Coachella Valley Weekly - September 20 to September 26, 2018 Vol. 7 No. 27

coachellavalleyweekly.com • September 20 to September 26, 2018 Vol. 7 No. 27

StickyFest

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Cinema Diverse

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I.T.N.O.T.D.

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Brant Bjork Sleazy Cortez pg8

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Christopher James

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September 20 to September 26, 2018

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DESERT RHYTHM PROJECT:

Coachella Valley Weekly (760) 501-6228

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

CONTENTS Desert Rhythm Project.......................... 3 Art Scene ................................................ 4 StickyFest - Greg Gendron..................... 5 LGBTQ - Cinema Diverse........................ 6 Breaking the 4th Wall - Review Of Southern Fried Funeral........................ 6 In The Name Of The Dead...................... 7 Brant Bjork.............................................. 8 Sleazy Cortez.......................................... 9 Consider This- Son of the Velvet Rat.. 10 Art Scene - Christopher James............ 11 Pet Place................................................ 12 The Vino Voice ...................................... 13 Club Crawler Nightlife ................... 14-15 Good Grub - Vince's Spaghetti............ 16 Screeners ............................................. 18 Book Review........................................ 19 Safety Tips ............................................ 19 Real Estate with Bruce Cathcart.......... 21 Indio Mall-O-Ween............................... 21 Haddon Libby....................................... 22 Dale Gribow.......................................... 22 Brewtality............................................. 23 Sports Scene......................................... 23 Free Will Astrology.............................. 24 Life & Career Coach............................. 24 Awaken with Lizzy & AImee............... 26

September 20 to September 26, 2018

BY LISA MORGAN

AN EVER-EVOLVING OPUS OF LOVE AND WORDPLAY

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hat’s going down family. It’s your boy Mikey and I’m here with the beautiful Bryanna Evaro…” For 9 months worth of Wednesdays (sometimes Thursday mornings but dependable all the same), Mikey Reyes’ voice has been heard on social media, introducing his contribution for the week. Often, his heart’s desire, Bryanna Evaro, will join him as they present a new song week after week. They’ve dubbed it “Wordplay Wednesday,” and the combination of roots, soul, funk and hip hop is uplifting AF. As always, Reyes and Evaro bring messages of truth, sometimes gentle, sometimes sharply poignant, but always encompassed in shining a light in the darkness and living in the spirit of love. It is their personal challenge to create and present weekly along with a challenge to others to do the same.

Witnessing the depth of these prolific artists is awe inspiring. I think it must be maddening to those who, after months, find themselves with a handful of songs, to witness not only the volume, but the quality of the compositions these artists put out, and are viewed by thousands each week. It’s not enough to say that they are talented. The founders of Desert Rhythm Project who pack rooms and festivals regularly deserve better than that. They are on track to bring another necessary dimension and afflatus to World Music, commercial success be dammed (or not). Mikey Reyes, Bryanna Evaro and Desert Rhythm Project will move everyone within their range, and that is a dead certainty.

My first article about Michael Reyes in 2013 was titled, “Mikey Reyes – Soul Open,” based on my impression of this young artist after meeting him for the first time. His band name at the time, Soul Opus, lent itself to the title easily, but so did Reyes’ demeanor. He was in search mode. There was an unspoken intuitive sense that while he appreciated where he was and what he was doing, Mikey Reyes was ready to grow. He was standing at the precipice of finding more of his true voice and who he was to become, his soul open yet anxious for the next part of his journey.

Bryanna Evaro was to become a very big part of that. He may never truly stop searching, but the difference between that young artist and the man he has become in the last 5 years tells me he is well on his way, and with true love by his side, even the sky is no limit.

The amount of talent with which the Evaro family has drenched the Southern California desert, is mystifying, and Bryanna Evaro is no exception. She brings her own unique effervescence to the table with a presence on and off the stage projects an ethereal grace.

The lady can rock an audience with her smooth, but soulfully funky bass lines. But when this beauty opens her mouth to sing, it’s the sonic version of the glittery part of a firecracker, and the crowd basks and celebrates in the glow. Like

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salt on caramel, the Reyes and Evaro combo is undeniably delicious.

CV Weekly caught up with the two very busy founders of Desert Rhythm Project as they look forward to once again drawing the masses at the Joshua Tree Music Festival, Oct 5th: CVW: Explain where the inspiration for Wordplay Wednesday came from, and how long do you plan on doing it?

REYES: “It’s not necessarily a group challenge although the people who I surround myself with musically have joined in on the fun. What I’m doing is releasing a song, new or old, every Wednesday and have been doing so since December 20th of 2017, nine months strong.

I’m allowing myself to be creative weekly and then putting that creativity out for myself and everyone else to hear without any doubts, without any hesitations or reservations - raw, one take, the truest as can possibly be for the ears to hear and the eyes to see. I’m recording all live instruments here in my home studio and I’m playing all the instruments from guitar to drums to keys to bass, although an occasional bass line from the lovely Bryanna Evaro does make its way to the final cut as well as amazing collaborations with my beautiful brothers Tyler Saraca and Christian Colin. I’ve also managed to write songs with two of my best friends that I’ve been making music with since we were kids, Daniel Sullivan aka Provoked and William Randal aka WillDaBeast. We’ve spear headed the music community in all genres, Hip Hop, Funk, Soul, Reggae and we’re continuing to get creative with our expression. Wordplay Wednesday 760 has allowed us to get in touch with that creativity and risen us to the incredible altitude we strive for as musicians.”

“Before coming home from a northern California trip Bry and I took in late 2017, we agreed to release our album Mojave Roots that had been on the back burner since 2015.

A part of coming to that conclusion was the release of our insecurities. As a musician you battle with feeling like what your doing isn’t good enough, or that it can be better. I’ve felt that a lot as I got older and was allowing that feeling to cripple my creative process and even

hold me back from releasing music that me and my people loved. NO MORE! We both agreed that we would stop feeling that way and be our truest selves. No doubts! No angst towards the journey that chose us! We are good enough! It IS good enough! We all are perfect in our own way, and to dampen that beauty, to suppress your perfectness is detrimental to your soul.

‘Whatever comes up, comes out’ (don’t quote me on that, but I love that saying). And through that mantra, WPW760 was created.”

“In all honesty. Willdabeast entered a contest where the sickest emcee to spit the dopest 16 bar verse won a gram of WAX. I was hanging at his house and he told me about it, and we peeped some of the other contestants.

All were dope, but Will asked if I wanted to see his entry. I said, ‘Of course!’ Will showed me an actual video, with Will in the middle of the shot, looking like he’s about to murder his track, which he did. But the audio and video looked great. The only thing that set Will apart from all the other emcees was that his video looked amazing. Everyone else was using iPhone vids, super low quality. But Will’s was on point. I went home and had been writing a lot some months prior and was pushing myself to be more creative musically. The contest was over, Will lost, but I was left with a spark that would later turn into a friggin’ BARN FIRE!” “I started making beats and wrote two 16 bar verses to one that I really liked. It originally was just to get off my chest what I’d been feeling at the moment, and that was the first song “If It”. It’s a song about where I grew up and the life style of a kid just south of the train tracks in Indio. And that’s my roots. Not a lot of people know that I started making Hip Hop before I ever started writing songs on the guitar.

I’m very rooted in Hip Hop and felt another spark after that song was released. It felt good.

REALLY GOOD. And I told myself and Bry that I would be making more Hip Hop in the beginning of the year, and there it was - one and done, and it’s December.”

“I kept writing and the next week came.

Then it hit me, I wanted to create something for the community of musicians as an outlet - a safe space to put out song, old or new, good or bad. A place to put out the music that you’re currently working on and show it to our community of people. Not for any reason other than to show what you’re feeling and to let your community in on your musical journey.”

“There has been a lot of participation as the year has gone by. William Randal aka WillDaBeast is my DAWG. We’ve been at it since day one. I wrote my first rap with that guy back in 2002 and we’re still making music to this day. He’s been a huge advocate for the WPW760 movement. Peep his stuff out. My brother Dan Sullivan aka Provoked has been featured in a lot of mine and on Will’s stuff as well. I love that kid. And along with Nolan, Versa Style, Chase 1, Alpine, Cancun, Raymon Serano, Josh Fimbres, RobaDoc, Ronny Jones, KJewls and my beautiful brother James Velasquez, they have all recognized the movement and have put there truest self forward and used this outlet to express themselves.” continue to page 4

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September 20 to September 26, 2018

DESERT RHYTHM PROJECT continued from page 3

“This is a lifelong project. I won’t stop doing it; it’s more of an expression then a project. It has turned into that. I can’t stop expressing myself, and I’ve created an outlet to do so. With that said, I don’t think I’ll ever stop.”

CVW: Your band, Desert Rhythm Project, has had personnel changes… can you talk about the current lineup and what you have learned from the hardships and the longevity of keep things going in the light of disappointment and changes?

EVARO: “Yes, our band has undergone some significant changes over the past years. It is very difficult keeping four or five individuals inspired and/or committed; it’s much like a relationship, but we’ve realized that at the end of the day, everyone is on his/her own journey. We try our best to honor people’s journey, time and space, while doing our best to keep money in their pockets and keep this project a float.”

“It is hard though. It almost feels like we are starting all over. But thankfully, we have each other. We believe in what we are doing 100%, and over the years, Mikey and I have gotten really good at dusting ourselves off and moving forward. We have no intention on slowing down, losing our momentum or putting our passions on the back burner when we are faced with hardships or disappointment. It’s hard in the moment, yes, but we do our best to make peace with whatever we are facing and use it as fuel to keep this engine running.”

CVW: What successes have you inspired?

EVARO: “With all that said, we have been super blessed in our lives with some incredibly amazing supportive friends and family. Our drummer, Tyler Saraca, has been rocking it with us for 2.5 years. He’s a badass. He is a solid, amazing friend and bandmate. He is a core member of DRP.” “The sky’s the limit for DRP. We are not putting a cap on our potential or our direction.”

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CVW: What lies ahead for DRP? What do you see for yourselves in the next year – the next 5 years – the next 10 years?

EVARO: “Our goal for this next year is to land a major booking deal and get some representation. This industry, as much as I hate to admit it, is based on numbers and who you know. We realize that and are privy to the fact that views on YouTube matter and who you are represented by matters. We have gained a lot of momentum by doing it grassroots style and have landed some really great deals and gigs on our own accord, but it’s time to take it up a few notches. We are ready.”

“The next five years we hope to be touring the world! Touring and making a name for ourselves and our desert community in which we thrive. It’s our dream to connect with people on the other side of the world through music - the one thing that has saved our lives and brought so much joy and love into our hearts. And in ten years... I don’t know! I don’t like to think that far ahead… gives me a little anxiety. But who knows; we see happiness, love, creativity, and family always in our future.”

CVW: Couples don’t always work together and stay together. How has your relationship grown over the years?

EVARO: “Being in a relationship and being bandmates is the best thing ever and at times, the hardest thing ever (laughs)! Mikey and I work really well together.”

REYES: “We trust each other 100%. I’ve got her back and I know she’s always got mine.”

EVARO: “We work day and night at this hustle together. Whether it be writing and recording, sending out press kits, scheduling rehearsals, figuring out tour routes, figuring out how we are going to pay for all the above (laughs). It’s a constant hustle. Don’t get it twisted - we definitely have our fair share of meltdowns and disagreements, but we believe in each other.”

WHEN ARTISTS TAKE ON THE LEGACY OF AN HISTORIC ARTIST, MORE ART ENSUES!

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n 1932, the noted American painter, Agnes Lawrence Pelton, settled in the Cathedral City Cove. For three decades, her home and gardens became a neighborhood cultural center, where she attracted other plein air desert painters and convened an ongoing artists colony, whose history was almost forgotten after she passed away in 1961. To showcase their art, on occasion, Pelton hosted garden parties, where her home became a veritable pop-Up gallery, which eventually became and continues today as the Desert Art Center in Palm Springs.

Seventy years later, Pelton’s legacy is now championed by two fine artists Peter Palladino and Simeon Den, who purchased the property in 2009 and started the Agnes Pelton Society, a non-profit arts advocacy, whose mission is to support local artists, provide arts education for children, and to preserve and archive all things Agnes Pelton. Their ongoing restoration and reimagining of the house and gardens is evidence that when artists take-on the legacy of a great artist, more art-making ensues!

To pay tribute to Pelton’s legacy and commemorate her historic garden parties, the Agnes Pelton Society is opening the gardens to

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the public for the first time in modern history.

Visitors are invited to stroll through the newly designed Zen Meditation grounds, view newly commissioned murals and mosaics, and walk through the Sculpture Gardens, which is the setting for sculptures by stalwart desert artists-- Tony and Karen Barone, Mario Pikus, Robert Reeves, Jeff Spakes, and Michael Thiery.

Additionally, visitors can browse the Chuperosa Lane Murals Path that borders the property, where local artists were commissioned to paint several colorful murals-one depicting the aforementioned founding art colonists, another of Lalo Gurerero, who was a former Cove resident and known as the Father of Chicano Music, another with desert motifs with whimsical flying saucers, and the recently created mosaics portraying Frida Kahlo and a fictional Lady of Chuperosa.

The event will offer live performances that include Butoh Dances, acoustic classical music, songs by Mexican Floklorico singers, hula, poetry readings, and sake tastings by Wabi Sabi Palm Springs. A highlight will be the unveiling of a twelve foot high mosaic by Peter Palladino, that honors the APS Advisory Board

REYES: “We are best friends.”

EVARO: “He makes me coffee every morning, and I make him breakfast. We talk a lot; communication is key. But honestly, we couldn’t be more in love. I wake up every day in love, and each night as we lay down for bed, I give thanks for another day spent with him. And the fact that we get to work and play together is a bonus.”

CVW: Bryanna, you were recently featured at the Desert Women’s Show performing solo and collaborating with Giselle Woo at Tacheva; will we be seeing more solo shows or collaborations?

EVARO: “Yes, I have been recently playing more of my solo music and collaborating outside of the Project. I was given the opportunity to play at the Desert Women’s Show and played at Joshua Tree Music Festival in October 2017 and May 2018, solo for their songwriter’s sessions.

That was good for me. I look forward to continuously exploring myself and my sound. I also was given the opportunity to play bass with my good friend Giselle Woo for the Tacheva Finals (no pressure), and we won! It was so fun, and such a great experience. I look forward to doing more collaborations and solo project work as we move into the fall and the new year!”

BY DEOGRACIO SECRETARIO member, Karen Barone.

The historic Pelton House itself will not be open. Only once-a-year, the house is open as a museum and next year the Annual Pelton House Art Block Party will be celebrated during Modernism Week on February 17th.

The Agnes Pelton House is located at

CVW: In June of this year you won 4 trophies at the CV Music Awards including the top honor of Best Band, Best Duo, Best Reggae Band and Bryanna for Best Bass. Desert Rhythm Project also opened the show with a killer performance accompanied by Willdabeast.

What did winning that many awards mean to you?

EVARO: “Winning those awards at the CVMA’s, we felt very humbled and grateful for the recognition. It is truly an honor to be recognized within the community in which we reside for our passion and efforts. We are so fortunate to share and be a part of the local music scene with so many talented and amazing artists.”

Do yourself a solid and make it a point to catch Desert Rhythm Project at the Joshua Tree Music Festival Friday, October 5th, at 4:30pm and a late night hip hop set Saturday Oct 6th @11:30pm.

They perform on Nov. 29 with Fortunate Youth at the Date Shed.

Follow the band at desertrhythmproject. com and see if you can’t peek in on Michael Reyes and Wordplay Wednesday on social media #wordplaywednesday760 #totallyworthit #buythemusic

ART SCENE

68680 F St, Agnes Pelton Way, in Cathedral City and the event is scheduled for Saturday, September 22, from 5-7pm.

Info and tickets at agnespeltonsociety. com and $10 at the door, cash or check only.

Children are admitted free and event is dog friendly.

STICKYFEST

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September 20 to September 26, 2018

BY JASON HALL

INTRODUCTION TO STICKYFEST AND ITS FOUNDER GREG GENDRON

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tickyfest is a new and interesting take on an older idea here in the desert.

Yes, it’s another desert festival, but it is unlike any festival that’s been done here. It’s also in one of the most unique venues in the desert. This is a punk and metal festival that takes place in Wonder Valley at The Palms.

The venue is a pretty interesting place which from time to time holds shows, but is mostly unknown. The trip to the venue can seem like the trip to the Sawyer residence; if you’re not sure what I mean, google it. Once you arrive at The Palms, all doubts subside. It is an amazing venue with great beer prices and a unique and friendly customer base and staff.

For Stickyfest founder, Greg Gendron, this was the perfect place for an intimate and low cost festival. Gendron, El Sancho of the band Sticky Doll, is a relative new comer to the desert.

He and his musical partner and singer in Sticky Doll, Cynna, moved from L.A. to the high desert about a year ago. They were told about the amazing music scene in the desert, and quickly realized that the scene they kept hearing about was the low desert scene. After making their way through the “venues,” they realized there wasn’t really a solid place to host metal and punk shows in the high desert. The high desert is host to a number of music festivals and shows, but nothing catered toward local metal and punk bands. Gendron decided he would do something about that.

Gendron would create a festival. This wouldn’t be a high ticket price festival; nor would it be a festival catered toward the more artsy crowd the high desert is known to cater to. This would be an in your face, low priced, metal up your ass festival in one of the craziest, awe inspiring venues anybody has ever come across. Gendron sent out an open call to any and all bands that fit this profile. It didn’t take long for the line-up to fill up. It was obvious by the response Gendron received from local bands that he wasn’t alone in his desire to showcase what the high and low desert have to offer in terms of rock ’n’ roll.

Coachella Valley Weekly: First, tell us a bit about yourself. You’re a relative new comer to our scene.

Gendron: “I am El Sancho, bassist/vocalist

of a male/female vocal team of the band Sticky Doll. We moved up here to Yucca Valley from L.A. about a year and a half ago. Cynna (El Sancho’s partner and fellow vocalist in Sticky Doll) is from East L.A. I was born and raised in Yakima, Washington. We were sick of L.A. and decided to move here. We love it. Everybody said there was a great music scene here, but we found out it’s really the low desert. Don’t get me wrong, there are some talented bands up here, but the punk and metal scene isn’t that big. Pappy and Harriet’s isn’t really the place for punk and metal, and Cynna and I felt we couldn’t find a place to play up here. Everybody I met said I had to create my own scene. I finally took their advice. We fell in love with The Palms out in Wonder Valley. They’ve got a big outdoor stage.”

CVW: Is that how the idea for Stickyfest came to be?

Gendron: “Yes. I was out there and thinking, this place needs to host a fest. I reached out to a friend, Gary Faust, who has a company in L.A. called Live Wire’s Live Sound. He does sound for events. He was into the idea and offered to bring his stuff up. This is how I can keep ticket costs down too. I didn’t have to pay for the sound. All these festivals up here are extremely expensive… hundreds of dollars. Then, you have to pay for the camping on top of that. I put out an open call on Facebook for bands and was inundated. I got 40 bands right away. A lot of them were from L.A. and Orange County, but I wanted this to be more local. Having local bands also keeps the price low. Tickets were $10. Now they’re $12. Camping is free. This is all out of pocket for me. I want this to be a DIY festival.”

CVW: Who are some of the bands?

Gendron: “Mega Sun, The Wastedeads, Instigator, Ormus, Sleazy Cortez, Throw the Goat, Drop Mob… the list goes on.”

CVW: Man! That’s definitely the who’s who in desert music.

Gendron: “It’s an amazing line up. Honestly, a few of them I hadn’t heard before they reached out to me about Stickyfest. They’re all really good.”

CVW: I’ve heard of Instigator before tonight, but, holy shit, those kids are amazing. I was floored. How do we get tickets to Stickyfest?

Gendron: “I gave every band 30 wristbands and told them to sell them. I was going to split the money 50/50, but last week, I just told the bands to keep all the money they make off their wristbands. I set up the main Stickyfest event page on facebook, and then gave each band playing their own Stickyfest event page with a unique link to tickets so we can track who sold what tickets. So support your favorite band,

and buy a ticket through their event page. In reality, I just want people there. I want it to be a successful, well attended event. I want this to continue every year. I’m not trying to pad my pocket, I’m trying to bring attention to Sticky Doll and all of the other bands. I want to help out this scene. It was really important for me to bring the low desert bands up here so the high desert people can get a taste of that scene.”

CVW: That’s very cool.

Gendron: Also, Sticky Doll supports our local no kill shelter. We’ve got a list of items the shelter needs. We’re going to set up a discounted ticket for people who bring in items from the list. Plus, in conjunction with the Marines’ birthday, all active and non- active military will get free entrance with proper identification. It’s an all ages show too. Bring the family. Anybody under 16 is free.”

Stickyfest takes place on Saturday, November 10 starting at noon. Located at The Palms Outdoor stage 83131 Amboy Rd. Twentynine Palms, CA. Military and under 16 are FREE. All ages Show. Advance tickets are $12.00 and $15.00 at the door.

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September 20 to September 26, 2018

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CINEMA DIVERSE - THE PALM SPRINGS LGBTQ FILM FESTIVAL

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n 2007, as California was on the precipice of an era that would recognize marriage equality for the LGBTQ community, (May 2008 – In re Marriage Cases) and then deny marriage equality (Proposition 8, November 2008,) Palm Springs joined the world wide movement to produce a Festival that would present films that depicted LGBTQ characters and stories in diverse, positive and realistic terms. They called it, Cinema Diverse.

Films such as those presented at Cinema Diverse are critical in their representation of the LGBTQ community, a seriously under represented population. In 2017 the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, (GLAAD) released a study that revealed some very sad statistics for LGBTQ characters in mainstream films. Of the 125 releases from major studios in 2016, only 23 of them, or 18.4%, included characters identified as LGBTQ. Of those characters, gay men are (still) by far the most represented group, at 83%. Bisexual representation appeared in 13% of the inclusive films, while lesbian representation rose from 23% in 2015 to 35%. Transgender representation was the lowest of all. These statistics show the vital need for festivals that promote representation of a community that is frequently overlooked in the telling of mainstream stories.

Kicking off its eleventh season this year, September 20th – 23rd, Cinema Diverse Palm Springs, has worked hard to become a frontrunner in progressive representation and diversity. Their mission is to produce an LGBTQ Film Festival that is dedicated to advancing and further strengthening the diverse gay community through the establishment of a world-class film festival that presents lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender cinema from

around the world. Since 2007 it has continued to build on this mission and has become one of the top festivals in the country. The Festival will be held at the Camelot Theatre in the Palm Springs Cultural Center, founded by long time Coachella Valley residents and philanthropists, Ric and Rozene Supple.

At the helm of the festival is Managing Director Michael Green, who continues to present an abundance of quality films in the festival. This year’s festival opens with “A Long Road to Freedom: The Advocate Celebrates 50 Years,” Actress/Activist Laverne Cox, narrates this documentary, with music provided by Melissa Etheridge. The Advocate began its publication in 1967 and has chronicled the history and movement of the gay and lesbian community since before

SOUTHERN FRIED FUNERAL

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the Stonewall Riots in 1969.

In 2016, in partnership with Cathedral City, Cinema Diverse expanded its festival to include a second weekend of films, that will this year be presented on September 28th and 29th at the Mary Pickford Theatre.

An exciting major sponsor and contributor to this year’s Cinema Diverse is Revry tv.

Revry, kicked off their service in 2016 and bills themselves as the first queer global streaming app.

In an interview with the LGBT Foundation, Cofounder and CEO Damian Pelliccione stated that, “Revry is the first global LGBTQ streaming platform. We are first to market, direct consumer on Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Android, iOS, the web, etc. Essentially what we are is the largest LGBTQ content

BY DEE JAE COX

C

omedy is an art form. Wit, humor and pranking can inspire as many unique reactions as there are audience members. But one thing that can be universally recognized is a solid performance in the midst of silliness and over the top characters. J. Dietz Osborne and Nate Eppler’s homespun comedy, “Southern Fried Funeral,” is currently serving up some family drama and a whole lot of laughs on the Desert Theatreworks stage, at the Indio Performing Arts Center.

Pillar of the community Dewey Frye, is dead. In the middle of yet another do-good community service event, he drops face first into the mashed potatoes. The loss of a family patriarch can bring out the best and worst in a family and Dewey’s untimely demise gives us the chance to peak in the window and watch his family and friends reveal the best and worst of who they are. Most activities in the south involve sharing food. But there is nothing like a funeral to get every one in the community to dig out their one surefire recipe and bring southern comfort to the grieving family.

Dewy’s wife, Dorothy is the rock in this family. And Shirley Le Master’s performance in this role is the foundation of the whole

story. It’s easy in a comedy to take things over the top, but Le Master’s presentation of this grieving matriarch is as real and honest as it comes. Knowing how to play comedy with the right balance of authenticity is an art and this actress possesses that skill in spades.

Dewy and Dorothy’s adult daughters, Sammy Jo (Heidi Hapner) and Harlene (Daniela Ryan) have been rivals since childhood and are about to kill each other within days of their daddy dropping dead. Ryan is listed in the program as a ‘natural actor’ and it’s certainly true. Whether it’s adding humor to a dramatic role or a layer of drama to comedy, she plays her character with an earnestness that always

BY DEE JAE COX

LGBTQ

and music library in the world. We have movies, TV shows, feature films, short form digital series, short films, podcasts, music videos and collections, just so much amazing content that truly reflects the identity of the LGBTQ community. It reflects all gender identities, races, sexual orientations, cultures, languages, backgrounds — you name it. It has a very international appeal.”

Their website, (revry.tv) presents a plethora of films, series, music and podcasts.

Revry has a dozen films and segmented series presented in this year’s Cinema Diverse.

Everyone needs to see their selves reflected in stories, characters and plotlines.

It validates lives and lifestyles and sustains the overall wellbeing and acceptance of diverse people in a world that often strives to assimilate the masses into a collective hive.

For a complete festival listing and to purchase tickets, please visit: palmspringsculturalcenter.org/programs/ the-palm-springs-cinema-diverse-lgbtq-filmfestival 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

BREAKING THE4TH WALL

seems to deliver a standout performance.

David Brooks, as Attorney Atticus Van Leer, Harlene’s on again/off again love interest is so much fun to watch. Brooks gives an honest and sincere performance that actually makes lawyers look likable. Stan Jenson with his comical toupee’ and suspenders stretched over a barrel belly is a kick to watch, Stacy Casaluci-Grenrock as Martha Ann Fox and Patricia West Del-Ruth as Fairy June Cooper, gave subtle stand-out performances that prove there are no small roles.

I loved Lance Phillips-Martinez’s direction and set design. It isn’t always easy to keep the blocking and action in a single set, two act

play from feeling redundant and stagnant. But Phillips-Martinez manages this feat with style.

Bravo to Michelle Mendoza and her costumes.

Her choices were spot on for each role.

Southern characters can be comical just by virtue of their culture. Southern names, such as Sammy Jo, Fairy June, Harlene and Dewey can inspire chuckles all by themselves.

The script for ‘Southern Fried Funeral,’ is a bit campy, stereotypical and predictable. But I admit the show had my attention from curtain up until curtain down. This ensemble of family and friends were a bit like watching a car wreck that you just couldn’t look away from.

And Congratulations to Desert Theatreworks on their 39 Desert Star award nominations.

This show is recommended for family members of all ages and can be seen through September 23rd, at The Indio Performing Arts Center, located at 45175 Fargo St, Indio, CA. For show and ticket info: dtworks.org Dee Jae Cox is a playwright, director and producer. She is the Cofounder and Artistic Director for The Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Project. losangeleswomenstheatreproject.org palmspringstheatre.com

CVMAs

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IN THE NAME OF THE DEAD

ne of the most persistent metal bands of the last decade in the Coachella Valley is In The Name Of The Dead (ITNOTD). Their signature “desert death groove” is facilitated by Luis Diaz (guitar), Tetsuo “Tut” Olivares (vocals), Robert “Woody” Wood (bass and vocals), Justin Cira (drums) and Ruben Torres (guitar). ITNOTD are groovy, heavy and fast with a classical twist. ITNOTD released their EP Chaotic Psychosis in early 2018 to an eagerly awaiting metal audience who supported them in all respects by voting them the winner of the 2018 CVMA for ‘Best Metal Band’. Read our conversation below.

CVW: What is the state of metal?

Diaz: “It’s looking good, a lot of younger kids coming up, keeping the metal alive.

Nationwide it’s still going strong! Many older bands that I grew up listening to are still going strong in all genres of metal.

Globally? Fucking amazing!”

Wood: “Nobody in the mainstream seems to care, but we are all still out here doing our thing regardless. There’s not a lot of venues around here who are willing to have metal bands play cause they think that we’re gonna cause riots and sacrifice goats.

You have to have at least 400 people before a goat gets sacrificed. So we’re not pulling that in the valley yet. Mostly it’s us trying to build a scene here. There are no ‘all ages’ venues so the kids who are into metal have nowhere to go.”

Torres: “In the desert there’s an emergence of younger metal on the rise, which is awesome. I think some old guys are due to make a re-emergence to even things out, “wink, wink”.”

CVW: What is the mortality of ITNOTD? Diaz: “As long as all five members still enjoy writing and playing music together… forever!

September 20 to September 26, 2018

COACHELLA VALLEY MUSIC AWARDS WINNER FOR ‘BEST METAL BAND’ 2018

BY NOE GUTIERREZ

PHOTO BY LAURA HUNT LITTLE

Wood: Like all good things, we won’t know it’s over until well past the point we should have quit.”

Torres: “Stubbornness!”

CVW: In your eyes, what have you accomplished thus far as a band?

Diaz: “Well, we finally won a CVMA!” Wood: “Creating music we like to play, playing with bands we like to hear. And probably a few dozen gallons of sweat poured out onto garage and stage floors.

We make between three and seven new fans every show so we figure in about 20-30 years, we’ll be bigger than the Beatles, who were bigger than Jesus!”

Torres: “Seniority. The Dead have stuck it out through thick and thin for a long time.

I’ve only been in the band two years now, and we’ve seen the scene fluctuate just in that short amount of time. Imagine the nearly ten years for the rest of the guys.”

CVW: Give me one music-related critique you have of yourself.

Diaz: “I’m never satisfied; I’m always striving to make our music better.

Wood: I play left-handed, which everyone else hates. I have trouble playing slow tempos. I am not musically trained.”

Torres: “I wish I could put in more time to practice. I like my guitar playing ability as is. I think after twenty years of playing I’m finally learning to like where I am abilitywise. I never thought I would say that.”

CVW: What needs to happen for metal to thrive?

Diaz: “Nothing, it has outlasted most other genres of music and without media attention. As long as there’s some young kid with angst towards the “norm” there will be metal!”

Wood: “People getting out and going to see bands.”

Torres: “Metal is thriving as much as it ever will or can right now. I think

what will help metal thrive within its own communities is to abolish the idea of competition. A lot of the mentality in music communities, no matter the genre, is, ‘trying to do better than the last band’.

Honestly, if everyone just wrote the music they like and it’s from the soul then any genre would thrive.”

CVW: What artists influenced you and who are you into at the moment?

Diaz: “I’m still into the bands I grew up listening to; Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Slayer, Megadeth, Possessed, Kreator,

Death, Cannibal Corpse, Deicide, Nile, Satyricon, SEPTICFLESH, FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE… I could go on but that would be a long list. What originally got me into metal was the artwork. The first album that I saw was Iron Maiden’s Killers. I think it was in 7th grade. I happened to be in class with a bunch of metal heads. I was watching all these tapes being traded. I asked one guy if I could check it out. I took it home and listened to it. It just blew my mind. I went back the next day. I asked if he had any more. He gave me Slayer, Possessed, Megadeth and Metallica.”

Wood: “I listen to NPR. There’s so much inspiration from the state of affairs in this country and the world as a whole.

Headbanger’s Ball is what really got me into metal early on. Pantera, Slayer and Sepultura were my favorites. The Alice In Chains album Dirt is my favorite album. As I started playing in my late teens and into my twenties I wasn’t very good so of course punk rock was the way to go. I wanted to play faster and louder.”

Torres: “I’ve found myself revisiting my childhood recently with a lot of Michael Jackson. I’m also listening to Unleash the Archers and PSY.” Upcoming show: Saturday, 9/29/18 – American Legion, Lancaster, CA You can access ITNOTD’s five song EP Chaotic Psychosis on CD Baby, Bandcamp, iTunes, Amazon and Spotify.

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September 20 to September 26, 2018

EVENTS

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BRANT BJORK RELEASES ‘MANKIND WOMAN’

rant Bjork is synonymous with desert rock. He has been a part of almost all of the most well-known bands coming out of the desert scene in the late 80’s until the early 2000’s. He initially made his name as a drummer in such bands as Kyuss and De-Con, but is an accomplished guitarist and singer as well. Although Bjork was part of many successful bands, he knew his roots and was humble enough to play for many lesser known local bands including playing in the band which gave Mike Pygmie his name, Melodious Pygmies. Mike was a 15 year old kid at the time!

Through the years, Bjork has played in Fu Manchu, LAB (post BL’AST! Band), Fatso Jetson, and Nick Oliveri’s Mondo Generator. In 1999 he released his first solo LP, Jalamanta. On Jalamanta, Bjork was the solo musician on the entire album. After releasing Che’s Sounds of Liberation, Bjork went on to record his second solo album, Brant Bjork & The Operators. He would go on to release a total of 12 solo albums.

Between solo albums, he’s kept himself touring non-stop.

In 2015 Bjork solidified the tightest lineup he has ever worked with. (This opinion could be argued, but you’d be hard pressed to find somebody who’s seen this line-up live, disagree.) Bjork is joined live by longtime collaborator Dave Dinsmore on bass, D.C. Hardcore band Void’s guitarist Bubba Dupree, and Ryan Gut on drums. This line up is so tight, Bjork released a live album Europe ’16. Europe ’16 also featured desert legend Sean Wheeler who joined Bjork’s live band on tour in 2016 to lend his vocal talents to Bjork’s songs to perfectly round them out.

After the reaction of the fans, Bjork realized Wheeler needed to be a bigger part of his band. Bjork alongside the producing talents of Dupree recorded Mankind Woman featuring Wheeler on vocals on a few songs. Mankind Woman is a masterpiece. It is the epitome of stoner rock. It was recorded in 29 Palms and

PHOTO BY IRIS HALL

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BY JASON HALL

PHOTO BY KARL HAHN

definitely has that desert feel. Mankind Woman was released on September 14 through Heavy Psych Sounds. Bjork will be playing a couple local shows before heading out on a European tour. He will be joined

by Nebula at Pappy and Harriet’s on Friday, October 12.

Coachella Valley Weekly: When you left the valley, who did you end up playing with?

Brant Bjork: “As far as popular bands, FuManchu. I moved up to Humboldt County and moved back and started playing in Mike Pygmie’s band (Melodious Pygmies). It’s funny because those kids were like 14 and they needed a drummer. I figured, ‘yeah man, I’ll jam with some kids.’ It was fun.

Then I started playing with De-Con. Then I went up to Santa Cruz and started playing guitar in LAB. It was the guys from BL’AST!.

I was in Santa Cruz for a little bit then came back down and played in Fatso Jetson. I also started playing with Jesse (Hughes). We had a duo called The Blackless Heroes. We called it ‘jazz sabbath.’ He played bass and I played guitar. We would do a 40 minute set of a Sabbath medley. Our friend Matt

Pizano had a motor home with a generator.

We drove to Ozzfest in San Bernardino with the intent of playing the parking lot. We pulled up next to a dude with a flatbed truck and ended up playing on the flat bed. We had like 100 people show up. Then I went back to full-time touring with Fu-Manchu.”

CVW: So Jalamanta was your first solo album.

Bjork: “Yeah. That was my first real solo adventure. I was living with Dave Dinsmore. We were painting houses in La Quinta. One day I looked at Dave and said, ‘I’m done dude. I’m quitting and I’m gonna make a record.’ I was so frustrated musically and needed to do something I wanted. I borrowed a 4 track and rehearsed the record for 2 weeks. I booked 5 days at Rancho De la Luna with Fred Drake, and laid all the tracks down. That was it. It was hard.

I cashed in my chips and made it happen. I ate shit for a lot of years.”

CVW: You did make it happen though.

You and Sean (Wheeler) are true desert wizards.

Bjork: “I think that’s why he and I connect so much. Being a wizard is not being afraid to fail and making it happen. That’s why I like the 60’s. Like Jimi Hendrix. That dude was a wizard. He went for it and made it happen. Hendrix changed the way people made furniture, let alone play guitar. He was an artist. He made people think abstractly.

That was a long way of saying Wheeler and I connect. Him and I will listen to old reggae and just space out on these dudes drunk on Red Stripe. The first time I saw Wheeler, I went to see DI at Adrian’s. Nick (Oliveri) and I connected there. Sean Wheelers band Zezo Zece Zaddfrac and the Dune Buggy Attack Battalion came out. He had long hair and mirrored shades. I saw that, and I was like, ‘punk rock is dead to me.’ I instantly loved it. I barely remember DI.” CVW: When this iteration of the band came together, did you know this was the right group of guys?

Bjork: “This band came together like all

great bands. Meaning, it just came together.

A little push, a little pull, a little luck… the stars aligned. Dave showed up at my door and was like, ‘I’m joining your new band.’

It started with Tony Tornay and I hanging out and deciding we wanted to play. I had a rhythm section and decided I didn’t want to do what I normally did. I wanted to get a second guitarist. Zaina (Bjork’s wife) asked who I would want. I said Bubba Dupree.

Zaina said, ‘call him.’ Zaina knew somebody who got ahold of him. Within 20 minutes, I was talking to him on the phone. We don’t get to play too often because we all live in different places. But when we do, it’s awesome.”

CVW: Was everybody on this record?

Bjork: “This time around, we couldn’t. It was a time thing. It was Bubba and me. We kinda liked it that way. I got to get the drum vibe off Bubba’s guitar. We haven’t played any of these songs live yet. At the end of the month, we will be rehearsing and getting everything solid. It’s gonna be a fun time.”

CVW: Lastly, you’re going to be on another album coming out this year. You played drums on a couple of Aussie’s albums. Full Tone Generator with Brad Young and Andy Fernando. How did that come about?

Bjork: “Andy was our tour assistant in Australia. He has a band called Don Fernando. We hit it off. He text me saying he had some songs he wanted to record which didn’t really fit into Don Fernando and asked if I would play drums. I let him know we had a studio in the desert at my wife’s house. I told him we should record there. He was like, ‘fuck yeah!’ We took his songs to another level organically.”

Brant Bjork will perform with Nebula at 9PM, Friday, Oct. 12, at Pappy and Harriet’s, 53668 Pioneertown Road, in Pioneertown.

Tickets are $18 to $20. For more tickets or more information, call 760-365-5956, or visit www.pappyandharriets.com

EVENTS

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www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

SLEAZY CORTEZ TO RELEASE THE VIDEO FOR “MOUNTAIN MAN” THIS FRIDAY AT THE HOOD

leazy Cortez has been killing it here in the valley the last couple years. One of the most popular bands in the desert, they were nominated for a couple CV Music Awards and performed at the VIP afterparty, they won a preliminary round of the CV Music Showcase and competed in the Finals, they are also in high demand to play on the hot ticket lineups and festivals like the upcoming Stickyfest, all while keeping it Sleazy.

Now the boys are set to release their new video for “Mountain Man” this Friday at The Hood Bar & Pizza. Sleazy Cortez is: Nick Hales on guitar/vocals, Derek Wade Timmons on bass/ vocals, and Damian Garcia on drums.

Hales took time to answer a few questions for us.

CVW: Please share about any EPs or CDs that you’ve recorded.

Nick Hales: “Trailer Trash Blues, our first LP was recorded in Room 9 studios, Jerry Whiting is the man! Nothing but great things to say about him! We also recorded our 6 1/2 minute Piss Drunk Punk EP there two years later. Itching to get back into the studio with Damian Beats early 2019, for we have not recorded with him just quite yet!”

CVW: Tell us about your new video you have coming out?

Hales: “A rockin tune with a great storyline, “Mountain Man”! This is actually our second attempt at making a decent music video.

Definitely think we pulled it off this time, but only because of the help and support of everyone involved. Shoutout to Lex Lucker who is an overall amazing human being.”

CVW: Who filmed it?

Hales: “Edgar Barajas and Ayrton Carrazco.

Awesome dudes that helped with the vision of the video that “Mountain Man” became. We actually had enough footage to make a ten minute video because of all the great ideas everyone came up with, but alas, the song is not even 4 minutes long!”

CVW: Who came up with the concept?

Hales: “Derek, Indiana circa 2006, (or so he tells me!) the storyline is all in the song, so the ‘script’ for the video was practically written already.”

CVW: I know you said Brian ‘Puke’ Parnell from Throw the Goat had a lot of input please share about that?

Hales: “Being that he knew the song already,

PHOTOS BY ROBERT CHANCE

we were stoked about all the locations he had in mind when we told him about the video. He also helped with props such as the hatchet and shotgun. Smokin’ and jokin’ with that dude was half of the fun though. Parnell tells EPIC stories!”

CVW: Tell us about some of your recent shows that are standouts for you?

Hales: “For myself, the CV Showcase was kind of a big deal. It really helped us get our merch and exposure to a lot of people in the music scene, especially from being in such an on-and-off-again band like Sleazy is. And the Halloween Havoc KCLB show this last year was damn near the most fun show I’ve ever played.”

CVW: What is your songwriting process like?

Hales: “Derek will have lyrics/riffs/general song concept, I usually spill my sauce on it and then Damian comes in with the grooves and accentuation and it really ties it all together.”

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

Hales: “The last half of “Beat Up Your Mom” off of the Piss Drunk EP and definitely the last part of “Mountain Man,” the most metal sounding riff of sleazy to date! That one was off the top of my head at practice one day and it stuck.”

CVW: Which song do you most enjoy performing?

Hales: “Actually, a lot of them. “Mountain Man” for sure, “Mississippi Poser” cause it’s funky as hell, “Beat Up Your Mom” is just epic for me.”

CVW: What are your favorite venues to play?

Hales: “It’s been a lifelong dream to play the

September 20 to September 26, 2018

BY TRACY DIETLIN

outside stage at Pappy and Harriet’s. Schmidy’s was one of my favorites. The Wiltern in LA would be a wet dream come true.”

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

Hales: “Probably this video, filming it, watching it, I will always remember how fun it was making it.”

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

Hales: “To have no day job, to ride comfortably on music endeavors alone, but unfortunately I’m a realist.”

CVW: Who are your influences?

Hales: “Pretty much anything I listen to rubs off onto me in some certain way. Hendrix and Eddie Kramer were a dynamic duo, SRV of course, Finn Ryan, Chris Kosnic and Ed Mundell from The Atomic Bitchwax.”

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

Hales: “A lot of older blues and R&B artists: Robert Johnson, RL Burnside, Lightning Hopkins, Little Walter, Blind Willie Johnson, Skip James, etc. I still listen to the classics: Skynyrd, Rush, SRV, etc. Even a lot of newer metal stuff as well: Oceans of Slumber, Destiny Potato, Til Skies Fall.”

CVW: What local bands are you listening to right now?

Hales: “Anyone and everyone I can. As for any who’ve recorded: Dalis Llama, Sunday Funeral, FrankEatsTheFloor, Instigator, Throw The Goat, You Know Who, Brain Vat, just to scratch the surface.”

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

Hales: “I hear Dave Catching is in charge of Rancho De La Luna these days. That’d be cool.”

CVW: Who would you most like to open for?

Hales: “Monster Magnet, The Melvin’s, Clutch, Fu Manchu, Sleep, Om, High On Fire, Weedeater, mostly bands we get and that would probably get us and like us and be awesome and pound a cheap beer or two with us!”

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

Hales: “Independent, self-sustaining, original bands that keep fighting the good fight that is today’s music industry.”

CVW: If you could meet, interview and hang out with only ONE musician who would it be and why?

Hales: “Alice Cooper, the king of shock rock!!! He’s brought exposure to a lot of great musicians over the years. I miss him being on the local radio station. I don’t play golf, but for him, I would learn.”

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

Hales: “It’s a blessing and a curse, anybody can access your music, but VERY few people buy music anymore, what with globalization of music and such.”

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

Hales: “I am floored with all the new bands and good musicians that have popped up over the last decade! I see a new band every other weekend it seems, and more than you would expect are actually really good!”

CVW: If you could change one thing about the local music scene what would it be?

Hales: “The fact that venues/bars keep skimming on quality of service for bands. A lot of times when you play a show, not only will you not get a drink or food for providing entertainment, but some places will even short you on pay. Why? Because they can. An oversupply of bands, with an under supply of venues. Usually, the way around that is charging a cover, but bar owners don’t wanna do it, even though nearly half of their clientele are musicians or music lovers that wouldn’t mind paying that cover anyway.”

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

Hales: “Grand Funk Railroad, ZZ Top, War, Cream or Clapton, Rush, ELO, Heart, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Doobie Bros, I could go all day here!”

CVW: Pizza, tacos, tots or ice cream?

Hales: “PIZZA FOR THE WIN... but ice cream though.”

CVW: Where can we find your music?

Hales: “Just google “Sleazy Cortez”, I dare you.”

Upcoming shows: Friday Sept. 21st at The Hood Bar And Pizza release party for our new music video, “Mountain Man”!

Saturday October 27th at CV Brewery in 1000 palms w/Mega Sun for some rock and brews!!

Saturday Nov. 10 “Stickyfest” at The Palms on Amboy Road. It’s an all-day outside show with a badass stage.

Saturday Dec. 15th at Gadi’s Bar and Grill in Yucca w/Sunday Funeral and Herbert! Great sounding venue!

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September 20 to September 26, 2018

CONSIDER THIS

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ive records can sometimes be a dicey proposition. Back in the ‘60s, Rock N’ Roll was just hitting puberty when the British Invasion hit. Most people in the music business cynically assumed Rock would be a short-lived fad, so live records were an easy cash grab. Shoddily produced, sometimes technically not even really “live,” they featured canned fan hysteria that often times overshadowed the music. Albums like The Beach Boys Live, Got Live If You Want It from the Rolling Stones and Live At Kelvin Hall from the Kinks flooded the market place. Eagerly snapped up by fans waiting for their favorite band’s next studio release, they quickly earned a reputation for crap production values and dodgy sound quality.

That all changed in the mid ‘70s when Peter Frampton, (then a relatively unknown ex-guitarist for British bands like the Herdsman and Humble Pie), released Frampton Comes Alive. It debuted on the Billboard charts at #191, four months later it hit #1, where it stayed for 10 weeks.

It spawned three (live) hit singles, a feat unheard of at the time and became biggest selling album of 1976. It also confirmed that it was possible to capture a genuine live recording that was artistic and commercially viable.

The success of Frampton Comes Alive signaled a new era for live recordings. Some, like Cheap Trick At Budokan and Under A Blood Red Sky from U2, offered introductions to relatively unknown acts. Artists that thrived on the road like the Grateful Dead, Bruce Springsteen and later Ani Difranco, released sets that highlighted not just their musical prowess, but the intimate rapport they shared with their audience. Meanwhile, collections like Talking Heads’ Stop Making Sense and Nirvana’s Unplugged In New York acted as aural souvenirs. Son Of The Velvet Rat’s new live release, the late show falls into that latter category, spotlighting a triumphant tour that coincides with the band’s 15th anniversary.

Son Of The Velvet Rat is the brain child of Georg Altziebler. The Austrian native received his informal musical education by immersing himself in an array of eclectic musical genres. Along with ‘60s Garage Rock and‘70s Punk, the French Chansons of Jaques Brel and George Brassens managed

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SON OF THE VELVET RAT

to cast a spell over Georg. He was also heavily influenced by Dead Moon, the arcane Country Punk band from Portland, Oregon.

After cycling through early groups like Pure Laine and Bloom 5, Georg began a new chapter with Son Of The Velvet Rat, he chose the band’s cryptic sobriquet Hoping it would be both memorable and mysterious, defying expectations. Pretty quickly, artist Heike Binder, whom he had already connected with on a personal level, joined the nascent group on accordion, backing vocals and keys.

The most recent line-up includes drummer Muck Willmann and bassist Albrecht Klinger.

As they toured the world, their reputation grew. Performing at Hotel Café, one of Los Angeles’ more intimate venues, they came to the attention of Americana FolkLaureate, Lucinda Williams, who continues to sing their praises.

Since 2003, SOtVR has recorded 10 longplayers, as well as four EPs. A few years ago, Georg and Heike left the opulent environs of Austria, for the arid landscape of California’s Mojave desert, landing in the artistic enclave of Joshua Tree. Much like Paris in the ‘20s, or Laurel Canyon in the ‘60s, the small town, set at the edge of the National Monument, has provided respite for any creative type yearning to escape the claustrophobic sprawl of the big city.

In early 2017, the band released their 10th studio album, Dorado. It was produced by musician Joe Henry, best known for his work with Mavis Staples, Ani Difranco, Aimee Mann, Loudon Wainwright and Bonnie Raitt. They augmented their prickly sound by adding a brace of Hi-Desert musicians to play on the sessions, including brilliant singer-songwriter Victoria Williams.

Unanimous critical acclaim followed and the album topped multiple Top 10 lists.

A lengthy, world-wide tour followed. the late show culls 11 tracks from three stellar shows.

The record blossoms tentatively with “Little Flower.” It’s a spare performance, just shadowy acoustic guitar and Georg’s rough-hewn vocals. Heike joins him on the chorus; “I won’t cut you, I won’t pick you, I won’t put you in my pocket and run/And I won’t mind if you shine for everyone.” Of course, a large chunk of the set is devoted to Dorado material. The songs range from the sepia-tinged “Copper Hill,” which lattices woozy harmonica over funeral crepe instrumentation. The original incarnation of the track feels hidden, almost subterranean.

But live, it ebbs and flows, attacking and retreating before hitting its musical apogee.

“Sweet Angela” begins with smoky harmonica notes and Georg’s forlorn croon as the band quietly revs in the background.

Watching a protest demonstration unfold on television he is immediately captivated; “I can almost smell the pine trees and the diesel, see the black helmets in the summer heat/Ambulance screaming down the Boulevard, fists in the air and marching feet.” But the political becomes personal when he thinks spies an old acquaintance in the crowd. A gauzy dirge, “…Angela” toggles

“THE LATE SHOW” (FLUFF & GRAVY RECORDS/MINT 400 RECORDS)

BY ELENI P. AUSTIN

between ennui and anxiety.

“Franklin Avenue” is something of an aural pentimento. The melody is Bluesy and meandering, accented by angular guitars, dazed and phased keys and a pulsating beat.

Sometimes sensory perception surpasses memory; “I know I’ve been here before, and I’ve been here with you…It’s like walking down the sidewalk in someone else’s socks and shoes/Remembering the smell of the garbage can, and every little crack in the pavement too.”

The band’s Red Chamber Music album from 2011 is well represented with the aforementioned “Little Flower” as well as “Moment Of Fame” and “Lovesong No 9.” The Spaghetti Western guitar on “Moment…” rides roughshod over shimmery keys and a ramshackle rhythm.

The instrumentation perfectly matches the apocalyptic outlaw noir of the lyrics.

“Lovesong…” offers up a dusty chanson replete with creaky accordion, wheezy harmonica, chunky guitar and a stompy beat. Cryptic lyrics crackle with sexual tension. Meanwhile, entendres like “Say that you love me, say I got nothing to hide, with my arms spread and tied on the bed like I’m crucified/And your face down in the blind spot between my thighs” are more single than double.

Other intriguing tracks include the insistent “Do You Love Me” from 2009’s Animals album and the rollicking “Friends With God,” from 2011’s Firedancer, which

builds to a suitably fiery crescendo.

The best tracks on the late show are “Another Glass Of Champagne” and “Surfer Joe.” The former is a new-ish cut that revisits an old riff. Barb-wire guitar chords envelope Georg’s growly vocals over a tambourine shake, brittle percussion and sparkly keys.

The latter is a tribal cha-cha-cha that simply pulsates with Psychedelic energy. Swirling keys and rattlesnake percussion anchor the proceedings allowing Georg and Heike to revel in the sweat-soaked enthusiasm of the crowd. The album closes with the tender reverie of “Carry On” from the Dorado album.

Although the record unfurls like one seamless set, the songs were gleaned from three separate shows at the Rhiz, in Vienna, Austria, Scheune in Wrenden, Germany and Studio Venue in Burbank, California. SOtVR’s cinematic sound is amplified by Dominik Krejan on Fender Rhodes, Piano and backing vocals. Drum duties are split between Muck Willmann and Felix Kruger.

Even though their signature sound on record is brooding and hypnotic, live, the band adds new colors and textures to their sonic paint box. The interplay between the performers and the audience feels passionate and palpable. The phrase “you had to be there” simply doesn’t apply in this instance. With the late show it feels like you’re part of the experience.

(Son Of The Velvet Rat have recently returned to their home base of Joshua Tree, following an extensive World tour.

They embark on a brief West Coast tour on October 5th, beginning in Los Angeles, wending through Washington, Oregon and Northern California before culminating in a “secret” hometown show in Joshua Tree on October 20th. For further information, contact the band at sonofthevelvetrat.com.

Vinyl copies of “Dorado” can be found locally at the Record Alley).

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ART SCENE

LIBERTY AND ART: AN ALLIANCE OF LOVE & HATE

A

rt can be many things. Sometimes art is just quiet beauty. Sometimes it is beauty with a bite. Metal artist Christopher James’ latest work Lady Liberty has become the beauty that bites.

Chris has always been an artist who lives outside the box. His work is born from the material he finds. While it may be an example of recycling at its best his work always had an element of humanity. His woodland creatures, 12-foot giraffes, and large bears – all have a life, a backstory that exudes from them. This latest work has that same aura of life.

This Lady Liberty does not hold a torch nor law book rather she holds a machine gun and a book entitled “in guns we trust.”

As Chris has stated “Different people have been getting different interpretations. But freedom isn’t free. That’s pretty much what I’m going to stick with.”

“To be honest the sculpture started out as a discussion with good friend. He was annoyed with the targeting of certain citizens’ rights,” said Chris. “We both share the same concerns on how uninformed the average American is about the reality of what our government is truly doing to everyone.”

“I think the piece speaks for itself self. It is a strong work whose base is familiar to most. I believe it appeals to the individual and collective perceptions of the climate of our nation.”

“I have a family. My protective instincts have always been highly acute. I worry now more about the safety of my loved ones more than ever. The popularity of movies and shows like the Purge, makes it seems that that reality is not too far off.”

“The piece reflects those concerns – it is not a referendum on guns. I do not take a stand on that issue. The work lets the viewers have their own opinion. At no time did I want to change the sculpture.

Whatever people thought of it, at least I got them to think and talk positive or negative.

It accomplished what I wanted it to do.”

While this Lady Liberty may have her detractors it does not diminish its value as

September 20 to September 26, 2018

BY ANGELA ROMEO

a work of art. The piece evokes reaction.

Reaction sparks conversation. Conversation is the first step to understanding.

Emma Lazarus wrote The New Colossus in 1883 to help raise money for the Statue of Liberty pedestal. The poem inscribed on the base reads: Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame, With conquering limbs astride from land to land; Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name MOTHER OF EXILES. From her beaconhand Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.

“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

This Lady Liberty may not be silently crying out to those yearning for freedom, but she is crying out to remind us of the freedom we hold so dear.

For more information on Christopher James visit facebook.com/Christopher. james.metal.

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September 20 to September 26, 2018

PET PLACE

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

BY JANET McAFEE

RIP CHARLIE, A PUPPY MILL TRIUMPH

I

n 2009, my cousin Shannan McAfee Smith and her husband Gary Smith received a phone call from Precious Paws Asian and Small Breed Rescue about a Powder Puff Chinese Crested dog they rescued from a raid on a Tennessee puppy mill. Ardent dog lovers, the Smiths had adopted another dog from this organization, a Chinese Crested named Winston. The couple was shocked to learn about the conditions in the puppy mill where small wire crates confined the dogs stacked up four deep on top of each other. Many of the dogs were in bad physical condition, and sadly there were deceased decomposing dogs in some of the cages.

At the time of his rescue, one of Charlie’s legs was caught in the cage bars as he may have struggled during his confinement. They had to cut the apart cage in order to free him. His leg was shattered, and the rescue organization provided needed surgery.

Charlie’s leg was saved, but he had a steel rod that remained inside. His leg never healed sufficiently for him to do certain things such as going down stairs.

The Smiths did not hesitate. They had always rescued abandoned and shelter dogs.

Soon they were on the road making the 5 hour trip from their South Carolina home to foster

MEET RAFIKI With high energy and personality plus, this sweet 1 ½ year-old boy wants to be the “Canine King” at your house.

Only 1 ½ yrs old, Rafiki loves adult humans, but prefers to be the only cat. Rescued by www.forevermeow.org, call (760) 335-6767.

MEET JIMMY CHEW This adorable 4-year old boy is 19 pounds of doggie love!

Jimmy Chew is a Lhasa Apso/ Poodle mix pup who has a special diet. He dreams of a loving home with a back yard to play! Rescued by Loving All Animals - lovingallanimals.org, call (760) 834-7000.

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the little one-year-old dog.

Shannan recalls, “Charlie rode on my lap during the entire trip home. However, he did not want us to pet him for the first 3 months.

Curiously, he insisted from the beginning on sleeping in between us at night, making sure his body touched both of us. For a long time he had nightmares, reliving horrible things from his past, crying out while his little legs moved as if he was running. One night he actually nipped my head while he was still in a deep sleep during a night terror.”

A year later, the rescue group telephoned again to say they located a forever home for Charlie. Shannan responded, “Charlie already has a forever home!” She explained, “We were afraid that if Charlie moved, he might lose some of the amazing progress he’d made.

He was interacting well with our other dogs, and learning what it was like to be a dog. Gary and I saw him through so many changes, and we were totally in love with him.”

Charlie had many milestones, like the time he first happily wagged his tail. Eventually Charlie discovered toys, and he would greet the Smiths at the door with a different toy every evening. However, Charlie never permitted belly rubs. For reasons they could only speculate, he remained protective of his

belly and underside.

On August 6, 2018, Shannan and Gary arrived home to discover Charlie lying behind the couch. One of their other dogs cried out, sounding the alarm that something was seriously wrong. The couple rushed their beloved little Charlie to the vet, only to have him pass away in their arms the moment they entered the clinic. Their vet speculated that 10-year-old Charlie, previously diagnosed with a mild heart murmur, may have suffered a stroke or heart attack. The Smiths were distraught. Charlie had shown no symptoms of illness when they left home that morning.

Charlie’s legacy will be to influence more people to give a rescue dog a second chance. Adopters of these special pups will be rewarded in ways they never anticipated.

Shannan advises, “Don’t ever give up on a dog that has issues. With love and patience, Charlie was able to overcome so much, and live the life of a normal joyful dog. He always loved being around the other dogs, and they taught him so much. Charlie touched our hearts in a special way, and we were happy to give him a great life.”

People need to realize that when they buy a puppy from a pet store or over the Internet, the parent dogs have endured years of suffering in puppy mills. These puppy mills are “factory farms” where hundreds of dogs live confined in small cages in deplorable conditions, suffering in extreme weather, never feeling the soft grass beneath their feet, and never receiving a loving touch. Think about the joy Charlie gave his humans, and visit a shelter or rescue group when you seek a new dog. Coachella Valley residents can contact Loving All Animals at www.lovingallanimals. org or (760) 834-7000. To find a wonderful rescue dog nationwide, check www.petfinder. com.

Jmcafee7@verizon.net

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

THE VINO VOICE

September 20 to September 26, 2018

BY RICK RIOZZA

THE FIRST FRUITS OF FALL

C

ongrats Coachella residents for sustaining through another season of the sun. However, in our desert surrounds, we’ll always enjoy the company of our special sunlight. So, with open arms, let’s now embrace our Autumn chase of new wines for the season.

Not that the red vino lovers gave up their dinner wine entirely during the summertime, but we did drink our share of wonderful whites; all the more anticipation to find some delicious reds on the horizon.

For you enthusiasts of red Rhône wine, like the Syrahs, Côtes du Rhônes, and the stately Châteauneuf-Du-Pape wines, E. Guigal needs no introduction as you’re quite familiar already that when this producer releases a particular wine, it consistently sets the standard and raises the bar when it comes to brilliance.

I’ve just tasted through three wines in their recent 2015 vintage, and the stuff is delicious. We’ll of course be covering the waterfront as to California red wines during the year, but I need to get this news out. The 2015 vintage in the Rhône Valley and the south of France was nearly as perfect as you can get and will rate with the best of them.

Hot and dry conditions, the winemakers in the area called this “The Power Vintage”.

All three of the predominant varietals in the Rhône Valley, Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvèdre showed magnificently.

The following three wines are crowd pleasers for both the connoisseurs—who love celebrating and validating their wine passions—and the new wine kids on the block who find an education and joy experiencing all that wine can provide.

E. Guigal 2015 Côtes du Rhône Rouge. ($15; and in magnum for $35) The Guigals decide on and blend cuvees from over 40 top growers, and, they ultimately select only 1% of all the wines they taste for their Côtes du Rhône; in other words, one lot out of every hundred. This is why Guigal sets the bar and why we can always rely on their quality.

With 50% Syrah, 40% Grenache and 10%

Mourvèdre, you Côtes du Rhône fans will find all of your flavor points connected with a fully ripe wine with notes of red cherry and strawberry, dried herbs, baked earth, and stone minerality. Because of its ripeness, it’s easy drinking by itself for an apero or enjoy it with a classic roasted chicken meal.

You can find a wide selection of Côtes du Rhône at the markets and wine stores at even half the price of this 2015 Guigal. But if you wish to really treat your palate to a world class wine, even if it’s just on one occasion, it’s worth the experience at only $15.

E.Guigal 2015 Crozes-Hermitage ($25)– This wine is known as the gateway to luxury Rhône wine with an approachable price tag.

It’s the “baby brother” to the more famous, big, brawny and expensive Hermitage: The north Rhône Syrah that is big on black pepper, dark & plummy fruits, along with bloody, iodine-tinged savors—all in the best imaginable way! This is the wine profile that would pass muster for California diehards— getting their big fruit fix with additional complexities only found in the Syrah of the Rhône.

This 2015 Crozes-Hermitage has wonderful warm flavors of red and black fruit, and typical Syrah pepper, spice and savory notes, boasting scents black cherries and black currants and blueberries, peppery herbs, black olive and crushed stone, beautifully concentrated, and full-bodied.

2015 Saint-Joseph Rouge ($35) For those not particularly familiar with the smaller appelations in the Northern Rhone Valley, you’ll wish to keep Saint Joseph in mind as you Syrah enthusiasts have remembered Côte Rôtie and Cornas. Each of these have their own take on the Syrah profile.

This 2015 Saint-Joseph Rouge, opens with a great aroma of peppery notes that accents the dark-berry fruit and herbs. In the flavor profile, look for tart blackberry, cassis, and fig, along with graphite, smoke, and black licorice on the long finish. You’ll taste a little oak and ample acidity complete a picture of lean elegance.

Further, this Saint-Joseph can be drunk a bit younger than some of its northern Rhône cousins. And due to this full and ripe vintage the 2015 Guigal is impressive now, and it will evolve for several years.

Where the Côtes du Rhône pairs wonderfully with roasted chicken, this Saint Joseph is the wine for a nice grilled steak. For those who enjoy a California Syrah with your grilling, you’ll appreciate this French version with a pepper steak. Delish!

Remembering Kent Rosemblum Sadly, we just heard the news that Kent Rosenblum, a pioneer winemaker in the modern California Zinfandel movement, died

unexpectedly Wednesday from complications after knee replacement surgery. He was 74.

So many of us wine enthusiasts followed the life and times of this great California wine maker. I’ve written before on Ravenswood’s winemaker Joel Peterson, whom I’ve called, “The Godfather of Zin”. But when it comes to talking about his dear friend and compatriot, we would all agree that Kent Rosenblum could well claim the title of “The King of Zin”.

In the 1980s, Rosenblum Cellars helped launch a new era for California Zinfandel.

Although Rosenblum Cellars sourced grapes from all over Northern California, its wines were always made in Alameda County, close to where Rosenblum lived and worked as a veterinarian. Kent’s Zinfandel was booming, and Rosenblum Cellars’ rich, ripe, unapologetically fruity style was what the people wanted.

We keep in touch with his fun and lively winemaking daughter and business partner, Shauna Rosenblum, from Rock Wall Wine Co. “He was still so full of life,” she says.

“He was so excited to get back out there — to start skiing again and to get back in the vineyard.” Certainly our thoughts go out to Shauna and the family. And thanks Kent for the great memories. Cheers to you!

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September 20 to September 26, 2018

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

THUR SEPTEMBER 20

29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-3673505 Bobby Furgo & Co 6pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Gold Star and DJ Dumpster Dad 9pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-2021111 Bill and Doug Duo 6:30pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 Levels w/ DJs Sugarfree, Jakkz and Tony 7pm BERNIE’S; RM; 760-202 4499 Barry Minniefield and Brian Dennigan 7pm BIG ROCK PUB; IND; 706-200-8988 Open Mic hosted by Lance Riebsomer 7-10pm BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 John Stanley King 6-10pm CATELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick Tuzzolino 5:30pm CATALAN; RM; 760-770-9508 George Christian 6-9pm CHEF GEORGE’S PICASSO LOUNGE; BD; 760-200-1768 Michael D’Angelo 7-10pm DESERT FOX; PD; Shaken Not Stirred 8:30pm DHS SPA LOUNGE; DHS; 760-3296787 Karaoke w/ DJ Scott 9pm EUREKA; IW; 760-834-7700 TBA 8-10pm GADI’S BAR & GRILL; YV; 760-8201213 Karaoke 8pm THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 Red’s Rockstar Karaoke 9pm HOODOO COCKTAIL GARDEN @ THE HYATT; PS; 760-322-9000 Chris Lomeli 7pm HOTEL PASEO; PD; Michael Keeth 4-7pm

HUNTER’S; PS; 760-323-0700 Open Mic 9pm JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-3662250 TBA 9pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760325-2794 Hot Roxx 6:30pm LIT@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; 760345-2450 Country Night w/ Jimi Nelson 9pm THE LOUNGE, AGUA CALIENTE; RM; 888-999-1995 Quinto Menguante 8-1am MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 Ron Greenip 8pm MOXIE; PS; 760-318-9900 Pedro Le Bass 9:30pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Karaoke 8pm THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry 6-8pm Tim Burleson 8pm PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-3655956 Jet Dread Stone 8pm PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND COCKTAILS; TP; 760-343-2115 So Cal Comedy Night 8pm SAMMY G’s; PS; 760-320-8041 Evaro Brothers 8pm SHANGHAI RED’S @ THE FISHERMAN’S MARKET; PS; 760-3229293 The Smooth Brothers 7pm SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760341-3560 Dude Jones 6:30pm TACK ROOM TAVERN; IND; 760-3479985 Karaoke 9pm THREE SIXTY NORTH; PS; 760-3271773 Mike Cosley 6:30pm WANG’S; PS; 760-325-9264 Black Market Jazz 5-8pm WOODY’S PALMHOUSE; PS; 760-2300188 Yve Evans 6:30pm ZELDA’S; PS; 760-325-2375 DJ 8pm

CATELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick Tuzzolino 5:30pm CATALAN; RM; 760-770-9508 George Christian 6-9pm CHEF GEORGE’S PICASSO LOUNGE; BD; 760-200-1768 Michael D’Angelo 7-10pm DATE SHED; IND; Ocho Ojos, Provoked, Verzo Loko, Thoughts Vontained and J Patron 9pm DRINGK; RM; 760-888-0111 DJ Journee 9pm ELECTRIC SPORTS LOUNGE; YV; 760228-1199 DJ Ceddy Cedd 9pm EL MEXICALI CAFÉ 2; IND; 760-3422333 Cesar Daniel Lopez on the harp 6-9pm GADI’S BAR & GRILL; YV; 760-8201213 Daytime Moon and Kayves 8pm THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 Sleazy Cortez Music Video Release Party w/ Herbert, The After Lashes and Throw the Goat 9pm HOODOO COCKTAIL GARDEN @ THE HYATT; PS; 760-322-9000 Keisha D 7pm HUNTER’S; PS; 760-323-0700 Live VJ 9pm INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760-345-6466 Bob Allen 6pm JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-3662250 Karaoke 7:30pm KILO’S CANTINA; TP; 760-835-1363 TBA 9pm KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 Karaoke 8pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760325-2794 Hot Roxx 7:30pm LIT@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; 760345-2450 Vice Versa 9pm THE LOUNGE; AGUA CALIENTE; RM; 888-999-1995 DJ Jerry 9pm MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 Ron Greenip 8pm MOXIE; PS; 760-318-9900 Eevaan Tre 29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-3676:30pm, DJ Pedro Le Bass 9:30pm 3505 Dana Nelson 6:30pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Karaoke 8-1:15am Zombies Acoustic Performance 8pm THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin AGAVE LOUNGE@THE HYATT Henry 6-8pm Tim Burleson 8pm REGENCY; IW; 760-674-4080 Art of PALM DESERT COUNTRY CLUB; PD; Sax 8pm 760-345-0222 Reaction 6:30pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-3651111 Bonnie Gilgallon 6:30pm 5956 Terry Reid 9pm AMERICAN LEGION; PS; 760-325PEABODY’S CAFÉ; PS; 760-322-1877 6229 Michael D’Angelo 6-8pm Karaoke 7:30pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND DJs Reef Nasty, Tomas de la Noche and PLAN COCKTAILS; TP; 760-343-2115 Red’s Tcno Trvlr 7pm Rockstar Karaoke 9pm BERNIE’S; RM; 760-202 4499 Barry PURPLE ROOM; PS; 760-322-4422 Minniefield, Brian Dennigan and Leon Scot Bruce: Elvis the Early Years 8pm Bisquera 7pm RED BARN; PD; 760-346-0191 Buck BIG ROCK PUB; IND; 706-200-8988 and Bo Roadshow 9pm Whiskey Tango 8:30pm RIVIERA; PS; 760-327-8311 Michael BLUE BAR, SPOTLIGHT 29; INDIO; 760- Keeth 7pm 775-5566 DJ Double A 8pm SAMMY G’s; PS; 760-320-8041 Evaro BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 The Brothers 8pm Stanley Butler Trio 6-10pm SHANGHAI RED’S @ THE CASCADE LOUNGE, SPA RESORT FISHERMAN’S MARKET; PS; 760-322CASINO; PS; 888-999-1995 DJ Michael 9293 Barry Baughn Blues 8-11pm Wright 9-1am

FRI SEPTEMBER 21

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SHANGHAI RED’S @ THE FISHERMAN’S MARKET; LQ; 760-7771601 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 SOUL OF MEXICO; IND; 760-200-8787 Latin Rock 10pm SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760341-3560 Demetrious and Co. 6:30pm TACK ROOM TAVERN; IND; 760-3479985 The Refills 9pm THREE SIXTY NORTH; PS; 760-3271773 Dennis Michaels 6:30pm TRILUSSA ITALIAN RISTORANTE; PS; 760-328-2300 Julius & Sylvia Music Duo 6-10pm VENUE@VENUS; PD; 760-834-7070 Karaoke 5-8pm WANG’S; PS; 760-325-9264 DJ Galaxy and the House Whores 5pm WESTIN MISSION HILLS; RM; 760328-5955 Michael Keeth 5-7pm WOODY’S PALMHOUSE; PS; 760-2300188 Rose Mallett 6:30pm ZELDA’S; PS; 760-325-2375 DJ 9pm

SAT SEPTEMBER 22

29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-3673505 Michael Lowe 6:30pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 TBA 11am, poolside, 10pm AGAVE LOUNGE@THE HYATT REGENCY; IW; 760-674-4080 Art of Sax 8pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-2021111 Cabaret on the Green Open Mic 7:30pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 The Seven/Six Presents: Jakkz, Aaleem, Shelter, Kvluf, The Bermuds, Forever Young and Razor J 7pm BERNIE’S; RM; 760-202 4499 Barry Minniefield, Brian Dennigan and Leon Bisquera 7pm BIG ROCK PUB; IND; 706-200-8988 Country Night w/ Cadillac Angels and Cowboy and A Dancer 8:30pm BLUE BAR; SPOTLIGHT 29; IND; 760775-5566 DJ 9pm BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 Gennine Francis 6-10pm CASCADE LOUNGE, SPA RESORT CASINO; PS; 888-999-1995 DJ Michael Wright 9-1am CATELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick Tuzzolino 5:30pm CATALAN; RM; 760-770-9508 George Christian 6-9pm CHEF GEORGE’S PICASSO LOUNGE; BD; 760-200-1768 Michael D’Angelo 7-10pm DESERT FOX; PD; Rockaholics 9pm DHS SPA LOUNGE; DHS; 760-3296787 Karaoke w/ DJ Scott 9pm DRINGK; RM; 760-888-0111 DJ Guy Worden 9pm ELECTRIC SPORTS LOUNGE; YV; 760228-1199 DJ Ceddy Cedd 9pm

SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760341-3560 Demetrious and Co. 6:30pm TACK ROOM TAVERN; IND; 760-3479985 Hotwyre 8:30pm THREE SIXTY NORTH; PS; 760-3271773 Reggie “Vision” Alexander 6:30pm TRILUSSA ITALIAN RISTORANTE; PS; EL MEXICALI CAFÉ 2; IND; 760-342760-328-2300 Julius & Sylvia Music Duo 2333 Cesar Daniel Lopez on the harp 6-10pm 6-9pm VIBE, MORONGO CASINO; CAB; 951GADI’S BAR & GRILL; YV; 760-820755-5391 DJ 10pm 1213 Cursed Bloodlines 8pm WANG’S; PS; 760-325-9264 Live Music THE GROOVE LOUNGE; SPOTLIGHT 5pm 29; INDIO; 760-775-5566 DJ 8pm WESTIN MISSION HILLS; RM; 760THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 Tracy 328-5955 Michael Keeth 6pm and Chelsea’s Birthday Bash w/ Blasting Echo, 5th Town, Black Water Gospel and WILLIE BOYS; MV; 760-932-4300 TBA 8pm Mega Sun 9pm HOODOO COCKTAIL GARDEN @ THE WOODY’S PALMHOUSE; PS; 760-230HYATT; PS; 760-322-9000 The Carmens 0188 The Stanley Butler Band 6:30pm 7pm ZELDA’S; PS; 760-325-2375 DJs 9pm HOTEL PASEO; PD; Michael Keeth 4-10pm HUNTER’S; PS; 760-323-0700 Live VJ 9pm 29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 3505 Bob Garcia 6pm 760-345-6466 Bob Allen 6pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 DJ KILO’S CANTINA; TP; 760-835-1363 11am poolside, Intoxica Radio Live w/ TBA 9pm Howie Pyro 9pm KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 ACQUA; RM; 760-862-9800 Michael Karaoke 8pm Keeth 6:30pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 325-2794 PS Sound Company 1pm, Hot Fusion Sundays Hip Hop and Latin Night Roxx 8pm w/ DJ LF and Friends Hosted by Ron T 7pm LIT@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; 760345-2450 Vice Versa 9pm BERNIE’S; RM; 760-202 4499 Patrice THE LOUNGE, AGUA CALIENTE; RM; Morris 7pm 888-999-1995 TBA 9pm continue to page 20 MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 Ron Greenip 8pm MOXIE; PS; 760-318-9900 Derek Jordan Gregg 6pm, DJ Pedro Le Bass 9:30pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Karaoke 8pm THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry 6-8pm Tim Burleson 8pm PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; 760327-4080 Melrose Music Review 2 9pm PALM DESERT COUNTRY CLUB; PD; 760-345-0222 Meltdown 6:30pm PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-3655956 Milo Greene & Cornelia Murr 9pm PEABODY’S CAFÉ; PS; 760-322-1877 Karaoke 7:30pm PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND COCKTAILS; TP; 760-3432115 Red’s Rockstar Karaoke 9pm PURPLE ROOM; PS; 760-322-4422 Carole J. Bufford 8pm RED BARN; PD; 760-346-0191 212 Band 9pm ROCKYARD@FANTASY SPRINGS; Thank You, Drive Thru and Which One’s Pink (Pink Floyd Tribute) 7:30pm SAMMY G’s; PS; 760-320-8041 Evaro Brothers 8pm SHANGHAI RED’S @ THE FISHERMAN’S MARKET; PS; 760-3229293 Barry Baughn Blues 8-11pm SHANGHAI RED’S @ THE FISHERMAN’S MARKET; LQ; 760-7771601 The Smooth Brothers 8-11pm SHELLY’S LOUNGE@TORTOISE ROCK CASINO; 29 Palms; Rojer Arnold & Bobby Furgo 9pm SOUL OF MEXICO; IND; 760-200-8787 Latin Music 10pm

September 20 to September 26, 2018

SUN SEPTEMBER 23

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September 20 to September 26, 2018

GOOD GRUB

T

DAY TRIPPING FOR VINCE’S SPAGHETTI

here’s no doubt that we have fabulous Italian restaurants in the Coachella Valley. But if you’re up for a spaghetti adventure and want to get out of town to mix it up a bit, Vince’s Spaghetti in Rancho Cucamonga is well worth day tripping for.

Ever since my boyfriend and I have been together, I have heard his consistent plea for us to go to his beloved Vince’s Spaghetti, which he has been going to since he was a little kid. The man even had a now tattered T-Shirt from the place that he bought many years back. I mean really, when you purchase a shirt with the eatery’s name on it, it must be something special. So last weekend we hopped in the car and started making our way to Rancho Cucamonga, where Vince’s Spaghetti sits in all of its noodle and sauce glory, on Foothill Blvd, the original Route 66 (pretty cool).

On our way to Vince’s, we took a pit stop to visit historic Redlands. The downtown area is over a century old, established by the anchor of the University of Redlands. The area off of 6th street is adorable. The main tree lined street is populated with quaint shops and restaurants and has a small town feel. Duck down in on 5th street and you will find Orange Street Alley, a colorful alley with a vibrant umbrella ceiling, housing some pretty cool spots such as The Copehouse Bar & Bistro (www.copehouseredlands.com), which completely reminded me of New Orleans with its intimate candlelit interior and alley side patio. The Copehouse is housed in the historic Cope Commercial Building built in 1903. The building is also home to other cool spots such as the Underground and The District (thedistrictredlands.com) and Cheesewalla, a grilled cheese lover’s paradise (cheesewalla.com).

After exploring the downtown area, we took a drive on the adjacent residential streets, discovering a treasure of vintage craftsman homes one after another.

It was like being in the Midwest. From

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the hometown vibe, to the gorgeous architecture, Redlands is has much to offer, and we look forward to spending more time there in the future. But we were on a spaghetti mission that day, and said good bye to Redlands as we continued on our journey to Vince’s Spaghetti.

The original Vince’s Spaghetti opened in Ontario on Holt Blvd by the Cuccia family in 1945, as a tiny produce and French Dip stand. Old time tales say that the spaghetti part of the equation was added when one of the brothers was spotted by a customer eating the off menu spaghetti at the counter, and when asked if they could have some spaghetti too, the owners obliged and so the story goes. The spaghetti is slathered with the family’s red meat sauce, as are other dishes such as their mostaccioli and lasagna.

Although it seems simple enough, there is just something deliciously lingering in their sauce, which is almost hypnotic, bringing customers back over and over again. The Holt Blvd location has expanded over its 73 years, and Vince’s itself has grown with a large location in Rancho Cucamonga (our destination) and in Temecula.

We exited the 10 freeway and made our way onto Euclid Ave through Upland. Like Redlands, Upland is beautifully landscaped with craftsman styled homes, mature trees and has that inviting home town allure.

We connected to Foothill Blvd, which as I previously mentioned, is the part of the

original Route 66, and landed at the purpose for our trip. As we approached, my boyfriend became giddy, no doubt immersed in fond memories of dining at Vince’s.

It was about 4:30pm and the parking lot was already full, with an interior waitlist to match. The efficiency of the restaurant made our wait a short one, and we were seated at a window booth right in the middle of all of the dining action, watching customers parade by. The menu was everything that my boyfriend said that it would be, straight forward and simple. It being my first time there, I let him take the lead and mirrored his order. Two spaghetti dinners, with minestrone soup, salad with their tangy Italian dressing, a half order of spaghetti with meat sauce, garlic bread, and oh yeah, one meatball on the side. If you’re thinking that it’s a lot of food, it is, and there were to-go boxes involved at the end of our meal.

Everything is served on metal carts at Vince’s, the sound of the clanking fills the dining room as a sort of service symphony.

BY DENISE ORTUNO Our soup and salad came out first, and complimented each other. Their minestrone incorporates barley instead of pasta, providing a heaty texture, and the salad with the tang of the vinegar becomes slightly addictive. The spaghetti soon followed with large pieces of garlic bread and our meatball that we wanted to share. It’s all in the sauce, the rich meat sauce has a homey depth, comforting in its make-up and hasn’t changed in the 73 years that Vince’s has been making it. My boyfriend’s reaction to his plate of pasta cemented that fact, as he reveled in each bite.

As if we hadn’t had enough food, why not top it off with some spumoni ice cream?

It turned out to be a tasty decision, gently cleansing our palate from the gravy like tomato meat sauce.

With our to-go bag in hand, we paid at the cashier, and went over to get my boyfriend another Vince’s T-Shirt to mark the occasion, as his other one was more than ready to be retired.

We left Vince’s Spaghetti sated in many ways, and I was so happy to go somewhere that my boyfriend considered dear to him.

And that’s really the big take away from Vince’s, besides the expanded waist line. It is that it represents tradition and consistency.

A place where people can count on to stay the same, and deliver time and time again.

A place that you can go to as a child, and it will still be there to take your children to.

There aren’t many places that can make that claim. It’s more than a restaurant, its home to many.

If you’re feeling like taking a drive out of town for a food adventure, I highly suggest Vince’s Spaghetti. It’s great for a families and couples alike, and well worth day tripping for.

Vince’s Spaghetti is located at 8241 Foothill Blvd, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730 www.incesspaghettiroute66.com.

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

September 20 to September 26, 2018

PICK UP "CV KIDS" TODAY AT 300 LOCATIONS IN THE VALLEY! WWW.COACHELLAVALLEYKIDS.COM

17

September 20 to September 26, 2018

SCREENERS

NOW PLAYING: LOST CHILD

“True Detective” actress Levin Rambin stars in director/co-writer Ramaa Mosley’s new film originally titled “Tatterdemalion.”

The pic follows Rambin’s character Fern Sreaves, a young army veteran suffering from PTSD, who returns home to the Ozarks to look for her estranged brother Billy, from whom she was separated as a child.

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No. 335

PTSD THRILLER

Instead of her brother, Fern finds Cecil, an abandoned boy in the woods. As she searches for answers about the wild child, she enters a mysterious world of folklore, clan rules and lies that ultimately puts her own life in jeopardy while trying to protect the young boy and find out the truth, With no plans for sticking around once she connects with Billy, Fern fends off the suggestions of a helpful social worker (Jim Parrack) that she keep Cecil for more than a few days. She fears the horrors in the foster care system.

The film’s largely naturalistic style provides rich context for the regional stories of a tatterdemalion — a demon child.

Filmed on location in West Plains, Missouri, the movie is permeated with the atmospheric isolation that only the deep woods can bring.

The dominant theme is one of isolation and abandonment. Fern and her brother Billy were left on their own by terrible parents.

Cecil is a mysterious, indeed freaky, child who lives entirely alone.

The region itself is isolated and forgotten by the world at large. Civilization has passed them by and the locals stick to the old ways either out of fear or necessity.

This intense human drama is not really pure horror film. It’s much more about but the power of belief for both good and bad.

NEW BLU FOR THE HOME THEATER: THE GIRL IN THE YELLOW PAJAMAS (1977)

Throughout the late 1960s and into the 70s, the Italian gialo movement transported viewers to the farthest corners of the globe; from swinging San Francisco to Soviet occupied Prague. Only one film, however, brought the genre’s unique brand of bloody mayhem as far as Australia: director Flavio Mogherini’s tragic and poetic Pyjama Girl Case aka The Girl in the Yellow Pajamas.

When the body of a young woman dressed in distinctive yellow pajamas is found on the beach, shot in the head and burned to hide her identity, the Sydney police are stumped so former inspector Timpson (Ray Milland) comes out of retirement to crack the case.

Treading where the “real” detectives can’t, Timpson doggedly pieces together the sad story of Dutch immigrant Glenda Blythe (Dalila Di Lazzaro) and the chain of events, which led to her grisly demise. Inspired by the real-life case that baffled the Australian police and continues to spark controversy with unanswered questions.

If giallo is a genre you enjoy, consider this 2K restored title of a uniquely haunting latter day entry from the tail end of the genre’s boom period. The memorably melancholic score is by veteran composer Riz Ortolani.

Standard extras. MVD Visual/ARROW Films.

THE DAY OF THE JACKEL (1973) August 1962 was a stormy time for France.

Many people believed that President Charles De Gaulle has betrayed the country by giving independence to Algeria. Extremists, mostly from the army, swore to kill him in revenge.

They banded together in an underground movement and called themselves the “OAS.” In 1971, Frederick Forsythe shot to bestseller status with his debut novel with a taut, utterly plausible, almost documentarian tale set 1962 during an attempt on French President Charles de Gaulle’s life by the farright paramilitary organization OAS which ends in chaos when its architect-in-chief is executed by firing squad.

Demoralized and on the verge of bankruptcy, the OAS leaders meet in secret to plan their next move. In a last desperate

BY ROBIN E. SIMMONS

attempt to eliminate de Gaulle, they opt to employ the services of a hired assassin outside the fold. Enter the Jackel (Edward Fox): charismatic, calculating, and cold as ice.

As the Jackel closes in on his target, a race against the clock unfolds to identify and stop the killer whose identity, whereabouts and modus operandi are completely unknown.

Costarring talent from both sides of the Channel, including Michael Lonsdale, Derek Jacobi and Cyril Cusack and featuring the striking cinematography of Jean Tornier (Moonraker). If political thrillers are your preferred genre, you will love this great looking hi-def transfer of a timeless classic.

MVD/Arrow films.

ADRIFT

When all is lost, hope and strength keep Tami Oldham alive in this true and tense drama about the resilience of the human spirit and the transcendent power of love.

Shailene Woodley and Sam Claflin play two sailors on a journey across the ocean when they encounter one of the most catastrophic hurricanes of all time. In the aftermath of the storm, Tami awakens to find her fiancé Richard badly injured and their boat in tatters. With no hope for rescue, Tami must find the strength to save herself and the only man she has ever loved.

Baltasar Kormakur’s beautiful and emotional survival story was shot entirely on the open sea. Recommended. Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.

BOOK REVIEW

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

"A KILLER'S MIND"

BY MIKE OMER FICTION

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

I

t’s uncomfortable to imagine a job description where the requirement is to get into the headspace of a serial killer. To be successful and maintain your sanity at that profession, it must take a unique skill set. In Mike Omer’s A Killer’s Mind (Thomas & Mercer, 370 pages), one killer’s profile merges with another.

This is the first installment of the “Zoe Bentley Mystery” series. Zoe is a young woman who works independently as a forensic psychologist. She is well qualified with a Ph.D. in psychology and a J.D. from Harvard. She is an FBI consultant with a good track recorded, but she is not an FBI agent, which renders her powerless to act on her suspicions.

When FBI agent Tatum Gray requests Zoe’s expertise on a bizarre case where several murders appear to be linked, the two misfits team up to determine the modus operandi of what is clearly developing into serial killings.

The killer abducts women and then embalms their bodies. After he is finished with his victims he poses them in public places as if they are still alive. He is

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KILLER PROFILE

experimenting with the women and has yet to get what he wants.

Gray has been “promoted” – moved from California -- because of a prior mishap that left the suspect dead -- a hero to civilians, but reckless and dangerous to his federal bosses. Now he must redeem himself and play by the rules or lose his job.

After the Chicago police department struggles to get a handle on the bizarre killings, Gray is assigned to the case, where he believes a high-paid, celebrity profiler is steering the case in an erroneous direction.

With wrong details, the police might overlook the actual killer and focus on someone else.

Zoe joins Gray in Chicago where she quickly discredits the celeb profiler and redirects their investigation. Reluctantly, she partners with Gray and the two are like oil and water. Zoe is eccentric and keeps to herself. She loves what she does and that makes relationships difficult. But, Zoe is also troubled and likely on the Asperger spectrum so she has no one but a younger sister who understands her.

As a teen, Zoe lived in a small community where a serial killer had murdered three girls that she knew. Suspicious of a neighbor, Zoe profiled the man and then found physical evidence, but no one believed her. The police had already arrested a kid in high school. The boy committed suicide and the

September 20 to September 26, 2018

BY HEIDI SIMMONS

case was closed. The killer left town but he never left Zoe. This experience not only impacted her reality about the world, it defined her future.

I appreciated that Zoe and Gray were not willing to let the police shape the facts to fit possible suspects or make the evidence bend to a person of interest. There were a few provocative details about the motives of serial killers, like the difference between power and anger killers. It could have used a lot more.

The story is told in short chapters and since this is the first in a series, the reader is introduced to the main characters, their backstories and the people who matter most in their lives. Author Omer does not reveal everything about the protagonists’

past and he concludes the book with a taunt from Zoe’s nemesis to keep us intrigued and committed to the next installment.

The narrative is written in an omniscient voice, putting the reader in the head of Zoe, Gray, and the killer. This is an uncomfortable place to be and the book is explicit about the murder’s actions, before, during and after his crime. It’s hard to take. Omer drops the reader into the killer’s world without us knowing it right away and soon you are in a house of horrors.

Zoe is not a likeable protagonist, but it fits the nature of what she does. As an educated, experienced and often arrogant expert, Zoe finds she can slip and make mistakes. She doesn’t want but needs Gray’s help, and they become effective partners.

My favorite character is Gray’s grandfather, Marvin, who is a horny 85-year-old partier who likes to have fun with prostitutes and drug dealers.

I’m not sure I want to go back into the minds of Zoe’s killers, but I do have a curiosity about how her ongoing teenage nightmare will be resolved.

SAFETY TIPS

BY FIRE CHIEF SAM DIGIOVANNA

SALUTE & CHEERS TO FIREFIGHTERS!

S

eptember is California Wine Month and wine has become so vital to the state, that it deserves a whole month.

“Last year we saw the devastation from wildfires in Sonoma and Napa and fires are still burning dangerously close in many areas throughout the state,” reminds Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna. “We are far from being out of the woods as we have yet to experience our Santa Ana’s, Sundowners and Diablo winds.”

There’s a lot of talk on the health benefits of wine, but before you crack open that bottle and toast your good health, here is what the experts say.

Is wine fattening? Actually, researchers say they’ve found a compound in red wine and grapes that block immature fat cells’ ability to develop and grow. “I’m not sure I buy that,” says Chief DiGiovanna. “My fat cells seem to be maturing!”

There’s research on the heart health benefits of a daily glass (or two) of red wine,

as they say wine lowers blood pressure. Who the heck checks their blood pressure when drinking wine?

The Greek physician Hippocrates considered wine a part of a healthy diet, and advocated its use as a disinfectant for wounds.

I just have friends who are Hypocrites and need disinfecting.

Some studies suggest that grape juice may provide some of the same heart benefits of red wine, including reducing the risk of blood clots, reducing so-called bad cholesterol, and preventing damage to blood vessels in the heart. “Hmmm… Grape juice or wine? That’s easy!”

Our hearts, thoughts and prayers go out to all who have been impacted by this year’s wildfires. The same with our firefighters out on the front lines.

One thing is important - Always drink responsibly!

Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna

19

September 20 to September 26, 2018

CLUB CRAWLER NIGHTLIFE continued from page 15 CASCADE LOUNGE, SPA RESORT; PS; 888-999-1995 Nash with Quinto Menguante 9pm 29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-3673505 The Luminators 6pm CATELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick Tuzzolino 5:30pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-2021111 Bill Marx 6:30pm CHEF GEORGE’S PICASSO LOUNGE; BD; 760-200-1768 Lori Yeary 6-9pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 Meh! Mondays 7pm DHS SPA LOUNGE; DHS; 760-3296787 Radio 60 3-6pm BIG ROCK PUB; IND; 706-200-8988 Music Video Mondays 6pm EL MEXICALI CAFÉ 2; IND; 760-3422333 Cesar Daniel Lopez on the harp CATELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 6-9pm Patrick Tuzzolino 5:30pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 325-2794 PS Sound Company noon, Hot 760-325-2794 PS Sound Company Roxx 6:30pm 6:30pm MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & PS; 760-325-2323 Sunday Jam 3:30LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 Mikael 7:30pm, Mikael Healy 8pm Healey 8pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Karaoke 8pm Karaoke 8pm-1:15am THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry 7:30pm Henry 7pm PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-365PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-3655956 The Sunday Band 7:30pm 5956 Open Mic 7pm PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND WANG’S; PS; 760-325-9264 Nick COCKTAILS; TP; 760-3432115 Open Sosa 7pm Mic w/ Rockin’ Ray 7pm WOODY’S PALMHOUSE; PS; 760SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760230-0188 Motown Mondays 6:30pm 341-3560 The Myx 6:30pm THREE SIXTY NORTH; PS; 760-3271773 Darci Daniels and Reggie Vision 7pm 29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367WANG’S; PS; 760-325-9264 Live Music 3505 Michael Lowe 6pm 5pm WOODY’S PALMHOUSE; PS; 760-230- ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Ace Karaoke with Kiesha 9pm 0188 John Carey and Friends 6:30pm

MON SEPTEMBER 24

TUE SEPTEMBER 25

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 Tequila Tuesday w/ Sounds Driven by Touch Tunes 7pm BERNIE’S; RM; 760-202 4499 Chris Lomeli 7pm BIG ROCK PUB; IND; 706-200-8988 Big Country Tuesdays 6pm CATELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick Tuzzolino 5:30pm CHEF GEORGE’S PICASSO LOUNGE; BD; 760-200-1768 Michael D’Angelo 7-10pm FIRESIDE LOUNGE; PS; 760-3271700 Red’s Rockstar Karaoke 9pm THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 Drag Queen Bingo 9pm HUNTER’S; PS; 760-323-0700 Karaoke hosted by Phillip Moore 9pm JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760366-2250 Ted Quinn’s Open Mic 7pm KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 Karaoke 7pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760325-2794 PS Sound Company 6:30pm LIT@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; 760345-2450 Brad’s Pad 7pm 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; 760-327-4080 Acoustic Open Mic 7pm

PURPLE ROOM; PS; 760-322-4422 Rose Mallett 6:30pm TACK ROOM TAVERN; IND; 760-3479985 Karaoke 8-12 WANG’S; PS; 760-325-9264 Alex Santana 5-8pm WOODY’S PALMHOUSE; PS; 760-2300188 Yve Evans and John Bolivar 6pm

WED SEPTEMBER 26

29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-3673505 Daniel Horn 6pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Big Horn w/ Soul Jams 9pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-2021111 Jazz Jam w/ Doug MacDonald & Friends 7pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 DJ and Dancing 7pm BERNIE’S; RM; 760-202 4499 Chris Lomeli 7pm BIG ROCK PUB; IND; 706-200-8988 The Smooth Brothers 7pm BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 Michael Keeth 6-10pm CATELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick Tuzzolino 5:30pm CHEF GEORGE’S PICASSO LOUNGE; BD; 760-200-1768 Johnny Meza 7-10pm COACHELLA VALLEY BREWING CO; TP; 760-343-5973 Live and Local w/ TBA 5:30-8pm DRINGK; RM; 760-888-0111 S.I.N. w/ DJ Mirage 9pm

ELECTRIC SPORTS LOUNGE; YV; 760-228-1199 Karaoke 7:30pm THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 Open Mic hosted by Josh Heinz 8pm HUNTER’S; PS; 760-323-0700 Live VJ 9pm JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760366-2250 Karaoke 7:30pm KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 Open Mic 8pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760325-2794 Hot Roxx 6:30pm LIT@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; 760345-2450 Latin Night 7pm MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 Mikael Healey 8pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Karaoke 8pm-1:15am THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry 6-8pm Tim Burleson 8pm PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; 760-327-4080 Roger & Friends 7pm PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND COCKTAILS; TP; 760-343-2115 Red’s Rockstar Karaoke 9pm THREE SIXTY NORTH; PS; 760-3271773 Katheryn White 6:30pm VENUE@VENUS; PD; 760-834-7070 Wine Down Wednesdays w/ TBA 4-6pm, Open Mic/Karaoke 6-8pm WANG’S; PS; 760-325-9264 Jeff Bonds 5-8pm WOODY’S PALMHOUSE; PS; 760230-0188 An Evening of Jazz 6:30pm

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PUMPING SERVICE

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

20

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REAL ESTATE

H

ello September and goodbye Summer! Too soon? Probably, but already valley residents are welcoming the cooler mornings and evenings with increased outdoor activity.

Unfortunately cooler temps also mean that the “perfect excuse” of it being too hot to do anything will no longer apply. Unlike the rest of the world where spring cleaning follows a long frigid winter of being stuck indoors we here in the Coachella Valley enjoy near perfect temperatures throughout the winter months and do our spring cleaning in the Fall after a long, blazing hot Summer!

Through our property management division I recently had our first experience with a real hoarder. We inherited what was purported to be the “perfect tenant” from another management company. This tenant had rented this home for over 20 years, always paid her rent on time and NEVER complained or asked for repairs to be done.

When we did our initial safety inspection we discovered why she never wanted anyone to come to the house! It was just like on TV where you could barely squeeze down the tiny open path from room to room because of the “treasures” she had collected and stored openly throughout the entire house and garage. The late comedian George Carlin once did a bit about how “stuff expands to fill the space available” and while few of us will ever come close to reaching the capacity of a true hoarder, I know quite a few folks with a two car garage who can’t even park one car in it. So it occurs to me that the difference between being a hoarder and being an organized collector is the method of storage.

This month’s article is dedicated to organizing your stuff… whether to “declutter” your home in preparation for a sale or to just get your stuff organized so you can once again

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

September 20 to September 26, 2018

“HOARDER” VERSUS “ORGANIZED COLLECTOR”

use your garage for its intended purpose.

But first let’s take a look at the data for the month of August and see how the Coachella Valley real estate sales market is doing. Over the past 30 days there has been some more bad press regarding the “Crashing Southern California Real Estate market”. As we noted in last month’s sales data, here in the Coachella Valley we have not yet experienced any signs of a crash and are in fact still doing better than last year’s numbers. Let’s see if that has held true for the month of August.

According to the Desert Area MLS as of 9/1/18 there were 802 pending transactions of residential properties here in the Coachella Valley in the month of August. That follows our seasonal pattern being down from the 846 pendings in the previous month (July) and that is roughly the same when compared to the same time last year when we had 799 pending sales. In July there were 878 solds and again, following our seasonal sales pattern, we were down significantly in August with only 756 solds. That is also down when compared to home sales in August of 2017 when we sold 811 homes. Again, August’s sales figures, though down, were good enough that our year to date solds for 2018 still lead last year’s year to date sales at 7,431 compared to last year’s total of 7,381.

These statistics show that the Coachella Valley real estate market is NOT going the same way that most Southern California real estate markets are trending. But the gap is narrowing. Last year was a GREAT year for the Coachella Valley Real Estate market. So even if we equal or come close to last year’s figures, with average sale prices being UP and inventory being DOWN, 2018 would still be a BETTER year for home sales in the Coachella Valley!

This month our inventory of homes

for sale went down only slightly with only 2,621 homes available on September 1, 2018 compared to 2,676 homes available on August 1, 2018. Last year at this time we had 3,227 homes available for sale. Inventory this year has remained off by over 20% and so far it has only affected our June and August sales. The drop is seasonal, but with only 2,621 homes for sale we’ll continue to keep a close watch on both sales numbers and the inventory of homes this coming month.

It seems that I, like most Coachella Valley residents, subscribe to the philosophy that “He who dies with the most stuff wins”.

I am blessed with a 4 car garage in which (until recently) I was unable to park a single car! I prefer to think of myself as an “American Picker” rather than a “Hoarder”, but to tell the truth I had to get organized to avoid either label. Fortunately for me I discovered the yellow topped black plastic “PROFESSIONAL” boxes at Costco that sell here locally for about $7.50 each. By the way, they sell for about twice that at the big box hardware stores. My advice here is to buy as many as you can afford! They are strong, desert garage summer heat resistant, and stack well. You will be amazed at how much loose, space taking garage or household stuff will fit in each box and how quickly you will be able to safely and conveniently store your treasures. Make sure you label the boxes (on the side of the lids) so you’ll know what is inside of each one for quick, handy access.

Once I made my initial purchase of 12 storage boxes for about $100 I made it a practice of buying at least one box each time I go to Costco… I use it to pack up the groceries and other Costco goodies to take them home in. Afterward I add it to my organized collection of “stuff”! If you want to get really fancy Costco also sells some heavy duty steel

BY BRUCE CATHCART shelving, that will hold about 15 boxes each, which you can get three of each down both sides of a standard garage and still squeeze in a couple of small cars. That’s about 90 boxes total. Wow, talk about being organized!

This is life changing stuff here! This works especially well for decluttering your home and getting it ready for sale as not only will it declutter your home and make your garage look bigger, once your home closes escrow your stuff is already packed and you can just load’em up and move’em out!

So far the only downside that I have experienced by becoming an organized collector is creating all that extra space.

Already new stuff is expanding to fill it!

Join me each month this year as we keep a close eye on our Coachella Valley real estate market. If you have a real estate question or concerns please email me at the address below.

Bruce Cathcart is the Broker/Co-Owner of La Quinta Palms Realty, “Your Friendly Professionals” and can be reached by email at or visit his website at laquintapalmsrealty. com.

THE 1ST ANNUAL MALL-O-WEEN EVENT AT INDIO GRAND MARKETPLACE

(FORMERLY INDIO FASHION MALL) A FREE TRICK OR TREAT EVENT FOR KIDS ON HALLOWEEN, OCT. 31ST FROM 3PM – 6PM

A

re you looking for a safe place to take your kids trick-or-treating on Halloween? The Indio Grand Marketplace, formerly Indio Fashion Mall, is excited to host the 1st Annual MALL-OWEEN, a free trick or treat event for kids and their families.

Bring your kids in costume and trick or treat your way through the mall.

Participating stores will have a MALL-OWEEN flyer posted by the store’s entrance.

Be sure to bring a bag for all of your treats.

EVENTS

EVENT DETAILS: What: MALL-O-WEEN, A Free Trick or Treat Event on Halloween When: Wednesday, October 31st from 3PM – 6PM Where: Indio Grand Marketplace (formerly the Indio Fashion Mall) 82227 Highway 111, Indio, CA 92201 Haagen Company, a retail development company located in Los Angeles, purchased Indio Fashion Mall in February 2018. The mall has been renamed and is now called Indio Grand Marketplace.

Haagen Company plans to redevelop and expand the location into a vibrant retail, entertainment and dining destination attractive to both local residents and tourists.

The design will include space suitable for community events and public gathering spaces. The Indio Fashion Mall and its retailers will remain open for business while design plans are in progress.

21

September 20 to September 26, 2018

HADDON LIBBY

A

pple held their annual product event on September 12th. For most Apple aficionados, there was not much to get excited about. CEO Tim Cook announced a few iPhone updates and solid improvements to their Watch. And that was it.

While stockholders have made a lot of money during the Tim Cook era, many Apple fans are becoming increasingly blasé about their Apple products. Where Apple products used to embarrass the competition due to superior performance and design, more recent iterations of Apple products are no longer must-have upgrades.

At $140 billion, the iPhone is the most important product to Apple as it is responsible for 60% of revenues. While Apple may be second in market share to Samsung, Apple profit margins are a fantastical dream to their rivals. That said, the iPhone is no longer significantly better than their rivals.

As an example, some Samsung phones have been waterproofed since 2013, three years longer than Apple. Similarly, Apple promised a cord free charging station at last year’s event and failed to mention it at this year’s event or in any marketing materials during 2018. Samsung and Blackberry (remember Blackberry) have offered this feature since 2015.

For those interested in a virtual reality experience using their Smartphone, Samsung and Sony have a clear and distinct lead over

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APPLE: TOMORROW’S IBM

Apple as they have offered this feature since 2015. Inadequate battery life and a chassis that is now made of glass instead of the more durable aluminum frame are other significant shortcomings to the current iPhone roster.

While we may like our iPhones, they are no longer cutting edge. This observation has not been lost on Jeff Bezos and Amazon who are reportedly working on a Smartphone called the Ice that is meant to work seamlessly with Kindle tablets and Amazon Echo, their smart speaker/personal assistant.

The second most important product to Apple is their line-up of desktops and laptops that generate $25 billion annually. Anyone who has used an Apple computer (aka

Mac) knows that they are well constructed, beautifully designed and very expensive.

Their rivals have noticed all of this as well and have worked aggressively to displace Apple’s position as the best made computer.

As a result, Apple computers are no longer cutting edge despite a super-premium price relative to their peers. Where most computer manufacturers offer touch screen laptops and all-in-one touch screen desktops, Apple has resisted the change. Apple debuted a Touch Bar on their computers two years ago, a feature that has been met with indifference by users and developers alike. iPads generate $20 billion for the company. While there is nothing inherently wrong with the device, lower priced devices from Amazon, Samsung and Google have cause sales to decline since 2014.

All other products represent $13 billion annually. Most promising is their iWatch that is making significant strides toward becoming an important part of the health management.

Airpod improvements in charging and battery life have not yet matched Tim Cook’s statements at last year’s product event.

Apple Music is having success (40 million subscribers) but has a long way to go to catch rivals Spotify (100 million+) or Pandora (60 million).

Meanwhile the Apple TV has become a secondary device behind Amazon, Google and Roku.

In the quickly growing smart speaker/ personal assistant space, Amazon’s Echo and Google’s Home dominate the space. Apple’s HomePod is a late entry into this field with lower functionality at a significantly higher price.

While Apple may be the most valuable company in the world today at $1 trillion, do not be surprised if its future closely resembles that of IBM. Fifty years ago, IBM was the most valuable company in the world at $259 billion.

Today IBM is worth $135 billion.

Haddon Libby is the Founder and Managing Partner of Winslow Drake Investment Management and can be reached at Hlibby@ WinslowDrake.com. For more information on their award-nominated services, please visit www.WinslowDrake.com.

DALE GRIBOW ON THE LAW

LEGAL REPRESENTATION OF THE INJURED AND CRIMINALLY ACCUSED

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f you have been in an auto accident you need to have answers to the following questions BEFORE hiring a lawyer. I have covered all these topics in past CV WEEKLY columns and they are all indexed. coachellavalleyweekly.com/category/dalegribow-on-the-law Educate yourself by reading them now for answers...

- DO I HAVE A CASE? - HOW MUCH IS MY CASE WORTH? - WHY DID A LAWYER REJECT YOUR ACCIDENT CASE? - HOW CAN I RECEIVE MEDICAL CARE? - WHY CAN’T I SEE MY OWN DOCTOR? - IS IT IMPORTANT THAT MY DOCTOR BE EXPERIENCED IN WRITING A MED/LEGAL REPORT? - HOW CAN I GET MY CAR REPAIRED? - WHY CAN’T I GO TO MY NEIGHBOR’S BODY SHOP? - CAN I GET A LOANER? - SHOULD I SPEAK WITH THE INSURANCE COMPANY? - HOW CAN AN ATTORNEY HELP ME? - WHY IS THE INSURANCE COMPANY NOT OFFERING ENOUGH MONEY FOR MY ACCIDENT CASE? - IF MY INSURANCE COMPANY DOES NOT OFFER ENOUGH MONEY CAN I HIRE A LAWYER? - WILL A LAWYER ACCEPT THE CASE AFTER

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I TRIED TO SETTLE IT? - WHAT TO DO AND NOT DO AFTER AN ACCIDENT? - DO YOU NEED A PI ATTORNEY? - HOW TO CHOSE THE RIGHT PI ATTORNEY? - WHAT DOES A PERSONAL INJURY LAWYER DO FOR YOU? - HOW IS THE VALUE OF A PI CASE DETERMINED? - DO INSURANCE CO’S WANT TO TAKE YOUR PI CASE RECOVERY FROM YOU? - WHAT JURIES DID NOT KNOW OR WILL NEVER KNOW ABOUT YOUR CASE? - THE TOP MISTAKES ACCIDENT VICTIMS MAKE WHEN DEALING WITH DOCTORS - STOP AUTOMATIC DMV LICENSE SUSPENSION! - THE BIGGEST MISTAKES THAT DESTROY YOUR ACCIDENT CASE - THE TOP MYTHS ABOUT YOUR ACCIDENT CASE - WIIFM: WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME? - DO ADJUSTERS GET BONUSES FOR SAVING INSURANCE CO’S MONEY? - WHY IS THE INSURANCE COMPANY NOT OFFERING ENOUGH MONEY FOR MY ACCIDENT CASE? - IF WOULD HAVE BEEN CHEAPER IF YOU DIDN’T DRINK AND DRIVE AND HAVE AN ACCIDENT - THE 10 QUESTIONS EVERY ACCIDENT/DUI

VICTIM SHOULD ASK - SILENCE IS GOLDEN... TALKING COULD BE COSTLY If you can't find answers to all these questions, call me: 760-837-7500.

A DOZEN GOLDEN RULES TO FOLLOW WITHOUT EXCEPTION: 1. Call police 2. Hire a local lawyer asap 3. Be honest and don’t hide prior accidents from your lawyer or doctor?

4. Don’t miss medical appointments or have gaps in treatment.

5. Purchase adequate insurance.

6. Follow your lawyers advice about repairs.

7. Silence is Golden.

8. Get immediate medical treatment.

9. Don’t treat with the wrong doctor 10. Don’t handle the case yourself.

11. Treat with a doctor experienced with preparing med/legal reports 12. TAKE DOWN ANY SOCIAL MEDIA (Facebook, Instagram, etc): Don’t post that you’re feeling great or running to play tennis or golf. The insurance company will argue if you were well enough to play a sport you couldn’t be hurt that badly. Social media is the biggest advance for insurance companies who no longer have to hire private investigators.

They learn from your daily posts how you are doing and that could be the kiss of death for your case. Take down your social media until

the case is over. The insurance company can learn of your friends and have investigators talk to them and learn how healthy you are. Your friends may assume you are ok because you do not complain.

INSURANCE COMPANIES DO WHATEVER THEY CAN TO PAY LESS MONEY ON AUTO, HURRICANE, FLOOD OR FIRE CLAIMS... IT MAKES NO DIFFERENCE THE KIND OF CLAIM. THUS YOU MUST PUT AN EXPERIENCED ACCIDENT LAWYER IN YOUR CORNER. I look upon my job as protecting the Constitutional Rights of every American who drinks, drives and gets arrested for a DUI or has an ACCIDENT. I do however “Change Hats” when I SUE Drunk Drivers for damages to my Injured or Deceased (Wrongful Death) clients.

SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE ARTICLES? CONTACT DALE GRIBOW 760-837-7500 / dale@dalegribowlaw.com.

DALE GRIBOW - “TOP LAWYER” - Palm Springs Life-(DUI/PI)-2011-19 - “TOP LAWYER”- Inland Empire Magazine Nov. ‘16 - PERFECT 10.0 AVVO Peer Rating - Legal Columnist in LA & CV Papers/Guest Society Columnist Desert Sun / Talk Show Host “ACCIDENTALLY YOURS”

BREWTALITY

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BREWTALITY REVIEWS PABST AMERICAN PALE ALE

hen German immigrant, Jacob Best, opened a small but prosperous Milwaukee brewery in 1844, he named it after himself.

He was literally able to call his place the Best Brewery, and no one tell him that he was wrong! Wurst is another German last name, and can you imagine what a crappy deal that guy must have felt like he had?

I mean, I’d go to the Wurst brewery, but only to be a contrarian and tell people it really wasn’t that bad. Anyway, in 1862, Jacob Best gained a son-in-law who took interest in the family brewery. The young man, a licensed ship captain, dove headfirst into the business of brewing and earned the title of brewmaster before eventually purchasing his father in law’s business and naming it after himself. The former ship captain’s name was Frederick Pabst, and the brewery carries his name to this very day.

Although Pabst Brewing Co. has become little more than a holding company in recent years, owning the brands of many defunct breweries and contracting out the creation of over two dozen beers, the company went back to its roots in 2017, and opened a brewpub on the grounds of the original brewery campus in Milwaukee, WI. With a mission statement that promises to “explore progressive and

SPORTS SCENE

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September 20 to September 26, 2018

ajor League Baseball 2018 season is finally winding down. An exciting part of September baseball is seeing teams self-destruct or rise to the top.

You can formulate your postseason betting plan based on who enters the postseason on a run or who limps in.

Another fun part, (my personal favorite time of the MLB season) for the more cynical among you, involves watching as teams officially get mathematically eliminated (Some by their own choice) from the playoffs, with not even a whiff of Wild Card chances.

Who’s In! Red Sox - The Red Sox are officially the first team to clinch a postseason berth after earning their 99th win of the season on Tuesday, September 11. They haven’t clinched the American League East yet, but with 18 games left on the schedule as of this writing and a nine-game lead on the Yankees, they might not have to wait too much longer for that. Barring a historic collapse we would be writing about for years and years, anyway.

Indians - For a third straight season, Cleveland is the AL Central champion, and the first MLB team to clinch its division in 2018, wrapping things up on Sept. 15.

The Indians are the cream of an otherwise rancid crop in the AL Central, with Francisco Lindor, Jose Ramirez, Corey Kluber and the gang putting up stellar seasons to lead Cleveland into October again.

Who’s Out! Orioles - The Orioles were always going

unique approaches to brewing,” the Pabst brewpub has 12 beers on tap, with styles ranging from scotch ales to fruited sours.

Presumably it’s most popular offering must be the American Pale Ale, because lo and behold, it has now joined their Blue-Ribbon beer as a flagship product being sold in 12-packs.

PABST AMERICAN PALE ALE: 5% ABV, 30 IBU, Pabst Brewing Co. APPEARANCE

Excellent clarity with persistent lacing makes this a very attractive beer to look at.

A gorgeous light gold that’s the standard of a great APA. 4/5 NOSE A combination of grapefruit pith and pine resiny hops, with a little bit of bready, cereal grain notes in the background. 4/5 FLAVOR Taste follows the nose, with classic west coast flavors at play. I would guess the hop profile includes Cascade and Chinook, possibly even Centennial or Amarillo? The grapefruit and floral flavors shine over a bone dry, caramel-malt accented body. 4/5 MOUTHFEEL Medium-thin body with a medium-high carbonation level that sits nicely on the palate. Coats the tongue and adds the right amount of carbonic zip. 4/5 OVERALL This is the perfect example of a beer whose individual characteristics are better than the sum of its parts. A well-made beer designed to appeal to craft drinkers, it non-the-less feels entirely derivative of the classic style popularized by Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. Pabst’s offering hits all the right marks without adding any twists, and at a price point of $14.99 for a 12-pack, it may not appeal to Blue Ribbon fans who are used to its cheaper cost and may alienate

MLB PLAYOFF RACE – THE SNAPSHOT

to be in this section, we knew from the beginning of the season that they would be bad. Maybe we didn’t know they’d be more than 50 games back of the division lead bad but they weren’t playoff bound from the start. Rough times in Baltimore.

Royals - Also rough times in Kansas City, although at least the Royals tried a little more than the Orioles in the offseason. It wasn’t to be though, and they barely contended before falling into the Lost Season bin.

Padres - The Padres definitely tried, signing Eric Hosmer in free agency and trying to put a contender together in the potentially wide open NL West. Even though four of the five teams in the division were in the race past the halfway point of the season, San Diego pretty much never was.

Rangers - Even with the added push of motivation that is Adrian Beltre’s potential last year in baseball, Texas couldn’t get

to the postseason. They’ll hope he comes back for one more try next season, but in the meantime they’ll have to settle for Joey Gallo crushing baseballs but no postseason appearance.

White Sox - At least White Sox fans got to see Michael Kopech pitch? An Eloy Jimenez sighting, and a playoff spot, will have to wait for next year though.

Tigers - Most Tigers fans could have predicted this at the beginning of the season, but here it is anyway. The team is in a fallow period but hopefully they’ll start spending again soon. Otherwise, another year of this looks likely. The AL Central was woeful but not even the low bar to win the division was enough for the Tigers to make it in.

Marlins - Given the new ownership’s rocky first offseason, which involved gutting payroll and trading away arguably the best outfield in baseball, the expectations in Miami were super low. At 56-84, the Marlins can avoid 100 losses by winning at least seven of their final 22 games, so that would be some sort of silver lining at least.

Reds - With Los Angeles (78-65) and St. Louis (79-64) meeting for four games next weekend, the second NL Wild Card spot is guaranteed at least 81 wins. That’s too rich for Cincinnati, who entered Sunday with 82 losses. Run prevention was the killer again for the Reds, dead last in the National League in allowing over five runs per game, ensuring a fifth straight losing campaign.

Blue Jays - Another team who were

BY AARON RAMSON

craft beer acolytes who would most likely see Pabst’s Pale Ale as nothing more than a mass-marketed craft clone. There are however, many casual beer drinkers who will find the appeal of Pabst’s newest flagship. It hits all the right marks without adding any twists, and that should be enough to satisfy most. 3.75/5

BY FLINT WHEELER basically out of the postseason as soon as the season got rolling. With the Red Sox and Yankees all but locking up the top two spots in the division from the jump, Toronto didn’t have much of a chance to make the postseason even if they were good. Which they were not. They also didn’t call up Vlad Guerrero, Jr. despite multiple chances so we’re not not happy about them falling short of the postseason. Justice for Vlad.

Twins - After becoming the first team ever to make the playoffs one year after losing 100 games, Minnesota fell back to Earth this season. Miguel Sano and Byron Buxton were young pillars of a productive Twins lineup in 2017, especially in the second half. But 2018 has been disastrous for both, with each optioned to the minors, plus Buxton not getting called up in September so the Twins could game the system and get an extra year before he qualifies for free agency down the road.

Angels - Mike Trout is still Mike Trout, and Shohei Ohtani has been amazing both at the plate and on the mound. But not much else went right for the Angels in 2018, including Ohtani tearing his UCL and needing Tommy John surgery. Injuries on the pitching staff were killers, putting a damper on the postseason hopes in Anaheim.

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September 20 to September 26, 2018

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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY

Week of September 20

ARIES (March 21-April 19): “The flower doesn’t dream of the bee. It blossoms and the bee comes.”

So says poet and philosopher Mark Nepo in The Book of Awakening. Now I’m transmitting his observation to you. I hope it will motivate you to expend less energy fantasizing about what you want and devote more energy to becoming the beautiful, useful, irresistible presence that will attract what you want.

The coming weeks will be an excellent time to make plans to produce very specific blossoms.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Budi Waseso, the former head of the Indonesian government’s antinarcotics division, had a radical plan to prevent escapes by people convicted of drug-related crimes.

He sought to build detention centers that would be surrounded by moats filled with crocodiles and piranhas. But his replacement, Heru Winarko, has a different approach. He wants addicts and dealers to receive counseling in comfortable rehabilitation centers. I hope that in the coming weeks, as you deal with weaknesses, flaws, and sins—both your own and others’—you’ll opt for an approach more like Winarko’s than Waseso’s.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In one sense, a “patron saint” is a Catholic saint who is a heavenly advocate for a person, group, activity, thing, or place. St. Jude is the patron saint of lost causes, for instance. St. Francis of Assisi is the guardian of animal welfare and St. Kentigern is the protector against verbal abusers. “Patron saint” may also be invoked poetically to refer to a person who serves as a special guide or influence. For example, in one of his short stories, Nathaniel Hawthorne refers to a veteran nurse as “the patron saint of young physicians.” In accordance with current astrological omens, I invite you to fantasize about persons, groups, activities, things, or places for whom you might be the patron saint. To spur your imagination, here are some appropriate possibilities. You could be the patron saint of the breeze at dawn; of freshly picked figs; of singing humorous love songs in the sunlight; of unpredictable romantic adventures; of life-changing epiphanies while hiking in nature; of soul-stirring music.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): In August 1933, author Virginia Woolf wrote a critical note to her friend, the composer Ethel Smyth, lamenting her lack of emotional subtlety. “For you,” Woolf told Smyth, “either things are black, or they’re white; either they’re sobs or shouts—whereas, I always glide from semi-tone to semi-tone.” In the coming weeks, fellow Cancerian, you may encounter people who act like Smyth. But it will be your sacred duty, both to yourself and to life, to remain loyal and faithful to the rich complexity of your feelings.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): “People think of education as something they can finish,” said writer and scientist Isaac Asimov, who wrote or edited over 500 books. His point was that we’re wise to be excited about learning new lessons as long as we’re on this earth. To cultivate maximum vitality, we should always be engaged in the processes of absorbing new knowledge and mastering new skills and deepening our understanding. Does that sound appealing to you, Leo? I hope so, especially in the coming weeks, when you will have an enhanced ability to see the big picture of your future needs for education.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Virgo businessman Warren Buffet is among the top five wealthiest people on the planet. In an average year, his company Berkshire Hathaway adds $36 billion to its already swollen coffers. But in 2017, thanks to the revision of the U.S. tax code by President Trump and his buddies, Buffet earned $65 billion—an increase of 83 percent over his usual haul. According to my analysis of the astrological omens, you’re entering a year-long phase when your financial chances could have a mild resemblance to Buffet’s 2017. I’m not predicting your earnings will increase by 83 percent.

But 15 percent isn’t unreasonable. So start planning how you’ll do it!

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): As he stepped up to use an ATM in a supermarket, a Scottish man

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© Copyright 2018 Rob Brezsny

named Colin Banks found £30 (about $40 U.S.) that the person who used the machine before him had inadvertently neglected to take. But rather than pocketing it, Banks turned it in to a staff member, and eventually the cash was reunited with its proper owner. Shortly after performing his good deed, Bank won £50,000 (about $64,500 U.S.) in a game of chance. It was instant karma in dramatic action—the positive kind! My analysis of the astrological omens reveals that you’re more likely than usual to benefit from expeditious cosmic justice like that. That’s why I suggest you intensify your commitment to doing good deeds.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): As you dive down into your soul’s depths in quest for renewal, remember this testimony from poet Scherezade Siobhan: “I want to dig out what is ancient in me, the mistaken-for-monster . . . and let it teach me how to be unafraid again.” Are you brave and brazen enough to do that yourself? It’s an excellent time to douse your fear by drawing wild power from the primal sources of your life. To earn the right to soar through the heights in November and December, delve as deep as you can in the coming weeks.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): According to author Elizabeth Gilbert, here’s “the central question upon which all creative living hinges: do you have the courage to bring forth the treasures that are hidden within you?” When I read that thought, my first response was, why are the treasures hidden?

Shouldn’t they be completely obvious? My second response was, why do you need courage to bring forth the treasures? Shouldn’t that be the easiest and most enjoyable task imaginable? Everything you just read is a perfect riddle for you to contemplate during the next 14 months, Sagittarius.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): A blogger named Sage Grace offers her readers a list of “cool things to call me besides cute.” They include dazzling, alluring, sublime, magnificent, and exquisite. Is it OK if I apply those same adjectives to you, Capricorn? I’d like to add a few more, as well: resplendent, delightful, intriguing, magnetic, and incandescent. I hope that in response you don’t flinch with humility or protest that you’re not worthy of such glorification.

According to my astrological analysis, now is one of those times when you deserve extra appreciation for your idiosyncratic appeal and intelligence. Tell your allies and loved ones that I said so. Inform them, too, that giving you this treatment could help mobilize one of your half-asleep potentials.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Many educated Americans and Europeans think of reincarnation as a loony delusion, even though it’s a cornerstone of spiritual belief for over 1.5 billion earthlings. I myself regard it as a hypothesis worthy of intelligent consideration, although I’d need hundreds of pages to explain my version of it. However you imagine it, Aquarius, you now have extra access to knowledge and skills and proclivities you possessed in what we might refer to as your “past lives”—especially in those past lives in which you were an explorer, maverick, outlaw, or pioneer. I bet you’ll feel freer and more experimental than usual during the next four weeks.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): “When the winds of change blow,” says a Chinese proverb, “some people build walls while others build windmills.” Since the light breezes of change may soon evolve into brisk gusts of change in your vicinity, I wanted to bring this thought to your attention. Will you be more inclined to respond by constructing walls or windmills? I don’t think it would be foolish for you to favor the walls, but in the long run I suspect that windmills would serve you better.

Homework: Imagine you get three wishes on one condition: they can’t benefit you directly, but have to be wished on someone else’s behalf.

Freewillastrology.com.

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

LIFE & CAREER COACH

BY SUNNY SIMON

WHEN OPPORTUNITY CALLS

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here is so much great news on the job scene. According to the July 2018 jobs report from the U.S. Department of Labor, the unemployment rate dropped to just 3.9 percent and the August report cited average wages experiencing unexpected growth. Fast forwarding, this may mean a tight labor market for employers. How does that impact you, the employee? Well, get ready, because you are about to be cast into the driver’s seat.

Although you may not actively be seeking a new opportunity, you might fall into the category of “passive job seekers.” So when the phone rings and the recruiter on the other end is tooting his or her horn about the fantastic opportunity that has your name on it, I suggest you listen up.

If you’ve networked extensively and have an all-star LinkedIn profile, you may be hearing from an inside recruiter or a headhunter. What kinds of questions should you ask to determine throwing your hat in the ring?

Begin by thinking about your future. Drill down on what opportunities would exist for advancement. Perhaps you want to return to school for an MBA, or a second degree. Inquire about a tuition reimbursement program.

Family planning in your future? Investigate any additional maternity or paternity perks a potential employer has rolled into their benefit plans. Find out if the company supports working parents.

Are you tired of the sixty minute commute, and not leaving the office until after 7PM. If that is the case, you would be wise to make a move to a company touting a serious work-life balance culture. According to surveys done by www. glassdoor.com many employers support their employees’ vision by offering excellent benefit programs and a flexible work environment. Visit that website for specific data.

Has the lack of teamwork at your current job given you pause? Question the company’s core beliefs. Ask the recruiter if the potential employer offers a culture of collaboration, team work and inclusion where you can feel valued.

Should you decided to accept an invitation to interview, keep those questions in mind. Watch for clues as you speak with hiring managers and their teams.

Word of caution here, there is little to be gained from incessant job hopping. On the flip side, if an opportunity comes along that on the surface appears to improve your work life, accept the interview. Take a long, hard look before you jump ship. If you decide the job does have your name on it, go for it! Then stick around and make them happy you joined the team by adding value.

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

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September 20 to September 26, 2018

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September 20 to September 26, 2018

AWAKEN W/LIZZY&AIMEE

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BY ELIZABETH SCARCELLA

HAVE I MET YOU BEFORE?

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very common human phenomenon is that feeling of “knowing” a stranger when meeting for the first time. Some call it deja vu. Others say it’s a coincidence. Still others argue that the stranger they “know” has similar characteristics of a loved one and that’s why it feels so familiar. As for me, I have a whole different opinion; one that might be radical to you. Ready? I believe that the “knowing”; the familiarity you experience is due to being part of a Collective Whole. I believe that all of our souls are swirling together in some nonphysical “bank”….and that’s why we KNOW each other…because on a soul level…we actually do.

In the book, Gratitude + Forgiveness x Love = Happiness, Aimee, Mosco, the author and my Soul Partner, writes this, “We tend to identify ourselves as individuals, but we learn most profoundly when we engage with others. This is because, on a higher level, souls operate as a collective. We have specific goals to meet as part of the collective but whatever we learn as an individual speaks to the progression of all souls.” (pg. 6) It’s been said many times before….from scripture in the Bible, to lessons in elementary school to corporate board meetings, “the whole is greater than the sum of it’s parts.”

We know that when we work together, more is achieved and the synergy created is magical.

The corollary I am suggesting is this…what if we are working together for the betterment of the Whole…even when we aren’t consciously aware of it? What if our souls are searching to reunite us with those that we have known before, in a different space and time? This may sound very woo-woo to you. I can bet though that this has happened to you.

Allow me to illustrate a story. Upon moving to Coachella Valley, I met a man (Bryan) at a networking event that I was hosting. Minutes after we met, he told me that he wanted me to meet a friend of his. Of course I was game for this as I barely knew anyone in town, let alone someone that was deeply spiritual. I was amazed when Bryan texted this female friend on the spot and asked when the three of us could meet. She immediately replied and we arranged to meet the very next day. When she (Aimee) walked into the coffee shop, my body stood me up. It felt like it was involuntary. Now, I did not know what Aimee looked like…but I

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felt implored to stand to greet her, not even knowing if this was the woman I was to meet with Bryan. When she finally approached the table, I was awestruck by her beauty and light.

We instantly embraced and I began to cry.

“Why in the world am I crying?” I wondered.

It was a Homecoming for me. The conscious part of me was confused, but my soul knew exactly what was happening. Aimee and I had “arranged” with Bryan’s assistance to reunite.

Our souls met in the Collective and made this meeting happen. From that moment on, Aimee and I knew we have lots of work to do to help Humanity unify and heal. We both have done healing work on our own, yet, now we must work together.

Do you have a story to share about a so called chance meeting that resulted in a reunion of the souls? Please comment below…we love to hear these stories.

Also, for a deeper conversation, please watch our You Tube video at https://youtu. be/lmBBi1blACk. Lastly, in our pursuit to help you Awaken and gather all those that are seeking….we invite you to join our interactive Facebook group and watch our show, Evolve Through Love. Go to www.facebook.com/groups/ EvolveThroughLove.

Elizabeth Scarcella, Brand + Good Will Ambassador, EFT Practitioner, Weight Loss & Inner Beauty Coach, is dedicated to helping others discover Wellness in all aspects of life.

Elizabeth can help you awaken to your best self yet. For more information, find her at info@gogetyoung.tv.

Aimee Mosco is an author, Certified Reiki Master, and Co-founder of Intentional Healing Systems, LLC. Aimee’s passion for helping others, inspired the collaborative project and global healing movement, IHS Unity. For more information, find Aimee at aimee@ihsunity. com

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September 20 to September 26, 2018

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September 20 to September 26, 2018

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