Coachella Valley Weekly - January 5 to January 11, 2017 Vol. 5 No. 42

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coachellavalleyweekly.com • January 5, to January 11, 2017 Vol. 5 No. 42

Eagles Of Death Metal

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Thr3 Strykes

pg 9

Alex Santana

pg 9

Terry Fator

pg 11

CODA Gallery

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January 5 to January 11, 2017

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January 4 to January 11, 2017

PALM SPRING INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2017

Coachella Valley Weekly

coachellavalleyweekly.com publisher@coachellavalleyweekly.com facebook.com/cvweekly

760.501.6228

Publisher & Editor Tracy Dietlin Art Director Robert Chance Sales Team Morgan James Classified Manager & Nightlife Editor Phil Lacombe Features Writer Lisa Morgan, Rich Henrich, Heidi Simmons, Denise Ortuno Neil, Judith Salkin Writers/Contributors: Robin Simmons, Rick Riozza, Craig Michaels, Bronwyn Ison, Haddon Libby, Janet McAfee, Rachel Montoya, Angela Janus, Dale Gribow, Raymond Bill, Sam DiGiovanna, Rob Brezny, Eleni P. Austin, Noe Gutierrez, Sunny Simon, Dr. Peter Kadile, Bruce Cathcart, Lola Rossi, Laura Hunt Little, Flint Wheeler, Jack St. Clair, Dee Jae Cox, Patte Purcell, Janet Newcomb, Rebecca Pikus, Angela Romeo, Esther Sanchez, Jenny Wallis Photographers Robert Chance, Laura Hunt Little, Chris Miller, Lani Garfield, Esther Sanchez, Scott Pam, George Duchannes Distribution Phil Lacombe, William Westley

CONTENTS

2017 Palm Springs Intl. Film Festival.. 3 PSIFF: La La Land Vangaurd Award.... 5 PSIFF: Hidden Figures Ensemble Performance Award............................. 5 PSIFF: Do It Or Die................................ 6 PSIFF: Eagles Of Death Metal.............. 6 Robin's PSIFF Picks.............................. 7 CV Open Mic Competition.................. 8 Thr3 Strykes......................................... 9 Backstage Jazz - Alex Santana.............9 Consider This - The Well Wishers....... 10 Terry Fator at Fantasy Springs.......... 11 Art Scene - CODA Gallery.................. 11 Pet Place............................................. 12 The Vino Voice ................................... 13 Club Crawler Nightlife....................... 14 Builders Expo & Art Fair.................... 16 Screeners............................................ 18 Book Review....................................... 19 Safety Tips.......................................... 19 Eldorado Polo.................................... 20 Haddon Libby.................................... 21 Dale Gribow....................................... 21 Sports Scene ...................................... 22 Comic Con Palm Springs ................... 22 Free Will Astrology............................ 23 Ask Jenny ........................................... 23 Ask the Doctor................................... 24 Life & Career Coach ........................... 24 Cannabis Corner ............................... 24

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fter such a challenging 2016, what better way to welcome and celebrate a new year than with an international film festival!

The Palm Springs International Film Society presents its 28th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival with all the energy, fun and excitement that promises a hopeful future as filmgoers get a glimpse into the lives of people and cultures around the world.

This year welcomes a new PSIFF Artistic Director, Michael Lerman. In his welcome letter, he says: “What I’m most proud of is that in these tumultuous and divisive times, both in the US and abroad, this eclectic group of works from all over the world will join us together in a 10-day celebration of diverse voices in storytelling.”

For a full two weeks, beginning January 2 thru January 16, PSIFF will show 473 screenings of 192 films from 72 countries, which include 58 premieres – nine world, five international, 20 North American and 24 from the United States. Forty-two films are Foreign Language Oscar© submissions.

Raising more than $2 million in funding for Film Society operations and educational programs, the Festival begins with the black tie Film Awards Gala. This year’s honorees included (photos below in order) Amy Adams, Casey Affleck, Mehershala Ali, Annette Bening, Andrew Garfield, Tom Hanks, Nicole Kidman, Ruth Negga, Natalie Portman and the principle cast members of the film Hidden Figures.

Opening Night is Thursday, January 5, at the newly refurbished Richards Center for the Arts at Palm Springs High School.

The feature film screening is the world premiere of The Sense of an Ending directed

by Ritesh Batra and staring Jim Broadbent and Charlotte Rampling. The Opening Night party follows at the Palm Springs Art Museum.

For movie buffs, Talking Pictures provides an opportunity to hear filmmakers share insights about the process of making their film. A Q&A allows the audience to engage with the creative talent. Viggo Mortensen talked about his film Captain Fantastic Tuesday. More often than not,

attending filmmakers show up to their screenings, so check the schedule for details.

For more great industry talk, be sure to attend Eyes on the Prize: Foreign Language Oscar Directors in Discussion. This program is moderated by The Hollywood Reporter’s Scott Feinberg -- January 9, 7:30 - 9:00pm at the Mary Pickford Theatre.

Every year, PSIFF shines a light on a country generating artistic and provocative films. Focus on Poland offers five new works by contemporary Polish filmmakers evoking a specific time and place in the country’s history and changing culture. This program will honor filmmaker Andrzej Wajda with a screening of his final work Afterimage and his 1958 masterpiece Ashes and Diamonds.

One of the most exciting film events is the New Voices/New Visions. This program includes ten films as part of a competitive showcase from emerging international directors. These films are judged by a jury of festival programmers and U.S. distributors.

This year, some of these narrative films come from Saudi Arabia, Latvia, Kenya and Nepal.

A selection of ten films from countries that include South Korea, Israel and the Czech Republic are part of the Modern Masters program. This selection features narrative films from international directors who set the standards for contemporary cinema.

BY HEIDI SIMMONS

Everyone loves True Stories. This collection is the best of international documentaries. This year the selection focuses on the arts. They include music, dance, fashion and Hollywood. One documentary is Jewel’s Catch One (U.S.), directed by C. Fitz about the popular LA nightclub that embraced all races and sexual orientations -- screening Jan. 7, 8 & 10.

Back by popular demand and a consistent festival favorite is the After Dark program, which includes films that journey into the darker and mysterious side of life. Look for the UK’s Oscar© entry in Under the Shadow, as well as films featuring Guy Pearce, Dakota Fanning and Glenn Close.

How about Dinner & a Movie? The 1985 classic Tampopo (Japan), directed by Juzo Itami screens January 9 at 5:00 pm followed by dinner at restaurant Pho 533 in Palm Springs. Insatiable: The Homaro Cantu Story shows January 11 at 5:30 pm with dinner after at Palm Springs 849 Restaurant and Lounge. Special menus have been created that are inspired by the film providing a unique dining experience.

Being so close to Hollywood, the industry trade publication Variety has it’s own program: 10 Directors to Watch. Films include Aquarius (Brazil/France), directed

by Kleber Mendonça Filho and The Eagle Huntress (UK/Mongolia/U.S.), directed by Otto Bell. continue to page 5

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The festival’s Gay!La screening will be the North American Premiere of ABC’s When We Rise directed by Gus Van Sant and written by Dustin Lance Black, the same team who made the award winning film Milk.

Other special presentations include four standout films: The World Premiere of Breakable You (U.S.), the U.S. Premiere of King of the Dancehall (U.S./Jamaica) directed by Nick Cannon, the North

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com American Premiere of The Hippopotamus and Old Money (Austria) directed by David Schalko and starring Coachella Valley resident and global celebrity Udo Kier.

The Power of Words: Books to Screen started with the PSIFF in 2015 and has been a favorite from the get go. The two-day event requires a special pass and features a day of films and a day of panel discussions with authors, screenwriters, producers and industry professionals.

LIONSGATE’S LA LA LAND TO RECEIVE VANGUARD AWARD

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AT 28TH ANNUAL PALM SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL FILM AWARDS GALA

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he 28th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) will present the film La La Land with the Vanguard Award at its annual Film Awards Gala. The award is presented to the film’s cast and director recognizing its outstanding creative ensemble. Cast members Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone and director/writer Damien Chazelle are expected to attend. The Film Awards Gala, hosted by Mart Hart, will be held Monday, January 2 at the Palm Springs Convention Center. The Festival runs January 2-16.

“Director and writer Damien Chazelle delivers a resonant cinematic masterpiece with La La Land,” said Festival Chairman Harold Matzner. “This visually stunning film

pays tribute to classic Hollywood musicals with a contemporary love story driven by pitch-perfect performances by Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone. It is our honor to present the Vanguard Award to La La Land.”

Written and directed by Academy Award® nominee Damien Chazelle, La La Land, from Lionsgate’s Summit Entertainment label, tells the story of an aspiring actress, Mia (Emma Stone), and a dedicated jazz musician, Sebastian (Ryan Gosling), both struggling to make ends meet in a city known for crushing hopes and breaking hearts. Set in modern-day Los Angeles, this original musical about everyday life explores the joy and pain of pursuing your dreams.

The film fun just keeps going with Parties! Some parties pop up spontaneously around town, but scheduled parties require tickets to attend, so check with the box office or online for availability.

Every year the French Party! They love to celebrate the wonderful Frenchlanguage films and filmmakers -- January 6, 9:30 pm at the Ace Hotel & Swim Club.

PSIFF is known for screening Foreign Language Oscar© submissions so it’s apropos to celebrate with an Awards Buzz Party -- January 7, 9:30 pm to 11:30 pm at the Hilton.

Oh Canada! The Telefilm Canada Party marks its 50th anniversary January 8, 9:00 pm – 11:00 pm at LuLu California Bistro.

Wouldn’t be PSIFF if there wasn’t the Gay!La Party. Hands down best dancing -January 12 9:00 pm – 11:00pm at Toucan’s Tiki Lounge.

How great is Friday, January 13th for the After Dark Party! It’s 9:30 pm – 11:30 pm at the Hard Rock.

The World Cinema Party celebrates the wonderful world of films. The motto: “Party like you’re somewhere else!” -January 14 9:30 pm – 11:30 pm at The Bank.

January 4 to January 11, 2017 Closing Night screens The Comedian, direct by Taylor Hackford and starring Robert De Niro, with an after party at the Renaissance Hotel.

Part of the Film Society’s mission includes an educational component, which includes Student Screening Day where students from around the CV are invited to a screening of two films, lunch and a live Q&A with the filmmakers. This is an inspired event that valley kids love and never forget.

Venues this year include the Annenberg Theater, Camelot, Mary Pickford, the Palm Canyon Theater, Regal Cinemas Palm Springs Stadium 9, and the Richards Center for the Arts at Palm Springs high school.

The PSIFF is a wonderful opportunity to engage with the community and fellow film lovers. An estimated 135,000 people will attend the festival from all over the world.

From Artistic Director, Lerman regarding PSIFF: “They are films that will take you on journeys to far away places or make you reflect about experiences in your own homes. They are films that will make you laugh as much as they will make you think.”

For more info and tickets call 800.898.

PALM or go online psfilmfest.org. *Check for schedule changes and updates.

HIDDEN FIGURES TO RECEIVE PSIFF ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE AWARD

AT 28TH ANNUAL PALM SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL FILM AWARDS GALA

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he 28th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) will present the cast of Hidden Figures with the Ensemble Performance Award. Expected to attend are Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monáe, Kevin Costner, and Jim Parsons. The Film Awards Gala, hosted by Mary Hart, will be held Monday, January 2 at the Palm Springs Convention Center. The Festival runs January 2-16.

“History has its share of incredible untold stories, and this is one of the most compelling, the tale of three African-American women – engineers, physicists, mathematicians – who in their work for NASA in the early 1960s were integral in calculating the flight trajectories for Project Mercury and Apollo 11,” said Festival Chairman Harold Maztner.

“Fueled by the performances of Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monáe, the ensemble cast also features outstanding performances from Kevin Costner, Kirsten Dunst, Jim Parsons, Mahershala Ali, Glen Powell and many others. The Palm Springs

International Film Festival is proud to present the entire cast of Hidden Figures with the 2017 Ensemble Performance Award.”

Past recipients of the Ensemble Performance Award include Academy Award® winner for Best Picture Argo as well as past Best Picture nominees American Hustle, Babel, The Big Short, The Imitation Game and The Social Network.

Hidden Figures is the incredible untold story of Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer) and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe) – brilliant African-American women working at NASA, who served as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in history: the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit, a stunning achievement that restored the nation’s confidence, turned around the Space Race, and galvanized the world. The visionary trio crossed all gender and race lines to inspire generations to dream big. The film is directed

by Theodore Melfi from a screenplay by Allison Schroeder and Theodore Melfi, based on the book by Margot Lee Shetterly.

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PSIFF – COMMUNITY OF FILMMAKERS: DO IT OR DIE

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his week, as the Palm Springs International Film Festival was revving up, the community driven and supported movie, Do It Or Die held its World Premiere. There was a buzz of excitement and camaraderie as the audience filled the sold-out Annenberg Theater to enjoy a locally made movie about a mostly unknown Palm Springs’ crime.

“Our film is a little indie movie that features many of the sights, sounds and businesses of the desert, as well as many of our terrific local production talent,” said producer and co-star Denise DuBarry.

Based on a true story, Do It Or Die tells the harrowing 1979 episode of the kidnapping of 65-year-old Palm Springs socialite and philanthropist Elaine Chaddick who was taken from her home at gunpoint and held for a $1 million ransom.

As the film begins, familiar desert locations filled the big screen, and a murmur and giddiness moved through the auditorium. When television personality, man-about-town and bon vivant Patrick Evens appeared on screen playing the part of Palm Springs Police Chief Tom Kendall, there were audible trills of delight. The beloved Patty Daly Caruso also makes an appearance that surprised audience fans.

Beside festival attendees, most of the cast and crew were seeing Do It Or Die for the first time.

Just eight months ago, the production was in the Indian Canyons of Palm Springs shooting the film in triple digit temperatures. The cast and crew were minimal; there were no craft services or a security detail. Everyone on the set was friendly and welcoming -- and they were all working for free!

Do It Or Die was made without a formal budget or any funding in place! The production company called itself “Made For Nothing Films, LLC”. Principals, cast and crew all gave of their time and talent. Locations and props were loaned

or donated. Community businesses provided food and services. Students interned.

“When I first heard about the story I was fascinated by the strength of Chaddick’s character,” said Executive Producer and Director Jorn Winther.

“It’s about survival, overcoming fear and finding compassion. I knew it could be an exciting movie because it’s a thrilling story.”

The feature length screenplay was adapted from Herbert Clough’s book Night of the Full Moon.

Clough was the FBI special agent assigned to find Chaddick and brought her kidnapper, Bobby Ray Robbins, to justice.

Winther had been trying for years to get the film made. There had been a multi-million dollar budget with production start dates. At one point, he was preparing to film Do It Or Die in Minnesota.

It never came to fruition, but Winther refused to let the project go.

“FBI Agent Herb Clough and I had many discussions,” said Winther. “I watched him fighting cancer with dignity and courage and the last thing he asked me to do was to make the movie.”

Contacting studios and distributors, Winther asked what they would pay for a completed feature film that was considered “a terrible, terrible movie.” He thought if he could make Do It Or Die it certainly would not be “terrible.” And it’s not!

Do It Or Die is definitely an entertaining story, looks terrific, has standout performances, brief nudity and an action sequence with a low-flying helicopter! The beautiful desertscapes and outlying locations become an important character in the film.

After some research, Winther discovered that the baseline net return even of a “terrible film” could potentially generate revenue and be divided with those involved. All he had to do was find the people who shared his passion for the script and the joy of filmmaking. So Winther turned to his Palm Springs friends and former colleagues. Before

LOCAL SPOTLIGHT ON PSIFF-

BY HEIDI SIMMONS

long, the project quickly gained momentum.

Producer and actress Denise DuBarry who is a member of Palm Springs Women in Film and Television -- and the organization’s former President -- got involved to help her long-time friend Jørn. She admits that she had doubts and that every day brought surprises. But finally, DuBarry said, “It all fell into place like magic.”

The film was quickly supported by the City of Palm Springs Bureau of Tourism, the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians and Palm Springs Women in Film and Television.

Local businesses like the Riviera Hotel in Palm Springs and Desert Hot Springs’ Windmill Market and Traders of the Lost Surplus fit the film’s 1979time period. Friends and neighbors supplied vintage cars – a Corvette, Rolls Royce and 1967 Coronet.

With respect and great appreciation, Winther says about his actors and production team: “If I had $5 million I’d hire the same cast and crew.

Everyone is exactly right. I can’t imagine anyone better.” Winther celebrated his 86th birthday during the filming. With a long list of creative credits, this is Winther’s first time directing a feature film.

There is a palpable energy and anticipation that fills the theater as Do It Or Die screens. It’s exciting.

Everyone loves Palm Springs and they are in a Palm Springs theater, attending the PSIFF because they

BY HEIDI SIMMONS

EAGLES OF DEATH METAL: NOS AMIS (OUR FRIENDS) – WORLD PREMIERE

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he November 2015 Paris terrorist attacks hit home when Coachella Valley’s homegrown band Eagles of Death Metal were targeted while performing at the Bataclan Theater. During the sold-out concert, extremists opened fire on the crowd of nearly 1,500 people, killing 89 and injuring hundreds.

The members of the band survived, but one of their crewmembers was killed.

A year later, the band returned to Paris to give a concert at the Olympia Theater where they performed with the mega-band U2.

The Palm Springs International Film Festival screens the World Premiere of the documentary film Eagles of Death Metal: Nos Amis (Our Friends) in its True Stories Program. Directed by actor and filmmaker Colin Hanks, and financed

by Live Nation, the doc delivers an intimate and moving story of friendship, love and overcoming tragedy through music.

Hanks will be attending the screening for a short discussion after the premiere.

Local boys from Palm Desert, Jesse Hughes and Josh Homme formed Eagles of Death Metal

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Photo By Steve Agee

in 1998. Friends since high school, Hughes (aka Boots Electric) and drummer Homme (aka Baby Duck) talk about the band’s evolution, their passion and dedication to rock and roll.

Transformed by the tragedy and horror, Hughes and Homme share their “joyful dedication of the glories of rock and roll as it comes face to face with the nihilism of the terrorists.” Homme was not present in Paris during the attack.

The documentary features interviews by

many of the survivors and has appearances by Bono and The Edge, who offered support to the band in the immediate aftermath of the attack.

Music includes Eagles of Death Metal, Queens of the Stone Age and Alain Johannes.

A long-time friend and fan of the band, Hanks saw an opportunity to examine the recovery and rebuilding process after the terrorist assault.

Hanks explores how the band and its fans move through the tragedy to begin again.

This is Hanks second feature length

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love to discover and connect with movies.

After the screening, a Q&A with the cast highlighted the joy of participating in such a provocative film experiment.

“It is a huge honor to be a part of the Palm Springs International Film Festival,” said DuBarry.

“I very much appreciate Harold Matzner and his team. We were hopeful when we submitted the film, but you never know. It’s extremely gratifying to have our film associated with such a quality festival and to have the opportunity to showcase Do It Or Die.” It is not only apropos, but a celebration of local filmmaking talent that Do It Or Die has its World Premiere at the PSIFF. It is an exciting finish – and beginning - to an ambitious and inspired project unique to Palm Springs.

“Our movie is a salute to the area. The Elaine Chaddick kidnapping back in 1979 is a remarkable piece of local lore we’ve brought to life on the screen,” said DuBarry.

Do It Or Die cast: Denise DuBarry (Being There, Black Sheep Squadron, Charlie’s Angels); David Naughton (American Werewolf in London); John Callahan (Santa Barbara); Viktoria Stamm (Dead on Arrival) and Andrew McGuinness (The Window).

Look for another local Do It Or Die screening later this month.

Excerpts from CV Weekly Vol. 5 No. 6 – “Community and Collaboration: Making a Feature Film For Free” by Heidi Simmons. coachellavalleyweekly.com.

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documentary. Last year his film All Things Must Pass: The Rise and Fall of Tower Records was released by Gravitas Ventures.

After the attack in 2015, Hughes made comments that became controversial when he suggested that he suspected the Paris venue’s security team may have been involved in the terror plot. While Hanks’ film is not political, it does not avoid the issue. Other film festivals dropped the documentary when Hughes’ remarks circulated.

The documentary covers the band’s start, the concert in Paris and its European tour.

Hanks, Homme and Hughes deliver a film about the power of music, friendship, fans, courage and camaraderie.

Contrary to the name Eagles of Death Metal (EoDM), the band’s music is desert, blues, alt and garage rock more than death metal.

Eagles of Death Metal: Nos Amis (Our Friends) U.S./France, 87 minutes, Screens: January 14, 7:00 pm at the Annenberg Theater and January 15, 1:00 pm at the Mary Pickford Theater. For tickets and more information visit the box office or online psfilmfest.org.

Schedule is subject to change.

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MY PSIFF PICKS

hen I was a small boy, one of my first memories was sitting on the steps of my grandmother’s home in Glendale and waiting for a passerby so I could ask that person to sit with me and tell me a story. Palm Springs International Film Festival is a treasure of trove of great stories. This year’s line up is among the best ever. Here are a few titles that struck me as having something unexpected to capture our imagination.

Down-on-his-luck Parisian Jean scores a job as assistant to touchy, reclusive photographer Stéphane (Olivier Gourmet), who lives and works in a crumbling old mansion on the outskirts of Paris. Thanks to his fashion photography, Stéphane is well off, but his real obsession is with the 19th-century photographic process that gives the film its title-he repeatedly photographs his beautiful daughter, Marie (Constance Rousseau), forcing her to stay still for hours at a time. In short order, Jean and Marie fall in love and plot to scam the increasingly disturbed Stéphane-who has begun to see the ghost of his dead wife in the mansion-and escape for brighter climes. Naturally, things don’t go as planned. Exquisitely nuanced, this beautiful film reminds of Kurosawa’s best ghost stories. Not to be missed.

THE EAGLE HUNTRESS - Beautifully photographed in the wilds of Mongolia, this life embracing and empowering non-fiction film tells the story of 13-year-old Aisholpan, destined to teach her clan’s elders that yes, a girl can hunt with a golden eagle just like a boy -- only better.

ZOOLOGY - A middle-aged spinster, resigned to a life of loneliness and disappointment, is reawakened to opportunity and love when she grows a tail. Yes, you read that correctly. Part satire on Russian social mores as well as an allegory on intolerance, this weirdly appealing comedy is a believable love story thanks mostly to Pavlenkova’s wonderful performance.

BRIMSTONE - A fiery reverend (Guy Pearce) terrorizes a mute midwife (Dakota Fanning) in this grim and bloody Western that unfolds old in reverse chronological order. Be prepared for a very dark drama that pulls out all the stops. I loved it.

DAGUERROTYPE - Japanese horror master Kiyoshi Kurosawa (“Pulse”) deftly switches gears in this atmospheric contemporary ghost story, his first film made outside of Japan, and in another language.

PERSONAL SHOPPER - Master filmmaker Olivier Assayas and Kristen Stewart re-team after “Clouds of Sils Maria” with another surprising collaboration. Personal Shopper is a most unusual and artful ghost story, a tense and eerie tale of a medium trying to reconnect with her recently deceased twin brother.

With Personal Shopper, master filmmaker Olivier Assayas has created one of cinema’s most unusual ghost stories. Re-teaming with Kristen Stewart after her award-winning turn opposite Juliette Binoche in “Clouds of Sils Maria,” this time their collaboration feels built entirely around her icy, vague disposition.

Stewart plays Maureen, a personal shopper for a high-end model in Paris. But she’s also a medium who can communicate with the dead, and she visits her childhood home in an attempt to reach her recently deceased twin brother.

Desperate for a sign, Maureen starts receiving mysterious text messages from an unknown source. Even for someone connected to the spirit world, the loss of a loved one is difficult to reconcile, and Assayas creates a tense and eerie portrait of a character in limbo, bolstered with another surprising performance from Stewart.

I was swept away by this tender yet terrifying story of grief, covetous desire with a dollop of signals from the afterlife.

RED TURTLE - A wordless fable about a man washed ashore on an island and learning to live with nature, here is another mesmerizing work of animated filmmaking from the revered Studio Ghibli. So simple and pure, it feels as if it has always existed.

January 4 to January 11, 2017

BY ROBIN E. SIMMONS

A MAN CALLED OVE - This irresistible adaptation of Fredrik Backman’s best seller is a touching, wryly comic crowd-pleaser. Through flashbacks, it chronicles the life and times of a stubborn, short-tempered man with steadfast beliefs, strict routines and the sense that everyone around him is an idiot. Bring tissues.

Ove, an ill-tempered, isolated retiree who spends his days enforcing block association rules and visiting his wife’s grave, has finally given up on life just as an unlikely friendship develops with his boisterous new neighbors. Based on the bestselling novel.

BRIGHT LIGHTS: STARRING CARRIE FISHER AND DEBBIE REYNOLDS - This delicious HBO produced double portrait of the late and beloved mother and daughter is a hilariously unguarded, remarkably intimate peek at Hollywood royalty, undying family bonds, and showbiz fortitude.

The New York Times said, “This very funny, engrossing movie couldn’t be more mainstream or more delectable.”

A sell out for sure, this affectionate, touching and startlingly candid twin portrait makes it clear from the start that filmmakers Alexis Bloom and Fisher Stevens are on unusually intimate terms with their subjects. That intimacy results in a Hollywood documentary like no other: it’s as if we’re eavesdropping on a private conversation.

Carrie and Debbie were best friends, nextdoor neighbors and Hollywood troupers who have seen it all, and seem to have nothing left to hide. And what lives they’ve led: from “Singin’ in the Rain” to “Star Wars,” from the Eddie Fisher/ Liz Taylor scandal to Carrie’s battles with drugs and manic depression, and her best-selling memoir, Postcards from the Edge. See her in front of an adoring Vegas crowd, singing one last rendition of “Tammy. Both hilarious and now heartbreaking, here is Hollywood history up close and very personal indeed.

MAGICIANS: LIFE IN THE IMPOSSIBLE When I was a kid, I wanted to be a professional magician. Sometimes I did tricks for my mom’s tea party (not the political kind) lady friends. This

fascinating doc showcases what it’s really like being a working magician. You will be wowed by their tricks and, more than that, touched by their dedication.

Filmed over four years, it pulls back the velvet curtain and introduces us to four magicians at different stages of their lives and careers. It strips away the mystique and reveal the dedicated, hard-working dreamers the performers really are. Jon Armstrong is a self-described geek, a true master of close-up magic who still has to hustle like a latter-day Willy Loman. That’s also Brian Gillis’s bag, but “Johnny Carson’s favorite magician” is finding it harder to pay the bills these days, and doesn’t have the repertoire to reinvent himself. David Minkin is still on the up, an illusionist breaking into TV. And Jan Rouven (who lives with his manager, headlines his own death-defying spectacular on the Sunset Strip.

If you like magic, you’ll love this whimsical and sometimes mystifying film.

HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM! Could it possibly be true? Žiga Virc’s smartlyconstructed expose reveals that NASA and the US government paid billions for the “Yugoslav Space Program” in the 1960s—only to find out that what they’d bought was a hoax… I loved it when cult icon Philosopher/sophist Slavoj Žižek unexpectedly weighed in.

A very sly and wonderfully crafted fiction posing as a documentary film, Žiga Virc›s stylish prank arises from the most outlandish of premises: it seems that NASA and the US government were so enamored of the secret «Yugoslav Space Program» in the 1960s that they surreptitiously bought it lock, stock, and barrel -only to find out that what they›d paid billions for was a hoax.

Filmmaker Virc does a fantastic job of selling us on this premise via a careful amalgam of archival footage. There’s Yugoslav dictator Tito and a “Yugoslav scientist who supposedly disappeared when he followed the space program to the US is reunited with the daughter he›s never met.

It’s all fake of course but it’s so convincing I was almost moved to tears (real ones). This beguiling film is about cinema and truth and the dangerous power of government sanctioned propaganda.

Both a testament to Virc›s skill and a crash course in film›s slippery relationship to truth, especially where government propaganda is involved. The best parts for me are philosophergadfly Slavoj Žižek, pops up from time to time to add commentary his two cents re myths and the creation thereof. We are awash in lies and “post truth public figures.“ continue to page 8

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THE GIRL WITH ALL THE GIFTS - A scientist and a teacher embark on a journey of survival with a special young girl named Melanie. Set in a dystopian future in which humanity has been ravaged by a mysterious fungal disease. The afflicted are robbed of all free will (!) and turned into flesh-eating ‘hungries’.

Humankind’s only hope is a small group of hybrid children who crave human flesh but retain the ability to think and feel. The children go to school at an army base in rural Britain, where they’re subjected to cruel experiments by Dr. Caroline Caldwell (Glenn Close). School teacher Helen Justineau (the lovely Gemma Arterton) grows particularly close to an exceptional girl named Melanie (Sennia Nanua), forming a special bond. When the base is invaded, the trio escapes with the assistance of Sgt. Eddie Parks (Paddy Considine) and embark on a perilous journey of survival, during which Melanie must come to terms with who she is. I loved this fascination, visually lush fable. Or is it an allegory about being human? One to see if your tastes are as eclectic as mine.

ELLE - Paul Veerhoven has been called “a master of perversity.” Here, he leads his audience through a precisely constructed maze of ambiguity, scrambling our assumptions and expectations at every turn. Audiences looking for a lurid slab of art-house exploitation will be taken off-guard by the complex, compassionate, often acidly funny examination of unconventional desires that awaits them. Isabelle Huppert delivers a standout performance as the CEO of a video game company who turns the tables on her rapist in the controversial director’s electrifying and provocative comeback.

THE HIPPOPOTAMUS - This delightfully wicked comedy of manners is actually a country manor mystery adapted from the best-selling novel by Stephen Fry. It’s about a lapsed poet, failed drama critic, “redundant husband” and hard-working drunk, Ted Wallace (Roger Allam in a rare starring role). Recently fired from his newspaper job, Ted leaps at the chance to drown his sorrows at his old friend’s country estate, Swafford Hall.

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www.coachellavalleyweekly.com A series of “spiritual healings” have recently put the household in a tizzy. The purported miracle worker is his hosts’ teenage son, Ted’s godson, David (Tommy Knight). His parents, Lord and Lady Logan, are set on sharing their boy’s “gift” with the world, blissfully unaware that his “laying on of hands” trick involves, well, an emphasis on “laying.” At odds with a colorful party of fellow guests only too ready to swallow anything they’re told, Ted sets out to prove the miracles are a hoax and thus saving he young man from a lifetime of embarrassment. Big laughs here. I promise.

THE OATH - Director Baltasar Kormakur directs himself as a surgeon who resorts to extreme measures when his daughter falls for a drug dealer.

Kormakur enters Liam Neeson terrain in this blackly comic suspense drama. His tough as nails Reykjavik physician protagonist will do almost anything — legal or otherwise — to protect his drug-addict daughter from an enabling boyfriend. Recommended.

and supremely satisfying Iranian film is a mix of the best of several genres. A bit of a ghost story, film noir, detective mystery, action adventure and gripping mockumentary. It will tickle your mind and delight your eye. Among the more memorable films showing at this year’s fest.

KEDI - The street cats of Istanbul work their magic in this charming symphony of sounds and sights taking in its purview the changing nature of the megalopolis as well as the people who love and care for its feline population. Caring for these animals is understood to be a social and religious obligation in Turkey, and it’s believed that there are as many cats as people in Istanbul.

Highest recommendation. Heartwarming.

LOCAL MUSIC SPOTLIGHT

BY MORGAN JAMES

CV OPEN MIC COMPETITION: SEMI-FINALS ON JAN 4TH!

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OLD MONEY - Local celeb Udo Kier stars in this crazy funny eight-part Austrian TV series about an industrialist who needs a new liver. He promises the first of his relatives to secure one will inherit his estate. It’s a long movie but worth it. Showing in two sittings.

JULIETA - Pedro Almodóvar mines the stories of Alice Munro for inspiration in this, his 20th feature about a haunted middle-aged woman who tries to solve the great, painful mystery of her life: why her estranged daughter vanished from her life. As always, Almodovar’s films are vibrant and overflowing with color, life and emotion.

A DRAGON ARRIVES - This utterly dazzling

NITE: Two additional films you might consider that looked intriguing are KILLS ON WHEELS and VERY BIG SHOT (see scene below). I was unable to screen them before press deadline. Look for them in my Best of Fest feature in a future issue of CVW. Check PSIFF online for time and place of all showings. And remember, the “best of the fest” screenings for titles you may have missed.

Robinesimmons@aol.com

hirteen performances from this session have made it all the way to the Semi Finals of the CV Open Mic Competition on January 4th! All of the talented acts showed up, gave it their best shot, and it paid off. Now these singers, bands, rappers, and musicians are to face off for a panel of judges in order to make it through to the Grand Finals the following week. Don’t miss this exciting event.

SEMI FINALISTS: System D Higher Heights Porsia & Josiah Rod Van Buren Daniel Zee Zech B Razor J Blackwater Gospel L Boogie Da Mann The Burning Example Kate London Brightener 5 Acre Dream

GRAND PRIZES: *Music Video Production (Desert C.A.M. Studios/Winmill Films & award winning Director Chip Miller) *$500 trip to Las Vegas (Crater Lake Spirits) *Artist Development Session (Legendary Producer Ronnie King) *Promotional Photo Shoot (Rav Holly) *Boss RC-1 Loop Station Pedal (Guitar Center) *Merchandise Package including logo design, 25 t-shirts, stickers and more!

(Brutal Bee Music Group) SEMI FINALS: Wed, Jan 4th GRAND FINALS: Wed, Jan 11th The CV Open Mic Competition At The Block Sports Bar & Grill Show runs 8:00pm - 10:30pm I hope to see you all WEDNESDAY January 4th at THE BLOCK SPORTS BAR & GRILL in Cathedral City! Look for coverage of this week’s event and the announcement of winners in the next issue of Coachella Valley Weekly! SPECIAL THANKS to all of our sponsors: Desert C.A.M. Studios/Winmill Films & Chip Miller, Ronnie King Music, Crater Lake Spirits, Rav Holly, Guitar Center, Stuft Pizza Bar & Grill, CV Weekly, Canyon Copy & Print, Brutal Bee Music Group, and The Block Sports Bar & Grill.

Be sure to “LIKE” Facebook.com/ CVOpenMicCompetition for updates!

ALL AGES ALLOWED, but please get there early to get a good seat!!! For questions or info please see Facebook. com/CVOpenMicCompetition or contact creator and host, Morgan Alise James at MorganAliseJames@gmail.com or (714) 651-1911

LOCAL MUSIC SPOTLIGHT

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

January 4 to January 11, 2017

BY TRACY DIETLIN

PHOTOS BY GEORGE DUCHANNES

the font, to the artwork and logo and that’s what makes me know that what we’re doing is right. It’s not forced. It’s like the people that we work with like J Patron and Million…there’s a vibe there and it’s a beautiful thing and that shit is just supposed to happen.”

CVW: You said some of these songs people haven’t heard. What was the last song you recorded on the album?

Hall: “The last song recorded was “Hate is a New Love.” We recorded it different than any of the other songs. I met this guy out in the San Fernando Valley from my friend Tariq Beats who produced like 90% of the album. The guy is Xhibit’s engineer and when I met him he gave me his number and told me to call him if we wanted to record. So me, Josh and J Patron went to his studio in his home to record that track.”

Fimbres: “So we roll up to this guy’s house out in the valley and he’s got a basketball court in the backyard and his studio was sick. We just sat around smoking and drinking and recorded this song.”

Hall: “He had just gotten done recording Dizzy Wright’s album there too.”

CVW: I know you both have musical families.

How much have they influenced you?

Hall: “I remember early on my Dad had a drum set out in the garage when we lived up in the cove on Diaz and he used to play in a band called Rumors with Randy Hewitson and they used to play at the bowling alley in PS and my Mom would sing. And then my older brother Steve (Se7en4/Drum Hall) played drums in a bunch of bands and he was in a band with Mike Pygmie called Thelonious Pygmies and that’s when I got into Jimi Hendrix, because they

had a cover song they did of his “Light My Fire” and I remember going to Mario Lalli’s club Rhythm & Brews when I was like 11 and hearing him, and bands like Super Fun Happy Slide and Voodoo Glow Skulls.”

Fimbres: “My Pops has always been a shredder and for a long time I wasn’t sure I wanted to play the guitar because he was so good I didn’t think I could ever be as good, so I quit for a while. And my Grandpa played with all the big bands and my Mom can still pick up the clarinet and play. Both my brothers play instruments too.”

CVW: Give me your top 5 bands that you’re listening to right now?

Fimbres: “I go from Humble Pie to Alice in Chains to new age rap shit like ScHoolboy to Incubus and Pantera and I listen to Eek a Mouse like every day.”

Hall: “Stevie Crooks, a cat named Azizi, J Patron cuz I’m in the studio with him all the time. I listen to a lot of New Age shit too and I like dark, heavy stuff like Black Sabbath and Pentagram. I really like a lot of old 70s stuff like Deep Purple, classic rock like Steve Miller and Whitesnake too.”

CVW: What band/artist in the valley do you most admire without having to think about it?

Hall: “I respect the dudes who get out of the valley and then come back and have stories to tell like Mikey Doling. Like I can’t respect someone if they’re not real and their personality and their music don’t go together. Eek-a-Mouse is another one. Sometimes you meet your idols and they don’t measure up, but he was really cool when I hung out with him when he played at the Ace.” Fimbres: “For me it would be a band that used to be called Jekkel that got even better when they became Bridger and for me that’s my shit right there.

I like everything about them, their music and even the way they packaged their album.”

CVW: How do you feel about the music scene here?

Hall: “I like what’s going on. It’s a new era, a new wave.”

Don’t miss Thr3 Strykes CD release party this Friday where they’re sure to be in rare form.

Check the new site: thr3strykesmusic.com.

THR3 STRYKES: THERE’S NO COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN HERE!

ALBUM RELEASE PARTY FOR CMNCTN-BRKDWN THIS FRIDAY, JANUARY 6 AT THE DATE SHED. 9PM-2AM 18 & OVER $10 COVER * FIRST 100 COVERS GET A FREE CD. ALSO PERFORMING: PORSIA CAMILLE, MILLION & ALBERTINI/DJ AMAVIDA/THE AFTER LASHES/J PATRON

Thr3 Strykes: A hip-hop, indie, punk, rap, rock group from La Quinta, CA he wait is over Thr3 Strykes fans. The highly anticipated release of their album is finally here and I for one can’t wait for this show!

For those that have witnessed Josh Hall and Josh Fimbres on stage you already know that their high energy performances get rather rowdy and balls to the wall, but this show will be one for the books.

And they’re bringing some pretty impressive friends along with them to perform. Thr3 Strykes have won 3 CV Music Awards for Best Hip Hop/Rap Artists and also an award for Best Live Performance Band so that tells you something right there.

This album has been a couple years in the making and almost got released a couple times, but life happened and it got delayed. Everything happens for a reason they say. And in this case these guys wanted to make sure it was the right time. I sat down with them for a couple of hours to do this interview and it wasn’t easy to stay on task. They definitely are the yin to each other’s yang. They were adamant about not dwelling on the past as to why it took so long to get the album done. They’re just excited that it’s here and for the party that will happen this weekend.

Here are a few excerpts from their high energy interview.

CVW: Of course I have to ask why it took so long to get this album out?

Fimbres: “Well we made songs with another person and then that person wasn’t with us anymore so we decided to write new songs and that’s what we did. We write like a new song every week. And then we wanted to take the time and make sure we were putting the right songs on the album. It wasn’t like a fuckin Chinese Democracy kind of thing we just wanted to make the best record we could.”

Hall: “We’re not signed to anything, we have

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no boss, so we felt like we would release the record when we wanted to. I mean it’s not like my dad was gonna ground me if we didn’t finish the record, Josh wasn’t going to not be my friend anymore if we didn’t finish a song. We didn’t want it to be some piece of crap that we did one night at 3am in the morning because we were trying to rush it and make other people happy.”

Fimbres: “We were making new music the whole time we were recording the album. And we were still doing a bunch of shows, and photo shoots, interviews and traveling a lot and doing tours. We already have new singles we want to release that aren’t on this album.”

Hall: “There are at least 12 songs on this album that most people haven’t really heard out of the 15 songs on it. I have to say that all in all, the album is crisp.”

CVW: Does one of you write more lyrics than the other or is it a collab thing?

Fimbres: “We never got caught up in who writes more of the lyrics than the other.”

Hall: “It could be a whole stanza of 16 lines and I’ll get to the 14th and not know what to say and Josh will come in and bam there it is.”

CVW: You both have several other side projects that you are in like SonStormer, Drum Hall, Dirty X’s and Michael Keeth’s band. Does that hinder or enhance your gig as Thr3 Strykes?

Fimbres: “That’s something where I’ll go off to play with other people, and it’s like how Jimi Hendrix band was when they would go do that and they came back with this re-invigoration and it added to what they were doing. It’s the same with us.”

Hall: “It’s like Wu-Tang, they all had different projects.”

CVW: So what was the feel like making this album towards the end?

Hall: “Everything has a flow from the tracks, to

BACKSTAGE JAZZ

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hat’s in a name? When it has the iconic sound of Santana it certainly peaks the interest. The charming and polite young man first messaged me on Facebook about playing in one of the Celebrity Jams. I have been following his career and wanted to interview him for my column. He will also be appearing in the Celebrity Jam at Outdoor Resorts Palm Springs (a private event) and Jazz at the Mansion, which is also a Private Party this month.

I’ve tuned into his FB live videos on a number of occasions and enjoyed his mellow Brazilian style guitar. I listened the whole time.

Let’s start with a funny story. Alex played a gig with his band at Pappy and Harriet’s the same week that Paul McCartney decided to play there during the week between Desert Trip. Since they played on the same stage Alex put a humorous note on his Facebook page thanking Paul McCartney for letting them open up for him and a wink. Little did he know that this would be taken literally and suddenly he was contacted by press (including me) wanting to do a story on him.

To make a long story short, he opened our phone interview with that tidbit. He didn’t open up for Paul McCartney, but he did in fact open up for BB King. Now, for a second funny story. He was asked to play in a band that opened for BB King,

ALEX SANTANA

but was told he absolutely could not speak to BB. Now Alex had purchased and bought a “Lucille” guitar and was hoping to get BB to sign it for him.

So when BB was finished he snuck backstage and approached him. He told BB he had opened for him and wanted to meet him. BB sat down, shook his hand and was chatting with him. He asked BB to sign his guitar and just about that time he got busted by security who escorted him out of the building. As a consequence he was banned from the Empire Polo Fields. Ouch. You’ve got to give it to him for courage! That’s what it takes to make it in this music business.

I had a delightful chat with this 31 years old.

He’s been playing music since he was 7. He started out playing sax. He’s been playing guitar for 19 years. Is he related to Carlos Santana? No, he’s not, but Santana’s music was his biggest influence so his friends long ago started calling him Santana, LX Santana. It’s still a great name for this business.

Score one for Alex.

His background includes forming a 13 piece Latin jazz band at the beginning of the recession of 2008. “Alex A and the Desert All Stars”. As you can imagine it’s quite difficult to book a band that large. In addition as he found out, it’s really hard to manage a bunch of band members, keep them well dressed, sober, and showing up on

BY PATTE PURCELL

time. Ultimately, those issues made him decide a solo act was in his best interest. He still plays with bands, but only when they book it and hire him.

His solo act is Brazilian in flavor with a mix of standards. Relaxing and melodic, it’s great accompaniment to conversation. His look is clean and crisp. He is a good looking guy with a great head of hair and dresses well. I always consider these things in the total entertainment over view.

He has an easy way about him; cool, if you know what I mean. Overall, he’s easy on the eyes and ears. (Ladies, take note, he is currently without a lady love which is important to him, fyi).

In addition to playing in the desert he also just got offered an opportunity to write for film and TV for Franklin Thorne Publishing. He’s excited to say the least. He’s recently moved his apartment

around to give him a full time recording studio in what was his bedroom. So even though he’s sleeping on his couch he promises that he will be releasing a CD next March. He’s also an artist and a photographer and he’s doing the entire project himself. I’ve seen his photography and he does have an eye and great style.

Here is Alex’s schedule. He will be performing at my next 2 events as well. Contact him at Lxsantana@hotmail.com. Website lxsantana.com.

Tue. Jan.3, 6-9pm @ 29 Palms inn, solo Wed. Jan.4, 5:30-8:30 @ Wang’s in the Desert, solo Thurs. Jan.5, 6-9pm @ Wang’s in the Desert, solo Fri. Jan.6, 6-9pm @ PDCC w/ Road Runners Tue Jan.10, 5:30-830 @ Oscars in PS, solo Sun, Jan 15, 3-5:30 @ Celebrity Jazz Jam Tue. Jan 17 5:30-8:30 @ Oscars, solo Fri. Jan 20, 6-9pm @ 29 Palms Inn, solo Tue, Jan 24, 5:30-8:30 @ Oscars Sun, Jan 29 4:20-7:30 @ Jazz at the Mansion (private party) Tue. Jan 31, 5:30-8:30 @ Oscars in PS, solo.

Patte Purcell - Muze Muzic pattepurcell@yahoo.com 702-219-6777

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January 5 to January 11, 2017

CONSIDER THIS

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

BY ELENI P. AUSTIN

AND GOES” (THATSMYSKULLMUSIC) THE WELL WISHERS “COMES

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he general consensus is that the year 2016 has felt like an unrelenting shitstorm. From beginning until end we have been inundated with death, (from David Bowie and Prince to George Michael and Carrie Fisher, now Debbie Reynolds, R.I.P.), and disappointment, (there’s a lumbering OompaLoompa headed to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, despite the will of the people). To paraphrase Shakespeare, we have fully entered the winter of our discontent. There’s no turning back.

Thank God for music. Seriously, it can get you through the toughest days. Discovering a new song our band to love can make almost anything bearable. That’s where the Well Wishers’ Comes And Goes album comes in.

The Well Wishers aren’t exactly new, they’ve actually been around since 2003, releasing seven studio albums and a five song EP. In fact, the band isn’t really a band, but the brainchild of Rock N’ Roll Renaissance man Jeff Shelton.

Growing up in Laguna Beach, Jeff didn’t really pick up a guitar until he was 18, but he mastered it pretty quickly and began writing his own songs. Pursuing higher education in San Luis Obispo, he cycled through a couple of bands; mild-mannered college student by day, budding Rock Star by night.

Once he completed matriculation, Jeff made the Bay Area home and connected with kindred spirits, drummer Dave Friel and bassist Doug Free. Together they formed the Spinning Jennies in 1993.

Gigging around San Francisco, the trio built a loyal following and the original line-up recorded two albums before Dave Friel split for not necessarily greener, but different pastures.

Nick Laquintano took his place behind the kit and remained there for the Jennies’ near decade long run. After five albums, the band called it quits in 2002.

Rather than carve out a path as a solo artist, Jeff opted to conceal his identity (like a super hero). He wrote, played, sang and recorded everything himself, but presented it as a band effort. As the Well Wishers he released Twenty- Four Seven in 2004. The album hit the sweet spot between British Invasion crunch and the tart melodicism of Power Pop. The Rock cognoscenti took notice and the

WESTFIELD MALL 72840 Hwy 111 #171 Palm Desert, CA 92260 760-341-2017 www.recordalley.com

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Well Wishers began to cultivate a healthy following. Over the next decade, Jeff produced new music at a furious clip, recording a new album every couple of years. Under The Arrows arrived in 2005, then, How I Won The War in 2007. Jigsaw Days appeared in 2008 followed

by Post Modern Romantic in 2010.

Two years later, Dreaming Of The West Coast came out. Soon after came the Dunwoody EP in 2013, and then A Shattering Sky in 2014. Now the Well Wishers return with their eighth effort, Comes And Goes. It opens with the one-two punch of “Impossible To Blame” and “It’s On.” Downstroke power chords, rubbery bass lines and a punishing back-beat greet the listener on “Impossible...” The succinct lyrics reevaluate an erstwhile love affair; “So many years you been on my mind, but I can’t remember all the reasons love died.” A cyclonic guitar solo on the instrumental break mirrors the lyrics’ chaotic mix of emotions.

As the final notes of “Impossible...” recede, they’re supplanted by prowling guitar riffs and marauding bass fills of “It’s On.” Jimi Hendrix once famously asked “is this love, or just confusion?” The Well Wishers seem to be facing the same dilemma. Over bendy, Guitar-Hero pyrotechnics, equivocation is the name of the game; “And I wouldn’t be lying if I said my love was running out the door/And you wouldn’t be wrong just to say straight up ‘I can’t take it anymore.’”

A plethora of musical influences are evident on Comes And Goes. The early ‘80s are well represented on “Somebody Lied;” A combo platter that serves up space-age synths, a pummeling percussive attack, see-saw bass and staccato riff-age. It plays out like an unholy alliance between A Flock Of Seagulls and Billy Squier. It’s an unexpected fusion that is surprisingly potent.

On “Tomorrow” menacing bass lines fold into a tick-tock rhythm and chiming ‘60s- style guitar. Coming across like an emotional Eeyore, the protagonist on this song attempts to wash away a pessimistic past; “I used to be the one to live in sorrow, I used to be the one who said I’d wait until tomorrow.” A spitfire guitar solo on the break pivots and pinwheels, reflecting lyrics’ ambiguity.

Meanwhile, a driving backbeat and sparkly guitar undercut the misery and dashed expectations on “Love Lies Last.” Gorgeously multi-tracked vocals almost distract from dire couplets like “The two of us lie awake at night, with the suicide of the morning light/Our world is spinning out of control.” Bookending the track is an extended instrumental coda that blends a Keith Moon-style bludgeoning beat and shapeshifting guitar that goes from gritty, to searing, adding hints of feedback and reverb before winding down.

The best tracks here are “Three Nights In Bristol” and “Get On By.” The former shares some musical DNA with the Blondie Power-Punk classic, “One Way Or Another.”

Anchored by stripped down guitar, stutter bass lines, rapid-fire handclaps and a triple-time rhythm, it builds to a manic crescendo before shuddering to a halt.

Ricochet riffs collide with a rollicking backbeat on the latter. The lyrics resolve to fine-tune a faltering relationship; “I’ll give it a rest, I’ll give it a kick in the ass/Whatever you think moves the needle down to something more profound, I’ll give it a try.”

The action slows a bit for three songs, “Comes Around,” “In Love With” and “Nobody’s Dancing Alone.” If it were possible for XTC, the Church and Let’s Active to make a musical baby, it might sound like “Comes Around.”

Jangly acoustic riffs give way to angular electric notes over a mid-tempo rhythm. Even lines like “I’m lost in the grind, would you comfort me with some peace of mind/It’s obvious the end of the line is a starting point,” are tempered by the infectious melody. Some distaff perspective is added when Jeff trades verses with guest vocalist Lisa Mychols.

Lush and shimmery acoustic guitars ripple, powering piquant melody of “In Love With.”

Over a metronome meter, the lyrics split the difference between halcyon nostalgia and an

obligation to seize the day. This cautious carpe diem echoes the effortless pure pop of bands like the Beatles and Badfinger.

The buoyant melody of “Nobody’s Dancing Alone,” nearly camouflages lyrics that denounce our accelerated, anonymous culture. Lines like “Nobody sees me-nobody listens, it’s all a race to the end” are leavened by incandescent acoustic arpeggios and Jeff’s plaintive vocals. In the end, the need to connect overpowers the collective ennui; “And it’s so long out of my senses, I rewind all of my defenses/And call that bluff until nobody’s dancing alone.”

The album closes with “Nature’s Son.” Dense and sludgy, it’s accented by swirling, multi-tracked harmonies. The track steps away from crisp, Power-Pop songcraft that characterizes the album. Instead, it veers toward the darker hues of Punkier antecedents like Husker Du and Dinosaur, Jr.; an intriguing finish to an adept collection of songs.

Not only does Comes And Goes echo classic sounds from bands like the Raspberries and Cheap Trick, it also conjures memories of lesser known lights like the Sneetches and The Pursuit Of Happiness. Even better, each listen reveals richer layers and new, vibrant textures.

Digging into this album might not wash away your sadness or assuage your fears, but hopefully it will help you forget. At least for a little while!

EVENTS

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TERRY FATOR

erry Fator is a ventriloquist like no other. His unique act combines ventriloquism, singing, and impressions. He uses up to 16 different puppets in his act, and they all have very unique and fun personalities. They range from a turtle to an Elvis impersonator who doesn’t know any Elvis songs. Terry won season two of America’s Got Talent and hasn’t stopped working since.

Initially, he expected only to last a few episodes and use his exposure to get better shows, but the win catapulted him into a wildly successful career. Terry has been a headliner at The Mirage on the Las Vegas strip since his win, and has just signed a contract extension.

Terry is taking his show on the road and will be making a stop at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino on Friday, January 20.

His story is truly inspiring, and we got to hear it first-hand.

Coachella Valley Weekly: At what age did you know you wanted to be an entertainer?

Terry Fator: “As far back as I can possibly remember I wanted to entertain and perform.

I’ve loved it since I was just a little kid. In fact, my very first memory is me standing on a table singing a song to people and just really liking that feeling I got. It was natural for me. Growing up, I knew I was going to be an entertainer. It was my calling.”

CVW: When did you start with ventriloquism and what got you interested in it?

TF: “I started when I was 10 and the thing that got me interested was I accidentally found a book on how to be a ventriloquist. It wasn’t like I planned to be a ventriloquist. It just all of a sudden happened after finding the book.”

CVW: Did combining singing with ventriloquism come natural or was it something you worked on?

TF: “It definitely came natural to me. It wasn’t something I had to think about. I already sang, and from the beginning I sang with my puppets. It was just something I always did.”

CVW: How did winning America’s Got Talent change your life?

January 4 to January 11, 2017

BY GILBERT WARD KANE

PERFORMS AT FANTASY SPRINGS CASINO ON FRIDAY, JANUARY 20

TF: “It changed my life in every possible, conceivable way. It’s surreal how quickly it all happened. I definitely paid my dues. I spent 20 years on the road playing small festivals where they always put me next to the petting zoo.

And, you know, that was kind of rough trying to play those crazy places. To go from 20 years of struggling, then boom, you’re a headliner. I can never be grateful enough for what America’s Got Talent has done for me. It just completely up-ended my life and turned it over in the most dramatic and best fashion possible.”

CVW: It seems from what you’ve said, these guys before figured, ‘Here’s this guy with puppets, let’s lump him in with the kids.’

TF: “Yes! That’s exactly what it was. I struggled with that too because I tried so hard to convey to everyone that I wasn’t a children’s entertainer. I have nothing against children, but I never had that desire to be a children’s entertainer. I always wanted to be more than that. So, it was very frustrating to me to fight that battle. I’ve always had a commitment to myself to have a family show that kids could enjoy, but I’ve never wanted to be a ‘Barney.’ I always wanted more than that. I never wanted to be a dirty or adult only entertainer either. I want to entertain everybody. But because I’m a ventriloquist, people assumed I was a children’s entertainer. What I did on America’s Got Talent was let the world know that ventriloquism is a valid art form for more than just children.

Kids don’t know who Etta James is. They don’t know who Roy Orbison is. They don’t know who Tony Bennet is. So, in that sense, it really opened a door. There is something more to this. That is what attracted Vegas to me. What I do is so uniquely ‘Vegas’. A lot of these people I impersonate played Vegas back in the day. A lot of ventriloquists have tried to book Vegas, but I’m the only one to have a long term headlining residency. I’ve been there for 8 years and just signed another 5. Again, America’s Got Talent allowed me to do that, and I’m incredibly grateful for that.”

CVW: Is going on the road a sort of vacation for you, or do enjoy staying close to home with

ART SCENE

the residency?

TF: “Don’t get me wrong, I love the residency, but I also love going on the road. It’s import to me to go on the road. It’s a way of giving back to the fans that maybe can’t make it to Vegas. And I do a different show on the road.

You can see two different shows if you see me in Vegas and on the road. But I really do it for people who can’t travel or afford to come to Vegas. My fans are so incredibly important to me. If it wasn’t for my fans, I wouldn’t be able to do this. I wouldn’t have this life style. I’m so grateful for my fans. Going on the road is my way of giving back. I try to go all over the states and even internationally soon.”

CVW: Music translates well internationally, but I wonder how comedy will translate. You do incorporate music, so you’re ahead of the game.

TF: “When I go to non-English speaking countries, the show will be more music centric and less comedy.”

CVW: Hopefully this isn’t like choosing a favorite child, but, what is your favorite character/puppet?

TF: “No it’s not. That’s kind of silly, though I know there are ventriloquists who feel differently. They’re just puppets. Their entire existence is what I put into them. There are no feelings, so there’s no jealousy. My favorite is Winston because a turtle singing Roy Orbison

is exactly why I won America’s Got Talent. I’m convinced of that. He’s kind of this childlike character who is by far the favorite of my fans.

Emotionally, Walter is my favorite because he was my very first professional puppet. I got him when I was 18. He’s still in my show now.

The same exact character. Any given night, my favorite to perform is different. Right now, it’s either Dougie or Maynard. Both of which will be at the show in Indio. Dougie is sort of the stoner character. (Said in character) ‘Dude. I’m like really happy to be here.’ He’s a blast. I’m telling you it’s so fun to do these characters. Then Maynard is an Elvis impersonator that doesn’t know any Elvis songs.”

CVW: That sounds so fun. Here’s this Elvis impersonator I can do anything I want with except Elvis. What a great concept.

TF: “He really is a fun character. He can sing.

He does Aaron Neville songs and occasionally others, but he doesn’t know any Elvis songs.

Also, it’s great when a character is inherently funny just because of their character. It makes writing for them easier.”

CVW: What is your most memorable performance?

TF: “Hand’s down, America’s got Talent. I’d have to say the very first one; singing Etta James.

I’d been doing that for a while before. When I did that on the road, the audience’s jaw would drop. I knew I had something. I was incredibly shocked that I won that show. I was playing a lot of elementary schools. Even though I didn’t want to be a children’s entertainer, there’s good money in it. It was fairs and elementary schools.

I didn’t have a problem performing for children, doing anti-bullying shows, but I didn’t want that to be my career. I wanted to entertain all ages.

What I planned was to get on for 2 or 3 episodes and get kicked off. I could use that exposure to charge more at elementary schools. It would give me a good video showing if I had national exposure. Then I won it!”

BY CHRIS CLEMENS

CODA GALLERY DEBUTS NEW EXHIBITIONS WITH ARTISTS RECEPTION DURING EL PASEO ART WALK

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ODA Gallery, celebrating nearly 30 years in Palm Desert, welcomes the public to attend a special reception with artists Jamie Perry and Jesse Kelly on Friday, January 6, from 5PM to 8PM. Guests will have the opportunity to meet the artists for the debut of their exhibitions.

The reception takes place during the monthly renowned El Paseo Art Walk, a self-guided tour of the various art galleries on El Paseo that stay open later on the first Friday of the month through May. In addition to meeting the artists and viewing their work, visitors to CODA Gallery during First Friday Art Walk will enjoy live acoustic music as well as a wine bar, which benefits Animal Samaritans and features wines from Organic Wine Exchange. A percentage of the evening’s art sales will also be donated to support Animal Samaritan’s very worthy projects.

The featured work of Jamie Perry and Jesse Kelly will be on view through January 27. Jamie Perry is a Southern California artist who’s acrylic on canvas landscape paintings evoke a tonal quality and convey a sense of peace and serenity. Perry’s work has been exhibited in such cities as Chicago, San Francisco, Beverly Hills, Denver, Park City and Kansas City, and New York City’s SoHo district. Glass artist Jesse Kelly’s is uniquely recognized for his sculptural glass inspired by nature. His successful and popular body of work includes a variety of glass landscape installations, his unique fruit series, glass sculpture, bowls, vessels and more.

A landmark on El Paseo, CODA Gallery has resonated with contemporary art collectors for thirty years. In October the gallery moved up El Paseo and now features 9,000 square feet of space. Located at 73-400 El Paseo, it is open Mon. through Sat. from 10AM to 6PM (and

until 8PM on the first Friday of each month for El Paseo Art Walk), and Sunday from 11AM to 5PM For more info call (760) 346-4661 or visit codagallery.com. The gallery can be followed on Facebook at facebook.com/codagallery, and on Twitter at @codagallery.

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January 5 to January 11, 2017

PET PLACE

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

BY JANET McAFEE

WHO IS THE ‘LUCKY’ ONE?

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he New Year is about second chances, starting over, and having faith that better things are yet to come.

Marvelous dogs teach us to look forward to a happy future, as they live in the moment and forgive much of the past. A dog named Lucky taught us that lesson when we rescued him five years ago.

I recently met up with Wayne Karson and the handsome rescue dog he named ‘Lucky’. Lucky was gorgeously groomed, and happily bonded to his human. He scarcely resembles the thin bedraggled dog I rescued four years ago in the parking lot of the San Bernardino County shelter at Devore. Wayne gratefully told me, “You know how much you do for these dogs when you save them, but you don’t realize what you do for the people who adopt them. He is my first rescue dog, but the best dog I’ve ever had. Lucky brings joy to my life every day, and I am the ‘lucky’ one for having him in my life.”

I recalled the January day five years ago when I rescued Lucky, and thought about the contrast between his first home and his ‘luck’ in finding a wonderful second home with Wayne. I was at the Devore shelter rescuing a dog for Loving All Animals. A staff person pleadingly asked, “Will you take another dog?”

A man at the counter was trying to turn in a dog he had in his car, and there was an argument ensuing. I took him aside and said, “Let’s go outside to the parking lot.” He was relieved by my offer to take his dog, but only because this public shelter wanted to charge him a $90 owner relinquish fee. I peered through the tinted car window and saw a small thin bedraggled white poodle who looked to be about 14 pounds. I prayed the horrid black marks on his face were only tear stains. In broken English the man explained this happens “when he sleeps at night.”

I asked the dog’s owner, “Why are you giving him up?” His story stunned me. “We’ve had him one year and he grew too big. My daughter got a little puppy from her grandmother, and we don’t want this one anymore. He grew too big. He makes too many messes.” I asked if the dog was neutered, and was not surprised at his response, “What is neutered?” Did he know this was a high kill shelter, and that his dog might not make it out alive? He shrugged, not knowing and not caring to know. I grasped the sweet animal, biting my tongue so as not to say anything to jeopardize the transaction.

The dog named Chato began to cry desperately scratching at my car window. I

rolled down the window and yelled, “This dog is crying for you. I want you to see how he misses you!” I pondered the reality that this small pup had more capacity for love in his heart than the human who discarded him like an old coat.

Dogs tend to live in the moment, and I could soon feel the love from the grateful dog beside me in the car. He relaxed, gave me kisses, and enjoyed the view from the car window as we headed down the 10 freeway to the Coachella Valley.

That night the dog clung to me with incessant hugs, proving to be a sweet animal whose devotion to humans seemed intact in spite of his past. When I visited his foster home, he bounded towards me in the immeasurable joyful connection between savior and the

MEET GHILI Gorgeous “Chili” is a gem of a dog, sweet, athletic, and well trained. This 3-yr-old female Husky waits for a home at the Humane Society of the Desert at 17825 N. Indian Canyon, N. Palm Springs. Call for appointment (760) 329-0203. www.orphanpet.com.

MEET RIGEL & DRACO Two are more fun than one!

These bonded boys are just 5 months old and full of playful antics. They wait to meet you at Petco in Palm Desert. Rescued by www.ForeverMeow.com.

(760) 335-6767

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saved. I hugged my precious boy, and cried a few tears when I heard he was adopted shortly thereafter. I hoped he got the fabulous home he so deserved after the family who had no regard for him. I was gratified to meet Wayne Kantor of Culver City soon afterwards at one of our Yappy Hour parties. The transformed dog he renamed ‘Lucky’ ran joyfully into my arms for a reunion hug. I shed joyful tears upon seeing what a great life Lucky now enjoyed.

Wayne reports he and Lucky became best friends instantly. He recalls Lucky slept at the bottom of his bed that first night, and he awoke at 7:00am to the sweet pup giving him happy kisses. Lucky dog Lucky gets to go to with Wayne to this office some days, and is an important part of his life. When he goes out for an evening, the first thing Wayne sees in the window of his home is the head of his loyal dog waiting. Wayne says, “I love this dog with all my heart. He’s the most wonderful soul I’ve ever known. I hope more people understand how giving a rescue dog a second chance is one of the best things you can ever do.”

Visit Loving All Animals’ adoptable dogs and cats at www.lovingallanimals.org or call (760) 834-7000. You can get lucky and create your own happy ending.

Jmcafee7@verizon.net

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

THE VINO VOICE

January 4 to January 11, 2017

BY RICK RIOZZA

2017 PALM SPRINGS FILM FEST & WINE SCREENING!

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ypically at this time, the Vino Voice Column joins in the fanfare with the world famous annual Palm Springs International Film Festival, now in its 28th year and on-going through January 16th. And we’ve done so by offering movie and wine pairing suggestions.

When we established this movie/wine matchings, it was pretty much a hypothetical concept where we were listing great bottles of wine at a whim to accompany guests at the theatre show. These days, most movie houses indeed offer wines by the glass: it’s become a real phenomenon!—and the Vino Voice is proud to list this endeavor in its résumé.

You recall we matched some festival films to particular wines because of some serious or crazed connection to one another. And we’ve had our fun—perhaps at your expense; fortunately a couple of years ago, I pretty much promised to put any more ideas to a restful sleep. (For you insomniacs, you can check out the craft involved, online in the CV Weekly archives, Vino Voice January articles of the past.)

For this 2017 celluloid celebration, it’s difficult to forego at least one fun association, so why not remain in the movie mix by launching into perchance an interesting wine discussion prompted by what the movie title and story feeds us— and perhaps causes us even to thirst.

As I perused the large list of cinema entries, I just couldn’t get past one that shouts out for some big wine associations: Viva España! Check out the trailer to this beautiful artistic piece: psfilmfest. org/2017-ps-film-festival/films/j-beyondflamenco J: Beyond Flamenco, Annenberg and Palm Canyon Theaters—“Using a minimal yet elegant black-box setting, legendary Spanish filmmaker Carlos Saura brings to life the origins and stylistic variations of the Jota, a rich, sensual waltz born in 18thcentury Aragon, with equally sumptuous regional variations across Spain and its

former colonies. Throughout the last four decades Saura has interspersed dramatic features with nonfiction music films, including Tango, Fados and the recent Flamenco, Flamenco. His films don’t just preserve these deeply rooted musical forms, but assert their dazzling vitality.”

(Film notes provided by psfilmfest.org.)

In a recent wine atlas book, the author said it was easier to map the movements in a beehive than to sum up the recent wine trends in Spain! Spain has more vineyard land than any other country on earth.

And speaking of earth, a good 90% of all España’s vineyards lie at altitudes higher than any major French wine region, and, at Mediterranean latitudes, where grapes can and do thrive. And now the country’s wine is enjoying a surge in international popularity, especially here in the States, as new vino lovers are coming ‘round to the gusto of Spain.

“Bodegas”—a Spanish word that we Southern Californian’s are used to seeing at restaurants and the like, refers to anywhere wine is made, stored, or sold. Traditionally bodegas were places where wine was aged.

And did the Spanish age their wine or what!

I remember purchasing a case of the famous La Alta Rioja. It was in the late ‘80s, and their 1976 vintage was just released!

That was the thing about Spanish wine back then: their custom was to release the wine when it was ready to drink—they aged it for you in their barrels for so many years.

For the less than stellar wine produced, one pretty much had to have a taste for wood.

But for the many aged Tempranillo/ Rioja wines from established bodegas, the wine was wonderful. No longer prominent in the mix, the oak was simply a soft cushion in the background allowing for an elegant, rich, and smooth texture and great flavors of black cherries, plums, raspberries, strawberries, earth, leather, spices, cassis, chocolate, cinnamon, sage, smoke, tobacco, and violets!

As you would expect in the brave new

world of wine, there is a new wave of Spanish wine makers that are following the “French-style” of barrel ageing for much less time and getting the bottles on shelf much quicker. Certainly the flavor profile is fresher and a bit more intense on the fruit while (hopefully) maintaining all of the above-listed aromas and savors of the grape.

For the old-school types, Spanish wine regulations provide for the categories of Reserva and Gran Reserva, devised specifically to honor extended oak ageing.

But truth be told, new generations tend to value intensity over antiquity. And so it goes.

Spanish wines have always been a bargain in the U.S. That case of 12 year old La Alta Rioja I mentioned above only cost me back then, around $12 a bottle!!

And prices continually are the lowest as

compared to any other European nation.

The subject of Spanish wine would probably take an entire college semester.

So, let’s just remind everyone of just three of the grape varietals that pretty much most enthusiasts know—or at least, heard of.

The Tempranillo grape, the predominant in Rioja, is an early ripening grape.

Temprano in Spanish means “early”. The reputation of the region was made in the 19th century when Bordeaux négociants came down to buck-up their own blends when their wines were insipid. Indeed, even today, a wonderfully aged Rioja can match wonderful Bordeaux.

Oftentimes, we’ll see the blending of the Garnacha grape in a Rioja wine. Sometimes pronounced “Gar-NAKKA” by the locals, this is the same grape you know as Grenache.

Southern Rhône fans love this grape and its robust flavor profile along with yet another recognized French-named grape: Mourvédre, known in Spain as Monastrell, which is a principal grape throughout the country.

We’ll catch-up on some delicious Spanish reds for the season soon. Until then, see you at the movies. Cheers!

13

January 5 to January 11, 2017

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

THUR JANUARY 5

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29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-3673505 Bobby Furgo & Co 6pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Discoteca w/ DJ Victor Rodriguez 9pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 Jazz Trio w/ Francesca Amari, Bill Marx and Doug MacDonald 7pm AZUL; PS; 760-325-5533 Piano Bar 6pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 DJ and Dancing 9pm THE BLOCK; CC; 760-832-7767 Reggae Thursdays 9pm BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 John Stanley King 6-10pm CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick Tuzzolino 5:30pm CHILL BAR; PS; 760-327-1079 Symara Stone 6:30pm THE CONGO ROOM; PS; 760-322-7353 Open Mic 7pm CORKTREE; PD; 760-779-0123 Michael Keeth 6-9pm CUNARD’S SANDBAR; LQ; 760-564-3660 The Bill Baker Show 6pm DHS SPA LOUNGE; DHS; 760-329-6787 Karaoke w/ DJ Scott 9pm FISHERMAN’S GROTTO; PD; 760-776-6533 Barry Baughn and Bob Gross 6:30pm GADI’S RESTAURANT AND BAR; YV; 760-3656633 Open Mic Night 7pm THE GRILL ON MAIN; LQ; 760-777-7773 T.B.A. 7:30pm THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 Red’s Rockstar Karaoke 9pm HOODOO COCKTAIL GARDEN @ THE HYATT; PS; 760-322-9000 Chris Lomeli 7pm HUNTER’S; PS; 760-323-0700 Open Mic 9pm INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760-3456466 Frank DiSalvo 6pm JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-366-2250 Punk Rock Night 9pm KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 Karaoke 7pm LA RUE BISTRO; LQ; 760-296-3420 TBA 6pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-325-2794 Hot Rox LAVENDER BISTRO; LQ; 760-564-5353 Live Entertainment 5:30pm LIT@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; 760-3452450 Country Night w/ South 65 8pm THE LOUNGE, AGUA CALIENTE; RM; 888999-1995 Quinto Menguante 8-1am MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 Ron Greenip 8pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Karaoke 8pm THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry 6-8pm Tim Burleson 8pm PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-365-5956 Haunted Summer and The Flusters 8pm PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND COCKTAILS; TP; 760-343-2115 RED BARN; PD; 760-346-0191 Captain’s Son 9pm SAMMY G’s; PS; 760-320-8041 Evaro Brothers 8pm SHANGHAI RED’S @ THE FISHERMAN’S MARKET; PS; 760-322-9293 The Smooth Brothers 7pm STUFT PIZZA; PD; 760-777-9989 Acoustic Live w/ TBA 6pm SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760-3413560 Dude Jones 6pm TACK ROOM TAVERN; IND; 760-347-9985 T-Bone Karaoke 8pm THREE SIXTY NORTH; PS; 760-327-1773 Anthony DiGerlando Show 6:30pm VICKY’S OF SANTE FE; IW; 760-345-9770 Robert Salisbury 5-6pm, Carolyn Martinez Trio 6:30pm VILLAGE PUB; PS; 760-323-3265 DJ Khodi Rayne 4:30-9pm, Nite Fixx 9-2am WANG’S; PS; 760-325-9264 Derek Jordan Gregg 6pm

WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-230-0188 Linda Peterson Jazz 6pm ZELDA’S; PS; 760-325-2375 DJ 8pm

FRI JANUARY 6 19TH HOLE; PD; 760-772-6696 TBA 9pm 29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 Michael Lowe 6:30pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Goomba Nights 10pm AGAVE LOUNGE@THE HYATT REGENCY; IW; 760-674-4080 Art of Sax 8pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 The Gilmore and Bryan Show 7pm AZUL; PS; 760-325-5533 Fleet Easton 7:30pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 Higuera, Ocho Ojos, Titans of Cinema, The Rosewaters, Dreamer on Tap and Eye Candy 9pm BIG ROCK PUB; IND; 706-200-8988 Dude Jones 9pm BISTRO 60 @TRILOGY; LQ; 760-501-0620 The Carmens 6pm THE BLOCK; C.C.; 760-832-7767 Karaoke 9pm BLUE BAR, SPOTLIGHT 29; INDIO; 760-7755566 DJ Double A 8pm BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 The Stanley Butler Trio 6-10pm CASCADE LOUNGE, SPA RESORT CASINO; PS; 888-999-1995 DJ Michael Wright 9-1am CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick Tuzzolino 5:30pm CHILL BAR; PS; 760-327-1079 TBA 7pm CLUB 5 BAR; IND; 760-625-1719 TBA 8pm THE CONGO ROOM; PS; 760-322-7353 Guzman Jr. 7pm CUNARD’S SANDBAR; LQ; 760-564-3660 The Bill Baker Show 6pm DATE SHED; IND; Thr3 Strykes “CMNCTNBRKDWN” Record Release Party w/ DJ Amavida, Porsia Camille, Million & Albertini, J Patron and The After Lashes 9pm ELECTRIC SPORTS LOUNGE; YV; 760-2281199 DJ Ceddy Cedd 9pm EL MEXICALI CAFÉ 2; IND; 760-342-2333 Cesar Daniel Lopez on the harp 6-9pm FISHERMAN’S GROTTO; PD; 760-776-6533 Gina Carey 6pm THE GRILL ON MAIN; LQ; 760-777-7773 The Myx 8:30pm THE HARD ROCK; PS; 760-325-9676 Esjay & Friends Acoustic Sessions w/ Rod Van Buren and Morgan James 8pm Lobby THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 HercDog Productions Presents: Not/Normal, Sun Bakes, Decapitate the Kause, Venus & The Traps and Cakes & Brains 9pm HOODOO COCKTAIL GARDEN @ THE HYATT; PS; 760-322-9000 Bill Ramirez 6:30pm HUNTER’S; PS; 760-323-0700 Live VJ 9pm INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760-3456466 Frank DiSalvo 6pm

JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-3662250 Live DJ 8:30pm KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 Soul Priestess 8pm LA QUINTA BREWERY; PD; 760-200-2597 The Hive Minds 6pm LA RUE BISTRO; LQ; 760-296-3420 Slim Man 6pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-325-2794 Palm Springs Sound Company in the afternoon, Hot Rox in the night LAVENDER BISTRO; LQ; 760-564-5353 Live Entertainment 5:30pm LIT@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; 760-345-2450 Hot Sauce 9pm THE LOUNGE; AGUA CALIENTE; RM; 888-9991995 DJ Jerry 9pm MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760325-2323 Ron Greenip 8pm MITCH’S ON EL PASEO; PD; 760-779-9200 Michael Keeth 12-3pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Karaoke 8-1:15am THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry 6-8pm Tim Burleson 8pm PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; 760-3274080 9pm PALM DESERT COUNTRY CLUB; PD; 760-3450222 Roadrunners 6:30pm PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-365-5956 Three Chord Justice 8pm PEABODY’S CAFÉ; PS; 760-322-1877 Karaoke 7:30pm PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND COCKTAILS; TP; 760-343-2115 Red’s Rockstar Karaoke 9pm PURPLE ROOM; PS; 760-322-4422 The Buddy Holly Review w/ Southbound & Co. 8pm RANCHO LAS PALMAS; RM TBA 5:30pm RED BARN; PD; 760-346-0191 The Deep Ones 9pm SAMMY G’s; PS; 760-320-8041 Evaro Brothers 8pm SHANGHAI RED’S @ THE FISHERMAN’S MARKET; PS; 760-322-9293 Barry Baughn Blues 8-11pm SHANGHAI RED’S @ THE FISHERMAN’S MARKET; LQ; 760-777-1601 The Carmens 8-11pm SHELLY’S LOUNGE@TORTOISE ROCK CASINO; 29 Palms; Rojer Arnold & Bobby Furgo 9pm SMOKIN’ BURGERS; PS; 760-883-5999 Ron James 6pm SOLANO’S BISTRO; LQ; 760-771-6655 Michael Madden 6-9pm SOUL OF MEXICO; IND; 760-200-8787 Latin Rock 10pm SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760-341-3560 Demetrious and Co. 6pm TACK ROOM TAVERN; IND; 760-347-9985 Lisa & The Gents 9pm

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THREE SIXTY NORTH; PS; 760-327-1773 Pat Rizzo & Dennis Michaels 6:30pm TJ’S; PD; 760-345-6744 TBA 9pm TRILUSSA ITALIAN RISTORANTE; PS; 760328-2300 Julius & Sylvia Music Duo 6-10pm VIBE; MORONGO CASINO; CAB; 951-755-5391 The Rick Whitfield Band 10pm VICKY’S OF SANTE FE; IW; 760-345-9770 Meet the Corwins 5:30pm, The John Stanley King Show 8pm VILLAGE PUB; PS; 760-323-3265 T.B.A. 1:304:30pm, Nite Fixx 9-2am, DJ Anwaar Hines 9-2am WANG’S IN THE DESERT; PS; 760-325-9264 Karaoke 8:30pm WESTIN MISSION HILLS; RM; 760-328-5955 Michael Keeth 7-11pm THE WINE EMPORIUM; LQ; 760-565-5512 Rob Martinez and Todd Ashley ft. Lisa LaFaro Weselis 5-8:30pm WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-230-0188 Rose Mallett 6:30pm ZELDA’S; PS; 760-325-2375 DJ 9pm

EL MEXICALI CAFÉ 2; IND; 760-342-2333 Cesar Daniel Lopez on the harp 6-9pm FISHERMAN’S GROTTO; PD; 760-776-6533 Jack Ruvio 6:30pm THE GRILL ON MAIN; LQ; 760-777-7773 TBA 8:30pm THE GROOVE LOUNGE; SPOTLIGHT 29; INDIO; 760-775-5566 DJ 8pm THE HARD ROCK; PS; 760-325-9676 Global Lounge Sessions w/ Los Hypsies and Machin’ 8pm THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 30 Miles Out 9pm HOODOO COCKTAIL GARDEN @ THE HYATT; PS; 760-322-9000 Bill Ramirez 6:30pm HUNTER’S; PS; 760-323-0700 Live VJ 9pm INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760-3456466 Frank DiSalvo 6pm JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-366-2250 Teddy Quinn 5pm KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 Karaoke 7pm LA RUE BISTRO; LQ; 760-296-3420 TBA 9pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-325-2794 Palm Springs Sound Company, in the afternoon, Hot Rox,in the night LAVENDER BISTRO; LQ; 760-564-5353 Live 29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 Bev Entertainment 5:30pm & Bill 6:30pm LIT@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; 760-345-2450 19TH HOLE; PD; 760-772-6696 TBA 9pm Hot Sauce 9pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Goomba THE LOUNGE, AGUA CALIENTE; RM; 888-999Nights 11am poolside, and 10pm AGAVE LOUNGE@THE HYATT REGENCY; IW; 1995 Radio Rave 9pm MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760760-674-4080 Art of Sax 8pm 325-2323 Ron Greenip 8pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 Cabaret on the Green Open Mic 7:30pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Karaoke AZUL; PS; 760-325-5533 Denise Carter 7:30pm 8-1:15am THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 DJ Ultra Cat, Rich Brandon, Cielo High and Albert Ramirez 6-8pm Tim Burleson 8pm 9pm PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; 760-3274080 Telos Band 9pm BEATNIK LOUNGE; JT; TBA 9pm PALM DESERT COUNTRY CLUB; PD; 760-345BIG ROCK PUB; IND; 706-200-8988 Voodoo 0222 Gennine Francis 6:30pm Hustlers 9pm PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-365-5956 THE BLOCK; C.C.; 760-832-7767 TBA 9pm The Shadow Mountain band 5pm, The BLUE BAR; SPOTLIGHT 29; IND; 760-775Freightshakers 8pm 5566 DJ 9pm PEABODY’S CAFÉ; PS; 760-322-1877 BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 Gina Carey Karaoke 7:30pm 6-10pm PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND CASCADE LOUNGE, SPA RESORT CASINO; COCKTAILS; TP; 760-343-2115 Red’s Rockstar PS; 888-999-1995 DJ Michael Wright 9-1am Karaoke 9pm CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick PURPLE ROOM; PS; 760-322-4422 Jimmy Tuzzolino 5:30pm James: Impressionism 8pm CHILL BAR; PS; 760-327-1079 TBA 9pm RED BARN; PD; 760-346-0191 Drum Hall w/ CLUB 5 BAR; IND; 760-625-1719 TBA 9pm Million & Albertini 9pm THE CONGO ROOM; PS; 760-322-7353 RIVIERA; PS; 760-327-8311 Michael Keeth Guzman Jr. 7pm CUNARD’S SANDBAR; LQ; 760-564-3660 The 7-10pm SAMMY G’s; PS; 760-320-8041 Evaro Brothers Bill Baker Show 6pm 8pm DHS SPA LOUNGE; DHS; 760-329SHANGHAI RED’S @ THE FISHERMAN’S 6787 Karaoke w/ DJ Scott 9pm MARKET; PS; 760-322-9293 Barry Baughn DILLON’S BURGERS & BEER; DHS; 760-774Blues 8-11pm 7131 TBA 8pm SHANGHAI RED’S @ THE FISHERMAN’S ELECTRIC SPORTS LOUNGE; YV; 760-228MARKET; LQ; 760-777-1601 The Carmens 1199 DJ Ceddy Cedd 9pm 8-11pm

SAT JANUARY 7

January 4 to January 11, 2017

SHELLY’S LOUNGE@TORTOISE ROCK CASINO; 29 Palms; Rojer Arnold & Bobby Furgo 9pm SIDEWINDER GRILL; DHS; 760-329-7929 Karaoke w/ Milly G 6pm SMOKIN’ BURGERS; PS; 760-883-5999 Ron James 6pm SOUL OF MEXICO; IND; 760-200-8787 Latin Music 10pm SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760-3413560 TBA 6pm TACK ROOM TAVERN; IND; 760-347-9985 Barflys 9pm THREE SIXTY NORTH; PS; 760-327-1773 Dennis Michael 6:30pm TRILUSSA ITALIAN RISTORANTE; PS; 760328-2300 Julius & Sylvia Music Duo 6-10pm TRYST; PS; 760-832-6046 TBA 10pm VIBE, MORONGO CASINO; CAB; 951-7555391 DJ Hektik 10pm VICKY’S OF SANTE FE; IW; 760-345-9770 Rose Mallett & Barney McClure 5pm, Kal David, Lauri Bono & The Real Deal 7:30pm VILLAGE PUB; PS; 760-323-3265 Rob & JB 1:30-4:30pm, Nite Fixx 9-2am, DJ Anwaar Hines 9-2am THE WINE EMPORIUM; LQ; 760-565-5512 Abie Perkins and Bert Vela 7pm WESTIN MISSION HILLS; RM; 760-328-5955 TBA 7-11pm WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-230-0188 The Stanley Butler Band 6:30pm ZELDA’S; PS; 760-325-2375 DJ Bigster 9pm

SUN JANUARY 8 29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 Bob Garcia 6pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Goomba Nights 4-9pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 Jazz Brunch w/ Shelley Yoelin and Bill Casale 11am continue to page 20

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January 5 to January 11, 2017

EVENTS

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

BY CRAIG MICHAELS

1ST ANNUAL PRIORITY LIGHTING BUILDERS EXPO TO ADD ART FAIR

S

ince announcing their Expo last month, The Art Place in the Palm Desert Design District has received an overwhelming response from the building, design and now, the art community. The 1st Annual Priority Lighting Builders Expo and Art Fair will take place Feb. 8, 2017 from 4-7p.m.

The Expo was created to provide the general public the opportunity to meet dozens of construction and design professionals at the same time. If you’re considering buying or building a home or office, this is a great opportunity to try out new products, observe live demonstrations, and compare one-of-akind features in the building industry.

Having the Expo at The Art Place is a perfect fit. The recently added Art Fair at the Expo will provide attendees the chance to explore custom artwork from various boutique shops at The Art Place as well as local artists. The 1st Annual Priority Lighting Builders Expo & Art Fair will now allow you to find everything you need to build, furnish and decorate your home or office all in one place. In addition to

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discovering the latest trends and services in construction, you can now view a vast selection of contemporary art, decor, fabrics, furniture and flowers!

To ensure a balanced and diverse Expo, The Art Place has teamed up with Priority Lighting and the Desert Valley Builders Association (DVBA) to promote the event valley-wide and attract top building professionals. This special event will kick off with a ribbon cutting by The Greater Coachella Valley Chamber of Commerce at 4p.m. Attendees will also enjoy delicious food, music from DJ Bob Scatch of Craig Michaels Productions and raffle prizes.

The Expo will feature everything necessary to design the perfect dream home or office. The Art Place announced there are a limited number of booths still available for interested exhibitors.

However, spaces are filling up quickly. If your business would like an application to be a Booth Exhibitor please contact Craig Michaels Productions at (760) 880-3848.

Written By: Craig Michaels Productions (760) 880-3848

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

January 4 to January 11, 2017

17

January 5 to January 11, 2017

SCREENERS

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

BY ROBIN E. SIMMONS

No. 246

WHEN GOD IS QUIET

Woodley. There’s also a nice featurette with the co-stars and Stone talking about what attracted them to the project and how they worked together to tell Snowden’s astonishing story.

A mention should be made of GordonLevitt’s incredible physical resemblance to Snowden. Near the end of the film, there’s a cut from the actor to a matching shot of the real Snowden that will take your breath away – it is that uncanny. Highest recommendation. Blu-ray. Universal.

NOW PLAYING: SILENCE

ZERO DAYS

For nearly thirty years, Oscar© winning filmmaker Martin Scorsese has had Japanese novelist Shusaku Endo’s tale of a 17th-century Jesuit Missionary faced with the dilemma of whether or not to apostatize on his to-do list for a movie adaptation.

Finally realizing his dream, Scorsese’s finished film is an epic quest that’s visually stunning and spiritually – provocative – no matter the religious belief of the viewer.

But there is no doubt that the director’s well-known Catholicism (he once planned to study for the priesthood) helped fuel the filmmaking process.

At the heart of “Silence” lies a fundamental theological question. What does it really mean to renounce one’s faith? In the film’s main storyline, apostasy was the weapon 17th century Japanese officials used against European colonial powers and the Christian faith they brought

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with them. They – the Japanese powers that be -- sought to combat the spread of Christianity among the peasants eager to embrace the notion that their suffering be a ticket to heaven. The film follows two young Portuguese padres (Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver) as they search for their mentor (Liam Neeson) who is believed to have apostatized under threat of torture.

The last half of the film concerns the two priests captivity. One is prepared for martyrdom, but the Japanese inquisitor’s diabolical scheme threatens torturing other Christians until he denies his faith.

It is God’s silence that looms over the entire drama. How is it a loving God does not intervene or forgive apostasy under such dire circumstances? This film forces the audience to personalize the viewing experience on a deep and profound level. As time passes, this passion project will surely be recognized as Scorsese’s masterpiece and will provoke meaningful conversations among the devout and secular as well.

NEW FOR THE HOME THEATER: SNOWDEN It matters not your religion or politics, this fascinating look inside the undeniably brilliant mind of Edward Snowden and

the unveiling of the U.S. government’s top secrets is a must-see if the notions of security and freedom are of importance to you. This movie is not really a debate about Snowden being a traitor or hero, but rather how much you value privacy.

Directed with unexpected restraint

by Academy Award® winner Oliver Stone (Platoon, Nixon) this suspenseful drama tackles perhaps the most important question and incredible true stories of our time.

Powerful, riveting, politically charged and provocative, this pulse pounding thriller reveals the astonishing untold personal story of Snowden (a terrific Joseph Gordon-Levitt), the controversial figure who exposed shocking illegal surveillance activities by the NSA and became one of the most wanted men in the world. A hero to many and a traitor to some, the gripping story of what led him to that fateful decision makes for what critics have called “the most important and galvanizing political drama by an American filmmaker in years.

Now, with the alleged charges of Russia hacking of the just-concluded American presidential election still making headlines, this timely and informative film deserves the widest consideration.

The Bly-ray edition features deleted scenes and a fascinating Q&A with Stone, Gordon-Levitt and co-star Shailene

A perfect companion documentary to “Snowden,” “Zero Days” is a searing, white knuckle thriller that is both urgent and terrifying.

Academy Award® winning director Alex Gibney (Taxi to the Dark Side) dives into the covert world of cyberwarfare. Gibney shines a light on what is believed to be a secret joint U.S. and Isreali operation to disrupt Iran’s nuclear ambitions with the use of a cyber “worm” called Stuxnet.

Featuring interviews with government officials involved in the cyber-attack, as well as the security researches who were responsible for discovering – and uncovering – it. Gibney reveals the unprecedented look and searing facts about Stuxnet, one of the world’s first digital weapons. A computer worm unlike any other, Stuxnet was able to wreak physical destruction on nuclear equipment while going largely undetected

by Iranian scientists. This chilling polirtical thriller is one of the year’s scariest films. See it with “Snowden” if you can. It will worm its way into your dreams. Magnolia. DVD. Comments? robinesimmons@aol.com

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

BOOK REVIEW

January 4 to January 11, 2017

BY HEIDI SIMMONS

AUTHOR AND ACTRESS CARRIE FISHER 1956 - 2016

M

ost of us know Carrie Fisher as the brave and beautiful Princess Leia of Star Wars. It was a role that empowered and dignified women. Leia was made into an action figure that appealed to both boys and girls. Fisher’s character overcame obstacles with courage, charm and nobility. She was smart and resourceful.

Outside of her role as the Rebellion’s beloved princess, the real Carrie Fisher was not that different. Fisher’s parents were Hollywood elite, making her Royalty, and like her Star Wars character, she was smart, courageous and funny.

But Fisher’s private demons filled her with emotional challenges. My sincere appreciation and respect for her came when I read her books and saw her honesty.

Whether Fisher was writing a fictional character in first person or third, her characters were close to her heart, because they were from her heart. Her autobiographical novels are genius. Fisher’s Suzanne Vail is certainly Fisher’s avatar.

No doubt, Fisher’s writing helped her get a big picture view of her life, relationships, drug use and mental illness. She, and her character, suffered from severe manic depression. Through fiction, Fisher helped readers understand how incredibly difficult and emotionally challenging the disorder is – and how hard it is to survive.

Had Fisher only written a memoir, instead of fictionalizing her life, the reader might not have seen or felt the intensity of the illness and its effects on those around the afflicted individual.

With wonderful humor and self-deprecation, Fisher shared her insane and beautiful world.

A terrific writer and always entertaining, Fisher was a reliable narrator with a sincere desire to be honest and help others. Carrie Fisher was indeed a super hero! Rest In Peace.

The Princess Diarist - 2016, Wishful Drinking 2008, The Best Awful There Is - 2004, Post Cards From the Edge - 1987, Delusions of Grandma 1993, Surrender the Pink - 1990.

-------------------------------------------------------

AUTHOR AND ACTRESS DEBBIE REYNOLDS 1932 - 2016

B

efore I read Carrie Fisher’s books, I read her mother, Debbie Reynolds’ memoir.

Reynolds’ books are written with as much energy and enthusiasm as her singing, dancing and acting.

Honest, revealing and filled with fun gossip, Reynolds’ books are more than just her autobiography, they are filled with Hollywood history.

The beloved American sweetheart had three husbands, none of them very good to her. They cheated, stole, sued and left her and at times

left her family bankrupt.

Reynolds was married to singer Eddie Fisher who fathered her two children, Carrie and Todd.

Fisher left Reynolds in a huge Hollywood scandal for Reynolds’ best friend, Elizabeth Taylor.

With maturity and grace that comes with age and an ability to look back without being bitter and devastated, Reynolds shared her life with honesty, humility and courage.

Reynolds reconnected with her children, regained her fortune and found happiness.

Reynolds’ career began when she was 16. She was discovered in a Burbank beauty pageant. Put under contract at Warner Bros., Reynolds rode her bike to work at the studio after school. She was making more money then her father.

Regarding her beloved daughter, Carrie, Reynolds openly shared the horror and challenge of having a child with a mental illness and the awful decision to use electro shock therapy. (A

treatment Fisher says significantly helped her.)

Fisher wrote the forward to her mother’s book.

For years, Reynolds collected Hollywood costumes and memorabilia. The most exciting part of her story is after a court-order forced her to auction off her collection to pay back those who stole from her, Reynolds made enough money to pay the debts and start her life again.

Reynolds’ voice, humor and energy permeate the pages of her books. Her enthusiasm for entertaining, love of her family and life itself is so beautiful, it’s easy to see that she will always be remembered as one of America’s beloved sweethearts.

Reynolds died just one day after her daughter. The tie between mother and daughter was far more than just blood. These two women were courageous, smart and honest. They suffered and triumphed together. Rest In Peace.

Make ‘Em Laugh: Short-Term Memories of Longtime Friends - 2015, Unsinkable: A Memoir with Dorian Hannaway - 2013, Debbie: My Life with David Patrick – 1988.

Screening at the PSIFF is the documentary BrightLights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds which provides an intimate look at the relationship of these two remarkable women.

SAFETY TIPS

BY FIRE CHIEF SAM DIGIOVANNA

LOVING LIFE ON THE EDGE (RITZ CARLTON) THIS CHRISTMAS!

A

s you know, life can throw us curves without notice. This Christmas, for reasons beyond control, I found myself alone Christmas Eve and Christmas day/night. Whether home or at the fire station, this was not my “norm.”

Cold wet and windy, and with most places closed, I went to one of my favorite places in the Coachella Valley - The Edge Steakhouse at the Ritz Carlton.

Throughout the Ritz there were people, lights, music, Christmas decorations, positive and loving atmosphere with smiles, all with a welcoming comfort. No one was a stranger.

Never let down, the staff at the Edge was there to greet me like family...

Upon arrival at Valet, Mark is one of the kindest and classiest to welcome you and your arrival.

Next, there’s Ginger with her pretty smile who always greets and accommodates.

Up comes Damion the General Manager, who treats you like family, always welcoming you with his usual handshake and a hug.

Christmas, looking brighter already, and feeling right at home, Robert and Tony behind the bar immediately provided their usual first class (and beyond) service while genuinely interested in ‘what your up to in life.’

Both nights, were filled with great food, wine and first class service from all the Ritz Carlton employees.

To all of you at the Ritz Carlton, Christmas or not, thank you for the great service and warm hospitality year round. You’re a class act!

Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna

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January 5 to January 11, 2017

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CLUB CRAWLER NIGHTLIFE continued from page 15 AZUL; PS; 760-325-5533 The Judy Show WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-230-0188 Smooth Brothers 6pm 7:30pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 DJ and Dancing 9pm BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 Michael Keeth 29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 The 6-10pm Luminators 6pm CASCADE LOUNGE, SPA RESORT; PS; 888AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 Bill 999-1995 Nash with Quinto Menguante 9pm Marx 6:30pm CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Joe Jaggi BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 Mood 5:30pm Deep House Lounge 6pm-2am DHS SPA LOUNGE; DHS; 760-329-6787 Radio CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Joe Jaggi 60 3-6pm 5:30pm EL MEXICALI CAFÉ 2; IND; 760-342-2333 CATHEDRAL CANYON GOLF CLUB;C.C.; Cesar Daniel Lopez on the harp 6-9pm 760-328-6571 Coachella Valley All Stars INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760-3455-8pm 6466 Ted Herman’s Big Band 6pm INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-366-2250 345-6466 Larry Capeloto 6pm Open Jam 6pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-325LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-3252794 Hot Rox 2794 Palm Springs Sound Company, in LAVENDER BISTRO; LQ; 760-564-5353 Live the afternoon, Hot Rox, in the night Entertainment 5:30pm LAVENDER BISTRO; LQ; 760-564-5353 Live NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347Entertainment 5:30pm 1522 Karaoke 8pm-1:15am MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760- THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin 325-2323 Sunday Jam 4-8pm Henry 7pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 PAPPY & HARRIET›S; PT; 760-365Golden Era Karaoke 4-7pm, Red’s Rockstar 5956 Open Mic 7pm Karaoke 8pm-1:15am PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin COCKTAILS; TP; 760-343-2115 Industry Henry 7:30pm Night w/ DJ Tone 2pm-close PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-365-5956 The SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760-341Sunday Band 7:30pm 3560 T.B.A. 6pm PURPLE ROOM; PS; 760-322-4422 The Judy VICKY’S OF SANTE FE; IW; 760-345-9770 Show 7pm Mike Costley’s Showcase 6:30pm SAMMY G’s; PS; 760-320-8041 Eddie Gee 7pm VILLAGE PUB; PS; 760-323-3265 DJ SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760-341-3560 Khodi Rayne 4:30-2am, Michael James & The Myx 6pm 3sum 9-2am THREE SIXTY NORTH; PS; 760-327-1773 The WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-230-0188 Trish Chris Gore Group Pro Jam 7pm Hatley and Barney McClure Jazz 6pm VICKY’S OF SANTE FE; IW; 760-345-9770 John Stanley King and Trio 6:30pm THE WINE EMPORIUM; LQ; 760-565-5512 Rob 29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 The Martinez and Scott Carter 6-8pm Bill & Bob Duo 6pm

MON JANUARY 9

TUE JANUARY 10

ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Ace Karaoke with Kiesha 9pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 Eric Lindstrom 7pm AZUL; PS; 760-325-5533 Bella da Ball Dinner Revue w/ guest performers 7:30pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 DJ and Dancing 9pm-2am THE BLOCK; C.C.; 760-832-7767 Karaoke en Espanol 9pm BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 Stanley Butler Trio 6-10pm CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Joe Jaggi 5:30pm THE CONGO ROOM; PS; 760-322-7353 A Night of Soul w/ Rob Carter 6pm CORKTREE; PD; 760-779-0123 Michael Keeth 6-9pm CUNARD’S SANDBAR; LQ; 760-5643660 The Bill Baker Show 6pm FIRESIDE LOUNGE; PS; 760-327-1700 Red’s Rockstar Karaoke 9pm FISHERMAN’S GROTTO; PD; 760-776-6533 Chuck Alvarez 6:30pm THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 Drag Queen Bingo 9pm HUNTER’S; PS; 760-323-0700 Karaoke hosted by Phillip Moore 9pm INDIAN CANYONS GOLF RESORT; PS; 760833-8700 DJ Randy Johnson 6pm INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760345-6466 Michael D’Angelo 6:15pm JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-366-2250 Ted Quinn’s Open Mic Reality Show Jam 8pm KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 Karaoke 7pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-3252794 Palm Springs Sound Company LAVENDER BISTRO; LQ; 760-564-5353 Live Entertainment 5:30pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Karaoke 8pm-1:15am THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Tim Burleson 7:45pm

PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; 760-3274080 Acoustic Open Mic 7pm PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND COCKTAILS; TP; 760-343-2115 Ladies Night 7pm PURPLE ROOM; PS; 760-322-4422 Rose Mallett 6:30pm SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760-3413560 Demetrious and Co. TACK ROOM TAVERN; IND; 760-347-9985 Two Step Tuesdays 6-10pm THREE SIXTY NORTH; PS; 760-327-1773 Douglas McDonald Duo 6:30pm VICKY’S OF SANTE FE; IW; 760-345-9770 Mike Costley Trio 6:30pm VILLAGE PUB; PS; 760-323-3265 Tequila Tuesdays 9pm WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-230-0188 John Boliver Jazz 6pm

WED JANUARY 11 29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 Daniel Horn 6pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 TBA 8pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 Jazz Jam w/ Shelley Yoelin Group 7pm AZUL; PS; 760-325-5533 Piano Bar 6pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 TBA 9pm BIG ROCK PUB; IND; 706-200-8988 The Smooth Brothers 7pm THE BLOCK; C.C.; 760-832-7767 CV Open Mic Competition Hosted By Morgan James 7pm BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 TBA 6-10pm CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick Tuzzolino 5:30pm THE CONGO ROOM; PS; 760-322-7353 Jimmy Street 6pm CUNARD’S SANDBAR; LQ; 760-564-3660 The Bill Baker Show 6pm ELECTRIC SPORTS LOUNGE; YV; 760-2281199 Karaoke 7:30pm FISHERMAN’S GROTTO; PD; 760-776-6533

TBA 6pm HUNTER’S; PS; 760-323-0700 Live VJ 9pm INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760345-6466 Open Mic w/ Rich Bono & Poupee Boccaccio 6pm JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-366-2250 Live Music KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 Open Mic hosted by Amy Angel 6:30pm LA RUE BISTRO; LQ; 760-296-3420 Andy Cahan 6pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-3252794 Hot Rox LAVENDER BISTRO; LQ; 760-564-5353 Live Entertainment 5:30pm MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 “Sing Jam” w/ Mikael Healey 8pm MITCH’S ON EL PASEO; PD; 760-779-9200 Michael Keeth 12-3pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Golden Era Karaoke 4-7pm, Karaoke 8pm-1:15am THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry 6-8pm Tim Burleson 8pm PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; 760-3274080 Roger Lemieux 5pm PJ’S SPORTS LOUNGE; YV; 760-288-1199 Karaoke w/ KJ Ginger 8pm PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND COCKTAILS; TP; 760-343-2115 Red’s Rockstar Karaoke 9pm PURPLE ROOM; PS; 760-322-4422 Michael Holmes Jazz Trio 6:30pm SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760-3413560 The Myx 6:30pm THREE SIXTY NORTH; PS; 760-327-1773 Mike Costley Band 6:30pm TJ’S; PD; 760-345-6744 Derek Jordan Gregg 9pm VICKY’S OF SANTE FE; IW; 760-345-9770 Barry Minniefield 6:30pm VILLAGE PUB; PS; 760-323-3265 DJ Khodi Rayne 4:30-2am, Nite Fixx 9-2am WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-230-0188 Deanna Bogart 6:30pm

ELDORADO POLO CLUB: CELEBRATING 60 YEARS OF A DESERT TRADITION

E

ach winter Eldorado Polo Club welcomes top polo players and their superb equine athletes from around the world to the Coachella Valley to compete in some of the most exciting and competitive polo in the country.

In 1957, eleven like-minded polo enthusiasts got together and purchased 38 acres of land that did not fit into the Eldorado Country Club masterplan. The club began as a modest little venue but soon grew in popularity drawing players from far and wide. In 1979 the club land became desirable for development and is now the site of the Vintage Club. It was time to move, and with that brought an opportunity to expand. The original owners along with five additional members purchased the current site on Madison Street in Indio.

In the crisp early hours of the morning, Eldorado’s mile-long track is packed with groups of horses trotting to reach peak physical fitness for tournament matches

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taking place January through March. The club boasts over 10 regulation grass fields, a stick and ball field, practice hitting cage, exercise track, and onsite stabling making it one of the largest polo clubs in the country.

Eldorado even has a Polo & Riding Academy for those looking to take up the sport, as many players have been known to fall in love with polo with no previous riding experience!

Attending polo as a spectator is a “mustdo” desert winter activity! Each Sunday, polo fans pour into Eldorado to feel the rumble of galloping hooves as players reach speeds over 35 mph all while maintaining control of a little white ball. Polo is in fact a contact sport and is often described as “hockey on horseback”. Players look to score through the uprights at each end of the 10 acre field.

It doesn’t take long for first-time attendees to get wrapped up in the excitement of a match as spectators can get up to speed with live play-by-play commentary from

resident announcer Tony Gregg.

Sunday Polo is open to the public.

Guests can enjoy the polo sidelines in casual comfort by tailgating with a few lawn-chairs, a picnic and you have your own perfect polo event. There is a bouncy house for the kids and the adults can enjoy the Ruffino Prosecco Halftime Divot Stomp along with an opportunity to enter to win a cruise with Royal Caribbean International courtesy of Cruise One Palm Desert.

The Eldorado Clubhouse Restaurant overlooking the main field is the best place to experience Sunday Polo in style –for

POLO

just $10 per person, a full-service menu and bar are offered, seating is available for parties from 2 to 50. Reservations are highly recommended for Clubhouse Restaurant seating, please call the Clubhouse reservation hotline: (760)-831-POLO (7656) In 2017, Eldorado Polo Club is celebrating its 60th Anniversary. January 8 kicks off the Sunday Polo season with OPENING DAY presented by Ketel One Vodka, and continues each Sunday through April 2. Matches take place at 12pm and 2pm – entry is just $10 per car. For more information check out www.eldoradopoloclub.com.

HADDON LIBBY

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

January 4 to January 11, 2017

THE TRUMP EFFECT

I

n 2016, small and mid-sized stocks performed the best with valueoriented stocks leading the pack.

Small and mid-sized companies are those with market values of less than $4.5 billion.

Value-oriented companies are mostly slower growing companies that pay dividends. For 2016, small value stocks were up 26%, midcap value stocks were up 18%, while large value stocks rose 15% in price. More than half of these results have occurred since the election.

So why have value stocks put up such good results since the election?

Donald Trump in the White House and the GOP in charge of both the Senate and the House of Representatives means that tax reform for business is coming. There is nearly $3 trillion in corporate profits held outside of the United States with Trump and the GOP intent on lowering corporate taxes and incenting those companies to bring that money back to the United States.

While some of the money will create more jobs, the vast majority of those funds will be used to buy back stock and buy other companies. This means that the stock prices should go up for the companies bringing the money back to the United States as well as the smaller companies that the cash flush

companies will be acquiring.

Additionally, Trump has stated his intent to rebuild America’s crumbling infrastructure. Many believe that this will pump another $1 trillion into the economy.

When you combine these massive stimulative events on the economy, there is little doubt that this will cause the U.S. economy to do very well over the next few years.

Which companies will benefit the most?

Companies with profits and cashflow companies that are typically considered value stocks.

Small value stocks have done the best over the last few months for these reasons as well as the GOP’s stated intent of lowering regulatory restrictions on business. While well-intended, the Obama administration

instituted regulations that hurt small and mid-sized businesses the most. Large businesses and their lobbying teams used regulations as competitive barriers against their smaller rivals who could not afford to manage the labyrinth of an increasingly complex regulatory environment.

When we look at stock performance by industry sector, financials have done the best since the Election, rising by 17%.

This performance is for two reasons: a relaxation of regulations and expectation of higher interest rates. With all of the expected infrastructure investment, the government will be borrowing more money than ever which will cause rates to increase.

Additionally, an expanding economy means that the Federal Reserve has the ability to increase rates from the historic lows that

have existed since the Great Recession of 2009. Banks make more money when rates are higher as they pay little on deposits but make more on loans.

Most foreign stocks have posted negative returns since the election with stocks in India down 9%, China 7% and Pacific Rim (excluding China and Japan) down 8%. This is in large part due to the mix of a stronger U.S. Dollar and Trump’s intent of renegotiating trade deals that are fairly one-sided toward companies in these regions.

Looking at 2017, we can expect stocks to perform well across most sectors although investors can expect it to be a bumpy ride.

This is because many stocks have prices that are currently higher than their inherent value. What do I mean by this? Think of your house. It might be a fine value at $300,000 but at $1 million it would be overvalued.

Does this mean that it will never be worth $1 million? Maybe, but the one thing we have learned is that the prices of everything goes up over time.

Haddon Libby is an Investment Advisor and Managing Partner at Winslow Drake Investment Management. Haddon can be reached at 760.449.6349 or HLibby@ WinslowDrake.com.

DALE GRIBOW ON THE LAW 2017 NY’S RESOLUTION: NEVER HAVE A CAR ACCIDENT. BUT IF YOU HAD A XMAS OR NEW YEARS ACCIDENT . . DO NOT HIRE A LAWYER UNTIL YOU READ THIS!

T

he odds are that you or a loved one will be in an auto accident.... sometime. Now what do you do and what does the insurance company do when that happens?

You must initially KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT and understand that the other party’s insurance company will immediately assign a nice sweet adjuster to contact you and pump you for information. The adjuster will try to get pictures of the vehicle and statements from you as to how the accident happened and whether you were injured and had seen a doctor. Then they will switch adjusters and assign one that is not so nice.

Please understand that adjusters have their own bag of tricks. When they take a picture of the car they will ask you to get in the picture and right before clicking the pix they will ask you to bend and point to the spot of the Property Damage on your vehicle. At the last minute they yell SMILE! Now they have you bending and smiling.

Later when they get the doctor’s report saying the patient could not bend and was in a lot of pain, they will say to your attorney and or Judge “...look at this picture showing the driver does not appear to have any problem bending and is even smiling.

When juries see this kind of evidence they question whether you were really injured or thought you had hit the lottery.

Today’s technology allows insurance companies to investigate your social media.

Therefore you should IMMEDIATLEY TAKE DOWN YOUR FACEBOOK ETC. The last thing you want is for the insurance company to see pictures of you playing a sport and or doing something physical that you should not be able to do with your injuries.

After you are in an auto accident take out your cell phone and take pictures of the scene and damage to both cars. Then use the recording feature to take a statement from the other party and any witnesses.

Get the defendant’s name, address, phone number, driver’s license, insurance info and the license plate of the other car. Share your indexing info with the other side and get all of theirs.

You should always call the police.

You want as much documentation of the accident as possible for your lawyer. Stay at the scene until the police arrive. Remember you do not have to give your opinion as to liability even when you look to be partly at fault.

You should immediately go to the ER

to be checked out.........and I do mean right away. Have someone drive you if you cannot get an ambulance to take you. Many injuries do not surface right away and soft tissue injuries may take days to come out.

Insurance companies punish you when you do not seek immediate medical treatment.

As a rule you should see any doctor other than your regular treating doctor.

The reason is that we all have skeletons that can come out in our personal med records.

Indications of abortions, alcohol or drug usage, sexually transmitted diseases and prior injuries can be very damaging. You also want a doctor that can do a med legal report, not just a regular medical report.

In addition many lawyers won’t accept

a case where the victim did not get med treatment within 24 hours and some demand treatment that day. In addition if you do not see the lawyer for several days attorneys are also reluctant to accept the case because they worry you may have had a conversation with the adjuster and your lawyer will never know what you said that could be used to impeach you at trial. In addition it is not always what you said but what the adjuster thought he heard you say!

Lastly you should see an attorney that specializes in auto accident cases. Once you have retained a lawyer the defendants insurance company can no longer legally contact you.

If you have any questions regarding this column or ideas for future columns please contact Dale Gribow Attorney at Law at his NEW number 760-837-7500 or his new email: dale@dalegribowlaw.com.

DALE GRIBOW “TOP LAWYER” - Palm Springs Life(Accidents) 2011-17 “TOP LAWYER” - Inland Empire Magazine Nov, 2016 PERFECT 10.0 AVVO Peer Rating

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January 5 to January 11, 2017

SPORTS SCENE

BY FLINT WHEELER

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF NEEDS 8 NOW NOT LATER..

H

ere we go again. The semi-finals were once again a pair of garbage games.

No one actually thought Washington would take down Alabama and naturally this game was essentially over at halftime.

Meanwhile, Clemson defeated Ohio State, 31-0, (may as well been) and plowed straight through the Buckeyes defense all night long.

This has to stop.

In the three seasons of the College Football Playoff, the point differentials of the semifinal games are 39, 7, 20, 38, 17 and 31. The game decided by seven points was Alabama vs.

Ohio State back in the inaugural season of the format. Every other game has been a threescore spread.

The playoff committee seems like the obvious group of people to blame. They are the ones that put in Ohio State over Baylor and TCU in 2014 when they blew out Wisconsin in the Big 10 championship, but then left out Penn State this season when they won the conference championship.

To say that the criteria are inconsistent would be an understatement.

If the committee wanted to stay consistent with this, they should have elected Penn State, who also defeated the Buckeyes previously in the season, to the playoff instead of Ohio State. Penn State is, correction was, one of the hottest teams — they actually haven’t lost since the Michigan game — and would have put up a hell of a fight with whoever they would have played.

Meanwhile, Ohio State did not look like a playoff team this year. They had close games with Michigan State (3-9) and Northwestern (76) and looked shaky during those two contests.

Had MSU not put the ball in the hands of Tyler O’Connor for the two-point try at the end of the game, OSU very well could have lost that game. The Buckeyes clearly were not playoff ready.

If you take OSU out of the playoff and put in a more deserving team, Penn State, perhaps it would have been a completely different semifinal. If not a different result, my guess would have been the game would have been

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a much better product. The committee needs to establish a system of how they go about making the rankings each week. It’s been quite chaotic since it was created and it needs to live and die by rules that they set in stone.

The other thing you can blame is the system.

A playoff system with four teams just isn’t cutting it. The fact that players like Leonard Fournette and Christian McCaffrey are skipping out on their bowl games to prep for the NFL proves how meaningless non-prestigious bowl games are. The NCAA probably doesn’t like that, so giving more teams a shot at the title will eliminate some of this. Eight teams would be the answer.

Had this been this way this season, the playoff would (probably) look something like this: 1. Alabama vs. 8. USC 2. Clemson vs. 7. Michigan 3. Penn State vs. 6. Ohio State 4. Washington vs. 5. Oklahoma These rankings look different, but the top five are the conference champions. The three other teams — Michigan, Ohio State and USC — are clearly the three other best teams in the country. There may not be a blowout game here at all, so that aspect would be eliminated.

And at some point, there will be guys on these teams that have the NFL in mind that would put that on hold, eliminating that complaint. These would be fantastic games, which would result in ratings, which would then result in a lot of dollar bills.

Sounds like everybody is a big winner.

Lastly, the NCAA needs to move these playoff games from New Year’s Eve to some other day. Whether it’s before or after New Year’s Eve, but people have New Year’s Eve plans and parties to get to. The playoff should be appointment viewing instead of becoming a holiday sidebar.

The 2016 championship is going to be a heck of a game with a rematch between Alabama and Clemson. But the entire package the playoffs offer could be enhanced. The College Football Playoff decision makers have a lot to think about moving forward.

COMIC CON P.S.

BY ROB SIMMONS

THE PRINCESS WE NEEDED

B

y now most of you will know of the tragic loss of Carrie Fisher, to the world of the geek, we mourn the loss of our princess. I have struggled with how to frame this into the written word, how do you describe the loss of one of your heroes? Make no mistake, she was in every way a hero. When we first met her she was smuggling the Death Star plans within Artoo. Then she watched her planet destroyed. She fought her way out of danger by jumping into the garbage shoot first. Fought off stormtroopers, then arrived back at base in time to plan an attack on the Death Star. She then leads the Alliance to Hoth, provides the confidence and leadership needed to break the blockade.

Leads the cream of the Imperial Fleet through an asteroid field. Watches the man she loves frozen in carbonite. Fights her way out of Cloud City, saves the man she loves from an over grown slug, then kills said slug (I would too if I was forced to wear that outfit) helps to lead a team to Endor, fights off a legion of Imperial troops with a handful of people and oversized stuffed animals, and saves the Galaxy…until the First Order appears. (Repeat previous paragraph) I know it’s a script, right? I mean she had to do all that stuff because that’s the way it was written, right? If you believe that you would be sadly missing on the human dimension that makes up Leia Organa, the character we all love WAS the essence of Carrie Fisher. Through her life she fought against bipolar disorder and drug addiction. She struggled with her celebrity status in a spiral of self destruction that had some regard her with pity, and others with contempt. Carrie Fisher though did not give up, nor did she seek the approbation or approval of her critics. She fought for herself. This force of personality rose beyond what they said she must be, to conquer insurmountable obstacles. The role she played fighting the Empire was

Happy New Year from Comic Con Palm Springs!!! We at a CCPS truly want everyone to embrace each day and each moment. Life, like a comic con, is about enjoying the fun things. Go beyond resolutions and become resolute. Be the superhero you were born to be, and...Get Ready to Suit Up! Christopher Spellman - Founder/Executive Producer of Comic Con Palm Springs

a role that she lived in this life: Strong, vibrant, intelligent, witty, and caring. Her life is an example to us all, to take our life’s demons and stare them down, to breathe hope and light into our own lives and the lives of others. To inspire and teach and to give back to those who have given so much to us.

She gave us hope that the Rebellion would triumph over an evil willing to wipe out planets as a demonstration. Princess Leia was my first movie crush, and as I grew older and began to understand the path she rode, became more than a hero, she became a legend; a shining star in a galaxy far, far away, an image so bright that she transcends a galaxy full of beloved favorites. She was the integral force that bound our favorite trio of Rebel heroes, and even today, as we watch her films we can be awed once again that this young woman chose to play the role that she did.

In a way that make us admire women for their courage, their capacity for defying insurmountable odds. For the caring and compassion they bring to our world, Carrie Fisher was not Princess Leia, Leia Organa was Carrie Fisher.

Rest in peace Carrie Fisher! Know that you have my gratitude for what I have learned from you, not from bombastic or self-congratulatory speeches, but with cutting wit and humor, and a capacity of loving your fans to the fullest. As Obi-Wan said to Luke, so I say to you. The Force will be with you… Always.

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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY

Week of January 5

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Light, electricity, and magnetism are different expressions of a single phenomenon. Scottish scientist and mathematician James Clerk Maxwell (1831-1879) was the first to formulate a theory to explain that startling fact.

One of the cornerstones of his work was a set of 20 equations with 20 unknowns. But a younger scientist named Oliver Heaviside decided this was much too complicated. He recast Maxwell’s cumbersome theory in the form of four equations with four unknowns. That became the new standard. In 2017, I believe you Aries will have a knack akin to Heaviside’s.

You’ll see the concise essentials obscured by needless complexity.You’ll extract the shining truths trapped inside messy confusions.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): “The thornbush is the old obstacle in the road,” wrote Franz Kafka. “It must catch fire if you want to go further.” Let’s analyze this thought, Taurus. If it’s to be of maximum use for you in 2017, we will have to develop it further. So here are my questions. Did Kafka mean that you’re supposed to wait around passively, hoping the thornbush will somehow catch fire, either through a lucky lightning strike or an act of random vandalism? Or should you, instead, take matters into your own hands -- douse the thornbush with gasoline and throw a match into it? Here’s another pertinent query: Is the thornbush really so broad and hardy that it blocks the whole road? If not, maybe you could just go around it.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): The fictional character Scott Pilgrim is the hero of Bryan Lee O’Malley’s series of graphic novels. He becomes infatuated with a “ninja delivery girl” named Ramona Flowers, but there’s a complication. Before he can win her heart, he must defeat all seven of her evil ex-lovers.

I’m sure your romantic history has compelled you to deal with equally challenging dilemmas, Gemini. But I suspect you’ll get a reprieve from that kind of dark melodrama in 2017. The coming months should be a bright and expansive chapter in your Book of Love.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): The creature known as the short-eared elephant shrew is typically four inches long and weighs a little more than one ounce.

And yet it’s more genetically similar to elephants than to true shrews. In its home habitat of southern Africa, it’s known as the sengi. I propose we regard it as one of your spirit animals in 2017. Its playful place in your life will symbolize the fact that you, too, will have secret connections to big, strong influences; you, too, will have natural links with powerhouses that outwardly don’t resemble you.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): “When I look back, I see my former selves, numerous as the trees,” writes Leo poet Chase Twichell. I’m sure that’s an experience you’ve had yourself. Do you find it comforting? Does it feel like being surrounded by old friends who cushion you with nurturing familiarity? Or is it oppressive and claustrophobic? Does it muffle your spontaneity and keep you tethered to the past? I think these are important questions for you to meditate on in 2017.

It’s time to be very conscious and creative about shaping your relationships with all the people you used to be.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “’Life experience’ does not amount to very much and could be learned from novels alone . . . without any help from life.” So said Nobel Prize-winning author Elias Canetti, who was born in Bulgaria, had British citizenship, and wrote in German. Although his idea contradicts conventional wisdom, I am presenting it for your consideration in 2017. You’re ready for a massive upgrade in your understanding about the nature of reality -- and firsthand “life experience” alone won’t be enough to ensure that.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): I am rooting for you to be flagrantly unique in 2017. I vehemently want you to be uninhibited about expressing your deepest, rawest, hottest inclinations. In this spirit, I offer the following four rallying cries: 1. “Don’t be addicted to looking cool, baby!” - my friend Luther. 2. Creative

© Copyright 2017 Rob Brezsny

power arises when you conquer your tendency to stay detached. - paraphrased from poet Marianne Moore. 3. If you want to be original, have the courage to be an amateur. - paraphrased from poet Wallace Stevens. 4. “In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, in the expert’s mind there are few.” - Zen teacher Shunryu Suzuki.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): “There is a desperation for unknown things,” wrote poet Charles Wright, “a thirst for endlessness that snakes through our bones.” Every one of us has that desperation and thirst from time to time, but no one feels the pull toward perplexing enchantments and eternal riddles more often and more intensely than you Scorpios.

And according to my astrological meditations on your life in 2017, you will experience this pull even more often and with greater intensity than ever before. Is that a problem? I don’t see why it should be. In fact, it could make you sexier and smarter than ever -especially if you regard it as a golden opportunity to become sexier and smarter than ever.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): I hope you will seek out a wide range of intoxicating experiences in 2017. The omens predict it. Fate sanctifies it. I hope you will gracefully barrel your way through the daily whirl with a constant expectation of sly epiphanies, amusing ecstasies, and practical miracles. There has rarely been a time in your life when you’ve had so much potential to heal old wounds through immersions in uncanny bliss. But please note: The best of these highs will NOT be induced by drugs or alcohol, but rather by natural means like sex, art, dancing, meditation, dreamwork, singing, yoga, lucid perceptions, and vivid conversations.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): I thought of you when I read a tweet by a person who calls himself Vexing Voidsquid. “I feel imbued with a mysterious positive energy,” he wrote, “as if thousands of supplicants are worshipping golden statues of me somewhere.” Given the astrological omens, I think it’s quite possible you will have similar feelings on regular occasions in 2017. I’m not necessarily saying there will literally be golden statues of you in town squares and religious shrines, nor am I guaranteeing that thousands of supplicants will telepathically bathe you in adoration. But who cares how you’re imbued with mysterious positive energy as long as you are?

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): When it’s summer in the Northern Hemisphere, the birds known as arctic terns hang out in Greenland and Iceland. Before the chill sets in, they embark on an epic migration to Antarctica, arriving in time for another summer. But when the weather begins to turn too cold there, they head to the far north again. This is their yearly routine. In the course of a lifetime, a single bird may travel as far as 1.25 million miles -- the equivalent of three roundtrips to the moon. I propose that you make this creature your spirit animal in 2017, Aquarius. May the arctic tern inspire you to journey as far as necessary to fulfill your personal equivalent of a quest for endless summer.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In June 1962, three prisoners sneaked out of the Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary, located on an island in San Francisco Bay. Did they succeed in escaping? Did they swim to safety through the frigid water and start new lives abroad? No one knows. Law enforcement officials never found them. Even today, though, the U.S. Marshals Service keeps the case open, and still investigates new evidence when it comes in. Are there comparable enigmas in your own life, Pisces?

Events in your past that raised questions you’ve never been able to solve? In 2017, I bet you will finally get to the bottom of them.

Homework: Send me a list of your top five New Year’s resolutions. Go to RealAstrology.com and click on “Email Rob.” ---------------------------------------Rob Brezsny Free Will Astrology freewillastrology@freewillastrology.com

ASK JENNY

January 4 to January 11, 2017

BY JENNY WALLIS

“SHOULD I JUST DROP IT OR SHOULD I HAVE QUESTIONED HIM?”

D

ear Jenny, I have been in a committed relationship with someone for almost 8 months. One night last week he called me and told me that he wanted to meet me for dinner, but he was planning on going to a dinner meeting. Now this meeting was with a woman whom I had never met. I have no idea what it was about, I know he said work, but he was still very vague. Four hours later, he sent me a text message and asked if I would like to meet up. I told him that he hurt my feelings and I didn’t meet up with him that night. I have been thinking about this nonstop. I got a bad feeling the moment this happened. He has never mentioned the women he met up with again. But there was something in my belly that just didn’t feel right! Am I being silly and ridiculous making a big deal out of nothing? Should I just drop it or should I have questioned him?

What’s your opinion on this?

- Thanks, Ann Marie ------------------------------------------------Hi Ann Marie, I can understand where you’re coming from by asking this question. But to be honest, if it was the first time you got this feeling from your gut and the first time you have felt like this in 8 months, you wouldn’t be writing in.

So, obviously, you have had these feelings before. The reason I am focusing on you when it seems like I should be talking about his behavior, is because it is all about your emotions.

The fact that you wanted to meet for an earlier engagement and spend time together, and then he changed your plans (for whatever reason) wasn’t nice and probably very hurtful to you. But, the fact that you got a bad feeling the moment your plans were changed, that’s what needs to be addressed.

Sometimes things occur in our lives and we choose to ignore them. Or we justify the emotions calling them stupid, silly or ridiculous. But what we need to look at is why we are feeling these emotions. They

occurred for a reason. They are never silly.

These emotions occur from the limbic system.

That is the part of our brain that is triggered by emotions. So many people call it a gut feeling or intuition. Some say that it is making decisions according to the heart, listening to the red flags. Whatever you want to call it, take it seriously. It should always be listened to.

Going back to your scenario, you have a boyfriend who has stirred up these feelings in you before, but you have always found it possible to brush them off. Recently, something has happened, it may be a big deal or it may not be, but either way, you cannot ignore these feelings anymore. Good for you that you have finally addressed it! And you wrote that you talked to him, you told him he hurt your feelings. Great Ann Marie! So good for you for bringing that to his attention! How did he respond? Or shall I say, how did you feel when he responded?

This goes for all relationships, whether romantic or professional, listen to your emotions. Never think you are being ridiculous. Never think you are blowing things out of proportion. You are feeling these feelings because part of your brain, the limbic, is alerting you. I can’t tell you what they mean, but I can tell you they should never be ignored.

One last thing, make sure that you know the difference between assuming and listening to your intuition. That can get you into trouble, usually because assumptions are ideas that we make about another. Feelings are just that, they are feelings that we get that drive us to making decisions. Always listen to your feelings. ❤Namaste, Jenny Don’t forget to follow Jenny on askjennynow. com. Contact her at (760) 505-0952

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January 5 to January 11, 2017

ASK THE DOCTOR

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BY DR PETER KADILE

Dr. Peter M. Kadile is Board Certified in Family Medicine. He has an integrative, osteopathic medical practice and is also known as the local, house call doctor; Desert House Call Physician. He is on staff at Eisenhower Medical Center and medical director for Serenity Hospice. His office is located in beautiful Old Town La Quinta, 78-100 Main Street, Suite 207, La Quinta, CA 92253. (760) 777-7439. DesertHouseCalls@aol.com. deserthousecalldoc.com.

Dear Dr. Kadile, my doctor recently diagnosed me with sinusitis and prescribed antibiotics. I have family coming to visit for the holidays, am I contagious? - Jack, Palm Desert Jack, sinusitis will generally start out as a cold or upper respiratory infection caused by a virus. The infection may cause obstruction in the sinuses causing headaches, sinus pressure and congestion, post nasal drip and ear pressure. If it is a cold, generally the symptoms will resolve in 1-2 weeks, but if the sinus obstruction persists, it may allow the development of a bacterial infection in addition to the viral infection. Since your doctor prescribed antibiotics, he believes you have a bacterial sinusitis. The bacteria involved are usually commonly found in the nose and are not considered highly contagious.

A cold or viral upper respiratory infection is considered contagious.

Hey Doc, I just got over a cold. How long does it take before I’m not contagious? - Janet, La Quinta Janet, a person who has a cold is considered to be contagious a day before he/she develops symptoms and then for another 5-7 days.

For someone who has the flu virus, he/she is generally considered contagious a day before

symptoms develop and then for another 1-2 weeks. Cold and flu viruses are spread by droplets from sneezing and coughing.

Hello Doctor, my friend uses a Neti Pot to clear her congestion when she has a cold. Do those really work? - Kristen, Rancho Mirage The Neti Pot is an over the counter irrigation device that is usually ceramic or plastic and looks like a small teapot. The device is filled with a saline solution and then poured into one of your nostrils which then irrigates your sinuses. Nasal irrigation does relieve congestion and I frequently recommend using a Neti Pot. Patients will frequently comment that the Neti Pot was a miracle cure after using it.

Dr. Kadile, how come I always get a yeast infection after I’ve taken antibiotics?

- Doris, Sun City Doris, antibiotics are beneficial when treating a bacterial infection, but in addition to killing off the offending bacteria, antibiotics also can kill the “good” bacteria in your body. Use of antibiotics can alter the flora or environment in your vagina thus making it susceptible for the growth of yeast. As I’ve said in the past, antibiotics are not benign drugs and should be used only when necessary.

LIFE & CAREER COACH

BY SUNNY SIMON

3 LESSONS LEARNED ON AN IMAGINARY FLIGHT

T

he dream was so enlightening I wanted to linger in it for as long as possible. I stayed still without moving a muscle remaining connected to my dream state for a few more minutes. When I finally turned to get out of bed, I made a solemn promise to retain the lesson provided by my nighttime experience.

My fascinating dream started in a panic. I was on a flight to Paris with a group of tourists, all strangers, when I realized I’d forgotten to bring any form of currency. Now in real life that would be something I could resolve, but in this fantasy world it meant spending two weeks in the City of Lights sans money for food, essentials and souvenirs. My head began pounding with a nasty stress headache.

The thing I wanted at that moment, even more than money, was an Ibuprofen, also an item left behind.

Feeling utterly miserable I started to wonder if I died. Oscar Wilde once said, “When Americans die, they go to Paris.” Did this mean I was going to spend all of eternity in Paris without a lousy franc?

Suddenly I had a one of those light bulb moments. I would ask everyone on the plane for a small contribution to sustain me. Gaining my courage I stood up, announced my plight to

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the group and walked down the aisle collecting funds from my kindhearted flight mates.

By the time we deplaned, my headache cured itself and I had enough to at least feed myself. I don’t remember much more about the dream except that I was immensely happy with very little in Paris. I enjoyed the simplicity of existing on inexpensive meals and exploring every free venue in the city.

My three takeaways from my dream flight to Paris go like this: If you need help, ask for it. Don’t try to go it alone. Sure I had to swallow my pride and look like a blonde bird-brain who doesn’t have it all together, but such is life. It happens, deal with it.

Make the most of the moment. Whether it’s a trip to Paris, or your kid’s soccer game be mindful of where you are. No thinking about the pile of unfinished work at the office or laundry at home.

Someone once said, “everything is figureout-able.” Stay with your problem until you have a plan A and a plan B. Get creative and find some sort of solution.

Wishing you sweet and insightful dreams!

Sunny Simon is the owner of Raise the Bar High Life and Career Coaching and the author of the blog, www.lifeonthesunnyside.net

CANNABIS CORNER

DON’T FEAR THE REEFER

BY BIG ED THE BUDTENDER

C.C. RELEAF’S LEAD BUDTENDER

M

arijuana, Pot, Reefer, Weed, Chronic, Indo...whatever you may call it, there is so much going on in the cannabis world now that it may be a bit overwhelming. Hopefully I could help by breaking down Marijuana for you to help you get a better understanding of this wonderful medicine.

Generally, Marijuana or flower is often separated into 3 groups: Indicas, Sativas, and Hybrids.

Indicas are the heavier, sedative types of flower. They are great for stimulating appetite, helping with insomnia, great for relieving pain, headaches, depression, nausea and the list goes on. Indicas are used as pain relievers and sleeping aids. Indicas are nighttime meds and are usually stronger than Sativas or Hybrids.

Sativas can help you throughout your day. Sativas are a daytime medication that can help give you energy, help you focus, help you fight fatigue, they are great for inflammation and to help keep you medicated without getting you high and incapacitated. Sativas are great for early morning medicating and can help you through your day.

Hybrids can give you the best of both worlds. When you need a Sativa that will give you the pain relief you need but won’t put you down, like an Indica will, then you need yourself a Hybrid. Hybrids will keep you medicated with enough energy to get you through your day.

When you think about Marijuana as the medicine that it is, you can see how there might be so many strains and why. Just like how there are so many prescription pills, for many different mental, physical, and emotional problems and issues.

There are probably just as many strains of Marijuana as there are pills. And, yes....

There are strains of Marijuana that act as an aphrodisiac. Sometimes pills are not always the only option.

YouTube is full is lots of educational

Marijuana videos. One of my personal favorites is a man with Parkinson’s Disease who has severe tremors and after medicating himself he was able to stop his tremors almost completely.

So, if you could do so much for yourself as an adult and cure or stop your adult ailments with THC and or CBD, where do you stop? Or do we? What if your 8 or 9 year old daughter suffered from 50+ seizures a day? What would you do to help her have a better quality of life? Would you medicate her with dozens of prescription pills that do not reduce her seizures? Or medicate her with THC and CBD? Next time you are on your computer or smartphone, Google Charlotte Fiji, a 10 year old little girl who is changing the Medical Marijuana Laws in the United States. You can even Google the strain of Marijuana that is named after her: Charlotte’s Web. A strain of Marijuana that is very high in CBD, but very low in THC. Charlotte went from having almost 100 seizures to 1-2 seizures every other day.

A lot of people look at what Charlotte’s parents did as wrong. They were giving their child an illegal drug. NO. They were administering Charlotte medicine. Medicine that ACTUALLY showed RESULTS! Read about it for ourselves. Make your own decision and you will see that indeed there is absolutely NO REASON… To Fear the Reefer.

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