Coachella Valley Weekly - October 31 to November 6, 2019 Vol. 8 No. 33

coachellavalleyweekly.com • October 31 to November 6, 2019 Vol. 8 No. 33

Blu & Exile Broken Glass Awards Brant Bjork John Elefante All In Cypher Patrick Evans JT’s Diner PS Pride pg5

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October 31 to November 6, 2019

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October 31 to November 6, 2019

STREET – THE DESERT’S BEST FREE FEST!

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

STREET at Westfield Palm Desert........... 3 Blu & Exile............................................... 5 Breaking The 4th Wall - Sexy Widows... 6 PSWIFT Broken Glass Awards............... 6 Brant Bjork .............................................. 7 Dillon's Burgers & Beers ......................... 7 John Elefante.......................................... 8 All In Cypher............................................ 9 Consider This - Micheal Shuler............ 10 Business Profile - Patrick Evans ........... 11 Pet Place ............................................... 12 The Vino Voice ...................................... 13 Club Crawler Nightlife .................... 14-15 Good Grub - JT's Diner.......................... 16 Brewtality .............................................. 17 Screeners .............................................. 18 Book Review......................................... 19 Safety Tips ............................................. 19 Haddon Libby ....................................... 21 Dale Gribow........................................... 21 Palm Springs Pride............................... 22 Travel Tips 4 U....................................... 22 Ask The Doctor ..................................... 23 Swag For the Soul ................................ 23 Free Will Astrology............................... 24 Mind, Body & Spirit.............................. 24 Cannabis Corner................................... 26

BY NOE GUTIERREZ

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n Friday, November 1, 2019 from 5 to 11 p.m. at Westfield Palm Desert 72-840 Highway 111 in Palm Desert, CA on the Third Level Parking Deck near Macy’s, STREET returns and for the fifth year in a row is sponsored by Visit Palm Desert and The City of Palm Desert. The Desert’s Best Free festival celebrates the best in street art, music, food and fashion.

A Palm Desert First Weekend event, STREET is FREE and fun for ALL AGES! With 50+ large-scale murals including a collage of your favorite CV Weekly cover art, sculptures, live painting and interactive art curated by Flat Black Art Supply, this year’s STREET art installations will be outrageously over the top!

The new Bright Bar VIP Lounge features premium stage views, lux furnishings from Bright Event Rentals, complimentary cocktails from a 1941 restored trailer bar, and global street eats. There will be a giant crafts and games area from YMCA of the Desert along with pop-up shops from your favorite and emerging brands.

STREET is FREE with your eventbrite.com RSVP ticket which you can print or show via

Blu & Exile

Choosey

Desert Rhythm Project

Cakes & The A's

phone upon entry. All guests will enter from the second level ramp.

Staff will be checking IDs at the main entry on the second level, and those that are 21 years of age or older will receive a special wristband.

STREET is Fido-approved! Friendly dogs on leashes are more than welcome as well as service animals. There is plenty of free parking, but they also recommend using Uber. The Uber drop-off/pick-up location is in front of Macy’s near the parking deck.

Provoked & Willdabeast

Giselle Woo & The Night Owls

Food and beverage providers were facilitated by Coachella Food Truck Park. The STREET foodie line-up includes; Stuff Pizza, La Quinta Brewing Co., Haus of Poke, WTF Waffels, Tha Grub Plug, Mrs. Fields Cookies, Tikiz Shaved Ice, Desert Boba Bar and Custom Craft Chavela Michelada Cart! Food truck, cocktail and pop-up restaurant prices range from approximately $5-$12.

All bands, DJs and production arranged

by SoundRite Events and will be hosted by desert rep Dialect.

LIVE MUSIC LINE-UP Blu & Exile (10:20-11) Choosey (10:05-10:20) Provoked & Willdabeast (9:25-9:55) Cakes & the A’s (8:30-9:15) Desert Rhythm Project (7:30-8:15) Giselle Woo & The Night Owls (6:30-7:15) Pedro Le Bass (6-6:30) DJ ODC (5:15-6) Academy of Music Performance (4:30-5:15) continue to page 5

Academy Of Musical Performance

Pedro Le Bass

DJ ODC

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STREET AT WESTFIELD continued from page 3

Coachella Valley Weekly spoke with several STREET performers to get their take on the outdoor event.

CAKES - “STREET is unique because it’s an outdoor event that covers a huge space with legit stage, sound, and cool shit happening.

I played the first STREET back in 2015 and it was one of my favorite events to play because of the vibes and playing under the stars is always a treat. The line-up is diverse, which is important in a community event with bands, DJs, Hip-Hop, live artists painting. It’s important with a name like STREET that it hits all corners of what it means to be ‘STREET’ and I think they hit that this year. I’m grateful to be able to perform this year with the band and we look forward to putting on a great show and to have some fun!”

GISELLE WOO - “STREET is unique in the sense that a huge corporation like the

STREET

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ormed in 2007, Blu & Exile are an underground Hip-Hop duo composed of rapper Blu and DJ/producer Exile and are currently based in Los Angeles. You can watch their headline performance at STREET on Friday, November 1st at 10:20 p.m. The show is FREE and ALL AGES! You can register at eventbrite.com to RSVP and print your tickets or show them via phone upon entry.

Blu & Exile gained widespread recognition immediately with their tour de force first album, Below the Heavens (2007). That album was Blu’s debut and showcases his cerebral raps and Exile’s immaculate manufacturing of beats and impeccable production. Blu provides rap vocals on all of the album›s songs while Exile produces all of the songs and raps on the ‘bonus track’ “I Am….” The album also features guest performers MC Ta’Raach, Aloe Blacc, and singer Miguel.

Blu first met Exile in the early 2000s, through Aloe Blacc, Exile’s partner in Emanon.

In 2004, Blu signed to Exile’s label Sound in Color and began working with the producer and assisted him with his solo LP, Dirty Science (2006).

Exile has also worked with Jurassic 5, Kardinal Offishall, and Mobb Deep.

In 2012, the duo released their second album, Give Me My Flowers While I Can Still Smell Them and the EP Maybe One Day. In 2017, they released In the Beginning: Before the Heavens. Their latest release is an EP called True & Livin’ and dropped in May 2019 to gushing reviews by fans and critics.

Coachella Valley Weekly connected with Exile for an enlightened interview discussing his partner Blu, the monster career he has built and his upcoming performance at STREET. CVW: You’ve been a duo for over a decade now. How did you and Blu meet?

Exile: “We’ve been making music together since 2003 just after we first met. Our first song was released in 2005 and our first album was 2007.

I was in a group called Emanon, with a rapper called Aloe Blacc who’s now a pretty famous singer, songwriter and producer.

There was a label being built by peers of ours, Science Project, and they kept talking to us about a rapper named Blu. We were talking

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Westfield Shopping Mall is embracing the art, music and culture of the community.

The way the stores inside will interact with everyone out on the parking lot is a different approach than just being a store inside, you know? It’s their turn to use some kind of creativity, and that’s always fun and exciting to see a change in marketing strategies. The line-up is wonderful, so many local hitters on the bill. I personally don’t know who the headliners are, but I’m excited for the rest of us. To be in that type of setting and working with that kind of production helps us reach for our dreams faster and I’m very grateful to be performing with my band! Plus, we play early so we get to enjoy our friends afterwards. We will have our EP, Gemini, for sale for $10, so if you haven’t gotten your copy, come through and pick one up!”

PROVOKED - “We are grateful for it. Been

looking forward to rockin’ it for the past few years and I’m glad to be doing it with Will. A graffiti-themed event with good music and food is a good time. Thank you Flat Black Art Supplies and Dialect for always believing in us. The line-up is awesome! A lot of friends we perform with often. A bunch of amazing musicians and artists and I’m thankful to be a part of this. We can’t wait to have fun performing in that cool of a setting.”

BLU & EXILE

about being a part of this new label and they kept telling me about Blu. Aloe had already met him and Blu had been a fan of the work me and Aloe had done in Emanon. We went and saw him perform and it was great. I was working on an Exile album where I used different vocalists to rap over my beats. I asked Blu if he was down to do a song and he was all about it. We met up and recorded and after that first recording we started talking about our album and what we wanted to sound like.”

CVW: What was it about Blu that drew you to him?

Exile: “His energy. He was 19 when we started working together and I was 24. He just had an excited energy about the music that got me inspired. He really dug my beats which really motivated me and gave me more confidence in my music. It’s strange to see the potential in somebody without other people really knowing about it. I knew that he had a very conscious side to him. I definitely had beats that had a bit more of an emotional tone. The emotions I can gather from my work seems to bring out a more personal lyric from the artist. It ended up a really good fit for the both of us.”

CVW: What other projects are you involved with currently?

Exile: “I’m working with Aloe Blacc. I just did an album with Choosey called Black Beans (2019) that’s seems to be doing pretty well.

I’m also working with Hip-Hop/Rap artists The Last Artful, Dodgr and Fashawn.”

CVW: What is your background in music?

Exile: “During the divorce of my parents, at age 5, I used to live in my grandfather’s garage and he would teach me to play the accordion. He had an accordion school and that was my first introduction to playing music.

My dad made music as well. He released two underground records back in the day. He’s had a resurgence and I re-pressed some of his vinyl. It’s a trip to have my father’s music rereleased.

I used to go to skating rinks when I was younger and I would see B-Boys breakdancing, and the music that they would play was Electro and Funk based. Then I saw the movie Breakin’ and was really inspired by it. I then got into Michael Jackson and Run-DMC. My first tapes were The Sex Pistols and LL Cool J. that’s when I first started to fall in love with Rap. Then I got into The 2 Live Crew who had an incredible DJ. I started to get into scratching and taught myself on a home stereo system.

Then I got a mixer and a 4-track and started making my own beats and mixtapes. I would attend Hip-Hop events as a teenager selling my mixtapes. They started getting popular and then I linked up with Aloe Blacc when he was 16 years old. We started making 4-track albums. This was before the internet and our tapes made it around the world. Eventually we got played on Power 106 on their Hip-Hop show. At that point we just decided we have to keep doing this.”

CVW: What are your thoughts on STREET? Exile: “it sounds like a good time. We’re excited and down for it. It’s an interesting setting. We’re taking it back to being a ‘mallrat’. We’re going to go out there and do what they would have kicked us out for doing in the parking lot.”

CVW: Where’s the strangest place you’ve ever performed?

Exile: “We were on tour and performed in Pennsylvania and there was a power outage in the middle of our set, everyone was tripping out. We invited everyone outside. I burned a CD of our set and we banged it out of a car stereo and we performed our whole set to the whole fucking club in the parking lot! It was really cool.”

CVW: What’s your relationship like with Blu?

October 31 to November 6, 2019

EXILE - “It sounds like a good time. We’re excited and down for it. It’s an interesting setting. We’re taking it back to being a ‘mallrat’. We’re going to go out there and do what they would have kicked us out for doing in the parking lot.”

For more info on STREET, contact: Westfield Management: 760-346-212 email: palmdesert@westfield.com westfield.com/palmdesert

BY NOE GUTIERREZ Exile: “We’ve been connecting a lot more in person. I opened up a record shop and I have my Music Production Controller over there and he’s been coming over a lot because we’ve been working on another project. I always love making beats in front of Blu. There would be times where I would make something I didn’t necessarily like while I’m making it and want to throw it away but Blu will tell me ‘no’ and to ‘go in this direction’ and it’s just cool how his confidence in what I’m doing can help mold the creation of it. It’s a lot of fun doing it like that. I definitely give him direction too, and he takes it. It definitely works both ways. It’s also really cool when he has something written by the time I’m done.”

CVW: What has been the biggest struggle of your music career?

Exile: “When you go through personal stuff, and try to heal from that and still keep the passion for it. I think we’ve experienced moments when the joy was gone but we definitely came back. We have a new album coming out early next year. Somehow we pulled it off and we’re both happy about that.”

CVW: Where do you think music is headed?

Exile: “I see so much happening. I could see music coming back and having more of a live essence to it. I also see it total opposite. I see a lot of evil things too. Music is so saturated.

We’re going to get it all. I sometimes look at music like a fight of good versus evil. I want to try to keep people listening to good music, but what is good?”

CVW: Out of all your work, what should we listen to?

Exile: “Listen to Radio (2009). I sampled everything from the high hat to the drums to the bass lines from Los Angeles radio waves.

If you are someone who listens to full albums, there’s a message throughout the whole thing with how I manipulate the vocals throughout.

It’s one of my favorite albums.” thedirtyscience.com

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JUNE AUGUST’S, “SEXY WIDOWS”

An old Chinese proverb says; “You cannot prevent the birds of sorrow from flying over your head, but you can prevent them from building nests in your hair.” hat quote seems to perfectly characterize the premise of writer/actress, June August’s musical, “Sexy Widows.” With a long and exemplary theatrical background and a list of accomplishments that spans decades, it’s no surprise that August’s, latest creation, “Sexy Widows,” perfectly captures the human condition when it comes to surviving and thriving in times of grief. August, wrote the book, music and lyrics for Sexy Widows, as a posthumous tribute to her late husband, whom she credits with bolstering her courage with writing music. She has written a musical that brilliantly reflects the journey of finding your way back from the depths of grief.

“Sexy Widows,” is the story of two widows and two widowers who meet in a grief recovery support group. Through witty dialogue, funny and poignant songs, great storytelling and wonderful casting, the play introduces us to Della, (Delores Hudson,) Brenda, (Lark Kenny,) Charley, (Milt Oberman) and Dave, (Bill Stephens.).

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BY DEE JAE COX

Four people who have lost their spouses and are learning to navigate the world as singular, rather than plural. Over the course of four years, their highs, lows, progress and setbacks are presented in a touching and humorous way, that few would not be able to relate to if they have ever experienced loss. Sexy Widows, does not get lost in the loss, but rather inspires and provides hope for anyone who may be feeling adrift.

Hudson, Kenny, Oberman and Stephens all gave wonderful performances and embodied such real and empathetic characters. The Ensemble cast were top quality and contributed to the overall professional quality of Sun City Palm Desert Performing Arts Club, production of this show was presented October 25-27th.

Roz Warren Heller’s direction was engaging and transformative. The set was simple, with no elaborate costumes or props. Douglas Graham’s choreography was the mesmerizing cherry of this cake. Musical Director, Wayne Abravanel, (Piano), Jeff Stover, (Bass) and Dave Hitchings provided the live music for this production, giving wings to August’s songs.

August describes the script as, “not a setup, set-up, set-up, gag format, but a poignant

BREAKING THE4TH WALL

comedy focusing on some universal truths.”

When she began writing the script, she was a brand-new surviving spouse. After 13 years of rewrites and personal growth, August says that she’s finally done with endless revisions of the story.

June August, has worked in theatrical venues across the country, winding up here in the Coachella Valley where she has showcased her professional grade acting talent on local stages across the desert.

King Lear, On Golden Pond, Lost in Yonkers, Other Desert Cities, The Vagina Monologues,

to name just a few of the shows that have featured her talent. Besides her acting, she has now shared her writing and musical skills in one of the most poignant shows to grace a stage.

‘Sexy Widows,’is a moving lesson on how not to let the birds of sorrow build nests in your hair.

Dee Jae Cox is a playwright, director and producer. She is the Cofounder and Artistic Director for The Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Project. losangeleswomentheatreproject.org palmspringstheatre.com

TH EVENTS PALM SPRINGS WOMEN IN FILM & TELEVISION TO HOST 11 ANNUAL BROKEN GLASS AWARDS NOVEMBER 4, 2019 - HONOREES INCLUDE VIRGINIA MADSEN, DOLORES ROBINSON, SIERRA MCCORMICK, MELISSA NEIDERMAN & LILIANA RODRIGUEZ

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he Palm Springs Women in Film & TV (PSWIFT) will be holding its 11th annual Broken Glass Awards Luncheon on November 4, 2019, from 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m at the Agua Caliente Casino Resort & Spa. This key fundraiser for the organization honors extraordinary women who have broken through the glass ceiling and paved the way for others in entertainment, arts and philanthropy.

The PSWIFT honorees for this year’s event include: Virginia Madsen, The Gena Award – Known for her roles in Sideways, Joy, Law & Order, Elementary, and American Gothic, the Oscar nominee has worked steadily in the industry since 1983. This Independent Spirit Award-winning actress has an illustrious resume of roles alongside the most notable and respected actors in the business.

Dolores Robinson, The Broken Glass Award – Dolores is the mother of Holly

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Robinson Peete and has been singled out

by The Hollywood Reporter as one of the top dealmakers in Hollywood, representing Mark Wahlberg, Jada Pinkett Smith and her daughter.

Sierra McCormick, The Rising Star Award – Sierra has been featured in impressive titles thus far, such as A.N.T. Farm, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Land of the Lost and 20th Century Fox’s Ramona & Beezus. She is starring in the upcoming film, The Vast of Night, which won the Slamdance Film Festival audience award.

Melissa Neiderman, The Humanitarian Award – With a long history in theatre, Melissa started the theatre program at Washington Charter School. She spearheaded the high-profile fundraising effort for Desi Cechin, and now serves as advisory chair on the Desi Strong Foundation committee. She has helped raise money for many other local charities, as well.

Liliana Rodriguez, The Desert Diva Award – A Coachella Valley native, Liliana is the yearround Artistic Director for the Palm Springs International Film Festival and ShortFest. She became the Program Manager at the Palm Springs Film Society in 2016, programming films for the Palm Springs International Film Festival and ShortFest.

“We are thrilled with the selection of this year’s honorees, whose collective body of work embodies the remarkable efforts it takes to break through that glass ceiling,” said Leanna Bonamici, president of PSWIFT. “These women round out our stellar line up of inspirational women who have distinguished themselves as wonderful examples and successful pioneers in our industry.”

Co-chairs for the 2019 Broken Glass Awards are Patti Gribow, Kim Waltrip and Kate Spates. Emcees for the luncheon are local news anchor, Karen Devine, and actor John Callahan.

In addition to the awards, a special scholarship will be presented to a deserving local student in honor of the late Denise Dubarry-Hay, a longtime member of PSWIFT and past president who first brought the Broken Glass Awards to the organization. The scholarship will be awarded to an applicant that attends a high school or college in the Coachella Valley, holds at least a 3.0 GPA and whose focus of their career path is in media, music, film/TV or theater.

Tickets for the 2019 Broken Glass Awards are $100, and can be purchased at PSWIFT. org. The event will take place at Agua Caliente Casino Resort & Spa in Rancho Mirage: 32250 Bob Hope Dr., Rancho Mirage, CA 92270.

For more information, call (760) 2380306. www.pswift.org

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NOVEMBER 2 BRANT BJORK AT THE HOOD BAR & PIZZA SATURDAY,

rant Bjork is a longtime favorite in our desert music scene. He was a founding member of Kyuss and has been going strong ever since. When Bjork left Kyuss, he kept himself busy with De-Con, Fu Manchu, Che, Mondo Generator, and even a brief stint in Fatso Jetson. As if all of this wasn’t enough, he did all of this while starting a solo career.

Bjork started his solo career strong with the release of his first album, Jalamanta. For Bjork fans, Jalamanta is a staple. It’s an album that is brought up over and over amongst fans. It stands to reason that Bjork’s new label, Heavy Psych Sounds, would re-mix and re-master Jalamanta for its 20th anniversary. In fact, Heavy Psych Sounds re-released the entirety of Bjork’s back catalogue as well as releasing new music.

Last year’s Mankind Woman was Bjork’s first album of original work on Heavy Psych Sounds.

Bjork brought desert legend Sean Wheeler along for the ride on this album; recording and touring. To follow Mankind Woman, the label decided to release a shelved jam recording Bjork did a decade ago, Jacoozzi, which marked the beginning of a year full of rarities.

Long out-of-print albums have been rereleased, extensive touring, re-working Bjork’s solo debut, and a return home have all been on the table this year. On Saturday, November 2, Ruined Vibes, C.D.W.A., and Coachella Valley Weekly will proudly present Brant Bjork’s homecoming show at The Hood Bar and Pizza.

This will be part of only 2 U.S. shows announced so far. Los Angeles duo [BIG]PIG and local favorites Brain Vat will be starting the night off.

Doors at 8 and bands start at 8:30.

Coachella Valley Weekly: This is a homecoming show for you, do you have anything special planned?

Brant Bjork: “I honestly don’t have anything special planned for this homecoming show in Palm Desert. The fact that it’s a homecoming show and I haven’t performed in Palm Desert for longer than I can remember is really enough to make it special. At least for me.”

CVW: For the past few years, Sean Wheeler

was touring with you. It was a good fit since you were touring Mankind Woman and he was vocals on several songs. Have you found ways to work around the absence of Sean or was it time to cycle those songs out of the set list?

Bjork: “Sean and I put together a concept to have him guest on a handful of songs on a particular European tour that was about 3 weeks long. The result was so naturally cool that Wheeler continued to tour with us as a traveling guest for 3 years! It felt equally natural to incorporate his talent and our combined chemistry on our last record, Mankind Woman.

Sean sang lead on a couple songs and backing vocals on a couple others. We played his 2 lead vocal tracks every night while we supported the record. Now that wonderful adventure is over.

Out of respect we chose to keep the Wheeler songs in the “song-treasure-chest” until we unleash them again together. It’s healthy to move on to other songs and fresh ideas which is what we as a band have done.”

CVW: Heavy Psych Sounds is reissuing your complete back catalogue including an unreleased jam called “Jacoozzi.” Can you tell us a bit of history behind that?

HIGH DESERT REVIEW

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October 31 to November 6, 2019

ince this is the first High Desert Review, let’s start with the first awesome place in the high desert geographically; Dillon’s Burgers and Beers.

This place is fresh to the high desert. They are a staple in Desert Hot Springs, with the original Dillon’s located of all places, on Dillon Rd. It is the oldest building in Desert Hot Springs.

The original location is a bit off the beaten path, but well worth the 5 minutes out of your way. It has been open for years and it shows. It’s a good burger joint for locals and wayward travelers alike. Want a quick bite and drink, this is the place. Want to hang out for a while and watch a football or baseball game, this is the place. Want to meet new friends?

This is definitely the place. The employees and patrons are open and friendly. With the success of the original, Jameson and Amanda Walker decided it was time to expand.

Jameson and Amanda Walker are the owners of both low desert and high desert Dillon’s locations. The high desert location just opened up to rave reviews by the locals.

Bjork: “Part of my enthusiasm to work with Heavy Psych Sounds was they’re intention to release all of my back catalog, not just new music. I found that to be very respectful and flattering. Heavy Psych Sounds also was intent on releasing my 2010 “shelved” recording, Jacoozzi. There was no hesitation on my part to agree to all. Jacoozzi was the result of a recording session in Joshua Tree in 2010 with Tony Mason. We rolled tape and I literally just made music on the spot. The result is uniquely organic and was equally necessary for my mindset at that time which was borderline burnout. After 9 years of being on the shelf, Jacoozzi finally got released. I had no intention of ever releasing it when I recorded it. The creative motivation was cathartic. It’s very cool to have something that wasn’t intended to fly, take off.”

CVW: Jalamanta, your first solo release, is the latest reissue and was remastered. Did you rework any of the songs or just remaster it? Did it hold up for you?

Bjork: “Of course Heavy Psych Sounds planned on re-releasing Jalamanta and they didn’t take long in doing so. Remastering it was my assumption until Heavy Psych Sounds said they wanted to re-mix it as well, for the sake of something totally fresh to coincide with the re-release. I was a bit hesitant but discussed the idea with Tony Mason, my long time engineer and together we concluded that nothing is sacred and it would be a fun challenge to re-mix it. And that was exactly what we experienced... a fun challenge. I think it sounds great. Is it better? That’s subjective and not the point. The point was to simply re-mix it. Tony and I have recorded records for the 20 years since we made Jalamanta. In that time we have come to know what can’t be improved within the record and what could. It was 90% a technical factor. I think we hit it out of the park and simultaneously confirmed it’s a timeless record.”

CVW: If memory serves correctly, you’ve always had at least one Jalamanta song in your set list, have you incorporated more into it?

DILLON’S BURGERS AND BEERS

Is this fine dining? No. But it is exactly what one would hope for from a local roadhouse.

It’s amazing burgers, strong drinks, and the best fried food in Morongo Valley. It also serves as one of only two full bars in Morongo Valley and the only family friendly one.

Why open in Morongo Valley? When asked, Jameson states, “There is so much potential here in Morongo Valley with so many cars passing through.” The Walkers are fans of Morongo Valley and own the building.

They plan on being around for “a very long

time.” They see the potential that many people are starting to see in Morongo Valley.

“We need to bring more stuff to Morongo Valley,” says Jameson. There definitely is room for growth and a great roadhouse is the perfect addition.

Dillon’s (the DHS location), under the current ownership, is where the birthplace for arguably the best festival in Southern California was; Desert Daze. They hosted 12 days of rad music between Coachella Fest weekends in 2012, and did it well. Dillon’s also

BY JASON HALL

Bjork: “Thereare about three songs from Jalamanta that have continuously been in and out of the live set for about 17 years.

Some songs just don’t go away and some you play for a year only to never be played again.

There is no telling what song will become a live staple. That’s part of the mysterious world of performing live music.”

CVW: Watching the video for “Chocolatize” shows how you work while writing an album.

It also makes me think about you playing solo.

Have you done any solo acoustic shows or have any planned?

Bjork: “I have just recently returned to doing solo-guitar shows and I plan to do more next year. I forgot how much I enjoy them.”

CVW: I’ve told you before, and I’ll stick to it.

You, Dave Dinsmore, Bubba Dupree, and Ryan Gut are the tightest band I’ve seen you with.

Every time I see you together, you get better.

Has this allowed you to incorporate songs into your set list you never thought possible?

Bjork: “My current band, The Low Desert Punk Band, has been together for about 6 years now. We’ve come a long way. We worked very hard together and the work payed off.

My personal goal as a bandleader is to get to a place where the band chemistry is so tight we can allow ourselves to be loose. We have achieved this. The song selection was and has always been based on striving for that tight/ loose chemistry. It’s a bit self-indulgent, but I don’t care. My fans know I’m on a trip and they learned years ago they’re gonna go with me or stay at home.

“Thanks to all those who choose to come along. They’re support means so much. It’s like Investing in an exploration. I’m very grateful for all the people who support my music and this band. We do our best to show our appreciation by creating and performing the best music that we are naturally inspired to produce.”

BY JASON HALL

hosted many Shurptown shows. Shurptown seems to be defunct now, but in the local hardcore scene, they were a force.

While Jameson and Amanda may have taken a break from live music, they have not taken a break from straight up honkytonk dining and drinking. Live music will be returning. Come up and check out the new location. Party in the front, games in the back, family friendly, and adult friendly.

On a scale of “Lame” to “Desert as Fuck” Prognosis: “Desert As Fuck”

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October 31 to November 6, 2019

MUSIC

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LEAD VOCALIST FOR KANSAS PERFORMING NOVEMBER 2ND JOHN ELEFANTE FORMER AT SPOTLIGHT 29 CASINO. ALL STAR JAM BENEFITING MARTHA’S VILLAGE

ohn Elefante auditioned and secured the lead vocalist/keyboardist position for Kansas in 1981 beating out the likes of Sammy Hagar (Van Halen) and Doug Pinnick (King’s-X). That year, the band was one of the top-grossing concert acts in the world.

He was also a major songwriting contributor along with lead guitarist/ keyboardist/songwriter Kerry Livgren. On 1982’s Vinyl Confessions, he co-wrote and sang the No. 4 Billboard Mainstream Rock hit, “Play the Game Tonight.” He also wrote the acoustic-based classic “Chasing Shadows,” along with the Top 40 single, “Right Away.”

The next year, on the following album, Drastic Measures, he wrote the early MTV favorite, “Fight Fire with Fire,” which remains the band’s highest charting single at No. 3 on the Mainstream Rock chart as well as a staple of Kansas’ live shows to this day. Elefante was also responsible for “Everybody’s My Friend,” which was released as the second single from the album and reached No. 34 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart.

Elefante will be performing at Spotlight 29 Casino on Saturday, November 2, at 8 p.m. in the Spotlight Showroom for the All Star Jam featuring the Rock legends Wally Palmar (THE ROMANTICS), Steve Augeri (former lead vocalist for JOURNEY), Jason Scheff (former lead vocalist of CHICAGO). 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. You can purchase tickets at spotlight29.com.

Coachella Valley Weekly spoke with Elefante from his Tennessee home.

CVW: You have close connections to the Coachella Valley. Tell us about your past associations.

Elefante: “My wife and I have a big history with Palm Desert and La Quinta. We lived in California before we had kids and used to come to Palm Desert once a month. We love La Quinta, it was our favorite place and it’s beautiful. We regularly attended what is now the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.

One year they were offering a $98 deal and it was so freaking hot. I know things are kind of year-round now. I have a show in Phoenix two nights before so I’ll be flying into Palm Springs a day earlier than I normally would.

There’s a place called Castelli’s Ristorante where we love to eat, it smells like my house growing up. I love Mexican food too! And of course there’s In-N-Out. We don’t have In-NOut in Tennessee. The minute we get off the plane we make a B line for In-N-Out. You can set your watch by it.”

CVW: Tell us about your All Star Jam show at Spotlight 29 Casino on 11/2.

Elefante: “I love the all-star situation, they are so much fun to do. There’s so much more than what happens on stage, you travel together you hotel together and eat together.

I just like all these guys so much they’re like brothers to me. When I go out there all by my lonesome it’s lonesome. This is a really good show. You’re going to hear an hour and a half or better worth of humongous hit songs.

There’s not one song played that you won’t recognize.”

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CVW: You’ve accomplished so much as a performer and producer.

Elefante: “It’s kind of spread all over the place in my career. I’ve done some really impactful performances. I’ve produced a lot of records that have gone on to some great things. I’ve been blessed to have produced some great music and owned, along with my brother, a humongous studio, Sound Kitchen, where Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen recorded. We got to meet those guys as they came and went. We built that studio from the ground up. We’ve always been studio nuts. My brother and I always fancied recording studios and gadgetry. I’ve been on all sides of the music business. I’ve owned a record company and a publishing company. I’ve been an artist, I’ve signed artists to my record label. I’ve been on every side of the fence there is. My brother Dino Elefante, incidentally, signed Katy Perry.

He went to a Los Angeles showcase and she was the opening act performing two or three acoustic songs by herself. After the showcase everyone ran up to the bands’ managers to banter and we asked football great Rosie Grier, who put the showcase together, about the little girl who opened the show; that was Katie Hudson aka Katy Perry. We brought her back to Nashville. My brother stayed an extra day in L.A. to meet her parents. The girl has so much charisma and is an amazing person. She did two records for us. The label disbanded and the rest is history.”

CVW: In the early 80’s you were heavily involved in the success of Christian rock bands Petra and Guardian. What do you recall about those early days?

Elefante: “We produced 12 Petra records and went on to win three Grammys and about 5 Guardian albums. Guardian was the first overtly Christian band on MTV. Stryper was coming in on different heading and a secular label. Those were some fun times. A lot of them didn’t consider themselves Christian bands per se but tagged themselves as a band made up of Christians. What they believed was in their lyrics.”

CVW: You produced the soundtrack to the ‘Brat Pack’ 80’s film St Elmo’s Fire which featured Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe and Demi

Moore... What was that like?

Elefante: “I got to produce the soundtrack to St. Elmo’s Fire with David Foster that included artists Billy Squier, Jon Anderson (YES), John Parr and Fee Waybill (The Tubes).

Incidentally, our band ELEFANTE had the planned third single, “Young and Innocent,” and the movie started to peter out so we never got it released.”

CVW: Your solo work is equally uplifting, both musically and lyrically. On My Way to the Sun is transcendent.

Elefante: “On My Way to the Sun, was released in 2013. I did one of those Kickstarter campaigns. At first, I didn’t want to do it, begging for money seemed lame, but I found out very quickly that the people that give to help you make a record don’t give begrudgingly. They feel like they are part of the record and they feel like they were instrumental in making it happen. It was so much different than I thought it was going to be. It was really a great experience. It was so great not watching a record company take everything and breathe down my back. The old days, they’d give you money to make a record and you’d be recouping it the rest of your life. Some of their recoupment practices were questionable. I hired my own distribution and we did all our own promotion. It was nice not having a record company say, ‘nah, that’s not the right single’ or ‘let’s not do that’ or ‘we need to remix the record’. As Frank Sinatra said, ‘I did it my way’.

CVW: What was it like having the Sound Kitchen, which, at the time, was one of the largest recording studios in the southeastern United States?

Elefante: “Between 1993 and 2006 that place was the most happening and popular studio in the country. We had everybody in there. Instead of going after the artists, we went after the producers. My parents used to cook 7-course meals for Vince Gill, Alan Jackson and Julio Iglesias. It was a southern Sound Kitchen, that’s what it was about. You make music and you eat. Technology is so inexpensive now. You can’t get somebody to come in and pay $1,600 a day for a studio when you can get the same thing at home for a $12,000 investment.”

CVW: Do you have any new music in the works?

Elefante: “I’m going to make a record next year. The last record I made from scratch by

BY NOE GUTIERREZ

myself. I wrote, recorded, produced and sang everything. I brought in some guest artists but this time I’m going to do a lot more collaboration. There are a lot of people I want to work with. Phil Keaggy is one of them; also, guitarist Dave Amato from REO Speedwagon and Kenny Aronoff, one of the most indemand session drummers.”

CVW: These all-star shows are extraordinary. What is the allure for you?

Elefante: “I connect with all of them. I’ve known the guys in Sixwire for 7 or 8 years now.

I’ve gotten really close with Steve Augeri and Jason Scheff. When you’re out there doing shows you’re together all the time. We’ve had a lot of great discussions about our lives, the business and raising families. It’s interesting how fast you can grow close to somebody.”

CVW: Your focus on giving back through your faith is honorable.

Elefante: “I think it’s a mandate. It would be sinful for me not to. To who much is given, much is expected. That runs through my mind a lot. I won’t sit here and tell you what I give and what I don’t give but I try and give back whenever I can. When you go out and do gigs in these big facilities, arenas, casinos, venues whatever it is, there’s always people hanging around and saying, ‘wow, there’s the rock stars’. I always try and make friends with those guys because they never forget it. I’ve met so many great people like that. What about the guy that’s doing the dishes in the back or preparing your meal for you before the show?

Don’t they deserve any attention? All the guys in Sixwire and the other artists go out of their way to stop people helping out in any capacity to thank them and ask them, ‘what can we do for you?’ We’re pegged as ‘nose in the air’ rock people and untouchable. I never want to be that. I want somebody walking out saying, ‘that guy was really nice’. I think that’s the way it should be.”

CVW: What can you share about your children?

Elefante: “I have two older adopted kids, a son (23) and daughter (26). My son just graduated from the University of Tennessee.

We had a ‘surprise’ with our 17 year old. I also have a granddaughter who is 18 months. They take up a different part of your heart, it’s a rich blessing.” johnelefante.com marthasvillage.org spotlight29.com

LOCAL MUSIC

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he Coachella Valley music scene possesses a strong following and a tour de force of creative capability across a variety of genres. This was demonstrated on October 26, as the All In Cypher took place at the Westfield Palm Desert mall parking structure behind Macy’s.

The event featured a group of six desertbased hip hop artists coming together to showcase their lyrical rap skills consecutively to the same beat. Each of the artists rapped one minute of lyrics while their supporters watched and enjoyed the show. The musical lineup included performances by Billie Dale, Slum Goddi, MRG, Savier1, Millstradamus, and Lootenant—who also organized the event.

Relocated from Mississippi by Hurricane Katrina, Lootenant has been living in the Coachella Valley ever since and immediately became blown away by the support he received in the pursuit of his musical journey.

In an attempt to pay forward the respect and care he garnered from the community, Lootenant created the All In Cypher platform for other artists to gain exposure.

“Our talents are gifts that should be shared with the world. I’m here to make sure that we all make that happen,” said Lootenant. “I always have crazy ideas that I try to bring to reality with the assistance of my team. Both of my recent music videos, “Ghetto Gospel” and “Bag,” are concepts that I dreamt of and went above and beyond to bring to life in my visuals.”

The All In Cypher event was free to

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October 31 to November 6, 2019

LOCAL RAP ARTISTS SHOWCASE TALENT AT “ALL IN CYPHER”

BY CRYSTAL HARRELL

the public and filmed by Lootenant’s videographer Khrave to be posted on the artists’ social media outlets. Having an online presence is an important factor in promoting local music, and even played a part in the formation of the All In Cypher.

The event originates back to a freestyle post that Lootenant made in August challenging four other artists from the Coachella Valley to do a freestyle rap of their own. In the caption, he instructed the participating artists to challenge four other people as well. Within two weeks of Lootenant’s first posting, there were over 100 freestyle posts from all around the world

under the hashtag #BringYaBarzChallenge.

With such a strong response from this movement, Lootenant decided to bring the top five Coachella Valley artists to cypher, or freestyle in turn, with him in October.

“With our hometown being the pioneer of music festivals like Coachella Fest, our local artists need their own platform. I feel like this can unify the local music scene in a way that has never been done before. There’s no battling or beefing involved, just a mutual love for creating music,” stated Lootenant.

With such a positive response from this All In Cypher, Lootenant and his team are already looking forward to making this an

ongoing event. Plans are currently being made to find the next set of Coachella Valley artists to feature in the next cypher, and there will be additional live performances from local artists as well.

“I’ve actually been writing verses since 2005, but it was only recently that I decided to get serious about it after a very hard time in my life. I always used to talk about stuff I thought other people wanted to hear, but that wasn’t me. Now I’m just going to chase my dreams,” said Michael Mills, or Millstradamus, who performed for the first time ever in front of an audience at the All In Cypher event.

Other participating artists might have more experience, but they cannot deny the overwhelming sense of community that the All In Cypher provided.

“It’s important to host this kind of event because it’s essential to what hip hop actually is—the heartbeat of the genre. It’s a very different experience than just listening to music on the radio when you have people rapping with you in a park or out in public.

The energy is on a whole other level,” said Sal Gomez, or Savier1, who has collaborated with other desert artists and dabbled in a variety of different genres outside of hip hop over the years.

PHOTOS BY CRYSTAL HARRELL

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October 31 to November 6, 2019

CONSIDER THIS

M

ichael Shuler was born in Portland, Oregon, but he grew up in the shadow of the aerospace industry in Los Angeles. Although his parents’ musical tastes leaned toward Country, Folk and Classical, like most kids his age, Michael was blown away by the Beatles and the subsequent British Invasion. He refers to his seminal musical influences as “The Four B’s: Bob (Dylan), Brian (Wilson), The Beatles and The Band.”

Michael was a restless pupil, but thanks to the patience of a his worldly teacher, he picked up the rudiments of piano while he was in elementary school. He taught himself guitar a couple years later. Something of an autodidact, his learning curve took place between “Like A Rolling Stone” and “Anarchy In The U.K.,” and he soaked up everything in between. Relentless woodshedding meant he mastered a variety of musical idioms.

His hard work paid off; he was able to shred like Clapton, nail 12-bar Blues, or finger-pick intricate Country licks.

A singer-songwriter at heart, he was quickly sidetracked by L.A.’s thriving Punk scene. Forming a band that started life as Lt. Elmo and then became Radio Bandits, they gigged at (soon to be infamous) spots like Hong Kong Café, Madame Wong’s, Club Lingerie and The Londoner. A debut EP was released in 1982 and featured two infectious anthems, “Suzy” and “Cellophane Girl.” Although they should have been hits, the songs never really caught fire. The band persevered, their sound evolving, becoming more dense and intricate. But they couldn’t catch a real break and broke up in the late ‘80s.

By then, Michael began honing his craft playing acoustic gigs around town, which resulted in his first solo effort, Montgomery Road. He managed to earn his keep as an in-demand studio musician. Ready for a change of scenery, he relocated to Seattle just ahead of the Grunge explosion. In full singer-songwriter mode, he plied his trade live, opening for luminaries like Mark Eitzel, Gillian Welch, Peter Case and Rosanne Cash.

He fell in with an ad hoc wolfpack of players that straddled the line between Rock and Country and added album production to his musical resume.

For the next several years he worked behind the scenes, producing and engineering music almost exclusively for the Glitterhouse Records label. He formed a lasting working relationship with Scott McCaughey (Young Fresh Fellows, R.E.M., Minus 5, Tuatura and The Baseball Project) He started work on his second solo album, but health issues sidelined him for a few years. Edge Of The World finally surfaced in 2009. Not long after, he returned home to Los Angeles.

Back in L.A., he established a studio in San Pedro, reconnecting with old friends and playing events like the Wild Honey Tribute concerts. Pretty quickly, he began concentrating on recording his new solo material. Although he handled most of the

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MICHAEL SHULER

instrumentation himself, Michael recruited Gary Ferguson and Dean Moore on drums, Scott McCaughey, Fernando Perdomo, Gene Libbea and John Pierce on bass, Marty Rifkin on pedal steel, Jeff Watson on lap steel and Lou Mannick on musical saw. John Ramberg, Bill James, Will Matthews, Carolyn Wennblom and Sheila Harley added backing vocals. The result is his third solo outing, Love & The Age Of Automation.

The record is front-loaded with the first two singles, “T-Shirt, Blue Jeans” and “Never Girl.” The opening track is a slice of primitive cool, powered by chunky rhythms, rubbery bass lines and rumbling guitar riffs. Michael’s vocals sound sinister one minute, sincere the next, with his intonation, sandwiching somewhere between Lou Reed’s sneer and Tom Petty’s nasal drawl. The lyrics lean toward “just the facts, ma’am” reportage.

The opening couplet deftly sets the scene; “She had Neil Young on the Hi-Fi, ‘Last Trip To Tulsa’/She put on ‘Blood On The Tracks,’ I wanted to cry, Lord, she made my pulse run.”

The sultry and subterranean feel is accented on the break by prickly guitar licks, and a “Peter Gunn” flavored throb.

The melody of “Never Girl” is sort of a kissing cousin to the classic Paul Collins Beat cut, “Different Kind Of Girl.” What Michael lacks in Snap, Crackle, Pop, he makes up for with guitars that attack and retreat, pensive bass, slightly squeal-y keys and a click-clack backbeat. The mood is melancholy as he obsesses over the girl who never was; “I walk the streets and see you everywhere, I turn and you vanish in the air/I look to find you but you’re not there, you’re nowhere, Never girl.”

Musically, this album skillfully cycles through a surfeit of styles. There’s a thin, wild, mercurial quality to both “The Ballad Of The Great Wheel” and “You (The Shudder Of Impermanence).” If the Partridge Family and The Band ever collaborated, it might sound a bit like the former. Loose-limbed and Folksy, the whole enterprise is powered by filigreed fretwork, nettlesome keys, sly accordion and a mid-tempo meter. Slightly cryptic lyrics cast a suspicious eye on progress; “Man was meant to walk on stone, like birds were meant to fly.” But the arch skepticism is nearly washed away by the tune’s rustic Pop prettiness.

The latter opens with ringing bells and ambient street sounds that fold into an arrangement featuring razor-sharp guitar riffs, fluttery ukulele, tart piano, see-saw accordion, Stylophone and Moog accents.

The wordplay is labyrinthine and Michael curls his lip over each syllable, as he addresses an ex; “You, with my head on your platter, your invisible chatter, smiled your Mona Lisa smile…You, with your fratricide breath, your parasite mouth and your disdain for all that’s true.” This ruthless excoriation is matched on the break by slashing guitars, keys that bleat, pulsate and swirl and some rather incongruous choir boy harmonies.

Both “Slinger” and “Belle Starr” walk the (fine) line between Country and Rock.

“LOVE & THE AGE OF AUTOMATION” (BRAVE FEET MUSIC)

BY ELENI P. AUSTIN

Lyrically, the dusty tone poem of “Slinger” takes its cues from Zane Gray or Louis L’Amour, by sharing the cinematic saga of a conflicted gun fighter; “To some he is a hero, though admired, he kills for hire, what kind of man would go that route.” Plucky banjo notes and gilded slide guitar connect with mandolin, whispery strings, keening saw, all atop a thudding down beat. Beatlesque harmonies at the close give the song an ethereal edge.

On “Belle…” the ghost of Belle Starr, of the Queen of the Oklahoma Outlaws, is summoned as something of an avatar. Barbwire guitar riffs ride roughshod, tethered to gnarled bass lines and a measured beat. The lyrics offer a rotogravure portrait of a woman who “Could be a queen, covered in garlands and pearls, but a flea market soul keeps calling her home.”

The best tracks here arrive back-to-back in the middle of the record. Both feature the sui generis vocal talents of Syd Straw.

Although she has only recorded three critically acclaimed solo albums over the last 30 years, Syd has made her mark, singing with everyone from Dave Alvin, the dB’s Los Lobos, Jimmer Podrasky, Rickie Lee Jones, Loudon Wainwright and Wilco. Something of a musician’s musician, she calls Vermont home, but she typically spends each Spring in her Hollywood hometown, recording with old pals and headlining at McCabe’s and other venerable venues. She also participates in the annual Wild Honey extravaganzas. It was at one such shindig that she connected with

Michael. He had a song that cried out for duet treatment, that song is “The Dividing Line.”

Something of a high lonesome lament, the song blends plaintive pedal steel, stately keys and wistful guitars, buttressed by tensile bass and a tick-tock beat. Michael and Syd trade verses, George Jones/Tammy Wynette style, inhabiting a couple at a crossroads.

Unable to articulate their marital misery; “We used to talk all the time, we used to talk until dawn, there was never a question of whose side we were on/You can hope for the better, you can hope all night long, but they don’t call them memories until they are gone.”

Less bleak and more sleek is “In A Talking Dream.” Here kinetic percussion is wed to walking bass lines, supple clavinet, shimmery keys and cascading guitar riffs.

Syd’s harmonies shadow Michael’s as he unlocks a Noir-ish fever dream; “I saw you at the window, in a blood red satin gown, I curse these broken hands, I curse the modest husband, buried in the river sands.” The arrangement and instrumentation idles at the same early ‘80s intersection where Tom Petty got lucky and Romeo Void’s Debora Iyall obsessed over her sister’s new shag haircut and limp white sweater.

Other interesting songs include the brittle instrumental “Hubble” and the lovelorn Reggae of “Step Up.” The album closes with the dystopian lullaby that is the title track; electric and acoustic guitar lattice slide guitar, plinky keys, wily bass lines and a feathery beat. Slightly opaque lyrics sketch out a love story thwarted by technology.

Love In The Age Of Automation is Michael Shuler’s finest hour, distilling his seminal influences into a heady, and wholly original brew. The melodies are crisp and memorable, meanwhile, arrangements and instrumentation veer from economical to extravagant and the lyrics are rich and nuanced. 10 years is a long time between records. But it was worth the wait.

BUSINESS PROFILE

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October 31 to November 6, 2019

THE FORECAST LOOKS BRIGHT WITH PATRICK EVANS BY CRYSTAL HARRELL

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ESQ News Channel 3 is dedicated to bringing up-to-date coverage and First Alert Weather to the Coachella Valley. The news station has garnered a reputation of being the Desert News Leader with these ideals and also the team of individuals behind-the-scenes and onscreen—meteorologist Patrick Evans being one of them.

Evans has been serving the Coachella Valley for over a decade, but in addition to being a well-known face among desert residents, there is more to this local news personality than meets the eye.

Before coming to the Coachella Valley, Evans grew up in Charlottesville, Virginia, and also spent some time in Morristown, New Jersey, during his youth. He graduated from the University of Virginia, where he studied Environmental Science, focusing on Meteorology and Climate Studies while also minoring in Political Science.

“My father [Fulvio “Tony” Iachetta] was an engineer, and I always had an interest in science and how things worked… He was my greatest role model. He was a professor, a scientist, and a towering intellect, but also one of the most giving gentlemen you could ever meet… I became fascinated with weather as a kid, and still enjoy studying it today,” said Evans.

It was in August of 2002 when Evans moved to the Coachella Valley and helped to launch CBS Local 2, which went on the air on Labor Day that same year. Since then, Evans has been the Chief Meteorologist for CBS Local 2 and also hosts “Eye on the Desert.”

“The best part of my job is working with the public, specifically the many charitable organizations I’ve had the pleasure of working with since moving here, and getting to know people here in the Valley,” stated Evans.

Throughout the course of his career, Evans has had the opportunity to travel all over the

United States and the world. Some highlights that he notes include covering a couple of National College Football Championship games, going to Peru to cover students working with Dr. Robert Ballard—the deepsea explorer who found the Titanic, and being honored with a Star on the Palms Springs Walk of Stars. Evans also won an Emmy as part of an ensemble newscast in the early years of CBS Local 2.

As far as further career goals go, Evans is content with what he has accomplished and wishes to continue pursuing his passions.

“I am lucky to have a job I really enjoy in a place I love to live. I’m living my career goals.

Aside from my television work, I started an Italian foods company called Fulvio’s Foods and we make gourmet Italian sausages, so I’d really like to see that company grow and expand, preserving my family recipes,” explained Evans.

When he’s not working, Evans is very involved with local charities. He served on the Board of Loma Linda Children’s Hospital Foundation, the Desert Symphony, and Pathfinder Ranch. He spent ten years on the Board of the Family YMCA of the Desert as well. Evans acts as an emcee and host at dozens of charity events each year, including National Philanthropy Day, where he was named “Volunteer of the Year” in 2018.

“I used to play a lot of golf, but my wife, Andrea, has two daughters, and so when I’m not at work, I usually spend my time with the family. We travel quite a bit, which is something both Andrea and I enjoy, and feel it’s important for the kids to experience other places and cultures. I do enjoy music, and there are a couple of piano bars like Melvyn’s where I get to sing a Sinatra tune every once in a while,” said Evans.

Even though he is already involved in the public sphere, Evans considers himself to be an open book, and stresses the importance of having his wife, family, and two rescued dachshunds in his life. Some might be surprised to know that Evans puts his interest in music to good use with his radio show on CV 104.3FM, where he acts as the “Afternoon Drive Guy” Monday through Friday.

“I hold Frank Sinatra in high esteem. Frank loved the Coachella Valley, and called it home for nearly 50 years, so I feel connected to him in that way, and got to know Barbara Sinatra fairly well in the years before her death.

Barbara actually helped me propose to my wife Andrea!” revealed Evans.

Evans foresees many more years in the desert with his family, having just bought a home in Cathedral City last year. Although he plans to travel more after he retires in the future, Evans knows the Coachella Valley will always hold a special place in his heart.

“I feel incredibly lucky to do what I do and live where I live. We feel like the Valley has blessed us, and we try to give back as best we can,” said Evans.

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October 31 to November 6, 2019

PET PLACE

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og agility classes have resumed on the grounds of Loving All Animals/ Pet Rescue Center in Coachella now that cooler weather has arrived. Dogs and their humans can have a unique experience working out together on the lovely, spacious agility field. Building upon the bond you already share, energizing agility classes provide a fantastic experience for you and Fido Jim Turcott, Instructor and dog trainer, explains how his classes create a closer relationship between dogs and their humans. “Anyone can bring their dog to a dog park and watch their pet run around. In

MEET KIMBER Kimber is a volunteer favorite at the Coachella Valley Animal Campus shelter! She loves the folks that take her for walks and spend time with her. This 4-yr-old Pit Bull girl is a long time shelter resident who hopes to be home for the holidays. Dog ID#A1521844. Located at 72050 Pet Land Place, Thousand Palms, www.rcdas.org, (760) 343-3644.

MEET ANABEL Beautiful female Calico cat hopes for a home for the holidays!

Come meet sweet 2-yr-old Anabel at the Coachella Valley Animal Campus shelter. She is cat ID#A1544312. Shelter located at 72050 Pet Land Place, Thousand Palms, www.rcdas.org, (760) 343-3644.

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AGILITY CLASS IN PALM DESERT

agility, you become part of the action with your dog. You walk fast or run alongside them while they navigate the obstacle course, and you accomplish things as a team. Agility is a wonderful activity for shy dogs that are drawn out of their shell when they proudly reach new goals.”

Agility classes are also great for the high octane energetic dog that is stuck at home all day alone while you work. When a dog expends all that pent up energy, he or she will have fewer behavior problems such as barking or digging out of boredom.

Agility classes are a great way for both you and Fido to get into shape. Participants

BY JANET McAFEE

become more focused on their health as well as their pet’s health, mindful over weight control and healthy diets for them both.

Agility training with other dogs provides more self-control for Fido, and he works to focus more on you. During busy walks through parks on down busy streets, your dog will transfer this increased concentration on you and not be so easily distracted.

There is no size limit for the canine participants. Jim’s 6-pound Papillon, Angel, is a frequent attendee. No prior experience or training is required. Pets and their human partners work at their own pace,

and the friendly ambience makes for an enjoyable morning. Jim emphasizes, “This is not competition agility, this is fun agility.”

Jim trained in agility in 2004 when he took classes from Rancho Mirage resident Linda Jolly, the national agility champion. Jolly donated her equipment to the shelter when she retired.

How can you and your beloved dog join in the fun of agility classes? Text Jim Turcott at (206) 380-7776. There is a $20 one time drop in fee or $100 for six sessions. When someone signs up for a second six session set, the cost drops to $75, and the third set is only $50. Payment can be in cash, or check made payable to the nonprofit organization that operates the shelter, Loving All Animals.

All fees are donated to this local charity.

Agility classes begin promptly Sunday morning at 8:00 am and conclude by 10:00 am, and participants are asked to arrive 15 minutes early to help set up the equipment.

Classes are held from October until June when the weather turns hot.

This promises to be a great way to start your day. Your dog will love agility classes, and you will have fun too!

Janetmcafee8@gmail.com

I

THE VINO VOICE

’m always pleasantly reminded by many of you readers to the fact that the CV Weekly absolutely has the pulse of the valley’s music and entertainment scene. I heartily agree; and, it’s not just a “valley” thing—it’s an “international” thing.

No doubt due in part to our Coachella/ Stagecoach music extravaganza, I hear from folks all over the world who read this publication on-line, who email me, that I’m so fortunate to have a wine column included in such a musically inclined weekly magazine.

Ditto that!

So I’m musically inclined to offer again in this piece, that Dave Matthews is best known as the lead vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist for the Dave Matthews Band. From humble beginnings invading 1990s MTV with its unlikely blend of “roots-adult-contemporarymumble rock” to selling out stadiums, the band has stoked a generational presence.

And besides his serious acting roles in TV and movies, he is seriously and humbly a wine producer.

In 2011, Matthews collaborated with wine makers Steve Reeder and Sean McKenzie in creating the Dreaming Tree Wines based in Sonoma County. And just like Dave and his band, does Dreaming Tree have its own fan base or what! In 2013, his brand and wine were voted as the “best new wine out in the market”.

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October 31 to November 6, 2019

CRUSHING IT AGAIN AT DREAMING TREE WINES

A couple of years ago, I attempted to get my “musical input” in this publication’s preCoachella/Stagecoach coverage edition, by way of a wine & music story featuring Dave Matthews. Although he had indeed headlined that event a couple of years earlier, he wasn’t performing in 2017. But how cool was that to bring attention to him as both a musician and winery owner in the rock/cultural news.

But as time and logistics would have it, my quest to interview those behind the scenes, going on a virtual tour with the guys up in Sonoma—along with tasting the portfolio wines by themselves and with various food pairings, the article finally made it out in this publication a couple months after Coachella!! But no one complained except for complainers.

To date, many of you readers are well aware of the Dreaming Tree line-up, all of which

BY RICK RIOZZA

retail under $15 and are nationally available.

Dave and his winemaking co-conspirators—as he refers to them—continually put together a “wine for the masses”. “We’re not making wine to be put away in a wine cellar; rather, we’re making it to drink today!”

Just a few years ago, the guys were especially focused on producing the threesome of wines that often bespeak a trademark wine-philosophy style: Chardonnay, Cab Sauv & a Red Blend. Back when Dave delved into the wine making process with Steve and Sean, he found the similar connection between that and the art of songwriting. “You start with a simple melody and then layer it with complexities.

After, you have to know when to stop; to leave it alone, to let it finish.”

In the last couple of years, the portfolio has expanded to include Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, and the new Rosé. Below are my notes of previous and current comments of the Dreaming Tree Wines: With their Chardonnay, they explored the Central Coast, finding the area to source grapes that simply sang strait-ahead stuff.

Back at the winery, Dave learned about the cooperage: the making and toasting of the oak barrels for the wine. Like a mid-range tune, the group found a mid-toasting of the barrel that would give the Chardonnay the signature of Dreaming Tree.

When it came to learning about their process in producing the Cab Sauv and Red Blend aka, the Crush, guess who we ran into; none other than one of the most fortunate grape farmers in the Sonoma Valley, Tom Gore. Indeed, that was the title of the piece I did a couple of years ago covering Tom Gore

Wines (check out archives/cvweekly, July 22, 2015).

Dreaming Tree, sources from Tom and other growers in and around the Alexander Valley vineyards. Absolutely on the same page with all the guys, Tom continually touts, “Great wines start in the vineyard and that’s what wine insiders have long known.”

Recently, we wine writers all remember the Cabernet Sauv won Silver Medal at the 2017 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition.

The current 2017 Dreaming Tree Cabernet Sauvignon shows aromas of eucalyptus, cigar box, cedar, forest floor, blackcurrant, and stewed red fruit which harmoniously translate into the palate. For you folks who wish to serve a nice Cab for your easy dinner party, this is the deal at under $12.

The vibrant 2017 Dreaming Tree Pinot Noir shows cherries galore: red, Bing & dried sour cherries. Present are also holiday baking spice and cloves, alongside oak and sandalwood with a fruit candy finish. For yet another easy quaff, this could be on your Thanksgiving Dinner table.

The 2016 Dreaming Tree Crush, is a red blend and had been Matthews favorite wine for a while. It’s definitely a wine for the thousands of you with a sweet tooth.

Not so complex as the Cab and Pinot, above, this shows roasted aromas and flavors of chocolate caramel bon-bons and butter roasted nuts. For as dark a wine, it’s a light-tomedium body, smooth fruity red with touches of cranberry-cassis jam, ground nuts, and hint of spice with fine tannins.

We said that the Crush was Dave’s favorite; but it was his wife, Ashley Harper, who pleaded with Dave and Sean to produce the new 2018 Dreaming Tree Rosé. Dave desires a happy home, so he now desires the pink. “I really do think that it is a remarkably good Rosé. It’s light and crisp and it’s got a little bit of watermelon and strawberry— nectarine and citrus. It’s like a waking up wine, a get out of bed and drink wine. It’s so delicious.” Ahhh...a happy ending! Dreaming on with great vibes—Cheers!

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October 31 to November 6, 2019

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THUR OCTOBER 31

29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 Bobby Furgo & Co 6pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Beneath the Sands w/ Cannibal Stew and DJs ARB and Tropicaza noon and 9pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 Bill and Doug Duo 6:30pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 Halloween Bash w/ DJs Hymn, Addemup and Captain Osiv 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 Halloween Rock Party w/ Barflys 8:30pm 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/ Whiskey Tango 7pm 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 Cherry Glazerr and Cowgirl Clue 9pm PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND COCKTAILS; TP; 760-343-2115 Shred for the Dead w/ Throw the Goat, Ormus, Instigator and more 7pm 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 NOVEMBER 1

14

19TH HOLE; PD; 760-772-6696 TBA 8pm 29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 Bill and Bob Duo 6:30pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Lust in the Dust w/ David Oh 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 The Teddys, Milhan, Dependable Son and Marni 7pm BERNIE’S; RM; 760-202 4499 Parick Morris, Brian Dennigan and Leon Bisquera 6:3010pm BIG ROCK PUB; IND; 706-200-8988 Bohemio 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; Christine and the Lost Keys 10pm DRINGK; RM; 760-888-0111 DJ 9pm ELECTRIC SPORTS LOUNGE; YV; 760-2281199 DJ Ceddy Cedd 9pm EL MEXICALI CAFÉ 2; IND; 760-342-2333 Cesar Daniel Lopez on the harp 6-9pm FISHERMAN’S GROTTO; PD; 760-776-6534 Gina Carey 5:30-8:30pm GADI’S BAR & GRILL; YV; 760-820-1213 TBA 8pm HENRY’S SPORTS BAR AND GRILL; CC; 760-656-3444 Karaoke w/ KJ Marjovi 9pm THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 Drag Queen Bingo 6pm, Black Sabbitch w/ Aphrodisiac Jacket and Pescaterritory 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 Adrian Crush 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 Derek Jordan Gregg 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 Remix 9pm MASTRO’S; PD; 760-776-6777 TBA 6:3011pm MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 Ron Greenip 8pm 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; 760327-4080 TBA 9pm PALM DESERT COUNTRY CLUB; pd; 760345-0222 RoadRunners 6:30pm PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-365-5956 Jesika Von Rabbit, Landroid and Popstar Nima 9pm 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 Jackie Beat and Sherry Vine 8pm RED BARN; PD; 760-346-0191 TBA 9pm

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RENAISSANCE; PS; 760-322-6000 Live Music 6-9pm RIVIERA; PS; 760-327-8311 Michael Keeth 8-11pm SAMMY G’s; PS; 760-320-8041 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

CUNARD’S SANDBAR; LQ; 760-564-3660 Bill Baker 6pm DESERT FOX; PD; La Troika 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 La Karvana 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 Brant Bjork, Brain Vat and Big Pig 9pm HOODOO COCKTAIL GARDEN @ THE HYATT; PS; 760-322-9000 The Carmens 7pm HOT SPOT@SPOTLIGHT 29; Coachella; 760-775-5566 Adrian Crush 8:30pm INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760345-6466 Bob Allen 6pm KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 Karaoke 8pm LANDMARK LOUNGE; LQ; 760-289-6736 Eevaan Tre 7pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-3252794 PS Sound Company 1pm, Hot Roxx 8pm LIT@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; 760-3452450 Remix 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 19TH HOLE; PD; 760-772-6696 TBA 8pm THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry 29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 6-8pm Tim Burleson 8pm Bev and Bill 6:30pm O’CAINES; RM; 760-202-3311 DJ Tone ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Bears in 10pm Space w/ Stacy Christine and Oscar Pineda PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; 760noon poolside, Lovefingers 10pm 327-4080 Tribute to Blondie 9pm AGAVE LOUNGE@THE HYATT REGENCY; PALM DESERT COUNTRY CLUB; pd; 760IW; 760-674-4080 Steppin’ Out 7-11pm 345-0222 Bonethumpers 6:30pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-365-5956 Cabaret on the Green Open Mic 7:30pm The Mother Hips and Gospel Beach 8pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 The Get PEABODY’S CAFÉ; PS; 760-322-1877 Down w/ DJs Rich Brandon and CieloHigh Karaoke 7:30pm 7pm PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND BERNIE’S; RM; 760-202 4499 Horace Miller, COCKTAILS; TP; 760-3432115 Red’s Brian Denigan and Leon Basquera 6:30Rockstar Karaoke 9pm 10pm PURPLE ROOM; PS; 760-322-4422 Scot BIG ROCK PUB; IND; 706-200-8988 Bruce Elvis: The Early years 8pm Anthem Road 8:30pm RED BARN; PD; 760-346-0191 TBA 9pm BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 Gina Carey ROCKYARD@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; 6-10pm 760-345-2450 Thank You-Drive Thru and CASCADE LOUNGE, SPA RESORT The Smokin Crowes (Black Crowes Tribute) CASINO; PS; 888-999-1995 DJ Michael 7:30pm Wright 9pm SAMMY G’s; PS; 760-320-8041 Derek CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick Jordan Gregg 12-4pm, Evaro Brothers Tuzzolino 5:30pm 8:30pm CASUELAS CAFÉ; PD; 760-568-0011 The SHANGHAI RED’S @ THE FISHERMAN’S Myx 7pm MARKET; PS; 760-322-9293 Barry Baughn CATALAN; RM; 760-770-9508 George Blues Band 8-11pm Christian 6-9pm SHANGHAI RED’S @ THE FISHERMAN’S CHEF GEORGE’S PICASSO LOUNGE; PD; MARKET; LQ; 760-777-1601 The Smooth 760-200-1768 Abie and Natasha 6:30Brothers 8-11pm 9:30pm, DJ 9:30pm SHELLY’S LOUNGE@TORTOISE ROCK COPA NIGHTCLUB; PS; 760-866-0021 DJ CASINO; 29 Palms; Rojer Arnold & Bobby Banks and Mr. Miami 9pm Furgo 9pm

October 31 to November 6, 2019

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 The Desert Crows 7-10pm WANG’S; PS; 760-325-9264 Live Music 6:30pm WESTIN; RM; 760-328-5955 Michael Keeth 6-10pm WOODY’S PALMHOUSE; PS; 760-230-0188 The Stanley Butler Band 6:30pm

SUN NOVEMBER 3

29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 Bob Garcia 6pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Bears in Space w/ Por Detroit noon, poolside AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 Sunday Brunch w/ Live Music 11am 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

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SAT NOVEMBER 2

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October 31 to November 6, 2019

GOOD GRUB

W

ith traditional diner style eats, you can definitely satisfy you comfort food cravings at JT’s Diner in Palm Desert.

There is nothing quite like hearty food to give your body and soul comfort, a big ole food hug so to speak. And with the success of JT’s Diner in Palm Desert, it seems like owners Todd Flood and Barbara Boyajian, got it right.

The diner is located in the University Park Center off of Cook St, and has a modern feel. From its high ceilings, to stream lined pendant lighting, it has a “diner of the future” air about it, but still retains an essence of hominess, which is no doubt attributed to their delicious food.

Open for breakfast and lunch, JT’s menu is vast. For breakfast, there are many selections to choose from, such as their Hawaiian Portuguese Sausage Scramble (two eggs scrambled with diced green onions and chopped Portuguese Sausage), Todd’s Eggs Benedict (two poached eggs, English muffins, double smoked bacon and their homemade hollandaise sauce), Pancakes or Waffles, Jack’s Famous Croissant French Toast (cinnamon vanilla egg wash and grilled) or even build your own omelet, plus many more selections.

Looking for lunch? Try a plate of JT’s Classic Fries with our choice of dressing for dipping, or one of their salads such as their Grapefruit Chicken and Avocado (butter lettuce,

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DINER STYLE COMFORT FOOD AT JT’S

shredded chicken, sesame vinaigrette, with grapefruit segments, avocado, and honey roasted walnuts). Perhaps a burger or hot dog is more your thing, such as their BBQ Bacon Cheddar Burger, Chili Cheeseburger made with their homemade chili, or ¼ lb. Hot Dog, among others.

JT’s sandwiches are equally impressive

BY DENISE ORTUNO

with their Tarragon Chicken Salad Sandwich (homemade tarragon chicken salad with dried cranberries, walnuts, lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise on a croissant), Grilled Steak Sandwich (grilled thinly cut New York steak, French roll, Swiss cheese, mayonnaise and fried onion strips), just to name a few.

They also have a variety of Grilled Cheese

and Melts, just in case you’re feeling a little cheesy.

They also offer Blue Plate Specials, such as their Chicken and Waffles (crispy fried chicken breast with their sweet waffles), which comes with a choice of salad or cup of French Onion soup). For something sweet, top off your lunch with one of their shakes, for an extra cool time.

Sometimes there’s nothing better than a little comfort food to give you the warm and fuzzy’ s, and with JT’s diner style delectable, you’ll be feeling good in no time.

JT’s Diner is located at 37-011 Cook St, Palm Desert 92211 www.jtsdinerpalmdesert.com

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BREWTALITY

S

ince Anheuser-Busch’s purchase by international beverage conglomerate InBev in 2008, the megacorporation has done almost everything it could in the hostiletakeover handbook to eliminate its competition, villainizing itself greatly in the process. The 2009 documentary Beer Wars captured the battle that small, independent craft brewers like Stone, Yuengling, and Dogfish Head faced while trying to compete against the advertising and lobbyists of AB InBev and fellow brewing juggernaut MillerCoors. Craft beer firmly positioned itself as the small, rebel faction fighting against the evil empire, and in the minds of many craft beer drinkers, consuming anything with the Budweiser logo emblazoned on it should be considered an act of treason. In the decade since the release of Beer Wars, there have been seismic shifts in the way that both independent and corporate breweries create their product. In short, craft beer has begun to eat its own tail, and Budweiser has made a pretty damn good beer.

That’s’ right, I said it. While craft brewers were busy making fruit and lactose infused, hazybrut, pastry stout IPAs made with pecan pies and fried chicken, AB InBev made a German style black lager that isn’t just good by big brewery standards, it’s good by any standard. Craft beer stalwarts were sure to flood beeradvocate and untapped, trashing the new black lager without admittedly even tasting it. One commenter wrote, “I’ll wager that the flavor profile is neither bold nor very bourbon forward. And at the risk of coming across as completely cynical, I would be curious to know just how many staves the beer was aged on. Two? Three? Four or Five? This is a pretty easy pass...”. With all respect, the guy who

BUDWEISER’S NEW BREW IS SHOCKINGLY GOOD

wrote that is a pretentious, gate keeping jackass, trying to get internet clout by shit talking an easy target. I purchased Budweiser’s new black lager and kept from judgement until I tried it, something that many people won’t do in this age of extreme partisan views. A shame more craft drinkers won’t do this, because the fact that AB InBev now has a delicious schwarzbier in their portfolio is more of a benefit than a threat to the craft beer industry.

Budweiser Reserve Black Lager was released earlier this month, and is the second collaboration between the brewing company, and whiskey makers Jim Beam. Craft brewers have been using the flavors of bourbon oak for over two decades now to bring complexity to beer, a technique not gone unnoticed by Budweiser. The company experimented with aging beer on bourbon oak staves on its first collaboration with Jim Beam, Budweiser Reserve Copper Lager, a decent, if unremarkable offering that was still light years better than anything else with the Anheuser-Busch logo on it. Now with its black lager, the company has seemingly perfected the techniques it started with the copper.

Coming in at 7.1% ABV the Black Lager actually pours a deep brown with ruby and garnet highlights, schwarzbier is never truly black the way a stout is. The nose has a slight twang alongside bready and crackery malt aromas, light cocoa and cooked sugar. It’s the taste of this beer that’s the star; redolent with caramel, toffee, and cocoa flavors, Black Lager marries the flavors of crystal and roasted malts with the complexity of bourbon and wood in the same subtle way that Firestone Walker’s DBA does. Gone is the offputting signature aftertaste of Budweiser lager.

If rice or corn are present in this recipe, they weren’t detectible. The pretentious comment made by a beeradvocate commenter about this beer probably not being bold or bourbon flavored is absolutely true, bold or bourbon forward flavors would ruin the balance achieved by this beer. This isn’t a high alcohol imperial stout, so shifting the flavor to be more booze or wood forward would be an exercise in gratuity, something craft beer is very guilty of in 2019. At a time when most small breweries are more interested in creating beers for Instagram likes than they are for winning awards, I can see Budweiser Black Lager winning medals at The Great American Beer Fest, among other renown competitions. This beer is well made, brewed to style, and doesn’t rely on any gimmicks to sell itself.

I appreciate this beer as a consumer, but even more as a brewer. Marrying balance and complexity is hard to achieve, especially when there seems to be a universal lack of appreciation when a mega brewery does something like this. The craft drinkers won’t want it because it carries the Anheuser-Busch name, and the light lager drinkers that make up most of Budweiser’s

October 31 to November 6, 2019

BY AARON RAMSON demographic might consider it TOO bold of a departure from the mild, saltine cracker flavors they expect to come from a beer. The audience that will find this beer will most likely be the small but persistent percentage of drinkers who start off as American lager drinkers and want to explore more avenues of flavor adjacent to what they’re already familiar with. The cynic in me says that this beer was designed to keep consumers paying for Budweiser product instead of losing them to craft beer like DBA or 805 from Firestone Walker, two excellently made beers that also easily appeal to the newly adventurous beer fans. But Budweiser has made cash grab “craft” beer before (Their Freedom Reserve red lager is a perfect example), and this isn’t it. This beer feels more like the brewmasters at Anheuser-Busch for once got to create a beer that they’re proud of and reflects their skill. The brewer in me appreciates that.

There’s no arguing the fact that craft beer has jumped the shark in trying to outdo each other with ridiculous and trendy concoctions that appeal to a generation raised on memes and social media hype. While there are many excellent small breweries capable of making a wood aged shwarzbier even better than Budweiser’s, they’re not the ones making social media spectacles. The silver lining that comes from a beer like Budweiser Reserve Black Lager is that casual beer drinkers curious about craft now have a well-made, mainstream beer to prime their palates with. These drinkers will bypass the audacious hype beers that dominate the current craft scene and seek out the more refined and mature offerings from breweries like Firestone Walker. If Budweiser inadvertently helps craft beer to center itself, that is a win-win for everyone.

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October 31 to November 6, 2019

SCREENERS

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

No. 393

GUIDING LIGHT

BY ROBIN E. SIMMONS

NOW PLAYING: THE LIGHTHOUSE

references are concerned. Some of the witty repartee from Nanjiani’s character is especially apt when he offers helpful tips and suggestions for living in the modern world to his old school bad-ass passenger.

Director Michael Dowse has a nice feel for action and the absurd. The preview audience I saw this with laughed regularly throughout. It’s better than expected and worth a look.

AQUARELA

Inspired by a terrifying true story about two men trapped in an isolated lighthouse, surrounded by the deadly Irish sea.

Don’t miss this gripping, brilliantly crafted film that not only features a pair of powerhouse performances but further establishes Robert Eggers (“The Witch”) as a filmmaker of singular talent.

Set in the late nineteenth century on a remote and mysterious island off the New England coast, this visually striking black and white horror is about Ephriam Winslow and Thomas Wake, two eccentric lighthouse keepers trying to keep madness at bay while a raging storm slams their island station.

The film works mainly due to Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson’s incredible and utterly believable interaction upping the atmosphere of dread that washes over everything like a cold, penetrating fog.

Is this film about a father and son, boss and employee or master and apprentice?

Or is it about the mystery of the lighthouse itself – a secret Thomas keeps to himself?

This fine film delights the eye and the mind.

A rare treat indeed.

Visceral, unsettling and creepy rather than outright frightening, director Eggars’ ambitious and artsy film does not dilute the fear, madness and claustrophobia that infuse every frame of this uncomfortable but satisfying film. Like the greatest of films, the metaphors are memorable and ambiguous. There’s a grotesque beauty to this enterprise that will linger long in the mind fade out and a final scene that is open to interpretation. Recommended.

NEW FOR THE HOME THEATER: STUBER Kumail Nanjiani and Dave Bautista are nicely paired opposites in this surprisingly violent and sporadically funny but derivative mismatched buddy comedy about a mildmannered Uber driver named Stu who is forced by Vic, a cop, to help him hunt down a ruthless killer. All Stud wants is to stay alive, get laid and keep his five star rating.

Tripper Clancy’s screenplay is up to the moment as far as self-aware contemporary

18

Take a deeply cinematic journey through the transformative beauty and raw power of water. Filmed at 96 frames-per-second, this visceral wake-up call reminds that humans are no match for the sheer force and capricious will of Earth’s most precious element. From the precarious frozen waters of Russia’s Lake Baikal to Miami in the throes of Hurricane Irma to Venezuela’s mighty Angel Falls, water is the main protagonist of Victor Kassakovsky’s fever dream of a movie about our planet’s fluid life force in all its glorious forms. Sony Classics. robin@coachellavalleyweekly.com

BOOK REVIEW

I

t is that time of year when we turn back our clocks and loose our sunlight an hour earlier. As much as I miss the long, warm days, I do love the coziness of Fall. With the darkness setting in by five o’clock, there seems to be more time to read. Curling up with a good book is one of the best ways to relax and welcome the season.

I find that engaging with a fictional story fits the mellow seasonal mood. Here are a variety of fiction suggestions to get you thinking about how to enjoy your time after the sun sets, the world quiets down and it’s just you and a book.

Chances Are by Richard Russo (Knoff, 320 pages) – This is one of my favorite authors.

In this story, three college chums meet on Martha’s Vineyard for a weekend get-away where they get to know each other in ways they hadn’t before. Forty years ago, a woman they all knew and loved disappeared, and now they are finally ready to talk about what happened.

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood (Nan A. Talese, 432 pages) – Atwood is more popular than ever! This story follows The Handmaid’s Tale where the Republic of Gilead is still in

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October 31 to November 6, 2019

FUN FALL READING

power. It’s fifteen years later and the next generation of women may not be so easy to manage as the regime loses its grip.

The Giver of Stars By Jojo Moyes (Pamela Dorman, 400 pages) – This is the author of Big Little Lies. The story is set in a small Kentucky town during the 1940s where an oppressed woman finds a fulfilling life when she gets involved with a program delivering books to those in rural areas. She discovers new friendships and a self-esteem she didn’t think were possible. This book is based on a true story.

American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson (Random House, 292 pages) – Set during the Cold War, a young, black, female intelligence officer wants to prove herself, so when the opportunity to become part of a team to undermine a Communist revolutionary, she goes for it. But, serving her country comes at a formidable cost.

The story is inspired by true events.

The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie (Orbit, 432 pages) – Fantasy fiction is a great escape. This award-winning Sci-Fi author delivers a tale about a world where the gods intervene and

BY HEIDI SIMMONS

dwell among humans. The Raven god watches over his prosperous kingdom while protecting its deepest secrets. But when a newcomer arrives, it challenges the relationship between deity and humans. I like that Leckie explores our relationship with “God.”

SAFETY TIPS

Gingerbread by Helen Oyeyemi (Riverhead, 272 pages) – The aroma of fresh Gingerbread – for me -- is a fragrance of Fall. And, in this novel, the author uses the mystery and history of gingerbread to tell a magical story of a mother and daughter relationship as they cope with the world, which they see quite differently than their community and neighbors.

There are so many wonderful books and outstanding storytellers. I excited thinking about starting a new book, and am thrilled for you dear reader to find a fun fall read! Turn back your clock and pick up a new book!

FROM THE CHIEFS CORNER

HALLOWEEN SAFETY TIPS!

H

alloween is quickly approaching. As a kid, this was always one of my favorite holidays. Carving pumpkins, dreaming up a costume (then trying to make it), and collecting pillowcases full of candy. What could be better?

As an adult, however, I see the spooky side of Halloween — and I’m not talking haunted houses. No, it’s children out on the streets at night, often wearing costumes that restrict their ability to see and be seen. It’s candles being used carelessly in jack-o-lanterns, or children carving pumpkins while unsupervised by an adult. It’s lots of people traipsing through unfamiliar yards and neighborhoods.

Your agency can be the real hero this Halloween and get the word out now to your community with PSAs and news releases in movie theaters, schools and more. Following are some tips to consider: Carve safely! Carving pumpkins can be tons of fun for kids, but make sure that all carving activities are fully supervised by an adult. To ensure that kids can participate, have adults make the needed cuts and ask children to dig out pumpkin seeds or refine the edges of cuts with a spoon. If you’re working with very young children, skip the knives all together and decorate pumpkins with markers, glitter glue or paint.

Use flameless candles. They’re safe, inexpensive and just like the real thing — without the fire risk. If you insist on using real candles, place candlelit pumpkins on a sturdy surface away from curtains and other flammable objects. Never leave candlelit pumpkins unattended.

Ensure others can see your children. If possible, create costumes out of bright colors.

But if you must go over to the Dark Side, place reflective strips or tape in strategic places on your child’s costume, much like equipping a bike with reflectors. You can also consider clipping a flashing bike light onto their treats bag. Several companies make small, lightweight, inexpensive lights that can be used for these purposes.

Ensure your child can see others. A mask can obstruct your child’s peripheral vision, increasing the chance that they will trip or bump into objects. Consider using kid-friendly, nontoxic makeup instead.

Don’t let children under the age of 12 trickor-treat alone. Enough said!

Set ground rules for older children. No one should leave the house without agreeing when to

BY FIRE CHIEF SAM DIGIOVANNA

be back and what route to use. Provide them with a cellphone and a flashlight with fresh batteries and review basic safety rules, including staying with the group, walking only on the sidewalk, approaching only clearly lit homes, and never going inside a home or car for a treat.

Inspect treats before indulging. Although tampering with candy is rare, it’s best to inspect all candy before letting your child eat it. (This will also ensure you’re regulating how much they’re eating!). Discard torn packages, unsealed treats or anything that just doesn’t look right. For young children, remove gum, peanuts, hard candies and other choking hazards. And watch out for ingredients that may trigger food allergies.

Make your house trick-or-treat friendly.

Don’t be that one house on the block that everyone’s afraid of because the dog barks and lunges at people and the porch light is out. Before it gets dark, clean up the yard and the walkway and check to ensure the outside lights work. Place the pets in a safe room away from the front door.

If the doorbell bothers your cat or dog, tape over it and keep the door open so you can see trick-ortreaters coming and meet them. And remember that black cats left outside on Halloween can become targets for mischief—best to bring them in.

Of course, depending on your job or other responsibilities, Halloween may be just another regular night for you. If you’re driving, watch for children darting between parked cars or crossing in difficult-to-see places. Be especially careful entering or leaving driveways and alleys.

With some planning and commonsense safety, you can leave the “spooky” side of Halloween to the ghosts — and create a memorable, exciting experience for your children.

Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna

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October 31 to November 6, 2019

CLUB CRAWLER NIGHTLIFE continued from page 15 CASCADE LOUNGE, SPA RESORT; PS; STACY’S; PS; 760-620-5003 Ron Pass 2pm 888-999-1995 Latin Night w/ Nacho VICKY’S OF SANTA FE; IW; 760-345-9770 Bustillos and Quinto Menguante 9pm John Stanley King Trio 6-9:30pm CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick WANG’S; PS; 760-325-9264 Gina Carey Tuzzolino 5:30pm 5-10pm CHEF GEORGE’S PICASSO LOUNGE; PD; WESTIN; RM; 760-328-5955 Lance 760-200-1768 Paul Douglas 6-9pm Riebsomer 12-4pm poolside COACHELLA VALLEY BREWING CO; TP; WOODY’S PALMHOUSE; PS; 760-230760-343-5973 Acoustic Afternoon w/ Mario 0188 Hannans and Company 6:30pm Quintero, Tim and Val, Uncle Ben and Wes 2-5pm CUNARD’S SANDBAR; LQ; 760-564-3660 Bill Baker 6pm 29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 Comedy The Luminators 6pm Night 8pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 LANDMARK LOUNGE; LQ; 760-289-6736 Bill Marx 6:30pm Scott Carter 7pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 Music LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-325by Touchtunes 7pm 2794 PS Sound Company noon, Hot Roxx CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick 6:30pm Tuzzolino 5:30pm MASTRO’S; PD; 760-776-6777 TBA 6:30COPA NIGHTCLUB; PS; 760-866-0021 DJ 10:30pm Banks and Mr. Miami 8pm MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; CUNARD’S SANDBAR; LQ; 760-564-3660 760-325-2323 Sunday Jam 3:30-7:30pm, Bill Baker 6pm Mikael Healy 8pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-325NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 2794 PS Sound Company 6:30pm Karaoke 8pm THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Sunday Jam MASTRO’S; PD; 760-776-6777 TBA 6:3010:30pm Session 2-5pm, Finesse 7-11pm MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; 760760-325-2323 Mikael Healey 8pm 327-4080 Sunday Jam Session 7pm MORGAN’S; LQ; 760-564-4111 Michael PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-365-5956 Keeth 6-9pm The Sunday Band 7:30pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 PURPLE ROOM; PS; 760-322-4422 The Karaoke 8pm-1:15am Judy Show 7pm THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Finesse 7-11pm SAMMY G’s; PS; 760-320-8041 Derek PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-365-5956 Jordan Gregg 12-4pm Open Mic 7pm SHANGHAI RED’S @ THE FISHERMAN’S VICKY’S OF SANTA FE; IW; 760-345-9770 MARKET; LQ; 760-777-1601 Jack Ruvio 6-9pm John Stanley King 6:30-10pm

MON NOVEMBER 4

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com WOODY’S PALMHOUSE; PS; 760-2300188 Motown Mondays 6:30pm

TUE NOVEMBER 5

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 NOVEMBER 6

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 BIG ROCK PUB; IND; 706-200-8988 Flashback Boyz 7-10pm 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

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HADDON LIBBY

A

s the next U.S. Presidential Election comes into focus, a key issue that is emerging relates to how American wealth has been increasingly concentrating with fewer and fewer people. This disparity is a large part of the reason why Democratic Socialists like Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren or an outsider like Andrew Yang are three of the four leading candidates for their parties’ nomination. It is also why Americans voted for Donald Trump in the 2016 election – the status quo is not working for a growing portion of the electorate. With the approval ranking for the House of Representatives and Congress nearing the purity content of Ivory Soap, most Americans have lost confidence in their elected representatives.

To put some perspective on the issue with wealth disparity in the United States in 2019, if you have no debts and $10 in your wallet, you are wealthier than 80% of all Americans.

At present, more than 75% of the wealth of nation’s wealth is in the hands of fewer than 10% of its people. The top 1% or 1.2 million Americans control about 40% of all wealth in the United States and have a minimum net worth of $10.3 million. To be in the top 125,000 American families or 0.1%, you need wealth of more than $40 million.

While most of this money is held in real

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WEALTH, MONEY & 13,000 CREDIT CARDS

assets like houses and investments, almost 10% of the money supply is still held in a paper money…which isn’t really paper but a linen-cotton blend. A New York University study found 3,000 different organisms on eighty George Washingtons (aka $1 bill).

Some of the germs were linked to staph infections, food poisoning, pneumonia and an assortment of things that prove most people do not wash their hands frequently enough. Germaphobes should use credit or debit cards or their smartphones for most payments if they want to avoid touching these contaminated greenbacks.

While most of us have bank accounts today, once upon a time, people around the world used churches to store their currency.

Back then, currency might be grain, seeds or precious metals.

Back when Abraham Lincoln was President, nearly 1/3rd of all US currency was counterfeit. Lincoln formed the Secret Service to protect the United States against counterfeiters although the agency did not begin fulfilling this directive until 1903.

It has been a strategy of nations in conflict to print counterfeit money. The British did this to our original thirteen colonies during the Revolution of 1776 as well as against the Germans during the World Wars. Japan did

DALE GRIBOW ON THE LAW

BEWARE OF HALLOWEEN

D

o you think Halloween is just about kids and is synonymous with Candy?

Did you realize other things happen on All Hallows Eve? Sure we all grew up trick or treating and bringing back bags of candy, but that is not all that happens on Halloween.

Danger lurks!

I remember as a kid mapping out the route so that we could go around the blocks in an organized fashion, and unload our bags as we passed our home. I would drop off a bag, empty it and hit the next set of blocks.

Growing up in Toluca Lake we would always arrange to hit Bob Hope’s home first and then again at the end of the evening. It was safer than most areas in those days.

Bob Hope’s butler initially came to the door with a sterling silver tray of Silver Dollars.

Later, Chocolate Eclairs were on the tray when silver dollars went out of circulation. It was the one “treat” that never made it into the bag. It disappeared before we got to the sidewalk. But times have changed. Today, would you let your kids eat treats that were unwrapped? Of course not!

The one thing that has not changed is that people use the evening as an “excuse to party and drink”. I remember families inviting us inside to check out our costumes... while they threw back a few brewskis. At some point these guests left to go home... and were drunk. They were an accident and or DUI “waiting to happen”. With all the kids running/ darting into the streets, it is more likely to be

October 31 to November 6, 2019

the same to China in the 1930s and 1940s.

By printing fake money, foreign governments and other bad actors are attempting to destabilize the currency of their rivals while giving them the much-needed currency to pay informants and other operatives.

You probably did not know this but your local bank can hand out counterfeit money.

While it is typically by mistake, some branch managers have been known to take the fake

currency and get it to customers so that the bank does not have to take a loss. As such, whenever you get a $100 bill from a bank, have them test it for you for authenticity.

While we have no idea what his FICO score is, Walter Cavanaugh of Santa Clarita holds Guinness Book World record for the most active credit cards at 13,000! This silly hobby started nearly fifty years ago when he and a friend decided to start this silly bet after completing a stint in the Peace Corps.

Haddon Libby is the Managing Partner of the Fiduciary-Only Investment Management practice, Winslow Drake. For more info, please visit WinslowDrake.com or email Haddon directly at hlibby@WinslowDrake.com.

LEGAL REPRESENTATION OF THE INJURED & CRIMINALLY ACCUSED

a very serious accident. Our society is more aware today, and we often take Uber or Lyft.

However, here in the greater Palm Springs community, we have more DUI fatalities than anywhere else in California...Per Capita.

So, if you are driving home after drinking and hit a kid, two things take place. You will have to hire a lawyer, if arrested for a DUI with Great Bodily Injury, or when the victim sues you for excess damages/death of their child. If the kid dies you will be charged with Murder 2 or Felony Manslaughter.

In both instances you ask the question, “who do I hire to help me that will be both competent and honest... and who has the experience to do a good job for me.” For years I had a talk show entitled “Accidentally Yours” that answered that question.

On each show I would suggest that “people don’t plan to fail, they fail to plan”.

The last things you want is to have to make a major decision like that, under pressure. Thus I tell the readers of this weekly legal column...

Plan Now! Decide now who you would call if you or a friend were arrested for a DUI or if you or a loved one was in an accident.

We all keep the names and number of vendors to assist us in case of an emergency...a plumber, an electrician etc. Why not add to that list the lawyer you would call so you can make an intelligent decision now, and not when you’re pressured!

In both instances the best thing you can do is to Keep Silent. Silence is Golden

and Handcuffs are Silver when it comes to interrogation on a DUI or Accident case. You want to talk to your lawyer first and to stay OFF of Facebook and SOCIAL MEDIA. Social media has made it very easy for investigators and insurance adjusters to learn about YOU. It is not always what you say...but rather what the police or insurance adjuster THOUGHT s/ he heard you say.

If you have been in an accident and tell the doctor you hurt everywhere and can’t do anything, then you certainly do not want the wrong person to see you talking about playing golf or tennis. Likewise you do not want the wrong person to read your comments about the accident or your impaired driving.

So the Moral of the story is... DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE, CALL A TAXI OR UBER......

IT IS A LOT CHEAPER THAN HAVING AN

ACCIDENT OR DUI AND CALLING ME......SO DRIVE SOBER OR GET PULLED OVER DURING THE HOLIDAYS. Questions or ideas for future columns contact Dale Gribow 760-837-7500 or dale@ dalegribowlaw.com.

DALE GRIBOW LEGAL REPRESENTATION OF THE INJURED AND CRIMINALLY ACCUSED “TOP LAWYER” - California’s Prestige Magazine, Palm Springs Life (PI/DUI) 2011-20 “TOP LAWYER” - Inland Empire Magazine 2016- 2019 PERFECT 10.0 AVVO Peer Rating

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October 31 to November 6, 2019

EVENTS

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RETURNS TO ARENAS RD AND PALM CANYON DRIVE WITH NEW SIP, SASHAY & CELEBRATE EVENT ZONE PALM SPRINGS PRIDE 2019 LINEUP FESTIVAL

LC, Heather Small, Kristine W, Maxine Nightingale, and BETTY top the lineup of the 2019 Palm Springs Pride Festival.

The festival will take place November 1-3 in downtown Palm Springs on Arenas Rd and on Palm Canyon Dr. TLC, the Iconic four-time Grammy® awardwinning “best-selling American girl-group of alltime” will be featured in a 60-minute concert Saturday, November 2 and lead nearly 100 other acts for the city’s annual Pride festivities. Formed in Atlanta, Georgia in 1990, the group quickly rose to fame earning four multi-platinum albums and four number-one singles: “Creep,” “Waterfalls,” one of pop history’s most prominent HIV/AIDSawareness anthems; “No Scrubs” and “Unpretty,” a body-positive message that has inspired selfconfidence for a generation.

TLC sets the stage for an unprecedented and diverse group of LGBTQ+ and allied performers featured in the Palm Springs Pride lineup.

Regardless of genre, this year’s performers will come together on the Festival’s four stages to embrace the theme, Millions of Moments of Pride.

The Arenas District Merchants Association presents a weekend of Pop, Drag, and Rock ’n’ Roll, performances including M People singer Heather Small who joins Multi-Grammy-AwardWinning International DJ Lee Dagger of Bimbo Jones, Kristine W, the Queen of the 90’s dance music, and pop, disco Grammy-nominated legend Maxine Nightingale. The Arenas lineup includes the all-female Black Sabbitch, and the high-energy 80s Rock show, That ‘80s Band, among others.

Other acts appearing during the 33rd annual Pride Festival will be New York City’s premier queer femme pop music duo Sateen along with the female pop band BETTY from The L-Word, dance diva Pepper MaShay, Ayline Artin, Torrey Mercer, Los Angeles-based comedian Jessica Inserra and London based Lucy Whittaker all perform on the new Pride Stage on Palm Canyon Drive at Amado presented by Effen Vodka.

Enjoy live performances by Josh Zuckerman, MARY, pop singers Tara Macri and Isabelle, Ted Fox with Joe Musser and the Roadhouse Rebels, Dj Aaron C, Luka and closing headliner OneUP Duo - LGBTQ “Finalists” from NBC’s The VOICE

TRAVEL TIPS4U

T

his event will be fun for the whole family! The events include balloon tether rides, nighttime balloon glow, romantic dinners, sunrise pancake breakfasts, hot air balloon rides, musical entertainment, gourmet food, Kids’ Zone family-friendly activities and so much more! General admission to the Balloon Festival is free; however, tickets and/or passes are required to participate in certain activities throughout the weekend.

They are pleased to partner with the City of Cathedral City, Westin Mission Hills Golf Resort and Spa, and Fantasy Balloon Flights.

Fantasy Balloon Flights is family-owned and operated celebrating their 40th Anniversary of operating hot air balloon services in the Coachella Valley and they hope you will enjoy the 6th Annual Cathedral City Hot Air Balloon Festival!

The festival will bring more than 30 hot air balloons from across the United States and around the world to the Coachella Valley for a kaleidoscope of color, art, sound and enjoyment.

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‘18.

ADA VOX pop singer, drag queen & top 8 “Finalist” from American Idol ‘18 returns to the desert to anchor the free Friday night Palm Canyon Street Party with Prince Poppycock - Fan favorite from America’s Got Talent. The party includes special performances from LA’s Z LaLa and BOONE. Three days of dancing in the street will take place at the intersection of Tahquitz and Palm Canyon Drive. The new KGAY “Pride of the Valley” stage presented by Gay Desert Guide will host Djs all weekend. Recording Artist DJ Kidd Madonny, Drew G, Ray Rhodes, Paul Cowling, Ryan Skyy, Vaughn Avakian, and Eric Ornelas will feature their signature dance mixes at this outdoor street party.

The festival will showcase emcees Bella da Ball and Alexander Rodriquez and feature special performances that include the fresh drag show Now Serving the Chilldren featuring Ongina, the flamboyant and fabulous ladies of Risqué, Happyforyou, Djs Jeffree, LA-based Autumn Leilani, Peter Barona, Michael mAr, Probe 7, as well as Krave and Culture’s fashion show.

And there’s more. The US Bank stage at Palm

Canyon and Belardo features many entertainers who volunteer their time and talent to give back to the community and support Pride in Palm Springs. On one stage alone, more than fifty local and breakthrough LGBTQ artists as well as some strong, talented, vocal allies, will perform during the festival. Look out for Keisha D, Cat Lyn Day as Marilyn, Palm Springs Gay Men’s Chorus, Modern Men, Marina Mac, Steven Michael Dance Machine, Steven Fales, and Drag Kings Jesse Jones and Johnny Gentleman, and many more.

“We’ve proud to present a diverse group of LGBTQ+ and allied performers taking the stage at the 2019 Palm Springs Pride Festival in downtown Palm Springs and the Gayborhood on Arenas Rd.,” said Ron deHarte, President and CEO of Greater Palm Springs Pride. “This unprecedented lineup has been made possible by the support from the City of Palm Springs, PS Resorts, Effen Vodka, Arenas District Merchants Association, and Bud Light.”

Festival highlights include a Youth Zone, Children’s Garden, Senior Cool Zones, LGBTQ artists, multiple HIV testing sites, health resources, 200 back-to-back exhibitors, food and beverage stations. You can also take your photo with Diva,

6TH ANNUAL CATHEDRAL CITY HOTCATHEDRAL AIR BALLOON FESTIVAL & FOOD TRUCK FIESTA CITY, CA

THRILLING… - You are invited to take a tour aloft with them and experience the unique adventure of modern hot air ballooning! Hot air ballooning man’s oldest form of flight began over 200 years ago, with the first flight over the

French countryside in 1783. You may enjoy the same thrill and excitement today on board a Fantasy Balloon Flight!

COLORFUL - The brightly colored aerostats stand over eight stories high! The inflation

the 20’ tall pink poodle. There’s something for everyone. Favorite bars and local businesses will be packed to the rafters and spilling out onto the streets for the biggest free LGBTQ street party in Palm Springs. The streets will be filled with Pride revelers, dancers, and open-air beverage lounges.

Residents and visitors are invited to discover (and re-discover) all that Arenas Road and downtown have to offer. deHarte added, “Community leaders and dedicated volunteers have worked hard to create the best Pride Festival ever and to welcome the largest gathering of LGBTQ+ individuals and allies at the city’s largest 3-day event. The new event zone coupled with an unprecedented lineup of headliners who advocate for the LGBTQ community sets the tone for a Pride Festival that educates, inspires and celebrates our diverse community. For more than two decades, Chilli and T-Boz of TLC have consistently used their voice to uplift the LGBTQ community and to create positive conversations around HIV and AIDS. We are thrilled to have them join us at Palm Springs Pride.”

Invite your friends on Facebook at www.tiny. cc/FBPSP

ARTICLE & PHOTOS BY LYNNE TUCKER procedure is very exciting and a great photo opportunity! Bring plenty of film. They usually launch several at once. What a sight! The balloons are different sizes and can carry between 2-10 passengers plus the pilot.

NOVEMBER 22 - 7AM Hot Air Balloon Launch 7PM PST - Hot Air Balloon Glow NOVEMBER 23 - 7AM – 9PM PST 7AM PST launch at the Westin Food Truck Fiesta happens on Saturday, November 23, 2019 only.

NOVEMBER 24 - 6AM - 9AM PST ***Hot Air Balloon Activities are Weather and FAA Permitting.

For the latest information times and tickets, go to www.HotAirBalloonFest.com Think Travel and Enjoy the Ride!

ASK THE DOCTOR

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

BY DR PETER KADILE

FLU SEASON IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER!

F

lu season is approaching, so get ready!

Last year the flu vaccine was only 29% effective and there were approximately 60,000 deaths in the United States due to the flu or flu related complications.

What is the difference between a cold and flu?

The flu and the common cold are both respiratory illnesses but are caused by different viruses, they can have similar symptoms but generally flu symptoms are more severe. Cold symptoms usually include head congestion, runny nose, sneezing and a cough. Flu symptoms generally include dry cough, body aches, fevers, extreme fatigue and sometimes nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

Colds usually do not progress into serious health conditions, but the flu may develop into pneumonia or other conditions that may require hospitalization.

Colds and flu are caused by viruses, not bacteria, thus they will not respond to antibiotics, so don’t go running to the urgent care for a Zpack. In severe cases of the flu, a secondary bacterial pneumonia may develop that would require the use of antibiotics.

Can the flu shot give me the flu?

No, the flu shot cannot give you the flu. The most common side effects from the influenza shot are soreness, redness, tenderness or swelling at the injection site. A low grade fever, headaches and body aches may also occur, but these symptoms are not to be confused with actual influenza infection.

If someone actually develops the flu shortly after receiving the flu shot, that person may have been infected by the influenza virus just prior to receiving the shot. The person is getting ill from exposure to the flu before protection from the flu vaccine can take effect.

Flu Vaccine Effectiveness The flu shot is not 100% effective in preventing the flu. Its effectiveness varies every year, but generally it is only @ 60% effective. During last year’s flu season, that flu vaccine was only @29% effective. Every year a panel of experts decide on which flu strains may become predominant and formulate the vaccine. The experts make a scientific prediction on which flu strains will need to be vaccinated against. They of course don’t always get it right and sometimes the flu virus can mutate and change, rendering the vaccine ineffective.

Why not just take antiviral medication if I get the flu instead of getting the flu shot?

Antiviral medications such as, Tamiflu, Relenza and Rapivab, are indicated for treatment of the flu. These medications need to be taken within the first 48 hours of developing the flu to be effective. If they are effective, they have only been shown to decrease the duration of the flu by 1-2 days.

They typically cost @ $100 for treatment and are generally not covered by insurance. They are not without possible side effects; severe skin rashes, blistering, changes in behavior and

October 31 to November 6, 2019

SWAG FOR THESOUL

BY AIMEE MOSCO

EMBODYING THE FORCE OF LOVE

“The key to healing your energy field and fostering the creation of new outcomes is [delivered] through inviting love to fuel your creations. Love is the most powerful creative force in existence.” –Gratitude + Forgiveness x (LOVE) = Happiness, by Aimee Mosco and Donald L. Ferguson, page 69. s with any great feat, the journey that carries you to the finish line is critically important. There are always distractions along the way to knock you off course, but if you actively focus your attention on inviting the right kinds of energies into your world, the distractions are fewer and come farther in between.

You hold the power to embody all-mighty love in its purest form. In fact, it is your spiritual nature and soul mission to do so.

It doesn’t really matter how you invite and embody love, just that you make the choice to claim your spiritual birthright and then follow through.

When you acknowledge that your origins are of divine love, doors open with possibilities in front of you. It becomes much easier to see that love is within your reach, rather than an elusive and unobtainable experience, when you accept that it is already part of your constitution.

As the possibility of filling your life with love becomes more real to you, set your sights on creating that for yourself. Visualize your life as one filled with experiences that inspire joy in you. Choose to embody this force of love as you see it in your visualizations.

Commit yourself to the pursuit by setting aside a few minutes each day to close your eyes and connect with these visions. Feel the emotions and sensations as if they are happening to you in the current moment.

Call on your favorite love-filled memories to support you.

Throughout the day, be mindful of what your inner voice is expressing. When you catch yourself in judgment, stop what you are thinking and connect with your visions.

A

more commonly nausea and vomiting.

Antivirals are indicated for people who are sick enough to be hospitalized with the flu, those with severe health problems such as asthma, pulmonary disease or heart disease, adults age 65 or older, morbidly obese and residents of nursing homes.

The flu vaccine is meant to prevent you from getting the flu, while antiviral medications mentioned above, treat you if you already have the flu.

How far away do I have to be from someone with the flu to prevent from catching it?

Infected people with the flu can spread it up to about 6 feet away. The flu virus is spread mainly by droplets expelled when people cough, sneeze or talk. The droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs. Sometimes the flu can be contracted by touching a surface or object that has flu virus on it and then touching your mouth or nose.

To avoid catching the flu, people should stay away from sick people and please stay home if you’re sick. It is extremely important to wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Wash your hands as often as you can. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub or hand sanitizer. Napkins or towels, eating utensils, and dishes belonging to those who are sick should not be shared without washing them thoroughly. Frequently touched surfaces should be cleaned and disinfected at home, work and school, especially if someone has been sick.

Even if you have had the flu shot, it is best to avoid sick people and wash your hand frequently. The flu shot is not 100% effective, so don’t have a false sense of security that just because you have had the flu shot, you are protected.

When is a person considered contagious?

Most adults may be able to infect other people beginning 1 day before symptoms develop and up to 5 to 7 days after becoming sick. Children can pass the flu virus for longer than 7 days. A person can start to develop flu symptoms 1 to 4 days after the virus enters the body. A person can be contagious when they are sick and even before they develop symptoms. It is possible to be infected with the flu virus but have no symptoms. During this time, those persons may still spread the virus to others.

Then take a few deep breaths to center yourself before you get back to whatever you were doing.

Let the energies of gratitude and love find their way into every thought by your invitation. Pick a few points in your day to say the words “I am grateful for…” and fill in the rest of the statement with something that evokes pure gratitude for you.

Simply stated, exercising a little bit of mindfulness in these ways is a very easy way to claim your power as the force of love you are.

In my pursuit to help you stay aligned with the force of love, I invite you to join Facebook group Evolve through Love hosted

by Elizabeth Scarcella, BB Ingle and me. Go to facebook.com/groups/evolvethroughlove and share with us your experiences.

Aimee Mosco is an Author, Intuitive Channel, Global Ambassador for SpeakingfromOurHearts.org, and CoFounder of Intentional Healing Systems, LLC. Aimee’s passion for helping others inspired her book “Gratitude + Forgiveness x (LOVE) = Happiness”. For more information, find Aimee at www.ihsunity.com

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October 31 to November 6, 2019

FREEWILL ASTROLOGY

Week of October 31

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Do you have any skill in fulfilling the wishes and answering the prayers of your allies? Have you developed a capacity to tune in to what people want even when they themselves aren’t sure of what they want? Do you sometimes have a knack for offering just the right gesture at the right time to help people do what they haven’t been able to do under their own power? If you possess any of those aptitudes, now is an excellent time to put them in play. More than usual, you are needed as a catalyst, a transformer, an inspirational influence. Halloween costume suggestion: angel, fairy godmother, genie, benefactor.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Author Amy Tan describes the magic moment when her muse appears and takes command: “I sense a subtle shift, a nudge to move over, and everything cracks open, the writing is freed, the language is full, resources are plentiful, ideas pour forth, and to be frank, some of these ideas surprise me. It seems as though the universe is my friend and is helping me write, its hand over mine.” Even if you’re not a creative artist, Taurus, I suspect you’ll be offered intense visitations from a muse in the coming days. If you make yourself alert for and receptive to these potential blessings, you’ll feel like you’re being guided and fueled by a higher power. Halloween costume suggestion: your muse.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): More than a century ago, author Anton Chekhov wrote, “If many remedies are prescribed for an illness, you may be certain that the illness has no cure.” Decades later, I wrote, “If you’re frantically trying to heal yourself with a random flurry of half-assed remedies, you’ll never cure what ails you. But if you sit still in a safe place and ask your inner genius to identify the one or two things you need to do to heal, you will find the cure.” Halloween costume suggestion: physician, nurse, shaman, healer.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Cancerian artist Marc Chagall (1887–1985) was a playful visionary and a pioneer of modernism. He appealed to sophisticates despite being described as a dreamy, eccentric outsider who invented his own visual language. In the 1950s, Picasso observed that Chagall was one of the only painters who “understood what color really is.” In 2017, one of Chagall’s paintings sold for $28.5 million. What was the secret to his success?

“If I create from the heart, nearly everything works,” he testified. “If from the head, almost nothing.” Your current assignment, Cancerian, is to authorize your heart to rule everything you do. Halloween costume suggestion: a heart.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): The Dead Sea, on the border of Jordan and Israel, is far saltier than the ocean. No fish or frogs live in it. But here and there on the lake’s bottom are springs that exude fresh water. They support large, diverse communities of microbes. It’s hard for divers to get down there and study the life forms, though. The water’s so saline, they tend to float. So they carry 90 pounds of ballast that enables them to sink to the sea floor.

I urge you to get inspired by all this, Leo. What would be the metaphorical equivalent for you of descending into the lower depths so as to research unexplored sources of vitality and excitement?

Halloween costume suggestions: diver, spelunker, archaeologist.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “We have stripped all things of their mystery and luminosity,” lamented psychologist Carl Jung. “Nothing is holy any longer.”

In accordance with current astrological omens, Virgo, your assignment is to rebel against that mournful state of affairs. I hope you will devote some of your fine intelligence to restoring mystery and luminosity to the world in which you dwell. I hope you will find and create holiness that’s worthy of your reverence and awe. Halloween costume suggestion: mage, priestess, poet, enchantrix, witch, alchemist, sacramentalist.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): “One language is never enough,” says a Pashto proverb. How could it be, right? Each language has a specific structure and

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© Copyright 2019 Rob Brezsny

a finite vocabulary that limit its power to describe and understand the world. I think the same is true for religion: one is never enough. Why confine yourself to a single set of theories about spiritual matters when more will enable you to enlarge and deepen your perspective? With this in mind, Libra, I invite you to regard November as “One Is Never Enough Month” for you. Assume you need more of everything. Halloween costume suggestion: a bilingual Jewish Santa Claus; a pagan Sufi Buddha who intones prayers in three different languages.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): In his novel Zone One, Scorpio author Colson Whitehead writes, “A monster is a person who has stopped pretending.”

He means it in the worst sense possible: the emergence of the ugly beast who had been hiding behind social niceties. But I’m going to twist his meme for my own purposes. I propose that when you stop pretending and shed fake politeness, you may indeed resemble an ugly monster—but only temporarily. After the suppressed stuff gets free rein to yammer, it will relax and recede—and you will feel so cleansed and relieved that you’ll naturally be able to express more of your monumental beauty.

Halloween costume suggestion: your beautiful, fully exorcised monster.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): “I am glad that I paid so little attention to good advice,” testified poet Edna St. Vincent Millay. “Had I abided by it, I might have been saved from some of my most valuable mistakes.” This is excellent advice for you. I suspect you’re in the midst of either committing or learning from a valuable mistake. It’s best if you don’t interrupt yourself! Halloween costume suggestion: the personification or embodiment of your valuable mistake.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Cleopatra was an ancient Egyptian queen who ruled for 21 years.

She was probably a Capricorn. All you need to know about her modern reputation is that Kim Kardashian portrayed her as a sultry seductress in a photo spread in a fashion magazine. But the facts are that Cleopatra was a well-educated, multilingual political leader with strategic cunning. Among her many skills were poetry, philosophy, and mathematics.

I propose we make the REAL Cleopatra your role model. Now is an excellent time to correct people’s misunderstandings about you—and show people who you truly are. Halloween costume suggestion: your actual authentic self.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Around the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, the eleventh sign of the zodiac, Aquarius, will be capable of strenuous feats; will have the power to achieve a success that surpasses past successes; will be authorized to attempt a brave act of transcendence that renders a long-standing limitation irrelevant.

As for the eleven days and eleven hours before that magic hour, the eleventh sign of the zodiac will be smart to engage in fierce meditation and thorough preparation for the magic hour. And as for the eleven days and eleven hours afterward, the eleventh sign should expend all possible effort to capitalize on the semi-miraculous breakthrough. Halloween costume suggestion: eleven.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Author Robert Musil made a surprising declaration: “A number of flawed individuals can often add up to a brilliant social unit.”

I propose we make that one of your mottoes for the coming months. I think you have the potential to be a flawed but inspiring individual who’ll serve as a dynamic force in assembling and nurturing a brilliant social unit. So let me ask you: what would be your dream-come-true of a brilliant social unit that is a fertile influence on you and everyone else in the unit? Halloween costume suggestion: ringleader, mastermind, orchestrator, or general.

Homework: “Be homesick for wild knowing,” wrote Clarissa Pinkola Estés. Try that out. Report results to FreeWillAstrology.com.

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

MIND,BODY & SPIRIT

BY BRONWYN ISON

VISUALIZE YOUR SUCCESS

H

ave you ever wondered how someone has achieved a certain goal? Or, obtained a distinct accolade? It’s likely this person set a goal with absolute clarity? Knowing what you want and how you plan to achieve your goal is essential. Keep in mind you must be willing to pay the price to get there. The price may be late nights, early mornings, hustling on the weekends and missing out on certain things you love doing to build your dream. If you’re willing to do what it takes then it’s time to get to work.

Defining your goals is everything. One must truly have clear goals and objectives.

If you’re planning on building your career or your own business it’s essential to map out what it is you want. It’s important to map out clear intentions and what you’re trying to accomplish. If you don’t know, then sit down and start writing out your thoughts. You’ll absently wander aimlessly if you do not have a clear direction. All to look back own your life and wonder what happened.

Making more money or building your career should not be your goal. Goals are very specific. You can have daily goals, weekly, monthly, yearly and lifetime aspirations.

Yet, they’re nothing if you don’t put your

thoughts into action. You must also have measurable goals.

Say for instance you sell a product and you would like to exceed your sales by 15% from last year. This is a measurable goal. You can put a number on it and do your best to achieve your written goal. You can also be very precise and detailed about what it is you’re trying to achieve.

When I set my goals, I implement a lot of visualization. What does that mean? I see myself doing what I want. I write down what I’d like to see in my future. You may consider participating with a group and mapping out a vision board. This a great way to gain clarity.

Plus, you’re sharing your ideas with others which may hold you responsible for carrying out your goals.

You’ll be astonished by what you will do in your life if you make simple changes to your everyday life. Remember, no action, no reward. We have one opportunity in life to go after what we want. Neglect the naysayers and show them what you’re all about.

Bronwyn Ison is the owner of Evolve Yoga and www.evolveyogaonline.com 760-564-YOGA (9642)

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October 31 to November 6, 2019

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October 31 to November 6, 2019

CANNABIS CORNER

BY MICHELLE ANN RIZZIO

THE FUTURE OF ENTHEOGENS

W

e are in a fascinating and revolutionary time of plant medicine taking the forefront of our wellness habits as a society. With the current success of cannabis in various markets across the United States and internationally, many have begun to encourage decriminalization of other plant medicines. In Oakland, Decriminalize Nature was passed in June allowing for residents of the city to use entheogenic plants including psilocybin, cacti, and iboga. They are the second city in the United States after Denver to decriminalize these plants. The Decriminalize Nature bill resolved that law enforcement should not prioritize arresting or investigating adults who use these substances and that the county should not prosecute people involved in the use. At this time there is not a marketplace for the commercial sale of entheogenic plants.

The bill is the first in a spearhead educational campaign focused on educating the public about the proper use of entheogenic plants and to “decriminalize our relationship with nature.”

These plants are not new to our human culture. Historically, entheogens were utilized by tribes and various cultures for healing and in ritual. In our own backyard, Cahuilla natives utilized entheogens such as datura and the plant creosote during reproductive stages of a woman’s life, and for rite of passage for young men. Other entheogens such as ayahuasca and iboga have had life changing effects in our modern

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society for veterans suffering from PTSD, folks dealing with addiction, and overall increasing relief of various health issues. Entheogens specifically refer to psychoactive substances which are meant to induce a connection to spirit (or higher consciousness) for development or sacred use. With the acceptance and emergence of cannabis into our legal cultural narrative, this next step of decriminalizing entheogens is intuitive. Considering a marketplace has already been established for cannabis sale and distribution, one might wonder if in the near future these entheogens would be labeled and regulated for sale in the same place one purchases their cannabis.

The Economist shared last week that many biopharmaceutical firms are developing and creating investment spaces for these entheogens to enter our consumer market. For instance, in New York a firm is developing a way to integrate these entheogens into psychiatric care. In London, Compass Pathways is aiming to be the first legal provider of psilocybin mushrooms. In April, Imperial College London inaugurated their first research center dedicated to entheogen and psychedelic research and last month John Hopkins University in Baltimore launched America’s first psychedelic research center. For more information on this growing movement, visit decriminalizenature.org or check out the book “Spiritual Growth with Entheogens” or “Entheogens and The Future of Religion.”

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October 31 to November 6, 2019

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October 31 to November 6, 2019

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