Coachella Valley Weekly - April 26 to May 2, 2018 Vol. 7 No. 6

coachellavalleyweekly.com • April 26 to May 2, 2018 Vol. 7 No. 6

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April 26 to May 2, 2018

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STAGECOACH 2018 TOP PICKS

Coachella Valley Weekly (760) 501-6228

publisher@coachellavalleyweekly.com coachellavalleyweekly.com facebook.com/cvweekly twitter.com/cvweekly1 Publisher & Editor Tracy Dietlin Art Director Robert Chance Sales Team Domingo Winstead, Kirby Club Crawler Nightlife Editor Phil Lacombe Feature Writers Lisa Morgan, Rich Henrich, Heidi Simmons, Noe Gutierrez, Avery Wood, Tricia Witkower, Jason Hall, Steve Brown, Kristen Elaine, Olga Rodriguez Writers/Contributors: Robin Simmons, Rick Riozza, Eleni P. Austin, Craig Michaels, Janet McAfee, Bronwyn Ison, Haddon Libby, Dale Gribow, Laura Hunt Little, Sam DiGiovanna, Rob Brezny, Sunny Simon, Dr. Peter Kadile, Bruce Cathcart, Flint Wheeler, Denise Ortuno Neil, Dee Jae Cox, Patte Purcell, Rebecca Pikus, Angela Romeo,Aaron Ramson, Elizabeth Scarcella, Jennifer Jank Photographers Robert Chance, Chris Miller, Esther Sanchez, Laura Hunt Little Website Editor Bobby Taffolla Distribution Phil Lacombe, William Westley

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hose who know me well, know that my personal play list is a kaleidoscope of influences and sounds ranging from esoteric psychedelic world music to heavy desert rock. I love everything from Cumbia, reggae, Mississippi Blues and New Orleans Jazz, to Hip-Hop, rap and R & B. But of all the festivals our valley hosts, Stagecoach remains my favorite. It is a gluttonous serving of the Americana roots genre that I connect with the deepest. Stagecoach is where I have basked in the timeless glow of John Prine, Willie Nelson, Wynonna Judd, Emmylou Harris, Wanda Jackson, Merle Haggard, Don Williams, Charlie Pride, and Steve Earle. I have been inspired by the voices of newer artists bringing their own story to the table, like Lukas Nelson and the Promise of the Real, Nikki Lane, Jason Isbell, Amanda Shires, Holly Williams, Sturgill Simpson, Margo Price and Chris Stapleton.

This is merely a sampling of the indelible music memories that have lit my heart up at this annual festival. At my publisher’s request, I am honored to share with you which artists I believe are a must see at Stagecoach 2018. I’ll leave out most of the headliners on the Mane Stage, if you don’t mind, as they will command your attention on their own. You will likely find me spending the bulk of my time at the smaller stages, Palomino and SiriusXM’s SPOTLIGHT Stage (formerly called the Mustang Stage) jockeying for position to see the following: FRIDAY

CONTENTS

Stagecoach Top Picks............................. 3 Molly Hatchet......................................... 5 Aaron Watson......................................... 6 Adam Doleac........................................... 7 Temecula Road....................................... 8 Half-Pint Hootenanny Stage................. 8 DJ Bad Ash.............................................. 9 Greta Van Fleet.................................... 10 Brewtality............................................. 11 Hard Rock Hotel Leaves PS ................. 11 Consider This - Public Access TV........... 12 Art Scene- Ariella Moon....................... 13 Pet Place............................................... 14 The Vino Voice ...................................... 15 Club Crawler Nightlife.................... 16-17 Pampered Palate - Thai Smile............. 18 Screeners ............................................. 20 Book Review ........................................ 21 Safety Tips .............................................21 Haddon Libby....................................... 23 Dale Gribow.......................................... 23 Brenda Warren..................................... 24 Travel Tip 4 U......................................... 25 Real Estate............................................ 25 Sports Scene........................................ 26 Palm Desert Aquatic Center Travel ... 26 Free Will Astrology............................... 27 Mind, Body & Spirit.............................. 27 Ask The Doctor.................................... 28 Life & Career Coach............................. 28

Kendell Marvel: SiriusXM’s Spotlight Stage 12:30pm - 12:30pm – Veteran singersongwriter, Kendell Marvel holds down Tuesday nights at Nashville’s historic Exit/In. He has penned hit songs recorded by Gary Allan (“Right Where I Need to Be”) and Chris Stapleton (“Either Way”). Marvel is known in Music City for his outlaw-styled country rock as evidenced by his latest recording, Lowdown & Lonesome. Marvel makes a strong bid for his own place as a performer and not just a hit songwriter, and I think this show will tell us all just how deserving he is.

Jade Bird: SiriusXM’s Spotlight Stage 12:45pm - 1:10pm – This 21-year-old singer began her music career in her home country of England five years ago. With her 2017 EP, Something American, Rolling Stone described her vocals as raw and robust and named her as a new country artist to watch in July 2017.

Banditos: Palomino Stage 1:30pm - 2:00pm – I’ll be hightailing it to the Palomino stage to catch Banditos. Why? Banditos describe themselves as a fusion of

‘60s blues-fused acid rock, ZZ Top’s jangly boogie, garage punk scuzz a la Burger Records, Drive-By Truckers’ yawp, the populist choogle of CCR, Slim Harpo’s hip shake baby groove, the ebullient folk of electric Dylan, gut bucket Fat Possum hill country mojo and the Georgia Motherf**king Satellites. And well, that just makes them my favorite kind of people. With the essence of backwoods bluegrass, slinky nods to Muscle Shoals soul sprinkled with unexpected bits of doo-wop sweetness, the Banditos promise to sound like no one but themselves, and I am so ready for that.

Joshua Hedley: Palomino Stage 2:30pm - 3:15pm – AKA “Mr. Jukebox,” Hedley is a badass violin player and a beacon for 60s honky-tonk devotees everywhere. He is also a voice in the crowd wanting to remind folks that there’s more to sing about than trucks, butts and beer. “I just want people to remember they have feelings, and that they’re valid,” he says. “Not everything is Coors Light and tailgates. There are other aspects of life that aren’t so great that people experience.

They’re part of life, part of what shapes people.

And that’s worth noting.”

Tanya Tucker: Palomino Stage 2:30pm - 3:15pm – BECAUSE IT’S TANYA FREAKING TUCKER! Her story is riddled with the hell raising stories and the infamous escapades of party girl who could outdrink and out fight any man. But let’s put things into perspective; at 30 years old, Tanya Tucker was already a 20-year veteran of the music industry. Now, a Betty Ford graduate, Rolling Stone has listed her as one of the 100 Greatest Country Artists of All Time. There are few women left who have left such an indelible mark on the history of American Music and are still here to tell us about it.

Cody Jinks: Palomino Stage 6:20pm - 7:10pm – This former thrash metal artist who has opened for Sturgill Simpson and Whitely Morgan brings his outlaw edge and raw no-bullshit perspective to Stagecoach.

He shocked everyone when his album, “I’m

April 26 to May 2, 2018

BY LISA MORGAN

Not the Devil,” debuted at number four. They called it his “breakout record.” It was his fifth. A decade into his career, he has a lot more to say and do, and will be the perfect lead in to the band following him that represents 40 years of Southern rock and roll.

Molly Hatchet: Palomino Stage 7:40pm - 8:40pm – Because it’s Molly Freaking Hatchet (See my interview with Bobby Ingram on page 5).

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Jade Jackson: Palomino Stage 1:30pm - 2:00pm – This smoky voiced beauty reeks of soulful authenticity and distinctiveness. Jackson’s melancholic countryfolk caught the attention of Social Distortion front-man Mike Ness’s wife and son at a coffee house gig. Punk Rock legend, Ness, ended up producing Jackson’s debut record (Gilded, coming this May on Anti- Records) and invited her to open for Social D on their spring tour.

Jackson has also shared the stage with Merle Haggard, Rosie Flores and Dwight Yoakam. I could listen to her voice all day.

Brandy Clark: Palomino Stage 2:25pm - 3:10pm – Her songs have been recorded by Sheryl Crow, Miranda Lambert, The Band Perry, Reba McEntire, LeAnn Rimes, Billy Currington, Darius Rucker, and Kacey Musgraves. She was nominated for Best New Artist at the 2015 Grammy Awards. Her earthy style and clever song crafting are enough to earn her my attention and support. The fact is, there are not nearly enough women being heard in this industry, and her recent rise based on her contributions is very encouraging and inspiring. continue to page 5

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Tyler Childers: Palomino Stage 3:40pm - 4:25pm – His stellar album, Purgatory, produced by fellow Kentucky native Sturgill Simpson, is a fusion of modern Appalachian music, coal-country bluegrass and southern storytelling. “It’s that bluegrass sound, but with a little bit more edge to it,” he told Rolling Stone Country last year, months before the album’s release. It debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Heatseekers Albums chart, No. 17 on the Country albums chart and No. 4 on the Americana/Folk albums chart.

Ronnie Milsap: Palomino Stage 4:55pm - 5:40pm – Living legend, Ronnie Millsap is country music’s most popular and influential performers of the 1970s and 1980s.

He became one of the most successful and versatile country “crossover” singers of his time, appealing to both country and pop music markets with hit songs that incorporated pop, R&B, and rock and roll elements. He is credited with six Grammy Awards and forty No. 1 country hits, third to George Strait and Conway Twitty. A congenital disorder left him almost completely blind from birth. Abandoned by his mother as an infant, he was raised in poverty

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by his grandparents in the Smoky Mountains until the age of five, when he was sent to the Governor Morehead School for the blind in Raleigh, North Carolina. He is the quintessential “bad ass” in life and music, and it is an absolute honor to see him perform live. Thank you, Goldenvoice.

Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit: Palomino Stage 6:10pm - 7:10 pm – I have adored this man’s music since his stint with the Drive By Truckers, but he has never shined so bright since sobering up (thanks to an intervention from his wife, manager and Ryan Adams), and bringing us his latest three albums, Southeastern, Something More Than Free, and The Nashville Sound, all released on his own independent label. Last count, he has been awarded four Grammy awards.

Mane Stage: The Mane Stage will be hosting two of my favorite newer artists: Brothers Osbourne at 7:20pm and Kacey Musgraves at 8:40pm.

SUNDAY Colter Wall: Palomino Stage 4pm - 4:50pm – This “Canadian Cowboy”

had a top 20 charting album in 2016. He opened for Lucinda Williams at the Ryman Auditorium and received a standing ovation from the not so easily impressed, Steve Earle, during his appearance at Nashville’s Skyville Live. Looking forward to forming my own opinion.

Lukas Nelson and the Promise of the Real: Palomino Stage 5:20pm - 6:10pm – One of my all-time favorites, the band that performed with Neil Young at Desert Trip in 2016 will have it’s second opportunity to play Stagecoach. They are featured with Lady Gaga in Bradley Cooper’s remake of A Star is Born, part of which was filmed at last year’s Stagecoach, and is scheduled for release October 5th. Lukas and POTR are truly coming into their own and I want to see what that looks like. They never disappoint.

Gordon Lightfoot: Palomino Stage 6:40pm - 7:40pm – Again, thanks to Goldenvoice, a serious legend and musician’s musician is coming to town. Lightfoot’s career has spanned more than five decades, producing more than 200 recordings. He helped define the folk-pop sound of the 1960s and 1970s, with his songs recorded by artists such as Bob Dylan,

MOLLY HATCHET CELEBRATES 40 YEARS AT STAGECOACH 2018

FRIDAY APRIL 27 - PALOMINO STAGE - 7:40PM–8:40PM

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Gene Clark, Dan Fogelberg, Jimmy Buffett, and Jim Croce. He survived a coma and a stroke and continued to create and perform. If only to see what Music in the flesh looks like, do not miss this show.

There is no doubt in my mind that Garth Brooks will deliver a great show. He will do more than that. He will engrave himself in the hearts of all within range. I was fortunate to see him early in his career. There is a special kind of magic in him that comes from true love; a deep love for connecting, inspiring and moving the people that have come to see him through his music. There are few in the world like him.

tagecoach is “Flirting with Disaster” in a legendary way as southern rock band, Molly Hatchet, a band that has been “Beatin’ The Odds” for 40 years promises to “Take No Prisoners.” All crafty uses of Molly Hatchet song titles aside, faces and brains will be melted as these guys pack as much of their 40-year existence into

the one hour they’ve been allotted on the Palomino Stage, this Friday night.

I had the chance to have a heart to heart chat with Bobby Ingram, the longest standing member of Molly Hatchet - a bad ass musician as well as a guy with a bachelor’s degree in accounting, and who is

now pursuing a law degree. There are those that would complain that Molly Hatchet no longer has any of the original players in it.

Others would offer that there is one man that has put it upon himself to keep Molly Hatchet rocking, touring and recording so that fans can throw their fists up and enjoy all that only this band can bring them.

Bobby Ingram would be that man. He has been a part of Molly Hatchet for over 30 years. The road has been long and at times treacherous and deeply painful – such is the music industry. Ingram shared openly about what it has taken and what the payoff is: “Molly Hatchet’s career is like a lot of groups that came out of the mid 70’s.

There was a lot of road work, records, concerts and great times. Molly Hatchet didn’t start out any less obscure than 38 Special and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Danny Joe Brown (Hatchet’s original lead singer) and I started out together in Rum Creek for a couple of years before he went to play with Molly Hatchet. When Danny went to Molly Hatchet, I finished my accounting degree. Then, when Danny left MH after

BY LISA MORGAN making Flirting with Disaster, he wound up at my house on a rainy Sunday afternoon, and asked for my help in putting a band together. That became the Danny Joe Brown Band. It was good timing. I had just finished college and was ready to go on the road. That’s when I met John Galvin, the keyboard player, who is still with us.”

“We had just finished one album and were on track for a second album when Danny went back to Molly Hatchet. Then Galvin went to Molly Hatchet. In 1987, I went to Molly Hatchet. I am now the longest standing, consistent member, without any breaks, for the past 31 years.

It’s weirder than people think. I know the true meaning of the word dedication. I learned it in high school marching band, that’s for sure. I learned it in college, along with determination and sacrifice. I especially learned it in Molly Hatchet, and I continue to page 6

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relearn it every day. I’ve never gotten to the point where I say everything is ok, because that’s when you drop your guard and things go out to left field for a bit. So, I’m very hands on with the band. I’m the sole owner of the intellectual property of the band. I’ve worked half my life for it. I deserve to be here, or the good Lord wouldn’t let me be here, that’s for sure.”

“In all that time I have seen so many things, it’s hard to cover it in one interview, I guess. I’ve Worked with some incredible producers, like Glenn Johns who produced the Danny Joe Brown album. He also worked with The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, and even The Beatles some. I’ve worked Karl Richardson who did ‘Layla’ and ‘Saturday Night Fever.’ Since then, I’ve started producing the albums myself. I didn’t plan on it. It was suggested by the record company. Since I’ve worked with some of the best in the business, it seems like a natural progression. It’s hard to give your music to another person and ‘tell’ them what it’s supposed to sound like. When a band is in its formative years, it’s important to have a producer because they help them find direction in the formative years. But I

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firmly believe that once you have enough experience, you need to exercise what you’ve learned and produce yourself. We took the bull by the horns and did that in 1996. We have now signed a new recording agreement with our longtime friends at SPV GmbH (an independent German record label that has grown to be one of the largest independent distributors and record labels worldwide). We are coming out with a double live album this year and a studio record will follow. The album cover will be done by Paul Raymond Gregory who has been a real part of the band. It will not be pre-painted before the album is made – he will wait and listen to the album first and gain his inspiration from the music. We are currently recording in Germany at the top of an alp with windmills and snow all around. We’re making good rock and roll and concentrating on making the albums the best we can possibly make them.”

“I have always felt a need and strong desire to keep the Molly Hatchet tradition, legacy, and spirit alive and well, and to keep it on the road, playing concerts, and recording new albums. I’ve seen every member come and go in the last 31 years.

I feel fortunate to be able to do it for so long and so consistently. I’ve never faltered or stepped out on the group, so to speak.

I never joined another band. This has been my baby for over three decades, and I’m proud of it. I know what kind of sacrifice it takes to make it happen. It’s all worth it to see the joy of the fans, to see their faces light up, and see them jumping up and down and hollering and forgetting their troubles.

That’s the reward. That’s the payoff.”

Ingram showed the dedication and determination throughout his career with Molly Hatchet – many times in the face of deep loss – losses he didn’t mention in our interview but are public record. Ingram suffered the loss of his wife Stephanie during the tracking of the Warriors of Rainbow Bridge album. He would of course finish after a delay. Stephanie was the seventh member of Molly Hatchet and she did many things behind the scenes that no one ever saw. She was never the person that would ever want anything in return. Longtime friend, Danny Joe Brown passed away in 2005 from complications of diabetes he had suffered with for many years. In 2006, Duane Roland, guitarist of the band, passed away leaving a legacy

AARON WATSON – THEY DON’T MAKE THEM LIKE THEY USED TO

that will never be forgotten. In 2005, Dave Hlubek, a founding member after playing in various bands around the United States has returned to Molly Hatchet after 20 years.

Everyone was glad to see Dave having a good time and doing what he does best until his passing in September 2017.

Today, the band members are Bobby Ingram on lead, slide and acoustic guitar, John Galvin on keys and Hammond b3, Phil McCormack on lead vocals and harmonica, Tim Lindsey on bass, Shawn Beamer on drums. “I have not replaced Dave, nor could I ever. I don’t know what the future is in that regard. Southern rock is about more than just three guitar players. This is a home of Southern gentlemen. We take care of our family. We believe in God. We support our military… As we enter the next 40 years of music, Molly Hatchet’s tradition keeps developing the common bond of southern rockers and keeps our southernstyle of music alive and well. Rest assured, Molly Hatchet is a band, that after 40 years, is always workin’ hard, playin’ tough, livin’ fast, and still Flirtin’ with Disaster!”

BY LISA MORGAN

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(OR MAYBE THEY DO) SUNDAY APRIL 29 - STAGECOACH MANE STAGE - 4PM–4:30PM

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aron Watson is cut from sturdy cloth and hand sewn. He’s not one of a million out of a factory - he is his own real deal, and after 18 years, has earned his place on the Mane Stage Sunday night, just hours ahead of Garth Brooks. “It doesn’t really matter whether I’m playing a dancehall in Texas or a stadium tour around the world, I’m just me,” he says. “I won’t change. I’m just too rooted in what I believe in. When you’ve played for such a long time to nobody, now that there’s somebody, you really don’t take that for granted.”

Watson has recorded several independent albums in his career. Watson was sitting at his kitchen table in 2015, as his wife Kim was scrambling eggs when he got the call - The Underdog had debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Country Albums Chart. It was the first time an independent, male country artist had ever outsold majors to premiere at the top spot. “We started jumping around and squealing like kids,” he says. “It was a beautiful moment because I got to share it with the girl who believed in me when I was broke and playing some pawnshop guitar. It is something I’ll never forget…Once we dried the tears of joy, it hit me,” Watson says. “I had my work cut out for me for my next album.” In 2017, Watson had his first major radio airplay hit with “Outta Style,” which reached top 20 on Country Airplay.

Watson’s latest, Vaquero, is the followup to 2015’s The Underdog. In it are songs that play like an old vaquero delivering timeless wisdom. There is also a song he feels is possibly the best song he’s ever written: “They Don’t Make Them Like They

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Used To.” In the spirit of Haggards “Are the Good Times Really Over for Good,” the song takes you on a unique journey from a sentimental moment to a thoughtful and insightful rant about our times. It is neither a left of right point of view; it is simply a human observation. In my opinion, as long as there are guys like Aaron Watson, there is evidence that yes, they do still make them like they used to. Like his forefathers in country music, he builds on his roots, but no one will tell him how to do it. It’s not an easy position to hold in these music times, but if Haggard, Waylon and Cash were outlaws, then so is Watson.

CVW: “Since becoming and 18-year overnight success, would you mind sharing with me what has been the absolute most heartbreaking part of the music industry (or at least the toughest to push through)?”

Watson: “I think every job or dream has it’s struggles and disappointments, but honestly, if there’s something I’ve learned through my 18-year journey is that it’s just that - the journey. I’ve learned not to get too focused on a certain milestone or disappointment. I’ll tell you a quick story.

When I was young in my career, I got an opportunity to go to Nashville and sing some songs for a big record executive.

I thought he was going to think I was the greatest thing since sliced bread. To make a long story short, that’s not exactly how it went, so I went back home to Amarillo, Texas. I was having coffee with my dad telling him about it and basically how this guy said I wasn’t good enough. My dad took a sip of coffee and said, ‘Don’t worry, that’s the same thing they said to Willie for all those years.’ There I was thinking, ‘Yeah, me and Willie!’ Then my dad says, ‘You know Willie finally made it by the time he was 45 years old.’ I’m about 20 at the time and I asked him, ‘Am I really going to have to grind it out for 25 years to make it?’

He just sipped his coffee and grinned and said, ‘Yep, if you want it bad enough.’ That changed my entire outlook. It’s about the passion and grind, and I love what I do so I just focus on working hard on the things that I can control.”

CVW: “Want to brag on your wife a bit?

As an artist myself, I know how hard it is for significant others to remotely understand the demands and the drive. Some tolerate it. Some don’t. And some are with you in spirit every step of the way, the latter being the rarest.”

Watson: “My wife is wonderful, a true blessing. We’ve been married almost 15 years, have three wonderful kids and another one up in Heaven. She’s just been so supportive whether we were starting out scratching to get by and I was in a white van, or now when things are a bit more comfortable. It’s important to have a home and that support system to rely on because it’s certainly not an easy or normal life and career.”

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com CVW: “Did you ever seriously consider hanging it up?

Watson: “You know, not really. I’ve always had a passion for making music, writing songs, singing. It’s what I’ve dedicated my life to. About 7 years ago my wife and I lost a little girl, Julie Grace, and I went through a tough period. It was hard to go out on the road and perform to people wanting to have fun when I was homesick and heartbroke. But at the same time, daddy’s got to make a living and this is what I do. I have three wonderful healthy babies at home, and on the road I have an amazing band and crew that have been with me forever. Everyone I’m surrounded

with really helped me through that period.”

CVW: “What are your favorite venues to play, since you’ve pretty much played them all?”

Watson: “Oh yeah, definitely seen a lot over about 2,500 shows. So many are great for so many reasons. The legendary venues…

Billy Bob’s, Gruene Hall, Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa, Grizzly Rose, Buck Owen’s Crystal Palace just because of everyone that has played those. Getting to do the big rodeos like Houston, San Antonio, Cheyenne, Calgary (just to name a few) were definitely bucket list performances. I’ve gotten the opportunity this year to step up to some larger arena shows, playing both where

RISING STAR, ADAM DOLEAC

I grew up in Amarillo just last weekend and Abilene where I live now. The Pacific Northwest recently has just exploded, and I love the folks up there. The UK and Europe is always fun. I don’t know, I could go on and on. I really enjoy going all over playing our brand of country music and every performance is special and unique.”

CVW: “What does your dream future look like?”

Watson: “Honestly, I feel like I’m living the dream now. I get to do what I love for a living, making a good living while doing it, providing for my family and taking care of my guys. Of course I’d love to be home more and coach some more baseball and

BY LISA MORGAN

April 26 to May 2, 2018 see some more ballet. I’m ambitious and definitely want to keep growing, but I’m not particularly reaching for that brass ring or thinking there’s a finish line.”

CVW: “Any words of advice for the earnest fledgling singer/songwriters out there throwing themselves on the sword for a music career?”

Watson: “I meet a lot of them; it’s been really special that they find some inspiration in my journey. I just tell them, ‘Believe in yourself and work hard.” There’s no secret trick - you just got to hustle and get better.

Believe in yourself, write all the time, know who you are, go out and find your own audience.”

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SATURDAY, APRIL 28 - SIRIUSXM’S SPOTLIGHT STAGE -12:45PM–1:10PM

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rom carpenter, to baseball recruit, to Southern Miss’s three-time College World Series ring recipient, rising country music star, Adam Doleac, has been applying the work ethic instilled by his father since he was a child growing up in Mississippi. Until a severe injury abruptly ended his baseball career, Doleac might never have dreamed he’d be applying that same determination, discipline and work ethic to a music career. Having always had an affinity for music, Doleac started booking shows as a solo artist and writing songs with a teammate following his injury. His online posts of his music got the attention of established songwriters in Nashville, leading to some successful co-writes and a move to Nashville. SiriusXM’s The Highway selected “I Put It On Ya” as an On The Horizon track in 2014 which led to a publishing deal with Sony/ATV. To date, Adam’s ability to construct meaningful tunes have earned him cuts from Darius Rucker and Kane Brown. Not satisfied as merely a writer, Doleac signed a management deal as a performer with 287 Entertainment. Doleac released a self-titled debut EP in June 2017 becoming a featured artist on the fall SiriusXM’s 2017 Highway Finds Tour. Doleac also caught the attention of the streaming world, and several of his songs have earned spots on Spotify-curated country playlists.

On his way to Stagecoach, Doleac gave CV Weekly a few minutes to share insight on his rising career.

CVW: “What/who has been your greatest influence regarding your music and lyrics.”

Doleac: “My biggest influence in songwriting is John Mayer. I’ve been listening to John Mayer records for 15 years now, and they never get old to me. He’s timeless, and that’s what I strive for with my music. I want people to listen back in 15 years and still love my songs the same way they did the first time they heard them.“ CVW: “Who is your favorite songwriter in Nashville?”

Doleac: “Thomas Stevenson Douglas; no one is better than Tom Douglas.” (Douglas has written Top Ten hits for John Michael

Montgomery, Martina McBride, Tim McGraw, Collin Raye, Lady Antebellum, and Miranda Lambert, and is largely known for the Grammy nominated, award winning song, “The House that Built Me.“ CVW: “There are so many young dreamers wanting to rise above the waterline in the music business - what do you think set you apart to help you get here?”

Doleac: “I think one thing that has set me apart from the gazillions of young dreamers and artists trying to making it is simply staying true to myself and being unique. It’s easy to try and chase after new trends or the newest cool thing (and I have done that in the past, believe me), but I have found that people want honest, they want true and, most importantly, they want to feel something when they hear a new song.”

CVW: “What is your next goal/best waking dream ever?”

Doleac: “My next goal is to be a part of a major tour. My best waking dream?

All these songs start off with me sitting in a room with nothing but a guitar, writing them down. However, while I am writing them, I am imagining myself singing them in the middle of a stadium with 50,000 people

singing back to me. So, that. I want to do that. That’s my best waking dream.”

CVW: “Can you give me one weird/ not-so-weird fact about yourself you think most people don’t know or see about you?”

Doleac: “One not-so-weird fact about me is that I love thrift stores and old/broken things. For example, I love typewriters.

That clicking is one of my favorite sounds on earth. Every song I write, I come home and type it out on my typewriter, and I keep them all. That stack has gotten pretty large in the last five years!”

CVW: “Your first dream was baseball.

How did you handle the heart crushing news that you wouldn’t be able to continue and make the transition to a new passion? I ask you to answer from the very human side so that readers who encounter anything similar might gain something from your story.”

Doleac: “Of course, my original dream was to play professional baseball, and there were times where that dream seemed very real and right around the corner. When I got hurt my junior/senior year of college, that dream started to fade away. I’ll never forget the feeling of walking into the College

World Series. There were 30,000 people in the stands. It was at night, and cell phone lights were everywhere. That high – that feeling of something bigger than myself – is still what I am after today. Sure, I got injured, and I wasn’t able to do it in the way I originally planned (which was baseball), but now I’m chasing after it with a guitar in my hand instead of a baseball bat.”

CVW: “What would you tell other young artists first arriving in Nashville or just hoping for a career in the music industry?”

Doleac: “I would tell anyone who wants to move to Music City and chase after this crazy dream that they’d better LOVE IT. Love it with no plan B and with a certainty that you can’t live without this thing called music. I’ve done a lot of things in my life, but Nashville has tested me more than anything I have come across. You’ll hear, ‘No,’ ten times as much as you will hear, ‘Yes.’ You will want to go back home 100 times before you finally realize you want to stay forever.

Yes, it’s hard work, but there’s no ‘job’ quite like it. How lucky am I to be able to create something out of nothing every day, and then go travel the world singing it?”

Catch Adam Doleac at Stagecoach Saturday, April 28, 12:45 pm - 1:10 pm on SiriusXM›s SPOTLIGHT Stage. This may be the most intimate setting you’ll be able to catch his show as he sets his sights on those bigger arena stages. You can also follow his budding career at www.adamdoleac.com

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April 26 to May 2, 2018

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

TEMECULA ROAD – TEMECULA BASED TEENS COME TO STAGECOACH

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emecula has more to celebrate these days aside from their championship golf courses and beautiful wine country, their Temecula Valley Balloon & Wine Festival, and the Temecula Valley International Film Festival. They can now proudly claim Temecula Road, a band that is solid evidence of the communities budding music scene, and who by their very name, are proud of where they come from. Tapped by Radio Disney as their latest “Next Big Thing,” sisters Maddie, 17, and Emma Salute, 18, along with their brother in spirit, Dawson Anderson, also 18, have already opened for Martina McBride, Josh Turner, Joe Nichols, Easton Corbin, Lee Brice, Sara Evans, Kenny Rogers, and the Eli Young Band, to name a few. This past year, Temecula Road signed with Buena Vista Records, part of the large-scale Disney Music Group. With their Disney affiliation, the trio will receive big-time boosts from the Disney Channel and Radio Disney and the company’s myriad social platforms. Their current single/ video, “What If I Kissed You” has over half a million Spotify streams and approximately ¼ million video views. After interviewing these three, I have to say, I am now a fan myself.

These teens are authentic, unassuming, and age appropriately optimistic and wise.

They are supported by a strong family dynamic, and their harmonies are like honey butter on a fresh warm biscuit. While clearly talented with looks that fit the part, it’s their work ethic and gracious demeanor that compels me to believe in them. While their first hit launched their careers, they are not content to rest on their laurels or the work of others. They have worked hard and taken full advantage of the grooming and mentoring opportunities Disney has brought their way, including writing with pros and continuing their musical education.

Their next singles to be released later this year will reflect that.

CVW: “Does your family have a music background?”

Dawson: “No. We’re the first ones in our

families to pursue music. But we would be no where without them. They are literally our biggest motivators and supporters on every level.”

CVW: “What is your first musical memory – the one that made you think, ‘I want to do this!’”

Maddie: “I remember seeing Carrie Underwood on TV singing, ‘Jesus Take the Wheel.’ Every time it came on CMT, I would freak out and think, ‘That’s what I want to do!’”

Emma: “The harmony thing just came more naturally for me. I was singing harmonies at 7 years old, at church and to the radio. The song I remember making the first big impact was Taylor Swift’s, ‘You Belong with Me.’” Dawson: The first time I remember falling in love with music was at my first concert – Rascal Flatts. I was 7 years old and I still remember hearing, ‘Life is a Highway,’ and thinking that’s what I want to do.”

CVW: “How did you three meet and start working together?”

Dawson: “We were 13 and 14 when we met. I started taking vocal lessons from the same vocal coach as the girls. We started writing together, and a year or so later, we decided that we should do this and make it a career path. People responded well to what we were doing. They saw it even before we did.”

CVW: “Tell me what unique differences each of your personalities bring to the table.”

Maddie: “I’m the calmest and quietest.”

Dawson: “That’s true.”

Emma: (silence) CVW: “Emma, you’re pretty quiet over there; do you agree?”

Emma: (all three laughing) “Well, I do, and I don’t. I see her as both my sister and my bandmate. But, yeah, I would pretty much agree.”

CVW: “How about you, Emma?”

Emma: “I would say I’m probably the most strong willed in the group.”

CVW: “Is that another way of saying you might be a little bit stubborn?”

Emma: “Well, yes.”

Dawson: “Yes, in the best way possible!”

Maddie: “In the worst way, possible.” (all laugh, myself included) Dawson: “This is a tricky question for me. I definitely would say I’m the loudest.”

Emma/Maddie: “You’re the wild one!”

Dawson: “That’s true. I have fun watching the grass grow. Everything excites me.

Everything we do is ‘the coolest thing ever,’ even if it’s just checking into a hotel.”

CVW to Dawson: Do you get a lot of comments from the guys around you to the effect of, ‘Dude you are so lucky. Those girls are so beautiful.’”

Dawson: “All ….the ….time! The sound guys, people at the venues…”

Emma/Maddie: “Ew!” (laughter) Dawson: “Not in a creepy way! Just like,

STAGECOACH BRINGS EMERGING YOUNG TALENT TO THIS YEAR’S FESTIVAL

BY LISA MORGAN

STAGECOACH

BY LISA MORGAN

‘Man, you have it made. And, yeah… I would say I’m a pretty lucky guy.”

CVW: “Are you protective of the girls?”

Emma/Maddie: “No! I think we’re more protective of Dawson!”

Dawson: “I am protective, but in a different kind of way - like a brother. I see these two more than I see my own brothers because we’re travelling together and rehearsing all the time. They have taught me how to treat girls, hold the door open for them, how to talk to them… My family is all guys. Even the dog is a guy. It’s the opposite for the girls. They’re all girls in their house – even the dog. It’s been a big learning curve for all of us.”

CVW: “Are you girls protective of Dawson?

It seems some girls can be pretty aggressive, especially when it comes to a musician.”

Maddie: “My favorite thing they do at the meet and greet: ‘Oh you’re shorter than I thought.’” (laughter) Dawson: “That’s ok. there are some girls that seem a little more aggressive, act a little too friendly, or IM me a little too much. These girls keep me level headed.”

Emma: “I’ll swoop in to save the day.”

CVW: “You have so many good things going on, but what is the hardest part of the new job and the fame and attention that come with it?”

Dawson: “I would say is not seeing family as much as I want to. I love these two. But I miss my family and friends.”

Emma/Maddie: “Definitely being away from home.”

Temecula Road were on the road with country music icon, Sara Evans, when we spoke, and are looking forward to Stagecoach, playing at the CMA Fest and opening for Train in Memphis. Be sure to catch them and support this local ensemble on the SiriusXM’s SPOTLIGHT Stage, Sunday, 1:25-1:50pm. You can follow them at temecularoad.com.

STAGECOACH

PERFORMING ON THE HALF-PINT HOOTENANNY STAGE:

FRIDAY, APRIL 27 – MINOR EMERGENCY SATURDAY, APRIL 28 JULIA RIZIK SUNDAY, APRIL 29 AUBURN ROAD

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ontinuing the tradition of bringing the hottest new talent to the festival, Stagecoach 2018 has invited teen rockers Minor Emergency, singer-songwriter Julia Rizik and countrypop trio Auburn Road, to join the ranks of Half Pint Hootenanny stage alumni, Tegan Marie and Temecula Road as this year’s festival newcomers.

To kick off the 3-day festival on Friday, April 27 Coachella Valley’s Minor Emergency (Luke 12, Zoe 12, Brayden

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13 and Jake 14) will take the stage. The foursome has already made a name for themselves by rocking favorite classic rock and Americana hits and playing venues alongside established popular Desert bands.

In addition to rock n’ roll, Minor Emergency also have a deep love of country music.

Brayden began their journey into that genre as a big country fan herself. In addition, Jake has recently taken on the standup bass which lends itself well to the classic country sound. Last spring, the band performed a

country only concert to a sold-out crowd and can’t wait to see their country fans at this year’s Stagecoach festival. Minor Emergency continues to show their growing talent, as these genre-mixing tweens and teens perform frequently at venues of all

size throughout the Coachella Valley with a set list that includes rock ‘n roll, classic rock, blues, Americana, and of course, country. Minor Emergency can’t wait to hit the Stagecoach stage and show the festival goers what a group of kids can do!

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

On Saturday, April 28, 17-year-old singer-songwriter Julia Rizik will captivate the stage. At the age of 14, while all the other kids begged their parents for trips to Disneyland, Phoenix, AZ native Rizik, pleaded with her parents to take her to Nashville, TN. Her mom and dad recognized her undeniable talent and agreed to take her to the home of the Grand Ole Opry, AmericanaFest and The Country Music Awards. All she wanted to do was sing at the iconic Bluebird Café and she made sure that she did. These trips became more

STAGECOACH

D

J Bad Ash started her career as a singer/songwriter. Ashlee Williss gained a lot of momentum early in her career. She sang alongside many amazing acts such as ZZ Top, Lionel Ritchie, Stevie Wonder, and Tom Jones, just to name a few. She has performed at the Country Music Awards and Sundance. Just as things progressed in her career, and on the day of her debut album release, tragedy struck.

Ashlee didn’t think she’d return to music, but like a phoenix, she rose from tragedy in the way of DJing. She needed music in her life, and found DJing as a nice segue back into music. Little did she know she would become one of L.A.s most accomplished DJs. DJ Bad Ash has become a common name in the industry. She has opened for Cardi B, Migos, Zac Brown Band, and many others.

She has had a residency in Vegas. She DJ’d for many celebrity parties such as Gwen Stefani’s eyewear launch. Now, she will be a highlighted act at Stagecoach spinning country and singing during her set on Saturday, 8-10pm in the HonkyTonk Tent.

Coachella Valley Weekly: You’re LA based, we’re you raised in LA? DJ Bad Ash: “No. I was raised in Jacksonville, Florida. I moved to L.A. because I had a record deal about 12 years ago. I moved out here and made half a record then had a falling out with the label, but I kept at it.”

CVW: Has music always been a part of your life?

frequent allowing Rizik to collaborate with like-minded Nashville musicians. While most of her peers were hanging out at the mall and having slumber parties, Rizik was staying up all night writing songs and paying her dues, she was the 2014 winner of the Arizona Teen Idol Singing competition and has performed multiple national anthems for sporting events. She will be performing on Good Morning Arizona on April 20, making her mark at Stagecoach 2018 and graduating from high school in May. Soon after she plans to embark on an exciting

road to Nashville, expect to see her on more festivals and fairs this summer.

Closing out the weekend on Sunday, April 29 Pop-Country-Americana, teen trio Auburn Road will be sure to mesmerize with their stunning three-part harmonies. Alicia Paulson, Paxton Martin and Kristen Brown are life-long friends who are staying true to their country roots, but also daring to push the boundaries of the modern genre.

With a tell-all, attitude-filled songwriting approach and feisty personalities they are sure to crash through the stereotypes with

April 26 to May 2, 2018 three voices that blend perfectly together.

They self-released their debut Fancy in their senior year of high school, graduated, and have since been busy playing shows, writing and recording songs for their upcoming EP series Mustang Vol. 1 and Mustang Vol. 2. Taking the destiny of their career in their own hands they are funding the upcoming releases through their touring, merchandise sales and a preorder campaign on PledgeMusic (www.pledgemusic.com/ projects/auburnroad) LINKS: MinorEmergencyBand.com Instragram.com/MinorEmergency Facebook.com/MinorEmergency Twitter.com/Minor_Emergency For more information and press inquiries, please contact: Cherise Sonderman at info@minoremergencyband.com or #760565-2263 juliarizik.com www.instagram.com/juliarizik www.facebook.com/juliarizik For more information and press inquiries please contact: Jim Malito at Jmalito@ brokenbowrecords.com or #480-292-7881 AuburnRoadMusic.com www.twitter.com/AuburnRoadMusic www.instagram.com/auburnroadmusic www.youtube.com/AuburnRoadMusic www.facebook.com/AuburnRoadMusic For more information and press inquiries please contact: Dana Gordon at Independent Music Media at HiDanaGirl@ aol.com or #213-864-2690.

DJ BAD ASH SPINNING AND SINGING AT STAGECOACH

BY JASON HALL

DJ Bad Ash: “Always! From the moment I was talking, I was singing.”

CVW: What were you listening to growing up?

DJ Bad Ash: “I loved Patsy Cline and Celine Dion. They were my heroes. That’s how I learned how to sing. Then the 90s came and I fell in love with The Cranberries, Fiona Apple, Alanis Morissette, and all the chick singers.”

CVW: You’re an accomplished singer/ songwriter, how did you transition into A DJ career?

DJ Bad Ash: “I had done a lot of really cool things as a singer, but never ‘made it.’ Finally, I decided to release my own album. I shot a

great video and produced a great album. The day of my record release party, my boyfriend died. I fell apart after that for a little bit. I took a year off of music. I resented music at that time. I spent my whole life working hard at it, then something tragic like that happens...

I just gave up music. Then a year goes by, and I realized I was missing something in my life. I needed music in my life, but I couldn’t get back out there as a vulnerable singer/ songwriter. Somebody had mentioned DJing, and initially I was against it. I didn’t like EDM, and knew I was a singer. Eventually I gave it a try, and I was a natural. It opened my mind up to all different kinds of music. It brought

my spirit back. My first gig, I got the same rush on stage as when I sang. Everyone loved it, and so did I.” CVW: Is your focus equal parts singer/ songwriter and DJ? DJ Bad Ash: “Absolutely. I sing while I DJ. If there’s a microphone in front of me, I can’t help it. I have to sing. I actually have a new country dance song. My dream is still to be on stage as a singer, but now I have a DJ rig instead of a full band. At Stagecoach, I’m releasing this new song. I’m getting out from behind the decks and I’m going to sing and bring some dancers out. It’s a line dance.”

CVW: Is it easy for you to transition from opening for rapper Cardi B to playing a country festival?

DJ Bad Ash: “Every event is different, so every gig I have to put my mind into that specific space. Cardi B is so much fun, but country is what I am.”

CVW: Will your DJ set be all country, or will you be spinning a blend of genres?

DJ Bad Ash: “I think it’s going to be a blend of all different genres. I think Stagecoach is a blended crowd. I think the audience might get bored with an all country set. It’s going to be unique and fun.”

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April 26 to May 2, 2018

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

THE BAND WHO ENTERTAINS SIR ELTON JOHN: COACHELLA STANDOUTS GRETA VAN FLEET

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hat happens when four kids grow up on their parent’s vinyl record collection in a small Michigan town famous for Bavarian culture and the world’s largest Christmas store? The world receives a gift called Greta Van Fleet. Rising from the campfire smoke above the ashes of a history from a midwestern state that has given the world, Bill Haley & His Comets, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, Aretha Franklin, Al Green, Grand Funk Railroad, Ted Nugent, Alice Cooper, Bob Seger, Iggy Pop, Madonna, Eminem, Jack White, Rodriguez, Kid Rock and so many more talents from Motown, Hip Hop, Punk, Folk, Techno and Rock and Roll, comes the next edition from this fertile wellspring, a rock and roll rebirth known as Greta Van Fleet.

Pick a song, any song and you will soon understand the transformative power of the music this band is blasting across the lands. The publicist approved story goes like this: Greta Van Fleet is four young musicians, brothers Josh (vocals), Jake (guitar) and Sam (bass/ keys) Kiszka, and longtime family friend Danny Wagner (drums). Josh and Jake are 21, Danny just turned 19 and Sam is 18, and they are all from the tiny Michigan hamlet of Frankenmuth, known for its family-style chicken dinners and the world’s largest Christmas store. All four were raised on their parents’ extensive vinyl collections (shared influences are Muddy Waters, Lightnin’ Hopkins, The Who, Jimi Hendrix), which helped give birth to the music they make, a high-energy hybrid of rock’n’roll, blues and soul. Each band member has killer musical chops and Josh has a voice that is simply jaw-dropping.

Greta Van Fleet’s debut single “Highway Tune,” was released in March 2017, was #1 at U.S. Rock Radio for five consecutive weeks and #1 at Canadian radio for nine consecutive weeks, has amassed 15.8+-million Spotify plays and 12.2+-million YouTube views for the companion video. Their follow up single “Safari Song” also went to #1 at U.S. Rock Radio and a record-setting 16 straight weeks at #1 at Canadian radio. Rolling Stone singled the band out as one of “10 New Artists You Need to Know,” Loudwire readers voted them “Best New Artist,” and Entertainment Weekly named them one of the “8 artists who will rule 2018.”

And, Sir Elton John, a fan of the band’s, PHOTO BY MICHAEL LAVINE

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personally asked them to perform at his annual Academy Awards viewing party set for early March, having said, “It’s the best rock and roll I’ve heard in twenty f**king years!”

Greta Van Fleet’s shared message with their music is to spread “peace, love and unity,” and their collective goal in terms of their live shows is to have people “walk out of the show feeling invigorated, energized, exhilarated, and to take that feeling out into the world.” The band will release its debut album Summer 2018.

I had the opportunity this week to catch up with golfer turned drummer, Danny Wagner, while he waited to play a round of golf with his dad (and former golf coach) at his Studio City, CA hotel. (This interview was done after weekend 1 of Coachella and before Weekend 2 right after deadline for last week’s Coachella issue.)

CVW: You just played your first week of Coachella. How was the experience?

DW: “Honestly, I didn’t know much about it other than it was a huge stage to play and an incredible opportunity for us to play and be a part of the festival.”

CVW: What did you expect? What did you learn? Will you do anything different in week two?

DW: “So far, it’s lived up to our expectations.

We painted a picture in our heads of what it would be like but there’s a lot more going on than we knew about. Coachella has its own culture and that’s been cool to experience.

All the art and having that perspective is wonderful. We played the Mojave Stage and before we started to play we just looked at each other like this is cool! We had a lot of fun.

“This week we will spend more time prepping before the show. We flew in from across the world trying to adjust to from an eleven hour time difference! There was a lot to sort out and we had some amp and tube challenges so we felt the show was a little rough but the energy was amazing and really what we focused on throughout the show.”

CVW: You ever feel like a time a culture capsule flying through time and space?

DW: “Ha, yeah. Totally, it’s weird. We were just in a whole different place, completely different culture and then on a plane and on a stage at Coachella. Sometimes you end a show, get on the bus and wake up in a different place.

It’s the same but not. It’s like time travelling, I guess!”

CVW: Like a song by fellow Michigander, Bob Seger, who your producer, Al Sutton worked with, right?

DW: “Al (Sutton), has worked with a lot of great bands. He’s worked with Kid Rock on several albums, Bob Seger, Sheryl Crow...he’s amazing. He’s been a great mentor to us and really helped us make the smooth transition from being a live band to a studio band. We walked in with zero experience. He spent some time with us and figured us out as a band, who we were and then found the best strategy for us.”

CVW: What did he figure out that was most critical for the band’s success?

DW: “We were a live band so he had us play like we were playing any other show

BY RICH HENRICH

COACHELLA

PHOTO BY FORD FAIRCHILD

and then we recorded live base tracks. We wanted to maintain that sound and Al is all about analogue. He really understands it and helped us to understand it, too. I thought we would go into a studio and be required to use modern methods and digital. I was like I hope not ‘cause I didn’t know anything about it! Al is a giant pool of knowledge. I think he might know everything! He’s had ups and downs in his career, especially as things turned more technical. Being an engineer, he was almost out the door and then we came in and it was like a new life was born for all of us. We’ve all become engrossed in the process now.”

CVW: The band was basically a cover band just a couple years ago. How did you evolve into the current edition?

DW: “Yeah, we were playing in bars when we were like 15-16 years old. We just had a passion for playing music with each other and shared a lot of similar influences. We were just a small band, nothing specific, just a local cover band. We would get crazy time slots to play four, sometimes, five hour shows. We just knew covers but we would end up with thirty minutes left and then just jam out. I think this has a lot to do with our live sound.”

CVW: How do you think growing up together in Michigan and enduring endless winters has helped you prepare for life on tour in close quarters and on buses?

DW: “Wow, great question! I never really thought about that. Yeah, I think it has made a big impact on us and why we work so well together; long harsh winters you spend a lot of time inside together and figure out how to entertain yourselves. The three brothers grew up together so for them being together isn’t out of the ordinary and for me, growing up with them, we spent a lot of time with each other, too. The worst thing that happens is we bicker a little. We’re young and learning a lot together, though. But we are all in this together and split everything equally. It helps growing up together and coming from a small town (Frankenmuth) were everybody has known us our whole lives helps. We’re still treated like a garage band when we’re home! I can’t imagine if we were from a big city what it would be like coming home. It’s still home for us even though we’re not home much! I think surviving winter and just growing up in Michigan, we all like the outdoors and being outside as much as we can but are comfortable we each other no matter where we are. But now we do have a heated garage we practice in!”

CVW: The bands notoriety has accelerated since you began doing original songs. What has surprised you the most about the pace of progress?

DW: “Yeah, I don’t know if anyone expected this. We had people working with us to get us ready and then the future never happened because it was already happening! We have had to adjust to (the demands) quickly but we are grateful. Instead of graduating and going off to college in some other town, we’re just going right to work, which a lot of people do. I think focusing on the work aspect helps people understand the transition, too. Our schedules have changed a lot! Some days there’s no time to eat or sleep and dealing with time zones and traveling is a challenge sometimes. We all grew up traveling a lot and going on road trips and I think that helps with the adjustment of being on tour.”

CVW: You were set to play in a state golf tournament when you heard you were going on tour in Europe and wouldn’t be able to finish your golf career as intended. How difficult was that moment for you?

DW: “Oh man, that was really tough. I’m a huge golfer. I’ve been playing since I could walk.

The hard part was feeling like I was letting my dad down and my team down as we worked hard to qualify for the tournament. My dad was really supportive and that helped a ton but it was hard. I grew my hair out for the band and had to adjust with it blowing in my face on the course until it got long enough I could put it in a ponytail. I found myself thinking about music while I was playing golf but when I played music, I wasn’t thinking about golf. So, as hard as it was, and still is sometimes when I think about that moment, the tour was an opportunity that changed everything so fast.”

CVW: When you drive through the Coachella Valley, a place with incredible golf courses, do you find it hard not to go sneak in at least nine holes?

DW: “Ha, yeah. With touring, there isn’t enough time to play golf so I’ve never taken my clubs on tour but this time I did. I flew my dad out and we have a tee time at 3:30 that I’m excited about!”

CVW: This valley, Palm Springs in particular, is home to one of your influences, drummer Buddy Rich. He has a star on Palm Springs Walk of Stars. How did you discover him? What do you like about his style?

DW: “No way, really? I will have to go check that out! A friend came across a video of him (Buddy Rich) playing and thought of me. I watched a lot of the videos and noticed he looked mad at times, like he had this crazy look that only shows when he’s playing drums, even on The Muppet Show! I liked how he played, the energy he brought to the drums. He had a swagger to his style. Miles Davis said, “anyone can play, that’s 20% but attitude is 80%! (Note

BREWTALITY

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ast week, I lost sleep over the existence of glitter beer and I gotta be honest, I’m still mad about it. I’ve had beer with captain crunch in it, I’ve even had beer with Sriracha in it, but a beer covered in glitter like it’s about to hit stage #4 at the Spearmint Rhino, no way! Miss me with that bullshit.

Well anyone who knows me, knows I love to be angry over beer, so friends made a point to tweet me the most ridiculous beers they could find, just to piss me off. I swear, with friends like these it’s no wonder I’m always ranting about nonsense.

Here is a list of 5 of the most ridiculous beers that the world has come up with.

5) Sriracha Hot Stout Beer - 5.7% ABV, Rogue Brewing Co. – Rogue is a brewery that’s never met a gimmick it wasn’t willing to try, hence the breweries appearance three times on this list.

Chili beers have a niche in the market, with Cave

the actual quote: “Anybody can play. The note is only 20 percent. The attitude of the m@%#fer who plays it is 80 percent.”)

CVW: The crazy thing about Buddy Rich is he didn’t practice, just played but believed good drumming required solid musicianship and natural talent. What do you think about this Buddy quote: “There’s an inbred rhythm involved that I’m not sure people can learn. You have to be born with it. A great drummer has to be one and the same with his instrument.”

DW: “I agree you need to be one with the instrument. Drummers are supposed to have natural perfect rhythm. I had to work at. My first instrument, I was fitted for at Marshall Music. I took tests and scored high so they gave me a French Horn. Josh (Kiszka) played that, too. I think being in band, we all have similar and different influences. Guitar was really my first instrument, drums came later. I struggled to maintain tempo and my hand speed. I wanted to be successful and kept working at it and made it a process to figure it out with the band. Now, I’ve got it and discovered I can

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April 26 to May 2, 2018

THE MOST RIDIC BEER GIMMICKS EVER Creek Chili Beer being as close to mainstream exposure as the style got. Ballast point made a melt-your-face-off hot Habanero IPA that no one has gotten to taste since their taste buds were napalmed off by the heat. Ballast Point also made a beer called Indra Kunindra, which was a beer with curry, coconut, chili peppers, and it really tasted like those things and was hella good. While Rogue’s Sriracha stout gives just the right amount of heat, it actually tastes nothing like Sriracha, proving that this beers whole identity is nothing but a gimmick.

4) Voodoo Donut Beer – 6.9% - 5.2% ABV, Rogue Brewing Co. – Rogue teamed up with popular Portland destination, Voodoo Doughnut, and has steadily been releasing a line of beers influenced by the flavor combinations found in Voodoo Doughnuts creations, none of which taste anything like a Voodoo Donut. The flavors are muddled and incoherent and taste nothing in common with beer aside from being wet. Just like with Rogue’s Sriracha beer, a big part of the appeal is the attractively designed, painted bottle. The labels look cool, the gimmick is interesting, but the beers themselves leave a lot to be desired. Some people may enjoy the hodgepodge of flavors going on in each beer, but the main purpose of this line is for publicity first and enjoyment second.

3) Cup O’ Beer - 4.4% ABV, The Collective Brewing Project – Top Ramen is the undisputed king of struggle food, filling the bellies of broke students and starving musicians alike. Natural Ice and PBR were the drinks of choice when I was a broke and struggling student and musician, but Texas company, The Collective Brewing Project, decided to create a Ramen noodle

recognize pitch, perfect pitch and supposedly you can’t teach that but I feel like I acquired it.

Music is full of surprises! I think playing drums is like playing golf, you have to practice and develop muscle memory to the point you can play blindfolded. That’s why I set up my own kit every show. When I step on stage, it’s muscle memory so I can play with my eyes closed.”

Greta Van Fleet will launch their North American tour following Coachella. The tour, with announced dates currently stretching into late August, will see the band playing a variety of major outdoor music festivals - Coachella, Lollapalooza, Rock On The Range, Hangout, Bluesfest, Floydfest, Summerfest, Panorama Music and Arts Festival - along with headline dates with multiple shows in many cities, all of which are completely sold out. For more information on tour dates and upcoming fulllength album release set for sometime this summer.

Official website: gretavanfleet.com PHOTO BY CHRIS JUNIOR

Gose for fans of the dehydrated meal. The company’s promo sheet brags that each batch of the beer was brewed with 55 lbs. of noodles, along with lime, lemongrass, ginger, coriander, and a seaweed cured sea salt. While those are all great sounding flavors that compliment a Gose, they have nothing to do with the flavors we associate with Ramen soup, like creamed chicken or shrimp. You make a shrimp flavored beer, and boy lemme tell ya what, now were talking Ramen flavored! A user review for the product stated, “A decent Gose that hits all the of the marks but I’m not getting anything that relates to Ramen noodles.”

2)Fried Fried Chicken Chicken - 8% ABV, The Veil Brewing Co. – Who did this? What kind of animal thinks it’s a good idea to throw greasy, salty, fried chicken into a mash kettle with the grain? Apparently, Veil Brewing Co’s marketing team felt the same way, and backpedaled pretty hard while writing the copy for the press release.

“We actually put a VERY small amount of fried

BY AARON RAMSON chicken into the mash (less than 0.4% of the total mash). It doesn’t even remotely taste like chicken”, assures the commercial description of the product. While being touted as a fairly tasty Double IPA, the fact that this brewery can’t even fully get behind the ridiculous gimmick of adding oily meats to a beer, tells you how lame of an idea it really is. It’s too bad the sales team chickened out on their end. Get it? Hey-oo!

1) Beard Beer – 5.4% ABV, Rogue Brewing Co. – Review after review for this beer on beeradvocate all kind of say the same thing: this is a pleasant, decent beer that doesn’t taste very out of the ordinary. If not for the fact that the wild yeast strain used for this beer was cultivated from hairs off the brewmasters beard, there’d be nothing to make it stand out at all. But let’s rewind just a bit and review that statement: the wild yeast strain used for this beer was cultivated from hairs off the brewmasters beard. BRUH. I don’t know about you but there’s something off-putting about clipped finger nails and beard yeast, that I don’t want anything to do with. Classified as a wild ale, drinkers can expect Belgian saison influenced flavors, with nary a nuance of human hair on the palate.

If you think these beers are ridic, I haven’t even told you about the beer served out of taxidermized squirrels, or the one made from a woman’s vagina. Coming atcha next week with those!

LOCAL BUSINESS

HARD ROCK HOTEL LEAVES PALM SPRINGS

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s many people are now aware, Hard Rock Hotel Palm Springs will no longer be Hard Rock as of this week. Many people have been reaching out to us asking if the CV Music Awards will still be held at that location on Sunday, June 3.

The answer is yes. As of later this week the hotel name will revert back to Hotel Zoso, which is what it was called before it became Hard Rock. Our event will take place as planned.

Below is the official press release we received and that they are sending out.

“Due to circumstances outside of Hard Rock International’s control, Hard Rock has made the decision to remove the brand and cease management of Hard Rock Hotel Palm Springs. The brand looks forward to

continuing to grow the hotel and casino business around the globe, as evidenced by the recent opening of Hard Rock Hotels in Shenzhen, Davos and Daytona Beach, and exciting hotel openings slated for Atlantic City, Guadalajara and Desaru Coast in the coming months.

Hard Rock International appreciates the service of all of Hard Rock Hotel Palm Springs employees; the hotel staff will be retained by the new management company.

Over the last few years, Hard Rock International has been shown tremendous support from the Palm Springs community and the brand could not be more grateful.”

The release goes on to state that the Hard Rock Hotel Palm Springs will cease to be a Hard Rock branded property on April 26, 2018 to become the Hotel Zoso.

The Hotel Zoso will continue to operate as an upper upscale property, all outlets and services will be available (restaurant, bar, spa, in-room dining, valet, etc.). Most of the staff will remain the same.

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April 26 to May 2, 2018

CONSIDER THIS

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

BY ELENI P. AUSTIN

“STREET SAFARI” RECORDS) PUBLIC ACCESS T.V. (CINEMATIC

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or music lovers, few things in this world are more thrilling than discovering a new artist or band. Conversely, nothing is more disconcerting than buying said band’s follow-up and realizing they’ve executed a stylistic 180. Be prepared for that experience if you buy the new Public Access T.V. The New York four-piece has only been a going concern since 2014. Originally from a small town outside Nashville, John Eatherly (Guitars, lead vocals), relocated to NYC in 2008, following the demise of his first band, Be Your Own Pet. He spent a few years working as a musician for hire, touring and collaborating with bands like the Smith Westerns and the Virgins. In between paying gigs he still found time write his own music.

When the time was right he approached ex-Virgins guitarist Xan Aird and drummer Pete Star. Pete had recently held down the kit for up and coming indie bands like Oberhofer and Library On Fire. Bassist and old pal Max Peebles completed the line-up.

The guys holed up for months honing their sound. Settling on the moniker Public Access T.V., (sometimes abbreviated as P.A.T.V.) they kinda-sorta signaled their sonic intent, offering up a sideways shout-out to seminal Punk and Post-Punk influences like Television and Public Image Limited (P.i.L.).

They booked their first real show in early 2014 at a friend’s dive bar in the East Village.

Somehow the word got out and the place was packed with hipsters, record label reps and several close friends. The buzz surrounding the band felt supersonic. Their first single, “Monaco” was written one day, recorded the next and quickly uploaded on a music sharing site.

The music press took notice and a bidding war broke out between labels. Polydor won out and the band snagged a high-profile gig opening for Post-Punk icons Gang Of Four.

Unfortunately, while they were on tour in early 2015 they received word that the NYC building that served as their living quarters and work space went up in flames. Two other buildings on the same block were also gutted and, tragically, two people died. (An illegal gas-line was the culprit, installed by the woman who owned all

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

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three buildings. She was subsequently charged with manslaughter).

Although it was nothing compared to the loss of life, the band lost all their possessions, including the recording studio they’d installed.

Homeless, they crashed with friends before heading back on the road with the Palma Violets. They released a six-song EP and headed to England to flesh out their full-length debut.

In the midst of making the record, Polydor dropped them, but they rebounded, landing on Cinematic Records. Most of their debut was recorded in London, the finishing touches in New Jersey and Nashville. Entitled Never Enough, it arrived in late 2016 and justified all the anticipation. Their sound perfectly distilled myriad Styles: Punk, New Wave, PowerPop, Glam and Post-Punk. It honored their influences without ever feeling purloined or derivative.

Critical acclaim was unanimous, even though tedious comparisons to early aughts Rock N’ Roll saviors like the Strokes and Interpol seemed lazy. The band returned to the road. In between headlining smaller club tours, they increased their fan base opening for Post-Punk pioneers like Pixies, the Killers and Dinosaur, Jr. The band returned to the studio in 2017 with musician/producer Patrick Wimberly.

Originally half of the Synth-Pop duo Chairlift, he has produced acclaimed records for Beyonce, MGMT, Blood Orange and Solange. The result Is an 11 song set entitled Street Safari.

The album’s first three tracks, “Safari (In My Head),” “Shell No.2” and “Your God And Mine” set the tone for the entire record.

Between the ambient jungle sounds, aggro synths, hints of marimba and stuttery beat, “Safari...” sounds like a lost outtake from Duran Duran’s epochal “Rio” album. In the midst of this uncharacteristic fluffiness, lyrics flip-flop between staying in one’s head and living in the real world; “The things you refuse to learn will stab you in the back/Knowledge is power, and we need more than that.”

“Shell Game...” is powered by icy keys and a hopscotch rhythm. Fey, falsetto vocals draw comparisons to louche, early ‘80s sensations Kajagoogoo, (not in a good way). The song splits the difference between dayglo New Wave and exaggerated Girl-Group melodrama.

And, oh yeah, the lyrics seem to suggest light S&M role play; “Well, I saw you with them boys in leather, your whip cut me and I felt better.”

Hopefully the parties involved have agreed upon a safe word.

On “Your God…” whooshy synths, squiggly guitars and stabby keys break over an Industrial beat. Lyrics shine a spotlight on religious confusion. Unfortunately, these platitudes never measure up to the deadpan wit of Depeche Mode’s “Personal Jesus.”

And so it goes. Gone are the muscular guitars, stripped-down arrangements and downtown swagger. From the sputtery, cowbell Funk of “Lost In The Game” to the facile and portentous “Meltdown,” which sounds like it could score an ‘80s Afterschool Special about the dangers of teen anorexia, the

songs on this record burrow deep into a rabbit hole of Synth-Pop clichés.

“Wait It Out” poaches the staccato Disco swoop of the Bee Gees’ “You Should Be Dancing.” Meanwhile, the action slows to midtempo on the plinky-plunky “Ain’t No Friend Of Mine.” The lyrics seem to blur the line on a “friends with benefits” scenario; “Ain’t no friend of mine baby, just a face I see sometimes, I’ve seen it all around lately and I look the other way/All-up-on-my-mind lady, seems you’re all that I Can see, I swear she wasn’t my lady, yes I swear that wasn’t Me.” Three songs actually possess the fire and fury of their debut. The first single, “Metro-Tech is synth-driven and features a boogie-oogieoogie bass lines, layers of honeyed guitars and an infectious handclap beat. But the mood is effervescent and impossible to resist. This song wouldn’t seem out of place in a wacky montage for late ‘80s Coming-of-age comedy like “Just One Of The Guys” or “Can’t Buy Me Love.”

The confessional “Too Much” blends electric piano, thumpy bass lines and a martial cadence. Clever lyrics give 21st century problems a Dylan-esque twist; “You wore a mystic disguise, like the lowland lady with the sad eyes, I played a part that I read, a New York romantic that’s fucked in the head/I thought we felt the same way, but I got no patience and I’ll take the blame, I had to block you again, cause I’m overseeing things you did with him.”

“Rough Boy” is a rousing return to form.

A Punk Pogo-tastic attack, fueled by an itchy back-beat and stripped-down guitars. Erudite lyrics tackle armed service hyperbole; “Come and see the world with us, be all you can be it’s free!/17, can’t write or read, another piece of the war machine.” Guitars strafe over an accelerated rhythm as band soldiers on; “Make my check out to my mom, PTSD from a bomb, lost my mind in the desert sun, the recruiter told me this would be fun.” The song offers a glimmer of hope that the band isn’t just a one album wonder. “Street Safari” closes mired in the lugubrious sludge of “The Quicksands.”

This record isn’t unpleasant, it just feels like a place-holder. Maybe they were inspired by New Wave innovators like Talking Heads and Tears For Fears, but anyone who fell in love with the wiry equanimity of Never Enough is bound to be disappointed. Hopefully P.A.T.V. is just experiencing growing pains. Street Safari is an interesting detour, but not much more.

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

THE SPELL OF WORDS

ART SCENE

THE MAGICAL WORLD OF ARIELLA MOON

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rt is many things and the written word is a part of the arts. We sing lyrics. We recite poems. We view art that includes letters and words.

We read books. All these genres spark our imagination. The arts take one to distant worlds or deep within one’s souls.

Local Author Ariella Moon bridges many worlds. Born Karen Morison-Knox this art history major transformed into her true self, Ariella Moon. Along the way she has curated art, raised a child, helped solve crimes, wrote several books and novellas, and discovered the spirit within.

“I describe myself as one who spent her childhood flying to rooftops in my dreams and searching for a magical wardrobe that would transport me to Narnia,” said Ariella. “I suffered from extreme math anxiety and was often mistaken by taller students for a leaning post. Despite these horrors, I graduated summa cum laude from the University of California at Davis.

I live a nearly normal life, doting on my extraordinary daughter, two shamelessly spoiled dogs, and a media-shy dragon.”

Five minutes with this petite powerhouse and one knows there is so much more, like a book cover that draws one in, the pages keep one engaged.

Ariella began writing young adult fiction for her daughter. “My daughter was precocious and a ferocious reader. I began to write to keep her interest in reading. The Teen Wytche Saga series began with Spell Check. I am now about to publish the fourth book, Spell for Sophia.”

“Each book, like my daughter’s move into adulthood, introduces a teenage girl facing progressively more adult situations.

The commonality between the novels is a spell book. The ever-morphing grimoire is itself a character. Its magic changes with each girl who possesses it and it helps the protagonist learn the truth about herself.

The growth of self-awareness allows each character to see that success comes from

April 26 to May 2, 2018

BY ANGELA ROMEO

within and not from magic. Coming of age is a journey of friendship, sadness, joy but always to the realization that within we each have the power to control our lives.”

“While I drew upon my experiences as a shaman and my own teen angst to create this magical series, the books are less about magic than they are Empowerment. The magical realm exists but it is not a crutch.

The Teen Wytche Saga is a series of sweet contemporary paranormal romances but ultimately they are about the inner strength that guides these young women to selfrealization.”

“I am a shaman. And like my work, the paradigm is being grounded in the universal and keeping up in the particulars.

I am meticulous in my work. My Two Realms Trilogy is a medieval Scotland and Fairy fantasy adventure. To be true to the characters, I had to be true to their environments. Without that truth the work would falter.”

My latest book Spell For Sophia will be available May 2018. I am wrote this book with the same attention to detail as the Two Realms Trilogy. This book centers on Sophia.

Deceived and kidnapped by her outlaw bio-parents, Sophia resorts to thievery and arson to escape. Fate delivers her into the arms of Shiloh Breaux Martine and his grand-mère, a voodoo priestess living deep in the bayou. Breaux knows Sophia’s survival depends on her mastering magic and the supernatural. To protect her Breaux will time travel through New Orleans’s dangerous past and risk his bright future to protect her. “ “The themes of Spell for Sophia are more mature but continue the series progression.

Survival. Trust. Growth, the universal themes set in the particulars of one’s own growth – that is the key to Ariella Moon.”

For more information on Ariella Moon visit www.ariellamoon.com. Ariella’s books are available at www.goodreads.com/ AuthorAriellaMoon.

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April 26 to May 2, 2018

PET PLACE

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TAMI AND JOAN, FOSTER MOMS EXTRAORDINAIRE!

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onded by their love for dogs, Tami Jay and Joan Pendley are a foster team dedicated to saving the lives of homeless shelter dogs. They take their foster dogs into their hearts and home, providing the training and loving care that prepares them for their adoptive homes. In some cases, they help heal the emotional scars the animals suffered from neglect and abuse. This amazing mother and daughter team have fostered 33 dogs for Loving All Animals, a Palm Desert animal welfare organization.

Joan first became aware of the plight of homeless animals while working at the Colmac Energy Plant located on Indian tribal land in Mecca. She was involved with the rescue of two stray dogs, Missy and Bowser, and took them to Animal Samaritans for vetting and spaying.

Joan wanted to do more to help animals, and she and Tami started getting involved in local rescue groups.

In 2014, they attended Loving All Animals’ Super Pet Adoption Fair and learned how fostering can save animals that otherwise might be euthanized. Joan was now retired, and suggested that her daughter, who has a large home with a back yard, take in one or two foster dogs at a time. They “team foster” to ensure that their foster dogs’ needs are

MEET DEBORA & DEXTER These brother and sister kittens would love a home together!

This playful 7-mo-old pair were rescued by lovingallanimals.org.

Call (760) 834-7000.

MEET MISTY Happy Misty, 75 lbs of doggie love, does not let her “handicapped” feet prevent her joyful walk. This Great Dane/ Lab girl was rescued by californiapawsrescue.com.

Call (760) 656-3833.

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met. Tami works full time at a local hospital.

Joan lives near Tami, and goes to her house several times a day to walk and socialize the dog. Working together as a team, they provide excellent care for their foster dogs.

Summer is almost here, and the snowbird fosters have left the Coachella Valley for cooler regions. But the homeless animals keep coming. Some are dumped in the scorching desert, others left behind in empty homes, and some are discarded in shelters by their uncaring humans. More foster homes are needed!

Fostering “expands the walls” of our overcrowded public shelters. Fostering provides a loving home environment for animals who may be frightened in a shelter.

Foster parents provide vital information about an animal’s temperament in order to ensure a good adoption. A strong foster care system is a key ingredient to reduce euthanasia and help the Coachella Valley become a “No Kill” community.

Will you join Loving All Animals’ team of life saving foster parents? Loving All Animals provides pet food, supplies, training assistance, and pays for all veterinary care including spaying and neutering. Most of the dogs are quickly adopted. Dog trainers are available to help with training tips.

BY JANET McAFEE You might worry you will feel sad when your foster dog gets adopted. But consider how heartbroken that animal feels being discarded at a shelter, alone, behind bars and afraid.

Fostering is the perfect option for folks who travel too much to own their own pet.

Joan encourages others to try fostering. She states, “It’s about saving the animals. When I get to meet the people adopting our foster dog and realize what a great home they are getting, it brings me even more happiness.” Tami adds, “The foster dogs are such great company when I get home after work. They show how grateful they are, and are full of unconditional love.”

Call Loving All Animals at (760) 834-7000 for more information about fostering a sweet dog.

Fosters for cats and kittens are also needed.

“Dogless” homes and homes with other pets are welcome. You can view their adoptable animals at www.lovingallanimals.org. As Tami and Joan will tell you, when you open your heart and home to a homeless animal, your kindness will also bring great joy into your own life.

Jmcafee7@verizon.net

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

THE VINO VOICE

BY RICK RIOZZA

FROM VERONA WITH LOVE

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errrroooom! Winds the engine as I’m off in my 5-speed Lancia rental car for an impromptu espresso & wine tour around the entirety of Lake Garda. I’ve got my James Bond on while whisking in an out of quaint and charming ensconces of lakeside villages. This large beautiful lake still appears as emerging from the immense craggy and rugged Alps crashing in upon it. The two-lane highway ride is exhilarating, and, probably one of the best ways to close out Vinitaly 2018.

At my last writing, I was just getting into Verona, where the famous VinItaly 2018 Wine Exhibition was being held. A wine event for a lifetime; incredibly, the four day affair showcased over 4,200 wine exhibitions, tastings, seminars, including all of the prominent Italian wineries along with their wines.

The Verona venue, known as the Veronafiere Exhibition Center, is almost as large as Disneyland with at least ten aircraftsized buildings—or exhibition halls—with the fair indeed seeming like a Disneyland for wine drinking adults. Travelers from all over the wine world mixed and mingled with all the vino cognoscenti. At times, with a dazzling crowd dressed to the nines, in and out of wine stations set up and appearing like expensive storefronts on El Paseo, it was like we were part of a cinematic setting in an Italian Vogue Magazine layout.

Even a full four days wasn’t enough time to ferret out all of the Italian wines that we dream of. Every wine area of Italy (and yes the world knows that l’Italia is simply one

elongated vineyard!) from the barreling Barolos and Barbarescos of Piemonte, through the gorgeous Tuscan Sangiovese, across the Sangrantinos of Umbria, covering Campagna’s intense Aglianico del Vulture, Apuglia’s promising Primitivo and settling in on the scintillating wines of Sicily—I’ve got enough material to inundate this column throughout its entire tenure. But of course I’ll be judicious!

A fascinating aspect to this Italian expo, was its full stamp of approval of organic and biodynamic wines. We’ve all known that the European wine community has forever and a day embraced general biodynamic wine farming. As wine stewards, we hear all the time of folks complaining of headaches and other ailments that prohibit their enjoyment of domestic vino. So we’ve been quick to recommend European wines that utilize a minimal amount of pesticides and fungicides—if they use any at all.

It was my pleasure to attend a series of wine seminars at Vinitaly 2018, under the name and aegis of FederBIO- Italian Federation of Organic and Biodynamic Agriculture. Here we enjoyed a varied line-up of 100% organic wines from almost every wine area of Italy.

How wonderful an effort that combined a stellar selection of organic wines brought and poured at our seminar tables. There’s nothing like being waited upon.

A large area in the exhibition hall was designated for Bio tasting stations which included seventy Italian wineries professing biodynamic policies and producing Certified Organic wines. At the seminar tastings, we met and heard from the winemakers and winery representatives. As one would expect, this group was made up of a conglomeration of famers, investors, scientists, agronomists, et cetera, that all bespeaks the nature of the game of wine—and they rightfully claim that organic is now & forever!

Of particular interest to our desert wine community, I desired to link up in Italy with a couple of wise wine folk who have previously brought their wines to our valley and thrilled us

April 26 to May 2, 2018

with their lively wine portfolio: Marina Elettra Snow, owner of DOCG Imports, and Brian Cuddy, owner of The Organic Cellar.

You wine fans will remember Marina and her DOCG wines that she poured at the inaugural Rancho Mirage Wine and Food Festival. We especially loved her Sardinian wines, and, I couldn’t wait to interview her at a later date for an article on her company and entire portfolio. When I called her to schedule, we both found out we’d be at Vinitaly! Va bene!

How fun would that be to interview her here!

Previously, at an Italian wine tasting in Los Angeles, I met Brian who I heard about from our local organic wine gal, Annie Arnold of the Organic Wine Exchange, who is always pouring her portfolio at winemaker dinners around town. I had heard Brian was off to Vinitaly as

well, and, I hoped to check-in with him there.

I recently recommended in these pages his Spanish brand Intruso, produced from the Monastrell grape; it’s from the 2011 vintage, quite delicious, and a box wine to boot!

Unfortunately, my luggage was lost when I arrived in Italy and it never showed up.

Fortunately I lived out of my carry-on and that’s got me by: But hey! I’m in Italy!—nothing’s getting me down!

However, no longer having Marina’s nor Brian’s number, I missed their contact. Stay tuned for their fun experiences and their portfolio coverage in the up-coming columns.

In a visual juxtaposition, Verona still feels like a Romeo & Juliette Shakespearean town, where strolling the streets you can almost feel the romance in this “Italian City of Love”.

Dante, the famous Italian poet who wrote The Divine Comedy, fleeing from Florence, found hospitality in Verona, as so did us wine hound group of somms, wine pros, and vino buyers enjoying the good graces of the Italy-America Chamber of Commerce of Texas. Thanks to all and great getting to know our American band of quaffers; looking forward to perhaps yet another vino entrancing escapade.

Saluté!—and here’s to you... from Verona with love.

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April 26 to May 2, 2018

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THUR APRIL 26

29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 Bobby Furgo & Co 6pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Intoxica Radio Live w/ Howie Pyro 9pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 Francesca Amari, Bill Marx and Doug MacDonald 6:30pm AZUL; PS; 760-325-5533 Piano Bar 6pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 Bricktoyaface Presents: Dessert R&B w/ Dxsko, Akthadj and Noa James 9pm BERNIE’S; RM; 760-202 4499 Barry Minniefield 7pm BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 John Stanley King 6-10pm CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick Tuzzolino 5:30pm CATALAN; RM; 760-770-9508 George Christian 6-9pm CHEF GEORGE’S PICASSO LOUNGE; BD; 760200-1768 Kristy King 7-10pm CORKTREE; PD; 760-779-0123 Michael Keeth 6-9pm CUNARD’S SANDBAR; LQ; 760-564-3660 Bill Baker 6pm DHS SPA LOUNGE; DHS; 760-329-6787 Karaoke w/ DJ Scott 9pm EUREKA; IW; 760-834-7700 Matt Claborn 8-10pm FISHERMAN’S GROTTO; PD; 760-776-6533 Barry, Bob and Riz 6:30pm GADI’S RESTAURANT AND BAR; YV; 760-3656633 Open Mic Night 7pm THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 Red’s Rockstar Karaoke 9pm HOODOO COCKTAIL GARDEN @ THE HYATT; PS; 760-322-9000 Chris Lomeli 7pm HUNTER’S; PS; 760-323-0700 Open Mic 9pm JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-366-2250 TBA 9pm

LA QUINTA OLDTOWN TAPROOM; LQ; Lance Riebsomer 8-11pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-325-2794 Hot Rox LIT@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; 760-345-2450 Country Night w/ Country Nation 9pm THE LOUNGE, AGUA CALIENTE; RM; 888999-1995 Quinto Menguante 8-1am MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 Ron Greenip 8pm MOXIE; PS; 760-318-9900 Rick the Piano Man 6pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Karaoke 8pm THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry 6-8pm Tim Burleson 8pm PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; 760-3274080 Stagecoach Pre Party w/ Buck and Bo Road Show PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-365-5956 Tyler Childers, Lillie Mae, Barditos and Jade Bird 8pm PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND COCKTAILS; TP; 760-343-2115 Kill the Radio, Dirt Boys, Skitzo Attack and Josh Ballard 8pm SAMMY G’s; PS; 760-320-8041 Evaro Brothers 8pm SHANGHAI RED’S @ THE FISHERMAN’S MARKET; PS; 760-322-9293 The Smooth Brothers 7pm SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760-3413560 Dude Jones 6pm TACK ROOM TAVERN; IND; 760-347-9985 Closed THREE SIXTY NORTH; PS; 760-327-1773 Wayne Boyer 6:30pm VICKY’S OF SANTA FE; IW; 760-345-9770 Robert Salisbury 5-7pm, Steve Oliver 7:30-11pm WANG’S; PS; 760-325-9264 Alex Santana 5-8pm THE WINE EMPORIUM; LQ; 760-565-5512 DJ 7pm WOODY’S PALMHOUSE; PS; 760-230-0188 Linda Peterson 6:30pm ZELDA’S; PS; 760-325-2375 DJ 8pm

CLUB 5; IND; 760-625-1719 DJ 9pm COACHELLA BAR; 420 Party w/ Calmado Creations, Norman Good and Friends, Rogue Orge and DJ Kilo 10pm CUNARD’S SANDBAR; LQ; 760-564-3660 Bill Baker 6pm ELECTRIC SPORTS LOUNGE; YV; 760-2281199 DJ Ceddy Cedd 9pm EL MEXICALI CAFÉ 2; IND; 760-342-2333 Cesar Daniel Lopez on the harp 6-9pm FISHERMAN’S GROTTO; PD; 760-776-6533 Gina Carey 6pm THE GRILL ON MAIN; LQ; 760-777-7773 The Myx 8:30pm THE HARD ROCK HOTEL PS; PS; 760-3259676 Esjay Jones Presents: Acoustic Sessions w/ David Macias 8pm THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 Shapes of Things w/ The CMF’s and The After Lashes 9pm HOODOO COCKTAIL GARDEN @ THE HYATT; PS; 760-322-9000 Keisha D 7pm HUNTER’S; PS; 760-323-0700 Live VJ 9pm INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760-3456466 Bob Allen 6pm JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-366-2250 Karaoke 7:30pm KILO’S CANTINA; TP; 760-835-1363 Take Off w/ Hiiirum, K Thought, Revo Emag, Walkman and Falcon 9pm KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 Karaoke 8pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-325-2794 Palm Springs Sound Company in the afternoon, Hot Rox in the night LIT@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; 760-345-2450 House Party 9pm THE LOUNGE; AGUA CALIENTE; RM; 888999-1995 DJ Jerry 9pm MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 Ron Greenip 8pm MOXIE; PS; 760-318-9900 Eevaan Tre 6:30pm, DJ Pedro Le Bass 9:30pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Karaoke 8-1:15am THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry 6-8pm Tim Burleson 8pm PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; 760-3274080 Dude Jones 9pm PALM DESERT COUNTRY CLUB; PD; 760-34529 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 0222 Steve Williams Experience 6:30pm Jasmine Tommaso 6:30pm PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-365-5956 Leslie ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 TBA 10pm Stevens, Izaak Opatz, Casey James Prestwood AGAVE LOUNGE@THE HYATT REGENCY; IW; and the Burning Angels 8pm 760-674-4080 Art of Sax 8pm PEABODY’S CAFÉ; PS; 760-322-1877 Karaoke AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 7:30pm Shelley Yoelin Group 6:30pm PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND AZUL; PS; 760-325-5533 Friday Night Sour COCKTAILS; TP; 760-343-2115 Red’s Rockstar Hour w/ Pink Lemonade Drag Show 9pm Karaoke 9pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 Drop Drop PURPLE ROOM; PS; 760-322-4422 Ann w/ Moistgangclique, Indiocholo, Dxsko, Thr3 Hampton Callaway 8pm Strykes and Porsia Camille 9pm RED BARN; PD; 760-346-0191 Chalice 9pm BERNIE’S; RM; 760-202 4499 Barry Minniefield RIVIERA; PS; 760-327-8311 Michael Keeth 7pm 7:30pm BIG ROCK PUB; IND; 706-200-8988 The Gand SAMMY G’s; PS; 760-320-8041 Evaro Brothers Band 8:30pm 8pm BLUE BAR, SPOTLIGHT 29; INDIO; 760-775SHANGHAI RED’S @ THE FISHERMAN’S 5566 DJ Double A 8pm MARKET; PS; 760-322-9293 Barry Baughn BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 The Stanley Blues 8-11pm Butler Trio 6-10pm SHANGHAI RED’S @ THE FISHERMAN’S CASCADE LOUNGE, SPA RESORT CASINO; MARKET; LQ; 760-777-1601 The Smooth PS; 888-999-1995 DJ Michael Wright 9-1am Brothers 8-11pm CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick SHELLY’S LOUNGE@TORTOISE ROCK CASINO; Tuzzolino 5:30pm 29 Palms; Rojer Arnold & Bobby Furgo 9pm CATALAN; RM; 760-770-9508 George Christian SMOKIN’ BURGERS; PS; 760-883-5999 Ron 6-9pm James 6pm CHEF GEORGE’S PICASSO LOUNGE; BD; 760- SOLANO’S BISTRO; LQ; 760-771-6655 200-1768 Denny Pezzin 7-10pm Michael Madden 6-9pm

FRI APRIL 27

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April 26 to May 2, 2018

WILLIE BOYS; MV; 760-932-4300 Buck and Bo Road Show 7:30pm THE WINE EMPORIUM; LQ; 760-565-5512 Eevaan Tre and Friends 7pm WOODY’S PALMHOUSE; PS; 760-230-0188 The Stanley Butler Band 6:30pm ZELDA’S; PS; 760-325-2375 DJs 9pm SOUL OF MEXICO; IND; 760-200-8787 Latin Rock 10pm SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760-3413560 Demetrious and Co. 6pm TACK ROOM TAVERN; IND; 760-347-9985 Closed THREE SIXTY NORTH; PS; 760-327-1773 Pat Rizzo & Dennis Michaels 6:30pm TRILUSSA ITALIAN RISTORANTE; PS; 760328-2300 Julius & Sylvia Music Duo 6-10pm VENUS DE FIDO; PD; 760-834-7070 TBA 6-9pm VICKY’S OF SANTA FE; IW; 760-345-9770 Meet the Corwins 5:30-7:30pm, John Stanley King Show 8pm WANG’S; PS; 760-325-9264 Boys Night Out w/ DJ House Whores 7pm WESTIN MISSION HILLS; RM; 760-328-5955 Michael Keeth 5-7pm WILLIE BOYS; MV; 760-932-4300 Calista Carradine and Snatch the Pebble 7pm THE WINE EMPORIUM; LQ; 760-565-5512 Rob Martinez, Todd Ashley and Lisa LaFaro Weselis 6:30-10pm WOODY’S PALMHOUSE; PS; 760-230-0188 Rose Mallett 6:30pm ZELDA’S; PS; 760-325-2375 DJ 9pm

THE HARD ROCK HOTEL PS; PS; 760-3259676 Esjay Jones Presents: Global Sessions w/ David Macias 8pm THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 The Incredible Desert Kings 9pm HOODOO COCKTAIL GARDEN @ THE HYATT; PS; 760-322-9000 The Carmens 7pm HUNTER’S; PS; 760-323-0700 Live VJ 9pm INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760-3456466 Bob Allen 6pm KILO’S CANTINA; TP; 760-835-1363 Cumbion – La Super Sonora 9pm KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 Karaoke 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 House Party 9pm THE LOUNGE, AGUA CALIENTE; RM; 888999-1995 Rye Bothers 9pm MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 Ron Greenip 8pm MOXIE; PS; 760-318-9900 Derek Jordan Gregg 6pm, DJ Pedro Le Bass 9:30pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Karaoke 8-1:15am THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry 6-8pm Tim Burleson 8pm PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; 760-3274080 Dude Jones 9pm 29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 Bev PALM DESERT COUNTRY CLUB; PD; 760-345& Bill 6:30pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Discoteca 11am 0222 DysFunktion 6:30pm PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-365-5956 Nikki poolside and 10pm AGAVE LOUNGE@THE HYATT REGENCY; IW; Lane, Joshua Hedley and Charlie Overbey 8pm 760-674-4080 Art of Sax 8pm PEABODY’S CAFÉ; PS; 760-322-1877 Karaoke 7:30pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 Cabaret on the Green Open Mic 7:30pm PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND AZUL; PS; 760-325-5533 Denise Carter 7:30pm COCKTAILS; TP; 760-343-2115 Red’s Rockstar Karaoke 9pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 Super PURPLE ROOM; PS; 760-322-4422 Charles Sonido w/ Alf Alpha 9pm BERNIE’S; RM; 760-202 4499 Barry Minniefield Herrera 8pm RED BARN; PD; 760-346-0191 DJ Jeffrey 9pm 7pm RIVIERA; PS; 760-327-8311 Andy Cahan 6pm BIG ROCK PUB; IND; 706-200-8988 Whiskey Blues Band 8:30pm SAMMY G’s; PS; 760-320-8041 Evaro Brothers 8pm BLUE BAR; SPOTLIGHT 29; IND; 760-7755566 DJ 9pm SHANGHAI RED’S @ THE FISHERMAN’S MARKET; PS; 760-322-9293 Barry Baughn BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 Gina Carey Blues 8-11pm 6-10pm SHANGHAI RED’S @ THE FISHERMAN’S CASCADE LOUNGE, SPA RESORT CASINO; MARKET; LQ; 760-777-1601 The Smooth PS; 888-999-1995 DJ Michael Wright 9-1am Brothers 8-11pm CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick SHELLY’S LOUNGE@TORTOISE ROCK CASINO; Tuzzolino 5:30pm CATALAN; RM; 760-770-9508 George Christian 29 Palms; Rojer Arnold & Bobby Furgo 9pm SIDEWINDER GRILL; DHS; 760-329-7929 6-9pm CHEF GEORGE’S PICASSO LOUNGE; BD; 760- Karaoke w/ Milly G 6pm SMOKIN’ BURGERS; PS; 760-883-5999 Ron 200-1768 Denny Pezzin 7-10pm James 6pm COACHELLA BAR; Coachella; Frank Eats the SOUL OF MEXICO; IND; 760-200-8787 Latin Floor, The Underlings, Scarlet Lady and the Sol Music 10pm Suns 8pm SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760-341CUNARD’S SANDBAR; LQ; 760-564-3660 Bill 3560 TBA 6pm Baker 6pm TACK ROOM TAVERN; IND; 760-347-9985 DESERT FOX; PD; Angel and Buddy Greco Jr Closed 8:30pm THREE SIXTY NORTH; PS; 760-327-1773 DHS SPA LOUNGE; DHS; 760-329-6787 Dennis Michael 6:30pm Karaoke w/ DJ Scott 9pm TRILUSSA ITALIAN RISTORANTE; PS; 760ELECTRIC SPORTS LOUNGE; YV; 760-228328-2300 Julius & Sylvia Music Duo 6-10pm 1199 DJ Ceddy Cedd 9pm VIBE, MORONGO CASINO; CAB; 951-755EL MEXICALI CAFÉ 2; IND; 760-342-2333 5391 DJ 10pm Cesar Daniel Lopez on the harp 6-9pm VICKY’S OF SANTA FE; IW; 760-345-9770 FISHERMAN’S GROTTO; PD; 760-776-6533 Rose Mallett & Co. 5-7pm, Kal David, Lauri Bono Jack Ruvio 6pm & The Real Deal 7:30-11pm THE GRILL ON MAIN; LQ; 760-777-7773 TBA WANG’S; PS; 760-325-9264 Live Music 6pm 8:30pm WESTIN MISSION HILLS; RM; 760-328-5955 THE GROOVE LOUNGE; SPOTLIGHT 29; INDIO; 760-775-5566 DJ 8pm Michael Keeth 6pm

SAT APRIL 28

SUN APRIL 29

29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 Bob Garcia 6pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 DJ 11am poolside, DJ 10pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 Jazz Brunch w/ Trish Hatley and Barney McClure 11:30am AZUL; PS; 760-325-5533 The Judy Show 7:30pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 Fusion Latin Night w/ DJ LF and Friends 9pm BERNIE’S; RM; 760-202 4499 Brian Denigan 7pm BIG ROCK PUB; IND; 706-200-8988 Great White Unplugged 7pm BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 TBA 6-10pm CASCADE LOUNGE, SPA RESORT; PS; 888999-1995 Nash with Quinto Menguante 9pm CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick Tuzzolino 5:30pm CHEF GEORGE’S PICASSO LOUNGE; BD; 760200-1768 Lori Yeary 6-9pm CORKTREE; PD; 760-779-0123 Michael Keeth 6-9pm DHS SPA LOUNGE; DHS; 760-329-6787 Radio 60 3-6pm EL MEXICALI CAFÉ 2; IND; 760-342-2333 Cesar Daniel Lopez on the harp 6-9pm FISHERMAN’S MARKET; LQ; 760-777-1601 Jack Ruvio 6-9pm continue to page 22

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April 26 to May 2, 2018

THEPAMPERED PALATE

R

elax and enjoy great lunch deals, and sidewalk dining at Thai Smile El Paseo in Palm Desert.

El Paseo is well known as the Rodeo Drive of the Coachella Valley, and dining along the famed street can get a bit pricey, even for lunch. I mean, once you buy a bobble or two, and an outfit at Gucci, you might want give your wallet a little TLC. Thai Smile is a perfect place to achieve that goal.

Located on the eastern side of El Paseo, Thai Smile sits on a popular part of the street, near shops and other restaurants, just a hop and a half skip away from The Gardens on El Paseo. The restaurant has indoor seating, as well as two cool patios for sidewalk dining, for entertaining, people watching.

Thai Smile El Paseo relocated from their spot in Rancho Mirage three years ago, where they had been for well over a decade. I remember going to the Rancho Mirage location, delighting in its cozy ambience and always consistently fantastic food. But I had yet to go into their new location until recently.

My boyfriend and I decided to stop by for lunch at Thai Smile El Paseo on a beautiful Saturday afternoon in the desert. We were seated outside on the patio, and although the weather was a little on the warm side, their misting system made outdoor dining more than comfortable. I had some menu items that I had missed having since the last time I visited the restaurant, such as their Crispy Springs Rolls (ground chicken, cilantro, black mushrooms,

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GREAT LUNCH DEALS AT THAI SMILE EL PASEO

and glass noodles, served with sweet and sour sauce) and Tom Yum Kai soup (spicy chicken soup with chili paste, galanga, ginger, lemon grass, lime juice, mushrooms, tomato and cilantro), both make my mouth water just mentioning them.

Some my other favorites are the Pla Koong salad (large grilled shrimp ,with Thai basil, lemon grass, lettuce, lime juice and hot Thai Chili) and their House Fried Rice (your choice of chicken, pork, or shrimp with stir-fried rice, egg, onion, scallions and tomato with their special sauce). Honestly, there are many more dishes that I crave from Thai Smile that could easily result in me listing the whole menu.

The prices at Thai Smile are pretty reasonable to start with, but this review is geared towards their lunch specials, which are very impressive.

Their lunch entrees go from $12.95 to $14.95, and include salad, with an addictive peanut dressing, or a cup of Tom Yum Kai soup, along with steamed rice. The portions are generous, and depending on your appetite, a to-go box

BY DENISE ORTUNO

is more than likely. For our lunch, we started with some of the Crispy Egg Rolls that I had been craving, and then I ordered the Kungpao Chicken for $12.95( high flame Szcehwan style, with carrots, celery, mushrooms, onion, roasted peanuts, green and red bell peppers, red chili peppers with oyster sauce). My boyfriend went for the Pad Thai also for $12.95 (Thai noodles with chicken and shrimp, bean sprouts, egg, crushed peanuts, scallions and their special sauce). He opted for the salad, and I of course had to have the soup that I had been dreaming of. It was just as I remembered, so very tasty, with an abundance of flavors all playing well together. My Kungpao Chicken was excellent,

with just enough heat from the spice. My boyfriend was kind enough to share his salad with me, because I just had to have a fork full of lettuce ladled with that peanut dressing….so good!! His Pad Thai actually came with an option of rice, or one Crispy Spring Roll. He chose the latter and gifted it to me…thanks baby! The Pad Thai was the best have ever tasted, it was Pad Thai perfection.

Other lunch deals include, Mongolian Beef for $13.95 (carrots, mushrooms and scallions, in a rich oyster sauce), Prik Khing for $12.95 (choice of chicken or pork, chili paste sautéed with Thai basil, green beans and red and green bell peppers) and Seafood Exotic for $14.95 (seafood combination with Thai basil, onions, green bell peppers in a hot chili sauce) plus many more.

Besides Thai Smiles daily lunch specials, they also serve dinner nightly, and have a full bar, where food is also available.

Shopping on El Paseo makes for an enjoyable time. What will make it even better, is to take a nice well priced lunch break at Thai Smile El Paseo, for delectable sidewalk dining. I certainly look forward to going back soon.

Thai Smile El Paseo is located at 73-725 El Paseo, Palm Desert 92260 760-341-6565 www.thaismilerm.com

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April 26 to May 2, 2018

19

April 26 to May 2, 2018

SCREENERS

NOW SHOWING: BOMBSHELL: THE HEDY LAMARR STORY

Alexandra Dean’s heartfelt, inspiring and ultimately heartbreaking documentary about Austrian actress Hedy Lamarr is a celebration of a singular life that touched almost everyone who lived in the 20th and 21st centuries.

Hedwig Eva Kiesler was born in 1914 in Vienna. She fled an oppressive marriage to create a name for herself as one of Hollywood’s leading ladies in the 1940s. She was called “the most beautiful woman in

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No. 314

BEAUTY VS BRAINS

the world” and co-starred with the likes of Spencer Tracy, Jimmy Stewart, Clark Gable and more Hollywood giants.

Most movie buffs probably think of Hedy for two roles: the first for her “scandalous” nude -- but tame by today’s standards -swimming scene in 1933’s “Ecstasy” (adding to the film’s infamy, it was also the first to portray a female orgasm), the second for her portrayal of Delilah in Cecil B. Demille’s iconic Biblical spectacle “Samson and Delilah” (1949).

Dean’s revealing film mixes original interviews with archival footage. What’s most fascinating about the smoldering beauty was her desire to exact revenge and contribute to the war effort after Nazi U-boats torpedoed a ship carrying 83 school children during WWII. At night, after shooting her scenes on set, she worked with her friend eccentric composer George Antheil on a secret radio communication system that would allow the Allies to torpedo Nazi U-Boats with deadly accuracy. Her goal was a radio-controlled torpedo that couldn’t be jammed. Her solution: random “frequency hopping” that revolutionized secure communications for wireless phones, Bluetooth, GPS and WiFi technology itself!

The secret communication system she created was groundbreaking and eventually changed the course of history. Quite a feat for an inquisitive woman spurned as too

to have traveled about 9,000 miles roundtrip, completing the longest migration of any insect ever discovered! And there’s so much more. PBS/Nature. Blu-ray beautiful to be smart. She remains a viable and powerful role model to this day.

I loved this surprising and unforgettable portrait of an Austrian Jewish émigré’s beginnings, through her glittering Hollywood life to her groundbreaking, but unaccredited inventions and finally her latter years as a mostly forgotten, impoverished recluse.

Strongest recommendation.

IN THE FADE

NEW BLU FOR THE HOME THEATER: SEX, LIES & BUTTERFLIES

I have long been addicted to two PBS shows: Nature and Nova, especially the former. Among the very best of the longrunning series is the latest entry on the secret or unknown life of butterflies. Dazzling cinematography takes the audience into a breathtaking, miraculous and colorful world that’s guaranteed to evoke a welcome sense wonder and awe.

The beautiful documentary explores some of the amazing abilities of butterflies, including their 360-degree infrared vision, deceptive camouflage, chemical weaponry and fantastic flight I learned that butterflies – about 20,000 species of them – inhabit every continent on the planet except Antarctica and that the eyes of a Painted Lady butterfly, whose habitat spans Europe, Asia, the Americas, and Africa, contain more than 30,000 lenses.

And get this: from Africa to Scandinavia and back, Painted Ladies were discovered

20

BY ROBIN E. SIMMONS

In 2018’s Golden Globe winner for Best Foreign Language Film, Daine Kruger stars as Katja Skerci, “a cocktail of grief, fury and regret” (AP). The role earned Kruger a Best Actress Award at 2017 Cannes for her portrayal of a woman who lost both her young son and husband in a bomb attack.

Director Fatih Akin takes an unabashed approach to detailing the anguish that keeps Katja teetering on the edge while asking, “How should the victims of far-right-wing violence fight back?”

The film is as much about grief and mourning as it is vengeance and justice. The gripping movie explores Katja’s search for the truth behind the attack and a trial that puts a young couple new to the neo-Nazis scene on the defense.

Inspired by modern neo-Nazi terrorist attacks in Germany, the movie forces its characters – and audience – to rethink the face of terrorism that is portrayed around the world.

Danilo, a lawyer and Katja’s late husband Nuri’s best friend, represents her in the trial against the two suspects. The trial pushes Katja to the edge, but for her, there’s simply no alternative if she wants justice. Magnolia.

Blu-ray. Recommended. robin@coachellavalleyweekly.com

BOOK REVIEW

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“YOU ARE A BADASS"

BY JEN SINCERO NONFICTION

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H

uman beings have amazing talents.

What if people pursued their gifts and did exactly what they wanted to do?

Would the world be a better place? Jen Sincero’s “You are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life,” encourages individuals to embrace their authentic self, dream big and make money.

Author Sincero begins the book with looking at behavioral pathologies. She gives examples of how the subconscious mind manages to limit and bully us into believing that dreams don’t or cannot come true. She says the first step is to become aware of the subconscious thinking and override it, allowing a change in conscious thought.

Sincero insists it is important to open your mind and believe in a higher power. She suggests that to tap into your most awesome self, you must commit to developing an awareness and a relationship with the magical energy of the universe. Call it God, or whatever works for you.

She uses “Source Energy.” One must harness the power of The Universe “to create the reality you desire.”

Once connected, Sincero says you must continue to believe – have faith – that your awesomeness and dreams are available regardless of your present circumstances. She recommends staying in touch with the universe

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POSITIVE CHANGE IN THE UNIVERSE

and keeping your frequency high (via gratitude) which will help take decisive action and eventually bring about the success you desire.

“The Big Snooze” is how Sincero describes our false self or the part of us that is weak and frightened. She says we need to wake up to how truly powerful we are and how abundant and generous the universe is towards us. Sincero points out that we live in a fear-based society and encourages people to get out of the comfort zone and follow the heart.

Moving toward “Badassness” implementation, Sincero shares that it is essential to love yourself well. In some cases, she says in order to rise to the occasion you may have to relearn everything to indeed believe you are good enough and deserving to have what you want. She encourages positive affirmations to get you back to the truth of being loveable, capable and one with the universe.

Comparing yourself to others is a no win battle. Sincero says it is about your truth and no one else’s. She warns against relying on praise, approval from others or outside validation to prove self-worth. She writes: “All that matters is what’s true for you, and if you can stay connected to that without straying, you will be a mighty superhero.”

There are five sections in the book that progressively instill the art of becoming selfactualized and a badass. Being a badass is about not letting anyone trample on your dreams and ambitions.

Sincero diligently delivers -- as promised in the subtitle -- “how to” stop doubting your greatness and start living an awesome life. Nearly every

chapter ends with steps toward understanding what it takes to move into the life you always wanted.

At the end of the chapter “Your Brain is Your Bitch” about overcoming our self-destructive thoughts, Sincero offers five ways to show your brain who’s boss: “Ask and it is Given,” “Act as if,” “Upgrade Your Environment,” “Make a Vision Board,” “Surround Yourself with People Who Think the Way You Want to Think,” and “Love Yourself.”

Sincero always ends with a “Love Yourself” statement pertaining to the chapter.

“You Are a Badass” is a joyful and encouraging read. Sincero is often hilarious. Reading this book is like enjoying a stand-up routine with all the sophisticated insight and wisdom that sharp comics bring forth to make an indelible point about life.

I always like it when a self-help author gets

April 26 to May 2, 2018

BY HEIDI SIMMONS personal and shares stories about the lessons they learned. Sincero reveals how she overcame her fear about traveling alone. One of the best stories is her experience in India. A delightful tale about connecting with people in a place that is so utterly different.

Sincero is without a doubt tapped into the energy field that is the universe. She is adamant that to have success, one must always show gratitude to the “Source Energy,” The Universe or God. I believe Sincero has something meaningful and valid to offer anybody who wants more money in the bank and a more fulfilled existence.

Sincero’s book is fearless, encouraging and honest. She makes it seem possible and doable to achieve your dreams and become your best self. The book is geared to all ages – not just millennials -- and is not gender specific although, clearly, she writes from a female perspective. She includes her website to stay in touch and a list of books for further reading and enlightenment.

She also recommends hiring a life-coach for continued help.

I like to imagine a world where everyone is doing the very thing they dream of doing. It would be the happiest, kindest and most generous place in the universe. Maybe that’s why we exist in the first place.

BY FIRE CHIEF SAM DIGIOVANNA SAFETY TIPS DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ANGER!

T

he National Highway Traffic Safety Administration states that road rage “involves a criminal act of violence, whereas aggressive driving can range from tailgating to speeding to running red lights.”

“The real root of aggressive driving lies within each of us,” reminds Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna.

Drivers can cope by taking an honest look at their driving behavior and attempting to reduce their stress level behind the wheel.

Get your Z’s. We all know how cranky we get without enough sleep. It makes us prone to feelings of annoyance, resentment and even anger.

Plan ahead. Do you regularly whiz through your morning routine in a whirlwind of chaos, trying to make up time while on the road? Extra time equals calmer driving.

Many of us love and identify with our cars, but sometimes you can take the “car as extension of self” idea too seriously. You’re not as impressive as you think, so let it go… No matter how much power you’ve got under the hood, your vehicle is first and foremost a mode of transportation, not a weapon.

Listen to relaxing music. It will make you less pumped up for action. Breath deep.

It’s not all about you… Perhaps another driver cut you off. Or the car in front of you is braking erratically. Before you assume the driver is getting off on your rising anger levels, realize that you, as an individual, are not the target. Don’t take things so personally.

Driving with anger ages you. It creates frown lines and people most prone to anger are almost three times more likely to have a heart attack than those with low anger. Other health risks seen in those who display hostility include obesity, depression and stroke. Not only will giving into anger not resolve an irritating situation, it can increase the risk of retaliation. Think to yourself,

“Is making my point worth endangering my life?”

Learn to “let it (and them) go.”

Driving a car makes people feel more isolated and protected, allowing them to act in ways they would normally find embarrassing. You look like an Ass when you drive like one!

Take the self-test. Do any of the following statements sound like you?

• I regularly exceed the speed limit in order to get to work on time.

• I tailgate other drivers, especially those who sit in the left lane.

• I flash my lights and honk my horn to let drivers know when they annoy me.

• I verbally abuse other drivers whether they can hear me or not.

• I frequently weave in and out of traffic to get ahead.

• I feel the need to set bad drivers straight.

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you’re driving may qualify as aggressive. Take the detailed Road Rageous Test that determines if you’re driving habits fall under the “aggressive zone,” “hostile zone” or –worse yet– “war zone.” www.aipsnews.com/rurrageous.htm We’re all bound to lose our cool at some point, but by planning ahead and keeping things in perspective, we can prevent our emotions from getting the best of us. Putting aggressive driving in park will help to ensure your own safety, as well as the safety of everyone around you.

Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna

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April 26 to May 2, 2018

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

CLUB CRAWLER NIGHTLIFE continued from page 17

THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 The “In Betweener “ w/ DJ Nigel 9pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-325-2794 Palm Springs Sound Company, in the afternoon, Hot Rox, in the night LAVENDER BISTRO; LQ; 760-564-5353 Mark Gregg 5-9pm MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 Sunday Jam 3:30-7:30pm, Mikael Healy 8pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 T-Bone Karaoke 8pm THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry 7:30pm PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-365-5956 The Thrift Store All Star Reunion Show 7:30pm SAMMY G’s; PS; 760-320-8041 Eddie Gee 7pm SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760-341-3560 The Myx 6pm TACK ROOM TAVERN; IND; 760-347-9985 Closed THREE SIXTY NORTH; PS; 760-327-1773 Darci Daniels and Reggie Vision 7pm VICKY’S OF SANTA FE; IW; 760-345-9770 John Stanley King & Trio 6-9:30pm WANG’S; PS; 760-325-9264 Live Music 6-9pm WILLIE BOYS; MV; 760-932-4300 Buck and Bo Road Show 6pm THE WINE EMPORIUM; LQ; 760-565-5512 Rob Martinez and Scott Carter 6:30pm WOODY’S PALMHOUSE; PS; 760-230-0188 John Carey and Friends 6:30pm

MON APRIL 30

29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 The Luminators 6pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 Bill Marx 6:30pm

BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 Meh, Monday 9pm CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick Tuzzolino 5:30pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-3252794 Hot Rox LAVENDER BISTRO; LQ; 760-564-5353 Mark Gregg 5-9pm MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 Mikael Healy 8pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Karaoke 8pm-1:15am THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry 7pm PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-365-5956 The Drums, Alvvays and Fazerdaze 7pm SAMMY G’s; PS; 760-320-8041 Randy Seymon 8pm SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760-3413560 T.B.A. 6pm VICKY’S OF SANTA FE; IW; 760-345-9770 Mike Costley’s Jazz Show 6:30-10pm THE WINE EMPORIUM; LQ; 760-565-5512 The Might Sweet Nothings 6:30pm WOODY’S PALMHOUSE; PS; 760-230-0188 Motown Mondays 6:30pm

TUE MAY 1

29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 Michael Lowe 6pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Ace Karaoke with Kiesha 9pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 Jessica Taylor 6:30pm AZUL; PS; 760-325-5533 Bella da Ball Dinner Revue w/ guest performers 7:30pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 Emo Nite Returns 9pm

BERNIE’S; RM; 760-202 4499 Chris Lomeli 7pm BIG ROCK PUB; IND; 706-200-8988 Big Rock Big Blues Jam 7pm BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 Stanley Butler Trio 6-10pm CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick Tuzzolino 5:30pm CHEF GEORGE’S PICASSO LOUNGE; BD; 760-200-1768 Michael D’Angelo 7-10pm CORKTREE; PD; 760-779-0123 Michael Keeth 6-9pm CUNARD’S SANDBAR; LQ; 760-564-3660 Bill Baker 6pm DRINGK; RM; 760-888-0111 Karaoke w/ T-Bone 8pm FIRESIDE LOUNGE; PS; 760-327-1700 Red’s Rockstar Karaoke 9pm THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 Drag Queen Bingo 9pm HUNTER’S; PS; 760-323-0700 Karaoke hosted by Phillip Moore 9pm JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-366-2250 Ted Quinn’s Open Mic Reality Show Jam 8pm KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 Karaoke 7pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-3252794 Palm Springs Sound Company MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 Mikael Healy 8pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Karaoke 8pm-1:15am THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Tim Burleson 7:45pm PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; 760-3274080 Acoustic Open Mic 7pm SAMMY G’s; PS; 760-320-8041 Randy Seymon 8pm SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760-3413560 Demetrious and Co.

S and G

PUMPING SERVICE

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

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760-404-6325

TACK ROOM TAVERN; IND; 760-347-9985 Karaoke 8-12 VICKY’S OF SANTA FE; IW; 760-345-9770 John McCormick and Co. 6:30-10pm WANG’S; PS; 760-325-9264 Alex Santana 5-8pm THE WINE EMPORIUM; LQ; 760-565-5512 Acoustic Sessions w/ Lance & David 7pm WOODY’S PALMHOUSE; PS; 760-230-0188 Yve Evans and John Bolivar 6pm

WED MAY 2

29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 Daniel Horn 6pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 TBA 9pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 Jazz Jam w/ Doug MacDonald & Friends 7pm AZUL; PS; 760-325-5533 Piano Bar 6pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 Lucid Wednesday w/ DJ Sugarfree 9pm BERNIE’S; RM; 760-202 4499 Chris Lomeli 7pm BIG ROCK PUB; IND; 706-200-8988 The Smooth Brothers 7pm BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 Michael Keeth 6-10pm CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick Tuzzolino 5:30pm CHEF GEORGE’S PICASSO LOUNGE; BD; 760-200-1768 Johnny Meza 7-10pm COACHELLA VALLEY BREWING CO; TP; 760-343-5973 Live and Local w/ TBA 5:308pm CORKTREE; PD; 760-779-0123 Jack Ruvio 6pm CUNARD’S SANDBAR; LQ; 760-564-3660 Bill Baker 6pm DRAUGHTSMAN;PS; 760-507-1644 Derek Jordan Gregg 8pm ELECTRIC SPORTS LOUNGE; YV; 760-2281199 Karaoke 7:30pm

THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 Open Mic hosted by Josh Heinz 8pm HUNTER’S; PS; 760-323-0700 Live VJ 9pm JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-366-2250 Karaoke 7:30pm KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 Open Mic 8pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-3252794 Hot Rox MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 Mikael Healey 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; 760-3274080 Roger & Friends 7pm PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-365-5956 Angel Olsen and Priests PJ’S SPORTS LOUNGE; YV; 760-288-1199 Karaoke w/ KJ Ginger 8pm PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND COCKTAILS; TP; 760-343-2115 Parkland Benefit 5pm SAMMY G’s; PS; 760-320-8041 Eddie Gee 8pm SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760-3413560 The Myx 6:30pm THREE SIXTY NORTH; PS; 760-327-1773 Katheryn White 6:30pm VICKY’S OF SANTA FE; IW; 760-345-9770 Barbara Morrison Piano 4:30-6pm, Barry Minniefield 6:30pm WANG’S; PS; 760-325-9264 Mikole Kaar 5-8pm WILLIE BOYS; MV; 760-932-4300 Go Bold Jam 7:30pm THE WINE EMPORIUM; LQ; 760-565-5512 Kimberly Cofer 7pm WOODY’S PALMHOUSE; PS; 760-230-0188 Valerie Geason 6:30pm

HADDON LIBBY

S

ince the Great Recession, banks have paid $350 billion in fines globally with the United States collecting $200

billion.

Last year, banks paid ‘only’ $22 billion in fines - typically without admitting wrongdoing or guilt. Most of these fines were related to the sale of toxic securities made out of the bad loans created during the mortgage loan crisis. Two other areas of emerging wrongdoing for banks is the failure to monitor money laundering and price fixing in the foreign exchange market.

When we look at all other financial crimes that banks might have been found guilty of if not for their convenient ability to pay a fine and not acknowledge wrongdoing or guilt over just the last three years alone, our largest banks have paid hundreds of millions in fines. Since 2016, the five largest U.S. banks have paid over $4 billion in fines.

One bank stands alone in the widespread abuse of their retail clients though - Wells Fargo Bank.

With $2.5 billion in fines over the last three years, Wells Fargo, the third largest bank in the United States, has paid three times more in fines than #4 Citibank at $750 million, #5 US Bank at $640 million, #2 Bank of America at $450 million and #1 JP MorganChase at $250 million.

To remind you of some of Wells Fargo’s wrongdoing, which would have landed you or

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

April 26 to May 2, 2018

PROFIT OVER PEOPLE: WELLS FARGO

me in jail: A myriad of illegal practices related to auto loans; Fraudulently re-papering bad mortgage loans in order to sell them to the U.S. Government; Over 500,000 in fraudulently created credit cards; Illegally repossessing cars of military members who were serving in combat; 3.5 million Fraudulently created deposit accounts; Intentionally delaying the processing of loan payments so that the bank could charge late penalties; Overcharging foreign exchange clients; Excess fees and charges on an array of consumer banking products; Trust Department did not follow the Fiduciary Standard and overcharged wealth

management clients; Wealth Management overcharged clients while selling inappropriate investments; Management intentionally undermined internal watchdogs and audit teams; Retaliatory actions against scores of whistleblower employees; Management warned units 24 hours ahead of the arrival of internal audit teams so that those being audited could shred incriminating evidence; Poor community lending rating for not reinvesting in the communities that they serve; If a client overdrew their account, the bank would intentionally pay the biggest check first so that they could collect extra overdraft fees.

Another despicable act that the bank engaged in was closing the accounts of people who had money stolen from their checking accounts. The typical procedure at any bank is to close the old account and open a new one.

Wells Fargo chose to kick the harmed clients out of the bank so that the bank did not have to dedicate the staff needed to help recover the lost funds. By kicking the people out, they made it far more difficult for the damaged people to recover lost funds. Wells Fargo’s practice was not only heartless but violated consumer protection laws.

As Wells Fargo has not addressed internal control issues to the satisfaction of regulators and continues to ‘discover’ more bad behavior,

the bank has been served with a Cease & Desist Order by regulators where Wells Fargo cannot grow its size and must replace four members of their Board of Directors.

Wells Fargo has the #1 market share in the Coachella Valley. If you continue to do business with a rogue organization like this one, you are condoning their bad behavior and encouraging future bad behavior by them and others.

Stand up and take action! Move your accounts from organizations like Wells Fargo who put profit over people. Denying business to companies like them is our only way to try and fight against this sort of behavior.

Haddon Libby is a fiduciary and the Founder and Managing Partner of Winslow Drake Investment Management. He can be reached at HLibby@WinslowDrake.com. For more information, please visit www.WinslowDrake. com.

DALE GRIBOW ON THE LAW

JAIL FOR A FIRST TIME DUI? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

Y

es you can, and will, receive Jail as part of your sentence!!! But my clients do not serve time in jail. We utilize alternatives to protect our clients.

During the Coachella and Stagecoach season, many of our neighbors will attend the parties without thinking about the consequences. They, as well as regular tourists, will drink and not use good judgment. These drivers will drink more than they should or more than they realize and many will be stopped for speeding, unsafe lane change or a not up to date tag on their license plate.

Many will also get into a fatal car accident and injure or kill an innocent party. This tragedy happened to my 25 year old client Celena Nava who worked at Eisenhower.

She was jogging in Coachella with a friend and was hit and killed by a drunk driver. The pain the family is experiencing is beyond words. It will last a life time and there is nothing anyone can do to take the pain away. The money I recovered for the family for her wrongful death cannot begin to ease the pain they will experience as they celebrate holidays this year and every year thereafter.

I have sued drunk drivers for the injuries to my clients, for over 30 years AND I have successfully defended drunk drivers when I change hats. Most drivers did not realize they could be charged with a drunk driving

with the small amount of alcohol they consumed. They incorrectly looked at the number of drinks they consumed rather than the amount of alcohol in the drinks.

For DUI purposes a drink equals 1 ounces of alcohol; 12 ounces of beer or 4 ounces of wine.

Thus when the bartender pours a 6-8 ounce glass of wine and you have two drinks you have consumed the equivalent of 3 or 4 drinks. Likewise my clients always tell me they were not drunk. The law does not require one to be drunk but rather under the influence or impaired. Being under the influence occurs with everyone when their ability to drive is impaired and that occurs when you reach a .08 blood alcohol level.

However, the Indio DA will file .07’s.....and YES the DA and the Court ask for a minimum of 10 days in jail on a first offense DUI with less than a .15 reading.

It is also necessary to look at what medications the driver has consumed, be they prescriptive, over the counter or illegal.

Many pills have a warning not to mix with alcohol and not to operate heavy machinery after taking the medication....this means a car. The combination of alcohol and these pills will create a Potentiation so that the driver is a lot more under the influence at .07 or .08 than the average person. It is possible they are as much under the influence as someone .09 or more than .10.

Remember: Silence is Golden and Handcuffs are Silver so DON’T TALK TO POLICE OR INSURANCE ADJUSTERS without your lawyer’s permission.

Though often referred to as a DUI criminal defense lawyer, I choose to not view my DUI clients as “criminals”. I prefer to view them, and more importantly to treat them, as good, honest people that have found themselves in a scary and unfortunate situation after screwing up.

I look upon my job as protecting the Constitutional Rights of every American who drinks and drives and gets in an accident or arrested for a DUI. I do however “Change Hats” when I SUE

Drunk Drivers for damages to my Injured or Deceased (Wrongful Death) clients.

DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE OR TEXT, CALL A TAXI, LYFT OR UBER........THEY ARE A LOT CHEAPER THAN HAVING AN ACCIDENT OR ARREST AND CALLING ME. LAW ENFORCEMENT WARNS “DRIVE SOBER OR GET PULLED OVER” DALE GRIBOW “TOP LAWYER” - Palm Springs Life 20112018 (PI/DUI) “TOP LAWYER” Inland Empire Magazine Nov 2016 10.0 AVVO Perfect Peer Rating

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April 26 to May 2, 2018

LOCAL MUSIC SPOTLIGHT

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BRENDA WARREN AND HER BEAUTIFUL JOURNEY

O

n Friday, April 6, 2018 composer and pianist Brenda Warren released her new album Beautiful Journey. The record, her third, was recorded in Vermont at Imaginary Road Studios with Grammy winning producer and founder of Windham Hill Records, Will Ackerman. This collection of original compositions is part solo piano and part instrumental featuring Grammy winning and legendary artists; Charlie Bisharat (violin), Eugene Friesen (cello), Tony Levin (bass), Michael Manring (fretless bass), Tom Eaton(bass), Premik Russell Tubbs (sax, wind synth), Jill Haley (English horn), and Jeff Haynes (percussion).

Coachella Valley Weekly spoke with Warren about the album and her reawakening. But first let’s give you some history.

BACKDROP Music has been a lifetime passion for Warren. At an early age she began studying piano at the Detroit Conservatory of Music. It was at San Francisco State University she earned a bachelor’s degree in music composition. Her senior thesis was the writing of a musical which was completed after graduation. “Breakfast in Marin” premiered in San Francisco and was nominated for a prestigious Cable Car Award for ‘Best Musical’.

Warren signed a recording contract with Los Angeles based label Priority Records and released her first solo piano album of original music, Childhood Dreams. Many of the pieces from this collection were featured in television and documentary films and received worldwide airplay. A second piano release As Years Go By was awarded

24

rave reviews and charted on Billboard and reached #1 on Music Choice. Warren has performed her music at Carnegie Hall and in other venues throughout the United States.

It seemed her life’s work had taken her to heights she had only dreamed of. Life has a way of redirecting where you are headed.

Her journey with this album and the next phase of her life began in 2012 after losing her mother. “When my mom passed away, that was a big loss for me because I lost my dad years before when I was younger. I was really close with her and it shifted the way I felt in the world. My mother is not there anymore.

There’s not that person you can pick up the phone and call with that unconditional love who you thought would always be there.”

Although it’s not explicit, Beautiful Journey is a tribute to Warren’s mother.

THE ALBUM Beautiful Journey embraces the heart and soul. It includes 12 pieces inspired by overcoming loss, hardship and rediscovering how precious each moment is and how much beauty there is in the world.

The first single, ‘Imagine Spring,’ is moving, nurturing and its thematic elements resound with the listener. Warren shared, “‘Imagine Spring’ is definitely a personal piece. I was coming from a challenging time in my life and had difficulties to overcome. I had to look at the positive, the beauty in life and the good things.” Hope, renewal, and love are the underlying themes in this new collection. Listening to this music will uplift, inspire and heal the heart. Warren agrees, “It should make you feel like things are going to be OK and you’re alive. It’s about soothing the soul.” Those themes were brought to the surface even more by employing Ackerman’s brilliant production.

“Will is pretty amazing. I was fortunate to work with such great people. It was one of those experiences that I’ll cherish. I’m already thinking I want to go back and do it again. Will has nothing but great things to say about the album. I hope people will be moved by it.” Warren explains, “There are a lot of similarities between my three albums. I think this album is a little deeper but stylistically, they are very similar. Warren is constantly in writer mode. She shared, “I’m always writing pieces. These 12 pieces

BY NOE GUTIERREZ are the collection of songs that are saying what I wanted to say and feel what I wanted to feel.”

WILL ACKERMAN The walls of Will Ackerman’s studio, Imaginary Road, are lined with Gold and Platinum Records. Ackerman is considered a pioneer in the New Age music movement.

Warren shared further, “Windham Hill was an extremely successful label thanks to artists like George Winston. Now Will’s got a studio he’s built in Vermont where he lives.

It was one of the most beautiful settings I’ve ever seen. It’s a really special place. You know that feeling when you go into a sacred or spiritual kind of place where you know many great musicians have been and worked at and done their thing? That was the feeling I had. I wasn’t there for all the overdubs.

He did Charlie Bisharat’s track in New York and he recorded Michael Manring’s track in Berkeley. He would call me from the studio and tell me ‘here’s what we’re doing.’ I trusted him and put all the overdubs in his hands. I wanted him to take the reins on what was actually added.”

Ackerman best describes Brenda’s music as “an utterly unique artistic voice and a pianist with stunning compositional talent and technique to match. Her work is deeply heartfelt and stunningly emotional... a glimpse into her artistic soul.” Ackerman was hands on and would be in touch with Warren during the recording process. Warren recalls, “That would be one of the most fun things, He would be in the studio and send me an email saying ‘Oh my God, we’re in the studio and I’m over the moon, wait until you hear this.’ I would wait for him to send me the mp3. It was exciting part of the process to hear the rough mix.” Warren was overjoyed at the inclusion of so many fine musicians.

SUPPORTING PLAYERS Included in the album are many of Ackerman’s go-to musicians. Accomplished musicians like Tony Levin and Charlie Bisharat were called upon. Warren was humbled by their participation. “Tony has played with probably 500 artists. Name an artist and he’s played with them. He’s one of those legendary bass players. Charlie Bisharat is also one of the most famous violinists, most famously touring and playing with Yanni.

Will suggested every one of these players.

They’re like family to him. He uses them on many of his projects, some go back with him to his Windham Hill days.”

DOWN… Not only did Warren have to cope with the death of her mother, she was also recovering from a concussion. “I was down for a couple months after the loss of my mother. At the same time I was recovering from a concussion.

I had symptoms like cognitive problems. My concentration and balance was off. I couldn’t be on the computer for very long. I thought, are these things going to go away? The first six months were really hard. The following year I had mild symptoms, enough to make me uncomfortable. I couldn’t be around

loud music or loud restaurants. I was very hypersensitive to sound. I found myself retreating a lot. They told me the point I reach in a two year period is how I’ll be. The only symptom I have now is I’m sensitive to sound. I can’t go to a big concert anymore and I’m OK with that.” In time, the resilience her mother impressed in her and the longing to write music became her body of armor. …BUT NOT OUT Music continued to heal Warren through the grieving process. “A year later I started recovering and healing from the loss of my mom and the concussion and that’s when I wrote a lot of these pieces because I was coming from a place of loss, heartache and pain yet knowing that I wanted to go on and have a positive life. I started appreciating every little thing, the butterflies, and the flowers, that’s why I have a piece called ‘Beneath Cherry Blossoms.’ Literally, the beauty of nature became really more prominent in my mind. My mother was always very positive and a real survivor and always instilled that in me so I thought I should really live out what she’s taught me. I told myself, don’t fall apart, go on and make your life as beautiful as possible. The creating and composing of the music was good for me to recover from this. I used to say as long as I can sit down and write my music and do what I do I’ll be OK. It really got me through.” The desert is grateful that Warren is a member of our community.

THE DESERT Warren is a diamond in the desert rough.

Coachella Valley natives will be proud to know that she is our neighbor. “I’ve been in the desert since 2009. Before that I was in Los Angeles. I have mixed feelings about the desert. In some ways I really love it. It’s very calming in a way, very quiet. I’ve lived in L.A. for so long and San Francisco prior to that. I love that the desert has less people and less traffic but the desert can be limiting to what you can experience and places you can go.

But then when I go to L.A. and I’m in that environment I appreciate coming back to the desert.” Long time desert residents Ronnie and Lisa King are longtime supporters of Warren. “Ronnie has been so supportive of my music. I remember he would tell me he’s listening to my Spotify station and how much he loves my music. Both he and his wife Lisa have been extremely complimentary.”

Linda S. Gordon review on amazon.com: “Brenda Warren is a gifted artist creating beautiful compositions for everyone to cherish.

I have been so looking forward to Brenda’s new music and here it is! So gorgeous and moving, I feel lucky to have found Brenda’s music in my life and her Beautiful Journey”.

Find Beautiful Journey on Spotify, Pandora, Amazon, iTunes and all other digital outlets. www.brendawarrenmusic.com

TRAVEL TIPS 4 U PALM SPRINGS AERIAL TRAM MT. SAN JACINTO STATE PARK

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

BY LYNNE TUCKER

T

he Palm Springs Aerial Tramway— the world’s largest rotating tram car—travels over two-and-one-half miles along the breathtaking cliffs of Chino Canyon, transporting riders to the pristine wilderness of the Mt. San Jacinto State Park. During your approximately ten-minute journey, tram cars rotate slowly, offering picturesque and spectacular vistas of the valley floor below. Once you reach the Mountain Station—elevation 8,516 feet— enjoy two restaurants, observation decks, natural history museum, two documentary theaters, gift shop and 54 miles of hiking trails located within a 14,000 acre pristine wilderness, one of the last in California. All trails are accessed by exiting the Mountain Station and descending a concrete pathway to Long Valley. There you will find picnic tables, the ranger station, flush toilets and several easy trails.

Tickets- Buy your tickets online and reserve your spot on the Tram. It’s fast and convenient with our new print at home option.

Weather- Know before you go! Get complete, real-time weather details at the top of the Tram.

Tram Cam- See LIVE views at Long Valley Ranger Station. A squirrels-eye view of the forest any time of year.

Programs- FREE Tram membership programs. The Tramsters Club, children (312) and the Alpine Club for companies with 100+ employees.

Dining at 8500 feet at Peaks RestaurantPeaks Restaurant is a culinary experience above the clouds. Our chef has created a menu featuring a variety of fresh vegetables and greens from the Coachella Valley, dryaged meats and poultry and fresh breads from local bakeries. Additional selections include market-fresh seafood and pastas.

Hours through May 24, 2018 Monday – Friday - First Tram up 10am Saturday, Sunday and Holidays – First Tram up 8am Daily – Last Tram up at 8pm, Last Tram down at 9:45pm Cars depart at least every half hour.

PLEASE NOTE: Tickets are only available for purchase at the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway upon arrival.

TRAM PRICES: Adults $25.95/Children

REAL ESTATE

BY ALEXANDRA MIKLOSOVA

PROPERTY OF THE WEEK

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$16.95 (ages 3-10)/Seniors $23.95 (65+) Summer Pass: *Available May 1 - $80 Adults & Seniors (65+) $40 Children (ages 3-10) Annual Pass: $160.00 Adults & Seniors (65+)$90.00 Children (ages 3-10) Ride ‘n’ Dine Prices: Prices includes round trip Tram fare and dining in Pines Café. Available at 4:30PM. Adults $36.00/Children $23.50/Seniors $36.00 Children under 3 years old are free but require a boarding pass. Children under 16 years must be accompanied by an adult of 21 years or older.

Directions: I-10 East exit 111 onto CA111 toward Palm Springs - Turn right onto Tramway Road - Destination on your right Parking $5 For more information visit their website at: www.pstramway.com.

Think Travel! Lynne Tucker is a Travel writer and photojournalist based in Palm Desert, CA Lynne - A Passion 4 Photography 818.298.7007

April 26 to May 2, 2018

y name is Alexandra Miklosova, and I have been in real estate here in the Coachella Valley for over 10 years. Currently I am a Realtor and Creative Marketing Strategist for Lux Box Agency and I absolutely love what I do! I love our valley, I love real estate and I love social media! Out of the love and my passion I have created a collaborative online social media platform to connect homebuyers, home owners, investors and real estate professionals. Welcome to Palm Springs Open House!

Every other week, I am here to provide you with valuable real estate information, market update, current listings and open houses throughout our beautiful Coachella Valley in a very fun and interactive way. Every week I search the Palm Springs area real estate market for the best possible deals for my clients. I will share them with you along with 3 reasons why you should be curious about that property too!

Let’s dive in. Here is my “Pick of The Week” This week I have selected 43190 Moore Circle in Bermuda Dunes.

Profile: Spanish Style Estate with a modern flare 3 Br | 4 Bath – 3646 SqFt. Listed at: $769,000 Here are the 3 reasons why you should put this home on your House Hunt Wishlist!

My first reason will speak to even the most discerning buyer who is looking for an exclusive location and private setting for his or her estate. This stunning Spanish style estate with a modern flare is located in a private gated cul-de-sac of only 10 estates featuring a community tennis court. Located just outside of Bermuda Dunes Country Club it is close to all the hot-spots yet it provides the perfect privacy if you choose to be far away from the hustle and bustle of the town. You have 3 stunning

bedrooms and 4 bath, with high-end designer fixtures and finishes for only $769,000.Wow, how can you beat that?

The selection for my second reason was rather obvious! We all want to be gifted with special experiences in our new house we can call or home. The 0.37 acres of land with entertainer’s backyard is a perfect set for family Sundays and friends get-togethers.

The best part is, you can experience the most gorgeous sunrises and Mountain views right from your own private backyard. I don’t think you will ever be enjoying breakfast inside the house after experience this magical ambience for the first time. Salt water pool, spa, covered outdoor area with misters and the only thing missing, is YOU! My final reason, if you have not already fallen in love and calling me on the other line to schedule your walk-through, is the detail work that you will find throughout the estate. You will very much appreciate the open light and bright floor plan with high ceilings. The modern finishes will make you feel like you just stepped into a custom designed estate, yet you will feel a genuine comfort all the time. The oversized master suite features a large gym, gas fireplace and in-ground spa. Welcome to your very own private Desert Oasis!

Grab a cup of coffee and read my biweekly column here in CV Weekly or join the conversation on-line in our Facebook group + Instagram at @PalmSpringsOpenHouse Feel free to give me a call with any real estate related question or request a FREE marketing strategy consultation and allow me to help you sell your home! Don’t forget I can show you 43190 Moore Circle or any other home here in the Desert!

Alexandra Miklosova- 760.668.9784.

CalBRE No: 0177415 Listing courtesy of Laurie Moulton at Lux Box Agency

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April 26 to May 2, 2018

SPORTS SCENE

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hose jonesing for even a piece of NFL football information, waiting out those long months between the Super Bowl and early September, got a boost on Thursday night. The NFL released the 2018-19 regular-season schedule, and as expected, there are plenty of highlight games. But as sportsbooks quickly worked to post Week 1 lines, one of the lowlight games proved to be among the toughest for oddsmakers.

“The Bengals-Colts game, due to Andrew Luck and what percent he might be when he returns,” Pete Fox From NBC Sports said of the most difficult game at his spot, “That game has the potential to be fluid.”

The Colts opened as a 1-point home chalk as part of the 13-game Sunday slate in Week 1. Luck missed the entire 2017-18 season following shoulder surgery on his throwing arm 16 months ago. His status is certainly still a question mark for Week 1 this year.

Another recovering quarterback presented a linemaking challenge for a highlight Week 1 game: Houston Texans at New England Patriots. This one is very difficult because of the unknown. You have Deshaun Watson coming off that horrible knee injury, so how healthy is he going to be out of the gates? And then you have various reports that Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski

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NFL OPENING DAY LINES UP..

could retire. I fully expect that pair to be there opening week, but you never know. If all systems are a go on both sides, look for the Pats to be around 6-point chalk.

Both offshore and some Vegas books went ahead and rolled out a number, expecting all things to be equal. Early lines were close at 6.5 to 7, there’s plenty of Patriots support without inducing it, so 7 was the starting point.

Of course, Week 1 begins with a Thursday night game, this time featuring the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles hosting the Atlanta Falcons on Sept. 6. And again, there’s a quarterback issue, with the Eagles’ Carson Wentz – who watched Nick Foles lead the team to the title – sitting the last few weeks of last season with a torn ACL. I’m deferring comment to Tilted Sports resident Philly expert, Chet Sheehan.

There were numbers ranging from 3 to 5.5 on the eagles,” Sheehan said. Chet knows his Philly teams best, and he decided upon 3.5 to be the betting number if you can still catch it.

However, there are many books holding off on the Falcons-Eagles line. Due to the unknown of Carson Wentz and his status will make this difficult to set a line for. If they know he’s out, then the books can factor in a number for Foles. But who’s to say he will or

won’t be in an Eagles uniform come Week 1?

Other key Week 1 matchups and lines: • Dallas Cowboys at Carolina Panthers: After a solid 2016-17 season capped by a playoff appearance, Dallas failed to make the playoffs last year. Carolina earned an NFC wild-card bid, losing at New Orleans in that round.

Bookmaker.com opened the Panthers -3.

Those are two teams that greatly underachieved in my eyes last season, despite the Panthers going to the playoffs. It feels like these clubs should be mainstays in the postseason year in and year out. As of now I see many early rankings have Carolina just a tad higher in terms of ratings, so you take that and home-field advantage into account.

Added Chet Sheehan, “I see numbers anywhere from Panthers -1 to -3, and settled

BY FLINT WHEELER just short of 3, opening at Carolina -2.5.”

• San Francisco 49ers at Minnesota Vikings: Minnesota is coming off an outstanding season, riding third-string QB Case Keenum all the way to the NFC Championship Game. But Keenum has been replaced by Kirk Cousins, late of the Redskins, while the Jimmy Garoppolo Show is all the rage in San Fran.

The matchup is among the early kicks on that first Sunday, Sept. 9, much to the chagrin of Vegas Sportsbooks who by account, have installed the Vikings a 4.5-point favorite.

This game should have been the early Monday night game, from a wagering handle standpoint. Instead, the NFL’s Monday night doubleheader opens with the dreaded New York Jets at the Detroit Lions (-6).

There’s a ton of hype surrounding the Niners in 2018, some unwarranted, so I’d expect to see some ‘dog money at this number. While sometimes perceived as pedestrian, we can’t forget the fact that this Vikings squad was one of the best, if not the best at times, in football last year. G’Luck!

PALM DESERT AQUATIC CENTER PREPARES FOR BY FG CREATIVE TEAM COMMUNITY SUMMER WITH FREE SWIM LESSONS AND FREE ADMISSION FOR RECREATIONAL SWIM

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ummer is almost here and the Palm Desert Aquatic Center (PDAC) is excited to announce a special free swim lesson event on May 19. Children ages 6 months (with parent) to 17 years of age, will receive a free 30-minute swim lesson during the event, along with free admission for recreational swim that includes an additional two guest passes for use that day. Come for the lesson, stay for the fun!

Free swim lessons are from 9 AM to noon.

Recreational Swim begins at 10 AM. Online pre-registration for the event can be found on the Announcements page at www.pdpool. com. Registration is open through May 18th.

Pre-registration is required to receive the free lesson and free swim passes for recreational

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swim for the day. The recreational swim includes swimming pools, diving boards, splash playground and slides which will remain open until 5 PM. The snack bar at the facility offers food for purchase. While all pools are monitored at all times by trained lifeguards, children 6 years and younger will need to be accompanied at all times by an adult and must have an adult in the water if they are not swimmers.

The swim lessons are available for all ages and taught by trained swim instructors certified through American Red Cross. Swim lessons help families be water-smart and pool-safe while having fun in the water and learning pool safety, water basics, fundamental swimming skills, and swim

stroke development. The summer sessions include eight lessons, Monday through Thursday, with morning and evening options.

The cost is $60 for Palm Desert residents and $80 for non-residents per session. Financial Aid is available for those who qualify on a first come first serve basis.

The Palm Desert Aquatic Center is located at 73751 Magnesia Falls Drive in Palm Desert, behind Civic Center Park. Outside food is not allowed into the facility, but a snack bar is available. For information on this event and all other PDAC classes and swim center hours,

go to www.pdpool.org or call (760) 565-7467.

About Palm Desert Aquatic Center Palm Desert Aquatic Center offers yearround fun with three year-round heated pools, multiple slides, diving boards, and a variety of play features designed to delight water lovers of all ages. All or part of the 8-acre facility can be rented for private parties, corporate events, swimming competitions, and other special occasions. Located in Palm Desert Civic Center Park, the Aquatic Center is owned by the City of Palm Desert and operated by Family YMCA of the Desert.

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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY

Week of April 26

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Imagine you’re one of four porcupines caught in frigid weather. To keep warm, you all have the urge to huddle together and pool your body heat. But whenever you try to get close, you prick each other with your quills. The only solution to that problem is to move away from each other, even though it means you can’t quell your chill as well. This scenario was used by psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud as a parable for the human dilemma.

We want to be intimate with each other, Freud said, but we hurt each other when we try. The oft-chosen solution is to be partially intimate: not as close as we would like to be, but only as much as we can bear.

Now everything I just said, Aries, is a preface for better news: In the coming weeks, neither your own quills nor those of the people you care about will be as sharp or as long as usual.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): The Simpsons is the longest-running American TV sitcom and animated series. But it had a rough start. In the fall of 1989, when producers staged a private prerelease screening of the first episode, they realized the animation was mediocre. They worked hard to redo it, replacing 70 percent of the original content.

After that slow start, the process got easier and the results got better. When the program completes its thirtieth season in 2019, it will have aired 669 episodes. I don’t know if your own burgeoning project will ultimately have as enduring a presence, Taurus, but I’m pretty sure that, like The Simpsons, it will eventually become better than it is in the early going. Stick with it.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): The coming weeks might be an interesting time to resurrect a frustrated dream you abandoned in a wasteland; or rescue and restore a moldering treasure you stopped taking care of a while back; or revive a faltering commitment you’ve been ignoring for reasons that aren’t very high-minded. Is there a secret joy you’ve been denying yourself without good cause? Renew your relationship with it. Is there a rough prize you received before you were ready to make smart use of it? Maybe you’re finally ready. Are you brave enough to dismantle a bad habit that hampers your self-mastery? I suspect you are.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): The Hollywood film industry relies heavily on recycled ideas. In 2014, for example, only one of the ten top-grossing movies -- Interstellar -- was not a sequel, remake, reboot, or episode in a franchise. In the coming weeks and months, Cancerian, you’ll generate maximum health and wisdom for yourself by being more like Interstellar than like The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Transformers: Age of Extinction, X-Men: Days of Future Past, and the six other top-ten rehashes of 2014. Be original!

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Long ago, in the land we now call Italy, humans regarded Mars as the divine protector of fields. He was the fertility god who ripened the food crops. Farmers said prayers to him before planting seeds, asking for his blessings.

But as the Roman Empire arose, and warriors began to outnumber farmers, the deity who once served as a kind benefactor evolved into a militant champion, even a fierce and belligerent conqueror.

In accordance with current astrological omens, Leo, I encourage you to evolve in the opposite direction.

Now is an excellent time to transmute aggressiveness and combativeness into fecundity and tenderness.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You sometimes get superstitious when life is going well. You worry about growing overconfident. You’re afraid that if you enjoy yourself too much, you will anger the gods and jinx your good fortune. Is any of that noise clouding your mood these days? I hope not; it shouldn’t be.

The truth, as I see it, is that your intuition is extrastrong and your decision-making is especially adroit.

More luck than usual is flowing in your vicinity, and you have an enhanced knack for capitalizing on it.

In my estimation, therefore, the coming weeks will be a favorable time to build up your hunger for vivid adventures and bring your fantasies at least one step closer to becoming concrete realities. Whisper the

© Copyright 2018 Rob Brezsny

following to yourself as you drop off to sleep each night: “I will allow myself to think bigger and bolder than usual.”

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): The bad news is that 60 percent of Nevada’s Lake Mead has dried up. The good news -- at least for historians, tourists, and hikers -- is that the Old West town of St. Thomas has re-emerged. It had sunk beneath the water in 1936, when the government built the dam that created the lake. But as the lake has shrunk in recent years, old buildings and roads have reappeared. I foresee a comparable resurfacing in your life, Libra: the return of a lost resource or vanished possibility or departed influence.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): I hope the next seven weeks will be a time of renaissance for your most engaging alliances. The astrological omens suggest it can be. Would you like to take advantage of this cosmic invitation? If so, try the following strategies. 1. Arrange for you and each of your close companions to relive the time when you first met. Recall and revitalize the dispensation that originally brought you together. 2. Talk about the influences you’ve had on each other and the ways your relationship has evolved. 3. Fantasize about the inspirations and help you’d like to offer each other in the future. 4. Brainstorm about the benefits your connection has provided and will provide for the rest of the world.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Now is one of the rare times when you should be alert for the potential downsides of blessings that usually sustain you. Even the best things in life could require adjustments. Even your most enlightened attitudes and mature beliefs may have pockets of ignorance.

So don’t be a prisoner of your own success or a slave of good habits. Your ability to adjust and make corrections will be key to the most interesting kind of progress you can achieve in the coming weeks.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Capricorn author Simone de Beauvoir was a French feminist and activist. In her book A Transatlantic Love Affair, she made a surprising confession: Thanks to the assistance of a new lover, Nelson Algren, she finally had her first orgasm at age 39. Better late than never, right? I suspect that you, too, are currently a good candidate to be transported to a higher octave of pleasure. Even if you’re an old pro at sexual climax, there may be a new level of bliss awaiting you in some other way. Ask for it! Seek it out! Solicit it!

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Can you afford to hire someone to do your busy work for a while? If so, do it. If not, see if you can avoid the busy work for a while. In my astrological opinion, you need to deepen and refine your skills at lounging around and doing nothing. The cosmic omens strongly and loudly and energetically suggest that you should be soft and quiet and placid. It’s time for you to recharge your psychospiritual batteries as you dream up new approaches to making love, making money, and making sweet nonsense. Please say a demure “no, thanks” to the strident demands of the status quo, my dear. Trust the stars in your own eyes.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): I believe it’s a favorable time for you to add a new mentor to your entourage. If you don’t have a mentor, go exploring until you find one. In the next five weeks, you might even consider mustering a host of fresh teachers, guides, trainers, coaches, and initiators. My reading of the astrological omens suggests that you’re primed to learn twice as much and twice as fast about every subject that will be important for you during the next two years. Your future educational needs require your full attention.

Homework: Choose two ancestors with whom you’d like to have closer relationships. Contact their spirits in your dreams. Testify at Freewillastrology. com.

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

April 26 to May 2, 2018

MIND,BODY & SPIRIT

PEACE WITHIN

BY BRONWYN ISON

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inding peace within may seem impossible to achieve in our chaotic society. It’s one thing after another, one more app to download, another text to send, or that post you need to share. How can one truly find any peace with all this activity? I’m not talking about a quiet place. I’m referring to a true feeling of peace within yourself. Do you feel at peace? If not, how can you get there? Are you willing to make the necessary steps to get you there? Obviously, these are questions only you can answer.

Conscious breathing and settling into your breath can help you achieve a calmness within. Science has proven, proper and restful breathing, can reduce stress, anxiety and known to lower blood pressure. Rest quietly without distractions. No phones, television, children, or others to disturb you. More than likely you’re a short and shallow breather or you may breathe to heavy. In other words, you may not being paying attention to your breath at all. Most people don’t even bother to recognize their breathing. I bet if you you became consciousness of the ebb and flow of your breath, you’d be more relaxed throughout the day.

Meditation is another dimension you may care to explore. Some may attempt to achieve extended thoughts, reflection, contemplation or complete stillness during meditation. While others may use their time of stillness to pray.

However, you progress, mediation can truly be anything that works for you. There is no right

or wrong… except you should try to achieve stillness in a quiet space.

Free yourself for what you cannot control.

This is not an implication to extinguish what is happening around you. Better yet, this is an opportunity to release what you have no control over and allow nature to take its course. I know, I know… so much easier said than done. Simply try releasing a circumstance you’d likely want to take charge of and set it free. One step at a time you’ll be able to do this more and more.

Without a doubt, yoga, tai chi and mediation are all welcoming to finding peace within.

There is a settling calmness that evokes inside a person. This allows for peace within. Explore the numerous avenues of which you can take to achieve your personal greatness and peace.

Bronwyn Ison is the owner of Evolve Yoga and www.bronwynison.com. ONLINE YOGA CLASSES ON DEMAND, ANYWHERE & ANYTIME. 760-564YOGA (9642)

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April 26 to May 2, 2018

ASK THE DOCTOR

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BY DR PETER KADILE

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

THE SUN IS SHINING AND IT’S GETTING HOT OUT!

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pril is the month for festivals and we will be hitting triple digits this week, so you need to be prepared. You should always recognize the importance of hydration and I can’t stress it enough. Make sure you drink enough water! Alcoholic beverages don’t count, so if you are drinking alcohol, make sure you balance it with enough water.

Sun protection is very important, so make sure you apply sunscreen at least 30 minutes before you go outside. Dermatologists recommend using a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or greater, higher SPF if you are lighter or fair skinned. Choose a sunscreen that protects against UVB and UVA radiation.

SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor and ranges from 2 to as high as 50. It refers to the sunscreen’s ability to screen or block out the sun’s harmful rays. The number stands for the length of time one can stay in the sun using the sunscreen before burning, compared to when not wearing a sunscreen. For example, if a person uses a sunscreen with an SPF 15, that person can be in the sun 15 times longer than without sunscreen before burning.

Make sure you bring the sunscreen with you so you can reapply. If you are dancing and enjoying one of the festivals in the heat, the sunscreen will sweat off, so follow the directions on the bottle on how frequently you need to reapply.

I frequently see patients after they have attended the festivals and they complain of severe allergy symptoms of runny nose, congestion and sneezing which sometimes progress into a sinusitis.

The high winds during the festivals kick up all sorts of nasty allergens, dust, sand and irritants which can commonly cause itchy, watery eyes, congestion, runny nose, cough, sore throat and sneezing associated with allergic rhinitis. Staying well hydrated, supplementing with vitamin C, vitamin D and omega 3 fish oils can help boost your immune system and help reduce allergy flare ups. Irrigation of the nasal passages with an over the counter Neti pot can help reduce the congestion and runny nose associated with allergy symptoms. Over the counter (OTC) medications, usually antihistamines, can be effective in the prevention and treatment of symptoms, but can have side effects, commonly drowsiness. Make sure you read the labels of the various OTC allergy medications to educate yourself on the possible side effects.

What if you get a sunburn?

- Apply a cool compress to the burned area - Take a cool shower or bath - Over the counter anti-inflammatories,

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such as ibuprofen or naprosyn can help relieve the inflammation and pain - Application of lotions containing aloe vera help to soothe and moisturize the skin.

Some products used specifically for sunburn contain lidocaine, which is an anesthetic and can numb the sunburn pain.

- Over the counter 1% hydrocortisone cream may help relieve the pain and itching.

LIFE & CAREER COACH

BY SUNNY SIMON

IT’S ABOUT TIME

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uring my early years, I never missed a meal due to my father’s excellent cooking. He made the best fried chicken in town. It was his claim to fame.

Neighbors enlisted him to cook his special dish for every party on the block. One day I breezed through our kitchen as he worked on a batch of golden fried poultry. Dad asked me to stay so that he could teach me this culinary art. I smiled, and politely declined thinking there was plenty of time to learn trade secrets from this home chef. As it turned out, the clock ran out. I did not respect time.

I have a friend, let’s call her Kelsey, who never arrives to anywhere on time. She comes prepared with an excuse, sometimes creative, sometimes reasonable, often quite lame.

Kelsey does not respect time.

My cousin Jimmy has been known to totally blank out on appointments. He claims he practices calendar management, but on occasion admits to losing track of the moments that lead to hours. Jimmy exhibits a lack of respect for time.

My friends and I are guilty of disrespecting the one thing that stops for no one, time.

The late author and motivational speaker, Jim Rohn, aptly sums it up this way, “Time is of more value than money. You can get more

money, you cannot get more time.”

At some level, we can all gauge of how much time is worth. If this article were about time management or work life balance, I would direct you to a website to help you track and gain productivity. But, today, that is not my message. I’m talking about respecting time.

Right now, do a deep dive on your treatment of time. In fact, it might be helpful to drop down to the bottom line. How much time do you think you have left? Perhaps, 30 or 20 year? Maybe more, maybe less?

As you contemplate time, quiz yourself.

What exactly do you want to accomplish in the time you have left? Are you on the right path?

Given the limited supply of your remaining hours, how can you manage your time to live life filled with happiness and peace while adding value to those around you? Those are personal questions only you can answer.

I will never have the opportunity to learn how to fry chicken from my favorite chef.

That was one difficult lesson, but it taught me to revere the clock. Value your time and the time of others. Remember, it’s a limited commodity.

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

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April 26 to May 2, 2018

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