Coachella Valley Weekly - April 2 to April 8, 2015 Vol. 4 No. 2

News

Music

Movies

Dining

Community Events

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com • April 2 to April 8, 2015 Vol. 4 No. 2

The Ophelia Project

pg 5

The Dinah

pg 6

Unforgettables

pg 7

The Sweat Act

pg 11

Facelift

pg 12

Marie Osmond

pg 13

April 2 to April 8, 2015

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13 ANNUAL INDIAN WELLS ARTS FESTIVAL TH

Coachella Valley Weekly

April 2 to April 8, 2015

By alison Elsner

A BROAD SPECTRUM OF ARTISTS AND ACTIVITIES BRINGs FLOURISH AND FINESSE to the event

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760.501.6228

Publisher & Editor Tracy Dietlin Art Director Robert Chance Sales Team Alaina Majiros, Jorge Gutierrez, Edward L. Prichard III Classified Manager & Nightlife Editor Phil Lacombe Features Writer Lisa Morgan, Judith Salkin, Denise Ortuno Neil, Heidi Simmons, Kira Golden, Rich Henrich Writers/Contributors: Robin Simmons, Rick Riozza, Craig Michaels, Bronwyn Ison, Haddon Libby, Rachel Montoya, Angela Janus, Janet McAfee, Dale Gribow, Raymond Bill, Jack St. Clair, Rob Brezny, Eleni P. Austin, Noe Gutierrez, Sunny Simon, Karen Creasy, Richard Weiss, Dr. Peter Kadile, Dr. Maria Lombardo, Bruce Cathcart, Julie Buehler, Flint Wheeler, Laura Hunt Little, Rebecca Pikus, Monica Morones, Lola Rossi, Dee Jae Cox, Edward L. Prichard III, Jean Chariton, Patte Purcell Photographers Laura Hunt Little, Scott Pam, Lani Garfield, Chris Miller/ Imagine Imagery, La Maniaca Distribution Phil Lacombe, William Westley

Contents

Indian Wells Arts Festival......................... 3 The Ophelia Project.................................. 5 The Dinah................................................... 6 The Unforgettables................................... 7 Palm Springs Art Museum....................... 7 Don’t Be Clueless in the CV...................... 8 Millennium Palm Desert........................... 9 Breaking The 4th Wall - Buyer & Cellar..... 9 Desert DJs - jimiFITZ............................... 10 LMS - The Sweat Act................................ 11 Tilted Kilt Open Mic Competition.......... 12 LMS - Facelift............................................ 12 Backstage Jazz - Carl Davis.................... 13 Valley Rhythms - Marie Osmond........... 13 Consider This - Kate Pierson................... 14 Art Scene - Date Farmers........................ 15 Pet Place................................................... 16 The Vino Voice......................................... 17 Club Crawler Nightlife............................ 18 The Pampered Palate - JT’s Diner.......... 20 The Pampered Palate - Matchbox......... 20 Screeners................................................. 22 Book Review............................................ 23 Haddon Libby.......................................... 27 Dale Gribow............................................. 27 Safety Tips................................................ 28 ShareKitchen........................................... 28 Community - Water Conservation......... 28 Sports Scene............................................ 29 Sports....................................................... 29 Health & Fitness ...................................... 30 Free Will Astrology.................................. 31 Mind, Body & Spirit................................. 31 Life & Career Coach................................. 32 Health & Fitness...................................... 32

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J

ust as an impressionist painting represents an overall image that, up close, reveals a significantly greater number of brushstrokes and juxtapositions of color than first realized, the Indian Wells Arts Festival is more than a showcase of original artists’ compositions.

Oh, rest assured, it definitely features a myriad of eye-popping, show-stopping, sensory works of art presented in a wide variety of compelling mediums. Art exhibits and live demonstrations, hosted by the artists themselves and most all available for purchase, are strategically situated across the idyllic expanse of the concourse of the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, ready to welcome at least 12,000 guests over the three day Easter weekend, April 3, 4 and 5, 2015.

This Festival represents a juried show with a panel of judges who will award first, second, and third place ribbons to artists in 11 categories and 20 mediums.

On-site demonstrations will include glass blowing, painting, weaving, large-scale stone sculpturing, Larger-Than-Life mural painting, wood carving and pottery throwing

in addition to the “Recycle Bicycles” display, sidewalk chalk drawing, and interactive art projects, including several geared for children.

The Festival also presents a cornucopia of other activities.

The Objet Trouvé Found Art Festival, dubbed a “Festival within a Festival”, features assemblage, collage, sculpture, installations and hands-on art demonstrations. Now

in its second year, Objet Trouvé will use all types and sizes of boxes and crates for the public to explore this year’s theme, ‘Think Inside the Box,’ coordinated by Karen Riley of the S.C.R.A.P. Gallery (Student Creative Recycled Art Project) and Bill Schinsky of the Coachella Valley Art Center. The Objet Trouvé exhibit area will also offer activities for children to encourage creative expression continue to page 5

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April 2 to April 8, 2015

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and emphasize a take-away message of environmental sustainability. The exhibit will be hard to miss… just look for the 20 foot tall Eiffel Tower landmark!

Food and wine stations will be available throughout the venue, even offering islandthemed beverages and cocktails at the Tommy Bahama Bar. Noted entertainers will include IncendioWorld Guitar; contemporary jazz keyboardist Lao Tizer, the Carbe-Durand Duo; the Rumproller Organ Trio; multi-instrumentalist Vibhas Kendzia playing Native American and East Indian flutes, soprano sax and piano solos; and Michael Kollwitz playing the Chapman Stick, a unique stringed instrument that combines the elements of guitar, bass, keyboards and drums.

The Festival proudly collaborates with several local charitable youth organizations and community partners, including: the Ophelia Project of the Coachella Valley; Coachella Valley Symphony Youth Ensemble; the International Dance Club Aztec Dancers from Desert Mirage High School; Rancho Mirage High School Theater Arts Department with a high-energy ‘Flash Mob’ performance on Saturday; and the Palm Desert Swim Club.

Guests will be able to receive personalized, commemorative photos, provided by the talented students from the Digital Arts Training Academy (DATA) at Cathedral City High School, powered by one of the Festival’s primary sponsor, Hot Purple Energy.

For Easter, the Festival will offer the “Sunday Eggs + Champagne in the Garden

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Brunch Menu ‘till Noon” which will begin Sunday, April 5 at 10:00am, with an accompanying performance by acoustic vocalist Dawn Bishop.

This year’s commemorative poster artist is Erin Hanson, whose 60” x 40” acrylic painting on canvas, “Indian Wells in Bloom”, has been selected to represent the Festival’s vibrant and varied palette. Categorizing herself as an “open-impressionist”, Erin paints with a minimalist method of applying paint strokes without layering. She brings classic impressionism together with modern expressionism, adding an element of “pleinair” style. Her paintings focus on natural landscapes and have been inspired by climbing Red Rock Canyon near Las Vegas and the southern California desert. Hanson has spent almost a decade professionally painting the dramatic scenery of Utah,

Nevada, Arizona and California, with her home base, studio, and gallery in Glendale, CA. Thanks to the vision of veteran Festival producer Dianne Funk, the panorama of participating artists from around the country is replete with texture, color, talent, and personality.

This year’s event is fortunate to welcome several acclaimed local artists, as well, including: • Palm Desert resident Joanne Casey creates colorful collages on richly textured handmade papers with an impasto of acrylic paint on gallery-style canvases.

• Artist Diane Morgan, an Indian Wells resident, is known for adding drama and mystery through the use of powerful lighting effects, reflected surfaces and exaggerated contrasts to her watercolor works.

Ophelia Girls Benefit from the Indian Wells Arts Festival

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ransforming lives is the driving force behind the success of the Ophelia Project mentoring program; where every day in 11 desert area schools, 550 girls are learning the importance of education, nutrition, fitness and community involvement.

Since its inception in 1998 - thanks to the contributions of individuals and companies - the Ophelia Project of the Coachella Valley has impacted the futures of 2850 girls!

One of Ophelia’s supportive community partners, the Indian Wells Arts Festival, will once again provide booth space at the renowned 2015 Festival exhibited April 3-5 at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, home of the world-famous BNP Paribas Tournament.

“The community partnership with the Indian Wells Arts Festival has brought tremendous benefits to the Ophelia Project in so many ways,” said CEO, Susan Francis. “It offers exposure to thousands of people who

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attend the Festival, providing us with great visibility, and gives us a platform where we have the opportunity to explain the program and its successes.”

Francis said that in an effort to improve academic performance, the Ophelia Project incorporates a variety of art disciplines into the girls’ experience each school year. “The art component of the Ophelia curriculum successfully engages a student’s attention, and is designed to enhance scholastic achievement,” explains Francis. “This experience opens the girls’ eyes to a broader perspective of life, and helps them to ‘think out of the box;’ their involvement builds selfesteem, instills enthusiasm, and further paves the path for college and career readiness.”

This year’s art assignment led by local artist, Gideon Cohn, required the girls to create hand-painted silk panels featuring scattered designs of Ophelia’s signature

butterfly. The colorful silks will line the Indian Wells Arts Festival entry path leading to the Ophelia booth pointing the way to the Festival grounds where visitors will discover a transformed artisan village overflowing with unique art and lively entertainment.

“In addition to this year’s art activity, the Ophelia Project is conducting a silent auction fundraiser to be held at the Ophelia Project booth,” explains Indian Wells Arts Festival producer, Dianne Funk, of Dianne Funk Productions, who said that the bidding will go on throughout the show. “We have asked each of the 200 participating artists to donate a work to the 3-day silent auction, the proceeds from the funds raised will benefit the Ophelia Project scholarship program,” said Funk. “It’s amazing to see how generous the artists are;

April 2 to April 8, 2015 • Snake Jagger from Morongo Valley terms himself a “Whimsical Surrealist,” although some know him as the “painting pirate.” With acrylic on canvas as well as mixed media, his art reflects the influences upon his life, including the southern California outdoor lifestyle and the glamour of the entertainment world.

• La Quinta husband and wife team, Charles and Linda Perkins, gravitate toward themes honoring love and nature in their mixed medium assemblages made with wire and recycled, re-purposed, and found materials.

Rated “Best of the Best” by Palm Springs Life magazine, the Indian Wells Arts Festival is ranked in the top 100 fine art and fine craft shows in the nation by Sunshine Artist magazine and Greg Lawler Art Source Review as well as a 2014 Top 100 Event by the American Bus Association.

The 13th annual Indian Wells Arts Festival is open to the public Friday, Saturday and Sunday, April 3, 4, and 5, 2015, from 10:00am until 5:00pm each day (with gates closing at 4:00pm). Admission for adults is $13, and children are free for 12 and under. Parking is free, with valet parking available. The Indian Wells Tennis Garden’s main entrance is off of Washington St at Via Sevilla between Hwy 111 and Fred Waring Dr in Indian Wells, CA. For further information, please visit IndianWellsArtsFestival.com, email info@ indianwellsartsfestival.com or call 760346-0042. The Festival can also be found at facebook.com/indianwellsartsfestival and on Twitter @iwartsfestival.

many offer very expensive pieces to support this worthwhile organization.”

The Ophelia scholarship program supported in part by the Indian Wells Arts Festival has made it possible for over 70 girls to receive nearly $60,000 in awards. Among the awards are college and trade school scholarships to graduating seniors; summer theater camp scholarships to underclassmen; work internships for on-the-job training (matching teens with business who hire youth); and community service cash awards for girls who do volunteer work during the year.

With the continued support of partners like the Indian Wells Arts Festival, the Ophelia Project is moving forward in its vision to continue to provide and expand to accommodate 27 Valley schools identified as Ophelia sites. In the next two years the organization plans to complete the build-out in order to facilitate service for all 27 schools.

The three to five year plan will establish regional hubs in identified markets; with many cities already asking to have the project model in their schools.

The Ophelia Project, launched in 1998, is not publicly funded and relies on private and corporate donations from foundations, partners, businesses and individuals. For sponsorship, project and donor info please visit www.opheliaprojectcv.org, or contact Susan Francis, CEO at (760) 776-1600 Ext. 122 or Email sfrancis@opheliaprojectcv.org.

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April 2 to April 8, 2015

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CELEBRATING 25 EPIC YEARS OF DINAH! PALM SPRINGS READIES FOR THE ULTIMATE MUST-SEE, MUST-EXPERIENCE DINAH EVER!

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pril 1-5, 2015 the legendary Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend is turning twenty-five and taking the event to a new zenith.

A quarter-century ago, Mariah Hanson did more than just kick-start her Dinah.

She also and most importantly launched what would become her enduring legacy to both the city of Palm Springs and the LGBT community.

From a small, one-night event at a Palm Springs museum with 1,500 participants twenty-five years ago, to booking lavish locations at deluxe hotels over five days of epic pool parties and world-class entertainment, The Dinah has evolved into one of Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley’s largest tourism boosters.

Today Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend rallies some 15,000-plus attendees not to mention major corporate sponsors, and has cemented its status as the undisputed biggest lesbian event of its kind in the world.

A cultural phenomenon that has not only reached epic proportions but has as well continuously been transforming lives and making a difference in and for

the LGBT community. The Dinah offers an unparalleled one-of-a-kind experience for myriads of women who come every year from all over the world to enjoy the freedom to be who they truly are, and gain, as well, a tremendous amount of self worth.

And 2015 will be no different!

Now ready to soar to new heights, the 25th installment of The Dinah is already expected to be one of the major highlights of the 2015 Palm Springs festival season.

The ultimate MUST-SEE, MUSTEXPERIENCE DINAH EVER that is once again delivering a spectacular slate of legendary headliners, rising pop stars and celebrities.

Pop sensation and 2015 Grammy nominee Meghan Trainor known for her infectious hit “All About that Bass” headlines the Dinah during the Black Party held Saturday, April 4 at the Palm Springs Convention Center.

Also set to top the bill at the epic lesbian party is international Billboard Top 40

events superstar Christina Perri, the extraordinary voice behind the hits “Jar of Hearts” and “A Million Years” who headlines the White Party on Friday, April 3 at the Convention Center. Joining them are pop music’s new “it” girls Bebe Rexha and Ivy Levan.

The Dinah 2015 will also be rocked with special performances by club diva Crystal Waters (“100% Pure Love”, “Gypsy Woman”), disco legend Rose Royce (“Car Wash”), and Holy Child, Olivia Sommerlyn, and E11leven.

On the comedy front, “The Dinah Comedy Night” hosted by Suzanne Westenhoefer will be headlined by Dana Goldberg, Gloria Bigelow and Dinah Leffert.

The non-stop action, the house-packed crazy wild Pool Parties, the sexiest GoGo dancers, the best DJs, the spectacular entertainment, the celebrities, plus the hottest girls in the world, the epic five-day world-renown weekend has it all!

The Dinah has certifiably come to represent an ever-growing movement that has crossed over to mainstream bringing more and more visibility to the lesbian community - one that had never existed before.

Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend is not just breaking grounds; it is making history! www.TheDinah.com

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Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center to Partner With The Unforgettables for the 2nd Annual Educational Conference

by lydia kremer

Focuses on “Children and Families in Crisis” April 10

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he Unforgettables Foundation, a nonprofit organization committed to providing low-income families assistance with a dignified burial for their children, has announced that the Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center will join in presenting The Unforgettables’ 2nd Annual “CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IN CRISIS CONFERENCE. This educational summit will be held on Friday, April 10 in the Indian Wells Theater at California State University San Bernardino, Palm Desert Campus located at 37500 Cook Street. The conference aims to educate parents, caregivers, and communities at large about the crisis of child abuse and trafficking.

“We are thrilled to welcome the Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center to this important conference.

Their participation adds an exceedingly knowledgeable voice to this conference and will provide an immeasurable level of experience in this important dialogue,” said Chaplain Tim Evans, founder of The Unforgettables.

Following the inaugural Children and Families Conference last year, conference organizers are focusing on how children are often put at risk in what we believe are safe environments such as schools, churches, and communities. The day-long conference entitled “When Havens Become Horror Stories” will examine the issues of child abuse and will offer perspectives and solutions from a list of respected professionals who work in the fields of ensuring and protecting the well-being of children.

The Barbara Sinatra Center for Abused Children will present a panel discussion on the process of the multi-disciplinary team that deals with suspected child abuse, including its stateof-the art therapy programs. The Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center was founded in 1986 by Frank and Barbara Sinatra and is dedicated to ensuring every child’s right to a normal, healthy and secure childhood. The Children’s Center provides individual, group and family therapy along with special programs that address issues associated with children suffering the effects of child abuse and neglect, and who are at risk to be abused.

“The Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center is the ideal strategic partner in such a conference,” added Chaplain Evans.

This full-day program beginning with registration at 8 AM is open to professionals, students and the general public. Register online at www.unforgettables.org or by phone 909-335-

Helena Galen

Barbara Sinatra

April 2 to April 8, 2015

1655. The fee of $99 per person includes lunch.

Full scholarships are available by calling 909-8553130.

The opening keynote address will be given

by Dr. Clare Sheridan-Matney, an internationally respected forensic specialist on pediatrics and child abuse at Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital and Director of the San Bernardino County Children’s Assessment Center.

Dr. Ken Druck, a renowned author and presenter on the topic of child resilience and founder of the Jenna Druck Foundation in San Diego, is the featured afternoon keynote speaker.

The event will conclude with “Lights for Little Lives,” a touching dove release and candle lighting ceremony on the University Mall Lawn which will have a display of memorial flags placed in honor of the 117 children from across Riverside County who have died during the past year.

The Palm Desert-based Auen Foundation has generously provided scholarship funding for 100 students from College of the Desert, University of California Riverside, Cal State San Bernardino and other area colleges.

Ken Druck

Dr. Clara Sheridan-Matney

Tim Evans

Palm Springs Art Museum Introduces The Joseph Clayes III Exhibition Wing and Unveils Permanent Collection of Modern Art and Sculpture

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alm Springs Art Museum today dedicated The Joseph Clayes III Exhibition Wing, formerly the McCallum Wing, and opens its inaugural exhibition tomorrow. The renaming of the museum’s second largest exhibition wing was made possible by a $1 million donation from the Joseph Clayes III Charitable Trust.

“My uncle was a lifelong lover and patron of the arts and he would be deeply touched to have this exhibition wing named for him,” said Trulette Clayes, a board member of the Clayes Trust and niece of Joseph Clayes.

“He was so fond of Palm Springs and the museum, and he particularly enjoyed music and attending many concerts, recitals and performances of all kinds throughout the state, including those at the Annenberg Theater. He is greatly missed, and it is personally touching that the museum has honored him in this fashion,” she added.

Twentieth Century Modern Artworks from the Permanent Collection, the inaugural exhibition in the wing, is co-sponsored

by National Endowment for the Arts with a $40,000 grant matched by museum donors. These modern works are from the museum’s foundational art collection, giving the history of international modern art equal weight to the museum’s impressive contemporary collection in the Steve Chase Wing galleries. By dedicating one of the

museum’s principal exhibition wings to works by some of the most recognizable and influential 20th century artists in Europe and the Americas, this installation provides visitors an introduction to the finest representations of modernist aesthetics.

It also presents a larger cultural context to assess the region’s well-known history of

midcentury architecture and design.

The museum’s collection of mid-20th century European masterworks, buttressed by major works illustrating the history of modernism on the American continent, creates an exhibition of exceptional strength in Southern California. The integration of sculpture, paintings, drawings, photographs, and examples from the architecture and design collections into a single presentation offers dynamic visual exchanges across media, and provides a unique opportunity to create dialogue about the development of modernist vocabularies and aesthetics among related but distinct artistic methods.

The museum’s permanent collection, and especially its collection of midcentury art, has been influenced greatly over the years by the diversity of desert residents that have made donations to it. Many of the foundational pieces have been presented to Palm Springs Art Museum by such influential collectors as Joseph H. Hirshhorn (founder of the Smithsonian Institution’s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, D.C.); Walter and Leonore Annenberg; Walter N. Marks; and Ted and Lucile Weiner.

Through the kindness of these and other donors, the permanent collection includes works by master artists such as Marc Chagall, Helen Frankenthaler, Barbara Hepworth,

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This second annual Conference on “Children and Families in Crisis” is a partnership between The Unforgettables Foundation, Title Sponsor The Auen Foundation, California State University San Bernardino, The Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center, Riverside County Medical Association and San Bernardino County Medical Society, along with other nonprofit organizations and businesses that seek to prevent harm to our children and to provide loving care to grieving families confronting child abuse, tragic accidents, terminal illness, suicide or the murder of their child.

Additional partners and sponsors of the 2015 Conference include Operation Safehouse, Children’s Network, Olive Crest Foundation, OneLegacy, Life Stream, Forest Lawn Mortuary, Wiefel’s Mortuary, Eisenhower Medical Center, The Community Foundation, Molina Healthcare and IEHP. The Unforgettables Foundation, recently named the Community-based Provider of the Year by the San Bernardino County Children’s Network for 2015, has continued its steady resolve to serve the Riverside County families in need when a child has died. Founded in 2000 by Chaplain Timothy Evans, the mostly all-volunteer Foundation has assisted more than 4,000 low-income families throughout Southern California by providing counseling and the necessary resources for a dignified, appropriate burial for their children.

For more info, contact Tim Evans at The Unforgettables Foundation, 345 W. Pearl Ave., #230, Redlands CA 92374. Visit www.unforgettables. org or email tevans@theunforgettables.com. Call 909.855.3130 (cell) or 909.335.1655 (office).

events Amedeo Modigliani, Pablo Picasso, Henry Moore, Willem de Koonig, Alexander Calder, Rufino Tamayo and numerous others. As the museum’s reputation as a modern art destination increased, others continued to enrich the collection with the donations of works by modernist artists such as Agnes Pelton (who lived and worked in Cathedral City), Alberto Giacometti, Robert Motherwell, Stanley Benjamin, and William Baziotes.

This permanent collection showcases these remarkable works acquired over the years. In addition, educational programming accompanies the exhibition exploring the meaning of these pieces through an evocative and revealing presentation featuring such interpretive aids as descriptive labels, audio tours, and video clips.

For more information about Palm Springs Art Museum, its exhibitions, programs, and outreach to the public, please visit: psmuseum.org, or call (760) 322-4800.

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April 2 to April 8, 2015

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Don’t Be

CLUELESS IN THE COACHELLA VALLEY

Spring has sprung!

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he Vernal equinox sprang (Boing!) with great joy into all its Spring Fever, all its Spring Break, all its Spring Showers bringing May Flowers,(or more transparently Spring Flurries) on last Friday, on the 20th of March . And according to John Ruskin, English art critic and writer of the Victorian age, “Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces up, snow is exhilarating; there is no such thing as bad weather just different kinds of good weather. “ We’ll buy that. We’re easy. But, then again what else can we do?

We live in Paradise. Spring: Breathe it in.

Get busy. Read on.

Friday to Sunday, April 3-5. The Second “Objet Trouvé” Found Art Festival comes to the Coachella Valley in conjunction with the Indian Wells Arts Festival for a festival within a festival. To our way of artful thinking you can never have too much of a good festival! Objet Trouvé, the idea of using everyday objects and “found” materials to create stimulating works of art, are in the tradition of Picasso, Duchamp, Man Ray and Braque, and artists from all over the United States will exhibit and create one-of-akind artworks for sale. Featured Objet Trouvé categories will include assemblage, collage, sculpture, jewelry, painting and ceramics. In addition, hands-on, found art demonstrations will take place during the three day festival. Also featured during the festival will be a 20-foot replica of the Eiffel Tower made entirely from found materials; and “Think inside the Box” competition for students throughout the Coachella Valley. Objet Trouvé Found Art Festival is the genesis of two Coachella Valley –based art organizations, the Coachella Valley Arts Alliance and the Student Creative Recycle Art Program (S.C.R.A.P. Gallery). Working together with the Indian Wells Arts Festival, rated one of the “100 Best Fine Art Shows in the country” by Sunshine Artist magazine, the Found Art Festival seeks to celebrate one of the most cutting-edge and innovative forms of art. For more information visit objettrouvefoundartfestival.com or call 760/861-6479. Mais oui!

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Friday, April 10, 8 PM. A McCallum smooth jazz favorite, acclaimed trumpeter Chris Botti returns by popular demand to The McCallum Theatre and Fitz’s Jazz Café.

Hitting the road for 250+ days per year, Chris and his band have performed with many of the finest symphonies and at the world’s most prestigious venues, including performances at the World Series, the White House, and the Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony. His recordings and his ongoing association with PBS have led to multiple #1 jazz albums, Gold and Platinum albums, and Grammy Awards. From the release of his first solo album, Chris has found a form of creative expression that begins in jazz and expands beyond the limits of any single genre. With Impressions and the albums that preceded it, Chris Botti has thoroughly established himself as one of the important, innovative figures of the contemporary music world. This performance is sponsored by Desert Lexus, Avis Lending, CBS-TV2 and Easy 103.9.

Tickets are $99, $89, $79 and $59 and are available at the Theatre’s web site at www. mccallumtheatre.com or by calling the McCallum Theatre box office at (760) 340ARTS. The McCallum Theatre, located at 73000 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert CA 92260, accepts payment by cash, personal check, VISA, MasterCard, Discover and American Express.

Saturday, April 11, 5:30 Reception, 7 PM Concert. Season finale concert for Coachella Valley Symphony features world-acclaimed piano humorist Wayland Pickard and guest conductor Marco A. Mejia. First up at 5:30, enjoy gourmet appetizers especially prepared under the guidance of Chef Howard Merrick by the award winning culinary students from the Culinary Arts Food Education (CAFÉ)

by Diane Marlin-Dirkx

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Community

April 2 to April 8, 2015

By Michael Felci

GHA COMPANIES ANNOUNCES PLANS FOR A NEW, INNOVATIVE MIXED-USE Millennium Palm Desert will include DEVELOPMENT IN PALM DESERT residential, retail & professional areas Academy of Rancho Mirage High School, plus music by Coachella Valley Symphony’s youth ensembles and a high energy live auction in an exclusive private area in the theater with special in-house access to watch the orchestra warm up. Now that you’ve warmed up, get ready for evening of great symphonic music under the direction of maestro Marco A. Mejia with a special performance by Wayland Pickard who will provide an evening of music and comedy channeling Victor Borge, Roger Williams and Liberace all rolled up into one. Pickard presents a riotous and fun-filled program of symphonic piano music in a unique fusion of musical styles with hilarious comedic patter. CVSymphony is a nonprofit community organization that promotes the development of music programs which entertain, educate, and actively engage the diverse citizens of the Coachella Valley in music experiences intended to encourage active learning and performing.

It also strives to make audiences aware of the importance of being involved in music, whether as listeners or as performers, that can promote well-being and contribute to the development of our youth. VIP ticket and reception donation costs $100 or for concert only $25, $35, $45 individual general seat admission pricing. $55 if you would like to attend the reception and you already have a ticket. Tickets may be purchased at www.hgpac.org or for more information please call 760.360.2222.

Coachella Valley Symphony information: www.cvsymphony.com or 408-348-5815.

Friday, April 24, 6 – 9 PM. Follow the White Rabbit to Meet the Museum 2015! Now in its tenth year, the Meet the Museum membership drive party will take place on the Friday of White Party Weekend. An annual event to encourage new museum membership, it offers discounted admission to this signature party, along with the extensive benefits of museum membership for one full year. Last year nearly 1,000 people attended Meet the Museum and the onenight event raised more than $70,000. It is expected to sell out again this year. All proceeds benefit museum operations, exhibitions and education programs.

This year’s fabulous Alice In Wonderland

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theme party is crammed with treats and surprises, including Matt Elson’s Infinity Boxes located in the Picture Parlor for photo ops for posting and souvenirs.

Set amidst the museum and its art, the evening includes complimentary valet parking, surprise performances and musical acts with entertainment by Live It Up Productions, DJ entertainment by Pride Nation Radio & Proud Television’s DJ Corey D, and keepsakes featuring Matt Elson’s Infinity Boxes, multiple open bar stations, delectable edibles including the notorious Candy Bar by LuLu California Bistro, and much, much more! Financial adviser and philanthropist Jim Casey returns to chair the event. With his Integrated Wealth Management as sponsor of Meet the Museum since 2011. Reserve now for exclusive admission to the VIP Lounge.

The.$100 ticket provides instant entry and exclusive access to the VIP Lounge and VIP-only bar. Secure your ticket by contacting the membership department at 760-322-4807. $75 (includes one-year individual membership and one ticket to the event). $135 (includes one-year dual membership and two tickets to the event) Existing members can purchase a ticket for $40, or VIP ticket for $100, per person. Business level for $750 includes a one-year business membership, sponsorship acknowledgment on all publicity, 2 VIP Lounge tickets, and 6 museum guest passes. VIP admission upgrades are available for new members as well. For more info, please visit www. psmuseum.org/meet-the-museum.org or contact the museum’s membership office at 760-322-4807, membership@ psmuseum.org. Tickets are not issued; names will be at the door. To make sure yours is listed, hop to it!

“Don’t Be Clueless” wants to remind you that press releases for inclusion should be in to the Coachella Valley Weekly at least two weeks ahead of the scheduled event! Thanks!

ario J. Gonzales of GHA Companies, one of the most respected developers of residential and commercial properties in the Coachella Valley, today announced the approval of the master plan for Millennium Palm Desert, a new 152-acre mixed-use lifestyle community to be built between Portola Road and Cook Street, just south of Interstate 10, adjacent to the California State University Campus.

“GHA Companies and its partners welcome the opportunity to create this unique community from the ground up,” Gonzales said. “We envision Millennium Palm Desert being a self-supporting village where you can live, work and shop, while serving as a ‘gateway’ to Palm Desert with convenient access to the major transportation arteries of the Coachella Valley.”

Millennium Palm Desert will consist of nine defined planning areas, including the residential component, Genesis, which includes 166 architecturally vibrant single-family homes to be built on 38

acres at Portola and Dinah Shore Drive.

Development of this multi-generational community is to begin in June 2015 with the first residences expected to be available this fall. Proposed prices start in the mid-$300,000s and potential build-out for the entire development is valued at approximately $300 million.

Millennium Village Apartment Homes will provide a stylish, modern interpretation of apartment living and will be constructed in phased development on a 15-acre site on the extended Technology Drive.

Marketplace Village, a shopping center featuring a community-oriented retail outlet and a nationally recognized hotel, will be built on 15 acres at the intersection of Gerald Ford and Technology Drives.

Millennium Professional Business Park will be built on a 10-acre site on Technology Drive adjacent to the Cook Street interchange.

Millennium Gateway Shopping Center, a 21-acre retail complex featuring big box, boutique and specialty shopping, as well as several parcels designated for restaurants,

Breaking the 4th Wall

A Stage Review of “Buyer & Cellar”

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t’s rare that I leave a theater with a sense of neutrality about a show. I usually love it or hate it, but seldom am I on the fence. And that is why Coyote Stageworks production of Jonathan Tolins’ comedy, “Buyer & Cellar” is a unique viewing. I wanted to like it, I almost did, the premise of an out of work actor taking a job as the lone salesperson in Barbra Streisand’s ‘cellar’, which has been converted to a shopping mall to store all of the possessions that most would put in a PS storage, is a very creative and comic idea.

It’s a fictional piece and the writer felt the need to break the 4th wall and convey that important information as if it was very vital that we knew this show was not based on a real life incident. Theatre is fantasy, regardless of whether it is based on fact or fiction; I have never felt the need for the actors to clarify that at the top of the show.

While it is true, that Barbra Streisand actually converted the space below an old barn on her Malibu property into a subterranean mall.

We’re told in the play “Barbra’s basement is just like any other mall, except for the total lack of customers or employees.” Of course the part of the story that is purely fiction is the solitary salesperson that toils away dusting and arranging every day just

waiting for their lone customer to appear.

It’s a story of obvious admiration for the iconic Ms. Streisand, poking fun with love and a sense of devotion.

Emerson Collins portrays Alex More, in this one-person show and he is truly adorable. He’s witty, personable and very engaging. I liked Alex. It’s when he went off into the antagonistic voice of ‘boyfriend’ Barry that I was unnerved. Hated the ‘Barry Voice’. It was curiously entertaining to watch the relationship develop between Alex and Barbra, a young actor finding his

is planned at the northwest corner of the development. It will have direct access to the future Portola Street overpass.

The City of Palm Desert has also reserved a 10-acre site for multi-family housing adjacent to its planned 27-acre Regional Park.

Over the past three decades, Mario J. Gonzales and GHA Companies have demonstrated a commitment to provide quality developments throughout the Coachella Valley. Other residential projects include Montage at Mission Hills in Rancho Mirage, Campanile in Cathedral City, and Encore and Venezia in Palm Desert. Past commercial developments include Staples and Smart & Final in Palm Springs, the Gold’s Gym center in Palm Desert and Palm Valley Middle School in Rancho Mirage.

GHA Companies has received many industry honors, including the California Builder of the Year award, the National Association of Homebuilders Best Project and Gold Nugget awards. GHA also consistently donates labor, materials and time to Habitat for Humanity and various

organizations throughout the Coachella Valley. For more information, visit www. ghacompanies.com.

By Dee Jae Cox career path and an older actress who was at the top of the mountain. Collins ability to transform into Barbara for the dialogues with himself, was very funny and performed with obvious skill. He made me laugh and truly enjoy that fictional relationship.

It takes a lot of talent to fill a 600-seat theatre. And while the Helene Galen Performing Arts Center is an incredibly beautiful space, you pretty much have to be named Lily Tomlin, in order to pull off a one person show in a theatre space that size. Josh Clabaugh’s set design helped, it was simple but elegant. Loved the backdrop projections changing time and location.

Phil Murphy’s lights were seamless as the scenes and locations changed and set a perfect mood for each scene. But this production of Buyer & Cellar would have been much better served in an intimate showcase. Since so much effort was made to engage the audience, it was lost with a solitary figure on stage performing to a half empty theatre. There was not enough show to fill that space.

Buyer & Cellar is a show that could be enjoyed by all ages, but I don’t see it being of much interest to children or young teens.

While it does seem that at least a minority of the shows produced by Coyote Stageworks were written by women, I can only give this theatre company 2 stars for my ‘gender equity stars on Broadway.’ It does

not appear that they’ve ever actually hired a woman to direct a show and Moira Wilke, the Assistant Stage Manager, was the only woman listed as crew on this production of ‘Buyer & Cellar’.

“Buyer & Cellar”, is being performed through April 5th, at the Helene Galen Performing Arts Center, at the Rancho Mirage High School, 31001 Rattler Road (between Davall and Bob Hope), Rancho Mirage, CA 92270.

For Tickets call; (760) 318-0024. Or visit www.coyotestageworks.org Dee Jae Cox, is a playwright, director and producer. She is the Cofounder and Artistic Director for The Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Project and the host of KPTR 1450’s hit radio show, “California Woman 411” in Palm Springs.

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April 2 to April 8, 2015

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desert djs

By craig michaels

Fitz has a New Home on 103.9 “The Breeze”

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s a young boy, Fitz’s (Jim Fitzgerald) family owned racehorses. He became fascinated with race track announcers and soon began calling the races at home throughout his families’ intercom system. His Dad noticed his son’s natural talent and urged him to go to broadcast school. At the age of 18 he went to the National Academy of Broadcasting and graduated with a perfect 4.0 grade average, the highest in the history of the school.

His first job was selling airtime during the week so he could be on-air weekends. It was on Washington D.C.’s only AM Progressive Rock station WHMC. Radio has been only one aspect of Fitz’s entertainment career.

At 19, he was producing rock and country shows in clubs around the Washington DC area. At 23 he was producing shows in 15 - 20,000 seat arenas around the country and at 24 he was the youngest executive producer of a primetime special for NBC Television. His television production company was represented by the WILLIAM MORRIS AGENCY. Fitz was not only booking the acts, he was one of the acts. Back in the 80’s he was the vocalist for Fitz & the New York Band. With a few videos on MTV, a hand full of albums and a radio career, Fitz was in overdrive.

One of the highlights of his touring days was opening up for the Ramones.

In between touring and booking shows Fitz continued his radio career which has spanned almost 30 years. He has worked in New York, Washington DC, Miami, Maryland

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and now in Palm Springs. Covering formats ranging from Top 40, Country and Jazz to AOR (Album oriented rock.) You can also add to his list of credits, a nationally syndicated radio show with Westwood One and United Stations. A towering presence on the local radio landscape, he was nominated for a national industry award by the radio industry trade magazine, RADIO & RECORDS for “Radio Personality of the Year.” He was also voted #1 Air Personality by readers of Palm Springs Life Magazine.

In 1998, Fitz moved back to the desert with Wendy Jane, his wife and business partner of 28 years. The duo began doing what they do best, promoting shows at venues like the McCallum Theatre and the Gardens on El Paseo. A recent format change at his last station brought Fitz to the Desert Radio Group where you can now hear him in the morning from 6am to 10am on 103.9 “The Breeze.” The new format is a perfect blend of music from Jazz, Rock and Blues to current Pop. There are many talented musicians who call the desert home and Fitz their friend.

The mornings are filled with musical guests who keep it real and connect the listeners with the music. With decades of experience, Fitz knows how to tie it all together; “I love feeling the connection between the listeners and myself. Knowing that people tune me in to hear the music I’m into and that they make me part of their mornings looking for a blend of some humor and information.”

If you want to contact Fitz you can email him at: jimi24fitz@gmail.com or you can call him at the station in the morning from 6am to 10am: (760) 322-4139 Written By: Craig Michaels Craig Michaels Productions (760) 880-3848

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Local Music Spotlight

Article and Photos By esther sanchez

The Sweat Act

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ith a sound that defies labels, CV Music Awards nominees, The Sweat Act, have officially landed and hit the ground running. This high-energy group of twenty-something’s have created a sound that combines balls to the wall rock riffs with a skillful peppering of funk that could very well compel you to kick off your shoes and dance. Nominated in the “Best New Band” category, this band certainly is new. Just a few months ago, in November of 2014, they had their smashing debut at Schmidy’s Tavern. In the short time since, they have given performances at The Hood and The IPAC that have rocked the crowds and left them thirsty for more.

I caught their St. Patty’s Day performance at Schmidy’s Tavern and was quickly impressed by their positive, even humorous attitudes, eclectic style and the obvious skill that each member contributes to their unique sound. They were scheduled as the last band to perform for a packed house of restless, weary patrons who just began trickling out after a long night of celebrating; a scenario that can be challenging to any band. Seconds into their first song, I witnessed several people who were heading for the door, stop in their tracks and turn around to listen intently. The Sweat Act had convinced them to stick around.

Despite their status as a brand new band, the buzz around this diverse trio was immediate and their fan base is growing by the minute. Dan Wheat (bass\vox) is also a member of local favorites, Bridger, who have won multiple CV Music Awards in the past and are nominated again this year. Additionally, Wheat has earned his second nomination in the category for, ‘’Best Bass Player.’’

Clearly, no stranger to popularity amongst valley music lovers, Wheat was not expecting The Sweat Act to make waves so soon. Wheat: “This sort of exploded out of nowhere! We had no idea things would evolve for us so quickly. It’s overwhelming, but awesome.”

Although the band itself is still very much in its infanthood, none of these guys are new to the desert music scene. On the contrary, they could be considered veterans of modern, desert rock.

Between the 3 of them, they have been members of nearly 20 separate bands over the years. Chris Long (Vox, guitar) and Wheat, who have spent the bulk of their lives in the Coachella Valley, are two-thirds of desert music scene favorites and 2014 CV Music Awards nominees, Boycott Radio. Late in 2014, Boycott Radio was reluctantly forced to take an indefinite hiatus due to their drummer, Sonny McEachran, relocating out of the area. In the midst of so many changes, Long discovered the unexpected talent of drummer, Troy Whiteford, who was already a co-worker and friend of his.

It was actually Whiteford’s wife Caleb, who suggested that the guys get together and jam. Whiteford: “I hadn’t played drums

April 2 to April 8, 2015

for over 2 years and my wife kept encouraging me to get back into it. She would tell me, ‘You are a drummer! You should be drumming!’

She knows what feeds my soul. None of this would be happening if it wasn’t for her.”

Whiteford, who is a self-taught musician, spent hours “banging on pots and pans” until he finally got his first drum set at age 9.

Born in L.A, his family moved to Palm Desert during his middle school years. “Nobody else in my family is particularly musical at all, but I always wanted to play drums and they were pretty supportive. When I was about 9 I had a relative who worked for Epitath Records and he would bring me recent recordings of bands he had worked with, which I thought was the coolest thing ever. Bands like Offspring and Reel Big Fish definitely made an impact on me and fueled my desire to play music.’’

It wasn’t until Long and Whiteford finally got together for that seminal jam-session that the seed of a new band would begin to grow. Long:”Honestly, I had no expectations whatsoever. I had no idea if Troy was a good drummer at all, so, when he started playing I was kind of surprised at first. Then, I started throwing little tests at him to see how good he really was. There wasn’t anything I threw at him that he couldn’t do. That’s when I realized I had to get Dan to come over and jam with us.” But, soliciting Wheat, who had previously decided he was already far too over committed with various musical projects, family life and a day job, to even consider the idea of starting a new band, was going to take some convincing.

You might say that Wheat was a born musician. The product of a father who played blue’s trumpet and a mother who was a singer and played the autoharp, Wheat was born in Fallbrook, CA. and moved to the desert when he was in elementary school. “At first, I really wanted to be a drummer. When I got a little older I set my mind on the bass and began begging my parents to buy me one every time I had the chance. It got to the point where, when Christmas was coming I told them that I didn’t want anything but a bass. Finally, when I was 16, they gave in and I got my bass. At that point I basically went into my room, shut the door and went to work. “Wheat, who is well-known in the desert as a gifted bassplayer is completely self-taught and readily admits, “I don’t read music and I am terrible

with technical, music-terminology. Just play the song and I will join in and do my job.”

Humble words from an acclaimed musician.

Wheat: “Chris kept asking me to come jam with him and this guy and it took awhiIe, but I finally showed up to make him happy, thinking that’s all it would be: A jam-session.

To my surprise, Troy knew what he was doing on those drums. And just like Chris had done, I started testing him, throwing out tricky songs to see if he could keep up. He passed every test. By the end of that night, we knew we had something special.”

Unlike Wheat, Long wasn’t necessarily suppressing the idea of starting a new project.

“I had all these songs written in my head, ready to go. Some were just lyrics, others were just instrumentals.” Long, who was born in Whittier and moved to the Coachella Valley at age 6 has been serious about music as long as he can remember. Raised to appreciate music, his father was a professional drummer, and when he was 7, his parents signed him up for a guitar class.

“I remember when I was 8 and I performed a guitar solo at a recital. It was a classical piece called, ‘Wilson’s Wilde’. Looking back, that was a pretty tough piece for a little kid. I don’t think I could pull it off now if I tried. In the middle of the song I made a mistake and accidentally blurted out, “Sorry!” directly into the microphone. Of course that made all of

the parents in the audience laugh. When that happened I freaked out and ran off the stage crying.”

That story comes as a surprise to anyone who has witnessed this frontman command a stage. In addition to his rock-solid guitar skills, Long possesses a powerful, impressive vocal range that easily flows between belty baritones and smooth falsettos. “I did sing in school choirs but I was never given any solos.

I really just started singing when I decided I wanted to front a band.”

When I asked the guys how they felt about their CV Music Awards nomination they looked at one another and smiled.

Wheat: “Unexpected. That would be the best word to describe this entire rollercoaster ride that we are on right now. It was totally unexpected and we are extremely grateful.”

The Sweat Act is currently recording their debut album that is set to be released in May, 2015. You can stay updated on their new album, upcoming performance dates and more by following them on social media.

Facebook.com/TheSweatAct On Twitter @thesweatact Instagram.com/thesweatact reverbnation.com/thesweatact

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April 2 to April 8, 2015

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

Local Music Spotlight

Tilted Kilt Open Mic Competition New Year’s Edition, Week 11 eek #11 of The Tilted Kilt Open a great show AND for being so supportive of

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Mic Competition turned out some fun performances and an excited ending. The $100 weekly cash prize for 1st place, fantastic prizes for 2nd and 3rd places, and the new 50% judge vote and 50% audience applause vote, kept the audience intrigued. Once everyone performed and the anonymous judge vote was tallied and added to the audience applause score, it was Mike Sick-boy who won 1st place and the $100 cash. HOWEVER, because Mike is already in the finals, he agreed to push the very close 2nd place winner, Solus Lupus to the finals. Solus Lupus took home $20 to Stuft Pizza and will now compete in the Grand Finals April 8th for a shot at a 3 day, 2 night trip to Las Vegas from Crater Lake Vodka, a $500 shopping spree at Guitar Center an Artist Development Session with Producer, Ronnie King, an artist spotlight article in Coachella Valley Weekly and a band/ artist showcase concert from Morgan James Entertainment. 3rd place went to competition regular and talented guitar player, Rick Dame who took home 2 tickets to the Mary Pickford Theatre and a concession package.

THANK YOU to ALL of our performers at the Tilted Kilt Open Mic Competition for putting on

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the other artists: The Puppet, Mike Sick-boy, Jim Holiday, Rick Dame, Juan Espino, Porsia Camille, Gustavo Gonzalez, Jacob Plaid, Joe Plaid, Razor J, and Daniel S. I hope to see you all next week!

Look for coverage of this week’s event and the announcement of winners in the next issue of Coachella Valley Weekly! SPECIAL THANKS to all of our sponsors: Ronnie King Music, Guitar Center, Crater Lake Vodka, CV Weekly, Morgan James Entertainment, Stuft Pizza, Mary Pickford Theater, Skitzo Kitty and KAM Music Studio.

Remember, only 2 weeks remain before the finals for this session of the Tilted Kilt Open Mic Competition. It is ALL AGES 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 and note that the competition usually ends by 10:30pm, but may run to 11pm so be sure your friends and family know to stay until the end to voice their vote!!! For questions or information about sign-up, please see Facebook.com/ TiltedKiltOpenMicCompetition or contact creator and host, Morgan James at MorganAliseJames@ gmail.com or (714) 651-1911

FACELIFT

By monica morones

Backstage Jazz

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By patte purcell

Party with carl davis!

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n the middle of a windstorm, at a garage in Thousand Palms, the band FACELIFT melted my face off. Two shredding guitars, clean fast drums, steady bass, and angry vocals all contribute to the badass hardcore Punk Rock band called FACELIFT. The band started in 2006 and are about to release their first album called Straight out of Thousands at their album release party at the Coachella Valley Art Scene April 3rd, where they will play with bands such as Slipping Into Darkness, Who Gives a Fuck, Sun Baked, and Little Red Spiders. When I asked them what is the root of their inspiration, they replied with, “Death, drugs, music and sex.” Would you expect anything less from a punk band?

MM: Who is in your band and how old are you?

F: Danny Duran 27-vox Quanah Lienau 20-guitar Robert Ochoa 25- drums Anthony Hiscutt 25- bass Joey Duran 22- guitar MM: How did you come up with the name FACELIFT? F: It’s referencing a violent facial reconstruction you might acquire in the pit.

MM: What is your style?

F: Hardcore Punk Rock MM: How do you guys work on your music? Plan it out or is it more organic?

F: It varies from song to song, sometimes a member will come in with an entire song written and other times jams just evolve into more structured tunes.

MM: Who has influenced you musically?

F: That’s a good question... We all seem to have pretty eclectic tastes in music which is constantly influencing each member in their own way. It would be best to keep our direct influences in our subconscious, where they can be the most effective.

MM: If you can open up for any band

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’ve been to some parties in my day. This one rocked the house! Carl Davis, local dance instructor and jazz fan, hosted a super party for all of his friends at 360 North that raised the bar for parties in the desert.

Local musicians and artists appeared as guests; Mike Costa, Michael D’Angelo, Paul Elia, and more graced the stage. Johnny Meza’s band started the evening with some of his smooth jazz tunes. Slim Man showed up and sang a song. The surprise guests of who would it be?

F: RKL MM: What do you think of the music scene in the Coachella Valley?

F: It’s getting better but it still seems a little distant.

MM: What is the biggest struggle for you guys as musicians?

F: Money.

MM: Tell me about your upcoming album Straight Out Of Thousands F: It’s been a long stressful road but we’re glad to finally get our first album out. We’re hoping to gain enough momentum to release a second shortly after. All of the album’s artwork was done by Esteban Ochoa except for the graphic on the actual disc which was hand drawn by Justin Haines.

MM: Where do you guys see yourselves in the next 3 years?

F: Hopefully better off than we’re able to imagine.

MM: What is the root of your inspiration?

F: Death, drugs, music and sex.

Photos by Mikey Adam Cohen and Jack Cohen of Smooth Jazz Live

the evening were Smooth jazz Superstars Peter White and Michael Paulo who wowed the guests with a level of smooth jazz that you only see on the concert stages.

Both superstars were so kind to all the guests and put up with dozens of pictures that everyone wanted to take with them.

Local favorite sax star Chase Huna held his own with the superstars! Super kudos to Carl for putting this event together! Encore!

Valley Rhythms

April 2 to April 8, 2015

by Lola Rossi

get ready for Marie Osmond, she is coming to town!

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arie Osmond will take the stage at Fantasy Springs Casino in The Special Events Center this Saturday, April 4, 2015, at 8 p.m. She has produced a new “One Woman Show” that is certain to touch the hearts of her loyal fans.

The reviews have been outstanding and, as a fan, it is nice to know the Coachella Valley, along with a few other locations back east, is part of her new endeavor, as she is testing the show, re-writing and changing it to fit the different audiences.

“The venue is very intimate,” said Marie Osmond, “I specifically chose smaller venues because of the way the show is done. It’s a very different show than Vegas.” There are places in the show where she needs a partner, so she included her nephew, David Osmond, her brother Alan’s son. “He is a very talented kid and his story is phenomenal. He was Donny’s understudy in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, for Andrew Lloyd Webber, he’s terrific.”

Like Marie, David started singing at a young age with his brothers. He was the lead singer in the group the Osmond Boys. YouTube has performances and television interviews from the entire Osmond Family, may I suggest you take a moment to watch them. Marie has an eclectic voice and can sing a lot of different styles. “David is the only other Osmond who can sing different styles, like me, that’s why I brought him.”

Every song in the body of the show was hand chosen by her. “You’ll hear my music; some of the hits you’ll want to hear and the stories behind them; you’ll hear new music; you’ll hear music that has touched my heart and why; we are all the same; we’re all going through this experience called life. God doesn’t care what we do, He really doesn’t.

He cares how we do it and how we get through it.”

During the show, Marie will share stories of her experiences in life with the audience and point out the importance of “giving back” to the community. Being a woman that has grown up in the music business, and who has worked consistently for the past five decades, is very unique. “I will talk about things that have kept me moving forward when

everybody has said, ‘no’. I have never done a show like this before.”

One story Marie shared during the interview was of a 25 year old girl, who was kind enough to bring a 60 year old woman, who she helps, to see the show. At the “Meet and Greet” following the show, she told Marie that she was now a new fan of Marie Osmond. “She was so sweet, it was darling.

It has been a really enjoyable show for me to do.”

Marie Osmond Co-Founded The Children’s Miracle Network with actor John Schneider.

“This has been going on for 32 years now, which is amazing since I’m 29,” she laughs, “It’s very exciting. To date, we have raised 5.3 billion dollars for children and 100% of all the money stays in local hospitals. We help about 11 million children every year.” The Annual Children’s Miracle Network Telethon will be held on May 30-31, 2015 in Corpus Christi, Texas. For more info or to make a donation, please call (361)694-6401. Driscoll Children’s Hospital is one of 170 hospitals throughout the United States recognized as part of the Children’s Miracle Network.

Now in their seventh year performing to sold out audiences at The Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas, Donny and Marie have both decided to take some time off to spend more time with their families, as well as, doing other creative projects. She is touring with her solo show; recording a new album; writing her fourth book destine to be on the New York Times Best Sellers List as were her previous three books; a nationally acclaimed public speaker; continue to be one of the top doll designers in the world; and enjoying time with her husband, Steve Craig, her children and being a grandma, or shall we say, “GlamMa” as she is affectionately known.

“I promise it will be a fun evening. Just come and let’s all sit around the campfire and read a book,” as she giggles enthusiastically.

“It’s the kind of show where I want to say ‘thank you’ to all my fans. Music is powerful to me and hopefully they will understand me better after the show.”

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April 2 to April 8, 2015

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

by Eleni P. Austin

H

KATE PIERSON

“Guitars And Microphones” (Lazy Meadow Music)

“

ey, I’m Kate and I am a Taurus/I love tomatoes and black-capped chickadees.”

That enthusiastic announcement came from Kate Pierson in the midst of “Song For A Future Generation” off the B-52’s third album, Whammy. By then, the fivepiece group were already well on their way to becoming America’s premiere party band.

The B-52’s formed in 1976, after one too many Flaming Volcano drinks at a Chinese restaurant in the coolest college town since Austin, Texas; Athens, Georgia. Vocalists Fred Schneider, Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson, along with Cindy’s guitarist brother Ricky and drummer Keith Strickland shared an affinity for ‘50s kitsch. Even their moniker was a slang reference for the beehive/bouffant hairstyles Kate and Cindy sported.

The B-52’s were influenced equally by cheesy Beach Party movies, cheesy Flying Saucer movies, Girl Groups, Motown, Ed Wood and cheesy Monster movies. Blending those sensibilities, they created their own sound.

Songs like “Rock Lobster” and “Planet Claire” were quirky, clever and ridiculously danceable.

Their eponymous debut arrived in 1979 and was immediately embraced by Punk and New Wave fans. Singing about Plymouth Satellites and dance crazes like the Shy Tuna ran the risk of pigeon-holing the band as a novelty act. But their music was a heady brew of Surf guitar, bongo rhythms spooky Farfisa, toy pianos and irresistible hooks. Hearing “Rock Lobster” motivated John Lennon to end his househusband phase and get back in the studio, recording what would be his final album, Double Fantasy.

Their sophomore record, Wild Planet, doubled down on the same winning formula from the first. The vocal interplay between Cindy Wilson, Fred Schneider and Kate Pierson was (as the kids say), on fleek. Schneider’s deadpan sing-speak perfectly complimented Wilson and Pierson’s over-the-top emoting.

For their third album, the band tapped Talking Heads’ front man David Byrne to produce. But they ended up scrapping most of the album and releasing an EP, Mesopotamia in early 1982. A year later they issued their third proper full-length, Whammy, which

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

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featured the aforementioned “Song For A Future Generation.” The album, which included a canny cover of (kindred weirdo) Yoko Ono’s “Don’t Worry,” was their first effort to really integrate synthesizers into their sound.

Tragedy struck as the band began recording their fourth album. At the young age of 32, guitarist Ricky Wilson died. It was a blow to the band, especially his sister, Cindy. It was later revealed that Ricky died from an AIDS-related illness, a secret he had kept from everyone until right before he passed.

The band soldiered on, releasing the slightly subdued Bouncing Off The Satellites in 1986. No one would have blamed them if they had called it quits. But following a hiatus they re-grouped as a four-piece, with Keith Strickland switching to guitar, and came back stronger than ever.

1989 saw the release of Cosmic Thing.

Produced by Was (Not Was) bassist, Don Was and Nile Rodgers from Chic, the album retained the campy fun of their early records, but also seemed wildly contemporary. It also spawned the monster hits, “Love Shack,” “Roam” and “Channel Z.” Plus, it included the uncharacteristically reflective “Deadbeat Club.”

Two years later, Cindy Wilson took a sabbatical from the band to concentrate on raising a family. As a threesome, the B-52’s released the so-so Good Things. In 1998 the quartet returned with a greatest hits compilation, Time Capsule, and embarked on a co-headlining tour with the Pretenders.

For the next 10 years, the B-52’s concentrated on touring, headlining shows and

Consider This

opening for bands like the Rolling Stones and Cher. Their influence was felt by younger bands like Scissor Sisters and Junior Senior. As one of the first (unapologetically) Gay bands, B-52’s had opened doors and created an enduring legacy.

In 2008, they hooked up with producer Steve Osborn and recorded their seventh album Funplex. It was their trademark mix of quirky lyrics and eccentric instrumentation, but it added elements of electronica. In short, another perfect party record.

When they weren’t on tour or recording, each B-52 has managed find time for different avocations. Fred Schneider has released two solo albums and has a musical side project, the Superions. Cindy Wilson started the Cindy Wilson band in 2003. Keith Strickland got involved in independent films like A Life In The Death Of Joe Meek.

Kate Pierson and her partner, Monica Coleman became innkeepers, first in the Catskills with Kate’s Lazy Meadow and more recently in the high desert with Kate’s Lazy Desert. She also, (finally) found time to write and record her first solo album Guitars And Microphones.

The album opens with the stompy ChaCha-Cha of “Throw Down The Roses.” A defiant declaration of independence, it’s powered by sparkly synthesizers and flinty guitar breaks.

The lyrics recall early career experience when Kate and Cindy were mistaken for groupies at the concert they were headlining. Her mien is arch and dismissive. “I can’t ever be your girl VIP, Baby that ain’t me, I’m a crowd surfer/I don’t ever do rocker boys like you, I’m an artist too, I’m a showstopper.”

The B-52’s have always integrated environmental themes into their party anthems. Kate Pierson continues that tradition on two tracks, “Bring Your Arms” and “Time Wave Zero.”

Over clickity clack percussion, a gentle synth wash and “whoo-hoo” backing vocals, Pierson recounts a sea tortoise rescue mission she witnessed in Tulum, Mexico. The melody is buoyant, her wonder is contagious.

“Time Wave Zero” is an apocalyptic anthem wrapping global-warming anxieties in a propulsive hand-clap beat, plinky piano runs

and sinewy guitar riffs. The predictions are dire, “Ambush asteroid heading our way /What’s to come, Aurora Borealis and the burning sun,” but the melody reassures.

Three tracks, “Crush Me With Your Love,” “Wolves” and “Matrix” are pure paeans to the life Kate Pierson has made with partner, Monica Coleman. “Crush Me...” has the torchy grandeur and layered harmonies that recall the Girl Groups of the early ‘60s. “You’re the north, I’m the south of the magnet I have longed for.”

In a non-“Hangover” way, Pierson and Coleman form their own wolf pack on “Wolves.”

The melody echoes the idiosyncratic vibe of the late Laura Nyro. Prickly guitars connect with firefly synths as Pierson shares her gratitude.

“As the embers dart, you built a bonfire in my barbwire heart/And are we wild or tame, you call my name I call your name.”

Finally on “Matrix” the duo are freefalling, (in a non-Tom Petty way). Over kinetic percussion and bubbling synths Pierson offers reassurance. “Don’t despair, there’s plenty of air in not knowing.”

The political has always been personal for Pierson. Both “Guitars And Microphones” and “Mister Sister” extends her commitment to remain socially conscious. The former is the B-52iest track on the album. Whip crack rhythms boomerang through the melody as Pierson offers a gimlet-eyed recollection of her adolescent Folk band, the Sun Donuts. “Banded together by guitars and microphones, we wrote our protest songs, we wrote our protest songs.”

The latter opens with tick-tock bass lines and ricochet guitar riffs. The lyrics paint a vivid portrait of gender confusion. “Betrayed by the mirror when what you feel is not what you can see.” The story has a happy ending. “Hey Mister Sister they named you something biblical/ Now you are Debbie Delicious and you’re on everybody’s party wish list.

The album closes with “Pull You Under.”

Lone piano chords cradle Kate’s simple pledge of love and loyalty. The melody shares musical DNA with the old Shirelles hit, “Dedicated To The One I Love” and Edith Piaf’s “Non Je Ne Regrette Rien.”

Kate Pierson had some expert assistance in bringing solo dreams to fruition. As the project really began to take shape, she enlisted her pal, Grammy nominated singer-songwriter Sia, who ended up co-writing nearly every song. She also tapped Ima Robot guitarist Tim Anderson to handle production chores. He expertly cocooned her warm contralto in sympathetic arrangements and sharp instrumentation. The result is a triumph from start to finish.

art Scene

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

April 2 to April 8, 2015

By monica morones

Date Farmers

T

hey are considered to be two of the best artists of their genre. Carlos Ramirez and Armando Lerma are the Date Farmers.

With shows in major cities in the U.S., features in countless magazines, an image for the Obama Campaign, two shows at the pristine Ace Gallery Los Angeles, The Wynwood Walls in Miami, and more recently, a revitalization project that they organized bringing together artists from around the world called “Coachella Walls” in the downtown city of Coachella, this collaborative duo shines a bright light on the Coachella Valley.

MM: How did you two start making art together?

DF: We began working together around 1998.

The art scene then was very minimal among the local communities especially the minority ones.

There have always been galleries, which have always tended to the higher financial brackets in the desert and of a much safer subject matter, but both of us coming from working class families and working on such an unorthodox style, both working on fine art which was a battle in itself even among our own families at times. It was comforting and reinforcing for us doing such similar work, so we easily gravitated towards each other. Rather than a personal aesthetic we realized a shared aesthetic and that is what we began to build upon and developed the style that is recognized today.

MM: What is the process when you two collaborate? Organic or planned?

DF: We can easily describe our process as a more organic one in the fact that we allow certain issues whether social, political, or personal to sometimes- not all the time dictate the direction of the intended message or direction of the work, usually leaning more toward the truth seeking side. The truth is pretty organic.

MM: What do you think is the most difficult about being an artist?

DF: There is a saying that “If you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life.” This is true in so many cases, but if we had to describe the difficult, it wouldn’t be being an artist. We’re sure it’s safe to say it would be navigating in the art world. So many seem to make a great living in the art business minus the artist in most cases.

It seems the artist’s integrity is the one always at continue to page 26

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www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

by Janet McAfee

P

eople who rescue a dog often describe the miracle that brought them together. There is often a magical connection, and sometimes the connection happens just in the nick of time through an inexplicable change in circumstance. Adopters of rescue dogs tell of the joys and the miracles these survivor animals create in their own lives. They give us a sense of purpose, provide immeasurable joy, and amaze us with their resilience. For one woman, the experience of having her rescue dog was profound enough to wake her from a coma.

It started as an ordinary day at work for veterinary technician, Danielle Torgerson. A strange force drew her into one of the back clinic rooms where she was not assigned. A small puppy was in that exam room and the tiny creature locked eyes with her displaying shock, pain and despair. The “human” who brought him to the vet claimed he’d been stung by a bee. Danielle suspected the horrible scars covering his head were burns from being set on fire after gasoline was poured over him. The pup was there to be euthanized, and was drawing his last few

painful breaths.

Danielle overcame her own shock and wondered if there might be hope for this poor creature. Had he ever know the simple joys that every dog should know?

Would he ever walk through the park on brisk evenings, and know the comfort of a soft bed at night? Danielle recalls, “I asked the vet if something could be done. He said that treatment could be carried out, but only with lots of money.” That was the answer she wanted to hear, and she asked the owner to sign relinquishment papers.

Though she was not wealthy, Danielle contacted a veterinarian specializing in the type of surgery the dog required.

Complex skin graft surgery was undertaken to reconstruct the pup’s mouth.

Slowly but surely, the dog’s physical and his psychological wounds healed. Danielle named him D’Artangnan or Mr. D for short.

He grew into a large dog, so sweet natured that he welcomed her cats to sleep with him. Mr. D’s love extended to all the animals in the home and the generous dog actually picked out pieces of food from his own dish and gave them to her other dogs.

Outside on walks, strangers were shocked at Mr. D’s appearance. Danielle recalls, “He looked like a werewolf with his skin grafts, and people are kind of scared. But he truly is my loving angel and I know that saving him is what helped save me.”

One day, Danielle was riding her motorcycle and swerved to avoid colliding with a car. Her motorcycle crashed, and after the accident she was on the ground bleeding with a broken skull. Transported by helicopter to a trauma center, doctors found she had no brain function. Danielle was in a coma and doctors did not know if she would survive. Her mother and exhusband took turns waiting at the hospital and looking after the pets.

Danielle recalls that while in a coma she felt a desperate need, in the quiet recess of

DELIGHTFUL DORA! Cuter than cute, this 3-mo-old female puppy will bring joy to your Easter season. Dog ID#1182353. Come visit with Dora at the Coachella Valley Animal Campus shelter, 72-050 Pet Land Place, Thousand Palms, (760) 343-3644.

MEET KIT!

Yes, that’s short for Kitty, and this 4-yr-old loving girl could be your new best “purrfect” friend. Animal ID#0949826.

Come and meet Kit at the Coachella Valley Animal Campus, 72-050 Pet Land Place, Thousand Palms, (760) 343-3644.

16

her mind, to get back to her pets, especially Mr. D. After twelve days she woke up.

Her nurse reported her first words were, “Mr. D”. Weeks of physical rehabilitation followed while she learned to walk and fully speak again, and thoughts of returning to her beloved animals motivated her to work even harder.

Overjoyed at her return, Dr. D checked on Danielle constantly. He seemed to know when she was in the most pain, and gently put his paw on her head and sighed.

Danielle states, “I truly know that if it was not for Mr. D, I would not be here. He has become my musketeer, my protector, and has given me the security and protection that I never had from people.” Danielle’s hope, through the retelling of her story, is that more people consider rescuing rather than buying a pet from a pet store, online or from a breeder. Rescue dogs are angels in fur, God’s beautiful creatures who teach us that “second chance miracles” can happen for those who trust and believe.

(I want to hear from you if this article or other Pet Place stories have convinced you to “Adopt not Shop” and switch to rescue.

Email me!)

Jmcafee7@verizon.net

by Rick Riozza

Not your usual arsenic and old lace

S

ome of us wine lovers out there have a worn out T-shirt lying around that says “Life’s too short to drink cheap wine”.

Well—it seems that’s just what four plaintiffs are claiming in a lawsuit filed last week in California against 28 notable wine companies.

Their position is that many cheap wines in the market place have way too much toxin arsenic —that popular brands including Franzia, Korbel, and the infamous two-buck Chuck, Charles Shaw — are laced with arsenic at up to five times the level of what’s considered safe.

According to the class-action suit, “just a glass or two of these arsenic-contaminated wines a day over time could result in dangerous arsenic toxicity to the consumers.” Since California wines make up nearly 90% of the U.S. wine industry, American wine drinkers have become the “unwitting ‘guinea pigs’ of arsenic exposure,” the suit alleges.

As one would expect when an incendiary lawsuit is filed against a 23 billion dollar industry, many of the wine trade groups are already disputing the lawsuit’s claim as “false and misleading”.

I went on-line to check out the “claim” which of course neither judge nor jury has weighed in on, but it’s interesting to see if our favorite “cheap wine” is listed as a culprit of doom.

Enumerated are 83 specific brand names with specific varietals, with a lot of cheap White Zins and sweet Moscatos taking the hit.

Of course no one is making light of arsenic poisoning. History (and the lawsuit’s informative intro) tells us such poisoning took down the likes of Napoleon Bonaparte, Simon Bolivar and King George III. And we know that long-term exposure to inorganic arsenic, mainly through smoking, drinking contaminated water, eating food prepared with contaminated water or eating food irrigated with arsenic-rich water, can lead to health risks such major headaches, skin lesions, and cancer.

But arsenic is found in air, soil and water throughout the world. Therefore, it can also be found in grains, fruits, vegetables and seafood due to absorption through soil and water. I even discovered that there is “organic arsenic” that’s not particularly toxic—such as in oysters, which are very high in it. I was happy to read that, so in celebration I downed a few of those raw bivalve mollusks with some good (i.e.—not cheap!)

Chablis.

“Plants take up trace amounts of arsenic from the soil, and we have been ingesting these trace amounts for all of human history. Generally, these amounts are at levels well below that associated with either acute or chronic toxicity,” said Cornell University’s Gavin Lavi Sacks.

The first time the U.S. Food and Drug Administration set limits for arsenic levels in food or drink was in 2013, when it proposed to limit the amount of inorganic arsenic in apple juice, as with drinking water, to 10 parts per

billion.

So here comes the big contention: The lawsuit insists that arsenic in wine should meet the same thresholds and standards as drinking water. But there are no such standards for wine in this country. Definitely a “brew-ha-ha” in the making.

FDA spokeswoman Lauren Sucher said in an email to CNN: “People drink far more water than they do wine over their lifetimes, and they start drinking water earlier in life. Thus, both the amount and period of exposure are different and would require separate analyses,” she said.

A corollary from her argument would be that anyone drinking the same amount of wine as they should be drinking water (at 2 liters/10 cups a day) has bigger problems. Enjoying two to three five-ounce glasses of wine a day isn’t that significant an arsenic dose—but of course, no one likes the idea taking in any real amount of arsenic in our systems.

Countries that import California wine also test for arsenic using their own standards: 100 parts per billion in Canada and 200 parts per billion in Europe—10 to 20 times higher than the drinking water limit in the United States. These

standards will no doubt fuel the defense team’s arguments.

A question I have is: what about “high end” wines (which probably have their little share of arsenic)—why aren’t they targeted? I guess it’s a rhetorical one, for my legal training tells me that “high end” wine companies weren’t named in the suit—thus, that matter is irrelevant.

The political/legal field sees much more bucks targeting many million cases of wine: who wants to sue a great wine company that puts out only a few thousand cases or less.

I recently spoke to Grgich Hill’s assistant winemaker, Kevin Vecchiarelli, about the action.

He had his personal comments; however, he assured me that Grgich Wines continually fall way under the 10ppb standard of drinking water—they’ve always practiced sustainability.

Of course an article on toxins in wine would

not be complete without hearing from our organic wine gal, Annie Arnold, owner of the Organic Wine Exchange where we can all drink pesticide & fungicide free wine from her vast portfolio of wines produced organically around the world.

I just saw Annie at the Palm Desert Wine & Food Festival. “Arsenic is a tricky topic.”

She continued, “As much as I would like this publicity to benefit the organic market, I believe it’s too early to make harsh judgments on either side of the argument.

“I believe this is a wake-up call. The fact remains that there is a lot going on in the wine industry that consumers are unaware of due to non-disclosure or ingredient labels. Modern day wine can have a lot of vineyard chemicals still in it and additives can be added to change the flavor, texture, taste and aroma. To be honest, more than arsenic, I would rather see results of lab tests done on wine that reflect the amount of pesticide residual and additives.”

Cheers to that!—Drink safely!

& FO R K

K

&

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WHO RESCUED WHO? MR. D’S STORY

April 2 to April 8, 2015

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PET PLACE

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April 2 to April 8, 2015

EST. 2

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April 2 to April 8, 2015

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­­­THUR APRIL 2

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29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 Rojer Arnold & Bobby Furgo 6pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Reunion w/ DJ Day Amigo Room 10pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-2021111 Paul Elia 7pm AZUL; PS; 760-325-5533 Piano Bar 6pm BAR; PS; 760-537-7337 Eevaan Tre 9pm BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 Live Entertainment 6-10pm CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick Tuzzolino 5:30pm CORK TREE; PD; 760-779-0123 Live Entertainment 6pm CUNARD’S SANDBAR; LQ; 760-5643660 Bill Baker 6pm DESERT FOX; PS; 760-325-9555 Thirsty Thursdays 7pm DHS SPA LOUNGE; DHS; 760-329-6787 Karaoke w/ DJ Scott 9pm ESCENA LOUNGE & GRILL; PS; 760992-0002 Courtney Chambers 5pm EUREKA; IW; 760-834-7700 TBA 6pm THE GRILL ON MAIN; LQ; 760-777-7773 T.B.A. 7:30pm HUNTER’S; PS; 760-323-0700 Open Mic 9pm INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760-345-6466 Frank DiSalvo 6pm JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-3662250 Punk Rock Thursdays 9:30pm KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 Battle of the Bands w/ Mojave Sky VS. Gojiro Island 8:30pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-3252794 Hot Rox LIT@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; 760-3452450 Country Night w/ Chad Freeman & Redline 8pm THE LOUNGE, AGUA CALIENTE; RM; 888-999-1995 Quinto Menguante 8-1am MARGARITA’S; PS; 760-778-3500 Live Music 6pm MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 Ron Greenip 8pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Karaoke 8pm-1:15am THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry 6-8pm Tim Burleson 8pm PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; 760327-4080 Blues and Supper Club Night w/ Kal David 7pm PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-365-5956 The Giving Tree Band and The Cerny Brothers 8pm PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND COCKTAILS; TP; 760-343-2115 Party Game Night 8pm PURPLE ROOM@CLUB TRINIDAD; PS; 760-327-1161ext.230 Mike Costley 7pm RIVIERA RESORT & SPA; PS; 760-3278311 Martin Ross Starlite Lounge 6pm SAMMY G’s; PS; 760-320-8041 Evaro Brothers 8pm SCHMIDY’S; PD; 760-837-3800 Red’s Rockstar Karaoke 9pm SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760341-3560 Dude Jones 6pm TACK ROOM TAVERN; IND; 760-3479985 Karaoke w/ T-Bone 8-12am THREE SIXTY NORTH; PS; 760-327-

1773 Tony DiGerlando 6:30pm VICKY’S OF SANTA FE; IW; 760-3459770 Flyer 4-6pm, Stan Watkins 6:3010pm VILLAGE PUB; PS; 760-323-3265 DJ Khodi Rayne 4:30-9pm, Nite Fixx 9-2am WESTIN MISSION HILLS; RM; 760-3285955 Michael Keeth 6-10pm WILLIE BOYS; MV; 760-363-3343 TBA 8pm THE WINE BAR BISTRO; LQ; 760-5648744 Rob Martinez and Todd Ashley 7pm WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-230-0188 Bill Saitta 6pm ZELDA’S; PS; 760-325-2375 Locals Night 9pm

FRI APRIL 3

29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 The Bob Garcia Band 6pm 19TH HOLE; PD; 760-772-6696 Karaoke w/ T Bone 9pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Death Valley Girls w/ DJ Jesspeleta 10pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-2021111 TBA 7:30pm AZUL; PS; 760-325-5533 Fleet Easton 7:30pm BAR; PS; 760-537-7337 T.B.A. BISTRO 60 @TRILOGY; LQ; 760-5010620 The Carmens 6pm BLUE BAR, SPOTLIGHT 29; INDIO; 760775-5566 DJ PWee 8pm BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 The Stanley Butler Trio 6-10pm CAFÉ DES BEAUX- ARTS; PD; 760-3460669 Brigette Marie Valdez 6pm CASCADE LOUNGE, SPA RESORT CASINO; PS; 888-999-1995 DJ Michael Wright 9-1am CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick Tuzzolino 5:30pm CLEMETINE; PD; 760-834-8814 Gina Carey 6pm CORK TREE; PD; 760-779-0123 Live Entertainment 6pm CUNARD’S SANDBAR; LQ; 760-5643660 Bill Baker 6pm DATE SHED; IND; 760-775-6699 EL MEXICALI CAFÉ 2; IND; 760-3422333 Cesar Daniel Lopez on the harp 6-9pm EUREKA; IW; 760-834-7700 TBA 6:30pm THE GRILL ON MAIN; LQ; 760-777-7773 House Band 8:45pm HARD ROCK HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9676 “Jump Off” DJ 9pm Lobby THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 Caxton and The Hive Minds 9pm HUNTER’S; PS; 760-323-0700 Live VJ 9pm INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760-345-6466 Frank DiSalvo 6pm JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-3662250 Live DJ 8:30pm KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 The Larry James Band 8pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-3252794 Palm Springs Sound Company in the afternoon, Hot Rox in the night LIT@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; 760-345-

2450 Common Ground 9pm THE LOUNGE; AGUA CALIENTE; RM; 888-999-1995 DJ 9pm MARGARITA’S; PS; 760-778-3500 Live Music 6pm MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 Ron Greenip 8pm 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; 760327-4080 Eddie Larkin and The Dark Blue 9pm PALM DESERT COUNTRY CLUB; PD; 760-345-0222 Gennine Francis 6:30pm PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-365-5956 Fernando Viciconte 8:30pm PJ’S SPORTS LOUNGE; YV; 760-2281199 T.B.A. 9pm PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND COCKTAILS; TP; 760-343-2115 Red’s Rockstar Karaoke Celebrating Red’s Birthday !!! 9pm PURPLE ROOM@CLUB TRINIDAD; PS; 760-327-1161ext.230 Sharon McKnight 5:30pm, The Gand Band 8:30pm, Rebel Noise and Ideation 11pm RED BARN; PD; 760-346-0191 TBA 9pm RIVIERA RESORT & SPA; PS; 760-3278311 Martin Ross Starlite Lounge 7pm, Stoney “B” Blues Band Sidebar Lounge 10pm SAMMY G’s; PS; 760-320-8041 Evaro Brothers 8pm SCHMIDY’S; PD; 760-837-3800 212 Band 9pm SHANGHAI RED’S @ THE FISHERMAN’S MARKET; PS; 760-3229293 Barry Baughn Blues 8-11pm SHANGHAI RED’S @ THE FISHERMAN’S MARKET; LQ; 760-7771601 Smooth Brothers 8-11pm SHELLY’S LOUNGE@TORTOISE ROCK CASINO; 29 Palms; Rojer Arnold & Bobby Furgo 9pm SMOKIN’ BURGERS; PS; 760-883-5999 Ron James 6pm SOUL OF MEXICO; IND; 760-200-8787 Latin Rock 10pm SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760341-3560 Demetrious and Co. TACK ROOM TAVERN; IND; 760-3479985 TBA 9pm THREE SIXTY NORTH; PS; 760-3271773 Pat Rizzo 6:30pm TILTED KILT; PD; 760-773-5458 Tilted @ Night 10pm TRILUSSA ITALIAN RISTORANTE; PS; 760-328-2300 Julius & Sylvia Music Duo 6-10pm VIBE; MORONGO CASINO; CAB; 951755-5391 The Rick Whitfield Band 10pm VICKY’S OF SANTA FE; IW; 760-3459770 John Stanley King 8pm VILLAGE PUB; PS; 760-323-3265 T.B.A. 1:30-4:30pm, Nite Fixx 9-2am, DJ Anwaar Hines 9-2am VUE GRILLE & BAR; IW; 760-834-3800 Slim Man Solo Show 5:30pm WILLIE BOYS; MV; 760-363-3343 T.B.A. 9pm THE WINE BAR BISTRO; LQ; 760-5648744 Rob & jb 7:30pm

April 2 to April 8, 2015

WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-230-0188 Yve Evans & Deana Bogart 6:30pm ZELDA’S; PS; 760-325-2375 Girl’s Night Out w/ The Men on the Hollywood Strip 9pm

SAT APRIL 4 29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 Bev & Bill 6pm 19TH HOLE; PD; 760-772-6696 Karaoke w/ T-Bone 9pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Otherness: Lauren Flex, Chelsea Starr and Wokalook noon, poolside and 10pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-2021111 Cabaret on the Green Open Mic w/ Les Michaels and Wayne Abravanel 7:30pm AZUL; PS; 760-325-5533 Denise Carter 7:30pm BAR; PS; 760-537-7337 TBA BISTRO 60 @TRILOGY; LQ; 760-5010620 The Carmens 6pm BLUE BAR; SPOTLIGHT 29; IND; 760775-5566 DJ PWee BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 Gina Carey 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 CORK TREE; PD; 760-779-0123 Live Entertainment 6:30-9:30pm CUNARD’S SANDBAR; LQ; 760-5643660 Bill Baker 6pm DATE SHED; IND; 760-775-6699 DHS SPA LOUNGE; DHS; 760-329-6787 Karaoke w/ DJ Scott 9pm EL MEXICALI CAFÉ 2; IND; 760-3422333 Cesar Daniel Lopez on the harp 6-9pm FIRESIDE LOUNGE; PS; 760-327-1700 T.B.A. 9pm THE GRILL ON MAIN; LQ; 760-777-7773 T.B.A. 8:30pm THE GROOVE LOUNGE; SPOTLIGHT 29; INDIO; 760-775-5566 DJ 8pm HARD ROCK HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9676 “Solid” Guest DJs, 11am poolside, 9pm Lobby THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 Valerie McClure’s 23rd Annual 21st Birthday Celebration w/ Long Duk Dong and Aphrodisiac Jacket 9pm HUNTER’S; PS; 760-323-0700 Live VJ 9pm INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760-345-6466 Frank DiSalvo 6pm JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-3662250 T.B.A. 8pm KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 DJ Geo 9pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-3252794 Palm Springs Sound Company,in the afternoon,Hot Rox,in the night LIT@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; 760-3452450 Common Ground 9pm THE LOUNGE, AGUA CALIENTE; RM; 888-999-1995 Dollface 9pm MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 Ron Greenip 8pm continue to page 24

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April 2 to April 8, 2015

The Pampered Palate

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

April 2 to April 8, 2015

By tracy dietlin

JT’s Diner: ENJOY AN AMERICAN TRADITION

Y

ou don’t always have to go to a fine dining restaurant to pamper your palate. Sometimes a family diner with quality service and delicious food at affordable prices will tickle your taste buds just as well.

That’s what happened recently when my husband and I stopped in to JT’s Diner for breakfast. I personally am not a big fan of eating breakfast at a restaurant as I am rarely pleased with the outcome. My husband on the other hand loves to eat breakfast at any time of the day and is quite the breakfast connoisseur. Let’s just say that JT’s was up for the challenge and we both walked out satisfied customers.

First let me talk about the friendly atmosphere where not only do all of the servers take good care of the patrons but the owners walk around and talk to all of the customers to make sure they are enjoying their meal. Many of the diners seemed like regulars by the way the owners were talking to them, only to find out that it was one of the other couples first time there too.

I decided to try the “build your own omelet” which is made with 3 eggs and includes your choice of 3 items. I chose mushrooms, avocado and white cheddar cheese. Absolutely the best omelet I

have ever had in a restaurant. All of the ingredients melted together perfectly and I was in heaven. Mine was accompanied by country potatoes and sourdough toast, although you can choose other sides.

My husband selected the “Country Breakfast” with 2 eggs any style and choice of double-smoked bacon, Hawaiian Portuguese sausage or turkey jalapeno sausage. He chose the bacon. He was equally impressed with his meal and was nice enough to share a bite of his bacon which was amazing. We are both very particular about our bacon and it was a winner, prepared just right.

But wait…I haven’t gotten to the best part yet - the “Jack’s Famous Croissant French Toast” which will make it difficult for you to ever eat French toast anywhere else. The

consistency of this heavenly culinary delight was perfect; firm, moist and scrumptious without needing a ton of syrup.

I must also add that we enjoyed a couple glasses of champagne with our meal. I wasn’t expecting a diner to serve champagne or mimosas (they also serve beer and wine) but again this is no ordinary diner. It is clean, bright, friendly, and under the ownership of Todd Flood and Jack Srebnik, who also bring you Maracas and The Slice restaurants.

I must also share that JT’s serves up a bevy of other menu items including, soups, salads, appetizers, burgers, dogs, sandwiches and good old home-made

comfort dishes like mac & cheese, meatloaf, beef stew, country fried chicken, fish & chips and baby back ribs. Personally I’m looking forward to going back for lunch so I can try the “rare roast beef and creamy horseradish sandwich”. As a matter of fact I think I will head there for lunch right now. With my first experience at JT’s being such a pleasurable one, I’m sure I won’t be disappointed.

JT’s is located at 37011 Cook St. #101 in Palm Desert. Open daily from 7am to 8pm.

Breakfast served ALL day. Lunch items from 11am. Call 760-674-7600 or visit www. jtsdinerpalmdesert.com.

The Pampered Palate

matchbox launches new menu New executive chef Stephen Lyons adds seasonal classics and original dishes

m

atchboxfoodgroup is thrilled to announce the addition of several new menu items at matchbox Palm Springs. The new menu includes curated classics and original creations

by Vice President of Culinary Operations Stephen Lyons, who brings a career in fine dining and an inspired, fresh take on upscale casual dining to the desert. Showcasing the best of both worlds, Lyons’s seasonal menu features fresh ingredients prepared inhouse and executed by a talented culinary team.

On site, executive chef Keith Schneider will prepare the new options starting with appetizers like the ginormous meatball made with beef, veal and pork, served with matchbox’s signature pepperoni sauce, and sprinkled with Pecorino Romano.

With spring comes a new bounty of fresh produce, utilized in new salads like the fresh seared tuna nicoise with French beans, fingerling potatoes, olives, egg, and romaine, all topped with a citrus vinaigrette, or the triple beet with tender salt roasted beets topped with a creamy goat cheese mousse, pistachios for crunch,

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and orange blossom honey for balance.

New sandwiches and hearty entrees offered include a hearty take on a breakfast classic, the bloody mary burger loaded with bloody mary spiced mayo, a fried egg, bacon, crispy onion rings and two types of cheese, and the classic Italian sausage rigatoni with a zesty tomato sauce, Pecorino Romano and peas. As it wouldn’t be a matchbox menu without a new pizza, Mark’s pepperoni + banana peppers with mozzarella is a new

addition worthy of the roster of originals.

Old favorites like the 3.6.9 mini burgers, double cut pork chop and the spicy meatball pizza are not going anywhere, nor is the bestselling appetizer, the wild murasaki calamari. matchbox Palm Springs is located at 155 S. Palm Canyon Dr and is open Sunday - Thursday 11am - 10pm and Friday & Saturday 11am - 11pm. For more information on matchboxfoodgroup please visit www.matchbox369.com, follow the team on Twitter (@matchboxdc) or call 760.778.6000 for reservations.

21

April 2 to April 8, 2015

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

Movie Reviews with Robin E. Simmons

GOOSEBUMPS GALORE! IT FOLLOWS The art of fear is a delicate and difficult thing to master. For me, the mounting pressure of “nameless dreads” is far more disturbing than a menacing predator with a knife and a ski mask, buckets of blood and severed body parts. So I was pleased to be jolted by this out-of-the-blue horror thriller that grabbed me at fade in and didn’t let go until final fade out.

A common conceit of teen horror movies is that when a character has sex, he or she is likely to get whacked as a kind of cosmic punishment. This movie takes the trope a big step further. Set in Detroit, Jay (Maika Monroe), a young woman, has sex with a handsome stranger and discovers she has inherited a strange curse: No matter where she goes, there are shambling, nearly naked

Screeners No.158

Will Farrell is James, a clueless and very white crook who lives an opulent life-style of ridiculously wretched excess with a fiancée (the always good Alison Brie) who is also his boss’s daughter. Indicted for his shady shenanigans, but claiming his innocence, he turns down a plea deal and gets a 10-year San Quentin sentence that he must begin serving in a month.

Abandoned by his girlfriend and her father, a desperate James turns to Darnell (Kevin Hart), his only black acquaintance.

Darnell washes James’ car in the office garage of his workplace and James automatically assumes he’s an ex-con. He hires Darnell to help harden him in preparation for a prison life of gay sex assaults and abuse.

Rude and crude in the extreme with lots of cringe-worthy jokes and bits of business, most based on racial stereotypes and “gaypanic” humor, the audience I saw it with was divided in its appreciation. Some laughed hard but many sat in stone faced silence. I was among the latter.

I did like the crazy, almost sweet friendship between the characters played

by Farrell and Hart and I loved the timely, on-target observations about racial disparity and how we incorrectly assume the worst of some people based on appearances. I can’t really describe the most objectionable scenes in this PG paper, but they push the envelope for an R movie, in my opinion. You can get the gist of this film from the trailer.

Actually seeing the movie adds nothing.

Etan Cohen is the co-writer and director.

Caveat emptor. Now playing.

NEW FOR THE HOME THEATER: INTERSTELLAR Christopher Nolan’s epic space quest was a global hit in spite of mixed reviews.

Co-written with his brother Jonathan, the film stars Matthew McConaughy as Coop, an astronaut who travels through a “wormhole” that some entity apparently placed near Saturn as a doorway to a place

22

Book Review

that could offer salvation to a dying earth.

Set in the near future, the adventure plays with notions of time and space and the mystery of love itself. Unnecessarily talky at times, the verbosity is balanced with stunning imagery – a Nolan specialty. Costars include Anne Hathaway, Michael Caine and Jessica Chastain. After multiple screenings, there remain (for me) number of unanswered questions about the mission and the science. But it sure got me thinking, even though much of the strange astrophysics has been widely discussed over the last 20 years or so. A second disc offers multiple featurettes on the movie and the theories behind it. Paramount. Blu-ray SUCH GOOD FRIENDS

No less than Otto Preminger directed this decidedly black comedy about a wife (Dyan Cannon) who considers her husband’s unfaithfulness when he goes to the hospital for minor surgery. But when she discovers his secret date-book, she gives herself permission to have her own affairs. Meanwhile, her husband’s routine surgery has complications and he dies. A fine cast (Jennifer O’Neill, Nina Foch, James Coco, Laurence Luckinbill and Burgess Merdith among others) fleshes out this odd, throwback (1971), cynical adult comedy of manners and morals. There is one unexpected but memorable moment when Dyan Cannon’s character poses in the nude and for a few frames we see the results in a full frontal Polaroid that almost fills the screen. Olive Films. Blu-ray.

Comments? robinesimmons@aol.com

umans are chemical beings. Nearly 99 percent of the human body is made up of six elements: oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, calcium and phosphorus. Smaller chemical amounts, but no less important for life, include: potassium, sulfur, sodium, chlorine and magnesium. In Ned Beauman’s, Glow, (Alfred Knopf, 256 pages) a search to alter human chemistry leads to manipulation and murder.

Born and raised in south London, Raf is 22 and ready to move on. His girlfriend has left him and he has given his landlord notice. Raf has a disorder, a condition called non-24 hour sleep/wake syndrome. Unlike a normal human being with a 24-hour interior clock, Raf is on a 25-hour clock putting him out of sync with the majority of the world.

There is no cure for his problem. He believes that starting new somewhere else might help.

Meanwhile, Raf works for a pirate radio station as a dog walker. Rose is the guard dog that protects the radio’s tower from vandals and agencies that want to shut down the station. Raf’s lifestyle includes all night raves and the search for mind altering,

April 2 to April 8, 2015

By Heidi Simmons

A Healthy Glow?

H

is your thing, you’ll love this moody and terrifying little gem written and directed

by David Robert Mitchell. The exquisite, atmospheric cinematography is by Mike Gioulakis. As the poster accurately reminds, it’s a horror to haunt your waking hours.

Now playing and recommended.

GET HARD

ghosts that follow. And make no mistake, they want her dead. Jay recruits her friends for help, but she soon learns that the only way to remove the curse and escape death – or so she hopes – is to have sex with someone else. But still, only she can see the deadly phantoms that are closing in. Now Jay is forced to make a very difficult decision in the hope she can survive her deadly nightmare creatures that don’t think, feel or give up -- they follow! If stylized horror

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

glow

By ned beauman Fiction recreational drugs. Perhaps some drug might cure his disorder or at the very least help. There is rumor of a new drug in town called Glow that he is eager to try.

While out walking Rose, Raf witnesses a kidnapping. He soon discovers his boss is missing. With just two weeks left in his community before he leaves, Raf realizes something strange in going on in his

marginalized, ethnically diverse and beloved neighborhood.

Raf investigates and finds himself caught up in a bizarre conspiracy involving an American mining company called Lacebark and a Burmese Revolution. Both are after the same thing -- the drug Glow.

Glow is made from a flower petal that grows in Burma – Myanmar. The company gave the petals to their workers to enhance their productivity. Chewing the flowers, the miners are able to work in darkness for longer hours, be more focused and don’t need to sleep.

Lacebark is struggling financially and decides to go into the business of illegal drug manufacturing. But the guy who figured out how to synthesize the Glow petals has slipped away to south London. So Lacebark has secretly taken over the community in hopes to flush out the Glow chemist. Their takeover includes the radio station.

Raf meets a Burmese-American girl named Cherish at a rave who only makes matters worse when he becomes smitten by the exotic beauty. He is soon in over his head. Raf realizes he wants to stay in the hood and reclaim the community from the evil corporation. But he may not survive south London if he stays.

Author Beauman does a good job with the protagonist. Raf is an unlikely yet loveable hero. He’s motivated to do what’s right and put things back in order. With good humor, he decides he wants to run the bad guys out of town. But sadly, the world is much crazier and meaner than he thought.

Glow is a conspiracy thriller with a sci-fi element. But the pleasure of the story is not what unfolds so much as what Raf is going to do about the situation. He’s just a regular guy. But, he is looking for ways to adjust his disorder and Glow might be the solution.

Raf loses his innocence when he realizes everyone has a personal agenda and they don’t care what happens to anyone as long as the outcome is in their favor. The conspiracy in the story is overly convoluted and I never really feared for Raf even when he puts himself in the middle of the lion’s den.

What I most enjoyed was the chemistry references, lessons and illustrations. Raf has a roommate who is always cooking up something to extract a chemical that they can ingest to alter their perception. Turns out to make Glow, it must first be fed to foxes – which are abundant in south London – and then extracted from their excrement.

I think Glow would be a more compelling read if Raf told the story himself. The third person narration was a distraction and often too expository. When characters can’t explain something, the unknown narrator does.

There are important themes that resonate in Glow. There are the corporations and revolutionaries involved with illegal drug trade for the revenue, plus both groups exploit the weak, marginalized and immigrants. But what I enjoyed most are the ideas about the chemical evolution of human beings.

Turns out we are complicated creatures emotionally and chemically. And it takes a lot more than popping an illegal substance to have a healthy glow.

23

April 2 to April 8, 2015 continued from page 19

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SUN APRIL 5

29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-3673505 Bob & Allison 6pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Otherness: Lauren Flex, Chelsea Starr and Wokalook noon poolside, DJ Pleasure Principle 10pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-2021111 Jazz Brunch 11:30am AZUL; PS; 760-325-5533 The Judy Show 7:30pm BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 Steve Madaio 6-10pm CASCADE LOUNGE, SPA RESORT; PS; 888-999-1995 Nash with Quinto Menguante 9pm CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Joe Jaggi 6pm DHS SPA LOUNGE; DHS; 760-3296787 Karaoke 9pm EL MEXICALI CAFÉ 2; IND; 760-3422333 Cesar Daniel Lopez on the harp 6-9pm HARD ROCK HOTEL; PS; 760-3259676 “Fusion” Pool Party 11am poolside INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760-345-6466 Ted Herman’s Big Band 6pm JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-3662250 Open Jam 6pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-325-2794 Palm Springs Sound Company,in the afternoon,Hot Rox,in the night MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 Sunday Jam 4-8pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Golden Era Karaoke 4-7pm, Red’s Rockstar Karaoke 8pm-1:15am THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry 7:30pm THE NEW YORK COMPANY RESTAURANT; PS; 760-778-7789 Lili Rose 7pm PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; 760-327-4080 Longest Running Jam Session in the valley. Hosted by JB, Sign up 6pm PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-3655956 The Hot Fudge Sunday Band 7pm PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND COCKTAILS; TP; 760-343-2115 The Jam Session 5-9pm PURPLE ROOM@CLUB TRINIDAD; PS; 760-327-1161ext.230 The Judy Show 5:30pm RIVIERA RESORT & SPA; PS; 760-3274080 Art of Sax Sidebar Patio 5pm SAMMY G’s; PS; 760-320-8041 Eddie Gee 7pm SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760341-3560 Smooth Brothers TACK ROOM TAVERN; IND; 760-3479985 The Betabums 4pm THREE SIXTY NORTH; PS; 760-3271773 Luck Be a Lady w/ Francesca Amari and Darci Daniels 6:30pm VICKY’S OF SANTA FE; IW; 760-3459770 Jazz Time Band 2-5pm, John Stanley King 6-9pm VILLAGE PUB; PS; 760-323-3265 Scott Carter 1:30-4:30pm, Rob & JB 4:30-9pm, DJ Idol Eyez 9-2am VUE GRILLE & BAR; IW; 760-834-3800 Tony DiJerlando 6pm WILLIE BOYS; MV; 760-363-3343 Line Dancing w/ Tina 5:30-9pm THE WINE BAR BISTRO; LQ; 760-5648744 Closed WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-230-0188 The Smooth Brothers 5:30pm

MON APRIL 6 29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-3673505 Bonny Jean 6pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 DJ D Rad noon poolside CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Joe Jaggi 6pm INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760-345-6466 Ron Kalina’s Jazz 6pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760325-2794 Hot Rox NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Karaoke 8pm-1:15am THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry 7pm PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; 760-327-4080 Kevin Quinn 8pm PURPLE ROOM@CLUB TRINIDAD; PS; 760-327-1161ext.230 The Gand Band w/ Liz Mandeville 5pm SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760341-3560 T.B.A. 6pm VICKY’S OF SANTA FE; IW; 760-3459770 Joanne Tatham 8pm VILLAGE PUB; PS; 760-323-3265 DJ Khodi Rayne 4:30-2am, Michael James & 3sum 9-2am VUE GRILLE & BAR; IW; 760-834-3800 Tony Grandberry 6:30pm WILLIE BOYS; MV; 760-363-3343 Family Karaoke hosted by Joleene 6pm WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-230-0188 Trish Hatley & Barney McClure 6pm

TUE APRIL 7

29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-3673505 Paul & Jo 6pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Ace Karaoke with Kiesha 9pm AZUL; PS; 760-325-5533 Bella da Ball Dinner Revue w/ guest performers 7:30pm BAR; PS; 760-537-7337 Vinyl Sessions 8pm BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 Stanley Butler Trio 6-10pm CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Joe Jaggi 6pm CORK TREE; PD; 760-779-0123 Michael Keeth 6-9pm CUNARD’S SANDBAR; LQ; 760-5643660 Bill Baker 6pm ESCENA LOUNGE & GRILL; PS; 760992-0002 Jesse Sweitzer 5pm

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com FIRESIDE LOUNGE; PS; 760-327-1700 Red’s Rockstar Karaoke 9pm HUNTER’S; PS; 760-323-0700 Karaoke hosted by Phillip Moore 9pm INDIAN CANYONS GOLF RESORT; PS; 760-833-8700 DJ Randy Johnson 6pm INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760-345-6466 Michael D’Angelo 6:15pm JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-3662250 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 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; 760-327-4080 Acoustic Guitar Jam 8pm PURPLE ROOM@CLUB TRINIDAD; PS; 760-327-1161ext.230 Darci Daniels 6:30pm RIVIERA RESORT & SPA; PS; 760-3274080 Martin Ross Starlite Lounge 6pm SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760341-3560 Demetrious and Co. TILTED KILT; PD; 760-773-5458 Karaoke w/ T-Bone 9pm VICKY’S OF SANTA FE; IW; 760-3459770 Carolyn Martinez 6pm VILLAGE PUB; PS; 760-323-3265 Live entertainment VUE GRILLE & BAR; IW; 760-834-3800 Chris Lomeli 6pm WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-230-0188 John Bolivar & Barney McClure 6pm

WED APRIL 8 29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-3673505 Dan Horn 6pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Joel Jerome 7pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-2021111 Jazz Jam 7:30pm AZUL; PS; 760-325-5533 Piano Bar 6pm BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 T.B.A. 6-10pm CAFÉ DES BEAUX- ARTS; PD; 760346-0669 John & Gina Carey 6pm

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April 2 to April 8, 2015

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Haddon Libby

continued from page 15

stake. Try asking a mechanic for free work or for free publicity (laughing).

MM: Has all your artistic success changed you at all?

DF: From day one we have always kept our same work ethics and discipline, although our surroundings may have changed a bit. Building and prepping materials are still the same and are not going to build themselves, so that would have to be a no.

MM: The Coachella Walls Project brought some serious attention to the city of Coachella with international muralists as well as the Date Farmers, painting beautiful murals with the theme “The Anonymous Farm Worker.” How important was it as Coachella Valley natives to show that this city was more than just a name for a festival?

DF: As natives to this awesome desert and growing up in and around working class families, seeing first-hand the adversities that so many families here face on a daily basis, it was very important and vital for them and also for the young working artist and the creative force living in the valley. To bring artists such as El mac from Los Angeles, Andrew Hem from Cambodia, Nunca from Brazil, only to name a few, that have seen and can relate to the same struggles in other parts of the world, and to “draw” a line in the (so to say) sand, bringing attention to the stark contrast in “Coachella” that plays to a different tune .

MM: You just recently had your second show at the Ace Gallery Los Angeles, which in the art world is a big deal for an artist. Do you feel people treat you differently now?

DF: Being blessed and being represented and working with Ace gallery Los Angeles and it being such a well-established gallery, working with the likes of Andy Warhol to Ed Ruch, it would be a lie to say it hasn’t changed people’s perception of us. It has definitely sent a certain message in and around the art world and community internationally, but for us it’s only one of many destinations in our creative journey.

MM: It’s an artist’s dream to be on the cover of Juxtapos Magazine and the Date Farmers were featured on the cover in October 2006 and have been featured in many magazines since then.

What point in your career did you feel the most validation of being a respected talented artist?

DF: Being in Juxtapos and other magazines such as Time magazine was definitely a little surreal for us, and was an awesome forum and vessel for the hard work and message we had already been doing years before. If we had to call on the most important validation it would have to be, when a total stranger can relate to us in another country or city. In one instance when a person sitting in a prison cell tells you they understood and felt what

April 2 to April 8, 2015

The Business of Charity

we were doing with heart felt meaning, that to us was the true validation.

MM: What do you think about social media in the art world today?

DF: The world has always and will always evolve and social media has definitely changed the art game. Its far reaches are infinite and endless making things readily available; in a sense an equalizer of sorts. That can be a great thing, but can also be a bad thing. Before the internet you had to rely on your own imagination rather than Google. It all depends on you, some people love it and some people don’t, but blaming the internet in a sense is like blaming your telephone for calling someone and starting a problem. It can be a great tool.

MM: What do you think of the art scene in the Coachella valley?

DF: We have seen the art scene in the Coachella Valley go from almost barren to becoming an awesome movement that is constantly evolving and ever changing, giving so many, young and old alike, a visual voice and avenue to express what was almost non-existent and limited to a class in high school or someone’s bedroom. Now there is tremendous amount of talent that is coming out of the desert, can’t wait to see what the future holds.

MM: What was a pivotal moment in your career where you knew your life as artists had changed?

DF: There are a few moments that signaled a change was happening for us, but the most pivotal would have to be in 2008 when we got a call from Obama’s campaign people saying he wanted us to do one of his campaign images. He definitely brought a “change.”

MM: What upcoming projects do you have lined up?

DF: We have a few things we are looking into at the moment but nothing that’s in ink just yet.

So for now we are working on art and planning on some local art and music events in April, so keep an eye out.

MM: What advice can you give to local up and coming artists?

DF: If you only put 10% into what you are doing, expect 10% feedback. Take that leap and give it 100%. The rest will fall in place.

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xcluding tax-exempt organizations like the NFL and Credit Unions, over 5% of all economic activity in the United States ($1.65 trillion) is transacted through nonprofits. Nearly 10% of all wages and salaries in the United States come from nonprofit organizations. Surprisingly, only 21% of nonprofit revenues come from contributions, gifts and government grants with most of the rest coming from program services - much of which is paid for by the government.

For the last reported year of 2012, $316 billion was donated to nonprofits with individuals representing $229 billion, foundations $51 billion, bequests from wills of $24 billion and corporation donations of $12 billion.

According to the National Center for Charitable Statistics, there are 1.5 million tax-exempt organizations in the United States. Of this universe, 1 million are public charities with the rest a mix of private foundations, chambers of commerce, fraternal orders and civic groups.

Charity Navigator tracks results for nonprofits that receive the majority of their funding from individuals and foundations.

In general, Charity Navigator does not track universities and hospitals or those relying

on governmental support.

Of this smaller list of charities, Lutheran Services of America had the greatest revenues last year at $20.98 billion, more than 3 times the revenues of second place YMCA of the USA at $6.61 billion in revenues. Goodwill Industries was third at $5.18 billion followed by Catholic Charities USA at $4.33 billion, the Salvation Army at $4.32 billon, United Way at $4.27 billion, Mayo Clinic at $3.90 billion and Red Cross at $3.50 billion.

Based on asset size, the largest nonprofit in the United States was the Red Cross $3.35 billion. Feeding America was second at $1.89 billion, the Smithsonian third at $1.15 billion and City of Hope fourth at $1.08 billion.

The highest rated charity by Charity Navigator was the Midwest Food Bank with four stars and a 99.95 rating on their 100 point scale. This charity feeds over 555,000 on a monthly basis in the United States and East Africa.

When it comes to fundraising, Faith’s Hope Foundation in Fullerton, California was the least efficient spending 94 cents of every $1 raised on fundraising. Stated differently, only 6 cents of every $1 raised went toward their mission of helping

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67870 Vista Chino Cathedral City, CA 92234

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financially challenged people in need of medical services. Of their $3.5 million budget, approximately $150,000 went toward their stated purpose.

The highest paid CEO of a lowly rated nonprofit was Ann Machin Oliva for the Overlook Foundation (NJ) at $608,454.

This nonprofit raises funds to provide equipment and healthcare programs to Overlook Hospital and received zero stars from Charity Navigator.

According to Charity Navigator’s 2014 Compensation Report, the average pay for nonprofit CEOs with revenues under $3.5 million was $97,158, between $3.5 and $13.5 million was $148,659 and $256,143 for nonprofits larger than $13.5 million.

Locally, the highest rated charity with four stars and a 94.3 rating was the Desert AIDS Project. With $21.5 million in revenues

and $12.3 million in assets, 7% was spent on fundraising. CEO pay totaled $244,114 for the last reporting period.

The Coachella Valley Rescue Mission (CVRM), a local homeless shelter also had a top rating with four stars. CVRM spent 10% of their $5.2 million budget on fundraising with their CEO earning less than $100,000.

The McCallum Theatre had three stars spending 7% of their $12.4 million budget on fundraising with their CEO earning $328,714 for the last year reported.

Guide Dogs of the Desert also received three stars and paid 7% of their $2 million in revenues on fundraising. Their highest paid employee earned $130,640.

The Living Desert with two stars spent 34% of their $9.4 million in revenues on fundraising activities with their CEO earning slightly more than $100,000.

The Palm Springs Art Museum received two stars and spent 12% of their $9.9 million in revenues on fundraising. CEO pay at $305,241 represented 3.1% of expenses.

Haddon Libby is Managing Partner of Winslow Drake, an Investment Advisory firm and co-founder of ShareKitchen. He can be reached at hlibby@winslowdrake.com.

Dale Gribow On The Law

THE VISA/MASTERCARD FRAUD

Feline Veterinary Service

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www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

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he VISA Fraud/Scam, like so many I have discussed in the last month or so, involves a caller claiming to be someone they are not. I warned my readers last week, that When the IRS Calls to Hang UP. This is because the IRS like Visa does not call, they write.

Some phony callers claim to be with law enforcement and your caller ID may support that claim. They notify you that you did not show for jury duty and they need you to send a money order to clear it up.

I previously shared the rental property scams occurring during the Tennis, Stagecoach and Coachella events. Properties are advertised for rent but sometimes NOT BY THE REAL OWNER. The alleged owner asks the renter to send a money order for the rental or to check credit.

THE VETERAN FRAUD scam involves invitation to a free lunch or dinner to be “educated” and then sold a product like an annuity. A case just filed in the last 2 months involves a 90 year old Rancho Mirage lady whose investments were paying her 8% per year. The stock broker sold her a 10 year Annuity paying less than 1%. There was very little chance of her living that 10 year period. She never knew he was a stock broker as required by law. If this happens to you or a friend call the Veteran Fraud Hotline 760-837-7555.

The purpose of this week’s column is to provide a heads up to my CV Weekly readers, regarding the latest in a Visa/MasterCard Fraud. This scam is sweeping across the country from the Midwest and should be here before summer. A caller will

provide YOU with all the card information, except the one piece they want.

You will not be asked for your VISA card number because they already have it. The caller says - ‘This is Mr. Jones and I’m calling from the Security and Fraud Department at VISA. My Badge number is 12460. Your card has been flagged for an unusual purchase pattern, and I’m calling to verify. This would be on your VISA card which was issued by (name of bank). Did you purchase an Anti-Telemarketing Device for $497.99 from a marketing company based in Arizona?’

When you say ‘No’, the caller continues with, ‘Then we will be issuing a credit to your account.

This is a company we have been watching, and the charges range from $297 to $497, just under the $500 purchase pattern that flags most cards.

Before your next statement, the credit will be sent to (gives you your address). Is that correct?’ You say ‘yes’.

The caller continues - ‘I will be starting a Fraud Investigation. If you have any questions, you should call the 1-800 number listed on the back of your card (1-800-VISA) and ask for Security.

You will need to refer to this Control Number. The caller then gives you a 6 digit number. ‘Do you need me to read it again?’

The IMPORTANT part of the scam is when the caller says, ‘I need to verify you are in possession of your card’. He’ll ask you to ‘turn your card over and look for some numbers’. There are 7 numbers; the first 4 are part of your card number, the last 3 are the Security PIN Numbers that verify you are in

possession of the card.

These PIN numbers are used to make Internet purchases to prove you have the card. The caller will ask you to read the last 3 numbers to him.

After you tell the caller the 3 numbers, he’ll say, ‘That is correct, I just needed to verify that the card has not been lost or stolen, and that you still have your card. Do you have any other questions?’

After you say no, the caller then thanks you and states, ‘Don’t hesitate to call back if you do’, and hangs up. You actually say very little, and they never ask for or tell you the card number.

If you do call back The REAL VISA Security Department they will advise you it was a scam and that a charge of under $500 was just made. Of course you will be issued a new VISA number and your maximum legal exposure is still $50. ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­All the Scammer wants is the 3-digit PIN number on the back of the card. Don’t give it to them. Instead, tell them you’ll call VISA or Master Card directly for verification of their conversation.

VISA will never ask for anything on the card, as they already know the information, since they issued the card! If you give the Scammer your 3 Digit PIN Number, you think you’re receiving a credit. However, by the time you get your statement you’ll see charges for purchases you didn’t make, and by then it’s almost too late and/ or more difficult to actually file a fraud report.

The police are receiving several of these reports daily!

It appears that this is a very active scam, and evidently quite successful...so share this information with your friends. Hopefully this “knowledge is power” for you and your friends…. when you share this with them.

Dale Gribow : 1) TOP LAWYER rating by Palm Springs Life 2011-2015 2) Perfect AVVO 10.0 Peer Review Rating by fellow attorneys 3) “Preeminent” Rating by Martindale Hubbell 4) Selected for Rue “Best Attorneys of America” (Limited to Top 100 Attorneys per state.).

2015 Client Appreciation Award 2015 Martindale Hubbell Client Distinction Award ONLY CV attorney appointed to study DUI for: 1. Coachella Valley Association of Governments Public Safety Committee.

2. Clinton Foundation’s Health Matters Committee re DUI. For more than 30 years Gribow has been committed to protecting client’s civil and criminal constitutional rights. Regardless of whether the matter concerns a Serious Accident, DUI, Business, Real Estate or Estate Planning issue, every case is diligently handled with the utmost of respect and care. Gribow offers clients decades of experience and success, thus making him the attorney of choice for thousands of clients.

DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE, CALL A TAXI OR UBER……IT IS A LOT CHEAPER THAN CALLING ME! For questions regarding this column or ideas for future columns please contact Dale Gribow Attorney at Law at 760 837-7500 and or dale@ dalegribowlaw.com

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April 2 to April 8, 2015

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

safety tips

by Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna

Be a Good Egg this Easter! Follow these Easter Safety Reminders.

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andy & Toy Safety: In order to prevent choking, avoid hard, round candy; children’s airways are higher and narrower than an adult’s, creating a choking hazard. Fake grass is not easily digestible, so keep it away from little children. Be sure that Easter toys and dolls (such as bunnies, chicks etc) are free of choking hazards. Chocolate Bunny’s are an Easter tradition…however, be very careful when giving such gifts to children who are peanut or nut allergic.

Egg Safety: Eggs are a potentially hazardous food, and are capable of supporting the rapid growth of diseasecausing bacteria like Salmonella. Before boiling eggs for Easter decorating/painting, they must be kept refrigerated. Use only clean, unbroken eggs. Discard dirty or broken eggs. Cleanliness of hands, utensils and work surfaces is essential in preventing spread of bacteria. Always wash your hands when handling your eggs, especially between cooking, cooling and dyeing.

Hunting Safety: Set up a boundary for an outdoor Easter egg hunt so kids are not

wandering off or into places that aren’t safe or supervised. Do not hide eggs near outlets, hard to reach areas, near glass or other breakables or dangerous spots both indoors and outdoors Visit: nationalsafety.wordpress.com Happy Easter!

Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna

Community

In Case You DIdn’t Hear..

Cathedral City Rotary presents its first annual Health Fair on Saturday, May 2 from 3p-10p in collaboration with ShareKitchen, Salvation Army of Cathedral City, the City of Cathedral City and The Foundation for Palm Springs Unified School District’s Health Glo Run/Walk. The Health Fair will feature cooking demonstrations at ShareKitchen’s CV Fresh Tent, health screenings, education, exercise demonstrations, health and community resources, and the popular addition of healthy food trucks. Our goal is to help our community get and stay well by providing a fun filled evening showing a variety of ways in which eating smarter and getting your body moving are ‘two sides of the coin’ to living a healthy lifestyle.

The evening’s HEALTH GLOW RUN/ WALK 5k/1mile by The Foundation for PSUSD is a course of glow in the dark GLOtastic fun! As you make your way through the course around Cathedral City’s Town Square you will be doused with glow paint at several GLO zones. When you hit the finish line that is where the party begins!

HEALTH GLO and dance the night away

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at our after party with a DJ and watch the paint fly. Runners of all ages can come and party the night away. Get ready for the most GLO-tastic night of your life!

All proceeds of Health Glo will be issued to The Foundation for The Palm Springs Unified School Districts Classroom Grant Program. Register for the run today! www.healthglo5K.com

LOGO CONTEST

Want to help support local food? Start your creative engines and participate in our local food logo contest sponsored by the USDA Local Food Promotion Program!

Design and submit your logos before April 19th to participate.

Join the conversation about our local food, get involved and visit www.CVFRESH. info for contest information, rules and entry form. Want to support our community and be a part of the new food economy? Follow us on Facebook for the latest information on the CV FRESH contest, upcoming workshops and community events. www.facebook.com/ShareKitchen

By Katie Ruark

ACVWater-Saving Yard or Business Can Earn You Prizes!

Water Counts conservation awards aim to highlight great examples of efficient water-use

V Water Counts is looking for Coachella Valley residents who have transformed their yards into water-friendly retreats, and businesses— general commercial and hospitality— that have put a water-saving technique or design in place. The spring 2015 CV Water Counts conservation awards will be announced in late April.

Those with yards—big or small, front or back—that showcase beautiful desert plants and materials in lieu of turf should apply. A beautiful yard will be chosen from each of the valley’s five public water agency service areas. There will also be another contest in the fall and one overall Most Beautiful Yard winner for the year. Eligible yards must efficiently use water. Prizes include gift cards to home improvement stores and recognition on CVWaterCounts.com.

Valley businesses are also included.

The CVRWMG will recognize a local Commercial Water Saver from each of the valley’s five water agency service areas that have implemented conservation designs or techniques. To be eligible, businesses must have a creative technique or design in place that saves water. Winners will be

sports Scene

sharekitchen HEALTH FAIR and GLOW RUN 5K

recognized in advertising, with a plaque and on CVWaterCounts.com.

One Hospitality Water Saver will also be awarded. The qualifications, judging criteria and prizes are the same as the Commercial Water Saver category, but it is specifically open to hotels, golf courses and spas.

Applications and contest information can be found at CVWaterCounts.com and must be submitted by April 17, 2015, by emailing applications to: contest@ cvwatercounts.com, or by mailing applications to: CV Water Counts, 45-025 Manitou

Drive, Ste. 13, Indian Wells, CA 92210 CV Water Counts will announce the award winners in late April, with award ceremonies at respective district board meetings. The contest promises to be a fun way to reward those who have taken steps to conserve water, our most precious natural resource. Reducing water use is rewarding, but CVRWMG decided to show off the savings in order to encourage more people and businesses to take steps to save.

CV Water Counts also has a water conservation video contest underway for valley students, with a March 31 deadline.

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

To learn about the requirements, prizes and how to enter, visit CVWaterCounts. com/videocontest.

For more information, or for contest questions, contact Sara Toyoda of Indio Water Authority at 760-625-1815 or stoyoda@indio.org.

About CV Water Counts: CV Water Counts is a collaborative conservation campaign by the Coachella Valley Regional Water Management Group made up of Coachella Valley Water District, Coachella Water Authority, Desert Water Agency, Indio Water Authority and Mission Springs Water District. For more information visit www.CVWaterCounts.com.

April 2 to April 8, 2015

by Julie Buehler

Tiger Is Not Good At Golf.. Get Used To It.

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f the Leaning Tower of Pisa ever just tipped over, we’d probably say, “Welp, it was about time.”

Tiger Woods has been leaning towards mediocrity for years now.

He’s tipped over.

And it’s about time.

He’s dropped out of the Top 100 golfers in the world for the first time since 1996 when he was ranked 221st and began his ascent into sports lore.

It’s been nearly 2,500 days since he won his last major, the 2008 US Open, and it’s not looking like that drought is going to end any time soon.

Oh sure, he’s likely to string together a start at The Masters. And he’s even more likely to withdraw with back pain or perhaps just play so badly he misses the cut. Again.

It’s not good. Not at all. He’s taking attention away from good golfers with his bad play and the headlines could read: Woods played poorly. Byline: Captain Obvious.

Look, I’m not a “Tiger hater” and I don’t have anything against the guy, I simply watch a lot of sports and can recognize when an athlete fails to compete at a level commensurate with his peers.

Now, add to his poor play, the whispers of his PED usage that have been prolific

long before a journeyman named Dan Olsen put the Lansing, Michigan market and subsequently the nation on notice, his ailing back and leg and fill-in-the-blank physical ailment and then, add to ALL that, the guy has lost his instinct and you’d understand why he’s lucky it’s taken THIS long to drop out of the world’s Top 100 golfers. Actually, it’s a credit to his illustrious career that he’s still ranked 104th.

The career-worst 82 Woods carded at the Phoenix Open may have been a key point of evidence for Tiger fans, but those in the golf world not swimming in Tiger’s KoolAid have recognized his fragilities began as his Thursday and Friday scores were respectable but his Saturday and Sunday scores sounded like the kind of numbers high schoolers are looking for on math tests.

It used to be the opposite.

Tiger used to save his best for the times that required the most grit, the most skill, the most precision and he’d artfully attack a course like Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel.

Now it looks like he’s finger painting. He’s not even Bob Ross tapping color on a canvas to make happy little trees. Tiger is your favorite 4-year-old slapping something onto any surface and hoping we’re all impressed enough with effort to applaud him.

sports Scene LPGA Makes a Splash in the Valley…

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he ANA Inspiration golf tournament is part of the LPGA Tour and is one of the five major championships in women’s golf. ANA stands for All Nippon Airlines, a Japanese carrier that became title sponsor beginning in 2015. ANA replaced Kraft Nabisco as title sponsor.

Despite all the changes in title sponsors, the ANA Inspiration has always been played at Mission Hills Country Club in California.

The tournament was founded by entertainer Dinah Shore, a strong supporter of women’s golf and the LPGA. Shore died in 1994, but there is a statue of her at the host course. It is tradition for the tournament winner to jump in the lake next to the 18th green.

When: April 2-5, Where: Mission Hills Country Club (Dinah Shore Tournament Course), Rancho Mirage Lexi Thompson earned her first victory in a major championship by three strokes.

Thompson, at age 19, became the secondyoungest major winner in tour history.

Thompson and Michelle Wie began the final round tied at 10-under. Wie had a solid 71 and finished second, but Thompson jumped ahead early and finished with a 68 for a 274 total.

This tournament is now and always has been played at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, Calif. The ANA Inspiration takes place on the club’s Dinah Shore Tournament Course (the club’s other two courses are the Arnold Palmer Course and Pete Dye Challenge course), which was designed by Desmond Muirhead and tips out at 7,250 yards. For this tournament, the course is set up as a 6,702yard par-72. The ANA Inspiration is one of five majors on the LPGA Tour, but it hasn’t always been that way. From its founding in 1972 through 1982, what was then called the Colgate Dinah Shore was a big event - but did not have major championship status. Winners from 1983 forward are credited with major championship wins.

The first three-time winner was Amy Alcott, whose third victory came in 1991.

Betsy King joined Alcott as a 3-time champion in 1997, and Annika Sorenstam in 2005.

After Alcott’s second victory, in 1988, she inaugurated what is now known as the “Champions Leap” when she spontaneously

Apologists will say that Tiger created this perception with his outrageous success.

Because he was so great for so long, his mediocrity feels like outright failure when juxtaposed to his legend.

Uh, ok. Whatever helps you sleep at night.

I say the guy’s brain is short-circuiting.

He’s unable to decide which direction to go with his swing, with his coach, with his approach to a hole. He doubts his instinct and tries to power through a course when his body is hardly in any shape to be powering anything but a remote control.

He’s old and hurt and exhausted

and rather than pull a Greg Maddux and try to outsmart the competition, he still thinks he can out-power it.

He’s not only wrong, he’s going in the wrong direction.

And once the tower started leaning, it was only a matter of time until it tipped.

While Tiger has yet to decide if he’ll play in The Masters that begins in a week as of writing, he has decided to enter the ring with Father Time, one arm tied behind his back. A battle no athlete has ever won.

And rather than be surprised by the outcome, we should just say, “Welp, it was about time.”

Julie Buehler hosts the Coachella Valley’s most popular sports talk radio show, “Buehler’s Day Off” every day from 1-4 on 1010 KXPS, the valley’s all sports station. She can also be seen every morning between 6-7am on KMIR sharing the coolest stories in sports. She’s an avid gym rat, slightly sarcastic and more likely to recite Steve Young’s career passing stats than American Idol winners. Tune in M-F 1-4 pst at www.team1010.com or watch “Buehler’s Day Off” on Ustream and KMIR.com for her sports reports.

by Flint Wheeler rushed off the 18th green and leaped into the greenside lake. That leap has since become a tradition at the tournament.

When Morgan Pressel won this tournament in 2007, she became the youngest-ever LPGA major championship winner. Pressel was about two months shy of her 19th birthday.

A couple of LPGA major championship scoring records were set here. The 62 Lorena Ochoa posted in the first round in 2006 is tied for lowest 18-hole score in a women’s major; and Dottie Pepper’s 19-under in 1999 is tied for the lowest score in relation to par in a women’s major.

Brittany Lincicome won the 2009 KNC by making eagle on the final hole. It is the only time in either a men’s or women’s major championship that a final-hole eagle determined the winner.

In other golf news…

For the first time since 1996, Tiger Woods is not among the top 100 golfers in the world rankings.

Woods, who has not played since he withdrew from the Farmers Insurance Open on 6 February, falls to No104 this week. The last time he was out of the top 100 was on 29 September 1996, when he was at No225.

The following week, Woods won the Las Vegas Invitational as a 20-year-old for the first of his 79 PGA Tour victories.

It is not clear when Woods will return to the sport. He said in February that his scores

were not acceptable and he would not play until his game was in tournament shape.

Woods is not required to announce if he is playing the Masters until the tournament starts 9 April.

Meanwhile, Paul Casey will be returning to Augusta after securing his place.

The 37-year-old has not played in the season’s first major for the last two years but will return due to his position in the world’s top 50.

The Englishman, whose world ranking got as high as No3 in 2009, came into the new season outside the top 50 but a second-placed finish at the Northern Trust Open followed by a tie for third at the Honda Classic saw him move back in and his place at Augusta has now been assured. Casey’s best Masters finish was a tie for sixth on his debut in 2004.

FlintWheeler.com - Founder of Silex Strategies L.L.C. providing sales and consulting in Insurance, Retirement, Real Estate and Taxes through A.I.G./Valic. PGA Class A Member and T.P.I. Certified Golf Trainer. Host of “The Tilted Sports Radio Show” on Fox Sports 1270 from 3-7pm on Thursdays, Live from The Kilt. Contact at 760-409-4612

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Health&Fitness

“Whole Body Reboot: The Peruvian Super Foods Diet To Detoxify, Energize, And Supercharge Fat Loss” By Manuel Villacorta

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hat exactly is the Super Food Incan diet, and what makes eating the Peruvian way so beneficial?

In his third book Whole Body Reboot: The Peruvian Super Foods Diet to Detoxify, Energize, and Supercharge Fat Loss (HCI Books/Dec 2014 $18.95), Manuel Villacorta lays out the important elements that make his dieting plan a well-seasoned recipe for long-lasting health.

Super food refers to foods that are low in calories and high in nutrients.

“Superfood” is not just a buzz-word or a passing vogue; it’s the integral component to leading a healthy lifestyle, a word many of us are recognizing by the minute. As these once obscure products find broader distribution and consumers have greater access, super foods are finding their way into mainstream supermarkets, gradually becoming a staple to the American diet. The benefits of consuming Peruvian super foods are astonishing: from fighting cancer and reducing inflammation to boosting energy and enhancing memory – these foods have it all.

In his Peruvian super foods diet, Villacorta provides simple yet thorough explanations of weight-loss, anti-aging, and disease-fighting concepts by using an appealing page layout displaying beautiful color photography, easy-toread bullet points, and sidebars summarizing each health benefit.

What makes Villacorta’s book so enticing, aside from his mouth-watering recipes, is that he offers specific meal plans geared towards both men and women looking to lose weight and lead a healthier life. He has also created custom 7-day meal plans for vegans, vegetarians, omnivores, and glutenfree diet preferences. By using the core principles from his first book, Eating Free, and referencing his second book Peruvian Power Foods, Villacorta proves to his readers that they can successfully follow a super-health weight-loss plan, easily gain the skill in cooking from scratch, dine with elegance, and reduce everyday stress.

Among the myriad of recipes offered in Whole Body Reboot, here is a sample: Day 1: Red Reboot Red represents energy, strength, power and courage, according to color psychology. Red fruits and vegetables are rich in lycopene and anthocyanins, powerful phyto-chemicals that possess the characteristic red pigment. Lycopene and anthocyanins are linked with: • Reduced risk of certain cancers • Heart, lung, and urinary tract health • Improved memory • Ability to ward off infection Ingredients for 1 Serving 1 ½ cups Strawberries, fresh or frozen ½ cup Tomato ½ cup Cooked Beets 1 tablespoon Chia seeds 1 teaspoon Camu Camu powder* ¼ teaspoon Cinnamon 1 cup Coconut water 20-25g protein, Protein powder (rice, pea, or whey) *Note: Camu Camu is a Peruvian super food that provides therapeutic levels of vitamin C in its natural form. Refer to Appendix C to find where to buy camu camu. If you choose not to purchase camu camu, skip this ingredient. Another great

alternative to include a Peruvian super food with Camu Camu is to add a shot of youthH2O. 1. Put all the ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Add tap water until it reaches the desired consistency.

Note: if making the smoothie the night before, the chia seeds will absorb some of the water and it could thicken the smoothie. No worries; just add more tap water the next day and shake or stir the smoothie to the desired consistency.

Per Serving: Kcal 349, Protein 31g, Carb 48g, Fat 5g, Sodium 327mg, Dietary Fiber 15g Daily Value: Fiber 58%, Vit C 1429%, Vit A 18%, Vit D 0%, Calcium 20%, Iron 47% Recipe from Whole Body Reboot by Manuel Villacorta / HCI Books/December 2014 – ISBN: 9780757318214 ​“Available wherever books are sold” About Manuel Villacorta: Health is not a diet plan, but a lifestyle.

Understand your body, your strengths, and your limits and use this knowledge to make a change.

Stop dieting, start living. — Manuel Villacorta Registered Dietitian. Educator. Author. Speaker.

Spokesperson.

A nationally recognized, award-winning registered dietitian with more than 16 years of experience as a nutritionist, Manuel Villacorta, M.S., R.D., is a respected and trusted voice in the health and wellness industry. He is the founder of Eating Free, an international weight management and wellness program, and one of the leading weight loss and nutrition experts in the country. He is the author of Eating Free: The Carb-Friendly Way to Lose Inches, Embrace Your Hunger, and Keep the Weight off for Good (HCI, May 2012) and Peruvian Power Foods: 18 Super foods, 101 Recipes, and Anti-aging Secrets from the Amazon to the Andes (HCI, October 2013).

Manuel served as a national media spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (2010-2013), and currently acts as a health blog contributor for The Huffington Post, an on-air contributor to the Univision television network, and a health and lifestyle contributor for Fox News Latino. Manuel is the owner of San Francisco-based private practice, MV Nutrition and the recipient of five ‘’Best Bay Area Nutritionist’’ awards from the San Francisco Chronicle, ABC7 and Citysearch.

His warm, approachable style and his bilingual proficiency in English and Spanish have made him an in-demand health and nutrition expert on local and national television and radio channels, as well as in articles appearing in print publications and online. Manuel is a compelling, charismatic speaker.

Manuel has acted as a media representative for food companies such as Foster Farms, Eggland’s Best “California Latino 5-A-Day Program” and “Got Milk.” He is now the chief of public relations and spokesperson for the Pichuberry Company.

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY Week of April 2

ARIES (March 21-April 19): “Choconiverous” is an English slang word that’s defined as having the tendency, when eating a chocolate Easter Bunny, to bite the head off first. I recommend that you adopt this direct approach in everything you do in the coming weeks. Don’t get bogged down with preliminaries. Don’t get sidetracked by minor details, trivial distractions, or peripheral concerns.

It’s your duty to swoop straight into the center of the action. Be clear about what you want and unapologetic about getting it.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): The American snack cake known as a Twinkie contains 68 percent air.

Among its 37 other mostly worthless ingredients are sugar, water, cornstarch, the emulsifier polysorbate 60, the filler sodium stearoyl lactylate, and food coloring. You can’t get a lot of nutritious value by eating it. Now let’s consider the fruit known as the watermelon. It’s 91 percent water and six percent sugar. And yet it also contains a good amount of Vitamin C, lycopene, and antioxidants, all of which are healthy for you. So if you are going to eat a whole lot of nothing, watermelon is a far better nothing than a Twinkie. Let that serve as an apt metaphor for you in the coming week.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You may be as close as you have ever gotten to finding the long-lost Holy Grail -- or Captain Kidd’s pirate treasure, for that matter, or Marie Antoinette’s jewels, or Tinkerbell’s magical fairy dust, or the smoking-gun evidence that Shakespeare’s plays were written by Francis Bacon.

At the very least, I suspect you are ever-so-near to your personal equivalent of those precious goods. Is there anything you can do to increase your chances of actually getting it? Here’s one tip: Visualize in detail how acquiring the prize would inspire you to become even more generous and magnanimous than you already are.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): People are paying attention to you in new ways. That’s what you wanted, right? You’ve been emanating subliminal signals that convey messages like “Gaze into my eternal eyes” and “Bask in the cozy glow of my crafty empathy.” So now what? Here’s one possibility: Go to the next level. Show the even-more-interesting beauty that you’re hiding below the surface. You may not think you’re ready to offer the gifts you have been “saving for later.” But you always think that. I dare you to reveal more of your deep secret power.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Some people believe unquestioningly in the truth and power of astrology.

They imagine it’s an exact science that can unfailingly discern character and predict the future.

Other people believe all astrology is nonsense. They think that everyone who uses it is deluded or stupid.

I say that both of these groups are wrong. Both have a simplistic, uninformed perspective. The more correct view is that some astrology is nonsense and some is a potent psychological tool. Some of it’s based on superstition and some is rooted in a robust mythopoetic understanding of archetypes.

I encourage you to employ a similar appreciation for paradox as you evaluate a certain influence that is currently making a big splash in your life. In one sense, this influence is like snake oil, and you should be skeptical about it. But in another sense it’s good medicine that can truly heal.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): According to the Biblical stories, Peter was Christ’s closest disciple, but acted like a traitor when trouble came. After Christ was arrested, in the hours before the trial, Peter denied knowing his cherished teacher three different times. His fear trumped his love, leading him to violate his sacred commitment. Is there anything remotely comparable to that scenario developing in your own sphere, Virgo? If you recognize any tendencies in yourself to shrink from your devotion or violate your highest principles, I urge you to root them out. Be brave. Stay strong and true in your duty to a person or place or cause that you love.

© Copyright 2015 Rob Brezsny

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Marketing experts say consumers need persistent prodding before they will open their minds to possibilities that are outside their entrenched habits. The average person has to be exposed to a new product at least eight times before it fully registers on his or her awareness.

Remember this rule of thumb as you seek attention and support for your brainstorms. Make use of the art of repetition. Not just any old boring, tedious kind of repetition, though. You’ve got to be as sincere and fresh about presenting your goodies the eighth time as you were the first.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): In Cole Porter’s song “I Get a Kick Out of You,” he testifies that he gets no kick from champagne. In fact, “Mere alcohol doesn’t thrill me at all,” he sings. The same is true about cocaine. “I’m sure that if I took even one sniff that would bore me terrifically, too,” Porter declares.

With this as your nudge, Scorpio, and in accordance with the astrological omens, I encourage you to identify the titillations that no longer provide you with the pleasurable jolt they once did. Acknowledge the joys that have grown stale and the adventures whose rewards have waned. It’s time for you to go in search of a new array of provocative fun and games.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): The English writer William Wordsworth (1770-1830) wrote hundreds of poems. Among his most famous was “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud,” which is also known as “Daffodils.” The poem sprung from him after a walk he took with his sister around Lake Ullswater in the English Lake District. There they were delighted to find a long, thick belt of daffodils growing close to the water. In his poem, Wordsworth praises the “ten thousand” flowers that were “Continuous as the stars that shine / And twinkle on the milky way.”

If you are ever going to have your own version of a daffodil explosion that inspires a burst of creativity, Sagittarius, it will come in the coming weeks.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Your subconscious desires and your conscious desires seem to be at odds. What you say you want is not in precise alignment with what your deep self wants. That’s why I’m worried that “Don’t! Stop!” might be close to morphing into “Don’t stop!” -- or vice versa. It’s all pretty confusing. Who’s in charge here? Your false self or your true self? Your wounded, conditioned, habit-bound personality or your wise, eternal, evergrowing soul? I’d say it’s a good time to retreat into your sanctuary and get back in touch with your primal purpose.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Sometimes you’re cool, but other times you’re hot. You veer from acting aloof and distracted to being friendly and attentive. You careen from bouts of laziness to bursts of disciplined efficiency. It seems that you’re always either building bridges or burning them, and on occasion you are building and burning them at the same time. In short, Aquarius, you are a master of vacillation and a slippery lover of the in-between.

When you’re not completely off-target and out of touch, you’ve got a knack for wild-guessing the future and seeing through the false appearances that everyone else regards as the gospel truth. I, for one, am thoroughly entertained!

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): How can you ripen the initiatives you have set in motion in recent weeks? Of the good new trends you have launched, which can you now install as permanent enhancements in your daily rhythm? Is there anything you might do to cash in on the quantum leaps that have occurred, maybe even figure out a way to make money from them? It’s time for you to shift from being lyrically dreamy to fiercely practical.

You’re ready to convert lucky breaks into enduring opportunities.

Homework: Before bed on the next five nights, remember everything that happened during the day. Do it with compassion and objectivity. Testify at FreeWillAstrology.com.

Rob Brezsny Free Will Astrology freewillastrology@freewillastrology.com

April 2 to April 8, 2015

Mind, body & Spirit

by Bronwyn Ison

WHAT DO YOU “LIKE?”

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o you “like” it or not? Do you participate in social media or have a teenager who does? Regardless, Facebook, Instagram and Tweeting are the craze. Each of these platforms exudes positivity as well as negativity. Thus, what is social media doing for you personally? How are you choosing to use your social media ~ Business, pleasure or both? It is important to ask yourself… what are you or your teens gaining out of social media?

When I have expressed to my daughters that I received my first cell phone at 25-years-old it astonishes them. Today we see adults and pre-teens manipulating their iPhones and engaging with this electronic device more than they are connecting with humans. Sad but this is truth. My first phone is antiquated compared to our current devices. The world is at our fingertips. This is positive and negative.

Most of us are on social media. Whether business or pleasure you are involved because you are entertained and keeping up to date by what your friends and others are posting. Plus, you enjoy posting and sharing with your friends what is germane in your life at the present time. Facebook can be an exceptional tool for business or detrimental to your personal life. Yet, you have complete control on what you decide to post.

This is for your teen or you… Research tells us the more “LIKES” we receive the better we feel about ourselves. Yes, this is what it has come to. Face it, when you post a new profile picture that portrays the best you, you want to know if others LIKE you

too? There isn’t anything wrong with this I am simply stating a fact. But, let’s take a peek at the flip side. What if not as many people “LIKED” your photo? How does this make you feel? Do you feel less “LIKED”, not as important, attractive or desirable?

This is where social media gets tricky. You are putting your best foot forward for the world to see. Hence, looking for acceptance.

Of course, each of us wants and desires to be liked. We become perplexed when we become dependent upon the validation. Be cognizant and be able to separate yourself from feeling as though the LIKES make you worthy.

We may be connecting in our social media worlds, but are we bonding with others outside of the electronic world? Consider your intrapersonal relationships. Are they genuine or are they superficial? Are you connecting with the people around you? Are you spending more time engaging in social media than your personal relationships? For some this may be easier because it requires less effort. Plus, you can jettison somebody in your social world much easier than you can in person. Hence, this is less personal.

Partaking in social media should be done responsibly. If handled with care you should anticipate a positive outcome. Also, don’t let your social media world impose on true relationships. The true connection materializes when you are face-to-face with a person and not by the simple click of a button.

Bronwyn Ison is the owner of Evolve Yoga. e-volveyoga.com (760)564-YOGA

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April 2 to April 8, 2015

Life & career Coach

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

by Sunny Simon

Dealing with the Job Search Blues

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ntense frustration permeated my client’s voice. Cathy spent the past twelve weeks diligently working all angles of her job search. Things were finally starting to heat up. Phone screenings led to one-onone and panel interviews. Agencies entered the picture and began pitching long term assignments. Why the angst? Cathy was in limbo. As she waited for an offer to materialize for the job she really wanted, she knew she must pursue a Plan B in case that company decided on another applicant. Cathy tired of playing the waiting game and just wanted to get back to work. I sympathized.

The extensive stretch in job search mode can be draining especially if unemployment was not by choice. This particular client was victim to a company downsizing. As the weeks fly by with no offers on the horizon, individuals often experience the job search blues. In my role as career counselor, I also act as head cheerleader and when needed offer a safe haven for a little venting.

The reality is, finding a new home for your talents is rarely a slam dunk. It takes time and significant effort, before you hear the words “congratulations and welcome to the team.” What is the best way to tough out a situation that often leaves you feeling out of control? If you’ve been laid off, begin with recognizing emotional aspects of job loss do

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occur. Feelings often range from shock, fear and anger to relief, acceptance and the desire to move forward.

Extensive job search activity must also be balanced with down time. Yes, you must dedicate hours of hard work to your search, but also make time to connect with family and friends. Get to the gym as often as possible.

Build some fun time into your schedule.

Sign up for volunteer work. Getting involved in a cause you care about puts a surge of satisfaction and self-worth into the equation.

As you move forward, be realistic. There will be setbacks. You may get edged out by another candidate when you thought an offer was forthcoming. Don’t let these setbacks derail you. Unemployment is reversible.

Set realistic expectations. Know that there is a position out there with your name on it. Continue to push through the fear and frustration.

When the interviews start rolling in, you are in the home stretch. Shake off those job search blues. You will find the ideal company to leverage your career strengths. In turn, that organization will be delighted to welcome you on board.

Sunny Simon is the owner of Raise the Bar High Life and Career Coaching. More about Sunny at www.raisethebarhigh.com

Health&Fitness

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

April 2 to April 8, 2015

by chris clemens

The Well Spa at Miramonte Resort & Spa Offers a Scent Journey Spa Party While Supporting Jacob Reyes’ Fight Against Leukemia

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he Well Spa at Miramonte Resort & Spa is holding a ZENTS Spa Party on April 8 from 5 to 8 p.m. in which purchase to the event will support four-year old Jacob Reyes and his family as he fights leukemia. The event includes a special guest from ZENTS, a variety of mini spa treatments, hors d’oevres and cocktails, and a take-home swag bag.

The highlight of the evening is a special consultation with Cord Coen, founder and president of ZENTS, a mindful luxury body care and spa products company. Coen is the creator of bespoke scents for celebrities and royalty, and he will consult with guests to create a customized signature scent to be used in a deep conditioning hand and arm treatment. The various ZENTS scents are designed to support a person’s core area of interest, and range from grounding and strengthening, balancing and energizing, soothing and cleansing, light and feminine, comforting and calming, warm and invigorating, euphoric and stimulating, and velvety and sultry.

Tickets to the ZENTS Spa Party are $65 each. Purchases of any ZENTS body care

products at the event also benefit Jacob Reyes. To read more about Jacob’s fight with Lukemia and to donate directly, visit www. miramonteresort.com/zents. Reservations for the party are required by calling (760) 837-1652. For more information about the resort visit www.miramonteresort.com or call (760) 341-2200.

About Miramonte Resort & Spa Miramonte Resort & Spa brings the spirit of the Mediterranean to the California desert community of Indian Wells, just minutes from Palm Springs. The intimate village features THE WELL® Spa, which has been consistently named in the Top 100 Resort Spas in North America by the readers of Conde Nast Traveler magazine.

Additionally, the acclaimed Mediterraneaninspired Grove Artisan Kitchen offers guests an unforgettable farm-to-table culinary experience.

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April 2 to April 8, 2015

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April 2 to April 8, 2015

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April 2 to April 8, 2015

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