Coachella Valley Independent November 2015

VOL. 3 | ISSUE 11

PLACES WITH PRIDE

AS THE LGBT COMMUNITY GAINS MAINSTREAM ACCEPTANCE, MANY PLACES WHERE GAYS AND LESBIANS HAVE TRADITIONALLY GATHERED HAVE BLINKED OUT OF EXISTENCE—BUT NOT IN PALM SPRINGS. PAGE 13

Just another 6 a.m. at Score the Game Bar.

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NOVEMBER 2015

A Note From the Editor

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

Editor/Publisher Jimmy Boegle Assistant Editor Brian Blueskye Editorial Layout Wayne Acree Advertising Design Betty Jo Boegle Contributors Gustavo Arellano, Victor Barocas, Max Cannon, Kevin Fitzgerald, Bill Frost, Bonnie Gilgallon, Bob Grimm, Alex Harrington, Valerie-Jean (VJ) Hume, Keith Knight, Robin Linn, Marylee Pangman, Erin Peters, Dan Perkins, Deidre Pike, Guillermo Prieto, Anita Rufus, Jen Sorenson, Robert Victor, Joshua Zaffos

The Independent is a proud member and/or supporter of the Association of Alternative Newsmedia, Get Tested Coachella Valley, the Local Independent Online News Publishers, the Desert Business Association, the LGBT Community Center of the Desert, artsOasis and the Desert Ad Fed.

CVIndependent.com

COVER DESIGN BY WAYNE ACREE; Photo by Tommy Locust

The Coachella Valley Independent print edition is published every month. All content is ©2015 and may not be published or reprinted in any form without the written permission of the publisher. The Independent is available free of charge throughout the Coachella Valley, limited to one copy per reader. Additional copies may be purchased for $1 by calling (760) 904-4208. The Independent may be distributed only by the Independent’s authorized distributors.

’Tis the season … when all sorts of great things are happening in the Coachella Valley.

First, looking backward: I want to thank all of the participants in and attendees of the various October events in which the Independent played a part. Our Three-Year Anniversary Event on Friday, Oct. 16, was well-attended and well-reviewed, and our second series of concerts at Chill Bar, benefiting the Community Food Bank at the Center, featured great music and happy attendees every Thursday. (At least they did as of our press deadline; we still have one concert to go as of this writing. Yes, deadlines for monthly newspapers are weird.)

The Independent is also proud to have been a sponsor of a number of fine October events that benefited great causes, including the Equality Awards (Oct. 10) and the Desert AIDS Walk (Oct. 17). We are also happy sponsors of three October charity events that had yet to occur as of this writing: the Casual Concours car show (Oct. 24), the LGBT Center of the Desert’s Center Stage event (Oct. 30) and Palm Springs Leather Pride (Oct. 29-Nov. 1).

Whew. No wonder we’re tired!

Now, looking forward: Come by our booth and say hello at Greater Palm Springs Pride! We’ll be there from start to finish on Saturday, Nov. 7, and Sunday, Nov. 8. (If you picked up this issue at Pride … come back and say hi again!) We’re also elated to be a sponsor of the Desert AIDS Project’s Dancing With the Desert Stars show, happening on Friday, Nov. 13.

Now, looking forward even further: Depending on when you’re reading this, we are either about to wrap up finalround voting in our Best of Coachella Valley poll, or we just did wrap it up. (If it’s not yet 11:59 p.m. on Nov. 2, it’s the former … so get thee to CVIndependent. com and vote, if you haven’t already!)

We’ll be releasing the winners’ list at CVIndependent.com on Wednesday, Nov. 25, and in our December print edition. Also, keep an eye out for details on our second annual Best of Coachella Valley party and awards show!

If you’re bored in the valley this time of year … something’s wrong with you.

Oh, by the way: This November 2015 print edition of the Independent is our third annual Pride Issue. I am quite proud of all the great stuff you’ll find herein. Welcome, and enjoy.

As always, feedback is welcome and appreciated; my email address is below.

—Jimmy Boegle, jboegle@cvindependent.com

NOVEMBER 2015

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 3

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NOVEMBER 2015

OPINION

KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORS

That Moment When Someone Reaches Politics Overload

WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/OPINION

By Anita Rufus s a political talk-radio host, I am constantly dealing with people who don’t agree with me.

Some callers spout nonsense conspiracy theories. Others copy tried-andtrue applause lines from their political heroes. Still others simply yell and shout their personal prejudices, uninterested in facts or reasonable discourse.

Even those who agree with me often have skewed reasoning.

What’s a responsible broadcaster to do?

I learned a long time ago that I will probably never change the mind of the person on the other end of the line. I’ve also learned that trying to over-shout someone just leads to noise and no light.

I also have the luxury of being able to hit the “dump” button.

Alas, there is no “dump” button in real life.

In this ever-polarized political environment, national and local, I know people who refuse to attend family dinners because of, for example, the brother-in-law who sputters the worst politically incorrect characterizations in front of young children. I know people who are

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frustrated about how to respond when they overhear ridiculous points of view pontificated in the next booth at the restaurant or the waiting room at the doctor’s office.

My friend Eileen Stern is not someone you would expect to ever throw in the towel on her outspoken support for causes and activism. So I was astonished to read a Facebook post by her recently: “Just like the alcoholic, the drug addict, the food addict, I have been binging on politics and I have literally overdosed. I am

feeding on toxicity and it is taking me beyond where I want to go.”

Stern, a long-time desert resident, was born and raised in Chicago. She and her husband, Marv, were originally snowbirds here, but they have now lived in the Palm Springs area as permanent residents for more than 18 years.

“I’m very blessed to be in a financial situation where we’re able to be comfortable— but I didn’t grow up that way,” she says. “I lived in public housing and went to public schools.”

Stern became a buyer and marketing executive at Sears, a male-dominated environment where, she says, “I had to prove myself—but at least I had the chance.” That experience got Stern involved in support for affirmative action. Her subsequent involvement in other causes included opposing the Vietnam War, working on the Robert Kennedy presidential campaign, supporting passage of the Equal Rights Amendment, and participating in the March on Washington.

“I’m no activist, but I’ve been active my whole adult life,” she says, without appreciating the irony.

In the Coachella Valley, Stern’s involvement has included participation with the Democratic Women of the Desert, the Hike for Hope and the Jewish Film Festival.

A few years ago, she became involved with Planned Parenthood. Stern and her husband agreed to host an event at their home featuring Sandra Fluke, the young woman who spoke out passionately about women having access to contraception—and was subsequently vilified

by Rush Limbaugh, who publicly referred to Fluke as “a slut.”

The following year, Stern hosted another Planned Parenthood event, “and I realized the organization had no fundraising arm here in the valley.”

Planned Parenthood affiliates in the Coachella Valley perform more than 1,800 breast cancer screenings each year.

“The group’s opponents have done a very good job of painting Planned Parenthood as a ‘one trick pony,’ focusing solely on abortion, when 97 percent of their activities are not abortion-related,” says Stern. “You don’t get to make up your own facts.”

With this background, what led Stern to her post on Facebook?

“We can all become as entrenched as anyone on the other side of an issue,” she says. “I recently attended a political event for a local candidate and got into an argument with someone with whom I didn’t agree at all about a key issue. I’m not normally a confrontational person, but every time she tried to talk, I cut her off, and it kept escalating. I embarrassed her, and I embarrassed myself. I knew afterward that the way I handled it was over the top. It was so not me.”

That incident led to Stern’s post on Facebook.

“I post a lot,” she says, “so it seemed the most appropriate way to handle my feelings afterward.”

Eileen Stern: “I am finding myself at odds with others, many of whom I never was at odds with before. I cannot allow myseIf to binge on it, lest it make me intolerant.”

Eileen Stern is not someone you would expect to stop standing up for what she believes in. And the truth is, she hasn’t. Her Facebook post led to so many responses— mostly supportive and encouraging her not to step back—that she was astonished.

“I always try to be respectful,” she says. “I try to post facts and not make it personal. I don’t want to offend anyone.”

Stern’s heartfelt post is both cautionary and encouraging. “I am finding myself at odds with others, many of whom I never was at odds with before,” she posted. “I cannot allow myseIf to binge on it, lest it make me intolerant. I will try not to engage others in debate on what we do not agree with. I will fight for what I believe in, but in my heart I am a peacemaker … I am going to weigh and measure my political input just as we all strive to weigh and measure our lives.”

We need more people like Eileen Stern, who care passionately about issues and are willing to take an active role in the community, who constantly self-monitor to stay positive, listen to others’ points of view, stand up for what they believe and make a difference. Lucky for us, in spite of her Facebook post, Eileen Stern hasn’t given up.

On the radio, I’ve developed the philosophy that if I can at least convince others that there is a civil way to respond to those spouting off, and respect differences of opinion—to disagree without being disagreeable—then I’ve done my job.

Of course, for me, there’s always the “dump” button.

ANITA RUFUS IS ALSO KNOWN AS “THE LOVABLE LIBERAL,” AND HER RADIO SHOW AIRS SUNDAYS FROM 11 A.M. TO 1 P.M. ON KNEWS RADIO 94.3 FM. EMAIL HER AT ANITA@ LOVABLELIBERAL.COM. KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORS APPEARS EVERY OTHER WEDNESDAY AT CVINDEPENDENT.COM.

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 5

NOVEMBER 2015

OPINION

THE POTTED DESERT GARDEN

Enjoy Holiday Splendor in Your Desert Home

WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/OPINION

By MARYLEE PANGMAN he holidays are coming quickly: Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year’s are all looming in the not-so-distant future. If you handle things properly now, your desert garden containers will be in illustrious bloom—and off your long holiday-prep to-do list—well before the festivities begin.

Think about your color scheme for your home and how you will add to it for the holidays. Do you go all-out in reds and glitter? Are you more subtle with whites, or do you enjoy delving into the romantic blues? Or are you all about color, with a desire to bedeck the halls with rainbows and bling?

Do the backbone planting now, and add fall colors into the pots temporarily with chrysanthemums. When those flowers are spent in late November, add your winter colors so they are in full bloom by mid-December. Thanks to our gentle early winter temperatures, your plants will grow and bloom quickly with appropriate water and fertilizer, making the rest of your job easy.

Holiday reds and whites are easily gained

Red geraniums with holiday pop!

with geraniums in part sun, and cyclamens in full shade. Red flowers for full sun include dianthus and petunias. These two choices are available in white, too.

If you want a little blue in your holiday decor, look at pansies and violas. Blue is readily accessible in these flowers, but not in many of our other winter standbys, such as Petunias, calendula, stock and snap dragons.

Petunias do have a deep purple available, which offers a nice contrast to the soft blue of the other flowers.

Dusty miller is a nice plant to mix in with any of these colors, as its sultry, powdery grey color will have the other shades popping.

There are a couple of varieties to choose from that provide different leaf structures and surface areas. One of the most popular types of dusty miller is the “silver dust” (Senecio cineraria) variety. Another popular option is “silver lace,” which has a finer, fern-like leaf with the same silver color. There is another plant called “silver brocade,” which looks like a dusty miller but is actually a perennial in the Artemesia family. Its broad, flatter leaf provides a less complex texture to your floral arrangement.

Edge your pots with white alyssum, and not only will you have delicate white flowers trailing down your pot; the rich perfumed air will complement your entire patio or home’s entry.

Another trailing option for your shade pots is bacopa. This deep, green-leafed plant with small white flowers is great for early morning sun in your desert garden or shade areas.

The variety “giant snowflake” is a wonderful choice because of its larger flowers. Check your local nursery to see if they carry it or can find it for you.

It’s a good idea to get to know your local resources. If you develop a relationship with the people who work at local nurseries, they

will let you know what growers they are bringing in, and when certain plants will be available. Bring them pictures of the gardens you have created with your purchases, too!

Your November To-Do List 1. Plant to your heart’s content.

2. Deadhead weekly.

3. Use a water-soluble fertilizer bi-weekly.

4. Water daily early in the morning.

5. if night temps sink below 50 degrees, bring in tropicals and tender succulents.

MARYLEE PANGMAN IS THE FOUNDER AND FORMER OWNER OF THE CONTAINED GARDENER IN TUCSON, ARIZ. SHE HAS BECOME KNOWN AS THE DESERT’S POTTED GARDEN EXPERT. MARYLEE’S BOOK, GETTING POTTED IN THE DESERT, HAS JUST BEEN RELEASED. BUY IT ONLINE AT POTTEDDESERT.COM. EMAIL HER WITH COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS AT MARYLEE@ POTTEDDESERT.COM. FOLLOW THE POTTED DESERT AT FACEBOOK.COM/POTTEDDESERT. THE POTTED DESERT GARDEN APPEARS WEDNESDAYS AT CVINDEPENDENT.COM.

Red cyclamens dressed for the holidays.

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NOVEMBER 2015

OPINION

ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER INJURED BICYCLIST

We All Need to Do Our Part to Ensure People on Bikes and on Foot Are Safe on Our Streets

WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/OPINION

By Brett Klein and Vic Yepello Editor’s Note: On Oct. 6, bicyclist Trisha Monroe was hit by a vehicle in Palm Desert. She suffered serious injuries.

Monroe was just the latest Coachella Valley resident to get badly hurt on our valley’s roadways while riding a bike. Therefore, the Independent asked Brett Klein and Vic Yepello to write a piece on bicycle-traffic safety.

By the way, friends of Monroe have launched a GoFundMe effort. Find that at www.gofundme.com/z8629778. he Coachella Valley has long been a place for cars—but we are collectively working to make our infrastructure safer for people on bikes. Making our cities function for pedestrians will also take a significant effort.

We want the ability to bike or walk from homes or hotels to shopping, parks, convention centers and meeting spaces, casinos and our neighborhoods.

For people on bikes, safety matters, and all of us need to learn, listen and be educated. In the last 10 months alone, there have been seven collisions between people on bikes and vehicles. Four have resulted in fatalities, with three resulting in major injuries. This brings the number of cyclists who have lost their lives riding on our valley streets since 2010 to 16.

As the city of Palm Springs and other valley cities continue to improve our roadway infrastructure to become more of an active transportation community (biking and walking), we all need to learn and follow the rules of the road, pay more attention while commuting and—above all else—look out for one another. We want everyone to know the basics for a bikeable Coachella Valley in order for each of us to take personal responsibility for our actions.

In 2015, California enacted the 3-foot law. What it means is that a motorist must give a cyclist at least 3 feet of space when passing, or when 3 feet is not available, slow down to 15 mph or less and proceed safely.

The law is good—but it’s not well-known yet. The Department of Motor Vehicles needs to promote it in all literature and driving tests.

Media outlets can help by including PSA ads showing the 3-foot-law logo. SunLine and local police departments can include the 3-foot-law logos on vehicles.

To safely pass a cyclist: Slow down to a reasonable speed; move to the left if it is safe to do so, and proceed safely past the cyclist. Do not honk your horn.

Everyone needs to slow down and pay attention to their driving. Many people today drive too fast for conditions, and are often going faster then the posted speed limit.

In their haste, they can make poor judgment CVIndependent.com

calls and endanger cyclists by clipping or rearending them.

Cyclists also need to do their part to ride safely. Cyclists should always ride on the right side of the road, and in the same direction as traffic. They should stop for red

traffic signals, yield to pedestrians, and always indicate their intentions to turn or stop. It is also required to stop at stop signs.

How can cyclists ride more safely? Many cyclists do a great job of following the rules of the road; however, others just do not get it.

They ride on the wrong side of the road, going against traffic, and they improperly approach signal-controlled intersections and stop signs.

It’s up to everyone to do better. Bike shops, bike-rental shops and hotels that lend out bikes can all help by alerting customers on how to be safer rider.

Use safer bike routes. Palm Springs Cyclery, the Palm Springs Visitors Center, the Welwood Murray Memorial Library, the Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce and City Hall all offer the latest versions of our bike-routes map. We recommend that all but the most experienced cyclists stay off Vista Chino; much of Highway 111; and Ramon Road, because of the high volume of traffic and the fast speeds. It’s also good to avoid Gene Autry Trail.

However, it is a Class 1 bikeway if a rider stays on the sidewalk as indicated.

Bike lanes explained: Palm Springs and other desert cities are currently installing new bike lanes. There are three types of bike lanes currently in use in Palm Springs: Class I

bikeways (bike paths), Class II bikeways (bike lanes) and Class III bikeways (roads).

Class I bikeways are off-road bike paths that can be trails, specially configured sidewalks or other forms of protected bike lanes. In general, a cyclist is 100 percent separated from traffic.

Class II bike lanes are striped areas of an active roadway. They are clearly marked where a cyclist can ride via road stencils and signage.

Class III are secondary roads that are not wide enough for a Class II bike lane, and therefore are stenciled with “sharrows” that indicate a cyclist can take and share the lane with cars.

To understand more about cycling and safety, we suggest reading Effective Cycling by John Forester.

BRETT KLEIN AND VIC YEPELLO FOUNDED THE CV BICYCLE COALITION (WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/GROUPS/CVBC1) IN 2013. THE COALITION IS WORKING TO CREATE, PROMOTE AND IMPROVE CONDITIONS FOR PEOPLE ON BIKES IN THE COACHELLA VALLEY, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH BIKE CLUBS, CITIZENS, BUSINESSES, COMMUNITY GROUPS, GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, CITY COMMISSIONS AND ELECTED OFFICIALS. THE GOAL IS TO CREATE A COMMUNITY WHERE PEOPLE CAN MEET THEIR DAILY TRANSPORTATION NEEDS ON A BIKE.

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 7

NOVEMBER 2015

OPINION

ASK A MEXICAN!

Is It Racist to Call Someone ‘Mexican’?

WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/OPINION

By Gustavo Arellano EAR MEXICAN: Let me start out by saying I’m a HUGE fan of your newspaper columns.

I’m writing you because at a recent family dinner, one of my cousins was telling the family his opinion of the word “Mexican.” He proceeded to say that the word is racist and degrading, and everyone should refer to people from Mexico as “Cinnamon People” or “Cinnamons.” He said this because, in his opinion, most people from Mexico have a light tint or shade of red to their skin.

I asked my Mexican friends at school if “Mexican” is racist and degrading; all but two just laughed at me. A few people have agreed with my cousin.

Is “Mexican” a racist word? I have seen countless people call someone a “Mexican” at school and get knocked out for it, yet I can refer to my Mexican friends as anything I want (partly because I’m half-black, and they can call me whatever they like). Should mainstream America start referring to the Mexican people as “Cinnamons”? Or is my cousin being ignorant/racist?

Mexicans speak about race in America. “African American” does translate as afroamericano in Mexican Spanish, but most Mexicans think that’s PC silliness and a mouthful. Instead, the best you can hope for is negro, which literally translates as “black,” but means “negro.” Similarly, “Asian American” translates as asiático-americano, but most Mexicans go for chino—Chinese. And I’m saying the polite terms; I can only imagine what your students cracked during class.

My advice: Teach them that race is a social construct; hyphens shouldn’t exist; and everyone in this country is an American— except that pendejo Donald Trump, of course.

Eager in Elizabethtown

DEAR MEXICAN: Why do most Americans stereotype us as stupid Chicanos? Chicanos are a disgrace to Mexicans, and so are cholos.

Our roots don’t take pride in the things these pendejos value.

DEAR YOUNG MUJER: “Cinnamons?” At least your cousin didn’t suggest “wetbacks.”

He’s not racist—one of the most romantic songs in the Spanish language is the bolero standard “Piel Canela,” which translates as “Cinnamon Skin” and was immortalized by Eydie Gormé (yes, of lounge-lizards legends Steve and Eydie) with Trio Los Panchos. That said, calling someone a “Mexican” can be racist, mostly if the person being called that isn’t a Mexican, or if the person saying it pronounces it “Messkin” and has a deportation cannon next to them.

DEAR MEXICAN: I teach U.S. citizenship classes in both Spanish and English. Recently, some of my students corrected others in Spanish about race terms. How do I help my students talk about race progressively, so they don’t sound like racist grandmas?

Denver, But Works in Littleton DEAR GABACHA: Tough, ain’t it? A jefe once told me that German was such a direct language that the word for “meat” literally translated as “flesh”—and that’s how it is when

I’m a Hispanic, Not a Stupid Chicana.

DEAR PENDEJA: While I’m no fan of cholos, and have bagged on Chicanos before, it’s pendejas like you who make me want to put on a Bo Jackson Raiders jersey and blast “Crystal Blue Persuasion” from my Monte Carlo.

Mexican “roots”? You mean a culture that historically glamorized valientes (gunslingers), revolutionaries and bloody Christs? Or are you one of those fresas who isn’t that type of Mexican, who looks askance at pochos and paisas? News flash for you, princesa: Your “Hispanic” vendida pendeja kind is the biggest disgrace to raza since that one chick who said her ancestors were Basque even though she was had a big ol’ nopal en la frente.

CATCH THE MEXICAN EVERY WEDNESDAY AT CVINDEPENDENT. COM. ASK THE MEXICAN AT THEMEXICAN@ASKAMEXICAN.NET; BE HIS FAN ON FACEBOOK; FOLLOW HIM ON TWITTER @GUSTAVOARELLANO; OR FOLLOW HIM ON INSTAGRAM @GUSTAVO_ARELLANO! CVIndependent.com

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NOVEMBER 2015

NEWS

A HOME AWAY FROM HOME

The Bob Hope USO at the Palm Springs Airport Depends on Support From the Community to Survive

WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/NEWS

By Brian Blueskye hen in the military, our servicemen and servicewomen often miss the comforts of home.

That’s where the USO comes in. A lot of military members come through Palm Springs to get to and from the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms—and the Bob Hope USO at the Palm Springs International Airport is there to fill the need. It has been in operation since December 2006.

During a recent visit to the Bob Hope USO, center manager Teresa Cherry offered a tour of the facility. It seems small at first, but once you get past the sign-in counter, the canteen, TV area, game room and other areas are sizable—and comfortable.

She explained why the Bob Hope USO in Palm Springs came to be.

“We have Marines and Navy (members) at Twentynine Palms, and when they were getting off the airplanes here, or were coming down here from up there, they had nowhere to go while they were waiting for their flights,” Cherry said. “So the Bob Hope USO provides them with a home away from home where they can come in and get something to drink, something to eat, and take a nap if they want to.”

During holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas, the Bob Hope USO stays open all night and provides accommodations, because hotel rooms are often sold out or too expensive. Cherry said that up to 400 active military members will come through the center during those times.

Cherry, who is retired from the military, shared a story about serving with the USO in Iraq. At one point, the USO ran out of white bread to use for peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches—which caused a bit of chaos.

However, the problem was solved adequately enough when USO volunteers located some rye bread.

“Peanut butter and jelly is one of those comforts from home they miss,” Cherry said.

On top of the services the USO provides at the airport, the organization is also active on the base in Twentynine Palms.

“We do homecomings and deployments.

When a battalion comes back, we will meet them at the base. We’ll go up and provide hamburgers, hot dogs and peanut-butter-andjelly sandwiches, and keep everyone occupied CVIndependent.com

until their loved ones come from the gate,” she said. “When the unit deploys, we’ll go up there and make brown-bag lunches for all the Marines and Navy who are getting on the buses, because they don’t know when their next meal will be, as they go from airport to airport. We’ve hosted the holiday party for the hospital, and we’ll do family days where we go up and provide the food for them. It’s just to let the families know that the United States of America is behind them.”

Cherry explained that one of the best ways for people to support the troops is to donate to the USO, because the organization provides services directly to troops and their families.

“The local USO will know what the family’s needs are, and what the unit’s needs are, and (the USO) can put together the family day or the outing or whatever they are going to do,” she said.

The families of servicemembers who are deployed often find themselves stressed and in need of a connection. The USO does all that they can to provide comfort to those families.

“A lot of the times, it’s because they don’t know where their loved one is, and because of operation security, (the military) can’t tell them where they are,” Cherry said. “They ask things such as, ‘Is he ok?’ or, ‘I heard there was a bombing.’

“There’s a program that the USO does called United Through Reading. The servicemember can go in, pick out a children’s book, and read the book; it’s being videotaped and stored on a mini-DVD, and then the book and the DVD is given to their child. (The children) can see Mom or Dad read to them, and they get story time. The big thing is staying connected, keeping the families busy, and helping the time go by quickly. Six months is a long time.”

BRIAN BLUESKYE

People often think that the USO only provides entertainment to troops during war time. However, the USO is so much more than that.

“The USO was started in 1941, and we’ll be celebrating 75 years next year,” Cherry said. “When the USO was founded, six other organizations (came together) to form the USO. They were all doing similar things, and President Franklin Roosevelt said, ‘I need you to come together as one organization for the troops.’ Back then, it was about entertainment—Bob Hope, the USO on every corner, the dances with the service members and that kind of thing. As time went on, the USO had to evolve to meet the needs of the service members. Entertainment is a very small part of what we do.”

The Bob Hope USO provides services out of four Southern California airports, and it depends on the public’s help to survive.

“We’re a charter USO, and pretty much what that means is that we’re a franchise out of the national USO. … Being a charter center means that we are responsible for our own sustainment,” Cherry said. “We don’t get any financial assistance from the national USO or from the government. We are a nonprofit organization. Here in the Coachella Valley, we rely on the generosity of the people, organizations and corporations to continue doing what we do. It’s always (about) the donations and volunteers, because it is a volunteer organization, and I’m the only paid employee. When people donate to the Bob Hope USO here in Palm Springs, it stays locally, from here all the way up to the base in Twentynine Palms.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO DONATE, VISIT WWW. BOBHOPEUSO.ORG.

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 9

NOVEMBER 2015

NEWS

NOVEMBER ASTRONOMY The Moon Dances With Our Solar System’s Planets Early This Month

WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/NEWS

by Robert Victor n evening twilight during November, the holdover Summer Triangle, with its brightest member blue-white Vega at its northwest corner, drifts slowly westward from nearly overhead. Meanwhile, lonely Fomalhaut, mouth of the Southern Fish, moves from southeast toward the south. Bright Arcturus departs in the west-northwest, making way for almost equally bright Capella, rising in the northeast. Very low in the southwest to west-southwest, if mountains don’t block your view, Saturn and Antares (8 degrees to the planet’s left) are accessible with binoculars early in the month, before their departure.

Aldebaran, eye of Taurus the Bull, is at opposition as Earth passes between that star and the sun each year around Dec. 1; look for a reddish star rising in the east-northeast during twilight in late November. Arabic in origin, the name Aldebaran means the follower, alluding to the star’s pursuit of the Pleiades or Seven Sisters star cluster across the sky.

In November’s morning twilight, Venus, in the east to southeast, easily ranks first in brilliance. Next is Jupiter, climbing 6 to 34 degrees to Venus’ upper right and almost reaching south. The next dozen slots are taken by stars, headed by Sirius in the southwest, Arcturus climbing in the east-northeast to east, and Capella well up in the northwest. Sirius and Capella mark the southern and northern vertices of the Winter Hexagon. In clockwise order beginning at Sirius, its other members are Procyon, Pollux (with Castor), Capella, Aldebaran, Rigel and back to Sirius, with Betelgeuse inside. Regulus, heart of Leo the Lion, reaches its high point in the south while chasing the Hexagon across the sky. Following Regulus is the line of planets—Jupiter, Mars and Venus—and finally Spica, spike of grain in Virgo, rising up from low in the east-southeast to well up in the southeast. In late November and early December, watch for the rising of Vega far to the northeast. From its appearance until Rigel sets in west-southwest, 11 stars of first magnitude or brighter are visible, along with the three planets.

The moon and planets form spectacular gatherings, especially early in the month.

Watch for these events: • Tuesday, Nov. 3, morning (about one hour before sunrise): Venus passes Mars. Look for the faint red planet just 0.7 degrees north (to the upper left) of brilliant Venus.

• Friday, Nov. 6, morning: Jupiter is about 2 degrees north (to the upper left) of the moon. Venus is 10 degrees to the moon’s lower left. Mars is 1.6 degrees to the upper right of Venus.

• Saturday, Nov. 7, morning: Venus is 1.7

degrees, with Mars 3.5 degrees, to the upper left of the moon. Venus and Mars are 2.1 degrees apart. Let the moon help you find Venus again after sunrise, and you’ll have a daytime sighting!

• Monday, Nov. 9: Spica is within 4 degrees to the south (lower right) of the moon. MarsJupiter have spread to 10 degrees apart since their close pairing on Oct. 17.

• Tuesday, Nov. 10, about 45 minutes before sunrise: The last, thin old crescent moon, 28 hours before new, rises in the east to eastsoutheast, 12 degrees to the lower left of Spica.

• Thursday, Nov. 12, about half an hour after sunset: Binoculars may show a young crescent moon very low in the west-southwest, with Saturn 2-3 degrees to its lower left.

• Friday, Nov. 13: This is the final morning Venus and Mars are within 5 degrees.

• Friday, Nov. 22: This is the final morning Venus and Mars are within 10 degrees—and the first morning Venus and Spica are within 10 degrees.

• Wednesday, Nov. 25 at dusk: Watch for Aldebaran rising 4 degrees to the lower left of the full moon in the east-northeast. Binoculars will help you see the star in moon’s glare throughout the night.

Watch the moon move! Early on Thanksgiving morning, the moon passes narrowly north of Aldebaran, without covering it. From our region, this happens around 2:48 a.m., when the star appears less than one-quarter of a moon’s width from the moon’s southern limb. Along a very narrow track from near the Oregon-California border across the U.S. to South Carolina, there will be a grazing occultation, as the star repeatedly disappears and reappears from behind mountains on the moon’s south limb.

• On Thanksgiving, Nov. 26, in morning twilight, the moon is low in the west-

Morning visibility map at mid-twilight.

ROBERT D. MILLER

northwest, with Aldebaran just more than a degree to its lower right.

• On the mornings of Sunday, Nov. 29, and Monday, Nov. 30, Venus and Spica appear closest, 4.2 degrees apart.

• Friday, Dec. 4, morning: Jupiter is 5 degrees to the upper right of the moon.

• Saturday, Dec. 5, morning: Mars is 5-6 degrees to the lower left of the moon.

• Sunday, Dec. 6, morning: Spica is 5 degrees to the lower right of the moon.

Illustrations of events described in this article appear in the Sky Calendar. For a sample issue and to learn how to subscribe, visit www. abramsplanetarium.org/skycalendar.

The Astronomical Society of the Desert

Evening visibility map at mid-twilight.

ROBERT D. MILLER

will host a star party on Saturday. Nov. 7, at dusk at Saw Mill Trailhead, elevation 4,000 feet in the Santa Rosa Mountains. The society also hosts monthly star parties at the more conveniently located Visitor Center of the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument. The next is on Saturday, Nov. 21, from 6 to 9 p.m. Dates of future star events, with directions and maps to the sites, are available at www.astrorx.org.

ROBERT C. VICTOR WAS A STAFF ASTRONOMER AT ABRAMS PLANETARIUM AT MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY. HE IS NOW RETIRED AND ENJOYS PROVIDING SKYWATCHING OPPORTUNITIES FOR SCHOOL CHILDREN IN AND AROUND PALM SPRINGS.

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NOVEMBER 2015

NEWS

POLITICS 1, SCIENCE 0

The Vast Majority of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Scientists Say Political Interference Runs High

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By Joshua Zaffos he U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s recent announcement that the greater sage grouse does not warrant protection under the Endangered Species Act was widely hailed as a conservation success. Federal officials, along with industry supporters and Western communities across the grouse’s 11-state range, claimed voluntary state and landowner actions were enough to protect the bird and avoid federal restrictions.

But another explanation lurks behind Fish and Wildlife’s decision regarding the grouse and other imperiled species that have dodged or received less-protective ESA listings in recent years: Political interference and a lack of scientific integrity are influencing outcomes and hampering the agency’s work.

According to a new survey and report compiled by the Union of Concerned Scientists, 73 percent of Fish and Wildlife scientists say political influence is too high at the agency, and a majority believes their office is less effective than it was five years ago. Those alarming figures stand out at Fish and Wildlife, compared with other surveyed federal science agencies, where staff members generally feel scientific integrity is holding firm or on the rise.

During his first inauguration speech in 2009, President Barack Obama pledged to “restore science to its rightful place,” and later ordered agencies to draft scientific integrity policies for the first time ever. Those were welcome steps for researchers who felt politics trampled science-based management during the George W. Bush administration. But the implementation and effectiveness of those policies remain fuzzy.

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According to the survey, many government scientists remain unaware of their agencies’ policies or what they mean, says Gretchen Goldman, the report’s lead author.

For example, the policies should enable agency researchers to publish their own peer-reviewed research and review agency documents that use their studies and names before they are released, but many respondents admitted they were unfamiliar with those protections, Goldman says. Still, compared with surveys conducted during the Bush administration, scientists at the Food

and Drug Administration, Centers for Disease Control, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration say agency effectiveness is increasing.

But the Fish and Wildlife Service is another story. In addition to scientists’ overwhelming indictment of political influence at the agency, many identified a lack of staff capacity and resources to complete their jobs. Further, more than half of surveyed Fish and Wildlife researchers said the agency seldom or only occasionally collects sufficient scientific and monitoring data to do its work—a much greater proportion than respondents from other agencies.

“That jumped out to me,” Goldman says. “The second you don’t have the ability to use the science, you get more vulnerable to political interference.”

Comments shared through the surveys also indicated concerns over “accommodations to the states,” Goldman adds, which potentially diminish science-based outcomes since states may be

more interested in avoiding federal restrictions than doing what’s best for species, such as the grouse.

Allegations of heavy-handed political influence aren’t new, and whistleblower cases have previously exposed questionable decisions. For instance, a whistleblower retaliation case in Texas, settled last fall, documented how a Fish and Wildlife scientist was transferred and basically forced into early retirement after he argued politics and scientific misconduct factored into a nonlisting for the dunes sagebrush lizard, whose habitat overlaps with the oil-rich Permian Basin.

Yet there are some signs of progress.

Compared with surveys of Fish and Wildlife’s Ecological Services staff during the Bush years, twice as many employees say morale is now good or excellent, and more feel they are now allowed to speak with the media and public about their work.

Somewhat ironically, Fish and Wildlife declined to make an official available for interview and instead issued a statement via email: “The service is fully committed to the highest standards of scientific integrity, and welcomes the findings from the Union of Concerned Scientists’ survey. We will carefully review the information in the survey and continue our commitment to ensure broad awareness, understanding, and implementation of the Department of the Interior’s Science Integrity Policy.”

This story originally appeared in High Country News.

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NOVEMBER 2015

NEWS

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SNAPSHOT

Images From October in the Coachella Valley and High Desert

Flusters frontman Douglas VanSant performs at Chill Bar on Thursday, Oct. 1. The concert was part of the Community Food Bank at the Center concert series, which took place every Thursday in October. All donations at the concerts (organized by Brian Blueskye and sponsored by the Independent) went to feed community members via the food bank. PHOTO BY TOMMY LOCUST

The 10th annual fall Joshua Tree Music Festival took place Oct. 8-11 at the Joshua Tree Lake Campground.

On Saturday, Oct. 10, the volunteer-driven festival featured Daby Touré, who brought African fusion to the Indian Cove stage that was awe-inspiring. PHOTO BY GUILLERMO PRIETO/IROCKPHOTOS.NET

Jeffrey Norman, the McCallum Theatre’s director of communications and public affairs, poses with Darrell Tucci, the chief development officer at the Desert AIDS Project, at the Equality Awards at the Riviera Palm Springs on Saturday, Oct. 10. At the fundraising event for Equality California, Norman introduced his friend Tucci, who was honored with the State Farm Good Neighbor Award. (Full disclosure: Independent publisher Jimmy Boegle served on the event’s Host Committee, and is friends with both Norman and Tucci.) PHOTO COURTESY OF THE EQUALITY CALIFORNIA FACEBOOK PAGE

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NOVEMBER 2015

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 13

THE POWER OF PLACE

Not too long ago, there were few places in this country that gays and lesbians could call their own.

In the first half of the last century, it was taboo to be out and proud. Men seeking other men had to hide—in plain sight—clues in their clothing to signal to other men in the know.

As gay men and lesbians slowly began to come out, make their presence known and fight for their rights, places such as gay bars and community centers began to pop up. In the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s, these places were epicenters of the urban LGBT world—places where members of the LGBT community could come, meet each other and feel safe.

In the last 20 years, however, the rise of the Internet and the increasing acceptance of gay men and lesbians into mainstream society have meant these places are no longer as necessary as they once were. Men seeking other men today don’t need to go to a gay bar to meet a potential date. There’s no longer the need for an LGBT community center to promote meetings and gatherings when that can be done easily and efficiently with an online Meetup listing.

As a result, many of these once-vital places are blinking out of existence. Google “gay bars closing,” and you’ll find numerous stories about decreasing numbers of LGBT bars in cities across the country. In many communities, LGBT centers are struggling or closing their doors—for example, Wingspan, the LGBT community center in Tucson, Ariz., faded away last year.

While it’s hard to find LGBT-centered places in the central and eastern Coachella Valley (trust us; we tried … if you know about any such places, please let us know about them), such is not the case in Palm Springs. Thanks to a large population of gay men with time and money, gay bars are thriving. The LGBT Community Center of the Desert is growing.

As Greater Palm Springs Pride approaches—itself bucking the trend by growing larger than ever in its last two years—we’ve decided to pay tribute to the continuing importance of LGBT places in the western Coachella Valley, with two stories: a piece on the aforementioned LGBT Community Center of the Desert and its plans to expand into a new building; and a slice-of-life story on what you’ll find at Arenas Road’s Score Bar when it opens at 6 a.m.—the earliest opening time of any bar in downtown Palm Springs.

Welcome to the Independent’s third annual Pride Issue.

—Jimmy Boegle CVIndependent.com

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NOVEMBER 2015

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NOVEMBER 2015

The Center’s New Place The LGBT Community Center of the Desert Plans to Move Into an Expanded New Home Next Year

By Brian Blueskye

I

N 2011, PALM SPRINGS’ GOLDEN RAINBOW Senior Center expanded its mission to serve all members of the LGBT Community in the Coachella Valley—and the LGBT Community Center of the Desert was born.

The Center has come a long way since then, with the addition of new programs, including low-cost counseling. In an era when many LGBT centers around the country are struggling, the LGBT Community Center of the Desert’s membership is growing—and now The Center is getting ready to move into a brand-new building of its own.

In November, the LGBT Community Center of the Desert will release details about the new space to the public. Mike Thompson, The Center’s chief executive officer, offered the Independent some information about the new building, and talked about why The Center needs a new, expanded space.

“The Center has a big vision to truly be a community center for LGBT people living in the Coachella Valley,” Thompson said. “We’ve already outgrown the space we’re in, if you look at the programmatic space in this location. We’re operating out of 3,200 square feet, and our biggest demand is for our largest community room, so we have people shuffling in and out of there several times a week. Our counseling clinic, where we’ve had 1,700 counseling appointments in the past fiscal year, is operating by doing office shares of three spaces. We’re constrained by the amount of space we have.”

The Center is currently located at 611 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Suite 201, in a strip mall. The Center’s new building is located at 1301 N. Palm Canyon Drive. Thompson said the move should happen sometime in 2016, but declined to offer a specific date.

“Thanks to the generous contributions of John McDonald and Rob Wright, who have purchased the building at 1301 N. Palm Canyon, that building will become the new home of the LGBT Community Center,” Thompson said. “When that move happens, we will immediately have 5,600 square feet of programmatic space. That’s 2,400 square feet more space than we currently have. We will have five individual therapist offices. We’ll immediately be able to increase the capacity in our mental-health clinic, as well as be able to increase the capacity of the programs we offer.”

The Center plans to take advantage of the much-needed space to add programming. The new facility will also be able to accommodate larger groups and more community organizations.

“We recently did a community survey back in the spring, and as we begin to move into the new space, we’ll be evaluating what we can add to our own programming,” Thompson said. “… The first Wednesday of the month is the Eisenhower Medical Center Men’s Health Discussion, which is from 5:30 to 7 p.m. We had to end a few minutes before 7, because there’s a Narcotics Anonymous group that goes in. We had 50 people trying to come out of that room, and 50 people trying to get

Mike Thompson (right), The Center’s chief executive officer, poses at the 2015 Desert AIDS Walk with George Nasci-Sinatra (left), of the Desert AIDS Project. RON CASADINE/THE LGBT COMMUNITY CENTER OF THE DESERT

into it, because that’s the only space that can accommodate groups of that size.

“In the new space, we’ll have four community rooms that are the same size, if not larger. We’ll be able to house more community programs besides our own—and that’s what I’m excited about. When people think about a community center, I want them to think, ‘That’s our home too.’”

The Center also has plans to rent out office space to other local LGBT-related groups.

The need for a new building for The Center precedes Thompson’s arrival in June 2014. In fact, The Center’s previous executive director prematurely announced plans to move into another space a couple of years ago. That premature announcement may help explain why Thompson is being cautious with details.

“I know that there was talk about a building before I got here, and that didn’t happen,” Thompson said. “Fortunately, John McDonald and Rob Wright came to us and said, ‘We support The Center’s vision, and we want to help you into a new space.’

So when you have longtime donors who are generously stepping forward to do that, it creates opportunity that we may not have been ready for otherwise.”

Thompson said the focus for The Center will continue to be providing resources to people within the LGBT community— not just in Palm Springs at the new building, but throughout the Coachella Valley.

“I think the longer-term benefits are that people have a community center they’re proud of with a very visible and desirable location,” Thompson said. “Then they can see this organization is making an investment in this community, and we have resources. Regardless of where our four walls are located, it’s very important for us to be out in the community doing the work.

“We had a presence at a community center in Mecca, and I know we have one coming up in Desert Hot Springs. We need to be out and let people know that we are a resource for LGBT people throughout the Coachella Valley, whether they can make it here or not. We have to be careful. While we might be proud of a building, the work of The Center goes beyond that address.”

BRIAN BLUESKYE IS A VOLUNTEER AT THE LGBT COMMUNITY CENTER OF THE DESERT. CVIndependent.com

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OCTOBER 2015

Cocktails at 6 a.m., Anyone?

Welcome to Opening Time at Arenas Road’s Score Bar

By Jimmy Boegle

I

T’S 5:35 A.M. ON ARENAS ROAD IN DOWNTOWN Palm Springs.

The short block of Arenas between Indian Canyon Drive and Calle Encilia—home primarily to gay bars and other LGBT-targeted businesses—is bustling with activity every afternoon and night. But at this hour, things are fairly calm.

And just a little bit eerie.

A beer truck is parked between two bars, and the driver is unloading a pallet of beer and soda to wheel down the sidewalk to the Circle K. A leafblower can be heard in the distance. Even though Eddie’s Frozen Yogurt has been closed for hours, and won’t be open for hours, its outdoor music system is on—and the Village People’s “Go West” is blaring among the empty buildings.

In 25 minutes, this section of Arenas Road will formally begin its day. That’s when Score the Game Bar, at 301 E. Arenas Road, will open its doors.

According to California law, bars can’t serve liquor between 2 and 6 a.m.; the other hours of the day are fair game. Of course, most bars don’t open until much later than 6 a.m.; in fact, Score is the only bar in downtown Palm Springs to begin serving at the earliest possible hour.

That’s why I am here. I’ve been to Score many times—but never at opening time. I want to see it’s like.

Inside Score, Joe the bartender is busy getting ready for the day. (We're just using first names in this story, by the way.

Who needs last names so early in the morning?) I’m standing outside watching the goings-on when a young man approaches me. He’s an actor-singer-dancer, he says, and he’s trying to get down to Sunny Dunes Road, but a cab dropped him off here instead. He wants to use my phone to call a cab, you see.

He never blinks as he speaks to me.

I ask Joe, now in the process of bringing the patio bar stools outside, if he can tell me the number of a taxi company. He does, and I call for a cab.

As a man in a wheelchair rolls by, the actor-singer-dancer thanks me and asks for my card. Maybe he can write a review for my newspaper, he says. Against my better judgment, I give him one.

The actor-singer-dancer then asks if I know anybody in the local gay-porn industry. He’s interested in doing some porn, he says: “Amateur, like in my room, or whatever.” I tell him I do not.

credit card; he has the number for a credit card written on the piece of paper. Joe politely tells him he can’t help, because Score doesn’t take credit cards.

I figure my phone number is now on the taxi company’s do-not-pick-up list.

I For some reason, a Bloody Mary tastes even better than normal when served at 6 a.m. TOMMY LOCUST

Mel has owned Score for more than nine years. “People ask me what I do, and I tell them I clean the toilets and count the money,” he says.

TOMMY LOCUST

I

T’S 5:54 A.M. “CENTERFOLD” BY THE J. GEILS BAND is playing inside Score.

I’m watching the clock above the bar, emblazoned with the O’Doul’s logo. It says 6:09. It’s 15 minutes fast.

Tommy, our photographer, comes in from the patio to tell me the taxi has just arrived to pick up the actor-singer-dancer.

About 60 seconds later, however, the actor-singer-dancer walks into Score. He asks Joe if he can speak to the manager.

His car was stolen, you see, and he doesn’t have any cash to give the taxi. However, he has a credit card.

The actor-singer-dancer then waves a tattered piece of paper up in the air. Apparently, he doesn’t actually have a CVIndependent.com

T’S 5:59 A.M. A WOMAN WEARING A DODGERS SHIRT walks in and greets Tommy and me.

“Nice hats!” she says. Tommy and I are both wearing Dodgers hats. I soon learn the woman’s name is Mary Beth.

Joe goes over and turns on the neon “Open” sign. At 6 a.m. on the dot, he delivers a drink to Mary Beth. She never tells him what drink she wants. Joe just knows.

Another customer—a middle-age man wearing some sort of work-identification card on a lanyard around his neck—walks in. He hears me talking to Joe, and retreats to the corner of the front patio. I presume he overheard I am a reporter, and he doesn’t want to talk.

Joe then comes up to Tommy and me, and asks if we want anything. I wasn’t intending on having a drink at this time of day, but, well, when in Rome …

I order a Bloody Mary, not too spicy. Tommy orders a Corona with lime and salt.

As we order, Mel, the owner of Score, emerges from the back, holding a cup of coffee. He nods at me, and Mary Beth politely shouts a hello. Across the bar, they briefly chat about a small earthquake that happened earlier that morning.

As Joe—Mel calls him “Ponytail”—delivers our drinks, I ask him about his time at Score. He’s worked there for three years, he says, and he opens Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. I ask him if he likes it.

“I love it,” he says. “You can start the day off at the bar any way you want. Everything’s fresh and new.”

Of course, it doesn’t hurt that Joe’s a morning person.

“Even when I am not working, I get up at 4 or 4:30,” Joe says. “It’s easy to get stuff done.”

What kind of customers does he serve at this time of day?

“It’s a wide range,” he says. “There are third-shifters. People who start work at 7. Some people just come in and drink coffee. There are a few who just start drinking (alcohol) in the morning and drink all day. Those are always fun.”

Does he ever have any problems with customers or passersby?

“Usually not in the morning,” he says. “It’s the afternoon and evenings when shenanigans take place.”

I take a sip of my Bloody Mary. It’s fantastic.

I Mary Beth often stops in for a drink before starting her shift at Hair of the Dog at 7 a.m. "I like everybody who works here," she says.

TOMMY LOCUST

T’S 6:11 A.M. I ASK MARY BETH IF I CAN ASK HER A FEW questions, and she happily agrees. Turns out she’s the morning bartender at Hair of the Dog, located several blocks away on Palm Canyon Drive. She opens that bar at 7 a.m., when it becomes the second bar to open in downtown Palm Springs.

Why does she come to Score? “I like everybody who works here. I like the owner,” she says.

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NOVEMBER 2015

PHOTO BY TOMMY LOCUST

She pauses for a moment. “I do get tired of looking at all the madness on the corner.”

She’s talking about the chaos that surrounds the Circle K, located at the corner of Arenas and Calle Encilia. (One the day before, a homeless man had been killed in front of the Circle K, allegedly by another homeless person. The incident is fresh in everybody’s minds.)

Mary Beth notes that most of the homeless folks in downtown Palm Springs aren’t bad people, and that many of them are older. The ones who do bother her are the “people who have been up all night, doing their stuff.”

When they’re around, she sometimes refuses to open the door at Hair at the Dog until they go away, she tells me.

I

T’S 6:25 P.M. I ASK MEL THE OWNER what makes Score special.

“It’s like Cheers on TV,” he says.

“Everybody knows everybody’s name.”

Why does Score open at 6 a.m. every morning?

“When I bought it, it was called the Elbo Room,” Mel says. That was nine years ago. “It had people waiting at the door at 6 o’clock every morning. The Elbo Room was a straight bar. Well, they called it a straight bar.”

Mel didn’t change the formula when he turned the Elbo Room into Score. Does he do well, business-wise, this early in the morning?

“Not as well as I used to,” he says. I ask why he thinks that is. “Not as many people are working night shifts,” he says, adding that more young people are starting to call Palm Springs home—and young people don’t get up so early.

Mel then points to a picture of him, taken when he himself was a young person, hanging on the wall. He was a Merchant Marine, he says. He’s smiling.

I

T’S 6:32 A.M. MEL, TOMMY AND I HAVE gone outside on the patio to watch the sunrise.

I spot the actor-singer-dancer just down the street, in front of Gay Mart USA. He’s talking to the man in the wheelchair who rolled by earlier. After the two have a brief discussion, the actor-singer-dancer gets behind the man in the wheelchair and begins to push him down the sidewalk. One can only guess where they’re going.

When I bemoan the fact that I am not usually up at this ungodly hour, Mel tells me he’s at the bar first thing every morning.

“People ask me what I do, and I tell them I clean the toilets and count the money,” he says with a smile.

I take the last sip of my Bloody Mary.

Unlike Mel, I am not a morning person. It’s time for me to go home.

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NOVEMBER 2015

CVI SPOTLIGHT: NOVEMBER 2015 The Riders Tip Their Hats to Roy Rogers

T

HE GROUP RIDERS IN THE SKY has been entertaining crowds since 1977 with cowboy music. In other words, you could say the band is knowledgeable about what they call the “cowboy way.”

It’s fitting that the group will bring a show saluting Roy Rogers to the McCallum Theatre on Sunday, Nov. 15.

Riders in the Sky includes Ranger Doug (Douglas Green), Too Slim (Fred LaBour), Joey the Cowpolka King (Joey Miskulin) and Woody Paul (Paul Chrisman). The group has also been a hit with children thanks to a contribution to the Toy Story soundtrack, an appearance on Barney and Friends and TV shows of the group’s own.

During a recent phone interview, Ranger Doug said the salute to Roy Rogers is based on a recently released album.

“We have a new album coming out called Riders in the Sky Salute Roy Rogers, the King of the Cowboys. We’ve been doing the whole tour this past summer and fall with that theme in mind,” he said. “We’ll be doing a lot of material from his movies and recording career. We’ll be showing two-minute clips of the movies and mixing that all in with our regular humor and the regular songs people have heard us play through the years.”

Riders in the Sky has done similar salutes to other figures in cowboy music and has covered a variety of classic cowboy songs. It makes sense the group would do the same for Roy Rogers.

“He was the king of the cowboys and our boyhood hero,” he said. “He and Gene Autry were pretty much the demigods of the singing cowboys. We saluted Gene Autry 10 years ago with an album of his tunes, and we felt it was the time to do it for Roy. A lot of people don’t realize he was one of the founding members of the Sons of the Pioneers. He was with the group for four years before he broke into movies and (moved on) as a solo artist.”

Ranger Doug said many of the songs in the show come from Rogers’ films.

“Some of the songs will be very familiar,” Ranger Doug said. “Don’t Fence Me In was the title of one of his movies. They didn’t have what you’d really call country music

then, but he had more country hits than Bing Crosby had pop hits. There will be some more obscure things, too, and those are fun.

We have a couple of real enjoyable things like ‘Hawaiian Cowboy’ and ‘A Gay Ranchero,’ which are movie titles from the ’40s. We started out with about 20 songs to choose from that we thought were interesting and fun.”

Ranger Doug said the members do all they can to keep shows fresh and new—both to themselves and to fans.

“There’s a lot of interplay that goes onstage that keeps it fresh for us,” he said.

“We also rotate the material, and we don’t do the same show night after night—maybe a little bit more (of the same) in the case of the Roy Rogers tour, but there’s still plenty of flexibility. We take requests, and we feed off the audience; if someone says something funny or something strange happens, and we just roll with it. We always like to ad lib and be flexible. … Joey and Woody are brilliant improvisers, so there’s always some new musical candy you haven’t heard before.”

Each of the members of Riders in the Sky has a unique history. Fred LaBour (Too Slim) has a master’s degree in wildlife management from the University of Michigan, and was also a co-author of a satirical article about Paul McCartney that started the “Paul Is Dead” urban legend. Joey Miskulin (Joey the Cowpolka King) was a close friend of polka legend Frankie Yankovic; he formed a professional relationship with Yankovic when Miskulin was just a teenager. Paul Chrisman (Woody Paul) has a doctorate in physics from MIT. Ranger Doug has a master’s degree in literature from Vanderbilt University. In fact, he recently read his way through 1001 Books to Read Before You Die. “Too Slim got me this book, 1001 Books to Read Before You Die, for Christmas one year.

He knew I liked to keep a list of books, and I said, ‘I have a master’s, and I’ve read most of these things.’ Well, no,” he said with a laugh.

“I had only read 249 of them. It became somewhat of a mission to knock them all down. I’m glad I did, because I’d never read any Charles Dickens before, except for A Tale of Two Cities. I ended up getting a whole lot

Riders in the Sky.

of Dickens under my belt, and George Elliot; and I had read some of the hard stuff like James Joyce, but it was fun. Some of them I loved, and there were some new authors I found who were really fun, and some were like pulling teeth.”

The list includes four books by Thomas Pynchon, known for his unorthodox and confusing writing style.

“That’s a hard one to get your brain around. I fought that battle; yep, I sure did,” Ranger Doug said, with a laugh, about the author’s works. “If I hadn’t been on this quest, I would have given up on it.”

Ranger Doug said it’s been a while since the Riders in the Sky went into the studio to record the group’s own works.

“It’s been a long time since we’ve done

an album without a theme,” he said. “We recorded an inspirational album; we recorded an album with a symphony; and we recorded an album with Wilford Brimley, but we haven’t done just a regular Riders album in a number of years—an album where we mix our own tunes with stuff we’ve discovered, or the well-known stuff. … I’d like to do that again.”

Riders in the Sky Salute Roy Rogers takes place at 3 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 15, at the McCallum Theatre, 73000 Fred Waring Drive, in Palm Desert. Tickets are $17 to $47. For tickets or more information, call 760-340-2787, or visit www.mccallumtheatre.com.

—Brian Blueskye

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NOVEMBER 2015

ARTS & CULTURE

LAYERS OF PRIDE Lee Balan’s Digital Works Star in a New Exhibit at Woodman/Shimko Gallery

WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/ARTS-AND-CULTURE

By Victor Barocas ee Balan is well-known as the town crier, of sorts, for the area’s arts. He gathers information about receptions, events, performances and exhibits throughout the Coachella Valley and High Desert, and sends it to anyone who wants it.

However, many people don’t know about Balan’s talents as a visual artist.

Some of his newer works will be on exhibit at Woodman/Shimko Gallery in a Gay Pride-themed show, starting with a reception on Friday, Nov. 6.

Before moving to the desert from the San Francisco Bay Area more than a decade ago, Balan frequently integrated his art with his other professional responsibilities. For example, Balan, as the director of a San Francisco mentalhealth program called The Clubhouse, demonstrated how creative efforts can be effective tools when working with the mentally ill.

Some might consider Balan’s current arts emphasis—the digital manipulation of visual images—quite different from the assemblages and sculptures he created during his time in the Bay Area. However, that assessment is inaccurate: His work consistently shows his ability to reinterpret, rethink and ultimately give new meaning to an existing object or picture. Balan notes that he began exploring digital art back in the 1980s with what is now considered a computer relic: a Commodore Amiga.

The works being exhibited at Woodman/ Shimko reflect Balan’s expert application of Photoshop tools. Balan begins with an isolated individual image; he then creates layers by melding and superimposing images to create a total composition.

In this show, the only work in which he does not layer various images is “Freedom.”

Here, a woman in white rides atop a black-andwhite horse. The entire background is black.

However, Balan does two things to make this image complex and dynamic. The first involves his angling of the horse and rider: Using a technique developed by Asian artists and later explored by the French Impressionists, Balan positions the horse and rider at an angle, creating both depth and motion. Second is the addition of a colored banner. Against the stark black-and-white composition, the multicolored flag breaks the monotony of what would otherwise be an overly stark and possibly boring image.

Layering and not-so-delicate shading are at the core of “Guardians.” Below Buddha’s eyes, a Christ-like figure presides over a forwardfacing nude angel, seated with his arms wrapped around his knees. Behind the central figure’s right and left are two additional angels: CVIndependent.com

one profiled, but facing outward; the second is farther back in space, perhaps disappearing into the distance. The mood of “Guardians” is unsettling and eerie. The potentially peaceful nature suggested by the Christ figure and Buddha’s eyes is disrupted by the positioning of the angels, the electric colors and the shading.

Balan uses layering to play with one’s experience of space and time in “The Park,” using a technique reminiscent of that of Peter Milton. However, Balan—unlike Milton— includes greens, oranges and yellows, creating depth that is more explicit than implicit.

Thanks to the layering, the positioning of the picture’s elements appears to be changing.

The composition is populated with trees that might appear in a classic drypoint or etching; Balan then embeds various figures—primarily young, attractive men. In the center of the composition, floating amidst the trees, is a Ferris wheel.

In addition to his work as a visual artist, Lee Balan is a poet and author who maintains an active blog. The artist welcomes comments on his poetry, short stories and essays at leebalanarts.wordpress.com.

“Guardians” by Lee Balan.

“The Park” by Lee Balan.

THE OPENING FOR LEE BALAN’S GAY PRIDE-THEMED EXHIBIT TAKES PLACE FROM 5 TO 9 P.M., FRIDAY, NOV. 6, AT WOODMAN/SHIMKO GALLERY, 1105 N. PALM CANYON DRIVE, IN PALM SPRINGS, AND THE EXHIBIT WILL REMAIN ON DISPLAY THROUGH THURSDAY, NOV. 19. FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL 760-322-1230, OR VISIT THE EVENT’S FACEBOOK PAGE AT WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/EVENTS/1067997383218435.

“Freedom” by Lee Balan (cropped).

Lee Balan.

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 21

NOVEMBER 2015

ARTS & CULTURE

SWEET, SWEET HONEY Local Grammy Winner Ric Marlow Publishes a Book of Poems and Lyrics

WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/ARTS-AND-CULTURE

By Bonnie Gilgallon usic aficionados 40 and older are probably familiar with the haunting, Grammy-winning tune “A Taste of Honey,” made famous

by Barbra Streisand, Herb Alpert, and The Beatles, among others.

However, those music aficionados may not know the guy who penned it: desert resident Ric Marlow. He recently released a compilation of poetry and song lyrics, with a theme of love, called Tastes of Honey.

Born in the Bronx on Dec. 21, 1925, Marlow grew up on Long Island. As he sang, Marlow took other jobs to survive, including hauling cement, building tennis courts and driving a cab. He says his best non-musical job was demonstrating pogo sticks in the toy department at Macy’s.

However, Marlow has always been, first and foremost, a singer.

“It’s an easy gig,” he said.

After high school, Marlow attended New York University, and then joined the Army; his stint lasted a total of seven months. Upon reviewing Marlow’s application for officer candidate school, the Army decided the fractured skull he suffered in a childhood diving accident made him unsuitable.

His musical ambitions were helped along by an aunt who was the secretary to the president of Chappell Music. His vocal talents later took him to Florida, where he married and had a daughter, who is now 68. Then he went back to New York. In between singing gigs, he worked in the garment industry, selling fabric to design houses. After divorcing, Marlow headed to L.A. in 1951. He was entertainment director at an uncle’s dude ranch.

Marlow joined the Screen Actors Guild in 1959, and carved out a successful TV career, with appearances on 46 television shows. He was always robbing someone, killing someone— or being bumped off himself. He appeared on Sea Hunt with Lloyd Bridges on five separate occasions.

However, his career-defining moment came in 1960. Marlow’s former pianist, Bobby Scott, had been hired to write incidental music for a new play in New York called A Taste of Honey. The play was written by a young Irish girl named Shelagh Delaney, and the original Broadway version starred Angela Lansbury, Joan Plowright and a very young Billy Dee Williams.

As Marlow puts it, a week before the opening, Scott called Marlow from rehearsal and said: “Marlow, we’re in trouble.” Marlow responded: “What do you mean WE are in trouble?”

Scott explained that the director, Ric Marlow with his new book.

Tony Richardson, wanted a ballad at the end of the second act, when the sailor leaves. Scott was stuck, and felt that since Marlow had been at all of the rehearsals, he knew the play well enough to come up with something. That something became “A Taste of Honey.”

The song later became a hit on the radio. It’s been recorded by many great vocalists, including Tony Bennett, Peggy Lee, Johnny Mathis and Andy Williams.

It was the version recorded by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass that won the most awards. When the Grammys rolled around in 1966, “A Taste of Honey” won the award for Best Instrumental Arrangement and Best Instrumental Performance.

Not bad, especially considering it’s the first song Marlow ever wrote. He said he does not feel it’s even close to being the best song he’s written—but he still smiles when he takes those royalty checks to the bank.

His new book, Tastes of Honey, has been a 53-year labor of love, he said. The compilation of poetry and song lyrics focuses on love— wondering about it, finding it, enjoying it, losing it and then dealing with the loss.

Marlow has been married five times, and widowed once. When asked about his philosophy of life, Ric paused a moment, then recited one of the poems included in the book: I think I’ve lost my place in time For here I am, a man of rhyme Who wiles away the idle hours Spouting lyrics to the flowers Thinking thoughts of love, not hate Not too stupid, not too great Not too skilled at magic art Playing life as just a part Spinning through each lifetime’s maze In search of purple passion days.

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NOVEMBER 2015

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NOVEMBER 2015

FOOD & DRINK

the SNIFF CAP Meet the Don and the Rim Fire Red

WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/FOOD-DRINK

By Deidre Pike he Rim of the World was in flames in the late summer and fall of 2013. Dawn came morning after morning with smoldering red-orange skylines.

By the time the conflagration was contained, the Yosemite Rim Fire had burned 400 square miles, making it the third-largest wildfire in California’s history. Wide swaths of charred hills and valleys were left in its wake.

Spared from flames were tempranillo grapes in the Zuni Vineyard, on the canyon’s far edges. Gas and carbon vapors, however, penetrated the grapes’ thin skins for more than 40 days.

Now those grapes are wine.

“You can taste that smoke,” says Lisette Sweetland. She’s pouring the 2013 Tempranillo at Inner Sanctum Cellars. We’re visiting the winery’s tasting room in Jamestown, a few miles west of Yosemite. “It affected the wine in interesting ways.”

You can’t predict the impact of a disaster, manmade or natural. Not for months or years.

Maybe not ever.

Sweetland tips the wine into my glass. Folks have nicknamed this the Rim Fire Red, she says.

Her description of smoke gives me pause.

I’m not a fan of wine that tastes like the underside of a grill—even if I am pairing that wine with barbecued meat.

Inner Sanctum’s 2013 Torro 3 Tempranillo defies expectations. Notes of charred air are there, yes, but these subtle tones are balanced expertly with brighter eruptions of growing things—savory herbs and brambly berries.

I’m impressed. What does it take to coax this complexity from grapes that spent the weeks before harvest saturated in smoke? A masterful winemaker.

In Tuolumne County, this guru of grapes is Chuck Hovey. My husband, Dave, and I are fans of Hovey’s art.

Hovey, 60, got his start at J. Lohr Winery in San Jose, and made wines at Stevenot Winery in Murphys for more than 20 years. Hovey’s brilliance there translated to more than 500 wine awards in various competitions. In fact, Stevenot’s 2006 Tempranillo was the Pike house wine five or six years ago, notable for its excellence and affordability. We bought it by the case ($99) for ourselves and shared with appreciative friends.

In 2008, Hovey started his own label, Hovey Wine. He’s also the consulting winemaker for Gianelli Vineyards, Inner Sanctum Cellars and

Bodega del Sur Winery in Murphys.

Hovey is a legend in Tuolumne and Calaveras county wine-making. Now the legend is facing his own fires. Over the summer, Hovey survived two strokes and had to have a craniectomy. His son Kyle Hovey created a GoFundMe page to help pay for his dad’s medical care. To date, the site has received more than $44,000 in contributions.

While Hovey recovers this fall, his shoes are being filled by wine-making apprentice Cody LaPertche. The apprentice told a local reporter he’s doing his best to stick to what he’s learned from Hovey.

“Every day, coming in, I feel like he’s got his hand on my shoulder,” LaPertche told a reporter for The Union-Democrat (Sonora, Calif.). “Every single day, we come in thinking, ‘What would Chuck do?’”

In the meantime, Hovey’s winemaking influence is widely felt. At the Gianelli Vineyards tasting room in Jamestown, Dave and I encounter a dozen award-winning wines that Hovey crafted from grapes grown a few miles out of town.

I’d heard good things about Gianelli. A list of 2013 distinctions includes 11 wines that won a combined 26 awards. Gianelli’s 2010 Aglianico, for example, won Best of Class in the 2013 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, and Double Gold in the San Francisco International Wine Competition.

Of the wines we taste, Dave and I like ’em all. That’s unusual. Nothing strikes us as bland or acidic or even less than fabulous. Several are so delicious that we roll our eyes back and make happy sighs. Dave buys a few bottles, including the 2011 Aglianico ($27) and a delectable 2010 Dolcetto ($22).

Inner Sanctum’s tasting room is a few doors down from Gianelli. Between the two is a panfor-nuggets tourist shop. This is gold country, after all.

Gianelli’s 2011 “The Don” Barbera won four awards in 2014, including a Double Gold at the Calaveras Wine Competition, and a silver in Sunset’s International Wine Competition.

The “Don,” in this case, is wine-grower Ron Gianelli. And Inner Sanctum’s wine notes describe the wine as “flawlessly created by master winemaker Chuck Hovey.”

While we’re chatting with Sweetland, others pop in to ask about The Don. “We’re out of the barbera,” Sweetland says, “but you’re more than welcome to come on in!”

Sweetland, though an experienced tastingroom employee, hasn’t worked here long. She’s company manager for the Sierra Repertory Theatre as well.

“This is my fun job,” she says.

Sweetland fell in love with Inner Sanctum because of the Torro 3. On a recent birthday, her partner was cooking up burgers with blue cheese and portobello mushrooms. Hoping for a spectacular pairing, she brought home the Rim Fire Red. The wine’s vintage recalled the tumult of that fall. Sweetland had been pregnant. Her midwife had advised staying home, and not going out to breathe the dangerous air.

“But I had to work,” she says now. She recalls how the layers of smoke converged on most afternoons to form a mushroom cloud. “It was apocalyptic,” she says.

And the wine?

“It’s a barbecue in a bottle,” she says. “I thought I had died and gone to heaven.”

Lisette Sweetland is pouring the 2013 Torro 3 Tempranillo at Inner Sanctum Cellars. “It’s a barbecue in a bottle,” she says. DEIDRE PIKE

Before we leave, Sweetland recommends dinner at The Standard Pour in Sonora, a newish establishment created by veteran area foodies.

Though perhaps more widely known for craft beers, The Standard Pour offers a few Inner Sanctum wines. I order a glass of the Rim Fire Red, pairing it with a tangy brussels sprout and bacon appetizer. Then, because it can’t hurt to ask: Do they possess any of Inner Sanctum’s sold-out barbera? They do!

For dessert, I drink The Don, toasting the fine work of winemaker Hovey, and offering best wishes for his full and speedy recovery.

Gorgeous liquid, this. Salute!

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NOVEMBER 2015

the

FOOD & DRINK On Thursday, Nov. 5, It’s All About Stout WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/FOOD-DRINK

By Erin Peters tout beers offer a soft, almost chewy richness—unlike any lager.

The sharp and roasted yet creamy flavor is delicious any time of the year—but these beers are especially lovely when the temperatures start to drop. These darker beers pack a cornucopia of flavors, with plenty of alcohol by volume to keep you warm and toasty.

It’s time to celebrate these beers: The Fifth Annual International Stout Day (an event I helped create) will be celebrated around the world on Thursday, Nov. 5.

International Stout Day has become a day of delicious celebration, a time when we salute this rich and complex style—and the brewers who craft it.

On this fine, roasted-malt-infused day, I recommend checking out some of these delicious beers: Deschutes Brewery Obsidian Stout: Sharp coffee flavors and full-bodied hop bitterness are prominent, while the beer provides the warmth that’s common among great stouts.

Espresso and dark chocolate notes lead the way.

Noticeable in the background are touches of molasses and sweet milk chocolate. This is an incredibly well-crafted and well-balanced beer.

Surly Brewing Darkness: The massive Russian Imperial Stout uses Belgian dark and candi sugar, and features a different artist on the label every year. This year’s artwork is a nightmare bat. The world-class 10.3 percent alcohol-by- volume stout is now aged in whiskey

barrels and offers an incredibly silky mouthfeel. There’s a ton of tart cherry, brown sugar, dark chocolate, molasses and date—offering the perfect level of complexity. The beer even has a day dedicated to it, when dark-beer lovers descended upon the gates of Surly in late October.

imperial stout has massive bitter chocolate and coffee aromas, with layers of raisins, bourbon and butterscotch. Sweet caramel and toffee flavors in the beginning blend seamlessly with vanilla, coconut and oak flavors. A nearby roaster delivers an extra helping of coffee for added depth and flavor.

Great Divide Yeti Imperial Stout: This beer can be enjoyed any time of the year—but it’s especially fantastic during the winter months. The 9.5 percent ABV beer has a massive caramel and burnt-coffee malt backbone, with hints of dark fruit. The flavors layer beautifully and lend to a rich and creamy mouth-feel.

Firestone Walker Velvet Merkin: This 2010 and 2011 Great American Beer Festival gold-medal winner starts out as the lovely 5.5 percent ABV Velvet Merlin Oatmeal Stout.

Barrel-aging raises the ABV to 8.5 percent—and turns the beer into a decadent and incredibly drinkable stout. Dark-chocolate truffle, toffee, vanilla and coffee dominate the nose. The taste is only slightly muted, with notes of raisins, spicy oak, marshmallows and bourbon. It’s a beautifully balanced beer.

Alaskan Smoked Porter: Coming in with a relatively low 6.5 percent ABV, this beer has some extra flavor thanks to special smoked malts. Known as “rauchbier” in Germany, smoke-flavored beer didn’t really exist in the United States until Alaskan Brewery developed it in 1988. This brew has a nice, earthy character. Smoked chocolate, dark fruit and molasses all come through in this classic porter.

Keep a look out for limited vintages on Nov. 1.

Anderson Valley Barley Flats Oatmeal Stout: Oatmeal is added to this brew for a silky smoothness—and a touch of sweetness. It’s a sweet appetizer beer. The taste is simpler and more candid than the European stouts. Roasted barley, caramel malt and velvety-smooth coffee dominate while sweet oats linger on the aftertaste.

Brooklyn Brewery Black Chocolate Imperial Stout: No actual chocolate is used in this beer—but the use of roasted malt and the process by which the grains are roasted give it similar flavors and nuances. With this decadent beer, you’ll not only pick up notes of chocolate, but coffee, vanilla, toasted bread crust, licorice and dark cherry. The mouth-feel is lovely with this indulgent 10 percent ABV beer.

AleSmith Brewing Bourbon Barrel Aged Speedway Stout: This beer is not for the faint of heart. This 12 percent ABV barrel-aged CVIndependent.com

Goose Island Bourbon County Stout: The brewers’ notes indicate an intense mix of charred oak, chocolate, vanilla, caramel and smoke. The appropriately named beer won a gold medal in 2006 at the World Beer Cup Awards in the Wood and Barrel Aged beer category. Bittersweet cocoa powder, molasses, fig jam, vanilla and toasted coconut flavors create a lovely beer.

Boulevard Imperial Stout: This is a special blend of barrel-aged beers coming in at 11.8 percent ABV. Grainy toastiness, oak, coffee and spicy hops balance beautifully with date, brown sugar and plum notes. The imperial stout is a blend of fresh beer and several barrel-aged beers. Spice, chocolate and hovering alcohol warmth play a big part in this balanced beer’s charm. Serve in a tulip glass, and pair with roasted meat or smoked cheeses.

Locally, Coachella Valley Brewing Co. will have its Black Widow and Whopper stouts ready for Nov 5.

Don’t forget to check in to Untappd on Nov. 5 to grab your special edition badge. Unlock it by checking into any style stout on that day.

Raise your glass to this historic and iconic beer style—and toast the craft beer revolution.

Visit stoutday.com for more information.

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 25

NOVEMBER 2015

Supporters of the Independent Program Newspapers today are charging more and more for their content.

However, the work done by the award-winning Coachella Valley Independent has been— and always will be—available to all, free of charge.

We will never put up a paywall. We will never charge for a subscription.

However, we are now offering readers an opportunity to support us voluntarily in doing what we do, via the Supporters of the Independent Program.

Readers can make one-time, monthly or annual contributions to the Independent—and receive some great perks while doing so.

Title supporter: $5,000 (or $417 per month) • Get listed prominently on every page of CVIndependent.com as the website’s sponsor for an entire year.

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Major supporter: $2,500 (or $208 per month) • Receive three quarter-page print ads over one year to donate to the charity of your choice.

• Have lunch with the publisher.

• Get invited to regular supporter-only parties and events.

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• Have lunch with the publisher.

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• Receive $10 in Independent Market credit every month!

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• Receive $5 in Independent Market credit every month!

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Or contribute any amount you choose!

There are three easy ways to contribute: 1. Go to CVIndependent.com and use PayPal or a credit card.

2. Email donate@cvindependent.com to make arrangements.

3. Mail a check or money order to: Coachella Valley Independent 31855 Date Palm Drive, No. 3-263 Cathedral City, CA 92234 Note that since the Independent is not a nonprofit entity, contributions are NOT tax-deductible.

However, we here at the Independent really, really appreciate them!

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NOVEMBER 2015

FOOD & DRINK the

INDY ENDORSEMENT

This Month, Enjoy a Burger and a Brownie WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/FOOD-DRINK

By Jimmy Boegle WHAT The American Breakfast Burger WHERE Tony’s Burgers, 35903 Date Palm Drive, Cathedral City HOW MUCH $7.95 CONTACT 760-832-7794; www.tonysburgers.com WHY Simply put, it’s a really good burger At the northwest corner of Date Palm and Gerald Ford drives sits a nondescript strip mall. It’s notable, sort of, for two reasons: One, it’s anchored by a gym that recently moved into a long-vacant spot once occupied by a supermarket; and two, there is a ton of great food in this li’l, ho-hum-looking center.

There’s yummy Thai/Asian joint Bangkok Noodles. Popular breakfast/lunch spot Michael’s Café. Solid Indian restaurant India Oven. The fantastic Cello’s Bistro.

And now this shopping center is home to fantastic burgers, thanks to Tony’s.

Tony’s Burgers opened not too long ago in the space that once housed Paradiso. I’d seen some online raves about the place—owned by a longtime chef at Grill-A-Burger—so I decided to stop in recently when I was in the area.

I’m glad I did. Tony’s menu includes breakfast items, salads, appetizers, hot dogs and several special items. Of course, since “Burger’s” is in the restaurant’s name, I had to get a burger, and I decided on the American breakfast, which includes fried egg (yes!), bacon (yes!!), cheddar, grilled onions, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and mayo, all placed between a regular bun.

I only have two minor complaints: One, this burger came out medium-well, and I like my burger more on the medium side. Second: It was so big and thick that it was damn near impossible to get the thing in my mouth. But when I did manage to get a proper bite … damn, was it tasty. It was perfectly seasoned, nicely juicy and overall fantastic. And the price wasn’t bad, either. (However, the $7.95 covers the burger, and nothing else; if you want fries, you’ll need to shell out at least another $3.50 for a half-order, and more if you want Cajun, parmesan, truffle, garlic or avocado fries.)

Yes, foodies: We now have yet another reason to head to Date Palm and Gerald Ford.

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WHAT The brownie WHERE: Aspen Mills Bakery and Bread Company, 555 S. Sunrise Way, in Palm Springs; also located at the Rancho Mirage Library (71100 Highway 111, Rancho Mirage) and at Clark’s Nutrition (34175 Monterey Ave., Rancho Mirage) HOW MUCH $2.95 CONTACT 760-323-3123; www.aspenmillsps.com WHY Chocolate yumminess.

My favorite time to visit Aspen Mills’ main location in Palm Springs is the late afternoon.

It’s calm. It’s quiet. And the smell inside is stupendous. The air is full of the scents of muffins and cookies and breads—oh, those amazing breads—being lovingly baked.

But on a recent late-afternoon visit to Aspen Mills, I wasn’t looking for muffins, cookies or even breads. No, I was craving chocolate.

I was there to get an Aspen Mills brownie.

The picture here doesn’t do justice to the size of this brownie: It has the dimensions of a small brick, more or less—and every single bite of this brick is pure chocolate nirvana.

Not only is the flavor fantastic; the texture is near-perfect: The brownie is flaky and just a little crispy on the outside, and moist yet firm on the inside.

If you’ve ever had a splendid sandwich at Aspen Mills, you get the gist of what these brownies are all about, because every sandwich comes with a little brownie. But you can’t fully understand what these brownies are about until you get a full-sized one (available with or without nuts, by the way) when you’re in the midst of a chocolate craving. These brownies aren’t just desserts, no; they’re a salve that soothes chocolate cravings—and makes life just a little bit better all around.

If you’re ever having a bad day, I recommend visiting Aspen Mills in the late afternoon.

You’ll walk out feeling better about things— guaranteed. Especially if you’re carrying a brownie.

NOVEMBER 2015

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NOVEMBER 2015

FOOD & DRINK

Restaurant NEWS BITES WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/FOOD-DRINK

By Jimmy Boegle THE FALLS STEAKHOUSE, R.I.P. The Falls, the steakhouse known for its gorgeous downtown Palm Springs views and bubbling martinis (thanks to the addition of dry ice), has closed for good.

“After 15 years, we have closed the doors of The Falls,” reads a message on the restaurant’s website. “Our lease was up, and we decided to pursue other interests. It has been a privilege serving Palm Springs for so long.”

The Independent sent a message via The Falls’ Facebook page seeking further comment, but had not yet received a response as of our press deadline.

As is the case when any long-tenured restaurant closes its doors, the demise of The Falls saddened many people who spent special times there. I first learned of the closure from a friend on Facebook who was bemoaning the fact that he could not go there to celebrate his anniversary with his husband; I personally have fond memories of a memorable New Year’s Eve dinner there.

However, life goes on. We’ll keep our eyes on this prime space, at 155 S. Palm Canyon Drive— overlooking the Sonny Bono statue—to see what comes next.

PLATE | GLASS MOVING TO RANCHO MIRAGE; SLATED TO REOPEN IN 2016 Larry Abel and Raymond McCallister shocked a lot of people with their recent announcement that they were moving their Raymond | Lawrence store from uptown Palm Springs to, of all places, The River in Rancho Mirage.

Turns out they’re taking their Plate | Glass restaurant with them.

The dessert and small-plates bar and restaurant, on the second floor at 301 N. Palm Canyon Drive in Palm Springs, closed suddenly in early July, with a promise from owners Abel and McCallister that Plate | Glass would be back in October. It became apparent several weeks ago that such would not be the case, when “for lease” signs appeared at the space.

However, on Oct. 22, Abel and McCallister announced that Plate | Glass would join Raymond | Lawrence and their other popular business, Party Lab, in their large new space at The River, located at 71800 Highway 111 in Rancho Mirage.

“In early 2016, Plate | Glass will return to its original concept, offering desserts, coffee and cocktails,” said a news release.

Raymond | Lawrence and Party Lab will celebrate a grand opening from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 5. As for Plate | Glass, watch www.facebook.com/plateglassps for updates.

IN BRIEF So•Pa, the restaurant that’s been gaining acclaim at the L’Horizon Resort and Spa thanks in part to the fact that its chef, Giacomo Pettinari, has a Michelin star to his credit, is now open for all three meals of the day. The resort is located at 1050 E. Palm Canyon Drive; open your wallets, and head to lhorizonpalmsprings.com/sopa-restaurant for menus and other details. … Rooster and the Pig, one of the area’s most talked-about new restaurants thanks to its intriguing fusion of Vietnamese-American fare, is temporarily closed for renovations and repairs. Keep your fingers crossed for a re-opening at 355 S. Indian Canyon Drive sometime in November. Watch Rooster and the Pig’s Facebook page for the latest news. … We’re hearing rumors that the former Dink’s space, at 2080 N. Palm Canyon Drive in Palm Springs, may be getting closer to a reopening with a new name and revamped concept. Of course, we’ve heard similar rumors before. We’ll keep you posted. … Mark your calendars for the Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce’s Business Expo and Taste of Palm Springs, taking place from 5 to 9 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 10, at Colony 29, located at 147 S. Tahquitz Drive, up against the mountain in downtown Palm Springs. More than 25 area restaurants will be participating. Entrance to the expo is free, but wristbands that allow participants to taste food are $10; if you want beer and wine as well, it’ll cost you $25. Get details and buy wristbands at pschamber.org. … Meanwhile, down in Indio, the inaugural Indio California State BBQ Championship and Festival is slated to take place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 14, at The Lights at Indio Golf Course, at 83040 Avenue 42. Up to 50 of the state’s best pit-masters are set to battle for a prize pool of up to $10,000. Live music and craft beer will be on offer at the event. Admission is free, although we’d be surprised if there’s not a charge for food and drink. Get more info by calling the Indio Chamber of Commerce at 760-347-0676, or visiting www.discoverindio.com.

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NOVEMBER 2015

•• Meet Thr3 Strykes, the Granddaddies of Local Rap •• Get on the Bus: The 111 Music Festival is Back •• Palm Desert's Lee Silver Gets Some Love From TV Producers •• The Lucky 13, Part 1: Meet a Surf-Rock Frontwoman •• The Lucky 13, Part 2: Meet a Fine Bartender From the Hood www.cvindependent.com/music

Melissa Etheridge Makes a Pride-Time Date at Morongo.

That and Much More in The Blueskye Report.

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AN LGBT ICON

COMES TO TOWN

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NOVEMBER 2015

MUSIC

THE GRANDDADDIES

OF LOCAL RAP Thr3 Strykes Enjoys Its Not-So-Overnight Success

WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/MUSIC

By Brian Blueskye hr3 Strykes is best known for hip hop, although the group sometimes throws in a punk-rock set.

Catch Thr3 Strykes at the STREET party at the Westfield Palm Desert on Saturday, Nov. 7.

During a recent interview, Josh Fimbres and Josh Hall talked about how much Thr3 Strykes has changed since its formation.

“During high school and after high school, I was in a lot of punk bands and played drums,” Fimbres said. “Anywhere we could play when I was a teenager, we played. I was in one band, and we even did a little mini-tour and had Island Records interested in us for a little bit.

“I did that for a long time, and our friend Jesse—who doesn’t even fuck with us anymore—we started rapping. We all grew up in La Quinta, and we’d do parties and other shit. We had the little 8-track analog recording, and we did ridiculous shit with cheap microphones from Toys ’R’ Us. We went from party to party with nothing else to do but memorize each other’s shit.”

Hall said, with a laugh, that the group became known for being “white guys who rap.”

What are some of Thr3 Strykes’ songs about?

“Some are political, and some are about partying,” Hall said.

Fimbres offered a different answer: “Some are just stupid shit we say to each other at 3 in the morning playing FIFA Soccer, over and over.”

There are not a lot of local rap acts in the Coachella Valley, beyond local rap artist J. Patron and Thr3 Strykes. Fimbres said he remembers when the hometown crowd wasn’t showing them a lot of love.

“When it’s all said and done, and we’re 45 and still fucking rapping, or not rapping: We were doing it back when people were rejecting us, and venue owners we’re saying, ‘No, you can’t play here.’ Years later, we’re still doing it … .”

“All of a sudden nowadays, with J. Patron, who is a close friend of ours, we’re getting noticed. That’s what I’m going to hang my hat on.”

Hall remembered one of the first shows that helped the group get noticed.

“It was underground, and we were different.

We were influenced by punk rock,” he said.

“People wouldn’t accept us for years and

years—and then we realized people were starting to come to our shows. They started accepting us more and more, and trying to be our friends. I remember one year, they invited us to play at Chicago Freddy’s, which is now Cactus Jack’s, and we were super hyped up. It was cool, and it was one of our premieres. But we had (a person) who is now an ex-member jump off stage and punch a guy in the nose.

It probably wasn’t the best first impression.

But we came back in; people loved it and went insane, even with the little bit of drama that happened.”

While sitting in The Hood being interviewed, Fimbres remembered when Thr3 Strykes was not welcome there, either.

“We’ve been kicked out of a lot of places,” he said. “For a lot of years, they didn’t want us here at The Hood. Neither one of us were allowed here because of pre-show things or after-show things. We’re not crazy, and we’re not the first fucking band to deal with a crazy following or crowd. It’s always been someone stepping on our neck … but then we get these huge shows, opening for Bone Thugs-nHarmony.”

Fimbres elaborated: “We opened for (Bone Thugs-n-Harmony) twice. We’ve done enough shows where we can judge each show on the vibe and how good the set was, and both times we played with them, it was the best it could fucking get. The first show, and we’re talking in Indio, there were a lot of hard motherfuckers, and they were there to see Bone. They paid good money too—those tickets were 40 bucks!”

Thr3 Strykes has always had a DIY approach.

“We used to make little six-song EPs,” Fimbres said, “just burning them on CDs

Thr3 Strykes.

with CD burners. We’ve also done stuff over MySpace back in the day, and things like that.

Actual full length records—we just have the one that we put out in 2012 that’s 15 songs.

All of those were good, but they’re all over the place with reggae, hard shit and real heavy rap shit. In the middle of making this new one, we had seven or eight songs with Jesse (Brown), who isn’t playing with us anymore, and who we have some bad blood with, so we dropped those songs.”

That new record, Communication Breakdown, will be out soon.

“Josh and I have 15 songs for Communication Breakdown,” Fimbres said. “In actuality, this feels like our first record to me. This is us at the core of what we do. All 15 of these songs

are cohesive. They all go into each other. It’s our proudest shit to date right now.”

Hall agreed.

“Our producer, Tariq Beats, told us he loves it and says it’s one of the best albums he’s done, and he messes with a lot of big names in Los Angeles like French Montana and Xzibit.”

THR3 STRYKES WILL PERFORM DURING STREET, WHICH TAKES PLACE FROM 5 TO 10 P.M., SATURDAY, NOV. 7, AT THE WESTFIELD PALM DESERT, 72840 HIGHWAY 111, IN PALM DESERT. ADMISSION TO THE ALL-AGES EVENT IS FREE; VISIT WWW.WESTFIELD.COM FOR MORE INFORMATION. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THR3 STRYKES, VISIT WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/3STRYKES.

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MUSIC

TRAVELING TUNES The 111 Music Festival Returns to SunLine for a Second Year

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By Brian Blueskye hen the Coachella Valley Art Scene announced the first 111 Music Festival last year, the idea of putting local bands and DJs on SunLine buses seemed pretty crazy.

But the festival was a success—and the 111 Music Festival will return for a second year on Sunday, Nov. 1.

It will take place on the 19-mile long Route 111 Line from Palm Springs to Indio—and back again. Bands playing the festival include The Flusters, Alchemy, Brightener, CIVX, IIIz (formerly the Yip Yops), Machin’ and others.

The fare will be $3 for the whole festival; a one way ride will cost $1.

Coachella Valley Art Scene founder and director Sarah Scheideman and marketing director Ian Cush recently explained how they came up from the concept. (Full disclosure: I also do work for the Coachella Valley Art Scene.)

“It actually came from Portland,” Scheideman said. “I went up there (to Oregon), and I saw a much smaller version of it, and I thought it was a cool idea. I thought about doing it down here in the Coachella Valley. It was like, ‘They do it, so why can’t we do it?’”

Cush said there was no resistance to the idea when it was pitched to SunLine.

“The logistics of it is where there was a lot of worry,” Cush said. “I think we came in strong with the idea, and we were both passionate about the idea. I called them on the phone, and within two minutes, I had the CEO on the line. They were like, ‘Yes, we want to do something like this!’ Once they met us and realized we’re not completely crazy, it was more like, ‘How is this going to work?’ We still probably freaked them out every day.”

The festival results in no changes to the normal SunLine schedule.

“We didn’t want to change anything that they were already doing; we just wanted to add to it,” Scheideman said.

The response to the 111 Music Festival last year was quite positive.

“Ridership was good, but we could have had more riders,” Cush said. “I think there was a little worry the first time of, ‘Is every bus going to be full?’ It’s such a small venue. You put 30 people on there, and it’s packed. We CVIndependent.com

Machin’ performs at last year’s 111 Music Festival.

had a worry and said, ‘Let’s not go too crazy.’”

Playing on the bus isn’t hard for some bands, although others obviously cannot play on a bus. When I was discussing the idea with Dan Dillinger of Bridger, he remarked, “You think we could fit Katie (Cathcart’s) drum set on a bus?”

Cush said organizers talk to participating bands in advance about what they can and can’t bring.

“The nice thing about bands is they are road guerillas,” he said. “(Some) brought the full arsenal. We did have some inverters go down on the bus, and they just had to play acoustic. They also had some swinging mics, because things move on a bus. That’s what makes it cool, though: It’s live, and it’s a crazy event; everyone is in there together.”

There will be some changes to this year’s festival. Scheideman said an event in downtown Cathedral City has been added.

“This year, instead of having people get on the bus and not have any direction, we’re going to be directing traffic toward Cathedral City’s City Hall lawn, where we’re going to have a stage, and headlining bands performing on the stage,” she said. “You can ride the bus with the bands to (there), and they’ll perform on the stage, too.”

Cush said almost every city on the Route 111 Line has been supportive of the festival.

He added that he hopes next year’s fest has even more stages.

“Next year, the line will go all the way into Coachella. Coachella has been a donor; they see it coming, and they want to be a part of it,” he said.

THE 111 MUSIC FESTIVAL TAKES PLACE FROM 3 TO 10 P.M., SUNDAY, NOV. 1. FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT 111MUSICFESTIVAL.COM.

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NOVEMBER 2015

The Blueskye REPORT

NOVEMBER 2015

By Brian Blueskye

Happy November! Both the holiday season and the end of the year are approaching, and there are some fantastic events to talk about this month.

The McCallum Theatre is back in full swing.

At 8 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 21, jazz, pop, and R&B vocalist Al Jarreau will be stopping by.

Jarreau has won seven Grammy Awards and has released 15 studio albums. Tickets are $37 to $77. At 3 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 22, The Kingston Al Jarreau Trio will be appearing.

While none of the three current members are originals, they all have contributed over the years to the trio’s legacy as one of the bestselling and most-popular folk acts of all time.

Tickets are $32 to $67. McCallum Theatre, 73000 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert; 760340-2787; www.mccallumtheatre.com.

Fantasy Springs Resort Casino has a busy month full of great events. At 8 p.m., Friday, Nov. 6, San Francisco alternative-rock band Train will be performing. The three-time Grammy Award-winning band started in the ’90s opening for acts such as Hootie and the Blowfish, Barenaked Ladies and Cracker; today, the group is headlining shows

all around the world. In 2010, the single “Hey, Soul Sister” climbed the charts. As of 2012, it had sold 6 million copies! Tickets are $69 to $129. At 8 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 7, Art Garfunkel will be returning; he also performed at Fantasy Springs in 2014. While he’s known mostly for being half of Simon and Garfunkel, he’s released music on his own—as well as poetry. Tickets are $29 to $59. If you’re into puppets and comedy, you’ll be pleased to know that at 8 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 21, Terry Fator will be bringing his act to Fantasy Springs. After his 2007 victory on America’s Got Talent, he took the comedy world by storm. Tickets are $49 to $89. Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, 84245 Indio Springs Parkway, Indio; 760-342-5000; www.fantasyspringsresort.com.

Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa has an impressive November calendar. At 8 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 7, alternative band Goo Goo Dolls will be performing. I was a teenager when the Goo Goo Dolls hit it big with “Long Way Down” in 1995. A few years later, “Iris” was played over and over again on mainstream radio—and became the theme song for every high school prom. It never seemed to go away. In fact, I think our rock station in the Coachella Valley is still playing it. Tickets are $75 to $105. continued on Page 35

The B-52s

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MUSIC

OFF THE SHELF

AND ON TV

Palm Desert Resident Lee Silver’s Career Gains New Attention Thanks to Recent Love From Television Producers

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By Brian Blueskye he Royal Teens, Herb Alpert and Bobby Hart have something in common: They were all discovered by Lee Silver.

Silver started in the music business as a singer-songwriter and producer in New York in the early ’50s. Today, he calls Palm Desert home.

Before entering the music business, Silver served in the Army, and he worked as a mechanical engineer. However, it was hard to deny his first love—music. He’d been a performer since the age of 6, when he began singing and dancing onstage.

During a recent interview at his Sun City home, he discussed his start in the music business.

“When I was in the Army, I was stationed in Nashville. I fell in love with country music, and I’m a boy from Brooklyn,” Silver said. “There was no country music in Brooklyn during that time period. I remember producing a record in New York with an engineer who became so famous, Al Schmitt.

Schmitt worked with Natalie Cole and became an engineer at RCA. At that time, I was a young kid who produced a country record that I loved.

“One of the songs, ‘In the Valley of the Sun,’ went on to be in Breaking Bad during its last season.”

Silver said the song, performed under the pseudonym Buddy Stuart, was inspired by a visit to his sister in Arizona.

“I went to Los Angeles and made an inexpensive demo that sat on a shelf for 50 years,” he said. “A movie called The Hills Have Eyes came out, and the producer heard it, and he said he wanted to use it in the end credits. I said, ‘Go ahead!’ It got a little bit popular, and the producer and the director of Breaking Bad said, ‘Hey, we’d love to use that song in our show.’ They used it in a scene where they’re driving a truck.

“That was me singing a demo that I made for myself. I didn’t want to be an artist. I just made demos of the songs I wrote and sang on them. That sat on a shelf while I was producing so many people after that.”

Silver and Herb Alpert formed a professional relationship that led to hit records before Alpert eventually started A&M Records with Jerry Moss.

“Herb Alpert and I got together, and I gave him his first song, ‘Baby Talk,’ for a group he had that was called Jan and Dean, before A&M Records existed,” Silver said. “He asked me if CVIndependent.com

he could use the song, and I told him to go ahead. He did, and it became a No. 1 hit. Herb and I became partners in a record company called Lash Records, which was way before A&M. Lash stood for: L for Lee, A for Alpert, S for Silver, and H for Herb.”

All of Silver’s songs that have been featured on shows such as Damages, Mad Men and Breaking Bad are credited to Buddy Stuart.

“When you produce, you go to the record companies to show your product,” he explained. “I went to Capitol Records, Liberty Records, and they would say, ‘You wrote and sang on it, and you produced it, and you’re publishing it. We want half of the royalties.’

The next time I would visit the record companies, they would ask, ‘Who is singing on that?’ I would say, ‘Buddy Stuart.’ I gave them a phony name.

“That name stuck with me from that time on. I was on the labels as Buddy Stuart. They didn’t know that was me singing, because when you go to a record company, they know you have the artist signed, and the song, and you’re just giving them the master copy. That’s how the name stuck, and how I used it.”

Silver has 300 songs to his credit. His daughter manages his catalog and other master tapes he made as a producer. He told an amusing story about how the great Les Paul and his wife, Mary Ford, used a song he wrote called “Fire,” from which he never received any compensation or royalties.

“I wrote the song ‘Fire,’ and Les Paul and Mary Ford are appearing in New York, and I’m a young, aggressive kid. I waited behind the stage door when he came out, and I said, ‘Mr. Paul, I have a song for you.’ He said, ‘Give it to

Lee Silver with Herb Alpert.

me, son.’

“It was recorded on Capitol Records a month later. I was the writer; I gave it to Les Paul. I loved the guy, and I called him after a while.

Jody Reynolds owned a record store in Palm Springs, and we had a song of Les Paul’s, and I said, ‘Jody, we can’t release it unless we get his permission.’ He told me I could call Les at a specific number at 3 in the afternoon. I called him and said, ‘Les, remember the song called “Fire” that you recorded?’ He said, ‘I loved that song.’ I told him, ‘I NEVER GOT PAID!’ I never got any money for it—but he let us release that song of his.”

When Silver looks back on his career,

he’s proud of what he accomplished on his own terms. He especially takes pride in the ownership of his own catalog.

“There are people who are so talented who never made it at all in this business, and that’s who I feel bad for,” he said. “I have friends who were struggling every day and never had that hit to get them going. I feel fortunate because I did have a couple of hits, and I could have been very wealthy, but I also wanted to smell the roses. I didn’t really go crazy, and I did what I wanted to, and I built a big catalog in the process. I own my product, and a lot of guys who produced for different record companies do not own what they produced.”

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NOVEMBER 2015

The Blueskye REPORT continued from Page 33

The Cult

Train

At 8 p.m., Friday, Nov. 13, get ready to re-live the ‘80s, because The B-52s will be performing. The B-52s consistently released albums that sold well, and the band had its first mega-smash hit with “Love Shack” in 1989. However, I recommend listening to the 1979 self-titled debut album. It’s one of the greatest albums of all time, in my opinion.

While almost the entire original band remains intact, guitarist Ricky Wilson passed away in 1985, a victim of the AIDS epidemic.

Tickets are $65 to $95. The Show at Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa, 32250 Bob Hope Drive, Rancho Mirage; 888-999-1995; www. hotwatercasino.com.

Spotlight 29 Casino has a couple of fine events this month. At 8 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 21, The Cult will be performing. The Cult’s hard-rock sound has earned the band a great deal of success; “Fire Woman” and “She Sells Sanctuary” are rock staples. Did you know frontman Ian Astbury also performed with original members of the Doors as Manzarek-Krieger, or “The Doors of the 21st Century”? Tickets are $45 to $65. At 8 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 28, Damon Wayans will bring his standup comedy show to Spotlight 29. He was part of In Living Color with his brothers and his sister, and was best known for his character Homey D. Clown. Recently, Wayans found himself in hot water after he questioned statements by Bill Cosby’s rape victims, saying, “It’s a money hustle.” Tickets are $30 to $40. Spotlight 29 Casino, 46200 Harrison Place, Coachella; 760-775-5566; www.spotlight29.com.

Morongo Casino Resort Spa has one very notable event worth mentioning: At 9 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 7, Melissa Etheridge will take the stage. Etheridge became a hit singer-songwriter in the ’90s and has long been open about her sexuality as a lesbian.

Etheridge provided her song “I Need to Wake Up” to Al Gore’s 2006 documentary An Inconvenient Truth, and won an Academy Award for Best Original Patty Griffin Song. Tickets are $49

to $59. Morongo Casino Resort Spa, 49500 Seminole Drive, Cabazon; 800-252-4499; www. morongocasinoresort.com.

Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace continues to book great shows. At 7 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 7, Patty Griffin will play.

Griffin is known for performing folk and Americana music, but she also recorded a gospel album called Downtown Church, for which she won a Grammy Award. Tickets are $25. At 7 p.m., Friday, Nov. 13, Dave Alvin and Phil Alvin with the Guilty Ones will be performing. Both Dave Alvin and Phil Alvin have had extensive careers as roots rockers and alt-country performers. Dave Alvin was also a member of the punk band X for a brief period of time. Tickets are $20. Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace, 53688 Pioneertown Road, Pioneertown; 760-3655956; www.pappyandharriets.com.

The Date Shed is in full swing and is offering some interesting shows. At 8 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 7, The Kottonmouth Kings will be there. Since forming in 1994, the Kottonmouth Kings have been an oddity, performing “psychedelic hip-hop punk rock.”

The subject matter of the band’s songs is all over the map, including conspiracy theories and a love for David Icke. Tickets are $20 to $30. At 9 p.m., Friday, Nov. 13, it’ll be a ladies night to remember: DJ Kristina Sky will be appearing. The Los Angeles DJ is a big name in the EDM world and has performed all over the world. Also appearing on the bill are DJ Femme A, DJ Ivanna Love, and DJ Sugarfree. Tickets are $10 to $15. At 8:30 p.m., Friday, Nov. 20, get ready to party with Metalachi. It’s a mariachi band that performs metal music in the mariachi style.

Sounds like fun, right? Also on the bill are Aphrodisiac Jacket, and former Machin’ violinist Bri Cherry. Tickets are $15 to $20.

The Date Shed, 50725 Monroe St., Indio; 760775-6699; www.dateshedmusic.com.

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the

LUCKY 13

Meet a Surf-Rock Frontwoman and a Fantastic Bartender WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/MUSIC

Stephen “Fish” Ellsworth. TARVER MARSH

By Brian Blueskye Perla Martinez

Clearwater Revival, Gun Club and Blossom Dearie, to name a few.

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

Shoe-gazing, or “ambient music,” as James (our bassist) calls it. It’s not all bad, but it’s getting to be a bit of overkill.

What musical act, current or defunct, would you most like to see perform live?David Bowie in his glory days with his merry bunch of musical bandits.

What’s your favorite musical guilty pleasure?

“Fly Away” by Lenny Kravitz.

NAME Perla Martinez GROUP Venus and the Traps MORE INFO Venus and the Traps have been around for just about a year, but this surfrock band from the East Valley is quickly gaining notoriety. The group has played gigs at The Hood Bar and Pizza, Bart Lounge, the Coachella Valley Art Scene and various other venues. For more information, visit www. facebook.com/venusandthetraps.

What was the first concert you attended?

George Thorogood, B-B-B-Bad to the Bone. I attended with my aunt, uncle and mom. Many pelvic thrusts and middle-age crazed women later, my cherry was popped.

What was the first album you owned?

The Roll’n’Roll Era compilation set issued by Time Life. It was originally my mom’s, and I ended up taking it over as my own—and unfortunately scratched the hell out of most of them. I didn’t how to care for CDs back then.

What bands are you listening to right now?

Tough one. I listen to a lot of music. The last few bands I’ve been listening to are Creedence

What’s your favorite music venue?

The San Diego House of Blues. It’s big enough to get lost in a crowd, but cozy enough to see the artists sweat. I got to see The Adicts and Crystal Castles play there, and they were amazing.

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

“I rather stay here with all the mad men than perish with all the sad men roaming free,” David Bowie, “All the Madmen.”

What band or artist changed your life?

How? Gloria Trevi. Her song “Pelo Suelto” is a rebellion anthem for girls with wild hair. She didn’t care how crazy she looked to the world.

There’s no reversing the ways of Gloria Trevi.

What song should everyone listen to right now?

“Da Ya Think I’m Sexy” by Rod Stewart.

NAME Stephen “Fish” Ellsworth MORE INFO Stephen “Fish” Ellsworth is one of the more famous bartenders at The Hood Bar and Pizza, known for his exceptional bartending knowledge, his fast service—and his shenanigans while behind the bar. Fish is newly engaged, and he recently shared the news that his fiancée will be having a baby, so be sure to tip him well.

What was the first concert you attended?

Lynyrd Skynyrd.

What’s your favorite music venue?

The Coachella Valley Music and Arts and Festival.

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

“Dayman. Aaaaahhhhaa! Fighter of the Nightman! Champion of the sun, you’re a master of a karate, and friendship for everyone,” “The Dayman,” from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

What band or artist changed your life?

How? Amigo the Devil. It’s enlightening folk music.

What was the first album you owned?

Megadeth, Countdown to Extinction.

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

I would ask Tenacious D how they get their inspiration.

What bands are you listening to right now?

Everything.

What song would you like played at your funeral?

“The Funeral” by Band of Horses.

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

Psy, “Gangnam Style.”

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

Silent Alarm, Bloc Party.

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

Band of Horses.

What song should everyone listen to right now?

“Midnight City” by M83.

What’s your favorite musical guilty pleasure?

Sia.

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

Directed to Janis Joplin: “What was it like to be a rock ’n’ roll female in your time?”

What song would you like played at your funeral?

“Amor Eterno” by Rocio Durcal. It’s a classic.

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

Blank Generation by Richard Hell and the Voidoids.

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NOVEMBER 2015

COMICS & JONESIN’CROSSWORD

Across 1 Longtime American Top 40 host Casey 6 “Electric Avenue” singer Grant 10 Baby horse 14 Fuji, e.g.

15 Medieval address 16 “Yikes!”

17 Comic ___ C.K. 18 Stir-fry vegetables 19 Sticker word on an avocado, maybe 20 Paid athletes visiting two similarly-named African countries?

23 Prom rental 24 Cookie with a seasonal pumpkin spice variety 25 Grads-to-be, briefly 28 Mountain top 31 Actor Fillion 35 E! News host Sadler 37 Faucet stealer’s job?

39 “Dies ___” (Day of Wrath) 40 Pharmaceutical purveyor ___ Lilly 41 Brickell with the New Bohemians

42 Them versus Arachnophobia showdown?

46 Anyone able to rattle off more than 10 digits of pi, probably 47 Ballpoint relative 48 Five-card game 50 Bit of sunshine 51 Free Willy creature 53 Rapper with the 2008 hit “Paper Planes” 55 Chopping weapon for Ares or Mars?

61 One of the Three Bears 62 Craft some try to reverseengineer, in the movies 63 Breakfast order with a hole in it 65 Walkie-talkie message ender 66 Billion : giga :: trillion : ___ 67 Former Weekend Edition host Hansen 68 Refuse to believe 69 Word with rash or lamp 70 “Here we are as in ___ days ...”

Down 1 Actor Penn of the Harold and Kumar films 2 Each 3 Boot jangler 4 Cats lyricist T.S. 5 Make a mistake 6 SportsCenter channel 7 Went out 8 Harry Potter’s nemesis Malfoy 9 Uncomplicated kind of question 10 Out of one’s mind?

11 Its state drink is tomato juice, for some reason 12 Gear for gigs 13 Caustic compound 21 Firefighters’ tools 22 Sans ice, at the bar 25 Blade Runner genre 26 ___ to go (stoked) 27 Follow way too closely 29 Take down ___ (demote) 30 Drug bust amounts 32 Schumer’s Trainwreck co-star 33 Film director Kurosawa 34 Clingy, in a way

36 Not here to stay 38 Partygoer’s purchase 43 Icy North Atlantic hazard 44 Vulgar 45 Show irritation 49 Don Quixote’s devil 52 Charge to appear in a magazine 54 Serve a purpose 55 Silent greeting 56 Sitcom in which Sherman Hemsley played a deacon 57 Downton Abbey countess 58 Aspiring D.A.’s exam 59 “Yikes!”

60 Lacoste of tennis and fashion 61 The ___ Squad (’60s-’70s TV drama) 64 Funeral in Berlin novelist Deighton ©2015 Jonesin’ Crosswords (editor@jonesincrosswordscom) Find the answers in the “About” section of CVIndependent.com!

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NOVEMBER 2015

Deals available in the Independent Market as of November 1:

Get a $20 gift certificate to TRIO Restaurant for $10—a savings of 50 percent!

Get a $20 gift certificate to the Purple Room for $10—a savings of 50 percent!

Get half-off spa services, Capri restaurant meals and select hotel nights at Miracle Springs Hot Mineral Resort and Spa!

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

Get a $20 gift certificate to Pho 533 for $10—a savings of 50 percent!

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

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

Get a $25 gift certificate to La Quinta Brewing Co. Microbrewery and Taproom for $12.50—a savings of 50 percent!

Shop at CVIndependent.com.

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

Look for more deals to be added during the month!

Want your business in the Independent Market? Call 760-904-4208, or email jimmy@cvindependent.com.

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