Coachella Valley Independent May 2023

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, Charles Drabkin, Katie Finn, Bill Frost, Bonnie Gilgallon, Bob Grimm, Valerie-Jean (VJ)

Hume, Clay Jones, Matt Jones, Matt King, Keith Knight, Kay Kudukis, Cat Makino, Brett Newton, Greg Niemann, Dan Perkins, Theresa Sama, Maria Sestito, Jen Sorenson, Robert Victor

The Coachella Valley Independent print edition is published every month. All content is ©2023 and may not be published or reprinted in any form without the written permission of the publisher.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.

A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

On Page 6, you’ll find a story, by Kevin Fitzgerald, explaining why the Coachella Valley will not be getting a full four-year university anytime soon. This is not a surprise. But it is disappointment.

As we celebrate our 10th anniversary year here at the Independent, I’ve been reflecting back on what it was like when we started up in 2013. To say we faced challenges would be an understatement; however, I anticipated most of those challenges.

The one massive challenge I didn’t fully anticipate was the extreme difficulty we’d face in finding good, eager freelancers. Before coming to the Coachella Valley, I worked for newspapers in Reno, Las Vegas and Tucson. In each of those places, it was relatively easy to find capable writers, photographers and designers. In each of those places, I also managed (or helped manage) robust internship programs.

Then I came here.

While I was able to eventually assemble a solid group of freelancers, it took far longer and was much more difficult than I expected. As for developing an internship program, after trying for at least two years to make headway, I finally gave up. Even now, I have a possible grant for a paid intern, and I can’t find any solid candidates for the position. (Know of someone? Drop me a line!)

What’s different about the Coachella Valley compared to my previous locations? Reno, Las Vegas and Tucson are all, to varying degrees, college towns. The Coachella Valley is not; as great as the College of the Desert is in some respects, it’s still a community college, not a four-yeardegree institution.

Universities add so much to a community. They bring in talented and smart experts, who then pass their expertise along to their students. The result is the development of a “creative class” of individuals—artists, writers, musicians and the like—as well as entrepreneurs, all of whom help the community become a better place to live.

This is not to say the Coachella Valley doesn’t have talented artists, writers, musicians and entrepreneurs—of course we do—but we don’t have as many of them as we would if California State University, Palm Desert, were a real thing.

As Kevin explains in his story, any hopes we had of getting a four-year university here in the foreseeable future have been dashed by the pandemic and the current state budget deficit. But there is hope: A recent state study indicated that of all the possible locations for a new CSU campus, Palm Desert is, in many ways, the spot with the most potential.

I really hope that CSU-Palm Desert becomes a reality in the not-too-distant future. It would truly be a positive gamechanger for the entire Coachella Valley.

Welcome to the May 2023 print edition of the Coachella Valley Independent. As always, thanks for reading.

—Jimmy Boegle, jboegle@cvindependent.com

OPINION OPINION

THE GIRL CLUB Meet

BY KAY KUDUKIS

hen the world turned upside down in 2020, Claire Rogers was 46, living in England with her husband of 17 years, and five years into her third career, this one as a professional speaker. She’d already been a successful model; had climbed the corporate ladder at an elite banking corporation in the travel industry; rubbed elbows with celebrities; and made some big bank. She was crushing it.

Life didn’t start out that way. Rogers’ parents emigrated from England to Canada in their late teens with 3-month-old Claire. Barely six months later, it was over. Her father was able to afford a better lawyer, so she spent the first 15 years of her life with him.

“I wasn’t one of those kids who were gifted,” Rogers says about her studies. There were, she

says, three things she was interested in: animals of any kind; books, particularly the mysteries, adventures and fantasy worlds of Enid Blyton; and the faraway places on the postcards she collected.

Dad remarried; her stepmother lived up to the fairy-tale hype and kicked Rogers out. She spent her high school years with Mom; just weeks away from graduation, she hadn’t a clue what she was going to do next. Mom told her she could be a model and travel the world, but Rogers thought every mum says that about their kid

“I thought modeling was dumb,” Rogers admits. “It was never going to be my passion.”

But … “If you were going to be dumb enough to pay me 10 grand to just sit in a bathtub in a bikini for eight hours, I’m gonna sit.”

The next five years were spent in Japan doing ad campaigns, runway modeling and visiting the places on those postcards she’d collected not so long ago.

Instead of telling on herself, Rogers went full assault with self-help books (300 over 18 months), learning how to recognize triggers and mitigate their damage. It became abundantly clear that her brain was wildly unhappy with her career choices, so she quit.

She took some courses, earned certificates and started coaching. One day, she ran into a particularly prickly client from her corporate days. He insisted on knowing why she’d left the company. So, she told him. He replied: “I don’t know how many times I have locked myself in my office and had a panic attack before a meeting.” He followed up with: “Can you come speak at my company retreat?”

Over the next five years, Rogers was a keynote/motivational speaker for Fortune 500

Best AC Repair

By 23, Rogers was bored. She went home, earned an honors diploma in advanced travel and tourism, got recruited by a Fortune 500 company, moved to England, then started moving up, with higher titles, more responsibility and bigger payoffs.

She married an equally ambitious man, and they could have been the poster couple for “having it all”—until the day Rogers had her first panic attack.

The human brain has 100 billion neurons, each neuron connected to 10,000 other neurons. Sitting on your shoulders is the most complicated object in the known universe

Kaku

Mental health has come a long way since the 20th century, but it’s still mischaracterized as weakness by many in the corporate world, and probably by your nonagenarian uncle. It was those old, negative fears that filled Rogers’ head—she’d be talked about in hushed tones around the watercooler until someone said, “She took an early retirement,” and they’d all nod knowingly and whisper. She lost it, poor thing. Went off the deep end. Couldn’t handle the pressure.

model-turned-executive-

companies aimed at minimizing stress in the workplace.

Now we’re back to where we started. The shutdown meant no speaking engagements, so Rogers started podcasting, with her guests telling their own healing stories. And this is when, depending on who you are in this tale, everything dramatically fell into place, or dramatically blew up.

On a recommendation, she booked ex-felon and motivational speaker Sonny Von Cleveland. Something clicked. They spent hours on FaceTime for months after the show, until they both had to admit this was much more than friendship

Her divorce didn’t go well, “but I’m not going to tarnish 17 years (of marriage) by three months of a shitty divorce,” she says. “I’m not gonna say, ‘You’re a fundamentally bad person.’ You’re not.”

Her beloved British Blue cats were, for her, a casualty of the divorce, and the incredibly dreary winters made her miss them even more. She thought of one cheery place where she’d vacationed as a kid. Didn’t she have all the postcards?

When her plane landed at Palm Springs International Airport, Sonny was waiting. It

was 2021, and she had one more dream to realize before she could relax into her new life.

Frisky Business Palm Springs Cat Cafe opened in December 2022 at 4781 E. Palm Canyon Drive, Suite F, with a room full of adoptable kitties, and a separate cafe serving coffees, teas and delicious local bites. Photos of her “Baby Blues” are on the wall when you walk in. She still misses them a lot.

Rogers uses her voice to smash the narrative that mental illness is weakness. In actuality, it is just something that can happen to a brain, like anemia happens to blood, arthritis to joints, IBS to stomachs.

One in five Americans will experience a mental illness in a given year. —CDC.gov

If that’s you, reach out. You might be surprised by how many people in your circle have firsthand experience.

I will leave you with a great quote that made me think of Rogers. It that has no solid attribution, so I took the liberty of giving it one:

A strong woman knows she has strength enough for the journey, but a woman of strength knows it is in the journey where she will become strong. —Likely a badass girl who fought a battle but wasn’t allowed to put her name on her own damn quote

Claire Rogers, a

turned professional speaker—who now runs a cat café

Claire Rogers. Cassia Lawrence Photography

HIKING WITH T

BY THERESA SAMA

If you’re getting out onto local trails, you’re seeing spectacular beauty everywhere you turn. There are so many amazing wildflowers thanks to all the rain this year. We may see the beauty of blooms well into May!

All of the precipitation has brought more than just wildflowers: Thanks to the huge mountain snowpack surrounding us that has started to melt, Palm Springs-area canyons are thriving with amazing waterfalls.

There are a couple of close-to-town waterfall hikes that are good for all ages. First: Tahquitz Canyon is a short, easy hike, less than an hour and 1 mile (2 miles round trip, with an elevation gain of 350 feet) that ends at a 60-foot waterfall, Tahquitz Falls, that is absolutely gushing as of

this writing.

I was recently on the Tahquitz Canyon Trail, and I haven’t seen so much water flowing there in more than a decade. It’s definitely worth the $15 (or $7 for children; free for military with ID), and that’s not all: Along the way, you will see several mini waterfalls before reaching the big one. Be careful not to get into the rushing water, as it can be very dangerous; much like wildlife, view it from a distance.

The wildflowers and the views from

the trail are beyond breathtaking. This is certainly a must-do hike (before it gets too hot, usually by the end of May)—and it’s right in our backyard, just off of downtown Palm Springs. To get to the Tahquitz Canyon Trail from downtown Palm Springs, drive south on Highway 111/South Palm Canyon Drive, and turn right (toward the mountain) onto Mesquite Avenue. Drive to the end, and park in the Tahquitz Canyon Visitors’ Center parking lot. The Visitors’ Center features

educational and cultural exhibits, as well as a display of artifacts. Ranger-led interpretive 2.5-hour hikes are offered daily and are free with paid admission, departing this time of year (October through June) at 8 a.m., 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m.

Whether you take a guided tour or go on your own, you may want to first check out the theater room and view the video about the Legend of Tahquitz; it’s interesting and well worth the time. For more information, visit www.tahquitzcanyon.com/canyon.

Murray Canyon, one of the Indian Canyons, is located five miles south of the Tahquitz Canyon Visitors’ Center and is another mustdo hiking trip this time of year, for those of you who love the water and wildflowers. It’s an easy-to-moderate hike, less than 5 miles out and back, that meanders along a flowing stream. The water is high and fast as of this writing, so be careful, and be prepared to get wet in the numerous water crossings

as you navigate your way along the stream, underneath the cool tree canopy, to the base of the Seven Sisters Waterfall—a three-tiered waterfall named after seven streams of water that flow one into the other.

Murray Canyon is less-traveled and known for its isolated beauty. The base of the falls is a perfect place for a picnic before heading back to civilization. If you’re lucky, you may catch a glimpse of the endangered peninsular bighorn sheep or other wild animals that roam the high ground above the canyon. The endangered least Bell’s vireo bird is known to nest here.

To reach Indian Canyons, drive south on Highway 111/South Palm Canyon Drive and keep heading south (to the right) at the split with East Palm Canyon Drive. The address is 38520 S. Palm Canyon Drive. The area is open for day visits from Oct. 1 to July 4 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with the last vehicle in at 4 p.m. Ranger-led interpretive hikes are offered from October through June, which are free with paid admission: $12; $7 for seniors (62-plus) and students; $6 for children (6-12); and free for military with ID). Learn more at www.indiancanyons.com/indian_canyons.

I was also lucky enough to catch several waterfalls at Whitewater Preserve, a hidden gem of the desert, after a recent rainstorm came through. I counted at least seven or eight waterfalls along the canyon walls along the drive back to the preserve. Those waterfalls lasted for two to three days. It was breathtaking and majestic to see while they lasted.

Please keep your eyes open for snakes and other wildlife on the trails—especially rattlesnakes; they are out and about during the extreme heat and at dusk. Snakes like to hang out underneath creosote bushes and other plants that often grow alongside the trail. They also hang out in the crevices of big rocks and boulders, so be cautious, and don’t get too close. Always stay in the middle of the trail when you can, and check the area before taking a rest on a boulder. Check again before getting up, as most snakebites occur on the hands, feet and ankles.

As more people get out on the trails, please remember to be cautious and courteous. Watch out for each other, and be mindful not to trample the beautiful plants and wildflowers if you need to step aside to let others pass. When you meet people along the trail, know that uphill hikers have the right of way. As a general rule, bicyclists yield to all trail users, while hikers yield to horseback riders. The National Park Service has an excellent article on hiking etiquette at www.nps.gov/articles/ hikingetiquette.htm.

The winter precipitation has led to gorgeous, flowing waterfalls

Tahquitz Canyon is a short, easy hike that ends at a gorgeous 60 foot waterfall. Theresa Sama

NO CSU-PD

by Kevin Fitzgerald

If you’ve been hoping that a four-year state university would soon be established in the Coachella Valley, we have bad news: No such project has been approved, nor is one being seriously considered at this time.

In 2020, a detailed study commissioned by the California State University Board of Trustees and the CSU Office of the Chancellor evaluated and compared five potential sites for a new CSU campus: Chula Vista, Concord, San Joaquin County, San Mateo County and Palm Desert. The study—officially “The California State University Enrollment Demand, Capacity Assessment, and Cost Analysis for Campus Sites”—was done with a 2019 appropriation of $4 million to study

the potential need for an additional CSU campus in any of those five locations, as well as the anticipated benefits and impacts. Upon completion, the CSU Board of Trustees delivered it to the state Legislature—along with their recommendation that none of the five locations be approved as a site for a new campus, due to insufficient enrollment demand.

As a result, Coachella Valley high school students wanting to attend a full four-year college close to home are out of luck, as are the businesses, public-service leaders and politicians who have dreamed of a diversified and strengthened local economy resulting from a university.

But that doesn’t mean anyone is giving up on the dream.

“The making of a four-year university is certainly the goal,” said Palm Desert City Manager Todd Hileman during a recent interview. “We were hearing that COVID put things on pause: With so many students learning at home, (the CSU administration) didn’t know what that was going to do to ongoing behavior. Were students going to take more classes over the internet versus being on campus?”

The short-term local goal, Hileman said, has shifted to growing the Cal State UniversitySan Bernardino and University of Riverside satellite campuses in Palm Desert.

“For the last year or two, the emphasis has really been on trying to get some additional state funding to expand the campus to better serve our students here,” Hileman said. “The hope is that one day, it would be a stand-alone campus, for sure. But that really has not been the focus. The focus is much more on continuing to enhance the student experience there.”

Hileman spoke enthusiastically about a recent earmark for a big improvement to the CSU-San Bernardino satellite campus in Palm Desert.

“There’s been a $79 million budgetary commitment (made by the California Legislature) to the campus right now, and we view the investment by the state as a real

positive move,” Hileman said. “We’re working with the staff from CSUSB to build a student services center (in Palm Desert). That’s in the design phase right now. Also, we’re adding some additional classroom space. … Obviously, the hope is that with more students attracted to the campus, more of an argument can be made that (the campus) should stand alone. So this is kind of step one in a very long process.”

When the report was initially requested by the Legislature, members of the Coachella Valley Economic Partnership (CVEP), in conjunction with the valley’s cities, proactively launched their own research and marketing effort to support the bid for a four-year university, “The Coachella Valley Is Ready to Rise: The Case for a California State University Palm Desert.” The introduction to the 16-page document, in part, states: “This case study demonstrates the desert community’s collective need, commitment and enthusiasm for establishing the 24th California State University in the Coachella Valley. It details how the necessity for affordable higher education is greater in the desert region than in any other location in the state of California, as well as how the community is aligned and prepared to swiftly shepherd the development of CSU Palm Desert.”

Michael Uhlenkamp, the senior director of strategic communications and public affairs for the CSU Office of the Chancellor, explained during a recent email exchange with the Independent why no new CSU campus will be built anytime soon.

“When the study was initiated and completed, there were much different situations related to both the enrollment of the CSU and the state’s economic picture,” he wrote. “The two biggest drivers of a potential new campus, lack of enrollment capacity and available state funding, are very different today. In 2020, the CSU was experiencing an all-time high enrollment of more than 485,000 students. Since then, and largely attributable to the pandemic-related drop in enrollment at the California community colleges and the subsequent decrease in

transfer applications, CSU enrollment has dropped to 457,992. Additionally, the state, which would need to dedicate substantial resources to the establishment of a new campus, is projecting a budget deficit of more than $20 billion this year.”

The good news is the study revealed, in many ways, that Palm Desert is the most attractive option for a new CSU campus. Most notably, according to the CSU study, the total cost to develop a four-year campus in Palm Desert was roughly $4.56 billion, while the Chula Vista option came in next at $4.74 billion, and the Stockton option came in at $5.38 billion. Also, Palm Desert ranked high in seven of the study’s 14 specific areas of review, more than any of its competitors. The areas in which Palm Desert was deemed most desirable included the ability to serve first-generation students, the ability to serve lower-income populations, alignment with local industry, land availability and housing availability.

Hileman said the work to eventually bring a full four-year university to the Coachella Valley continues.

“The Palm Desert City Council actually put $150,000 in seed money into the city budget three years ago to advocate for additional

funding to come to this campus,” he said. “Most, if not all, of the campus buildings have been built through private donations. So this ($79 million commitment) is the first time that we’ve seen the state of California come in with a sizeable investment.

“We view the campus being awarded $79 million, with the help of … former representative Chad Mayes and current District 36 Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia … for campus improvements as a very positive sign that (the state) is willing to keep investing in this area. And we’ve put together a coalition that obviously sees the need for it, and we’ve got programs that we’d like to see expanded. The student center is the first step in continuing to enhance the student experience on campus, and continuing to make the argument for a stand-alone campus with more classrooms and programs.”

We wanted to discuss the matter with District 47 Assemblymember Greg Wallis, who took over for Mayes and sits on both the Assembly’s Committee on Higher Education and the Select Committee on Master Plan for Higher Education in California, but he did not return multiple emails and phone calls from the Independent

Palm Desert is a leading candidate for a new four-year state university—but it’s not happening anytime soon

Students walk in front of the Indian Wells Center on the CSU-San Bernardino Palm Desert campus. Kevin Fitzgerald

DATE EVENT

May 4–7 Palm Springs Hot Rodeo

May 9 Palm Springs Speaks Presents Dave Barry

May 11 Harvey Milk Diversity Breakfast

May 12–14 White Party Global

May 18–21 Joshua Tree Music Festival

June 2 Lizzo The Special 2our

June 2–4 Outloud Festival / West Hollywood Pride

June 2–11 Greater Palm Springs Restaurant Week

June 3 Ross Mathews - I Gotchu Gurl

June 9–11 Splash House June

June 9–11 LA Pride

June 20–26 ShortFest 2023

June 24 Big Gay BBQ on Arenas

June 24–25 San Francisco Pride

July 14-16 Out in the Vineyard - Gay Wine Weekend

Sept 20–24 Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend

Nov 3–5 Palm Springs Pride

RESTRICTION ROLLBACK

by Kevin Fitzgerald

The state of California has gotten 30.23 inches of precipitation since the current water year started on Oct. 1, 2022, putting the state at 145% of the historical average, according to the state’s California Water Watch website, as of April 18.

Major reservoir levels across the state are at 105% of their average historic levels, and the snowpack in the Sierra Nevada stands at 228% of its historic average peak. Because of all this water, most of the state has emerged from a record-breaking drought.

All this good water news has spurred Gov. Gavin Newsom, the State Water Resources Control Board and Coachella Valley water agencies to roll back most drought-related water usage

restrictions—which had grown more onerous over the last two years. The governor’s March 24 announcement that he was rescinding the 15% voluntary water-usage reduction target for every household and business in the state prompted many of the state’s water agencies to discontinue most Level 2 usage restrictions. The state continues to prohibit the use of potable water to irrigate ornamental (or nonfunctional) turf on street medians and other places that aren’t used for human or animal recreational needs.

Here in the Coachella Valley, the Desert Water Agency, which serves customers in Palm Springs and Cathedral City, rescinded its Level 2 restrictions at its April 18 board of directors meeting. As a result, only the following types of water usage remain restricted: Watering so much that it runs onto the sidewalk, driveway or other nonlandscape areas; applying water to driveways, sidewalks, concrete or asphalt (unless it’s done to address immediate health and safety needs, or done via reasonable pressure washer or water broom use); watering during rain and 48 hours after; and running water to wash vehicles. Escalating monetary fines remain in place for DWA customers who do not obey these remaining restrictions.

At the Coachella Valley Water District, which serves customers in most of the rest of the valley, public information officer Lorraine Garcia told the Independent that the agency has also rescinded the Level 2 restrictions that were originally implemented in May 2022. All of the DWA’s restrictions are in effect for CVWD customers, too, as is a requirement that broken sprinkler heads get fixed within five business days.

“These are all common-sense actions that we should be doing at all times, and they are always in effect,” Garcia said. “Level 2 had a restriction about not watering outdoors during daylight hours, and (even though it is now rescinded), when we think about that for this coming summer heat, we still encourage people to water in the evening so that they avoid the quick evaporation of the water.”

We asked Garcia what penalties would be imposed on CVWD customers who did not abide by the reduced restrictions. “They wouldn’t get a fine,” she said, adding that the most important thing is that the penalty for exceeding each CVWD user’s monthly water budget, as set by the agency, is no longer in effect.

In Desert Hot Springs, the Mission Springs Water District will move away from the Level 2 water-use restrictions soon, according to Marion Champion, the government and public affairs manager. “When the governor made his declaration asking everybody to move into Level 2, it was the State Water Resources Control Board who actually put the emergency regulations into place that required water agencies to move to Level 2. Those emergency regulations expire on June 10, so our board adopted a resolution on April 17 that will allow us to move back to Level 1 immediately following the expiration. … The biggest impact in moving from Stage 2 to Stage 1 is that daylight irrigation will be allowed again for our customers.

“Our MSWD customers are already pretty efficient in their water use. They have the lowest per-capita water use in the valley. We live in a desert where we really do have to practice conservation as a way of life.”

The MSWD Level 1 restrictions will be in line with the continuing DWA and CVWD restrictions.

One reason why the state’s water agencies feel confident in relaxing their usage restrictions is that allocations of imported water to them by the State Water Project have been set at 75% of the established annual allocation per agency—a much higher figure than in recent years. Champion said that the state’s snowpack and reservoir levels have a direct impact on the Coachella Valley.

“Here in the Coachella Valley, we import water in two ways: We import water from the Colorado River system, and we import it from the State Water Project. This year’s (SWP) allocation is currently up to 75%. If you compare that to years past, in 2020, the

allocation was 20%. In 2021, it dropped to 5%, and in 2022, it was 5%. We use that water from the State Water Project to replenish our aquifer. On the Colorado River side, we are not out of the woods. We’re still in drought conditions on the Colorado River side. … We’re watching it very closely.”

Garcia agreed. “CVWD is the only agency in the valley who has rights to the Colorado River and the State Water Project, but those are two different sources. The State Water Project is where we’re getting 75% of our allocation this year, which is a great thing, but the Colorado River doesn’t actually get filled up by the Sierras, which is what feeds the State Water Project. Its water comes from the Rockies, and while the Rockies have gotten some snow, I don’t think it’s having the same impact as the Sierras. Still, it does help.”

The Colorado River system remains a hot-

button issue; it is being fought over by seven Western states that rely on the river for both drinking water and agriculture. The tug-ofwar between the states reached an impasse at the end of 2022, which has forced the United States Department of Interior (DOI) to consider imposing some form of sharing agreement upon the threatened states.

Two potential plans were unveiled on April 11 by the DOI. While both include reductions in water allotments for all states, one calls for the continued recognition of established legacy water rights that have long dictated tiered annual allocations to the states in question. The other would basically put all seven states on an equal-footing.

“There are a lot of negotiations happening,” Garcia said. “All I can really say is that the CVWD is supporting a seven-state consensus plan, and we’ll continue to work toward that end.”

Coachella Valley’s water agencies are dropping rules regarding water use—but the Colorado River remains a problem

The Desert Water Agency’s aquifer-recharge facility. Courtesy of the DWA

NEWS

CIVIC SOLUTIONS

by Maria sestito

When someone doesn’t have health insurance or can’t afford their deductible, it often results in fewer doctor visits and later diagnoses of severe conditions. It’s easy to assume, however, that in a medical emergency, the same person would call 911 despite the cost. Unfortunately, that’s not the case.

Calling the ambulance can indeed cost you. In the Coachella Valley, a ride to the hospital via ambulance starts at about $1,200—and that’s before additional costs like mileage, oxygen use and other surcharges are added in.

In the “Cove Communities” of Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert and Indian Wells—three of the

Coachella Valley’s wealthier communities— residents don’t have to worry about these costs: Getting to the hospital or receiving on-the-spot life-saving care won’t cost them.

Thanks to the Emergency Medical Services Insurance Billing Program, which went into effect in 2017, residents aren’t held responsible for any amount left unpaid by insurance companies for emergency paramedic or ambulance transportation services. That means that residents don’t have to worry about paying out of pocket, even if they’re uninsured or have large deductibles.

I live in Palm Desert, and my household recently benefited from this program. Following the hospital visit, my household member received a letter from the city informing him of the program—although he already knew about it through me. I knew about it because, when I lived in nearby Rancho Mirage, my apartment manager told me about it.

All this made me wonder if my neighbors knew about this—and if other parts of the Coachella Valley were doing anything similar.

Indian Wells, Palm Desert and Rancho Mirage formed the Cove Communities Services Commission in order to provide coordinated and effective responses to public-safety incidents while also being cost-conscious.

“What happens is, we contract with a third party for the billing, so when info gets out, we try to recover what we can from insurance. Whatever we can’t recover, we just write-off,” said Jacob De La Cruz, financial analyst for the city of Rancho Mirage. “We don’t collect on it. We don’t pass it on to residents.”

All three cities have services provided by CAL FIRE/Riverside County Fire Department, which is paid for through the fire-tax fund, De La Cruz said. Third-party billing services for the Emergency Medical Services Insurance Billing Program, on average, cost Rancho Mirage between $6,000 and $8,000 per month; this is also paid for through the firetax fund, he said.

The base rate for emergency services in the Cove Communities is $1,464.11. Beyond the

base rate, additional charges might include a $28 per-mile fee, and $132 for the use of oxygen. If no one is transported, but medical care is provided, there may be a $425 “dry run” fee. But residents don’t have to ever worry about paying any of these fees.

Residents in the valley’s other six cities aren’t as fortunate. The Indio Fire Department is also staffed by CAL FIRE/Riverside County Fire, and emergency rates there are less—with a $1,200 base rate, $22 per-mile fees, a $115 surcharge for night calls, and $120 for dryrun calls—but uninsured or underinsured residents are expected to pay.

Palm Springs, Desert Hot Springs, La Quinta, Coachella and unincorporated areas of the Coachella Valley get emergency medical services through American Medical Response (AMR). Riverside County’s contract with AMR is in effect until June 30, 2026. AMR is a private, for-profit company; according to its website, it’s the nation’s largest private provider of medical transportation services.

A 2019 analysis by The Desert Sun found base rates for AMR response throughout Riverside County were about $1,798. In fiscal year 20212022, those emergency rates had increased to $2,028.71. AMR’s per-mile rate in the county is $49.33; oxygen is $211; night calls have a $230.72 surcharge; and dry runs are $315.32, according to the Riverside County EMS Agency’s 2021-2022 ambulance rate sheet.

Rates charged by AMR for emergency transportation are regulated by the county and increase yearly based on changes to the consumer price index, according to Nicole Michel, director of public relations for Global Medical Response, AMR’s parent company. When asked if there was an average rate charged to users in the Coachella Valley, Michel wrote via email: “It is misleading to discuss the average charge for a particular area, as the amounts we receive for patient transports vary by payor. For example, the base reimbursement for an (emergency) ambulance transport for a patient on MediCal, which represents more than 40 percent of our patients, is approximately $115. That

rate has not increased at all since 1999. This reimbursement is far below our cost to provide the services.”

Michel pointed out that the pandemic had a negative impact on the industry, leading to staffing shortages across the U.S., including at AMR. Additionally, EMT and paramedictraining programs were put on hold during the pandemic.

“There are now fewer qualified EMTs and paramedics entering the industry because of those impacts,” Michel said.

Cathedral City provides its own fire and EMS services. The fire department’s base rate for both basic and advanced life-support services is $1,225, plus $28 per-mile, $60 for oxygen, a $119 surcharge for night calls, and $25 for miscellaneous supplies. The Cathedral City Fire Department provided 3,745 ambulance transports in 2021, according to the department’s annual report.

In 2016, The Desert Sun reported that the Cathedral City Fire Department had sued residents for thousands of dollars in unpaid ambulance bills. Then-Fire Chief Paul Wilson said the department operated the service at a loss: Each year between 2015 and 2018, the department reported total losses between $1.09 million to $1.5 million.

These lawsuits made an impression across the county. During a Palm Desert Public Safety Commission meeting the following year, the

city’s administrative services director at the time, Lori Carney, said that one of the goals of the Emergency Medical Services Insurance Billing Program was to prevent the city from getting into the business of pursuing ambulance-service collections from residents.

Exactly who is covered by this benefit can be confusing, especially with all the visitors, guests snowbirds and second-home owners. According to De La Cruz, the patient needs to be considered a “resident.” The information is typically passed along based on the residential address given when the firefighters and paramedics arrive. This means that if you live in one of these three cities during the winter, but consider your other home your primary address, you need to give the paramedics your local address; it may make things easier down the line. Homeowners and long-term renters, of course, are covered.

Should other cities consider this model?

The Cove Communities may be in a unique situation, because they’re wealthier cities where high-earners probably have pretty good health insurance, with many older residents who qualify for Medicare. The percentage of the population without health insurance and, thus, the amount that goes unpaid is likely lower than in other Coachella Valley cities.

But if there’s a way to affordably ensure that all residents have access to emergency medical care, each city should be working toward that.

Residents of three Coachella Valley cities don’t have to pay for ambulance services at home; could the other cities set up similar programs?

CAL FIRE/Riverside County firefighter/paramedic Juan Gonzalez cleans a vehicle at Palm Desert Fire Station No. 33 (44400 Town Center Way) during some down time. Maria Sestito

CV HISTORY

by Greg Niemann

Avariety show that featured seasoned performers who were all at least 55 years of age was destined to be a hit in a nostalgic town like Palm Springs. The Fabulous Palm Springs Follies packed ’em in for 22-plus years (1991-2014) and helped catalyze the resurgence of Palm Springs as a resort destination.

The Follies restored the glamor of the Palm Springs Plaza Theatre, which opened in 1936 when it hosted the premiere of Greta Garbo’s now-classic film Camille. In its heyday, the Plaza Theatre was also the site of national broadcasts by Bob Hope, Jack Benny and other stars. The first time I attended the Fabulous Palm Springs Follies at the Plaza Theatre, I was 59

years old. Looking at the white-haired crowd, I felt like one of the youngest attendees in the place. That’s something Palm Springs can do for you.

The show’s producer, director and master of ceremonies was Riff Markowitz. During each show, he worked the crowd—many of whom were in their 70s and 80s—and singled out those over 90 and 100 for recognition. Move over, Branson.

Most were not disappointed in the show; in fact, more than 98 percent vowed to return. Age vanished once the curtain opened. You knew the long-legged lovelies onstage were between 55 and 87 years old—but it was hard to believe. Flashing as much leg and torso as was prudent, they danced, sang and even did the splits. They wore elaborate costumes and headdresses, some weighing 15 pounds or more.

Beverly Allen, at the age of 87, in 2005 was listed as “The World’s Oldest Still-Performing Showgirl,” according to the Guinness Book of Records. Like most of the seasoned Follies showgirls, her credits were dazzling, going back to dancing with Eddy Duchin and Tommy Dorsey, and entertaining troops for the USO in Europe during World War II.

The Follies lasted 22 seasons, constantly playing to sell-out crowds filling the restored theater’s 809 seats. The season ran from November through March, mostly Wednesdays through Sundays, with two daunting shows four days a week, and one show on Sunday. The shows were long, too, with two intermissions.

Right time, right place

The timing was perfect for an enterprise like the Fabulous Follies. The city wanted a tenant for the historic Plaza Theatre, abandoned in 1989 by the Metropolitan Theatre Company. Meanwhile, former Hollywood producer Riff Markowitz was bored with his retirement to La Quinta, after spending 30 years producing, writing and directing award-winning television series and variety specials for a host of famous talents. He also co-created and produced the

dramatic series The Hitchhiker for HBO.

Upon his first visit, he realized the theater’s charm. Markowitz recalled: “Well this was just the ultimate sandbox for someone whose dream had always been to perform upon an authentic vaudeville stage.”

First, he had to convince the city to let him move into the Plaza Theatre, which he did via a 3-2 vote. In addition to assuaging the concerns of neighboring businesses, he and his partner, Mary Jardin, had to sink about $900,000 into renovating the old place. The show opened with slow sales during the first week. Then word of mouth took over—and Markowitz never looked back.

The show’s 165 employees commanded a large payroll, but more important to the community were the approximately 180,000 attendees each year. More than 40 percent of attendees reportedly came to Palm Springs just for the show. Only about 20 percent spent the night, but more than 75 percent grabbed a bite to eat, and 50 percent bought something locally. The concerns of the neighboring businesses turned to raves as group organizers bussed in attendees in all season long.

Not only were the townspeople won over; so was the media. The Washington Post said, “The regular standing ovations suggest that this is the right stuff in the right place at the right time.” The Today Show reported, “Great legs, great stamina, great sense of humor! Dazzling.” Doing them one better was ABC’s Day One with Diane Sawyer and Forrest Sawyer, which gushed, “The sexiest, most stunning showgirls in the business.”

Everything about the show was first rate, including the costumes. Markowitz hired designer Paul McAvene, whose his costumes for Les Miserables and Cats helped ensure their success. Each of the costumes was designed for each showgirl’s individual body.

Along with the popular song and dance numbers, each show featured various variety acts and a headliner. The most endearing variety acts were pure vaudeville. With straw hats and banjos, the Mercer Brothers, Jim

and Bud, 85 and 88 years old, sang, tapdanced and just plain had fun—until Jim passed away in 2003.

Early on, one big name was hired as the headliner for the entire season, but sometimes illnesses forced Markowitz to scramble to find replacements. The late Donald O’Connor was the headliner for my first visit, but he got ill shortly after that show, and replacements filled the remainder of the season.

Markowitz later signed up four headliners to cover a season, with each doing about 50 shows. During my second visit, my friends and I were impressed by Carol Lawrence. Other headliners included Howard Keel, Frankie Laine, Anna Maria Alberghetti, The Modernaires, Peter Marshall, The Four Aces, Barbara McNair, Buddy Greco and Kaye Ballard.

Honoring the attendees

Markowitz loved interacting with the audience. He usually recognized various groups who came to town. If one group was seated in the back, he might make a comment like, “Boy, I hope you didn’t pay your leader for the expensive seats.”

After each show, the cast adjourned to the lobby to greet visitors departing the historic theater. In 2003, we met the lovely dance

manager Leila Burgess, who could pass for 20 years younger than her admitted 69 years. The show was even more of a “fountain of youth” for the cast than it was for the audience. Former Radio City Rockette and runway model Glenda Guilfoyle, at 71—also a mother of seven and grandmother of eight—said succinctly, “The Follies keeps me young.” Dorothy Kloss, 81 while in her ninth Follies season, simply added, “I no longer think about getting old.”

Of course, all good things must come to an end. The $1 million required to produce each new edition would eventually become too much, and the Follies’ last show was in May 2014.

The Plaza Theatre has gone virtually unused since, but it soon could come back to life, thanks to the Palm Springs Plaza Theatre Foundation, which is raising funds to restore it to its original splendor. Learn more at savetheplazatheatreps.org.

Lily Tomlin recently summed up the restoration effort thusly: “The city of Palm Springs needs to restore one of its most iconic buildings—the Plaza Theatre. It’s been the heartbeat of downtown Palm Springs.”

Sources for this article include Follies promotional materials and various editions of The Desert Sun.

The Fabulous Palm Springs Follies helped revitalize the Plaza Theatre and brought crowds downtown for 22 years

Dorothy Kloss, 81 years old. courtesy of the Fabulous Palm Springs Follies

MAY ASTRONOMY

By Robert Victor

Venus, the brilliant planet in the west at dusk, ascends to its highest position in the evening sky this month— while the stars temporarily surrounding it steadily drop away.

Use monthly evening twilight sky chart to track Venus, Mars and bright stars. During May, watch Rigel, the Pleiades, Aldebaran, Sirius and Betelgeuse, in order, exit the western sky, leaving the “Spring Arch” of Procyon, Pollux, Castor and Capella to remain at month’s end.

The May 2023 Sky Calendar, illustrating many of the events described in this column, together with a constellation map for the month’s evening sky, are available for free at www. abramsplanetarium.org/skycalendar.

Venus, at magnitude -4.1 to -4.4, rules the evening sky! Throughout May, Venus remains above

the unobstructed horizon for more than three hours after sunset. If observed at sunset or in twilight in early May, Venus attains its greatest altitude for this entire evening apparition: In May’s second week, Venus is nearly 41° up at sunset and 32° up at mid-twilight (when the sun is 9° below the horizon). Even at nightfall, when twilight ends with the sun 18° down, Venus is still 22° up on May 1, and 18° up on May 31. This month, Venus can be spotted in daylight, 43° to 45° to the upper left of the setting sun. Near the time of sunset or not long after is best for using a telescope to follow Venus’ changing appearance. In May, the disk grows from 17 to 23 arcseconds across, while its phase decreases from about two-thirds to just over half illuminated (66% to 52%). In June, the crescent Venus will become large enough to be resolved even through binoculars!

Evening events: As the sky darkens on May 1, Venus appears between Beta and Zeta Tauri, tips of the Bull’s horns. Find faint Mars, of magnitude +1.4, nearly 26° to Venus’ upper left, in Gemini, 6° below Pollux. As Venus shifts 1.1° to 1°, and Mars shifts nearly 0.6° daily against stars this month, watch for these events: On May 8, Mars is 5° south of Pollux. On May 10-12, Venus passes 3.6° north of third-magnitude stars Eta and Mu in the foot of Castor in Gemini. On May 16, Mars-PolluxCastor are in a straight line, and Venus is 0.7° north of third-magnitude Epsilon Gem

On May 20, the young moon, a 2% crescent, appears very low in the west-northwest at dusk, 28° to the lower right of Venus. On May 21, the 7% crescent moon is 16° to the lower right of Venus. The brilliant planet forms an isosceles triangle with Pollux and Castor, within 9° of each. From May 22-24, watch the moon pass Venus, Pollux, Castor and Mars. On May 22, the 12% moon appears 5° to the lower right of Venus. By May 23, the moon has leapt to nearly 7° to Venus’ upper left while waxing to 19%. Pollux appears an exceptionally close 2° to the moon’s upper right, while Mars appears within

9° to the moon’s upper left. On May 24, the 27% moon is nearly 5° above Mars.

On May 26, the 46% moon, almost at first quarter (half full) phase, is within 4° to the upper right of Regulus, heart of Leo. On May 28 and 29, Venus passes 4° south of Pollux. On May 30, the moon (now gibbous, at 82%) appears 5° to the upper right of Spica, while Mars passes aphelion, the point in its orbit most distant from sun. On May 31, the VenusMars gap has closed to 11°, while Mars has faded to magnitude +1.6. On June 1, VenusPollux-Castor are arranged in a straight line; Mars appears in the Beehive Cluster that night and next. Use binoculars or a telescope after nightfall to see the cluster’s brightest stars. Morning events: Saturn, in Aquarius, glows at magnitude +0.9 in the east-southeast to southeast as dawn brightens. A telescope shows the rings tipped only 8.0° to 7.4° from edgewise.

On May 7, the red star Antares, heart of the Scorpion, appears just 1.5° east (to the left) of the 96% moon. Earlier that morning, the moon will occult Sigma in Scorpius, the third-magnitude star just west-northwest (to the right) of Antares, and one of the “outworks of the heart.” Seen from the Coachella Valley, the star’s disappearance behind the moon’s leading sunlit edge occurs at 3:04 a.m., with the reappearance at the moon’s trailing dark edge at 3:49 a.m. A telescope will be required to observe disappearance and reappearance.

In the brightening dawns in May, the Summer Triangle of Vega, Altair and Deneb passes overhead; Arcturus sinks low in the west to west-northwest; and Antares sinks low in the southwest. Fomalhaut, mouth of the Southern Fish, appears far to the lower right of Saturn. Jupiter rises into prominence in the eastern sky later in the month. See our morning twilight chart with the online version of this article.

On May 13, a fat 41 percent crescent moon appears near Saturn. On May 16, locate recently emerged Jupiter (magnitude -2.1) very low, north of east, 14°-15° to the lower left of the

Planets and Bright Stars in Evening Mid-Twilight For May, 2023

This sky chart is drawn for latitude 34 degrees north, but may be used in southern U.S. and northern Mexico.

Evening mid-twilight occurs when the Sun is 9° below the horizon. May 1: 43 minutes after sunset. 15: 44 " " " 31: 46 " " "

12 percent waning crescent moon. On May 17, a 6 percent moon occults Jupiter. From most of California and Western Nevada, Jupiter is already hidden at moonrise. From Palm Springs, Jupiter reappears at the moon’s upper dark edge at 5:13 a.m. Since the event occurs in bright twilight, the use of a telescope is recommended. Mercury, to the lower left of Jupiter, brightens from a too-faint magnitude +1.6, when 6° from Jupiter (hidden by the moon) on May 17, to +1.0 when 7° from Jupiter on May 22; and to magnitude +0.4 when 12° from Jupiter on May 31. On May 28, Saturn appears at quadrature, 90° west of the sun. Spaceship Earth is then heading directly toward Saturn. Use a telescope so see Saturn’s shadow cast upon the rings, at the west-northwest limb of the planet.

Visible all night: On May 31, Antares, red supergiant heart of the Scorpion, appears at opposition to the sun. Look for it low in the

southeast at dusk, highest in the south in middle of night, and low in the southwest at dawn. Its positions at dusk and dawn are shown on our two twilight charts.

The Astronomical Society of the Desert will host a star party on Saturday, May 13, at the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument Visitor Center; and on Saturday, May 20, at Sawmill Trailhead, a site in the Santa Rosa Mountains at elevation 4,000 feet. For dates and times of these and other star parties in 2023, and maps and directions to the two sites, visit astrorx.org.

Robert C. Victor originated the Abrams Planetarium monthly Sky Calendar in October 1968 and still produces issues occasionally, including May 2023. He enjoys being outdoors sharing the beauty of the night sky and other wonders of nature.

Venus rules the evening sky, while Saturn offers great views via telescope in the mornings

The

iconic Plaza Theatre opened in 1936 when it hosted the premiere of Greta Garbo’s film Camille. It was long used as a movie theater, and got a new life as the home of The Fabulous Palm Springs Follies from 1991 until 2014. (See our CV History piece on the Follies on Page 10.)

Since the Follies shut down, the Plaza has been mostly vacant, and its condition has deteriorated. Its continued existence was in question—until the Palm Springs Plaza Theatre Foundation was founded, with aspirations of revitalizing the theater.

Today, the theater’s existence is no longer in question. In fact, it’s about to become a masterpiece.

Before renovations begin in earnest this summer, the Plaza is open every Tuesday evening from 7 to 8 p.m., through Tuesday, June 6, for a series of open houses that Palm Springs Plaza Theatre Foundation board president J.R. Roberts is calling “Next Act.”

“‘Next Act’ was born out of a desire to get the community more involved,”

Roberts said during a recent phone interview. “We’ve been working away, and we’ve been getting good coverage in the process, but we really wanted the community to come in, see the plans, see what it was going to be, offer their input, and hopefully help us finish up the fundraising, and help us with other things. We thought that anybody who’s interested can come in and talk to us, see a presentation, and also get a chance to see the theater before we start the work. They can sort of say farewell to the old shell, so that they have the before-andafter experience.”

The open house series comes on the heels

of November’s big rock concert, dubbed Rock the Plaza, which featured a list of stand-out musicians with desert ties such as Spike Edney (tour musical director and keyboardist for Queen), Brian Ray (guitarist with Paul McCartney), Rock and Roll Hall of Fame drummer Matt Sorum (Guns N’ Roses, Velvet Revolver, The Cult), Alice Cooper, Josh Homme (Kyuss, Queens of the Stone Age) and Paul Rodgers (Bad Company, Free). The event sold out and helped the foundation get closer to its $16 million fundraising goal. The ”Next Act” series started in March, and Roberts said the response has been “fantastic.”

“I think we had something like 65 people in the theater last Tuesday,” he said. “It’s going really, really well, and the community is hugely enthusiastic about what we’re doing, and very supportive of the project. As somebody who’s been involved in municipal governance and public service and been elected, it is such a pleasure to be part of a project that is universally loved. That’s a rarity. For myself, and for

my amazing board of directors, it’s so much fun, because we’ve had such success, and the community is turning out and helping financially. It’s important to them, apparently, that this theater gets done, and that it’s kept preserved.”

While the foundation is working with renowned preservation-architecture firm Architectural Resources Group, and already has plans and artist renderings for the renovation, Roberts said they’re taking suggestions for what people would like to see in the new era of the theater.

“What makes these open houses so much fun and so interesting is meeting like-minded people who are community-oriented and excited,” Roberts said. “They always bring us new questions, and they always bring us comments. We’re so thrilled that they challenge us, and they remind us of certain things—and we’ve taken a few of the ideas that we’ve heard, and we’ve incorporated them.

“We literally have an army of professionals working on this project with the architects and consultants, and we count on them and challenge them a lot, but the community comes in with other ideas, and reminds us about different groups that might be there, or different types of entertainment. They’ve asked us if we’ve considered the hearing impaired, or this or that, and it really helps.”

Roberts said Rock the Plaza was a vital part of building excitement around the Plaza Theatre’s future.

Louise's Pantry once occupied the restaurant space adjacent to the Plaza.

Photo courtesy of PSL archives

An artist's rendering of the renovated Plaza Theatre's exterior.

“Rock the Plaza was very important for two reasons: It showed us that the theater could be used and was desired for musical events, and it also brought so much press and so much community involvement,” Roberts said. “Today I was in the grocery store, and a man stopped me just to tell me how much he loved that event, and how excited he is about the theater. That particular event resonated with the community. Palm Springs is an older community, by and large, but that demographic could be changing, and I think by having a fun musical rock ’n’ roll event, it showed that the Plaza can do things that cater to younger people and families.

“Because of its size, it offers a real opportunity for people to participate. It’s 700 seats, and that’s a lot for a town of our size, so it becomes a meaningful venue in the scheme of things. … The Plaza always was really an important venue.”

When the renovated Plaza opens, it will feature diverse entertainment offerings—and honor its history by showing films.

“The Plaza was built as a movie theater; it was never designed for anything else,” Roberts said. “As tastes change, as lifestyles change and demographics change, so, too, does the theater. The theater will always honor the past, of course, with films, but the most exciting part is the growth for live theater, for live music. The theater has done that to a small degree in the past, but now it can be more of an ongoing, regular venue for live music and live performances, as well as lecture

series. We’ll honor the history simply by expanding the programming that was always there and that people loved.”

Roberts said he’s excited about the Plaza’s future, after years of other people having doubts.

“This is not a dream anymore. This is happening,” Roberts said. “The Plaza Theatre will be fully restored to its original Hollywood glamor and splendor. We have $13.5 million towards our $16 million goal. We’re starting work this summer. This is real.”

The “Next Act” series of open houses takes place at 7 p.m., every Tuesday, through June 6, at the Plaza Theatre, 128 S. Palm Canyon Drive, in Palm Springs. For more information, visit savetheplazatheatreps.com.

An artist's rendering of the renovated Plaza Theatre's interior.

Rock legends Alice Cooper (top) and Matt Sorum (left) showed off the Plaza's music-venue potential during the Rock the Plaza benefit last November.

Photo by Daniel Gray/ courtesy of the Palm Springs Plaza Theatre Foundation

DO-GOODER

RECIPROCAL RESCUE

The Coachella Valley Horse Rescue helps horses—and those horses help people in need

By Cat makino

Even when someone is at rock bottom, there may still be hope.

Daryn LaVoie came back from Iraq suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

“I was haunted by what I saw and fell into a depression and started drinking,” he said. “Then when my father died, it got much worse.”

He realized he missed the camaraderie he had in the military. “Veterans need to find other

people like them (who know) what they’ve been through,” he said. “I really missed the kinship I had with my fellow soldiers.”

One night after drinking too much, he went to bed with a loaded .38 handgun— which went off. The bullet passed through his temple, hitting his optic nerves; surgeons had to remove both eyes. Four months in an induced coma were followed by two years of rehabilitation at Loma Linda University Medical Center.

The camaraderie was still missing—but LaVoie found it at the Coachella Valley Horse Rescue, a nonprofit that rescues horses which have been abused or neglected, or were destined for slaughter.

“It transformed my life,” LaVoie says. “I meet other vets every Wednesday for two hours, play guitar, talk and then help with the horses. I groom (the horses) and gently rub them so they can rest and relax. We formed a special bond, and I felt a calmness while working with the horses. There’s a special one; he knows my voice.”

Coachella Valley Horse Rescue was founded in 2008 by Annette Garcia. “When the economy took a big dive, some people couldn’t afford their horses,” she said. “They tied them to trees, or didn’t feed them, so we decided to start a nonprofit to rescue horses.”

Of course, the Coachella Valley Horse Rescue

helps people, too. It offers rehabilitation programs for veterans and children, and brings miniature horses into schools and senior-living facilities. The nonprofit also works with the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and 4-H, offers lessons to people who want to learn how to ride, and puts on a camp for kids.

For veterans, the Coachella Valley Horse Rescue runs the free “Horsinalities” Veterans Bootcamp; the organization is accepting applications for the program in May.

“When we rescue horses, we find out what their best purpose is, such as working with veterans, children, horseback-riding lessons, or our Horse Tails (reading and painting) program,” Garcia said.

Because of health issues, some horses just go on long walks, or go to the spa where they get bathed and groomed.

“It’s the same with veterans when they come back into society,” Garcia said. “Many of them are lost and don’t have a purpose. They find their purpose when working with horses. Our veterans come in shy and may have difficulty even making eye contact with us. But after they start working with our horses, the transformations are miraculous. They start to smile and laugh and have conversations with us and their horse. The bonds that are created between the vets and the horses is a wonderful thing to see.

For LaVoie, the chance to heal through his interactions with horses has been a lifeline.

“It was my dream to get back on a horse since I used to work with them,” he said.

According to a Columbia University Irving Medical Center study, horse therapy—such as that offered by the Coachella Valley Horse Rescue—has been found to significantly reduce PTSD and depressive symptoms. The U.S. Census Bureau says there are about 19 million veterans, and according to Retreat Behavioral Health, between 11 and 20 percent of veterans will suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder—meaning there are a lot of veterans like LaVoie who need help.

“We are here to heal the horses,” Garcia said. “But at the Coachella Valley Horse Rescue, we often say, ‘Who rescued whom?’”

For more information, visit www.cvhorserescue.org.

The Steinway Society of Riverside County’s Awards Festival winners will perform for a live audience at the Rancho Mirage Library at 7 p.m., Tuesday, May 2. The event is free and open to the public.

“We look forward to our Awards Festival piano competition to hear nearly a dozen young pianists in both junior and senior levels play in their master classes and recitals,” said Jim McCormick, director of the Awards Festival program. “Some youngsters are debuting while most are returning to the festival year after year. It’s a great pleasure to watch them grow in confidence and skill. Having a larger live audience for the winners’ concert is an important learning component, and the Rancho Mirage Library is a wonderful venue to see and hear these young musicians.”

The top junior and senior level winners were selected during the competition held at Xavier College Preparatory High School in March, where the young pianists performed their musical pieces and worked with master teachers Antoinette Perry, Craig Richey, Catherine Kautsky and Anthony Padilla. The purpose is to award talented students and give them an opportunity to perform.

Winners in the Junior competition (ages 7-14) are Queenie Chen, 11, of Menifee, playing Chopin’s Waltz in C Sharp Minor, Op. 64. No. 2; Yuan Yin, 11, of Temecula, performing Muczynski’s Desperate Measures, Theme and Vars. 7 and 12; Melody Liu, 10, of Rancho Cucamonga, playing Liszt’s La Leggierezza; and Edina Zhang, 9, of Highland, performing Poulenc’s Toccata.

Senior level winners (ages 14-18) are Demi Jiaqi, 15, from Rancho Cucamonga, playing French Overture in B Minor by Bach; Emma Erickson, 17, of Murrieta, performing Chopin’s Scherzo in B Flat Minor, Op. 31; Jadon Wu, 16, of Mission Viejo, playing Danse Macabre by SaintSaens/Liszt; and Isabelle Ragsac, 17, of Corona, performing Prokofiev’s Toccata Op. 11.

“The challenging work that these students have put into their music is a credit to them and their parents,” said Steinway Society founder and CEO Ruth Moir. “Mastering a musical instrument is a gift they will have for a lifetime.”

McCormick has directed SSRC’s Awards Festival since its inception in 2005. Celebrating its 21st anniversary, the Steinway Society

of Riverside County has been providing free music education to all three Coachella Valley school districts since 2002, serving some 30,000 children.

For more information and to donate, visit steinwayriverside.org, or call 760-341-4130.

The Young Artists Exhibition, funded by the La Quinta Arts Foundation, engages young artists in a transformational art experience. Students participate in a juried exhibition, which is an important learning opportunity, and see their artworks matted, framed, lit and displayed in a museum-quality setting.

Experiencing their art installed in a museum can be a life-changing experience for a young artist—and that is what will be happening at the Artists Center at the Galen through Sunday, May 21.

The Artists Council, in collaboration with local art educators, selected the theme TRUTH. Students created works of art in a variety of media including painting, sculpture, drawing and photography, exploring their ideas about the theme. Katherine Hough, curator, and Emily Culhan, art educator, juried the submitted works looking at creativity, originality and craftsmanship.

“Students created thoughtful and provocative works that explored their idea and understanding of TRUTH,” Culhan said. “The courage of young artists is impressive and inspiring.”

A total of 83 selected works from 14 high schools will be professionally displayed at the Artists Center. Admission is free, and the Artists Center is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday.

All exhibiting students will receive a certificate of recognition. Select students will be recognized for additional awards, and all participating teachers will receive a complimentary one-year membership to the Artists Council.

The Artists Council is proud to be a supporter of these early artistic endeavors. The Artists Center at the Galen is located at 72567 Highway 111, in Palm Desert. For more information, call 760-565-6130, or visit artistscouncil.com.

—Submitted on behalf of the nonprofits by Pamela Bieri and Suzanne Fromkin.

Sean Harrington, the veteran mentor program director, and a horse show each other some love.

Isabelle Ragsac plays the prelude to Kapustin’s Concert Etude No. 1. Pamela Bieri

“Time Is Running Out,” collage, by David Ceja and Jessica Gomez, of Desert Hot Springs High School.

ARTS & CULTURE

LEGENDS AND PREMIERES

By JIMMY BOEGLE

Mitch Gershenfeld did not plan on being here. Yet here he is, sitting in his office at the McCallum Theatre, back as president and CEO after short-lived retirements in 2019 and 2020. He’s talking about the upcoming 2023-2024 season, and the fact that he’s decided to stick around for a while—for three more seasons, through the 2025-2026 season.

“I love what I do here,” he said when asked why he postponed his retirement. (He’s also agreed to stay on as artistic director for an additional two years, through the 2027-2028 season.) “My wife tells me that she thinks I’m happiest when I’m working here. So we both agree that this would be an OK thing to do.”

The season will kick off on Sunday, Nov. 5, with the Stunt Dog Experience, part of the City of Rancho Mirage’s Family Fun Series, and is slated to conclude with the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain on Sunday, April 14, 2024.

The schedule is full of returning McCallum favorites like Kristen Chenoweth (Jan. 26-27), The Ten Tenors (Feb. 13-17), Michael Feinstein (Feb. 24) and Patti Lupone (April 12)— something for which Gershenfeld makes no apologies.

“Some people want to come and see an artist every year. … Every time we bring them in, the audience is there for them,” Gershenfeld said. “So if some people say, ‘Well, I’ve seen them before,’ that’s fine, but a lot of people want to see them again. I always try to bring in some new things, too.”

The first show on the Broadway schedule is indeed new: The Cher Show, arriving Nov. 24-26. The jukebox musical ran on Broadway for nine months in 2018-2019.

“I thought, what better market to have The Cher Show than in Palm Springs?” Gershenfeld said. “Three actresses play Cher—young, middle, older—so it’s really the story of her life.”

Next up is a show that’s returning to the McCallum—for the first time in three decades: Les Misérables (Nov. 28-Dec. 3).

“I’ve been trying to get this show for a long time,” Gershenfeld. “It’s a huge production— it’s an 11-trunk show. It’s a very expensive show, but it’s one of the most popular shows in the history of Broadway. I think we’ll definitely sell out.”

Pretty Woman is up next (Jan. 19-21), followed by Chicago (March 1-3)—a show with which Gershenfeld, a professional tuba-player before he joined the McCallum as artistic director in 2000, has a personal history.

“Back in the ‘70s, when the first national tour came to Philadelphia, right after Broadway—with Jerry Orbach, Gwen Verdon and Chita Rivera—I played in the orchestra,” he said.

The season’s Broadway offerings will conclude with Mean Girls (March 29-31).

Gershenfeld admitted he’d never seen the Tina Fey-penned film before he saw the musical.

“I’m hearing terms like, ‘It’s so fetch,’ and I’m like, ‘I don’t know what that means,’” Gershenfeld said. “But I saw it on Broadway, and I loved it.”

Late 2023 highlights include a performance by American Idol stars Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken (Nov. 18) and a stop by The Manhattan Transfer on what’s being billed as the group’s final world tour (Dec. 9). The holidays will bring McCallum favorites Merri-Achi Christmas (Dec. 8) and Dave Koz and Friends (Dec. 18)—but the most anticipated December offering is Barry Manilow’s A Gift of Love VI. He’s returning with five shows between Dec. 12 and Dec. 17, with the proceeds benefiting 20 local nonprofits.

“We always love to have Barry here at Christmas, benefiting local charities. We’re just very lucky to have Barry here,” Gershenfeld said.

In the new year, the McCallum will kick off its new Adventure Speaker Series, starting on Jan. 22 with Climb Your Own Everest by Peter Hillary, “from one of the great families of mountaineering.” The new series replaces the National Geographic speaker series, which the McCallum featured in recent years.

“National Geographic got bought by the Walt Disney Company, and in their wisdom, they decided that the speaker series was not something they wanted to continue in all of the 40 or so markets that they were in,” Gershenfeld said. “So they kept six cities, and they dropped the rest. We were one of the ones that got dropped.”

Gershenfeld’s “Mitch’s Picks” series features four new-to-the-McCallum shows for which he personally vouches. Up first, on Jan. 15, is a show by America’s Got Talent star Jimmie Herrod.

“He is such an extraordinary young singer,” Gershenfeld said. “This is a guy I first heard here, with Pink Martini, and he sang ‘Tomorrow’ from Annie. I was like, ‘Oh, no.’ But when he opened his mouth, he was amazing.”

Next up is the public radio show/podcast

Selected Shorts, featuring celebrities reading short stories, on Feb. 4.

“We asked them to make sure that all of the short stories were based on, or had themes of, Palm Springs or the Coachella Valley,” Gershenfeld said. “That will be fun.”

Gershenfeld gushed about the Mitch’s Picks show on Feb. 22 featuring Carrie St. Louis, a Coachella Valley native who went on to star on Broadway in Wicked, Kinky Boots and more.

“She was in Open Call,” Gershenfeld said, referring to the McCallum’s annual local talent contest. “She won in 2004 as a teenager. I was at that show … and I said to somebody, ‘This kid is going to be something.’”

The fourth pick by Mitch is a brand-new, McCallum-produced original called Industrial Strength Broadway. Gershenfeld explained how the show, premiering Feb. 8, came to be.

“We are a roadhouse, so most of the things we do here, we buy from the road and we put on our stage,” Gershenfeld said. “When I have a relationship with an artist, or have some sort of wild idea that I want to try to make happen, to the extent that we have the time and facilities to make it happen, I like to do that.”

The wild idea came as Gershenfeld watched Bathtubs Over Broadway, a 2018 documentary on Netflix about “industrials”: In the 1950s and ’60s, corporations flush with cash would produce full-fledged musicals—often performed just once—for their employees.

“They used the top people,” Gershenfeld said. “They would have composers like Kander and Ebb, who wrote the musical Chicago They did industrials. Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick, who wrote Fiddler on the Roof, they did industrials. Susan Stroman, one of the great choreographers, she choreographed these things.”

As Gershenfeld watched Bathtubs Over Broadway, he saw a familiar face. “I’m watching one of the scenes, and one of the actors … I said, ‘That’s one of (the McCallum’s) founders. That’s Dean Stolber.’”

Gershenfeld reached out to Stolber, who told Gershenfeld that industrials allowed him to make a living in between Broadway roles. The experience spurred Gershenfeld to reach out to Steve Young, the star of Bathtubs Over Broadway, who discovered (and became obsessed with) industrials while he was looking for strange records as a writer for David Letterman—and Industrial Strength Broadway will be the result.

“It’ll be like a cabaret-type show, where we’ll have singers and dancers and musicians,

and we’ll re-create some of these things,” Gershenfeld said.

Fun fact: Gershenfeld said that in the late’80s, shortly after the McCallum opened, Mercedes-Benz rented the theater for an industrial.

“Mercedes-Benz rented the theater for three weeks, and they actually flew a car onto the stage. Some of the folks still remember who were around back then,” he said.

Gershenfeld said the concluding 20222023 season was the second-most successful season ever in terms of ticket sales, despite a vaccination mandate that rankled some customers. He said the vaccination requirement will no longer be in place next season.

“I’m hoping next year, we have even more attendance,” he said.

Tickets for the McCallum Theatre’s 2023-2024 season are available at the box office (73000 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert), by phone (760-3402787) and online at www.mccallumtheatre.org.

The McCallum’s 2023-2024 season features old favorites, debuts—and a McCallumproduced show about industrial musicals

Coachella Valley native Carrie St. Louis won the Open Call talent contest in 2004. She went on to be a Broadway star—and she's performing at the McCallum Theatre on Feb. 22, 2024.

ON COCKTAILS

BY kevin carlow

Remember “molecular gastronomy”? For a while, it was all the rage—until it became ubiquitous, and then it became a bit of a joke in some circles. It turns out most people don’t want to eat air that tastes like olives, nor do they want deconstructed-reconstructed eggs for dinner (at $500 bucks a head). The techniques that came along with the trend are still with us, though, and that’s a good thing, because more tools beats fewer tools any day. You may or may not remember that bartending went through a similar trajectory about a decade ago. The magnum opus for this trend was Dave Arnold’s Liquid Intelligence. This James

Beard Award-winning book didn’t just show people how to make obsessively-nerdy drinks; it changed the game. I’ve been digging through it lately, working on my latest secret project— and wondering why we all threw the proverbial baby out with the bathwater.

I suppose the answer is the same as it was for the chefs: It was all too precious, too timeconsuming, too much of a “meme.” Why make a milk punch that takes days, when you can come up with a punny name for something with four off-the-shelf ingredients? Why clarify juices when you can charge up to $20 for a margarita variation with jugged juice? This stuff went the way of curly mustaches, lab coats behind the bar and the word “mixology.” I hated all of that nonsense—so why the heck am I considering bringing back these techniques?

Because it wasn’t actually all that bad! Beyond the obnoxious trappings that went with it, bartenders putting science in your glass was kind of awesome. Watch any Dave Arnold presentation, and you’ll see that he is the complete opposite of what his acolytes became: He’s down to earth, funny and relatable. He deserved better than to be lumped in with pretentious hipsters.

Maybe we just got lazy. Blame COVID, labor shortages, “the supply chain” or some combination of all that—but our standards of service, food and drink have plummeted. And the industry knows you stopped caring. In reality, most of us stopped doing molecular bartending as a backlash to “man buns” long before the pandemic: Nobody was interested anymore. Like the swing revival, it had a moment and was gone, back to subcultures and boutique bars. At the time, it was “good riddance,” but as much as I reviled all of them, the truth is that “foodies,” “hipsters” and “Yelpers” kept us honest. It was better for the food and beverage scene than the influencer culture of today—100 times over.

OK, the rant is finished. Let’s get down to the educational part of the program, because you can do a lot of this stuff at home.

Want to make clear ice? Here’s a trick I learned, and, no, it doesn’t take a fancy

silicone tray for $80: Just freeze tap water in an insulated mug. That’s it. Once it is halffrozen, the impurities will be in the liquid part, and the ice should be crystal clear. Use a petite cooler for larger and squarer ice. You want it to freeze like a pond, top-down—and, actually, “pond ice” was the standard for a century of colonial cocktail drinkers!

You can clarify at home, too! This was one of my first “big hits” when I brought it to the bar all those years ago. This is my basic variation on Dave Arnold’s drink Tea Time, which uses Darjeeling tea, honey syrup and citric acid to clarify. I call it the “Dave Arnold” Palmer.

1 1/2 ounces of milk-washed, tea-infused vodka

1 ounce of lemon juice

1 ounce of simple syrup

1 ounce of water (or use crushed ice) Shake; dump into a Collins glass; garnish with a lemon wheel.

To make the vodka, infuse several bags of the tea of your choice into a liter of vodka until it’s tea-colored; then remove the bags. Pour the vodka into 250 milliliters of whole milk (not the other way around), and let sit. You want to start the curdling process by adding an ounce of lemon juice (30 milliliters) and letting it, well, curdle. The curdled proteins will be bound to the tea molecules and remove the color from the mixture. I used to leave it overnight to settle and then strain it through a coffee filter to recover most of it. You will lose a ton of product the first couple of times you do this; it’s a bit of a skill and requires patience.

Yes, you can use this same technique to make a clarified milk punch. I’m not sure why nobody does those anymore. Follow the classic rhyme: “One of sour, two of sweet, three of strong and four of weak.” Basically make four parts tea, then add three parts of your alcohol(s) of choice (a mix of rum, bourbon, mezcal and/or high-proof liqueurs) and two parts sugar. Account for any sugar in the liqueurs as well! When the mix is room temperature, add it to milk as above, in the same 4:1 proportions. Add one part lemon or lime juice, and let it settle; strain over a coffee

filter, then chill and serve in a punch cup or on a large cube. Garnish with pretty flowers or whatever adds some color back to the glass. You can also clarify some juices at home; you just need to plan ahead. Watermelon and grapefruit are two of the better choices. Just juice and leave in bottles stored upright for a day or so. It really is that easy! The tricky part is getting the clear juice out without disturbing the sediment. A siphon works well; we can’t use a tube and our mouths at work, but it’s

your party. You can use the sediment-heavy stuff for popsicles or cordials or something. Get creative.

I hope I have made myself clear: It’s time to get back to excellence. I don’t need any salmonextract-foam beet daiquiris, but let’s demand fresh and well-crafted drinks, at least. We sure are paying for it these days.

Kevin Carlow can be reached at inahotdryplace@gmail.com.

It’s time for bartenders to revive excellence and creativity—perhaps with some help from science

A boozy clarified milk punch.

CAESAR CERVISIA

JASON

By brett newton

DAVID HAIR STUDIO LOVE YOUR HAIR

s the weather heats up, you might be thinking of getting out of town. If you’re like me,

What follows are some places within a two-hour drive that offer great beers. Some of them have been mentioned in this space before, but I’m mentioning them again, because I’m regularly surprised when I mention a brewery and am met with blank stares. Let’s start close

Country Club and Cook Street Palm De sert

760-340-5959

www.jasondavidhairstudio.net

time I was there, I enjoyed my Lightest One from Enegren Brewing on a warm day on the makeshift patio out back while eating quesadillas from the food vendor posted there that day. Even if you are incredibly diligent about visiting every taproom you come across, at least half of the tap list on a given day will likely contain beers you haven’t heard of, from breweries you might never have heard of. They also do fun things like trivia nights and the like. Go, enjoy, and hope that one day, the desert can once again support a craft-beer location like this.

Outward we go to Rancho Cucamonga and Sour Cellars. I was first exposed to Sour

Cellars at the Ace Hotel a few years back at one of their inexplicably timed summer beer festivals. Owner/brewer/blender Bryan Doty was there serving two of his barrel-aged sour ales. The best of the two was a collaboration with Mikkeller Brewing (the one in Europe, not the one in San Diego … it’s confusing) that was world-class. I was floored and have tried to seek out his beers ever since. Doty has focused on the relatively lost art of the lambic (although you’re not supposed to call it that outside of the Zenne Valley in Belgium; it’s “Belgian-style sour ale” or “lambic-style ale” to you, sir or madam), and his pursuit is our gain. Two beers worth noting, as copied from the website: One is Pyrotechnic Pleasantries, a 5.9% alcohol by volume blend of 54 months barrel-aged brown ale, 26 months barrel-aged golden sour ale, 19 months barrel-aged saison, and six months barrel-aged spontaneous fermentation golden

sour ale, re-fermented with strawberries— and conditioned since May 2021. Another is the Whisker Splitter, a 7.1% ABV collaboration with Honey Pot Meadery that’s a spontaneous fermentation golden sour ale brewed in February 2020, aged in oak wine barrels for one year, and double-aged in mead rye whiskey barrels for another 17 months— and conditioned since July 2022.

Sour Cellars is just a little more than an hour drive from here, people. Go and try anything that piques your curiosity. The fact that beer like this is possible in the Inland Empire is truly incredible to me, and I wish Sour Cellars nothing but continued success and support.

Onward to Orange County, where new breweries just keep opening. It would almost be cheating to mention Green Cheek Brewing Co. here, because I have mentioned them many times before and will continue to mention them to anyone who cares. They just make incredible beer, no matter the style. I am lucky enough to have, in my fridge right now, cans of a Czech pils, an Englishstyle bitter on nitro, and a New Zealand IPA (which is kind of a cousin to the California IPA; it’s essentially a light malt bill that gets out of the way of the incredible flavors in hops from New Zealand). The latter contains huge aromas and flavors of passion fruit, papaya and guava—without any fruit coming anywhere near the beer.

A newer brewery in the area, Radiant Brewing Co. in Anaheim, was brought to my attention by a friend, and I’ve been very pleased to try a number of very well-made, tasty beers. From bright, crisp IPAs to German-style lagers to a “golden bitter” on nitro, Radiant’s beers have made my taste buds sing, and I look forward to my next visit. Similarly, Everywhere Beer in Orange is another impressive brewery. I’ve tried a handful of their beers so far and have been very impressed. I recommend them without having had a chance to visit the brewery myself, because I am that confident you’ll enjoy it. Both Radiant and Everywhere share similar roots in that their owners worked at The Bruery in Placentia. The Bruery has had an incredible track record of former brewers moving on to open incredible breweries of their own—and these two are no different.

Here we are, at the end of my allotted space, and we haven’t even reached a coastline. This leaves San Diego and Los Angeles out of the picture. I’ve also left out Temecula, which itself is worth a whole

column, because it really is its own beer scene, and it has been for many years. If there is a brewery I missed that you think deserves some attention, let me know.

Until that time, give as many of these places as you can a visit—and keep them alive and thriving.

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.

A look at a few places offering great beers within a two-hour drive

Sour Cellars’ Whisker Splitter is a 7.1% ABV collaboration with Honey Pot Meadery. Sour Cellars Facebook page

VINE SOCIAL

JASON DAVID HAIR STUDIO

By Katie finn

LOVE YOUR HAIR

n addition to being a sommelier/wine-shop owner/wine educator, I fancy myself a bit of a political science. This was my major in university, and I was all in. My grand plan was to go to law

Well, needless to say, that didn’t happen—and I couldn’t be more grateful for the unintended career switch. Looking back, I was able to happily make the transition not just because it involved

760-340-5959

to us? Not to be obtuse, but maybe it’s only

www.jasondavidhairstudio.net

and White Terror of Spain in the 1930s to the destruction of countless vineyards and the near-obliteration of white wine grapes from places like Rueda fascinated me. I loved learning how countries like South Africa were able to rebuild their reputation and export wine after Apartheid, and how Argentina and Chile became wine powerhouses due to the influx of French and Italian immigration after phylloxera (an insect pest that targets grapevines). Wine became so much more than just a beverage with dinner: It was an everevolving time capsule that told a story.

However, I’ve always struggled with wines from a historical standpoint in one way: vintages. Good years, bad years, average years … I just couldn’t keep up. Anyone who really knows me understands that I’m not exactly a numbers gal. I can have an encyclopedic memory when it comes to storytelling, but you put a number in there somewhere, and it vaporizes right out of my mind.

So … this got me thinking about the importance of vintages. Does it really matter? Yes. And no.

It’s been said that a great winemaker can make a good wine in a bad vintage. I have no doubt this is true; however, this would suggest that the person making the wine is more important than what happens in the vineyard. This contradicts the ever-popular winemaker mantra du jour that “wine is made in the vineyard.” I have no doubt, however, that this mantra is also correct. As long as the wine produced is an agricultural product and not a commercial one, what happens during the growing season will (or should?) determine what the wine’s outcome is.

So, if we can have it both ways, where the winemaker can trump the vintage, why is the year (and more importantly, the climactic events that happened that year) so concerning

Tuscany top the list of vintage significance, not necessarily because they experience wilder weather than, say, Mendoza, Argentina, but because of the limitations on what they can do about it.

In 2000, famed winemaker Michel Rolland put plastic tarps over the vineyards at Chateau Fontenil in Fronsac, Bordeaux, to protect them from the rains. This was a big no-no with the French government, and they charged him with violating the rules of the AOC (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée, the wine governing body in France), and he was not allowed to put the region on the label. While this would seem silly to any other agricultural department (I mean, who wouldn’t do anything they could to protect their crop?!), in France, this was seen as manipulation and adulteration. The vintage gives you what it gives you.

Mendoza experiences hailstorms so often that growers have covering the vineyards with protective netting down to an art form. No fines. No rule violations. No government punishment.

We also see the importance of vintages in other wine regions like Champagne and Douro, Portugal, where there is a collective group that decides if a year is of high enough quality to produce a “single vintage” wine from those grapes; historically, it happens only a few times per decade. Having a consortium of “experts” tell us that this is the year for their wine to be released is genius. There’s nothing like creating a little hype to get the consumer dollars flowing.

But what about places like California, Australia or Spain? Here’s where the conversation changes. You’ll find wine enthusiasts that say the vintage will always be important, no matter where the grapes come from. I disagree.

There might be less-than-ideal conditions in certain areas—like the frosts that happened in New Zealand in 2021. But the frost didn’t diminish the quality of the wine, just the amount of wine produced. Your palate won’t notice a difference in the way your favorite Kiwi sauvignon blanc tastes, but your wallet will notice: A smaller harvest means less wine, and supply-and-demand dictates higher prices.

That same frost in 2021 destroyed a massive number of vineyards in France, from Champagne all the way down to Provence, and even over to the vineyards in central and northern Italy, resulting in not only in a smaller harvest, but a vintage that was deemed poor. California has always struggled with determining a vintage’s worth. The year 1997 was the first time we heard the term El Niño, and it was hailed by wine critics as a perfect

year: Big, juicy and ripe, the wines were scoring off the charts with Wine Spectator and Robert Parker. In 1998, we learned that we were now in the La Niña year, and that meant bad newsot: Green, tight and tannic, the wines were initially declared a disaster by those same critics.

Ironically, while the ’97s were great right out of the gate and didn’t need any time in the cellar, they were short lived and became lackluster in the glass if you sat on them for a while. Wines from 1998, the year that was universally panned, ended up the clear marathon winners and showed their beauty after a few years cellared.

Even with more than 100 appellations, the Golden State remains fairly weatherconsistent, a place where the topic of good versus bad vintages doesn’t seem to be very important. Spain, Chile, Argentina and Australia also offer up little variation from year to year and provide consumers with a delightful sense of security when grabbing a bottle off the shelf.

If you’re like me and find fun diving into wine books, jumping down the rabbit hole of vintage reports might be your thing. If you’d rather just open a bottle of wine and not fret about atmospheric rivers, look for countries that are a little more weather consistent—or head on over to your favorite little wine shop and ask the resident nerd. They live for this stuff.

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.

Does a wine’s vintage matter? It could … but it probably doesn’t

FOOD & DRINK INDY ENDORSEMENT

We brunch in Cathedral City, and have dinner at an unbelievably popular Palm Springs place

By Jimmy Boegle

WHAT Biscuits and gravy sliders

WHERE Brunch 101, 68718 E. Palm Canyon Drive, No. 101, Cathedral City

HOW MUCH $15 CONTACT 760-507-8464; brunch101.com

WHY It’s a great twist on a classic. We’ve been doing Indy Endorsements for more than a decade now—but this is the first time we’ve ever endorsed a dish at the third different restaurant to occupy the same space.

In 2019, I endorsed the enchiladas de mole at Los Arcos Mexican Restaurant … then the restaurant closed (though a location lives on in La Quinta). A little more than a year ago, I endorsed the West African peanut stew at Salt Flats … and it closed.

Now comes Brunch 101. This concept seems to have staying power, so I have a feeling we won’t be endorsing dishes from any other places in this restaurant space for quite some time.

Brunch 101 offers exactly what one would expect: breakfast, brunch and lunch fare like omelets, Benedicts, sandwiches, salads and even a couple taco options. However, a lot of the dishes have a unique twist.

You can get buttermilk pancakes … or pancakes made with almond milk. There’s hash and eggs, but that hash is actually pork belly. And if you love biscuits and gravy, you’ll be happy to see them on the menu—but they’re presented as “sliders.” The buttermilk biscuits are the buns, and the sausage gravy is in between, along with eggs and peppered bacon. On the side is some delicious bourbon bacon jam and your choice of a side.

It was, in a word, delicious. The biscuits were fantastic, as was the peppered bacon. I loved the gravy, even if it was on the surprisingly sweet side—and don’t let that bourbon bacon jam go unused, as it’s arguably the tastiest thing on the plate.

Here’s to a long tenure at 68718 E. Palm Canyon Drive for Brunch 101!

WHAT Caramelized onion tart

WHERE Bar Cecil, 1555 S. Palm Canyon Drive, No. H-104, Palm Springs

HOW MUCH $14

CONTACT 442-332-3800; barcecil.com

WHY It’s like French onion soup, but better. Bar Cecil has been open for two years now— but my recent visit there was my first.

Why? Bar Cecil is the most difficult reservation to get in the valley. If you go to Open Table right now and try to get a reservation, you’ll almost certainly find no availability, like, ever—unless you’re looking at Open Table in the wee hours of the morning.

Bar Cecil only offers reservations 30 days in advance, and Open Table releases reservations each day around midnight. By the time most of us wake up, Bar Cecil’s justreleased openings 30 days away are snapped up. I just so happened to be awake around 2 a.m. one morning, and that’s how I got a 6:15 p.m. reservation 30 days away.

So … does Bar Cecil live up to the buzz and the exclusivity? Is executive chef Gabriel Woo’s food all that?

I’ll leave those questions for others to answer and simply say we really enjoyed our dinner. The service was fantastic, and the vibe, much of which pays homage to British artist/fashion designer Cecil Beaton (19041980), was fun.

As for the food, everything we had ranged from decent to the reason why we’ll definitely return to Bar Cecil: the caramelized onion tart. It’s like the best French onion soup you’ve ever had—with the caramelized onions, the pastry and the comté cheese— converted into a sharable, gorgeous appetizer. At $14, in 2023, the price is downright reasonable, too.

If you don’t want to be stalking Open Table at ungodly hours of the morning, and/or you don’t want to wait 30 days to visit Bar Cecil, you can show up (preferably a little before the restaurant opens) and pray for a last-minute cancellation or an open bar seat. Whatever you do, if you get in, be sure to order the caramelized onion tart.

Opens May 12!

Restaurant NEWS BITES

By charles drabkin

BAR CECIL’S GABRIEL WOO TO TAKE OVER PS ART MUSEUM SPACE

Last month, we reported that the Palm Springs Art Museum had launched a pop-up food program while they searched for a new permanent restauranteur. That search is over: The museum has announced that Gabriel Woo, the executive chef at Bar Cecil who also designed menus at Holiday House and Sparrows Lodge, will take over the space, with an anticipated fall opening. The pop-ups will continue for now, filling the void created when the museum declined to renew the lease of Persimmon Bistro and Wine Bar. Woo helms what’s arguably the most popular restaurant in the valley, and he was known for the multi-course family-styles meals he created pre-pandemic. I can’t wait to see what he will do with what, by necessity, must be much more accessible food.

IT’S TIME FOR THE FARMERS’ MARKETS SHUFFLE

As happens every year, the Palm Springs Certified Farmers’ Market will be closed on the first Saturday of June so it can transition from being outside at the Palm Springs Cultural Center into its usual indoor summer home at the Palm Springs Pavilion (401 S. Pavilion Way) starting on June 10 … because the fresh eggs on sale would cook in their shells if left outside in our summer heat. The final outdoor market of the season will be on May 27.

In related news, April 30 was the last Palm Desert Certified Farmers’ Market of the season. It will return with the cooler weather in August. Learn more at certifiedfarmersmarkets.org.

IN BRIEF

Farmer in the Dale Produce Market has sadly had to close its Desert Hot Springs brickand-mortar location. The good news is that Farmer in the Dale lives on with pop-up events. Watch facebook.com/farmerinthedalemarket for dates and locations. … New to La Quinta, at 79305 Highway 111: La Casa Del Mariachi, offering Mexican fare and live mariachi music on the weekends. Online reviews on the mariachis are mixed, although most people agree that the service is very attentive. Call 760-564-0613. … Mr. B’s Subs, at 74600 Highway 111, Suite F, in Palm Desert, is under new management with new recipes. With a selection of breakfast burritos, paninis, smoothies and, of course, sub sandwiches, you are sure to find something to satisfy. Learn more at mrbssubs.com. … The T&T Innovation Kitchen has returned to the JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort and Spa, at 74855 Country Club Drive, in Palm Desert—but it’s only open for private group events, with a capacity of up to 35 for a sit-down dinner and 60 for receptions. The plan is for the space to soon reopen to the public; watch www.desertspringsresort.com. … The Weenee Roadhouse has opened at 35400 Date Palm Drive, in Cathedral City; this hot dog and chili restaurant moved into the space formerly occupied by the Southern Belle Café. Details at weeneeroadhouse.com. … Bar Chingona, the bar operating out of a vintage Airstream trailer at the Flannery Exchange (750 N. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs), has expanded its service to include food in addition to craft cocktails and spirits. Initially operated in partnership with the Hoja Blanca pop-up restaurant, Bar Chingona continues to offer contemporary Latin cuisine like yuzu shrimp aguachile and cauliflower esquite. Learn more and peruse the menu at barchingona.com. … The new Spa at Séc-he, at 200 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way, in Palm Springs, has two new dining options to enjoy: Pál Bar and Málmal Café offer healthy Mediterranean-inspired cuisine like grain salads, wild mushroom wraps and hummus and olive tapenade plates. Learn more at thespaatseche. com/cuisine. … Morongo Casino Resort and Spa, at 49500 Seminole Drive, in Cabazon, has a new chicken sandwich spot. Ruffled Feathers features hot and “mello” chicken sandwiches, chicken tenders, fries and shakes; visit www.morongocasinoresort.com/dining/ ruffled-feathers to find out more.

Avenida Music wants to help local artists thrive via downtown Indio’s Little Street Music Hall

Punk-band Sticky Doll organizes the ‘A Cause for Paws’ benefit concert in Twentynine Palms

THE Venue Report: Rauw Alejandro, Lady A, Rob Schneider, Emo Nite—and Much More!

The band Frankie and the Witch Fingers brings intense music and performance to Pappy and Harriet’s

LAYING A FOUNDATION

Hardcore band Hollow Crown combines positive energy with heavy riffs on debut single

“Spineless”

MUSIC

BIZ SIDE OF MUSIC

By matt king

The Coachella Valley is in an era of revitalization and change regarding entertainment venues. The Acrisure Arena is bringing sports and music megastars to Palm Desert, and new restaurant venues are attracting local and touring bands in the low and high desert. But there’s still a relative dearth of venues for up-and-coming local musicians—especially venues that truly support artists and their creativity.

Enter Avenida Music. The beloved band of brothers (Josiah Gonzalez, Samuel Gonzalez and Vince Gonzalez), plus drummer Sean Poe, was voted Best Local Band by our readers during our Best of Coachella Valley 2018-2019 poll. After their plans for a live music venue in 2019 were upended by the pandemic, Avenida is returning with the Little Street Music Hall, at 82707 Miles Ave., in downtown Indio. The space will feature live music and events, and offer rehearsal space, while being open during the day selling coffee, tea and beer as Encore Coffee. During a recent interview with Josiah Gonzalez, Avenida’s keyboard player, he explained why a space like this has yet to exist.

“It takes an insane amount of patience,” Gonzalez said. “You have to dig through an incredible amount of bureaucracy. There’s a ton of paperwork, and I think the biggest thing is there’s a disconnect between what musicians want to do and experience, and what the city municipality and infrastructure are set up to help you build. The city of Indio is very forwardthinking. This is something that they know that they want, and we keep hitting roadblocks, and they help us get over those roadblocks. … As artists, you’ve got these giant plans: ‘Wouldn’t it be cool if we could do all this?’ And then you hit the red tape. It’s not hard; it’s just like a marathon: You can go really slow and get it done, but it’s still, like, 30 miles.”

Gonzalez said he and his team have had to learn—and be patient at the same time.

“We’re musicians. We don’t have the developer money that some of these other businesses do, so you just have to do it yourself,” he said. “You have to learn it yourself. It’s a whole different skill set that we, as musicians, didn’t have. We’re getting there, but we still don’t have it. Artists are generally not geared for this kind of work, so if you’re not willing to learn it, and if you’re not willing to pay somebody for it, then it’s not going to get done. … When people see old buildings, they think, ‘That’s badass; you could throw a cool show there. It’s old; it’s dilapidated; slap some paint on it, and it’ll be sick.’ Then you get in there, and you realize, ‘Oh, in order to put 150 bodies into this building, I have to deal with asbestos, and building codes, and a

Avenida Music wants to help local artists thrive via downtown Indio’s Little Street Music Hall

building that’s falling apart, and toilets that don’t work.’ … We kind of lucked out with the partnership that we have with the city. They wanted this to happen, and they put a lot of effort and time into this.”

Avenida’s Little Street Studio was in operation for a few short months before the pandemic, offering rehearsal space and featuring live bands. This experience helped the group learn some valuable lessons they’re taking into this new project.

“Initially, that space was just for rehearsal and for storage,” Gonzalez said. “We had a very different vision, and when we had people ask us, ‘Hey, can we use this for a show?’ we didn’t realize it was something that people even wanted. We said, ‘Bring some of your friends out,’ and then the giant crowd piled out of the door, and we’re like, ‘Oh, people need this.’ First was the realization that there was actually a need, and the second piece was that we were woefully underprepared to meet that need.”

Gonzalez walked me through the Little Street Music Hall and showed me areas that caused them a lot of trouble, such as the bathrooms and the sprinkler system.

“Musicians, typically the DIY crowd, don’t run in circles where someone’s got a friend who’s going to loan me $150,000,” Gonzalez said. “If you don’t have those people who can dump tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars into your project just because they know you and like you, then you have to go to typical institutions like banks or lending houses, and a lot of them don’t understand music, or musicians as a whole. We don’t have good models for monetizing our art.”

Thankfully, Avenida Music is familiar with both captivating an audience and running a business. The members have grown from days of weekend gigs and working for free to offering various music-related services, and now every member of the group works fulltime for Avenida’s LLC.

“We built this business so that it could survive without making $1 off of music, ticket sales, beer sales or coffee,” Gonzalez said. “This business could survive just from our live gigging. We have four different avenues that

we built out so far: live-music gigging, booking, music education and music-affiliate stuff like consulting and AV jobs. The food and bev will be that fifth revenue stream, and it’s going to eventually be the biggest if it goes right, but even if everything sank, the goal was that we can make $0, or just break even, and this could still be a phenomenal place that’s just a passion project, and we could still float, we could pay employees and cover all of our bills.”

Gonzalez said he and his bandmates/ partners will always be musicians first, and businessmen second.

“Part of our philosophy is that we do not identify as businessmen, per se. Our primary identification always needs to be as a musician,” Gonzalez said. “No matter how big we get, we always have to resonate with the struggle of the local musician. The thought process behind that is: If musicians feel like this is the place where they want to play, because it’s for them, that’s the place where the people who follow them are going to want to see them. (Musicians) are going to say, ‘If there’s one place that you have to come and see me, it’s here, and please support them outside of this so that I can keep playing here.’ We’re

going mandate, no matter how many coffee shops and music venues and other branches, we always have to play at least one gig a month back in the trenches. … We want to stay connected to the community. It’s all about the community, and a big part of that is to be part of the music community.

Gonzalez said they want to help “develop a really viable economic ecosystem for musicians in the Coachella Valley to be able to take their passion for their art, and turn that into something that they can actually live off of,” so the valley can be a place capable of growing artists to their full potential.

“You see a lot of people in the Coachella Valley leaving, and I want to reverse the trend of people saying, ‘I have to go to San Diego or L.A. in order to play bigger venues,’” Gonzalez said. “We want people from other areas to say, ‘I have to go to that space in Indio, because it is the best, most musician-friendly, most crowd-pumping location for my original music.’ We want to drag people to this scene, and that lifts the whole scene, that lifts the quality of musicians, and that lifts the quality of audiences. It makes every other venue step up their game.”

An artist’s rendering of the completed Little Street Music Hall, by Cioffi Architect.

MUSIC

LAYING A FOUNDATION

By matt king

The Coachella Valley hardcore-music scene is packed with heavy riffs and speaker-popping vocals—and one of the newest bands to enter the fray is the ferocious Hollow Crown.

Hollow Crown features Alex Peralez (vocals), Cameron Parkinson (lead guitarist), Darin Camorre (rhythm guitarist), Mikayla Fazzone (bass) and Shayne Winchester (drums). Debut single “Spineless” was released on March 31, and it is nearly 2 1/2 minutes of down-tuned

metal, with emphatic screams and growls— and some creative breakdown sections.

During a recent Zoom interview, the band members explained how Hollow Crown came to be.

“This band actually formed from a band that me, Darin and Alex were in,” Parkinson said. “We had a bunch of songs, and schedules weren’t working out, so we ended up forming our own project.”

Added Peralez: “We kept showing up to practice—that’s what dedicated members do—and other members just kept canceling. We said, ‘Well, we’ve got to write new material.’ Cam wrote some stuff; we liked it and tweaked it a little bit. It sounded good, and when those members who didn’t show up started showing up, it wasn’t what they were into or wanted to do.”

The trio recruited Winchester—Camorre’s longtime friend—and Winchester’s partner Fazzone, who were releasing their own metalcore music under the name WISEMANSAY. Winchester and Camorre were elated to finally share a stage.

“I was doing a little internship across the street, and Darin goes, ‘Hey, dude, why don’t you just come over and hear us play?’” Winchester said. “After hearing these guys play, I thought, ‘I want to get a part of this; this looks like fun.’ It was a feeling that was touching my soul. He kept bugging me a bunch of times about needing a drummer and a bass player, and just would not stop writing my ass. I thought, ‘What’s going to hurt? Let’s just go for it.’ We dove into it—and we haven’t looked back.”

Debut single “Spineless” is visceral and straight-up nasty; most listeners will find them head-banging along. It is also currently the opening song of Hollow Crown’s set.

“It’s one of those ones that just hits you in the dick and doesn’t stop,” Camorre said.

Added Winchester: “It’s a great opener to be like, ‘Hey, check this shit out. We’re in your face; get along for the ride.’”

Added Fazzone: “It gives a good introduction to who we are and what we’re about, and also it gives us a lot of breathing room for the songs that we’re going to release

in the future. It lays a good foundation.”

The lyrics of “Spineless” are also visceral. After starting with a vivacious proclamation of “Fuck it!” the first lyrics are, “You’re a parasite, a waste of life.”

“It definitely is the song that had the most energy and the most feeling,” Peralez said. “That being said, to record it vocally, some part of me didn’t want to write lyrics to it, because I needed to be in a certain vibe. …. I tried writing it probably three times, and I just didn’t feel like it fit. Darin laid out lyrics for me, and I tried screaming to them, and it started working. He technically wrote the lyrics, and I tweaked it a little bit, but it definitely gives that energy to the

instrumental.”

The band has performed three shows so far, with the most recent one being a set at Anaheim’s Chain Reaction in mid-April.

“Not to toot our own horn, but we blew the headliner off the stage at Chain Reaction,” Parkinson said. “We played to a crowd five times bigger than the headliner. A lot of people kept telling us that we had some of the highest energy out of the whole group of bands that were playing that day.”

Added Fazzone: “It was really cool to just see people walking in the door. As we were finishing up a little line check, we’re like, ‘Wait, these people are coming in here, and they’re interested.’ By the time we played, the room had a good amount of people in it. We just kind of went and gave it our all, and everyone really, really vibed with it.”

It can often take more than three shows for band members to get comfortable with each other onstage. Winchester shared some wisdom that Camorre passed along that

helped him.

“You’re just playing to a bunch of homies,” said Winchester. “Everyone is your homie. Everyone’s a dear friend who’s having a good time. Don’t think of it like, ‘Oh, this person’s probably thinking I suck.’ Think of it as you’re playing with your homies. You’re practicing.”

Fazzone said the band has a dedicated practice schedule so Hollow Crown can get tighter and tighter.

“We’ve been practicing to try to hit several different parts where we all move in the same way, or a couple of times during the set where we all bounce at the same time, or we all throw down at the same time,” Fazzone said. “We try to appear as a unit, but at the same time, it can vary from show to show.

“Playing live is probably one of my favorite things, because it’s a gamble. You’re going to get what you’re going to get. Sometimes it’s good; sometimes it’s not going to be good, but every show, you’ve got to play it like it’s your last. That’s why we’re here.”

Hardcore band Hollow Crown combines positive energy with heavy riffs on debut single “Spineless”

Hollow Crown. Mack Goth

MUSIC

MUSIC TO HELP PETS

By matt king

If you enjoy live music and want to help animals in need, you really need to go to the A Cause for Paws benefit show in Wonder Valley.

Six local music acts are coming together at 6 p.m., Saturday, May 13, to benefit two local nonprofits that help animals, the Animal Authority Rescue Team (AART) and the Animal Action League (AAL); all of the profits will be evenly split between the two agencies. The event at the

Palms Restaurant is being organized by punkband Sticky Doll (Greg Gendron and Cynna Luchia).

This is not the first event Gendron and Luchia have put together to help animals.

“I’ve had rescues my whole life; I have a real soft spot for animals,” Gendron said during a phone interview. “I come from a farm in a small town in Washington state, so I grew up with animals, and I’ve always had rescues myself as an adult living out on my own. When we moved out to the desert, I saw what went on up here—and people dumping dogs. The animals-in-need thing was just so in my face.”

In 2019, Gendron organized his first animal benefit—solely for Champion, a dog that was shot in the face and abandoned in the desert.

“That was so insane and just angered me to no end,” he said. “Being on Facebook, I belong to all the pet groups, and I’d already seen so much bullshit up here, and when that happened, I was just like, ‘Oh my God.’ Doing that (benefit) was so awesome, and it was fun, and we raised a lot of money to really help this dog.”

The event, hosted at Gadi’s Bar (which became AWE Bar before closing), featured eight bands. The event flier featured a brutal image of Champion’s wounds.

“I used that really graphic picture of him, and I think that really made people go, ‘Whoa,’” Gendron said. “It really made people want to help. As opposed to going, ‘Oh, this is an event for the Morongo Basin Humane Society … this one was like, ‘Oh my God, this dog was shot in the face; he needs help.’ I think it really tugged on everybody’s strings a lot more than the other ones. That one raised a lot of money, around $1,500.”

In addition to Sticky Doll, A Cause for Paws will feature Van Graceland (an Elvis impersonator), Hot Patooties, The Sibleys, The Hawk Messengers and The Yes-Go’s. Every artist is donating their time and talents.

“In a perfect world, I could donate tons of money, and my girlfriend is always saying how she’d love to have a big sanctuary,” Gendron said. “Well, we live paycheck to paycheck like most do, and I’m not making any money playing in a band. It costs us money to play

Punk-band Sticky Doll organizes the ‘A Cause for Paws’ benefit concert in Twentynine Palms

Terry Gilliam

shows—but I did realize the power of music. People rally when there’s something that a lot of people believe in. (Beyond) all the negative shit I said about what I’ve seen about animals up here, I’ve seen the positive community toward the animals. Recently, the no-kill shelter did their big Woof Walk. Everybody comes out for them, and tons of money is donated.”

Awareness is the main goal of the benefit, especially since Gendron considers both the Animal Authority Rescue Team and the Animal Action League to be “underground.” Both organizations will have informational booths at the event.

“The no-kill shelter (Morongo Basin Humane Society) is always in the limelight,” he said. “Everybody knows all about them and wants to do the right thing and feel good and donate to them, but meanwhile, these two organizations … they’re not necessarily known about.”

Gendron hopes the event will draw a huge, supportive crowd to the high desert.

“This year is the first time we’re doing it at the Palms, and the potential challenge is … people who haven’t been out there go, ‘Oh, my God, it’s way out there,’” Gendron said.

“It’s a community event; it’s not necessarily a punk-rock, heavy-metal show. With the band Sticky Doll, we always fall into that category, but we really want to put on community-type things that draw all ages and all types of fans of music.”

A Cause for Paws is part of Sticky Doll’s plan to make music-focused animal-organization benefits a regular thing.

“I’m trying to put together a plan, looking into connecting with promoters around different cities in SoCal,” Gendron said. “… It’s a whole different world these days. It’s hard to get people to come out, and for us local bands, we’re often just playing to the other bands. We want to do smart shows … that can be wellattended, and shows that have a good cause. Moving forward, if we get offers to play here and there, sure, but as far as shows that we want to pursue, we really want to just focus on SoCal, and connect with the most in-need local rescue (organizations).”

Gendron said that when giving at these benefits, a little goes a long way.

“Whether it’s $100, or it winds up being $1,000, or $10, in the big scheme of it, it’s all good for (the beneficiaries), because they run on donations,” he said. “In a perfect world, I hope these can be big things, but I tend to get really grandiose, so I’ve got to reel myself in and go, ‘This is just local. Let’s do the best we can and get a buzz going about some things, and just let it grow naturally.’”

Pet-related raffles and healthy food options will be available at the event.

“Both of them (AART and AAL) are going to be able to put together some baskets of services—like spay, neuter, chipping and shots—for raffles, as well as some T-shirts and some pet items,” Gendron said. “There will be an engraving machine for custom-made dog

tags. There’s also going to be a vegan option on the menu with Laura’s Compassionate Kitchen. Kevin (Bone) and Laura (Sibley are) the owners of The Palms, and that’s kind of a new thing she’s been doing now for the last year.

“I want to say the majority of people love animals. There are some really fucking evil people in the world, but I think the larger population does want to do the right thing and support animals in need.”

A Cause for Paws will take place at 6 p.m., Saturday, May 13, at the Palms Restaurant, 83131 Amboy Road, in Twentynine Palms. A $10 donation is suggested. For more information, visit facebook. com/stickydoll. For more on the Animal Authority Rescue Team, visit.animalauthorityrescueteam. org. For more on the Animal Action League, visit animalactionleague.net.

Cynna Luchia and Greg Gendron are the organizers of A Cause for Paws.

The Venue REPORT

May 2023

By matt king

Aaron Lewis

It’s May in the Coachella Valley, and things are heating up! Make sure to stay safe and hydrated if you’re heading to any of these great events.

Acrisure Arena continues to deliver a wide variety of entertainment. At 8 p.m., Tuesday, May 2, check out Latin Grammy Award-winning Puerto Rican singer/ songwriter Rauw Alejandro, with special guests Jabbawockeez. Tickets start at $59.95. Mexican rock legends Caifanes bring their big sound to the big arena at 8 p.m., Saturday, May 20. Tickets start at $49. Can’t get enough of the Acrisure ice? Check out Stars on Ice, featuring some of the greatest ice skaters of today, at 7:30 p.m., Friday, May 26. Tickets start at $36. At 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, May 31, enjoy a chance to see one of country music’s crown jewels, Shania Twain. Tickets start at $100.95. Acrisure Arena, 75702 Varner Road, Palm Desert; 888-695-8778; www. acrisurearena.com.

Fantasy Springs has a few May offerings of note. Catch ’90s Mexican-American group Intocable at 8 p.m., Thursday, May 4. Tickets start at $49. At 8 p.m., Friday, May 12, recently rebranded Lady A (formerly Lady Antebellum) brings country jams to town. Tickets start at $79. Rap icon Ice Cube will perform an evening of hits at 8 p.m., Friday, May 19. Tickets start at $59. Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, 84245 Indio Springs Parkway, Indio; 760-342-5000; www.fantasyspringsresort.com.

Spotlight 29 is hosting two great May nights of music. At 8 p.m., Thursday, May 18, Aaron Lewis (formerly of the band Staind) is performing a night of solo country material. Tickets start at $55. Catch some live magic before it disappears at 8 p.m., Saturday, May 20, when the Masters of Illusion head to the city of Coachella. Tickets start at $20, and you must be 21+ to attend. Spotlight 29 Casino, 46200 Harrison Place, Coachella; 760-775-5566; www.spotlight29.com.

Morongo is featuring music, comedy—

and a hypnotist! At 9 p.m., Friday, May 5, experience Mexican vocalist Luis Angel “El Flaco” live! Available tickets start at $130. Grammy Award-winning soul singer Peabo Bryson will perform at 9 p.m., Saturday, May 6. Tickets start at $39. At 9 p.m., Friday, May 12, enjoy an intimate performance from ’80s rockers Skid Row. Tickets start at $18. Comedian/actor Rob Schneider will help you laugh the night away at 9 p.m., Friday, May 26. Tickets start at $39. Trying to reach the other side? Spend an evening with Cindy Kaza, a medium/psychic/hypnotist, making a special trip to Morongo at 8 p.m., Saturday, May 27. Tickets start at $39. Morongo Casino Resort Spa, 49500 Seminole Drive, Cabazon; 800-252-4499; www.morongocasinoresort.com.

Agua Caliente in Rancho Mirage features a diverse variety of May shows. Described as “the best Beatles tribute ever,” The Fab Four will perform a special night of Beatles tunes at 8 p.m., Saturday, May 13. Tickets range from $25 to $60. Returning to The Show stage once again at 8 p.m., Friday, May 19, is Australia’s Thunder From Down Under, the No. 1 male revue in the world! Tickets are $15 to $55. At 8 p.m., Saturday, May 20, enjoy a visit from the infectious Regional Mexican band La Adictiva Tickets are $45 to $80. Now is your chance to see one of Rolling Stone’s 50 Best Comics of All Time, as Russell Peters heads to Agua at 8 p.m., Saturday, May 27. Tickets are $65 to $135. Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa Rancho Mirage, 32250 Bob Hope Drive, Rancho Mirage; 888-999-1995; www.hotwatercasino.com.

Residency shows roll on into summer at Agua Caliente Palm Springs. Desert Blues Revival Wednesdays feature the Independent’s Best of Coachella Valley readers’ poll champs the Gand Band (May 3), the eclectic Mystic Chiefs (May 10), the multi-instrumentalist-led Jessica Kaczmarek Band (May 17), the high energy rockin’ blues of the Laurie Morvan Band (May 24) and the country blues of Emily Rose and the Rounders (May 31). Shows are at 7 p.m., and tickets start at $10, available at eventspalmsprings.com/blues. Jazzville

Thursdays offer the classic jazz and Latin/bossa nova sounds of the Tony Guerrero Quintet with Lia Booth (May 4), the singing and trombone styles of the Aubrey Logan Quartet (May 11), the singer/composer/producer/actorled Patrick Barnitt and Quartet (May 18) and the return of the Hollywood Film Noirchestra, with a tribute to Henry Mancini (May 25). Shows take place at 7 p.m., and tickets start at $15, available at jazzvillepalmsprings.com.

continued on page 29

SAVE 15% Water your yard during non-daylight hours

We’re in a drought. We all need to reduce our water use by 15 percent. That’s about 12 gallons per person per day.

It’s easier than you think. Water your yard during non-daylight hours. More water will reach the roots, less water will evaporate, and you’ll save water.

For more ways to save, visit CVWaterCounts.com

EVERY

LIVE ENERGY

By matt king

If wildly energetic psychedelic rock is your thing, you really should be listening to Frankie and the Witch Fingers.

Riffs attack with phasers and wah; vocals scream out about mythical creatures; and the backing instrumentation offers a dance-filled, mosh-worthy vibe. Check out songs like “Brain Telephone” and “Electricide.”

Frankie and the Witch Fingers consists of Dylan Sizemore (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Josh Menashe (lead guitar, backing vocals, synthesizer, sax, flute, engineering), Nicole “Nikki Pickle” Smith (bass) and Nick Aguilar (drums). The band members tour a bunch and bring a raucous night of music with them wherever they go. They’ll be performing at Pappy and Harriet’s at 10 p.m., Saturday, May 13. During a recent Zoom interview with the band, we discussed how the group is no stranger to the desert.

“We all love Pappy’s,” Sizemore said. “It’s a special place and always a good scene there.”

Said Aguilar: “I’ve never played there, but I saw the Meat Puppets play there in 2019. I would go there more often. It’s a wonderful room inside and out.”

Added Menashe: “I’m just excited to share a stage that Paul McCartney played on.”

Frankie and the Witch Fingers performed at Pappy and Harriet’s in 2016 as part of the Desert Stars Festival, a memorable event that allowed the band to watch headliner Dinosaur Jr.

“We played outside pretty early in the day,” Menashe said. “It was dusty. We saw Dinosaur Jr., and we were peeking right behind (J Mascis’) amps backstage. I could hear his guitar clearer from the back of the amps than the front, if that makes any sense.”

The band most recently played in the desert in 2019, performing at the SoCal Psycheout festival, hosted at Garth’s Boulder Gardens Sanctuary in Pioneertown. This time, Frankie and the Witch Fingers were the headliner.

“That was so sick, and it was really fun,” Sizemore said. “That’s probably the most remote location we’ve ever played a show at. … We were totally in the middle of the desert getting out there. It was a generator show. There were so many awesome visual artists that night, which made it even more surreal to be out in the middle of the desert with projections on these giant rocks. It was pretty, pretty spectacular.”

The band grew from festival opener to headliner in the span of three years, and now the members are working their way even further up the figurative ladder. Even though

their visceral sound works well in a close-knit, underground show, those kinds of sets are in the past.

“We started playing basement shows in Indiana with no stage, no monitors and one outlet where we plugged everything in,” said Menashe. “We tried not to catch the house on fire. It’s nice to make a show out of nothing sometimes.”

As audiences grow, the group’s intense sound has helped establish a connection between the members and their big crowds.

“Part of the energy comes from the sound, so when you play a big room like that, you get the advantage of the biggest sound—but then the challenge is the connection physically from body to body,” Sizemore said. “You’re pushing yourself harder onstage in order to make that connection. You get to hear things better, and you get to be tighter, which kind of allows you to be more in the flow—but it’s also fun to play a small room where you’re just on top of someone, and it doesn’t matter how well you play, because someone’s going to feel it anyway, because they’re on top of your guitar.”

Some standout festival sets came up during our conversation, including a recent performance at Desert Daze.

“I kind of like playing in a smaller room where the relationship between the crowd and the band is a lot more intimate,” Aguilar said. “Luckily, I’m in the back, so I’m not really going to get anyone necessarily falling on my shit, but for these guys, sometimes it’s annoying when someone might step on their pedal or something mid-song or fuck with them. I’ve seen that, but I don’t know; those are kind of the best shows. I feel like those are the ones that people go home and remember and talk about the most—but then again, some of the festivals that we’ve played, people say it’s the best show they’ve ever seen. When we played at Desert Daze last year, that was a very big stage, and it was during the day, and we were all very far from the audience, but something about it was very eclectic. We definitely felt the connection with the crowd and the energy there that day.”

Aguilar talked about the challenge of winning over an audience. Even if you think

you’ve lost the crowd, they still might be having a great time, he said.

“Most of the time, it’s in our heads,” Aguilar said. “There have been shows where we’re giving it our all, and the crowd is just straight-faced the whole time—but then they come up to us after and buy a bunch of merch and are super-stoked on the show. I guess people just have different ways of expressing how they feel about a band. … If somebody else just wants to chill and watch one of their favorite bands and buy a shirt and go home and go to sleep, that’s cool, but it does make it harder for me to do my job.”

What was a pretty consistent release schedule was halted when COVID-19 shutdowns were in full effect. Frankie and the Witch Fingers’ last LP was released in October 2020. In 2023, band members have their sights set on a new release schedule.

“We’ve recorded a record, and it’s turned into the press plant,” Sizemore said. “We’ve got all the art and stuff, but we’ve just been trying to time it to when we’re touring and everything. That’s coming out this year, at the end of the summer. Right now, we’re in our rehearsal space writing another record. We had some downtime as far as writing and

recording, but now we’re caught up, so we’ll have at least a record out every year.”

The pandemic did provide the opportunity for the band to document their live energy, as Frankie and the Witch Fingers released not one, but two live albums.

“It’s not too much different than our studio albums, but you can definitely feel the energy more just having it all live, and hearing how we played together in a room,” Sizemore said. “I like to think that translates, and I hope other people do, too.”

Added Aguilar: “I think if a band has a good live show, they should always put out at least one good live record, A lot of my favorite records from a lot of my favorite bands are live records, like The Who, Live at Leeds; Thin Lizzy, Live and Dangerous; and Rush, Exit … Stage Left Everything’s a little bit faster; you hear the audience, and it feels like you’re there.”

Frankie and the Witch Fingers will perform at 10 p.m., Saturday, May 13, at Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace, 53688 Pioneertown Road, in Pioneertown. Tickets are $20. For more information, call 760-228-2222, or visit pappyandharriets.com.

The band Frankie and the Witch Fingers brings intense music and performance to Pappy and Harriet’s

Frankie and the Witch Fingers.

The Venue REPORT

continued from page 27

Laugh your Friday night away with Caliente Comedy acts Peter Loaiza (May 5), Jeff Leach (May 12), Ali Macofsky (May 19) and Jerry Garcia (May 26). Shows are at 8 p.m., and tickets start at $7.99, available at www. eventspalmsprings.com/caliente-comedy. Agua Caliente Casino Palm Springs, 401 E. Amado Road, Palm Springs; 888-999-1995; www. sparesortcasino.com.

The McCallum Theatre is hosting two more events before closing for the summer. College of the Desert is presenting one of the world’s most popular musicals, Man of La Mancha, for four different performances. Catch talented student actors at 8 p.m., Friday, May 5; 2 and 8 p.m., Saturday, May 6, and 2 p.m., Sunday, May 7. Tickets start at $28. At 6:30 p.m., Friday, May 19, celebrate Mexican dance with the Pacifico Dance Company Tickets are $10. McCallum Theatre, 73000 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert; 760-340-2787; www. mccallumtheatre.com.

Pappy and Harriet’s offers another month of heavy hitters. Here are a few shows that aren’t sold out yet as of this writing. L.A. punk band The Bronx’s frequent mariachi side project, Mariachi El Bronx, is set to perform at 9 p.m., Sunday, May 7. Advance tickets are $25. At 10 p.m., Thursday, May 18, experience an intimate set from ’90s rockers Sponge. Tickets start at $20. Actor Billy Bob Thornton and his band The Boxmasters will bring country rock to the desert at 9:30 p.m., Friday, May 19. Tickets are $45. At 9 p.m., Sunday, May 28, Pioneertown emo fans can sing their heart out to the songs of the ’90s/’00s they know and love with the help of recent Coachella performers Emo Nite. Remaining tickets start at $31. Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace, 53688 Pioneertown Road, Pioneertown; 760-2282222; www.pappyandharriets.com.

The Purple Room is prominently featuring

both music and drag events before its summer closure. At 8 p.m., Friday, May 5, Randy Roberts (of America’s Got Talent) brings a classic drag show with a modern twist. Tickets start at $40. Pay tribute to Tina Turner with the help of Debby Holiday at 8 p.m., Saturday, May 6. Tickets are $35. At 8 p.m., Friday, May 12, and Saturday, May 13, John Lloyd Young is set to perform classic Broadway hits. Tickets start at $55. Enjoy a jazz-centric evening with stellar vocalist Jane Monheit at 8 p.m., Friday, May 19. Tickets start at $55. Tony Award-nominated sisters Ann Hampton Callaway and Liz Callaway will entertain with “Broadway the Calla-way!”, a night of musical classics, at 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday, May 26 and 27; and 7 p.m., Sunday, May 28. Tickets start at $60. Michael Holmes’ Purple Room, 1900 E. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs; 760-322-4422; www. purpleroompalmsprings.com.

Oscar’s in Palm Springs is hosting some unique shows beyond the usual residencies. At 7 p.m., Tuesday, May 16, hear an intimate performance by former members of the Four Seasons, The Modern Gentlemen. Tickets start at $45. Talented jazz vocalist Jack Donahue will perform a Palm Springs set at 7 p.m., Wednesday, May 17. Tickets start at $35. Nine drag stars will join forces for an all-star show titled Legends of Drag, happening at 7 p.m., Thursday, May 18. Tickets start at $25. Oscar’s will host one of California’s longest-running drag shows, Dreamgirls Revue, at 7 p.m., Thursday, May 25. Tickets are $15. At 6 and 9 p.m., Friday, May 26, catch a drag-tinged musical version of ’80s TV show with Who’s Da Boss? Live! Tickets start at $34.95. Most Oscar’s shows include a dinner reservation with a food/ drink minimum. Oscar’s Palm Springs, 125 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way, Palm Springs; 760-3251188; oscarspalmsprings.com/events.

The Modern Gentlemen

MUSIC

LUCKY 13 the

Get to better know Pappy’s performer Shana Cleveland, and local Jose Zavala, aka Nocontinues

by matt king

Nocontinues, has made me a fan. He’s released three albums of instrumental material that stretches from sample-heavy head-bopping hip-hop beats, to beautifully bright and creative original synth-led compositions. The vibes range from chill summer day on “Hewwo,” to funky groove on “Karen Took the Kids,” to demented video game soundtrack on “Powreaide.” His latest album, Newport Seasoning, released in March, is a re-release/ re-master of some older beats.

What was the first concert you attended?

loved to have seen Conquering Dystopia. I’ve never been to a metal concert, but I just know I’d love it, and I can see every one of their songs only getting better with a crowd.

What’s your favorite musical guilty pleasure?

Whatever radio bait was on the air when I was in middle school. Guilty, because it’s all so cheesy, and pleasure, just out of nostalgia. Don’t even get me started on the Minecraft parodies of all of them.

NAME Shana Cleveland

GROUP La Luz

MORE INFO We’ve covered reverb-soaked surf rockers La Luz in the Independent before; we spoke to frontwoman Shana Cleveland about the power of music. She’s returning to the desert, this time performing solo at Pappy and Harriet’s, opening for Shannon and the Clams, at 4 p.m., Saturday, May 13. Her new album, Manzanita, is a superb indie-folk mix of great storytelling and infectious guitar lines. I hope to hear her perform “Sheriff of the Salton Sea.”

What was the first concert you attended? My parents are musicians, and I grew up going to their shows, but the first big one was Smashing Pumpkins at an arena somewhere in Michigan.

What was the first album you owned?

Possibly Paula Abdul’s Forever Your Girl

What bands are you listening to right now?

Mort Garson, Alice Coltrane, early ’70s Stevie Wonder, the Incredible String Band, Kendrick Lamar, and Glenn Gould.

What artist, genre or musical trend does everyone love, but you don’t get? Big-budget radio pop.

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

Billie Holiday.

What’s your favorite musical guilty pleasure?

The jazzy hold music when I call the bank.

What’s your favorite music venue? Anytime I can play outside, I’m happy— especially on a farm.

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

“Sha la la, dooby wah, dum dum dum, yeah yeah,” “Blue Angel,” Roy Orbison.

What band or artist changed your life? So many, but one who comes to mind first is Cat Power. I was really blown away by a show I saw her play in Chicago when I was in college. The way she was able to captivate a big room with very quiet music was magic.

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

I’d ask my mom if she wanted to come over for dinner.

What song would you like played at your funeral?

“Feeling Good” by Nina Simone.

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

Glenn Gould’s 1956 recording of Bach’s Goldberg Variations

What song should everyone listen to right now?

“Perfect Day” by Lou Reed.

NAME Jose Zavala, aka Nocontinues

MORE INFO Jose Zavala is a close friend— but his music, released under the name

It was definitely a free concert at the Indio Fair, but my memories of seeing War and seeing KC and the Sunshine Band blur together, so it’s difficult to remember which one came first. The first concert I paid for and went out of my way for was SALES at the Glass House. That I remember fondly and clearly.

What was the first album you owned?

Gravitas by Talib Kweli. I don’t remember how or where I got it, but I remember putting it in the CD player my mom had in the corner of the kitchen all the time … then I realized I could just burn it onto my computer and listen to it from there, to my mom’s relief.

What bands are you listening to right now?

First I was on a Justin Timberlake kick; then I was on a Doechii kick; now I’m on a Chaz Bear (Toro y Moi) kick. I think I’ve listened to “Grind” at least once a day since I remembered that song existed.

What artist, genre or musical trend does everyone love, but you don’t get? Midwest emo, and/or whatever genre PUP and Mom Jeans are. There’s a certain voice/ instrument dynamic that just doesn’t click for me. I mean, I want to like it. A lot of my friends like it, and I’d love to enjoy it with them, but I just can’t vibe with it.

What musical act, current or defunct, would you most like to see perform live? I’ll give you three, because it’s easier for me. (Hee hee, I rhymed.) Baby Keem is one. He’s such a fun artist, and it seems like that fun translates very well into a live performance. Another artist I’d kill to see live is Death Grips, because … well, it’s Death Grips. Finally, I don’t believe they’re active anymore, but I would’ve

What’s your favorite music venue?

The Cahuilla Desert Academy’s center amphitheater. I really like that it’s small, very personal, yet very open. I haven’t seen it in, like, 10 years, so I don’t know how my mind pulled that so easily.

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

“But it’s the loudest sound you’ve ever heard,” from Radiohead’s “Decks Dark.” I don’t think a single lyric has conveyed the idea of ‘there are things you can’t ignore’ in a way that stuck with me as much as that one.

What band or artist changed your life?

I’ll let out my inner edgy virgin and say Radiohead. They are one of the first artists I emotionally resonated with. Like, damn, this song feels exactly how I feel right now. It sounds exactly how I’d imagine this feeling would sound.

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

Mndsgn: “What am I missing?”

What song would you like played at your funeral?

“Lamb’s Wool” by Foster the People.

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

Boo Boo by Toro y Moi. I can’t even explain why. It just … sounds good?

What song should everyone listen to right now?

“Man on a Mission” by WonderBoi. He’s a cool dude, and I’m working on some stuff for him right now. I don’t even know for sure if it’ll drop, but if it does, listen to that, too.

KRISTIN COFER

OPINION COMICS & JONESIN’ CROSSWORD

“Running Free—more words, words, words.

By

Matt Jones

Across

1. Gemini star

7. Tour guide

14. “Is Anybody Goin’ to San ___?” (1970 No. 1 country hit)

15. Like 18K or 22K, relatively

17. It’s sung in French and set in Spain

18. Fenced

19. Language spoken in The Passion of the Christ

21. Suffix with Senegal or Sudan

22. Hardware acronym

23. C8H17 radical

24. Uracil carrier

26. “___ good you let him know” (Hamlet quote)

28. Lindsey of Pretty Little Liars

29. Alaska natives

31. Hill affirmations

32. It branches into

Ulster and Dublin accents

35. Lasso handler?

37. They come to a point near your field of vision

38. Etonic rival

39. Corrupt

40. Undisputed

44. Subject of some terraforming proposals

46. Actor Sheridan who plays Cyclops

47. Word after rap or flow

48. Tarzan actor Ron

49. Role, figuratively

51. Silence, in a way

53. Costal enclosures

56. Rabbit creator

57. Mars option

58. Decreasing figure?

59. Hohe ___ (Cologne shopping locale)

60. Devices that displayed numbers Down

1. Tropical beans

2. Revolting type, old-

style

3. Levels

4. Director with a memeworthy Mark

5. “You Can’t Stop the Reign” rapper

6. Santoni who played Poppie on Seinfeld

7. Abbr. on bottles of beer

8. Times associated with availability

9. Those, in Toledo

10. Black listing

11. Gym instructor’s deg.

12. Musical character who sings “I swear on all my spores”

13. One of Chaucer’s Canterbury pilgrims

16. Involve 20. Some strengthtraining enthusiasts

25. “Whenever”

27. Throws a sleeper then touches the ground, essentially

29. Went for the silver, perhaps

30. Ganon, to Link

33. Family surname in current TV

34. “... the giftie ___ us”: Burns 35. Field items that follow an arc 36. Barely 37. Underground experts 41. Add new padding to

Mr. Belvedere co-star Bob 43. They’re real knockouts 45. Zulu warrior king

Toyota model rebooted in 2019

50. Forever and a day 52. Laugh line

“Proud Mary” band, briefly 55. Dir. from Iceland to Ireland

© 2023 Matt Jones

Find the answers in the “About” section at CVIndependent. com!