Mailing address: 31855 Date Palm Drive, No. 3-263 Cathedral City, CA 92234 (760) 904-4208 www.cvindependent.com
Editor/Publisher
Jimmy Boegle
staff writerS
Haleemon Anderson
Kevin Fitzgerald
coveR and feature design
Dennis Wodzisz
Contributors
Melissa Daniels, Charles Drabkin, Katie Finn, Bill Frost, Bonnie Gilgallon, Bob Grimm, Terry Huber, Valerie-Jean (VJ) Hume, Clay Jones, Matt Jones, Matt King, Keith Knight, Cat Makino, Brett Newton, Greg Niemann, Dan Perkins, Theresa Sama, Jen Sorenson, Robert Victor, Eleanor Whitney, Rob Wilcox
The Independent is a proud member and/ or supporter of the Association of Alternative Newsmedia, the California Newspaper Publishers Association, CalMatters, DAP Health, the Local Independent Online News Publishers, the Desert Business Association, and the LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert.
A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
For the last couple of decades, a Jackie Robinson poster has been on the wall above my desk. In addition to a photo of the Brooklyn Dodgers/civil rights icon, the poster includes the definition of courage: cour•age n. 1. The mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty. 2. Valor.
In elementary school, I read a biography about Jackie Robinson—and to say it left an impression would be an understatement. He’s one of my heroes, and the story about him breaking Major League Baseball’s color barrier, in part, led me to become a moderately fervent Los Angeles Dodgers fan.
Today, more than 54 years after his passing, Robinson is helping illustrate the pettiness and discriminatory nature of the Trump administration’s DEI purge.
As reported by CBS Sports: “The United States Department of Defense has restored an article on its website honoring Jackie Robinson after having removed it in an effort to purge ‘DEI’ (diversity, equity and inclusion) content. As explained on the now-restored page, Robinson served in the military during World War II. He later broke the color line in Major League Baseball, becoming the first Black player in MLB in 1947. The DOD page honoring Robinson was taken down recently, and its removal (along with removal of other articles) caused backlash online.”
To make matters even worse, the Department of Defense issued this appalling statement:
Everyone at the Defense Department loves Jackie Robinson, as well as the Navajo Code Talkers, the Tuskegee Airmen, the Marines at Iwo Jima and so many others—we salute them for their strong and in many cases heroic service to our country, full stop. We do not view or highlight them through the prism of immutable characteristics, such as race, ethnicity, or sex. We do only by recognizing their patriotism and dedication to the warfighting mission like every other American who has worn the uniform.
DEI—Discriminatory Equity Ideology does the opposite. It divides the force, erodes unit cohesion and Interferes with the services’ core warfighting mission.
We are pleased by the rapid compliance across the department with the directive removing DEI content from all platforms. In the rare cases that content is removed—either deliberately or by mistake—that is out of the clearly outlined scope of the directive, we instruct the components and they correct the content so it recognizes our heroes for their dedicated service alongside their fellow Americans, period.
This is a load of white-supremacist bullshit. First: DEI actually stands for diversity, equity and inclusion. You’ll rarely hear Trump administration officials actually use those three words together, because the vast majority of people believe diversity, equity and inclusion are good things. Instead, the administration uses the term “DEI” and claims, as in the above statement, that it’s a bad thing.
Second: The contributions of Jackie Robinson, the Navajo Code Talkers, the Tuskegee Airmen and others can’t be fully appreciated and understood without the context of diversity, equity and inclusion. Jackie Robinson is so heroic because he had courage and was willing to do what needed to be done to stand up to systemic racism and break MLB’s discriminatory color barrier. That is part of United States’ history—like it or not.
The word “whitewash” comes to mind. Here’s one of Merriam-Webster’s definitions of the word: to alter (something) in a way that favors, features, or caters to white people: such as to portray (the past) in a way that increases the prominence, relevance, or impact of white people and minimizes or misrepresents that of nonwhite people.
That’s exactly what the Trump administration and its anti-DEI crusade are doing right now. This has nothing to do with discrimination; it has to do with the belief in white, Christian, male supremacy—period.
—Jimmy Boegle, jboegle@cvindependent.com
Copley’s
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This spring may not be great for wildflowers— but it brings ‘Desert X’ and Earth Day
Who’s still looking for wildflowers? It appears they are largely taking the year off due to scarce rainfall. We’ve been spoiled by spectacular blooms in recent years, but flowers are expected to be limited this year.
Indian Canyon Drive and Desert Terrace Way in Desert Hot Springs.
“We’re not seeing the widespread wildflower bloom—but the desert still has its quiet bursts of beauty,” said the Anza-Borrego Foundation. Small but resilient flowers can be found in remote canyons and sporadic locations, according to the foundation.
where they can be found. You can share your findings on the map as well; visit theabf.org/ experience-anza-borrego/wildflowers.
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Despite the lack of wildflowers, the desert can be magical for those who take the time to discover the hidden beauty that lies beneath the blowing sand. The aforementioned Anza-Borrego Foundation offers an interactive wildflower map with real-time updates on the latest blooms and focus is to create and present international contemporary art exhibitions that engage desert environments through site-specific installations by world renowned artists.
There might not be an abundance of wildflowers, but there is a spectacular openair art exhibition happening now, with 11 site-specific installations across the Coachella Valley. Every two years, spring brings X to the Coachella Valley, with this year being the fifth edition. is a free, fun-filled experience out in nature that anyone can enjoy. You can spend the entire day driving and hiking around the desert, finding all the unique and amazing art exhibits. This nonprofit organization was founded in California, with the first taking place here in the Coachella Valley in 2017. The
• “The act of being together” by Jose Dávila. This installation is located just off Worsley Road between Pierson Boulevard and Painted Hills Road in Desert Hot Springs.
• “The Living Pyramid,” a “monumental sculpture and an environmental intervention,” by Agnes Denes. This installation is located at Sunnylands Center and Gardens in Rancho Mirage.
downloading the Desert X app. You can also get more details on all the exhibits and view the map from the main website: desertx.org.
Earth Day Is April 22
The 2025 art installations opened on March 8 and will continue through May 11. As of this writing, I’ve seen four of them:
• “G.H.O.S.T. Ride / (Generative Habitation Operating System Technology)” by Cannupa Hanska Luger. This is a mobile installation; as of this writing, it was a 1.5-mile (one-way) trek through the rugged desert terrain from the unpaved parking lot located off Pierson Boulevard at Foxdale Drive in Desert Hot Springs.
• “Soul Service Station,” a “gas station for your spirit,” by Alison Saar. This installation is located off Pierson Boulevard between North
I plan to see all 11 exhibits. Of the four I’ve seen so far, my favorite is “G.H.O.S.T. Ride / (Generative Habitation Operating System Technology)” by Cannupa Hanska Luger. I love the fact that it’s so remote, and you really do have to take a hike to get to this unique mobile art installation: It’s tucked away in the hills and canyons of Desert Hot Springs, and you cannot see it from the road. It’s a “RAT Rod” (Repurposed Archaic Technology)—specifically, a Volkswagen van with rubber tracks in place of the wheels, and a tipi on top. It emits a vibe from a Mad Max: Fury Road scene, and is a vision from the artist of an adaptive future. It’s camouflaged in reflective vinyl, giving it a mirrored effect as an extension of the landscape. Super cool! It’s definitely worth the trek to see it. You can get the exhibition map by
With spring comes Earth Day, every April 22. Earth Day was created in 1970 and is celebrated by 1 billion people in more than 193 countries. It honors the achievements of the modern environmental movement with a variety of activities such as rallies, conferences and community cleanups, with a goal to raise awareness about protecting the Earth’s natural resources for future generations. Take action this Earth Day, and every day in 2025, and stand behind this year’s theme, “Our Power, Our Planet!” Let’s come together to support renewable energy and clean electricity.
There are countless things you can do to improve the environment. If you are unsure what to do for Earth Day, here is a list of ideas:
• Take a walk or a hike in nature. Whether you’re exploring local parks, hiking on nature trails, bird-watching or visiting a garden, getting out in nature is a perfect way to celebrate Mother Earth.
• Plant a tree (or three). Support biodiversity!
• Scatter wildflower seeds. Support our local ecosystems.
• Volunteer! National Volunteer Week is April 20-26. Improve the environment where you live.
• Join community cleanups. These activities could involve clearing and cleaning public places, as well as the removal of invasive plants.
You can also celebrate Earth Day by visiting a national park. National Park Week is April 19-27 this year. Barring any last-minute changes, all National Park Service sites that charge an entrance fee will offer free admission on Saturday, April 19, to kick off the celebration and encourage everyone to get out and enjoy our national parks.
When you’re out and about, be careful, because it’s snake season! Always be aware of your surroundings, and watch your step; there have been many sightings already.
Remember to stay hydrated! When the sun is out, the desert heats up fast. Always bring more water than you will need—at least one liter per hour on warmer days. It’s beneficial to know the 10 desert hiking essentials and always have them with you when you’re out on the trails. Learn more at the Friends of the Desert Mountains hiking page: www. desertmountains.org/hiking.
System
by Cannupa Hanska Luger. Theresa Sama
THURSDAY MAY 8, 2025
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KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORS
BY BONNIE GILGALLON
DeAnn Lubell is one of those people about whom you never hear a bad word. Mention her name anywhere in the desert, and the response is usually, “Oh, I love DeAnn!” Lovely and always on the go, she’s got a heart the size of Texas.
Born and raised in Denver, Lubell is the middle child of three. Her sister is 12 years older, and her brother is 7 years younger. She studied ballet as a child, but journalism was always her first love. Though no one else in her family wrote, Lubell feels she was born to be a writer, and began penning her first book at the age of 10. She doesn’t remember the plot, but she does recall that she was always fascinated with travel and adventure, and loved the Nancy Drew series. Even as a child, Lubell wanted to be a foreign correspondent. She corralled her friends into playing “foreign
correspondent,” but they thought it was the stupidest game ever, so that didn’t last long.
In high school, Lubell was the assistant editor of the school newspaper. Impatient to start her journalism career, Lubell went to the local newspaper in search of a job just one month after enrolling at Western State University in Gunnison, Colo. Impressed with the 18-year-old’s gumption, the editor hired her on the spot, offering 3 cents a word.
Between her studies and the newspaper job, Lubell put together a mini-novel called Nightmare Island. Soon after, she found a book in the library about the eruption of Mount Pelée on the island of Martinique in 1902. She made a pact with herself that one day, she would write a novel about that incident, but only after she visited the island. Throughout the next 15 years, Lubell started making plans to go to Martinique, but each time, something got in the way.
Two decades after college, Lubell was ensconced in her freelance writing career and living in Boca Raton, Fla., with her thenhusband, Joe. They were in the process of selling their home when a prospective buyer asked to bring a friend by to help him make his final decision. That friend turned out to be a native of Martinique. When Lubell began telling him about the book she’d read about the volcano eruption and the explorer Fernand Clerc, he stopped her. “Madame, please let me introduce myself. I am Yves Clerc. Fernand was my grandfather.”
A month later, Lubell and her husband flew to Martinique and spent two weeks as guests of Clerc. She came back with tons of information for her novel, including an interview with 97-year-old Marcel Clerc, who, as a young child, had witnessed the eruption, which killed about 30,000 people in the town of Saint-Pierre.
The book, The Last Moon, was published in 2010. It has won numerous awards.
When Lubell moved to the desert in 1991, it was tough breaking into the local journalism scene. An opportunity eventually
arose to do a cover story for Palm Springs Life Her work with the magazine later allowed her to get her foot in the door at The Desert Sun. Though she often has deadlines, Lubell said she needs to be inspired to write. “But once I get in the mood—once the juices are flowing—you can’t drag me away,” she said.
Lubell also has great PR skills. In 1999, she became the publicist for Angel View. After a lengthy tenure at the job, she had to quit to take care of her husband, Lee Ames, who had been diagnosed with cancer. She later picked up her PR career, representing many clients over the years, including an 8-year stint as publicist for the McCallum Theatre. She currently represents the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Coachella Valley, the Read With Me program in local schools, and her own nonprofit, Amy’s Purpose.
The story of how Amy’s Purpose came to be is tragic.
Lubell’s father loved Labrador retrievers and owned several, and Lubell has always had an affinity for dogs. At one point, she owned four: Sugar, a white American bulldog; Chewy, a Chihuahua; JoJo, an Australian Dingo; and Amy, a hybrid of a miniature Australian shepherd and a crested Chinese powderpuff. They were funny and had their own individual personalities. Lubell said that after Lee passed away, her pack of furry babies kept her sane.
Amy came to her through Lindi Biggi’s organization, Loving All Animals. Biggi and her staff had rescued a number of dogs from an abandoned puppy mill in Lucerne Valley. The most unique was white with one brown eye and one blue eye—and ears like the Flying Nun. When Lubell first spotted her, she told Biggi that she simply must have that dog. Soon, Amy was hers.
About five years ago, Lubell moved up to the high desert with her current husband, Jeffrey. One sunny morning, they let Sugar and Amy out in the backyard. Lubell ran in to get a cup of tea, returning 60 seconds later to a horrific scene.
“Sugar was cowered against the French
Meet award-winning author and PR maven DeAnn Lubell, who turned a tragedy into a pet-focused nonprofit
door. My heart sank. … I opened the door in time to see three coyotes surrounding the lifeless body of Amy. She was my soul dog. It was the most traumatizing thing I’ve ever been through.”
Lubell says that she, her husband and her daughter knew immediately that the thing to do was to start a nonprofit, so something good could come out of this tragedy. They named it Amy’s Purpose. The initial goal was to educate pet owners on the dangers of predators.
A year after Amy died, Sugar was injured, and they had to drive all the way to Banning for emergency treatment. After learning that this was a common experience for valley pet owners, Lubell decided Amy’s Purpose needed an additional mission. After partnering with
College of the Desert, the organization has since awarded 27 scholarships in veterinary education.
What stands out about DeAnn Lubell is her tenacity and determination, and the passion she feels about Amy’s Purpose.
“I can’t represent anything or anyone unless I truly believe in their mission,” she said. Amy would be proud.
For more information about Amy’s purpose, visit www.amyspurpose.net.
Bonnie Gilgallon has written theater reviews for Independent since 2013. She hosts a digital interview show, The Desert Scene, which can be heard on www.thedesertscene.com and viewed on Mutual Broadcasting’s YouTube channel. Learn more at bonnie-g.com.
DeAnn Lubell (with her late dog Amy): “I can’t represent anything or anyone unless I truly believe in their mission.”
RIGHTS AT STAKE
by HALEEMON ANDERSON
Clarissa Cervantes was in elementary school when she began learning about the Civil Rights Movement. Her grandparents told her about Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta, and how they led a protest march for farmworkers past the family’s ranch in Coachella in the ’60s. Her mother was a teacher who insisted Cervantes and her three sisters study the people who
fought for the privileges and rights they took for granted. Summer days were often spent in the library.
“Over time, there were 10 to 15 civil rights leaders who I got to really learn about, and I dove in deep,” Cervantes said.
At 8 years old, she was inspired by the words of Martin Luther King Jr., and decided to recite his “I Have a Dream” speech from memory for a school project. That was in the late ’90s. Today, Cervantes holds a seat on the Riverside City Council and works as a political strategist.
She spoke at the International Women’s Day rally in downtown Palm Springs on March 8, telling the crowd that studying those historic protests inevitably fueled her passion for today’s movement. After the rally, The Independent spoke to Cervantes and other women about the current state of women’s rights, here and abroad.
Joy Silver currently chairs the Riverside County Democratic Party. She is a Palm Springs resident, with a 30-year career in health care, housing advocacy, senior living and executive management. Silver helped organize the rally with fellow members of Courageous Resistance/Indivisible of the Desert, which she helped co-found. Silver said close to 1,000 participants showed up to the event March 8 to express their anger at the threat of personal freedoms being taken away.
“Freedom is something that always needs to move forward and be protected. It’s something we have to always fight for,” Silver said. “These white, privileged oligarch men are so scared of the progress that has been made. They are not going to limit their privilege and their power without a big fight. This only means that we were moving and progressing, and that the world was actually having the opportunity to become equal and have equity and inclusion. The issue here is that they’re not going to let go of this power. And so what does this tell me? To never give up.”
Kimberley Skeete has worked in health care in Palm Springs, since 2017. She chairs the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care (ANAC). Her work in gender-affirming care led to the creation of DAP Health’s first genderaffirming care team. Skeete currently works in private research at BIOS Clinical Research,
where she advocates for equitable access to clinical studies for transgender and gender non-conforming individuals, as well as other marginalized communities.
Speaking at the rally, Skeete introduced herself as a Black trans woman. She talked about the power of solidarity and asked rally participants to “lean into empathy.”
Skeete later told the Independent, “I’ve had the privilege of working at all three of the big health-care organizations in the desert. I’ve done a lot of advocacy; I’ve done a lot of research surrounding infectious disease and prevention. As you know, women, specifically Black women, are some of the most vulnerable to being susceptible to HIV.
“I think now more than ever, we have to realize that we are stronger united. We’re stronger together. Your walk of life might be different from my walk of life, you know. I’ll never be able to walk in your shoes. But I can at least walk beside you while you walk in those shoes. I can be empathetic to your journey, as it might look different from mine. We can paint the same picture with different brushes.”
Alexis Moore has been in the United States since the ’60s. She lives in Desert Hot Springs and maintains dual Canadian/American citizenship. Moore said it was important for her to be at the protest, “to be with likeminded people (who are) resisting what’s happening in the entire country.”
Moore said she’s considered returning to Canada if things get much worse under the current administration—and she is willing to help others expatriate. “I can sponsor up to 15 people if they’d like to come,” she said.
She said she knows of folks who have already returned to Canada.
“We live in a community where there are quite a few Canadian snowbirds—a few that (left) and haven’t come back,” Moore said. “And my sister-in-law, she’s Canadian. She married an American, and the last time Trump took office, she left and did not come back.”
Maddison Eberts is a doula and student midwife. She said she knew at a young age that birth-work was a calling. She recently moved back to the valley and got into community organizing about a year ago.
“I’ve always been a very politically active
Participants at Palm Springs’ International Women’s Day rally pledge to fight against threats to their freedoms
person, but I actually got involved locally in the past year, and then became an organizer and a leader in the last few months,” Eberts said. “I volunteered with the Harris/Waltz campaign, and then Californians for Choice as well. Now I volunteer with Planned Parenthood. I helped plan the People’s March this year in January. I’m also an organizer with Code Pink Coachella Valley. I’m very passionate about human rights in general, but specifically reproductive rights,” Ebert said.
Ebert told the Independent that while the work of a doula is very personal, the act of giving women the freedom to choose can be extremely political. “Primarily, my work is localized; it’s face to face with my clients, ensuring that doulas are accessible.
“I think that it’s very important to realize that birth work is political, and will always be political. It’s very tied up in women’s rights and autonomy, and unfortunately, I think we’re seeing a large regression in those areas.”
Eberts said she hopes advocating for reproductive rights and access to health care at the local level can make a difference on a global scale. “America is seen as the blueprint for a lot of countries, and we have tremendous global impact and influence. Women are not
sitting back and letting things happen with the current administration; we are raising our voices and getting in the streets and pushing back on fascism.”
Former Palm Springs City Councilmember Lisa Middleton told the Independent that local organizing is essential, especially in the current political climate.
“I think it is critically important to build institutions both from the bottom up and from the top down,” Middleton said. “When you have the kind of pressure coming from the federal government that has been unleashed by this administration, those institutions that we have built up locally become absolutely essential.”
Susannah Delano isn’t a local; she lives in Northern California, but as the head of Close the Gap, a nonprofit consulting firm that recruits progressive women to run for the Legislature, Delano is pushing for gender parity in the state. Close the Gap has contributed to the increase of women in the California Legislature, with 25 Close the Gap candidates serving currently. Eighteen of them are women of color. Overall, women hold 59 of the Legislature’s 120 seats—one short of 50 percent.
Riverside City Councilmember Clarissa Cervantes speaks at the International Women’s Day rally in Palm Springs on March 8. Haleemon Anderson
Delano said getting women elected makes good economic sense.
“We’ve never really had the chance as a nation or a state or a region to see women sitting around the decision-making table in equal numbers,” Delano said. “There is a lot of research and experience to suggest that women take a fundamentally different approach to governing. It’s really relevant right now, because the hallmarks of women’s leadership really are a comprehensive approach, looking at the full circle of people impacted by a given issue. It’s very economic; it’s about day-to-day: How do you pay the bills? How does everyone get taken care of? There’s definitely an orientation toward caregiving, but particularly with an economic point of view.”
Delano said events like International Women’s Day can build connections between people around the world and help increase solidarity.
“People on the ground all over the world are struggling right now, economically, in terms of more repressive governments. And to connect the struggles that we have been having, (that) seem to be intensified in the U.S., to similar issues all around the world, is powerful,” Delano said.
Raising awareness is key, she said. “Visibility and showing up are always important. Any progress we’ve ever made anywhere in the world as women, there’s been some sort of a movement behind it. So showing up and showing out, particularly when freedoms and safety are under attack, is really critical—and it can be a jumping-off point for more direct pathways to change. Like, after the Women’s March in 2017, there was a pivot toward elections and getting more people registered to vote, running new candidates, and getting new donors activated around issues that fundamentally tie back to women, at every single level … and we saw some big change. I think you could make the argument that we wouldn’t have had the outcomes we had in the 2020 election without these small periods of reinvigoration, commitment and activity.”
For Cervantes, this moment in time is sobering. She knows she is carrying the mantle of leaders she has read about in history books.
“It not only angers me to see where we are now, but this is exactly what I learned about,” Cervantes said. “Now, being older, an elected official, a mother, and having my whole career rooted in serving the community (and) fulfilling what my grandparents and parents raised me to do … I know we have that power when we come together.
“People have always been at the core of moving and changing history, as I shared with the group. … But you know that saying: History will repeat itself if we do not, essentially, intervene to change the course of history.”
NEWS
IMPROPER CHARGES
By Kevin Fitzgerald
OThe Coachella Valley Water District could owe its customers more than $100 million following lawsuits by a taxpayers’ group
n Jan. 31, the California Fourth District Court of Appeal upheld a Riverside County Superior Court ruling that the Coachella Valley Water District (CVWD) is required to reimburse to non-agricultural customers a minimum of $17 million.
On March 12, CVWD filed an appeal with the California Supreme Court.
In what has been dubbed “the canal water rates case,” the court found that the water district illegally charged this group more than its agricultural customers for the delivery of water via the
Coachella Canal during the CVWD’s 2020, 2021 and 2022 fiscal years. According to the court, the plaintiff, the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association (HJTA), established that the water district was charging agricultural businesses $34.32 per acre-foot during these years, while non-agricultural customers— primarily single-family residence customers— were charged $102.12 per acre-foot. The case is one of three so-far successful lawsuits filed against the CVWD over the last six years by the HJTA that question the propriety of some of the district’s business practices.
Jeffrey Costell, the HJTA’s attorney in each of the three cases, told the Independent that the CVWD could owe residential customers a reimbursement of up to $22 million for the fiscal years of 2020, 2021 and 2022—and since the district has yet to change its canal water rate structure since the lawsuit was filed, the CVWD could owe an additional $9 million or more for improper rates charged from 2023 into 2025, with the number rising by the day.
A second case, referred to as the “State Water Project case,” involves issues concerning the alleged illegal diversion of State Water Project taxes for improper purposes. This case has been determined in the HJTA’s favor by the court, but the damages owed by the CVWD to its customers have yet to be finalized. The HJTA anticipates the water district could owe customers at least $60 million to $90 million for transgressions during the 2020-2022 fiscal years, with an additional $15 million owed for subsequent years.
“The court finds that the SWP taxes collected for (fiscal years) 2020-2022 were not used exclusively for SWP expenditures. SWP taxes levied by the district for purposes other than SWP expenses violate (California) Proposition 13’s one percent cap on taxes,” said the March 14, 2023, ruling by Superior Court Judge Craig Riemer.
The third case, referred to as the “replenishment assessment charge” or “RAC” case, is currently being appealed by the CVWD. It focuses on the CVWD’s alleged improper adoption of Replenishment Assessment Charge Rates, or RAC Rates, for the fiscal
years covering 2020-2021, 2021-2022 and 2022-2023. The plaintiff contended that these rates, instead of being billed appropriately as water-service charges to CVWD customers, were improperly collected by the water district through property-tax assessments, in violation of the California’s Proposition 26.
In a ruling issued on Aug. 11, 2023, Judge Riemer ruled in favor of the HJTA. The decision included language enjoining the CVWD from continuing to charge RAC rates similar to those challenged for the fiscal years 2021-2023.
Depending on appeals, the CVWD is now in the unenviable position of potentially owing its customers more than $100 million in reimbursements thanks to the three lawsuits.
Lorraine Garcia, the communication manager and public information officer for the water district, declined to discuss the cases with the Independent, citing to the ongoing litigation.
NEWS
REINS OF CHANGE
by Melissa Daniels
The grounds of the Desert International Horse Park are immaculate. Bushes of bougainvillea and palm trees line well-kept pathways that wind through more than a dozen competition rings and stables for more than 2,000 horses on any given day in-season.
Riders in helmets and trainers holding lead ropes roamed the property on a recent crisp
afternoon, enjoying the opportunity to train and compete before the heat arrives. Seemingly everybody held the leash of a wellbehaved dog.
Desert International Horse Park (DIHP) is an east valley facility responsible for an economic impact of as much as $260 million annually, per the owners’ estimate. But the investors and developers see even more growth potential. That’s why CEO Jeremy Smith and his team are asking Riverside County to approve plans for Thermal Ranch, a development of more than 600 acres located south of Avenue 62 along Harrison Street.
Smith told the Independent that his team sees the proposal as a way to grow the equestrian community while benefiting the local economy. They took over the park about six years ago and have already invested about $20 million to rehab the facility, which draws as many as 400,000 guests each season. But with a larger footprint, the desert could rival Florida as the home of winter racing and become another recreation-driven attraction for the Coachella Valley.
“Our goal is to make sure that the West Coast sport is at a high enough level, and we get enough people out here to support this industry,” Smith said.
The proposal includes 862 private homes, workforce housing, a hotel and commercial development centered around a state-of-theart equestrian center that’s 30% larger than the existing facility. It would also pay for an electricity substation and a 5-million-gallon water tank that could be used by the existing community and support future development. The county alone would see a net fiscal impact of more than $2.7 million annually, according to an estimate shared at a community meeting.
But the plans highlight an inevitable tension that comes up every time there’s a proposal for a shiny new development: As with the Thermal Club and the Thermal Beach Club before it, many eastern Coachella Valley residents have spoken out against Thermal Ranch, because they’re concerned it will exacerbate the systemic inequities challenging the impoverished region.
Smith wants to break ground this fall, which would happen under the watch of a Riverside County planning process. The proposed site of Thermal Ranch has been farmland for decades
and will require a zoning change. A public comment period for the project’s draft environmental impact review closed in January, yielding six letters that raised concerns about social and environmental challenges. Among those was a letter from advocates at Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability, with signatures from more than 70 residents, plus community groups Youth Leadership Institute and Coachella Unincorporated.
“The introduction of high-end residential and recreational spaces would only serve to exacerbate these inequalities, driving up local housing costs and displacing vulnerable populations,” the letter read. “ECV residents strongly oppose the proposed development, not only because it threatens their economic stability, but also because it represents an imposition of outside priorities over the community’s priorities and needs.”
Now that the public comment period is closed, the county’s Planning Commission will make a recommendation that would then go to the Board of Supervisors for a full vote. Either outcome could represent a problematic fate: a continued pattern of disinvestment in a vulnerable community, or approval of a development that juxtaposes extreme poverty against wealthy recreation.
In the Neighborhood
Thermal Ranch would not be built in a vacuum. It’s close to a dozen polanco parks, clusters of mobile home parks that run on septic systems. It’s just a few miles from Oasis Mobile Home Park, which has faced a crisis of arsenic-contaminated water that led to a Department of Justice consent decree to improve the water system.
The proposed Thermal Ranch site is just west of the Thermal Club, the luxurious racetrack that opened in 2014. Since its arrival, dozens of multi-million-dollar villas have been built near the track, trimmed with swimming pools, balconies and grassy lawns. One 12,665 square foot villa—with 3,950 square feet of garage space—was built in 2023. It’s going for $8.75 million, per a Zillow listing.
Advocates at Leadership Counsel say this development was supposed to come with more benefits to the community, like a public park in Thermal that never came to fruition.
A proposal to build out an equestrian community in the eastern Coachella Valley promises badly needed infrastructure—but could lead to gentrification
Stephanie Ambriz, communications manager at Leadership Counsel, said existing residents don’t trust wealthy newcomers to necessarily give back to the community.
“There is a broken trust as a result of a lot of these broken promises,” Ambriz said. “The racetrack is an excellent example of that. And I think back to Thermal Beach Club, which was also approved despite really strong community opposition.”
Arturo Castellano, a Mecca resident, said the development feels like another example of deals between business owners that disregard the existing communities. “They don’t take into consideration the damage it’s doing, or the damage that has been done,” he said. “It really feels that we get the short end of the stick.”
A development of this size brings also brings environmental concerns. The draft environmental impact proposal (DEIR) included comments from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife that questioned whether enough research has been done on how the proposed reservoir would
impact the area, among other topics.
“CDFW recommends that a revised DEIR, including a complete assessment of biological resources, be recirculated for public comment,” the letter read.
The project, of course, would mean more people—and therefore, more traffic. “The project has a significant unavoidable impact on (vehicle miles traveled),” said a traffic analysis in the environmental report.
Still, Thermal Ranch supporters argue the whole community, even low-income neighborhoods, would benefit from the club. Part of the reason more affordable housing hasn’t been developed in the area is because of a lack of built-out infrastructure. Thermal Ranch paying for an electricity substation and a 5-million-gallon water tank could pave the way for affordable-housing developers to make the math work.
“It’s a challenge, because it’s really hard for one person or one group to make an impact out here,” DIHP’s Smith said. “So there are certain ways you can do it—but to build the infrastruc-
The Thermal Ranch proposal for the land south of Avenue 62 along Harrison Street includes 862 private homes, workforce housing, a hotel and commercial development centered around a state-of-the-art equestrian center. Melissa Daniels
ture to actually do anything is so expensive.”
Smith said the development at Thermal Ranch would include homes in a range of prices, including condos and townhomes, and about 500 units of workforce housing. But there would be some estates, and Smith said the development needs to include higher-end homes, because they generate the profits that would pay off for infrastructure upgrades.
“If I said, ‘OK, I don’t want to sell anything high-end,’ we wouldn’t be able to afford to put in the water tank,” Smith said,
Most of the homes built at Thermal Ranch, even at market rates, would be unaffordable for the existing community and could put further price pressure in the general area— and that concerns advocates like Ambriz. She points out that landlords in the area may be supportive, because they’ll see property values rise if the development takes off.
Not long ago, La Quinta still had date farms and was home to many working-class residents of the Coachella Valley. Now the area is a world-renowned golf destination, and the average home value is around $741,000, according to Zillow.
“Homes are becoming increasingly unaffordable,” Ambriz said. “So those of us who don’t own land or homes … are left out of the conversation of the benefits.”
Cecilia Lemus, a lifelong Coachella Valley resident who works with nonprofits in the east valley, does not think the area needs yet another project for million-dollar homes. She questioned the narrative that the eastern Coachella Valley is empty land that should be built up, and that private capital from luxury
developers is the only way to get clean water and better housing to existing residents.
“You cannot tell me there’s no other way to find money except through these luxury developments,” she said. “These are people’s jobs. It’s their job to do research. It’s their job to brainstorm, to think big, to think outside of the box of luxury development.”
Juan DeLara, a former Coachella City Council member and a ranch owner in the Thermal area, said he supports the development because of the promise of better infrastructure and more jobs for future generations. The only way the eastern Coachella Valley gets more infrastructure, DeLara said, is with private partners willing to invest.
“I’ve seen the growth, and I’ve seen the tremendous benefit that luxury developments bring to the Coachella Valley,” he said. “It helps support the folks who live in poverty.”
Smith and his team are also looking to their own future. DIHP is near capacity for the amount of horses and events it can host. He’s confident the number of guests who come each year would increase, and some of them would want to live in a community built around their sport of choice.
“This is the most impoverished place in California, and unless there’s development, it never gets better,” Smith said.
This story is made possible in part by a grant from the IE Journalism Innovation Hub + Fund of the Inland Empire Community Foundation. To submit ideas, comments or questions to the Coachella Valley Independent about housing in the desert, head to tinyurl.com/housinginthedesert.
‘PASSIONATE AND SOMETIMES INTENSE’
by Kevin fitzgerald
As people arrived at the Palm Springs High School’s Richards Center for the Arts on the afternoon of Saturday, March 15, the mood was a mixture of expectant, happy and somber. They were coming to pay tribute to Ricky Wright, who impacted so many of their lives, directly or indirectly, during his tenure as the school’s principal from 1997-2012. Wright died at the age of 75 on March 8.
In the lobby, attendees were met with colorful balloons, decorations, printed tribute cards and metal buttons. Family, friends, colleagues and former students shared hugs, laughter and memories while catching up with one another and waiting to sign the memory book.
When the tribute program began, the undeniable impact of Ricky Wright’s life and work became evident. At the lectern, speakers talked about the infectious high energy, the firm commitment to helping others achieve their aspirations, and the strong opinions that were all attributes of Wright throughout his lifetime.
The emcee was Michael Ventura, a former colleague of Wright and the current Palm Springs High School principal.
“Ricky was a truly remarkable man,” Ventura said. “… Ricky was more than just a principal. He was a leader, a mentor, a husband, a father, a coach, a friend. I had the privilege of knowing him in so many of those roles. He shaped lives, built this community and made Palm Springs a place that is special, where people come to, and students and staff felt that they could be at their very best under his leadership. He was larger than life, commanded respect, and had a heart that gave endlessly.
“For me personally, Ricky is the reason I’m standing here today. He gave me my first opportunity in education. He saw something in me, before I even saw it in myself. We were out there at a track meet, and we had talked a little bit about possibly teaching, but it wasn’t on the map yet. And then, we’re sitting in a golf cart, and he said, ‘You’re going to teach here next year.’ And just like that, my path changed. I went from being an athletic trainer and classified employee to being a teacher. … I’m incredibly grateful for that.”
Tony Signoret, the Palm Springs Unified School District superintendent (who is retiring at the end of this school year), both amused and impressed the gathering with his anecdote and message.
“I remember a time when I was in (human resources), and we were facing a tight budget here,” Signoret said. “Palm Springs High had to make some difficult cuts, and the staffing reductions were about to impact the master schedule. But realizing the issue, I was able to work behind the scenes to restore the staffing. And when I called Ricky, I was excited to give him the good news. … He picked up the phone, and before I could even say hello, he
said, ‘Yeah, you know I’ve been meaning to call you.’ And then he launched into this 15-minute speech about why those teachers were absolutely incredible. He went on and on about the impact to the master schedule, the program, the kids, you name it. I couldn’t get a word in edgewise. Finally, when I was able to speak, I said, ‘Ricky, Ricky, I’ve already taken care of this.’ And he said, ‘What?’ I said, ‘Yeah, I took care of it. You’ve got the staff.’ And without missing a beat, he said, ‘Oh, that’s great. Hey, we need to catch up over a drink sometime. Give me a call.’ And he hangs up, just like that.
“But here’s the thing: That passionate, sometimes intense personality—it was never offensive, not for a second. … It came from his unbending commitment to the students, the staff and the community. He wanted to be sure
they had the best opportunities, no matter how big, no matter how small. … His heart was always in the right place, and his passion for his students and his staff was unmatched. No one was a bigger advocate. No one fought harder. No one cared more about the success and wellbeing of the Palm Springs High family than Ricky Wright.”
Former PSHS football coach Steve Fabian brought both laughter and gravitas to his remembrances of Wright.
“There’s an old statement that a good man is hard to find,” Fabian said. “But we can rest assured that Palm Springs High School and the community definitely found one in Mr. Wright. … Everybody in here has a Ricky Wright story. He touched many people in the most positive way possible, whether it was a kind word in passing, or a hug in the hall. He gave comfort and joy to over 1,000 students a day. Maybe it was the time that Ricky took the entire football team and the coaching staff to see the premiere of Remember the Titans at the Rose Bowl. There wasn’t a dry eye in the stadium that night. … Or maybe it was as the leader of our pep rally. He took it upon himself to be the leader of the school and the community. I have a vivid memory of the time
Palm Springs remembers former PSHS Principal Ricky Wright
he raced the mayor (of Palm Springs). It was a 50-yard dash. He smoked him.”
As he closed his remarks, Fabian shared this message: “They say that greatness, no matter how long it lasts, always sits with a man. None of us are guaranteed anything in life. It is upon us to earn our own accolades and success. ‘The road to success is paved with hard work’ is another time-honored statement that Ricky held true for himself. He worked hard and played hard, and was never afraid to take a step backwards so that others can take three steps forward. He was a man for the ages.”
At one point, Jose Esparza delivered statements on behalf of Assemblymembers Jeff Gonzalez and Greg Wallis. During his personal remarks, Esparza said: “Palm Springs is the all-American town.”
Given the tempestuous times afflicting America today, it would be nice to think that’s the case. The uplifting spirit of diversity, inclusiveness, empathy, acceptance and human understanding that coursed through the auditorium was emblematic of a not-so-distant time when such inspiring values often guided the public policies and messaging of elected and appointed leaders. America badly needs more leaders like Ricky Wright today.
Current Palm Springs High School Principal Michael Ventura, on Ricky Wright: “He shaped lives, built this community and made Palm Springs a place that is special, where people come to, and students and staff felt that they could be at their very best under his leadership. He was larger than life, commanded respect, and had a heart that gave endlessly.” Kevin Fitzgerald
CV HISTORY
AMeet four teachers who aided in the development of Palm Springs
new College of the Desert campus is currently under construction on the site of the former Palm Springs Mall. The campus, which will bring higher education to Palm Springs, can serve as a reminder of the early education efforts of a few dedicated and insightful teachers, including Raymond Cree, the first Palm Springs school president; and Frances Stevens, a school by greg niemann
founder who also served on the school board.
The legacy of non-Indigenous Palm Springs teachers dates back to Miss Annie Noble, who taught the children of early settlers during the 1893-1894 school year. In 1895, a small wooden schoolhouse was erected by local Southern Pacific employees after being nudged to do so by local hotelier Welwood Murray.
Teachers recruited to early Palm Springs often didn’t last long, leaving because of the isolation and the desert climate. More than 20 teachers worked with Palm Springs children from 1893 until 1922.
Raymond Cree
But some other early educators not only persevered, but served with distinction—like Raymond Cree, who in 1907 became the Riverside County superintendent of schools. Much of his early efforts were spent ensuring there were teachers for the children of the village of Palm Springs.
Cree was born in Iowa in 1875. His father brought the family (wife and four children) to settle in San Jacinto in 1885, seeking relief from his asthma. Raymond attended Chaffey College (then part of the University of Southern California), and he taught seven years in the public school system before attending Stanford University (1904-1906), where he studied public school administration.
He served as county superintendent until 1920, with time off to serve in World War I in France. In 1915, he bought 65 acres of land in Section 29—north of today’s Target store on East Palm Canyon Drive—and began to grow Deglet Noor dates and grapefruit. In 1920, he became a full-time Palm Springs resident and was appointed the first president of the Palm Springs Union High School District.
As early as 1918, Cree spearheaded attempts to get much of the area surrounding the Coachella Valley set aside as national parks and monuments. Visitors to Joshua Tree National Park have Cree, in part, to thank for that bit of protected wilderness.
Over the years, Cree increased his real estate holdings, and by the mid-1940s owned considerable land, including a section which later became the site of the Thunderbird Country Club.
Due to his dedication to education, Ray-
mond Cree Middle School in Palm Springs is named in his honor.
Edmund Jaeger
Edmund C. Jaeger, a teacher recruited by Cree in 1915, fell in love with the desert and devoted the rest of his life to its preservation. As a young man earning money for college, he taught in the old Palm Springs wooden school while living in a nearby tent. Jaeger later became head of the zoology department at Riverside City College, where he taught for 28 years.
Concerned about the impact of growth in the Coachella Valley, Jaeger later said, “When I first rode a burro to Palm Springs in 1915—to teach five children in a one-room school— there was only one house on the road to Indio.” Jaeger went on to become the become the country’s dean of desert naturalists and the author of several definitive books on North American deserts.
Frances Stevens
Pioneer educator Frances S. Stevens came to Palm Springs for health reasons. She had the same surname all her life—just spelled a little differently.
Born Frances Stephens in Illinois, she attended Mount Morris College, earned a degree in literature from the University of Chicago and was a teacher in the Midwest before embarking on an adventurous trip to Colorado. There, she met and married cattleman Prescott Thresher Stevens, who jokingly taught her “the correct way to spell her name.” The couple lived a frontier life, driving cattle. In 1912, the Stevens family moved to Hollywood before relocating in 1914 to the Desert Inn in Palm Springs, hoping the warm desert air would improve Frances’ respiratory problems. She improved and immediately began helping her newfound community. Frances and P.T. Stevens built a house in the 900 block of North Palm Canyon Drive, and also maintained a residence in Hollywood.
Frances soon got involved in education and served on the desert’s school board. One time, she and a colleague got blasted in a sandstorm as they rode on horseback to the San Gorgonio Pass to welcome a newly recruited teacher.
Frances and her husband, who became a
major developer in Palm Springs, donated the land and funding for what was to be known as the Palm Springs Desert School, replacing the old wooden structure. Frances died before the school was completed in 1927; the school was dedicated to her—called the Frances S. Stevens School. Palm Springs’ first bond issue later provided additional classrooms, a library and a large auditorium which served as the city’s first theater.
The city purchased the facility as a cultural arts center, and it was dedicated in 1974 by then-Vice President Gerald Ford. The school is now the home of Palm Canyon Theatre and Desert Art Center. The neighboring Frances Stevens Park on Palm Canyon Drive is constantly in use for art and cultural events.
Three of Frances Stevens’ grandchildren, the sons of Sallie Stevens and Culver Nichols, attended the school named for their grandmother. One, Steve Nichols, became president of the Palm Springs Historical Society in 2003.
Katherine Finchy
In 1922, the village welcomed a young woman who would spend the rest of her life in Palm Springs. Miss Katherine Finchy served as a Palm Springs educator for almost 30 years, retiring in 1951.
Finchy, born in 1893 in Minnesota, came to California, where she majored in English and earned her bachelor’s degree at Biola College, and a secondary degree from the University of California, Berkeley. She was the desert’s first high school teacher, and many village elders recalled being helped by Miss Finchy.
Finchy went on to become the first principal of the Frances Stevens School, and later the superintendent of the Palm Springs Desert School District. Active in numerous civic affairs, including the Palm Springs Historical Society, she also organized the Palm Springs Soroptimist Club.
Her presence made a lasting impression on Palm Springs. One of her former students later wrote: “Our teacher was Katherine Finchy—Miss Finchy—who was also the principal, disciplinarian, soft-ball referee, coach, and conductor of chin-ups and push-ups that were part of the physical fitness tests required by the Riverside County superintendent of schools. … Miss Finchy was a perfectionist, albeit a gentle and understanding one. She taught us early the value of honest dispute and difference of opinion.”
The Katherine Finchy Elementary School on Tachevah Drive was named in her honor. It was originally called the North End School, as Miss Finchy would not allow the school board to name it for her until she retired. She died in 1987, and her headstone at the Welwood Murray Cemetery proudly notes, “Katherine Finchy 1893-1987 Teacher—Leader—Friend.”
Sources for this article include The California Deserts by Edmund C. Jaeger, (Stanford University Press, 1933); Palm Springs: First Hundred Years by Mayor Frank Bogert (Heritage Publications, 1987); and Images of America: Palm Springs by Moya Henderson and the Palm Springs Historical Society (Arcadia Publishing, 2009).
Katherine Finchy. Courtesy of the Palm Springs Historical Society
APRIL ASTRONOMY
Planets and Bright Stars in Evening Mid-Twilight
As always, the month brings a bevy of bright stars in the western half of the sky
For April, 2025
This sky chart is drawn for latitude 34 degrees north, but may be used in southern U.S. and northern Mexico.
PBy Robert Victor
lanets and astronomy captured my interest at an early age. It began 75 years ago, when I was in sixth-grade, in the 1950-51 school year.
My science teacher had our class do a huge mural of the solar system, showing the planets’ relative sizes and distances from the sun. In the following years, I attended secondary school in a neighboring district. I thank my lucky stars—literally—that the school librarian kept some timeless, inspiring books on the shelves. The Friendly Stars, by Martha Evans Martin, published in 1907, associated the delicate blue hepatica wildflowers blooming in the early spring with April’s arrival of the similarly colored star Vega above the northeast horizon. Another early favorite of mine was A Dipper Full of Stars: A Beginner’s Guide to the Heavens, by Lou Williams Page (published in 1944, part of
the old California State Series of textbooks for students). It helped me find my way around the sky, with techniques I still employ today. By nightfall at the start of April each year, there is a huge collection of bright stars in the western half of the sky. It includes seven stars of first magnitude or brighter, nearly half the total of 16 such stars visible over the course of the year from the latitude of Palm Springs. During evenings in April 2025, there are two bright planets visible. The departure of Venus has left Jupiter, in the west at dusk, as the brightest evening “star.” Mars is high in the southern sky in evening twilight as the month begins, not far from the noticeably fainter “Twin” stars of Gemini, Pollux and Castor
The bright stars in the western half of the sky are arranged in a huge oval, sometimes called the Winter Hexagon, or Winter Ellipse. Its brightest star, not as bright as Jupiter, is Sirius, the Dog Star, in the south-southwest. Going clockwise, we encounter Procyon, the brightest star in Canis Minor, the Little Dog. Next, in quick succession, we find Mars, Pollux and Castor. (Castor, of magnitude +1.6, doesn’t quite make the cut as a first-magnitude star.) Next, high in the northwestern sky, we find Capella, the “Mother Goat” star, the second-brightest and northernmost star of the oval, a distant 66° from Sirius. The next star, below brilliant Jupiter, is Aldebaran, eye of Taurus, the Bull, and “follower” of the Pleiades star cluster nearly 14° to its lower right. The last star is Rigel, Orion’s foot. Note the striking row of three second-magnitude stars, the belt of Orion, above Rigel, and the reddish supergiant star Betelgeuse, above the belt and inside the oval. There are four additional bright stars visible in the eastern half of the sky before any of the bright stars in the western sky drop below the horizon. The Big Dipper in the northeast can help locate three of these. Extend the familiar line of the Pointer stars backward, away from the North Star, to find Leo, the Lion, with its brightest star, Regulus, high in the southeast. Extend the curve of the Big Dipper’s handle into
the eastern sky to “follow the arc to Arcturus and drive a spike to Spica.” The last star to appear before Rigel sets south of west is Vega, rising in the northeast after nightfall for much of April. Once Vega has risen, 11 stars of first magnitude or brighter are visible simultaneously, or 13 objects if you include the two planets!
On the first evening of April, we find Mars 4.1° south of Pollux on a line toward Procyon, and we find Jupiter nearly 8° above Aldebaran, and nearly on a line toward 1.7-magnitude Elnath, tip of the Bull’s northern horn.
On the evening of April 1, the 19 percent crescent moon appears 3° above the Pleiades cluster. On the next evening, the 29 percent crescent will pass 5° north of Jupiter. At dusk on April 4, the moon will be at first quarter phase, half full, and 90°, or a quarter-circle, east of the sun. On the evening of April 5, the 61 -percent gibbous moon is 4° east of Mars and forms a compact gathering with Mars and Pollux. On April 7 and 8, the waxing gibbous moon skips past Regulus, moving from west to east of the star on consecutive nights. On the evening of April 11, the 99 percent moon is 10° to the upper right of Regulus. On April 12, the evening of the full moon, our natural satellite appears 1°-2° to the lower right of Spica.
By far, the sky’s most dominant feature is the planet Venus, shining at magnitude -4.3 to -4.8, reaching peak brilliance on April 22, but with barely a change for a week before and after. Also noteworthy is Saturn, appearing ringless, because Earth passed through the plane of the rings on March 23, and we have since been observing the unlit south face of the rings, until Saturn’s autumnal equinox on May 6. Using optical aid, especially early in month, look for Saturn to the lower right of Venus. Mercury, unlike Venus, has no cloud cover, and it appears quite dim when in crescent phase early in its morning apparitions. Mercury attains magnitude +1.0 on April 10, when it’s 6.5° to the lower right of Venus and 2° left of slightly fainter 1.2-magnitude Saturn.
The waning moon in the morning sky
Evening mid-twilight occurs when the Sun is 9° below the horizon. Apr.1: 40 minutes after sunset. 15: 41 " " " 30: 42 " " "
appears near Spica on April 13. The moon occults the star Pi in the head of Scorpius in the early morning of April 16, from 12:38 to 2 a.m. in Palm Springs. Later, as morning twilight brightens, find Antares, heart of the Scorpion, to the upper left of moon. On April 17, Antares will appear to the right of the moon.
On April 18, an unusually low, southern moon reaches its high point in the south only 27° up, 1.3 hours before sun-up in Palm Springs.
On April 24, the 15 percent crescent moon is 9° to the upper right of Venus. On April 25, the 6 percent moon is surrounded by three planets! They are Venus and Saturn, about 6.5° to the moon’s upper right, and Mercury, about 5.5° to the moon’s lower right. One last morning chance for the moon: On the 26th, in bright twilight half an hour before sun-up, try for the 3 percent crescent 21° to the lower left of Venus, and 10° to the lower left of Mercury. New moon occurs on April 27 at 12:31 p.m.,
so the moon can’t be seen on that date. The moon will appear in the west-northwest in Taurus the next three evenings, in very favorable view. On the 30th, the 16 percent crescent will appear 7° to the upper right of bright Jupiter, and 4° to the upper left of Elnath, northern horn of the Bull.
For $12 per year, Abrams Planetarium Sky Calendar subscribers receive quarterly mailings, each containing three monthly issues; learn more at www.abramsplanetarium.org/ skycalendar.
The Astronomical Society of the Desert will host a star party on Saturday, April 5, at the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument Visitor Center; and on Saturday, April 26, at Sawmill Trailhead, a site in the Santa Rosa Mountains at elevation 4,000 feet. For more information, including maps and directions to the two observing sites, visit astrorx.org.
Stereographic Projection Map by Robert D. Miller
Pollux Castor Regulus Spica
Arcturus
April's evening sky chart.
ROBERT D. MILLER
Festival season is here!
If you’re making it out to Coachella and/or Stagecoach, you’ll get a chance to enjoy all sorts of great musical acts—but the festivals are only three days long.
Local music, however, takes place year-round. Whether or not you’re making it out to the Empire Polo Club in April, we hope you’ll use this list of local musicians you may enjoy if you are a fan of some of the featured Coachella and Stagecoach performers.
Allen Condes
For fans of Keshi
Indescribable solo artist Allen Condes has hopped through a number of genres— while never losing a hyperpop edge. “WITHOUTME” is a boomy, funky jam; “Bait” is a hip-hop rager; and “Crystal” is a dancepop groove, yet Condes’ vocal production is consistent with tasteful, melodic autotune and distortion.
Coachella artist Keshi taps into a similar mix of sounds. “Soft Spot” rolls into a bright, summer-groove; “Say” is a wobbly, dance-inducing gem; and “LIMBO” starts somber and acoustic before growing into a deep hip-hop beat. Like Condes, Keshi’s pop-produced voice remains constant throughout the sonic shifts.
Brosquitos
For fans of Parcels, Sam Fender
Many Coachella acts have what can best be described as a summer sound—with bright guitar tones, modern pop sounds and grooves that incite dancing and twirling. Since it’s summer for nine months out of the year here,
it’s only right that we have our own summer sounds—in large part thanks to Brosquitos. While the classic jams from their 2017 release Vinyl Image are unforgettable indie-pop bangers, the band has been experimenting with more electronic sounds and poppy production effects in recent years, resulting in jangly, smile-inducing sounds like those on “Bedroom Song.”
Parcels and Sam Fender are prime examples of this summer sound at this year’s Coachella. The carefree funk of Parcels’ head-bopper “Tieduprightnow” will seem just right during a sunset performance; the same can be said for Sam Fender and his anthemic, sparkly-guitar driven “People Watching.”
Burgundy Blues
For fans of d4vd Burgundy Blues have been crafting heart-wrenching jams for nearly a decade, getting better and better with each release. Their home base used to be psychedelic, slightly funky jams filled with effects-heavy falsetto vocal performances, and while the
band still excels in this format, recent releases see Burgundy Blues tapping into more of a cultural oldies sound. Branching out from the indie-washed lo-fi jams, the band’s latest singles mark a new era for Burgundy Blues; check out the musically heart-tugging jam “Si Te Pierdo,” which sounds plucked from classic West Coast radio.
Coachella artist d4vd also knows how to tug on heartstrings in a musical way. With slow drum beats, crooning vocals and sparkly guitar on songs like “Romantic Homicide” and “Here With Me,” the artist invites listeners to slow-dance in similar ways.
Cafe Canela
For fans of Thee Sacred Souls Café Canela, the duo of Johnny Lopez (vocals) and Emanuel Cazares (instruments and production), have been making and playing music for years, and their work as Café Canela showcases a dedication to musical progression across time and culture. Songs “Stuck in Love” and “If I Fall” hone a time-capsule sound with caressing guitar lines and vocal performances that will make you swoon. Reverb-soaked guitars and haunting vocal melodies combine to craft modern soul ballads, much to the same effect of Coachella act Thee Sacred Souls.
Thee Sacred Souls are one of the bands pushing the Chicano soul genre forward, crafting tunes in the 2020s that could easily be classics of the ’60s. “Can I Call You Rose?” is a lovely song that uses elegant singing, snappy drums and space-filling guitar tones to transport listeners back in time, with facets that make the Chicano soul revival what it is in the modern era.
Daytime Moon
For fans of Green Day
Pop-punk rockers are sprinkled throughout the desert, and one of the most prolific local bands has been making angst-y, aggressive-yet-melodic jams for more than a decade. Daytime Moon has played anywhere and everywhere in the desert, bringing an exciting mix of styles rooted in a pop-punk ethos. From the crunchy riffs of “Comatose” off of their first record, to the sing-along moments of “I Do Apologize” and the spacey, slowed-down rock groove “Went to the Desert,” the band has always found new ways to mix high-energy punk with frontman Brent Simpson’s emotive voice.
Coachella band Green Day are kings of pop punk, bringing fiery, chord-burning aggression to the radio, thanks to frontman Billie Joe Armstrong’s voice, with songs like “Basket Case,” “Brain Stew” and “When I Come Around.”
Face Facts
For fans of The Original Misfits, Circle Jerks Although Face Facts is usually associated with hardcore, the band’s sound is rooted in classic punk and tasty grooves. Latest release Blind 2 Love opens with brutal riffs and heavy tones, but soon jumps into unshakable ’90s-style rock on the EP’s title track, complete with fast chord progressions. “Clear to You,” off Mirage of Everything, is punk rock at its finest, with driving rhythms, earth-shattering bass and relentless vocal runs.
Two classic punk bands, The Original Misfits and Circle Jerks, will certainly bring mosh pits to Coachella this year. Face Facts’
Top from left to right: Face Facts performs at Watch Your Head Fest Volume 2 at Coachella Valley Brewing Company. GREASETRAP performs at Little Street Music Hall. KILLFLOOR performs at Watch Your Head Fest Volume 2 at Coachella Valley Brewing Company. Photos byKen Larmon
inspiration from these punk OGs can be heard on lightning-fast Misfits bangers “Bullet” and “Spinal Remains” and the loud-and-proud Circle Jerks jam “Leave Me Alone.”
Ferny Aguilar
For fans of Junior H
Latin music has exploded globally in recent years, with Coachella showcasing the sound’s rising star level. It only makes sense that desert-dwellers are making Spanish music of their own, tapping into the new era of regional Mexican music that has become world renowned. One thriving local artist is Ferny Aguilar. Horns, slap bass and the twangy 12-string requinto guitar create a musical space that evokes emotions and incites fits of dancing, while also honoring cultural sounds. Aguilar’s emphatic voice elevates the songs into emotionally moving works of art, like “Estoy Aquí” and “El Sharky.”
Coachella performer Junior H is one of the prominent figures in the modern Mexican music scene, and songs like “Y LLORO” and “ROCKSTAR” utilize the staples of this regional Mexican sound, alongside a raspy, melodic voice, to showcase the beauty of corridos tumbados in similar ways.
Giselle Woo and the Night Owls
For fans of Los Mirlos
Giselle Woo and the Night Owls are a badass psychedelic-blues/desert-rock band, and they tap into their musical roots to create beautiful works of Spanish rock. “No Basta,” “Azul” and “Que Harás?” all experiment with Spanish rhythms, funk grooves and mesmerizing percussion, elevating a classic and cultural sound into more modern rock stylings.
Peruvian cumbia band Los Mirlos, performing at Coachella this year, has been crafting rhythmic Spanish tracks since the ’70s, evok-
ing cultural sounds through instrument choice and musical stylings. Like Giselle Woo and the Night Owls, Los Mirlos mixes psychedelic rock with a Latin flair. Check out songs like “La Danza de los Mirlos” and “Linda Provinciana.”
GREASETRAP
For fans of Amyl and the Sniffers
Even though local punk-rock outfit GREASETRAP rarely play live, their raucous stage energy is not something to be missed. Lead singer Kylie Knight leads a fiery group through epic punk bangers, as she screams and shouts her lyrics in unconventional melodies and patterns. Their song “Discontent” is a hard-hitting two-minute rager filled with musical aggression.
Coachella band Amyl and the Sniffers is another female-fronted punk band, and the similarities run deep between these two projects. Amyl and the Sniffers also excel in breakneck rhythms, crunchy guitar and experimental female vocals. You can hear this on “Guided by Angels,” “Got You” and “It’s Mine.”
Jesika von Rabbit
For fans of Lady Gaga
Jesika von Rabbit is the valley’s queen of weird pop. With an eclectic mix of synth stylings, trippy drum machines and melodic vocal performances, Jesika von Rabbit has won over fans in search of more artistic pop tunes. Songs “Glamorous Misery,” “Bombay Beach Bunny” and “Dog at a Human Party” are all uniquely weird, yet catchy AF, and show a mastery of electropop production.
Lady Gaga is the worldwide queen of weird pop, and her strange mix of sounds and melody has dominated radio charts across multiple decades. Hits like “Poker Face” and her latest, “Abracadabra,” turn a number of wacky synth sounds and irregular rhythms into unforgettable earworms. Both artists are particularly talented at performance art and stage presence.
single, “BLOOD RUNS THICK.”
Hardcore band Speed and is set to bring beatdown to Coachella, balancing out pop phenoms with eviscerating metal and punk sounds. To hear the KILLFLOOR correlation, check out angry jam “REAL LIFE LOVE.”
Koka
For fans of The Marías
Koka has not played locally in a while, but they are still in the hearts of many local music lovers. The indie-pop/electronic-dance hit-makers have crafted earworm after earworm, spanning from the reverb-washed guitar mixes of earlier songs like “Baby’s Breath” to newer synth-driven bops like “Flight.”
Coachella artist The Marías have experienced similar progressions in realms of groovy girl pop. The Marías have grown from the lo-fi, hazy guitar wash of “Cariño” to the electronic-funk gem “Run Your Mouth.”
Rick Shelley
For fans of Sturgill Simpson
Solo singer/songwriter Rick Shelley is a force in the desert’s country music scene. The acoustic ballad-maker with a twangy, accented voice has crafted a series of Westerntinged works of art. The rollin’ rockabilly jam “Highway 99 (Bakersfield),” the country pop/rock jam “Sing Waiting on a Friend” and the chord-churning rattle of “Walking With
Ghosts” are all showcases of Shelley’s country expertise.
This mix of cowboy music is similar to the wide range of Stagecoach artist Sturgill Simpson’s catalog. For somber, acoustic jams perfect for a lonesome traveler, check out “Sam” and “Breakers Roar,” and for some tumblin’, high-energy horse-riding rockers, check out “Life Ain’t Fair and the World Is Mean” and “Life of Sin.”
Tourists
For fans of Jimmy Eat World Tourists have been concocting a wide-ranging sonic mix spanning alternative, pop punk, Japanese rock, hip hop, metal and more. The band uses select songs and musical moments to showcase their mastery of certain genres, like “Rent Free” honing the J rock influence, “Rendezvous” embracing punk rock, and “Aftermath” exploring metal vibes. Through all of these genre shifts, Tourists’ song structure and frontman Nick Galvan’s popstar voice keep the band rooted in the pop-rock sphere.
Coachella band Jimmy Eat World operates similarly, carrying melodic voice and pop stylings throughout sonic shifts. Tracks “Sweetness” and “Just Tonight” explore metal and punk/J-rock musical passages, respectively, and singer Jim Adkins’ radio-ready voice keeps the songs catchy and memorable.
KILLFLOOR
For fans of Speed
In 2025, beatdown music is booming! Beatdown hardcore incorporates elements of thrash metal into hardcore punk, making for a heavier breakdown. Local band KILLFLOOR crafts a pulverizing brand of aggressive rock, and their mix of hard-hitting guitar tones and guttural vocals can be heard on the band’s new
Rick Shelley performs at the 2024 Concert for Autism at Big Rock Pub.
Photo by Ken Larmon
Every year, Goldenvoice invites a handful of Coachella Valley businesses to join the ranks of Coachella and Stagecoach vendors.
While many out-of-town food places pop up to feed hungry attendees, festival-goers can also enjoy food and drink lovingly made by locals. Everbloom Coffee, TKB Bakery and Deli and Valley Fusion will return to the Empire Polo Club for this year’s festivals, and Valley Fusions will work with One Stop Taco Shop and FiveO3 Pupusas to serve food all over the grounds during both festivals.
“Coachella helped us get our name out there, especially here in the valley,” said Alexis Jimenez, owner of mobile sushi truck Valley Fusion, during a recent interview. “A lot of people, knowing that we’re there (at Coachella), went to find us. … We also learned how to work at a faster pace as well. We were already ready, because we do a lot of festivals, but Coachella is a different monster. You’ve got to be super-quick. You can’t have people waiting a few minutes.”
While last year was intense for Jimenez and co., Valley Fusion will be even busier this year, hosting three locations at Coachella and two at Stagecoach.
Top
“The food truck will be in the campgrounds (during Coachella), operating from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., and then also, after the festival is over, it’s going to be operating from around 11 p.m. to maybe 3 a.m.,” Jimenez said. “We can open 24 hours, if we want, in the campgrounds, when it comes to the food truck. Our booth is going to be inside the VIP (area) again. … My wife has to run one, and then I have to be at the other one, and we have to make sure we’re coordinating, and you can’t be running out of food.”
Jimenez offered a peek behind the figurative curtain to explain how feeding attendees at a festival with 200,000 people actually works.
grounds to stock up, because you don’t have time to get out in the traffic and everything. Everything has to be easy on the grounds. … You basically stock for days.”
“ What works for one vendor might not work for you, and vice versa. You throw yourself in the deep end, if you’re not afraid to drown a little bit, and you figure it out from there. ”
— Tito Pinto Owner of FiveO3 Pupsas, on selling food at large festivals
“You really have to have something big in the back of the house, so they give us a designated area where we can go ahead and park trailers and reefers,” Jimenez said. “Reefers are basically big refrigerated box trucks, and we will have one of those as a backup. If we end up running out (of something), we run a golf cart, and you can drive it straight on the
Sushi may not be the first thing that comes to mind when people think of festival food, but Jimenez’s approach has made Valley Fusion a hit, with appearances at many local food-truck events and even other Goldenvoice festivals. During our interview at Coachella last year, Jimenez explained: “We do all types of different sushi rolls when it comes to shrimp tempura, crab, avocado and spicy tuna. We have sushi burritos, and we have chicken teriyaki for the ones who don’t like sushi and spam musubi. You also can’t forget our drinks—our strawberry horchata, cucumber lemon and strawberry lemonade. Everything’s made with real fruit, and it’s mouthwatering, one-of-a-kind.”
Jimenez, during our recent interview, admitted people were skeptical about Valley Fusion at first.
It’s basically a big sushi roll, with seaweed, sushi rice, spicy tuna and crab, and then a special creamy cilantro sauce. People are on the go at these festivals. They don’t want to miss the next artist; they want to just grab their food and be out. They want to order, hold it, eat it and then just take off.”
At Goldenvoice’s No Values festival in Pomona last year, I noticed a never-ending line of almost 100 people at Valley Fusion.
“My line was extremely long at No Values,” Jimenez said. “It’s good to have a little line, but you’ve got to be moving it. The food was coming out super-fast, but the line just was never-ending. We didn’t stop from the morning until night time, without a break, 13 hours nonstop. You’ve got to be ready for these festivals.”
Jimenez is happy to be working closely with two other local businesses this year: One Stop Taco Shop and FiveO3 Pupusas.
“It’s really cool to be able to guide some people that don’t have too much experience when it comes to the festivals,” Jimenez said. “… My buddy from One Stop Taco Shop, and my buddy from FiveO3, we’re going to rent a huge reefer together … and it gets a little bit more affordable. We’re three local vendors, and it’s pretty cool that we can do something like that.”
“We don’t want to offer just straight raw options and stuff like that,” he said. “The sushi burrito is a hit in every single festival.
One Stop Taco Shop is an Indio classic. Unlike Valley Fusion, the shop has a brickand-mortar location—on Indio Boulevard, in between a pawn shop and a gas station—and it serves some of the best Mexican food you’ll ever taste. Trust me.
Owner Arnulfo Valencia shared his
from left to right: Valley Fusion’s sushi burritos have been a big hit with festival-goers. All of the meat used in One Stop Taco Shop's offerings are cooked with mesquite wood. Credit: Matt King. FiveO3 Pupusas serves food at events and has a brick-and-mortar location in Cathedral City.
excitement about vending at Coachella and Stagecoach during a recent interview.
“These are the moments you wait for,” he said. “… I was a plumber before, and now I’m in this business, and the community just welcomes me everywhere we go.”
One Stop Taco Shop has caught the attention of Goldenvoice, as Valencia has vended at Camp Flog Gnaw, Rolling Loud, Cali Vibes and other festivals. He said attendees love experiencing fresh, authentic Mexican food from the heart of Indio.
“What you see here in my kitchen is what I take out there, so I give them everything fresh,” he said. “My salsas, my guacamole—we’re cooking everything the same day we give it out, so everything’s fresh, and (attendees) come back. They go all over the place, trying different foods, but I know that once they try me the first day, they will come the next day.”
my restaurant), so come and visit there!’”
Valencia let my girlfriend and me try a new chicken recipe. It was bomb. He grills the chicken and other meats on a grill made out of the back end of an old Toyota pickup.
“I barely started three months ago with (the chicken recipe), and in the beginning, it was a mess,” he said. “I started fresh, with one chicken, and started ordering six boxes a week. Now I’m ordering more than 30 boxes a week with how much chicken I sell. It’s a big, big thing. It takes time to get it right, but we got it.”
“ We do a lot of festivals, but Coachella is a different monster. You’ve got to be superquick. You can’t have people waiting a few minutes. ”
— Alexis Jimenez Owner, Valley Fusions
Valencia gave big props to Jimenez.
“Valley Fusions is a good friend of mine, and I’ve learned a lot from him,” Valencia said. “He’s done nothing but festivals and all that. I love his product. He’s one of the guys who cooks there and gives it out the same day.”
One Stop Taco Shop was a part of last year’s Coachella food lineup; Valencia said he’s a little more prepared this year.
“Last year was my first time experiencing it, and I learned a lot, like how to manage more people,” said Valencia. “I know the people who come from out of town. Before they leave town, they stop by and eat before they go, so I’m always advertising my business: ‘Hey, come visit! I have more on the menu (at
For hungry Coachella attendees looking to support local businesses, or non-festival-goers wanting to experience fresh cuisine, I highly recommend One Stop Taco Shop. “It’s all fresh meat,” Valencia said. “All my meat is cooked with mesquite wood, so it’s a different flavor. My tortillas, flour and corn, we make them by hand.”
FiveO3 Pupusas completes the trio of local food businesses working together at this year’s festivals. FiveO3 has a brick-and-mortar location in Cathedral City, but is mobilizing for a return to the fests. You can find FiveO3 at Coachella in the camping, VIP and general admission areas.
During a recent interview with owner Tito Pinto, he said it was important to be ready for the festivals.
“Speaking to the suppliers and essentially preparing ahead of time is the most important thing, I would say,” Pinto said. “… We
start preparing for Coachella many weeks in advance, about two months almost, and we start speaking to the suppliers, gathering our team together, and scheduling all the employees. As we’ve grown over these past couple of years with Coachella, we’ve added more booths and operations. We are going to have three booths this upcoming Coachella, which entails way more employees working a whole day, which means way more shifts as well. Putting together the right team is extremely important.”
Pinto said there is no one-size-fits-all approach to operating at music festivals.
“When I first started with festivals, I asked a lot of questions, but you really don’t know until you throw yourself in there and figure it out,” he said. “What works for one vendor might not work for you, and vice versa. You throw yourself in the deep end, if you’re not afraid to drown a little bit, and you figure it out from there.”
FiveO3’s relationship with Valley Fusions and One Stop Taco Shop runs deep; the owners and employees are always looking out for each other in the competitive food industry.
“I started in 2018, and Alexis reached out to me about three years ago and said he wanted to start something similar with his sushi concept,” Pinto said. “He’s been a sushi chef in the past, and he and his wife began this entire deal. They put together their canopy and started selling at … (Palm Springs) VillageFest.
From there, we started doing bigger events and bigger festivals. We got in contact with the right people at the different organizations, so the way we help each other out, essentially, is keeping each other in the loop of what events are next.”
Pinto said the three businesses sharing a box truck is “a win-win for everybody.”
“Coachella is definitely the highlight of the year,” he said. “It is one of the biggest festivals
in the world. … The Coachella Valley sees a huge influx of business in all sectors, which is amazing. Personally, we do the weekly VillageFest here in downtown Palm Springs, and we’re constantly letting people know where we’re going to be. A lot of locals attend the Coachella festival, so they look for us there. Here in Cathedral City, we have our restaurant, and with the customers who come in, it’s a fun topic to speak about.”
If you decide to eat at FiveO3, know that you are experiencing some deep cultural history.
“My family and our roots date back to where the pupusas originated, back in an area of El Salvador where the Pipil culture inhabited, an area called Cuzcatlan,” Pinto said. “My mother, my grandmother, they learned all of these different recipes that were passed down from generation to generation, so it’s a very authentic flavor that we offer in regards to our pupusas, and also in regards to our Salvadorian horchata, which is a signature drink for us.
“We’ll be offering the mixed pupusas, which is the most popular. In Spanish, it’s called revuelta, and it has pork, beans and cheese. We will also have a chicken option for people who don’t consume pork, and if they don’t want to consume any animal protein, we will have the beans and cheese, and we will also have a cheese-only option, and a beans-only option. As far as our drinks go, we will have five different flavors of aguas frescas. … They are all made from scratch with real fruits. Lastly, we will have our very popular dish, the fried plantains served with sour cream and beans.”
Since one of FiveO3’s booths will be at the campgrounds, Pinto said his team will even offer a breakfast plate.
“This is two scrambled eggs, a piece of cheese, one pupusa, some fried plantains and sour cream,” he said.
FiveO3 Pupusas will offer festival-goers five different flavors of aguas frescas, all made from scratch with real fruit, said owner Tito Pinto.
One Stop Taco Shop’s meats are cooked on a grill made out of the back end of an old Toyota pickup. Photo by Matt King
DO-GOODER
WELCOME RESPITE
By Cat makino
United Cerebral Palsy of the Inland Empire (UCPIE) is celebrating its 40th anniversary of helping children and families with disabilities such as autism and developmental delays.
John Sprogis is the CEO and president of UCPIE. He remembers when his twins, Cole and Ava, were born 13 weeks premature in 2007 and weighed little more than two pounds.
“When it was time for us to take Cole home, one of the doctors turned to me and said, ‘We noticed something. It looks like he’s got PVL.’ I didn’t know what the heck that was,” Sprogis said.
He now knows it is periventricular leukomalacia, a type of brain damage common in premature babies that can lead to motor developmental and cognitive problems, and a higher risk of developing cerebral palsy.
Cerebral palsy (CP) affects about 1 million people in the United States; the disease impacts muscle tone, movement and posture, according to the Cerebral Palsy Guide website. Symptoms include weak arms and legs, muscle spasms, chronic pain and developmental milestones. While it is the most common lifelong physical disability, individuals with mild CP may have a life expectancy similar to the general population.
“The doctor explained that (Cole) was never going to be a professional athlete,” Sprogis said. “(My wife) thought, ‘Oh, my gosh, this is awful,’ and for me, I said, ‘Well, hey, I’m not a professional athlete, so it’s not a big deal.’”
It was a big deal. Cole was later diagnosed with CP, and eventually he couldn’t crawl, walk or talk, and was fully dependent on his parents.
“There is a big range of individual abilities with any diagnosis,” Sprogis said. “Cole’s was severe.”
Sprogis and his wife contacted UCPIE, which provided respite for them.
“There was no charge to us,” he said. “Someone would come into our home and take care of my son while my wife and I were able to go out for a date night. Being a caregiver, whether taking care of their elderly parents or a child with special needs, can wear you down. It’s called caregiver burnout, and you just need to make sure that you have enough fuel in your tank to continue.”
Sprogis, a La Quinta resident, compared raising a child with cerebral palsy to running a marathon: You need to pace yourself and recharge.
“Married couples have a 60% failure rate. If you add a special-needs child into it, you have an 80% failure,” he said. “If we didn’t have those respite sessions from UCPIE, it’s possible our marriage would’ve completely collapsed.”
UCPIE serves between 250 to 350 families monthly and provided 150,000 hours of
respite care last year.
Sprogis was also worried about what would happen as Cole got older. “Cole was not mobile, and as a parent ages and a child ages, they’re heavier, so some of the activities that you could do when they are small become even more challenging,” he said.
UCPIE has expanded its outreach beyond a focus on children.
“I would love to see where we did a better job from cradle to grave for any child with a disability,” he said. “We may not be able to provide every service, but at least we can provide them with resources and have a positive impact on their life. … When they transition out of school, if we could help them get placed for employment, that would be huge.”
The organization has a family empowerment program with a licensed counselor who will meet with parents for seven weeks so they can talk about the journey.
For the CEO of United Cerebral Palsy of the Inland Empire, the nonprofit’s impact is personal
“A mother whose 3-year-old son was autistic enjoyed being in our counseling program, because she was able to share stories and relate to others,” Sprogis said. “She got a lens into what the future might hold for her child, and it seemed a little less intimidating when you’re not doing it on your own.”
UCPIE also provides adaptive tools, including custom bikes.
“The custom adaptive bikes that we award to children and adults are $3,000 to $5,500 and not covered by health insurance,” he said. “We have given 161 bikes since 2012. These bikes allow a child with a disability to bike alongside their family and spend more time in their community. Even children who are generally confined to a wheelchair are able to utilize these bikes and have their legs moving like any other child.”
Sprogis credits his son, Cole, who passed away when he was 15, for making him who he is today.
“He saved and extended my life,” he said. “There were times when my corporate career was super-stressful, and just having him lay on my chest at the end of the night would control my heart rate and breathing.”
For more information, visit ucpie.org.
The Nonprofit SCENE
WELLNESS EXPO FOR PARKINSON’S AWARENESS TAKES PLACE ON APRIL 12
April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month—a time dedicated to raising awareness about Parkinson’s disease, a degenerative neurological and movement disorder which can cause deterioration of motor skills, balance, speech and sensory function.
The public is invited to a Wellness Expo for Parkinson’s Awareness from 10 a.m. to noon, Saturday, April 12, at the Annenberg Health Sciences Building, located at Eisenhower Health, at 39000 Bob Hope Drive, in Rancho Mirage. For more information, visit www. cvalzheimers.org, or call 760-776-3100. A range of local resources from Parkinson’s support groups, movement-disorder specialists, speech therapists and music-based instructors will be joining this year’s expo:
ACV Parkinson’s Support Group: A proactive support group for people living with Parkinson’s, patients, care partners and loved ones. The group is affiliated with Alzheimer’s Coachella Valley and is facilitated by Dee Wieringa and Laurel Lipkin; www.cvalzheimers.org.
SongShine: A music-based program for those challenged by neurological disorders or aging voices. Classes focus on full conscious breathing, body alignment, diction articulation, imagination, singing exercises, songs and role play; www.songshineforparkinsons.org.
Dr. John D. Legge: Dr. Legge is board certified in neurology and is fellowship trained in movement disorders.
Lisa Manning, certified cardiovascular technologist and exercise specialist: Manning specializes in movement disorders and conducts Eisenhower Health’s PD in Motion, which incorporates exercise that focuses on maintaining motor function, increasing muscle strength and more.
Lauren Rein: SPEAK OUT! is a program for individuals with Parkinson’s disease that was developed by the Parkinson’s Voice Project. The program focuses on regaining and maintaining speaking abilities.
Toni Pimentel: LSVT Big is an intensive, amplitude-focused physical and occupational therapy approach. LSVT Loud is the first speech treatment with established efficacy for treating voice and speech disorders in people with Parkinson’s disease.
Chris Boni: Rock Steady Boxing Desert Cities is a non-contact, boxing-inspired fitness program designed to improve strength, balance and mobility, and fight back against Parkinson’s disease.
—Submitted on behalf of the nonprofit by Dee Wieringa
John Sprogis with his son, Cole, outside of the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.
ARTS & CULTURE
AN ANIMATED SHOW
By Haleemon anderson
The Palm Springs Gay Men’s Chorus is celebrating its 25th season with a performance of new and nostalgic Disney songs.
Disney Pride in Concert will be presented during four performances from Thursday, April 24, through Sunday, April 27, at the Palm Springs Art Museum’s Annenberg Theater. The family-friendly show, which combines timeless Disney songs with video clips from the Disney vault, is billed as a celebration of LGBTQ+ life, love, family and pride.
Jerry Soria-Foust, artistic director of the PSGMC, said Disney created the two-hour program specifically for LGBTQ+ groups.
“The pieces have been chosen to help people walk down memory lane, re-live their childhood memories with Disney and Disneyland, and celebrate human diversity, family and pride,” he said. “It’s a unique, specially commissioned piece, created and licensed by Disney Concerts. It has been performed by only a handful of choruses, mostly in large cities across the country. Palm Springs has been working on this project for about two years, getting it licensed and getting permissions.”
Soria-Foust said the 115-member chorus will bring its signature spirit to the Disney-cu-
rated slate of songs.
“As the person who programs the music, my goal is always to bring to the audience TLC, tears, laughter and chills,” he said. “That’s our specialty. We sing with heart, and our singers sing to not only entertain people, but also to build bridges of understanding. Our shows are all ages, all the time, and we welcome families and children. We have lots and lots of fun onstage, and people who see our shows get to experience costume changes and professional lighting design. We love bringing our audiences along on a journey—and in this case, obvious-
The Palm Springs Gay Men’s Chorus gets help from the House of Mouse for ‘Disney Pride in Concert’
ly, the Disney audio-visual package that goes with our show is going to be really thrilling.”
The collection includes familiar songs and stories from early Disney classics, like Pinocchio, Snow White and Cinderella, along with music from newer fare, like Disney-Pixar collaborations
Toy Story and Monsters Inc.—and even Disneyland attractions. “Grim Grinning Ghosts,” the Haunted Mansion theme song, is on the bill, he said.
Jeff Hocker sings second tenor in the chorus and pulls double duty as the marketing specialist and publicist. He said having the Disney machine behind the production will provide a seamless experience for the audience.
“It’s great to have the guidance of master marketers like Disney. (The company) provides specific programming in its graphics, its song choices and the way it’s presented with the film clips,” Hocker said. “Everything gets approved, from graphics to T-shirts to the way we produce the show. (That) provides a unique and dynamic experience for the audience.
“It’s beautiful, and it’s also very nostalgic. These films go all the way back to Mary Poppins and The Lion King, and things that were done in the early days of Disney … like “(When You) Wish Upon a Star,” which was one of the first featured songs Disney used.”
The PSGMC was founded in 1999, stemming from a collaboration with the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles. Soria-Foust said the L.A. group came to Palm Springs and helped put on a concert. “After performing together, (it) really gave us that first momentum to start a chorus in our town. We’ve been going strong ever since,” he said.
Soria-Foust has been leading the choral group since 2021. He said when they are not putting on concerts at venues around the valley, you can find the PSGMC members out in the community.
“We collaborate with Martha’s Village and Kitchen to do a toy drive at Christmas,” SoriaFaust said. “We do a school-supplies drive. And then we’re performing at all of the events around the city that celebrate diversity, like Palm Springs Pride … or the DAP Health Equity Walk, formerly the AIDS Walk. … Our first and foremost commitment is to the community that we live in.”
The Palm Springs Gay Men’s Chorus will perform Disney Pride In Concert at 7 p.m., Thursday through Saturday, April 24-26; and 2 p.m., Sunday, April 27, at the Annenberg Theater at the Palm Springs Art Museum, 101 N. Museum Drive, in Palm Springs. Tickets are $35-$70. For tickets or more information, visit psgmc.com.
The Palm Springs Gay Men’s Chorus. Below: Jerry Soria-Foust.
California Journalism Awards From the California News Publishers Association
• First place (all divisions) in the Online Story Presentation Page Layout and Design category
• Second place (Division 5) in the Coverage of Business and the Economy category
• Second place (Divisions 4-7) in the Print Front Page Layout and Design category
• Second place (Divisions 4 and 5) in the Print Inside Page Layout and Design category
• Second place (Divisions 4-7) in the Tourism/ Travel Writing/Reporting category
• Third place (Division 4) for General Excellence
• Third place (Divisions 4-7) in the Best Newsletter category
• Third place (Divisions 4-7) in the Immigration Reporting category
• Third place (Divisions 4-7) in the Religion and Faith Writing category
• Third place and Fourth Place (Divisions 4 and 5) in the Music Writing/Reporting category
• Fourth place (Division 5) in the Environment Reporting category
• Fourth place (Division 5) in the Homelessness Reporting category
• Fifth place (Divisions 4 and 5) in the Editorial Comment category
• Fifth place (Divisions 4-7) in Print Special Section category
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ARTS & CULTURE
LEARNING TO LOVE
By MAx stone
Poet and writer Arian Katsimbras grew up in the mobile homes of Washoe Valley, Nev.—a semi-rural area just south of Reno—from the ages of 5 to 15.
“(It was) a very distinct kind of poverty (in the ’90s) that is not necessarily present there anymore,” Katsimbras said. “If you go out there now, all the mobile homes I grew up in are gone. The land has been bought up and parceled out to big investors.”
Katsimbras’ debut poetry collection, The Wonder Years, published in 2023, details his harrowing, lonely, beautiful childhood in Washoe Valley.
“It was a wild, wild place at that time,” he said. “It was free, boundless and endlessly dangerous.
… I do see it as beautiful, and I love it for what it’s worth, but it was a lawless place. I imagine all of us kids riding around on our Big Wheels like fucking cowboys on horses.”
The unbridled freedom was a lot of fun for Katsimbras as a kid, but the prevailing sensation of his childhood was a deep and profound loneliness.
“I wasn’t really alone, but I felt a deep absence,” he said. “I know now what that absence was, which is love—the parental love and affection that I craved.”
One Christmas Eve when Katsimbras was in fifth-grade, his life became a nightmare. That night, his mother left, and his stepfather tried to kill himself, leaving Katsimbras to basically raise his 6-month-old brother.
“I grew up fighting a lot; we all did,” Katsimbras said. “Violence became its own form of rhetoric. That’s how you dealt with everything; it’s how you brokered deals, solved disagreements—that’s how you dealt with conflict.”
His family was friends with a Hells Angels family who lived in an old, dilapidated Queen Anne Victorian-style house.
“It happened a couple of times—on a Sunday, we went over there, and the parents got hammered and did speed and barbecued, and they sent us kids out into the dirt lot, and they bet on us to box,” he said. “We had to beat the shit out of each other. It hurt me deeply. And you could see it—I don’t know if the parents could see it—but you could see that neither of us boys wanted to hurt each other. You want to love each other as kids, but we had to fight like men in sixth-grade. We had to make each other bleed.”
In an act of tenderness to counter that forced violence, he would always bring the other boys wildflowers the next day, he said.
Katsimbras was always deeply sensitive—“a sucker for art,” he said, but because of the expectations of rigid masculinity, he grew up with what he called “the devastation of not being able to enact, articulate or embody what felt true to me, which turned me into something deeply hard. Being a man—a boy—in
that community, the last thing that you could do is show anything that was remotely effeminate.
“I’ve always been eminently aware of the way that I embody masculinity or embody the male form,” Katsimbras said. “It often surprises people that I love flowers more than anything in the world. People are like, ‘How are you shaped the way that you are, sound the way that you do, present the way that you present, but you’re also delicate in these ways?’”
The Wonder Years is an irreverent title, because on the surface, there’s nothing wonderous. Point blank: This book is brutal. Essentially, it is about two things: “Turning all the otherwise mundane violence into something beautiful, and confronting the masculinity I found so repugnant in my childhood,” Katsimbras said. His poems show that there are other ways to be a man; you can be tender and delicate and loving.
Katsimbras said the loneliness of his childhood created in him a sense of restlessness and a curiosity.
“I always walked around in a sense of wonder,” he said. That sense of wonder seems to be the basis of his artistic sensibilities. “I hold these images in my head of me walking down these unpaved dirt roads in the middle of winter by myself. It was lonely, but it was a good teacher. The valley was a good teacher.”
Washoe Valley, and the landscape of the West in general, are embodied as a character in the book with agency and desires. Life in the Nevada high desert is precarious—the threat of wildfires, droughts and flash floods are ever-present for the people, plants and animals who lurch through the hardscrabble business of survival. Katsimbras captures the quiet magnificence concealed in the stark, muted landscape: “The Black Crowned Night Heron / too, lulled to sleep by a quarter moon, thirsting / Outside the windows, a coyote chews a ghost- / bleached bone in a desert that reaches into nothing.”
Like a flower sprouting out of an endless sea of cruel concrete, Katsimbras’ poems reveal
Arian Katsimbras distills a harrowing childhood into tender poetry
that there is still love, tenderness and wonder to be found even in the most nightmarish of circumstances.
The essence of The Wonder Years, which is a deep desire for love to emerge in that harsh place, is encapsulated in the final poem, “Boyhood With Low Hum From the Burn Field.”
Away from the violent patriarchal plight of poverty of the mobile homes, “further out still in a mid-day insomniac sagebrush field,” two boys share a tender moment “where / skin learns how it’s skin,” and “two boys hold a rabbit skull and each other’s / sunlicked ribs, miniatures of their fathers / in cupped hands; both resemble trembling.”
In the poem, Katsimbras steps directly into his boyhood and presents a moment of “proximal hope amidst the calamity and skittery fears that marked the lives of boys raised
by men who were raised by hammers.” This moment of tenderness and innocence shared between these boys ends the book with a glint of love in the sea of brutality: “I learned to love amongst bones and wreckage. / I arranged my bones around love and wreckage. / I became wreckage, wreckage, wreckage, on and on.” The love born from the wreckage is a kind of rebirth which gestures to the vistas beyond the valley, to the love and protection to be found, just beyond.
Katsimbras is currently working on his second collection of poetry. “I have a tentative title. … You want to hear it?” he asked with a mischievous smile. “It’s called Bummerville.”
Learn more at www.instagram.com/ arian_katsimbras. This piece originally ran in our sister newspaper, the Reno News & Review
Arian Katsimbras said one of the goals of his collection of poems, The Wonder Years, was to turn the violence he experienced during childhood into something beautiful. David Robert
CAESAR CERVISIA
By brett newton
Craft beer can be confusing to the average consumer.
When you find a section devoted to it at a store, you encounter a wall of cans and bottles all yelling at you with silly or cryptic names, and various labels with designs that are sometimes garish, and other times staid. You have to figure out what type of beer you’re looking at, and how fresh it is—and if you don’t have a specific type of beer in mind, the process can be overwhelming.
To hopefully make this process a little easier, I’m going to go over some “simpler” beers, especially with the warmer months already looming. These styles all fall under the aegis of
“lighter lagers”—and this section has seen increased love from the craft-brewing sector in recent years, leading to some stellar beers.
Let’s start with the American light lager. More and more craft brewers have been making their own versions, which is fantastic news. Logic Light from Bottle Logic Brewing is a prime example and my recommendation. It’s 4.2% alcohol by volume, with a light pilsner malt body, and a very light touch of Columbus hops—it’s a light lager done right. It’s basically a German pilsner made in Orange County.
At this point, I should let the cat out of the bag: Most of the beers I’m going to detail here are the result of American drinkers and even some brewers discovering or re-discovering the beauty of “Old World” lagers. Lagern, after all, is the German verb “to store,” so why not mine the wealth of experience in this area of the world? (No, I don’t mean to lump the Czechs in with the Germans given the history—but
let’s allow beer to bring us together, shall we.)
While we’re at it, I will repeat something I believe deeply: Lagers are the true test of the quality of a brewer. There’s nowhere to hide your sins in these “simple” beers; you either did it well, or you did not, and there is a subtle art and beauty in that.
There has been a bit of hoopla in the beer world about the Kirkland Lager at Costco. Deschutes Brewing produces it, and they have a history of making very solid, no-frills beers, such as the still-delicious and well-made Black Butte Porter. Costco killed this branded beer in 2018 after a less-than-stellar reception (when it was brewed by a different contract brewer).
In walks Deschutes with a Munich Helles-style lager recipe that won a gold medal at the 2023 Great American Beer Festival, and Costco slaps on a price tag of $13.99 for a dozen 12-ounc. cans. If you’re unfamiliar with the style, think German pilsner, but with a touch more malty
by German standards at 4.5% ABV, but pick yourself up a pack of that and a Costco pizza, and you and your friends will have a great night.
Most likely, the craft-lager type you’ve heard most about in the past couple of years is the rice lager. This may sound exotic, but it is quite common in certain mass-produced lagers (especially in, but not limited to, Asia). It is essentially a pilsner that uses rice as part of the malt bill to lighten the body, but the brewer still provides the yeast with fermentable sugars so that the beer won’t be too light. For some reason, this type of lager (it is not a style or substyle on its own) caught on, and a number of breweries I respect have been making their own versions for a few years, including Beachwood Brewing (Hayabusa Lager) and the aforementioned Bottle Logic (Hanamachi Lager). As you might have guessed, I am not the biggest fan, because it feels like people are trying to smuggle Budweiser into craft beer—and I want no truck with it. As much as I love the two breweries I just mentioned (and their lagers when they do them), I’m looking for something that doesn’t remind me of the dark days when it was hard to find beer better than Budweiser.
That being said, Bottle Logic’s nearby friend, Green Cheek Beer, recently made a “Rice IPA” in collaboration with Breakside Brewery from
Oregon. Apparently, Breakside brews a rice IPA of their own, and the result of the collaboration is a delicious, light-bodied hop explosion. Burgeon Beer Company has done the same in the past, so let’s hope for more interesting uses of adjuncts like rice in the future.
Here I am at the end of another column feeling like I barely got started. Let me quickly mention an amazing Czech-style pilsner from Bottle Logic that I’ve found cans of on the shelves at Total Wine and More: Slappers Only! I had the joy of having it on tap at their taproom replete with three different, traditional types of pours (which I don’t have space to get into here). North Park Beer Co. regularly releases incredible lagers; I had a fresh Munich dunkel there that was absolutely packed with flavor while still being light in body. Burgeon Beer and Green Cheek both make a wide array of gorgeous lagers as well. Locally, I recently mentioned a Festbier from La Quinta Brewing that I loved, so I’m excited to see what’s coming. Las Palmas has been canning their pilsner, which is yet another great beer from them.
With temperatures already rising, lagers are the shining beacon on the hill of the upcoming summer.
Brett Newton is a certified cicerone (like a sommelier for beer) and homebrewer who has mostly lived in the Coachella Valley since 1988. He can be reached at caesarcervisia@gmail.com.
flavor of browned bread, and floral, herbal or spicy hop notes. Deschutes’ version is light even
VINE SOCIAL
By Katie finn
California is known for its sprawling vineyards, refined wineries and award-winning vintages. But before Napa and Sonoma became the aristocracy of American wine, there were the rugged, dusty and downright scrappy vineyards of Southern California—specifically, those in Rancho Cucamonga. These early wine pioneers were less about sipping in fancy tasting rooms and more about sheer survival, turning arid landscapes into something that could produce grapes good enough to create a decent glass of vino (or at least something strong enough to make you forget how hot it was outside).
Yes, Rancho Cucamonga sounds like a name pulled from a spaghetti Western, but it was the OG wine country in California, and one of the most important wine-producing regions in the U.S. That’s right—before California wine country had its sights set on the rolling hills of Napa, Rancho Cucamonga was churning out gallons of wine with the kind of efficiency that would make any modern-day vintner weep with envy.
The region’s winemaking history dates back to the early 1800s, when Spanish missionaries (whose church-sponsored drinking isn’t given enough credit for saving legal alcohol consumption in this country) planted the first grapevines. By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Cucamonga’s vineyards covered tens of thousands of acres. The area became known for its heat-loving, thick-skinned zinfandel and mission grapes, which were hardy enough to withstand scorching temperatures and occasional droughts.
Meanwhile, the California wine industry was shifting northward. Napa and Sonoma had started gaining global recognition, and winemakers were drawn to the cooler climates and diverse terroirs of Northern California. Rancho Cucamonga’s hot, arid conditions weren’t as trendy, and many of its vineyards were left to history.
While the wine industry in Rancho Cucamonga is a shadow of what it once was, it hasn’t disappeared entirely. A few dedicated wineries continue to produce wines, keeping the region’s heritage alive. One of the most notable is the historic Joseph Filippi Winery, which has been in operation since the 1920s and still crafts wines from local grapes. They specialize in bold reds, honoring the area’s zinfandel and mission grape legacy.
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At its peak in the early 1900s, Rancho Cucamonga was home to powerhouse wineries like the Thomas Brothers Winery and the Virginia Dare Winery. If you’re wondering what kind of wine was rolling out of this dusty paradise, think bold, rustic reds with enough alcohol content to knock over a mule. Prohibition tried to put a damper on things, but thanks to some creative “medicinal” and “sacramental” loopholes, wine production never truly stopped.
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So what happened to this once thriving wine powerhouse? Why did it fade into relative obscurity? The answer is a combination of urban sprawl, shifting industry focus, and the all-powerful real estate market.
By the mid-20th century, Southern California was booming with development, and Rancho Cucamonga’s prime vineyard land started looking mighty attractive to developers. As cities expanded and land prices skyrocketed, vineyard owners found it more profitable to sell their land than to keep growing grapes. Between the 1950s and 1980s, much of the region’s vineyards were paved over, replaced by housing tracts, shopping centers and freeways.
Galleano Winery, another historic producer, remains a beacon of Rancho Cucamonga’s wine culture. Established in 1927, it weathered the storms of Prohibition, urbanization and industry shifts, continuing to produce traditional wines with a focus on old-school winemaking techniques.
There’s a renewed interest in reclaiming Rancho Cucamonga’s wine legacy. Some boutique winemakers and historians are pushing for preservation efforts, hoping to revive the lost vineyards and celebrate the city’s winemaking past. While it’s unlikely that Rancho Cucamonga will rival Napa anytime soon, there’s potential for a resurgence of smallbatch, high-quality wines that pay homage to its early days.
One of the most passionate voices championing Cucamonga Valley’s wine history is urban winemaker Abe Schoener. Known for his unconventional approach to winemaking, Schoener has made it his mission to highlight the historic vineyards of Rancho Cucamonga, sourcing grapes from old vines that have miraculously survived. Through his winery, the Scholium Project, he has crafted wines that showcase the unique terroir of the region, proving that despite its decline, Cucamonga’s winemaking potential is far from dead. Schoener’s dedication has sparked renewed interest
among wine enthusiasts and historians, bringing much-needed attention to the resilience of these ancient vines. His efforts serve as a bridge between the past and the future, inspiring others to recognize and celebrate the rich viticultural history of Rancho Cucamonga.
The Cucamonga Valley AVA (American Viticultural Area) was officially recognized in 1985, a nod to the region’s historic significance. Despite Rancho Cucamonga’s reduced vineyard acreage, the AVA designation ensures that wines produced from this area still carry the distinct character of its old vines, deep sandy soils and blistering sunshine. The effort to preserve and promote this legacy has been led in part by winemakers like Domenic Galleano of Galleano Winery, and the Filippi family, who remain committed to championing Cucamonga’s viticultural roots, producing wines that reflect the resilience and history of the region’s vineyards. Their efforts, along with those of other passionate winemakers, are keeping the spirit of Rancho Cucamonga’s wine country alive for future generations.
Alongside Schoener, renowned sommelier and winemaker Rajat Parr has also taken an interest in the Cucamonga Valley, crafting wines that highlight the region’s unique terroir.
His commitment to old-vine preservation has helped bring greater awareness to the area’s deep-rooted winemaking traditions. Similarly, Carol Shelton, the undisputed guru of single vineyard zinfandel, has begun working with Cucamonga Valley fruit to create robust and expressive wines that showcase the resilience of these historic vines.
Rancho Cucamonga’s contributions to California’s wine industry shouldn’t be overlooked. The early vineyards of Southern California paved the way for winemaking in unlikely places, proving that with the right grapes (and a little bit of stubbornness), wine can flourish in even the most challenging environments. The next time you sip a glass of California wine, take a moment to toast the early pioneers of Rancho Cucamonga. They didn’t have fancy tasting rooms or climate-controlled cellars, but they had determination, a love of the vine and—most importantly—a deep appreciation for a well-earned drink at the end of a long, hot day.
Katie Finn is a certified sommelier and certified specialist of wine with two decades in the wine industry. She can be reached at katiefinnwine@ gmail.com.
A 15-acre vineyard in the Etiwanda area of Rancho Cucamonga. Ron Reiring/kla4067 via Flickr
Thousands of Coachella Valley Independent readers and News Channel 3 viewers voted in this year’s Best of Coachella Valley readers’ poll—and they selected the Purple Room as the winner of Best Bar Ambiance and finalist in four categories:
WEEKNIGHT
TUESDAYS
the
FOOD & DRINK INDY ENDORSEMENT
We enjoy great breakfasts at two very different Palm Springs restaurants
By Jimmy Boegle
WHAT Croque madame
WHERE Café Mon Amour, 333 N. Palm Canyon Drive, No. 105, Palm Springs HOW MUCH $15.90
CONTACT 760-327-0382
WHY Simple yet delicious Bread. Ham. Gruyere cheese. A sunny-side-up egg. A properly done croque madame is so simple—yet so amazingly delicious.
WHAT Sonny’s Fat Burrito Breakfast
WHERE Sonny’s Bar and Grill, 214 E. Arenas Road, Palm Springs
HOW MUCH $15
CONTACT 760-537-1080
WHY Proper grilling.
ENTERTAINMENT
TUES-WED-THURS 6:30-9:30 PM
WEDNESDAYS
Swinging to the music of the Rat Pack Era 1900 E. Palm Canyon
The croque madame is indeed properly done at Café Mon Amour, a delightful and popular breakfast/lunch spot that opened two years ago in the downtown Palm Springs space previously occupied by L’Olivo. The menu includes all of the things one would expect at a French café: pastries, savory croissants, sweet crepes, breakfasts, quiches, sandwiches, salads and even rillettes (spreads) with bread.
On the Saturday morning before St. Patrick’s Day, we walked into Sonny’s Bar and Grill— and were instantly greeted by a drag queen in a green, sequined dress. She flirtatiously guided us to our table, and told us it was our lucky day, because we could order bottomless champagne.
With that, our Sonny’s breakfast experience was off to a fine start. We skipped the bottomless champagne and instead ordered water and coffee as our drinks—but the food kept the figurative party going.
THURSDAYS
‘La Vie en Rose’ French violinist, jazz of the last century. CHARLES HERRERA, DARCI DANIELS & MICHAEL HOLMES
JÉRÉMIE LEVI SAMSON
Everything we ordered had endorsement potential. The chocolate croissant ($4.40) was appropriately buttery and flaky, while the hubby’s quiche Lorraine (with bacon, onion and gruyere, $15.90) was a savory treat. A sign on the counter where customers order warns that since the food is freshly made, it may take a while to arrive—and this proved to be the case, but we did not mind.
On our recent weekday breakfast visit, the café was quite busy, with most of the inside tables occupied, and a good number of the outside tables taken as well, despite the chilly weather. The place is the very definition of charming; inside, a variety of seating options are surrounded by shelves with knickknacks and plants, and the walls include a variety of photos, signs and posters. Outside, the patio offers a different vibe, highlighted by a slightly subterranean view of Palm Canyon Drive. If you’re in a hurry, or you’re looking for a meal with substantial portion sizes, go elsewhere. But if you’re looking for a relaxed, quality breakfast or lunch at a place with a great vibe, consider Café Mon Amour. It’s not a Paris cafe—but it’s as close as you’ll get in the Coachella Valley.
I ordered the grand breakfast ($19), with two eggs, sausage or bacon, pancakes or French toast, a choice of bread, and potatoes. (I selected over easy, sausage, pancakes, a biscuit and potatoes, respectively.) It was fine—but the hubby ordered “Sonny’s fat burrito breakfast,” and the second his plate arrived, I knew he’d ordered better.
It’s never fun when you order a burrito at a restaurant, and it comes inside a sad, cold tortilla. Thankfully, the cook at Sonny’s knows what they’re doing: The tortilla was nicely grilled, on all sides—even the exposed interior was grilled after the burrito was cut in half. The contents included guacamole, bacon, sour cream, sausage, eggs and cheddar cheese, and it was delicious. Consider yourself warned: It was also messy, with lots of moisture, so if you go to Sonny’s and order it (and I recommend you do), eat over your plate, and don’t wear a white shirt.
Sonny’s serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, with a nice variety of offerings, along with a full bar. (I’d send you to Sonny’s website or social-media accounts for more info, but there’s no menu listed on the site, and the socials had not been updated in more than a year as of this writing, so check out Yelp instead.) It’s a fun place with good food—perfect for Palm Springs’ Arenas District.
ROSE MALLETT
Jazz legend sings the music of Holiday, Vaughn, Ellington.
Restaurant NEWS BITES
By charles drabkin
DINING OUT FOR LIFE RETURNS ON APRIL 24
One of DAP Health’s biggest annual fundraisers is back on Thursday, April 24. Last year, 75 restaurants participated in Dining Out for Life here in the Coachella Valley, raising more than $280,000, according to DAP Health. Participating is simple: All you need to do is go out to eat! The fantastic restaurant community of the Coachella Valley will take care of the rest by donating at least 33% of their sales for the day—with some donating 50%, 60% or 110%. (Thank you, Townie Bagels!)
Dining Out for Life takes place in other communities, always benefiting HIV/AIDS service organizations—but the Coachella Valley event raises more than DOFL events in most major cities, including Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and Chicago. A huge shout-out and THANK YOU to the Coachella Valley restaurant community!
Visit diningoutforlife.com/city/palmsprings for an updated list of restaurants, and make your reservations early.
IN BRIEF
We previously mentioned that Apong’s Philly Steak, which serves excellent Filipino food and fried chicken, was moving from next to a strip club in Cathedral City to a new location at 35850 Date Palm Drive, also in Cathedral City. One big change: They no longer serve Krispy Krunchy fried chicken, and instead have started using their own recipe. Learn more at apongsphillysteak. com. … Owner Jim Hicks announced on his personal Facebook page that he has sold his recently opened Mickey’s Irish Sports Bar and Grill, at 333 S. Palm Canyon Drive, in Palm Springs. Phone calls to the restaurant for more information have not been returned. Visit facebook.com/mickeyirishsportsbarandgrill to learn more. … Play Lounge, at 2825 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way, is in the process of changing ownership. Owner Matt Irby has turned the reins over to Dave Troemel, but Irby says he plans to stay as involved as he can. Troemel tells me he is not planning on making any significant changes to the restaurant, which has developed a loyal following. Learn more at playloungeps.com. … Rumor has it that a Mediterranean seafood restaurant and sports bar is coming to the old Haus of Poke space at 111 N. Palm Canyon Drive, in downtown Palm Springs. I have not been able to find any applications on the Alcoholic Beverage Control website, so watch this space as we learn more. … Cowboy Cantina has moved to a new location at 71800 Highway 111, Suite A101 (at The River in Rancho Mirage), and is still serving the same great food; cowboy-cantina.com. Meanwhile, La Copa Sports and Social has opened in Cowboy’s former home, at 72620 El Paseo, in Palm Desert, serving burgers, tacos and salads. Get details at lacopasocial.com. … The folks from Chula Artisan Eatery have rebranded their spot at 74929 Highway 111, in Indian Wells, as The Blushing Peony. This wine bar and café serves “farm-to-table” California-Mediterranean cuisine with a Spanish influence; more info can be found at theblushingpeonycafe.com. … Cafecito Calaveras Burrito and Coffee House is sharing space with The Tamale Spot at 68444 Perez Road, in Cathedral City, offering fancy coffees, burritos and tacos. The burrito I had was very good; www.instagram. com/cafecitocalaveras. … Hotel Zoso, at 150 S. Indian Canyon Drive, in Palm Springs, has reopened The Kitchen with an Asian influence; think poke nachos, chicken karaage and soba noodle salads. Peruse the menu at hotelzosopalmsprings.com. … Cathedral City’s La Tablita, one of my favorite Mexican restaurants, has opened a second location at 72261 Highway 111, in Palm Desert; find out more at latablitapalmdesert.com. … San Francisco’s famous Hot Cookie is taking over Jus Chillin’, at 155 S. Palm Canyon Drive, in Palm Springs. Owner Ryan Jones tells me they will not be making any changes until after the summer, when they will rebrand, renovate and start serving their famous cookies. Get details at hotcookie.com. … O’Caines Irish Pub, at 36101 Bob Hope Drive, in Rancho Mirage, has announced it is closing, citing rent hikes as one of the primary reasons. In a social media post, the owners said a move was possible; ocainesirishpub.com. … Finally, the Red Barn, the well-known bar at 73290 Highway 111, in Palm Desert, that made headlines with its owner’s anti-Gavin Newsom rants during the pandemic, has been fully rebuilt and is now open. The interior is pure Las Vegas high kitsch, including animal-themed decor. With a plan to invite local food trucks to serve patrons, and a pledge to be welcoming to everyone in the valley, including the LGBTQ+ community, this is a complete reinvention of both the space and the vibe. Do you have any hot tips or news to share? Reach out: foodnews@cvindependent.com.
2 Restaurants Unlimited Flavors
eight4nine.com 760-325-8490
williesrm.com
760-202-4499
Coachella performer Vs Self talks about D.I.Y. sensibilities—and being called ‘sell-outs’ Sessanta v2.0, featuring Primus, Puscifer and A Perfect Circle, debuts at Acrisure Arena
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The Lucky 13: Get to better know two ‘American Idol’ champs who are performing at Stagecoach
A NEW ‘OASIS’
South Cliff.
MUSIC
A NEW ‘OASIS’
By matt king
Things are changing rapidly in downtown Indio. New spaces for local musicians are appearing and disappearing—and the latest change is an addition, specifically a new space called the Oasis on Miles.
In-between Little Street Music Hall and the Academy of Musical Performance (AMP) building on Miles Avenue is the brand-new performance space. It’s operated by the AMP team, but they
intend for the space to serve as more than just an extension of the local youth music-education organization.
After the Oasis on Miles hosted its first few events, I sat down for an interview with Abie Perkins, AMP’s creative director of music production. He shared some goals for the space.
“Eventually, we’d like to have a wall that goes up, because we’re putting a green room in the back, and then behind the wall, or on the wall, we’d have a screen, and we can use that screen to put the band’s name or images, kind of like the Big Rock Pub does,” Perkins said. “We just hooked it up so the kids now can play Nintendo. We want to make it not only a space for music, but a space to hang, and also a space for people to rent out.
“We got an email today from these ladies. Their dad’s a preacher, and they have something going on with their building right now. It’s getting renovated, and they want to rent (our) space to have church services. So whatever anybody might need the space for, it’s available.”
In its first few weeks, the Oasis on Miles hosted a weekly open mic.
“Every week, it seems like we get somebody new,” Perkins said. “They show up and say, ‘We never heard of this place; this is really cool!’ We had this guitarist, an older gentleman, come in out of the blue. He’s a singer/songwriter, and his stuff is really good. Then you have these kids. We had this young lady, and she actually did the AMP Bash. Her name is Shanti, and she’s a musical kid and sings opera. She’s 15 years old, and she’s amazing. … She wants to eventually take lessons, so it all ties in together, because we get to meet all these talented people, and then they get to hear about AMP. Then we get to see all these talented bands come in. We’ve had so many amazing singers. Some of our coaches have come in. Sam (Gonzalez) from Little Street came in, and I knew he was talented, but he had this looper thing, and it was just amazing. At the end of the day, it’s about bringing the community together.”
Since Music House Indio recently stopped hosting concerts, Perkins is especially happy to add another space for live music on Miles Avenue.
“Me and Josiah (Gonzalez, from Little Street) have talked about doing something around Coachella where (Little Street has) bands; we have bands; and maybe down the road at Rocks and Records, they might have some groups,” Perkins said. “I grew up in Indianapolis, and there was a certain street where every venue had music, and that’s what I think would be awesome. If you have a punk band over here, and you have a jazz band in here, and you have a rapper down there, you have your choice. For me, I think that’s the coolest thing. This street is just up and coming. Every day, there’s something new.”
Perkins is looking for new ways to work with other businesses in downtown Indio. He’s started promoting an Oasis Card, which offers discounts to participating businesses—while raising funds for AMP’s education programs and camps.
“When you come into the Oasis, you get a discount off of our merchandise and everything,” Perkins said. “Little Street is going to honor the card and give, like, 15% off, and I’m talking to Victoria’s (Café), and talking to Rocks and Records. When you present the Oasis Card, it’s bringing the people and the community together. It’s not just coming to the Oasis; it’s helping people check out everything we have to offer on the street.”
Beyond the open-mic nights, the Oasis on Miles has hosted a handful of concerts. Perkins is open to hosting more bands and bookers, and urged anyone who is interested to reach out. (Full disclosure: I’m working on booking a show at the Oasis on Miles.) One of Perkins’ priorities is hosting former AMP students.
“There are some alumni AMP bands out there,” Perkins said. “Israel’s Arcade—he was part of AMP the first year, and his band is huge, so I’m trying to figure out how we can book him. We probably now have about five AMP alumni bands out there. Another huge band is Whitewater.”
One of the first concerts that the Oasis on Miles hosted offers a prime example of how the downtown Indio community works together.
“Rocks and Records was going to have their one-year anniversary, and something happened with their power,” Perkins said. “They
Indio’s newest music venue, operated by the Academy of Musical Performance, prioritizes community
reached out to us and said, ‘Hey, can we use the Oasis?’ They had three or four bands that night, and one of the AMP alumni was in one of the bands. … Once people know that we’re here and know what the space is all about, it’s not only just going to be open for the AMP kids; it’s going to be open for anybody who wants to play.”
Michele Penn, the executive administrator at AMP, stopped by during our interview and said the Oasis was about to host an AMP spring camp.
“We’re going to be part of the Desert Sands (Expanded Learning Opportunities Program) … and this time, we’re bringing spring camp here,” she said. “It’ll be pre-K to eighth grade, and we said we could take up to 50 kids … over spring break. That will be our test of seeing where the kids fit, and what we can do with them. … We can go from there and see if that worked, or if we need to be off-property to do something like that again.”
Perkins said he hopes the Oasis on Miles can help fill the needs of our desert’s entertainment scene.
“I love what Little Street has done, and I think what we have to offer is a little bit more raw,” Perkins said. “It’s still raw, but we want to make it comfortable. What I like about the open mic is it’s not just about music. We’ve had
some comedians; we’ve had people do poetry; we’ve had people do just a little bit of everything, and I always liked that variety. When I first moved out here, one of my very first jobs was emceeing at this coffee house, and they paid me $25 and all the scones I could eat. What was cool about it was getting to meet all these wonderful musicians who were out there in the community.”
Success, for Perkins, will be measured both by the Oasis’ accomplishments—and those of downtown Indio as a while.
“Between what everybody’s offering— between Little Street, the Oasis, and even Rocks and Records, and the Taphouse—what I envision is if we get all these wonderful musicians together, and somehow we work with the city, and we have this amazing Center Stage now, eventually, we could tie that all together,” he said. “I think it would be awesome to have a day where it’s just a full-on concert with all these local artists, and we can have the music start here and just work its way down the street. I’m trying to keep it as community-minded as possible—because for me, that’s where the fun is at.”
The Oasis on Miles is located at 82713 Miles Ave., in Indio. For more information, visit www. instagram.com/theoasisonmiles.
In addition to open-mic nights, the newly opened Oasis on Miles has hosted a handful of concerts—with more to come.
MUSIC
PRIMO SCREAMO
By matt king
Every year, the Coachella lineup is filled with gems—and on one of the bottom lines of this year’s poster is a hidden gem in the form Vs Self, a screamo rock band from Apple Valley.
A mix of melodic guitar lines, down-tuned chords, lo-fi production and emotive vocals have helped the band find an attentive audience, and their recent math-rock-meets-emo punk banger “Yesterday by Beatles Or: Imagine by Yoko Ono as Sung by John Lennon” exploded on
TikTok, exposing the band to viral fame. You can catch the charming screamo soundscapes of Vs Self at Coachella on Friday, April 11 and April 18.
“(Coachella) was definitely something that our booking agent was trying for. … One of the people who books it lives in Pomona, and that’s where our practice space is,” vocalist/ guitarist Kyle Schlenker said during a recent phone interview. “Apparently, he likes to throw on some local bands from Pomona who don’t exactly make sense, genre-wise, or just the level we’re at doesn’t really make sense for Coachella. It’s funny, because I was always like, ‘I don’t think we should be trying for Coachella, because I don’t really think it’s ever going to happen.’ … I would never go to Coachella if we’re not playing it.”
Schlenker discussed the mixed feelings that result from a smaller, D.I.Y band getting the opportunity to play at one of the biggest music festivals in the world.
“If I’m being honest, it’s not the most excited I’ve ever been to play a festival,” Schlenker said. “We’ve played festivals like Best Friends Forever fest, New Friends fest, and Dilly Dally fest that were all emo and screamo bands that I love. There are a few bands that I’m really excited to see at Coachella, but for the most part, we’re very out of our element. It kind of sounds like I’m talking down on Coachella or something— like it would even matter if I do talk down on Coachella. I’m very excited to be playing it, but it was just funny to me that I was just discounting the entire thing even being a possibility, and then it ends up happening.”
Both hardcore fans of the band’s emotional rock movements and people who know Vs Self from TikTok will be catered to at Coachella.
“It’ll probably just be all the hits—or what we call ‘all the hits,’” Schlenker said. “… I always try to play the things that I think the most people are going to want to hear and be the most excited about. One, it’s fun to play a show to really excited people, and two, if we’re playing close-ish to home, it can be easy to fall into a trap of being like, ‘Oh, well, if we’re playing close to home, everyone here has probably seen us before, so it doesn’t really matter if we play all the songs that they want to hear.’ …
Obviously we want to throw some newer stuff in, too, for ourselves, but I always try to keep the set of what people are probably going to want to hear.”
Viva! Pomona music festival creator Rene Contreras curates Coachella’s Sonora stage, where Vs Self will be performing, and the band is the latest in a line of Pomona-area bands invited to perform at Coachella after performing at a Viva! Vs Self started rehearsing in Pomona out of necessity, Schlenker said.
“We started in the high desert area, like Apple Valley, Hesperia,” he said. “But now we’re spread out a tiny bit. The other two members live in Upland, and I live in South Pasadena, and Pomona is just where we could find a practice space that was available and reasonable and somewhat in the middle.”
Coachella Valley musicians had been featured at Coachella fairly regularly—until the last two years. Giselle Woo and the Night Owls played in 2022, and DannyLux did in 2023, but there were no local bands in 2024, and there are none in 2025. Schlenker was shocked to hear this news.
“There should definitely be at least something local,” Schlenker said. “I think all three fests I was talking about feature locals, but then again, it’s screamo and emo. It’s a lot more community-driven. … I guess their version of locals is bands from Pomona. Pomona doesn’t need any fucking help. There are a lot of venues there. A lot of bands come through Pomona. I appreciate it, but they could have given our spot to a band from the Coachella Valley.”
As Vs Self has grown in popularity, Schlenker has had to free the band of some of their D.I.Y sensibilities.
“We’re at the point now where we don’t do our own booking, and sometimes just even letting go of that takes a lot,” said Schlenker. “Once you’re trying to book full U.S. tours, or trying to go to Europe—and we want to go to Australia and Japan—it just becomes so daunting. It’s one thing to let go of in order to make sure that we still have time to do all the things that we think of as more important, as far as the band goes. There are a lot of times when it just feels like we’re making sacrifices, and sometimes stuff slips through the cracks.”
Coachella performer Vs Self talks about D.I.Y. sensibilities—and being called ‘sell-outs’
Schlenker mentioned one show in particular that would’ve been handled better by the band itself.
“We had always told our booking agent at the time that we want our shows as cheap as possible, and as accessible as possible, and if at all possible, only at all ages venues,” Schlenker said. “In a perfect world, we’d want it to be $15 max, but we realized that wasn’t really possible, so $20 max. … That show, it was all ages, but it ended up being $26 for the tickets, and we didn’t know until the tickets went live. To make matters worse, it looked like the tickets were $37 because of the fees and everything, and (the venue is) literally on the exact same street, the opposite corner of the block, as this small D.I.Y. venue that we played at so many times for $10 or $15. … Luckily, we were able to get them to drop the price to $20, but I feel like at that point, it had already been done.”
Going from $10 shows to a $600 music festival is a huge leap, and Schlenker said the “sell-outs” label has been tossed around.
“It happens a lot more publicly,” Schlenker said. “… But more than anything, we got a ton of DMs from people being like, ‘This is insane to see, but you deserve it.’ I was so nervous before we announced (Coachella) that everyone
would be like, ‘Wow, what the fuck happened?’” Schlenker said that, because of the band’s star level in relation to other Coachella acts, Vs Self was able to negotiate the fest’s radius clause. In 2019, The Desert Sun reported that the clause includes restrictions preventing artists from “playing any festival in North America from Dec. 15 to May, and from playing any ‘hard ticket’ concerts (as opposed to ‘soft ticket’ events such as county fairs) in Southern California during that same period.” Schlenker said this clause “would really hurt a smaller band.”
“When we got the contract, and I saw the radius clause, I was like, ‘Oh God, this is kind of fucked,’” Schlenker said. “The only reason it didn’t completely scare us off is because we were already planning on taking a step back from shows for a second to try to finish writing an album. … Once we switched booking agents, he started talking to (Coachella), because we wanted to do the tour directly afterward. Originally, you’re not even supposed to announce anything until after the fest is over. But basically, no one is buying a ticket to Coachella because of us, and they know that.”
For more information, visit www.instagram.com/vs_self.
Vs Self.
MUSIC
CELEBRATORY SHOWS
By Matt King
Three alternative rock and metal titans are kicking off their latest tour in Palm Desert. Primus, Puscifer and A Perfect Circle, a triple threat of musical boundary-pushing, are embarking on the second leg of their Sessanta tour. Last year, the tour went across the United States in honor of the 60th birthday of Maynard James Keenan (singer for Puscifer and A Perfect Circle), and it was quite unique: Sessanta featured all three bands on one stage. The bands
traded off mini-sets of three or four songs each, before all playing the same song together for the encore.
Sessanta v2.0 debuts at 8 p.m., Thursday, April 24, at Acrisure Arena. During a recent phone interview with A Perfect Circle guitarist/vocalist Billy Howerdel, he discussed the success of Sessanta’s initial run.
“You would think it’s not that big a deal, but it is a big deal trying to get three bands to seamlessly play a set,” Howerdel said. “It’s mostly a technical thing. The biggest thing is making sure that the sound guys and gals have enough time to coordinate and make everything go smooth. It really dawned on me when I was going to add an extra microphone to my guitar rig for this extra cab, and the monitor guy goes, ‘Well that’s the last input, and it was either 250 inputs or 350 inputs.’”
Technical stresses aside, the band members found other aspects of Sessanta to be more enjoyable than headlining dates or festivals.
“Once we got rolling … it was about the most fun tour we’ve ever been on,” Howerdel said. “The pressure’s off from a headlining show, and we’ve all been on festivals, and they’re great, too, but maybe too big. We all know each other, and it was just a harmonious, fun thing, and I think that translated onstage. I know it did, because anyone who I invited to
the show commented on how well it went off. It’s unique, and like nothing they’ve ever seen, and that’s what we felt, but it was nice to have that confirmed from my very picky, tell-it-likeit-is friends.”
The rotating short sets from each band allowed the musicians, in the middle of their own concert, to sit and watch the other bands perform. As the tour progressed, some band members began guesting with each other. Howerdel started jamming on some Primus tunes, and he hinted that there will be some new tunes and guest spots featured in v2.0.
“It was pretty loose in the beginning,” he said. “I joined Primus halfway through the tour, which was really great. I saw what they were up to, and then they asked me to play, and it was great. It just felt loose. This one, I know that there’s one song that I have never played, and I don’t know what I’m going to play. That’ll be interesting once we get into full rehearsals, but I’m kind of building patches and building contingency for what that could be.”
Keenan was put in charge of the setlist for A Perfect Circle—the tour is his birthday celebration, after all.
“I’m up for whatever, but Maynard is going to steer the ship on the set list,” Howedel said. “He’s the one who’s got to do full duty, going from Puscifer to APC, and then also dropping in
Sessanta v2.0, featuring Primus, Puscifer and A Perfect Circle, debuts at Acrisure
Arena
on Primus songs. It’s what he can pull off and be comfortable doing for this three-hour show.”
One of Sessanta’s highlights during the first run was a section where all three bands played through the Sessanta E.P.P.P, a three-song EP featuring brand-new songs from each band. A Perfect Circle contributed “Kindred,” the band’s first new song in six years. Howedel said the writing process for the song differed slightly from the usual collaborative process between himself and Keenan.
“‘Kindred’ started as, to quote Maynard, a sketch on a napkin that he came up with, and that’s not usually the start that we do,” he said. “Usually I’ll start a song, and he’ll respond, and then I’ll respond to what he does—kind of a leapfrog thing, but the genesis will come from my side of the room. Not always, but generally. This was different. He had a more-fleshed-out idea, and in the spirit of Maynard’s birthday, ‘Let’s do this thing where he’s cracking the code on the song and starting this thing, and then we’ll kind of interpret it where we think it’s going to go, and then build it from there.’ That was an interesting approach, and then to play it, we just banged right into the tour to play it. We only rehearsed it as a band maybe four times.”
Videos and reviews from the first Sessanta run illustrate how much fun the musicians were having. Keenan and Les Claypool (Primus) messed around on a motorized chair that led to the drum riser; drummers and bassists rolled out a ping-pong table; and so on.
“You’ve got more time to hang,” Howerdel said. “There was more downtime for me, at least. I’m usually a little busier on an APC tour, from the time I wake up to the show starting, so I wasn’t as completely slammed. … It just added to the whole social element of it. It just felt like it permeated into everything. It’s low drama, a lot of community. It’s so strange to say, but it’s a birthday tour going on its second year, and the spirit of it is celebratory.”
Howerdel said he intends to have the same amount of fun during Sessanta v2.0, even though he’ll be preoccupied—working on new material.
“This time out, I’m writing new APC stuff, so I’ll probably be a little bit more locked in a dressing room/recording studio—but I can sneak out a bit,” he said.
Sessanta v2.0, with Primus, Puscifer and A Perfect Circle, takes place at 8 p.m., Thursday, April 24, at Acrisure Arena, at 75702 Varner Road, in Palm Desert. Tickets start at $63.70. For tickets and more information, visit acrisurearena.com.
April 2025
By matt king
Happy April! While Coachella and Stagecoach dominate the month’s music lineup, there are plenty of other great concerts being hosted in the desert. Stay safe!
Acrisure Arena is hosting one special event that is not already being covered elsewhere by the Independent. At 8 p.m., Friday, April 25, Mexican singer/rapper Tito Double P is bringing his arena tour to our local stage. If you love Mexican music, you need to be here! Remaining tickets as of this writing start at $164.72. Acrisure Arena, 75702 Varner Road, Palm Desert; 888-695-8778; www. acrisurearena.com.
While April at the McCallum Theatre is not quite as busy as the first three months of the year, there’s still plenty going on! Here are some highlights. At 8 p.m., Friday, April 4, and Saturday, April 5, McCallum favorite Chris Botti returns for two performances. The Grammy Award-winning jazz trumpeter pushes brass instruments to their limits, so don’t miss him. Tickets start at $68. At 7 p.m., Tuesday, April 8, Broadway phenom Renee Elise Goldsberry heads to the desert. Expect hits from The Lion King, The Color Purple, Rent and Hamilton. Tickets start at $63.99. At 8 p.m., Saturday, April 12, another Broadway star, Leslie Odom Jr., is set to grace the McCallum stage. He’ll share stories and songs from his experiences working on Hamilton, Abbott Elementary and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. Tickets start at $63.99. At 6 p.m., Monday, April 21, experience piano greatness at the Palm Springs International Piano Competition Junior Division 2025 Finals. Pianists ages 13 through 17 will compete and showcase their ivory-tickling talents—but
Leslie Odom Jr.
A Perfect Circle. Travis Shinn
the real winner is the audience! Tickets start at $48. McCallum Theatre, 73000 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert; 760-340-2787; www. mccallumtheatre.com.
Fantasy Springs has rap, wrestling and more! At 8 p.m., Friday, April 4, the TV show Dancing With the Stars comes to the stage! Don’t miss some world-class dancing and special guests. Tickets start at $62.50. At 8 p.m., Saturday, April 5, embrace the West Coast in the desert with Ice Cube. The rapper, actor and entertainer extraordinaire is set to bring nothing but hits to Indio. Tickets start at $92. At 7 p.m., Saturday, April 12, Chinese music star Chris Wong will perform. Come hear one of Asia’s most beloved voices! Tickets start at $71.50. At 7:30 p.m., Friday, April 25, experience high-flying wrestling action at Rumble in the Desert. New Tradition Lucha Libre will take over the Special Events Center for a cultural night of sports entertainment! Tickets start at $62.50. Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, 84245 Indio Springs Parkway, Indio; 760-342-5000; www.fantasyspringsresort.com.
Spotlight 29 has two concerts of note. At 8 p.m., Friday, April 4, vibe out at Reggae Vibrations. The genre celebration will feature performances from The Legendary Wailers, Third World, Inner Circle and The Skatalites Tickets start at $35. At 8 p.m., Saturday, April 5, funk icons Tower of Power head to Coachella. Will the age-old question of “What Is Hip?” finally be answered? Tickets start at $25. Spotlight 29 Casino, 46200 Harrison Place, Coachella; 760-775-5566; www.spotlight29.com.
Morongo is hosting some big events. At 8 p.m., Friday, April 11, regional Mexican outfit La Septima Banda is set to perform. The 17-piece group will cover everything from banda to cumbia to ranchera music. Tickets start at $57.50. At 8 p.m., Friday, April 25, comedian Desi Banks will bring the laughs. Tickets start at $46.75. Morongo Casino Resort Spa, 49500 Seminole Drive, Cabazon; 800-2524499; www.morongocasinoresort.com.
Agua Caliente Rancho Mirage has a busy
The Venue
April! At 6:30 p.m., Saturday, April 5, Armenian pop singer Harout Pamboukjian will visit the valley. Enjoy a dose of revolutionary and romantic Armenian music. Tickets start at $50. At 8 p.m., Friday, April 11, norteño music legends Bronco celebrate 45 years of music. Tickets start at $59.50. At 8 p.m., Saturday, April 12, comedian Ron White will send the Coachella Valley into fits of laughter. White’s mix of Southern charm and wit has made him one of the best comics to ever grab a microphone. Tickets start at $75. At 8 p.m., Saturday, April 19, check out Taiwanese singer and actor Huang Pinyuan Experience some Chinese love songs! Tickets start at $78. At 8 p.m., Friday, April 25, ’80s stars Tesla are set to rock The Show stage. Tickets start at $39.50. Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa Rancho Mirage, 32250 Bob Hope Drive, Rancho Mirage; 888-999-1995; www. aguacalientecasinos.com.
Agua Caliente Palm Springs has residencies and rock! Desert Blues Revival Wednesdays feature a night of song from men’s vocal ensemble A Cabbello titled Keep Calm and Sing On 2.0! (April 2), an audio and visual tribute to The Monkees from the Gand Band (April 9), local powerhouse vocals from Hope Diamond Soul (April 16) six-decades of classic rock songs performed by Brad Mercer and the Profile (April 23) and a Carpenters tribute titled “A Song For You” (April 30). Shows are at 7 p.m., and tickets start from $17.85 to $39.19, available at eventspalmsprings. com. Carousel Thursdays celebrate the series’ one-year anniversary with Alpha Rhythm Kings (April 3), swinging sounds from Jive Aces (April 17) and a Broadway-themed show from Lizzy and her Contraband (April 24). Shows are at 7 p.m., and tickets start from $17.85, available at eventspalmsprings. com. For that rock: At 8 p.m., Friday, April 11, celebrate 30 years of Agua Caliente Palm Springs with a performance by Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo. Tickets start at $49.50. Agua Caliente Casino Palm Springs, 401 E. Amado
Here are some highlights from a busy April at Pappy and Harriet’s. At 8 p.m., Wednesday, April 2, former Hüsker Dü member Bob Mould brings his solo stylings to town once again. Tickets are $35. At 9 p.m., Thursday, April 10, star rapper and producer Theophilus London is set to perform some funky-good jams. Tickets are $20. At 9 p.m., Sunday, April 13, elegant songstress Humbird will explore hauntingly beautiful soft ballads and chill, electronic jams. Tickets are $16. At 8 p.m., Wednesday, April 16, a trio of local bands are gracing the Pioneertown Palace! Don’t miss sets from desert bands Karma Dealers, The Kearns Family and (((LEMMO))). Tickets are $10. At 9 p.m., Thursday, April 24, dance the night away to indie-pop gems from Bermuda Search Party. Tickets are $18. Check out the website for a complete list of shows. Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace, 53688 Pioneertown Road, Pioneertown; 760-228-2222; www.pappyandharriets.com.
Oscar’s in Palm Springs has a couple of non-residency events. At 7 p.m., Friday, April
11, iconic soul vocal group Honey Cone is set to perform. Tickets start at $34.95. At 7 p.m., Thursday, April 17, Jack Donahue brings his cabaret, jazz and Broadway jams to town. Tickets start at $35. All shows include a food and drink minimum. Oscar’s Palm Springs, 125 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way, Palm Springs; 760325-1188; oscarspalmsprings.com/events. Don’t miss weekends of fun at the Purple Room! At 8 p.m., Friday, April 4, and Saturday, April 5, Manhattan Transfer vocalist and local resident Cheryl Bentyne will perform an evening of enchanting melodies. Tickets start at $50.85. At 8 p.m., Friday, April 11, and Saturday, April 12, musical theater legend Donna McKechnie will share stories and songs, and celebrate the work of Stephen Sondheim. Tickets start at $61.15. At 8 p.m., Friday, April 18, and Saturday, April 19, romantic vocalist Anthony Nunziata will explore jazz, soul, pop and more. Tickets start at $45.70. All ticketed shows include dinner reservations two hours before show time. Michael Holmes’ Purple Room, 1900 E. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs; 760-322-4422; www.purpleroompalmsprings.com.
Bermuda Search Party
MUSIC
LUCKY 13 the
Get to better know two ‘American Idol’ champs who are performing at Stagecoach
by matt king
INFO An Indio native is performing at Stagecoach—and she didn’t get the gig simply because she is a local. In case you’ve been living under a rock and didn’t know, the desert’s own Abi Carter won the most recent season of American Idol. The extremely talented singer and songwriter then packed Acrisure Arena, went on tour, and released an emotionally moving and musically diverse debut album, ghosts in the backyard—all in less than a year! She’s now set perform at one of the world’s biggest music festivals, Stagecoach, on Friday, April 25.
What was the first concert you attended?
A Twenty One Pilots concert when I was 14! It was in Arizona, so we drove six hours to get there; 14-year-old me felt so cool.
What was the first album you owned?
Technically, I’ve never owned an album in the form of purchasing one, but I guess I do own my own album as far as rights are concerned? So that’ll have to be ghosts in the backyard by me, ha ha.
What bands are you listening to right now? Recently, I’ve been listening to a lot of Manchester Orchestra, Carol Ades, Julia Wolf, and Erin LeCount!
What artist, genre or musical trend does everyone love, but you don’t get?
I’m not super in love with hyper-specificity in lyricism. I love lyrics that can transcend across the experiences of so many, and sometimes listening to songs that reference someone’s
specific particular name or place can take me out of a song.
What musical act, current or defunct, would you most like to see perform live?
Unfortunately, a One Direction concert has been my dream since I was 13, and that hasn’t changed. If ever there were to be a reunion, you can bet on me spending my life savings to be there.
What’s your favorite musical guilty pleasure?
I love going to a movie and then listening to the soundtrack immediately afterward, and making it my entire personality for a month or so. I tend to get immersed in film coupled with great music, and I like to feel stuck in that world for waaayyyy too long.
What’s your favorite music venue?
So far, my favorite music venue that I’ve performed in personally was Felton Music Hall in Felton, Calif.!
What’s the one song lyric you can’t get out of your head?
Recently, since I’ve been listening to so much Manchester Orchestra, it’s not surprising that one of their lyrics has been stuck in my head for a bit: “There is nothing I’ve got when I die that I keep, it’s amazing,” “The Maze.”
What band or artist changed your life?
I think Taylor Swift has changed the way a lot of artists in pop music write music in general, myself included. Her lyrics have a way of landing in an interesting way among such a large span of people, and it has helped me in honing into how I want to land with an audience.
You have one question to ask one musician. What’s the question, and who are you asking?
I would have to ask Taylor Swift: What was the most difficult obstacle you’ve ever had to overcome in the pursuit of your aspirations, and how did you do it?
What song would you like played at your funeral?
I’ve got to go with “The Maze” by Manchester Orchestra. Just a beautiful song
Figurative gun to your head, what is your favorite album of all time? Currently and maybe forever, Folklore by Taylor Swift.
What song should everyone listen to right now?
This song is WAY too underappreciated, and I cannot stand it. It’s been stuck in my head since the first time I heard it; I can’t wait for it to take over the world: Stream “Dreams” by Carol Ades!
NAME Scotty McCreery
MORE INFO American Idol winner Scotty McCreery is bringing his country music stylings to Stagecoach. The twangy singer and picker has been growing as a musician, and as a person, since winning Idol when he was 17. Now 31, the country star has elevated his songwriting, and increased his comfort level in his blazing and serenading brand of country pop rock. A stacked repertoire of modern country jams, and a one-of-a-kind voice loved by America for years, makes McCreery’s set on Sunday, April 27, one not to miss!
What was the first concert you attended?
My parents took me to a James Taylor concert when I was really young, but my first concert that I picked for us to go to was the triple bill of George Strait, Reba McEntire and Lee Ann Womack. It was a great night. I loved singing already as a young kid, and for the first time, I realized that people could make a living performing music. It inspired me to want to be an entertainer.
What was the first album you owned?
Elvis Presley’s Greatest Hits by Elvis Presley.
What bands are you listening to right now?
I am loving what Zach Top is doing. He’s making great music.
What artist, genre or musical trend does everyone love, but you don’t get? (McCreery did not answer this question.)
What musical act, current or defunct, would you most like to see perform live?
I would have loved to have seen the Gap Band in their heyday. I love their music (and I’ve been known to occasionally do “You Dropped a Bomb on Me” in my live show). Their lead singer, Charlie Wilson, is a hero and friend of mine. I’ve been honored to have the opportunity to sing with him a time or two.
What’s your favorite musical guilty pleasure?
I don’t feel guilty about listening to anything. If I like it, I’m proud to listen to it.
What’s your favorite music venue?
My favorite places to perform are at the Grand Ole Opry House and the Ryman Auditorium, both in Nashville, Tenn. All the legends of country music have performed on those stages as part of the Grand Ole Opry, and you can feel their presence when you are on those stages. It was my dream to join the Opry, and a little over a year ago, they invited me. It’s the biggest honor of my career to be a member of the Grand Ole Opry.
What’s the one song lyric you can’t get out of your head?
The lyrics to “White Christmas” are always running through my head. I sing a verse of that song almost every day—in the shower, in the car, sitting around, etc.
What band or artist changed your life?
Elvis Presley. When I was young, I got a cassette with Elvis on one side and Little Richard on the other side, and I loved it. Then my grandmother gave me a book (about how to be like Elvis). I was hooked, and that inspired me to be a singer. I even dressed as Elvis for Halloween. I met Priscilla Presley a few years ago, and she told me, “Elvis would have loved you. He loved those low voices.” I don’t think I could get a better compliment than that.
You have one question to ask one musician. What’s the question, and who are you asking?
I’d ask Darius Rucker: “When are we setting our next tee time for a golf match?”
What song would you like played at your funeral?
“It Is Well With My Soul.”
Figurative gun to your head, what is your favorite album of all time?
That Lonesome Song by Jamey Johnson. What song should everyone listen to right now? “Fall of Summer” by Scotty McCreery, of course!
NAME Abi Carter
MORE
OPINION COMICS & JONESIN’ CROSSWORD
“It’s Free Real Estate”—a themeless expanse.
By Matt Jones
Across 1. Sgt.’s superior 5. Lost and trying to find a way out, maybe 12. 2025 Best Picture Oscar winner 14. Counter offers?
15. “Broadway Joe” 17. Rhapsodizes
18. Something to run for
20. Not entirely
21. Lab enclosure
23. Graham McPherson, in Madness
26. Like tougher steaks, maybe
28. Syllabus segment
29. “Too much excitement!”
31. Girls5___ (Busy Philipps sitcom)
32. Grand Theft Auto: ___ Andreas
33. Stannic metal
34. Station where you scan your own groceries, for short
35. Hideaway
36. ’70s hoops grp.
37. M
40. Middle range
42. Temperance, e.g.
43. Preserves
45. Episode I villain
47. “Getting to Know You” musical locale
49. Mount acrobatically, as a horse
50. Being
53. Actress Reeves of Slow Horses
54. Pretty close
55. Obsolescent
56. Workplace of 2024 sitcom character Dr. Ron Leonard
57. Distress signals, plural (and yeah, it’s the preferred spelling but looks weird)
Down
1. Did some wicker work
2. Simple audio cord
3. Fruit part used to make the spice anar dana
4. Get (mud) on the carpet
5. “Son of,” in some surnames
6. Navy Yard team, to fans
7. Workout consequences
8. Dress that translates to “cut off”
9. Ordered hierarchically
10. Zuider ___
11. Sinuous shape
13. Confirm
14. Tale that mentions the Trojan horse
16. Verbal nudge
19. Pitch in a window
22. Downwind side of the river
24. Responsibilities handed down
25. R.E.M. hit
27. Ravioli filling options
29. “Forever Blue” singer Chris
30. Mouse alternative for a laptop
38. Capital of County Kerry
39. Appetizers served with chutney
41. Religion, in a Marx quote
44. Did not reveal
46. A bunch
48. Chicago Symphony Orchestra “Music Director Emeritus for Life” Riccardo
