Coachella Valley Independent February 2017 by Coachella Valley Independent

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT | FEBRUARY 2017

VOL. 5 | NO. 2

INSIDE

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Happy. Healthy. Here. Feel good from the moment you walk in In this New Year, if one of your resolutions is to eat more healthfully, head over to your local Gelson’s. In our spacious, well organized stores and pristine aisles, you’ll find many ways to please your palate and nourish your body. Our Produce Department carries a beautiful assortment of locally sourced and organic fruits and vegetables, selected right from the farm and orchard. Our knowledgeable staff can help you choose the ripest fruit, answer a question, or give you a sample.

Join us for FREE Educational Wine Tasting Events Complimentary tasting means you and your friends get to relax and let us do the pouring. See you there!

Call us for dates and times or visit us online at gelsons.com

And our Service Deli chefs use the same fresh, flavorful produce we sell in the store to create their signature salads and other delicious dishes. Gelson’s Registered Dietitian Jessica Siegel has her own special Service Deli salads as well as “Jessica Selects” shelf tags throughout the store so you can easily pick her recommended items.

Visit Our Pharmacy

Jessica shares her ideas, tips, and recipes in several formats, and regularly visits stores so you can ask questions about food, nutrition, diets, cooking, and more.

Gelson’s also offers a full service Pharmacy along with a wide selection of natural and homeopathic products and remedies.

Now is the time to eat and live well! Come to Gelson’s today and see how we can help you get started.

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Our Pharmacy staff will provide you with personal customer service found only at Gelson’s and the guidance needed on your path to health and wellness.

Gelson’s Pharmacy Hours: Monday-Friday: 8am-8pm Saturday-Sunday: 9am-5pm (760) 321-1006

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FEBRUARY 2017

A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR Mailing address: 31855 Date Palm Drive, No. 3-263 Cathedral City, CA 92234 (760) 904-4208 www.cvindependent.com

Editor/Publisher Jimmy Boegle Assistant Editor Brian Blueskye cover/Cover Story design Mark Duebner Design Contributors Gustavo Arellano, Nicole Borgenicht, Max Cannon, Kevin Carlow, Cory Courtney, Kevin Fitzgerald, Bill Frost, Bonnie Gilgallon, Bob Grimm, ValerieJean (VJ) Hume, Brane Jevric, Steve Kelly, Keith Knight, Erin Peters, Dan Perkins, Sean Planck, Guillermo Prieto, Anita Rufus, Jen Sorenson, Christine Soto, Robert Victor The Coachella Valley Independent print edition is published every month. All content is ©2017 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 $1 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, Get Tested Coachella Valley, the Local Independent Online News Publishers, the Desert Business Association, the LGBT Community Center of the Desert, and the Desert Ad Fed.

If you’re like me, the recent political and societal climate has got you down. Well, thank goodness our lovely valley is doing its part to offer plenty of mood-improving distractions. Every February, art takes center stage in Palm Springs, thanks to the Art Palm Springs fair (which is rapidly growing) and Modernism Week (which already really huge). Not-so-coincidentally, we here at the Independent have a tradition of bringing you a selection of stories every February previewing these awesome events. Turn to Page 14, where Brian Blueskye has a fantastic article on the Royal Hawaiian Estates. This little Polynesianthemed south Palm Springs complex has a fascinating history—and even more fascinating architecture. It’s also the site of one of Modernism Week’s biggest parties. On subsequent pages, Nicole Borgenicht has written two companion pieces that show the local side of Art Palm Springs: She talks to owners of two local galleries about what they have in store for the fair, and two local artists whose work will be on display at the fair. Modernism Week and Art Palm Springs are just the tip of the figurative iceberg as far as Coachella Valley arts events go. Late January brings the Southwest Arts Festival to Indio, while March brings the La Quinta Arts Festival. Of course, April is dominated by two weekends of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival—you know it simply as Coachella—and one weekend of the country-tinged Stagecoach Festival. Now … about that aforementioned political and societal climate: Starting in February at CVIndependent.com, and in March’s print edition, the Independent will publish a new column by veteran alt-media scribe Baynard Woods. “Democracy in Crisis” will focus its watchful eye on the actions of the Trump administration … enough said. Keep your eyes open for it. In the meantime, I hope this edition of the Independent informs you, enlightens you and entertains you. Welcome to the February 2017 print edition of the Coachella Valley Independent. As always, thanks for reading, and if you have any questions or feedback, please drop me a line at the email address below. —Jimmy Boegle, jboegle@cvindependent.com on the cover, left: Kimber Berry, "Modern Painters Ad." Top right: David Baca, "The Journey." bottom riGht: a historic photo of the royal hawaiian estates, courtesy of bill lewallen.

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FEBRUARY 2017

OPINION OPINION

KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORS J

BY ANITA RUFUS

on Von Erb did not take a straight path from San Francisco to Palm Springs—no pun intended. Von Erb was born in San Francisco into a theatrical family, with two gay parents who had met in New York: His mother was a coloratura soprano with the New York City Opera, and his father was a vaudevillian. “My mom took me to the Bolshoi Ballet when I was about 3 years old,” Von Erb remembers, “and I got hooked.” While Von Erb’s brother was an athletic football player, Jon became a dedicated dancer and choreographer. What was it like growing up in a family with a gay mother and a gay father? “In those days, it was a societal thing,” says Von Erb. “They were both in theater during an era when everyone was a smoker and drinker, and it wasn’t really accepted to be that ‘different.’ Otherwise, it was like any theatrical family. their backyard pool in Palm Springs, more than I lived a life growing up kind of like an Army 40 years into their relationship. brat: I attended about 21 elementary schools “We decided to finally get married for legal and three junior highs.” and financial reasons, but more important, to Surprisingly, Von Erb says his father was make a statement for ourselves,” says Von Erb. initially unhappy when Jon came out to him Von Erb now works as a certified massage as gay. therapist specializing in medical and “He was an avid fan of my brother, the therapeutic massage techniques that he straight football player,” Von Erb says. “I describes as “intuitive massage.” remember when I was working with a ballet “I deal with things like spinal injuries, company while I was finishing high school, sciatica, geriatric difficulties and lymphatic and my final ballet performance was with a full effects after surgery,” he says. “When I’m orchestra doing a classic pas de deux with an working with someone, my goal is to make it impossible lift. When the performance was over, like a connection of rivers that run throughout the audience just sat silently. Finally, someone the entire body. My role is to help create a started to clap, and the whole audience exploded healing flow. I experience it as intuitive touch. with applause. My father came up to me I allow the body to speak to me.” afterward and said, ‘I’m so proud of you, son.’ I met Von Erb at a poetry reading at the That was the first time he had ever said that to Rancho Mirage Library in the newly opened me.” The memory brings Von Erb to tears. meeting and presentation space. I was Von Erb later taught Afro-American jazz attending because my good friend Valerie-Jean dancing that he learned in New York and later Hume (also an Independent contributor) was added Russian ballet techniques when he performing while the participants, many of wound up in New Orleans—where he met the whom have been published, read their efforts. man who would become his husband, Gary Participants ranged from an over-90 hale-andWilliams, a speech pathologist. hearty man to a French-accented charming Jon and Gary then resettled to Alaska. woman, but one participant particularly “Gary’s sister had moved there,” says Von Erb, intrigued me: Jon Von Erb. “so we decided to try it.” Von Erb’s poetry began in earnest while he Von Erb used his background in dance to was in San Francisco from 1989 to 2012. get a job teaching ballet in Anchorage, and “There were so many people (in the San soon after his arrival there, he was offered an Francisco area) who were going through a opportunity to work in the arts department lot of change: sick and dying,” he recalls. “I at the University of Alaska, where Von Erb started a practice that I called ‘grief massage.’ completed a degree. He also created a dance Whatever the problem, I’d spend an hour company there. listening and then would take the client The pair later came to Palm Springs in the downstairs to a darkened space, filled with same way that so many of us have: “We had music and atmosphere, and I spoke to them friends from all over who had moved here who through massage. I’d move them on a path in were always saying, ‘Come on down!’” a bucolic environment, encouraging them to They’ve now lived here for the past 4 1/2 leave behind something heavy that they’ve years. Jon and Gary married three years ago by been carrying around. I could feel the tension

CVINDEPENDENT.COM/OPINION

Meet Jon Von Erb—dancer, massage therapist and poet

going away. Then we’d go back upstairs, and I’d not only listen, but also make observations. “After the sessions, I’d compose a poem for them about their situation. At the end of our sessions, they would not only have completed the process; they would also have an anthology of their voyage.” Von Erb now sends poems to about 300 friends and clients every week. His philosophy is fairly simple. “There’s so much to be thankful for. I feel it’s important to pay back all those people who applauded for me all those many years ago. Every day is a new, exciting, fresh day to start. “Everything talks to you if you learn to listen. People are all searching for someone who reaches out to them first. I’m a hands-on person.” Literally and figuratively, the description fits him perfectly.

Jon Von Erb

Anita Rufus is also known as “The Lovable Liberal,” and her radio show airs Sundays at noon on KNews Radio 94.3 FM. Email her at Anita@LovableLiberal.com. Know Your Neighbors appears every other Wednesday.

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FEBRUARY 2017

OPINION OPINION

WHAT THE HECK— MORE NECK SECRETS

STEVE KELLY ON SPORTS

By Shonda Chase, RN Co-owner and aesthetic director of Revive Wellness Centers Palm Springs and the South Bay area of Los Angeles

Revive’s Secrets share informa�on about how we can make improvements in our appearance and keep ourselves looking younger. Last month, I shared some secrets on how to help our necks match our faces—including neck-li� surgery. This month, I’m revealing some eﬀec�ve non-surgical approaches to neck rejuvena�on. Visible platysmal bands (the muscles on the sides of the neck) bother some women. Most women, however, don’t know that they can be treated with Botox injec�ons for $250-$600. Results can last from three to six months, with no down�me. These chest/neck before and a�er pictures below conﬁrm what can be accomplished with the new Enlighten picosecond laser. A picosecond is a trillionth of a second. This very short burst of laser energy is converted to acous�cal energy when it hits the skin. Think of a picosecond laser as producing a “bolt” of lightning followed by a crash of “thunder”—and it’s the acous�cal “thunder” that safely breaks up the melasma into microscopic par�cles. Our body’s endocrine system can then remove the par�cles a�er the melasma is “thundered.” You can see what picosecond laser treatments can accomplish along with sun management. Enlighten’s “thunder” is colorblind, so anyone with these stubborn issues can enjoy improvements. Look for next month’s Secrets about new approaches to ta�oo removal, as well as some more secret uses for Botox. Un�l then, keep the secrets.

Change is in the air at March’s BNP Paribas Open tennis tourney BY STEVE KELLY

t is the biggest local sports event of the year, bringing thousands of visitors and millions of dollars to the Coachella Valley—and the BNP Paribas Open will return to the Indian Wells Tennis Garden March 6-19. The event is a Masters 1000 event— meaning it’s one of the nine most prestigious tourneys after the four Grand Slam events and the ATP World Tour Finals—on the men’s ATP Tour, and one of the esteemed premier tournaments on the women’s circuit. Those designations ensure that the top players in the world come—including Serena Williams, who returned in 2015 for the first time since a controversial exit in 2001. Total attendance could hit the 500,000 mark this year; only the four Grand Slam events have more visitors. Last year, the event was again marred by controversy when then-tournament director Raymond Moore made what some considered to be disparaging remarks about female players during a press conference. Moore was forced to resign as tournament director, and in an unusual move, the tournament’s owner, billionaire tech guru Larry Ellison, last June selected Tommy Haas—an active German pro player who now lives in Los Angeles—as the new tournament director. Haas recently was slated to play in the Australian Open. This creates the intriguing and highly unusual possibility that Haas could play in a tournament that he’s directing come March. “Tommy is definitely excited (about) joining the team, and it has been a nice transition to the other side of the game for

him,” said Steve Birdwell, the chief operating officer of the BNP Paribas Open. “Tommy is focused on learning as much as he can. He will concentrate on strengthening existing relationships to create more meaningful interactions between players, sponsors and fans.” There have been major renovations to the main stadium at the Tennis Garden, which first opened in 2000. “We have upgraded concessions as well as all our luxury suites,” Birdwell said. “There are new restrooms as well. The walkways and concourse have been enclosed, freeing up over 100,000 square feet of space.” Birdwell said that despite the worldwide appeal of the BNP Paribas Open, locals are important to the tourney organizers; in fact, locals receive discounts (along with seniors, students and military personnel), and Birdwell pointed out that admission is free on March 6 and 7, the first two days of the tournament. While American men’s tennis has been in decline for a while, the BNP Paribas Open continues to grow—in part because it has become more of a festival-type event, with many ways to entertain tournament-goers both inside and outside of the main stadiums. Plans for a tennis museum are also in the works. For more information on the BNP Paribas Open, visit www.bnpparibasopen.com. Steve Kelly can be reached at svericker12@gmail. com. Follow him on Twitter @skellynj.

Read the en�re ar�cle at www.revivecenter.com/blog. Email your individual appearance and aging ques�ons to Ms. Chase at Shonda@revivecenter.com.

Tournament owner Larry Ellison enjoys the show at last year’s BNP Paribas Open. KEVIN FITZGERALD/CVI FILE

CVIndependent.com

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FEBRUARY 2017

OPINION OPINION

ASK A MEXICAN!

Did almost a third of Hispanic voters really pick Trump?

BY GUSTAVO ARELLANO

EAR MEXICAN: I was wondering if you could shed some light on the debate on whether 29 percent of Mexicans/ Hispanic voters really voted for Trump, or whether it was much less, like other polls show. The Poll y Voces DEAR POCHO: Exit polls are like the PRI: full of shit, full of money and incredibly pendejo yet dangerous. But I’ve been mucho amused by Latino organizations, political scientists and all Trump-haters attacking exit polls that showed nearly a third of Latinos going for Cheeto Dick. Instead, they’ve pushed their numbers, which unsurprisingly show raza voting for Hillary Clinton in overwhelming numbers. It really doesn’t matter: The point is that not enough of us went out to vote against Trump, and more than a few Mexicans voted for him for reasons I’ve stated in this columna: We like strongmen; the more macho, the better. Even more importantly, a lot of Mexicans didn’t vote for Hillary for reasons ranging from her being a mujer to her pathetic Hispandering to her being a Clinton to her uninspiring platform to her being the worst lesser-of-twoevils since the days music fans had to pick between Thalia and Paulina Rubio. Latino yacktivists need to acknowledge we’re not all knee-jerk libs, and that’s OK. Oh, and #fucktrump. DEAR MEXICAN: Why is Mexican Spanish so maligned by the rest of the Hispanic world (even Dominicans!)? Am I making a mistake in learning Mexican-accented Spanish? No Puedo Usar Accentos DEAR I CAN’T USE ACCENTS: Have you ever talked to Colombians? At some point, they inevitably say that their Spanish is the best in the world, that someone from the Real Academia Española said it was so, and therefore, it’s true. While I like Colombians (they’re as happy and drunk and angry as us Mexicans, and they gave the world cumbia), that’s an urban legend as preposterous as the one that maintains the husband of a jealous lover murdered Javier Solís. It’s true that the rest of Latin America trashes Mexican Spanish for supposedly being lower-class than other Spanish varieties, but EVERYONE trashes everyone’s Spanish. Argentine Spanish gets mocked for being

wannabe Italian; Cuban and Puerto Rican Spanish gets grilled for being lightning-fast garble. Peruvian Spanish is supposedly too softspoken; Central American Spanish is considered backwater for the continued use of voseo (the second person singular pronoun vos). Even Mexicans make fun of each other’s Spanish. Guadalajara natives are notorious for saying “O, sea” (the fresa version of “I mean, like”); rural folks are ridiculed as sing-song chúntaros. Mexico City is so large that two Spanishes are ascribed to it: the matter-of-fact tone of capitalinos (the rich) and the hilariously vulgar babadas of the chilangos (the poor). So learn Mexican Spanish—that’s the one the majority of Latinos in the U.S. speak, anyway. DEAR MEXICAN: I love ¿Qué Pasa, USA? Lots of Spanish, English and Spanglish. Do you know of any other TV shows like it?

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Netflix and Chillar DEAR POCHO: Nope. And this is how pathetic Hollywood is: 40 years ago, television was confident enough in a bilingual show about the Latino-immigrant experience that it made a sitcom about a Cuban family that aired nationwide on PBS. Today? They do entire films about Los Angeles, like La La Land, and show a total of one Latino character in the film. Chris Rock put it best: “You’re in L.A.; you’ve got to try not to hire Mexicans.” I’d end on a funnier note, but trying to follow Chris Rock is like drinking Cazadores, then following up with Sauza. Catch the Mexican every Wednesday at CVIndependent.com. Ask the Mexican at themexican@askamexican.net, be his fan on Facebook, follow him on Twitter @gustavoarellano or follow him on Instagram @gustavo_arellano!

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FEBRUARY 2017

NEWS

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JOINING FORCES?

Public safety costs are rising—and Coachella Valley’s nine cities are looking for ways to keep up

BY KEVIN FITZGERALD

recent review of the budgets of all nine Coachella Valley cities confirms what multiple sources have mentioned over the last several months: The costs of providing police and fire protection have been rising every year—and could soon become a worrisome financial burden. “About 50 percent of our general-fund budget at this time goes specifically to public safety,” Coachella City Councilmember V. Manuel Perez told the Independent in a recent interview. “In the course of the last few years, public-safety expenses have increased between 5 and 7 percent every year. “The passing of Measure U a couple of years ago, which was a 1 percent sales-tax increase, is the only reason why … we’ve been able to sustain ourselves—and we understand that these annual (public-safety cost) increases are going to continue.” With 50 percent of the general fund being allocated to public safety, Coachella falls in the middle of the pack, as far as valley cities go. Given different accounting methods, a direct comparison is difficult to make. However, Indian Wells is at the low end, spending about 35 percent of its general fund on public safety, while Cathedral City is on the high end, around 65 percent. This is not just a problem here in the Coachella Valley, and studies have been done across the country over the past decade in an effort to determine what’s driving the trend in rising public-safety costs, even when adjusted for inflation. But because there so many variables at play, these studies have not uncovered a single root cause. In the Coachella Valley, five cities— Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, La Quinta, Coachella and Indian Wells—contract out public-safety service to Riverside County and Cal Fire, while the other four cities—Palm Springs, Cathedral City, Desert Hot Springs and Indio—still maintain independent police departments. Only Palm Springs and Cathedral City have independent fire departments. Yet independence does not seem to be an indicator of how large a city’s budget allocation will be, since Palm Springs comes in on the low end at about a 45 percent budget allotment, with Cathedral City on the high end at 65 percent. Back in 2013, Desert Hot Springs was in the midst of a financial crisis and explored outsourcing services to the county. “We were looking at our police force and what we could do either with the sheriff’s department or keeping our own police department,” said Mayor Scott Matas, who was a City Council member at the time. “When the sheriff’s department’s initial bid came in to us, it appeared that it was a couple of million dollars less. But after the interim police chief and his staff tore the bid apart and compared apples to apples, when the sheriff’s

department came back for a second round, we found out it was actually going to cost us $1 million more, so it was pretty much a no-brainer for us to keep our own police department.” Desert Hot Springs is now on better financial footing. “Recently, we actually gave a little bit back to the police department, which was cut by upwards of 22 percent when the fiscal crisis was going on,” Matas said. “It’s been nice to keep our own police force. It’s more personable when it comes to your community policing, because you have the same police officers there. When you contract out, you never know what that face is going to be. We have that issue with our county fire contract. We’re very fortunate that some of the firefighters who work in this community have been here a long time, but for the most part, they rotate in and out all the time, so you never have that same chief, or you never have the same firefighters.” Indio City Council member Glenn Miller, who has also served as the city’s mayor, touted the benefits of Indio having its own police force. “About 80 percent of the police officers working with us live in our city,” Miller said. “We have a large contingent that is homegrown, and then a lot of them have moved into the city, including our police chief, Michael Washburn, who came from Seattle. So they are vested in the city, and that does us a lot of good. … When they live in our neighborhoods, they get to know those communities.” What solutions are mayors and city councilmembers looking at to keep publicsafety spending in check? “When it comes to county fire, they’ve just been given larger pay increases, which then trickles down to the people who contract with them,” said Matas, the DHS mayor. “We were hoping to open another fire station eventually, but now we’re looking at just

This fire station, in Palm Desert at the corner of Country Club Drive and Portola Avenue, is operated by Riverside County. KEVIN FITZGERALD

trying to keep the staffing that we have. … It’s always a challenge with public safety. We’ve been very fortunate with our police services. Crime is down. We’ve got a great chief (Dale Mondary), and we’re working in a great direction, but with this fire budget coming up, I don’t know how we’re going to do that.” Coachella’s V. Manuel Perez said there’s no way his city can keep pace with the publicsafety cost increases as things stand now. “We have to figure out how we can work with other valley contracting cities to come up with a long-term solution for this problem,” Perez said. “Maybe we can come up with some sort of (joint powers authority) between the cities to support an agreement to help pay for public safety.” Newly elected La Quinta City Councilmember Steve Sanchez agreed that it’s worth exploring whether the valley’s cities should join forces … perhaps literally. “I think that’s something we need to discuss amongst all our council members,” Sanchez said. “We need to look at all options, whether it’s (joining forces with) Indio or other cities, or if it’s just staying with the

sheriff’s department—whichever makes the most sense.” Miller said East Valley cities have already started talking about working together more. “When I was serving as the mayor of Indio, up until the end of this last year, we discussed with (La Quinta Mayor) Linda Evans and (Coachella Mayor) Steve Hernandez the possibility of doing an East Valley coalition plan that would include combining police and parks, and … making a better community overall by working together as one. We could lower costs for each individual city by economies of scale. Also, we talked about economic development, youth programs and senior programs. Not that we were going to give up our autonomy, but we’re looking at ways we could partner up to get a bigger bang for our buck, and maybe do better for our residents by being able to provide additional services. “With public safety, we’d look at what we could do, since we’re right next to each other, to institute a regional police force. It’s something that we’re open to. You never shut the door on any option.” CVIndependent.com

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DAMAGING DEVELOPMENT?

A group of Palm Springs residents fights to preserve beautiful Oswit Canyon from development plans

BY BRANE JEVRIC

n a cold January day, Jane Garrison stood in front of Ralph’s in the Smoke Tree Village Shopping Center. Her goal: to get shoppers in the busy plaza to sign the petition to save Oswit Canyon, a popular hiking area nearby in south Palm Springs. The rain started drizzling—but Garrison didn’t give up. Signature by signature, she rallied support to protect the alluvial fan canyon from the grip of developers. Garrison is a member of the Save Oswit Canyon Coalition, a group of some 2,000 Palm Springs residents who are backing the initiative. She volunteered her time to stand out in the rain as part of an effort to collect 5,000 signatures. The citizens’ initiative to protect Oswit Canyon was filled with the city of Palm Springs on Nov. 14. “My husband and I have enjoyed hiking in Oswit Canyon and the Lykken Trail for several years,” Garrison said. “I was horrified by the thought of a pristine alluvial-fan canyon being destroyed by an out-of-town developer for more houses. Our beautiful canyons are some of the many things that make Palm Springs special.” According to Dr. Lani Miller, an environmental activist, the land in question is currently classified in the city’s general plan as a biological sensitivity/conservation area—but that would still allow for the building of up to 325 homes. “Our initiative will amend the municipal code, Canyon South Specific Plan and City of Palm Springs General Plan in order to change the zoning to ‘environmentally sensitive area’ zoning, allowing the construction of six homes,” Miller said. Miller said Oswit Canyon is an environmental oasis that is the home to some endangered species, including the peninsular bighorn sheep.

“I’m blessed by sights of bighorn almost every time I’ve been up there at dusk, when they forage—a breathtaking sight,” she said. Both Garrison and Miller emphasized that they are not anti-development; rather, they are in favor of smart, ethical development in the city, and preserving sparse natural habitat for future generations. That is the main reason the Coachella Valley Mountains Conservancy stepped in and tried to acquire the land in Oswit Canyon. According to Jim Karpiak, the conservancy’s executive director, discussions were short-lived. “We never made it to the stage of making a formal offer,” Karpiak said. “After initial discussions with the owners, during which they indicated an interest in selling the land for conservation, we commissioned an appraisal of the property at the conservancy’s expense, and then shared it with the owners. They indicated that the fair market value as established by that appraisal was not acceptable to them and terminated discussions with us.” Karpiak said his contact while negotiating with the owners of the parcels in Oswit Canyon was Mike Cole, an Orange County-based developer. Cole, a minority shareholder among the land owners, did not respond to a request from the Independent to answer questions. He initially asked that we hold our story deadline for 48 hours and promised to respond to our request via email. We extended the deadline by 48 hours, but the responses have never arrived, at least as of our press deadline. Meanwhile, Garrison and the other Save Oswit Canyon Coalition volunteers are continuing to collect signatures of Palm Springs registered voters. For more information on the Save Oswit Canyon Coalition, visit www.saveoswitcanyon.com.

Palm Springs Mayor Rob Moon is surrounded by Save Oswit Canyon supporters. COURTESY OF RAYMOND BORDEAUX

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FEBRUARY 2017

NEWS

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TRAUMA AND TREATMENT

It isn’t just veterans who deal with PTSD—millions of Americans suffer from it

BY BRIAN BLUESKYE

ost-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is often associated with members of the military, but the problem extends well beyond soldiers and veterans: According to the Anxiety and Depression Society of America, more than 7 million Americans currently suffer from PTSD. Dr. Jill Gover, of the LGBT Community Center of the Desert in Palm Springs, explained the difference between general trauma and PTSD. “A lot of people experience trauma,” Gover said. “It doesn’t mean they have PTSD. Most of us associate PTSD with war. War is such a huge, catastrophic event that is outside the general course of human experience. That’s one of the definitions that distinguish that kind of trauma as posttraumatic stress. Most of the time, it’s associated with war, extreme abuse or torture. The other large category (consists of) people who’ve been sexually or physically abused, especially as children. Mac McClelland is a journalist who went to Haiti after the devastating earthquake in 2010. After the assignment ended, she was diagnosed with EMDR can help (patients) process upsetting PTSD, and later went on to write a book titled memories, thoughts and feelings related to Irritable Hearts: A PTSD Love Story. the trauma. By processing these experiences, “I noticed I had symptoms while I was still (patients) can get relief from PTSD symptoms.” there,” McClelland said. “… When I was having Gover used a plumbing analogy. “Eye symptoms, I wasn’t like, ‘Oh, this is postmovement desensitization and reprocessing is traumatic stress disorder’—I was freaking out. like Drano: It just flushes that memory. That’s When I got back to San Francisco, I was there the easiest way I can explain it. Looking at the for a day before I saw my therapist, and she was clinical trials that the Veterans Administration the one who said I had symptoms of PTSD. It has done with it, it’s very effective.” was very obvious and clear that something was Gover said there is no typical recovery process terribly wrong.” or timeline for PTSD. McClelland said she never thought her “It really depends on what the trauma was,” profession would expose her to PTSD. Gover said. “You might have somebody who had “Like most people, I associated PTSD as being a very horrific one-time sexual abuse experience related to combat veterans,” McClelland said. as a child, and afterward, there were PTSD “… I didn’t know hardly anything, which I think symptoms. But let’s say that person came from is true for a lot of people, but I think awareness a healthy and intact family system, and the child is better now. I thought it wasn’t even possible was relatively healthy, and nothing else about for people to have PTSD other than combat the personality development was disturbed in veterans, when, in fact, rape victims, sexualany way. That would likely take a lot less time to assault survivors and abuse survivors are a way heal from than, say, a child of the same age who bigger population of people with PTSD than came from a very dysfunctional family where combat veterans are. It’s just not in our cultural there’s substance abuse, and then was repeatedly knowledge or understanding.” raped in a family system for years. That healing McClelland said she took a holistic approach of PTSD would take much longer. It depends to her treatment. on who the individual is—the resiliency, the “I was going to a lot of therapy. I was seeing environment to support them, and how intense a somatic therapist, which focuses on a lot of the occurrence and frequency is.” sensations in your body,” she said. “I went to McClelland said she urges anyone with that for years, and I still see a therapist who trauma-related issues to seek help. does that. I never took any pharmaceuticals. For “I went to see a professional on day one. me, that was really helpful. I also do yoga, and It made all the difference,” McClelland said. there’s a lot of research that yoga is very useful “Otherwise, I’d be flailing and struggling the in treating PTSD. (I’ve taken) kind of a holistic whole time. I’d definitely advocate seeing a approach and changed what my life looks like, professional, especially someone who has a which not everyone has the option to do. I make trauma-specialty background. I live in a really a lot more time and space for self-care, which small town in Oregon, and we have amazing I’m very lucky to be able to do.” trauma-focused therapists here … but not all Gover said one of the most effective therapists specialize in trauma; it is a specialty. treatments for PTSD is eye movement But therapy is expensive, and not everyone can desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR). access it.” According to the Department of Veterans Gover said there are definite risks when Affairs, “EMDR is a psychotherapy for PTSD. PTSD goes untreated. “Somebody with PTSD

who doesn’t have it treated is more likely to have problems later on in their relationships; problems professionally focusing on work and employment; and problems with substance abuse.” Fortunately, there are a lot of good resources available locally for those suffering from PTSD or trauma-related problems. “There’s a good amount of therapists in the Coachella Valley who have expertise in treating trauma,” Gover said. “We’re very fortunate that the Riverside County Public Health department has evidence-based, trauma-informed therapy

available. … Of course, we have the LGBT Community Center of the Desert, which has clinicians trained in trauma-informed therapy. (Many) of the therapists in private practice in this area have some training in PTSD. I would recommend any therapist with a specialty in treating trauma.” For more information on the LGBT Community Center of the Desert’s Scott Hines Mental Health Clinic, call 760-416-7899, ext. 1, or visit thecenterps.org/index.php/services/mental-healthclinic.

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FEBRUARY ASTRONOMY

Venus reaches peak brilliance, while miss out Planets and Bright StarsCalifornians in Evening Mid-Twilight For onFebruary, a partial2017 lunar eclipse This sky chart is drawn for latitude 34 degrees north, but may be used in southern U.S. and northern Mexico.

By Robert Victor

enus reaches peak brilliance, near magnitude -4.9, in February’s evening sky—giving rise to lots of UFO reports! Through a telescope or even 7-power binoculars, the planet displays an ever-larger and thinner crescent, especially if viewed in daytime or at sunset. Venus appears 39 percent full and a half-arcminute across on Feb. 1, and only 17 percent full and 0.8 arcminute across by Feb. 28. (One arcminute equals 1/60th of a degree.) Try locating Venus in daylight when it’s highest and due south: On Sunday, Feb. 5, Venus is 59 degrees up at 2:44 p.m.; Feb. 12, 62 degrees up at 2:32 p.m.; Feb. 19, 65 degrees up at 2:16 p.m.; Feb. 26, and 67 degrees up at 1:55 p.m. Find Venus easily with the unaided eye by sunset or shortly thereafter, 45 degrees to the sun’s upper left, on Feb. 1, to 33 degrees directly pass between the sun and Regulus, and that star above the setting sun on Feb. 28. At dusk, will appear at opposition, visible all night, low in Venus is in the west-southwest to west, getting the east at dusk, high in the south in the middle lower as month progresses. Much fainter Mars of night, and low in the west at dawn. Regulus (about magnitude +1.2) is 5 to 12 degrees to appears lower in the west each morning. its upper left. Next in brilliance after Venus As for the moon: On Tuesday, Jan. 31, the is the blue-white twinkling “Dog Star” Sirius four-day-old waxing crescent forms a beautiful (the brightest star, at magnitude -1.5) in the compact gathering with Venus and Mars. For southeast to south, and next is yellowish the next few evenings, Venus and Mars remain Capella, the Mother Goat star, just northeast 5.4 degrees apart. Meanwhile the moon moves to north of overhead. Sirius and Capella mark on, passing widely south of the Pleiades (Seven extreme south and north vertices of the huge Sisters) star cluster on Feb. 4; skipping past “Winter Hexagon,” with Betelgeuse and Aldebaran, eye of Taurus, by Feb. 5; getting by Orion’s belt inside. At the start of February, the Gemini twins, Pollux and Castor, by Feb. 8; Regulus, heart of Leo the Lion, rises north of and reaching full and rising at sunset on Friday, east over an hour after sunset. By Feb. 17, it Feb. 10. That evening, sunset and moonrise rises at sunset and can be seen all night long. occur simultaneously at 5:26 p.m. (assuming no In morning twilight: Jupiter, well up in the mountains block the view), but that’s almost 45 southwest as dawn brightens, ranks first in minutes too late to catch the moon in deepest brightness in this month’s morning sky. Before penumbral eclipse. Tell your friends east of the the sky brightens too much, note Spica, about Rocky Mountains to look for a slight dusky 4 degrees away. Catch bright Mercury very shading covering the left or upper left part of low in the east-southeast in the first week. the moon at 5:44 p.m. MST, 6:44 p.m. CST, or The most prominent stars at dawn are golden 7:44 p.m. EST. A much more impressive total Arcturus, high above the Jupiter-Spica duo, lunar eclipse will be visible on Jan. 31, 2018— and blue-white Vega, high in east-northeast. when Californians will have a great view! Look also for Altair and Deneb, completing the A bit later in the evening of Feb. 10, watch for Summer Triangle with Vega. Find steady yellow the rising of Regulus below the moon. The moon Saturn in the southeast with twinkling reddish closes in on that star for the rest of the night, Antares to its right. until dawn. On subsequent evenings, watch the Changes in predawn sky: In mid-February waning moon rise later each night, farther south each year, the Earth’s orbiting motion carries each time: on Feb. 11 at 6:28 p.m.; on Feb. 12 at us in a direction between the stars Spica and 7:28 p.m.; on Feb. 13 at 8:26 p.m.; on Feb. 14 at Antares, toward a spot in the sky 90 degrees 9:23 p.m. Or you can shift your viewing times west of the sun. As we face between those stars to mornings, about an hour before sunrise. On before dawn in mid-February, we are looking the morning of Feb. 15, look for the beautiful out the “front window” of Spaceship Earth. Go gathering of the waning gibbous moon, Jupiter out an hour before sunrise and visualize how and Spica in the southwest an hour before the motions of the Earth and other planets, sunrise. By Feb. 19, a fat crescent moon will orbiting at different speeds, will change the appear above Antares, heart of the Scorpion. positions of planets and stars in our predawn On Feb. 20, the one-third-illuminated lunar sky. Speedy Mercury is now pulling away from crescent will appear above Saturn, in the southEarth, and in early February sinks into the solar southeast. In morning twilight on Feb. 24, the glare and disappears on the far side of the sun. 5 percent crescent is still easy to see, but very On the night of February 17-18, our planet will low in the east-southeast. Spotting the thin old CVIndependent.com

February's evening sky chart. ROBERT D. MILLER

Deneb

Regulus Pollux

Capella

Venus

Procyon Betelgeuse

Aldebaran Mars 8 1

22 15 1

15 8

Rigel Sirius

Fomalhaut

Canopus

Evening mid-twilight occurs new, some 1 percent crescent, 25 hours before horizon. whenbefore Sun is sunrise 9O belowon 25-30 minutes Feb. 25, will be Feb. 1: 41 minutes after sunset. very difficult, requiring binoculars 15: 40 " " " and very clear skies. 28: 39 " " " After new moon on Feb. 26 at 6:58 a.m., our first chance to see the waxing crescent will be at dusk on Monday, Feb. 27, when the 1.5-day old 3 percent moon will be very low, just south of due west, and far below and a little left of Venus. At dusk on Feb. 28, the 8 percent crescent moon appears 10 degrees to the lower left of Venus. The Whitewater Preserve will be hosting a star party on Saturday, Jan. 28, weather permitting, beginning at 6:30 p.m. Reservations are requested at 760-325-7222. The Astronomical Society of the Desert will host the next of our series of monthly star parties on Saturday, Feb. 4 and March 4, from 6 to 9 p.m. They are held at the Visitor Center of the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument, on Highway 74, within

Stereographic Projection 4 miles south of Highway 111 in Palm Desert. Map by for Robert D. Miller Also, check www.astrorx.org listings of our high altitude star parties at Sawmill Trailhead starting at dusk. The next high-altitude star party (at 4,000 feet—wear warm clothes!) will be Saturday, Feb. 18. Follow links to maps and directions to both star party sites, and for dates and locations of lecture meetings. The meeting at 7 p.m., Friday, Feb. 10, at the Portola Community Center in Palm Desert will feature astronomy author Dennis Mammana on “The Great American Total Eclipse: August 21, 2017.” Also, check the link to our “Impromptu Star Parties,” which could be announced on short notice at any time.

Robert C. Victor was a staff astronomer at Abrams Planetarium at Michigan State University. He is now retired and enjoys providing skywatching opportunities for school children in and around Palm Springs.

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Modernism and tiki design go hand in hand—and since Palm Springs is a haven for midcentury modern architecture, it’s no surprise that tiki/tropical design found a home here, too.

Welcome to the Royal Hawaiian Estates. As part of Modernism Week, the complex will be throwing its big annual bash, Tiki-A-Go-Go, on Saturday, Feb. 18. Expect a fun night of music from DJ Baz, as well as a performance by The Hula Girls—and, of course, tours of the legendary grounds that were once a playground to many famous residents. Bill Lewallen, a representative of the complex’s homeowners, talked about the history of the Royal Hawaiian Estates, located in south Palm Springs near the intersection of South Palm Canyon and Twin Palms drives. “In the late ’50s, World War II was glamorized by the movie industry and the magazines,” Lewallen said. “It was all about the islands and the South Pacific. The GIs would come back and have all these stories of tiki torches, the dancers and this and that. Places like Trader Vic’s capitalized on that, and tiki became very popular. “The developer, Phil Short, he was Jewish, and he wanted to build a place in south Palm Springs that had a Hawaiian/Polynesian influence. … It was sort of his middle finger to the Tamarisk crowd: Back in the day, through discrimination, they wouldn’t let Jews or anyone they considered not white join their country clubs. They didn’t care how much money you had. Phil Short said, ‘Screw you!’ and built this place.” It’s believed that the Royal Hawaiian Estates—with 40 units in 12 buildings on five acres— constituted the first Hawaiian-themed structures in Palm Springs; everything else being built at the time had a more conservative modern appearance. “Phil Short had a real thing about Hawaii,” Lewallen said. “He was a New Yorker, with (architects) Don Wexler and Rick Harrison. Don Wexler and Rick Harrison didn’t know much about Polynesia, so they researched it. Don Wexler did the interior, and Rick Harrison was responsible for the outside of it. Rick Harrison was the one who designed all the Polynesian elements. Phil Short advertised in the cruise-ship magazines that went from New York City to Florida and then South America, and to Los Angeles and Hawaii. He advertised heavily in those magazines.” The Royal Hawaiian Estates, which opened as a 55-and-older complex, wound up being the last collaboration between Wexler and Harrison. “Don wanted to stay closer to commercial design, and Rick wanted to branch out more into residential. So they left amicably, according to Don, but this was the last project they did in partnership,” Lewallen said. Lewallen said the complex was absolutely hopping in the 1960s. “It was a party! One of the first residents was a guy named George Jessel, who was the toastmaster of Hollywood,” Lewallen said. “He was also a Vegas entertainer. He was a notorious partier. This is 40 units on 5 acres. In 1961, George Jessel had a unit on the west side of the complex, and he would bus in all these showgirls from Vegas, and they would wear these skin-tight latex bathing suits, high heels, huge hair and a full face of makeup at the pool. They would carry martinis and serve drinks by the pool. Hawaiian music was piped in throughout here 24 hours a day. When George was festive, he’d have huge blocks of ice shipped in, and they would have these ice glaciers in the pool during the summer. The models would float on the ice glaciers. It was wild. It was one big family and one big party.” Life in the Royal Hawaiian Estates today is a lot different than it was back in the 1960s. It’s no longer a complex for those just 55 and up, and condominiums currently for sale are listed in the $300,000 range. CVIndependent.com

FEBRUARY 2017

“It’s quiet. ... But nobody is really here,” Lewallen said. “Even right now, people come during the weekends. People come for a couple of months during the winter. My neighbor next door hasn’t been here in 17 years, and his unit just sits there. To walk into the unit next door, it’s like to walk back in time: It’s the original floor, original counters, cabinets and appliances. Everything is intact. My cleaning lady goes over there and cleans it just to keep the dust out. It’s a Danish couple. … We do have a lady who lives here who’s currently in hospice, and she’s been here since Day 1. When she passes, my neighbors will be the oldest residents. We’ve been through 10 deaths since I’ve been here of the older residents.” In the ’90s, the property fell into disrepair due to a lack of occupants and funds. Fortunately, times today are better for the Royal Hawaiian Estates. The “tiki apexes” on the buildings were restored in 2013. The “flying sevens” on the patios were restored, too, as were the Polynesian architectural elements known as “fascia of the gables.” So how do they do all this restoration? Not usually through the traditional method of HOA “special assessments”; instead, they use fundraising and grants from the Palm Springs Historic Site Preservation Board. “That’s one reason why we have fundraisers. The cocktail parties we have once a year are the biggest fundraisers,” Lewallen said. “We use the funds generated from the party to put back into the restoration effort. They try not to comingle the operation funds with the restoration funds. The beams that you see everywhere, they were milled at a special size back in the ’60s, and they don’t make wood that size anymore. The wood has to be cut less than inch shorter. Everything has to be factory-built and cured. Each one of these beams, like the flying sevens, to redo are $15,000 just for one. My unit has three. We had one special assessment of $5,000 because they just can’t keep up with the restoration.”

Tiki culture is enjoying a resurgence, a sorts, and a lot of it has been incorporated into Palm Springs’ Modernism Week. Lewallen said he’s received a lot of feedback regarding old images he’s put online. “I got an email from Google a couple of weeks ago, and it was a robot thanking me,” Lewallen said. “It commented on how the graphics I’ve put up from the late ’50s and early ’60s on Google Maps have increased the traffic—and it was way out there. … Tiki is coming back. Don the Beachcomber used to be where Ernest Coffee is … on the north side. The guy who owns the coffee shop said that when they were knocking out walls and putting up reinforcements, they took a full wall down—and (the area) behind that was full of artifacts and wallpaper that was intact. There’s also the Tonga Hut, and the Purple Room went back to tiki when it opened.” While the Tiki-A-Go-Go party costs $125, the Royal Hawaiian Estates complex is worth experiencing—and preserving. Lewallen said attendees can expect to have a lot of fun. “The beautiful thing about our parties is because we have five acres, you can spread out, and you don’t feel cramped,” he said. “There’s so much space. There’s parking; there are places to walk around and smoke a cigarette, and some people open their homes for viewing.” Tiki-A-Go-Go takes place at 6 to 9 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 18, at 283 E. Twin Palms Drive, in Palm Springs. Tickets are $125. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.royalhawaiianscoop.com. For more information on Modernism Week, which takes place Feb. 16-26, visit www.modernismweek.com.

FEBRUARY 2017

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David Baca, The Red Chair, 54" x 38"; Greg Gorman, David Michelak, Los Angeles, 1987; Laurent Craste, Iconocraste au bat VI; Ariel Vargassal, Road to the Inevitable Growth, 60" x 48"

Two of the Coachella Valley’s top galleries—one from Palm Desert, and one from Palm Springs—will be showcasing their hottest artists at this year’s Art Palm Springs. Formerly known as the Palm Springs Art Fair, Art Palm Springs takes place at the Palm Springs Convention Center Feb. 16-19. Downtown Palm Springs’ Jorge Mendez Gallery (www.jorgemendezgallery.com) will bring the paintings of Ariel Vargassal, and figurative abstractions by David Baca. “The gallery is showing contemporary art in general, but our artists are more modern and a little edgy … (creating) artworks that are designed to influence the current tastes and opinions of a newer generation of art collectors,” Mendez said. Vargassal is a popular artist with humorous themes, Mendez said. “Vargassal masters the hyperrealism technique with a modern, sharp and sometimes provocative approach of the subject of his paintings. His interpretation of the human body is precise and real in every aspect, from skin tone to hair, facial expressions and even eye expressions. Humans and animals become together in his latest series, Totems.” David Baca is an artist New Mexico. “His work has a mid-century feel to it,” Mendez said. “Tension, relief and man’s presence in the landscape are of interest in his work. Jorge Mendez Gallery will also show the works of Christian Gill, Brian Huber, Vladimir Cora, Lori LeBoy, Rafael Lopez-Ramos and Barbara Gothard. (For more on Gothard, see the story on Page 16.) Mendez said he’s delighted to take part in the growing fair. “It’s exciting to be part of such an important and sophisticated event, and it’s equally exciting to be among so many renowned galleries coming from so many different countries.” Meanwhile, Palm Desert’s Hohmann Fine Art (www.hohmannfineart.com) will present flourishing painter Kimber Berry, awarded ceramicist Laurent Craste and renowned painter Robert Dunahay. Hohmann Fine Art will also host a book-signing by talented chiaroscuro photographer Greg Gorman. Hohmann rarely represents new artists, but the gallery made an exception for Kimber Berry, whose work was a hit at Hohmann’s booth at Art Miami. “It was a big success, so we will feature a couple of Kimber Berry works in Palm Springs as well,” said Christian Hohmann. “She did a big installation with paint flowing off the canvas onto the floor and creeping up the ceiling. It was very impressive.”

Hohmann said ceramicist Craste recently received a big honor. “He is a Canadian artist of French descent, and his work was just selected to be on the cover of a new compendium of all the relevant international contemporary ceramic artists, The New Age of Ceramics, and he will do a book-signing at the fair during the VIP opening night. “We will show at least one of Robert Dunahay’s new works from a brand-new series of black-andwhite minimalistic abstract compositions, painted with crystalline sand. Although Robert became famous for his Palm Tree paintings and is mostly known for that, he has ventured out and had many successful, albeit lesser-known series. We will try to break that perception and show some of his more experimental work instead of the tried-and-true. “Last but not least, Greg Gorman, the iconic Los Angeles based photographer, will be at our booth on Saturday to sign his latest book, Private Works. Gorman was one of the first openly gay photographers of his generation, and the book allows a peek behind closed doors.” Hohmann Fine Art’s booth should be hard to miss: It will be one of the largest at Art Palm Springs. “We feel strongly that the fair has become a highlight of our season, because it gives us an opportunity to show our local clients that we can compete and even outshine some of the important galleries from metropolitan areas around the world,” Hohmann said. Hohmann said his goal is to get the attention of fair-goers. Given the high price points of art, clients often want to think about a piece rather than buying it on the spot. “The fair in Palm Springs is not about selling; that, we do out of the gallery,” Hohmann said. “At the fair, we want to make a dynamic impression and evoke responses. There’s a lot of competition. We show what we feel will resonate—something to remember.” Hohmann Fine Art is currently celebrating its 40-year anniversary; Christian Hohmann’s parents opened the gallery in Germany in 1976. “My father’s philosophy, which we adopted for the gallery, is, simply and humbly: originality, quality, consistency and longevity. When you select art like that, there are much fewer artists to choose from, but they usually stand the test of time—and trends don’t affect them much.” Art Palm Springs takes place at the Palm Springs Convention Center, 277 N. Avenida Caballeros, from Thursday, Feb. 16, through Sunday, Feb. 19. One-day passes start at $20; weekend passes start at $75. For tickets or more information, visit www.art-palmsprings.com. CVIndependent.com

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Tim Shockley’s sculptures almost seem alive—as if they have a mind.

The works in his Taming the Wild West series—they look like wire tumbleweeds, but are so much more—represent the conflict between the West’s nature and man’s development. Then there’s his Loose Ties series. Is it just me … or do those ties have a serpent-like vibe? “The tie relates to corruption—symbolic of a Bernie Madoff-type guy in a suit and tie, who then rips you off!” Shockley said. Shockley is just one of the artists whose works can be viewed at Art Palm Springs, the evergrowing annual art exhibition formerly known as the Palm Springs Fine Art Fair. This year’s fair, at the Palm Springs Convention Center, takes place Feb. 16-19. Shockley is just one of a handful of local artists whose works will be shown at the fair. He’s represented by Myerskovich Gallery (www.myerskovich.com). “It’s a contemporary gallery based in Laguna Beach, and they are showing some of the most innovative and inspiring artists working today, and I am very excited to be showing with them,” he said. His new Taming the Wild West series will be featured at the fair. “It consists of large tumbleweeds fabricated from barbed wire and coated in 24-karat gold,” he said. “This work is not a departure, but a step forward in my endeavor to create art that withstands the test of time. It is a statement series having to do with our species and our constant attempt to control the environment around us.” Another newer series by Shockley, Loose Ends, takes everyday objects—neckties—and transforms them into works that are beyond unique. “Loose Ties has the quality of tweaking the general perspective of an ordinary object into interesting subject matter,” Shockley said. “With this work, I’ve taken a stagnant necktie and cast it in metal in the very fluid shape of a serpent. I use vibrant patinas on some to create striking patterns, while others are dipped in 24-karat gold or silver.” Shockley said he thinks the works in the Loose Ties series give off a strong feeling of corruption or scandal. “It all makes sense when you realize I started this series during this country’s financial meltdown,” he said.

Icon, from the Taming the Wild West series, steel, 24-karat gold and glass (2016)

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Exposed, from the Loose Ties series, cast bronze with patina (2015)

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March 2-5, 2017

A work from the Hurdles series

Barbara Gothard is another local artist whose works will be shown at Art

Palm Springs. The gallery representing Gothard is also local—Palm Springs’ Jorge Mendez Gallery (jorgemendezgallery.com). Gothard’s paintings often show a dreamy vision—interrupted by linear lines or window frames. Gothard considers her work more abstract than realistic, and in fact, the paintings in her recent Hurdles series may be even more abstract than her previous works. “My new hurdles or obstacles dissipate or break up,” Gothard said. “… The hurdle is to represent symbolic obstacles, as opposed to a realistic window. In recent years, rather than a window frame, the shape (in my art) has a free form, not a rigid rectangle.” In these Hurdles series works, shapes are broken apart. A viewer may very well see pain and disruption. “The Hurdles are symbolic and represent the obstacles we face in life—and in my case, may be autobiographical in terms of recent traumatic experiences,” Gothard said. “When the Hurdles first appeared in my work, they appeared as dark, very rigid, industrial forms that tended to dominate the picture plane but contrasted with architectural elements and … landscape elements. More recently, the Hurdles are breaking apart, exposing life behind them. The use of windows or other openings between the Hurdles represents options that everyone possesses.” Each series done by Gothard has a strong theme, and Hurdles is no exception. “The focus of my artwork is the concept of expansion: Expansion of the visual space within the canvas, and expansion of the principles that guide my creative process—moving from a more surrealism-influenced approach, and expanding my color palette from a minimalist color scheme to colors that are more reflective of my current environment—the desert,” Gothard said. “(I am) placing the organic with the abstract to result in a contrasting effect.” Art Palm Springs takes place at the Palm Springs Convention Center, 277 N. Avenida Caballeros, from Thursday, Feb. 16, through Sunday, Feb. 19. One-day passes start at $20; weekend passes start at $75. For tickets or more information, visit www.art-palmsprings.com.

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FEBRUARY 2017

CVI SPOTLIGHT: FEBRUARY 2017 The Intersection of Punk Drag, and Bingo Sham Ibrahim parties with The Hood owners Brad Guth (left) and Eddie Pizarro (right).

he word “bingo” usually invokes images of a church hall, a smoke-filled room and old ladies. Then there’s The Hood Bar and Pizza’s weekly bingo event—which has none of these things. Instead, every Tuesday night, this punk-rock pizza bar is the site of Drag Queen Bingo. The host of Drag Queen Bingo is Sham Ibrahim, a pop artist and television personality. Some may be surprised that The Hood’s regular clientele of punk-rockers, rock ’n’ rollers and lovable misfits has heartily embraced the event—but once you see Ibrahim in action, you’ll understand the popularity. As a host, Ibrahim doesn’t just call numbers; he also tells jokes that are flatout raunchy, and he’s even known to sing songs between games. Originally from Peoria, Ill., Ibrahim was born to immigrant parents. He left home for San Francisco at the age of 17. He attended the Academy of Art College and then moved to Los Angeles, where he found his way into films and commercials. During a recent interview at The Hood Bar and Pizza, Ibrahim talked about how he got started. “The first time I put on makeup, I was about 3 years old,” Ibrahim said. “I came into drag quite naturally. I didn’t really start performing until much later. When I moved to San Francisco, I was surrounded by the most amazing drag queens and performers who were just incredible. … When I was 19, I got a job as a go-go dancer with a fake ID. When I was 19 and a go-go dancer, someone approached me about being in a movie with Timothy Hutton. It was a really small part CVIndependent.com

in the movie. That led to me moving to Hollywood when I was 20. I worked in show business, and when I say show business, I mean you need to get yourself a fucking magnifying glass—but trust and believe me: I am in every fucking movie and commercial from 2000 to 2006. I made my whole living off of it, and joined the union, and I moved to Palm Springs when I was almost 30. I thought it was my retirement, and I would give up on Hollywood.” However, retirement was not in the cards. “The whole time I was doing all this, I was an artist. That was my main thing,” Ibrahim said. “I did digital portraits and digital artwork. When I moved to Palm Springs, I had this crazy resurgence of energy. I thought it was over, and I was throwing in the towel on show business and Hollywood. But things are better than they ever were for me now. I think the desert is magical: There’s this magic in the Coachella Valley that is nowhere else in the world. My art and my career flourished more here than I ever could have dreamed. When I thought I was going to give up in 2013, I got a call from an old contact, and they were doing Fashion Week in Los Angeles, and they wanted me to hang my art. I thought, ‘Fuck this: I’m going to get my drag on and do the best art possible.’” A piece of art that Ibrahim did featuring Lindsay Lohan wound up making him the talk of Fashion Week. “It was making fun of her going to jail,” Ibrahim said. “Lindsay Lohan came that night to Fashion Week, and I gave her the portrait. Honey, the press didn’t talk about

anything else! Read the news! A video guy caught a little piece of it. Her manager took one look at the clown you see before you and was like, ‘No! You stay away!’ Lindsay is walking in, and the cameras are flashing, and I said, ‘Lindsay, I just want to give you something.’ Lindsay herself looked at that portrait up and down—and it’s like a tabloid and has a photo of her crying and shit. She looked at it, knew damn well what it was, and she goes to the manager lady: ‘We’re taking that! We want that!’” All of a sudden, Ibrahim found himself in demand. He’s since appeared on reality television shows including Vanderpump Rules, K.Michelle: My Life and Botched. He’s also sold more art than ever—and there is more fame to come. “I’m taping two new shows, and they’re in the can,” Ibrahim said. “They make you sign contracts, so I can’t talk about it. But I never dreamed this would happen.” When Ibrahim was approached to do Drag Queen Bingo at The Hood last year, he said he jumped at the chance. “The Hood to me is like CBGB, or Max’s Kansas City—it’s a historic rock ’n’ roll bar. This place is precious,” he said. “I understand that, and I hope the community understands that, because rock ’n’ roll is a dying thing. Ultimately, I’m a punk-rocker and a drag queen. That’s who I am. What The Hood is, is really me. I feel this is a perfect fit, and I couldn’t be more honored to be where fucking Jello Biafra from Dead Kennedys has stood, or people I grew up looking up to have performed. I don’t look at that as a fucking joke; I would rather be playing at The Hood

than Wembley Stadium, because this is real. This is a place where you have to be raw, bring it and be yourself. People know if you’re faking it—and even though my name is Sham, I’m very authentic.” During my first time at Drag Queen Bingo in December, a heckler in the crowd made the mistake of making some homophobic comments. Dan Wheat, bassist of punk bands Bridger and The Sweat Act, took offense—and quickly shut down the heckler. “Somebody was saying homophobic things and was angry about me or something,” Ibrahim remembers. “The amazing thing is people got together and stood up for me. I didn’t even see it happen, and they stood up for me. That shows this place is for everybody: You can be a crossdressing clown, and you’ll have homies who have your back.” If you’ve never attended Drag Queen Bingo, Ibrahim explained why it should become a Tuesday-night ritual. “I would say that Drag Queen Bingo is a total experience. It’s more than just your regular bingo game,” he said. “You might think of bingo as something grandmas do on a Sunday, but honey, this is a whole different level. If you want to have a great time, see a great show and win prizes for free, come on down to The Hood. I work hard on bringing it every week.” Drag Queen Bingo takes place every Tuesday at 9 p.m., at The Hood Bar and Pizza, 74360 Highway 111, in Palm Desert. Admission is free. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/ thehoodbar. —Brian Blueskye

FEBRUARY 2017 GDG 1 \\ COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT

FEBRUARY 2017 COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // GDG1

#ILoveGayPalm Springs Because… Mike Thompson says “#ILoveGayPalmSprings because…” By Nicholas Snow As we learn at TheCenterPS.org, “Mike Thompson joined the staff of the LGBT Community Center of the Desert as Executive Director in June 2014 with more than 18 years of nonprofit leadership experience. He says…

February in the Palm Springs Oasis By Brad Fuhr, e-publisher, GayDesertGuide.LGBT

We are now in a new era in America – one that comes with many unknowns. How will the LGBT community survive, grow and thrive with a new Trump administration? Will the Obamas winter here permanently? Will our new hotels ever get built? Will Coachella Headliners Beyoncè, Kendrick Lamar and Radiohead donate proceeds to Pro-LGBTQ groups?

#ILoveGayPalmSprings Because…

Our community is welcoming, philanthropic, and caring to its core and this month proves it. The Pointer Sisters headline The Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards to benefit the many facets of Desert AIDS Project.

You take my breath away. Whether it’s your early morning sunrises or midnight skies, I often find myself stopped in my own tracks, standing in awe of the beauty around me.… You gather people. Whether people come here for a weekend, for a season or for a new life, you create a wonderful space for people to gather and to do life together… You’re just the right size. You make it easy for me to get from David A. Lee Photography Point A to Point B, leaving me plenty of time to enjoy all you have to offer… You’re a place for celebrations as well as a place that celebrates. During any given week, one can find something being celebrated here… of the vibrancy I experience here. There’s something magical happening in Palm Springs, while I can’t quite articulate it, I can certainly feel it…and I love it!

D.A.P. is at the forefront of the health care issues affecting not only gay men but now provides a breadth of services to others in need. It also spearheaded the recently-concluded (and highly successful) Get Tested Coachella Valley initiative to reduce HIV infection rates.

Mike, his two dogs Gordo and Ricky, along with Boo Boo the Cat live in Palm Springs, and his menagerie must love him as much as we do! Don’t miss The Center’s Red Dress Party Saturday, March 11! For more info, check out “Events” at GayDesertGuide.com.

And then there are the “known knowns”: We in the Greater Palm Springs area are in a bubble -- one of the most diverse and LGBT-friendly places on earth. And the next few months will bring hundreds of thousands of visitors looking for an escape – from Winter, from their homophobic habitat and possibly from reality. So, we’ll roll out our red carpet for a season of events and fun while the rest of the world wrestles with winter and shuffles the deck chairs on the proverbial Titanic.

Our Mizell Senior Center Gala – Stars Among Us – celebrates the 40th anniversary of Saturday Night Fever. Their work extends to the entire valley through Meals on Wheels and senior programs. There will be a few Oscars viewing parties with worthy beneficiaries. Trio’s version is “Hollywood’s Biggest Night” benefitting the AIDS Assistance Program. The other is “Big Bad Dishy Hollywood Awards Night” at the Mary Pickford Theaters hosted by comedians Shann Carr, Jersey Shore and Max Mitchell. And one of the most fun evenings happens March 11th as we don our gay apparel for the LGBT Center’s Red Dress/Dress Red Party. (See our Facebook page for my size 14 ruby slippers – Nike style!)

Photo of the Month Our #ILoveGayPalmSprings Photo of the Month comes from Trevor Eade of Palm Springs taken in late December and posted on Twitter. It’s been a wet winter thus far and the valley has been inundated with rain…and rainbows. Look closely and you may see the double rainbow here! Shann Carr

It’s also the month for Modernism Week where we are sponsoring two events. The first is “Modernism With A Twist”, what I would term TedTalks-meets-Travelogue. GayDesertGuide.LGBT is also holding an open house in the 300 block of North Palm Canyon with some of the galleries, restaurants and shops that fall between downtown and Uptown. Free food and drink too! Subscribe to our Oasis Insiders newsletter or add us to the home screen of your mobile phone or tablet so you can stay in touch and find all the details on these and hundreds more events, happy hours, Meetups, attractions, restaurants and bars, and places to shop. Our site is the # 1 place to find everything you need to know about LGBT Palm Springs. This special section gives you a quick overview. You can also follow us on social media too and don’t forget to share. SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Trevor is a member of the Palm Springs HRC Federal Club and co-chaired the 2016 HRC Garden Party during Palm Springs Pride. We thank him for his service to the community and for providing this month’s photo. He’ll receive a $50 restaurant gift card. You can win February’s contest! Just post and tag a photo of yourself or something of interest about Palm Springs on Instagram or Twitter with #ILove GayPalmSprings and message us when you post it!

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FEBRUARY 2017

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // GDG 2

The mod side of Palm Springs released during Modernism Week 2017

Your Map & Guide to palM SprinGS

By Brad Fuhr It’s a simplicity of lines and the blocking of colors into crisp but vibrant patterns. It’s a style of architecture that breaks with the extraneous ornamentations of the past. It’s midcentury modern design seen in architecture, art and fashion that first appeared at the ‘birth of the cool.’

Attractions

Dine

Whether it’s a house with a flat, low-slung roof or Miles Davis in a thin-lapeled, close-fitting suit reworking jazz with a minimalist touch, the style of the mid-20th century cut away extraneous fabric and revised all that had gone before.

Pedego Electric Bikes

The Steakhouse at the Spa Resort Casino

EOS Fitness

Appetito Deli

And Palm Springs celebrates the magical style of 60 years past and rolls it out during Modernism Week held Feb. 16 through Feb. 26, 2017.

LGBT Community Center of the Desert

Bongo Johnny's Patio Bar & Grille

Camelot Theatres

Johannes Palm Springs

Modernism Week 2017 features an exhaustive array of home tours, fashions, lectures, art shows and gallery crawls that show how the city captures and maintains this historic style as if it was a butterfly in amber.

Desert Rocks Indoor Climbing Gym

LuLu California Bistro

Escape Room Palm Springs

Pinocchio in the Desert

McCormick's Exotic Car Showroom

Peabody’s Café

Palm Springs Aerial Tramway

Hoo Doo Patio Restaurant & Bar

Palm Springs Air Museum

The Tropicale

Architecture and Design Center

Trio Restaurant

Palm Springs Art Museum

Wang’s In the Desert

Palm Springs Convention Center

Broken Yoke

This year, there are two separate content tracks – Sexy and Culture – each featuring five witty and sometimes irreverent 10-minute talks presented by leading Modernism luminaries and guest celebrities. These talks cover a range of topics and are accompanied by audio and visuals that relate to the theme of the track. For example, laments on Sexy are called Midcentury Sex Education or Casual Misogyny. Under the heading of Culture, we’ll learn about Mobile American and Carchitecture. We’re giving away tickets on our Facebook page, so visit today!

Spa Resort Casino

Copley’s Restaurant

Bike Palm Springs

Koffi North

Koffi South

Manhattan in the Desert

RetroRoom Lounge

Congo Room Restaurant & Lounge

But wait, there’s more! We’re doing our 2nd annual “Gay Ole Evening in the Three Oh Oh (That’s the 300 block of North Palm Canyon) on Saturday, Febraury 18th from 5:30 – 8:30 PM. Galleries, restaurants and shops in this block between Uptown and Downtown are opening their doors (and their wine cellars) for a progressive night of drink, food, specials and fun! The Art of Nat Reed (seen here) is back as our anchor, along with Michael Weems Gallery, Motif, and many more. See GayDesertGuide.LGBT and Facebook Events for the latest.

Chill Bar/Scorpion Room

Rio Azul Mexican Bar & Grill

COPA Room

Watercress Vietnamese Bistro

Hunters Nightclub

Reservior, The Draughtsman

The Kitchen at the Hard Rock Hotel

Oscar's Cafe & Bar

Thai Smile

Purple Room Supper Club

37 38

SpurLine Video Bar

Ristretto

Streetbar/Local Color Gallery

Zin American Bistro

Tool Shed

Toucan’s Tiki Lounge

Shopping

Score Bar

Destination PSP

My Little Flower Shop

On display during Modernism Week are tours of homes built by the stars of midcentury modern architecture such as E. Stewart Williams, Donald Wexler, A. Quincy Jones and Hugh Kaptur. Along with home tours, we at GayDesertGuide.com are co-sponsoring “Modernism with A Twist”. Held at CAMP, the hub for Modernism Week at 350 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Twist hosts a list of comically skewed talks on modernism. We just love the presenters, many of whom we call friends (and Friends of Dorothy).

One of the most interesting architectural events is titled the Big Reveal Party, which debuts The West Elm House. This creation shows architecture and design enthusiasts how to modernize a midcentury home for the way we live today. Probably the most well-attended event is the annual Palm Springs Modernism Show & Sale. This year, it will be held Feb. 17 through Feb. 20 at the Palm Springs Convention Center. Highlights include a free art exhibition, called “Plastics from Paradise: California Modernizes the American Lifestyle.” This is just a glimpse of the wide range of events offered during Modernism Week. There is much to see, but don’t worry if you miss something. There is always Modernism Week’s Fall Preview in October.

Nightlife (See our Happy Hour Finder online)

Symbol Keys Grocery Store Hospital / Urgent Care Pharmacy Post Office Tennis Visitor Center

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Bear Wear

Motif

Geras Toussant Gallery

Revive Salon & Day Spa

Antique Galleries of Palm Springs

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // GDG3 FEBRUARY 2017

FEBRUARY 2017 GDG 3 \\ COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT

Indian Canyon Dr

10 56

73 54

N Palm Canyon Dr

Gene Autry Trail

Mesquite Ave

55 32

Dinah Shore

70 71 3 1 53 38

Ramon

Calle Encilia

35 12 39 42 51 33

Camino Parocela

El Segundo

Saturnino

58 34

Arenas

Tahquitz Canyon

Andreas

Amado

Downtown Palm Springs

19 Kirk Douglas Way

Belardo Rd

El Cielo Rd 65 37

Farrell Dr

Cahuilla Rd

Belardo Rd

E Palm Canyon Dr Via Soledad

La Verne Way

S Palm Canyon Dr Mesquite Ave

Ramon Rd

Belardo Rd

Ocotillo Ave

Saturnino Rd

Andreas Rd

Amado Rd

Alejo Rd

59 63 62 11

Calle Encilia

Arenas Rd

El Alameda

Tamarisk Rd

Tachevah Dr

Vista Chino

E Via Escuela

Racquet Club Rd

Mel Ave

Indian Canyon Dr 69 20 N Palm Canyon Dr 68

El Segundo

m Tra

ay W

San Rafael Dr

Camino Parocela

Grenfall Rd Warm Sands

Avenida Caballeros

San Lorenzo Rd

Farrell Dr

S Sunrise Way

Sunny Dunes

Ramon Rd

N Sunrise Way

Baristo Rd

Tahquitz Canyon Way

Farrell Dr

Mesquite Ave

Map courtesy of HunKa Concepts

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

FEBRUARY GDG4 \\ 2017 COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT

FEBRUARY 2017 COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // GDG 4

#ILoveGayPalmSprings @Destination PSP! Now available at DestinationPSP - new #ILoveGayPalmSprings merchandise. From t-shirts to coffee mugs, a credit card/cash holder for your mobile phone in every color of the rainbow and a unique wine tote (to keep the white wine cold and the red wine cool). Visit DestinationPSP in downtown Palm Springs and shop for the holidays!

2017 “Save the Date” Coachella Valley Events Feb. 9-15 IBC International Bear Convergence Feb. 11 Desert Winds -Valentine’s Day Concert & Dance Feb. 11 Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards Gala Feb, 16-26 Modernism Week, Palm Springs Feb. 17- Mar. 5

Eveita @ Palm Canyon Theatre

Feb. 17 Palm Springs Air Museum Gala Feb. 25

Mizell Center: 40th Anniversary of Saturday Night Fever

Feb. 25-26 PSGMC “Simply Sondheim” Concert Feb. 26 AAP’s Hollywood’s Biggest Night @ Trio Mar. 5 ACT for MS Gala honoring Jamie Kabler

Gay Wine Weekend

Mar. 6-19 BNP Paribas Tennis Tournament

We’ve moved to JULY so you can celebrate PRIDE & join us Out In The Vineyard! It’s a weekend of Wine & Celebration with new winemaker dinners, winery tours and events. Visit GayWineWeekend.com

Mar. 11 LGBT Center’s Red Dress/Dress Red Party Mar. 18-25 Fashion Week on El Paseo in Palm Desert Mar. 24-26 Cathedral City’s LGBT Days Mar. 26 Desert Winds “Music and the World of Sound” Mar. 29-Apr. 2 Club Skirts Presents The Dinah, Palm Springs Apr. 1 The Living Desert’s Brew at the Zoo

Bongo Johnny’s

214 E. Arenas Road, Palm Springs (760) 866-1905 Bongo Johnny’s Patio Bar & Grille is one of the best neighborhood restaurants in Palm Springs. Located in the middle of the Arenas area, Bongo Johnny’s is fun and relaxing with GREAT food. The menu is fresh, but it’s not just about breakfast and lunch, we’ve got dinner too. Come dine with us inside, or out on the patio, and experience a mini vacation with craveable food, signature cocktails, and stellar service. Get Fresh!

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Apr. 2 L-Fund 3rd Annual Gumbo Gala Apr. 8 Palm Springs Pride Pet Parade Apr. 14-16 Coachella Music Festival –Weekend #1 Apr. 21-23 Coachella Music Festival –Weekend #2 Apr. 22-23 PSGMC “Palm Springs Pops” Concert Apr. 27-30 Blatino Oasis May 14 Desert AIDS Project’s Dining Out for Life May 5-8 Jeffery Sanker’s White Party Weekend May 6 AAP’s Evening Under the Stars Nov. 3-5 Palm Springs Pride 2017

For More Info & Events visit GayDesertGuide.com

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FEBRUARY 2017

PRESENTED BY

Red

Save the Date for the 2017

Dance Party SATURDAY MARCH 11 The

CENTER

2017

Red For more information, please visit our website at www.thecenterps.corg CVIndependent.com

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FEBRUARY 2017

ARTS/MOVIES

BELIEVE IN ROCK ’N’ ROLL

A New HBO documentary shows the Eagles of Death Metal returning to the road following a terrorist attack

By brian blueskye

hen I interviewed local music legend Jesse Hughes in August 2015, he was in good spirits and quite excited about the then-soon-to-be released Eagles of Death Metal album, Zipper Down. “This album is like John Holmes, only with a bigger dick,” Hughes told me. “I’ve never been one of those dudes who has tried to change or do something different. I pretty much want to make Little Richard proud, and I feel that this album has gotten me closer to that goal than any other record.” Sure enough, the Eagles of Death Metal made waves with the release of Zipper Down— the band’s first new release in seven years. In fact, the Palm Desert-born band was enjoying the most critical acclaim it had ever received. This high would not last: On Nov. 13, 2015, during an EODM concert in Paris at the worldfamous Bataclan, the venue was attacked by terrorists. While the band escaped physically unharmed, 89 people lost their lives. A new documentary directed by Colin Hanks, Eagles of Death Metal: Nos Amis (Our Friends), was screened at the Palm Springs International Film Festival. The film will air on HBO starting Monday, Feb. 13. The documentary starts with Jesse Hughes at home in Los Angeles, about three months after the attack, on the day he and the rest of the band were slated to return to Europe to resume the tour. Gone is Hughes’ jovial, comedic attitude that he so often displayed while off-stage: He appears nervous as he packs his luggage and his manager hands him the boarding passes for the band and crew. He emotionally explains that the rock ’n’ roll music for which he’s always been known is now a huge question mark—because the tragedy in Paris will always be what comes up when people talk about the band. The film covers the backstory of the band. Hughes and Josh Homme talk about the first time they met each other, as kids in Jesse Hughes, Josh Homme and Colin Hanks.

CVIndependent.com

Palm Desert—and include an anecdote about Homme rescuing Hughes from bullies who had thrown him in a pool and wouldn’t let him out. Homme describes Hughes as a guy who loves to talk about himself—although that talk is so amusing that you want him to keep talking. Homme, who can’t always tour with Eagles of Death Metal, was not with the band at the Bataclan. He describes being in a recording studio when he started receiving alarming text messages at the time of the attack. The band members each describe the attacks and their aftermath. While most of the members have already told these stories to VICE, Dave Catching—the band’s guitarist and owner of the Rancho de la Luna studio in Joshua Tree—tells his story for the first time: He describes spending two terrorizing hours in a dressing room, hiding in the shower with the door barricaded. He said terrorists tried at various points to get into the dressing room— and that one of the terrorists eventually blew himself up nearby. The final portion of the film shows the moment when the band finally plays again in Paris. Homme and Hughes are filmed greeting many of the survivors of the attack, shaking their hands and hugging. One man tells Hughes he saw the terrorists enter the Bataclan—and feels sorry because he didn’t do anything to stop them. Hughes emotionally tells the man that he’s not at fault. Eagles of Death Metal: Nos Amis (Our Friend) takes a heartrending look at Hughes, a rock ’n’ roller who lived through an event that would change him and his band forever. The film pays tribute to the victims in a beautiful way, and affirms that the terrorists in no way won anything as a result of the attack. While the Eagles of Death Metal EODM will be associated with tragedy forever, the members confirm: They still believe in rock ’n’ roll. Eagles of Death Metal: Nos Amis (Our Friends) premieres Monday, Feb. 13, on HBO.

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 21

FEBRUARY 2017

COLE

Rhythmic Circus

Starring Michael Griffiths

Feet Don’t Fail Me Now

Fri, February 3, 3pm & 8pm

Tue, February 7, 7pm

Presented through the generosity of Donna MacMillan

Presented through the generosity of Diane And Gerald Wendel

YouTube Sensation

The City of Rancho Mirage Presents

Golden Dragon Acrobats

The Piano Guys Thu, February 9, 8pm

Sun, February 12, 3pm

Presented through the generosity of Jerry & Barbara Lundberg

Phil Vassar Mon, February 13, 8pm

Presented through the generosity of Jackie Autry

Lorna Luft The Judy Garland Songbook Tue, February 14, 8pm

The TEN Tenors The 61st Annual Edition of It’s Magic! Sun, February 26, 3pm

20th Anniversary World Tour - The Power of TEN Tue, February 28, 8pm Wed, March 1, 2pm & 8pm Thu & Fri, March 2 & 3, 8pm Sat, March 4, 2pm & 8pm Sun, March 5, 2pm

Presented through the generosity of Harold Matzner & Helene Galen

Order tickets by phone

760-340-ARTS (2787)

Order online

mccallumtheatre.com

73000 FRED WARING DRIVE, PALM DESERT • BOX OFFICE HOURS: MONDAY-FRIDAY, 9:00am-5:00pm

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FEBRUARY 2017

FOOD & DRINK

CVINDEPENDENT.COM/FOOD-DRINK

the

BEER GODDESS

Craft beer is finally taking its rightful place at the dinner table by being properly paired with good food

By Erin Peters

here is good living, where there is good beer. Since I started writing about beer, this has been my mantra—and, of course, good food is part of good living, too. There’s more synergy between the beer and food worlds than ever before. Brewers have produced a range of delicious beers to suit nearly every kind of food. The Brewers Association reports that the number of breweries in the U.S. just passed 5,000—a record high. That means there’s a ton of beerand-food-pairing potential! Therefore, it’s no surprise that restaurateurs are increasingly recognizing the versatility of craft beers—and their various complex favors—when it comes to food pairing. “Dr.” Bill Sysak is respected around the world for his encyclopedic knowledge of beer styles and flavor profiles. Dr. Bill, as he’s known in the craft-beer community, is the co-founder and CEO at Wild Barrel Brewing Company and the former craft beer ambassador at Stone Brewing Co. He suggests matching strength with strength: Strong-flavored foods demand assertive beers. And for crying out loud, taste things first! “I’ve always been a proponent whenever possible of knowing the flavor profiles of both the beer and the food, personally, versus just reading about it,” says Dr. Bill. Grains like wild rice or polenta pair well with clean and crisp Bohemian-style pilsners or American amber lagers. The complementary grain flavors balance hops while staying light on the palate. Love sour and funky beers? Try them with rich meats and root vegetables. Combining these flavors brings out umami. While filet mignon is classically paired with pinot noir or cabernet sauvignon, a rich stout has the potential of bringing out flavors that one won’t taste with wine. Brown ales are also bold enough to complement roasted meat. That said … breaking the rules is totally OK— and even encouraged! Discover what works

together on your palate. Wes Lieberher, the executive chef at Beer Belly in Los Angeles, is a rule-breaker, as well as a food and beer lover. You must try his beerbraised octopus. He’s putting his own twist on what’s popular; for example, he created a French dip with duck and duck au jus. When it comes to pairing, he tends to experiment with what’s available. “I leave it open,” Lieberher says. “We switch our taps so much, so there’s always a different beer, so there could always be a slightly different flavor to it, which is kinda cool.” As for breaking rules: He pairs his beerbattered fish and chips, a lighter dish, with a hoppier IPA, rather than the lighter pilsner used in the dish. “A lot of people will say, ‘This goes with this,’” Lieberher says. “I won’t cook with an IPA, but IPAs will go great with something I’m using a lighter beer with.” More and more, brewers, restaurateurs and chefs are using what’s available to them locally. This tends to lead to better natural pairings. “I was one of the first major people at my level—beer-and-food pairers—to talk about regionality,” says Dr. Bill. “Back when water was bad for you, people had to have whatever (alcohol was available in the) area of the world

they lived. … In the Grape Belt, they drank wine with their meals, or diluted wine for their children. In the Grain Belt, everybody drank beer or mead or cider. “If you had to eat the same kind of food sources every day, and the only beverage you had to wash it down with made you say ‘yuck’ every time, those styles wouldn’t survive, right? You would find the styles that work well.” Julia Herz wrote the book on beer pairing. No, really: She co-authored Beer Pairing: The Essential Guide From the Pairing Pros with Gwen Conley. Herz is the Craft Beer Program director at the Brewers Association and a certified cicerone. “The localization movement isn’t just isolated to food,” she says. “That’s where we became aware of it—from the slow-food movement, farm to table—and now it’s farm to keg to tap! We’ve got brewers thinking like chefs.” While beer has reclaimed its place at the dinner table in some places, many restaurants still put only wine in the spotlight. Herz believes it’s time that more of the 115,000 people in the U.S. craft-brewing community speak up with a simple request: “Dear restaurateurs: It’s time to have your menu present beer in the same manner as food and wine.” Herz suggests trusting the waiter or beer-

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server if you’re at a restaurant that has a respectable-looking beer menu “Go to establishments that hang their hat on pairings. Have them be your guide,” she says. “If they have wine pairings, it’s a good place to push them and ask them about beer pairings.” But to repeat: The one definitive source for what beer works well with what food is your own palate. Experiment and embrace your inner anarchist. “We all aren’t the same tasting type, and we’re not all going to perceive what we taste as the same,” Herz says. “So it’s all about the journey—experimenting and being able to articulate to yourself or to others what you did and didn’t like.” Thankfully, people are taking her advice. As of March 2016, nearly half of craft-beer drinkers surveyed said they drink craft with food more now than they did a couple of years ago. Make no mistake: Beer is king and should have a place at the dinner table. When combined, the sales of wine ($37.5 billion) and spirits ($69 billion estimated) in the United States barely surpass the sales of beer ($101.5 billion—$19.6 billion from small and independent U.S. craft brewers). This tells us there is unmistakable potential. Cheers, and bon appétit!

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COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 23

FEBRUARY 2017

We’re Doing Business with PRIDE in the Coachella Valley. Our 250 members support equality – and they support you!

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Willkommen im Johannes Restaurant.

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FOOD & DRINK

WELL RED

Lisa Tussing

A talk with Kristin Ryall, Young’s Estates Group account manager

By christine soto

fter customers, the people I interact with most, wine-wise, are reps—the people who sell wine for a living. I’m not afraid to play favorites, so meet my fave, Kristin Ryall. Tasting with her is like getting together with an old friend—it’s easy, comfortable and fun. She’s knowledgeable, but you’ll get no snobbery or condescension. Ryall is originally from New Hampshire, and has worked with wine all over the place— including her native state, plus Chicago and now the desert. She started out working at a well-known New Hampshire wine bar, Michael Timothy’s, where she cut her teeth. She’s worked in restaurants and retail, and has sold for brokers, importers and distributors. These days, she’s an account manager for The Estates Group, the fine-wine division of distribution behemoth Young’s Market Company. She has access to a world of wine—a book as thick as a wrist. Yes, Ryall knows her stuff. Beyond Ryall’s expansive wine knowledge, she is a relationship person—she loves to get to know about her customers’ lives, businesses and families. Wine can be very personal, and that’s what she likes about it—bringing a human component to sales. On a recent afternoon, we sipped a 2015 Domaine Saint Nicolas “Gammes en May” and talked about moving West—as well as, of course, wine. When did you first start getting into wine? Twelve years ago, when I was working at a little wine bar in southern New Hampshire, where I am from. Kristin Ryall

What was your first wine love? Like most people, when I started getting into wine, I liked big, rich wines—specifically, red zinfandel. As my palate changed and evolved, I fell in love with pinot noir. What’s exciting about wine to you right now? Wines that over-deliver for the price. Everybody expects a wine that costs $100 retail to be amazing. But what about that $15 Italian white that you can’t stop drinking because it is so delicious? Why did you decide to go into sales/ distribution? What do you like about it? I had been working in the restaurant industry for quite a few years, and was tired of working late nights, weekends and holidays. I wanted to take a love for wine and find a new career related to it. I like the flexibility, and the fact that I don’t have to work out of a cubicle. I also enjoy the fact that in sales, your job changes every single day. Your desert island wine? That is a hard one, but a friend bought my husband and me a case of J. Lassale Champagne for our wedding, and I love the producer. It’s maybe not the best producer out there, but wine has power to bring you back to a place and time—and that is what this wine does. Favorite food pairing? Brachetto and Indian food. What are you drinking now? I drank a lot of Champagne over the holidays, but Rooster and the Pig has this vermentino right now that I just love. What do you love about the desert? Many things: The landscape, the weather and the proximity to everything. My husband and I enjoy hiking, and we have plenty of that here. Coming from a major city, I appreciate the pace here. Overall, my quality of life has improved. Your favorite places to go in the desert? Any place I can get away from it all. I love Joshua Tree National Park. After a nice hike, Pappy and Harriet’s is a sweet respite for a cold beer. Palm Springs native Christine Soto is a co-owner of Dead or Alive wine bar in Palm Springs. She can be reached at christine.soto@gmail.com.

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FOOD & DRINK

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ON COCKTAILS W

By kevin carlow

elcome to the bar lull, the time when thirsty, hard-working citizens’ insidious New Year’s resolutions interfere with my ability to ply them with high-quality wares. Is your humble bar correspondent succumbing to such self-deception? No, no false resolutions for me. Instead, I am using the New Year to explore some new-to-me places—and perhaps making a questionable decision or two along the way. My first stop of the evening was an early dinner at Rooster and the Pig (356 S. Indian Canyon Drive, Palm Springs). I would be lying if I said that I was going there for cocktails and not for the food, and this brings up an important issue: There are great restaurants all over the country without a full liquor license. I imagine that for every over-ambitious restaurant popping up with a confused menu and an unnecessarily overwrought craft-cocktail program, there are 10 places without a full liquor license making focused and passionate cuisine—and it is always interesting to see what bartenders can do with wine, sake, lillet, etc., when forced to compromise. Bartender Trish mixed me a Green Lantern—a tasty mix of cilantro, cucumber, lime and what chef/owner Tai referred to as “gin-ish,” a 20-proof non-distilled gin. Boozy? Well, no, but it was oh-so refreshing. It went down smooth, like an agua fresca or a green smoothie, hold the kale. The freshness complemented the flavors of plate after plate of Vietnamese-American cuisine and accompanying sriracha. This seems like it could also be a great non-alcoholic drink—perhaps for you “resolution” people. If you are looking for boozy, they clued me in about some exciting plans for the near future, so stay tuned. Belly full, I went to meet some friends at the Dråughtsman (1501 N. Palm Canyon

Is Farm’s Bloody Mary the best in town? We’re not sure—but it’s pretty damn good. FARM FACEBOOK PAGE

Drive). I was anxiously waiting for this place to open—like everyone else, it seems. Unlike everyone else, it seems, I waited to check it out. (I hate waiting for bar seats, as you might know.) Despite my gluttony at Rooster and the Pig, Paul and Robbie behind the bar convinced me to try some “off the menu” pretzel bites with ale-cheese sauce—who could say no to that? Thinking I required Irish whiskey, because I often require Irish whiskey, I ordered the Delorean. This is a mixture of Powers whiskey, lemon, house Irish cream, Guinness syrup and sarsaparilla bitters. It came out with spices grated on top—looking quite like a dessert cocktail or eggnog. The looks were deceiving, however, because the flavor was bright, with citrus as the main note, whiskey coming through, and the cream just adding a little mouth-feel. It drinks like a whiskey sour with an Irish-American twist. Knowing this was a Chad Austin menu (best known as the drink engineer of Bootlegger Tiki), I went for a rum drink next. The Tubular Dude is Banks 7 rum, Cynar 70, pineapple gomme syrup and tiki bitters served over a large ice cube. It’s part tiki old-fashioned, part stripped-down Jungle Bird—a 1970s tiki classic from the Aviary Bar in Kuala Lumpur that features Campari and pineapple, also one of my favorites. If you are looking for a sweet-andsour tiki drink, look elsewhere; this one is for an amaro fan, a Negroni lover. Don’t fret if you don’t like bitter; it looks like they have options on the menu for all kinds of palates, and a really nice back bar to boot! I finished the evening at a nearby dive bar, not to be named by (possibly tongue-in-cheek) request. Some kind soul with a Prince Valiant haircut bought the bar a round, in between muttering to himself and watching TV. Two 21-year-olds celebrated their new legal tippling with Flaming Dr. Peppers and Incredible Hulks (Hennessy and Hpnotiq … yeah, I started my bartending career in a nightclub) amongst other drinks with which I am not so familiar.

No New Year’s resolutions here— it’s time to sample some of Palm Springs’ great (and not-so-great) drink options

Here’s a poorly kept secret: Craft bartenders don’t always drink craft. When I see a round of sugary, hangover-inducing booze-bombs appear and think about the year gone by, I often say: “To hell with it; give me one of those!” I ask the bartender what’s in it, and he says: “Alcohol!” Fair enough! I put a ’90s hip-hop song on the jukebox. One of the guys said, “You like this music? You must be my mom’s age!” Cut to the next day. My head was in a proverbial vice, and I walked the rainy streets of Palm Springs in search of a remedy. I pulled up a table for one at Farm (6 La Plaza), where the rain, chansons d’amour and rustic ambience transported me away from downtown Palm Springs and last night’s follies. I ordered a Bloody Mary—advertised on the menu as the best in town, with jalapeño-infused vodka, house-made hot sauce and bacon. An aside about the Bloody Mary: Nearly every time I order one, I wish I’d ordered something else. At best, I like the first one and order a second, and I generally regret the second one. Why? Well, most of them are horrid. The mix has sat too long, congealing the horseradish and tomato into an astringent gel, with the vodka drawing those offensive flavors out and delivering them straight to the palate. The tabasco sauce turns the whole thing to a vinegary mess, garnished with a pale stick of what was at one point celery, limply hanging over the side of the glass. I made my living for a period hawking Bloody Marys to hungover

tourists, so I am a tough critic. Still, it is one of the most popular cocktails around, so I would be remiss to ignore it. After all that, I must say … this was a darned tasty Bloody Mary! The jalapeño was subtle; the tomato juice was thin, not pasty. The horseradish, if there (the server wasn’t sure, but I thought I tasted a tiny bit), wasn’t overbearing, and the hot sauce wasn’t just vinegar. The drink tasted super-fresh and light, rare for the species. Only complaint: Bacon should stay dry and never go into the drink. Nobody wants soggy bacon. So … is it the best in town? Let’s go find out! Just kidding … I know better than to push my luck. Instead, I am going to make myself my a Oaxacan Brunch, a great way to get rid of that leftover sage (and hangover) from the holidays: • 2 ounces of mezcal • 1 ounce of lime juice • 1 ounce of simple syrup (1:1 sugar and water) • 1 egg white • Fresh sage Muddle several leaves of sage into the simple syrup in the small tin of a metal shaker (the back of a spoon works nicely), and add the rest of the ingredients. Shake without ice, and then with ice. Pour on the rocks, and garnish with a sage leaf. Enjoy with an omelet … and Happy (Belated) New Year! Kevin Carlow is a bartender at Seymour’s/Mr. Lyons and can be reached via email at krcarlow@ gmail.com.

FREsh gRound . handcRaFtEd

73-399 El Paseo, #103 . Palm Desert, CA 92260 . (760) 346-4372 . Mon-Sat: 10am-6pm, Sun: 11am-5pm

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the

FOOD & DRINK INDY ENDORSEMENT This month, we present inexpensive, off-the-beaten-path, delicious lunches By Jimmy Boegle

WHAT The Pork Adobo Silog Platter (Adobosilog) WHERE Meng’s Filipino Cuisine, 34091 Date Palm Drive, Suite B, Cathedral City HOW MUCH $6.99 CONTACT 760-321-2277 WHY It’s a delicious Filipino favorite. Confession: I have a checkered history when it comes to Filipino restaurants. A couple of decades ago, I visited a Filipino restaurant in Reno, Nev., for lunch. Various tasty-looking items sat on a steam table; all were unmarked, so I asked the woman behind the counter about some of them. She was fairly friendly until I pointed to a cooked fish of some sort and asked what it was. She began waving her arms. “No, no! You white boy! That’s not for you!” she proclaimed. Flash forward to a couple of weeks ago, when I was standing in a hole-in-the-wall Cathedral City Filipino restaurant much like that one in Reno. I admit I was skittish asking about the various items at the steam table—so instead, I ordered one of the “silog platters” depicted on the picture menu on the wall above the counter. (“Silog” is a classic Filipino combination of a meat, garlic rice and eggs.) My choice: The pork adobo. Thankfully, the people at Meng’s Filipino Cuisine were much nicer than that frantic woman at the place in Reno way back when— and I was excited to dive in when the plate arrived. The stewed pork was tender, both meaty and fatty (in a good way), and savory with just a hint of sweetness. It was great on its own, but it reached a whole different level when I mixed everything together on the plate. I finished every bit of it, and both my stomach and palate were satisfied. That’s pretty darned fantastic for just $6.99. A word of warning: The place can be hard to find. Even though Meng’s (also called The Filipino Cuisine on the menu board) has now been around for two-plus years, there’s no sign up for the place yet (!); look for the corner restaurant next to Winchell’s with the Filipino flag in the window. Trust me: Meng’s is worth finding. It’s the exact opposite of fancy (including plastic utensils and disposable plates)—but the food is delicious. CVIndependent.com

WHAT The California Split Sandwich WHERE The Lunch Box, 74868 Joni Drive, No. 1a, Palm Desert HOW MUCH $6.95 (plus $2.75 for a cup of soup) CONTACT 760-610-1136; thelunchboxpd.com WHY This sandwich is satisfying. Even though I knew I was in the right place, a small part of me wondered if I was being punked when I turned off Cook Street onto Joni Drive in search of The Lunch Box. All I saw at first were warehouses and industrial buildings—but then I spied the sign above The Lunch Box’s door. Whew. Trust me: You’re unlikely to accidentally stumble upon this highly regarded sandwich joint. But stumble upon it, you should: The sandwiches here are mighty tasty. I ordered the California Split sandwich— applewood-smoked bacon, melted jack cheese, avocado, tomato, sprouts and mayo on warm sourdough—along with a cup of the soup of the day, which was creamy chicken and vegetable. (“Think the inside of a chicken pot pie,” as the gentleman behind the counter accurately described it.) Only a few minutes later, my food arrived; I tore off a couple of paper towels from the roll on the table to use as napkins, and dove in. It was a rainy day—we’ve been having a lot of those lately, yes?—and therefore, this was a perfect lunch. This classic sandwich was warm and flavorful. The bacon was crisp, and the avocado fresh; I swear my palate detected some Italian dressing in there somewhere, too. The sourdough was surprisingly light and fluffy, yet strong enough to keep the sandwich together— although the bread didn’t have to do its job for long, as it was quickly consumed. This place is all about sandwiches (although several salads and even a hot dog are offered as well), and no one item will set you back more than $6.95. The Lunch Box is a great spot for simple yet well-done lunch fare at good prices— in a most unlikely location.

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Restaurant NEWS BITES By Jimmy Boegle NEW IN DOWNTOWN PALM SPRINGS: MOXIE PALM SPRINGS For several years, Grind Brgr Bar languished on the second floor at 262 S. Palm Canyon Drive, in downtown Palm Springs. I went to the Kaiser Restaurant Group-owned restaurant fairly frequently, because the burgers were good, and I loved the view. However, the place seemed constantly understaffed, and there was no vibe whatsoever. Well, Grind is gone, as is its downstairs sister restaurant, The Chop House. In Grind’s place is Moxie Palm Springs—and it appears the charming second-story space (above what is now the Broken Yolk Café) is finally getting the treatment it deserves. Don’t go to Moxie expecting a big, honking meal; instead, you’ll find salads, $4 bar bites (such as a single slider or a jicama shrimp taco) and “sharables” such as papas bravas ($8) and a charcuterie platter ($15). On the drink side, Moxie offers an innovative selection of “crafty cocktails” and “classy cocktails” for $11, and well drinks for $6—and you can knock a buck or two off those prices during happy hour, between 4 and 7 p.m. Just as exciting as the food and drink, however, is the list of special events: A quick gander at Moxie’s Facebook page shows goings-on such as wine-tastings and live entertainment. Moxie is open at 4 p.m. daily, and closes no later than midnight. For more information, call 760-318-9900, or visit www.facebook.com/moxiepalmsprings. THE ACE LOOKS TO TACO MARIA TO SPICE UP KING’S HIGHWAY OFFERINGS Forgive me if you’ve heard this before: The Ace Hotel and Swim Club, at 701 E. Palm Canyon Drive, in Palm Springs, has enlisted the aid of a highly regarded out-of-town restaurant to improve the food offerings at the King’s Highway restaurant. This time, the help is coming from Taco Maria, the Costa Mesa restaurant that’s earned chef Carlos Salgado many awards; in fact, our friends at the OC Weekly have named it the best Orange County restaurant three years in a row. It was just two years ago that I was telling you that the Ace had brought in Brooklyn, N.Y., restaurant Five Leaves to shore up the King’s Highway menu. Some of those changes were great—the Five Leaves burger was tasty, while the buttermilk fried Jidori earned a coveted Indy Endorsement from the rag you’re reading right now. Despite these bright points, however, I’ve never really enjoyed eating at King’s Highway all that much—even though I would definitely qualify as an Ace regular. What came out of the kitchen over the last couple of years was inconsistent, while some of the prices were simply outrageous: Chips and salsa will set you back $9 in the Amigo Room. If you want the add “crushed avocado,” your total tab is $15. Really?! So far, the changes I’ve seen to the menu have been encouraging. I’ll be curious to see what Salgado ultimately does as part of this culinary partnership. (Here’s hoping more-reasonable prices are among the changes!) Visit www.kingshighwaydiner.com for more information. IN BRIEF If you 1) love great food, 2) love great beer, 3) love a gorgeous restaurant atmosphere and 4) are reading this column fairly early, take note: You’ll want to be at the Purple Palm Restaurant, at the Colony Palms Hotel at 572 N. Indian Canyon Drive, in Palm Springs, on Wednesday, Jan. 25, for the Winter Food and Beer Fest. According to this here news release, Purple Palm executive chef Nick Tall “has created a festive dinner of shared plates, all expertly paired with beer” from Coachella Valley Brewing Co. The evening—which starts with a reception at 6 p.m. and is followed by a sit-down dinner—costs $70. Call 760-969-1818 for reservations or more information. … Breakfast is becoming big in down Palm Springs: We recently heard a rumor that a veeeeery popular Palm Desert-area breakfast/brunch joint may be soon moving into the second-story space that The Falls Steakhouse used to call home, at 155 S. Palm Canyon Drive. We have not confirmed the rumor, so we won’t share any further details, but keep your eyes open and your fingers crossed. … Frenchy’s Sports Bar and Grill is now open at 2155 N. Palm Canyon Drive, in north Palm Springs, in the space the late, lamented Dickie O’Neal’s used to call home. Live entertainment and karaoke are in the mix along with the food and sports. Call 760-424-8765, or visit www.facebook.com/ FrenchysPalmSprings.

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29 30 31 32

The Pointer Sisters headline the Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards Throw the Goat has a new EP—and a new drummer, too ex-Chicago star Peter Cetera is happy with his solo career The Lucky 13: get to know the bassists from two popular bands

february 2017 By Brian Blueskye

www.cvindependent.com/music

Surfer Blood has endured trying times—including the death of an original member

The Blueskye REPORT

THE VIBES KEEP FLOATING

Phil Vassar

February is upon us—which means it’s time for Valentine’s Day. In other words, the month is bringing some great romance-tinged events— as well as shows for those who might not be in the romantic mood. The McCallum Theatre’s schedule is packed with so many great events in February that it’s hard to choose which ones to mention—so be sure to peruse the McCallum website for the full schedule. At 8 p.m., Monday, Feb. 6, the son of the legendary Mel Torme, Steve March Torme, will be performing his “Torme Sings Torme” show. He’ll be accompanied by a 10-piece band as he performs his father’s best-known material. Tickets are $27 to $77. At 8 p.m., Monday, Feb. 13, country music hit-maker Phil Vassar will be performing. Vassar has 10 No. 1 singles and 26 Top 40 hits under his belt. That’s impressive! This is a great show to put you in the mood for Stagecoach, which is coming up in April. Tickets are $27 to $67. If you’re not in the country mood, it’s OK, because at 8 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 15, classical trio Simply Three will be performing. The YouTube sensation has gained more than 10 million views and is well-known for a repertoire of covers from Puccini to Coldplay. Tickets are $27 to $57. McCallum Theatre, 73000 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert; 760-340-2787; www.mccallumtheatre.com. Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa has some big events in February. Really big. At 9 p.m., Friday, Feb. 10, Air Supply will be returning to rock your faces. OK, just kidding. The duo of Graham Russell and Russell Hitchcock is a soft-rock outfit that has sold millions of records. I guess this show could be a nice surprise for someone special in your life as an early Valentine’s Day gift. Just make sure that someone special likes soft rock … or else there could be consequences. Tickets are $40 continued on Page 30

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MUSIC THEY’RE STILL

SO EXCITED

CVINDEPENDENT.COM/MUSIC

The Pointer Sisters headline the Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards

By Brian Blueskye

hen the Pointer Sisters began performing as an R&B group in 1969, nobody would have predicted that the group’s biggest hits would eventually be electronics-driven songs in the 1980s. Yet that’s exactly what happened, and while the group has slowed down somewhat in recent years, the Pointer Sisters continue to perform—and will headline the Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards, a fundraiser for the Desert AIDS Project, on Saturday, Feb. 11. Today’s Pointer Sisters only feature one original member—Ruth Pointer—although the group remains a family affair: She’s joined by her daughter, Issa, and her granddaughter, Sadako. During a recent phone interview, Ruth Pointer discussed how she and her sisters adapted to the technology that changed the way music sounded during the ’80s. “I don’t recall it being very hard,” Pointer said. “We were making not only that kind of transition, but (moving) to a different record company and to a different producer who had something else in mind. We’ve always been pretty adventurous in breaking boundaries and trying new things. It’s always been exciting for us to do interesting “We didn’t even have it in our setlist in our things.” show. By the end of the tour, everyone was One of the songs the Pointer Sisters are best coming to our dressing room saying, ‘Do you known for is “Neutron Dance,” which played know what’s going on with this song?’” Pointer during a chase scene in 1984’s Beverly Hills Cop. said. “The very last show we had on the road Pointer said she did not like the song when it was with Lionel, he came into our dressing room first presented to her. and said, ‘Listen, you guys have to put “Neutron “Allee Willis co-wrote that song, and she Dance” in the show. It’s going crazy. It’s in Beverly has always been what we’ve considered a great Hills Cop, and people want to hear it.’ We put songwriter and a fun artist,” Pointer said. “When it in the show, and I will never forget hearing a she brought the song to us, she had me in mind scream so loud and people rushing the stage. I to sing the lead on it, because I have a very almost forgot the lyrics to the song! I thought, strong gospel balance in my voice. I really wasn’t ‘Oh, this is what it feels like to have a hit, OK!’” enthusiastic about playing that song, because I’ve Will the Pointer Sisters ever record a new always related neutrons to war and destruction, album? After all, the group has not released a like a neutron bomb. She said, ‘Look, just go in studio album since 1993. there and sing that song, girl, because I know “I really don’t know.” Pointer said. “I’ve had that you’re going to rock it!’ I did; it was fun, and thoughts about it, but my thoughts about it are it’s been fun to sing ever since.” that it would just be an experimental thing to The Pointer Sisters were on tour with Lionel incorporate new sounds and new techniques, Richie when “Neutron Dance” became popular— and current artists you might want to collaborate rather quickly. with. … I think the type of music we do is

for what our generation was at the time. We still travel and do shows, and the people who remember our music are baby boomers. They get it. There are some young people in our audiences, and they come backstage and tell us, ‘My mom was always playing the Pointer Sisters.’ But the whole body of music has changed so much as to what’s accepted and what makes a hit. It’s so different than it used to be.” I asked Ruth Pointer, now 70, if she’s ever felt like calling it a day or going off in a different direction—to make a solo album, perhaps. “I’ve had those feelings. Sometimes, I have them even now,” she said. “I just feel like as long as it works, we’ll just keep doing it. The people who hire us, they hire us for a certain reason and for a certain reputation we had. If you’re going to change it all of a sudden, that could really throw a wrench into it. Right now, we’re going to keep it as it is. I’ve had aspirations to do solo things, and I wrote a book about my life

(published last year) called Still So Excited. Who knows what the future might bring?” When I asked Ruth Pointer about her favorite career moments, she brought up the song “I’m So Excited.” “It’s just one of those songs. We’re so fortunate that when we wrote that song—that’s exactly what we had in mind,” she said. “We went into it thinking … that everyone, when they heard that phrase, they would think about how there was a song that said, ‘I’m so excited!’ I hear that all the time. We got exactly what we wanted from that song.” The Pointer Sisters will perform at the 23rd Annual Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards Gala. The event starts at 5:30 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 11, at the Palm Springs Convention Center, 277 N. Avenida Caballeros, in Palm Springs. Tickets start at $475. For tickets or more information, call 760-992-0445, or visit www.desertaidsproject.org.

The Pointer Sisters

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The Blueskye REPORT continued from Page 28

to $60. At 8 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 11, Sting will be stopping by, which is kind of a big deal. The Police was one of the bands that defined music in the ’80s. Since Sting went solo, he’s become just as big as The Police were—if not bigger. Fun suggestion: Watch Andy Summers’ documentary Can’t Stand Losing You, which was filmed during The Police’s reunion tour and also shows older footage of the band. You’ll learn Sting is kind of a jerk. Tickets are $95 to $200. The Show at Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa, 32250 Bob Hope Drive, Rancho Mirage; 888999-1995; www.hotwatercasino.com. Fantasy Springs Resort Casino has some heavy hitters coming—so many, in fact, that I don’t have space to talk about them all. At 8 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 4, Chicago will be returning to Fantasy Springs. You really won’t fully understand Chicago until you see them live: I was absolutely blown away by them back in July. Tickets are $39 to $79. Remember the ’90s? Well, at 8 p.m., Friday, Feb. 10, get a double-dose of the ’90s with Sugar Ray and Smash Mouth. These bands are often the butt of jokes—but looking back, I have to laugh. Sugar Ray actually had more than 15 minutes of fame, and frontman Mark McGrath had punk credentials before Sugar Ray became a pop band. Smash Mouth, on the other hand, has been embarrassed after some recent fan-filmed performances—with the band melting down onstage—went viral. Still, both bands had enough popular songs to warrant greatest-hits albums. Tickets are $29 to $59. At 8 p.m., Friday, Feb. 24, R&B superstar Mary J. Blige will be performing. She’s been charting hits since 1994 and has done duets with the late George Michael, Bono, Barbra Streisand and many others. Tickets are $59 to $129. Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, 84245 Indio Springs Parkway, Indio; 760-342-5000; www. fantasyspringsresort.com. Spotlight 29 has a full schedule. At 8 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 4, the supergroup The Golden Boys—consisting of Fabian, Frankie Avalon and Bobby Rydell—will be returning to the Coachella Valley. They’ve been sharing the stage since 1985; the chance to see all three 1950s teen idols together has attracted many fans. Tickets are $45 to $65. At 8 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 25, singer-songwriter Gino Vannelli will be performing. He’s toured with Stevie Wonder and earned a Grammy nomination. Tickets are $25 to $45. Spotlight 29 Casino, 46200 Harrison Place, Coachella; 760775-5566; www.spotlight29.com. Morongo Casino Resort and Spa has a few events you won’t want to miss. At 9 p.m., Friday, Feb. 10, Uncle Kracker will be performing. Uncle Kracker started out as Kid Rock’s DJ and provided some of the rap lyrics on Kid Rock’s early albums. Uncle Kracker later broke free and found success on his own. CVIndependent.com

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AS THE GOAT TURNS The pride of Idyllwild, Throw the Goat has a new EP—and a new drummer, too

Sting

Tickets are $29 to $40. At 6:30 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 19, producer and songwriter David Foster will be performing. Even if you’re unfamiliar with Mr. Foster, you’ve heard many of the songs he’s produced or written for other artists. He’s a big name in the music industry. Tickets are $55 to $75. Morongo Casino Resort Spa, 49500 Seminole Drive, Cabazon; 800-252-4499; www. morongocasinoresort.com. Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace, per usual, has a lot going. At 7 p.m., Friday, Feb. 10, Nickel Creek frontman Sean Watkins will be performing. He has released five solo albums of contemporary folk music. While these albums haven’t produced any hit singles, they’re all great. Tickets are $15. At 7 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 16, country music singersongwriter Brandy Clark will be performing. Her songs have been recorded by musicians from Sheryl Crow to LeAnn Rimes. Tickets are $20. At 7 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 23, supergroup Crystal Fairy will take the stage. It features Buzz Osborne and Dale Crover of the Melvins, Teri Gender Bender from Le Butcherettes, and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez of the Mars Volta and At the Drive-In. The psychedelic sound will melt your face; this is truly a kick-ass band. Crystal Fairy released a single, “Drugs on the Bus,” back in October, and I highly suggest giving it a listen. Tickets are $15. Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace, 53688 Pioneertown Road, Pioneertown; 760-365-5956; www. pappyandharriets.com. The Date Shed has an event worth mentioning. At 8 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 11, there will be a performance by Johnny Cash tribute band Cash’d Out, as well as a performance by my friend, CV Weekly writer Lisa Lynn Morgan, and her band Lisa and the Gents. Lisa has some mad country music credentials, an incredible voice and some great players backing her, including James St. James and Larry Gutierrez. Tickets are $12. The Date Shed, 50725 Monroe St., Indio; 760-775-6699; www.dateshedmusic.com.

By Brian Blueskye

hrow the Goat is a local band that’s finally starting to get the recognition it deserves. The band has two full albums to its credit—Black Mountain (2012) and Blood, Sweat and Beers (2015). Last year, the band released a new EP, Vote Goat, and picked up a new drummer, The Sweat Act and 5th Town’s Troy Whitford. Catch the group in action at The Hood Bar and Pizza on Saturday, Jan. 21, and The Date Shed on Saturday, Feb. 4. During a recent interview before a practice session at Whitford’s home in Palm Desert, we talked about the band’s name. “It’s kind of the Ronnie James Dio heavy-metal handshake (like the devil horns gesture),” guitarist Brian “Puke” Parnell said. “There’s also this thing in Spain where these golden eagles co-exist with mountain goats, and it’s part of their food chain: If there’s a wandering goat on the side of a mountain, a golden eagle will come down and lift it up, and drop it off the side of the cliff, which tenderizes it, and then they pick up the whole fucking thing and take it back to their nest. There are videos of it on YouTube. It’s awesome! You gotta check it out.” Throw the Goat actually calls Idyllwild home. message on Facebook, he suspected an invitation “It’s actually benefited us more than anything,” to join the group was coming. Parnell said. “It’s a small town; everybody knows “For me, at the time that it happened, my wife each other, and in the really early days, we would was a bigger Throw the Goat fan than I was. It get a lot of people from the town itself who took Brian about 30 minutes to ask me, but I was would come to any show we would play—but I star-struck. Within the first two minutes, I knew wouldn’t call us ‘big fish in a small pond.’” he was going to ask, but I just wanted to see how Frontman and bassist Michael Schnalzer said long I could keep him going,” Whitford said with that being from Idyllwild has helped the group a laugh. “‘You had me 29 minutes ago. You had when playing out of town. me at: Hey, Troy.’” “I’d say it’s helped us a lot and given us an The beer of choice for Throw the Goat: Pabst identity we wouldn’t have had if we tried to be a Blue Ribbon. In fact, Throw the Goat received a band in a major market like Los Angeles. Plus, we grant from Pabst Blue Ribbon. get to drive a lot!” “They don’t officially sponsor bands,” Throw the Goat has been called a metal band Schnalzer said. “They gave us $1,000. Any by some, and a punk band by others. So what is artist can apply to Pabst Blue Ribbon for grants, Throw the Goat’s real sound? because it’s part of their branding right now. “When we figure that out, we’ll let you know,” They’re trying to support DIY musicians and Parnell said with a laugh. “We don’t sound like artists trying to do their thing. That’s a cool The Stooges or The Ramones. But when we play thing they do. They’re hands-on with all the to punk crowds, people are like, ‘Fuck yeah!’ and people they support. For us, it’s a big refund on when we play to metal crowds, people are like, all the beer we’ve drank. We’ve been drinking ‘Fuck yeah!’ Every show we walk away from, Pabst Blue Ribbon since day one.” there’s always somebody who’s blown away by it. There’s usually one person who comes up to us Throw the Goat will play with Mondo Generator and and says, ‘I’m not usually into that kind of music, Doors to Nowhere at 8 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 4, at The but I love what it is you guys do.’ Whatever ‘that Date Shed, 50725 Monroe St., in Indio. Admission kind of music’ is, we’re pretty clueless.” is $10; visit www.dateshedmusic.com for more Schnalzer explained how Whitford came to information. join the group. “We were looking around for a new drummer, Throw and when we played with The Sweat Act a the Goat few times, the first thing I noticed was Troy,” Schnalzer said. “Troy’s drumming stood out, and he was killing it. We’ve been Sweat Act fans since the first time we saw them. We knew we wanted to go in another direction as far as drumming goes, and Troy was the first person we actually hit up.” Whitford said that when Parnell sent him a

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THE VIBES KEEP FLOATING

THE SUCCESS OF CETERA

A reunion with Chicago may never happen, but Peter Cetera is happy with his solo career

Surfer Blood, playing at Pappy’s, has endured trying times—including the death of an original member

By Brian Blueskye

urfer Blood has endured a lot of hard times since the band began in 2009—including the death of guitarist Thomas Fekete in 2016, after a two-year battle with cancer. Nonetheless, the band has kept going—and will be stopping by Pappy and Harriet’s on Saturday, Feb. 4, just one day after dropping a brand-new album, Snowdonia. During a recent phone interview with frontman John Paul Pitts, he explained how Snowdonia was made differently than the group’s previous records. “I think we knew exactly what we wanted to do,” Pitts said. “It’s kind of a different record. I’m usually recording parts and writing lyrics at the same time and figuring it out on the fly. For this one, I spent a lot of time writing and doing demos for it. We recorded all the instrumentals in two days.” Pitts also served as the producer of the album, the group’s first without Fekete. While it was fun, Pitts said there were some moments when producing was a struggle. “We’ve only worked with a producer once before, and it was a really crazy experience with objective outside opinions from someone who has a different musical background,” Pitts said. “The downside to doing it yourself is you get too zoomed in, and it’s hard to zoom out of it sometimes. … I had three other guys I was playing with for years and years who spoke the same musical language that I did who I could bounce ideas off of, and this was the first time I was doing it on my own without a lot of help. While it was really fulfilling, there were times I felt like I was going crazy. It took me a long time to make decisions and decide where things needed to go. (This record) might be a little all over the place, but I like it.” The death of Fekete in 2016 was devastating to Pitts. “I mourned that I had lost my writing partner before he actually passed,” Pitts said. “We knew he wasn’t going to come back on tour anytime soon. He had to worry about his health more than anything. He fought for his life for a year and a half, and it wore him down and got the better of him. I feel like mourning the loss of Tom and mourning the loss of my bandmates were two different things happening at the same time. We’d been plowing through, and I found another guitarist to play in the band, so there was no questioning that the band was solid. The new lineup was working, and everyone was getting along. But nothing can prepare you for the death of someone you did so much with.” Pitts said he doesn’t know what the future holds for Surfer Blood, although he’s happy where things are at currently. “I try not to get my hopes up about stuff. I’m just happy to be able to wake up in the morning and focus on writing and recording music,” Pitts said, “It still brings me joy more than anything

else. … I’d like to find a routine of writing more consistently, even when we’re not writing a new record. I feel like we’ve fallen into a good stride where it’s been a lot easier than it has in the past, and I like the rhythm right now.” Surfer Blood played at Pappy and Harriet’s in 2016 for the first time. “I love the whole desert region. It’s so unlike where I grew up,” Pitts said. “I still remember the first time I went to California when I was a kid. I live in Oakland now, but I remember driving in from Arizona and through Eastern California and seeing all those windmills outside of Palm Springs. I was struck by how vast it is and how far apart everything is. It’s like outer space. “Pappy and Harriet’s … had been on my bucket list forever, and people told me since we started touring that it was something we had to do. Being up in Pioneertown, you can see all the stars at night, and you feel like you’re in the West—what you thought the West was as a child. That’s pretty magical for me.” Surfer Blood will perform at 9 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 4, at Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace, 53688 Pioneertown Road, in Pioneertown. Tickets are $13 to $15. For more information, call 760-3655956, or visit www.pappyandharriets.com. Surfer Blood

By Brian Blueskye

eter Cetera left the band Chicago in the summer of 1985 to embark on a full-time solo career—and success followed him. A year after leaving Chicago, his song “Glory of Love” became a No. 1 hit after appearing on The Karate Kid Part II soundtrack—and the success did not stop there. Cetera will be stopping by Spotlight 29 on Saturday, Feb. 18. In 2016, Chicago was finally inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Many Chicago fans hoped there would be a reunion for at least one evening at the ceremony—but Cetera and the band could not agree to terms, and it didn’t happen. Cetera said he doesn’t have a formula when it comes to writing successful songs. “I wish I had a formula for success,” Cetera said, “because I’d be more successful than I am now if I had one. I don’t really know. I love what I do, and I think I write from the heart, and I think people can feel that.” Cetera has produced eight of his own albums. Fun fact: He also produced an album for ABBA member Agnetha Faltskog. Peter “Back during the ‘Glory of Love’ era, I went Cetera over to Europe, doing some TV shows,” Cetera explained. “I was in Sweden and performed for the queen’s jubilee. That’s where I met a guy from a record company over there who introduced me to Agnetha Faltskog. He called me up later and was curious if I would consider producing her next album. I said, ‘Yeah, let’s go!’ It was a lot of fun. I went over there, and we got the material together and brought her over to the States to record. That was the last in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. They had to time I could get her back here, because she has get some interest back into it. They decided to a fear of flying.” have this open fan vote, and when they did, we While Cetera was older than most of the won by an overwhelming majority. It kind of artists being shown on MTV in the 1980s, he proved a point, I think.” found a lot of success, both with Chicago and as Surprisingly, Cetera said he’s not a fan of a solo artist, thanks to the music video. Looking classical music or jazz music—even though back, however, Cetera said he isn’t a fan. “I hated it, to be perfectly honest,” he said. “I Chicago incorporated elements of each into its sound. think it’s been proven: Little by little, it takes “I was never a jazz or classical person—I away from the music itself and puts more wanted to rock ’n’ roll,” he said. “I am still not a emphasis on theatrics. I think what you see jazz person or a classical person. I respect that now in music is exactly that: It’s based on how music, but I don’t play it. I was sort of forced many dancers and what kind of moves you into playing that, and it wasn’t my forte. I have onstage rather than paying attention to never really cared for it.” the music. If you’re hoping for new material “Toward the end, we made some fun videos, from Cetera anytime soon … prepare for and they were great. But basically, it was kind disappointment. of a pain. It probably helped sales, I would say. “I’m working on absolutely nothing,” he said. The MTV thing kind of lost its way, and it was “I’ve done more concerts this (past) year than I good while it lasted.” have in years. I’ve been busy doing that. When Cetera, like his former bandmates, thought I get through with this, we’ll see.” he would never see Chicago inducted into the Hall of Fame. Peter Cetera will perform at 8 p.m., Saturday, “I knew somewhere in the bowels of their Feb. 18, at Spotlight 29, 46200 Harrison Place, very evil hearts, there was some kind of in Coachella. Tickets are $45 to $65. For tickets vendetta keeping us out,” he said. “I thought or more information, call 760-775-5566, or visit that would continue, and it did continue for www.spotlight29.com. years. It wasn’t until they saw a loss of interest CVIndependent.com

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the

LUCKY 13

Meet the bassists for two of the most popular bands in the Coachella Valley By Brian Blueskye Mario Estrada

driving tractors, drinking shitty beer and chewing big red. What musical act, current or defunct, would you most like to see perform live? Tool. I’ve never been able to see them live. Or The Doors. What’s your favorite musical guilty pleasure? If Billy Joel is considered a guilty pleasure, definitely him. If not, it’s got to be Rod Stewart. It’s my mom’s fault for playing him when she would wake us up to clean on Saturdays. What’s your favorite music venue? Hmmm ... so many. I’ve been playing shows and seeing shows since The Hood used to be in its old location, so probably The Hood, because I’m so used to it.

NAME Mario Estrada GROUP The Flusters MORE INFO In 2015, The Flusters were voted the Best Local Band by Coachella Valley Independent readers. In 2016, the band played higher-profile gigs—including Coachella—and released a well-received EP. What will 2017 bring? Stay tuned to find out—and visit www. theflusters.com for more information. The Flusters’ bassist is Mario Estrada. What was the first concert you attended? The Big Four: Anthrax, Slayer, Megadeth and Metallica. It was great! What was the first album you owned? The first album I asked my parents for when I was a kid? Millennium by Backstreet Boys. First album that really made me love music? Ænima by Tool. What bands are you listening to right now? I’ve been listening to a looooot of Mac DeMarco. Can’t put him down. The new J. Cole is sick, too. Everyone should check out Yuck, and Palma Violets if you haven’t yet. What artist, genre or musical trend does everyone love, but you don’t get? Country. I don’t have enough experience with CVIndependent.com

What’s the one song lyric you can’t get out of your head? “WELL, I JUST GOT INTO TOWN ABOUT AN HOUR AGO!” from “L.A. Woman” by The Doors. I actually just thought he screamed, “WELLIDABADABADABADABA HOUR AGO!” I have to look up the actual lyrics every time. What band or artist changed your life? How? Tool. I never really appreciated music for what it could be until my tio, Chuy, played them for me for the first time. The first song I learned to play on bass was “Forty-six and 2.” If not for them, I think I’d still just listen to whatever was on the radio. You have one question to ask one musician. What’s the question, and who are you asking? I’d ask Alanis Morissette if that song really was about Dave Coulier. It’s just so hard to believe that Uncle Joey could be that much of a douchebag. What song would you like played at your funeral? “Who Let the Dogs Out?” by the Baha Men. Nah, just kidding. “Why Judy Why” by Billy Joel.

Figurative gun to your head, what is your favorite album of all time? Hmmm. Rock album? Ænima by Tool. Rap album? The Chronic by Dr. Dre. It would be Cold Spring Harbor by Billy Joel, but they messed up the mastering on it, so it’s sped up, and he sounds like a chipmunk on it. The re-master fixes the speed issue, but it still feels a little off. But every song on that album hits you in the gut.

Raefer Finnegan CORY COURTNEY

What song should everyone listen to right now? “Tomorrow Is Today” by Billy Joel, or “Freaking Out the Neighborhood” by Mac DeMarco. Take your pick. NAME Raefer Finnegan GROUP Brightener MORE INFO Will Sturgeon returned to the desert a couple of years ago and kicked his band Brightener into full gear—and ever since, it’s been one of the valley’s most talked-about bands. Brightener won last year’s Tachevah Music Showcase and was the local band to play at Coachella 2016’s first weekend. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/ brightenermusic. Raefer Finnegan is the band’s bassist. What was the first concert you attended? The Sounds at House of Blues in San Diego. My cousin Bonnie took us for my sister’s birthday, and it was such a new thing to me—a bunch of “cool kids” packed together, sweating and dancing to indie rock. I fell in love. What was the first album you owned? Nirvana’s Nevermind. I remember saving my money and going to Borders and buying it. It was like $18. I remember it feeling like a lot of money, but I didn’t care—I needed it. What bands are you listening to right now? It’s always changing, but the constants are Touché Amore, Joyce Manor, The Smiths (forever and always) and a lot of Little Dragon and Title Fight. Also, Tony Molina! What artist, genre or musical trend does everyone love, but you don’t get? Mumble rap. Let’s leave it in 2016, please. Also, Iggy Azalea can stop what she’s doing. What musical act, current or defunct, would you most like to see perform live? I’d have to say Nirvana, but current would be Fleet Foxes or Little Dragon. What’s your favorite musical guilty pleasure? Hmmmm. I’m not guilty about the music I love; everyone has different tastes, but (there are some things) I listen to that I don’t throw on at parties or for other people: bands like Knocked Loose, Expire and Bracewar, which is

harder stuff. On the softer side, I love me some Eurythmics/Annie Lennox and Sade. I loooove Sade. What’s your favorite music venue? The Gilman in Berkeley, Calif. Every time I went, it felt like the room vibrated with energy. What’s the one song lyric you can’t get out of your head? “Oh take me to the haven of your bed, was something that you never said. Two lumps please, you’re the bees knees, but so am I,” from “Reel Around the Fountain,” The Smiths. What band or artist changed your life? How? The Smiths, because Morrissey is a genius, and the individuals shine through like no other band back then or that’s out there today. (It was a) highly skilled singer and musicians making highly refined music. It’s perfect. You have one question to ask one musician. What’s the question, and who are you asking? I’d ask Morrissey if I could take a picture with him, and if he could sign a copy of The Queen Is Dead for me. Maybe Meat Is Murder as well, if he had enough time. What song would you like played at your funeral? “Rest in Piss” by Brotha Lynch Hung. Figurative gun to your head, what is your favorite album of all time? The Queen Is Dead by The Smiths. Second would be Menos el Oso by Minus the Bear. What song should everyone listen to right now? “Lovers’ Carvings” by Bibio.

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OPINION COMICS & JONESIN’ CROSSWORD

Across 1 Put in stitches 5 Andreas opener 8 Cogitates, with “over” 13 Antioxidant berry in fruit juices 14 Nervous twinge 15 Like a game’s tutorial levels 16 Considered only in terms of money 19 Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America bestowals 20 Bird that runs 35 mph 22 Dating site datum 23 1986-to-2001 orbiter 24 Hi-___ graphics 26 Like The Polar Express 28 “Ain’t happenin’” 30 Friends friend 31 Filet mignon cut 35 Foul, as weather 36 Number sometimes decoded as “Z” 39 Friedlander of 30 Rock 42 Amish, e.g. 43 “Buy It Now” site 47 ___ of troubles 49 Ashley and Mary-Kate, for two 51 Christmas tree choice 52 Fall back, tidewise

54 Quirky comic Philips 55 Unagi, at sushi bars 56 It’s provided by guild members 60 Advice that the four long entries with circles failed to follow 63 Baby garment with snaps 64 Word heard by Marge a lot, I imagine 65 Extreme aversion 66 ___ Martin (007’s car) 67 Part of MS-DOS (abbr.) 68 Fairy tale preposition

short? 15 Hubble after whom a space telescope was named 17 “I’ve got ___ feeling about this!” 18 Born on the Fourth of July locale, briefly 20 “To ___ is human” 21 Little Red Book chairman 25 James Bond, for example 27 “Como ___?” (“How are you?” in Spanish) 29 Horns that are really Down winds 1 Trump tweet ender, 32 Iron-___ (T-shirt often transfer patterns) 2 Prefix before friendly or 33 London or Brooklyn terrorism ending 3 Brownie ingredients, 34 Home of Times Sq. sometimes and Columbus Cir. 4 Khartoum’s river 37 Brings by cart, perhaps 5 Uphill battle 38 Bovine quartet 6 Supermarket section 39 Peanut butter brand 7 March Madness gp. for “choosy moms” 8 Cheese companion 40 Instances of 9 Exploitative type agreement 10 Retired hockey great 41 Hackers’ hangout Eric that’s tough to find via 11 “Dig in, everyone!” search engines 12 High-class group, for 44 Keg attachment

45 “I’d like to buy ___” (request to Pat Sajak) 46 Armani competitor, initially 48 “I’ll have ___ Christmas without you” (Elvis lyric) 50 Rio ___ (John Wayne flick) 53 Ask for a doggie treat, perhaps 54 Judy Jetson’s brother 57 “Make ___!” (Captain Picard’s order) 58 Some PTA members 59 Aloha Stadium locale 60 Morgue acronym 61 Judge Lance played by Kenneth Choi on American Crime Story 62 First number shouted before a ball drop, often ©2017 Jonesin’ Crosswords (editor@ jonesincrosswords.com) Find the answers in the “About” section of CVIndependent.com!

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CANNABIS IN THE CV TOP COP POT CATASTROPHE A

BY SEAN PLANCK

fter the November election, 28 states have now legalized marijuana in one way or another. Public opinion has never been stronger in favor of legalization—and this even includes a vast majority of police, according to a new Pew Research Center survey. (More on this in a bit.) Unfortunately, presumptive Attorney General Jeff Sessions does not agree—and that could pose a serious problem for weed. Of course, we know Sessions’ views on racial matters have been troubling, at best, over the years. A black assistant U.S. attorney named Thomas Figures once testified that, in addition to calling him “boy” on several occasions, Sessions thought Ku Klux Klan members were “OK, until (he learned) that they smoked marijuana.” Let that sink in: The probable head of the Department of Justice once said the only problem he had with the KKK is that they smoke weed. While it’s debatable whether Sessions’ views on race issues have improved over the years, it seems clear that Sessions remains firmly in the anti-marijuana camp. “I think one obvious concern is that the United States Congress made the possession of marijuana in every state and the distribution of it an illegal act,” Sessions said during his confirmation hearings. “If that’s something that’s not desired any longer, Congress should pass a law to change the rule. It is not much the attorney general’s job to decide what laws to enforce. We should do our job and enforce laws effectively as we are able.” Seems like a pretty innocuous answer at first … but just what does “enforce laws effectively as we are able” mean? Many are taking this as an indication that he will enforce the federal ban until federal laws say otherwise. This means the good done by the Cole memo may be in jeopardy. The Cole memo, the key Obama-era concession to statelegalization laws, was authored by thenDeputy Attorney General James Cole and issued by the DOJ on Aug. 29, 2013. It set different priorities for federal prosecutors that dictated a hands-off policy on prosecuting federal cannabis laws where local jurisdictions had legalized and regulated the plant. This effectively ended federal raids and interference in state-legal businesses. In a quixotic quest to enforce an antiquated and wildly unpopular federal ban, and prop up a beloved-but-lost War on Drugs, Attorney General Sessions would have the power—and apparently the will—to reverse the Cole memo. Federal raids could resume, CVIndependent.com

hamstringing a burgeoning industry. This is serious: Small businessmen could be jailed, with jobs lost and millions of dollars taken from municipal and state coffers. Large-scale grows like those approved in Desert Hot Springs, Coachella and soon Palm Springs would be prime targets. Cannabis businesses would again be subject to asset forfeiture (where authorities can seize property tied to a crime). The Drug Enforcement Administration’s insistence on keeping cannabis in the Schedule 1 club (making funds non-FDIC-insurable) has made investors nervous already. Under threat of asset forfeiture, big investors may quickly head north into Canada’s cannabis-loving arms. Cash-strapped cities like Desert Hot Springs would be left wondering what the hell happened.

OK, SO WE’RE A LITTLE CONFLICTED ...

Meanwhile, the opinion of law enforcement at-large is now heavily in favor of legalization. The day after Congress began the process to confirm Jeff “Good people don’t smoke marijuana” Sessions to the position of Top Cop in the U.S. (and yes, he said exactly that last April), the Pew Research Center released the results of a poll indicating that the majority of American police officers are in favor of some form of legalization. The survey of 7,917 officers from 54 police and sheriff’s departments, conducted from May 19 through Aug. 14, 2016, shows the opinion of Jeff Sessions is completely out of touch with that of the cop on the street. The really astounding number is that 68 percent of police officers are in favor of legalization for at least medicinal use: 37 percent of officers polled support legalization for medicinal use only, while 32 percent are in favor of both recreational and medicinal

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Jeff Sessions’ dangerous views on marijuana could lead to disaster

Jeff Sessions: A potential catastrophe for legal marijuana. GAGE SKIDMORE

legalization. While this isn’t quite as favorable toward cannabis as overall public opinion (49 percent for recreational and medicinal, and 32 percent for medicinal only), it’s a huge shift in a positive direction. Only 30 percent of police officers believe the plant should remain illegal, but that’s double the 15 percent of the general public. As with the public, support for legalization is stronger among younger officers. This support for weed hasn’t stopped police from enforcing marijuana laws: In 2015, police made more arrests for marijuana possession than for all violent crimes combined. If Sen. Jeff Sessions is indeed confirmed

as attorney general of the United States (which seemed like a sure thing as of our print deadline), he could create a disaster that cripples the growth of an industry expected to triple in the next few years, with the new addition of California and other states to the legal market. He is a just-say-no-era anachronism who is completely out of touch with 21st century America. All we can do at this point is hope Trump is a single-term president, and that four years isn’t enough time to do too much damage to a legalization movement that is finally finding real success and acceptance after so many decades of marginalization.

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FEBRUARY 2017

Deals available ONLY in the Independent Market as of Feb. 1:

Get a $20 gift certificate to Bart Lounge for $10—a savings of 50 percent!

Get a $25 gift certificate to Shabu Shabu Zen for $12.50—a savings of 50 percent!

Get a $25 gift certificate to Fresh Juice Bar for $12.50—a savings of 50 percent!

Get a $40 gift certificate to Rio Azul Mexican Bar and Grill for $20, or a $20 gift certificate for $10—a savings of 50 percent!

Get a gift certificate to Lulu California Bistro for 25 percent off!

Get a $40 gift certificate to Johannes for $20, or a $20 gift certificate for $10—a savings of 50 percent!

Deals available only at CVIndependent.com.

Look for more deals to be added during the month! Want your business in the Independent Market? Call 760-904-4208, or email jimmy@cvindependent.com. CVIndependent.com