Coachella Valley Weekly - August 29 to September 4, 2019 Vol. 8 No. 24 by CV Weekly

coachellavalleyweekly.com • August 29 to September 4, 2019 Vol. 8 No. 24

JNS-NEXT

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Drop Mob

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Will Sturgeon

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Al Jardin

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Solano’s

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August 29 to September 4, 2019

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

THE VAULT:

LOCKING IN A NEW WAY TO EXPERIENCE CANNABIS

August 29 to September 4, 2019

BY HEIDI SIMMONS

PHOTOS BY ROBERT CHANCE

Coachella Valley Weekly (760) 501-6228

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

CONTENTS The Vault Dispensary Lounge................. 3 JNS Next Creative & Media Hub............ 5

he Coachella Valley has a thriving cannabis industry. From seed to sale, the region is known for embracing ganja-preneurs -– business men and women who bring their best game to be a part of the green revolution. With that energy and talent comes more ways to personally engage and enjoy cannabis locally. “This is next level,” said Richard Eaton, co-owner of The Vault cannabis lounge and dispensary. “We have designed The Vault with an inviting and welcoming atmosphere where people can come and experience cannabis in a relaxed and friendly setting. Marijuana is no longer taboo and there should be no stigma attached.” The Vault – named for the repurposed bank it occupies in Cathedral City – provides an open retail experience that is fresh and accessible. Natural light streams in through large windows, abundant product is beautifully displayed, electronic menus are easy to read, and the space is well-organized and welcoming.

There is nothing intimidating, or threatening, no cannabis odor in the dispensary, and no identification is required to go inside. It’s as easy as walking into an Apple Store or an ice cream parlor. GRAND OPENING The Vault is open now and running a special 25 percent discount on all products through August. It celebrates its Grand Opening this Labor Day weekend. “We have a variety of quality products that appeal to a wide demographic,” said Eaton. “The Vault is a place where people can come in and see for themselves what is available and use the products in a comfortable and safe environment.” Yep, you read that correctly. You can purchase cannabis in any form from The Vault dispensary, then step into the lounge to relax and use the products worry free! RELAX AND UNWIND The Vault has a separate large room where marijuana consumption is allowed. There are multiple conversation areas with couches,

coffee tables and throw rugs. There are televisions on the walls, a jukebox, and a bar where you can sit and have cannabis infused drinks or smoke a bowl. Like a well-appointed living room, the space is open and inviting. Bring your own paraphernalia or use The Vault’s. “The idea is you can come to The Vault and immediately consume the marijuana you purchase,” said Eaton. “There are people who don’t want to use cannabis at home, you can’t smoke in your car, hotels don’t allow smoking marijuana, and some folks want to use it socially, while others can come in to use it medicinally. That’s the reason we’re here. There are so many benefits of marijuana and it’s no longer something you have to do alone or in secret.” Eaton first got involved with cannabis as a landlord of a cultivation site. When he saw how much good cannabis did for those who were sick and in pain, he became a believer and advocate of marijuana. continue to page 5

Drop Mob................................................ 6 Will Sturgeon ......................................... 6 Beach Boys - Al Jardin ............................ 7 Consider This - The Raconteurs............. 8 Breaking The 4th Wall- Leanna Rodgers... 9 Travel Tips 4 U - kitchen 86 + bar.......... 9 Pet Place ............................................... 10 The Vino Voice ....................................... 11 Club Crawler Nightlife .................... 12-13 Pampered Palate - Solano's..................14 Brewtality .............................................. 15 Screeners .............................................. 16 Book Review.......................................... 17 Safety Tips ............................................. 17 Haddon Libby ....................................... 19 Dale Gribow.......................................... 19 Free Will Astrology............................... 20 Local Business - Maximum Security... 20 Cannabis Corner................................... 22

August 29 to September 4, 2019

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TOMORROW! AUGUST 30

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THE VAULT continued from page 3

SAFE PLACE TO USE CANNABIS “I have story after story of those who were helped by using marijuana. People who were able to finally get pain relief, get a good night sleep or get detoxed from opioids,” said Eaton. “A cannabis tincture under the tongue is much better for you than two Ambien washed down with a fifth of vodka. Alcohol is terrible for the body, while Cannabis has no known side effects. The Vault is an inviting place to learn more about cannabis, and safely give it a try.” Eaton and his family live in San Diego where he served 25 years with the San Diego Sheriff’s department before retiring. He went into law enforcement to help people and his mission continues. He believes cannabis can reduce or replace the use of pharmaceuticals and alcohol, provide relief for insomnia and PTSD, treat AIDS and cancer patients as well as a myriad of other health-related issues. “Cannabis is helping people every day,” said Eaton. “The benefits are life-changing and you can’t hide from the science. At The Vault, we make it easy for people to come, explore and use this amazing miracle plant.” Shaun Szameit is co-owner and director of The Vault. He too got his start in cannabis by way of medical use and trained with health care professionals also seeing first-hand the life-altering affects. In addition to the retail license, he has cultivation, manufacturing licenses as well. TOP BRANDS A business major in college, Szameit is excited to supply customers with the best cannabis products to fit their needs.

“We carry high-end, top brands,” said Szameit. “We intend to specialize in meeting the needs of our customers and we will pricematch other dispensaries. We plan to have cannabis companies come into the lounge and introduce their product lines so people can find what works best for them. There will always be something going on here at The Vault every week. We’ll carry the best brands at the best prices.” Szameit is using data analytics to better understand client consumption and brand popularity by geo-mapping. Products range from flower, edibles, pet care, and cosmetics. “It’s about being dynamic and discovering the best the industry has to offer,” Szameit said. “The Vault will have a constant, as well as a changing array of great products. It’s important to us that our clientele knows what’s available and has an opportunity to give it a try.” EDUCATION AND ENTERTAINMENT A big part of The Vault’s mission is to use

JNS NEXT CREATIVE & MEDIA HUB INCLUDED IN 2019 INC. 5000 LIST

ne local business has gained national recognition by being included in the prestigious Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing private companies in America. La Quinta-based JNS Next Creative & Media Hub placed 2,283 on the list with a 3-year growth of 176%. The 2019 Inc. 5000 is ranked according to percentage revenue growth when comparing 2015 and 2018. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2015. They also had to be U.S.-based, privately held, for profit, and independent—not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies—as of December 31, 2018. The Inc. 5000 is a list of the fastest-growing private companies in the nation measuring the growth of the nation’s independent small businesses. The list has also helped big-name companies like Microsoft, Domino’s Pizza, LinkedIn, and Yelp get their first national exposure as honorees. JNS Next Creative and Media Hub is a full-service creative and advertising agency founded in 2007. With a team of over 15 communications professionals collaborating on creative programming ideas, JNS Next works with destination marketing organizations (DMOs), city, county and regional marketing organizations, wine,

agriculture and tourism regions, hotel/resorts and small businesses. The company provides creative and marketing services like branding, traditional and digital marketing, advertising, public relations, social media, graphic design, creative campaign development, media planning and buying. “[The JNS Next staff] all celebrated internally when we found out that we made it on the list because it showed that our hard work has been recognized. It was a full team effort. The business has grown substantially over the years—not just because of one or two people, but because of everyone who sees the vision and contributes in their own way,” stated CEO and President of JNS Next Creative and Media Hub, Garry Sage. Sage possesses more than 25 years of marketing and advertising experience, starting his career in Alaska before moving to the Coachella Valley in 2007 and establishing JNS Next Creative and Media Hub that same year. His experience working for media giants such as FOX and ABC has enabled him to hone his talents in tourism marketing. Other important players in the JNS Next team include CFO and Vice President Judy Sage (who worked alongside Garry when the business was first created), Vice President of Operations Risseth Lora, Vice President of Communications David Wells, Senior

August 29 to September 4, 2019

the lounge space for lectures, seminars and brand introductions and unveilings. “Education is necessary,” said Eaton. “The more you understand about CBD and THC, the differences between varieties, ways to consume the product, and dosage possibilities, the stigma and mystery of cannabis disappears. We want our clientele to be knowledgeable and comfortable when choosing products.” CATER TOWARDS FUN While the 40 to 80-year-old crowd may use cannabis more medicinally than recreationally, millennials tend to prefer cannabis to alcohol. The Vault consumption lounge provides a way for the demographic to use marijuana openly and socialize in a hip and comfortable environment. A variety of “mocktails” are sold including beer, mock-aritas and champagne, which are infused with THC and contain no alcohol. Cannabis infused coffee is available in the mornings. The Vault intends to have live music and stand-up acts – comedy and cannabis nights. Sundays, The Vault will show all NFL games via “NFL Sunday Ticket” plus other sporting events on the televisions in the lounge. Cheech Marin is scheduled for an October appearance. “We are excited by all the possibilities the lounge space offers,” said Szameit. “If half the room wants to watch football and the other half wants to watch a movie, we can do that. We can host large groups or small parties, red carpet events with valet parking. We have a green room or VIP guest suite.” The Vault’s lounge is permitted to host 76 people and the dispensary capacity is 56 for a total of 122. The Vault has a corporate Uber

BY CRYSTAL HARRELL

account in the event someone needs a ride home. Got the munchies? Local restaurants deliver food to guests in The Vault’s lounge. Only marijuana purchased at The Vault can be consumed in the lounge. By law, all opened cannabis must be consumed within the lounge. However, The Vault will reseal unused product before leaving. COMMUNITY Eaton and Szameit have worked over a year to get The Vault up and running. Local artist are responsible for the paintings on the exterior and interior of The Vault. The owners are energized to be a significant player in the lives of those who use cannabis in the CV. “We like being a part of the community,” said Szameit. “We were very thoughtful about choosing this location and are looking forward to an engaging and dynamic future as the cannabis industry continues to grow and play a bigger role in the lives of those who use it. This is an amazing location and a great area. We are happy to be here.” Whether you are a baby-boomer or a millennial, whether you want recreational or medicinal, whether you want to take your products out or use it in the lounge, The Vault delivers a singular personal cannabis experience. The Vault is located in the north corner of the Mission Plaza near the In-Shape gym just blocks from Hwy 111 at 35871 Date Palm Drive, Cathedral City, CA 92234. For more information call 760 866 9660 or to subscribe to The Vault’s Newsletter and view a menu go to enjoythevault.com. Hours of operation are 8:00am to 10:00pm seven days a week.

BUSINESS PROFILE

Marketing Manager Jessica Walks, Senior Digital Manager Andrew Portener, Senior Marketing Manager Jerremy Sage, Senior Finance/HR/Office Administrator Lauren Sage, Marketing Coordinator Jayme Stark, Graphics/Production Coordinator Matt Crabb, and Office Assistant Stephanie Sage. “We’re still expecting to grow quite a bit, both in dollars coming through the agency and also growth in employees. In four or five years, I’d expect JNS Next to be twice this size. We are heavy in the tourism and hospitality industry, and destination is our strength,” said Garry Sage. JNS Next Creative and Media Hub have worked with numerous businesses and clients over the years to create cross-platform solutions with their innovative marketing strategies. Some notable projects include written content and design of the City of Coachella Economic Development brochure,

the creation of a customizable website for the City of La Quinta, updating the Palm Springs Bureau of Tourism website, and digital marketing for Augustine Casino in Coachella. “Our focus changes during different times of the year. In the summer, we’re reaching a younger demographic that enjoys the pool parties like Splash House. During our peak season, there’s more focus on the 35 and over crowd with disposable income and looking for longer stays. JNS Next is looking to appeal to those who enjoy the Valley’s arts and culture scene, the weather, our food, health and wellness, outdoor activities, and festivals. We have a lot to offer tourists here in the Coachella Valley, and we’ll continue to show it,” stated Sage. More information, project samples, and updates about JNS Next Creative and Media Hub can be found at the agency’s official website, jnsnext.com.

August 29 to September 4, 2019

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DROP MOB – LET’S GET HEAVY!

WILL STURGEON

ill Sturgeon won the ‘Best Producer’ award at the 2019 Coachella Valley Music Awards for the second straight year but you wouldn’t know it by speaking to him. He is as mild-mannered as he is talented and reminds you of Clark Kent, unassuming and seemingly only attending to his duties. Sturgeon the superhero is not incognito and does not don a cape when trouble calls. What he does do is attend to his numerous roles in the local music community faster than a speeding bullet. Those functions include running his home studio The Sturdio, leading and continuing to develop the music of 2016 Coachella artist brightener and achieving the responsibilities of Executive

BY NOE GUTIERREZ

PHOTOS BY CEASAR RODRIGUEZ - ADRIFT ON THE WAVE PHOTOGRAPHY

lending Metal, Hip-Hop and Rap, Drop Mob has reloaded with former Remnants of Man drummer, Alex Milward, and will be pulling the trigger on Saturday, August 31st at The Hood Bar & Pizza at 74360 Highway 111 in Palm Desert, California with SoCal Metal artists Contortion and Melodic Death Metal maestros Call Upon Your Gods. The FREE SHOW is 21+ and starts at 9 p.m. The collection of Gabe Perez on vocals, Dave Burk on lead guitar, Curtis Hendricks on guitar, Steven Zepeda on bass and Milward on drums are psyched-up for a break-out performance. Coachella Valley Weekly connected with the band to give us the rundown on everything Mob related. CVW: What has it been like for you through the process of being in Drop Mob and now that you have Alex on board? Perez: “It has been a cool process bringing Alex in. As you know he’s a bad-ass drummer and has chops. He played with Remnants of Man, so it was an honor when he said, ‘count me in’. Now we’re creating new music and looking to record soon.” Zepeda: “The process of being in Drop Mob has been a roller coaster that’s for sure, mentally, physically and musically, but in the end, we are there for each other. Adding Alex has been a big plus for our family, he’s a very creative drummer and is bass player approved!” Hendricks: “We get together, we learn parts, we jam, rinse, wash, repeat. Alex brings his drumming experience and brings it hard! The guy is a monster on drums with a kind soul.” CVW: Alex, what has it been like for you acclimating to the guys and was there any kind of Drop Mob initiation? Milward: “The initiation was pretty easy, I asked for three songs with just guitars recorded to a click track. I was given full creative license to write whatever I wanted. I knew Drop Mob as a Nu metal band, so I kept that in mind when

PRESENTED BY CV WEEKLY. PERFORMING AT THE HOOD BAR & PIZZA SATURDAY, AUGUST 31ST, 2019

writing my parts. The guys liked what I was doing and liked my range of chops and ideas. Since then, the process has been completely organic.” CVW: Alex, how is the songwriting different from past experiences? Milward: “Typically, Dave has his ideas and riffs and we all come into practice with an open mind and just dive into putting it all together. Many times, the final product is very different from Dave’s original blueprint. We all riff off each other and put it all together over the course of a week or two. At any given time, we’re working on 3-4 song ideas; re-working and, sometimes abandoning ideas.” CVW: There’s a lot of Hip-Hop interwoven into the Drop Mob sound. What Hip-Hop inspires you? Perez: “Yes Hip-Rock is the real deal. We do it a little different than other bands and that’s what makes us unique. I’m ‘old school’ so Eminem, N.W.A., Rakim, LL Cool J, Busta Rhymes and so many more.” Burk: “Good question, as you know I am a very musical person but there are raw primal elements to Hip-Hop or Rap artists like NAS, Tech N9ne and Jedi Mind Tricks that come to mind. Back in the 90’s there was obviously a huge movement with Linkin Park and Limp Bizkit but honestly I didn’t really listen to them as much I was listening to bands like Bionic Jive and Insolence who are not as popular but you can put on any song from those two bands and it’s relevant today. I Shot Lucifer by Bionic Jive is a crazy good tune.” Milward: “I’m the youngest of four boys and my two oldest brothers listened to a lot of Hip-Hop, Wu-Tang Clan, Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg and 2PAC, The Notorious B.I.G., Warren G and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. But, me personally, I really like NF, I’ve been listening to him as soon as I heard Mansion. I’ve always liked Eminem. I have Jhené Aiko, Lolo Zouaï, Drake, The Luniz, some Chris Brown and The Weeknd in my mix

2019 CVMA WINNER FOR 'BEST PRODUCER'

Director and Music Educator at the Academy of Musical Performance better known as AMP, a contemporary music education program whose goal is to enrich the lives of young musicians living in the Coachella Valley by fostering productivity and social responsibility through creativity, communication and collaboration in the development and enhancement of musical performance and concert production skills through participation in a “rock band” style educational setting. Coachella Valley Weekly is inspired by his work and honored to celebrate him as ‘Best Producer’ for 2019. We spoke with Sturgeon recently as he conducted the arduous task of auditioning students for AMP.

too. I really like what Blue Sky Black Death are doing. I listen to a lot of EDM/Hybrid genres that incorporate Hip-Hop beats, or Metal that adds rap, so the influence is and has always been there.” Zepeda: “I’m versatile in music whether its Rock, Latin, Ska, Metal or Hip-Hop. I love it all, so I really don’t have a specific group that inspires me. There are a whole lot of talented musicians out there to explore that feeds my love for music.” Hendricks: “I don’t really listen to anything new as far as Hip-Hop goes. I’m still in the 90’s to early 2000’s regarding Hip-Hop.” CVW: Why do you feel it’s important to be from the Coachella Valley? Perez: “We have an abundant amount of talent here from Punk like Throw the Goat, Rock like Mega Sun, Reggae like Mozaiq, Death Metal like In The Name Of The Dead, Thrash like Instigator and the Mob for our Hip-Rock. Don’t forget the Hip-Hop scene is pretty dope too with 2 Toxic and Tip Toe Stallone. There’s no community like us. If you haven’t heard us, make sure to come out and rage.” Milward: “Being from the Coachella Valley is important to show that there’s more to this valley than Coachella or The Big 4 concert. There is a ridiculously diverse music scene that is being underrepresented in our local mainstream. It’s important to show that this desert is full of amazing and different music styles and talent.” Burk: “The Coachella Valley is my home and always will be.” Zepeda: “I’ve lived in the Coachella Valley all my life and have experienced the generator parties to major concerts. The valley has come a long way. People I’ve talked to from L.A. think it’s a happening place and I’m like...really?” Hendricks: “Didn’t know it’s more important to come from any specific place more than another. Although, if I wasn’t here, I wouldn’t be in the band, so...”

BY NOE GUTIERREZ

PHOTO BY NATALIE ALBERT - SHADES OF IMAGERY

LOCAL MUSIC

CVW: What are your plans for new music & performing? Zepeda: “We have so many songs stored away and we’re just wondering whether to bring them out or scratch them, but recording will happen soon. We will also be branching out to perform in the Los Angeles and San Diego areas.” Milward: “We’re an ambitious bunch. We’re fleshing out a sort of ‘road map’ of where we want to take this thing. New music is constantly in the works. You don’t even want to know how many songs we have in the backlog right now.” CVW: The desert metal scene seems to be consistently temperamental. What do heavy music artists & fans need to do to better the environment and improve the outlook on desert metal’s future? Perez: “Support local music! If we all support each other and promote each other’s shows and music and maybe bring a few people to discover new bands that would be dope. Thanks to Tracy Dietlin and Phil Lacombe at Coachella Valley Weekly for being big supporters of all genres of music.” Burk: “Tough question with a tough answer; unity is the only way to change. It’s the only way to keep the Metal torch burning.” Zepeda: “The Metal scene is alive and well, but you don’t see a lot of venues and Metal bands in the valley. Metal bands tend to branch out to L.A. We just need support from all angles to grow.” Milward: “Ultimately, it’s a collective; there needs to be support from all facets of the scene, businesses, bands and fans alike. In my opinion, that’s the key to keeping Metal alive. It’s a niche market here in the desert, yet, there’s a surplus. You can throw a tamale down just about any block and find a Metal band jamming! But some places don’t want to host such a rowdy bunch. And others that do may not be set up to handle live music. But we all must keep pushing! Push each other up! Attend each other’s shows! Share a beer. Share video footage. Wear a shirt, a patch, a sticker, whatever we can get our hands on! The only way the scene will not just survive but thrive is if we all help support each other.” Upcoming Shows: Sat. 8/31 – The Hood Bar&Pizza – Palm Desert, CA Sat. 11/9 – Synergy Music & Arts Festival – Coachella, CA For more info & Drop Mob music, go to: soundcloud.com/drop-mob reverbnation.com/dropmob5

CVMAs

On Winning ‘Best Producer’ for the Second Year in a Row: “I feel honored and proud to be recognized! I’m passionate about making good records and I’m glad that other people feel that I do. There are so many great musicians and producers out here and I’m glad to grow alongside all of them.” On the Highlights of His Producer Role: “One of my highlights has been the range and diversity of projects I’ve been involved with in the past two years; ‘Dream Pop’ with The Flusters, ‘Country Rock’ with The Sieve and the Saddle, ‘R & B’ with eevaan tré, ‘Acoustic Pop’ with Lance Aaron and the Lonely Hearts, ‘Alt Rock’ with Before the Funeral, and recording a whole parody Country cover album, in one day, with the

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com PHOTO BY NATALIE ALBERT - SHADES OF IMAGERY

Red Neck Jeep Club (not a musical group - just a group of friends who go jeepin’). I also record my solo recording project, brightener, in The Sturdio. One of the hardest and best projects I worked on was with Israel Pinedo, a 16-year-old kid from Indio and alumni of AMP. The songwriting is great and after a two-year process, we got some recordings that we’re both happy with.”

On The Sturdio: “The Sturdio is a concept that kind of ties together many of the music projects that I’m personally involved with. It’s also the name for my production business, and a physical room in my house where I record. My last name is Sturgeon, so the name itself is a VERY hilarious pun on that, amirite?” On What Artists Can Expect from The Sturdio: “I want The Sturdio to be your one-stop shop for taking your song from its current state to a finished, professional recording. As a songwriter myself, I’ve honed my production skills through years of starting from nothing, writing music and lyrics, editing the lyrics and the structure, settling on an arrangement for the song that fits, engineering and recording all of the instruments necessary (drums, bass, guitar, keyboards, vocals) and then mixing it into a recording that sounds great. Because I can do all of that for myself, I feel like I can really fill in around the edges on whatever an artist may need when wanting to record their song. On some projects, I’m only there to hit record and mix the tracks together; on other projects, I am editing the

songwriting structure and lyrics, writing the arrangement(s), singing backup vocals, and playing every instrument except for the artist’s own vocals. I aim to be flexible, and ultimately I want the artist (and me) to think that the finished product is exactly what they envisioned from the beginning.” On The Sturdio Gear: “The Sturdio is currently a room in my house in Palm Desert. It’s more about the ear than the gear, (catchphrase trademarked Will Sturgeon 2019), and I keep my space slim and useful. I have a UAD interface with a bunch of their incredible software plug-ins, and know my way around Logic Pro X. There’s so much I can do with today’s modern recording technologies. My one very much prized hardware piece is my Juno 60, straight from 1984.” On What’s Next for Will the Producer: “I have a lot going on outside of The Sturdio — I run the non-profit AMP and I have my own musical projects with brightener, SIBS, and my beat-making. So, to do a good job on my Sturdio projects, I’ve had to accept fewer moving forward, in order to ensure that I have enough

INTERVIEW WITH AL JARDINE CO-FOUNDER OF THE BEACH BOYS

l Jardine, guitarist, vocalist and songwriter, is best known for being one of the founding members of the Californiabased group The Beach Boys. He met Brian, Carl and Dennis Wilson, Mike Love and David Marks after his family moved to Hawthorne, California from Ohio. They formed The Beach Boys and with their perfect harmonies and original tunes about surfing, beaches, hot rods and California girls, became the Rock ‘n’ Roll voice of the West Coast. Jardine sang the lead on the No. 1 hit Help Me Rhonda. He also wrote or co-wrote a good number of songs, most notably on the albums Holland, Carl and the Passions--So Tough, Surf’s Up, and Sunflower. Jardine continued to tour with The Beach Boys throughout the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s and again on their 50th anniversary tour and the 50 year celebration of their groundbreaking album Pet Sounds. Jardine will again join Brian Wilson and another Beach Boy, Blondie Chaplin at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino on Sunday, September 1st for the “Something Great from ‘68 Tour” with The Zombies. The show will highlight tracks from the classic Beach Boys albums Friends and Surf’s Up. Tickets are available at fantasyspringsresort.com or at the Fantasy Springs Box Office. Coachella Valley Weekly spoke with Jardine via phone as he maneuvered through a fog bank in Northern California eating a croissant. CVW: How are you Al? What are you up to at the moment? Jardine: “I’m eating a croissant, it’s what The Beach Boys do when they’re not singing, ha ha!” CVW: The Beach Boys aren’t necessarily known for their political stances. What’s your perspective on politics and those who do speak out? Jardine: “We’re fortunate enough that we have a different message, music lifts everybody’s spirits, hopes and dreams. When some of our co-conspirators in music go political, I wince a little, I think it makes us a little bitter, to take a position on something and pretty soon you start to alienate folks doing that. You may win some over, but you alienate others. I don’t know if there’s any way to win that one. Fortunately, we have wonderful music and we’ve made great friends which dovetails nicely into the title of our show, Something Great from ’68! I believe our collective destiny is to find equality and reach the whole idea of democracy.”

PHOTO BY ROSS ALBERT

CVW: You’re featuring songs from your 1968 studio album Friends. The album is very concise and, at the time, did not sell very well when it was released but your fans consider it one of your best. I’m happy you’ll be sharing it with us. Jardine: “Yes, our album Friends was released in 1968. It corresponds well into what The Zombies did with their great music. It should be an evening to remember. We’ll perform the title track from Friends, it was a lesser known and less commercial album, but the music isn’t necessarily less. It has a lot of important messages. It’s about coming together during difficult times, which we have enough of right now.” CVW: Your most recent solo album, A Postcard from California (2010), has some really great original solo work as well as versions of The Beach Boys hits, not to mention the all-star line-up. Jardine: “That was a lot of fun to make. A lot of friends came along with me on that and helped make it my dream come true. It’s great to have lifelong friends. There’s still a lot of us still working and working together. They were all there for me. The album includes Neil Young, Stephen Stills, David Crosby, Steve Miller, Glen Campbell, Gerry Beckley & Dewey Bunnell from America, Flea from Red Hot Chili Peppers and Alec Baldwin, plus all the remaining Beach Boys, including the late Carl Wilson. And Matt Jardine, my son and 6th Beach Boy. He gave me all those high parts for the album, and he does it in the Brian Wilson show. He’s also recording on Brian’s new album. His voice is like a teenager. He’s in his early 50’s. He’s managed to continue to add those wonderful high tones that

August 29 to September 4, 2019 time to do a quality and timely job on the projects I do commit to. I’d love to continue to hone my skills and elevate the music of the Coachella Valley in the next few years.” On Balancing brightener, Producer and Executive Director or AMP: “It’s tricky! I’m blessed to be so involved with music in so many aspects of my life, but it does get overwhelming at times. I have a very strict calendar that I adhere to, and I’m always working on honing my routine and making time for exercise and meditation.” On His Production Credits: “There is a playlist on Spotify called The Sturdio: Releases that you can follow. Many of my Sturdio projects are coming out later this year, but there are a lot of projects on that playlist currently that you can listen through. And if you want to get in touch with me to talk music or recording, email me at thesturdio@gmail. com.” ampcv.org soundcloud.com/brightener Look for The Sturdio: Releases on: spotify.com

BY NOE GUTIERREZ

Brian started out doing when he was in his 20’s.” CVW: Did you or The Beach Boys ever come across the Coachella Valley in the early days? Jardine: “I’m sure we did. Not a great deal. We were pretty much Southern California guys and more coastal dwellers. We didn’t get out too much further than that because you had to own a car that would drive that far. Most of us had clunkers. I used to take Dennis surfing in my car and it barely made it there and back. We didn’t get to the desert on a regular basis until later in life.” CVW: You have another musician son, Adam. What’s he up to? Jardine: “He’s doing fine. He’s in the furniture business. He hasn’t been singing with us for a while, but I may recruit him for a round of Endless Summer dates with Carnie and Wendy. We do storytelling dates. It’s fun. We have some gigs coming up and SoCal gigs in October and November. I also have my 6th Beach Boy, my son Matt and a wonderful composer and musician Jeff Alan Ross is my keyboardist.” CVW: Your current band with Brian Wilson seems to be top-notch. You recently lost a member, guitarist Nicky Wonder, co-founder of the Wondermints. Jardine: “Nicky Wonder was our powerhouse guitar guy. He had all the Pet Sounds. He even had a Fender guitar with a Brian Wilson channel. He was great, may he rest in peace. The band is made up of perfectionists. They’re dedicated to reproducing the music note for note so you hear everything the way it was recorded. We have twelve folks up there. It’s a lot. It’s time consuming getting blends in our in-ear monitors. It’s never the same. One evening is different than the next without fail. You think it’s all locked in and you’re trying to get the best blend that you can perform to. You’re really in the hands of the engineer/ monitor mixer. We’re usually pretty satisfied, we have a really great crew. We’re a team.” CVW: After rehearsing with the band what are some of your favorite songs to perform? Jardine: “Surf’s Up is my favorite and a couple of other songs. Surf’s Up is just magical. The lyrics are magical. The performance and music are magical. It’s counterintuitive. It’s Brian Wilson at his best. There’s another song on the Friends album called Busy Doin’ Nothin’ that we’ll be playing. It’s a completely different tune with a Bossa nova style. Brian does this amazing vocal

MUSIC

and the chord changes are amazing. They’re so outside the Beach Boy idiom. We asked ourselves, ‘where did he figure that one out?’ It couldn’t be more different than Surf’s Up. Another one is ‘Til I Die from Surf’s Up. Brian at his moody best. It’s truly a masterpiece as well. We do a smattering of songs from the Friends album.” CVW: Your relationship with Brian spans almost 60 years. That’s an astounding amount of time to wrap my head around. Jardine: “We’re like old buddies who survived a couple of World Wars. We’ve been through it all together. He’s a survivor and so am I. The music will out survive us both. Which is amazing. This particular show will be quite refreshing.” CVW: How mindful are you of the moment and your history in rock and roll? Jardine: “The moments pass so quickly, it’s the thing that I find that’s a mind-blower. We kind of live in the future a lot. I’m thinking about the next show, like an athlete thinks of the next game, we’re constantly planning. The moments on stage are pretty cool. They’re always challenging. There’s always something we can do better. Very seldom do I say, ‘that was a great show’. It’s more, ‘I really screwed that up’. I think we’re mindful of trying to be as good as we can. The moment is there for the audience more than it is for us. We’re just the messengers.” aljardine.com - brianwilson.com thebeachboys.com

August 29 to September 4, 2019

CONSIDER THIS

ack White is the Willy Wonka of Rock N’ Roll, wildly eccentric, enigmatic, also something of a perfectionist. A modern-day Renaissance man, he burst on the scene in the late ‘90s as half of the White Stripes, a Detroit duo that helped steer Garage Rock into the 21st century. The Detroit native was born John Gillis in 1975, the youngest of 10 siblings. As a kid, he picked up the musical instruments his older brothers and sisters had discarded, quickly mastering each one. Although he devoured all manner of music, by high school, he subsisted on a steady diet of the Blues. When it came time to pick a vocation, he embraced furniture upholstery. He credits his first employer, Ben Muldoon, with introducing him to Punk Rock. After a few years he opened his own shop, Third Man Upholstery, and formed a band, The Upholsterers, with Jack on guitar and Ben on drums. Two self-released albums arrived in due course. At 6’3”, Jack became a towering figure in the insular Detroit music scene. After cycling through a series of bands, he connected with Meg White. When they became romantically involved, she took up the drums. Influenced by her bare-bones attack, he began creating melodies on guitar to accommodate her style. As the White Stripes, they started gigging around town. Once the couple married, Jack took Meg’s surname as his own. Their first single was released in 1998, a self-titled long-player arrived a year later via the Sympathy ForThe Record Industry label. Their sound was a supersonic combo-platter of Blues, Punk, Garage Rock and Country. Their debut garnered great reviews, even as Jack attempted to cloak the duo in mystery. He continued to insist they were brother and sister, even after their divorce in 2000. Recorded in their living room in just one week, their second effort De Stijl (Dutch for “the style”) came out in 2000 and achieved cult classic status. But it was 2001’s White Blood Cells that became their watershed. A commercial breakthrough, it hit #55 on the British charts and #61 on the Billboard Top 200. They quickly signed with a major label, V2, and their videos went into heavy rotation on MTV. Their next two efforts, Elephant and Get Behind Me Satan, released in 2004 and 2005, respectively, secured their superstar status. The former came together in England and was recorded in less than two weeks on vintage analog gear. Critical acclaim was unanimous and the album stayed in the Top 10 for months. On the latter, they broadened their sound adding marimba and piano to the mix. This time they won a Grammy for Best Alternative Album. By this point, Jack was married to model/ musician Karen Ellson. He also began working with other musicians. First up, he produced Loretta Lynn’s 2004 Van Lear Rose album. Next he teamed with singer-songwriter Brendan Benson, as well as Jack Lawrence and Patrick Keeler from the Greenhornes. As The Raconteurs, they released two excellent records, Broken Toy Soldiers in 2006 and Consolers Of The Lonely two years later. From there, he formed The Dead Weather, which featured Kills vocalist, Alison Mosshart,

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THE RACONTEURS

Dean Fertita from Queens Of The Stone Age on keys and guitar and Greenhorne/Raconteur Jack Lawrence on bass. For this project, Jack relinquished lead guitar duties and stepped behind the drum kit. Between 2009 and 2015 the alliance has yielded three albums thus far, Horehound, Sea Of Cowards and Dodge & Burn. In the midst of this frenzied activity, he circled back to White Stripes for one last effort, Grammy-winning Icky Thump. The band officially called it quits in 2011. The consummate entrepreneur, Jack and his young family relocated to Nashville, where he started a record label, record store and recording studio under the Third Man Records umbrella. He has an upholstery workshop on his property, and is something of a Taxidermy enthusiast. All of his ventures are color-coded, his former upholstery business was yellow and black, the White Stripes, red, white and black and his label colors are yellow, Black, red and blue. Naturally, when he began his solo career everything turned blue. He has released three solo albums, Blunderbuss, in 2012, Lazzaretto in 2014 and Boarding House Reach in 2017. Happily, he has managed to find time to revive The Raconteurs, the most satisfying of his post-White Stripes adventures. The Raconteurs came about when Jack began collaborating with acclaimed singersongwriter, Brendan Benson. Another Detroit native, Brendan’s sound leans closer to early ‘70s Power Pop. It seemed only natural to add the rhythm section from the Greenhornes. Jack had been a longtime booster, having produced the Garage Rockers’ 2002 album and enlisted them as the backing bad on Loretta’s Van Lear Rose. Their debut seemed to draw inspiration from disparate sources like erudite New Waver Joe Jackson and British Invasion progenitors like the Yardbirds. Their 2008 follow-up was swampy Southern Gothic Blues. After a 10 year hiatus, they’re back with their new album, Help Us Stranger. The band executes a bit of a bait and switch on the opening two tracks, “Bored and Razed” and “Help Me Stranger.” “Bored…” unspools slowly, laid-back guitar and a shuffle rhythm almost signal a Jam Band Aesthetic. Happily, it’s quickly supplanted with a blaze of power chords, roiling bass lines and a blitzkrieg beat Accelerating at warp speed, Jack and Brendan spit out the first verse which seems to conflate narcissism and political lethargy; “Rolling a juke joint box in the corner, trolling myself in the mirror at night/Keeping An eye on my grindstone future, staying away from the left and right.” Stuttering rhythm guitar butts up against lead riffs that squeal and squall before the song shudders to a halt. The opening notes of the title track are filtered and crackly, like a long-lost field recording from the early 20th Century, complete with skipping stylus, suddenly, chunky acoustic riffs, rippling percussion and swivel-hipped electric riff-age burst through, locking into a Glam-tastic groove. The cryptic lyrics combat the depression that accompanies unrequited love. Jack and Brendan’s vocals intertwine on the chorus; “Help Me Stranger, help me get it off my mind, get me back on my feet, Brother can you spare the time.” That last line, a sideways omage to

“HELP US STRANGER” (THIRD MAN RECORDS)

the Great Depression-era hit, “Brother Can You Spare A Dime.” The Raconteurs leapfrog through a plethora of Genres and consistently stick the landing. “Sunday Driver” expands on Van Halen’s unholy alliance between Synth-Pop and Guitar Rock. Skittery guitars, prickly keys and a kinetic rhythm give way to slash and burn guitars that rev and lay rubber. Patrick Keeler offers ticklish high-hat action, smuggles in some cowbell, in tandem with Jack Lawrence’s agile bass lines. Brendan shades Jack White’s indignant yelp, as he creepily covets his sister’s attention; “Here comes the Sunday driver, came to get my sister, you know he’s such a liar, can’t believe I missed her.” Powering down on the bridge, the song becomes positively Beatlesque. It’s all sludgy, druggy and Psychedelic. The keening Country-Soul of “Somedays” channels Stax-Volt and Lynyrd Skynyrd. The melody expands and contracts, layering sparkly guitar, sympathetic keys and a foursquare beat. Sad-sack sentiments like “...I’ve been riding this thing out since I was 8 years old, and if you could just see inside of me, you’d see a heart made of gold/And I try to live a good life, and keep an open mind, gave up everything I love and kept it all inside” are bookended by a wall of sandblasted guitar. The acoustic outro pulls off a stylistic 180, turning the song into a cheerful sing-along. Echoing the majestic bonhomie and poppy Prog grandeur of Queen and ELO, “Shine The Light On Me” is powered by stacked harmonies, spacey synths, ornate piano and a galloping gait. Here, the guitars take a backseat to Jack’s surprisingly elastic croon. The lyrics are unusually ecclesiastic; “When you’re searching in the dark, it doesn’t matter if you’re blind does it? Can’t you see? That even lightning’s just a spark, but it’s so enlightening when you need to shine the light on me.” If Black Sabbath, the Sex Pistols and Iggy & The Stooges ever collaborated, it might sound like “Don’t Bother Me.” Equal parts irritating and catchy as hell, this Primordial stomp is anchored by flayed guitars, robotic synths, search and destroy bass lines and a fractious beat. Caustic lyrics seem to be aimed at the Cheeto-In-Chief (a.k.a. “the chosen one”); “Your hidden agenda, you ruthless rulebender, your surface duplicity, it’s all nothing new to me/The way you look in the mirror, you’re your biggest admirer, all the clicking and swiping, all the groping and griping.” The song see-saws between Anarchy and ‘70s

BY ELENI P. AUSTIN AOR, Punk and Metal. In a recent interview, Jack noted The Raconteurs typically jumpstart the recording/ songwriting process by covering an old favorite. This time out they selected “Hey Gyp (Dig The Slowness),” a song Donovan sort of cannibalized from Memphis Minnie’s “Can I Do It For You.” This take hews closer to the Animals’ blustery version. Patrick pounds out a tribal tattoo in triple time, Jack Lawrence is right behind adding rumbling bass, as Brendan contributes some stuttering Blues harp. Jack’s filtered vocals weave in and out, speedshifting guitars are stinging one minute and fuzz-crusted the next. It’s a thunderous, fullthrottle rocker. Other interesting tracks include the scabrous, stickity thump of “Now That You’re Gone,” the shimmery flutter of “Only Child” and the stripped-down swagger “Live A Lie.” The band is at their most ambitious on the final two cuts, “What’s Yours Is Mine” and “Thoughts And Prayers.” The foundation of the former is built on shifting time signatures. The intro weds punishing guitar riffs and brutal bass lines to a walloping backbeat. As Jack’s yowling vocals take center stage the tempo ratchets into jackhammer mode. The back-and-forth is intoxicating, frenzied and feverish. As he unleashes a spitfire solo he offers these instructions; “Pay attention to me cause I’m only gonna do it again.” On the latter, wistful piano notes zig-zag through lush acoustic arpeggios, as cascading mandolin and sawing violin lap over brushed percussion. Echoing the pastoral grace of Led Zeppelin’s third album, the vibe is hushed and reverent, the lyrics, a brittle meditation on death. As the arrangement gathers steam, Jack drops this non-sequitur; “I wrote a letter down to you, like I’m Sullivan Ballou.” It’s an arcane reference to a Union soldier who wrote an elegant epistle to his wife before being killed in battle. The instrumental hoedown that follows, spirals like Appalachian Psychedelia. It’s interesting to note phraseology like “thoughts and prayers” has become convenient doublespeak whenever someone wants to convey (faux) empathy while maintaining the status quo. Offering five minutes of sly synchronicity, The Raconteurs manage to be existential and covertly political at the same time. The album was recorded between June, 2018 and January, 2019 in Nashville. The band received able assistance from QOTSA/ Dead Weather-man Dean Fertita on piano, synthesizer, Organ and guitar, as well as Joshua V. Smith on backing vocals and siblings Lillie Mae and Scarlett Rische on violin and mandolin, respectively. Help Us Stranger is The Raconteurs most fully realized record to date. The economy of their debut and the ambition of their second effort manage to coexist here. Much like Willy Wonka’s Everlasting Gobstopper, its candycoated crunch will be enjoyed for decades to come.

BREAKING THE4TH WALL

THEATRE SPOTLIGHT: LEANNA RODGERS

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BY DEE JAE COX

riter and humorist, Erma Bombeck said, “When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, ‘I used everything you gave me’.” When I first saw actress Leanna Rodgers perform as, Sisser Bean, the handicapped, overweight, mentally unstable character in The Desert Rose Playhouse’s production of Nathan Sanders’, ‘The Sugar Witch,’ I was instantly mesmerized by the uniqueness of the character and by Rodger’s incredible performance. It is in the same vein as Charlize Theron’s Academy Award winning performance in the film ‘Monster.’ A role that allows a woman to step outside of the ever-present judgement of her looks and focus solely on the strength of her performance and the presentation of the character. It was obvious that Rodgers was able to delve into the soul of Sisser, and give one of the best performances I’ve seen this past season. It was after seeing this production that Leanna was added to my list of Actors to Watch Out For. Leanna grew up in Long Beach theatre, watching her parents perform and imagining herself on the stage. Aunts, uncles, cousins, it was a family affair when it came to the performing arts and Rodgers seemed to be born with grease paint in her genes. Since moving to Palm Springs six years ago with her musician husband Miguel and their three children, she has appeared in eleven productions and across the spectrum of stages, including the Desert Rose Playhouse, Dezart Performs, Desert Ensemble Theatre Company, Coyote Stageworks, Desert Theatreworks, and Palm Canyon Theatre. When not acting, she is usually performing as a singer in clubs such as ‘Stacy’s’ where I caught her jazz show. Rodgers is like a cool drink on a hot sultry night, reminiscent of the early Speakeasy performances. Beautiful music and a packed house. She sings Spanish and Portugese, and was the lead female vocalist for an 8-piece salsa band in Los Angeles. Rodgers says that she embodies the music, and tells the story with expressions, acting out the arc of the lyrics and songwriting. Singing is a spiritual experience for her. She likes to share that with her audience in every vocal nuance. When you experience her performances, there is no doubt as to the truth of these statements, her performance is captivating and will take you on a ride to another time and place. Whether she is an actor who sings or a singer who acts, Rodgers entry into Coachella Valley theatre has added an additional star in the desert sky. She is currently nominated for five ‘Desert Star’ awards; #1 - Outstanding Lead Actress - Professional -

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August 29 to September 4, 2019

KITCHEN 86 + BAR EL PASEO SHOPPING DISTRICT

ARTICLE & PHOTOS BY LYNNE TUCKER

PALM DESERT, CA

in a Drama (The Sugar Witch) #2 - Outstanding Supporting Actress Professional - in a Musical (Ruthless, the Musical!) #3 - Outstanding Supporting Actress Professional - in a Comedy (Brighton Beach Memoirs #4 - Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy (Motherhood Out Loud) #5 - Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama (Amadeus) Having seen four out of five of these productions, the nominations come as no surprise. In addition to her nights of jazz at Stacy’s, (you can hear her next on Thursday, August 29th at 8pm. http://stacysbarps.com). Rodgers is currently in rehearsal for Jesse Jones, Nicholas Hope, and Jamie Wooten’s Dramedy, “Savannah Sipping Society,” Produced by Desert TheatreWorks, opening at the Indio Performing Arts Center on September 6th. (dtworks.org) She will be a part of the Season Nine Opening Gala “On The Twenty-First Century”, Broadway Musical Revenue, Oct 25, 2019 (6pm) and Oct 26, 2019 (7pm) at Desert Ensemble Theatre Company. (detctheatre.org) And not to be missed, Rodgers will perform in Lynn Nottage’s Pultizer Prize winning play, “Sweat,” Produced by Dezart Performs, Opening 2/28/20, (dezartperforms.org) The Coachella Valley is an oasis filled will talent and high-quality performances. Leanna Rodgers is a name to remember when you are compiling your list of ‘must see’ actors/singers. Leanna Rodgers Website & Bookings: jazzsprings.com B: Leanna Rodgers – IG: @leannaishere 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

Kitchen-86 + Bar on El Paseo is a Modern Eclectic Small Plate Restaurant. Food & Drink for Food & Drink People. ocally owned & Locally Grown - Kitchen 86 is a fantastic, welcoming spot to gather and enjoy an eclectic menu of modern, curated small plate continental cuisine. Using local, organic ingredients, offerings include a tableside cheese wheel pasta, house-made curry, ramens, woodfired pizzas, plenty of entree selections and shareable small plates.

Kitchen 86 is open daily for lunch and stays open for late night guests with an impressive, rotating list of specials and a happy hour. Creative cocktails, craft beer and extensive wine list paired with our ambient dining area and lively bar makes this the perfect place to unwind and enjoy the best of what El Paseo has to offer. Hours: Monday – Sunday 11AM – 2PM For more information and directions visit: www.kitchen-86.com Think Travel!

August 29 to September 4, 2019

PET PLACE

og lovers around the world celebrated National Dog Day on August 26, 2019. The purpose of this holiday is to bring awareness of the plight of dogs and to encourage the adoption of homeless shelter dogs. National Dog Day honors these most loyal and loving creatures. We love them dearly, and they return love to us humans in an unlimited and unconditional way. Facebook was flooded with adorable photos of our canine best friends on National Dog Day. Some folks used the occasion to feature photos of shelter dogs needing homes. One very special rescue dog was posted on Facebook for the holiday with the byline, “If there was a Bachelor television show for dogs, my adorable girl would get a rose.” The gorgeous photo brought back memories. It was December, 2011, and I was on a shelter run for Loving All Animals. I had already selected two dogs to rescue from the San Bernardino City Shelter, when my eye was drawn to another kennel housing a small white matted Terrier. The dog was jumping up and down in a frenzy to get my attention, as if on a spring. She ran circles in jubilant ecstasy when we went to a visiting area. I wasn’t planning to rescue three dogs, but trusted that one more foster parent would materialize if we took this precious pup. The late beloved Cookie (Katherine) Briney instantly agreed to foster the additional dog.

ADORABLE KITTENS! Come meet the adorable kittens waiting for homes at the Coachella Valley Animal Campus shelter. The 13-week-old boy here is cat ID#A1538004, a soft and sweet cream & white Tabby. Shelter located at 72050 Pet Land Place, Thousand Palms, www.rcdas.org, (760) 343-3644.

MEET ASTRO This happy boy will greet you with a smile when you meet him at the Coachella Valley Animal Campus shelter. Handsome Astro is a 1-yr-old Alaskan Husky, full of frisky fun. He is dog ID#A1543248. Astro waits for a home at the shelter, 72050 Pet Land Place, Thousand Palms, rcdas.org, (760) 343-3644.

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BUDDY CELEBRATES NATIONAL DOG DAY

It was the Christmas season, and we named the dog Noel. Noel attended a few adoption events, greeting folks with her boundless happy energy, but surprisingly was not selected. However, the perfect home was waiting, a home greatly in need of some holiday cheer. Lulu and her son recently lost their 21-yrold dog and two senior cats. They were considering getting a male, short haired, large size dog. Upon meeting Noel, they weren’t sure she was the right match. However, the dog’s happiness was contagious, and she soon

made them laugh with her playful antics. They named her “Buddy” because she became their best friend, the greatest little buddy they could ever imagine. Lulu recalls, “This spunky little dog melted my heart almost immediately. At the time, I was going through the end of a 30 year marriage, and this dog was key to bringing back a sense of love into my life. Loving All Animals saved her from the shelter, but Buddy really saved us. Buddy brings nothing but joy to everyone she meets. She has a hilarious way of charging around with her stuffed toys, and making sure I see her. She is like my shadow, always by my side, and the love I feel from her is overwhelming. Buddy is a cherished member of the family. She has her own pillow and blanket on my bed, and stays by my side every night. I can’t begin to describe how much this dog means to me.”

BY JANET McAFEE Every day is National Dog Day for Buddy. Every day for Buddy is filled with celebration and joy over the small pleasures in life. Every day she still runs around the house with the abandoned energy of a puppy. They say rescue dogs are “grateful” at getting their second chance, and Buddy’s grateful heart thanks her humans every day with loving loyalty. You can contact Loving All Animals at (760) 834-7000, and view their adoptable dogs at www.lovingallanimals.org. You can contact the San Bernardino City Shelter at (909) 3841304, and view their adoptable dogs at www. sbcityanimals.org. Go adopt a rescue dog, save a life, and bring joy to your home! Janetmcafee8@gmail.org

THE VINO VOICE

ll right! Let’s get right to the point. Slurping fresh oysters on the half shell alongside a good bottle of Chablis is one of life’s quintessential culinary pleasures. For those of us who love the ocean, when one eats a fresh raw oyster, you are instantly transported to the seaside shore: you can smell the beach, imagine the breeze, and almost hear the waves crashing on the sand or the rocks. When moving out here to the desert around ten years ago, I thought I would really miss living close to the ocean in Orange County. I really haven’t missed it that much (surely not the traffic), but after living there most of my life previously, I still love the seaside. Enjoying raw oysters brings to the senses the semblance of the sea. So, while we’re on the subject, what wine comes to mind when oysters on the half shell are right in front of you? Actually, four wines come to my vino mentality that include Brut Champagne, Sauvignon Blanc, Muscadet, and the wine that appears in this article’s title— Chablis. Brut Champagne pretty much goes with everything and anything, oysters included. Sauvignon Blanc is crisp and cleansing and will work as well. Muscadet, Sauv Blanc’s neighbor on the Loire River, is produced around Nantes off the Atlantic, and surely goes well with all fish and seafood—very clean and refreshing with subtle citrus flavors. But—we’re on to pairing oysters with

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CHABLIS & OYSTERS ROCK

Chablis for this piece, so Chablis is indeed the star of the show. And, Chablis is the wine for all seasons & reasons and matches well with every kind of oyster on the planet. You name it, from the Pacific to the Atlantic, and that includes the desired Kumamoto, which is the tiny cousin of the Pacific oyster and the most Chablis friendly, where the wine brings out the pickled melon note in the oyster As your friendly neighborhood wine steward, when I’m asked to suggest a white wine that goes with fresh oysters, of course

I will offer up a nice bottle of Chablis. Often after a quick discussion, a lot of the times, the customer will speak of the wine as its own varietal. In other words, they’re not aware that it is a Chardonnay. And when they come to that realization, Chardonnay “haters” will dismiss that recommendation immediately! And that’s when the fun starts. Well—Chablis is strictly Chardonnay country. And although geographically closer to Champagne than it is to the city of Dijon in Burgundy, Chablis is still considered “White Burgundy” which means Chardonnay wine. As opposed to the very oaky, overly buttery Chardonnay—which still has many fans, as the pendulum moves, again there is an interest and a fast following for steely, fruit driven un-oaked Chardonnay. Let’s face it—it’s very refreshing and a very desirable quaff in our desert times, both summer and winter. California un-oaked Chardonnay is on the steely side of things— French Chablis Chardonnay is absolutely steely We’ve called the Chablis Chard as the “Chardonnay that came in out of the cold.” The extremely cool-climate vineyards of Chablis need exceptional conditions to succeed. And here’s where the point of oyster pairing comes into the picture The Chardonnay grape converts the cold terroir of limestone chalk, clay, and trillions of oyster fossils to a wine with sharp flavors unique to the area—even its white burgundy sisters, in the form of Blanc de Blanc

August 29 to September 4, 2019

BY RICK RIOZZA Champagne further south, can’t duplicate. So it’s very enlightening for California Chardonnay lovers who like their stuff less oaky and more fresh fruit forward to wake up to the joys of French Chablis. The classic and delicious flavor profile of Chablis includes bright and dry textbook aromas and flavors of lemon, apple, yellow & green plums, stone fruit, melon, floral, citrus, seashore & sea breeze, flint & minerals. Predominantly fermented in stainless steel—which keeps the wine astoundingly fresh and bright—“Grand Cru” and “Premiers Cru” wines, made from the best of the best vineyards in Chablis, can often ferment for a time in French oak which provides some complexities of honey, vanilla, light butterscotch, and tropical fruit flavors (with never an overwhelming “oak” flavor like some heavy Cal Chards). And, incredibly, these wines are able to age for ten to twenty years, gathering amazing feel and intensity that make it one of the world’s most desired wines. An absolutely great Chablis recommendation is the recent release 2018 William Fevre’s Champs Royaux Chablis, at around $25. The winemaker’s notes are right on point: It is impressively precise, delivering a nose of citrus fruits, flowers, green apple and flinty flavors of wet stone in the mid-palate with a beautifully clean finish. Fresh, supple, it is marked by mineral notes, typical of the appellation. For those of you who love Sauvignon Blanc with its clean and zesty flavors, you’ll find this wine to be an eye-opener when it comes to expanding your vino interests to other top quality, world famous wines. And back to the oysters on a half shell, we remember that old advice that one should only eat oysters in the eight months of the year that contain the letter “R” in the name, which means September through April—that May through August are “bad” months for the half shell. Well—sustainable oyster farming is good, clean, and viable all through the year. And realize that those slimy guys are alive until you take them down the hatch. It’s actually a really good thing because when those raw oysters die, they are no longer safe to eat. Sounds like a good half dozen of Kumamoto coming up! Cheers!

August 29 to September 4, 2019

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THUR AUGUST 29 19TH HOLE; PD; 760-772-6696 TBA 5-8pm 29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 Bobby Furgo & Co 6pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 TBA 10pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 Bill and Doug Duo 6:30pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 The Swells, BaLonely, KVR, YxV and More 7pm BERNIE’S; RM; 760-202 4499 Kristi King Trio w/ Brian Dennigan and Leon Bisquera 6:30-10pm BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 John Stanley King 6-10pm THE CASCADE LOUNGE, AGUA CALIENTE; RM; 888-999-1995 Ladies Night w/ Bianca from 92.7 9pm CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick Tuzzolino 5:30pm CASUELAS CAFÉ; PD; 760-568-0011 Johnny Meza and Co. 6-10pm CATALAN; RM; 760-770-9508 George Christian 6-9pm CHEF GEORGE’S PICASSO LOUNGE; PD; 760-200-1768 Michael D’Angelo 6:309:30pm, DJ 9:30pm COPA NIGHTCLUB; PS; 760-866-0021 MOD Squad Variety Show w/ Francesca Amari, Jeff Stewart and Wayne Abravanel 5:30-7:30pm, Lipstick hosted by Bella Da Ball 8pm, DJs Banks and Ax 10pm EUREKA; IW; 760-834-7700 Live Music 8-10pm FISHERMAN’S GROTTO; PD; 760-7766534 Barry Baughn Blues Band 5:30-8:30pm

HENRY’S SPORTS BAR AND GRILL; CC; 760-656-3444 DJ 10pm THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 Red’s Rockstar Karaoke 9pm HOODOO COCKTAIL GARDEN @ THE HYATT; PS; 760-322-9000 Chris Lomeli 7pm HOTEL PASEO; PD; TBA 4-7pm LANDMARK LOUNGE; LQ; 760-289-6736 Lisa LaFaro 7pm LA QUINTA RESORT; LQ; 760-564-4111 Steppin Out 6-9pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-3252794 Hot Roxx 6:30pm LIT@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; 760-3452450 Country Night w/ Rye Brothers 9pm MASTRO’S; PD; 760-776-6777 Finesse 6:30-10:30pm MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 Ron Greenip 8pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Karaoke 8pm THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry 6-8pm Tim Burleson 8pm PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-365-5956 The LP’s 8pm PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND COCKTAILS; TP; 760-343-2115 Sunday Funeral and Van Vincent 9pm SAMMY G’s; PS; 760-320-8041 Evaro Brothers 7:30pm SHANGHAI RED’S @ THE FISHERMAN’S MARKET; PS; 760-322-9293 VooDoo Hustlers 7pm STACY’S; PS; 760-620-5003 Matt Coleman 7pm TACK ROOM TAVERN; IND; 760-347-9985 Karaoke 8pm WANG’S; PS; 760-325-9264 Trio Envy 5-8pm

CATALAN; RM; 760-770-9508 George Christian 6-9pm CHEF GEORGE’S PICASSO LOUNGE; PD; 760-200-1768 Michael D’Angelo 6:309:30pm, DJ 9:30pm CLUB 5; Indio; 760-625-1719 Noche Rockera w/ Robotic Humans and Giselle Woo & The Night Owls 9pm COACHELLA BAR; Coachella; 760-541-9034 Off the Wall, Happy in Hemet, Decapitate the Kause, Ricochet and Ded Ich 9pm COPA NIGHTCLUB; PS; 760-866-0021 Viva Friday’s w/ DJ Banks 9pm DESERT FOX; PD; DJ Swaggy 10pm DRINGK; RM; 760-888-0111 DJ 9pm ELECTRIC SPORTS LOUNGE; YV; 760-2281199 DJ Ceddy Cedd 9pm EL MEXICALI CAFÉ 2; IND; 760-342-2333 Cesar Daniel Lopez on the harp 6-9pm FISHERMAN’S GROTTO; PD; 760-7766534 Gina Carey 5:30-8:30pm FRANK’S PLACE; IW; 760-797-8700 Rebecca Clark 6-9pm GADI’S BAR & GRILL; YV; 760-820-1213 TBA 8pm HENRY’S SPORTS BAR AND GRILL; CC; 760-656-3444 Karaoke w/ KJ Marjovi 9pm THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 Hip Hop Night w/ Versastyle 9pm HOODOO COCKTAIL GARDEN @ THE HYATT; PS; 760-322-9000 Keisha D 7pm HOTEL PASEO; PD; Michael Keeth 3-6pm HOT SPOT@SPOTLIGHT 29; Coachella; 760-775-5566 Fresh 8:30pm INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760345-6466 Bob Allen 6pm JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-366-2250 Karaoke w/ Troy Michaels 7pm KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 Karaoke 8pm LANDMARK LOUNGE; LQ; 760-289-6736 Various Artists 7pm 19TH HOLE; PD; 760-772-6696 The Refills LA QUINTA BREWERY; PD; 760-200-2597 8pm Courtney Chambers 7pm 29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 LA QUINTA RESORT; LQ; 760-564-4111 Dana Larson 6:30pm Steppin Out 6-9pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Dublab LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-325Presents: Dayclubbing w/ Young Einstein 2794 Hot Roxx 7:30pm noon poolside and 10pm AGAVE LOUNGE@THE HYATT REGENCY; LE FE WINE BAR; PD; 760-565-1430 TBA 9:30pm IW; 760-674-4080 Avenida 7-11pm LIT@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; 760-345AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 2450 Vice Versa 9pm Live Music 6:30pm MASTRO’S; PD; 760-776-6777 TBA 6:30BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 ‘Everybody Dance Now’ w/ DJs LF and Hymn 11pm MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 7pm BERNIE’S; RM; 760-202 4499 Parick Morris, 760-325-2323 Ron Greenip 8pm Brian Dennigan & Leon Bisquera 6:30-10pm MIRAMONTE; IW; 760-341-2200 Trio Envy 5-9pm BIG ROCK PUB; IND; 706-200-8988 MOXIE; PS; 760-318-9900 Eevaan Tre Bohemio 8:30pm BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 The Stanley 6-9pm, DJ Pedro Le Bass 9:30pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Butler Trio 6-10pm Karaoke 8-1:15am THE CASCADE LOUNGE, SPA RESORT THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry CASINO; PS; 888-999-1995 DJ Chase 6-8pm Tim Burleson 8pm Martinez 9pm O’CAINES; RM; 760-202-3311 DJ Tone CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick 10pm Tuzzolino 5:30pm PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; 760CASUELAS CAFÉ; PD; 760-568-0011 The Myx 6:30-10pm 327-4080 TBA 9pm

FRI AUGUST 30

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PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-365-5956 Folkyeah Presents: Green Leaf Rustlers and Howlin Pain 8pm PEABODY’S CAFÉ; PS; 760-322-1877 Karaoke 7:30pm PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND COCKTAILS; TP; 760-343-2115 Red’s Rockstar Karaoke 9pm RED BARN; PD; 760-346-0191 TBA 9pm RENAISSANCE; PS; 760-322-6000 Live Music 6-9pm RIVIERA; PS; 760-327-8311 Michael Keeth 8-11pm SAMMY G’s; PS; 760-320-8041 Evaro Brothers 8:30pm SHANGHAI RED’S @ THE FISHERMAN’S MARKET; PS; 760-322-9293 Barry Baughn Blues Band 8-11pm SHANGHAI RED’S @ THE FISHERMAN’S MARKET; LQ; 760-777-1601 The Smooth Brothers 8-11pm SHELLY’S LOUNGE@TORTOISE ROCK CASINO; 29 Palms; Rojer Arnold & Bobby Furgo 9pm SOLANO’S BISTRO; LQ; 760-771-6655 Michael Madden 6-9pm SONOMA GRILLE@EMBASSY SUITES; PD; 760-340-6600 Denny Pezzin 6-9pm SOUL OF MEXICO; IND; 760-200-8787 Latin Rock 10pm STACY’S; PS; 760-620-5003 Krystofer Do 4:30-7pm, Mark Lee 8pm TACK ROOM TAVERN; IND; 760-347-9985 Off Da Cuff 9pm TRILUSSA ITALIAN RISTORANTE; PS; 760328-2300 Julius & Sylvia Music Duo 6-10pm THE VINE WINE BAR; PD; 760-341-9463 Vinny Berry 7-10pm WANG’S; PS; 760-325-9264 DJ Galaxy 5pm WOODY’S PALMHOUSE; PS; 760-2300188 Tony Grandberry 6:30pm

CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick Tuzzolino 5:30pm CASUELAS CAFÉ; PD; 760-568-0011 The Myx 6:30-10pm CATALAN; RM; 760-770-9508 George Christian 6-9pm CHEF GEORGE’S PICASSO LOUNGE; PD; 760-200-1768 Abie and Natasha 6:309:30pm, DJ 9:30pm COACHELLA VALLEY BREWING CO; TP; 760-343-5973 Acoustic Evening w/ Lance Riebsomer, James Velasquez, Courtney Chambers and Tim & Val 6-8:30pm COPA NIGHTCLUB; PS; 760-866-0021 DJ Banks and Mr. Miami 9pm DESERT FOX; PD; Whiskey and Knives and DJ Alfresco 9pm DRINGK; RM; 760-888-0111 DJ 9pm ELECTRIC SPORTS LOUNGE; YV; 760-2281199 DJ Ceddy Cedd 9pm EN VIVO@SPOTLIGHT 29; Coachella; 760775-5566 Banda Sin Nombre 9:30pm FISHERMAN’S GROTTO; PD; 760-7766534 Jack Ruvio 5:30-8:30pm FRANK’S PLACE; IW; 760-797-8700 Rebecca Clark 6-9pm GADI’S BAR & GRILL; YV; 760-820-1213 TBA 8pm HENRY’S SPORTS BAR AND GRILL; CC; 760-656-3444 DJ Ray 9pm THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 CV Weekly Presents: Let’s Get heavy w/ Drop Mob, Contortion and Call Upon Your Gods 9pm HOODOO COCKTAIL GARDEN @ THE HYATT; PS; 760-322-9000 The Carmens 7pm HOT SPOT@SPOTLIGHT 29; Coachella; 760-775-5566 Fresh 8:30pm INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760345-6466 Bob Allen 6pm KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 Karaoke 8pm LANDMARK LOUNGE; LQ; 760-289-6736 Eevaan Tre 7pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-3252794 PS Sound Company 1pm, Hot Roxx 19TH HOLE; PD; 760-772-6696 30 Miles 8pm Out 8pm LIT@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; 760-34529 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 2450 Vice Versa 9pm Bev and Bill 6:30pm MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Dublab 760-325-2323 Ron Greenip 8pm Presents: Dayclubbing w/ Kat Matutina MIRAMONTE; IW; 760-341-2200 Trio Envy noon, poolside, Al Jackson 10pm AGAVE LOUNGE@THE HYATT REGENCY; 6-10pm MOXIE; PS; 760-318-9900 Derek Jordan IW; 760-674-4080 Steppin’ Out 7-11pm Gregg 6-9pm, DJ Pedro Le Bass 9:30pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Cabaret on the Green Open Mic 7:30pm Karaoke 8pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 Ratchet Perreo w/ DJs Dxsko, J Patron, Million THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry 6-8pm Tim Burleson 8pm and Ztein Mcfly 7pm BERNIE’S; RM; 760-202 4499 Horace Miller, O’CAINES; RM; 760-202-3311 DJ Tone 10pm Brian Denigan and Leon Basquera 6:3010pm PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; 760327-4080 The Bad Company Experience BIG ROCK PUB; IND; 706-200-8988 The 9pm Stoney Curtis Band 8:30pm BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 Gina Carey PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-365-5956 Folkyeah Presents: Green Leaf Rustlers and 6-10pm Howlin Pain 8pm CASCADE LOUNGE, SPA RESORT PEABODY’S CAFÉ; PS; 760-322-1877 CASINO; PS; 888-999-1995 DJ Michael Wright 9pm Karaoke 7:30pm

August 29 to September 4, 2019

PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND COCKTAILS; TP; 760-3432115 Red’s Rockstar Karaoke 9pm RED BARN; PD; 760-346-0191 TBA 9pm ROCKYARD@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; 760-345-2450 Metal Mania and Savoy Brown 7:30pm SAMMY G’s; PS; 760-320-8041 Evaro Brothers 8:30pm SHANGHAI RED’S @ THE FISHERMAN’S MARKET; PS; 760-322-9293 Barry Baughn Blues Band 8-11pm SHANGHAI RED’S @ THE FISHERMAN’S MARKET; LQ; 760-777-1601 The Smooth Brothers 8-11pm SHELLY’S LOUNGE@TORTOISE ROCK CASINO; 29 Palms; Rojer Arnold & Bobby Furgo 9pm SONOMA GRILLE@EMBASSY SUITES; PD; 760-340-6600 Denny Pezzin 6-9pm SOUL OF MEXICO; IND; 760-200-8787 Latin Music 10pm STACY’S; PS; 760-620-5003 Jessica Bridgeman 8pm TACK ROOM TAVERN; IND; 760-347-9985 Cinch 9pm TRILUSSA ITALIAN RISTORANTE; PS; 760328-2300 Julius & Sylvia Music Duo 6-10pm THE VINE WINE BAR; PD; 760-341-9463 The Desert Crows 7-10pm WANG’S; PS; 760-325-9264 Live Music 6:30pm WESTIN; RM; 760-328-5955 Michael Keeth 6-10pm WOODY’S PALMHOUSE; PS; 760-2300188 The Stanley Butler Band 6:30pm continue to page 18

SAT AUGUST 31

August 29 to September 4, 2019

THEPAMPEREDPALATE

elaxed elegance and cool vibes await you at Solano’s Bistro in Old Town La Quinta. The Old Town La Quinta Village has a wonderful quaint feel, with shops and restaurants that give it an almost European feel. Owned by Chef Francisco “Paco” Solano, Solano’s Bistro encompasses that quaintness with a style all of its own, enthralling guests since 2009. It’s a little ritual that I’ve adopted when visiting Old Town. My boyfriend and I usually stop off at Stuft Pizza for some delightful Happy Hour indulgence, and before calling an Uber, we head on over to Solano’s to

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COOL VIBES AT SENSATIONAL SOLANO’S BY DENISE ORTUNO

cap out our excursion. We enjoy the subtle swankiness that their bar area provides, with colorful and distinct décor. The bar is populated with an equal balance of happy guests, all reveling in Solano’s recipe for a stand out establishment where they can enjoy Bar Bites such as Roasted Brussel Sprouts (honey balsamic and roasted garlic aioli), Brie Brioche Burger (Kobe beef patty, brioche un, lettuce tomato, red onion, and brie cheese) or Chef Paco’s Fish Taco’s (panko halibut, pico de gallo, chipotle aioli) among other items. Of course there are the drinks as well, which our joyfully made by Solano’s bar staff. Imbibe on concoctions such as the Pomegranate Royal (citrus vodka, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, Champaign float), Coconut Mojito ( Malibu Rum, fresh mint, soda, pineapple juice), or Watermelon

Martini (Titos, citrus juice, simple syrup, watermelon puree) plus many others. I recently had the most amazing Manhattan made by Juan the bartender, who gave my request heightened attention and made the drink just the way I wanted….even surpassing my expectations. Thank you Juan! The menu at Solano’s reflects the Chefs innovation and passion for his creations. Appetizers include Grilled Artichoke (lemon caper dipping sauce and melted butter) or Dungeness Crab Cakes (mixed greens, orange aioli), to name a few. For entrée’s enjoy the Boneless Beef Short Ribs (red wine, onion, and rosemary), Coachella Valley Stuffed Chicken (free range chicken, mascarpone cheese, spinach, and date chutney) or Caramelized Whitefish (golden raisin caper butter, toasted almonds) as

well as other selections. If you find yourself strolling along in the Old Town La Quinta Village, stop into Solano’s Bistro for some cool vibes, great service and innovative dishes. You just might want to make it your own kind of dining ritual. Solano’s Bistro is located at 78-075 Main St. #105, La Quinta CA 92253 www.solanosbistro.com

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BREWTALITY

*Disclaimer here; I was 16 at the time I first discovered alcohol, but I do not condone underage drinking in any situation. Like most kids, I wanted to do adult things and act older than my age, so I partied and did stuff that would have given my parents heart attacks had they known. None of my story is a glorification of teenage drinking. In fact, if my imaginary kids wanted to be a teetotaling prohibitionists who go their entire lives without a drop of alcohol besotting their livers, I’d be ok with that. That’s just cash saved on potentially having to post bail and/or credit-card-funded trips to recovery centers, ‘cuz lord knows what having me as a dad would do to a young mind. Anyway, on with this week’s Brewtality.... ack in the wastelands of the mid-90’s, the same year the Stone Brewing Company fired up its kettle for the first time and banged out their inaugural batch of Pale Ale, I was drinking the shit out of Zima. Clear, sparkling, and tasting like someone put Sprite in my eucalyptus cough syrup flavored vodka, the only thing more awful tasting than Zima was beer. Now, what I’d really wanted to drink were those hella delicious Bartles & Jaymes wine coolers, which was the first alcoholic beverage I ever caught a buzz off of, but those were clearly made for chicks. This was the 90’s and there were clear delineations between what was considered masculine or feminine. Wine

August 29 to September 4, 2019

WHITE CLAW’S DADDY, ZIMA: PART I

coolers weren’t anything a self-respecting young buck wanted to be seen drinking, but Zima looked and tasted slightly less girly, and that was good enough for me. When Zima rolled out in 1993, transparentanything was in vogue. Everyone was swilling Crystal Pepsi and swiping Mennen Crystal Clean deodorant under their armpits. Rock bands were playing clear acrylic drum sets and guitars. The Miller Brewing Company had tried and failed to capitalize on the see-thru trend with their “Clear Beer” which was just a light lager that was run through charcoal filters until all of the color and flavor had been

stripped out (you can buy 27 year old cans of the stuff on eBay for dirt cheap if you want to know what sadness tastes like). The Coors Brewing Corporation unveiled their version of Clear Beer, named after the Russian word for Winter, Zima. They put tons of dollars into marketing, and managed to build up a pretty impressive hype machine behind its release. When it finally hit the shelves of grocery store and bars, everybody wanted to try it, and Zima sold an astounding 1.3 million barrels of product in 1994. But just like anything else that garners mass attention before failing to live up to consumer expectation, sales dropped off rapidly. And that was due in large part to the wretched flavor of Zima. You see kids, without fruit flavoring to cover up the medicinal taste of fermented corn syrup, “malternative beverages” taste like prison cafeteria mop water. People bought their first Zima and never went back for a second. By 1996, Zima sales had plummeted to 403,000 barrels, and the company softrebooted its formula to improve the taste. By the time I’d popped the top on my first fluted bottle of the see-thru stuff, Zima tasted like a mix of 7-Up and watered down Popov vodka, which was already a flavor I was familiar with. The Korean lady who owned the liquor store down the street from my house liked me [and my business] and would always ask me as I laid my boozy purchases on her counter, “And you are 21, RIGHT?” to which me and my

BY AARON RAMSON scraggy, sparse, purposefully cultivated facial hair would reply, “Oh heck ya I am-pffft, It’d be weird if I wasn’t.” And she’d sell me all the Zima, Popov, and Boone’s Strawberry Hill I had money for. Someone had to get booze for the house parties, and that someone was me. I was a shameless, underage fan of Zima, and later, the equally as repulsive tasting (yet still not grimace inducing to my young taste buds as the taste of beer) Smirnoff ice, and I only lost my taste for alcopop beverages when I made friends with a German dude who mocked me endlessly for liking “girly drinks” (say that with a ‘Hanz and Franz’ style fake German accent if you want the full effect of the razzing I received). He promptly introduced me to Warsteiner German Lager, and I drank the stuff in a StockholmSyndrome like state until I liked the taste of beer (so, wherever you are Tomas, thanks for steering my alcohol addiction the right way). Zima is no longer, having been retired by government overregulation and taxation, but the beer alternative did pave the way for summer 2019’s breakout drink/meme, White Claw. More on the connection between the two malternative monsters in next week’s article!

August 29 to September 4, 2019

SCREENERS

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No. 384

FAITH VS FEAR

After reluctantly agreeing to coach crosscountry track, John and his wife Amy meet an aspiring athlete who’s pushing her limits on a personal journey toward discovery. Inspired by the words and prayers of a new-found friend, John becomes the least likely coach helping the least likely runner attempt the impossible in the biggest race of the year.

NOW SHOWING: Two disappointing feature films dabble in movie tropes that tap into two fundamental emotions that are the life-blood of contemporary cinema: fear and faith. Neither film is noteworthy or particularly effective in triggering those feelings. JACOB’S LADDER This remake of the disappointing but still better Adriane Lyne directed 1990 existential horror offers little to recommend it. It’s easily among the worst films of the year. Jacob Singer (Michael Ealy), a successful surgeon in a VA hospital, is finally getting his life back together after the death of his brother in Afghanistan. He’s got a beautiful wife and a new-born child. One day a stranger tells him his brother’s actually alive and living in an underground shelter with other homeless vets. Singer searches for him, begins hallucinating, thinking he’s being followed. He becomes

NEW BLU FOR THE HOME THEATER: THE HUSTLE paranoid about what really happened to his brother. When he finds that his brother is truly alive and addicted to an experimental drug, he uncovers an incredible secret for which he’s unprepared. Somewhere embedded deep within this mess, there’s a metaphor for PTSD that hints at horror but fails to deliver on the fear factor in spite of its intermittently cool visual and pretentions. OVERCOMER Life changes overnight for coach John Harrison when his high school basketball team dreams of a state championship are destroyed by unexpected news. It seems the largest big steel plant in town is shutting down and hundreds of families are leaving town. John and his family now face an uncertain future.

The two leads almost make a comedy team, i.e, if the plot, main characters and locale were more imaginative. This gender twist on the truly funny and vastly superior “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” starring Steve Martin and Michael Caine recreates scenes from 1988 film as well as the Marlon Brando-David Niven predecessor. Rebel Wilson is awful and Anne Hathaway is as always beautiful but not particularly funny in this heavy-handed, overtly preachy feminist reboot. Caveat emptor. For what it’s worth, extras include behind-the-scenes footage, commentary (from cast and filmmakers) and more. Something went wrong but the commentary offers no insights. MGM/Universal.

BY ROBIN E. SIMMONS his wife. This first-ever authorized release in a hi-def transfer stars Susan Hayward and Charlton Heston who are just about perfect as the beautiful frontier woman (the unhappily married Rachel Donelson) and the Indian fighter, Tennessee lawyer and future White House resident (Heston’s first of two vigorous screen portrayals of Old Hickory). The central drama of Jackson’s defiant marriage in the face of public scandal underscores this involving, action-fueled historical romance graced with Oscar®nominated Art Direction/Set Decoration and Costume Design as well as a stirring Alfred Newman score (available on an Isolated Track). Twilight Time Movies Limited Edition (Only 3,000 units). GODZILLA: KING OF THE MONSTERS

THE PRESIDENT’S LADY (1953)

Henry Levin’s romantic frontier adventure is based on Irving Stone’s 1951 bestseller that adheres closely to the truth of the lives of the seventh U.S. President and

The new chapter in the ever-expanding Godzilla saga follows the crypto-zoological agency Monarch as its members bravely face a multitude god-sized monsters, including mighty Godzilla, Mothra, Rodan, and his ultimate nemesis, the three-headed King Ghidorah. When these ancient superspecies – wrongly thought to be mere myths - rise again, they fight for supremacy, leaving humanity’s existence dangling in the balance. “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” is Big, loud and dumb. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing, especially in 4K UHD! It doesn’t need an original story since, like all kaijū movies, the only requirement is awesome monsters, epic fights and some not so subtle social commentary. Director Michael Dougherty seems torn between dazzling us with the hulking immensity of the action scenes or wagging his finger at us for the environmental hubris of our species. Warner Bros. Home Ent. robin@coachellavalleyweekly.com

BOOK REVIEW

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"SOMEONE WHO WILL LOVE YOU IN ALL YOUR DAMAGED GLORY" BY RAPHAEL BOB-WAKSBERG STORIES -----------------------------------------------------

h, the joy of short stories! One never knows what one will find in a story collection written by a single author. This month, the collections I reviewed contained stories that were intense and deadly serious, while others were culturally diverse and innocently charming. In Someone Who Will Love You in All Your Damaged Glory by Raphael Bob-Waksberg (Alfred Knopf, 249 pages) a magical and surreal collection is just as sincere and impactful. Author Bob-Waksberg is the creator of the Netflix animated series Bojack Horseman – a clever show about a former television celebrity who is half horse and man, and his group of friends who are either all human or animal-human combos, dealing with the bizarre world of Hollywood. This collection has 18 stories. Some are as short as two pages while there are others that are more than twenty. Bob-Waksberg often uses lists and bullet points to make his points, and includes different font sizes, all caps and bold paragraphs to draw attention to a strange world or different tale the reader

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August 29 to September 4, 2019

INTIMATE DETAILS

is about to experience. In the Story “Salted Circus Cashews, Swear to God” the font is oversized and bold in the beginning. But as the tale unfolds, the font gets smaller and smaller reflecting the narrator’s increasing insecurity and disappointment in the man she met online. “We Men of Science” is about a university professor who along with his mentor generate an Anti-Door where the protagonist steps across the threshold into an alternative reality that he begins to prefer. The story has simple line drawings to illustrate the professor’s journey. “Rufus” is the story about a dog trying to understand his master, or as the dog tells us, his “ManMonster.” “The Most Blessed and Auspicious Occasion,” is about a man and woman who decide to get married and are inundated by all the crazy wedding suggestion from friends and family that include hyper-eccentric and bizarre rituals that nearly destroy the couple. The story “Move Across Country” is about a person who wants to begin again but cannot escape the “sadness” – an entity that seems to be following her. “You Want to Know What Plays Are Like?” finds siblings in a small theater watching a play about their lives and the family tragedy. In “Lives with the Person Who Dumped You,” the author outlines five different types of lunches that sum up failed relationships and the reason you agreed to meet.

BY HEIDI SIMMONS

“These Are Facts” tells the story of halfsiblings on vacation getting to know one another and recognizing the strange reality they each share. I had many favorites in this collection and enjoyed the journey into worlds where everything is not as it seems. Yet, in so many

SAFETY TIPS

of the stories we also get the emotional depth and intimate detail that humans find confusing and challenging to navigate. BobWaksberg writes with good humor and an awareness that works on many levels. It is a wonderful experience to spend time with such creativity, thoughtfulness – and meaning, which is something short stories can do extremely well. Once in a while, it is refreshing to view reality and the human condition through whimsy and magical thinking.

FROM THE CHIEFS CORNER

BY FIRE CHIEF SAM DIGIOVANNA

MAKE LABOR DAY WORK FOR YOU – SAFELY! “

n the first Monday of September many workers take the day off and enjoy time relaxing with friends and family for Labor Day. Many Americans will turn the time off into an extended weekend by hosting barbecues, going on a mini vacation or spending time outdoors,” reminds Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna. Barbecue and Picnic Safety First and foremost, it will be warm and dry. Do not use your barbeque near vegetation or combustible material. Cooking outdoors can trigger a number of physical and health safety concerns. Make sure to thaw meat out completely by placing it in the refrigerator, which will reduce the chances of bacteria growing. Keep cold foods in an insulated cooler when transporting to someone’s house or to the park. Keep a close eye on the grill to ensure children do not put their hands on the hot grates. Water Safety Last year Labor Day weekend was the deadliest for drownings since 2010. When at the beach, remember to protect skin and eyes from the rays of the sun by wearing coverups, sun screen, sunglasses and hats. Take a dip in the water periodically throughout the day to cool off your skin and body. Keep kids within sight and arms reach when in the water and never swim alone.

Road Travel An estimated 2.5 million Southern Californians are expected to travel this Labor Day weekend. The National Safety Council estimates 398 people may die on U.S. roads this Labor Day holiday period. Whether driving to the beach or going away for Labor Day weekend, you will want to take your time to ensure you and your family arrives safely. When driving through parking lots and neighborhood streets, keep an eye out for kids who may be out and about playing. Always look twice when turning and crossing streets, especially for motorcycles and bicycles which are smaller and not as visible as cars. Remember to not drink and drive. Always wear your seat belt. Did I kindly mention PUT AWAY THAT CELL PHONE! Boating/Kayak/Paddle Board Safety Put your watercraft in the water for one last time this summer and relax. Before leaving make sure you are equipped with all necessary safety equipment, including enough gas, life vests and a first-aid kit (for a boat). Leave your float plan with a trusted friend or family member and when you are expected to return. This way, authorities have an idea where to search if you do not make it back home. Stay hydrated, use common sense, be patient on the road and give yourself plenty of time! Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna

August 29 to September 4, 2019 CLUB CRAWLER NIGHTLIFE continued from page 13 MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 Sunday Jam 3:30-7:30pm, 19TH HOLE; PD; 760-772-6696 TBA 5-8pm Mikael Healy 8pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 Karaoke 8pm Bob Garcia 6pm THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Sunday ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Dublab Jam Session 2-5pm, Finesse 7-11pm Presents: Dayclubbing w/ Al Jackson noon, poolside, Kat Matutina 9pm PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; 760327-4080 Sunday Jam Session 7pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 Sunday Brunch w/ Live Music 11am PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-365-5956 The Sunday Band 7:30pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 Candela Nightz w/ DJ LF and Lacochimba SHANGHAI RED’S @ THE FISHERMAN’S 7pm MARKET; LQ; 760-777-1601 Jack Ruvio 6-9pm BERNIE’S; RM; 760-202 4499 Patrice Morris 6:30-10pm STACY’S; PS; 760-620-5003 Ron Pass 2pm BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 TBA WANG’S; PS; 760-325-9264 Gina Carey 5-9pm 6-9pm CASCADE LOUNGE, SPA RESORT; PS; WESTIN; RM; 760-328-5955 Lance 888-999-1995 Latin Night w/ Nacho Riebsomer 12-4pm poolside Bustillos and Quinto Menguante 9pm WOODY’S PALMHOUSE; PS; 760-2300188 John Carey and Friends 6:30pm CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick Tuzzolino 5:30pm CHEF GEORGE’S PICASSO LOUNGE; PD; 760-200-1768 Paul Douglas 6-9pm DESERT FOX; PD; Karaoke w/ Scott 9pm 29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 The Luminators 6pm DRINGK; RM; 760-888-0111 Lisa and the Gents 2-6pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 Bill Marx 6:30pm THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 Comedy Night 8pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 Music by Touchtunes 7pm LANDMARK LOUNGE; LQ; 760-289-6736 Scott Carter 7pm CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick Tuzzolino 5:30pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-3252794 PS Sound Company noon, Hot Roxx CASUELAS CAFÉ; PD; 760-568-0011 The 6:30pm Mighty Sweet Nothings 5:30pm MASTRO’S; PD; 760-776-6777 TBA 6:30COPA NIGHTCLUB; PS; 760-866-0021 DJ 10:30pm Banks and Mr. Miami 8pm

SUN SEPTEMBER 1

MON SEPTEMBER 2

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-3252794 PS Sound Company 6:30pm MASTRO’S; PD; 760-776-6777 TBA 6:3010:30pm MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 Mikael Healey 8pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Karaoke 8pm-1:15am THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Finesse 7-11pm PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-365-5956 The 5.6.7.8’s and Jesika Von Rabbit 8pm WOODY’S PALMHOUSE; PS; 760-2300188 Elaine Woodward 7pm

TUE SEPTEMBER 3 29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 The Bill and Bob Duo 6pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Ace Karaoke 9pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 Shelley Yoelin Group 9:30pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 DJ Ax and Friends 7pm BERNIE’S; RM; 760-202 4499 Chris Lomeli 6:30-10pm CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick Tuzzolino 5:30pm CHEF GEORGE’S PICASSO LOUNGE; PD; 760-200-1768 Lizann Warner 6:309:30pm, DJ 9:30pm FIRESIDE LOUNGE; PS; 760-327-1700 Red’s Rockstar Karaoke 9pm HENRY’S SPORTS BAR AND GRILL; CC; 760-656-3444 Karaoke w/ KJ Danny 9pm

THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 Drag Queen Bingo 9pm HUNTER’S; PS; 760-323-0700 Karaoke 9pm JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-3662250 Ted Quinn’s Open Mic 7pm KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 Karaoke 7pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-3252794 PS Sound Company 6:30pm LIT@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; 760-3452450 Brad’s Pad 7pm MASTRO’S; PD; 760-776-6777 Finesse 6:30-10:30pm MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 Mikael Healey 8pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Karaoke 8pm-1:15am THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Tim Burleson 7:45pm PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; 760327-4080 Acoustic Music Lounge 7pm PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND COCKTAILS; TP; 760-3432115 Game Night w/ Luke O 8pm

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BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 Michael Keeth 6-10pm CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick Tuzzolino 5:30pm CHEF GEORGE’S PICASSO LOUNGE; PD; 760-200-1768 Barry Minniefield 6:309:30pm, DJ 9:30pm COACHELLA VALLEY BREWING CO; TP; 760-343-5973 Uncle Ben’s Open Mic 6-8pm COPA NIGHTCLUB; PS; 760-866-0021 Issa Wednesday Humpday w/ DJ Ax 9pm ELECTRIC SPORTS LOUNGE; YV; 760228-1199 Karaoke 7:30pm THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 Open Mic Hosted by Josh Heinz 8pm JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-3662250 Karaoke 7:30pm KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 Open Mic 8pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-3252794 Hot Roxx 6:30pm LIT@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; 760-3452450 Latin Night 7pm MASTRO’S; PD; 760-776-6777 Finesse 6:30-10:30pm MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 Mikael Healey 8pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Karaoke 8pm-1:15am THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry 6-8pm Tim Burleson 8pm PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; 760327-4080 Roger & Friends 7pm PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND COCKTAILS; TP; 760-343-2115 Red’s Rockstar Karaoke 9pm

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don’t know about you, but I am sick and tired of people who rant and rave about political stuff. Hearing the simpleton left-right debate barked at us by cable news or via social media is old. Neither the left or right care to compromise relegating each side to more extreme positions meant to energize their base while trivializing thoughtful debate and alienating vast swaths of the people whom these carnival barkers claim to represent. While these partisans put ideology and selfish interests ahead of country, foreign interests profit at our expense due to our inability to come together as a country and agree on anything more than a Lil Nas X’ “Old Town Road.” That song is a uniter of all even if the country music folks required Billy Ray Cyrus to sing on the song in order to gain a ranking atop the Country Music Charts. As I cannot listen to any more of the partisan white noise as well as the national evening news that is essentially bereft of news, let’s refocus and think about only good things…like that “Old Town Road” song. There is something called The Good News Network. GNN was founded in 1997 by Geri Weis Corbley, a woman the Washington Post calls “The Good News Guru.” GNN differs from the rest of the media in that they focus strictly on good news.

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AND THE GOOD NEWS IS…

Last week, GNN reported on the journey of Sgt. Seth Craven. Sgt. Craven was returning from Afghanistan to join his wife for the birth of their first child. Upon his arrival from at the Philadelphia airport, weather conditions cancelled his flight home to West Virginia. Due to the poor weather and flight delays, Craven could not secure a rental car. When Charlene Vickers heard of Sgt. Craven’s predicament, she drove him back to West Virginia where he joined his wife late on the evening before the birth of their son. Dateline, United Kingdom: Researchers estimate that 60% of the food that we throw away as spoiled is edible. British scientists have created paper-based electronical sensors or PEGS that detect spoilage gases like ammonia

DALE GRIBOW ON THE LAW

and trimethylamine that are found in meat and fish products. At an estimated cost of 2 cents per sensor, these sensors share data with nearby microchips that communicate with the user’s smartphone via a downloadable app. Across The Channel in Paris, urban farming is about to get real. A 3.5 acre ROOFTOP garden is set to begin operations in 2020. Staffed by twenty farmers, it is expected that this novel approach to feeding urbanites approximately 2,200 pounds or just over one ton of fresh fruit and vegetables. ‘Green’ chemists around the world have been working on ways to reduce the carbon footprint created by non-edible plant waste. One such team appears to have converted cashew shells into sunscreen via xylochemistry aka wood chemistry. Some of the compounds extracted from the cashew shells have strong protective qualities that can be used to protect us from all harmful UV rays. Good news can be found outside of GNN as well. While most Americans dislike their cable television and internet providers, there is one Walker, Michigan resident who owes his life to a quick-thinking Comcast customer service agent. While on the phone with customer Dan Magennis, Comcast rep Kimberly Williams noticed that he could no longer answer her

questions during the middle of a call. Sensing that Magennis was in trouble, Williams called the Walker Fire Department. Within five minutes paramedics reached Magennis saving his life. The point of this week’s article is that you and I can fight all the hate and divisiveness that is polluting our country by simply acting as you want others to act. It can often be a hard thing to do but...if we want a world that is filled with more good news, we need to be the ones to go out and create it. Lead by example. I’m up for it. How about you? Haddon Libby is the Founder and Managing Partner of Winslow Drake Investment Management. For more information, please visit www.WinslowDrake.com or email Hlibby@WinslowDrake.com.

LEGAL REPRESENTATION OF THE INJURED & CRIMINALLY ACCUSED

WHEN IN DOUBT DON’T GIVE YOUR CELL OUT!

t is amazing that half of all cells calls are predicted to be fraudulent in the future. Scam calls are epidemic and will get worse in the next year. In 2017 almost 4% of mobile calls were fraudulent. It went up to 30% last year and half of all calls are predicted for this year. Ironically as cell calls increase, the landline calls are decreased from 56% to less than 25% next year. This is obviously because fewer people use landlines. As a lawyer I always request landline and mobile call info from DUI and ACCIDENT clients, and I am amazed at how many clients only use a cell. If you read my column regularly you are aware of “Neighborhood Spoofing” where a fraudulent call shows up on the caller ID as coming from a local number….. a number often associated with law enforcement, the courts or IRS. I personally received 3 scam calls in the last month. With all these cell calls it is no wonder that 85% of unknown mobile calls are not answered. This could potentially be a serious problem for legit businesses. One avenue to consider is RoboKiller and Truecaller to help detect and block unwanted calls. Of course they only block known scam numbers. With the 2020 election around the corner you might receive phony calls from con artists that pretend to be political volunteers. They will try to get you to donate money by asking for a cash or credit card number. They may even offer to register you to vote over the

August 29 to September 4, 2019

phone…which of course is illegal. Unfortunately with a donation to a political party or candidate you may never know you have been scammed. The con artist is only interested in getting your credit card info and maxing out your card. When in doubt, don’t give it out! Also be aware of scam calls claiming to be charities or helping veterans. It is suggested you go on line to check out the name of the charity and words like scam or complaint. Go to BBB Wise Giving Alliance, Charity a group that look into the validity of charities. You can also check whether the charity is registered with The California Charity Regulator. Check NASCO (National Association of State Charity Officials). Always ask for the website of the charity and its address. Inquire about The Charities Mission and what percentage of the money goes to the charity. If it is a veteran charity ask how many service members are helped. Some popular phone scams: IRS, Police, Utility Co, Government Clerk, Jury Duty Clerk, Puppy Breeder, Ticket Seller, Bank Verifier, Big Winner Announcement, Longdistance lover, Military Rep, Social Media Scams, Genealogy site scams. If any of these happen to you, then when you spot a Scam report it to FTC or state charity regulator through nasconet.org. That is the only way to try to protect the next guy. If you paid for a product through one of these scam sites, report it to your bank and credit card company site below: Inspector General: 800-269-0271 or oig.

ssa.gov/report. Fraud Alert Hotline: 855-303-9470 or www.aging.senate.gov/fraud-hotline. FTC ID Theft Hotline: 877-ID-Theft or consumer.gov/idtheft SS Hotline: 800-269-0271 or ssa.gov/oig Equifax: 800-525-6285 or equifax.com Experian: 888-397-3742 or experian.com Transunion: 800-680-7289 or transunion. com To avoid being SCAMED a good general rule is to never give personal info over the phone. To avoid scam phone calls just sign up to the DO NOT CALL REGISTRY at donotcall. gov or 888-382-1222. Remember: Silence is Golden and Handcuffs are Silver so DON’T TALK to POLICE or Insurance Adjusters without your lawyer’s permission. SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE ARTICLE? CONTACT DALE GRIBOW 760-837-7500/ dale@dalegribowlaw.com.

DALE GRIBOW - REPRESENTING THE INJURED AND CRIMINALLY ACCUSED “TOP LAWYER” - California’s Prestige Magazine, Palm Springs Life (PI/DUI) 2011-20 “TOP LAWYER” - Inland Empire Magazine 2016- 2019 PERFECT 10.0 AVVO Peer Rating “PREEMINENT” Rating - Martindale Hubbell Legal Directory “BEST Attorneys of America” Selected by “Rue” (Limited to Top 100 Attorneys/state) “10 Best Attorneys” for California Legal Eagle “Best and Brightest Legal Minds” -Palm Springs Life- June 2016 “DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE OR TEXT AND GET A DUI OR ACCIDENT. CALL A TAXI, LYFT OR UBER. THEY ARE A LOT CHEAPER THAN CALLING ME”. SO DRIVE SOBER OR GET PULLED OVER.

August 29 to September 4, 2019

FREEWILL ASTROLOGY

Week of August 29

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Here are examples of activities I recommend you try in the coming days. 1. Build a campfire on the beach with friends and regale each other with stories of your most interesting successes. 2. Buy eccentric treasures at a flea market and ever thereafter refer to them as your holy icons. 3. Climb a hill and sit on the grass as you sing your favorite songs and watch the moon slowly rise over the eastern horizon. 4. Take naps when you’re “not supposed to.” 5. Sneak into an orchard at night and eat fruit plucked just moments before. 6. Tell a beloved person a fairy tale in which he or she is the hero. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): The hardiest creature on the planet may be the bacterium known as Deinococcus radiodurans. It can endure exposure to radiation, intense cold, dehydration, acid, and vacuum. I propose we make it your power creature for the coming weeks. Why? Not because I expect you’ll have to deal with a lot of extreme conditions, but rather because I think you’ll be exceptionally robust, both physically and psychologically. If you’ve been waiting for the right time to succeed at demanding challenges that require you to be in top form, now is a good time to do it. P.S. Deinococcus radiodurans is colloquially referred to as Conan the Bacterium, borrowing from the spirit of the fictional character Conan the Barbarian, who is renowned for his strength and agility. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In the yearly cycle of many Geminis, retreating into a state akin to hibernation makes sense during the end of August and the first three weeks of September. But since many of you are high-energy sophisticates, you often override your body’s signals. And then nature pushes back by compelling you to slow down. The result may be a rhythm that feels like constantly taking three steps forward and two steps backward. May I suggest a different approach this year? Would you consider surrendering, even slightly, to the invitation to relax and recharge? CANCER (June 21-July 22): If you decide to travel to a particular place via hot air balloon, you must be prepared for the possibility that your route will be indirect. At different altitudes, the wind may be blowing in different directions: toward the east at a hundred feet high, but toward the southwest at two hundred feet. The trick for the pilot is to jockey up and down until finding a layer that’s headed toward the desired destination. I see your life right now as having a metaphorical resemblance to this riddle. You have not yet discovered the layer that will take you where you want to go. But I bet you will soon. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Considering how bright you have been burning since the Flame Angels designated you as the Hottest Cool Person of the Month, I hesitate to urge you to simmer down. But I must. Before there’s a meltdown in your vicinity, please lower your thermostat. Not a lot. Just a little. If you do that, everyone will continue to see your gleaming charisma in the best possible light. But don’t you dare extinguish your blaze. Don’t apologize for your brilliant shimmer. The rest of us need your magical radiance. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Shogun is a bestselling novel about an Englishman who transforms himself into a samurai warrior in seventeenth-century Japan. Written by James Clavell, it’s over 1,100 pages long. Clavell testified that the idea for the story sprang up in him when he read one line in his daughter’s school book: “In 1600 an Englishman went to Japan and became a samurai.” I suspect it’s highly likely you will soon encounter a seed like that, Virgo: a bare inspiration that will eventually bloom into a Big Thing. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Libran athlete Mickey Mantle is in Major League Baseball’s Hall of Fame. He had a spectacular 18-year career, winning the Most Valuable Player Award three times, playing in 12 World Series, and being selected to the AllStar team 16 times. So it’s astounding that he played with a torn ligament in his knee for 17 years, according to his biographer Jane Leavy. She

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quoted an orthopedic surgeon who said that Mantle compensated for his injury with “neuromuscular genius.” I’m thinking that in the next few weeks you’re in a position to accomplish an equivalent of Mantle’s heroic adjustment. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Most people who belong to the Church of Satan neither believe in nor worship Satan. (They’re atheists, and don’t believe in the supernatural.) I think a comparable principle is true for many rightwing fundamentalist Christians. Their actions and words are replete with bigotry, hard-heartedness, materialism, and selfishness: so contrary to what the real Jesus Christ taught that they in effect don’t believe in or worship Jesus Christ. I mention this, Scorpio, in hope of inspiring you to take inventory of whether your stated ideals are reflected in the practical details of how you live your life. That’s always an interesting and important task, of course, but it’s especially so for you right now. The coming weeks will be an excellent time to purge any hypocrisy from your system and get your actual behavior in close alignment with your deepest values. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): It’s the right time for you to create a fresh mission statement and promotional campaign. For inspiration, read mine: “My column ‘Free Will Astrology’ offers you a wide selection of realities to choose from. With 4,212 years of dedication to customer service (over the course of my last 13 incarnations), I’m a reliable ally supporting your efforts to escape your oppressive conditioning and other people’s hells. My horoscopes come with an ironclad guarantee: If the advice you read is wrong, you’re under no obligation to believe it. And remember: a panel of 531 experts has determined that ‘Free Will Astrology’ is an effective therapy for your chronic wounds and primordial pain. It is also dramatic proof that there is no good reason to be afraid of life.” CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Here are good questions for you to meditate on during the next four weeks. 1. How can you attract resources that will expand your mind and your world? 2. Are you bold enough to reach out to wise sources and provocative influences that could connect you with useful tricks and practical treasures? 3. What interesting lessons can you stir up as you explore the mercurial edges, skirt the changeable boundaries, journey to catalytic frontiers, and make pilgrimages to holy hubbubs? 4. How best can you encourage lyrical emotion over polished sentimentality? Joyous idealism over astringent zealotry? Exuberant integrity over formulaic kindness? AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): “It is the beginning of wisdom when you recognize that the best you can do is choose which rules you want to live by,” wrote author Wallace Stegner, “and it’s persistent and aggravated imbecility to pretend you can live without any.” That will be an excellent meditation for you during the coming weeks. I trust you are long past the time of fantasizing you can live without any rules. Your challenge now is to adjust some of the rules you have been living by, or even dare to align yourself with some new rules—and then completely commit yourself to being loyal to them and enjoying them. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Given the astrological omens that will symbolize your personal story in the coming weeks and months, I think Piscean author Nikos Kazantzakis articulated the perfect prescription for you. I invite you to interpret his thoughts to fit your circumstances. “We’re going to start with small, easy things,” he wrote. “Then, little by little we shall try our hand at the big things. And after that, after we finish the big things, we shall undertake the impossible.” Here’s an additional prod from Kazantzakis: “Reach what you cannot.” Homework: What do you want most for the person or animal you love best? FreeWillAstrology. com ---------------------------------------Rob Brezsny - Free Will Astrology freewillastrology@freewillastrology.com

LOCAL BUSINESS

BY CRAIG MICHAELS

MAXIMUM SECURITY KEEPING THE VALLEY SAFE FOR 30 YEARS

hen you work hard to afford nice things for yourself and your home, there is no better piece of mind than having Maximum Security to make sure they are protected. The security industry, like many, has become very competitive. While other companies advertise FREE equipment to lure you in for the monthly monitoring payment, what they don’t advertise is that it’s always based on the lowest quality and totally defeasible systems. With the emphasis on quantity not quality, you can spend hours on the phone with customer service switching your call to several people and god forbid if you want to cancel. Steve Kaufer is the owner Maximum Security which opened in Palm Springs 30 years ago. To meet customer demand, they have expanded their services over the years to include HD video surveillance with remote access. They also offer fire systems with monitoring, Smarthome and Z-Wave products as well as taking over an existing home alarm system with monitoring Robb Roberts who previously worked designing and selling high end kitchen and bathrooms in NYC joined the Maximum Security team 5 years ago. He moved to California for a new life and profession with technology in the Smarthome field. When asked what sets Maximum apart for other security companies he replied: “We have our

own monitoring center which takes the office calls after work hours and we are always on call for sales or service and will gladly schedule a home visit with you the next day. Very few companies can offer that level or service. When an issue arises, the client has my cell phone number to call at any time, Saturday and Sundays.” This type of service in today’s world is not easily found. Maximum also strives to give back to the community that has helped make them one of the top security companies in the Coachella Valley. Their philanthropic donations help support charities like Palm Springs Animal Shelter, Find Food Bank, DAP, AAP and Angel View. If you would like to find out more about how Maximum can help protect you, Call Robb directly at (760) 567-0496 or visit their web Site: www.maximumsecurity.info. Written By: Craig Michaels

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August 29 to September 4, 2019

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August 29 to September 4, 2019

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MICHELLE ANN RIZZIO CANNABIS CORNER BY SHOOGIES: SWEETENING UP THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY

hoogies are a new product coming to the recreational cannabis market that exceed normal categories of cannabis because it’s a sugar. Yes that is correct--”Shoogies” are boxes with 20 stick packs of cannabis infused cane sugar or agave. The company describes themselves as: “Brilliant packs offering a discreet way for the market to include cannabis into their lifestyle. Shoogies are cannabis-infused sweeteners available with agave or cane sugar designed to integrate cannabis into your daily life. It’s an on-the-go, use anywhere, use anytime, sweet treat that brings joy to the things you already do every day. Shoogies lets you change the way you cocktail, bake, eat, and drink, knowing you are ingesting only the purest ingredients.” Shoogies was created in part to erase the stigma of cannabis and make it more accessible to mainstream consumption for overall wellness. I’ve had the opportunity to try the product and enjoy both of the agave and sugar packets. I was surprised to discover that there is absolutely no cannabis flavor at all. I absolutely foresee these packets taking off and being the perfect addition to a cannabis user’s purse or backpack for their daily dose of THC. They are easy to travel with and I could see them making it onto a list of must haves in Vogue. I sat down with Latham Woodard the CEO of Shoogies to learn more about the product. CV Weekly: How much does it retail for? LW: $24 for the sugar, for 20 packs of sugar. 20 packets of agave for $28. CVW: What has the reception been like in the dispensaries? LW: Universally it’s been like, “We have nothing like that. We have nothing in this category and the box is beautiful.” My branding is really important to me and people are reacting to it well. CVW: How does it taste? LW: Like sugar and like agave. No different CVW: What is the process of infusing the sugar? LW: That’s proprietary, it’s much more complicated than I thought it would be and it’s been a real learning experience. CVW: Do you use distillate or full spectrum oil? LW: Distillate. We would like to do full

spectrum but it can shift the flavor. We want our product to be just like sugar, so that way you can just integrate it into your life and is indistinguishable from sugar. We don’t want you to have a different taste profile than you are used to. This becomes a no brainer for use. CVW: How many milligrams are in each packet? LW: 5mg per packet. The sugar and agave help the bloodstream absorb quickly. I usually recommend trying one and seeing how it goes. CVW: Are your sources for sugar and agave organic? LW: Yes. The sugar is cane, USDA certified organic and my agave is also USDA certified organic and also is certified biodynamic in Europe. I’m getting the highest purity in my sources here. My sugar comes out of Costa Rica and my agave comes from Mexico. CVW: Who is your distributor? LW: We are partnered with Apex, and their live resin is so awesome. They have a good standing in shops throughout California. CVW: What shops can the Shoogies currently be found in? LW: Green Cross Pharma, Cathedral City Care Collective, OG Collective, Iguana Collective, and Bare Dispensary. More info visit, www.shoogies.com.

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August 29 to September 4, 2019

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August 29 to September 4, 2019