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OCTOBER 2021
A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR Mailing address: 31855 Date Palm Drive, No. 3-263 Cathedral City, CA 92234 (760) 904-4208 www.cvindependent.com
Editor/Publisher Jimmy Boegle staff writer Kevin Fitzgerald coveR and feature design Dennis Wodzisz Contributors Charles Drabkin, Max Cannon, Kevin Carlow, Katie Finn, Bill Frost, Bonnie Gilgallon, Bob Grimm, Valerie-Jean (VJ) Hume, Clay Jones, Matt Jones, Jocelyn Kane, Kay Kudukis, Matt King, Keith Knight, Cat Makino, Brett Newton, Greg Niemann, Dan Perkins, Guillermo Prieto, Theresa Sama, Andrew Smith, Jen Sorenson, Robert Victor, Madeline Zuckerman The Coachella Valley Independent print edition is published every month. All content is ©2021 and may not be published or reprinted in any form without the written permission of the publisher.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, the Desert AIDS Project, the Local Independent Online News Publishers, the Desert Business Association, the LGBT Community Center of the Desert, and the Desert Ad Fed.
Ready or not … here come the events! The production cycle for this edition was one of the busier cycles in recent memory—and one of the reasons is that things in this valley are happening. This is the time of year when we valley residents start going out more, as the weather gets, well, nice (or at least non-broiling). It’s a perfect time of year to be outside; that’s why we decided to feature Theresa Sama’s wonderful hiking column (Page 6), on Joshua Tree National Park, on this month’s cover. As for events: October is packed to the figurative gills with plays, concerts, walks, art tours and all sorts of goings-on. This means more stories to write and edit (even though, alas, we only have coverage of a fraction of the Coachella Valley’s numerous worthy cultural events). I decided to compare what’s in this October 2021 print edition to what was in the October 2020 issue, in terms of events coverage. This year, in the arts section, we have pieces on the Highway 62 Open Studio Art Tours (Page 17), the Halloween Hullabaloo at the Palm Springs Cultural Center (Page 18), the Coachella Valley Improv and Comedy Festival (Page 19) and Desert Ensemble Theatre’s season-opening fundraising concert (Page 21). In the music section, we preview the Middle Kids (Page 33) and Black Midi (Page 35) shows at Pappy and Harriet’s, and have Matt King’s Venue Report (Page 33), with news on dozens of shows taking place around these parts. As for events-based pieces in the October 2020 print edition: In the arts section, we had a preview piece on the virtual Palm Springs International Comedy Festival. In the music section, we had a piece on a concert at Pappy and Harriet’s … that was filmed, sans audience, and made available online. And that was it. Yeah, the pandemic is far from over. As we approached our print deadline, it appeared that after several weeks of COVID-19 case declines here in the Coachella Valley, the numbers were, at best, leveling off—and, at worst, starting to head in the wrong direction. Whether the slight uptick was the start a Labor Day Weekend-driven spike, just a blip in a downward trend, or something else, was unclear. In any case, progress in the pandemic still needs to be made here in the Coachella Valley. But we’re in a far better, morenormalish place today than we were one year ago—and that fact makes me very, very happy. Thank you, vaccine science! Welcome to the October 2021 print edition of the Coachella Valley Independent. As always, thanks for reading—and, please, contact me at the email address below if you have any questions or comments you’d like to share. —Jimmy Boegle, jboegle@cvindependent.com Cover illustration by dennis wodzsiz, based on photo by theresa sama
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COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 3
OCTOBER 2021
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OCTOBER 2021
OPINION OPINION
THE XX FACTOR M
CVINDEPENDENT.COM/OPINION
Meet Palm Springs resident Jean-Marie Navetta, PFLAG’s national director of learning and inclusion
BY KAY KUDUKIS
ost superheroes have a specific skill set—a superpower that they use, mostly, to save mankind (often while cracking jokes). They almost always have a cool origin story … but an origin story that involves Jersey City, N.J.? “It is the most diverse city in America,” Jean-Marie Navetta says of her hometown, She doesn’t sound a thing like Snooki, probably because her parents were both teachers. Prior to their careers in education, her dad was what Navetta laughingly calls “a dirty hippie version of Danny DeVito,” and her mom “looked like The Flying Nun.” That bit about Mom is not a joke. She was a Catholic nun serving in Puerto Rico (home of The Flying Nun) when she took leave to care for an ailing family member. She had every intention of returning—until she walked into scholarship and went to Montclair State Ferrari’s Cafe in Manhattan, where that “dirty hippie” worked. And that, as they say, was that. University in New Jersey, which was a fantastic experience for me.” They married, had kids and became She earned a degree in philosophy. I cheekily teachers. The combination of robust parenting wondered if she had a post-college job plan. and Jersey City’s hyper-diverse demographics “My father predicted homelessness” she shaped Navetta’s world. A move to Oregon for deadpans. “But when I graduated, I wanted her last two years of high school awakened her nothing more than to go to D.C. and to get into multiculturalism. political work and advocacy.” “I could count on one hand the number of Although an active advocate for the LGBTQ+ kids who were not white in my school,” she community, Navetta didn’t come out until she said. “I became aware of race. I became was 25, when she was living in Washington, very aware of class; I became aware of all D.C., and about to take a job with the national these different things. It was a big-eye opener office of PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends for me.” of Lesbians and Gays). Her parents were Navetta surprised herself even more when shocked. it came time to choose school activities. In “They thought all of my LGBTQ+ stuff was Jersey, her extracurriculars were sports. “On political, because that’s who I am, and that’s my first day of high school in Oregon, the how they raised me, not realizing it was also speech team suggested I come to a debate about me,” she said. “I told them via letter. I meeting. I went, and I never looked back.” got an email back the next morning which said, In the debate world, Navetta did speeches— ‘Unconditional is unconditional. We love you.’ “rhetorical criticism, oratory, informative, That’s all it said, and that’s all I needed.” impromptu, extemporaneous. And then I also Soon after, Navetta fell in love with chef did debate, and you compete against people Jude Medeiros. By 2008, they were planning from all over the world. It’s like the biggest a ceremony in Aruba when same-sex marriage nerd-fest you’ve ever seen.” became legal in California. They did both. This led to a scholarship at a Catholic Navetta is a well-informed and energetic university—but when she tried to start speaker. In fact, everything about her is an LGBTQ+ group on campus, they were engaging. National PFLAG saw that, too, not having it. “After a year, I gave up my
CVIndependent.com
Jean-Marie Navetta, PFLAG’s director of learning and inclusion.
and Navetta was given the title of director of learning and inclusion. The organization tapped her as the lead architect of the Straight for Equality project which “invites, educates and engages new allies to help achieve full inclusion for LGBTQ+ people.” “We usually work with corporations. All our work is based on the concept of allies being true changemakers when it comes to environment. We can change laws, but it doesn’t always mean people’s attitudes change, or their behavior,” Navetta says. “We’ve worked with, I think, 150 companies, from Fortune 500 companies all the way down.” Navetta later led the development and launch of the PFLAG Academy Online, a monthly web-based learning program for PFLAG chapters to build skills and understanding. Because of her mom’s work in Puerto Rico, when Hurricane Maria hit in 2017, Navetta and a friend organized volunteers to rebuild homes of LGBTQ+ people. That led to an appointment to the board of Waves Ahead, a Puerto Rico-based LGBTQ+ organization, of which she is quite proud. About three years ago, some Palm Springs friends invited the couple for a visit. “I didn’t really want to come,” Navetta says, laughing. “I’m all about the coasts. We were here for about three hours before we looked at each other and said, ‘This is where we need to live.’”
Of course, 2020 was a year of deep depression, change and adjustment for everyone. Navetta turned to the internet and started National PFLAG’s first weekly interactive web series, Something to Talk About, which she hosts every Thursday, discussing LGBTQ+ issues and culture. In her “spare time” (in quotes, because, come on), she has written four books. Four. As always, I ask if there’s anything else she’d like me to know, and Medeiros jumps in: “What she’s not telling you about herself is that she’s brilliant. And she uses humor to deliver tough messages. And she gets away with it.” “And I’m cute,” Navetta adds. “And she’s cute,” Medeiros echoes. On a whim, I ask Medeiros if she’s still working. She is, but she’s stepped away from corporate life to spearhead food efficiency in the kitchen. “I wanted to be more of a do-gooder, like my wife. So, I run my company’s food-waste program. We are trying to reduce our food waste 50% by 2025.” So, to recap: Medeiros is literally saving the planet for the people Navetta is transforming into accepting, inclusive humans. They’re two badass super-girls saving the world with the cunning use of words. For more information, visit PFLAG.org and Straightforequality.org.
OCTOBER 2021
COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 5
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OCTOBER 2021
OPINION OPINION
HIKING WITH T I
CVINDEPENDENT.COM/OPINION
Joshua Tree National Park is one of the most majestic and spiritual places in the world for outdoor adventure
BY THERESA SAMA
f you’ve ever visited Joshua Tree National Park, you understand its majesty and beauty. You can experience it simply by driving through the park. Right away, you’ll start to appreciate the large piles of rock formations—boulders that appear to be meticulously placed in perfect structures, for miles and miles. As the drive continues, you’ll see hundreds of thousands of majestic Joshua trees, in various shapes and sizes. The way the light shines through can be totally mesmerizing, depending on the time of day. In fact, some people experience a spiritual enlightenment—and some even mention finding vortices. My friends and I have spent countless hours and days in Joshua Tree National Park, hiking, rock scrambling, camping and riding motorcycles. For years, a group of us would go Thanksgiving formations are indeed solid), as well as an old holiday camping—mostly at Jumbo Rocks mining camp that still has relics from the past. Campground, one of our absolute favorites. “I found it with instructions I had obtained It was at Jumbo Rocks where we had some of by overhearing a conversation at a local our most memorable adventures, scrambling restaurant,” Leslie said. “That’s how it’s done and hiking in the midst of the endless giant sometimes. But it’s there. We found it.” boulders. One of my favorite short and The Follettes also mentioned the magic they easy trails in the area is Skull Rock Trail—a felt while celebrating the blue moon, as they not-quite-2-mile loop that starts near the camped out in the open under its magnificent entrance of Jumbo Rocks Campground and glow. As it rose in the sky, dozens of campers goes to Skull Rock and back. This is a great emerged and climbed boulders to howl at the trail, surrounded by beautiful foliage and moon. Leslie said that she will never forget the wildflowers, as well as boulders you can climb laughter and friendship they felt that night. if you so choose—a nice variety for a hike that My friends and I have gone moon-chasing is best from October until April. through JTNP many times. Whether it’s the I wanted to get a different perspective on night of a full moon or a prime stargazing JTNP, so I asked Leslie Olguin Follette and night in between full moons, Joshua Tree Diana Follette. I don’t know any people who National Park after dark is truly magical. have spent more time in Joshua Tree National Then there’s the motorcycle riding. “I’ve Park than these two longtime friends of traveled the roads and the back roads, climbing mine. I asked them what makes Joshua Tree on my dirt bike where miners used to have National Park so majestic. mules, and you can find things out there, like “How do you describe paradise?” Leslie maybe a car,” Leslie said. “I’ve rode my 1100 replied. “Let me try: From the moment you Honda through Box Canyon and beyond. You enter Joshua Tree National Park, you feel will not ever find its match in beauty.” I agree: something. This place is special! To truly My biker buddies and I enjoy rides through the understand, you must go again and again.” park every chance we get. It’s never enough. Leslie pointed out that every adventure will Of course, this is a hiking column—and be unlike the last—in part, because there are hiking in Joshua Tree National Park always very few signs and arrows to follow, so one offers new adventures. “You can find any level must rely on instincts. This is very true—and of difficulty there, from stepping out of your one of the main reasons one should always car and climbing (nearby) to having days of bring extra water when hiking in Joshua Tree gear and water, ‘just in case,’” Leslie said. “For National Park (or anywhere in the desert, many times, a ‘small hike’ becomes so much for that matter). You should also always tell more.” someone where you’re going, never go alone, This reminds me of my experiences in and never go during the highest heat of the attempting to find the giant Heart Rock in day in July and August. JTNP. It took a few tries, but I found it, and I asked Leslie and Diana to tell me about when I did, I took the Follettes so they could some of their best discoveries. “We found a experience the special beauty it holds. labyrinth, my wife and I,” said Leslie. “We took Leslie, however, saved the best for last: Keys all of our friends, walking in silence, around View! The view is spectacular; you may feel like and around. We all placed our special rocks you are at the Grand Canyon. “Keys View holds there. There are no signs, but it’s there.” I can a very special place in our hearts, because on a verify this—because I was there! day in 2013, we gathered there with our family Leslie said they also found a cave in which and friends and … married there. So feel our some areas can only be accessed by crawling energy—we left some there.” under rocks (where one must hope the rock CVIndependent.com
Joshua Tree at night. Courtesy of diana Follette
October and November are among the best months to hike and camp in Joshua Tree National Park. The weather is usually perfect, with highs from the low 70s to low 80s, and lows from mid-40s to mid-50s. In December and January, overnight temperatures can drop below freezing. (My friends and I camped at Jumbo Rocks over New Year’s once, and we all nearly froze out.) JTNP is only 30 to 40 miles from the Coachella Valley, depending on the entrance
you choose, and it’s one of more than 100 park sites that offers free admission to everyone six days per year. The next “entrance-fee free” day is Nov. 11, Veterans Day. Find a complete listing of all participating parks at www.nps. gov/planyourvisit/fee-free-parks-name.htm Plan your trip to JTNP accordingly. Get directions; learn of alerts and conditions in advance, such as fire restrictions; check the COVID-19 mask requirements; and learn more at www.nps.gov/jotr/planyourvisit.
COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 7
OCTOBER 2021
NEWS
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FULL PLATE, CLEAR MANDATE B
A chat with Bryan Montgomery, Indio’s new city manager
by kevin fitzgerald
ryan Montgomery took over as Indio’s city manager on May 13, arriving from Oakley, Calif., where he had been the city manager for 17 years. Before that, Montgomery was the city manager in Mesquite, Nev., and held city roles in Rupert, Idaho; Alamogordo, N.M.; and Provo, Utah. Despite these credentials, his hiring was not without controversy. Councilmember Oscar Ortiz abstained from the vote to approve Montgomery’s contract, claiming the hiring process was flawed and possibly unlawful; Councilmember Waymond Fermon voted against Montgomery’s hiring. Nearly four months into his tenure, however, Montgomery seems to have made a smooth going to improve it.” transition into his responsibilities on behalf Montgomery cited housing as a key to of Coachella Valley’s largest city. At the City revitalizing the Highway 111 corridor through Council meeting on Aug. 30, the council Indio. members challenged Montgomery, in a light“It’s the main street of the entire valley, hearted fashion, to attain a goal that has been and there’s much more opportunity there,” front of mind in Indio for decades: Complete he said. “I’m a strong believer that when we a meaningful and dynamic revitalization of bring housing to these areas, it will lift up the the Indio downtown area, as well as the city’s commercial components, and it will give a new Highway 111 corridor. fresh face to the landscape. So we’re working “No matter how much every city manager on a specific plan, and housing is a big part of that we’ve encountered tries to get away from it. Some of it is going to be vertical. That will it, it’s always going to be No. 1 in the council’s give you some skyline. … We’ll provide some eyes,” Councilmember Lupe Ramos Amith said transitional housing opportunities. … When that evening. you’re priced out of a very expensive home, Mayor Elaine Holmes joked: “I’m sensing a and you may not even qualify for affordable bronze statue of the city manager if he can get housing, and you don’t necessarily want to live Highway 111 and the downtown done.” So … can Montgomery get Highway 111 and in a trailer, you could live in a nice apartment complex that isn’t high-priced and that you can downtown revitalization done? afford. That may not be your long-term goal, “I’m only in my third month (on this job) but it gives you the opportunity to get going now,” Montgomery said during a recent and make a place of your own. The Highway interview with the Independent. “… Yes, the 111 corridor is ideal for that.” residents want it, and the council wants that Montgomery said he and his team have focus.” been working hard on a “clear strategic plan”— Montgomery pointed out that significant something he said has been missing in recent progress on the goal has already been made. years. That work has included community “We have College of the Desert, which surveys to find out what Indio’s residents want has one large facility downtown, and they’re and need. building two more that have already been “We’re working on seven or eight areas of approved and funded,” Montgomery said. “One focus, and within each area of focus, there’s a of them will start (construction) early next goal. And under each one of those goals, there’s year, and the other later next year. They’ll all be a list of specific action items which, if we (together) in kind of an L-shape. The city has achieve, we accomplish the goal,” Montgomery provided the land, and we’re working on a joint said. “One will be public safety, for sure. … The parking facility that will support downtown community was pretty clear that ‘community (businesses) as well as the school operations. beautification’ was a priority. Not that that “There’s a 70-unit market-rate apartment surprised me, but it was such a large number complex that’s been approved and funded. who felt that we really needed to work on the The ground floor is planned to be kind of a entryways, and a general cleanup, and how pub/restaurant, and there will be three stories we maintain not only the city properties, but of housing. Since the city owns almost all of also to encourage businesses to maintain their downtown, we have an opportunity to sell properties. So a beautification program is high the land to the development that we think is on the priority list.” best. We have breweries and other restaurants Success, of course, hinges on whether looking at downtown, and we’re working on funding is available. a downtown events park. The idea there is “A key component to achieving a lot of what to have something that the whole valley can will be in the strategic plan is the extension of count on. … It’s a park area now, but we’re
Indio City Manager Bryan Montgomery, center, with (from left to right) Councilmember Waymond Fermon, Councilmember Oscar Ortiz, Mayor Elaine Holmes and Councilmember Glenn Miller. Photo courtesy of the city of Indio
the sales-tax measure that our voters approved a handful of years ago,” Montgomery said. “It’s a sales-tax increment (increase). Most of the cities in the valley have one, but our (increase) sunsets. The City Council unanimously agreed to put it on this November’s ballot. It will be a special election, because typically, the elections are held in even years. Measure E will extend the (existing) sales tax. It won’t raise it; it will only extend it. But I think we’ll need those resources in the long term if we’re going to achieve all these cool things. But the voters will get to decide.” Would the Measure E sales-tax increment remain in effect in perpetuity, if voters approve it in November? “The voters can step forward at any time to undo any tax,” Montgomery said. “When (the original measure) was initially approved, it had a 20-year sunset. The new version that will be on the ballot would remain until the voters ended it.” Another high profile issue concerns the discussion of regular passenger-railroad service between Los Angeles and the Coachella Valley, as well as points east. In Oakley, Montgomery took part in negotiations between that city and Amtrak; in the resulting deal, Oakley got a station on the San Joaquins trainline, which will connect the city directly to Oakland, Sacramento and Bakersfield when construction is completed on the station next year. “We need to find alternative transportation options, and (the railroad’s presence) is really what caused Indio to be founded in the beginning,” Montgomery said. “It was a train stop for goods and services as well as people. So, almost exactly where it all started here in Indio, we have a multi-modal transit center
already set up. We’ve got about 200 parking spaces already paved and landscaped. Right now, we only have a small mobile modular unit (as an office) for Greyhound, but they’re onsite right now. It’s right next to the railroad tracks and near our downtown. It was used in the late 2000s for the Coachella festival, and it was a trial run for bringing people from the L.A. or Orange County areas here to the festival. I’ve heard that it worked, so is this something that could possibly be done (permanently)? Typically, passenger rail has to be subsidized pretty significantly, but Amtrak and the federal government have been putting money into passenger rail all across the country. “So there’s a study ongoing led by the RCTC (Riverside County Transportation Commission) that’s in the environmentalreview phase right now. We’ve provided some comments, and we certainly support for the concept (of having) a platform stop in Indio. We’re the largest city (in the Coachella Valley), kind of a good central location right off Interstate 10, so it’s easy to get to for others.” Wrapping up, Montgomery reflected on his first few months in Indio. “I’ve worked with dozens and dozens of City Council members over the last 20-something years—and this group listens,” Montgomery said. “… When I arrived, they said, ‘Let’s reach out. Let’s find out what the citizens want us to accomplish, and what their concerns are.’ So that’s been happening over the last couple of months. I want people to understand that we want people to reach out. In fact, I put my cell number on my business card. We want you to help us address what’s at hand. It’s the old adage: ‘See something. Say something.’ We want to be a listening ear.” CVIndependent.com
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OCTOBER 2021
NEWS
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CV HISTORY
Dr. June Robertson McCarroll was the valley’s first woman doctor—but she’s best known for a transportation innovation
by greg niemann
D
r. June Robertson McCarroll was not only the first woman doctor in the Coachella Valley; she was also the first medical doctor to serve the five American Indian reservations throughout the valley. However, she’s not best known for all of her medical accomplishments. Instead, she’s recognized by many as the person who originated the idea of painting a line down the center of the road to help prevent automobile accidents. Born in Kentucky on June 30, 1867, she attended medical school in Chicago, where she later became one of the few women to establish a practice. She also became a physician for the her to go by horse-drawn buggy or horseback. Nebraska State Industrial School. Her industriousness went beyond providing She came to the Coachella Valley in 1904, hoping the desert air would cure her husband, medical care. To provide reading material for her patients, Dr. June, as she was known, James R. Robertson, of tuberculosis. They applied for her home to be a branch of the settled in a health camp near Indio, and his state library. Thus, in September 1905, health indeed began to improve. Robertson founded the first library in the Meanwhile, Indio’s resident doctor decided Coachella Valley. Open three afternoons he’d had his fill of the desert environment per week, the library consisted of 50 to 100 and headed back East. Robertson was volumes that changed every three months. prevailed upon to fill the void. She grasped The government also needed a doctor the challenge and initially tried to serve the to serve the desert’s Native American entire area, from Palm Springs to the Salton population, and in 1907, Robertson was Sea, by auto—but the primitive roads (as well appointed to the Bureau of Indian Affairs to as the lack of roads in general) often forced
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oversee the health of the American Indians in the Coachella Valley. As an unneeded token of her authority, she admitted to always carrying her “six-shooter in plain sight whenever on the reservation.” Dr. June often performed surgery on kitchen tables and with rudimentary lighting and conditions, laying out and sterilizing her instruments as necessity demanded. Her husband eventually succumbed to his illness, dying in 1914. In 1916, she married Frank McCarroll, the Southern Pacific agent in the valley. As other doctors settled in the area, she retired from the medical profession, but became active in various women’s groups. Her Department of Transportation legacy came about after her Ford Model T was forced into a ditch by an oncoming truck hogging more than its share of the road. After some thought, she determined a lot of accidents might be prevented if there was a line down the center of the road. McCarroll communicated her idea to the Riverside County Board of Supervisors and other jurisdictions, with no success. Finally, in the fall of 1917, she took it upon herself to personally hand-paint a white, 4-inch stripe for about a mile down the middle of Highway 99 (later renamed Highway 86). Through the Indio Women’s Club and other organizations, McCarroll launched a vigorous statewide letter-writing campaign on behalf of a proposal to extend the striping statewide. In November 1924, the idea was finally adopted by the California Highway Commission, and 3,500 miles of lines were painted throughout California. The California Department of Transportation credits the frontier doctor with originating the centerstripe idea. While McCarroll is officially recognized as the initiator of the stripe by the state of California, potential road hazards everywhere prompted others to come up with the same idea independent of one another. In Michigan, Edward N. Hines, a member of the Wayne County Road Commission, claimed he came up with the idea as early as 1911. In 1917, the idea of using painted center lines was also conceived in Oregon, when a yellow line was painted down the center of the Columbia River Highway, between Crown Point and Multnomah Falls, at the direction of Multnomah County Sheriff’s Deputy Peter Rexford. While both the Michigan and Oregon conceptions pre-dated McCarroll’s claim,
Dr. June Robertson McCarroll.
McCarroll differed in her repeated attempts to get various government jurisdictions to adopt the idea—something neither of the other claimants tried to do. In celebration of her initiative, innovation and persistence, on April 24, 2002, a portion of Interstate 10 was designated as “The Dr. June McCarroll Memorial Freeway” in her honor. In October 2003, the city of Indio and the local history fraternity dedicated a monument with a plaque honoring Dr. June Robertson McCarroll. The stone marker is at the corner of Indio Boulevard and Fargo Street, adjacent to the Indio Visitors Bureau. The illustrious Coachella Valley pioneer Dr. June Robertson McCarroll died in March 1954. She definitely paved the way for many others. Sources for this article include The PressEnterprise, “Woman credited for highway center lines: Dr. June McCarroll of Indio will be honored with signs on Interstate 10,” Shannon Starr, April 6, 2002; The Desert Sun, “Caltrans will honor local motorist who drew the line,” Richard Guzman, April 24, 2002; Los Angeles Times archives, October 12, 2003; Coachella Valley’s Golden Years, Coachella Valley Water District, 1968; the Woman’s Club of Indio (www.wcindio. org); Palm Springs Legends by Greg Niemann (Sunbelt Publications, 2006); and the Coachella Valley Historical Society (www.cvhm.org).
COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 9
OCTOBER 2021
TAKE THE INDEPENDENT CHALLENGE
#1 for What’s Happening In Greater Palm Springs
1. Peruse the Independent. Look at the quality of the writing, the layout, the topics, etc. 2. Do the same with any other local publication.
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OCTOBER 2021
NEWS
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PARTISAN POLICING C
by kevin fitzgerald
had Bianco defeated incumbent Stan Sniff in 2018 to become Riverside County’s sheriff. In the nearly three years since, Bianco has become a darling of the far right, thanks to his confrontational positions—including his downplaying of the threat posed by COVID-19 “I think why (Sheriff Bianco) was able to win against Stan Sniff—who I actually think was more moderate—is that a lot of people didn’t really know who Chad was,” said Joy Silver, a local progressive activist, entrepreneur and founding member of the Riverside Alliance for Safety and Accountability (RASA). “But I think they are disappointed that Chad wasn’t more progressive than Stan. So, that crowd of voters, shall we say, will be in opposition to keeping misusing millions in COVID-19 funding.” Chad as sheriff.” Bianco did not respond the Independent’s The Riverside Alliance for Safety and request for comment. However, the sheriff is Accountability was formed earlier this year commenting plenty via a new video-content as a California political action committee. tool he unveiled on Aug. 30 on the Riverside An Aug. 9 statement announcing the group’s County Sheriff’s Department website (www. arrival on the local political landscape stated: riversidesheriff.org). “RSO Roundup” allows “The Riverside Alliance for Safety and Bianco to address the public regarding Accountability is a coalition of community whatever issues he deems worthwhile. In the leaders and concerned residents across the roughly 20-minute introductory episode, the county, working together to hold our law enforcement accountable, and to help all of us sheriff espouses his viewpoints on a host of feel safer by electing forward-thinking leaders topics, including his intent to discuss political who believe in transparency, public safety and issues of the day, as well as his dissatisfaction with members of the public who, he contends, equal protection under the law.” “demonize” rather than “humanize” lawThe organization’s leadership council enforcement personnel. numbers about 20 people, and includes “At the dismay of some, we’re going to political and social activists from the get into politics, because we’re at a point in Coachella Valley and eastern Riverside California—and even the country—that, for County, such as co-chair Phil Drucker, as well me, as a law-enforcement leader, and all of as David Vignolo and Carol Pollard. From the chiefs that I talk to and other sheriffs, western Riverside County, military veterans some of our biggest concerns are laws that are Jonathan Chang and Tami Simms, along with Nathan Kempe, have committed to the effort. being passed. How we keep (the public) safe is really being hindered by the last several years The first public order of business for RASA of politics. So, we are going to talk about was the launch of its “Chad Bianco Must Go” that—and I’m going to tell you some of the campaign (biancomustgo.com). things that we need to change in this state in “What pulled us all together was the masking situation, (Sheriff Bianco) not taking order for us to be able to keep you safe.” The second episode went online on Sept. COVID-19 seriously and (discovering) that 9 and devotes most of its 13 minutes to a the RCSD actually had COVID-19-related monologue on why Bianco has refused, and deaths within their organization and still will continue to refuse, to mandate COVIDweren’t promoting mask-wearing,” Silver told 19 vaccinations for his more than 3,600 the Independent, referring to the fact that at employees. least two Sheriff’s Department employees “In the very beginning … they wanted me have died of COVID-19. “I think that was shutting down businesses, and they wanted a large part of what drove the unification me enforcing mask rules and arresting people across the county. The ideas started early for things like that,” Bianco said. “I made a and were a lot about how the Sheriff’s statement that I’m going to appeal to your Department handled certain social-justice sense of human being, and do what you feel is issues in western Riverside County—but the right, and be an adult about it. I treat people primary point was when COVID-19 arrived, like adults. You can make your own decision, and the mask issues. Even though the state and you’re going to do the responsible thing. had a mask mandate, the sheriff decided that … I don’t believe the Board of Supervisors, I he was not going to enforce it. That made don’t believe a company, I don’t believe the all of the other issues come to the surface, governor, I don’t believe the president, can including (a rapid increase) in carry permits tell you what you should do for your health. (for firearms), and then the latest occurrence, That’s up to you.” where the ACLU accused Sheriff Bianco of CVIndependent.com
Calling Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco a ‘danger,’ a new PAC hopes to unseat him in the next election
While the sheriff’s office is technically a nonpartisan position, Bianco has been anything but nonpartisan, regularly criticizing Gov. Gavin Newsom, and even endorsing Larry Elder in the gubernatorial recall election. He’s also repeatedly ignored proven science by saying he refuses to get vaccinated and downplaying how dangerous COVID-19 is. Much of his rhetoric hues closely to the principles espoused by the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association, a group that believes sheriffs have the authority to disregard any laws or regulations they decide are unconstitutional. “Essentially, I think that the Riverside County sheriff will understand—and he probably knows this, since he’s in the public eye anyway—that people are watching his actions, and that there’s growing discontent with the way things have been moving forward,” Silver said. “Our intent is to educate the public on the issues as they come up in Riverside County, so that there’s a spotlight on those issues that are controversial.” Silver said people across the political spectrum should be concerned about Bianco’s positions—and that people across the political spectrum want to see Bianco go. “I’m talking about a group of people who are much more concerned about their kids going back to school, and those kinds of issues foremost,” Silver said. “…. This past spring, things started to move forward. From Temecula to the east Coachella Valley, we have people involved who are upset that somebody who was elected to enforce justice and peace is actually part of a larger philosophy held by ‘constitutional sheriffs.’ … That’s a problem.” Silver pointed to an increase in concealedcarry gun permits as another reason for concern about Bianco. A January article by the Uken Report website cited Bianco as saying that when he became sheriff, some 3,000 to 3,400 permits had been issued. That number had increased to 9,000, Bianco said, as of January 2021. How is Bianco to blame for this increase in concealed-carry gun permits? “We have to remember the environment for gun-carrying. If we look at not just Chad, but if we look at constitutional sheriffs in general, they are Second Amendment supporters who help create that environment,” Silver said. “And by creating that environment, you have more people applying, feeling more comfortable about it, and going out and doing it. … And there’s no doubt that the sheriff is a
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco.
Second Amendment supporter.” With the June primary election less than nine months away, no candidate has yet come forward to challenge Bianco. However, Silver and her RASA team say they believe a qualified and credible opponent will surface. “We’re pretty confident,” Silver said. “I think there’s growing discontent with the danger. I think the biggest unifying issue is that, during the time of going through COVID and trying to come out of COVID, across the country, (many) sheriffs are unified in being anti-vaxxers and anti-maskers. … We don’t recruit, but right now, we’re clearing a pathway for a candidate to come forward that has values aligned with what we call science. “I think it’s important because of the issue of county sheriffs across the country subscribing to similar values as those you can see on Chad Bianco’s webpage—which are almost identical to (the values of) the constitutional sheriffs across the country. … Now, we can’t change the entire country. But I think we need to look closer to home to see how we can affect and move things forward here. I think we are in a better position politically than we were when Chad ran the first time. Democratic registration is now up in Riverside County, and that matters, too. So, the demographics show that there is the opportunity for a win (by a Bianco opponent). I think it’s time that we make that change and put somebody in that position who is amenable to people’s concerns.”
COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 11
OCTOBER 2021
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OCTOBER 2021
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A REIMAGINING T
The Children’s Discovery Museum of the Desert, closed since March 2020, will reopen in December 2022—if there’s enough community support
by kevin fitzgerald
he Children’s Discovery Museum of the Desert opened its first exhibits in 1990, beginning its mission of engaging and educating young children in the Coachella Valley. In the three decades since, the Rancho Mirage museum has won multiple awards and welcomed more than a million visitors to interact with its distinct collection of exhibits and experiences. Then came COVID-19. After the museum was forced to close its doors in March 2020, employees made a concerted effort to pivot to virtual/online activities. As the lockdown dragged on, the museum’s board of directors made the difficult decision to lay off the entire staff. time CEO. It was around this time that Cindy Burreson “Currently, I’m still the only one on staff, became a member of the board—and within a so I’m doing the whole kit and caboodle here,” couple of months, she was the named the CEO she says. of the still-shuttered museum. If all goes according to plan, the museum “I have always loved this place,” Burreson could reopen its doors in late 2022. However, it told the Independent. “I have two boys, and will take a lot of money and work to get there. our family has always loved the museum. “Right now, I’m focusing on the $3 million I’ve always had thoughts about things (the for (the reimagining of) the first building,” museum) could do to make it more exciting. Burreson said. “… Another thing that we’ve … So I joined the board last November, and in learned in our research is that there isn’t a lot December, we found the need for an interim (to do) for the older kids—the in-betweeners executive director, because we didn’t have any and the high schoolers. Now, in addition to just staff at that time, and we needed somebody to reimagining the museum, we want to broaden run the day-to-day (operations). I volunteered our audience. So, the focus of buildings 2 to do so, because I was working part-time for and 3 will be to provide experiences for those my other job, and I said that I could do this job older kids so that they’re not aging out (of our part-time as well—to keep operations going, audience) at 8 or 9 years old, and to provide pay the bills and just keep an eye on things.” services that are attractive to those other ages. Burreson said 85 percent of the museum’s … But right now, I’m really just focusing on the pre-pandemic revenue came from “earned $3 million. To have the three buildings done, income” such as admission fees. I would comfortably say (the cost would be) “Once we had the doors closed due to the between $4 million and $5 million.” pandemic, we didn’t have those funds coming Burreson said the community will need to in,” she said. “We thought: What can we do to step up and offer support for the museum to diversify our streams of revenue so that we reopen in late 2022. don’t find ourselves in this situation again?” “That’s why fundraising is so critical right Burreson said the board decided to not only now,” she said. “I am determined to stay on focus on fundraising—but to also “reimagine” that timeline, because I want to be able to the museum, so it can better serve the valley’s reopen in 2022. We all do. So, in order to do so, families and children. “Our exhibits have been here for a long time. we just finished the schematic designs. We’re working on Building 1 currently. It’s going to They have stood the test of time for longer have over 40 new exhibits and experiences. than their anticipated lifespan,” she said. “But Then, we would continue on to Phase 2 and more than a facelift, we needed to come into Phase 3. … (Building 1) would open back up the current times and be reflective of current in December 2022, and we would then start technologies and things that are on-trend working on fundraising for the next phase.” and interesting to kids. So, working with the Burreson and the board are working with original (exhibit-creator) company, I presented the museum’s original and continuing exhibita vision to the board, and we decided that was creation company, Florida-based Hands On! the direction that we wanted to move in. Studio, on the new vision for the museum. It “Of course, it would require even more involves the creation of six new experience fundraising in order to make it happen. areas in the museum space, designated I suggested to the board that, in order to Explore, Express, Experiment, Move, Imagine, really move the needle, they needed to bring and Dream. somebody on full-time; me working part-time “We’ve been working on this since I came wasn’t going to cut it.” on,” Burreson said. “With the company, we put Burreson threw her figurative hat into together our fundraising package. We came the ring, and the board hired her as the fullCVIndependent.com
An artist’s rendering of the re-imagined “Experiment” experience at the Children’s Discovery Museum of the Desert.
up with the exhibition-concept plan, and now we’ve finished schematic designs, so now we know exactly what is going to be included in the first building.” Burreson said fabricators are hard at work— while staying on budget. “We’re moving right along,” she said. “We’re on a weekly call to just keep moving the project forward. … I don’t want to stop, because if there’s a pause in the timeline, then that pushes back the opening date. So I’m just trying to fundraise like crazy to keep up with our payments-cashflow timeline, and keep moving toward our ultimate goal.” As if those tasks weren’t enough to fill Burreson’s work days, the museum has been hosting donation drives in conjunction with other nonprofit organizations one Saturday per month since July. For that first one, the museum partnered with the United Way of the
Desert to collect more than 200 books for the Raising a Reader program. In August, more than 60 cases of water were collected for the Coachella Valley Rescue Mission. In September, various items were collected for pediatric cancer patients being assisted by Shay’s Warriors and Desi Strong. “I created the Little Kids/Big Impact initiative, because, obviously, we know that we’re not serving our community the way that we normally would,” Burreson said. “And, because we’re going to have been closed for (more than) two years by the time we reopen, we wanted to still be socially impactful. … I feel like it’s our responsibility to help raise and teach our future givers. It’s an opportunity for caregivers and kids to work together to make a difference in our community.” For more information, visit cdmod.org.
OCTOBER 2021
COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 13
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esert Oasis Healthcare (DOHC) has been reaching out to provide its services further into the Coachella Valley and high desert communities with its Mobile Health Clinic. The self-contained clinic—equipped with its own generator to supply power when necessary—helps to serve patients in remote locations where there is often a short supply of primary care physicians. With better healthcare access, patients can avoid unnecessary—and sometimes costly—visits to the emergency room. The DOHC Mobile Health Clinic: • Contains two HIPAA-compliant, air-conditioned examination/screening rooms and is wheelchair-accessible. • Travels with clinical staff to provide BMI, diabetes, blood pressure and other health screenings for immediate results and to answer any questions. • Provides other services, including blood draws, retinal eye exams and vaccines. • Offers video visits to primary care physicians and DOHC Senior Wellness Clinics, as well as specialists when needed. It also offers video visits to partners such as local dialysis centers. • Connects patients immediately to health records and education materials.
Bringing COVID and Seasonal Flu Vaccines Where They Are Needed
On its March 11, 2021, maiden voyage, the new Mobile Health Clinic offered COVID vaccines, along with check-ups for patients of Will Family Medicine in the eastern Coachella Valley. DOHC pharmacists gave vaccines;
enrolled patients with diabetes and/or elevated blood pressure and blood glucose in special programs; and provided blood pressure cuffs, glucometers and other necessary devices. Since then, the Mobile Health Clinic has been to dozens of other locations, including a variety of health fairs at school districts, employer groups and senior centers. DOHC knows that as many as 10% of senior members are not accessing care within a calendar year, meaning that chronic conditions are not being identified and/or managed. Now, the Mobile Health Clinic allows DOHC to bring necessary treatment and annual senior wellness visits directly to members. As flu season returned, as it does each year, DOHC once again set up drive-thru flu-vaccine clinics in Palm Springs, Bermuda Dunes, Indio and Yucca Valley. COVID and flu vaccines are always on board the Mobile Health Clinic for those who have not received them. “Our virtual visits for telehealth consultations, as well as safe office visits, between patients and their DOHC care teams will continue,” said Dr. Teresa Hodgkins, PharmD and VP of Clinical Quality Initiatives. “But our Mobile Health Clinic has allowed us to restart our health fairs at community events in a new and exciting way.”
DOHC’s Mobile Health Clinic May Be Coming to a Location Near You Soon For scheduling inquiries, please contact Librado Perez, Mobile Health Clinic Programs and Logistics Lead, at 760-218-0908 or Lperez@mydohc.com.
COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 15
OCTOBER 2021
NEWS
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OCTOBER ASTRONOMY E
Venus, Saturn and Jupiter pair
Planets and Bright Stars in Evening Mid-Twilight with the moon in the evenings, For October, 2021 This sky chart is drawn belong for latitude 34 north, while mornings todegrees the stars but may be used in southern U.S. and northern Mexico. N
By Robert Victor
venings in October 2021 feature a string of three bright planets; the moon waxing from a young thin crescent to full; striking pairings of moon with Venus, Saturn and Jupiter; and a Full Hunter’s Moon, with convenient early evening moonrise times on subsequent nights. Predawn skies showcase a huge collection of bright stars; a waning moon; and, in late October and early November, the year’s best morning appearance of Mercury. In mid-October at evening mid-twilight, about 40 minutes after sunset, Venus, at magnitude -4.4 in the southwest, appears as the most brilliant “star.” Jupiter is prominent at magnitude -2.6 in the southeast to south-southeast, with Saturn at magnitude +0.5 and just more than 15 degrees to Jupiter’s upper right. The sun is then 9 degrees below the horizon, a few degrees south of west. While outdoors observing the sky, visualize Dusk on Oct. 9 provides a spectacular view this: An observer high above the northern side low in the southwest of an 18 percent crescent of our solar system would see Earth and the moon, with Venus just 3-4 degrees to its lower other planets moving counter-clockwise in their right. As the sky darkens a bit, look for the red orbits around the sun. Compared to Earth, star Antares about 5 degrees to the left of the Jupiter and Saturn are slower-moving outer moon. Dusk on Oct. 10 finds Antares and Venus planets; since we overtook them in August, we 10 and 16 degrees to the lower right of the 27 are now leaving them behind. Venus, the planet percent lunar crescent. next inside Earth’s orbit, moves faster than On Oct. 12, the moon, nearly half full, Earth, so it will catch up and overtake us, on appears about 6 degrees east of the secondJan. 8, 2022. magnitude star Sigma in Sagittarius, brightest Venus, the most brilliant planet, is low in star in the handle of the Teapot. On the the southwest at dusk. At the same stage of evenings of Oct. 12-20, Antares is within 5 twilight, it will be 3 degrees higher at month’s degrees of brilliant Venus. Observing with end. Its setting time improves from 2 to 2 1/2 the naked eye or binoculars, watch for daily hours after sunset. Enjoy following Venus’ changes, especially around Oct. 16, when they’ll motion against background stars, now 1.1 to appear closest, as Venus passes 1.4 degrees 1.0 degrees daily. Watch it go 0.8 degrees south above the red star. of Delta, middle star in the head of Scorpius, On Oct. 13-15, bright Jupiter by now is in on Oct. 9; and 1.4 degrees north of Antares the southeast to south-southeast at dusk, with on Oct. 16. Saturn 15.5 degrees to its west (right). On Oct. Jupiter and Saturn, in the southeast to south 13, the 60 percent gibbous moon appears 6 at dusk, both now have background stars close degrees to the lower right of Saturn. On Oct. at hand. They both end retrograde this month 14, the 71 percent moon appears within 11 in the constellation Capricornus, the Seadegrees to the lower left of Saturn and 7 degrees goat—Saturn on Oct. 10, and Jupiter on Oct. to the lower right of Jupiter. On Oct. 15, the 80 17—before resuming eastward motion against percent moon appears 9 degrees to the lower the stars. Saturn’s turnaround on Oct. 10 is 7.3 left of Jupiter. degrees to the lower right of 4.1-magnitude On Oct. 19, the nearly full moon rises a few Theta. Jupiter’s pause on Oct. 17 is 1.8 degrees minutes before sunset. On Oct. 20, the moon, from 2.8-magnitude Delta, or Deneb Algedi, just past full, rises 20 minutes after sunset. tail of the Sea-goat. In the fourth week of Over the next three days, the waning moon October, soon after ending their retrograde, rises 29, 31 and 35 minutes later from one Jupiter and Saturn are a bit more than 15 night to the next, farther north each time. degrees apart, closer together than they’ll At dusk in early autumn, the belt of zodiac appear until October 2039. constellations makes its lowest angle with Follow the moon in evening sky: See a the horizon. A phenomenon resulting from thin crescent moon at dusk on Oct. 7. Look the low angle of the zodiac to the horizon is very early, about 30 minutes after sunset, for the “Harvest Moon effect”—early evening the 4 percent crescent, very low in the westmoonrises for several days around the full southwest, 25 degrees to the lower right of moons of late summer and early autumn. If Venus. The moon’s age is 39 hours after new. you enjoy watching a string of daily moonrises The 10 percent moon is much easier to spot on without staying up very late, a few evenings the next evening, Oct. 8; look 11 degrees to the starting with autumn’s first full moon on Oct. lower right of Venus. 20 will offer you a chance!
October's evening sky chart. ROBERT D. MILLER
Capella
Deneb Vega
E
Arcturus
W
Altair
1
Jupiter 8 15 22 29 1 8 15 22 29
Venus 8 15 2922 Antares
Saturn Fomalhaut
Evening mid-twilight occurs Besides the moon planets, bright stars when Sun isand 9 below horizon. visible at dusk golden Arcturus, Oct.include 1: 40 minutes after sunset. in the 15: 40 " to " the" west-northwest west and dropping nearly 31: 41 " " and" the Summer horizon by mid-November;
Triangle of Vega, Altair and Deneb, passing overhead into early October. Blue-white Vega is its brightest member. For the rest of 2021, a line from Vega to Altair, 34 degrees long and extended 31 degrees past Altair, locates Saturn. Through mid-November, Fomalhaut, mouth of the Southern Fish, is 23 degrees to the lower left of Jupiter. Gatherings of the moon, stars and planets are illustrated on the Sky Calendar. Subscribe at www.abramsplanetarium.org/skycalendar. In the morning sky, there are no planets until Mercury appears in late October, but there are lots of bright stars! Sirius, the “Dog Star,” is the brightest star in the morning sky, approaching south. Trace out the huge Winter Hexagon
S
1
Stereographic Projection
of bright stars. Beginning Sirius, Mapwith by Robert D. its Miller southernmost and brightest member, proceed clockwise through Procyon; the Twin stars Pollux and Castor, 4.5 degrees apart; Capella, the Mother Goat Star and northernmost member; Aldebaran, eye of Taurus the Bull and Follower of the Pleiades star cluster; Rigel, Orion’s foot; and back to Sirius. Betelgeuse, shoulder of Orion, lies inside the Hexagon. The moon makes a pass through the morning sky, waning from full to a thin crescent through Oct. 5, and again Oct. 20-Nov. 3. The last, 2 percent, old crescent moon will appear very low in east 45 minutes before sunrise on Oct. 5. Robert Victor originated the Abrams Planetarium monthly Sky Calendar in October 1968, and still produces issues occasionally. He enjoys being outdoors and sharing the wonders of the night sky. He’s hoping for the pandemic to end! CVIndependent.com
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ADVANCED THREAD LIFT RESULTS ARE MAGICAL
By Shonda Chase, FNP Nurse Practitioner, Co-owner, Artistic Director and Advanced Aesethetic Injector at Revive Wellness Centers in Palm Springs and Torrance, and Medweight, Lasers and Wellness Center in Irvine
If you’re a regular reader of this column, you know I do a lot of thread li�s. I’m going to share some advanced techniques with illustra�ons so you can be�er visualize how they might help you. Thread li�s aren’t for everyone. A consult will help determine if you can benefit from the magic of thread li�s. But first, two Secrets: Thread Li�s Secret No. 1: I use different types of absorbable threads at different depths to create much-longer-las�ng collagen and elas�n results. Thread Li�s Secret No. 2: Thread li�s can be a really produc�ve solu�on for people who don’t want dermal fillers. Custom Ver�cal Li� (top): This technique places threads past your hairline and creates amazing midface results. Custom Cheek Li� (center): You can add a cheek li� to a ver�cal li� to achieve close to “faceli� results” in about 90 minutes for both areas— without any down�me. Custom “Snatch” Jaw Line Li� (bottom): This technique, along with a crepey neck thread treatment, can turn the aging clock way back. These new thread li�s might not preclude you from needing a faceli�, midfaceli� or neck surgical li�, but if you’re a candidate, they can put those op�ons off for a number of years. Next month, I’ll share the latest Secrets about what’s new—and share my recommenda�ons on what to let others try first, because “new” isn’t always better. Un�l then, keep the “Secrets.” Our Revive Wellness Center loca�ons are in Palm Springs (760-325-4800) and Torrance (310-375-7599); www.revivecenter.com. Our Medweight, Lasers and Wellness Center office is in Irvine (949-586-9904); www.medweightandlasers.com. You can email your individual ques�ons to Shonda Chase FNP, or Allan Y. Wu MD, Revive’s cosme�c surgeon, at shonda@revivecenter.com.
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COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 17
OCTOBER 2021
ARTS & CULTURE
THE MANICURED DESERT Morongo Valley artist Snake Jagger is part of October’s Highway 62 Open Studio Art Tours
F
by cat makino
rank Sinatra has been an inspiration to many singers and musicians. But did you know Frank Sinatra’s garden has been an inspiration for art? Yes, it’s true: Desert artist Snake Jagger’s art takes its cues from the yard at Ol’ Blue Eyes’ Palm Springs house, where his father worked as a valet. “Sinatra’s yard was so manicured; everything was neat and tidy. Every rock, shrub and cactus was in its place,” says Jagger. “It was this wonderful setting, and it became my interpretation of the desert—a manicured desert.” His Morongo Valley studio will be open to the public as part of the Highway 62 Open Studio Art Tours, taking place across the high desert paintings that would not ordinarily be there over three October weekends. The selfand wouldn’t occur in nature. It’s a fun thing,” guided tours allow thousands of visitors from he says. “When I leave the planet, I feel I left a Southern California to go behind the scenes lot behind that will bring smiles to people.” to explore artists’ work spaces, learn how the The fall Highway 62 Open Studio Art Tours, artists create their pieces, and find out what which have been going on for about two inspires them. decades, were canceled last year due to the Jagger, 66, says his love of the desert began pandemic. However, it’s a big comeback event to develop when he was 17, when he moved this year, with more than 165 artists slated to here from Los Angeles. open their studios to visitors. “I loved the open desert spaces, the ups and “We are emerging from a great hibernation,” downs of the dunes, the date and citrus farms, said Robin Hercia, the tours director. “The the little critters, and the dry heat,” he says. impact of the pandemic has varied in our The artist’s attention-grabbing first name community. Some artists were fueled by it and came about when he was 19, he says, while produced a lot of work, while others stopped working in a restaurant and living in a tent what they were doing and thought about why below the tramway in Palm Springs. they were doing it.” “I was walking to work when I saw a dead rattlesnake on the ground. I picked it up and The Highway 62 Open Studio Art Tours will put it in a paper bag,” he says. “I brought it to take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday and work, held the bag up to the chef and said I was Sunday, from Saturday, Oct. 9, through Sunday, going to put it in the freezer. He was terrified of Oct. 24. Admission is free. For more information, snakes and worried what would happen when it visit www.hwy62arttours.org. thawed out. Then he pointed an angry finger at me and said, ‘You’re a snake man!’” And Jagger? A year after he acquired the snake moniker, he says, he was lip-syncing onstage at a restaurant in Maui to a Rolling Stones’ song when a man sitting at the bar yelled out, “You’re Snake Jagger!” The name stuck. After a period of living in a commune as a “naked hippie,” he produced his first desert landscape at the age of 26. He started to develop his unique style of painting works depicting, in his words, the “manicured desert.” Although he is partially color-blind, Jagger’s paintings in acrylic and airbrush have a vibrancy and life to them which belies the condition. “I struggle with my color-blindness,” he says. “I can’t distinguish between some colors. That’s why I rarely mix colors, and why my paintings are bright. It’s still a struggle.” Jagger’s art is, in his words, “whimsical surrealism.” “Enchanted Desert” (2010) by Snake Jagger, 48 by “Most of the time, I add things in my 36 inches, acrylic on canvas. CVIndependent.com
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OCTOBER 2021
ARTS & CULTURE
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FRIGHTFUL FESTIVITIES By MATT KING
A
s Halloween approaches, fans of the holiday are preparing their costumes, decorations and candy—even if there aren’t a lot of local family Halloween events to enjoy. Enter Adam Levy and Caitlin Litzinger, two event producers who work on the Jazzville concert series. “Living here in Palm Springs over the years, there really hasn’t been a whole lot to do for families—even before the pandemic,” Levy said during a recent phone interview. “Caitlin and I, we produce a couple of shows together, and she works on Jazzville with me. We wanted to do something fun for our kids. I have a little one; so does Caitlin, and we both love Halloween, so we grandparents. Everyone can find something teamed up to do something fun for the whole fun to do.” community.” Levy is drawing heavy inspiration from The result is Halloween Hullabaloo, an Halloween activities in which he participated all-day series of ticketed events at the Palm as a child. Springs Cultural Center, including various “I was born and raised here in Palm Springs, spooky activities like movie screenings, a and as a kid, my mom was involved in a lot of zombie cocktail party and a “Jazzville Creepy different parent groups,” Levy said. “Back in Cocktail Party.” the ’80s, the community came together, and “The goal was to do something fun for they created these ‘Halloween towns.’ People’s everyone. I know it sounds kind of clichéd, but businesses would create their own little we’re covering all the bases with this event,” booths, and they’d all do it under one roof. I Levy said. “We designed it where you can would always look forward to that, because I’d take your little kids, but can even bring your
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Halloween Hullabaloo brings a day of— cliché alert—fun for the whole family to the Palm Springs Cultural Center
see folks I knew from soccer, the Boys and Girls Club, and all these different organizations at the same place. For me, I thought that was so mind-blowing.” Alas, Halloween over the years has become less personal, as Levy puts it. He wants to change that. “I want to create a place where everyone can have a great time, and every year, it becomes one of those things where families know that they don’t need to stress about what to do for Halloween,” Levy said. “They’re going to come here the same way my family did every Halloween, with going to ‘Halloween town.’ It just brings a whole community together in the process.” Litzinger said they worked hard—bringing back that cliché—to make sure Halloween Hullabaloo includes something fun for everyone. “When we were talking about this event, we were thinking about what would be really, really fun. We love Jazzville, and we love what that brings to the table and the audience that it draws,” Litzinger said. “I met Adam when he brought out the burlesque show I run to the Hard Rock in Palm Springs when he was there. We had such great Halloween events there, and we were thinking, OK, that’s fun for different crowds—so how do we incorporate the families? How do we incorporate the horror fanatics who love the nostalgia of the old Halloween stuff?’ We really thought about it, and we each put in pieces to create this.” Levy elaborated: “We have kids’ stuff during the day. … We’re screening Saturday morning cartoons that come with milk and cereal, and also having two magic shows.” From 3 to 7 p.m., the Cultural Center will host a free trunk-or-treat. Vehicle owners can register as “trunkers,” decorating their vehicles and giving out candy to “treaters.” “Trunkers” are encouraged to either be part of a local organization or donate a minimum of $30 to the organization of their choice. “By adding the trunk-or-treat to fill the parking lot, we figured we would make it a great opportunity for people to step in and fundraise for their different clubs and organizations,” Litzinger said. “It brings in a community of people who probably haven’t been able to fundraise for the last two years because of the pandemic, so we really wanted to make that an important part of this event and get everybody involved.” Despite the ongoing pandemic, Levy said the response so far has been positive.
The Three Michaels, “an ode to John Carpenter’s Halloween with the musical score, scares and skits performed live by three Michael Myers,” will play shows at 8 and 9:30 p.m.
“It’s a scary time right now,” Levy said. “I have two weekly shows, and my livelihood depends on ticket sales right now, but to be completely honest, we’re still selling out. … I feel like we’re going to be in this position for a long time, and it’s really just going to be up to folks on how they personally handle the pandemic.” While some of the Halloween Hullabaloo events are outside, others are inside—and Levy said the indoor events will be as safe as possible. “The theater is requiring proof of vaccination for their events currently, and that’s as stringent as anywhere in the country is currently,” said Levy. “Who knows what’s going to happen in October? … We felt like we were being really ambitious before we started putting pen to paper, but I feel like we kind of talked ourselves out of being as ambitious as we wanted to. I feel really confident for the first event with the way we’ve planned it, and we’re hoping that it’s a success—so next year, we can be overambitious.” And now, a bit of a sneak preview: Levy and Litzinger said Halloween Hullabaloo may be just one in a series of collaborations with the Palm Springs Cultural Center. “We’re actually working with the Cultural Center to bring a two-day Christmas event in December,” Levy said. “We will provide more details as things get ironed out with them, but we’re hoping to establish a bigger relationship with the Cultural Center.” Halloween Hullabaloo takes place from 1 to 11 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 31, at the Palm Springs Cultural Center, 2300 E. Baristo Road, in Palm Springs. Ticketed events cost $5 to $40; the Trunk-or-Treat is free. For tickets and a complete schedule, visit www.eventspalmsprings.com/ halloween.
COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 19
OCTOBER 2021
ARTS & CULTURE
A COMEDY UTOPIA T
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The Coachella Valley Improv and Comedy Festival returns, after a COVID-induced hiatus, to new home CVRep
By MATT KING
he Coachella Valley has an abundance of theater arts—but most of the valley’s groups and organizations focus on drama and musicals, and improv has always been underrepresented. Enter the Coachella Valley Improv and Comedy Festival, a local event that celebrates laughs and the other sides of theater arts. This year’s festival is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 23 and 24, at the CVRep Playhouse in Cathedral City. “It began in 2014, when I was the artistic coordinator for the Indio Performing Arts Center,” said Jeanette Knight, the director of the Coachella Valley Improv and Comedy Festival. “I have had a passion and love for improv for quite some time, and I just looked at that facility and was way, way more competitive this year. We thought, ‘This is just ideal for an improv have a total of seven groups performing on festival.’ So we did the first one there, and Saturday, and nine standup comics on Sunday. it was amazing; it was just wonderful. Unfortunately, the board hired a new executive It’s really going to be the cream of the crop. Some really, really talented people will be director who wasn’t supportive, and so at that performing in those daytime slots, as well as point, the Hi-Desert Cultural Center heard the evening.” about the festival, and reached out and told The festival also features both workshops me that they would like to have it up there. So and performances by previous festival winners for three wonderful years, we were up at the and industry professionals. Hi-Desert Cultural Center.” “The winners of the last festival are It was Knight’s relationship with Ron headlining Saturday night, and they’re an Celona, the founding artistic director of improv duo called redDoor,” Knight said. CVRep, that led to the move to Cathedral City. “They are also teaching an improv workshop She said she’s known Celona since she was the Saturday morning. Also on Saturday morning education program manager at the McCallum is a workshop by the winner of the standup Theatre a while ago. category last festival, Jason Stuart, who’s “When I saw him move into the new facility a hilarious standup comic, and is also there, I said, ‘Ron, I would really love to have performing Sunday night. He’s teaching a the festival here.’ He said, ‘Great,’ and so we workshop Saturday morning called ‘The scheduled it for May of 2020—and we all Business of Show Business’ where he’ll work know what happened then,” Knight said. individually with everyone in the workshop “The festival got canceled once, and this is the and give them advice and feedback on their second rescheduling, and we’re on for Oct. 23 pictures, resumes, bios and social media. and 24. Everyone has to be fully vaccinated “On Sunday morning, from 11 a.m. to 1 if they’re attending or performing, and we’re p.m., we have a workshop taught by Mary good to go.” Gallagher, and it’s called ‘Getting on Late The festival, during which the audiences Night TV with Mary Gallagher.’ She was on vote for their favorite acts, is the product of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert in 2018, a tremendous amount of work by Knight and and she’s going to share what helped her her team. really get serious about booking a Late Night “The submissions began November of set. She had taken a bit of a hiatus from 2019, and with the required postponements stand up while raising her daughter, and she because of the mandates and COVID and had this as a goal—and went after it. She all, we just kept extending the submission describes it as ‘sharing tips for connecting deadline, so we’ve received more submissions emotionally with material and standing up than ever before,” said Knight. “People from for yourself.’” all over the country submit to be a part of the Another stand-out on the bill is “friend-ofdaytime showcase performance on Saturday the-festival” Tom Dreesen, who will appear and Sunday. Saturday is improv and sketch on Saturday night with a show called “Still groups, and Sunday is standup comics. We got Standing.” 232 submissions—that’s more than we’ve ever “He is in his 80s, and he’s celebrating 50 gotten before. years in show business,” Knight said. “He is “I have a volunteer selection committee a standup comic who used to open for Frank of industry professionals who view these Sinatra for 13 years. What he’ll be doing is submitted videos and give them a score, and really just telling stories from his life, about then the top-scoring acts are invited to come how he rose from being a shoeshine boy on the and perform in the theater on those days. It
redDoor will both perform and offer a workshop at the Coachella Valley Improv and Comedy Festival.
South Side of Chicago to being Frank Sinatra’s opening act. That’s going to be a fun and inspiring evening.” When she’s not organizing the festival, Knight is an educator at the Idyllwild Arts Academy. “I love not only improv, but theater in general, and I think the reasons I love these things … are the same reasons I love educating, and it’s that human connection—really connecting with other humans on an authentic level,” Knight said. “I think that’s what makes it a festival more than just having a bunch of performances. I think having opportunities for people to get in and have hands-on experience, and try it out for themselves if they’ve never done it, really makes it a festival rather than just a bunch of shows.” Knight said she’s intent on making the Coachella Valley Improv and Comedy Festival accessible. “We’ve tried to keep the tickets really affordable, because I’ve always called improv ‘theater for the people,’” said Knight. “We wanted to keep the tickets affordable so that anyone can attend who has an interest in this. The tickets are starting at just $20, and those are for the showcases that happen on Saturday and Sunday. Those are going to be really fun. If
people are on a budget, and they can’t afford much, just get a ticket to one of those, because you’re going to be seeing the best up-andcoming talent from across the nation for $20. If you can afford it, buy the whole festival pass, because it’s all good. It’s all going to be a can’tmiss situation, in my opinion.” While the much-delayed festival required a lot from Knight and her team, she said she’s looking forward to an immense payoff. “It’s a lot of work leading up to it, but it is a labor of love,” Knight said. “It’s normally three days, but we cut it down to two days because of COVID, and we’re trying to save on the budget and make it more concise. When it happens, and when everybody’s gathered, because the people that tend to go into these fields tend to be nice people, it’s a couple of days of heaven. It’s really like living in a utopia. It’s how life should be all the time.” The Coachella Valley Improv and Comedy Festival will take place Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 23 and 24, at the CVRep Playhouse, 68510 E. Palm Canyon Drive, in Cathedral City. Tickets start at $20 for individual shows and workshops; a full festival pass is $120; audience members must have proof of full vaccination. For tickets or more information, visit cvrep.org. CVIndependent.com
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COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 21
OCTOBER 2021
ARTS & CULTURE
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‘REUNITED’ IN A NEW HOME T
Desert Ensemble Theater christens its new space with its annual benefit concert
By MATT KING
he pandemic was pure hell for most theater companies. Audiences disappeared; venues closed; and revenue stopped flowing. As a result, the companies that made it have needed to make a lot of changes. While there is still plenty of uncertainty as the pandemic continues, theater is coming back. Broadway shows recently reopened, as have productions at a couple of local theater companies. Desert Ensemble Theatre has endured a lot of those aforementioned changes. Not only did the organization drop the word “Company” from its name; it has moved into a brand-new home at the Palm Springs Cultural Center—which it will christen Oct. 22-24 with a benefit concert artist interaction. … Because of the way that titled Reunited and It Feels So Good, the first theater is laid out, it’s not a proscenium stage; production for DET since the pandemic began. it’s a thrust stage. It allows us to do more kinds “(The season-opening concert) is something of experimental set design, and we’re not I created as a fundraiser for our scholarship tied to having a set with walls and reference program, and I, along with Charles Herrera, representational design. We’re also entering Darci Daniels and Bonnie Gilgallon, will be into a collaboration with Tom Valach, who is performing,” said Jerome Elliott, DET’s artistic very well respected and one of the best scenic director, during a recent phone interview. designers in the valley. We’ve never worked (Gilgallon is an Independent contributor, by the with him before, so we’re looking forward to way.) “This year, we’re calling it Reunited and It Feels So Good, which is just such an appropriate what Tom can help us do in the space. Tom also built that stage for Coyote StageWorks, so name after everything we’ve been through, to he knows the space really well. There’s a screen be able to come together and perform live. It’s great to be able to actually sing to people in the in the back of the stage which rises, so we can keep part of that screen above the stage and do theater instead of staring into a screen on the different kinds of projections that can enhance camera or on a computer. That usually raises the ambience of any of our productions.” a lot of money for our scholarship program, After kicking off the season with Reunited so that’s an important thing that we do ask and It Feels So Good, DET will produce four full people to support.” productions. Elliott said the move to the Cultural Center “Our mission always is to try to connect came about rather unexpectedly. what we put onstage with what people are “We’ve been at the Palm Springs Woman’s encountering in day to day life, and have rarely Club for seven years, and we loved being at strayed from that,” said Elliott. “The plays the Woman’s Club,” he said. “It was a great we’ve selected all represent our commitment space for us to be in, but when we learned to examining contemporary life from many that Coyote StageWorks was unfortunately different aspects.” shutting its doors—which we all are very sad First up in December is The Beebo Brinker about, because they gave so much to the desert Chronicles. “It examines pre-Stonewall gay life, community in terms of quality theater—we specifically the lesbian scene in Greenwich saw an opportunity to move into a venue that Village from 1950 to about 1960,” Elliott said. had many more advantages for our company. “It really takes a very insightful look at how First, at the Cultural Center, we will have people had to lead a pretty closeted life in much more visibility than at the Woman’s those days in order to get by.” Club, due to the fact that they have the Next up, in January, is Artificial Morality by Camelot Theatres films, plus film festivals and Tony Padilla. “Tony founded our company,” other special events that come through. We Elliott said. “He’s a prolific playwright, and have the opportunity, just from a marketing we have, in most seasons, done one of his perspective, to reach a much larger audience. original works. Tony is a thinking-person’s It will also offer our own audience a more comfortable experience in terms of seating and playwright, and he really loves to play with ideas and language. In this case, he’s taking amenities. And, finally, it will offer them much on how people in this electronic age we live in easier parking than they had downtown at the can manipulate social media and manipulate Woman’s Club.” the internet in order to reinvent themselves. The Cultural Center stage will also allow It looks at a specific person’s moral compass, DET to present theater in new ways. in terms of what he’s willing to do to advance “It’s a different kind of space,” Elliott said. himself in the workplace.” “It’s more immediate in terms of audience-
Leanna Rodgers, Jacob Samples, Jaci Davis and Michael Pacas perform at DET’s 2019 scholarship benefit concert, On the Twenty-First Century.
In February, DET will present Salty by AJ Clauss. “What they did was take the story of the two male penguins at the Dutch zoo a couple of years ago, who adopted an egg and raised it together, and set that somewhere in the not-too-distant future at a time when climate change has really taken its toll on our planet,” Elliott said. “We have the last colony of penguins in captivity, at what is probably one of the few remaining zoos left on Earth. We have a double cast with each actor playing a penguin and a corresponding zookeeper. … It’s a love story, and it’s a cautionary tale of what can happen if we don’t pay attention to the planet.” The season will conclude in late March/early April with All This Intimacy by Rajiv Joseph. “It’s directed by Keith M. Cornell. He directed our show that never opened because of the pandemic. It was called How to Survive an Apocalypse—a very ironic title. We wanted to give Keith a chance to come back and direct for us, because he did such a good job,” Elliott said. “This is really a sex comedy gone wrong about a college professor, who, in the course of one week, impregnates three women—an 18-year-old student, his own girlfriend, and a 42-year-old neighbor who is married. From my point of view, it is a comedy, but it also takes a real hard look at male privilege, especially white male privilege.” DET turned to a well-known name to direct The Beebo Brinker Chronicles. “We’re very excited to bring Judith Chapman on board as a director,” Elliott said. “Judith is a highly acclaimed television actress, and she’s currently appearing in a long-running role on The Young and the Restless. In valley theatre, she has given amazing performances for Desert Rose
Playhouse and Palm Canyon Theatre, for which she’s won many Desert Theatre League awards, but she’s also a very innovative director. She’s an actor’s director, because she’s an actor herself, so she knows how to elicit the kinds of performances that will really resonate with audiences.” DET is also giving a big job to a former intern and scholarship recipient, Cameron Keys, for Artificial Morality. “We have a theater internship program, which we’ve had since our inception,” Elliott said. “We work with high school theater students, usually technical theater students who help us backstage with props, costume changes, lighting, costume and set design, or any way that they can learn a new skill. … We watch them grow through their internships, and at the end of the internships, we give them scholarships. Cameron wants to direct. He’s a sophomore at College of the Desert, and he directed a reading of Artificial Morality that we did two years ago at the Palm Springs Library. Tony asked him if he would be interested in directing the full production— which was supposed to happen last season, which didn’t happen at all—and he said yes. He’s wise beyond his years. … I know that he has what it takes to bring this production to life, so that’s just a thrill for us.” Reunited and It Feels So Good, presented by Desert Ensemble Theatre, will take place at 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday, Oct. 22 and 23; and 2 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 24, at the Palm Springs Cultural Center, 2300 E. Baristo Road, in Palm Springs. Tickets are $45 to $65. For tickets or more information, call 760-565-2476, or visit www.desertensembletheatre.org. CVIndependent.com
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Alan McPhail David Mendez Lex Ortega Scott Phipps David Posnar Raul Rodriguez Mark Talkington Kathy Weremuik Christopher Winslow
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COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 23
OCTOBER 2021
FOOD & DRINK
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CAESAR CERVISIA JASON DAVID HAIR STUDIO
I
By brett newton
LOVE YOUR HAIR
’m not saying I am tired of the Coachella Valley’s heat, but when my friend Jose asked if I’d like to attend the Ensenada Beer Fest, I almost didn’t let him complete his sentence before I said: “Yes!” I had never been to Ensenada, but I’ve wanted to go for many years. That—combined with having tried and been impressed by beers from Cerveceria Wendlandt (thanks to Jose)—made it a very easy decision. I’ve been eyeing Mexico’s craft-beer scene from afar for a few years now; I’ve Club and Cook Street sampled as much of its output as I could, but notCountry much makes it here. If you didn’t know, you’d think there wasn’t much to their craft-beer scene … and youPalm wouldDe be sert deeply mistaken. After a mind-blowing meal at chef Javier Plascencia’s Erizo Baja Fish House in Tijuana, we made 760-340-5959 it to Ensenada. After checking in at the hotel, the fest went until midnight on both Friday we made the short drive back up the coast to and Saturday. To get in, we first had to show www.jasondavidhairstudio.net the packing district—and the aforementioned our IDs and our vaccination cards. (That’s Wendlandt. We sat on the patio facing the right. Suck it, anti-vaxxers!) This is high on ocean; the beer and view were equally brilliant. the list of things I was most impressed by I had the Vaquita Marina pale ale, which was on my visit: Everywhere we went, we went light-bodied, easy-drinking and citrusy. through at least a temperature check via From there, it was back toward town to infrared thermometers, and received a squirt Cerveceria Aguamala. The taproom/restaurant of hand sanitizer. Organizers also took down was more like a local hangout, and I was everyone’s ID info, presumably to do contract greeted by a billboard showing that this had tracing in case something somehow managed been the site of a Baja brewers’ conference to get in the festival. earlier in the week, with talks about malt, With my slight apprehension thusly put to fermentations, hops, and techniques involving rest, I entered and met my first obstacle: the everything in between. The beer was pretty language barrier. The festival had a system in good; out of the flight of four tasters I had, the which you could sample beers (as is normal single-hop IPAs (referred to as “Smash IPAs”) at festivals), but you could also get full pours with Simcoe and Centennial, respectively, were of anything on tap. This is how I accidentally both quite good. got a full pour of a coffee porter from Cerveza We then made our way to Cerveceria Fauna. The episode prompted me to learn how Transpeninsular to meet up with some of to ask for a sample in Spanish—albeit while Jose’s family. This is a two-story restaurant drinking a very tasty beer. The prices were not and brewery that seemed to be serving more such that I felt too put out, regardless. American fare. The Rye IPA and West Coast The other brewery I tried that stood out IPA we tried were both somewhat old-school was Reino Alfa, from the state of Sonora, in that they had a malt balance and higher on the other side of the Gulf of California. I bitterness than is fashionable of late, but they chatted with the brewer, Roman Viera, and was were both appreciated by us. delighted to find out that he learned how to We decided to stop at the festival after make beer from How to Brew by John Palmer. the sun had set—and this wasn’t an issue, as This book is close to my heart, as it served as
A trip to the Ensenada Beer Fest illustrates that Mexico’s craft-beer scene is vibrant and varied
my guide to making my first homebrews more than a decade ago. Every beer Viera proceeded to pour me a sample of was excellent. After recovering early on day two (thanks to some restorative birria at a restaurant that specializes in it, as well as a siesta), it was back to the festival, where we joined up with Jose’s friends. On this day, we took a much deeper dive. As I enjoyed music coming from the stages at the various ends of the park, I began to try to find the gems among the 100-plus breweries in attendance. The highlights included a Rocky Road stout from Sci-Hop Brewing that was nicely balanced while maintaining an alcohol by volume of just more than 5%. Sandunguera Brewing, out of Tijuana, produced a fantastic Jamaica kettle sour (pronounced ha*my*ka, it’s normally a non-alcoholic, sweeter drink with hibiscus), as well a cream ale with coffee that was anything but the boring beer I’ve found the cream ale style to present. I savored a crisp and clean IPA with Nelson hops from Canneria Cerveza, and a chocolate stout and various
IPAs from Cerveza Cardera, two Ensenada breweries that had me wondering why we didn’t stop at their taprooms earlier. Finally, Bosiger Brewery from Tijuana offered two well-made and delicious beers on tap: a San Francisco lager and New Zealand lager, with the former being a tribute to Anchor Steam, and the latter being a dry-hopped pilsner with hops from (you guessed it) New Zealand. Before I wrap up, I want to mention the thing that most impressed me about the festival: Numerous young women were in attendance. In Mexico, it would seem, beer is not primarily for large men with beards (This is not a call-out; I am one of said dudes.) This fact, along with the general quality of the beer I tasted, gives me immense confidence in the beer scene in Mexico. ¡Salud, Mexico! 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.
The Vaquita Marina pale ale from Cerveceria Wendlandt is light-bodied and citrusy. Brett Newton
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COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 25
OCTOBER 2021
FOOD & DRINK
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VINE SOCIAL JASON DAVID
A century ago, we had wars, pandemics and natural disasters—but we didn’t have legal wine
HAIR STUDIO
J
By KatieLOVE finn YOUR
HAIR
ust in time for Halloween, I have a truly terrifying story for you. It’s 1920. The United States recently enacted the 18th Amendment, which prohibits the production, consumption, importation and sales of alcoholic beverages nationwide. The end. Scary, right?! Country Club and Cook Street This era in our nation’s history was dark. We had just endured World War I—and then the Palm sert country was hit with the Spanish flu pandemic. Life was hard, and De a devastating toll had been taken on Americans. Not only were we broken mentally from the atrocities of war, and physically 760-340-5959 broken from an undiscriminating illness with viticulture industry around the world of a little no cure; we were also on the verge of total bug that was eating the roots of vines at an www.jasondavidhairstudio.net economic devastation. incredible rate, decimating entire vineyards. What’s the solution? Eliminate the booze, There was no stopping this louse infestation, naturally! and before long, it reached California. We all have become familiar with the stories In 1906, San Francisco suffered the of bootlegging gangsters, corrupt politicians Great Earthquake, which resulted in entire and keystone cops who were central figures warehouses full of wine to smash to the during this time. But there’s a Prohibition ground. Inventory plummeted; vintages were story that remains largely untold: the saga of lost forever. the wineries that avoided becoming ghosts. The final blow came with the passing of the When Prohibition went into effect, Volstead Act of 1919. When the act was finally there were more than 700 flourishing wine repealed 14 years later, only 40 of the 700 wine businesses here in California. The influx of businesses were still alive. immigrants searching for gold in them there But how did those 40 wineries come out of hills during the mid-1800s not only created this scourge? a population boom; these thirsty newcomers There were a couple of exceptions to also brought with them their winemaking the Volstead Act that allowed for limited know-how and vine-cuttings from their or privileged production. Because this was homelands. When the gold boom turned into a largely a religious movement, the church bust, at least there was wine. But not for long. was allowed to continue consuming wine for What followed was a series of devastating sacramental purposes. No one was about to blows for the California wine industry. mess with the blood of Christ, after all. This Around 1890, word was spreading in the gave entrepreneurial winemakers some hope: They could continue making wine for local churches. Unfortunately, there were only so many churches per community, and the need was quickly met by those wineries that jumped on that bandwagon early. Doctors were allowed to prescribe medicinal alcohol for their patients, and pharmacies were booming as a result. In fact, it’s thought that Charles Walgreen created the pharmacy mega-giant that we know today as a result of the sales of medicinal alcohol during Prohibition. The other loophole was the provision that allowed each home to make 200 gallons of “non-intoxicating” wine per year. The definition of “non-intoxicating” was that the juice needed to be below 0.5 percent. Well, we know there’s no point in drinking wine if it’s just grape juice, so clever winemakers would barrel their unfermented juice with a giant warning on the top that read: “Warning! The addition of yeast may cause alcoholic fermentation.” So, here’s your juice and your packet of yeast … now run along.
Other winemakers came up with creative ways of avoiding getting caught, which led to covert conversations over party-line phones, trap doors and hidden production facilities. Some wineries turned their cellars into dairies and milking operations. Just don’t go upstairs, and never you mind what that loose plank in the floorboard is. Other wineries, like Robert Biale, created code names for their illegal hooch. The now famous Black Chicken zinfandel was created by Aldo Biale, who, with his now-widowed mother, took over the farm and wine operations from his late father. Knowing that anyone could listen in on their party line and uncover his illicit dealings, he created a secret code word for his wine. The orders flooded in for two dozen eggs, walnuts, prunes and a gallo nero—or black chicken, the code for a jug of his bootleg zinfandel. Most wineries were not so lucky. Some of these beautiful and historic structures became ghosts, never to wake from the dead. Some
stayed in their cold, abandoned state until the wine industry resurged in Napa in the 1960s and 1970s. When Jim Barrett purchased Chateau Montelena in 1968, he said “it was just ghosts and spiders.” These wineries, constructed before Prohibition and built to withstand the test of time, are an amazing testament to our wine history, tenacity and an enduring spirit. While some of these wineries may indeed have otherworldly entities roaming the caves or wandering around the tasting room, the real ghosts are the buildings themselves and the pioneering people who built them. Now, here we are, 100 years later. We still have wars, pandemics and natural disasters. But at least this time around, we still have wine. 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.
Patio and indoor dining takeout 4 to 9 p.m. Tuesday-SUNday 1775 E. Palm Canyon Drive (760) 778-6595 www.533vietfusion.com CVIndependent.com
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FOOD & DRINK
ON COCKTAILS D
BY kevin carlow
o you ever feel forgotten … like a plastic bag, drifting through the wind? I’ve been digging through my cocktail books lately, looking for a little “inspirado” before I make my triumphant post-injury return to bartending—and the research has made me realize how many drinks are forgotten, out-shadowed and even mocked. Well, this column is a bully-free zone, so it’s time to bring some of these beauties out into the light, whaddya say? I first want to make a distinction here: Some bartenders scoff at some cocktails that are very popular—the cosmo, the French martini, the espresso martini, etc. Those drinks have thick 3 glasses of cognac skin, however; they can take the mockery of 1 glass of Chartreuse apron-bedecked hipsters. I’m speaking more 1 1/2 glasses of sweetened lemon juice of the drinks of yesteryear—the baroque, 1 dash of Angostura bitters the obscure, the “rarely make even a seasonal Shake well; strain into six cocktail glasses. drink list.” The Savoy was a cocktail book of high regard A good one to start with is the “Champs throughout most of the mid-century (and still Elysees.” This cocktail dates back to 1925, is today, although the cocktails are rarely made according to Difford’s Guide, appearing in verbatim), and having the Champs Elysees as Drinks Long and Short by Nina Toye and Arthur a multi-person cocktail with an unspecified H. Adair. Their version is a single-serving hue of Chartreuse may have frightened off cocktail, a bit of a take on a sidecar, but with green Chartreuse and Angostura bitters. By the many bartenders; perhaps this is the reason the cocktail never took off. Also … one dash time it shows up in The Savoy Cocktail Book a of Ango in a mix of that quantity? Talk about few years later, it has become a group cocktail pissing in the ocean. The name being French for six people:
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It’s time to give these three forgotten drinks another shot probably intimidated the timid as well. To this day, I have had two people order this cocktail—both bartenders, both leading to a spirited debate over specs. That’s a damned shame. For the record, green Chartreuse seems to be the consensus at this point, but it’s still a fine cocktail with yellow if you desire a lessintense tipple. Here’s a modern spec on the drink: 1 1/2 ounces of cognac (find a full-bodied one) 3/4 ounce of fresh lemon juice 1/2 ounce of green Chartreuse 1/2 ounce of simple syrup Two dashes of Angostura bitters The result will be rich with a full mouthfeel; you could cut back the simple to a quarterounce if you want a more bracing drink. There are many tweaks on this cocktail—including substituting yellow Chartreuse, or Laird’s apple brandy, or Calvados—so play around with it. Staying with cognac and brandy … up next is the “Metropole,” or a variation called the “Metropolitan.” These are in the Manhattan/ Martinez family, and are more ancestors of the martini on that illustrious family tree. David Wondrich, in Imbibe, posits the Metropolitan Hotel or the Metropole Hotel in New York as the likely source, in the late 1800s; both were hangouts of actors, writers and politicians. He translates the Metropole recipe from George J. Kappeler in Modern American Drinks thusly: 1 1/2 ounces of VSOP cognac 1 1/2 ounces French (dry) vermouth 2 dashes of Peychaud’s bitters 1 dash of orange bitters 2 dashes of gum syrup Stir; strain into a cocktail glass; add a maraschino cherry. If you don’t have gum syrup (and who does?), just use simple syrup. The Metropolitan is the same; just use three dashes of Angostura instead of the other bitters; increase the simple syrup to a barspoon; and cut the cognac in half. That would put the drink into aperitif territory, although brandy is always nice after a meal, if you need something a little less boozy for a postprandial. Wondrich suggests a lemon twist for this one, as do I. Last but not least, we must discuss the “Corpse Reviver No. 1.” Similar to the story of Jacob and Esau, this big brother lost its place to the “Corpse Reviver No. 2.” What can I say? The No. 2 is a flawless drink. But does that mean No. 1 doesn’t deserve any love? On the contrary—this is a really delicious cocktail!
A modern take on the Champs Elysees is rich with a full mouthfeel. Kevin Carlow
There are two main reasons this drink doesn’t get a lot of love these days … maybe 2 1/2. One: It’s the more popular brotherfrom-another-mother: Two: It was classified as an “eye-opener,” or morning hangover cure (gosh, people drank for real in those days), whereas no one in the modern era would consider it appropriate before dinner. Two and a half: modern American bartenders’ general ignorance of brandy and cognac cocktails. From Harry Craddock in the Savoy: One quarter Italian (sweet) vermouth One quarter apple brandy or Calvados One half brandy Shake well and strain into a cocktail glass; to be taken before 11 a.m., or whenever steam or energy are needed. OK, Harry, but we’d have a hard time keeping a job, or a family, or a license if we followed your advice these days. Notice there’s no garnish; I’m surprised he didn’t say to shake and strain it directly into one’s mouth. By the way, don’t shake this one; as I have said many times, these old recipes are not to be trusted sometimes. Here’s a more modern take, based on the Manhattan. 1 ounce of Laird’s Bonded Apple Brandy or Calvados 1 ounce of cognac 1 ounce of sweet vermouth Stir; strain into cocktail glass; garnish with a cherry. Since fall is coming (everywhere but here), you could garnish with an apple slice, I guess. The subtle apple flavor makes it perfect for the fall, but it doesn’t give hayride or cider-apple vibes, so it’s good any time of year. But it’s still not good for breakfast. Brandy … she’s a fine girl, a firework even. Give these drinks a spot in your rotation, and they’ll definitely expand your horizons! Kevin Carlow can be reached at CrypticCocktails@gmail.com.
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TRADITIONAL PLUS FLAIR
Chad Gardner’s 533 Viet Fusion melds Vietnamese, French and Pan-Asian influences
BY andrew smith
W
hen Chad Gardner assumed ownership of Pho 533 in 2015, he purchased it from a Vietnamese refugee. The restaurant takes its name from the number painted on the side of the U.S. Navy ship that saved Ahn ho Rock during the fall of Saigon. “I see myself as the steward of her story, recipes and vision,” Gardner said. He later changed the name to 533 Viet Fusion to reflect his own influences. “I took a lot of the classic recipes and put my own twist on them,” Gardner said, “then added my own items as the restaurant has grown.” While the menu is still quintessentially Vietnamese, it also includes wider Our most recent trip started with an order Asian influences, local California ingredients— of wok’d ginger green beans. They’re the and a little French flair. thinner French haricots verts, naturally. I was The latter is a natural extension given the amazed by the abundant flavor that belied heavy French influence in Vietnamese history its simplicity. While the dish is seasoned with and culture. Gardner cites the story of the just a little ginger, tamari and sriracha, it’s the banh mi as an example: “The French literally charred, smoky flavor that brings it to life. took traditional Vietnamese ingredients and “It’s called wok hei,” Gardner explained when threw them into a baguette.” I quizzed him about it later, referring to the The cross between traditional and fusion extreme heat that imparts that magic, smoky cuisine makes for a vibrant menu. 533 Viet caramelization. Fusion’s open floorplan bustles with energy, Given its prominent presence, we could offering a full view of the bar and showpiece not neglect the spring roll bar. Gardner spring roll counter. Ambient music plays envisioned the counter and workspace as energetically overhead, amidst the colorful, “a fusion with the Japanese sushi theme.” eclectic, retro-modern décor.
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The mushroom soba spring roll at 533 Viet Fusion. Andrew Smith
That’s also reflected in the spring roll’s presentation: “I wanted to make spring rolls with nontraditional ingredients, cut them into bite-size pieces to make them shareable, and serve them on boards,” he said. A spring roll plate literally looks like a sushi plate, complete with dipping sauce and chopsticks. The BLT roll captures the imagination with braised pork belly, lobster, lettuce, soba noodles and sriracha mayo. We also opted for the mushroom soba roll with roasted mushrooms, soba noodles, avocado, Fresno chiles, jicama, Thai basil and mint, served with a tamari dipping sauce. Each bite delivers a mélange of fresh, clean vegetables, the roast of the mushrooms and the spice of the chili. Next up was the pad Thai. We ordered the vegetarian version; the fresh, crispness of the vegetables is brought to life by the light, smoky pan char. Served with scallions, egg, sweet peppers and onions, this noodle dish makes for a tasty medley. “The secret is in the sauce,” Gardner said. “It takes hours to make. We’re peeling fresh tamarind, then building flavor upon flavor upon flavor.” He forgoes the traditional shrimp paste in the base, mindful of vegetarian diets and shellfish allergies, and the result is a showcase of umami and robustness; this is a dish my vegetarian wife absolutely loved. “The chicken pad Thai is our No. 1 seller,” Gardner said. “I’ve had people tell me it’s the best in town.” At Gardner’s suggestion, I had to try the osso buco. I wouldn’t normally need much convincing to order this prime meat … but at a Vietnamese restaurant? When it’s listed as “chile braised”? It’s actually a twist on bun bo hue (also on the menu), a dish that typically includes beef bones added to a red pepper and lemongrass broth. “We actually drop those whole beautiful pieces of osso buco into the broth,” Gardner said, “then make it into a coconut gravy.” It’s a culinary upgrade that transforms Vietnamese street food into a French bistro plate. The osso buco is succulent, tender and rich, while the
sauce has multiple layers of flavor. It’s a little spicy, elevating slightly with each bite—but the tempering coconut and depth of flavor keep you going back for bite after bite. Although I did not order it on my last visit, I’d be remiss not to mention the pièce de résistance: The Vietnamese crepe is the reason I keep going back to 533. The name might lead you to believe this is another cross-cultural hybrid, but it is French only in its translated name. It is, in fact, a dish that originated in the remote villages of Vietnam before finding its way to the streets and restaurants of Saigon. The Vietnamese call the crepe banh xeo, or “sizzling cake,” a reference to the sound the batter makes upon hitting the pan. It looks like an omelet, but it’s an eggless mix of rice flour, coconut milk and turmeric. “Many restaurants use a packaged mix,” Gardner said. “We make ours daily. It’s fresh and adds a little more sponginess to the crisp texture.” The crepe is folded and stuffed with pork, tiger shrimp, bean sprouts, carrots and scallions. The sautéed shrimp and pork have that fantastic wok-seared, smoky flavor, but this is a dish that exponentially exceeds the sum of its individual parts. “Traditionally, you’d break it up into small pieces, wrap it in the leaf lettuce, and dip it in the nuoc cham,” Gardner said. “A few of our customers do that, but most just eat it with a knife and fork, myself included.” Personally, I have no qualms about getting my hands messy. It’s all part of the fun—and the authenticity. With its array of both traditional and unique dishes, a delightful medley of flavor profiles, and original presentations, 533’s food is equal parts fun and flavor. The layout of the restaurant and the presentation of the plates encourage socialization. Such is the creativity—you’ll find a plate full of conversation. It’s also entertaining to foodwatch and people-watch around the room. Not only is a meal at 533 Viet Fusion a veritable exploration of flavor; it’s also an immersive experience that transcends what’s on the plate.
COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 29
OCTOBER 2021
the
FOOD & DRINK INDY ENDORSEMENT This month, we enjoy a Jordanian specialty, plus savory crepes in Palm Springs By Jimmy Boegle
WHAT The mensaf WHERE Taste the World Bar and Grill, 411 E. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs HOW MUCH $24 CONTACT 619-813-3744; tastetheworldpalmsprings.com WHY It’s unique and delicious Evzin Mediterranean Cuisine owner John Tsoutis broke a lot of foodies’ hearts when he shut down his two Coachella Valley restaurants in favor of a Seal Beach venture. However, those foodies should know that a new restaurant, also offering Mediterranean fare, has opened in the former Evzin Palm Springs space—and that there’s a lot of potential there. My friends Brad and Jeffrey joined me one recent Monday night at Taste the World Bar and Grill, inside the Caliente Tropics hotel, for a delicious meal. We started off with the dolmades ($10), the baba ganoush ($10) and the hummus ($10), all of which were enjoyable—especially the dolmades; the vegetarian grape leaves were devoured rather quickly. For entrées, we decided to split the oozie ($19) and the mensaf ($24). If you’re like me, you’re probably wondering: What in the heck are oozie and mensaf? The answers, per the Taste of the World menu: Oozie is a choice of meat (we chose chicken) “with cooked chopped onion, slice almonds, mixed with rice and spices,” and served with salad and tzatziki sauce. The mensaf—a Jordanian specialty—is a similar rice dish, but the meat (lamb, in this case) is cooked with fermented yogurt, and it’s all served with a side of mensaf yogurt. That mensaf was the star of the meal; the lamb was cooked perfectly, and that yogurt sauce was divine. The folks at Taste the World Bar and Grill are definitely working out some kinks; while we were the only dine-in customers for most of the evening, there was an overlong lag between the starters and the main courses. But imperfections are to be expected at brand-new places—and the food was good enough to get me quite excited about Taste of the World’s future.
WHAT The chicken pesto crepe WHERE Gabino’s Creperie, 170 E. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs HOW MUCH $13 for full size CONTACT 760-808-8150; gabinos-creperie.com WHY The crispy cheese cooked into the outside. When I think of crepes, I think of thin little things, usually sweet, often with Nutella involved. Gabino’s Creperie has me changing my ways of thinking. At this delightful little holein-the wall near Kreem and Dead or Alive, the crepes are thick, savory … and oh-so-good. On our recent lunch visit, the hubby and I decided to get three different full-size crepes to-go (seeing as Gabino’s seating is outdoors, and temps were already in the triple-digits). Our choices: The chicken pesto (with chicken, American cheese, lettuce, cherry tomato, red onion, pesto and a jalapeno/cilantro “secret sauce”); the turkey cheddar (with turkey, cheddar, lettuce, cherry tomato, red onion and the secret sauce); and the BBQ chicken (with chicken, lettuce, cherry tomato, corn, crispy onions and barbecue sauce). All crepes come with a cheese blend and chimichurri; a gluten-free crepe option and various add-ons are also available. First things first: One large crepe is a sufficient meal, for even hefty eaters. The hubby primarily ate the chicken pesto crepe, while I devoured the turkey cheddar; we each took a bite of the BBQ chicken before putting it aside it for later. As for the flavor: While all the crepes were quite enjoyable, the hubby lucked out by getting most of the chicken pesto crepe. The chicken was moist and delicious, and the pesto was the perfect complement. The lettuce was crisp; the cherry tomatoes were juicy and tasty. My favorite element, however, which was present on all three crepes, was the cheese: It’s cooked into and outside of the crepe, meaning every bite has crispy, cheesy goodness. As I write this, I keep thinking of that cheesy, pesto-y crepe. And my mouth is watering.
350 S. Indian Canyon Drive, Palm Springs Back from vacation Tuesday, Oct. 5 Open at 5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; order at rioazul.pay.link CVIndependent.com
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Restaurant NEWS BITES By charles drabkin
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A REOPENING; A NEW PLACE; AN OPENING COMING SOON The restaurant universe is clearly in motion—as we’re starting to seeing lots of changes and openings across the valley. First up: There’s a new chef at the recently reopened Four Saints, located on the top floor of the Kimpton Rowan Palm Springs, at 100 W. Tahquitz Canyon Way, in Palm Springs. Chef Ysaac Ramirez was most recently at King’s Highway at the Ace Hotel and Swim Club; he brings a Southern twist to high-quality California ingredients. Menu highlights include the charred maitake mushrooms with red grits and green apple, as a starter ($14), and the bone-in Peads and Barnetts pork chop with radicchio and plum agrodolce ($39) as an entrée; get details at www.4saintspalmsprings.com. In Palm Desert, the new Jolene’s Bar and Lounge, at 74868 Country Club Drive, No. 103, has small plates, paninis and charcuterie, as well as craft cocktails, available Thursday through Sunday. Stop in for a bite and a drink, and enjoy live music. Make reservations and learn more at jolenespalmdesert.com. Meanwhile, in Cathedral City, a new restaurant is coming soon to the Mary Pickford Theatre area. Salt Flats, at 68718 E Palm Canyon Drive, Suite 101—in the space most recently home to Los Arcos— will offer modern American food celebrating desert culture; the owners promise to highlight regional farms. Check out www.saltflatsfood.com to peruse the planned menu and learn more. IN BRIEF And now, a series of chain-restaurant news items. First up: Florida-based I Heart Mac and Cheese is making its first foray into California at 190 S. Indian Canyon Drive, in Palm Springs. The franchise owners promise to stay open until after the bars close; the restaurant will serve traditional and “loaded” mac-and-cheese bowls and sandwiches, along with a variety of health-conscious options. I imagine it will be popular with hungry bachelorettes before they head back to their AirBnBs for the night; find out more at www.iheartmacandcheese.com. … It’s yet another place to get fried chicken in the Coachella Valley: A Raising Cane’s is coming to the shopping center on Ramon Road and San Luis Rey Drive. The place serves chicken fingers, fries, Texas toast and coleslaw. There is no word yet on an opening date, nor have they said whether they’ll give away defibrillator paddles with every 10th order. The website is www.raisingcanes.com. … Further down Ramon Road—at 68031 Ramon, specifically—is a new Cluckin Bun. This Nashville-style fried-chicken place, based in Inglewood, touts the fact that the chicken is breaded with Hot Cheetos. I am not sure what to think of that; decide for yourself at cluckinbun.com. … And now for chain coffee news: Two new Starbucks are set to open in Palm Springs: One will be in the center anchored by Albertson’s at the corner of Sunrise Way and Vista Chino; the other will near the Raising Cane’s at Ramon and San Luis Rey. This means we’re two steps closer to fulfilling Herbert Hoover’s dream of a Starbucks on every corner. … Dutch Bros. coffee is now open at 81776 Highway 111, in Indio; there’s also one located at 44175 Jefferson St., in La Quinta. This chain is known for its coffee, smoothies and other drinks meant to get you going. The company famously gives back lots of dollars to local communities, so you can feel good while sipping; learn more at dutchbros.com. … Another option: You could head over to the Indio Food Park, at 82868 Miles Ave., and grab a cup of Amigo’s Coffee and a breakfast burrito. Find out more at indiofoodpark. com. … The Steak House at Agua Caliente Palm Springs, at 401 E. Amado Road, Palm Springs, has brought the weekend brunch back to the casino. The seafood platter for two, and chilaquiles verdes with New York steak, should not be missed; peruse the menu at sparesortcasino.com. … Another new wine and beer shop has passed the approval process: Hyphen, a natural wine and organic beer shop, is set to open at 1007 N. Palm Canyon Drive, in Palm Springs, sometime in the coming months. Owner John Libonati has a similar wine shop in Boston as well as a bar in New York City. … The Tropicale Restaurant and Lounge, at 330 E. Amado Road, in Palm Springs, has begun an expansion of its patio. The news was announced via a somewhat cryptic video on Facebook; a call to the restaurant confirmed the patio expansion is in the works. The website is apps.thetropicale.com. … Finally, congratulations to three Coachella Valley restaurants for making it onto OpenTable’s 100 Best Neighborhood Gems in America for 2021: 1501 Uptown Gastropub, Si Bon and Spencer’s Restaurant. OpenTable analyzed internal data generated from diner reviews between April 1, 2020, and March 31, 2021. How’d they make the list? “All restaurants with a minimum ‘overall’ score and number of qualifying reviews were included for consideration. Qualifying restaurants were then scored and sorted according to the sum of tags for which ‘neighborhood gems’ and ‘outdoor dining’ was selected as a special feature.” Got a hot tip? Let me know: foodnews@cvindependent.com.
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COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 33
OCTOBER 2021
MUSIC OVERFLOW OF LIFE
CVINDEPENDENT.COM/MUSIC
The members of Middle Kids, coming to Pappy and Harriet’s, try to stay present, live life—and create
By matt king
W
hen it comes to writing music, inspiration can come from fictitious tales—or personal events. But when music becomes your life, what do you write about? This is conundrum for Middle Kids, the Australian indie-rock trio that includes a married couple—singer Hannah Joy and guitarist Tim Fitz—as well as drummer Harry Day. Joy pours real emotion and reflection into their music, which you can witness for yourself when Middle Kids performs at Pappy and Harriet’s the pandemic—but rather than playing live Pioneertown Palace on Thursday, Oct. 14. in a studio, Middle Kids pre-recorded the “It’s huge to be playing in general, because it’s segments and sent them in. been a minute,” Joy said during a recent phone “We played some talk shows a few years ago, interview. “In Australia, we had a glimpse of real so we got to have that cool experience of being life; we played some shows in April and May, in America, and meeting the hosts, and having but everyone had to be seated, and we had a that experience—but it was very insane,” Joy lot of restrictions for it. This is going to be the said. “You go in; you plug in; and you basically first time playing real, stand-up Middle Kids have one take, and you play, whereas doing shows in almost two years, which is crazy. We’re them at home is so different. You have to excited for that generally, but then also, just kind of curate the whole thing and have some coming to America is very fun for us. sort of vision for it. … It’s so separated and “We’ve also heard about Pappy and Harriet’s removed that it doesn’t even really feel like before; it sounds really cool, and they’ve just what it actually is, but it was kind of cool from moved (the show) outdoors as well, so I think a creative perspective to think of a cool way it’s going to be super fun. I don’t think we’re to perform a particular song, and we’ve had going to know what to do with ourselves with fun being able to make these videos and make all of this pent-up energy.” them interesting.” Touring in more than one country during As the band progressed, the members of a pandemic has been a weird experience for Middle Kids became creatures of the road. Middle Kids. While the pandemic has not “We released our first song, and then it got hit Australia nearly as hard as it has hit the traction in a way that we were quite surprised,” U.S., Australia has endured some restrictive said Joy. “We just started touring and never lockdowns. really stopped until we had to, and got to the “The whole thing has just been so crazy, point where we’re like, ‘Oh, shit, we need to but I think for Australia, our last two years make an album.’ We were always on the road. have been so different,” said Joy. “We’re now We had a home studio, so if we had a couple in the thick of it, in terms of lockdown; we’ve days off, we’d pop in. But we just love playing been in lockdown for months. But, just like so much, so it kind of makes sense why we everyone, every day, we’re like, ‘What’s going would tour a lot, because every night, we get to happen?’” to do our favorite thing. “We make a lot of The band appeared on a couple of American the music in this kind of piecemeal way. I’ll network late-night shows over the course of often write the song and then workshop it,
Middle Kids. Ellen Virgona
and then we might record guitars one day and something else another day. We’ve never really done the ‘go into the studio for a month and hang out’ kind of thing. “It’s been so hard for us during this time, because we don’t know who we are. You get so used to being a little road doggy. It’s like such a different way of life; now I’m trying to be like a normal person at home when I just want to be hung over and eat burgers all day on the road.” On the other hand, Joy said the band appreciated the downtime. “It’s really cool to have some space and be able to reflect,” Joy said. “When you’re touring so much, you just kind of go go go, go go, and then you can be like, ‘Oh, where am I?’ It’s been really cool for us to be like, ‘Who are we? Who do we want to be?’ Particularly musically—we are trying to make the next record, and it’s really nice to have the space and not feel like the creativity has to be fought for on these little patches between a lot of touring.” In March, Middle Kids released sophomore album Today We’re the Greatest. “So much of the music and what we make is just an overflow of life, and I really have felt that the more I try to stay present and live life, that really influences the music that we make,” said Joy. “For the last record, I felt like I was striving to have more of an emotional spectrum. … The songs only come if I’m present and raw, and to match that sonically is where a lot of exploration comes for us as a band. Being an indie-rock band, it will always probably stay in that kind of indie-rock format with 3 1/2 minute songs with guitars and synths—but it’s cool to see how you can grow as an artist, even within the confines of your genre.” Experimentation and honesty in any band can be difficult—let alone a band that’s basically family. “Sometimes things just kind of roll the way that you roll,” said Joy. “We are all very close, and we all have an alignment in terms of wanting to live an integrated and holistic life. It can be intense, but I think life is always intense, and you just have to deal with that. We’re all seeking a big, exciting life, so that becomes like the creative manifesto just by default.” Middle Kids will perform with Deep Sea Diver at 8 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 14, at Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace, 53688 Pioneertown Road, in Pioneertown. Tickets are $20. For tickets or more information, call 760-228-2222, or visit pappyandharriets.com.
The Venue REPORT october 2021 By matt king
Dustin Lynch
Happy October! While more and more events are taking place, pandemic uncertainty continues—so please be safe in your travels; watch for possible cancellations; and bring proof of vaccination, as you just may need it to get into your show(s) of choice. Oh, one more thing: Enjoy your Halloween! Fantasy Springs is offering a rather diverse lineup this month. At 8 p.m., Friday, Oct. 1, classic rockers America (fun fact: actually from England) are set to perform. Tickets range from $29 to $59. Funkateer and everfamous name Chaka Khan is coming to town at 8 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 2. Tickets range from $49 to $89. At 8 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 16, the seven-time Grammy-winning “Empress of Soul” herself, Gladys Knight, will perform. Tickets range from $39 to $79. Classic-rock-heads can pay tribute to Led Zeppelin at 8 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 23, with Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening. (Yes, he’s John’s son.) Tickets range from $29 to $59. Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, 84245 Indio Springs Parkway, Indio; 760-342-5000; www. fantasyspringsresort.com. Agua Caliente in Rancho Mirage is also seemingly featuring something for everyone. At 8 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 2, pay homage to Queen with The Ultimate Queen Celebration Starring Marc Martel. Tickets range from $25 to $35. Arguably one of the greatest vocal groups in modern history, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons is coming to town at 8 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 9. Tickets range from $95 to $125. Actor Kevin Costner’s country band—yes, you read that right—appropriately named Kevin Costner and Modern West, is slated to play at 8 p.m., Friday, Oct. 22. Tickets range from $45 to $80. At 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 23, country star Dustin Lynch will mosey on in. Tickets range from $45 to $75. Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa Rancho Mirage, 32250 Bob Hope Drive, Rancho Mirage; 888-999-1995; www.hotwatercasino.com. continued on Page 36 CVIndependent.com
34 \\ COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT
OCTOBER 2021
MUSIC
CVINDEPENDENT.COM/MUSIC
A MUSIC SAFE SPACE R
By matt king
ecord Alley was the top Coachella Valley music store for decades—a premier spot for music in all formats, plus a hangout spot for people of all ages. After the store closed, valley vinyl enthusiasts wondered where to take their business. Finders Thrift and Vinyl in La Quinta was one of the options. However, owner Matt Lehman earlier this year transitioned his business into the online Spatula City Records shop and departed for Arizona. Shortly thereafter, the building on Calle Tampico became Finders Keepers Records, with new owner Sean Cox. Cox had been the entertainment supervisor started unofficially working for him; he started at Agua Caliente Rancho Mirage for five taking me along on buys; he started teaching years. Then the pandemic came, and he found me the ropes, and it is still something that I’m himself without work. learning. I’m still learning a lot about presses, “Then one day, Matt Lehman called,” quality and how to fix warps. I think it’s going Cox said during a recent interview. “I was to be a lifelong process, or at least for as long a customer of Matt’s who became a friend as I’ve got this, which will hopefully be for a … but I still came in and bought ridiculous long time.” amounts of albums from him. He called me The store has been open as Finders Keepers in November of last year, and said, ‘I’ve got a Records since May. huge buy. I’ve got to take the truck, and I need “I’ve heard the expression, ‘If you do what another man to help me do this.’ I’m like, OK, you like, you’ll never work a day in your life,’ great. No problem,’ and on the way to the buy, and this is the first time I’ve actually felt it,” we started talking about what his future plans Cox said. “Have I had slow days? Yeah, of were. Spatula City Records was already online course I’ve had slow days, but right now, I’m by then, and he knew he was going to move doing OK, as far as money goes.” to Arizona, and he just kind of said, ‘Have you Cox also said he’s happy about the vibe he’s ever thought about owning a record store?’” created. Cox hadn’t. But by the end of the drive, he “There are people who come in and feel already had a rough mental plan in place. comfortable here, and I like that,” he said. “The fact that we both had support from “Once we get on the other side of this our spouses made us both genuinely excited, (pandemic), people want to do listening parties and then we were off and running,” Cox said. “I here, where they don’t necessarily need to buy
The racks at Finders Keepers Records used to be at Record Alley. Photo courtesy of Sean Cox
CVIndependent.com
Sean Cox, owner of La Quinta’s Finders Keepers Records, helps keep the valley’s love of vinyl alive
anything, but someone just brings an album that they’re really passionate about. It’s that kind of community so far. … It feels like it’s a safe space. “There was a kid in earlier, and he’s big on electronica, and I don’t know a lot about electronica. But he felt like it was cool enough to come in here and bring two albums of his to play for me, to say, ‘Hey, this is what I’m into,’ and I fucking love that. I love that he feels safe.” While he admits he was taking a big chance by taking over the record store, Cox said he now knows it was the right thing to do. “I’ve had 12-year-old kids come into my shop, and they’re used to their phones,” Cox said. “I love the fact that they can come in now—and they get excited about finding liner notes, posters or label artwork. That’s totally cool, and it’s something that’s been my thing, because I was raised on albums.” Cox said he’s comfortable with the fact that he may mess up sometimes. “Matt was very good at a lot of things, but I think one of the biggest things that Matt was very good at was being able to look at me and tell me, ‘You’re going to make mistakes,’” Cox said. “‘There’s going to be a press of something that you’re going to sell—that’s going to be a press that should have been sold for more.’ … The only pressure I think I felt, and still do feel, is this weird month-to-month thing of being the adult and paying the bills here and paying the bills at home.” Looking toward the future, Cox said he wants to grow his business—without stepping on any toes. “I’ve been in business for a quarter, so I’m still looking at my numbers and going, ‘OK, am I doing this right?” Cox said. “Would I love to be able to open up a bigger space? Yeah, I think so. Would I love to be able to have live bands like (Dale’s Records in Palm Desert) does? Yeah, but Dale’s already got that, and I do not want to step on Dale’s toes, because I owe Dale a lot, too. Dale was still working at Record Alley when I first met him, and Dale and I bonded over punk rock. I was a friend of Dale’s first, and now it doesn’t feel like there’s any kind of competition, but I think if I started booking bands, it’s something that I would want to ask Dale about first.” While Cox is encouraged about the future of his store, he did express some concern about the state of the vinyl-records business. “We’ve got six active record stores in the valley right now, and with the way vinyl is right now, I don’t know if used is sustainable,”
Sean Cox.
he said. “In the small time that I’ve been in business, people are starting to get a little bit more knowledgeable about what they have. … I think these are going to be a little bit more scarce in the future, but I could be completely and totally wrong. There are also only two pressing plants in the U.S., so I think (new vinyl) is going to be more scarce. I think that people are going to hold on to (vinyl records) more, because they can see right now how much things are going for.” Finally, Cox said he’s proud of the connection Finders Keepers Records has to the late, lamented Record Alley. “I’ve got Record Alley’s racks, and I’ve always thought that was totally cool,” said Cox. “It’s kind of hippie-dippie. It’s kind of sentimental, but it means something to me to have 40 years of the valley’s history in the shop, and I kind of want the valley to know that. … Whenever anybody mentions Record Alley, I ask if the racks look familiar. I’m honored to be a part of that lineage, because coming out here, being a music head, one of the first things I did was research the desert scene. Being a metalhead, the only band I knew was Kyuss, which begat Queens of the Stone Age. Then coming out here, I learned more about Sean Wheeler, Brant Bjork, Fatso Jetson and all these guys who were the scene before nothing was out here. Knowing how Record Alley was a part of that, I really think it’s cool that I’ve got that anchor to the desert scene.” For more information, visit www.findkeeprecords.com.
COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 35
OCTOBER 2021
MUSIC
CVINDEPENDENT.COM/MUSIC
DETERMINED TO DEFY
Black Midi brings its unique U.K. rock and a wild stage show to Pappy and Harriet’s
By matt king
I
’ve been to a lot of concerts, and I have been battered and bruised in mosh pits at venues across California. So I’ll be ready when the wildly exuberant Black Midi arrives at Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace on Saturday, Oct. 9. The London-based rock band is known for both stage energy and sonic experimentation. Listen to any song or watch a video of any show, and the band’s unique song structure will become apparent. It’s the result of a Whenever we just want to play, or get back into combination of effects pedals, pulsating the routine, we’ll often play there. The first rhythms and vocal expressions ranging from night that the United Kingdom reopened, we narration to exaggeration. did an AC/DC cover set. It was one of the best “Generally, we’re all on the same page in nights, because that music is so fucking cool, that we want to keep shows interesting,” and it was our first time feeling like we were drummer Morgan Simpson said during a back to normal—even though we’re not going recent phone interview. “We never want to be there for a little while.” to play the same two shows in our lives, so Simpson said the band managed to find we’re always open to other ways of making some positives in the pandemic downtime. the shows fun, because that’s what it’s about. “We’re in a very fortunate position The nature of the material we play, as well, where we have support from our label and definitely helps inform the shows, because publishers, and we have a great team around the music is so formulaic that it can always be us,” Simpson said. “Our management has played in a different way. We kind of got into really helped us get through a difficult time. I a bit of a rut where we weren’t really into the think financially, as a band, we’ve always been music we were playing as much as we felt that quite stable, which is not that common at all, we should’ve been. I feel like now we’re all so we all realize that and are very grateful for really fond of the music, and naturally, that that. I think it just meant that we had time to makes the vibe better.” reset as individuals, but also with the band. The band’s second album, Cavalcade, Pre-pandemic, we were all quite exhausted released in May of this year, was made as in ways. I don’t want to speak for the other the members of Black Midi went through guys, but definitely for me, I felt mentally, some trials and tribulations. Guitarist emotionally and physically exhausted from all Matt Kwasniewski-Kelvin took a break for the touring that we’ve been doing—which is mental-health reasons—and then came the obviously amazing, and what we want to do, pandemic. While debut album Schlagenheim but it really takes a toll sometimes that you was driven by improvisation, individual don’t really realize. members wrote songs for Cavalcade, a move “You don’t realize what state your body and that further added to Black Midi’s mythos of mind are in until you give them the chance unpredictability. to actually rest. It was a great reset, and it “The material from the second record is allowed us to reassess where we were at, and still quite new, and there are still areas that just really pinpoint what we want with the can be explored,” Simpson said. “We’re totally band. I think naturally, as a lot of bands do, down to start changing the actual nature of you just end up touring a lot, and playing the songs and structures, because I think it’s a lot of the same shows with the same set, a good thing when people can never really and it’s hard to maintain that sort of spark predict what show they’re going to get. Even you’re searching for when you play music. You for us, it’s a cool thing when you don’t really want things to feel really in the moment and know what sort of show you’re going to end primal, and I think we weren’t getting that up with. Obviously, we have a good idea, but until we individually reassessed, came back sometimes, when you’re on that stage, shit together, and actively decided to head into a happens that you don’t plan for.” slightly different direction.” As frequent tourers, the members of Black That said, the shutdowns did cost the Midi are ecstatic about the return of live band some notable moments—including a shows. scheduled appearance at Coachella. “We’ve had quite a few warmup shows at “There’s a sense of disappointment when The Windmill in Brixton,” Simpson said. “We things you think are going to happen don’t wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for that place, happen, but to even have the opportunities because that was where we did our first gig. that we have had is such a blessing,” Simpson
Black Midi. Yis Kid
said. “That in itself is kind of enough. We’re in such an incredible position that it was just so awesome to have those opportunities. I think we all realize that, at some point, these things will happen anyway.” Some love Black Midi’s unique sound, while others do not. As for criticism, Simpson said it does not matter to him. “There’s some sort of weird energy in music, especially in the rockier side of U.K. music,” Simpson said. “There’s a very particular crowd that’s a fan of that kind of thing, and sometimes you can just get weird, resentful, jealous energy. I strongly feel that if you’re receiving that sort of energy, you’re doing something right, and you should
continue to do that. I don’t want speak for the other guys, but I don’t actually care what anyone says. You can’t care what people say; otherwise, it will just start informing your decisions and your opinions. … You can listen to what your friends say, but I don’t give a fuck what some guy in Manchester says about the band; we’re doing our thing, and we’re going to continue to do it.” Black Midi will perform at 8 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 9, at Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace, 53688 Pioneertown Road, in Pioneertown. Tickets are $27.61 For tickets or more information, call 760-228-2222, or visit pappyandharriets.com. CVIndependent.com
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The Venue REPORT continued from page 33
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Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday 4 - 6pm LIVE JAZZ with Mark Kahny
The Cathedral City Agua Caliente is set for a spooky time at its Halloween Bash: From 7 p.m. to 1:30 a.m., starting on Saturday, Oct. 30, experience festivities like a magician, a costume contest and two sets from LA Allstars. Tickets are $20. Agua Caliente Cathedral City, 68960 E. Palm Canyon Drive, Cathedral City; 888-999-1995; www. aguacalientecasinos.com/cc. Jazzville continues at Agua Caliente in Palm Springs every Thursday at 7 p.m. Highlights include: The MFUO Quintet, a blend of gospel, jazz and blues with a modern touch, on Oct. 7. On Oct. 14, catch the Rumproller Organ Trio for some organ, sax and vocal action. Enjoy a loving nod to “The Father of Chicano Music” with a Lalo Guerrero Tribute on Oct. 28. Tickets for all shows start at $10, available at www.jazzvillepalmsprings.com. Also at Agua Caliente in Palm Springs: Chadwick Johnson will be performing “Soul Standards” at 8 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 23. The following day, Jonathan Karrant celebrates America’s crooners at 8 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 24. Tickets for both shows range from $30 to $40. A new Friday comedy series recently began—and Caliente Comedy is set to bring lots of laughs this month. Catch Pablo Francisco on Oct. 8, or Tom Arnold on Oct. 29, just to name a few. You must be 21 to attend; tickets start at $29.99 and can be found at www. eventspalmsprings.com/caliente-comedy. Agua Caliente Casino Palm Springs, 401 E. Amado Road, Palm Springs; 888-999-1995; www.sparesortcasino.com. Morongo Casino Resort and Spa is bringing the funk and soul to start the month: At 9 p.m., Friday, Oct. 1, The Commodores will bring a career of jams to Cabazon. Tickets range from $29 to $59. Morongo Casino Resort Spa, 49500 Seminole Drive, Cabazon; 800-2524499; www.morongocasinoresort.com. Pappy and Harriet’s has a full lineup of events; here are some that stand out and/ or still have tickets available. Punk pioneers Dead Kennedys intend to shake up the dustbowl on Friday, Oct. 8, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $30. At 8 p.m., Friday, Oct. 15, country music singer Elizabeth Cook, who has more than 400 appearances at the Grand Ole Opry to her credit, arrives at Pioneertown. Tickets are $25. Indie and folk rock fuse together for Fruit Bats, a band that’s set to perform at 8 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 16. Tickets are $25 to 30. Folk band Vetiver will be taking the stage at 8 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 23. Tickets are $25 to $30. Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace, 53688 Pioneertown Road, Pioneertown; 760365-5956; www.pappyandharriets.com. The Purple Room in Palm Springs is set to paint the town, well, purple this month! Catch a two-night stint with award-winning pianist, singer and musical director Billy Stritch, at 8
p.m., Friday, Oct. 8, and Saturday, Oct. 9. Tickets are $55 to $60. Palm Springs favorites Branden and James return for a weekend, this time performing hits from “The Lady Gaga Songbook” at 8 p.m., Friday, Oct. 15, and Saturday, Oct. 16. Tickets are $40. At 8 p.m., Friday, Oct. 22, Tony-nominated legend Sharon McNight will take the stage. Tickets are $30. Michael Holmes’ Purple Room, 1900 E. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs; 760-3224422; www.purpleroompalmsprings.com. Love on local artists this month with the help of Coachella Valley Brewing Co. At 3 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 3, enjoy an Acoustic Afternoon with Courtney Chambers, The Sieve and the Saddle, and Matt Davin. For the grooves, you’ll want to head to Groovetoberfest at 7 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 9, featuring music by Alien DNA. On Saturday, Oct. 23, the Octoberfest Party begins at 2 p.m. Featured performers include Tim “From Down The Street,” Nick Hales, The Sieve and the Saddle, Matt Davin, Kristopher Do, Allies, Delta Fuzz and The Ill Eagles. Halloween Eve—Saturday, Oct. 30—means it’s Scaretoberfest at CVB. Starting at 7 p.m., come witness some dark and heavy music by Yoves, Holy Corrupt and Grins and Lies. All shows are free and open to all ages. Coachella Valley Brewing Company, 30640 Gunther St., Thousand Palms; 760-343-5973.
Billy Stritch
COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 37
OCTOBER 2021
MUSIC
CVINDEPENDENT.COM/MUSIC
the
LUCKY 13
Get to know one of the valley’s standout metal guitarists, and a familiar face from Record Alley by matt king What’s the one song lyric you can’t get out of your head? “Bye, bye, Little Sebastian …” from “5,000 Candles in the Wind” by Mouse Rat, the No. 1 song from the fictional band fronted by Chris Pratt’s character in the TV show Parks and Rec. So stupid. So awesome.
NAME Ruben Torres GROUPS Call Upon Your Gods, In the Name of the Dead MORE INFO Ruben Torres is one of the Coachella Valley’s standout metal guitarists. As more and more shows come back, make sure you get out and see one of his bands ASAP! What was the first concert you attended? Sentenced, Dark Tranquillity, Killswitch Engage, and In Flames, in 2002. I want to say at The Glass House, Pomona. What was the first album you owned? Jurassic Park (soundtrack) by John Williams on cassette. Still have it. What bands are you listening to right now? Gojira, Mouse Rat, and Halsey. Halsey’s new album, which is produced by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, has been on repeat in my earbuds since it dropped. It is excellent! What artist, genre or musical trend does everyone love, but you don’t get? Country rap. What musical act, current or defunct, would you most like to see perform live? I would give anything to see Alexi Laiho (R.I.P.) play with Children of Bodom one more time. What’s your favorite musical guilty pleasure? Movie soundtracks, and possibly one or two pop acts. What’s your favorite music venue? The Whisky a Go Go, for both playing and attending.
What band or artist changed your life? Metallica. When I first picked up the guitar as a kid, some 23 years ago, I was playing a lot of alternative, punk and goth-rock stuff. Then I came across the tablature book for Metallica’s Master of Puppets album, and I’ve been playing metal guitar ever since. Never looked back. You have one question to ask one musician. What’s the question, and who are you asking? I would ask John Williams what his personal favorite score to work on was. What song would you like played at your funeral? “Firestarter” by The Prodigy. Figurative gun to your head, what is your favorite album of all time? The Fragile by Nine Inch Nails.
What bands are you listening to right now? Beebe Gallini, Derrick Anderson, Bird Streets, Chris Price, Paul Weller, Val McCallum, Rival Sons and Ani DiFranco. There’s always time for Elvis Costello, Joni Mitchell, Prince, and David Bowie. What artist, genre or musical trend does everyone love, but you don’t get? Where do I start? I’m an old lady, but I try to pay attention to new stuff, since I worked in music retail for over 40 years. Clearly, I succumbed to the allure of a boy band in my youth, but the appeal of BTS alludes me. What musical act, current or defunct, would you most like to see perform live? Prince, in a small club. What’s your favorite musical guilty pleasure? “Guilty pleasure” typically means corny stuff. I’m still a sucker for Donny and The Osmonds. What’s your favorite music venue? Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace. What’s the one song lyric you can’t get out of your head? “Bye Bye Love” by The Cars. What band or artist changed your life? Elvis Costello. A friend gave me a Police tape for my 17th birthday that I already had. I exchanged it for Elvis’ new album, Get Happy!!, and I wore it out. It was his fourth album; I backtracked and got the old ones. His lyrics were literate and vitriolic. The melodies were crisp and concise, a cut above most new wave. I’ve opened my mind to a ton of artists and genres that I might have avoided if not for Elvis. He made a country record 40 years ago, exactly
when I was deep into punk, and that made me re-evaluate that genre. He covered a Dylan song I didn’t know when I was 21 that sent me down a rabbit hole. He’s mastered a plethora of styles and turned me on to NRBQ, Richard Thompson, The Pogues, Aztec Camera, Chet Baker, Mose Allison—I could go on and on. You have one question to ask one musician. What’s the question, and who are you asking? I’d ask Rickie Lee Jones when she was returning to the desert to play a show, because I have loved her since I was 16, and I want her to play out here again. What song would you like played at your funeral? I’d need four songs: Ani DiFranco’s “Swan Dive,” Beach Boys “Surf’s Up,” Todd Rundgren’s “I Saw The Light” and Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides, Now” (the 2000 version, even though that douche-y Love Actually movie kind of ruined liking it). Figurative gun to your head, what is your favorite album of all time? Water-gun to head: Elvis Costello’s 1982 baroque masterpiece Imperial Bedroom. What song should everyone listen to right now? “Crazy Horses” by The Osmonds. It’s surprisingly bad-ass.
What song should everyone listen to right now? “Easier Than Lying” by Halsey. NAME Eleni Austin MORE INFO Valley music aficionados know the face and name of Eleni Austin. She graced the front desk at Record Alley for many years, offering both positive vibes and helpful recommendations. She writes for CV Weekly, reviewing albums with insight and knowledge. What was the first concert you attended? The Osmonds at Angels Stadium, 1972. My mom’s best friend worked for Gene Autry, so we got to go to the sound check. I was 9 years old. What was the first album you owned? First album: The Chipmunks Sing the Beatles Hits. First real rock album: James Taylor, Sweet Baby James. CVIndependent.com
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CANNABIS IN THE CV
CVINDEPENDENT.COM/NEWS
SATURATION SITUATION? A
by jocelyn kane
lot of people—especially in Palm Springs—are wondering out loud whether the local cannabis market is saturated. So … is it? In economics, market saturation occurs when a specific market has met and is no longer generating new demand for a certain product or service. This could happen due to a number of factors, including increased competition, a decreased need for a product, or obsolescence. However, none of these factors apply in the case of cannabis in the Coachella Valley. But are there just too many cannabis stores? There are 39.51 million people in Let’s look at the numbers and put them California, according to 2020 Census figures. in context. There are currently 52 operating In the state, there are 2,960 Starbucks stores. retail cannabis stores in Cathedral City, Desert There are 31,473 McDonald’s, Jack in the Box Hot Springs, Palm Desert, Coachella and, stores and the like (fast-food restaurants). In predominantly, Palm Springs. The other four other words, there is one Starbucks for every valley cities do not allow cannabis retail stores. 13,348 people in the state. There is one fast Statewide, as of Sept. 15, there are 885 food restaurant for every 1,255 people in storefront retail and 460 “delivery-only” the state. As for cannabis, there is one retail licenses active, according to the California license for every 25,940 people, using our Department of Cannabis Control. There aforementioned figure of 1,550 retail licenses. are an additional 381 “microbusiness” In the Coachella Valley’s nine cities, there licenses, but not all of these include a retail are 370,135 residents, according to the component. For simplicity, let’s say there are 2020 Census. Since there are 52 cannabis currently 1,550 retail licenses in California. businesses, that means there’s one for every (It’s also worth noting that not all licenses 7,118 residents. However, a number of nearby have an operating business attached to them, residents in unincorporated areas or Riverside as it takes quite a bit of time and money— County/San Bernardino County cities that often more than $1 million, according to don’t allow cannabis businesses come here cannabis-business software company Cova— to shop. We are also vacation and tourism to actually open and operate after licensure.) destination, and many of these millions of
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Affiliate Chamber
Are there too many cannabis businesses in the Coachella Valley? Let’s look at the numbers
visitors per year come, in part, to use legal cannabis during their visit. One local retail store owner reported nearly 50 customers per day in this last 12 months, and about 13,000 unique customers in the year. That’s not bad. Of course, each retail outlet is different in size and offerings, but it would seem that a number of local retailers are doing just fine. And the demand for cannabis is growing, too. According to Flowhub and Gallup, only 12% of American adults were active cannabis users in 2019, leaving loads of room for growth. Nationwide cannabis sales increased by 67% in 2020, and support for legalization is at an all-time high of 68%. Some 14% of American adults reported using CBD, for things such as pain, anxiety, sleep issues, arthritis and headaches. According to Marijuana Business Daily, experts anticipate the cannabis market will continue to grow, in light of the designation of cannabis businesses being “essential” during the pandemic, and the fact that investor interest remains high. In the Coachella Valley, the Greater Palm Springs Convention and Visitors Bureau is in process of creating a long-term cannabistourism promotional campaign, based on its own analysis of potential growth, new
interest and positive outcomes for the regional hospitality industry. Let’s focus in on Palm Springs, which is the valley city that has embraced cannabis businesses the most. According to Veronica Goedhart, the director of Palm Springs’ Department of Special Program Compliance, she has heard a few complaints that “there is a cannabis store every block”—but when she asks about the negative impacts, the complainants can’t come up with any specifics. She surmises that remaining cannabis stigma is the cause, and the market will find its own happy stasis. According to Goedhart, cannabis stores have done a tremendous job of cleaning up spaces that have been empty for a long time, and have improved street safety with their security teams. If someone does bring a complaint regarding a specific negative impact, her team makes a site visit. In conclusion, the Coachella Valley cannabis market does not seem to have reached saturation yet. There still seems to be plenty of room to grow—so don’t be surprised if cannabis is available for purchase next door to the nearest Starbucks one day soon. Jocelyn Kane can be reached at jocelyn@ coachellavalleycan.org.
COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 39
OCTOBER 2021
OPINION COMICS & JONESIN’ CROSSWORD
“On the M-end”—in both cases. By Matt Jones Across 1 Alan of M*A*S*H 5 Falling-out 9 “Human Behaviour” singer 14 Writing style where “computer” is “c0mpu732” 15 Daughter of LBJ 16 Enticing sort 17 Symposium for cinema buffs, maybe 19 Ammonia compound 20 e.e. cummings offering 22 Earth goddess created by Chaos 24 Roger’s 77 Sunset Strip co-star 25 “Born,” in some notices 26 Monetary notes? 28 South Park episode “Mr. Hankey, the Christmas ___” 30 O.J. trial judge Lance 31 Literary misprints 35 “Right Here Waiting” singer Richard 39 Princess Peach’s realm,
in the Mario series 42 Fencing sword 43 Le stagioni del ___ amore (1966 movie also called Seasons of Our Love) 44 Suits network 45 The Big Bang Theory role 47 Julia of 10 Things I Hate About You 49 Pelican State sch. 52 Its flag features a red dragon 56 Different roles, metaphorically 57 Wriggly 1990s video game/TV protagonist who wears a robotic suit to move around 60 Burj Khalifa’s city 61 Olympic squad that once had Bird and Jordan 65 Including everything 66 Prospector’s find 67 Gymnastics legend Korbut 68 John ___ Garner (FDR’s first veep) 69 Cosmo competitor 70 “Sure, whatever”
Down 1 Sitcom alien 2 Hawaiian Airlines offering 3 “Macarena” duo Los ___ Rio 4 It might be tacked onto your withdrawal 5 Fruit used in gin drinks 6 Turn into baby food 7 “Wabash Cannonball” singer Roy 8 East ___ (U.N. member since 2002) 9 “Pow!” 10 Move on a checkerboard 11 Constellation with a belt 12 Zellweger who played Jones 13 Krispy ___ (doughnut chain) 18 Drafter of the Constitution, e.g. 21 Maintenance 22 Stood 23 Stood 26 FDR’s on it 27 Circus act where an acrobat grabs on by the teeth 29 “This is wild”
32 Winnie-the-Pooh marsupial 33 Morning times, briefly 34 Purchase at a booth (abbr.) 36 Of age 37 Derby winner’s flowers 38 “Do not open ‘til ___” 40 “I Can’t Breathe” singer 41 “It should’ve been me, ___!” (Yu-Gi-Oh meme) 46 For some time 48 “Same here!” 49 Escorted from the door 50 Finnish steam room 51 Around the city 53 Beaver home 54 Captain Blood star Flynn 55 Enjoy a scratch-andsniff sticker 58 1 on the Mohs scale 59 Green carving stone 62 Caribou’s kin 63 Word before Khan 64 National Asparagus Month © 2021 Matt Jones Find the answers in the “About” section at CVIndependent.com!
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40 \\ COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT
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EisenhowerHealth.org/babies