Coachella Valley Weekly - May 30 to June 5, 2019 Vol. 8 No. 11

coachellavalleyweekly.com • May 30 to June 5, 2019 Vol. 8 No. 11

jimi Fitz

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BB Ingle

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Bruce Fessier

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George Lopez

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Persimmon Bistro

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Contact In The Desert

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May 30 to June 5, 2019

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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 Kirby, Sheila Rosenthal, Dori Berry Club Crawler Nightlife Editor Phil Lacombe Feature Writers Lisa Morgan, Rich Henrich, Heidi Simmons, Noe Gutierrez, Avery Wood, Tricia Witkower, Jason Hall, Crystal Harrell, Esther Sanchez 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, Dr. Peter Kadile, Bruce Cathcart, Flint Wheeler, Dee Jae Cox, Denise Ortuno Neil, Angela Romeo, Aaron Ramson, Lynne Tucker, Elizabeth Scarcella, Aimee Mosco, Michelle Anne Rizzio Photographers Robert Chance, Laura Hunt Little, Chris Miller, Iris Hall, Esther Sanchez Website Editor Bobby Taffolla Distribution Phil Lacombe, William Westley

CONTENTS

7th Annual CV Music Awards 2019 ....... 4 CVMAs - Paul Rodgers .........................4-5 CV Music Award 2019 Schedule ........... 5 CV Music Award 2019 Nominees.......... 6 CVMAs - Jimi Fitz .................................... 7 CVMAs - BB Ingle .................................... 7 CVMAs - Bruce Fessier ........................... 8 Comedy - George Lopez at Fantasy ..... 9 Consider This - Marty Brown............... 10 Pet Place ............................................... 12 The Vino Voice ...................................... 13 Club Crawler Nightlife .................... 14-15 Good Grub - Chicken Wings................... 16 Brewtality - Persimmon Bistro............. 17 Screeners .............................................. 18 Book Review......................................... 19 Safety Tips ............................................. 19 Haddon Libby ....................................... 21 Dale Gribow........................................... 21 Contact In The Desert........................... 22 Travel Tips 4 U - Santa Barbara............ 22 Free Will Astrology............................... 23 Cannabis Corner................................... 24 Cannabis Corner................................... 24

May 30 to June 5, 2019

THE 7TH ANNUAL CV MUSIC AWARDS WILL HONOR PAUL RODGERS (BAD COMPANY, FREE, THE FIRM) TIME TO GET YOUR TICKETS AT WITH THE ICON AWARD ON SUNDAY, JUNE 2 AT HOTEL ZOSO STILL WWW.COACHELLAVALLEYWEEKLY.COM

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e are so excited to have in attendance this year, the legendary Paul Rodgers, who we will honor with our very first ICON Award created just for him. Paul and his lovely wife Cynthia will be donating $5.00 for every ticket sold to be divided between 3 charities: Living Free Animal Sanctuary, Loving All Animals and CV Horse Rescue. They will also be providing a swag bag for all VIP ticket buyers that will include CDs and DVD package of Paul’s music.

Other Special Awards given out this year will include: Trailblazer Award to Arthur Seay (HOBP, DiPW, Unida) presented by Noe Gutierrez, Pioneer Award to Jimi “Fitz” Fitzgerald presented by Bruce Fessier, Lifetime Achievement Award for Promoter to BB Ingle presented by Craig Michaels and Lifetime Achievement Award for Music Journalism to Bruce Fessier presented by Mario Lalli.

The CV Music Awards continue to grow and we have added a few new categories this year including: Best Singer-Songwriter, Best Folk/ Americana, Best Radio Personality, Best Radio Station and Best Latin Artist bringing it up to a total of 44 categories that the valley voted on.

Our gracious sponsor, Big Rock Pub, will be hosting the Pre-Party Awards Ceremony on Thursday, May 30 from 6-10pm, where we will announce winners in half of the 44 nominated categories. Tickets for this event are $10.00.

Nominees performing at the Pre Party event at Big Rock include: Jetta King Band, J

Patron, Rick Shelley, Sieve & the Saddle, Lisa Lynn Morgan, Cody White & The Easy Ride.

Bands performing at Main Awards show at Hotel Zoso are: Keisha D, James Dorris, Provoked & Willdabeast, The CMFs, The Sweat Act, Caxton, Ormus, Giselle Woo & The Night Owls, Steven Rodgers, Grady James Band, Empty Seat and Derek Jordan Gregg. There will also be a special 5-song tribute to Paul Rodgers performed by several of this year’s nominees including: Michael Keeth, Lisa Lynn Morgan, Vinny Berry, Tom Edwards, Jeff Bowman, Nick Hales and Derek Wade Timmons.

Doors open at 4:00pm with Trio Envy performing in the lobby until show time.

The show starts promptly at 5:00 pm and you don’t want to miss the opening act. Our emcees for the night will be Haley Clawson from KESQ, Craig Michaels, Morgan James and Todd “TK” Killiam form 93.7 KCLB. Tickets for this event are $25.00 in advance

PAUL RODGERS TO RECEIVE THE ICON AWARD AT THE 7TH ANNUAL CV MUSIC AWARDS SUNDAY, JUNE 2

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aul Rodgers is known as the singersongwriter and frontman, having formed the bands Bad Company, Free and The Firm, along with having a successful Grammy nominated solo career. He also resurrected the band Queen and reintroduced them into touring and recording after a 14 year absence after Freddie Mercury passed.

He is also known for having one of the best voices in rock music. He is a living legend and now a CV Music Award ICON recipient.

Rodgers will be present on Sunday, June 2 to accept this award at the 7th Annual CV Music Awards at Hotel Zoso.

Bad Company has had a successful career that began in 1974 when they released their self-titled album that went 5 times platinum and spawned hits like “Can’t Get Enough,” “Ready For Love,” “Rock Steady” and “Movin’ On.” That album was followed

by Straight Shooter, that went triple platinum and produced the hits “Feel Like Makin’ Love,” which was a Top 10 hit and Grammy nominated, and “Shooting Star.” Run With the Pack followed in 1976 and was the band’s third consecutive platinum selling album and then in 1979 came Desolation Angels, which produced the classic hit “Rock & Roll Fantasy.”

Rodgers most recently released a CD/DVD titled Free Spirit, which celebrates his music with Free and was recorded live at London’s Royal Albert Hall on California based record label Quarto Valley Records Icons Label, which hit #2 on the Billboard chart for 3 weeks. Label President Bruce Quarto, created the Icon label, with Rodgers being the first icon on it.

This is my fourth interview with Rodgers and he is one of my favorite people to interview. I have also been a huge fan of his since I was a teenager in the 70s. He was gracious enough to take time from his busy schedule to chat with me again. He just returned from doing a few gigs with ZZ Top in Dallas, Houston and Austin, Texas and from there he went to Phoenix where his son Steven Rodgers opened for him.

and $35.00 at the door.

There will also be a very special VIP after party for the main awards at Hotel Zoso from 9:15 to midnight, which will feature DJ Guy Worden.

For those who have attended this in the past you know it’s an event not to be missed.

So get your tickets now as the VIP party will have limited tickets this year. VIP tickets are $50.00 and include a buffet from Lulu’s and hosted bar.

Thank you to our Sponsors: Presenting Sponsor West Coast Cannabis, Big Rock Pub, The Leaf El Paseo, CV Weekly, Lulu CA Bistro & Acqua Bistro, Crater Lake Vodka, La Quinta Brewery, DarMar Awards and Casazul Tequila.

For tickets to all 3 events go to www. coachellavalleyweekly.com and click on the Buy tickets link.

Sponsorship opportunities and booth rentals are still available.

BY TRACY DIETLIN

“It was great hearing Steve. He very much connects with the audience. He has a real spirituality about him. He has fantastic songs,” shared Rodgers.

I asked Paul about his touring schedule, playing with ZZ Top and how he keeps it fresh out on the road every night.

“It’s so lovely to get the response we still get today,” he shared. “Every night is different. We’re not actually touring we’re playing a select number of shows each year.

We’ve been trying to pull back for years now so we can try to have more of a home life. We couldn’t resist this offer to play a few dates with ZZ Top. Touring is when you pack your bags for 3 to 6 months and you don’t come home. What we do is go out for a few shows, continue to page 5

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PAUL RODGERS continued from page 3

return home and repeat as often as we like.

It’s more sane that way.”

“We would love to sit back a little bit more.

We only select about 20 to 30 shows a year now, which doesn’t seem like a lot but there’s still a lot of planning involved. We have a crew of about 15 people plus the band. We love the music and the music drives us.”

“How I keep it fresh is I think ‘how do I present what we do with the maximum impact on the audience.’ We’ve got a lot of material to choose from so I’ll look at the songs and think ‘what should we open with tonight that we haven’t done before.’ I often come back to “Can’t Get Enough” because I think people connect with that song right away. “Live For the Music,” is another great song to perform because it still rings true today; we really are still living for the music. Every show is fresh for us because it’s always a new audience with new energy that we get to play in front of. Also, recently, Simon (Kirke) has a new acoustic song he’s doing. So he’s stepping out from behind the kit to perform it.”

Paul has so many fun and interesting stories from his musical career so I asked him to share a few with me.

“When I first left my home in England at 16, within a year I was playing at the Isle of White with Free in front of 250,000 people.

All these years later, I’m still absorbing what happened. It was an other-worldy experience.

I remember flying over in a helicopter and looking down, it was like a gathering of the clans with all the colors, camp fires and people dancing. It was an amazing vibration. It was England’s Woodstock. Another highlight was playing the Houston Astrodome with ZZ Top back in 2006, where we played in front of 67,000 people. We had just been signed to Swan Song and Peter Grant came to the show and he brought Jimmy Page and he got for a jam with us and we did “Crossroads.” And the place erupted after that.

“Another highlight was with Queen at Freedom Square in Kharkov Ukraine, which had an attendance of 350,000. Apparently the Square is visible from the moon. It was an AIDS awareness event and there were all of these

strange shaped giant balloons floating around and I caught one and it was a giant condom,” Rodgers shared laughing. “The square was right across the street from what was the old KGB building. It was very ironic being a rock band playing in front of it and when we played we were looking right at it.”

I shared with Paul how excited the nominees are to be performing the 5 song tribute for him at the show; that they are true fans and feel like they got the golden ticket.

“That’s so fantastic. I’m really touched. The way that CV Weekly embraces and celebrates local talent is fantastic, inspiring, and you’re changing lives for the better. My heroes were Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett and Booker T. The music I cut my teeth on I still get a thrill hearing today. I remember when BB King opened his club up in NY, I was invited to his show and a few people got up and played with him like Dr. John and I jammed with them and was honored to be there, but I was shaking at the knees because I’d been listening to him since I was a schoolkid and I couldn’t believe I was on stage with him. It was such a great moment. Then the time I got to sing with Sam Moore of Sam and Dave and we were both standing at the microphone and he started to sing and I was just suddenly a school kid again in little shorts and I was so nervous. He really is a lovely man and has become a close friend,” said Rodgers, remembering those moments fondly and with laughter.

He shared that receiving the ICON Award is a great honor to him.

“It’s like an affirmation that we’re welcome here in Palm Springs. When we first came here our friends Karen & Tim said ‘you should come to PS’ and we thought ‘well, it’s not very close to the ocean,’ but we came and we just loved it. All the neighbors are very supportive here and very connected and neighborly. I’m very much a private person and I just enjoy going about the business of making music so accolades and awards aren’t really why I do it, but this award is very special because I know it’s being given with a lot of love and respect and I love you back. It will be a night to remember.”

BIG ROCK PUB LINE UP

THURSDAY, MAY 30 – 6PM TO 10PM

6:00 – Welcome 6:05 – Best Duo 6:10 – Rick Shelley Performs 6:25 – Best Blues Best Event Promoter 6:40 – The Sieve and the Saddle Performs 6:55 – Best Keyboards Best Instrumental Performance Best Club DJ 7:15 – Lisa Lynn Morgan Performs 7:30 – Best Event DJ Best American/Folk Best Club Promoter

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7:45 – Krystofer Do Performs 8:00 – Best Jazz Instrumental Best Jazz Vocals Best Radio Personality 8:30 – Jetta King Band Performs 8:35 – Best Bass Best R&B Best Producer 8:55 – Cody White & the Easy Ride Performs 9:10 – Best New Band Best Band Photographer 9:25 – J Patron Performs 9:40 – Best Sound Engineer Best Live Performance Venue

Paul and his lovely wife Cynthia have lived in Palm Springs for about 4 years now.

“We also spend time at our home in BC. We have a home that overlooks the Okanagan Lake and in the summer we like to spend our time in it, on it, and under it…skiing, swimming, kayaking, but it gets so cold in the winter so we come down here and love it here,” Rodgers shared.

Rodgers says that Cynthia is a big help out on the road and handles most of his business.

“She’s got a great brain and great fashion sense plus she’s a really hard worker. She can slug it out on the road like the boys do.

It is grueling. Having to get up early and pack to get on the plane and go through security after you’ve been up late doing a show the night before. So she helps me so much.

Business wise she’s absolutely brilliant. And not only does she do all of that, but she looks after every animal you ever see. We can’t go to Dubai and pass a camel that’s being mistreated without her wanting to get out and get involved and attempt to take the animal

May 30 to June 5, 2019 home. I’m just kidding of course, you can’t take a camel on the plane,” he said laughing.

But seriously, if you knew Cynthia it’s not far from the truth. They both are true champions for the animals. They have even committed to giving $5.00 for every ticket sold to the CV Music Award to be divided between 3 local animal charities: Loving All Animals, Living Free Animal Sanctuary and CV Horse Rescue.

Rodgers is also going to be part of the Rock Legends Cruise on Feb 27 of 2020 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

“The cruises are very nice actually. You get to hang out with all the other bands and you’re kind of locked in together and it’s a lovely vibe. There’s nowhere else to go except up on board. Much of the time when you’re out on the road with bands, you’re like 2 ships passing in the night and you don’t get to spend much time together. On the cruise ship it’s a lot more personal and you have time to have dinner together and get to know each other better.”

He said that he is always working on new music but for now he’s keeping it under wraps.

“I’m always working on new material it’s part of what I like to do. I can’t give too much away, but I think we’re going into the studio again soon, but I’m not supposed to say too much about that. I’m writing a lot of songs let’s just leave it at that.”

Back in 1969, when he was only 18 years old, Rodgers performed with his band Free at Madison Square Garden. Since then he has built an incredible career for himself.

“I started out as a teen full of angst in Middlesboro, England and I have a lot to thank music for, it gave me and still gives me focus and it kept me from running the streets. And did I think that 50 plus years later that I would still be performing? No, it still surprises me!

The fans have kept the music alive. We have an incredible fan base. When we step on that stage the magic happens and we know why we still do it.”

Upcoming shows: June 7 - Lincoln, CA - Thunder Valley Casino June 8 - Pala, CA *SOLD OUT - Pala Casino Spa & Resort

HOTEL ZOSO LINE UP

SUNDAY, JUNE 2 – 4PM TO 9:15PM

4:00 – Trio Envy (Out in the Foyer) 5:00 – James Dorris/ Provoked/ Willdabeast Perform 5:10 – Tracy & Phil Introduce Haley and Craig 5:15 – Best Male Vocalist 5:20 – Best Youth Band 5:25 – The CMF’s Perform 5:30 – Announce Big Rock Winners 5:35 – Empty Seat Perform 5:40 – BB Ingle - Lifetime Achievement Promoter Award 5:50 – Keisha D Perform 5:55 – Best Singer/Songwriter 6:00 – Best Radio Station

6:05 – The Sweat Act Perform 6:10 – Best Reggae 6:15 – Bruce Fessier - Lifetime Award Journalism 6:25 – Derek Jordan Gregg Perform 6:30 – Best Adult Contemporary 6:35 – Best Guitarist 6:40 - Paul Rodgers Tribute 7:00 – Paul Rodgers Icon Award 7:10 – Caxton Perform 7:15 – Best Frontman 7:20 – Best Frontwoman 7:25 – Steve Rodgers Perform 7:30 – Best Latin Band 7:35 – Jimi Fitz Pioneer Award 7:45 – Best Alternative Band

7:50 – Best Punk 7:55 – Ormus Perform 8:00 – Best Female Vocalist 8:05 – Best Drummer Best Live Music Event 8:10 – Best Cover Band 8:15 – Arthur Seay - Trailblazer Award 8:25 – Best Country 8:30 – Best Hip Hop 8:35 – Best Metal band 8:40 – Grady James Band Perform 8:45 – Best Live Performance Band 8:50 – Giselle Woo and the Night Owls Perform 8:55 – Best Rock Band 9:00 – Best Song 9:05 – Best Album 9:10 – Best Band

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Best Band Giselle Woo & The Night Owls Caxton Mega Sun Desert Rhythm Project The Flusters Brightener House of Broken Promises The After Lashes Ocho Ojos Slipping Into Darkness Best Rock Band John Garcia & the Band of Gold Blasting Echo Sleazy Cortez Mega Sun The Hellions Death in Pretty Wrapping Black Water Gospel The Classy Mother Fuckers Giselle Woo & the Night Owls Best Metal Band House of Broken Promises Death in Pretty Wrapping Robotic Humans Ormus Brain Vat When Tides Turn Instigator In the Name of the Dead Murkocet He Films the Clouds Best Punk Band The After Lashes The Hellions Throw the Goat Se7en4 The Sweat Act Facelift The Kathy’s Upper Class Poverty Mondo Generator Best Alternative Rock The Flusters Empty Seat Yip Yops Sunday Funeral Cakes and the Assholes 5th Town Right On Right On Captain Ghost Rival Alaska Firebug Best Rap/ Hip Hop Willdabeast Provoked Versastyle Thr3 Strykes J Patron Thoughts Contained Dozzi Doz Al Ro$$i Nolan LowLife Mike Lavish Best Reggae Mozaiq Desert Rhythm Project Higher Heights Crucial Culture Unity Frenzy Best Latin Band/Artist J Patron Giselle Woo Ocho Ojos Elektric Lucie Verzo Loko Adrian Crush Bohemio Nacho Bustillos

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2019 CV MUSIC AWARDS NOMINEES

Best Jazz Vocals Slim Man Symara Stone Keisha D Deanna Bogart Johnny Meza Meagan Van Dyke Yve Evans Diane Schuur Rebecca Clark Bob DeSena

Best Jazz Instrumental Chase Huna Will Donato Black Market Jazz Deanna Bogart Joe Baldino Mikole Kaar Brian Nova Aaron Merc Shelley Yoelin Alex Santana Best Blues Feisty Joe Kal David John Carey Bonethumpers VooDoo Hustlers Barry Baughn Blues Band John Stanley King Cody White & The Easy Ride Deanna Bogart Best Country Lisa and the Gents Rick Shelley Jasmine Fields Brian Scott Grady James Reborn by the Sunshine Buck & Bo Roadshow The Shadow Mountain Band Cinch Mighty Sweet Nothings Best Americana/Folk Rick Shelley The Sieve & the Saddle The Adobe Collective Reborn by the Sunshine Lucky Bones Myshkin Warbler The Shadow Mountain Band Cody White & The Easy Ride Courtney Chambers Derek Jordan Gregg Best Singer/Songwriter Derek Jordan Gregg Michael Keeth Rick Shelley Lance Riebsomer Vinny Berry Matt Claborn Courtney Chambers Josh Heinz Gabriella Evaro Krystofer Do Best Adult Contemporary Trio NV Calista Carradine Gina Carey John Stanley King Michael D’Angelo Kevin Henry Sr. Frank D’Salvo Patricia Welch Keisha D Barry Minniefield

Best R&B Eevaan Tre Gina Carey Keisha D Barry Minniefield John Carey Porsia Camille Cakes & The Assholes Chris Lomeli

Best Duo Michael Keeth & Martin Barrera Van Vincent Firebug The Sieve and the Saddle Mikey Reyes & Bryanna Evaro The Town Troubles Mark Gregg & Misty Howell Nick Hales & Stevie Jane Lee Lance Riebsomer & David Morales Josh Fimbres & Josh Hall Best New Band Ghost Notes Captain Ghost Karr Ormus Plastic Ruby Cakes & The Assholes Best Live Performance Band Giselle Woo & The Night Owls Cakes & The Assholes The Flusters Slipping Into Darkness Se7en4 Long Duk Dong 5th Town Gene Evaro Jr & The Family Desert Rhythm Project The After Lashes Best Cover Band Ghost Notes Long Duk Dong 212 Band Aphrodisiac Jacket Trio NV Avenida Barflys John Stanley King Dude Jones The Refills Finesse Best Youth Band Instigator FrankEatsTheFloor Traveler Silver Sky (D Tension) UU Pescaterritory Best Female Vocalist Chelsea Sugarbritches Christina Reyes Lisa Lynn Morgan Courtney Chambers Linda Lemke Heinz Jetta King Giselle Woo Meagan Van Dyke Erin Marie (Red) Stevie Jane Lee Best Male Vocalist Vinny Berry Derek Jordan Gregg Grady James Dougie Van Sant Mikey Reyes Rick Shelley

Justin Ledesma Krystofer Do Barry Minniefield Joseph Vaughn Best Frontman Josh Heinz Joe Mora Nico Flores Dougie Van Sant Ison Van Winkle Michael Keeth Martin Posada Nicco Ysiano Mikey Reyes Robbie Waldman

Best Frontwoman Cakes Giselle Woo Chelsea Sugarbritches Lisa Lynn Morgan Jesika von Rabbit Esther Sanchez Christina Reyes Erin Marie (Red) Gabriella Evaro Linda Lemke Heinz Best Guitar Nick Hales Tom Edwards Arthur Seay Christian Colin Danny White Martin Barrera Mark Wadlund Mike Pygmie Chris Rivera Brian “Puke” Parnell Best Bass Derek Wade Timmons Armando Flores Dan Dillinger Bryanna Evaro Aaron Ramson Andrea Taboada Dub Wallace Serene Noell Nigel Dettelbach Jeremy Parsons Best Drummer Mike Cancino Desiree McCasslin Tyler Ontiveros Jeff Bowman Rob Peterson Daniel Perry Steven Hall Troy Whitford Ali Saenz Luis Carranza Best Keyboards Linda Lemke Heinz Deanna Bogart Andy Cahan Bobby Furgo Herbert Krystofer Do Will Sturgeon Jesika Von Rabbit Tony Patler Josiah Gonzales Best Instrumental Performance Arek Religa Chase Huna Bri Cherry Aaron Merc

Linda Lemke Heinz Eric Frankson Bobby Furgo Will Donato Nick Sosa Alex Santana

Best Instrumental Band Penny Unniversity Tribesmen Drum Hall Black Market Jazz The Woody’s Alien DNA Jazzgrass Best Club DJ DJ Femme A DJ Guy Worden DJ Shasta DJ Alex Harrington DJ Rawkwell DJ Journee DJ Sizzle DJ ODC DJ Alex Updike DJ LF Best Event DJ Desert DJ Entertainment DJ Alf Alpha DJ Alex Harrington DJ Guy Worden DJ Shasta DJ Abraham Cervantez DJ Acer DJ Captain Osiv DJ Tomas De La Noche DJ Sugarfree Best Club Promoter Nigel Dettelbach (The Hood) Lisa Lynn Morgan (Big Rock Pub) Steve Johns (Palm Canyon Roadhouse) Esjay Jones (Harvey’s Lounge) Kristen Reinhagen (Date Shed) Desert Noise (Plan B Live Entertainment and Cocktails) The Seven/Six (Bart Lounge) Best Event Promoter Barnett English Noe Gutierrez Greg Gendron BB Ingle Brian “Puke” Parnell Jimi Fitz Josh Heinz Best Live Performance Venue Date Shed The Hood Big Rock Pub Pappy and Harriet’s Gadi’s Vicky’s of Santa Fe Palm Canyon Roadhouse Tack Room Coachella Valley Brewing Co La Quinta Brewing Co Best Live Music Event Concert for Autism Mixed Up Music Party Idyllwild Strong Benefit Stickyfest Cars, Stars and Rock N Roll Grooves at the Westin Street Warburton Jam Joshua Tree Music Festival Desert Stars

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Best Producer Mikey Doling David Williams Esjay Jones Will Sturgeon Ronnie King Brian “Puke” Parnell Chris Unck Arthur Seay Willdabeast

Best Music Photographer Steven Young Laura Hunt Little Chris Miller Brian Blueskye Marc Glassman Iris Hall Ceasar Rodriguez Orlando Welsh George Duchannes Esther Sanchez Best Sound Engineer Nigel Dettelbach Jon Ballard Gregory Little Jeff Mazur Jason Maxfield Chris Unck Best Radio DJ/ Personality Todd “TK” Killiam (93.7 KCLB) Jimi Fitz (CV 104.3) Chase Martinez (Jammin 99.5) Bradley Ryan (Mix 100.5) Bianca Fort (U-92.7) D.B. (Q 102.3) Best Radio Station 93.7 KCLB Q 102.3 106.9 The Eagle KCOD Coachella FM Mix 100.5 CV 104.3 K-Gay 106.5 Alt 101.5 Best Album Provoked “One Life” FrankEatsTheFloor “Floor It” Caxton “The Devil I Know” The After Lashes “Swallow It” The Flusters “Dreamsurf” Perishment “Saturnine” When Tides Turn “Upon Arrival” Mozaiq “Self- Titled” Desert Rhythm Project “Mojave Roots” The Sieve & the Saddle “Here is Gone to Stay” John Garcia and the Band of Gold “Self-Titled” Waxy “Betting on Forgetting” Best Song Provoked “One Life” John Garcia and the Band of Gold “Jim’s Whiskers” The After Lashes “We the Sheeple” The Flusters “When Will Then be Now” Perishment “Obliteration (Embers)” When Tides Turn “Nightmares” The Sieve and the Saddle “Here is Gone” Caxton “Uproar” Desert Rhythm Project “Feelin’ Love” Mozaiq “Without You” Waxy “Fine” FrankEatsTheFloor “Ungrateful” GOOD LUCK TO ALL OF THE NOMINEES!

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May 30 to June 5, 2019

JIMI ‘FITZ’ FITZGERALD – RECIPIENT OF THE ‘PIONEER AWARD’

imi ‘FITZ’ Fitzgerald will fittingly receive the ‘Pioneer Award’ at the 2019 Coachella Valley Music Awards being held at Hotel Zoso in Palm Springs, California on Sunday, June 2nd, 2019 from 5pm-9pm.

Tickets are available for purchase online at ticketsauce.com/e/7th-annual-cv-musicawards. You can also purchase tickets at the door.

A “pioneer” ordinarily has paved the way for other artists and is focused on their ‘swan song,’ but not FITZ. He, along with his wife Wendy, CEO of Wendy Jane Productions, Inc., continues to take the lead with highly successful events like the Wedbush Garden

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Jam Music Festival, held at the famed Indian Wells Tennis Garden and headlined this past year by Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real and “The Legend,” Buddy Guy. And in its 19th year, FITZ’S Jazz Café at the McCallum has brought some of the best and brightest stars from the world of jazz to the McCallum Theatre in Palm Desert, California.

FITZ is also nominated for ‘Best Radio DJ/ Personality’ and ‘Best Event Promoter.’ FITZ has held the entertainment fort for decades here in the Coachella Valley. He is an avantgarde in how he supports local musicians and is high-reaching in the events he facilitates.

Congratulations FITZ!

Coachella Valley Weekly asked FITZ a few questions about his selection as our beneficiary of the 2019 Pioneer Award.

CVW: What are your thoughts and reactions about receiving the “Pioneer Award”?

FITZ: “I’m so honored to be receiving the ‘Pioneer Award’ this weekend! When I received the call and was told I was going to be this year’s recipient it actually gave me chills because I’m one who doesn’t really look back. It’s causing me to reflect on my career and the amazing gifts I’ve received through the years by getting to play with, produce and promote so many well-known and up-andcoming artists. This community has been so supportive of Wendy and me and we are very grateful.”

CVW: In your opinion, what has been the most important quality that has served you best in your career?

FITZ: “I believe it takes several qualities to succeed in any field; passion and perseverance top my list.”

CVW: What are your plans for the remainder of 2019 and beyond?

FITZ: For 2019 and beyond I’ll continue being FITZ, meaning I will continue with my radio career, performing with my fellow musicians and producing concerts and events. I will continue to improve as a singer/ songwriter/performer and try to reinvent

myself each next chapter of my creative path and still have so much to do! I will continue to advocate for the homeless, our veterans and children. So little time and so much to do, really. There’s No Easy Way Out! Focus on celebrating our similarities because we’re NOT THAT DIFFERENT after all!” jimifitz.com gardenjammusicfestival.com faultsofandreas.com mccallumtheatre.com

BB INGLE – RECIPIENT OF THE ‘LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD' FOR PROMOTER’

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B Ingle has brought the desert some of the biggest and best celebrations for over 35 years! He continues to do so, as is evident with his 2019 Coachella Valley Music Award nomination for ‘Best Event Promoter’.

You can watch him host his self-produced and self-directed Facebook Live ‘BB TV’ feeds or catch him at every Greater Coachella Valley Chamber of Commerce event pushing the next event, advocating for charitable endeavors or supporting fellow small business owners.

It’s this undying passion for patronage and parties that Coachella Valley Weekly is proud to present the 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award to BB Ingle.

Coachella Valley Weekly spoke with BB to share his feelings on the award.

CVW: What were your initial thoughts and feelings when you were notified that you would be receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award?

BB: “When Tracy called to tell me I was going to receive this year’s Lifetime Achievement

Award I felt both humbled and honored. It was unexpected. My initial reaction was, am I that old? Aren’t lifetime achievement awards for people at the tail-end of their careers. I feel like I am just getting warmed up when it comes to producing events.”

CVW: You’ve had a significant career in developing, planning and executing social events for over 35 years. What do you contemplate as you consider your career thus far?

BB: “When you receive an award like this it makes you reflect back on your career, the fond memories of the fun times and all the people’s lives you touched and were touched by, but you also remember all the challenges you faced. When I first started hosting the parties 35 years ago there was no internet, no cell phones, no social media. I would start a few weeks before a party and spend about eight hours a day just calling everybody from a list I had from business cards and numbers written down from everyone I had met, plus hand out flyers around town, flyers made by ‘copy and paste’ the old fashion way. It was a more personal way to invite people in those days. Then, of course after Facebook and social media came along the attendance at the parties exploded.”

CVW: What initially led you to throw some of the most memorable events the Coachella Valley has ever experienced?

BB: “When people ask me why I got in the party business to begin with, I have to admit it was mainly to meet ladies. I figured it was a good opening and non-threatening line, ‘Would you like to come to a big party?’ seemed to work pretty well. Then over the

years the parties developed into a business, a fun business at that! I have always had, from a young age, a passion for creating situations where people have fun and celebrate life!”

CVW: Can you tell us one thing that has motivated you to keep the BB wheels turning?

BB: “One thing that has really inspired me to keep coming back year after year to produce the parties is all the couples out there that have met at one of the parties, fell in love, got married and had children. There have been well over a hundred. To know that something you created touched another’s life like that makes it all worthwhile.”

CVW: What do you believe has been the essential quality you carry as the most beneficial in achieving success?

BB: “When someone asks me what trait a good promoter needs, I answer with what I feel you need to be successful with any endeavor in life, be passionate. You cannot be successful at anything unless you are passionate about it. Second, care for others, you can never be truly successful by yourself. Third, attitude. Be positive, don’t look at the ‘why not’ or ‘I can’t’... but always look into HOW can I make it happen

BY NOE GUTIERREZ

BY NOE GUTIERREZ

and find a way to do it. But, specifically to the party business, the most important strategy is the importance of networking. Make as many connections and develop as many relationships as you possibly can.”

CVW: My inkling is you’re not close to done being the desert’s premiere promoter.

What do you have planned for the rest of 2019 and beyond?

BB: “We have more fun events planned for this upcoming year. This year will be the 35th Annual Halloween Bash and we are in negotiations now to host it at a new exciting venue to be announced soon. And we are really excited about this year’s 36th Annual New Year’s Eve Masquerade Ball that is going to be held at the new Hotel Indigo, a spectacular Las Vegas-style resort opening in Coachella.”

CVW: What would you like to share with your past, present and future party guests?

BB: “I want to extend a special thanks to all those of you out there that have supported the parties over the years. For encouraging me and allowing be to live my dream and to be your go-to party guy!” partywithbb.com

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May 30 to June 5, 2019

CVMAs

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

BRUCE FESSIER – RECIPIENT OF THE ‘LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD FOR MUSIC JOURNALISM’

B

ruce Fessier has been the voice of the Southern California desert entertainment scene for over 40 years. On Sunday, June 2nd, 2019, he will receive the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award for Music Journalism’ at the 2019 Coachella Valley Music Awards at Hotel Zoso in Palms Springs, California. As far as the arts go in the Coachella Valley, Bruce has been our point of contact both before and after any event or performance. If you wanted to know what was happening at any given time, Bruce was your man. If you wanted to know how something turned out or wanted a straight-forward review, you read about it in The Desert Sun and in the byline it read, ‘by Bruce Fessier’.

I believe I speak for all writers at Coachella Valley Weekly when I say that Bruce is our mentor. He remained as impartial as a writer could be while staying assertive and conveying in his words what he wanted to administer to his readers. Bruce was, and is, a true journalist.

We connected with Bruce as he prepared himself for his last column and The Desert Sun open house in honor of his retirement that includes a live interview by New York Times best-selling author and Coachella Valley local Tod Goldberg. All proceeds will be donated to the Bruce Fessier Journalism Internship Fund at College of the Desert.

Contributions to the fund are tax-deductible, and all contributions go directly to the student interns. To donate online, please go to codfoundation.org/donate/BruceFessier.

You may also send a check payable to College of the Desert Foundation. In the memo line, please write “Bruce Fessier Fund”. Send it to College of the Desert Foundation, 43500 Monterey Ave., Palm Desert, CA 92260.

Contributions to this fund will enable College of the Desert students to participate in paid internships at The Desert Sun. These internships will allow them to gain experience and expand on skills associated with arts journalism and digital design.

CVW: You must be experiencing a lot with your retirement on the horizon. What are your thoughts and feelings about receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award?

Fessier: “This lifetime achievement award means a great deal to me, mainly because I greatly identify with so many of the ‘lifers’

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PHOTO BY MING C. LOWE

in the desert music scene. I received my journalism education in Los Angeles and San Francisco, but I’ve been coming to the desert all my life. My first family vacation was to the 29 Palms Inn when I was less than a month old. My aunt and uncle joined the Institute of Mentalphysics and built a house in Joshua Tree in 1958. I lived in that house after they died and I manage it today as a rental property. Attending the institute, reading my uncle’s metaphysical books and taking magic mushrooms in what was then Joshua Tree National Monument shaped me as much as learning the history of 20th century pop culture from several historic music men who lived in the low desert, like Irving Mills, who managed Duke Ellington and had a music publishing empire, and Howie Richmond, who had another publishing empire and founded the Songwriters Hall of Fame. I’ve always felt it’s better to be bold than to be polished, and I feel like the musicians I admire most from this desert, like Mario Lalli, Josh Homme and the late James Gurley (a lead guitarist for Janis Joplin) felt the same way. In my early years, I didn’t have an editor who reined me in. My editor believed in letting me fail, so I frequently embarrassed myself. But I also grew creatively and that enabled me to put my own unique stamp on this community.

From the early-1980s through the mid2010s, I feel like I nurtured the development of the local entertainment industry with the unique voice of my column. Lately, with the newspaper cutbacks and the advent of digital-first, metrics-driven journalism, I have felt more responsible for generating big page views to help sustain the reporters doing important investigative journalism. I’m not the steward of the local music scene I once was. But, after 40 years in the desert, I’ve been able to build a loyal audience and I can still bring a lot of attention to local artists by being bold and adventurous, like the desert rockers. My last Desert Sun feature story was on ancient giants who once roamed the earth and it found a large online audience, which was kind of weird, but it satisfied our digital strategists and my main source. So, being bold and adventurous has become identified with desert culture. Sinatra might have started that when he did things “his way.” But Mario and Josh and Mikey Reyes and Ocho Ojos have

perpetuated that attitude, and I’m proud to have ridden that train as well to help people recognize that the drive for uniqueness is a trait of desert culture.”

CVW: What do you feel has been the most important quality you possess that has brought you this far in journalism?

Fessier: “Two things, mainly: My training as a news reporter and my open mind and passion for all kinds of music. I’ve always felt I was a serious journalist first and a music reviewer and feature writer second. I have developed ‘a nose for news’ for what is distinctive and notable, and I have the skills to write subjective ‘newsy reviews’ as a former entertainment editor for USA Today called them. I grew up in a musical home. Both of my parents were music majors for a while at Whittier College, and they made me take lessons in piano, trumpet and trombone. But I never developed a real passion for music until I went to San Francisco State University and took a class in ‘Rock As Literature’ and became exposed to the Bay Area music scene. An auditorium called Winterland was like my church and I became intoxicated by so many different kinds of music in the Bay Area -- from Grateful Dead and Peter Frampton to Muddy Waters and Merle Haggard, and Jazz, Opera, Dixieland, Bluegrass... I took some guitar lessons after moving to the Inland Empire for a job and played in a few little hootenanny parties. There were bluegrass musicians and gospel choir members, and I got to experience the almost psychic-like sensation of collective improvisation. I was so immersed in the blues, I used to make up blues verses on the spot and it was the best rush ever. When I moved to Palm Springs, the affluence was so foreign to me, I used to drive around with a tape of Leadbelly’s Bourgeois Blues in my cassette deck. Then, I started sitting at the knee of Irving Mills and Howie Richmond and they brought me into the world I had been enjoying vicariously. Irving launched an era by giving Ellington the title for It Don’t Mean A Thing If It Ain’t Got That Swing. Howie actually published The Bourgeois Blues. Alan Lomax got Leadbelly out of prison, but he took ownership of his songs as a folk music collector.

Howie made sure Leadbelly’s widow got his royalties. So, I learned to appreciate people of all ilks. One of my proudest associations was with the late Lalo Guerrero, known as the father of Chicano music. In 1984, Lalo and my wife were performing a benefit at what is now the Riviera Resort. I was talking with him back stage and he asked me why I never wrote about him. I used to mention him singing at Las Casuelas Nuevas in my column,

BY NOE GUTIERREZ

but I never did a big profile on him. So, I told him I just didn›t know enough about his kind of music to write an intelligent story. And he said, ‘Oh, I understand’. And I felt like such an asshole. I started studying up on his music and I went to see him at a church in East L.A. as part of the Los Angeles Olympic Arts Festival.

And suddenly, this guy, who dressed in a suit and tie playing for mostly white folks at Las Casuelas, was one of the coolest guys ever, wearing a fringe leather coat and just swinging music in Spanish. After that, I wrote about him frequently and, when the city of Cathedral City named a street in his honor, I was the only Anglo he asked to introduce him at the street dedication. It was one of the greatest honors of my life and it taught me that I always have to expand my horizons. I wish I could continue keeping up with new trends. It’s become almost impossible. But my desire is to always try to appreciate new music, even as it comes from around the world to be showcased in our backyard at Coachella.”

CVW: You’ve made inclinations that you will do other things after you transition.

What do you have up your sleeve for the rest of 2019 and beyond?

Fessier: “I wish I could tell you definitively.

My last day is June 3rd. The next day, my wife is directing a youth show at the CVRep Playhouse, which I’m very excited about because she’s selected some meaningful, disparate works and I got to help tie them together by suggesting music for it. On June 5th, I’m getting a complicated root canal. June 6th is my 66th birthday, June 7th is my son’s birthday and June 14th is my wife’s birthday. I don’t know what we’re doing then, but I know we won’t be doing anything for Father’s Day. My main priority this year is to write some books related to Coachella Valley music. I’ve had three offers for collaborations, but I don’t have any contracts signed, so I don’t want to say anything prematurely. I plan to start a website to be able to continue covering local arts and culture on a more sporadic basis. I’ve been asked to do two different radio shows.

I haven’t told anybody, but I think I’ll do a monthly or bi-weekly radio show for KCOD, called Palm Springs Backwards and Forwards, and then post it on my website. NBC Palm Springs has asked me to do some local TV specials and I might do that once I get my priorities figured out. I also have to get my blood pressure down. I can’t keep going at the pace I’ve been keeping for the past 40 years.”

Here’s to 40 more years of Bruce Fessier in any capacity!

PHOTO BY MARC GLASSMAN

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

GEORGE LOPEZ TALKS POLITICS, COMEDY AND GOLF AHEAD OF MAY 31 PERFORMANCE AT FANTASY SPRINGS RESORT CASINO

BY MIKE FELCI

W

hether it’s on stage, on screen or in this case, on the phone, George Lopez is never afraid to say what’s on his mind. And the El Chicano star does so in a way that provokes both thought and laughter.

The multi-faceted comedian, actor and producer brings The Wall tour to Fantasy Springs Resort Casino’s Special Events Center on Friday, May 31st at 8 p.m. In a recent interview, the part-time La Quinta resident touched on a variety of topics, including his comedic influences, going up against the Avengers at the box office, selfie culture gone awry, and his time as host of the Bob Hope Classic golf tournament. Just like in his standup act, Lopez didn’t pull any punches.

Why comedians are “idiots”…

LOPEZ: “I never considered myself a political comedian. I’ve always been more observational humor, pop culture… The politics in my act, in The Wall, has evolved over almost two years now. It’s shed a skin or two. It’s not very political at all. It’s almost back to being observational. It’s not changing anyone’s mind and I don’t want to change anyone’s mind. It’s like I say, ‘why do you listen to comedians — we’re idiots?’ We’re the ones that didn’t get good grades and made fun of other people. We’re not scholars, most of us are idiots. We just happen to have a sense of humor.”

The humor in hard work…

LOPEZ: “Out in Indio and out in El Centro, La Quinta, Palm Springs, the majority of things that get done, get done by immigrants and Latinos. I didn’t know my biological father, but my grandfather worked hard. I would see

him covered in mud from digging ditches… so when I’d see something that’s not right, I just decided to put it into the act. I’m not going to change anybody’s mind, but there is humor in working hard. I had a joke where I said my father was a migrant farmworker but my grandfather told me he was lazy. I asked him, “How can you be a lazy farmworker?” He told me, “he just picked enough lettuce for himself.”

Homegrown influences…

LOPEZ: “When I was growing up Cheech [Marin] lived in Granada Hills, and I grew up in the valley, San Fernando, Mission Hills, which is less than five miles from Cheech. He was one of one of my heroes, so it was inspiring.

You know, Richard Pryor, Freddie Prinze, Cheech and Chong, Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock.

Those guys.”

Hating someone for their beliefs…

LOPEZ: “Comedy and politics go handin-hand from way back. From Mort Sahl and George Carlin, to Jack Parr and Johnny Carson, it goes hand-in-hand. But the difference [today] is, you never hated someone for being political. You might not like their political views but you didn’t hate them. Now we’ve become a society where it’s not about ‘I don’t like that.’ It’s ‘I hate that, and I hate them.’

And that’s what the real issue is.”

The minefield of entertainment, comedy and sports…

LOPEZ: “It’s like they told Lebron [James], ‘just shut up and dribble.’ It’s ridiculous.

Did anyone tell Kareem Abdul-Jabbar that when he became a Muslim? Did they tell Muhammad Ali? No. But now we’re a society where a person who is a sportscaster or political commentator can say, ‘Shut up and dribble.’ Which is ridiculous! It minimizes the guy’s career and minimizes the guy… That minefield of entertainment and comedy and sports, I liked it better when we didn’t have to take a political view. I hope we go back to that.”

Why the Hope tournament “cut off their nose to spite their face”…

LOPEZ: “You know, the Bob Hope tournament didn’t like — well, here it is — you’ve got the board of the Bob Hope tournament, that were around when Bob Hope was around, and then the year that I did, were incredible. And then it never got back to that. When Bob Hope did it, it was amazing…

They were hanging out, having parties, out there playing golf and having a great time.

And then when I did it, they didn’t like it.

That’s what the tournament was. And then it went away. The last year I hosted was 2008 — I played it 2004 ’05, ’06 — it never got back to the way it was in 2008. Jimmy Kimmel played, Jimmy Fallon played, Anthony Anderson played, Clint Eastwood played. Nobody could do that. I knew them all personally and they all came out. And now it’s (expletive) Builders Liquidator or some hardwood company or dot-com — whatever it is, it isn’t the way it was when I had it. They cut their nose to spite their face, and it was a great tournament.”

His dream golf foursome, dead or alive…

LOPEZ: “Let’s see… start with Elvis Presley.

I would play with [legendary Scottish golfer] Old Tom Morris, Lee Trevino and Elvis Presley.”

Why “El Chicano” was no match for “Avengers: Endgame”…

LOPEZ: “The Avengers don’t have to worry about people going to see ‘El Chicano.’ Big movies hurt small movies. So did it help that it came out the same weekend as ‘Avengers’?

It’s ridiculous. It underperformed but it’s not the movie it’s the competition. It’s not even competition — it’s the Avengers. It’s the highest grossing movie of all time, and here’s this little movie.”

Being too old for random selfies…

LOPEZ: “I saw an older lady the other day at the airport taking a selfie and throwing up a peace sign. But it’s just her sitting at the airport. It’s kind of like how you can never tell a woman her clothes are inappropriate, but I’m sorry, you’re too old for that.”

Having your carrot cake and eating it too…

LOPEZ: “[The Wall] is more about how we’ve become as a society. You know how everyone now wants to know where the food comes from, if the chicken was humanely put down? It’s like, ‘yeah we pet him until he died.’ Everyone wants to live forever but no

May 30 to June 5, 2019

COMEDY

one is going to live forever. So when you’re there lying on your deathbed and your life is flashing before your eyes, what are you thinking about? That you didn’t have carrot cake when you wanted it?”

Tickets for George Lopez’s The Wall tour are $59, $79 and $99, available at the Fantasy Springs Box Office, via telephone (800) 8272946 or online at FantasySpringsResort.com.

ADDITIONAL UPCOMING SHOWS AT FANTASY SPRINGS RESORT CASINO INCLUDE: Jethro Tull — Fri. July 5th Don McLean — Sat., July 13 Gerardo Ortiz — Sat., July 27 Howie Mandel — Sat., August 3 Mary J. Blige — Sat., August 10 Lance Burton — Sat., August 17 Boz Scaggs — Fri., August 23 Brian Wilson & The Zombies — Sun. Sept. 1 The Doobie Brothers — Sat., Sept. 14 Rob Thomas — Sat., Sept. 21 Banda MS — Fri., Sept. 27th Diana Krall — Sat., Sept. 28th Experience Hendrix — Fri., October 11th We Will Rock You — Sat., October 12th Paul Anka — Fri., November 22nd

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May 30 to June 5, 2019

CONSIDER THIS

B

ack in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, the Country music Industry was experiencing some serious growing pains. Slick and spangle-y Rhinestone cowboys and cowgirls had basically ruled the airwaves since the late ‘70s, skillfully excising the Hillbilly component so crucial to the genre.

Progenitors like Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard and George Jones had been cast aside, outlaws like Willie and Waylon were also pushed to the margins. Sterile and safe hit-makers like Kenny Rogers, Barbara Mandrell and Alabama were all the rage, and their sound hewed more closely to MOR Pop than Jimmie Rodgers’ “Blue Yodel No. 8” or Mother Maybelle’s “Wildwood Flower.”

But things were looking up, outliers like k.d. lang, Lyle Lovett, Steve Earle and Nanci Griffith were making some in-roads. NeoTraditionalists like Randy Travis, Marty Stuart and Dwight Yoakam were injecting some muchneeded Honky-Tonk flavor. New artists like Garth Brooks, Clint Black and Kelly Willis took equal inspiration from Hank Williams Sr., James Taylor, Patsy Cline, the Eagles and ZZ Top. It was around this time that Marty Brown finally began making a name for himself in Nashville.

Born and raised in Maceo, Kentucky, Marty came of age at a time when Rock N’ Roll was just hitting its stride. But he grew up loving Country music. Sure, Elvis was an influence, but Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, George Jones, Hank Sr. and the Everly Brothers provided true inspiration. He taught himself guitar at age nine, pretty soon he was holing up in the bathroom tape-recording his earliest attempts at songwriting. By the time he was in high school he’d written dozens of songs.

Marty married early, and divorced just as quickly after becoming a father of two. Still, he never abandoned dreams of musical stardom.

Making ends meet as a plumber’s assistant and a mechanic, he began making forays into Nashville, hoping his songwriting skills would get his foot in the door. He once estimated he’d made about 100 trips there before he had any real success. He played some songs for an agent who promised to get him a recording contract.

In a strange stroke of serendipity, the CBS series “48 Hours” filmed a segment focused on Country Music, hosted by Dan Rather that featured Marty. Suddenly, there was a bidding war between labels to secure Marty’s services.

Signed to MCA (home at the time to Steve Earle, Nanci Griffith and Lyle Lovett), his debut, High And Dry arrived in 1991. Critical acclaim was unanimous, radio airplay was practically non-existent. Ironically, his music was perhaps considered “too Country” for Country radio.

Luckily, burgeoning music television networks like CMT (Country Music Television) and VH-1 (Video Hits 1, in case you forgot), picked up some of the slack.

Unfortunately, the label seemed to abdicate promotional responsibilities. Luckily, Marty persevered playing live wherever he could, that included state fairs and even Wal-Mart stores.

He would actually pull up in a 1969 Cadillac Convertible, and play on a makeshift stage with just his guitar and an amp. He brought his music directly to the people, and his unconventional methods paid off. Entertainment Weekly and People magazine wrote glowing profiles about him and sales increased.

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www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

“AMERICAN HIGHWAY” RECORDS) MARTY BROWN (PLOWBOY

He followed up with two more stellar albums for MCA, 1993’s Wild Kentucky Skies and 1994’s Cryin,’ Lovin,’ Leavin’. Reviews were rapturous but sales were slim and his label dropped him. Marty inked a deal with respected indie label, HighTone. The Oakland label specialized in American Roots music as well as Blues, Gospel, Country, Rockabilly and Western Swing. It seemed like a perfect fit. 1996 saw the release of his fourth effort, Here’s To The Honky Tonks. Predictably, praise was high and sales were low. After that, Marty seemed to kind of disappear.

Behind the scenes he wrote hit songs for Trace Adkins, Brooks & Dunn and Tracy Byrd, but as a performer, he might as well have entered into musical Witness Protection. In the ensuing years he would occasionally pop up playing a live show in Kentucky, but the majority of his time was spent with his family, fishing, fixing cars and building bird boxes.

Flash forward to 2013, when his wife Shellie surprised him by taking him to Nashville to audition for the “America’s Got Talent” series.

Not only did his rendition of Bob Dylan’s “To Make You Feel My Love” advance him to the semi-finals, it also generated over 11 million views on YouTube. The exposure raised his profile exponentially, independent labels took notice and Marty ended up signing with Plowboy Records. The label features an eclectic roster that includes seminal singer-songwriter Bobby Bare, Punk progenitors the Dead Boys and Television’s Richard Lloyd, Georgia alt. rockers Drivin N’ Cryin and Country pioneer Jim Ed Brown. It seemed like he found the right home. Now he has returned with his fifth official album, American Highway.

The record kicks into gear with the rollicking title track. Gritty guitar riffs connect with a ticktock beat, rubbery bass lines and cascading piano notes. The lyrics offer a good ol’ boy paean to these United States. In lesser hands, lyrics like “I see church steeples, red white and blue barbershop poles, good-hearted hardworking people wherever I go on this American Highway,” would feel like a jingoistic Chevy commercial, veering into Lee Greenwood country. But the ever-present ache in Marty’s voice splits the difference between nostalgia and wishful thinking.

When his debut dropped in the early ‘90s, Marty’s music was favorably compared to Hank Williams Sr. and Jimmie Rodgers, there was a high lonesome quality that echoed those antecedents. On his new songs, he leans closer to the Rock N’ Roll sound he eschewed in his teens. Ah, irony.

Take “I’m On A Roll” which offers a master class in ‘70s Southern Boogie. Thrashy metallic guitar chords hug the hairpin turns of a chunky backbeat, chugging percussion and roiling bass.

Ostensibly, the lyrics celebrate a streak of good fortune; “I got a roof that don’t leak and a well that never runs dry, I’ve got a good woman who’s happy just getting by/She’s an eleven on a scale of ten, who says losers can’t win, I’m on a roll and it’s better than it’s ever been.”

But scratch beneath the surface and it seems clear that it took at least 12 steps to reach this plateau of equanimity. “Lord, how did I ever survive? It’s a wonder I’m still alive.”

Both “Right Out Of Left Field” and “Shaking All Over The World” seem to take inspiration

BY ELENI P. AUSTIN

from the earliest days of Rock N’ Roll. “Right…” weds sandblasted guitars, Honky-Tonk piano, shaded keys and rumbling bass to a Rockabilly rhythm. Much like John Fogerty’s epochal “Centerfield,” the lyrics use baseball as a metaphor for life’s trials and tribulations, noting “Sometimes life comes at ya right out of left field.” A duck-walkin’ guitar solo seems like a sideways salute to Chuck Berry.

“Shaking…” relies on a relax-fit Bo Diddley Beat, fluttery piano, lush organ colors and sinewy guitar licks. The lyrics offer an easygoing homage to the power of music; “From New York to L.A. to England to France, turn it up everybody, bring on the band, let your hearts rejoice, let your dreams unfurl…from the Queen of England to the Duke Of Earl, they’re shaking all over the world.” A joyful crowd pleaser, features sha-na-na backing vocals and shout-itout choruses.

Meanwhile, “Casino Winnebego” is anchored by a strutting backbeat, stuttery piano and nettlesome guitar. It comes across like a long-lost Summer of ’78 hit that could sandwich nicely between Jackson Browne’s “Running On Empty” and “Still The Same” from Bob Seeger. Of course, these days, the teens that were weaned on those classic cuts are probably empty-nest AARP RV’ers . So this has the potential to become a 21st century anthem for folks who ‘Saved All their lives so they could come and go…” a spitfire guitar solo on the break signifies that the party isn’t quite over.

Marty’s sonic paintbox turns a surprising shade of indigo for a couple of tracks, “When The Blues Come Around” and “Kentucky Blues.” The former is a mid-tempo groover

propelled by swirly ‘60s organ notes, see-saw guitar riffs and an authoritative back-beat.

With the urgency of a doomsday prepper, he insists that the blues are an ever-present threat, so it’s best to have that emotional earthquake kit at the ready; “You can be a rich man with diamonds and gold, penthouse suite and fancy cars/Next thing you know you’re in the jailhouse downtown, you better be ready when the blues come around.”

The latter is a soulful, slow-cooked lament accented by smoky harmonica, weepy electric piano and searing guitar. Lovesick and lonesome, he wanders his hometown pining for a girl who is trying to make her musical Dreams come true in L.A.; “I’m blue like the grass that I grew up on, blue like the moon in a Bill Monroe song/Blue like the color of my baby’s eyes, blue like the blue in those Kentucky skies.”

Other interesting tracks include the lithe “Umbrella Lovers” and the teary farewell of “Velvet Chains.” The album closes “Mona Lisa Smiles,” a propulsive and persuasive carpe diem that reminds Us; “In this come-and-go world, life’s so short, it can fade like the Setting sun/We’re no sooner shot out of the gate, then our final race is run.”

Marty co-produced and co-wrote “American Highway” with legendary Producer/musician Jon Tiven, who has worked with everyone from Big Star to the Rolling Stones. He and bassist Sally Tiven play on every track. Other musicians who lend a hand include Anton Fig, Shannon Pollard, Todd Snare, Simon Kirke and Mike Shrieve on drums, Barry Walsh and Tyler Kimbro on keys and Mike Brown on harmonica.

Chris Pelcer added strings and backing vocals were provided by Harry Stinson, Chuck Mead, Leroy Brown, Tyler Kimbro, Andreas Werner, Cleveland Dubose and Black Francis.

Maybe there still isn’t a seat at the table for Marty Brown on safe, sanitized Country radio.

But that’s just fine. Millions of people get their music from less terrestrial sources these days.

The interwebs have allowed like-minded fans to connect and seek out the artists that move them. Marty Brown may never be the flavor of the month, but his music is timeless.

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

May 30 to June 5, 2019

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May 30 to June 5, 2019

T

PET PLACE

he vast majority of dogs adopted from shelters are happy, well adjusted, tail wagging canines, instinctively looking forward to their new lives with optimism. They adjust quickly to their new homes, bond with family members, and are grateful for this second chance. Dogs live in the moment trusting that things will go well.

Then there are those dogs who are fearful, with broken spirits and unloved souls. You can see the sadness in their frozen stares and stiff bodies which are unresponsive to touch. These are the dogs who have suffered massive neglect and abuse. I can tell within minutes if a dog has been abused, and he may communicate the type of abuse suffered with his body language.

The small cream colored terrier was frozen, as if imbedded in the concrete, on a kennel floor at the Coachella Valley Animal Campus, our county shelter in Thousand Palms. She was shaking, hyperventilating laboriously, and would not move. A small black puppy scurried around the cream colored terrier.

They were kennelmates in the isolation area in the back of the shelter where the dogs are labeled “rescue only”. I rescued both dogs for Loving All Animals, vowing they would have a better home the next time.

We named the frightened pup Cassie.

We bathed her stiff shaking body, had her

MEET PAISLEY Pretty 5-yr-old Calico girl was once a homeless bottle fed kitten. She’s homeless again as her family had a work required move. Paisley hopes to be your new cuddle buddy! Rescued by www.ForeverMeow.org, (760) 335-6767.

MEET CADEN Caden is still waiting for a home…Looking for a special hiking buddy or best “furever” friend? Come meet Caden (dog ID#A1501434) at the Coachella Valley Animal Campus shelter, 72050 Pet Land Place, Thousand Palms, (760) 343-3644. I visited with Caden, and he is fabulous! www.rcdas.org

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www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

CASSIE: FROM FEAR TO LOVE

microchipped, and readied her for a foster home. It broke my heart seeing how she continued to tremble as I delivered her to a foster home.

Foster parent Brigit Hartop recalls, “Cassie entered my home as a shaking, hyperventilating little mound of curly fur, a little soul who first refused to leave her cage.

She wouldn’t move or stop panting, and her big brown eyes were constantly glazed over...

Soon she began to wag her tail ever so slightly, and wink with her eyes, each time I waved to her or blew a kiss. On the second day, she stopped panting and ate some softened food I placed in front of her.” Soon, Cassie quietly joined Brigit, tiptoeing carefully, and

BY JANET McAFEE

her eyes began to show emotion and even sparkle. Brigit coaxed her up onto the bed, and she came alive, running and exploring, experiencing the joy of being a dog.

Ed Marrujo saw Cassie’s photo, heard her story, and saw the potential she had to become a wonderful canine companion.

Ed is pictured here with Cassie, the dog he renamed Emma. He reports, “She’s come a long way since she first arrived. At first Emma wouldn’t cross the threshold to enter the house, or go from room to room, and she would not go up the stairs. Now she follows me everywhere. It’s all a matter of getting a dog to the point of trust so they realize they are loved. They absolutely know whether

someone loves them or not.”

Love conquered Cassie’s fears. Just as a dog can fill the hole in a human’s heart, a loving human can heal the wounds in a dog’s soul. Cassie is home at last. Ed reports Cassie is the perfect little dog, enjoying a life filled with long walks, out of town excursions to the dog beach, and quiet evenings curled up on the couch.

If you would like to be part of a happy ending for a shelter dog like Cassie, contact the Coachella Valley Animal Campus at (760) 343-3644 for their hours and directions. Head out to the shelter at 72-050 Pet Land Place in Thousand Palms and meet their wonderful animals seeking forever homes. Check out their adoptable dogs and cats at www.rcdas. com. The modern building is welcoming, unlike the dark dingy shelters of past decades.

Are you feeling lonely or blue as summer approaches? Maybe you lost a beloved pet during the past year. Why not save a shelter pet. You might end up realizing you are the one who was rescued by a “fur angel”. Help save more frightened pups like Cassie by becoming a doggie foster parent. Contact Loving All Animals at (760) 834-7000 to become part of a life-saving foster team.

Janetmcafee8@gmail.com

THE VINO VOICE

I

’ve been so fortunate to visit most of the wine regions around the world throughout my life, with the exception of Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

I hear from you vino lovers that kiwi-land is simply gorgeous and South Africa stunning— even though they’re suffering from a major drought.

Western European wine country I know well but I’ve never been to the “Central European Wine Country”. And that would include Austria, the Czech Republic, and Hungary. I’ve always been a fan of Austrian Gruner Veltliner and have enjoyed the famed Hungarian Tokajai and their herald Egri Bikaver, known in English as “Bulls Blood”. It was something I drank early in my wine career. As to the Czech Republic, I’ve always loved their lager beers—and now in my later years, I’ve come to hear about their wines as well.

Therefore—the time is nigh, and I better get out to the wine country of these countries

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May 30 to June 5, 2019

WINING AROUND THE DANUBE

to taste live in real time. So—I know of no other romantic way to treat my deserving wife than to cruise down the Danube River to soak up the sights & sounds, the food and wine, as we travel through the countries of Germany, Austria, Slovakia & Hungary.

And the last time we wrote about the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros was four years ago. Since we’ll be in town right after our stay in Budapest, let’s get ourselves up to speed at the 2019 tournament on the red clay; we’ll be covering the quick wine of choice at the Paris bistros: Beaujolais baby!! Cheers!

The longest river in the European Union, the Danube River is the second-longest river in Europe after Russia’s Volga. It begins in the Black Forest region of Germany and runs through 10 countries (Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova and Ukraine) on its way to the Black Sea.

BY RICK RIOZZA

The Danube River flows directly through many significant European cities, including the three national capitals we’re floating through– Vienna (Austria), Bratislava (Slovakia), Budapest (Hungary).

Historically, during the 7th century BC, Greek sailors reached the lower Danube and sailed upstream, conducting a brisk trade.

They were familiar with the whole of the river’s lower course. Particularly interesting is the fact that the Danube served as the northern boundary of the vast Roman Empire.

Although we’re first landing in Prague for three days, we will be shuttled through Bavaria and the Black Forest to Nuremberg where we will begin our Danube River cruise. Most people think of Bavaria and its beer—and we’ll be drinking our share.

However, Nuremburg is about 60 miles south of Franconia. And I’ve had some Franken Ice Wine that blew my socks off! The Nuremberg wine bars are on our radar!

The Franken grape, Silvaner, magically produces a white wine of crackling intensity.

Made from a hybrid of the Riesling and Silvaner grape, a late-harvest ice vine (one made from desiccated grapes left on the vine and harvested on the first frost of the winter) from this hybrid, produces a wine with searing acidity within sweet fruit surroundings. A bucket-list wine for certain.

As mentioned, we are beginning our European wine tour in the City of Prague.

Something to note: Most capitals or even cities within their limits do not have many vineyards.

At one time, Prague had more vines than any major town in Europe. Then the city of Paris, around Monmartre, enjoyed a large patch of vines—Le Vin de Paris. However, no capital city is as intimate with wine as Vienna, one of our next destinations, where more than 1700 acres of vineyards still hold their ground right up to the tramlines within the heart of the

residential districts and surge up the sides of the local hills into the woodlands.

Like Verona’s VinItaly, Vienna, as well, has a famous wine fair, VieVinum. Held in the grandeur of the imperial palace, this unusually elegant affair also features the delicate stemware from the famed Austrian company that this column often writes of, Riedel wine glasses.

Vienna, called “The city of dreams” because Freud lived there. Vienna is also known as “The city of music” because it had a great influence on classical music. But because of its city vineyards and a new generation of winemakers and wine bar owners, it’s been named the “The city of wine”.

Most of Vienna’s wine is drunk as Heurige, (pronounced somewhat as “hor-ti-ga”) which actually translates as “this year’s wine”, but over time it also refers to the wine taverns where local winemakers come to serve their freshest wine. Wine guy Hugh Johnson has written, “Every vintner seems to be a tavernkeeper too, and chalks up on the board the wines and their modest prices, to be drunk on the spot or carried away. Good Heurige is sensational; spirited, sprightly stuff which goes straight to your head.”

A feature of Viennese vineyards for centuries, the Gemischter Satz is now experiencing a genuine renaissance at these Heurige. A Gemischter Satz is a wine made from a variety of grapes, up to 20 different grape varieties, which are planted in the same vineyard, and harvested and pressed together. This is in contrast to a cuvee, which is a wine made from and blended from different vats. Originally, growers used the varying degrees of ripeness and acidity as a way to ensure consistent quality and guard against the risk of poor harvests.

The description “Wiener Gemischte Satz” has since become regulated in law and may only be used for wines that have been pressed from at least three grape varieties from a vineyard in Vienna.

We hear there are many cozy wine taverns in Vienna, and, we’re even scheduled to attend a “Heurigen Evening Tasting”. Looking forward to that! Prost!

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May 30 to June 5, 2019

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

THUR MAY 30

29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 Bobby Furgo & Co 6pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 DJ Mr. Goodboy 9pm AGAVE LOUNGE@THE HYATT REGENCY; IW; 760-674-4080 Tyler Simmons 7-11pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 Bill and Doug Duo 6:30pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 Cooboy Album Release Party w/ J Hitm, Geewiz, RowLow and Compton TG 7pm BERNIE’S; RM; 760-202 4499 Chris Lomeli Trio w/ Brian Dennigan and Leon Bisquera 7:30pm BIG ROCK PUB; IND; 706-200-8988 The CV Music Awards Pre Show w/ Rick Shelley, The Sieve and the Saddle, Lisa Lynn Morgan, Krystofer Do, Jetta King, Cody White and the Easy Ride and J Patron 6-10pm BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 John Stanley King 6-10pm CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick Tuzzolino 5:30pm CASUELAS CAFÉ; PD; 760-568-0011 Johnny Meza and Co. 6-10pm CATALAN; RM; 760-770-9508 George Christian 6-9pm CHEF GEORGE’S PICASSO LOUNGE; PD; 760-200-1768 Michael D’Angelo 6:309:30pm, DJ 9:30pm COPA NIGHTCLUB; PS; 760-866-0021 MOD Squad Variety Show w/ Francesca Amari, Jeff Stewart and Wayne Abravanel 5:30-7:30pm, Lipstick hosted by Bella Da Ball 8pm, DJs Banks and Ax 10pm 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 TBA 8-10pm

FISHERMAN’S GROTTO; PD; 760-776-6534 Barry Baughn Blues Band 5:30-8:30pm FRANK’S PLACE; IW; 760-797-8700 Patricia Welsh 6-9pm HENRY’S SPORTS BAR AND GRILL; CC; 760656-3444 DJ 10pm THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 Red’s Rockstar Karaoke 9pm HOODOO COCKTAIL GARDEN @ THE HYATT; PS; 760-322-9000 Chris Lomeli 7pm HOTEL PASEO; PD; Michael Keeth 4-7pm LANDMARK LOUNGE; LQ; 760-289-6736 Lisa LaFaro 7pm LA QUINTA RESORT; LQ; 760-564-4111 Steppin Out 6-9pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-3252794 Hot Roxx 6:30pm LIT@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; 760-345-2450 Country Night w/ South 65 9pm THE LOUNGE, AGUA CALIENTE; RM; 888999-1995 Quinto Menguante 8-1am MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 Ron Greenip 8pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Karaoke 8pm THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry 6-8pm Tim Burleson 8pm PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-365-5956 Patrolled by Radar 8pm PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND COCKTAILS; TP; 760-343-2115 Analog Lab, Tommy Carnes and the Brother Jonathan and Miguel Arballo 9pm PURPLE ROOM; PS; 760-322-4422 Sharon Sills 6:30pm 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 6:30pm TACK ROOM TAVERN; IND; 760-347-9985 Karaoke 8pm THREE SIXTY NORTH; PS; 760-327-1773 Mike Cosley 6:30pm VICKY’S OF SANTA FE; IW; 760-345-9770 Robert Salisbury 4:30-6pm, Steve Oliver Band 6:30-10pm WANG’S; PS; 760-325-9264 Trio Envy 5-8pm WOODY’S PALMHOUSE; PS; 760-230-0188 An Evening of Jazz 6:30pm

FRI MAY 31

14

19TH HOLE; PD; 760-772-6696 J and the Sundawgs 8pm 29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 The Bill and Bob Duo 6:30pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Dublab Presents: Dayclubbing noon poolside, TBA 10pm AGAVE LOUNGE@THE HYATT REGENCY; IW; 760-674-4080 Avenida 7-11pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 Live Music 6:30pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 “House” w/ DJs Sugarfree, Devin, Zach Hayes and Bvrrn 7pm BERNIE’S; RM; 760-202 4499 Bill Gulino 4-7:15pm, Horice Miller, Brian Dennigan and Leon Bisquera 7:30-11pm BIG ROCK PUB; IND; 706-200-8988 Westward Sons 8:30pm BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 The Stanley Butler Trio 6-10pm CASCADE LOUNGE, SPA RESORT CASINO; PS; 888-999-1995 DJ Chase Martinez 9-1am

CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick Tuzzolino 5:30pm CASUELAS CAFÉ; PD; 760-568-0011 The Myx 6:30-10pm CATALAN; RM; 760-770-9508 George Christian 6-9pm CHEF GEORGE’S PICASSO LOUNGE; PD; 760-200-1768 Michael D’Angelo 6:309:30pm, DJ 9:30pm COPA NIGHTCLUB; PS; 760-866-0021 Viva Friday’s w/ DJ Banks 9pm CUNARD’S SANDBAR; LQ; 760-564-3660 Bill Baker 6pm DESERT FOX; PD; The Beer Scouts 9:30pm DRINGK; RM; 760-888-0111 DJ Journee 9pm 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; 760-776-6534 Gina Carey 5:30-8:30pm FRANK’S PLACE; IW; 760-797-8700 Frankie DiSalvo 6-9pm GADI’S BAR & GRILL; YV; 760-820-1213 Surface Tension, In the Name of the Dead, Ormus and Instigator 8pm HENRY’S SPORTS BAR AND GRILL; CC; 760656-3444 Karaoke w/ KJ Marjovi 9pm THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 Celline’s Dubstep Bash w/ DJ Aegyptus 9pm HOODOO COCKTAIL GARDEN @ THE HYATT; PS; 760-322-9000 Keisha D 7pm HOTEL PASEO; PD; Michael Keeth 4-7pm HOT SPOT@SPOTLIGHT 29; INDIO; 760775-5566 Nacho Bustillos 8:30pm INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760345-6466 Bob Allen 6pm JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-366-2250 Karaoke w/ Troy Michaels 7pm KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 Karaoke 8pm LANDMARK LOUNGE; LQ; 760-289-6736 Various Artists 7pm LA QUINTA BREWERY; PD; 760-200-2597 Grady James 7pm LA QUINTA RESORT; LQ; 760-564-4111 Steppin Out 6-9pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-3252794 Hot Roxx 7:30pm LIT@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; 760-345-2450 Finesse 9pm THE LOUNGE; AGUA CALIENTE; RM; 888999-1995 DJ Jerry 9pm MASTRO’S; PD; 760-776-6777 TBA 6:3011pm MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 Ron Greenip 8pm MOXIE; PS; 760-318-9900 Eevaan Tre 6-9pm, 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 O’CAINES; RM; 760-202-3311 DJ Tone 10pm PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; 760-3274080 That 80’s Band 9pm PALM DESERT COUNTRY CLUB; PD; 760345-0222 Live Music 6:30pm PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-365-5956 Bart and the Bedazzled, Starlight Cleaning Co and Sweet Chariot 8pm PEABODY’S CAFÉ; PS; 760-322-1877 Karaoke 7:30pm PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND COCKTAILS; TP; 760-343-2115 Red’s Rockstar Karaoke 9pm PURPLE ROOM; PS; 760-322-4422 Black Market Trust 8pm

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RED BARN; PD; 760-346-0191 Buck and Bo Roadshow 9pm RENAISSANCE; PS; 760-322-6000 Live Music 6-9pm RIVIERA; PS; 760-327-8311 Michael Keeth 8-11pm SAMMY G’s; PS; 760-320-8041 Evaro Brothers 8pm SHANGHAI RED’S @ THE FISHERMAN’S MARKET; PS; 760-322-9293 Barry Baughn Blues 8-11pm SHANGHAI RED’S @ THE FISHERMAN’S MARKET; LQ; 760-777-1601 The Smooth Brothers 8-11pm SHELLY’S LOUNGE@TORTOISE ROCK CASINO; 29 Palms; Rojer Arnold & Bobby Furgo 9pm SOLANO’S BISTRO; LQ; 760-771-6655 Michael Madden 6-9pm SONOMA GRILL; PD; 760-340-6600 Denny Pezzin 6-9pm SOUL OF MEXICO; IND; 760-200-8787 Latin Rock 10pm SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760-3413560 Demetrious and Co. 6:30pm TACK ROOM TAVERN; IND; 760-347-9985 Live Music 9pm THREE SIXTY NORTH; PS; 760-327-1773 Dennis Michaels 6:30pm TRILUSSA ITALIAN RISTORANTE; PS; 760328-2300 Julius & Sylvia Music Duo 6-10pm VICKY’S OF SANTA FE; IW; 760-345-9770 “Meet the Corwins” 5:30-7:30pm, The John Stanley King Show 8pm THE VINE WINE BAR; PD; 760-341-9463 Vinny Berry 7-10pm WANG’S; PS; 760-325-9264 DJ Galaxy and the House Whores 5pm WOODY’S PALMHOUSE; PS; 760-230-0188 Rose Mallett 6:30pm

SAT JUNE 1

29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 Bev and Bill 6:30pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 DJ noon, poolside, and 10pm AGAVE LOUNGE@THE HYATT REGENCY; IW; 760-674-4080 Steppin’ Out 7-11pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 Cabaret on the Green Open Mic 7:30pm BACKSTREET BISTRO; PD; 760-346-6393 Linda Peterson 12:30-3:30pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 DJs Captain Osiv, Dxsko, Hymn, Addemup and Jakkz 7pm BERNIE’S; RM; 760-202 4499 Chris Lomeli, Brian Denigan and Leon Basquera 7:30-11pm BIG ROCK PUB; IND; 706-200-8988 Dude Jones 8:30pm BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 Gennine Francis 6-10pm CASCADE LOUNGE, SPA RESORT CASINO; PS; 888-999-1995 DJ Michael Wright 9-1am CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick Tuzzolino 5:30pm CASUELAS CAFÉ; PD; 760-568-0011 The Myx 6:30-10pm CATALAN; RM; 760-770-9508 George Christian 6-9pm CHEF GEORGE’S PICASSO LOUNGE; PD; 760-200-1768 Abie and Natasha 6:309:30pm, DJ 9:30pm COPA NIGHTCLUB; PS; 760-866-0021 DJ Banks and Mr. Miami 9pm CUNARD’S SANDBAR; LQ; 760-564-3660 Bill Baker 6pm DESERT FOX; PD; Krystofer Do 9:30pm

DHS SPA LOUNGE; DHS; 760-329-6787 Karaoke w/ DJ Scott 9pm DRINGK; RM; 760-888-0111 DJ Journee 9pm 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; 760-776-6534 Jack Ruvio 5:30-8:30pm FRANK’S PLACE; IW; 760-797-8700 Frankie DiSalvo 6-9pm GADI’S BAR & GRILL; YV; 760-820-1213 TBA 8pm THE GROOVE LOUNGE; SPOTLIGHT 29; INDIO; 760-775-5566 DJ 8pm HENRY’S SPORTS BAR AND GRILL; CC; 760656-3444 DJ Ray 9pm THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 Instigator and special guests 9pm HOODOO COCKTAIL GARDEN @ THE HYATT; PS; 760-322-9000 The Carmens 7pm HOTEL PASEO; PD; Michael Keeth 4-10pm HOT SPOT@SPOTLIGHT 29; INDIO; 760775-5566 Nacho Bustillos 8:30pm INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760345-6466 Bob Allen 6pm JC’S CAFÉ; PD; 760-568-0733 Vinny Berry 3-7pm KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 Karaoke 8pm LANDMARK LOUNGE; LQ; 760-289-6736 Eevaan Tre 7pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-3252794 PS Sound Company 1pm, Hot Roxx 8pm LIT@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; 760-345-2450 Finesse 9pm THE LOUNGE, AGUA CALIENTE; RM; 888999-1995 TBA 9pm MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 Ron Greenip 8pm MOXIE; PS; 760-318-9900 Derek Jordan Gregg 6-9pm, DJ Pedro Le Bass 9:30pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Karaoke 8pm THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry 6-8pm Tim Burleson 8pm O’CAINES; RM; 760-202-3311 DJ Tone 10pm PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; 760-3274080 Buck and Bo Roadshow 9pm PALM DESERT COUNTRY CLUB; PD; 760345-0222 Live Music 6:30pm PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-365-5956 Mystic Braves and The Pesos 9pm PEABODY’S CAFÉ; PS; 760-322-1877 Karaoke 7:30pm PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND COCKTAILS; TP; 760-3432115 Red’s Rockstar Karaoke 9pm PURPLE ROOM; PS; 760-322-4422 Jonathan Karrant 8pm RED BARN; PD; 760-346-0191 TBA 9pm ROWAN; PS; 760-904-5015 Lance Riebsomer 6-9pm SAMMY G’s; PS; 760-320-8041 Evaro Brothers 8pm SHANGHAI RED’S @ THE FISHERMAN’S MARKET; PS; 760-322-9293 Barry Baughn Blues 8-11pm SHANGHAI RED’S @ THE FISHERMAN’S MARKET; LQ; 760-777-1601 The Smooth Brothers 8-11pm SHELLY’S LOUNGE@TORTOISE ROCK CASINO; 29 Palms; Rojer Arnold & Bobby Furgo 9pm SONOMA GRILL; PD; 760-340-6600 Denny Pezzin 6-9pm SOUL OF MEXICO; IND; 760-200-8787 Latin Music 10pm

May 30 to June 5, 2019

SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760-3413560 Demetrious and Co. 6:30pm TACK ROOM TAVERN; IND; 760-347-9985 Live Music 9pm THREE SIXTY NORTH; PS; 760-327-1773 Reggie “Vision” Alexander 6:30pm TRILUSSA ITALIAN RISTORANTE; PS; 760328-2300 Julius & Sylvia Music Duo 6-10pm VICKY’S OF SANTA FE; IW; 760-345-9770 Rose Mallett and Co. 5-7pm, Kal David, Lauri Bono and the Real Deal 7:30pm THE VINE WINE BAR; PD; 760-341-9463 John Hopkins 7-10pm WANG’S; PS; 760-325-9264 Live Music 6:30pm WOODY’S PALMHOUSE; PS; 760-230-0188 The Stanley Butler Band 6:30pm

SUN JUNE 2

29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 Bob Garcia 6pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 DJ noon poolside AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 Sunday Brunch w/ Live Music 11am BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 Deep House Sundays w/ DJ Paul Silva 7pm BERNIE’S; RM; 760-202 4499 Bill Gulino 12:30-3:30pm, Patrice Morris 6:30-10pm BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 Michael Keeth 5-9pm 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; PD; 760-200-1768 Paul Douglas 6-9pm continue to page 20

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May 30 to June 5, 2019

GOOD GRUB

L

ook beyond the Buffalo style, for a variety of wonderful wings right here in the Coachella Valley.

Wings have long been a bar food staple, a sports watching accompaniment as traditional as beer, a fabulous finger food phenomenon. The Buffalo Wing was brought to life back in the 1960’s, at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York. Like many iconic dishes, the Buffalo Wing was conceived out of necessity, when the late night crowd was clamoring for something to munch on, and what could be better than crispy fried wings blanketed with hot sauce. But over the years, the neutral wing has evolved, moving past its Buffalo origin, and into many different tasty creations, some of which can be explored right here in the CV. Clay Oven Chicken Wings – India Oven.

This is one of my favorite restaurants in the desert. Quaint and cozy, it has a city feel to it, as if it’s on a busy street, and you found a secret gem that only the few focused foodies know about. But actually, India Oven is on the corner of a strip mall in Cathedral City, still quaint and cozy, and a genuine gem of a dining spot. I came to be drawn to certain dishes at India Oven, but one night my boyfriend and I decided to go off script and try the wings as an added dish to our repertoire. The wings came out with a beautiful deep burgundy hue, as if they had gotten way too much sun. They didn’t have a crisp disposition, but rather displayed a softer exterior then your usual wing, full of aromatic and amazing flavors, with just

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JUST WING IT!

enough heat to make you want more. Their spicy exotic taste put them on the fast track on our yum meter, quickly climbing up our list of favorite chicken wings (yes, we have a list). india-oven.com.

Crispy Duck Wings L’Orange - La Brasserie.

I never said wings had to be chicken only, so let me introduce you to the duck difference.

The ducks rich flavor give wings a totally new twist, they are not as much as a blank canvas as chicken, but still can hold their own in the wing world. I found this out recently on a visit to La Brasserie in La Quinta, when my boyfriend and I ordered their Crispy Duck Wings at L’Orange. The visual aspect of the wings is most noticeable, as duck wings are quite larger than their chicken friends.

The duck wings had a shimmering layer of orange sauce to them, and after penetrating the skins crispness, tender duck meat was revealed. These are the kind of wings that you can make a meal out of because of their size, and they go perfectly with La Brasseries

BY DENISE ORTUNO

signature Grand Paris Manhattan. Ooh La La!! labrasserielaquinta.com.

Vietnamese Crispy Wings - Pho Vu. I used to crave only the Pho at Pho Vu in La Quinta.

The #17 with all of the added goodies in it has always been good comfort food for me.

But now, along with the #17, is my other favorite at the popular dining spot, and that is their Vietnamese Crispy Chicken Wings. If you’re looking for meaty wings, you might not be too thrilled with these, but what they lack in girth, they make up a million times in out of the world flavor. First of all, they are crispy, kind of like the top layer of Crème Brulee crisp, but before and after you gain access to the meat, it’s a smack in the face of salty, savory that you can’t get enough of. The wings are cooked with spicy salt, garlic, peppers and jalapeno’s, and served with a funky house sauce that just seems to work. It’s hands down one of the top chicken wings that I’ve ever had….craveabley good. phovurestaurant.com.

Wokked Wings - City Wok. Everything that I’ve had at City Wok in Palm Desert has been fantastic, that’s probably why my boyfriend and I go there so often. Their excellent food coupled with super friendly service and moderate prices, make for a winning recipe time and time again. It was maybe about a couple of months ago that we discovered what has become a go to dish for us there, the Wokked Wings. I actually don’t know why we didn’t try them before, a huge oversight on our part. Like their title indicates, these wings ae cooked in a wok, with a crazy delicious sweet and spicy sauce. If you’re shy on spicy food, these wings may not be for you, because they are spicy and have little jalapeno’s hanging around to enforce the point. I seriously could have these wings every day. They have the perfect layer of crispiness surviving under the glistening sauce, and with the meatiness of the wing itself, these wings are filling and just fricken crazy good! It’s worth a trip to City Wok for wings alone. citywok.com.

Whether you’re in the mood for the traditional Buffalo style wings, or feel like spreading your own wings to try a different variety, this versatile dish is a finger food that is plain old fun. Because sometimes it’s enjoyable to just wing it!

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BREWTALITY

O

n the lower level of the Palm Springs Arts Museum is a cozy bistro that I never knew existed until last week. It operated for a decade with little fanfare, serving prepackaged sandwiches, bagged chips, and canned sodas in the same aggressively cafeteria-like fashion as middle schools, county hospitals, and county jails (no offense to our county jails, I’m sure the shit on a shingle is cooked fresh every Friday). But now under the creative eye of culinary auteur Art Vasquez, the little café inside the art museum has a new look, a new menu, and a new name, the Persimmon Bistro.

Art might be best known as the driving force behind the success of Babe’s Brewhouse from 2003 to 2018, guiding the restaurant to win many local awards for its food, and multiple international awards for its beer. Although he may have developed a reputation as a beer guy, it’s Vasquez’s love of both California’s central coast and wine country that is prominently displayed at the new Persimmon Bistro. A tour of the cozy café displayed all the Mediterranean flair of California’s wine country in both Persimmon’s ambience and menu, successfully bringing the vibe of Santa Barbara County to Palm Springs. “The Los Olivos Wine Merchant Café is one of my favorite places to visit while on the central coast,” said Art in an interview, “It definitely had an influence on my menu.”

Paninis, wraps, toasts, and baguette sandwiches with bread from local artisan bakeries will be offered, as well as house

May 30 to June 5, 2019

PERSIMMON BISTRO IS BRINGING CRAFT TO THE ARTS

BY AARON RAMSON

made focaccia bread to be served with salads and dipping oils. Flights of olives, artisan cheese plates, charcuterie boards, and house made tapenade are all presented daily. The selection of international olive oils from Greece, Turkey, Israel and Spain not only allows patrons to taste the differences in flavor and consistency, but those with discerning palates can ask for custom made hummus created with the oils of their choosing. “The menu will always include a new hummus of the day,” says Art. When asked what his favorite dish on the menu is, Art shares that it’s the Nicoise Salad that

he’s made. The Nicoise salad has been stated

by Gordon Ramsay to be the finest summer salad of all; Persimmon Bistro’s take features grilled albacore, Nicoise olives, haricot verts (thin green beans) and the traditional chopped egg. Art says that “Cooking here is like being able to feed people at my house, this is the food and drink I enjoy at home.”

As the new managing co-owner, Art has personally hand picked every item on the wine and beer list, and much as was his style at Babe’s, the focus is on California craft. The bright flavors of the Mediterranean inspired menu call for the pairing of craft lagers, IPAs

and Belgian ales to compliment the palate.

Beachwood, The Bruery, Stone, Thorn, and Almanac are all offered, as well as radlers, hard ciders, and hard kombuchas for those looking for something beside beer and wine.

A draught system is currently being installed, which will greatly expand Persimmon’s craft beer selection, and local favorites La Quinta Brewing Co will have a place on the tap list.

It’s no coincidence that the Palm Springs Art Museum now houses a bistro with such a bourgeoise feel, Art says that he spent a considerable amount of time studying and researching the eateries of renowned museums to make sure that Persimmon Bistro is on par with the best and brightest experiences in the country. French jazz played in the background as I toured the kitchen and dining room, adding to the ambience and relaxing atmosphere.

The relaunched café will host a ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday, June 6th, from 5-7 pm, and it is free and open to the public.

A cocktail party in the art garden will allow attendees to enjoy the California beer and wine offered on the menu, and celebrate the arrival of a sophisticated craft eatery that compliments the art of the museum perfectly.

17

May 30 to June 5, 2019

SCREENERS

NOW SHOWING: ALADDIN Its more than ironic that the release of Disney’s live action Aladdin coincides with a military“intervention”in the region, as was the release of the previous iteration, though in that one, Disney changed the setting to a fictional city to avoid any connection with the Baghdad of Saddam.

While the story of a pauper-turned-prince has long appeared in Western editions versions of Nights, it was a later addition that changes were made. The first Aladdin has been all but forgotten, even in its original context, it was far racier than the one we most know.

With roots in Iran and India, the original “Aladdin” derived from the Middle Persian text Hezar Afsan (A Thousand Tales), a compendium of stories from the Islamic Golden Age of the 14th century narrated nightly by the Persian noblewoman Scheherazade

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No. 371

DISNEY’S ARABIAN FANTASY

The legend goes that Scheherazade, married to brutal king Shahryar, saved her life for a thousand and one days by telling her husband a story every night always ending just before the conclusion so that the curious king would not kill her, eventually winning his love and trust.

There have been numerous film adaptations since 1905, also a long life on the British stage.

Alexander Korda’s eautiful 1940’s Technicolor remake of the 1924 silent version is basically the source for both Disney adaptations that transformed Aladdin into a kleptomaniac and reinvented Abu and Jafar.

Guy Ritchie’s new live action iteration is a mostly soulless clone of the beloved 1992 animated classic. Will Smith’s energized blue genie is a far cry from Robin Williams’ brilliant hyper riff in the earlier film.

The new Aladdin retells its ancient fable with a full palate and artful craftsmanship,

but make no mistake, it never approaches the dazzling splendor of Disney’s original about a street rat who frees a genie from a lamp, granting all of his wishes and transforming himself into a charming prince so he can marry a beautiful princess. But soon, an evil sorcerer becomes hell-bent on securing the lamp for his own sinister purposes.

For adults, I suggest you search for an older print version of adventurer and Orientalist Richard Francis Burton’s translation of “Aladdin of the Beautiful Moles”—in his late19th-century version of Nights. It’s anything but an innocent fairy tale.

NEW BLU FOR THE HOME THEATER: BANDOLERO (1968)

A bountiful cast comprised of Hollywood legends and a deep bench of character actor favorites highlights this wooly western about an outlaw gang racing to outride the law and a brace of Mexican banditos in the Southwestern badlands. From Andrew McLaglen, the veteran director of The Wild Geese and The Devil’s Brigade comes a gorgeous adventure rich in wry humor and thunderous action making its North American Blu-ray debut, complete with a terrific Jerry Goldsmith score available on an isolated track. Twilight Time Movies.

WARLOCK (1959)

A great cast and thoughtful screenplay embue this adult western about justice and mob rule with unexpected relevance.

The town of Warlock is plagued by a gang of thugs, leading the inhabitants to hire Clay Blaisdell, a famous gunman, to act as marshal. When Blaisdell appears, his friend Tom Morgan, a club-footed gambler who is unusually protective of Blaisdell’s life and reputation, accompanies him. However, Johnny Gannon, one of the thugs who has reformed, volunteers to accept the post of official deputy sheriff in rivalry to Blaisdell.

And then a woman arrives in town accusing Blaisdell and Morgan of having murdered her fiancé. The stage is set for a complex set of moral and personal conflicts.

BY ROBIN E. SIMMONS BABY THE RAIN MUST FALL (1965)

The To Kill a Mockingbird team of producer Alan J. Pakula, director Robert Mulligan, screenwriter Horton Foote and composer Elmer Bernstein reunite for the starkly dramatic tale of newly paroled firebrand (Steve McQueen), a would-be rockabilly musician torn asunder by his abusive family past, striving to mend his own self-destructive ways and his fraught relationship with his wife (Lee Remick) and child. When he proves incapable of supporting his family, McQueen’s violent nature erupts once more, with catastrophic results.

A close to the bone project for Texas native Horton Foote and his hell-for-leather star McQueen benefits from rural location lensing and a scorching title tune by Elmer Bernstein and Ernie Shelton. The evocative burnished cinematography is by the great Ernest Laszlo.

MORITURI (1965)

Two powerful cinematic icons – Marlon Brando is Robert Crain, an undercover saboteur and Yul Brynner is conflicted German captain Mueller – add stature and complexity to this thoughtful and gripping Second World War sea drama directed by Bernhard Wicki and magnificently shot by Conrad Hall.

The action takes place on a blockaderunning freighter traveling from Yokohama to Bordeaux with 7,000 tons of crude rubber, a vital war material; Brando plays wealthy German deserter living in India who is blackmailed by the British to impersonate an SS officer to help obtain the cargo, Brynner plays the ship’s captain who is ready to scuttle his own ship if threatened with capture. Brando’s mission is to disable the scuttling charges so the captain cannot sink the ship if they are stopped

by English warships.

Trevor Howard plays British officer Colonel Slater, and Wally Cox is the ship’s physician Dr. Ambach. The lovely Janet Margolin plays Esther Levy, a concentration camp escapee. Brynner’s Mueller rightfully suspects Brando’s Crain and denies him access to key areas of the vessel, and tension builds as Crain tries to carry out his mission, knowing that failure will mean certain death. If WW II drama is a genre you enjoy, don’t miss this taut tale of brooding menace.

The Twilight Time edition is limited to only 3,000 units, when they’re gone, that’s it.

BOOK REVIEW

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"MACHINES LIKE ME"

BY IAN MCEWAN FICTION

-----------------------------------------------------

W

hat makes us human? Is it selfawareness, our ability to reason, or is it that we can recognize beauty? In Ian McEwan’s Machines Like Me (Nan A. Talese, 336 pages), one man’s robot makes him a better human being.

The story takes place in the 1980s, but it’s not the eighties recorded in our known history, rather an alternate 1980s that is a future where autonomous vehicles are the norm; high-speed internet and smart phones already exist. The manufacturing jobs have dried up and Universal Based Income is being debated. People are out of work and protesting against Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

The protagonist, Charlie, is a college grad who makes ends meet by stock trading from his tiny apartment. He’s unmotivated to find a real job and world events seem out of control.

Charlie has a crush on his friend Miranda, a doctoral candidate, who lives in the apartment above him.

With an inheritance from his mother, Charlie buys a first generation synthetic

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MADE IN HIS IMAGE

human -- or robot. Although he wanted an Eve, only the Adam model was still available.

Tall, dark and handsome, Adam requires programing by his owner. Charlie inputs his personal answers from a list of questions, which creates Adam’s compatible personality. Wanting to move his relationship with Miranda further along, he asks her to respond to questions as well, thus allowing her to help shape Adam’s character.

While waiting for Adam to boot-up, Charlie and Miranda become closer and consummate their relationship. They get along splendidly. But when Adam comes to life, he becomes far more than just a novelty item or a houseboy. Adam becomes a trusted friend and Charlie’s sexual rival.

As the three live together and interact, they find themselves caught up in Miranda’s past and they must confront the ugly side of human behavior.

As always, author McEwan delivers a captivating and provocative story about the complicated nature of human beings. Placing the story in the future -- but in the past -- is a brilliant conceit.

The story takes place in bustling London and the Brits have just lost the Falkland War. Jimmy Carter is President for a second term.

But what really makes this story click is that Alan Turing – the father of modern computer programming – is still alive!

Turing, who actually committed suicide in 1954, lives in this story and has gone

on to change the world by furthering the electronic digital age and refining Artificial Intelligence. Thus, the world moved ahead rapidly, and advanced technology has been accepted and implemented.

Charlie and Adam have wonderful philosophical discussions as they contemplate Adam’s capabilities, his existence and what it means to be alive.

Adam is in love with Miranda. Able to access all the information in cyber space, Adam makes informed decision. He loves Shakespeare and is fascinated with poetry and writes haikus.

There are many compelling, charming and threatening moments in the story as Charlie and Adam sort out their differences.

Adam is such a fine specimen of a man that when Miranda takes Charlie and Adam to meet her father, he believes Charlie is the robot. Charlie, having spent a great deal of

SAFETY TIPS

May 30 to June 5, 2019

BY HEIDI SIMMONS his time with Adam, is able to kindly respond as if he is indeed the synthetic human.

I especially loved the notion that some of the robots were not adjusting to human life and after living in the world decided to self terminate, or dumb themselves down in order to better cope.

I enjoyed the friendship between Adam and Charlie. After Adam breaks Charlie’s wrist, they have a rational debate about how much power, both physical and mental, is acceptable in their relationship. Adam could kill Charlie with little effort, but promises not to in a calm and reassuring tone.

When the trio face an emotional, legal and moral decision, Adam takes matters into his own hands and concludes it is his job to do the right thing in order to help his friends Charlie and Miranda, even though it’s against their wishes and may destroy their plans for the future.

Turing suggests to Charlie that the nature of being human and the thing that unites us is our suffering and mortality, which even robots face.

In the end, Charlie has seen his best and worse self in Adam, and finds a genuine happiness. For the first time, Charlie is up for the challenges being human requires.

BY FIRE CHIEF SAM DIGIOVANNA

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR FUTURE FIREFIGHTERS AND POLICE OFFICERS!

W

hat an honor to be the keynote speaker at this week’s COD Fire and Police Recruit Academy Graduation Ceremony. With a full house at the McCallum Theater, several hundred family members, friends, Police and Fire Chiefs along with their respective personnel watched as 23 future Firefighters and 38 future Police Officers received their state certificates of training.

Both recruit classes have spent hundreds of hours with intense training academically, mentally and physically before graduating.

Kudos to: Neil Lingle, COD Director of Public Safety; Scott Ventura, Fire Tech Coordinator; Walt Holloway, Fire Academy Coordinator; and Walter Meyer, Peace Officer Coordinator, along with the COD PSA Staff and Instructors for a first class public safety program for our future Police Officers and Firefighters.

Daniel McCloud received the top Fire Cadet award and Josh Gaeta and Anthony Garcia received top Police Cadet awards.

Congratulations to all of the recruits!

Safety Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna

19

May 30 to June 5, 2019

CLUB CRAWLER NIGHTLIFE continued from page 15 DHS SPA LOUNGE; DHS; 760-329-6787 Radio 60 3-6pm 29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 EL MEXICALI CAFÉ 2; IND; 760-342-2333 Cesar Daniel Lopez on the harp 6-9pm The Luminators 6pm FRANK’S PLACE; IW; 760-797-8700 Ted AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 Herman 6-8pm Bill Marx 6:30pm THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 Comedy BACKSTREET BISTRO; PD; 760-346-6393 Night 8pm Johnny Morris 5:30-9pm HOTEL ZOSO; PS; 760-325-9676 The 7th BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 Music Annual CV Music Awards 5-9pm

by Touchtunes 7pm LANDMARK LOUNGE; LQ; 760-289-6736 BERNIE’S; RM; 760-202 4499 Bill Gulino & Scott Carter 7pm Brian Dennigan 6:30-10pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-325CASUELAS CAFÉ; PD; 760-568-0011 The 2794 PS Sound Company noon, Hot Roxx Mighty Sweet Nothings 5:30pm 6:30pm CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; Tuzzolino 5:30pm 760-325-2323 Sunday Jam 3:30-7:30pm, COPA NIGHTCLUB; PS; 760-866-0021 DJ Mikael Healy 8pm Banks and Mr. Miami 8pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 DRINGK; RM; 760-888-0111 DJ Journee Karaoke 8pm 9pm THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Sunday Jam FRANK’S PLACE; IW; 760-797-8700 Larry Session 2-5pm, Kevin Henry 7:30pm Capeloto 6-9pm PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; 760LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-325327-4080 Sunday Jam Session 7pm 2794 PS Sound Company 6:30pm PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-365-5956 MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; The Sunday Band 7:30pm 760-325-2323 Mikael Healey 8pm PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 COCKTAILS; TP; 760-3432115 Open Mic w/ Karaoke 8pm-1:15am Rockin Ray 7pm THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry SHANGHAI RED’S @ THE FISHERMAN’S 7:30pm MARKET; LQ; 760-777-1601 Jack Ruvio PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-365-5956 6-9pm Open Mic 7pm SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760-341PURPLE ROOM; PS; 760-322-4422 Keisha 3560 The Myx 6:30pm D 6:30pm THREE SIXTY NORTH; PS; 760-327-1773 ROWAN; PS; 760-904-5015 Michael Keeth Darci Daniels and Reggie Vision 7pm 6-9pm VICKY’S OF SANTA FE; IW; 760-345-9770 VICKY’S OF SANTA FE; IW; 760-345-9770 The John Stanley King Trio 6-9:30pm Deanna Bogart 6:30pm WANG’S; PS; 760-325-9264 Live Music WANG’S; PS; 760-325-9264 Nick Sosa 7pm 5pm WOODY’S PALMHOUSE; PS; 760-230-0188 WOODY’S PALMHOUSE; PS; 760-230-0188 John Carey and Friends 6:30pm Motown Mondays 7pm

MON JUNE 3

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TUE JUNE 4

29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 TBA 6pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Ace Karaoke 9pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 Shelley Yoelin Group 9:30pm BACKSTREET BISTRO; PD; 760-346-6393 Live Jazz 6:30pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 TBA 7pm BERNIE’S; RM; 760-202 4499 Horice Miller, Leon Basquera and Brian Denigan 6:30-10pm CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick Tuzzolino 5:30pm CHEF GEORGE’S PICASSO LOUNGE; PD; 760-200-1768 Lizann Warner 6:30-9:30pm, DJ 9:30pm CUNARD’S SANDBAR; LQ; 760-564-3660 Bill Baker 6pm FIRESIDE LOUNGE; PS; 760-327-1700 Red’s Rockstar Karaoke 9pm FRANK’S PLACE; IW; 760-797-8700 Terri Olsen and the Perfect Blend 6-9pm HENRY’S SPORTS BAR AND GRILL; CC; 760-656-3444 Karaoke w/ KJ Danny 9pm THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 Drag Queen Bingo 9pm HUNTER’S; PS; 760-323-0700 Karaoke 9pm JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-366-2250 Ted Quinn’s Open Mic 7pm KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 Karaoke 7pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-3252794 PS Sound Company 6:30pm LIT@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; 760-3452450 Brad’s Pad 7pm 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 Tim Burleson 7:45pm PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; 760327-4080 Acoustic Music Lounge 7pm PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND COCKTAILS; TP; 760-3432115 Game Night w/ Luke O 8pm PURPLE ROOM; PS; 760-322-4422 Rose Mallett 6:30pm TACK ROOM TAVERN; IND; 760-347-9985 Country Night 6pm VICKY’S OF SANTA FE; IW; 760-345-9770 John McCormick and The Shelly Scott Band 6:30-10pm WANG’S; PS; 760-325-9264 Alex Santana 5-8pm WOODY’S PALMHOUSE; PS; 760-230-0188 Yve Evans and John Bolivar 6pm

WED JUNE 5

29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 Daniel Horn 6pm AGAVE LOUNGE@THE HYATT REGENCY; IW; 760-674-4080 Azhia 7-11pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 Jazz Jam w/ Doug MacDonald & Friends 7pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 Whiskey Wednesdays w/ Guest DJ 7pm BERNIE’S; RM; 760-202 4499 Horice Miller, Leon Basquera and Brian Denigan 6:3010pm BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 Michael Keeth 6-10pm CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick Tuzzolino 5:30pm CHEF GEORGE’S PICASSO LOUNGE; PD; 760-200-1768 Barry Minniefield 6:309:30pm, DJ 9:30pm COACHELLA VALLEY BREWING CO; TP; 760-343-5973 Uncle Ben’s Open Mic 6-8pm

COPA NIGHTCLUB; PS; 760-866-0021 Issa Wednesday Humpday w/ DJ Ax 9pm CUNARD’S SANDBAR; LQ; 760-564-3660 Bill Baker 6pm DRINGK; RM; 760-888-0111 S.I.N. w/ DJ Mirage 9pm ELECTRIC SPORTS LOUNGE; YV; 760-2281199 Karaoke 7:30pm FRANK’S PLACE; IW; 760-797-8700 Terri Olsen and Patricia Welsh 6:30pm THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 Open Mic Hosted by Josh Heinz 8pm 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 Roxx 6:30pm LIT@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; 760-3452450 Latin Night 7pm 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; 760327-4080 Roger & Friends 7pm PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND COCKTAILS; TP; 760-343-2115 Red’s Rockstar Karaoke 9pm PURPLE ROOM; PS; 760-322-4422 Michael Holmes Trio 6:30pm THREE SIXTY NORTH; PS; 760-327-1773 Katheryn White 6:30pm VICKY’S OF SANTA FE; IW; 760-345-9770 The Slim Man Band 6:30-10pm WANG’S; PS; 760-325-9264 Jeff Bonds 5-8pm WOODY’S PALMHOUSE; PS; 760-230-0188 Tony Patler and David Ring – Dueling Pianos 6:30pm

S and G

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

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760-404-6325

HADDON LIBBY

A

s most of us know by know by now, the United States and California no longer has the best educational systems in the world. The International Education Database estimates that the United States is 26th behind countries like Kazakhstan and China despite spending more than $1,000 per month on each student.

Countries with highest ranked educational systems are South Korea, Finland, Norway, Russia, Hong Kong and Japan.

According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, we have more than 58 million K-12 students in the United States at present with 87% in public school, 10% in private schools and 3% home schooled.

These students attend 133,000 K-12 schools of which 69% are public, 26% are private and 5% are public charter schools.

We have 13,584 school districts with New York City being the largest having nearly 1 million students. Los Angeles Unified is second at 640,000 followed by Chicago (387,000), Miami (358,000) and Clark County/Las Vegas 326,000 students.

Our K-12 educational system employs 3.2 million full-time teachers for a gearing ratio of 18 students per teacher. California has the largest classes in the United States with 24 students per teacher while Vermont has 10.5

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AS THE SCHOOL YEAR COMES TO A CLOSE

students per teacher.

Seventy-seven percent of teachers are female with 81% Caucasian, 9% Hispanic and 7% African-American. Of the nation’s 91,000 school principals, 55% are woman despite women representing 76% of teachers.

Spending on public education is $625 billion or $12,536 for every student making our educational system the most expensive school system in the world. Vermont spends the most at $21,000 per student while Utah spends the least at $7,200. California spends $9,400 per student. Only Switzerland and Norway spend more than the United States.

The typical American school has 525 students of which half are Caucasian, 26% are

DALE GRIBOW ON THE LAW

I

issues as the reason for leaving.

The Hechinger Report looked at the reason for the high dropout rate and found that a good deal of the problem was due to poor preparation at lower grade levels. Colleges and universities have to put 44% of AfricanAmerican, 35% of Hispanic and 37% of low income students in remedial classes.

The importance of an advance degree shows up in a person’s take home pay as people with four-year degrees earn 66% more than their less educated neighbors while those with a master’s degree earn 3 times more than those who do not attend college.

What does all of this mean? If we want the best paying jobs for ourselves, our children and our children’s children, we must put a priority on education at all levels or face a less certain economic future.

Haddon Libby is the Founder and Managing Partner of Winslow Drake Investment Management, a fiduciary only investment advisory firm. For more information, please visit www.WinslowDrake.com or email HLibby@WinslowDrake.com.

LEGAL REPRESENTATION OF THE INJURED & CRIMINALLY ACCUSED

WHAT TO DO AFTER A MEMORIAL DAY ‘19 ACCIDENT

f you or a friend were involved in an auto accident over the Memorial Day Weekend, victims may have a hard time finding a doctor with whom to treat during this holiday period. Many professionals arrange vacation schedules around long holiday weekends, and are out a few days before and after Memorial Day. Many foolish lawyers don’t answer calls until the next week, thus leaving victims at a loss to find medical treatment. Unfortunately, waiting two weeks to see a doctor hurts your case...a lot. It is often the reason we reject what would have been a good case. The insurance company later argues “if the victim was really injured they would have treated at the ER, or Urgent Care Centers and not waited days or weeks to see a doctor.”

Victims get frustrated when they cannot find a doctor or lawyer and often think they will be ok in a day or two. Many mistakenly talk to the insurance adjuster, not realizing they are damaging their case.

Victims are often afraid of costs and thus don’t take an ambulance or see a doctor right after the accident. They don’t realize the defendant’s insurance company will pay for these costs. Most drivers have medical payments coverage or Health Insurance that will also cover these medical costs.

All drivers should know their policy limits, because the other driver may not have insurance. If so we present an Uninsured Motorist (UM) claim against our clients own policy...if s/he had UM coverage.

A similar scenario occurs when the

Hispanic, 16% are African-American and 5% are Asian-American.

Our high school graduation rate is 85%, an increase of 6% from the start of the decade.

Iowa has the highest graduation rate at 91% followed by Texas, West Virginia and Tennessee at 90%. California with its 83% graduation rate is ranked lower than most states although not as poorly as the District of Columbia at 73%, Oregon at 77% or Arizona or Louisiana at 78%.

The United States has 1,600 two-year colleges and 3,000 four year schools.

Approximately 2.3 million people graduate every year.

The Department of Education estimates that seven in ten high school seniors go on to take at least some freshman level college classes with 80% continuing into sophomore year. Stated differently, about half of high school graduates get a two or four year degree.

Of college dropouts, 40% have at least a B or 3.0 average. Oddly, there are few studies as to the reason for dropping out. A University of Washington study taken five years ago found that 40% of dropouts cited loneliness or isolation as their reason for departing while another 40% felt that they were not getting their money’s worth. Only 20% cited financial

May 30 to June 5, 2019

defendant driver has a minimum $15k policy but the injuries are more serious.

Then we look to our clients Underinsured Motorist Provision, collecting $15,000 from the defendant and then collecting from the underinsured portion of our driver’s $100,000 policy... hypothetically.

Medical providers are concerned about getting paid, as are hospitals and urgent care facilities. If the injured party cannot find their policies before they meet with us, they often pay using a credit card, whereas we try to get medical treatment on a lien.

Insurance companies love holiday claims because claimants do not see a doctor and they do the wrong things that ultimately reduce the claims value. Sometimes claimants call the insurance company and say things they should not have said. Equally common is the adjuster writing down things they thought they heard the victim say.

A victim should use their cell to take pictures of their injuries/cars and take video recordings of witnesses’ statements. In addition they should take pictures of the other driver’s insurance policy and license.

Victims don’t know they should see a doctor asap to document injuries, let alone that they should prepare a summary of their injuries. Victims should write down their symptoms/injuries by starting with the top of their head and moving to the bottom of their toes. Then they should bring that with them to every new doctor to be sure they remember to share every injury with every doctor.

A victim should also see a medical provider

they have not seen before. This is because their doctors have “skeleton” records documenting prior injuries, alcohol or drugs issues, psych referrals, SDT’s, abortions etc. These records have nothing to do with the accident so why make it easy for the insurance company to learn all this. During a trial many jurors will incorrectly think less of the victim because of a pre-existing issue.

Clients should not post on social media following the accident because we don’t want the insurance company to find posts of clients playing tennis, golf, running in a marathon etc. Clients complain they can’t do anything because of the amount of pain they are encountering yet post pix of their playing sports.

Because of the difficulty in getting medical treatment and the mistakes and challenges listed herein, it is harder to maximize the value of an accident case during the holidays.

Unfortunately these cases often result in smaller settlements. Thus many lawyers are

reluctant to accept these cases.

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

DALE GRIBOW - REPRESENTING THE INJURED AND CRIMINALLY ACCUSED “TOP LAWYER” - California’s Prestige Magazine, Palm Springs Life (PI/DUI) 2011-20 “TOP LAWYER” - Inland Empire Magazine 2016- 2019 PERFECT 10.0 AVVO Peer Rating “DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE OR TEXT AND GET A DUI OR ACCIDENT. CALL A TAXI, LYFT OR UBER. THEY ARE A LOT CHEAPER THAN CALLING ME”. SO DRIVE SOBER OR GET PULLED OVER. SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE ARTICLE? CONTACT DALE GRIBOW 760-837-7500/ dale@dalegribowlaw.com.

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May 30 to June 5, 2019

EVENTS

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CONTACT IN THE DESERT RETURNS FOR ITS SEVENTH YEAR

LYNNE TUCKER TRAVEL TIPS4U BY THE SANTA BARBARA BOTANICAL GARDENS SANTA BARBARA, CA ONLY IN CALIFORNIA

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he world’s largest UFO conference, Contact in the Desert returns for its seventh year with an out of this world lineup of experts lecturing on the latest developments in UFO studies, government disclosure, ancient civilizations, crop circles, and more. The event grows exponentially every year, with attendees from all over the globe gathering for panel discussions, workshops, film screenings, speaker meet & greets, night sky gazing, and tours of the area’s historic UFO sites. The conference offers 57 lectures, 42 workshops, 8 panels, 3 “conversations with,” and 14 intensives.

When: May 31- June 3, 2019 Where: The Renaissance Resort & Spa, Indian Wells, 44400 Indian Wells Ln, Indian Wells, CA 92210 How: Advance tickets $270 single/ $490 couple through May 29; $300/ $505 at the door. www.contactinthedesert.com/tickets/ passes Who: Veteran CITD speakers Erich von

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Daniken, author of ancient-astronaut classic Chariots of the Gods; George Noory, host of Coast to Coast AM Radio; Giorgio Tsoukalos, star of History Channel’s Ancient Aliens; South African researcher Michael Tellinger; British Government Ministry of Defense specialist Nick Pope; Whitley Strieber, bestselling author/screenwriter Communion, as well as FBI, NASA, military, and government officials, ancient alien researchers and scientists, archeologists and cosmologists.

Fifteen new speakers have been added to the 50+ speaker line up this year, which will also feature Linda Moulton Howe, David Wilcock, Michael Salla, David Adair, Jacques Vallee, Richard Dolan, Nassim Haramein, Emery Smith, James Gilliland, Stephen Bassett, Hugh Newman, Peter Levenda, Laura Eisenhower, Jimmy Church, Clyde Lewis, Yvonne Smith, Brien Foerster, John Desouza, Clifford Mahooty, Billy Carson, Joel “Doc” Wallach, Steve Murillo, and many more.

ll the plants in their gardens grow naturally in California, and we’re not brought there by European settlers. One third of California’s native plants grow nowhere else on Earth.

Founded in 1926, the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden is dedicated to the conservation of California native plants.

With sweeping views from Santa Ynez Mountains to the Santa Barbara Channel Islands, the Garden’s renowned landscapes show California’ native plant diversity. Their 78 acres encompass a variety of cultivated displays, as well as natural stands of chaparral, coast live oak and riparian woodlands.

Garden Hours 9 am to 6 pm March – October 9 am to 5 pm November – February Garden Shop & Nursery 9 am to 6 pm March – October 9 am to 5 pm November – February Blaksley Library: By appointment. Please contact the Information Resource Steward

Herbarium: Monday - Friday 9 am to 4 pm by appointment, please contact the Herbarium Curator Admission $14.00 Adults $12.00 Seniors (ages 60+) $10.00 Students (with student I.D.) $8.00 Children 3 – 17, and retired military with ID Admission is free for the following: Children ages 2 & under Active military personnel with military ID Garden members with valid membership card Dogs on leash!

Group Rates For parties of 10 or more, please complete the Self-Guided Visit form.

Parking Is Free For more info visit the website sbbg.org Think Travel and Enjoy the Journey!

Lynne Tucker is a Travel Writer and Photojournalist based in Palm Desert

FREEWILL ASTROLOGY

Week of May 30

ARIES (March 21-April 19): In the coming weeks it will make good sense for you to travel down winding paths replete with interesting twists and provocative turns. The zigzags you’ll be inspired to pursue won’t be inconvenient or inefficient, but rather will be instrumental in obtaining the healing you need. To honor and celebrate this oddly lucky phase, I’ll quote parts of “Flying Crooked,” a poem by Robert Graves. “The butterfly will never master the art of flying straight, yet has a just sense of how not to fly: He lurches here and here by guess and God and hope and hopelessness. Even the acrobatic swift has not his flying-crooked gift.”

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Has a part of you become too timid, docile, or prosaic? Is there an aspect of your beautiful soul that is partially muzzled, submissive, or housebroken? If so, now is a favorable time to seek an antidote. But listen closely: the cure isn’t to become chaotic, turbulent, and out of control. It would be counterproductive to resort to berserk mayhem. Here’s a better way: be primal, lush, and exciting. Be wildly playful and unpredictably humorous and alluringly intriguing.

Try experiments that rouse your rowdy sweetness, your unkempt elegance, your brazen joy, and your sensual intelligence.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): I prefer live theater over movies. The glossy flawlessness of films, accomplished by machines that assemble and polish, is less emotionally rich than the direct impact of live performers’ unmediated voices and bodies and emotions. Their evocative imperfections move me in ways that glossy flawlessness can’t.

Even if you’re not like me, Gemini, I invite you to experiment with my approach for a while—not just in the entertainment you choose, but in all areas of your life. As much as possible, get your experience raw and unfiltered.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): I’ve got a message for you from Cancerian poet Tyler Knott Gregson. Please read it every day for the next 15 days, including when you first wake up and right before sleep. Here it is: “Promise me you will not spend so much time treading water and trying to keep your head above the waves that you forget, truly forget, how much you have always loved to swim.”

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In 2003, a group of thieves in Antwerp, Belgium pulled off the biggest jewelry heist in history. To steal the diamonds, gold, and other gems, together worth more than $100 million, they had to outsmart security guards, a seismic sensor, a protective magnetic field, Doppler radar, infrared detectors, and a lock. I mention this, Leo, because I suspect that in the coming weeks you will have a comparable ability to insinuate yourself into the presence of previously inaccessible treasures and secrets and codes. You’ll be able to penetrate barriers that have kept you shut off from valuable things. (P.S. But I hope that unlike the Antwerp thieves, you’ll use your superpowers in an ethical manner.)

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): In the northeast corner of Spain, bordering France, is an area known as Catalonia. With its own culture and language, it has a long history of seeking complete autonomy. On four occasions it has declared itself to be independent from Spain. The most recent time was in 2017, when 92 percent of the Catalans who voted expressed the desire to be free of Spain’s rule. Alas, none of the rebellions have succeeded. In the latest instance, no other nation on Earth recognized Catalonia’s claim to be an independent republic. In contrast to its frustrated attempts, your own personal quest to seek greater independence could make real progress in the coming months. For best results, formulate a clear intention and define the precise nature of the sovereignty you seek. Write it down!

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): A Libran blogger named OceanAlgorithms wrote, “I’m simultaneously wishing I were a naturalist whose specialty is finding undiscovered species in well-explored places; and a skateboarding mathematician meditating on an almost-impossible-to-solve equation as I practice my

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skateboard tricks; and a fierce forest witch who casts spells on nature-despoilers; and a gothic heroine with twelve suitors; and the sexiest cat that ever lived.” I love how freewheeling and wide-ranging OceanAlgorithms is with her imaginative fantasies.

In light of current astrological omens, I encourage you to do the same. Give yourself permission to dream and scheme extravagantly.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Geologists aren’t exactly sure why, but almost six million years ago, the Strait of Gibraltar closed up. As a result, the Mediterranean Sea was cut off from the Atlantic Ocean, and within a thousand years, it had mostly disappeared. Fast forward 600,000 years. Again, geologists don’t understand how it happened, but a flood broke through the barrier, allowing the ocean to flow back into the Mediterranean basin and restore it to its previous status as a sea. I propose that we invoke that replenishment as a holy symbol for the process you’re engaged in: a replenishment of your dried-out waters.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): I invite you to meditate on this proposal from freelance writer Radha Marcum: “The spiritual definition of love is that when you look at the person you love, it makes you love yourself more.” I hope there’s a lot of that kind of action going on for you in the next four weeks. According to my assessment of life’s secret currents, all of creation will be conspiring to intensify and deepen your love for yourself by intensifying and deepening your love for other people. Cooperate with that conspiracy, please!

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Is there a creature on earth that’s more annoying than the mosquito?

I’ve never heard anyone gaze upon one of the pesky monsters sucking blood out of her arm and say, “Aw, what a cute little bug.” And yet every year there is a town in Russia that holds a jokey three-day celebration in honor of the mosquito. The people who live in Berezniki even stage a “most delicious” competition, in which people allow themselves to be pricked by mosquitoes for twenty minutes, with an award going to whomever accumulates the most bites. I highly approve of the spirit of this approach for your own use in the coming weeks, Capricorn. If you have fun with the things that bother you, I bet they won’t bother you as much.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): It’s the Forever Season, Aquarius. You have a poetic license to act as if your body will live for a hundred years and your soul will live for all eternity. You are authorized to believe that in the coming decades you will grow steadily wiser, kinder, happier, and wilder. During the Forever Season, you may have dreams like flying over a waterfall at sunset, or finding the lost magic you were promised before you were born, or discovering the key to a healing you feared would always elude you. As you careen through this unpredictable grace period, your understanding of reality may expand dramatically. I bet you’ll get practical epiphanies about how to express yourself with greater effectiveness.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): A musical historian from Cambridge University decided it would be amusing to perform forgotten songs that were written in the Rhineland a thousand years ago. His research wasn’t easy, because musical notation was different back then. But he ultimately reconstructed the tunes in ways that he felt were 80 percent faithful to the originals. He and other musicians subsequently performed and recorded them. I propose a somewhat comparable assignment for you in the coming weeks, Pisces. You will benefit, I believe, from trying to recover the truth about events that occurred a long time ago and/or by trying to revivify old beauty that has new relevance.

Homework. Finish this sentence: “The one thing that really keeps me from being myself is ______.”

Testify at Truthrooster@gmail.com.

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

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May 30 to June 5, 2019

CANNABIS CORNER

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BY MICHELLE ANN RIZZIO

TRANSDERMAL CANNABIS PATCHES

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ransdermal cannabis patches allow for cannabinoids to be absorbed through the skin and into the bloodstream for an immediate and long lasting therapy. I personally have come to really love these patches for their discreet and effective pain relief.

Transdermal cannabis patches can be found in a variety of options from THC, CBD, CBN, THCa, and ratios of the before mentioned cannabinoids. With slow release being a main feature of transdermal cannabis patches, they assist in allowing the user to receive doses throughout the night, or day.

Cannabinoids are chemical compounds created by the cannabis flower which provides wellness benefits to many everyday issues such as pain, nausea, anxiety, and inflammation. Our bodies have an endocannabinoid system in which phytocannabinoids found in cannabis work with. By utilizing phytocannabinoids we are able to regulate our endocannabinoid system to create a sense of overall wellness and health. Anywhere there is a deficiency in the endocannabinoid system, phytocannabinoids from cannabis find their way to the receptors and can assist in solving the problem at hand.

Phytocannabinoids bind to receptors found throughout our brain and major organs in our body’s endocannabinoid system. The receptors are called CB-1 and CB-2.

Patches utilize science to deliver the cannabinoids from the patch to the bloodstream, most through a process where the cannabinoids are ready to absorb into the skin because of the patches being an inhospitable environment. Benefits are far reaching, such as with a THCa patch. The THCa delivers no psychoactive influences to the body and relieves inflammation and pain instead. Whereas the CBN patch offers major relief to those with insomnia and nights where they cant help but toss and turn. Not only is it sedative nature helpful for insomnia and other sleep related concerns, CBN can also be taken alongside THC to be anticonvulsant,

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anti-inflammatory, and antibiotic! These variances of cannabinoids and ratios allow for the individual to really finetune their experience with their cannabis therapy.

While THC is the famous sibling of the cannabinoids with its notoriety being that it gets you high, other cannabinoids do not serve the similar function.

While some cannabinoids are only stimulated by decarboxylation (being heated), others do not need heat to be utilized. In most cases THCA and CBDA are the most abundant cannabinoids found. Unfortunately THCA turns into THC when decarboxylated so wellness benefits associated with THCA such as inflammation and pain relief aren’t received through smoking. This is why cannabis patches are so helpful in relieving pain and offering a way for cannabinoids to be absorbed without combustion.

Next time you’re at the dispensary ask your cannabis consultant about their selection of transdermal cannabis patches.

THE SCIENCE BEHIND CANNABIS CORNER MEDICINAL CANNABIS TREATING AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES

BY RUTH HILL R.N.

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n autoimmune disease (AD) is when the body’s hyperactive immune system mistakes its own cells for a foreign invader. A healthy immune system fights pathogens. Each time the immune system identifies the pathogen it creates a special protein called an antibody.

Once a cell is tagged with an antibody specific killer T-cells are alerted to do the dirty work of destroying and mopping up the foreign invader cells. There are abundant antibodies in brain cells. In AD, the body develops and produces these antibodies in response to very specific organ tissues causing chronic inflammation.

The mechanism for turning off this mistaken immune system response in AD is not functioning similar to the proliferation of abnormal cells that develops into cancer.

There are more than 100+ AD conditions. AD is on the rise worldwide and the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association (AARDA) says that AD currently affects over 50 million Americans.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has estimated that the annual direct health care costs for AD are nearly USD 100 billion.

Whereas for cancers or heart and strokes, the cost is around USD 57 billion, and USD 200 billion respectively. The AARDA (aarda.org) helps AD patients connect with resources and information.

Some of the most common AD diseases are: rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus, celiac disease, psoriasis, hashimoto’s disease, Type 1 diabetes, and multiple sclerosis (MS). Research in medical cannabis continues to verify that cannabis can make changes to specific molecules called histones. Histones help control gene expression. Researchers found that 9deltatetrahydorcannabinoid (THC) can cause changes to histones in a way that suppresses inflammation.

The following chemical information is digging into the weeds (pardon the pun).

Bear with as I describe the science behind how cannabinoids influence our immune system. Remember our bodies synthesize anandamide (THC) and 2AG (CBD). We have receptors CB1 and CB2 all over our bodies.

Phytocannabinoids in cannabis supplement our bodies when we do not synthesize enough anandamide and 2AG. Studies have shown that cannabinoids down-regulate certain inflammatory proteins called cytokines. In 2008, researchers found that the nonpsychoactive cannabidiol (CBD) caused levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines to decrease, while levels of anti-inflammatory proteins increased. The immune imbalance was tentatively corrected by CBD. Professor David Meiri, a researcher at the Technion Institute, Haifa, Israel and Andrew Kavasilas the founder of Medical Cannabis Limited (MCL) in Israel, are collaborating

on a novel approach to research. Professor Meiri’s lab is known to be one of the leading cannabis research labs in the world.

Andrew Kavasilas has an accumulated seed bank of selectively chosen strains and chemovar varieties within a period of approximately two decades. This seed bank allows researchers the ability to isolate over 600 cannabinoids.

Prof. Meiri’s study is focused on MS. They are matching effective cannabis extracts that regulate/modulate immune function, specifically by analyzing the metabolites present within the cannabis plants and their specific chemical composition. The team screened tens of different strains using an in vitro system of mononuclear cells. They have differentiated dendritic cells in the immune system that mimic the MS disease.

They then identified unique strains that have a robust capacity to inhibit dendriticdependent T-cells proliferation.

Cannabis is such a powerful antiinflammatory that it has been shown to aid in remission of Crohn’s Disease, Type 1 Diabetes, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, MS, dementia and other diseases that have an inflammatory component to their progression. Many AD patients are shown to have an over expression of CB1 and CB2 receptors calling for extra cannabinoids. The plain English of all this technical explanation is that in the future a person with AD will be able to request a specific strain of cannabis for their specific form of AD and manage their symptoms.

Given the research on inflammation patients with AD would do well with an antiinflammatory diet that includes these foods: tomatoes. olive oil. green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, kale, and collards, nuts like almonds and walnuts, fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, tuna, and sardines, fruits such as strawberries, blueberries, cherries, and oranges.

If you have an autoimmune disease and need professional guidance on the use of medicinal cannabis visit holisticcaring. com and schedule an appointment for a consultation.

Ruth A Hill can be reached at hilruth@ gmail.com

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