Coachella Valley Weekly - June 8 to June 14, 2017 Vol. 6 No. 12

coachellavalleyweekly.com • June 8 to June 14, 2017 Vol. 6 No. 12

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June 8 to June 14, 2017

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June 8 to June 14, 2017

BIANCA RAE: A WONDER WOMAN LURKS IN OUR VALLEY

Coachella Valley Weekly

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

760.501.6228

Publisher & Editor Tracy Dietlin Art Director Robert Chance Sales Team Domingo Winstead Classified Manager & Nightlife Editor Phil Lacombe Features Writer Lisa Morgan, Rich Henrich, Heidi Simmons, Denise Ortuno Neil, Judith Salkin, Avery Wood Writers/Contributors: Robin Simmons, Rick Riozza, Craig Michaels, Bronwyn Ison, Haddon Libby, Janet McAfee, Rachel Montoya, 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, Dee Jae Cox, Janet Newcomb, Patte Purcell, Rebecca Pikus, Morgan James, Esther Sanchez, Angela Romeo, Jenny Wallis Photographers Robert Chance, Chris Miller, Esther Sanchez, Laura Hunt Little, Lani Garfield, Scott Pam, George Duchannes Distribution Phil Lacombe, William Westley

CONTENTS Bianca Rae............................................ 3 CV Music Awards Photo Gallery......... 4 CV Music Awards Review & Update ... 5 Theatre - Palm Canyon Theatre.......... 6 Lisa Lynn Morgan................................. 7 Courtney Chambers ............................ 8 CV Music Show Anniversary Party..... 9 Slim Man............................................... 9 Consider This - Robyn Hitchcock...... 10 Backstage Jazz - CVMA Jazz Winners.... 10 Art Scene - Alane Levinsohn............. 11 Pet Place............................................. 12 The Vino Voice ................................... 13 Club Crawler Nightlife....................... 14

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he tangos, she cha-cha’s, she serves as a member of the Junior League of Palm Springs, and is active with Companions Visitation Ministry of Sacred Heart Church. You know her face as the morning anchor of KESQ News Channel 3. You’ve seen her grace the red carpet with the elegance of a classical movie star and interview some of the biggest names in entertainment with wit and intention.

Perhaps you remember her live coverage of the September 2014 flood that garnered her an Emmy nomination (and CV Weekly’s 2014 Best TV Personality). Palm Springs Life named her one of the most successful people (‘40 Under 40’) in the Coachella Valley. Most recently, she was honored with the 416th star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars, the youngest person, at 28, to ever receive one. What you probably don’t know is behind her Ford Model like eyes, hides the spirit of a fierce and determined peaceful warrior ever striving to give a voice to the voiceless- the children and animals of the Coachella Valley.

It began in the fall of 2011 when Bianca Rae moved to Palm Springs, alone and far from family, she soon fell in love with Jack, her lifelong Valentine, a homeless dog at the shelter where she volunteered. She wrapped her love in Superman blankets and knew he was ‘The One.’ This relationship inspired Bianca to launch the Bianca Rae Foundation to help underprivileged children and homeless shelter animals. Bianca has always served as a voice for the voiceless, through her advocacy reporting on local television. Through her foundation, she continues to take action for them. Whether it’s sponsoring spay and neuter clinics for low income families to be able to sterilize their pets, or fundraising for shelter animals to get spayed and neutered to make them more adoptable, Bianca has long served the valley’s neglected animals. In addition, she works with children’s organizations as well to help disadvantaged youth and created Rae of Hope, an annual leadership retreat for middle school girls. The girls learn about leadership, self-love, anti-bullying and inner beauty from dynamic women in industry.

I recently had the pleasure to learn a bit more about this TV personality, humanitarian and philanthropist.

BY RICH HENRICH

PHOTOS BY APONTE PHOTOGRAPHY

CVW: Congratulations on your star!

How does it feel to have this honor bestowed upon you?

BIANCA RAE: “There is a commission, and a whole process that I didn’t know about, including the Mayor and they all vote. I was most excited about being honored as a humanitarian not just being a TV personality. They wanted to honor all my work but especially the work the Bianca Rae Foundation has contributed to the community. So it says TV Personality, Journalist and Humanitarian on it!”

CVW: Do you feel having the platform as a journalist and TV personality always you to do the work you really love to do?

BR: “Yeah, 100%. It’s so funny, I feel like it’s not that being a journalist is not my calling I mean obviously it is but I do think my calling is to make the impact that I’m having and being a journalist is the platform that has given me the ability to really do the humanitarian work. I do feel like this is where I belong and where I am supposed to be right here in this moment. I know this is exactly what I am meant to be doing with my life and that’s a really calming feeling.”

CVW: The more that you do to honor the Valley, it seems like the more the Valley embraces you.

BR: “Yeah, that’s so true.”

CVW: How did you begin your journey in journalism?

BR: “Since I was younger, I didn’t know the term for it but I knew what I was good at. I was always starting conversations and forging relationships whether at the grocery store or getting my nails done. I’ve always been social and inquisitive. I was recently home and met with my middle school teacher and asked her what she remembered about me. She said I always asked ‘why?’ I think that was a journalist in the making.”

CVW: How did you become involved with advocacy?

BR: “I was always fond of animals, but also that kid that was trying to make the classroom better or sticking up for the kid getting picked on. I was always that kid.

All those traits put together lead to where I am now, a humanitarian and Journalist who likes the advocacy aspects of being a journalist. We can do these stories and put a spotlight on issues, whether that’s through reporting or the platform we have to bring attention to issues that really matter.”

CVW: Since coming to the desert, you’ve been given a lot of responsibility.

What is your favorite part of the job?

BR: “The platform. I noticed really early on people cared what I had to say. They watched what I did and listened to what I had to say. I wanted to choose to do something positive with that. I can use the platform to do a lot of good.”

CVW: What’s hard about having such a platform?

BR: “You know…a lot of celebrities and people with platforms abuse it. I want respect not attention. I’m sure if I posted a sexy bikini photo I would get a lot more likes, the whole sex sells thing, but I want people to go to my Instagram not to see my body, but to see what I’ve done, to see what impact I’ve made. To me that’s really flattering.”

CVW: What’s hard about being in the public eye for you?

BR: “Um, gosh…that’s a good question.

Sometimes it is hard, if you are having a bad day and you are at the grocery store and five people come up to you, and I love that and am grateful for that and I like meeting continue to page 6

Fisherman's Market La Quinta.......... 16 Screeners............................................ 18 Book Review....................................... 19 Safety Tips...........................................19 Haddon Libby.................................... 21 Dale Gribow....................................... 21 Sports Scene...................................... 22 Free Will Astrology............................ 23 Mind, Body & Spirit........................... 23 Beauty................................................ 24 Life & Career Coach............................ 24 Cannabis Corner................................ 26

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June 8 to June 14, 2017

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PHOTOS BY: LAURA HUNT LITTLE CHRIS MILLER

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June 8 to June 14, 2017

CV MUSIC AWARDS MAIN SHOW AT RIVIERA CANCELLED DUE TO POWER OUTAGE

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ometimes even the most impeccable planning cannot be saved from disaster.

However, we all know what to do when life gives you lemons. Certainly in the case of the CV Music Awards Event at The Riviera in Palm Springs on Sunday, the air was bittersweet as a power outage and subsequent building evacuation led to a call to reschedule. “The CV Music Awards is a wonderful night for the music community to get dressed up and come together,” states Toni Bakal, station manager for KCOD Coachella FM. “I am really happy Tracy and Phil do this for the Coachella Valley. Even though the event was cut short, I had a really great time talking to bands and artists and seeing everyone together is such an awesome experience, and it still made for a really special night. I’m looking forward to the rescheduled event and thanks to Tracy and Phil for bringing everyone together.”

The Coachella Valley Music Awards, the only awards show for locals by locals, began Sunday evening with an incredible collaborative performance by several female nominees commanding the stage, and followed then by an upbeat, catchy original song performed by popular acclaimed band, The Flusters. Then Best Cover Band was awarded to Long Duk Dong, Best New Band to Drop Mob, Best Music Venue was awarded to both The Date Shed and Pappy & Harriett’s, Best Event Promoter was announced as BB Ingle.

Warm cheers from the crowd then subsided as Lisa & The Gents began an intimate and beautifully haunting melody. With Eric Frankson on fiddle and Kerry Rose on upright bass, Lisa Lynn belted out passionate lyrics, moving the crowd. “Everything was going great,” recounts Brett Mc Laughlin who was awarded Best Bass Player at the pre awards ceremony the previous Thursday at Big Rock Pub. “Then my friend Brian said that he saw the lights flicker. Then a few seconds later the whole place went black.”

Seconds rolled by as everyone looked at each other, peering through the darkness. “I was really enjoying Lisa Lynn Morgan’s performance when the power went out,” says TK, program director at 93.7 KCLB and a Host of the CV Music Awards.

Suddenly whistles from the audience and claps in support filled the dark space. Another Host, Bradley Ryan from Mix 100.5 ran to the stage to light the songstress with his cell phone in a display of quick thinking and professionalism. “It was one of those moments where you are left with nothing but your instincts,” touts Lisa Lynn Morgan. “Fortunately, I also had the support of two great musicians on acoustic instruments and a whole lot of love from the audience. Ironically, I had just produced a seminar for the kids at AMP (Academy of Musical Performance) on stage presence. We had just talked about things going wrong on stage and how to handle it. They were there sitting in front of me with their phones all lit up. I couldn’t let them down. Then I heard Brandon Ray Henderson, the stage manager whisper, ‘Sing,’ and it was on. I have never sung to such a quiet and attentive audience. They were the heroes...they gave me and the guys an opportunity to shine in the dark, and I know they will do the same for Tracy and the rescheduled music awards show.”

With the lights out and a break announced,

Photo by JayCee Photography

Ronnie King & Scott Reeder the bar line grew and guests mingled inside and out, discussing the rumored causes of the outage and the depth of its reach across a few known blocks. A short time later, threats of a possible gas leak sent everyone outside in a mandatory evacuation. “The night seemed surreal,” remembers Ronnie King, legendary music producer and recipient of the Pioneer Award, which he was supposed to be honored with right after Lisa’s performance. “Like when you spill a glass of red wine over a white carpet and you are trying to catch it... lights out, gas leak, evacuation.”

However, the confusion as how bands could retrieve their massive amounts of equipment from inside the building turned to selfies with friends and colleagues, and chats about recent

Photo by JayCee Photography

John Stanley King, Alvin Taylor, David Ross and Ronnie King

CV MUSIC AWARDS PRE-PARTY EVENT AT BIG ROCK PUB A BIG SUCCESS!

BY MORGAN JAMES

CVMAs

gigs. “As heartbreaking as it was to see the tears in Tracy’s eyes I’m sure there’s a silver lining,” claims Derek Jordan Gregg, frontman of celebrated band, The Hive Minds and nominated for multiple awards that evening. “The power of the local music scene banding together is more important than who was nominated or who won what award. We’re all here for each other and I know we’re all going to be there for her and Phil.

We’ll all show up again whenever we get a new date figured out.”

Tracy Dietlin and Phil Lacombe owners of CV Weekly announced that the Coachella Valley Music Awards night would have to be rescheduled. After many hugs and handshakes, attendees kept in the spirit and created their own after parties, posting on social media that they were headed to dance the night away at The Red Barn, Karaoke at Plan B Live Entertainment & Cocktails, and jam out at The Palm Canyon Roadhouse, with at least a hundred people going to Big Rock Pub. The show must go on and if ever there was a crowd of people who get that phrase, it would be this group of supportive and creative musical souls. “These were circumstances beyond anyone’s control,” says Courtney Chambers, acclaimed singer/songwriter who sang in collaboration with the other nominated females to kick off the show, “but everyone handled it like champs. As usual, our music community came together to make the best out of an unfortunate incident.”

As with any event there were several out of pocket expenses for sound, lighting, production, security, etc., and while Tracy and Phil work to organize an entire new event, our music community has already begun to help raise funds with overwhelming support. Please see the following link with more details on how you can help: www.generosity.com/communityfundraising/cv-music-awards-take-2.

BY TRACY DIETLIN

MAINvenAWARDS SHOW AT RIVIERA TOBigBEthank RESCHEDULED FOR JULY! though the Main awards show at The you to Brandon Henderson, our

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Riviera had to be cancelled due to the power outage and evacuation, the Pre party awards ceremony at Big Rock Pub ran smooth as silk. Attendees enjoyed awesome performances

by Gina Carey, Keisha D, Mikey Reyes & Bryanna Evaro, Derek Jordan Gregg, Eevaan Tre, Minor Emergency and Mark Gregg.

The energy in the packed room was fantastic with all the performances being top notch. 13 of the 37 awards were given out including: “Best R&B”Eevaan Tre/ “Best Adult Contemporary Artist”Gina Carey/ “Best Keyboards” – Andy Cahan/ “Best Bass” – Brett McLaughlin/ “Best Reggae” – Desert Rhythm Project/ “Best Jazz Vocals” – Slim Man/ “Best Instrumental Band” – Tribesmen/ “Best Individual Instrumental Performance” – Chase Huna/ “Best Jazz Instrumental” – Alex Santana/ “Best Duo” – Michael Keeth & Martin Barrera/ “Best Local Music Event” – Joshua Tree Music Festival/ “Best Club Promoter” (tie) – Morgan James and Mr. Miami/ “Best Club DJ” - DJ Day. Congratulations to all of the winners!

We would like to thank all of our sponsors especially our Title sponsors Big Rock Pub, Renova Solar and 93.7 KCLB, who did a live on air feed throughout the first part of the night with TK. I also want to thank PSA Organica, DarMar Trophies, Bryson Backline Studio and Desertwraps.

Even though we only got through the first 35 minutes of the show at The Riviera I would still like to thank sponsors that would have made the VIP after party amazing, and still will, when we have our rescheduled date: Vektor Vodka, Babe’s Brewhouse, LULU California Bistro, Just Tapas, Giuseppe’s Pizza & Pasta and SIR.

stage & Production Manager for running both events; as well as Alaina Majiros, Cindy Hewitson and Domingo Winstead for handling ticket sales and check ins; our security team Doobie Dueber, Travis Flynn and Brandon Ruiz; Brian Champagne and Johnny Sugarbritches from AVSU; Robert Chance for screen graphics; Laura Hunt Little for step & repeat photos; Chris Miller and John Charles Fajardo for live photos; Jason Hall and Billy Westley my assistants; our emcee for the 35 minutes, Bradley Ryan from Mix 100.5; and Morgan James and Todd “TK” Killiam from 93.7KCLB who would have hosted the second part of the main awards.

I would like to give a shout out to all the ladies who performed the opening number, Lady Gaga’s “Million Reasons,” at The Riviera: Courtney Chambers, Linda Lemke Heinz, Lisa Lynn Morgan, Chelsea Sugarbritches, Esther Sanchez, Kelly Derrickson, Symara Stone, Katie Zapcart, Bri Cherry, Ali Saenz, Jen Corradi and Sepultura Moon.

You all sounded amazing and I am forever grateful for all the time you spent rehearsing to make my vision come to fruition. They were followed by a great performance by The Flusters (nominated in 7 categories) and then Lisa Lynn Morgan (nominated in 4 categories) was delivering a heartfelt performance when the power went out. We were off to an amazing start. Even before the awards began we were entertained by Herbert in the back of the room and Katie Zapcart and Bri Cherry doing an instrumental jam.

We did get to give out a few awards such as: “Best New Band” – Drop Mob/ “Best Cover Band” – Long Duk Dong/ “Best Live Performance Venue” – (tie) Date Shed & Pappy & Harriet’s/ “Best Event

Promoter” – BB Ingle. Congratulations to all of you.

After things went to hell in a hand basket and we got everything tore down, close to 200 people went to Big Rock Pub. Thank you to owner Ken Hanna for allowing us to have some of the bands slated to perform get a chance to still play at your venue and to Lisa Morgan for setting it up. Getting to hear 5th Town, Long Duk Dong, Faults of Andreas, Mighty Jack and Death in Pretty Wrapping, definitely helped take the sting out of the night’s disaster.

It’s been a really emotional couple of days for me and Phil. The thought of having to reschedule and do the Awards show all over again has been a bit overwhelming. However, there has been so much love and support from all of the bands and musicians and the community as a whole has been amazing, which has made me very determined to give you all the amazing awards show that you all deserve. I’ve been working diligently the last couple days on rescheduling the event. It’s been a bit like herding kittens, trying to find a date that my whole sound, lighting, production, security team and staff can all do, not to mention a date that all

of my “Special awards” recipients all have available and hopefully all the bands slated to perform will be able to do the new date as well. We are looking at two different Sunday’s in July to get everyone on the same page, but I won’t know from all of my team until possibly Thursday of this week. As soon as we are solid I will announce the new date.

There’s so much to still figure out but please know that I am committed to finish what I started for this music community. As I’m sure you all know this awards show is expensive to produce and now we have to pay for all of the above twice so we also need a little time to gather the funds to make it happen. I would like to thank Morgan James and TK from 93.7 KCLB for starting the Generosity Fundraiser campaign to help pay for the redo. I am extremely grateful to them and to everyone who has donated. This has been a bit difficult for me to accept money in this way from people, but it’s the only way to make it happen again and I appreciate each and every one of you. We have an amazing music community here and you all have made an extremely difficult situation more bearable. Much love to you all from Phil and Tracy #Phacy.

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BIANCA RAE continued from page 3

people. Someone is always watching and they come up to me and I thank them for giving me a job! But sometimes you are having a bad day and want to just run in to the store and grab something, you’ve received some really bad news or you are in a bad mood. You can’t let that show or be put on to people because they are excited to meet you or get the chance to talk with you. I don’t like it when someone blows me off so I try really hard not to do it. But it’s hard when you are standing in line at an emotional low point going through a breakup with a tub of ice cream and someone comes up to you and you’re like ‘no!’”

CVW: How do you manage your public and private lives? Is it hard to manage time?

BR: “Yeah, I wish that I had more of myself to give to people. I do feel like I spread myself thin sometimes and I hope people don’t feel like they are not getting

Photo By Aponte Photography

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com all of me. I will accept too many invitations on the same night but I hate disappointing people. My mom says I need to slow down and not burn out and take care of myself!

I love people so much and do all I can to be there for them. Sometimes it’s tough because it’s 9pm and I’m thinking…oh my gosh, I need to be up in five hours. The positive is that people appreciate me and want me around and that’s an amazing feeling as well. I have high expectations of life and perhaps a weakness of mine is I can get disappointed easily and I don’t want to let anyone down. I try really hard not to disappoint anyone whether it’s the person I’m dating or a best friend or a family member or the public. Sometimes the repercussions of that, is I do get a little drained or a little run down but it’s worth it.”

CVW: What brings you joy?

BR: “Gosh, for being such an out there, getting dressed up person I can actually be kind of a home body. I love when I have nothing going on and can make dinner and just sit on the couch and watch a movie with Jack (her rescue dog and love of her life), he is the man in my life. I love going out to eat, I love, love, love eating, you know I’m Italian and Greek, I love trying new restaurants but in order to do all of that I have to work out, to you know, maintain my figure. I do boot camp classes and really love working out. I love weekend getaways, I love hotels and I love country music!” (And I hear she likes corn dogs and baseball, too…Go White Sox!)

CVW: This is surprising to me!

BR: “Really? It’s literally 98% of what I listen to, especially when I am getting ready in the morning. Poor Tom Tucker, we do our make up together and he has to listen to it!

It’s soothing to me whether I’m happy or stressed. There is a song for all occasions.”

CVW: Who are some of your favorite country acts?

BR: “I love Blake Shelton, Luke Bryan, Sam Hunt- he was great last year at Stagecoach.

I’m really into Parmalee right now. I live a glamorous life but I come from a smaller town in Illinois and country songs remind you of what’s important in life, you know, time spent together over a bucket of fried chicken and a cheap bottle of wine. The rest is surface level fun but what matters most in life are the elements of country music.

There’s that line from “Homegrown” by… who is it (Zac Brown Band)…it’s the weight that you carry from the things you think you want. That line always makes me think. It’s a plot of land, a woman at home who loves you, great friends that really matter. We think we know what we want but we carry they weight of what we think we want and what it takes to live a great and happy life.

We carry this weight of what we think we want.”

CVW: Speaking of what really matters, the Bianca Rae Foundation. Tell me about the happiness you bring through the Foundation.

BR: “It started when I adopted Jack from the shelter in Indio. I didn’t grow up in a high society home or going to galas

PALM CANYON THEATRE ANNOUNCES 21ST SEASON SEASON PACKAGES ON SALE NOW!

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roadway” and “Classic” ticket packages are now on sale for shows slated during the Palm Canyon Theatre’s 21th season. The Palm Canyon Theatre is the city’s oldest source of live theatrical entertainment running Broadway favorites and classic stage productions from September to July. Season packages, ranging from $95-$295 are now available through the box office by calling 760-323-5123.

PCT’s 2017-2018 Broadway Series The King and I, September 22-October 1 Priscilla Queen of the Desert, October 27-November 12 Mame, December 1-17 Chicago, January 19-February 11 Sister Act, March 9-March 25 Damn Yankees, April 6-15 Gypsy, May 11-20 The Wedding Singer, July 6-15 PCT’s 2017-2018 Classic Series The Bad Seed, October 12-15 The Importance of Being Earnest, February 22-25 Yellow, April 24-26 Sordid Lives, April 28-29 Blithe Spirit, May 24-27 From now until July 31, theatre patrons can choose early bird prices! All eight Broadway shows are on sale for $200 per person, or choose four of the Broadway productions for $115. A package to the Classic

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Series includes all four shows (with a choice of Yellow or Sordid Lives) for $99. Or, select the “Patrons Choice” package, and choose any 10 shows for $295. Prices will increase by $5-15 on August 1, depending on the package.

The Palm Canyon Theatre is offering several concert shows this season as well as a 2nd Stage production of Shakespeare in Love.

PCT’s 2017-2018 Concerts Kismet, December 5-6 Sounds Of The Season, December 13 Scarlett Pimpernel, January 30-31 Chess, March 13-14 Show times for most productions are Thursdays at 7 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m.; and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. The Palm Canyon Theatre is centrally located in the beautiful Uptown Design District of Palm Springs, 538 North Palm Canyon Drive, at the corner of Alejo and Palm Canyon Drive, across from Koffi inside The Corridor.

Box office hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10a.m. - 4p.m.

For more info call 760-323-5123.

and balls, I had no idea what I was doing I just wanted to raise money. I met with the police chief of Indio and he introduced me to a woman who helped me put together a luncheon. I was thinking maybe 50 people and 200 showed up. I learned a lot about non-profit management and leadership since then. Our mission is two-fold to give a voice for the voiceless and I believe that’s kids and animals. We help with adoptions and funding some costs to spay or neuter as well as pay for gas and hotels for drivers to deliver adopted dogs.”

CVW: You are also doing some incredible work with the next generation of women.

BR: “Thank you. This will be the 4th Rae of Hope Retreat for middle school girls. Last year we had 400 and this year we hope to have 500. It’s a one-day retreat, where we teach them about self-love and social media safety as well as leadership. I share with them how I was bullied and how to deal with how to handle those situations.”

CVW: How can we help?

BR: “It would be great to have Selena Gomez or Emma Watson or other tween celebrities if you know any! We also need volunteers, sponsors (and donors). Early registration is next Saturday June 17th at Renaissance Indian Wells Resort & Spa from 10am-2pm.”

CVW: We certainly wish you well and I will definitely join you on the Bianca Bus to Betterment!

For more information and to donate, go to biancaraefoundation.org.

THEATRE

LOCAL MUSIC SPOTLIGHT

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June 8 to June 14, 2017

BY RICH HENRICH

LISA LYNN MORGAN: THE STORY OF MUSIC, COMMUNITY, LOVE & TRIUMPH

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very so often you discover beauty hiding in the shadows; you feel the power of a force not seen and experience a love not common. Their purpose in life seems to be a calling to give love and support to every voice that does not have the opportunity to echo and to bring inspiration at a time of desperation.

The greatest communities bloom because of the secret pollinators of the night sprinkling magical fairy dust wherever they go so that more inspiration and love will bloom in the wake of their footsteps. They may not grace billboards, nor tower tall on the silver screen, but their presence is felt in the little things that add up to a community of great big things.

Their energy is constant- striving towards a better end, towards a more just and creative world, not for fame or glory or recognition but for the humble aim of a belief in humanity and human potential. Some might call them “Earth Angels” but I call her Lisa Lynn Morgan and I am honored to interview such a local champion of our Desert and turn the spotlight on a heart that helps this Valley grow.

CVW: You were nominated in several categories for the CV Music Awards this year including Best Female Vocalist, Best Frontwoman, Best Country Band and Best Promoter. That runs the gamut of nominations. Please share what that means to you.

Lisa Lynn Morgan: “The idea that someone, anyone, can be given a blank list of categories for “Best of” and then think of me under any of them is an incredible honor and completely humbling. When you see your name amidst all those others who you have so much respect for, it’s a bit surreal. There are many awe inspiring people not even on the list. That being said, win or lose, it encourages me to keep at it; that maybe I’m doing something that has value and is making a difference.”

CVW: So you were performing one of these original songs last Sunday at the CV Music Awards when the power went out. You continued singing acapella even after that.

Can you tell me what went through your mind at that time?

LM: “Oh, only about a hundred different things at once. The first time it went out, I just waited quietly for instructions from the stage crew thinking, ‘They’ll fix it… any second now.’

And they did, or at least I thought they did. The power came on and we went right back into

the chorus. My guys were right there with me all the way (Eric Frankson on fiddle and Kerry Rose on upright bass). The crowd was there too, and then, boom… it blacked out again.

I was in a quandary; should I wait again for it to come back on? I really wanted it to! I told my guys, who were fortunately on acoustic instruments, ‘Keep playing,’ thinking when it came back on, we’d be right there the second it did. Then I heard a familiar voice; Brandon Ray Henderson, the stage manager, whispered, ‘Sing.’ I knew the crowd would never hear me since part of the song was sung very gently but I could feel them there for me. Phones were held up with their lights on. Our emcee, Bradley Ryan had come up to shine his phone light on me. I called out to the audience, ‘Are you with me?’ They responded with cheers and their full attention, so I went into the last verse.

You could have heard a pin drop apart from the music we were making acoustically on stage. I could feel the love in the room even though I couldn’t see anyone. We finished the song and the crowd responded with so much support.

It was a bit emotionally overwhelming. What could have been a disappointing moment, became one of the most powerful moments I’ve ever experienced in my life. Everyone in that room inspired me from Eric and Kerry up there with me, the stage crew, Brandon, and Bradley, to the young musicians from the Academy of Music Performance and friends in the audience. They were the absolute heroes.

Looking back, I don’t think I’d want it to have gone any other way. The light truly shines best in the dark.”

CVW: I know your band does a lot of covers when you perform at gigs across the desert,

Photo By Chris Miller

but you’re also a prolific songwriter and have been lauded for several songs you’ve written including: “519 Days,” “We All Fall Down,” “Broken Man,” “Let it Rain,” and “In My Defense.” What music projects are you currently working on? I heard that you’re going in to the studio this summer in the high desert with producer Chris Unck who is nominated for Best Producer this year for the CV Music Awards?

LM: “As a band, Lisa and the Gents are currently working on entirely refreshed new set lists. As a cover band, we’ve evolved from strictly country (a genre my heart is deeply imbedded in) to weaving in other timeless music from artists like the Pretenders, The Motels, Natalie Merchant, Janis Joplin; thus the name change from Lisa and the Country Gentlemen to Lisa and the Gents over the last year. The musicians I am incredibly honored to play with (James St. James on drums, Larry Gutierrez on guitar, Kerry Rose and Tom Clift on bass, Eric Frankson and Bobby Furgo on fiddle and keys, Andy Cahan on keys), they can play it all. We just like making people happy while playing music we feel stands the test of time and keeps us inspired. Meanwhile we are working in our originals. Larry is a hell of a songwriter himself.

For me personally, I have never recorded my originals so it is a huge blessing and a bit of a mind blower that Chris Unck will be recording and producing for me at High Lonesome in Joshua Tree. He’s an incredible musician and song crafter himself. The music he has turned out of his studio is all up for awards as is he is himself. I can’t wait to see what he does with my songs. For me it is always about taking that next step; leaving the comfort zone and seeing what I am fully capable of. It’s also about finding my own voice. It’s only taken me 50 years, and I can’t think of another person I can trust it with more.”

CVW: You were also nominated as Best Promoter. You recently took on the role as promoter at Big Rock Pub. Can you tell us a little bit about that?

LM: “I’ve been booking the bands at Big Rock from the beginning, but the promotions have not been all me. Big Rock Pub had the wisdom to bring on some incredible people to help them launch, starting with Kate Spates.

Kate then brought in Jamie Steinberg and FG

Creative. I’ve been excited and honored to work with them from the early construction days. Big Rock is an incredible venue built on love and passion, just like the music honored on its walls. For me and my 20 years of marketing background from LA to the desert and my music background, I don’t think I could ever find a better fit personally, and I’m extremely grateful to be part of such a great team.”

CVW: You spend a lot of time in the high desert as well as the low. Is there a difference in the energy between the two places?

LM: “There is a difference, but also important similarities. There’s definitely a difference in the kind of music the areas are generally cultivating. I took my first performance of originals (a handful of heartfelt ballads based on my life) to Joshua Tree where I accompanied myself on keys for the first time in decades. There is a warm and gentle acceptance up there combined with people who have incredible music running through their veins. I think that environment breeds originality because it’s a loving and safe place to grow creatively. The more unique and authentic the better. The low desert has cultivated a huge diverse music community from Jazz to heavy desert rock. They will love you or show you complete apathy. It is a very good place to be loved. Brutal if you’re not.

I think both are necessary elements to test yourself, your music and your love for it. At either location, you better love what you are doing and bleed your whole heart and soul into it and the people around you authentically, or step out of the way, because the musicians around you expect nothing less of you than they expect of themselves. Neither place has much stomach for gimmicks or overinflated egos.”

CVW: What are you looking to accomplish in the next year with your band and songs and career?

LM: “My ‘career’ is simply to push myself into the next ‘uncomfort zone.’ I’m still discovering my voice and what I’m capable of and I don’t think there’s a better environment to do that than the one I’m in. I hope to create music that people can identify with, and find a little healing in as I heal myself through music.

Ideally, I’ll begin creating music that will fortify our mutual bones, and make a difference.”

CVW: So who do you most admire in the music business and I mean business not favorite bands and why?

LM: “The ‘business’ side of music is incredibly hard on an artist. I appreciate anyone who can look out for an artist’s best interest. I haven’t been deep into the ‘business’ side of music enough to have a qualified opinion on anyone. My admiration has always gone to the songwriters, the ones who can work alone and imprint something indelible on your soul. They have it the toughest in the ‘business.’ Of those, I have to say Mary Gauthier who lived through a whole lot to find her voice in songwriting in continue to page 8

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June 8 to June 14, 2017

LISA LYNN MORGAN continued from page 7 her 30’s. Gretchen Peters has written landmark songs for my life soundtrack as has Travis Meadows. Maria McKee of Lone Justice has always been the voice and the free spirit in my head as a vocalist, performer and songwriter.”

CVW: You’ve been doing this for many years now. What advice would you give to young bands just starting out?

LM: “I’ll have to quote Steve Martin here: ‘Be so good they can’t ignore you.’ If you love this music thing, if you can’t thrive without it, if it is the one thing you turn to when everything else feels broken, stay ever at it. Work hard and keep your heart engaged just a little more than your head. The music business will cut you, prune you and grow you, but you’ll never want to have lived without it. And remember, you are not alone. Lean on the ones who love you, learn from the ones who hurt you and don’t ever stop growing. If your music reaches one person, most especially yourself, that’s enough reason to keep at it. Stay grateful always.”

CVW: We recently lost a legend in music, Gregg Allman. You had the fortune to interview him and spend a little time with him. What did you gain from that experience?

LM: “There was a remarkable spirit in the man - a spirit that never died in the face of tragic back to back deaths, the torment of addiction, and an industry that all but turned their backs on him at one point. Because of his tenacious love for the craft that was poured into the music he left behind, that spirit will live on. I think there’s something in that for all of us to apply to our lives.”

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

CVW: As a writer for CVW, covering the music scene in this Valley, what does it mean to give a voice to the independent musician?

LM: “It’s like freeing someone from captivity and isolation and watching them soar.

There is no greater honor. To encourage and provide a platform for independent musicians to launch from is absolutely vital to the growth of our music culture. The business plan for musicians is already upside down. In today’s music flooded music market it’s harder to be heard. If we don’t give them a voice, put them in front of people who need what they have to offer, the only music you’ll ever hear will be the ones with corporate backing or who have been fortunate enough to financially afford their way into the music business, plain and simple, and that’s such a small percentage. This desert, high and low, has so much to offer so many right here at home. It’s pretty incredible that after writing about the local music scene, I’m still discovering talent that’s been here for years as well as many new up and comers.”

CVW: What does this music community mean to you?

LM: “It is family. Some are easy to love, others maybe not so much, but they are all family. I think music is the one medium that can help us not feel alone, that can bring us together. This music family is very special. We truly support and love each other and want to see each other do great things, and we use each other to set the bar higher for ourselves. I don’t think there is another part of our community that comes together quicker when someone is

LOCAL MUSIC SPOTLIGHT

in need.”

CVW: Where does the inspiration for the songs you write come from?

What themes are you exploring?

LM: “I’m digging into my soul, and I’m only tapping the surface just yet. I’ve spent a lot of years singing other people’s themes. I’m only now discovering what my voice, void of the influence of an original recording artist’s influence, sounds like, and in my own words.

One thing I have learned, is that people will like you when you’re good, but they’ll love you when you bleed. It seems the deeper themes of heartache, fighting for my sobriety (aka my life) are at the top as I dig. But I’m also starting to dig into some hope and an ability to laugh at myself and my imperfections. Putting your original music out there is kind of like the bathing suit competition in a beauty pageant… you are completely aware of your flaws as much as you have to be confident in your purpose. I’m just working on being ‘fearless’ as my drummer James St. James would say, and as Ronnie King would say, being ‘believable.’

CVW: You have experienced a lot of personal transformation over the past few years, personally and creatively. Where does your drive to evolve come from?

LM: “Well, to be honest, nearly dying 5 ½ years ago. I was drowning in alcohol addiction and the helplessness and hopelessness it came with. I had a big question about my value and worth and my willingness to live. That was answered when my heart was medically stopped three times to keep me from going into full cardiac arrest following my decision

to drink until I didn’t wake up. It was in those moments that God and I had a stern and very real conversation about my future. It occurred to me that I wanted to live, just not the way I had been. I came through that experience saying ‘yes’ to everything and trusting the desires of my heart again. When it comes to music, this community has given me every reason to live and thrive.”

CVW: What is your current roll at Big Rock Pub? LM: “ I am the Entertainment Director for Big Rock Pub and Marketing Director/Chief Business Development Officer for both the pub and the beautiful golf course it’s attached to, Indian Springs Golf Club.”

CVW: Those who know you, know how big your heart is and those who don’t have likely been touched by the ripple effect of your giving nature. If you had one gift to give music or musicians, what would it be and why?

LM: “Faith and hope. These are precious commodities that are constantly under attack.

I would encourage you to fight for these things in your everyday words and in your music.

Celebrate what you love, bleed honestly from your pain and give away everything you ever hope to receive. The rewards are immeasurable.” www.reverbnation.com/lisalynnmorgan www.facebook.com/lisaandthegents Upcoming Events June 23rd - Big Rock Pub July 4th - Agua Caliente 4th of July Party July 20th - Idyllwild Concert Series July 21st - Big Rock Pub

BY NOE GUTIERREZ

COURTNEY CHAMBERS / CAXTON / 5TH TOWN / ALLEN MORRIS LIVE AT THE HOOD #UPTONOGOODTOUR

E

very once in a while the desert hosts a live music event that should not be missed and supersedes any other.

This Thursday, June 8, 2017 at The Hood Bar & Pizza is one of those nights. Courtney Chambers, a 2017 Coachella Valley Music Award Nominee for ‘Best Female Vocalist’ and ‘Best Front Woman,’ will be releasing her album, Courtney Chambers LIVE. The fulllength release was recorded at CVMA ‘Best

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Live Performance Venue Nominee’ Tack Room Tavern at the Empire Polo Grounds in Indio, CA on 10/1/16 by Jeff Mazer and Wandering Star Recording Studio in Costa Mesa, CA on 12/4/16. The album was engineered by Bobby Byrnes and mixed and mastered by her go-to Sean Hoffman. In celebrating her release, she has summoned the support of Caxton, ‘Best Band’ & ‘Best Alternative Rock Band’ nominee, 5th Town, ‘Best Band’ & ‘Best Live Performance Band’ nominee and Allen Morris. This show is FREE and is 21+.

Allen Morris will kick off the show at 9p.m. with a few of his solo songs performed acoustically. Christina Reyes, ‘Best Female Vocalist,’ ‘Best Front Woman’ & ‘Best Keyboards’ Nominee and Brett McLaughlin, ‘Best Bass Winner’ of Caxton are next up performing an acoustic set. Courtney Chambers and her band, Armando Flores, ‘Best Bass Nominee,’ Dominic Jimenez on drums

and Allen Morris on guitar will plug in and rock the house. Closing the show is 5th Town whose members include; Linda Lemke Heinz, ‘Best Keyboards & ‘Best Individual Instrumental Performance’ Nominee on vocals, keys & flute, Josh Heinz, ‘Best Male Vocalist’ & ‘Best Front Man’ Nominee on guitar, Chelsea Sugarbritches, ‘Best Female Vocalist & ‘Best Front Woman’ on vocals, Martin Barrera, ‘Best Duo Winner’ & ‘Best Guitar Nominee’ and Jeff Mazer on bass.

Chambers has led a crusade of support for many artists from the Coachella Valley and High Desert. She shared her admiration of the desert’s musicians, “We’re excited to play The Hood Bar & Pizza this Thursday with a couple of my favorite bands, 5th Town and Caxton.

Allen Morris has amazing original music and will be showcasing his talents to start off the night. It’s a rare treat for me to be able to play with my band, so it’s extra special that I get to ‘bookend’ the tour playing with these guys.”

Chambers is that ‘night and day’ artist who continues to burst the seams of music and extend her sphere of influence across many regions. Despite the comparisons to Pat Benatar, Belinda Carlisle, Sarah McLachlan, Rickie Lee Jones and Stevie Nicks, she has refined her own brand of independent music that evokes a working class method of operation. She does it all and does it well.

Chambers formed the independent label,

‘Royal Daughter Records,’ in 2001 and went on to release four albums on her label; Imperfect Like Me (2001), Higher Places (2004), Bigger and Brighter (2007) & Tales of the Aftermath (2015). In 2005, she united with Hoffman (American Music Club, Bedroom Walls) as producer and hasn’t looked back.

Chambers’ live performances are where her enchantment exists. She is celebrated for her compelling, soulful vocals and is prepared to continue to deliver organic and genuine emotion throughout her tour. Coachella Valley Weekly looks forward to seeing you at CVMA ‘Best Live Performance Venue’ Nominee The Hood Bar & Pizza this Thursday evening to send-off Courtney Chambers and Allen Morris on their ‘Up To No Good Tour’.

Here are the dates for her ‘Up To No Good Tour’: 6/8 Palm Desert, CA– The Hood Bar & Pizza 6/10 Ashland, OR– Oberon’s Restaurant & Bar 6/14 Bend, OR– The Lot 6/15 Cottage Grove, OR– Axe and Fiddle 6/16 McKinlyeville, CA– Clam Beach Tavern 6/17 Willits, CA– Shanachie Pub 6/21 San Luis Obispo, CA– Frog and Peach Pub 6/24 Santa Ana, CA– OC Pride LGBT Festival courtneychambers.net allenmorrismusic.com seanhoffman.net

LOCAL MUSIC SPOTLIGHT

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

June 8 to June 14, 2017

BY MORGAN JAMES

THE COACHELLA VALLEY MUSIC SHOW ANNIVERSARY CONCERT ON FRIDAY, JUNE 16TH

T

he Coachella Valley Music Show is throwing an Anniversary Concert on Friday June 16th, 2017 at The Hood Bar + Pizza in Palm Desert, CA. David Ross, former Manager and Producer for Junior Walker and Ike Turner back in the 1980’s, has spent his entire life dedicated to the recognition and advancement of talented musical artists. Ross founded and continues to run the widely successful Coachella Valley Music Show, an Online Music TV Show, which pairs famous bands and artists like Jefferson Starship and Terry Reid, with local, up and coming performers. By offering a multi-genre, quality blend of talent, Ross has captured the attention of the Coachella Valley and beyond.

“There is an incredible amount of talent out there and it would be a detriment to our community to not have that talent showcased,” shares Ross. “I am in love with music and I feel very strongly for artists that are talented and that are not getting recognized. My mom was a great singer and a very special person. While I didn’t inherit her vocal talents, I was fortunate to have her guidance in using my own creative talents to support artists behind the scenes as a recording engineer, producer, and manager.

This anniversary concert is a celebration of all of the talented guests that we have featured on the show thus far.”

With so much love and support poured into The Coachella Valley Music Show, and the successful turnout of the previous Anniversary Concert, June 16th this year is sure to thrill!

Well worth the extremely reasonable ticket price of $10 advance, $15 door to see these legendary performers up close is almost just too good to be true at such an accessible venue. Plus, the concert benefits Shelter from the Storm, which offers shelter and services to women and children who are victims of abuse.

Performances will feature: Steve Rodgers (recently played alongside Paul Rodgers), Roni Lee Group (Hit- I wanna Be Where the Boys Are of Venus and The Razorblades), Rocky Kramer with Prescott Niles (Original Member The Knack “My Sharona”), Riki Hendrix (Jimi’s Cousin), Calista Carradine, Barry Craig Minniefield (The Voice), Tyler Nelson (Wyldsky), Tommy Dodson, Gina Rose, Paul MacKey, Alvin Taylor (Drummer for Eric Burdon, George Harrison, Little Richard), Buddy Greco Jr., Solomon King, Allen Hart (GAP Band), Jim Moraco, Deanna Bogart, Robert Carradine and Cris Aldrich.

Alvin Taylor: “David Ross is the Bill Graham of the Coachella Valley. All that he seems to care about is getting the music to the people.

He seems to be able to do it without letting money or any obstacles get in the way. He has

Photo by Paul MacKey

Calista Carradine, Ronnie King, David Ross and Alvin Taylor

SLIM MAN

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ever in the history of the world have businesses wanted to please people more than they do today.

Every time I buy anything, I get a survey.

I go to the post office, I get a receipt with a survey at the bottom. When I buy something online, I get a survey. If I call my bank to ask where all the money went, I get a survey.

Well, it got me thinking, which is treacherous for me because of my malady, Attention Surplus Syndrome. You know the acronym. It’s the opposite of Attention Deficit Disorder.

Here are my thoughts…Maybe we should send surveys to our partners. Our husbands, wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, whatever… send them a survey, see how things are going.

I got a survey from a bank recently, let’s use that template: How would you rate your overall experience? How would you rate the amount of time it took to reach satisfaction?

How many times did you have to talk about

SURVEY SAYS…

your issue? Was your issue resolved? Would you recommend us to a friend?

That last question might not work with your spouse. But the others might!

Surveys are effective in making things better. And everybody wants to improve.

Except the airlines! I fly a lot. I’ve never received any surveys. Why? Airlines obviously don’t give a damn about us. They could care less. I have no idea how they stay in business. If any other company were run the same way, they’d be out of business in a heartbeat.

First of all, how can an airline overbook flights? They know how many seats there are on a plane. They know how many tickets they sold. Even if someone doesn’t show up, that person has already paid for their seat and is NEVER gonna get their money back. Have you ever been refunded for an airline ticket? No. You used to be able to check your bags with no fees. Now, there’s a fee for every bag you check. They used to give you a

the attitude of, ‘the Show Must go on’. There are so many people that would have gone unnoticed if it wouldn’t have been for David Ross. He plays a very special and important part in the musical entertainment industry especially here in the desert. He keeps it alive with his Coachella Valley Music Show and the various live shows that he brings to town. A musical entertainment industry in the desert without David Ross, how sad, empty and drab it would be. Thank you David Ross for being what the desert has needed for so many years. He truly cares about the music and the entertainers.”

Steve Rodgers: “I’m really looking forward to the concert as the charity is all about helping those who have suffered and still do from domestic abuse; an issue that is very common place, hidden and affects both adults and children for years to come. On a happier note it’s going to be one rockin’ night. So don’t miss it!”

Roni Lee: “I have worked with David Ross on many occasions and he has been a true professional and detailed in all aspects of the projects. So many details when putting on events and David Has always been so great at making the artists feel comfortable letting us focus on the music. David celebrates music and the love of music like no one I have met before. His dedication is awesome. He is a good friend and the music community is super lucky to have him!”

Riki Hendrix: “David Ross is such an awesome producer and has created some of the most amazing shows. He is very dedicated

and gives artists a chance to showcase their talent. It’s an honor to know him as a friend and to work with him on stage and off stage.

I would like to thank David for your hard work and for inviting me to perform at your concerts.

Keep up the great work.”

Brown Miller: (Graphics and Media Relations) “The Coachella Valley Music Show is a franchise, a brand, a community, and a state of mind. It’s all about bringing the best people together and celebrating their work. It’s also educating the public and aspiring musicians how things are done by the best in the business. Not necessarily the most successful, or famous, or powerful, but the best. David defines quality colleagues by a combination of talent, achievement, uniqueness, accessibility, reliability, loyalty, and ethics. David and his show have provided incredible opportunities for local musicians and creative professionals.

By working with David I’ve been able to meet incredible talents and legendary figures.”

Calista Carradine: “The Coachella Valley Music Show anniversary concerts are always a hit with top notch local and traveling talent. I have enjoyed interviewing the musicians and sponsors on this show. It’s been an honor to be their host.”

Tesy Ward: “I am thrilled to be introducing my Artist, Rocky Kramer, to the seasoned music lovers of Palm Desert. We look forward to bringing you our unique brand of Rock and Roll Musical Theatre. Special thanks to our hosts, David Ross Productions and The Hood. We will see you soon, be prepared to ROCK!” David Ross would like to thank all of the generous Anniversary Concert sponsors including Tracy and Phil of CV Weekly.

The Hood Bar + Pizza at 74360 Highway 111, Palm Desert. Show starts at 7:00pm and is all ages. $10 advance or $15 door. For tickets: www.cvmsconcert.eventbrite.com

pillow and a blanket when you sat in your seat. Not anymore.

What’s next? Here’s my psychic prediction…They’re gonna start charging you to go to the bathroom. They’re gonna put a little coin thing on the door, and if you want to go, you gotta pay--probably to get in AND to get out!

The airlines are making flying a nasty experience. It’s just ridiculous, from checkin to check-out. They want you to do everything. I just went to the airport. I had to check and tag my own bag. After I tagged my own bag, I had to drag it over to the conveyor belt myself. Seriously!

What’s next? Are they gonna ask me to gas up the plane? Fly it? Serve drinks?

After I checked in, I had to go through security checkpoint. I had to take off my shoes. This is because about 10 years ago, some idiot had a bomb in his shoe. I’m just glad he didn’t hide the bomb in his patootie.

Now THAT would make security check a real pain in the ass.

Now, I’m all about keeping travel safe.

But can someone please tell me why we have to put our seatbacks into the upright position when we take off and land? We’re traveling through the air at 500 miles an hour, 30,000 feet in the air. Is two inches gonna save my life when we go down in flames?

You see people these days getting into fistfights on planes. Passengers fighting with other passengers, flight attendants fighting with customers, even pilots are getting into the fray.

Maybe the airlines should hand out boxing gloves instead of a bag of peanuts.

And then they could videotape the fights and charge people money to see them. They charge us for everything else, why not?!?

Who loves ya? Uncle Slimmy!

Photo by Stewart Heyduk

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June 8 to June 14, 2017

CONSIDER THIS

ROBYN HITCHCOCK

R

obyn Hitchcock has always colored outside the lines. The idiosyncratic singer-songwriter was born in London, England in 1953. His father, Raymond, found success as a novelist. He is best known for his book, ”Percy,” about a man who has a penis transplant and sets off to find the donor(!).

Robyn attended boarding school at the height of the Swinging ‘60s. He has said he spent those years completely marinated in music. He soaked up bands like the Doors, Jefferson Airplane, Velvet Underground and Captain Beefheart. But the artists that made the most lasting impressions were Bob Dylan, John Lennon and original Pink Floyd visionary, Syd Barrett. By the time he emerged from Winchester College, he knew he wanted to make a living playing music.

He began his career busking on the street in Cambridge and playing in cover bands.

Although he started writing songs at 16, it took him years to feel completely proficient.

By age 23 he formed the Soft Boys, which went on to include Andy Metcalfe, Morris Windsor, Alan Davies, Kimberley Rew and Matthew Seligman.

A sharp distillation of Punk energy, Psychedelia, and jangly Folk-Pop, the Soft Boys were the British equivalent of Big Star. Never really popular, they were wildly influential to U.S. bands like R.E.M., Replacements and the whole L.A. Paisley Underground scene. They recorded two albums, A Can Of Bees and Underwater Moonlight before coming apart at the seams in 1980.

Robyn officially embarked on a solo career in 1981, releasing his debut, Black Snake Diamond Role and quickly followed up with Groovy Decay and I Often Dream Of Trains.

All three displayed his quirky, slightly surreal humor. He recorded his next few albums Fegmania, Element Of Light, Globe Of Frogs and Queen Elvis with his backing band, the Egyptians, which featured ex-Soft Boys Morris Windsor and Andy Metcalfe.

Songs like “My Wife And My Dead Wife,” “Uncorrected Personality Traits” and “Egyptian Cream” introduced the world to Robyn’s hypnagogic style. Slowly but surely,

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

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www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

BY ELENI P. AUSTIN

“ROBYN HITCHCOCK” (YEP ROC RECORDS)

he began to make inroads into the American music scene. Rock critics and the cognoscenti immediately got it, and pretty soon major labels caught on. The Globe… album was released on A&M records and it contained a bona fide hit, “Balloon Man.” Although he never hit heavy rotation on MTV, he found a niche on their “120 Minutes” program.

In the ‘90s, Robyn leap-frogged from A&M to Warner Brothers Records. The Egyptians had disbanded and for a moment in 1994 the Soft Boys reunited, (they would do so again in 2002 and record an album, Nextdoorland.) He recorded albums at a furious clip, first Perspex Island And Respect with the Egyptians, along with Moss Elixir and Jewels For Sophia solo. As the decade came to a close, he made a concert film, Storefront Hitchcock, with Silence Of The Lambs filmmaker Jonathan Demme.

The 21st century dawned and Robyn had left Warner Brothers, he continued to be wildly prolific, self-releasing Luxor in 2002 before signing with respected indie, Yep Roc. With the small, hand-crafted label, he finally found a home.

Founded in 1997, by Tor Hansen and Glenn Dicker, the North Carolina label boasts a roster that incorporates myriad styles. From the Roots Rock of Dave Alvin, Caitlin Cary and John Doe, to the Post-Punk of Gang Of Four, Bob Mould and Paul Weller. They offer a safe haven for singer-songwriters that defy categorization like Greg Brown, Nick Lowe and Chuck Prophet.

The last 15 years at Yep Roc have given Robyn the freedom to let his freak-flag fly, allowing him to dip his toe into a variety of genres. In 2004 he recorded the Countrified “Spooked” with Americana artists (and longtime admirers), Gillian Welch and David Rawlings.

His next three records, Ole’! Tarantula, Goodnight Oslo and Propellor Time were collaborations with the Venus 3. An ad hoc indie super-group, aside from Robyn, it featured R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck, Scott McCaughey of Young Fresh Fellows and Bill Rieflin of Ministry. During this era he was also the subject of an appropriately sardonic documentary, Robyn Hitchcock: Sex, Food, Death…and Insects.

For the last few years, he has been back on the solo trail, releasing 2011’s Tromso Kaptein, which was recorded in Northern Norway. He quickly followed up with 2013’s Love From London, and The Man Upstairs in 2014. The latter included five Hitchcock originals and favorites from Psychedelic Furs, Grant Lee Phillips, Norwegian band I Was King and Roxy Music.

Recently, Robyn and his girlfriend, singersongwriter Emma Swift relocated to Nashville.

Coincidently, Nashville based musician/ producer Brendan Benson had reached out to Robyn, hoping they could collaborate. The Michigan native made his bones as a solo artist, but found commercial success fronting Jack White’s Raconteurs. He and Robyn set up

camp at Readymade, Brendan’s East Nashville recording studio and the result is his 21st album, simply entitled “Robyn Hitchcock.”

The first two tracks set the tone for the whole record. The Opening cut, “I Want To Tell You About What I Want” takes no prisoners.

Jittery and stripped down, it employs sinewy guitars and a trigger-happy Back beat. Robyn’s vocals shapeshift from a dour baritone to his quintessential adenoidal tenor to a more beguiling falsetto. It feels As though he’s having a one-sided conversation as he reveals a laundry List of global demands over splattery guitars and shivery keys. “I want world peace... and the only God should be the God of L-O-V-E love, I want the non-evasive kind of telepathy that lets me feel what it’s like to be somebody else.”

As though someone has flipped the radio dial, the rippling riffs of “Virginia Woolf” careen out of the speakers. Bee-stung guitars collide with a rollicking rhythm, and the lyrics toggle between the desolate final moments of Virginia Woolf and Sylvia Plath. Robyn’s matter-of-fact reportage avoids judgement, he neither condones or condemns their suicides, explaining “Sometimes you feel like you don’t want to feel, sometimes it hurts where you don’t want to hurt.”

The great thing about being labelled eccentric is you’re never constricted by preconceptions. Robyn has made a career out of reinventing himself and his music, virtually from one song to the next; case in point, “Mad Shelley’s Letterbox.” The song takes the Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby” and flips it on its side. Over thrumming guitar, spatial bass and cloudbusting drums, Robyn attempts to assuage the feelings of a lonely spinster with his dick! “What could anybody say, except in hindsight this was bound to happen/When two souls collide this way there’s no compartment they can find a map in.”

Then there’s the boinging Buckaroo bounce of “I Pray When I’m Drunk.” A twangy two-step powered by banjo-riffic guitar and a giddy-up rhythm, it opens with a classic C&W couplet; “Well, I pray when I’m drunk, I pray for guidance, to get me through the sewer where I am/Yeah, I don’t know who to, I pray to someone, to get me on my way and give a damn.” He finally concludes “Some things can change, some things cannot change, all things are strange.”

The catchiest tracks on the record, “Detective Mindhorn” and “1970 In Aspic”

are positioned back-to-back. The former is anchored by a driving bongo backbeat, Beatlesque “Getting Better” guitars and percolating bass lines. Effortless and effervescent, guitars jangle and chime as vocal harmonies lovingly cascade over some jabberwocky about the title character; “Detective Mindhorn, with your Caterpillar face, Detective Mindhorn, won’t you open up the case/I’m a Butterfly the jealous fingers framed, no one wants to be ashamed.”

The latter recalls the winsome Country Rock that characterized early Elton John songs.

Propelled by dense harmonies and spiraling pedal steel, the lyrics offer a clear-eyed take on that halcyon, hedonistic era. Backing vocals act as a gadfly Greek chorus as Robyn reflects on the everyday decadence; “1970 keeps coming, and you stay for the applause/Good and evil took you upstairs and explored you on all fours.”

Robyn has always had a soft spot for his slower, more introspective numbers. He has crafted a couple of great ones here. “Sayonara Judge” is the emotional center of the record.

High lonesome pedal steel connects with a tick-tock rhythm, sonorous strings and acoustic arpeggios. Cryptic lyrics take the listener to a psychic precipice. A downcast ballad, it slowly gathers speed building to a chunky crescendo.

“Raymond On The Wires” blends prickly guitar, sawing cello notes and icy synths. A poignant childhood recollection, the lyrics are rife with the sort of details a young boy would notice and duly catalogue; pneumatic tires, rivets, wheels, gears and wires. It also quietly pays homage to an enigmatic father he loved but could never really know.

The album’s final two tracks, “Autumn Sunglasses” and “Time Coast” are Robyn at his most Psychedelic. “….Sunglasses” fuses lowing cello, twinkly percussion and modal guitar.

“Through the walls, through the looking glass” these spectacles open a mental portal allowing visions of spectres and silhouettes. “You’re so nice” he intones, “all encased in your shades.”

“Time Coast” closes things on a prickly, Punk-tastic note. Dropped drum beats intersect with slithery guitars, weaving through a busy arrangement. Robyn timetravels to his prenatal beginnings; “I’m naked in the water, the amniotic sea/Inside my real mother, she covers up for me.” It’s a trippy finish to an excellent record.

Robyn received some all-star assistance from Wilco’s Pat Sansone, singer-songwriters Anne McCue, Emma Swift, Grant Lee Phillips and Gillian Welch. His backing band includes bassist Jon Estes, drummer Jon Radford, cellist Emily Nelson and Nashville veteran Russ Pahl on pedal steel.

More than 40 years into his career, Robyn Hitchcock has (accidently) crafted his most accessible, commercially viable record. Let Robyn Hitchcock become your gateway drug, it will lead to a most subversive and sublime musical addiction.

BACKSTAGE JAZZ

BY PATTE PURCELL

2017 CV MUSIC AWARDS BEST JAZZ WINNERS

W

e had such a blast at the CV Music Awards Pre Party at Big Rock Pub. The Jazz awards were given out at the event. Slim Man won ‘Best Jazz Vocalist’ for the second year in a row. Alex Santana, Latin jazz guitarist won ‘Best Instrumental Jazz’ award. Gina Carey won ‘Best Adult Contemporary Award’ again for the 3rd year in a row.

It was great to see friends and nominees including Keisha D, who performed 2 songs including “Uptown Funk” which got the whole place jumping. Ronnie King, platinum producer and incredible jazz pianist was there with his lovely wife Lisa. BB Ingle was also there making the rounds. Alex Santana sat with us and we all talked about the CV Music Awards. We enjoyed the Big Rocks menu and venue. It’s a great place to have a party.

(Photos by Laura Hunt Little)

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

ART SCENE

June 8 to June 14, 2017

BY ANGELA ROMEO

ALANE LEVINSOHN – THE NEW FIGURE ART

E

very artist seeks to find their inner muse. Inspiration can, and does, comes from many sources. Alane Levinsohn finds her muse in figure drawing.

“Most recently, I’ve devoted myself to drawing and painting the figure from life.

I feel that working directly from life allows the personality of the sitter to emerge,” said Alane. “I also draw inspiration from landscapes and florals and love the abstract quality of the desert topography and the vibrant color of florals, a good excuse to finally use cadmium orange directly from the tube!”

Alane studied at the prestigious California College of Arts in Oakland. She spent several years living abroad and studied at the School of Fine Arts in Brussels. “While in Paris, the Louvre became my favorite destination, noted Alane. “Upon returning to the States, I worked as a fashion illustrator for department stores” “I have exhibited locally and nationally.

My work has been shown at Saga Gallery in Montrose, Debra Huse Gallery in Laguna Beach, and Randy Higbee Gallery in Costa Mesa, Gallery 62 in Joshua Tree among others. I participated in the 2016 Open Studio Art Tours and will be part of the 2017 tour.”

The depth of Alane’s passion is readily notice in her figure work. There is a certain vibrancy that emanates from the work. A story is revealed within each work but within that story her subjects retain an air of individual anonymity. Hauntingly beautiful seems appropriate. “My preference is painting figures: both figurative and portrait alla prima. I have also started painting landscapes and love the abstract, spontaneous quality of painting them.”

“I always work from live models. For me, it creates a connection with the person I am painting as I get to know them during the painting process. My hope is that the painting will reflect that person and their thoughts on that day. I have worked with photos in the past and feel that it is one step away from the authenticity of the person I am painting. That makes it difficult for me to produce a painting that connects emotionally with the sitter.

Also, photos to me are deceptive – from the artifice of Photoshop creating a ‘one-size-fits

all’ style of beauty to the technical issues of flattening of the image and obscuring the important details. Our brain sees a photo as the truth, but our eyes see far more in real life from the subtle shifts that make a painting feel like a real breathing person to the detail in the shadow, the highlights and the mid-tones. The eyes do not select one at the expense of the others.”

“Oils are my choice in painting. I love the forgiveness of working in oils – working on an oil primed linen panel allows for the working and reworking of the image. I love moving colors around until they are in the right place and then leaving them. I love the variety of the expressive brush and the subtle transitions. Oils give the ability to produce fine detail in one area and bravura brush strokes in another. I also work in charcoal with PanPastel and find that works well with my style.”

Alane has recently left the LA area for the high desert. “I have only been in the high desert for 6 months but love the art community I have met here. The artists are incredibly supportive and helpful. Working mainly from figures is proving to be more of a challenge than I expected, but I have learned to approach people who would be interesting to paint. As for the desert, there is a peacefulness of being here that is conducive to artwork. I find I don’t have to shake off the frenetic energy of the city to start to paint.”

It also allows Alane to engage in another passion – raising champion Pomeranians.

For more about Alane, find her on Instagram @AlaneLevinsohn and at her site alane.fineartstudioonline.com.

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June 8 to June 14, 2017

PET PLACE

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

BY JANET McAFEE

WONDERFUL LARGE DOGS- BREEZY & GLORY!

T

here are many advantages to selecting a large size dog, provided you have the room and space for these majestic beauties. With great size comes great security, and that means most large dogs are content and cool-headed.

Denise Flaim, dog lover and publisher of ‘Little Kids and Their Big Dogs’ explains, “Many big dogs tend to feel secure in their own position in the world—literally and figuratively—and they often don’t feel compelled to prove themselves. If they really wanted to, big dogs could be pretty fearsome bullies. But most abide by the philosophy that just because you can doesn’t mean you should, and they know you don’t have to throw your weight around to be respected. Oftentimes, quiet dignity does just fine.”

Most large breed dogs are incredibly smart and are easier to train. When it comes to the critical issue of house training, they rarely have an accident inside once they settle into their new home. Perhaps it is their larger size brains, but they process new information easily. It is no accident that law enforcement agencies, search and rescue teams, and the military seek out large breed dogs to perform complex lifesaving tasks.

They are eager to please their humans, and

MEET MAX This precious 13-week old kitten will entertain you with his playful antics!

Max was rescued from the county shelter by Loving All Animals. Contact (760) 834-7000 to add this cute boy to your household. www.lovingallanimals.org

ARIEL & MADELINE Double your fun and adopt both these 9-week old sisters!

Playful and full of fun, this sweet duo were rescued by Loving All Animals. www.lovingallanimals.org.

Call (760) 834-7000.

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thrive in an environment where they learn new tasks.

Most large dogs are relatively calm during their time inside the house, content to relax by your feet. They tend to reserve their energy for romping in the backyard and trips to the dog park. People love big dogs because they are elegant and portray poise and strength. Usually they have an even temperament, and are very protective of their families.

Meet two of the larger canines, Breezy and Glory, that are currently in Loving All Animals’ foster home based rescue program.

Their foster parents can provide extensive information about them.

Beautiful 55-pound Breezy was rescued from the San Bernardino County Shelter in Devore where she was an unclaimed stray. With golden eyes that mesmerize and look deep into your soul, this active 2-yearold is thought to be a blend of Retriever, Shepherd and Kelpie. Her foster mom, Debbie Karp, describes the dog she hopes will get a fabulous forever home, “Breezy is high energy, smart, house trained, and loves playing with toys. When she runs around the yard, she loves to go through the water. She hears everything, and would provide great

Breezy

Glory

protection to her humans.” Breezy would like to be with a “One Dog” owner.

Loving All Animals also rescued 2-yearold Glory from a large public shelter, quite possibly saving her life. The shelter staff listed her as a Lab Shepherd mix. Glorious Glory is 75 pounds of doggie love. Tami Jay is fostering this gentle giant, and she reports Glory is a sweet mellow dog who loves to be by her side. Glory is calm, loves the touch of humans, and would do well in a home with children. If you are one of the many dog owners who let your dog sleep in your bed at night, Glory will gladly comply.

Dogs the size of Breezy and Glory provide excellent protection to their households. Of course, they can best protect from breakins when they are inside the house. No dog, despite its size, should be relegated as “outside only” for a variety of reasons, including the suffering they would endure in our extreme Coachella Valley heat.

Of course, your dog food bill will be higher with a larger size canine. Some rental properties limit the size of renter’s pets, so be sure to check your policy if you are a renter. Mix breed dogs like Breezy and Glory generally have fewer medical problems as they are not subject to some of the genetically inherited weaknesses of pure bred canines. Most large dogs require more exercise, but that is a plus as you gain a hiking buddy along with a new best “fur friend”.

With so many snowbirds gone for the season, Loving All Animals needs more foster homes to take in large dogs. The public shelters are full of beautiful adoptable large dogs whose only crime is that they don’t have a home. All vet care, dog food, and adoption assistance is provided. As an added bonus for fostering, folks can participate in an ongoing class with a professional dog trainer.

These two wonderful dogs are happy in their foster homes, but seek their forever homes. Contact Loving All Animals at (760) 834-7000 if you would like to foster a big dog or want to schedule a “meet and greet” adoption appointment with Breezy or Glory.

Big dogs have big hearts, all the better to love you with!

Jmcafee7@verizon.net

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

THE VINO VOICE

June 8 to June 14, 2017

BY RICK RIOZZA

ORGANIC WINES NOW AND FOREVER

W

ell okay then—that’s a weighty title: Can we back up that claim?

Or, shall we put it another way: How many of us really relish the idea of drinking down a little insecticide here or a little herbicide there? A little gratuitous arsenic to sip on? A touch of Round-up maybe to wind down? So how clean do we want our wines to be? It’s not that tricky of a question.

There’s a “natural wine” movement afoot that sounds like a win-win-wine situation for our and future generations to prosper.

Whether the jingle of “organic vineyard landscapes”, or “bio-dynamic practices” or “sustainable farming” rings a note of sanity and/or reasonableness in the make-up of our favorite quaffs, we are lovingly and respectably all in.

To re-live a story I’ve written previously: “Call if a quiet conundrum, if you will, where so many foodies, vegans, and intelligent healthy eaters simply disregard and/or neglect the same well-being standards from their beverage, especially wine.

“The last time I was up in the modish Marin County, I was invited to a lovely patio dinner party. The hosts were absolutely

gracious and they were very proud to causally (and to continue to) inform us guests that everything in this banquet was organically grown and sustainably raised.

No pesticides and no growth hormones here!

“And just as impressive—as would any upstanding Marin resident provide—was the wonderful array of Napa and Sonoma county wines available for our meal.

Without any agenda on my part—just simple conversation, I casually asked the hosts if, also, the wine on the table was made with organically grown grapes. If looks could kill!

And I guess that meant—“no”. But it sure took the immodest wind out of their sails.

You could see it throughout the dinner— and hey, I felt bad too for bringing it up—so I laid it on thick with how tasty the wine was.

“But the reason they felt a little guilty was that they apparently knew that wine grapes are often and continually the victims of pesticide and insecticide spraying—the bad stuff that tags along in the wine making process. But they conveniently and rather paradoxically let that slip from their minds and focus on produce and meats instead.”

Enter now—and again—comes our

favorite organic wine gal Annie Arnold, Founder of the Organic Wine Exchange.

I say “again” because, as this column is wont to do, we like checking in with her and the organic wine community. And I guess there’s a mutual admiration society going on between us, for when I recently went on her lively & informative website: organicwineexchange.com, she included a couple of this column’s previous write-ups on her “press” tab.

Cool!—I got to re-read my reportage of the Copley’s on Palm Canyon celebrated wine-pairing dinner that featured the wines from the portfolio of the OWE that were superbly paired to the most inventive fare at the hands of our valley’s famed Executive Chef, Andrew Copley. (By the way—I still remember Copley’s most delicious Tandoori Spiced Colorado Rack of Lamb. That was one of the best tasting lamb I’ve had. And especially so when paired with the organic 2011 Chacewater Merlot, perfect with its soft and round layers of black cherry, vanilla, and notable earthy tones.)

Clearly with all the great hoop-la about “sustainable farming” and “organic” culinary studies in general, matters are continually improving with vino lovers as to their concern about our beverages. However, “there is still a large remnant of quaffers whose wine angsts are off the radar when it comes to organics,” says Annie. “So many people still aren’t concentrating on it.”

Everyone desires healthy and “organic” beverages, but there is still some unknown or ambiguous news out there with all of the new terms of art in the “natural wine” movement. The good news is that we can all simply go on-line to the OWE website to bring us up to speed on terms, definitions & explanations, government

regs, industry brands & symbols, etc. One can even communicate in real time with an OWE team member to ask and discuss any relevant concern!

So I met up with Annie and her OWE entourage at Palm Desert Food and Wine Festival held at the Gardens on El Paseo this past March. And her associates included organic wine producers and wineries such as: Eco Terreno, Chacewater, Jeriko, Terra Savia, Maysara Winery and Frey Vineyards.

I was familiar with most of these wineries and their wines, sampling them when Annie invites me over to her functions. And Total Wines does indeed carry some of these labels in their “Green & Sustainable” wine section; but there, at the Food & Wine fest, I finally got to meet and chat with the producers and winemakers.

It was fun meeting up with winemaker Mark Burch of Chacewater. A character for sure: half salesman and half humorist. I was blown away with his Chardonnay which showed bright tropical fruit, gooseberry and peach notes melding with just the right amount of creamy lushness from some subtle French oak. Refreshing acidity was there providing a wonderful backbone to this wine. It’s what I crave: a very food friendly Chard! And, of course, made with organically grown grapes.

Had I known at the time of this wonderful wine, I would have brought over a few bottles to that Marin dinner gathering I wrote of above—and, that perhaps would have been the real life of the party!

Rick is your somm-about-town and Total Wine Team member. He continues to engage our valley’s vino lovers with his fun wine seminars covering the world of wine at the store. Contact winespectrum@aol.com

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June 8 to June 14, 2017

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

THUR JUNE 8

29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 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 CVxHC Presents: Terror Cult, Bronze rat, Face Facts, Decapitate the Kause and Caught Drinking 9pm BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 John Stanley King 6-10pm CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick Tuzzolino 5:30pm CORKTREE; PD; 760-779-0123 Michael Keeth 6-9pm 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; 760365-6633 Open Mic Night 7pm THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 Courtney Chambers’ “Up To No Good” Tour Kick-Off Party w/ Caxton and 5th Town 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; 760345-6466 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 Slim Man 6pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-3252794 Hot Rox LAVENDER BISTRO; LQ; 760-564-5353 Live Entertainment 5:30pm LIT@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; 760-3452450 Country Night w/ Country Nation 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 Two Lane Blacktop 7:30pm PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND COCKTAILS; TP; 760-343-2115 Intimate Acoustics w/The OGR Band, Pocket Yellow, Johnny Roads and more 9pm RED BARN; PD; 760-346-0191 Incredible Desert Kings 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 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, Jersey Gold 6:30pm WANG’S; PS; 760-325-9264 Derek Jordan Gregg 6pm WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-230-0188 Elaine Woodard 6:30pm ZELDA’S; PS; 760-325-2375 DJ 8pm

FRI JUNE 9

14

29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 Bob Garcia Band 6:30pm

ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 The Full House Band w/ Nena Anderson 8pm AGAVE LOUNGE@THE HYATT REGENCY; IW; 760-674-4080 Art of Sax 8pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 The Bryan & Gilmore Show 6:30pm AZUL; PS; 760-325-5533 Friday Night Sour Hour w/ Pink Lemonade Drag Show 9pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 The Best in Electronic Music w/ Sugarfree, Luthergates, Serenata, Loveda and Sammi B 9pm BEER HUNTER; LQ; 760-564-7442 212 Band 9pm BIG ROCK PUB; IND; 706-200-8988 Southbound & Co. 8:30pm BISTRO 60 @TRILOGY; LQ; 760-501-0620 TBA 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 CUNARD’S SANDBAR; LQ; 760-564-3660 The Bill Baker Show 6pm 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 HOTEL PS; PS; 760-3259676 Esjay Jones Presents: Acoustic Sessions w/ The Traveling Fools and Guests 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; 760345-6466 Frank DiSalvo 6pm JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-366-2250 Dana Larson 7pm KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 Crossroads Night w/ Walt Young Blues Band 8pm LA QUINTA BREWERY;PD; 760-200-2597 TBA 7pm LA RUE BISTRO; LQ; 760-296-3420 Slim Man 6pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-3252794 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; 760-3452450 Karma 9pm THE LOUNGE; AGUA CALIENTE; RM; 888999-1995 DJ Jerry 9pm

MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 Ron Greenip 8pm MOXIE; PS; 760-318-9900 TBA 5-8pm 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 DESERT COUNTRY CLUB; PD; 760345-0222 TBA 6:30pm PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-365-5956 Mick Rhodes and The Hard Eight 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 Musical Theatre University Graduation 8pm RED BARN; PD; 760-346-0191 Voodoo Hustlers 9pm RIVIERA; PS; 760-327-8311 Michael Keeth 7-10pm ROCKYARD@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; Metal Mania and Pump (Tribute to Aerosmith) 7:30pm 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; 760-3413560 Demetrious and Co. 6pm TACK ROOM TAVERN; IND; 760-347-9985 Barflys 9pm 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; 951-7555391 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 WANG’S IN THE DESERT; PS; 760-325-9264 Karaoke 8:30pm WESTIN MISSION HILLS; RM; 760-328-5955 TBA 6-10pm THE WINE EMPORIUM; LQ; 760-565-5512 Rob Martinez and Todd Ashley ft. Lisa LaFaro Weselis 6:30-10pm WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-230-0188 Rose Mallett 6:30pm

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June 8 to June 14, 2017

THE WINE EMPORIUM; LQ; 760-565-5512 Chris Lomeli 7pm WESTIN MISSION HILLS; RM; 760-3285955 Michael Keeth noon-4pm poolside, 7-11pm Fireside Lounge WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-230-0188 The Stanley Butler Band 6:30pm ZELDA’S; PS; 760-325-2375 DJs 9pm ZELDA’S; PS; 760-325-2375 DJ 9pm

SAT JUNE 10

29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 Bev & Bill 6:30pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Dublab Presents: Dayclubbing 11am poolside, Stronghold Reggae 10pm AGAVE LOUNGE@THE HYATT REGENCY; IW; 760-674-4080 Art of Sax 8pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 Cabaret on the Green Open Mic 7:30pm AZUL; PS; 760-325-5533 Denise Carter 7:30pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 Seven/ Six Presents: J Patron, KVLUF, Sonstormer, K Tut, Luthergates and Mick Mag 9pm BEATNIK LOUNGE; JT; TBA 9pm BIG ROCK PUB; IND; 706-200-8988 Laurie Morvan Band 8:30pm BLUE BAR; SPOTLIGHT 29; IND; 760-7755566 DJ 9pm BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 Gina Carey 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 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 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 Jack Ruvio 6pm GADI’S RESTAURANT AND BAR; YV; 760365-6633 Dana Larson & Friends 6-9pm 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 HOTEL PS; PS; 760-3259676 Esjay Jones Presents: Global Sessions w/ Band of Traveling Fools and DJ Soulsista 8pm THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 TBA 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; 760345-6466 Frank DiSalvo 6pm JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-366-2250 TBA 9pm KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 Karaoke 7pm LA RUE BISTRO; LQ; 760-296-3420 Slim Man 6pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-3252794 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; 760-3452450 Karma 9pm THE LOUNGE, AGUA CALIENTE; RM; 888999-1995 Fresh 9pm MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 Ron Greenip 8pm 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; 760327-4080 World Famous Palm Canyon Roadhouse 10th Anniversary show w/ Boneyard 9pm PALM DESERT COUNTRY CLUB; PD; 760345-0222 Off Da Cuff 6:30pm PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-365-5956 The Deslondes 9pm 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 Scot Bruce – Elvis: The Early Years 8pm RED BARN; PD; 760-346-0191 Ghosts of Kelso 9pm RIVIERA; PS; 760-327-8311 TBA 7-10pm ROCKYARD@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; Almost Famous and The Yardbirds 7:30pm 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 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 E&J Movement 9pm THREE SIXTY NORTH; PS; 760-327-1773 Dennis Michael 6:30pm TRILUSSA ITALIAN RISTORANTE; PS; 760328-2300 Julius & Sylvia Music Duo 6-10pm VIBE, MORONGO CASINO; CAB; 951-7555391 DJ Hektik 10pm VICKY’S OF SANTE FE; IW; 760-345-9770 Rose Mallett & Barney McClure 5pm, Johnny Meza and Co. 7:30pm VILLAGE PUB; PS; 760-323-3265 Ladies Night w/ Dirty Desert Entertainment 9pm

SUN JUNE 11

29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 Bob Garcia 6pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 DJ Annie Heartache and DJ Lava Traction 11am poolside, TBA 9pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 Jazz Brunch w/ The Francescatones 11am AZUL; PS; 760-325-5533 The Judy Show 7:30pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 Bartland w/ DJ LF, Richie Rich 7pm BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 Michael Keeth 6-10pm CASCADE LOUNGE, SPA RESORT; PS; 888999-1995 Nash with Quinto Menguante 9pm CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Joe Jaggi 5:30pm DHS SPA LOUNGE; DHS; 760-329-6787 Radio 60 3-6pm EL MEXICALI CAFÉ 2; IND; 760-342-2333 Cesar Daniel Lopez on the harp 6-9pm GADI’S RESTAURANT AND BAR; YV; 760365-6633 Dana Larson &Friends 5-8pm INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760345-6466 Ted Herman’s Big Band 6pm JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-366-2250 Open Jam 6pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-3252794 Palm Springs Sound Company, in the afternoon, Hot Rox, in the night continue to page 20

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June 8 to June 14, 2017

THE PAMPERED PALATE

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

BY DENISE ORTUNO NEIL

FISHERMAN’S LA QUINTA, OFFERS SUPER AFFORDABLE HAPPY HOUR

I

f you’re looking to satisfy that inner craving for fresh seafood, but don’t want to spend a bunch of money, than Happy Hour at Fisherman’s Market & Grill in La Quinta is the way to go. There is no doubt that going out for seafood can be a bit expensive. I mean, you don’t have to go out, you can always try your hand and make it at home, but even buying seafood at the store can be pricey as well. So what’s a seafood lover to do? Well, you can try mixing it up a bit and going the Happy Hour route at one of the Coachella Valley’s best seafood restaurants, Fisherman’s Market & Grill in La Quinta.

The Fisherman’s enterprise has been going strong for over 17 years, and has restaurants from Banning to La Quinta. All the locations put out fresh seafood recipes, everything from fish dinners, to their famous Fish Tacos and much more. Their La Quinta location serves as a seafood market, where customers can purchase seafood from the case to take home and prepare themselves, as well as a dine in restaurant and bar. The bar part is where Happy Hour is offered.

I personally love their Happy Hour, and have been enjoying it there for many years.

It is seriously one of the best deals in town.

The menu has a series of items available, at a price tag of $5.95 each. Yep…$5.95. You can order up favorites such as perfectly battered Fried Calamari, Sautéed Shrimp, Ceviche, Poke, Tuna Sashimi, Galley Burger, Fish Sliders (Mahi or Cod), and of course, their awesome Fish Tacos. My boyfriend and I are creatures of habit, and order our own favorites time and time again. We are huge fans of the Fried Calamari, which is very tender with ultra-light batter, and always comes out with a lovely golden hue. Match it up with one of their many homemade dressings/dipping sauces (Cocktail, Thousand Island, Tartar Sauce, and others) and its happy mouth time.

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Another must have for us is their Fish Tacos which come two to an order. We prefer the healthier Grilled Cajun Mahi, opposed to the Fried Cod, but they are both fantastic. Topped with crunchy cabbage and their delightful white sauce, it’s just yummy! But before we order any of the above, we kick off our visit with two orders of Oyster Shooters. The delicious mollusk shooter comes three to an order for only, you guessed it…$5.95. To make it a shooter with oomph, add vodka or tequila for an extra $3. The shooters are phenomenal either way, and if you’re feeling a little squeamish about raw oysters, I implore you to give them a try…it’s like ocean candy.

Happy Hour would not be complete without some attractive drink discounts, which Fisherman’s does not skimp on. Guest can imbibe frugally with $3 off all beer and wine, and $4 well drinks. Such a deal!

With food and drinks, our bill hovers around $50 or so for the two of us, an amazing amount for high quality seafood.

As mentioned, Happy Hour at Fisherman’s Market & Grill La Quinta is offered only in the bar area, which includes bar seating and the surrounding high top tables. Their Happy Hour is served daily (yes, weekends too) from 4pm to 6pm, with an added late night Happy Hour from 8pm to 9pm, served Monday thru Thursday.

A fresh seafood meal doesn’t have to be over the top expensive. At Fisherman’s Market & Grill La Quinta, you can savor seafood at affordable prices, without emptying your wallet.

Fisherman’s Market La Quinta is located at 78-575 Hwy 111 #100, La Quinta 92253.

For more info www.fishermans.com.

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June 8 to June 14, 2017

17

June 8 to June 14, 2017

SCREENERS

THE WONDERS OF WOMEN! NOW PLAYING: WONDER WOMAN

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if all women could be treated with the respect Wonder Woman gets? Walking out of the theaters, I overheard a fashionably dressed woman say, “this beautiful female empowering film validates all women for their inner goddess and healing powers of love. It’s a timely and welcome reminder of the potential for good that innate female traits offer the planet.”

If you are not up to speed on this distaff superhero , here’s all you need to know. Diana, an Amazon princess and daughter of Zeus, finds her tranquil life on a Mediterranean island inhabited only by fellow female warriors abruptly interrupted when Steve Trevor, an American pilot crashes his

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

BY ROBIN E. SIMMONS

No. 268

stolen German plane offshore. After rescuing him, she learns that a world war is raging and determines to use her considerable powers to restore peace. And maybe along the way find a bit of romance.

Director Patty Jenkins delivers a thrilling, earnest, heartfelt origin film and Gal Gadot brings it all together, infusing her iconic comicbook hero with vigor, wit, sweetness and grace.

The opening sequence cleverly merges real history with a faux mythic past. The Amazons were raised up by Zeus to defeat his evil son Ares – God of War. Ares is Wonder Woman’s half brother.

The action scenes are fluid and potent.

Gadot is a powerhouse. She dominates the screen with heart and hope.

This is how Superman should have been handled. If DC/Warner Bros. takes its superhero movies in this direction from here on out, we are all in for a big and long awaited treat.

The audience I saw this with clearly loved it. There was enthusiastic applause as the end credit scrolled. My mind was not blown, as there was nothing really new to the superhero origin story, but as the first female super hero blockbuster movie directed by a woman, this is one to see, even if you know nothing about Wonder Woman and never read a WW comic book. Spectacular from fade in to fade out.

See it now at the refurbished Mary Pickford/ D’Place Entertainment. Recommended.

NEW FOR THE HOMETHEATER: WHO’LL STOP THE RAIN (1978)

This powerful and haunting thriller is about memorable characters that make dark choices the consequences they reap. The casting is just about perfect and the dialogue is pointed and revealing. It’s good to se Michael Moriarty in a decidedly non-neurotic role and Nick Nolte strikingly fit as an action hero.

Simply put, this is a story Roger Ebert said was “about people at war with themselves after Vietnam screwed them up.”

Director Karel Reisz (Morgan! and The French Lieutenant’s Woman) adapted (with Judith Rascoe) Robert Stone’s acclaimed novel Dog Soldier. The story focuses on a trio of Vietnam casualties, a war correspondent (Moriarity), a merchant marine (Nick Nolte) and the former drug addicted wife (a terrific Tuesday Weld). The three become involved in a dangerous and desperate plan to smuggle a load of heroin from Vietnam to San Francisco and survive a team of killer thugs in close pursuit. Only 3,000 units available. Once they are gone, they are gone! Twilight Time Movies. Blu-ray.

The series follows Detective Casey Jones, played by the popular and well-regarded and talented Beverly Garland (My Three Sons, Swamp Woman, Airport 1975) as she walks the mean streets of NYC solving a new case each week. This groundbreaking show was the first to feature an actress as the star protagonist in a full-season, dramatic series.

The episodic case narratives were based on experiences told to Garland by Margaret Leonard, the show’s technical director who was a former NYPD detective herself. The significance of her role was at a time when the “female detective” had virtually disappeared from film and created a strong new archetype that would set the standard for years to come.

Decoy was filmed on location throughout the stunning backdrop of 1950s NYC, with sweeping shots of Manhattan Bridge, Beatera Greenwich village, Penn Station and many other landmarks. In addition to a documentary style of shooting; beautifully framed, noir shots; and an extremely brave approach to its gritty subject matter, with performances influenced by the “method” school of acting.

Look for appearances by Ed Asner, Peter Falk, John Cassavetes, Suzanne Pleshette, Al Lewis, Larry Hagman, Albert Dekker and others.

VOODOO BLACK EXORCIST (1974)

DECOY (1957-1958)

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The first TV series to feature a policewoman and to shoot on location in New York City! The authorized release of t collector’s set available May 30.

The poster warns -- or boasts? -- there’s “twice the terror and twice the shock” when a mummy is sentenced to eternal damnation.

And its all the more vivid in this sharp transfer restored from original 35mm film elements.

The mummy of a Caribbean voodoo priest stalks the passengers of a South Seas ocean liner in this lurid, 1970s Euro-horror cult classic from director Manuel Caño (Swamp of the Raven’s). Filmed in such exotic locations as Jamaica and Haiti, this supernatural tale stars Also Sambrell (The Good, the Bad and the Ugly), Fernando Sanchez and the lovely Eva Leon as one of the ship’s passengers who reminds the mummy of an old love. Uh oh.

I assume the exotic dancers and topless voodoo rites were the main draw when this quirky grind house feature was originally released. The Film Detective. Blu-ray.

Comments? robinesimmons@aol.com

BOOK REVIEW

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

BY HEIDI SIMMONS

DENIS JOHNSON 1949 - 2017

P

eople often ask me who my favorite authors are. I enjoy having a conversation about books and stories, but the question is a difficult one for me to answer. It’s hard because there are so many great writers and wonderful storytellers. But there are a few scribes that are close to my heart. One of those was Denis Johnson.

Author Denis Johnson died in May at the age of 67 from liver cancer. He was not only a literary giant, but, in my world, he was a god. He was fearless and magical. His oeuvre contained 10 novels, three plays, five books of poetry, two screenplays and two works of nonfiction, plus he wrote for magazines.

I wish I had discovered Johnson sooner, but his work came to me by way of my son. He read Jesus’ Son for a class and it became one of his favorite books while in college. He brought Jesus’ Son, a collection of short stories, home while on break, and with some reluctance, left it for me to read.

Reading Jesus’ Son was one of those experiences that altered my perception of literature – and, the world.

The first story in the collection, “Car Crash While Hitchhiking,” was a riveting experience.

It held me transfixed as the characters lived and breathed -- and burned. It still gives me chills and the imagery remains powerful.

In the 11 stories of Jesus’ Son, the reader gets a bigger picture of the underbelly of an

June 8 to June 14, 2017

oppressive small town and the American way of life. Not everyone is living the dream. Many of the up-right citizens are more deviant than the drug-riddled addict who observes and narrates.

Through the wisdom of Johnson’s ne’er-dowell, we get a fresh perspective on the rules of society and the delicate balance of human survival. The marginalized and all those we try to ignore become relevant in Johnson’s work.

I found in Johnson an author who could freely speak the truth about the fragile human condition and our place on this planet.

His honesty about life and the challenges that come from living are terrifyingly real.

He understood our weaknesses, flaws and insatiable need for attention, justification and

redemption.

Johnson wrote poetry, plays and novels.

He was an alumnus of the highly respected Iowa Writers’ Workshop where Raymond Carver was his teacher! Carver, who was another brilliant and honest writer, no doubt encouraged Johnson to explore writing from the darker side of life.

The beauty of Johnson’s work is that he allowed his protagonists to be unsavory characters. Regardless of their station in life, rich or poor, powerful or weak, they had insight and shed an unblemished light on reality in a way that resonated deeply. Rarely was there a happy ending, but there was always some form of hope, however slight.

Johnson won many awards that included National Poetry Series and a Guggenheim Fellowship. His book Tree of Smoke about a war hero turned CIA man who tries to understand the war in Vietnam, was a Pulitzer Prize finalist and won the National Book Award.

A master of his craft, Johnson explored other genres. I enjoyed the fun of the noir book Nobody Move. It’s a story about a guy from Bakersfield who gets caught up with the wrong kind of folks and discovers that he himself has a propensity towards trouble.

The novella, Train Dreams, is a poetic telling about a man of sorrow and his challenge to understand the changing American West.

Johnson’s last novel, The Laughing Monsters, is set in a disintegrating African nation where two men plan to profit from the chaos. It is a world where the weak, the

SAFETY TIPS

innocent and the earth are exploited and there is nothing anyone can do about it.

Author Johnson never held back in his descriptions of people or places. Locations are often filthy and smelly. He was never intimidated by political correctness and he was unafraid to reveal a world where corruption is a way of life. Quite often, there is more bad than good, more sorrow than happiness and more shame than pride in the stories he tells.

This dichotomy is what makes Johnson’s work so powerful and potent.

Johnson had three rules of writing which are clearly reflected in his body of work: 1. Write naked. That means to write what you would never say. 2. Write in blood. As if ink is so precious you can’t waste it. 3. Write in exile, as if you are never going to get home again, and you have to call back every detail.

I feel tremendous sadness at his passing.

Johnson expanded my universe and wrote from a genuine understanding of the world and the complicated nature of human beings.

On the horizon, is a new collection of short stories being published posthumously. The Largesse of the Sea Maiden (Penguin/Random House) comes out next year. How wonderful it will be to take a new journey with one of my favorite authors.

Rest in peace, Denis.

BY FIRE CHIEF SAM DIGIOVANNA

SPREAD THE WORD OF SAFETY!

J

une is the month that is declared as National Safety Month by the National Safety Council (NSC).

The NSC and thousands of organizations across the country work to raise awareness to Keep Each Other Safe. Observed annually in June, National Safety Month focuses on reducing leading causes of injury and death at work, on the road and in our homes and communities reminds Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna.

Though safety is something to be practiced year round, here are several downloadable resources highlighting a different safety topic for each week in June: • Week 1: Stand Up to Falls: www. mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/healthyaging/in-depth/fall-prevention/art-20047358

• Week 2: Recharge to Be In Charge (Focusing on Fatigue): www.cardinus.com/ us/preventing-fatigue-work • Week 3: Prepare for Active Shooters: www.dhs.gov/active-shooter-preparedness • Week 4: Don’t Just Sit There (Focusing on Ergonomics): www.webmd.com/painmanagement/tc/office-ergonomics-usingergonomics-at-the-workstation-to-preventinjury • Bonus Week: Road Safety for Workers: constructiondatacompany.com/top-10-roadconstruction-work-zone-safety-tips Use all of these safety topics to share with those at home, work, church or with friends.

For additional safety information visit: nsc.org/nsm and stay safe!

Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna

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June 8 to June 14, 2017

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CLUB CRAWLER NIGHTLIFE continued from page 15 LAVENDER BISTRO; LQ; 760-564-5353 Live INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760Entertainment 5:30pm 345-6466 Larry Capeloto 6pm MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-325760-325-2323 Sunday Jam 4-8pm 2794 Hot Rox NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Golden LAVENDER BISTRO; LQ; 760-564-5353 Era Karaoke 4-7pm, Red’s Rockstar Karaoke Live Entertainment 5:30pm 8pm-1:15am NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry Karaoke 8pm-1:15am 7:30pm THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; 7607pm 327-4080 Sunday Night Jam Session w/ Jos PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-365-5956 Burrell 7pm Open Mic 7pm PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-365-5956 The PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND Sunday Band 7:30pm COCKTAILS; TP; 760-343-2115 Industry PURPLE ROOM; PS; 760-322-4422 The Judy Night w/ DJ Tone 2pm-close Show 7pm SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760-341SAMMY G’s; PS; 760-320-8041 Eddie Gee 3560 T.B.A. 6pm 7pm VICKY’S OF SANTE FE; IW; 760-345-9770 SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760-341Mike Costley’s Showcase 6:30pm 3560 The Myx 6pm THE WINE EMPORIUM; LQ; 760-565-5512 THREE SIXTY NORTH; PS; 760-327-1773 Dude Jones 6:30-9:30pm The Chris Gore Group Pro Jam 7pm WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-230-0188 VICKY’S OF SANTE FE; IW; 760-345-9770 Motown Mondays 6pm John Stanley King and Trio 6:30pm ZELDA’S; PS; 760-325-2375 Dude Jones THE WINE EMPORIUM; LQ; 760-565-5512 9pm Rob Martinez and Scott Carter 6:30pm WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-230-0188 Yve Evans Jazz Brunch 10am-2pm, John Carey & Friends 6pm 29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 Michael Lowe 6pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Ace 29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 The Karaoke with Kiesha 9pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 Luminators 6pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 Bill AJ’s Singer Showcase w/ Jessica Taylor 6:30pm Marx 6:30pm BIG ROCK PUB; IND; 706-200-8988 Karaoke AZUL; PS; 760-325-5533 Bella da Ball Dinner Revue w/ guest performers 7:30pm w/ T-Bone 8pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 DJ CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Joe Jaggi and Dancing 9pm 5:30pm THE BLOCK; C.C.; 760-832-7767 Karaoke THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 No Mouth Brakes Comedy Hour 8pm, Karaoke 9pm en Espanol 9pm

TUE JUNE 13

MON JUNE 12

BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 Stanley Butler Trio 6-10pm CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Joe Jaggi 5:30pm CORKTREE; PD; 760-779-0123 Michael Keeth 6-9pm CUNARD’S SANDBAR; LQ; 760-564-3660 The Bill Baker Show 6pm FIRESIDE LOUNGE; PS; 760-327-1700 Red’s Rockstar Karaoke 9pm FISHERMAN’S GROTTO; PD; 760-7766533 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; 760-833-8700 DJ Randy Johnson 6pm INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760345-6466 Michael D’Angelo 6:15pm JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-3662250 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; 760327-4080 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 w/ Cinch 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 TBA 8pm WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-230-0188 John Boliver 6pm

WED JUNE 14

29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 Daniel Horn 6pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Acoustics w/ Brian Whelan 7pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 Jazz Jam w/ Doug MacDonald & Friends 7pm AZUL; PS; 760-325-5533 Piano Bar 6pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 Totally Radical 90’s w/ DJ Richie Rich 9pm BIG ROCK PUB; IND; 706-200-8988 The Smooth Brothers 7pm BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 Michael Keeth 6-10pm CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick Tuzzolino 5:30pm CORKTREE; PD; 760-779-0123 Jack Ruvio 6pm CUNARD’S SANDBAR; LQ; 760-564-3660 The Bill Baker Show 6pm ELECTRIC SPORTS LOUNGE; YV; 760228-1199 Karaoke 7:30pm FISHERMAN’S GROTTO; PD; 760-7766533 TBA 6pm THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 Open Mic Nite hosted by Josh Heinz 8pm HUNTER’S; PS; 760-323-0700 Live VJ 9pm INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760345-6466 Open Mic w/ Rich Bono & Poupee Boccaccio 6pm

S and G

PUMPING SERVICE

Septic Tank & Grease Trap Pumping Sewer & Drain Cleaning Odor Control

760-404-6325

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JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-3662250 Live Music KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 Open Mic hosted by Amy Angel 6:30pm LA RUE BISTRO; LQ; 760-296-3420 TBA 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 NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Golden Era Karaoke 4-7pm, Karaoke 8pm1:15am THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry 6-8pm Tim Burleson 8pm PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; 760327-4080 Roger & Friends 7pm 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 TACK ROOM TAVERN; IND; 760-347-9985 Acoustic Sessions 7pm 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 WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-230-0188 Deanna Bogart 6:30pm

HADDON LIBBY

SMaRT EDUCATION

W

ith the school season coming to a close, many parents are looking for interesting and rewarding programs to keep their young ones busy this weekend. SMaRT Education may be just that.

What is SMaRT Education? I’ve asked cofounder, Maria Wren, to tell us about it: “Eight years ago, two moms saw a need. Being women of action, we decided to fill that need - real technology education for our children. That moment led to the founding of Science Math and Robotic Technology Education, a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, “ART”, Math) programs to the Coachella Valley.

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Though the idea of STEAM had been talked about since the 1980’s, in 2009 it had not quite caught on in the Coachella Valley; only a few schools had any kind of robotics program and those programs only served a small percentage of the students.

SMaRT Education’s mission became clear: to give our youth the life skills that would open doors and lead to opportunities as competitive industry professionals.

SMaRT began with a simple focus, to teach students how to build and program robots and use that as the tool to build in the skills needed to be successful in life. As the capacity of the organization grew, the focus expanded beyond just robotics.

Classes and camps at our SciTech Academy in Palm Springs offer a range of programs for youth including: Engineering Fundamentals in our Rube Goldberg Camps;

Environmental Stewardship in our Marine Science Camps and; Digital Media and Stop Motion Animation through our Video Game Design camps.

One of our signature programs, the SMaRT Mornings and SMaRT Wednesday’s programs at Katherine Finchy Elementary School allow students to explore the fundamentals of STEAM in more depth.

During the school season, students at Katherine Finchy Elementary have the option to join us before school every day that school is in session, as well as every Wednesday after school to get their hands dirty with science experiments, build cool contraptions using the engineering design process and use technology to expand their creativity.

An important component to how we inspire students and expand their awareness of what a career in STEAM can be, are the trips to places that will show them what is possible within the various fields of STEAM. We’ve taken students on tours of NASA’s Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex in the middle of the Mojave Desert, part of the Deep Space Network, which communicates with spacecraft both in orbit around the Earth and in the farther reaches of our solar system. This summer we will take a group of students to the Marine Science Institute which works with NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) on research in the Channel Islands Sanctuary.

In addition to our classes in Palm

June 8 to June 14, 2017

Springs, we are able to reach students from a broader region through our partnerships with organizations like the Coachella Valley Housing Coalition, the La Quinta Museum, the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indian tribe as well as the three school districts. Our partnerships help us to bring our programs to students from Desert Hot Springs to the Salton Sea. What makes SMaRT Education able to reach students in a way that engages, excites and inspires them is not just what we do, but how we do it. From the beginning, our goal has not been to feed students facts and figures to memorize, but rather to answer their questions with questions that will help them find answers for themselves. Allowing students to find their own answers gives them a better understanding of what they are doing.

What better way to teach principles of physics than to have students build their own catapults and test how weight, leverage, and trajectory will affect where their projectile will land?

SMaRT gives our youth the confidence to excel in all areas of their lives and personal development.”

SMaRT is a local non-profit organization.

Maria Wren can be reached at 760.848.4822 or via the website DesertRobotics.com.

DALE GRIBOW ON THE LAW

THE SECRET TO WHY I DIDN’T ACCEPT YOUR ACCIDENT CASE

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focus a large amount of my practice on collecting compensation for accident victims. Today it is more difficult to deal with the deny & delay claims strategies of insurance companies. For this reason, and those expressed herein, many local lawyers are reluctant to accept some soft tissue/ whiplash claims.

When I first started practicing Personal Injury, I would send the medical bills to the insurance company and would an offer of 3-4 times the medicals as a settlement. Those days are gone.

Now we see $9,000 in medicals and the insurance company offering a paltry $5,000.

That is not enough to pay the doctors and legal fees, and clearly there would be no money for the client. For example, a $9k med bill that would formerly result in a jury verdict or settlement of $27,000 would today only draw an offer or verdict of $5,000-$7,500.

Thus the attorney has to find a way to generate money for the client and this often involves begging the doctor to cut their bills.

Most lawyers feel it just is not worth it to have to argue with doctors to cut bills in addition to arguing with insurance companies and or defense lawyers to put money on the case. All

the while, the client is unable to understand why their case is not worth more money Recently a Monterey CC resident presented what would have been a great case, TWO MONTHS EARLIER...when it happened. To her credit she had Blue Cross and went to Eisenhower ONCE, but did not have any follow up medical treatment. She also talked to the adjuster.

If I accepted this 2 month old case and the client now went to doctors, I know it would be a problem. No matter what we argued to the insurance company or jury, I know that it would be a challenge to convince them that treatment 2 months after the accident were really accident related.. They would ask “Mr. Gribow, how do we know that she did not recently slip at the pool/shower or fall playing tennis?”

Most potential clients focus on the injury and not on harmful factors like the following that cause me to reject a case: admitting liability at the scene, no immediate medical treatment, who is at fault, low property damage, prior accidents, no insurance, not contacting a lawyer right away, social media that shows you playing sports for months while complaining of your injury and of

course the client talking to the adjuster. It is not what the client told the adjuster but what s/he THOUGHT s/he heard.

We will never know the harmful things the client told the adjuster. The worst thing that can happen is learning of admissions to the adjuster in the middle of trial. The adjuster could testify as to what the client said right after the accident and BEFORE the client hired a lawyer. The implication is that the client only filed and sought medical advice because of his/her lawyer.

Recently the Howell Case decreased the value of these whiplash cases. Today if the med bill is $100,000 and the health insurance pays $90,000 and your obligation is $10k, you

can only present the $10,000 out of pocket to the jury. The amount of damage to the victim is now what the victim paid out of pocket.

Small cases are now worth a fraction of what they would have garnered 10 years ago. For the reasons expressed herein, most experienced desert lawyers specializing in accident cases are reluctant to accept whiplash cases.

If you have any questions regarding this column or ideas for future columns please contact Dale Gribow 760-837-7500 or dale@ dalegribowlaw.com.

DALE GRIBOW “TOP LAWYER” - Palm Springs Life(Accidents) 2011-17 “TOP LAWYER”-Inland Empire Magazine Nov 2016 10.0 AVVO Peer Rating “PREEMINENT” Rating - Martindale Hubbell Legal Directory “BEST Attorneys of America” Selected by “Rue” (Limited to Top 100 Attorneys per state) Legal Eagle “Best and Brightest Legal Minds” by PS Life- 2016

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June 8 to June 14, 2017

SPORTS SCENE

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BY FLINT WHEELER

PUJOLS HITS HIS 600TH– AT A BIG PRICE!

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os Angeles Angels slugger Albert Pujols has become the ninth player in Major League Baseball history to hit 600 career home runs with his grand slam against the Minnesota Twins on Saturday. In celebration of such a feat, I found it fitting to address the 500 pound gorilla in the room.

His contract. Along with the others - I’ll leave it up to you to judge whether what the Angels have shelled out is worth it or not.

These big contracts are sometimes worth that amount of money, but sometimes, they are just a complete bust. The team can sign a player who is as promising as he can be for the huge amount of money, but then he ends up as a big disappointment. The main

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reason for this is the fact that there is no way to predict how a player will turn out.

In conclusion, contracts can be a very tricky thing. Here is my top 5 list of the worst contracts in the history of the sport.

5) Gilbert Arenas Gilbert Arenas signed a six year contract with the Wizards, worth 111 million dollars and had a great number of fans that were rooting for him. He was a superstar who buried shots from all over the court. In three consecutive years, he was in the top ten scorers, which almost made his enormous contract worth it. But then, he has done maybe the stupidest thing that the professional athlete can make. While in the Wizards changing room, he decided to pull out the guns. In addition to that, he also had some trouble with his knees. Arenas is now playing in China, because no one wants him in the NBA. That contract must hurt very much.

4) JaMarcus Russell JaMarcus Rusell was the first overall pick of the 2007 draft and the Oakland Raiders thought that he would be their golden ticket. He signed a huge contract for someone who never played in the NFL. The six year contract was worth 68 million dollars. Oakland took a huge risk of giving that amount of money to a rookie, but

the problem was that the other things also became a little too big. JaMarcus was constantly gaining weight and at one point he had a little less than 300 pounds. His performance was getting much worse and after he was arrested for possession of illegal substance, the Raiders let him go.

3) Rick DiPietro When it comes to NHL contracts, there is just one rule you really need to obey. Don’t sign contracts that last decades. No matter how good someone is, in the world of professional sports, a few years mean a lot and can make a big difference. Rick DiPietro’s yearly salary was around 4 million dollars, which is a reasonable one. But again, you can’t sign a player to a fifteen year contract, it just never works. After he signed for the Islanders, due to his injuries, he was bought out just six years after. He played less than a half of his contract duration and Islanders lost a lot of money.

2) Amar’e Stoudemire No matter how hard the Knicks tried to get rid of this guy, they just couldn’t do it.

Amar’e Stoudemire was maybe the worst mistake that Knicks ever made. No team in the NBA was willing to pay out the remaining 65 million dollars of his contract because of his knee injury, which made him a very risky choice. So, the Knicks were forced to keep Stoudemire on the roster as he underwent multiple surgeries trying to fix the knees.

What makes it even worse is the fact that he wasn’t insured for injury, which made him a ticking time bomb that no one wanted to touch.

1) Albert Pujols Professional sports usually have a restriction, which limits the amount of money spent by a certain team or signing of contracts. This rule is called a salary cap.

However, this rule is not quite applied, when we talk about baseball. There are just a few contracts that are worth more than they should be and here is an example.

Albert Pujols signed a 10 year contract with the Angels, worth more than 250 million dollars. Due to his incredible skills and athleticism, we could probably say that it was worth the money spent, but there is one problem. In the final year of his contract, Pujols will be 42 years old. There is also a 10 year ‘Player Services’ addendum that pays Albert $1 Million per year for ten years after his playing days are done.

Seriously! No matter how good a player is, ages surely have impact on athletes and it is a really foolish thing to pay that amount of money for a player who maybe won’t be able to play.

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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY

Week of June 8

ARIES (March 21-April 19): If you chose me as your relationship guide, I’d counsel you and your closest ally to be generous with each other; to look for the best in each other and praise each other’s beauty and strength. If you asked me to help foster your collaborative zeal, I’d encourage you to build a shrine in honor of your bond -- an altar that would invoke the blessings of deities, nature spirits, and the ancestors. If you hired me to advise you on how to keep the fires burning and the juices flowing between you two, I’d urge you to never compare your relationship to any other, but rather celebrate the fact that it’s unlike any other in the history of the planet.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): The Milky Way Galaxy contains more than 100 billion stars. If they were shared equally, every person on Earth could have dominion over at least 14. I mention this because you’re in a phase when it makes sense for you to claim your 14. Yes, I’m being playful, but I’m also quite serious. According to my analysis of the upcoming weeks, you will benefit from envisaging big, imaginative dreams about the riches that could be available to you in the future. How much money do you want? How much love can you express? How thoroughly at home in the world could you feel? How many warm rains would you like to dance beneath?

How much creativity do you need to keep reinventing your life? Be extravagant as you fantasize.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): “When I grow up, I’m not sure what I want to be.” Have you ever heard that thought bouncing around your mind, Gemini? Or how about this one: “Since I can’t decide what I want to be, I’ll just be everything.” If you have been tempted to swear allegiance to either of those perspectives, I suggest it’s time to update your relationship with them. A certain amount of ambivalence about commitment and receptivity to myriad possibilities will always be appropriate for you. But if you hope to fully claim your birthright, if you long to ripen into your authentic self, you’ll have to become ever-more definitive and specific about what you want to be and do.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): As a Cancerian myself, I’ve had days when I’ve stayed in bed from morning to nightfall, confessing my fears to my imaginary friends and eating an entire cheesecake. As an astrologer, I’ve noticed that these blue patches seem more likely to occur during the weeks before my birthday each year. If you go through a similar blip any time soon, here’s what I recommend: Don’t feel guilty about it.

Don’t resist it. Instead, embrace it fully. If you feel lazy and depressed, get REALLY lazy and depressed.

Literally hide under the covers with your headphones on and feel sorry for yourself for as many hours as it takes to exhaust the gloom and emerge renewed.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In the early days of the Internet, “sticky” was a term applied to websites that were good at drawing readers back again and again. To possess this quality, a content provider had to have a knack for offering text and images that web surfers felt an instinctive yearning to bond with. I’m reanimating this term so I can use it to describe you.

Even if you don’t have a website, you now have a soulful adhesiveness that arouses people’s urge to merge. Be discerning how you use this stuff. You may be stickier than you realize!

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Ancient Mayans used chili and magnolia and vanilla to prepare exotic chocolate drinks from cacao beans. The beverage was sacred and prestigious to them. It was a centerpiece of cultural identity and an accessory in religious rituals. In some locales, people were rewarded for producing delectable chocolate with just the right kind and amount of froth. I suspect, Virgo, that you will soon be asked to do the equivalent of demonstrating your personal power by whipping up the best possible chocolate froth. And according to my reading of the astrological omens, the chances are good you’ll succeed.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Do you have your visa for the wild side? Have you packed your bag of tricks?

© Copyright 2017 Rob Brezsny

I hope you’ll bring gifts to dispense, just in case you’ll need to procure favors in the outlying areas where the rules are a bit loose. It might also be a good idea to take along a skeleton key and a snake-bite kit. You won’t necessarily need them. But I suspect you’ll be offered magic cookies and secret shortcuts, and it would be a shame to have to turn them down simply because you’re unprepared for the unexpected.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You’re like a prince or princess who has been turned into a frog by the spell of a fairy tale villain. This situation has gone on for a while. In the early going, you retained a vivid awareness that you had been transformed. But the memory of your origins has faded, and you’re no longer working so diligently to find a way to change back into your royal form. Frankly, I’m concerned.

This horoscope is meant to remind you of your mission. Don’t give up! Don’t lose hope! And take extra good care of your frog-self, please.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): People might have ideas about you that are at odds with how you understand yourself. For example, someone might imagine that you have been talking trash about them -- even though you haven’t been. Someone else may describe a memory they have about you, and you know it’s a distorted version of what actually happened. Don’t be surprised if you hear even more outlandish tales, too, like how you’re stalking Taylor Swift or conspiring with the One World Government to force all citizens to eat kale every day. I’m here to advise you to firmly reject all of these skewed projections. For the immediate future, it’s crucial to stand up for your right to define yourself -- to be the final authority on what’s true about you.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): “God doesn’t play dice with the universe,” said Albert Einstein.

In response, another Nobel Prize-winning physicist, Niels Bohr, said to Einstein, “Stop giving instructions to God.” I urge you to be more like Bohr than Einstein in the coming weeks, Capricorn. As much as possible, avoid giving instructions to anyone, including God, and resist the temptation to offer advice. In fact, I recommend that you abstain from passing judgment, demanding perfection, and trying to compel the world to adapt itself to your definitions. Instead, love and accept everything and everyone exactly as they are right now.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Lysistrata is a satire by ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes. It takes place during the war between Athens and Sparta.

The heroine convinces a contingent of women to withhold sexual privileges from the soldiers until they stop fighting. “I will wear my most seductive dresses to inflame my husband’s ardor,” says one. “But I will never yield to his desires. I won’t raise my legs towards the ceiling. I will not take up the position of the Lioness on a Cheese Grater.” Regardless of your gender, Aquarius, your next assignment is twofold: 1. Don’t be like the women in the play. Give your favors with discerning generosity. 2. Experiment with colorful approaches to pleasure like the Lioness with a Cheese Grater, the Butterfly Riding the Lizard, the Fox Romancing the River, and any others you can dream up.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Take your seasick pills. The waves will sometimes be higher than your boat. Although I don’t think you’ll capsize, the ride may be wobbly. And unless you have waterproof clothes, it’s probably best to just get naked. You WILL get drenched. By the way, don’t even fantasize about heading back to shore prematurely. You have good reasons to be sailing through the rough waters.

There’s a special “fish” out there that you need to catch. If you snag it, it will feed you for months -maybe longer.

Homework: Even if you don’t send it, write a letter to the person you admire most. Share it with me at Freewillastrology.com.

---------------------------------------Rob Brezsny Free Will Astrology freewillastrology@freewillastrology.com

June 8 to June 14, 2017

MIND,BODY & SPIRIT

BY BRONWYN ISON

NATE HARRISON ROAD

T

he interesting twists, turns, and tests in life keep us wondering.

Questionable circumstances keep us on our toes. We often question, why?

What is happening? Why did I have to go through this? Why so much at one time? Of course, it’s the unfortunate circumstances, we really question. Within the recent months I’ve experienced numerous adventures. I like to call them tests.

Nate Harrison Road is a road to Mt. Palomar, a Christian Center and Camp in San Diego. If you are one who is dependent on travel phone apps you may find you can be mislead. In the past, I’ve relied on Google Maps. In recent months, I’ve befriended the WAZE app. I’ve been exceptionally pleased... until... I met Nate Harrison Road.

My daughter was a guest at the camp for five days. I decided to pick her up instead of her traveling back home with her school group. This way we could make a long weekend for ourselves in San Diego.

Fun, right? The bus from Mt. Palomar was departing by 11am and I needed to be there on time. Meanwhile, my other daughter was with me, as we were already in San Diego for a field trip. I was relishing in the quality time I was spending and would share with my girls. My youngest girl and I hopped in the car and began our travels to Mt. Palomar.

After an hour of traveling, we met Nate Harrison Road. Shortly thereafter, the road turned into a dirt road. It went from a dirt road to a rocky terrain landscape.

Meanwhile, I am in a sedan climbing a massive incline that would eventually overlook and incredibly beautiful view of the San Diego hills and mountains. Why didn’t I turn around? I asked myself that exact question. I prayed the road would get better or turn into asphalt. It never did.

The road only became worse, I lost cell phone service, and I felt slightly nervous, I was in the middle of nowhere with my daughter. One thing I was sure of... I had made contact with two people who knew

we were on that hill. I felt a peace that all would be fine. I knew we would make it to the other side of the hill. It may sound naive or even dangerous.

We never a saw a soul the entire onehour we were on Nate Harrison Road.

Finally, we made it to the other side. My daughter and I were ever so happy to have our tires hit asphalt.

I share this with you because of what I gained. It wasn’t so much that I was led to the wrong road via an app. Or, that it took me an hour and half out of my way. I chose to look at the wrong turn as our right way of getting to the destination. My daughter and I made a memory together. In actuality it was bonding time. We enjoyed views, talked along the way, and learned to check all other options for travel in the future.

Why was I led up this road when there was a perfectly beautiful and newly paved road to the camp on the other side of the mountain? It’s simple. We were led this way for a reason unknown to me. Quite frankly, I believe we were meant to take the journey.

Who knows... we may have been led out of harms way. Sometimes you need to trust the journey rather than asking why.

Next time, just go with it without asking questions. You may learn it is exactly where you need to be.

Bronwyn Ison is the owner of Evolve Yoga. e-volveyoga.com 760.564.YOGA

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June 8 to June 14, 2017

BEAUTY

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

BY DR MARIA LOMBARDO

Dr. Maria Lombardo, Lombardo Cosmetic Surgery is located in Rancho Mirage.

She specializes in both surgical and non-surgical cosmetic procedures including (but not limited to) facial, body and breast surgery, Botox, Latisse, and hCG diet program.

For a consultation or more information, visit lombardocosmeticsurgery.com or call 760-610-8990. Dr. Lombardo will be writing a bi-weekly column for CV Weekly.

BAT YOUR LASHES FOR “LATISSE”!

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ur eye lashes thin as we age and can make us look older - a great mascara can help but promoting longer, thicker& darker lashes with Latisse can really make a difference. Latisse is the only FDA approved medication for eyelash growth.

The most common questions regarding Latisse include “Does it really work?” and “What about side effects?” The best way to answer both questions is to examine the history of the product… The medication started as an eyedrop to treat glaucoma (a disorder associated with increased pressure in the eye). The original patients noted the “side effect” of longer and thicker eyelashes while they were using it.

The medication was studied for this effect and Latisse is now used as a topical solution (and NOT as an eye drop) to grow the lashes longer, darker and thicker! It really does work!

Because Latisse is the same medication as the original glaucoma medication, all the side effects that were reported with the original eyedrop usage must also be reported with the topical Latisse use. Proper, topical use of Latisse has very low side effects. The most common is irritation of the eyelid skin when first using the

product and this usually stops after just a few days.

Latisse must be used every day when starting and it must be continued to keep the results. If you stop using the product, your eyelashes will eventually revert back to how they were when you first started using it. Most patients love the effect of having longer, thicker lashes and very often refer their friends to try the product because they get so many comments and compliments on their lashes!

If you are interested in trying Latisse, call the office to set up your complimentary consultation with Dr. Maria Lombardo 760-610-8990. It also happens to be on special this month! Call today and see results in 6 -12 weeks!

LIFE & CAREER COACH

BY SUNNY SIMON

TIME TO ESCAPE

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he other day while perusing Facebook I spotted a picture a friend posted of her little boy lying across a playground swing with his tiny legs dangling. The caption read, “Not a care in the world.” He was just hanging out staring at an ant hill or thinking about his upcoming trip to Disneyland.

Studying the shot gave me a sense of peace. It depicted life as we wish it, no worries just pure contentment.

As we journey into adulthood, the phrase, not a care in the world, probably isn’t the best descriptor of our current state of mind. Let’s face it being an adult is hard work because growing up is a process that heaps layers of responsibility into our lives. We transition from being dependent to self-assertive which means stepping up, taking control and being accountable.

We all have days when we want to chuck the notion of acting like an adult and revert back to living the carefree life. Ever feel like studying ant hills from a playground swing might be a delightful diversion from your over taxed, over scheduled, over spent life? Yeah, me too. In fact, when I start feeling I’m totally over everything I know the problem. Those symptoms are indicative of a person in need of a vacation.

A volume of scientific evidence exists on the necessity of breaking from the rigors of daily life to benefit from time off. Some

people prefer taking one massive vacation, which is great, but my calendar is laced with more short term holidays. Studies show we experience a boost in happiness prior to and after a vacation. So the more holidays I take, the happier I get.

Beyond the happiness factor, there are multiple other reasons to take vacations. One rather out-of-the-box take theory I researched is weight loss. Perhaps a bit of a stretch but often people who are stressed engage in mindless eating. Also the stress hormone, cortisol is linked to increased belly fat and weight gain. Vacationing your stress and fat cells away is kind of a happy thought, right?

As one of the world’s worst sleepers, my favorite benefit involves getting some quality shut-eye. Researchers report vacationers experience an improved quality of sleep both while on holiday and after returning home.

Another benefit is the bonding factor.

Whether you’re vacationing with your family or a group of best friends, vacations help people relax and enjoy making memories together.

So this week I am taking my own advice. If anyone wants me, I’ll be at my happy place, the beach, getting skinny and indulging in a few good night sleeps.

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

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June 8 to June 14, 2017

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June 8 to June 14, 2017

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CANNABIS CORNER

BY RUTH HILL R.N.

HEMP/CBD/MARIJUANA USING CBD FOR YOUR PETS

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n this article we will discuss how cannabis helps our pets. Hemp comes from the genus plant Cannabis Sativa L. Marijuana (used interchangeable with cannabis) comes from the genus Cannabis Sativa, Cannabis Indica, and Cannabis Ruderalis. The leaves from hemp and cannabis are often indistinguishable to the untrained eye. Cultivators do not grow them in the same field due to cross pollination, which destroys purity. Hemp is the industrial fiber or the edible seed part of the plant that is used to produce plastics, nylons, varnishes, oils and T-shirts. Hemp is a lucrative plant in agriculture. It is a rotation plant regenerating oxygen into the soil pillaged of nutrients.

Hemp oil contains less than 0.3% THC, the psychoactive molecule. This low or relatively nonexistent level of THC gives the smoker an incredible headache. Think of hemp and marijuana as two different species of the same family, as mackintosh and Fuji are to the apple family.

On February 7, 2014, President Obama signed the Farm Bill of 2013 into law.

“Section 7606 of the act, Legitimacy of Industrial Hemp Research, defines industrial hemp as distinct from marijuana and authorizes institutions of higher education or state departments of agriculture in states that legalized hemp cultivation to regulate and conduct research and pilot programs.”

Hemp being legal in 32 states does not make it legal to cultivate for cannabis products because the US Govt. labeled CBD a Schedule I drug along with marijuana.

Raphael Mechoulam, an Israeli scientist, first identified the endocannabinoid system (ECS) as present in all vertebrates except insects. Our pets have the same natural ECS as we do. These cannabinoids are called anandamide and 2-AG. They are present in all cells in the body. They stimulate receptors present in your pet’s brain, called CB1 and throughout the body, called CB2.

Think of the ECS as a lock and key system.

The receptors on the cells are the lock and the CBD and THC molecules are the keys.

Pet products are produced from the hemp genus not marijuana genus, therefore pet products have no psychoactive effects.

CBD from hemp oil has all the same medicinal anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-anxiety, anti-seizure, and pain relief

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properties for animals as for you and me.

Pet CBD products are made gluten free, non-GMO, and with other organic food ingredients. Like marijuana they come in tinctures, or food (biscuits). They are flavored with bacon, peanut butter, turkey, chicken, pumpkin, or blueberry to name a few.

Some online labs distribute their CBD for pets all over the world, and may state it is legal because it is made from hemp.

They are wrong. In California you must purchase pet CBD in a legal marijuana dispensary. There is a plethora of pet CBD in many dispensaries. Go to weedmaps.com to find a local dispensary. Treatibles, VETCBD, Canna-Pet are a few brands. Ask your veterinarian to recommend a product. You are required to know someone who has a marijuana card to enter the dispensary to buy pet CBD. Be sure to recommend hospice to your veterinarian for your pet who has a terminal illness. An additional use is for pets who exhibit frightened and anxious behavior as a result of abusive owners. Their suffering can be ameliorated with medicinal CBD. Consult your veterinarian for dosages.

The products come in 1mg or 2.5mg units.

CBD is also recommended for overall good health for your senior cat or dog. Animals respond more easily to CBD due to the lack of the THC. Enjoy treating your precious cats, dogs, or horses. Email your questions and please share your successes. hilruth@gmail.com @RuthAHillRN

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June 8 to June 14, 2017

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June 8 to June 14, 2017

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