Coachella Valley Weekly - July 26 to August 1, 2018 Vol. 7 No. 19

coachellavalleyweekly.com • July 26 to August 1, 2018 Vol. 7 No. 19

Rebuilding Puerto Rico

pg5

Razor J

pg5

Will Sturgeon

pg6

CV KIDS

pg9

Cups Cafe

pg14

July 26 to August 1, 2018

2

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

Coachella Valley Weekly (760) 501-6228

publisher@coachellavalleyweekly.com coachellavalleyweekly.com facebook.com/cvweekly twitter.com/cvweekly1 Publisher & Editor Tracy Dietlin Art Director Robert Chance Sales Team Kirby Club Crawler Nightlife Editor Phil Lacombe Feature Writers Lisa Morgan, Rich Henrich, Heidi Simmons, Noe Gutierrez, Avery Wood, Tricia Witkower, Jason Hall, Olga Rodriguez 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, Sunny Simon, Dr. Peter Kadile, Bruce Cathcart, Flint Wheeler, Denise Ortuno Neil, Dee Jae Cox, Patte Purcell, Rebecca Pikus, Angela Romeo,Aaron Ramson, Lynne Tucker, Elizabeth Scarcella Photographers Robert Chance, Chris Miller, Esther Sanchez, Laura Hunt Little Website Editor Bobby Taffolla Distribution Phil Lacombe, William Westley

CONTENTS Bittner Dental Clinic............................... 3 Breaking The 4th Wall - Review of "Annie Get Your Gun"........................... 4 Film - Rebuilding Puerto Rico............... 5 Razor J - Best Guitar .............................. 5 Will Sturgeon - Best Producer............... 6 Brewtality............................................... 7 Sports Scene........................................... 7 Consider This - Bettye Lavette............... 8 CV Kids.................................................... 9 Pet Place............................................... 10 The Vino Voice ...................................... 11 Club Crawler Nightlife ................... 12-13

BITTNER DENTAL CLINIC WANTS YOU TO GET A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP

I

t may seem odd that a dentist is concerned about the quality of your sleep. Yet, it is perfectly natural.

There is a new mandate from the American Dental Association (ADA) in the treatment of sleep related breathing disorders, putting dentists at the forefront of diagnosis and treatment.

“There is an epidemic in this country --and around the world-- that is not being given the attention it needs,” said Blair Bittner Toohey, D.D.S. of Bittner Dental Clinic in Palm Desert. “Sleep deprivation affects millions. Eighty-five percent of people with poor sleep quality go undiagnosed and untreated, until they are forced to seek medical help for the lifethreatening conditions that arise from long term sleep disorders. We are passionate about helping people and reducing that number. The good news is that most sleep disorders can be treated and prevented.”

Dr. Bittner has been practicing dentistry, preventing and resolving sleep disorders for over 20 years, in Palm Desert for three.

She uses the latest in laser technology along with other dental techniques to treat patients who snore and or have sleep apnea – a condition where breathing stops during sleep -- commonly caused by an obstruction of the airway by the soft palate or tongue during sleep, cutting off the oxygen supply.

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), insufficient sleep has been linked to the development and management of a number of chronic diseases and health conditions that include cardiovascular issues, diabetes and depression.

People with sleep apnea are more likely to have other conditions such as hypertension, obesity, congestive heart

failure, type 2 diabetes, a stroke, a pacemaker and atrial fibrillation. Memory loss, confusion and auto accidents can also be signs of poor sleep patterns.

Deaths in America related to sleep apnea complications are estimated at 2,000 individuals daily!

Sleep apnea was directly connected in the recent deaths of actress Carrie Fisher and Supreme Court Judge Antonin Scalia.

Scalia was found with the Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) device on his bedside table not in use!

The CPAP breathing machine is the most common treatment for sleep apnea, which pumps air through a tube to a mask that covers the mouth, nose or both. It has straps that wrap around the head to keep the device in place while sleeping.

“Just as in the case of Judge Scalia, 70 percent of people using a CPAP stop using it between one and four months,” said Dr. Bittner’s husband and biggest fan. “The machine’s shelf-life is four years, they’re expensive, there can be problems with bacteria and infection, and it restricts movement. Mainstream treatment of sleep apnea is a prescription for the CPAP device, or in extreme cases, surgery, which is not always successful. It’s exciting that there is another non-invasive treatment available that can provide immediate results, is safe, painless, eliminates compliancy issues and is easily customized to meet each individual patient’s specific needs.”

With a sense of urgency Toohey asks: “Does it take a death before you make a change?

Dr. Bittner chimes in: “We ask each of our patients; What do your next ten years look like?” Americans never plan on having a

July 26 to August 1, 2018

BY HEIDI SIMMONS

stroke, heart attack, or consider the onset of dementia. We make it possible for them to pro-actively plan to prevent these health issues from stealing years from their life.”

Dr. Bittner provides her patients with a health questionnaire update about their sleep quality and habits: How many hours of sleep do you get? Are you refreshed upon waking? Do you snore? Do you grind your teeth? Do you doze off during the day? Does your partner sleep in another room? And so on. An initial “Sleep Survey” can be found on Dr. Bittner’s website: mouthwash365.com.

“Our goal is for our patients to be healthy and have their freedom,” said Dr. Bittner.

“They don’t have to be attached to a machine or sleep with an appliance forever.

Dental health providers are well situated to provide long-term and preventative sleep disorder care. We already see our patients two to four times a year to help them continue to page 4

Good Grub - Cups Cafe......................... 14 Screeners ............................................. 16 Book Review......................................... 17 Safety Tips ............................................ 17 Haddon Libby...................................... 19 Dale Gribow......................................... 19 Free Will Astrology.............................. 20 Life & Career Coach............................. 20 Awaken with Lizzy B............................. 22

3

July 26 to August 1, 2018

BITTNER DENTAL CLINIC

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com continued from page 3

maintain their dental health, so we can easily continue to follow-up, monitor their progress and meet their evolving needs, without incurring additional visits.”

Dr. Bittner’s dental practice is the only office in the Coachella Valley offering the Fotona Nightlase snoring and sleep apnea laser procedures. They offer a free screening program that includes a CBCT scan to visualize and assess individual airways and provide complimentary baseline home sleep study for patients at risk.

“At first some of my patients thought it was odd that we are screening for sleep disorders, but as it is turns out, we have been able to help many of them in a single treatment,” said Dr. Bittner. “It’s not a gimmick or a way to charge more, we are mandated. As a dentist, I need to make sure

the dentistry I provide will last, so I have been assessing airway stability, treating and preventing snoring and sleep apnea for twenty plus years, it is inherent to what I do every day.”

Dr. Bittner works with 15 Coachella Valley medical doctors and two local sleep centers.

“There are good medical doctors here in the valley who recognize that many patients need adjuncts and or alternatives to the CPAP,” said Dr. Bittner. “Medical doctors are faced with the burden of treating so many of the morbid conditions caused by sleep apnea they don’t often have time or to address the source itself. It is estimated that 25 percent of Americans suffer from sleep apnea. For every 100 adults in the U.S., only four know they have sleep apnea, while 22 don’t! Bittner Dental Clinic is equipped to make that determination in a single visit, and committed to doing our part in lightening the load on America’s healthcare system.”

Besides her laser treatment for sleep apnea, Dr. Bittner is a pain-free dentist with a family practice that includes general preventive, restorative, cosmetic and laser dentistry, implants, and Invisalign. She has a special interest in seeing that children are screened and properly diagnosed for potential sleep disorders.

“So many kids are being treated for ADD, ADHD or labeled as poor learners when in actuality they’re not getting the proper sleep necessary to be able to function at healthy levels,” said Dr. Bittner. “Sleep apnea is increasingly prevalent in children and should be considered and properly

screened before medication is prescribed.”

Born and raised in Northern California, Dr. Bitter is from a family of dentists. Her mother, father and siblings are dentists with a third generation now joining the San Jose, California dental group her parents started.

“I was very fortunate to graduate from dental school and go right into practice,” said Dr. Bittner. “I stepped into my mother’s private practice and worked alongside my father and brother benefiting from all their years of experience. I was encouraged to continue advancing my skills and education.

We always had the latest technology and we loved our patients like family.”

When Dr. Bittner’s father retired, her parents moved to La Quinta. When her father had a close call and was in Eisenhower hospital, Dr. Bittner decided to move closer to her parents and purchased her Palm Desert practice.

Dr. Bittner is a quintessential California girl with a big smile and genuine love for the outdoors. Her hot pink paddleboard with bright yellow flowers leans against a wall in the dental office as if she paddles on her lunch hour. And, no doubt she would, if the ocean was closer.

Behind her NorCal girlish ease is a brilliant woman. Dr. Bittner studied biochemistry and graduated from the University of the Pacific School of Dentistry.

She is a graduate of the Las Vegas Institute for advance dental studies, where she received much of her specialized training in cosmetics and TMD plus two decades of experience in full mouth reconstruction, was the first general dentist invited to work for Align Technology, Invisalign invisible

A STAGE REVIEW OF ‘ANNIE GET YOUR GUN’

T

hroughout her 48-year career, Dorothy Fields wrote more than 400 songs, worked on 15 stage musicals and 26 movies. Her successful career spanned from the 1930’s through the 1970’s, but its difficult to imagine many of her achievements being more iconic than “Annie Get Your Gun,” with book by Dorothy Fields and her brother Herbert Fields, and music & lyrics by Irving Berlin.

In 1946 Fields had an idea to write a show about the legendary sharp shooter, Annie Oakley. She envisioned her friend Ethel Merman in the lead role and approached Producers Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein. They liked the idea and brought Berlin on board to write the music and lyrics.

The Green Room Theatre Company and their astoundingly talented ensemble have continued their winning streak with the latest production of “Annie Get Your Gun,” at the Indian Wells Theatre in Palm Desert.

In the 1880’s sharpshooter Annie Oakley, performed beautifully by Kaitlyn Stewart, was recruited as a part of Buffalo Bill’s (Erasmo Blue Luna) Wild West show.

“Annie Get Your Gun,” tells the story of how the famous sharpshooter fell for the show’s star attraction, Frank Butler, portrayed by Charles Schnell whose rich singing voice

4

was certainly a highlight of the show.

Butler slowly becomes smitten with Annie as well, but when she outshines him with her skills, he takes off and joins a competing show. Annie’s success in Europe wins her many accolades and medals, but does not translate into cash and the show is forced to approach its competition about a merger in order to save them all.

This cast was spilling over with young talent, starting with the opening Tumbleweed Program and lasting through the final bows. One of the subplots that especially captured my attention was between Winnie Tate, (Kaiya Treash) and Tommy Keller (Bennett Creighton) and their struggle to maintain a frowned upon ‘interracial’ relationship. Treash’s voice is stellar and inspired sincere empathy for these star-crossed lovers. Though too numerous to name all the cast individually, Director

braces, and is laser and Conscious Sedation Certified, and she is also a member of the DentaCell Accellerator advisory board for Leonhardt’s Launchpads Cal -X Stars Business Accelerator.Inc. to name a few of her professional accomplishments.

Dr. Bittner is also the mother of three children, 20, 21, and 23 from her first marriage. She often takes her adorable little dog Daisy, a petite white Pomeranian, to work with her. After being divorced for 17 years, Dr. Bittner recently married Shawn Toohey.

“We love being a team and share the same goals,” said Dr. Bittner about her husband. “I was raised with my father saying: ‘The family that works together, plays together, stays together!’ My Mom and dad are living proof of that. It’s what I’ve always wanted and I get to do that every day with Shawn.”

Dr. Bittner’s Palm Desert office reflects her California charm with lots of natural sunlight, life-affirming messages and a refreshing trifecta of pinks, whites and greys. It is a welcoming and healing atmosphere.

“I love what I do. I get to give the gift of health every day,” said Dr. Bittner. “We want to increase awareness about sleep disorders and help patients prevent the morbid health conditions they cause. It’s a great feeling to give hope and heal patients who believe their condition could not improve.”

Bittner Dental Clinic is located at 73-071 Fred Waring Dr, Palm Desert. 760 346-8901.

For more information on sleep disorders and to make an appointment visit the website mouthwash365.com.

BREAKING THE4TH WALL

David Catanzarite excelled at staging and weaving the magic of this ensemble into a solid and professional performance.

The Broadway and London productions were huge hits and inspired a film and several revivals, including a Tony Award for best Revival in 1999 after Peter Stone revised the libretto in an effort to update the show and eliminate some of the racism.

It isn’t easy to view history through a contemporary lens and I don’t believe that

BY DEE JAE COX

we should rewrite our past to accommodate a modern pallet, but in the age of the ‘me too’ movement, it is a bit of a stretch to blindly accept the blatant sexism, where Annie needs to downplay her own skills in order to make Frank feel good about himself, or to ignore the cringe worthy racism that remains a running theme in the show. Yet despite the outdated plotlines, there is no denying that the beauty of the classic tunes, “There’s No Business Like Show Business,” and “Anything You Can Do,” have survived the test of time. And it truly captures the excitement of theatre when a classic script, a skilled Director and a talented cast sing and dance their way into the hearts of an audience the way this group does.

For more information on The Green Room Theatre, check out their website: www.greenroomtheatrecompany.org or call: (760) 696- 2546.

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

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

July 26 to August 1, 2018

HELP! THERE IS AN AMERICAN CRISIS IN BY RICH HENRICH AND DANIEL SEYMOUR PUERTO RICO THAT DEMANDS YOUR ATTENTION

T

he most catastrophic event in the modern history of the United States,” does not sound like the description of an under-recognized issue, nor does “the second most severe blackout in world history.” Yet many on the island of Puerto Rico, ten months after Hurricane Maria, still feel forgotten. Many Americans don’t even realize that Puerto Ricans, like Californians, Hawaiians or Texans are U.S. Citizens. The issues are complex and the relationship is complicated but the cry for help, seemingly lost in the Bermuda Triangle, must be heard all across the mainland. They need help now!

As the hurricane season returns, the island is more vulnerable than ever. “

CVMAs

W

It will require other American citizens echoing their concerns and demanding legislators take action since their voice in Congress is limited. It will require an army of concerned citizens willing to help in every way possible. It will require your participation in contributing to local charities, sharing their story to increase awareness and accepting their invitation to visit and enjoy the island, a tourist-driven economy that plea for more visitors to keep afloat. In the Coachella Valley, we know the vital role tourism plays in our own economy and can appreciate what Puerto Rico continues to endure nearly a year after a virtual collapse.

In October 2017, what began as a humanitarian relief effort soon turned into an urgent call to action as my documentary crew of two learned first-hand of the many complications politics and corruption played in hindering relief for the victims of Hurricane Maria. From outdated laws and infrastructure to a lack of clear leadership and communication, the island spiraled into a tragic free fall as the internet, cell phones, radio and television stations all failed. The island resembled the perfect setting for a post-apocalyptic film but the story was far too real for any fiction. Days past, then weeks, and then months, without answers, without help. With most of the media coverage

focused on tragedy, we sought to find people with stories of self-determination, like Alberto Ramirez, a co-founder of a local nonprofit, Ayuda Pa La Montana, and others like him: community leaders, homeless people, business owners, veterans, an orphanage director, injured and dispossessed people, youth, seniors, and artists all seeking to make the best of a difficult situation.

Next month, my documentary film crew will return to Puerto Rico to check on our friends in San Juan, Mayaguez, San German and Yabucoa, ground zero for Hurricane Maria. Recently, Ayuda Pa La Montana reached out with a specific request: help to raise $5,000 to repair the home of a respected elder in their town, who, like nearly fifty percent of the homeowners in Puerto Rico, does not qualify for FEMA funds because his home was built by family, friends, and neighbors several years ago and does not have a deed. Your help is urgent if

FILM

not vital for at least one man. Please help if you can.

Learn more about Project Puerto Rico and the campaign to help rebuild at: fromtheheartproductions.networkforgood. com/projects/50423-documentariesfilm4change-project-puerto-rico

RAZOR J: 2018 CV MUSIC AWARD WINNER FOR BEST GUITAR

here else can an individual artist win an award for ‘Best Guitar’ and be nominated for ‘Best Rap/Hip Hop’ in the same year? The Coachella Valley of course! The degree of talent in our backyard continues to surprise many. We are truly rich with those who use inventiveness in the music they create.

RAZOR J is such a person. With his unique picking style using mainly the index and middle fingers in an alternating fashion and a versatile background playing everything from Jazz to Hip-Hop, Indio native RAZOR J earned the most votes in the ‘Best Guitar’ category at the 2018 Coachella Valley Music Awards.

CVW: You won the 2018 CVMA for Best Guitar. What did it feel like when you found out you were nominated and ultimately when you won?

Razor J: “I’ve been nominated before and it’s cool that people even recognize my ability as a guitarist at all. To win was great! I remember growing up and being influenced by artists like Jimmy Page, Eddie Van Halen, Jimi Hendrix and thinking I wanna be great like them. I’m not, but I would like to think this means I’m on my way.”

CVW: You were up against some major players in Kal David, John Carey, Tom Edwards, Nick Hales, Arthur Seay, Alex Santana, Martin Barrera, David Morales and Luis Diaz. Those are some heavy-hitters in our local music industry. It says a lot about your maturation and increased influence among music fans.

PHOTO BY LAURA HUNT LITTLE

Razor J: “I›ve met most of the other guys who were nominated and have heard them all, even jammed with some of them. There›s a lot of talent there so it›s crazy that I won, but I thought one thing that was really cool is that stylistically a lot of ground was covered ranging from Metal to Jazz. I love a lot of styles of guitar so that›s great to see.”

CVW: You were also nominated for Best Rap/Hip Hop. That’s an unusual duo of nominations. Do you have a preference or do guitar and Hip-Hop go hand-in-hand for you?

Razor J: “Those two were the best nominations I could hope for. It’s unusual

I suppose because not very many famous rappers play guitar or vice versa, but they definitely go together with me. Huge rappers like Kendrick Lamar, Future, and Cardi B have live bands they play with where they have guitar players who sometimes take solos.

In my case, I just so happen to be the guitar player, kind of like Prince if he rapped instead of sang.”

CVW: You have recently performed with Cakes. What is that experience like?

Razor J: “I love playing with Cakes, she’s great. I enjoy playing with her and a lot of other people in the valley. I’m mostly focusing on my music, I have an EP dropping in August 2018, but anytime it works out playing with other local musicians it’s great.”

CVW: What does it mean to be an integral part of this community?

Razor J: “Making music in the Coachella Valley has been amazing. There’s a great community here and the talent is ridiculous. I know I’m biased, but I love the music scene in the Coachella Valley.”

CVW: You were involved in music from an early age. You also have a unique style in playing the guitar. Tell us how it all began.

Razor J: “I played trombone for years in marching band, but I started playing guitar in an afterschool Mariachi band. I learned from a guy who knew a little bit about flamenco and my band teacher showed me how to play basic classical guitar. So when I switched to electric guitar, I’d been playing with my fingers and just decided to keep doing that. A

BY NOE GUTIERREZ

lot of guitar players are thrown off by the fact that I rarely use a pick, even when playing metal or shred stuff. They usually think my technique comes from bass playing because I pick strings with my index and middle fingers, but it comes from the ‘Picado’ technique in Flamenco. People like Spanish virtuoso Paco de Lucia were masters of it. I also play a little like Jazz solo performers Charlie Hunter and Joe Pass.”

CVW: You made a decision to really pursue Rap/Hip-Hop more seriously. Who are your Rap/Hip-Hop heroes?

Razor J: “My Hip-Hop heroes are Eminem, Big Pun, Kendrick Lamar, and Joyner Lucas. I love a lot of rappers, but I’m really inspired by MCs who have complex and crazy flows. Just as with guitar, songs don’t require ridiculous technique but I like to work on mine so I don’t feel like I have any limitations to ideas in my head.”

RAZOR J may have won Best Guitar, but his overall musical proficiency makes him one of the Best Musicians in the valley. We look forward to his new release this summer.

Until then, you can listen to and purchase his music on Bandcamp. Highlights of his most recent release are Can A Drummer Get Some and Truffle Butter ft. System D. razorj.bandcamp.com

5

July 26 to August 1, 2018

CVMAs

C

WILL STURGEON - 2018 CV MUSIC AWARD WINNER FOR BEST PRODUCER

VW: You perform in brightener.

Please tell us how long the band has been together? Current members?

How the band started?

Sturgeon: “I’m constantly writing and recording music, whether for myself or for other people. So brightener started in 2012 as an official outlet for my solo project songs, and has gone through a few lineup changes for the band over the years. But since 2016, the Coachella Valley live band lineup has been Raefer Finnegan on bass guitar, Elias Texel on drums, Michael Santella on guitar and vocals, and myself on guitar and vocals.”

CVW: You also do a lot of collaborating with the Flusters. Tell us what it means to you to work with these musicians.

Sturgeon: “The Flusters were the first people to ever fully trust my producorial instincts and hire me as a producer for their first EP, which turned into me performing with them as a Fluster at Coachella in 2016 and collaborating with them as a producer and keyboardist on their second EP too. It means a lot to me to lift up different musical voices and I think The Flusters and Dougie do that particularly well in our valley and music scene so I’m always happy to be working and jamming with them.”

CVW: The AMP Showcase this weekend was fantastic. Tell us how it came about that you got involved and our now the Director?

Sturgeon: “Thank you! I try not to be too biased, but I thought it was really a fantastic show. I heard about AMP before the first summer camp in 2015 and knew that was something I needed to be involved in, so I came onto the organization as a volunteer.

The next year there was a need for new leadership and the AMP Board of Directors decided to trust me and a colleague to put on the next year’s camp and develop our yearround program. At the end of last year, I took over as Executive Director of the program and love it – it’s really a dream job for me.”

CVW: What does it mean to you to work with these kids? Please feel free to share some stories about this.

Sturgeon: “I grew up in the Coachella Valley, jamming on Zeppelin with my friends in the breaks between jazz band. To have a community of students from around the valley who I could write with, play the music that I like with, and perform with, would have meant the world to me and I have no idea where I would be musically now if I had that.

So I see a lot of myself in the students who are here at AMP and feel very connected to them. Watching them grow up as musicians and as people before my eyes has been a great joy for me. In particular, I remember one girl coming into AMP a few years ago as a very shy and meek and uncomfortable student. Now she wears spiky boots and absolutely kills it onstage. It’s these kinds of transformations that make all the hard work worth it.”

CVW: Please tell us about CDs you have recorded and if you are currently working on new material?

Sturgeon: “I also run The Sturdio where I produce, engineer, record, and mix local

6

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

PHOTO BY LAURA HUNT LITTLE

artists’ records, and was honored by the readers of CV Weekly with the Best Producer award earlier this year. I’m currently working with Lance Riebsomer and David Morales on their acoustic(-ish) EP project, The Sieve and The Saddle (Morgan James and Johnny Carmona) on their debut album, Israel Pinedo (a former AMP student) on his debut EP, a few songs with Eevaan Tre, and with a handful of other artists. Not enough time in the day!”

CVW: Is it as rewarding producing other people compared to working on brightener stuff?

Sturgeon: “I’ve been loving it. I will always need to produce my own music, but sometimes that gets a bit isolating and I love the collaboration that comes with working with other artists and lifting up their voices and perspectives. Just being a part of something that is meaningful to someone else and getting it to where they want it is completely rewarding. I’ll admit that it can get a little stressful to work a full-time job, be in brightener, and also produce other people’s records, but I love having all of these opportunities and am going to take advantage of them while I can.”

CVW: What is in the future for brightener?

Sturgeon: “brightener released a record last year (Headroom) and did a tour, and I kind of took a little time off from writing (I’ve got a couple other things going on…). Now that AMP Camp is done for the summer, I’m hoping to get a little time in between my other projects to write more and explore the new sounds and approaches I’ve been getting into lately. New music probably won’t be out for a little bit as I figure out the next step, but I really like the new stuff I’ve been working on. brightener has a few local and LA shows in the next few months that you can find on our Facebook.”

CVW: Which song are you most proud to say you wrote?

Sturgeon: “It’s definitely not my most popular song, but the brightener song I have the most affection for currently is “Help U Better Then.” It just really twists my guts around everytime I listen to it still. It’s about trying to be a good partner in a long-distance relationship.”

CVW: Which song do you most enjoy performing?

Sturgeon: “’Make Real Friends.’ It’s just very fun and sometimes the audience knows that song, which always makes it a little easier to let loose.”

CVW: What are your favorite venues to play?

Sturgeon: “There’s a great venue in LA called the Hi Hat that I think is fantastic. Big Rock Pub is a great local venue that is super supportive of the local music scene, which I really appreciate. brightener got to play a set at the Outdoor Theatre at Coachella 2016, which is a stage I’ve seen a lot of formative shows at so that was incredible to play on that stage (though I would have dialed in my monitors better next time…)”

CVW: What has been the most important moment of your career so far?

Sturgeon: “Playing Coachella 2016 as brightener. brightener is a project that really is an expression of myself and my own musical instinct, and it’s not hard to understand how much the Coachella festival means to a songwriter growing up in the Coachella Valley. It was one of a few life goals of mine to play my hometown festival, so that was a particularly meaningful point for me in music.”

CVW: How do you define success in the music business?

Sturgeon: “I think that everyone should develop their own definition of success in the music business. My two life goals about a decade ago were to: 1) play Coachella festival; and 2) make a living off of making music. In the past few years I’ve been very fortunate to hit those goals, so currently defining new definitions of success for myself!”

CVW: Who are your influences?

Sturgeon: “I love too much music to list, but here are a just few artists who I love and probably influence me greatly: The Beatles, Fleetwood Mac, Tame Impala, Forth Wanderers, Vulfpeck, Sufjan Stevens, poppunk from my teenage years…too many!”

CVW: What music/bands are you listening to right now?

Sturgeon: “Been listening to a lot of Tom Misch, War on Drugs, Khruangbin, Drake, again…lots more.”

CVW: Who would you most like to work with that you have not?

Sturgeon: “I want to work with a lot of

BY TRACY DIETLIN

people, just not enough time! On top of any dream list I may have, I want to work more with my friend Alex Rogers, who helps lead a great great band in LA called Family Hahas.

We have a really similar and complimentary style of music-making and I hope we can find some more time to work together.”

CVW: Who do you most respect in the music business?

Sturgeon: “I love the way that Vulfpeck handles their digital/release strategy, I think it’s very smart and funny and cutting edge and accessible (and effective!). I also think my friends in Cheekface have an incredibly effective release strategy for an indie band and I love watching them roll out new songs.”

CVW: What do you think are the biggest challenges musicians are facing today with the digital platforms?

Sturgeon: “I’ve only grown up on digital platforms, so I haven’t had to go through the difficult transition from hard copies to digital. One of the newest challenges is just getting people to give time to your music – the attention economy is real and musicians have to have a great strategy for getting their music in front of people. Unfortunately, not all musicians (myself included) have a natural tendency for that, so that’s another aspect of work that has to be done as a musician.”

How do you feel the CV Music scene has changed over the last 10 years?

Sturgeon: “I have only been back in the Coachella Valley for about 3 years (after living here till I was 16 years old), so I’m not the most qualified to speak on that. I’m VERY excited for the next 10 years, as our AMP students and community gets more mature and takes over our music scene. I’m happy to have played a hand in that future community and change!”

CVW: Who would you pick for your 3 headliners for next year’s Coachella?

Sturgeon: “Ok, not thinking about it as a business strategy but purely a selfish pick: Tom Misch, War on Drugs, Khruangbin.”

Stagecoach?

Sturgeon: “I don’t know much country, but our AMP students have played for the past three years at Stagecoach so I’m gunning for AMP headlining!!”

CVW: Who would you pick if they did another Desert Trip?

Sturgeon: “Led Zeppelin, Fleetwood Mac, and then get back at me when Goldenvoice learns how to pull off the reincarnations of a few other artists.”

CVW: What did it mean for you to win the CV Music Award for Best Producer this year?

Sturgeon: “Producing is something that I always thought I could do but didn’t really start doing with seriousness until last year. It was reassuring for my peers to recognize me as not only being able to do that, but being able to do it well. I’m still trying to hone in my skills and work on a variety of different projects moving forward so I’m hoping some of that recognition will translate into more projects that I can collaborate on!”

BREWTALITY

B

abe’s Brewhouse in Rancho Mirage, CA, is undergoing a dramatic shift in leadership, as both Operations Manager Art Vasquez and General Manager Jason St. John are walking away after over 16 years of running the award-winning valley brewpub.

Prior to Coachella Valley Brewing Company, and La Quinta Brewing Company opening their doors, the valley had two options for microbrewed (as they were still called at the time) beer; Backstreet Brewery in La Quinta, and Babe’s Barbecue in Rancho Mirage. While the since-closed Backstreet Brewery was part of a franchise (Brewpubs like BJ’s, Rock Bottom, and Backstreet were early trends in the craft beer movement, and helped to bring craft to the mainstream), Babe’s BBQ and Brewhouse was a stand-alone restaurant created and opened by Don Callender in 2002, with his longtime employee and right-hand man, Art Vazquez, brought in as Executive Chef and Operations Manager.

Babe’s has a special place in my heart for several reasons, the first of which being Babe’s role in helping me to discover craft beer. I remember going in there for the first time around 2008, and really feeling a sense of excitement at the variety of beer that was brewed exclusively for the restaurant (like many other casual patrons, I had no idea there was an actual brewery in Babe’s). I’d been a long time La Quinta resident, and Backstreet Brewery was right around the corner from my house, but those drives across town to Babe’s were so much more satisfying because the beer was just better made. Several years later

SPORTS SCENE

G

reat storytelling generally follows a three-act structure. First, the setup, when the audience or reader is introduced to the characters and their importance. Next, the confrontation or complication. When those characters encounter an obstacle or face a hardship; and finally, the resolution, the final climax of the characters’ journey. Sound familiar? This is the story of Tiger Woods.

Though that structure is still followed today on stage, in opera, and in film, it doesn’t fit quite so nicely into real life. There are few exact delineations or moments that distinguish one phase of our lives from another. Confrontation and resolution can be tricky. They get intertwined, and become difficult to discern.

Sports provides a little more of a framework for narrative structure, as it can be naturally divided into quarters, halves, games, and seasons. But it can still be challenging to know a turning point when you see it. Even with all that in mind, Tiger Woods’s story flipped a page on Sunday at the Open Championship.

Woods entered Sunday four shots off the tournament leaders, in a role many golf statisticians will remind you has never led to one of his 14 major victories—all of those were won with Tiger in the lead going into Sunday. But there was hope. He’d been playing well all week, particularly on Saturday when he recorded six birdies and finished

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

END OF AN ERA AT BABE’S BREWHOUSE

I’d find myself an employee of Babe’s, hired on as the assistant-brewer and part of the special event team.

Under the watchful eyes of Vasquez and General Manager Jason St. John, who joined the operation in 2008, Babe’s beers began collecting merits in various beer competitions year after year, culminating in 10 awards at the LA international competition between 2009 and 2011. A demand for Babe’s beer started, and in 2012, the decision was made to begin selling to local restaurants across the valley.

Without a third-party distributor shipping the product, the duo found themselves having to market their beer to more than just Babe’s thirsty customers. “I found myself cold-calling restaurant after restaurant to sell our product, but it’s really what had to be done,” explains Vasquez in an interview, “People didn’t know that Babe’s made beer! There were a lot of challenges in self-distributing.”

The strategy worked, paying off in a slow but steady increase in production. In 2012, Babe’s was brewing about 200 BBL’s (or 6,200

gallons) of beer a year for the restaurant.

By 2017, that number more than doubled, with Babe’s brewing more than 525 BBL’s of beer annually and selling $100K worth of it to business across the valley. Impressive numbers when you realize just how small a brewery Babe’s is, with the ability to produce no more than 10 BBL’s of beer at a time (As a guy who brewed the beer between 2015 and 2018, I can tell you that time management was an essential skill to have).

In 2015, The California State Fair in Sacramento named Babe’s the Brewery of the Year, and the Brewhouse was once again lauded in 2017 when it won Coachella Valley’s Small Business of the Year. When asked if these were their biggest accomplishments while operating Babe’s, Vazquez and St. John pointed out their work in the community as being their proudest moments. ‘Hops for Isaiah’ was a 2017 event that saw Babe’s collaborate with La Quinta Brewing Company to raise money and awareness for a local child stricken with Leukemia.

Often referred to as The Godfather of the Coachella Valley Beer scene, Vasquez dismisses the title, and points to relationship building as being a tool to success. “We’re really proud of the relationships we’ve made with Scott and Derek from La Quinta Brewing, Jimmy Hahn from Beer Belly, Nick Adler from Golden Voice,” says Vasquez, “networking is really important when you’re running a business.” Jason St. John’s involvement with the city of Rancho Mirage first saw him placed on the board of directors in 2014, then elected as the city’s Chairman of the Board this year.

TIGER RECHARGES CAREER & GOLF

with a 66. This was his best chance at a major championship since he returned to the sport last year following his fourth back surgery in three years. At the 2018 Masters he couldn’t put together any scoring, and after a brutal two days at Shinnecock Hills last month, he missed the cut at the U.S. Open. But with a weird mallet putter in his bag, his putting had looked solid heading into the final round of the Open Championship, and his driving accuracy was promising on a course where there are numerous dangers just off the fairways.

But there was still uncertainty, and that was a new feeling for those of us used to watching the Tiger of yesteryear, the one who held all four major titles simultaneously from 2000

to early 2001, and who was so ridiculously dominant at the 1997 Masters that Augusta National was forced to alter its course. The edges of couches everywhere got a workout as Tiger maneuvered through the front nine on Sunday, finding himself at 2-under par for the day, and, at one point, holding sole possession of the lead at 7-under. He double-bogeyed the 11th to erase the progress he’d made on the front nine, and big names like Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose began to creep up the leaderboard.

Woods didn’t fare much better through the rest of his back nine, and he wound up finishing tied for sixth—his best finish in a major since the 2013 Open Championship. He watched as his playing partner Francesco Molinari finished off his bogey-free round to win his first major.

But even though Tiger couldn’t put together that final run to seal the deal, Sunday felt like a move into the third act of Woods’s career.

First, there was the Golf God. The second act was marred by injuries, surgeries, and personal complications that made it seem—both to fans and to Tiger himself—that he might never make it back to earlier form.

Then came Sunday, which saw Woods cast in a new role: the underdog. The person who has the tools to win, but has spent so long away from the game that his status as a contender isn’t on sure footing.

When Woods returned to golf late last year, he came back to a sport that had been

July 26 to August 1, 2018

BY AARON RAMSON Humble and soft spoken, St. John backs up the notion that community involvement has been the most rewarding aspect of their accomplishments.

When asked why they’re leaving Babe’s after accomplishing so much and being responsible for so much of the company’s growth, both men were reticent in their response. “I’ve achieved all I could as an employee of Babe’s,” explains Vasquez, “it’s now time for me to take my passion and do it as an owner.” St. John nods, “I’ve learned great lessons and forged amazing relationships in my last decade at Babe’s. It feels right to apply those assets to a newer project now.”

When asked what that new project could be, Vasquez and St. John remained tight lipped, but admitted that they’ve got strong investors behind them for a startup that could see ground being broken as early as next year.

BY FLINT WHEELER trying to fill his shoes for five years. Golf is no longer dominated by one person. Jason Day tried, as did Rory, Jordan, DJ, and JT. The talent level across the PGA and European tours is incredibly high, and means that at any given tournament, even majors, we can see the Schauffele, Finau, Kisner, and others near the top of the leaderboard. Golf is no longer a dictatorship—it’s a meritocracy. And Woods is finding his place within that system.

But he’s still Tiger. He’s the person that many of these young golfers grew up watching, still the player older golfers admire and still the guy that can bring hordes of fans out of the woodwork to tune in to a tournament played across the pond, at ungodly hours of the morning. We’ve all seen what he’s capable of too many times to ever really count him out.

But this act feels different.

Woods didn’t hoist the Claret Jug, and his game still needs a bit of fine-tuning to approach what it once was, but maybe on another Sunday in the future, Sam and Charlie will be there to witness their dad complete his comeback and finally get that 15th major. It isn’t a given, but after Sunday it feels a little bit closer.

7

July 26 to August 1, 2018

CONSIDER THIS

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

BY ELENI P. AUSTIN

HAVE CHANGED” (VERVE RECORDS) BETTYE LAVETTE “THINGS

A

few years ago, Bettye LaVette was on the bill of an Italian music festival.

As she prepared to emerge from her Dressing room, security stopped her, refusing to let her out. “Well, why?” she asked. She was informed “Mr. Dylan is going on stage,” and I’m like, “I don’t care! Let me out of my dressing room. So I come out of my dressing and I’m angry, because he’s got my band and me and everybody trapped while he walks 50 steps to the stage. So, I’m walking on the same path that he is, but on the other side of the room and I said ‘HEY, ROBERT DYLAN!’ He was walking with his bass player and he mouthed to Bob, ‘that’s Bettye LaVette.’ He walked over to me, took my face in both of his hands, kissed me dead on the mouth and walked on stage.”

There’s something kind of classic about that story, and it illustrates that even though Miss LaVette is not a household name, she’s well-known in the circles that matter. Although her career has experienced something of a renaissance since the turn of the 21st century, Bettye’s been a working musician since she was “discovered” in 1962 at the age of 16.

Unlike her contemporaries, (Aretha, Gladys, Patti), Bettye didn’t grow up singing in church.

Born in Muskegon, Michigan, she was raised in Detroit and would sing at home for family and friends. Somehow, she came to the attention of legendary music promoter Johnnie Mae Matthews. She recorded her first single, “My Man, He’s A Lovin’ Man,” and it was a regional hit. The Atlantic label bought the distribution rights and it shot up the charts into the Top 40.

This led to tours with artists like Clyde McPhatter, Barbara Lynn, Ben E. King and Otis Redding. Her second single, “Let Me Down Easy” was released in 1965. James Brown became a huge fan and included her in his James Brown Revue.

Throughout the ‘60s, she cut songs here and there and had a couple more Top 40 hits, but it didn’t feel like her career was gaining traction. When she signed with the Atlantic subsidiary Atco, it felt like her big break. Home to Aretha, Ray Charles and a plethora of R&B superstars, the label sent her to the Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Alabama. The result, Child Of The Seventies, was shelved by the label without explanation.

For Bettye, the ‘70s was more of the same; one-off recordings for tiny labels with little to show for it. At one point she signed with her

8

hometown label, Motown. Typically, they couldn’t find a way to harness her epic talent.

She quit the record industry for a few years, joining the company Of the Broadway musical, “Bubbling Brown Sugar,” an homage to the African-American composers who were at the forefront of the Harlem Renaissance. The show lasted six years and included legends like Honi Coles and Cab Calloway.

By the ‘90s, Gilles Petard, a Soul Music aficionado from France located the master recordings of Child Of The Seventies and released them himself under the new title Souvenirs. Concurrently, the Dutch Munich label released a live set; Let Me Down Easy, Live In Concert. Both triggered a renewed interest in Bettye. In 2003, she signed with the small Blues Express label and recorded A Woman Like Me. The following year it won “Comeback Blues Album Of The Year” from the W.C. Handy Foundation. This brought her to the attention of the Anti- label.

Anti- is a sister label to the venerable Punk indie, Epitaph. Everyone from Neko Case and Merle Haggard to Wilco and Tom Waits has made a home there. Anti- paired Bettye with Producer/Musician Joe Henry. In addition to maintaining a critically acclaimed solo career, he has handled production chores for artists like Ani DiFranco, Elvis Costello and Allen Toussaint, as well as Loudon Wainwright III and Bonnie Raitt.

Arriving in 2005, I’ve Got My Own Hell to Raise, offered a dazzling fusion of singer and song. All the tracks were written by female Singer-songwriters and Bettye artfully interpreted well-known songs by Fiona Apple, Rosanne Cash, Aimee Mann, Sinead O’Connor and Lucinda Williams. The album raised her profile exponentially, introducing her to younger fans. Hitting the ground running, she quickly collaborated with alt.country rockers, the Drive-By Truckers. 2007’s Scene Of The Crime, received universal critical acclaim and garnered a Grammy Nomination for Best Contemporary Blues Album.

When the Kennedy Center honored the Who in late 2008, Bettye offered a scorching version of “Love Reign O’er Me” from Quadrophenia that brought down the house. Two months later at President Obama’s inauguration she killed it again with Sam Cooke’s epochal (and wholly apropos) anthem, “A Change Is Gonna Come.”

Both events directly influenced her next album, 2010’s Interpretations: The British Songbook. It was an agile collection of British Invasion hits from the Animals, the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, The Stones, Traffic and of course, the Who. Two years later Thankful N’ Thoughtful was another winning effort, including wily interpretations of songs by Tom Waits, the Pogues and Neil Young. In 2015, she reunited with Joe Henry for Worthy, a seamless collection that included songs by Mickey Newberry, Brown, Over The Rhine, the Beatles and Rolling Stones, along with Amazing Rhythm Aces and Mary Gautier.

Now at age 72, she has signed with the iconic Jazz label Verve, which has been home to Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, the Velvet Underground and Frank Zappa, (just to name a

few). Apparently, she is the oldest living artist with a new recording contract. Zeroing in on Bob Dylan’s voluminous catalogue of songs, she winnowed 60 possibilities down to a 12 song collection entitled Things Have Changed.

To bring this project to fruition, Bettye partnered up with producer/musician Steve Jordan. The drummer is best known for anchoring the sound for everyone From the Blues Brothers, David Letterman’s Late Night band, to Keith Richard’s X-Pensive Winos, as well as Eric Clapton and John Mayer. He’s also worked as a producer for Robert Cray, Buddy Guy, Herbie Hancock, John Scofield and most recently Boz Scaggs.

The album gets off to a rollicking start with the title track. A with a bit of studio chatter rolls into a kick-drum rhythm, swoony keys and rambunctious guitars, she launches into a sweet Soul version of the song that Bob originally wrote for the Michael Douglas film, “Wonder Boys.” Although the lyrics were written to reflect the movie’s themes, in Bettye’s hands, it’s less of a cranky rant and more of a statement of fact; “Lotta water under the bridge, lotta other stuff too, don’t get up gentlemen I’m only passing through/People are crazy and times have changed, I’m locked up tight, I’m out of range, I used to care, but things have changed.” A barbed-wire guitar solo underscores her world-weary apathy.

Millions of musicians have covered Bob Dylan throughout the decades. Bettye distinguishes herself by digging into deep cuts and ignoring more obvious options. From the ‘60s, she tackles “It Ain’t Me Babe,” “The Times They Are A-Changin’” and “Mama, You Been On My Mind,” drastically recasting all three.

Swapping out the acoustic Folk flavor of the original for a slow-cooked Soul groove, “It Ain’t Me...” blends in-the-pocket percussion with sanguine organ notes and sugar rush guitar.

Bob’s caustic kiss-off is re-fashioned as a sweet and gentle farewell. Bettye’s vocal delivery is Bluesy but contrite; “You say you’re lookin’ for someone, someone who’ll promise to never part, someone to close her eyes for you, somebody to open up your heart/Someone to die for you and more, but it ain’t me babe.”

Keith Richards adds a meandering guitar solo on the break.

With “The Times, They Are A-Changin,’ it feels as though Bettye has taken a Volkswagen, stripped it for parts and rebuilt it as a sleek Dune Buggy. A classic Folk anthem, with roots in Scottish and Irish balladry, this rendition is propelled by a walloping backbeat and resonator guitar riffs. While the arrangement

is positively danceable, the gravitas of the lyrics mirror these desperate days; “Come gather ‘round people wherever you roam, and admit that the waters around you have grown/ And accept it soon you’ll be drenched to the bone If your time to you is worth savin,’ then you better start swimming or You’ll sink like a stone, for the times, they are a-changin.”

“Mama…” which Bob wrote and recorded in 1964, remained unreleased until 1991’s Bootleg Series. Written for his girlfriend Suze Rotolo, it’s one of his most heartfelt love songs.

Bettye’s version flips the script, offering a beautiful encomium to her mother. Spare and bare bones, it’s accented by warm piano notes, sweet acoustic arpeggios and weepy pedal steel. Bettye’s vocals are front and center, equal parts soft and steely, she admits “I’m just whisperin’ to myself, so I can’t pretend that I don’t know, Mama, You been On my mind.”

The ‘80s are generally considered Bob Dylan’s wilderness years, most of his recorded output was lackluster at best. But Bettye rescues some uncut gems from that era, giving them a bit of polish. From his 1985 album Empire Burlesque, comes the tough confrontation of “Seeing The Real You At Last” and the tender “Emotionally Yours.”

On the former, time signatures shift from a Rock rhythm to a rock steady Reggae riddim.

Steve Jordan rides his kit much like Charlie Watts of the Rolling Stones, with economy and authority. Stinging guitar riffs sidewind through percolating keys. Bettye giveth; “When I met you baby, you showed no visible scars, you could sing like Otis Redding, you could dance like Bruno Mars,” and Bettye taketh away; “Well, I’m gonna quit this bullshit now, I guess I should have known, I got troubles, you got troubles, I think we better leave each other alone/Whatever you’re gonna do, please do it fast, I’m still trying to get used to seeing the real you at last.”

The latter is one of Bob’s most underrated love songs; here he’s jettisoned the casual misogyny that characterizes most of his work, declaring his love without the usual equivocation. Bettye’s rendition doubles down on the tenderness, adding a measure of urgency. As filigreed Guitars, stately piano, lush organ colors and lyrical mandolin gently wash over the arrangement.

Although it’s couched as “tough love,” “Don’t Fall Apart On Me Tonight,” from the Infidels album, mines the same level of kindness and affection. Plaintive piano notes give way to tumbling drums before locking into a languid groove. Flick-of-the-wrist guitar licks ebb and flow, as Bettye passionately makes her case; “Yesterday’s just a memory, tomorrow’s never what it’s supposed to be, and I need you.” Even as she admits “I ain’t too good at conversation,” she works in some flattery; “Do you remember on 14th street, when you blew Billy Joel’s mind/You were so fine Tina Turner would have fell at your feet and left Ike hangin’ on the line.”

The best ‘80s material comes from 1989’s “Oh Mercy.” The album that signaled he was continue to page 9

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

COACHELLA VALLEY KIDS MAGAZINE CV KIDS PUBLISHES FIRST ISSUE ON SEPT. 1, 2018

“

A

s the Owner & Publisher of CV Weekly I am proud to announce that we will be expanding. Coachella Valley Kids will be in the capable hands of Managing Editor, Laura Hunt Little,” says Tracy Dietlin. “Laura has a passionate and insightful outline for this new publication and I can’t wait for the valley to see what she brings to the table.”

Families in the Coachella Valley will soon have a new resource with valuable information relevant to kids from newborn through high school. Coachella Valley Kids is poised to deliver all-original content about family activities, culture, wellness, education and celebrations. The printed magazine will publish every 2 months through 2019, with future plans to grow to monthly issues. Built on the powerful distribution network of Coachella Valley Weekly magazine, Coachella Valley Kids will be distributed to more than 300 locations across the valley including family venues, retail locations, racks and boxes.

The bi-monthly full-color glossy print issue is just the beginning. The original content will be published online and permanently archived on www.coachellavalleykids.com. The website will also feature an online calendar and directory of family services. Readers are invited to submit calendar content to promote local kids’ events that open to the public.

July 26 to August 1, 2018

Readers are also invited to list kid-centric businesses in the directory of services. There is no charge to list events on the calendar or for standard directory listings. Between printed issues, e-newsletters will be delivered weekly to subscribers. These e-blasts will contain the week’s upcoming calendar highlights as well as articles and columns. It is free to subscribe to the e-newsletter. The subscription form is already taking sign-ups at www.coachellavalleykids. com. In addition, active social media channels will engage with readers multiple times weekly.

“As a mom of grown kids, I look back with gratitude for the desert community in which we raised our children. The things we value most are the experiences gained through activities and interactions with our neighbors, through Scouting, our schools, visits to local attractions and participating in community events,” says Laura Hunt Little. “I put a lot of effort over the years into connecting our family to these experiences. Coachella Valley Kids is poised to facilitate interaction to make it easier for families in the desert to gain their own special experiences.”

Advertisers are invited to connect with readers through a variety of ad packages. For a rate card and ad specs, please contact ads@ coachellavalleykids.com. www.coachellavalleykids.com

BETTYE LAVETTE continued from page 8 abandoning the slick synth coating emblematic backwards, are they playing our song/Where of the times, instead, returning to his acoustic Were you when it started, do you want it for roots and more socially conscious lyrics. free, what was it you wanted, did you get it “Political World” opens with rattlesnake from me?” shake percussion and swampy electric guitar Other interesting tracks include an before settling into a relax-fit Bo Diddley beat. apocalyptic, string-laden take on “Ain’t Talkin’” Crunchy metallic guitar and whooshy keys from 2006’s “Modern Times” and a surprisingly ride roughshod over slinky syncopation. Even muscular read of “Do Right To Me Baby (Do though the song was written 30 years ago, the Unto Others)” from the apex of Bob’s late ‘70s lyrics feel tied to today’s issues; “We live in a Gospel phase. The album closes with “Going, political world, where courage is a thing of the Going, Gone” from the wildly underrated past, houses are haunted, children unwanted, “Planet Waves” album, Released in 1974. the next day could be your last.” Keith Richards’ Stripped down to low-country Blues, accented provides a sandblasted guitar solo that by lonesome pedal steel and acoustic guitar, it reinforces the song’s visceral truths. offers something of a restless farewell.

“What Was It You Wanted” is the real This record is packed with iconic players revelation here. Bob’s original felt understated from guitarist Larry Campbell (who toured and conversational, Bettye recalibrates the as Bob Dylan’s guitarist from 1997 to 2004), mood, making it feel like more is at stake. legendary bassist Pino Palladino, Jazz pianist “Make me wanna Holler” congas open the Gil Goldstein, the Fiery String Company (Nikola arrangement, giving the track it’s swagger. Workman on cello, Ina Paris on viola And Rumbling bass lines connect with muted keys Charisa Dowe Rouse and Rose Bartu on violin), and wah-wah guitar. The arrangement hews and Leon Pendarvis, who has had a storied more closely to Blaxploitation anthems like career as a session musician For the last 40 “Trouble Man,” “Freddie’s Dead” and the years, and played keys in the “Saturday Night “Theme From Shaft,” than bucolic Folk songs Live” Band for more than 30 years. like “Blowin’ In The Wind.” New Orleans’ own If Bob and Bettye ever reconnect, he owes Trombone Shorty adds a plush solo on the her an even bigger smooch, maybe even dinner break that intertwines with flange-y guitar and a movie! While his music remains classic, and jazzy Clavinet from Big Easy icon, Ivan she has injected some much-needed Soul, Neville. Bettye bobs and weaves demanding salvation, grit and gravitas to his oeuvre. Bob An explanation; “Is the scenery changing, am Dylan created these songs, but Bettye LaVette I getting it wrong? Is the whole thing going has made them her own.

9

July 26 to August 1, 2018

PET PLACE

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

BY JANET McAFEE

FACEBOOK SAVES MAHTO!

S

ocial media is revolutionizing how we find a spouse, a job, a house, and even a pet. As of 2018, there are 2.2 billion Facebook users worldwide, and over 1 billion of them log on daily. This powerful social media platform saves the lives of countless shelter dogs, sending their appealing photos and stories to thousands of prospective owners. Animals that might otherwise be euthanized at public shelters find loving homes and bring joy to their lucky humans.

Magen Arquette, volunteer at the San Bernardino City Shelter, posted the German Shepherd dog with the freckled face on her Facebook page. Foster parents Vanessa Ruggles and Curtis Sweesy fell in love with the dog’s beautiful Facebook photo with a distinctive ring of freckles around his nose. They asked Loving All Animals to sponsor him. I sent a Facebook message asking someone at the shelter to evaluate his temperament and approximate age. A Facebook friend soon reported back, “He’s a sweetheart, gets along with other dogs, about 2 years old”.

With the gait and confidence of a show dog, Mahto pranced into the parking lot and leaped eagerly into our waiting vehicle.

MEET PEACHES Precious Peaches is a 4-yr-old cancer survivor.

She wins the gold medal for being the most loving lap cat, and loves to hang out with you! Rescued by www.ForeverMeow.org, call (760) 335-6767.

MEET ALEX This adorable 1-yr-old longlegged Chihuahua boy looks like a little deer! Full of doggie love, Alex waits for a home at the Coachella Valley Animal Campus shelter, 72050 Pet Land Place, Thousand Palms.

Call (760) 343-3644 for dog ID#A1445763.

10

For anyone who thinks going into an animal shelter would be sad, there’s nothing like the feeling of joy when you escort a shelter animal on the freedom ride home; rather than becoming another grim shelter statistic, Mahto instinctively now looked forward to an amazing future.

A handsome German Shepherd with perhaps a bit of Akita, this young dog proved to be a sweet loving animal with the demeanor of a playful teddy bear. Curtis, his foster dad, named him Mahto which means “Bear” in Lakota Sioux.

I posted Mahto on Loving All Animals page and my own Facebook page. There was soon a comment from Cathleen CoombsStephens, a former co-worker, expressing her interest in the dog. I noted a happy picture of Cathleen’s dog sitting on a couch on her Facebook page, and discovered Elmo Stephens even had his own Facebook page! Cathleen soon arrived for a “meet and greet” with her two sons. Our goodbye tears became tears of joy knowing Mahto was going to a wonderful home.

Cathleen kept us updated on Facebook, “Can you imagine the joy I am experiencing watching Mahto and Elmo play? Mahto is also regularly getting in the kiddy pool.

Mahto because he plays catch and chase with them. We made the best decision to adopt this dog!”

Rescued by Facebook, adopted by Facebook, you can now see Mahto Stephens’ adventures on his own Facebook page, “MahtoNuni Stephens.” Check out Loving All Animals’ Facebook page and website www. lovingallanimals.org to see more adoptable animals. Call us to foster or adopt at (760) 834-7000. When you “Share” a homeless dog on Facebook, you may be creating a happy ending for that precious pup. jmcafee7@verizon.net

Today was a good day....Right now my son Declan is sitting on Mahto and he’s not even moving!”

Mahto now leads a charmed life, living on a 3/4 acre mountain property. Cathleen reports, “He is highly affectionate. The minute I sit down, Mahto forces his head under my hand for a pet. He learns really fast, and looks to our other dog for guidance.

There is a definite camaraderie between the two dogs. The boys, Miles and Declan, adore

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

THE VINO VOICE

BY RICK RIOZZA

EAT, DRINK & BE MERRY!

S

o what do you think? Eating a healthy diet, maintaining a healthy body weight, exercising regularly, not smoking, and drinking alcohol in moderation, do you reasonably believe that following these five lifestyle habits can add several years to your lifespan?

A new study just published by Harvard’s School of Public Health claims itself to be the first comprehensive analysis that offers a clear conclusion that the average Joe and Joanne can add years to their living by following the five “low risk lifestyle” practices. And we are particularly nosey about the factoid that includes “drinking in moderation”.

Of course previous studies have included moderate alcohol consumption as part of a healthy lifestyle—but then soon enough, we’ll read of other studies that point out that alcohol is a poison and should not be entertained as something desirable. I don’t know about you, but come four or five o’clock in the late afternoon, a nice glass of vino or a chilled Martini sounds quite desirable.

Anyway—here’s the latest; I’ll summarize by quoting from different sources: “The study, published April 30 in Circulation, the American Heart Association’s journal on cardiovascular disease research, looked at 34 years of data from 78,865 women and 27 years of data from 44,354 men. It aimed to quantify how much these five healthy lifestyle factors might be able to increase longevity of life in the U.S., where life expectancy is lower than in most other highincome countries. (The U.S. ranked 31st in the world for life expectancy in 2015, with an average of 79.3 years.)”

“The researchers found that women in the studies who did not practice any of the five healthy habits had an average life expectancy at age 50 of +29 years, while men who did not practice any of the habits had an average life expectancy at age 50 of +25.5 years. But for those who adopted all five low-risk factors, life expectancy at age 50 was expected to be 43.1 years for women and 37.6 years for

men.”

“This means women who maintained all five healthy habits lived an average of 14 years longer than those who practiced none of the habits; the difference in men was roughly 12 years. The more habits a person followed, the longer their life expectancy. The researchers also discovered that women and men who maintained all five healthy habits were 82 percent less likely to die from cardiovascular disease and 65 percent less likely to die from cancer, compared to those who practiced none of the habits.”

“For alcohol specifically, those who drank moderately—roughly up to one glass of wine per day for women and two for men—had longer life expectancy than those who drank heavily and those who abstained. However, the study’s researchers emphasize that this is not an excuse to drink alcohol under the guise of extending your life.”

Of course due to man’s sinful heart and mind, every study I read must always conclude with that obvious exculpatory language—so the speaker and their corporate sponsor won’t get sued for urging alcoholism!

As here, Dr. Yanping Li, a research scientist involved in the study, told Wine Spectator magazine, “Nobody should start drinking just because it protects your heart and diabetes risk. However, if you drink, try your best to keep it moderate,” And another important, but unfortunate, note of this study to consider: less than 2 percent of the people in the studies followed all five habits!! Okay—so the world goes round, and again, a healthy lifestyle improves life expectancy.

We vino lovers already know the synergy of enjoying wine and food together. Some of us find it difficult to imagine a nice dinner without wine. More of a fun endeavor, surely, than a concern of an addictive substance: no one’s jonesing or suffering withdrawal should we have to forego a Chianti with our lasagna alla bolognese. But the “synergy” of that Italian dish and drink bumps up the

July 26 to August 1, 2018

enjoyment all the more.

On a more mundane note, we’ll find stodgy health experts telling us that when we drink wine, we should always have it with some food. No problem here!—it’s accepted wisdom worldwide and historically.

Everyone’s on board here; we just wrote about some of our favorite wine bars in town providing great grub and munchies alongside.

The science aspect to it is simple: Having food in your stomach helps slow down the absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream by keeping it in the stomach longer, which in turn keeps you from becoming intoxicated quickly—and gives you a better chance of avoiding a hangover later.

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics writes, “On an empty stomach, blood-alcohol levels peak about one hour after consuming a drink, and then decline at a linear rate for the

next four hours or so. When consumed with a meal, blood-alcohol concentrations don’t rise as quickly or get as high.”

“Drinking with food in your belly also lightens the load on your liver. When alcohol stays in the stomach, alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH)—an enzyme that exists in both the stomach lining and the liver—can begin metabolizing it. But if there’s no food to keep the alcohol there, it passes more quickly to the intestines, thus leaving the ADH in the liver to do all the heavy lifting, and, the metabolism of other food is put on hold leading to increased fat storage.”

Finally, a slew of studies throughout the last forty years show that drinking wine with food aids in digestion. Recently, the Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology found that subjects who drank red wine while eating a high-fat meals, experienced lower levels of inflammation in their blood vessels than those who drank other beverages.

And we’ve learned, the polyphenols in red wine trigger the release of nitric oxide, a chemical that relaxes the stomach wall, helping to optimize digestion while counteracting the negatives of the digestion process.

Cheers! and Bon Appétit!

11

July 26 to August 1, 2018

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

THUR JULY 26

29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-3673505 Bobby Furgo & Co 6pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Permanent records Present: Brown Acid Trip 9pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-2021111 Bill and Doug Duo 6:30pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 DJ Addemup and Friends 7pm BERNIE’S; RM; 760-202 4499 Barry Minniefield and Brian Dennigan 7pm BIG ROCK PUB; IND; 706-200-8988 Not So Acoustic Palooza hosted by Lance Riebsomer 7-10pm BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 John Stanley King 6-10pm CATALAN; RM; 760-770-9508 George Christian 6-9pm CHEF GEORGE’S PICASSO LOUNGE; BD; 760-200-1768 Kristy King 7-10pm DHS SPA LOUNGE; DHS; 760-3296787 Karaoke w/ DJ Scott 9pm EUREKA; IW; 760-834-7700 TBA 8-10pm GADI’S BAR & GRILL; YV; 760-8201213 Karaoke 8pm 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

HUNTER’S; PS; 760-323-0700 Open Mic 9pm JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-3662250 TBA 9pm KILO’S CANTINA; TP; 760-835-1363 Reggae Night 9pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760325-2794 Hot Roxx 6:30pm LIT@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; 760345-2450 Country Night w/ Whiskey Maiden 9pm THE LOUNGE, AGUA CALIENTE; RM; 888-999-1995 Quinto Menguante 8-1am MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 Ron Greenip 8pm MOXIE; PS; 760-318-9900 Rick the Piano Man 6pm 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; 760-3655956 Patrolled by Radar 8pm PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND COCKTAILS; TP; 760-343-2115 Van Vincent and Joe’s Boyz 8pm SAMMY G’s; PS; 760-320-8041 Evaro Brothers 8pm SHANGHAI RED’S @ THE FISHERMAN’S MARKET; PS; 760-3229293 The Smooth Brothers 7pm SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760341-3560 Dude Jones 6:30pm TACK ROOM TAVERN; IND; 760-3479985 Karaoke 9pm THREE SIXTY NORTH; PS; 760-3271773 Mike Cosley 6:30pm WANG’S; PS; 760-325-9264 Black Market Jazz 5-8pm WOODY’S PALMHOUSE; PS; 760-2300188 Yve Evans 6:30pm ZELDA’S; PS; 760-325-2375 DJ 8pm

Stanley Butler Trio 6-10pm CASCADE LOUNGE, SPA RESORT CASINO; PS; 888-999-1995 DJ Michael Wright 9-1am CATALAN; RM; 760-770-9508 George Christian 6-9pm CHEF GEORGE’S PICASSO LOUNGE; BD; 760-200-1768 Denny Pezzin 7-10pm DRINGK; RM; 760-888-0111 DJ Journee 9pm ELECTRIC SPORTS LOUNGE; YV; 760228-1199 DJ Ceddy Cedd 9pm EL MEXICALI CAFÉ 2; IND; 760-3422333 Cesar Daniel Lopez on the harp 6-9pm GADI’S BAR & GRILL; YV; 760-8201213 Firebug and Deep Drain 8pm THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 The Take Over w/ DJ Rawkwell 9pm HOODOO COCKTAIL GARDEN @ THE HYATT; PS; 760-322-9000 Keisha D 7pm HUNTER’S; PS; 760-323-0700 Live VJ 9pm INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760-345-6466 Bob Allen 6pm JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-3662250 Karaoke 7:30pm KILO’S CANTINA; TP; 760-835-1363 Los Del Desierto 9pm KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 Karaoke 8pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760325-2794 Hot Roxx 7:30pm LIT@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; 760345-2450 Six Hot Live 9pm THE LOUNGE; AGUA CALIENTE; RM; 888-999-1995 DJ Jerry 9pm MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 Ron Greenip 8pm MOXIE; PS; 760-318-9900 Eevaan Tre 6:30pm, 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 29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-3673505 Alex Santana 6:30pm PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; 760-327-4080 Dude Jones 9pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Red Light Lit w/ DJ Madame Ghandi 8pm PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-3655956 The Paul Chesne Band 8pm AGAVE LOUNGE@THE HYATT REGENCY; IW; 760-674-4080 Art of PEABODY’S CAFÉ; PS; 760-322-1877 Sax 8pm Karaoke 7:30pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND 1111 Yve Evans 6:30pm COCKTAILS; TP; 760-343-2115 Red’s Rockstar Karaoke 9pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 Juicy Fruit Party w/ DJ Sets and RED BARN; PD; 760-346-0191 Performances by Oh Gosh, Leotus, Sonstormer and special guest 9pm Porsia Camille, Amavida, Dxsko and RIVIERA; PS; 760-327-8311 Michael Jakkz 7pm Keeth 7pm BERNIE’S; RM; 760-202 4499 Barry SAMMY G’s; PS; 760-320-8041 Evaro Minniefield, Brian Dennigan and Leon Brothers 8pm Bisquera 7pm SHANGHAI RED’S @ THE BIG ROCK PUB; IND; 706-200-8988 FISHERMAN’S MARKET; PS; 760-322Whiskey Blues 8:30pm 9293 Barry Baughn Blues 8-11pm BLUE BAR, SPOTLIGHT 29; INDIO; 760- SHANGHAI RED’S @ THE 775-5566 DJ Double A 8pm FISHERMAN’S MARKET; LQ; 760-777BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 The 1601 The Smooth Brothers 8-11pm

FRI JULY 27

12

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com ROCK CASINO; 29 Palms; Rojer Arnold & Bobby Furgo 9pm SOUL OF MEXICO; IND; 760-200-8787 Latin Music 10pm SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760341-3560 Demetrious and Co. 6:30pm TACK ROOM TAVERN; IND; 760-347SHELLY’S LOUNGE@TORTOISE 6787 Karaoke w/ DJ Scott 9pm 9985 Barflys 8:30pm ROCK CASINO; 29 Palms; Rojer Arnold DRINGK; RM; 760-888-0111 DJ Guy THREE SIXTY NORTH; PS; 760-327& Bobby Furgo 9pm Worden 9pm 1773 Reggie “Vision” Alexander 6:30pm SOLANO’S BISTRO; LQ; 760-771-6655 ELECTRIC SPORTS LOUNGE; YV; 760- TRILUSSA ITALIAN RISTORANTE; Michael Madden 6-9pm 228-1199 DJ Ceddy Cedd 9pm PS; 760-328-2300 Julius & Sylvia Music SOUL OF MEXICO; IND; 760-200-8787 EL MEXICALI CAFÉ 2; IND; 760-342Duo 6-10pm Latin Rock 10pm 2333 Cesar Daniel Lopez on the harp VIBE, MORONGO CASINO; CAB; 951SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760- 6-9pm 755-5391 DJ 10pm 341-3560 Demetrious and Co. 6:30pm GADI’S BAR & GRILL; YV; 760-820WANG’S; PS; 760-325-9264 Live Music TACK ROOM TAVERN; IND; 760-347- 1213 DJ Mrrrls’s Old School Dance Party 5pm 8pm 9985 The Andy Cahan Trio 9pm WESTIN MISSION HILLS; RM; 760THE GROOVE LOUNGE; SPOTLIGHT THREE SIXTY NORTH; PS; 760-327328-5955 Michael Keeth 6pm 29; INDIO; 760-775-5566 DJ 8pm 1773 Dennis Michaels 6:30pm WILLIE BOYS; MV; 760-932-4300 THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 The TRILUSSA ITALIAN RISTORANTE; Joanie and the Boomers 8pm PS; 760-328-2300 Julius & Sylvia Music Take Over w/ DJ Luthergates 9pm THE WINE EMPORIUM; LQ; 760-565Duo 6-10pm HOODOO COCKTAIL GARDEN @ 5512 Johnny Meza and Co. 7pm THE HYATT; PS; 760-322-9000 The VENUE@VENUS; PD; 760-834-7070 WOODY’S PALMHOUSE; PS; 760-230Carmens 7pm Tommie Douglas 6pm 0188 The Stanley Butler Band 6:30pm WANG’S; PS; 760-325-9264 DJ Galaxy HOTEL PASEO; PD; Michael Keeth ZELDA’S; PS; 760-325-2375 DJs 9pm 4-10pm and the House Whores 5pm HUNTER’S; PS; 760-323-0700 Live VJ WESTIN MISSION HILLS; RM; 7609pm 328-5955 Michael Keeth 5-7pm THE WINE EMPORIUM; LQ; 760-565- INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367760-345-6466 Bob Allen 6pm 5512 Rob Martinez, Todd Ashley and 3505 Bob Garcia 6pm Lisa LaFaro Weselis 6:30-10pm KILO’S CANTINA; TP; 760-835-1363 ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 DJ WOODY’S PALMHOUSE; PS; 760-230- Los Buchones De Culican 9pm noon poolside, TBA 9pm 0188 Rose Mallett 6:30pm KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 ACQUA; RM; 760-862-9800 Michael Karaoke 8pm ZELDA’S; PS; 760-325-2375 DJ 9pm Keeth 6:30pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760continue to page 18 325-2794 PS Sound Company 1pm, Hot Roxx 8pm TH 19 HOLE; PD; 760-772-6696 Barflys LIT@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; 760345-2450 Six Hot Live 9pm 8pm THE LOUNGE, AGUA CALIENTE; RM; 29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367888-999-1995 TBA 9pm 3505 Bev & Bill 6:30pm MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 DJ PS; 760-325-2323 Ron Greenip 8pm noon, poolside, TBA 10pm MOXIE; PS; 760-318-9900 Derek AGAVE LOUNGE@THE HYATT Jordan Gregg 6pm, DJ Pedro Le Bass REGENCY; IW; 760-674-4080 Art of 9:30pm Sax 8pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202Karaoke 8pm 1111 Cabaret on the Green Open Mic 7:30pm THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry 6-8pm Tim Burleson 8pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-7998800 Super Sonido w/ Alf Alpha, Los PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; Pleyboyz, J Patron, Giselle Woo, Cholo 760-327-4080 Alice Cooper Tribute Bueno and Verzoloko 7pm Band 9pm BERNIE’S; RM; 760-202 4499 Barry PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-365Minniefield, Brian Dennigan and Leon 5956 Fu Manchu and Shiners Club 8pm Bisquera 7pm PEABODY’S CAFÉ; PS; 760-322-1877 BIG ROCK PUB; IND; 706-200-8988 Karaoke 7:30pm BB’s Annual Leo Bday Bash w/ Desert PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND Rhythm Project 8:30pm COCKTAILS; TP; 760-3432115 Red’s BLUE BAR; SPOTLIGHT 29; IND; 760- Rockstar Karaoke 9pm 775-5566 DJ 9pm RED BARN; PD; 760-346-0191 TBA BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 9pm Gennine Francis 6-10pm ROCKYARD@FANTASY SPRINGS; CASCADE LOUNGE, SPA RESORT Uncle Johnny and You Got Lucky (Tom CASINO; PS; 888-999-1995 DJ Michael Petty Tribute) 7:30pm Wright 9-1am SAMMY G’s; PS; 760-320-8041 Evaro CATALAN; RM; 760-770-9508 George Brothers 8pm Christian 6-9pm SHANGHAI RED’S @ THE CHEF GEORGE’S PICASSO LOUNGE; FISHERMAN’S MARKET; PS; 760-322BD; 760-200-1768 Denny Pezzin 9293 Barry Baughn Blues 8-11pm 7-10pm SHANGHAI RED’S @ THE DESERT FOX; PD; Lance Riebsomer FISHERMAN’S MARKET; LQ; 760-777and David Morales 9pm 1601 The Smooth Brothers 8-11pm DHS SPA LOUNGE; DHS; 760-329SHELLY’S LOUNGE@TORTOISE

July 26 to August 1, 2018

SUN JULY 29

SAT JULY 28

13

July 26 to August 1, 2018

GOOD GRUB

T

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

TASTE BUDS TINGLE AT CUPS CAFE

here’s a new spot to go out to brunch and lunch in Palm Desert. It’s where your taste buds will tingle, at Cups

Cafe.

I have a new favorite spot for brunch in the Desert Country Plaza at Cups Cafe. It’s the kind of new restaurant that when you walk in, you just know that it’s something special.

And when you actually eat the food, you’re hooked.

Opened only 11 weeks ago, Cups Cafe is already experiencing the buzz factor.

Husband and wife owners Marco and Nancy, along with Pastry Chef, Gustavo, have long desired to open their own restaurant. When the corner restaurant became available, they knew it was an opportunity they could not walk away from and moved forward with their dream.

They have intertwined a variety of recipes that they have collected throughout the years, with a vivid focus on the freshest of

14

ingredients, and purposeful delivery, “We believe in from scratch,” says Marco. The restaurant itself has kind of a cool modern country vibe to it, with a teal shabby chic dining table that greets diners at the entrance. Marco and Nancy are on hand to engage with their cliental, their many years of excellent restaurant customer care, more than apparent.

On my visit to Cups Cafe, my boyfriend and I took a seat across from the open kitchen, and debated what we would order. It was hard to decide, as their menu is well developed and offers deliciously described items. At last, I ended up weighing out two dishes, the Chilaquiles or the Mexican Benedict. With the help from Nancy, I ended up ordering the Mexican Benedict, once she green lighted how amazing the chorizo potato cakes were.

My boyfriend ordered a Buttermilk Pancake, and the Spanish Breakfast with imported chorizo (yes, we love chorizo).

I was excited to be introduced to my chorizo potato cakes, and waited patiently.

Our food arrived and was attractively plated. After snapping a few pictures, I was ready to meet my meal. The chorizo potato cakes cradled the perfectly poached eggs, and absorbed the creamy béarnaise sauce lovingly. They were as wonderful as Nancy had described, super light and soft with that savory chorizo flavor that I was craving. I loved it! I added a little of their homemade Macha Sauce for some heat, and let me be

clear, a little Macha goes a long way.

My boyfriend’s Spanish Breakfast was equally delish. It came with eggs your way, grilled tomatoes, fantastically seasoned and crispy hash browns and the star of the dish, two imported Christorra Chorizo sausages.

That sausage was on point, and had a chorizoness that hadn’t experienced before. His Buttermilk pancake was fluffy in the middle and had a nice crisp on the outer layer, just like we like it.

Other brunch selections include Wheat Zucchini Pancakes, French toast, Cup’s Eggs Benedict (with house made crab cakes), Omelets, plus many more.

If you’re not into the brunch thing, not to worry, as they have many lunch and dunch options to choose from such as a massive Club Sandwich, Fish and Chips, a Tuna Melt

BY DENISE ORTUNO

made with shredded Ahi Tuna, as well as other selections. And of course, one of Pastry Chef Gustavo’s creations is a must for dessert.

Even with their infant stage restaurant status, Cups Cafe has already etched an indelible mark on the brunch and lunch scene in the Coachella Valley. I can’t wait to return there, and explore more of their taste bud tingling food.

Cups Cafe is open daily from 8am to 3pm and is located at 77-912 Country Club Dr. Unit 3-4, Palm Desert 92211.

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

July 26 to August 1, 2018

15

July 26 to August 1, 2018

SCREENERS

NOW SHOWING: MAMMA MIA! HERE WE GO AGAIN It’s been a little more than three decades since Donna, Tanya and Rosie graduated from Oxford. Donna embarked on a series of adventures. On her trips, she became friends with Harry, Bill and Sam. She fells in love with Sam, but he broke her heart.

Cut to the present day. Sophie, Donna’s pregnant daughter, dreams of restoring a taverna and reuniting with her mom’s old friends -- and boyfriends -- on the fictional but beautiful Greek island of Kalokairi.

If you liked the first movie, you will love this fresh, exuberant iteration, it’s

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

No. 327

OH MAMMA!

irresistible.

The film skips through time showing how relationships forged in the past impact the present. Lily James is young Donna and she alone almost makes the movie worth seeing. Her charisma is palpable. But it’s Cher who steals the show.

This fun and satisfying film is a perfect getaway, a delightful cinematic vacay in a lush and beautiful local with great looking humans, energizing chorography and memorable songs that still tug at the heartstrings.

Sure, it’s a little bizarre and the weak script is more than a tad preposterous,

but with the original cast back and Cher on board, this feel-good, tuneful and uplifting sequel to the Abba musical feast is as magically transportive as a Mediterranean cruise on a sparkling summer sea. And then there’s lead actress Lily James who can actually sing!.

Recommended.

NEW BLU FOR THE HOME THEATER: GENGHIS KHAN (1965)

BY ROBIN E. SIMMONS The new hi-def transfer boasts one of the more eclectic casts ever assembled -- Omar Sharif, Stephen Boyd, Françoise Dorléac (the elder sister of Catherine Deceive), James Mason, Eli Wallach, Robert Morley, Telly Savalas and Woody Strode -- plus a robust score by the formidable Serbian composer Dušan Radić and stunning cinematography by master craftsman Geoffrey Unsworth.

Henry Levin directs the big action scenes shot mostly in Yugoslavia.

The film is a kind of origin story that follows the rise from humble beginnings and final revenge of Temujin/Genghis (1162-1227?) while establishing the largest land empire in history after uniting the nomadic Mongolian tribes of Eurasia.

The battle scenes are suitably large and fairly well-staged, but occupy a surprisingly small part of the entire movie. This edition is limited to only 3,000 units. Twilight Time Movies.

ALSO NEW: AFFAIRS OF STATE

I’ve always been a fan of epic films, especially historic adventures about larger than life characters like El Cid, Lawrence of Arabia, Spartacus and Ben Hur. Befitting the genre, spectacle, scenic sweeps and movie stars galore converge on this vast recounting of the rise of one of world history’s mightiest conqueror rulers and brutal tyrants.

16

I enjoyed Eric Bross’s surprisingly provocative, albeit melodramatic political thriller about Michael Lawson (David Corenswet), an ambitious D.C. aide who will do anything in order to be part of a senator’s White House campaign including blackmailing the senator’s shady advisor and seeping with the candidate’s wife (Mimi Rogers). But when he gets involved with the senators seductive daughter he suddenly discovers his dangerous game might have a deadly payoff! A perfect movie reflecting today’s chaotic and scandalous political landscape. Extras include director / producer commentary and deleted scenes.

Lionsgate. robin@coachellavalleyweekly.com

BOOK REVIEW

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

"BLOWN"

BY MARK HASKELL SMITH FICTION

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

W

all Street is more than just an eight-block boulevard in New York. It is the financial hub of the American financial services industry.

Besides being the home of the New York Stock Exchange and NSDAQ it represents a “take no prisoners” hot bed of capitalist greed. Blown by Mark Haskell Smith (Black Cat, 225 pages) confirms that the one who has the money in the end, wins!

Protagonist Bryan LeBlanc is one of those guys on “Wall Street” who “gets” the unfair game of making a ton of money. He is a financial genius and has managed to make hundreds of millions for his investment firm by his keen sense of foreign exchange.

Under LeBlanc’s cool capitalist exterior, is a seething hater of the industry that operates on greed to serve the one percent while exploiting everyone else and the planet. He has been quietly stealing from the capitalist thieves who pay his salary and now he is going to slip away with the cash and sail into the sunset.

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN!

With 17 million dollars waiting for him in the Cayman Islands, LeBlanc believes he has sufficiently covered his tracks, and has also created decoys to give him an ample head start.

But, the firm is quick to see the gaping holes where their money used be. They send Neal, their in-house collections expert, to find LeBlanc, recover the money and keep it quiet so their clients don’t know they’ve been ripped off. A little out of his depth, Neal is happy to go if only to keep his mind off his recent break-up with his boyfriend.

LeBlanc’s boss, Seo-yun Kim is a tough financial wizard who keeps to herself, but loves to suck cock, and hates looking bad.

She and Neal are sent after LeBlanc where they hook-up with a local private eye named Piet, who is a “little person” with a big dick all the ladies love.

As the threesome closes in on LeBlanc, other characters on the island get a whiff of the 17 mil and hatch their own schemes to get the money. As LeBlanc sails into the sunset and international waters, the rag-tag group of miscreants catch up and thwart his plans. But LeBlanc is a survivor and won’t go down without a fight.

Author Smith tells a witty and intelligent tale of greed, lust, murder and adventure.

I thoroughly enjoyed the cast of quirky characters and the evolving money grabbers

as they each dream of a different life.

Money may not buy happiness but it may provide some freedom – that is, if you don’t get caught. But is it worth committing murder? For these powerbrokers – yes!

Sometimes it’s unavoidable and sometimes you get lucky with an unfortunate accident.

Of the group, only Neal is hell-bent on getting the stolen funds returned, but he does not have the stomach for murder.

The book is filled with laughs as well as insights to how Wall Street operates. I thought LeBlanc’s righteous anger at Wall Street financial institutions justified as well as being fascinating and informative from an insiders view.

July 26 to August 1, 2018

BY HEIDI SIMMONS As usual, author Smith does a great job entertaining the reader. He gets the sweet joy of smart and capable people slipping into their primal selves.

Seo-yun, the boss lady, is my favorite character. She was on track for the perfect life: a great job with money and power, and a fiancé who is planning their wedding. All her ducks in a row. But she discovers that is not the life she wants – it’s the life her parents want and it is boring as hell. I love how she frees herself and lets her lust and desire choose her path. I was rooting for Seo-yun and Piet -- two outsiders, smart and capable, but lonely and starved for unconditional love.

I truly appreciate how Smith creates such well-rounded detailed characters that on the surface are doing everything right, and then quickly tunes into their fabulous flaws and delicious dark sides.

Sex, sailing, sunshine and the pursuit of happiness with loads of cash -- Blown is a great summer read and loads of fun.

SAFETY TIPS

BY FIRE CHIEF SAM DIGIOVANNA

KEEP YOUR COOL THIS WEEK!

T

his will be a long hot week. Keep these cool suggestions in mind: • Slow down. Reduce, eliminate or reschedule strenuous activities until the coolest time of the day. Children, seniors and anyone with health problems should stay in the coolest available place, not necessarily indoors.

• Dress for summer. Wear lightweight, lightcolored clothing to reflect heat and sunlight.

• Drink plenty of water, non-alcoholic and decaffeinated fluids. Your body needs water to keep cool. Drink plenty of fluids even if you don’t feel thirsty. Do not drink alcoholic beverages and limit caffeinated beverages.

• During excessive heat periods, spend more time in air-conditioned places. If you cannot afford an air conditioner, go to a library, store or other location with air conditioning for part of the day.

• Don’t get too much sun. Sunburn reduces your body’s ability to dissipate heat.

• Never leave infants, children or pets in cars!

• Plan for power outages either natural or man-made.

• When sleeping, use covers that are lightweight and breathable.

• Keep blinds and curtains closed from morning until the late afternoon to block extra direct heat from sunlight.

• Use small appliances like slow cookers and tabletop grills rather than your traditional oven or stove to keep kitchen heat to a minimum.

• Verify that seat belts and car seat restraints are not too hot before buckling yourself or

anyone else into a car.

• Be vigilant about water safety if headed to a pool or beach. Never leave a child unattended near water and keep lifesaving gear handy.

Hillside residents: You should have the hazardous vegetation cleared away by now. Walk your property and pull patio furniture, umbrellas, wood piles or combustible material away from your home. Stay tuned to local news media in case a wildfire develops near you. Be prepared to evacuate if asked during a wildfire. Find out where community evacuation centers are ahead of time or plan on staying with family/ friends. Contact your local fire department for additional wildfire safety information.

Let’s face it, we all like to be ‘cool’ so don’t lose your cool, the summer has just begun!

Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna

17

July 26 to August 1, 2018

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

CHEF GEORGE’S PICASSO LOUNGE; BD; 760-200-1768 Lori Yeary 6-9pm DHS SPA LOUNGE; DHS; 760-3296787 Radio 60 3-6pm EL MEXICALI CAFÉ 2; IND; 760-3422333 Cesar Daniel Lopez on the harp 6-9pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760325-2794 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 Kevin Henry 7:30pm PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-3655956 The Sunday Band 7:30pm PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND COCKTAILS; TP; 760-3432115 Open Mic w/ Rockin’ Ray 7pm SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760341-3560 The Myx 6:30pm

ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Ace Karaoke with Kiesha 9pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 Tequila Tuesday w/ Sounds Driven by Touch Tunes 7pm BERNIE’S; RM; 760-202 4499 Chris Lomeli 7pm BIG ROCK PUB; IND; 706-200-8988 Big Rockin’ Roots Jam 7pm CHEF GEORGE’S PICASSO LOUNGE; BD; 760-200-1768 Michael D’Angelo 7-10pm FIRESIDE LOUNGE; PS; 760-3271700 Red’s Rockstar Karaoke 9pm THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 Rock N Roll Bingo 9pm HUNTER’S; PS; 760-323-0700 Karaoke hosted by Phillip Moore 9pm JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760366-2250 Ted Quinn’s Open Mic Reality Show Jam 8pm KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 Karaoke 7pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760325-2794 PS Sound Company 6:30pm LIT@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; 760345-2450 Brad’s Pad 7pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Karaoke 8pm-1:15am THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Tim Burleson 7:45pm PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; 760-327-4080 Acoustic Open Mic 7pm TACK ROOM TAVERN; IND; 760-3479985 Karaoke 8-12

CLUB CRAWLER NIGHTLIFE continued from page 13 BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 THREE SIXTY NORTH; PS; 760Fusion Sundays Hip Hop and Latin Night 327-1773 Darci Daniels and Reggie Vision 7pm w/ DJ LF and Friends Hosted by Ron T 7pm WANG’S; PS; 760-325-9264 Live Music 5pm BERNIE’S; RM; 760-202 4499 Patrice Morris 7pm THE WINE EMPORIUM; LQ; 760BIG ROCK PUB; IND; 706-200-8988 Big 565-5512 Rob Martinez and Scott Carter 6:30pm Rockin Country Sundays 5pm WOODY’S PALMHOUSE; PS; 760CASCADE LOUNGE, SPA RESORT; 230-0188 John Carey and Friends PS; 888-999-1995 Nash with Quinto 6:30pm Menguante 9pm

MON JULY 30

29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-3673505 The Luminators 6pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760202-1111 Bill Marx 6:30pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 Meh! Mondays 7pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-325-2794 PS Sound Company 6:30pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-3471522 Karaoke 8pm-1:15am THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry 7pm PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-3655956 Open Mic 7pm WOODY’S PALMHOUSE; PS; 760230-0188 Motown Mondays 6:30pm

TUE JULY 31

29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-3673505 Bill and Bob Duo 6pm

WANG’S; PS; 760-325-9264 Alex Santana 5-8pm WOODY’S PALMHOUSE; PS; 760230-0188 Yve Evans and John Bolivar 6pm

WED AUGUST 1

29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-3673505 Daniel Horn 6pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Big Horn w/ Soul Jams 9pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-2021111 Jazz Jam w/ Doug MacDonald & Friends 7pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 Touchtunes and Dancing 7pm BERNIE’S; RM; 760-202 4499 Chris Lomeli 7pm BIG ROCK PUB; IND; 706-200-8988 The Smooth Brothers 7pm BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 Michael Keeth 6-10pm CHEF GEORGE’S PICASSO LOUNGE; BD; 760-200-1768 Johnny Meza 7-10pm COACHELLA VALLEY BREWING CO; TP; 760-343-5973 Live and Local w/ TBA 5:30-8pm DRINGK; RM; 760-888-0111 S.I.N. w/ DJ Mirage 9pm ELECTRIC SPORTS LOUNGE; YV; 760-228-1199 Karaoke 7:30pm THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 Open Mic hosted by Josh Heinz 8pm HUNTER’S; PS; 760-323-0700 Live VJ 9pm

JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760366-2250 Karaoke 7:30pm KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 Open Mic 8pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760325-2794 Hot Roxx 6:30pm LIT@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; 760345-2450 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; 760-327-4080 Roger & Friends 7pm PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND COCKTAILS; TP; 760-343-2115 Red’s Rockstar Karaoke 9pm THREE SIXTY NORTH; PS; 760-3271773 Katheryn White 6:30pm VENUE@VENUS; PD; 760-834-7070 Wine Down Wednesdays w/ Desert’s Kool 95.9 Presenting Cancer Partners 4-6pm WANG’S; PS; 760-325-9264 Jeff Bonds 5-8pm WILLIE BOYS; MV; 760-932-4300 Cinch 6pm WOODY’S PALMHOUSE; PS; 760230-0188 Joel Fleisher 6:30pm

S and G

PUMPING SERVICE

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

18

760-404-6325

HADDON LIBBY

W

ith temperatures firmly in the triple digits and tempers flaring over Trump tweets and trade tariffs, let’s take a break from all of that and get all tabloid newsy on you.

Who is the wealthiest musician?

Drawing from numerous sources, the consensus appears to be that the composer of stage plays like Cats, Phantom of the Opera and Jesus Christ Superstar is the wealthiest musician in the world. With a net worth of $1.2 billion, I am referring to none other than Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, 70.

Hot on his tail is a knight in his own right, Sir Paul McCartney, 76, at $1.1 billion.

Like Andrew Lloyd Webber, Sir Paul has composed so many songs that are part of the fabric of humankind that has quite the retirement income stream from royalties should he ever choose to retire. Sir Paul is anything but retired as his latest album Egypt Crossing shows.

Third on the list of wealthiest musicians as brought to you by Winslow Drake Investment Management, your only choice for investment management in the Coachella Valley, come on down and give them a try, is Shawn Carter, 48, at $900 million. With a stage name of Jay-Z, he is probably the most accomplished rapper ever. Additionally, he married Beyonce and

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

WEALTHIEST MUSICIANS

invested $200 million in Armand de Brignac champagne.

Fellow rapper and entrepreneur, Sean Combs, 48, aka Puff Daddy aka Puff aka P. Diddy aka Diddy aka Swag (but only for a week) aka Love aka Brother Love comes in fourth. Despite his regular identity crises, Combs is worth a nifty $825 million. Much of his net worth comes from his ownership stake in Ciroc vodka and successful clothing lines.

Fifth on the list is Herb Alpert, 83. Who is Herb Alpert you may wonder? He is the ‘A’ in A&M Records. (What is a record some of you may wonder? Music used to come to us on fragile, circular black disks that had

July 26 to August 1, 2018

this groove in it that started on the outside and rotated toward the inside. For us to hear the music that was embedded in that disks groove, we had to put it on a record table that spun the disk round and round at the speeds of 33, 45 or 78 revolutions per minute. We would then place a mechanical arm with a diamond needle on the outer edge and somehow music played.) Besides being the founder of a successful record label, Alpert had five #1 albums, nine Grammies and has sold more than 70 million albums worldwide with his biggest hit being “This Guy’s In Love with You.” Not bad for a trumpet player.

Back to our countdown of the wealthiest

musicians, checking in at #6 and at $800 million is the highest ranking woman on our charts, Madonna Ciccone who turns the big six-oh on August 16th. For what it is worth, Madonna is close to completion on her 14th studio album. No word on when it will be released.

Seventh on the list and worth $770 million is Andre Young aka Dr. Dre, 53. While he was a successful rapper in his own right as part of N.W.A., his wealth came from producing other rappers like Eminem and 50 Cent. He is also the creator of Beats by Dr. Dre which sold to Apple in 2014 for $3 billion.

Rounding out our list is Paul Hewson aka Bono, 58, of the legendary rock band U2, is worth $600 million followed by Dolly Parton, 72, with more than $500 million.

For comparison, Jeff Bezos who the founder of Amazon is worth a mind boggling $112 billion.

Haddon Libby is the Founder and the Managing Director of Winslow Drake Investment Management and can be reached at 760.449.6349. For more information, please visit www.WinslowDrake.com.

you in future arrests and criminal proceedings and by the DMV for purposes of suspending or restricting your license. A successful expungement does not relieve you of any prohibition on the ownership or possession of firearms resulting from the conviction

DALE GRIBOW - LEGAL REPRESENTATION OF THE INJURED AND CRIMINALLY ACCUSED “TOP LAWYER” - Palm Springs Life(DUI)-2011-19 “TOP LAWYER”- Inland Empire Magazine Nov. ‘16 PERFECT 10.0 AVVO Peer Rating 10 BEST ATTORNEYS FOR CALIFORNIA For future articles contact: Dale Gribow at (760) 837-7500 or dale@dalegribowlaw.com.

DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE OR TEXT, CALL A TAXI, UBER OR LYFT.........IT IS A LOT CHEAPER THAN HAVING AN ACCIDENT OR DUI AND CALLING ME .........SO DRIVE SOBER OR GET PULLED OVER THIS SUMMER!

DALE GRIBOW ON THE LAW

CAN I CLEAR MY CRIMINAL RECORD?

C

alifornia law allows a person who has been convicted of a crime to reopen the case to have that conviction expunged. A California expungement is a legal process that petitions the Court to review a conviction to determine if the petitioner is eligible to submit an application to withdraw their plea or finding of guilt, enter a not guilty plea, and order the case dismissed. The decision to grant or deny the petition is at the discretion of the judge and the decision may be opposed by the district attorney’s office.

As a result, your criminal record will no longer show the conviction. However the expungement will continue to appear on your criminal record. It is important to note that the expungement does not clear from your record the fact that you were arrested or that charges were filed.

The expungement law, California Penal Code § 1203.4, is somewhat complex in areas, but expungement of a criminal record is something that should be done by anyone with even a minor criminal history. Contrary to popular belief, records are not cleared automatically with the passage of time.

Following a successful expungement, if a potential employer asks if you have ever been convicted, you can honestly answer “no”. Note that under new CA case law THE EMPLOYER CAN NOT BASE EMPLOYMENT ON A CONVICTION (UNLESS THE JOB REQUIRES

DRIVING).

A Felony Expungement removes, but does not SEAL, your record. You can’t seal a DMV record which is used more often by employers. Sealing is normally used for Juvenile case, not adult Results of criminal cases are often reported to TRW and Experian. You must wait 12 months to expunge if there was no probation granted...or wait until half of the probation term has expired to move for an Early Probation Termination. The 1203 does not affect consumer/employer reporting agencies, and the records they have previously received from the Courts as to arrests and convictions.

With A FELONY CONVICTION, a motion under 17B would be needed to reduce a felony to a misdemeanor, and then a dismissal under 1203.4 PC ...if the felony was a wobbler. That is a case that could have been filed as a felony or misdemeanor by the DA. This can be done at any time, even years after the conviction. This is a decision that is discretionary with the Judge.

For a Misdemeanor DUI, expungement does little good, other than the driver being able to tell a potential employer he does not have a record as long as it is not a governmental entity. For law enforcement it will always be there.

The conviction can still be used against

19

July 26 to August 1, 2018

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY

Week of July 26

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Be extra polite and deferential. Cultivate an exaggerated respect for the status quo. Spend an inordinate amount of time watching dumb TV shows while eating junk food. Make sure you’re exposed to as little natural light and fresh air as possible. JUST KIDDING! I lied!

Ignore everything I just said! Here’s my real advice: Dare yourself to feel strong positive emotions. Tell secrets to animals and trees. Swim and dance and meditate naked. Remember in detail the three best experiences you’ve ever had. Experiment with the way you kiss. Create a blessing that surprises you and everyone else. Sing new love songs. Change something about yourself you don’t like. Ask yourself unexpected questions, then answer them with unruly truths that have medicinal effects.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Your past is not quite what it seems. The coming weeks will be an excellent time to find out why -- and make the necessary adjustments. A good way to begin would be to burrow back into your old stories and unearth the half-truths buried there. It’s possible that your younger self wasn’t sufficiently wise to understand what was really happening all those months and years ago, and as a result distorted the meaning of the events. I suspect, too, that some of your memories aren’t actually your own, but rather other people’s versions of your history. You may not have time to write a new memoir right now, but it might be healing to spend a couple of hours drawing up a revised outline of your important turning points.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): One of the most famously obtuse book-length poems in the English language is Robert Browning’s Sordello, published in 1840. After studying it at length, Alfred Tennyson, who was Great Britain’s Poet Laureate from 1850 to 1892, confessed, “There were only two lines in it that I understood.” Personally, I did better than Tennyson, managing to decipher 18 lines. But I bet that if you read this dense, multi-layered text in the coming weeks, you would do better than me and Tennyson. That’s because you’ll be at the height of your cognitive acumen. Please note: I suggest you use your extra intelligence for more practical purposes than decoding obtuse texts.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Ready for your financial therapy session? For your first assignment, make a list of the valuable qualities you have to offer the world, and write a short essay about why the world should abundantly reward you for them.

Assignment #2: Visualize what it feels like when your valuable qualities are appreciated by people who matter to you. #3: Say this: “I am a rich resource that ethical, reliable allies want to enjoy.” #4: Say this: “My scruples can’t be bought for any amount of money. I may rent my soul, but I’ll never sell it outright.”

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): As you wobble and stumble into the New World, you shouldn’t pretend you understand more than you actually do. In fact, I advise you to play up your innocence and freshness.

Gleefully acknowledge you’ve got a lot to learn.

Enjoy the liberating sensation of having nothing to prove. That’s not just the most humble way to proceed; it’ll be your smartest and most effective strategy. Even people who have been a bit skeptical of you before will be softened by your vulnerability.

Opportunities will arise because of your willingness to be empty and open and raw.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Since 1358, the city of Paris has used the Latin motto Fluctuat nec mergitur, which can be translated as “She is tossed by the waves but does not sink.” I propose that we install those stirring words as your rallying cry for the next few weeks. My analysis of the astrological omens gives me confidence that even though you may encounter unruly weather, you will sail on unscathed. What might be the metaphorical equivalent of taking seasick pills?

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): The Spanish word delicadeza can have several meanings in English, including “delicacy” and “finesse.” The Portuguese word delicadeza has those meanings, as well as

20

© Copyright 2018 Rob Brezsny

others, including “tenderness,” “fineness,” “suavity,” “respect,” and “urbanity.” In accordance with current astrological omens, I’m making it your word of power for the next three weeks. You’re in a phase when you will thrive by expressing an abundance of these qualities. It might be fun to temporarily give yourself the nickname Delicadeza.

SCORPIO(Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Uninformed scientists scorn my oracles. Reductionist journalists say I’m just another delusional fortuneteller. Materialist cynics accuse me of pandering to people’s superstition.

But I reject those naive perspectives. I define myself as a psychologically astute poet who works playfully to liberate my readers’ imaginations with inventive language, frisky stories, and unpredictable ideas.

Take a cue from me, Scorpio, especially in the next four weeks. Don’t allow others to circumscribe what you do or who you are. Claim the power to characterize yourself. Refuse to be squeezed into any categories, niches, or images -- except those that squeeze you the way you like to be squeezed.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): “I have no notion of loving people by halves; it is not my nature.

My attachments are always excessively strong.” So said Sagittarian novelist Jane Austen. I don’t have any judgment about whether her attitude was right or wrong, wise or ill-advised. How about you?

Whatever your philosophical position might be, I suggest that for the next four weeks you activate your inner Jane Austen and let that part of you shine -- not just in relation to whom and what you love but also with everything that rouses your passionate interest. According to my reading of the astrological omens, you’re due for some big, beautiful, radiant zeal.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): “There are truths I haven’t even told God,” confessed Brazilian writer Clarice Lispector. “And not even myself. I am a secret under the lock of seven keys.” Are you harboring any riddles or codes or revelations that fit that description, Capricorn? Are there any sparks or seeds or gems that are so deeply concealed they’re almost lost? If so, the coming weeks will be an excellent time to bring them up out their dark hiding places. If you’re not quite ready to show them to God, you should at least unveil them to yourself.

Their emergence could spawn a near-miracle or two.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): What are your goals for your top two alliances or friendships? By that I mean, what would you like to accomplish together?

How do you want to influence and inspire each other? What effects do you want your relationships to have on the world? Now maybe you’ve never even considered the possibility of thinking this way.

Maybe you simply want to enjoy your bonds and see how they evolve rather than harnessing them for greater goals. That’s fine. No pressure. But if you are interested in shaping your connections with a more focused sense of purpose, the coming weeks will be an excellent time to do so.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In Janet Fitch’s novel White Oleander, a character makes a list of “twenty-seven names for tears,” including “Heartdew. Griefhoney. Sadwater. Die tränen. Eau de douleur. Los rios del corazón.” (The last three can be translated as “The Tears,” “Water of Pain,” and “The Rivers of the Heart.”) I invite you to emulate this playfully extravagant approach to the art of crying. The coming weeks will be en excellent time to celebrate and honor your sadness, as well as all the other rich emotions that provoke tears. You’ll be wise to feel profound gratitude for your capacity to feel so deeply. For best results, go in search of experiences and insights that will unleash the full cathartic power of weeping. Act as if empathy is a superpower.

Homework: Do you have a liability that could be turned into an asset with a little (or a lot of) work? Testify at Freewillastrology.com.

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

LIFE & CAREER COACH

BY SUNNY SIMON

CAREER DOWNSHIFT

M

y new client, Iris, a highly successfully professional is facing a dilemma. She currently works for a high tech firm as VP of Sales. Although her work brings her the opportunity to lead the charge at selling the company’s products, a sizeable compensation package and some pretty cool perks, Iris wants something different. She is willing to downshift into a less demanding job allowing her to have a better shot at work-life balance.

At some point, many executives who want to slow it down making more time for family and other priorities are willing to take a pay cut and a lesser job. Those making the trip back down the career ladder often encounter a few obstacles. Many hiring managers take issue with a job candidate perceived as overqualified.

Resumes get rejected without a second thought.

What is the best way to eliminate barriers prohibiting a high level professional from scoring a position requiring less experience?

Iris and I agreed that due to the company’s outlook on stepping down, staying with her current company is not an option. My first piece of advice starts with discovery. Begin where all job seekers start, come up with a list of target companies. Iris must thoroughly investigate company cultures and find baby boomer friendly organizations who support work-life balance.

Connecting with her network is the next step.

Over the years my client created an extensive following of clients and colleagues. Spending some time having conversations with others who could provide assistance and information can open doors to getting interviews with the companies on her target list. The object is getting people on her team and engaging them in her job search.

Once she networks her way into an interview providing positive and well thought out reasons for her career move is paramount. For example, Iris spent over 75% of her work-life traveling.

Explaining to a hiring manager that her goal is finding a position with reduced travel and more predictability makes sense. She must also convince any potential employer that she is passionate about working for their company and provide them with a list of valid reasons. Lastly, Iris must be persuasive regarding the many skills and knowledge she brings to the table.

If, like Iris, your desire is to downshift, don’t get discouraged. It took some dedicated work to climb up the ladder, stepping down will probably not be a slam dunk. It may mean not going radical. If need be, take measured steps.

Bottom line, be humble and flexible and you will accomplish your goal.

Sunny Simon is the owner of Raise the Bar High Life and Career Coaching. More about Sunny at www.raisethebarhigh.com.

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

July 26 to August 1, 2018

Receive The Celebrity Secret Of Permanent Cosmetic Make-Up Once Thought To Be Only For The Rich And Famous Now Affordalbe To Women Of All Ages!!

eyebrows eyeliner lipliner Receive 10% full lip color beauty marks off with camouflage areola pigmentation this ad

760.341.6606

Call Now For A Complimentary consultation 72-880 Fred Waring Dr. A3, Palm Desert, CA 92260

21

July 26 to August 1, 2018

AWAKEN WITH LIZZY B

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

BY ELIZABETH SCARCELLA

“WHEN YOU’RE WORKING AND YOUR WORK IS NOT FEEDING YOUR SOUL…”

T

his painful realization is what set both Aimee Mosco and myself on a long and arduous quest for selfdiscovery…only to conclude that in healing ourselves we have a unique opportunity to help others heal as well. During this process, accomplished separately, we both recognized that the road to Happiness is paved by stops made at the junction of gratitude and forgiveness with a whole bunch of love fueling us along the way. We would come to understand we are unable to Awaken to Our Best Self Yet…until we can develop the ability to apply these essential tools…Gratitude, Forgiveness and Love.

You may have noticed that now, more than ever, people are flocking to the selfdiscovery movement; innately recognizing that the right teacher will appear, now that the student is ready. For most, like Aimee and me, it takes a tragedy, illness or some other unforeseen calamity to usher us in the direction of Awakening. It is in this ushering that we all gather, creating Unity, standing for what is possible, instead of accepting a ho-hum existence.

Since the inception of this column, you have been and will continue to be introduced to those that have chosen to Awaken, as they share their stories of overcoming adversity.

In addition, you will now also be presented the essential tools needed to create a life filled with Happiness and thus…Purpose. We learn best by modeling. Therefore, it is our intention to demonstrate HOW to create an Awakened, Happy, Purpose-Driven life, as we have created for ourselves.

These essential tools will be taught through excerpts from Aimee’s books… beginning with book #1 in the 4 part series.

We will be discussing the concepts of the book and guide you with exercises designed to assist in creating a life of your dreams. For a more in depth discussion, please watch our video series on You Tube at https://youtu. be/Z_iqyL-6TWY. We look forward to serving

22

you as you as you chose to Evolve through Love.

Aimee Mosco, author, Certified Reiki Master and Co-founder of Intentional Healing Systems, LLC., teaches her healing system and works as an intuitive healing facilitator.

Aimee’s passion for helping others inspired the collaborative project and global healing movement, IHS Unity. For more information, find Aimee at aimee@ihsunity.com.

Elizabeth Scarcella, author, actor and activist, is dedicated to helping others find health in all aspects of life. A lifestyle counselor and wellness expert, Elizabeth can help you awaken to your best self yet.

For more information, find her at info@ gogetyoung.tv.

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

July 26 to August 1, 2018

23

July 26 to August 1, 2018

24

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com