3 rd Annual Idyllwild Strong Benefit

Coachella Valley Weekly (760) 501-6228 publisher@coachellavalleyweekly.com coachellavalleyweekly.com facebook.com/cvweekly twitter.com/cvweekly1 Publisher & Editor Tracy Dietlin Art Director Robert Chance Sales Team Kirby Club Crawler Nightlife Editor Phil Lacombe Head Music Writer Noe Gutierrez Head Feature Writer Crystal Harrell Feature Writers Lisa Morgan, Rich Henrich, Heidi Simmons, Tricia Witkower, Jason Hall, Esther Sanchez Writers/Contributors: Robin Simmons, Rick Riozza, Eleni P. Austin, Craig Michaels, Janet McAfee, Bronwyn Ison, Haddon Libby, Sam DiGiovanna, Dale Gribow, Denise Ortuno Neil, Rob Brezny, Dr. Peter Kadile, Dee Jae Cox, Angela Romeo, Aaron Ramson, Lynne Tucker, Aimee Mosco, Michelle Anne Rizzio, Ruth Hill, Madeline Zuckerman Photographers Robert Chance, Laura Hunt Little, Chris Miller, Iris Hall, Esther Sanchez Videographer Kurt Schawacker Website Editor Bobby Taffolla Distribution Phil Lacombe, William Westley

CONTENTS

3rd Annual Idyllwild Strong Benefit.... 3-5

Breaking The 4 th Wall - Rita Gonzales.... 5

Back To School - Distance Learning ...... 6

Consider This - The Motion ..................... 7

Pet Place - Lisa & Teddy....................... 8-9

Travel Tips & Local Happening 4 U ........ 9

The Vino Voice ....................................... 11

Brewtality .............................................. 12

Screeners ............................................... 14

Haddon Libby ....................................... 15

Dale Gribow .......................................... 15

Safety Tips ............................................. 16

Free Will Astrology............................... 16

Cannabis Corner .................................... 17

2020 IDYLLWILD STRONG BENEFIT FESTIVAL BY NOE GUTIERREZ

The Idyllwild Strong Benefit Festival, now in its third year, raises money for disaster relief in the sublime mountain oasis of Idyllwild, California. The town relies on regular tourism to survive, which has been severely impacted by catastrophic damage caused by the Cranston Fire in July 2018, massive flooding in February 2019 and now COVID-19 in 2020. The community continues to need our support. Local 501(c)(3) nonprofit Young Idyllwild, Inc. will once again use the healing power of music to present the 3rd Annual Idyllwild Strong Benefit Festival. This year the event will be simulcast live around the world and will feature both artists that have previously performed at the festival as well as performers who are involved for the first time. The organizers accepted video submissions from numerous artists around the world as well as gathered footage from past events, live performance videos and other digital content to feature during the day-long ‘telethon’ style event. The event begins at 12 p.m. on Saturday, August 29, 2020.

Event hosts Brian ‘Puke’ Parnell, President of Young Idyllwild, Inc. and CVW: The last two festivals had huge wear a mask either. For the most part, it’s Nathan DeJarnette, Vice President, are production value with several stages. Is still been busy, there’s people coming up unable to safely organize a live festival in there a sense of relief with going online this trying to escape.” town, so they are doing this online simulcast. year? CVW: Many restaurants in Idyllwild They will be streaming it through multiple DeJarnette: “I wouldn’t necessarily call provided venues for live music. How are platforms and encouraging people to donate it relief, but more hours in the pre-stage to they doing? to the mountain community relief efforts make sure everything is set and prepped and Parnell: “A lot of them have expanded, throughout the broadcast. on cue. The day-of might be a little less stress there’s new places thinking about opening

Coachella Valley Weekly spoke with than trying to manage twelve stages haha.” up too. It’s not a dire situation as when Parnell and DeJarnette in anticipation of the Parnell: “There’s people that haven’t the roads were washed out right after the 3rd Annual Idyllwild Strong Benefit Festival. been able to make it up here in previous Cranston Fire. It’s not nearly what it would

CVW: Congratulations on staying the years. They get to watch from anywhere in be in a normal year but it’s not like that course. I know you would rather bring us a the world.” anywhere else either.” live event but it seems this is shaping up to DeJarnette: “This also might give us the CVW: How can people donate to the be very unique. Walk us through what we potential to expand our horizons, maybe we cause? can expect on Saturday. livestream a stage every year.” Parnell: “One way is through Facebook,

Parnell: “We’re doing this ‘telethon’ CVW: How is the community of Idyllwild it doesn’t charge anything for non-profits. style, a more entertaining version of the holding up during the pandemic and coping Also you can go to youngidyllwild.org and Jerry Lewis telethon. Blending together with COVID-19? idyllwildstrong.com to donate. Throughout some live footage that we’ve recorded over Parnell: “People don’t really seem to the simulcast we’ll be making sure that the last month or so and we’re intermixing mind as long as everyone is social distancing links are available for people to donate. You that with video that has been submitted by and wearing masks. Where locals start to can go to PayPal too and search for info@ bands that have played the festival before get irked is when driving through town for youngidyllwild.org. as well as some that haven’t plus splicing an errand and they see a crowd of halfCVW: Are there any performances we together music videos and stuff, it’s video maskless people, it doesn’t bode very well should be looking forward to watching? content galore from all varieties. It doesn’t for a lot of people in town. We’re also a Parnell: “Nathan recorded some songs have to necessarily be bands that have microcosm of everywhere else. We have a from a band called The Spaceman Trilogy. I played before but the majority are.” contingency of people who don’t want to produced their debut album and it was a lot of fun seeing them interpret those songs live after what we did in the recording, not that the recording was different than what they do live because they basically came into the studio and jammed, but it gave a whole new refresher on everything. I’m looking forward to seeing that in its entirety. Josh Heinz sent a bunch of stuff that I haven’t got to check out. I’ve been talking with John Garcia and he has some exclusive footage of John Garcia and The Band of Gold performing in Australia that he’s willing to debut through Idyllwild Strong. He needs to make sure the director’s okay with it and get that permission. That would be an awesome thing.” continue to page 5