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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
On June 18, local media outlets received a press release from the Desert Recreation District. It had nothing to do with parks, or recreation facilities, or fun family events.
“At approximately 9 a.m. this morning, Desert Recreation District staff were made aware of federal law enforcement agencies staging in our Oasis del Desierto Park parking lot,” the press release said. “The district was not provided advance notice, nor did it coordinate with any law enforcement agency for their use of this location. All federal personnel departed the property from 10:45 a.m.”
Oasis del Desierto Park was just one of numerous places in the Coachella Valley where heavily militarized Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents showed up on that day—and on many other June days. Thankfully, some local elected officials are speaking out.
“ICE raids that occurred on June 18 are causing fear and widespread disruption in communities in the Coachella Valley,” said Riverside County Supervisor V. Manuel Perez in a statement. “Reports recount aggressive migrant operations, including a raid at a Food 4 Less in Indio, targeting the most vulnerable communities like farm workers. These actions, carried out by masked agents with paramilitary tactics, are completely unnecessary in communities filled with working people. These raids are inhumane and destabilizing.
“There is no plan, no organization, no respect for due process guarantees,” Perez continued. “We urgently call on our federal leaders to stand up for our community in the face of the Trump administration, for transparency and accountability, and to put an immediate end to these traumatic operations that separate families and sow discord.”
This month’s cover story—by local journalist, musician and activist Esther Sanchez—looks at how the immigrantrights community reacted on June 6, when ICE started significantly ramping up local raids. In the piece, Esther makes an interesting point: While some people have been surprised by these ICE actions, others saw them coming.
“A common narrative was shared by multiple representatives at the (June 6) press conference was: They had been expecting this for some time,” Esther writes. “‘President Trump said he was going to do it, and we took him at his word,’ one speaker stated. ‘That’s why we’ve been preparing for this.’”
Perez is absolutely right when he calls these raids inhumane, destabilizing and traumatic. How is America being made “great again” by raiding grocery stores, restaurants, U-Haul locations and even people’s yards (to “catch” gardeners)?
These actions don’t make America greater. They make it a punitive state inching disturbingly close to authoritarianism.
To those of you support these raids in the name of legality, or dismiss them as not affecting you, here’s a warning: In a nation without due process, where people can be snatched up by masked, unidentified paramilitary agents without charges or warrants, nobody is safe.
What happened to America being the land of the free and the home of the brave?
—Jimmy Boegle, jboegle@cvindependent.com
HIKING WITH T
BY THERESA SAMA
The quaint, artsy mountain town of Idyllwild is surrounded by numerous trails, making it one of my go-to happy places—especially this time of year.
It’s the perfect time to escape the scorching heat of the desert. From the Coachella Valley, you can be on an Idyllwild-area trail in an hour or so. The town is nestled in the San Jacinto Mountains at an elevation more than 5,000 feet, so the temperature is always much cooler than it is in the Coachella Valley—by as much as 25 to 30 degrees.
Even though Idyllwild-Pine Cove is a small mountain town, I discover something new with each visit, and I almost always find a new trail. I have spent a lot of time over the years running and hiking the Idyllwild-area trails, so I’m familiar with many of them—but until recently, I didn’t
know that one of the easiest, shortest, shaded and most serene trails can be accessed from downtown Idyllwild.
It runs right along Strawberry Creek, which flows down from Marion Mountain and through the town of Idyllwild. A leisurely walk along this trail will bring the calming sounds of the creek as water gently flows through and over the rocks, creating small waterfalls and stream pools along the way. You may even catch a glimpse of fish darting around in the stream pools, as Strawberry Creek is stocked with rainbow trout by the California Depart-
ment of Fish and Wildlife. You’ll also hear birds singing in the background and see squirrels playing in the live oak, sycamore and various pine trees that provide a blanket of shade for almost every step. There are private-property boundaries along this path, so stay on the main trail, and only use the public access points. Dogs on leash are welcome. The trail runs about a mile in length one way. It starts behind the Idyllwild Brewpub at 54423 Village Center Drive. (The brewpub offers great food with a large selection of their very own craft brews on tap, and has amazing
Beautiful cooler-weather hikes are just steps away from downtown Idyllwild
views of the forest; it’s a recommended and refreshing stop after your hike.)
Another trail that’s a bit longer and more moderately challenging is the is Strawberry Ridge Road, Mystic Creek, and Silver Crag Loop. I haven’t been able to check it out yet personally, but I’m looking forward to it. This trail loop is just less than 4 miles total, with an elevation gain of 813 feet; it should take around two hours to complete. The trailhead is located about 1.5 miles south of Village Center Drive. Take State Route 243 south (toward Highway 74) and turn right onto Tollgate Road. Tollgate will turn into Apela Drive, and that will take you to the trailhead (the Hub Trails system within the San Bernardino National Forest), where parking should be available; an Adventure Pass must be displayed in your vehicle.
The trail has varied terrain and begins at the gentle double track of Strawberry Ridge Road, leading to what could be a steep climb, especially if you’re not used to hiking at high elevations. (The highest elevation point is more than 5,800 feet.) You’ll enjoy great views of Lake Hemet, the surrounding San Bernardino National Forest and the San Jacinto Mountains. It descends on some fun switchbacks before returning via the Mystic Creek and Silver Crag trails, which are moderately difficult mountain bike trails, but are great for hiking and running as well, according to AllTrails. Dogs on leash are welcome.
Here are some alerts and recommendations for Strawberry Ridge Road, Mystic Creek and Silver Crag Loop Trail:
• Again, you will need an Adventure Pass in
your vehicle to use this trail and many other forest trails. Information about where to purchase day passes (for $5), multi-day passes and annual passes can be found at www.fs.usda. gov/r05/passes/adventure-pass.
• The trail has many off shoots where you could easily veer off track, so it’s recommended to have a map, a global positioning system or the AllTrails app.
• This trail can be buggy at times, so it may be a good idea to bring bug spray.
• While this trail is open year-round and is beautiful to visit anytime, roads are subject to seasonal closures, so you may want to visit www.fs.usda.gov/r05/sanbernardino/alerts before you go.
Other cool trails to enjoy around Idyllwild— such as “The Grotto,” and hiking trails at Humber Park, the Idyllwild Nature Center, Lake Fulmor and more—are featured in one of my previous hiking articles, which you can read at CVIndependent.com.
While hiking and exploring the cool, shady trails of Idyllwild, remember that the weather can suddenly change without much notice at all. Just as it is important to stay hydrated and always bring more than enough water, you should be prepared for the varied weather conditions. Dress in layers to accommodate changing temperatures, and wear proper hiking shoes/ boots. Wear a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen to protect yourself from UV rays. Always respect nature by keeping the trails clean; pack out what you pack in; leave trails as you find them; and observe wildlife from a distance to avoid disturbing their natural habitat. Enjoy!
Approaching the beautiful and serene pine forest just after the entrance of the Strawberry Creek trail. Theresa Sama
OPINION
KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORS
BY BONNIE GILGALLON
Ellen Goodman comes across as upbeat, confident and just plain comfortable in her own skin. This stems, in part, from her upbringing in Baltimore.
“I grew up in a time when there was a lot of change in the world,” she said. “It was the ’60s and ’70s, when there were enough guardrails, and also enough freedom, so that I could really express myself as a kid.”
Goodman cherishes her childhood memories of Baltimore, and goes back every year to visit friends—and eat Maryland crab.
While a teen, Goodman got to hang out on the periphery of filmmaker John Waters. She had the best of both worlds—middle-class family protections, and the excitement of being around the
avant-garde film community.
At the age of 16, when Goodman announced that she wanted to be a hairdresser., her mother’s response was: “Huh?”
“There wasn’t pressure on me to do something traditional like become an accountant. My family didn’t follow the norms,” she said. “I come from a line of entrepreneurs. My grandparents were grocers; my father was in retail and in the service business. I felt like I had this opportunity to be anything I wanted.”
After graduating from high school, she went to visit her sister at George Washington University—and fell in love with Washington, D.C. She knew she wanted to spend a lot of time there.
“It literally gave me everything I needed to know to round out my understanding of the world, the domestic U.S., myself and my community,” she said.
Goodman did end up going into the beauty industry, but she’s never cut hair in her life. Instead, after some college and trade-school studies, Goodman went into the business end of things.
“I was able to cut my teeth on how this beauty industry is run inside stores like Saks Fifth Avenue, Lord and Taylor, and Neiman Marcus, in Chevy Chase, Md.,” she said.
Later, Goodman was picked up by a franchise company called I Natural Cosmetics. This was in the ’80s, when it was popular for women to go to malls to get their hair done, a manicure, etc.
“I spent my 20s on the crest of that wave of that mall business. I learned so much about business development, business expansion, startups and large lease negotiations,” she said. “I became their national training director, and later had my own franchise.”
Not only is the beauty industry lucrative; the human side of it was eye-opening as well.
“It was great to know that we could give folks a step up in how they saw themselves— how their confidence, self-esteem, health and well-being increased through these products,” she said, adding that focusing on the humanitarian side, rather than the number of prod-
ucts one could sell, was the key to her success.
In the mid ’80s, Goodman started volunteering on a crisis hotline for a free health clinic in Washington, D.C. After each three-hour stint, Goodman would emerge into the outside world, and feel as though her stresses had been washed away.
“During those three hours, Ellen went away—I was totally connected to whoever I was speaking with on the phone, and that was so rewarding to me,” she said.
In the early ’90s, after years of volunteering, Goodman decided to make a career switch to public service. HIV and AIDS were raging at that time, and though gay men were starting to advocate for themselves, other communities—African Americans, women and intravenous drug users—needed help. Goodman stepped up and took a job with the National Minority AIDS Council.
Several years of that was both physically and emotionally exhausting. Several years later, Goodman decided it was time to leave D.C. She agreed to sublet a friend’s flat in San Francisco for a few months—and ended up staying for 15 years.
She began running the San Francisco office for Variety Children’s Charity. Later, she moved to an organization called Playworks, which works with schools to end bullying, encourage inclusion, and support free and organized play with an adult coach on the playground.
Though she enjoyed her work in San Francisco, Goodman said she knew she wouldn’t stay there.
“It felt very compartmentalized, very disenfranchised, unlike Washington, D.C, where there was a movement—everyone there wanted the same thing, a better life,” she said. “There didn’t seem to be that fire-in-the-belly feeling.”
In 2013, Goodman was looking at New York and Miami for something new.
“Though I had visited Palm Springs a few times, it wasn’t really on my radar,” she said. “I was here with my sister, and she found the position with the Palm Springs Unified School
Meet Ellen Goodman, the director of the Foundation for PSUSD, a successful businesswoman and a lifelong learner
District. The Foundation was looking for its first executive director. I applied, was blessed to be chosen, and got to hit the ground running.”
The Foundation does something that’s more important than ever these days: It raises money for unfunded and underfunded programs and projects at the Palm Springs Unified School District—things taxpayer and government dollars do not cover. How does Goodman stay positive with all the huge cuts to school funding lately?
“I’m basically a positive person,” she said. “And all that time I spent in D.C., working with several different administrations: You strengthen that fire in the belly. You just learn how to keep pushing forward.”
Goodman said she’d advise younger people to take their time while finding their paths in life.
“I’d advise them to enjoy their early 20s—
don’t feel pressured. Just have lots of different experiences, and see what excites them,” she said.
When she’s not working, Goodman enjoys dancing, seeing movies with friends, pickleball, paint by numbers, and hanging out with Bianca, her partner of 22 years, and her dog, Robbie.
As for her personal bucket list, Goodman said: “I really want to horseback ride across Mongolia!” Shof Mongolia all appeal to her. Goodman’s idea of the perfect day off? “Staying home. Doing absolutely NOTHING,” she said. “And I want to make sure I have a nap.”
Bonnie Gilgallon has written theater reviews for the 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.
Ellen Goodman (in the shoe costume) smiles with a student benefiting from the PSUSD Foundation’s Shoes for Students program. Photo courtesy of the PSUSD Foundation
‘A DEVASTATING BLOW’
by KEVIN FITZGERALD
The country is waiting to see the final version of Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill,” which was being worked on by the U.S. Senate in the reconciliation process as of this writing.
All variations of the package include major federal funding cuts that could eliminate health insurance for millions of Americans, including more than 650,000 current Medi-Cal recipi-
ents in Riverside and San Bernardino counties. It could remove critical funding for health-care providers, as well as dollars for critical medical research.
As a result, people are scared. Doctors, health-care administrators and, particularly, lower-income patients are concerned and anxious. Many in the health-care sector, in fact, are so unnerved that they have gone incommunicado, declining to speak to the media about the federal funding cuts and their possible ramifications.
One local provider who did speak to the Independent got cold feet, and called just before this story’s deadline, pleading for us to remove his input—because he feared federal retaliation. (We removed the comments, because we did not want to lose the provider as a source.)
One exception came from the California Hospital Association’s president and CEO, Carmela Coyle. Her public statement, issued on May 12, and provided to the Independent by the CHA ,stated unequivocally: “The legislation proposed by the House Energy and Commerce Committee to enact massive Medicaid cuts is a devastating blow that will be felt by all who need hospital care. … Cuts of this magnitude cannot be absorbed. Hospitals will have no other choice but to reduce patient-care services or, in the worst cases, close entirely. That means care is lost for everyone—children, seniors, privately insured people—no matter what type of health insurance coverage you have. These cuts will further damage an already fragile economy. … Hospitals are often among the largest employers in a community.
“Reducing services and closing hospitals will mean the loss of thousands of well-paying jobs across our state,” Coyle continued. “… Congress must revisit budget priorities. Limiting access to health care is not an acceptable outcome. Hospitals are committed to our patients, our employees and our communities and will continue engaging with federal lawmakers— making sure that every elected official understands how Medicaid cuts will hurt everyone.”
Five of the seven health-care provider organizations and industry associations we contacted—Kaiser Permanente, the Desert Care Network, Eisenhower Health, Coachella Valley Volunteers in Medicine, and Innercare—either
did not respond to interview requests, or told us they were unwilling to speak on the record with the Independent about the damage that could be done.
Only two were willing to speak to us.
One of those two was CJ Tobe, the chief transformation officer at DAP Health; the organization is a provider of “comprehensive health care and support services where all people are seen, heard, and affirmed,” according to its website.
“We’re (still) in the process of trying to get more clarity on exactly what those cuts will look like … and what that impact will be,” Tobe said. “For DAP Health, we could be looking at losing close to a million dollars in HIV prevention funding. … I think one (threat) that’s unrecognized is the cuts to Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS (HOPWA) funding, which is for housing folks who are living with HIV. We know that if you don’t have a roof over your head and food on the table, nothing else in life is really going to matter. We’re looking at that very seriously, because we have hundreds of patients who are living with HIV who currently receive HOPWA support, whether it’s for rent assistance to live somewhere, or even if it’s to live on one of our DAP campuses, where we have housing structures for patients.”
Tobe explained some additional threats within the contents of the “big, beautiful bill” reconciliation package.
“There’s a federal pharmaceutical program called 340B,” Tobe said, “and it provides revenue that comes through organizations (to defray pharmaceutical costs for patients). When patients have a doctor prescribe a medication, and they pick it up from the pharmacy, there is revenue that comes back to the prescribing organization. What these cuts will do is eliminate some of these grants that have connected some of these smaller organizations to obtain that 340B revenue. … We (at DAP Health) will be fine, however, and not affected by this issue at this time.”
Numerous services that DAP Health provides to its larger patient community are also threatened by the proposed cuts.
“We’re talking about anybody who may be coming in for HIV tests, and people who are
Coachella Valley health-care providers brace for federal budget cuts—and many of them are afraid to speak out
trying to get on PrEP (the medication taken to prevent HIV),” Tobe said. “… Outside of the HIV-prevention funding side, there have been different executive orders that have not been made into law, such as recognizing male and female (gender identities) only, invading gender-affirming care services and also the elimination of DEI for anything that we do. We have patients who probably, if we were to guess, are not U.S. citizens, who are receiving care as well.”
DAP Health is not sitting idly by. Instead, their administrative team has been working on contingency plans and identifying ways in which they can fund services to keep their patient community thriving.
“We have a lot of contingency plans in place across the spectrum of all the executive orders that have been issued, while we continue to wait to see what becomes law, and what is enforced,” Tobe said. “At DAP Health, it’s been in our DNA for over 40 years to be ahead of the curve in responding and adapting to whatever the needs may be. We have a dozen contingency plans to make sure that our patients, regardless of who’s in office or what comes through from the government, are going to have access to be cared for. So if and when the time comes for certain things to happen—it
would be like our COVID response and our MPOX response—we’ll flip a switch, and we’ll immediately get into “respond” mode, and implement one of our contingency plans.”
Tobe explained how the organization could respond to a federal mandate to cease all gender-affirming care.
“Since DAP Health is a federally qualified health center, if it’s mandated that we cannot provide gender-affirming care, we need to have contingency plans in place so that our 1,000 trans and non-binary patients … still have access to the care that they deserve, and that they need. We’re looking at different options with different partners, essentially, that will not have to abide by the federal law, because they don’t get money from the federal government.”
At the Martha P. Johnson Youth Drop-in Center at the Transgender Health and Wellness Center (THWC) in Palm Springs, the pain of funding cuts is already being felt.
“We were supposed to receive funding from Housing and Urban Development as part of the YHDP (Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program),” said Renae Punzalan, director of youth services and the administrator in charge of the drop-in center’s operations and
CJ Tobe, chief transformation officer at DAP Health: “I hate to think that we’re going to lose 30 years of so much work that’s been done, but people should not give up. Keep up the fight.” Jimmy Boegle/CVI file
activities. “Our Youth Drop-in Center and our main THWC office were supposed to be access points to connect youth from 18 to 24 years old with housing support. … It was really great that we were working with the county, and that things were going to happen. This was last year. Then, of course, the new administration came in and started creating executive orders, some of which were to defund any kind of HIV and AIDS research, anything dealing with gender ideology, or anything LGBTQ+-related. So all those funds got reallocated, or just disappeared—and we don’t know where the hell it went. That kind of put us in a bind.”
Punzalan said trans staff members have left the organization—and the country, because they no longer feel safe here.
“They want to be out of the United States, and they’re going to Canada or to Mexico,” she said. We’re worried that (the federal government) might do what they’re doing with undocumented folks and make it illegal to be trans. In Texas now, you cannot be trans. It’s illegal to change your documents if you’re a trans person, or identify as trans. It’s giving Gestapo vibes. It’s scary—but this is the time we live in. We wake up every day not knowing what’s going to happen, so I just focus on what I’m doing here at the MPJ.”
As at DAP Health, Punzalan and the rest of the staff are working to find solutions and
make contingency plans.
“Thomi (Clinton, THWC’s founder and CEO) and I started working on some new initiatives,” Punzalan said. “She has this network of friends and supporters who have supported her for years with the Transgender Health and Wellness Center. We created a new program called the Guardian Angel Program, which is a community of LGBTQ+ people who want to support youth. That could be in a multitude of ways. They could sign up as a volunteer to mentor. They could help us at events, or they can donate funding to help a kid or our drop-in center. … The Palm Springs Gay Men’s Chorus is one of our Guardian Angels. They’re like, ‘Just tell us what you need.’ That touches my heart. So we’ve taken her network of community, and we’ve expanded it. … to promote financial support for the drop-in center, because there’s really no other way. We did a fundraiser recently called the Pink Ball, and that funding was allocated to our housing support services.”
Creative thinking and outside-of-the-box solutions are the orders of the day for many nonprofit health-care providers.
“We’re working our grants manager to death,” Punzalan said. “… We can’t get federal grants, (but) there are a lot of different private grants and other foundations out there. We’ve gotten some money from the RAP Foundation, which is amazing. We’ve gotten some funding from the city of Palm Springs (and) some sponsorship for events from Cathedral City and different nonprofits out here. The LGBTQ Center of the Desert has been so wonderful to us. Mike Thompson (the president and CEO) is just an amazing ally, and has been helping us a lot. So our community has really grown, and we’re starting to come together.
“I’m really doing what nonprofits have done (historically), like partnering, throwing events and doing community building. That’s how we feel like we’re going to survive and stay open.”
At DAP Health, CJ Tobe emphasized that people can’t give up hope.
“I would just try to encourage people to continue to speak up in whatever way, shape or form that may work for them,” Tobe said. “Whether it’s writing their elected officials, going to Sacramento to do lobbying work, or donating to DAP Health, try to take action in whatever way you can at this time.
“It’s tough, but we’re going to get through this. It’s sad to see decades and decades of so much work that has been done, even before I was born, to get us to this point where you can live and thrive with HIV—like me, for example. … I hate to think that we’re going to lose 30 years of so much work that’s been done, but people should not give up. Keep up the fight. We have to continue to take action. It’s time to not operate in silos, but work together and come up with solutions on how to better care for the community.”
Renae Punzalan, director of youth services and the administrator in charge of the drop-in center’s operations and activities at the Martha P. Johnson Youth Drop-in Center at the Transgender Health and Wellness Center, said some trans staff members have left the organization. “They want to be out of the United States” she said.
HONORING THE BEST
by Kevin Fitzgerald
As the sun eased its way behind Mount San Jacinto on June 5, casting welcome shadows on the Palm Springs Stadium baseball diamond, it was time for some of the area’s best high school senior baseball players to take the field in the inaugural Coachella Valley All-Star Baseball Classic.
The two teams assembled for this contest were dubbed the Diamond Kings, coached by Jake Knesel of Banning High School, and the Slugger Squad, coached by Ricky Gingras of Palm Desert High School. Their rosters included players from Palm Desert, La Quinta, Indio, Desert Hot Springs, Rancho Mirage, Twentynine Palms, Coachella Valley, Shadow Hills and Banning high schools, as well as Desert Christian Academy, Desert Chapel Christian School and Xavier College Prep.
About 150 fans were in attendance, per the estimate of event director Brian Arrington, who is also the owner and general manager of the newly established FOX Sports AM 1270 radio station in Palm Springs, as well as a former football and basketball coach known to many as Coach B.
The teams battled for seven innings, with the Diamond Kings coming out on top, 6-0.
“We’ve done all-star games (in other sports) for about six years,” Arrington told the Independent after the game, “but this was my first baseball game. It exceeded my expectations. I
have to say a thank you to the athletic director from Palm Desert High School, coach Estevan Valencia, because he helped me with the nuts and bolts of the game. Baseball is sacred, right? It’s America’s pastime. They have rituals and things that you have to do, so he showed me structure, and he made the game a lot smoother for me.”
Arrington also expressed appreciation for Palm Springs Power owner Andrew Starke, who agreed to host the game at his team’s home field, even though the Power’s 2025 season was already under way.
“(The game) exceeded our expectations attendance-wise, and player-participation-wise. We had challenges. For some of the kids … it was still a school day. In Cathedral City, their kids couldn’t participate, because they graduated that day, and Rancho Mirage’s (team) was still in the playoffs. … We had a kid show up at, like, 5:55 p.m. (for a 6 o’clock start), but even with those challenges, the game exceeded our wildest expectations.”
Arrington, who was raised in Compton and
later Downey, got into the business of staging all-star contests for a variety of Inland Empire regional sports in an effort to honor the best participating high school athletes, regardless of financial status.
“We grew up in the inner city,” Arrington said. “We didn’t have much. We really couldn’t afford to participate in sports. When we started our radio show in the Inland Empire, there were all-star games that were charging kids $150 (to participate), and this was 10 years ago. I didn’t think that was right, because you’re only going to get the athletes who come from better backgrounds to participate—but a lot of times, the athletes who are the best athletes don’t come from those means.”
Arrington said he never charges participating athletes, and even gives a partial college scholarship to the player named MVP of each contest.
“They get to keep their uniforms free of charge. Everything is free to them, and we just honor those kids,” Arrington said. “That’s the thing that motivated me to do this—just honor our student athletes, because they’re a precious asset. … There’s nothing like high school. Some of my best friends still are from high school, and I still keep in contact, (although) I graduated 30 years ago.”
The MVP of the inaugural Coachella Valley Baseball All-Star Classic was Christian Adamson of Desert Christian Academy. Playing first base for the Diamond Kings, Adamson tripled and scored two runs in the game. The honor brought him post-game cheers from teammates
and fans, as well as a $250 scholarship check. Arrington acknowledged that the debut of what he said will become an annual event in the Coachella Valley was not just a good thing for participating athletes; it was also good business for his fledgling radio outlet.
“We launched the station in January,” Arrington said, “and we were just looking for creative ways to get community engagement. That’s what we want to do. We want to get involved with the community. Back in the Inland Empire … (the) all-star basketball game we did was really successful for us. Not only do we want to be a sports-talk radio station (with) the biggest names in sports, including Dan Patrick, Colin Cowherd and Doug Gottlieb … but we want to get involved with the Coachella Valley.”
Arrington has no shortage of dreams to pursue in his new broadcast territory.
“Come next year, we want to get more integrated and add more sports,” he said. “Next year, I would love to do girls’ volleyball and maybe girls’ flag football (all-star games). I know there’s already a football game out there, but we’re looking to add other sports as well. We’ll continue this (all-star baseball game), and we’ll grow it. We have some sponsors who saw the result, because we were on Channel 3 (KESQ) news. We received great feedback postgame, and I think we have a couple of sponsors that would really want to get involved, and help us bump up the scholarship (funds) and things like that. I think that we should be around for some time.”
Camden Mudry, a senior at Palm Desert High School, was one of the pitchers who took the mound for the Slugger Squad. Kevin Fitzgerald
CIVIC SOLUTIONS
by MELISSA DANIELS
More families with children across the United States are experiencing homelessness, a grim reality brought on by socioeconomic disruptions and countless untold stories of trauma. But there’s a small bit of good news locally: Here in the Coachella Valley, there’s been an uptick in the number of shelter spaces available, with entities like the Coachella Valley Rescue
Mission (CVRM) increasing services for this vulnerable, fast-growing population.
Founded in 1971 as a soup kitchen for those in need, CVRM in Indio has spent more than a half-century providing a safe place for people experiencing homelessness. It provides emergency shelters, and helps those who become residents via long-term programs that help them get back on their feet.
The shelter is opening a $2.5 million expansion to provide an additional 60 long-term beds for women and children. The expansion also includes a new kitchen, laundry facilities and common areas, plus a playground. The privately funded expansion at the shelter more than doubles its capacity for women and children, and brings the total number of beds to 319.
Scott Wolf, the development director at CVRM, said the most common denominator among people who are unhoused is some sort of trauma.
“The day-to-day immediate causes of homelessness tend to be things like domestic violence, human trafficking, abuse, neglect or abandonment,” Wolf said. “Two-income households suddenly overnight become one-income households; then all of a sudden, you’ve got mom and the kids left with no visible means of support, and the next thing you know, they get evicted, and then they wind up on our doorstep.”
Growing Need, and Growing Response
The increased need at CVRM is part of a larger problem playing out across the country. In 2024, the annual point-in-time count of the country’s unhoused populations tallied 259,473 people in families with children. That was the largest number ever since the count began—a 39 percent increase from 2023, and up 51 percent since its low in 2020, prior to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Around 90% were sheltered—meaning they were in a temporary shelter or safe haven—but the rest were observed on the streets. The statewide and national numbers for 2025 are still being tallied. Wolf, who experienced homelessness himself and received services from CVRM before working for the organization, said many people don’t realize how quickly families can fall behind on housing payments, causing them to
lose their home. Circumstances around mental health, drug addiction or family trauma can exacerbate affordability issues and push families onto the street.
In California, around 187,000 people are experiencing homelessness, and 25,639 of them are families with their children, according to HUD data from the 2024 point-in-time-count.
“(Most people) are amazed at how quickly somebody can become homeless,” Wolf said. While the number of families going without housing may be increasing, the latest figures show that here in Riverside County, the number of “sheltered homeless” is rising. The 2025 point-in-time count in the county tallied about 3,990 unhoused people, per a news release in May. While this was 7% up from 2024, there was a 19% reduction in the number of unsheltered individuals. This means more people are in emergency shelters, transitional housing or safe havens, as opposed to living on the streets.
In particular, there was a 124% increase in the number of families with children who were receiving shelter—in large part due to more capacity. Overall, the county’s shelter bed capacity has gone up 11% since 2024, and 57% since 2023.
Riverside County Board of Supervisors Chair V. Manuel Perez, who represents the Coachella Valley in District 4, credited the increase to public and private collaborations. “By targeting the root causes of homelessness and expanding access to housing and care, we are helping more residents find stability and hope,” he said in the release.
In District 4, which includes the Coachella Valley eastward to the Arizona border, there were 1,062 people in the 2025 count, around 57% of whom were sheltered.
Inside the Shelter
These days at CVRM, Wolf said the shelter is almost always at capacity. Once someone leaves one of the facility’s 90 emergency shelter beds, the mission’s community-outreach teams typically have someone ready to come in.
“A lot of people out on the streets, they’re very wary of strangers. They don’t trust very well,” he said. “Our ultimate goal is to get them to the point where we can ask them, ‘Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired yet?’ and then offer them a ride back to the rescue mis-
The Coachella Valley Rescue Mission adds beds for unhoused women and children
sion, where we can give them further services.”
The gymnasium-sized facility has separate rooms for men and women with beds lined up in rows, where residents watch movies, read or rest. People can stay up to 90 days, and begin receiving case-management services from day one. That includes help securing things like identification, documents or health care from the clinic right next door
“If somebody comes in, and they’re in an addiction crisis, or they’re in a mental-health crisis, that falls outside of our scope,” Wolf said. “So what we do is we get them a rehab or a detox bed, or we get them into a mental-health facility, and get them stabilized, and then they can come back here, and we can start working on other things.”
One big misconception, Wolf said, is that about 40% of the residents in the emergency shelter have jobs. Rather than income, affordable housing is the bigger challenge.
For those who need longer-term assistance, CVRM runs two long-term program—one which is secular, and one which is faith-based. These provide shelter, meals and a structured routine that includes jobs, training and activities for those who are ready to leave the emergency shelter, but don’t have anywhere else to go yet.
Residents are required to spend 25 to 30 hours a week working to help the center’s operations, including jobs at CVRM’s Mission Catering operation or its New Life resale thrift stores. There’s also general care and maintenance to pay attention to, like sorting through the food donations that are picked up from local supermarkets and restaurants. Beyond that, Wolf said, residents work on “life skills”—things like resume building, interview preparation and financial responsibility.
“They’re always busy, and nothing slows down until 4 p.m.,” he said.
In the areas for women and children, one sees the same chatter and crosstalk you’d
find at a playground. Moms and their kids share hotel-sized rooms and bathrooms, and older kids can be enrolled in school. One day this spring, a trio of children engaged in the time-honored activity of turning furniture into a jungle gym, giggling and climbing the couch cushions in one of the common rooms, while their moms watched from the kitchen table.
Stability, Wolf said, is a key part to getting families back on their feet. The shelter counts an 80% success rate one year out from its residential programs—meaning eight out of 10 people who go through the program find a job and keep their homes for at least a year.
But the need still outpaces the resources available. Wolf said the biggest challenge is a dearth of affordable housing stock. While the Coachella Valley has about 9,300 affordable housing units in the works, according to housing nonprofit Lift to Rise, building takes time.
In the meantime, families are still falling through the cracks.
“You could build a thousand affordable housing units in this valley right now, and it wouldn’t be enough,” Wolf said.
How You Can Help
The Coachella Valley Rescue Mission accepts donations to help its residents get back on their feet. While financial donations are always welcome, Wolf also encourages people to donate in-kind items that are unused.
“Everything that you use in your house, we use times 320,” he said.
The donation dock at 47470 Van Buren St., in Indio, is open daily from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. For after-hours donations, visit the security desk. For large donations, call 760-347-3512, ext. 300, to arrange pickup.
Items needed include toiletries, personal-care items, and baby and child essentials.
Learn more at CVRM.org.
Former CVRM executive director Darla Burkett, Riverside County District 4 Supervisor V. Manuel Perez, and current CVRM executive director Amanda Galindo at the ribbon-cutting for the new facility.
CV HISTORY
RRuth Hardy created the Ingleside Inn—and is credited for bring palm trees to Palm Canyon Drive
uth Hardy is best known for developing the enduring Ingleside Inn and going on to serve on the Palm Springs City Council—but her legacy goes far beyond those two accomplishments. She was Palm Springs’ first female City Council member (1948-1960), and one of her proposals was to plant stately palm trees along Palm Canyon Drive. The city of Palm Springs honored by greg niemann
her posthumously by changing the name of the city’s largest park from Tamarisk Park to Ruth Hardy Park.
Ruth Hardy Park, at 700 Tamarisk Road, is spread over 22 acres from Tamarisk Road on the south to Tachevah Drive on the north, and from Via Miraleste on the west to Avenida Caballeros on the east. (Katherine Finchy Elementary School is located in the northeast portion of the block.) The park was built in 1948 on former Torney General Hospital land. The hospital itself is now Desert Regional Medical Center, adjacent to Wellness Park—a fiveacre section with fitness facilities and exercise equipment along a beautiful desert-landscaped quarter-mile walking trail—on the park’s northwest corner.
Ruth Hardy Park hosts numerous community events throughout the year, including the annual Palm Springs Firefighters Fish Fry and the ONE-PS (Organized Neighborhoods of Palm Springs) Picnic and Community Expo. To say Ruth Hardy Park is popular is an understatement. However, the park’s namesake is less well-known.
The Ingleside Inn
Ruth Hardy was a businesswoman best known for developing the historic Ingleside Inn.
Ruth and her husband, Jack, arrived in Palm Springs from Indiana and began operating the Casita Del Monte, a small hotel. (The couple would later divorce.)
The Ingleside was originally a two-acre estate built starting in 1922 for Carrie Birge, the widow of the manufacturer of the exclusive Pierce-Arrow motorcar. George Washington Smith, a Santa Barbara architect and Spanish Colonial Revival specialist, was called upon to design the extravagant home, and local builder Alvah Hicks was the contractor. Mrs. Birge spared no expense with the details; she made several buying trips to Europe to furnish the place. It was said that the value of the antiques was greater than the land and building combined.
After Carrie Birge left the United States to live in Paris, her son, Humphrey, and his wife, Ethel, took over the estate. Their daughter, Caroline, ended up marrying Harold Hicks, son of the contractor who built the Ingleside and a prominent Palm Springs businessman in his own right.
In 1935, Ruth Hardy bought the Birge estate and turned it into the Ingleside Inn, a firstclass, 20-room hotel. She began by inviting special guests into her home—for a fee, of course. She retained much of the original elegant furnishings and antiques, including a bed allegedly slept in by Queen Isabella and a priceless bust of Petrarch’s Laura. The rooms all had fireplaces, and Hardy later added bungalows.
During Hardy’s tenure at the Ingleside Inn, she created an invitation-only hideaway hosting many famous guests. Opera star Lily Pons had her own suite each season for 13 years before she bought her own home. Industrial magnates and royalty joined the likes of Howard Hughes, J.C. Penney and others at the Ingleside. Ava Gardner, Greta Garbo, Elizabeth Taylor (who stayed in Villa 2), Greer Garson, Clark Gable, Margaret O’Brien, Salvador Dali and Lowell Thomas were also guests. Old-timers recall Hardy serving free champagne to guests on any days the sun didn’t shine. She also was a tinkerer, and purportedly once made a workable air conditioner out of odd parts.
The savvy hotelier Hardy was a fan of city
pioneer Nellie Coffman, another native of Indiana who had been running the Desert Inn. Hardy respected the older innkeeper’s ability—and allegedly followed Nellie around to get ideas.
The City Council and Palm Trees
The first elected female Palm Springs City Council member served with distinction for 12 years, from 1948-1960. She came up with the idea to line the city’s main downtown street with namesake palm trees. The city embraced Hardy’s vision, and in the summer of 1949, 300 palm trees were planted up and down Palm Canyon Drive. That fall, the city dedicated the palm trees in an official ceremony.
The 300 trees were half Washingtonia filifera (desert fan palms) and half Washingtonia robusta (Mexican fan palms). Desert fan palms are very tall with thin trunks (about 12 inches in diameter) that sway in the wind. The Mexican fan palms have thicker trunks, and the skirt effect created by dying fronds that droop. Palm trees can live well past 100 years and are able to withstand high winds and even fire. Palm Canyon, the largest of the Indian canyons in South Palm Springs, has the greatest native assembly of desert fan palms in the world.
Ruth Hardy died at the age of 72 in 1965
and is interred at Palm Springs’ Welwood Murray Cemetery. The Ingleside Inn, at 200 W. Ramon Road, was sold to a wealthy person from San Francisco who maintained it for 10 years. In 1975, former New York businessman Mel Haber bought the hotel and spent $500,000 to renovate the property and add the upscale Melvyn’s restaurant. Under Haber, the Ingleside resumed attracting the rich and famous, including actor/Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Frank Sinatra and many others. Haber, who also authored two books about Palm Springs, died in 2016.
The Ingleside remains one of the most exclusive hotels in Palm Springs. Ruth Hardy Park welcomes locals and tourists alike—and Hardy’s downtown Palm Springs palm trees continue to provide photo backdrops for visiting tourists to send back home.
Sources for this article include Bedtime Stories of the Legendary Ingleside Inn in Palm Springs by Mel Haber (Ingleside Press, 1996); Palm Springs: First 100 Years by Mayor Frank M. Bogert (Palm Springs Heritage Associates, 1987); “Palm Springs’ Ingleside Inn has storied past,” by Renee Brown, The Desert Sun, Dec. 5, 2015; and “Ruth Hardy’s Palm Trees” by Denise Ortuno-Neil, Coachella Valley Weekly, Feb. 19, 2015.
Ruth Hardy and the rest of the 1954-1955 Palm Springs City Council. Courtesy of the Palm Springs Historical Society
Mayor Charlie Farrell and Ruth Hardy. Courtesy of the Palm Springs Historical Society
JULY ASTRONOMY
By Robert Victor
The two brightest stars at dusk in July shine at zero-magnitude with contrasting colors: Yellow-orange Arcturus is high in the southwest, with blue-white Vega high in east-northeast.
Next in brilliance in this month’s early evening sky is Mercury, at magnitude +0.4 on July 1, but it’s only a few degrees up in the west-northwest in the glow of twilight, sinking lower nightly, and fading. Use binoculars, and look in first 10 days. Other bright stars are Altair and Deneb, completing the Summer Triangle with Vega; Antares, red supergiant heart of the Scorpion, in the south-southeast; Spica, the spike of grain in Virgo’s hand, below Arcturus; and Regulus, heart of Leo, in the west. Mars has faded to magnitude +1.6, but you can still spot it with the unaided eye 8° to the upper left of Regulus on July 1, and moving 0.6° per day eastward daily, farther from Regulus.
In the evening sky, look for Spica near the moon on July 2 and 3, and Antares near the moon on July 6 and 7. The moon will be full on July 10. The waxing crescent moon returns to the western sky on July 25, and appears near Mars on the 28th, and Spica on the 30th. July’s predawn sky offers some rare events, providing another reason to get outdoors to enjoy the relatively cool mornings. Venus, at magnitude -4, is the brilliant morning “star” in the east. It moves 1.1° per day against background stars, often passing close enough to several stars in Taurus, the Bull, to help you notice the daily change. Watch Venus pass within 7° to the south of the Pleiades star cluster from July 3-6. In predawn darkness on July 4, the sixth-magnitude planet Uranus is visible in binoculars 2.4° to the upper left of Venus. Venus progresses through Taurus, closely engaging stars of the V-shaped head of the Bull formed by the Hyades cluster and Aldebaran from July 9-13. On July 12, Venus appears close to the third-magnitude star Epsilon at the end of the northern arm of the “V.” The next morning, Venus passes 3.2° to the north of Aldebaran. Also before morning twilight begins, find first-magnitude Saturn well up in the southeast to south. A telescope reveals its rings, tipped only 3.6° from edge-on in the first half of July. In the same telescopic field as Saturn this month, just 1° away, is the eighth-magnitude planet Neptune. Finding Neptune so close to Saturn as it is this month and next February is a very rare occurrence. The next chance to see Saturn and Neptune closely paired will be three times, in a triple conjunction, in the year 2132. Follow the waning moon in the morning sky for two weeks, July 10-23. On July 16, the gibbous moon engages closely with Saturn and faint Neptune. In the early morning hours of July 20, the waning crescent moon (23%) engages even more intimately with the Pleiades cluster, covering and uncovering some of its stars. Stars disappear on the bright sunlit edge of the moon, and are more difficult to observe. In morning twilight on July 21, find Venus
7° to the lower right of the 14% crescent moon. Note Jupiter 19° to the lower left of Venus. On July 22, Jupiter will appear 10° below the 7% crescent. On July 23, find the last 2% old moon, 6° to the lower left of Jupiter. On following mornings, watch the gap between Venus and Jupiter close to 11° on July 31.
July is excellent for Milky Way viewing, since a major portion of it is up all night. Look on nights when skies are clear, and the moon isn’t bright. For 2025, the best dates in July at nightfall are July 14-26 (extended a few more nights if you wait until after moonset). In middle of night (around 1 a.m.), the best dates are July 1, 2, and July 21-Aug. 2. Before dawn’s first light: July 1-7, and July 27-Aug. 6. Here are a few events to watch in July.
July 8: Find the moon 13° farther east than last night. From Palm Springs, Antares passes south at 10:08 p.m. tonight, preceding by 1 hour, 23 minutes this month’s southernmost moon, highest at 11:31 p.m., 27° up, nearly 3° lower than Antares’ crossing.
July 9, at dusk: Take a tour of the brightest stars, including the Summer Triangle of Vega, Altair and Deneb in the east; Antares in the south; and Arcturus and Spica in the southwest. In the west, find two fainter objects—Regulus and Mars 13° to its upper left. Tonight from the Coachella Valley, the nearly full moon rises about 20 minutes before sunset. The moon will reach its highest position in the south at 12:25 a.m. tonight, while 22° up.
July 10 before dawn: Saturn’s rings are now 3.6° from edge-on; Neptune is 1° away, in the same low-power telescope field. Uranus is visible through binoculars 4° from Pleiades. Brilliant Venus, Aldebaran and Hyades are all in one binocular field for next few mornings! The Summer Triangle is high in the west, with Capella in the northeast, and Fomalhaut, mouth of Southern Fish, low in the south.
July 11: A lineup of zodiac markers awaits this evening, from west to east: Regulus setting, with Mars 14° to its upper left, both in Leo; Spica in Virgo; third-magnitude Zubenelgenu-
Planets and Bright Stars in Evening Mid-Twilight
For July, 2025
Saturn and Neptune are very close from our point of view, and will be again next February—but that’s the last time until 2132
This sky chart is drawn for latitude 34 degrees north, but may be used in southern U.S. and northern Mexico.
Evening mid-twilight occurs when the Sun is 9° below the horizon. July 1: 46 minutes after sunset. 15: 46 " " " 31: 43 " " "
bi, former “southern claw” of an early version of the Scorpion, in Libra; Antares, south at 9:56 p.m., in Scorpius; another third-magnitude star, Kaus Borealis, northern star of Archer’s bow, and top star of the Teapot, in Sagittarius; and a rising moon in Capricornus on July 11 and 12.
July 12, 1 1/2 hours before sunrise: The moon is in Capricornus. Saturn’s rings are 3.6° from edge-on, visible through a telescope, with faint Neptune within 1°. Pleiades is with Uranus within 3.3° south of that cluster’s brightest star. Brilliant Venus, 3.5° from Aldebaran, is with Hyades, all in one binocular field!
July 13, 1 1/2 hours before sunrise: Arise early this morning to see Venus pass closest to Aldebaran, just 3.2° to the star’s north (upper left). About half an hour later, watch for Jupiter emerging in the east-northeast, 28° to the lower left of Venus. Note, in order from right to left, four solar system bodies visible to the unaided eye: the moon, Saturn, Venus and Jupiter. Use
an optical aid before dawn brightens to add Uranus, 4° south of Pleiades, and Neptune, 1° north-northeast of Saturn.
Mornings of July 29-31: Venus, just out of Taurus into Orion, passes just north of two stars in the top of the Hunter’s club.
The night of July 29-30: It’s the peak of the South Delta Aquariid meteor shower.
The Astronomical Society of the Desert will host a star party on Saturday, July 19, at Sawmill Trailhead, a site in the Santa Rosa Mountains at elevation 4,000 feet; and on Saturday, July 26, at the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument Visitor Center. For more information, visit astrorx.org
Robert Victor originated the Abrams Planetarium monthly Sky Calendar in October 1968 and still helps produce an occasional issue. He enjoys being outdoors sharing the beauty of the night sky and other wonders of nature.
Stereographic Projection Map by Robert D. Miller
Antares
July's evening sky chart.
ROBERT D. MILLER
IN THE EARLY HOURS
of June 6, Cathedral City resident Luz Vargas and a companion spotted something concerning: a white van, apparently from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), along with a gathering of agents, in the parking lot of the old 99 Cents Only store on Date Palm Drive and Ramon Road.
After confirming her suspicions, she recorded the scene on her smartphone.
“We had just dropped my daughter off at school when we saw the van,” she said. “We returned to verify and noticed 20 to 25 agents, including Border Patrol, (Homeland Security) and (the Drug Enforcement Administration) meeting to plan their raids.”
As Vargas and her companion documented the situation, they may have shouted a few choice words to express their sentiments about the agents’ presence in their neighborhood. Although they didn’t have a concrete plan, they recognized the urgency in alerting those who could be affected.
Vargas’ footage was the first of numerous recordings that day that played a crucial role in reaching those capable of mobilizing. She shared the video with childhood friend
Juan Espinoza, an attorney, who was outraged. Vargas recalled their conversation, the core of which was: “How is it that our community is being attacked by these agents—racially profiling people based on skin color and arresting them without warrants? These inhumane policies are tearing families apart.”
Vargas quickly designed bilingual flyers and, with his family’s support, organized a protest the following morning at the scene of the agents’ meeting. His sister remembered thinking, “Even if only five people show up, it’s a start.”
Meanwhile, federal agents conducted raids across the Coachella Valley, targeting locations they believed were frequented by undocumented individuals. Their actions directly contradicted the Trump administration’s stated focus on apprehending violent criminals—but this was no surprise. After all, Trump’s rhetoric has painted undocumented immigrants as criminals, snakes that bite, eating pets, coming from jails and mental institutions, causing crime in sanctuary cities, killing Americans en masse, and stealing Americans’ public benefits and jobs.
On June 12, under apparent pressure from leaders in the farming and hospitality industries, the Trump administration directed Immigration and Customs Enforcement to halt arrests at farms, restaurants and hotels amid growing concerns that the crackdown was harming these sectors. However, after the No Kings rallies on June 14, the president appeared to reverse course, giving ICE the green light to resume—especially in Democratic cities.
Worksite enforcement remains a cornerstone of our efforts to safeguard public safety, national security, and economic stability. These operations target illegal employment networks that undermine American workers, destabilize labor markets, and expose critical infrastructure to exploitation.”
EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS
and news reports regarding the June 6 ICE raids hinted at a chaotic operation lacking clear targets, instead indiscriminately approaching Latino men and demanding identification.
“ President Trump said he was going to do it, and we took him at his word,” one speaker stated.
“That’s why we’ve been preparing for this. ”
In a statement, Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said: “The president has been incredibly clear. There will be no safe spaces for industries that harbor violent criminals or purposely try to undermine ICE’s efforts.
The community’s mobilization began rapidly after Vargas and others shared their videos.
Around 11 a.m., I received a text from a friend alerting me to the immigration raids. As someone who has been involved in activism throughout my adult life, I felt compelled to act. Within minutes, I received another message about a press conference in Palm Desert at the RAP Foundation’s offices, organized by activists and community leaders.
The press conference— which also functioned as a call to action—was led by a dozen or so community organizers and activists from across the Inland Empire. Speakers included the head of the local chapter of the United Farm Workers union, Indio City Councilman Oscar Ortiz, representatives
Youth carry a banner as the protest proceeded down Ramon Road. Credit: Esther Sanchez
Above: Tanya Vasquez was one of the chant leaders in the crowd at the June 7 protest. Like most attendees, she learned about the protest the night before. When asked about her bullhorn, she replied, “I just bought this on the way here this morning. I wasn’t sure how organized this was going to be, so I just took some initiative." Credit: Esther Sanchez
from TODEC (a nonprofit immigrant advocacy organization), the Danza Azteca Citlatonac Indigenous Culture Center, at least one pastor from an East Valley church, and others. Upon arriving at the press conference, I ran into my friend Gabby Armenta, who, along with her sister Citlali, founded Danza Azteca Citlatonac. The Armenta sisters have earned a well-deserved reputation for being the kind of individuals who give their all in their mission to spread cultural awareness and advocate for those in need.
I asked Gabby how everything had come together so quickly.
“We were fortunate to be in the right place at the right time,” she said. “While we were near Cathedral City, we received reports indicating that an ICE raid might be starting. We quickly communicated with our networks, including activists and members from Danza, Codepink and the Women’s March. Within 10-15 minutes, we had confirmation through videos and pictures showing a significant presence of Border Patrol agents arriving in civilian cars and preparing on-site, which seemed unusual.
“Our ability to coordinate a swift response stemmed from our experience as community organizers working with nonprofit organizations focused on social justice. We recognized that something was not right and immediately reached out to other organizers to gather more information and evidence. By noon, I received a call from one organization requesting support.”
By the time night fell in the Coachella Valley, the bilingual flyers created by Espinoza had been posted on social media. I couldn’t
help but relate to the concerns of his sister, who worried about the turnout—especially since the protest, scheduled for the following morning, was being promoted late in the evening. That’s when I first heard about it.
I arrived at the old 99 Cents Only store at exactly 10 a.m., unsure of what to expect. As I pulled into the parking lot, I was surprised to see what looked like at least 100 people already lined up on the sidewalk, holding signs and chanting slogans from past and recent protest movements. Over the next 30 minutes, at least 200 more people arrived; at that point, I stopped counting. It was peaceful, well-organized and full of enthusiasm to unite.
A COMMON NARRATIVE
was shared by multiple representatives at the Friday afternoon press conference was: They had been expecting this for some time.
“President Trump said he was going to do it, and we took him at his word,” one speaker stated. “That’s why we’ve been preparing for this.”
Since June 6, protests have taken place from coast to coast. Trump has deployed the military to Los Angeles in order to quell protests—against the wishes of the governor and local officials.
On June 14, millions of Americans joined together in the “No Kings” protests, which may have been the largest mass protest in U.S. history—on the same day as the lackluster, low-energy, and poorly attended military parade and birthday celebration that President Trump held in Washington, D.C. There is an undeniable sense of urgency, and “No Kings” organizers have set July 17—in honor of Rep. John Lewis, a civil rights activist who died on that date in 2020—as the next protest date.
Regardless of political leanings or personal views on these unfolding events, it is clear we are living through extraordinary times. Local organizers have long anticipated the escalating actions of ICE— while others are only now beginning to awaken to the reality.
Esther Sanchez is a freelance journalist and photographer, and the lead vocalist for the desert punk band The After Lashes. She cut her activism teeth at South Central Farm and never turned back. She is a Coachella Valley native and descendant of the Muskogee Creek and Seminole nations.
2 Restaurants Unlimited Flavors
Tanya Vasquez rests in the shade after a job well done.
Credit: Esther Sanchez
ARTS & CULTURE
DIY ARTS SPACE
By Matt King
Anew space for arts and music is opening in the Coachella Valley, with the intention of alleviating some of the pressures and challenges local creatives have faced.
The CV Collective, located at 1030 Sixth St., No. 8, in Coachella, was slated to open its doors on June 26. Equal parts music venue, art gallery and creative safe haven, the new space is meant to be hub for all things art in the desert. The project is being spearheaded by members of the local arts scene: Leopoldo Treviño (guitarist/vocalist of Bronca), and visual artists Valeria
Moreno and Melissa Grano.
During a recent in-person interview, the trio explained what makes the CV Collective different from other spaces dedicated to the arts.
“We actually fucking care,” Treviño said. “We care about the community. There are different ways to go about caring about community, and this is one of the ones that is greatly missing.”
Moreno said the space will not only house artistic expression, but build a community within the four walls—and, hopefully, beyond.
“I love being creative,” Moreno said. “I like making art, and it’s one of the ways that I express myself more freely, so I want to be able to do that, while also, in a sense, building community. I want to be able to connect with people, especially people from the community we came from, because I feel like it’s really needed out there, especially with the location we’re at. It’s a good place where people from CV can … spend time together and getting to know each other.”
While local venues have come and gone, and have been in short supply, the local arts scene has been consistently growing. Whether it’s a hardcore show, an indie show or an art exhibition, you’ll see some of the same creativity-lovers out and about.
“We’re building a safe space where we can express ourselves, in a place that was lacking expressive outlets,” Moreno said.
The trio of experienced creatives hopes their
combined passion and history can educate and empower other local artists.
“The biggest thing that connected all of us was we wanted to create space for people, and give that resource as people who have gone through the creative pathways of being an artist and a performer,” Grano said. “That wasn’t really given to us. We are from here, so I think that’s the most exciting thing about this. … We fucking care, and not only do we care, but we’re very passionate about what we want to do.”
One of the trio’s goals is to create a space where artists can forge career paths.
“Most of the time, you’re taught that you either have to go into the labor force, or get a really insane job in the STEM field or something,” Moreno said. “Being able to at least surround yourself with creativity opens your mind to … something that isn’t just limited to the ideas or the paths that they laid out in front of us.”
The CV Collective is joining forces with Hot Stuff Booking, a group dedicated to hosting hardcore bands across the desert led by Sage Jackson (with additional help from Jack Harris and Treviño). Although hundreds of desert rockers come out and mosh to many of the Hot Stuff shows, stigma surrounding the hardcore genre, and issues with code enforcement, have caused a few shows to get cancelled and shut down, and organizers to be fined.
“I’ve linked up with Sage, because I’ve been
The creators of the new CV Collective want to build a hub where all creatives are welcome
doing shows here in the Coachella Valley since 2004, and Sage is a transplant from Texas, but it’s almost like he is a native Coachella Valley dude because of how much he’s putting into the work he’s doing throwing shows,” Treviño said. “In the last two or so years, we’ve just had so much heartbreak and headaches of trying to figure out where to throw shows, having them get shut down the day of.”
A recent Hot Stuff show took place behind the Danza Azteca Citlaltonac Indigenous Cultural Center, a local nonprofit that provides information and hosts cultural events showcasing the culture and traditions of the Anahuac peoples of Mexico. Habak, a hardcore band from Tijuana, headlined the show. The CV Collective is located right next door to Danza Azteca.
“It just took one connection with the owners of that private property in Coachella, right next to where they let us throw that Habak show in that parking lot, and they were so excited about it,” Treviño said. “It was so sick that they were not only like, ‘Yeah, you can just have this; there are no conditions,’ but that they know what we’re going to do, and they’re about it.”
Members of the community seem to be excited about the potential of the new arts space.
“Almost off the bat, there are people hitting us up, either on my personal Instagram or the CV Collective Instagram, asking when can we start,” Treviño said. “It’s awesome to know that we’re not going to have to struggle as much
once we get it rolling.”
Added Moreno: “It even looks like the community is very excited about the creativity that’s going to be right next door. There was actually somebody from the apartments right behind us who was like, ‘Y’all are doing art over here? My kid loves art. We really want to stop by.’”
The CV Collective wants to develop a consistent, diverse schedule of events and concerts.
“A steady stream of events and opportunities for community will make it so that we don’t fail,” Treviño said. “… We’re getting more and more shows, and making awesome connections with people who we didn’t know. … All you’ve got to do is mention one name, and then it’s a snowball effect, like, ‘Oh, I know these people from L.A.’ It’s going to be bringing what was an hour to two hours away from the valley to the Coachella Valley, to the city of Coachella.” Jackson, from Hot Stuff Booking, stopped by as we wrapped our interview, and shared his excitement about the new space.
“Everybody prepare themselves for a new era,” Jackson said. “A DIY collective in the Coachella Valley is the first of its kind. So many people want you to take your shit elsewhere, because they think the Coachella Valley sucks—but there’s plenty right here.”
The CV Collective is located at 1030 Sixth St., No. 8, in Coachella. Learn more at www.instagram. com/thecvcollective.
Valeria Moreno paints a wall to prepare for the CV Collective’s opening.
MOVIES & TV
MOVIES YOU CAN OWN
By MATT KING
Apair of filmmaking brothers from the Coachella Valley want to do more than just make movies.
Holy Grail Cinema Club is the project of Tyler and Hunter La Salle. In previous years, they released a pair of productions, Landmark and Shiprock, 1952. On top of creating and producing movies, the La Salles are dedicated to engaging fans of film across the desert and beyond.
Their most recent release is Stormchasers, a fantasy adventure flick that has received attention in Austin and New York City. To watch and to support the La Salle brothers, visit holygrailcinemaclub.gumroad.com.
During a recent Zoom interview, the brothers discussed how they ventured into the world of moviemaking.
“We’ve been creating movies together and creating art together ever since we were kids,” Tyler said. “We grew up making home-video projects and fake documentary and comedy things, and then we started getting into more short-film work when Hunter was probably 15 or 16, which would have made me around 18 or 19.”
Hunter and friends, after making their first short film, Where to Find Me, began volunteering at the Palm Springs International Film Festival.
“Then Tyler became involved, and we kind of discovered our love for it, because we remembered how we used to make movies with our Flip video camera back in the day, and then it just grew from there,” Hunter said.
Shiprock, 1952 was the first short-film project from the brothers to make a splash on the festival circuit.
“While I was living in New Mexico, and Hunter was living in West Virginia, he came out to visit me in October 2023, and that’s where we created our first time-travel short film called Shiprock, 1952,” Tyler said. “It got accepted into the Golden State Film Festival and premiered at the TCL Chinese Theatre in February of last year. That was our first big exposure moment, and we really loved that film. Hunter had also made a couple of shorts prior to that, which led into the style and tone and mood that Shiprock had.”
The La Salle brothers soon began the Holy Grail Cinema Club. It’s meant to be both a hub for them to create their films, and a resource for appreciators of indie film.
“I was working on this movie in which these two brothers searched for their parents who went missing searching for the Holy Grail,” Hunter said. “Tyler, at the time, was working on a podcast all about the Holy Grail, so we got together and collaborated through that. It sort of became this bigger thing where we’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s what the production company is going to be called.’ We came up with
this mission statement of bringing back movies in a way that they aren’t made today.”
Added Tyler: “It’s evoking classic cinema and this adventurous spirit. The third Indiana Jones movie, The Last Crusade, features them going on an adventure to find the Holy Grail. We’re evoking that adventurous spirit of classic cinema.”
Hunter’s time spent volunteering at the PSIFF helped him realize how movies can create community.
“What I learned from volunteering was that it was all about community and collaboration,” Hunter said. “No matter where you were volunteering for that festival, it made you feel like you were a part of the movies that were being shown there. Even the people who are making the popcorn at the theater are part of the movies.”
While Tyler never volunteered for PSIFF, he learned a similar lesson with Shiprock, 1952.
“The collaboration that resulted from that was incredible,” Tyler said. “We met so many of our current peers and friends who we now have in our filmmaking community, and we brought on a few people to work on our next film that we’re currently doing … Stormchasers
The cinematographer who worked on that film, we met at the TCL Chinese Theatre, and he had a movie that was in the film festival. That essence of community that Hunter is talking about, and the spirit of collaboration, is incredible, and it’s tangible.”
Stormchasers proved to be a challenge for the indie, self-taught directors.
“Stormchasers was this enormous project that we undertook following that film festival,” Tyler said. “The logistics were incredible in scope and difficulty, and there were all sorts of problems that arose. … Hunter and I call it our ‘film school project,’ because both of us are self-taught.
“We obtained a film permit to shoot at White Sands National Park and had to figure out the logistics of coordinating travel for the cast and crew, bringing in people from Los Angeles and New York, and then coordinating
Local filmmakers Tyler and Hunter La Salle look to build community via their Holy Grail Cinema Club
travel within the state of New Mexico. We were all over the map during that production process, and managing a crew of 11 to 12 people—it was an incredible process.”
The La Salles’ release strategy for Stormchasers illustrates how the club aims to support and revitalize indie film.
“How movies used to be seen was at the theater, and then it would get a VHS or DVD release—a home release that you could take with you,” Hunter said. “That’s sort of lost now that everything goes to streaming. We find streaming less real—like, it feels like a fake movie—so that’s when we came up with a VHS release. We can have the movie in our hands, and it’s real now, and it’ll always be real. If a streamer decides to take a movie off of streaming sites, (on VHS or DVD), it can live forever.
“If you have an Amazon Prime account and a Netflix account and a Hulu account, you’re paying monthly rent on the movies and the media that you’re able to consume, but you don’t actually own any of that content or movies. In the past, people used to have VHS collections or DVD collections, and you can look over on your shelf at home and see the movies that you owned.”
They hope embracing physical releases will ultimately empower other indie filmmakers— and intrigue fans of older media.
“So much of it came off of the anti-climatic
nature of just posting your short film or your project on YouTube or Vimeo,” Hunter said. “You can send that link out, but at the end of the day, (if you have) a rollout where people receive the movie in the mail, they have it forever. It’s bringing the movies back.”
The La Salle brothers explained how they want the Holy Grail Cinema Club to have an impact on a local scale.
“The Shiprock, 1952 rollout included a showing at Gré Records and Coffee in downtown Palm Springs, and following that, Hunter and I had all sorts of ideas about Holy Grail Cinema Club film festivals that we can do where we highlight independent cinema,” Tyler said. “We also had thoughts and ideas about a brick and mortar … Holy Grail Cinema Club movie theater/VHS store, too, and doing our own rental services, and also doing distribution for independent film, as far as VHS tapes go.”
Said Hunter: “Palm Springs has the Palm Springs International Film Festival, and the Palm Springs ShortFest, but Tyler and I have talked about how there’s not a whole lot of stuff that can showcase, or is willing to showcase, local filmmakers. We owe a lot to the Coachella Valley, so being able to give back artistically and lead in that space is a box we definitely would love to check off at some point.”
Learn more at www.holygrailcinemaclub.com.
The La Salle brothers.
FOOD & DRINK
CAESAR CERVISIA
By brett newton
The Firestone Walker Invitational is familiar to longtime readers of this column. The annual festival began in 2012 as a way for Firestone’s brewmaster, Matt Brynildson, to cash in on his coterie of personal connections in the craft-beer world and invite them to offer their wares alongside local eateries while simultaneously raising money for Paso Robles Pioneer Day, a nonprofit organization in the area. The result is gustatory heaven, and I’ve been going since 2013—after my friend Jose went in 2012 and commanded us to attend the next one. I cannot be happier that Jose did, because the festival has somehow outdone itself every single year. I keep having the pleasure of being invited by Firestone Walker, and for that, I offer another
very sincere thanks.
I hit the Brewer’s BBQ on the eve of the May 31 fest and made sure to catch up with Sean Weir, my liaison to Firestone (and a great guy to talk to), and then find my friend Julian Shrago, now the former brewmaster of Beachwood Brewing. The craft-beer world was rocked by the recent announcement by Urban Roots Brewery and Smokehouse that Julian had joined their ranks as co-brewmaster beside co-founder and brewmaster Peter Hoey. (Watch this space for details, after I have the chance to go up to Sacramento and talk to everyone about this. Suffice it to say that Urban Roots has made a genius move, and Julian’s presence in Southern California will be sorely missed.) I congratulated him, mingled for a bit and retired to get rest for the big day.
I was able to enter the festival an hour early thanks to a VIP ticket. As I promised co-owner Topher Boehm I would do would the
night before, I hit the Wildflower Brewing and Blending booth. I fell in love with their lambicstyle sour ales at a previous fest, and now I’m compelled to try their gorgeous beers whenever I can. I chatted with brewer Chris Allen while I tried this year’s Motueka-hopped table beer (a most welcome light beer, as it was 93° that day), and the latest version of their Hive: Post Brood Blend (one of the most unique sours I’ve tasted). Next up was St. Thomas—a blended sour ale that was fermented with yeast and bacteria collected off flowers native to New South Wales, with cherries added from the same place, giving it a cherry pie-like flavor with hints of marzipan. Finally, I had the Grass Roots, a sour ale blended with aged shiraz and grenache wine, with cherry juice added. The experience cemented Wildflower as a place I will visit first should I ever get to Sydney. Next door were a couple of breweries I’ve had a few dealings with here and there, but I’d
Yet again, the Firestone Walker Invitational proved it is one of the West’s great celebrations of beer
never gotten the time to just enjoy what they do: Heater Allen, from McMinnville, Ore., and There Does Not Exist, from San Luis Obispo. Heater Allen is dedicated to German and Czech styles on which they put their own stamp. Their Pils de Pils tasted fresh, with a wonderful crispness and a lovely bitter finish—an absolutely perfect beer for the hot day. The Book Club Black Beer was a delicious black lager in the Czech tradition with a rich malt flavor and a bit of roast to round it out.
There Does Not Exist brought a number of beers, but I jumped at the saison called South of Nelson, on tap. It had been dry-hopped with Nelson and Riwaka (two of my favorite hops), and since almost no one makes saisons anymore, I couldn’t help myself. I couldn’t have been happier, because it was another mind-blowing explosion of flavor. The hops gave off truckloads of tropical flavors, as well as a flavor that can be best described as “diesel.” That sounds strange, but the brewer was proud—and he should be.
Naturally, I ventured over to a few of the food vendors, both to further overload my senses and keep a base for the beer imbibed. There’s a portion of the festival that happens inside a small, air-conditioned part of the Paso Robles Event Center. It usually has merchandise, but Firestone has been doing sensory panels with various beers, and there is usually food as well. I grabbed a pint of Floe—a dank and fruity West Coast IPA with Citra, Mosaic, Krush, and Nectaron hops from Hop Butcher for the World out of Chicago—and walked inside to grab a cube of each of five different delectable cheeses provided by 15 Degrees C, a wine shop and bar nearby. At this point, I had given up taking notes and
just concentrated on the experience as much as I could. I do remember a sharp cheddar that commandeered by senses and made effusive praise come out of my mouth to the employees serving the cheese.
That said, there was so much more. I said hello to Julian at Urban Roots’ booth and met some of his new co-workers, who heaped endless praise on him for fixing a problematic canning line during the two weeks he had been there. I spoke with Marty Scott, the director of Revolution Brewing’s barrel program and a genius at everything barrel-related. I picked his brain a little, and we discussed how he honed his craft with wine-aging; I would love to be able to chat more with him someday. Along with a couple of big but somehow very subtle barrel-aged ales (they are always the top rated beers for me every year), they had a delicate and beautifully done barrel-aged saison. Although I didn’t make it to some breweries I very much wanted to try, this was one of my favorite Firestone Walker Invitationals yet. At the closing of the festival, those who want to hang out are ushered into the stage area to mill about or sit on the bleachers and enjoy live music (with a westward-facing stage on a hot afternoon—no easy gig). I told my friends how much I was grateful for them coming to experience the festival, because even though I praise it endlessly, I feel like people can’t really apprehend what it is until they see for themselves. Thank you, Firestone, and see you next year.
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.
The Firestone Walker Invitational takes place each year in Paso Robles.
VINE SOCIAL
By Katie finn
If you live in the Coachella Valley, you know that summer here feels like you’re being wrapped in a wool blanket that’s on fire. If your flip-flops are fusing to the pavement, and your steering wheel has entered the molten lava phase of its seasonal cycle, allow me to offer an antidote that involves wine, breezes, greenery and not bursting into flames the moment you leave the house.
Welcome to Fallbrook, Calif.—an up-and-coming wine region just 90 minutes southwest of Palm Springs, where the cooler air moves (gasp!); the grapes grow happily; and the only thing that should be hot is your grilled flatbread lunch. Tucked into the rolling hills of northern San
Diego County, Fallbrook has charm, altitude and—thanks to the brand-new San Luis Rey American Viticultural Area (AVA)—a shiny wine-country identity to call its own.
If you’re looking for a fun, affordable, wine-soaked day trip out of the desert oven, buckle up, and prepare to discover a fun new destination.
Meet the Wine New Kid
The San Luis Rey AVA is California’s freshest face on the wine scene. Established in August 2024, it covers nearly 100,000 acres in and around Fallbrook and Bonsall, with vineyard elevations ranging from 500 to 1,200 feet. Translation: cool breezes, decomposed granite soils, and ideal grape-growing conditions for Mediterranean varietals like Vermentino, Grenache, Tempranillo, Falanghina and Sangiovese.
What’s exciting about the AVA is its distinct climate—it’s just inland enough to avoid the fog, and just coastal enough to dodge the scorcher effect. While you’re cooking eggs on your driveway in Palm Springs, Fallbrook is basking in 78 degree bliss, quietly crafting some of the most elegant and aromatic wines this side of Paso Robles.
Before Fallbrook was wine-famous (OK, wine-emerging), it was known for its avocados. In fact, it still bills itself as the “Avocado Capital of the World,” and the town hosts an annual avocado festival that draws guacamole fanatics from miles around.
Winemaking in Fallbrook actually dates back to the late 1800s, but it was slow to develop—overshadowed by the citrus boom and later by avocado farming. In the 1980s and ’90s, a handful of passionate growers began planting vineyards again, discovering that the soil and weather were ideal for boutique winemaking. Today, that seed has grown into a full-blown wine scene, with the new AVA adding a much-needed badge of legitimacy to the region’s top producers.
Once you make the trek over the mountain, there are some wineries to put on your to-do list.
Fallbrook Winery: One of the pioneers of
the region, Fallbrook Winery offers estategrown wines in a gorgeous hilltop setting. Their indoor tasting room (read: glorious air conditioning) is a welcome reprieve in summer, and their cabernet Franc, rosé and sauvignon blanc are excellent introductions to the AVA’s potential. Bonus: They often host art and wine-pairing events that are both cultured and Instagram-worthy.
Monserate Vineyards and Winery: Set on the bones of an old golf course (you won’t miss the putting green), Monserate has become a local darling. Expect beautifully landscaped grounds, shaded tasting patios and wood-fired pizza that justifies its own pilgrimage. Try their Albariño with burrata and fresh tomatoes—it’s like summer in a glass.
Estate d’Iacobelli: This little gem is open Friday through Sunday and feels more like you’re visiting a wine-loving Italian uncle than a tasting room. You’ll find a friendly staff, an intimate setting and rustic wines that go big on character. The Sangiovese here is particularly worth the trip.
The Vineyard 1924: Built on an old avocado ranch (because of course it is), this stylish boutique winery is all about small production winemaking. With shaded seating, rotating food trucks and a fantastic Grenache, this is the kind of place at which you accidentally spend three hours.
Wine-Lover Summer Camp!
Before you start making reservations, be sure to check out the Fallbrook Wine Trail. Running from July 10 to Aug. 25, the Fallbrook Wine Trail is basically wine-lover summer camp. For just $25, you get a souvenir wine glass; a lanyard and tasting passport; and, for $5 at each participating winery, three tastings. Learn more at fallbrookchamberofcommerce.org.
Participating spots include Fallbrook Winery, Monserate, Estate d’Iacobelli, Adobe Hill, Beach House Winery, The Vineyard 1924 and Myrtle Creek. You don’t have to hit them all in one day (please don’t), but you do get to collect stamps, post selfies, and make your wine-fueled mark on the region.
Escape the furnace with a wine-lover’s day trip to Fallbrook, center of California’s newest AVA
Because no one can survive on wine alone (trust me, I’ve tried) there are a few great spots to fill the belly on any budget—and thankfully, Fallbrook’s dining scene has leveled up in recent years.
The Coal Bunker: Fallbrook’s newest cool-kid hangout, this swanky-casual bar and kitchen is all exposed brick, cozy booths and handcrafted cocktails. The menu leans gastropub, with standout burgers, hot dogs and killer mac and cheese varieties.
127 West Social House: This local favorite nails the laid-back wine country vibe. Think upscale comfort food, craft cocktails and a rotating selection of California wines on tap. Sit on the patio under the twinkly lights and pretend you don’t have a work email waiting. Fresco Grill (technically in Bonsall, 10 minutes away): A true Italian gem with a locals-only feel. With house-made pasta, garlic bread that should be illegal, and a wine list that balances local stars with Italian classics, it’s perfect for that “let’s get one more bottle” kind of night.
The Veranda at Grand Tradition: If you’re looking to impress someone—or just want to treat yourself after a long, hard day of drinking
wine—this elegant lakeside restaurant is the move, with white tablecloths, thoughtful plating and stunning views. It’s ideal for brunch, special occasions or a slow, wine-paired lunch that feels like vacation.
If wine is only part of the agenda, there are other summer activities and cool things to do. Of course, there’s avocado everything: From local guac to avocado soaps, Fallbrook makes sure its favorite fruit gets center stage—even in the summer.
Look, we all love Palm Springs. But sometimes, you need to swap sand for vineyard views, trade 114° for a breezy 82, and say, “Thank god I’m not in the desert today.” Fallbrook’s still under the radar enough to feel special, but polished enough to make the trip worthwhile. Whether you go for the day or make it a weekend, you’ll come back with new wine favorites, avocado souvenirs and a slightly smug smile from discovering California’s next great wine region—before everyone else does.
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.
The San Luis Rey American Viticultural Area was designated just last year. Bf2002 via Wikipedia
Docs? Got ‘em. International dramas? Yep. Late-night weird stu ? Oh yeah. Whatever you’re into, there’s something for you at ShortFest. Seven days, 300+ short films, filmmakers from around the world, and a community of people who seriously love cinema.
June 24–30 | Festival Theaters
You like movies? You’ll love shorts.
FOOD & DRINK INDY ENDORSEMENT
We get a rotisserie chicken and a delicious crepe at different Cathedral City spots
By Jimmy Boegle
WHAT A rotisserie chicken
WHERE Juan Pollo, 69160 Ramon Road, No. 101, Cathedral City; also at 50225 Harrison St., No. 101, Coachella
I’ve been driving by the Juan Pollo location in Cathedral City for five years or so, but I never stopped in. While the regional chain—with two locations in the Coachella Valley, and twodozen others around Southern California— offers various items (all including chicken), at its heart, Juan Pollio is a rotisserie chicken joint … and rotisserie chicken is ubiquitous
All the grocery chains sell tasty rotisserie chickens—for a lot less than the $15.99 price tag at Juan Pollo. But I finally decided to stop in to answer the question: Is a Juan Pollo chicken worth the extra cost?
I got a “mini pak” ($27.99) to go, with three medium sides, salsa, tortillas and one whole chicken. The sides ranged from good (the chicken-infused rice) to meh (the potato salad, which was bland). As for the chicken? Yes, El Pollo’s chicken is definitely worth the extra cost.
WHAT Berry Nutella crepe WHERE GiGi’s Crepes Waffles and Juices, 68030 Vista Chino, Cathedral City
HOW MUCH $14.75
CONTACT 760 668-5628; gigiscrepes.com
WHY Good ingredients.
I don’t think I’ve ever had a bad crepe. But this makes sense; as long as the crepe itself is made properly, and the ingredients going in or on said crepe are 1) quality and 2) go together well, you’re going to get something yummy.
I was thinking about this on my recent visit to GiGi’s Crepes Waffles and Juices. It was during the noon hour on a Saturday, and when I got there, I was the only customer. I went to the counter and ordered the berry Nutella crepe—with strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, Nutella and a whole lot of whipped cream— along with a coffee. The crepe, made fresh, arrived at my table several minutes later. The crepe was made properly; the ingredients inside were quality and went together well (the fruit in particular was fresh and fantastic); and I devoured the delicious, decadent treat.
For those who are not fans of sweet crepes, GiGi’s also offers a savory chicken crepe, along with—as the name says—waffles and juices, as well as bowls, savory sandwiches and even a quesadilla.
Put simply: It tastes better. The meet is juicy and delicious, and the skin is OMGgood. The Juan Pollo website explains: “Our rotisseries use the natural oils dripping from the chickens above to consistently baste the rest of the batch. This constant basting, when finished with a high flame, gives the unique, delicious flavor and texture to the skin of our chicken.” Noted!
We had leftovers, and the next day, I put some chicken in one of the tortillas, heated it up with some cheese, and added some of the (legitimately spicy) salsa. It was so good.
I’m officially a Juan Pollo fan.
GiGi’s crepes are good, and crepes are generally good, so why was the restaurant empty during lunch hour on a Saturday? Maybe it’s the price; $14.75 for a dessert crepe is not cheap, but nothing is cheap these days. Maybe it’s the location; GiGi’s is located at the end of a little shopping area, next to a nail salon, and near a CVS and a Jack-inthe-Box—and the doors face the very end of the parking lot. Maybe it was just a slow day when I was there.
I honestly don’t know—but I am rooting for GiGi’s to succeed. The world can always use more delicious crepes, after all.
because where you donate furniture matters.
Restaurant NEWS BITES
By charles drabkin
SUMMER IN THE COACHELLA VALLEY MEANS CLOSURES, REDUCED HOURS AND THE STATE’S SUN BUCKS PROGRAM
A quick reminder: Many restaurants reduce their hours in July and August—and others close entirely—so please check websites or make a phone call before heading out to eat, especially if you plan on dining out early in the week.
The state has renewed its Summer Food Program in 2025. Families with school-age children who qualify for free and reduced-price meals through CalFresh, CalWORKS or Medicare, as well as children attending Head Start, experiencing homelessness, living in foster care or considered runaways, will be enrolled in the SUN Bucks program, which provides $40 per month for each child in June, July and August. If your child is not automatically enrolled, or to learn more, visit cdss.ca.gov/sun-bucks. An important note in these times: Participating in SUN Bucks does not affect a family’s immigration status.
DESERT MOON, ROOSTER AND THE PIG TO CLOSE TEMPORARILY FOR ELECTRICAL UPGRADES
Due to electrical work being done in the building, both Desert Moon, at 350 S. Indian Canyon Drive, and Rooster and the Pig, at 356 S. Indian Canyon Drive, in Palm Springs, will be closing for a few weeks this summer.
You may remember that in 2023, significant and unexpected electrical issues closed Rooster and Rio Azul Mexican Bar and Grill (where Desert Moon is now) for four months during the busiest time of year—and probably contributed to the eventual permanent closure of Rio Azul.
IN BRIEF
Two Palm Springs pizza places are expanding. Bill’s Pizza, at 119 S. Indian Canyon Drive, is taking over the storefront next door for takeout orders; learn more at billspizzapalmsprings.com. Giuseppes Pizzeria will soon open a second space at the Shadow Ridge Golf Club, at 9002 Shadow Ridge Drive, in Palm Desert; get details at giuseppesps.com. … Popular Rancho Mirage bistro Si Bon has opened the new Si Bon Bakery and Café at 70225 Highway 111, Suite A, in Rancho Mirage, in the former home of the Pastry Swan. Get the scoop at sibon-sogood.com. … Burger Box, which closed last year after 70 years in business, is set to reopen! A former employee bought the restaurant and is trying to bring back much of the former staff. The restaurant is at 81201 Indio Blvd., in Indio; we couldn’t find a website, so watch this space for updates. … Back in March, we told you that Play Lounge had changed ownership; now the name has changed, to The Social Café and Play Lounge. Learn more at thesocialps.com. … Now open at The Thompson Palm Springs, at 414 N. Palm Canyon Drive: Bar Issi, which bills itself as an elevated coastal Italian Restaurant with seasonal California ingredients. House-made pasta, wood-fired pizzas, a raw bar and gorgeous cocktails are the name of the game. Bar Issi is open for dinner nightly, with brunch Friday through Sunday; thebarissi.com. … The family behind Felipe’s Palm Springs, El Patio, El Tacolgado and several other restaurants is expanding their culinary empire with two new ventures, both in the former home of The Alibi, at 369 N. Palm Canyon Drive, in Palm Springs. Sunset, a restaurant with California cuisine, and Afterhours, an elevated upstairs bar/speakeasy, are slated to open in October. It’s exciting to see this iconic location brought back to life by a knowledgeable team; watch this space for updates. … A new French restaurant has opened in the space most recently occupied by From Mouth to Mouth, at 67730 E. Palm Canyon Drive, No. 103, in Cathedral City: Les Filles Café and More offers croissants, pastries, baguette sandwiches and focaccia. Watch the under-construction website for details: les-filles-cafe. com. … Fans of matcha should head to 73833 El Paseo, Suite 101, in Palm Desert, where Buena Matcha offers a nice selection of matcha powders and drinks. For those unfamiliar, matcha is a lovely way to enjoy a caffeine boost without the strong hit associated with coffee; buenamatcha. com. … The Trilogy Golf Club, at 60151 Trilogy Parkway, in La Quinta, has a new destination for lunch and dinner. Kitchen Ten Eleven serves gourmet burgers, pizzas, pastas and more; check out mytrilogylife.com for the full menu. … The new Disco Rabbit, at 78015 Main St., No. 108, in La Quinta, serves a variety of grilled-cheese sandwiches and other classics, as well as New Zealand-style ice cream, including vanilla soft serve with fruit blended in. Find out more at discorabbit.xyz. … Finally, two closures: Guacamoles, at 555 S. Sunrise Way, Suite 108, in Palm Springs. has closed. Rumors are that the cause was a steep rent increase: This solid taco/burrito joint will be missed. … We are also sad to see the closure of J’s Deli, at 74225 Highway 111, in Palm Desert; it had been open since 2022. Good luck to everyone involved. Do you have any hot tips or news to share? Reach out: foodnews@cvindependent.com.
MUSIC
HIP-HOP-INFUSED GRUNGE
By matt king
Alocal genre-bending artist is returning to the stage after a hiatus.
Mike Lavish is a local musician who bridges the gap between hip-hop and edgy rock, combining rap flows with guitar and live drums. Latest single “HELLBOY” goes back and forth between moments of punk drumming and ripping guitar, with electronic 808 beats.
After a two-plus year break from performing live, Lavish will return to the stage, at Little Street
Music Hall in Indio, on Saturday, July 19, to celebrate the release of his EP ROAD 2 HELLS CANYON
“I took a step back to just focus on finishing my projects,” Lavish said during a recent phone interview. “I’ve been working on an album, and I never wanted to rush anything. I decided I was going take a step back from the stage and performing unreleased songs, and just focus on getting everything finished and ready to release, so that way, people can enjoy the music (at shows) and have already heard it, as opposed to just constantly hearing unreleased music.
“Also, to hustle and get a budget to properly promote and market this music was a very important thing to me, because you can only go so far when you’re not putting money behind you.”
Lavish is a dedicated creative, and pours 100% into each of his releases. With six singles spread across six years, he said he remains motivated in his quest to soon release a fulllength album.
“I usually try to give it my all every time,” Lavish said. “I always try to film content, post online and do as much as I can. Sometimes it gets discouraging when you’re ‘up and coming,’ because you don’t always see the numbers you want. It’s really easy to lose momentum, but I just try to power through it. The last release I did was ‘HELLBOY’ in January, which is the first single off my EP that’s coming (in July).
I’ve got the second single for that EP dropping soon, called ‘GRUNGE, PAIN, RAGE,’ and the EP … is a prequel to the upcoming album HELLS CANYON.”
Lavish crafts a lore that connects his music and visuals.
“I’m doing a lot of storytelling, and I’m doing a lot of world-building,” he said. “This whole HELLS CANYON thing is actually like a universe. Everybody at some point in their life walks through their own version of HELLS CANYON, which is exactly what it sounds like—all the trials and tribulations, all the hard things in life that we’ve got to push through, and when you get to the other side, you’re stronger. My way of telling this story is just talking about all of my experiences,
a lot of hardship that I’ve gone through. All of these songs that I’ve made are inspired by real-life moments: struggling with mental health, struggling with relationships, with friends, with family, with lovers, toxic people. You name it; I touch on it, and I do it in a way that’s still entertaining and kind of creative.”
Lavish described his “elevator pitch” as “’90s grunge infused with the soul of hip hop, telling my story as if it was directed by Quentin Tarantino. I try to put my own spin on everything and make some captivating visuals.”
Lavish recalled the moment he knew he wanted to do more than just hip hop. He was watching the Rolling Stones perform in Indio in 2016.
“The moment for me is when I saw Mick Jagger onstage at his big age, just killing it,” he said. “I knew at that moment, I didn’t want to be a rapper; I want to be a fucking rock star.”
Lavish’s songs go beyond the traditional rap formula and experiment with simpler lyrics, rock screams, guitar tones and loud drums.
“I can be the most intricate lyricist if I wanted to be, but I’m not giving myself so much pressure as a songwriter to be extravagant,” Lavish said. “I can do this, but it’s very technical, so I substituted all that technicality for more melodic and feeling-based stuff. With that said, if you truly are somebody who enjoys lyricism, you can listen to my stuff and hear a bit of the AB rhyme formats, the metaphors and stuff like that. I’ve just always been inspired by both genres, and I would hear things from different aspects of the music that I wanted to throw together. I like making my voice sound like it’s coming through guitar pedals; I like the bass guitar; I love tom fills; I love live drums; and I love hip hop drums. I just mesh all those things together and have created my own sounds.”
Lavish, in his own words, is making the music he wants to hear.
“A majority of the time, I’m listening to my own music,” he said. “I really love what I create, and it’s not coming from a cocky, arrogant, fullof-myself standpoint; I just genuinely love this shit. It makes me happy, and I’m really excited to share it with the world. My goal as an artist
Mike Lavish returns to the stage to celebrate a new EP— and tell his own story
is to share my story and help people write theirs … and know they’re not alone walking through their own HELLS CANYON, because I’ve been through my own.”
Ahead of his first show in years, Lavish said he’s excited to share his new music and perform again.
“That was my favorite thing to do—just express all this energy that I have inside and share it with people,” Lavish said. “What I’m really excited to do is create an experience for
everybody, and bring everybody to this world, to this HELLS CANYON, and show everybody what I’ve been cooking up for so long.”
Mike Lavish is set to perform at 6 p.m., Saturday, July 19, at Little Street Music Hall, at 82707 Miles Ave., in Indio. The event will also feature Tina Turntables, Gear, Bug-Stomp, and Jaelyn. Tickets are $10, available at the door. For more information, visit www.instagram.com/ kickassbooking.
Mike Lavish. Sebastian Abreu (@spaceboyuno)
MUSIC
THE NEXT GENERATION
By Haleemon anderson
Rocker Jason Zembo and his band Whitewater were about to go onstage at the 2024 Battle of the Bands at The River when they found out desert rock-legend John Garcia would be at the judges’ table.
They had 20 minutes to contain their anxiety before competing in a battle that would change the trajectory of their career. That “holy (crap)” moment fueled Whitewater, which ultimately
reached the finals, but walked away with something even better: Garcia’s admiration.
“After the show, he comes up to us,” Zembo said. “He said our music took him to a place that he hasn’t been taken to before. (It was) the hugest compliment we could ever get from a musician. … It made us feel incredible.”
Six months later, Whitewater would get another jolting compliment from Garcia.
“It’s early May or late April; we’re at a band rehearsal,” Zembo said. “While running our songs and working on new music, we get texted on Instagram by John, saying, ‘Hey, I want you guys to open for us.’ We stop what we’re doing. We’re like, holy … like, oh my gosh. We’re telling everybody. We’re like, ‘Yes, yes, of course. Of course, we’d love to open for you.’ Then they asked me for Empty Seat’s contact. I gave it to his booking agent—and it was just as simple as that.”
Garcia is currently on tour—16 one-nighters crossing North America. The final stop, on Saturday, July 19, at Pappy and Harriet’s, will switch out its original opening acts and insert Whitewater and Empty Seat.
“We met with him for the (promo) pictures recently,” Zembo said. “He was telling us how he sees this as more than just the ending of his
tour. He sees it as a chance to showcase that the valley’s still putting out kick-ass music, and that rock is still alive and kicking in the desert. He really emphasized that he wants this to be about us just as much as him. … We’re blessed to have him in the scene looking out for everybody.”
On the night the members of Whitewater faced judgment from one of the godfathers of the genre, they’d only recorded a few demo tapes and had not released music. They’re a fairly new group, formed at the end of 2023. Two of the four members (Zembo, vocals and guitar; Daniel Duardo, drums; Emanuel Torres, bass; and Ryan Priest, guitar and vocals) are not yet of drinking age.
Zembo remembers seeing Garcia’s reaction to Whitewater that night.
“I’m singing, so I was looking (at) the audience, and he’s got his phone out. So either he thinks we’re horrible and wants to laugh at it later, or he likes us,” Zembo said.
Pioneer, innovator, founding father—these are all terms that have been used to describe Garcia’s outsized influence on desert rock. The genre is synonymous with Kyuss, Garcia’s seminal band with guitarist Josh Homme (who founded Queens of the Stone
Desert-rock legend John Garcia chooses two young bands to open for him at Pappy and Harriet’s
Age after the breakup of Kyuss in 1995).
In the ensuing 30 years, Garcia founded other bands (Slow Burn, Unida, Vista Chino) and lent his skills to myriad others. Demand hasn’t waned; a quick scroll through Garcia’s social media reveals multiple pleas to “come to” Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Europe.
Veteran music journalist Bruce Fessier has spent decades chronicling the Coachella Valley music scene. He said Garcia’s role in taking desert rock global cannot be understated.
“He created something original with the band Kyuss—and Kyuss is the band that spread desert rock all around the world,” Fessier said. “That’s the phenomenon. They broke up, what is it, 30 years ago? They’re more popular now than they were 30 years ago.”
To the novice listener, the sound of desert rock may be hard to pin down. Fessier has studied the music. He said it is inextricably linked to the earth and sound’s ability to reverberate against its surroundings. In his research into the music of Native cultures, Fessier said, he sees a connection in music created outside and the generator parties rockers threw against a desert backdrop.
“The thing about the generator parties is that the musicians came from a punk background,” said Fessier. “Black Flag was probably the most important inspiration for the original punk rockers and desert rockers. They were called ‘stoner rockers’ at first, but most of them didn’t like that term. They called themselves desert rockers. Once these punk rockers got outside, playing in the hills, or in plateaus
among the hills, they would hear their music bouncing off rocks. They realized that the reverberation was another musical instrument, and they would find themselves fascinated to play off of that instrument.”
Fessier said originality sets desert rock apart from its stoner and thrasher relatives.
“The thing that distinguished it more than anything else—and this is something I’ve had conversations with Mario Lalli (another seminal figure in desert rock history) and others about, (with) my research into Native American music and the Cahuilla—is that you don’t sing somebody else’s song. Desert rock is an individual art form, and the one rule is: You don’t sound like anybody else.”
The duality of geography, with the mountains and plains in such close proximity, is said to have produced a spiritual yet tangibly physical sensation, sometimes called “trance.”
“It’s a visceral experience to people who live here and look at the mountains every day,” Fessier said. “Then they look at the flatlands. … With that dualism in mind, you can play music in any variety, and it’s still going to have the dualism of this desert. It can be thrash metal, or it can be hip hop. It can be country, but generally, desert rock is a punk orientation combined with a jam mentality.”
These weren’t songs with traditional verses, a bridge and chorus, according to Fessier. “It was just a jam, without songs in mind. That is the greatest contribution that these desert rockers have made in pop music—combining punk with jam.”
Empty Seat.
Whitewater.
MUSIC
Matt King, a member of Empty Seat (and the Independent’s music writer), said the vibe known as “trance” is an indelible part of the desert rock experience.
“I love playing music with all of my heart, and sometimes when I’m playing, I just kind of space out, go out on a tangent, and disassociate a little bit,” King said. “Some of the trance or psychedelic-like elements come from having an out-of-body experience when performing and playing—and just letting the music take over. … I think it has something to do with the emptiness and quietness that’s out in the desert, and just filling it with something that’s super-spontaneous. It ends up sounding weird, because it’s a weird place that we live in. There are million dollar golf courses, and then there are impoverished neighborhoods, like, five feet from each other. There’s this beautiful desert where the beauty is made up of dead plants, and such a strange mix of stuff. I feel like it’s only right for the music that’s coming out of the people who live here to be so strange and so trance-like.”
King joined Empty Seat about three years ago, several years after the Los Angeles-based band moved to the Coachella Valley. With powerhouse vocalist Erin Marie, Rickey Villalobos on drums, guitarist Anthony Ferrer and King on bass, Empty Seat caught the attention of Garcia.
“I think he’s really excited about the fact that there are still rock bands out here in the desert,” King said. “In terms of what’s super popular, there are not a lot of live bands or instrumentation, or guitars, (or) true rock vocals. But in the desert, there’s so much of that, and there are so many bands that are still working really hard. I think John has picked up on the fact that we stayed true to our influences with Empty Seat. … The desert really has this power.”
King said the transcendent quality that emerged from generator parties is alive today—although it’s more likely to be found at a nearby venue than out in the desert.
“There’s just something out here that really makes you rethink music and then add this heaviness, but also this spaceiness,” King said. “It’s like a contrast of things, and it’s just beautiful, and we try to wear that on our sleeves. I think (Garcia) heard that coming through.”
King said it’s a true honor to be invited by John Garcia to play at his show.
“The music we create with Empty Seat has a lot to do with the sound and style that John Garcia and the rest of Kyuss made popular back in the day,” King said.
John Garcia will perform with openers Whitewater and Empty Seat at 9:30 p.m., Saturday, July 19, at Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace, at 53688 Pioneertown Road, in Pioneertown. Tickets are $42.75. For tickets and more information, visit pappyandharriets.com.
LURED BY THE DESERT
By Matt King
FireBug pours blues guitar and rock drums into experimental, haunting and belting vocal productions. The Joshua Tree band’s new single, “Time Marches On,” slated for release on June 27, explores a series of trippy desert disco vibes.
The band is set to perform at Pappy and Harriet’s on Thursday, July 17. During a recent interview with Juliette Tworsey and Jules Shapiro, the duo behind FireBug, they reflected on past
performances at Pappy’s.
“The first time that we were ever brought up to the high desert (was after) producer Chris Goss (Kyuss, Queens of the Stone Age) saw us at the Viper Room when we were living in L.A.,” Shapiro said. “This was a little over 10 years ago, and he brought us up, and our first Pappy’s gig was at that time. He brought us up to record at Rancho de la Luna. … Then we played with Flames of Durga, like in 2022 or 2023.”
Tworsey and Shapiro are high desert denizens, after living in Los Angeles and New Orleans. The musicians have taken note of how the desert has impacted their creative output.
“It’s totally different than living in a city,” Tworsey said. “It’s a different way of life. Everything’s more sparse, and it’s a lot quieter. There’s more space and nature, so that’s worked its way into some of the songs that we’ve written. The nighttime skies and the stars really help creativity.”
Desert-rock history runs deep, with many talents contributing to the creation of a genre and a scene. FireBug’s song “Run” hones in on the heavy yet spacey desert-rock vibe, and kickstarted a series of connections for the duo among legends of the Coachella Valley/high desert music community.
“That (song) kind of brought us into the realm—the desert rock thing going on there,” Shapiro said. “Chris blended his ideas with our full band at the time. We did a few songs with him. ... There’s a lot of history in the desert. I’ve learned a lot just living out there about the different bands that started in the early ’80s with Kyuss and Yawning Man, and all these other bands. We weren’t really that familiar with a lot of that stuff before. We got to meet Josh Homme (Kyuss, Queens of the Stone Age), and he came by for a mixing session with the guys. We’ve made some really good connections and met some great people since we first came here.”
Shapiro agreed that the desert has an alluring quality.
“A long time ago, we opened up for Donovan, from the ’60s, and he lived up there for a long time,” Shapiro said. “It’s kind of cool to have this blend, going way back to Gram Parsons and all that stuff. We love to be a part of it. It’s nice to have all that history and to be able to create in this special place.”
New single “Time Marches On” started with Tworsey practicing on the keyboard.
“Sometimes I alternate the way I rehearse,” Tworsey said. “Sometimes I use sheet music to try to practice playing piano and reading, and then I’ll take breaks from that and just play stuff where I don’t even know what I’m doing. I was improvising this piano part, and this one
Joshua Tree rock band FireBug releases a new single before a performance at Pappy’s
seemed to kind of stick. I kept coming back to it, and I came up with a melody, and I started playing and singing it, and Jules came in from the other room and said, ‘What is that? I really like that. It’s different and unique.’”
“Not everything makes it into the so-called list of songs that we play or record, because some are better than others, but this one stuck. It just so happened to be a little bit different. Working with Jordan Lawlor (producer for Beck, M83, Deftones), he put his own flavor on it as well, so that took it even into another direction.”
The single drop is being accompanied by the premiere of a music video. Directed by Joe Rubinstein, the video showcases the band performing their song as psychedelic visuals and nature sights dominate the frame.
“Joe Rubinstein, he edited the video as well, but he worked on the last single for Flames of Durga, the song ‘Bicker,’” Shapiro said. “We had ideas and were going back and forth. We tried to be as creative as we could within one space, and just try to make things visually cool and fun to watch. I think we accomplish that pretty well, and it keeps your attention.”
The members of FireBug are celebrating another big accomplishment. The new Apple TV+ series Smoke, created by Dennis Lehane (The Wire, Black Bird), features the FireBug jam “Moment of Joy.” Tworsey explained that song placement and syndication on streaming services are new forms of “making it” in the music biz.
“It’s very difficult to make money as a musician, and break into the industry,” Tworsey said. “Sync placement is great. We’re superstoked about this and the Apple TV placement. We’re just hoping that we can continue to create music and record quality material. We hope that this is the start of more placements.”
Tworsey and Shapiro wanted to express their appreciation for their live band members, Robert Bowman and Tyler Ontiveros.
“Rob and Tyler are our rhythm section, and we’re really happy to have those two on board with us,” Shapiro said. “We haven’t played out as a full band in quite a while, so this is our first full lineup show. Everybody’s sounding really good—so come on out!”
FireBug is set to perform at 9 p.m., Thursday, July 17, at Pappy and Harriet’s, at 53688 Pioneertown Road, in Pioneertown. Flames of Durga and Asher Moss are set to open. Tickets are $20.21. For tickets and more information, visit pappyandharriets.com.
Juliette Tworsey of FireBug.
MUSIC
SUBDUED GROOVES
By matt king
Alocal musician known for making electronic pop bangers is now creating music dedicated to authentic instrumentation and subdued grooves.
Sebastian Camacho, the bassist for Koka, recently started his career as a solo singer/ songwriter with the release of his debut single, “No Need to Rush.” A stark contrast from the club anthems he wrote with Koka, “No Need to Rush” is a warm bed of instrumentals featuring
small hints of psychedelic rock and acoustic folk. Camacho’s vocal delivery is somber and subdued, yet sweet; the song also features enchanting saxophone and trumpet solos.
During a recent phone interview, Camacho said these softer musical sides have always been a part of him.
“Koka was a blend of three people’s tastes,” Camacho said. “I’ve always been very diverse when it comes to listening to what I like to listen to. The best way I can describe it is: When you’re in a band, you mix everybody’s ingredients together, but you still have a lot more left in your vault that you don’t get to use. (In) the music that I want to create now, I want to use all those ingredients I didn’t get to use, but I also want to try to use things that I wasn’t able to use in the past. Koka was much more drum-machine-heavy, and for this project, I really want to focus on live playing and live instruments.”
Camacho’s solo music is a passion project that had been put on hold for years, in large part due to the musician’s vocal insecurity.
“I’m very confident that I can play multiple instruments and write parts for them and everything, but the biggest instrument I never really was able to fully grasp was singing,” he said. “This is the first time I’m doing it on a track, and recording and releasing it, and it took years to build that confidence up. I know I don’t have an amazing voice—like, you’re probably never going to hear me belt and hit all these crazy-ass notes and shit—but I just wanted to get it to a point where it would fit the song that I’m writing and the music that I’m working on. The biggest feeling in doing all that and building it up was just being scared of that, scared of being ready, or scared of how people are going to hear me.”
“No Need to Rush” showcases Camacho embracing his vocal style and using it to serve the laid-back nature of the song.
“I’m confident in the way it sounds, and I’m confident in the direction it’s going to go,” Camacho said. “I have an instrument in my voice where I can say, ‘OK, it passes.’ I listen to guys—like Toro y Moi for example—and he doesn’t have a crazy-ass voice. You’re never going to hear him belt, but he has beautiful
songs where his voice fits those songs, and that’s what I was looking at. I was practicing over and over again, getting it to a point where I can be in key, in tune, in time, getting rid of that fear that has been there for the past few years. The only feelings now are confidence and pride.”
Camacho’s debut solo track isn’t just a showcase of his skills; the song also features friends and bandmates who helped bring his vision to life.
“I do vocals, bass and acoustic guitar,” Camacho said. “My friend James Page, who plays live guitar for Koka, did electric guitar. My friend Francisco (Carrillo), he did the drums, and then my friend Marypaz (Lugo) and her sister (Lupita Lugo) were on trumpet and tenor sax. It took a team to build this whole sound. I knew I wanted those instruments on the song to begin with, and then after that, it was a matter of who I wanted to work with, and then asking them for leads. It came together pretty smoothly; everything was tracked separately over the course of probably a month or so.”
In previous interviews with Koka, Camacho discussed the deliberate way in which Koka created and released music, crafting more than 20 songs before honing in on the five gems that constitute Koka’s latest release, 4EVER Camacho said he now regrets working in this way, and is looking to turn a new leaf for his solo career.
“I think that’s a mistake I made with Koka and my prior writing, which was overthinking it too much, and thinking everything has to be perfect,” Camacho said. “We needed to have 15 synths all doing countermelodies in the background, and it becomes too much at some point. With my music now, I want to do it more freely, and I really want to focus on making a good song, and focusing less on making it perfect. … I used to write a bunch of songs with 10-plus or 20-plus instruments, because I thought more would be better, but a common theme you’ll see with this song and more in the future is just guitar, bass, drums and horns. I’m not really trying to perfect it as much as trying to make it a solid package, where it’s easily digestible and memorable, and it just makes you feel something, whether it’s
Sebastian Camacho, bassist of Koka, launches his solo career with debut single ‘ No Need to Rush’
the groove or the melodies or the lyrics.”
Camacho said he prefers the difficulties that come with fewer tracks over the stress of adding more.
“When it’s minimalist, you have to have it shine real good,” he said. “It’s in the open. … It is harder, but to some degree, it’s less stressful than trying to figure out a bunch of different parts or a bunch of different instruments.”
While live shows aren’t on the table for Camacho just yet, he promised the live band he does put together will stand out.
“It wasn’t until this past year with Koka
where we started using real instruments, and my goal has always been to do a band specifically with five or six musicians on there, like bass, drums, keys and guitar, and I’ve always loved horns, so … trumpet and sax,” Camacho said. “That’s something you don’t really see a lot in the valley. I’ve never seen a band with horns; I’m not talking about jazz bands or anything, but I’m talking about indie bands. … It would be something different that stands out.”
Learn more at sebastiancamachocamp. bandcamp.com.
Sebastian Camacho.
MUSIC
GLAM-ROCK GOODNESS
By matt king
Anew, sparkly glam-rock band has emerged out of the high desert—spearheaded by the leader of a horror-themed heavy-metal band. Dagamoor is the latest musical concoction from Bryce Wayt, aka Spooky Von Amduat of SPELLGRINDER. Acoustic guitars, crunchy solos, nasally vocal tones and mystical, nonsensical lyrics craft a glam-honoring sound. Some memorable musical moments on Dagamoor’s self-titled
debut album, released in early June, include “Sparkle Jet Regret” and “Satan’s a Waitin’”
Dagamoor recently played its first live show as a full band, and the live outfit includes Michael Cortichiato on bass guitar.
“I got asked to play the Mojave Gold Gemini Party from Shannon (Navarro-Mitchell), from Karma Dealers; they’re old friends of the band,” Wayt said. “I had only played an acoustic show (as Dagamoor), but I knew this guy, Corsh (Michael Cortichiato). He’s a haircut, cheekbones, just total rock ’n’ roller. … I’m a little image-conscious, and when you get an opportunity to have a band of babes, you go for it. Corsh is a handsome dude, super-good at bass, and he was moving from L.A. to Landers, and he liked Dagamoor, so he said, ‘Hey, when I get out there, can I play in Dagmoor?’”
With only a few days to go before the Mojave Gold show, Wayt went searching for other like-minded glam rockers. Danny Graham and Joshua Adams from Fever Dog heeded the call.
“I was checking out Blue Diamond, which is Joshua Adams from Fever Dog’s prog album that he did, and it’s dope,” Wayt said. “… It seemed like if he’s playing prog, and he’s got these kinds of chops, he’s probably razor sharp, so I reached out. … I tried to make it worth his time, and he’s like, ‘Yeah, sounds like a cool thing; what do I wear?’ Thirty minutes later, he’s like, ‘Can my friend Danny come, too? We’ve been in bands together since we were in fourth-grade.’ All of a sudden, I was going from a trio to a duo to a quartet.
“Fever Dog rules. To the other two guys at Fever Dog: I respect you guys, and thank you for letting me borrow your boys.”
The quartet ignited Mojave Gold in true rock ’n’ roll fashion. Wayt said that when time permits, live shows in the future will feature his Fever Dog brethren.
“Fever Dog is their main gig, of course, and Dagamoor respects that,” Wayt said. “Dagamoor is my project, but those guys and I really got along. We found a lot of common ground as far as taste, senses of humor, and work ethic. I’m a little older than those guys, but we all have enough stage age where we can hang. … I don’t see any reason to mess with a
winning formula.”
On a surface level, fans of Wayt’s previous heavy-metal project may be surprised at this tonal shift. However, true listeners have heard inklings of glam, early garage and pop sounds within even the heaviest of SPELLGRINDER’s tunes.
“SPELLGRINDER is horror-themed heavy metal, and it’s a conceptual art project, which, I guess, everything I do is,” Wayt said. “SPELLGRINDER was a heavy-metal band, but (I loved) sneaking in these little influences. Even on the first song on the first record, the bridge on it is 1950s ice cream changes (a popular chord progression in doo-wop music).
A lot of people, they hear that, and they’re like, ‘Oh, that’s like Misfits,’ but it’s also Frankie Valli. I would sneak in things that I thought were cool, that I thought were missing from the heavy metal, that I wanted to enjoy more. I wanted to make a metal band that would really appeal to me, as I’m a punk rocker; I’m a rock ’n’ roller; and glam rock is something I’ve always loved, because it’s awesome.”
As Spooky Van Amduat in SPELLGRINDER, Wayt crafted hard and sleazy sounds about vampires and frights. As Bryce Wayt in Dagamoor, the artist is pouring his new skills into a less-narrow musical setting.
“With these newfound skills that I have, I can really put it all together, and I’m building up this arsenal of amazing instruments,” he said. “I wrapped up the second SPELLGRINDER album, and I was going to start working on a punk-rock album, and then I bought a metal front Zemaitis guitar. I had always wanted one, ever since I saw Marc Bolan playing one when I was 22 years old. You couldn’t get one for less than $40,000 back then, but a few years later, Greco started making some cool ones, and what I bought was an early Greco model. Within a couple days of owning that guitar, I had recorded all of ‘Wizard Rock.’”
Dagamoor’s debut single “Wizard Rock” is a slow and sexy rock groove made wild thanks to some sweet saxophone licks from Cat Celebrezze.
“Cat is in 50 bands, and she’s really cool,” Wayt said. “She’s got a great look, and she’s the
Bryce Wayt moves from horrorthemed metal to sparkly glam with his new project, Dagamoor
most punctual musician I’ve ever worked with in my life. She shows up on time, and she doesn’t want to bullshit. … I asked her if she wanted to play on that song, just a simple melody line on the pre-chorus. It’s kind of below her talent level, but it was just going to make the song so cool. I’d never worked with her before, and she was going to come by in two days, so I wanted to make that trip more worth her while, and more challenging for her, so I just sat down right then, and I started coming up with ‘Black Cat Mojo’ on the fly. By the end of the next day, ‘Black Cat Mojo’ was completely finished, except for the saxophone, so I just let her know, ‘OK, you’re going to be doing two songs.’ She showed up, and it took her 45 minutes for us to just go through both of those songs. … She’s a really good, instinctual player.”
While Dagamoor’s song styles and structure honor the era during which glam rock was perfected, production techniques help modernize, and give staying power, to the dated sounds.
“I’m using the same guy to mix and master as I used in SPELLGRINDER,” Wayt said. “Instead of doing what one would do with a band like Dagamoor, which is trying to mix and master it like it’s from 1971—why do that? You don’t want to just have such narrow time-machine music that was only marginally successful for a short period of time.”
As in SPELLGRINDER, Wayt is image-
focused with Dagamoor, and he wants you to be able to pick up on the type of music the band is about to perform just by viewing the outfits. He recalled his outfit at the Mojave Gold performance.
“I’m wearing 1950s pink balloon slacks, an Elvis Presley Lansky Brothers jacket, and a Vivienne Westwood shirt,” he said. “… I loved it when bands did that. The Sex Pistols would do that, and when I was a kid, I was like, ‘Why is Sid wearing big pink pants?’ I wised up, and I think that Gene Vincent is more rock ’n’ roll than any of us will ever be, and if Gene Vincent wants to wear it, I want to wear it. Punk rock and glam rock—they kind of had the same mission statement, but they had different executions.”
Wayt said he’s ecstatic about his current position in life and in the music biz.
“I always thought, ‘I’m about to make it,’ and now, I look back, and I made it—and I never knew it, because I was hustling so hard,” Wayt said. “It doesn’t look like you thought it would. I thought it would be an Aerosmith level, which is why it was so difficult for me to rate the scale of success around me. … If you’ve been able to get to the point where you can just make whatever you want, whenever you want, to do it as an artist, that’s the coolest thing you can do.”
Learn more at instagram.com/dagamoor.
Dagamoor. Jamie Wayt
MUSIC
GROOVY SOUNDS
By Matt King
Agroup of musicians who honor the origins of ska and reggae are bringing their feel-good party jams to the Coachella Valley.
The Prizefighters, a rock outfit honing the sounds of ’60s Jamaican music, have been releasing groovin’, upbeat rock songs for more than a decade. Covering reggae, rocksteady and ska, the band combines horns, funky basslines, guitar upstrokes and movin’ drums to create an
energetic musical soundscape. Tunes worth noting include “Kick the Can” and “Kashmir.”
The Minnesota band is making a special stop at Casuelas Cafe in Palm Desert on Monday, July 14. I recently spoke with band members Aaron Porter (guitar/vocals), Jordan Porter (bass/vocals) and Courtney Klos (sax/ vocals) via Zoom.
“This is actually our first time heading out west,” Jordan said. “We’ve gone east before on a tour a couple times, and even done Europe, but we’ve never gone any further west than Nebraska. It’s a lot more of an undertaking than an East Coast tour from the middle of the country. It’s going to be our first time in California, and our first time in the Coachella Valley. We are really excited to get out and hit new places with lots of people who we’ve known for a long time, bands and fans out there alike.”
The Prizefighters’ tour trajectory is unusual, as the band is hitting dinner spots like Casuelas Cafe, and punk clubs like Alex’s Bar in Long Beach—with the same setlist.
“I think at the bottom of everything, while we play traditional ’60s Jamaican music, we still have the ethos of a punk band behind us, so we’ll play anywhere that’ll have us,” Jordan said. “One of the fun things on this tour is we’re getting to play a mix of venue styles. We’ve got some outdoor shows, some bigger club shows, a theater venue show—and we’re playing on the front porch of a coffee house in Modesto.”
Jordan said Crix Poland, of Yucca Valley ska dudes Warsaw Poland Bros., helped the band secure the Monday gig at Casuelas Cafe. Warsaw Poland Bros will open the show for The Prizefighters.
“Crix from Warsaw Poland Bros. was really hoping to get us booked here,” Porter said. “Considering the number of shows and number of places that Warsaw Poland Bros. have played at, I definitely trusted their gut on this one. I was like, ‘Hey, if you think it’s going to be a good time, I’ll play for people eating burritos.’”
Not many bands are able to play their brand of original music at both iconic venues and dinner spots—but it’s rare to find a
band with as many groovy ska sounds as The Prizefighters.
“The music, I think, is really accessible,” Klos said. “lt’s ’60s Jamaican music; it’s dance music; it’s music that everybody can get into. We have ties to certain music scenes, whether it’s the punk scene or just ska bands in general, but we play fairs, festivals, street festivals, restaurants—whatever. People don’t need to know who we are. They don’t really even need to be plugged into a specific genre or scene. You can get down to this music very, very easily, and that’s what’s been really cool about playing in this band over these years. We do get a lot of really cool opportunities, because we’re not just pigeonholed into one single place or specific kind of show. We can play with just about everybody.”
Caribbean music from the ’60s is not familiar to everyone, yet the vibes and energy of the tunes make it easy to dance and appreciate the sounds. Aaron Porter explained how the band’s dedication to this historic sound came from starting at ska—and going backward.
“There is a history that is involved, hearkening back to a time when youth culture and subculture exploded following the second World War,” Aaron said. “I’m not trying to get too deep here, but two-tone (ska rock/ ska revival) is really the start of ska culture from an outside-of-Jamaica perspective. A lot of people think about two-tone just being
The
Prizefighters, performing at Casuelas Café, dive into the cultural history of ska
bands like The Specials and Madness and The Selecter, but that was an element. The other big element was going back and listening to stuff from the ’60s, because all those bands were covering ’60s early reggae, and stuff that was really big and popular among those British youth subcultures.”
Both ska historians and casual appreciators can take something away from a Prizefighters performance.
“The great part about this band is that we can take our love of ska from all eras, but we are focusing really on the roots of the music— the root sound of what ska and reggae were when they were forming—and then trying to play those sounds, because they are a lot different from the more modern takes on it,”
Aaron said. “It’s been really fun to explore those playing techniques. There’s all sorts of stuff that we can learn from studying the ’60s roots of the music, and that’s the lifeblood of our inspiration.”
Aaron said The Prizefighters’ music includes numerous inspirations.
“We put some Latin rhythms, like Boogaloo or Bolero, or other Afro-Caribbean percussion things in the music,” he said. “That’s what a lot of the Jamaican bands were doing in the ’60s, because they were drawing from a pretty wide array of their influences and the music that was popular in the Caribbean at the time. That’s been such a springboard for musical discovery for me, and I think for everyone else in the band.”
The Prizefighters will perform at 6 p.m., Monday, July 14, at Casuelas Cafe, at 73703 Highway 111, in Palm Desert. Warsaw Poland Bros. will open the show. The show is free. For more information, visit the Facebook event page.
The Venue REPORT
JuLY 2025
By matt king
Los
Happy July! The worst part of the summer is here—but the valley’s entertainment scene still has plenty to offer! Stay safe, hydrated and cool.
Acrisure Arena is hosting a couple of concerts during the month. At 8 p.m., Saturday, July 5, Mexican norteño-music kings Los Tucanes de Tijuana bring their dance-y jams and Latin flair to town. La Adictiva, Enigma Norteño and Tapy Quintero are set to open up the night. Tickets start at $71.95. Get your yeehaw on with country rockers Dwight Yoakam and the Mavericks, as they bring the cowboy energy to Palm Desert, at 7 p.m., Saturday, July 12. Ben Haggard will open up the show. Tickets start at $88.95. Acrisure Arena, 75702 Varner Road, Palm Desert; 888-695-8778; www. acrisurearena.com.
Fantasy Springs features bands—and boxing! At 8 p.m., Saturday, July 12, experience banda badass-ery from Banda Corona Del Rey, all the way from Sinaloa. Tickets start at $82.50. At 8 p.m., Friday, July 18, modern country megastar Dustin Lynch brings his new-era outlaw attitude to Indio. Tickets start at $72.50. At 5 p.m., Thursday, July 24, support local boxing as Coachella Valley’s very own Manuel “Gucci Manny” Flores goes up against Jorge “El Niño Dorado” Chavez at Golden Boy Fight Night. Tickets start at $38.25. Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, 84245 Indio Springs Parkway, Indio; 760-342-5000; www.fantasyspringsresort.com.
Spotlight 29 hosts comedy and cultural sounds! Honest Goodness comedy Fridays continue with Luz Pazos (July 11), Martin Rizo (July 18) and Justin Rivera (July 25). Tickets start at $15.18 and up, and shows take place inside the Chairman’s Lounge. At 8 p.m., Saturday, July 19, Spanish titans Banda Machos will provide Coachella with big-banda energy. Tickets start at $38.80. Spotlight 29 Casino, 46200 Harrison Place, Coachella; 760775-5566; www.spotlight29.com.
Tucanes de Tijuana
The Prizefighters.
The Venue REPORT
continued from page 28
A diverse series of shows is taking place at Morongo. At 8 p.m., Friday, July 11, enjoy some high-energy Spanish tunes from Banda Los Recoditos. Tickets start at $57.50. Mike and Molly and Young Sheldon star Billy Gardell is set to perform a special comedy set at 8 p.m., Saturday, July 12. Tickets start at $35. At 5 p.m., Sunday, July 13, Hong Kong artists Mimi Chu and Johnny Yip will visit the desert. Tickets start at $88.50. At 8 p.m., Thursday, July 24, country act Drew Baldridge moseys into town for one night only. Tickets are $26. Morongo Casino Resort Spa, 49500 Seminole Drive, Cabazon; 800-252-4499; www. morongocasinoresort.com.
Big names are headed to Agua Caliente Rancho Mirage. At 8 p.m., Saturday, July 5, iconic gospel and country vocal group The Oak Ridge Boys make a pitstop in Rancho Mirage on their farewell tour. Tickets start at $43.10. Rock superstars Goo Goo Dolls bring decades of hits to town at 8 p.m., Friday, July 11. Tickets start at $53.42. At 8 p.m., Saturday, July 19, “Wicked Game” hitmaker Chris Isaak is set to showcase his musical stylings. Tickets start at $69.37. 1980s greats The Psychedelic Furs have an evening filled with alternative post-punk gems scheduled for 8 p.m., Friday, July 25. Tickets start at $32.78. At 6:30 p.m., Saturday, July 26, experience voice of Armenian romance Hayko. Tickets start at $56.99. Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa Rancho Mirage, 32250 Bob Hope Drive, Rancho Mirage; 888-999-1995; www. aguacalientecasinos.com.
With more heat comes more air-conditioned residencies at Agua Caliente Palm Springs. Desert Blues Revival Wednesdays showcase the groove-tastic Funk Monks (July 2), musically rich blues from Oscar Jesus Bug-
arin Blues Band (July 9), LBC roots and soul from The Broughams (July 16), rockabilly jams from The Centuries (July 23) and modern female rock edge from Ronda Ray (July 30). Shows are at 7 p.m., and tickets start from $17.85 to $21.05, available at eventspalmsprings.com. Carousel Thursdays offer modern jazz elegance from Maria Schafer (July 10), a tribute to Benny Goodman by Chris Dawson Swingtet (July 17), a tribute to Sarah Vaughan and Wes Montgomery from Sherry Williams and Doug MacDonald (July 24) and a tribute to James Taylor and Carole King from CV jazz stars Kari Kirkland, Andy Fraga, Wayne Abravanel and Tod Macofsky (July 31). Shows are at 7 p.m., and tickets start at $19.98, available at eventspalmsprings. com. Agua Caliente Casino Palm Springs, 401 E. Amado Road, Palm Springs; 888-999-1995; www.aguacalientecasinos.com.
Pappy’s has a stacked July, offering cooler temps just a short drive away in Pioneertown. Some highlights: At 9:30 p.m., Saturday, July 5, rock, punk and funk-ateers Fishbone are set to make the Pioneertown Palace sweat. Tickets are $33.94. At 9 p.m., Thursday, July 10, desert heavy-rock favs The Freeks, alongside The Jean Genies and Silver Cholla, are spearheading an all-local night of music. Tickets are $13.73. Chicago rockers Ax and the Hatchetmen join forces with local indie-poppers Brosquitos for an evening of high-energy jams at 8 p.m., Wednesday, July 23
Tickets are $26.68. At 9 p.m., Thursday, July 24, don’t miss a night of punk rock mayhem from Mike V and the Rats. Tickets are $26.68.
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MUSIC
LUCKY 13 the
We query a local reggae-band bassist and a local indie-synth goddess
by matt king
NAME Kyle Helm
GROUP Pretty Much Cousins, co-founder of Kickass Booking
MORE INFO Pretty Much Cousins are a newer addition to the local music scene, but their groovin’ reggae vibrations and feel-good funk have quickly earned them fans. Hailing from the San Fernando Valley, the group has appeared on numerous stages across the desert this year, showcasing their captivating mix of rap, rock and reggae. Coachella Valley resident Kyle Helm handles the low end, providing irresistibly funky basslines to support a rhythmic and harmonic musical melting pot. For more info, visit instagram. com/prettymuchcousins777. Helm is also the co-founder of Kickass Booking, which has been hosting various concerts across the CV. For more information, visit instagram.com/ kickassbooking.
What was the first concert you attended? It was when Rebelution opened up for Snoop Dogg at the Empire Polo Club.
What was the first album you owned?
The Beatles (The White Album).
What bands are you listening to right now? Nice&Swell, Capital Dub, and 74ODD. The fam out in (Huntington Beach) knows how to get it done.
What artist, genre or musical trend does everyone love, but you don’t get? Any AI-generated music. It has no genuine feeling behind it.
What musical act, current or defunct, would you most like to see perform live?
Bob Marley and the Wailers.
What’s your favorite musical guilty pleasure?
I’ve been made fun of countless times for knowing every single word to Hamilton, a musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda.
What’s your favorite music venue?
The Observatory OC. I’ve seen so many great, intimate shows there!
What’s the one song lyric you can’t get out of your head?
“Once in a while, you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right,” Jerry Garcia in “Scarlet Begonias.” I’m always reminding myself that there is beauty in randomness, and the meaning is in the journey, not only the destination.
What band or artist changed your life?
Flatbush Zombies. They created a world through their music that I feel comfortable in. The energy at their live show is unmatched. Hip-hop legends.
You have one question to ask one musician. What’s the question, and who are you asking?
I am asking Bradley Nowell, “Did you ever think your songs would become anthems for generations to come?”
What song would you like played at your funeral?
“Wildflowers” by Tom Petty. It’s all in the lyrics.
Figurative gun to your head, what is your favorite album of all time?
Nirvana, MTV Unplugged in New York. A timeless piece of music, performed exactly how Kurt Cobain wanted it to feel.
What song should everyone listen to right now?
“Golden Light” by Pretty Much Cousins. As hard as it is coping with the loss of a loved one, this song delivers such a beautiful message on how to keep moving forward and to represent that person in the best way possible.
NAME Mxxa
MORE INFO Mxxa serves up indie-synth goodness. Via a range of jams, the local artist has established an alternative poppy formula that prominently features strong synth lines while diving into somber piano ballads (“DEE”), upbeat club anthems (“SLT”) and heavy indie rock energy (“SPIT ME OUT”). The artist refuses to be defined by one particular sound and has been developing a sonically shifting mix since 2020. For more information, visit www.instagram.com/mxxamusic.
What was the first concert you attended? Big Time Rush. I was, like, 8 or 9, I believe.
What was the first album you owned? Songs of Innocence by U2. I used to blast this album every day in middle school.
What bands are you listening to right now? Right now, MICHELLE and Between Friends.
What artist, genre or musical trend does everyone love, but you don’t get? I’m not the biggest fan of Reneé Rapp. I feel like I don’t really relate to her that much, and her music is personally not my taste.
What musical act, current or defunct, would you most like to see perform live?
I would love to see Lana Del Rey live again. I saw her at Coachella a few years ago, but I was super-far in the back, so I would like to see her closer.
What’s your favorite musical guilty pleasure?
Probably knowing all the words to “It’s Everyday Bro” by Team 10. HA HA.
What’s your favorite music venue?
I really love the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. It’s super nice, and you can see the artist great, no matter where you sit.
What’s the one song lyric you can’t get out of your head?
“Gnarly Gnarly Like a Bag of Takis,” Katseye.
What band or artist changed your life? Melanie Martinez. I was very inspired by her growing up, and her music and aesthetic influenced my music a lot.
You have one question to ask one musician. What’s the question, and who are you asking?
I would ask Melanie Martinez what inspired her to make a movie to her album K-12.
What song would you like played at your funeral? “affection” by BETWEEN FRIENDS.
Figurative gun to your head, what is your favorite album of all time? Cry Baby by Melanie Martinez.
What song should everyone listen to right now?
“SLT” by Mxxa featuring NTHNY.
OPINION COMICS & JONESIN’ CROSSWORD
“1724”--two specific rare letters.
By
Matt Jones
Across 1. Tee off
Bouncy music genre 8. “Know your rights” org. 12. Co. offering insurance to military members and their families
13. Biblical mountain (hidden in “offshore banking”)
15. Court litigant 16. Literary tilter at windmills 18. Baseball card datum
