Coachella Valley Independent July 2015

VOL. 3 | ISSUE 7

AIDEN’S STORY

Aiden Stockman Was Born a Biological Female. Today, the 18-Year-Old Man Is Talking About His Journey to Help Others.

By Brian Blueskye PAGE 8

2 \\ COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT

JULY 2015

A Note From the Editor

Mailing address: 31855 Date Palm Drive, No. 3-263 Cathedral City, CA 92234 (760) 904-4208 www.cvindependent.com

It’s a claim that drives journalists crazy: Why is the media so negative? Why don’t newspapers cover positive news?

For argument’s sake, if we take the position that this claim is accurate (and it’s not; media sources generally give a lot of pixels, airtime or ink to arts, music, food and culture news that is, by its very nature, positive … but that’s a discussion for another time), this edition of the Coachella Valley Independent is bucking the trend: By sheer coincidence, much of the content of this issue falls on the positive side of things.

First: Brian Blueskye’s story on Yucca Valley 18-year-old Aiden Stockman, which you can find on Page 8, is a must-read.

I first learned about Aiden at Palm Springs Pride’s Harvey Milk Breakfast in May, at which Aiden and his mother spoke. Tears were flowing as Aiden and his mom talked about Aiden’s struggles with his gender identity—and the amazing acceptance Aiden’s Yucca Valley High School classmates showed him when he finally came out as transgender.

However, not everything about Aiden’s story is happy: He faces a lot of obstacles when it comes to employment and his future.

After the Harvey Milk Breakfast, I asked Brian to get in touch with Aiden so we could share this story with a wider audience—and Brian did a fantastic job. Check it out.

Second: Our two main news stories are both rather uplifting. On Page 5, we have a piece on the brand-new Sunny Dunes Antique District: A diverse group of businesses (many of which are new) in the area of Sunny Dunes Road just east of Palm Canyon Drive have banded together to work with the city and other groups to develop and promote the cool things going on the area.

Meanwhile, on Page 7, Brane Jevric brings us the story of Kane, a Palm Springs Police K-9 that took the place of a dog that was killed in the line of duty.

Of course, we also have all sorts of great arts, food and music coverage in this issue as well, including a review of a fantastic brand-new revue at the Desert Rose Playhouse (Page 11), a piece on delicious sour beers made in California (Page 14), and an exclusive music mix from SynthEtiX, compliments Alex Harrington’s DuneCast (Page 22).

Welcome to the July 2015 edition of the Coachella Valley Independent.

Enjoy.

Editor/Publisher Jimmy Boegle Assistant Editor Brian Blueskye Editorial Layout Wayne Acree Advertising Design Betty Jo Boegle Contributors Gustavo Arellano, Victor Barocas, Max Cannon, Kevin Fitzgerald, Bill Frost, Bob Grimm, Alex Harrington, Tommy Hamilton, Valerie-Jean (VJ) Hume, Brane Jevric, Keith Knight, Robin Linn, Marylee Pangman, Erin Peters, Dan Perkins, Guillermo Prieto, Anita Rufus, Jen Sorenson, Robert Victor

The Coachella Valley Independent print edition is published every month. All content is ©2015 and may not be published or reprinted in any form without the written permission of the publisher. The Independent is available free of charge throughout the Coachella Valley, limited to one copy per reader. Additional copies may be purchased for $1 by calling (760) 904-4208. The Independent may be distributed only by the Independent’s authorized distributors.

COVER DESIGN BY WAYNE ACREE

The Independent is a proud member and/or supporter of the Association of Alternative Newsmedia, the Local Independent Online News Publishers, the Desert Business Association, the LGBT Community Center of the Desert, artsOasis and the American Advertising Federation/Palm Springs-Desert Cities.

CVIndependent.com

—Jimmy Boegle, jboegle@ cvindependent.com

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 3

JULY 2015

OPINION

KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORS

A Valedictorian’s Tribute to Her Immigrant Family WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/OPINION

By Anita Rufus une is graduation month, and there was one ceremony that had a particular impact on me: The graduation of Thermal’s Desert Mirage High School Class of 2015.

The ceremony was held at the Indian Wells Tennis Club on a hot evening.

Many graduates had hand-decorated messages on their mortarboards, and robes festooned with bright floral leis or sparkling lights. As they circled the grass court to their assigned seats, families and friends cheered as the graduates struck poses or danced their way along the floral pathway.

It’s well known that I cry easily, and my tears began as I scanned the half-full stadium, full of proud parents, grandparents and other relatives.

This graduation has particular significance for me. I’ve written about Alejandra Franco before—she is a remarkable young woman who demonstrates how secondgeneration immigrants have embraced the American dream. In this case, Alejandra is the valedictorian of the graduating class, with a GPA of 4.39, and has been accepted to attend USC—apparently the first student from Desert Mirage to have that opportunity.

The vast majority of these graduating seniors are of Hispanic heritage, and in many cases, Spanish is still the primary language spoken at home. While I could not understand all of the conversations taking place around me, the joy and pride exhibited easily transcended language barriers.

Desert Mirage’s principal, Stephen Franklin, welcomed everyone in both English and Spanish. The national anthem was sung by senior Alondra Ibarra, as the audience, hands over hearts, stood respectfully. My tears began again as I listened to the a capella voice of this angel. Wow! Salutatorian Everett Rivera-Meza, with a 4.34 GPA and heading for UCLA, gave his speech in English and Spanish. “Always follow your dreams,” he said. “Don’t let the noise of

others drown out your voice. Wherever we go, our roots are strong.”

Then it was Alejandra’s turn. Her valedictorian address offered was entirely in Spanish. “I had a time limit of three minutes, and was originally going to give it in English and Spanish,” she explained, “but I had to choose, and I chose Spanish because I wanted my family, most importantly my parents, to fully understand.”

Alejandra told two stories in her speech.

The first was about “connecting the dots and finding our purpose,” where she linked her father’s immigration difficulties some years ago to her passion for getting an education.

“Imagine,” she said, “at 12, getting home after a usual day at school like any other—but then your mom tells you that your father has been taken by (Immigration and Customs Enforcement), and you see the desperate look in her eyes is screaming, ‘What are we going to do?’ Then to have your little brothers get home from school and ask why Dad has not arrived from work; having to grip all courage possible to be able to answer with a smile that he is away working. The days pass by, and you

witness how Mother is doing the impossible.

Being forced to lie to your little brothers and tell them everything is fine, and having to send them to bed with the hopes that father will be back tomorrow. Keeping a straight face at school, but knowing once you get home, you will be confronted by reality. …

“At 12 years of age, I was trying to understand: Why did my family have to suffer all of this? Perhaps in that moment, I wasn’t able to understand, but now, almost six years later, I connect the dots and realize that all the suffering was rather a blessing. Because of what happened, my father can live at peace, as he was given a second chance, but I also discovered my vocation: I clearly see my purpose is to go to a university, educate myself, and come back to my community to offer services to families like my own.”

Alejandra’s second story was about there being no excuse for not achieving success.

“Hemiplegia is total paralysis of half the body that affects the center motors of the brain and its development—that was the path that was chosen for me at birth. ‘She will never walk; she will never be normal; she will not even live past her first birthday.’ I would become no one.

“Nonetheless, life gave me amazing parents who did not consider me a lost cause, even when all the odds were against us. My parents fought to give me the opportunity to live.

Having crossed the border with nothing and sacrificing everything, even going days

without any food or water, they risked everything to offer us a better tomorrow.

“Even after all the hardships suffered, I understood that there is no such thing as ‘impossible’ or any obstacle that serves as an excuse to not continue striving forward. …

I speak to all of you as living testimony that with the same perseverance and determination as our parents, family members, friends, teachers or whomever guided us through these years of education, we must keep pushing forward with the purpose of demonstrating our full potential, not as Latinos or Raza, but as the wonderful human beings we are, creating the better tomorrow we see engraved in the callused and hardworking hands of our parents. It is our duty to demonstrate to each and every one who is present that they have not come to celebrate us in vain.”

My tears flowed.

Many in this graduating class, like Alejandra, are the children of immigrants.

They should be celebrated as a welcome addition to the American story they are helping to write. They deserve our support, our admiration and public policies that support their participation—out of the shadows and in full pursuit of the American dream.

ANITA RUFUS IS ALSO KNOWN AS “THE LOVABLE LIBERAL,” AND HER RADIO SHOW AIRS SUNDAYS FROM 11 A.M. TO 1 P.M. ON KNEWS RADIO 94.3 FM. EMAIL HER AT ANITA@ LOVABLELIBERAL.COM. KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORS APPEARS EVERY OTHER WEDNESDAY AT CVINDEPENDENT.COM.

Alejandra Franco speaks at her graduation ceremony. ANITA RUFUS CVIndependent.com

4 \\ COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT

JULY 2015

OPINION

THE POTTED DESERT GARDEN Nine Ways to Lower Your Water Use During Our Record-Breaking Drought

WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/OPINION

Will an Illegal Mexican Worker Take My Restaurant Job? WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/OPINION

By MARYLEE PANGMAN alifornia residents are dealing with unprecedented water restrictions due to our recordbreaking drought.

Those of us who garden have a choice: Either we can simply comply with these limitations, or we can morally commit to reacting in a way that will help our state achieve sustainability.

I, for one, believe we must take control of our water usage.

Water restrictions vary from agency to agency. Palm Springs’ Desert Water Agency, for example, restricts landscape irrigation to Monday, Wednesday and Friday during overnight hours. Fortunately, most desert landscape gardens do not need three days of water. (Please don’t get me started on grass in the desert. Artificial turf is beautiful, and lawns do not belong here.)

Of course, container gardens offer flexibility regarding placement and size—and, therefore, water usage. Here are some tips to embrace sooner rather than later. (Although I am writing about pots, many of these tips can translate to raised beds, landscapes and bedding plants.)

1. Take a pail into your shower, and fill it with the water that comes out before the water reaches your desired temperature. Use the bucket to water thirsty plants.

2. When rain is in the forecast (rare, but it happens … hopefully), put out buckets and barrels to gather as much water as possible.

Rainwater has many beneficial micronutrients that your plants will appreciate.

3. If you are gone a lot, don’t plant waterhungry plants and flowers. After all, you won’t be around to enjoy them.

4. Plant fewer flowers and more succulents—and consider leaving some pots empty.

5. Use large pots (greater than 20 inches wide and deep). Once new plantings are established, they will need to be watered less.

You can add more water to thirstier pots from rainwater and your shower.

6. Make sure none of your irrigation emitters are over-spraying into areas with no plants.

7. Check for dripping hose bibs and leaks in your irrigation.

8. Shorten your irrigation run times. If CVIndependent.com

ASK A MEXICAN!

Left: Gather water from rain storms, or when showering, collect the water that comes out before the water reaches your desired temperature. Right: Low-water flowers and cactus are good to plant during the drought.

you can cut the time by 25 percent, you will be doing more than your part. If you have your pots on a dedicated line with adjustable emitters, they should only run for five to 10 minutes—and cutting the time by 25 percent will bring those times down to four to seven minutes. As long as the plants are established, that’ll probably be enough water. If it isn’t, you always have that shower water!

9. Never irrigate your cactus and succulents.

Even in the Coachella Valley, they really only need water once a week—and that is only if they are in full sun. Succulents in the shade will probably get by with watering every other week.

I am a huge proponent of setting up a dedicated irrigation line to your containers.

The watering-schedule settings are very specific and not as subject to human error or forgetfulness. Irrigation lines also save water over hand-watering. I suggest you use an adjustable emitter. Be absolutely certain that you have a dedicated line for pots, because if you add pots to the landscape line, you will be over-watering your potted plants—and wasting hundreds of gallons of water.

Water is a necessity for every living thing.

Save some of this precious resource while continuing to enjoy your garden.

MARYLEE PANGMAN IS THE FOUNDER AND FORMER OWNER OF THE CONTAINED GARDENER IN TUCSON, ARIZ. SHE HAS BECOME KNOWN AS THE DESERT’S POTTED GARDEN EXPERT. SHE IS AVAILABLE FOR DIGITAL CONSULTATIONS, AND YOU CAN EMAIL HER WITH COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS AT POTTEDDESERT@GMAIL.COM. FOLLOW THE POTTED DESERT AT FACEBOOK.COM/POTTEDDESERT. GET A FREE COPY OF TEN TOP TIPS TO DESERT POTTED GARDEN SUCCESS BY VISITING WWW.POTTEDDESERT.COM/M.

By Gustavo Arellano EAR MEXICAN: Where is my America? I’m halfHispanic and half-Italian. I was born on Coney Island to a drug-addicted father and was raised by my mom. We were very poor. Spanish was not spoken in my house, so my Spanish is muy malo. I’ve worked since I was 15.

I went to culinary school and became a chef.

I’ve worked in the industry for 10 years. It is inundated with illegal Mexican workers. Most of these guys are OK, and they are willing to work longer hours, for less pay. Gone is the eight-hour work day. Nobody gets health coverage. It’s rare to get a paid vacation. The influx of illegal workers has lowered labor standards for all workers in the industry. I believe it also creates a population of secondclass people ripe for abuses. Plus, these guys have skill: They are fast and focused. I feel like I can be easily replaced with an illegal worker with whom I can’t compete.

I don’t mind helping out people who need work. But where can I go? Most restaurants are small businesses, and hiring illegal workers is part of the business plan. I’ve also been called gringo, whitey and pelón by illegals who, it seems, have never heard of civil rights.

Coney Island Angry DEAR GABACHO: I was mostly with you— yes, American worker rights have suffered during the Great Recession; no, it ain’t the fault of Mexicans. Robber barons are the culprit choking labor now, just like when the Molly Maguires were raising hell in Pennsylvania coal mines.

Then you started whining that the Mexican cocineros you worked alongside called you names. So you’re upset that they called you two types of gabacho, and a baldy, to boot?

That just means they thought you were enough of a friend that they could bust your balls. But obviously they didn’t trust you too much— otherwise, they’d give you worse names. And I’m not talking about the parade of pendejo, puto and güey that any male in an all-Mexican environment must endure. You haven’t earned a Mexican squad’s trust until you have an insulting nickname—the more inappropriate,

the better.

I’ve known of Mexicans in workplaces whose nicknames were El Taliban (for the man’s beard), El Perico (The Parrot, for the guy’s taste in cocaine), El Maricón (The Faggot, because the hombre was gay—he laughed it off, especially when learning more than a few of his macho co-workers were on the downlow), El Panzón (The Fatass) and—my all-time favorite—La Panocha (The Pussy), because homeboy was a player.

But I’m a nice guy, so I’ll give you a new nickname: El Chavala. You can look it up!

DEAR MEXICAN: I just the other day that demographers are predicting there will be more Mexicans than anybody else in California in 20 years, just from birth rate alone. Un tipo como tu tiene que tener some brujo in him, so use your skills, ese, and tell us what you see in the future.

El Mero Panzón del IE DEAR BADASS BIG-BELLIED MAN OF THE INLAND EMPIRE: 20 años? Try last year, when Latinos surpassed gabachos to become the most-populous group in the Golden State. Given a 2011 demographic profile by the Pew Research Center determined that Mexicans make up 83 percent of California’s Latino community, paisas and pochos should outnumber everyone within the end of this decade.

So what does the future hold? You’re reading it: I’m a child of Mexican immigrants who works a white-collar job and whose nieces and sobrinos will no doubt have names like Brittney and Brad.

CATCH THE MEXICAN EVERY WEDNESDAY AT CVINDEPENDENT. COM. ASK THE MEXICAN AT THEMEXICAN@ASKAMEXICAN. NET; BE HIS FAN ON FACEBOOK; FOLLOW HIM ON TWITTER @GUSTAVOARELLANO; OR FOLLOW HIM ON INSTAGRAM @ GUSTAVO_ARELLANO!

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 5

JULY 2015

NEWS

AN ANTIQUES DISTRICT IS BORN

Sunny Dunes-Area Businesses Band Together to Make the Area Palm Springs’ Next Big Thing

WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/NEWS

By Jimmy Boegle he nascent Sunny Dunes Antique District had a coming-out party, of sorts, on Saturday, June 20.

Various businesses in the district kept their doors open a little later than normal for the Pop Shop Hop, “an evening of shopping and discovery of all the shops on Sunny Dunes,” according to the event’s Facebook page.

A decent-sized crowd—considering it was about 110 degrees outside— wandered among the various shops and chatted with proprietors; anybody who visited all of the participating businesses received a free entry into a raffle. Of course, participants could purchase extra raffle tickets, with the proceeds going to the Safe House of the Desert, which operates the Pop Shop thrift store in the area.

Around 8 p.m., people assembled at the Tool Shed, a gay/leather bar on Sunny Dunes, for the raffle drawing; all of the prizes were donated by various area businesses.

“I love this neighborhood,” said George Zander, who helped organize the Pop Shop Hop. He’s part of Some Fabulous Leos, a charity group which has spent the last year supporting the Safe House. “I love the entrepreneurship.”

Yes, there’s lots to love in this little neighborhood, located just south of downtown Palm Springs, where a lot of new businesses have popped up within the last year or two— and in that spirit of entrepreneurship, these businesses came together earlier this year and started holding monthly meetings to fight for common interests.

Andy Wysocki and Bill Sanderson hope that the storefront for Townie Bagels, Bakery and Café will open on Sunny Dunes Road sometime in July.

TOMMY HAMILTON

The Sunny Dunes Antique District—not everyone’s sold on that name, by the way—has modest goals. A bike path and bike racks, for example. A sign at the start of the district on Sunny Dunes. Maybe a stop for the Palm Springs BUZZ Trolley, which as of now simply zooms by the area.

The group already has a win under its belt, of sorts. Bill Sanderson, of Townie Bagels, Bakery and Café, notes that the group worked with Palm Springs Councilwoman Ginny Foat to get the city to allow businesses to place A-frame signs outside. Unlike the businesses in, say, the Uptown Design District, the businesses in the Sunny Dunes Antique District can’t legally place signs outside, Sanderson explained, because the area is zoned for commercial manufacturing.

As of now, that zoning remains in place, although he said Foat received assurances that the businesses wouldn’t be cited if they put out A-frames. “As for a zoning change, we’re working for that to become permanent,” he said.

Speaking of new businesses: While Townie has been selling bagels and other goodies at farmers’ markets for some time now, Townie’s storefront, at 650 E. Sunny Dunes Road (in the spot formerly occupied by Tlaquepaque), isn’t even open yet. Fingers crossed, it’ll open sometime in July. During the Pop Shop Hop, Townie used some counter space inside the Pop Shop.

Next door to the Pop Shop, more or less, is the 20,000-square-foot building that houses Antique Galleries of Palm Springs, at 505 E. Industrial Place. Mike Rivkin is one of the owners of Antique Galleries, which opened over Thanksgiving weekend 2014. He and others credit Angela Kinley, who manages the Pop Shop, with galvanizing the creation of the neighborhood group (although it should be noted that Kinley adamantly, yet politely, refuses to be a spokesperson for the neighborhood).

Andy Cardenas, of I Remember This!: “We’d like to keep this a neighborhood. We want to keep it from becoming too commercialized so we don’t lose our focus. We want it to be more independent.” TOMMY HAMILTON

“This building was closed for a number of years,” Rivkin said about his delightfully airconditioned space. It was previously a printing facility and then a medical-marijuana-growing spot, he said.

“The building was a wreck,” Rivkin said.

Today, it houses diverse wares from dozens of vendors. “I think, in some respects, this building was a catalyst” for the increase in area businesses over the last year or so.

Rivkin said the business district has been a success so far because everybody in the neighborhood seems to understand the idiom: “A rising tide lifts all boats.”

“There’s a lack of competitiveness and a wonderful sense of collaboration,” Rivkin said, pointing out that he often refers customers to the other antique/collectables businesses in the area—and vice-versa.

Across the street from the Pop Shop and Antique Galleries is I Remember This!, a vintage and collectables store that also opened around Thanksgiving last year. Co-owner Andy Cardenas said he’s heard from other potential store owners who are interested in the district, even though the area hasn’t necessarily had a great reputation.

“We’d like to keep this a neighborhood,” he said. “We want to keep it from becoming too commercialized so we don’t lose our focus. We want it to be more independent.”

The Sunny Dunes Antique District obviously has a long way to go—including reaching a definitive conclusion on that name. (Some of the stores that don’t sell antiques have concerns, it turns out.)

“We all got together to try something,” said Bill Sanderson, of Townie Bagels.

Considering the number of new businesses opening in the area, what they’re trying seems to be working. Stay tuned.

CVIndependent.com

6 \\ COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT

JULY 2015

NEWS

JULY ASTRONOMY Venus Is Brilliant During the Month—as Are Saturn’s Rings

WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/NEWS

by Robert Victor alileo, more than four centuries ago, observed and described phenomena you can witness in the evening sky this summer, including the phases of Venus, the moons of Jupiter, the Milky Way, details on the surface of the moon, and more. The Discoveries and Opinions of Galileo, a selection of the scientist’s writings translated by Stillman Drake, is fascinating reading.

Venus and Jupiter are easy to spot during evenings for most of July 2015, because they far outshine all nighttime stars. Venus sinks lower in the evening sky in July while getting ever more interesting for telescopic observation: As Venus draws closer to Earth, it displays an ever thinner, more backlit crescent.

Jupiter lingers close to Venus during the final weeks of their joint appearance in evening sky. First, Jupiter appears to the right of Venus, by 0.6 degrees on July 1, and 1 degree on July 2. On July 4, they’re still within 2 degrees, and on July 9, within 4 degrees, with Jupiter to the lower right of Venus. On July

CVIndependent.com

13, Venus and Jupiter appear just 5 degrees apart. Even at the end of July, Venus and Jupiter are still within 6.5 degrees, but Venus will then set in bright twilight, very soon after sunset. The crescent phase of Venus can be resolved with just a pair of binoculars, by avoiding the planet’s glare against a darkened

Morning visibility map at mid-twilight.

ROBERT D. MILLER

Evening visibility map at mid-twilight.

ROBERT D. MILLER

sky. One of the best occasions in 2015 is in the late afternoon or around sunset through late July/early August.

Saturn appeared at opposition to the sun and was up all night on May 22, as Earth passed between that planet and the sun. Now in the months following, Saturn remains visible in the evening sky, reaching its high point in the south about half an hour earlier each week, crossing due south at dusk in July.

In this year’s observing season, steady Saturn appears not far from the reddish twinkling first-magnitude star Antares, heart of the Scorpion, and outshines that star by as much as a magnitude. Through a telescope, we get fine views of Saturn’s rings, now tipped 24 degrees from edge-on.

The moon can be followed one hour after sunset daily as it waxes from a thin crescent, through first quarter phase (half full and 90 degrees east of the sun), to full, July 18 through Aug. 1.

In evening sky on July 14, Venus approaches to within 2.4 degrees below Regulus. Jupiter that evening is 5.2 degrees from Venus, narrowly missing forming a trio (three objects within a 5-degree field). Do all three fit within the field of view of your binoculars? On July 17, 30 minutes after sunset, the young moon is very low, north of west, 11 degrees to the lower right of Venus and 8 degrees to the lower right of Jupiter. Venus and Jupiter are 5.8 degrees apart. On July 18, before sunset from California, during the 6 p.m. hour, Venus is 3/4 of a degree from the moon’s northern cusp (the upper right point of the crescent), and at sunset is still within 0.9 degrees of the moon’s northern cusp. Can you see Venus in the daytime? On July 19, note the triangle Venus-Jupiter-Regulus, 13 degrees to 18 degrees to the lower right of the moon. On July 22 and 23, look for Spica near the moon.

The moon reaches first-quarter phase, half full and 90 degrees from the sun, on July 23. On July 25, the moon is 3 degrees to the upper right of Saturn, while Antares is 13 degrees to Saturn’s lower left. On July 26, Saturn is 10 degrees to the moon’s right, and Antares is 9 degrees below the moon.

In the morning sky in July, Mercury can still be spotted very low in the east-northeast

an hour before sunup in first half of month.

Look to the lower left of Aldebaran, by 9 degrees on July 1, increasing to 22 degrees by July 9. On July 11, two hours before sunup, find the waning crescent moon in the east, 11 degrees right of the Pleiades star cluster, itself a pretty sight for binoculars. On July 12, 75 minutes to 2 hours before sunrise, find the lunar crescent in the east to east-northeast, with Aldebaran, eye of Taurus, 3 1/2 degrees to 3 degrees to the lower left. Binoculars show, in the same field, the fainter more distant stars of the V-shaped Hyades star cluster, with the moon just within the southern point of the sideways “V.” On the next morning, July 13, 75 minutes before sunup, a thinner crescent moon appears 10 degrees to the lower left of Aldebaran. On July 14, catch a last view of the thin old crescent moon about 3 degrees up in the east-northeast, 45 minutes before sunrise.

On its way out, Mercury will pass superior conjunction, invisibly on the far side of the sun, on July 23.

Replacing Mercury by the third week of July will be Orion’s two brightest stars: Betelgeuse rising north of east, and Rigel rising south of east. Using binoculars, you spot them as early as July 14; they’ll get easier to see later in the month, as they rise nearly four minutes earlier each morning. Before month’s end, these two bright stars will be easy to see in the east to east-southeast an hour before sunrise, with Orion’s belt appearing as a vertical line of three stars midway between. On July 29 and 30, look much farther north and lower, in the northeast to east-northeast, for the Gemini twins: Castor and Pollux, 4 1/2 degrees to its lower right. On those two mornings, fainter Mars (magnitude +1.7) passes 5 3/4 degrees south (lower right) of Pollux.

See them all on Saturday, July 18, at the Astronomical Society of the Desert “star party” at Sawmill Trailhead in the Santa Rosa Mountains. Visit www.astrorx.org for more information.

ROBERT C. VICTOR WAS A STAFF ASTRONOMER AT ABRAMS PLANETARIUM AT MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY. HE IS NOW RETIRED AND ENJOYS PROVIDING SKYWATCHING OPPORTUNITIES FOR SCHOOL CHILDREN IN AND AROUND PALM SPRINGS.

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 7

JULY 2015

NEWS

K-9 HEROES

Meet Kane, the Dog That Replaced a Palm Springs Police K-9 Killed in the Line of Duty WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/NEWS

By Brane Jevric wo days before the highly publicized recent New York prison break, a local K-9 apprehended a suspect who was wanted for questioning regarding a robbery in Palm Springs.

There were no cameras present. There were no reporters on the scene. There was not an army of police officers, nor were there numerous K-9s tracking the escapes.

There was just one police dog and one officer patrolling Indian Canyon Drive after 9 p.m.

Kane, the 5-year old Belgian Malinois, who has been with the Palm Springs Police K-9 unit since 2011, simply did his job: As the suspect ran from the scene, Kane was released by his handler, officer Luciano Colantuono, and Kane caught the suspect a short distance away.

I briefly met officer Colantuono while he was patrolling with Kane. As I spoke to Colantuono, Kane was inside the SUV barking—and the sheer force of his movement was shaking the whole SUV. Yes, the power of a trained Malinois K-9 is formidable.

Israeli Special Forces have used these dogs for years now to fight terrorism, and the U.S. Secret Service combs the White House grounds with these exceptional dogs. They look like German Shepherds, but are a bit smaller— though their abilities are legendary: A Malinois is capable of jumping a 10-foot wall.

“The Palm Springs Police department has been utilizing apprehension K-9s since 1980,” said Lt. Gustavo Araiza, the lead officer of the K-9 program. “In 2003, we started utilizing bomb-detection K-9s at the Palm Springs International Airport.”

Kane is one of two Malinois currently on the force. Once upon a time, there were four K-9s

with the department. Kane has never been injured during a patrol related incident, nor has he taken fire.

However, Kane has been fortunate.

“Kane replaced K-9 Ike, who was killed in the line of duty in 2011,” recalls Lt. Araiza. “Ike was shot by a suspect.”

Ike is the only Palm Springs police K-9 ever to be killed on duty. Officer Colantuono, who was also Ike’s handler, was wounded in the incident. The officer is media-shy, does not seek publicity and is a man of a few words.

When off-duty, Kane lives with Officer Colantuono, a 10-year PSPD veteran.

“I’ve been with Kane since day one, when he came to the department,” Colantuono said.

The bond between Kane and his handler is unbreakable. The officer is the only person who feeds his K-9. They work four days a week, and they often train together—and they train hard, as you can see in the photo.

Kane is not a simple family pet. A police service dog is extremely active and requires a diet formulated to meet its increased energy and nutrient demands. Simply put, it takes a lot to take care of a K-9.

“The cost of a dog with handler training runs approximately from $15,000 to $18,000, and the fee for the K-9 is generally paid through donations,” said Lt. Araiza, a 15-year department veteran.

Public donations for the K-9 program are accepted at the Palm Springs Police K-9 Unit, P.O. Box 1830, Palm Springs, CA 92263-1830.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT WWW.PALMSPRINGS-CA.GOV/ GOVERNMENT/DEPARTMENTS/POLICE/DIVISIONS/K-9-UNIT.

Kane trains with officer Luciano Colantuono. COURTESY PALM SPRINGS POLICE DEPARTMENT CVIndependent.com

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Aiden’s Story

JULY 2015

Aiden Stockman Was Born a Biological Female. Today, the 18-Year-Old Man Is Talking About His Journey to Help Others.

By Brian Blueskye

I

N MOST WAYS, AIDEN STOCKMAN IS A typical 18-year-old guy.

The Yucca Valley resident recently graduated from high school. He is just getting his driver’s license, and he’s debating what to do with his life.

However, attendees of Palm Springs Pride’s Harvey Milk Breakfast, held in downtown Palm Springs on May 22, know Aiden is far from typical: He and his mother, Kelli Drake, spoke at the event, and had many attendees in tears as they told Aiden’s story of struggle—and surprising acceptance—in Yucca Valley as a transgender youth.

Of course, transgender people are all over the news these days, thanks to the success of Orange Is the New Black actress Laverne Cox, the Golden Globe win for Jeffrey Tambor playing a transgender woman on the Amazon. com series Transparent, and, most notably, the journey of Caitlyn Jenner.

However, Aiden—who was born Victoria Stockman—was dealing with what’s called “gender dysphoria” well before anyone had heard of Laverne Cox, Transparent or Caitlyn Jenner. While his journey was far from easy— in fact, it almost cost Aiden his life—he said his Yucca Valley High School classmates were incredibly supportive when he finally told them he was transgender.

“Everybody at school was like, ‘OK, cool.

That’s what you want to do?’ he said during a recent interview with his mother at the Starbucks in Desert Hot Springs. “I got Homecoming Prince during my senior year, and I was on the wrestling team, so people didn’t really care. Your classmates vote for Homecoming Prince.

“I dealt with some pricks here and there. I was sitting at a table one time with friends at lunch, and all of a sudden, these guys threw a bunch of food at me. They called me a faggot, and I was like, ‘All right, whatever.’ Obviously, it hurt my feelings, and I just started to walk away. My friend Jared and my friend Kevin asked me what was wrong, and I told them; they went up and got up in their faces and yelled at them. My whole family and my cousins messaged them and got in their faces, too. The next day, they came up to me and said they were sorry.”

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While some may find the support that Aiden received from classmates to be a welcome surprise, nobody should be surprised by a recent graduation honor his classmates bestowed upon him.

Aiden was voted “Most Changed Since Freshman Year.”

A

S SHE LOOKED OVER PHOTOS OF AIDEN as a child, Kelli Drake noted that Aiden always showed off a masculine side.

“I think when me and Aiden’s stepdad got married, it was a fight, because we wanted him to wear a dress, and he was like, ‘I’m not wearing that!’” she said. “So we had to settle on a pair of brown skorts. He was mad that we even made him wear that.”

While Kelli Drake can laugh at memories like this now, Aiden’s childhood at times was downright painful. She talked about how Aiden spent almost an entire school year in and out of the Loma Linda University Medical Center, dealing with depression and behavioral issues.

It was during this time she learned Aiden was binding his chest with an Ace bandage.

“We didn’t know he was doing that until we took him to Loma Linda, and they were doing admitting,” she said. “They do searches and go through all their stuff. The lady brought it out, and I asked, ‘What the hell is this, and where did it come from?’ We had no idea. It wasn’t until after that we saw what was going on.”

Aiden said he can remember when he decided he wanted to transition.

“It was probably during seventh-grade when I started going through puberty. It was kind of a wakeup call, and I was like, ‘This sucks!’” he said. “During my freshman year, I went to the hospital in Loma Linda, and I was there for a couple of months back and forth. … They just loaded me up on medication and were like, ‘OK, there you go. You’re fine.’

“I remember I came out to my mom as transgender during my sophomore year, and that’s when I started going to a psychologist, and I got the paper from the psychologist saying it was necessary for me to start hormone therapy, because I had gender dysphoria.”

At one point, Aiden tried to kill himself.

“I remember my mom and my stepdad went wants. Surprisingly, Dr. Perkel was fine with it somewhere, and my brother was home with and said, ‘Wow, this is great; of course I’ll do it.’ me. I just took all of the pills. I was having a The first couple of months, we had to go down dysphoria kind of day. When my mom came there because of the shots, and now we’re to home, I told her I took them all, and I felt the point where he writes a prescription and bad I did it in front of my brother. I went to calls it in, and Aiden injects himself once a the hospital, and my mom stayed with me all week. It’s a relief. We also had to get a letter night.” from him because we found a plastic surgeon Aiden and his mother have learned the hard who does this kind of top surgery, and he way that insurance companies often don’t deal basically wanted a letter from Dr. Perkel well with the issues transgender individuals saying that Aiden understands face. the surgery is irreversible, “We would call up the insurance just to cover his butt. (The company and get a representative plastic surgeon) got a over the phone and say, ‘OK, this letter in the mail a week is the deal: My son is transgender. later recommending the We need to find an endocrinologist surgery, saying that it was and hormone-replacement therapy,’” medically necessary.”

Kelli Drake said. “They would put me Later this year, Aiden on hold and wind up e-mailing me this will have that chest letter with a thousand different doctors surgery, or “top surgery,” on it—and they’re all doctors that are as it’s called. trying to get him pregnant. It was very hard “I’m not nervous to find doctors that dealt with this, and even about it at all, and the doctor we see in Redlands now, Dr. I’m really (Victor) Perkel—Aiden is the first excited,” transgender person he’s ever he said. treated. He usually treats “My people for diabetes and stuff like that, not for this.”

However, Kelli Drake said Dr. Perkel has been supportive of Aiden’s needs as he goes through the physical transition from female to male.

“We made a few phone calls at first and made sure he knew why we were going there,” she said. “When we went there, we already had the letter from a therapist saying he had been through therapy and basically Aiden Stockman: “I want to join the Army or the Marines, but they said I had his brain picked, couldn’t until I’ve fully transitioned. They would call my phone, asking for Victoria Stockman, and I would answer like, ‘Yeah, this is her.’” and this is what he

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Aiden—formerly known as Victoria—showed a masculine side even as a toddler and a young child.

Aiden Stockman stands at his graduation ceremony with his brother, Ethan.

cousin wanted to go to the U.S. Open of Surfing tournament this summer. I told him I’m not going, and he asked me why, and I said it was seeing guys with their shirts off, and I couldn’t take mine off. He didn’t know it, but last year, it sucked for me.”

my prerequisites done, but I don’t really know, honestly. I’ve just been hanging out.”

It’s all too common for transgender individuals to face challenges regarding unemployment. A 2013 report issued by the Human Rights Campaign showed transgender people are twice as likely to be unemployed, and that four out of 10 transgender people who do have jobs are underemployed.

“I would try to get a job, but I would go into places, and my stuff wasn’t changed yet, and it says ‘Victoria Stockman’ on it,” Aiden said.

“People would give me an application; I would fill it out, go back in, and they’d look at it and be like, ‘Yeah, OK, we’ll call you.’ … It’s a cold shoulder. It sucks.”

However, Aiden has found comfort in sharing his story.

“Through the (Yucca Valley High) Gay Straight Alliance, Palm Springs Pride, and the Harvey Milk Breakfast, I’ve talked to a bunch of kids, and I’ve shared my doctor’s information,” he said. “If someone older than me could have explained it to me, I wouldn’t have had to go through all this myself.

“If they want information, I’m really open about it. I talk about everything and if someone wants to know something, I tell them.”

E

ARLIER THIS YEAR, AIDEN HAD HIS NAME and gender legally changed.

“It went through on March 23,” Aiden said. “The judge was all like, ‘Good morning,’ and I said, ‘Hey!’ He asked if I wanted the name change and the gender change, and I said, ‘Yeah,’ and then he said, ‘Congratulations! You’re a young man now.’

And I yelled, ‘SWEET!’ “We walked out of the courtroom, and my mom said, ‘You’re supposed to be polite and say, Yes, your honor.’ It was my moment for a second, and he got me happy.”

Despite some great moments, Aiden is still struggling with a lot of issues related to his transition.

“I want to join the Army or the Marines, but they said I couldn’t until I’ve fully transitioned,” he said. “They would call my phone, asking for Victoria Stockman, and I would answer like, ‘Yeah, this is her.’ I was thinking about going to college and getting

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JULY 2015

CVI SPOTLIGHT: JULY 2015 DESERT ROSE OFFERS A NOURISHING DOSE OF ‘VITAMIN Q’

Y

OU MIGHT THINK A CRITIC’S WORST nightmare is seeing a show in which there is absolutely nothing to criticize. You’d be wrong.

Here I am, smiling, while writing to tell you about a musical revue you’ll love: Vitamin Q at the Desert Rose Playhouse is a total joy.

It’s perfect summer fare, because it’s light and fun and pokes gentle, sly, affectionate humor at the gay community. It’s filled with clever lyrics, interesting melodies, terrific comedy and—yes— even dancing! The theater is deliciously cool and comfortable, unlike some establishments which freeze us out with violent, sniffle-inducing air conditioning. In other words, you are in for a total treat at this show. Savvy producer Paul Taylor has scheduled Vitamin Q through the last weekend in July, so you can see it more than once.

Staged and directed by the uber-talented Jim Strait, who modestly doesn’t credit himself as the show’s creator, it’s written by Eric Lane Barnes.

Taylor and Strait approached the playwright after the success of last season’s The Stops, and suggested a musical revue of Barnes’ work.

Apparently the result was a deluge of Barnes’ material; Strait, along with musical director Steven Smith—another gifted workhorse—pored through it and picked out the numbers that created the resulting work. Although this production is not credited as an original or first-time event, you won’t see it anywhere else on the planet.

Costumer Mark Demry has evidently located the longest orange feather boa in the entire world, among other treats. The show also features the always-perfect lighting of Phil Murphy, and the flawless timing of stage manager Steve Fisher.

Their work combines to add to the professionalism invariably found at DRP. For this show, DRP has added the mastery of

By Valerie-Jean (VJ) Hume

dancer-choreographer Randy Doney to create the aforementioned hoofing. Did you know that he directed Barry Manilow’s shows for 25 years?

Plus, he worked for Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus (which occupies a special place in my heart, as they once let me spend a whole day with their immortal Coco the Clown). Plus he performed in the Fabulous Palm Springs Follies for 15 seasons. Wow. Though I suspect none of the actors in this show are professional dancers, Doney has guided them through a creditable performance which includes moves through disco, Latin music, country-Western, polka—and even, to our astonishment, an all-cast tap routine!

Of course, in revue theater, casting is crucial.

Well, casting is always crucial, but this form of theater demands talented characters with all the necessary skills (they each must be actors, comedians, singers, dancers and sometimes even models, and must LOOK like a group), but above all, they must contrast each other, and stand out as individuals. The same, but different. Not easy. Here, however, the sharp eyes of Jim Strait have selected a cast that achieves exactly that.

We meet them, all together, when the show bursts open with its theme song, “Vitamin Q,” whose meaning you have doubtless figured out already. We are immediately impressed with their amazing five-part harmonies and their heads-high energy. The remaining numbers are shrewdly chosen to provide maximum variety in all areas, to get the most out of every scenario.

The show romps through such numbers as “Pansies,” “Drama Queen,” “I Don’t Like Show Tunes,” “It’s All in Your Mind” and “Homomotion,” all of which provoke great hilarity, and then one beautiful ballad that will stick with you, “Save Your Sundays for Me,” which could be done even by straight singers. Contrast.

Jeffrey Norman, Timm McBride, Terry Huber, Raul Valenzuela and Andrew Knifer in Desert Rose’s Vitamin Q.

Onstage, we get to see new sides of some actors we’ve watched before. Timm McBride, with his lovely silvery hair and charming gravitas, gets to play everything from a doo-wap ’50s backup singer to a saloon singer on a stool. Terry Huber, with sleepy eyes, sophistication and a snake-slim figure, surprisingly appears as a snotty cowboy in “Garbage,” and frolics through several dance routines. Raul Valenzuela unleashes his rich powerful voice and considerable dance skills and then gets laughs just by appearing in a babushka or wearing inexplicable lime-green socks. Andrew Knifer demonstrates his exquisite diction and expressive face, and then pops our eyes with a wild falsetto in some songs. Jeffrey Norman stands out by wearing a goatee and glasses on stage and adds his solid baritone skills to complicated harmony vocals such as those in “Mr. Satan” (done in dazzling outrageous red choir gowns). Great group.

They are accompanied by Steven Smith on piano.

They have all mined the maximum out of this marvelous material, and created an evening of fun, variety and delight. This is what revue should be, but its breeziness masks the huge amount of planning, skill-stretching challenges and just-plainhard labor of creating such a show.

Kudos to everyone at Desert Rose Playhouse for Vitamin Q. You’ll leave feeling oxygenated from laughing—and as energized as if you had just taken your vitamins.

VITAMIN Q IS PERFORMED AT 8 P.M., FRIDAY AND SATURDAY; AND 2 P.M., SUNDAY, THROUGH SUNDAY, JULY 26, AT THE DESERT ROSE PLAYHOUSE, 69620 HIGHWAY 111, IN RANCHO MIRAGE. TICKETS ARE $28 TO $30. FOR TICKETS OR MORE INFORMATION, CALL 760-202-3000, OR VISIT WWW.DESERTROSEPLAYHOUSE.ORG.

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ARTS & CULTURE AN UNDERSTANDING OF FORM Local Artist Ruth Gonzales Creates Abstracts Born From Figure

WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/ARTS-AND-CULTURE

By Victor Barocas n imposing, highly polished, ebony concert grand piano confronts all visitors to Ruth Gonzales’ workshop.

Consuming a third of the available space, the piano would make more sense in a music conservatory than an abstract painter’s studio space.

However, a quick look at the remaining space shouts: An artist works here! Palette knives, brushes, mortars-and-pestles, paints and other tools of her craft populate the atelier. All of remaining spaces are lined with large, partly completed canvases. One yet-tobe stretched painting can be found flat on the floor, just a few steps from the front door.

Gonzales was born, raised and trained as a classical figurative artist in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico, three hours south of the Arizona/Mexico border. The artist worked as a missionary in Southern Mexico and spent time in Tijuana before moving to this desert in 1990.

The artist’s classical training presents itself in her abstractions: forms are suggested, not obvious. Her deconstruction process produces a tremendous sense of depth.

“It is her understanding of form,” said Jorge Mendez, of Jorge Mendez Gallery, “that allows

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her to retain its essence while creating an abstract painting. Her finished pieces contain a unique tension.”

Gonzales told me she finds painting on a flat, two-dimensional surface not to be limiting, but to be “freeing.” Her freedom is likely furthered by the fact that the natural and reflected light in her studio produces an ethereal, almost otherworldly aura that is inviting yet mysterious.

When first moving to the desert, Gonzales took a series of classes, including art classes, at the College of the Desert. “The desert became my inspiration as a painter,” she said. “I find the sand, the blue-black, starry nights, the purplish-brown mountains and our blue skies totally engaging.”

Gonzales said she realized she needed to expand the type and range of materials she applies. The artist still uses traditional oil paints (from the tube). “However,” she said, “those materials limit me. I am increasingly drawn to raw pigments that I can mix with linseed oil or apply directly to the canvas.”

Gonzales’ use of these pigments expands her ability to enhance the textural elements of her finished works. At times, she will also prep her canvas with unexpected materials, like sand.

The artist credits the late Mexican painter Rufino Tamayo as a major influence. Both rely

The artist stands in front of one of her canvases.

“Liquid Mind,” by Ruth Gonzales.

heavily upon raw pigments, and both artists employ a limited number of colors. There is a difference: Tamayo chose distinctly different and contrasting colors. Gonzales realizes a world built from multiple layers of melded colors, nuanced shading, refracted light and textures. Unlike other painters who apply multiple and thick layers of paint, Gonzales’ finished pieces are neither weighty nor imposing. Her paintings emanate a lightness that is inviting and engaging, giving others opportunities to create their own unique experience, conversation and narrative.

There is an organic quality to all of Gonzales’ paintings. It appears that she starts by applying layers of bright white gesso and/or pigments, and the artist’s canvases offer an inherent luster and/or sheen. This is especially true with “Chakra Sun.” To ground her composition, the artist painted the bottom section of “Chakra Sun” in lush greens. The sporadic addition of contrasting light blue brushstrokes added richness. Above the greens, Gonzales painted a square in varying shades of gold. Because she presents the perimeter in darker shades of the same color, the square seems to radiate its own light.

To complete the canvas, the artist introduces angular brushstrokes in carnelian and off-white; she creates what appear to be luminescent stick

figures marching across the canvas.

It is incorrect to assume “Liquid Mind,” a large, imposing, horizontal canvas, is a departure. The artist remains true to her aesthetic and process—but in reverse. In contrast to her usual approach of building up colors to create spaces where forms seem to float, the artist here seems to be carefully stripping away previously developed layers of ground pigments, color and paint. The planned combination of highly textured, visually tactile surfaces and a limited palette makes “Liquid Mind” into a highly introspective and inwardlooking painting.

“White Mist and Blackbirds” best exemplifies her organic approach and classical training as a figurative painter. Here, the foreground seems like a filmy scrim or mist hovering over a lake. It is through that uneven whiteness that Gonzales presents outlines of forms in bluish-black pigments or paints.

The forms seem sketched, and the unevenly painted light tan background amplifies the sense of forms floating in space.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT WWW.RUTHGONZALES.COM. JORGE MENDEZ GALLERY, 756 N. PALM CANYON DRIVE, IN PALM SPRINGS, SHOWS HER WORK REGULARLY. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE GALLERY, CALL 760-656-7454, OR VISIT JORGEMENDEZGALLERY.COM.

JULY 2015

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What’s your background brewing sours?

I just drank them. Brewing them is pretty much the same as anything—you’re just fermenting slightly differently. … Most of our sours are aged in a used wine barrel. (With) most of them nowadays, actually, primary fermentation starts in an oak barrel, then we rack into smaller oak barrels.

the

FOOD & DRINK The Summer of Sours: These Brightly Flavored Beers Are Big Among Southern California Brew-Lovers WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/FOOD-DRINK

By Erin Peters ith the help of nature’s unpredictability, experienced brewers are adapting traditional European techniques to bring bursts of tart and tangy flavors to beers.

Yep. We’re talking about sours.

In the mid-19th century, when beer was aged and shipped in wooden barrels before the advent of refrigeration, nearly all beer was, to some extent, sour.

Today, good sours can take up to two to three years to produce. But the wait is worth it: All hail Pediococcus, Lactobacillus and Brettanomyces. The remarkable flavors in

sour ales can be attributed to these wild yeast strains.

We recently spoke to people at three Southern California breweries that are helping lead the sour resurgence. Check out an expanded version of this story at CVIndependent.com.

The Bruery: A Chat with Benjamin Weiss Benjamin Weiss is the marketing director of The Bruery, located in the Orange County community of Placentia. The Bruery celebrated its seventh anniversary in May. Benjamin became a professional brewer at The Bruery in 2008, just two years after starting to homebrew in Los Angeles.

What do you think of the resurgence in popularity of sours?

It’s crazy. I was just commenting to one of my co-workers that we were at some festival … five years ago. Every single person that came up to you, you had to explain what a sour beer was. … Now, almost everyone walks up and says, “Oh, you have a sour beer?” … Within the craft-beer aficionado community, it’s increasingly more popular.

What are some of your favorites from The Bruery?

One of my favorites we make is Rueuze, our kind of gueuze style. … It has that funky character that I like. Gueuze is a type of lambic made by blending young (1-year-old) and old (2- to 3-year-old) lambics, which is then bottled for a second fermentation.

Rueuze is a blend of sour blonde ale from several oak barrels, some of which have been aging several months, some several years.

Notes of apricots, peach, lemon and bright barnyard funk flavors come through—perfect for summer.

Firestone Walker’s Barrelworks: A Brewery in Wine Country The “accidental” story of Firestone Walker’s Barrelworks is beautifully tasty. The story of renegade brewers Matt Brynildson, Jim Crooks (“Sour Jim”) and Jeffers Richardson has grown from humble beginnings in 2005 to a program that produces more than 1,500 barrels annually in Buellton, just south of Paso Robles.

This innovative and unprecedented barrelhouse is the birthplace of several of the wildly coveted beers poured annually at the Firestone Walker Invitational Beer Festival.

The Agrestic (2014) began as the brewery’s DBA; it then went through a “chrysalis” process involving 87 percent French and 13 percent American oak barrels, and a proprietary collection of micro flora. This sour leans toward the punker, tropical and oaky side of things.

The Sour Opal is an American Gueuze style with a titratable acidity (T.A.) of 6.6 g/L. Currently, no other brewery I know of divulges this information. With a home in wine country, Firestone Walker has adapted traditions and techniques from winery friends.

I spoke to Jeffers, the director of Barrelworks (aka the “Barrelmeister”).

What’s your fascination with sours?

I love how it contributes depth and

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Firestone Walker’s Barrelworks produces 1,500 barrels of beer annually—including some sought-after sours. ERIN PETERS

complexity to beer. Acidity adds a whole new dimension of flavor to beer … and plays teasingly with wild yeast and oak, when those components are involved.

How long have you been experimenting with sours?

My palate has been experimenting with acidified beers since 1985, when I lived in Brussels and first tried them. But I didn’t become comfortable with wild-beer production until I teamed up with Jim. I’m old-school. I was indoctrinated in the ways of clean-beer practices. Once we were given our own padded room, and the inmates were allowed to run it, I was more comfortable.

Jim, on the other hand, has been a certifiable experimenter of sours for some time.

Coachella Valley Brewing: Pucker Up in the Desert On a local level, Coachella Valley Brewing Co.’s Chris Anderson has been brewing up a sour program in Thousand Palms over the past year.

This sour program at CVB is taking off. In fact, Anderson hinted the brewery might be expanding its sour program outside of the current space in the near future.

The new Profligate Society will feature upcoming sours like cabernet-barrel-aged Epineux Poire prickly-pear wild ale, cabernetbarrel-aged Cassis Noir black currant sour ale, and cabernet-barrel-aged Flame Rouges wild ale. Less than 500 bottles of each beer will be released to Profligate members.

When did you start this, or think about starting to brew sours?

We immediately started getting into that mode when we had the capacity to store that type of a beer. … That was probably about a year ago. That was the inception of the first couple sour bases that we use to make a couple different beers with a batch of different fruits.

What do you love about sours?

I don’t know. It’s kind of mysterious, you know? A little unorthodox. It’s the opposite of everything you’re told as a brewer, even the way the mash is done.

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FOOD & DRINK the

INDY ENDORSEMENT It’s a Meat Month: We’re Getting Chicken at the Ace, and Beef at Aladdin

WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/FOOD-DRINK

By Jimmy Boegle WHAT The Buttermilk Fried Jidori Chicken WHERE King’s Highway at the Ace Hotel and Swim Club, 701 E. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs HOW MUCH $24 CONTACT 760-866-6180; www.acehotel.com/ palmsprings/kings-highway WHY It’s a mouth-watering, nuanced delight.

And now, here’s a little glimpse at how the sausage is made. (“The sausage,” in this case, means “food journalism.”)

Not too long ago, the King’s Highway at the Ace Hotel and Swim Club invited media folks to a family-style tasting of a bunch of stuff on the restaurant’s new menu, which was developed with the help of the people at the renowned Five Leaves restaurant in Brooklyn, N.Y. The food, as one would expect, was tasty across the board. (After all, the kitchen is most definitely going to be on its “A” game when feeding a bunch of writers and reporters.)

However, two dishes really got my attention: The shepherd’s pie, and the fried chicken.

Well, on subsequent visits to the Ace (the Independent has a contingent there most Monday nights for trivia, for the record), I decided see if the food I received as a regular ol’ customer matched the food I received as a vaunted member of the media. (Please, no snickering at that last statement.)

Upon further review, the shepherd’s pie was indeed very good—but the fried chicken was out of freaking sight.

I want this fried chicken all the time now.

Jidori chickens are a trendy, free-range sort of bird known for their yumminess—and this chicken is indeed juicy and delicious.

However, the coating/skin is important, too: It’s sweet from honey, spicy from habañero, and splendidly crispy as a result of the talents of the folks in the King’s Highway kitchen.

My mouth is watering as I write this. Your mouth should be watering as you read this.

This chicken is that good.

WHAT The Beef Kebab Combination Plate WHERE Aladdin Deli and Market, 68100 Ramon Road, No. A5, Cathedral City HOW MUCH $11.99 CONTACT 760-3281159; www.facebook.com/pages/Aladdin-DeliMarket/113113938755197 WHY This plate of food is beyond satisfying.

I have a theory: As a general rule, the farther a restaurant is away from the street in a strip mall, the better the food is at that restaurant.

This brings us to Aladdin Deli and Market.

Technically, you could say Aladdin is located at the northeast corner of Ramon Road and Landau Boulevard, because it’s located in the shopping center at said corner. However, you won’t be able to see Aladdin from this intersection—because Aladdin is located in the back, back, back corner of the center.

Trust me: Aladdin is worth finding.

The little market is pretty cool, offering lots of great Middle Eastern food finds. But we’re hungry, and we’re here for the food: Aladdin offers various shawarma and kebab dishes (in this case, kebab means meat grilled over a flame, but not necessarily skewered), pita sandwiches, salads, hummus, taboule, grape leaves and other yummy treats.

On my recent lunch visit, I chose the beef kabab plate. Upon first glance, I was slightly disappointed by the amount of meat I received; however, by the end of the meal, that disappointment had dissipated: There was more than enough food on this plate—and it was good food. The seasoned meat had the perfect amount of char; the hummus was delicious and creamy. The rice, pickles (salad is available as an alternative to pickles) and other accompaniments complemented the meat and hummus nicely.

My only complaint was the pita bread was a little tough. However, that’s a nitpick: My lunch was beyond satisfying—and at lunchtime on the days that followed, my hungry stomach kept nudging me to head back to the intersection of Ramon and Landau for more.

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FOOD & DRINK

Restaurant NEWS BITES WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/FOOD-DRINK

By Jimmy Boegle STATE FAIR: BABE’S IS THE CALIFORNIA BREWERY OF THE YEAR Arthur Vasquez, the chief operating officer at Babe’s Bar-B-Que and Brewhouse in Rancho Mirage, humbly posits that Babe’s does not make the state’s best beer, as far as his palate is concerned.

“I’ll be the first person to tell you that there are some amazing beers produced in California, and I would jump over my beer to get to them in a second,” he said.

However, the judges at the Northern California Brewers Guild, who run the California State Fair Commercial Craft Brew Competition, disagree: They say Babe’s is the 2015 Brewery of the Year.

This is an incredible honor for Babe’s, the granddaddy of the Coachella Valley craft-brew world.

According to the Northern California Brewers Guild, 302 participants entered some 1,086 beers in the contest, and Babe’s took top honors in part because three of the six beers Babe’s entered won awards: the Belgian Vanilla Blond Ale, the 2014 Winterfest Ale, and the Blackfin Lager.

The Independent spoke to Vasquez on the day before he was slated to hop on a quick flight out of Ontario to Sacramento for an awards ceremony on the steps of the California State Capitol.

“We’re in a bit of a shock. We were hoping to win a ribbon or two,” Vasquez said, adding that the six beers Babe’s entered must have “just happened to hit the technical qualities in the categories we entered. … We sent the right beers to the right competition.”

Modesty aside, Babe’s is obviously doing something right: Vasquez noted that Babe’s has taken home at least one award from every competition the brewery has entered since 2009.

“This means a lot to us,” Vasquez said.

Congratulations to everyone at Babe’s, located at The River, 71800 Highway 111, in Rancho Mirage.

Watch the Babe’s Facebook page for updates and more information.

JOHANNES CLARIFIES BOTTLED-WATER POLICY Last month in this space, we poked fun at the fact that Johannes Restaurant, located at 196 S. Indian Canyon Drive, in Palm Springs, was going to stop serving tap water, and instead only serve bottled water imported from New Zealand—in an effort to “preserve the environment.”

After that item appeared, chef/owner Johannes Bacher invited me to the restaurant so he could further explain the policy.

First: Bacher noted that even though an initial news release said Johannes customers would no longer be able to receive tap water, period, customers can have tap water, if they insist, rather than paying $1 per bottle for the Waiwera Organic Artesian Still Water.

Second: He insisted he was not making any money off the policy change, because he was essentially offering the Waiwera at cost.

Third: He extolled the virtues of Waiwera, and said he didn’t see much of a pollution problem coming from the fact that the water is shipped in all the way from New Zealand.

“I’m not harming the environment, because much of the stuff in the U.S. comes from overseas, anyway,” he said.

Fourth: He said that the use of tap water at Johannes—and therefore, use of California’s dwindling water supply—had been “greatly reduced” since the policy change.

So … there you have it. You can judge for yourself whether Bacher’s policy makes sense.

Get more information at www.johannesrestaurants.com.

IN BRIEF A lesson to all would-be scammers out there: Do your research! Mindy Reed, the owner of Zin American Bistro in downtown Palm Springs, recently received a letter at the restaurant from a Jack Sardinias of Hollywood, Fla. He was asking Zin to reimburse him for a cleaning bill, after a server at Zin allegedly spilled a small amount of sauce on his wife’s jacket. Here’s where the story gets interesting: Reed also owns Alicante, also in downtown Palm Springs—and Alicante received an almost-identical letter from the same person. Word is that other downtown Palm Springs restaurants were targeted, too. … Further proof that the Coachella Valley is becoming less “seasonal” as the years go by: Clementine Gourmet Marketplace and Café, located at 72990 El Paseo, Suite 3, in Palm Desert, recently announced that for the first time, the restaurant would be open all summer long. “We recognize that many of our loyal customers will be here all summer, and they are so happy that we’re planning to stay open,” said Christophe Douheret, an owner of Clementine, in a news release. Yay! … Because most local city councils are paranoid and ridiculously behind the times, it’s unlikely the Coachella Valley will be home to a vibrant food-truck scene anytime soon. However, Noni’s Wood-Fired Pizza, a mobile pizza-service operation, has found a work-around: It’s planning a series of “pop-up” partnerships with brick-and-mortar joints, the first of which will take place at Justme Sweets Bakery and Café, 83214 Requa Ave., In Indio, on Friday and Saturday, July 10 and 11. Visit www.facebook.com/nonispizza for more details.

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⓳ Built to Spill makes a date at Pappy's ⓴ Herbert and his organ are bringing creepy back •• Desert Rock Chronicles: Music in the Mountains •• The Lucky 13 •• Alex Harrington's Dunecast with Synthetix www.cvindependent.com/music

The Steve Miller Band heads for The Show. Details in the Blueskye Report.

LEGITIMATE LEGENDS

The Steve Miller Band

The Blueskye REPORT

JULY 2015

By Brian Blueskye It’s a light month for live music in the Coachella Valley—although the Coachella Valley Independent and I are doing our part to fill the entertainment void.

We’re holding a series of benefit shows for the NestEggg Food Bank at Chill Bar Palm Springs; call it the NestEggg Food Bank Summer Concert CVIndependent.com

Series. At 8 p.m., Tuesday, July 7, EeVaan Tre and the Show will be performing. At 8 p.m., Tuesday, July 14, Independent resident DJ Alex Harrington will get the crowd dancing. At 8 p.m., Tuesday, July 21, Derek Gregg of The Hive Minds will turn in a solo show. At 8 p.m., Tuesday, July 28, DJ Aimlo will be featured. Each show is free, but we’re asking for a donation of $5 or more—all of which will go straight to the food bank! Chill Bar, 216 E. Arenas Road, Palm Springs; 760-327-1079; chillbarpalmsprings.com.

You won’t want to miss the 1950s Mid-Summer Dance Party, benefitting the Desert AIDS Project, at 8 p.m., Saturday, July 25, at the Palm Springs Pavilion (401 S. Pavilion Way). The ’50s

themed party will feature live DJs, go-go dancers and an open bar. This is definitely the function of the summer! Tickets are $40 to $75; www. desertaidsproject.org.

The Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa has some great events on the schedule. At 9 p.m., Friday, July 3, Calibre 50 and the Banda Carnival will take the stage. Calibre 50 was created in 2010 and hails from Sinaloa, Mexico. The band has sung about some very controversial subjects about life in Sinaloa. Meanwhile, Banda Carnival has been nominated for a Grammy; the group also hails from Sinaloa. Tickets are $65 to $85. America will be performing at 8 p.m., Saturday, July 25. The trio started in 1970 and was a big hit when the

America

song “A Horse With No Name” hit radio waves. Dan Peek left the group in 1977 (and passed away in 2011), but Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell are still going strong. Tickets are $30 to $60. At 9 p.m., Friday, July 31, the legendary classic-rock outfit The Steve Miller Band will continued on Page 20

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MUSIC

COMING ‘UNTETHERED’ After a Few Trying Years, Built to Spill Celebrates a New Album

By Shonda Chase, RN Co-owner and aesthetic director of Revive Wellness Centers Palm Springs and the South Bay area of Los Angeles

We all like to see magic tricks done well. This column reveals some of our medical magic secrets we use to help you look younger and be healthier.

I just finished five days at the Cosmetic Surgery Conference. I learned more than I can share with you in a year of Revive’s Beauty Secrets colShonda with Dr. Paul Nassif. umns. This month’s secret contains a few medical magic secrets you’re going to be learning more about in this column through the rest of this year.

WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/MUSIC

By Brian Blueskye

Built to Spill

uilt to Spill guitarist Brett Netson admitted that the recording process seems to be getting tougher—even though the group’s now been around for more than two decades.

“I think as the time goes on long enough, you have to obviously come up with something new—and the more you do, the more difficult it is to come up with something new,” Netson said during a recent phone interview. “It seems to be a slower process, and I don’t even know why. What you hope for as you get older is to have a more refined record—and ideally, that’s what happens. On a bad day, you make a crappy record. We do the best we can do.”

Built to Spill will be performing at Pappy and Harriet’s on Thursday, July 16, to support the band’s new album, Untethered Moon. It took a long time for the album to come to fruition.

Built to Spill went into the studio and recorded an album in 2012. However, frontman Doug Martsch was unsatisfied with the material; the resulting frustration led to the departure of members Brett Nelson and Scott Plouf. The remaining band pulled together and returned to the studio to record Untethered Moon.

“You could compare it to old blues records.

On the older records, they didn’t have a lot of options,” Netson said about Untethered Moon.

“They just sort of worked it out in real time and then just ended up with the thing that was supposed to be there. If you can do that, it’s great.”

Built to Spill has been on Warner Bros. since 1997’s Perfect From Now On. The band enjoys more creative control over the direction of its records than most bands do. Netson said the deal has been renegotiated over the years, but that it still works for them.

“We get by on a smaller budget now than we

SECRETS FROM THE 2015 COSMETIC SURGERY CONFERENCE

did back in the day,” he said. “We had better options, and they renegotiated the whole deal.”

Built to Spill is often cited as an influence by up-and-coming bands. Netson said it’s humbling when the band is mentioned.

“When you’re a band like us, touring across the country playing shows day in and day out, there’s really no showbiz happening,” he said. “When you’re working in the studio, you don’t have people around you telling you how great you are, and you’re just trying to do your thing. It’s really cool, and at the same time, you appreciate it. It’s very gratifying.”

When Built to Spill started in 1992, Doug Martsch said during an interview with Spin that the band would always have a revolving lineup. Netson himself was out of the band in 1994 during the recording sessions for There’s Nothing Wrong With Love, but returned for Perfect From Now On. “Back when the band first started 23 years ago, that was the idea,” Netson said. “… I think Doug gave up on (the revolving lineup idea), because when you get a new band, you have to teach them all of these songs. There are a lot of parts to all these songs, and the chemistry and the vocabulary of the band sort of suffers when you get new people all the time.”

Netson said the band’s members are content with where the band is now.

“I think if anything changes in the future for this band, it would only be because of money or resources,” Netson said. “Everybody likes playing together, and we have the best players you could ever hope to find.

“I guess I’m OK, too,” he added with a laugh.

Help Ensure Your Aesthetic Work is Done Correctly the First Time I re-connected with Dr. Paul Nassif from the TV show Botched. Dr. Nassif did my first Botox injections 18 years ago.

One of the goals emphasized at the conference was to do each procedure correctly the first time. Here are three secrets to help you get what you hope for: 1. Ask a lot of questions when consulting with a plastic surgeon or advance injector, so you know they’ve successfully done the procedure you’re considering many times.

2. Always get a second, or even a third, opinion.

3. As you’ve seen on Botched, don’t expect fantastic results in Mexico.

4. Your life and appearance are important. And besides, you don’t want to end up as a patient on Dr. Nassif’s show.

VIVA Radio Frequency Also Treats Stretch Marks Revive and other practices are getting good results in treating stretch marks with our VIVA skin reconditioning medical device. VIVA can treat any skin type. Three to four treatments, with no downtime, and have produced significant improvements in stretch marks.

Next month, I’ll share more secrets I learned at the convention.

VIVA can help get rid of leg stretch marks.

Until then, keep the secret.

Read the entire article at www.revivecenter.com/blog.

Email your individual appearance and aging questions to Ms. Chase at Shonda@revivecenter.com.

BUILT TO SPILL WILL PERFORM AT 8 P.M., THURSDAY, JULY 16, AT PAPPY AND HARRIET’S PIONEERTOWN PALACE, 53688 PIONEERTOWN ROAD, IN PIONEERTOWN. TICKETS ARE $25.

FOR TICKETS OR MORE INFORMATION, CALL 760-365-5956, OR VISIT WWW.PAPPYANDHARRIETS.COM. CVIndependent.com

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continued from Page 18

BRINGING SPOOKY BACK Meet Herbert, Whose Old-Time Organ Will Be at the Bat Country Summer Slam

WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/MUSIC

By Brian Blueskye f you’ve ever watched an old horror movie featuring a carnival or a haunted house, you’ve heard spooky organ music.

Meet Herb Lienau, a man who is bringing that spooky music back, thanks to his oneman carnival-organ-music show, called Herbert.

Herbert will be performing at the Bat Country Summer Slam at the Palms in Twentynine Palms on Saturday, July 4. Yes, he’ll be wearing his trademark creepy mask.

I recently spoke with Lienau at his business in Palm Desert, and we discussed the history of punk rock in the Coachella Valley during the early to mid-’80s. Lienau was very much part of that scene: He played in bands with desert rock greats Scott Reeder (Kyuss), Alfredo Hernandez (Kyuss, Queens of the Stone Age), Mario Lalli (Fatso Jetson), Gary Burns (Deadbolt) and Sean Wheeler (Throw Rag, Sean and Zander), just to name a few. After living in Los Angeles and performing in the band Dead Issue—which later became Darkside, and then Across the River—Lienau returned to the desert.

“I kind of freaked out on acid, and I had to regroup,” he said. “I quit the band and moved back to the desert, and those guys went on to do Across the River. … Me, Mario (Lalli) and Alfredo (Hernandez) all lived together in an apartment in Culver City, and Scott (Reeder) was going to UCLA and living in the dorms there. Good things come out of bad things. It sucks I had to quit the band out of volition, but I had to come home to regroup. Out of that came Across the River, which was an awesome band, and the whole stoner-rock thing happened after that.”

How did Herbert come to fruition? The name, of course, has to do with the fact that Lienau’s full first name is Herbert, but the idea for the concept came to him while he was playing the keyboard.

“I had been messing around with keyboards here and there after always playing guitar and singing in bands,” he said. “I wasn’t in any band at the time or anything, and it was something I could do at home. … I didn’t have to plug a lot in or set up a lot of equipment, so I started like that, just messing around. As time went on, I started accumulating a lot of different things.

I asked myself, ‘How could I put this together and play somewhere?’”

As for his costume?

“I had this old man mask I’d wear to scare my daughter,” he said. “I used to chase her around and say I was Grandpa Daddy, and I’d be all like, ‘Look at Grandpa Daddy!’ On Halloween, the kids would all come, and I’d freak them out by giving out candy while wearing that mask. So I figured I’d wear the CVIndependent.com

Herbert

mask, and that way, while I was still trying to get the feel on the keyboard thing, I didn’t have to put myself out there entirely.”

The Herbert set includes typical carnivalorgan music—with some covers thrown in, such as “Angie” by the Rolling Stones, “Hotel California” by the Eagles, and Booker T’s “Green Onions.”

“I wasn’t planning on singing and was just going to do instrumentals, but at home, I put together this medley, and I realized ‘Hotel California,’ ‘Angie’ and ‘Let the Sun Shine In’ are basically the same song. So I kind of merged the three together playing them instrumentally, and eventually split them up.

It’s just sort of evolved as I’ve gotten better and more comfortable.”

THE BAT COUNTRY SUMMER SLAM TAKES PLACE SATURDAY, JULY 4, AT THE PALMS, 83131 AMBOY ROAD, IN TWENTYNINE PALMS. ADMISSION TO THE ALL-AGES SHOW IS $10 AT THE DOOR. FOR MORE INFORMATION, FIND THE EVENT’S FACEBOOK PAGE. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HERBERT, VISIT HERBSORGAN.COM.

perform. Since founding the group in 1966, Steve Miller has not only written some of the best songs in rock history; the group has gone on to become a primary influence for many guitarists and bands, even in the current generation. Tickets are $75 to $150. The Show at Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa, 32250 Bob Hope Drive, Rancho Mirage; 888-9991995; www.hotwatercasino.com.

Fantasy Springs Resort Casino has one event worth noting. At 8 p.m., Friday, July 10, Alejandra Guzman will rock the Special Events Center. Guzman is one of Latin music’s most successful modern artists and has a history of Latin rock hits Alejandra Guzman going back to 1988. Tickets are $29 to $69. Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, 84245 Indio Springs Parkway, Indio; 760-342-5000; www.fantasyspringsresort.com.

Spotlight 29 Casino has a full schedule of events for July. At 8 p.m., Friday, July 3, The Family Stone will be performing. Unfortunately, Sly Stone won’t be with them—although one of the first multi-racial and multi-gender American rock bands will still entertain. A blend of soul and psychedelic rock took the group to unbelievable heights when frontman Sly was in the band. Unfortunately, drug use and other problems have kept him absent from the group. Tickets are $30 to $35. At 8 p.m., Saturday, July 18, actor/ comedian Paul Rodriguez will be stopping by. He’s starred in films such as Quicksilver with Kevin Bacon and Born in East L.A. with Cheech Marin. He’s also had various successful stand-up specials on HBO. Tickets are Paul Rodriguez $25 to $35. For those who have argued over that great music question—The Beatles or The Rolling Stones?—you can hopefully settle that argument at 8 p.m., Friday, July 31, when tribute bands Abbey Road (Beatles) and Jumpin’ Jack Flash (Rolling Stones) will engage in

Nick Waterhouse

a “Musical Shootout.” Tickets are $10. Spotlight 29 Casino, 46200 Harrison Place, Coachella; 760-7755566; www.spotlight29.com.

Morongo Casino Resort Spa has a couple of intriguing events coming up. At 9 p.m., Friday, July 10, country-music duo The Swon Brothers will be stopping by. The brothers from Oklahoma were a sensation on The Voice in 2013 and released their self-titled debut album on Arista Records in October 2014. Tickets are $29 to $39. At 9 p.m., Friday, July 31, former Doobie Brothers front man Michael McDonald will be performing.

The five-time Grammy award winning artist was also a studio member of Steely Dan. Tickets are $55 to $65. Morongo Casino Resort Spa, 49500 Seminole Drive, Cabazon; 800-252-4499; www. morongocasinoresort.com.

Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace has some great listings in July. At 9:30 p.m., Saturday, July 4, Nick Waterhouse will be returning to Pappy’s. Waterhouse’s retro sound, featuring ’60s rock ’n’ roll and R&B, has earned him accolades; he’s also been featured in a commercial for Lexus.

Take note: If you go to the show, don’t wear tennis shoes; Waterhouse prefers those who put effort into their appearances. Tickets are $15 to $18. At 9 p.m., Thursday, July 9, there will be a vinyl release party for Jesika von Rabbit and her album, Journey Mitchell.

Tickets are $10. At 9 p.m., Saturday, July 25, 10 yearold Emi Sunshine will be performing. The Tennessee native and performer of Appalachian music is a wunderkind. Tickets are $10 to $12. Pappy and Harriet’s Emi Sunshine Pioneertown Palace, 53688 Pioneertown Road, Pioneertown; 760-365-5956; www.pappyandharriets.com.

The Family Stone

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DESERT ROCK CHRONICLES As Always, Stoner-Rock Greats Are Part of the Yosemite Music Festival Lineup

WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/MUSIC

By Robin Linn esert summer is upon us, and it’s hotter than Haiti outside!

Many of our local music venues are on auto-pilot—but there are a lot of great live shows and music festivals not too far away that will allow you to escape the heat and get your live-show fix.

As for me … well, stoner rock and wayoutside acid-jazz are in my immediate future.

I am escaping the desert heat and heading up the Sierra Nevadas into beautiful mountain surroundings for the Yosemite Music Festival, taking place Friday and Saturday, July 10 and 11. The Atomic Sherpas, Green Machine, 3 Leafs and others are scheduled to perform; a weekend pass is $40.

Past performers have included Hungry Bear, Fatso Jetson and Hawks. Also on the bill this year is San Francisco-based stoner rock band Golden Void. The band’s latest release on Thrill Jockey Records is firmly rooted in melody, and the band is not afraid of exploration. The hooks get stuck in your head, and the riffs transport you to the astral plane.

Regular readers know I am a big fan of the Atomic Sherpas, a psyched-out, funked-up groove-based sextet led by the masterful Vince Meghrouni (Fatso Jetson) on vocals/sax/flute/ harmonica, and featuring guitarist Anthony Cossa (The Aliens), keyboardist Marc Doten (Double Naught Spy Car), bassist Michael Alvidrez, trombonist Carlos Alvidrez and drummer T. Alex Budrow. The band’s live show is high-energy, artful and guaranteed to put the boogie in your woogie. This summer, the Sherpas will be touring Southern California— and they’re one of the headliners at the Yosemite Music Festival in Mariposa County for the eighth consecutive year.

Though Meghrouni is a Los Angeles-based musician, he has been a member of the desert’s music scene since the early ’90s. He is featured in the film Lo Sound Desert and has performed here with Fatso Jetson, Brother Weasel and Bazooka over the past couple of decades.

I asked him how he got involved with this annual event.

“The first time we played there, in 2008, I remember pulling up in our rag-tag caravan, looking at the bucolic setting, seeing the sturdy rural folk walking around, and talking

The Atomic Sherpas

to larger-than-life people like Cobra (security) and Hungry Bear,” he said. “As we got set up to the sound of the new bluegrass bands that usually start the proceedings on Friday afternoon, I thought that maybe these good, honest people surrounded by beautiful nature—people raised in a mountain culture of strength and survival—might have no use for our city-slicker fancy costumes, hyped-up stage characters, funny dancing and showy little jazzy fancy-isms. ‘Why don’t ya’ll just be yourselves?’ I imagined going through their minds.”

However, Meghrouni said his concerns were for naught.

“From the get-go, they went hog-wild nuts, and demanded encores—more than one!” he said. “They … streamed down the hill from their comfy camps and lawn chairs and danced like mad! It turns out that our music is rooted in joie de vivre, and that it cuts across. What I perceived as possible differences that wouldn’t enable our communing over the sacred spirit of music was just another veil of illusion manufactured by my own constant self-doubt mind-monkey.

Meghrouni said that today, he and his band mates consider the festival’s organizers and regulars to be family.

“Our pilgrimage every year is to nourish our souls—to dip into the well of our home, our spirit home, and to be among our people,” he said.

THE YOSEMITE MUSIC FESTIVAL TAKES PLACE FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, JULY 10 AND 11, AT THE MARIPOSA COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS, LOCATED AT 5007 FAIRGROUNDS ROAD, IN MARIPOSA. ADMISSION IS $40. FOR TICKETS OR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT WWW.YOSEMITEMUSICFESTIVAL.COM. READ MORE FROM ROBIN LINN, INCLUDING AN EXPANDED VERSION OF THIS STORY, AT WWW.DESERTROCKCHRONICLES.COM. CVIndependent.com

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Alex Harrington’s DuneCast: JULY 2015

the

LUCKY 13

WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/MUSIC

By Brian Blueskye NAME Tomas DeLa Noche MORE INFO Local DJ Tomas DeLa Noche always puts on an interesting show when he’s behind the mixing board. He’s turned in wellreceived house-music sets at the Coachella Valley Art Scene and The Hood Bar and Pizza.

More at soundcloud.com/tomasdelanoche What was the first concert you attended?

Johnny Cash at the Greek Theatre (in Los Angeles), circa ’97.

What was the first album you owned?

Bob Marley and the Wailers, Legend.

What bands are you listening to right now?

Well, in the way of DJs, Get Down Edits are really doing it for me. Also, anything by Crazy P, given they can do no wrong.

What artist, genre or musical trend does everyone love, but you don’t get?

I really can’t stand anything EDM. Music has got to have elements of soul, jazz, funk or disco, or it just doesn’t appeal to me. Special bulletin: House music is NOT EDM! What musical act, current or defunct, would you most like to see perform live?

The Bee Gees. I would totally be in my element grooving to their songs.

What’s your favorite musical guilty pleasure?

Prince! LOL! What’s your favorite music venue?

Locally, Bar in downtown Palm Springs.

What’s the one song lyric you can’t get out of your head?

Lyrically, I’d have to say the some of the best writers are hip-hop cats. In “Ex Girl to the Next Girl,” Guru from Gang Starr explains: “My homeboys told me drop her, ’cause it would be to my benefit. She used to say I Tomas DeLa Noche

CVIndependent.com

Get to Know an Up-and-Coming DJ, and the Newest Member of Gutter Candy

better quit, hangin with those derelicts!”

What band or artist changed your life?

How? Anyone who knows me knows I wouldn’t be listening to any of the music I listen to, or know half of the amazing people I have met (particularly in the house scene), if it wasn’t for Mark Farina. I owe it all to him.

You have one question to ask one musician. What’s the question, and who are you asking?

What inspired John Fogerty to write so many songs about the South when he and the band were from California?

What song would you like played at your funeral?

Both “Spirit in the Sky” by Norman Greenbaum and “You Sexy Thing (I Believe in Miracles)” by Hot Chocolate.

Figurative gun to your head, what is your favorite album of all time?

That’s like asking the pope which bowl of holy water is his favorite. But considering there’s a gun to my head, Mark Farina’s Mushroom Jazz 3.

What song should everyone listen to right now?

“Beautiful Wicked Game” by Jask. It is a great mash-up between his single “Beautiful” featuring Jocie and the Chris Isaak classic “Wicked Game.”

NAME D.D. Gunz GROUP Gutter Candy MORE INFO Shawn Mafia and the 10 Cent Thrills is now known as Gutter Candy, and is fronted by Jersey Dagger (aka Shawn Mafia) on vocals, and features Lixx Candy on guitar, Sin Balls on drums, and newest-member D.D. Gunz on bass. More at www.guttercandyrules.com.

What was the first concert you attended?

That is really difficult to recall, as I am 40 and have been going to see shows since I was about 13. The first few were just some local punk-rock bands in the L.A. area. My first memorable show was the Ramones in 1989.

What was the first album you owned?

Suicidal Tendencies’ “Institutionalized” was the first record in my possession that was not borrowed or a sixth-generation homerecorded cassette tape.

What bands are you listening to right now?

D.D. Gunz

This month, we welcome guest mixer SynthEtiX, aka Alvaro Sandoval. I asked him several questions about him and his music. Check out his DuneCast exclusively at CVIndependent.com!

Gutter Candy, The Ramones, Social Distortion, Faster Pussycat, The Clash, The Buzzcocks, Hank Williams, Sham 69, and a little Guns N’ Roses for good measure.

What artist, genre or musical trend does everyone love, but you don’t get?

All this electronic garbage, I don’t get. Pick up a guitar, for God sakes!

What musical act, current or defunct, would you most like to see perform live?

The Ramones again! Guns N’ Roses in 1988 with all the original members and before Axl started wearing those tight white bicycle shorts.

What’s your favorite musical guilty pleasure?

I am a sucker for country music. I can put it on and kill a 30-pack, no problem.

What’s your favorite music venue?

When it was open, The Back Room in Austin, Texas. There’s nothing like loud music and a little down-home Southern alcoholism to set you free.

What’s the one song lyric you can’t get out of your head?

“Shake It Off” by Taylor Swift. Man, I hate that fucking song!

What band or artist changed your life?

How? The first and second waves of British punk rock changed my life. Bands like The Clash, The Exploited and The Partisans still have a hold on me today.

You have one question to ask one musician. What’s the question, and who are you asking?

When I auditioned for the bass-player position in Gutter Candy, I couldn’t help but notice the killer pair of pants that Jersey Dagger was wearing. I had to know where he got them.

What song would you like played at your funeral?

“Country Boy Can Survive” by Hank Williams

How long have you lived in the Coachella valley?

I was born and raised in the Coachella Valley.

Nothing beats the summer and winter seasons, and the surrounding mountains.

What would you say your “style” is with your music?

I take influence from techno and house. I focus on percussion grooves and a jazz-style call-andresponse technique.

What got you into being a DJ and producing?

Thanks to my family influence, I’ve always been a musician and surrounded myself with creative individuals. I started writing classical music (for the challenge) when I was in high school, and I was no good at it. (Ha ha!) But I learned to push myself and funnel my stress, happiness and other feelings into motivation.

My steps for success: 1: Do what you love. 2: Pour your heart and soul into it. 3: Nourish your art and self. 4: Happiness.

• SynthEtiX, “Intimate Settings” • SynthEtiX, “Heart Stop” • Huxley, “Cobourg” (Agnes Mix) • Patrick Topping, “Forget” • Jesse Slayter and Wuki, “That’s Right” • Sluggers, “Horizon” • NAPT and Roska, “Come Like This” • Justin Martin, “Buggin” • Chambray, “Ghetto Giants” • Champion, “Execution” • Victor Ruiz, “Message” • Booka Shade featuring Fritz Helder, “Love Drug” (Silversix Remix) • Above and Beyond, “Thing Called Love” (LUST for SynthEtiX Mix)

Jr. But more importantly, what song would I like to have Angelina Jolie strip to? “Sweet Little Sister” from Skid Row. Figurative gun to your head, what is your favorite album of all time?

White Light, White Heat, White Trash from Social Distortion.

What song should everyone listen to right now?

“Put It Right Here” from Gutter Candy. Grab a 12 pack, and pop it on; when you get to beer No. 9, turn it up to 10, and enjoy.

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COMICS & JONESIN’CROSSWORD

Across 1 Arachnid abodes 5 ___ San Lucas 9 Exam for jrs.

13 “It’s a dry ___” 14 Become best buds?

15 “It’s ___ Quiet” (Bjork remake) 16 Air France airport 17 Bubbly Nestle bars across the pond 18 Taken-back auto 19 Daniel Defoe’s ___ Flanders 20 Chess closer 21 Completely crush a final exam 22 NFL’s Patriots?

25 Gator tail?

27 “Chandelier” singer 28 Antony and Cleopatra killer 29 Jenny with a diet program 31 “Oh, for Pete’s ___” 34 “Bleh!”

37 Garbage bags for an action star?

41 Inflationary figure, for short 42 DVR button 43 Extremely cold 44 Get, as the bad guy 46 Note a fifth higher than do 48 Mid-seasons occurrence?

49 Digit for a bizarre MTV host?

55 It’s just an expression 56 Rug-making need 57 TV talking horse, for short

60 Classic TV kid, with “The” 61 “___ bet?”

62 Fame actress and singer Irene 63 Bachelor finale?

64 “Card Players Quarreling” artist Jan 65 “The ___-Bitsy Spider” 66 Leonine outburst 67 West Side Story faction 68 Say no to Down 1 For ___ the Bell Tolls 2 Dulles Airport terminal designer Saarinen 3 Members of the major leagues 4 French pen, or LG smartphone 5 Oxy competitor 6 Heart hookup 7 Showed disapproval 8 Yoga class chants 9 Prickly critter 10 Actor Charlie or Martin 11 Jellied garnish 12 Canine, e.g.

14 Disney classic of 1942 21 Crunch targets 23 Catholic title, for short 24 “New Soul” singer ___ Naim 25 America’s Got Talent feature 26 Release, like a rap album 30 Turning into a hockey rink, e.g.

32 Busy-bee link

33 Arch holders 35 Observe 36 Caitlyn’s ex 38 Stand ___ Counted (U.K. news site for millennials) 39 Inuit word for “house” 40 ’60s activist gp.

45 Common tat locale 47 “Yeesh ...”

49 River near the Vatican 50 “___ Billie Joe” 51 Mazda roadster 52 Bring delight to 53 Trio of trios 54 89 years from now, in the credits 58 Beginning for “while” 59 “The Banana Boat Song” opener 61 Banker’s newspaper, for short ©2015 Jonesin’ Crosswords (editor@jonesincrosswords.com)

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24 \\ COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT

JULY 2015

Deals available in the Independent Market as of July 1: Get a $20 gift certificate to Bart Lounge for $10—a savings of 50 percent!

Get a $40 gift certificate to Rio Azul Mexican Bar and Grill for $20, or a $20 gift certificate for $10—a savings of 50 percent!

Get a $25 gift certificate to Shabu Shabu Zen for $12.50—a savings of 50 percent!

Get a $25 gift certificate to La Quinta Brewing Co. Microbrewery and Taproom for $12.50—a savings of 50 percent!

Get half-off spa services, Capri restaurant meals and select hotel nights at Miracle Springs Hot Mineral Resort and Spa!

Get a $20 gift certificate to Pho 533 for $10—a savings of 50 percent!

Shop at CVIndependent.com.

Look for more deals to be added during the month!

Want your business in the Independent Market? Call 760-904-4208, or email jimmy@cvindependent.com.

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