Coachella Valley Independent February 2018

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT | FEBRUARY 2018

VOL. 6 | NO. 2

A MONTH OF ART

February brings both Art Palm Springs and Modernism Week to the Coachella Valley

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FEBRUARY 2018

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 3

FEBRUARY 2018

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

I am writing this on our deadline day—specifically, the day we need to finish the issue to transmit it to our printer—and I am writing it a little later than I anticipated.

Why? Well, earlier today, I received this message from Brian Blueskye: “I did an interview with Gary Allan, who’s playing at Fantasy Springs this weekend. About to send that over in a bit.”

That Gary Allan piece is not in this print issue—Allan’s show will have happened well before you read this—but it did make Editor/Publisher it onto CVIndependent.com and into our Jan. 18 weekly e-Edition, after I put aside working on the print edition for a bit to edit and post Brian’s unanticipated, lastJimmy Boegle minute story.

Why am I telling you all this? I think Assistant Editor it’s a nice anecdote that helps explain Brian Blueskye how what we do here at the Independent is different from what some other local media sources do.

Advertising sales First, it says a lot about Brian Blueskye Robyn Tanzer that he’d take the time to do the lastminute story. He didn’t need to do it; I coveR and feature design didn’t expect him to do it; and he did not Mark Duebner Design get paid anything extra to do it. He did it simply because he thought it’d make the Independent better, and therefore serve Contributors our readers better.

Stephen Berger, Max Cannon, Kevin Second, it illustrates the fact that we Carlow, Charles Drabkin, Katie Finn, don’t run press releases. Many other local Kevin Fitzgerald, Bill Frost, Bonnie media sources will simply slap a news Gilgallon, Bob Grimm, Michael Grimm, release—with little to no editing, and certainly no reporting—onto their pages.

Dwight Hendricks, Valerie-Jean (VJ) While news releases may contain valuable Hume, Brane Jevric, Keith Knight, information, they’re not journalism.

Judy Lin, Brett Newton, Dan Perkins, And here at the Coachella Valley Guillermo Prieto, Anita Rufus, Jen Independent, we do journalism.

Sorenson, Robert Victor, Baynard The pages of this issue contain some fine journalism, if I do say so myself.

Woods This issue, as is the case with most of our February issues, is a bit slanted toward The Coachella Valley Independent the arts. Herein, you’ll find everything print edition is published every month. from an extended interview with one All content is ©2018 and may not be of the Arts Palm Springs’ Artists of the published or reprinted in any form Year, to a fine piece on the one-year anniversary of Palm Desert’s CREATE without the written permission of the Center for the Arts. And in our music publisher. The Independent is available free of charge throughout the Coachella section, on consecutive pages, we have interviews with Jesika von Rabbit and Valley, limited to one copy per reader.

Engelbert Humperdinck. That has to be a Additional copies may be purchased newspaper first, I’d think. for $1 by calling (760) 904-4208. The Of course, we have some great columns Independent may be distributed only by and news stories in this issue, too.

Welcome to the February 2018 print the Independent’s authorized distributors. edition of the Coachella Valley Independent.

As always, thanks for reading, and feel The Independent is a proud member and/or supporter of the Association of Alternative Newsmedia, CalMatters, Get free to contact me should you have any Tested Coachella Valley, the Local Independent Online questions or comments.

News Publishers, the Desert Business Association, the LGBT Community Center of the Desert, and the Desert Ad Fed.

—Jimmy Boegle, jboegle@cvindependent.com On the cover: Andy Moses with “Circumnavigation 1402,” 2018, acrylic on six-sided plexiglass support, 57 by 70 by 16 inches. PHOTO BY ALAN SHAFFER CVIndependent.com

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FEBRUARY 2018

Eisenhower WAS HERE

Eisenhower Cardiovascular Excellence

BEFORE AFib treatment with TactiCath, she worried about a different kind of stroke.

ATRIAL FIBRILLATION, or AFib, is a dangerous irregular heartbeat that can lead to stroke or heart failure.

The standard treatment is catheter ablation, in which a catheter is guided up to the heart through a blood vessel. Once the catheter reaches the tiny area of tissue causing arrhythmia, the electrophysiologist destroys it using radiofrequency, laser, or cryotherapy. Eisenhower Desert Cardiology Center is the only valley practice performing catheter ablation with the TactiCath touch-sensitive catheter. Using fiber optictechnology, our experts can monitor the exact amount of pressure exerted during ablation, delivering the most precise results possible. TactiCath offers significant advantages: ~ 3D mapping for more precise guided imaging ~ Greater control for faster, more efficient, and safer catheter ablation ~ 30% improvement in outcomes, with redo rates below the national average

Learn more at Heart.EisenhowerHealth.org or call 760-346-0642 for an appointment.

Rancho Mirage ~ La Quinta ~ Palm Springs

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Heart.EisenhowerHealth.org

760-346-0642

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 5

FEBRUARY 2018

OPINION OPINION

KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORS T

BY ANITA RUFUS

his is a personal column, about me, Anita Rufus, one of your neighbors, and my recent trip to the island of Samoa.

My cousin, Barry Rose, with whom I’ve been in love since I was 16, and my very best friend, Barbara, whom I met when she was 19 some 54 years ago, just got married at Barry’s resort, Coconuts Beach Club, an idyllic slice of paradise some 12 flying hours from Southern California.

Barry and Barbara met through me, more than 50 years ago, so I was asked to walk them down the aisle. What took them so long? Timing is everything: Through marriages and deaths, Barry and Barbara finally were ready to be happy with each other.

Coconuts is the result of years of work, begun when Barry and his late wife, Jennifer, wanted to find paradise. They left Beverly Hills in 1984 mostly from the local village, are friendly and traveled the world over, not finding what and accommodating—their laughter floats they had envisioned. After developing a list throughout the property. of criteria, they settled on the South Pacific, When Jennifer got ill, Barry took loving care including places like New Caledonia, Vanuatu, of her for several years. Barbara, who knew Fiji, Tahiti and the Cook Islands. The place that them both, got in touch with Barry to offer fit best turned out to be Western Samoa—due her support and friendship. She was single to its size, stability, safety and absence of once again, and after Jennifer’s death, the serious diseases. Perhaps the most influential conversations between Barry and Barbara began criteria were the culture and the friendliness of to increase to hours daily—with him calling the Samoan people. from Honolulu, where he lives when not in After years of negotiations, a lease for the Samoa, and her calling from her lovely home in property they wanted in the village of Maninoa Beverly Glen in Los Angeles. was finalized in January 1990; that November, Barbara agreed to travel to Hawaii for a a limited opening took place. Together with week—an extraordinary decision for someone architectural designer Robert Ross, Barry and I’ve never known to act on impulse—and the Jennifer’s vision began to come to life. relationship blossomed. Barbara soon decided Coconuts has grown into a thriving, lush to move to Honolulu, and in three short weeks, and very special place. The rooms, called fales she sold her house. Barbara and Barry are both (fa’lays), have thatched roofs that are fully beaming with happiness, having once again waterproofed, air conditioning and purified found love. water; they are spacious with four-poster beds The wedding at Coconuts was just what it made of bamboo trunks, rock-lined tubs with should have been: picture-perfect. Barry wore showers, and porches where one can sit and an ‘ie lavalava (a man-skirt, the custom dress look toward the ocean. The staff members, for Samoan men), and Barbara wore a crown of flowers. I walked them from their fale to the beach, accompanied by a strumming guitar.

After I said a few personal words that I had written and practiced for hours, a local minister had them say their vows. It was magical.

Along the beach were friends and family who had come from Arizona, North Carolina, Los Angeles, Honolulu, Fiji and Bali, along with the Coconuts “family” of staff and local invitees.

After my return, I was asked what the highlight of the trip was for me, obviously other than the wedding. I will treasure the sound of the surf, eternally rolling toward shore. I loved the schwiffing sound of the dried fronds used to sweep the walkways throughout the day. I will never forget the stifling humidity, so enervating The happy couple. COURTESY OF BERT KLEINMAN to a desert resident. I enjoyed the slow pace of

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I introduced two people more than 50 years ago—and they just got married

Samoa, the lazy schedule, the walks along the beach and the sublime sunsets.

The real highlight, however, was the people who had come to witness the wedding—some I had known before, and some I met as we joined together for this momentous occasion.

There’s the Coconuts architect and his beautiful Balinese wife. The TV producer and her husband, a doctor and teacher at Harvard who also lectures worldwide. The lesbian paper-hangers, now retired. (There’s a good story there.) The psychologist who knew how to listen to others and spoke pearls of wisdom.

The hairdresser and the makeup stylist. The watercolor artist, one of Jennifer’s best friends, SO happy that Barry has found happiness again.

And there was the other Barry Rose—talk about coincidences! (After finding out he and my cousin shared the same dentist in Honolulu, he

quipped, “I almost took a root canal for him!”)

On our first night at Coconuts, someone said: “You can always tell a lot about people by who their friends are.” Amen to that.

One other moment stands out for me: the evening when I strolled to the open-air dining room to have a pre-dinner drink, with a clear blue sky, the sun setting and the sound of the surf in the background. Low-key music is always playing, everything from classical to jazz. That night, I entered to Sting singing “What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?” My cousin and my friend have figured that out.

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 at CVIndependent.com.

Life Is Not

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FEBRUARY 2018

NEWS

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PROGRESSIVES ON THE MARCH A

A new Indio-based political group’s first act: Supporting a candidate running against Indio’s controversial conservative mayor

By kevin fitzgeralD

new grassroots community organization wants this to be the “Year of Indio”—and the first step the group is taking to make that happen is supporting a candidate running against controversial Indio Mayor Michael Wilson.

The group calling itself Year of Indio announced its formation and the candidacy of Waymond Fermon during an early January news conference.

“We (in the Year of Indio group) are a group of individuals who care for the city of Indio, and want to see it thrive,” said Tizoc DeAztlan during a recent interview. DeAztlan, an experienced political campaigner who has contributed to the successful election efforts of Rep. Dr. Raul Ruiz and State Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia, among others, is an adviser to Fermon’s campaign for the new Indio District 2 City Council seat.

Starting with this year’s election, the members of the Indio City Council will be elected by district, rather than city-wide.

This means Fermon will go up against City Councilmember Michael Wilson, who recently rotated into the mayor’s chair. To date, no other candidates have announced an intention to run in the district.

“Recognizing that Indio is a critical cog in the Coachella Valley at large, we have to take ownership of its future and create change on our own,” DeAztlan said. “So, as a collective, knowing that Indio has a tremendous amount of strength if it’s utilized appropriately, we realize that the most impactful thing we can do right now is have Waymond on the council.

“That being said, Waymond is just one part of the puzzle. There are two other council positions up for grabs (in Indio this year), and if Waymond, as well as the other candidates supported by the Year of Indio collective are elected—that’s something that

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can dramatically change the landscape of Indio moving forward. Waymond is a natural fit, so he’s the first move, but there will be more moves.”

We asked Fermon what motivated him to jump into the District 2 race.

“I think it started when I was a kid,” Fermon said. “Growing up, I watched my mother give her last to help other people out, and as I got older, I started to see that all of our (Indio) residents were not being treated fairly. I think Indio is a thriving city, but I think some of the communities are thriving more than others, and I’d like to even that base out.”

Fermon, 38, is a father of three who works as a California Department of Corrections officer. He attended Indio public schools including Kennedy Elementary, Hoover Elementary, Jefferson Middle School, and Indio High School, before attending College of the Desert. He said that if elected, he’d focus on certain community challenges he has long worked to overcome.

Indio City Council candidate Waymond Fermon: “I think Indio is a thriving city, but I think some of the communities are thriving more than others, and I’d like to even that base out.” KEVIN FITZGERALD

“One is our youth,” Fermon said. “You affect change with the youth. If they’re going to grow and raise children themselves here in Indio, you have to have something for them to do that keeps them away from crime, like working to gain a higher education. I’ve always had a passion for working with youth.

“Second is the homeless issue. You know, last night, I went out with a couple of folks just to talk to some of the homeless people in the city. I just wanted to listen to them. I believe that putting your feet on the ground and actually seeing it for what it is—you get a better perspective on it. You can’t just keep throwing money at situations. You have to fix some of the underlying issues.”

The fact that a new group including Democratic political operatives is backing a candidate against Wilson should come as no surprise, considering Wilson is a conservative who has spoken out to criticize Barack Obama, Elizabeth Warren and the media, among others. However, Fermon insisted his campaign is more than just an attempt to unseat Wilson.

“As far as I go, I don’t worry about what anybody else is doing,” Fermon said. “I have my goals and my plans and my agenda that I’d like to bring to the table. I live by a mantra which is: ‘I focus 120 percent on greatness because failure is not an option.’ So right now, I’m focused on having a successful campaign and getting there (to the Indio City Council).”

DeAztlan said he does see a need for change regarding the City Council’s makeup.

“What we see as a big contrast (between

these two candidates) is how each reaches a decision on policy matters,” DeAztlan said. “What’s your value set? What are your concerns, and what are you thinking about when you make decisions? Whether it’s public safety, economic development, education or transportation, all these things affect people’s lives directly. You want somebody who is considering you and cares for you when they are considering all the decisions before them on the dais.

“What we have in Waymond is someone who’s a family guy, connected to the community, and whose value set is in step with yours, whether you’re Republican, Democrat, independent or just someone who doesn’t vote usually. He’s talking the talk, and walking the walk. He wants more for his community than what he sees now. People are frustrated.

The incumbent on the board now (Wilson) is someone who recently did some infamous tweeting that showed his concern wasn’t for immigrant families and those who are suffering, but instead, his concern was that people were attacking a president that most people in his district do not believe in and do not support.”

While DeAztlan was willing to go on the offensive against Wilson, Fermon insisted that he was going to remain on the high road.

“I’m about positive vibes and a positive life,” Fermon said. “And if I can bring that positivity to the City Council, and to the city of Indio, that’s going to be great. I’m looking forward to the future, and I see some great things happening.”

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 7

FEBRUARY 2018

SEVEN MORE SECRETS ON HOW TO ASSESS A GREAT AESTHETIC MEDICAL PRACTICE

L

By Shonda Chase, FNP Co-owner, Artistic Director and Advanced Injector at Revive Wellness Centers in Palm Springs and Torrance; and Medweight, Lasers and Wellness Center in Irvine

ast month, I shared seven secrets to help you assess whether your aesthe�c medical providers are not just good—but great. Her are seven more secrets that help make an aesthe�c prac�ce great.

Secret No. 1: Do they use up-to-date techniques? The only technique that my prac�ces use now, that we used 10 years ago, is the way we do laser-hair removal. Everything else we do has changed for the be�er. Aesthe�cs is the one of the most innova�ve sectors of medicine. Make sure you ask a prac�ce what’s new in their approach to what you want improved.

Secret No. 2: Are they innova�ve? Safely “pushing the envelope” can o�en provide be�er results with newer technologies and approaches. The emphasis is on “SAFELY.” Secret No. 3: Are they realis�c in what they can accomplish?

Prac�ces with integrity share what they can and can’t accomplish with aesthe�c procedures. Listen carefully and ask ques�ons about your poten�al improvement(s).

Secret No. 4: Do they have up-to-date technology? New medical devices are very expensive. Some deliver previously un-accomplishable results. Others do not. Become educated on new devices that might provide the improvements that you want.

Secret No. 5: Are they comprehensive in what they offer?

Effec�ve medical prac�ces keep adding to what they offer to pa�ents. For example, we’ve found that one of our skin-rejuvena�on treatments can also improve stretch marks.

Secret No. 6: Do they have a number of different treatment strategies? Nobody is the same. An approach for one person might not be the most produc�ve or cost-effec�ve treatment for someone else.

Secrets No 7: Do they say “no”? Some of the treatments we’re happiest about are the ones we didn’t do. We say “no” in different ways to pa�ents when a treatment won’t help them or the results will turn out worse than if they wait, or do nothing.

When a prac�ce has all seven of these addi�onal secrets func�oning, you can rest assured that you’re in great hands.

Read the en�re ar�cle at www.revivecenter.com/blog.

Your Support of D.A.P. Creates a Healthier Community Your donations of clothing, furniture, small goods, and home décor help Desert AIDS Project to provide our community with needed medical, dental, counseling, and social support services including nutrition housing, and much more.

Desert AIDS Project has received a 5-Star rating from Charity Navigator for 5 years in a row — a distinction only 6% of all non-profits receive.

Donate it to Revivals.

Help create a healthier community.

To arrange a pick-up call 877-770-7738

You can email your individual ques�ons to Shonda Chase NP or Allan Wu MD, Revive’s cosme�c surgeon, at info@revivecenter.com.

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FEBRUARY 2018

NEWS COFFEE WITH THE MAYOR P

By brane jevric

alm Desert Mayor Sabby Jonathan recently invited the public to enjoy complimentary coffee and conversation—something he plans on doing every month.

During his January coffee meeting, at the Desert Willow Golf Resort, the new mayor (the position rotates among City Council members on a yearly basis) was battling the flu. However, Jonathan, who works as a certified public accountant, was kind enough to agree to answer questions on anything—ranging from the city budget to new hotels to past city-employee wrongdoing—via email.

Regarding your quest for transparency— why the coffee chats?

Coffee chats are a great way for the community to engage with its elected officials. They provide an informal forum where concerns of residents can be heard and questions can be answered. The chats take place monthly, throughout the year, with the exception of July and August.

Is Measure T—an increase of the city’s hotel tax from 9 to 11 percent, passed by voters in 2016—working? How much money is it bringing in yearly, and is the city safer now because of it?

The change generates approximately $2 million in additional general-fund revenue a year, supporting police and fire services as well as other municipal programs and services that help keep Palm Desert safe and ensure a high quality of life that is enjoyed by our residents and visitors.

What is the city’s budget structure? How many special funds are there, and what are total revenues and expenditures?

The city financial records have many “governmental funds,” including the above noted general fund. The city has over 50 special revenue, capital, enterprise, special assessments and internal service funds. Most other funds are restricted or assigned for specific purposes and include traffic safety, transportation improvements, fire facilities, housing, development impact fees, recycling, public art, recreational facilities, capital improvement projects, landscape and lighting districts, etc.

For the fiscal year 2017-18, the overall expenditures anticipated for all funds are $118,624,985. Revenues are same as expenditures! Our complete budget is available online.

As a CPA, would you recommend changing anything in the current structure of the city budget?

Overall, our current budget process works

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very well. It is based on the city’s goals for the upcoming year, and it is “bottoms up,” meaning the process starts with the individual departments, which then take ownership of their respective budgets. We are looking at adding a five-year forecast to the budget process. … It would enable us to look ahead for the next five years, ensure there are no surprises, and give us an opportunity to take action if needed.

The city previously froze some motorcycle-cop positions. Do you plan to put them back on the streets soon?

We continue to work closely with our publicsafety professionals to measure whether there have been any impacts from the frozen positions. To date, we have not seen any diminishment in the city’s ability to provide exceptional public-safety services. If this changes, we will act quickly.

The city of Palm Desert does not have its own independent police force, but instead contracts with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department. What is the total annual dollar amount for the sheriff’s contract, and what is the current crime rate?

For fiscal year 2017-18, the city budgeted approximately $21.9 million for police services.

The FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program data for 2016 illustrates the city has a higher incidence of property crime than violent crime. This fact is likely attributable to the higher concentration of retail establishments within the city, as larceny-theft constitutes the highest number of property crimes. Examples of larceny-theft include shoplifting, bicycle thefts and pocket-picking.

Comparing the UCR data with the past crime rate reports, was there an increase in violent crimes and property crimes?

(There were) … significant decreases in every crime category, with the exception of motorvehicle theft. Overall, violent crimes were

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Palm Desert’s Sabby Jonathan discusses public safety, city services and transparency

down from 117 in 2015 to 77 in 2016, and property crimes were down from 2,302 in 2015 to 2,146 in 2016.

Is the city improving, considering the new (hotel tax) income? Are the anticipated new hotels being finished on time?

Our transient occupancy tax revenue is supporting public safety and other municipal services and programs that enhance Palm Desert’s wonderful quality of life. The city is working closely with the developers of Hotel Paseo to facilitate its opening as soon as possible. … The Fairfield Inn on Cook Street finished on time and opened last summer. The SpringHill Suites (formerly the Fairfield Inn on Highway 111, which was destroyed by fire several years ago) is being reconstructed and should open later this year.

What is the city manager’s salary and benefits? The previous one (John Wohlmuth) got $300,000 (in severance and accrued vacation/sick pay) to leave amid a scandal involving nude pics.

The current city manager is paid $220,000 with a three-month severance package, but without health care or a car allowance, and with a maximum accrual of 320 hours combined sick leave and vacation. For comparison sake, the previous city manager’s salary was $248,911 annually (when he left), with six months’ severance, plus $500 per month for an automobile allowance, and the same health care and leave benefits as other executive employees (which excludes the 320 hour cap that the current city manager has).

He had a combined total of 1,028 hours of sick leave and vacation time at his departure.

How do you keep the city fiscally sound?

How is the city handling salaries and pensions?

The city of Palm Desert, throughout its history, has been a prudent steward of the public’s money. This is reflected in the fact that for decades, Palm Desert has adopted a balanced budget in each year, and maintains a healthy reserve balance. Looking back, we have been forward-thinking in addressing challenges related to staffing, whether it be during a development boom or a recession. During the recession, Palm Desert reduced its staff by over 30 percent, and we were proactive in making changes to pension and other benefits for new employees well before the statewide efforts to enact pension reform. … We continue to

Palm Desert Mayor Sabby Jonathan.

evaluate the labor market and look for the most effective ways to ensure that we have the best employees available to provide services to our residents.

Do you support the city’s system to rotate mayoral positions annually?

I am a strong proponent of rotating the mayor’s position, especially in small cities like ours. It avoids a lot of the “drama” that we see in cities with elected mayors, and it gives each councilmember an opportunity to engage at a deeper level, which I believe makes for more knowledgeable councilmembers, and a more effective council.

For information on upcoming coffee conversations, call 760-346-0611, or visit www. cityofpalmdesert.org.

Kelly Reemtsen, courtesy of David Klein Gallery

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 9

FEBRUARY 2018

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FEBRUARY 2018

NEWS

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EXTRA MONEY MATTERS By judy lin, calmatters

W

hen Gov. Jerry Brown unveiled his final budget on Jan. 10, it bookended eight years of a progressive march to reduce greenhouse gases, expand health care, grant more rights to undocumented immigrants and raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour. Along the way, voters have assented by passing temporary taxes on the rich—not once, but twice. The top marginal income tax rate is now 13.3 percent, the highest state income tax rate in the country.

Policies that are now labeled acts of resistance to President Donald Trump were alive and ascendant in California long before Trump won the White House. But the contrasts have become much more stark.

Instead of cutting taxes, the Democratic

governor and his party’s legislative leaders have passed a gas tax to help pay for aging infrastructure. Instead of trying to shift government out of the healthcare marketplace,

Solar Q&A

When I’m shopping for solar, besides having to differentiate between design and installation companies, it’s also complicated to understand the difference between the solar panels they are proposing. How do I do so?

First of all, congratulations on understanding that there’s more to your decision than just choosing a company. What really matters is what will be on your roof for 20 years (or longer, if you purchase).

With a worst-case scenario—that the installation company isn’t around in 10 years if you have a warranty issue—you need to know you can reach the panel manufacturer to resolve any issues.

In a traditional module, there are silver bus bars that run across the face of the solar cells. They are conductors that take electrons shaken loose by the sun’s light and turn them into an electrical current.

The closer together they are, the more electricity can be gathered form the portion of the cell exposed to the sun.

However, this has to be balanced with the shading that comes with increasing

the number of bus bars. Solar modules produced in this way include Canadian Solar, JinkoSolar, JA Solar and Hanwha Q Cells.

To eliminate the loss from shading on the front of the solar cell, back-contact solar cells place the conductor on the back side of the cell, and then connect cells together on the back. SunPower is the leader in both performance and manufacturing capacity for back contact solar modules, producing cells that exceed 25 percent efficiency, and modules that are over 23 percent efficient. This American, 30-year-old company uses durable copper as the conductor.

In regards to performance, traditional modules are typically 15-17 percent efficient, with some more expensive ones reaching 21 percent. In the Desert, the other advantage of the conductor on the back is that the metal “paste” that is screen-printed on the front breaks down over time in our heat, and the panel loses efficiency or stops working altogether.

With higher-efficiency panels, you don’t need as many, either.

Paid advertisement brought to you by CVIndependent.com

California is sitting on a budget surplus—but don’t expect a refund

California is looking for a way to fund single-payer health care, including coverage for undocumented immigrants. Instead of criminalizing pot, the state is looking forward to collecting taxes on marijuana sales.

In the months between now and the June deadline for a final budget, the governor and the Legislature will hammer out details. The focus this year: what to do with an expected surplus of $6.1 billion—and there are definitely differing opinions all around. Republicans say return it to California’s 40 million residents as a nice tax refund. The governor’s priority is to fill up the state’s rainy-day fund. Democratic legislators mostly want to spend it.

“We have a very different approach,” said Assemblyman Phil Ting, D-San Francisco, who chairs the Assembly Budget Committee. “Our focus, the people who we think need tax relief, are the working Californians who are making less than $25,000. That’s where we want to spend our money, making sure they have money to pay rent, to pay for food.”

Rather than giving out “huge corporate tax breaks and a huge tax break for the wealthiest in this country,” Ting has a long list of how he would like to spend that extra money, including increasing the state’s Earned Income Tax Credit, which puts money into the hands of the working poor; expanding Medi-Cal health care for poorer Californians to cover all remaining uninsured residents, mostly undocumented immigrants; and expanding mental and social services to reduce the number of criminals who go on to re-offend.

As supportive as Brown might be of these Democratic aspirations, his administration is urging legislative leaders to proceed with caution. The state’s tax structure is more vulnerable than ever to the stock market gains and losses of its wealthiest citizens, and the governor said California must prepare for the next economic downturn, because a mild recession could wipe away at least $20 billion a year in revenues. He also warns of uncertainty from Washington, D.C. The governor’s proposed $190 billion budget is dominated by spending on education (29 percent) and health care (32 percent). Health care spending has been growing particularly fast since the state embraced the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. The act not only grew the marketplace for private health plans; it allowed states to expand Medicaid programs.

Because California is among 30 states that expanded Medicaid, the federal government is paying at least 90 percent of the cost for newly eligible enrollees. That has allowed California to

draw billions in extra funding from the federal government to bolster Medi-Cal, the state’s version of the national Medicaid program.

As a result, the number of people without health coverage in the state has dropped to a historic low: from 17.6 percent in the 1980s to 7.6 percent in 2016. Today, one in three Californians is covered by Medi-Cal. However, if the federal government doesn’t reauthorize the Children’s Health Insurance Program, that could add more than $850 million in costs to the state over two years.

Worse, if Republicans in Washington slash Medicaid funding in 2018, the state could lose between $25 billion and $50 billion, said Chris Hoene, executive director of the California Budget and Policy Center, a progressive think tank in Sacramento.

Voters, too, could turn on Brown and lawmakers. Early polling suggests Republicans have a decent shot at repealing a gas tax hike that went into effect late last year.

Meanwhile, Republicans are calling for a tax refund. They argue that California’s high taxes chase residents out of state.

“This surplus is a direct result of Capitol Democrats overtaxing hard-working Californians,” said Assemblyman Matthew Harper, R-Huntington Beach. “Rather than expanding an ever-growing list of government programs, our leaders should figure out a way to return that money to the people who earned it in the first place.”

Read an expanded version of this piece at CVIndependent.com. CALmatters is a nonpartisan, nonprofit media venture explaining California policies and politics.

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 11

FEBRUARY 2018

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NEWS

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DEMOCRACY IN CRISIS By baynard woods

I

went to bed reading Fire and Fury, which, as you probably know, is Michael Wolff’s ribald and riveting account of the early days of the Trump regime. It quickly became clear in the book that no one involved in Trump’s campaign expected, or wanted, him to win.

That was a horrible thought: Trump and his motley crew of enablers, the doltish adult children, sleazeballs like Paul Manafort and Corey Lewandowski, fascists like Steve Bannon and Stephen Miller—they all overestimated the American people.

They thought we were better than we were.

They thought they were safe, because we would never elect Donald Trump.

I went to sleep with this somber thought.

At some point in the night, I woke up smelling smoke. I got up and looked around and couldn’t find anything. It was 10 degrees that night, so I assumed it was a neighbor’s fireplace.

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Steve Bannon is having a rough time—but his plight pales in comparison to the problems of Trump’s victims

Around 9 a.m., my wife woke me. “The dog is acting weird,” she said.

The dog was shaking, pawing at us.

“Smoke!” my wife yelled.

I looked over—and smoke was coming up through the floorboards. They burst into flame.

By the foot of the bed. Fire and fury ensued.

Ultimately, the fire in my bedroom wasn’t nearly as bad as it could have been. The fire department—Big Government!—was there before the fire destroyed much. They cut through the floor and broke the windows.

Most of the damage was caused by the smoke.

We were safe, and we didn’t lose anything of real value.

However difficult things were for me, it turned out to be much better than what was going on with many of the people in the figurative conflagration of the book—especially Steve Bannon.

Bannon is the almost Ahab-esque antihero of Fire and Fury, which in many ways charts his rise and fall—at least up until the point that the book’s publication precipitated a further fall.

For being such a horrendous pseudo-intellectual schlub, Bannon is also fascinating, a far-right svengali. According to Harvard studies, during the last election, Breitbart was three times as influential as its next-closest competitor (measured in terms of retweets and shares), Fox News. Bannon was at least partly responsible for that—and for getting Trump elected.

That perception, that Bannon orchestrated Trump’s victory—as shown in another book, Joshua Green’s Devil’s Bargain—was probably the No. 1 factor in his August White House ouster, even more important than the alt-right terror that ripped Charlottesville that month.

In Fire and Fury, though, Bannon is correct about how horrible the Trump kids and Jared Kushner are. It was actually beautiful to see him railing against the idiocy of Jarvanka—Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump.

And Jarvanka were also right about him and his whack-job far-right Leninism. That circular firing squad is what makes the book so compelling: All of these people are so disastrously wrong about America, but they are pretty correct when they assess each other’s weaknesses. Bannon’s weaknesses are nearly infinite—and the most important ones are intellectual. Sure he’s a slob and all that, but he is a sexist, racist, “nationalist” who created a section of the Breitbart site called “Black Crime.”

After Wolff quoted Bannon saying that Don Jr.’s Russia meeting was treasonous, the president went on the attack with a new epithet, “Sloppy Steve.” Bannon tried to apologize,

Steve Bannon speaking at the 2017 CPAC in National Harbor, Md. GAGE SKIDMORE VIA WIKIPEDIA.ORG

saying he was really attacking his predecessor as Trump’s campaign manager, Paul Manafort. But it wasn’t enough. Bannon was fired first from Breitbart and then from his SiriusXM show (with Fox pre-emptively refusing to hire him).

Worst of all, billionaires Robert and Rebekah Mercer cut ties with him.

Bannon, by the way, was not having the worst time in Washington, D.C. That “honor” would go to the more than 12,000 Salvadorans who live in the district; the numbers are far larger if you count the D.C. suburbs. Ultimately, a Department of Homeland Security directive to end the temporary protected status for people who came to the U.S. from El Salvador following a 2001 earthquake will affect more than 200,000 people who have been in the U.S. for more than 15 years now.

Bannon may be gone, but this is the essence of the dark alignment of Bannon’s alt-right with Jeff Sessions’ revanchist racism and Trump’s big boner for a border wall. So when Trump was meeting with senators and asked why we have so many people coming here from “shithole countries,” like El Salvador, Haiti (which already had its TPS rescinded) and various nations in Africa, it was clear that it didn’t matter whether Bannon was in the White House.

Trump, Bannon and their crew may have overestimated the electorate in their expectation of losing. We should not make the same mistake and overestimate them. Whatever happens to Steve Bannon, racists now rule the executive branch.

Baynard Woods is a reporter for the Real News Network and the founder of Democracy in Crisis, a project of alternative newspapers across the country. Email: baynard@therealnews.com. Twitter: @baynardwoods.

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 13

FEBRUARY 2018

NEWS

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FEBRUARY ASTRONOMY

The pre-dawn sky is the time and place to

Planets and Bright Stars in Evening Mid-Twilight watchFor ourFebruary, solar system’s 2018 planets this month

I

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

N

By Robert Victor

n February 2018, the predawn sky hosts all three bright outer planets, spanning 44 degrees. After the total lunar eclipse at dawn on Jan. 31, follow the waning moon each morning in the first half of February, and watch it pass Jupiter on Feb. 7; Mars on Feb. 9; and Saturn on Feb. 11.

Our morning twilight chart for February shows bright Jupiter nearly 40 degrees up in the southern sky. On Feb. 1, Mars is 12 degrees to Jupiter’s lower left, with Saturn another 31 degrees to the lower left of Mars. On Feb. 1, note the moon, two bright stars and the three planets lie in a long straight line across the sky, from the moon in west, to Saturn in southeast. In order that morning, they are: the moon, Regulus, Spica, Jupiter, Mars and Saturn. Note also the reddish star Antares, heart of the Scorpion, to the lower left of Mars on Feb. 1. Look about an hour before sunrise each morning through Feb. degrees apart, within 19 degrees to the lower 13, and watch for these events: left of Jupiter.

Feb. 2: Regulus is 11 degrees to the lower Feb. 14: You have one last chance to catch right of the moon. the waning moon: Just 25 minutes before Feb. 5: Spica is 6 to 7 degrees to the lower sunrise, if the sky is clear, look 2 degrees up in left of the moon. the east-southeast for the hairline old crescent, Feb. 7: Jupiter is 5 degrees to the lower 2 percent full and 31 hours before the invisible left of the last-quarter moon—half full and 90 new moon on Feb. 15 at 1:05 p.m. degrees, or a quarter-circle, west of the sun.

February’s evening twilight sky chart plots Mars appears within 6 degrees of Antares for Venus barely above the horizon 40 minutes 10 mornings, Feb. 7-16. Compare them in after sunset, just south of west, in the last color and brightness.

10 days of month. Improve your chances to Feb. 8: Jupiter is within 9 degrees to the spot Venus and begin seeing it earlier by using right of the fat crescent moon. Mars is within binoculars and looking closer to the time of 9 degrees to the moon’s lower left, while sunset. The brightest stars are Sirius in the Antares is 5.5 degrees below Mars. southeast, and Capella, very high, northeast Feb. 9: Mars is 5 degrees to the lower right to north of overhead. They mark the southern of the moon, with Antares 9 degrees to the and northern vertices of the huge Winter lower right of the moon, and 5.3 degrees to Hexagon, in clockwise order from Capella: the lower right of Mars. Saturn is within 24 Aldebaran, Rigel, Sirius, Procyon, the Twins degrees to the lower left of the moon. Jupiter (Pollux and Castor) and back to Capella. is 20 degrees to the moon’s upper right.

Orion’s shoulder, Betelgeuse, sits inside.

Feb. 10: Visualize our dynamic solar system Here are some evening events: as you observe the planets. Today, Jupiter lies Feb 16: Around 5:22 p.m., or 22 minutes directly ahead of Spaceship Earth in our orbital after sunset, the sun is 5 degrees below the motion around the sun. We’ll curve around horizon, while the young crescent moon, only the sun to pass between Jupiter and the sun 1 percent illuminated, is 6 to 7 degrees up and in early May, and that planet will appear at 16 degrees south of due west. Very clear skies opposition, 180 degrees from the sun. and an unobstructed horizon are essential.

Feb. 11: Saturn is within 2 degrees to the Feb. 18: Regulus is at opposition as Earth lower right of a striking lunar crescent, with passes between that star and the sun. Tonight, earthshine illuminating the moon’s dark (nonRegulus is visible all night. sunlit) side. Mars and Antares, now 26 to 27 Feb. 22: The moon, nearing first-quarter degrees to the moon’s upper right, appear phase when it’s 90 degrees east of the sun closest together, just 5.1 degrees apart this and appearing half-full, is 9 degrees south of morning and tomorrow. Mars, moving 0.6 the Pleiades (Seven Sisters) star cluster this degrees east daily against background stars, evening, and 9 degrees west of Aldebaran, eye will appear midway between Jupiter and of Taurus. By moonset, the moon will appear 6 Saturn, 22 degrees from each, on Feb. 19. degrees to the lower right of Aldebaran.

Feb. 12: The waning crescent moon is low Feb. 23: At dusk, the slightly gibbous moon in the east-southeast to southeast, 12 degrees is high in the south, with Aldebaran 5 degrees to the lower left of Saturn. to its lower right. Note Betelgeuse 17 degrees Feb. 13: The last easy-to-see crescent to the moon’s lower left. moon, 5 percent full, is 24 degrees to the lower Feb. 24: The moon and Betelgeuse, 12 left of Saturn. The Mars-Antares pair is 5.2 degrees to its lower right, lie near the center of

February's evening sky chart.

ROBERT D. MILLER

Deneb

Regulus Castor Pollux

Capella

E

W Procyon Betelgeuse

Venus

Aldebaran

22

Rigel Sirius

Fomalhaut

Canopus

Evening mid-twilight occurs

the Winter when Hexagon.

Sun is 9o below horizon.

1: 42 minutes sunset.

Feb. 25:Feb. Between tonightafter and tomorrow, 15: from 40 " inside " to " outside the the moon moves 28: 40 " " " Hexagon, jumping over the line joining Pollux, the brighter and more southerly Gemini Twin, and Procyon, the Little Dog Star.

Feb. 28: As evening twilight deepens, use binoculars to spot Regulus only about 1 degree to the moon’s lower right. Shortly after 9 p.m., the moon will pass closely north of the star, with less than a moon’s width of clearance.

On Friday, Feb. 2, Bruce M. Gottlieb, president of the Astronomical Society of the Desert, will be speaking on “The Total Solar Eclipse of August 21, 2017.” Gottlieb will explain why eclipses happen, and share photos from his trip to Casper, Wyo., to view the eclipse. On Friday, March 2, Dennis Mammana, author of six books on astronomy and the “Stargazer” syndicated newspaper column, will present a lecture. Both will be

S

Stereographic Projection

held at the Portola Community Center, 45480 Map by Robert D. Miller Portola Ave., in Palm Desert. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and the talks begin at 7 p.m.

The website of the Astronomical Society of the Desert (www.astrorx.org) has a listing of our lectures and of our evening star parties at two locations. The primary location is at the Visitor Center of the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument (on Highway 74, within four miles south of Highway 111 in Palm Desert). A viewing session is scheduled on Saturday, Feb. 10, from 6 to 9 p.m. Sawmill Trailhead, our highaltitude site (elevation 4,000 feet), will have a party starting at dusk on Saturday, Feb. 17.

Robert C. Victor was a staff astronomer at Abrams Planetarium at Michigan State University. He is now retired and enjoys providing sky watching opportunities for a variety of groups in the Coachella Valley.

CVIndependent.com

14 \\ COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT

FEBRUARY 2018

LEFT: “Cat Who A-1” by Ed Moses, 2006, acrylic on canvas, 78 by 66 inches.

ABOVE: “R.A.D. 1603” by Andy Moses, 2017, acrylic on polycarbonate, mounted on parabolic vertical concave wood panel, 61 by 80 inches.

A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR: As we were going to press with this story, we learned that Ed Moses had passed away, on Wednesday, Jan. 17—just five days after I interviewed Andy. He was 91 years old.

In tribute to Ed Moses, we’re presenting this story as-is. Our thoughts go out to Andy and the rest of the Moses family. —JB

Ed Moses is 91 years old. He’s been one of Southern California’s foremost abstract

painters for more than 60 years, and although he’s slowing down just a bit, he continues to paint in his Venice studio almost every day.

Andy Moses is 55 years old. After deciding to follow in his father’s footsteps and

become an artist, he left Southern California after earning his degree at the California Institute of the Arts, and headed to New York City to create his own career path. In 2000, he returned home to California, and today creates his “simultaneously abstract and representational” works just a short walk away from where his father works.

In February, these two renowned artists will be honored as the Artists of the Year at the annual Art Palm Springs art show and convention, taking place at the Palm Springs Convention Center. The show has grown significantly each year since its start in 2012, and this year will feature nearly 80 galleries from four continents.

The Independent recently spoke to Andy Moses about the Artist of the Year honor he’s sharing with his father, Ed; here is an edited version of our conversation.

Congratulations on being named the Artist of the Year. Tell me a little bit about what that means to you as an artist.

Well, I’m a huge fan of Art Palm Springs. I think they’ve given this award to amazing artists over the CVIndependent.com

years. I’m very happy to be in that mix. It gives me an opportunity to showcase my newest work at a solo booth, and I’ll be unveiling some of my very newest collections for the first time.

I’m going to be exhibiting the largest painting I’ve ever made. It’s called “Strange Attraction,” which is nearly 12 feet tall and 8 feet wide. I’ll also be showing for the first time these new threedimensional paintings called “Circumnavigations.” I’ll be exhibiting at least one of those in the fair.

I’ve got a lot of history in the desert. … I feel like the desert right now has so much going for it.

I think the Palm Springs Art Museum has been great for many years. I think Desert X was a huge boon to the desert in terms of art.

I’ve been showing with Melissa Morgan (Fine Art, in Palm Desert) since 2006. I’ve had an exhibition every year for the last 12 years. This is a way to extend my audience out there. Some of my favorite collectors are out in the desert.

How does it feel to be sharing this award with your dad?

It’s really amazing. We’ve had a couple of opportunities in the past to exhibit our work together. We did a show back in 2002 at a gallery in Los Angeles called Double Vision, and then we did a show through Arts Manhattan, curated by Homeira Goldstein, in 2008. This is another opportunity to showcase our work together and to show some of the connections.

We’ve each been on our own path from day one, but … I moved back to L.A. in 2000. I was living in New York. (Since) I moved back in 2000, my studio has been one block from my father’s. We get to visit each other’s studios. There’s a lot of interaction. Getting to kind of understand each other and understand each other’s work over the last 17 years has been amazing. This is a great opportunity to show some of those connections. We each have our own zone. You’ll definitely see the connections and definitely see the differences.

Absolutely.

He’s a much more gestural painter, a mark-maker. He wants to make things that really jolt you. My

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 15

FEBRUARY 2018

work has always interfaced a little more with the natural world—and its transcendent beauty and shifting light that I’m after.

Tell me a little bit about the pluses and minuses of following in your father’s footsteps as an artist.

It started out mostly as minuses. I went to Cal Arts in the late ’70s early ’80s. There was an awareness among the other students that I was the son of a painter, and that invited a lot of unnecessary tension, because I was really just trying to develop my own work.

I moved to New York in the early ’80s. I worked for a painter named Pat Steir. There were a lot of galleries even then that felt apprehensive. I actually had galleries tell me that there’s no such thing as a good second-generation artist.

Wow. I felt like there were more barriers than anything, and my father—he’s quite a personality, and he’s rubbed some people the wrong way over the years, as much as everyone loves him.

I really dug in, though, and developed my work. I was actually fortunate enough to start showing there in 1987 for the gallery called Annina Nosei, and that started to kind of turn the tide. I feel like some of the people who were very skeptical started to come around and really embrace what I was doing on my own. … Now, I feel like because of him and because of each other, we know so many more people, so it’s nothing but a positive.

watch the paint sort of move across in these rivers, and then I can direct it in various ways. It’s very much an interactive process, where I need to see where it’s going, and then I respond to that. Then (the paint) responds by flowing in another direction, and I respond to that, all the way through until essentially, I’ve achieved the image.

I have some ideas of what I want the image to be, but it really galvanizes in the act of making the painting. Then I have to decide exactly when it’s finished, and I can basically arrest the movement at that point. It dries after about three or four days. I work inside a tent, so no bugs get in paintings while I’m working on them.

You do this outdoors in a tent?

I actually do it indoors in a tent.

How long, from start to finish, does a work take to finish?

It’s got to be done in one six- or eight-hour session. It has to be done, because there’s no going back.

The part of my painting that takes by far the most time is preparing these mixtures of colors. It’s very elaborate how they get done, and that can take up to, on a large painting, three or maybe up to four weeks.

How is your dad doing, by the way?

Unfortunately, I’m not sure if he’ll be able to make it out. He’s going to do his best. He is 91; he’ll be 92 in April. He still manages to get outside, where he works. He works a little bit every day, but his general strength is not so good. It’s hard for him to sit in a car for that long. But we’re going to try. We’re definitely going to try.

Heck, I don’t even like to sit in the car for two hours.

Well, he wants to come out, and he is very excited. He asks me about it all the time: “When is the show coming up that we’re doing together?” He’s very excited.

How did he feel about being named the Artist of the Year?

He loved it, and he loved the fact that we were being named co-Artists of the Year together. He thought that was really extraspecial.

He’s become such a big fan of my work over the last 10 years, so it’s very endearing. It’s just amazing to watch his development, because it never ends. He’s always shifting, always moving into new directions, always experimenting. To watch someone who’s in their 80s and 90s doing that, it really sets the bar high. It’s pretty amazing.

Ed Moses

You mentioned that you’re excited about showing off some of your new works, including your largest work to date. How are these works different from what you’ve done in the past?

The largest painting I’ll be exhibiting is a double-stack painting, so it’s actually two panels, one on top of another. It creates one image together, but there’s a very distinct split. … It kind of tweaks your mind a little bit, because it’s a complete image, and you have the function as separate panels as well. It’s an image of what feels like a large, floating orb. It could be like a large boulder or shape that seems to be defying gravity.

That’s cool.

I’m really excited about this painting. Then I’m showing another painting that comes 18 inches off the wall. … It’s half of a dodecagon—half of a 12-sided object, basically. So it’s flat against the wall, but then the thick sides come out at angles to each other.

It’s actually a hexagon, but it’s really half a dodecagon, because if the thick sides continued around the back, you’d have like a complete circle, if that makes sense.

Are these more three-dimensional types of work new for you?

I’ve been working on convex and concave canvases going back to 2002, but they were never more than about 6 or 7 inches deep.

I’ve always been interested in the shape as well as the image on the surface, and basically, I’m interested in how the shape and the surface create a third image, if you will. There’s a real interface between what’s happening. There’s also a push-pull. What I like about these new six-sided paintings is that they’re projecting volumes of space, but the illusory space in the painting is actually receding. So, you’ve got one aspect pushing and one pulling back in the space. There’s kind of a tug-of-war, and again, it does something quite interesting when you’re looking at it, because your mind doesn’t really know which way to process it.

Tell me a little bit about your work. I’m fascinated by the fact that your works aren’t just some type of paint on some type of canvass; you talk about using chemical reactions. How would you describe your work to a layman like me?

I feel that my work is at the intersection of abstract painting and natural phenomenon, and I’m interested in both of those and actually how they connect. I’ve set up experiments in my studio where I allow paint to flow in these very organic ways. I’m overseeing Andy Moses. Photo by Alan Shaffer it and directing it, but I really allow paint to kind of do its thing, and Do you have any overarching goal for what a viewer feels or when it does its thing, it seems to want to (become) these images that really represent nature and how they react when they see your work? Or is it just up to the viewer themselves? infinite landscapes—boulder-ous forms and water meeting sky.

It’s up to the viewer themselves, but I definitely am interested in these transcendent moments The one thing I’ve always been interested in is this notion of the infinite—looking out into where you see the convergence of elemental things happening, and it kind of creates a peak something that just goes on and on. I think that my love of the desert comes from that, because experience, if you will. I want it to be mesmerizing and really take you on a journey in your own there are these infinite landscapes that you see out there, and the light is ever-shifting. I’m also mind—a journey into the infinite. trying to kind of capture that light that’s fleeting, that’s shifting, that’s changing, because I feel like Is there anything else about your appearance at Art Palm Springs that you want to when you look at one of my paintings, it’s kind of an arrested moment, and you feel like that in the talk about? next moment, it could shift and shift again. I want them to feel very electric, very alive, and very I’ve been exhibiting at Art Palm Springs almost every year since its inception, so I’m a huge fan. … much about light and space—infinite space.

Some of my favorite collectors are out there. There’s a real renewed energy in Palm Springs right Walk me through an anecdote on how, in your words, you’ve allowed the paint to flow in now. It feels the most vibrant. I’ve been coming (to the Coachella Valley) now since the early 2000s, organic ways, and how that’s turned out with one of your works. and it feels like it’s the most alive in every way, but especially in the art world, than it’s ever been.

The work that I’ve been making since about 2007 and 2008 has all been made with floating colors of acrylic paint in containers, one on top of the other, in these very elaborate ways. So much of what Art Palm Springs takes place Thursday, Feb. 15, through Monday, Feb. 19, at the Palm Springs Convention the painting ends up looking like is (a result of) what I do in the preparation of these colors. Then Center, 277 N. Avenida Caballeros, in Palm Springs. Tickets start at $25. For tickets or more information, I’m literally flowing it out onto a flat surface and moving the paint as well as moving the surface. I visit www.art-palmsprings.com.

CVIndependent.com

16 \\ COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT

FEBRUARY 2018

Modernism goes beyond architecture; the movement rippled through fashion, music, literature, philosophy and so much more.

The Frey House II will be featured by the Palm Springs Art Museum during Modernism Week.

This fact is something the Palm Springs Art Museum is highlighting during Modernism Week 2018—a time when the museum has much to celebrate.

Modernism Week—“the ultimate celebration of midcentury architecture, design and culture,” so says the week’s tag line—is returning Feb. 15-25 with more than 350 events in the Coachella Valley.

Michael Hinkle is the new director of philanthropy at the Palm Springs Art Museum; until recently, he was the managing director of the PSAM Architecture and Design Center, located in the southern portion of downtown Palm Springs. Both the main museum campus and the Architecture and Design Center will host Modernism Week events.

“Modernism Week creates this whole new opportunity to touch new audiences coming into town,” Hinkle said.

The museum’s Frey House II will again be open to the public for Modernism Week. The Frey House II, located above the Palm Springs Art Museum’s main campus, is perched on the side of a boulder—and the boulder is part of the home in many ways.

“Albert Frey actually left that house and its contents to the museum when he passed away in 1998,” Hinkle said. “He left it with the intention that we’d open it to architects and students, and through our official operator during Modernism Week, it’s the only time the general public can access the Frey House II. Other than that, (access) is very limited. It’s on a private road at the end of a street behind the museum, and it’s the only time the public can see that mid-century-modern jewel.”

I asked Hinkle how the museum produces Modernism Week events that draw attention and remain fresh each year. Hinkle’s response: The museum does what the museum knows.

“The museum itself has different collecting strengths, from contemporary art, glass and Western art, to architecture and design,” he said.

“Modernism and architecture are both always on our mind. Our friends and partners at Modernism Week have certainly created an incredible opportunity that draws international attention to Palm Springs. We just really look to focus on what we do: We create exhibitions that speak to architectural design enthusiasts, and programming that supports those exhibitions. We also provide lectures that speak from a scholarly point of view to parties that celebrate mid-century modernism for fun.”

This year, the museum is celebrating an architectural accomplishment of its own: the opening of the road leading from Palm Canyon Drive to the Palm Springs Art Museum’s main campus, through the downtown redevelopment project.

“The exciting thing with Modernism Week this year is that the base of operations will be right across from the (Architecture and Design Center) in downtown Palm Springs,” Hinkle said. “There will be a lot of excitement based around the opening of the … road to the museum, and having the lectures and the programs. (Modernism Week) is going to create the opportunities to have a fun experience or take a deep dive into exhibitions and architects like Albert Frey. Sidney Williams is going to do an amazing talk about technology and nature with Albert Frey, and how he connected and used that with his design aesthetic.”

Speaking of the downtown Palm Springs redevelopment project, Hinkle said he thinks it complements Palm Springs’ architectural history.

“The designers of the downtown Palm Springs park—they, like many designers and architects working in contemporary times, look to the modernism style and aren’t looking to re-create mid-century modernism, but to honor that kind of architecture in contemporary times by utilizing some of those aesthetics, whether it’s the clean lines and faces, the indoor/outdoor (combinations) or the roofs,” he said. “Downtown allows us to bring (the modernism aesthetic) to contemporary times with that amazing hotel and that Starbucks Reserve. When they opened up that road from Palm Canyon to the museum—it’s like the museum is positioned for a rebirth of some sorts.”

Hinkle said it’s exciting that Palm Springs and the rest of the Coachella Valley honor modernism—while also embracing new architecture and technology.

“The 20th century made a deep impact on art and architecture, and we are lucky in Palm Springs that we recognize that,” he said. “… There’s so much preservation and (so many) efforts to protect and honor the tradition of modernism, but we also have to realize that we’re in the 21st century now, and connecting those dots from modernism to now—it really allows us in Palm Springs to have the best of both worlds.”

For more information about Modernism Week, visit www.modernismweek.com.

CVIndependent.com

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 17

FEBRUARY 2018

NELLY

CHARLIE WILSON

FEB 3

FEB 10

A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN FEB 9

JASON DERULO

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CVI SPOTLIGHT: FEBRUARY 2018 Funny for a Cause: The Out for Laughs Comedy Series Comes to the Camelot

A

chicken and an egg are in bed next to each other; both are smoking cigarettes. The egg turns to the chicken and says, “So, we now know the answer to that question.”

I have tons of these. But if you would prefer comedy that’s actually, well, funny, consider the Out for Laughs comedy series, coming to the Camelot Theatres each Thursday in February.

Shann Carr, a self-appointed “gay man’s lesbian” (and, full disclosure, a friend of the Independent), is co-producing the series.

Each show will have a headliner, multiple entertainers and a different beneficiary.

“I have been doing a series of shows for over 30 years called ‘Out for Laughs,’” Carr told me during our recent chat. “Sometimes I do videos or film; this year in Palm Springs, I am doing a short run of live shows. Every week, there will be at least four acts. Most times, it’s three comedians and a magician.

(Co-producer) Max Mitchell and I will host, and the magician (McHugh and Co.) will come and help with the transitions.”

Palm Springs is an easy place to hold these LGBT-themed shows, since Carr has lived in the city for 20 years. How did she wind up living in Palm Springs?

“I have been an out comedian since I was 19,” she said. “Palm Springs was that place in a gay bubble and has that resort mentality.

And where else could a lesbian like me afford a house with a pool? It’s a great place! My house is making (me) money, and even (my) dog is doing commercials. Everyone is working!”

Carr said it was important to her for the series to give back to the community.

“Pretty much everything I do, I give something to charity. It’s just a part of how I am made,” she said. “I have worked with

these charities in some way, and I just try to spread the support around. … As a gay comic, I do not experience great amounts of wealth, but (the series) does my heart good. Fifteen percent of each ticket will go to the selected charity for the night.”

As for those headliners and charities: • On Feb. 1, the headliner is groundbreaking trans comedian Ian Harvie; his show will benefit the Transgender Community Coalition. He has opened for Margaret Cho, has a one-hour special called May the Best Cock Win and has been on the award-winning show Transparent.

• Feb. 8 brings Alec Mapa; his show is benefiting Sanctuary Palm Springs. Called “hilarious” by Ellen DeGeneres, Mapa recently was featured in his own Showtime special, focusing on the adoption travails that he and his husband have endured. Mapa gets around: He’s been part of RuPaul’s Drag Race, A Very Sordid Wedding and all sorts of other movies and television shows, including two Logo specials.

• Erin Foley will perform on the day after Valentine’s Day, Feb. 15; her show will benefit the Joy Silver campaign for the District 28 State Senate seat. Foley has been on Conan and her own Comedy Central special; she hosts the podcast Sports Without Balls, which has helped make her one of the most soughtafter women in comedy.

• Concluding the series on Feb. 22 will be Jimmy James; his show benefits the LGBT Community Center of the Desert. He is an award-winning vocal impressionist with an amazing voice. He does Judy, Cher, Adele, Barbra, Elvis and so many others. He even does a duet … but it’s just him, doing two voices.

“It always freaks people out when I do

Jimmy James will perform on Feb. 22.

it,” James told me during a recent phone interview. “Cher is one of my favorites; she changes the molecular structure of the room.”

James has a long history of performing in Palm Springs, he said.

“There are other places you can go that have so many tribute artists, impersonators and performers that I just don’t feel special,” he said. “I used to come to (Arenas Road bar) Streetbar on the last Tuesdays of the month to practice and see what worked and what didn’t. There was no judgment for me. It gave me the chance to develop so many things, like Lana Del Rey and Adele. There’s a lot of vetting I have to do for each show. I love new artists and their music, but I work out of the Great American Songbook, too.

“This February will mark 35 years of performing. I started when I was 2,” James continued with a chuckle. “I have learned what my audiences want. … There is even an audience who doesn’t know I do this; they know me for my hit (song) ‘Fashionista,’ which is being played all the time, everywhere.”

The Out for Laughs comedy series takes place every Thursday in February at 7 p.m. at the Camelot Theatres, 2300 E. Baristo Road, in Palm Springs.

Tickets for each show are $25 in advance, or $30 at the door. For tickets or more information, visit out4laughs. eventbrite.com.

—Dwight Hendricks

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ARTS & CULTURE

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AN ARTS INCUBATOR T

Palm Desert’s CREATE Center celebrates its first anniversary with a new home

By stephen berger

imes are tough for community-oriented arts programs.

Despite record-setting prices for art at auctions, funding for public art and education is evaporating—or has already dried up. School districts have decreased course offerings in art, music and the humanities. As a result, to some art-lovers, the future appears bleak.

Enter the CREATE Center for the Arts. A year ago, the center opened its doors in a converted thrift store on Highway 111 in Palm Desert, and the 12 months since have been marked by accomplishment, tragedy and a dogged determination to survive.

The CREATE Center’s mission statement, “to create community enrichment through the arts,” is epitomized by founder and director Debra Ann Mumm. I’m a relative newcomer to the valley arts world, and as I’ve talked to local gallery owners, artists and museum representatives, one name kept coming up: I was told, “You have to meet Debra.”

I wanted to learn more about the CREATE Center and the woman who is the driving force behind it. I decided to volunteer there for a week and see what was going on for myself.

When I met Mumm, I was immediately swept up in her enthusiasm. She has big plans—really big plans: She envisions a

multistory building serving the needs of artists, performers and designers by providing education, studio space, exhibitions and event space—available to everyone in the Coachella Valley.

“I want to make something that lasts—a permanent art center, something that increases accessibility,” she said.

Mumm described herself as a creative child. She majored in film and theater. Her first job was delivering blueprints—although

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A photo of the CREATE Center for the Arts.

the company also sold some art supplies.

Later, a course at College of the Desert and interactions with local artists convinced her there was a need for a local art-supply store.

She opened Venus Art Supply in Palm Desert, and started some art classes as a way to sell more paint. That led to sponsoring struggling artists and providing low-cost studio space.

She’s received numerous awards and honors for her contributions to the arts community over the past 25 years, and the CREATE Center is the culmination of her history and core belief that art changes lives.

The center provides workshops and weekly classes. Low-cost studio space and equipment is available. Local artists can exhibit their work in both juried and non-juried gallery shows.

Free and low-cost youth programs offer art education for kids 5 years old and up.

In its first year, the CREATE Center has made a big impression—but along with the recognition has come heartache.

On my first day of volunteering, I was asked to take down the memorial exhibition of works

by Susan Smith Evans, and wrap the works for storage. Susan was a popular teacher at the College of the Desert, and a prolific painter and printmaker; she was also one of the founding board members of the CREATE Center. She was killed last March in an accident at her home, within months of the center’s opening.

Her husband, Ron Evans, a ceramics teacher at College of the Desert, asked the CREATE Center to be the permanent home for his wife’s

art. He died on Nov. 30.

I talked with Michele Ohanesian, an instructor at the center, about the highs and lows of the first year. Susan Smith Evans was her first art teacher in college, and Ohanesian said Smith Evans was her inspiration to become a professional artist. As for the highlights, Ohanesian said the center’s energy—including people just walking in the door to ask what was going on—was the best thing about the it.

Things happen quickly at the center—and change is constant. Two days after my last volunteer shift, I had this story all planned out when I got a text from Debra Ann Mumm: “We’re moving tomorrow.”

A new space had become available. It was less expensive—a critical consideration for a fledgling nonprofit. It also allowed the center to move its private studios into the same location as the classes and exhibitions. This, too, saved money, and would benefit both the professional artists and the students by having them in the same space.

Mumm had big plans for the space, she said.

Her enthusiasm caught me. I returned the next afternoon to help pack for a couple hours.

The CREATE Center for the Arts is located at 73777 Fred Waring Drive, No. 106, in Palm Desert. The center will hold a first-anniversary celebration from 5 to 7 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 13.

For more information, call 760-834-8318, or visit www.createcenterforthearts.com.

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Leonard Bernstein at 100

KEIGWIN + COMPANY Celebrates Bernstein Mon, February 5, 7pm Presented through the generosity of Diane & Gerald Wendel

Pink Martini Featuring Singers China Forbes and Storm Large Fri-Sun, February 9-11 Tue-Thu, February 13-15 Feb 9 -Presented through the generosity of Helene Galen and Donna MacMillan

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Cameron Carpenter and the International Touring Organ

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Grits and Glamour

One Night of Queen

Starring Lorrie Morgan and Pam Tillis

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Thu, February 22, 8pm

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City of Rancho Mirage Presents

Gobsmacked!

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FOOD & DRINK

ON COCKTAILS S

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Our intrepid drinker hits up The Nest, Sullivan’s, Mastro’s and the brand-new Sandfish

By Kevin Carlow

ometimes, I go looking for innovative cocktails; sometimes, I go looking for good happy hours.

I’ve done a little of both recently.

After a long afternoon of exploring the East Valley, and my first trip to the Salton Sea, I needed a little food and drink to resuscitate my sun-worn state. I remembered hearing about the happy hour at The Nest, and made a beeline for Indian Wells. I caught them on a slow day, which was fine by me.

I started with a solid, old-school old fashioned, and a tall glass of water. (Hey, it was a long day out in the desert.) I chatted with the staff, and when the bartender found out I was a craft-bar guy, he busted my chops a bit, saying The Nest with using a large ice cube). After some patient is too busy for any of that craft stuff. While stirring, I gave it a second sip, and it was pretty one should always aim for a balanced drink no good. It had an unusual, almost-spicy flavor matter how busy you get, I agreed that going that wasn’t off-putting and actually kind of all the way into a full craft program isn’t always intriguing. I ordered oysters Rockefeller to worth it. On the bartender’s recommendation, complete the New Orleans pairing. I still prefer I filled up on some Adriatic sausages with to see my drink made to order, but this time, house-made pita, which were very tasty (and the cocktail gods were clement. only $8 during happy hour!).

Next I tried “The Ice and the Rye,” a mix Then I saw him pull out a bottle of slivovitz of rye, Cointreau, mint, berry preserves and … and I thought: Here we go! lemon. I was wondering how this was going I love to work with all manners of fruit to work out; having used preserves in drinks, brandy, and apple brandy has been a particular I know how hard it is to get a consistent favorite as of late. Well, this is nothing like measurement for balance. Man … this was those elegant spirits on our back bar: It’s a almost there. The flavor was nice, but the jam harsh kick to the palate, made all over Eastern and Cointreau overpowered the lemon and rye Europe and the Balkans, usually from plums. a bit. As the large cube melted, it got better, If you’ve had grappa, you might get the idea; it and by the end, I was enjoying it. I definitely generally tastes as much like a plum as grappa would like less sweetener next time, though. tastes like a grape (although some versions are I had a great time joking around with fruitier). I often drink a Bulgarian cousin to the staff and stuffing my face, and I really this spirit, called rakia. These Balkan brandies appreciated it more when I stopped into are rough at first … and at second, and at third. Mastro’s Steakhouse down the road … where But with some practice, they go great with the drinks were almost all $20 or more. While a plate of sausage or stuffed grape leaves, or the drink I had, the Scotsman—a mix of Islay frankly, whatever, because you’re tipsy anyway scotch, Aperol, basil and grapefruit juice—was by then. I showed a little restraint and stopped much better than the last $20 drink I had in after one (OK, maybe two), and it was a nice the valley, it was a shame I couldn’t afford to little evening. I won’t be featuring any slivovitz try another. cocktails anytime soon, however.

To end things, I violated my usual rule An evening of exploring El Paseo found about avoiding a place when it first opens, me at Sullivan’s Steakhouse, and it was a and I stopped for some sushi at the muchThursday, so I was happy to hear it was happy anticipated Sandfish. (Sandfish has ties to hour all night. I wasn’t even in a cocktail mood, El Paseo, as it has the same chef/owner as but for $7, how could I resist?

The Venue, so I am calling this a segue.) This I started with a barrel-aged Vieux Carre. is a Chad Austin (Bootlegger Tiki) cocktail A quick aside: I loathe barrel aging cocktails. program, so I had been hearing about the They usually taste oxidized, flabby or muddy ambitious list for months through our Palm to me. Maybe people overdo the aging; maybe Springs Bartender Club meetings. (Just it’s a crime against nature, and the gods punish kidding … we don’t really have those, although it accordingly. What made me give it a go it is a tightly knit scene.) Boy, is this menu this time was that there were no barrels, but ambitious—he has a milk punch on there, for small bottles with oak staves immersed inside gosh sakes! instead. I figured this was a good way to keep If you haven’t had a milk punch, you’re not an eye on the process, at least. My first sip was, alone. A bar manager has to be a little crazy “Uh oh, here we go again,” but then I realized to put one on a list. They take days to make— the drink wasn’t fully diluted yet (a problem three days for this one, specifically. I did a

The milk punch at Sandfish. KEVIN CARLOW

lightweight version once, and it sold so well, I kept running out. Basically, you take a spirit, spices, tea, fruit—or whatever else you want, really—and pour it into milk. There are recipes going back to colonial days; Ben Franklin had one, no kidding. The original purpose was to tame the harsh flavors left by ancient distilling methods … but today, they are just plain cool.

This one is heavy-duty, with seven spirits, lots of fruit and some spices. After you have your ingredient mixture, you pour it into some scalded milk (although I’ve had great success with cold milk, too). Then, techniques vary, but I like to curdle the milk with citric acid. Most people use lemon juice. Then you rack it and let the curds settle. Filter it—and if those fickle gods are smiling, you will have a clear mixture with only about 10 percent loss to the curds.

But back to Sandfish’s milk punch: The first thing I noticed was the oily note of mezcal,

and the herbal hit of chartreuse (yellow?), and maybe whiskey, too, with clove, anise and maybe pineapple. (I don’t want to give away any secrets accidentally, but feel pretty confident about those.) I like my milk punches shaken; it gives them a cool whey protein foam, and that didn’t happen here, but that didn’t affect the experience for me. Give it a try.

The banana, yuzu and matcha sour was tasty as well, although I might have preferred the Japanese whisky highball, also featured for only $10, to pair with my nigiri sushi.

All and all, Sandfish is a nice addition to the cocktail scene.

So, whether you want cheap booze and eats or obscure cocktail techniques, get out, and get your fill. To heck with New Year’s resolutions …

Kevin Carlow is a bartender at Truss and Twine, and can be reached at krcarlow@gmail.com.

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FOOD & DRINK

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VINE SOCIAL JASON DAVID

Before you break out the bubbly … learn exactly what it is you’re breaking out

HAIR STUDIO

N

By KatieLOVE finn YOUR

HAIR

othing says “let’s have a party and make some bad decisions” like a bottle of bubbly.

There is a reason it’s the No. 1 beverage of choice when you want to celebrate a victory, christen your new yacht or get laid. Simply put: Bubbles are fun and can instantly turn an average Tuesday night into something special.Country Club and Cook Street Wanting to share all the special fun of bubbly with my friends, I broke Palm De sert out my most coveted bottle for a toast to ring in the New Year. Imagine my shock and sadness when the glorious bottle of aged, grower Champagne was collectively poo-pooed: I was told it tasted like cheese 760-340-5959 and bread. I didn’t fully understand that those descriptors were a bad thing until I looked at one person across the table who had for your buck out there. Look around town for www.jasondavidhairstudio.net scrunched up their nose and let out a pitiful a beautiful bottle called The Lady of Spain by “eww.” Instead, my New Year’s comrades Paul Cheneau, and you’ll start looking for any gleefully drank, and raved about, some bottle excuse to celebrate. of beer that supposedly tastes like peanut Prosecco has one job: to make your brunch butter and jelly. I took their word for it. more fabulous. Never was there a better That night, I realized two things: I did not mate for orange juice, or any juice, for that have to share my bottle of Champers with matter. Just a touch sweet, Prosecco is the anyone (yay!); and these people have never OG sparkling wine in the famous peach had real Champagne. This is, of course, no Bellini cocktail, because Italians know fault of their own. Between the weird almond this cheap and cheerful offering shouldn’t crap they give you at the polo matches, the be taken too seriously. Are there quality cheap shit you get at Sunday brunch, and the examples of Prosecco out there? Sure, but endless amounts of Prosecco everywhere, it they are becoming harder and harder to find isn’t any surprise that the real deal was an among the sea of mass-produced cases in the assault on their senses. supermarket. Save this value-driven option So, with Valentine’s Day right around the for your morning buzz. corner—and all the hot tub- and ChampagneHowever, if you are looking for some induced hanky-panky that comes with it— praise-worthy bubbles from Italy, look no this is a good time to let you know what your further than Franciacorta. This is Italy’s options are. Perhaps I can spare you from version of Champagne, and it’s every bit ending up with a funky, cheesy bottle of eww. as sophisticated and elegant as its French If you’re new to the world of sparkling counterpart. There just happens to be some wine, or you just want to stay up to date with of this beautiful fizz at Desert Wine Shop on what the rappers are drinking, here is some Highway 111. Grab it; chill it; and send me a serious insider info. First and foremost: Not thank-you note. all sparkling wine is created equal. There Here in the good ol’ U.S. of A., we are no are several different grapes that are used, slouch in the sparkling-wine department—if and several different methods of creating you know where to look. Sure, we put out carbonation. I won’t bore you with all the our fair share of garbage, but we also have technical specs, but there is one little nugget some shining examples that will rival the best of information that is crucial to being bubbles out there. The Schramsberg Blanc savvy about bubbles: Champagne is a place. de Blancs (which means it’s made from 100 Prosecco is a place. Franciacorta is a place. percent chardonnay grapes) is still one of the Cava, Crémant and Pétillant-naturel are best bottles on the market. If you’re looking styles. Calling all sparkling wine Champagne for something a little off the beaten path, I is like calling all cars Bentleys, or referring to am absolutely in love with Gruet (pronounced all vineyards as Napa. It simply isn’t the case. grew-ā). The sparkling rosé is 100 percent Luckily, navigating the sparkling waters can pinot noir and comes from New Mexico. It’s be fairly easy. around $15 a bottle, so be prepared to have Cava is the wine God’s gift to bubbles on your socks knocked off. a budget. This little gem hails from Spain Do you have hipster friends visiting from and is made in the same time-consuming L.A. that you desperately want to impress? way Champagne is (known as Méthode Grab a bottle of Pétillant-naturel (or, as the Traditionnelle), but with a Korbel price tag. kids say, Pét-nat); pop off that crown cap; Trust me when I tell you this is the best bang and get ready to taste the wine equivalent CVIndependent.com

of kombucha. These wines can be made anywhere, with any grape, and are usually unfiltered and foggier than San Francisco in July.

One of the biggest buzz words in the world of Champagne is the term “grower.” It’s what all the cool kids are drinking. What does this mean, you ask? Well, in short, it means that the wine is produced by the same people who own the vineyards. This is somewhat of a rarity in Champagne, because for years, it was easier and more profitable for these little family-owned operations to sell their grapes to the big Champagne corporations (think Veuve Clicquot, Moet, Roederer, etc.) than make, bottle, label and market the fruits of their own labor. Thanks to innovative importers who want to show what these little families can do, we now have the awesome ability to taste Champagne from tiny parcels of land, created by the same people who lovingly tend to the vines all year. Pretty cool, right?! One of my favorite examples is

called Champagne Coquillette, which I happily found at Whole Foods in Palm Desert. Other personal faves include Gaston Chiquet and Vilmart et Cie. If you’re on a tighter budget but still want the French stuff, look for a Crémant d’Alsace like the Lucien Albrecht.

The label looks like Cristal, but your card won’t get cut up at the register. Winning!

These are all easy-drinking, light and refreshing examples of sparkling wine that will never elicit an “eww” or a scrunched nose—I promise. Now go grab a bottle of fizzy bubbly, and do something naughty.

Katie Finn is a certified sommelier and certified specialist of wine with more than 15 years in the wine industry. She is a member of the Society of Wine Educators and is currently studying with the Wine and Spirit Education Trust. When she’s not hitting the books, you can find her hosting private wine tastings and exploring the desert with her husband and two children. She can be reached at katiefinnwine@gmail.com.

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FOOD & DRINK

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DESERT CICERONE BY brett Newton

O

ne of the skills I had to acquire before becoming a certified cicerone (the beer equivalent of a sommelier, more or less) was pairing beer with food. In other words, the IPA I was ordering with my hamburger was research!

You may be familiar with the idea of wine dinners, but you might not know that when it comes to pairing foods with beverages, beer wipes the floor with wine. Yeah, I included that sentence to provoke a reaction with wine-lovers. The thing is … it happens to be true!

Just think about how beer is made for a multiple angles. Do you think wine and cheese moment: The grains are prepared in various is dreamy? Beer and cheese will wake you up ways (malting, kilning and/or roasting), then and make you praise the day. The Belgians have steeped in the mashing process (much like known this for a long time, and has Cuisine à la hot cereal); the sugars are then boiled, with Biere, which uses the country’s delicious beers ingredients added at any number of points in the preparation of dishes such as mussels during the end of the boil and fermentation. sautéed in a tripel or gueuze, or carbonnade With wine? There are grapes. Maybe some flamande, a beef and onion stew using Flanders will be blended together. Ergo beer > wine. red ale instead of water or broth.

I know I’m short-changing wine here, but Yes, you, too, can pair beer and food. There I bristle at the assumed superiority of wine are a few principles to keep in mind when to beer. Wine struggles where beer breezes in planning an individual pairing or a multi-course and amazes. Spicy foods, desserts, complex beer dinner: or simple entrées, among all cultures and Match intensities: This is a fairly simple preparations—beer has it covered, usually from idea: If you have a pairing in which either the

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Pairings of beer and food can be matches made in heaven—or they can be metallic-tasting messes

beer or the food overwhelms, you might as well have had water. When a meal has numerous courses, this is even more important. If you can raise the intensity of the pairings along the way, you can leave your dinner guests blissfully sated.

Keep in mind the beer’s strength, as well as how hoppy, roasty, smoky, bitter, etc., it is, and then arrange the dinner courses accordingly.

Complement, contrast and combine: These are the three ways you can approach a pairing. Finding a beer that resembles or includes ingredients contained within the food should be obvious—a citrusy, herbal American pale ale with tacos, for example, or a toasty, nutty English Brown ale with a sharp cheddar.

(You will think you’re having a grilled-cheese sandwich!)

Contrast is another way of approaching a pairing. This is a little more difficult, but a simple way of doing it is using a beer’s carbonation and bitterness to “cut” through the food and refresh the palate when necessary.

Contrasting flavors can also be done in so many ways; this is where playing around with pairings is very fun and educational. Good examples are pairing a fruited lambic (Belgian sour ale) with a chocolate cake, where the sour, fruity and spritzy beer contrasts with the rich and sweet flavors of the cake. A roasty, creamy stout like Guinness with oysters is a classic pairing.

I’ve had much success combining hoppy beers with chocolates as well (although one could say that eating chocolate and drinking beer simultaneously is a success in and of itself, regardless of how they pair up).

Finally, combining flavors in beer and food to leave the impression of something else altogether can be a great way to conduct whole beer dinners. Themes are another good idea: You can use a single beer style with different courses, or pair beers with a particular cuisine, or develop any kind of theme that unites both.

Pitfalls: I’ve mentioned some “home run” combinations, but there are also potential duds. For example, hoppy beers make oily fish (sardines, anchovies, etc.) taste harshly metallic.

Gross. Hops and alcohol accentuate capsaicin in spicy foods. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing if you’re a spice junkie like me. Malt-ier beers will soothe that heat, alternately.

I’ve paired food from the highly talented Jeshua Garza of Kuma Catering with then-head brewer Chris Anderson’s beers at Coachella Valley Brewing for some private dinners.

Read the online version of this column at CVIndependent.com for the entire menu; here are just a couple courses and their pairings:

Sous vide herb chicken, curried sun-choke puree, crispy Brussels sprouts and orange almond pistou, paired with Big Cat Tart Farmhouse Style Ale, containing desert sage, rosemary and grains of paradise. Tartness met tartness, and citrus in the food played well off of the curried puree and Brussels sprouts. The herbs and spices in the beer clung to the tender chicken perfectly.

Lamb leg, smoked yogurt, chili baby turnips, roasted persimmons and pork jus, paired with Dubbel Date, a Belgian dubbel with dates. This is a great example of both types of contrast mentioned previously. Belgian beers are typically highly carbonated and dry, and contain fruity, sweet (but not cloying) flavors. This helped the savory, smoky, roasty, fatty goodness of the lamb slide on down and added sweetness to get you reaching for that next bite.

I hope this whets your appetite. If in doubt … just go for it, and see what happens. If you find some interesting, delicious and/or unexpected pairings, please send them my way—share them so that we may all enjoy them.

One last thing: Make sure you don’t take this too seriously. One of the best things about beer is its accessibility. We don’t need the level of snobbery that some wine enthusiasts can manage anywhere near the greatest and oldest alcoholic beverage in the world—beer.

Cheers!

Brett Newton is a certified cicerone (like a sommelier for beer) and homebrewer who has mostly lived in the Coachella Valley since 1988. He currently works at the Coachella Valley Brewing Co. taproom in Thousand Palms. He can be reached at desertcicerone@gmail.com.

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This month, we enjoy sweet treats at two longstanding Coachella Valley favorites

By Jimmy Boegle

WHAT The Buttermilk Pie WHERE Billy Reed’s, 1800 N. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs HOW MUCH $5.25 CONTACT 760-325-1946; www. billyreedspalmsprings.com WHY It’s the epitome of a perfectly rich dessert.

During my first four years of residence in the Coachella Valley, I somehow never dined at Billy Reed’s, the old-school restaurant mainstay in Palm Springs.

About a year or so ago, I finally righted this culinary wrong—and instantly fell in love with the place, with its traditional American menu, its stained-glass bar décor and its reasonable prices.

Lately, I’ve been falling in love with another aspect of Billy Reed’s: Its amazing selection of yummy, house-made desserts.

On one recent visit, I was in the mood for pie, and this description of the buttermilk pie caught my eye: “Lemony with a vanilla undertone.

Mysterious, a sweet tooth’s fantasy, hold on to yours, all of them.”

I was intrigued. So what if that description— particularly that second not-really-a-sentence—makes no sense it all? I ordered a piece.

Let me tell you: That description does not do this pie justice.

It’s not much to look at, but, man, a piece of this pie is something to behold once you take a bite of it. The custard-y filling is a little tart, a little creamy and a whole lot sweet: This is one of the richest pies you’ll find in our valley’s dessert cases. It approaches and tiptoes incredibly close to the “too sweet” precipice— but never quite gets there. Even though “buttermilk” is in the name and is one of the primary ingredients, you’d have no idea it’s there based on the flavor—unless your taste buds are really paying attention.

These days, a Billy Reed’s visit with clam chowder, prime rib and a meal-concluding piece of buttermilk pie is one of my favorite meals to enjoy in the entire Coachella Valley.

It’s so, so good.

WHAT The Strawberry Banana Crepes WHERE Sloan’s Restaurant, 81539 Highway 111, Indio HOW MUCH $13.29 CONTACT 760-347-3923; www. sloansrestaurant.com WHY The high-quality ingredients make all of the sweetness work.

While have quite a healthy sweet tooth when it comes to desserts, I usually prefer savory breakfasts and brunches, for reasons I’ve discussed in this space before.

But on rare occasions, my sweet tooth makes its presence known during breakfast—and this was the case during a recent meal at Sloan’s in Indio. Therefore, I ordered one of the house specialties, the strawberry banana crepes.

All I can say is … wow.

Talk about sweet (and I mean this in a good way): Not only does the dish feature bananas and strawberries and strawberry glaze and powdered sugar; then it’s topped with either whipped cream or vanilla ice cream!

(The version I enjoyed, shown here, had both whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.)

A dish with this amount of almost exclusively sweet ingredients could become a sugar-infused disaster if either the dish were not prepared right, or if the ingredients used were subpar. Thankfully, Sloan’s has been around in one form or another for decades (it was an Elmer’s before it was called Sloan’s), so they know what they’re doing—and everything on the gorgeous plate was perfect, from the ripe yet firm banana slices to the flavorful fresh strawberries to the splendid crepe.

If sweet isn’t your thing, Sloan’s offers plenty of great savory food, for breakfast, lunch and dinner—and you can even enjoy a cocktail from the cozy lounge. As one small example, my friend and dining companion V.J. ordered liver and onions, and she had nothing but raves for the dish.

Sloan’s has been an Indio mainstay for a long time—and there are many good reasons for that.

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 29

FEBRUARY 2018

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Restaurant NEWS BITES

By Jimmy Boegle THE RANCHO MIRAGE FOOD AND WINE FESTIVAL DEBUTS ON FEB. 17 The large and increasingly renowned Palm Desert Food and Wine Festival is set for March 23-25. So … is there a need for yet another food and wine festival happening just five weeks before and just a few miles away?

According to festival organizer David Fraschetti, the answer is a resounding yes—hence the brandnew Rancho Mirage Wine and Food Festival, featuring food from 15 Rancho Mirage restaurants, and sips from more than 40 wineries, on Saturday, Feb. 17.

Fraschetti is the man behind the popular VinDiego Wine and Food Festival—but he resides here in the Coachella Valley. He wanted to start a festival locally, so he started looking for places to do so.

It just so happens that he and his wife were playing tennis at Rancho Mirage Community Park one day, he said; she mentioned it would be a fine place for a food and wine festival. At first, he thought it would be too small, but they decided to take a closer look. An art fair was also going on that weekend—and that helped him realize he’d found a potential site.

“I was amazed at how large that park really is,” he said.

Fraschetti said he partnered with the Rancho Mirage Chamber of Commerce—hence the inclusion of only Rancho Mirage restaurants, at least this first year—and the Rancho Mirage Wine and Food Festival was born. But what sets this festival apart from others … like, you know, that one happening down the street five weeks later? He said he learned a lesson from talking to the winery reps at other festivals, and asking what they’d change.

“They said, ‘Get rid of the beer. Get rid of the spirits. We’re tired of all the drunks,’” Fraschetti said.

“When you mix alcohols, it’s a recipe for disaster.”

So this festival has no beer, no booze and no cooking demonstrations. Instead, Fraschetti said, the focus is strictly on the wine.

“This is a marketing event for our wineries,” he said. “… We’re not trying to be everything to everyone.”

The Rancho Mirage Wine and Food Festival takes place on Saturday, Feb. 17, at the Rancho Mirage Amphitheater and Community Park, at 71560 San Jacinto Drive. Tickets start at $75; some of the proceeds will benefit the Desert AIDS Project. Visit www.ranchomiragewineandfoodfestival.com for those tickets or more information.

Experience Award-winning, Modern European Cuisine

THE PALM DESERT GREEK FESTIVAL RETURNS ON FEB. 17 AND 18 For some reason, I’ve really been craving good grape leaves lately. Because of this (and all sorts of other edible reasons), you’ll probably find me at the 22nd Annual Palm Desert Greek Festival, taking place from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 17 and 18.

Not only will grape leaves (six tubs of them!) be for sale; all sorts of authentic Greek food will be available at St. George Greek Orthodox Church, along with entertainment including Greek music and dancers.

Admission is just $3, or free for children 12 and younger, as well as active-duty public-safety officers and members of the military. The church is located at 74109 Larrea St.; some shuttle service is available. Find those details and more by calling 760-568-9901, or visiting www.pdgreekfest.org.

IN BRIEF Sandfish Sushi and Whiskey is now open at 1556 N. Palm Canyon Drive, in Palm Springs. It’s the latest venture by Engin Onural, the owner of The Venue Sushi Bar and Sake Lounge in Palm Desert.

Get more info at www.facebook.com/pg/sandfishsushiwhiskey. … Cello’s Pantry, at 70225 Highway 111, in Rancho Mirage, has closed its doors for good following a death in the owner’s family. We send our best wishes. … Carousel Bakery is now open at 440 S. El Cielo Road in Palm Springs. We’ve been hearing good things; call 760-699-5006 for more details. … The ever-popular TRIO Restaurant, at 707 N. Palm Canyon Drive, in Palm Springs, has a new executive chef: Nestor Ruiz. His previous employers include Ruth’s Chris Steak House in Palm Desert and The Chateau at Lake La Quinta. …

Brand-new at 73655 El Paseo: Domo Sushi El Paseo. While we have not yet had a chance to try Chef Jin’s food, it sure does look beautiful. See for yourself at www.facebook.com/domosushielpaseo. … Speaking of beautiful food: New to Cathedral City, at 34041 Date Palm Drive, is Lala’s Waffles, Crepes and Shakes. See the pretty pics at www.facebook.com/eatlalas. … Now open in the old Clementine’s building at 72990 El Paseo: Wildest Greens, serving up raw, vegan, gluten-free and paleo options, plus more. Get more details at www.wildestgreens.com. … Also new, at 73900 El Paseo: Le Fe Wine Bar. You’ll find beer, wine, small plates and a fantastic happy hour. Learn more at www.facebook.com/pg/LaFeWineBar. … 716 on 111, which had been slated to open in the old Dickie O’Neal’s building at 2155 N. Palm Canyon Drive, may not ever happen, thanks to mold. Visit www.facebook.com/716on111 to learn the latest news on what has become a rather ugly tenantlandlord dispute.

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31 32 33 35

ENGELBERT HUMPERDINCK, celebrating 60 years in show business, gets set to perform at Morongo THE BLUESKYE REPORT: CAMERON CARPENTER, NELLY, AIR SUPPLY—AND A WHOLE LOT MORE! The women of garage-punk group The After Lashes have come a long way in a short period of time the lucky 13: Meet an up-and-coming hip-hop artist, and the drummer for GayC/DC

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Jesika von Rabbit’s new album is almost here—and she’s celebrating with a show at Pappy’s

32 PHOTO BY CARLY VALENTINE

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THE QUEEN IS COMING

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ENGELBERT FOREVER E

The legendary crooner, celebrating 60 years in show business, gets set to perform at Morongo

By Brian Blueskye

ngelbert Humperdinck’s career has spanned more than 60 years—and he’s never really had a dry spell.

There are a lot of legends about the man, who’s taken many iconic songs and performed them better than the artists who originally wrote and sang them. Engelbert Humperdinck has lived a fascinating life, and he’s still going at the age of 81. On Friday, Feb. 16, he will return to Morongo Casino Resort Spa. During a recent phone interview, I asked Humperdinck about growing up in Madras, British India, where his father was stationed in the he’s never really had a dry spell.

British Army.

“I don’t think I really struggled once I “Being in a tropical country like that was became successful. The troubles that I’ve had in very exciting for a young boy,” Humperdinck my life were during the beginning,” he said. “I said. “There were so many wonderful things to got turned down many times by many people see. There was always the beautiful sunshine, when I would audition for certain shows, and there were the monsoon seasons. I was but one of my things is the first condition brought up on eating curry, which is still one of of communication is the willingness to take my favorite foods to this day because of that. It rejection—and I took it many times. But I was a nice upbringing.” never stopped knocking on people’s doors, and Humperdinck made his debut on Decca it finally happened for me with ‘Release Me.’ I Records in 1967, and instantly reached the was selling 80,000 copies a day, and the most charts—although he faced an uphill battle to we sold in one day was 127,000. That was only get signed. in England. The sales spun around the world, “I was very lucky to get on Decca Records. and it was extraordinary.”

My introduction to it was thanks to However, it hasn’t all been smooth sailing Gordon Mills, who was my first manager,” for the British crooner. When Damon Albarn Humperdinck said. “He took a record there reached out to Humperdinck’s management with my old stage name on it, Gerry Dorsey, and asked him to collaborate on the 2010 and they turned me down. He went back, Gorillaz album Plastic Beach, Humperdinck’s changed the name to Engelbert Humperdinck, management turned Albarn down—without (and took) the same song back to another Humperdinck’s knowledge.

A&R manager with the company, and they “The guy who managed me had no idea signed me up! A name means a lot. When I who they were. Managers should really get was beginning, I started out as Gerry Dorsey themselves well-informed of things in the playing the clubs. I had been in the business for music world if you’re going to handle a singer,” three or four years at 20 years old, and when Humperdinck said. “He just let it go by. I was Gordon took my record in the first time, they furious when I heard about it. I don’t know said, ‘This guy is an old hat!’” why Damon Albarn wanted me, but I was very His first single as Humperdinck was “Release touched by the fact he did want me, and I would Me.” It earned Humperdinck an unthinkable love to know why he wanted me. If I ever meet accomplishment: It prevented the Beatles from him, I’m going to ask him that question.” taking the No. 1 slot with “Strawberry Fields In 2014, Humperdinck released Engelbert Forever” and “Penny Lane” on the British charts. Calling, a double-album of duets with some “I can’t believe that the first song I ever of the biggest names in music, such as Elton recorded stopped the mighty Beatles from John, Willie Nelson and ... Gene Simmons? having their 13th No. 1 single, and I’m in the “That was unbelievable,” Humperdinck said.

Guinness Book of World Records,” Humperdinck “Being in the studio with Elton John was so said. “… It went No. 1 in 11 countries around wonderful. The man has earned his title and the world and established my career in a global has certainly earned his position in life. When way. It’s been a fantastic song for me, and I’ve you see him in the studio, you respect what been lucky enough to sell 150 million albums— he’s achieved over the years. but with all the songs I’ve recorded, and 81 “Gene Simmons is an extraordinary person. albums altogether, it’s the only song people Who thought he’d want to do a duet with remember and sing to my face in airports.”

Engelbert Humperdinck? But he did! He was Humperdinck—the United Kingdom’s amazing in the studio with me, too, and made surprise 2012 entry in the wildly popular me feel very relaxed. I was nervous, because Eurovision Song Contest—discussed the fact that guy is in a different world than my kind

Engelbert Humperdinck. JAMIE OVERTON

of music. But he made me feel so comfortable, and he said, ‘Just treat it like you’re having a party.’ That’s what we did.”

I had to ask: What was up with “Lesbian Seagull,” the hilarious song that appeared on the Beavis and Butt-Head Do America movie soundtrack?

“I was playing the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, and the producers of Beavis and ButtHead came to see me,” he said. “I do have a sense of humor, so they enjoyed my show and my sense of humor and asked me if I wanted to do a song in the movie. They sent it to me, and I heard it, and I thought, ‘It’s a beautiful song.’

I recorded it, and it went platinum because of the idea of it.”

Fifty years after “Release Me,” Humperdinck recently released a new double-album, 50. It’s dedicated to his wife of more than 50 years, Patricia.

“She has Alzheimer’s, and with all my heart and soul, I’m looking for a cure,” Humperdinck said.

Engelbert Humperdinck will perform at 9 p.m., Friday, Feb. 16, at Morongo Casino Resort Spa, 49500 Seminole Drive, in Cabazon.

Tickets are $65 to $85. For tickets or more information, call 800-252-4499, or visit www. morongocasinoresort.com.

Drag Bingo every Tuesday Live music every Friday and Saturday Great drinks and food everyday 74360 Highway 111, Palm Desert • (760) 636-5220 www.facebook.com/HoodBarAndPizza CVIndependent.com

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THE QUEEN IS COMING

A

Jesika von Rabbit’s new album is almost here—and she’s celebrating with a show at Pappy’s

By Brian Blueskye

nticipation is building for the long-awaited new album by Jesika von Rabbit—and the former Gram Rabbit frontwoman promises it’s coming soon.

The Queen of the High Desert will be performing at Pappy and Harriet’s with the psychedelic Western music outfit Spindrift on Friday, Feb. 9.

During a recent phone interview, von Rabbit said she’s been hard at work on the new album with her producer and former Gram Rabbit bandmate, Ethan Allen—and talked about a cover song that has led to big things.

“The new album just got finished,” von organic. It’s still a little electronic, but organic.

Rabbit said. “I put out ‘Do You Really Want to There’s also a country-twangy song that’s like Hurt Me?’ back in June. I gave KCOD a song Gram Rabbit’s ‘Devil’s Playground’ at the end that probably wasn’t in its completed state, but of the record.

I really haven’t released anything since June.

“It’s a short album; it’s only 38 minutes, and “I thought about covering Culture Club’s I don’t feel there are really any filler tracks. I ‘Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?’ a couple of think there’s something for everybody on this years back, and I wasn’t figuring out the chords album. There’s this song that’s kind of science right away, so I figured out how to play Cyndi fiction, ’70s outer-space, and starts off Steve Lauper’s ‘She Bop’ instead. That came easier to Miller and goes into some crazy Western world. me, but I always thought ‘Do You Really Want There’s a song that’s super trippy and has a bass to Hurt Me?’ would be a cooler cover. But then a line that’s kind of like stoner-trance music. … I year ago, I was hanging out in Los Angeles with keep going back and forth on all the songs, but I Ethan Allen, my producer and guitar-player, and really love the opening song of the album, which he started playing the chords to ‘Do You Really is kind of tropical and Beck-sounding. It’s really Want to Hurt Me?’ and it sounded really pretty. positive and catchy. I guess people will have to We just kind of plugged in and did it right there. hear it and pick their own favorite song.”

That was recorded on the spot, and I did it in Von Rabbit’s sound combines the weirdness one vocal take. I’ve always loved Boy George.” of the high desert with the glamour of Palm Boy George heard the cover—and gave Jesika Springs; I asked her what she’d do if she lived von Rabbit a shout-out on Twitter. He even in another part of the country. found a photo of von Rabbit as a child, with a “I used to be in a band in Minneapolis, and poster of Boy George, and asked, ‘Is this you?’” we kind of had some fame there. I think I have “I thought that was awesome,” von Rabbit my own Jesikaisms and my own personal style said. “I’ve been waiting for his phone call to do that would come out no matter where I was,” lunch, but I haven’t gotten it yet.” she said. “I think living in this weird sunny One newer song by von Rabbit, “Going landscape definitely adds its own little slant to Down,” received airplay on KCRW. The song is my music. I think I will always have that core brilliant and eerie, with a haunting chorus.

“I released that back in December 2016, right before the new year, but I’ve been sitting on that one for a while, and it actually will be included on the new album,” she said. “There will be another phase with that song.”

On the new album, there will be a lot more instrumental contributions than there were on her first solo effort, 2015’s Journey Mitchell.

“It’s more than just electronic music like my last album was,” she said. “There will be full guitars played by Ethan Allen; I’ve got drums on it from a couple of different drummers, and it’s a lot more soulful than my last album.

There’s a lot more of a world-music feel to some of my songs. It’s a lot more diverse and a lot deeper. It’s a little tropical.

“There’s a great song called ‘Palm Springs Living’ that I can’t wait to release. It’s deeper, and it has more layers and is a lot more Jesika von Rabbit. CARLY VALENTINE CVIndependent.com

sense of my writing, no matter what it is.

“But maybe I’d be a little angrier on the East Coast or something,” she added with a laugh.

Von Rabbit’s band includes Lee Joseph, the CEO of Dionysus Records.

“He’s really smooth bass-player and has been playing forever. I don’t ever have to give him any instruction at all as to what to do,” von Rabbit said. “He’s really excited to be a part of this and hadn’t been in a band for a while, and he didn’t expect to be back in one—and now here he is. He also brings a wider awareness of music and can turn us onto things we’ve never heard before, because he’s in-depth and expansive in his knowledge of music. Also, he’s a pretty snappy dresser.”

Von Rabbit said she was looking forward to sharing the Pappy’s stage with Spindrift.

“We haven’t played with Spindrift for a while, and they’re good friends, plus I love their sound and their energy,” she said. “I think it’s going to be a good combination, and there will be a lot of happy people there excited to see us play together. Spindrift is adding a nice spin to the night, too—no pun intended.

“It’s our first Pappy’s show of the year. We have our new drummer, Dan, who is really good, and Ethan and Lee (Joseph) are also great.

We’re coming out fresh, debuting some new music in 2018 and spreading positive vibes.”

Jesika von Rabbit will perform with Spindrift at 9 p.m., Friday, Feb. 9, at Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace, 53668 Pioneertown Road, in Pioneertown. Tickets are $15. For tickets or more information, call 760-365-5956, or visit www. pappyandharriets.com.

The Blueskye REPORT februARY 2018

By Brian Blueskye

Nelly

February is the month for love—and there’s plenty of love to go around at fantastic events throughout the month.

The McCallum Theatre has numerous events you’ll love in February. At 7 p.m., Monday, Feb. 19, classical organist Cameron Carpenter and his electric International Touring Organ will take the stage. I interviewed Cameron two years ago, and not only is he a brilliant organist (with a rather unorthodox appearance compared to many other organists, starting with a Mohawk); the story of his electric organ is pretty remarkable.

Tickets are $27 to $77. At 8 p.m., Friday, Feb. 23, Broadway singing sensation Linda Eder will be performing. If Eder’s name doesn’t ring a bell, check out her impressive performances from the Broadway musical Jekyll and Hyde on the interwebs. Tickets are $37 to $87. At 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 24, you’ll get to see one of the talented women shown in the documentary 20 Feet From Stardom: Lisa Fischer. She has toured with Nine Inch Nails, Chris Botti, The Rolling Stones and many others. Tickets are $37 to $77. McCallum Theatre, 73000 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert; 760-340-2787; www.mccallumtheatre.com.

Fantasy Springs Resort Casino has a busy February; here are just a few events from the awesome schedule. At 8 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 3, R&B and hip-hop star Nelly will perform.

Nelly has accomplished a lot in his career, with diamond and multi-platinum albums, big awards, successful acting gigs and a stint as a judge on CW’s The Next. Tickets are $39 to $79.

Continuing on with R&B in the month of love, at 8 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 10, Charlie Wilson will perform. He’s had 10 No. 1 singles, and 11 Grammy Award nominations … without a win. Consider surprising your sweetheart with this show as an early Valentine’s Day gift.

Tickets are $39 to $59. At 8 p.m., Saturday, continued on Page 34

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MUSIC POLITICAL PUNK PROGRESS W

By Brian Blueskye

hen I recently sat down with the members of The After Lashes, the members of the all-female garage-punk band were excited about what’s happened to them over the last year—and what the coming year may bring.

In 2017, The After Lashes played 17 shows, with their sound steadily improving since their start in 2016. And to begin 2018, the band recorded seven tracks over 12 hours on the day I showed up at the home of Ali Saenz (aka Death Valley Ali) in La Quinta.

On Saturday, Feb. 24, The After Lashes will be perform at The Hood Bar and Pizza with GayC/DC and The Hellions at the monthly Coachella Valley actually written about a quarrel she had with Independent Presents show. her husband, well-known drummer Greg Saenz.

But before we talked about the past and the “It was the first song I ever wrote, and it’s future, I had to ask: What’s the meaning behind the song I actually presented to Esther when I the band’s name? was begging to join the band,” Saenz said. “…

“The ‘Lashes’ part was always there in my I was very pissed off at my significant other head,” Saenz said. “The After Lashes is an offone night. It was great, because he actually shoot of a previous band I was in. A couple of helped me structure everything together in the members and I had been kicking around GarageBand—and then he realized it was about one word—’Lashes.’ I am going to be honest: I him, and I found my lyric book floating in the went through a band-name generator, and just pool one day.” started asking, ‘What words rhyme with this?’

Some music fans wrote off the After Lashes or, ‘What could we make of this?’ When ‘After’ after the band’s first few gigs—but the group and ‘Lashes’ popped up, I was all like, ‘Fuck has become better with each show. yeah! There it is!’ It doesn’t really have a specific “We started (playing live) too early,” said meaning, but I kind of like that, and I like that it bassist Serene Tahtinen. “But it’s good to leads people to ask what it means and where we experience it. Me and Jen (Corradi) are on the came up with it. I like to leave a little mystery shy side, so with me and her, every experience there. There are some feminine qualities in is a plus for us to push ourselves more and get there, as well as a little of that S&M that we ourselves out there more.” love,” Saenz added with a laugh.

Each of the four members takes part in the The After Lashes have melded feminism and songwriting process, they said—an interesting politics into their sound—in an entertaining yet fact, considering they all come from different serious way. musical backgrounds. Sanchez grew up singing “We always knew we were going to be in church and sang vocal jazz with local feminists and kind of raw and out there, but I musician Alex Santana, while guitarist Corradi don’t think we went into this thinking we were comes from a folk-music background. Saenz is going to be a political band,” said lead vocalist has melodic and British-punk influences, while Esther Sanchez. “The times we’re in sort of Tahtinen is metal-influenced, although she just call for it. We’ve been finding it difficult to played jazz bass while in college. write fun songs lately because of the vibe and “My main influence is acoustic and folk our mindset of what’s going on around us— music, if someone told me I’d be playing punk and who’s president. Everything going on has rock with a bunch of badass chicks onstage, I’d made it difficult to write fun songs, and we’re say, ‘You’re fucking crazy, man!’” said Corradi, just writing about what we feel right now.” who joined the group later than the others.

When I brought up the song “Dictator,” Saenz “My first show with this band was last year at noted that the song is not political—and was the Date Shed in front of 250 people. I had to

CVINDEPENDENT.COM/MUSIC

The women of garage-punk group The After Lashes have come a long way in a short period of time

deal with my own stage fright, and only after a couple of weeks of jamming with them, they said, ‘We have a gig at the Date Shed!’”

After several hours of work, and as the producers of their upcoming release—Dennis Cooper and Dan Housel—packed up, the band members said they felt good about their efforts.

“For me as a mom who has two kids, I feel like this is another child to me,” Saenz said.

“It’s the first record I’ve ever recorded, and we had two amazing professionals in here working

their asses off, taking us under their wing and showing us the ropes—and they’re going to make us sound like rock stars.”

The After Lashes will perform with GayC/DC, The Hellions and others as part of the Coachella Valley Independent Presents series at 9 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 24, at The Hood Bar and Pizza, 74360 Highway 111, in Palm Desert. Admission is free.

For more information, call 760-636-5220, or visit facebook.com/HoodBarAndPizza.

The After Lashes.

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The Blueskye REPORT continued from Page 32

Feb. 24, crooner Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons will appear. Just a warning: Frankie Valli shows often sell out! Tickets are $29 to $59. Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, 84245 Indio Springs Parkway, Indio; 760-342-5000; www. fantasyspringsresort.com.

Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa has some fun shows on the calendar. At 8 p.m., Friday, Feb. 16, soft-rock duo Air Supply will be performing. It’s close to Valentine’s Day, so you could take your sweetheart to the show if you love him or her … or maybe if you don’t.

Tickets are $40 to $60. At 8 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 17, comedian Sebastian Maniscalco will be performing. Maniscalco has a lot of funny jokes about his family life, as well as every-day idiots you encounter in life; one of his more amusing bits is about how he had to start shaving at a very early age.

Watch CVIndependent.com for an interview with him! Tickets are $65 to $95. Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa, 32250 Bob Hope Drive, Rancho Mirage; 888-999-1995; www. hotwatercasino.com.

Spotlight 29 is set for a fantastic February.

At 8 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 10, the folk-rock duo America will be performing. Chances are you’ve heard “A Horse With No Name” in a film, television show, commercial or video game. America is highly influential to many artists, while Fountains of Wayne; James Iha of Smashing Pumpkins and A Perfect Circle; and Ryan Adams (just to name a few) have recorded with America. Tickets are $25 to $45. At 8 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 24, former Chicago vocalist Peter Cetera will sing. A great documentary called Now More Than Ever: The History of Chicago recently appeared on Netflix.

Not surprisingly, Peter Cetera’s contentious departure from the band is widely discussed, although he did not participate in the making of the film. Tickets are $45 to $65. Spotlight 29 Casino, 46200 Harrison Place, Coachella; 760775-5566; www.spotlight29.com.

Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace is rocking in February. At 8 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 15, country-rock band Mick Rhodes and the Hard Eight will be performing. Back in November, I hosted Mick Rhodes and the Hard Eight at The Hood Bar and Pizza—and it was fantastic. Mick has a great repertoire of country-rock originals that are fun, funny and sometimes sad. The band has a new record coming, and you’ll want to see this show. Admission is free. At 8 p.m., Friday, Feb. 16, Los Angeles rock band Valley Queen will take the stage. This is a band on the rise. NPR and the rock zine Stereogum have given this band a lot of props for an original sound with influences such as Fleetwood Mac, Patti Smith and others. Admission is free. At 8 p.m., Thursday, Feb., 22, Southern California country-rock band Calico the Band

will be performing. When I think of Pappy’s, I think of Calico the Band: The group’s sound is perfect for the high-desert roadhouse scene. Admission is free. Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace, 53688 Pioneertown Road, Pioneertown; 760-365-5956; www. pappyandharriets.com.

The Date Shed is back! After going dark last summer and mostly through the season, the venue is again holding events, even if the venue’s website doesn’t show any. At 9 p.m., Friday, Feb. 9, it’ll be a night of local rap music when J. Patron, Thr3 Strykes, Provoked and Thoughts Contained will be performing. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased through Eventbrite. The Date Shed, 50725 Monroe St., Indio; 760-775-6699; www. dateshedmusic.com.

The Purple Room Palm Springs has some top-notch entertainment in February that’s perfect for a romantic date night out. At 8 p.m., Friday, Feb. 9, Crissy Collins, known for her roles in Tyler Perry’s films, will be appearing. She’ll be performing an evening full of love songs! Tickets are $30 to $35. At 8 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 10, dance-music star Debby Holiday will sing. Who can ever forget her 2004 smash hit “Half a Mile Away”? Tickets are $25 to $30. Michael Holmes’ Purple Room, 1900 E. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs; 760322-4422; www.purpleroompalmsprings.com.

The Copa Room has a couple of notable events in February. At 8 p.m., Friday, Feb. 9, comedy-and-music duo Amy and Freddy will be performing. The Copa regulars have appeared on America’s Got Talent and have shared the stage with Kathy Griffin, Mary Wilson and the Supremes, Bea Arthur and many others. Tickets are $25 to $45. At 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday, Feb. 16 and 17, jazz vocalist Spencer Day will be performing.

You might remember Spencer Day from Star Search back in 2002-2003. Since then, he’s released five albums; his most recent, Angel City, was crowd-funded through Indiegogo.

Tickets are $35 to $55. Copa Palm Springs, 244 E. Amado Road, Palm Springs; 760-866-0021; www.coparoomtickets.com.

Debby Holiday

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 35

FEBRUARY 2018

MUSIC

CVINDEPENDENT.COM/MUSIC

the

LUCKY 13

Meet an up-and-coming hip-hop artist, and the drummer for GayC/DC

By Brian Blueskye

NAME Taylor Bentz GROUP The Bermuda MORE INFO Casual local-music fans may not realize the Coachella Valley has a growing local hip-hop scene—including The Bermuda.

I can personally say that if you haven’t seen this trio perform before, check them out. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/ therealbermuda.

What was the first concert you attended?

Kottonmouth Kings.

What was the first album you owned?

Blink-182, self-titled.

What bands are you listening to right now?

Bring Me the Horizon, Lil Peep, and Green Day. What artist, genre or musical trend does everyone love, but you don’t get?

Trap music. I don’t understand why everyone likes it.

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

Bob Marley or Jimi Hendrix.

What’s your favorite musical guilty pleasure?

Performing onstage. It’s the greatest feeling ever.

What’s your favorite music venue?

The Observatory in North Park/San Diego.

Taylor Bentz.

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

“When the moon hit your skin, I can see you and him, not you and me, but it’s just you and me,” Marshmello and Lil Peep, “Spotlight.”

What band or artist changed your life? How? I would have to say Prozak; he’s a rapper. He didn’t just change my life; his music actually saved me from committing suicide.

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

I’m going to ask Paul McCartney: “What would you be doing if The Beatles didn’t work out?”

What song would you like played at your funeral?

U2, “With or Without You.” Figurative gun to your head, what is your favorite album of all time?

I’d have to say Bliss n Eso, Circus in the Sky.

What song should everyone listen to right now?

Marshmello and Lil Peep, “Spotlight.”

NAME Brian Welch GROUP GayC/DC MORE INFO GayC/DC will no doubt put on a fantastic show (organized by yours truly) at The Hood Bar and Pizza on Saturday, Feb. 24.

While GayC/DC’s best-known member may be Chris Freeman (also of Pansy Division), the band’s drummer, Brian Welch, is a show of his own during GayC/DC concerts. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/ gaycdcband.

What was the first concert you attended?

My first real concert was Diana Ross in 1979 at Boston Garden. It changed my life.

Seeing her descend a white staircase during the opening video … was my introduction on how to open a show, because as she got to the middle of the staircase onscreen, the screen parted, and there she was on the same staircase, delicately walking down while singing the opening lines of “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.” … That same year, I saw Queen, also at Boston Garden, and seeing Freddie and co. explode onto the stage with the fast version of “We Will Rock You” … was nothing short of a religious experience.

What was the first album you owned?

The original motion picture soundtrack album of the movie Earthquake, conducted

by John Williams. I was a John Williams fan from way back, and I loved me some movie soundtracks.

What bands are you listening to right now?

A band I got turned onto whilst in Paris recently called Deluxe; and new albums from Bob Seger, U.D.O., and Europe; and discovering some past gems from Tygers of Pan Tang, The Scorpions, Jamiroquai, The Supremes, The Pretty Things, Michael Monroe, Earthshaker and a few others.

There’s nothing like discovering, or re-discovering, music from some of your favorite bands/artists.

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

Would someone explain to me what the hell that Appalachia/folk trend was all about?

Please make Mumford and Sons, the Avett Brothers, The Head and the Heart and their ilk disappear into a mine and never come back. Ever.

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

Current would be Deluxe, Jamiroquai, Earthshaker or X Japan. Defunct would be Queen (Freddie, Brian, Roger, John), and Motorhead circa 1986. We all could use some Lemmy right about now, dontcha think?

Brian Welch

What’s your favorite musical guilty pleasure?

Anything by Steely Dan or the Pet Shop Boys, and the original motion picture soundtrack for Xanadu and Priscilla: Queen of the Desert.

But why be guilty?

What’s your favorite music venue?

My all-time favorite would probably have to be my old stomping grounds, the Boston Garden. I saw so many great bands there.

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

Well, after reading this question, it’s ELO’s “Can’t Get It Out of My Head.” But strangely enough, for some reason, I can always count on Iron Maiden’s “Sun and Steel” to pop into my head.

What band or artist changed your life? How? Queen. No other band brought me on such a musical journey of different soundscapes and styles more than they did.

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

Besides asking Michael Anthony, circa 198081, if I could peel his ripped, sweat-soaked T-shirt off of him, I’d ask Roger Taylor to show me that open high-hat accent that he does which still eludes me.

What song would you like played at your funeral?

One? I want a whole playlist. And people should be celebrating and laughing. … Three that need to be played: Queen, “Was It All Worth It”; Queen, “Who Wants to Live Forever”; and Diana Ross, “Do You Know Where You’re Going To.” Figurative gun to your head, what is your favorite album of all time?

Radiohead, OK Computer. Runner up: Queen, Live Killers.

What song should everyone listen to right now?

Hmmm … just one? That’s nearly impossible.

A few that pop up immediately: Joan Osborne’s cover of “Love’s in Need of Love Today,” to center ourselves and remind us of what really matters; Motorhead’s “Deaf Forever,” to give you a jolt of caffeine and volume; and Material Issue’s “Funny Feeling,” a love song from a misfit for all us misfits.

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Joints? Vape pens? Edibles?

Tinctures? Each form of marijuana comes with pros and cons

BY CHARLES DRABKIN

ith the repeal of marijuana prohibition—at least as far as the state of California is concerned—comes lots of choices for those of us who have not been part of the medical-marijuana community.

Yeah, Attorney Jeff Sessions is still speaking out against marijuana. Luckily, the state is fighting the current presidential administration’s reversal of Obama-era protections for recreational use, so we probably don’t have much to worry about—at least for the moment.

How we ingest recreational pot is just as important as what types of pot we choose to consume. Each method comes with pros and cons—and everyone reacts differently, so take it slow at first. After all, you can always have more pot, but once you’ve ingested it, you can’t have less.

The most common and the easiest way to ingest cannabis is the old-fashioned “smoke up Johnny”—most of us first encountered marijuana by joint, bong hit, or a pipe fashioned out of something like an apple. Partially because of the nostalgia, and partially due to the shared experience, this is still my favorite way to consume “leaf.” It’s simple, effective and easy control the dosage—and to come down if you have been a bit overserved.

Although smoking leaf does come with health risks (yes, smoking’s bad for you!) this low-commitment method is the way many people will probably be consuming pot, at least initially. For about $10, you can buy a small glass, wood, metal or stone pipe. Crumble up some leaf; light it on fire; and inhale. You will feel the effects almost immediately … and you will most likely start coughing. Ignore the old axiom—“If you don’t cough, you don’t get off”—as it only takes about three seconds for your body to absorb the THC. If you’re feeling extra-high after a harsh coughing fit, it’s probably because the coughing deprived your brain of oxygen for too long.

I love a joint, and although you can roll your own, the dispensaries have pre-rolled joints available for sale, either in six packs or individually. A joint is also the most forcibly social method of consumption, because one joint is too much for a person to consume alone. For me, there is nothing better than sitting with some friends and passing a joint around as we discuss the meaning of life, or the latest blockbuster movie.

Many people I know are now vaporizing,

or “vaping,” their cannabis. This gives a similar consumption experience to smoking, without many of the detrimental side effects. Vaporizers heat pot to a level that releases the THC and cannabinoids, but not so hot that it actually burns the product; the theory is that the toxins and carcinogens that would normally be released in smoke stay in the product. I say “theory,” because more research is needed to confirm this—and the federal government’s hostility toward marijuana also extends to scientific studies.

There are many different vaping methods, from pens that vaporize marijuana concentrates to the PAX, which vaporizes leaf.

The manufacturers of the various cartridges have luckily decided to make their connectors universal; this means you can easily buy one of the rechargeable “pen” bases and use a variety of different oils. Personally, I find the “Heavy Hitter” brand to be an excellent product with good flavors and lots of different strain options. These pens are easy to use, produce almost no smell and can provide the social interaction that smoking creates—without the time commitment of a joint. One drawback, at least for me, is that the disposable cartridges create quite a bit of waste, in both packaging and the cartridges themselves. That being said, this has become my primary method for cannabis consumption.

The PAX—some call it the iPhone of vaporizers—is sleek and fairly easy to use, plus it doesn’t create as much waste. Just get favorite leaf strain; grind it up; fill the hopper; and you are good to go. It’s more work than the pens and can be a bit messy, but it is a very good option. Plus, if you save the “spent vapes,” you can use them to make your own pot butter and create your own edibles.

We’ll discuss edibles in a minute … but first, let’s talk tinctures.

Oral delivery methods are all the rage, and in terms of avoiding lung problems, this is probably the safest way to consume cannabis; in fact, my previous doctor—who helped write the recreational marijuana bill in the state of Washington—advocated for this method of consumption.

Tinctures contain THC that has been dissolved, usually into alcohol (although vinegar and glycerol can also be used); a few drops are placed under the tongue, and you get an immediate effect without the dangers of smoking. However, this is about as nonsocial as marijuana use can get, and it has never really resonated with me.

Edibles are another safe way to consume cannabis, and they come in just about every snack form you can imagine. From the wellknown brownie to goldfish crackers, and from candy ropes to popcorn, it’s all out there for your consumption pleasure. Cannabis has usually been infused into either olive oil or butter; that is then used to make or coat your favorite foods. Dosage guidelines are included on all edible packaging, but keep in mind that effects may vary depending on your tolerance.

Because edibles need to pass through the digestive system, it can take between 20 and 45 minutes for you to start to feel the effects—if not longer.

The danger here is that you may think you aren’t experiencing any effects and take another dose—or that you may consume too much in the first place. Once you have consumed edibles, it is difficult to “sober up” quickly—and the high you get from them is much more full-body and less cerebral than the highs from the other ingestion systems.

These two factors can lead to some difficulty if you are not careful. Personally, I don’t use edibles; I’ve had one too many experiences that were simply no fun.

No matter how you choose to ingest marijuana, take it slow at first; do it socially; and have fun.

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 37

FEBRUARY 2018

Brian Blueskye and present

@ILoveGayPS

Find Us/Follow Us!

9 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 24 The Hood Bar and Pizza 74360 Highway 111, Palm Desert

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FEBRUARY 2018

OPINION SAVAGE LOVE

CVINDEPENDENT.COM/OPINION

THE SEXY DADDY THING

BY DAN SAVAGE

I

’m a 67-year-old gay man. After a breakup 15 years ago, I believed the possibility of emotional and sexual intimacy with a partner was over for me. Then a couple of months ago, my desire for sexual contact increased dramatically. I began using apps, and I felt like the proverbial kid in a candy store.

Also, I was surprised—not unpleasantly—by the whole Daddy phenomenon, never imagining that this old face and body would interest younger men. You can probably guess what happened next: I was contacted by a 22-year-old man who revealed himself to be mature, intelligent, sweet and, fatally, the physical type that arouses me most. I fell hard, and he seems to like me, too.

Am I a creep? A fool? Is my judgment impaired?

Dumb And Daddy The sexy “Daddy” thing—which has always been with us—seems to be undergoing a resurgence. Perhaps our omnipresent abusive orange father figure is giving us all daddy issues that are manifesting (in some) as a burning desire to service kinder, sexier, more benevolent daddies. Or perhaps the Internet is to blame— not for creating more people interested in intergenerational sex and/or romance, but for making it easier for people to anonymously seek out the kind of sex and kinds of sex partners

they truly want. Even if the initial looking is anonymous, DAD, discussing one’s desires with others who share them helps people grow more comfortable with their desires and themselves— and more people are coming out about their non-normative desires, partner preferences, relationship models, etc., than ever before.

That said, DAD, if the affection of a consenting adult 40-plus years your junior is your particular perk of aging, go ahead and enjoy it. Keep your expectations realistic (a successful STR is likelier than a successful LTR); don’t do anything stupid (see Father Clements, below); and reacquaint yourself with

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I am 67; is it creepy for me to date a 22-year-old?

my constantly updated and revised Campsite Rule: When there’s a significant age and/ or experience gap, the older and/or moreexperienced person has a responsibility to leave the younger and/or less-experienced person in better shape than they found them—no unplanned or planned pregnancies, no sexually transmitted infections, no leading the younger partner to believe “forever” is likely. Do what you can to boost their knowledge, skills and selfconfidence while you’re together.

While the age difference will creep some out, DAD, that doesn’t mean you’re a creep. Don’t want to be a fool? Don’t do anything foolish (see Father Clements, below). Worried about infatuation-impaired judgment leading you to do something foolish? Ask a few trusted friends to smack you upside the head if you start paying his rent or lending him your credit cards. And just as you don’t want to take advantage of this young man, DAD, you don’t want to be taken advantage of, either. We associate age with power, but youth and beauty confer their own kinds of power, and that power can be abused.

For example: “A 79-year-old retired priest has been left heartbroken and homeless after his 24-year-old husband left him just after their home was put into his name,” LGBTQ Nation reported. “Philip Clements sold his home in Kent, England, for £214,750, before moving to Romania and purchasing an apartment for the couple to live in, in Bucharest. He signed over the property to Florin Marin, so that Marin would have security after he passed away. …

Marin broke things off just weeks after the apartment was put in his name, and Clements found himself homeless.”

Keep Father Clements’s sad story in mind, DAD, but don’t be paralyzed by it, because there are lots of examples of loving, lasting, non-creepy, non-foolish relationships between partners with significant age gaps out there. So enjoy this while it lasts, and if things start to get creepy—if he starts shopping for an apartment in Bucharest—then you’ll have to pull the plug.

Someone at work—not my boss—asked me to fuck his wife. He’s a nice guy; his wife is hot; and I’m single. This is a first for me. Besides STI status, what questions should I ask?

Help Interested Straight Boy Understand Lust’s Limitations

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1. “Are you a cuckold, or is this a hotwife thing?”

(Considering your sign-off, HISBULL, either you’ve assumed he’s a cuckold, or he’s told you he is one. If he is a cuck, he may want dirty texts

and pictures—or he’ll want to be in the room where it happens. Is that OK with you?)

2. “Have you done this before?” (The reality of another person sleeping with your up-to-nowmonogamous spouse can dredge up intense emotions, e.g., jealousy, sadness, anger, rage.)

3. “Can I speak directly with your wife?”

(You’ll want to make sure she isn’t doing this under duress, and that she’s into you, etc.)

I recently started seeing a gorgeous 24-year-old woman who’s smart and sweet and also happens to have a few out-there fetishes. There’s not much I’ll say no to, Dan, but one of the things she’s into is formicophilia—a sexual interest in being crawled on or nibbled on by insects. I offered to get some ants and worms to crawl on her body while I fuck her, but she wants me to put earthworms in her vagina.

Is there a safe way to do this? A female condom?

Putting worms in your vagina seems like it will end with an embarrassing trip to the ER. Worries Over Really Messy Scenario “I thought I had heard everything,” said Dr. Jen Gunter, an ob-gyn in San Francisco.

“Apparently not.”

Dr. Gunter, “Twitter’s resident gynecologist,” first went viral when she urged women not to put jade eggs in their vaginas, just one of the many idiocies pushed by the idiots at Goop, Gwyneth Paltrow’s idiotic “lifestyle” website.

Recently, Dr. Gunter had to urge women and men not to shoot coffee up their butts, also recommended by Goop. So I thought she might have something to say about stuffing earthworms in your girlfriend’s vagina.

“This is obviously unstudied,” Dr. Gunter said, “but anything that lives in soil could easily inoculate the vagina with pathogenic bacteria.

Also, I am not sure what earthworm innards could do to the vagina, but I am guessing the worms would get squished and meet an untimely demise during sex. How would you get the pieces of dead earthworm out of her vagina?

I would advise against it.”

I’m with Dr. Gunter (and, no doubt, PETA): That said, WORMS, tucking a few earthworms into a female condom and carefully inserting it into your girlfriend’s vagina without shoving your cock in there … is a thoroughly disgusting thing to contemplate and blech.

Read Dr. Gunter’s blog at drjengunter. wordpress.com.

Read Savage Love every Wednesday at CVIndependent.com; mail@savagelove.net; @ fakedansavage on Twitter; ITMFA.org.

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 39

FEBRUARY 2018

OPINION COMICS & JONESIN’ CROSSWORD

co-star Sal 39 Superman archvillain Luthor 40 Abate Across 41 Tennis player 1 Trivia contest locales Wawrinka 5 Went over like ___ 42 Copper coating balloon 44 “May ___ now?”

10 Sheep sounds 45 Nonexistent grades 14 Racecar driver like “G+”?

Luyendyk, whose 48 Westworld network son is currently The 49 Photos, slangily Bachelor 50 Chain that sells a lot 15 How some rooms of cups are lit 56 Time periods 16 Shrek or Fiona, e.g.

60 Free Willy whale 17 Hanging around, being 61 “Give it up!” (or what a particle, losing its the theme answers do) charge, catching up on 63 Clock face reading, etc.?

64 Pulitzer-winning 19 Like some histories novelist Alison 20 Piece of property 65 Spiced tea beverage 21 Gym fixture 66 Gardener’s purchase 23 Take out 67 Streisand title role of 25 May honoree 1983 26 Anticipating a little 68 Russian ruler, before devil?

1917 33 Furor 34 Leachman of Young Down Frankenstein 1 NATO phonetic 35 Caffeine-containing alphabet letter after nut Oscar 37 Rebel Without a Cause 2 Web addresses “Portrayed-Off”— something’s lost in the interpretation

3 Confirmation ___ 4 Iroquois League nation 5 Big bother 6 Pick-me-up 7 Abu Dhabi leader, for instance 8 Lip balm ingredient 9 Phenomenal performers 10 Soundstage equipment that hangs high 11 Cultural leader?

12 Kazakhstan border “Sea” that’s really a lake 13 Auction off 18 Exterior finish for some houses 22 Palme ___ (Cannes Film Festival prize) 24 ___ Tuesday (“Voices Carry” group) 26 Water filter brand name 27 Kidney-related 28 The Dark Knight trilogy director 29 Lady Bird writerdirector Gerwig 30 Hyphenated descriptor for a repairperson 31 Recurrent theme

32 Not-so-subtle promos 33 Contacts online, for short 36 Abbr. on military mail 38 Spellbind 40 Sumptuous 42 In a self-satisfied way, maybe 43 Little bite 46 Flow’s counterpart 47 Look forward to 50 Covers with turf 51 Muse, for one 52 Antioxidant-rich berry 53 Heavy metal’s Mötley ___ 54 “Freak on a Leash” band 55 Barbecue rod 57 Satisfied sounds 58 March Madness gp.

59 Make Kool-Aid 62 ___ Aviv, Israel ©2018 Jonesin’ Crosswords (editor@ jonesincrosswords.com) Find the answers in the “About” section of CVIndependent.com!

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40 \\ COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT

FEBRUARY 2018

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

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

Get a $25 certificate to Broken Yolk for $12.50—a savings of 50 percent!

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Look for more deals to be added during the month!

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