www.coachellavalleyweekly.com
June 3 to June 9, 2021
BY NOE GUTIERREZ Coachella Valley Weekly (760) 501-6228
publisher@coachellavalleyweekly.com coachellavalleyweekly.com facebook.com/cvweekly twitter.com/cvweekly1 Publisher & Editor Tracy Dietlin Art Director Robert Chance Sales Team Kirby Club Crawler Nightlife Editor Phil Lacombe Head Music Writer Noe Gutierrez Head Feature Writer Crystal Harrell Feature Writers Lisa Morgan, Rich Henrich, Heidi Simmons, Tricia Witkower, Jason Hall, Esther Sanchez Writers/Contributors: Robin Simmons, Rick Riozza, Eleni P. Austin, Craig Michaels, Janet McAfee, Bronwyn Ison, Haddon Libby, Sam DiGiovanna, Dale Gribow, Denise Ortuno Neil, Rob Brezny, Dr. Peter Kadile, Dee Jae Cox, Angela Romeo, Aaron Ramson, Lynne Tucker, Aimee Mosco, Michelle Anne Rizzio, Ruth Hill, Madeline Zuckerman Photographers Robert Chance, Laura Hunt Little, Chris Miller, Iris Hall, Esther Sanchez Videographer Kurt Schawacker Website Editor Bobby Taffolla Distribution Phil Lacombe, William Westley
CONTENTS Grady James with guest Rick Shelley at Palm Canyon Roadhouse .......................... 3 Ilze Volkweis Fashion .................................... 6 Club Crawler Nightlife ...................................6 Consider This - Steve Barton ........................ 8 Screeners ...................................................... 11 The Vino Voice ............................................. 12
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ith this week’s announcement that Stagecoach, California’s Country Music Festival, will be making a triumphant return April 29, 2022 - May 1, 2022, we fortuitously feature, arguably the best Country artist to ever come out of the desert, Mr. Grady James! Talk about someone who’s earned his way to the Mane Stage. Now I may have lived a majority of my life in the City of Festivals, Indio, California but I know great Country music when I hear it. I was born in Lubbock, Texas, so I have some sort of street cred. Believe me when I tell you, Grady James and band are on the precipice of mammoth musical greatness. James’ new single, Try It All (2021), has everything I want in Country music; melodiousness, substance, great hooks, catchy choruses, a body-moving tempo and a beer-drinking sentiment. Listen to it now on Spotify and Apple Music! We saddled up next to James, his bandmates, Tim Johnson and Adam Nounnan as well as Americana ace Rick Shelley to find out what’s cookin’! These fine gentlemen will be performing together at Palm Canyon Roadhouse at 535 S. Palm Canyon Drive in Palm Springs on Saturday, June 5, 2021, at 9 p.m. You can purchase tickets on eventbrite. com. For more information you can call (760) 327-4080. GRADY JAMES CVW: You now have three formidable songs available for the public to enjoy the Grady James sound. The singles game seems to be working for you but when will we see an EP or album? Asking for a friend (me) James: “Yes, I have three songs out now! I am very excited about all three of them for different reasons. Going Home was the first one, and a very personal song to me after losing my dad. Born Again Country was the first song that I wrote and produced with Adam Nounnan and Tim Johnson. Now after what we all went through in 2020, I felt like Try It All was the right one to come back with. I haven’t released an EP or LP yet but it’s not for lack of material. I had two full-length records already recorded before 2020. We delayed releasing them as we couldn’t tour to promote them. Adam, Tim and I went
out to a secluded lake house and wrote and recorded five more during quarantine. Try It All was one of those five. I have done everything from production to distribution myself, so I’m looking for some help before I release a full record.” CVW: I hear a graceful blend of Honky Tonk, Outlaw Country and Rockabilly in your music. Have you developed your sound instinctively or is there a more conscious effort to achieve the sound? James: “I work as a record producer in Nashville so I find a lot of sounds in the studio by helping other artists achieve their sound. I guess I have achieved my sound by kind of cherry-picking sounds that I have liked while making other records for people along the way.” CVW: Try It All is the new single and I love it! It’s fun and danceable. The song seems to send the message that we should do more and do it well. What can you share about your intent in the lyrics? James: “Yes, I wrote Try It All during a particularly divisive time last year. I was just watching the news and playing downtown in Nashville. And what I experienced playing music for people, of every different background, and what I was watching on the news just didn’t add up. From my experience everyone is pretty like-minded and just wants to ‘try a little bit of everything before we’re gone’ to quote my own song, ha-ha! So I wrote this song as a statement to say I don’t care much about the reason people divide anymore. I am just trying to ‘try it all’ like anyone else.” CVW: In many people’s minds you are such a unique songwriter, voice and musician. That’s really the trifecta to have, isn’t it? Being a student of music as well as a connoisseur, what more would you like to conquer? James: “Ya, I feel like my reputation has evolved over the years. I earned a degree from the Musicians Institute for guitar performance and moved to Nashville as a guitar player. I got to play guitar on some of the biggest stages across the country for some great Country artists. Then an artist Gyth Rigdon was runner-up on NBC’s The Voice and he released a song I wrote called Proof
I’ve Always Loved You which went to #1 on the iTunes/Apple Music Top 100 Country Chart and was top 5 on the All Genre Chart. After that my reputation was as a songwriter and now I’ve mainly just produced records this year. I love doing it all. Some people only know me as a singer and some who call me a producer don’t even know I can sing. I am just happy to be making music.” CVW: You and the band have a show coming up on June 5th at Palm Canyon Roadhouse in Palm Springs, CA. What has the High/Low Desert meant to you in your career? James: “Yes we are excited to be playing there again. The scene here in the desert has been a truly awesome thing to be a part of. I think I speak for Adam and Tim as well when I say winning ‘Best Country Band’ and ‘Best Male Vocalist’ at the 2019 Coachella Valley Music Awards was a big high point! Even when I am back in Nashville, everyone knows about the Coachella Valley and Joshua Tree. I wear coming from the desert as a badge of honor.”
Keg Whisperer ............................................. 13 Pet Place ................................................. 14-15 Haddon Libby .............................................. 16 Dale Gribow ................................................. 16 Spoerts Scene .............................................. 18 Travel Tips 4 U .............................................. 19 Free Will Astrology ..................................... 19 Safety Tips.................................................... 20 continue to page 5
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