Coachella Valley Weekly - July 29 to August 4, 2021 Vol. 10 No. 20

coachellavalleyweekly.com • July 29 to August 4, 2021 Vol.10 No.20

Joshua Tree Music Fest - Fall 2021

pg6

Unique Keep Boutique

pg6

Summer Eats Pass

pg13

Yianni’s Greek Taverna

pg13

July 29 to August 4, 2021

2

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

July 29 to August 4, 2021

BY NOE GUTIERREZ Coachella Valley Weekly (760) 501-6228

publisher@coachellavalleyweekly.com coachellavalleyweekly.com facebook.com/cvweekly twitter.com/cvweekly1 Publisher & Editor Tracy Dietlin Art Director Robert Chance Sales Team Kirby, Raymond Bill Club Crawler Nightlife Editor Phil Lacombe Head Music Writer Esther Sanchez Head Feature Writer Crystal Harrell Feature Writers Lisa Morgan, Rich Henrich, Heidi Simmons, Noe Gutierrez, Tricia Witkower Writers/Contributors: Robin Simmons, Rick Riozza, Eleni P. Austin, Craig Michaels, Janet McAfee, Bronwyn Ison, Haddon Libby, Sam DiGiovanna, Dale Gribow, Denise Ortuno Neil, Rob Brezny, Dr. Peter Kadile, Dee Jae Cox, Angela Romeo, Aaron Ramson, Lynne Tucker, Aimee Mosco, Michelle Anne Rizzio, Ruth Hill, Madeline Zuckerman Photographers Robert Chance, Laura Hunt Little, Chris Miller, Esther Sanchez Videographer Kurt Schawacker Website Editor Bobby Taffolla Distribution Phil Lacombe, William Westley

CONTENTS Audiowild Studios ......................................... 3-5 Travel Tips 4 U ................................................... 5 Joshua Tree Music Festival - Fall 2021............. 6 Unique Keep Boutique .................................... 6 Consider This - Nobody's Girl .......................... 8 Club Crawler Nightlife ..................................... 9 Screeners......................................................... 10 Theatre - CV Repertory .................................. 11 The Vino Voice ................................................ 12 Summer Eats Pass .......................................... 13

L

ess than an hour from the Coachella Valley, Audiowild Studios provides recording, mixing and mastering for all genres of music as well as a unique performance space for private events and rehearsals. The Idyllwild, California studio also offers artists video shoots, podcast recording, green screen filming and more.

In the past month Audiowild Studios has hosted live music events featuring The People of the Sun (Rage Against the Machine tribute) that includes Armando Flores (bass), Jeff Bowman (drums), David Burk (guitar) and Joshua A. Fimbres (vocals) as well as Rock trio The Spaceman Trilogy’s first live album recording.

The impressario behind it all is Brian “Puke” Parnell, vocalist and guitarist of 2020 Coachella Valley Music Award winner for ‘Best Punk Band’ Throw the Goat. Parnell is also the founder of Idyllwild Strong Music Festival, a yearly benefit borne in response to the Cranston Fire of 2018 that devastated the mountain town of Idyllwild burning over 13,000 acres and destroying 12 structures.

Coachella Valley Weekly connected with Parnell to get the lowdown on Audiowild and everything else he’s juggling.

CVW: You’ve come a long way in short time in regards to arriving at this moment.

What can you tell us about the struggle?

Parnell: “I was having some health issues at the beginning of the year that were most likely stress related. I got put on medication and was feeling really freaked out. Then my car got stolen right before my birthday and things got downright miserable. The meds started giving me crazy side effects and I had to miss a bunch of work. I was sitting at home, hating my life and thinking, ‘I just turned 39 years old and I don’t know what I’m doing with myself anymore.’ So, I started looking into options for a new job or new apartment, even contemplating a move off ‘The Hill’. It was a depressing thought but I knew that I needed a drastic change.”

CVW: I bet a lot of people could relate to your story. How were you able to overcome the stressors and obstacles?

Parnell: “Eventually I started searching commercial listings in Idyllwild, something I've done many times over the years while daydreaming about starting my own business.

I stumbled across a listing that I’d seen before for a spot that used to be a church. After a little hesitation I emailed the owners and told them I was thinking of renting the unit and turning it into a recording studio, fully expecting to be told to kick rocks and forget it. Much to my surprise, they were into the idea.”

CVW: Tell us more about your resilience

to get through the difficult times?

Parnell: “All the stress went away as soon as I got the keys to this place. It's such a great feeling. No matter what happens, if life throws something shitty my way, it's really not that shitty because it's given me a better perspective on everything. There's gonna be some pressure to keep things going and to keep making improvements, I'm kind of selfconscious about it. If somebody walks in and says, ‘Wow, this is awesome!’ OK, cool, I'll be the first to beat myself up if I don't let myself get too egotistical about everything.”

CVW: What a great testimonial to holding fast to your dreams. How did the studio eventually come to fruition?

Parnell: “Now, I’m not exactly an independently wealthy guy. I’ve lived well below the poverty line for pretty much all of my adult life, so I had no idea how I was going to come up with the money. I scraped together everything I had, called up everyone who had ever owed me a dime and then borrowed a bit from a generous friend to cover the last of it. The stars aligned, I got the keys in mid-March 2021, started working two jobs to cover rent and got underway with remodeling and soundproofing.”

CVW: Idyllwild has been able to keep that “small town feel” where everyone knows everyone and each individual has seemed to find their place. What has the response been like?

Parnell: “The support from Idyllwild has been astounding. This is obviously something that has been much-needed for a long time.

There’s still a long way to go before I’ll be done with the remodeling but things are already getting booked up for the rest of the year. This is turning into something truly amazing and I could not be happier to see this dream become reality.” continue to page 5

Pampered Palate - Yianni's Greek Taverna .. 13 Safety Tips....................................................... 14 Free Will Astrology ........................................ 14 Pet Place ..................................................... 16-17 Haddon Libby ................................................. 18 Dale Gribow .................................................... 18

3

July 29 to August 4, 2021

4

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

AUDIOWILD STUDIOS

continued from page 3

CVW: This has been a dream of yours for quite some time. Now that it has come to fruition, is there relief or do you feel the pressure to keep elevating the space and its services?

Parnell: “I don't think improvements are ever gonna end, where I feel I can rest on my laurels. It's always gonna be in flux. There's always gonna be more that I can do to make it better, to be more all-inclusive. Whether it's constantly improving gear or whatever, there’s definitely big plans aside from being a recording studio and a venue.”

CVW: What sets Audiowild Studios apart from other recording/performance studios?

Parnell: “A lot of times people who are running recording studios aren't musicians themselves for whatever reason. I've been told over the years that I'm a much easier person to work with compared to other producers. I think it shows in the quality of the performances that I've been able to get out of people so far. There's some really good albums that I've worked on. I think my approach is a little unique compared to other producers and studio owners. I've never been in a recording studio that was also a private venue and had the same vibe that this does, the sky's the limit. I want to do different phases. ‘Phase One’ is what we're doing now; studio and venue. ‘Phase Two’ I want to get into doing public address system (PA) rentals.

Everybody up here has to outsource for their events, whether it's a music festival or a wedding. ‘Phase Three’ I want to be able to do home installations. So when people want a recording studio in their house or spruce up their home entertainment system. A lot of my friends who work construction up here get asked frequently. There’s no one here who specializes in that so I think I found my niche.”

CVW: In July you had two sold-out,

TRAVEL TIPS4U

T

he staff at Paradise Cove Cafe proudly welcomes you to their uniquely special breakfast and lunch restaurant. This is a place where their guests truly are family.

Within these four walls their dedicated staff works passionately each day to provide you with the very best in great food featuring bold flavors and over-the-top service delivered straight from the heart.

Their World Famous Pancakes are crafted by using their own proprietary recipe, combining ingredients onsite and using real buttermilk. This recipe has been sought by many – but its secrets are fiercely protected by their chefs, and those of generations past.

They use only Angus ground chuck and

standing-room-only shows with The People of the Sun (RAtM tribute) and The Spaceman Trilogy. What makes Audiowild such a unique place to witness a live show?

Parnell: “A friend of mine, Chris Mitchell, ran the sound for both shows. He has a degree in acoustics and audio engineering and has helped build a dozen studios in his life. He likes my work ethic and wanted to be involved. He shared that The People of the Sun show was the best gig he has ever done in Idyllwild. He said nobody asked him to turn down and the cops didn’t show up. He said the place was full of rad people and many who attended didn’t know each other but by the end of the night, everybody’s friends. It’s such a weird and amazing experience, I’ve been in the music industry for over twenty years now and played a lot of gigs in a lot of different venues in a lot of different countries and met a lot of different people. I’ve never felt the vibe the way that it feels here. It’s almost like a family reunion even thought people are meeting for the first time. As soon as the vibrations start going, the energy picks up. Everybody ends up on the same frequency.”

CVW: You’re the poster boy for DIY. Not only have you had your hand in every aspect of Throw the Goat and the Idyllwild Strong Music Festival, you’ve built those entities from the ground up. Now Audiowild is in your repertoire and you have a lot to be proud of. I guess there’s no question here, just a statement of fact. Any thoughts?

Parnell: “I don’t necessarily know why it’s not more common for people to have that entrepreneurial spirit. To not just wait around and hope that somebody is gonna hand something to you. You gotta go out there and make it happen for yourself if you want it to happen at all. You also have to be serious

about what you’re doing. It fulfilling to do all these different things. If I tried something and I sucked at it, maybe I’d be less motivated to keep putting myself out there.

It helps being a bit of a control freak. I don’t really trust too many other people.

I would rather do it myself because then I know I can really geek out on it and do it the way that I want it to be done even though I don’t necessarily know what I’m doing.

For some reason or another, the universe seems to like me. I’ll try my hand at something and for some reason it works out. With Idyllwild Strong, nobody ever puts a festival together and has it super-successful right out of the gate. For most people there’s a trial and error period, even the first Coachella was a disaster. With Throw the Goat, our very first tour was a UK tour, no DIY up-andcoming band gets out there and does that shit. You have to embrace the idea that you can totally fail at any moment and you have to just not give a shit and go for it! There’s a quote from David Bowie that I really like, ‘If you feel safe in the area you’re working in, you’re not working in the right area. Always go a little further into the water than you feel you’re capable of being in. Go a little bit out of your depth. And when you don’t feel that your feet are quite touching the bottom, you’re just about in the right place to do something exciting’. Jumping gives me that sense of worry, excitement and uncertainty and that’s when you know you’re onto something really special. It’s always been with me.”

CVW: Can you provide an update on Throw the Goat and Idyllwild Strong?

Parnell: “On Saturday, 09/18/2021 TTG will be perfoming live at Audiowild Studios, our first show since January 11, 2020! Our last album was recorded remotely so we didn‘t develop the record organically like we normally would. Most of the songs on the album, we actually have not played together

July 29 to August 4, 2021 as a band. Troy does a lot more singing on this album. Derek is always real intent on how he can best compliment the musical arrangements. With me being the frontman it’s still a fresh thing, I don’t necessarily have any training or vocal techniques. We’ll be performing some new songs as well as some covers.

With regard to Idyllwild Strong, things are way too up in the air. I contacted the Riverside County Planning Department and alerted them we were thinking about it.

They werent too enthusiastic about it. They advised we fill out the permits as quick as we could and keep our fingers crossed. It takes so much work to put that together, it would be so disappointing to put all that effort in and then have the rug pulled out from beneath us.

Instead, what we are going to be focusing on is Idyllwild Strong 2022. We’ll start planning now with over a year to go.”

CVW: You’ve worked on albums with Throw the Goat, Instigator, 5th Town, The Sweat Act, Johnny and the Competition, The Spaceman Trilogy and Hot Patooties at your previous space. What are you hoping to accomplish for artists recording at Audiowild?

Parnell: “I would like to bring in a band and when they leave the studio, they’ll have a kick-ass album recorded, a bunch of behindthe-scenes footage that was shot in the studio during the recording process, I can knock out a couple of music videos for them, facilitate merchandising and ultimately make it a onestop-shop. I want to be able to handle all of it.”

You can contact Brian by phone or email: (951) 659-1389 puke@regurgitationrecords.com If you would like to become a patron of Audiowild Studios, click the link below: www.patreon.com/vomitrocious audiowildstudios.com

PARADISE COVE CAFÉ PALM DESERT, CA

other premium meats, cheeses, signature sauces and homemade dressings, creating an explosion of flavor with every bite.

And yes – all of their soups as well as their Paradise Cove Biscuits and Gravy are made from scratch daily.

No cans.

Not frozen from a box.

No microwaves.

No disappointment!

They are so appreciative of your decision to choose them today, and welcome the opportunity to earn your repeat business.

On behalf of each of the wonderful and hardworking individuals that make up their staff – they will always give their very best, and aspire to exceed your expectations.

Open Daily 7:00 am – 2:00 pm Hidden between Michael’s & Trader Joe’s

ARTICLE & PHOTOS BY LYNNE TUCKER

For more info visit paradisecove.cafe.

Think Breakfast and Enjoy Their Amazing Pancakes!

5

July 29 to August 4, 2021

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

LOCAL MUSIC

JOSHUA TREE MUSIC FESTIVAL RETURNS OCTOBER 7-10

J

oshua Tree Music Festival returns with their Fall 2021 offering, JTMF Presents: Heart of the Matter. This October will mark two full years since the festival has taken place at its longtime home, the Joshua Tree Lake RV & Campground. JTMF Presents: Heart of the Matter is about getting back to basics, relishing in meaningful interactions, reintegrating, reconnecting and revitalizing.

“To make room for more healing and feeling, the JTMF experience will be transformed. Less people. More space. Fewer concurrent activities. More time to engage one another,” says festival founder Barnett English.

While some things change, much remains the same. Attendees can expect supreme live music experiences to feed the soul, deep dive workshops to uplift and inspire, random acts of mindfulness inviting them to interact and

connect, spontaneous eruptions of gratitude, and that friendly familial spirit that Joshua Tree Music Festival is known for.

With the health and wellbeing of patrons and crew a priority, Joshua Tree Music festival will be implementing additional safety protocol including limiting the number of attendees, increased sanitation and an interim refund policy to make it easier for ticket holders to stay home if they are sick. “We are aware this situation will continue to evolve and we will be ready to adapt our policies to follow county, state and CDC guidelines as needed,” says English.

On the lineup for this fall: Dirtwire, Orgone, Mike Love, Moontricks, Smoked Out Soul, Symone French & the Trouille Troupe and more.

For full lineup, tickets and event information go to joshuatreemusicfestival.com.

SHOP SUMMER STYLE WITH UNIQUE KEEP BOUTIQUE

BY CRYSTAL HARRELL

S

ummer has reached the desert and your wardrobe might need an update if you want to be styling in these scorching temperatures. Unique Keep Boutique was launched in March as an online seller of resort wear and boho chic essentials to get you fashionably ready for the season.

Vanessa Arroniz is the owner of Unique Keep Boutique and wears all the hats that make the business run.

From a young age, Vanessa had the mindset of an entrepreneur. At only 9 years-old, she would bake cookies using a Betty Crocker kids oven. Going door-to-door, she made her first sale but didn’t stop there. As she got older, Vanessa continued to find ways to earn money, inspired by the desire to grow professionally and test the skills she had developed working in the retail industry.

“Money wasn’t my drive. It was the smiles on people’s faces after purchasing an item they found value in. Whether it was cookies, fruit arrangements or more recently clothing…

The most rewarding part of my business is the connection I build with each person I interact with. Most of the women that shop in my boutique are in search of a dress for a special occasion. Whether it be an engagement party, baby shower, or vacation. They allow me to be part of that special moment through the connection we build as I help them find the perfect dress,” stated Vanessa.

The most difficult part of establishing Unique Keep Boutique for Vanessa was continuing to believe in herself through every stage of the process. From getting all the required permits,

6

licensing, and understanding her market, each brought a challenge which could have easily discouraged her, but Vanessa’s passion for personal growth was much stronger and has helped her push through the early stages of developing her business.

Each piece of clothing at Unique Keep Boutique is carefully hand-picked. Vanessa’s goal as a boutique owner is to offer dresses that make a statement. Some of the dresses are purchased from vendors that are located in Los Angeles and others are brought in from Mexico, but it is especially important for Vanessa to have the ability to quality check each piece that enters her collection.

“Unique Keep Boutique offers dresses for special occasions. Every lady needs to have a statement piece in their closet. It’s the dress you can count on fitting just right. The dress that compliments your every angle. It’s the showstopper you’re looking for,” said Vanessa.

In addition to being a small business owner, Vanessa has a career in the non-profit industry

LOCAL BUSINESS

working with Variety – the Children’s Charity of the Desert—an organization whose focus is to serve children with special needs.

Unique Keep Boutique has participated in local events in order to give customers the opportunity to shop in person. The boutique took part in a couple pop-up shops around the Coachella Valley, with organizations like EP Black Label and CVMeetUps making it possible for many local small businesses to participate in events located at Westfield Palm Desert as well as various country clubs around the Valley.

“Since day one, I have received positive feedback from customers. Women have literally used the word ‘unique’ when describing the dresses. To have my mission reflect my product has been a huge accomplishment. My number one supporter is my fiancé. He is the one who is there to help with all the heavy lifting and also provides valuable feedback when it comes to finances,” explained Vanessa.

Although Unique Keep Boutique is currently an online store, Vanessa’s goal is to open up a

brick and mortar location that will be available for women to shop in person. She also plans to give back to the community by creating a program that allows her to make a difference in women’s lives. This passion was further fueled the moment Vanessa received her first online sale while running her business.

“It was a wonderful feeling to have seen the notification as I opened my email. Having an online store is not easy. It’s very important to make sure you are capturing your products in the right lighting when taking pictures as well as having a clear description of how it feels and looks. My goal is to continue working towards building a pleasant experience as customers browse through my online boutique,” stated Vanessa.

To look at Unique Keep Boutique’s clothing selection, visit the store at www. uniquekeepboutique.com. You can also stay connected and follow on the Instagram page at uniquekeep_boutique or Facebook at u

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

July 29 to August 4, 2021

7

July 29 to August 4, 2021

CONSIDER THIS

S

omewhere between Patsy Cline, Fleetwood Mac, Dolly Parton, the Dixie Chicks and Wilson Phillips stands Nobody’s Girl. Their sound isn’t easily pigeonholed and maybe that’s the point.

The trio which features BettySoo, Rebecca Loebe and Grace Pettis, began collaborating a few years ago, but between them, they’ve amassed 12 solo albums, seven EPs and a plethora of high-profile collaborations.

BettySoo was raised in Houston by firstgeneration Korean immigrant parents. Thanks to her folks, she became fully acquainted with the Great American Songbook at an early age.

Later on, her older sisters introduced her to ‘70s Singer-Songwriters. After graduating from Austin’s U.T., she settled there and began her music career. She quickly made a name for herself toggling between a solo career and collaborations with Doug Cox. She also made her bones adding back-up vocals for Americana legends like Eliza Gilkyson and James McMurtry. In 2016 she partnered with Charlie Faye and Akina Adderley and formed Charlie Faye & The Fayettes. Their sound was a heady brew of Motown magic, Stax swagger and Brill Building songcraft.

Rebecca Loebe began life in Alexandria, Virginia, but grew up in Atlanta, Georgia. She picked up the guitar at age six, graduated high school early and received her degree from the prestigious Berklee School Of Music in Boston. She returned to Atlanta before finally relocating to Austin, Texas. Although she’s probably best known as “The Voice” contestant who put her own spin on Nirvana’s “Come As You Are,” she has recorded several solo longplayers and EPs. She’s also collaborated with folks like Raina Rose and Findlay Napier and shared stages with legends like Mary Chapin Carpenter, Civil Wars, Shawn Colvin and Ellis Paul.

A child of divorce, Grace Pettis spent her early years ping-ponging between Atlanta, Georgia and Mentone, Alabama. Her Dad, Pierce, was a traveling songwriter, her Mom, Dr. Margaret Mills Harper, was a poetry scholar. Those completely different worlds shaped Grace’s outlook and her songwriting.

Her facility for language and music was evident from childhood. As she nurtured her musical ambitions, she absorbed the sounds of Mountain music, Gospel, Country, Folk and Hip-Hop. The Austin transplant has recorded three full-length solo albums and an EP. Her songs have been covered by Sara Hickman and Ruthie Foster, and has collaborated with artists like The Watson Twins, Indigo Girls and Dar Williams.

Rebecca and Grace like to joke that they formed Nobody’s Girl so they “could trick BettySoo into being in a band with us…” The trio originally connected at the Kerrville Folk Festival in 2008 and became fast friends. Fastforward to 2017 which is when they began to officially collaborate. Things quickly fell into place. Before they’d even shared a stage as a trio, they inked a publishing deal and secured a record contract with Lucky Hound Music on the strength of their nascent compositions.

They wrote five of the songs that appeared on their seven song Waterline EP in about 36 hours and the recording process came together almost as quickly. Released in 2018, the Nobody Girls hit the road behind it, playing nearly 100 shows on stages from

8

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

NOBODY’S GIRL

Texas to Ireland. The following year was spent woodshedding and songwriting.

Recording commenced in September 2019 and was completed (despite the pandemic interruption), at the start of 2021.

The record rumbles to life with “Kansas.”

Bramble-thick guitar riffs connect with brittle bass lines, woozy keys and a kickdrum beat. The girls each solo on the verses and harmonize on the chorus. Instantly, the sonic palette goes shifts from monochrome to a dazzling kaleidoscope of color. Sharp lyrics draft off MGM’s folksy fantasia, “The Wizard Of Oz,” equating hometown limitations with black and white options; “Didn’t know what you were missing, all secondhand ambition ‘til you went drifting down that double yellow line.” As the song builds to a stunning crescendo, the final verse puts it all on the line; “Courage and heart, heart and mind, and all of the truth inside you you needed to find.”

A couple of tracks were originally introduced on the EP, but here, they’re given the once over twice, slightly spit-polished and shined.

On “Waterline,” crunchy power chords are matched by bleating Hammond B3, darting bass lines and an in-the-pocket groove. The melody shares some musical DNA with Tom Petty’s “Last Dance With Mary Jane,” but lyrics attempt to patch the fissures spreading in a failed relationship; “This is not where I thought I’d be right now, this is nowhere, passion moved out, the end run, damage done/We stood on the rafters, our natural disaster, the wreckage of our happily ever after.”

“What’ll I Do” is a rev’d up Coutry Rock/ Shimmer Pop hybrid accented by sleek harmonies, busy keys, prairie wind guitar and clunky percussion. A case of the bad-boyfriend Blues is simply shrugged off, ignoring all the warning signs; “You’re gonna be a poet or maybe a chef, yeah you’re pretty and you know it, and not a safe bet/I can see you

(LUCKY HOUND MUSIC)

just got a tattoo, is that supposed to be Van Gogh? You wanna stay here cause your rent’s due, something like three months ago, what’ll I do, I’m in trouble now, I’m in deep and I don’t want out.” There’s an effervescence to Nobody Girl’s sound that nearly camouflages their lyrical heft. The album’s first two singles, “Rescued” and “Tiger”, champion female empowerment and accept the consequences for taking control. The former blends winding electric guitars, hazy keys, a thunking rhythm, trip-wire bass and the kind of explosive Heartland guitar riff-age John Mellencamp perfected on his “Scarecrow” album. The lyrics find our heroines looking for love in all the wrong places, but, completely in charge of their own destinies; “Mr. Wrong you look so right, so baby come on I’m a good time tonight/They’re playin’ my song, going to rave on through, don’t wanna be saved don’t need to be rescued.” Icy keys on the bridge give way to the sort of infectious instrumental break that wouldn’t seem out of place in one of those shopping montages from a late ‘80s Rom-Com. There’s an angular cynicism at play on the latter. Hair-of-the-dog harmonies are suitably dissonant, rote and robotic on the verses, lithe and soral on the chorus. Jittery bass lines collide with shang-a-lang guitars and a hopscotch beat. Lyrics like “Alarm clock’s ringing and it’s off to the races, gotta make a decent breakfast gotta find a parking space, and now the boss is here early gotta look him in the eye, gotta make it all look easy, never let him see me try,” speak to the grinding ennui of the workaday world. Hammond B3 notes act as a wordless Greek chorus, stuttery and Soulful one minute, crisp and cranky and the next.

On the album’s best tracks, the political bleeds into the personal. Ringing, U2-y guitar chords are quickly supplanted by loose-limbed

BY ELENI P. AUSTIN bass and a chugging beat on “Birthright.”

The lyrics touch on life’s inequities, from childhood trauma to parental baggage, noting “The bruises fade, but it never stops hurting where the punches land.” The percolating, New Wave-ish arrangement of swirly keys and prickly guitar nearly takes the sting out of the final verse; “Your family came to this family in chains, to a place that didn’t care where they were from, and tried to erase their names/And my family still lives on the land we bought with blood and pain and when our kids start asking, what do we tell them, how do we explain?”

Billie Holiday worked the bible into her Blues in “God Bless The Child,” noting, “Them that’s got shall have, them that’s not shall lose,” L.A.’s premier Punk band, X, championed the plight of the working man in “The Have Nots.” The Boss kinda did both with his song, “The Promised Land.” Nobody’s Girl takes a different tack with their own “Promised Land.” Somehow, they manage to sneak perspicacious social commentary into a sparkly pop confection; burnished acoustic arpeggios lattice over searing electric riffs, slingshot bass, spacey keys and a kinetic backbeat. The opening verse seems to summon the Holy Ghost; “I saw your face in the stars last night shining down from the clear black sky, Colorado turned out the lights a thousand miles from California sand, a thousand more to the Blue Ridge Mountains, all in the cradle of your weary hands.” As the melody takes shape, lonesome pedal steel is woven into the rich instrumental tapestry.

Lyrics heartbreakingly illustrate the division and disparity that has split this country in two; “Cardboard city full of government tents, kids trying to sleep over subway vents, keeping watch over cold cement/No vote in North Dakota with Native ID, churches shot, Philly, Jersey, Kansas, Tennessee, we’re all waking up from the same lost dream.”

Nobody’s Girl include a couple of canny covers, offering a heartfelt take of “Beauty Way,” Eliza Gilkyson’s gimlet-eyed ode to life on the road. There’s also a breathless and beatific version of Carole King’s epochal “So Far Away.” Hard to believe that song is 50 years old, the timeless lyrics tackle separation anxiety in a way that manages to resonate with the past year’s lonely, lockdown lifestyles. The album closes with the plaintive and willowy “Lark.”

The record was produced by Michael Ramos, who also handled keys and percussion.

Nobody’s Girl relied on a wolfpack of pickers and players, including bassist Glenn Fukunaga, drummers Conrad Choucroun, J.J. Johnson and Remy Antoun, along with Doug Pettibone on pedal steel and David Pullingham on guitar.

Plus, they had a couple of superstar secret weapons, David Grissom and Charlie Sexton both added guitar on several tracks.

Nobody’s Girl blurs the lines, mixing genres and eras. Myriad moods and emotions are matched by buoyant melodies, intricate arrangements, and crackling instrumentation.

The result feels down to earth, elegant, and effortless. www.wearenobodysgirl.com

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

July 29 to August 4, 2021

The Hood – Open Mic – 8pm The Nest – Jojo Malagar – 7pm The Slice – Sergio Villegas – 5-8pm The Village – Rapmarz - 10pm Wildest – Derek Jordan Gregg – 6-9pm

Thursday, July 29

Chef George’s – Marc Antonelli – 6:309:30pm Coachella Valley Brewery – Open Mic – 7pm Cunard’s – Bill Baker – 6pm Kitchen 86 – Jojo Malagar – 7pm Melvyn’s – Mikael Healey – 5pm Rockyard@Fantasy Springs – Urban Skies (Keith Urban Tribute) – 7:30pm The Nest – Bryan Magsayo – 6pm The Slice – Leanna Rogers – 5-8pm The Village – Rob & JB – 5:30-8:30pm, Rapmarz – 10pm, DJ LF – 10pm

Friday, July 30

Bart Lounge – DJ Ax – 8pm Casuelas Café – The Myx – 7pm Chef George’s – Lizann Warner – 6:309:30pm Coachella Valley Brewery – Acoustic Evening w/ Matt Davin and James Johnson – 7pm Cunard’s – Bill Baker – 6pm Four Twenty Bank – Derek Jordan Gregg – 6pm La Quinta Brewery – Vinny Berry – 8pm

Lit @ Fantasy Springs – Tre’Sure – 9pm Mastro’s – Nikki Dickinson – 6:30pm Melvyn’s – Mikael Healey – 5pm O’Caine’s – Midlife O’Crisis – 6pm Pete’s Hideaway – Darci Daniels – 7pm Rockyard@Fantasy Springs – Smooth (Santana Tribute) and Steel Rod – 7pm The Hood – Variety is the Spice of Life w/ Live Bands, DJs, Comedians and more – 9pm The Nest – Jojo Malagar – 6pm The Slice – Marc Antonelli – 5:30-8:30pm The Village – Rob & JB – 5:30-8:30pm, Rapmarz – 9pm, DJ LF – 10pm, DJ Gio the Ace – 9pm Twelve @ Fantasy Springs – Mark Gregg and Co. – 7-10pm Wildest – Derek Jordan Gregg – 6-9pm

Lit @ Fantasy Springs – Tre’Sure – 9pm Mastro’s – Jojo Malagar – 7:30pm Melvyn’s – Mikael Healey – 5pm Palm Canyon Roadhouse – Lucky Tongue – 9pm Rockyard@Fantasy Springs – Heart of Rock and Roll (Huey Lewis and the News Tribute) and Know Illusion – 7pm The Hood - Comedy Night – 9pm The Nest – Nikki Dickinson – 6pm The Slice – Leanna Rogers – 5:30-8:30pm The Village – Rob & JB – 1-4pm, Rapmarz – 10pm, DJ LF – 10pm, DJ Gio the Ace – 9pm Twelve @ Fantasy Springs – Mark Gregg and Co. – 7-10pm Wildest – Derek Jordan Gregg – 6-9pm

Saturday, July 31

Sunday, August 1

Ace Hotel – DJ – noon – poolside Bart Lounge – DJs Killa Com and Insomnia – 8pm Casuelas Café – Lisa Lynn & The Broken Hallelujahs – 7:15pm Chef George’s – Sharon Sills – 6:30-9:30pm Cunard’s – Bill Baker – 6pm Four Twenty Bank – Barry Bond Blues Band – 6pm

Bart Lounge – Latina Night w/ DJ LF – 8pm Coachella Valley Brewery – Acoustic Afternoon w/ Adam Gainey, Mario Quintero and Tim Anthony Scott – 3pm Kitchen 86 – Jojo Malagar – 7pm Mastro’s – Nikki Dickinson – 6pm Melvyn’s – Mikael Healey – 5pm Palm Canyon Roadhouse – Mikole Kaar Jazz Event – 2-5pm, Sunday Night Jam – 6-11pm

Monday, August 2

The Nest – The Trebles – 6:30-9:30pm The Village – DJ Gio the Ace – 9pm

Tuesday, August 3

Chef George’s – Lizann Warner – 6:309:30pm Cunard’s – Bill Baker – 6pm Four Twenty Bank – Mikole Kaar and the Kaar Club – 4:20-7:20pm Lit @ Fantasy Springs – Brad’s Pad – 7-10pm The Nest – The Trebles – 6:30-9:30pm The Slice – Sergio Villegas – 5-8pm The Village – DJ Gio the Ace – 9pm

Wednesday, August 4

Chef George’s – Tim Burleson – 6:30-9:30pm Cunard’s – Bill Baker – 6pm Melvyn’s – Mikael Healey – 5pm The Cantina – T- Bone Karaoke – 7pm The Nest – The Trebles – 6:30-9:30pm The Slice – Marc Antonelli – 5-8pm The Village – DJ Gio the Ace – 9pm, Banda Revolucion – 10pm

9

July 29 to August 4, 2021

SCREENERS

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

No. 484

A MARGINAL LIFE

BY ROBIN E. SIMMONS This may be Cage’s best performance.

Sublime, visceral and haunting. It’s probably the best new film now showing (in theaters).

Check local listings. We saw it – our first film in a theater in over a year! -- at the Pickford in Cat City. robin@coachellavalleyweekly.com

PIG The less you know in advance about this melancholy, almost spiritual tone poem the better the viewing experience.

The basic plot centers on a trufflehunting Oregon recluse (Nic Cage) who lives in a ramshackle shack in the Pacific Northwest woods with no phone or shower, who returns to Portland’s high-end culinary world – where he was once a famous chef --

10

to find the thief who stole his beloved pig.

That simple plot’s absurd premise may give the impression that this is a goofy revenge thriller with Cage doing his familiar over-the-top riff a la John Wick or Jack Reacher.

In fact, director Michael Sarnosky’s feature debut is not really about finding a missing pig at all. No, this most unexpected film is actually a strange character study about an all-is-lost hero who abandons the

pursuit of financial gain and material wealth as he processes his loss. But beyond dealing with loss and grief, this film is about food, creativity, art, and our human connection.

An argument can be made that its also a not so sublime cinematic diatribe about the rot of commercialism, making it a provocative viewing experience – an antidote, really – for a post pandemic audience numbed by movie junk and the lack or intelligent big screen fare.

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

July 29 to August 4, 2021

THEATRE

C

oachella Valley Repertory (CVRep) is taking a health & safety leadership role in the local performing arts community by requiring the highest current standard from its patrons, team members, and volunteers: Proof of COVID-19 full vaccination.

As COVID-19 infections continue to spread and even spike again in some communities, and with the uncertainty that COVID-19 variants may be adding to our upcoming abilities to enjoy social gatherings and live performing arts, CVRep’s Board has chosen to create as safe a theatre venue and performing arts space as possible by requiring this proof of full vaccination from all those who will spend time in the playhouse.

CVRep has also installed a new, upgraded anti-viral air handling system in its lobby, instituted a strict cleaning and sanitizing protocol throughout the playhouse before and after each performance, and will closely adhere to all CDC, State, County and local safety rules.

“Our primary concern will always be for the safety and well-being of everyone in our theatre,” said Board President Mike Monachino. “As this pandemic continues to evolve feel it is imperative to set the clearest and highest standards to help reassure everyone in our community.”

This now includes limiting admission to performances at the CVRep playhouse to guests who have been fully- vaccinated. In addition, patrons can take comfort in knowing that all CVRep staff and volunteers will also be fully vaccinated.

To accommodate anyone who is unable to get vaccinated for health or other reasons, CVRep will make individual exceptions to allow entry to the playhouse with proof of a negative void test within 48 hours. Unvaccinated guests, for their own safety, will be required to remain masked and may be seated in a separate socially-distanced section of the playhouse’s auditorium.

CVRep will ask patrons to voluntarily submit proof of full vaccination in advance by sharing copies of their vaccination cards or other equivalent electronic or digital vaccination credentials. Guests’ photo I.D.’s will be crosschecked at the playhouses’ entrances. Patrons will also be able to present their proof of fullvaccination at the door, if needed.

“CVRep is excited to welcome you back to our theatre and share the joy and wonder of live performances with everyone,” said Ron Celona, CVRep’s Founding Artistic Director.

“We are proud to take this leadership role along with others in the local arts community to help keep our guests, performers, staff, volunteers, their families and loved ones, and our entire community healthy and safe!”

For information, tickets to upcoming musical events or CVRep’s full 2021-2022 season of plays, please contact CVRep at (760) 296-2966, or visit cvrep.org. CVRep is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit performing arts theatre.

PATRON VACCINE PROTOCOL In an effort to ensure patrons are vaccinated, CVRep will be implementing the following vaccine verification protocol.

Pre-Event Protocol 1. All patrons who have ordered tickets will receive an email requesting vaccine verification. [To date, we have had patrons self-attest.] To aid patrons in obtaining vaccine verification, the email will include these sources: a. If you were given a Proof of Vaccination card when you were vaccinated, you can scan it and attach it to your email (sample A below). b. If you didn’t get a card and were vaccinated in California, go to myvaccinerecord. cdph.ca.gov and they will provide a Personal Digital Record (sample B below). c. You can also present your Proof of Vaccination in person at the Box Office d. You can mail a photocopy of your Proof of Vaccination to: Coachella Valley Repertory 68510 E. Palm Canyon Drive, Cathedral City, CA 92234 Attn: Box Office. e. If you were vaccinated outside of California but in the U.S.A., go to your state’s Department of Health website where you can find information on proof of vaccination for your state. f. If you were vaccinated in Canada, you can go to your province’s https://health.gov. (province)ca/website and obtain your proof of vaccination there (sample C below).”

11

July 29 to August 4, 2021

THE VINO VOICE

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

BY RICK RIOZZA

MONTECUCCO: NEW WAVE CHIANTI

A

ttenzione! Montecucco, is a rising star in the Tuscan wine game with a “new and different” expression of Sangiovese that comes from an area of the famous Maremma region, nestled between the Brunello di Montalcino and Morellino di Scansano appellations.

Most of you Italian wine lovers in our valley are continually thrilled to be notified of the new Vino Wine Kid in town. Well—this column does not disappoint!

The wines of Montecucco are not only one of the best-kept secrets in the Italian wine landscape but also, more importantly, among the truest expressions of the organic farming philosophy that has been blooming and thriving in Italy for the past two decades.

Up to 70% of the Montecucco producers tend their land following respectful practices and a non-invasive approach to viticulture, representing one of the highest percentages of organic grapes’ producers in Tuscany, if not in Italy all.

Curled up in a little area on the western slopes of Mt. Amiata, the Montecucco appellation in the south of Tuscany has centuries of grape-growing pedigree, but recognition of the wines has increased in recent years; the region was upgraded to DOCG status in 2011. And, although each producer has its own unique story, the majority of them share the same commitment to growing grapes organically.

Many of you true vino cognoscenti know that a “Rosso” on a DOC or DOCG Italian label tells you that one can get a great deal on a red wine from classic region. No need to pay the high prices when you wish for a table wine to meet expectations reflecting the famed vineyard area.

So how about this for some auspicious news: Today, the majority of Montecucco’s grapes are certified organic, with winemakers being also farmers and practicing both biodynamic and organic cultivation. And, so many of the area’s wine is designated as a “Rosso”!

Enter now Auspicium Montecucco Rosso 2016 ($22). If I had to describe this wine in one sentence—how about: Tart raspberry and blackberry flavors, rich fruitiness, savory, slightly herbaceous—a wonderful food wine.

You liberal Chianti lovers will enjoy the fact that Auspicium is an Italian blend of 60% Sangiovese and 40% Syrah! You may then ask: Syrah in Italy!? And the response is Certo!—of course! Italy’s great wine makers have been using Syrah in their Super Tuscan wines for decades!

12

Auspicium’s winemaker says his wine is: “black-tinged, deep ruby-red with colour.

Brooding initially, the bouquet unfolds to reveal dark and red fruits, cinnamon spice, violets and orange peel. Spiciness, stewed marasca cherries and cassis dominate the palate attack, giving way to more complex balsamic, cigar box and savoury-garrigue notes. A bright acidity, subdued alcohol and velvety tannins complete the structure.”

At an alcohol level of 14.5%, this wine is a compelling match for the strong flavors and textures of traditional Roman fare, full-on hunter-style game stews of the Maremma, and it would be a great pairing with the classic Roman dish, Pasta alla Gricia.

Here are a couple of Montecucco wines we reviewed last year: Available now is the very good vintage year, 2015 Le Maciarine Montecucco Rosso. At $20, this is one of the best buys for a quality Sangiovese. We mentioned the “new and different” expression above—and I guess, it means that this Sangiovese is on deep dark fruits, spice, and is on the softer side: Not predominant on the acidity, with aromas of black cherries, raisins, light chocolate and licorice with a palate of red and black cherries, plums, pencil lead, and chocolate; finishes nicely with a mineral edge.

Its bigger brother, the 2015 Le Maciarin Montecucco Sangiovese Riserva, ($35), absolutely knocked our socks off! As soon as we took in the aromas, it brought us back to the times sitting at an Italian restaurant enjoying high-end wine. And the flavors sealed the deal; top quality Sangiovese with deep dark fruits, spices, and perfect food pairing acidity.

The Montecucco wine trail: For those planning to travel to Italy again in the next few years, we know Tuscany is always on the radar. For those preferring to slow the pace and avoid the well-worn tourist hot spots, in this quieter southwestern corner of Tuscany you’ll find an absorbing mix of fine local produce and sumptuous hospitality – all with a personal touch. Accommodations are extremely reasonable, great food, inexpensive and easy to get to wineries are very American friendly. Fly to Pisa, hire a car and it’s roughly a two-hour drive south, in the direction of Grosseto. From Rome airport, it’s a 2.5-hour drive north. Buon Viaggio & Saluti!

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

W

ith so many delectable dining options in Greater Palm Springs, sometimes it’s hard to choose where to go and what to eat. Why not try celebrating a national day that highlights a menu item or food ingredient?

Download the Summer Eats Pass and dine at any of the restaurants featured here for discounts and prize opportunities. Each time diners use the Summer Eats Pass to check in to a local eatery, they become eligible for a weekly drawing to win a $50 gift card to a local restaurant. The mobile pass is FREE. July 25th – National Wine & Cheese Day – Try the Cheeseboard daily selection of local and imported cheese with accoutrement and focaccia bread along with a glass of wine at Boozehounds in Palm Springs July 27th – National Crème Brûlée Day – Enjoy the Tahitian vanilla custard Crème Brûlée at French Rotisserie Café in Palm

Watermelon Gazpacho chilled soup appetizer with roasted piquillo peppers, garlic, lime, burrata cheese & micro mint at Eight4Nine

Springs. With the Summer Eats Pass, add a complimentary glass of sparkling wine.

July 29th – National Lasagna Day – Savor the special recipe Meat Lasagna at Le Donne Cucina Italiana where authentic cuisine is served up in a sophisticated atmosphere in Palm Desert.

July 31st – National Avocado Day – Order up the Guacamole Fiesta prepared tableside at Blue Coyote in Palm Springs. Get 10% off your entire check with Summer Eats.

Aug 3rd – National Watermelon Day – Choose the Watermelon Gazpacho chilled soup appetizer with roasted piquillo peppers, garlic, lime, burrata cheese & micro mint at Eight4Nine in Palm Springs.

Aug 5th – National Oyster Day – Satisfy your craving for Raw Oysters on the Half Shell or Cooked Oysters on the Half Shell at Pacifica, Palm Desert, featuring the freshest seafood in the desert. With the Summer Eats

Pass, save 50% off first glass of house wine, pint of draft beer or cocktail of the day.

Aug 6th – International Beer Day – With more than 30 choices of Belgian beer on the menu, Pomme Frite in Palm Springs is perfect for celebrating International Beer Day. Aug 13th National Filet Mignon Day – Feast on a filet aged a minimum 28 days and seasoned with a house blend of sea salts, cracked black pepper and roasted fresh herbs at Kaiser Grille in Palm Desert.

Aug 18th – National Fajita Day – Sizzling fajitas are an especialidad at Fresh Agave in

July 29 to August 4, 2021

GOOD GRUB

Palm Desert. Select chicken, beef, shrimp or calamari. Get 10% off food items with the Summer Eats Pass.

Aug 23rd – National Cuban Sandwich Day – Delight your palette with Roly’s “Cubano” sandwich, with roasted pork, Virginia ham, gruyere, dill pickles, and sour cherry Dijon pressed under iron skillet at 1501 Uptown Gastropub in Palm Springs.

Find additional information on the Summer Eats Pass and a full list of participating restaurants at summereatsgps. com.

PAMPEREDPALATE Raw Oysters on the Half Shell at Pacifica

BY DANIEL PARIS

C

hef Yianni Psalios loves to make people happy with his Greek food.

For over forty-five years, he has been stuffing grape leaves, rolling filo dough for baklava, skewering marinated lamb and chicken and pouring béchamel sauce into his moussaka and pastitsio. Olive oil, garlic, lemon, and oregano gather together to make Greek cuisine a jewel of the Mediterranean.

Start with a Greek salad of crisp cucumbers, tomatoes, kalamata olives sprinkled with morsels of feta cheese. Try it with a chilled glass of Retsina, a unique Greek wine made with pine resin. Order lots of mezethes (appetizers) like the stuffed grape leaves and spinach and cheese pie made with flaky, buttery layers of file dough. Hummus, marinated olives, eggplant dip, santziki (a yogurt, lemon, garlic and cucumber sauce), and dip your pita bread into all of it. Follow up with a skewer of ouzo marinated prawns and crispy, lemony potatoes.

If you want to try multiple appetizers and entrees, opt for the Mezze platter (minimum of two people) and let Chef Yianni be your tour guide.

Lamb is one of my favorite meats and Yianni excels in every preparation. From slow braised lamb shanks and shoulder to crispy charred skewers and pulled lamb in their gyros.

Two classic Greek dishes are offered daily. Moussaka, a layered tomato eggplant casserole, and Pastitsio, where pasta and ground beef are layered much like a lasagna and both are finished with a creamy, bubbling layer of nutmeg-scented béchamel sauce.

Fish and seafood are moist and draped with a citrusy garlic and olive oil sauce on a bed of rice pilaf and assorted fresh seasonal veggies.

Desserts include Baklava, Rougatsa (a cream tart), and yogurt and honey sprinkled with walnuts.

The décor is blue and white timeless Greek taverna. Finish your meal with a shot of ouzo with a shout of opa!

Yianni’s Greek Taverna & Market 67778 E. Palm Canyon Drive Cathedral City, CA 92234 760-202-4490 Open daily 11:30 a.m. – 8:30 p.m.

13

July 29 to August 4, 2021

SAFETY TIPS FROM THE CHIEF’S CORNER

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

BY FIRE CHIEF SAM DIGIOVANNA

M

onsoon Season is upon us.

Here are some reminders of the intensity of lightning and safety reminders during monsoon thunderstorms…

But What is Lightning?

Powerful electric sparks from a thunderstorm cause lightning, which can kill instantly. Lightning can strike two points up to 10 miles apart at the same time and whether or not blue sky is visible.

Lightning moves at 90,000 miles per second with voltage up to one billion volts.

A standard household electrical outlet is 120 volts. The lightning flash, or channel, is approximately 4 inches in diameter.

Lightning reaches temperatures five times hotter than the surface of the sun.

The surrounding air expands rapidly due to the heat of the bolt's flash and causes thunder, warning us that lightning is present.

How Do I Stay Safe?

Before you travel or hike: Check the weather forecast. Arrange activities to minimize your exposure to lightning danger.

Use these guidelines to make a lightning safety plan, and be prepared to follow it.

Be aware of the nearest safe structure or vehicle and how long it will take to reach it; learn where emergency phones are located on the trails.

Listen for thunder, watch for lightning, and observe the direction of storm movement.

Be vigilant of possible flash floods or falling rocks during or after storms.

If you find yourself in a dangerous situation with a thunderstorm approaching, take cover.

If your hair stands on end, a strike is looming: Move away from the canyon edge; leave open areas immediately; and avoid rocky outcrops, lone trees, the tallest trees, poles, railings, and bodies of water.

Get to a shelter—building, vehicle with

14

the windows closed, or shuttle bus—as quickly as possible.

For a shuttle bus, locate a designated bus stop.

If camping, wait out the storm in a safe structure or vehicle, not a tent.

Do not touch rock walls or any metal on vehicles or structures.

Remember: when thunder roars, go indoors!

What if There is No Shelter?

If you find yourself caught in a thunderstorm with no readily available shelter, be calm and use good judgement.

To reduce your risk: If possible, spread out from other people. Look for lower ground, but avoid areas that may flood. Do not touch metal guard rails.

If in an open area, crouch on the balls of your feet with your heels touching, head down, and hands covering ears. Your hands should not touch the ground. Do not lie flat on the ground.

How do I Maintain a Safe Distance?

Lightning can reach more than 10 miles from a cloud and far beyond where rain falls—you are still in a high danger zone even when it is not raining.

If you hear thunder, you are at risk of getting struck by lightning. When thunder roars, go indoors When you hear thunder, take shelter.

The 30–30 rule - If the sound of thunder follows a lightning flash in 30 seconds or less, seek shelter immediately. Danger continues for 30 minutes after the last lightning or thunder event.

Flash to bang calculations Count the seconds between flash of lightning and bang of thunder. Divide number of seconds by 5 to estimate distance from you to where lightning struck in miles (5 seconds = 1 mile). To find distance in kilometers, divide number of seconds by 3 instead of 5.

If you are within 6 miles (10 km) of lightning flashes, you are in a high-danger zone. Seek shelter immediately!

FREEWILL ASTROLOGY

WEEK OF JULY 29

ARIES (March 21-April 19): What does it mean to feel real? Some people have a hard time doing that. They have such false ideas about who they are that they rarely feel real. Others are so distracted by trivial longings that they never have the luxury of settling into the exquisite at-homeness of feeling real. For those fortunate enough to regularly experience this treasured blessing, feeling real isn’t a vague concept. It’s a vivid sensation of being conscious in one’s body. When we feel real, we respond spontaneously, enjoy playing, and exult in the privilege of being alive. After studying your astrological potentials, Aries, I suspect that you now have an enhanced capacity to feel real.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): When she was a child, author Valerie Andrews visited her secret sanctuary at sunset every day for seven years.

She lay on the ground among birch trees and aromatic privet plants, feeling “the steady rhythmic heartbeat of the earth” as she basked in the fading light. I’d love for you to enjoy the revitalizing power of such a shrine. The decisions you have to make will become clear as you commune with what Andrews calls “a rootlike umbilicus to the dark core of the land.” Do you know of such a place? If not, I suggest you find or create one.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): I suspect that your immediate future will be a patchwork of evocative fragments. You may be both annoyed and entertained by a series of flashing attractions, or an array of pretty baubles, or a hubbub of tasks that all seem at least mildly worth doing. Chances are good that they will ultimately knit together into a crazy-quilt unity; they will weave into a pattern that makes unexpected sense. In the spirit of the spicy variety, I offer three quotes that may not seem useful to you yet, but will soon. 1. “Isn’t it possible that to desire a thing, to truly desire it, is a form of having it?” — Galway Kinnell 2. “It is not half so important to know as to feel.” — Rachel Carson 3.

“Like all explorers, we are drawn to discover what’s out there without knowing yet if we have the courage to face it.” — Pema Chödrön CANCER (June 21-July 22): A Tumblr blogger named Cece writes, “The fact that you can soak bread in sugar, eggs, cinnamon, and vanilla, then butter a pan and fry said bread to make a meal is really liberating.” I agree. And I share this with you in the hope of encouraging you to indulge in other commonplace actions that will make you feel spacious and uninhibited. You’re in a phase of your astrological cycle when you’ll thrive on doing dayto-day details that excite your lust for life. Enjoying the little things to the utmost will be an excellent strategy for success.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Leo poet Renée Ashley articulates a perspective I recommend you adopt.

She writes, “I’m drawn to what flutters nebulously at the edges, at the corner of my eye—just outside my certain sight. I want to share in what I am routinely denied, or only suspect exists. I long for a glimpse of what is beginning to occur.”

With her thoughts as inspiration, I advise you to be hungry for what you don’t know and haven’t perceived. Expand your curiosity so that it becomes wildly insatiable in its quest to uncover budding questions and raw truths at the peripheries of your awareness.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “There are many things in your heart you can never tell to another person,” declared Virgo actor Greta Garbo (1905– 1990). “It is not right that you should tell them,” she concluded. “You cheapen yourself, the inside of yourself, when you tell them.” I presume Greta was being melodramatic. My attitude is the opposite of hers. If you find allies who listen well and who respect your vulnerability, you should relish telling them the secrets of your heart. To do so enriches you, deepens you, and adds soulful new meanings to your primary mysteries. The coming weeks will be a favorable time to seek this wise pleasure in abundance.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Now is a fantastic time to seek out effervescent socializing and convivial gatherings and festive celebrations. If you

© Copyright 2021 Rob Brezsny

surround yourself with lively people, you’ll absorb the exact influences you need. May I suggest you host a fun event? If you do, you could send out invitations that include the following allures: “At my get-together, the featured flavors will be strawberry chocolate and impossibly delicious.

There’ll be magic vibrations and mysterious moodenhancers. Liberating conversations will be strongly encouraged. Unpredictable revelations will be honored. If possible, please unload your fears and anxieties in a random parking lot before arriving.”

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Scorpio author Andrew Sean Greer writes, “As the Japanese will tell you, one can train a rose to grow through anything, to grow through a nautilus even, but it must be done with tenderness.” I think that’s a vivid metaphor for one of your chief tasks in the coming weeks, Scorpio: how to carefully nurture delicate, beautiful things as you coax them to ripen in ways that will bring out their sturdiness and resilience. I believe you now have an extra capacity for wielding love to help things bloom.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Suggested experiments to try soon: 1. Remember a past moment when you were touched with the sudden realization that you and a person you’d recently met were destined to fall in love. 2. Remember a past moment when you kissed someone for the first time. 3. Remember a past moment when someone told you they loved you for the first time or when you told someone you loved them for the first time. 4. Allow the feelings from the first three experiments to permeate your life for five days. See through the eyes of the person you were during those previous breakthroughs. Treat the whole world as expansively and expectantly as you did during those times.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Capricorn poet Kenneth Rexroth was shirtless as he strolled along a rural road. To his delightful amazement, a fritillary butterfly landed on his shoulder, fluttered away, landed again, fluttered away—performed this dance numerous times. Nothing like this had ever happened to him. Later he wrote, “I feel my flesh / Has suddenly become sweet / With a metamorphosis / Kept secret even from myself.”

In the coming days, I’m expecting at least one comparable experience for you. Here’s your homework: What sweet metamorphoses may be underway within you—perhaps not yet having reached your conscious awareness?

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): “Each time we don’t say what we want to say, we’re dying.”

Aquarian artist and singer Yoko Ono said that. I will add a further nuance: Each time we’re not aware of the feeling or experience or situation we want, we’re dying. And these will be key themes now that you’ve entered the “I KNOW WHAT I WANT AND I KNOW HOW TO ASK FOR IT” phase of your cycle. The most healing and vivifying thing you can do during the next six weeks is to be precise about your desires.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In 1829, Piscean author Victor Hugo began work on his novel, The Hunchback of Notre Dame. He had other projects, though, and by September 1830, he had made scant progress on Hunchback. Growing impatient, his publisher demanded that he finish the manuscript by February 1831. In response, Hugo virtually barricaded himself in his room to compel himself to meet the deadline. He even locked his clothes in a closet to prevent himself from going out. For the next five months, he wore only a gray shawl as he toiled nonstop. His stratagem worked!

I recommend you consider trying a somewhat less rigorous trick to enforce your self-discipline in the coming weeks. There’s no need to barricade yourself in your fortress. But I hope you will have fun taking stringent measures.

Homework. Send descriptions of your wildly hopeful dreams for the future. newsletter@ freewillastrology.com ---------------------------------------Rob Brezsny - Free Will Astrology freewillastrology@freewillastrology.com

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

July 29 to August 4, 2021

15

July 29 to August 4, 2021

PET PLACE

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

ESTATE PLANNING FOR PETS! You may tell yourself, “If anything happens to me, my kids will take my dog.” However, when the time comes, your daughter is married to someone allergic to animals and your son has a full house of critters. If you have an agreement with someone to take your pet, check in periodically to see if their situation has changed. Real estate agents will tell you about the tragedy of animals left behind in empty homes, sometimes deceased due to lack of food and water.

This week, a distraught groomer telephoned Loving All Animals about a dog apparently abandoned at her salon.

Susan Clark at The Pampered Pup salon soon determined the little dog’s senior humans were both in hospice care with life threatening conditions. No family member was available to take this little one. Once again, Loving All Animals arranged for a foster home to take in the 14 year old pup. She will require veterinary care, including expensive dental work, in order to become adoptable to a second chance home. Consider making a donation to www.lovingallanimals.org for their life saving work. Now is the time for you to make a solid plan should you pass away or suddenly be unable to care for your animals.

B

ailey was adopted from a public shelter when she was an 8-weekold adorable puppy. However, 10 months later her 83-yr-old human suffered a serious stroke and could no longer care for her. No one in the family or circle of friends was willing to take 1-yr-old Bailey.

The dog’s future became grim as a family friend desperately called private rescue groups, learning most of them are full due to the endless flow of homeless animals.

Fortunately, Loving All Animals was able to find a foster home to take this precious pup. Bailey transformed from a despondent dog into a happy pup living with Eva Fischer and her pups. It was a perfect match when Bailey was soon adopted by a young couple with another little dog.

Bailey is one of the lucky dogs. Sadly, over 500,000 cats and dogs end up in public shelters every year due to the death or incapacity of their humans. Used to being in family homes, many of these animals become despondent or frightened in a kennel setting, and some end up euthanized for a variety of reasons. Some are senior animals who gave many years of love to their families. Now they are older, often with medical problems, and they are passed over for cute puppies and young frisky dogs.

The phone often rings at Loving All Animals with a familiar tale, “My mother died, and she left 3 dogs and 2 cats behind.

I leave town tomorrow, and my landlord doesn’t allow pets. Can you take them?”

MEET CHILLY

PRETTY KITTY!

Come meet this fabulous pup today! Chilly is 90 lbs of Warm doggie love. Estimated to be 10 yrs old, this senior staff favorite is an awesome joyful pup. She’s spayed and ready to go home. Chilly is dog ID#A1279461.

Ask for Chilly at the Coachella Valley Animal Campus shelter, 72-050 Pet Land Place, Thousand Palms, open 10am-4pm Monday through Saturday. ADOPTION FEES DURING JULY ONLY $5. www.rcdas.org, (760) 343-3644.

This gorgeous 1-yr-old girl is sweet & shy, but will be happy in a home with you! She’s spayed and ready to go. She’s animal ID#A1630355 at the Coachella Valley Animal Campus shelter, 72-050 Pet Land Place, Thousand Palms. Shelter open 10am-4pm Monday through Saturday. Adoption fees for all animals at this county shelter are $5 during July. www.rcdas.org, (760) 343-3644.

16

BY JANET McAFEE Palm Desert attorney, Henry Casden Esq. advises, “The California probate code allows one to create a trust and put assets there to fund care for the pets they leave behind. Those expenses can include food, veterinary care and grooming. If they care about their domestic animals, including dogs, cats, horses or birds, people should make a plan for where those animals will go. They can name a person as trustee who will oversee the distribution of the funds to care for them. I especially recommend a pet trust for anyone who is in their 70’s or 80’s, as well as anyone who is in frail health.” Casden does pet trusts, and he can be reached at (855) 447-4442.

Do you want your beloved pet to end up in a public shelter, heartbroken and alone?

Make a solid agreement with a friend or relative to take custody of your pet, and check in periodically to see if their situation has changed. Make sure their housing situation allows for another animal.

Consult with an attorney about a pet trust.

Whether you are 33 or 83 years old, have a plan in place for the pets you love in case you can no longer care for them.

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

Most people assume they’ll outlive their pets, says Barry Seltzer, a Toronto-based estate lawyer and co-author of Fat Cats & Lucky Dogs: How to Leave (Some of) Your Estate to Your Pet. Death and disability are topics many people refuse to face.

The situation prompted Seltzer to pen a modified version of the Bible’s Proverbs 29:18: WHERE THERE IS NO VISION, PETS PERISH. WHERE THERE IS PROCRASTINATION, PETS PERISH. AND WHERE THERE IS NO PLAN IN PLACE, PETS PERISH. Janetmcafee8@gmail.com -------------------------------------------------Here is a partial list of Inland Empire shelters and rescue groups where you can adopt a wonderful dog or cat.

COACHELLA VALLEY ANIMAL CAMPUS – This county shelter is now open for walk in visitors 10am-4pm Mon through Sat. ALL ANIMALS AVAILABLE FOR $5 ADOPTION FEE IN JULY. You can view the animals at all four Riverside county shelters at www. rcdas.org, and get the ID number, 72050 Pet Land Place, Thousand Palms, (760) 343-3644. (Public) PALM SPRINGS ANIMAL SHELTER – This shelter is open every day except Tuesday.

View their animals online at www. psanimalsshelter.org, 4575 E. Mesquite Ave, Palm Springs, (760) 416-5718. (Public) DESERT HOT SPRINGS ANIMAL CARE & CONTROL - Open daily 9:30-4:30. View their animals at www.cityofdhs.org/ animal-care-control.com, 65810 Hacienda Ave, Desert Hot Springs, (760) 329-6411

ext. 450.

ANIMAL SAMARITANS – Call for an appointment to adopt. View their animals at www.animalsamaritans.org.

Email acorrow@animalsamaritans.org to foster. Located at 72307 Ramon Rd, Thousand Palms, (760) 601-3918. (Private) CALIFORNIA PAWS RESCUE - Call for an appointment to adopt. Located at 73650 Dinah Shore, Palm Desert. View their animals at www.californiapawsrescue. com, (760) 656-8833. (Private) HUMANE SOCIETY OF THE COACHELLA VALLEY – Call for an appointment to adopt a dog or cat. This shelter has lots of big dogs and some cats. View some of their animals at www.orphanpet.com. Located at 17825 N. Indian Canyon, Palm Springs, (760) 329-0203. (Private) KITTYLAND – The shelter is closed so call for an appointment to visit and adopt a cat. Located at 67600 18th Avenue, Desert Hot Springs, www.kittylandrescue.org, (760) 251-2700. (Private) FOREVER MEOW – Foster based rescue for cats located in Rancho Mirage. Contact them at www.ForeverMeow.org, (760) 335-6767. (Private) PRETTY GOOD CAT – Foster based rescue for cats located in La Quinta.

Contact them at www.prettygoodcat.com, (760) 660-3414 (Private) BFF4pets – Foster based rescue for dogs and cats located in La Quinta. Email them at rescues@bff4pets.com, (310) 431-7818 (Private) LOVING ALL ANIMALS – Call

July 29 to August 4, 2021

for appointment to visit and adopt dogs. Located at 83496 Avenue 51, Coachella, www.lovingallanimals.org, (760) 834-7000. (Private) LIVING FREE ANIMAL SANCTUARY – Large outdoor shelter for dogs and cats up Hwy 74, Mountain Center, view animals at www.living-free.org, and call (951) 6594687. (Private) MORONGO BASIN HUMANE SOCIETY – Located at 4646 Sun View Rd, Joshua Tree, www.mbhumanesociety.com, call between 11am-2pm (760) 366-3786 (Private) CITY OF SAN BERNARDINO ANIMAL SHELTER – The shelter is now open for Walk in visitors 12 noon – 3:00pm Tuesday through Saturday. Hours for adoption 10am – 5pm Tuesday thru Sat. Google “City of San Bernardino Animal Shelter” for website to view animals and get the ID number of the animal you want to meet. Located at 333 Chandler Place, San Bernardino, (909) 384-1304 or (909) 3847272. (Public) SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER AT DEVORE – Shelter is now open for walk ins 7 days a week. Call (909) 3869280. View animals at www.sbcounty.gov/ acc and get the ID number of animal you are interested in adopting, 19777 Shelter Way, San Bernardino (Public).

DREAM TEAM ANGELS RESCUE - Foster based rescue located in Grand Terrace/San Bernardino area. Contact them through website www.DreamTeamangelsrescue. com, (360) 688-8884. (Private)

17

July 29 to August 4, 2021

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

HADDON LIBBY

ARRR-GUST IS PIRATE MONTH!

W

hile August may not have a big holiday like Independence Day, Easter or Halloween, the month is filled with fun things to celebrate. Not only have fans of Pirates of the Caribbean arrr-gue that this the most-piratey of months, shorter weeklong celebrations that happen during the first seven days celebrate Breastfeeding, Farmer’s Markets, Health Centers, Gold Panning, Exercise with your Child(ren) and Psychics!

If none of these commemorations make your dance card for things to celebrate in August, there are daily events you may want to consider. Sunday August 1st is Girlfriend Day which is not to be confused with Mistress Day on February 13th, or Wife Appreciation Day on September 19th. August 1st is a great time to focus on that girlfriend of yours as the last day of the month is Matchmaking Day. Give the next thirty days your best effort and if things are not working, find a matchmaker.

Toward the end of the first week of August is the start of the 81st Sturgis Rally.

The Sturgis Rally is the largest gathering of motorcyclists in the world with as many as 450,000 people descending on the 7,000 resident town of Sturgis, South Dakota. This ten-day event includes several rides and races, lots of drinking, live music and more.

The event began in 1938 when local Indian merchant Pappy Hoel gained a reputation for private races and musical events. Back then, Sturgis had 2,000 residents.

If Sturgis isn’t your thing, Sunday the 8th is more than getting a shmear on a bagel for Bagel Day. August 8th or ‘eight-eight’ as many like to call it is also Cat Day, Female Orgasm Day, Sneak a Zucchini onto your neighbor’s Porch Day and Wear your Mother’s Jewelry Day. While there is no Male Orgasm Day (presumably because that is every day), the last day of July is National Orgasm Day. Orgasm Day comes a week before Women’s Orgasm Day despite the female-focused day starting years earlier due to the efforts of founder and Councilman Arimateio Dantas of Esperantina, Brazil in 2007.

Moving on to our next weekend, Saturday the 14th is National Bowling Day. Sunday the 15th is Best Friends, Leathercraft and Relaxation Day. Somehow the 18th is meant to recognize Bad Poetry, Birth Control Pills, Mail Order Catalogs, Fajitas and Toplessness. How is anyone’s guess.

DALEGRIBOW ON THELAW

ABC’S OF AN ACCIDENT

S

ummer is here but there are more parties than usual as we are all looking for a reason to get out and PARTY! The Coachella and Stagecoach concerts are around the corner. This means more people will be on the road …that have been drinking.

Thus expect more auto accidents.

I use to have a radio show entitled “Accidentally Yours” where we discussed what to do if you were in an accident. The first thing I suggested on each show is that “people don’t plan to fail, they just fail to plan”. Thus you should consider now, while you are not stressed from an accident, which lawyer you would call and which hospital would be the closest for you. Keep that lawyers information handy just as you would the information for a plumber or electrician.

If you or a loved one are involved in an auto accident the first thing you should do is to call Riverside County Sheriffs. Do whatever you can to get them to take a traffic accident report. Having a police report coupled with your seeking medical attention at a hospital or ER right away is very important to support the fact you were injured. Next use your cell phone to take pix of the damage to both cars; the other party and witnesses and any injuries you received that would show up on a photo.

Documentation is the name of the game for a PI case. Get a three hole notebook, like the one you used in school (or your computer), to summarize all the facts of the accident. Include the name, address, cell and email of all parties and witnesses. Then start with the top of your head and work down to

18

A few days later on the 21st is National Poet’s Day although there appears to be another one on March 21st. Whether you celebrate the 3/21 or 8/21 rendition, in unrelated news, Andrew Dice Clay has no events scheduled for the month.

Sunday the 21st is also Senior Citizen’s Day. If you get a chance, slow down for a day and spend some quality time with an older friend or family member.

On the 24th, we mark the 15th anniversary of the demotion of Pluto from the big planet table to the dwarf planet tablet thanks to the International Astronomical Union. I personally think planets should not be categorized by size and feel strong that the reclassification was an astronomical mistake.

Before finishing this utterly silly use of pixels, August 26th is National Toilet Paper Day. I cannot find its origin but it’s importance in modern society was proven by people’s actions at the start of the pandemic. Did you

BY HADDON LIBBY know that the Chinese made the first toilet paper in 580AD? For centuries, people used items as random as shells, corncobs and wooden sticks. The first toilet paper used in the United States happened during the mid-1800s when Joe Gayetty created aloe vera-infused hemp paper that helped in the prevention of hemorrhoids.

Fast forward 160 years and the average American uses one pound of it every week.

Haddon Libby can be reached at hlibby@ winslowdrake.com.

LEGAL REPRESENTATION OF THE INJURED & CRIMINALLY ACCUSED

the bottom of your toes and list what hurts you. Do this each day as there may be new pains every day. Also include your loss of enjoyment of life. That way you can take the notebook to the doctor and not forget to tell him/her all of your medical complaints.

Include in your summary what were you NOT able to do because of the accident? For instance did you have to cancel a party you were throwing or attending? Did you cancel a vacation? etc.

If you do not relate all your medical symptoms to the doctor it is as if you did not have that symptom. You need the doctor to put your symptoms in the resulting medical report. That is why you should see a doctor that knows how to handle a med/legal case and prepare a proper report. If the medical problem is not in the report you will not be compensated for it.

I always suggest you see a doctor you have not seen before. Otherwise when the insurance company subpoenas your medical records from that doctor, it may show things you do not want others to know.

Be sure you do NOT admit liability or talk to the other parties insurance company.

You are best advised not to talk to your own insurance company until you have retained a lawyer. If the other side does not have auto insurance or enough insurance, you will be presenting an uninsured motorist claim and your insurance company becomes the entity from whom we look to collect. The insurance company will size you up when you personally make a claim. Initially they assign a nice adjuster to your file and later transfer it to a less understanding adjuster.

If you talk or meet the adjuster they will

try to pump you for information. Living in the desert it is common to be asked if you are a golfer or a tennis player. They will try to elicit from you when you last played. If you were well enough to play a sport they will later argue you were not injured like you claimed to your doctor. In addition when they come out to look at the property damage they might say they want to take a picture of the damage to the car and at the last minute ask you to stand next to the car and point to the damage. Sometimes that involves bending to point to the dent and right before they take the picture they say “smile”. Now they have a picture of you bending and smiling when you are complaining your pain is so bad you cannot bend and certainly would not be smiling.

Please understand you will not be treated fairly by the insurance company without an attorney. They will not be your friendly neighbor nor give you a piece of the rock. In California we use to have “bad faith laws” that required the insurance company to deal fairly with the claimant, but in reality that is long gone.

Remember you can always change your attorney because the attorney works on a contingency fee and they do not earn that fee until the case is settled. The new lawyer will compensate the first lawyer for his/her time out of the money THEY collect for legal fees.

The contingency fee levels the playing field so that you can afford to hire the best. This lawyer will also assist you in finding a medical provider who will treat you on a lien basis.

Thus you do not have to pay for treatment as it is incurred but rather after the case settles.

When selecting a lawyer, look at the AVVO

legal rating system and choose a lawyer who is rated 9.0 or higher. Also look at their Martindale Hubbell rating. A perfect rating is AV. A for legal ability and V for very high ethics. In addition, look for a lawyer who has been recognized in the community such as having Palm Springs Life Magazine list him/her as a TOP LAWYER. The lawyer’s involvement in the community also is important because it is symbolic of the respect the insurance company will have for the attorney.

DRINKING AND TEXTING BOTH CAUSE ACCIDENTS OR MAKE A DRIVER LESS LIKELY TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT, THAT WOULD NOT BE THEIR FAULT. BEING INTOXICATED IS JUST AS SERIOUS AS BEING INTEXTICATED. A DRIVER MUST DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO AVOID AN AT-FAULT ACCIDENT. THE BOTTOM LINE IS “DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE OR TEXT AND GET A DUI OR ACCIDENT...

CALL A TAXI, LYFT, OR UBER….THEY ARE A LOT CHEAPER THAN CALLING ME” Ideas for future columns contact Dale Gribow 760-837-7500 or dale@ dalegribowlaw.com.

DALE GRIBOW Legal Representation Of The Injured and Criminally Accused “TOP LAWYER” - California’s Prestige Magazine, Palm Springs Life (PI/DUI) 2011-21 “TOP LAWYER” - Inland Empire Magazine 2016- 2019 PERFECT 10.0 AVVO Peer Rating and AV Martindale Hubbell Rating

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

July 29 to August 4, 2021

19

July 29 to August 4, 2021

20

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com