by NBC News. Despite a roiling culture war that has blown up at school board meetings and led to new legislation in statehouses across the country, the responses from more than 1,100 teachers across the country to a survey conducted by the Association of American Educators, a CVIndependent.com
MARCH 2022
nonpartisan professional group for educators, appeared to suggest that the panicked dialogue on critical race theory made by lawmakers and the media does not reflect the reality of American classrooms.” No, critical race theory is not being taught in our valley’s high schools. But what is?
The Desert Sands Unified
School District just started teaching an ethnic-studies course last year, but Marcus Wood, the district’s senior director of secondary curriculum, instruction and assessment, said the district has been looking at adding an ethnic-studies curriculum for quite some time. “Our (school) board had shown interest in offering ethnic studies,” Wood said during a recent interview. “We knew at the time that there was legislation that would mandate it as a graduation requirement eventually. So … we put the board on pause for a little bit, and asked for a grace period so that we could receive that model curriculum. At that point, we began pulling a team together, and we started the creation and the development of that course.” According to the California Department of Education, the model curriculum “will focus on the traditional ethnic studies first established in California higher education which has been characterized by four foundational disciplines: African American, Chicana/o/x and Latina/o/x, Native American, and Asian American and Pacific Islander
Photo courtesy of KESQ News Channel 3.
studies.” According to an Associated Press story from Oct. 8, 2021, “It also includes lesson plans on Jews, Arab Americans, Sikh Americans and Armenian Americans who are not traditionally part of an ethnic-studies curriculum. Those groups were added after objecting to an earlier draft that left them out.” The resulting DSUSD course, now being taught at the district’s seven high schools, is not yet required for students. It’s slated to be taught for four to five one-hour periods per week throughout an 18-week semester. “We really wanted to start from scratch, because we wanted it to be reflective of our needs currently,” Wood said. “(We wanted) to use the model curriculum as a framework for the creation of our course. That actually helped quite a bit and did help frame up what the course did become. “Our (ethnic-studies development) team includes representatives from each of our high schools. They’re the teachers, plus some department chairs from some of the schools who aren’t actually teaching the course, but have a passion for it.” Woods said the course includes seven different units. “The first unit is an introduction to ethnic studies and to one’s identity. That sets the context of the course, so that students are aware of what the course is, and how it’s different from just a regular social-science or history class that they typically take,” Woods said. “The next four units are built around the four foundational groups. … There’s a unit
on each of them. Also, we have a shorter unit that’s built around locally defined groups, if you will. For our area schools, some of what’s included is a unit around the Muslim population—we have a small (Muslim) population in a couple of our schools—and then, also, the Jewish population. That (unit) could evolve overtime as demographics change. The final unit is around civic engagement. The state, also, offers a state seal of civic engagement opportunity that kids can earn. It can be part of their diploma when they graduate, and it can be added to their transcript. We’re using ethnic studies as a way to tie it in to the overall curriculum.”
While the ethnic-studies course
in the Desert Sands Unified schools is new, the Palm Springs Unified School District has been offering ethnic studies since 2017. In fact, the district is now re-examining the curriculum being taught in the five PSUSD high schools. “We want to ensure that it’s current,” said Deanna Keuilian, the district’s director of secondary curriculum and instruction. She and Nicole Crawford, the district’s coordinator of diversity and racial equity, spoke to the Independent during a joint interview. “We want to ensure that the resources being used do truly celebrate the various cultures— and take a real fresh look at some of the different ethnic cultures,” Keuilian continued. Crawford said: “We want to make sure that we highlight four main communities, and we’re actually talking about “We want every kid in that classroom to see expanding them … themselves as part of this country, and to see that further into gender studies, particularly their background is valued. The last thing we focusing on ever want to do is to make any group feel shamed women’s studies, and even adding or unappreciated. That goes against the very the LGBTQ+ foundation of what this course is all about.” community. Historically, —Marcus Wood depending on the DSUSD’s senior director of secondary culture, I think women have been a curriculum, instruction and assessment bit overshadowed
MARCH 2022
COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 15
by men and their achievements, right? So we level? The feedback from students has been bit, and we spent quite a bit of time on our what this course is all about. Also, knowing want to highlight and empower our women great. We have eight sections running, and Native American unit and working with the political environment, this has been and our gender-identifying females within they’re all full. To that point, we created the the Agua Caliente tribe. … The kids all said an opportunity for us to talk to all of our the district. We want to make sure that is an ethnic literature class, because students were that they were really humbled by the rich teachers about what to do when a topic proves option.” so interested.” history in our valley, and several of them controversial. How should teachers address Keuilian mentioned said that they wished that? Well … it has to be age-appropriate, but the California Healthy they knew about this a the teachers are unbiased, and they provide “Historically, depending on Youth Act, which took long time ago. Some of the appropriate perspective from both sides. effect in 2016. Our school board policy is very specific on the culture, I think women have the feedback addressed “It is very explicit ways for improvement, that. been a bit overshadowed by about the need and although this is a “Our teachers on the whole do a really and the necessity semester-long course, good job. The goal is to get kids to think—to men and their achievements, to bring in lessons many said that it could have them make up their own minds once we right? So we want to highlight easily be (a year-long about gender and the provide them with the information.” LGBTQIA community,” course).” At Palm Springs Unified, Keuilian noted and empower our women and she said. “It’s very Parents, in general, that the district has not had to deal with the our gender-identifying females have also been (clearly a) part of our level of contentiousness other school districts health curriculum, supportive of the ethnicacross the nation—or across the valley—have within the district. We want to and now looking at studies course thus far, had to handle. make sure that is an option.” our ethnic-studies Wood said—despite “It’s been very positive,” she said. “We have program, California some well-publicized a couple (of people) who have questions, of has implemented that —Nicole Crawford contentiousness at some course, and better want to understand the notion that we need to curriculum and the course work. … When PSUSD’s coordinator of diversity DSUSD board meetings be more inclusive of all involving fears of critical we share with them the course description, and racial equity student populations.” race theory. and our objectives, it’s been fine. I know Photo: PSUSD Facebook page During the semester “What’s happened in (overwhelmingly positive feedback for ethnic that ended in December 2021, 262 students Crawford added: “I had one student at the classrooms, working with the teachers studies) is not pervasive in the nation and completed the course in the Desert Sands one of our high schools share with her site and the students, is all very positive,” Wood the state, and even in our local communities, Unified School District, while approximately administrator that she was so appreciative of said. “When it comes to critical race theory, but for us in Palm Springs Unified, we’ve been 320 students did the same in the Palm Springs the opportunity to read from an author about that’s really a college-level topic. It doesn’t very fortunate.” Unified School District. the culture that she identified with. In this enter in. … Our course is about developing an Crawford said there’s no question in We attempted—via multiple emails and particular case, it was an Hispanic student, appreciation and understanding of peoples of her mind that good ethnic-studies courses voicemails left with three different staff and she so appreciated being able to read different races and ethnicities, the historical can have a tremendous positive impact on members over a two-week span—to speak to and truly identify with what the author was backgrounds involving the struggles, and the students. someone from the Coachella Valley Unified conveying in that material. That, to me, is challenges, and the successes. A big part of “In my visits to different school sites and School District regarding their ethnic-studies powerful. … I know I’m speaking about only this course is the contributions made by all of different classrooms, as well as in speaking curriculum. We did not receive a response. one student, but I think it’s safe to say that these groups to our United States narrative. with our kids here in Palm Springs, the other students feel the same.” Ultimately … we want every kid in that biggest takeaway for me is hearing them say Over at the Desert Sands that they’re allowed to The model curriculum report Unified School District, Wood explore these different “The feedback from released last year by the California said reviews of the district’s cultures and ethnicities Department of Education enumerates 15 first ethnic-studies class were when they may not have students has been specific benefits that can be realized by positive. had that opportunity great. We have eight students who take ethnic-studies courses, “At the end of that semester, to do so (on their own) ranging from developing a strong since of we pushed out a survey to all because of financial sections running, and identity, to increased civic and community of those families, and we got a reasons,” Crawford said. they’re all full. To that engagement, to increased critical-thinking lot of feedback, including some “I know that growing skills—and even better attendance, directly from students,” he up myself, I didn’t come point, we created the graduation and college-attendance rates. said. “This course is designed from a rich family, and I While it’s unclear whether statistics from for freshmen, but …it’s open wasn’t able to travel so ethnic literature class, the local districts back up the claims of to any level. At some schools, well until my 20s—but because students were better attendance, graduation and collegemost of the kids have been being able to take an attendance rates, educators from both DSUSD seniors, because it just fit with ethnic-studies course, so interested.” and PSUSD said there’s strong anecdotal their schedule. At some of our I was able to educate evidence that the courses are valued by both schools, the (course enrollment) —Deanna Keuilian myself and my peers students and parents. is almost all freshmen, like at PSUSD’s director of secondary about different cultural “The feedback has been very positive,” Shadow Hills. … The kids have values and beliefs. I curriculum and instruction think that’s a beautiful Keuilian said. “I think students are very done a really good job, and (the Photo: PSUSD Facebook page interested and thirsty for this type of feedback), for the most part, has thing. With our kids opportunity, to the point where we’re even been positive. In looking at what the kids have classroom to see themselves as part of this learning about different cultures, different having the conversation about: How do we said, they have a much greater appreciation country, and to see that their background is ethnicities, different identities, etc., it builds introduce this idea of celebrating different and understanding for different ethnic groups. valued. The last thing we ever want to do is to empathy and acceptance. There are a ton of cultures and different ethnicities sooner? How That was pretty much across the board. We make any group feel shamed or unappreciated. very beneficial outcomes when kids attend do we do this at, maybe, the middle school tried to have them dig into the units a little That goes against the very foundation of courses like these.” CVIndependent.com
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MARCH 2022
ARTS & CULTURE
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ART-SCENE UNIFICATION
The goal of the Desert Open Studios tours is to showcase—and bring together—artists across the Valley
By Matt King
T
he Coachella Valley extends approximately 45 miles, and is 15 miles or so wide—yet many separate scenes exist within this fairly small area. But if there’s anything that can bring the valley together, it’s art! Enter the Desert Open Studios, a relatively new effort to showcase, connect and empower creatives across the valley. The festivities will kick off Friday, March 4, with an opening nightparty for the preview exhibition at the Coachella Valley Art Center in Indio. The studio tours themselves will take place on the following two weekends (March 12, 13, 19 and 20). “It’s really nice, for me as an artist, to be coming together with the visual artists of the valley and unite that. creating something that supports us all,” said “I come from Baltimore, where we had a Desert Open Studios co-founder Kim Manfredi strong open studio program, so I brought the during a recent phone interview. “There are concept of open studios to this region, and three nonprofit art centers involved in the tour. The main one is the Coachella Valley Art Center, was completely inspired by the successes of the Highway 62 Open Studio Art Tours. We and they host our sampler exhibition. They’re also home to the studios of several of the artists. felt the valley has a vibrant art scene, and The Desert Art Center, which is in Palm Springs, we hoped this program would offer a free opportunity for the public to get an insider will be presenting demos, and then we have the look at the artists and their world.” CREATE Center in Palm Desert, which will have This year’s tour will include more than 100 demos and also houses artists. Between the artists, up from 70 artists in 2021. artists and the nonprofits, it’s almost like the “The four of us each have strengths,” entire art wave of the valley is coming together Manfredi said. “Chris does the website; I do for these two weekends.” the social media and the press; Anne does Manfredi explained how Desert Open everything administrative; and Lynda is sort of Studios came to be two years ago. a marketing guru as far as networking, and she’s “There are four founders of Desert Open putting together the online map. We (recently) Studios: myself, Lynda Keeler, Anne Bedrick had a Zoom call with all of the artists, and I just and Chris Blades,” Manfredi said. “Lynda, felt so proud of the founders, and how each of Anne, and I are all artists in the valley, and us took a piece of this program and embodied Chris is my husband, who’s the technical that in a way that allows for something bigger support scientist on the team. We’re all artthan each of us to emerge. lovers, and really, the mission began when I Manfredi said open studio tours offer the moved here, and I noticed there was a little public far more insight than gallery shows. bit of a separation between the east and west “The cool thing is that the public is invited valley art scenes, and I wanted to find a way to
The four founders of Desert Open Studios.
CVIndependent.com
Desert Hot Springs artist Bernard Hoyes.
into the artist’s workspace,” Manfredi said. “Not only are you getting to see the art, but you’re getting to see the process of the artist. You’re getting to see the brushes and the paint, and the whole entire package. There are also ceramicists, jewelry-makers and people who work with glass. You’re getting an insight or experience of what it means to be an artist. … We’re not necessarily cleaning up or tidying up for your visit, so you’re still going to be able to see the shelves of materials and the brushes. Some people are actually making work while the public comes to visit, which is superexciting to see.” Manfredi said her team makes sure the tours are accessible for the artists, too. “Any artist with a studio, who is willing, is able to participate,” Manfredi said. “There’s no jurying, and we keep the fees down to around $50, and they get maps, signs and a lot of social media promotion for that money. We’re definitely not a pay-to-play kind of endeavor. There is an exhibition at the Coachella Valley Art Center, where each artist will put one piece in the show, so you can go there to plan your exhibit. (We also had) a booth at the Intersect Palm Springs art fair.” Manfredi said she hopes the Desert Open Studios tours will allow the valley art scene to come together a bit more. “When I got here, I realized it’s only eight minutes to Indio from my house, so why do
people say things like, ‘Oh, Indio, that’s so far’?” she said. “It’s all about perception. … I went on the Highway 62 tour a couple of times, and I realized that there were visitors coming from L.A.—and the project unified the artists in a way that raised them all. I wanted to see that happen here, and I wanted to see the conversation around art be elevated, not just on a community level, but so that it could be in conversation with the contemporary art world at large.” Manfredi wants to keep the conversation going beyond the tour weekends. That’s why there’s a section of artist interviews on the Desert Open Studios website. “We started to ask the artists on the tour to reach out to other artists who they respect, and do a short interview, which we’re publishing on the website,” Manfredi said. “Just having a feature like that on our website has allowed or facilitated artists to reach out to one another and have conversations about art. Then we give them a vehicle with which those conversations can be shared. I’m also building a large Instagram following, and I’m publishing on Facebook as well, so we’re trying to … get these artists’ interactions out to the public.” The Desert Open Studios tours take place Saturday and Sunday, March 12-20. For tour guides, maps and more information, visit www. desertopenstudios.com.
COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 17
MARCH 2022
ARTS & CULTURE
DESIGN AS ART By CAT MAKINO
F
rom March 31 through April 10, you can tour a Polynesian-themed home designed by architect John Walling at the upscale El Dorado Estates in Indian Wells. The 4,350-square-foot Desert Oasis Show House is a product of Design Collaborative, which, according to its website, “brings top-of-field designers and architects together to transform iconic properties into unparalleled modern luxury living spaces.” In addition to house tours, there will be events including panel discussions, parties and more—with a percentage of the proceeds going to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, FIND Food Bank, and the Special Olympics South California. including Elle Decor, Architectural Digest, The home features greens, yellows and coral Departures, Traditional Home and House pinks matched with Polynesian-patterned Beautiful. Her list of celebrity clients includes textiles, plus owner Jeph White’s world-class Charlize Theron, Candice Bergen and John collection of historic longboards. There are Stamos, and her designs for the Hotel Oceana, grass-cloth walls—and, displayed on the wall the Parents’ Resource Room in UCLA’s Mattel behind a bed, a slender, 16-foot wa’a (dugout Children’s Hospital, Maestro’s Green Club in canoe) from his extensive collection. Las Vegas, and Los Angeles restaurant Comme “It’s a completely different concept, because Ça helped her to win a Luxe award in 2019. the owner of the house collects Polynesian Barrett said the pandemic has been a artifacts, which is very specifically for him,” surprising catalyst for her work; her project list says interior designer Chris Barrett, one of is growing, in spite of, or maybe in response the 10 designers participating in the Desert to, COVID-19. Homing, nesting and cocooning Oasis Show House; she designed the primary are on people’s minds, and many people want bedroom suite and the exterior furnishings. to re-imagine their space as they reinvent Barrett is known for chic commercial and themselves, she said. residential design, and has received national Another Show House participant, interior recognition from national publications
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The Desert Oasis Show House shows off the work of renowned builders, architects and designers designer Jenika Kurtz, said Barrett has a gift: “She knows how to give people a home that reflects them and not her. She gives them exactly what they want, without them even knowing what they want.” Barrett changed careers a while back, becoming an interior designer after being an actress. “I didn’t feel that acting was stable enough, and I had a son and daughter, so I decided to take a course at UCLA’s Interior Design Program,” she said. “I always liked interior design. My mother used to draw pictures of furniture and move them around a lot. It’s something I loved, and I was always artistic.” Barrett said she tries to present a relaxed approach for clients. “You can go with any style, but it’s how you put things together,” she said. “The color palette is also important. I tend to use more shades of whites and creams with accents of various colors. You can use bolder colors for accents.” Her advice on redesigning a room? “Don’t
overdo. Get a clean space. Take everything out of the room, then get your basics first—sofa, chairs and coffee table.” Barrett has been coming to the desert for years, and moved to Palm Desert from Los Angeles two years ago, during the lockdown. “It’s the most magical place,” she said. “The pink desert light is unlike anything I’ve ever known, anywhere, especially the sunrises and sunsets. The lifestyle is also more relaxed and less congested than L.A.” The lead designer of the Desert Oasis Show House is Michael Berman, of Michael Berman Limited. Over the course of 10 days, organizers expect the Show House to attract more than 5,000 visitors. The Desert Oasis Show House’s events and tours will take place from Thursday, March 31, through Sunday, April 10. Tour tickets start at $38. For a complete schedule of events, tickets and more information, visit designcollaborativeusa.com.
Opens March 25!
The Desert Oasis Show House’s primary bedroom, designed by Chris Barrett.
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An excerpt from Kevin Goetz’s ‘AUDIENCE-OLOGY: How Moviegoers Shape the Films We Love’
By kevin goetz
ocktail had an entirely different ending. Adam McKay learned to never kill a dog in a movie, even if it is Anchorman. The original cut of La La Land had no music or singing for the first 12 minutes. These are some of the fascinating stories shared in a book that pulls back the curtain on a little known, yet incredibly important part of the filmmaking process. As one of the Los Angeles Times’ 100 most powerful and influential people in Southern California, Palm Springs resident Kevin Goetz helps transform movies from rough cuts to blockbusters. His firm, Screen Engine/ASI, conducts focus-group research screenings for a majority of all movies that are widely released in America and around the world. His book, AUDIENCE-OLOGY: How Moviegoers Shape the Films We Love (Tiller Press), features producer, but this was decades ago when he first-hand accounts from Ron Howard, was working at Paramount Pictures, and the Cameron Crowe, Drew Barrymore, Ed wager took place as we stood outside a movie Zwick, Renny Harlin, Jason Blum and other theater. Hollywood luminaries. To be clear, this was the second unluckiest Here’s an excerpt from Audience-ology: How bet in history. The absolute unluckiest bet Moviegoers Shape the Films We Love. had occurred almost 20 years prior, when a young director became convinced that his new n the spring of 1994, I made the second science-fiction movie was a disaster and would unluckiest bet in Hollywood history. It bomb. He bet his friend Steven Spielberg, was with John Goldwyn, who is, well, a who was working on another sci-film, Close Goldwyn. His grandfather was the “G” in Encounters of the Third Kind, that Spielberg’s MGM, one of the architects of early-20thmovie would make more at the box office. century Hollywood. His father was the It would have been an excellent bet, a famous independent producer and distributor, sure-fire winner, except that the frustrated a stately man who ran the show at the filmmaker’s name was George Lucas. Samuel Goldwyn Company well into his 80s. And his movie was a little passion project Pedigree notwithstanding, John Goldwyn is called Star Wars. an accomplished production executive and My bet with John Goldwyn in ’94 wasn’t nearly so rich. It wasn’t Star Wars money. In fact, it was only for a dollar, a lonesome buck. But it was similar to George Lucas’ bad wager in two ways: First, it was also a bet over box office revenues. I had wagered that a new movie from Paramount Pictures, where John was the head of production, would not make more than $200 million at the box office. At the time, only a few movies had ever earned that kind of money. Even Spielberg’s latest Indiana Jones movie hadn’t quite busted through the $200 million barrier, and while I liked Paramount’s new film, I thought my bet was safe. But there was a second reason my unlucky bet was like Lucas’. Both of us broke a cardinal rule of the movie industry, a rule that given my particular place in that industry, I should have followed to the letter. The rule is this: Don’t pass judgment on a film before an audience has seen it. After all, John Goldwyn and I didn’t make our bet on any old night. It was screening night—the night that a test audience of real, live people would see the picture for the first time. And when John and I shook hands and Kevin Goetz. David Blank sealed my very bad wager, those audience CVIndependent.com
I
members still had their asses parked in the theater seats. The credits had yet to roll. They had yet to fill out the comment cards that I would pass out after the preview, cards on which they’d assess the movie and give the studio its first sense of whether it had a hit. I remember that night clearly, just like every other night when I’m present for the birth of a motion picture into the world, the moment at which the film leaves the director’s hands and becomes the property of the audience. I remember the studio heads shuffling into the back of the theater, anxiously wringing their hands. The executives had believed this movie—and I quote—“had Oscar written all over it” from the time they’d first read the script. But I was skeptical because I had heard similar sentiments plenty of times before. People close to a film can get caught up in their own delusions of grandeur. And what about that title? “That is one of the strangest titles I’ve ever heard,” I thought as I continued to chat with John. “What does that even mean?” I asked him. But he was unflappable, insisting that the movie was something special and destined to be a hit. We were about to see if moviegoers agreed. I recall the director storming out of the theater, fearful that if the response wasn’t as strong as he hoped, the studio might change his movie—his baby—based on the feedback. He had believed in this picture so fully that he’d even deferred a large portion of his own salary so the studio would have enough money for the production costs. Then there was the moment when the lights dimmed, the projector whirred, and the screen lit up with the moving image of a feather floating down onto a park bench, where two people sat, including the simple-minded yet bighearted character who was about to transport us through rock ’n’ roll, Vietnam, and ping-pong diplomacy in China. Most of all, however, I remember what happened after the screening, when it was time to do my job. I was conducting a focus group of 20 moviegoers who had stayed behind to talk about the film. At one point, an older male participant raised his hand and said, “I’ve seen God tonight, and his name is Forrest Gump.” The picture, of course, became a smash success with audiences and critics alike, earning six Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director for Robert Zemeckis. Forrest Gump went on to make $330 million at the box office in the United States alone—and
lost me a buck. This is not your typical book about the movies. You won’t find stories here from the director’s chair or from the star’s trailer or from the chic lunch spots in L.A., where gossip is served up faster than a $44 McCarthy Salad at the Polo Lounge. This story takes you to one of most secretive places in Hollywood—a place where famous directors are reduced to tears and multimillionaire actors reduced to fits of rage. A place where dreams are made and fortunes are lost. It’s told from the back of the movie theater at the end of the night, set when the lights are on and the projector is off and the popcorn is stale. It’s the chronicle of how people—real people, like those gathered for the screening of Forrest Gump—have, a few hundred at a time, written and rewritten America’s cinematic history by showing up, watching a rough cut of a new film before anyone else has seen it, and giving their unfettered opinions so directors and studios can salvage their blunders or, better yet, turn a good movie into an all-time classic. Excerpted from Audience-ology: How Moviegoers Shape the Films We Love, with permission. Copyright 2021, Kevin Goetz. Reproduced by permission of Tiller Press, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. All rights reserved.
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‘Peacemaker’ and ‘Righteous Gemstones’ amuse; ‘Boba Fett’ starts slow, but improves
By Bob Grimm
ot long ago, I whined that James Gunn probably wouldn’t get to make another Suicide Squad movie after his excellent DC Comics offering bombed at the box office. I was aware that Peacemaker, a TV show based on John Cena’s seemingly dead dirty superhero from The Suicide Squad, was in the works. I was not aware that 1) in addition to producing, Gunn is writing and directing many episodes of the show; and 2) the show isn’t a prequel; it’s a sequel. In other words, Gunn is getting to play a lot in the DC Universe after all. Cena returns as the supersized weirdo with the funky helmet, and he gets a new mission with the intelligence team that betrayed Viola Davis’ angry Amanda Waller in the movie. Holdovers from the movie include the great Steve Agee as John Economos, and, most thankfully, Jennifer Holland as Emilia Harcourt. Peacemaker finds himself fighting something called the Butterflies, and the same hilarious, ultra-violent vibe from The Suicide Squad runs throughout this project. Gunn has no problem with gore, profanity and nudity, so this isn’t a show for you and the kids like those cute Marvel programs on Disney+. Robert Patrick plays Auggie Smith, Peacemaker’s nasty father, who makes his uniforms and helmets—and peppers most of his conversations with various racial slurs. The best thing about the show is Eagly, Peacemaker’s bald eagle sidekick. Their reunion (Dad was keeping him in the garage while Son was away at prison) is quite touching, with the excited eagle managing a hug. Eagly waits
in the car while Peacemaker goes about his business, much like my dog does when I go shopping, weather permitting. You will never skip the opening credits of this show. It features the cast members performing a gloriously choregraphed synchronized dance, complete with a joyous appearance by Eagly at the end. The intro credits also offer a nice hint at what to expect when watching the show— comedy that doesn’t care to be anything routine. Yes, Gunn is working on the next Guardians of the Galaxy for Marvel, but Peacemaker shows he isn’t even close to done in the DC Universe. Peacemaker is now streaming on HBO Max.
A
fter the first half of the first season of The Book of Boba Fett, I was thinking that the direction the creators had gone in for this new Star Wars show was far too somber and serious to make it recommendable. Then the Mandalorian showed up, followed by Luke Skywalker and little Grogu. Let’s get something straight: Boba Fett was a useless scumbag in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. He was a greedy bounty hunter who ushered the frozen body of Han Solo to Jabba the Hutt—and then got his dopey ass dumped into the sarlacc pit, where he was supposed to be digested for many centuries. I love the notion of him being scrappy enough to escape the pit and have further adventures, but the whole setup seems befitting of a comedy, or at least something more amusing than the sometimes-dragging affair that transpired over the first half of the season on Disney+. The action is set right after Return of the Jedi on Tatooine. This means we get to see banthas, Jabba’s relatives, the cantina band, familiarlooking droids and vehicles, and burping creatures catching shit with their tongues. Boba Fett should be a flamboyant, greedy, Dog the Bounty Hunter type—not the noble, scowling, grumbling character as portrayed by actor Temuera Morrison. His every line read is monosyllabic and dreary. Morrison is a bad choice for Boba; blame that on the prequels.
Still, the first several episodes aren’t a complete waste. If you like banthas, Ming-Na Wen (whose Fennec rises from the dead for this show) and Danny Trejo (Robert Rodriguez directs some episodes, so that prompts a mandatory Trejo presence), you will be OK with them. Fortunately, Boba takes a backseat during the second part of the season, as the show goes in a completely different direction. It becomes something akin to a Return of the Jedi sequel (with more of Mark Hamill’s Luke Skywalker) and an extension of The Mandalorian. In short, it’s far more entertaining as a result. The Book of Boba Fett is now streaming on Disney+.
W
hen Season 1 of The Righteous Gemstones came out back in 2019, I started watching it—because it has Danny McBride at its center, and I’m all about that
weirdo and anything he does. For some reason, I lost interest after an episode or two. Maybe it was because I was too busy; maybe it was because first episode or two of the show weren’t that good. Season 2 began on Jan. 9, and I gave the show another shot. I found myself binging the first four episodes of the new season— and wanting more. It features some very funny, extremely dark and seriously profane humor that hit me in just the right way. I find something supremely funny about a bunch of born-again Christian televangelists dropping constant F-bombs. McBride plays Jesse Gemstone, the son of a preacher (John Goodman) who has a big religious empire. This season delves more into Goodman’s criminal background and his partnership with a friend (Eric Roberts) who has returned to make trouble. This is easily the best thing Roberts has done since Runaway Train. Adam Devine plays brother/son Kelvin, while Edi Patterson is a real standout as sister/ daughter Judy, an odd sort who loves to sing, dance and personally rip people to shreds. Skyler Gisondo plays Jesse’s son; it’s always good to have him around. The ever-reliable Walton Goggins plays “Baby” Billy Freeman, a slickster who loves a good, opulent baptism ceremony. The show is blessedly weird, and I will definitely be going back to watch Season 1 to see if it was just a personality flaw of mine that caused me to bail. The Righteous Gemstones is as good as the other McBride HBO vehicles, Eastbound and Down and Vice Principals— maybe better. The Righteous Gemstones’ Season 2 is currently airing on HBO.
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CAESAR CERVISIA JASON DAVID HAIR STUDIO
By brett newton
I
LOVE YOUR HAIR
recently began a new journey in my life—or at least a journey with a new component. I now work as a bartender at Babe’s Bar-B-Que and Brewery in Rancho Mirage. I’m a Certified Cicerone at a restaurant with a brewery … what’s so new about it? Well, if you’ve ever been to Babe’s, you probably noticed the nice and well-stocked bar just inside the front doors. That bar makes many cocktails—but outside of the very basic (and likely unimpressive) Country Club and Cook Street drinks I’ve made in the past, I’ve never really professionally made cocktails before I convinced Palm De sert Babe’s to hire me. In my first month, I was tossed into the fire. With the help of veteran bartenders Michele 760-340-5959 and Ryan, as well as the laminated sheets What might these resources for making a listing the ingredients of the specialty drinks balanced drink be? “Aside from my column?” www.jasondavidhairstudio.net (but not necessarily including the correct he replied. Could one possibly need more? proportions), I was forged in the flame of “Start with Imbibe by David Wondrich customers clamoring for drinks ranging and learn your cocktail history. I (also) from strawberry lemonades to Manhattans. like Difford’s Guide (diffordsguide.com), Thankfully, I’ve found it fun, and the money Imbibe (imbibemagazine.com), and Punch has been a little intoxicating—but I tend to (punchdrink.com) for online resources. The try to excel at the things I do, and I would first Death & Co. book is kind of a bible for definitely rather the recipients of my cocktails a lot of bartenders. I get a lot of inspiration greatly enjoy their experience. from Charles Baker’s Jigger, Beaker, and Glass: Fortunately, I knew where to seek guidance. Drinking Around the World. Kevin Carlow is usually no more than a few “But skip YouTube,” he added with a hint of pages away from me in the print version of the Independent, and cocktails are to him what beer styles are to me—a wealth of information and history, if you only look a little deeper (not to mention the various aromas and flavors involved). As regular readers may know, bartending is in Kevin’s blood. “My father was a bartender in the infamous ‘Combat Zone’ of Boston in the ’80s when I was a kid,” Kevin told me. “He has a million stories about bartending for politicians, gangsters, business tycoons and other shady people. I was a chubby nerd growing up, and when I went to college, I am sure my dad was happy I wouldn’t live such a crazy existence.” What caused the change in course? “I never considered bartending as a profession until I decided to be a writer, and my friend was opening a bar in a ski town in Northern Arizona. I figured it was a good way for an awkward guy to talk to women and get some story-writing ideas.” I thought I’d try to cut to the front of the line, so to speak, so I asked what he wished he had known early on in his career as a bartender. “How hard of a profession it is to leave,” Kevin said. “You get hooked on the attention, the fast and hard money, the camaraderie, and— for many—substances. It’s hard on the love life, unless you’re just looking for a one-night stand. “Also, it took me seven years to know how to balance a drink. Resources weren’t as available then. I would have wanted to know how to do that starting out.” CVIndependent.com
What to do when a beer expert has to learn—quickly—about cocktails
caution. “It’s a mixed bag.” All of this was a lot to chew on, but it was exactly the kind of thing I was looking for. So I was curious—as cliched as the questions are—what his favorite and least-favorite things about the profession were. As for the former: “I grew to love being onstage. I went from the kid with the notebook playing pool with old men at dive bars, lazily trying to write the great American novel, to the center of attention. It was a great confidencebooster! As my craft developed, it was a mix of being entertainer and wizard. I grew to love people watching my technique, and got an appreciation for how effortless effort can be mesmerizing—something I look for in other areas of life from various occupations. Also, most of my best friends I met tending bar— either as co-workers or guests.” And the latter? “The late nights would be the easy answer,” Kevin said. Thankfully, where I work, closing time is 9. If you happen to come to Babe’s and order a
cocktail when I’m behind the bar, let me know what you think—honestly, of course. After all, I want to get good at this, and if the recipient of one of my drinks enjoys their experience, I’ve achieved success. Meanwhile, Kevin imparted a final thought on bartending: “If you think you want to do it, do it. You will learn life skills and make life-long friends, and you’ll be part of a secret society, of sorts. You will literally never experience a night out the same way once you’re initiated. You’ll have friends in every city you visit, because we take care of each other. I don’t regret a minute of it, in retrospect.” Never having considered these aspects of the job, I’m excited to see how it plays out in my future. 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
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Mar 2
Palm Springs Dance Project: The Anniversary
Mar 3—6
La Quinta Arts Celebration
Mar 5
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Mar 5
Tejano Music Festival
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Stonewall Golfers Rainbow Challenge
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Mar 19
One–PS Picnic and Community Expo
Mar 19
The Center's Red Dress Dress Red Party
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Fashion Week El Paseo
Mar 25—27
Palm Desert Food & Wine
Mar 25—27
Cathedral City LGBT Days
Mar 26
The L-Fund's A Starlight Soiree
Mar 27
Trans Pride
Mar 27—Apr 29
Glow in the Park: A Spring Lantern Festival
Mar 29—30
KGAY 106.5 Welcomes Melissa Etheridge: McCallum
Mar 31
Stepping Out, College of the Desert
Mar 31
Cesar Chavez Breakfast
Apr 1—3
Indian Wells Art Festival
Apr 2
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Apr 8—10
PS Gay Men’s Chorus presents Razzle, Dazzle, Shine!
Apr 9
Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards, DAP Health
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Apr 28
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May 11
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May 11—15
Oasis Music Festival
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VINE SOCIAL JASON DAVID
How long should a bottle of wine be aged? Or should it be aged at all?
HAIR STUDIO
By KatieLOVE finn YOUR
O
HAIR
n my 40th birthday, I hesitantly opened a bottle of 1978 Kalin Cellars Zinfandel. I wanted it to be spectacular. I wanted it to be beautiful. But I was not the first owner of this bottle. It was gifted to me by a friend in the restaurant business, and I’m not even sure if he was the original owner of this bottle. In other and Cook Street words, there was no way to know how this bottleCountry had beenClub stored prior to me acquiring it, and Palm Deparent. sert Did it sit in the how many homes this bottle had before I became its next adoptive laundry room over the dryer exhaust? Was it in the kitchen next to the stove? Had it been in 760-340-5959 a wine fridge, and then the garage, and then barrels and the dust. Everything that cannot under a bed in the guest room? Who knows? possibly be replicated, all housed in a bottle For a long time, this bottle sat in my wine www.jasondavidhairstudio.net of wine. fridge, mainly as a memento from a historic We savored every drop, and I remember wine producer in California who just happens jokingly saying the wine aged better than I to be known for creating wines that stand the did. But it wasn’t a joke. test of time. But what better time to pop the So, this brings me to the big question: How cork than at my big 4-0 birthday party? If it long should a bottle of wine be aged? Dare was a disaster, well, then nothing ventured, I dumb this question down, but the answer nothing gained. But what if … what if it is relatively simple: Nine times out of 10, it wasn’t? shouldn’t be. When I pulled the cork, it came out in one Most wines available in supermarkets, beautiful, intact, spongy piece. Things were wine-warehouse chains and big-box stores looking encouraging. As I poured that first are made with one idea in mind: The average taste, stuck my nose in the glass, and deeply consumer is buying a wine at 11 a.m. with the inhaled, I was hit with gorgeous aromas of intention of drinking that bottle at 6 p.m. As red raspberries, Bing cherries, leather, sweet our alcohol consumption habits changed— pipe tobacco, star anise, dried marjoram and meaning we went from a cocktail culture to a cardamom, and those telltale dusty tannins. wine culture—the way wine was being made IT WAS ALIVE! drastically changed. I quickly poured tastes for my birthday Most winemakers realized that in order guests, and we enjoyed a remarkable time to appeal to their new customers, the wine capsule—captured in liquid form, containing needed to replace their evening Jack and all the nuances of the weather, the hands Coke. It needed to be big and bold, rich and that pruned the vines, the sunshine and the weighty—with an ample amount of alcohol.
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This is not how wines were made in the year of my birth. It didn’t matter if they were from California or France; the idea back then was to create a wine with a low pH (meaning the wine would be higher in acid; lighter in body and color; leaner; and offering more tart fruit flavors) and lower alcohol. These would be wines that had more savory flavors and felt less unctuous in the mouth. These were wines made for the long haul, meant for a wait for them to achieve that perfect balance of acid, mellowed tannins, and a combination of fruit with the earthy savoriness that only shows itself once the other elements have calmed down. One thing to note: The first thing to dissipate in a wine is its fruitiness. All those ripe, saturated, jammy flavors that attract you to your favorite bottle of cabernet are the first things that disappear once a bottle gains maturity. If that bottle of wine doesn’t have anything else underneath those berry preserves, all you’re left with is a bottle of what tastes like rubbing alcohol. So, in a crazy scheme to make money and not go out of business, wineries realized that perhaps creating a wine that requires 10-plus years before it’s considered ready to drink might not be the best business model. Think of it this way: If you bought a case of Opus One 2016 vintage and were told not to drink it until 2028, what real incentive would you have to buy Opus One 2017? 2018? No one is amassing a collection of wines that need to be housed for more than a decade before the ideal date of consumption. It’s a
crazy thought! Does that mean that no one is making ageworthy wines anymore? Of course not. There are still tons of wines made for laying down— wines that deserve to rest until they come into their own and get past their awkward, geeky stage. But those are your heavy hitters. Those are not the wines you’re buying at Albertsons or Ralphs. These are the gems that you find in your little local wine shop, where someone can tell you exactly what you’re getting yourself into. More than likely, these are wines that come with a hefty price tag. These are wines made by winemakers, like Kalin Cellars, that are notorious for creating wines that need time. These are wines from high-profile wineries that have been around a long, long time. I hear so many people tell me they have wines they’ve been sitting on for decades, and they’re wondering if the wines are still good. I hear the concern: “I probably waited too long, and I’m sure it’s past it’s prime.” Here’s what I say to that: Open it. Open it tonight! Revel in the idea that you could surprise yourself. Enjoy the exploration of finding out if maybe, just maybe, you caught this wine at its ideal age. If it’s gone, have a little wine funeral, and say goodbye. But what if … what if it’s not? There’s only one way to know. 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.
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FOOD & DRINK
ON COCKTAILS S
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A quick look at just four of the many unique spirits from around the world
BY kevin carlow
o, we’re supposed to be world citizens, right? I can say that when it comes to booze, we’re really not. Sure, we learned to love vodka, tequila, cognac and even mezcal—but we often avoid the spirits from other countries like the salad bar at Sizzler. There are some spirits we’ll never seem to get a taste for, no matter how many times we try them. However, after 17 years of bartending and occasionally managing bars, I’ve had a lot of stuff pushed on me over the years—and there are indeed some foreign spirits worth trying. Here are a few, even though the likelihood of ever seeing them on a drink list is slim. I’m not sure what to do with it as a cocktail Let’s start with aguardiente. I was talking ingredient. It’s really thin, at just 29% alcohol, to some Columbians the other day, and, of and anise is a tough sell. I would just keep it course, I did the whole, “Hey I’m a gringo, but in the fridge—and keep some grapes with it. I know something about Columbia!” thing: I It’s a spirit that should be on your “must try” brought up aguardiente. Also, yes, that was list, but don’t expect it to change your life. It’s the inspiration for this column. just good fun. What is aguardiente? It’s a term that Baijiu, what do we do with you? This is an basically means “firewater”; more specifically, ancient spirit from China, and I have a lot of it’s an anise-forward clear spirit that tastes respect for it—but, oof, it can be a tough one. something like sambuca without the syrupy Now, as with every liquor, there are levels sugar. It’s also kind of like watered-down of quality, and the ones I’ve tried have been rum. I have woken up on a strange couch in created for the American palate—but it’s still East Boston more than once after drinking it, rough. I had a regular back in the day with because once you order it at the bar, it tends multiple businesses in China, and when I to keep coming. Thankfully, it often comes offered him my “cool new cocktail” featuring with grapes and cucumbers and whatnot; baijiu, he said something along the lines of, once you try it with a salted, lime-juice“I never want to drink another drop of that soaked slice of cucumber, you’ll be hooked (redacted) ever again!” too. Some aguardiente comes sugar-free, That said, it’s a pretty interesting and althoug there really isn’t that much sugar in varied spirit. It is usually made from it, in any case. Either way, where you wake up sorghum, but can also have rice, corn or will vary. wheat as a base. It’s “dry-fermented,” meaning Now, what about a cocktail? I’ll be honest: the grains are steamed and left to ferment
Aguardiente is an anise-forward spirit that tastes something like sambuca without the syrupy sugar.
without yeast, instead using an agent called “qu” (pronounced “chew”). Grappa is probably the best known “dry-fermented” Western spirit, and there are similarities. The chief similarity is the incredibly floral and intense nose, and that both spirits are considered good for digestion. The super tiny “goblets” used for consumption are adorable—and similar to grappa glasses. The flavor of baijiu is often compared to bubblegum, and from my limited wine knowledge, that is a product of carbonic fermentation. How about a cocktail? Here’s my “Doctor Zaz,” from my first drink program, a lifetime ago. It’s a sazerac, basically, and the bubblegum is accentuated. 2 ounces of baijiu 5 dashes Peychaud’s bitters Half ounce of simple syrup Stir; strain over rocks; garnish with a lemon swath and a piece of bubble gum. Here’s a fun one: Batavia arrack. This early spirit, from Dutch Indonesia, was actually born before rum—back in the early 1600s! It’s made from red rice and molasses, and was a prominent base for early punch recipes. Rum showed up not long after and sent Batavia arrack to the proverbial glue factory, but it’s been made and used in the South Pacific ever since. I remember seeing this at a cool liquor store in Western Massachusetts way back in the day; I, of course, bought it— and had no idea what to do with it. It, like baijiu, is very intense. It has a strong vegetal nose; you mezcal stans out there might enjoy it. This is another one I just usually shoot, but you can certainly substitute it for rum, or make a punch with it. It’s solid
as a daiquiri, or a Hemingway daiquiri. 2 ounces of Batavia arrack 3/4 ounce of lime juice Half ounce of grapefruit juice Half ounce of simple syrup Quarter ounce of maraschino liquor Shake; strain; serve up in a coupe with a cherry and lime. Last, but not least, let’s talk about malört. Swedish immigrant Carl Jeppson came up with his own formulation in Chicago, and it’s pretty much consumed fanatically in Illinois more than in Sweden, as far as I hear. The name is Swedish for “wormwood,” and it’s a neutral grain spirit that will absolutely make you wish you hadn’t ordered it. Don’t believe me? Google “malört face.” I once described this stuff as eating a whole tree, from roots to leaves to citrus peel. In other words, it’s nasty … and I freaking love it. It’s a bartender thing. We love the stuff that makes other people wince. If you can find a bottle (I have seen the Letherbee version of it locally, but not for some time), drink it cold and straight. You could certainly use it like Campari, too, but do so at your own risk. I had a cocktail made with it once that wasn’t too awful—but don’t say I didn’t warn you! There is a whole world of spirits out there, and I just scratched the surface here; there are many under-loved hooches looking for a home. So go grab a bottle of one of them; wipe the dust off; and let the clerk at the liquor store warn you. Life is too short to just drink vodka, after all! Kevin Carlow can be reached at CrypticCocktails@gmail.com. CVIndependent.com
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This month, we savor pad see ew in Rancho Mirage, and truffle pasta in Palm Springs By Jimmy Boegle
WHAT Pad see ew WHERE Talay Thai Restaurant, 70065 Highway 111, Rancho Mirage HOW MUCH $15.95 CONTACT 760-832-9588; www.talaythairanchomirage.com WHY The savory, smoky sweetness. Thai food is one of my favorite cuisines. From amazing soups, to curries, to legendary noodle dishes like pad Thai, to salads like yum nua (beef salad), Thai food can be delicious, nuanced and comforting—all at once. One of the Thai dishes that’s flown under my personal radar is pad see ew. However, after our recent dinner from Talay Thai Restaurant in Rancho Mirage, pad see ew is quickly rising on my favorites list. If you’re unfamiliar: Wide rice noodles are stir-fried with a protein (pork, in this case), egg, broccoli and, as Talay puts it on the menu, “sweet soy sauce.” That soy sauce, and how it’s applied to the rest of the ingredients, is key: When things are done right, the sauce adheres to the rest of the ingredients (the noodles, especially), caramelizes, and creates an amazing sweet, smoky flavor. At Talay Thai, when it comes to the pad see ew, things are done right: Every bite of the perfectly cooked noodles offered a ton of flavor. The pork was tender, and the broccoli still had an appropriate amount of crunch. We got a lot of food for that dinner from Talay—we did takeout, because Talay doesn’t offer outdoor seating, and omicron was still very much an issue at the time—and the pad see ew was the star dish. Our takeout experience was seamless; the service was good; and the food was ready when we got there. The Coachella Valley is blessed with a fair number of good Thai restaurants (something, alas, that can’t be said about some other Asian cuisines)—but Talay Thai should not be overlooked.
WHAT Gigi’s truffle pasta WHERE Gigi’s Restaurant + Bar, at the V Palm Springs, 333 E. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs HOW MUCH $34 CONTACT 760-980-7000; www.gigispalmsprings.com WHY It’s a great dish surrounded by an incredible atmosphere. While the pandemic has been undeniably awful, it’s had some silver linings—one of which is a renewed appreciation for good, comfortable outdoor dining. Some restaurants have long had great al fresco seating options; others added great outdoor seating as a result of the pandemic. Others … well, they did what they had to do, and nothing more, to keep in-person dining going when being outside was the only option—and I’ve endured a fair number of less-than-comfortable pandemicera restaurant visits as a result. This brings us to Gigi’s Restaurant + Bar, the newish restaurant at V Palm Springs. Not only does Gigi’s do al fresco dining right; Gigi’s patio is one of the loveliest outdoor restaurant spaces in the entire Coachella Valley, featuring a variety of types of seating, fire pits and an oh-so-gorgeous mountain view. We visited Gigi’s for a recent Sunday dinner. First off, a mini-rant: Gigi’s online menu doesn’t match the real menu at the restaurant. (Nearly three weeks later, as we went to press, it still didn’t.) We arrived planning to order the halibut “meunière” en croute, with potato mille feuille fries as a side … but, nope. On the flip side: The dinner’s highlight was a new dish that’s not on the online menu: Gigi’s truffle pasta. The dish was both wellpresented and delicious, featuring perfect al dente pasta with a black truffle cream sauce and chili breadcrumbs. I ate every bite—and was left wanting more. OK … if I am being honest, the truffle pasta was not actually the dinner’s highlight— it was the al fresco dining atmosphere. Gigi’s patio area is, in a word, stunning.
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Restaurant NEWS BITES By charles drabkin THE MYSTERIOUS CASE OF THE FATE OF LUCHOWS PALM SPRINGS After a short three months in business, Luchows Palm Springs, located at 4771 E. Palm Canyon Drive, closed on Valentine’s Day—just two weeks after a ribbon cutting timed to coincide with Chinese New Year. However, Luchows may not be dead after all. Initially, both Luchows’ website and Facebook pages had postings explaining that the restaurant had closed, and was for sale. On Feb. 17, however, those posts were removed. Shortly thereafter, the Independent heard a rumor that a sale to a prominent valley restaurateur was pending. When we reached out to that restaurateur just before our press deadline, we received a polite “no comment.” The closure of Luchows is undeniably sad, but it can’t be considered a total shock, seeing as the restaurant was receiving less-than-stellar reviews. Although I don’t put much faith in Yelp reviews, the 2.5-star overall rating accurately reflects my one experience there. Opening a restaurant is not for the faint of heart, especially during the pandemic era, and owner Paul Kakuschky (one of the original partners in the much-loved Paul Bar/Food, before he moved on), admitted to being exhausted and overwhelmed. We wish him nothing but the best in his future endeavors. As for Luchows’ future … watch CVIndependent.com for updates; we’ll let you know if/ when we receive any verified information. THE PALM DESERT FOOD AND WINE FEST MAKES ITS RETURN The Palm Desert Food and Wine Festival, presented by Agua Caliente Casinos, will be back in 2022—from Friday, March 25, through Sunday, March 27. With events ranging from a cheese-tasting in downtown Palm Springs (it actually takes place at On the Mark on Thursday, March 24), grand tastings at the Gardens at El Paseo, and even virtual experiences, there should be events to satisfy every palate and budget. Celebrity chefs like Carla Hall will be joining local stars like Bar Cecil’s Gabe Woo and Andrew Copley to prepare meals and tastes throughout the weekend. Learn more at get tickets at palmdesertfoodandwine.com. IN BRIEF The owners of Portland, Ore.’s Impala are opening a second location here in the desert. They hope Impala Bar and Grill will open sometime in March at 333 S. Palm Canyon Drive. Impala is billed as a Mexican sports bar, and as with the Portland location, the owners plan to host drag shows, jazz and other live music events. Impala is already listed as a participant in DAP Health’s Dining Out for Life day, on Thursday, April 28! … The Kimpton Rowan, at 100 W. Tahquitz Canyon Way, in Palm Springs, is hosting a comedy and wine event on Tuesday, March 1. Tickets range from $25 for comedy-only general-admission seating to $265 for an all-inclusive VIP table for four. The evening will feature winemaker Angelina Mondavi and comedian Shawn Pelofsky. I have seen Pelofsky perform several times, and she is hilarious. Find tickets on Eventbrite. … If you missed the news: the Palm Springs Cultural Center, at 2300 E. Baristo Road, in Palm Springs, is now calling its café Mildred’s, and is serving up signature chicken and waffles, burgers, various fry options, and a few other things. Grab a bite when you go see a film or live show—or have food delivered by one of the delivery apps! Get details at www.psculturalcenter.org/mildreds. … Speaking of waffles: b.street waffles has brought liège waffles to the area. Expect a rich, dense waffle with flavors like maple-bacon, salted caramel, and dark chocolate; b.street launched locally after serving tech companies like Apple, Facebook, Google and Twitter in the Bay Area. For now, b.street is focusing on catering; get details at www.bstreetwaffles.com. … Southern California-based chain Habit Burger Grill has opened a new location at 73220 Dinah Shore Drive, in Palm Desert. It’s the third valley location for Habit, and the company has plans to open a fourth in Cathedral City by the end of the year. The menu offers ever-popular charburgers, fresh salads and signature sandwiches. Learn more at www.habitburger.com. Got a hot tip? Let me know: foodnews@cvindependent.com.
Patio and indoor dining takeout 4 to 9 p.m. Tuesday-SUNday 1775 E. Palm Canyon Drive (760) 778-6595 www.533vietfusion.com I F YO U ’ R E L O O K I N ’ F O R A DV E N T U R E G E T YO U R M OTO R R U N N I N ’
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Rosie Flores returns to Pappy and Harriet’s—a place she’s been playing for more than 35 years Neil Berg combines performance and history into two different shows coming to the McCallum Desert Hot Springs’ Prichard Nixon blends genres and art in the pursuit of creativity the venue report: kevin hart, devotchka, the ladies of knots landing—and much more!
www.cvindependent.com/music
After a busy 2021, John Dwyer and Osees return to Pappy and Harriet’s
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MUSIC PIONEERTOWN HOMECOMING By matt king
F
or my entire life, Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace has been known as a legendary place for live music—located just a short trek from the bustle of the Coachella Valley. Pappy and Harriet’s was the site of a movie set starting in 1946, and first became a bar in 1972. Ever since, it’s been a beloved space for food, community and music. Rosie Flores is a living witness of the legacy of Pappy and Harriet’s. The rockabilly/country singer-songwriter’s career has spanned more different world. I was signed out of Nashville, than 40 years—and she was frequenting the so it was really fun to go (to Pappy’s) and place back when her single “Crying Over You” play, because it was like a country-andwas on the Billboard charts in 1997. She’ll be Western type of bar, and people wanted to back in Pioneertown on Friday, March 25, hear country music. Pappy was still alive, and with longtime collaborator James Intveld. both him and Harriet would come up and sit “I used to play Pappy and Harriet’s back in with us, and Pappy would sing ‘Blue Eyes when I was recording for Warner Bros.’ Crying in the Rain.’ We had this amazing Reprise Records, and I was kind of doing group of musicians, and we would go trekking my country-star thing,” Flores said during a around Joshua Tree at the monument, and recent phone interview. “I was performing come back to play for a packed house. I was at the Grand Ole Opry, and it was a very quite popular in those days, so my picture is
Rosie Flores. Valerie Fremin
CVINDEPENDENT.COM/MUSIC
Rosie Flores returns to Pappy and Harriet’s—a place she’s been playing for more than 35 years
up there on the wall, with my friends and my cowboy boots. My picture is right next to Jim Lauderdale. It’s kind of like a homecoming for me to get a chance to perform there with James Intveld backing me, and we’ll be doing a lot of the duets that we used to perform together at the Palomino Club and at various clubs around Los Angeles back in the ’80s.” Flores reflected on how Pappy’s has changed over the years. “I’m hoping that some of the people who used to come see us will show up,” Flores said. “It’s a big deal, because, really, everybody loves the history of Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace, and it’s become very hip. There have been a lot of big people who have come down there and played, whereas when we were playing there, in the late ’80s, we were maybe the biggest act that would be there. I’ve got this giant smile on my face right now just thinking about it. There was actually an artist there who made me a guitar strap using leather tooling, and another artist made a Rosie cut-out paper doll. They would always present me with these little presents, and I just felt so loved.” Rosie Flores and James Intveld are a storied duo, responsible for a number of Flores’ tunes, including “Crying Over You.” They have been performing together sporadically since the ’80s—but this will be the first time in 35 years they’ll be performing together at Pappy and Harriet’s. “When we started out in 1986 performing together, we found out that our voices just made a beautiful harmony together, and it was kind of blowing us away,” Flores said. “We were a couple back then, so the fact that we were spending everyday together anyway made it really easy to be around each other, and we had a lot of time to work on songs together. “A couple of years later, when we did break up, we did still perform a little bit together at the Palomino Club, and then we toured Europe together. … The trickiest thing about it now is that he lives in California, and I live in Austin. We’ve been talking on the phone and making sure we have enough rehearsal time together pre-show so that we can spend some time working on these harmonies and making sure we get them back again.” Over the course of her career, Flores has tackled everything from country, to rockabilly, to blues, and even jazz. “When I was a kid, when I discovered music and fell in love with it, it just kind of got
into my blood,” Flores said. “The first things I remember were the jazz standards on the television in the 1950s; keep in mind I am 71 years old. I was, like, 3 or 4 years old, seeing Ella Fitzgerald and Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra and Johnny Mathis, and all that got into my blood when I was a little girl. “I first started playing guitar when I was 16, and the first music that I was going crazy for was the Rolling Stones. I looked at them as a blues band, so I started learning how to play blues guitar. When I was 21, I discovered this country bar in San Diego, and I discovered the pedal-steel guitar, and how wonderful that was, and fell in love with Tammy Wynette songs. … Whatever was influencing me at the time was what I ended up making records for. Nothing is forced; it’s just kind of where I land with opportunities.” Flores said she’s looking forward to her next project—even if it seems a bit ironic, given her past. “The next record I want to focus on is actually going to be Beatles songs,” Flores said. “Right before I started playing the guitar, I was in a singing group with these three girls, singing harmonies. We were a girl group like the Ronettes, but then the Beatles came out, and we started singing Beatles songs with our harmonies. I didn’t pick up the guitar until the Stones came, so I kind of gave up the Beatles for a while to play guitar and play the blues.” As she looked back on her career, Flores said she’s content—even though her career is far from over. “My parents had music going all the time, on the radio and TV, and I just got the bug,” Flores said. “When I was really young, I could always sing on key, so that was my gift, I guess, from God. I just had a great time, and was always chasing the dream of wanting to do this for a living, and wanting to do this on big stages to lots of people. I’ve never hit the gigantic big time, or made it to be a millionaire, but I’ve had a very rich career, and had a chance to perform with, and meet, virtually all of my heroes. I’ve gotten to lead a pretty wonderful life—and I feel very blessed.” Rosie Flores will perform with James Intveld at 9:30 p.m., Friday, March 25, at Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace, 53688 Pioneertown Road, in Pioneertown. Tickets are $20. For tickets or more information, call 760228-2222, or visit pappyandharriets.com. CVIndependent.com
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EDUTAINMENT!
Neil Berg combines performance, history into separate shows, both coming to the McCallum, focusing on Broadway and rock
By matt king
N
eil Berg has made his mark in the theatrical world. He has composed The Prince and the Pauper, The 12 and Grumpy Old Men: The Musical—and he’s translated his love of music into various entertaining and educational concerts. Two of those shows are coming to the McCallum Theatre, for two performances each: Neil Berg’s 102 Years of Broadway (Tuesday, March 22, and Wednesday, March 23), and Neil Berg’s 50 Years of Rock and Roll Part 2 (Wednesday, to the type of music we’re doing, because March 23, and Thursday, March 24). The we’re covering a lot of territory, but they also Independent spoke to Berg over the phone know how to deliver it, and deliver the story recently, primarily about his 50 Years of Rock with each song. … People always say, if they’ve and Roll Part 2 show. never seen one of my shows, ‘Oh my God, I “In Part 1, we covered the entire history, as was not expecting that kind of talent, and I call it,” said Berg. “Most people think rock that kind of story.’” ’n’ roll started in the ’50s, but I go back to the I was curious to learn how Berg developed ’30s. I do a whole little preface—kind of the an interest in the history of music. influences and progenitors of rock ’n’ roll— “I always tell people at the beginning of and then we take it up to where MTV came the show: It’s half rock ’n’ roll concert, half in. That’s kind of the first 50 years. Broadway storytelling, because for me, I “When we originally did the show, we always love knowing the history,” Berg said. didn’t call it Part 1, but there was such a high “When I go see a show, the more I know, demand for us to do more. We realized we the more I’m invested in what I’m seeing. couldn’t even skim the surface; there was just Anybody can play the songs, but this show too much music. We’d have to be there for really covers the connective tissue, and tells a week, and have it be a whole Woodstock the history as well. I narrate from the piano, festival to do it properly.” and I kind of connect all the dots—how it In Part 2, Berg focuses on important acts got from all the way back in the late ’20s and that weren’t in Part 1. the Delta blues, to Buddy Jones, to country “We’re doing the same years, but totally music, to rock ’n’ roll, to swing and jump jive. different songs and different artists, except I did Broadway for years, and I’m a Broadway for a few,” Berg said. “… Every one of these composer. Broadway is just another word for songs in Part 2 could easily have been included storytelling, and that’s what I specialize in.” in Part 1. We’re picking up all the artists that Both of the shows Berg is presenting at people couldn’t believe we didn’t have time to the McCallum are the direct result of the two get to in Part 1. For example, in Part 1, we did sides of his career dovetailing. Fleetwood Mac and Queen, but in this one, “I started off as a rock ‘n’ roll touring we get to pick up Styx and Heart, who were musician, playing with Joe D’Urso and Stone incredibly big during that time. ... It’s just great Caravan,” Berg said. “They needed somebody rock ’n’ roll. They’ll still hear Elvis; they’ll still who could talk both languages on the tour— hear the Beatles, but we just get to do a whole somebody who could read music, as well different selection of songs for some of the as play rock ’n’ roll authentically. During artists that we feel just have to be there.” that time, I also was trying to break in as Berg has assembled an impressive roster a legitimate Broadway composer, so I was for his 50 Years of Rock and Roll productions. writing musicals. “The cast is an all-star cast,” Berg said. “It’s “I’ve had musicals produced in New York a full rock band, and my guitarist—I call him since 1992, and won awards for shows I’ve the ‘Encyclopedia of Rock’—is the guitarist written. ... From the time I was in college, I for the hit Broadway show Tina, about Tina was writing, producing and creating concerts Turner. His name is Mike Wilson. We have all around the world. I put together concerts Jeremy Beck playing second keyboard, for the fanciest places in the world, for who’s involved with Hamilton, and he’s also companies like Goldman Sachs and IBM, and played with Bonnie Raitt and Kool and the for presidents and kings and sultans. Twenty Gang. The singers all straddle the line, and years ago, I had already done these Broadway all of them have starred in hit rock ’n’ roll concerts at such a high level, but I wanted to Broadway shows. They are phenomenally take it to the people … so everybody could gifted in not only singing and being authentic see it, not just an exclusive company and CVIndependent.com
Neil Berg.
crowd, so I partnered up with a brilliant man by the name of Adam Friedson, who had already been touring what was called Ballet Folklorico, which was a big dance company out of Mexico. We teamed up, and 20 years ago, presented our first 100 Years of Broadway. … We’ve been doing that successfully for 17 years, and the idea now was that I needed to do something new, and the venues wanted something new. … That’s when I put together the 50 Years of Rock and Roll, and I’m happy to say it’s exploded. “We’re now predominantly doing our 50 Years of Rock and Roll show, but there are venues like the McCallum who know what we do, and we’re actually doing two shows of each the Broadway and the Rock and Roll. They have nothing to do with each other—meaning you should certainly, if you love music, come to Broadway one day, and the history of rock ’n’ roll the next night.” Berg is already preparing more projects that
fit under the umbrella of edutainment. “I’m writing two new musicals as we speak,” Berg said. “One is being commissioned by the Penguin Rep Theatre in New York, and the other one, which I’m writing with one of the writers from Saturday Night Live, is a musical about Pete Rose. … I also do a tribute to Elton John and Billy Joel, which I’m very passionate about, because that’s what I learned growing up to play. The next one I have planned is a history of funk music.” Neil Berg’s 102 Years of Broadway will be performed at 7 p.m., Tuesday, March 22; and 2 p.m., Wednesday, March 23; and Neil Berg’s 50 Years of Rock and Roll, Part 2, will be performed at 7 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday, March 23 and 24, at the McCallum Theatre, 73000 Fred Waring Drive, in Palm Desert. Tickets to each show are $35 to $75. For tickets or more information, call 760-340-2787, or visit www.mccallumtheatre.com.
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MUSIC ANONYMOUS EXPRESSION By matt king
M
aking a name for oneself in the music world is a feat in and of itself. But it’s even trickier when one’s name is actually a pseudonym. Enter Prichard Nixon, the stage name for a Desert Hot Springs-based recording artist. Nixon’s music is rather eclectic and colorful. He released his second album, Animals, on Feb. 1, and the eight-song, 10-minute-total journey sees Nixon hop from a cappella rap and operatic harmony to acoustic-guitar experimentation. You can “It’s one of those things that I commit hear all of his releases on his Bandcamp page. myself to as time permits,” Nixon said. Nixon said he was influenced by some of “I’m currently finishing double degrees in his favorite creatives when he chose not to go communications and English at College of the by his legal name. Desert. Additionally, I am taking employer“It was something that I definitely took a sponsored courses at an out-of-state campus. lot of time thinking about and considering,” I’m waiting for a callback at the university Nixon said during a recent phone interview. level for the upcoming fall 2022 semester, and “I looked at a lot of artists I respected who I work 40 plus hours a week for my current used pseudonyms. … Author David Wong, employer. That’s all before even touching for example, and the visual artist Raymond anything associated with music. Pettibon, who’s famous for doing the album“When I sit down, and I break it down like cover artwork for Black Flag back in the late that, I’m kind of like, ‘Good grief, dude, what ’70s and early ’80s. It was a decision I did not are you thinking?’ But it is something I love to take lightly, but once I decided to commit to do. I have played music since I was 14. My dad it, it just felt right. I don’t regret going that bought me my first instrument, a four-string route at all.” Harmony bass guitar, for my 14th birthday. Nixon said his music, for now, is a passion It’s just something I’ve always loved doing project. and have undertaken as time and as life have allowed me to do.” With hints of various genres all over Nixon’s work, I was interested to hear what he was personally influenced by. “When I started playing music, it was all about heavy metal, like Black Sabbath and Metallica,” Nixon said. “Around (age) 17 or 18, I started getting into punk rock and emocore and post-hardcore. This would have been around ’06, where a lot of the bands that were popular at the time were like Thursday, My Chemical Romance, and Thrice. Bands like that definitely made an impact as far as what influenced me from a musician’s perspective. Since then, it really depends on what I can get my hands on. “One of the things I really miss, with the fruition of the internet as a tool for musicians, is the ability to go to the mall, for example, and go to the local record store, and walk up and down the aisles and peruse the names and see what jumps out at you. … I miss that thrill.” Nixon reminisced about Record Alley in Palm Desert; the $2 CD bin there would be a place where one could find an artist name as unique as Prichard Nixon. The visuals are another factor that makes Prichard Nixon’s art quite colorful—literally. Check out the cover for his single “King Kong.” Prichard Nixon. “I’m a big fan of the arts in general,
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The Venue REPORT
Desert Hot Springs’ Prichard Nixon blends genres and art in the pursuit of creativity
March 2022
regardless of the media—photography, graphic design, illustration—I love all of it, and I want all of it,” Nixon said. “That was one of the facets that I decided to really focus on when putting out music on my own, was to really spend the time to come up with album artwork, even if only in a digital realm, that complemented the song in the music itself. I’ve been lucky enough to collaborate with a lot of close friends, and in that way, make new friends on the artistic side of it. A lot of that is represented in the singles that I’ve posted online—like the album cover for ‘King Kong’ was hand-drawn by a girlfriend of mine, and the single cover for ‘I Got Flies’ was drawn by one of my close buddies, and then I came back and I messed around with the color and added text.” The future for Prichard Nixon looks bright; after all, many things are possible when expansive creativity is one’s first priority. “I was in the process of booking shows in early July of last year, and then with the rise of the delta variant, I decided to play it safe, and I took a step back,” Nixon said. “I don’t regret making that decision, and thankfully, I’m in a position where I’ve never stopped working during the pandemic. Having a home studio means it’s always been as easy as walking down the hallway, closing the door, queueing up the laptop and breaking out the microphones. I definitely don’t take that for granted, because I know there are a lot of artists out there who have definitely felt the impact of the ongoing pandemic and don’t necessarily have that luxury. “As far as moving forward, I’m about six songs deep into a follow up album. I don’t have a timeline for when that will be released as of yet, but I definitely anticipate releasing several singles before then. On the other side, I’m definitely open to booking some live shows, but I would need to work out the logistics of that as well, considering that it’s just me playing alone. I’ll throw this out there as well: Writing is also one of my passions. Under the Prichard Nixon moniker, I’ve been able to do music, and I’ve been able to do artwork, so writing to me would be the next step as well. I don’t know what that would look like at the moment; it could be like a zine sold at live shows, or it could be maybe like a mini booklet that I can hand out to friends and family.” For more information, visit prichardnixon. bandcamp.com.
By matt king
Flogging Molly
It’s March in the Coachella Valley, meaning there are a ton of events—and spring is arriving! Here’s a taste of what the local venues have to offer this month. Please, stay safe—and even though the omicron surge seems to be subsiding, it never hurts to call ahead. Fantasy Springs has a variety of bands arriving over the next couple of weeks. At 8 p.m., Saturday, March 5, Mammoth WVH (led by Wolfgang Van Halen) and Dirty Honey are bringing their high energy rock ’n’ roll to Indio. Tickets are $29 to $49. Pop/jazz singing legend Paul Anka is coming to town at 8 p.m., Saturday, March 12. Tickets are $59 to $89 to see Anka perform Frank Sinatra’s greatest songs. At 8 p.m., Friday, March 18, country star Jon Pardi will grace the Special Event Center stage. Tickets are $49 to $69. It wouldn’t be St. Patrick’s Day season without a performance from Flogging Molly, at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, March 19. Tickets are $39 to $69. Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, 84245 Indio Springs Parkway, Indio; 760-342-5000; www. fantasyspringsresort.com. Spotlight 29 Casino is bringing in two comedy legends in March. Catch one of the modern icons of comedy at 7 p.m., Sunday, March 6, when Kevin Hart comes to Coachella. Tickets are $119 to $239. From Home Improvement to Toy Story, one of the most recognizable voices in comedy, Tim Allen, will perform at 7 p.m., Saturday, March 12. Tickets are $75 to $95, and both shows are 21+. Spotlight 29 Casino, 46200 Harrison Place, Coachella; 760-775-5566; www. spotlight29.com. The McCallum Theatre is preparing for another jam-packed month of events. A cappella group and viral sensation Voctave brings an evening of vocal expertise at 7 p.m., Thursday, March 10. Tickets are $35 to $75. Ready for some magic? At 3 p.m., Sunday, March 20, America’s longest-running all-star magic revue, It’s Magic!, will mystify the McCallum audience. Tickets start at $20; get them before they disappear! McCallum favorite Pink Martini is rolling into town for continued on Page 36 CVIndependent.com
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NOSE TO THE STONE By matt king
I
t’s an age-old problem for most bands—the struggle to change things up after years of creation. However, for John Dwyer and the Osees, the exact opposite is the case. Whether you know the band as Osees, or a previous moniker like Thee Oh Sees, Oh Sees, or OCS, there’s no denying that founder John Dwyer’s musical output over the past 20 years has left a mark on the psych/garage rock scene. With more than 25 studio albums under their belt, the band members are returning to Pappy and as possible and not flip out. We didn’t get to Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace on Saturday, tour, and I think the main focus was just trying March 19. to get back on the road, after doing three live In 2020, the Osees released a whopping streams and putting out records for those. four studio albums and three live albums. In I think the idea of touring, when it became 2021, the band spent the majority of the time possible, was much more appetizing than touring, and didn’t release a studio album— getting together to write a record—but we ending a 17-year streak. have been working on the new record now, so “I guess we did, like, 10 records the year we’re getting back on the horse.” before, so I think I used up all my juice,” The upcoming project from Osees features Dwyer said during a recent phone interview. yet another shift in sound—to, as Dwyer put “After 2020, 2021 flew by in such a weird it, keep things interesting. way. Basically, my coping mechanism for the “One hint I can give is that it’s harkening past few years has been to smoke weed and back to my teen years, in a weird way,” Dwyer constantly be making art, whether it be music said. “Another weird thing about the pandemic or not. I think after one year of smoking weed years for me was that I was able to revisit a nonstop, and after 30 years of smoking weed, I lot of different kinds of music, because I was feel a little bit of brain damage. listening to so much music and watching so “I can barely remember (2020). It was just many movies to keep my brain occupied. … I’d like nose to the stone, trying to relax as much listen to jazz for, like, four months straight.
Osees. Oliver Halfin
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After a busy 2021, John Dwyer and Osees return to Pappy and Harriet’s
Usually, I’m kind of mixing it up a little bit, but I was going through these heavy rabbit holes. Then I started listening to metal, and trying to find a lot of old metal records that I loved when I was a kid. … There was a lot of rabbitholing on different genres of music, which was totally inspiring for the stuff we’ve been slowly working on.” The Osees’ stop at Pappy and Harriet’s is part of a mini-run before again heading across the pond to tour Europe. “I think we’re probably one of the only bands that toured the United States, the U.K. and Europe completely, and made it back without anybody getting sick and the tour not being shut down,” Dwyer said. “I felt pretty energized, and I feel like the band played really well. There’s the cliche that absence makes the heart grow fonder, and I think that’s true with bandmates as well, even after touring so much. … The same goes to the fans; people were psyched. I could tell that the specter of COVID is still hanging over everything, but we were doing a lot of testing on the road, so it was relatively safe—or at least as safe as you can make it.” While navigating a tour during a pandemic wasn’t easy, Dwyer said he was able to find common ground wherever the band went. “People seem like they’re pretty burnt out on it everywhere,” Dwyer said. “One thing that people kept asking me when I came back was, like, ‘America is so full of idiots about this; how was it like going where everybody else was not like that?’ I was like, ‘Bullshit.’ I know America’s faults. … I feel like we do get a bad rap for being knuckleheads—because people are knuckleheads everywhere. Everything you see here that you could complain about was pretty much the same everywhere. … It just didn’t feel all that different. I think the shows were great, and I have to say it was probably my favorite European tour ever, which is crazy to say. I’m guessing that’s contextual, because I was gone for so long. It’s like your first meal back after fasting: It’s the best taco ever.” For Dwyer, 2021 wasn’t just about music. In August and September, Los Angeles’ SADE Gallery hosted Abandoned Outpost, a show of Dwyer’s art. “I have had art shows before, but not one like this,” said Dwyer. “When I was a kid and would have an art show, I was always a little nervous, so I would always ask somebody to do a group show with me. I just couldn’t pull the trigger on doing a solo show. I did have one solo show at Queen’s Nails Annex in San
Francisco years ago, but it had been, like, probably close to a decade since the last time I had a painting show. These (new) paintings were bigger and more elaborate than anything I’d done before. They’re all, like, 6 foot by 4 foot, and really busy. It took three years, because I didn’t have time from touring, but I did have time to finish it up once COVID hit. There were a lot of weird little blessings for me in terms of art with COVID, where, suddenly, the procrastination went right out the fucking window, because the guilt was too much if I literally had nothing to do.” Dwyer also joined other musicians to release a series of experimental jazz records in 2021. Check out projects like Witch Egg, Gong Splat and Bent Arcana for something completely different. “People always ask me, ‘How do you find the time?’ I’m like, ‘Dude, there’s nothing but time, because it’s my job,’” Dwyer said. “I’m so blessed, because I don’t have to work a 9-to-5 job anymore. I’m really super lucky that I get to just make art for a living, at least at this point in my life. If I could, I would make more time than I already have. I don’t have any of those editors, or people saying, ‘quality versus quantity.’ That’s horseshit. That’s from some asshole who made one record.” As Dwyer looks ahead to more busy years, he said he hopes to keep all of his art outlets alive. “I have a couple of pokers in the fire right now with some interesting people to try to mix it up a little bit more, maybe, or being subtractive even—like trying to make something with no guitar at all, just for a challenge,” Dwyer said. “With art, I’ve been painting and drawing since before I ever picked up a guitar, and I’ll probably do that until the day I die. It’s just another vessel for me to express myself and relax. I am working on a big art project right now that’s pretty ambitious. That was another thing I took on that started during COVID, and I’m nearly there with the main part of it right now. I’ve been working on it for the past couple of weeks again, after Osees finished up working on stuff. I’ll always make time for it as long as I’m healthy and sane.” The Osees will perform at 7 p.m., Saturday, March 19, at Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace, 53688 Pioneertown Road, in Pioneertown. Tickets are $32 in advance, or $35 at the door, if tickets remain. For tickets or more information, call 760228-2222, or visit pappyandharriets.com.
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The Venue REPORT continued from page 33 an extended stay, featuring singers China Forbes and Storm Large and their genreshifting sound, from Friday, March 25, through Monday, March 28. Tickets are $50 to $100. Grammy winning singer/songwriter Melissa Etheridge is coming to the McCallum for two performances: at 7 p.m., Tuesday, March 29, and Wednesday, March 30. Tickets are $55 to $115. McCallum Theatre, 73000 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert; 760-340-2787; www. mccallumtheatre.com. Agua Caliente in Rancho Mirage is bringing the heat! At 8 p.m., Wednesday, March 9, Billboard chart-topper Marie Osmond will be performing a special concert with the Desert Symphony. Tickets are $45 to $75. At 8 p.m., Friday, March 11, Latin pop-rock legends Hombres G will come to town. Tickets are $65 to $105. After his show scheduled for September was postponed, The Carbonaro Effect’s Michael Carbonaro will finally get to perform his magic in Rancho Mirage, at 8 p.m., Saturday, March 12. Tickets are $25 to $175. Two TV staples, Howie Mandel and special guest Jon Lovitz, are headed to The Show at 8 p.m., Saturday, March 19. Tickets are $40 to $75—deal or no deal? At 8 p.m., Saturday, March 26, classic rockers REO Speedwagon will bring more than 50 years of music to the stage. Tickets are $55 to $95. Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa Rancho Mirage, 32250 Bob Hope Drive, Rancho Mirage; 888-999-1995; www.hotwatercasino.com. Over at Agua Caliente in Palm Springs, Jazzville and Caliente Comedy roll on! For Jazzville Thursdays, catch former Tower of Power member Greg Adams and East Bay Soul (March 3), jazz trumpeter Matt Von Roderick (March 10), bluesy Les Rainey and the Midnight Players (March 17), the “poetic and romantic universe” of Chloé Perrier (March 24) and U.K. swing-boogie band The Jive Aces (March 31). Shows take place at 7 p.m., and tickets start at $10, available at jazzvillepalmsprings.com. For Caliente Comedy Fridays, catch comics Orlando Leyba (March 4), Josh Nasar (March 11), Jason Gillearn (March 18), and Keith Pedro (March 25). You must be 21 to attend, and tickets start at $19.99 at www.eventspalmsprings.com/ caliente-comedy. Agua Caliente Casino Palm Springs, 401 E. Amado Road, Palm Springs; 888999-1995; www.sparesortcasino.com. Morongo wants to make sure you know your hip-hop. At 9 p.m., Saturday, March 26, Ice T, Rob Base and DJ Kev Rockwell will highlight an evening being billed as The Art of Rap; expect “breakdancers, graffiti, vendors and more.” Tickets are $49 to $69. Morongo Casino Resort Spa, 49500 Seminole Drive, Cabazon; 800-252-4499; www. morongocasinoresort.com. Pappy and Harriet’s has a bustling March.
In what seems like an unlikely collaboration, jazz/funk star Eric Krasno and soulful man Son Little will share a night in Pioneertown at 9 p.m., Saturday, March 5. Tickets are $35 in advance. At 8 p.m., Wednesday, March 16, worldly indie rockers DeVotchKa are set to perform. Tickets are $30. After playing at the last Coachella—which, amazingly, was almost three years ago—folky Hurray for the Riff Raff will return to the desert, at 9 p.m., Saturday, March 26. Tickets are $20. Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace, 53688 Pioneertown Road, Pioneertown; 760-228-2222; www.pappyandharriets.com. Tickets are going fast for the dinner shows at the Purple Room in Palm Springs, so get ’em while you can! On Friday, March 11, and Saturday, March 12, high tenor John Lloyd Young will perform both classics and new hits. Tickets are $55 to $65. Missing Joan Rivers? Well, you’re in luck, because Ms. Rivers’ favorite impersonator has you covered. Catch two evenings of Joe Posa as Joan Rivers on Friday, March 25, and Saturday, March 26. Tickets are $30 to $35. Michael Holmes’ Purple Room, 1900 E. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs; 760-322-4422; www. purpleroompalmsprings.com. Oscar’s is bringing in some rather unique shows this month. TikTok star Jamie Brickhouse brings a night of comedy to Palm Springs at 7 p.m., Thursday, March 10. Tickets start at $40. If you were a fan of the TV show Knots Landing, then you need to come check out The Ladies of Knots Landing, featuring clips and a conversation with Michele Lee, Joan Van Ark and Donna Mills, at 7 p.m., Friday, March 11, and Saturday, March 12. The tickets remaining as of our deadline were $79.95. At 7 p.m., Friday, March 18, enjoy An Intimate Evening With Frankie Avalon and James Darren. Remaining tickets start at $69.95 to see everyone’s “Teenage Idol.” Oscar’s Palm Springs, 125 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way, Palm Springs; 760-325-1188; oscars-palm-springs. ticketleap.com. The Coachella Valley Brewing Co. seriously loves locals. At 3:30 p.m., Sunday, March 6, enjoy an Acoustic Afternoon with performances by Marc Saxe, Switcharoo and Courtney Chambers. The third edition of Ladies First will take place at 6 p.m., Saturday, March 19, with Courtney Chambers, The Sieve and the Saddle, Kelsey Manning, Yoves, Grins and Lies and Labia Minora. If you’re 18+, and comedy is your thing, check out the Coachella Comedy Fest from 2 to 10 p.m., Saturday, March 26, featuring more than 40 comedy acts. All events are free! Coachella Valley Brewing Company, 30640 Gunther St., Thousand Palms; 760-343-5973.
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MUSIC
“Mr. Crowley” by Ozzy Osbourne will be playing at my funeral.
the
LUCKY 13 Get to know the frontmen of two of the valley’s biggest young bands by matt king What bands are you listening to right now? Gojira, System of a Down, and Tenacious D. I’ve been listening to those guys for years, and they never get old. What artist, genre or musical trend does everyone love, but you don’t get? I don’t get the hype about the Encanto songs. It’s probably because I’ve heard them 100 times and still haven’t seen the movie. What musical act, current or defunct, would you most like to see perform live? I’d like to go see System of a Down live. I was going to go to their L.A. show in February, but I had to cancel. What’s your favorite musical guilty pleasure? Doja Cat has gotta be my musical guilty pleasure. She writes some catchy melodies, and I dig the style.
NAME Aiden Schaeffer GROUP Pescaterritory MORE INFO Pescaterritory is not a typical teen band. A product of the Academy of Musical Performance, the renowned valley music-education program for kids, Pescaterritory includes four young adults crafting a unique take on rock that’s reminiscent of some of the greats of the ’60s and ’70s. The band, featuring vocalist/ frontman Aiden Schaeffer, was slated to release a music video for “Dream Inside a Dream” on Friday, Feb. 25, for which the band teamed up with accomplished director Larry Nelson Jr. to show what it’s like to be stuck inside a dream. Learn more at www.facebook. com/pescaterritory. What was the first concert you attended? My grandma took me to my first concert when I was around 7 years old, and we saw Rob Thomas. What was the first album you owned? I was introduced to a lot of different bands when I was really young, but the first album I owned was “The Black Album” by Metallica.
What’s your favorite music venue? The Glen Helen Amphitheater, because I’ve been there about 10 times to see some of my favorite bands. I’ve made so many great memories with family and friends there, and I’ll always know where the bathrooms are. What’s the one song lyric you can’t get out of your head? That one part from the song “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” (from Encanto) that goes “no clouds allowed in the sky” always seems to be stuck in my head. What band or artist changed your life? Tenacious D. During middle school, my friend Andrew and I learned every Tenacious D song on guitar, and we played them during our guitar class and lunch. They really kept me engaged in music. You have one question to ask one musician. What’s the question, and who are you asking? James Hetfield: What is it like being in a successful band that has stood the test of time? What song would you like played at your funeral?
Figurative gun to your head, what is your favorite album of all time? My favorite album of all time is City of Evil, Avenged Sevenfold. I love the sound of it, and I’ve been listening to it for years—definitely a go-to album. What song should everyone listen to right now? “The Patient” by Tool. NAME Ad Van Winkle GROUP Yip Yops MORE INFO The members of Yip Yops are seasoned valley creatives in the truest sense. They’ve done Coachella and Jam in the Van, and even made a short film late last year called A Night at the Shack. On March 4, the band will release the movie’s soundtrack, adding even more music to the band’s alreadyimpressive resume of eclectic electronic indie pop. Learn more at www.yipyops.com. Ad Van Winkle is the frontman of the group. What was the first concert you attended? Roger Waters’ revival of The Wall at the Los Angeles Coliseum, and my 12-year-old mind imploded. What was the first album you owned? My parents had a lot of CDs and vinyl around growing up, but I think the first album I actually asked my mom to drive me to the store for was Vampire Weekend’s Modern Vampires of the City—and I probably listened to it twice. What bands are you listening to right now? I’ve been listening to a lot of Nina Simone, but other than that, mainly just playlists that I’ve been making for different times of the day. What artist, genre or musical trend does everyone love, but you don’t get? It’s hard to think of something, but if I had to pick, maybe country mixed with other genres, or modern country. I’m not a huge country fan as it is, so maybe it’s my bias. What musical act, current or defunct, would you most like to see perform live? Honestly, probably Lil Nas X. What’s your favorite musical guilty pleasure? Honestly, probably Lil Nas X. What’s your favorite music venue? To play, probably Echoplex. To watch, it’s hard to top Red Rocks in Colorado. What’s the one song lyric you can’t get out of your head?
“Tomorrow will be the 22nd century,” “22nd Century,” by Nina Simone. What band or artist changed your life? Pink Floyd, because they were kind of the start of my interest in music. I’d heard about them growing up from my dad and assumed they were just a “dad band,” but at 12, I listened to The Wall front to back. It’s such a whacked-out experience when all you typically listen to is, like, Taio Cruz, and it really made an impact. You have one question to ask one musician. What’s the question, and who are you asking? I would probably ask Lil Nas X how he feels about his success. What song would you like played at your funeral? If it’s sad, “All Alright” by Sigur Rós; if it’s a celebration, “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” by Lil Nas X. Figurative gun to your head, what is your favorite album of all time? Probably Animals by Pink Floyd. What song should everyone listen to right now? “Sheep” by Pink Floyd. CVIndependent.com
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CANNABIS IN THE CV
DOOBIE DIGITS T
by jocelyn kane
he best way to learn about a topic is by examining the data—and there are at least two companies in California that use data from point-of-sale and other systems to paint a picture of which people are purchasing various cannabis products. Those companies—Headset (www.headset.io) and BDSA (bdsa.com)—provide valuable information not only for retailers, but also for the entire supply chain, as well as potential investors in the marketplace. And as a new industry, the cannabis world can use all the reliable information we can get. This may all sound nerdy, but I thought you retail store—and watch their eyes get big as might enjoy reading about some of it—and they see the myriad products available. Many how it connects to the Coachella Valley. boomers are canna-curious, and quite often have the funds to try new products. Who buys cannabis? Gen Xers (born between 1965 and Baby boomers—people born between 1946 1980) make up 23.6% of the market; that and 1964—make up about 13.1% of the percentage has remained fairly stable over the marketplace. Many of these folks have last few years. I’m part of this group—and if experience with cannabis from their “early I am any indication, we purchase from legal days,” when the only thing to purchase from stores, but are looking for a bargain. Many street dealers was often poorly grown flower, of us are still earning a living, and if we were which was then smoked in bongs or handpurchasing cannabis before legalization, we’re rolled joints. Some of these consumers have definitely feeling the price differential in our used cannabis all along and are committed wallets. However, we are concerned enough to the plant. Many others experimented but with our health that buying clean cannabis moved away from cannabis as they moved from legal stores is important—so we do it. through life; some of these people supported Millennials (born between 1981 and 1996) the War on Drugs pushed on society by constitute the largest set of consumers, politicians and the media, so they struggle making up 48.3% of total purchasers. with the sea-change involving cannabis This makes sense; much of the cannabis legalization. It’s fun to take boomers into a marketing, mostly seen on social media
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A dive into the data to see who is buying what cannabis products platforms and other targeted digital advertising, is created for and focused on this age group. A very common story in the media is how these folks are moving away from alcohol usage and finding alternatives, like cannabis, to relax and enjoy time with friends. Gen Z (born between 1997 and 2001, for the purposes of legal cannabis) is the age group that stands to grow the fastest in 2022—based on the fact that new customers are entering the market on a daily basis by turning 21 years old. This group currently makes up 15% of the marketplace. Gender makes a difference Cannabis products are generally broken into a few basic categories: flower, concentrates, edibles, tinctures and topicals. Not surprisingly, men and women have different purchasing habits. Female customers buy less than a third of the cannabis sold— but the percentage is growing. Men buy more products, and more expensive products, than women. The last report from Headset revealed that women tend to buy topicals, tinctures and edibles more than their male counterparts, who tend to buy flower and concentrates. No single product or category is exclusive to men or women, of course, but it seems that women are more interested in low-dose and more-nuanced consumption; they more often tend to keep wellness in mind when they purchase. A local perspective I caught up with Julie Mackechnie, the general manager of Harborside, a cannabis retail store and drive-through in Desert Hot Springs, to find out about local customer trends. Harborside is just off Interstate 10,
located behind a gas station with a large parking area that can accommodate large semis. (Yes, many of those drivers buy cannabis.) Harborside’s customers are 60% locals, and 40% out-of-towners. The locals are, in large part, coming from Desert Hot Springs and the high desert (Yucca Valley, Joshua Tree, Twentynine Palms); many of the outof-towners come from Arizona. This all makes sense, based on the location of the store—and the fact that none of the high desert cities allow cannabis sales. The tourists from Arizona report that the product mix in California is far better than in Arizona, and the prices are often lower. However, locals are more price-conscious than tourists overall. According to reports from the last three months, Harborside’s customers are 63% male, and 35% female—but the percentage of female customers is growing. Men tend to purchase flower and pre-roll products; women tend to buy more vapes and edibles, mirroring the larger trends described previously. Most of the customers are millennials (28%). Coming in close behind are the Gen Zers, (25%), followed by boomers (20%) and Gen Xers (17%). Most boomers purchase nonpsychoactive products, like CBD- and CBNbased edibles and topicals. Some purchase lowTHC products, too. The most popular products for the millennials and Gen Zers are flower and pre-rolled joints. Overall, the desert seems to mirror the trends across the state. As we watch trends year to year in the cannabis industry, one thing is clear: The industry is continuing to mature—and has room to grow. Jocelyn Kane can be reached at jocelyn@ coachellavalleycan.org.
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OPINION COMICS & JONESIN’ CROSSWORD
“Mixed Emotions”—feeling Paramount+ series a little unusual. based on a video game By Matt Jones 41. “Volare (___ Blu Dipinto Di Blu)” Across 42. Absolutely not 1. Pee-wee’s Playhouse 43. “___ the Mirror” genie (song in the Broadway 6. Wing measurement musical MJ) 10. Rack purchases, 44. Call center activity briefly 47. Winnie-the-Pooh 14. Burger topping character 15. Pam & Tommy 48. No Time to ___ (2021 streamer Bond film) 16. Singletons 49. Grad 17. One of the Friends: 51. Kiss, in British slang The Reunion attendees 54. Song from Turandot 20. Boo-boo 58. Like Peru and Mexico 21. March time 61. Sex Pistols’ genre 22. Filing target 62. Vital spark 23. Yang’s complement 63. Gate part 25. Dept. of Justice 64. Planet dwellers of film agency 65. Indicate boredom 26. Setting the new mark, 66. Stated further as in the Olympics 35. Book, in France Down 36. Felt badly 1. Reduplicative name 37. La ___ (Debussy opus) in a Bizarre Adventure 38. Stuff in batteries manga 39. Chunk of grass 2. Over again 40. Upcoming 3. Smaller version
4. Cemetery 5. “Here Comes the Hotstepper” singer Kamoze 6. Lawnmower’s building 7. Untarnished 8. “What a shame” 9. Sister or mother, maybe 10. Art made of tiles 11. Prefix for body or gravity 12. Earth sci. 13. Tax ID 18. Foreign film ender 19. Asleep, usually 24. Actor Barinholtz 25. Worry (about) 26. Mel who voiced Yosemite Sam 27. Houston campus, for short 28. Bad things 29. Gullible 30. Charitable person 31. “Zut ___!” 32. Sultanate inhabitant 33. Historical object 34. Aerial photography aid
39. Audition tape 40. Give birth, informally 42. Prometheus actress Rapace 43. 3-D screening 45. Certain swimwear 46. Do landscaping work 49. ___ Named ScoobyDoo (cartoon spinoff of 1988) 50. Daily Planet reporter 51. Transformers actor LaBeouf 52. “Clicker beware” letters 53. Not hidden 55. Fruit peel 56. Bus Stop dramatist William 57. Like some steaks 58. Relaxation spot 59. Shifty 60. “A clue!” © 2022 Matt Jones Find the answers in the “About” section at CVIndependent.com!
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MARCH 2022