Coachella Valley Weekly - October 24 to October 30, 2019 Vol. 8 No. 32

coachellavalleyweekly.com • October 24 to October 30, 2019 Vol. 8 No. 32

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October 24 to October 30, 2019

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BB’S 35 ANNUAL HALLOWEEN BASH TH

October 24 to October 30, 2019

NOE OCTOBER 26TH AT THE SHOW BY GUTIERREZ AT AGUA CALIENTE CASINO

Coachella Valley Weekly (760) 501-6228

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

CONTENTS

BB's 35 Halloween Bash.......................... 3 Concert For Autism Recap...................... 4 Halloween Events In The CV.................. 5 Breaking the 4th Wall - Mama Mia......... 5 Black Sabbitch........................................ 6 Sixwire ..................................................... 7 Big & Rich ............................................... 8 Snow The Product.................................. 8 Loverboy................................................. 9 Consider This - Fastball........................ 10 Society Scene - National Philanthropy Day In The Desert............................... 11 Travel Tips 4 U ....................................... 11 Pet Place ............................................... 12 The Vino Voice ...................................... 13 Club Crawler Nightlife .................... 14-15 Good Grub - Grindhouse Burgers........ 16 Brewtality .............................................. 17 Screeners .............................................. 18 Book Review......................................... 19 Safety Tips ............................................. 19 Haddon Libby ....................................... 21 Dale Gribow........................................... 21 Ghost Notes.......................................... 22 Business Profile - Dax Davis................ 23 Earthquake Preparedness................... 23 Free Will Astrology............................... 24 Mind, Body & Spirit.............................. 24 Cannabis Corner................................... 25 Cannabis Corner................................... 26

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ou won’t meet a more admirable human being than BB Ingle. By virtue of his events, he’s supported numerous charities and organizations throughout his career and leaves a path of fun everywhere he goes. That signature Southern drawl pulls you in and the next thing you know, you’re at his subsequent event. This has been the case for over three decades now for the 7-time winner of ‘Best Event Promoter’ and the 2019 recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award at the CV Music Awards.

He’s celebrating his 35th Halloween Bash on Saturday, October 26, 2019 at 9pm by bringing it, for the first time, to The Show at Agua Caliente Casino, featuring a state-of-theart sound, lights, and video system with over 80,000 watts of audio power! This move shows that BB has not slowed down and is still bringing us the finest in entertainment. You can still purchase tickets at partywithBB.com for $35.

A portion of the proceeds benefits the Bronco Bijou Pet Rescue Center. 21+ to attend.

The premier event of the fall season, the legendary Halloween Bash promises to be even more extravagant and entertaining than last year’s party which was again nominated in numerous publications as “Event of the Year” in the Greater Palm Springs area!

The Show will be transformed into the ultimate dance party featuring five of SoCal’s hottest DJs including; DJ Aaron C, DJ Ceasare, DJ Lf, DJ Anwaar and DJ Tommy O’Conner.

The party also includes special performances

by Meagan Van Dyke, winner of the CVMA for ‘Best Female Vocal’ of 2019, and hot dance band AlgoRhythmz (comprised of Michael James, Clark Souter and Azhia Zelazquez).

For over 35 years BB has brought the desert some of the biggest and best celebrations. He continues to do so, as is evident with his 2019 CVMA win for ‘Best Event Promoter’. “I feel like I am just getting warmed up when it comes to producing events,” BB shared.

BB is a pure and wholesome gentleman born and raised in Alabama. He personifies fun.

Whether it’s singing “Sweet Home Alabama” with the house band every chance he gets or cheering on his Alabama Crimson Tide, BB lives like he’s on vacation.

With a significant career in developing, planning and executing social events, the former 8th grade history teacher reflects on his career.

“When you receive a lifetime achievement award it makes you look back at the fond memories of the fun times and all the people’s lives you touched and were touched by, but you also remember all the challenges you faced.

When I first started hosting the parties 35 years ago there was no internet, no cell phones, no social media. I would start a few weeks before a party and spend about eight hours a day just calling everybody from a list I had from business cards and numbers written down from everyone I had met, plus hand out flyers around town, flyers made by ‘copy and paste’ the old fashion way. It was a more personal way to invite people in those days. Then after Facebook and social media came along, the attendance at the parties exploded.” The burst of party attendees also brought some “accidental” circumstances.

One thing that has motivated BB has been his unexpected role as cupid. BB reflected, “It really inspires me to keep coming back year after year to produce the parties after I was told about all the couples out there that have met at one

of the parties, fell in love, got married and had children. There have been well over a hundred.

To know that something you created touched another’s life like that makes it all worthwhile.”

BB accepts the role enthusiastically and only relates to the good nature of the man.

BB believes that the essential qualities for a successful promoter are passion, compassion and positivity. “You cannot be successful at anything unless you are passionate about it.

Second, care for others; you can never be truly successful by yourself. Third, attitude; be positive and don’t look at the ‘why not’ or ‘I can’t’…but always look into HOW can I make it happen and find a way to do it,” BB declared.

This is the confidence that it takes to achieve an enduring span of prosperity.

After so much time in the event promotion business and receiving the CVMA Lifetime Achievement Award, BB is not close to done being as the desert’s premiere promoter.

He joked, “Am I that old? Aren’t lifetime achievement awards for people at the tail-end of their careers?” He will send-off 2019 and bring in 2020 like only he can. “We are really excited about this year’s 36th Annual New Year’s Eve Masquerade Ball, more details to follow!”

BB wanted to send a message to all past and current Party With BB participants: “I want to extend a special thanks to all those of you out there that have supported the parties over the years; for encouraging me and allowing me to live my dream and to be your go-to party guy!”

See you at the BB’s 35th Annual Halloween Bash!

For more info visit: partywithBB.com or call 760-880-1059

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October 24 to October 30, 2019

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CONCERT FOR AUTISM RECAP

12TH ANNUAL

Photos By Laura Hunt Little

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HALLOWEEN EVENTS IN THE COACHELLA VALLEY GET READY FOR A HOWLING GOOD TIME AT THE LIVING DESERT’S HOWL-O-WEEN Get ready for a howling good time at The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens annual Howl-OWeen, presented by The H.N. and Frances C. Berger Foundation, on Saturday, October 26 from 9 a.m. to noon and Thursday, October 31 from 6 to 8:30 p.m.

Visitors of all ages are invited to dress up in their favorite costume and experience park-wide activities along with the every-day wonders of The Living Desert. Children under 12 should bring a reusable bag to hit the trickor-treat trail featuring a large variety of treat stations.

“The Living Desert is celebrating 25 years of offering a safe, entertaining place for families to celebrate Halloween,” said Erin Scott, Sr. Marketing and Public Relations Manager.

“We invite everyone to come join our spooky daytime and evening adventures.”

Additional activities include pumpkin bowling, a witchcraft hut with glow-in-thedark paint, a sensory lab, and more. A haunted mansion treat station, complete with a maze, is sure to deliver a ghostly experience. Plus, spooky train rides and the carousel will be available for $3 per person.

Free entertainment includes DJ Dynamic Dave spinning tunes in the Palm Garden and Magician McHugh & Co. amusing the audience at Village WaTuTu. The Howl-O-Ween daytime event on

Saturday, October 26 from 9 a.m. to noon is free to members and with paid park admission to the Zoo. Halloween night, from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. is $6 for members and $10 for nonmembers. Howl-O-Ween at The Living Desert is presented by The H.N. and Frances C. Berger Foundation, and is sponsored by HiTech Lights, Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, Ultimate Events, Contour Dermatology, and Whitewater Rock and Supply.

The Living Desert is open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call (760) 3465694 or visit www.LivingDesert.org.

TERRORFEST AT TACKROOM TAVERN Brought to you by Desert DJ Entertainment Group. Saturday, October 26, 2019. Doors Open at 8pm. Tackroom Tavern on Monroe St, Indio, CA 92201. Tickets: Presale $20. Day of Show $25/Must be at least 21 years of age.

Experience 3 stages of Terror-rific fun.

Phantom of the Tavern: DJ Will and DJ Omar featuring guest DJs will be spinning everything from Funk and Old School to HipHop Throwbacks.

Dr. Frankenstein‘s Laboratory: DJ JayCue, DJ Paul Z, NickiMae, J Sizzle, and Luthergates will bring the EDM, Latin, Top 40, Hip-Hop and Reggae-ton sound.

Special performance by hip-hop artists Amadeus, Cheapskate.

Monster Squad Stage: Flashback Boys, Mozaiq, The Delgado Band

STAGE REVIEW OF ‘MAMA MIA’

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he 1970’s was an era when women’s rights, gay rights and environmental movements all began to demand more attention in American culture. Music was changing and new sounds were reflecting the generation that emerged after the free love and war demonstrations of the 1960’s. Funk, Soul, R&B, Pop, Hard Rock, Soft Rock and Disco all carved out their place in the music world of the 70’s. And no band immortalizes the decade better than the Swedish Pop group, ABBA, who became one of the top selling groups of all time.

In 1998 British playwright Catherine Johnson, joined ABBA singers/composers Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus, to create the internationally successful Musical, “Mama Mia.” Based on the music of ABBA, ‘Mama Mia’ opened to great acclaim in 1999. As of 2018, Mama Mia, is the seventh longest running show in London’s West End. The Broadway production closed in September 2015 after a 14-year run, making it the ninth longest-running show in Broadway history.

The most recent incarnation of this international hit is currently on stage at the Indio Performing Arts Center, under the production of Desert Theatre Works.

Area 51 Lounge: Hang out and grab a drink while relaxing in our lounge and have your photo taken by CV Photobooth. *Costume Contest hosted by Versastyle at 12:45am on the Monster Squad Stage with prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd.

Come enjoy Music, Dancing, Photo booth, Drink specials, Costume contest, and a food court while partying with friends. **RULES** MUST HAVE I.D *No props or weapons of any kind *NO RE-Entry at any time *All sales final no refunds.

Pre-Sale Ticket Locations: Tackroom Tavern at 81800 Ave 51 off Monroe St, Indio, CA Skitzo Kitty Lingerie LTD at 73221 Hwy 111 B Palm Desert, CA THE 2nd ANNUAL MALL-0-WEEN EVENT at INDIO GRAND MARKETPLACE A FREE trick or treat event for kids on Halloween, Oct. 31st from 4 PM – 7 PM. Are 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 2nd Annual MALLO-WEEN, 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-O-WEEN flyer posted by the store’s entrance. Be sure to bring a bag for all of your treats.

Activities include: Trick or Treating (while

BY DEE JAE COX

Mama Mia, is set on a fictional Greek island, 20-year-old Sophie (Susannah Vera), who has been raised by her single mother, Donna, (Suzie Wourmes,) is preparing to marry her fiancé, Sky (Noah Arce.) She wants her father to walk her down the aisle, if only she knew who he was. Sophie discovers her mother’s old diary and finds entries which describe intimate dates with three men, Sam Carmichael (Shel Safir,) Bill Austin (Steve Portoles,) and Harry Bright (Mark Demery).

Sophie believes one of these men is her father and, three months before her nuptials, sends each an invitation to her wedding, writing in her mother’s name, Donna, without letting her unsuspecting mother know. All three men accept the invitation and arrive for her wedding. Memories of Donna’s 1979 ‘Dancing Queen’ persona is revealed through song and dance with the help of her two best friends Tanya, (Tiffany Lobue) and Rosie, (Kelly McDaniel,) who will definitely make you long for a reunion with your college besties.

Daniela Ryan artfully directs this mega size ensemble. With wonderful assistance from talented choreographer Stacy CasaluciGrenrock, Ryan keeps this production singing and dancing in synchronized harmony, as they

October 24 to October 30, 2019

EVENTS

supplies last), Petting Zoo, Face Painting, Balloon Artist, Costume Contest, Haunted House, Food Trucks.

Indio Grand Marketplace (formerly Indio Fashion Mall) 82227 Hwy. 111, Indio, CA 92201.

Admission is FREE HALLOWEEN at CVB - The Return Of The Black Widow Join us Saturday October 26th for Heavy Music and Big Beers. Black Widow Russian Imperial Stout is back. Costume party with CVB Beer Prizes and three hard hitting bands!

ORMUS, THE AFTER LASHES and THROW THE GOAT. All ages / No cover.

BREAKING THE4TH WALL

move across the stage and throughout the theatre. One of my personal favorites was the staging of the song “Under Attack,” bringing the audience into Sophie’s sleep walking nightmare.

Mama Mia, is a fun, feel good kind of show. I’ve seen two previous productions in Los Angeles. It should have you on your feet dancing and singing along. Unfortunately, despite understanding that this cast obviously worked extremely hard to bring this show to life, I did not feel the magic or chemistry in their song or dialogue, which left me with a sense of disappointment.

Desert Theatreworks, produces incredible community theatre and should be applauded for their efforts. Here’s hoping that this production finds its footing and closes with dancing in the aisles.

Mama Mia, can be seen through November 3rd, 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

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October 24 to October 30, 2019

MUSIC

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BLACK SABBITCH

THE FEMALE BLACK SABBATH

BY NOE GUTIERREZ

PERFORMING AT THE HOOD BAR & PIZZA. NOVEMBER 1, 2019

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ince 2011, BLACK SABBITCH have been selling out shows and slaying even the most scrutinizing of BLACK SABBATH believers, gaining a faithful fan base and the respect of critics and professional musicians alike.

In 2015 they were hand-picked by Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne to open the inaugural OZZFIESTA and in 2018, the band was chosen

by Dave Grohl to play Cal Jam 2018 with FOO FIGHTERS and IGGY POP, after which the FOO shared photos of the band saying, “We were spellbound!”

It’s this possession that BLACK SABBITCH has over its audiences that makes their live performances so unique. When they take the stage they melt faces and drop jaws as they nail every note written by the founding fathers of Metal while adding their own mind trip that intensifies the music even further.

BLACK SABBITCH includes Angie Scarpa on drums, Melanie Makaiwi on bass, Emily Burton on guitar and Alice Austin on vocals.

They will be taking the stage at The Hood Bar & Pizza on Friday, November 1, 2019, for an exclusive Coachella Valley visit. Providing support for the evening are Coachella Valley Music Award winners for ‘Best Youth Band’ PESCATERRITORY and APHRODISIAC JACKET, the Desert Music Tribute to THE CULT. Doors open at 8 p.m. and the entry fee is $8. This show is 21+.

Coachella Valley Weekly interviewed Black Sabbitch drummer Scarpa as they completed yet another round of touring the Western United States.

CVW: The origins of Stoner Rock are unquestionably associated with Black

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Sabbath. What are your feelings about this area and that music?

Scarpa: “Well we definitely have a strong affinity for the Heavy Rock scene that came from that part of California. You can definitely draw a direct line to Sabbath.”

CVW: Black Sabbitch has toured across the country and has a significant history. What are some of your major accomplishments?

Scarpa: “Playing Cal Jam ‘18 last year was a pretty big highlight. Having OZZY ask us to open for him was also a big deal, as is knowing the original members of Sabbath all know about us and like what we are doing. When Home of Metal and artist Shepard Fairey did a Black Sabbath 50 year retrospective called NEVER SAY DIE!, they asked us to perform. Geezer Butler and Bill Ward were in the house so that was a bit of a mind-fuck LOL! Personally, having Bill talk to me about how I play drum parts that he wrote (and I frankly worship) would have made teenage me’s head explode.”

CVW: Your YouTube videos of strippeddown versions of Black Sabbath songs in artful settings are bad-ass! How did that idea come about?

Scarpa: “We started out doing little jam sessions in our touring RV just to pass the time on the road and we filmed a few and put them on our social pages. People always respond to the little personal things we do on our pages so we started to do more. Now, when we see something interesting out the window, we jump out and film a song in front. It’s led to all kinds of fun stuff like playing “Children of the Grave” in a New Orleans cemetery or “The Wizard” on top of a Stonehenge replica

in Texas. One of my favorites is “Hole in the Sky” in a Louisiana rail yard. I’ve always loved trains and the nostalgic feeling you get when you see old train tracks out the window while on the road. When I saw that particular shot I just knew we had to do something there. It was sunset and just so perfect. We got halfway through when the cops showed up LOL. We finished the song and I sweet-talked our way out of there.”

CVW: Black Sabbath has such an extensive catalog of songs to choose from. What’s your song selection process like and how do you determine a song list for a particular show or venue?

Scarpa: “After seven years of doing this band, we’ve built up quite a catalogue. Our original edict was that we wouldn’t do anything unless it was the original four members, so that means nothing past Never Say Die. We started out with a list of songs we had to do, like “War Pigs,” “NIB,” “Sweet Leaf,” etc., and then we added things that we each really wanted to play, generally things that were out of the ordinary or that Sabbath never or rarely played, like “Sabbra Cadabra” or “Hole in the Sky.” Then we added things that people would shout out at shows, like “After Forever,” “The Wizard,” etc. That led to a pretty big list.

We like to keep the audience and ourselves entertained so generally we make a different set list each night. We’ve also been known to change it on the fly or jam one song into the next the way Sabbath did in the early 70’s.”

CVW: How would you describe the unity and friendship within Black Sabbitch?

Scarpa: “We all get along really well and that chemistry really shows on stage. Melanie and I have been friends for 20 years and have been playing together in different bands for almost the entire time. That’s a pretty great thing for a rhythm section to be that close.

Emily and I were in a band together years ago so we already had a bond when she came into Sabbitch and Alice is just an amazing source of light. Her energy has been a real godsend for the band. We all hang out quite a bit even when we are not on the road or playing music.

These girls are some of my best friends and that makes playing together all the more joyous.”

CVW: What shows or venues do you have your sights on?

Scarpa: “This winter we will finally be doing an extended tour of the East Coast and Midwest and then in the spring we are heading to the UK for a few weeks. We are very much looking forward to that.”

CVW: What should people attending The Hood show on 11/1 expect from your performance?

Scarpa: “We’ve always strived to give as an authentic performance as possible. That means we play these songs with not only a sense of reverence for the material but also a sense of ownership. We don‘t look at this as a covers gig or your typical ‘tribute’ situation.

It‘s always been more about the vibe of an early 70‘s Sabbath concert, that indescribable meeting of Proto-Punk, Acid Rock, Swing Jazz and reckless abandon that only the original Sabbath line-up had.”

CVW: Having seen you perform before, Black Sabbitch is not a cover or tribute band, in my opinion. It is exactly as advertised, ‘The Female Black Sabbath’. What feelings occur when you’re performing?

Scarpa: “For me... pure joy and manic energy mixed with the feeling of dancing behind a drum set. Heavy, heavy swing.”

CVW: What’s it like when you hear someone has been attracted to you because you’re an all-female band or because of reasons other than Black Sabbath and turn them on to Black Sabbath?

Scarpa: “I love it. I am personally such a huge fan of the music that I love to get all geeked out with the fans after the show, talking about the emotion of it all or the elements that many people don’t dig deep enough to uncover.”

CVW: You’ve had several past members of Black Sabbitch. What are the best qualities of this line-up?

Scarpa: “This is the definite line-up. It’s honestly hard now to even remember a time when Emily and Alice were not up there with Mel and myself. We have such chemistry that we are almost communicating at an unconscious level. For me, as a drummer, that is key with this music. It allows us to take chances with the music and have the confidence that the other girls will be there to pick you up if you fall.”

CVW: I assume you all have backgrounds in original music. What other bands/projects are you involved with and would like to share with our readers?

Scarpa: “Yes, we all have our roots in original music projects, have made records and toured all over the world. None of us really had any notion to do anything resembling a tribute band until Black Sabbitch was born.

Emily is a founding member of the longrunning band Fireball Ministry who continue to make records and tour. Alice founded the Vermont-based band Zola Turn, who made many records before she went solo and began recording under her own name Alice Austin.

Melanie founded the Los Angeles band Penny Dreadfuls as well as playing in My Ruin, Scarling and The Art of Safecracking, which is where we met and first started playing together.”

CVW: What do we need to know about Melanie Makaiwi, Emily Burton & Alice Austin that they wouldn’t necessarily share if asked?

What would they say about you?

Scarpa: “I think all three of them would be too humble to tell you just what amazing musicians they all are and about me they’d probably say, ‘what?’, because I’ve deafened them all with my cymbals.”

CVW: If you were the only four people on Earth who could remember Black Sabbath’s music after waking up in an alternate timeline where they never existed, what would you do?

Scarpa: “I think we’d be doing exactly what we are doing now... bringing the gospel of Sabbath to the masses.”

CVW: Can we just agree that you return at least once a year to The Hood Bar & Pizza?

Scarpa: “Yes!!!! How about twice?” blacksabbitch.com

MUSIC

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October 24 to October 30, 2019

29 CASINO PROUDLY PRESENTS ALL STAR JAM SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2 SIXWIRE SPOTLIGHT

ive veterans of touring, recording, and songwriting adopted their name SIXWIRE from the six-string guitar, a fitting tribute to the instrument around which their sound is based. The band will be performing at Spotlight 29 Casino on Saturday, November 2, at 8 p.m. in the Spotlight Showroom for their All Star Jam featuring several Rock legends including Wally Palmar (THE ROMANTICS), Steve Augeri (former lead vocalist for JOURNEY), Jason Scheff (former lead vocalist of CHICAGO) and John Elefante (former lead vocalist of KANSAS). One hundred percent of proceeds from ticket sales will benefit non-profit organization Martha’s Village, one of the largest providers of homeless services in the Coachella Valley and Riverside County.

The group was formed in 2000 with Andy Childs, Steve Mandile (guitar), Robb Houston, John Howard (bass), and Chuck Tilley (drums) and would soon see chart success, national touring, and multiple television appearances. With the addition of Steve Hornbeak (keyboards), SIXWIRE continues their run of success making appearances all over the world with their Pop-Country meets Classic Rock highenergy show, while also continuing to serve as back-up band to dozens of iconic musical stars.

The friendship was formed long before the band, as Mandile recruited Howard, Tilley, and Hornbeak to be a part of singer Lee Greenwood’s touring band, for which Mandile was band-leader.

Childs, an RCA Records solo artist, began regularly opening shows for Greenwood, and another future element fell in place, unbeknownst to the five. Sometime later, Mandile, Howard, and Tilley would form an original band along with guitarist Robb Houston, who answered a cattle-call audition, but Mandile was never really comfortable with the position of frontman.

Mandile had been writing songs with Childs, and convinced him to come aboard.

SIXWIRE was born, and in less than a year was signed to Warner Brothers Records in Nashville. Their first self-titled release (2002), produced by Mandile, debuted in the top 30, and spawned the chart hits “Look At Me Now” and “Way Too Deep.”

Touring followed with the top artists of that time, and included appearances with TIM MCGRAW, KENNY CHESNEY, MARTINA McBRIDE and PHIL VASSAR. Through the years, members of SIXWIRE have played in the bands for FAITH HILL, ALABAMA, RANDY TRAVIS, RICHARD MARX, DELBERT McCLINTON, STEVE WARINER, PAM TILLIS, DOLLY PARTON, OLIVIA NEWTON JOHN, VINCE GILL, LEE GREENWOOD, BJ THOMAS, and many others.

They have also written songs that have been recorded by TIM McGRAW, BROOKS & DUNN, CHRIS CAGLE, SIR CLIFF RICHARD, LEE GREENWOOD, JOHN MICHAEL MONTGOMERY, GEORGE CANYON and CAROLYN DAWN JOHNSON.

BY NOE GUTIERREZ

Collectively, SIXWIRE members have been seen on television programs that include AMERICAN IDOL, ABC’s NASHVILLE, FOX’s NEXT GREAT AMERICAN BAND, USA Network’s NASHVILLE STAR, CMT’s CAN YOU DUET, CMT’s NEXT SUPERSTAR, THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO, THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN, SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, THE TODAY SHOW, GOOD MORNING AMERICA, THE VIEW, THE GRAMMY AWARDS, CMT’s FLAMEWORTHY AWARDS, THE ACM AWARDS and THE CMA AWARDS. The band has performed at the Daytona 500, the NHL All-Star Game, and most recently SUPERBOWL 51, as well as being the house band for the Charlie Daniels AllStar Jam and the ACM Awards After Party All-Star Jam. Coachella Valley Weekly reached out to the Memphis-born Childs to ask about his long-standing connection to the desert, the Warburton Celebrity Golf Tournament and his upcoming Martha’s Village benefit show.

CVW: I saw you perform several years ago at the Warburton show. You guys were awesome and have developed a large following and fan base in the Coachella Valley. What other ties do you have to this area?

Childs: “Prior to becoming music director for the Warburton Celebrity Golf Tournament, I had only visited the California desert a few times. Now that I’ve been in charge of the music for the tournament for the past nine years, I’ve gotten to know many people in the area, and I have made life-long friends there. It’s one of my absolute favorite places to visit. All of the guys in SIXWIRE love coming to the Cali desert, and we love the work we do there!”

CVW: You’ve performed with some of Rock and Roll’s greatest musicians and personalities. Looking back, what have been some of your highlights?

Childs: “Performing with Michael McDonald is certainly one of them, and working with Tom Johnston, another Doobie Brother. It’s a treat to play Eagles songs with former Eagle Don Felder, and we often play with Vince Gill, who’s now part of the current Eagles. I had the honor

of being a temporary member of Little River Band for a tour or two. This year, SIXWIRE was the first ever ‘house band’ for the 2019 NFL Draft, which was held in Nashville… definitely a highlight!”

CVW: I spoke with John Elefante and he couldn’t stop singing the praises of SIXWIRE. What are your thoughts on these “all-star” shows and what makes them different from other shows?

Childs: “The show is ‘seamless’, because SIXWIRE is the only band on stage, and all of the guest stars perform with us. Each guest star comes on stage and does their biggest hits, then makes way for the next guest star. It’s a tight, exciting show, full of all hits, by some of the greatest singers ever in Rock! John Elefante is unmatched as a vocalist…he’s also a wonderful songwriter and producer, and he’s a Grammy winner!

Jason Scheff, who sang lead and played bass for CHICAGO for 30 years, will absolutely blow you away. Steve Augeri was the ONLY choice to carry on for JOURNEY for nearly 10 years, and Wally Palmar is the mainstay of THE ROMANTICS, one of the greatest bands of the 80’s. Seriously, this is a ‘don’t miss’ event!”

CVW: Do you have any more original SIXWIRE music in the works?

Childs: “Yes, and you’ll be able to hear it in early 2020. It’s an interesting time to be in the music business, because you no longer really need a major record label if you already have a following. In the spring of 2020, we’ll be releasing new music that you will be able to find on iTunes, Spotify, and anywhere else you buy or stream music.

There’s a sense of freedom also in the fact that we don’t have to define ourselves as ‘Country’ or ‘Rock’…we’ll just put out music that we love making.”

CVW: Why is it important for SIXWIRE to participate in events like The Warburton?

Childs: “Charity events like The Warburton, and especially the one we’re doing on November 2nd for Martha’s Village, create an opportunity to share a message, and an opportunity for people to give from their hearts. Nothing compares to a great music event for bringing people together and impacting them emotionally, so their hearts open up as well as their

checkbooks, and they realize they can individually make a difference for those who can’t help themselves. All of the guys in SIXWIRE feel very blessed and lucky to be able to do what we do, and creating unforgettable music events that benefit others is our way of giving back.”

CVW: What do we need to know about your bandmates Steve Mandile, Robb Houston, John Howard, and Chuck Tilley and Steve Hornbeak in SIXWIRE? Childs: “That we are like brothers. We’ve all known each other since we all started out in the music business. When we’re not on the road or in a recording studio making music together, you’ll find us all hanging out together, going to hockey and football games, and hanging out in our favorite Nashville haunts. Not a day goes by that I don’t hear from one or more of the SIXWIRE guys…our lives are thoroughly intertwined.”

CVW: Have you worked with Wally Palmar, Steve Augeri, Jason Scheff & John Elefante before?

Childs: “We have worked with all four of them MANY times, and our shows with them are extremely well-rehearsed and tight, while still retaining that first-time energy that you feel when you work with an artist whose music you LOVE! This is a GREAT show!”

CVW: The non-profit benefitting from your show on 11/2 at Spotlight 29 Casino is Martha’s Village. What more do you feel we can do to help reduce homelessness in the United States?

Childs: “It starts at home, in our own community, in our own backyard. As Americans who all support each other and love each other, we don’t have to wait for anyone to tell us what to do or how to help… we KNOW ALREADY. MARTHA’S VILLAGE is proof of that. Here is the perfect opportunity to show your love…to show your heart.”

CVW: What else would you like to share?

Childs: “Only this - COME TO SPOTLIGHT 29 CASINO on November 2! We’ll give you a show you can’t see anywhere else, full of hit songs sung by the singers who led the bands that recorded them! An evening you’ll never forget! AND you’ll be helping your community, just by coming out to have a great time!” sixwireonline.com sixwire.bandzoogle.com marthasvillage.org

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October 24 to October 30, 2019

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

25 AT FANTASY MUSIC BIG & RICH’S “PEACE LOVE & HAPPY HOUR TOUR” OCTOBER SPRINGS RESORT CASINO

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ith a slew of Gold and Platinum records adorning their walls, multiple awards from every major awards show, including a Grammy on their shelves, the originators of “Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy,” are coming to town and bringing the party with them. Poster kids for the adage, “Do what you love, and money will follow,” these swashbucklers of swank and all-American swagger, are bringing their Peace, Love and Happy Hour Tour to Fantasy Springs Resort Casino this Friday night, October 25. John Rich graciously gave an interview to CV Weekly cluing us in on what to expect. If you are longing for a double shot of rocking Americana flavored inspiration, you will want to share this with your America-loving brothers and sisters, especially if they have served or are currently serving in our military.

Launching into the early morning interview with the kind of enthusiasm and confidence that stream from work ethic, hard earned achievement and passion for what he does, John Rich announced with genuine excitement, that Big & Rich are coming to our “si-tay.”

(For those unfamiliar with this dynamic duo’s comprehensive contribution to country rock culture, “si-tay” is “city” in Big & Rich speak) “It’s going to be about as much fun as you can possibly have with DJ Sinister and Cowboy Troy getting the party started for us.”

In a more serious tone, he went on to share what Big & Rich have been doing for the last 1000 concerts without fail and will do again at the Fantasy Springs Special Events Center.

“When we ask our veterans and active duty to identify themselves at our shows, there are always hundreds of hands that go up. So, every show, we bring active duty military and veterans on stage; we announce their name, where they serve, when they served, their rank and branch.

Then we hand them the microphone and let them say what they want to say. After that, we

MUSIC

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or those of us who pay attention, it may often seem as though the current requirements for a female rapper to become successful in America, involve being somewhat of a caricature. I remember looking up to female emcees such as Queen Latifah, Da Brat and Salt & Peppa, who are dynamic, world-changing artists who radiated both beauty and strength. They were also relatable in the sense that the average young lady could look up to them and feel their innate realness while absorbing a message of feminine

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sit them down at the Big & Rich Redneck Riviera Whiskey Heroes Bar that’s located center stage, and we do a toast to them followed by our song, ‘The 8th of November,’ a song that was written about a Vietnam veteran. We follow all that up with, ‘God Bless America.’ It has been quite a momentous thing to see how the crowd responds with love for our Vets.”

The Redneck Riviera Whiskey featured at the onstage bar is one John Rich himself recently developed. “I’ve always been a Crown Royal guy. It’s even written into one of our biggest songs, ‘Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy’: I buy the bar a double round of crown, and everybody’s getting down...’ It’s pretty much been our goto cocktail when we choose to have one. It’s a Canadian blended whiskey. A few years ago, I began to wonder if there was an American blended whiskey. I went out to a few big stores and asked them to show me one, and no one had anything, which was pretty astounding to me. I thought to myself, ‘I’m going to have to get with a master distiller and see if we can’t come up with a brand-new blend that would be America’s answer to Crown Royal, maybe even smoother and 100% American made.’ It took me about a year to get the whiskey totally dialed in to where it was the smoothest whiskey I’d ever had. My final taste tester, however, was my almost 88-year-old grandmother, Granny Rich. Granny

SNOW THA PRODUCT

empowerment. Claudia Feliciano, AKA, Snow da Product, brings those qualities to the table and more.

Releasing her first album in 2011, San Jose native, Snow tha Product, has kept her nose to the grind, honing her mad skills while continuously pushing and striving for greatness.

Her beauty, grace, brains, charm, skills and nononsense approach to everything has been slowly and surely carving her place in the world of hip-hop as one of the most badass female emcees to come out of the US. In addition, her message of female empowerment and mutual support for one another is not only a breath of fresh air, but a crucial part of who she is and what she stands for as an artist. That being said, I was beyond thrilled to have the opportunity to sit down with Snow and her lovely fiance, JuJu, before her recent performance last weekend at the grand opening of The 420 Oasis Cannabis Dispensary in Palm Springs.

CV Weekly: So I knew you grew up around music and your first experiences around it were with your Grandfather’s Mariachi band?

Snow: “Yes, I was originally a singer and always did so in Spanish, of course, which is a huge part of my identity and who I am and I will always be proud of that. That’s why it’s just been a natural thing to incorporate those

Rich has been sipping whiskey since World War II, still runs her own business by herself. She is totally independent. She is the very essence of the ideal, ‘Work hard, play hard,’ which is what it says on the front of the bottle. When she told me, ‘Tell America, it’s Granny Rich approved’ in 2008, we began distribution. We’re now in 48 states. The bottle glass and even the cork, are all American made. 10% of our profits support the families of veterans through the Folds of Honor organization (foldsofhonor.org) who put kids who have lost their parents in combat through college. Redneck Riviera Whiskey sales have funded 60 college grants so far.”

John Rich will be holding a bottle signing the day of the concert, Friday, Oct 25 from 3:30-5 pm at Bev Mo in La Quinta. He promises to sign every bottle and shake every hand.

Music and whiskey forums may not be the only place you can find Big & Rich. There are hints of a possible collaboration with artist, actor, producer, Mark Wahlberg. “There’s nothing concrete yet, but we have been working with Mark and it’s been pretty cool.” When asked if Wahlberg is as cool as he seems, he responded, “He is cooler than he seems, which is a great thing to realize. Mark is a humble guy, very focused, works extremely hard, takes care of his family, is a patriot, and loves our veterans and active duty. He’s my kind of guy.”

aspects into my music. Recently, when I have been able to visit with my grandfather, it’s an incredible feeling for me to hear him express how extremely proud he is of me to be able to tour all over the place making music for a living and bringing in my loyal people; the friends and family who have believed in me from the start.

This was something that he always dreamed of and now I am able to live it.”

CV Weekly: I know you have an 8 year-old son, Drew, and you were a relatively young girl with dreams and aspirations before he came along. Was there ever a point where you thought that you might have to choose between motherhood and a career in music?

Snow: “Yeah, for sure. When I first became pregnant, there was a moment where I thought to myself that this was it and my future was going to be defined by me being a mother.

That mentality didn’t last long. It was quite the opposite. I finally got it into my head that because I was going to be a mother I had to make this happen. It ended up making me focus on my career more than ever. No more messing around because this has to happen.”

CV Weekly: Speaking of family….

Congratulations on your recent engagement!

Are you ladies currently wedding planning?

Snow: “With the constant touring? No, not

BY LISA MORGAN

It would have been irresponsible of me not to ask for some notes for our readers with their hearts set on a career in songwriting.

He responded graciously and honestly. “I’ve written many more hit songs for other people than I’ve sung myself. If you really want to be a professional songwriter, and you’re living in a town other than Nashville, you need to move here or at least visit on a semi-regular basis.

You need to know what you’re up against.

There are a lot of people who, in their town, are the best. But if you want to compete with the best of the best, you need to understand how high the bar is. I tell people this often, and very few follow my advice. The songwriter scene is extremely competitive in Nashville.

They estimate that over 100,000 songs a week are written in Nashville. There are fewer than 50 slots for number one songs in a year. People who have been doing the job for decades here are serious thinkers and doers. For every hit song they write, they have at least 150 that nobody has ever heard. Understanding the level you need to write at is number one. Once you figure that out, you’ve got to get in front of people, performing them as well as getting in rooms with other writers, preferably who are better than you are. That’s what I did as a wetbehind-the-ears kid in Lonestar.” (Rich’s first band) Note: Rich still remembers his first cowrite meeting with Don Cook when he was 18 years old. He came prepared with 15 choruses in hand. It was key to his development as an artist in the industry.

Rich’s last words of advice were for those attending the show. “Take your vitamins and drink plenty of water. It’s going to be high energy show, and you’re going to need it.”

Tickets: fantasyspringsresort.com/big-rich Folds of Honor: foldsofhonor.org Big & Rich: bigandrich.com Redneck Riviera Whiskey: redneckriviera. com/whiskey

BY ESTHER SANCHEZ currently! It was really about solidifying what we have and making a statement about it.

Everything else will come in due time.”

CV Weekly: Whenever I get the chance to interview an artist who has earned a certain caliber of success such as yourself, I always like to ask them, ‘If you could go back in time and talk to a very young version of yourself and give yourself advice on the music business, what would you say?’”

Snow: (Hesitates thoughtfully…) “Don’t trust anyone. Or at least be very careful who you choose to trust, choose to work with, and generally bring into your circle. I was jerked around and learned some hard lessons. That’s why I surround myself with the people I work with now. Loyalty is everything and trust is precious.”

In addition to her amazing music and videos that can be found on YouTube and all other streaming platforms, you can take endearing glimpses into the life of Snow and her fiancé, JuJu, on their YouTube page, "Everydaydays".

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

AFTER 40 YEARS, LOVERBOY GUITARIST PAUL DEAN IS STILL LOVIN’ EVERY MINUTE OF IT

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here are bands that are timeless, and others that are forever associated with a specific era and aesthetic. With their trademark red leather pants, bandannas, and arena rock staples, Loverboy falls firmly in the latter category.

The Canadian rockers have sold more than 10 million albums since releasing their selftitled debut in 1980. In the ensuing decade, they racked up an impressive string of hit singles, including “Lovin’ Every Minute of It,” “This Could Be the Night,” “Hot Girls in Love,” “Turn Me Loose,” “When It’s Over,” and the inescapable “Working for the Weekend.” After more than four decades, the band is still going strong with a busy touring schedule that brings them to Fantasy Springs Resort Casino on Saturday, October 26th.

Loverboy founding guitarist Paul Dean recently talked about their early years in Calgary, and their glory days as stars of the burgeoning MTV generation.

FELCI: Tell us about the band’s early days.

Who were your biggest musical influences?

DEAN: “[Lead vocalist] Mike Reno and I were sitting in the bar our manager at the time, Lou Blair, owned, when that very subject came up. All I remember is, mine were Cheap Trick and the Cars, and Mike’s was, no lie, the great and recently late, Eddy Money. We were both Beatles fans, and were really into Van Halen and Foreigner as well. Of all those, in retrospect, I would say Foreigner was the closest. Same lineup, with a bluesy singer. We have a lot more R&B in our stuff, though. That was probably from all the Motown and Stax artists I was covering in the ’60s, in the dance bands I was in, around Vancouver.

FELCI: You’re credited with coming up with the name Loverboy. Is it true that it came to you in a dream, like Paul McCartney and “Yesterday”?

DEAN: “This question comes up a lot, I’m not sure where the “dream” concept originated, but no, I was fully conscious. We thought about calling the band, although hardly a complete band at the time, Dean Reno. Kind of catchy, right? Yeah, nobody else thought so, either. So back to the drawing board! Short story, from the back of a Cosmo magazine, featuring a Covergirl ad, to “Coverboy” — not bad — then immediately up pops ‘Loverboy.’ It stuck.”

FELCI: For the band’s self-titled debut, Columbia Records paired you with Bruce Fairbairn and Bob Rock. Why was that collaboration so successful for both the band and them as producers?

DEAN: “One of our managers, Bruce Allen, who Lou had just brought on board, was also managing Bruce Fairbairn at the time. Bruce Allen suggested we listen to the recently released Prism album Armageddon, produced by that team. I thought it sounded really good, I’m guessing Mike did too, so we teamed up. Bruce Fairbairn’s contribution was mainly getting Matt, our drummer, into attack mode, and keeping everything organized and on budget. He was the consummate diplomat, and somehow managed to keep everyone on the same page for three albums. As for Bob Rock, he’s easily the best engineer I’ve had

the honor of working with. After a couple of albums with us, he was on his way to becoming a world-class producer himself. But back to the question… It wasn’t just the recording that made that album a success. We also had a committed record label, great management, and decent songs, as well.”

FELCI: The follow-up, Get Lucky, was an even bigger success thanks to the hits “Working for the Weekend,” “When It’s Over,” and “Lucky Ones.” What was it like being one of the biggest bands of the burgeoning MTV generation?

DEAN: “Words fail me as to how great it was/is. Loverboy was my 14th band, and it was everything I had imagined, through all those decades of ‘almost there.’ I had finally found the magic combination of musical styles, and business advisors. Everything fell into place, and we’re still riding the wave after 40 years — still partners, and wonder of wonders, good friends.”

FELCI: Around that time you also toured relentlessly with groups like ZZ Top, Cheap Trick and Def Leppard. Got any wild stories from the road you want to share?

DEAN: “My favorite ZZ Top story… We opened for them in Cape Cod, after a series of less than successful shows. We were still on our first album, we only had two barely recognizable songs, “Turn Me Loose,” and the decidedly not fit for a ZZ crowd, “The Kid is Hot Tonight.” Warning: Pop bands should not open for blues-boogie bands. Especially in Cape Cod, with only one semi-hit. We were getting tired of being pelted with quarters, rat tail combs, whiskey bottles, etc., during previous shows, and that night, in a misguided attempt at defiance, I thought it would be cool to wear a baseball helmet. Bad idea! The crowd took it as full license for bombardment; target practice, at best. We lasted four songs.”

FELCI: The album Lovin’ Every Minute of It, paired you with another legendary producer in Mutt Lange for the title track. What was he like to work with?

DEAN: “Surprisingly, we never met Mutt, although, the producer we were working with on Lovin’ Every Minute of It, the late Mike Shipley, was also Mutt’s engineer. We were excited to work with Mike, we figured we could get the inside scoop on Mutt’s methods and sounds. Sure enough, Mike was a wealth of new recording techniques, he taught me a lot.

He also had the wisdom to recognize that we didn’t have a strong enough batch of tunes for the album. So he called up Mutt, who is one of the best songwriters on the planet, and asked him to write a song for us. Two days later, Mutt played me “Lovin’ Every Minute of It” over the phone from London, and I was blown away.”

FELCI: In 1986 the band contributed the song “Heaven in Your Eyes” to the massively successful “Top Gun” soundtrack. How did that come about and is there any talk of recording a track for the upcoming sequel?

DEAN: “The main songwriter, John Dexter, had an almost finished song that he presented to us. Mae Moore, Mike and I tied up some loose ends, and recorded it. Then Lou, Mike and I went to L.A. to meet producer Jerry

October 24 to October 30, 2019

BY MICHAEL FELCI

Bruckheimer, and played it for him. I guess he liked it! So far, there’s no talk of a Loverboy song appearing on a “Top Gun 2” soundtrack.

FELCI: While Loverboy was on hiatus in 1990, Chris Farley and Patrick Swayze appeared in a now legendary Chippendales audition on “Saturday Night Live” featuring “Working for the Weekend.” Did you have to give permission to use the song and what was the band’s reaction?

DEAN: “I won’t get into the politics of publishing, but we would never turn down an opportunity to appear on “SNL,” live or otherwise. What an honor. We loved it. My opinion, if you can’t laugh at that, I hear they’re hiring at Best Buy.” FELCI: The 40th anniversary of Loverboy’s first album is coming up. Any special plans to

MUSIC

mark the occasion or celebrate with fans?

DEAN: “I think we’ll take it as far as maybe a 40-year t-shirt. Personally, I’m about the present. My main concern is making sure I’m dialed into the other four guys on stage, that what’s coming off that stage is the best it can be, sound-wise, feel-wise, humor-wise. It’s like Penn & Teller up there most nights — Reno cracking jokes, the band reacting. Maybe we’ll throw a free concert at Reno’s place, after the next 40 years.”

FELCI: Finally — after all these years — how do you still pull off the red leather pants?

DEAN: “One leg at a time.”

Tickets for Loverboy are $59, $49, and $29, available at the Fantasy Springs Box Office, via phone (800) 827-2946 and online at www.

FantasySpringsResort.com.

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October 24 to October 30, 2019

CONSIDER THIS

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orty years ago, Punk music seemed too problematic for mainstream radio, so someone coined the term New Wave. The phrase gained traction and became a catch-all for everyone from Adam & The Ants, Blondie and Elvis Costello, to the Go-Go’s and Billy Idol, to Squeeze the Talking Heads and XTC. A decade later the appellation Alternative Music came into vogue. It was an alternative to Top 40 and it easily encompassed the burgeoning Grunge and Riot Grrrl scenes, as well as Britpop.

This made it easier for Jane’s Addiction, L7, Nirvana, Oasis, Blur, Offspring Pearl Jam and Liz Phair to get airtime on MTV and mainstream radio.

As the 21st century approached, the genre became watered down by generic crap like Collective Soul and Eve 6. Bands like Creed and Days Of The New clumsily drafted off the angst of Pearl Jam and Soundgarden, sans nuance. Both Matchbox 20 and Train came off like a poor man’s Counting Crows.

Then came aggro, testosterone-fueled, slightly scatological, um, music by bands like Korn and Limp Bizkit, and in the immortal words of the Pretenders, “Lust turned to anger…”

But all was not lost, wading into this sea of mediocrity was Fastball, a band that harnessed the crisp wordplay of Costello, the angular attitude of the Talking Heads as well as the supple songcraft of the Beatles. All these ingredients made their second album, All The Pain Money Can Buy a genuine hit.

Bassist Tony Scalzo began playing music at age 14 and cycled through a series of bands in Orange County before achieving local success as part of The Goods. Looking for new challenges, he relocated to Austin Texas in 1994, just ahead of his 30th birthday.

Following a false start in the Beaver Nelson Band, he connected with Miles Zuniga and Joey Shuffield. Miles, a native of Laredo, Texas had been drawn to the thriving music scene in Austin. Joey had grown up in Austin, but life in the musical fast lane of Los Angeles beckoned briefly. Both had played in the band, Big Car, but decided pretty quickly to join forces with Tony.

Originally, the trio was known as Star 69, then Magneto, then Magneto U.S.A., which evolved into Ed Clark’s Business Bible, then Starchy, before they settled on Fastball.

Working their way through Austin’s fertile club scene, they cultivated a passionate fan base and created a bit of a buzz.

Rather quickly, they signed with Hollywood Records, an imprint from the Disney Music Group. Their debut, Make Your Momma Proud was released in 1996, but somehow got lost in the shuffle.

The three-piece had better luck with their sophomore effort, “All That Money Can Buy, which arrived in 1998. Produced

by Julian Raymond and recorded at historic A&M Studios in Hollywood, the album was quickly embraced by fans and critics alike.

When the first single, “The Way” went into heavy rotation on MTV and crossed over

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FASTBALL

“THE HELP MACHINE” (33 1/3 RECORDS)

to mainstream radio, the guys could finally quit their day jobs. Soon after, they were performing on “The Tonight Show” and “Conan O’Brien,” touring with popular acts like Everclear and Marcy’s Playground. They earned a spot on the final H.O.R.D.E. tour.

Two other singles, “Fire Escape” and “Out Of My Head” also hit the Top 40. In turn, Fastball was nominated for two Grammy Awards.

With great success, great excess typically follows. The guys in Fastball were never caught on video steering boats with their, um appendages, they never violated women with Mud Sharks, dated underage groupies or ran over their chauffeurs. They basically put their heads down on got to work. They maintained a devoted fan base by making quality records. Their third album, The Harsh Light Of Day was released in late 2000, it was their final album for Hollywood Records. They jumped to the Rykodisc label for 2004’s Keep Your Wig On. Five years later Little White Lies was released independently, as was their sixth studio effort, 2017’s Step Into Light.

Perhaps the band has navigated a quarter of a century together by making time for solo projects, and outside collaborations, this methodology has managed to keep the music fresh and urgent. Recently Fastball reached out to the legendary Steve Berlin and persuaded him to produce their new album, “The Help Machine.”

Steve Berlin has been a fixture of the L.A. music scene for nearly 40 years. He first made his bones blowing saxophone for seminal Roots Rockers, The Blasters.

He seamlessly joined Latin Roots Rock alchemists Los Lobos in 1984, an alliance that has lasted for 35 years. In between his duties with the Wolves, he has served as a producer for everyone from the Beat Farmers, John Wesley Harding, Rickie Lee Jones, Angelique Kidjo to Leftover Salmon and Buckwheat Zydeco.

The album opens tentatively with “Friend Or Foe.” Thrumming bass lines and searing guitar connect over a percolating rhythm; the melody roams the wide open spaces.

Contemplative and yearning, the lyrics plumb the depth of the eternal disconnect of a long distance relationship; “I see the stars up in the sky, I wish I was with you tonight, so far away, 10,000 miles.”

As with previous albums, Tony and Miles divide songwriting duties, each handling lead vocals on their own compositions. Miles has the slight edge here, with seven songs, Tony contributes four. Following Miles’ timorous “Friend Or Foe,” Tony’s “White Collar” feels positively scathing by comparison. The melody and instrumentation are stately and sophisticated, accented by ornate piano notes, burnished guitars, shadowy bass and billowy organ. But biting lyrics offer a withering rebuke of a captain of industry’s moral ambiguity; “Sunshine overdose, body looks good but your brain is toast, driving up and down the Pacific coast, Grand Wizard of the weenie roast/Sunset and Beverly Drive,

BY ELENI P. AUSTIN

bees don’t fly too far from the hive, you’ll get ten years but you’ll only serve five, get religion and say you’re sorry.”

The best tracks here are by turns spiky, sarcastic, surprising, sincere and self-effacing. Miles’ take on spirituality and salvation are bookended by two tracks, “Holding The Devil’s Hand” and “Redeemed.” On the former, a jittery tribal tattoo runs counter to sleek guitars and elastic bass. The caffeinated melody and Noir-ish ambiance echo the classic ‘80s track “Eyes Of A Stranger,” by The Payolas.

The lyrics cut deep, questioning the compromises we make and the shortcuts we take; “There’s a voice in your head when you’re trying to sleep, cos you gotta live with the secrets you keep/You’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t, and you should walk away, but I know you won’t.”

The latter takes a swipe at organized religion and the need of the recently reformed to convert every sinner in their path. “You say that you’ve been saved, good for you, now that you’ve been saved, you want to save me too/I’m not the one you should be worried about, keep your house clean, redeem, redeem yourself.”

The playful melody, anchored by junky percussion, see-saw guitars and brittle bass lines, takes a bit of the sting out of this blunt message.

There’s a lithe efficacy to Tony’s “Doesn’t It Make You Feel Small.” The melody is fueled by a brawny backbeat, zippy guitar riffs, ricocheting bass runs and taut keys.

Between the whiplash instrumentation, lyrics tackle feelings of middle age malaise; “The picture on the bathroom mirror, cracked and faded with age tells the same old story, maybe you should turn the page.”

The arrangement is buoyant and expansive even as the lyrics wallow in the mire.

The melody of “The Girl You Pretended To Be” is tethered to a Texas Two-Step.

Guitars twist and twang over roustabout bass. The lyrics sketch out a “Freaky Friday” scenario, catching a poseur in her tracks, however, the script is flipped and Tony casually admits he’ll take illusion over authenticity; “Now that I’ve caught you, you’ve got nothing to say, I’ve proven your guilt undeniably, if there’s one thing I can say, it’s I’d much rather stay with the girl you pretended to be.”

Meanwhile, “All Gone Fuzzy” spins the sad-sack saga of a paranoid (former?) radical who would rather relive the revolution in his mind than go buy some groceries. Powered by a hopscotching big beat, wobbly keys, breakneck guitars and wiry bass, the arrangement accelerates into the curve just in time for the anthemic (neurotic) chorus; “Somebody’s knocking on my door, while I pretend to be out of town/I peak through the curtains and watch as they walk away.” The neuroses is slightly undercut by the kinetic guitar solo and the fact that the whole song is bathed in a candy-colored glow. It gathers speed at the break before hurtling to a close.

Other interesting cuts include the moody “I Go South,” which vibes the same sexy gravitas as Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine.”

Then there’s the muscular confrontation of “Surprise, Surprise” which shares some musical DNA with Golden Earring’s “Twilight Zone.” Finally, there’s soul-searching grace of the title-track, which relies on whoosh-y keys, creamy choir boy harmonies, sidewinding guitars and an authoritative beat. Here, Miles quietly asserts, “I don’t want to spend my life chasing money.”

The album closes with “Never Say Never,” a South Of The Border ballad that blends courtly Spanish guitar, downcast piano, lush organ notes, agile bass and a TexMex tick-tock beat. Here, Miles concedes he’s curbed his excessive lifestyle; “I guess I finally settled down at last, all that smoking and drinking, that’s all in the past…” but he hasn’t conquered his addiction to love; “I’ll never do another line of cocaine, and I’m never going back to Laredo again/Never do the crazy things that I used to, but I’ll never say never when it comes to you.”

Somewhere, Marty Robbins is smiling.

Steve Berlin encouraged the guys to break out of their comfort zones a bit, so Tony almost completely abdicated bass duties to Bruce Hughes, and primarily played keys. Other pals who pitched in include Charlie Sexton and Kevin McKinney on guitar. John Chipman on drums, Gordy Quist on backing vocals and Andy Steck on drums, Wurlitzer, Juno synth, Ebow and piano.

25 years on, and this Texas trio continues to strike a balance between sly spontaneity and impeccable craftsmanship. Happily, their fan base is now multi-generational.

The most astonishing thing about Fastball is their sound never seems dated or obsolete.

There’s effervescence and an immediacy to the music found on the “The Help Machine.”

In 1998 they hit the Big Leagues, and in the ensuing years, their popularity has levelled off. These days, they’ve settled into a silver age and that seems to suit them just fine.

SOCIETY SCENE

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NATIONAL PHILANTHROPY DAY® IN THE DESERT

NOMINEE RECEPTION HONORS OUTSTANDING PHILANTHROPIC INDIVIDUALS, BUSINESSES, AND ORGANIZATIONS MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY

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t was an elegant evening as the Association of Fundraising Professionals CA, Desert Communities Chapter, hosted a private reception at a stunning residence on Stevens Road in Palm Springs, to honor this year’s Nominees for the 13thAnnual National Philanthropy Day® In The Desert. Once again, the dynamic duo of Mark Anton and Scott Histed graciously sponsored and underwrote this not-to-be-missed elegant soiree.

Over 100 guests were in attendance, including this year’s National Philanthropy Day® In The Desert Nominees, VIP guests, NPD Awards Luncheon Sponsors, City Officials, NPD 2019 Honorees, Board Members of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Past Year’s Nominees and Honorees, Nominators, as well as members of the Association of Fundraising Professionals Blue Ribbon, Gold Ribbon, and Awards Committee. As guests enjoyed the sumptuous cocktail reception, they were serenaded throughout the evening by the Hot Purple Energy Band.

“In a world with messages about what is always wrong, we definitely celebrated at this special evening what is right with the world and the people in the Coachella Valley who make it so,” stated Brian Daly, Event Chair of National Philanthropy Day® In The Desert 2019.

The 13th Annual National Philanthropy Day® In The Desert will take place on Friday, November 8, 2019 at the Hyatt Regency

TRAVEL TIPS4U

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nternationally-acclaimed artist Bruce Munro has premiered his largest artwork to date—an enormous multiacre walk-through installation—at Sensorio in Paso Robles, California. Bruce Munro: Field of Light at Sensorio is comprised of an array of over 58,800 stemmed spheres lit by fiber-optics, gently illuminating the landscape in subtle blooms of morphing

October 24 to October 30, 2019

(left to right) Terence Dwyer, CEO of McCallum Theatre, Sally Berger, Honoree in the OUTSTANDING FUNDRAISING VOLUNTEER category for the 2019 National Philanthropy Day® In The Desert Awards, Harold Matzner, Honorary Chair & Presenting Sponsor of the 2019 National Philanthropy Day® In The Desert Awards, and Amy Dwyer.

PHOTO CREDIT: Dimitri Halkidis Photography.

Indian Wells Resort & Spa in Indian Wells.

Each year, this day of recognition honors philanthropists, businesses, and organizations that generously support our community.

AFP, Desert Communities Chapter, believes that philanthropy benefits not only our communities, but enriches and empowers the entire global community.

Harold Matzner, notable Coachella Valley philanthropist and owner of Spencer’s Restaurant, will be returning for his 7th consecutive year as the Presenting Sponsor and Honorary Chair of National Philanthropy Day® In The Desert. This year’s Award Sponsors are the H.N. and Frances C. Berger Foundation and Wells Fargo. Patrick Evans, KESQ TV’s Meteorologist and Host of ‘Eye On The Desert,” will serve as Emcee for the Awards Luncheon.

“We are immensely grateful for the opportunity to join in celebration of our National Philanthropy Day® Nominees and Honorees,” stated Judi Olivas, President of the Association of Fundraising Professionals CA, Desert Communities Chapter. “This unique reception recognizes the great contributions of these outstanding philanthropic individuals, who through their generosity enrich our community and the quality of life for Coachella Valley,” she continued.

Nominees honored in the six categories of the 2019 National Philanthropy Day® In The Desert Awards included:

OUTSTANDING PHILANTHROPIST AWARD – James & Carol Egan, Patti and Jack Grudhofer, Peggy Jacobs, Shelley Kaplan, Connie & Bob Lurie, Elaine & Jerry Morgan, and Tim & Carol Rochford.

OUTSTANDING FUNDRAISING VOLUNTEER AWARD – Karen & Tony Barone, Sally Berger, Dee Brown, Julie Frazier, Thommy Kocan, Dr. Priscilla & Charles Porter, Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Palm Springs Chapter, Tracey Starr, and Ralph Thompson-Cantua.

OUTSTANDING PHILANTHROPIC FOUNDATION, CORPORATION, OR CIVIC SERVICE ORGANIZATION AWARD – Friends of the Palm Springs Animal Shelter, The Grace Helen Spearman Charitable Foundation, Regional Access Project (RAP) Foundation, Saks Fifth Avenue, Palm Desert, Southern California Edison, and Trader Joe’s.

OUTSTANDING NONPROFIT FOUNDER AWARD – Ron Celona of Coachella Valley Repertory, Eva M. Ford of A Greater Hope, Dimitri Halkidis of Boo2Bullying, Val Horton of INCIGHT, Jan Lupia of Mama’s House, Jo Rosen of Parkinson’s Resource Organization, Karen Riley of S.C.R.A.P. Gallery, Dr. Joan RuBane of International Classical Concerts, Michael Shaw of Dezart Performs, Jeff Taylor of HARP-PS, and E. Jane Woolley, M.D. of Big Hearts for Little Hearts Desert Guild.

OUTSANDING YOUTH IN PHILANTHROPY AWARD – Matthew Castleberry, and the Boys

BY MADELINE ZUCKERMAN & Girls Club of Palm Springs, Keystone Club Members.

OUTSTANDING FUNDRAISING PROFESSIONAL AWARD – Liz Nable, Judi Olivas, and Darrell L. Tucci, CFRE. “We are so grateful to all of our Awards Committee members for the time and care they devoted to this selection process,” stated Awards Committee Co-chairs Gailya Brown and Angela Allen.

Seen in the overflow crowd were Harold Matzner & Shellie Reade, Carol & James Egan, Jan & Art Lupia, Sally & Miles Berger, Gary Hall & Jerry Green, Tim & Carol Rochford, Terri & Bart Ketover, Laura Fritz, Lori Serfling, Patrick Evans, Terence & Amy Dwyer, Betty Wolf, Tom Head, Julie Frazier, Elaine & Jerry Morgan, Dennis Flaig, Nate Otto, Eva Ford, Gailya Brown, Angela Allen, Josh Zahid, Jillian Payne, E. Jane Wooley M.D., Mitch Blumberg, Julie Makinen, Karen & Tony Barone, Geoff Kors, James Williamson, Carolyn & Chuck Brackin, Ron Celona, Liz Chambers, Walter & Geri Clark, Leticia De Lara, Jo Rosen, Jill Golden, Roberta & Clay Klein, Dimitri Halkidis, Barry Dayton, Ralph Thompson-Cantua, Sister Penney Pasta, and Sister Kennor Barbie.

For National Philanthropy Day® In The Desert registration and event information please visit www.afpcadesert.org or contact Event Chair Brian Daly at 760-469-8252 or brian.daly@redcross.org Story on National Philanthropy Day® In The Desert Nominee Reception for SOCIETY SCENE

by Madeline Zuckerman for CV WEEKLY – Madeline Zuckerman is Owner & President of M. Zuckerman Marketing & Public Relations, Inc., a Marketing Communications firm located in Rancho Mirage, California. She can be reached at 760-328-2880 or at Madeline@ zuckerman-marketing.net

ROBLES, CA BRUCE MUNRO: FIELD OF LIGHT AT SENSORIO PASO noted, “This is art you feel, rather than art you view.”

Tickets are $27-$30 for adults, $9-$19 for children. VIP tickets include access to a private terrace plus a picnic dinner for $125 (prices exclude tax & fees).

Field of Light is happening now until January 05, 2020.

color that describe the undulating landscape.

Powered by solar, the stunning exhibition captivates visitors, inviting them to engage with the landscape and environment through an ethereal lightbased and sculptural experience.

Smithsonian Magazine has called Munro’s art “stunning,” while The Guardian

ARTICLE & PHOTOS BY LYNNE TUCKER

For more information, dates, times and directions visit www.sensoriopaso.com.

Think Travel and Enjoy the Journey!

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October 24 to October 30, 2019

L

PET PLACE

oving All Animals invites animal lovers and “foodies” alike to attend their annual fundraiser, Spay-Ghetti & No Balls, on Thursday, November 21, 5:00pm to 8:00pm at the Biggi Bird Gardens in Palm Desert. Enjoy a delicious pasta dinner from Eight4Nine Restaurant, live musical entertainment, and fabulous silent auction items while you mingle with other animal lovers. Proceeds go to Loving All Animals, a local nonprofit organization dedicated to helping our homeless pets.

Loving All Animals’ Executive Director, Mike Russell, reports, “2019 is a very exciting year for Loving All Animals so far. There is much to celebrate as we head to a record number of rescued and adopted animals. We acquired the Pet Rescue Center shelter at the close of 2018. Many structural improvements were needed at the shelter, and funding is needed to help with the ongoing facility remodel. We look forward to seeing longtime friends as well as new folks at this year’s Spay-Ghetti event.” After acquiring the Pet Rescue Center, Loving All Animals expanded their operations to include dog sheltering in addition to their ongoing life-saving foster program for dogs and cats.

Musical entertainment will be provided

by Peter Douglas Wergley. Loving All Animals’ own Mary Ewing will entertain with some

MEET ZIMBA This precious little Terrier boy is ready to spend the holidays with you! Come meet adorable 5-yr-old Zimba at the Coachella Valley Animal Campus, 72-050 Pet Land Place, Thousand Palms.

He’s dog ID #A1184856. rcdas.org, (760) 343-3644.

KITTENS! KITTENS! So many kittens this week at the Coachella Valley Animal Campus shelter! Come meet this adorable 10-week-old trio of tiger striped Tabby kittens. Kitten on the left is Cat ID#A1543575.

Shelter located at 72-050 Pet Land Place, Thousand Palms, www.rcdas.org, (760) 343-3644.

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www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

SPAY-GHETTI & NO BALLS FUNDRAISER FOR LOVING ALL ANIMALS

BY JANET McAFEE

wonderful songs. The delicious menu includes Caesar salad, gourmet pasta, vegetarian meat balls, homemade garlic bread, cauliflower side dish, and cannoli for dessert.

“Spay-ghetti No Balls” spreads the message that everyone needs to spay and neuter their pets in order to curb the pet

overpopulation problem. The vast majority of dogs and cats Loving All Animals rescues as abandoned strays or from public shelters are not sterilized. Many of them have no prior veterinary care. The organization provides spaying & neutering, vaccinating, microchipping, needed surgeries, and a host of other veterinary services before their animals go to “furever” homes. Some of the animals were abused and/or frightened and benefit from training and loving care.

This year’s extravaganza is back at the beautiful BG Bird Gardens estate in Palm Desert after two years at the Palm Springs Air Museum. The BG Bird Gardens is a desert gem resembling a South American tropical rainforest. The estate was designed as a haven for animals and the humans who love them. A focal point in the spacious yard is the live flamingo lagoon where the statue of a black panther perches on the above rocks observing the birds below. Two thatched roof bars dispense beverages to guests. Owned by Gino and Lindi Biggi, the estate amazes first time visitors. Lindi founded Loving All Animals in 2008, and though she retired as President Emeritus in 2017, Lindi graciously donated her home as the venue for Spay-Ghetti 2019.

Loving All Animals describes their mission, “Our mission is to join with other local and national animal welfare organizations to

maximize programs to stop the killing of adoptable animals.” Come out on November 21 and meet their staff, volunteers, foster parents, and rescue dogs. Enjoy the evening while you donate to a good cause.

Reservations are required, and this event always sells out. Tickets are $85, or tables for 10 may be purchased for $765. Call (760) 8347000 or order online www.lovingallanimals. org. Loving All Animals is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit, and their tax ID# is 26-384119. You may bring your well behaved dog kept on a leash. This event is a must for Coachella Valley animal lovers!

Janetmcafee8@gmail.com

T

THE VINO VOICE

his column has enjoyed its share of Halloween articles written through the years in the CV Weekly with such titles as: Drink Up Witches!, Trick or Treat— Haunting Hootch for Halloween, and last year’s Oh No! Oh Yes—The Walking Dead!

And we’ve reviewed plenty of wine that became a Halloween treat simply because of its label. Quoting myself previously: The days of quiet wine packaging and labeling are done! Wine bottles are partying hearty with outfits as clever as yours. Just a couple of years ago, most of the Halloween wine parties had the same few wine garbs that included Bogle Phantom lurking about, and the Apothic Red hiding in the shadows, even the7 Deadly Zins was masquerading as a love-potion.

Now there’s a plethora of evil vino and every wine shop worth their weight is decorating spooky with eerie labeled wine bottles on every cob-webbed shelf in the store. Labels with unnerving names such as Cockfighter’s Ghost—an Australian wine named after a ghostly steed said to reside in the vineyard after drowning in a nearby creek; Poizin Zinfandel, “the wine to die for”—from the Armida Winery in Dry Creek Valley priced at $25 and the Reserved bottling which comes complete with its own wooden coffin, costing a hideous $60; and yet another Zin, California’s Zombie Zin, where probably

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

October 24 to October 30, 2019

HALLOWEEN WINE HITS

the best thing about this wine bottle is the punk rock Zombie daring you to sip some of his evil elixir.

I know it’s unsettling, but some of the crazy scary wines/labels are no longer with us—R.I.P. Wines with such names as “Daggers Delight,” “Frankenstein’s Cab Franc,” “Fresh Blood, Vein Ripened,” “Ye Olde Spider Venom,” and, as one would expect, “Zombie Virus,” sadly, they’re settling somewhere in purple purgatory, only to be found nestling in your nightmares.

Whatever wine marketing Madison Avenue comes up with, really, what could be scarier than an over-oaked California Cabernet or Chardonnay at 15.9% alcohol that costs over $100?

The “most popular Halloween/scary wine labels”--as computed by actual sales, include Ghost Pines, Apothic Inferno, the aforementioned, Bogle Phantom and 7 Deadly Zins, The Velvet Devil, Chronic Cellars Dead Nuts and some of the Orin Swift line-up. And there’s no question for you folks planning a Wicked Halloween Wine tasting party to have these wines on hand for some humorous ambiance.

For the discriminate wine taster—and, art aficionado, the following couple of wines would definitely make it worth getting into a costume that fits and parading over to the party:

2014 Besieged Red Blend, around $20, is produced by the well-known Ravenswood Winery of Sonoma County. It’s a “limited release” red wine that continues to impress.

The label of course works with its three black ravens hovering over a scary looking landscape. Having three or four bottles of this wine on the bar would get me into a costume.

More importantly, the wine is dark, rich, and full of flavor. We get aromas of blackberry, blueberry, baking spices, cigar box, tobacco, and cassis. The mouth-feel is rich and smooth with rich blackberry and chocolate coming through in the taste along with a hint of smoke. It’s a juicy quaff with a nice finish of cooked fruits and black pepper.

What’s not to like here!

It’s a classic “field blend” from Sonoma County where Petite Sirah, Carignane, Zinfandel, Syrah, Alicante Bouschet, Barbera are combined. Over a hundred years ago, these same varietals were often grown in the same vineyard field and blended into wine vats. Five years ago, I reviewed the Besieged wine thinking it would be simply a “fruit bomb”; but it wasn’t, and it continues as an elegant, dry, and well-balanced wine.

Another wine with rave recommendations, fitting into the Halloween mode with its very eerie label and magnificent flavor profile is the 2017 Orin Swift Palermo, $50. Another wine to dress up for; and speaking thereof, Orin Swift dresses his labels to the hilt. The Palermo features a Sicilian grandmother dressed in mourning, aside a mausoleum— who herself is a skeleton.

BY RICK RIOZZA

This brand new 2017 release comes with winery notes that state: “seamless assortment of classic Napa Cabernet aromas exuding from the glass—cassis, black cherries, chaparral and a touch of intriguing butterscotch. On the palate, the wine is tastefully expressive with ripe raspberry, crème caramel, bay leaf and two types of currants—red and black.; carrying its own weight through the finish, the wine’s prominent tannins will soften over time.”

In simple terms, I get aromas of cherry, flowers, and oak; flavors of berries, plum, cassis and mocha. Well balanced with big tannins (I like that a lot!) and a bright finish not heavy. A tasty Napa Cab—no tricks here, a wonderful Halloween treat!

Still in the dark? Remember, the most blood thirsting wine on earth is made from the famous Sangiovese grape. When translated from Italian, sangiovese means “blood of Jupiter”. This is the grape which produces your favorite Chianti and/or Brunello di Montalcino in the Tuscany area.

If there’s a blind wine tasting at your next Halloween party, and you sense and taste blood notes from a glass—think Chianti.

Indeed, wasn’t it Hannibal Lecter’s wine of choice when he dined on a living brain?

Don’t be scared! Enjoy your favorite blood favored wine tonight! Cheers!

Rick is still your somm-de-ghost pouring and entertaining at the usual haunted venues.

Contact him at winespectrum@aol.com

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October 24 to October 30, 2019

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

THUR OCTOBER 24

29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 Bobby Furgo & Co 6pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Mr. Goodboy 9pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 Bill and Doug Duo 6:30pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 CV Hip Hop Showcase 7pm BERNIE’S; RM; 760-202 4499 Horace Miller, Brian Dennigan and Leon Bisquera 6:3010pm BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 John Stanley King 6-10pm THE CASCADE LOUNGE, AGUA CALIENTE; RM; 888-999-1995 Ladies Night w/ Bianca from 92.7 9pm CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick Tuzzolino 5:30pm CATALAN; RM; 760-770-9508 George Christian 6-9pm CHEF GEORGE’S PICASSO LOUNGE; PD; 760-200-1768 Michael D’Angelo 6:309:30pm, DJ 9:30pm COPA NIGHTCLUB; PS; 760-866-0021 MOD Squad Variety Show w/ Francesca Amari, Jeff Stewart and Wayne Abravanel 5:30-7:30pm, Lipstick hosted by Bella Da Ball 8pm, DJs Banks and Ax 10pm CUNARD’S SANDBAR; LQ; 760-564-3660 Bill Baker 6pm EUREKA; IW; 760-834-7700 Live Music 8-10pm FISHERMAN’S GROTTO; PD; 760-776-6534 Barry Baughn Blues Band 5:30-8:30pm HENRY’S SPORTS BAR AND GRILL; CC; 760-656-3444 DJ 10pm THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 Red’s Rockstar Karaoke 9pm

HOODOO COCKTAIL GARDEN @ THE HYATT; PS; 760-322-9000 Chris Lomeli 7pm HOTEL PASEO; PD; TBA 4-7pm LANDMARK LOUNGE; LQ; 760-289-6736 Lisa LaFaro 7pm LA QUINTA RESORT; LQ; 760-564-4111 Steppin Out 6-9pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-3252794 Hot Roxx 6:30pm LIT@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; 760-3452450 Country Night w/ Dillon Carmichael 7pm, Doo Wah Riders 8:30pm MASTRO’S; PD; 760-776-6777 Finesse 6:3010:30pm MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 Ron Greenip 8pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Karaoke 8pm THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry 6-8pm Tim Burleson 8pm PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-365-5956 Black Lips and Blue Rose Rounders 9pm PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND COCKTAILS; TP; 760-343-2115 Desert Noise Presents: David Saba w/ Buz Blvd and Legends Never Die 9pm PURPLE ROOM; PS; 760-322-4422 Keisha D 6:30-9:30pm SAMMY G’s; PS; 760-320-8041 Evaro Brothers 7:30pm SHANGHAI RED’S @ THE FISHERMAN’S MARKET; PS; 760-322-9293 VooDoo Hustlers 7pm STACY’S; PS; 760-620-5003 Matt Coleman 7pm TACK ROOM TAVERN; IND; 760-347-9985 Karaoke 8pm VICKY’S OF SANTA FE; IW; 760-345-9770 Guest Bands 6:30-10pm WOODY’S PALMHOUSE; PS; 760-230-0188 Yve Evans and Rick E. Taylor 6:30pm

FRI OCTOBER 25

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19TH HOLE; PD; 760-772-6696 Wyldsky 8pm 29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 Bill and Bob Duo 6:30pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Heat Wave w/ Jack Sills 10pm AGAVE LOUNGE@THE HYATT REGENCY; IW; 760-674-4080 Avenida 7-11pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 Live Music 6:30pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 Halloween Party w/ DJ Hexmaschine 7pm BERNIE’S; RM; 760-202 4499 Parick Morris, Brian Dennigan & Leon Bisquera 6:30-10pm BIG ROCK PUB; IND; 706-200-8988 Dia De Los Muertos Party w/ Red Hot Cholo Peppers 8:30pm BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 The Stanley Butler Trio 6-10pm THE CASCADE LOUNGE, SPA RESORT CASINO; PS; 888-999-1995 DJ Chase Martinez 9pm CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick Tuzzolino 5:30pm CASUELAS CAFÉ; PD; 760-568-0011 The Myx 7pm CATALAN; RM; 760-770-9508 George Christian 6-9pm CHEF GEORGE’S PICASSO LOUNGE; PD; 760-200-1768 Michael D’Angelo 6:309:30pm, DJ 9:30pm

COPA NIGHTCLUB; PS; 760-866-0021 Viva Friday’s w/ DJ Banks 9pm CUNARD’S SANDBAR; LQ; 760-564-3660 Bill Baker 6pm DESERT BEER CO.; 760-360-5320 TBA 7-9pm DESERT FOX; PD; Crucial Culture 10pm, Unity Frenzy 11:30pm DRINGK; RM; 760-888-0111 DJ 9pm ELECTRIC SPORTS LOUNGE; YV; 760-2281199 DJ Ceddy Cedd 9pm EL MEXICALI CAFÉ 2; IND; 760-342-2333 Cesar Daniel Lopez on the harp 6-9pm EVZIN; PS; 760-656-8764 TBA 8pm FISHERMAN’S GROTTO; PD; 760-776-6534 Gina Carey 5:30-8:30pm GADI’S BAR & GRILL; YV; 760-820-1213 30 Miles Out 8pm HENRY’S SPORTS BAR AND GRILL; CC; 760-656-3444 Karaoke w/ KJ Marjovi 9pm THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 Boptoberfest Hip Hop Showcase and costume contest 9pm HOODOO COCKTAIL GARDEN @ THE HYATT; PS; 760-322-9000 Keisha D 7pm HOTEL PASEO; PD; Michael Keeth 6-9pm HOT SPOT@SPOTLIGHT 29; Coachella; 760-775-5566 Nacho Bustillo 8:30pm INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760345-6466 Bob Allen 6pm JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-366-2250 Karaoke w/ Troy Michaels 7pm KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 Karaoke 8pm LANDMARK LOUNGE; LQ; 760-289-6736 Various Artists 7pm LA QUINTA BREWERY; PD; 760-200-2597 TBA 7pm LA QUINTA RESORT; LQ; 760-564-4111 Steppin Out 6-9pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-3252794 Hot Roxx 7:30pm LIT@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; 760-3452450 The Klique 9pm MASTRO’S; PD; 760-776-6777 TBA 6:30pm MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 Ron Greenip 8pm MIRAMONTE; IW; 760-341-2200 Trio Envy 5-9pm MOXIE; PS; 760-318-9900 Eevaan Tre 6-9pm, DJ Pedro Le Bass 9:30pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Karaoke 8-1:15am THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry 6-8pm Tim Burleson 8pm O’CAINES; RM; 760-202-3311 DJ Tone 10pm PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; 760-3274080 The Refills 9pm PALM DESERT COUNTRY CLUB; pd; 760345-0222 On the Rocks 6:30pm PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-365-5956 Jade Bird and Flyte 8pm PEABODY’S CAFÉ; PS; 760-322-1877 Karaoke 7:30pm PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND COCKTAILS; TP; 760-343-2115 Red’s Rockstar Karaoke 9pm PURPLE ROOM; PS; 760-322-4422 Sharon Mcnight 8pm RED BARN; PD; 760-346-0191 TBA 9pm RENAISSANCE; PS; 760-322-6000 Live Music 6-9pm RIVIERA; PS; 760-327-8311 Michael Keeth 8-11pm

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ROCKYARD@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; 760345-2450 One Less Monkey and Styxology (Styx Tribute) 7:30pm SAMMY G’s; PS; 760-320-8041 Derek Jordan Gregg 12-4pm, Evaro Brothers 8:30pm SHANGHAI RED’S @ THE FISHERMAN’S MARKET; PS; 760-322-9293 Barry Baughn Blues Band 8-11pm SHANGHAI RED’S @ THE FISHERMAN’S MARKET; LQ; 760-777-1601 The Smooth Brothers 8-11pm SHELLY’S LOUNGE@TORTOISE ROCK CASINO; 29 Palms; Rojer Arnold & Bobby Furgo 9pm SONOMA GRILLE@EMBASSY SUITES; PD; 760-340-6600 Denny Pezzin 6-9pm SOUL OF MEXICO; IND; 760-200-8787 Latin Rock 10pm STACY’S; PS; 760-620-5003 Krystofer Do 4:30-7pm, Mark Lee 8pm TACK ROOM TAVERN; IND; 760-347-9985 Stereoflux 9pm TRILUSSA ITALIAN RISTORANTE; PS; 760328-2300 Julius & Sylvia Music Duo 6-10pm TWELVE ACOUSTIC UNPLUGGED; IND; 760-345-2450 Mark Gregg and Misty Howell 7pm VICKY’S OF SANTA FE; IW; 760-345-9770 Meet the Corwins 5:30-7:30pm, John Stanley King Show 8pm THE VINE WINE BAR; PD; 760-341-9463 Vinny Berry 7-10pm WANG’S; PS; 760-325-9264 DJ Galaxy 5pm WOODY’S PALMHOUSE; PS; 760-230-0188 Cynthia Thomas 6:30pm

SAT OCTOBER 26

19TH HOLE; PD; 760-772-6696 The Refills 8pm 29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 Bev and Bill 6:30pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Heat Wave w/ Aloha Got Soul noon poolside, and 10pm AGAVE LOUNGE@THE HYATT REGENCY; IW; 760-674-4080 Steppin’ Out 7-11pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 Cabaret on the Green Open Mic 7:30pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 Luna Negra and Brujeria Present: Milliken Chamber and Mannequin Halloween Party 7pm BERNIE’S; RM; 760-202 4499 Horace Miller, Brian Denigan and Leon Basquera 6:30-10pm BIG ROCK PUB; IND; 706-200-8988 Haunted Halloween Party w/ The Ghost Notes 8:30pm BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 Gina Carey 6-10pm CASCADE LOUNGE, SPA RESORT CASINO; PS; 888-999-1995 DJ Michael Wright 9pm CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick Tuzzolino 5:30pm CASUELAS CAFÉ; PD; 760-568-0011 The Myx 7pm CATALAN; RM; 760-770-9508 George Christian 6-9pm CHEF GEORGE’S PICASSO LOUNGE; PD; 760-200-1768 Abie and Natasha 6:309:30pm, DJ 9:30pm COACHELLA VALLEY BREWING CO; TP; 760-343-5973 Return of the Black Widow Halloween Party w/ Throw the Goat, Ormus and The After Lashes 6pm COPA NIGHTCLUB; PS; 760-866-0021 DJ Banks and Mr. Miami 9pm

CUNARD’S SANDBAR; LQ; 760-564-3660 Bill Baker 6pm DATE SHED; IND; Giselle Woo & The Night Owls EP Release Party w/ Desert Rhythm Project 8pm DESERT FOX; PD; The Hellions Halloween Graveyard Stomp w/ The Wastedeads 9pm DRINGK; RM; 760-888-0111 DJ 9pm ELECTRIC SPORTS LOUNGE; YV; 760-2281199 DJ Ceddy Cedd 9pm EN VIVO@SPOTLIGHT 29; Coachella; 760775-5566 Banda Sin Nombre 9:30pm FISHERMAN’S GROTTO; PD; 760-776-6534 Jack Ruvio 5:30-8:30pm GADI’S BAR & GRILL; YV; 760-820-1213 The Flusters, Asteroid Shop and Hexa 8pm HENRY’S SPORTS BAR AND GRILL; CC; 760-656-3444 DJ Ray 9pm THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 Halloween Costume Party w/ The Deep Ones 9pm HOODOO COCKTAIL GARDEN @ THE HYATT; PS; 760-322-9000 The Carmens 7pm HOT SPOT@SPOTLIGHT 29; Coachella; 760-775-5566 Nacho Bustillo 8:30pm INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760345-6466 Bob Allen 6pm KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 Karaoke 8pm LANDMARK LOUNGE; LQ; 760-289-6736 Eevaan Tre 7pm LA QUINTA BREWERY; PD; 760-200-2597 4th Annual Oktoberfest Party 2pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-3252794 PS Sound Company 1pm, Hot Roxx 8pm LIT@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; 760-3452450 The Klique 9pm MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 Ron Greenip 8pm MIRAMONTE; IW; 760-341-2200 Trio Envy 6-10pm MOXIE; PS; 760-318-9900 Derek Jordan Gregg 6-9pm, 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 O’CAINES; RM; 760-202-3311 DJ Tone 10pm PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; 760327-4080 Alice Cooper Tribute Halloween Party 9pm PALM DESERT COUNTRY CLUB; pd; 760345-0222 Halloween Party w/ Off da Cuff 6:30pm PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-365-5956 The Shadow Mountain Band and I See Hawks in LA 8pm 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 P.S. Jump! 8pm RED BARN; PD; 760-346-0191 TBA 9pm ROCKYARD@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; 760345-2450 Almost Famous and Atomic Punks (Van Halen Tribute) 7:30pm SAMMY G’s; PS; 760-320-8041 Derek Jordan Gregg 12-4pm, Evaro Brothers 8:30pm SHANGHAI RED’S @ THE FISHERMAN’S MARKET; PS; 760-322-9293 Barry Baughn Blues Band 8-11pm

October 24 to October 30, 2019

SHANGHAI RED’S @ THE FISHERMAN’S MARKET; LQ; 760-777-1601 The Smooth Brothers 8-11pm SHELLY’S LOUNGE@TORTOISE ROCK CASINO; 29 Palms; Rojer Arnold & Bobby Furgo 9pm SONOMA GRILLE@EMBASSY SUITES; PD; 760-340-6600 Denny Pezzin 6-9pm SOUL OF MEXICO; IND; 760-200-8787 Latin Music 10pm STACY’S; PS; 760-620-5003 Jessica Bridgeman 8pm TACK ROOM TAVERN; IND; 760-347-9985 Terrorfest 8pm TRILUSSA ITALIAN RISTORANTE; PS; 760328-2300 Julius & Sylvia Music Duo 6-10pm TWELVE ACOUSTIC UNPLUGGED; IND; 760-345-2450 Mark Gregg and Misty Howell 7pm VICKY’S OF SANTA FE; IW; 760-345-9770 Rose Mallett 5-7pm, Kal David, Lauri Bono and the Real Deal 7:30-11pm THE VINE WINE BAR; PD; 760-341-9463 Fun with Dick and Jane Band 7-10pm WANG’S; PS; 760-325-9264 Live Music 6:30pm WESTIN; RM; 760-328-5955 Michael Keeth 6-10pm WOODY’S PALMHOUSE; PS; 760-230-0188 The Stanley Butler Band 6:30pm

SUN OCTOBER 27

29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 Bob Garcia 6pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Heat Wave w/ Aloha Got Soul noon, poolside, and 5pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 Sunday Brunch w/ Live Music 11am

continue to page 20

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October 24 to October 30, 2019

GOOD GRUB

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BURGER MECCA IN A STRIP MALL: GRINDHOUSE BURGERS

ucked into a classic Highway 111 Palm Desert strip mall, the newly opened Grindhouse Burgers is ready to redefine the burger experience for CV residents. I could tell something special was happening inside as soon as I exited my pickup. The aromas wafting from the grill stoked my anticipation.

Classically trained chef Reuben Reyes grinds all the meats he uses in house and blends them for the twenty- five plus burger offerings plus Turkey and Beyond Beef plant based choices. The beef burger mixes include the following options: Standard- Blend of Chuck, Short Rib and Skirt Steak. DeluxeShort-Rib, Sirloin and Strip Loin. Fancy PantsShort Rib, Sirloin and Rib Eye. Asada- Chuck and Carne Asada.

The décor of the restaurant is casual and inviting with plenty of seating at tables and undulating live-edge wood counters.

Like many Coachella valley restaurants, Grindhouse is a family affair. Reuben’s parents, Greg and Belinda Rangel, invest their time and energy to ensure a welcoming, engaging experience for each customer.

Greg acted as the general contractor for the space conversion and Belinda tracks the financials and adds her design sense to the décor. In Greg’s words “We want to create an atmosphere where patrons can have an unrushed experience to savor the flavors.”

Greg and Belinda also run an electrical contracting business. Make sure to check out

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the meandering steam punk light fixture in the men’s room.

Chef Reuben calmly commands the grill and plates the orders with an array of housemade sauces, garnishes and sides.

In addition to the extensive burger menu, there are a variety of salads, sandwiches, sides and specials.

I ordered the Bistro burger made with the Deluxe meat mix and the Citrus salad. My dining companion ordered the Turkey burger.

The salad was fresh and crispy with mixed greens, apples, jicama, orange sections, celery, pickled red onions, and walnuts brought together with a house made citrus vinaigrette. The Bistro burger was topped with melted white cheddar, caramelized onions, bacon, avocado, tomato and arugula in a brioche bun. The Turkey burger was topped with melted white cheddar, arugula, avocado, red onion, and lemon aioli on a

whole wheat bun.

My first bite got my undivided attention.

The flavors sang together like a well rehearsed gospel choir. The patty had the meaty flavor of a perfectly charred steak. This is no ordinary burger joint. I was already planning my next meal here during my second bite.

I tasted a bite of the Turkey burger which, to my surprise, was moist and well seasoned.

Delicious fries and a crunchy pickle accompanied the burgers along with house made garlic aioli. You can accompany your burger with fried green tomatoes, deep fried pickles, crispy Brussel sprouts, parmesangarlic fries, beer-battered fries, sweet potato fries or tots .

Chef Reuben’s culinary experience influences every item on the menu with

BY DAN PARIS

thoughtful attention given to the flavor profile of the combined ingredients.

The prices are reasonable given the freshness and attention to detail devoted to the menu. An extensive selection of wine, beers, and soft drinks are available.

Service is attentive and courteous and the chef is happy to customize a burger to your tastes.

Grindhouse Burgers 73850 Hwy. 111 Suite B, Palm Desert, 92260. (760) 404-0300 Hours: 10:30am-9:30pm Tues-Sat. 10am2pm on Sunday Prices: $ 7.00-16.00 Recommended dishes: Burgers, Salads, Brown sugar maple cake with vanilla ice cream for dessert.

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BREWTALITY

I

f you’re the kind of person who likes pumpkin pie spiced beers, you’re going to want to heed the warning that’s within this article. But also, if you think creamed cheese powder, whole fruit pies, fried chicken, and sriracha sauce have no place in beer, but cloves and allspice do, your taste buds have some serious developmental issues. As in, your taste buds probably had a really hard time passing the third grade, and your homeroom teacher had personal issues with you for eating all the paste because she had to pay for those supplies with her own money. And that’s totally okay because we here at Brewtality don’t discriminate, and in fact, paste eating and window licking are two of my favorite pastimes. Look, I don’t hate all pumpkin beers, there’s a couple of them out there that don’t taste like you’re drinking agricultural runoff water, but holy dog shit, Trader Joe’s Howling Gourds Pumpkin Ale is absolutely the worst beer I’ve rage-drank in a long time. It’s offensively bad, and I’m seriously too upset to write right now…except this article is already past deadline so I’m going to have to write right now.

Josephbrau is a line of Trader Joe’s house beer, contract brewed by Gordon Biersch in Jan Jose, California. Contract brewing is when a store or brand decides to release their own line of beers but lack an actual brewery, so they sublet out the work to a real brewery to make on their behalf. Trader Joes has several house brands all made by different breweries, and

October 24 to October 30, 2019

THE WORST PUMPKIN BEER EVER

the contract they’ve given Gordon Biersch is a pretty sizable one. You’ll find the Josephbrau label on all of TJ’s European-style beers as well as their seasonal releases and Howling Gourds Pumpkin Ale is released at the start of every fall to commemorate the season of witches and turkeys. Sold in 6-packs of 12-ounce bottles for $6.99, this year’s Howling Gourds features revamped label artwork (a fun and colorful group of pumpkins literally howling at the moon) with the beer’s stats featured front and center. Coming in at 7% ABV and 24 IBU, this beer’s selling point is low bitterness and

high alcohol for a very reasonable price. None of that is what’s wrong with this product, but I didn’t know that until after I purchased a bottle and brought it home.

If you want to read pretentious, literary assessments of the appearance or nose of this beer, you can log into beeradvocate or ratebeer for that, I’m here to focus on one facet and one facet alone. The horrific taste.

Simply put, someone messed up bigly at Gordon Biersc- er, I man, Josephbrau, and added a gazillion times more clove to this recipe than it called for. Or at least that’s what I hope, because if someone engineered this glass of gramma’s perfume flavored beer on purpose, they need to stay far away from a job that has them creating anything. I mean it; I don’t trust that guy making ashtrays or birdhouses if he thought adding ALL the clove to this recipe was a bright idea. One sip of this product, and that is all you taste! The medicine and perfume, antiseptic flavors of clove, all jammed in your pie hole like your mouth is some baked ham. So much clove that it actually made my mouth numb. I have a jar of pumpkin pie spice in my spice cabinet- hold on, let me go get it. Okay; the ingredients are cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg allspice. That’s it, and you want to know why? BECAUSE CLOVE IS AWFUL. It has no place in pumpkin spice. Ever!

The flavor is distracting even in small amounts, and when overused, it easily overpowers the flavors of less potent spices like ginger and nutmeg, as perfectly exemplified by this beer.

BY AARON RAMSON As off-putting as the flavor of 2019 Howling Gourds is, I drank the entire glass in a naïve attempt to find more subtle undertones of flavor beneath the pornographic amount of cloves in this recipe. As it warmed, I did pick up notes of ginger, cinnamon and allspice, all in a base beer that wasn’t particularly bad.

Some earthy, vegetal flavors were detected, giving me the impression that there might be actual pumpkin or squash in this beer.

If the overpoweringly heavy taste of clove weren’t present, this would be a pleasant and drinkable product. As it stands, I can’t see how anyone can enjoy this travesty of brewing. I can only imagine that this flavor profile was not intentional, but 3000 gallons of it was made, and no one wanted to be responsible for pouring it all down the drain to have to start again. Production costs and company deadlines keep a lot of breweries from throwing away product that they know is bad before they even release it to the public.

These are just guesses, and in no way am I saying what actually happened.

Stay as far away from this beer as you can, do not be lured in by its budget pricing and higher ABV. This beer is complete trash, 5/5 dumpster fires for sure. You have been warned!

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October 24 to October 30, 2019

SCREENERS

NOW PLAYING: MALEFICENT: MISTRESS OF EVIL

Fairy tales persist because they say something that resonates in the human psyche. Some form of the Sleeping Beauty story and the evil enchantress who curses an infant princess has been with us since the 1300s. When Maleficent warns her goddaughter Aurora “love doesn’t always end well” is she telling the audience the core theme of the latest iteration or is it all about

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No. 392

MAGNIFICENT MISTRESS OF MALICE

BY ROBIN E. SIMMONS

something else entirely.

Director Joachim Ronning’s rather depressing, somewhat disappointing and unnecessary sequel to the 2014 global box office hit sees Maleficent (Angelina Jolie) and her goddaughter Aurora (Elle Fanning) questioning the complex family ties that bind them as they are pulled in different directions by an impending wedding, unexpected allies and dark new forces that come into play.

Over the years, the relationship between Maleficent and Aurora, born of heartbreak, revenge and ultimately love has flourished.

Yet the deep hatred between mankind and the fairies still exists.

Now, Aurora’s impending marriage to Prince Phillip is cause for celebration in the kingdom of Ulstead as well as in the land the

neighboring Moors, since the nuptials will unite the two worlds. However, when an unexpected encounter introduces a powerful new alliance, Maleficent and Aurora are pulled to opposing sides, creating a Great War that tests their loyalties and raises the question of whether or not they can ever really be family.

As Prince Phillip’s mother, Queen Ingrith, Michelle Pfeiffer is a worthy adversary to Jolie’s Maleficent. Their scenes together are worth the price of admission.

This eye-popping film’s great visuals, strange and alluring worlds, inventive costumes, magical creatures (I loved the tiny, creepy mushroom people and the micro fairies in their dandelion tutus) are topped off with a huge and satisfying CGI climactic battle that is a wonder. But the main reason to see this grim film (no pun intended) is Jolie’s nuanced live action incarnation of the wicked witch, first seen on screen in Disney’s 1959 70MM widescreen hand-drawn animated epic “Sleeping Beauty.”

NEW BLU FOR THE HOME THEATER: AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON John Landis, one of pop cultures iconic directors of the 1980s, expertly combines macabre horror with unexpected but welcome humor in this lycanthropic classic.

David Kessler (CV’s David Naughton), an American tourist and his friend Jack Goodman (Griffin Dunne), arrive in Northern England’s Yorkshire Moors for a walking tour.

One night they are savagely attacked by an

unidentified beast that kills Jack.

David awakens in a London hospital to find his friend dead and his life in disarray when Jack returns to warn David that a werewolf was the assailant and that he is now the last of the werewolves. Retiring to the home of his beautiful nurse (Jenny Agutter) to recuperate, he soon experiences disturbing changes to his mind and body, undergoing a full-moon transformation that will unleash terror on the streets of London.

When it was initially released, he movie had audiences howling -- with laughter -- and recoiling in terror. Successfully mixing these two primal emotions in a movie was a rare treat at the time.

Landis’ film has gone on to become a genuine cult classic as well as one of the most important horror films of its era, rightfully praised for its masterful set-pieces, uniquely unsettling atmosphere and Rick Baker’s truly groundbreaking, Oscar winning makeup effects. Now restored (from original camera negative) in 4K and presented with an amazing bundle of over twenty stand-alone and very watchable extras, too lengthy to include here. There’s also a limited edition 60-page booklet featuring new writing and archival articles. Arrow video. robin@coachellavalleyweekly.com

BOOK REVIEW

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"THE WENDIGO"

BY ALGERNON BLACKWOOD FICTION -----------------------------------------------------

N

ature can be terrifying. Fires, hurricanes, and earthquakes have a way of making human beings feel small and vulnerable. Our gigantic oceans are filled with man-eating monsters. The forests are a vast territory with great beasts. In Algernon Blackwood’s The Wendigo (Anodos Books, 49 pages), man faces nature and the unknown.

The story takes place in the immense Canadian forests of Northwestern Ontario. Dr. Cathcart and his young nephew, Simpson, a divinity student, are on a hunting expedition for moose. Traveling with the men are their guides Hank Davis and Joseph Défago. A Native American named Punk, serves as the hunting party’s cook.

After a week in the backwoods, the men have no luck finding a single moose. Strangely, they haven’t even seen a shred of evidence that moose are present in the woods. So, the men decide to break up the party and go their separate ways in search of the elusive animal.

It is late October, and already there is snow on the ground.

Young Simpson and Défago go east canoeing over the Fifty Island Water. It’s a

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October 24 to October 30, 2019

THE DEEP DARK WOODS

tough trip, and Simpson feels tiny and alone in the quiet wilderness. Défago is superstitious and prone to melancholy, but won’t let fear get in the way of his job.

Back on shore, the men pitch a tent and start a fire. That night, a strange odor fills the air and Défago share the legend of the Wendigo – an ancient monster bigger than any other creature in the forest.

When Simpson wakes the next morning, Défago is missing. Only a strange scent lingers.

A smell that is both foul and sweet. Young Simpson sets out to find his companion only to discover inexplicable deep tracks in the snow like nothing he has seen before. A creature so big the stride is eighteen feet, and it appears he or it is carrying prey – Défago?

The Wendigo was first published in 1910.

Author Blackwood takes the reader deep into the forest where time stands still and the unknown prevails. He wrote this short story during North America’s era of adventure and exploration. The dark, the cold, the sounds and smells of the deep woods were so frightening, it could kill a man.

What makes this story so terrifying is Défago’s mysterious return to camp. The other guide quickly recognizes it is not actually Défago but maybe a devil inside him. Of course, Dr. Cathcart, a man of science disagrees.

Défago is only traumatized. But shortly, everyone wonders whether it is Défago or the Wendigo. Simpson cannot be sure and fears telling his uncle the terrifying truth of what

BY HEIDI SIMMONS

actually happened in the backwoods.

This is a psychological thriller. The Wendigo is a fantastical roaming beast whose prey is the human mind. He is fucking with these hunters like Bigfoot never could.

I love the idea of a super predator who

SAFETY TIPS

patrols the wilderness assuring the forests continue to thrive. These spirits and legends keep the mystery and mystique of the deep, dark woods very much alive.

It’s important that human beings are reminded we are frail, not the top of the food chain, and nature rules. Perhaps that’s why there are those in power who are hell-bent to deny climate change. It’s the only way they can dominate nature – by destroying it. They had better watch out, the Wendigo might be headed their way.

Have a happy Halloween!

FROM THE CHIEFS CORNER

BY FIRE CHIEF SAM DIGIOVANNA

DEDICATED TO THE MEN OF ENGINE COMPANY 57

T

his is a reminder that wildfires do not only impact those living in the hillside areas. Red Flag Warnings bring power outages, smoke hazards, and calls for resources from all over. Make sure you are prepared as wildfire season is year round, we have just started our most intense time with Santa Ana Winds.

October 26th, 2006, 1:11am Santa Ana winds stirred across the southland.

“I remember it like it was yesterday,” says Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna. “I was home in Orange County leaving for work in Los Angeles. I saw the large plume of smoke to the east. In a matter of seconds it intensified.

The plume expanded and rose quickly into the atmosphere. I knew something went bad. I didn’t think it was this bad ...”

A Red Flag warning had been issued. A high Probability for large fire growth was in effect as conditions were high temperatures, low humidity, and Santa Ana winds.

At 1:11am resources were promptly dispatched from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) to a reported Brush fire at the base of the hill in the town of Cabazon. The first in engine, Engine 24, arrived on scene at 1:18am Initially, the fire was approximately two acres in size and located on the base of the hillside. At 1:24am, the first arriving Battalion Chief from CAL FIRE reported the fire had grown to approximately ten acres with a rapid rate of spread, and had crossed the road east of the main drainage at a location called “Hallis Grade.”

At 1:43am Forest Service Engines 51, 52, 54, 56, and 57 were dispatched to the fire.

Humidity had dropped to 5 percent and the heavy chaparral and manzanita were perilously dry.

Engine Co. 57 (stationed in San Jacinto/ Idyllwild) along with four other engines were directed to the mountain area of Gorgonio View Road and Wonderview Road to “triage houses.”

The four engines encountered people fleeing in vehicles down the highway which added to the chaos. Engine personnel reported the road was obstructed with numerous civilian

vehicles, motor homes, horses, and livestock.

Due to the traffic congestion, the four fire engines became separated and Engines 52 and 57 arrived at the staging area first.

Engines 52 and 57, followed orders and set up for structure protection. Fire, heat and smoke conditions continued to worsen. With increasing wind, tinder dry fuel, the fire began to intensify below quickly advancing up the canyon walls.

Enveloped in the heat and smoke, the fire front advanced quickly and with intensity. After it passed, attempts to contact Engine 57 went unanswered.

At approximately 7:57am, the heat and smoke somewhat diminished Enough for Engine 51 and 52 Captains to work their way into Engine 57’s location to discover the burnover. Ultimately the 5 members of Engine 57 perished doing what firefighters do, “protecting lives and property.”

Like all firefighters who have sacrificed their lives for others, you are NOT forgotten...

After several days, the Esperanza Fire ultimately consumed approximately 41,173 acres and destroyed 34 residences and 20 outbuildings. The fire also forced the closure of Highway 243.

Remember this: We’re not out of the woods. It’s just begun. Santa Winds are now with us. It’s going to be a bad season. Very bad!

Stay together, stay heads up at all times and prepare as if your life depends upon it, because it does...

Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna

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October 24 to October 30, 2019 CLUB CRAWLER NIGHTLIFE continued from page 15

BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 Candela Nights w/ DJ LF 7pm BERNIE’S; RM; 760-202 4499 Patrice Morris 6:30-10pm BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 Michael Keeth 5-9pm CASCADE LOUNGE, SPA RESORT; PS; 888-999-1995 Latin Night w/ Nacho Bustillos and Quinto Menguante 9pm CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick Tuzzolino 5:30pm CHEF GEORGE’S PICASSO LOUNGE; PD; 760-200-1768 Paul Douglas 6-9pm CUNARD’S SANDBAR; LQ; 760-564-3660 Bill Baker 6pm THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 Comedy Night 8pm LANDMARK LOUNGE; LQ; 760-289-6736 Scott Carter 7pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-3252794 PS Sound Company noon, Hot Roxx 6:30pm MASTRO’S; PD; 760-776-6777 TBA 6:3010:30pm MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 Sunday Jam 3:30-7:30pm, Mikael Healy 8pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Karaoke 8pm THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Sunday Jam Session 2-5pm, Finesse 7-11pm PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; 760327-4080 Sunday Jam Session 7pm PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-365-5956 The Sunday Band 7:30pm PURPLE ROOM; PS; 760-322-4422 The Judy Show 7pm SAMMY G’s; PS; 760-320-8041 Derek Jordan Gregg 12-4pm

SHANGHAI RED’S @ THE FISHERMAN’S MARKET; LQ; 760-777-1601 Jack Ruvio 6-9pm STACY’S; PS; 760-620-5003 Ron Pass 2pm VICKY’S OF SANTA FE; IW; 760-345-9770 John Stanley King Trio 6-9:30pm WANG’S; PS; 760-325-9264 Gina Carey 5-10pm WESTIN; RM; 760-328-5955 Lance Riebsomer 12-4pm poolside WOODY’S PALMHOUSE; PS; 760-2300188 Hannans and Company 6:30pm

MON OCTOBER 28

29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 The Luminators 6pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 Bill Marx 6:30pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 Music

by Touchtunes 7pm CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick Tuzzolino 5:30pm COPA NIGHTCLUB; PS; 760-866-0021 DJ Banks and Mr. Miami 8pm CUNARD’S SANDBAR; LQ; 760-564-3660 Bill Baker 6pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-3252794 PS Sound Company 6:30pm MASTRO’S; PD; 760-776-6777 TBA 6:3010:30pm MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 Mikael Healey 8pm MORGAN’S; LQ; 760-564-4111 Michael Keeth 6-9pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Karaoke 8pm-1:15am THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Finesse 7-11pm

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-365-5956 Open Mic 7pm VICKY’S OF SANTA FE; IW; 760-345-9770 John Stanley King 6:30-10pm WOODY’S PALMHOUSE; PS; 760-2300188 Motown Mondays 6:30pm

TUE OCTOBER 29

29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 Bill and Bob Duo 6pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Ace Karaoke 9pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 TBA 8pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 House Party Tuesdays w/ DJS LF, Ax and Tanner 7pm BERNIE’S; RM; 760-202 4499 Chris Lomeli 6:30-10pm CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick Tuzzolino 5:30pm CHEF GEORGE’S PICASSO LOUNGE; PD; 760-200-1768 Lizann Warner 6:30-9:30pm, DJ 9:30pm CUNARD’S SANDBAR; LQ; 760-564-3660 Bill Baker 6pm FIRESIDE LOUNGE; PS; 760-327-1700 Red’s Rockstar Karaoke 9pm HENRY’S SPORTS BAR AND GRILL; CC; 760-656-3444 Karaoke w/ KJ Danny 9pm THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 Drag Queen Bingo 9pm HUNTER’S; PS; 760-323-0700 Karaoke 9pm JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-366-2250 Ted Quinn’s Open Mic 7pm KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 Karaoke 7pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-3252794 PS Sound Company 6:30pm

LIT@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; 760-3452450 Brad’s Pad 7pm MASTRO’S; PD; 760-776-6777 Finesse 6:30-10:30pm MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 Mikael Healey 8pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Karaoke 8pm-1:15am THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Tim Burleson 7:45pm PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; 760327-4080 Acoustic Music Lounge 7pm PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND COCKTAILS; TP; 760-3432115 Game Night w/ Luke O 8pm PURPLE ROOM; PS; 760-322-4422 Rose Mallett 6:30-9:30pm TACK ROOM TAVERN; IND; 760-347-9985 Country Night w/ Cinch 6-9pm VICKY’S OF SANTA FE; IW; 760-345-9770 John McCormick Band 6:30-10pm WOODY’S PALMHOUSE; PS; 760-2300188 Yve Evans and David Ring 6:30pm

WED OCTOBER 30

29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 Daniel Horn 6pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 Jazz Jam w/ Doug MacDonald & Friends 7pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 Gamer Night w/ DJs 7pm BERNIE’S; RM; 760-202 4499 Chris Lomeli 6:30-10pm BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 Michael Keeth 6-10pm CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick Tuzzolino 5:30pm CHEF GEORGE’S PICASSO LOUNGE; PD; 760-200-1768 Barry Minniefield 6:309:30pm, DJ 9:30pm

COACHELLA VALLEY BREWING CO; TP; 760-343-5973 Uncle Ben’s Open Mic 6-8pm COPA NIGHTCLUB; PS; 760-866-0021 Issa Wednesday Humpday w/ DJ Ax 9pm CUNARD’S SANDBAR; LQ; 760-564-3660 Bill Baker 6pm ELECTRIC SPORTS LOUNGE; YV; 760-2281199 Karaoke 7:30pm THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 Open Mic 8pm JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-366-2250 Karaoke 7:30pm KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 Open Mic 8pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-3252794 Hot Roxx 6:30pm LIT@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; 760-3452450 Latin Night 7pm MASTRO’S; PD; 760-776-6777 Finesse 6:30-10:30pm MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 Mikael Healey 8pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Karaoke 8pm-1:15am THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry 6-8pm Tim Burleson 8pm PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; 760327-4080 Roger & Friends 7pm PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND COCKTAILS; TP; 760-343-2115 Red’s Rockstar Karaoke 9pm PURPLE ROOM; PS; 760-322-4422 Michael Holmes and Keisha D 6:30-9:30pm THE VAULT; C.C.; 760-866-9660 John Stanley King 7-10pm VICKY’S OF SANTA FE; IW; 760-345-9770 Slim Man Band 6:30-10pm WOODY’S PALMHOUSE; PS; 760-2300188 Demetrius Trio 6:30pm

S and G

PUMPING SERVICE

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

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760-404-6325

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HADDON LIBBY

PROTECTING CONSUMERS

C

onsumer Reports is an independent consumer product non-profit that protects consumers primarily via product testing. Many of us use their product reviews when considering large purchases like cars and appliances but never think to check their product reviews on other important products that can impact our daily lives.

As an example, people with diabetes want a reliable and accurate blood glucose meter. The top-rated blood glucose meter is the Freestyle Freedom Lite with a 93 score with annual supplies cost of $2,500. Next up with a score of 91 is the Bayer Contour Next and an annual cost of $1,325/year.

Be careful if choosing a Bayer meter as the Bayer Contour is one of the worst rated with a score of 59. For those on a tight budget, WalMart’s Reli-On costs less than $300 but has a 75 score with complaints of errant readings.

Given that we live in a place where it is sunny most days, we should all wear sunscreen daily. La Roche-Posay Anthelios 60 Melt-In Sunscreen Milk received the rare perfect score of 100 from Consumer Reports; recommended by more than 90,000 dermatologists, this best in class sunscreen costs about $7.20/ounce. At one-third the cost, Bullfrog Land Sport Quik Gel SPF 50

came in second with a 95 rating. In third at 94 is Coppertone Ultra Guard Lotion SPF 70 at a cost of only $1.00/ounce. Walmart’s Equate Ultra Lotion SPF 50 gets the same score as Coppertone but for the bargain price of 44 cents/ounce. Amongst spray on sunscreens, Trader Joe’s Spray SPF 50+ got a perfect score at a bargain price of $1.00/ ounce. The lowest rated sunscreen with a score of 14 was Kiss My Face’s Sensitive Side 3 in 1 Lotion SPF 30. Consumer Reports states that this sunscreen does not work to the SPF 30 level (amongst other concerns).

As Kiss My Face markets this sunscreen with words like vegan and cruelty-free, it seems that they save their cruelty for the sunscreen wearer.

It seems like the desert has had more than its usual share of insects that bite invading our homes. The top-rated insect repellants with scores of 94 are from CVS’ Total Home and Off Deep Woods Insect

DALE GRIBOW ON THE LAW

I

Repellent VIII Dry. Off’s FamilyCare Insect Repellent II Clean Feel must be laced with bug pheromones or sugar water given its dreadful score of 9. For something DEET free, Repel’s Lemon Eucalyptus Insect Repellent gets a strong score of 90.

Have a baby? The highest rated baby stroller is the Peg Perego Booklet with an 88 score and cost of $350. Second place goes to one of the better low-cost options, Mamas & Papas Armadillo stroller with an 84 score at a cost of $170. The lowest rated that Consumer Reports checked was the Graco Aire3 Click Connect with a dreadful 33 score. The lowest rated was the Evenflo Nurture Infant Car Seat with a 42 score and cost of $55.

The top-rated infant car seat was the Chicco KeyFit at 86 costing $180. When your child moves to booster seats, none rated higher than 75. The lowest rated booster

seat that passed safety test was Baby Trend’s Yumi Folding Booster 2 in 1 with a $70 price tag and 46 score.

When it comes to car insurance, USAA, NJM and Amica topped the list at 92, 90 and 89, respectively. Some of the more familiar names that did not do were Esurance with the lowest score at 70 followed by Nationwide (71), Liberty Mutual (72), Allstate and Farmers (72), Progressive at (75) and GEICO at (78).

For more product reviews, visit the site ConsumerReports.org.

Haddon Libby is the Founder and Managing Partner of the FiduciaryOnly Investment Advisory firm, Winslow Drake. For more information on their award-nominated services, please visit WinslowDrake.com or email Haddon at Hlibby@WinslowDrake.com.

LEGAL REPRESENTATION OF THE INJURED & CRIMINALLY ACCUSED

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE LUNCH or ALL THAT GLITTERS IS NOT GOLD!

nitially, note that you should never give personal information to telemarketer callers. To help eliminate them, sign up for the Do Not Call Registry (donotcall. gov or 888-382-1222).

FREE GENETIC TESTING MEDICARE SCAM: Medicare testing offers are everywhere.

However, the bad guys have found a way to create havoc with something as simples as using Genetic testing to scam Medicare beneficiaries. You are cautioned to beware of telemarketing calls as well as tables or booths at public events or door to door visits that are the 2019 Scam of the day.

The scammers incorrectly advise the innocent schnook that the testing is free and covered by Medicare. However the truth is that Medicare doesn’t cover most procedures unless ordered by a doc. Thus, if Medicare is billed, and doesn’t pay, the poor schnook is responsible for the entire bill ...which could be upwards of 10k.

Sometimes the scammers are just trying to obtain the Medicare info to fraudulently bill for non-performed services.

Don’t accept genetic testing services that are not ordered by your doctor. If sent in the mail, do an Elvis and “Return to Sender”. It is also a good idea to review you EOB (Explanation of benefits) and see if the

October 24 to October 30, 2019

term Gene Analysis or Molecular Pathology is listed. It may be a clue to non-ordered genetic testing. If you are not sure contact your local Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) 877 -808-2468 to detect Fraud etc.

SWEEPSTAKES: “They’re back!” Just when you thought it was safe to enter a sweepstakes, the old scams are returning. They can come in several forms. Often they’re a takeoff on the Publishers Clearing House offers. The poor schnook gets a call they WON the Sweepstakes and need to send money to pay fees and taxes via wire transfers or gift cards redeemable for cash.

Another version is when the Win Notification includes a check. The “winner” is told they won an even bigger prize but to collect it, they need to send part of the check back to pay handling fees etc. The Con is that by the times the winner/schnooks bank determines the Winning Check is Worthless, the schnook sent money to the scammers.

CELEBRITY PHONE SCAMS: Talented impersonators with the abilities of a Rich Little, will call for money, as if they were a celeb like Richard Branson, Garth Brooks, Jimmy Buffet and Shania Twain. Before you send any money do some research and google the celebs name+Scam.

In addition ask yourselves, why a celeb you don’t know is calling you.

AIRLINE BOARDING PASS: Beware of your airline boarding pass.

Don’t leave it on the plane. A hacker with a smart phone can scan the QR code and get all your info and change your pin.

Questions or ideas for future columns contact Dale Gribow 760-837-7500 or dale@dalegribowlaw.com.

DALE GRIBOW - REPRESENTING THE INJURED AND CRIMINALLY ACCUSED “TOP LAWYER” - California’s Prestige Magazine, Palm Springs Life (PI/DUI) 20112020 “TOP LAWYER” - Inland Empire Magazine 2016- 2019

PERFECT 10.0 AVVO Peer Rating “PREEMINENT” Rating - Martindale Hubbell Legal Directory “BEST Attorneys of America” Selected by “Rue” (Limited to Top 100 Attorneys/state) “10 Best Attorneys” for California Legal Eagle “Best and Brightest Legal Minds” -Palm Springs Life- June 2016 “DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE OR TEXT AND GET A DUI OR ACCIDENT. CALL A TAXI, LYFT OR UBER. THEY ARE A LOT CHEAPER THAN CALLING ME”. SO DRIVE SOBER OR GET PULLED OVER.

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October 24 to October 30, 2019

LOCAL MUSIC

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n ancient Tibet, the medicine that healed the sickness of existence was called Amrita, “the strongest poison and medicine of all.”

A river of Amrita flows endlessly through the songbook that is the Grateful Dead.

Let’s face it, the Grateful Dead songbook is no easy task. You are taken on a journey, and when the chords said look within, we trusted Jerry Garcia to ride shotgun on point for us, to be the headlight on the northbound train, behind which we were grateful to follow.

Each of his discoveries was greeted with recognition. He’d taken us someplace new again, but a place we felt we were fated to go, because Jack Kerouac’s words in “On the Road” - about burning “like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars” - had spoken directly to us, the lucky ones; the ones who found a talisman and marker. Perhaps the old stone is in the American wilderness that marks the way, and when we arrived in that place we were born to seek, all our brothers and sisters were there.

If Deadheads were a tribe that sought collective experience, we were also an aggregation of free spirited loners who had learned how not to bruise each other’s solitude: that place where our souls, and the music, communed.

Enter Deadheads who happened upon each other through the magic thread that is our beloved songbook merging in the context of this special mystical place we call, the Coachella Valley. The Ghost Notes were

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THE GHOST NOTES. LIVE BUT VERY DEAD!

BY PHILIP WAYNE

Photo by Chris Miller

born into existence through the goodness of four down to earth, selfless, humble gentlemen who care more about the music and understand its weight in magic. Four men who were from distinctively, but beautifully eclectic backgrounds, who came together to honor the 50th birthday of one of the valley’s most beloved spirit sisters: America Lugo, die hard dead head and as true to the spirit of this valley as anyone can get.

Setting the bar is Mike Hammons, a highly accomplished multi- instrumentalist whose contribution as bassist and lead vocals to the Ghost Notes. Hammons has been studying the

craft of the Grateful Dead since his youth of 1986 and was the founder and godfather of the Valleys first and only jam band, Green Eggs and Hammons, which he patiently waited for the right musicians to cultivate his love for Grateful Dead music. It is there he partnered with long time Deadhead, multi-versed musician, Damian Lautiero, on lead guitar and vocals. Lautiero’s study as both a Deadhead and accomplished musician, sets the bar even higher.

Rob Peterson, master percussionist and virtuoso of arrangements, his experience in bringing to life the rhythm devil experience is paramount.

The ever present Bobby Furgo, magician of both the keys and violin on stage, has played with the cream of the crop, his experience making him a magician both on the fiddle and the ivories.

“We have a strong Dead following out here. People were waiting to see my next move and we were in the studio brewing this up, America Lugo happened to call and asked if I knew of a band, and one that can play some Dead tunes…and the trifecta commenced from there,” says Hammons.

The response was of such epic proportions, Lautiero and Hammons, felt the calling and need to continue. What once was a birthday concert for a friend, became an open happenstance, mystical doorway for the Ghost Notes, to perform a handful of shows in the valley. From a triple digit turnout and riveting performance, that literally lifted the Spotlight 29 Showroom, to multiple majestic evenings at the Big Rock Pub in Indio, every show punctuated more and more by the presence of locals and even those who came far and wide to feel the magic.

“There’s something about their passion that draws me in, man,” said Bill, the twinkly eyed dead head, who traversed from an hour or so away, to hear some ‘good ol’ Grateful Dead’.

“I drove here from Yucaipa just to see these guys, they get it. Most cover bands don’t have that passion. These guys are stripped down, tight and on point and bring that magic.” said C.J. “I came in from Orange County. These guys have such a great sound. We were dancing all night!” shared Allison from Irvine.

When it comes to the Grateful Dead

catalogue, Damian and Mike swiftly understand the emotional weight of each song. From “Shakedown Street,” that pulses you through the cosmic not so earthly boogie of delights, to the sheer magnanimous floating of the “Other One,” they are not interpreting the songs to be “rock stars,” they are willfully sharing a part of a band that truly is imbedded in their spirit, and like myself, doing our damnedest to incorporate it into our art.

On a tune that is one of my personal and heartfelt favorites, Sugaree,” the Ghost Notes catapult it to lofty heights that are unexpected. A song that harks a bitter-sweet tinged tale of two beautifully damaged, lost kindred souls who meet on life’s journey, who connect with one another on fleeing their past mistakes, longing only to meet up, one day, at the Jubilee, where they can, once again, be free. The lyrics so sweetly sung, by Mr. Lautiero, hits the ears like a lullaby from another dimension, the effortless thundering of electrical guitar that carries and wraps you in a solo that brings a person to his feet to dance in the stars, to the story, as he tells it.

Mr. Hammons dropping the steady anvil of bass, beautifully harmonizing the tale, enraptured in energy never ceasing. Mr. Furgo tapping and swirling the ivories as if beckoning you into that cosmic western lounge. Mr. Peterson on the skins, rolling and tapping and climbing a majestic mountain, like a drum circle calling you to a rhythmic place of celebration.

The strength in the chords that progress any song of the Grateful Dead is no easy task, the road where improvisation and instrumentation meet is tough and takes careful ears and artistry, and the gentlemen of the Ghost Notes allow it to flow flawlessly, not only in this song, but in all.

“It’s one of my favorite tunes,” Lautiero says. “I love it so much I want to pay tribute and do it justice.”

A tale woven and shared harks nostalgia; a true to form example of the selfless nature in the philosophy of The Grateful Dead. Upon sharing that music, it’s as if for that moment in time and space fractals, they are playing it for you, and if you look closely and listen, and allow the music to take you there, they are.

The Ghost Notes will perform on Saturday, 10/26 at the Halloween Haunt at the Big Rock Pub in Indio.

BUSINESS PROFILE

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rue passion is crafted from years of dedication, hard work, and experience—something of which Dax Davis is all too aware. Davis is Director of Sales and the Director of Content at Alpha Media in Palm Springs, a company that operates multiple radio stations across the country and streams on a variety of platforms.

Davis grew up in Longview, a small town in East Texas about 120 miles east of Dallas.

That was where he began his career in radio at the age of 15, while working at his high school newspaper. One of the local radio stations switched formats to Top 40, and this was unique because no local station had played that kind of music before. The only Top 40 stations that Longview could pick up were either out of Dallas or Shreveport, Louisiana.

Davis quickly became a fan of the station and decided to do a feature story on the station’s new format, and since he was only 15 and didn’t have a driver’s license, he had to convince the editor of the newspaper to drive him to the station. With his miniature tape recorder in one hand and steno pad with 30-plus questions in the other, Davis walked into the studio to interview the Program Director. That moment would end up changing the course of his life.

“For the first time in my life, I experienced a burning passion that was so strong, I became obsessed. I remember how excited I was on the ride back to my high school to write the story and telling my editor that I wanted to be a DJ, but there was no way I could do it because I was only 15. As I wrote that story I listened to the mini-cassette

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October 24 to October 30, 2019

MAKING AIRWAVES WITH DAX DAVIS

interview over and over and over again…

Every time I would hear it, I could visualize it happening in my mind and I would feel the same way I did when I was actually in the studio. I had decided that I didn’t care if I was just 15, I was going to be a radio DJ,” shared Davis.

His mind already made up, Davis started on improving his radio voice, recording DJs off the air on his jam box to practice speaking like them and also speaking like that to friends and family. One day a classmate told Davis that her mother was friends with the evening DJ at the country station in town and she could introduce him to her. That prompted his parents to drive him to the KYKX-FM station to meet the DJ who started helping Davis put together a real demo tape. A couple of months after that, the Program Director of KYKX gave him his first radio job. Less than a year after first interviewing that DJ for his high school newspaper, Davis had fulfilled his dream of becoming a radio DJ at 15 years-old.

Davis later graduated from Baylor University with a BA in Broadcast Journalism while working for CBS radio in San Antonio, and was in Oklahoma City working for Citadel Broadcasting before moving to the Coachella Valley in 2015.

“Alpha Media was in the process of purchasing two local competing radio groups and needed a management team to bring the two groups together under one roof, and I was up for the challenge. I had never been to California before, and the furthest west I’d ever been at that time was Las Vegas,” said Davis.

Being both the Director of Sales

BY CRYSTAL HARRELL

and Director of Content, Davis’ job is a combination of two very important positions within any radio station: overseeing the sales department and overseeing the programming department. He is one of two managers in the sales department, which generates revenue by selling audience access to local businesses through commercials and promotions.

The programming department generates ratings by getting the station more listeners and getting those listeners to listen more often.

“I get the most happiness and satisfaction working with new advertisers, especially when they have never done advertising

before. It is such an awe-inspiring moment when you have someone who trusts you to generate a return on the investment they are making with the radio station. On the programming side, our Content Directors and Air Personalities are the cream-of-the crop. It is so much fun working with such a creative, funny, and passionate group of broadcasters,” stated Davis.

When he’s not in the studio, Davis enjoys cooking and has just gotten back into oil painting. He credits his father and his former Market Manager from Oklahoma, who is now Alpha Media’s Chief Operating Officer, as the biggest role models in his life.

“I’ve been fortunate to have many highpoints in my career. Most are ratings and revenue-based. Some are operationallybased, like the launch of a new format or the revamp of several formats at one time.

Those are all important. But the biggest highlight of my career is one that is ongoing.

It is the ability to surround myself with smart people when I feel dumb on a subject, and, conversely, the ability to surround myself with smart people who disagree with me when I feel smart… Don’t be afraid to crash and burn, just be smart enough to know when to eject,” said Davis.

EARTHQUAKES OCCUR WITHOUT WARNING: IMPORTANT PREPAREDNESS TIPS COMMUNITY

E

arthquakes are unfortunately a common occurrence, especially in places with high seismicity, such as California. Because earthquakes occur without warning, it’s important to take steps to prepare.

The Red Cross and FEMA offer tips for a safety checklist to know what to do before, during and after an earthquake. Here are additional reminders of what to do before, during, and after an earthquake.

Before an Earthquake: Create an earthquake readiness plan with your household. Everyone in your family should know what to do and where to go as soon as they feel the vibrations of an earthquake, as well as a common place to reunite after an earthquake in case there is limited or no means of communication.

Be prepared with an earthquake kit comprised of water, food, medications, a first-aid kit, bandages for injuries, a flashlight, batteries, a radio, blankets, a pair of sturdy shoes, a change of clothes and other personal items. Because you don’t know where you will be when an earthquake occurs, prepare a kit for your home, workplace and your car.

In your emergency kit, include copies of important documents – such as insurance policies, financial records, credit card numbers,

BY TIM RHATIGAN,

UNITEDHEALTHCARE OF CA

medical insurance cards, a list of medications and prescriptions, plus phone numbers and addresses for key contacts. Also include a small amount of cash, as ATMs, banks, and credit card systems may not be operating.

Be sure you know how to turn off the water, gas and electricity in your home. A multi-function tool may be needed.

Choose an “earthquake safe location” to take cover in every room of your house, office, school or any place that you go to on a regular basis. This location should be away from windows and any furniture that could fall on you.

What to Do During an Earthquake: Drop down to your knees and cover your head and neck with your arms or an object so that you are protected from any debris or furniture falling during the earthquake.

Stay away from windows and furniture

that can fall on you, such as book cases and televisions.

If possible, go to your identified “safe location” or find a wall near the center of the building or house you are in, take cover in a doorway, or crawl under a heavy piece of furniture, such as a desk or table.

If you are outside, get away from anything that could fall on you, such as trees, powerlines, buildings and houses.

If you are in a car, pull over to a spot that is away from trees, powerlines and buildings.

Wait in the car until the shaking stops.

After an Earthquake: Once the shaking has stopped, if you are in an unsafe area (ceiling has collapsed, exposed electrical wires, broken glass, gas or smoke odor), find the safest way to evacuate to an open space or take shelter in another area of the building.

Check your water, gas and electric lines for any damage. If they are damaged, shut off the valves. If you can smell gas, open all your doors and windows and leave your home immediately. Report a broken gas line to the authorities as soon as possible.

Do not use candles, matches or any open flames as a source of light. Earthquakes often result in broken gas lines, which should not be mixed with open flames.

Only use your phone for emergencies. You will want to save your battery for as long as possible.

Be prepared to repeat everything in the likely event of aftershocks, which usually happen within the first few days following an earthquake.

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October 24 to October 30, 2019

FREEWILL ASTROLOGY

Week of October 24

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Singapore has one of the world’s lowest fertility rate. A few years ago, this state of affairs prompted the government to urge Singaporeans to have sex on an annual holiday known as National Day. A new rap song was released in the hope of pumping up everyone’s libidos and instigating a baby boom. It included the lyrics, “Let’s make fireworks ignite / Let’s make Singapore’s birthrate spike.” I have a different reason for encouraging you to seek abundant highquality sex, Aries. According to my analysis, tender orgasmic experiences will profoundly enhance your emotional intelligence in the coming weeks—and make you an excellent decision-maker just in time for your big decisions. (P.S. You don’t necessarily need a partner.)

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): In the 1530s, explorer Jacques Cartier led expeditions from France to the New World. As Europeans often did back then, he and his team were rude and brutish to the indigenous folks who lived there, stealing their land, kidnapping some of them, and slaughtering herds of great auks in a bird sanctuary. Yet there was one winter when Cartier’s marauders got crucial help from their victims, who gave them vitamin C-rich pine needle tea that cured their scurvy. I suspect you Tauruses will embark on quests and journeys in the coming months, and I’m hoping your behavior will be different from Cartier’s. When you arrive in unfamiliar places, be humble, curious, and respectful. Be hesitant to impose your concepts of what’s true, and be eager to learn from the locals.

If you do, you’re likely to get rich teachings and benefits equivalent to the pine needle tea.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Many software engineers have enjoyed The Pragmatic Programmer, a book that helps them develop and refine their code. One popular technique the book offers is “rubber duck deprogramming.” Programmers place a toy rubber duck in front of them, and describe to it the problems they’re having. As they explain each line of code to their very good listener, they may discover what’s amiss. I recommend a similar approach to you as you embark on metaphorically debugging your own program, Gemini. If a rubber duck isn’t available, call on your favorite statue or stuffed animal, or even a photo of a catalytic teacher or relative or spirit.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Read the following passage from Gabriel García Márquez’s novel One Hundred Years of Solitude. “Gaston was not only a fierce lover, with endless wisdom and imagination, but he was also, perhaps, the first man in the history of the species who had made an emergency landing and had come close to killing himself and his sweetheart simply to make love in a field of violets.” I admire the romantic artistry of Gaston’s dramatic gesture. I applaud his imaginative desire to express his love in a carefully chosen sanctuary filled with beauty. I praise his intense devotion to playful extravagance. But I don’t recommend you do anything quite so extreme in behalf of love during the coming weeks. Being twenty percent as extreme might be just right, though.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In his song “Diplomatic Immunity,” rapper Drake disparages tranquility and harmony. “I listen to heavy metal for meditation, no silence,” he brags. “My body isn’t much of a sacred temple, with vodka and wine, and sleep at the opposite times,” he declares. Is there a method in his madness? It’s revealed in these lyrics: “All that peace and that unity: all that weak sh-- will ruin me.”

In the coming weeks, Leo, I urge you to practice the exact opposite of Drake’s approach. It’s time to treat yourself to an intense and extended phase of selfcare.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): It’s a favorable time to refresh your relationships with your basic sources and to make connections with new basic sources. To spur your creative thought on these matters, I offer the following questions to meditate on. 1. If you weren’t living where you do now, what other place might you like to call home? 2. If you didn’t have the name you actually go by, what other name would you

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© Copyright 2019 Rob Brezsny

choose? 3. If you had an urge to expand the circle of allies that supports and stimulates you, whom would you seek out? 4. If you wanted to add new foods and herbs that would nurture your physical health and new experiences that would nurture your mental health, what would they be?

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Mushrooms have spores, not seeds. They’re tiny. If you could stack 2,500 of them, they’d be an inch high. On the other hand, they are numerous. A ripe mushroom may release up to 16 million spores. And each spore is so light-weight, the wind can pick it up and fling it long distances. I’ll encourage you to express your power and influence like a mushroom in the coming days: subtle and airy but abundant; light and fine, but relentless and bountiful.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): “Sometimes the easiest way to get something done is to be a little naive about it,” writes computer engineer Bill Joy. I invite you to consider the value of that perspective, Scorpio—even though you’re the least likely sign in all the zodiac to do so. Being naive just doesn’t come naturally to you; you often know more than everyone else around you. Maybe you’ll be more receptive to my suggestion if I reframe the task. Are you familiar with the Zen Buddhist concept of “beginner’s mind”?

You wipe away your assumptions and see everything as if it were the first time you were in its presence.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Is it always a bad thing to be lost? To wander in the unknown without a map? I’d like to propose a good version of being lost. It requires you to be willing to give up your certainties, to relinquish your grip on the comforting dogmas that have structured your world—but to do so gladly, with a spirit of cheerful expectancy and curiosity. It doesn’t require you to be a macho hero who feels no fear or confusion. Rather, you have faith that life will provide blessings that weren’t possible until you got lost.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): “Worrying is the most natural and spontaneous of all human functions,” wrote science educator Lewis Thomas.

“Let’s acknowledge this, perhaps even learn to do it better.” I agree with him! And I think it’s an ideal time for you to learn how to worry more effectively, more potently, and with greater artistry. What might that look like? First, you wouldn’t feel shame or guilt about worrying. You wouldn’t regard it as a failing.

Rather, you would raise your worrying to a higher power. You’d wield it as a savvy tool to discern which situations truly need your concerned energy and which don’t.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): “Some wounds go so deep that you don’t even feel them until months, maybe years, later,” wrote Aquarian author Julius Lester. Pay attention to that thought, Aquarius. The bad news is that you are just now beginning to feel a wound that was inflicted some time ago. But that’s also the good news, because it means the wound will no longer be hidden and unknowable. And because you’ll be fully aware of it, you’ll be empowered to launch the healing process. I suggest you follow your early intuitions about how best to proceed with the cure.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): If you’ve been having dreams or fantasies that the roof is sinking or the walls are closing in, you should interpret it as a sign that you should consider moving into a more spacious situation. If you have been trapped within the narrow confines of limited possibilities, it’s time to break free and flee to a wide open frontier.

In general, Pisces, I urge you to insist on more expansiveness in everything you do, even if that requires you to demolish cute little mental blocks that have tricked you into thinking small.

Homework: You don’t have to feel emotions that others try to manipulate you into feeling.

You are free to be who you want to be.

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

MIND,BODY & SPIRIT

FACING DECISIONS

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BY BRONWYN ISON

ave you ever thought about how many decisions you have to make each day? If you take a moment to ponder how many, it could take a bit of your time. We make numerous decisions daily.

Some are small and others may be life altering and require more thought.

It’s possible you are making choices for other people. So not only do you keep track of what you are doing, you are also responsible for someone else. For instance, I have two daughters and they are not of age to make certain choices. When I move forward, there have been times I’ve questioned whether or not it was the right direction. Because not only am I making a choice for them, I am teaching them a lesson along the way. It may be that you care for a parent, a spouse, or a friend who needs you and appreciates your help.

Depending on your circumstance, it may be that you have to call the shots despite their stubbornness.

As of late, I’m faced with many choices, of which will be life altering. For the most part, all of what I am facing is exceptionally positive, but a choice needs to be made. Of course, we are hopeful we will make the “right” move.

We’ve all been there when we’ve chosen to go left when we should have gone right

(figuratively speaking). Plus, their is always a reaction to your action. I’ve been on the side of the fence of poor choices and it isn’t glamorous. We all know, one poor choice can be problematic and can create lifelong issues.

This leads me to share with you, what a dear friend of mine shared with me many years ago. I’ve adopted this way of living and it truly works. It’s not a perfect recipe to making the right choice but it’s quite close. My friend said to me, “Don’t ever make a decision unless you have a peace about it.” My heart, mind and soul resonates with this way of living. Ever since I began to wait and have a peace, I have made very few poor choices.

With this being said, I have less troubles or drama in my life. I don’t care to listen what other people or family members “think” I should do. However, everyone’s opinion does matter but I don’t allow it to convolute my mind. I take time to mediate on the “BIG” decisions I have facing me. But, I do not make a wholehearted choice until I have an absolute peace overall.

I am less stressed, I feel more at peace, and I know I have the abilities to make wise choices without depending on others. You can do this too if you take the time to mediate first. Do nothing until you have peace.

CANNABIS CORNER

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

October 24 to October 30, 2019

BY RUTH HILL R.N.

THE MEDIA’S DISTORTION OF THE VAPE PEN CRISIS

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t’s hard to talk about other news when so much vape pen disinformation clouds the air. Currently the media/ government propaganda industry does nothing to educate the public. This article will share legitimate expert internet sites that disseminate evidenced based research to the public.

On October 16, 2019 – Three California Assembly committees held a joint informational hearing on “Vaping Tobacco and Cannabis Products: Health Effects and Deficiencies in Regulation and Current Law.” Government/media officials continue to cause panic and misinformation by banning vape pens. At this hearing were the voices of reason. Louis Han of The Arcview Group states it eloquently “Bans don’t work, this is the Death Rattle of illegitimate producers. A ban is the exact response they’re looking for: it will shut down legitimate operators.”

Why is it we still have three quarters of cities and counties in California banning legal cannabis product retailers, forcing consumers to the unsafe illicit market. Many bills in CA to lower taxation and establish local licensing parity with alcohol retailers in order to bolster the licensed market had been defeated this year. In Tulare and Kings counties, where deaths have occurred, no legal option is available to consumers.

It’s injurious to our industry when government offers knee-jerk regulation but when the media distorts our efforts towards research and truth telling it puts a thorn in our hearts. I feel like Peter Finch in Network screaming “I’m mad as hell…” The Wall Street Journal titled Scott Gottlieb’s piece on pot with a jaundiced headline: “Pot Legalization Makes Vaping Deadly.” The title should have been: “Pot Prohibition Makes Vaping Deadly.” Media would prefer to hype the dangers and ignore the distinction between research benefits of vaping marijuana and the tainted vaping products that cause vape pen respiratory illnesses (VAPI).

The rest of the print media is culpable by not focusing on products with tainted marijuana or ignoring the obvious, the vape crisis is unique to the U.S. Pointing out that millions of people have been vaporizing

cannabis for three decades without any confirmed cases of VAPI would provide vital context. These lung injuries didn’t start turning up until this year. Deputy Director Ellen Komp noted that 100 years of punitive actions against marijuana sellers haven’t made our state safer. The only thing that will ever work is proper, reasonable regulation.

We need regulation on cutting agents testing labs labeling requirements and a reduction in mandatory taxes that are pricing out legitimate businesses. Before Prop. 64 there where potentially 3000 legal retailers now only 873. Too much burdensome taxes makes compliance costly loses good businesses and forces customers into the illicit market.

Vape pens have been shown to reduce harm in cigarette smokers, but new extracts and vaping devices have been developed in the last forty years that could be problematic.

Let us not revert to the gin bathtub of alcohol prohibition. Research published in multiple medical journals related to VAPI can be found on the project CBD website. Medical professionals can refer their patients to these reliable websites. projectcbd.org/medicine/ resources-vaping-related-lung-injury or the blog on radiclehealthcare.com.

So far, the CDC has found no single compound that is responsible for VAPI. The New York Times article on Oct. 2nd, 2019 published a report in the New England Journal of Medicine from the Mayo Clinic detailing lung tissue samples from 17 patients with lung injury. These cases demonstrated a pattern of injury similar to a chemical fume exposure or a chemical burn similar to what is found in mustard gas exposure during World War I. Many vape pens heat to various temperatures. High temperatures can combust illicit compounds into deadly toxins.

Obscured at the end of Gottlieb’s article is the call for Congress and the White House to stop the handwringing, stop blowing smoke and clear the air with proper regulation instead of leaving this to a patchwork of regulations by the states. This is a federal problem. Wake up Congress.

Ruth Hill lectures and consults the public on medical cannabis hilruth@gmail.com

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October 24 to October 30, 2019

CANNABIS CORNER

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

BY MICHELLE ANN RIZZIO

JEETERS PREROLLS

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his week I met up with Joy Beggs of Dreamfields farms from Desert Hot Springs. Dreamfields is a cannabis distro company that produces Jeeters prerolls. We discussed her experience and love for cannabis and Baby Jeeters. Read on to learn more, CV Weekly: What inspired you to begin a career in cannabis?

Joy: “My inspiration comes from my passion for helping people. The flower itself has given me immense inspiration with her being a catalyst for aiding in providing relief and comfort to so many people in need. I began by selling medical grade chocolates, tinctures and capsules in medical stores across Washington State. I was astonished by the stories and people I came across, I’ve never looked back. It has brought me so much joy to be able to facilitate love and appreciation for cannabis and all of her amazing capabilities.”

CV Weekly: Tell me about the products that Dreamfields produces.

Joy: “Dreamfields is a distribution and manufacturing facility located in Desert Hot Springs. We carry a family of brands but Jeeter is our baby. We offer premium indoor flowered joints hand rolled and made with love. Available in 3 different sizes and now also offering pre rolls infused with distillate and dipped in kief. We pride ourselves on quality product at affordable prices and lots of juicy flavor with all strain specific flower, distillate and kief. We also have added Jeeter Juice to our brand, an amazing vape line available in 6 strains. Soon to be adding Jeeter bites, an edible candy to complete our collection! Our elite brand, Culture Club will be the next addition to the family; a whole plant, full spectrum sauce pen and cigar line. Super exciting stuff and something for everyone!”

CV Weekly: Where are your products cultivated?

Joy: “We work with a small handful of cultivators located here locally in the Coachella Valley and also out of Los Angeles.

We source indoor flower only and work very closely with our growers.”

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CV Weekly: What is your favorite product that you carry?

Joy: “My Fav product is definitely our Baby Jeeters all day, every day! They are the perfect size, taste so good for the entire smoke and pack a major punch! You get 5 mini joints that I like to call dog walkers; it’s the smoothest toke and most quality high.”

CV Weekly: How do you use cannabis in your daily life?

Joy: “Cannabis has always been my source of medicine. I have consumed nearly daily for 25+ years. It is a part of my daily routine, engrained in my soul and I am honored to work in this industry where I get to literally live out a dream!”

CV Weekly: Where can folks see you this week in the Coachella Valley?

Joy: This week, Jeeter will be @ 10/24 WCCC PD 12-3 10/24 The Coughy Shop 4-7 10/25 Bare Dispensary 1-4 10/25 The Micro Buddery 4:20-7:10 10/26 Atomic BUDZ 3-5 10/26 420 Lounge 6-9 10/27 The Royal Highness 12-3 10/27 The Vault 4-7 10/29 The OG Collective 12-3 10/29 Dank Depot 4-7 10/30 City of Dank 12-3 10/30 The Coachella Lighthouse 4-6 10/30 Empire Gardens 8-10

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

October 24 to October 30, 2019

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October 24 to October 30, 2019

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www.coachellavalleyweekly.com