Coachella Valley Weekly - June 27 to July 3, 2019 Vol. 8 No. 15

Photo by Tysen Knight

coachellavalleyweekly.com • June 27 to July 3, 2019 Vol. 8 No. 15

Paid for and approved

by Alan “Alfie” Pettit for his campaign to run for Palm Springs City Council.

ShortFest

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Brian Blueskye

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93.7 KCLB

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Nico Flores

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Katie Stice

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Jethro Tull

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June 27 to July 3, 2019

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Coachella Valley Weekly (760) 501-6228

publisher@coachellavalleyweekly.com coachellavalleyweekly.com facebook.com/cvweekly twitter.com/cvweekly1 Publisher & Editor Tracy Dietlin Art Director Robert Chance Sales Team Kirby, Sheila Rosenthal, Dori Berry Club Crawler Nightlife Editor Phil Lacombe Feature Writers Lisa Morgan, Rich Henrich, Heidi Simmons, Noe Gutierrez, Avery Wood, Tricia Witkower, Jason Hall, Crystal Harrell, Esther Sanchez Writers/Contributors: Robin Simmons, Rick Riozza, Eleni P. Austin, Craig Michaels, Janet McAfee, Bronwyn Ison, Haddon Libby, Dale Gribow, Laura Hunt Little, Sam DiGiovanna, Rob Brezny, Dr. Peter Kadile, Bruce Cathcart, Flint Wheeler, Dee Jae Cox, Denise Ortuno Neil, Angela Romeo, Aaron Ramson, Lynne Tucker, Elizabeth Scarcella, Aimee Mosco, Michelle Anne Rizzio Photographers Robert Chance, Laura Hunt Little, Chris Miller, Iris Hall, Esther Sanchez Website Editor Bobby Taffolla Distribution Phil Lacombe, William Westley

CONTENTS

Alan "Aflie" Pettit- Drag Out The Vote ... 3 PSISFF: ACME House Co. ....................... 6 PSISFF: Artists-In-Residence Quotes.... 6 PSISFF: Filmmaker Daniel Guliyev......... 7 CVMA's - Brian Blueskye ....................... 8 CVMA's - TK with 93.7 KCLB .................. 8 CVMA's - Nico Flores ............................. 9 Consider This - Jimmer......................... 10 Business Profile - Katie Stice ................ 11 Pet Place ............................................... 12 The Vino Voice ...................................... 13 Club Crawler Nightlife .................... 14-15 Brewtality .............................................. 17 Screeners .............................................. 18 Book Review......................................... 19 Safety Tips ............................................. 19 Haddon Libby ....................................... 21 Dale Gribow........................................... 21 Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull................. 22 Free Will Astrology............................... 23 Swag For The Soul................................ 23 Travel Tips 4 U....................................... 24 Cannabis Corner................................... 24 Cannabis Corner................................... 26

June 27 to July 3, 2019

DRAG OUT THE VOTE! ALAN “ALFIE” PETTIT TAKES ON CITY HALL

BY TALIE ROSA

PHOTOS BY TYSEN KNIGHT

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ur interview began with an invitation from Alfie to join him for lunch at the elegant Eight4Nine Restaurant in the Uptown Design District. I was given a tour of the gorgeous venue that included the private dining room where Alfie’s alter ego, Arial Trampway’s vintageinspired portrait hangs. The image captures the spirit of Palm Springs perfectly with its rugged desert mountains, the grainy black and white glamour of the mid-century coexisting with the look of blissful freedom on the faces of the Queens of the Desert.

Razor sharp cheekbones, heads thrown back, eyes shut, black lace and stilettos, they represent the LGBTQ majority population of Palm Springs beautifully. Once seated, our server thoughtfully took our order right away so we had plenty of time to relax, eat, and enjoy the conversation. The food and service were impeccable, thank you Eight4Nine!

We dug in right away to one of the most important issues for the City of Palm Springs; the rising homeless population. I must first pause and say that it was so refreshing to talk to a potential council member at such length and with such depth on this topic.

I found Mr. Pettit to be receptive, openminded, concerned, and ready to join Street Life Project on their next outreach in Sunrise Park to see for himself what it is like to be homeless in Palm Springs. He challenges the other council members to all commit to attending at least one outreach.

Street Life Project conducts outreach every Thursday at Sunrise Park at 6 PM. Pettit himself has experienced major upheavals in every area of his life. A childhood riddled with abuse and infidelity, a death sentence-HIV diagnosis at 19, the resulting discrimination lawsuit that saved his life, lifelong health issues including a cancer that almost killed him, substance

abuse and recovery, and so much more.

Petit has had to start over not once or twice, but many, many times. He has a completely different perspective then the current city council members and perhaps will be the one to start really delving into the complexities of our rising homeless population. One of the things we discussed was the disconnect between community services and what our homeless residents really need. Too often we put the cart before the horse and develop moneysucking programs that simply do not work.

“You know, let’s try to find things that REALLY work. There is a lot of red tape here, it’s like where did the money go?... and let’s get it to where it is really taking care of people, because what Riverside County is doing and what the City of Palm Springs is doing is less than zero!” Pettit is referring to the 2.2 million dollars pledged to help the homeless and the contract entered into with the non-profit Path of Life Ministries to start housing our homeless residents. I urge concerned citizens to contact them with questions they may have as to where the money has gone and how it was spent.

The results are in, our homeless population has grown substantially since this program’s onset. Their website is www.thepathoflife. com.

Pettit is running on a campaign platform that includes what he describes as “Issues of Substance,” these include homelessness, vacation rentals and its effect on the local rental market, the loss of our elected mayor here in Palm Springs, and the completely baffling new districts and their elections.

(I must interject here and say that I am shocked at how complicated our local government has become in the last couple of years.) The topic switched to our housing crises and the rapidly rising cost in the rental market. “It is a huge issue and the problem is vacation rentals, they drive the prices up and people in the service industry aren’t going to be able to afford to live here, they are going to be in Desert Hot Springs or Cathedral City and I think a lot of people are going to be priced out. There was $700,000 spent on a campaign for the vacation rentals, it’s big business. There are a lot of people that want them to stay, what about our little village? It’s not going to be our little village anymore. We need a happy medium. Do we have to do like Palm Desert did and get rid of them altogether?” shared a passionate Pettit.

This ignited a lively conversation about possible solutions. Should they be banned?

Should vacation rental owners be required to contribute financially to help alleviate homelessness when their properties stand empty? Should homeowners with vacant properties be required to fill those vacancies or be fined? How ethical is the vacation rental industry if it prices out local

Paid for and approved by Alan “Alfie” Pettit for his campaign to run for Palm Springs City Council.

residents who contribute every day to the economic health of our city?

After a minor rant on increasing rental prices, Pettit interrupted me and asked, “Do you know what district you’re in?” I could not answer that question. I know my neighborhood is Uptown Design District, but I really had no idea what VOTING DISTRICT I’m in. “That’s interesting, because nobody knows.” Pettit later sent me the link to the interactive map where I could enter my address and find out. Not a great map.

Apparently, I am in district two. This means that no matter how much I may personally want to vote for Pettit based on his platform and the changes he hopes to bring to the entire city; I am not allowed to vote for him. Some districts are huge (too huge) and some districts are tiny. After researching the demographics of each district, it could easily be construed as Gerry-mandering, with the largest districts made up of a much higher minority population. The bottom line is that these are huge changes in the way our city government functions, with a great deal of voting power removed from the taxpaying citizens. In addition, as a resident of Palm Springs, I no longer have the right to vote for our city’s mayor. That position will now be filled by an existing council member by majority vote from the council.

This is exactly why Pettit is running for Palm Springs City Council District 3. “We weren’t asked and they took away our elected mayor. It comes back to this, there should be seven seats on that council. We have people that are too good of friends on the council and that is never good. There has to be diversity and different opinions.” Pettit is clearly angry at what he deems is a major overreaching of government.

Marlena The Campaign Coach! As opposed to renting a boring, immobile office as a campaign headquarters, Pettit has opted instead for Marlena. “The campaign is turning into a grassroots movement and the media is already buzzing about our awesome chances of winning in November,” Pettit said. Pettit has rolled out a massive, one of a kind, flashy, mobile campaign headquarters that has people stopping all over the Coachella Valley to get a look at the colorful beast of a vehicle.

“Our campaign is going straight to the voters and will be visiting every street and house and voter and business in District 3,” Pettit said. “Look, I know what people want from our elected officials, and this campaign is already flying high in a massive 38-foot motor coach,” he said. One cannot deny that this is marketing genius. Marlena, combined with Pettit’s naturally gregarious personality, are a duo with which to be reckoned. continue to page 5

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June 27 to July 3, 2019

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ALFIE PETTIT continued from page 3

Pettit credits the 12-step program he belongs to for teaching him the importance of giving back without expectation or reward. “Of course, you know being in the program, I did a lot of fundraising there, a lot of charity work. That really got me started on being of service.” Residents may remember Pettit’s alter ego and fundraising queen, Arial Trampway, whose contribution to numerous local charities over the years has been much admired. His DRG brunch “Drag Challenge” alone raised over $10,000 for local charities during its run. That and countless other acts of charity have earned

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him a star on Palm Canyon, and heartfelt gratitude from the community from which he serves.

I asked Pettit what the deciding factor was in his decision to run for council. “I was sitting back and I was watching the rest of the council bully Mayor Moon. I had been considering running for a couple of years and I was just sitting back and watching the whole thing and then I was just disgusted by how they were treating him. All because he went on there and tried to do some good, they didn’t like him. I also didn’t like it when they took away our decision to elect

a mayor.”

When asked what skill-set he had to offer the council that made him particularly qualified, he was quick to point out that street life in his early years, coming up from the bottom, contracting HIV at 15, diagnosis at 19 facing a 2-year death sentence, fighting for his rights as an HIV positive man, and surviving cancer have done nothing but make him a stronger, more experienced, and wiser man. His tenacity has kept him alive. Addiction and the recovery process have brought him a unique perspective that the council currently lacks. His marketing skills are top notch, he knows how to the get the message and the information out to the community. He is not afraid to ask the hard questions, not once or twice, but over and over until he is satisfied with the answer. He has built up successful businesses with just his creativity and sheer guts. Looking back on his career thus far, he has no regrets. Practically speaking, he has never been healthier. “I went back and forth for a little while to decide if it was the right thing for me, I felt like I could really make a difference. Now that I’m committed, I think I can make a lot of good decisions for this city. So, here I am, running.”

Pettit wants voters to know that his is endorsing District two candidate Adrian

June 27 to July 3, 2019 Alcazar. He stresses the importance of discovering what district you live in prior to the election so you can have an educated voice in the election process.

I must say, after speaking at length with Pettit about “Issues of Substance” (This isn’t about Bird scooters, or leaf blowers.), I am very much excited to see what happens as the campaign heats up. I believe that Pettit is a qualified candidate who could bring a new and different perspective to the important issues facing our city. It never hurts to have an added layer of experience in our city’s leadership. After all, inclusivity is at the very core of “Palm Springs Values.”

If I could vote for him, I would.

You can learn more about Street Life Project and all they do at: www.

StreetLifeProject.com. Founders Christian and Blaire Jelmberg are on-hand to organize volunteers and answer any questions.

Voting district map: arcg.is/yn4e4. You are able to type in your home address and match the color to your district. Pettit urges all residents, not just those in his district, to vote.

Alfie Pettit: Drag Out the Vote!

Phone: (760) 673-8883 Email: LoveAlfie@icloud.com Website: www.AlfiePettit.com

ALFIE PETTIT FOR PALM SPRINGS CITY COUNCIL, DISTRICT 3

MY FIVE TOP PRIORITIES

REAL TRANSPARENCY AT PALM SPRING CITY HALL As a member of the Palm Springs City Council I will institute “real transparency” inside city hall. We cannot allow aggressive politicians to hijack our city and we must demand to know how they are conducting the “business of the People” when they are behind closed doors and out of the glare of the public.

REPAIRING OUR AGED INFRASTRUCTURE I will make sure that our sidewalks are safe to walk on, and make sure that our roads are always in pristine condition and safe to drive on. I will make sure that every resident and visitor to Palm Springs has complete accessibility to our shopping areas, Downtown entertainment district, as well as to make sure that Palm Springs is kept beautiful. Keeping Palm Springs Pristine and Perfect is a value we should all work towards.

A SAFE PALM SPRINGS Let’s face it, most of us live in Palm Springs because we want to live in a loving, safe, compassionate community, that’s why I moved here almost 15 years ago from Los Angeles. As your City Council Member, I will always make public safety my top priority. We cannot and should never tolerate “crimes of opportunity” and we must expand our Neighborhood Watch Programs and to make sure that our Palm Springs Police Department is well equipped with the most dynamic modern equipment needed to fight violent crimes.

A COMPASSIONATE PALM SPRINGS I am concerned about the homeless crisis that has already destroyed cities such as Los Angeles, and San Francisco here in California. Being homeless in Palm Springs should never be considered “a crime” but an “opportunity” for the entire community to solve this solution. I will set the example as your elected city council member to work together to come up with a solution for homelessness. We cannot allow our public parks and streets to become “homeless encampments,” and we need to be mindful that being homeless in harsh 120-degree weather is just plain unacceptable and deadly. I will work with business leaders, and homeowners to create a master plan to end homelessness here in Palm Springs.

KEEP PALM SPRINGS IN PICTURE PERFECT FOCUS Let’s face it, if I am elected as a Member of the Palm Springs City Council, I will demand that everyone in our community is treated with kindness, love, compassion, and honor our iconic past especially our rich entertainment history. Palm Springs is a “state of mind” for many folks around the world, but for those of us who live here and who are the heart of our community, and as an entertainer, I will make sure that we keep Palm Springs full of “lights, cameras and action,” and will help to foster a new, dynamic effort to attract a creative and prosperous entertainment community without impeding on our resident’s way of life.

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June 27 to July 3, 2019

PSISFF

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taying at the ACME Sputnik House during my residence couldn’t have been a better experience,” said Canadian filmmaker Jorge Camarotti, one of 11 inaugural ShortFest Artists-in-Residence. “I feel very privileged to be part of the official selection of the Palm Springs International Short Film Festival and it is an honor to be selected in this group of filmmakers. Being here in Palm Springs gave me a real sense of belonging. I felt part of something important during the film festival” Acme House Company Vacation Rentals partnered with the Palm Springs Film Society to provide creative living space for 11 filmmakers attending the Palm Springs International Short Festival (PSISFF).

The company housed the filmmakers in three luxury homes: The Kirk Douglas House, Sunrise Getaway and Sputnik. ACME included each resident with a food and transportation stipend along with an itinerary of gettogethers and soirées.

“Meeting fellow filmmakers that now have become my friends, made this experience at the PSISFF so rich,” said Camarotti. “We worked, bought food, watched screenings together, this made my week in Palm Springs so much fun.”

ACME had 179 filmmakers from around the world apply to the Artists-in-Residence program.

An ACME House Selection Committee of “

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PSISFF: HOMES THAT INSPIRE

five reviewed each application. Originally, ACME set out to select 6 artists to share two 3-Bedroom properties. But there were so many applications they elected to double the community to 12 artists. At the last minute, one “Artist” unfortunately could not attend because of an issue with her visa.

“We were looking to select filmmakers who would resonate with our brand by expressing just the perfect combination of authenticity, creativity and ingenuity,” said John-Patrick Flynn, Brand Manager for ACME House Company.

Flynn was surprised by how quickly the filmmakers connected.

“It was immediate,” said Flynn. “The initial Artists Breakfast on the first full day was magical. By that evening, at the private Artists

Welcome Dinner, it was almost as if everyone had known each other for years. We had a diverse group of creatives who showed a passion for filmmaking, storytelling and communing with other artists in the pursuit of their dreams.”

Resident Camarotti wrote and directed the film “Kinship,” which screened Sunday, June 23, in the Through Thick and Thin program. It was its International Premiere.

“Kinship” is the story about a father, recently widowed, who struggles as a single parent to care for and reconnect with his young son who refuses to talk to him. It is a heartfelt and moving story as the two try to rebuild their family.

“I believe that a filmmaker must tell a story he knows,” said Camarotti. “While working on the script for “Kinship,” I learned a lot about myself and also about my relationship with my father. In a way, writing the film was like therapy for me.”

Camarotti’s interest in telling stories about the most vulnerable started almost 20 years ago when he first saw a photographic exhibition called “Exodus,” by Sebastiao Salgado.

“His work opened my eyes,” said Camarotti. “That day I completely lost my innocence towards this sad reality. Never had I imagined that one day I’d be an immigrant myself.”

Camarotti arrived in Montreal from Brazil

THE ACME ARTISTS-IN-RESIDENCE IN THEIR OWN WORDS:

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(PHOTOS IN ORDER OF QUOTES, LEFT TO RIGHT)

hese are excerpts taken directly from the ACME House Artist Application.

Aimiende Negbenebor Sela – Director, Writer & Producer, “Utopia” “Growing up as that kid glued to The Sound of Music, back in Nigeria, to the adult now dazzled by the complexity of the characters in 12 Angry Men, films have always helped me make sense of the world. So, I create work that interrogates the human condition, but with empathy because I truly believe we all live the same lives, we’re just colored differently.”

Brent Alan Henry – Writer & Co-Producer “Blink” “Be it in acting, writing, or producing, I have found myself needing to open my own doors - and I am okay with that. Not satisfied with waiting for a phone call, I began to write my own projects and in turn produce them.

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And there we have my short film Blink!”

Erin Brown Thomas – Director, “But First…”

“I am always hungry for opportunities to be inspired by my creative peers and to dedicate brain space to artistic growth. Selection in the residency program would afford me the ability (and permission) to dedicate time and mental space to a week of inspiring conversation. This would certainly inspire future projects and lasting relationships.”

Jon Olav Stokke – Director, Writer & Producer, “Our Father’s Cabin” “During film school I realized that you don’t just become a director, you have to earn it, work hard for it, and prove that you can do it over and over again. I found my second calling in post production. I fell in love with editing and coloring. For me this was a way into the world of film and ever since I’ve been

lucky to have worked alongside many great filmmakers.”

Jian Luo – Director & Writer, “What Do You Know About The Water And The Moon” People said that we should never feel isolated, that as storytellers we should focus on the universal emotions, humanity, vulnerability, that “the world is flat.” I don’t agree with that, the world is not flat… I want to see things I could never have imagined back in the Gobi desert.”

Jorge Camarotti – Director & Writer, “Kinship” “Giving a voice to the aggrieved and less fortunate has become a tenet of my work, through my choice of topics related to social justice, human rights and immigration. My approach is immersive and focused on the individuals in our society who struggle, but not under a lens of judgment or victimization.

My goal is only to show how these people live, through their eyes and words.”

Katherine Propper – Director, Writer & Producer, “Street Flame” “As a storyteller, I hope to create works that inspire feeling. I spent my time in college studying art history and centuries of mankind’s legacy in art. In doing so, I discovered a creative yearning in myself that has motivated my pursuit as a filmmaker.”

Rhys Mitchell – Co-Writer & Co-Producer, “Living Room” “Dad was an actor. So was Mum; they met on a film shoot. My earliest memories were seeing family movies. Even my parents’ friends were seen on our TV along with family movies. At an early age, I developed the idea that everyone was on TV. Inevitably, I

BY HEIDI SIMMONS in 2003, and quickly learned to decode his new environment while learning English and French simultaneously.

“Giving a voice to the aggrieved and less fortunate has been a tenet of my work, through my choice of topics related to social justice, human rights and immigration,” said Camarotti. “My approach is immersive and focused on the individuals in our society who struggle, but not through the lens of judgment or victimization. My goal is only to show how these people live, through their eyes, and their words.”

Camarotti is in preparation to shoot his next project and hopes to come back with the film as an official selection in a future Palm Springs festival.

“This group of creatives started out as complete strangers from all different parts of the world,” said Flynn. “Our goal was to give them time and space to broaden their creative horizons while communing with other storytellers in the pursuit of their artistic goals. Through a series of breakfasts, poolside chat sessions, dinner parties and cocktail soirées at our vacation home rentals, these 11 storytellers formed a creative bond - establishing a true sense of community.

There is a lot of magic derived from relaxing in a gorgeous Palm Springs pool home where you can soak up the sunshine and spend long nights under the desert skies gathered around a fire pit exchanging ideas.”

BY HEIDI SIMMONS started making movies, which culminated in an Honors Degree in Film and TV and several productions of my own.”

Sandrine Brodeur-Desrosiers – Director, “Juste Moi Et Toi” “The subjects that interest me are vast but they always turn around raising empathy toward a harsh situation as you may have understood when watching “Just Me and You.” I like to portray a nuanced story, where good and bad is misleading and up to the viewer to make up his mind.”

Saim Sadiq – Director & Co-Writer, “Nice Talking To You” “I was born into a conservative, military household in Pakistan, a country where filmmaking is not even considered a real profession. When I broke the news to my parents about my desired career, my parents almost had a minor heart attack. To their credit, they eventually supported me, spending a lifetime of their savings on my Columbia University filmmaking degree. For me, attending Palm Springs is not just about the reverence and showcase of my work, but also about honoring the sacrifices of my parents thus far.”

Thiago Da Dalt – Director, Co-Writer & CoProducer, “Duke” “At 7 years old, I wanted to be an astronaut, but my family was always making sure that I knew how poor we were and how impossible that was. Then I started watching a series of American movies: the Charlie Chaplin films, E.T, Apollo 13, The Goonies, and many others, that blew my 8 years old mind. I thought that If I couldn’t go to the moon, I could one day make a movie about it.”

PSISFF

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PSISFF: FILMMAKER SPOTLIGHT - DANIEL GULIYEV

ne of the great pleasures of the Palm Springs International Short Film Festival (PSISFF) is the opportunity to enjoy films from all over the world and getting an inside view of a place, its people and culture.

There were 369 films from more than 100 countries at this year’s 25th Annual ShortFest celebration.

Filmmaker Daniel Guliyev traveled 20 hours from his home in Azerbaijan to attend the fest for the world premiere of his short film “Bastard.”

“It’s great to be here with my film,” said Guliyev. “I heard of Palm Springs from other filmmakers. Several people I know have come to this festival, and had a very good experience. ” This was Guliyev’s first trip to the United States. He boarded a plane in the Azerbaijan capital city Baku, transferred his flight in Istanbul, Turkey, and arrived in Los Angeles where he met a fellow Azerbaijani filmmaker who showed him Hollywood and then brought him out to the desert.

“Palm Springs is so much more than I expected,” said Guliyev about participating in the ShortFest. “I’m glad to be here with my film.”

Guliyev’s film, “Bastard,” is about a teenage boy growing up in a small village in the mountains where everyone knows

everything about those who live in the community. As an illegitimate child, he must come to terms with the outcast mother he adores and his own fragile self-worth.

“We shot the film in six days, in and around where I went to high school in my hometown Ilisu,” said Guliyev. “I hired one professional actor – the mother -- and the rest were all local kids. The lead boy had the innocence I was looking for and he had never been in a

fistfight which was true about the character he played. He was exactly right for the part.”

“Bastard” is a quiet film with very little dialogue and rich with images that build thematically around a young man’s comingof-age.

“I didn’t want a static frame,” said Guliyev.

“The camera is moving with the boy always from his point of view. The kids are cruel to him, but he is innocent. When the boy and his mother are in a scene together, they are never physically close. I wanted to honor the family and their space. It is about their

A STAGE REVIEW OF ‘RUTHLESS! THE MUSICAL’

BY DEE JAE COX

T

here’s an old saying in theatre, dying is easy, comedy is hard. I can’t confirm the validity of that statement, but I can attest to the idea that making an entire audience laugh at the same time about the same thing requires a lot of talent. And nothing proved that better than opening night of the Desert Rose Playhouse’s new show “Ruthless! The Musical.” It was nonstop fun.

With Book and lyrics by Joel Paley and music by Marvin Laird, Ruthless, is a show

BY HEIDI SIMMONS

relationship and how living in a small town can be a curse.”

Guliyev is a London Film School graduate and “Bastard” is his thesis film. He earned his BA in Film Direction from the University of Azerbaijan, Baku. His first short film “Pon” was about a father and son relationship.

Applying to the London film school was the easy part for Guliyev. But it took a great deal of effort for him to get a government scholarship to pay his tuition.

“I had to show them my work and prove I could speak English,” said Guliyev. “I loved living in London.”

Guliyev lives in Baku and works as a Director of Photography for an advertising agency. He is already working on a feature screenplay about a girl who lives in a remote village and must find a way to continue her education after her school closes down.

Azerbaijan finances the arts. The Minister of Culture receives script submissions and the country funds five to six feature films a year. The government has no restrictions and no censorship requirements! Guliyev plans to submit his screenplay for funding.

The country currently has only two movies houses -- one in each of the country’s two biggest cities.

“We hope that will change soon,” said Guliyev. “There are filmmakers in Azerbaijan and we have stories to tell.”

BREAKING THE4TH WALL

PHOTO BY MIKE THOMAS

that immediately puts the audience in a good mood. Written with an all-female cast, it has become tradition for the lead role to be performed by a man dressed as a woman. The show is a spoof on Broadway musicals such as Gypsy and Mame, as well as the classic cult film, the Bad Seed. Take a very funny script and an all-star talented cast and you have the makings for a great night of pure enjoyment.

I will admit that I am hard to please when it comes to campy comedy. It’s just not my shtick. And the first 10 minutes of Ruthless had me doubting that this was the show to change my opinion on that account. But without warning I found myself caught up in the humor and absurdity of the story and boisterous laughter ensued.

Ruthless is the story of a naive 1950s housewife, Judy, and her adorable but sociopath 8-year-old daughter Tina.

Encouraged by her manager, Sylvia St. Croix, Tina will do ANYTHING to get the lead role in

June 27 to July 3, 2019

her school play, Pippi in Tahiti. The musical takes the audience for some unexpectedly dark turns, all of which prove Tina is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to her ambition.

Judy discovers from her adoptive mother, Lita Encore, a theatre critic who hates musicals, that her birth mother was a famous actress. Suddenly Judy’s long suppressed diva emerges and she also must pursue her ruthless ambition. The theme of the story is kill or be killed and make it to the top at any cost.

Normally in a show it is natural for one or two performances to leap out as being more engaging than others. But this is one of the rare occasions that I can honestly say I loved every single performance with equal measure. Christine Tringali Nunes, (Judy Denmark/Ginger Delmarco), Elizabeth Schmelling, (Tina Denmark,) Robbie Wayne, (Sylvia St. Croix,) Dana Adkins (Miss Thorn),

Jaci Davis (Lita Encore,) and Leanna Rodgers, (Louise/Eve,) should win the award for the best ensemble cast I have seen. Each character performance was unique, engaging and hilarious as hell. While the script is pretty funny, I wholeheartedly believe that it is the combined talent and synergy of this cast and their wonderful chemistry that makes this show such a fun experience.

Loren Freeman made his directorial debut with this production. Freeman played the original role of Sylvia St. Croix in the hit 1993 Los Angeles production. Freeman brought his experience as an actor and his love of Ruthless; the musical, together and achieved a very successful presentation.

Steven Smith, normally a mainstay talent at the Palm Canyon Theatre, was on hand to lend his gifts as the Musical Director. I have to give a special shout out to Bruce Weber’s costume designs. Sylvia St. Croix’s dresses were characters all on their own.

“Ruthless! The Musical” is so much fun.

If you like to laugh, this is the show to see.

It’s running through July 14th, at The Desert Rose Playhouse located at 69-620 Hwy 111, Rancho Mirage, CA 92270.

For Reservations: (760) 202-3000 www.desertroseplayhouse.org Dee Jae Cox is a playwright, director and producer. She is the Cofounder and Artistic Director of The Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Project. losangeleswomenstheatreproject.org palmspringstheatre.com

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June 27 to July 3, 2019

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CVMA WINNER BRIAN BLUESKYE 2019 ‘BEST BAND PHOTOGRAPHER’

rian Blueskye has had a whirlwind of a year. The former Music and News Writer at CV Independent is now the Arts and Culture Reporter at The Desert Sun, a position formerly occupied for over 40 years by desert icon Bruce Fessier.

To put the finishing touches on his success, Blueskye was awarded the 2019 Coachella Valley Music Award for ‘Best Band Photographer’ after picking up the camera again just a little over a year ago.

Originally from Mentor, Ohio, Blueskye moved to the desert in 2005. In 2013, he began his journalism career writing for the CV Independent as an Entertainment/Music writer and went on to become the Assistant Editor before accepting the job at The Desert Sun. Blueskye came out of nowhere to capture many of the desert’s finest musicians as well as world-famous artists performing at Coachella, Stagecoach and other local live music events.

Coachella Valley Weekly spoke with the newest Desert Sun employee to ask about his win and new position.

CVW: How did you feel after you heard you were nominated and then actually won?

Blueskye: “I had some possibilities about it. I didn’t expect to be nominated or win it. I didn’t start shooting until last year so I was totally surprised when I was nominated. Especially with who I was nominated with. There are some really great photographers in there. I know that Iris Hall has been doing a lot of photography and has been at it for a lot of years. Chris Miller, of course, is a local legend as photography goes and the others too, there is some good talent in there. For me to have won that category, I’m still blown away by it.”

CVW: When did you find your enthusiasm for photography?

Blueskye: “I had the eye for it as a little kid. My grandfather bought me a cheap Fisher Price camera when I was a small kid. I took some interesting photos even as a little kid.

Then I won a camera at ten years old through a school contest. The problem was, I had cameras through high school but I didn’t have a black room to develop film, so I didn’t keep pursuing it. It wasn’t until this digital age I started to perk up interest because you don’t need a dark room and you can do everything on the computer but then you had to learn Photoshop or Lightroom.

So basically, I just jumped right into it last year.

I had an idea about aperture, shutter speed and ISO, but I had to learn to work all that in unison.

I practiced, and practiced, and practiced and obviously it paid off.”

CVW: How did you begin to incorporate

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your photography work in the articles you wrote for CV Independent?

Blueskye: “It was a lot easier. If we took photos with our cellphones, Jimmy Boegle, always wrote in, ‘CViCrapCam’ as a photo credit.

I said to myself, ‘I wish I had better photos.’ I was at the mercy of guys like Guillermo Prieto and Kevin Fitzgerald who took photos for us.

Guillermo actually has quite a portfolio, but he primarily shot bands that played Pappy and Harriet’s, not so much local bands. I was kinda left out, unless I was interviewing a local artist at Pappy and Harriet’s and Guillermo was lucky enough to get a shot of them. I didn’t really have good photos. So, it really helped to have my own. I built a portfolio of my own. It was great to go to open mics and learn about new artists who I had never seen perform. And to have those photos of them, it was helpful. It really helped the articles as well. Now that I’m headed to The Desert Sun, Bruce Fessier advised me to have something visual to give to them for every article. Having that helps.”

CVW: Where do you go from here regarding photography given your new position?

Blueskye: “I’d like to continue doing photography. Right now, I’ve maxed out the capabilities of my equipment. So, I’m going to have to build an arsenal of lenses. I will likely purchase a new camera with full-frame capabilities. I’m shooting with a half-crop sensor and the D7200 Nikon that I have is a great camera, but it has some limits to it, but it’s very close to having a full-frame camera. I really enjoy the camera. It’s smaller and not as heavy as the other ones, but I know I’m going

CVMA WINNER ‘BEST RADIO STATION’ KCLB 93.7 2019

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PHOTO BY BRIAN BLUESKYE

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to have to update it. Right now, I’m taking a little break and learning how to set up shots and basically learning how to re-work Lightroom and Photoshop.”

CVW: Is there a ‘best shot’ you can point to that encompasses your style?

Blueskye: “I really like the shot that I got of Los Tucanes de Tijuana at Chella. It was a perfect moment and I was trying to go for it to capture all the waves of light that were shining on them. The shot that I managed to get was unreal. When I saw it, I knew it was going to be good through the keyhole. When I actually saw the shot and put it up on the computer, I was amazed how good it turned out. The band shared it and it went viral. I was really thrilled with that.”

CVW: Will you continue to shoot local artists and/or other types of photography?

Blueskye: “There’s been a few bands that have approached me about doing photo shoots. I would love to start shooting bands in our natural landscape. I really like landscape photography. I’m trying to learn how to master that. I really like taking portraits of people also.

I’ve had some ideas about combining that with writing, especially when I see coffee table books.”

CVW: You’ve had some time for your Arts and Culture Writer position at The Desert Sun to sink in a bit. How are you feeling about it now?

Blueskye: “I think the shock has worn off. I really didn’t expect to be taking Bruce Fessier’s position. It all happened within a week. I went to interview Bruce for a CV Independent article and Bruce encouraged me to apply for his position and by the end of the week I had the job. That was shocking! I’ve had a few weeks to really digest it. Now I’m at the point that I know that when I go there, I have to perform. I have to work just as hard as I did at CV Independent, that’s my goal. It’s gonna take a lot more. I’m probably going to be learning a lot of new things that I haven’t done before. I feel that Jimmy has really trained me to be a good journalist. Jimmy is very supportive of the fact that I’m going over there, he said, ’everything that I taught you, is going to reflect at The Desert Sun, so make sure that it reflects well.’ I really want to make Jimmy look good as well as The Desert Sun” CVW: You’ve received much support from artists, family and friends, not to mention Bruce Fessier himself, that must feel good.

Blueskye: “I’m very humbled by that.

I’ve tried to be accessible to the local music community and to friends who were in positions if they had an event or if I couldn’t write it, I

ith their 28th anniversary on the airwaves approaching, it’s no surprise that one of the longest running radio stations, KCLB 93.7, won the 2019 Coachella Valley Music Award for ‘Best Radio Station’. Sticking to a format of mainstream rock strewn with artists like AC/DC, Queen, Foo Fighters and Metallica, KCLB has also welcomed many of the Coachella Valley and High Desert’s best musicians onto 93.7 on the FM dial.

Coachella Valley Weekly spoke with KCLB Most Valuable Player, Todd ‘T.K.’ Killiam, about their win and what’s next.

CVW: What were your feelings once you realized that KCLB had won for Best Radio Station?

BY NOE GUTIERREZ

‘LOS TUCANES DE TIJUANA’ PHOTO BY BRIAN BLUESKYE

could tell them who to go to. I think feeling that come back to me and all that support has been a wonderful feeling. To have Bruce’s support in this job and for him to say at the CV Music Awards that he is excited to see what I do, I am just very blown away by that. I’m thankful to have his support as well as that of the local music community.”

CVW: You have been open and vulnerable about your renewed faith in the past year.

How much does that rededication parallel your success?

Blueskye: “It was last year that I decided to start going to church again. I decided upon my grandfathers’ faith, the Episcopal Church. I was raised in it a little bit when I was a kid. I was never baptized or confirmed in the church. I started going last year to The Church of St. Paul in the Desert. I went to basically see how I would feel after the first time. When I went, I was nervous, I was scared, but I found that the Episcopal faith is not anything that I thought Christianity as a whole was. It’s an amazing thing to get into and realize that I feel very comfortable in the Episcopal church and I do have a very deep love of God. I’ve gotten that thanks to the church. I feel that over the past year I found a lot more self-confidence, self-worth and a comfort in being who I am in the music scene thanks to God. I think this past year is nothing short of a miracle and I thank God every day for it. I just have to say that I got my spiritual house in order and it helped me going forward.” thedesertsun.com cvindependent.com

BY NOE GUTIERREZ T.K.: “It’s an honor. It’s all about the people for KCLB. We try to serve the community the best we can, whether it be local bands, playing the right music, facilitating events, concerts, whatever it is, it’s a big deal. Some people say, rock is dead, but in the Coachella Valley, it’s not even close.”

CVW: What’s it like for you to be the face and voice of KCLB 93.7?

T.K.: “I don’t necessarily see myself as that.

I just feel I’m working for the cause and serving others. I’ve been doing radio for so long. When I was in San Diego it was a really big deal to be a part of the station. It was a lot of fun, but as my career grew and I went into Los Angeles, the bigger my audience got, the more humble

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com I became. In Los Angeles you’re one soul representing 16 million people. It’s kinda heavy.

When I got to KCLB, I felt everything I learned along the way I got to apply at KCLB and just do the right things for the Coachella Valley. It’s a big deal to support local music and events. The nice thing about KCLB and the Coachella Valley is it’s a small enough community where you can really ‘super-serve’ in comparison to larger cities. It’s a great place to be and have a rock station. To be voted the best one of the year means everything.

It validates our efforts. For me, #1, I came here to work. #2, I’m doing my job. And #3, I’m really happy that everyone likes the station.”

CVW: You are now notorious for supporting local musicians and events. Why does that seem like a ‘no-brainer’ but still, not many local radio stations participate in?

T.K.: “It was something we did in the Los Angeles station I worked in and many of those bands that are out there coming from L.A., like Silversun Pickups, where we broke them as local artists. I almost felt that it was what a radio station should do. That’s the point, serving the

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ince the inception of the Coachella Valley Music Awards, desert native, Nico Flores and his band, Se7en4, (named after Hwy. 74) have been cleaning up trophies in multiple categories including Best Punk Band and best album for their 2015 release, Let’s Get High and Fight. Last month, Flores picked up his 3rd CVMA in the, “Best Frontman,” category... an honor that, due to an apparent tie in votes, was graciously shared with Ormus frontman, Martin Posada.

When you think of what qualities make up a great frontman, you probably think of a number of ingredients to stir into the pot. Charisma, charm, energy and attitude may come to mind.

Flores possesses all of those traits and then some, which is evident in the fact that he has continuously been nominated by his peers and voted for by the community which he himself deems, a true honor. As natural as it seems for Flores to command an audience, it’s not necessarily a skill he learned overnight. On the contrary, he has been honing his chops as a musician and performer since middle school.

CVW: Okay, Nico. Let’s talk about how you got into music and what lead to you becoming a performer?

Flores: “I always liked music, but I also really liked sports and unfortunately, everyone in middle-school seemed to hit puberty before me and I was like, ‘Shit, how else am I going to get chicks?’”

community. I don’t know where we lost the local music and events aspect of radio but it’s almost impossible to answer your question. The Alpha Media slogan is ‘Live and Local’. The company really does support and encourage it. It wasn’t really a hard sell; it just really hadn’t been done.

We are the right people. Management totally gets it, understands it and they back it.”

CVW: Alpha Media and KCLB really do trust you in your approach to supporting local artists.

How was that developed?

T.K.: “Trust is a great word. I don’t take advantage of it, we’re there to serve, put the bands on the air. There are so many different styles of music in the Coachella Valley. It gives everyone a voice. That’s the truth. This is the most fun I’ve had. We had Tony Tornay of All Souls on-the-air the other day and he thanked me for interviewing him but I’m the one that’s thankful to be doing it.”

CVW: The listeners are usually the last ones to hear about format changes or the loss of DJs. What are the chances a larger market snatches you up in your prime?

T.K.: “I like where I am. I chose the Coachella Valley for a reason. I had a 12-year run in Los Angeles. I wanted to go somewhere a little more relaxed. So, I went back to San Diego where I started my radio career. Then the Coachella Valley came calling. I would consistently come to the Coachella Valley for vacation and of course to attend Coachella Festival and I just like the desert. So, it was the right time. I’m very happy where I am. I have no plans on leaving.”

CVW: What do you feel your legacy will be at KCLB when it’s all said and done?

T.K: “I would like to be the Rodney Bingenheimer of the Coachella Valley. He was a KROQ DJ who was known for helping many bands become successful in the American market. He developed a reputation for being the first American D.J. to identify new artists and play edgy new bands. If I could be The Music Champion that is a title I’d be happy with for the rest of my life. Alpha Media has given me a lot of freedom at KCLB. I also help the Program Director at Eagle 106.9 and I also help quite a bit with KNEWS 94.3, the talk station. I’m so

CVMA WINNER NICO FLORES 2019 ‘BEST FRONTMAN’

After we had a good laugh, Flores continued: “Seriously though...I guess it was around 7th grade when I met my buddy Chris Cole. I went to his house to hang out and he had a guitar and a drum set and I was like, ‘Woah!’ The two of us hung out all year which lead me to decide that we were going to be in a band together.

Consequently, I ended up mowing lawns and doing whatever else I could to raise money to buy myself a bass from the Sears catalog. I was actually looking for a guitar but my brother Armando said, ‘Why don’t you get a bass?’ I was like, ‘What’s a bass?’ And he said, ‘You know that Red Hot Chili Peppers video where the guy has all the stuffed animals on his leg? That guy plays the bass.’ And I was like, ‘I’m gonna get a bass!’ And I did. Chris and I proceeded to gather up whatever kids we could find that played instruments and started what was probably one of the worst sounding bands ever but we were kids, and that’s how it all started.”

CVW: So that was middle-school. Where did it go from there?

Flores: “When I was 16 I was asked to play bass in a band with Herb Lienau. He heard my brother played bass but he was already in a band so they decided to try me out despite my age. I remember my dad speaking with him on the phone about it and driving me to meet up

with them in Palm Springs. I also met John Hall that day and we ended up being a band called, Super Fun Happy Slide.”

CVW: Really? So you were just a kid in a band with these grownups?

Flores: “Yep. And because of that situation, I had the opportunity to meet guys like Mario Lali, Brandt Bjork, Brian Maloney and all of these other guys who were so nice to me and so influential... not only for me, but over the entire scene out here and beyond. Before then, most of all I knew about music was what was on MTV. I knew and loved Kyuss and a few local, High School bands that my brother talked about, but other than that, I had no idea that there was a scene out here until meeting these guys.”

CVW: Did playing with Super Fun Happy Slide lead to anything?

Flores: “Oh yeah, we got to open up for some acts like Greg Ginn of Black Flag and Agent Orange. We got to play in LA and Riverside, etc. Mind you I was only about 16 so I wasn’t allowed to hang out in the venues, so unless I was setting up or playing I had to wait out back.

That didn’t bother me because I was just stoked to be there. The attention I got for being a kid in this band was enough payment for me.”

CVW: At what point did you hook up with the guys that lead to SE7EN4?

Flores: “I was still in high school when I ended up joining a band called, CROOK. I was attending PDHS which is where I met Steve Hall and Cris Cichocki, who is a very well respected artist around the valley right now and may not

June 27 to July 3, 2019 thankful for that freedom being the kind of radio person I am. The people at Alpha Media allow KCLB to do what rock stations are supposed to do. They let it happen. There’s a great trust to do the right thing.”

CVW: What can we expect from KCLB and T.K. in the next year?

T.K.: “Something I’ve wanted to do since day one is build a KCLB Local Music Fest for local bands and have it somewhere really big. You already have a local radio station backing the local scene. I would like to put the KCLB brand on a local music festival. Just a fun party during the right time of the year. A two-day event in October with local bands. That to me is a big goal.

We are now at a place where, after the success of our support of the local scene, we should revisit the festival idea. With Phil Lacombe and Tracy Dietlin at Coachella Valley Weekly and Arthur Seay we could really collaborate on something special. KCLB LOCAL MUSIC FEST! BOOM!” 937KCLB.com – alphamediausa.com

ARTICLE & PHOTOS

BY ESTHER SANCHEZ want you all to know that he was once in a band with Hall and myself, but he was!”

CVW: Can I quote you on that?

Flores: “Hell, yeah!”

CVW: So your connection to CROOK and Steve Hall eventually lead to a journey of various versions of multiple bands. You met up with Pete Burquez and you guys were eventually in need of a frontman, right?

Flores: “Basically. Mind you, up until this point I was a bassist...and a mediocre one at that. We were trying to figure out what we were going to do and the guys started saying, ‘Hey, dude! You gotta big mouth. You’re kind of a hothead, why don’t you be the frontman?’ I did have a lot of energy and I could see myself jumping around and screaming and getting it all off my chest. I was kind of a born exhibitionist so it just made sense. I really have never considered myself a singer. My brother Armando? That guy can sing. Guys like Michael Keeth? That guy can sing. I can scream in key, I have a lot of energy and I think I know what I want, so I guess I just make it work.”

CVW: You’re a frontman.

Flores: “Yeah...I guess so.”

SE7EN4 will be performing at the Whiskey A Go-Go on July 12 & Sept 19 with HED PE.

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June 27 to July 3, 2019

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on’t think about the past, forget about the future, it comes sooner than you might have thought/ Expect that even now is moving faster than it used to, faster than you could have thought.”

That’s Jimmer offering some sage advice on the song “Final Facts.”

Jimmer is on a roll. After walking away from the music business over 20 years ago, the former Rave-Ups front man has made up for lost time in the last five years by releasing two solo albums and an EP with Sui generis songstress Syd Straw.

For Jimmer Podrasky, music became a lifeline early on, growing up in Natrona Heights, a small steel town close to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was there he formed the Rave-Ups while attending college. They went through a few changes before the line-up coalesced following a move to Los Angeles.

The four-piece quickly found their sound, a potent blend of Country, Blues and Folk that harnessed the combustible energy of Punk, and anticipated alt.country by several years. They honed that style playing L.A.’s fertile club scene.

Locally, their rise was swift, their first longplayer, Town+Country was released through the tiny Fun Stuff label in 1985. The infectious single, “Positively Lost Me,” received airplay on the city’s premiere New Wave station, KROQ. A year later The Rave-Ups were featured in a pivotal scene in John Hughes’ class-conscious dayglo drama, “Pretty In Pink.” The film’s star, Molly Ringwald, was an ardent fan, in fact, her sister Beth and Jimmer had become a couple.

Weirdly, the two songs they perform in the movie, didn’t appear on the wildly popular soundtrack, released through A&M Records. Even weirder, was the fact that some of The Rave-Ups still held down day jobs in A&M’s mailroom. Every local write-up of the band pointed out that irony. But the band persevered, and following a protracted contract dispute with Fun Stuff, they inked a deal with Epic Records.

The label, a subsidiary of Columbia Records, was home to hit makers like Michael Jackson, Culture Club and Wham. Despite releasing two excellent efforts, Book Of Your Regrets in 1987 and Chance (named after Jimmer and Beth’s infant son) in 1990, Epic didn’t understand how to market the RaveUps’ rootsy sound. Appearing as themselves on a “Beverly Hills 90210” episode, their song “Smile” played as Brenda lost (gave) her virginity to Dylan. A Generation X milestone moment, but it couldn’t raise The Rave-Ups’ profile.

Following the break up, Jimmer formed the Lovin’ Miserys with ex-Agent Orange bassist Sam Bowles and ex-Concrete Blonde drummer Harry Rushakoff. They recorded an album that, sadly, remains unreleased.

By this time Jimmer and Beth Ringwald had split and he had become a single parent to Chance. To meet those demands, he took a job in the movie industry, setting aside his music career indefinitely.

He wasn’t making a living at it, but he never stopped making music. Occasionally

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JIMMER

“ALMOST HOME, AGAIN” (CHACE RECORDINGS)

The Rave-Ups would reunite for a local show, but Jimmer mostly kept a low profile.

His return was buoyed by two unlikely champions, Robbie Rist and Ed Sikov. Robbie is best known as the child actor who played “Cousin Oliver” on “The Brady Bunch,” but he’s also an accomplished musician in his own right. Ed is an old Natrona Heights pal who is an acclaimed author and Film Historian. Between them, they got Jimmer back into the studio.

His solo debut, The Would-Be Plans arrived in 2014. Longtime fans rejoiced and critical acclaim was unanimous. The momentum continued two years later when Omnivore Recordings reissued an expanded edition of The Rave-Ups’ Town + Country.

Jimmer quickly returned to the studio to complete his adroit sophomore effort, God Like The Sun. A highlight of the God... album was a spirited duet with Syd Straw. Although they had met decades before, this was their first real collaboration. The musical connection felt so genuine that they hit the studio and quickly knocked out a six song EP entitled Shoulder To Cry On. Released in the summer of 2018, the pair played several live dates, showing off their homespun Sonny & Cher chemistry, they even put their own Spin on “I Got You Babe.” Hopefully, it’s a partnership they will revisit.

In the meantime, Jimmer has returned with his third solo album, Almost Home, Again. The album kicks into gear with “Come On Down.” A martial cadence is quickly supplanted by a tick-tock rhythm, jangly guitar and bedrock bass. Jimmer’s sunny vocals are mirrored by even sunnier lyrics that find our hero somewhat content, proclaiming “I’m so happy to be me.” Buzzy electric guitar and hopscotch bass dance around the chorus into the churning instrumental break. Life remains a learning curve, and epiphanies are sometimes right around the corner; “And so it’s never black or white, it’s more or less a kind of gray/It’s a lesson that I have to say I learned the hardest way.” As the song winds down, things get positively Beatle-esque.

Jimmer takes some stylistic detours on several tracks. “By My Side” is powered by a bongo beat, shang-a-lang guitars and pulsating keys, giving it an early ‘70s SoulPower/Pop shimmer. The buoyant melody and arrangement nearly camouflage cautious lyrics that equate physical chemistry with calamity; “I don’t think she’s read it in the books she owns, but Romeo and Juliet were good to go, courting a disaster while the passions grow/How can we work this thing out? While she’s still playing this part, I’m growing tired of this play.” It’s an elegantly incandescent song that wouldn’t sound out of place sandwiched between songs from the Raspberries and The Jackson 5.

Bubbling percussion and hazy sitar notes swirl around the modal melody of “For You.” Jimmer’s languid delivery seems to underscore the lyrics’ ambiguity; “For you I would gladly lay down, down’s not such an evil thing, I’m happy as I’ve ever been/You’re keeping me, keeping me down, down on the

BY ELENI P. AUSTIN

ground.” The drone-y and hypnotic vibe is leavened by spiraling guitars that dart and pivot toward the close of the song.

The aforementioned “Final Facts” is positively Shagadelic. Rippling acoustic riffs bump up against Jazzy keys, chunky electric guitar, tensile bass and kinetic rhythms. The lyrics are split between sharp observations like “The gift is in the trying,” and tabloidstyle apocrypha like “Jimmy Hoffa Lives, Jesus never did, James Dean was a girl, O.J. never Killed/Stonehenge just a rock, Jackie O. killed Jack, Elvis is Alive, the world is really flat.”

Meanwhile, “Everybody’s Waitin” is shapeshifts from calibrated and corrosive Punk Rock chaos to a hook-filled Country flavored hoedown. The intro is all fuzzy, sandblasted guitars that give way to banjoriffic licks over a propulsive kick-drum beat.

Lyrics reflect youthful arrogance and the art of procrastination; “Always learn a lesson when it’s already too late, always think ‘tomorrow’ when it’s time to seize the day/Always turn a back to all the things you have to face saying…I’m Alright, don’t wait for me, everybody’s waiting to be king.”

Jimmer includes a couple of alternate versions of tracks that originally appeared on “The Would-Be Plans. First up is the title track.

Pivoting from a warm and introspective midtempo rocker, this rendition is best described as Psychedelic Blues. A phased and bloopy rhythm connects with ascending guitar riffs, roiling bass and a flute-y effect that would make Ron Burgundy and Ian Anderson weep with envy. Cryptic lyrics navigate the emotional landmines that accompany life with an abusive parent; “How can it be, I’m so young yet so much older than I should be?

Talk about your would-be plans, what would I say if I was asked to name the wonders of the sad though, wonder why my dad’s so mad/How could I guess that at 12 years old I’d think about the meaning? Talk about your being sad… where should I pray if the church is just a fashion show on Sunday, talk about your one-day fad.” Rumbly rhythm guitar rides roughshod over a scorching lead Guitar solo, slightly echoing the lyrical dysphoria.

On “Just What You Don’t,” ambient sounds criss-cross quavery electric guitar, chiming acoustic guitar and Jimmer’s choir boy croon. His narrative gifts are on full display here as he sets the strained scene between exes enduring an anxious road trip;

“Summer quits while supper sits on a seat between you and me, riding just to keep us company, and the radio is broken so I listen to the breeze as it cuts right through you on it’s way to me/It cuts right through you on it’s way to blow again some other day, I wish that it would take us both away.” As a clunky, almost mechanical beat adds momentum, searing pedal steel and shuddery keys capture the feeling of helplessly hoping, (with apologies to Crosby, Stills & Nash).

Politics has never been Jimmer’s bailiwick, but the album’s final two tracks display a social conscience that feels thoroughly apropos during these surly and combative times. “Blackredyellow&brown” layers gangly guitar, a stop-start beat and honking horns below Jimmer’s yelping declaration of racial tolerance. Tucked inside this somewhat goofy arrangement is a trenchant treatise on race relations that is a sideways evocation of the golden rule; “The red man never did nothing to me, not like some have done/No the brown man never did Nothing to me like this white girl done.”

Finally, “This Land” flips the script of Woody Guthrie’s assertion that “this land was made for you and me.” Barely two decades into the 21st century and America has lost its way. Ominous guitar chords uncoil over muted keys, guttural bass and a contentious beat. Stuttery harmonica notes shade the arrangement like a distress Signal. The first verse lands with a slap; “This land is as hopeful as a Christmas suicide.”

Alternately Doors-y and Dylanesque, the bare-bones melody becomes more menacing as it gathers steam, echoing the apocalyptic ache of “The End” and the scabrous sneer of “Ballad Of A Thin Man.” The last verse paints a grotesque portrait of MAGA country; “Oh, beautiful for spacious skies, for angry waves of pain, for purple-black, mad as can be, above the bloody plain.” The song collapses in a heap of wailing harmonica, scavenging Guitars and scattershot drums.

Jimmer was ably assisted on this album

by Rave-Up compadre Terry Wilson who produced and played guitar, bass sitar, violin and keys. Tom Whitlock played drums on every track except “This Land” which featured Harry Rushakoff behind the kit. MVP status goes to Chance Podrasky, a talented musician in his own right, as well as a sweet son. He not only added backing vocals to the opening cut, he also set up a crowd-funding page that helped finance the album.

Jimmer has noted that the album is titled Almost Home, Again for a reason. After nearly a quarter of a century away from making music professionally, the last few years have felt like an (emotional) odyssey of Homeric proportions. He’s finally back home, making music with is son at his side and a new RaveUps album in the pipeline. It feels like Jimmer is exactly where he should be.

BUSINESS PROFILE

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ith her official title as the Executive Director of the Rancho Mirage Chamber of Commerce, Katie Stice is all about serving the Coachella Valley. Her job involves promoting the growth of local businesses to create more prosperous opportunities for the city’s budding industries and citizens.

Stice was born and raised in San Diego until her family relocated to Indio in 1993 during her sophomore year of high school.

She was no stranger to the Coachella Valley, having previously visited family who lived in the desert and taking swim lessons at Pawley Pool in Indio. Stice went on to graduate Indio High School in 1996.

The circumstances that brought Stice’s family to the desert were less than ideal.

Her mother had left an abusive relationship and the Coachella Valley offered many great opportunities for her to pursue her career in healthcare as a nurse.

“This was the point in our lives when we needed to start over… We came to the desert with very little, actually. It was scary. My sisters and I are fortunate to have a strong mother who made the changes needed to live safe and healthy lives from then on,” stated Stice. “Anyone in domestic violence situations will tell you how hard it is to break the cycle of violence. We are survivors and proud to say that my mother and the three of us daughters have all accomplished this through hard work, shelter help and community resources.”

After high school, Stice pursued Early Childhood Development at College of the Desert, but her career path changed its course when she decided to study Nonprofit Management through the Western Association of Chamber Executives and received her Accredited Chamber Executive (ACE) certificate after five years of conferences and course credits.

Stice then earned an IOM (Institute for Organizational Management) after four

June 27 to July 3, 2019

KATIE STICE

years of the US Chamber’s Institute program at Loyola Marymount University. She now serves on the Board of Regents for the US Chamber and has been able to be a presenter at WACE conferences.

Before joining the Chamber, Stice worked for the YMCA of the Desert as a site director and Children’s Discovery Museum as their operational director, knowing that she was community-minded, focused, and wanting to make even more of an impact.

Her first Chamber position was at the Palm Desert Chamber twelve years ago under the impression that she would only be there for a year or two until she decided what career path to pursue.

“This industry has been both fun and challenging; it has broken my spirit and renewed me altogether. It has given me new opportunities to grow and lead and make positive changes. The Chamber of Commerce life gave me something bigger than myself to believe in,” said Stice.

Some ways that the Chamber kickstarts that positive change is by holding flagship events and monthly networking events. The Chamber aims to educate, support, and assist small businesses through their successes and challenges. Awards program celebrations are observed for this reason, to recognize the best of the valley and assist those just getting started.

“It is amazing to watch the dreams of small business owners come true. I help them learn about new labor laws or tax laws, create the atmosphere to connect with their community, and make new meaningful relationships with other business leaders, influencers and law makers,” stated Stice.

Some highlights of Stice’s career so far relate directly to how the community has supported her and her development.

She received a scholarship to Leadership Coachella Valley in 2000, was nominated for the Top 40 Under 40 for Palm Springs Life Magazine in 2010, received an Angel on Earth

VOLUNTEERING AT THE YMCA HOEDOWN FUNDRAISER SELLING RAFFLE TICKETS WITH TERRI BONA, FRANCESCA FORRER, VANESSA MAGER, CINDY BURRESON AND KATIE STICE

PALM SPRINGS FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS PARADE

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BY CRYSTAL HARRELL

Award from Angel Light Academy, and was one ofCV Weekly’s Top 10 Most Influential and Interesting Women in 2018.

Other highlights include receiving 5 Star Accreditation with her team for the Palm Desert Area Chamber two times over, building and launching the GCV Small Business EXPO, publishing the first directory for the Greater CV Chamber, and managing the best Nurses Appreciation Luncheon for the Rancho Mirage Chamber in its 14-year history.

“The people that make up our great community are my favorite thing about the Coachella Valley hands down. Their dedication and care for a stronger economy, great services, and for meaningful change just blows my mind. It’s a community of trailblazers and game changers that inspire me,” shared Stice.

When she’s not working at the Chamber, Stice enjoys a simple life with her husband and dog. She has also been honing her speaking skills with various groups on leadership, such

FIRST WEEK AT RANCHO MIRAGE CHAMBER, WELCOMING NEW MEMBERS, WITH TERRI BONA OF THE FAMILY YMCA OF THE DESERT

HAVING LUNCH WITH SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS. WITH RON HARE, OWNER OF NORMA’S ITALIAN KITCHEN

DONATING BLOOD AT LIFESTREAM WITH FRIEND AUSTIN BENETEAU

as being the keynote speaker for Marriott on International Women’s Day and kicking off the Leaders in Training Series with the Boys & Girls Club of Cathedral City “[The Boys and Girls Club] is where I shared my past circumstances and how I overcame some obstacles in order to give back and live my best life. I like to share my story because I believe we all have it in us to do better, reach dreams, and become the best version of ourselves,” explained Stice.

As far as role models are concerned, Stice’s husband John is a person she looks up to when it comes to leading by example. He is the manager of the Bellatrix restaurant at Classic Club in Palm Desert and upholds the family motto of “work, work, work.”

“He is dedicated, determined, and has a heart of gold. I’m lucky to live with my role model! Whenever I am having a scruple moment, we talk it out. We both like to live life by doing the right thing – even when that is the hard thing to do. John is definitely the better half,” said Stice.

Although she has made a name for herself within the Coachella Valley, Stice still has learned many lessons along the way. “When in doubt, turn down the volume. Watch what people do in times of tragedy and triumph – this will always hold more weight than what they say. It will reveal true character,” advised Stice.

In the future, Stice wishes to remain in the Coachella Valley continuing her work to better the community. “I’ll keep living this great big life, trying to keep up with the excitement and adventure. It’s hard to imagine leaving the valley, so I hope to remain here, continuing to make great things happen if I can – perhaps on a larger scale,” concluded Stice.

Follow Stice on her new public figure page on Facebook to keep up-to-date with her adventures. You can also find her under #ChamberKatie on LinkedIn and Instagram.

ATTENDING THE BIG HAIR BALL AT THE PALM SPRINGS ART MUSEUM

AT THE LIVING DESERT AT THEIR GRAND REOPENING FOR THEIR NEW ENTRANCE

WORKING A BOOTH FOR THE CHAMBER AT A ROTARY EVENT IN THE PARK

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June 27 to July 3, 2019

W

PET PLACE

e humans cheerfully celebrate our nation’s Independence Day on July 4th with fun, food, and fireworks. As we barbeque in the backyard with friends, it might be tempting to include our 4-legged family members. However, the 4th of July is the worst day of the year for our canine and feline friends. The loud noise from fireworks is extremely painful to dogs’ ears. The bangs, explosions, bright lights, and sirens create fear and confusion for both dogs and cats. All pets must be kept indoors, except for short supervised potty breaks, during the upcoming 4-day holiday weekend.

On July 5th every year, some of our streets and highways look like war zones with dead and injured animals who escaped from homes in their fright. Others end up as strays in our public shelters. Dogs in their frenzy from fireworks will jump tall fences

MEET MADELEINE This 4-y-old Bombay beauty would make a sweet, loving addition to your family. She is fully vetted and ready to go home! Rescued by www.ForeverMeow.org, call (760) 335-6767.

MEET TITO This fabulous 2-yr-old Terrier boy hopes to celebrate the 4th of July holiday in a loving home with you! Come meet him at the Coachella Valley Animal Campus shelter, 72050 Pet Land Place, Thousand Palms.

He’s dog ID#A1526173. (760) 343-3644, www.rcdas.org

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JULY 4TH SAFETY FOR FIDO & FLUFFY

that ordinarily contain them. Sadly, many shelters euthanize more animals this week to create room for the anticipated holiday influx. Owner turn-ins are the first shelter animals to be euthanized as no one is coming to look for them. Shelter workers brace for a large influx of animals in the aftermath of July 4th.

WALK YOUR DOGS BEFORE THE FIREWORKS BEGIN, AND KEEP ALL PETS SECURELY INSIDE THE HOUSE UNTIL THE NIGHT AND FIREWORKS ARE COMPLETELY OVER. Because the holiday falls on a Thursday this year, revelers will set off fireworks during the long 4 day weekend.

When your pets are safely inside, play soft music, turn on the television, or put in a fan to create white noise that sooths them from the extreme sounds. Keep windows and curtains closed to further reduce noise and keep out the bright firework flashes.

Be careful when the front door opens. Your pet is already under stress and he is more likely to dart out an open door or window.

You may want to purchase rescue remedy or other calming supplement from a pet specialty shop.

Consider purchasing a Thundershirt for your pup, a gentle garment designed to reduce anxiety. Provide your pet with a new toy such as a Kong with their favorite treats inside.

BY JANET McAFEE

YOUR PET SHOULD WEAR AN ID TAG ON HIS COLLAR AT ALL TIMES WITH YOUR CELL PHONE ENGRAVED. These inexpensive tags can be purchased at Petco and PetSmart.

Your pet should be microchipped and contact information kept current. Make sure you have a current photo of all pets. These are the most important things you can do to ensure the safe return of a missing pet.

If your pup is outside as you prepare for the festivities, keep these curious creatures away from charcoal, fireworks, sparklers,

and glow sticks. Don’t let guests give them “people food” treats. Foods such as onions, chocolate, avocado, grapes, raisins, and yeast dough can be toxic. Never leave unattended alcoholic drinks near your pets as they have the potential to poison them.

Similar precautions need to be taken by cat owners. Some cats are oblivious to fireworks, while others become very agitated. Keep all windows and blinds shut.

Offer needed reassurance. Allow them to hide under the bed or burrow under a blanket until they feel it’s safe to come out.

Looking for a missing pet? The Coachella Valley Animal Campus shelter, located at 72-050 Pet Land Place in Thousand Palms, houses stray animals from all Coachella Valley cities other than Palm Springs. You can contact them at (760) 343-3644 and www.rcdas.org . The Palm Springs shelter is located at 4575 Mesquite in Palm Springs, (760) 416-5719 and www.psanimalshelter. org . Both shelters have wonderful animals seeking homes where they can celebrate every holiday with you.

I wish you and your 4-legged family members a happy and safe July 4th.

Janetmcafee8@gmail.com

T

THE VINO VOICE

he bouquet and the aromas of European wines are always interesting, quite often most alluring, and, at times with the great wines— staggering! Stopping one in their tracks or at least affecting a point in time where we are simply amazed at how the grape can offer us such a sensual relationship that lasts in our memories.

For us vino enthusiasts, it’s fun to think about how the ancient Greeks (who received their wine acumen from the sea-worthy Phoenicians) colonized the Italian peninsula and planted vines everywhere; then the Romans themselves infiltrated the rest of Europe, planting in Burgundy and Bordeaux only to see the wine quality of the wine reach astounding levels. Germany, Spain and the rest followed. Colonization and wine enjoyment went hand in hand. From Europe, wine went around the world.

But regardless of the timeline of one’s existence, when it comes to wine appreciation, after checking out the color and viscosity of the wine, the first major sensory blast and grand overture to any bottle we’re experiencing is the aroma coming from the glass.

Having just spent close to five weeks in European wine country, I had the luxury of spending some quality time with the wines that we’ve read about and studied from afar: The aromas and bouquet of the Hermitage Syrah, the Hungarian Tokaji Aszu,

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the Burgundian Pinot Noir, the Piemontese Barolo, the Chianti Classico Riserva and more, all contain sensual stories found in a lilt that transposes smells to songs.

Sorry—don’t know about all that, but surely the most eloquent part of the wine is its smell. The most sensitive bit of what we call our sense of taste is actually our sense of smell. Not to get too nerdy, but it’s the upper nasal cavity—where normal breathing never goes, that catches the wine vapors that have been inhaled and made to moisture where the sensations reach the olfactory bulb right in the brain.

All of us are aware of how smells stir memories far more rapidly and vividly than any other sensations. The olfactory bulb is right next to the temporal lobe where our memories are stored—thus there’s instant access to our memory bank. This explains why a 1983 Lynch-Bages Bordeaux comes to mind whenever I pull apart a pomegranate: it was the prominent fruit coming from that ‘83 château. Of course, if I’m lucky, that

EUROMA

knowledge may buy me a cup of coffee.

At fun wine tastings, we always hear the proper question of whether a wine’s “aroma” and “bouquet” are synonymous. Serious folk and wine tutors often take the fun out of the tasting when they argue and attempt at length to distinguish the difference of terms.

“Just shaddup and drink already,” is the usual comment from around the table.

In my younger days, we learned that aromas are from young wines and bouquets are what come from mature wines. That can still kind-of work of sorts, but as you’d expect where one can get a college degree in wine appreciation, there are, at least, some distinctions in the two terms.

There may not be true scientific distinctions, but those in wine-speak will tell you that the terms can be useful to classify the origins of where the smells come from in wine. A wine aroma is derived from the grape variety, such as a Zinfandel or Pinot Noir; a wine bouquet is derived from the winemaking process of fermentation and aging. Thus, wine aromas are “primary flavors”, and the wine bouquet are “secondary aromas”.

Aromas are commonly associated with the varietals: fruit flavors, herbal flavors, floral flavors. For those who know their favorite wines, for instance, we know already the standard aromas coming from a Cabernet Sauvignon: black currants, green peppercorns & mint, and maybe violets, lavender, and red roses. For a standard Zinfandel, the fruit expectation changes to blackberries, cocoa and black peppercorns.

June 27 to July 3, 2019

BY RICK RIOZZA Wine bouquets are the other smells, apart from the fruit, and more from fermenting: yeast, spice, nut aromas; milk, butter, cream, mushrooms; grandma’s cellar, horse sweat, barnyards, band-aids, wild game, duck cracklings, and things off the chart. Aging gives the bouquet of oak, sugar, caramel; clove, cedar and cigar box; smoke, dried tobacco and dried leaves.

All that being said, we get aromas from simpler wines; and bouquets from very good to great wines. I know—enough already, just shaddup and enjoy.

Of course, every great wine region in the world produces wine with stellar aromas and wonderfully brilliant bouquets. We started first with Europe because, as mentioned earlier—the great wine stocks and their sophisticated winemaking directly affected the world. As I continue with the column this year, I’ll occasionally mention some of the great wines we’ve enjoyed.

For you Syrah fans, perhaps it’s on your bucket list to experience a Hermitage Syrah.

They are the richest, silkiest, and sturdiest of wines. The flavors go on forever and the prices unfortunately follow. There is limited bottling a bottle of wine as there are only 331 acres on this one notable hill. The bottles on average go for around $500 +.

It’s best to make an appointment with one of the few wineries there to get a taste in. Fortunately, the wineries do a good job of supplying the local restaurants in every vintage, so one could at least get a great glass of wine.

Tain is at the foot of the Hermitage hill, the most famous appellation in the Rhône Valley, and arguably the most beautiful as well. This cru rises some 600 feet above the valley floor like a camel’s hump. Hermitage wines were served in the royal courts of Europe in the 17th century, and Thomas Jefferson purchased hundreds of bottles after visiting Tain in 1787.

The wines are of course elegantly fruity with notes of bacon, blackberries, black currants, black pepper, chocolate, earth, game, leather, meat, plums, smoke, spices, tar, and tobacco. An amazing quaff! Cheers!

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June 27 to July 3, 2019

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THUR JUNE 27

29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 Bobby Furgo & Co 6pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 DJ Mr. Goodboy 9pm AGAVE LOUNGE@THE HYATT REGENCY; IW; 760-674-4080 Tyler Simmons 7-11pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 Bill and Doug Duo 6:30pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 Touchtunes 7pm BERNIE’S; RM; 760-202 4499 Chris Lomeli Trio w/ Brian Dennigan and Leon Bisquera 7:30pm BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 John Stanley King 6-10pm THE CASCADE LOUNGE, AGUA CALIENTE; RM; 888-999-1995 Ladies Night w/ Bianca from 92.7 9pm CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick Tuzzolino 5:30pm CASUELAS CAFÉ; PD; 760-568-0011 Johnny Meza and Co. 6-10pm CATALAN; RM; 760-770-9508 George Christian 6-9pm CHEF GEORGE’S PICASSO LOUNGE; PD; 760-200-1768 Michael D’Angelo 6:309:30pm, DJ 9:30pm COPA NIGHTCLUB; PS; 760-866-0021 MOD Squad Variety Show w/ Francesca Amari, Jeff Stewart and Wayne Abravanel 5:30-7:30pm, Lipstick hosted by Bella Da Ball 8pm, DJs Banks and Ax 10pm DHS SPA LOUNGE; DHS; 760-329-6787 Karaoke w/ DJ Scott 9pm EUREKA; IW; 760-834-7700 Live Music 8-10pm

FISHERMAN’S GROTTO; PD; 760-7766534 Barry Baughn Blues Band 5:308:30pm FRANK’S PLACE; IW; 760-797-8700 Patricia Welsh 6-9pm HENRY’S SPORTS BAR AND GRILL; CC; 760-656-3444 DJ 10pm THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 Red’s Rockstar Karaoke 9pm HOODOO COCKTAIL GARDEN @ THE HYATT; PS; 760-322-9000 Chris Lomeli 7pm HOTEL PASEO; PD; Michael Keeth 4-7pm LANDMARK LOUNGE; LQ; 760-289-6736 Lisa LaFaro 7pm LA QUINTA RESORT; LQ; 760-564-4111 Steppin Out 6-9pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-3252794 Hot Roxx 6:30pm LIT@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; 760-3452450 Country Night w/ Dynamite Draw 9pm 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 Elijah Ocean 8pm PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND COCKTAILS; TP; 760-343-2115 FrankEatsTheFloor T Shirt Release party w/ Hide-Your-Guns and Hover 8pm PURPLE ROOM; PS; 760-322-4422 Sharon Sills 6:30pm SAMMY G’s; PS; 760-320-8041 Evaro Brothers 7:30pm SHANGHAI RED’S @ THE FISHERMAN’S MARKET; PS; 760-322-9293 VooDoo Hustlers 7pm TACK ROOM TAVERN; IND; 760-347-9985 Karaoke 8pm THREE SIXTY NORTH; PS; 760-327-1773 Mike Cosley 6:30pm WANG’S; PS; 760-325-9264 Trio Envy 5-8pm WOODY’S PALMHOUSE; PS; 760-2300188 Yve Evans and David Ring 6:30pm

FRI JUNE 28

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19TH HOLE; PD; 760-772-6696 Live Music 8pm 29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 Micha Schellhaas 6:30pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 DJ Nobody 10pm AGAVE LOUNGE@THE HYATT REGENCY; IW; 760-674-4080 Avenida 7-11pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 Live Music 6:30pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 The Block Dance Party w/ DJ Femme A 7pm BERNIE’S; RM; 760-202 4499 Bill Gulino 4-7:15pm, Horice Miller, Brian Dennigan and Leon Bisquera 7:30-11pm BIG ROCK PUB; IND; 706-200-8988 Red Hot Cholo Peppers 8:30pm BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 The Stanley Butler Trio 6-10pm THE CASCADE LOUNGE, SPA RESORT CASINO; PS; 888-999-1995 DJ Chase Martinez 9pm

CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick Tuzzolino 5:30pm CASUELAS CAFÉ; PD; 760-568-0011 The Myx 6:30-10pm CATALAN; RM; 760-770-9508 George Christian 6-9pm CHEF GEORGE’S PICASSO LOUNGE; PD; 760-200-1768 Michael D’Angelo 6:309:30pm, DJ 9:30pm COPA NIGHTCLUB; PS; 760-866-0021 Viva Friday’s w/ DJ Banks 9pm DESERT FOX; PD; Derek Jordan Gregg 9:30pm DRINGK; RM; 760-888-0111 DJ Journee 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; 760-7766534 Gina Carey 5:30-8:30pm FRANK’S PLACE; IW; 760-797-8700 Frankie DiSalvo 6-9pm GADI’S BAR & GRILL; YV; 760-820-1213 TBA 8pm HENRY’S SPORTS BAR AND GRILL; CC; 760-656-3444 Karaoke w/ KJ Marjovi 9pm THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 Bohemio 9pm HOODOO COCKTAIL GARDEN @ THE HYATT; PS; 760-322-9000 Keisha D 7pm HOTEL PASEO; PD; Michael Keeth 4-7pm HOT SPOT@SPOTLIGHT 29; Coachella; 760-775-5566 Nacho Bustillos 8:30pm INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760345-6466 Bob Allen 6pm JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-366-2250 Karaoke w/ Troy Michaels 7pm KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 Karaoke 8pm LANDMARK LOUNGE; LQ; 760-289-6736 Various Artists 7pm LA QUINTA BREWERY; PD; 760-200-2597 Matthew Hunkins 7pm LA QUINTA RESORT; LQ; 760-564-4111 Steppin Out 6-9pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-3252794 Hot Roxx 7:30pm LE FE WINE BAR; PD; 760-565-1430 Lance Riebsomer 9:30pm LIT@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; 760-3452450 Six Hot Live 9pm MASTRO’S; PD; 760-776-6777 TBA 6:3011pm MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 Ron Greenip 8pm MIRAMONTE; IW; 760-341-2200 Trio Envy 5-9pm MOXIE; PS; 760-318-9900 Eevaan Tre 6-9pm, DJ Pedro Le Bass 9:30pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Karaoke 8-1:15am THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry 6-8pm Tim Burleson 8pm O’CAINES; RM; 760-202-3311 DJ Tone 10pm PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; 760327-4080 The Refills 9pm PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-365-5956 Gene Evaro Jr. and Whiskerman 8pm PEABODY’S CAFÉ; PS; 760-322-1877 Karaoke 7:30pm PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND

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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 Smooth Brothers 8-11pm SHELLY’S LOUNGE@TORTOISE ROCK COCKTAILS; TP; 760-343-2115 Red’s COACHELLA VALLEY BREWING CO; TP; CASINO; 29 Palms; Rojer Arnold & Bobby 760-343-5973 Instigator, Sticky Doll and Rockstar Karaoke 9pm Furgo 9pm Sleazy Cortez 6pm PURPLE ROOM; PS; 760-322-4422 Sam COPA NIGHTCLUB; PS; 760-866-0021 DJ SONOMA GRILLE@EMBASSY SUITES; Harris 8pm PD; 760-340-6600 Denny Pezzin 6-9pm RED BARN; PD; 760-346-0191 Wildside 9pm Banks and Mr. Miami 9pm SOUL OF MEXICO; IND; 760-200-8787 DESERT FOX; PD; Krystofer Do 9:30pm RENAISSANCE; PS; 760-322-6000 Live Latin Music 10pm DHS SPA LOUNGE; DHS; 760-329-6787 Music 6-9pm TACK ROOM TAVERN; IND; 760-347-9985 RIVIERA; PS; 760-327-8311 Michael Keeth Karaoke w/ DJ Scott 9pm Nacho Combo 9pm DRINGK; RM; 760-888-0111 DJ Journee 8-11pm THREE SIXTY NORTH; PS; 760-327-1773 9pm SAMMY G’s; PS; 760-320-8041 Evaro ELECTRIC SPORTS LOUNGE; YV; 760-228- Reggie “Vision” Alexander 6:30pm Brothers 8:30pm TRILUSSA ITALIAN RISTORANTE; PS; SHANGHAI RED’S @ THE FISHERMAN’S 1199 DJ Ceddy Cedd 9pm MARKET; PS; 760-322-9293 Barry Baughn EL MEXICALI CAFÉ 2; IND; 760-342-2333 760-328-2300 Julius & Sylvia Music Duo 6-10pm Cesar Daniel Lopez on the harp 6-9pm Blues 8-11pm THE VINE WINE BAR; PD; 760-341-9463 SHANGHAI RED’S @ THE FISHERMAN’S EN VIVO@SPOTLIGHT 29; Coachella; 760-775-5566 Banda La Karavana 9:30pm Lance Riebsomer 7-10pm MARKET; LQ; 760-777-1601 The Smooth WANG’S; PS; 760-325-9264 Live Music Brothers 8-11pm FISHERMAN’S GROTTO; PD; 760-7766:30pm 6534 Jack Ruvio 5:30-8:30pm SHELLY’S LOUNGE@TORTOISE ROCK WOODY’S PALMHOUSE; PS; 760-230CASINO; 29 Palms; Rojer Arnold & Bobby FRANK’S PLACE; IW; 760-797-8700 0188 The Stanley Butler Band 6:30pm Furgo 9pm Frankie DiSalvo 6-9pm SOLANO’S BISTRO; LQ; 760-771-6655 GADI’S BAR & GRILL; YV; 760-820-1213 Michael Madden 6-9pm TBA 8pm SONOMA GRILLE@EMBASSY SUITES; HENRY’S SPORTS BAR AND GRILL; CC; PD; 760-340-6600 Denny Pezzin 6-9pm 760-656-3444 DJ Ray 9pm 29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 SOUL OF MEXICO; IND; 760-200-8787 Bob Garcia 6pm THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 Latin Rock 10pm FrankEatsTheFloor 6pm, DJ RowLow 9pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Zuberon TACK ROOM TAVERN; IND; 760-347-9985 HOODOO COCKTAIL GARDEN @ THE Rising noon poolside Off Da Cuff 9pm HYATT; PS; 760-322-9000 The Carmens AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 7pm THREE SIXTY NORTH; PS; 760-327-1773 Sunday Brunch w/ Live Music 11am Dennis Michaels 6:30pm HOT SPOT@SPOTLIGHT 29; Coachella; BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 Deep 760-775-5566 Adrian Crush 8:30pm TRILUSSA ITALIAN RISTORANTE; PS; House Sunday’s w/ Alex Song 7pm 760-328-2300 Julius & Sylvia Music Duo continue to page 20 INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 7606-10pm 345-6466 Bob Allen 6pm THE VINE WINE BAR; PD; 760-341-9463 JC’S CAFÉ; PD; 760-568-0733 Vinny Berry Vinny Berry 7-10pm 3-7pm WANG’S; PS; 760-325-9264 DJ Galaxy and KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 Karaoke the House Whores 5pm 8pm WOODY’S PALMHOUSE; PS; 760-230LANDMARK LOUNGE; LQ; 760-289-6736 0188 Rose Mallett 6:30pm Eevaan Tre 7pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-3252794 PS Sound Company 1pm, Hot Roxx 8pm LE FE WINE BAR; PD; 760-565-1430 Vinny 29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 Berry 9:30pm Bev and Bill 6:30pm LIT@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; 760-345ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Kerri 2450 Six Hot Live 9pm Drootin, Todd Drootin and Toddrick Spalding noon, poolside and 9pm MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; AGAVE LOUNGE@THE HYATT REGENCY; 760-325-2323 Ron Greenip 8pm IW; 760-674-4080 Steppin’ Out 7-11pm MIRAMONTE; IW; 760-341-2200 Trio Envy 6-10pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 Cabaret on the Green Open Mic 7:30pm MOXIE; PS; 760-318-9900 Derek Jordan BACKSTREET BISTRO; PD; 760-346-6393 Gregg 6-9pm, DJ Pedro Le Bass 9:30pm Linda Peterson 12:30-3:30pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Karaoke 8pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 Dance Beats w/ DJs Bvrrn and Dxsko 7pm THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry BERNIE’S; RM; 760-202 4499 Chris Lomeli, 6-8pm Tim Burleson 8pm Brian Denigan and Leon Basquera 7:30O’CAINES; RM; 760-202-3311 DJ Tone 11pm 10pm BIG ROCK PUB; IND; 706-200-8988 Call PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; 760Me James 8:30pm 327-4080 Barflys 9pm BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 Gina PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-365-5956 Carey 6-10pm The Shadow Mountain Band 5pm, The Evangenitals 8pm CASCADE LOUNGE, SPA RESORT CASINO; PS; 888-999-1995 DJ Michael PEABODY’S CAFÉ; PS; 760-322-1877 Wright 9pm Karaoke 7:30pm CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND Tuzzolino 5:30pm COCKTAILS; TP; 760-3432115 Red’s CASUELAS CAFÉ; PD; 760-568-0011 The Rockstar Karaoke 9pm Myx 6:30-10pm PURPLE ROOM; PS; 760-322-4422 The Judy Show 8pm CATALAN; RM; 760-770-9508 George Christian 6-9pm RED BARN; PD; 760-346-0191 CHEF GEORGE’S PICASSO LOUNGE; PD; Bonethumpers 9pm 760-200-1768 Abie and Natasha 6:30SAMMY G’s; PS; 760-320-8041 Evaro 9:30pm, DJ 9:30pm Brothers 8:30pm

June 27 to July 3, 2019

SUN JUNE 30

SAT JUNE 29

15

June 27 to July 3, 2019

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BREWTALITY

I

t’s been a few years since the corporate mega brands of AB Inbev and MillerCoors have tried to sell us more of their product through gimmicky marketing designed to appeal to those who like shiny objects (aka, stupid people), but summer 2019 sees Corona Extra here to fill that void. Let’s be honest with each other; no one drinks Corona for its flavor, we drink it because we like the commercials (like, I wanna be sitting beachside in a Chaise lounge, watching the sunset, but instead I’m here at the casino getting rid of the rent money again, so I’ll just drink this bottle of Corona and see if it helps me to forget how much I hate my poor decision making skills). In a massive bid to sell more of their pee flavored beer while seeming woke af (which is a fancy way of saying enlightened), Corona has ditched 6-pack plastic rings by selling beer cans that screw and stack on each other.

Yup, you read that right. Corona is selling us beer that can stack into a pole, and they’re telling us that it’s for the environment. First of all, I am not against beer that can morph into an aluminum bat like the worlds most drunken Transformer, in fact this is probably all I would have wanted out of life when I was 21 and dumber than a box of crayons. See, all I had when I was 21 was the Miller Lite vortex bottle.

Remember those?

They put spiraled rifling in the inside of the bottleneck in an attempt to…what the hell was the reason for doing that anyway? Does anyone even remember? What, did beer not pour out of the glass with enough velocity, so we needed our bottles re-engineered with sniper rifle schematics? Those spirals in the bottleneck did absolutely nothing except look different from

June 27 to July 3, 2019

CORONA’S NEW GIMMICK IS NOTHING NEW

all the other bottles sitting next to them on the grocery store shelves. Which is why they did it.

Meanwhile, us Coors Light drinkers were doing the backstroke in a sea of useless gimmicks like Scrooge McDuck swimming in his money.

First, we had the “Frost Brewed Liner,” which turned the ring tab and top lip of the can blue once it was cold enough. I was already looking for bugs, cigarette butts and stray beer pong balls in my brewski every time I picked it up, and now I had the added shame of knowing I was a complete peasant for drinking my beer warm and without the blue ring. Then, Coors Light gave us the “Vented Widemouth Can.” Realizing that their beer tastes like corn syrup tea once it gets warm enough, MillerCoors tackled this issue by giving their can a wider mouth and a “vent,” which everyone knew was complete baloney.

That vent wasn’t even a vent, it was a tiny raised bar on the upper corner of the mouth, which was filled completely with beer anytime you

tilted the can to pour anyway. Stupid.

I swear Coors Light must have had rival marketing teams fighting for turf like the wimpiest Jets and Sharks ever, because there seemed to be no end to the ridiculous ideas they were coming up with. Coors Light started selling 12-packs of these squishy, slippery plastic bottles in a cooler pack, which was a normal carboard box but lined with blue plastic on the inside, so you could fill the box itself with ice. Those boxes would leak almost immediately, turning your car seat, kitchen counter, or teenage brother’s lap into a soggy mess right quick. None of MillerCoors marketing gimmicks did what they were supposed to, unless you consider the fact that they weren’t supposed to do shit except draw attention.

And that’s where we should start when we take a look at Corona Extra’s new stackable beer cans, the fact that it probably will fail on every front except its ability to get people to talk.

Corona has made it extra clear is that their reason for this new look is to save the environment. By eliminating 6-pack plastic rings from their product, AB Inbev (who owns Corona in Mexico, while Groupo Modelo owns Corona in the States) is claiming to eliminate extra packaging materials which can end up in landfills, or worse, harming marine life. Corona Extra has even gone so far as to make their screw-can schematic open sourced, which means other companies are free to adopt the idea and use it themselves. Corona wants to be the Tesla of the beer world in this way, creating a solution that they hope to see adopted by rivals, because that really is the only way Corona’s new design is going to succeed.

BY AARON RAMSON As much as we all applaud the idea of saving the environment, we applaud the idea of convenience and familiarity even more (because we’re stupid, I said so right at the beginning of this article). As fun and novel as Corona’s new promo video (available on YouTube and Vimeo) makes the cans seem, they present logistical challenges not addressed thus far. Are the cans just supposed to sit individually on the grocery store shelves until people pick them up and screw them together to make a 6-pack? Does this mean that retailers will have to allow the sales of individual cans if the consumer only wants to stack 5 of them? Do the cans in a 12-pack have the screw top too, and if so why are they still in a cardboard box? Why doesn’t Corona just put their 6-packs in a cardboard box?

Questions like these are why I was kicked out of Sunday school. Miss Thompson got tired of me asking about dinosaurs and the bible right quick.

Corona Extra is currently market testing these new cans in Mexico, but they will be available stateside if they prove to be a success there. I don’t see this product making any revolution in the way beer is canned, but for right now it’s creating water cooler talk and getting people to discus what the brewing industry can do to be better, Which is a hell of a lot more than Bud light did when it gave us the “Write On Label.” That was stupid.

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June 27 to July 3, 2019

SCREENERS

NOW SHOWING: TOY STORY 4 It’s not just the wonder of seeing familiar toys come alive with the astonishing photo realistic tools, palette and brushes of the latest computer animation software, as good as it is. No, in the latest chapter of Pixar’s beloved franchise, it’s the emotion that binds everything together and by that I mean that of the onscreen characters as well as the audience.

It’s been a decade since the last chapter.

Tom Hanks, Tim Allen and most of the remaining voice cast are back in a new adventure that revolves around a homemade toy named Forky (voiced by Tony Hale) who’s having trouble comprehending and accepting his own existence. Hey, who doesn’t?

Woody takes it upon himself to help Forky fit in, and in the process, he reconnects with an old friend and begins to reexamine his own choices.

First-time director Josh Cooley working from a screenplay by Stephen Folsom and Andrew Stanton with a supporting voice cast of new characters that includes Christina

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No. 375

TOYS ARE US!

BY ROBIN E. SIMMONS

Hendricks, Key & Peel and Keanu Reeves has somehow managed to find poignant new ways to tug on heartstrings and entertain audiences of all ages.

Don’t miss this superb work of contemporary cinematic art. It’s heartwarming, sometimes bleak and always profoundly beautiful. So nice to see an intelligent family film that’s not afraid to focus on love, loyalty and the things that matter most in life to human and toys.

Like us humans, toys need people but also like us, sometimes the drive to love and be loved can lead to desperate and reckless acts.

If you’re looking for a beautifully crafted family film that’s also an emotionally rewarding adventure that touches on big themes like finding your purpose, embracing your destiny and accepting your mortality, this is it. Yes, these toys are us with all our stresses and concerns.

NEW BLU FOR THE HOME THEATER: 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968) Watching Stanley Kubrick’s metaphorical masterpiece in all it’s restored and remixed

glory is like seeing the film for the first time. It is quite simply out-of-this-world!

How wonderful to see a true cinema classic given the 4K treatment. Kubrick’s film, based on Arthur C Clarke’s 1948 short story The Sentinel, was (still is) a ground-breaking achievement, not only for its production design and attention to detail, but also for the themes it presents of a story told through images unlike any yet seen on the big screen.

Hearing the Johann Strauss’ Blue Danube as the spacecraft docks reminds how the music and visuals are perfectly matched and always on-point.

But it’s the enigmatic story itself that most matters in any discussion.

I understand why a modern audience, used to being spoon fed, might baulk at this rich tapestry woven with inscrutable ideas about existence, evolution and consciousness itself.

The mere fact that 2001 continues to be debated is a testament to the film’s longevity.

For those who give it the time and respect it deserves will be richly rewarded for years to come.

This 2018 UHD release was made using the original camera negative that was scanned at 8K resolution and then down sampled to 4K. Detail is phenomenal, everything is pristine in its clarity, colors are sublime, check out the sunsets over Africa, or the depth of color to the space suits.

Pure eye candy is the infinity gate sequence that is so breath-taking and intense you might be inclined to shield your eyes. Black level is dense and inky; the blackness of space is all encompassing, but so too is the monolith There is a soft sheen of grain throughout which helps to maintain the filmic look.

There are two English DTS-HD MA 5.1 tracks: The first represents (as close as possible) the original 1968 6-track theatrical audio, the other is a restored and remixed version. Both have equal merit and either will give a thrilling aural experience. This is the state-of-the-art for home video discs. Highest recommendation. Warner Bros.

PIN UP GIRL (1944) New on hi-def Blu-ray, this spiffed-up 2K restoration of the World War II-era home front and the hugely popular charms of the

18

marvelous “pin-up girl” phenomenon Betty Grable, who’s joined by the inimitable Martha Ray and Joe E. Brown in merrily jumping and jiving through the outlandish comedy complications generated by a spirited USO hostess when she falls for a handsome war hero. It’s jam-packed with eye-popping and ear-pleasing, music, dancing and roller-skating marvels in such abundance you might just stand up and cheer!

HUSSY Future Oscar®, Emmy® and Tony® winner Helen Mirren delivers a powerful lead performance, both tough as nails and achingly tender, as a world-weary London “hostess club” hooker who finds unexpected romance as she tries to break free of her tawdry past, in an underseen British gem now showcased on hi-def !

In his movie debut, John Shea co-stars as the rejuvenating lover who may be the lady’s ticket out of her hard life – if his own personal and criminal baggage doesn’t bring about their mutual downfall.

Writer-director Matthew Chapman successfully captures the milieu of an ordinary daily grind in smoke-filled clubs where you can smell the sweat. This uniquely unglamorous portrait is the flip side of Pretty Woman.

Twilight Time (Lmited edition of only 2,000 units).

L’EAU A LA BOUCHE (aka A Game For Six Lovers ) (1969) In the early sixties, a ground-braking format called “nouvelle vague” or new wave was unleashed on French cinema with a force that challenged and changed the style of the era.

This form rejected the traditional old Hollywood style of stories based on narration and structures from earlier media, books and theater. New wave directors wanted viewers to react to films as in real life. It’s the mood that dominates the film with camera angles, scenery/setting and discreet lighting.

The directorial debut of Jacques DoniolValcroze and starring Françoise Paul Guers Alexandra Stewart as the heirs to their grandmother’s estate, who gather with a notary to share her inheritance. Very quickly however, the light-hearted atmosphere unwinds and radically changes the reunion.

The chateau becomes the perfect dreamy setting for intimacy and permissiveness, and a romantic ménage unfolds with six would-be lovers paired of, spending the night making love! Cinetrove. robin@coachellavalleyweekly.com

BOOK REVIEW

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

"FALTER"

BY BILL MCKIBBEN NONFICTION

O

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

ur planet is spectacular! It is an ideal place for our species. We are fortunate to share this heaven on earth with a myriad of amazing creatures.

Bill McKibben’s Falter: Has the Human Game Begun to Play Itself Out? (Henry Holt, 292 pages) asks if human beings are ready for the future and if we will even be there.

Author McKibben is the “New York Times” bestselling author of Eaarth and The End of Nature, which he wrote thirty years ago about the dangers ahead for humans if we continued to spew copious amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. He was one of the first to report on global warming.

Three decades later, McKibbon shares how much worse it is and the horrors that are ahead – and happening currently -- since the climate has indeed changed.

According to the author, at this moment, we emit 40 gigatons of carbon dioxide annually. That’s more than any other prior earth extinction event! Biological annihilation is well under way with half the planet’s individual animals already lost.

As temperatures continue to rise, there will be more global famine and mass migration as areas around the planet become uninhabitable.

Human beings will be forced to move to other

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A FUTURE FOR HUMANS?

cities and countries creating environmental refugees, which generates economic disasters, which in turn reduces resources and human dignity. If rising temperature is bad, rising tempers become just as dangerous.

McKibben isn’t fear mongering or preaching to the reader -- he is 30 years beyond that!

Rather, he is sharing what our environmental reality is now and what it means to be human in this part of the planet’s timeline.

After giving the reader a clear and easy to understand science and history lesson on carbon dioxide, he shares the existing global catastrophes we don’t see on the nightly news. I admit it is tough to get through. It is a downer, however, it is an eye opener and is less than a third of the book’s focus.

McKibben really gets going in part two, “Leverage,” when he calls out the fossil fuel industry and names names. He spells out the history of the industry and its desperate desire to generate profits above human dignity and the planet’s welfare.

I went from sad to mad! These are bad people who do very bad things with their extreme wealth to keep fossil fuels cooking.

Our President, is a tool, a pawn in their selfish, one-percenters, Ayn Randian, do nothing, get all you can, game. These old white men are on the wrong side of history and the planet. Some day, they will be held accountable.

Faulter moves from the oil moguls to the tech giants. McKibben shifts from those responsible for the ongoing environmental disaster to those who have ideas about saving

human beings from extinction. This came as an unexpected surprise. The author reports on the latest in bioengineered humans to the reality of living forever, and the Artificial Intelligence that will replace us and rule the world.

This is mind-blowing information! AI is poised to make human beings obsolete.

What makes Faulter a must read is McKibbon is not without hope. He believes in the human race and its ability to organize and quickly come up with solutions. He believes two factors can change our dire course: solar power and nonviolent protests.

SAFETY TIPS

June 27 to July 3, 2019

BY HEIDI SIMMONS

This is an important book. If you are a climate denier or an environmentalist, McKibben writes from a responsible place of purpose and compassion for all living things.

He concludes that what is truly important is human solidarity and love.

Regarding our present world, and what truly overwhelms him: “The human love that works to feed the hungry and clothe the naked, the love that comes together in defense of sea turtles and sea ice and of all else around us that is good. The love that lets each of us see we’re not the most important thing on earth, and makes us okay with that. The love that welcomes us, imperfect, into the world and surrounds us when we die. Even, especially, in its twilight, the human game is graceful and compelling.”

Why do we exist if not to love one another and care for our planet and its magnificent life forms?

BY FIRE CHIEF SAM DIGIOVANNA

FOURTH OF JULY SAFETY TIPS!

I

t doesn’t take much to figure out this 4th of July will be very dangerous,” reminds Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna. “It will be a long 4th of July weekend. Hillsides along with vacant lots and fields are full of ripe, dry fuels that can be easily ignited with just a spark.

It estimates that 18,500 fires are caused by fireworks annually.”

At least eight people lost their lives in fireworks mishaps in 2017 while another 12,900 ended up in hospital emergency rooms with injuries.

The good news is many communities are banning fireworks; the bad news is this tempts many to obtain illegal fireworks that can be extremely dangerous. Fire officials recommend everyone to attend public fireworks shows, and leave the lighting to the professionals.

Check with your local fire department to see if fireworks are allowed in your community. If they are permitted, always read and follow directions.

• Use them outdoors only.

• Do not use near grass or other flammable materials.

• Keep spectators at a safe distance. Never

point or throw fireworks at people or objects.

• Always have a bucket of water or a fire extinguisher nearby.

• Never attempt to re-light or fix fireworks.

• Keep barbeque grills away from anything that can burn, such as your house, garage, sheds or vegetation.

• Don’t leave the grill unattended while it’s cooking.

• Keep children and pets away from the grill.

• Make sure coals are completely extinguished and cold before disposing of them.

• While you’re outdoors, keep hydrated and consume lots of water.

• Avoid direct sun and use sunscreen.

• Make sure your pets are kept indoors as loud noise scares them and they can easily run away.

• Make sure your pets are safe and secure!

Contact your local fire department for additional safety information and a safety quiz.

Drive safe, be patient and Happy 4th of July!

Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna

19

“

June 27 to July 3, 2019

CLUB CRAWLER NIGHTLIFE continued from page 15

BERNIE’S; RM; 760-202 4499 Bill Gulino 12:30-3:30pm, Patrice Morris 6:30-10pm BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 Michael Keeth 5-9pm CASCADE LOUNGE, SPA RESORT; PS; 888-999-1995 Latin Night w/ Nacho Bustillos and Quinto Menguante 9pm CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick Tuzzolino 5:30pm CHEF GEORGE’S PICASSO LOUNGE; PD; 760-200-1768 Paul Douglas 6-9pm 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 FRANK’S PLACE; IW; 760-797-8700 Ted Herman 6-8pm THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 Comedy Night 8pm LANDMARK LOUNGE; LQ; 760-289-6736 Scott Carter 7pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-3252794 PS Sound Company noon, Hot Roxx 6:30pm MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 Sunday Jam 3:307:30pm, Mikael Healy 8pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Karaoke 8pm THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Sunday Jam Session 2-5pm, Kevin Henry 7:30pm PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; 760327-4080 Sunday Jam Session 7pm PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-365-5956 Brian Whelan 8pm SHANGHAI RED’S @ THE FISHERMAN’S MARKET; LQ; 760-777-1601 Jack Ruvio 6-9pm

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THREE SIXTY NORTH; PS; 760-327-1773 Darci Daniels and Reggie Vision 7pm WANG’S; PS; 760-325-9264 Live Music 5pm WESTIN; RM; 760-328-5955 Lance Riebsomer 12-4pm poolside WOODY’S PALMHOUSE; PS; 760-2300188 John Carey and Friends 6:30pm

MON JULY 1

29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 The Luminators 6pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 Bill Marx 6:30pm BACKSTREET BISTRO; PD; 760-346-6393 Johnny Morris 5:30-9pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 Music by Touchtunes 7pm CASUELAS CAFÉ; PD; 760-568-0011 The Mighty Sweet Nothings 5:30pm COPA NIGHTCLUB; PS; 760-866-0021 DJ Banks and Mr. Miami 8pm DRINGK; RM; 760-888-0111 DJ Journee 9pm FRANK’S PLACE; IW; 760-797-8700 Larry Capeloto 6-9pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-3252794 PS Sound Company 6:30pm MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 Mikael Healey 8pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Karaoke 8pm-1:15am THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry 7:30pm PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-365-5956 Open Mic 7pm

WANG’S; PS; 760-325-9264 Nick Sosa 7pm WOODY’S PALMHOUSE; PS; 760-2300188 Motown Mondays 7pm

TUE JULY 2

29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 The Bill and Bob Duo 6pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Ace Karaoke 9pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 Shelley Yoelin Group 9:30pm BACKSTREET BISTRO; PD; 760-346-6393 Live Jazz 6:30pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 TBA 7pm BERNIE’S; RM; 760-202 4499 Horice Miller, Leon Basquera and Brian Denigan 6:30-10pm CHEF GEORGE’S PICASSO LOUNGE; PD; 760-200-1768 Lizann Warner 6:309:30pm, DJ 9:30pm FIRESIDE LOUNGE; PS; 760-327-1700 Red’s Rockstar Karaoke 9pm FRANK’S PLACE; IW; 760-797-8700 Terri Olsen and the Perfect Blend 6-9pm HENRY’S SPORTS BAR AND GRILL; CC; 760-656-3444 Karaoke w/ KJ Danny 9pm THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 Drag Queen Bingo 9pm HUNTER’S; PS; 760-323-0700 Karaoke 9pm JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-3662250 Ted Quinn’s Open Mic 7pm KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 Karaoke 7pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-3252794 PS Sound Company 6:30pm

LIT@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; 760-3452450 Brad’s Pad 7pm MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 Mikael Healey 8pm 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 Music Lounge 7pm PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND COCKTAILS; TP; 760-3432115 Game Night w/ Luke O 8pm TACK ROOM TAVERN; IND; 760-3479985 Country Night 6pm WANG’S; PS; 760-325-9264 Alex Santana 5-8pm WOODY’S PALMHOUSE; PS; 760-2300188 Yve Evans and John Bolivar 6pm

WED JULY 3

29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 Daniel Horn 6pm AGAVE LOUNGE@THE HYATT REGENCY; IW; 760-674-4080 Azhia 7-11pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 Jazz Jam w/ Doug MacDonald & Friends 7pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 DJ Dxsko 7pm BERNIE’S; RM; 760-202 4499 Horice Miller, Leon Basquera and Brian Denigan 6:30-10pm BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 Michael Keeth 6-10pm CHEF GEORGE’S PICASSO LOUNGE; PD; 760-200-1768 Barry Minniefield 6:309:30pm, DJ 9:30pm

COACHELLA VALLEY BREWING CO; TP; 760-343-5973 Uncle Ben’s Open Mic 6-8pm COPA NIGHTCLUB; PS; 760-866-0021 Issa Wednesday Humpday w/ DJ Ax 9pm DRINGK; RM; 760-888-0111 S.I.N. w/ DJ Mirage 9pm ELECTRIC SPORTS LOUNGE; YV; 760228-1199 Karaoke 7:30pm FRANK’S PLACE; IW; 760-797-8700 Terri Olsen and Patricia Welsh 6:30pm THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 Open Mic Hosted by Josh Heinz 8pm JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-3662250 Karaoke 7:30pm KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 Open Mic 8pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-3252794 Hot Roxx 6:30pm LIT@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; 760-3452450 Latin Night 7pm MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 Mikael Healey 8pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Karaoke 8pm-1:15am THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry 6-8pm Tim Burleson 8pm PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; 760327-4080 Roger & Friends 7pm PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND COCKTAILS; TP; 760-343-2115 Red’s Rockstar Karaoke 9pm THREE SIXTY NORTH; PS; 760-327-1773 Katheryn White 6:30pm WANG’S; PS; 760-325-9264 Jeff Bonds 5-8pm WOODY’S PALMHOUSE; PS; 760-2300188 John Carey and David Ring 6:30pm

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

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HADDON LIBBY

A

s Zac Efron once so eloquently sang in the Disney musical, “High School Musical 2,” “What time is it? It’s summertime!”

The United Nations’ World Tourism Organization estimates 10% of the world’s $85 trillion GDP is spent on travel each year.

International travel is a relatively new occurrence to most people around the world.

In 1950, only 25 million people worldwide travelled abroad. Today nearly 1.4 billion people travel outside their homeland each year spending on average $1,000 per person per trip. International travel is estimated to top 2 billion people each year by 2035 or sixteen years from now.

Half of all arrivals occur in Europe with Asia/Pacific 24% and the Americas 16%.

When it comes to money spent on travel, Europe’s share declines to 39% while Asia/ Pacific grew to 29% and the Americas was 24%.

Where did people spend the most?

The United States at $211 billion followed

by Spain at $68 billion, France $61 billion, Thailand $57 billon and the United Kingdom at $51 billion.

Who spent the most? The Chinese by far at $258 billion followed by Americans at $135 billion, Germans at $89 billion, the British at $71 billion and the French at $41 trillion.

Of all international tourists, 80% travel in

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IT’S VACATION TIME!

their own region. This would mean that the Europeans typically stay in Europe, Chinese in Asia and Americans in the Americas.

Why do people travel? It is estimated that 55% is for vacations, 27% to visit friends and family with 13% related to work. Fifty-five percent of all travel occurred by air, 39% by road, 4% by water and 2% by rail.

France has the most tourists each year at 87 million followed by Spain at 82 million, the US at 77 million, China with 61 million and Italy at 58 million. Our neighbor to the the south, Mexico, receives 39 million tourists while the UK sees 38 million. Rounding out the top ten are Turkey, Germany and Thailand.

According to World Atlas, the most popular international vacations for Americans are cruises which represent nearly half of all international travel. Tops on the list are Caribbean cruises, at 35% of trips. Cancun captures 28% followed by European river cruises at 23%, Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic at 17% (probably less after the Big Papi shooting), Rome 16%, London 15%, Amsterdam 13%, Jamaica 12.5% with Playa del Carmen and Paris at 11%.

While international travel continues to grow, Americans still prefer vacations in the good ‘ol USA. The top summer vacation spot according to the AAA is Orlando with the happiest place

DALE GRIBOW ON THE LAW

on Earth being the primary destination spot.

Despite hot summer temperatures, Honolulu came in second followed by Anchorage, Seattle, Los Angeles, Maui, Fairbanks, Alaska, Las Vegas, Boston and Salt Lake City.

The most popular destination for Chinese is Hong Kong, Macau and then Thailand.

Where the United States fights with the Chinese over the theft of intellectual property and other espionage activities, in Thailand they are fighting Chinese travel agencies that offer zero-cost tour packages in Thailand. The short version is that Chinese based companies keep the majority the

June 27 to July 3, 2019

monies spent by tourists with little paid in revenues to Thai-owned businesses or Thai tax collectors. Chinese tourists who refused to spend money at the tour-sponsored shops or restaurants can have the room keys to their hotels taken with occasional beatings.

The most expensive place to visit in the world is Singapore due to its high transportation costs. Paris comes in second due with an average hotel price of $500/ night and Zurich at $450/night. The city that never sleeps, New York City, is fourth on the list while Oslo, Tel Aviv, Reykjavik, Dubai, Sydney and London round out the top ten.

Haddon Libby is the Founder and Managing Partner of Winslow Drake Investment Management. For more information, please visit www.WinslowDrake.com or email HLibby@WinslowDrake.com.

LEGAL REPRESENTATION OF THE INJURED & CRIMINALLY ACCUSED

IF MICROSOFT, APPLE OR THE IRS CALL.. HANG UP

Y

ou won’t currently read about Bonnie and Clyde robbing banks with Tommy Guns, though we have had 3 bank Robberies this month in Palm Desert. Today’s thefts are less confrontational as thieves do not need guns. Instead they scam us with cons. The CV is the perfect place for scams because of the unsuspecting elderly who make perfect victims.

The Desert Sun recently stated there are over 500,000 robocalls a month costing Americans $7.4 Billion. The 3 biggest robocalls are Google listing scams, Loan related scams and Fraudsters offering free vacations. As our parents taught us “if it sounds too good to be true...it is probably not true.”

The robocalls escalate when the phone is answered. The bad guys have call centers, often from out of the country, that make these calls all day long. They have spoofing software that makes it look like you are receiving the call from say the IRS or Riverside Sheriffs.

The caller may claim to be an enforcement officer acting on behalf of the IRS, the Palm Springs Police or Riverside County Sheriff. Sometimes the caller ID may even confirm the same. Note that the IRS does not call you, they send letters. If this happens to you, call the IRS at 800-829-1040 or forward their emails to phishing@IRS.

gov<mailto:phishing@IRS.gov>.

Scammers often alter caller ID numbers to make it look like the IRS or another agency is calling, and use IRS titles and fake badge numbers to appear legitimate. They may also use the victim’s name, address and other personal information to make the call sound official.

In 2019 the latest scam is allegedly from “Tech Support”. With the advent of robocalls, scammers have sought to exploit the fear of these calls by convincing people that their computers are infected.

You may get a calls with an ominoussounding warning from an allegedly wellknown tech company. They may say your computer has been hacked and your personal or financial info is vulnerable or that your computer has a virus. Once you return the call they will ask for remote access to your computers and proceed to show you all the problems on your system.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reports California remains in the top 10 on the FTC’s list of states with the highest per-capita identity theft complaints. Taxrelated identity theft is a top source of those complaints, according to the FTC. The vulnerability of California residents to fraud, particularly identity theft, is exacerbated by the ongoing problem of data breaches. A caller may demand that the victim pay a bogus tax bill, and con the

victim into sending cash, usually through a prepaid debit card or wire transfer.

“Urgent” callback requests through phone “robo-calls,” or via a phishing email are also common.

Many phone scams use threats to intimidate and bully a victim into paying.

The caller may even threaten to arrest, deport or revoke the license of their victim if they don’t get the money, according to the IRS. There are five things scammers often do but the IRS will not do. Any one of these five things is a tell-tale sign of a scam. The IRS will never: * call to demand immediate payment, nor will the agency call about taxes owed without first having mailed you a bill; * demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe; * require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card; * ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone; or * threaten to bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.

If you get a phone call from someone claiming to be from the IRS or Tech Support and asking for money, you should hang up immediately and report the call.

If you think you are the victim of an ID Theft then cancel your credit cards ASAP, place a fraud alert on them and call the police to make a report.

REPORT POTENTIAL ID THEFT to: Equifax: 800-525-6285; Fraud Alert 888 -766-0008; Experian (formerly TRW): Fraud Alert 888-397-3742 Trans Union: Fraud Alert 800-680-7289 Social Security Administration: Fraud Alert 800-269-0271 ------------------------------------------------DALE GRIBOW KNOWN FOR REPRESENTING THE INJURED AND CRIMINALLY ACCUSED “TOP LAWYER” - California’s Prestige Magazine, Palm Springs Life (PI/DUI) 201120 “TOP LAWYER” - Inland Empire Magazine 2016- 2019 PERFECT 10.0 AVVO Peer Rating “DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE OR TEXT AND GET A DUI OR ACCIDENT. CALL A TAXI, LYFT OR UBER. THEY ARE A LOT CHEAPER THAN CALLING ME”. SO DRIVE SOBER OR GET PULLED OVER. SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE ARTICLE? CONTACT DALE GRIBOW 760-837-7500/ dale@dalegribowlaw.com.

21

June 27 to July 3, 2019

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

EVENTS JETHRO TULL’S IAN ANDERSON DISCUSSES GROUP’S LEGACY BEFORE LAUNCHING

U.S. TOUR AT FANTASY SPRINGS JULY 5TH

I

n 1976, at the zenith of the group’s popularity, Jethro Tull released Too Old to Rock ’n’ Roll: Too Young to Die! — a concept album about an aging rocker who discovers that music is cyclical, and those who stick around long enough inevitably come back into fashion. More than four decades later, the theme has proved both prophetic and more than a bit ironic.

At 71, Ian Anderson — the group’s main songwriter, bandleader and frontman — is touring in celebration of Jethro Tull’s 50th anniversary. The U.S. leg of the six-month jaunt kicks off Friday, July 5th at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino. Calling from a production office somewhere in the U.K., rock’s most famous lead flutist talked about the band’s bluesy early days, Grammy backlash and why what is old is indeed new again.

Let’s start at the beginning. Tell us about your original vision for the group and how it evolved into Jethro Tull.

ANDERSON: “In the early days we were essentially a blues band, but we quickly — within a year or so — had become known for being termed a “progressive rock band.”

That was a term that was coined in the U.K. back in 1969 in the music press for the first time. And I was very pleased to be thought of as a progressive rock musician along with Yes, and Emerson, Lake and Palmer, and King Crimson, who started in that year. And so there were some pretty illustrious peer group characters. You know, we were in some pretty good company, and that continues to the present day. Sometimes we’re referred to as a folk rock band, but I don’t mind whatever they want to call us as long as they have a valid ticket and they keep their cell phones in their pocket when we’re trying to perform for them.”

What do you recall about your participation in the Rolling Stones’ Rock ’N’ Roll Circus, which is now being released on Blu-ray for the first time?

ANDERSON: “Well, it was recorded at the end of 1968, the Rolling Stones had a new album out, or about to come out, an album called Beggars Banquet. Which was a return to a kind of bluesier, rougheredge Rolling Stones after their experiments with pop and psychedelia, and imitations of perhaps the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper album.

So the Rolling Stones were back on form and they were doing this TV show, which we were asked to participate in, along with the Who, John Lennon, Eric Clapton, and a few other worthies. It took a long time for it to materialize as a commercially available product because poor Brian Jones died shortly afterwards, and the Rolling Stones shelved the whole idea. It was only much later that they discovered that Allen Klein had got the rights to the project and had sought the permission of the other artists to release it before going to the Rolling Stones and putting a bit of pressure on them. Saying well, “Eric wants to do it, John wants to do it. Jethro Tull wants to do it.” Finally they caved in and released it.

But it wasn’t a great homage to Brian Jones, who by that time was not doing terribly well, medically speaking. You know, he was a nice

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BY MIKE FELCI

enough guy but he didn’t seem to be on the same planet as the rest of us. It was rather sad to see him marginalized within the band that he had been a founding member of.”

You performed “A Song for Jeffrey” with a then-unknown Tony Iommi on guitar. How did that come to be?

ANDERSON: “Tony and I got together a few weeks before to rehearse and try things out with a view to him possibly joining Jethro Tull.

But, for a number of reasons, that was never going to be satisfactory for him or us. He went back to Birmingham and we asked would he come back just to do this one-off show, the Rolling Stones’ TV show. And we reassured him that he wouldn’t actually have to play live because he didn’t do that kind of playing, it wasn’t his thing, bottleneck guitar. So he came down and mimed to the track and I was live — the rest was a backing track. So Tony just did that one-off performance with Jethro Tull, which is encapsulated in one, maybe two photographs that show him performing with us. He had a white hat on that he pulled down over his eyes. I don’t think he wanted his bandmates to know what he was doing, because of course they were at the time known as Earth. A few weeks later changed their name to Black Sabbath. So I think he was trying to be incognito.”

Aqualung was the album that really broke you in the United States. Why do you think it resonated with American audiences?

ANDERSON: “The Aqualung album was a bit of a sleeper. It wasn’t huge right out of the box. It took a while to catch on with people all over the world. But over the next year or two, or 10 or 20, it penetrated really many, many countries in the world and became the best-selling Jethro Tull album. Aside from the obvious two or three songs like “Aqualung,” “Locomotive Breath” and “Cross-eyed Mary,” which I think was always popular in the USA, there are quite a few singer-songwriter acoustic pieces, which I recorded on my own in the studio, and then we overdubbed judiciously some little elements from the other guys. Or perhaps a string quartet or whatever it might be. But it was something that we did with not huge expectations. I do remember talking to John Evans, the keyboard player at the time, thinking, wow, we’re finished — but what are people going to make of this? Are they going to like it or not like it? Is this the beginning of a new era of Jethro Tull? Or is it the end of our brief bit of popularity that we enjoyed for the first three albums? Was it downhill from here? I wasn’t really sure, I wasn’t confident in the audio quality on the album. Because we had considerable problems trying to record it in a brand new studio, you know, not really sounding that great. But it turned out OK, and obviously people rather took to it, although it took several months before it really caught on I think.”

“Locomotive Breath” has been your encore since 1972. Thematically it’s a very heavy song.

ANDERSON: “Some songs are bit darker, more foreboding, like “Locomotive Breath.”

Which is really talking about population growth, a runaway train of globalization and

at that time that was not really a topic that people touched upon really. It was a dark song.

It remains a dark song, even more so since the population of planet earth as doubled since I wrote it. In fact, we have three times as many people on the earth than we did the day I was born. That can certainly give pause for thought that we have population growth that is really not that sustainable. And although we have a population growth that has largely been arrested in Europe, it’s still increasing in the USA, and dramatically increasing in particularly the African continent. So we can see trouble on the horizon. Immigration, that Donald Trump is desperately afraid of, has become a world condition for our children and grandchildren, who will grow up with enormous pressures to accept the huge numbers of people from far away, who combined with climate change and the inevitable difficulty of food production, it’s going to get pretty scary out there. All the Trumpian walls will not prevent people from finding their way in desperation to try to seek some kind of new life or survival in countries that are those that they were born in. So when I play “Locomotive Breath” on stage every night, these thoughts go through my head. I am a performer, I take on characters, the subject material, I take on the nature of the lyrics. These are the dark and foreboding thoughts that I am harboring every time I perform it. Albeit 48 years later, or whatever it is.”

It’s been 30 years since Jethro Tull received the first-ever Grammy for Best Hard Rock/ Heavy Metal album, beating out Metallica and others. What do you remember of the ensuing controversy?

ANDERSON: “We knew we’d been nominated, and it was nice to have been nominated for a Grammy. The record company said, “the chances of you winning this category are virtually nonexistent and we have other artists that are up for a Grammy, and we want to spend the money for hotels and transport for people who have more of a shot at winning. So we don’t want to pay for you to come to Los Angeles and sit in the audience just on the off chance that somehow you might win.” So that was fine, I was in the middle of recording album at that point. We were busy in the studio when I got a phone call in the middle of the night saying, ‘congratulations you won the Grammy.’ So I turned to the other guys and said, ‘we’ve won the Grammy — isn’t that nice.’ And we carried

on working on what we were doing. But the controversy really erupted with the media the following day, and quite clearly it was a very unpopular win. Poor Alice Cooper had to go up and accept it in our place to a torrent of boos and catcalls. But these are the things that happen. As you can understand, hard rock/ metal was the new category that year and Metallica were the hot favorites to win with a couple of others. I think Iggy Pop was in it, Jane’s Addiction is a band that comes to mind.

Jethro Tull was never really considered hard rock or a heavy metal band. And that’s why it was unpopular. But on the other hand, if it was a Grammy for a bunch of nice guys who never won a Grammy before, we would have been very happy with that. Or for best onelegged flute player, we’d pick that up every year.”

Tell us about the 50th anniversary tour and what your fans can expect July 5th at Fantasy Springs.

ANDERSON: “Well, it’s retrospective that focuses strongly on the first 15 years of Jethro Tull. It starts off with the very earliest days of our beginnings as a blues band. We feature a number of songs that we played at the Marquee Club, early 1968, and moving on through the years, highlighting, I suppose, some of the key tracks — the iconic tracks that Jethro Tull fans would, in most cases, know.

But even younger fans, who perhaps weren’t alive then, have always tended to gravitate back to those years when things were shiny and new. With the benefit of the Internet and easy research, you can quickly find the origin of the band, how they started, what their first album and so on. That obviously intrigues people who were never alive then, who are going back to discover and hear an era of music that perhaps attracts them, even if maybe they don’t know why. But it clearly does, so a lot of classic rock bands like Jethro Tull, Led Zeppelin, the Who, and so on, the bands that continue to endure with two generations further on who simply never knew them. Maybe their parents or their grandparents listen to it and they rediscover it as if it was something brand new. Which it is, of course, for them.”

Tickets for Ian Anderson Presents: Jethro Tull — 50th Anniversary Tour are $129, $99, $79, and $59, on sale at the Fantasy Springs Box Office, via phone (800) 827-2946 and online at www.FantasySpringsResort.com.

FREEWILL ASTROLOGY

Week of June 27

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Here are your fortune cookie-style horoscopes for the months ahead. JULY: Discipline your inner flame. Use your radiance constructively. Your theme is controlled fire.

AUGUST: Release yourself from dwelling on what’s amiss or off-kilter. Find the inspiration to focus on what’s right and good. SEPTEMBER: Pay your dues with joy and gratitude. Work hard in service to your beautiful dreams. OCTOBER: You can undo your attractions to “gratifications” that aren’t really very gratifying. NOVEMBER: Your allies can become even better allies. Ask them for more. DECEMBER: Be alert for unrecognized value and hidden resources.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Here are your fortune cookie-style horoscopes for the months ahead. JULY: If you choose to play one of life’s trickier games, you must get trickier yourself. AUGUST: Shedding irrelevant theories and unlearning old approaches will pave the way for creative breakthroughs.

SEPTEMBER: Begin working on a new product or project that will last a long time. OCTOBER: Maybe you don’t need that emotional crutch as much as you thought. NOVEMBER: Explore the intense, perplexing, interesting feelings until you’re cleansed and healed. DECEMBER: Join forces with a new ally and/or deepen an existing alliance.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Here are your fortune cookie-style horoscopes for the months ahead. JULY: It’s time to take fuller advantage of a resource you’ve been neglecting or underestimating. AUGUST: For a limited time only, two plus two equals five. Capitalize on that fact by temporarily becoming a two-plustwo-equals-five type of person. SEPTEMBER: It’s time and you’re ready to discover new keys to fostering interesting intimacy and robust collaboration.

OCTOBER: The boundaries are shifting on the map of the heart. That will ultimately be a good thing.

NOVEMBER: If you do what you fear, you’ll gain unprecedented power over the fear. DECEMBER: What’s the one thing you can’t live without? Refine and deepen your relationship to it.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Here are your fortune cookie-style horoscopes for the months ahead. JULY: Acquire a new personal symbol that thrills your mind and mobilizes your soul. AUGUST: Reconfigure the way you deal with money. Get smarter about your finances. SEPTEMBER: It’s time to expedite your learning. But streetwise education is more useful than formal education. Study the Book of Life.

OCTOBER: Ask for more help than you normally do. Aggressively build your support. NOVEMBER: Creativity is your superpower. Reinvent any part of your life that needs a bolt of imaginative ingenuity.

DECEMBER: Love and care for what you imagine to be your flaws and liabilities.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Here are your fortune cookie-style horoscopes for the months ahead.

JULY: Transform something that’s semi-ugly into something that’s useful and winsome. AUGUST: Go to the top of the world and seek a big vision of who you must become. SEPTEMBER: Your instinct for worthy and constructive adventures is impeccable.

Trust it. OCTOBER: Be alert for a new teacher with a capacity to teach you precisely what you need to learn. NOVEMBER: Your mind might not guide you perfectly, but your body and soul will. DECEMBER: Fresh hungers and budding fascinations should alert you to the fact that deep in the genius part of your soul, your master plan is changing.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Here are your fortune cookie-style horoscopes for the months ahead. JULY: I’d love to see you phase out wishy-washy wishes that keep you distracted from your burning, churning desires. AUGUST: A story that began years ago begins again. Be proactive about changing the themes you’d rather not repeat. SEPTEMBER: Get seriously and daringly creative about living in a more expansive world. OCTOBER: Acquire a new tool or skill that will enable you to carry out your mission more effectively.

NOVEMBER: Unanticipated plot twists can help heal old dilemmas about intimacy. DECEMBER: Come up with savvy plans to eliminate bad stress and welcome good stress.

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© Copyright 2019 Rob Brezsny

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Here are your fortune cookie-style horoscopes for the months ahead. JULY: Say this every morning: “The less I have to prove and the fewer people I have to impress, the smarter I’ll be.” AUGUST: Escape an unnecessary limitation.

Break an obsolete rule. Override a faded tradition.

SEPTEMBER: What kind of “badness” might give your goodness more power? OCTOBER: You’re stronger and freer than you thought you were. Call on your untapped power. NOVEMBER: Narrowing your focus and paring down your options will serve you beautifully. DECEMBER: Replace what’s fake with the Real Thing.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Here are your fortune cookie-style horoscopes for the months ahead. JULY: Stretch yourself. Freelance, moonlight, diversify, and expand. AUGUST: Having power over other people is less important than having power over yourself.

Manage your passions like a wizard! SEPTEMBER: Ask the big question. And be ready to act expeditiously when you get the big answer. OCTOBER: I think you can arrange for the surge to arrive in manageable installments. Seriously. NOVEMBER: Dare to break barren customs and habits that are obstructing small miracles and cathartic breakthroughs. DECEMBER: Don’t wait around hoping to be given what you need.

Instead, go after it. Create it yourself, if necessary.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Here are your fortune cookie-style horoscopes for the months ahead. JULY: Can you infuse dark places with your intense light without dimming your intense light? Yes! AUGUST: It’s time for an archetypal Sagittarian jaunt, quest, or pilgrimage. SEPTEMBER: The world around you needs your practical idealism. Be a role model who catalyzes good changes. OCTOBER: Seek out new allies and connections that can help you with your future goals. NOVEMBER: Be open to new and unexpected ideas so as to get the emotional healing you long for.

DECEMBER: Shed old, worn-out self-images. Reinvent yourself. Get to know your depths better.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Here are your fortune cookie-style horoscopes for the months ahead. JULY: You have an enhanced capacity to feel at peace with your body, to not wish it were different from what it naturally is. AUGUST: You can finally solve a riddle you’ve been trying to solve for a long time. SEPTEMBER: Make your imagination work and play twice as hard. Crack open seemingly closed possibilities. OCTOBER: Move up at least one rung on the ladder of success. NOVEMBER: Make yourself more receptive to blessings and help that you have overlooked or ignored. DECEMBER: You’ll learn most from what you leave behind—so leave behind as much as possible.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Here are your fortune cookie-style horoscopes for the months ahead. JULY: I’ll cry one tear for you, then I’ll cheer.

AUGUST: Plant seeds in places that hadn’t previously been on your radar. SEPTEMBER: You may seem to take a wrong turn, but it’ll take you where you need to go. OCTOBER: Open your mind and heart as wide as you can. Be receptive to the unexpected.

NOVEMBER: I bet you’ll gain a new power, higher rank, or greater privilege. DECEMBER: Send out feelers to new arrivals who may be potential helpers.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Here are your fortune cookie-style horoscopes for the months ahead.

JULY: Your creative powers are at a peak. Use them with flair. AUGUST: Wean yourself from pretend feelings and artificial motivations and inauthentic communications. SEPTEMBER: If you want to have greater impact and more influence, you can. Make it happen! OCTOBER: Love is weird but good. Trust the odd journey it takes you on. NOVEMBER: If you cultivate an appreciation for paradox, your paradoxical goals will succeed. DECEMBER: Set firm deadlines. Have fun disciplining yourself.

Homework: What were the circumstances in which you were most vigorously alive?

FreeWillAstrology.com.

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

SWAG FOR THESOUL

June 27 to July 3, 2019

BY AIMEE MOSCO

BRINGING THE WORLD TO HIGHER GROUND

"Unity is the heart of peace. There can be no peace without unity and there can be no unity without U and I.” - Daily Agreements, Guidelines & Intentions by Aimee Mosco and Donald L. Ferguson, page 109. t seems an impossible task to right the wrongs of the generations before us or to ease the suffering of humanity in measurable ways. It takes time, resources and fortitude, which many of us are short on these days, to affect favorable change that impacts the state of the world. Or does it?

You may not realize it, and if you do, it is probably not at the forefront of your thoughts each day, but you are of great value to humanity. And your greatest offering is who you ARE. So, who are you?

You are the embodiment of your true beliefs, thoughts and emotions. Your energy field emanates communications of your inner truth and these energetic emanations populate the collective energy field of humanity, also known as the collective consciousness. Your daily emanations initiate a ripple effect that alter the entirety of the collective consciousness. Therefore, you have the power to change the world without even lifting a finger.

When you do lift your finger in a directed and purposeful manner, with intent to bring the world to higher ground, magic unfolds.

Every conscious effort you make to align your beliefs, thoughts and emotions with a greater degree of love, opens an opportunity

I

for you to elevate humanity at its core. While loving thoughts alone may not bring about social justice or ease the hunger pains of a child on another continent, they will help build a collective platform which motivates humanity as a whole to act in ways that align with love.

If you feel discouraged when you visit social media or watch the news and see images depicting the horrors of the day, know that you are not helpless. You hold the keys to a brighter, and more harmonious world in the confines of your energy field. Take 5 minutes to focus your thoughts on the beauty that exists in the world. Take 5 more minutes to share your thoughts with another person as a means to inspire them. Take 5 more minutes to send the energy of love and compassion to those who are less fortunate than you.

Unity begins with U. Imagine what becomes of this world when the conscious efforts yoU aNd I make to affect change are combined.

UNIty will bring this world to the highest possible ground.

In my pursuit to help you align to the greatest degree with love, I invite you to join Facebook group Evolve through Love hosted

by Elizabeth Scarcella, BB Ingle and me. Go to facebook.com/groups/evolvethroughlove.

Aimee Mosco is an Author, Intuitive Channel, Spiritual Teacher and Co-Founder of Intentional Healing Systems, LLC. Aimee’s passion for helping others inspired her book “Gratitude + Forgiveness x (LOVE) = Happiness”. For more information, find Aimee at aimee@ihsunity.com

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June 27 to July 3, 2019

TRAVEL TIPS4U

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

BY LYNNE TUCKER

SANTA BARBARA CLASSIC WINE TOUR SANTA BARBARA, CA

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isit Beautiful Wineries in Idyllic Santa Barbara Wine Country. $135 Per person Mon – Fri* $140 Per Person Sat – Sun* With breathtaking coastal mountains to the east and sublime beaches to the west, Santa Barbara is one of the most beautiful places on earth. Their wine country is no exception. The ebb and flow of ocean breezes makes the Santa Barbara Wine Country region a jewel in the crown of California viticulture.

Santa Barbara Classic Wine Tours is committed to providing you with an unforgettable experience in the Santa Barbara and Santa Ynez wine country. They offer a fun, carefree, and educational tour that includes a variety of beautiful estate wineries, unique tasting rooms, private wine clubs and an artisan picnic lunch. Join us for a day exploring all that Santa Barbara wine country has to offer!

Our most popular offering, an all-inclusive small group tour (max of eleven guests) with four winery tasting fees and lunch included in the price! (Driver/guide tip not included.)

We provide door to door pick up in our comfortable Mercedes Benz vans at hotels in Montecito, Santa Barbara, and Goleta. Please note, we do not pick up from private residences or Airbnb’s.

If you are driving up from Los Angeles or booked at an Airbnb, we can meet you at the Santa Barbara Visitors Center parking lot at 1 Garden Street in Santa Barbara.

Please note, the campgrounds north of Santa Barbara (El Capitan & Gaviota) are out of their pick-up zone. Also, due to the extreme unreliability of the Amtrak train schedule, we do not except train station pick-ups.

The morning of your tour, your friendly local guide will pick you up at your hotel or designated location in one of their luxury 2016-2018 Mercedes Benz Sprinter or luxury 2016 Mercedes Benz Metris vans. Enjoy a scenic and carefree drive up to wine country.

Each small group tour (a maximum of eleven guests) includes visits to three beautiful estate wineries and one unique tasting room with all tasting fees included. Also included is a relaxing artisan picnic lunch at one of the wineries. Please see their menu for the various meal options that they offer.

Our pick-up time in the Santa Barbara area is between 9:15-9:45 am. The tour lasts approximately five to six hours. To learn more about the wineries we visit, please check our Wineries page.

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*Group Tours - Available to parties of 2-6 only. *Private Tours of 7 or more, please call for availability *Custom Tours Celebrating a special occasion with a group of friends or family?

Do you already have an itinerary in mind? Their custom tours provide all you need for a carefree and fabulous day in wine country!

Think Travel and Enjoy Journey!

Lynne Tucker is a Travel Writer and Photojournalist based in Palm Desert

CANNABIS CORNER

BY RUTH HILL R.N.

HOW DO YOU PASS A DRUG TEST NOW THAT YOU FINALLY HAVE A JOB?

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ccording to Forbes.com 2.06 million jobs were added last year. But you have been taking medical cannabis for pain anxiety depression blood pressure or the myriad symptoms that cannabis treats.

How do you pass the drug test? First you need to understand the three different methods for extracting cannabinoid (CBD) oil; full spectrum, broad spectrum, and isolates.

Full spectrum products sometimes labeled, whole plant, contain many cannabinoids terpenes and enzymes from that cannabis strain including THC. Full spectrum is the preferred product due to the entourage effect THC and CBD have together. The entourage effect is when the combination of two molecules produce more than the sum of its parts.

In order to treat diseases vs symptoms even one part THC multiplies the therapeutic effect of the CBD alone. Full spectrum products have less drug to drug interactions. In some cases, one mg twice a day of the full spectrum is all the user needs. The starting dose range for full spectrum is 2mg to 15mg.

Broad spectrum CBD oil contains all the cannabinoids terpenes and enzymes for that strain of cannabis but zero THC. What is important to remember is extracting CBD from hemp requires a very large amount of hemp.

After bundling all these leaves together, the 0.3% THC allowed by law can add up to 0.6%.

It is good product for you but not lawful to sell or purchase in some states.

Therefore, broad spectrum products must remove all the THC to be labeled hemp CBD oil which became legal with the passing of the farm bill. Broad spectrum products require higher doses. Remember the THC is not there to boost the effectiveness of the other cannabinoids. Doses may start from 7.5mg to 30mg. Taking broad spectrum will allow you to pass the drug test. If you have a job and want to take medical cannabis you can start by choosing a broad spectrum product Products labelled isolates are the CBD oil without any other cannabinoids terpenes or enzymes from the plant beneficial for healing.

The label may say “pure CBD oil.” Cannabinoids

are lipophilic meaning they need fat to be activated. Adding an isomer molecule allows it to be more readily absorbed in the mouth.

Products labeled terpsolates is the crystalline isolate infused with terpenes. These products are synthetics. Taking this product will allow you to pass the drug test but isolates are the least desirable and cause the most drug to drug interactions.

If you are already taking cannabis and you now have a new job you will first have to detoxify your body of all the THC stored in your fat cells. Chronic users of marijuana may take a month or more. There are kits in drug stores or on Amazon to help you with this process. It isn’t the CBD the lab test, it is the THC. Currently there is no test to correlate the blood concentration of THC that effects impairment. There are news reports that some companies are forgoing drug testing due to the shortage of skilled applicants.

Be sure your product does not have any fillers, is not extracted with butane and most of all is tested for mold pesticides metals and contaminants. Legitimate dispensaries show their products on the Internet and have a hyperlink for seeing the test results. Some have a code on the bottle. If you have a code reader on your phone you can then see the lab test on your phone.

The research on medical cannabis validates cannabis stimulating the pancreas to release insulin reducing a diabetic’s need for antiglycemic drugs. Research also validates the use of medical cannabis for reducing hypertension. The growth of the worldwide cannabis industry is responding to the need by the manufacture of broad spectrum hemp CBD oil.

Since the farm bill of 2018 hemp is now controlled by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) not the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Therefore, you cannot purchase a hemp product in a dispensary. A smoke shop is not a place to purchase a medical hemp product. A reliable website is hempvidaplus.com.

Ruth Hill lectures on cannabis. For a consultation visit www.holisticcaring.com

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

June 27 to July 3, 2019

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June 27 to July 3, 2019

CANNABIS CORNER

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

BY MICHELLE ANN RIZZIO

OCIMENE

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s we have been exploring terpenes these past few weeks we have gone over beta-caryophyllene, myrcene, and limonene. Today we will be exploring ocimene. Ocimene isa terpene that offers a sweeter and more herbaceous flavor and can add to citrus and wood-like undertones. It is found in a large amount of the plant kingdom beyond cannabis such as hops, kumquats, mangoes, basil, and more.

Ocimene is believed to be a protective part of the plant. A defense mechanism, if you will. It has the capacity to assist the plant in protecting itself against aphids.

Ocimene not only puts off a sweeter more floral nose, but also offers the consumer a large amount of health and therapeutic benefits. Research in 2013 (www.ncbi.nlm. nih.gov/pubmed/24348547) showcases that ocimene assists in having properties which inhibit enzymes connected to type 2 diabetes and hypertension. It can facilitate in allowing anti-inflammation of the liver. It has also been found to be an anticonvulsant which can help to prevent seizures.

For cannabis users, ocimene is usually found in sativa dominant strains and may be what gives the user the feelings of what is classically associated with sativa. It also

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contributes to cannabis’ nature to cause coughing as it is a decongestant. Ocimene is known for creating a pep in your step, hence being associated with most sativa cultivars of cannabis. This terpene is a benefit to users due to its anti-inflammatory properties, as well.

Strains usually testing high in ocimene include Strawberry Cough, Chernobyl, White Fire OG, OG Kush, Sour Diesel, and Durban Poison. Due to its stimulant nature, ocimene is often presently found in sativas that have more of an energetic punch to it.

Ocimene is released at a very low boiling point of 150 degrees. If you have access to a vaporizer, be sure to use low temps to release this sweet terpene.

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

June 27 to July 3, 2019

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June 27 to July 3, 2019

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