Coachella Valley Independent October 2022

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 Editorial intern Kevin Mann

coveR and feature design Dennis Wodzisz

Contributors

Max Cannon, Kevin Carlow, Melissa Daniels, Charles Drabkin, Katie Finn, Bill Frost, Bonnie Gilgallon, Bob Grimm, Valerie-Jean (VJ) Hume, Clay Jones, Matt Jones, Matt King, Keith Knight, Kay Kudukis, Cat Makino, Brett Newton, Greg Niemann, Dan Perkins, Theresa Sama, Jen Sorenson, Robert Victor

The Coachella Valley Independent print edition is published every month. All content is ©2022 and may not be published or reprinted in any form without the written permission of the publisher. The Independent is available free of charge throughout the Coachella Valley, limited to one copy per reader. Additional copies may be purchased for $5 by calling (760) 904-4208. The Independent may be distributed only by the Independent’s authorized distributors.

The Independent is a proud member and/ or supporter of the Association of Alternative Newsmedia, the California Newspaper Publishers Association, CalMatters, DAP Health, the Local Independent Online News Publishers, the Desert Business Association, and the LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert.

A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

When I saw the headline, I just sighed: “Americans think they know a lot about politics—and it’s bad for democracy that they’re so often wrong in their confidence.”

I sighed for two reasons: 1. The headline reflects what I’ve personally experienced while doing this job. 2. It’s depressing as hell.

The article, from The Conversation (a fantastic online publication you really should be reading), is by Ian Anson, an associate professor of political science at the University of Maryland. He writes:

Over the past five years, I have studied the phenomenon of what I call “political overconfidence.” My work, in tandem with other researchers’ studies, reveals the ways it thwarts democratic politics.

Political overconfidence can make people more defensive of factually wrong beliefs about politics. It also causes Americans to underestimate the political skill of their peers. And those who believe themselves to be political experts often dismiss the guidance of real experts.

Political overconfidence also interacts with political partisanship, making partisans less willing to listen to peers across the aisle.

The result is a breakdown in the ability to learn from one another about political issues and events.

Anson explains that he did a survey of Americans, asking them basic questions about American politics. “In the experiment, some respondents were shown a series of statements that taught them to avoid common political falsehoods,” he explained. “For instance, one statement explained that while many people believe that Social Security will soon run out of money, the reality is less dire than it seems. My hypothesis was that most people would learn from the statements, and become more wary of repeating common political falsehoods.”

Alas, Anson explains, his hypothesis was wrong. “Of the 1,209 people who participated, around 70% were overconfident about their knowledge of politics. But this basic pattern was not the most worrying part of the results. The overconfident respondents failed to change their attitudes in response to my warnings about political falsehoods. My investigation showed that they did read the statements, and could report details about what they said. But their attitudes toward falsehoods remained inflexible, likely because they—wrongly— considered themselves political experts.”

Anson tried to conclude his article in a positive way by suggesting that “social media companies and opinion leaders could seek ways to promote discourse that emphasizes humility and self-correction,” citing a new Twitter “popup message that asks would-be posters of news articles to ‘read before tweeting’” as a possible success.

Yeah, no.

Misinformation is one of the largest problems we’re facing in the United States— and that misinformation is feeding into another problem, which is extreme political polarization. All of us need to do what we can to make sure our information sources are accurate—and that we’re not making these problems worse by spreading misinformation.

Welcome to the October 2022 print edition of the Coachella Valley Independent. As always, thanks for reading.

—Jimmy Boegle jboegle@cvindependent.com

Voting is now under way in the Coachella Valley Independent’s ninth annual Best of Coachella Valley readers’ poll!

Voting in this readers’ poll, to determine the best of the valley’s best, is taking place over two rounds:

• The First Round (nomination round) of voting ended Monday, Sept. 5. This round consisted of fillin-the-blank voting.

• The top three to six vote-getters in each category have now moved on to the Final Round of voting, which will take place at CVIndependent.com from through Sunday, Oct. 23.

• The winners and other results will be announced at CVIndependent.com on Monday, Nov. 21; on News Channel 3 the week of Nov. 21; and in the special Best of Coachella Valley section in the Independent’s December 2022 print edition.

OPINION

HIKING WITH

Fall weather brings ladders on trails and bighorn sheep frolicking in the cooler temperatures

We have survived the sweltering desert summer heat—as well as that awful August/ September humidity—and it is finally time to get back out there on the trails to enjoy this perfect time of the year!

One of the most majestic, off-the-beaten-path and adventurous trails in our area is located in the hills along the eastern Coachella Valley: Ladder Canyon and Painted Canyon Trail. A few years back, I hiked this trail with a group of friends for the first time—and I was in awe! I had absolutely no idea that anything like this even existed here in the desert. I can assure you that my words will not do it justice: It’s definitely a must-hike!

The Ladder Canyon and Painted Canyon Trail is a moderate 4.5-mile loop trail located in the

Mecca Hills Wilderness, about 15 miles east of Indio. To reach the trailhead, you’ll have to deal with a rough 4.5-mile drive on the unpaved Painted Canyon Road. Unfortunately, dogs are not allowed on the trail—and it’s not for everyone. One big reason why: There actual ladders placed along the slot canyon wall to climb up or down, depending on the route you take. I highly recommend taking the clockwise route—up Ladder Canyon to the top of a hill where you will have the most spectacular panoramic views, including the Salton Sea and beyond to the south. You then hike along a

BY THERESA SAMA ridge for a while before dropping down into the wash for a long walk in thick, soft sand back to the starting point. If you follow the painted arrows and rock arrows, it will take you in the clockwise direction, where you will climb up, not down, the ladders. That point is between a quarter-mile and half-mile up the wash from the parking area.

The Hiking Guy (hikingguy.com) has more detailed information about the trail, including some great pictures, on his website. His site is definitely worth checking out—and be sure to follow his advice to prepare accordingly

and bring at least one liter of water, more on warmer days, as this is backcountry hiking; although there are shady spots in the slot canyons, other sections are exposed. It’s also a good idea to wear long sleeves and pants to protect yourself from cuts and scratches, since you’ll be doing some rock-climbing and scrambling in the canyons. This hike is not recommended at all during the hot summer months; people are often rescued from these canyons when they are not prepared.

I recommend always checking the Friends of the Desert Mountains’ trails-status page (www.desertmountains.org/open-trails) before planning your hike, as Painted Canyon Road and Box Canyon Road can be closed seasonally due to weather conditions. This page also includes the status for other parks, canyons and preserves in the area.

Another fascinating and favorite hiking trail that has been most rewarding recently— including sightings of the endangered peninsular bighorn sheep—is the Art Smith Trail near Palm Desert.

The Art Smith Trail is easily accessible, best hiked September through May. Dogs are not allowed on this trail, either. The trailhead is located along Highway 74, about four miles south of Highway 111, across from Friends of the Desert Mountains and the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument Visitor Center entrance.

In its entirety, it’s a long, hard trail—more than 16.5 miles out and back—but it is also what you make of it, as you can turn around at any point and set your own pace. For example, you can can go out about three miles, with an

elevation gain of around 1,500 feet, and catch some great views while enjoying the peaceful ambiance of the desert. If it’s your lucky day, you may even see a herd of the endangered peninsular bighorn sheep meandering.

My good friends Peter and Mary Young live in Palm Desert and take a daily walk to the Art Smith Trailhead; quite often, friend and neighbor David Toltzmann will join them. They’ve lately been entertained by herds of bighorn sheep grazing down in the wash near the Art Smith Trailhead. While being mindful and keeping their distance, they’ve quietly captured some amazing photos and videos of the bighorn sheep grazing in the sparsely vegetated wash areas. They’ve also seen younger sheep frolicking, and the larger rams engaged in head-to-head battles for dominance. My friends said that even the younger “teenage” males/lambs, while frolicking around, have tried combatting with their little horns like the bigger rams—but once they were head-to-head, they just froze, like they didn’t know what to do.

“It was so cute! It has been such an amazing sight to see,” said Mary. “You just don’t see them like this—so many of them! It’s fun to watch!”

It’s mating season for the desert bighorn sheep, meaning they will be out in herds and much more active. Please be careful and mindful to keep your distance and not startle them. As tempting as it may be to move closer to get the perfect picture, remember to use the zoom function instead, to keep both the wildlife and ourselves safe.

Enjoy the desert trails and cooler temperatures!

The view after climbing out of Ladder Canyon and Painted Canyon. Theresa Sama

CVINDEPENDENT.COM/OPINION

CVINDEPENDENT.COM/OPINION

Modernism Week

Daily Tours October 13-16 | Various Times 9 a.m.–1 p.m.

October 13-16, 2022 | More than 50 events

Tickets at modernismweek.com

Choose from Four Unique Bus Tours

Daily Tours October 13-16 | Various Times

Premier Double Decker Architectural Bus Tour

Charles Phoenix Super Duper Double Decker Bus Tour

Twilight Bus Tour

Bella da Ball’s Celebrity Homes Bus Tour

House of Tomorrow Tours

Daily Tours October 13-16 | Various Times 9 a.m.–5:30 p.m.

Modernism Show & Sale Preview Party

Clinton Meyer

David

CVINDEPENDENT.COM/

CANDIDATE Q&A

by kevin Fitzgerald

Founded in 1876 as the community of Woodspur, what is now Coachella was born when the town’s name was changed by a vote of the citizenry in 1901. With an original footprint of 2.5 square miles, the city of Coachella was officially incorporated on Nov. 26, 1946.

Today, Coachella has grown to envelop 29 square miles of land, with more than 42,000 residents, and on Nov. 8, voters will pick between two candidates for mayor: Current Mayor Steven Hernandez, running for a fifth two-year term, and current City Councilmember Denise Delgado. Both candidates are lifelong residents of the city, and both identify with the more than 96% of the city’s population that is Hispanic/Latino, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The City

Council is facing challenging decisions on issues including the expansion of affordable housing, and the establishment of the city’s own police department.

The Independent recently reached out to both Delgado and Hernandez to ask them a slate of seven identical questions. Here are their responses to three of them, which have been edited only for clarity and editorial style, with one exception: We trimmed Hernandez’s first answer due to space limitations. Read all of their complete answers at CVIndependent.com.

Denise Delgado

Why do you want to be mayor of the city of Coachella?

I think it’s not so much why I want to be mayor, but I think it’s better to say that I’m prepared to be mayor for the city of Coachella. I have the experience. I’ve served the city of Coachella now for about eight years. In 2014, I started as a planning commissioner, and (since then), I’ve served on every other commission for the city of Coachella. So, I’m prepared to be the mayor, and I wouldn’t be running for this seat if I didn’t think that I could lead immediately, and hit the ground running.

Another part of that is that residents want to see change in leadership of the city. I thank Mayor Hernandez for his many, many years of dedication to the city, but he’s going on (16) years on the council, and in my mind, that’s much too long of a time for any elected official to be in the same office.

What do you see as the top three issues, or your primary three goals, that the city administration must address?

I think for the city of Coachella—you know, we’re only about 30 to 35% developed—a key focal point will always be, at least for a good amount of time, economic development. That’s key, not just for creating new sources of revenue streams, but also to increase our current revenue streams. There are a lot of needs that the city has, and we need to make sure that we can address them. Obviously, we need to make sure that our economy is strong.

We need to focus on job creation. We need to focus on workforce development. We need to focus on education. So, those are some of the things I think strengthen a local economy.

Public safety really has become a topic of discussion, and rightfully so. This is something we need to assess, and we need to address it, and we need to be open with the residents about what the needs are, and what we have in comparison to other cities. We need to be sure that we’re building relationships with our first responders to ensure we (have) the same mindset to make sure that we’re constantly increasing the quality of services to Coachella residents. So, I think that’s definitely become a focal point.

Another topic is affordable housing. We see a housing crisis throughout the country, and locally, one of the many things that we’re seeing is that homes are increasing in prices.

A lot of that has to do with inflation, but also certain entities are driving the market up (even) when the housing stock is available. So, that’s something we need to visit. We know that working families are wanting to purchase a home for the first time, and they’re either getting outbid, or another thing we see happening is more than one family going into a (single-family) home in order to afford that home. Another concern that we hear is to make sure that we have a variety of housing types (available in Coachella). Obviously, what you see in the city of Coachella are single-family homes. But you know, we have a lot of folks now who don’t have any children, or maybe aren’t interested in having children, and they want something smaller that meets their needs. Going into a two-story, three-to-four-bedroom home isn’t convenient for them.

We have been very successful at securing grants. We see that with the Pueblo Viejo (Villas) apartments, and we see it with the

Tripoli Apartments which are going up directly across the street from Pueblo Viejo. We secured millions of dollars for that new complex as well, and I’m sure that once it goes up, we’re going to see the same challenges, where 4,000-5,000 people put in applications for it. So we’re going to continue to go after these grants aggressively, and try to secure as many as we can.

Also, I would be remiss if I didn’t say that health and wellness have really become a key (issue). It’s something that needs to be addressed in every community and every city. Obviously, expansion of parks, trails, active transportation and bicycle lanes all help to reduce parking and provide more transportation (options), like carpooling, or the transit hub going in on Fifth Street. But we need to continue to address and make sure that we’re promoting and accommodating physical and mental health. We have a (health) clinic that just went up, and that’s wonderful. Hopefully, we’ll see something bigger come through in the near future.

Do you believe that Coachella should have its own city police department?

It’s not that I don’t think the city of Coachella should have its own police department, but we can’t afford it. Again, we have to be very honest with the community about what this is going to cost us—and cost them.

We have no facility (to become) our own police station. We’re going to need a facility. So we’re looking at $30 million or above for a facility. You know, we also need to purchase the patrol cars and other equipment. So, we’re looking at well over $30 million, and that’s up front. I’ll say that again: That’s up front. The new contract (with RCSD) is between $10.5 to $11 million. But also, there’s a lot of stuff that we don’t pay for (under the contract). We don’t pay for the chief of police. We don’t pay for the assistant chief of police. We don’t pay for the operators who respond to calls. But, if we have our own police department, that $11 million will go up easily to $16 to $17 million per year, just to provide things that the RCSD is providing to us now. So, there will definitely be an increase. Many people think there’s going to be a decrease. But, no, there’s going to be an increase.

Also, at this moment, we don’t cover liability and pension (costs for public safety). So, you can throw that into the pot. And if we were to transition from RCSD to our own police officers, then we’re going to have to contract both for at least a year before we make that full transition. So, we’re going to be hiring police officers, but then still contracting with RCSD, and for at least

that first year, the costs are going to be higher.

When you take all these things into consideration, you see that we can’t afford it. Now, can we afford it in the future? Possibly. But that means we’d have to be putting aside $1 million or more every single year to be able to cover those upfront costs. So, it’s not so much that I don’t want our own police department; we can’t afford it, and I have the responsibility of making sure that I take our residents into consideration, and how much of these costs are going to be passed on to them. I can’t see us doing this without raising taxes. When you’re looking at liability (insurance) and pensions, it’s almost impossible not to raise taxes. I don’t want to do that to our residents if we don’t have to.

Steven Hernandez

Why do you want to remain the mayor of the city of Coachella?

The job is not done, and it’s important that we keep the momentum that we have. There is great alignment in the city of Coachella where we have cooperation that’s occurring with the community, the nonprofits and our local, regional and state officials. And for us, it’s very important that we maintain that, and that we keep it going, simply because there was a time in Coachella when there wasn’t great collaboration and alignment. So for us, it’s important that we play it through.

When we think about infrastructure, there’s a train that I want to bring into town. There’s a bridge on Avenue 50 that we need to get fully funded. There are housing issues that we need to continue to address, particularly for the working families in the middle. That’s very important to me. On the other hand, when we think about the economy—yes, the city has been growing. Yes, the city has been realizing new businesses, and new housing, and the marijuana industry is flourishing. But there’s also possible trouble on the horizon with a recession, and making the right decisions during the recession that is on its way is going to be important (in order) to position ourselves to continue to emphasize economic growth.

When it comes to public safety, for me, it’s very important that we continue to do what we’ve been doing to combat crime. I also believe that we’re at a point where we can bring our own police department back, and I want to

Get to better know the two candidates running to become the mayor of Coachella

bring that (effort) forward. So I think it’s the alignment, the momentum, and collaboration amongst the community that we have. It’s infrastructure, public safety and the economy that are really driving my reasons for staying.

My attitude has always been that our residents deserve the best, and when you look at what I’ve ushered in—libraries, parks, housing, clinics, bridges, the revitalized downtown, a new elementary school—I’ve always done it in a way where I want to make sure that the physical built environment changes, but it changes in a way that we can be proud of where we live. And at the same time, developers know that they need to give us amenities that are dignified, and (amenities) that our community expects and deserves. That’s what has been behind my vision and the drive that has kept me doing this job. I’m proud of the work that I’ve done, and I’m proud that we’ve accomplished a lot together. I’m proud of the fact that we have more social capital, more business capital, more political capital, more nonprofit capital, and more parent involvement, but we’re not done. We have a little bit more to go, and I think it’s important for us to maintain that alignment.

What do you see as the top three issues, or your primary three goals, that the city administration must address?

No. 1 is going to be public safety. I mentioned to you that we are positioned today to bring back our own police department, and I’m going to make a move to do that. The reason we haven’t done it in the past was because of the upfront costs. We needed to have a good (cash) reserve in order to fund that. Now, I believe we’re well-positioned with the reserve we have today (to cover) that upfront cost. Once we get that upfront cost, we’ll be able to maintain the services we have, or actually exceed them, because we’re at about $11 million per year for (Riverside County) Sheriff’s services.

No. 2, for me, infrastructure is very, very important. There’s the bridge on Avenue 50 that has been eluding us, even though we’ve been after it for the last 10 to 15 years. There’s the train that’s (planned to be) coming into the Coachella Valley, and Coachella has positioned itself to be the end of the train (line). The argument to the region has been very simple: “Nothing for us, without us.” In other words, you’re not going to use our numbers and say that people from the east side (of the Coachella Valley) are going to benefit because there’s a train (stopping) in some other city. No, because Coachella is the center of the east side, and it’s where everybody from the east side is going. And by the east side, I mean Coachella, Mecca, Oasis, Thermal and North Shore. Everybody (there) identifies Coachella as their stomping grounds. The other thing that’s important for me is equity in the distribution of dollars being allocated in the region. It’s making sure that

Coachella gets its fair share. One area that I’m going to be very passionate about, and make noise about, is the College of the Desert. In 2017, while I was mayor, Dr. (Joel) Kinnamon came into our town as superintendent/ president of the college, talking about how the east side was going to get a campus, and how Coachella was going to get more programming. When you look at what’s been going on regarding equity and the distribution of the money, there’s been a big play and movement by folks in other parts of the Coachella Valley to try to take $700 million of an $800 million bond.

For me, when you look at where the population base of students is, and when you look at where it’s important to train the next generation of employees for the valley, we have to stop, as a community, simply building things, or giving communities things, because they want it, or they’re allowed it. I think we have to have a conversation about, “Where’s the need? What does the data say? Where are the students?” So, fighting for equity in money and resources is something that’s important to me as mayor, and education is up there.

Housing is another (priority). How do we get someone like a student, or someone who’s neither in the high or low income end, how do we get someone in the middle, into some housing that they can afford? So those things are important, And, by the way, as mayor, you have to be able to walk, chew gum and talk at the same time, because it’s not just one thing after another. It’s about having the capacity to work things concurrently. Those are the things I really want to get done moving into the next session.

Do you still believe that Coachella should have its own city police department?

Long term, I really do believe that as Coachella grows, and given the type of community that Coachella is, our own police department is needed. The (Riverside County) sheriff has done what he’s done, and he’s served us well, but the Sheriff’s Department is big, and a lot of the time, we don’t get continuity of service. Some officer will be in Coachella—and they get to know the families, they get to know the community, they get to understand where the trouble spots are, they do a lot of good work—and then they get promoted, and they’re in another area, or in another (job) within the Sheriff’s Department. So, because of the type of community that we are—this isn’t a bedroom community; this is a community with 70% home ownership; residents are in town yearround, worker-bee families, Latino—that we will be better suited to respond to the needs of our community with our own PD. This is not to say anything against the sheriff. I think the Sheriff’s Department has done a good job. It’s simply to say that when you look at the ethos of the community, and how it’s growing, and what it wants, it wants its own PD, and it wants continuity of people.

CVINDEPENDENT.COM/

CANDIDATE Q&A

by kevin Fitzgerald

Palm Springs residents in three of the five City Council districts will select representatives during the Nov. 8 election, and at least two of those representatives will be new, because only one councilmember—District 1 Councilmember Grace Garner—is running for re-election.

There’s also a good chance District 4 Councilmember Christy Holstege will be leaving, because she is running to become the District 47 representative in the State Assembly. As a result, four of the five members of the Palm Springs City Council could soon be brand-new.

But Garner is determined to continue serving on the City Council. The caretaker for two rescue cats named Taddy and Chiquita, Garner is a native of Palm Springs, an attorney and a lifelong

advocate for social and racial justice, as well as LGBTQ+ issues. When she was elected in 2019, she became the first Latina to ever serve on the City Council, and represents Palm Springs’ only majority-minority council district.

She is being challenged by Scott Nevins, a health-care, civil rights and LGBTQ+ advocate, as well as a political news contributor. Nevins— who moved to Palm Springs from Los Angeles almost four years ago and now lives with Philip, his husband of 6 months, and their rescue dog, Wifi—is a board member of DAP Health and co-chair of the Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards.

The Independent reached out to both Garner and Nevins recently to ask them a slate of seven identical questions. Here are their responses to four of them, which have been edited only for clarity and editorial style, with two exceptions: We trimmed Nevins’ second and fourth answers due to space limitations. Read all of their complete answers at CVIndependent.com.

Grace Garner

Why do you think you are the best and most-qualified person to be the District 1 representative?

I am a second-generation resident, an attorney, a Latina, and I am the most-experienced candidate as a council member. Currently, I am the only person running in any of our City Council elections who has experience on a City Council, and that experience is going to be vital for us as we deal with a new city manager, a new navigation center, and a host of other changes in our city.

We will likely be losing two attorneys (from the current City Council) with Geoff Kors not running for re-election and Christy Holstege winning her seat in the Assembly, so it will be really important for us to have an attorney voice on council. That has become incredibly important during the time that I’ve been on council, and I think we need to make sure that voice is still there.

What do you see as the top three issues or goals that the city must address for

District 1 residents, as well as the city’s residents overall?

There are three issues that I’ve been campaigning on, and those are crime prevention, community investment, and housing and homelessness. A couple of those are issues I addressed during the last election as well, and I’m thankful and honored that we’ve been able to achieve many of the goals related to community investment, and housing and homelessness, but there’s still more to do.

With housing and homelessness, we are slated to open our new navigation center in July 2023, and we’ve approved two new affordable-housing developments, but there’s still a long way to go. I’ve been working with our city manager and staff on opportunities to build homeownership opportunities in District 1, where the city owns several lots, as well as making sure I’m in constant conversation with any developers interested in building apartments in our city. Also, I work closely with regional groups like Lift to Rise and SCAG (Southern California Association of Governments), just to stay on top of that particular issue.

Regarding community investments, we have invested over $7 million in our parks. I was a big proponent and champion of that funding. We are hiring park rangers, essentially, to make sure our parks stay clean, and that any repairs are done in a timely manner. Also, we’ve allocated funds for a parks master plan, and that’s what we’ll see in this next year. That will take our parks into the future.

In terms of crime, we have a fabulous new police chief who has been focused on community issues and community policing. I work with him and the other officers on how I can best support them. They have a particular role in making sure they’re addressing crime

that happens, but they’re also very invested in preventing crime. I’ve been working with local community organizations to support our young people, and to support workforce development. I’m trying to make sure that our local residents have what they need, so that they’re never going down a path to crime in the first place.

How important is it for the Palm Springs City Council overall to reflect gender and ethnic diversity among its members?

I think it’s incredibly important for all of our cities and all of our communities to have gender and ethnic diversity. For one, that’s more reflective of our city and our community. In District 1, we have a majority of people of color, and a majority of low- to middle-income folks. So, it’s important that we’re reflecting that on our dais.

I have strong community relationships with all of the different ethnic groups in District 1, and I’m also a part of those ethnic groups, right? My family moved here from Mexico, and we have stayed here, because we love the diversity of the Coachella Valley and Palm Springs. We’ve created strong ties. So, my identity as a Mexican-American woman is really important to me, and has helped me to make positive changes in City Hall. For instance, we’ve created a Spanish-language Facebook page (for the city) to provide further access to our Spanish-speaking residents. And there have been so many times when I’m at City Hall, and I come across a resident who only speaks Spanish who needs assistance. These are just the times that I happen to be at City Hall at the same time as them. Surely, there are dozens and dozens of times when someone goes to our City Hall and needs that language access, so I have been a huge proponent for making sure that we are doing everything we can to make those changes. I find that sometimes they sneak up on you, so it really takes a lot of effort to notice every little point where we need to make those changes to create better access for everyone.

What are your thoughts on the question of whether to place a new homeless persons’ navigation center within District 1? There were three options presented to (the City Council) for navigation centers in Palm Springs. All three of those locations were in District 1. I welcome a navigation center in District 1. This particular location was not at the top of my list, and it wasn’t at the top of the list for many of the District 1 residents. That being said, that’s the location, and I think it’s vitally important that we now move forward with that, and that

we do everything we can to make sure that the navigation center doesn’t only benefit the unhoused residents who will be using it, but the surrounding community. We need to ensure that there’s proper security, that we make sure the empty lot in front of the site is built on as soon as possible, and that we’re providing services that residents in Palm Springs can use. We have to look at this navigation center for its potential, and not just base (that potential) on what our worries are.

Scott Nevins

Why do you think you are the best and most-qualified person to be the District 1 representative?

I think I come to the table with something that’s been missing from our City Council. I have a lot of different skills that haven’t been present on the council. Coming from my background in the entertainment world as a producer, as a host, as a political commentator, and someone who has worked in this field, I know about marketing and branding—and that is something that’s very important to a town like ours, where we have such fantastic name recognition. That’s something that we have to protect, and that is sort of the beginning of where all of the issues that our city faces start. It’s about protecting the city. Our lifeline is tourism mostly, and we want to protect that brand. We want to protect our beautiful name recognition as one of the most popular destinations for retirees, vacationers, LGBTQ+ people, other California residents and people who live (in neighboring) states. So I believe I have a strong skill set in that department, and a proven track record in that. Also, I’ve lived and worked in communities that really look like all of District 1. Starting with my days living in Queens, N.Y., and then Manhattan, and then moving to Los Angeles and now finally out here in beautiful District 1, I have a long track record of advocating for, and working with, all of the communities that make up District 1 and all of Palm Springs. I’ve been able to serve them and help them get their voices heard, and help them access the things they need to have more productive, healthier lives here where they live. I’ve done that through my work as a board member at DAP Health—because I’m a health-care advocate, and I’ve been doing that for years—and I’m

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a civil rights advocate for LGBTQ+ (people), which, for obvious reasons, is very personal to me and something that I was proud to be a part of for many years. We’re still fighting for so many things for that community, and I think we have a lot more (battles) coming down the pike, unfortunately.

What do you see as the top three issues or goals that the city must address for District 1 residents, as well as the city’s residents overall?

I think the No. 1 issue for both District 1 and the city, and should be No. 1 for the City Council, is the crisis of the unhoused here in Palm Springs, because I believe that has ripple effects that affect all the other issues that we tackle here. Now, that issue is obviously caused by several things: affordability, and income inequality, drug use, and people who are addicts. I have personal experience with that since I had a family member who was mentally ill and a drug user for years. So, I’ve seen firsthand what that can lead to, and that’s where my passion comes from on this topic. I think with the talk of opening the navigation center, we have to be able to combat the issue of the unhoused, starting now. We have business owners who are incredibly frustrated, and these are beautifully compassionate people who are saying, “I’m getting exhausted. I’m getting frustrated being compassionate, and I want to see something happening.” The current council keeps saying, “But we have the navigation center, and it’s opening next year, or next year.” And, people keep saying, “Yes, but what about now?” So, I think that’s No. 1. On day one, it is getting hold of the issue of the unhoused crisis, and getting the navigation center open and working.

But for me, particularly in District 1, it is about having major oversight of that navigation center to make sure that it’s run correctly, to make sure that the services provided are focused on (helping) the unhoused here in Palm Springs, particularly since we’ve learned that it will be servicing the unhoused from other areas of the valley. I believe that with the promise of 24-hour security, we need to figure out what, exactly, that means. Is that private security, or is that additional funding for police officers? No. 2 would be crime. While social media platforms sometimes would make us believe that the city is on fire—that it’s a dystopia, cars are burning, people are just breaking into homes—there is definitely a spike in crime, and it is very concerning to citizens. The police are very aware of that, and they are on top of it. Unfortunately, our police force is very taxed. They have a lot of police officers who are out on disability, so on a busy Saturday night in Palm Springs, we could have all of six police officers for the whole city. That is worrisome. When you talk about crime, really, you’re talking about: How do we help our police help our city? And 3

is affordability. To me, the thing that never gets talked about is: What does affordability mean in Palm Springs? We have such income inequality here, so one person’s idea of affordability could be another person’s impossibility. So, we really have to look into that, and do quick studies. I say quick studies, because sometimes, we’re quick to say, “Let’s do a study on this,” and then it takes a while. I’d do a quick investigation on: How are residents living at the poverty level or below able to make the income that could help pay for subsidized, or affordable housing? There’s a great need. I know the City Council has approved two projects, and I think that’s fantastic. But I think we need many more, and I would strongly advocate and push for that.

How important is it for the Palm Springs City Council overall to reflect gender and ethnic diversity among its members?

I think it’s very important. I think it’s not only important on the council, but I think it’s important everywhere, that people are represented, and that they are seen and heard. Now this can be in many different forms, and I believe that, at the end of the day, it should be the person who is able to inspire, the person who’s able to give the community actual, realistic ideas and solutions for the issues facing the district and the city, (who is elected). I don’t think we should be checking boxes; I think we should be checking results.

What are your thoughts on the question of whether or not to place a new homeless persons’ navigation center within the District 1 territory?

From the beginning, I thought that the navigation center was poorly rolled out to the community, and they still feel a lot of resentment over that, understandably so. Also, I feel there was a major misstep by the current District 1 councilmember, because she voted no on the placement (of the center in District 1) and then did nothing. She didn’t come to the table with any ideas, and she didn’t come to the table with a list of things the community needs built into the center that would have lifted the community up. We have a food desert in the north end. Why didn’t she come and say, “Hey, we should build a food outlet into the navigation center”? Also, you have childcare, banking, a pharmacy, a laundry—that are all things lacking in the north end of the district. I feel that it was a real misstep for Ms. Garner not to bring those (thoughts) to the table. Instead, she just sat there and voted “no,” and I was so upset by that, because I knew this community so well. I knew how much the north end needed those things, and that was the opportunity to force it through. As a politician, you have to exploit those moments and get what you need for your district and your citizens. She failed to do that, and I feel there’s been a ripple effect since then.

CIVIC SOLUTIONS

by melissa daniels

The Pueblo Unido Community Development Corporation began its work in the eastern Coachella Valley in 2008. The goal was to help drive community-driven solutions to issues facing residents.

In that decade and a half, the same fundamental challenges have continued to come up, such as the lack of affordable housing, said founder and executive director Sergio Carranza. Another one of the most frequent issues that Pueblo Unido hears about from residents: A lack of safe drinking water.

“Ever since I started this work, they’ve told me their priority is drinking water,” he said.

That’s because the rural region lacks the same infrastructure as other parts of the valley, leaving residents to use well water or small water systems. This can lead to instances of arsenic or other pollutants in the water—and potentially negative health outcomes.

“We are about 40 to 45 years behind in development in comparison to any new city in the Coachella Valley. (The incorporated cities) already enjoy all this critical infrastructure, and people take it for granted,” Carranza said.

However, Pueblo Unido is working on a short-term solution. The organization this year received $1.4 million in state funding to help with one of its ongoing priorities: delivering and installing water-filtration systems in the area’s mobile homes. The systems filter out harmful chemicals, like arsenic.

The funding will allow new water-filtration systems to be installed in about 600 houses, Carranza said. Some will receive “point of use” systems, which are installed under a kitchen sink to filter the water before it comes out of the faucet. It will also cover “point of entry” systems, which filter water for the entire household.

Pueblo Unido already installed 400 pointof-use systems in previous years, using funds from other sources, Carranza said. But the

short-term filtration solution doesn’t appeal to everyone. For example, not all residents trust the water-filtration devices to work, meaning they have to find other avenues for safe drinking water.

Still, Carranza said, most feedback is positive. Residents don’t have to pay for installation or annual maintenance, and samples are sent out for testing to ensure that the systems are working correctly.

“It has been overwhelmingly welcome in the families, because this came from the community. This was work communityrequested,” he said.

But these systems won’t address the underlying issue: the lack of water infrastructure, which means many mobilehome parks don’t have reliable access to safe drinking water. Carranza said Pueblo Unido is collaborating with the Coachella Valley Water District on the agency’s plans to install large underground water mains in the area, such as the Avenue 66 transmission line. CVWD has told the Independent that it’s raised more than $70 million in funding for water and sewer infrastructure in the eastern Coachella Valley—after years of not playing any role in the area.

Pueblo Unido is working as a “technical assistance provider” to CVWD. That includes coming up with design plans and doing

environmental impact assessments for some of the water-main consolidation plans that would bring together existing small water systems. In particular, it’s working on plans for a line on Pierce Street, and a stretch of Avenue 76. Once those plans are completed, they’ll be turned over to CVWD to fund the project.

This work has been going on since 2016. Carranza acknowledges that the timeline is long, citing lengthy processes to do environmental reviews and develop plans.

“It requires coordination by everyone, all the organizations that are directly involved in the community,” Carranza said.

But just as important—if not more so—is to hear from residents about what they want, Carranza said.

“It is extremely critical to learn and to listen to the priorities of the communities, and understand their culture so that you can actually use that information to start crafting all the strategies that are needed to respond to their needs,” Carranza said.

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More water filters are being installed in eastern Coachella Valley communities

Pueblo Unido has installed about 400 water-filtration systems in homes in the eastern Coachella Valley.

BENEFITING

The Palm Springs Pride 5K Run & Walk will be in-person AND virtual.

All online registrants get a t-shirt.

All finishers get a commemorative medal.

Finisher awards in 5 year age brackets.

Online registration is $35 through November 2nd.

In-person registration on Friday Nov 4th at packet pickup is $45 ($40 without a t-shirt).

are not accepting registrations on race day.

register in advance.

CV HISTORY

by greg niemann

The Coachella Valley’s association with celebrities began in the early 20th century, when noted writers, artists and photographers began to settle in the fledgling town of Palm Springs—and formed what became an informal artists’ colony.

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Some these luminaries came to the desert to improve their health, hoping the dry air would be beneficial for various respiratory ailments. Many of them, through various media, went on to extol the merits and health advantages of Palm Springs, thus giving worldwide fame to the village of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians.

Sunshine) often went on desert sketching trips together.

Most of these early California literary greats knew each other beyond Palm Springs. Author

George Wharton James hired the first resident artist of Palm Springs, Carl Eytel, to illustrate his book The Wonders of the Colorado Desert (1906). The book has more than 300 of Eytel’s sketches.

James, originally from England, was also a friend of Palm Springs neighbor and fellow countryman J. Smeaton Chase, author of California Desert Trails (1916). James also corresponded with noted author Jack London, California historian/journalist Charles Lummis, and famed naturalist John Muir.

The ubiquitous artist Carl Eytel, originally from Germany, often journeyed into the

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The colony also included photographers, including Stephen H. Willard, considered the finest scenic photographer of the era; Fred Payne Clatworthy, who took the first color photographs for National Geographic magazine; and Edward S. Curtis, whose photos of the American Indians earned the praise of President Theodore Roosevelt.

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desert with Edmund C. Jaeger, an author considered the dean of American desert naturalists. Jaeger (1887-1983) published numerous books about desert flora and fauna from 1919 until 1977. Eytel also illustrated Jaeger’s first book.

Others in the colony included top cartoonist Jimmy Swinnerton, who worked for publisher William Randolph Hearst before Swinnerton contracted tuberculosis; and famed desert artist John W. Hilton, whose work was featured in more than 100 national shows. Swinnerton and Hilton (whose biography was titled The Man Who Captured

Perhaps the most internationally famous artist to call Palm Springs home during that period was Gordon Coutts (1868-1937). Coutts was a Scotsman, born in Aberdeen. He studied art in Glasgow, London and Paris, and became best known for Moroccan figures, desert scenes and nudes.

He lived in Sydney, Australia, for several years, where he was a painting instructor at the Government Art School. He was highly regarded in Australia, where he often painted portraits of celebrities; many of his finest works hang in Melbourne and Sydney museums. Some found their way into important American collections. He was a friend of Winston Churchill, and painted a portrait of steel magnate Andrew Carnegie.

The flamboyant red-headed artist traveled the world, leaving his strict Presbyterian home at an early age, because his parents wouldn’t let him paint on Sundays. He’d already been married and divorced when he met and married model Gertrude Russell, 30 years his junior. They traveled together and settled for several years in Tangier, Morocco, where he painted Arab sheiks and other celebrities. Coutts loved Morocco, and would have remained, but they visited Palm Springs, liked it—and returned to live here in 1914. Coutts had bronchial problems he hoped would improve.

In 1924, Gordon and Gertrude Coutts moved to Palm Springs and built their own Moorish castle, “Dar Marroc,” at 257 S. Patencio Drive. With towers, Moorish arches and domes, keyhole-shaped windows, huge doors, tiled fountains and courtyards dripping with bougainvillea, oleander, palms, olive trees and citrus trees, the Dar Marroc was like a little bit of Tangier dropped onto the Palm Springs landscape. The villagers referred to it as “Coutts Castle.” At Dar Marroc, the Coutts hosted numerous dignitaries and artists, including Grant Wood (painter of “American Gothic”) and Sir John Lavery, England’s great portrait artist.

Gordon Coutts became one of Palm Springs’ most revered and well-liked residents before

passing away following a lingering illness in 1937. Clatworthy was among his pallbearers. Today, the Dar Marroc has been transformed into the Korakia Pensione, a 29-room hotel. G. Douglas Smith, who also owned neighboring properties, purchased the land and began developing the Korakia in 1989. The Korakia has continued to attract artists and writers, including noted abstract painter Brice Marden, Pulitzer Prize winner Judith Thurman, and John Irving. Mexico’s famous writer Octavio Paz even reserved a room at the restful inn.

Coutts’ daughter Jeane, in talking about her father and the early days of Palm Springs, noted: “Before the movie colony took over, Palm Springs was an art colony, like Taos.”

Sources for this article include Palm Springs Confidential, by Howard Johns, Barricade Books, 2004; Palm Springs; The First 100 Years, by Mayor Frank M. Bogert, Palm Springs Heritage Association, 2003; Palm Springs Legends, by Greg Niemann, Sunbelt Publications, 2006; and Palm Springs Public Library archives.

Before the movie stars arrived, Palm Springs was a haven for artists, including renowned painter Gordon Coutts

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Gordon Coutts.courtesy of G. Douglas Smith of the Korakia Pensione

OCTOBER ASTRONOMY

Planets and Bright Stars in Evening Mid-Twilight For October, 2022

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

By Robert Victor

In October 2022, all of the other planets of our solar system, except for Venus, appear to move retrograde, or backward/westward, against the starry background, for at least part of the month: Mercury, only until Oct. 2—much to the relief of friends who are devotees of astrology—and Saturn, in Capricornus until Oct. 22.

Mars is in Taurus beginning on Oct. 30, while all month, Jupiter is in Pisces; Uranus is in Aries; and Neptune is in Aquarius.

A planet appears to move retrograde when Earth overtakes it, or it overtakes Earth, always surrounding the dates when Earth and the other planet are on the same side of the sun and closest to each other. For the outer planets—Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune—retrograde

motion is centered on the date of opposition, when the planet appears 180° from the sun and is visible all night. For inner planets Mercury and Venus, retrograde occurs surrounding inferior conjunction, when the planet passes between Earth and the sun.

During October, Venus passes superior conjunction, on the far side of the sun, so it’s not moving retrograde.

Evening attractions: Brilliant Jupiter, magnitude -2.9 to -2.8, and Saturn, magnitude +0.5 to +0.6, adorn the southeast quarter of the sky at dusk. Saturn is 44° to the upper right of Jupiter on Oct. 1, decreasing to 41° by the 31st. Most of the change occurs because Jupiter retrogrades 3.3° against the faint background of Pisces, the Fishes, this month. The waxing gibbous moon appears near Saturn on Oct. 4 and 5, and near Jupiter on Oct. 7 and 8.

On Oct. 1, Saturn is within 1° east-northeast of the 4.3-magnitude star Iota in Capricornus. Saturn ends retrograde on Oct. 22, 0.6° eastnortheast of 4.3-magnitude Iota Cap, and begins a slow return toward 2.9-magnitude Delta Cap, marking the end of the tail of the Sea-goat, 5.4° to Saturn’s east.

Ranking in brightness next after Jupiter in the early evening sky are golden Arcturus, sinking in the west to west-northwest, and blue-white Vega, overhead to very high in the west-northwest. Mars outshines these stars, but it rises, far north of east, not until nearly four hours after sunset on Oct. 1, and nearly three hours after on Oct. 31.

Predawn attractions: Having our clocks remain on daylight saving time makes predawn sky-watching very attractive in October!

Starting very low in the east in morning twilight, Mercury emerges quickly, brightening a full magnitude, from +1.2 to +0.2, from Oct. 1-4. Mercury climbs higher until October 8-9, when it reaches greatest elongation, 18° from the sun, its best predawn showing this year, while brightening even further, to magnitude -0.5. Jupiter can be spotted low in the west in

morning twilight early in month, but it sets 4 to 5 minutes earlier each day, from one hour before sunup on Oct. 8, to three hours before on the 31st. Mars gleams at magnitude -0.6 to -1.2 high in the southwest quadrant of the sky all month, against the beautiful backdrop of Taurus, the Bull.

Venus, ending its reign as morning “star,” rises in the east just 27 minutes before sunup on Oct. 1. Sinking into even brighter twilight, Venus passes superior conjunction, on far side of the sun, on Oct. 22. In December, Venus will emerge into the southwestern evening sky, joining all the other planets. The departure of Venus and Jupiter from the morning sky in October leaves the twinkling blue-white Dog Star, Sirius, in the southern sky at magnitude -1.4, as the brightest morning star until red Mars exceeds it in November.

The waning moon passes through Taurus Oct. 13-15: Look about an hour before sunrise, before twilight brightens much, to catch the moon 4° from the Pleiades cluster on Oct. 13; and 10° from Aldebaran, eye of the Bull, on Oct. 13 and 14; and 5° to 6° from Mars on Oct. 15. Continuing eastward through the zodiac, the last quarter moon, half full, passes only 2° south of Pollux in Gemini on Oct. 17. The other twin, Castor, is 4.5° from Pollux. On Oct. 13-16, Spaceship Earth is headed approximately in the direction of these two stars: 10° south of Castor on Oct. 13, and 7° south of Pollux on Oct. 16.

On Oct. 20, the moon appears in Leo, within 5° of Regulus, the Lion’s heart. Use a telescope to watch one of Leo’s stars get occulted. From Palm Springs, the lower, leading sunlit edge of the crescent moon covers the 3.5-mag star Eta in Leo at 3:49 a.m., and the upper, trailing dimly earthlit edge of the moon uncovers the star at 4:53 a.m.

Just four days later, on Oct. 24, the moon occults Mercury. At morning mid-twilight, from Palm Springs, 40 minutes before sunrise, or at 6:18 a.m., the very thin 1 percent

Evening mid-twilight occurs when Sun is 9 below horizon.

Oct.1: 39 minutes after sunset. 15: 40 " " " 31: 40 " " "

crescent moon is less than 2 degrees above the horizon, with Mercury, shining at magnitude -1.1, hovering very closely below it. Mercury disappears behind the lower right edge of the moon shortly after 6:51 a.m., only 7 minutes before sunrise. A telescope can keep Mercury in view until then, but the dim sunlit edge of the moon will have faded away into brightening twilight.

Mars goes east 5.4° against the stars Oct. 1-30. On the latter date, the red planet commences 74 days of retrograde (westward) motion, ending Jan. 12, 2023. A chart depicting nearly all of Mars’ 7.5-month visit to Taurus, from early August 2022 to late March 2023, including its retrograde motion, appeared with last month’s column at CVIndependent.com.

In October, watch Mars drift between Bull’s horns. The tips of the horns, nearly 8° apart, are marked by 1.7-magnitude Beta Tauri and

3.0-magnitude Zeta. On Oct. 14, Mars passes 5.7° south of Beta; on Oct 18, 2.2° north of Zeta (least separations). On the morning of Oct. 17, in the first of three passes between tips of the horns, Mars is 5.7° from Beta and 2.2° from Zeta. On the morning of Oct. 30, Mars begins retrograde 2.7° north-northeast of Zeta. Mars will peak at magnitude -1.9 between its closest approach to Earth on Nov. 30 and its opposition and all-night visibility on Dec 7.

Sky Calendar includes illustrations of many of the events described in this article. To subscribe or to view a sample issue, visit www. abramsplanetarium.org/skycalendar.

Robert Victor originated the Abrams Planetarium monthly Sky Calendar in October 1968, and still produces issues occasionally, including the October and December 2022 editions. He enjoys being outdoors sharing the wonders of the night sky.

Stereographic Projection Map by Robert D. Miller

October's evening sky chart. ROBERT D. MILLER

There’s a whole lot of retrograding going on this month

ARTS & CULTURE

By KEVIN MANN

What’s your greatest fear? For many, it is speaking or singing in front of an audience. If any of the six local leaders who are contestants in Desert Ensemble Theatre’s Singing With the Desert Stars have these fears, they’ll need to overcome them—because singing in front of an audience is exactly what they’re going to be doing on Friday, Oct. 7, to benefit DET’s education programs.

The event, conceived by Danny Kopelson, is a first for DET. In previous years, the theater company produced a cabaret show as its annual fundraiser—but this year, the company decided to go for something a little more interactive.

Here’s how the event works: Each contestant is paired with a coach who is a professional singer. The coaches will work with their mentees, and everyone will sing on the night of the event. Both coaches and the contestants have donated their time, so 100 percent of the proceeds will go to DET’s education programs, which provide scholarships to technical theater interns. Since its inception in 2012, DET has awarded more than $21,000 in scholarships. After graduating, many interns have returned to work with DET.

The host for the evening is DET’s artistic director, Jerome Elliott Moskowitz, with music direction provided by Constance Gordy. The audience will choose the winner by filling out a ballot after the final singer has performed.

Tickets to the event include a catered preshow reception, a post-show celebration, and an open bar sponsored by the Palm Springs Cultural Arts Center.

“I reached out to singers, some of whom have worked with DET before, who gladly donated their time to be coaches,” Moskowitz said.

Then came the search for contestants.

“Shawn Abramowitz (DET’s executive director and board president), Danny Kopelson and I came up with a short list of community members we wanted to ask to be contestants,” Moskowitz said.

The coach-singer pairs are:

• Jeff Barnett and the McCallum Theatre’s Jeffrey Norman.

• Darci Daniels and the LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert’s Charles Huff.

• Patrick Evans and doctor of dental surgery Joe Zakowski.

• Charles Herrera and The Desert Sun’s Winston Gieseke.

• Lizzie Schmelling and artist/ businessperson Christine Tringali Nunes.

• Leslie Tinnaro and Shay’s Warriors founder Shay Moraga.

Moskowitz said the contestants are quite invested in their performances.

“Seeing these contestants really dig into the work, seeing their enthusiasm, has been one of the best things about this event,” Moskowitz said.

Gordy will be on the keyboards so the contestants get the feel of singing with live accompaniment.

“As opposed to a pre-recorded track, a pianist can listen to the performer and meld with them, creating a very special moment,” Moskowitz said.

Coach Lizzie Schmelling, who has performed with DET before, said when Moskowitz approached her about participating, she thought he was asking her to be a contestant at first.

“When they said they wanted me for one of the coaches, I thought, ‘This will be awesome,’” Schmelling said. “This was a welcome surprise. I’m very excited and honored to be a part of this. … It is so important to foster support and education for young artists.”

Contestant Shay Moraga is a newcomer to performing live.

“I was at an (Academy of Fundraising Professionals) meeting, and Shawn (Abramowitz) and I began talking,” Moraga said, explaining how she got involved Moraga said that singing “is the No. 1 thing” on her list of things that scare her, and that she’d challenged herself to learn to sing this

year. When Abramowitz explained that there would be coaches, and the proceeds went to the theater’s educational program, Moraga, a cancer survivor, was all in.

“Singing has brought me a lot of joy,” Moraga said. “Through this process, I have been singing my song constantly—and that brings me joy. Cancer took that from me for a while.”

It’s been five years since Moraga’s diagnosis, and she said she’s now cancer-free.

“I’m starting to learn that it’s really OK to let go, to go from just surviving to thriving in life after cancer,” she said. “I want to see shows. I want to be a part of this joy.”

Singing With the Desert Stars will take place on Friday, Oct. 7, at the Palm Springs Cultural Center, 2300 E. Baristo Road, in Palm Springs.

A reception catered by Eight4Nine starts at 6:30 p.m., and the show is at 8 p.m. Tickets are $100. For tickets or more information, call 760-5652476 , or visit www.desertensembletheatre.org.

Kevin Mann is the Independent’s editorial

intern; his internship is funded by the Coachella Valley Journalism Foundation. Kevin can be reached at kmann@cvindependent.com.

Six community leaders are paired with six pros for DET’s ‘Singing With the Desert Stars’COMPETITION FOR A CAUSE

Singing With the Desert Stars’ Lizzie Schmelling.

Singing With the Desert Stars host Jerome Elliott Moskowitz.

ARTS & CULTURE

SHADOW CAST SUPPORT

By MATT KING

The Rocky Horror Picture Show, the bizarre 1975 musical-comedy-horror movie based on The Rocky Horror Show musical, today is not only considered a classic; it spawned a whole new form of acting/performance, called the “shadow cast.”

A shadow cast is a group of actors who perform, in costume, an entire movie live—while that movie plays in the background. Some of these Rocky Horror shadow casts are now getting help from one of the movie’s stars: Barry Bostwick, aka Brad Majors, is now starring in “The 47th Anniversary Spectacular Show” tour, coming to The Show at the Agua Caliente Rancho Mirage on Friday, Oct. 7. The event will feature a costume contest, some words by Bostwick, and, of course,

a shadow cast performing as The Rocky Horror Picture Show plays.

“This is a huge party,” Bostwick said during a recent phone interview. “In fact, my character, Brad, says in the beginning of the movie, ‘It’s just a party, Janet,’ when we walk into the castle. That’s been my attitude about this little tour thing we do—just creating an atmosphere for a huge party.

“I think people are finally confident enough to go out into public and have a party, and I think it’s time for a party. Over the last couple

of years, a lot of these shadow casts who do the show in front of the screen have had to go on hiatus, and they’ve lost their theaters, and they’ve lost members; consequently, the whole sort of Rocky Horror community was put on hold. I thought, ‘Well, this year, let me go out for maybe 13 or 14 days and try to create some energy around the show again, and to help the shadow casts get back on their feet.’”

Bostwick is co-hosting the event with Rocky Horror superfan Larry Vizel.

“(Vizel) goes out onstage, and he’ll do

a costume contest, and we’ll do a virgins ceremony with people who’ve never seen Rocky Horror before, and basically explain the rules … and then I’ll come out and talk to the audience and maybe take a few questions, and then we get right into the show,” Bostwick said. “The ‘47th anniversary’ is sort of a joke, because, I mean, who celebrates 47 years? The 45th year, everybody was locked down, pretty much. It’s just a time for the audience to reacquaint themselves with the fun and the rock ’n’ roll of Rocky Horror. I’m going to have as much fun as hopefully the audience will.”

While Bostwick is hosting some pre-show VIP events and the Q&A, he’s not part of the shadow cast.

“(The shadow casts) mimic everything perfectly that’s on the screen, and I can’t do that,” he said. “One cast a few years ago asked me to go up and play Ralph Hapschatt, the guy who gets married in the beginning. I went up and I tried to do it, but when your back’s turned to the screen, you have no idea what you’re doing unless you’ve studied and studied and studied, like these people have. I just made a fool of myself.”

While the film is approaching 50 years old, The Rocky Horror Picture Show continues to stay relevant, something Bostwick attributes to the film’s themes of acceptance and empowerment.

“What astonishes me is how the movie still impacts not only the audience, who are there just to have a big happening, but it impacts some of the hardcore fans and people who are perhaps a little bit on the outside of society. They’re finding their own tribe, and it’s time for the tribe to have their own power,” Bostwick said. “I think a lot of the themes of the movie are still very, very current, and in fact, some of them are even more important now than they were when we made it in the ’70s. Hopefully, we’re still inspiring and changing people’s lives, besides just entertaining them.”

Bostwick said the creativity and dedication of the many shadow casts across the nation have also helped keep Rocky Horror relevant.

“It’s the shadow casts and the fans who have created this alternate entertainment that would never still be around if it was just the movie,” Bostwick said. “The movie is great and catchy and fun and singable and bright, and the performances are brilliant, but it’s the atmosphere in the theater that’s been created by the fans who see it again and again and again, or bring a friend or bring a son or daughter, as a

sort of passage moment in their lives.

“We’re on our third generation now of Rocky Horror people, and I have 10-year-olds and 12-year-olds come up to me and go, ‘Wow, this is my favorite movie of all time.’ In my mind, I’m going, ‘How many movies have you seen?’ Then I think of how progressive his or her parents must have been to bring them to this show that creates an awful lot of questions in a young mind.”

While Rocky Horror is now viewed as a classic, it was not well-received when it came out in theaters.

“When it did come out theatrically, it didn’t last very long,” Bostwick said. “It was only a few years later, when we got on the midnight circuit, that I became aware of the shadow casts. I was invited to the Tiffany Theater in Los Angeles on Sunset, and they had a cast that started in the ’70s. They invited me down; I think (the soundtrack to) Rocky Horror had just gone gold, so they presented me with a gold album—and I presented them with a pair of my underwear, framed. It was a fine exchange.”

The Rocky Horror Picture Show 47th Anniversary Spectacular Show takes place at 8 p.m., Friday, Oct. 7, at The Show at Agua Caliente, 32250 Bob Hope Drive, in Rancho Mirage. Guests are welcome to dress up as their favorite character. Tickets are $25 to $75. For tickets or more information, call 800-514-3849, or visit aguacalientecasinos.com.

Barry Bostwick, aka Brad Majors, celebrates 47 years of ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’ at Agua Caliente Rancho Mirage

Barry Bostwick, aka Brad Majors.

BY kevin carlow

Over the years, I’ve referenced David Wondrich, Charles H. Baker, Dave Arnold and Simon Difford, among others, in this space. Sometimes I feel like I go to the same wells too often. Maybe I’m getting lazy.

I’ve been in the game so long at this point that reading industry stuff is kind of low on my priority list, to be honest—but I recently found a handy little book with some solid history and recipes, and Eric Felten’s How’s Your Drink? is interesting enough to warrant a discussion. It actually took me on a trip down memory lane, and gave me a reason to revisit some cocktails.

It’s pretty crazy how far recipes and cocktail history have come since this book was published in 2007, when I was still slinging subpar margaritas on double shifts. In the 15 years since then, we, as bartenders, have gone bitters crazy, amaro mad, and herbal demented.

For instance, here’s what was a standard sazerac, one of the pre-eminent cocktails from New Orleans in 2007, according to Felten.

1 cube of sugar

2 dashes of Peychaud’s bitters

2 ounces of rye whiskey or cognac Herbsaint or Ricard liqueur Dissolve sugar in bitters and a splash of water. Stir in whiskey or cognac with ice. Strain into an Herbsaint- or Ricard-coated glass; add a lemon twist.

This is a fine cocktail as listed; I would not complain about this drink at all. That said, these days, we would probably double the amount of bitters; perhaps add Angostura bitters; replace the sugar cube with simple syrup; and possibly, in the geekiest of establishments, even mix cognac and rye. What a difference a decade and a half can make.

Chances are, you enjoy ice in a beverage now and then, but do you know the story of Frederic Tudor, the “Ice King”? In the early 1800s, he gathered ice from Walden Pond and Wenham Lake, sending clear ice from Massachusetts (and even an iceberg once!) as far away as India. As a wise person once said, “No ice, no party.” Well, I feel like Felten is one of the few authors I’ve read who properly discusses what is probably the most forgotten but important ingredient in a proper cocktail.

Although Felten is a proponent of the Martinez (which includes sweet vermouth and maraschino liqueur instead of dry vermouth) as the predecessor of the martini, his love of the later, and more-polished, cocktail is obvious. I might disagree with him about the origin of the martini, but not about its superiority to most cocktails. We certainly agree that martinis made with scant vermouth suffer from the absence.

We all know the movie cocktail favored by a certain British secret agent, and you might even order a Vesper on occasion—but did you know that 007 favored cocktails as diverse as

the Americano, a gin and tonic, and a black velvet? Now there’s a drink that’s hard to find these days: Take equal parts Champagne and Guinness stout, and serve it in a tall beer glass, and you have a black velvet. It doesn’t get much easier than that! I’m not sure if many would consider that a cocktail, per se, but it’s definitely a nice change of pace.

The Americano is a favorite of mine—a less-assertive version of the negroni. It’s nice to know Bond liked to switch it up once in a while.

1 1/2 ounces of Campari

1 1/2 ounces of sweet vermouth

Top with soda water; garnish with an orange peel.

The Bronx cocktail is another easy one, and rarely seen these days. The downfall of Bill Wilson, or “Bill W.,” as he’s known in Alcoholics Anonymous, it’s one of the handful of drinks to feature sweet and dry vermouth in the same glass.

1 1/2 ounces of gin

1 ounce of orange juice

1/4 ounce of sweet vermouth

1/4 ounce of dry vermouth

Shake and strain into a cocktail glass; garnish with a slice of orange.

I like a little bit more of each of the vermouths in my version, but this will certainly suffice. You can also add a dash of Angostura bitters to the mix for what’s called an “Income Tax Cocktail.” As with so many drinks, the origins of the Bronx cocktail are vague, and too tall of a tale for this short column. Felten does a nice job of telling that tale, if you want to dig deeper—but it’s a drink that doesn’t get its due, and it’s nice to see it featured by Felten.

In the mid-’00s, cocktail culture was constantly evolving, and things that are conventions today were still topics of debate back then. Felten was certainly on the right track about the gimlet. Before I got into the whole craft scene, I was told by old-timers that a Gimlet without Rose’s lime juice wasn’t a gimlet. I stuck by that, and I was never able to fully accept the version with fresh lime, sugar and gin—despite my having promoted it here, and my making it for guests by the hundreds. That said … at a certain point, I just couldn’t stomach the idea of serving Rose’s to people. But I also

had no intention of peeling a ton of limes, and boiling the peels with lime juice and sugar to make a craft cordial for the one gimlet a month someone might order.

I actually find that Felten’s solution is a bit of an elegant one, for the home bartender especially.

2 ounces of gin

1/2 ounce of Rose’s lime

1/4 to 1/2 ounce of simple syrup

Shake and strain; garnish with a thin slice of lime, or serve on the rocks. The addition of two dashes of Angostura bitters are a variation suggested by the author.

Continuing on the same note, it’s quite amusing to read Felten’s description of the negroni as “a bit obscure these days,” seeing as we just celebrated Negroni Week (Sept. 12-18), but in 2007, I must admit, I probably only had a vague idea of what went into it. These days, even the worst bartenders have a rough idea how to put one together.

Other cocktails Felten covers didn’t have such an illustrious comeback—like the “Dandy Cocktail,” “The Granny” and the “Bishop’s Cooler,” for example.

All in all, it was fascinating to go back and see where cocktail culture was back when I was first starting on this journey. While there are certainly books I would put ahead of it, there’s

still quite a bit to recommend in How’s Your Drink? Only the nerdiest of bar geeks would find any fault with the recipes, and you can see the process that cocktail historians went through to make my job a little more interesting.

I will definitely be adding it to my short list of reference books—although I will keep my updated recipes, thank you.

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

VINE SOCIAL

By Katie finn

they studied for what many consider to be the most difficult test in the world: the Master and offered a never-before-seen look into what it takes to pass this three-part exam—something that happens less than 10 percent of the time.

In fact, it’s been said that it would be easier to pass the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) having never opened a law textbook than to pass the Master Sommelier exam after years of study.

talking about.

A dear friend of mine once said the art of blind tasting is the ultimate party trick. Cue the circus music, and prepare to be amazed as I stick my nose in the glass, and with just a mere inhale, I tell you this is a 2018 Sangiovese from the Chianti Classico region! Ooohhh! Aahhhh!

Of course, it’s not that simple. Being able

to identify a wine, where it comes from, and its vintage requires an in-depth knowledge of hundreds of different varietals, and the characteristics, aromas and flavor profiles that make them unique. It means having a textbook recollection of global geography, knowing what grapes grow where, and how those places affect a wine’s dynamics. It’s knowing the difference between tasting a chardonnay from Chablis, and a chardonnay from the Willamette Valley. It’s understanding how a wine ages, and the various stages of development, from its youth to when it is past its prime.

There is also the understanding that the

wines we taste blind are somewhat common and recognizable. I was at a house party a few years ago, and our hostess wanted to have a little blind tasting. Being the only official sommelier in the room, I was naturally expected to quickly produce the correct answer. It was a white wine, and if I remember correctly, it was perfumy, with aromas of jasmine flowers, peaches and white pepper. I recall thinking it was a torrontés, the signature white grape of Argentina. We’re taught that your first instinct is almost always the correct one, so with all eyes on me, I made my decision known.

Nope, not a torrontés.

Now that the “expert” had tried and failed, it opened the door for everyone else to give it a shot. Albariño? No. Sauvignon blanc? No. Riesling? No. The tasting quickly devolved into an exercise of naming every white grape we could think of. When the group finally called uncle, the mystery wine was revealed.

It was a white merlot from Germany. A what?! Um ... OK. No one was ever going to get it.

One of the biggest fears people have when it comes to tasting wines, blind or not, is using the wrong descriptions. I hear it all the time. Someone will say, “This probably sounds stupid, but I think I’m smelling (fill in in the blank).” To these statements, I say “YES!” Not that you’re stupid, but, yes, if this wine smells like your grandfather’s study, I can’t tell you it doesn’t. What I can tell you is that you’re probably picking up notes of leather, oak and maybe some spice.

On the other hand, I have people who tell me all they can smell is wine, and they can’t smell anything else. But that isn’t true. Yes, they can smell more than wine. But it is a skill that needs to be developed.

There was a study published by the National Institutes for Health, published in 2014, that determined the human nose can smell 1 trillion aromas. Yes, you read that correctly … 1 trillion. Since that study was released, several other scientists have refuted its validity, claiming the mathematics used to achieve that number are faulty. Original research on this subject was published in the late 1990s stating that the average human nose could smell approximately 20,000 aromas, and people could learn to correctly identify about 10,000 of those. I’m no mathematician, but that is a statistic I can get behind.

But the question for a lot of people, especially those who want to become more

wine-savvy, remains: How do I learn to correctly identify wines?

The short answer is: Be mindful, and smell everything. Grating Parmesan cheese? Smell the rind. Tearing fresh basil? Smell your hands. Pumping gas? Don’t be a weirdo and stick your nose in the gas tank, but be aware of how the petroleum vapors smell. Literally stop and smell the roses. You’ll build a preverbal rolodex of aromas from which to draw, and you’ll be amazed at how your brain will start to identify subtleties that you didn’t notice before. It’s pretty cool.

Of course, there is a reason why my friend said blind tastings are the ultimate party trick: Being able to identify a wine blind is never going to be a useful skill in everyday life. You’re never going to be in a situation where you’ll say to yourself, “If only I had known that was a cabernet franc! It could have all been so different!” At best, you’ll be at a house party and not guess torrontes when it’s really a white merlot.

That said, I do believe God is in the details. There is something truly remarkable about sticking your nose in a glass of wine and immediately being transported to your childhood, standing in your grandfather’s study. Or smelling aromas that remind you of your mother’s famous strawberry rhubarb pie. It’s that connection of aromas to our memories that takes drinking a glass of wine from perfunctory to profound.

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.

Want to learn how to identify wines with your nose? Start smelling everything!

CAESAR CERVISIA

JASON

By brett newton

fter a disgustingly humid month here, I had to get away for a week to preserve my sanity. I chose to head to San Diego, and split my time between the south and north parts of the

After I arrived at my rental in Hillcrest near downtown San Diego, my next move (after unpacking a little and cleaning up) was Burgeon at the Arbor, in Little Italy. This location added a chef and kitchen, with a tempting menu—and beer-pairing suggestions by a Cicerone. I’d been wanting to

Stories from a few days in the beer mecca that is San Diego

with one of my favorite hops, Nelson Sauvin, from New Zealand; it is such a crisp, light, intensely tropical experience. For food, I kept it simple and ordered the burger. That turned out to be a great decision.

The bartender, John, was incredibly friendly, animated and passionate about their beer. I chatted with him while trying 5-ounce pours of the other beers on tap. They’re all great, but the most notable was the Just Wondering IPA collaboration with Wondrous Brewing Company in Northern California, using another favorite hop of mine from New Zealand called Riwaka; it’s just so damn drinkable.

Besides Clever Kiwi, there were two other pilsner, Pistil, and a newer, Italian pilsner, Pergola. Italian pilsners are much like their German counterparts, but with more liberal use of the same hops. These were pitch-perfect incarnations of both. Even the brown porter, Heir to the Throne, was gorgeous—rich with chocolate, coffee and dark fruit flavors.

Before my next stop, I stopped at Bottlecraft in North Park to see what their can and bottle selection was. Bottlecraft is more than a bottle shop, however; it has beers on tap and a small deli for charcuterie. I wasn’t planning to try a beer there, but there was a dry-hopped gose (German sour-ale style) called Nelson Hose, from de Garde Brewing in Tillamook, Ore., a brewery that makes some outstanding sour ales of all types. My love of them and Nelson hops drove me to enjoy 5 ounces as I browsed.

I then walked across the street to North Park Beer Co. to enjoy a few. North Park also makes excellent beers across the board, and as I sat down at the bar, I noticed how many people were ordering their pilsner. This happened quite a bit at The Arbor as well—and it’s cause for celebration, in my book. I have openly been hoping for lagers to become the next big trend in craft beer, and the selection of märzens and festbiers for Oktoberfest is rife with excellent craft-brewery examples.

I, however, wanted to continue my New Zealand hop kick with the version of their Hop-Fu! IPA using Nelson and Peacharine hops, called NZ Fu! It was the least Nelson-y beer I had that night, but it was no less tasty. It showcased a really nice malt backbone and a full body as well.

After that, I had to try the Old Geezer, aged in Heaven Hill bourbon barrels. This barleywine had a huge caramel character to it without being cloying. The vanilla and bourbon notes, as well as the warm finish, made this an excellent experience. When I mentioned how huge the caramel flavor was, the beertender told me they added Werther’s Original candies during the brewing process. Think whatever you’d like about that, but, damn it if it didn’t work.

Coin-Op Game Room is a big reason I ended my evening in North Park. It’s a barcade, and I feel privileged to have been a teenager in the late ’80s and early ’90s, when arcades were thriving. Yellow Brick Road at the Palm Desert mall was the one I went to most, and I miss it—and arcades in general—dearly. (Someone tried a similar concept in Palm Springs, called Glitch, before the pandemic, but it wasn’t to be.) Coin-Op is not very big, but it does have beer on tap, along with a full bar and video-game classics like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time and Street Fighter II: Championship Edition. I sipped on a decent IPA from Thorn Brewing and sank quite a few tokens into the band Rush’s pinball machine. As a big fan of Rush, pinball and beer, aided a cool breeze from outside, this was a peak moment for me. I finished my night with a glass of E.H. Taylor Small Batch bourbon as I depleted my remaining tokens.

That was just first night. I don’t have a lot of space to describe the next night, which ended at Bottlecraft’s Little Italy location after

another dinner at Burgeon at the Arbor. At Bottlecraft, I had a glass of Enegren Brewing’s Leichtbier, which is a little German-style lager they made for their 11th anniversary, along with small pours of Gueuze Tilquin from Belgium and Fremont Brewing’s CoffeeCinnamon B-Bomb, a barrel-aged “winter ale.”

The next night (after a daytime visit to Coronado Beach) was even better, with my good friend James hosting a steak dinner at his place with friends and awesome conversation (including me pointing to a VHS tape that apparently includes footage of him skydiving into his graduation rehearsal at Palm Desert High School, somewhat blinded by smoke canisters—and almost hitting power lines).

This was the end of the first leg of my jour ney. Next month, I’ll discuss what happened further north in San Diego County.

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.

FOOD & DRINK INDY ENDORSEMENT

theThis month’s menu features mac-and-cheese pizza, and poblano shrimp enchiladas

By Jimmy Boegle

WHAT The “Mac & Cheese-ZA!”

WHERE Billy Q’s, 36901 Cook St., No. 7, Palm Desert; also at 38180 Del Webb Blvd., Palm Desert

HOW MUCH $12 to $26 ($16 as a small, as shown)

CONTACT 760-404-0681 (Cook); 760-6365180 (Del Webb); billyqs.net

WHY It’s surprisingly nuanced.

I thought the menu description of Billy Q’s “Mac & Cheese-ZA” sounded gimmicky. “Creamy Velveeta combined with macaroni and hickory smoked bacon,” it said, before adding, in all caps: “IT WILL SURPRISE YOU!!”

For one thing, macaroni on a pizza? Really? For another, what could possibly be surprising about macaroni, bacon and … Velveeta?

Then the pizza arrived at our table. Not only was I indeed surprised; I was downright impressed.

The surprise came from the fact that these ingredients worked on the pizza. The macaroni was soft enough without being mushy, while the bacon added salt, smokiness and, well, bacon. Then there’s the Velveeta—a “processed cheese product” that had not passed between my lips in decades—which brought everything together, serving as the sauce and providing creaminess. Last and most certainly not least, Billy Q’s standard crust (gluten-free, sourdough, broccoli cheddar and cauliflower crusts are also available) was sturdy enough and quite tasty.

Man, it was good—even though I shudder to think how many calories are in each slice.

Billy Q’s, which is celebrating a decade in business this year, also offers a lot of other pizza varieties, as well as appetizers, salads, burgers, sandwiches (both hot and cold) and pasta dishes, at two Palm Desert locations— one on Cook Street, the other in Sun City. The service was good, and the prices are reasonable; I got three meals out of the “small” pizza, and I’m not exactly known as a diminutive eater.

I offer not only my compliments to Billy Q’s, but also my apologies, for thinking their “Mac & Cheeze-ZA” was a mere gimmick. Far from it—in fact, it was one of the best, and certainly one of the most unique, pizzas I’ve had in the Coachella Valley.

WHAT The poblano shrimp enchiladas WHERE Salsa’s Restaurant, 69020 E. Palm Canyon Drive, Cathedral City

HOW MUCH $20 CONTACT 760-321-6612

WHY It’s as good as I can make at home. The older I get, the more selective I’m getting when it comes to restaurant selections. Unless I am traveling or in a hurry, these days, I generally only want to order things at restaurants I wouldn’t make better myself at home.

This was going through my mind one recent evening when we dined at Salsa’s, the delightful—and often rather busy—Mexican restaurant at Palm Canyon Drive and Date Palm Drive, across from the Agua Caliente Cathedral City. The reason: One of the entrées we ordered was the poblano shrimp enchiladas—a dish I just so happen to make myself at home.

Would Salsa’s version be better than mine? (My version is really excellent, for the record.) Or would we be disappointed by a plate of food that was subpar compared to my recipe?

The verdict? Well, it was a tie. I’d put my poblano sauce slightly ahead of Salsa’s version—mine is creamier, with roasted poblano chunks—while Salsa’s enchiladas were a notch better.

There’s one other advantage Salsa’s version has over mine: I don’t have to work in a hot kitchen for an hour before I can enjoy it.

Salsa’s menu offers plenty of things to enjoy, from Mexican-restaurant standards (tacos, nachos, burritos, fajitas, etc.) to a lot of fresh seafood, including ceviche tostadas and fresh oysters on the half shell. Shrimp, in fact, is a Salsa’s specialty; beyond the expected shrimp enchiladas, tacos, etc., Salsa’s offers 10 different shrimp entrées.

On my next visit to Salsa’s, I’ll probably try the shrimp in pasilla chile and roasted corn sauce ($19). Not only does it sound delicious; it’s something I definitely would not make better myself at home.

By charles drabkin CVINDEPENDENT.COM/FOOD-DRINK

SEASON IS (ALMOST) HERE—AND THAT MEANS MORE EVENTS OUTSIDE

The Coachella Valley’s “season,” as it is affectionately referred to, more or less runs from October to May. So … welcome to season! It’s time to enjoy all the wonders our valley has to offer.

One of the first big (sort-of) outdoor events of the season will take place at 6 p.m., Friday, Oct. 7, at the Palm Springs Air Museum. Marker Broadcasting’s Wine and Dine Around the World is a “wine-tasting event featuring over 300 wines from nine different countries, paired with regional hors d’oeuvres.” The event benefits more than 15 local charities, and tickets are $75 to $150. Peruse the Wine and Dine Around the World page on Eventbrite for tickets or to learn more.

Speaking of outdoors: The Palm Springs Certified Farmers’ Market is returning to its outside home the Palm Springs Cultural Center, 2300 E. Baristo Road, the morning of Saturday, Oct. 1.

In other farmers’ market news: The Palm Desert Certified Farmers’ Market, held on Wednesdays for the last 13 years, will now take place on Sundays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., starting on Oct. 2. The market is located next to the Palm Desert Chamber of Commerce, at 72559 Highway 111.

Remember, both markets allow customers to use EBT cards to shop, and both have the Market Match program, enabling low-income families to purchase more healthy fruits and vegetables. Learn more at certifiedfarmersmarkets.org.

R.I.P. SAM PACE

Sad news out of Cathedral City: Sam Pace, one of the owners of Sammy’s Place, at 69034 E. Palm Canyon Drive, has passed away.

In addition to creating outstanding food, Sam was known for his involvement in local charities, particularly the Boys and Girls Club of Cathedral City. Fortunately, Sammy’s Place (originalsammysplace. com) will continue on, under the direction of chef Scott Robertson, of New Lead Catering.

Our thoughts are with Pace’s family and friends, as well as all of the people he has helped over the years.

IN BRIEF

AsiaSF Palm Springs, at 1555 S. Palm Canyon Drive, in Palm Springs, is no more. Its space been “incorporated” into the Sonoran Event Center. Learn more about the events space at thesonoranps. com. … Also no more is Salt Flats, in Cathedral City. The small restaurant, at 68718 E. Palm Canyon Drive, emphasized cuisines from deserts around the world. It was a real gem and will be missed. … Jake’s, at 664 N. Palm Canyon Drive, in Palm Springs, will be reopening for the season under new ownership. Ron Lopes and Scott Clark have promised to keep operating the Palm Springs institution with no significant changes. As long as they keep the soft shell crab sandwich on the brunch menu, I’ll be happy. Good luck to former owners Bruce and Chris (and their pup Jackson) on their new adventures. Learn more at jakespalmsprings.com. … Monsoon Indian Cuisine has opened a third location, at 44100 Jefferson St., in Indio, joining a Palm Desert location and the original Palm Springs space. Get details at indio.monsoonindianrestaurant.com. … If you are craving pizza in La Quinta, you are in luck: Rancho Mirage’s Slice Italia has opened a second space, at 46660 Washington St. View the menu and learn more at www.theslicepizza.com. … Luchador Brewing Company is now open at 68510 E. Palm Canyon Drive, in Cathedral City. The space is lots of fun, with a taco truck inside. My first bites were delicious; I really loved my smoked tuna taco. The space is a bit loud, which should be mitigated when the weather allows them to open the doors wide. Most importantly, they are promising to stay open until after the last show at the adjacent CVRep Playhouse gets out. Details at www.luchadorbrew.com. … The owners of Farm and Tac/Quila have opened The Front Porch at Farm, at 6 La Plaza Drive, in Palm Springs, featuring craft cocktails and healthy bites in an intimate setting. The Front Porch did not have a social media presence or website as of this writing, so keep an eye on Farm’s social media for more details. A fourth space is also in the work, called, Clandestino. Owners Liz and Mark Osotich had originally said they’d be opening a second Tac/Quila, but now they’re not saying much about how the new “Mexican cuisine Palm Springs style” venture will be different. Watch www.clandestinopalmsprings.com. … Bread and Flours, a European-style sourdough bread bakery that started at the Certified Farmers’ Market, has opened a brick-and-mortar space at 2100 N. Palm Canyon Drive, in Palm Springs. The chewy, dense loaves of bread are handcrafted, and made with locally sourced wheat whenever possible. The owners are ramping up slowly, so check www.breadandflours.com for hours. … Desert Hot Springs is getting a new barbecue joint! Uncle D’s Smokehouse BBQ and Grill is planning an early October opening. This custom-built trailer will be open Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. (or when they run out) in the parking lot of the Grocery Outlet at 14677 Palm Drive. The owners’ families hail from Georgia and Alabama, and they will serve ribs, chicken, hot links, smoked turkey and delicious sides. Check them out on Instagram @uncledsmokehousebbq, or find them on Facebook.

Got a hot tip? Let me know: foodnews@cvindependent.com.

MUSIC

FOR AUTISM AWARENESS

By matt king

The Coachella Valley is rich with musical icons, bands and charities—and the Concert for Autism melds all of those together each year into one of the area’s cornerstone events.

Local musician Josh Heinz’s charity/music-meeting place is back for a 15th year, again raising money for the Desert Autism Foundation. The 2022 event is spread across four different shows: Friday, Sept. 30, at the Big Rock Pub; Saturday, Oct. 8, at The Hood Bar and Pizza; Sunday,

Oct. 16, at the Coachella Valley Brewing Co.; and Saturday, Oct. 22, at the Tack Room Tavern.

Nearly 30 local bands will perform over the four shows, including Fever Dog, Pescaterritory, Mark Gregg, Whiskey and Knives, and Daytime Moon. (Full disclosure: I am performing at the Oct. 8 show.)

After a virtual event in 2020, and a downsized one-night concert at the Big Rock Pub in 2021, the Concert for Autism’s main event is returning to the Tack Room Tavern, its pre-pandemic home—but for just one night instead of two.

“After COVID, and even before COVID, Linda (Josh’s wife and bandmate in Blasting Echo) talked to me and was like, ‘Doing backto-back nights at the Tack Room is really hard.’ And she’s right,” Josh Heinz said during a recent phone interview. “We’ve got the whole family here. We take care of her son, Christopher, who’s autistic, and it’s a whole lot of work for us and for everybody who helps us. They’re all volunteering, so you’re asking people to work their day jobs on a Friday, and then help you set up and then work all day, and then come back on Saturday and work all day again.”

That’s not to say this year’s event won’t be big, seeing as Heinz and co. are putting on a show during four straight weekends.

“This year, coming back after all the COVID stuff, I wanted to make it bigger,” Heinz said. “There are so many bands and musicians who want to play, and then I, in a way, want to do thank-yous to the venues that have supported us. We did the big show at The Hood out in their parking lot years ago, and then last year, Big Rock Pub helped us out, so it’s kind of fun to get everybody that’s been a part of the event and have a show at each of their venues. … Certainly, from a fundraising standpoint, having four shows hopefully helps us generate more money for the Desert Autism Foundation.”

Heinz said the event’s continued success is due to the Coachella Valley music community.

“All the wonderful musicians who play each year donate their time and talents, and many also help us with setup and breakdowns,”

Heinz said. “Some go out and get donations for the silent auctions and raffles. Mark Gregg, who has a personal connection to the cause, is not only playing; his new 3M Studios is one of our sponsors.”

3M Studios is a one-stop shop where bands can practice, record and produce music.

“I think what he is doing with 3M is great, and has been a long time coming here in the valley,” Heinz said. “We are certainly grateful for this.”

Heinz said the music community is so supportive that he has to turn bands away.

“I get contacted by a lot of bands and a lot of people, and I can’t fit them all in, even with four shows,” Heinz said. “I feel bad, especially when my focus is to create the best show, get the most popular acts, and to try to get the most people there over the years. I still want to do that, but I also want to foster new talent.

“When a musician comes to me and says, ‘I have a son on the autism spectrum,’ or, ‘My sister is diagnosed,’ that means a lot to me, because I’m a father and a stepfather of individuals with autism. I started this whole thing simply because I thought, ‘Well, shouldn’t we do something?’”

Heinz said even though fundraising is the main idea, awareness is just as important.

“It sounds kind of trite to say, but if we made $1 for the organization, then we did good,” Heinz said. “It’s easy to get into that thing of like, ‘Well, we’ve got to do better than we did last year,’ and, of course, with COVID, that kind of changes your perspective. Every year up until COVID, we made a little bit more money than we made the year before, but that’s not the goal. Yeah, you want to raise more money, but just raising money and bringing awareness to the issue is a great thing.

“As a parent with a 22-year-old who’s on the spectrum, and a stepson who’s severely autistic, autism is in my face every day. It’s interesting every year that I get people coming up and saying, ‘Because of this event, I researched a little bit more about autism,’ or, ‘I learned some things about autism that I just didn’t know.’ … Awareness is a big deal. It’s about making people aware of what autism is, and how to better deal with individuals who

Josh Heinz’s Concert for Autism blends music and charity for a 15th consecutive year

have autism.”

Hands-on activities for children will return to the event, as will the raffle and silent auction, for the first time in three years.

“Everything we had in 2019 will be back,” said Heinz. “Obviously, COVID is still out there, but hopefully people have taken precautions as far as vaccinations. If people are still concerned about it, they can certainly wear their mask. I think at this point, it’s OK to have those activities. It’s great for neurotypical kids, and it’s great for kids on the spectrum.

“One of the fun things about the event is that, for parents who have children who are on the spectrum, we encourage them and welcome them to come to the event. Their kids get to experience a music event, which they very rarely get to experience. It’s always nice to have parents who have kids on the spectrum come up and say, ‘Hey, thanks for having the autism benefit concert, because we were able to take our son or our daughter out to an event, and they got to hear live music.’ When you have a child on the spectrum, and you’re unsure about how they’re going to react, you’re afraid to take them to some places. So, hopefully, our event has been positive for families with kids on the spectrum. Families feel like this is a safe place, and I’m glad that we’re able to provide that.”

The return to the Tack Room Tavern for the

main event feels like a homecoming for Heinz, he said.

“I love the Big Rock Pub and love how they supported us last year, and again, that’s why they’re doing the big kickoff concert, but the patio is so big at the Tack Room,” Heinz said. “It gives us so much space to have the two stages and have all the raffles and silentauction tables, and to have the tables for the kids. It’s really ideal for what we do.

“If you’re into having volume while you’re watching a live band, you can be up close, or you can sit further back where it’s not as loud. It’s so spread out that people can sit to their desired taste of volume. They can even get up and dance if they love it.”

The Concert for Autism’s Kickoff Event will take place at 7 p.m., Friday, Sept. 30, at the Big Rock Pub, 79940 Westward Ho Drive, in Indio.

The Lead-Up Event will take place at 7 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 8, at The Hood Bar and Pizza, 74360 Highway 111, Palm Desert. The Acoustic Afternoon for Autism will take place at 1 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 16, at Coachella Valley Brewing Co., 30640 Gunther St., in Thousand Palms. The main event will take place at 3 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 22, at The Tack Room Tavern, 81800 Avenue 51, in Indio. A donation is requested. For more information, visit concertforautism.com.

CVINDEPENDENT.COM/MUSIC

Blasting Echo performs at last year’s Concert for Autism. Laura Hunt Little

MUSIC

HIGH DESERT HARMONIZERS

By matt king

The band Flames of Durga has had the ultimate desert music experience.

After moving from Los Angeles, the trio—identical twin sisters Béah and Cecilia Romero, and Nate Million—found a new home in the high desert. Songs like “White Owl” and “Shine” showcase a marriage of headbanging rock and two-part harmonies—and they recently recorded their debut self-titled album with local legend Dave Catching at the famous Rancho de

la Luna studio, before having an album-release show at Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace.

“The desert has blessed us in a really beautiful way,” Béah said during a recent Zoom interview, as the bandmates and I discussed their move to the desert.

“We all bought a house together in 2018 in Yucca Valley, and that was the start of us falling in love with the desert, and the high desert especially,” Cecilia said.

Added Béah: “Our dad retired out here eight years ago, so the first time we came out to Joshua Tree was around that time, and my sister and I just loved it. Eventually, we got tired of living in L.A. We were so inspired every time we’d come out here, and we would just come up with all these new songs when we were out here. Our creativity was just thriving out here.”

The desert continues to serve as a muse for the band.

“(The desert has) always been really inspiring,” Cecilia said. “Whether we were living in the desert or visiting it, the energy in the high desert always inspired all of us creatively.”

Added Béah: “I think it’s actually expanded and enhanced the longer we’ve been out here. It’s been, like, 2 1/2 years that we’ve been full-time out here in the high desert, and it just gets better and better. There’s definitely a special vibe out here.”

Flames of Durga was excited to work with Catching on the band’s debut LP.

“Total dream come true, not just working with Dave Catching—because he’s been in so many awesome projects that we love, like Queens of the Stone Age, Earthlings?, Mojave Lords and Eagles of Death Metal—but also getting to record at Rancho de la Luna, because so many incredible albums have been made there,” Béah said. “We were just so honored to be able to get that opportunity—and I got to play whatever guitar I wanted. He’s got, like, hundreds and hundreds of vintage guitars everywhere, and all kinds of amps, and I messed around on his pedalboard a bunch. I feel like he was the first producer who truly understood our band and what we were going

for. It was a fun collaboration.”

Added Cecilia: “It was like we were hanging out at a friend’s house. Rancho has that vibe, and that’s part of the magic of that place.”

The opportunity came about after the group signed a vinyl-record deal with Last Hurrah Records; that connection also helped them get the Sept. 16 show at Pappy and Harriet’s.

“Last Hurrah Records has worked with bands that have recorded at Rancho, so it was like a few of our different resources came together,” Béah said. “Nate had worked with Dave before, too, so it was cool how it just kind of lined up. Our intentions were really, really straightforward, and that was where we wanted to record our first album. I’m superstoked that we were able to do that—and we’ve been wanting to play Pappy’s, so I’m superstoked about that as well.”

That vinyl-record deal means exactly what you think: The album is currently only available on wax, with streaming coming next year.

“We’re really focused on the exclusive vinyl release before everyone’s able to listen to it digitally,” Béah said.

The band was slated to head to Europe not long after our interview.

“That was from an opportunity we got when we were live-streaming a rehearsal during one of the early quarantines,” Béah said. “This guy came across the livestream, and he really liked our music and was like, ‘Hey, I book bands out here in the U.K.,’ and he’s got a van, and he’s going to let us crash. It’s this regular thing he does, just because he loves music, and he loves to support smaller bands and get them out there. His name is Steve Iles; he works with IndigoBravo promotions, and he’s the reason we’re able to do this U.K. tour.”

Even though moving to the desert has provided a lot of opportunities for Flames of Durga, the members pride themselves on the ability to make things happen as a D.I.Y band.

“It’s been crazy planning it all ourselves, because you’ve really got to be strategic these days,” said Béah. “We all work together to manage the band right now, until we find someone worthy enough. It’s not easy, but we’re doing it.”

While the members of Flames of Durga love

the desert, they said they still see themselves as part of the L.A. scene.

“There’s a special desert scene, and there’s a special L.A. scene, and we’re definitely part of both,” Béah said. “I feel a responsibility to play

enough in each area—and we grew up in L.A., too, so it always feels like home, even though the desert is also our home.”

For more information, visit flamesofdurga.com.

The band Flames of Durga celebrates desert rock with its self-titled debut LP

Flames of Durga. Errol Colandro

2022 EVENTS

DATE EVENT

Oct 1

Bullying: A Community Symposium

Oct 1 One Night Out: Havana Nights

Oct 1 Pride Under the Pines

Oct 1-2 One-PS Candidates Forums

Oct 3 SCORE/DBA/CMI Business Mixer & Mentoring

Oct 7 Singing with the Desert Stars

Oct 8 House Party PS 3 — Hollywood Magic- REAF

Oct 13–16 Modernism Week - October

Oct 15 Casual Concours

Oct 15 9th Annual Reel Women’s Film Festival

Oct 15 G4G Coming Out Day Ice Cream Social

Oct 15 Palm Springs Equality Awards

Oct 21 Center Stage: Together We Rise

Oct 27–30 PSLOD Leather Pride

Oct 29 Desert AIDS Walk: Walk Out Loud

Oct 30 Palm Springs Halloween on Arenas

Nov 3-6 LGBTQ+ Archives at Wellwood Murrary

Nov 4 OUTFEST Palm Springs Event

Nov 4 KGAY's Arenas District Dance Stage Kickoff

Nov 4 Interfaith Pride Shabbat Service

Nov 4–5 Pride on the Page - Literary Event

Nov 5 Palm Springs Pride 5K Run and Walk

Nov 5 Palm Springs Pride Golf Tournament

Nov 5 Palm Springs HRC Garden Party

Nov 5 Art of Pride - Palm Springs Art Museum

Nov 5–6 Arenas District Block Party Presented by KGAY 106.5

Nov 5–6

Palm Springs Pride Festival

Nov 6 Pride Parade 10 am

Nov 6 Official Premier Women’s After Parade Party

Nov 11–13 Palm Springs Women's Jazz Festival

Nov 12 DiversityDHS - Desert Hot Springs Pride

Nov 18–20 McCormick's Collector Car Auction

MUSIC

SPOOKY SONGS

By KEVIN MANN

The Venue REPORT

Compilation album

The leaves starts to fall. A slight chill fills the misty air. Pumpkin spice invades everything. It’s almost spooky season … but how can one get into that frightful mood? One possibility: A new compilation album, It Came From the Desert, featuring Halloween songs by local musicians.

“I’m always looking for ways to showcase local artists,” said Matt King, the mastermind behind

It Came From the Desert (and, as you probably know, a writer for the Independent). “My friend Derek Timmons had put together a local Christmas album, and I thought doing the same with a Halloween-themed album was a great way to promote other local artists.”

With encouragement from Timmons, King began contacting local groups in hopes of featuring them on the album. Taking inspiration from the Queens of the Stone Age’s Songs From the Deaf, the album is structured like an old-time radio broadcast. It’s just a normal day at a radio station on the Salton Sea for DJ Timmons—until creatures begin to emerge from the murky waters. By the end of the broadcast, Timmons must save himself from an attacking fish monster—which, it just so happens, is featured on the album’s cover art, by Fever Dog’s Danny Graham (whose music also appears on the album).

King’s other inspiration for It Came From the Desert was the havoc wreaked on the

local music scene due to COVID-19. So many bands disbanded during the pandemic, and King wanted to give those that survived an opportunity for exposure. King said he reached out to about 30 bands, and 13 participated— including King’s own Matt and the Kings, and his new project, Salton City Surf Club. While a few bands submitted established works, most of the album consists of original pieces.

“It was such a cool thing to have these bands want to create something new for this album,” King said. “There are so many great tracks on here. I’m just really excited it came together.”

It Came From the Desert will be released on various streaming platforms on Saturday, Oct. 1. CDs are available via participating bands.

Labia Minora contributed the track “Something Wicked” to the album. It was actually the first track the new band— featuring Karla Anderson, Travis Rockwell and Crystal Hernandez—ever recorded.

“I had been working on a song to process

the Uvalde shooting and the Roe vs. Wade decision,” said Anderson, Labia Minora’s frontwoman. “I had some lyrics, but I was stuck. As soon as Matt said, ‘Halloween album,’ everything just came pouring out.”

Even though “Something Wicked” wound up becoming a Halloween song, it has a deeper meaning to Anderson.

“How someone interprets ‘Something Wicked’ is a personal experience. I want the meaning to be specific to the person listening to the song,” Anderson said.

Anderson said she hopes It Came From the Desert makes people more aware of local artists.

“There is a lot of talent in this valley; there really is,” Anderson said. “Every weekend, I go and see a local band. Palm Springs and the valley have really just become another suburb of Los Angeles, and we deserve the recognition.”

It Came From the Desert is a passion project for King, who is only 20 and works three parttime jobs while being a full-time student and playing in three bands.

“It is just so much fun playing music. It’s how I love to spend my time, and it’s a great way for me to de-stress,” King said.

If sales go well, King is already thinking of a follow-up. In fact, he said he already has artwork and bands in mind.

“Hopefully, the success of this album will encourage more local bands to want to be involved with a second one,” said King.

For more information on It Came From the Desert, visit www.facebook.com/ICFTDalbum or www. instagram.com/itcamefromthedesert_.

Kevin Mann is the Independent’s editorial intern; his internship is funded by the Coachella Valley Journalism Foundation. Kevin can be reached at kmann@cvindependent.com.

By matt king

Prince Royce October 2022

Boo! It’s October! Enjoy yourself this month at one or more of these many events, and stay safe!

Fantasy Springs has a few notable shows. At 8 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 8, Jason Bonham, the son of legendary Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham, brings his “Led Zeppelin evening” show to town. Tickets are $39 to $59. At 8 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 15, Indio gets a dose of Latin pop royalty with a performance by Prince Royce. Tickets are $49 to $99. It’s a double-serving of female Hong Kong singersongwriters with Hana Kuk and J. Arie at 7 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 22. Tickets are at $48 to $138. Making its Fantasy Springs debut at 8 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 29, is the regional Mexican band Los Inquietos del Norte! Tickets are $49 to $79. Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, 84245 Indio Springs Parkway, Indio; 760-342-5000; www.fantasyspringsresort.com.

Agua Caliente in Rancho Mirage is featuring some heavy hitters. At 8 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 1, alternative rockers Silversun Pickups will grace The Show stage. Their song “Lazy Eye” is a timeless jam. Tickets range from $40 to $90. After the recent Elvis movie, I’m dying to know more about the iconic rocker. Thankfully, Elvis’ former wife, Priscilla Presley, is headed to town for an interesting evening at 8 p.m., Friday, Oct. 14. Tickets range from $20 to $70. At 8 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 15, spend a night with Kenny Loggins as he plays through his movie-soundtrack hits. Tickets range from $65 to $150. Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa Rancho Mirage, 32250 Bob Hope Drive, Rancho Mirage; 888999-1995; www.hotwatercasino.com.

It Came From the Desert organizer Matt King: “It was such a cool thing to have these bands want to create something new for this album. There are so many great tracks on here.” Alyssa Mendoza

CVINDEPENDENT.COM/MUSIC

‘It Came From the Desert’ shows off local talent

The Venue REPORT

from

At Agua Caliente in Palm Springs, you’ve got residencies! Desert Blues Revival Wednesdays include two-time Best of Coachella Valley winners The Gand Band beginning their Chicago Blues Caravan (Oct. 5), a group led by a former Jimi Hendrix bandmate in Bill Magee Blues (Oct. 12), the stand-out saxophonist-led Woody Mankowski Blues Band (Oct. 19), and the alt-country sounds of Tommy Drinkard and the Remedy (Oct. 26). Shows are every Wednesday at 7 p.m. Tickets start at $10, available at eventspalmsprings. com/blues. Jazzville is here to jazz up your Thursdays with the “sexy, sultry and soulful” Amber Weekes Quartet (Oct. 6), a mix of jazz and Burt Bacharach pop selections by Lynda Kay (Oct. 13), a tribute to the music of Paul Desmond and Gerry Mulligan by the Jason Fabus Quartet (Oct. 20) and a jungle-jazz journey with Nat and Her Tiger Four (Oct. 27). Shows take place at 7 p.m., and tickets start at $10, available at jazzvillepalmsprings. com. Caliente Comedy Fridays can give you a good chuckle heading into the weekend with performances by Kelly Ryan (Oct. 7), Richard Weiss (Oct. 14), Kevin Jordan (Oct. 21), and Mike Falzone (Oct. 28). Shows are every Friday at 8 p.m., and tickets start at $7.99, available at www.eventspalmsprings.com/ caliente-comedy. Agua Caliente Casino Palm Springs, 401 E. Amado Road, Palm Springs; 888999-1995; www.sparesortcasino.com.

The McCallum Theatre is easing back into events in October. At 4 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 9, enjoy a performance of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, brought to life by the Aquila Theatre, and presented by McCallum Theatre Education. Tickets are $10. Hilarious comedian and the “king of rant” Lewis Black will be making a Palm Desert appearance at 7 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 13. Tickets are $50 to $100. McCallum Theatre, 73000 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert; 760-340-2787; www. mccallumtheatre.com.

Spotlight 29 has a few opportunities for October entertainment. At 8 p.m., Friday, Oct. 14, comedian and Rush Hour legend Chris Tucker is coming to Coachella. Tickets range from $70 to $140. Mexican singer/ songwriter Pancho Barraza brings a night of dancing to Spotlight at 8 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 22. Tickets are $80 to $150. At 8 p.m., Friday, Oct. 28, ’90s rockers Candlebox will perform. Tickets range from $20 to $70. Spotlight 29 Casino, 46200 Harrison Place, Coachella; 760775-5566; www.spotlight29.com.

Morongo’s October lineup is quite diverse. At 9 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 8, ’90s rock legends Puddle of Mudd bring a string of hits to Cabazon. Tickets start at $29. Country singer Leanne Morgan will grace the Morongo stage at 9 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 29. Tickets start at $29. At 8 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 30, R&B

icon Billy Ocean will perform his ’70s and ’80s chart-toppers. Tickets range from $39 to $69. Morongo Casino Resort Spa, 49500 Seminole Drive, Cabazon; 800-252-4499; www. morongocasinoresort.com.

Pappy and Harriet’s has a packed October schedule … but doesn’t Pappy’s always have a packed schedule? Discover Cambodian psych rock with Dengue Fever at 9:30 p.m., Friday, Oct. 14. Tickets are $25. At 7 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 20, catch a special desert performance by indie/alternative group Car Seat Headrest. Tickets are $40 in advance. At 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 25, enjoy some post-hardcore jams in Pioneertown by Hawthorne Heights and Armor for Sleep Tickets start at $28. Pop punk will be in the palace at 7 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 27, thanks to a set by The Story So Far. Tickets are $40. Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace, 53688 Pioneertown Road, Pioneertown; 760-228-2222; www.pappyandharriets.com.

The Purple Room features a number of multi-date performances in October. The marvelous Marilyn Maye is set to bring evenings of songs and stories at 8 p.m., Friday, Oct. 7, and Saturday, Oct. 8; and 7 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 9. Tickets start at $79. Two nights of jazz and blues with Niki Haris are happening at 8 p.m., Friday, Oct. 14, and Saturday, Oct. 15. Tickets are $30 to $40. The American traditional pop/vocal jazz group Black Market Jazz is headed for Palm Springs at 8 p.m., Friday, Oct. 21, and Saturday, Oct. 22. Tickets range from $30 to $40. Lee Squared—that’s Liberace and Peggy Lee—will continue their posthumous world tour, returning to the Purple Room at 8 p.m., Friday, Oct. 28, and Saturday, Oct. 29. Tickets are $35 to $45. All shows include dinner reservations two hours prior. Michael Holmes’ Purple Room, 1900 E. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs; 760-322-4422; www. purpleroompalmsprings.com.

Oscar’s in Palm Springs is serving up some unique October events. At 7 p.m., Monday, Oct. 10, comedian and impressionist Michael Airington is performing as the late, great Paul Lynde. Tickets start at $44.95. At 7 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 13, enjoy The Golden Girls Insiders Show with stories, clips and a Q&A with the show’s makeup artist, and two of the girls’ personal assistants. Tickets start at $55. “Jazz vocalist, fashion icon, NYC performance artist and singer” Joey Arias is making a stop at Oscar’s at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 19. Tickets start at $54.95. At 7 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 20, drag star Heklina becomes “HELLina” for a special Halloween show titled “Hey Boo!” alongside Deven and Ned. Tickets start at $30. Oscar’s Palm Springs, 125 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way, Palm Springs; 760-325-1188; oscarspalmsprings.com/events.

MUSIC

FANNING THE FLAMES

By matt king

Take political lyrics, and mix them with a hybrid of punk, ‘70s rock and blues—all with lo-fi production—and you’ve got Sheer Mag.

Based in Philadelphia, the four-piece rock band has pared an array of genres into a cohesive sound, thanks to the consistent and emphatic vocal delivery of frontwoman Tina Halladay. Political lyrics span the band’s catalog; “Fan the Flames” talks about retaliating

against landlords, while “Expect the Bayonet” covers class solidarity and voting.

Since forming in 2014, the band has released three albums (one is a collection of EPs) while being road warriors, providing highly energetic live sets night after night— including a scheduled stop at Pappy and Harriet’s on Friday, Oct. 7.

This will be the second show this year for Sheer Mag at Pappy’s, after opening there for Coheed and Cambria in February.

“I had no idea what to expect,” Halladay said, during a recent phone interview, about Pappy and Harriet’s. “It’s really cool over there, and that was the first show of that tour with Coheed. It was a really wild first show of the tour, but it was really fun. I’m excited to play again.”

The band had a prior relationship with Coheed and Cambria, yet the tour invitation was a surprise.

“We played their cruise, which also got postponed two years because of COVID,” Halladay said. “While we were on the boat, I was talking to their manager and stuff. It was kind of last-minute, but it was cool, and that show was particularly a fun one to start off with. I also liked that band when I was 16, so it was kind of a funny full-circle moment.”

There have been various full-circle moments like that Coheed call during the band’s eight-year history.

“It’s things that if I knew what was going to

happen when I was a teenager, it would have blown my mind,” she said.

Even though Sheer Mag’s music covers multiple genres, some of the bands the band plays with have a vastly different sound—like Coheed and Cambria, with their poppy progmetal.

“We feel like there’s no clear-cut band that we should be opening for,” Halladay said. “I don’t know if there is a modern band that’s exactly who we should be playing with. I kind of feel like we can float around and do kind of whatever. It’s a lot more open.”

Starting in the Philadelphia scene meant Sheer Mag performed a lot of DIY shows with varying groups and genres.

“I think we just ended up playing with a bunch of punk and hardcore bands, because those are our friends,” Halladay said. “That was how we knew how to play shows.”

The band is currently planning a follow-up to 2019’s A Distant Call.

“We’re working on some stuff,” Halladay said. “We’ve got maybe four songs that are completely done, but we were going back and forth on whether we want to do a 7-inch or an LP. I think we’re kind of set on doing an LP now, so we’ve got some work to do still.”

As the dust has begun to settle following the pandemic shutdowns and postponements, Halladay said there is no one correct form of action when it comes to progressing as a band.

“I think we all have different ideas of what

Sheer Mag brings its punk-rock-blues hybrid back to Pappy and Harriet’s

is the best to do,” Halladay said. “We really didn’t finish touring on A Distant Call before the world shut down. We do want to put out something new before we do another (big tour) on our own around the U.S.—but we can’t do both at the same time. We have trouble doing that. … We’ve mostly done the support stuff, where we play for half hour, or 40 minutes, so we’re just playing the stuff that we know gets people’s attention, and we know people respond to. We haven’t had the chance to test out the new songs, right now at least.”

Halladay hinted that at least some of Sheer Mag’s new music may not be quite as political.

“I think that we’ve all chopped ourselves silly with that subject matter,” Halladay said. “We’ve put out enough about how we feel about that kind of thing. … We might try to talk about some other things.”

Sheer Mag will perform with Twompsax and Ingrates at 9:30 p.m., Friday, Oct. 7, at Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace, 53688

Pioneertown Road, in Pioneertown. Tickets are $22.99. For tickets or more information, call 760-228-2222, or visit pappyandharriets.com.

Sheer Mag. Marie Lin

MUSIC

by matt king

see many bands and artists play throughout L.A. and the Coachella Valley, but the first show I ever went and bought a ticket for was to see Mudhoney. The first big concert I ever went to was to see Korn with my dad.

What was the first album you owned?

Legend by Bob Marley and the Wailers on CD, gifted to me by my Uncle Izzy.

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

I would have loved to see Adriana Evans live around 1997, performing the songs from her self-titled album released that year, which is definitely my favorite album of hers.

What’s your favorite musical guilty pleasure?

I’d have to say “Don’t Turn Away” by The Cherry Bombs. It’s a song from the 1986 Howard the Duck movie.

What’s your favorite music venue? Oddly, I haven’t been to too many venues, but I do love Pappy and Harriet’s.

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

“Why do we travel so far to find ourselves when we already are,” from the song “Farther Than the Eye Can See,” written by my Uncle Israel (Izzy) Acosta/Revol Concept.

What band or artist changed your life?

by the late Freddie Mercury. He’s performing a special Halloween-themed solo show at The Show at Agua Caliente in Rancho Mirage at 8 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 22.

What was the first concert you attended? Paula Abdul’s “Under My Spell” tour.

What was the first album you owned? Wilson Phillips’ self-titled album.

What bands are you listening to right now? Nothing but Thieves, Muse, Sports, and Leisure.

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

NAME Andrew Russell

GROUP Burgundy Blues

MORE INFO When I was coming up in the music scene, and there was a backyard show, Burgundy Blues was almost always playing there. Burgundy Blues is a four-piece indie band that specializes in a groove-oriented, chill sound. The band is releasing debut album Vol. 1 with a release show on Saturday, Oct. 1, at The Hood Bar and Pizza. For more info, visit instagram.com/burgundyblues. Andrew Russell writes, records and mixes all the songs by himself, while performing them live with a full band.

What was the first concert you attended? From a young age, I would go with my mom to

What bands are you listening to right now?

Some of the names I grew up listening to that have stuck with me are Ralfi Pagan, Adriana Evans, D’Angelo, Deftones, Smashing Pumpkins, 2pac, Biggie, Ras Kass, Bone Thugsn-Harmony, Cal Tjader, Peggy Lee, Tommy Dorsey, the Beatles—and that’s just the surface. The list can really go on and on.

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

I don’t really jive with most trap music or what’s on mainstream pop radio too much. To everyone in customer service who has to listen to those same 10 songs on repeat every day, I feel you.

Ralfi Pagan helped me see that having a higherpitched voice and being vulnerable in expressing feelings and emotion through music is actually pretty gangsta. My Uncle Izzy also had a huge impact on me, and he taught me a lot about music, skateboarding and life in general. Everything that pretty much makes me who I am now, he had an influential part in.

You have one question to ask one musician. What’s the question, and who are you asking? I would ask Keith Sweat why “Nature’s Rising” is only a 56-second song.

What song would you like played at your funeral? “Down in a Hole” by Alice in Chains.

Figurative gun to your head, what is your favorite album of all time? Gun to my head and all, I’d probably still say I couldn’t pick one and probably get shot, but if I had to, I’d probably have to go with Voodoo by D’Angelo.

What song should everyone listen to right now? Any song by Israel Acosta/Revol Concept, and any (or all, why not?) of the songs from my upcoming album, Vol. 1, when it comes out on Oct. 1!

NAME Adam Lambert

MORE INFO It’s been 13 years since Adam Lambert was the runner-up on season 8 of American Idol—and his popularity has continuously grown ever since. On top of selling millions of records and nabbing a Grammy Award nomination, Lambert now tours with the surviving members of Queen, providing a unique take on the vocals formerly performed

What musical act, current or defunct, would you most like to see perform live? Queen with Freddie Mercury.

What’s your favorite musical guilty pleasure? Musical theater.

What’s your favorite music venue? Well, after 10 sold-out nights at London’s O2 Arena, I’d say I’ve become pretty comfortable there!

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

“Just can’t get you out of my head,” by Kylie Minogue.

What band or artist changed your life? Obviously Queen; they have become a major part of my career. They have taken me all around the world, and I have learned so much from them.

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

I’d ask Freddie Mercury who he wrote “Take My Breath Away” about.

What song would you like played at your funeral?

“Finally” by CeCe Peniston.

Figurative gun to your head, what is your favorite album of all time? There is an album for every particular moment. There’s the album you listen to for inspiration, for energy, for sex, for sleeping, for relaxing, for nostalgia. I can’t pick a favorite!

What song should everyone listen to right now?

Anything by Isaac Dunbar.

Get to better know the man behind Burgundy Blues—and a singer named Adam Lambert LUCKY 13the

By Matt Jones