Coachella Valley Weekly - January 19 to January 25, 2017 Vol. 5 No. 44

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coachellavalleyweekly.com • January 19, to January 25, 2017 Vol. 5 No. 44

Throw The Goat Cataract Gold Career Builder Challenge Braun Fraulein The River’s Music Showcase pg5

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January 19 to January 25, 2017

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January 19 to January 25, 2017

BY TRACY DIETLIN

MYSTIC AVALANCHE ENTERTAINMENT PRESENTS: Coachella Valley Weekly

coachellavalleyweekly.com publisher@coachellavalleyweekly.com facebook.com/cvweekly

760.501.6228

Publisher & Editor Tracy Dietlin Art Director Robert Chance Sales Team Morgan James Classified Manager & Nightlife Editor Phil Lacombe Features Writer Lisa Morgan, Rich Henrich, Heidi Simmons, Denise Ortuno Neil, Judith Salkin Writers/Contributors: Robin Simmons, Rick Riozza, Craig Michaels, Bronwyn Ison, Haddon Libby, Janet McAfee, Rachel Montoya, Angela Janus, Dale Gribow, Raymond Bill, Sam DiGiovanna, Rob Brezny, Eleni P. Austin, Noe Gutierrez, Sunny Simon, Dr. Peter Kadile, Bruce Cathcart, Lola Rossi, Laura Hunt Little, Flint Wheeler, Jack St. Clair, Dee Jae Cox, Patte Purcell, Janet Newcomb, Rebecca Pikus, Angela Romeo, Esther Sanchez, Jenny Wallis Photographers Robert Chance, Laura Hunt Little, Chris Miller, Lani Garfield, Esther Sanchez, Scott Pam, George Duchannes Distribution Phil Lacombe, William Westley

CONTENTS

Murkocet CD Release Show................. 3 Throw The Goat.................................... 5 PSIFF Wrap ........................................... 6 PSIFF - A Man Called Ove.................... 6 Film - Cataract Gold............................. 7 PS Art Museum - Black History........... 7 Club Skirts Presents The Dinah.......... 8 The Unforgettables Hearts Awards.... 8 Career Builder Challenge.................... 9 CV Open Mic Competition Final....... 10 Backstage Jazz - Celebrity Jam..........10 Braun Fraulein................................... 11 The River's Music Showcase.............. 11 Consider This - The Jayhawks........... 12 Art Scene - Sensate Gallery............... 13 Art On Main - Barry Minniefield ........13 Pet Place............................................. 14 The Vino Voice ................................... 15 Club Crawler Nightlife....................... 16 Chop House at Jackalope Ranch...... 18 Screeners............................................ 20 Book Review....................................... 21 Safety Tips.......................................... 21 Haddon Libby.................................... 23 Dale Gribow....................................... 23 Breaking the 4th Wall The Ghostlight Project................... 24 Comic Con Palm Springs................... 24 Sports Scene ...................................... 25 Polo - General Patton Honored ........ 25 GCVCC Business Profile .................... 26 Health & Fitness ................................ 26 Free Will Astrology............................ 27 Ask Jenny ........................................... 27 Ask The Doctor................................... 28 Life & Career Coach ........................... 28 Cannabis Corner.................................31

MURKOCET CD RELEASE SHOW

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his Saturday let the beatdown begin! Murkocet’s CD release party, for their highly anticipated debut album, Digging Mercy’s Grave, will take place at The Hood Bar & Pizza.

This past weekend the band also did a CD release party in Mesa, AZ to a sold out show! You can expect the Hood to be a packed house as well. While this metal band hails from Chandler, AZ, lead singer Richie Jano’s roots are desert grown.

The band has been together for almost 4 years and includes members: Richie Jano (vocals), Nate Garrett (guitar), Mike Mays (drums) and Brandon Raeburn (bass).

This is frontman Jano’s and newest member Garrett’s first band, while Mays and Raeburn have been in previous bands.

If you love metal this is a show you don’t want to miss. Murkocet’s live performances are filled with raw energy with Jano commanding every bit of your attention.

They also have an opening lineup that will satisfy every metal enthusiast with a bit of punk rock thrown in. Bridger will open the show followed by Perishment, then Murkocet, and closing the night is Throw the Goat.

I caught up with Jano over the weekend to ask him some basics.

CVW: How did you come up with the band’s name?

Jano: “It was originally my Xbox live gamertag and it ended up just being a really fun play on words that also ended up being an original idea.”

CVW: There are so many different versions of metal: post core, nu metal, death metal, speed metal, what do you consider Murkocet?

Jano: “American Heavy Metal.”

CVW: What current metal band is your favorite?

Jano: “This is a difficult question, because there are so many good bands out there. We are all at the very least Lamb of God fans, but can argue all day about other bands too.”

COVER PHOTO BY ROB CANO

SAT. JAN. 21 @ THE HOOD BAR & PIZZA. SHOW STARTS AT 9PM. FREE SHOW. 21+

Photo By Rob Cano

CVW: What bands would you most like to open for?

Jano: “It would be great to open for bands like Lamb of God, Whitechapel, Hatebreed, As Blood Runs Black, Devildriver, etc.”

CVW: Do you listen to other genres of music and if so which ones?

Jano: “We all listen to a lot of different things, hip hop is something you can find us all jamming every now and then though; especially the old classic stuff.”

CVW: Who do you most admire in the music business?

Jano: “We most admire the members in bands that are constantly seen working hard trying to make things happen for themselves, selling tickets and constantly being innovative.”

CVW: What do you feel sets Murkocet apart from other metal bands?

Jano: “Murkocet didn’t set out to reinvent the wheel, we simply set out to do the best we could. In doing so, we have created an extremely high energy metal sound with an extremely entertaining metal show. We often find ourselves selling

tickets to people who aren’t even metal fans just because they enjoy themselves so much whenever they come out to see us.”

CVW: Who writes the lyrics? Music?

Jano: “I write the lyrics, while Nate, Mike and Brandon put together the music.”

CVW: Where did you record the new album? Who produced it? And How long did it take?

Jano: “We recorded at Villain Recording in Phoenix, AZ. Byron Filson produced it.

Over the course of the last year it took about a month spread out over time. Not including the time it took to mix and master the album.”

CVW: What songs do you most enjoy playing live?

Jano: “We enjoy playing all of them, simply because each one of our fans has a different favorite song and not just one, so we know someone is always getting the experience they came for when they come out.”

CVW: What are your goals to promote the album?

Jano: “To make sure that our album is continuously heard by new people online everyday through social media, a new music video in the next few months, a tour in March, and attacking as much radio and internet radio play as possible.” continue to page 5

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January 19 to January 25, 2017

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MURKOCET continued from page 3

CVW: Are you interested in being signed by a label? If so, what are you looking for from them?

Jano: “That sounds fantastic. To help us get to where we’re already headed a little bit sooner.”

CVW: What are your long term goals for Murkocet?

Jano: “To be seen on the flyers and bills of our favorite bands, to play the larger festivals that you feel like only exist on YouTube, and to be able to create a successful and happy living from the band so that music and metal is all there is to do.”

CVW: What do you feel are the most important qualities or characteristics to becoming successful in the music business?

Jano: “To never let the scene or people hold you back. As hard as you’re willing to work and as thick skinned as you’re willing to be is all that is going to take you to where you want to go. Allowing disappointments and other let-downs to ruin your motivation is only going to stop your forward progress.”

CVW: How do you feel about all the changes that have taken place over the last 5 years in the business and with music as a whole?

Jano: “In the last 5 years we have been way too focused on the foundation of our band to see what’s been going on in music. We have just been waiting patiently for the next great set of songs to come out or one of our favorite bands to release something new. However, if you mean as far as politics and pop culture, none of us have really been keeping a close watch.”

CVW: What has been the most defining moment of your music career so far?

Jano: “1/14/17 was the release of our debut album Digging Mercy’s Grave. We are extremely proud of it, and the show that we played that night in Mesa, AZ was a total testament to how we are only getting started and there is much more to come.”

CVW: What can the audience expect from your show this Saturday?

Jano: “This Saturday is gonna be a total blowout! It’s exciting for us because similar to our last show in Mesa, the one here in Palm Desert is not only with bands that we have played with before, but ones that we respect for their hard work and great show. It’s gonna be a big night, and there’s gonna be a lot of people. As the days get closer we are constantly reminded by fans and friends how excited they are to

LOCAL MUSICSPOTLIGHT

THROW THE GOAT

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rom the pine covered peaks of Idyllwild, Throw the Goat has been spreading their infectious, hardrock grooves throughout the desert empire and picked up a new drummer on the way. With their latest release, “Vote Goat” making ROCKwell UnScene Magazine’s list of “the best 16 albums of 2016” along with bands like Primus and Megadeth, and an international tour in the spring, TTG is

looking towards a seemingly bright future and I for one am looking forward to seeing what they have in store for their rapidly growing army of fans. Last time I saw them perform was at the 9th Annual Concert for Autism at The Tack Room and they packed the dance floor and brought the house down. They truly were one of the highlights of the event.

Solid musicians and genuinely nice

January 19 to January 25, 2017

Photo By Rob Cano

celebrate that night with us. Ultimately, it’s going to be everything you expect it to be and more.”

Upcoming shows: January 28 @ The Green Room in Flagstaff, AZ March 9 @ Characters in Pomona, CA March 12 @ Chain Reaction in Anaheim, CA March 13 @ The Whiskey a Go-Go in Hollywood, CA

Check Murkocet out at: MurkocetBand.com Facebook.com/murkocetmetal Twitter.com/MurkocetBand Instagram.com/murkocet ArtistEcard/murkocet.com Reverbnation.com/murkocet1 YouTube - Murkocet Official

BY ESTHER SANCHEZ dudes, Michael Schnalzer, (Bass, Lead Vox) and Brian “Puke” Parnell (Guitar, Vox) have been rocking stages from So-Cal to Europe since 2011 and when they found themselves in the market for a new drummer they reached out to Coachella Valley’s own, Troy Whitford whose skills clearly have put him in high demand considering the fact that he is also a member of two of the desert’s most popular bands, 5th Town and The Sweat Act. Whitford: “I was already a big fan of these guys when they asked me to join.

It was kind of a no-brainer for me and I became determined to make it work one way or another.”

Parnell: “We met Troy watching him play with The Sweat Act, which is an amazing band that Michael and I both love. We played shows together and were already fans when we became friends so when the time came when we needed a drummer it just made sense.”

It has not always been smooth sailing for the hard-rock trio. As is typical with many bands, they have gone through some ups and downs with band members who didn’t work out.

Schnalzer: “We started out as a fourpiece and became a three-piece out of necessity. Since then we have done some tours. We have played throughout the US, the UK and Costa Rica. We’ve also released 2 albums and an EP.” While hanging out with TTG at the kickass, mountain cabin shared by Parnell and Schnalzer I asked them what motivates them over the hurdles that can come with making a band successful.

Schnalzer: “Brian and I were talking about this the other day. I have to play music. Plain and simple! It’s what keeps me sane and the only thing that helps the world make sense.”

Parnell: “I have been playing with this guy for five years and can pretty much guarantee that we are both better people because of music.”

Don’t miss Throw The Goat this weekend, Jan 21st at The Hood Bar and Pizza in Palm Desert where they will melt all of the faces along with Perishment, Bridger and Murkocet for Murkocet’s CD release party.

For more info on upcoming shows and to check out their videos, etc. follow TTG on Facebook.com/throwthegoat ThrowTheGoat.net

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January 19 to January 25, 2017

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THAT’S A WRAP: PSIFF AWARDS AND “BEST OF FEST” WINNERS A

t the beginning of the 28th annual PSIFF, Palm Springs International Film Society Chairman, Harold Matzner said in his personal welcome letter that he was, “Honored and delighted to oversee your cinematic journey into the realms of storytellers from Hollywood and around the world.”

That is indeed why the Palm Spring International Film Festival is such a wonderful delight and tremendous success. The Festival screened 192 films from 72 countries delivering movies to film buffs, from far and near, creating a personal, as well as, communal experience.

Festival goers bought tickets to films they knew little about in hopes of discovering something new, getting a sense of a different reality and traveling to places beyond the beaten trail.

Whether it was only one film or three a day, those attending the Festival shared an enthusiasm for cinema. Where most lines are an annoyance, those waiting to see a festival movie enjoy -- even look forward to -- conversations about Festival favorites.

The Festival program suggests getting in the queue one hour prior to the film’s start.

Attendees do, and no one seems to mind because the people waiting always have something to say.

Time passes surprisingly quickly.

This year, PSIFF lasted a full two plus weeks.

The main fundraiser and glamorous Awards Gala, kicked-off the Festival Monday, January 2. Special event films began the next day with “The Eagle Huntress” whose director, Otto Bell, was on the “10 Directors to Watch” list. Bell participated in a Q&A after his beautiful movie screened.

Also on Tuesday, January 3rd, “Book to Screen” showed four films, which originated from published source material. The following day, panel discussions took place.

Wednesday, January 4, locally made film “Do It Or Die” held its World Premiere at the Annenberg Theater and Opening Night was celebrated Thursday, January 5 with the United Kingdom’s World Premiere of “The Sense of an Ending.”

Friday, January 6 started with all five venues showing films from morning until night continuing through “Best of Fest” Monday, January 16. The extended days gave movie buffs time to ease into more showings and spread out their movie consumption.

The “Best of Fest” awards included: MercedesBenz Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature -- “When We Rise,” (U.S., Gus Van Sant, director) and Mercedes-Benz Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature -- “Take Me Home Huey,” (U. S., Alicia Brauns and Christine Steele director.)

Programs were well organized and easy to navigate by color key. Favorite programs included “Modern Masters,” “After Dark,” “World Cinema”

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and “Awards Buzz.”

PSIFF showed 43 of the 85 official submissions to the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences for Best Foreign Language Film. This is one of the most significant reasons the PSIFF is so fun and special.

Over the two weeks, audiences had the unique opportunity to see, not only a country’s best film, but a country’s other top movies as well. Many of the foreign film submissions may never be seen again in the United States. For some filmgoers, this can cause anxiety. There are treasures and gems one hates to miss.

For the third year, PSIFF included the program “Eyes on the Prize: Foreign Language Oscar Directors in Discussion.” Directors from five of the nine films who made the Oscar cut spoke about their movies. Eight of the nine Oscar shortlisted films were in the Festival.

On Tuesday, January 24th, the final five nominees will be announced and hopefully will include the five films shown at PSIFF. The Academy Awards are Sunday, February 26th this year and we may see one of the directors who attended the Festival receiving the gold statuette.

For those who try to see everything before the Awards, the Oscar shortlisted films include: “It’s Only the End of the World,” (Canada, Xavier Dolan, director*); “My Life as a Zucchini,” (Switzerland, Claude Barras, director*); “The Salesman,” (Iran, Asghar Farhadi, director*); “The King’s Choice,” (Norway, Erik Poppe, director*); “A Man Called Ove,” (Sweden, Hannes Holms, director*); “Tanna,” (Australia, Bently Dean director); “Toni Erdmann,” (Germany, Maren Ade, director); “Paradise,” (Russia, Andrei Konchalovsky director); “Land of Mine,” (Denmark, Martin Zandvliet, director). *Directors who participated in the “Eyes on the Prize” discussion.

Every festival has a carefully selected professional jury who vote on awards. These winning movies are all worth the effort to find and see.

The 28th annual PSIFF Awards include: “Toni Erdmann,” – FIPRESCI Prize Best Foreign Language Film; Gael Garcia Bernal in “Neruda” and Isabelle Huppert in “Elle” -- FIPRESCI Prize Best Actor Foreign Language Film; “White Sun,” (Nepal), New Voices/New Visions Award; “No Dress Code Required,” (Mexico), The John Schlesinger Award; “Neruda,” (Chili), Cine Latino Award; “Mercenary,” (France), The HP Bridging The Borders Award.

Special Mention films included: “Kati Kati” (Kenya); “Mellow Mud” (Latvia); “Beauties of the Night” (Mexico) and “Everything Else,” (Mexico).

BY HEIDI SIMMONS

Other “Best of Fest” programming not already mentioned are: “Frantz,” (France); “Ethel & Ernest,” (United Kingdom); “Behind the Clouds,” (Belgium); “A Billion Colour Story,” (Belgium); “Wasteland,” (Czech Republic); “Alive and Kicking,” (U.S.); “Abacus: Small Enough to Jail,” (U.S.); “I Am Not Your Negro,” (U.S.); “The Ages of Shadows,” (South Korea); “Mountain Cry,” (China); “Past Life,” (Israel); “Jewel’s Catch One,” (U.S.); “At the End of the Tunnel,” (Argentina).

PSIFF programmers searched the globe to bring the audience movies that informed and enlightened our vision of the world and ourselves.

This year, the PSIFF had a new Artistic Director, Michael Lerman. His job was to oversee every creative decision – which were many. Lerman’s genuine love and appreciation for movies along with his cinematic global vision and enthusiasm brought a wider narrative with each day of screenings.

For those who stood in line and casually chatted about what films they loved, distracted and fascinated by those around them, a hardworking staff and a long, long list of volunteers kept the lines moving and the theaters full.

As moviegoers sat in the dark, watching film after film, those behind the scenes made it all seem effortless. That long list of people includes: the Executive Staff, Programming, Development, Administration, Guest Relations, Festival Operations, Box Office, Special Events, Creative, Publications, Contributing Writers and Photographers, Publicity, Venue Managers, and Projectionists.

The PSIFF is a world-class event because of the successful collaboration with the City of Palm Springs, its generous sponsors and most of all because of the Palm Springs International Film Society’s love and dedication to world cinema.

PSIFF: A MAN CALLED OVE

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ovie adaptations are often criticized for being “not as good as the book.”

Turning a bestseller into a big hit can be a significant and daunting challenge for filmmakers. There is an art to successfully adapting a book to film, and sadly not many movies do it well.

But it does happen, and “A Man Called Ove” is one of the rare cases where the movie is as good as the book – maybe even better.

“Ove” writer and director Hannes Holms, and cinematographer Göran Hallberg were guests of the Palm Springs International Film Festival. The filmmakers participated in two Q&A screenings and the “Eyes on the Prize: Foreign Language Oscar Directors in Discussion” program held at the Mary Pickford Theater in Cathedral City.

The film is one of the nine Oscar Foreign Language shortlisted films in the Festival.

Based on the book with the same title, A Man Called Ove was written by Swedish author Fredrik Backman. The book was published in 2012 and became a bestseller. “Ove” was published in the United States three years later and is currently the number one paperback bestseller.

“When the producer came to me with the book, I didn’t even want to look at it,” said filmmaker Holms. “I told her no, but when she left - – she was smart -- she didn’t take the book. I picked it up and I didn’t put it down until I finished reading it.”

The story is about a man named Ove who is a quiet curmudgeon and stickler for the rules. He has lost his wife and his purpose to live. When he attempts to take his life, he is rudely interrupted by new neighbors and the unfolding events in his community that require his help and attention.

Ove soon finds himself involved in the lives of those around him in ways he never expected.

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BY HEIDI SIMMONS

In flashbacks we meet Ove as a boy and a young man, we soon understand his world view. The movie is a heartwarming and bittersweet story of love, kindness and compassion.

The book is 368 pages while the movie is 116 minutes. When Holms asked the audience how many had read the book about one fifth raised their hands.

“I never did an adaptation before,” said Holms.

“One person’s advice was to make sure the first scene matched the novel exactly. I tried that, but that didn’t work. As we started filming I realized in order to serve the story – and the budget – we had to make changes.”

Holms captured the spirit and story beautifully, perhaps the most import requirement in adapting a book for film. With its nonlinear structure and all the characters present in the film that were in the book, the movie works on the same emotional level as the novel.

“A Man Called Ove” was one of the films shown to our valley’s high-schoolers during the PSIFF “Student Screening Day” program.

“The kids had lots of questions,” said Holms.

“They liked Ove’s wife who is a teacher and were interested in her as a character, and especially her relationships with the students.”

The filmmakers were relaxing in the PSIFF Hospitality Suite after a successful screening at the Palm Springs High School Richards Center for the Arts auditorium. Holms and Hallberg enjoyed the sunny warm weather comparing it to Sweden’s summer and said they rode fat-wheeled bikes around town during their visit.

Holms is a charming, charismatic and energetic person. It’s not hard to visualize him bounding to the front of the auditorium and onto the stage to accept the Oscar for “A Man Called Ove.” Indeed, it is a wonderful and worthy film.

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LOCAL FILM CATARACT GOLD PREMIERS AT THE MARY PICKFORD

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ocals already know the best desert spots to go when you want to get away from the action of life, but now they can see the same desert landscapes full of western themed action in Cataract Gold, directed by La Quinta resident Paul Kiener and starring Caroline DeGraeve and Morgan James of the band Pocket Yellow. The Film premieres at the Mary Pickford on January 26th and will play five times a day until February 2nd.

Cataract Gold is based on real events and tells the story of Katie and Beth Clark, played by Morgan and Caroline respectively. After being commissioned by the US Government to map the Green and Colorado rivers, Jeramiah Clark buries the gold he was paid for provisions and creates a map to its location. After his death, his daughters Katie and Beth embark on a journey to retrieve the gold but meet with resistance from other pursuants of the gold along the way, according to press releases.

The actresses starring in the film, Caroline and Morgan are both desert locals and both completely new to acting. “I… was discovered here at this very Starbucks… last April,” Caroline says. “I had just gone hiking, my hair was in disarray and I was disgruntled at my phone… the producer thought I had a good look for the role. He just walked up and said ‘Have you done any acting’ and my response was ‘I act every day of my life.’” Morgan had already been cast as Katie Clark and was in the coffee shop reading with actresses who were auditing as her sister, Beth. She watched as the director excused himself and crossed the room to talk to Caroline, explaining that while she didn’t know at the time what he was saying to her, “the girl [she] was reading with just obviously wasn’t right for [the role].” Just an hour after this meeting, Morgan received a call from the director explaining that he had spoken to Caroline about portraying Beth Clark.

Morgan was discovered in a similarly serendipitous way. “Three or four weeks before [he talked to Caroline] he said he had my head shot and resume… I went to auditions four or five years ago and just thought ‘oh, maybe I’ll try this’ but I didn’t want to drive to LA… after a few months… I didn’t want to hassle with that.

He had my headshot and resume from way back then and was like, ‘You have a great look for the younger sister, I want you to come in and read for the role.’” Morgan assumed she was being offered a part as an extra but the director assured her that she would be auditioning for one of the lead roles. It was after two years and over 200 auditions, the director found Morgan and Caroline to fill the roles.

With the least experience of the entire cast, the actresses started work on the movie and learned a great deal about acting and the film industry. “It’s… a responsibility to have a lead role,” Caroline explains. “A lot of the story relies on character and how you develop it. It was a great opportunity to take acting seriously… had I been an extra… I may not have even thought of a future in it. Since then I wrote and directed my own… short film. It premiered [Wednesday, January 11] at the Idyllwild Film Festival.”

Morgan, too, is currently producing a short film, adding, “We both decided we want to do this after our experience.”

After its local premier, Cataract Gold will be distributed to 1500 independent theaters nationwide. Not only that, but next month the actresses are going to Berlin, Germany for the films showing at Berlinale, a film festival and film market, to pitch to international film markets. “I want to learn, I want to connect with people… we want to be the face of Cataract Gold,” Caroline says, explaining that she is excited to be a part of the films promotion.

Both actresses think that a lot of the appeal of Cataract Gold comes from filming and

January 19 to January 25, 2017

BY AVERY WOOD

premiering locally. “Everyone that’s local is going to feel attached to it because they might recognize hot spots, especially hikers or people that go out exploring” says Caroline. While part of it was filmed in Utah, where the story is set, most of it was filmed in familiar desert locations like Box Springs in Anza, Box Canyon, Borrego, Indio, Pinyon and Mountain Center.

This was also their first time working with horses, but when asked they both assured the director they could do it. Caroline took riding lessons when she was younger, but Morgan was a bit more nervous. “I was picturing myself in kindergarten on a pony,” she says. Working with the horses was the most challenging part for Morgan. “I had a really hard time with [my horse] Littledoll. I wasn’t in control. I wasn’t comfortable being in control of an animal. I was just terrified she was going to buck me off… but she didn’t.”

The most challenging part for Caroline was waiting for the perfect conditions to shoot a scene. “There’s so much that goes into it, so much thought and organization,” she says as she describes days of waiting for clouds to pass or for the sun to reach a certain point in the sky. Caroline’s favorite part was the experience she got with “exploring the character” saying, “I really liked developing Beth Clark… from the first day filming to the last day filming, I felt her take on a little bit more of a personality. I have so much fun looking at a script and imagining… who this person is.”

Morgan, on the other hand, was most excited by the new things she experienced as Katie Clark. “I got to experience riding a horse… being attacked… fighting… stabbing… shooting a gun.

I’d never been in a boat on a river in the rapids and I was afraid. I thought it would be so scary but it wasn’t,” she says. She also appreciated the experience she gained with filmmaking, saying “With Cataract Gold, because it was an

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independent film, our director allowed us to get in on what’s going on. Our director shared with us… how he’s making the film, what the process is… so we got to learn how films are made.”

Both actresses intend to continue acting, writing and directing. Caroline both wrote and acted in her short film “Real Smile” and Morgan is currently doing the same for “Prick” which she is producing through her company Talk to the Sun Entertainment. In addition, Cataract Gold has two planned sequels and both actresses are excited to resume their roles.

Cataract Gold is distributed by American Independent Film and is the first movie produced by the company since its debut on January 1st. Morgan serves as VP of talent.

Tickets to the premier can be purchased at aifworld.com or by calling (760) 262-7798.

There will be two showings at 7:00pm and 9:30pm, with the 7:00 showing including an after party with the cast. The 9:30 showing includes a meet and greet with the cast and a swag bag.

PALM SPRINGS ART MUSEUM CELEBRATES BLACK HISTORY MONTH WITH INTERACTIVE EXHIBITION, LIVE MULTIMEDIA PERFORMANCE.

EVENTS

‘INTERTWINING THE FABRIC OF GENERATIONS’ ON-VIEW FEBRUARY 2-28.

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alm Springs Art Museum is celebrating Black History Month with a new interactive exhibition titled Intertwining the Fabric of Generations, onview in the Sheffer/Scheffler Arts Education Space February 2 through February 28.

Presented in collaboration with the Palm Springs Black History Committee at the James O. Jesse Community Center, the exhibition features works by noted African-American artist Faith Ringgold alongside narrative quilts created by Palm Springs Unified School District (PSUSD) students.

“This fascinating, interactive exhibition explores such themes as identity, race and community through visual storytelling,” said Elizabeth Armstrong, Palm Springs Art Museum’s JoAnn McGrath Executive Director.

“Faith Ringgold began quilting her stories more than 40 years ago in order to be heard; we’re pleased to have local students continue and contribute to this beautiful tradition.”

The Museum will host an opening

reception for Intertwining the Fabric of Generations on February 2 from 5 to 7 p.m., followed by a live Skype discussion between Ringgold and the PSUSD student artists on Sunday, February 12. The public is invited to create their own quilt patterns incorporating traditional designs and universal symbols as part of the Museum’s Free 2nd Sunday series.

Continuing the Black History Month celebration is award-winning poet Douglas Kearney, who will present a live multimedia show titled The Teeth Are Sheet Music in the Museum’s Lecture Hall on Friday, February 17 at 6 p.m. The performance will incorporate techniques ranging from hip-hop to poetry, while exploring such themes as gender, culture and race. The public is encouraged to reserve tickets for this FREE event by emailing Educational Coordinator Ingrid von Sydow at ivonsydow@psmuseum.org; space is limited.

For additional info about Black History Museum and upcoming exhibitions, please visit psmuseum.org or call (760)322-4800.

Tar Beach 2, 1990.

Faith Ringgold 1990.

Quilt Edition, Sikscreen on SIlk. 68x64 Inches.

Printed at The Fabric Workshop.

Multiple Collections including Flomenhaft Gallery

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January 19 to January 25, 2017

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EVENTS BUILDING COMMUNITY AND BREAKING BARRIERS, THE DINAH 2017 CELEBRATES WOMEN WHO HAVE SHATTERED THE GLASS CEILING

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eading straight toward the big three-oh, Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend (aka The Dinah) continues to make its presence felt across our country and around the world by raising the visibility of women in all facets of life, from artists, to comics, to filmmakers, to athletes and beyond.

For over a quarter century Mariah Hanson - founder and producer of the largest lesbian event in the world - has not only been delivering epic good times to lesbians, but has as well continuously been moving the needle with her ongoing commitment to amplifying, championing and celebrating women’s voices and talent via The Dinah.

The growth and longevity of the event – a worldwide cultural phenomenon - is all the more astonishing and remarkable at a time when lesbian bars, spaces, festivals and publications are rampantly vanishing all across the country.

This is why, now, more than ever events like The Dinah are necessary to reconnect our community. The Dinah is entirely produced by women, for women, and that is a powerful statement in today’s climate.

Kicking off at the close of Women’s History month on March 29th and wrapping on Sunday, April 2, the Dinah 2017 will celebrate and honor the trailblazing women in the Arts, Sports and Entertainment industry who have achieved historic firsts.

“Now more than ever, it is enormously important to celebrate and raise the visibility of women breaking glass ceilings especially within our own community because we need to be reminded that we are strong, capable, united and powerful in a time when our voices, especially spoken in unity, are needed more than ever before.” says Mariah Hanson.

The 27th installment of the Dinah is already expected to be one of the major highlights of the 2017 Palm Springs festival season with a powerful all-female line-up covering the entire gamut of the entertainment spectrum including sports, music, fashion, comedy, film & TV. The incredibly inspiring women slated to perform at The Dinah in 2017 include: world surf champion now turned cutting edge DJ Keala Kennelly who not only made a big splash playing herself in the 90s cult movie “Blue Crush” but also made history for female surfing winning the first women’s big wave contest at the Nelscott Big Wave Classic in 2010; Butterschotch, the first female beatbox world champion and a finalist on NBC’s America’s Got Talent; singer, songwriter, rapper Tysh Hyman who penned songs for top-notch artists like Alicia Keys, Diddy, Kelly Rowland and Kanye West; rising pop star and Latin hip hop artist Lady Cultura.

Championing and perpetuating the rise of women DJs behind the decks, The

Dinah will also put the spotlight on some of the top female DJ tastemakers including DJ Kittens and the dynamic duo known as Stevie Trickz.

On the comedy front, the always politically incorrect stand-up comedian Julie Goldman, one of the most hilarious, provocative and familiar faces on Bravo’s “The People’s Couch” and the “Vanderpump Rules” will up the volume on your laughter.

She’ll be joined by British comic Gina Yashere, who broke onto the American comedy scene with her appearance on NBC’s Last Comic Standing, and the wildly hilarious Erin Foley who has been taking the comedy scene by storm across the nation.

Collectively these daredevils have considerably changed the game for women achieving power through their remarkable ability to build community around the

personal brands they’ve created and the causes they champion.

“The Dinah has always stood for living out loud in celebration of our unique and incredible lives. This year we are bringing that message up a few notches,” says Hanson.

These are women who have taken a chance, shaken off-stereotypes, fought adversity, and broken the glass ceiling in their respective professional fields paving their own ways.

Because that is what the Dinah has been and continues to be about: living outloud breaking barriers!

The Dinah 2017 is March 29 through April 2, 2017.

For more information about The Dinah go to: www.thedinah.com

THE UNFORGETTABLE HEARTS AWARDS

FEBRUARY 10TH IN REDLANDS, FEBRUARY 17TH IN APPLE VALLEY, AND FEBRUARY 24TH IN INDIO.

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he Unforgettable Hearts Awards, created by State Senator, Mike Morrell and Chaplain Tim Evans of The Unforgettables Foundation (TUF) 6 years ago, in Inland Empire, will take place in the High Desert and Coachella Valley as well as in Redlands on February 2017. The awards are given for help to the vulnerablekids, pets and at-risk families.

The annual “Hearts” luncheon has been designed to acknowledge and applaud caring families, individuals, charities, service clubs and companies which are going the extra mile to build our community. Over 250 recipients have been highlighted and applauded at the Inland Empire version since 2012. Senator Morrell has given a keynote address at each ceremony and hosted over a dozen other office holders from congressmen to supervisors and local counsel persons. Every winner gets proclamation certificate from him.

Last winter, TUF expanded this popular event to the High Desert community bolstered by the participation of Congressman Paul Cook and Assemblyman Jay Obernolte. Over 100 attendees assured

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a second year presentation.

This February, the 501 (c)(3) charity will usher in a new Coachella Valley outreach with State Senator Jeff Stone in Indio as keynoter and Assemblyman Eduardo Garcia as Emcee, expecting 100 guests.

The dates are February 10th in Redlands, February 17th in Apple Valley, and February 24th in Indio – 3 consecutive Fridays of the celebration of philanthropy through the spirit of storytelling.

Call (909) 335-1600 or (760) 837-7373/ tevans@theunforgettables.com / www. unforgettables.org or find us on Facebook.

WHO- The Unforgettables Foundation Redlands WHAT- The 6th Annual Unforgettables Hearts Awards event.

WHEN- In 3 consecutive Friday’s in February, starting February 10th WHERE- In Redlands, then Apple Valley, then Indio WHY- To celebrate and applaud the great mission stories in Inland Southern California WHICH- Tim Evans, C: (909) 855-3130

Presents th

Guest Speaker

The 6 Annual Inland Empire Unforgettable Heart Awards

“

Recognizing the Biggest Hearts of the Inland Empire

”

Senator

Mike Morrell

Prayer – James Ramos, Jr. Featuring Special Invited Guests: Senator Richard Roth Congressman Paul Cook Senator Jeff Stone Congressman Pete Aguilar Asm. Melissa Melendez Supervisor John Tavaglione Asm. Marc Steinorth Supervisor Janice Rutherford Supervisor Robert Lovingood Asm. Jay Obernolte Asm. Chad Mayes Supervisor Marion Ashley Asm. Jose Medina Supervisor Josie Gonzales Asm. Eloise Reyes Supervisor Curt Hagman

Friday, February 10th, 2017

Check In at 10:30 - Lunch 11:00 Photos / Reception

Location:

Event Cost

$75 per person $85 at the door

Art & Design by Nathan Miller

Fox Events Center 123 Cajon Street Redlands, CA

Sponsorships Available Tables of 10 For more information, or to RSVP: Please call Tim Evans at (909) 335-1600 or email tevans@theunforgettables.com

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

CAREERBUILDER CHALLENGE TO OFFER SATURDAY CONCERT

FEATURING FITZ AND THE TANTRUMS

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opular indie-pop band will headline the event’s Golf and Guitars theme with a concert open to all ticketed spectators immediately after play January 21 on the Stadium Course at PGA WEST “It’s a Whole New Game,” and concert is just one of the many new additions to the fan experience featuring great food, drinks, fashion, art and more.

For years, the experience of attending a sporting event has been all about the action on the field, court or, in the case of golf, the fairways and greens. The CareerBuilder Challenge is turning that notion on its head.

While there will still be plenty of thrilling drives, chips and putts from the top PGA TOUR players competing in the 58th-annual CareerBuilder Challenge from January 18-22 at the Stadium and Jack Nicklaus Tournament Courses at PGA WEST and La Quinta Country Club, the event will also feature a whole new tournament experience in 2017. From wine tasting events and cocktails to craft beers and featured local cuisine, fashion, music and art, the CareerBuilder Challenge will be the place to be this January in the Coachella Valley.

Chief among the new offerings will be a Saturday concert following play featuring popular indie-pop band Fitz and the Tantrums.

As part of the tournament’s Golf and Guitars theme, the concert will be open to all spectators with a Saturday ticket and will take place adjacent to the driving range between the Stadium and Jack Nicklaus Tournament

Courses at PGA WEST shortly following the conclusion of third-round play on January 21.

CareerBuilder Challenge tickets and complete tournament information are available at CareerBuilderChallenge.com.

“There’s so much excitement in store for this year’s CareerBuilder Challenge that we can’t wait for the tournament to get here,” CareerBuilder Challenge Executive Director and Desert Classic Charities CEO Nick Raffaele said. “This tournament has always featured amazing golf on some of the country’s best courses and among its best weather. Our goal is to match that golf-viewing experience with what we do in terms of entertainment outside the ropes. It’s about so much more than golf here – you can come out to enjoy a fun afternoon in the sun, sip on some great cocktails and sample our amazing local cuisine. At the end of the day, you’ll be able to top it all off with a thrilling concert experience, all without ever leaving the golf course.”

The Coachella Valley’s social scene is renowned for its accessibility to golf, fine dining and cuisine options and music festivals.

All of these avenues will intersect at the CareerBuilder Challenge, which promises to be the sporting and entertainment hub of Southern California for one memorable week in 2017 with the heightened fan experience it is developing.

The CareerBuilder Challenge’s new main entrance at the Stadium Course at PGA WEST will be dressed up to impress its spectators as

Fitz And The Tantrums

the tournament’s gates will immediately open up to food trucks (back to the CareerBuilder Challenge for the third consecutive year by popular demand), free fan activities and tournament exhibitors.

The new Club 9 Lounge will be the hub of off-course action, located between holes 1 and 9 at the Stadium Course and featuring a freshdining, lounging and relaxation experience open to all fans. From Friday, Jan. 20- Sunday, Jan. 22, Club 9 will feature a special art preview of the La Quinta Arts Festival – named the No. 1 arts festival in the country. The La Quinta Arts Foundation, which presents the festival, will unveil the commemorative poster for the March festival at the tournament, and tickets will be available to purchase.

Inside the ropes, CareerBuilder Challenge tournament ambassador and 42-time PGA TOUR winner Phil Mickelson – the tournament champion in 2002 and 2004 and a five-time major championship winner – is already committed to headlining a field of 156 PGA TOUR pros and 156 amateurs to compete over 72 holes.

Jason Dufner won his fourth PGA TOUR title – his first since claiming the 2013 PGA Championship – at the 2016 CareerBuilder Challenge by shooting 25-under-par 263 through the regulation 72 holes (four rounds) and besting David Lingmerth on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff.

Discounted ticket specials to the CareerBuilder Challenge are available at CareerBuilderChallenge.com through Dec. 31. Daily grounds passes start at just $20, and there are options for weekly passes as well as upgraded VIP experiences. All ticket options will revert to at-the-gate pricing on Jan. 1, 2017.

All active duty, reserve, and military retirees, along with one guest, may attend the CareerBuilder Challenge any day for free. Children 15 and under also receive free admission when accompanied by a paying adult (limit 2 children per adult). All grounds ticket options are eligible for viewing at all three tournament courses. Daily parking passes ($10) and weekly parking passes ($30, good Jan. 18-22) are also available at CareerBuilderChallenge.com.

The CareerBuilder Challenge – the Coachella Valley’s longest-running charitable event, organized and operated by Desert Classic Charities – has raised more than $57 million for Eisenhower Medical Center and other local charities since its inception as the Palm Springs Golf Classic in 1960.

About CareerBuilder® CareerBuilder is the only end-to-end human capital management company covering the entire candidate lifecycle and employee lifecycle for businesses. As the global leader in its industry, CareerBuilder specializes in cutting-edge HR software as a service to help companies with every step of talent acquisition and management.

CareerBuilder works with top employers across industries, providing solutions for talent and labor market analytics, job distribution, candidate sourcing, tracking,

January 19 to January 25, 2017

EVENTS

Jason Dufner onboarding, HRIS, benefits administration and compliance. It also operates leading job sites around the world. Owned by TEGNA Inc. (NYSE:TGNA), Tribune Media (NYSE:TRCO) and McClatchy (NYSE:MNI), CareerBuilder and its subsidiaries operate in the United States, Europe, South America, Canada and Asia. For more information, visit www. careerbuilder.com.

About Desert Classic Charities Since its inception, Desert Classic Charities, the charitable entity that organizes the PGA TOUR event in the Coachella Valley, has contributed more than $57 million to Coachella Valley charitable organizations. The scope of giving is broad and includes support for structured and mentoring programs for children, social services, and food and safe shelter for the less fortunate. Desert Classic Charities is dedicated to continuing its mission to serve human needs in the Coachella Valley and beyond by generating funds and opportunities every year through the event.

About PGA TOUR The PGA TOUR is the world’s premier membership organization for touring professional golfers, co-sanctioning more than 130 tournaments on the PGA TOUR, PGA TOUR Champions, Web.com Tour, PGA TOUR Latinoamérica, Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada and PGA TOUR China.

The PGA TOUR’s mission is to entertain and inspire its fans, deliver substantial value to its partners, create outlets for volunteers to give back, generate significant charitable and economic impact in the communities in which it plays, and provide financial opportunities for TOUR players.

Worldwide, PGA TOUR tournaments are broadcast to more than 1 billion households in 227 countries and territories in 30 languages.

Virtually all tournaments are organized as non-profit organizations in order to maximize charitable giving. In 2015, tournaments across all Tours generated a record $160 million for local and national charitable organizations, bringing the all-time total to $2.3 billion.

The PGA TOUR’s web site is PGATOUR. COM, the No. 1 site in golf, and the organization is headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL.

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January 19 to January 25, 2017

LOCAL MUSIC SPOTLIGHT

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

BY MORGAN JAMES

CV OPEN MIC COMPETITION: AND THE WINNER IS.. . . MARCO THOMA!

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hat an incredible session we had at The Block Sports Bar & Grill.

The CV Open Mic Competition wrapped with an exciting conclusion of a Grand Finals on Wednesday night. The crowd cheered on each performer and took photos and videos with their favorites.

Giveaways from Brutal Bee Music Group even got fans dancing in the isles competing themselves for great prizes like quality custom t-shirts. Each of our eight finalists performed with passion and gave us all a memorable show! Our judges had a tough job, but in the end it was MARCO THOMA aka SYSTEM D who stole the show and won it all, taking home the Grand Prizes of a MTV Quality Music Video Production from Desert C.A.M. Studios/Winmill Films and award winning Director Chip Miller, plus a $500 trip to Las Vegas from Crater Lake Spirits, as well as an Artist Development Session from Grammy nominated Producer Ronnie King, a Promotional Photo Shoot from Rav Holly, and a Boss RC-1 Loop Station Pedal from Guitar Center Palm Desert, and a $500 Artist Merchandise Package from Brutal Bee Music Group including logo design and 25 t-shirts, stickers and more!

THANK YOU to ALL eight of our Grand Finals JUDGES: TK- Program Director at 93.7 KCLB and Radio DJ, Ed Cellucci- Professional Jazz Drummer and Musician, Jimi HeilFrontman of Braun Fraulein and Professional Sound Engineer, Moe Cheez- Entertainer and Entrepreneur, Rob Lawrence- Frontman of Upper Class Poverty, Kathy SchreiferRegional Manager for Bendistillery and Music Sponsor, Jay Badger- Avid Music Fan with long history involved in the Music Industry, & Shawn Don- Recording Artist and Entertainer.

THANK YOU to ALL our Grand Finals PERFORMERS: Blackwater Gospel, Will of Brightener, Zech B, Kate London, Porsia & Josiah, Higher Heights, System D, and Razor J. Also a big thanks to Johnny Carmona, our amazing sound technician.

SPECIAL THANKS to ALL of our SPONSORS: Desert C.A.M. Studios/Winmill Films & Chip Miller, Ronnie King Music, Crater Lake

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BACKSTAGE JAZZ

BY PATTE PURCELL

CELEBRITY JAM

AT OUTDOOR RESORTS PALM SPRINGS

E

Spirits, Rav Holly, Guitar Center, Coachella Valley Weekly, Canyon Copy & Print, Stuft Pizza Bar & Grill, Brutal Bee Music Group, and The Block Sports Bar & Grill.

I hope to see you all NEXT WEDNESDAY at THE BLOCK SPORTS BAR & GRILL in Cathedral City as we kick off ANOTHER OPEN MIC! Look for coverage of this week’s event and the announcement of winners in the next issue of Coachella Valley Weekly! Be sure to “LIKE” Facebook.com/ CVOpenMicCompetition for updates! ALL AGES ALLOWED and YOU may compete EVERY week! PLEASE NOTE: Due to our overwhelming number of interested performers, sign in starts at 7pm and will be closed at 7:45pm. BRING YOUR FRIENDS, FAMILY and FANS to join the fun! The show runs about 8pm - 10:30pm. For questions or information about sign-up, please see Facebook.com/CVOpenMicCompetition or contact creator and host, Morgan Alise James at MorganAliseJames@gmail.com or (714) 651-1911

very time we do a jam they get better and better. Last night at Outdoor Resorts Palm Springs, the two hour show featuring 15 amazing musicians, entertainers and recording artists continued the upward trend. The evening started off with some solo acoustic guitar by Alex Santana. At 3:30 sharp the Celebrity Jam opened with saxophonist and vocalist Rick Parma with his two originals “Love a Little Longer” and “Chocolate Cake.”

Next up was Michael D’Angelo a desert favorite crooned 2 Latin songs “Quando Quando” and a cha cha version of “Fly Me to the Moon.” He danced a mean Latin step as well. His nephew Mark Gagliano on percussion proved to be a hit as he provided the conga beat.

Khea Emmanuel the 6 ft. gorgeous sultry jazz singer from Canada took the stage next with “The Very Thought of you” and “Sophisticated Lady” and wowed the crowd.

Trombonist Geoff Alpert performed “Little Sunflower” and his new original “Zen Funk.” La Jazz Artist of the Year then kept the Latin jazz going with “Watermelon

Man” and “Soul Sauce” (Watchi Wara) and dazzled the audience with his skills on the vibes.

Greg Vail (saxophonist with over 2 million CD sales) brought the crowd to their feet with “Europa.” Alex Santana also soloed on this and killed it as well as Hans Zermuehlen and Mark Gagliano, both wowed with their keyboard solos.

Diva of the Desert, Keisha D, performed “Uptown Funk” and “Summertime” with a Latin vibe. As always, she wowed the crowd.

Coachella Valley Jazz vocalist of the Year, Slim Man, took the stage with Greg Vail, Hans, Nathanial Scott (drums), Mark Gagliano (percussion) and Alex Santana on guitar and performed his hit “Overdose of You” and the popular standard “Sway.”

Headliner Terry Wollman then finished the show with his special brand of Brazilian tinged guitar with “Welcome to Paradise,” “Mandela” and “Abrigado.”

We wish to say a special thank you to Gary Marshall, Activities Director at Outdoor Resorts Palm Springs, for the great job he and the staff did to make all their guests and the artists feel so special. In addition I would like to thank our helpful volunteers Lilly Barillari, Diane Hull, Sabrina Gagliano, and Vicki Spachner Blythin.

We also wish to thank our sponsors for their support: Doray Wiggins of “Direct Cellar Wine Club,” “Desert Zen Day Spa” for their complimentary chair massages and $25 gift certificates for each of our guests.

“Venus de Fido,” “Hotn Cultivation Co,” “Backstreet Bistro,” “RV Insurances.com,” “Howard’s RV Repair” and “One Xtreme Paint.” We’d also like to thank Westin Desert Willow Villas for their sponsorship support in housing our artists and great rate for the event. I’d also like to thank Coachella Valley Weekly for their sponsorship support.

BRAUN FRAULEIN

A

professional, hard hitting sound from incredibly experienced and talented musicians would accurately describe Coachella Valley’s own, Braun Fraulein. Poignant lyrics, moving melodies, distorted blues rock with driving rhythms encompass the band’s prodigious original music and showcase the stylings of each of its three members. Opening for Rad Co, a Bad Company Tribute Band, on January 21st at The Palm Canyon Roadhouse in Palm Springs, Braun Fraulein has found their niche in the local desert music scene. Cut to New York City where the band’s original work has already been placed in television commercials. Mark Fry, Jimi Heil, and Erik Mouness of Braun Fraulein are about to explode into larger scale arenas. I spoke with the band about their newest album in development, their upcoming show, their rich backgrounds and experience in the music industry, and what’s next!

MJ: Tell me about the content and overall sound of your newest album?

JH: “Well ‘Shine’ is a kind of Beatle-esque and Eric Burden type of feel. ‘I Love Lucy’ is like Sublime and Led Zepplin, but lyrically based on the cultural shift in America dating back from the 50s to nowhow the breakdown of family started loosely based on the comedy series I Love Lucy. It describes the progression of families and how they fall apart. We will be rerecording a couple from the first album too like ‘On My Way to You.’” EM: “You are taking a lot out on Lucy and she’s not even here to defend herself.”

JH: “Ha Ha that song is really cool because Mark has some great influences musically in it from Jack Bruce, Golden Earring, Motown with the violin bow kinda like Papa was a Rollin’ Stone in the bridge.”

MJ: Do you each take part in the writing process or do you write collaboratively?

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

BY MORGAN JAMES

Photo By Kevin Quinn

JH: “I write the lyrics, but we all arrange on the music and write it together.”

EM: “Yeah we all feel out and write our own parts.”

JH: “Mark is very creative and progressive and brings that. Erik is very progressive and creative as well and even writes his own music too. Rarely do we ever clash or step on each other about what to play or how to play. Everyone contributes and it just comes together. We all have a great feel for it.”

MJ: Tell me about your impressive studio set ups.

JH: “Mark has his ‘Bass Emperor Studio’ which is a 3 bay studio modeled after Olympic Studio in New York where Led Zepplin recorded. Since you have the walls where the drums are enclosed it isolates the drum mics from the bass and guitar amps. You can play together live, but still get a great recording. Then I have mine, ‘Songmeister Studio or Heil Studios’ where I have great mixing so we can put the recording on tape and have the slope and forgiveness of tape, but still mix and master digitally.”

MJ: Do you record other artists at your studios?

JH: “Yes definitely. We actually just finished Drain the Swamp written by Brad Mercer. After we mixed it, we sent it to Eric Wolfe in Nashville who does incredible Grammy level mastering and who worked with Bernie Gruman (who worked with Michael Jackson and Nirvana). Brad got it out on radio and YouTube and it had 700 hits per day the first 2 days and keeps growing.”

MJ: What type of musical background do you each come from and bring to Braun Fraulein?

MF: “I probably bring the Blues Rock- Robin Trower, Frank Marino, Jack Bruce of Cream, Johnny Winter, Geezer Butler from Black Sabbath, Felix

LOCAL MUSIC SPOTLIGHT

Pappalardi, and Hendrix with that distorted bass sound.”

JH: “From childhood my grandma had Patsy Cline, Jim Reeves, Tijuana Brass so I had some Latino influence growing up with. Plus I heard all the Motown stuff. As a teen my brother Tim introduced me to Led Zeppelin, Beatles, and classic rock. Then in the 80s I got into New Wave and did a lot of songwriting with my friend Billy Steinbrener.

He really influenced me a lot in lyrics and my lyrics are pretty fluid. So, I am really thankful for that.

For guitar I studied Jimmy Paige and my style is like that.”

EM: “My drum style is from Chad Smith, the dude from Tool, Danny Carey, plus Tomas Haake from Meshugga, Vinnie Colaiuta who played with Jeff Beck and Megadeth, oh and of course Andy Fraga- excellent person and excellent drummer.”

MJ: You each have impressive resumes- what have been some of your favorite jobs in music?

MF: “I played with Bill Lordan who was Robin Trower’s drummer, plus Bill Ward for a while- Black Sabbath’s drummer. I have opened for Big Brother and the Holding Company, Robin Trower, BB King, and for Mountain at the Galaxy in Santa Ana. I had a band for 17 years in Orange County, then in the desert for 14 years, then 3 years with Wicked World, plus a few in between.”

JH: “I got a record deal with InGrooves back in the day and it opened a door for me to release 3 records, mostly pop love songs. I have a song called ‘I am Just a Man, Just a Child’ and one called ‘Now You’re Divorced.’ All are about being from an American broken home. My album and title song ‘Intimacy’ got played on NPR and light rotation on a bunch of radio in the US and Canada. The title cut was written by Rick Nowels, Neil Giraldo (husband of Pat Benatar), and Billy Steinberg who gave me permission to record that. It was a really good record. I have played with Brittany O’ Neil (Pat Boones’ granddaughter). I did audio for Vincent Price narrating The Raven with a symphony orchestra which was cool because it kind of goes with our crow theme of Braun Fraulein. Also ran sound for Katy Perry last year when she was DJing at the polo grounds. Her boyfriend at the time was Diplo the famous DJ who got her into it.”

EM: “I played with BB King which was great. I played for Robbie Krieger of The Doors which was

THE RIVER’S MUSIC SHOWCASE STARTS THIS SATURDAY T

he River in Rancho Mirage has announced the bands playing in its 2017 Music Showcase on six Saturdays beginning this weekend and continuing through April. These evenings of live entertainment feature top local talent from the Coachella Valley and throughout Southern California. Each show begins at 6 PM at The River’s amphitheater and will highlight The River’s newest restaurants, Acqua California Bistro and The Fox & Fiddle, which are scheduled to open soon.

The series starts this Saturday night, January 21, with Brightener and The Flusters, two of the area’s hottest and in-demand acts. Led by Palm Desert’s Will Sturgeon, Brightener is the indie rock pop quartet that is a favorite of critics and loyal fans. Winner of the 2016 Tachevah music contest, Brightener has also played the Coachella Music and Arts Festival along with many of the clubs and music halls throughout the valley while The Flusters are making a name for themselves locally as the area’s young, hot pop rock band.

Acqua California Bistro and The Fox & Fiddle

will be offering samples of the local beers to be served from their menus at each of the concerts and beer, wine and cocktails will be available for purchase. Guests are invited to dine at any one of The River’s fine restaurants following the shows and the Children’s Discovery Museum of the Desert will be offering the first of its uniquely-programmed 2017 Drop Off and Dine Programs for kids. This week the Drop Off and Dine program is offering a pizza party and a musical instrument-making activity to celebrate these pop rock and roll bands. Registration and information including a list of all the Drop Off and Dine dates can be found here: theriveratranchomirage.com/events.

The 2017 Music Showcase continues on five additional Saturday nights with bands covering genres from current rock to country, to funk, jazz and blues. The River soon will be announcing additional bands and entertainment programming that will cover a total of 32 weekends this year, creating the most extensive arts and entertainment calendar the Rancho Mirage shopping center has ever hosted. These

January 19 to January 25, 2017

a trip. I also have played with the keyboardist dude from Culture Club as well as Michael Bolton.”

MJ: Where did the name Braun Fraulein come from?

JH: “My brother Tim suggested it and it just made sense. Led Zeppelin started as The New Yardbirds and there is an album cover they have with 3 crows- and that’s us, the 3 crows. On that album there is also a brown girl, who is the Braun Fraulein (Brown Girl in German), and Mark’s daughter is Latina, so it is named for her- she is the Braun Fraulein.”

EM: “Way more meaning than you thought huh? Ha Ha” MJ: How do you feel about the opportunity to open up for Rad Co on Saturday, January 21st at 8pm at The Palm Canyon Roadhouse?

JH: “We got the opportunity from Greg at The Palm Canyon Roadhouse. We had opened up for another band, Noise Polution an AC DC Tribute Band, and it went so well. We found a little niche opening for tribute bands as an original music band which is great because we are not a traditional cover style band and don’t do a lot of those types of gigs. We can get exposure this way. There’s a niche there. You open for a tribute band who are replicating a legacy so it’s kind of an honor. So it sets the stage for sharing our originals.”

MJ: What are you goals moving forward with Braun Fraulein?

MF: “We would like to have our music placed into television and film.”

JH: “We just had a song placed in a TV commercial aired in NYC for Frontgate Traditional Homes Magazine and featuring Kelly Golightly. We got that opportunity through Chip Miller. I cut one of our song’s intros and made a loop of it and sang a happy holidays lyric over it for the season. We are cutting another track for another commercial for the same company too so we will have another shot at that. It’s a good start. Our ultimate goal is getting a song in a weekly TV show.”

MJ: Where can fans check out your music and keep up to date on your live gigs?

Soundcloud: Braun-Fraulein Facebook: Braun Fraulein Check out Braun Fraulein opening up for Rad Company on January 21 at Palm Canyon Roadhouse.

BY JOE ENOS

events follow center’s Renova Rink @ The River which had more than 10,000 skaters on the ice during its eight-week run over this past holiday season.

“The River is committed to providing the best entertainment at the center for our guests’ enjoyment,” said Ungar Kung, principal at CL Asset Management, owners’ representative of The River. “We’re excited to bring this range of music, and the quality of these bands, to Rancho Mirage. There’s much more to be announced and we’re confident that there will be something for everyone to enjoy.”

The River at Rancho Mirage is just minutes away from most desert communities, resorts and hotels. This premier shopping, dining, and entertainment destination offers an extraordinary line-up of restaurants like Babe’s Bar-B-Que and Brewhouse, The Cheesecake Factory, Five Guys Burgers and Fries, Fleming’s Steak House, P.F. Chang’s, Starbucks, Yard House, with Acqua California Bistro and The Fox & Fiddle coming soon; Viva Cigar Lounge, and attractions like Escape Games at The River and

EVENTS

The Century Theatres at The River which now offers luxury lounger seating at all of its screens.

For a complete listing of the shops, restaurants, attractions and activities at The River please visit the website, theriveratranchomirage.com.

Event Produced By jimi FITZ. jimifitz.com The 2017 Music Showcase at The River includes these bands:

January 21 - BRIGHTENER and THE FLUSTERS February 4 - FULL POCKET February 25 – RICK SHELLEY March 4 - LISA and THE GENTS March 18 - PINCH ME BAND April 8 - ZEN ROBBI

11

January 19 to January 25, 2017

CONSIDER THIS

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

BY ELENI P. AUSTIN

MR. PROUST” (THIRTY TIGERS RECORDS) THE JAYHAWKS “PAGING

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hat might have happened if John Lennon had quit the Beatles and Paul, George and Ringo carried on without him? In 1969 he briefly left the Fab Four, but was persuaded to return. Only to have Paul McCartney very publically jump ship a few months later, (irritating the shit out of John), and effectively ending an era.

But what if the other three had continued, sort of burnishing the brand name, rather than starting from scratch with other musicians or as solo artists? Would they have been feted as a trio? It’s an interesting hypothetical scenario.

It’s also what kinda-sorta happened with the Jayhawks.

In the early ‘80s, bands like Rank & File, Jason And The Scorchers and the Long Ryders were influenced equally by Country and Punk, co-opting the two genres, the hybrid fermented as “Cow-Punk.” By the end of that decade, the Jayhawks, along with Uncle Tupelo refined and expanded that sound, adding Roots-Rock, Bluegrass, Honky Tonk and Folk, creating alt. country (sometimes known as Americana).

The Jayhawks formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1985. During the ‘80s, the thriving Twin Cities music scene was home to disparate artists like Prince and Husker Du. The nucleus of the band, Mark Olson, (acoustic guitar and vocals), Gary Louris (electric guitar and vocals), and Marc Perlman (bass), had made their bones in Rockabilly or Punk bands. Their original drummer, Norm Rogers, was replaced by Thad Spencer and later Ken Callahan. Initially, Mark Olson was their primary songwriter. Their selftitled debut was released in 1986 through the tiny indie label, Bunkhouse.

Three years elapsed before they completed their sophomore effort, Blue Earth. In the interim, Gary Louris briefly left the band and was involved in a serious car accident. When he returned, he had more of a hand in songwriting.

Blue Earth was released by Twin-Tone, the venerable Minneapolis label known for breaking local bands like the Replacements and Soul Asylum. The record gained a little traction, even grandiloquent Pop critic Robert Cristgau drawing favorable comparisons to the Flying Burrito Brothers.

Ironically, while producer George Drakoulias was on the phone with Twin-Tone, he heard Blue

WESTFIELD MALL 72840 Hwy 111 #171 Palm Desert, CA 92260 760-341-2017 www.recordalley.com

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Earth playing in the background and inquired about the band. Aside from being a producer, he was an A&R executive for Rick Rubin’s American label, His real claim to fame was discovering, nurturing and signing the Black Crowes, who had broken through back in 1990, adding some much needed Rock cred to Rubin’s new label. He immediately signed the Jayhawks and got them back in the studio. The result, Hollywood Town Hall, was released in early 1992.

This was the album that put the Jayhawks on the map. Critical acclaim was unanimous.

Arriving at the height of the Grunge era, it was rustic Country comfort, the complete obverse of the flannel-clad angst emanating from the Pacific Northwest. Their music hinted at antecedents like Buffalo Springfield and Gram Parsons without ever sounding derivative. Videos for “Waiting For The Sun” and “Settled Down Like Rain” even managed to gain a foot-hold on MTV. By the time the band returned with their fourth record, Tomorrow The Green Grass, in 1995, they seemed poised for greatness. …Green Grass was even more self-assured.

Songs like “Blue” and “I’ll Run Away,” added depth and joie de vivre. “Miss Williams’ Guitar” was an exuberant paean to Mark Olson’s bride, singer-songwriter Victoria Williams. Ken Callahan had left the band and ex-Lone Justice drummer Don Heffington played on the record, (he would be supplanted on the road by new and permanent drummer, Tim O’Reagan). A welcome feminine voice was added to the band when Karen Grotberg joined on keys.

The Jayhawks toured relentlessly behind the record, but they still didn’t break through commercially. It was a tipping point for Mark Olson who had been at it now for 10 years.

He quit the band, partly to stretch his wings creatively, but more importantly, to plant roots with Vic in their new home in Joshua Tree and be on hand to meet the challenges posed by her Multiple Sclerosis. (She had been diagnosed following a tour opening for Neil Young). He went on to make music with Vic in Original Harmony Creekdippers as well as a series of well-received solo albums.

Gary Louris and the band soldiered on, releasing the Psychedelic-tinged Sound Of Lies in 1997, the poppier Smile in 2000 and the rootsier, mostly acoustic Rainy Day Music in 2003. In 2005 the Jayhawks took an extended break.

Louris recorded Vagabonds, his solo debut in 2008. Less than a year later, he rekindled his partnership with Mark Olson and they recorded a duo album together entitled Ready For The Flood.

Later in 2009 the Jayhawks, including Olson, quietly reunited for two shows, one in Barcelona, Spain, the other in their hometown.

The American label had released Music From The North Country, a career retrospective. Soon Olson was officially back in the fold and the band was back on the road. A contingency for his return was that if he left, the Jayhawks would never record or tour without him. In 2011 they released their eighth album, Mockingbird Time.

A tour followed, (including a Stagecoach set), and that’s when the shit hit the fan.

Olson and Louris had a bitter falling out,

fueled partly by Louris’ addiction to pain medication, (he has since sought treatment), songwriting credits and money issues. The pair nearly came to blows, and Olson vowed to never perform with Louris or the Jayhawks again.

He returned to his solo career releasing the Goodbye Lizelle album in 2015.

Gary Louris never publicly addressed Mark Olson’s statements, but he reconvened the Jayhawks and went back on tour, invalidating the agreement they had struck before reuniting.

Soon the band was back in the studio, recording what would be their ninth album, Paging Mr. Proust. Production chores were handled by Peter Buck, guitarist and sound architect for R.E.M. and producer/musician Tucker Martine who has been behind the board for myriad indie releases, most recently, case/lang/viers, Decemberists and Modest Mouse.

The album opens tentatively with the jangly thump of “Quiet Corners & Empty Spaces.”

Louris’ melancholy tenor connects with sprightly guitar, sunshiny keys and a steady back-beat.

Surprisingly breezy lyrics promise “the start of a brand new adventure.” They also advocate a carpe diem philosophy. Rather than focus on day-to-day minutiae we should focus on the bigger picture; “we drown in up’s and down’s neglecting/The beauty of our sun is setting.”

The next three tracks have a decidedly late ‘60s/early ‘70s A.M. radio vibe. The candycoated crunch of “Lost In The Summer” is powered a stutter-step rhythm, plangent piano notes and day-glo guitar licks that get fuzzier as the song progresses.

At first glance, the lyrics seem to bemoan our inability to leave our worries behind; “You’re lying there hating everything you cannot control/ You roll around push it down, light up, smoke another bowl.” But upon closer examination, it feels like the desperate manifesto of a would-be mass murderer; “Freedom to believe in something that you cannot understand/ freedom to cradle a pistol in the palm of your hand.” The imagery is unsettling.

Sun-dappled acoustic guitar opens “Lovers Of The Sun.” As the tempo gathers speed, Louris and Karen Grotberg’s harmonies lattice over the melody. It’s a paean to one of those sunkissed ‘70s girls, (maybe the kind who dared to skateboard while wearing a maxi-pad).

If the Association, Neil Young and Crazy Horse and the Velvet Underground ever collaborated on a song, it might sound like “Pretty Roses In Your Hair.” Opening with an insistent trap-drum tattoo, the tune is accented by stately piano runs and shuddering, almost skronky guitar.

Here Louris and Grotberg’s honeyed harmonies

nearly camouflage bummer lyrics that dredge the ashes of an old relationship. The urgent “bong-bong-bong” lyrics that follow the chorus recalls the late Lou Reed’s seminal “Satellite Of Love.”

Both “Devil Inside Her Eyes” and “Leaving The Monsters Behind” are a study in contrasts. The former opens with a rumbling guitar note, along with chunky bass lines, an off-kilter rhythm and ragged harmonica fills. The dusty melody shares some musical DNA with Tom Petty’s “Last Dance With Mary Jane.” The solipsistic lyrics namecheck author David Foster Wallace, but the real delight is the instrumental break that spotlights prickly power chords and more high-lonesome harmonica.

The latter is more easygoing, even though barbed lyrics go to great lengths to avoid a domestic dispute; “I don’t want to fight, giving it up, screaming at midnight/I don’t want to fight, seems there’s no place to hide.” Ticklish acoustic arpeggios and ricochet rhythms cantilever the see-saw melody. Suddenly the whole enterprise turns on a dime, downshifting as Louris rips a roughhewn solo.

Other interesting tracks include the sparkling Country of “Isabel’s Daughter” and the brittle “Comeback Kids.” The only glaring misstep here is the incongruous tone poem of “Ace.” The album closes with the sweet and sour triptych of “The Dust Of Long Dead Stars,” “Lies In Black & White” and “I’ll Be Your Key.” “Dust…” pivots on a nimble little guitar figure and a breakneck beat. Sly, observational humor unspools over one too many cocktails; “Nurse another cheap Old-Fashioned, the floor is streaked with dreams and beer…the existential biker waitress, Betty Page without the bangs.”

Grotberg’s rollicking piano propels the action, jockeying for position with Louris’ strippeddown rhythm guitar riffs and his stinging solo.

“Lies…” is probably the album’s most potent track, threading sinewy guitar, roiling bass and quiescent piano into a rich, mellifluous tapestry.

Louris adopts the pose of the plaintive plaintiff, venting his vitriol toward Mark Olson in a series of devastating couplets. “..Your words are twisted and bitter, you duplicitous quitter, you once said ‘you’d make a good Christian,’ I laughed ‘how would you know’ with your hate in tow/And your lies, lies in black and white.”

It recalls “How Do You Sleep,” John Lennon’s withering rebuke of Paul McCartney.”

The album closes with “…Key,” a surprisingly unabashed love song. Completely devoid of the acrimony that permeates even the sunny songs here, it’s pared down to Louris’ nearly falsetto tenor, a synth-y string section and spare acoustic guitar. An oddly optimistic end to a great record.

Paging Mr. Proust is kind of like Jayhawks 101, offering a Whitman’s sampler of their myriad styles, Country Rock, Psychedelia, Pop and unadorned acoustic music all get a turn in the spotlight. Gary Louris’ lonely voice blends sweetly with Karen Grotberg’s high harmonies, but longtime fans will miss the symbiotic disharmony Louris created with Mark Olson.

Sadly, those days seem long gone.

ART SCENE

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

January 19 to January 25, 2017

BY ANGELA ROMEO

ART PALM SPRINGS: SENSATE GALLERY– BOOTH #414

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he Nature of Collaboration Sensate Gallery’s debut exhibition is being held at Art Palm Springs and features the artwork of acclaimed wood artist Bihn Pho and collaborating artists from around the globe. Utilizing a cutting-edge marriage of sculpture and painting, Pho and his collaborators nurture a shared dream of promoting the importance of the natural world through international collaboration.

The collaborating artists in the exhibition include Annette Barlow (Australia), Ron Gerton (US), Kay Khan (US), Alain Mailland (France), Nikolai Ossipov (Ukraine), Binh Pho (Vietnam), Graeme Priddle (New Zealand), Joey Richardson (England), Derek Weidman (US), and Hans Weissflog (Germany).

Sensate Gallery’s mission is to transform the experience of contemporary art by exhibiting cutting-edge international artists who take bold new approaches to wideranging media.

“We chose Art Palm Springs to launch Sensate Gallery, as it is emerging as a leading contemporary art fair,” says gallery director Chloe Rahimzadeh. “Southern California is known as a place where cuttingedge work is embraced and supported – and as one of the most important art markets internationally. With the draw of Modernism Week and the height of the season, Art Palm Springs an ideal place to

present this special exhibition.”

Boldly original and diverse pairings of art historical media – wood, glass, metal, fiber and painting – the exhibition addresses topical global issues, while making clear the potential of art to reveal beauty and effect positive change.

Palm Springs Convention Center 277 N Avenida Caballeros Palm Springs, CA 92262 Art Palm Springs First Look Thursday February 16 from 6-10:00 pm Tickets $100 - Admit two starting at 6pm on February 16 and includes return admission all weekend. One order will print two tickets.

Opening Night Preview Thursday February 16 from 7:3010:00pm First Look and VIP Pass holders Tickets $75 - Admit two starting at 7:30pm on February 16 and includes return admission all weekend. One order will print two tickets.

General Admission Friday, February 17 - Sunday, February 19 Tickets $20 online in advance; $25 at the door. Single day admission for one.

Friday February 17: 11am-7pm Saturday February 18: 11am-7pm Sunday February 19: 11am-6pm Parking is $8 per day (includes in/out with proof of event ticket upon return).

SENSATE GALLERY. BINH PHO & ALAIN MAILLAND COLLABORATION. CHILDREN OF GAIA. 21’’ H X 12’’ W X 16’’ D. 2016. PHOTO CRED. BINH PHO

BARRY MINNIEFIELD, FROM “THE VOICE” SINGS IN THE NEW YEAR AT ART ON MAIN STREET!

EVENTS

PREMIER SPONSOR – CITY OF LA QUINTA. SAT. JANUARY 21, 2017 10AM – 4PM

“Barry, man, your soul was off the charts” – Christina Aguilera e are thrilled to announce that Barry Minniefield will be performing at Art on Main Street, a show which features the work of over 80 local and California artists!

W

On the TV hit, “The Voice,” Minniefield was chosen from 100,000 contestants for his extraordinary rendition of “Me and Mrs. Jones.” He also sang “Feelin’ Alright” in the Battle Ground competition and “What I Would Do for Love” in the Knock-Out rounds. Barry’s role models in music include Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Sammy Davis, Liza Minnelli, Sarah Vaughn and Stevie Wonder. Blake Shelton remarked that Barry’s voice is “larger than life” and Pharrell stated that Barry’s singing has the “soulful essence” reminiscent of the great soul singers. Prior to the launch of Barry’s full-time singing career, he was known as Hollywood’s singing chef. He has performed and/or prepared gourmet cuisine for celebrities including Jay Leno, Cher, Oprah, Robin Williams, and more.

See Barry perform live at Old Town La Quinta! Enjoy our restaurants, café’s, wine bars and beer garden, including La Rue

Café & Wine Bar which is now open for breakfast. Meet over 80 artists showing and selling their newest work in jewelry, textiles & wearable art, photography, paintings, ceramics, sculpture, glass, mixed media and more. Art on Main

Street’s 2017 shows are from 10AM to 4PM and feature a variety of entertainers on the following Saturdays: January 21, February 4 & 18, March 18, & April 8.

Live Entertainment, Parking and Admission are free.

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January 19 to January 25, 2017

PET PLACE

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

BY JANET McAFEE

THE JOY OF ADOPTING OLDER CATS!

A

re you in the market for a new feline companion? An older cat just might be the “purrfect” match; that one with a graying muzzle and eyes filled with the wisdom of the world. Older cats have plenty of spark and playfulness, but they have the maturity and calmness that makes for fabulous companions.

Just ask Josephine “Jo” Kozak. She is thrilled with her recently adopted 15-year-old cats, Sapphire and Bijou. The bonded animals were suddenly orphaned when their beloved owner perished in a boating accident. They were taken in by Loving All Animals, but spent 2 years in foster care because most people prefer to adopt younger animals. Mary Ewing, director of Loving All Animals’ Whiskers & Purrs program, began actively networking Sapphire and Bijou among her many fellow cat lovers. One of her contacts resulted in a phone call from Jo, who is pictured here smiling happily at Sapphire. Jo reports she absolutely loves these fabulous felines who follow her around the house. Bijou even “talks” to her in a sweet little voice.

Mary has years of experience in rescuing and adopting cats. She wishes more people,

particularly seniors, would give an older cat a “second chance”. Mary states, “I think it’s important to recognize how wonderful it is to bring an adult cat into your life.

They appreciate being rescued and are so grateful.”

The adoption of this orphaned pair was a special occasion. Mary was amazed how the animals transformed when she delivered them to Jo’s lovely home. She recalls, “These cats were rather standoffish during the time we had them. We could not believe how they changed during their adoption.

Jo got down on the floor to greet them, and one at a time, each of the cats strolled towards Jo to be petted. It was remarkable the effort she took to welcome them and integrate them into her home. Jo has such a loving aura with the cats, there was a sense of ‘oneness’ when they happily moved to be near her. This was one of our best adoptions ever!”

There are many reasons why adopting an older cat is the best choice. While it might be fun to watch a kitten play and run through the house, the “kitten craziness” phase can also involve racing around at 3:00 am when you are trying to sleep. An older

cat will happily greet you at the door when you get home, and enjoy curling up with you on the couch to watch television.

The personality and temperament of an older cat is already set. They are already litter trained. A senior cat is a wonderful choice for senior citizens who want to adopt a pet, but are realistic to know a kitten who could live 20 years, could outlive them.

Adult cats are also a great choice for families with young children. Young kittens often play rough, and they have sharp teeth and claws. Generally speaking, an older

MEET TOBY He’s adorable! Precious Toby, a sweet and shy Doxie/Chi mix boy, waits for a home at the Coachella Valley Animal Campus shelter, 72-050 Petland Place, Thousand Palms. This 8-yrold charmer loves attention from the volunteers and will bring love to your home. Dog ID#A1338205. (760) 343-3644.

MEET YODA

DANNY & SALTY: PLEASE ADOPT US TOGETHER!

The gray male cat is named Danny.

The white female cat is named Salty. Both are completely potty trained. She is very affectionate and loves to be pet and held.

He’s a bit more skittish but will let you pet him and I’ve picked him up several times. They are brother and sister and about 7 months old. They adore each other. They showed up in our yard as babies and we started

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feeding them. They’ve been completely inside with us for 10 days now and haven’t tried to get back out and don’t meow or whine to go out. They’ve adjusted to indoor life very well. They are getting spayed and neutered and their shots next week. We are moving and cannot keep them. I want them to be adopted together. If interested please contact: editor@coachellavalleyweekly.com.

Yoda, a 5-yr-old quintessential Siamese gentleman, is charming and chatty. He is very fun loving and enjoys sleeping under the bedcovers with you. Rescued by www.ForeverMeow.org, contact (760) 335-6767.

cat is more mellow and patient with young children.

If you lost one of your companion cats, an older cat is a better replacement to bond with your remaining kitty. Senior cats prefer the more gentle energy of a mature cat, and a kitten’s high energy can be stressful for them.

Here is one of the best reasons for adopting a middle aged or senior kitty. If they are in a public shelter, you just might be their last chance to experience the love and warmth of a home to live out their golden years. Adopting an adult cat can save his life. With good vet care and good nutrition, many cats will live into their early twenties, and you will enjoy their company for many years.

For more information on adopting a special cat, contact Mary Ewing at Loving All Animals at (760) 834-7000, www. lovingallanimals.org. Other local cat rescue groups include www.ForeverMeow.org at (760) 335-6767 and Kittyland at www.

Kittylandrescue.org (760) 251-2700. Wise and wonderful, that senior kitty will bring love and joy to you in 2017!

Jmcafee7@verizon.net

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

THE VINO VOICE

January 19 to January 25, 2017

BY RICK RIOZZA

WINE DINNERS IGNITE THE CULINARY SCENE

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ne of the most pleasurable ways to learn and experience the wide world of wine, is to attend a great restaurant’s wine dinner. Not only does the chef & kitchen take especial time to consider a strategy of meals to showcase their gustatory talents, but with laser-focus, they actually pair and match the flavor profile and nuance of each course with a particular wine that’s been chosen by the actual winemaker or distributor.

Oftentimes, these dinners will involve several courses and different bottles of wine. What’s not to like about that.

Fortunately for us valley residents and visitors, this is indeed the season where many winemaker dinners are scheduled throughout our restaurant scene. And I look forward to covering and highlighting the restaurant venues, chefs and the featured wines of the occasion.

The Westin Mission Hills Golf Resort & Spa’s popular “Le Serate di Vino” wine dinner series returns, bringing distinguished winemaker representatives to present and mingle with guests over a four-course gourmet cuisine experience. The culinary adventures of Executive Chef Joel Delmond will be expertly paired with wines of equal stature from the Napa Valley area in three separate dinners taking place on Friday nights. The Franciscan Estate wine pairing dinner is January 27, followed by the Seghesio Family Vineyards wine dinner on February 17, and concluding the series is the Flora Springs Winery wine dinner on March 24, 2017.

Over the course of the evenings guests will learn about the featured cuisine prepared

by Chef Joel, while meeting and becoming educated by each winery representative about each of the wines being served. Each dinner includes a welcome reception at 6:30 p.m. for Chef’s Choice of Amuse and a sparkling wine, with dinner beginning at 7 p.m.

The Franciscan Estate Winery & Vineyards is located in the heart of the renowned Oakville appellation, and is one of Napa Valley’s most venerable wineries.

Franciscan Estate was established in 1973 and within a few years began producing world

class wines of true character from their Oakville estate. Founding winemaker Justin Meyer wanted to understand the nuance of vineyard sites and how wine matured over time. He diligently laid out the estate vineyard into small blocks to capture the unique microclimates and soil changes. Each block was separately fermented and cellared. The wine was only blended once it had properly evolved. This small lot approach resulted in wines of unmistakable character that highlighted the nuances of every vineyard block and vintage.

This intensely personal approach to winemaking is an ongoing pursuit toward perfection exploring new methods, and finding better ways to bring out the ultimate expression of the vineyard.

At the January 27th Franciscan dinner, Chef Delmond’s will start guests with Crispy Sweetbreads, and Romesco Silk with wild arugula and a black garlic vinaigrette served with the “Equilibrium” White Blend wine, followed by a second course of Blue Crab Churro and a Piquillo pepper fondue, garden greens, avocado and orange oil paired with a Napa Chardonnay.

The third course is a Roasted Pulpo and a Roasted Peruvian Potato with espelette pepper oil, garden basil and pil pil sauce paired with a Napa Merlot. The final course is a Meyer Lemon Souffle with pomegranate, crème anglaise, grand marnier, and sour cream ice cream nicely paired with a Napa Cabernet Sauvignon.

On February 17, the featured winery is Seghesio Family Vineyards, founded in 1895.

In many ways the story of Seghesio is the story of the Sonoma County wine industry. It begins with the vision and determination of immigrants and continues through the hardship of Prohibition and the challenges of survival in the 20th and 21st century. It is the story of one family’s adaptation and reinvention, not once, but multiple times. Entrenched in California wine history, through five generations and 120+ years, Seghesio Family Vineyards has always been about heritage, tradition and community.

The meal begins with a Tuna and Avocado Napoleon with ginger, onions, Ponzu glaze and yuzu granite paired with Vermentino from the Russian River Valley. The second course

of Veal Tripe Milanese, and Lacinato kale with artisan olives and lemon butter is served with a Costiera White Blend from Sonoma County.

The third course of Pan Seared Wild Scottish Partridge, along with toasted highland farro, Brentwood corn, pluot jam, Banyuls reduction, and guancialle vinaigrette is presented with a Venom Sangiovese of Alexander Valley. The dinner concludes with their famous Old Vine Zinfandel from Sonoma, along with Black Mission Fig Cake, and a Mascarpone pistachio gelato, almond crumble and hibiscus pop rock.

March 24th features Flora Springs Napa Valley Family Estate. The property’s legacy

actually dates back to the late 1800s when wine grapes were first planted on the Napa Valley property that is now their estate home.

Nearly 40 years have passed since the founders, Jerry and Flora Komes first stepped foot on to the historic Flora Springs estate in search of a place to “kick off their boots.” It was Flora who saw the magic hidden behind the decades of neglect, overgrown ivy, and the shifting rock walls of the old ghost winery.

Chef Joel begins with Seared Mano de Leon Scallops, with toasted cumin crème fraiche, French radish, and Escondido avocado emulsion paired with a Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc, followed by a Baked Japanese Eggplant with Burrata cheese and arrabiatta sauce, served with a Napa Chardonnay. A Napa Merlot accompanies the third course of Colorado Roasted Rack of Lamb, and Kennebec potato risotto, baby fennel salad, wild turkey demi glaze, carmelized Cipollini onions. The dinner wraps up with a Brentwood Corn Cake with honey comb, fennel crystals and sour cream gelato with a Napa Valley Red Blend.

The cost of each dinner is $89 plus tax and gratuity, with limited seating available.

Reservations are required. Call (760) 770-2150 or email pinziminips@westin.com

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January 19 to January 25, 2017

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THUR JANUARY 19

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29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 Bobby Furgo & Co 6pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Discoteca w/ DJ Victor Rodriguez 9pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 Jazz Trio w/ Francesca Amari, Bill Marx and Doug MacDonald 7pm AZUL; PS; 760-325-5533 Piano Bar 6pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 DJ and Dancing 9pm THE BLOCK; CC; 760-832-7767 Reggae Thursdays 9pm BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 John Stanley King 6-10pm CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick Tuzzolino 5:30pm CHILL BAR; PS; 760-327-1079 Symara Stone 6:30pm THE CONGO ROOM; PS; 760-322-7353 Karaoke 7pm CORKTREE; PD; 760-779-0123 Michael Keeth 6-9pm CUNARD’S SANDBAR; LQ; 760-564-3660 The Bill Baker Show 6pm DHS SPA LOUNGE; DHS; 760-329-6787 Karaoke w/ DJ Scott 9pm FISHERMAN’S GROTTO; PD; 760-776-6533 Barry Baughn and Bob Gross 6:30pm GADI’S RESTAURANT AND BAR; YV; 760-3656633 Open Mic Night 7pm THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 Red’s Rockstar Karaoke 9pm HOODOO COCKTAIL GARDEN @ THE HYATT; PS; 760-322-9000 Chris Lomeli 7pm HUNTER’S; PS; 760-323-0700 Open Mic 9pm INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760-3456466 Frank DiSalvo 6pm JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-366-2250 Punk Rock Night 9pm KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 Karaoke 7pm LA RUE BISTRO; LQ; 760-296-3420 TBA 6pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-3252794 Hot Rox LAVENDER BISTRO; LQ; 760-564-5353 Live Entertainment 5:30pm LIT@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; 760-3452450 Country Night w/ Chad Freeman & Redline 8pm THE LOUNGE, AGUA CALIENTE; RM; 888-9991995 Quinto Menguante 8-1am MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760325-2323 Ron Greenip 8pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Karaoke 8pm THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry 6-8pm Tim Burleson 8pm PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-365-5956 Rags & Bones 7:30pm PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND COCKTAILS; TP; 760-343-2115 Game Night 8pm RED BARN; PD; 760-346-0191 Grady James 9pm SAMMY G’s; PS; 760-320-8041 Evaro Brothers 8pm SHANGHAI RED’S @ THE FISHERMAN’S MARKET; PS; 760-322-9293 The Smooth Brothers 7pm STUFT PIZZA; PD; 760-777-9989 Acoustic Live w/ TBA 6pm SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760-341-3560 Dude Jones 6pm TACK ROOM TAVERN; IND; 760-347-9985 T-Bone Karaoke 8pm THREE SIXTY NORTH; PS; 760-327-1773 Anthony DiGerlando Show 6:30pm VICKY’S OF SANTE FE; IW; 760-345-9770 Robert Salisbury 5-6pm, Carolyn Martinez Trio 6:30pm VILLAGE PUB; PS; 760-323-3265 DJ Khodi Rayne 4:30-9pm, Nite Fixx 9-2am WANG’S; PS; 760-325-9264 Derek Jordan Gregg 6pm

WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-230-0188 Linda Peterson Jazz 6pm ZELDA’S; PS; 760-325-2375 DJ 8pm

FRI JANUARY 20

19TH HOLE; PD; 760-772-6696 TBA 9pm 29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 Alex Santana 6:30pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Haunted Summer w/ DJ Marion Hodges 10pm AGAVE LOUNGE@THE HYATT REGENCY; IW; 760-674-4080 Art of Sax 8pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 The Gilmore & Bryan Show 7pm AZUL; PS; 760-325-5533 Friday Night Sour Hour w/ Pink Lemonade Drag Show 9pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 DJ sets by Rollin 90’s, Dracer, 42 and Danomite 9pm BIG ROCK PUB; IND; 706-200-8988 Laurie Morvan Band 9pm BISTRO 60 @TRILOGY; LQ; 760-501-0620 The Carmens 6pm THE BLOCK; C.C.; 760-832-7767 Karaoke 9pm BLUE BAR, SPOTLIGHT 29; INDIO; 760-7755566 DJ Double A 8pm BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 The Stanley Butler Trio 6-10pm CASCADE LOUNGE, SPA RESORT CASINO; PS; 888-999-1995 DJ Michael Wright 9-1am CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick Tuzzolino 5:30pm CHILL BAR; PS; 760-327-1079 TBA 7pm THE CONGO ROOM; PS; 760-322-7353 Guzman Jr. 7pm CUNARD’S SANDBAR; LQ; 760-564-3660 The Bill Baker Show 6pm ELECTRIC SPORTS LOUNGE; YV; 760-2281199 DJ Ceddy Cedd 9pm EL MEXICALI CAFÉ 2; IND; 760-342-2333 Cesar Daniel Lopez on the harp 6-9pm FISHERMAN’S GROTTO; PD; 760-776-6533 Gina Carey 6pm THE GRILL ON MAIN; LQ; 760-777-7773 The Myx 8:30pm THE HARD ROCK; PS; 760-325-9676 Esjay Jones Presents The Hard Rock Acoustic Sessions w/ Esjay Jones, The Brosquitos and Hannah Mills 8pm Lobby THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 Hundred Forms w/ Sunday Funeral, Courtney Chambers and Johnny Elsewhere 9pm HOODOO COCKTAIL GARDEN @ THE HYATT; PS; 760-322-9000 Bill Ramirez 6:30pm HUNTER’S; PS; 760-323-0700 Live VJ 9pm INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760-3456466 Frank DiSalvo 6pm JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-366-2250 Live DJ 8:30pm KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 Petting Zoo 8pm LA RUE BISTRO; LQ; 760-296-3420 Slim Man 6pm

LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-3252794 Palm Springs Sound Company in the afternoon, Hot Rox in the night LAVENDER BISTRO; LQ; 760-564-5353 Live Entertainment 5:30pm LIT@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; 760-345-2450 Common Ground 9pm THE LOUNGE; AGUA CALIENTE; RM; 888-9991995 DJ Jerry 9pm MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760325-2323 Ron Greenip 8pm MITCH’S ON EL PASEO; PD; 760-779-9200 Michael Keeth 12-3pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Karaoke 8-1:15am THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry 6-8pm Tim Burleson 8pm PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; 760-3274080 Mean Weenies 9pm PALM DESERT COUNTRY CLUB; PD; 760-3450222 Marko Russell 6:30pm PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-365-5956 Sara Petite and The Sugar Daddies 8pm PEABODY’S CAFÉ; PS; 760-322-1877 Karaoke 7:30pm PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND COCKTAILS; TP; 760-343-2115 Red’s Rockstar Karaoke 9pm PURPLE ROOM; PS; 760-322-4422 Pop-Up Theater w/ Becky Shaw – A Benefit for the American Cancer Society 8pm RANCHO LAS PALMAS; RM TBA 5:30pm RED BARN; PD; 760-346-0191 Ghosts of Kelso 9pm SAMMY G’s; PS; 760-320-8041 Evaro Brothers 8pm SHANGHAI RED’S @ THE FISHERMAN’S MARKET; PS; 760-322-9293 Barry Baughn Blues 8-11pm SHANGHAI RED’S @ THE FISHERMAN’S MARKET; LQ; 760-777-1601 The Carmens 8-11pm SHELLY’S LOUNGE@TORTOISE ROCK CASINO; 29 Palms; Rojer Arnold & Bobby Furgo 9pm SMOKIN’ BURGERS; PS; 760-883-5999 Ron James 6pm SOLANO’S BISTRO; LQ; 760-771-6655 Michael Madden 6-9pm SOUL OF MEXICO; IND; 760-200-8787 Latin Rock 10pm SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760-341-3560 Demetrious and Co. 6pm TACK ROOM TAVERN; IND; 760-347-9985 Wild Sky 9pm THREE SIXTY NORTH; PS; 760-327-1773 Pat Rizzo & Dennis Michaels 6:30pm TJ’S; PD; 760-345-6744 TBA 9pm TRILUSSA ITALIAN RISTORANTE; PS; 760-3282300 Julius & Sylvia Music Duo 6-10pm VIBE; MORONGO CASINO; CAB; 951-755-5391 The Rick Whitfield Band 10pm

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January 19 to January 25, 2017

Karaoke w/ Milly G 6pm SMOKIN’ BURGERS; PS; 760-883-5999 Ron James 6pm SOUL OF MEXICO; IND; 760-200-8787 Latin Music 10pm SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760-3413560 TBA 6pm TACK ROOM TAVERN; IND; 760-347-9985 VICKY’S OF SANTE FE; IW; 760-345-9770 Meet THE HARD ROCK; PS; 760-325-9676 Esjay Barflys 9pm Jones Presents Global Lounge Sessions w/ the Corwins 5:30pm, The John Stanley King THREE SIXTY NORTH; PS; 760-327Blackwing Amps and their endorsed artists 8pm Show 8pm 1773 Dennis Michael 6:30pm THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 Mystic VILLAGE PUB; PS; 760-323-3265 T.B.A. 1:30TRILUSSA ITALIAN RISTORANTE; PS; 760-3284:30pm, Nite Fixx 9-2am, DJ Anwaar Hines 9-2am Avalanche Entertainment Presents: Murkocet’s CD 2300 Julius & Sylvia Music Duo 6-10pm Release Party w/ Bridger, Perishment and Throw WANG’S IN THE DESERT; PS; 760-325-9264 TRYST; PS; 760-832-6046 TBA 10pm the Goat 9pm Karaoke 8:30pm HOODOO COCKTAIL GARDEN @ THE HYATT; VIBE, MORONGO CASINO; CAB; 951-755WESTIN MISSION HILLS; RM; 760-328-5955 5391 DJ Hektik 10pm PS; 760-322-9000 Bill Ramirez 6:30pm Michael Keeth 7-11pm VICKY’S OF SANTE FE; IW; 760-345-9770 Rose HUNTER’S; PS; 760-323-0700 Live VJ 9pm THE WINE EMPORIUM; LQ; 760-565-5512 Rob Mallett & Barney McClure 5pm, Kal David, Lauri INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760-345Martinez and Todd Ashley ft. Lisa LaFaro Bono & The Real Deal 7:30pm 6466 Frank DiSalvo 6pm Weselis 5-8:30pm VILLAGE PUB; PS; 760-323-3265 Rob & JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-366-2250 WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-230-0188 Rose JB 1:30-4:30pm, Nite Fixx 9-2am, DJ Anwaar Teddy Quinn 5pm Mallett 6:30pm Hines 9-2am KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 Karaoke 7pm ZELDA’S; PS; 760-325-2375 DJ 9pm THE WINE EMPORIUM; LQ; 760-565-5512 Abie LA QUINTA BREWERY;PD; 760-200-2597 Perkins and Bert Vela 7pm Eevaan Tre 5pm WESTIN MISSION HILLS; RM; 760-328-5955 29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 Bev & LA RUE BISTRO; LQ; 760-296-3420 TBA 9pm TBA 7-11pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-325Bill 6:30pm WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-230-0188 The 2794 Palm Springs Sound Company,in 19TH HOLE; PD; 760-772-6696 TBA 9pm Stanley Butler Band 6:30pm the afternoon,Hot Rox,in the night ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 DJ Bruno ZELDA’S; PS; 760-325-2375 DJ Bigster 9pm LAVENDER BISTRO; LQ; 760-564-5353 Live Coviello 11am poolside, DJ Nina Tarr 10pm Entertainment 5:30pm AGAVE LOUNGE@THE HYATT REGENCY; IW; LIT@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; 760-345760-674-4080 Art of Sax 8pm 2450 Common Ground 9pm 29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 Bob AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 THE LOUNGE, AGUA CALIENTE; RM; 888-999- Garcia 6pm Cabaret on the Green Open Mic 7:30pm 1995 212 Band 9pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Sunset Sunsets AZUL; PS; 760-325-5533 Denise Carter 7:30pm MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760- w/ DJ ODC 4pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 The Purple 325-2323 Ron Greenip 8pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 Jazz Party w/ DJ sets by Reef Nasty, Disco Jesus and NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Brunch w/ Trish Hatley 11am Subterraneo 9pm Karaoke 8-1:15am AZUL; PS; 760-325-5533 The Judy BEATNIK LOUNGE; JT; TBA 9pm THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Show 7:30pm BIG ROCK PUB; IND; 706-200-8988 Paul Rabbitt Henry 6-8pm Tim Burleson 8pm continue to page 22 and The Agave Bluesmasters 9pm PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; 760-327THE BLOCK; C.C.; 760-832-7767 TBA 9pm 4080 Rad Co. (Bad Co. Tribute) 9pm BLUE BAR; SPOTLIGHT 29; IND; 760-775PALM DESERT COUNTRY CLUB; PD; 760-3455566 DJ 9pm 0222 Radio 60 6:30pm BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 Gina PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-365-5956 The Carey 6-10pm Shadow Mountain band 5pm, Sara petite and CASCADE LOUNGE, SPA RESORT CASINO; PS; The Sugar Daddies 8pm 888-999-1995 DJ Michael Wright 9-1am PEABODY’S CAFÉ; PS; 760-322-1877 CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick Karaoke 7:30pm Tuzzolino 5:30pm PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND CHILL BAR; PS; 760-327-1079 TBA 9pm COCKTAILS; TP; 760-343-2115 Red’s Rockstar THE CONGO ROOM; PS; 760-322-7353 Karaoke 9pm Guzman Jr. 7pm PURPLE ROOM; PS; 760-322-4422 Judy’s Les Dames Du Soleil Reunion 8pm CUNARD’S SANDBAR; LQ; 760-564-3660 The Bill Baker Show 6pm RED BARN; PD; 760-346-0191 The Refills 9pm DATE SHED; IND; Mr. Capone and Brown Boy RIVIERA; PS; 760-327-8311 Michael 8pm Keeth 7-10pm DHS SPA LOUNGE; DHS; 760-329SAMMY G’s; PS; 760-320-8041 Evaro 6787 Karaoke w/ DJ Scott 9pm Brothers 8pm ELECTRIC SPORTS LOUNGE; YV; 760-228SHANGHAI RED’S @ THE FISHERMAN’S 1199 DJ Ceddy Cedd 9pm MARKET; PS; 760-322-9293 Barry Baughn EL MEXICALI CAFÉ 2; IND; 760-342-2333 Cesar Blues 8-11pm Daniel Lopez on the harp 6-9pm SHANGHAI RED’S @ THE FISHERMAN’S MARKET; LQ; 760-777-1601 The FISHERMAN’S GROTTO; PD; 760-776-6533 Carmens 8-11pm Jack Ruvio 6pm SHELLY’S LOUNGE@TORTOISE ROCK THE GRILL ON MAIN; LQ; 760-777-7773 CASINO; 29 Palms; Rojer Arnold & Bobby TBA 8:30pm THE GROOVE LOUNGE; SPOTLIGHT 29; INDIO; Furgo 9pm SIDEWINDER GRILL; DHS; 760-329-7929 760-775-5566 DJ 8pm

SAT JANUARY 21

SUN JANUARY 22

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January 19 to January 25, 2017

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CELEBRATED RESTAURANT THE CHOP HOUSE WILL OPEN IN THE JACKALOPE RANCH, INDIO

L

ong considered one of the Coachella Valley’s finest restaurants for steaks and chops (on the bone), lobster and fresh seafood by diners, The Chop House at Jackalope Ranch will open in Indio as a destination dining spot.

As a dining experience, The Chop House in its previous location in Palm Springs and its current location in Stadium Two at The Indian Wells Tennis Garden during the BNP Paribas consistently garners the highest of praise from guests and national and local press.

“Since we closed the Chop House in Palm Springs, our guests have clamored for us to open another location. They love the menu, food and experience,” said Morcus whose family has owned Kaiser Restaurant Group in the Coachella Valley for more than 25 years. The Chop House will be a select,

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premium experience for guests who will enter through Jackalope Ranch, and then move through to the intimate, private setting of The Chop House in the beautifully remodeled Appaloosa Room.

The room features a lovely, dramatic new interior along with the classic stonecovered walls, turquoise jewel tone accents, wood beam ceiling, fireplace and Western art.

Coming from a Colorado background where Morcus grew up on the family ranch and in his grandfather’s and father’s butcher shops, he has searched the world to find the finest sustainably-raised grass-fed animals that are untainted by industrialization from around the globe. He brings that knowledge and passion for fine food at reasonable prices to all Kaiser Restaurant Group projects, and especially to The Chop House,

THE PAMPERED PALATE

RESERVATIONS BEGIN JANUARY 20, 2017

where it’s all about the highest quality steaks, chops and seafood.

Much of the restaurant’s beef is single ranch province, raised by ranchers who maintain a strong commitment to simply breeding and raising the best and healthiest cattle. The cattle and other livestock are raised hormone and antibiotic free with no industrial by-products in the cleanest of environs; lamb is from New Zealand, another country with a nearly pollutantfree atmosphere; wild and sustainable fresh fish and seafood are brought in daily from around the world. The menu is rounded out with organically raised free-range chicken and locally grown vegetables which are sourced from farms in Southern California.

Seasonal specialties will feature the finest ingredients changing with the seasons.

While located in the Jackalope Ranch building, on Jackalope Trail, The Chop House will operate with its own elite staff of

servers, mixologists and kitchen staff to give guests the ultimate steakhouse experience.

The Chop House will open for dinner service at 4:30pm daily and seat until 10pm.

Reservations are suggested. Chop House at Jackalope Ranch, 80400 Highway 111, Indio.

Information: The Chop House at Jackalope Ranch, thejackaloperanch.com; (760) 342-1999

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

January 19 to January 25, 2017

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January 19 to January 25, 2017

SCREENERS

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BY ROBIN E. SIMMONS

No. 248

POETIC DRIVER NOW PLAYING: PATERSON

I loved this beautiful, satisfying and touching film. It’s easily one of writer/ director Jim Jarmusch’s most accomplished, if not his best movie so far. In tone, structure and theme, there’s a sweet affection and sublime wisdom that permeates every frame. But what really sets the movie apart are the many moments of beauty and magic that exist in the midst of the mundane and ordinary.

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Adam Driver is just about perfect as Paterson, a bus driver in Paterson, New Jersey, (yes, they share the same name).

Paterson’s daily routine may remain the same, but what he sees and hears as he makes his rounds is always fresh and different. He observes the city as it slides across his windshield. He overhears bits of conversation that float around him. But clearly, his passion is writing poetry into the little notebook he keeps handy. He walks his dog; stops in a bar and drinks exactly one beer; he goes home to his pretty, loving wife, Laura (Golshifteh Farahani).

Laura’s life, by contrast, is rich with creative dreams, especially those that relate to the many ways she might apply her black and white art to their home environment. She’s teaching herself to play the guitar and sing – with hopes of making it professionally (in a self-designed black and white costume!). Paterson loves Laura

and she loves him. He supports her creative ambitions and she champions his clear gift for poetry. I love the way the movie shows us the details of Paterson’s daily life that give rise to his sharply defined poetry that we see (in cursive) on screen and hear narrated by Paterson.

If there’s a theme here, it’s about the joys and rewards of mindfulness and living in the moment. Not a typical subject for the moves these days. To it’s credit, there’s no major action – well, there is one minor crisis at midpoint -- or even an inciting incident that sets the story in motion, however, there are numerous moments of magic that happen around the edges of this beautifully told tale and there’s always a sense of romance and affection that rings true. It not only fuels the simple story but gives a layer of meaning and protection to the shared, creative lives of Paterson and Laura I especially appreciated the natural rhythm to this film. It’s a nice reflection of the poetry it brings to life on screen.

Highest recommendation. Don’t miss this sweet, life-affirming film. It is among the best of the year.

NEW FOR THE HOME THEATER: THE MAD MAGICIAN (1954)

The terror is multidimensional as the incomparable Vincent Price plays a crazy unhinged prestidigitator whose illusions become instruments of bloody revenge.

Here is one of the more fiendishly clever 3D movies of the 50s that makes its much anticipated 2D/3D combo hi-def Blu-ray debut. This vigorous little shocker (Time Out London) is guaranteed cheesy fun.

The 3D is crisp in stunning black and white! And Price is at his villainous best in one of his signature psychotic roles. Here he’s a magic trick inventor who loses it when fellow magicians rip off his act and his wife runs of with a younger rival. This was Columbia Pictures last entry in the 1950s 3D fad (that is still going strong!) Although this picture is clearly and delightfully tongue-incheek, it delivers some genuinely frightening

moments, thanks to director John Brahm, one of Hollywood’s master stylists of the macabre. Twilight Time. Blu-ray 3D. BEAT THE DEVIL (1953) Writer/director John Huston’s adaptation of Claud Cockburn’s novel of

the same name (Cockburn co-wrote the screenplay with Huston and Truman Capote.

Peter Viernick worked on the script on an unaccredited basis). Humphrey Bogart leads an all-star cast as one of five rather seedy con artists who are trying to get uranium out of East Africa. Besides Bogart’s Billy Dannreuther, there’s snobbish fraud Robert Morley, and Peter Lorre as the Germanaccented “O’Hara”, whose suspect wartime record is a source of concern, speculation and doubt. Soon to get mired in Bogart’s machinations are the Chelms, a prim British married couple (Edward Underdown and blonde-wigged Jennifer Jones). The uranium seekers culminate their many lies, romantic betrayals, misadventures and doublecrosses in front of an Arab firing squad.

When this film was first released (1953), its decidedly droll and satirical nature did not connect with a post-war American audience.

The film failed at the box office but slowly gained cult status. Even so, actor Bogart lamented that he could only remember how much he lost when he invested in the project.

The movie fell into public domain status and has been transferred and distributed by in less than the best quality. Beat the Devil eventually fell into public domain, leading to numerous inferior editions by second and third-tiered labels. There are reports of two versions for home video with different running times. One, mastered in 1954 with a RT of 53 minutes, and another distributed in 1989 with a running time of 100 minutes. I think the relatively minor difference is in the opening scenes.

Today, this fun film retains a strange power to envelope the viewer in a doomed con game in by a motley band of swindlers stranded in an Italian port town that can only go from bad to worse. The Film Detective.

Blu-ray Comments? robinesimmons@aol.com

BOOK REVIEW

UNBORN SECRETS

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“NUTSHELL”

BY IAN MCEWAN FICTION

----------------------------------------------------uman procreation is a miracle.

When it comes to awareness, there is still so much we don’t know about fetal brain cognition. How much do the unborn know? What emotions do they feel? Can they comprehend their reality in utero?

In Ian McEwan’s latest novel, Nutshell (Nan A. Talese, 208 pages) an unborn child is held in natal suspense as his parents plan for his arrival.

The narrator in this story is the fetus itself. Nearly nine months old, he has turned and dropped into position for birth.

Although he is ready and preparing to meet his mom and dad, there is a problem. Mom and dad are living separately, and his mom wants to kill his dad.

The fetus’ mother, Trudy, is 28 years old and she has lost all interest in her poet and professor husband, John. She is living in her husband’s family London flat which is

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www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

January 19 to January 25, 2017

BY HEIDI SIMMONS

decrepit and a filthy mess. Trudy is having regular sex with Claude, John’s businessman and bore of a brother.

Eavesdropping during his mother’s most intimate moments, the fetus learns that Claude has come up with a plan to kill John by poisoning him with ethylene glycol, a very painful, but quick death that is difficult to prove.

Unfortunately for the baby, Trudy plans on also getting rid of her unborn baby as soon as possible. Helpless to do anything and with his mother drinking too much wine, he cannot think straight. The fetus can only listen in fearful apprehension as events unfold.

Oh, the pleasure of reading a story with an unreliable narrator! This is such a strange conceit, but it is a hard book to put down. Somewhat Shakespearian in plot, the unborn, precocious child cannot fully grasp the world outside.

At one point he uses his “fetal power” to transport himself to a place where his father and uncle are negotiating the future.

The reader is informed by the fetus that his father did not take the bribe (to leave) but acted nobly wanting only to be reunited with his wife and baby.

However, when Claude comes back from

the negotiations and shares the event with Trudy, it is not at all as the unborn child had imagined. In fact, it is the opposite. What the child believes about his father is rarely true and is often contradicted by his mother and uncle as he listens to their discussions beyond the womb.

This gives the reader pause, because we cannot be certain that the child is totally incorrect, and at the same it is easy to believe that Claude is a liar and not telling Trudy the whole truth.

These moments of ambiguity are delicious to read and keep the story at a provocative level of suspense. What is really going on?

Author McEwan writes beautifully and he captures a voice in the fetus that makes sense and rings true, that is, if indeed, the fetus had a mental awareness and intelligent insight of his exterior world.

The unborn child struggles to understand why his mother and father hate each other.

The adult lives are complicated, confusing and frankly ridiculous. The fetus wants to love his mom and his dad. He wants a future, but sadly his future unclear. He is troubled by their lack of concern for him.

He is not a part of his parents’ conversation.

It is not even clear if the baby will likely be born at all.

I especially like that the baby believes, and tries, to use powers he believes he possesses because he is a fetus. This is remarkable in and of itself, because shouldn’t a fetus have magical abilities?

Nutshell is a fresh and surprising read proving again that the unreliable narrator makes for a very entertaining and engaging way to tell a story.

SAFETY TIPS

BY FIRE CHIEF SAM DIGIOVANNA

MORE RAIN HEADED OUR WAY!

M

ore needed rain is forecasted, but some storms may cause serious and dangerous problems. Here are a few tips for preparing for storms, and weathering them safely.

• Always keep a battery-powered radio in your home so that you can tune to radio stations if you lose electricity. Check or change the batteries frequently.

• Keep a flashlight in an easily accessible spot on every floor of your home. Check the batteries monthly, and replace them as needed.

• As a safety precaution before leaving the house on vacation, unplug all electrical appliances except for those lights connected to automatic timers.

• Secure/remove outdoor patio furniture and yard accessories to keep them from blowing away in a violent wind.

• Don’t go out unless you have to; however, if flooding threatens, seek high ground, and follow the instructions of your local firefighters – law enforcement personnel.

• Keep an eye on large trees -- even healthy ones -- that could damage your house if felled in a storm. Cut them back, if necessary.

Don’t forget the car... Have your brakes, tires and windshield wipers checked by your mechanic. Keep it slow in the rain and give plenty of distance between your vehicle and the one in front of you!

Contact your local Fire Dept. and visit: www.fire.ca.gov/fire_protection/fire_ protection_be_prepared.php for additional storm preparedness tips.

Now you can regard gathering clouds with a little less trepidation.

Be Safe!

Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna

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January 19 to January 25, 2017

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CLUB CRAWLER NIGHTLIFE continued from page 17 BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 Latin Night w/ DJ LF and Richie Rich 9pm 29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 The BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 Michael Luminators 6pm Keeth 6-10pm CASCADE LOUNGE, SPA RESORT; PS; 888-999- AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 Bill Marx 6:30pm 1995 Nash with Quinto Menguante 9pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 Mood CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Joe Jaggi Deep House Lounge 6pm-2am 5:30pm BIG ROCK PUB; IND; 706-200-8988 Karaoke DHS SPA LOUNGE; DHS; 760-329-6787 Radio w/ T-Bone 8pm 60 3-6pm EL MEXICALI CAFÉ 2; IND; 760-342-2333 Cesar CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Joe Jaggi 5:30pm Daniel Lopez on the harp 6-9pm CATHEDRAL CANYON GOLF CLUB;C.C.; 760INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760-345328-6571 Coachella Valley All Stars 5-8pm 6466 Ted Herman’s Big Band 6pm INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-366-2250 345-6466 Larry Capeloto 6pm Open Jam 6pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-325LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-3252794 Hot Rox 2794 Palm Springs Sound Company, in LAVENDER BISTRO; LQ; 760-564-5353 Live the afternoon, Hot Rox, in the night Entertainment 5:30pm LAVENDER BISTRO; LQ; 760-564-5353 Live NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347Entertainment 5:30pm 1522 Karaoke 8pm-1:15am MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin 325-2323 Sunday Jam 4-8pm Henry 7pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Golden PAPPY & HARRIET›S; PT; 760-365-5956 Open Era Karaoke 4-7pm, Red’s Rockstar Karaoke 8pm- Mic 7pm 1:15am PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin COCKTAILS; TP; 760-343-2115 Industry Henry 7:30pm Night w/ DJ Tone 2pm-close PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-365-5956 The SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760-341Sunday Band 7:30pm 3560 T.B.A. 6pm PURPLE ROOM; PS; 760-322-4422 The Judy VICKY’S OF SANTE FE; IW; 760-345Show 7pm 9770 Mike Costley’s Showcase 6:30pm SAMMY G’s; PS; 760-320-8041 Eddie Gee 7pm VILLAGE PUB; PS; 760-323-3265 DJ Khodi Rayne 4:30-2am, Michael James & 3sum 9-2am SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760-341-3560 The Myx 6pm WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-230-0188 Trish Hatley and Barney McClure Jazz 6pm THREE SIXTY NORTH; PS; 760-327-1773 The ZELDA’S; PS; 760-325-2375 Dude Jones 9pm Chris Gore Group Pro Jam 7pm VICKY’S OF SANTE FE; IW; 760-345-9770 John Stanley King and Trio 6:30pm THE WINE EMPORIUM; LQ; 760-565-5512 Rob 29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 Bob Martinez and Scott Carter 6-8pm Garcia 6pm WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-230-0188 Smooth ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Ace Karaoke Brothers 6pm with Kiesha 9pm

MON JANUARY 23

TUE JANUARY 24

AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 AJ’s Singer Showcase w/ Carole Hampton 7pm AZUL; PS; 760-325-5533 Bella da Ball Dinner Revue w/ guest performers 7:30pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 DJ and Dancing 9pm-2am BIG ROCK PUB; IND; 706-200-8988 Karaoke w/ T-Bone 8pm THE BLOCK; C.C.; 760-832-7767 Karaoke en Espanol 9pm BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 Stanley Butler Trio 6-10pm CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Joe Jaggi 5:30pm CORKTREE; PD; 760-779-0123 Michael Keeth 6-9pm CUNARD’S SANDBAR; LQ; 760-5643660 The Bill Baker Show 6pm FIRESIDE LOUNGE; PS; 760-327-1700 Red’s Rockstar Karaoke 9pm FISHERMAN’S GROTTO; PD; 760-776-6533 Chuck Alvarez 6:30pm THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 Drag Queen Bingo 9pm HUNTER’S; PS; 760-323-0700 Karaoke hosted

by Phillip Moore 9pm INDIAN CANYONS GOLF RESORT; PS; 760833-8700 DJ Randy Johnson 6pm INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760345-6466 Michael D’Angelo 6:15pm JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-366-2250 Ted Quinn’s Open Mic Reality Show Jam 8pm KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 Karaoke 7pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-325-2794 Palm Springs Sound Company LAVENDER BISTRO; LQ; 760-564-5353 Live Entertainment 5:30pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Karaoke 8pm-1:15am THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Tim Burleson 7:45pm PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; 760-3274080 Acoustic Open Mic 7pm PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND

COCKTAILS; TP; 760-343-2115 Ladies Night 7pm PURPLE ROOM; PS; 760-322-4422 Rose Mallett 6:30pm SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760-3413560 Demetrious and Co. TACK ROOM TAVERN; IND; 760-347-9985 Two Step Tuesdays w/ Cinch 6-10pm THREE SIXTY NORTH; PS; 760-327-1773 Douglas McDonald Duo 6:30pm VICKY’S OF SANTE FE; IW; 760-345-9770 Mike Costley Trio 6:30pm VILLAGE PUB; PS; 760-323-3265 Tequila Tuesdays 9pm WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-230-0188 John Boliver Jazz 6pm

WED JANUARY 25 29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 Daniel Horn 6pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Uncle Abe Presents: Heatstroke a monthly DJ Night 9pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 Jazz Jam w/ Shelley Yoelin Group 7pm AZUL; PS; 760-325-5533 Piano Bar 6pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 TBA 9pm BIG ROCK PUB; IND; 706-200-8988 The Smooth Brothers 7pm THE BLOCK; C.C.; 760-832-7767 CV Open Mic Competition Hosted By Morgan James 7pm BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 TBA 6-10pm CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick Tuzzolino 5:30pm THE CONGO ROOM; PS; 760-322-7353 Jimmy Street 6pm CORKTREE; PD; 760-779-0123 Jack Ruvio 6pm CUNARD’S SANDBAR; LQ; 760-564-3660 The Bill Baker Show 6pm ELECTRIC SPORTS LOUNGE; YV; 760-2281199 Karaoke 7:30pm FISHERMAN’S GROTTO; PD; 760-776-6533 TBA 6pm HUNTER’S; PS; 760-323-0700 Live VJ 9pm

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

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INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760345-6466 Open Mic w/ Rich Bono & Poupee Boccaccio 6pm JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-3662250 Live Music KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 Open Mic hosted by Amy Angel 6:30pm LA RUE BISTRO; LQ; 760-296-3420 Andy Cahan 6pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-3252794 Hot Rox LAVENDER BISTRO; LQ; 760-564-5353 Live Entertainment 5:30pm MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 “Sing Jam” w/ Mikael Healey 8pm MITCH’S ON EL PASEO; PD; 760-779-9200 Michael Keeth 12-3pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Golden Era Karaoke 4-7pm, Karaoke 8pm-1:15am THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry 6-8pm Tim Burleson 8pm PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; 760-3274080 Roger Lemieux 5pm PJ’S SPORTS LOUNGE; YV; 760-288-1199 Karaoke w/ KJ Ginger 8pm PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND COCKTAILS; TP; 760-343-2115 Red’s Rockstar Karaoke 9pm PURPLE ROOM; PS; 760-322-4422 Michael Holmes Jazz Trio 6:30pm SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760-3413560 The Myx 6:30pm TACK ROOM TAVERN; IND; 760-347-9985 Acoustic Sessions 7pm THREE SIXTY NORTH; PS; 760-3271773 Mike Costley Band 6:30pm TJ’S; PD; 760-345-6744 Derek Jordan Gregg 9pm VICKY’S OF SANTE FE; IW; 760-345-9770 Barry Minniefield 6:30pm VILLAGE PUB; PS; 760-323-3265 DJ Khodi Rayne 4:30-2am, Nite Fixx 9-2am WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-230-0188 Deanna Bogart 6:30pm

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

HADDON LIBBY

January 19 to January 25, 2017

ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK

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ith the transition of power from Barack Obama to Donald Trump, there is a mix of euphoria and catatonic astonishment amongst Americans.

As we close out the eight year presidency of Barack Obama, let’s review some of his greatest accomplishments and failures.

Accomplishments: • While many dislike it, he passed the Affordable Care Act which helped nearly 40 million uninsured Americans to get insurance while allowing people with Pre-Existing Conditions to secure insurance that actually covers these conditions. While the bill had major flaws, there is no discounting its value to so many.

• In another somewhat controversial accomplishment, he passed the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 that helped save the U.S. economy from an even deeper recession.

• In yet another controversial accomplishment, he passed the Dodd-Frank Consumer Protection Act. In hindsight, this Act served to reduce the number of community banks in the United States while making it harder for everyone to get a loan.

• Ended the war in Iraq, although the premature withdrawal created an environment that incubated ISIS.

• Killed Osama bin Laden.

• Ended Qaddafi’s reign in Libya.

• Helped save the U.S. auto industry.

• Made it possible for openly gay and lesbian people to serve in the military.

• Commuted the jail sentences of 1,200 drug offenders to reverse “outdated” prison sentences.

• Dropped the military veteran homeless rate by 50% • Began the normalization of relations with Cuba.

• Nominated the first Hispanic, Sonia Sotomayor, to the Supreme Court.

• Expanded embryonic stem cell research for spinal injuries and cancer research.

Failures: • His biggest failure which helped create the Trump victory were rules and regulations on business that expedited the export of blue collar jobs to other countries. His policies favored big, multinational firms at the expense of small to mid-sized businesses and their workers.

• Wealth concentration amongst the top 10% of all Americans increased from 71.5% to 76% of all wealth in the United States during his term. Meanwhile, the bottom HALF of Americans saw their net worth fall from 3% to 1%. That’s right, more than 165 million

Americans have no net worth. That is bad.

• New jobs after the Great Recession did not offer the pay or benefits of pre-Recession jobs.

• His biggest failure might be the inability to convince Americans that the country is on the right track. Instead, most Americans concluded that both Democrats and Republicans are not looking out for them.

• Did not solve the immigration problem.

• When the Arab Spring arose, Obama did little to capitalize on the region’s unrest thus opening a window for Iran and Russia to take greater roles in the region.

• Did not keep the NSA from spying on Americans illegally.

Besides these failures, during his campaigns for President, he made some popular campaign promises that were never fulfilled. Here are a few of the most upsetting:

• Failed to punish those responsible for the Great Recession.

• Failed to allow for the import of lower cost prescription drugs.

• Did not allow Medicare to negotiate cheaper drug prices.

• Did not end income tax for seniors earning less than $50,000.

• Did not end no-bid government contracts when spending more than $25,000.

• Did not close the Guantanamo Bay Detention Center.

Only time will tell us whether Obama was a good, bad, or mediocre President. While there is no question that the GOP made his job more difficult, the failure to protect the majority of American workers from globalization while maintaining a nearly open border left many Americans distrustful of his intents as well as those of most inside the Washington DC beltway. As a result, we now have President Donald Trump, a GOP Congress and Senate.

The Democrats have only themselves to blame for their inability to understand the struggles of the majority Americans.

Haddon Libby is an Investment Advisor and Managing Partner for Winslow Drake Investment Management and can be reached at 760.449.6349 or HLibby@WinslowDrake.com.

scams and sales of goods or counterfeit goods is the next most reported scam.

Employment scams; online job ads offering generous positons often feature purported work from at home options are the next most popular con.

Consumers can be hired over the phone and then asked personal questions such as your social security number. Once you provide it your ID is stolen. Of course you should never send money to anyone you have not met in person. Don’t click online links or open attachments in unsolicited emails. We are cautioned to never buy anything on line unless the transaction is secured by “https” in the URL. I previously warned my weekly legal column readers about stickers on the back of your rear car window that you notice when you are leaving a mall parking stall.

The purpose is to distract the driver making him or her stop to remove the sticker... and thus be the subject of a carjacking. When you reach the back of your car the carjackers appear out of nowhere, jump into your car and split. Women are the best targets as their purse is in the car and now the bad guys have your home address, money and credit cards. Your ID is now stolen.

For more information regarding other scams use this link www.riversidesheriff. org/crime/fraud.asp.

If you think you are the victim of an ID Theft then cancel your credit cards ASAP, place a fraud alert on them and call the police to make a report.

REPORT POTENTIAL ID THEFT to: Equifax 1-800-525-6285; fraud alert 888766-0008; Experian (formerly TRW) 888-397-3742 to place fraud alert; Trans Union 800-680-7289 for Fraud alert: Social Security Administration (fraud line) 800-269-0271 Please contact me with ideas for future legal columns at: dale@dalegribowlaw.com or 760-837-7500.

DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE, CALL A TAXI OR UBER.........IT IS A LOT CHEAPER THAN HAVING AN ARREST OR ACCIDENT AND CALLING ME.........SO DRIVE SOBER OR GET PULLED OVER DALE GRIBOW “TOP LAWYER” - Palm Springs Life (DUI/ ACCIDENT)2011-2017 “TOP LAWYER”- Inland Empire Magazine November 2016 AVVO Perfect 10.0 Peer Rating

DALE GRIBOW ON THE LAW

HOLIDAY 2016 CON VICTIM?

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f you were in town during December 2016, you noticed there were more articles in both the Desert Sun and local TV on Holiday Scams than I could ever recall. They were often some take off on “you asked, we respond”. The Desert Sun’s opinion page on 12-24-16 explained that during times of good cheer SCAMMERS bring out Jeers. If you have been reading my weekly legal column, then you read about a year ago, about Phone Scams on the East Coast heading West...................well they are here.

The leading scams, per the Better Business Bureau (BBB), are callers posing as an IRS agent and threatening to fine or arrest you. The caller may advise you that a relative was in an accident and needs a large sum of money for medical expenses.

Work stations in India “boiler rooms” call centers may pose as a federal or state agent with a scripted message advising you they are with Riverside Sheriffs and they are coming to arrest you for not paying taxes or showing for jury duty. Your phone register even shows it is coming from Riverside Sheriffs etc. I know because it happened to me and I called Sheriff Stan Sniff personally.

The scripted caller may advise they are IRS or Immigration authorities calling

regarding an outstanding (fictitious) fine, immigration warrant or a phony tax debt.

Telephone call centers in India use personal information, illegally obtained, to scare the victim. They launder the money using wire transfers and debit cards.

They prey upon the elderly and immigrants... in other words our neighbors.

The victims are told to go to Walmart, for instance, and buy debit cards that would be loaded with a few thousand dollars. They are then instructed to read the card number to the caller.

I caution my readers to be on guard and only buy from reputable vendors and use secure sites for payment. You are best advised not to click on emails or links from senders you do not know. If the offer seems too good to be true.....................it won’t show up after you order it. Of course with respect to charities, one must be sure the charity is legitimate. The BBB’s advice that “Wise Giving Alliance” or online tools such a “Charity Navigator,” “Charity Watch” and “Guide Star” can help vet the group.

Fake debt collection claims and phony announcements of sweepstakes wins, prizes or gifts was next worst scheme reported

by BBB....or notice of wins and need for financial taxes to collect. On line purchase

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January 19 to January 25, 2017

BREAKING THE 4TH WALL

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

BY DEE JAE COX

“THE GHOSTLIGHT PROJECT – THEATERS CREATING BRAVE SPACES ”

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heater has reflected the attitude and perspectives of cultures across the world and across the centuries.

It is the keeper of the creative light having begun long before film or television was even a distant concept and having survived the oppression of the ages. Since its beginning, theater has faced censorship by governments and churches. Because plays are typically performed before a live audience, reaching masses of people who don’t have to be literate in order to understand their messages, it has raised special concerns about the power of theater to instill potentially dangerous ideas and incite action in its audiences. Especially actions of rebellion that many archaic and oppressive governments and religions have sought to prevent. And yet that is exactly what theater is intended to do - provoke thought and inspire ideas. It is no surprise in any free nation, when some feel their voices diminished and a prominent threat to their democracy, that it would naturally be theater stepping into the role of protector.

In keeping with what theaters through the ages have done, “The Ghostlight Project,” a group of like-minded social activist, theater artists, and everyday citizens have put out a call to action. On January 19, 2017 at 5:30 p.m. in each time zone across the country,

members of the theater community - from Broadway to regional theaters, high schools, colleges and community theaters – will come together to launch The Ghostlight Project.

Inspired by the tradition of leaving a “ghost light” on in a darkened theater, artists and communities will gather outside of theaters across America on the eve of the Presidential Inauguration and make or renew a pledge to stand for and protect the values of inclusion, participation, and compassion for everyone-regardless of race, class, religion, country of origin, immigration status, (dis)ability, age, gender identity, or sexual orientation. Their aim is to create ‘brave spaces’ that will serve as lights in the coming years and to establish a network of people across the country who will work to support vulnerable communities.

COMIC CON P.S.

BY ROB SIMMONS

GENERAL LEIA ORGANA (19 BBY - 41 ABY)

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oruscant: Office of Republic Communications - Today the office of Chancellor for the Republic Senate announces that General Leia Organa, Commander of Resistance forces, former member of the Imperial Senate and Princess of Alderaan passed away this morning at 8:55 Galactic Standard Time, she was 60 years old.

Leia Organa was the adopted daughter of Bail & Breha Organa of the Royal House of Organa from Alderaan, she was preceded in death by her former husband Han Solo and her son Ben Solo.

Selected by her father to represent Alderaan in the Imperial Senate at age 16 Princess Leia began her life in the service of her people which grew to encompass the care of all beings in the known galaxy. Secretly working for the Rebel Alliance, Princess Leia was able to use her position in the senate to funnel information that proved vital in the early days of the Alliance. Tragedy struck as she was forced to watch the destruction of Alderaan by Grand Moff Tarkin and Darth Vader using the Death Star Super Weapon.

With the aid of Han Solo and Luke Skywalker, the princess was able to escape and make her way to Yavin IV. She then led the Alliance in the destruction of the Emperor’s terror weapon.

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The Desert Rose Playhouse, located at 69620 Hwy 111 Rancho Mirage, CA, has a history of representing vulnerable populations such as the LGBTQ community and is the only locally listed participant in this national event. Managing Director, Paul

Taylor stated that, “Jim (Strait) and I feel it’s important for institutions like theaters to be a place where people feel safe from those who fight against diversity and equality.”

The Ghostlight Project begins at 5:30pm, Thursday, January 19th and is free and open to everyone. Participants are encouraged to bring a light such as a flashlight, cell phone, etc. to illuminate the sky.

For more information on the National Ghostlight Project and how you can be a part of this monumental occasion visit their website – theghostlightproject.com.

Dee Jae Cox is a playwright, director and producer. She is the Cofounder and Artistic Director of The Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Project. californiawoman411.com and lawomenstheatreproject.org.

She furthered her reputation as leader and commander in the evacuation of Hoth, hard pressed by the Imperial fleet led by Darth Vader, she nonetheless gave the confidence to Rebels to hold off a numerically superior force saving large numbers of men and material and sacrificing herself and her friends to suffer at the hands of the Dark Lord of the Sith.

The Princess was later part of an expedition to the forest moon of Endor, where she and a select number of Alliance Special Forces with the aid of the moon’s inhabitants destroyed

We have the power to make tomorrow our world, for our neighbor and for ourselves. For what We want. Go straight ahead with what you believe to be right and beautiful. Don’t let anyone else dictate the outcome for our world. Use your own strength and actions to make it so. Engage your Superpower for tomorrow’s destiny. And...Get Ready To Suit Up! - Christopher Spellman Founder/Executive Producer - Comic Con Palm Springs the shield generator protecting the Emperor’s new Death Star. With the destruction of the generator the Alliance fleet was able to destroy the Empire’s newest vehicle of terror, ending the reign of Palpatine and his cohort, Darth Vader.

Following the death of Palpatine and the subsequent loss of power for his Empire, the Princess labored to bring about the reemergence of the Republic. She dedicated herself fully to its establishment, her family and to the rise of the Jedi under the direction of her brother, Luke Skywalker. Her satisfaction for peace and order was to be short lived. Under the mysterious Supreme Leader Snoke, elements of the Empire, calling themselves ‘the First Order’ began to rearm themselves and adopt an aggressive policy towards the Republic. Frustrated at her inability to rouse the Republic senate to the urgency of this new threat, the Princess with the aid of several long time Alliance leaders formed a resistance, placing themselves between the First Order and the citizens

of the Republic. With her promotion to General, Leia Organa frustrated many efforts of the First Order led by General Hux and the Vaderesque figure calling himself ‘Kylo Ren’ With the destruction of the planets and Republic Fleet in the Hosnian System, the Republic was at last awakened to the threat posed by the First Order. Resistance fighters under the command of General Organa raced to destroy the super weapon, while the mission was a military success it came at the cost of many brave pilots and the loss of former Alliance General, Han Solo.

Barely a year has passed away since the destruction of Star Killer base when to our sorrow, General Organa passed away. We will mourn the loss of her leadership and bravery in the days to come as we face a new threat that we are ill-prepared to confront. With her example of determination and iron will, there is a new hope within us to drive the First Order and the remnants of Palpatine’s Empire onto the trash heaps of history. May the Force be with Us!

SPORTS SCENE

BY FLINT WHEELER

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

SPORTS GAMBLING IN C. A .

AROUND THE CORNER? WITH TRUMP IT’S A STRONG POSSIBILITY.

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egalized sports betting might expand over the next four years as Presidentelect assumes the White House and the Republican Party controls both chambers of Congress.

That’s according to R Street Institute, a public policy think tank in Washington, DC, that largely promotes conservative and libertarian ideas.

R street believes Trump’s long history in gambling could entice the future 45th president of the United States to back legislation to legalize sports betting on the federal level.

“While not as successful as international casino magnates Steve Wynn or Sheldon Adelson, Trump has no record of moral opposition to gambling as business,” R Street author Steve Titch explains. “There’s no reason to believe that expanding prohibition is on his agenda, or that he would be opposed to greater liberalization, especially if it can create or increase revenue streams for his economic agenda.”

R Street might sound familiar to online gaming observers due to the agency’s Executive Director Andrew Moylan. During the first hearing of the Restoration of America’s Wire Act (RAWA) in April of 2015, Moylan was one of the lone voices opposed to the antionline gaming bill.

“RAWA’s potential overreach in failing to exempt intrastate activity is unwise,” Moylan said at the time.

Not So Easy Street In his reasoning why Trump might be the perfect president to legalize sports betting, Titch opines that both states and federal governments will continue to need to find new sources of revenue.

And with Congress controlled by Republicans, the party that despises nothing more than tax increases, gaming expansion could be the ticket.

But for legalized sports betting to reach its full potential, the lines would need to be offered online and through mobile devices.

That creates more difficult hurdles.

In fact, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) sat on R Street’s legislative advisory board while he was a member of the Texas State Senate.

Paxton recently joined nine other state attorneys general in signing a letter to Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence that urges the future Oval Office occupants to support legislation to restore the Wire Act and ban all forms of internet gaming.

All Things Must PASPA The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA) limits sports betting to Nevada, Oregon, Delaware, and Montana. The four named states were granted such privileges since they all had some sort of legalized sports betting when the law was passed. Today, only Nevada takes advantage of the carve out and offers traditional sports betting lines.

PASPA’s repeal is gaining momentum.

Perhaps in part due to the rise of daily fantasy sports (DFS), the number of supporters of ending sports betting prohibition is growing.

Last month, five states joined New Jersey in asking the US Supreme Court to consider the August ruling of the Third Circuit Court of Appeals that stayed PASPA. New Jersey believes it should have the right to offer sports betting if the majority of Garden State residents want in on the game.

It’s unclear when the Supreme Court might decide if it’s going to take on the case.

January 19 to January 25, 2017

POLO

EMPIRE POLO CLUB TO DEDICATE SUNDAY POLO FIELD IN HONOR OF GENERAL GEORGE S. PATTON

GENERAL PATTON WAS AN AVID POLO PLAYER & EXPERIENCED EQUESTRIAN.

GUEST EMCEE: SYLVESTER STALLONE. GUEST SPEAKER: HELEN PATTON – HONORARY CHAIR OF THE GENERAL PATTON MUSEUM. n Sunday, January 29th, the Empire Polo Club is hosting a field dedication ceremony in honor of General George S. Patton. Patton is well known as one of the greatest and the most colorful generals in U.S. Army history. He was also an avid polo player, an accomplished horseman and athlete.

In honor of Patton’s military accomplishments and to celebrate his love of horses and the sport of Polo, Empire Polo Club is naming its main Sunday Polo Field the “The General Patton Field.” A new flagpole and plaque honoring General Patton will be unveiled during the ceremony.

Patton once commented “The virtue VIP Admission is $25 per person of polo as a military accomplishment rests on the following: it makes a man think fast and includes parking, VIP seating and a while excited; it reduces his natural respect complimentary Champagne Divot Stomp. for his own safety, that is – it makes him The VIP seating area is located in front of the bold; it teaches restraint under exciting Olympic-peaked tents on the west side of the circumstances... nearest to mounted combat; main polo field and offers field-side covered makes riding worthwhile; keeps a man hard seating.

Spectators can also watch Sunday football and teaches better horse management.”

The dedication ceremony will take place on games while enjoying polo at the VIP Sports Sunday, January 29th at the Empire Polo Club, Lounge and Bar, located adjacent to the located in Indio, CA. The dedication ceremony VIP seating area. The Sports Lounge offers begins at 11:00 AM. After the ceremony, the viewers three flat screens featuring Sunday finals of the United States Polo Association football games and other popular sports.

Reservations for VIP seating are highly (USPA) General George S. Patton, Jr. Polo Tournament will be played. MC is Sylvester recommended. Food and beverage service Stallone and the guest speaker is Helen is available onsite during Sunday matches.

Patton, granddaughter of General George S. For VIP reservations or group rates please Patton, Jr. and Honorary Chair of the General call 760-393-7298 or email tonyschieffer@ Patton Museum. The ceremony schedule is empirepolo.com. No outside food or included below. Two featured polo matches beverages are allowed into the VIP area.

Sunday Polo Entrance - From Interstate will be played after the field dedication; one 10 take the Monroe St. exit. Head south on at 12 Noon and the second at 2 PM. Monroe St. Take a right on Ave. 50 and you Ceremony Schedule: will see the Empire entrance gates on the MC: Sylvester Stallone 11AM: Post Colors, Pledge of Allegiance, left side of the road. Use the middle gate for tailgating access and General Admission National Anthem & dove release 11:15AM: Guest Speaker Helen Patton parking. If you are a cabana holder, have VIP – Honorary Chair of the General Patton reservations for a table or if you are part of a group with reservations, use the third gate to Museum 12Noon: Finals of the USPA Gen. George S. access the VIP parking area.

Empire Polo Club - 81-800 Ave. 51, Indio, Patton, Jr. Polo Tournament CA 92201 1:45PM: Awards Ceremony www.EmpirePolo.com 2PM – 4PM: 2nd Featured Polo Match VIP & Group Reservations: Sunday Polo 760-393-7298 Sunday Polo games are scheduled every week from Jan. 1st through April 2nd, 2017.

Sunday Polo games are at 12Noon and 2PM. The polo club will be closed on Sunday, January 15th and again on Sunday, March 5th, 2017.

General Admission is FREE with a $20 parking fee for all Sunday afternoon polo games. Tailgaters are welcome; space along the sidelines is available on a first come, first served basis. Bleacher seating is also available in the General Admission area. Spectators are welcome to bring their own food and beverages into the General Admission area.

Food and beverage service is also available for purchase.

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January 19 to January 25, 2017

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

GCVCC BUSINESSPROFILE

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ne of the fastest growing business services in the U.S. is background, drug and aptitude/integrity screening. CV Background Screening & Drug Testing has just opened its doors, providing full 24/7 Service to its clients in the Coachella Valley.

Employee drug abuse and pilferage are at an all-time high. As the job market tightens and the minimum wage increases, identifying good potential employees has never been more important. The Surgeon General published a report concluding 1 in 7 people in the U.S. will experience a drug abuse problem during their lifetime. It is

the first time in history the U.S. Surgeon General has published a report dedicated to substance abuse. The Issue is now officially referred to as a national epidemic.

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HEALTH&FITNESS

BY DOUG MORIN

EXECUTIVE DIRECTORCV VOLUNTEERS IN MEDICINE INDIO, CA

WHY EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE A PET

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he UCLA Health People Animal Connection (PAC) Program has found that owning a pet can benefit the health of your heart in many ways. A research study they conducted examined how a group of patients in the cardiac intensive care unit responded to the presence of a dog. The results showed that the hormone epinephrine, which is responsible for increasing stress levels in humans, was lowered significantly in patients who interacted with the dogs, and many patients also had a decrease in both heart and lung pressure after interacting with dogs. And a study from the University of Missouri-Columbia found that people who walked twenty minutes a day, five days a week with their dog, lost an average of fourteen pounds in a year.

Other studies have shown that people who own a pet are less likely to die of a heart attack than those who don’t. Owning a pet leads to improved fitness, and the research has shown that owners who take their dog out for a regular walk will walk an average of 19 additional minutes compared with people who do not have a dog. Among the health benefits of having a pet include reduced risk of allergies, asthma and eczema, lower blood pressure, a stronger heart, improved fitness, and greater calm for Alzheimer’s patients. Simply petting an animal can cause blood pressure to drop. A study was done where hypertensive stock brokers were instructed to either pet an animal or take a hypertensive drug to help quell their mental

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stress. Those who adopted an animal had a better reduction in blood pressure than those who took a hypertensive drug.

Additionally, research has shown that oxytocin levels increase after interactions between an owner and his or her pet. Oxytocin is one of the chemicals responsible for reducing anxiety, calming people down According to sharecare.com, pet owners, when coping with stress, are better off with a pet by their side because having a spouse or friend nearby during a stressful situation can make the stress worse.

According to AnimalPlanet.com, the truth about cats versus dogs is a hot-button debate that rages on, even if cat lovers know that their darlings swept to victory long ago. For cats, it’s no contest - their inspired playfulness and independent spirit are the secret envy of some humans, many of whom wish they could spend their own days batting at a catnip mouse and napping in the sun rather than tapping a computer keyboard. Even some die-hard dog lovers have inched toward the light of the feline side, drawn by their low-maintenance lifestyle and excellence as lap decorations.

Why do cats best dogs? For one thing, most dogs always vocalize their moods. A cat will keep it to itself. Upset, happy, excited or just talkative, dogs bark. Loudly. Cat toys tend to be hugged, carried and carefully hidden in beds or baskets, while a dog’s playthings are shredded.

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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY

Week of January 19

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Are you more attracted to honing group dynamics or liberating group dynamics? Do you have more aptitude as a director who organizes people or as a sparkplug who inspires people? Would you rather be a Chief Executive officer or a Chief Imagination Officer?

Questions like these will be fertile for you to meditate on in the coming weeks. The astrological omens suggest it’s time to explore and activate more of your potential as a leader or catalyst.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): An eccentric Frenchman named Laurent Aigon grew up near an airport, and always daydreamed of becoming a commercial pilot. Sadly, he didn’t do well enough in school to fulfill his wish. Yet he was smart and ambitious enough to accomplish the next best thing: assembling a realistic version of a Boeing 737 cockpit in his home. With the help of Google, he gathered the information he needed, and ordered most of the necessary parts over the Internet.

The resulting masterpiece has enabled him to replicate the experiences of being a pilot. It’s such a convincing copy that he has been sought as a consultant by organizations that specialize in aircraft maintenance. I suggest you attempt a comparable feat, Taurus: creating a simulated version of what you want. I bet it will eventually lead you to the real thing.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): The weather may be inclement where you live, so you may be resistant to my counsel. But I must tell you the meanings of the planetary omens as I understand them, and not fret about whether you’ll act on them. Here’s my prescription, lifted from Henry David Thoreau’s Walden: “We need the tonic of wildness, to wade sometimes in marshes where the bittern and the meadow-hen lurk, and hear the booming of the snipe; to smell the whispering sedge where only some wilder and more solitary fowl builds her nest, and the mink crawls with its belly close to the ground.” And why does Thoreau say we need such experiences? “We must be refreshed by the sight of inexhaustible vigor, to witness our own limits transgressed.”

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Welcome to the most deliciously enigmatic, sensually mysterious phase of your astrological cycle. To provide you with the proper non-rational guidance, I have stolen scraps of dusky advice from the poet Dansk Javlarna (danskjavlarna.tumblr.com). Please read between the lines: 1. Navigate the ocean that roars within the seashell. 2. Carry the key, even if the lock has been temporarily lost. 3. Search through the deepest shadows for the bright light that cast them. 4.

Delve into the unfathomable in wordless awe of the inexplicable.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): What exactly would a bolt of lightning taste like? I mean, if you could somehow manage to roll it around in your mouth without having to endure the white-hot shock.

There’s a booze manufacturer that claims to provide this sensation. The company known as Oddka has created “Electricity Vodka,” hard liquor with an extra fizzy jolt. But if any sign of the zodiac could safely approximate eating a streak of lightning without the help of Electricity Vodka, it would be you Leos.

These days you have a special talent for absorbing and enjoying and integrating fiery inspiration.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Eighteenth-century painter Joshua Reynolds said that a “disposition to abstractions, to generalizing and classification, is the great glory of the human mind.” To that lofty sentiment, his fellow artist William Blake responded, “To generalize is to be an idiot; to particularize is the alone distinction of merit.” So I may be an idiot when I make the following generalization, but I think I’m right: In the coming weeks, it will be in your best interests to rely on crafty generalizations to guide your decisions. Getting bogged down in details at the expense of the big picture -- missing the forest for the trees -- is a potential pitfall that you can and should avoid.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Czech writer Bohumil Hrabal penned the novel Dancing Lessons for the

© Copyright 2017 Rob Brezsny

Advanced in Age. It consists of one sentence. But it’s a long, rambling sentence -- 117 pages’ worth.

It streams from the mouth of the narrator, who is an older man bent on telling all the big stories of his life. If there were ever to come a time when you, too, would have cosmic permission and a poetic license to deliver a one-sentence, 117-page soliloquy, Libra, it would be in the coming weeks. Reveal your truths!

Break through your inhibitions! Celebrate your epic tales! (P.S.: Show this horoscope to the people you’d like as your listeners.)

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): When Pluto was discovered in 1930, astronomers called it the ninth planet. But 76 years later, they changed their mind. In accordance with shifting definitions, they demoted Pluto to the status of a mere “dwarf planet.” But in recent years, two renowned astronomers at Caltech have found convincing evidence for a new ninth planet. Konstantin Batygin and Michael E. Brown are tracking an object that is much larger than Earth. Its orbit is so far beyond Neptune’s that it takes 15,000 years to circle the sun. As yet it doesn’t have an official name, but Batygin and Brown informally refer to it as “Phattie.” I bring this to your attention, Scorpio, because I suspect that you, too, are on the verge of locating a monumental new addition to your universe.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): The tomato and potato are both nightshades, a family of flowering plants. Taking advantage of this commonality, botanists have used the technique of grafting to produce a pomato plant. Its roots yield potatoes, while its vines grow cherry tomatoes. Now would be a good time for you to experiment with a metaphorically similar creation, Sagittarius. Can you think of how you might generate two useful influences from a single source?

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Some guy I don’t know keeps sending me emails about great job opportunities he thinks I’d like to apply for: a technical writer for a solar energy company, for example, and a social media intern for a business that offers travel programs. His messages are not spam. The gigs are legitimate. And yet I’m not in the least interested. I already have several jobs I enjoy, like writing these horoscopes. I suspect that you, too, may receive worthy but ultimately irrelevant invitations in the coming days, Capricorn. My advice: If you remain faithful to your true needs and desires, more apropos offers will eventually flow your way.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): The word “naysayer” describes a person who’s addicted to expressing negativity. A “yeasayer,” on the other hand, is a person who is prone to expressing optimism. According to my assessment of the astrological omens, you can and should be a creative yeasayer in the coming days -- both for the sake of your own well-being and that of everyone whose life you touch. For inspiration, study Upton Sinclair’s passage about Beethoven: He was “the defier of fate, the great yea-sayer.” His music is “like the wind running over a meadow of flowers, superlative happiness infinitely multiplied.”

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): If I’m feeling prosaic, I might refer to a group of flamingos as a flock. But one of the more colorful and equally correct terms is a “flamboyance” of flamingos. Similarly, a bunch of pretty insects with clubbed antennae and big fluttery wings may be called a kaleidoscope of butterflies.

The collective noun for zebras can be a dazzle, for pheasants a bouquet, for larks an exaltation, and for finches a charm. In accordance with current astrological omens, I’m borrowing these nouns to describe members of your tribe. A flamboyance or kaleidoscope of Pisceans? Yes! A dazzle or bouquet or exaltation or charm of Pisceans? Yes! All of the above.

Homework: What part of yourself are you scared of? Is it time to give that part a peace offering? Testify at Freewillastrology.com.

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

ASK JENNY

January 19 to January 25, 2017

BY JENNY WALLIS

“CAN YOU FIND ANYONE WORTH WHILE OVER THE INTERNET?”

D

ear Jenny, I have been dating, well, it seems like forever! I have been actively dating for over seven years. I just cannot seem to find a relationship that lasts more than six months. Every time a relationship ends it always seems that it ends for the right reason, but I always wonder, why did I even waste my time with this person? It feels as though I have been hopelessly looking for my beloved, and I am not getting any closer than I was seven years ago. I have finally decided to start using the Internet as a tool to introduce me to some eligible women. Do you think you can find anyone worth while over the Internet? We have all heard about love stories that have taken place because of the Internet. But in all actuality, do you think this is a reliable source?

Thanks for your time, - Seth ------------------------------------------------Dear Seth, Thank you for asking this question.

I speak to so many people who always wonder about Internet dating. Let’s see if I can shed some light on it for you. Internet dating is merely a way to meet people. In many instances it is a way to meet more people than you normally would through face to face interaction.

If you are looking for an opportunity to meet a person, or lots of people, and build some sort of a relationship this is the absolute way to do it. If you are ready to meet, using your exact words, your beloved, then this is the absolute way to do it. You see Seth, it does not matter where you meet people it only matters how ready you are for the type of interaction you want.

The optical word here is ready.

To put it a little bit more clearly, if you say you want to meet your beloved, but you are not ready, no matter where you look you will not find that person. When you find that magical person which can be

anywhere, it is when you are ready, not sooner not later. There are certain times when people are not ready to meet the “one,” and they force it. Quite often, that may last for a short time, but it does not work out. And just the opposite, when they are ready to meet the right person, we’ve all heard stories of where their first meeting took place, no place out of the ordinary, but the love ignited fast and strong!

You also stated in your question, that you are feeling a bit frustrated with your self for wasting your time in relationships when they never work out. Please understand, it is never a waste of time to be in relationships. Every relationship is a steppingstone to the next. They teach us what we need to know before we move on to the next one. Perhaps, there is a lot that you need to learn and to figure out before finding your forever mate.

Very simply put, things always happen in the perfect time/space sequence. When you are truly ready for something to happen, it will happen, no matter where the setting.

Whenever you expect something from the universe you should always state clearly, what you want and why you want it. The other questions: the when is it going to happen, and where, is not your job to figure out. The universe will take care of that. Just figure out what you want and why you want it, everything else will be figured out for you and given to you! Whether the Internet is involved or not!

- ♥Nameste Jenny Don’t forget to follow Jenny on askjennynow.com. Contact her at (760) 505-0952

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January 19 to January 25, 2017

ASK THE DOCTOR

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

BY DR PETER KADILE

Dr. Peter M. Kadile is Board Certified in Family Medicine. He has an integrative, osteopathic medical practice and is also known as the local, house call doctor; Desert House Call Physician. He is on staff at Eisenhower Medical Center and medical director for Serenity Hospice. His office is located in beautiful Old Town La Quinta, 78-100 Main Street, Suite 207, La Quinta, CA 92253. (760) 777-7439. DesertHouseCalls@aol.com. deserthousecalldoc.com.

HAVE YOU TRIED COUNTING SHEEP? Dear Dr. Kadile, my friend takes melatonin to help her sleep. Does it really work? - Lyn, La Quinta Lyn, melatonin is a natural hormone supplement that can assist with sleep. It is not meant to be like a traditional “sleeping pill”.

Melatonin is naturally produced in your brain and tells your body that it’s nighttime and time to go to bed and sleep. It works best for frequent travelers, shift workers or anyone that knows they are going to have a major shift in their sleep schedule.

Unlike sleeping pills, the higher the dosage of melatonin does not necessarily improve one’s sleep. I typically see over the counter dosages of melatonin ranging from 3mg to 10mg. Patients will frequently complain to me that they have taken the maximum available dosage and still have difficulty sleeping. The widely available over the counter doses are way too high. Melatonin should actually be started at the lowest possible dose, I recommend starting at 0.3mg to 1mg. Higher doses of melatonin may actually disrupt sleep and may also cause headaches, nausea, dizziness, or irritability.

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Dr. Kadile, I try to relax before bed and read a book on my Ipad, but I still have difficulty falling asleep. What else can I do? - Krystal, Rancho Mirage Krystal, the problem sleeping may be linked to your use of an Ipad before bed. Recent Harvard research showed that the light emitted by electronic devices, such as cellphones and tablets, can have an adverse effect on sleep.

The artificial light is in the blue wavelength. Blue light was shown to suppress melatonin, which is needed for sleep. You should avoid looking at electronic screens for at least 2-3 hours before bedtime. Try and read an actual paper book under bright light in another room before going to bed. Avoid watching television in bed.

Dear Dr. Kadile, I am having trouble going to sleep. My uncle tells me to just have a cocktail or two before bedtime. Is that a good idea? Robert, Palm Springs Robert, no, it’s not a good idea. While alcohol can cause drowsiness and sleepiness, it actually disrupts quality sleep by interfering with REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. REM sleep is when we dream and is the restorative part of sleep.

Drinking alcohol before bed, not good.

LIFE & CAREER COACH

BY SUNNY SIMON

WHEN IS ENOUGH ENOUGH?

O

ne of my favorite clients came to me with a problem many of us share. In her quest for producing a stellar work product, Madison suffers from a dream destroying syndrome. Any guesses on what that is? I’ll give you a hint. If you spend an inordinate amount of time tweaking a presentation, a work paper or even an important email, you know the problem is perfectionism. Yep, just another one if those “isms” we battle in our desire to have it all together.

Raising the bar high is a good thing, right? Sure I liked phrase so much I gave my business that name. Setting high standards, striving for excellence, holding out for great, not good, again all excellent, but chasing perfectionism is an obsession. Spotting this fixation is easy. It happens when you find yourself agonizing over every little detail of whatever it is you’re trying to accomplish.

When you tweak and re-tweak, when your frown lines are working overtime due to fretting and the gremlins in your head keep telling you it’s not good enough, you have a problem.

Okay, now the good news. You are not hardwired with the perfection syndrome. No, you were not born that way. Once you realize

that perfectionism is a fallacy, you can take actions to change your thinking and curb the obsession. Words matter. I suggest you omit the word perfect from your vocabulary.

Children get it. I once watched my six year old niece work on a school project involving a contest. Winners won a trip to the state capital. Alina quietly labored over the assignment for about forty minutes.

Then with great fanfare, she pushed her chair away from her desk, stood up and declared, “Good enough, that should get me to Lansing.” With a broad smile, she headed out the door to have some fun. I don’t know if she ever won the trip but I do know she was satisfied with her effort and that was all that mattered.

So the next time you find yourself critically judging something you are working on, ask yourself one key question. Did you give it your best effort? If so, it’s enough. You’re done. Close up shop and move on. Find joy in the fact that you took the task seriously, you created a deliverable and although it may, or may not, be award winning, it’s damn good.

Then head out the door and have some fun.

Sunny Simon is the owner of Raise the Bar High Life and Career Coaching and the author of the blog, lifeonthesunnyside.net.

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January 19 to January 25, 2017

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January 19 to January 25, 2017

CANNABIS CORNER

BY BIG ED THE BUDTENDER

C.C. RELEAF’S LEAD BUDTENDER

STRAINS, STRAINS, STRAINS AND MORE STRAINS

H

ave you ever wondered what the big deal is with all the different names and types of marijuana?

Well, let’s see if I can’t help you weed through the different strains of Marijuana and why there are so many.

Indica strains are known for being physically sedating, perfect for relaxing with a movie or as a nightcap before bed.

Sativas typically provide more invigorating, uplifting cerebral effects that pair well with physical activity, social gatherings, and creative projects.

Hybrids tend to fall somewhere in between the Indica-Sativa spectrum, depending on the traits they inherit from their parent strains.

Because of these perceived differences, Patients using Medical Marijuana to treat their symptoms and conditions may also consider a strains classification. A patient suffering from fatigue or depression may want to use a Sativa during the day, and another treating pain and insomnia will likely choose an Indica strain at nighttime.

High-CBD strains, which are preferred by Patients treating seizures, anxiety, pain, and other conditions – may be of either category, Indica or Sativa, but offer little to no psychoactive effects.

High CBD Strains like AC/DC, 8 Ball Kush and Charlotte’s Web can be smoked and or processed into many different and wonderful concentrates, edibles or just smoked and enjoyed like any other flower.

Strains that are high in CBD are very low in THC. They have very little psychoactive effect but are great for getting your daily dose of CBD! A diet of CBD and THC can help with many, MANY issues, here’s a few: Acne, ADHD, aging, alcohol or drug dependency, alcohol withdrawal, allergies (prevention/treatment), Alzheimer’s disease, angioedema (swelling under the skin), ankylosing spondylitis (inflammation of spine joints), anti-aging (including skin), antioxidant, anxiety, arthritis (caused by

psoriasis), asthma, autoimmune diseases, bipolar disorder, blood pressure control, blood thinner, burns, cancer, chest pain, childbirth, claudication (leg pain from clogged arteries), constipation, cough, dandruff, depression, detoxification (narcotic), diabetes, digestion, drug withdrawal, dry skin, energy, erectile dysfunction, fatigue, fever, food uses, fungal infections, general health maintenance, hair growth, heart disease, hemorrhoids, high cholesterol, hormone regulation, immune system problems, improving blood flow, improving breathing, improving urine flow, increased muscle mass, increasing breast milk, inflammation, inflammatory bowel disease, inflammatory conditions, interstitial cystitis (chronic bladder inflammation), irregular heartbeat, leprosy, leukemia, lichen planus (itchy mouth rash), liver protection, lymph flow enhancement, menopause, menstrual pain, migraine, mood, movement disorders, muscle relaxation, nausea, nervous system disorders, nervous system function, neural tube defects, neuroprotection (protect the nervous system), osteoporosis (weakening of the bones), pain from nerve disorders, paralysis after stroke, pregnancy and labor, promoting flow of breast milk, psoriasis (skin redness and irritation), Raynaud’s disease (blood vessel disorder), saliva production control, sedative, sexual performance, shortness of breath, skin conditions (cracked skin and nails), spinal cord injury… the list goes on.

It’s just a matter of what works best for you. That’s why there are so many strains out there, not 1 single strain is the cure all for everything. We are all different and have different problems and issues. So, the next time you are at your favorite dispensary, ask your budtender what they think would be the best fit for you and the proper way to medicate yourself to get you the Releaf you are looking for! If you can’t find it, then come and see me at C.C. Releaf and I can definitely help you get on the right track to a better quality of life! Enjoy!

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January 19 to January 25, 2017

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