Coachella Valley Weekly - March 20 to March 26, 2014 Vol. 2 No. 52

News

Music

Movies

Dining

Community Events

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com • March 20 to March 26, 2014 Vol. 2 No. 52

Zulluu

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PD Food & Wine Festival

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Desert Chorale

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Machin’

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March 20 to March 26, 2014

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Coachella Valley Weekly

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com info@coachellavalleyweekly.com

760.501.6228

Publisher & Editor Tracy Dietlin Art Director Robert Chance Sales Team Raymond Bill, Brian Michaelz, Lisa Morgan Classified Manager & Nightlife Editor Phil Lacombe Features Writer Marissa Willman, Judith Sulkin, Denise Ortuno Neil, Heidi Simmons, Lisa Morgan Writers/Contributors: Robin Simmons, Rick Riozza, Lola Rossi, Craig Michaels, Bronwyn Ison, Haddon Libby, Rachel Montoya, Angela Janus, Janet McAfee, Heidi Simmons, Dale Gribow, Raymond Bill, Jack St. Clair, Rob Brezny, Amanda Dorta, Eleni P. Austin, Curtis Hendricks, Noe Gutierrez, Jill Coleman, Jennifer Tan, Sunny Simon, Richard Weiss, Dr. Peter Kadile, Dr. Maria Lombardo, Bruce Cathcart, Patte Purcell, Julie Buehler, Flint Wheeler, John Paul Valdez, Laura Hunt Little, Eric Robertson, Scott Pam, Brian Michaelz, Robin Linn, Rebecca Pikus,, Richard Noble, Karen Creasy, Trooper Ramsey Photographers Laura Hunt Little, Lani Garfield, Chris Miller/ Imagine Imagery Distribution Phil Lacombe, William Westley

Contents

Riviera / Zulluu................................. 3 The GF Factor at Fashion Week.....5 PD Food & Wine Festival...............7 The Venue Sushi ............................8 Events.............................................9 Sports Scene................................10 Sports...........................................11 Valley Rhythms.............................12 Desert DJs - MarJovi.....................12 DR- Machin’, Monkey & CA Celt...13 Consider This - Beck.....................14 Art- Robert Dunahay..................15 Pet Place.......................................16 The Vino Voice..............................17 Club Crawler Nightlife.................18 Pampered Palate- Alicante............20 Screeners......................................22 Book Review ................................23 Events - Desert Concorso............26 Its Your Nickel..............................26 Haddon Libby: It’s All Local.........27 Dale Gribow.................................27 Safety Tips....................................28 ShareKitchen................................28 Events...........................................28 Don’t Be Clueless in the CV.........29 Community - Amy Blaisdell.........30 Health & Fitness ..........................30 Free Will Astrology......................31 Mind, Body, & Spirit.....................31 Life & Career Coach......................32 Beauty..........................................32 Comics - Weiss Cracks..................34

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Beauty and the Beat April 11 – 20, 2014

March 20 to March 26, 2014

By Denise Ortuno Neil

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n honor of Coachella Fest’s convergence on the Desert, Riviera Palm Springs is hosting live musical performances all week long for locals and festival goers.

Please find the lineup of hotly anticipated talent below performing seven days and nights each week!

Sunday, April 6th @ 5:00 PM - A preview to the famous Coachella Music & Arts Festival, Riviera is hosting a “Cool Down Jazz Jam – Palm Springs Women in Jazz Festival” featuring 3 of So Cal’s top Women Jazz performers: Jeanette Harris, Stellita & Rebecca Jade.

Coachella Weeks 1 & 2 offers the following entertainers at Sidebar Patio, Starlite Lounge and poolside Monday – Friday: Starting on April 11th, the kickoff of the Desert’s Week 1 of Coachella Music Festival, Riviera Palm Springs will host two weeks of live Indie music seven nights a week throughout the two weeks of the festival!

The iconic destination for Hollywood icons will be hosting the following lineup of hotly anticipated talent:

· Esjay Jones & Andy Mauser · Martin Ross · Chris Leyva · Indian Summer · My Elysian · DJ Sweet Brush · Pia Toscano

Saturday, April 12th ·Bikini Bar VIP Pool Party with DJ Garth Trinidad @ 11:00 AM - Garth Trinidad’s progressive mix of soul, hip-hop, and world rhythms are the perfect way to kick off Coachella Weekend! Free admission on a first-come, first-served basis. Reserve your spot atwww.eventbrite.com ·Chiki Bar VIP Pool Party with DJ Shasta @ 12:00 PM - DJ Shasta will get your Coachella vibe started!

Sunday, April 13th · Bikini Bar VIP Pool Party with Lindsey Harper Band @ 12:00 PM · Chiki Bar VIP Pool Party with DJ Shasta @ 12:00 PM · Sidebar Jam Sessions with Esjay Jones, Tori Roze @ Lindsay Harper @ 7:00 PM Coachella sponsors include: My Other Bag, chk, Sun Bum, lOlli swim, popchips, Evian

Celebrate the Spring Equinox with Zulluu

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h the joys of spring. As winter fades to the past, the freshness of the new season ushers in vibrant beauty and a distinctive feeling of joy in the air. And one fun way to bring in spring is with the upbeat sounds of the colorful and tempo intoxicating band Zulluu.

The Zulluu band is the inspiration of John Zulu. The South African music maker was born in Zululand. As a result, his background in music is heavily rooted in Maskandi Zulu music, which is very involved in beats and rhythms, with a happy uplifting tempo, “When you’re in a tough country usually your music is happy, it’s an escape,” said Zulu.

Zulu did not start his music career until late in life. His previous careers include marketing and modeling, which he had great success in. He moved to the U.S. 24 years ago, and eventually settled in Joshua Tree.

It is there that he started to experiment in music. “Joshua Tree has a huge musical influence on people,” he says. So with a guitar in hand and the encouragement of a good friend, he pursued his unique sound, “I had no idea what I was doing, but like everything in life you just persist and then it evolves,” said Zulu.

It was soon after that he gained the attention of Clive Wright, who was the lead guitarist for Cock Robin and saw potential

in Zulu’s music in the way he was singing in both English and Zulu. Zulu started to write music and Wright stepped in and joined the band. After that they got more talented members to join the band. But Zulluu is more than just music; they blend in theatre as well. With their colorful garb and

energetic dancing, they bring a high level of entertainment.

Now, the band is gaining more and more attention with their brand of African Fusion World music which is impressive as they have only been together for less than two continue to page 5

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March 20 to March 26, 2014

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years. “As soon as we came on the scene, people liked what we were doing,” said Zulu. They are confident, yet humble in knowing that they offer something different and refreshing in entertainment. The bands popularity has placed them in venues throughout the Coachella Valley to rave revues.

Zulluu will be celebrating the Spring Equinox at the Riviera Hotel in Palm Springs, Saturday, March 22nd at 7:30pm. The Spring’s Equinox actually happens on March 20th,

March 20 to March 26, 2014

and is part of two seasonal (spring and fall) changes that occur during the year, when the equator gets direct sunlight, making the length of the day to be almost equal.

The celebration at the Riviera will take place poolside, at the swanky hip Palm Springs Hotel, with a modest $10 cover charge. Zulluu will be bringing up the energy and colorful attire from the audience is suggested. Get inspired to elevate your happy vibes with the 5 to 7 piece band as they dance and sing in their special “multilinguistic” lyrics. The Zulluu girls Barbie Zulluu and Lyric Zulluu will be on hand to help the band to get the crowd going.

As much as Zulluu the band is all about bringing joy and happiness to their audience, John Zulu is geared up to also gently spread the word about a cause that is dear to him which is Rhino Conservation. Zulu explains that the Rhino population in South Africa is rapidly dwindling do to horn poaching and he wishes to bring this important animal issue to public awareness as time goes on.

But besides his personal cause, the bands mission is all about spreading positive energy and zest for life.

With winter on its way out, and spring at our door step, it’s time to shed the former season and get ready for the vitality of the new one. And an evening with the upbeat sounds of Zulluu will most certainly get your energy soaring and put a searing smile on your face. And if anyone asks you if you Zulluu, you can emphatically say, “Yes I do!”

Just Blow Drys and Wink Lash & Beauty Bar on a Make-over Mission for Fashion Week

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ust Blow Drys, the only true blow dry salon in the valley, has entered into the perfect partnership with The GirlFriend Factor over Fashion Week El Paseo to pamper and empower local women, while donating 20% of services and products sold on Friday and Saturday, March 21st and 22nd. A kick-off event takes place Thursday, March 20th at 3:00 p.m. in which two notable grant recipients women of The GirlFriend Factor will be treated to a specialty makeover receiving professional services of hair styling and make-up application – including a lash treatment— and then continuing on to attend the JM Couture Fashion Show with VIP tickets.

“It is very complimentary to work with Just Blow Drys and Wink Lash & Beauty Bar considering our ultimate goal is to not only enable women to be successful and self-sufficient, but to encourage girlfriends to be involved with one another for more meaning in their lives overall–and one thing ladies love to do together is pampering such as this!” said Joan Busick, Founder of The GirlFriend Factor.

Participating in the make-overs are The GirlFriend Factor’s grant recipients Edna Parada who is attending College of the Desert to become a wildlife biologist, and

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Partnering with The GirlFriend Factor to Help Women with a Purpose

Paola Cressler who is attending Cal State San Bernardino studying to become a history teacher.

“We love seeing the enjoyment and fun that our clients experience at our salons, and feel it’s a perfect fit working with The GirlFriend Factor considering their focus on friendship while pursuing career goals,” said Tracy Worthington, Owner of Just Blow Drys

and Wink Lash & Beauty Bar. “It’s a great treat to have the recipients of Girlfriend Factor in to enjoy some fun and to recognize them with something special for their commitment and hard work to improve their lives.”

The GirlFriend Factor is a charity recipient of Fashion Week El Paseo. The organization supports education for economic advancement and self-sufficiency for motivated women, providing financial assistance for higher education and occupational training. For more information about The GirlFriend Factor visit www.

GirlFriendFactor.org, or call (760) 772-9594.

Just Blow Drys Complements “The Best of Saks Fifth Avenue Fashion Show” Just Blow Drys and Wink Lash & Beauty Bar are sponsors of the 2014 Fashion Week El Paseo and will also be holding a Spring Hair Trends event preceding the highly anticipated Best of Saks Fifth Avenue Fashion Show being held Friday evening, March 21st.

Just Blow Drys will have stylists on hand to speak with guests at their salon on El Paseo from 2 to 4 p.m. while introducing and describing the latest hair trends on models.

With Saks presenting the latest men’s and women’s wear for Spring 2014, including looks by Dolce & Gabbana, Pucci, Ralph

Lauren, Stella McCartney, Etro, Roberto Cavalli, and Alexander McQueen, fashion followers can now have a complete spring look from head-to-toe since they will be in the know with the latest hair styles demonstrated at Just Blow Drys.

In addition, as a luxury hair boutique, Just Blow Drys offers guests at this Spring Hair Trends event a complimentary consultation with a representative on hand from the popular Moroccan® Oil company – recognized for empowering beautiful transformations and revolutionizing the hair care industry.

“Fashion and hair go hand-in-hand so this event is a great opportunity to tie the two for a complete look,” said Producer Susan Stein of Fashion Week El Paseo. “As a sponsor this year, Just Blow Drys and sister-salon Wink Lash & Beauty Bar have jumped right in to create fun and engaging events that revolve around the activities of this exciting show, while demonstrating the polishing touches on fashion – hair and make-up!”

For more information about Just Blow Drys visit JustBlowDrys.com or call (760) 5682569.

For more Information about Wink Lash & Beauty Bar visit winklashandbeautybar.com or call (760) 340-5274.

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March 20 to March 26, 2014

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events

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March 20 to March 26, 2014

By judith salkin

Food and Wine Festival Palm Desert 2014

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t this time of year, Palm Desert is the hot spot in the valley. Along with Fashion Week, this weekend also has Food and Wine Festival Palm Desert 2014 adding to the excitement along El Paseo.

The festival is a mix of sampling food from the city’s best restaurants and wines from some of the best winemakers in California, all available in one compact area.

It’s also a gathering of celebrity and rising stars in the culinary world like Chef Roy Choi, Executive chef/owner of Kogi BBQ, Chego!, A-Frame, Sunny Spot, and the upcoming POT; Chef Brooke Williamson, “Top Chef” alum and chef/owner of Hudson House, The Tripel, and Playa Provisions; and Chef Matthew Accarrino, executive chef SPQR in San Francisco.

If you haven’t had a chance to find info on this weekend’s events, here’s the schedule.

Some, like the Grand Tastings, may be sold out, but many of the demonstrations will still have space available.

Because alcoholic beverages are served, all participants must be 21 to attend all Food & Wine Festival Palm Desert events and to enter the tent. No accommodations are available for individuals under 21 years of age.

For more information, visit the website palmdesertfoodandwine.com.

California Woman 411 with your host Dee Jae Cox

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Lori Cohen-Sanford

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Private Chef Service Cooking Classes Small Group Catering

‘Talking to women who lead and inspire’ Saturday’s from 10 – 11 a.m.

KPTR 1450 AM Palm Springs, CA California

CA-WMN-411 www.CaliforniaWoman411.com

Produced by The Los Angeles Women's Theatre Project:

www.lawtp.org www.californiawoman411.com

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! !

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info@nourishfoods.biz www.nourishfoods.biz

Nourishfoods Organic Meal Service 68805 E. Palm Canyon Drive Cathedral City, CA 92234 760.459.4259

FRIDAY, MARCH 21, 2014 Food & Wine Festival Palm Desert™ James Beard 4-Course Luncheon •10:30am: Lincoln Motor Company Mimosa Bar and Test Drive Experience • 11:30am – 2:30pm: Luncheon • $150 – Reserved Seating • $125 – General Admission Seating Event Details: Kick off the festival with a four-course gourmet luncheon featuring James Beardrecognized chefs, including David LeFevre, Brooke Williamson, Matthew Accarrino, and Gale Gand, with premium wine pairings for each course.

SATURDAY, MARCH 22, 2014 “California Dreamin” Grand Tasting • 11am – 4pm $75 Celebrating the sunny California lifestyle, this Grand Tasting event is an ode to local chef talent, homegrown wineries, and craft brewers. More than 40 restaurants and 80 premium wines, spirits and brews will be served. Demonstrations by Chefs Alex Reznik and Valerie Gordon, among others, with each taking place on one of four stateof-the-art, fully equipped kitchen stages.

Gordon will also be available for signings of her new cookbook, Sweet.

Chef Demonstration Schedule STAGE 1: Lounge Tent 12pm: Valerie Gordon / Valerie Confections, book signing following demo 1pm: Hearty Boys, book signing following demo 2pm: François de Mélogue Exécutive Chef, Figue Méditerranéen Restaurant 3pm: Chris Mitchum / Lantana Restaurant Hyatt Regency Indian Wells STAGE 2: Rancho Las Palmas Stage 12:15pm: Johannes Bacher / Johannes 1:15pm: Deborah Scott / Cohn Restaurant Group 2:15pm: Andie Hubka / Cork & Fork 3:15pm: Jon Tice / Tinto at the Saguaro Resort

STAGE #3: Main Stage 12:30pm: “The Fabulous” Beekman Boys, book signing following demo 1:30pm: Gale Gand / Chef in Residence at Elawa Farm, book signing following demo 2:30pm : Alex Reznik / Ditmas Kitchen & Cocktail 3:30pm: Julie Pech / Chocolate Therapist, book signing following demo WINE & CRAFT BEER TASTING SEMINARS Wine Seminar 1 • 12pm $25 (Saturday Grand Tasting ticket required for entry into wine seminar) Summerland Winery Wine Label Designer Wine Seminar 2 • 1pm $25 (Saturday Grand Tasting ticket required for entry into wine seminar) Emerald Nuts |Wine Pairing & Sampling: •Sea Salt & Papper Cashews: -Chateau Ste. Michelle 2012 Gewürztraminer (Columbia Valley) -Chandon Sparkling Rosé (California) •Deluxe Mixed Nuts: -Smith Madrone 2012 Riesling (Napa Valley) -Roth Estate 2009 Merlot (Alexander Valley) •Cocoa Roast Almonds: -Renwood 2011 Premier Old Vine Zinfandel (Amador County) -Ficklin Tawny Port (Madera County) -Margerum 2013 Riviera Rosé (Santa Barbara County Craft Beer Seminar 3 • 3pm $25 (Saturday Grand Tasting ticket required for entry into wine seminar) Goose Island Christina Perozzi, Educator, Western Regions at Goose Island Beer Company SUNDAY, MARCH 23, 2014 “Brunch, Bubbles, and Brews” Grand Tasting • 12pm – 5pm $75 Sunday rounds out the festivities with the best of brunch fare served alongside Champagne, sparkling wine, and standout microbrews from the Coachella Valley and

beyond. Patrons can experience a taste of more than 40 restaurants and 80 premium wines, brews, and spirits. Celebrity chef demonstrations include Chefs Roy Choi, Ari Taymor, and more. Choi will also sign copies of his 2013 memoir and cookbook, LA Son. Chef Demonstration Schedule STAGE 1: Lounge Tent 12:30pm: Andre Carthen / kathy ireland Worldwide Design Ambassador 1:30pm: Thomas Steferak / Cello’s 2:30pm: Daniel Joly / Mirabelle at Beaver Creek 3:30pm: Lulu Powers - The Entertainologist, book signing following demo STAGE 2: Rancho Las Palmas Stage 12:30pm: Drew Davis / Catalan 1:30pm: Gavin Grabe / Clementine Gourmet Marketplace & Cafe 2:30pm: Engin Onural / The Venue Sushi Bar and Sake Lounge 3:30pm: Andrew Copley / Copley’s on Palm Canyon STAGE #3: Main Stage 1pm: “The Fabulous” Beekman Boys, book signing following demo 2:15pm: Roy Choi / Kogi BBQ, Chego!, A-Frame, Sunny Spot, and POT, book signing following demo 3:30pm: Ari Taymor / Alma WINE & CRAFT BEER TASTING SEMINARS Craft Beer Seminar 1 • 12:15pm $25 (Sunday Grand Tasting ticket required for entry into beer seminar) Babe’s Bar-B-Que & Brewhouse Art Vasquez, Chief Operating Officer, Chef Craft Beer Seminar 2 • 1:00pm $25 (Sunday Grand Tasting ticket required for entry into beer seminar) La Quinta Brewing Co. Ryan Pearson, Brewmaster Wine Seminar 3 • 1:45pm $25 (Sunday Grand Tasting ticket required for entry into beer seminar) Emerald Nuts |Wine Pairing & Sampling: • Sea Salt & Papper Cashews: -Chateau Ste. Michelle 2012 -Gewürztraminer (Columbia Valley) -Chandon Sparkling Rosé (California) • Deluxe Mixed Nuts: -Smith Madrone 2012 Riesling (Napa Valley) -Roth Estate 2009 Merlot (Alexander Valley) • Cocoa Roast Almonds: -Renwood 2011 Premier Old Vine Zinfandel (Amador County) -Ficklin Tawny Port (Madera County) -Margerum 2013 Riviera Rosé (Santa Barbara County) Wine Seminar 4 • 2:45pm $25 (Sunday Grand Tasting ticket required for entry into beer seminar) Tolosa Winery Larry Brooks, Wine Maker Craft Beer Seminar 5 • 3:30pm $25 (Sunday Grand Tasting ticket required for entry into beer seminar) Coachella Valley Brewing Company

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March 20 to March 26, 2014

Chef Profile

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By judith salkin Photos by Chris Miller

Stretching the tastes of sushi at The Venue

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ast summer Gordon Ramsey, Joe Bastianich and Graham Elliott went looking for the best of the kid chefs for the junior version of “MasterChef.” Too bad the show wasn’t around 20 years ago.

If it had been, Engin Onural probably would have been one of the kids chosen to compete.

Today Onural is the owner and executive chef at The Venue Sushi Bar and Sake Lounge on El Paseo in Palm Desert. And like the kids on “MasterChef Junior,” he uses his venue as a place to push his art to the limit and to change the way sushi lovers look at the way fish, rice, veggies and sheets of dried seaweed come together.

At 29, he is so good at what he does, Onural was recently recognized by the Japanese with a certificate as a sushi chef.

The testing for the certificate was done under strict supervision and entirely in Japanese. He is the only Turkish sushi chef in the Coachella Valley and Riverside County to have received such an honor. “My sensei was the one who insisted that I take the examination,” he says. “And now in two years, I’ll take the next exam and then I can

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teach, and by the time I’m 35, hopefully I will be a master and then I can retire (from the exam process)!”

It’s the customers at The Venue who are real winners of Onural’s imaginative cuisine.

With the exception of a Philly roll, stuffed with lox and cream cheese, most sushi lovers prefer their rolls to be on a more traditional side.

“I love sushi,” Onural says. “But the world is global and I want to show that sushi can be global, too.”

So what is global sushi? In Onural’s hands, it means taking the flavors of the found in the countries of the Mediterranean and blending them with the traditional elements of sushi.

A Mediterranean roll is a true surprise with spicy albacore, tempura asparagus and avocado topped with Mediterranean salsa, feta cheese and micro greens. There is a hint of heat in the albacore that’s tempered by the asparagus and avocado, all held together by the sticky rice and seaweed.

Or go for the Crispy Wontons, crackling wonton wrappers topped with ahi and duo of drizzles – one spicy, the other saltysweet. While you can feel worldly as you down most sushi, there is no way to eat this one without it crumbling in your hands and having a laugh as you do.

The Venue is pretty much Onural envisioned when at the age of 10, “I knew I wanted to do this,” he says, looking around the small, hip space tucked away on El Paseo. “I didn’t know I wanted this exactly, but I wanted to be in the hospitality business.”

Technically Onural is American. He was born in Buffalo, N.Y. while his father was teaching and pursuing his Ph.D. at State

Community Leader Aftab Dada to Receive events 365th Star on Palm Springs WalkHeofwasStars also instrumental in the $40 million

Photo by Gregg Felsen

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University of New York. Over the years, the family lived in Canada, their native Turkey and Europe because of his father’s career.

By the time he was a teen, Onural had focused on a career as a chef after spending time in the kitchen with his mother. More than that he wanted fell in love with Asian food, especially sushi.

“I don’t know why,” he says. “I must have been Asian in a previous life.”

He by 21, he’d earned his B.S. in computer science and business management at Bilkent University in Ankara, Turkey, and when he had satisfied his parents’ educational requirements, and a six month backpacking tour to readjust his head, “I headed out to California for my sushi training,” he says.

He studied in an intensive four month course at a sushi school in Orange County rather than going the traditional route in Japan.

“I’d just finished university and I couldn’t see taking five years to make perfect rice and another five years to learn to cut fish and then five years to learn to make rolls,” he said of his fast route to being a chef. “For

me, I needed to get my hands into it FAST!” He learned speed and strengthened his presentation skills in an apprenticeship arranged by his sensei at one of Orange County’s busiest sushi restaurants. After a year slicing and rolling, he was hired by J.W. Marriott Desert Springs in Palm Desert to open its sushi bar. He followed that with three years at the Renaissance Esmeralda until he found the backing to open The Venue.

“This was it, it was my one chance to own my own place and make it what I wanted it to be,” he said.

While he had an expansion plan in mind, after three years it’s beginning to come together. “I’m looking for a second location!” he says. “I’m praying it will be Palm Springs; if not, maybe Beverly Hills!”

And he’s looking forward to teaching, too.

“We had our first workshop and it was so much fun,” he says. “I loved working with everyone; I want to do more, to show them they can make sushi at home and have fun with it.”

At this weekend’s Food and Wine Festival Palm Desert, Onural is one of the local chefs who demonstrate his skills on stage in the Grand Tasting Tent on Sunday.

“I’m going to be red! I always get red when I have to talk in front of people,” he says with a laugh. “But it’s going to be fun!”

The Venue Sushi Bar and Sake Lounge 73111 El Paseo, Suite 103 Palm Desert Social hour: 5-6:30 p.m. nightly; Sushi, 5-9 p.m. nightly.

Phone: (760) 346-1500

ong-time community leader Aftab Dada, the general manager of the Hilton Palm Springs and Chairman of P.S. Resorts, a local consortium of large hotels charged with promoting tourism and special events in Palm Springs, including bringing the wildly popular Forever Marilyn sculpture and the hugely successful Tachevah Block Party to downtown, will receive the 365th Golden Palm Star along the City’s world famous Walk of Stars on Thursday, March 27.

The 3pm ceremony in front of Pomme Frite, 256 S. Palm Canyon Dr, will be emceed

by Tim Ellis, general manager of the Palm Mountain Resort with the star presented

by Mayor Steve Pougnet. Aftab Dada, a 37year veteran of the hotel industry, serves on the Board of Directors of the Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce and was named the Chamber’s Businessperson of the Year in 2011.

expansion of the Palm Springs Convention Center in 2002 and since 2003 has been an executive board member of the Greater Palm Springs Convention and Visitors Bureau influential Hospitality and Business Industry Council. Dada also helped successfully stop a controversial proposed hub jail near the gateway to Palm Springs in 2011. A member of the City’s Measure J Commission, he is a strong supporter of the measure, a 1 cent sales tax increase passed by voters in 2011, which will raise an anticipated $200 million over the next 25 years for downtown revitalization and capital improvement projects throughout the city.

In 2012, as Chairman of P.S. Resorts, Dada also played a key role with city leaders in bringing the wildly popular Forever Marilyn sculpture to downtown and partnered with the City, Goldenvoice, the Desert Sun and community leader Harold Matzner to bring the Tachevah Block Party to downtown Palm Springs. “When it comes to promoting the Palm Springs destination, there is no one more dedicated and hard working than Aftab,” said Mayor Steve Pougnet. “On behalf of our citizens, I want to thank him for his unwavering commitment to the continued phenomenal success of our city. Aftab is a true Palm Springs star and an integral part of the magic that makes our city like no place else.”

The British are Coming!

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ifty years after the Beatles discovered America they’re back— along with Elton John, Andrew Lloyd Webber and still more British superstars— as the California Desert Chorale presents THE BOYS FROM BRITAIN this month in the desert.

The Spring musical season bursts into bloom as the Valley’s premiere mixed-voice choral ensemble completes its twentieth year with performances on March 16 and 23. Concerts are at the Indian Wells Theater on the Cook Street campus of Cal State San Bernardino-Palm Desert. Both performances are at 3 p.m.

The line-up of glorious music includes a medley of 12 Beatles classics, plus superb arrangements of “Eleanor Rigby” and “Something”… Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Pie Jesu” from “Requiem,” “Unexpected Song,” “Let Us Love in Peace,” and a medley of his terrific tunes… plus Elton John’s “Your Song,” “Written In The Stars,” and from “The Lion King,” “Can You Feel the Love Tonight?”

Considering that the original British musical invasion occurred long ago, the Chorale will also present George Frederic Handel’s “Zadok the Priest,” Henry Purcell’s “Soul of the World” and “Evening Hymn,” plus Charles Villiers Stanford’s “The Bluebird.”

The California Desert Chorale is a 70-voice ensemble led by Artistic Director

Tim Bruneau. As in previous years, this distinguished musical group will be supported by an orchestra and the Chorale’s Principal Accompanist Dr. Denis Moreen.

Audience favorite Delatour Zimmer— herself a British import—returns to the CDC stage for superb soprano solos.

Diversity is a major feature for the Chorale. CDC is a hearty mix of professional and amateur singers, male and female,

March 20 to March 26, 2014

SIP OF THE DESERT WINE & SPIRIT events TASTING SERIES BEGINS AT FANTASY SPRINGs

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hink monthly wine club but with the top wineries and spirit distilleries all in one place, knowledgeable representatives, no pricey membership, gourmet cheese pairings and a breathtaking view spanning across the valley floor. This spring, Fantasy Springs Resort Casino takes wine tasting from a crowded winery to the luxurious and spacious 12th Floor Cocktail Lounge and Wine Bar with Sip of the Desert.

Each month, wine and spirit lovers will tour exquisitely selected 90 Point rated wines and distinguished spirits along with pairings from an array of artfully crafted and aged gourmet cheeses. Winery and spirit representatives will explain details, tasting notes and characteristics of each wine and

straight and gay, all religions and races, as young as 20 and as mature as 85. Members are auditioned and come to the ensemble with extensive choral experience. Among the singers are interns selected from the outstanding singer-musicians at College of the Desert.

The Chorale exists to bring joy to singers and audiences alike by providing a wide variety of choral and other inspiring

spirit as well as suggest perfect cheese pairings.

The first Sip of the Desert event is held on Wednesday, March 26th and will feature tastes of the industry’s top quality varietal of wines from Napa Valley icon Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, family-owned and operated Italian producer Marchesi Antinori and Chateau Ste Michelle, winner of 19 “Winery of the Year” awards. Cheese pairings range from a 9-month aged smooth Grand Cru Reserve Gruyere, a buttery caramel flavored Vintage Van Gogh Gouda to a tangy yet mellow Buttermilk Blue. Each Sip of the Desert is held from 6-7:30PM and is $20 per person. Reservations are recommended, please call 760-238-5727.

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vocal musical performances designed to entertain, educate and enrich the diverse audiences of Southern California’s desert communities. A cadre of loyal listeners will be on hand as the Chorale pursues its goal of singing great music well.

For tickets and further information, go to CaliforniaDesertChorale.org, or call the Chorale’s ticket hotline 760-346-4933.

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March 20 to March 26, 2014

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sports scene

by Julie Buehler

by Flint Wheeler

No Joke, Serbia wins at Indian Wells..

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March 20 to March 26, 2014

Founder of Silex Strategies L.L.C. providing sales and consulting in Insurance, Retirement, Real Estate and Taxes through New York Life and NY Life Securities.

PGA Class A Member and T.P.I. Certified Golf Trainer. Host of “The Tilted Sports Radio Show” and “The Odds on Favorite Podcast” on Team 1010 KXPS. Contact at 760-409-4612 www.flintwheeler.com

NCAA REFORM: The Drumbeat Just Got A LOT Louder

hile you enjoy spring football updates and the starts of March Madness, it’s important to pay attention to a once-quiet, slow reverberation for change becoming increasingly louder.

Because soon, the drum beat for NCAA reform is going to pound an irreparable hole through the senseless exploitation of collegiate athletes and change our nation’s most passionate pastime forever.

The day after Selection Sunday, a man named Jeff Kessler selected that day to file an anti-trust lawsuit against the NCAA. He went to court on Monday, St. Patrick’s Day, in an attempt to slow the engorged green river of cash flowing endlessly into the NCAA reservoir.

The NCAA has contracts worth more than $16 billion with CBS and Turner Sports and ESPN for the rights to men’s basketball and football playoffs, that run for 14 and 12 years respectively and while the NCAA collects those billions, the thousands of athletes that will be playing in those games are restricted from collecting funds beyond strict guidelines the NCAA lays out called scholarships.

Kessler’s lawsuit is not a call to pay collegiate players, as some other lawsuits against the NCAA have suggested to rectify the situation, instead, Kessler’s lawsuit is simpler in the idea that it seeks relief from NCAA restrictions arguing the players worth has been artificially capped at the price of a scholarship.

“The main objective is to strike down, permanently, the restrictions that prevent athletes in Division I basketball and the top tier college football from being fairly compensated for the billions of dollars in revenues that they help generate,” Kessler told an ESPN reporter.

“In no other business—and college sports is big business – would it ever be suggested that the people who are providing the essential services work for free. Only in big-time college sports is that line drawn.”

In the 50’s, the NCAA started making money on TV deals and despite encouragement from Congress, ignored calls to ensure the excessive commercialization didn’t create excessive authority of the institution.

And actually, even well before that, it was clear to onlookers that there was a problem with the system as early at 1929.

In a look at the history of the NCAA according to the Marquette Law Review, the early years of the organization were productive in creating safer rules, organizing schedules and such. But according to this report, “In 1929, the highly respected Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Education issued a significant report regarding intercollegiate athletics and made the following finding: ‘[A] change of values is needed in a field that is sodden with the commercial and the material and the vested interests that these forces have created. Commercialism in college athletics must be diminished and college sport must rise to a point where it is esteemed primarily and sincerely for the opportunities it affords to mature youth.’ “

sports

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That was 1929. How much worse is it now that the commercialism is more than a billion dollars a year to the NCAA, I haven’t even addressed how much each school nets off the players. And we’ll leave that for another column, this is a HUGE topic, we’ll keep it simple.

The difference between this Kessler lawsuit and others is that it does NOT seek damages for the players, but instead asked for the NCAA to take the restrictions off. Allow athletes in the 5 major conferences (SEC, Big-10, Big-12, ACC and Pac-12) to simply procure funding on the open market. That means endorsement deals, autograph signings, and Trojan players are no longer punished for Reggie Bush’s parents living arrangements.

“We’re looking to change the system. That’s the main goal,” Kessler said. “We want the market for players to emerge.”

In the summer of 2012, I had Ramogi Huma, former UCLA linebacker and long-time collegiate player advocate on my radio show to discuss this drum beat to reform the NCAA, institute a fair, market-driven system rather than the restrictive, exploitive system the NCAA employs now and allow players to control their own future, not some suits thousands of miles away.

It’s refreshing to see the topics that were heavily debated some decade ago and even in 2012 when I presented them on my sports talk radio show are beginning to reach the consciousness of the college sports fan.

While some are willing to accept the injustices of a broken system to avoid facing an unknown in reform, it’s important to understand the NCAA has hidden it’s commercialization behind a thinly veiled word called amateurism, and that veil was being exposed as early as 1929! How much worse is it now??

Time for change.

I commend Kessler and his team for forging this path and expect radical reform to be set forth in the next 2 years. Smart people can work on a good system, but first we much clear out all the stupidity that’s been allowed for too long.

Julie Buehler hosts the Coachella Valley’s most popular sports talk radio show, “Buehler’s Day Off” every day from 3-6 on 1010 KXPS, the valley’s all sports station. She’s an avid gym rat, slightly sarcastic and more likely to recite Steve Young’s career passing stats than American Idol winners. Tune in M-F 3-6 pst at www.team1010. com or watch the show on Ustream.

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ovak Djokovic banished the doubts that had crept into his mind with victory over Roger Federer to win his first title of the season at the BNP Paribas Open.

The Serbian arrived in Indian Wells without a title for the first time since 2006 and was taken to a deciding set in three of his first five matches.

Question marks about his form and mental state persisted when Federer won the opening set and then broke back when Djokovic served for the match in the decider.

But he regrouped to force a tie-break, which he dominated to win 3-6 6-3 7-6 (7/3), collecting a crystal trophy so heavy he could barely lift it and a cheque for US dollars one million.

Djokovic said: “Considering the fact that I came into the American hard-court season without a trophy, the first time in many years, it was a different feel.

“I knew I was playing well on the court, but not winning a title and coming here, there were certain doubts.

“I had ups and downs in my concentration in the opening rounds, but I managed to stay mentally strong and have that self-belief. I carried that all the way through to the title.

“That’s something that definitely makes this title very special to me, and it’s going to mean a lot for what’s coming up.”

Djokovic saw his three-year winning run at the Australian Open ended by Stanislas Wawrinka in the quarter-finals while he was then beaten by Federer at the same stage in Dubai a fortnight ago.

Those were his first two tournaments working with new head coach Boris Becker, but it was long-time coach Marian Vajda who was in his corner in California.

Vajda has taken a back seat and will only travel to certain tournaments, and the jury is certainly still out on whether Djokovic and Becker will be a successful partnership.

The world number two said he had been in frequent contact with the German, but added: “Marian is definitely somebody that knows me so well, and I won every title in my life with him.

“We have been working together for eight years, and he’s been more than just a coach to me. He’s a great support, a mentor,

an older brother, a father, whatever you want to call it.

“We have a great relationship. He knows me very well. And Boris is new to our team, so it’s still a process of getting to know each other.

“People of course always question if Boris should be there or not be there now that Marian, the first tournament he won the title with me, and Boris didn’t do that in Australia and Dubai.

“But it’s the start of the season. We are all working together as a team. It doesn’t make any difference now. Boris is the head coach and Marian respects that, I respect that, and we hope for success.”

The result brought to an end Federer’s winning run of 11 matches, but the disappointment was tempered by the contentment he is feeling about his game.

It was in Indian Wells last year that Federer hurt his back, and physical problems led to a loss of confidence that contributed to his worst season for more than a decade.

The 32-year-old, who will climb back to number five in the rankings, said: “You could be very disappointed after a match like that because you put in a lot of hard work, and walking away without the trophy, being a few points from victory, is tough.

“If you see the angle that last year was difficult, especially in Indian Wells, that I’m able to turn it all around now and I’m really playing nice tennis, then it’s maybe sometimes a little easier to lose this way.

“Because I really did believe I was playing good tennis, it was a solid match. It was good also movement-wise. My serve was around. It was overall a good performance.

“I’m actually very happy with the tournament.”

Federer skipped the tournament in Miami last year and has not yet committed to playing in Florida next week.

He said: “I’m going to leave tonight to Miami, and then I will see how I feel over there. But I will definitely go to that direction and most likely I will play.”

Flint Wheeler Financial Services Professional Visit www.FlintWheeler.Com

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March 20 to March 26, 2014

Valley Rhythms

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

by Lola Rossi

Lucky Tongue is back at The Palm Canyon Roadhouse

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ucky Tongue, performs “New Sixties” Rock and Roll, this Saturday, March 22, from 9 p.m. until 1 a.m. at The Palm Canyon Roadhouse, 535 S. Palm Canyon Dr., Palm Springs. (760) 327-4080.

They performed there as part of Brad Mercer’s Bands “N” Fans Show in 2012.

I happened to stop by Dickie O’Neal’s Irish Pub on St. Patrick’s Day, and walked into a room filled with people of all ages listening and dancing to their favorite songs from the sixties. The band’s energy and passion for the music was evident and the crowd loved them, applauding after every song. Then I found out, this was no ordinary band. This is a Father performing with his two Sons, playing music they all love, and making a living doing it. What more of a blessing can you ask for?

Born and raised in Coeuré Aleme, Idaho, Blaine Ward started playing guitar when he was 14 years old, took Band Class in High School and formed his own band. “Music in school is one of the most important classes to be part of,” said Ward. “By the time my two Sons were in school, the program was no longer in existence.”

Realizing the importance of music in his life, he bought his two sons musical instruments; Blade a guitar and Dylan a set of drums. “I think it is very important for children to express themselves and music is a great outlet for creativity. The boys started playing together and while

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learning a few songs, I picked up my bass and joined them.” They all loved the music from the sixties, especially the songs from the “British Invasion” so they concentrated on learning some of those songs. With only an hour of music to play, which included six original songs, they were hired for a student conference in Nevada. This was the beginning of their new musical journey as a family band.

They didn’t have a name for the band, but everyone kept telling them how lucky they all were to be a family that plays music together. Let’s face it, how many people get to do that? So they thought about the comments, and Lucky Tongue was born.

About four years ago, they were in Oceanside, California, where Blade was in cancer treatment. Word got to Sir Paul McCartney, that he was there and that the family group played several Beatles songs in tribute to The British Invasion. McCartney sent a limo to bring them to the Hollywood Bowl for his performance that evening.

“They took us backstage and we sat for 30 minutes chatting with Paul and met all the band members. We were then ushered to some charming little seats to watch the concert.”

During their time spent with McCartney, one of the most important things they were told was to “Practice everyday.” So they did and still do. Last year, they were fortunate to go to England and perform 23 shows.

This was their “Tour of Gratitude” which is their tribute to the British Invasion. They were embraced by the Brits and passed out 10,000 pin on badges that read, “Thank You Great Britain! For The British Invasion. Lucky Tongue.com” This group travels all over the United States and are planning another trip to Europe. You can watch You Tube videos of them and view their web-site: LuckyTongue. com. See you at there!

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

desert dj’s

By craig michaels

MarJovi Trades His Golf Clubs in For a Microphone

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ogether with his rock star appearance, MarJovi, whose real name is Marcello Adamo, has an interesting story on how he came up with his stage name. “One night, singing karaoke with my friend Red Ness, I sang “Livin on a Prayer” by Bon Jovi, someone shouted “MarJovi” and I laughed as did Red. I guess it stuck, I kind of liked it,” MarJovi added.

While confessing that he may not sound just like Bon jovi, he is one of only a handful of KJ’s that can sing like him.

Some of his early musical influences came from watching great musicians jamming while they were working with his father who was a sound engineer in a recording studio. It was obvious to him the musicians were passionate about their work, “they looked like they were having more fun than working, it was kind of appealing to me,” remembers MarJovi. The young performer was inspired to enroll in a traveling choir at school and began professional vocal training but it wouldn’t be until his early 30’s that his vocal skills would start earning him money.

Taking a detour from singing at age 18, MarJovi decided he wanted to become a professional Golfer. After working on his game, he got really good at it and brought his handicap down to a Zero. In his early 20’s, MarJovi found himself stuck in rut and losing some of his mojo. In an effort to progress him back into the pro events, a friend forced him to sing karaoke to help regain his confidence. He quickly recalled his love for singing: “It had been years since I sang and I was terrified to say the least. I started singing and was a bit taken back by the remarks people were giving me. I felt like, why haven’t I been doing this more?

The Fear went out of me at that moment in time and even though it helped me get my handicap down to a +7.8, I quickly

remembered how much fun music and entertainers were to watch as a kid.”

Now married with a son, MarJovi has been a full time Desert resident since 2006.

After quitting his job at a local country club and investing in an extensive karaoke library, MarJovi has started his own company called, “Screamin’ Demon Karaoke”. He has spent the last few years perfecting a karaoke show that is entertaining with non-stop music blending of many genres. When you attend one of MarJovi’s karaoke shows, you can detect the fun atmosphere and appreciate the great sound.

The ex-golfer has recently landed the resident KJ position at the world famous Hard Rock Hotel in Palm Springs, “I feel like my hard work is finally starting to pay off and fun is now my job.” You can sing with MarJovi every Thursday night at the Hard Rock hotel for Industry Night or just come in for a great show. Besides his weekly karaoke gig on Thursdays, he also does private parties and special events. If you would like to follow MarJovi, you can find him on Facebook under, KJ MarJovi or email him at: lvmygreens@gmail.com for more information on booking his services.

Written by: Craig Michaels Musical Affair Entertainment www.musicalaffair.com

ROBIN LINN’S DESERT RHYTHMs

SKA IN THE DESERT

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ACHIN’...”Promoting Unity Through the Manipulation of Sound!”

MACHIN`: (ma-cheen: Spanglish slang meaning Supremely excellent” David Macias breathed life into his band, Machin’ just a couple of short years ago. In the short time they have been performing together they have carved a name out for themselves in the Coachella Valley and High Desert as an original American Latin rock band. They describe their style as “Spanglish Jive”, an eclectic mix of sounds ranging from Ska, Reggae, Cumbia, Gypsy and dance music. The lyrics are in Spanglish and fun to dance to and make you feel like you are in the hands of loved ones the entire time they play.

That’s because David, Andy, Bri, and Mitchell love you with their music. They absolutely DO promote unity through the manipulation of sound. But, it’s not just Macias’ music. It’s his state of being.

Macias embraces one of the most powerfully positive attitudes about music and the communities he interacts in. He is a Latin lover...in the sense that he shares his music, his philosophies on life, and his hand in friendship effortlessly and willingly with all those around him. He is unjaded and outgoing both as a community member and a musician. He expresses himself openly in conversation and with his music. The live Machin’ show is dynamic and fun. Macias takes a Latin inspired rhythm for a ride and the audience responds in dance. His lyrics are bilingual and uplifting and his delivery is authentic. Macias fuses many different styles and genres into his set and allows the band to interject themselves in a free form that makes for an exhilarating live show.

Machin’ continues to grow and evolve as a band and their commitment to developing as artists is evident in all they do.

Machin’ features upright bassist, Andy Gorrill who is a beautiful player that puts a lot of emotion in everything he does, playing with wreckless abandon in the true spirit of a punk rock bassist. I have heard him play sweet jazz inspired progressions on his upright in an acoustic performance, and I have seen him lay down those latin grooves with Machin`. Whether it’s on upright or his electric bass, Gorrill is a humble and warm spirit that is all about the music.

Together with Mitchell Arganda on drums who embraces the spirit of a jam band drummer, able to improvise and drive the song forward with structure and form, the vision created by Macias is realized with Machin’. Classically trained violinist Bri Cherry is like icing on the proverbial cake, and her contributions are melodic and brave as she explores the unfolding grooves. She is open and expressive and a lot of fun to watch.

With a unique attitude on life and a passion to experience life through their music, both Bri and David travel about playing acoustically as well. These travels have taken them to crowded street corners in places like Santa Barbara, where on State Street they camped and played for the afternoon with guitar case open to receive tips from appreciative passers-by. So well received were this wide-eyed musical couple that they earned hundreds of dollars which they used to take them to the next stop and then the next. Bravely earning their travel money as they played moving from destination to destination, the couple found adventure on the road, from Oregon to the bay of Northern California....street minstrels, seeing the country by way of their acoustic street jams. Dave and Bri are making vague plans to boldly explore Europe using these same means and methods

March 20 to March 26, 2014

by Robin Linn

MACHIN’, CALIFORNIA CELTS, AND MONKEY LIVE AT SCHMIDY’S FRIDAY, APRIL 4TH

over the years to come.

On April 4th, David Macias and his brand new entertainment agency, Machin’ Militia, will be hosting a night of ska music featuring San Jose based band Monkey, and local treasures, California Celts. When it comes to the show production side of things, Macias attempts to maintain a continuing flow throughout the show, using one back line so that there is no wait in between sets. This is part of his personal recipe for uninterrupted organic live entertainment. His approach is interactive and inviting. The show is a party, dance til you drop to riveting high energy ska with flavors from Ireland to Latin America.

I asked Macias about how Machin’ has evolved and to share a bit of what it has been like to build a band in the desert. Here is what he had to say.....

RL: When did you put the first version of Machin’ together?

DM: The first time I actually got on stage and performed some of the songs we play with Machin’ was early in 2012 at The Hood’s open mic.

It was completely spontaneous and people really liked it. That was the first time I felt I could actually form a band and front it performing the songs I had been writing. It wasn’t until my birthday, July 24th, 2012, when I did my first acoustic solo set of all the original material I had been writing. That same day I was invited by Robbi Robb and his wife Amritakripa of 3rd Ear Experience to come over for dinner, and that was when the time felt right to begin the planning of the birth of Machin’. The rest of August consisted on practicing and putting together a fundraiser festival for local artist Bobby Furst. On September 8, 2012 Machin’ was born and welcomed by the people of Joshua tree on our first show and we haven’t stopped since.

RL: Tell me about some of the people and players that have been involved in Machin’ over the years?

DM: Well since the birth of the band we have played with some of the best players I have ever met. Local musicians who have made a name for themselves in the community we live in. All of 3rd Ear Experience members, Erik Mouness, Robbi Robb, Amritkripa, Jorge Bassman Carrillo, were the backbone during the first 8 months of the band. We had the pleasure to have Robby Krieger perform “Esta Vez No” with us on April of last year thanks to Hot Purple Energy, and we also got to be the backing band for him as well as Michel Bolton and Josh Kelly. Ian Comstock of TJ Nasty, Aaron Mercado of Dead Beat Daddies, and Giselle Woo have joined us in our performances as well. Among other supporters is Eric Ryan of ESR studios who helped us mix and master our first demo. We have developed an allegiance with Flow Box (circus performance art team) and have coordinated some of our shows with fire dancers, magic, theatrics and acrobats, which has

definitely been fun to do. Machin’ promotes unity within people, artist and musicians and I foresee a growth in the number of people who will be involved in the future.

RL: Tell me about the other members of Machin’?

DM: Currently the line-up for Machin’ consists of Bri Cherry on Violin, who brings the music and melodies to life with the stroke of her bow. Andy Gorrill on Upright Bass holds down the pulse of the songs and Mitchell Arganda on Drums brings the heartbeat to the music and takes our grooves to a new level. This is the core of Machin’, but at any given moment you may find anyone playing with us!

RL: What are your musical influences?

DM: I have an extensive list of musical influences. I love it all and I have played many genres of music and will continue to do so in order to develop the proper appreciation for the cultural aspect of music. Being born in Chihuahua Mexico, I was exposed to folklorico and Mariachi Music. Later while growing up in East Los Angeles, I got to experience playing in a Mariachi band and really dug into the roots. I was fortunate to go to a school that offered those programs as well as Latin Jazz, Salsa, and Jazz band. I really enjoy Celtic music. I played for 3 years with The California Celts and there is where I got to understand that style of playing as well as bluegrass. While studying music I found great influence in Gypsy Jazz and gypsy punk as well as flamenco and currently that is what I have been enjoying the most. Can you hear it in the music? It’s hard to list all the music that has made an impact on me, there is so much out there that I feel I haven’t lived long enough to properly answer that. I can’t wait to discover that which will influence me in the future.

RL: What inspires you and drives you as a writer and performer?

DM: My biggest inspiration as a writer, musician, and performer is integrity. The integrity to pursue a dream and to stay true to yourself, your art, and the people that support it is my biggest drive. I spent 8 years in the military and the only reason I left that career was to do what I always wanted to do, which is to play music. The realization that you only live once and that life can be over at any given time gave me the courage to start a new life as a civilian. In order to honor my life in the service and those who I’ve had the honor to serve with, I have to achieve my personal legend as a musician. At the end of a lifetime no one wants to regret the things they didn’t do.

RL: Tell me about Monkey and The California Celts and how this show at Schmidy’s came to fruition?

DM: I spent the first 3 years of my musical career playing with The California Celts, during that time was when I had the opportunity to play

and get to know Monkey. During a conversation with Chris Poland, front man and founder of Warsaw, Poland Bros and California Celts, he mentioned that Monkey was going to be passing by on tour and were looking to play somewhere in the Inland Empire. It dawned on me that this would be a good opportunity to put together a show with the band I shared many stages with, as well as a great way to introduce our San Jose friends to our desert scene. It’s going to be a great night, bagpipes, horns, men in kilts, men in ties, pirates, Spanglish music, English music, and the most important thing…Lots of dancing!

RL: What is next for Machin’?

DM: Currently our focus is on performing and meeting new people. It’s what we do and we find it to be the best way to get the exposure that we want, which is by personally interacting with the people who attend our shows. We have a residency every Thursday at the Purple Room in Palm Springs from 7-10pm and we plan on putting together some more shows like the one on April 4th at Schmidy’s Tavern featuring some more great bands. We hope to continue to write music that moves the masses and we will continue to promote peace through the manipulation of sound and evolve with the music we create. www.machinmilitiamusic.com MONKEY, “The hardest working band on the West Coast” Monkey is a band based out of San Jose that incorporates a real love for traditional ska in their original compositions. The band is comprised of CURTIS MEACHAM on Guitar and Vocals, MICAH TURNEY on Drums, RUDY SERMENO on Bass, DUSTIN JAMES on T-bone and keys, and DAN ROOT on Saxophone. Founding member Curtis Meacham sites influences ranging from ska pioneers to Tito Puente, speaks fluent Spanglish and definitely has infused some Latin love into the Monkey sound. They are a high-energy organ driven, Ska/Reggae group whose intense live shows and rock-steady rhythms are known to get the audience up and moving. They have developed a strong following over the years and have been honored with several awards, including the prestigious California Music Award (BAMMIE).

They are called the hardest working band on the West Coast because of their intensive tour schedule, in excess of 200 shows a year. They are currently touring in support of their latest record, continue to page 25

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March 20 to March 26, 2014

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

by Eleni P. Austin

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BECK

n the spring of 1994, Beck captured the music world’s attention with his first single, “Loser.” A smart-ass slacker hymn to the disenfranchised youth, it became an anthem for Generation X. The melody had a super catchy, almost novelty quality, (not unlike Pharrell’s “Happy”) with the lyrics, a stream-of-conscious ramble that evoked comparisons to Bob Dylan’s “Subterranean Homesick Blues” and the Sugarhill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight. But Beck was no one-hit-wonder.

Beck was born to Bibbe Hansen and David Campbell in 1970. His mother had been a Warhol Factory habitué in the late ‘60s. Her father, artist Al Hansen was briefly a part of the Fluxus Movement. David Campbell was a young arranger/composer/musician. (He has played on everything from Carole King’s Tapestry, to Black Sabbath’s 13).

Beck’s parents divorced when he was about 10. Influenced by Los Angeles’ diverse music scene, (everything from Latin to Hip Hop to X), he was motivated to play music. During his teen years, he fixated on Bluesmen like Leadbelly and Mississippi John Hurt. Then he discovered Woody Guthrie and Blind Willie Johnson.

Claiming he never felt safe in school, Beck quit during Junior High. He acquired a guitar at age 16 and began busking on city buses, mixing Delta Blues with his own embryonic compositions.

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“Morning Phase” (Capitol Records)

By 1989 he took the bus to New York City. He gravitated toward Manhattan’s Lower East Side.

Motivated by slam poetry and performance art, he began improvising songs. He had found a place among like-minded musicians, but faced with the daunting prospect of another cold, NYC winter, he returned to L.A. and got a job in a video store, (“doing things like alphabetizing the pornography section”).

Beck woodshedded, played gigs at clubs in Silverlake and Hollywood. He began recording demos, which turned into homemade cassettes. He attracted the attention of Bong Load Custom Records. They hooked him up with real studio time and the result was “Loser.”

The song was almost a fluke, but radio stations took notice. “Loser” first popped up on the tiny college station, KXLU. Chris Douridas, of KCRW, played it on his taste-making show, “Morning Becomes Eclectic. He invited Beck to play live on the show and Beck performed “Loser,” along with “MTV Makes Me Want To Smoke Crack.”

Suddenly his shows were packed with record label reps ready to sign him. Beck ended up inking an unprecedented deal with Geffen that allowed him to continue to release one-off recordings through tiny indie labels like Flipside and K Records.

His major label debut, Mellow Gold arrived in March 1994. A primitive blend of Folk, Punk and Hip Hop, it climbed the Billboard

Consider This

Charts, peaking at #13. Rather than rest on his laurels, Beck immediately returned to the studio with the Dust Brothers, (the production team responsible for the Beastie Boys’ “Paul’s Boutique”).

The result, Odelay appeared in summer, 1996. A sonic collage that still sounds fresh today, the album produced three hit singles, “The Devil’s Haircut,” “Where It’s At” and “The New Pollution.” It remains Beck’s best-selling album.

As if to subvert expectations, Beck became something of a musical shapeshifter. Play his albums back-to-back, (go ahead, it’s a fun game!) and no two records sound the same.

1998’s Mutations was a heady brew of Folk and Tropicalia. The following year on Midnite Vultures, he seemed to be channeling Prince, Funkadelic, Zapp and Roger. (Plus his lyrics were wickedly funny).

In 2002, following a devastating break-up, Beck produced Sea Change. Somber, soporific and somewhat maudlin, the album stripped away Beck’s hipster cool, revealing real emotion.

Three years later, Beck re-emerged a husband and father, releasing Guero.

Reuniting with the Dust Brothers, the album was a welcome return to his roots, mixing a kaleidoscope of L.A. influences. Two more albums followed, the meticulous The Information in 2006, and a deft collaboration with Danger Mouse in 2008 entitled Modern Guilt.

Although it’s been five years since Modern Guilt was released, Beck has kept busy with other projects. He has produced albums for artists as disparate as Charlotte Gainsbourg, Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth, Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks and Dwight Yoakam.

He also created the Song Reader, a book that included 20 songs of sheet music and 100 pages of art.

Beck has finally released a new album, Morning Phase. It opens with a brief instrumental, “Cycle,” that feels like the musical equivalent of sunrise.

“Cycle” folds into “Morning.” Lush and ethereal, the song’s hushed multi-tracked

harmonies recall the Beach Boys, Chicago’s “Wishing You Were Here” and even Seals & Crofts, (but in a good way). The lyrics hint at new beginnings…”this morning I lost all my defenses.”

Although the album is mostly upbeat, there is a lonely undercurrent that flows beneath the surface. This is especially true on two tracks, “Blue Moon” and “Unforgiven.”

Propelled by ukulele, charango and acoustic guitar, the jaunty melody of the former belies Beck’s downcast demeanor. Casting himself as “the turncoat on his knees, the vagabond no one sees.”

The latter locks into a mournful groove, accented by piano and harp. Here Beck is penitent, looking for absolution… “somewhere unforgiven, I will wait for you.”

Both “Heart Is A drum” and “Don’t Let It Go” echo the elegant 80s pop of Thomas Dolby.

“Heart..” is a languid, lovelorn vision quest … “the heart is a drum, I need to find someone to show me how to play it slow/and just let go.”

“Don’t Let Go” is anchored by gentle acoustic guitar and sweet piano notes. The melody is a melancholy minor key masterpiece.

Beck offers this philosophical nugget, “In the crossfire there’s a story, but how it ends we don’t know.”

The best songs here, “Say Goodbye,” “Blackbird Chain” “Turn Away” and “Country Down” evoke comparisons to Canyon cowboys like Neil Young and Jackson Browne, as well as Nick Drake. “Say Goodbye” blends prickly banjo riffs with high lonesome vocals.

The kid in “Loser” that urged us to “get crazy with the cheese whiz” now writes about “a symbol of your exegesis in a full length mirror” on “Blackbird Chain.” This jangly charmer offers up an oath of loyalty cloaked in doleful piano chords and graceful pedal steel.

“Turn Away” blends a tip-toe rhythms and see-saw guitar riffs with a light dusting of harp and dulcimer. Beck is tentative as he urges us to “betray the ache of change.”

Finally, “Country Down” is Beck at his most bucolic. Hammond B-3 fills intertwine with pedal steel and desolate harmonica notes.

The album closes with “Waking Light.”

Flowing and spatial, the melody recalls the airy sonic explorations of Pink Floyd. Ripe with synthesizers, glockenspiel and clavinet, the song plays like an early 70s pocket symphony.

Morning Phase, may be just another color in Beck’s musical palette, but his most satisfying album to date.

art

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

March 20 to March 26, 2014

By rebecca pikus

ROBERT DUNAHAY

FROM NEW YORK CITY TO PALM TREES

R

obert Dunahay is a tall, slim man who personifies the beloved Palm trees that he paints! Robert has that quintessential Midwestern presence & personality -- a modest man of few words with a tall Henry Fonda, James Stewart, Gary Cooper kind of look. Born in Ohio, he grew up in Denver, Colorado, where he studied art at Metropolitan State College.

From there, he moved to New York City -being influenced by Andy Warhol’s book “POPism: The Warhol Sixties”. Robert’s artwork was displayed in an Upper Westside Gallery, but he started his own cabinetmaking business to pay the bills -- he ended up with clients such as Barbara Streisand & Lauren Bacall! In 1993, anxious to get back to his Art full-time, Robert moved to San Francisco. Robert’s paintings started to

take off, with several galleries & numerous distributors; “It was at that point that I realized I didn’t have to be in a major city to be an artist, because I was shipping artwork everywhere.” Lucky for us -- because Robert moved to Palm Springs in 2005 and the rest is history! Although Robert is probably most well-known for “The Palm Series”, his other series of paintings -- “Rusted Dollar”, “UFO” & “Sea of Humanity” show a different but equally brilliant side of Robert. Primarily working with oils on canvas, Robert explores the iconic symbolism of palm trees in contemporary culture. His unique style and bold use of rich, saturated colors, masterfully combines the classical essence of the palm with the vibrant sensibilities of modern art. continue to page 25

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March 20 to March 26, 2014

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PET PLACE Help Your Pet Live Longer O

ur pets are part of our family, and we want to do everything possible to help them live long and healthy lives. With good care, cats can live 20 years or longer. Small dogs can easily live for 15 years or more. Large breed dogs have a life span of 12 to 15 years. What are some of the things you can do to increase the time your treasured pet spends on this earth?

1. FEED A HIGH QUALITY DIET Pets that are fed a high quality pet food have shiny coats, healthy skin, and bright eyes. They have a stronger immune system, good intestinal health, better mental acuity, and healthier muscles and joints. Some pet owners are opting to make their own pet food. Healthy recipes are available on the internet by Googling “healthy pet food recipes”. With so many commercial brands to select from, you may want to consult with the staff at specialty pet stores. PetSmart and Petco carry a wide variety of pet foods.

Find a knowledgeable staff person to recommend some of the healthier brands.

Some dog owners are switching to “grain free” products which they believe lessens

Black Lab I’m one special fellow, dreaming of a home! I’m 8-yrs-old, have a spring in my step, wisdom in my head, and lots of love in my heart. Meet me at the Coachella Valley Animal Campus, 72-020 Pet Land Place, Thousand Palms, call (760) 343-3644 for shelter hours & directions.

Tri-Coloered Terrier

the risk of food allergies. Grain free dog food more closely mimics a dog’s ancestral high protein diet. Avoid some of the “cheap grocery store” brands.

2. WATCH YOU PET’S WEIGHT! Overweight cats and dogs are at higher risk of disease and health issues. Obesity puts a strain on joints, and causes severe knee and back conditions. The risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and other serious illnesses medical problems is increased for overweight animals. Don’t give in when Fluffy pleads for extra treats. Not all animals can monitor themselves when you “free feed”.

3. GET REGULAR VETERINARY CARE Ensure that your pets receive their annual vaccinations. An annual visit to your vet for a routine examination may uncover unknown health issues that need to be treated, and an early diagnosis will enhance your pet’s recovery.

4. KEEP YOUR PET’S MOUTH CLEAN Oral health issues can cause your pet pain and make it difficult for him to eat.

Untreated oral issues can lead to heart and

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by Janet McAfee kidney disease. Teeth cleaning, performed under sedation by your veterinarian is an option if you can afford it. Meanwhile, pick up a toothpaste and brush kit made specifically for cats or dogs and learn to brush their teeth. Seek advice on what dental treats to purchase.

5. DON’T LET YOUR PET ROAM FREE The life expectancy of cats is greatly reduced if they are allowed outside. Pets that roam the neighborhood are susceptible to many dangers including predators, theft, automobile accidents, exposure to poisons, and exposure to contagious disease.

John Unger and his 19-yr-old shepherd mix dog Schoep became an internet and Facebook sensation due to this lovely photo.

Schoep loved his dips in Lake Superior, and the warmth and buoyancy of the water soothed his arthritis. John asked his friend Hannah Stonehouse Hudson to take a photo as a tribute to the dog because he feared the end was near. The photo of Schoep in John’s arms touched the hearts of animal lovers everywhere, and donations poured in to provide Schoep with expensive laser treatment and daily glucosamine pills. The new medical regime gave Scheop a new lease on life, and once again he enjoyed

by Rick Riozza

Winemaker Dinners Delight!

I

their long walks through the Wisconsin woods with a renewed spring in his step.

Scheop lived another 20 months. Facebook friends were saddened when in July, 2013, John posted, “I breathe, but I can’t catch my breath. Schoep passed away yesterday.”

There were remaining donated funds, so John and his vet set up the Scheop Legacy Foundation to help low income pet owners.

State of the art medical care helped extend Schoep’s life. The dog’s longevity is also a result of the loving bond that John and Schoep shared. Provide your pet with loving attention, and the bond you share will nurture his spirit and keep his body healthy.

March 20 to March 26, 2014

don’t wish to be an alarmist and I don’t mean to put a scare all of you, but a lot of our restaurants are “wineing” down their winemaker dinners as the “tourist season” begins to slightly disappear over the mountain horizon. “Really?—don’t we still have a lot going on, and at least for a couple of months or so?” Perhaps—but don’t get caught off guard. Keep the belly and the wine jug filled! I don’t want to hear about a halfempty glass.

The last time we spent time with Chef Robert Nyerick (the Mind of the Chef series) he was concluding his wonderful tenure at the Miramonte Resort after seven years. He is now the Executive Chef at the BluEmber Restaurant located in the Rancho Las Palmas Resort.

I popped in to pick his brain about the final up-coming wine dinner to be held Thursday March 20th at 6pm featuring the premium wines of Nickle & Nickle and Far Niente.

Pretty much most of you wine enthusiasts know well about the fabulous quality of Napa Valley’s Nickel & Nickel wines. And for those new to wine—well, after this week’s wine dinner, you’ll not forget them.

Established in 1997 by the partners of Far Niente, Nickel & Nickel is based on a philosophy of producing 100 percent varietal, single-vineyard wines that best express the distinct personality of each vineyard. It is from some of the most coveted vineyards in the Napa and Sonoma valleys where the Nickel & Nickel wines are produced.

Fortuitously, Chef Robert was still in a meeting when I arrived so I got to spend time with Chef de Cuisine Brandon Testi. He’s onpoint with the wine menu as he, Chef Robert, and the wine rep planned it out some weeks ago.

Interesting enough, Chef Robert welcomed young Chef Brandon on board early on at the Miramonte, so good to see the guys back together again planning & creating dishes. And as Chef Robert is always quick to point out that these winemaker dinners are truly a collaborative effort and he’s always

shared the spotlight & accolades with his staff.

The cuisine savvy Chef Brandon opened up on the team’s pairing ideas for this dinner.

I like his talent; he’s bright, energetic, and pursues excellence, as with his vigor to match flavors and textures to the excellent line of featured wines.

So here is the meat & potatoes of this grand dining experience: The Reception will feature Nickle & Nickle 2012Medina Vineyard Chardonnay to be paired with Pacific Oyster with apple mignonette and fried leeks. And look for Fontina Fritti with apricot pomodoro and young basil.

The Chardonnay is from Sonoma’s Green Valley AVA by the Russian River which means the grapes have gone through a slow ripening process—therefore look for fantastic balance of fruit and acidity. Pear, lemon, and fig blended with stone and mineral elements will be great company to the appetizers.

On the 1st Course, both chefs said the sky-was-the limit (or shall we say the vast ocean was the limit) when it came to putting together the “Seafood Display”. Locally fresh scallops, clams, and shrimp along with the freshest catch of the day will appear in a rich brodo along with baby vegetables and micro cress.

This time the sister winery, Far Niente, will showcase its Napa Valley 2010 Cave Collection Chardonnay. This wine opens with delicate aromas of citrus blossom, honeydew melon, pear, flint and toasted almonds. The entry is silky with pear and citrus flavors. Look for the refreshing cleansing acidity that leads to a juicy finish, layered with toasted oak.

The 2nd Course presents the famed Roasted Breast of Pheasant. As the chefs pointed out, everyone has heard of this dish but when was the last time they had it? And everyone, in and out of the cooking world, knows that there is just a tiny window of time to cook that bird to perfection. The chefs are up to the challenge: prosciutto wrapped & roasted crispy, served with soaked cherries

with shallots and valley field greens And the consummate pairing will of course be the stellar 2009 “Les Pommiers” Pinot Noir from yet another sister winery EnRoute.

With a “passion for the Pinot” EnRoute is devoted to Russian River Valley grapes; it’s considered one of the best terroirs for Pinot Noir this side of Burgundy.

The classy Les Pommiers has uncommon depth and persistence, while also being extremely aromatic. There is an abundance of cherry, plum, and raspberry aromas progressing into floral and mineral notes with tobacco leaf and toasty oak. On the palate,

layers of black and red fruits weave around beautifully integrated tannins. Mixed with refreshing acidity of the wine, it carries great complexity and will evolve in the glass. A magnificent match for the meal.

Amazingly, there is still the 3rd Course: What the chefs name “a true Charred Rib“eye”. In other words, they’re cutting out all the surrounding fat leaving the “true marbled eye of the Prime Rib steak. Chef Brandon quietly quipped, “‘think Kobe’ on this one!”

The Nickle & Nickle 2009 Kelum Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is the masterful call for this dish. It’s a world class pairing with Bordeaux-like qualities of berry and cassis mixed with notes of cigar, bay and herb— with a long finish.

Dessert is prepared by one of the valley’s best patisserie chefs, Tibico Neri. Thirty years at this resort, he is presenting a Desert Honey Poached Pear with Brie Brûlée along with Far Niente’s 2006 Dolce Wine.

Bon Appétit! & Cheers! bluEmber at Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa 41000 Bob Hope Dr, Rancho Mirage, CA 92270 Reservations: (866) 423-1195 Rick continues to host & entertain at wine events & tastings. Contact winespectrum@ aol.com

This 6-mo-old female puppy is real charmer! Come meet her at the Coachella Valley Animal Campus at 72-050 Pet Land Place, Thousand Palms.

She’s dog ID#A1076669.

Call (760) 343-3644 for shelter hrs and directions.

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MIRA CVWkly Spa Pamper Me 4.87x5.62 021314.indd 1

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2/13/14 12:50 PM

March 20 to March 26, 2014

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Club Crawler Nightlife

340 N PALM CANYON DR. PALM SPRINGS, CA 92262

Scan the QR Code to get the Club Crawler Nightlife on your Mobile Device via the Smartphone Phone Book!

THUR MARCH 20 29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 Rojer & Bobby 6pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Reunion w/ DJ Day Amigo Room 10pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 Paul Elia 7-10pm AZUL; PS; 760-325-5533 Paula Prince 7pm BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 John Stanley King 6-10pm CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick Tuzzolino 5:30pm CLINIC BAR & LOUNGE; PS; 760-864-4119 Spotlight hosted by Symara Stone 9pm CORK TREE; PD; 760-779-0123 Live Entertainment 6pm CUNARD’S SANDBAR; LQ; 760-564-3660 Bill Baker 6pm DESERT FOX; PS; 760-325-9555 Thirsty Thursdays 8pm DHS SPA LOUNGE; DHS; 760-329-6787 Karaoke w/ DJ Scott 9pm ESCENA LOUNGE & GRILL; PS; 760-992-0002 Lola Rossi, Rob Carter and Denise Motto 5-9pm FIRECLIFF; PD; 760-773-6565 Sonny Evaro 6pm HARD ROCK HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9676 Industry Night w/ Karaoke in the Lobby 7pm THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 Locals Night w/ Gallo Negro 9pm INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760-3456466 Frank Di Salvo 6pm KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 Karaoke w/ Roberto 8pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-325-2794 Hot Rox LAVENDER BISTRO; LQ; 760-564-5353 Bob Allen in the lounge and Tom on the patio 6pm LIT@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; 760-345-2450 Country Night w/ Gold Rush Country 8pm THE LOUNGE, AGUA CALIENTE; RM; 888-9991995 Nash with Quinto Menguante 8-1am MARGARITA’S; PS; 760-778-3500 Live Music 6pm MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760325-2323 Ron Greenip 8pm MIRAMONTE RESORT; IW; 760-341-7200 “Sassy & Sultry” featuring Gina Carey 5-8pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Karaoke 8pm-1:15am THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry 6-8pm Tim Burleson 8pm PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-365-5956 Club Mercy presents: The Black Lips w/ The Coathangers 8pm PURPLE ROOM@CLUB TRINIDAD; PS; 760-

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327-1161ext.230 Machin’ 7pm RIVIERA RESORT & SPA; PS; 760-327-8311 Martin Ross 6pm SAMMY G’s; PS; 760-320-8041 Evaro Brothers 8pm SCHMIDY’S; PD; 760-837-3800 Red’s Rockstar Karaoke 9pm SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760-341-3560 Dude Jones 6pm TACK ROOM TAVERN; IND; 760-347-9985 Karaoke w/ T-Bone 8-12am VICKY’S OF SANTA FE; IW; 760-345-9770 Carolyn Martinez & The Trio 6:30pm VILLAGE PUB; PS; 760-323-3265 DJ Khodi Rayne 4:30-9pm, Nite Fixx 9-2am VUE GRILLE & BAR; IW; 760-834-3800 Casey 5:30pm, Slim Man Solo Show 7-10pm WESTIN MISSION HILLS; RM; 760-328-5955 Michael Keeth 6-10pm WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-230-0188 Yve Evans Jazz 6pm ZELDA’S; PS; 760-325-2375 DJ PJ & DJ Remise 9pm

FRI MARCH 21 29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 Dana Larson 6pm 19TH HOLE; PD; 760-772-6696 Karaoke w/ T Bone 9pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 The Singles w/ DJ Adam Mayes 10pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 Karaoke w/ AJ The KJ 8-12am AZUL; PS; 760-325-5533 Nash 8pm BAR; PS; 760-537-7337 Jesika Von Rabbit 10pm BILLY REED’S; PS; 760-325-1946 Live Music 6-10pm BLUE BAR, SPOTLIGHT 29; INDIO; 760-7755566 DJ PWee 8pm BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 The Stanley Butler Trio 6-10pm CASCADE LOUNGE, SPA RESORT CASINO; PS; 888-999-1995 DJ Michael Wright 9-1am CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick Tuzzolino 5:30pm CLINIC BAR & LOUNGE; PS; 760-864-4119 DJ 9pm COACHELLA VALLEY BREWING COMPANY; TP; 30640 Gunther St. Blasting Echo and Mighty Jack 8pm CORK TREE; PD; 760-779-0123 Live Entertainment 6pm CUNARD’S SANDBAR; LQ; 760-564-3660 Bill Baker 6pm DATE SHED; IND; 760-775-6699

DICKIE O’NEALS IRISH PUB; PS; 760-325-2600 Lassie Jo’s Best Damn Karaoke 7pm EL MEXICALI CAFÉ 2; IND; 760-342-2333 Cesar Daniel Lopez on the harp 6-9pm FIRECLIFF; PD; 760-773-6565 Sonny Evaro 6pm THE GRILL ON MAIN; LQ; 760-777-7773 Dude Jones 9pm HAMILTON’S; LQ; 760-698-8303 T.B.A. 8:30pm HARD ROCK HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9676 DJ Colourvision 9pm Lobby, DJ Shasta & MC Esjay 11pm Lobby THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 Jessica Hernandez & the Deltas w/ Giselle Woo & the Night Owls 9pm INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760-3456466 Frank Di Salvo 6pm JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-366-2250 Live DJ 8:30pm KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 T.B.A. 7:30pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-3252794 Palm Springs Sound Company,in the afternoon,Hot Rox,in the night LAVENDER BISTRO; LQ; 760-564-5353 Bob Allen 6pm LIT@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; 760-345-2450 Common Ground 9pm THE LOUNGE; AGUA CALIENTE; RM; 888-9991995 Hot Pocket 9pm MARGARITA’S; PS; 760-778-3500 Live Music 6pm MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760325-2323 Ron Greenip 8pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Karaoke 8-1:15am THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry 6-8pm Tim Burleson 8pm PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; 760-3274080 T.B.A. 9pm PALM DESERT COUNTRY CLUB; PD; 760-3450222 Ghost Light Trio 6:30pm PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-365-5956 Three Chord Justice 8pm PJ’S SPORTS LOUNGE; YV; 760-228-1199 212 Band 9pm PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND COCKTAILS; TP; 760-343-2115 Red’s Rockstar Karaoke 9pm PURPLE ROOM@CLUB TRINIDAD; PS; 760327-1161ext.230 The Gand Band 6pm RED BARN; PD; 760-346-0191 The Refills 9pm RIVIERA RESORT & SPA; PS; 760-327-8311 Martin Ross Starlite Lounge 6pm, Esjay Jones Sidebar Patio 7pm, Mercedes Moore Sidebar Lounge 10pm, DJ J Dean Starlite Lounge 10pm SAMMY G’s; PS; 760-320-8041 Evaro Brothers 8pm SCHMIDY’S; PD; 760-837-3800 Penny Unniversity and CIVX 9pm SHANGHAI RED’S @ THE FISHERMAN’S MARKET; LQ; 760-777-1601 Barry Baughn Blues 8-11pm SOUL OF MEXICO; IND; 760-200-8787 Latin Rock 10pm SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760-341-3560 Demetrious and Co. TACK ROOM TAVERN; IND; 760-347-9985 Delgado Jam Band 9pm TILTED KILT; PD; 760-773-5458 Tilted@Night 10pm TRILUSSA ITALIAN RISTORANTE; PS; 760-3282300 Julius & Sylvia Music Duo 6-10pm

VIBE; MORONGO CASINO; CAB; 951-755-5391 The Rick Whitfield Band 10pm VICKY’S OF SANTA FE; IW; 760-345-9770 Pat Rizzo & All That Jazz Band 6:30pm VILLAGE PUB; PS; 760-323-3265 T.B.A. 1:304:30pm, Nite Fixx 9-2am, DJ Anwaar Hines 9-2am VUE GRILLE & BAR; IW; 760-834-3800 Inca Kings 5:30pm, John McCormick & The Mac Band w/ DJ Randy Johnson 9:30pm WILLIE BOYS; MV; 760-363-3343 Walt Young 6pm, Big B, Thr3 Strykes and DJ B-Eazy 9pm THE WINE BAR AT OLD TOWN; LQ; 760-5642201 Rob & jb 7-10pm WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-230-0188 Rose Mallet 6:30pm ZELDA’S; PS; 760-325-2375 Girl’s Night out w/ The Men on the Hollywood Strip 9pm

SAT MARCH 22 29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 Bev & Bill 6pm 19TH HOLE; PD; 760-772-6696 Karaoke w/ T-Bone 9pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Georgie Goodtimes noon poolside, Dirty Dave 10pm amigo room AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 Cabaret on the Green w/ Les Michaels & Joel Baker 7-10pm AZUL; PS; 760-325-5533 Chix Mix 8pm BAR; PS; 760-537-7337 Social w/ Pawn and AimLo 10pm BILLY REED’S; PS; 760-325-1946 Live Music 6-10pm BLUE BAR; SPOTLIGHT 29; IND; 760-775-5566 DJ PWee BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 Steve Madaio 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 CLINIC BAR & LOUNGE; PS; 760-864-4119 House Party w/ The House Whores 9pm CORK TREE; PD; 760-779-0123 Live Entertainment 6:30-9:30pm CUNARD’S SANDBAR; LQ; 760-564-3660 Bill Baker 6pm DATE SHED; IND; 760-775-6699 Bone ThugsN-Harmony w/ J Patron, Thr3 Strykes and Jayoh 9pm DHS SPA LOUNGE; DHS; 760-329-6787 Karaoke w/ DJ Scott 9pm DICKIE O’NEALS IRISH PUB; PS; 760-325-2600 T.B.A. 8pm EL MEXICALI CAFÉ 2; IND; 760-342-2333 Cesar Daniel Lopez on the harp 6-9pm FIRECLIFF; PD; 760-773-6565 Sonny Evaro 6pm FIRESIDE LOUNGE; PS; 760-327-1700 T.B.A. 9pm THE GRILL ON MAIN; LQ; 760-777-7773 The Refills 8-11pm THE GROOVE LOUNGE; SPOTLIGHT 29; INDIO; 760-775-5566 DJ 8pm HAMILTON’S; LQ; 760-698-8303 Slim Man 8pm HARD ROCK HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9676 DJ Colourvision w/ DJ Kid Wonder, 11am poolside, 9pm Lobby THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 The Bottom Dollars, The Get Down Boys and Surprise

Vacation 9pm INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760-3456466 Frank Di Salvo 6pm JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-366-2250 T.B.A. 8pm KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 T.B.A. 6pm, Karaoke w/ Roberto 8pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-3252794 Palm Springs Sound Company,in the afternoon,Hot Rox,in the night LAVENDER BISTRO; LQ; 760-564-5353 Bob Allen 6pm LIT@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; 760-345-2450 Common Ground 9pm THE LOUNGE, AGUA CALIENTE; RM; 888-9991995 Hot Pocket 9pm MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760325-2323 Ron Greenip 8pm MARGARITA’S; PS; 760-778-3500 Live Music 6pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Karaoke 8-1:15am THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry 6-8pm Tim Burleson 8pm PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; 760-3274080 T.B.A. 9pm PALM DESERT COUNTRY CLUB; PD; 760-3450222 Tim Apple 6:30pm PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-365-5956 The Shadow Mountain Band 5pm, Von Cotton 8pm PJ’S SPORTS LOUNGE; YV; 760-228-1199 Aced-Hi 9pm PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND COCKTAILS; TP; 760-343-2115 The Electric Kingdom Show 9pm PURPLE ROOM@CLUB TRINIDAD; PS; 760327-1161ext.230 The Gand Band 9pm RENAISSANCE PALM; PS; 760-322-6100 Art of Sax featuring Sax Man Will Donato & Eddie Reddick 7-10pm RED BARN; PD; 760-346-0191 T.B.A. 9pm ROC’S AT THE CANTINA; IND; 760-775-3336 CV Weekly presents The Mighty Delta-Tones and Blasting Echo 6pm RIVIERA RESORT & SPA; PS; 760-327-8311 Martin Ross, Starlite Lounge 6pm,Spring Equinox Party w/ Zulluu 8pm, Mercedes Moore Sidebar Lounge 10pm, DJ Shasta, Starlite Lounge 10pm SAMMY G’s; PS; 760-320-8041 Evaro Brothers 8pm SCHMIDY’S; PD; 760-837-3800 The Burn Bros, The Ragged Jubilee and Dani & The Scarlet Fevers 9pm SHANGHAI RED’S @ THE FISHERMAN’S MARKET; LQ; 760-777-1601 Barry Baughn Blues 8-11pm SIDEWINDER GRILL; DHS; 760-329-7929 Karaoke w/ Milly G 6pm SOUL OF MEXICO; IND; 760-200-8787 Latin Music 10pm SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760-341-3560 Dude Jones 6pm TACK ROOM TAVERN; IND; 760-347-9985 John Waybrant Band 9pm TILTED KILT; PD; 760-773-5458 Tilted@Night 9pm TRILUSSA ITALIAN RISTORANTE; PS; 760-3282300 Julius & Sylvia Music Duo 6-10pm VIBE, MORONGO CASINO; CAB; 951-755-5391 DJ Hektik 10pm VICKY’S OF SANTA FE; IW; 760-345-9770 Pat Rizzo & All That Jazz Band 6:30pm

March 20 to March 26, 2014

VILLAGE PUB; PS; 760-323-3265 Rob & JB 1:304:30pm, Nite Fixx 9-2am, DJ Anwaar Hines 9-2am VUE GRILLE & BAR; IW; 760-834-3800 Jeff 5:30pm, Slim Man 9:30pm WILLIE BOYS; MV; 760-363-3343 Walt Young 6pm, Red’s Rockstar Karaoke 9pm THE WINE BAR AT OLD TOWN; LQ; 760-5642201 Alex Drizos 7-10pm WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-230-0188 Stanley Butler Band 7pm ZELDA’S; PS; 760-325-2375 DJ PJ 9pm

SUN MARCH 23 29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 Bob & Allison 6pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Intoxica Radio Live w/ Howie Pyro 10pm AZUL; PS; 760-325-5533 The Judy Show 7:30pm BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 Steve Madaio 6-10pm CASCADE LOUNGE, SPA RESORT; PS; 888999-1995 Nash with Quinto Menguante 9pm CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Joe Jaggi 6pm DHS SPA LOUNGE; DHS; 760-329-6787 Karaoke 9pm

COME JOIN US FOR THE FUN!!

• 14 flat screen televisions • NTN Trivia and poker with QB1

While you are here you can try one of our ten tap beer selections from a frosty cold glass or choose one of our 30 tequilas or vodkas to make your favorite cocktail.

PLAYOFFS I THE PLAC S E TO BE

OPEN MONDAY THRU SATURDAY 4PM - 2AM SUNDAY 6PM - 2AM

12105 PALM DRIVE DESERT HOT SPRINGS

(760) 251-2644

continue to page 24

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March 20 to March 26, 2014

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The Pampered Palate

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

March 20 to March 26, 2014

By David Wayne

Alicante Spanish Mediterranean Cuisine

T

he more I write this article, the more I am amazed at how many great restaurants there are in the Coachella Valley. One of them is definitely Alicante in beautiful downtown Palm Springs. My wife and I had the Al Fresco experience, as if we were in Spain. Sitting in a quaint little table on the patio, watching all the pretty people shuffle by on the “walk of stars” on the sidewalks of downtown. It was a beautiful evening, and the food was equally beautiful.

We started by asking for a couple of tapas, and our server Mandy and her manager Hugo didn’t see any reason why we should only have two. Mandy first brought us a grilled artichoke with asparagus, fried egg, Serrano ham and Manchego cheese.

It was quite unique and very tasty. They

just kept coming from there with fried egg mushroom bruschetta, with yellow and red marinated tomatoes, Buffala mozzarella, basil and San Remo olives. Thirdly, we indulged in Alicante sliders, which were not your ordinary sliders, with beef, bacon, chorizo, Manchego cheese, grilled onion and romesco sauce. Next was Merguez sausages with roasted sweet peppers and a spicy sauce on the side called Harissa. Last but not least, we savored the great flavor of their Sauteed Spicy Lime Drizzled Shrimp, which describes itself completely. We also shared an amazing salad, the Greek Chicken with organic greens, cucumber, olives, grilled chicken breast, feta cheese, croutons, and yogurt-dill dressing. If it sounds good, can you imagine how it tasted?

As if we needed main courses, Mandy

said my choice of Prime Hangar steak was solid, and my wife was less sure about what to have, so Mandy recommended Paella Alicante. This entree was chicken, shrimp, sausage, calamari, mussels, mixed with saffron rice. My wife said it was spicy and very delicious. My steak was grilled in garlic butter, and served with fingerling potatoes and haricots verts (which is French for green beans). I drank a soothing fresh iced tea, while my wife had a glass of Vino

Verde from Portugal, slightly effervescent, light and crisp. Hugo insisted my wife try their specialty drink called a Blood Orange Mojito. This very refreshing concoction was fresh muddled blood oranges, mint, lime and Captain Morgan Lime Bite. We were way too full to even try to taste dessert, but our interesting newly met companions with their dog Rish (remember we were on the patio) were eating bread pudding, and I’m sure if you called Alicante they will tell you all about the rest.

Call for reservations and hours: 760-325-9464 Located next to the historic Plaza Theatre 140 South Palm Canyon Drive

“THE BEST MEXICAN FOOD THE WEST HAS TO OFFER!” Our wonderful staff is committed to giving you the best dining experience. We have a nicely stocked bar and great desserts as well. Our authentic mexican food main courses are truly mouth watering.

We have an award winning sweet corn tamale that you just have to try for yourself.

Once you dine at Pueblo Viejo Grill, you'll be back for more soon!

3PM TO 6PM

$2 DRAFT BEERS $5 APPETIZERS

2 LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU:

36901 COOK ST. STE.#3 PALM DESERT, CA 92211 (760)836-1133

81931 HIGHWAY 111 INDIO, CA 92201 (760)342-5900

WWW.PUEBLOVIEJOGRILL.COM

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March 20 to March 26, 2014

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Movie Reviews with Robin E. Simmons

A MIXED BAG BIG BAD WOLVES

pressed to consider them for any length of time because you will be pressed against the back of your seat trying hard to just breathe. One question that did stay in the forefront for me: Is there ever a situation or case that justifies inflicting pain on another?

Maybe. Is this film from Israel elevated torture porn? Not quite. Unless extended by demand, this film is only showing through March 20 at Cinemas Palme d’Or. ERNEST AND CELESTINE

I was hardly prepared for the visceral punch of this brutal, involving, shocking, bloody, tortuous, disturbing, slick, tense, challenging, twisty, taunting, unpredictable, thrilling, horrific, rewarding and violent revenge story from Israel about the hunt and torture of a religious studies teacher assumed to be a serial child killer as carried out by the by the father of a murdered child.

Numerous and unsettling moral questions arise as the story unfolds, mainly about the law, grace, mercy, guilt, justice, evil and the very recognizable extremes of human behavior. But you will be hard

From the makers of TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILE, comes this utterly engaging and charming old-fashioned animation about Celestine, who happens to be an artist mouse, and Ernest, a singing bear.

This unlikely relationship, really a bond, between above and underground dwellers has earned numerous awards and even standing ovations. The water color-like animation has a human touch that jumps off the screen and gives the emotional story an authenticity that works. Based on the classic Belgian series of children’s books by Gabrielle Vincent, this heartwarming story touches on how a friendship between two individuals from opposite communities is tested -- in this case between bear-fearing and mouse-eating communities.

The comic timing is classic as is the surprising chemistry between the leads. Highest recommendation. Now playing at Cinemas Palme d’Or. Also still showing and worth seeing: BETHLEHEM and AFTERMATH.

Screeners No.104

NEW FOR THE HOME THEATER: FROZEN

Disney’s great looking but conservative and predictable adaptation of a Hans Christian Anderson story has already earned over a billion dollars worldwide, so nothing I say here will impact it one way or another. Released theatrically in a striking 3D version, the Blu-ray disc is state-of-theart in picture and sound but there’s no extra dimension on the disc. No, that’s likely saved for Christmas when Disney hopes to double-dip on this tile. The movie is probably not aimed at my demographic and frankly, its success left me a little baffled and emotionally unmoved. The music struck me as nothing special, including the Oscar winning “Let It Go.”

However, that said, there is a great reason to see this title and that’s because of the animated short, “Get A Horse,” that’s included in the bonus material.

What at first looks like a very early, handdrawn, black and white Mickey Mouse cartoon from the Disney vault suddenly

becomes colorfully wild and crazy when the characters literally step out of the screen and onto the stage of the “theater” in which the “old” cartoon is being projected.

The story involves a vintage skinny legged Mickey (vintage recordings of Walt Disney are used for Mickey’s voice) and his girl friend (?) Minnie and their barnyard pals Horace Horsecollar and Clarabell Cow as they enjoy a musical wagon ride. That is, until Peg-Leg Pete shows up and runs them off the road.

The hallucinogenic mayhem borders on a dangerous acid trip. This is the best piece of animation to come from the Disney’s cartoon factory in decades and bodes well for a core group that still reveres innovation and imagination. Many people still insist the old looking cartoon elements are authentic and have been manipulated by contemporary animators. Not so. It’s all new! In 3D, this short is unhinged in the best way and is a must see for animation buffs –- too bad home viewers can’t see this until they buy the next “Special Edition” of FROZEN. Blu-ray. Disney.

LAST DAYS ON MARS

What starts out with great promise on wonderful Jordanian locations and with terrific full-scale rover, quickly spirals into a B-movie devoid of freshness and intelligence.

The plot about finding evidence of bacterial life on the Red Planet soon deflates into infighting, infection and a Martian zombification scenario. Such a wasted opportunity here with a storyline that does not engage, provoke or entertain.

Blu-ray. Magnet.

Comments?

22

robinesimmons@aol.com

Book Review

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

March 20 to March 26, 2014

By Heidi Simmons

A Southern California Tale

T

he beautiful ocean, mountains and deserts of Southern California create varied environments rich with cultural and racial diversity. In Hector Tobar’s novel Barbarian Nurseries (Picador, 422 pages), the struggle for the perfect So Cal lifestyle reveals how complex and tenuous the pursuit is for all who call this remarkable and complicated state home.

Maureen and Scott Torres-Thompson have created a wonderful and seemingly idyllic life for themselves and their three children. They have a mini-mansion in a gated community overlooking the ocean in Orange County. Their two boys are in an elite private school and lavished with private lessons, books and educational playthings. Maureen is a full-time doting mother. Scott owns his business. The educated and socially ambitious parents employ immigrant help to assist with the children and all the demands of their immaculate home.

When a financial crisis arises, the family is forced to scale back the “help.” Araceli, the full-time, live-in maid, is the only domestic to make the cut. Now she must interact with the kids as well as cook and clean. Araceli is not particularly fond of children and there is no extra money with

Barbarian Nurseries

By Hector Tobar Fiction the extra work.

Araceli is an artist and intellectual. She nearly completed art school in Mexico City before coming to the states illegally.

Working for the Torres-Thompson family for four years, she and Maureen have found a balance in the care and keeping of the household and its inhabitants. Araceli works hard, does her job well, but keeps to herself. Maureen considers her competent, but strange.

As financial tensions increase, Maureen and Scott fight resulting in physical violence. The next morning, both go their separate ways without any communication to anybody. Scott leaves for work and Maureen takes their baby girl to a desert spa.

It’s a long Fourth of July weekend and Araceli finds herself alone with the boys.

After two days without hearing anything from Maureen or Scott, and with dwindling food in the house, she decides it’s better take the boys to their grandfather’s house rather than call the police – fearing they would take her away and put the children in foster care.

Scott’s father was born in Mexico but now lives in Los Angeles. With only an old photograph to go on, Araceli and the boys leave the manicured world of Orange County and find themselves lost in a Los Angeles barrio as they search for the grandfather. For the boys, eight and eleven years old, the extreme excursion to strange and different places becomes an adventure that is both frightening and exhilarating.

When the parents finally come home and find the children and Araceli missing, they call the police. An Amber Alert is made and Araceli makes the news as the children’s kidnapper! Seeing themselves on television, the boys suddenly realize they were “disappeared” and call their parents.

Araceli, afraid what the authorities will do to her, makes a run for it, but is spotted by a police helicopter. She is tackled and cuffed by police officers on live TV. The abandonment and kidnapping of the boys becomes a national news story creating a debate about immigration and the treatment of illegals both at work and in the judiciary system. The event becomes politicized and snowballs out of control.

Araceli is center of the madness and awaits her fate.

Barbarian Nurseries is a brilliant and colorful novel. Its social commentary about the multidimensional and dynamic nature of Southern California’s inhabitants is dead on accurate. If you have spent any time in the state, you will recognize yourself, your friends and neighbors somewhere in the pages. Probably your gardener, pool man and cleaning lady as well.

From an immigrant nanny to the district attorney, Tobar uses an omniscient voice so the reader gets every character’s points of view and interior thoughts. Many lines

are in Spanish. He successfully channels an array of opinions and insights on the subject in entertaining ways without a heavy hand.

He never sermonizes. Tobar shows the reader that there are not just two sides to every story, but multiple sides.

Southern California is an important character in the story as the breeding ground –- the nursery -- where the changing population, attitudes and generations can forget their civility and compassion to become something else. Instead of helping one another, we quickly drift to fighting each other like barbarians. But Tobar, with wit and insight, shows us the hope embedded in our commonality. No matter our race, culture or current stature, we all have similar dreams and desires.

A native Californian, specifically Angelino, and son of Guatemalan immigrants, Tobar knows the setting and issues well. He has worked for the Los Angeles Times as a journalist for nearly twenty years and has witnessed the changing demographics and attitudes of Southern California.

Tobar is also a Pulitzer Prize winner for his coverage of the LA Riots. Besides being knowledgeable about the subject, his prose are both beautiful and literate with passages that reflect an intimate connection to places and people.

I like to think Araceli represents all of those who struggle to find their “place.”

Our gifts and talents are often set aside or unappreciated while we work hard, toiling away at meaningless tasks to please others who don’t matter or care.

Barbarian Nurseries tells a Southern California story that delivers a vivid picture of who we are today both as a culture and as a state.

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March 20 to March 26, 2014 continued from page 19

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MON MARCH 24 29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 Bonny Jean 6pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Sissy Bingo w/ Linda Gerard 7-9pm CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Joe Jaggi 6pm FIRECLIFF; PD; 760-773-6565 Hal Sweasey 6pm INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760-3456466 Ron Kalina’s World Class Jazz Trio 6pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-325-2794 Hot Rox LAVENDER BISTRO; LQ; 760-564-5353 Mark Gregg 5pm, lounge, Bob Allen 6pm outside patio NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Karaoke 8pm-1:15am THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry 7pm SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760-3413560 T.B.A. 6pm VICKY’S OF SANTA FE; IW; 760-345-9770 T.B.A. 7pm VILLAGE PUB; PS; 760-323-3265 DJ Khodi Rayne 4:30-2am, Michael James & 3sum 9-2am WESTIN MISSION HILLS; RM; 760-328-5955 Art of Sax 8-11pm WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-230-0188 Trish Hatley Barney McClure Jazz 8pm

TUE MARCH 25 29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 Dana Larson 6pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Ace Karaoke with Kiesha 9pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 Mikole Karr’s Jazz Quartet 6pm AZUL; PS; 760-325-5533 Bella da Ball Dinner Revue w/ guest performers 7:30pm BAR; PS; 760-537-7337 Vinyl Sessions 8pm BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 Stanley Butler Trio 6-10pm CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Joe Jaggi 6pm CUNARD’S SANDBAR; LQ; 760-564-3660 Bill Baker 6pm ESCENA LOUNGE & GRILL; PS; 760-992-0002 John Stanley King 5-9pm FIRECLIFF; PD; 760-773-6565 Hal Sweasey 6pm FIRESIDE LOUNGE; PS; 760-327-1700 Red’s Rockstar Karaoke INDIAN CANYONS GOLF RESORT; PS; 760833-8700 DJ Randy Johnson 6-9pm INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760-3456466 Michael D’Angelo 6pm JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-366-2250 Ted Quinn’s Open Mic Reality Show Jam 8pm KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 Dana Larson 6:30pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-325-2794 Palm Springs Sound Company LAVENDER BISTRO; LQ; 760-564-5353 Mark Gregg 5pm, Bob Allen 6pm outside patio NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Karaoke 8pm-1:15am THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Tim Burleson 7:45 PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; 760-3274080 Eclectic Tuesdays. Singer/songwriter night. All acts welcome. Hosted by JB, Sign up

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WED MARCH 26 29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 Dan Horn 6pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Industry Night w/ The Rebel Noise 8pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 Mikole Carr AZUL; PS; 760-325-5533 Paula Prince 7pm BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 Nicky Vallee & Willy B 6-10pm CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick Tuzzolino 5:30pm CLINIC BAR & LOUNGE; PS; 760-864-4119 T.B.A. 9pm CUNARD’S SANDBAR; LQ; 760-564-3660 Bill Baker 6pm ESCENA LOUNGE & GRILL; PS; 760-992-0002 Rose Mallet 5-9pm FIRECLIFF; PD; 760-773-6565 Sonny Evaro 6pm HAMILTON’S SPORTS BAR & GRILL; LQ; 760698-8303 Karaoke w/ T-Bone 8:30-12:30am THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 Open Mic 8pm INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760-3456466 Rich Bono & Poupee Boccaccio 6pm JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-366-2250

Live Music KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 Karaoke w/ Roberto 7pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-325-2794 Hot Rox LAVENDER BISTRO; LQ; 760-564-5353 Bob Allen in the lounge and Tom on the patio 6pm MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 “Sing Jam” w/ Michael Healy 8pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Golden Era Karaoke 4-7pm, Karaoke 8pm-1:15am Singles Night !!!

THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry 6-8pm Tim Burleson 8pm NYPD; PS; 760-778-6973 Live DJ 9pm PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-365-5956 PJ’S SPORTS LOUNGE; YV; 760-288-1199 Karaoke w/ KJ Ginger 8pm PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND COCKTAILS; TP; 760-343-2115 Red’s Rockstar Karaoke 9pm PURPLE ROOM@CLUB TRINIDAD; PS; 760327-1161ext.230 Michael Holmes Trio 6:30pm RIVIERA RESORT & SPA; PS; 760-327-4080 Martin Ross, Starlite Lounge 5pm, Open Mic w/ Esjay Jones, Sidebar 7pm SCHMIDY’S; PD; 760-837-3800 D Phillips Band 9pm SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760-3413560 Straight Ahead Jazz VICKY’S OF SANTA FE; IW; 760-345-9770 Pat Rizzo & All That Jazz Band 6:30pm VILLAGE PUB; PS; 760-323-3265 DJ Khodi Rayne 4:30-2am, Nite Fixx 9-2am VUE GRILLE & BAR; IW; 760-834-3800 Ben 5:30pm WESTIN MISSION HILLS; RM; 760-328-5955 Art of Sax 7-10pm WILLIE BOYS; MV; 760-363-3343 Karaoke WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-230-0188 Brian Nova Trio Jazz 6pm

continued from page 13

“Lost at Sea” on Asian Man Records. The record is highly charged and packed full of punchy horn lines and great lyrics. The band has 4 full-length albums, and has also been featured on over 25 compilations, video games and film soundtracks, including the new independent horror-comedy, a Russ Meyer tribute film, “Pervert the Movie” on Stag Films. They have opened shows for world class acts like: Bad Manners, The Specials, The English Beat, The Skatalites, Fishbone, The Slackers, and Hepcat. Along their travels they have also performed with desert based bands Machin’ and California Celts, developing a friendship which helped them find their way to our desert for this upcoming evening of ska. Being brand new to the music of Monkey, I asked founding member, Curtis Meacham to shed some light on the Monkey business that drives this band.

RL: Tell me about the earliest incarnations of Monkey?

KM: Monkey was started in 1996, when I decided that the Bay Area needed a traditionalstyle Ska band. At that time, there were so many Punk-Ska bands and funk rock, that we needed something different. We started out playing the standards (Skatalites, Toots & The Maytals, Desmond Dekker, etc), and quickly grew our own repertoire of original Ska tunes.

RL: Tell me about the other members of Monkey?

KM: Monkey consists of friends we have made along the way. Fellow musicians that enjoy keeping the Ska torch lit, as well as having fun entertaining audiences all over the world. The band is 18 years old, and most of the guys have been members for 10 or more of those years.

RL: What has been the most difficult thing about keeping a committed lineup of musicians together and keeping Monkey alive?

KM: Realizing the need for space and growth.

Musicians are born to play, but sometimes playing interferes with personal space and life goals. In many cases, we’ve had members take sabbaticals to go off to school, move away or even start their own families. Given enough space, sometimes they come back and we continue ever forward.

RL: You have 4 full length records. Tell me about the latest Japanese compilation release “Monkeyska” and your interest in Japan?

KM: Japan has always been a fascinating place and I would love to tour there. Our releases are in the market (and hopefully), will generate a big enough buzz to bring us to their country for an international tour, as we have already done in Europe, Canada and Mexico.

RL: Over 25 compilation CD’s include the music of Monkey. How did you become involved in so many compilation projects?

KM: Honestly, the fans! Some of our biggest fans and friends have become part of the music industry. We get contacted frequently by people saying “Hey, I’ve been catching Monkey shows for years, and now I am starting a label.” We love to see where people go and who they remember in this business!

RL: Film and TV seem to have been a big part of Monkey’s history. What is it like creating a soundtrack for film or TV as opposed to creating a song for a record?

KM: Well, I actually like writing for other projects. Writing songs and lyrics can be hard, when you are invested in the process. The constant struggle of creating a song and making it sound important, but not self-indulgent... it can wear you down at times. Writing for others assignments is much easier because it removes the fear and the flow is much quicker.

RL: You have a very intense show schedule.... over 200 per year. How do you keep up the pace

March 20 to March 26, 2014

and what are the highs and lows of playing that rigorously?

KM: Well, we love playing music and we continue to accept shows that will propel us forward. Sometimes, this means having a vigorous schedule and not having a personal life. As a musician that is in love with touring, the easy life is easily overlooked for the experience and performance.

RL: What is the live Monkey show all about?

KM: FUN! FUN! FUN! We live and breathe music and we want to share that with the audience.

CALIFORNIA CELTS “A One of a Kind Experience” The Celts offer up a highly charged theatrical parade of old world instrumentation that pays homage to traditional Scotch-Irish music. The instrumentation ranges from bagpipes and harp to banjo and trombone. They take the old world sounds of Celtic music and color it with Ska, Reggae, Bluegrass, Mexicano, and Rock to create their very own unique sound. They are a one of a kind group of minstrels known for creating a raucous and stirring up an audience with outrageous live shows. Their set typically begins when they enter into the venue, instruments in hand, and dressed in traditional kilts in a sort of Irish-Ska parade. Founding member, Chris Poland is an educated and savvy multi-instrumentalist who answers to his own voice.

Join Machin’ Militia in their first official production at Schmidy’s Tavern on Friday, April 4th for an evening of original ska. All 3 bands bring something unique to the table and we have an opportunity to welcome our musical brothers from San Jose, Monkey, and show them how seriously we take our music in the desert! We don’t monkey around!

For event details visit the Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/events/700765543306973/ Find the bands on Facebook at: Machin` - www.facebook.com/Machinmilitia Monkey - www.facebook.com/Monkeyska California Celts - www.californiacelts.com www.facebook.com/californiacelts Read the digital edition of this feature on my blog, Robin Linn’s Desert Rhythms at: rminjtree. blogspot.com

continued from page 15

Distinguished patrons worldwide collect Dunahay’s work, including the Royal Family Al Thani of Qatar, and Baroness Monica Von Neumann of Switzerland. His colorful paintings frequently get snapped up by celebrities like Pierce Brosnan, Kelsey Grammer, Linda Hamilton, and Ryan Reynolds. Corporate collections include Pepperdine University, The Financial Times, The Packard Foundation, and The W Hotel.

Robert’s work is held in the permanent collections of the Fredrick R. Weisman

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Museum of Art, the Peninsula Museum of Art, and MOAH, the Museum of Art and History in Lancaster, California. Robert has exhibited at the Palm Springs Art Museum; Peninsula Museum of Art, Belmont, Ca; Fine Art Associates in Honolulu; Skidmore Contemporary Art, Santa Monica; Alexander Mertens Fine Art, Montecito, Ca; & James Trezza Gallery in NYC. Robert Dunahay lives in Palm Springs, Ca. and is represented by Christian Hohmann Fine Art in Palm Desert, California. www.Christianhohmann.com.

Robert’s website is www.robertdunahay.com. He can be contacted by email at Robert@ robertdunahay.com

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March 20 to March 26, 2014

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DESERT CONCORSO CELEBRATES 100 YEARS OF MASERATI

O

rganizers of the first annual Desert Concorso, featuring Italian racing and sporting cars, have announced that the Riverside International Automotive Museum (RIAM), which holds the most extensive collection of Maseratis in the United States, will display eight of these magnificent cars at the Concorso.

RIAM’s collection includes an example of every Maserati model that has been made available in the U.S. since 1951, and their team is bringing vehicles from a six decade span. From the 1951 A6G 2000 Pinin Farina Coupe to the 2008 8C Competizione, the beauty and history of these classic vehicles will intrigue the Concorso’s audience.

Maserati prides itself on its long and glorious heritage. Officine Alfieri Maserati was founded on December 1, 1914 in Bologna, Italy. Since then, Maserati has played a consistently important role in the history of sports car culture and its development. Nearly a century of activity has brought with it glorious achievements

both on the road and the track as well as more challenging times, which have helped forge the company’s character and personality. Its relocation from Bologna to the current site in Viale Ciro Menotti, Modena in 1940, and its acquisition by Ferrari in 1997, are among the major events in the development of Maserati’s expansion strategies and the launch of its new cars.

There will be more than 100 classic and contemporary cars at the event from as far away as Minnesota and New York, and their owners will be on hand to discuss their histories. In addition to all of the great Italian marques, Desert Concorso also invites historically important GT, racing and sporting cars from Europe as well as some American hot rods with exceptional engineering and design qualities.

“True to the Monterey Concorso Italiano’s style, Desert Concorso promises to be a prominent staple event in the Southern California region,” notes Concorso Italiano President Tom McDowell. “We look forward

it’s your nickel

Too much of a good thing

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ne must be careful what one wishes for. Stability is probably the most valuable thing in financial markets. Unfortunately, the local markets seem to be “enjoying” another bubble. Housing prices have shot up from an unnatural 150 dollars a square foot (too low) to 300 dollars a sq foot in areas where 200 to 250 dollars a sq foot would be a fair market rate. Along with the volatility comes a whole wave of investors that ride waves and cause the very boom and bust cycles they later abhor when they are on the losing trade of that movement.

This is a tourist area. An equivalent would be to say it’s a Sitges next to a Barcelona, or a market where those who can afford such things frequently buy second homes or perhaps a rental property. Persons who can afford to wait out markets for years at a time are less subject to buying and selling in markets without expertise where they can otherwise have a tendency to get too greedy and end up burned as in the last cycle.

On the one hand lending practices have tightened up, but on a principal residence some would argue that lending needs to loosen up. One must look at markets within markets and understand their place in them to invest properly.

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Many new improvements and developments are coming to the PS area.

One sad note is the statue of Marilyn Monroe that is leaving. As she was discovered right here at The Racquet Club, PS has some rightful claim to her legacy, and I for one would be happy to see a commissioned

to incorporating all things Italian, including cuisine by Ristorante Mamma Gina, music the International Opera Institute, art by Italian automotive artist Monica Lotti, along with great fashion into the inaugural Desert Concorso.”

The Petersen Museum in Los Angeles will also be joining the inaugural Desert Concorso. It’s a spectacular automotive museum that pays tribute to cars of historical significance from all continents.

Chief Curator Leslie Kendall is providing special cars with European design and badging that have a specific relevance to the Desert Concorso.

events

Desert Concorso, which benefits Desert ARC, has been designated an official event of the City of Palm Desert and will take place at the Shadow Mountain Resort in South Palm Desert on March 30 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. General admission tickets are $70 and El Paseo Club tickets, which include access to the exclusive El Paseo Club Pavilion, are $300. For more information and the press credential application, please visit www. desertconcorso.com.

Haddon Libby:It’s alllocal

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oston University professor Joseph Boskin was interviewed in 1983 by the Associated Press on the origins of April Fool’s Day. Boskin attributed the day to Roman Emperor Constantine who set aside one day each year where the court jesters ruled the country. After his fake story was disseminated across the country, Boskin apologized for the “joke” at the urging of his employer.

In truth, April Fool’s Day appears to find its roots with a March 25th Roman festival called Hilaria. This celebration noted the first day of the year where day was longer than night.

The San Diego’s Museum of Hoaxes has compiled a list of some of the greatest April Fool’s hoaxes of all time.

Their favorite occurred in 1957 when the BBC reported that there had been an “especially heavy spaghetti crop” in Switzerland due to a mild winter and no crop loss from the spaghetti weevil. The “news” segment went as far as showing Swiss peasants pulling spaghetti from trees. Hundreds of viewers fell for the gag and went as far as trying to grow their own spaghetti trees by sticking a sprig of spaghetti in a can of tomato sauce.

NBC made tribute to this hoax in 1970 when John Chancellor reported on that year’s dill pickle tree crop from Dimbledy Pickle Farm.

National Public Radio has done many hoaxes throughout the years. In 1992, they announced that Richard Nixon would be running for President again with the slogan, “I didn’t do anything wrong, and I won’t do it again.” NPR used impressionist Rich Little as the voice of the impeached president in the fake interview.

New Mexicans for Science and Reason newsletter in 1998 included a satirical news story that the Alabama legislature had voted to change the value of pi from 3.14159 to the ‘Biblical value’ of 3.0.

Normally, the newscasters are not the pranksters but the pranked.

WHAT IS THE VALUE OF MY ACCIDENT CASE?

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support and this will in turn only lead to even more volatility in the marketplace for those who can least afford it.

You can’t just tax your way into heaven and out of your problems. Strategic city planning is the real need to the sister city to PS that is DHS. Property taxes and assessments, it should be said, hit our fixed income population the hardest.

Questions and comments: JohnPaulValdez@gmail.com

March 20 to March 26, 2014

Spaghetti Trees and Left-Handed Whoppers

Dale Gribow On The Law

By john Paul Valdez sculpture replace the one on its way to New Jersey. The sculpture represented an economic boom to the city.

Lastly, our neighbor to the north, DHS, is still in a financial crisis. The solution?

Not one, but TWO new giant taxes being proposed in an area that is severely lacking in infrastructure and responsible planning.

First, local government is putting a parcel tax that represents a 500 percent increase in owning land here on the ballot. Not that all taxes are bad, but when you pass a big new tax initiative you should be buying something or improving something or investing in something, not just meeting your overdrawn bank accounts from mismanagement and poor decision making or even alleged corruption. The second tax would come from the city abandoning its parks and handing the whole problem over to the county where the city would then be assessed (well, each property owner would be assessed) for parks and recreation. This is the “new” administration that ran on a “NO NEW TAX” pledge. Curios that.

A five acre park that had been agreed to by the Skyborne developer was never put in, and now the city wants to assess its population for its failures in enforcing its agreements with developers. Without proper management, and without proper investment in infrastructure to a city, higher real estate prices will never have real

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ne of the most common questions I received at my “ACCIDENTALLY YOURS” Radio Show and still get on almost a daily basis here in the CV: “How much is my accident case worth?” I explain many factors affect the value of an auto accident case. If a lawyer is honest with a client he/she will explain that without looking at all the medical records along with the police and investigative reports it is impossible to determine the value range. A guesstimate cannot be made until after all the treatment and a review of all reports, yet many local lawyers not as upfront with prospective clients.

I analogize that this is like asking a doctor, before an exam, “What is wrong with me” then inquiring whether he will be able to cure you. The doctor will want to take a history, review old medical records, X-rays and MRI’s and then order lab work and then maybe a diagnosis can be given.

There are many factors that go into computing a value range of a case. A case does not have a specific value but rather a value range of say $15,000 to $25,000.

Most non-lawyers only look at the dollar amount of their medical bills and they do not consider liability.

In other words what liability would the law impose on your client? If the client is making a left turn and argues the defendant ran the red light I suspect some jurors will decide that the client should have waited to make his turn when it was absolutely safe. The law presumes the person making the left turn is at fault…. but it is rebuttable.

The insurance company wants to determine how a claimant will “sell to a jury.” My first job at an insurance defense law firm was describing the claimant to the

insurance carrier. They wanted to know his/her height, weight, how they were dressed, were their finger nails clean and shoes polished? Did they arrive 20 minutes late wearing blue jeans a white T shirt and sneakers or a coat and tie? They would factor these things into the value of the case.

There is a difference between settlement value and trial value. Unless a case has more than a soft tissue value it is often not financially worthwhile to take that smaller case to trial because of the costs involved in doing so. These costs have to be balanced against the potential recovery. The filing and service of a lawsuit will sometimes be close to $1,000 and hiring experts to testify about your medical treatment, take witness statements and investigate road design issues is VERY expensive. They also are deducted BEFORE the money to the client is calculated.

Each of your doctors will bill us and demand payment of $5,000 to $10,000 a day before testifying in court. If the date for the doctor’s testimony is moved because it took longer to select a jury or the case before yours took longer than expected then your expert will require payment for the additional days. I recently paid a specialist $750 to talk to him for 15 minutes because that was his demand.

I had a local treating doctor who moved to NY by the time the case went to court some 5 years later.

He demanded a first class ticket, room and board and $10,000 per court day PLUS money for travel days to testify. We had $40,000 in costs for this one doctor.

The value of a case is affected by the amount of your property damage, liability, length of treatment, injury and whether you saw specialists for certain symptoms like psychological damages etc. It is one

In 1878, the New York Graphic magazine announced that Thomas Edison had created a food machine that could turn soil into food and water into wine. A Buffalo newspaper took the story to be real and published it as truth.

In 1934, the Hearst International News service reported that German pilot Erich Koycher had invented a flying device that operated on only the air of his lungs that created the suction necessary to lift his body into the air. Originally written as a spoof by Berliner Illustrite Zeitung, the Hearst News Service missed the fact that the story was a joke causing many US newspapers to publish the joke as truth. Worth noting, Koycher in German is a pun that translates to a puff or wheeze.

Advertisers have used April Fool’s Day as

thing to have nightmares about an accident and not drive your car after the accident versus sharing these symptoms with a treating psychologist. It is a wellknown adage that if it is not important enough to share with a doctor it will not add any value to your case.

Insurance companies also look at how much of the medical treatment is therapy versus diagnostic.

Isn’t it logical that $5,000 of physical therapy three times a week for many months, is worth more than an MRI that takes 45 minutes and costs the same $5,000? However a new case says a lawyer can only present to a jury the amount of the medical bills that have not been paid by private insurance or Medicare/ Medicaid. In other words if a client has a $100,000 medical bill from Eisenhower and all but $3,000 is paid by insurance, then the lawyer can only present the $3,000 outstanding bill to the jury. Needless to say this substantially decreases the value of the case.

In addition to property damage the insurance companies examine the loss of earnings. If you take your car to a neighbor’s body shop and he does the work for $3,000 instead of your $10,000 estimate, you are doing a disservice to your case. If I represent a millionaire who is out of work for a week he/she may have a loss of earnings of a hundred thousand dollars for that week. This is added to the value of the settlement.

When I represented the original Bozo the Clown he was told he could not work for 6 months. I suggested Bozo hire someone to act as CEO and that he NOT take a salary for 6 months. By doing so we established his loss of earnings of $300,000. On the other hand, an employee earning $3,000 per month would lose $18,000 for missing that same amount of work. Obviously there is a big difference as to the settlement value. This is an important consideration

a fun way to generate free publicity.

In one of the funniest spoofs, Burger King took out an ad in USA Today announcing a new menu item: a “Left-Handed Whopper” that was meant to serve the needs of 32 million left-handers in the United States.

This prompted thousands of people to visit the restaurant looking for the new item.

Guinness Beer issued a faux press release in 1998 stating that they had bought the rights to the Greenwich Mean Time and changed it to Guinness Mean Time for the year leading up to the millennium. The Financial Times did not pick up on the joke and issued a scathing criticism of the move.

Meanwhile British supermarket Tesco joined the fun in 2002 when they published an ad touting the successful development of the genetically engineered ‘whistling carrot.’ Once cooked, the air holes in the carrot cause it to whistle indicating that they are properly cooked.

By the way, if you ever want to visit the Museum of Hoaxes, it is open 24/7/365 and can be found alongside the I-5 next to the floating jackalope.

when evaluating a case.

Intangibles such as the sizzle of the case come into play. Has it been featured prominently in the paper? Is the victim client well known and likeable or a jerk? Is the defendant likeable? If the client is a minister/pastor would he be more believable? Does your client have a police record for a felony? There is a jury instruction that allows the jury to take into consideration how much weight to place on the testimony of a Felon. Has your client had a major interruption of his life because of the accident?

I have represented clients who encountered the following issues which play into the value of the case: One client was on her way to see her mom remarry in Santa Barbara and missed the wedding; clients were unable to take a medical or bar licensing exam because of the accident; another client missed his Karate Black Belt test etc. How much additional money will a jury award for these?

As you can see there are many factors that determine the value of an accident case. Next week I will review How to Increase the Value of Your Accident Case!

Remember, When you drink don’t “pull a Bieber” and get behind the wheel and have an accident (whether it is your fault or not) or get arrested for a DUI: DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE, CALL A TAXI…IT IS A LOT CHEAPER THAN HIRING ME! If you have any questions regarding this column or ideas for future columns please contact Dale Gribow Attorney at Law at his NEW number 760.837.7500 and or his new email: dale@ dalegribowlaw.com

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March 20 to March 26, 2014

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safety tips

by Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna

Is That A Hazardous Materials Incident or the Flu?

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uring a hazardous materials incident, firefighters and first responders isolate the area and deny entry to keep it contained. The same goes if you have the flu. Both are toxic and pose an unreasonable risk to our Health, Safety and Environment! Isolate yourself and stay away from others because it spreads through contamination.

“Nothing is more disgusting than to see people sick in the gym, restaurants, stores, offices or at work – even many of those who serve us are sick with the flu. And we wonder why it’s an epidemic says Chief DiGiovanna...”

The flu can spread up to six feet away.

This happens when flu sufferers cough, sneeze or talk, or when a caretaker or family member touches something that has flu virus on it and then touches their own mouth or nose. You’ve been exposed to the hazardous contaminants at that point!

Hand-washing is one of the best ways to stay healthy during the flu season. If you’re sick take it a step further. Stay home, isolate yourself, deny contact and exposure to others as much as possible! If you’re sick,

consider yourself a Haz Mat Incident and be a good first responder - stay home! Be part of the solution, not the problem.

For additional Flu tips visit: www. ehow.com/h ow_7482408_stayhome-work-sick.html Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna

ShareKitchen O

n the first Monday of each month, Two Guys and A Jersey Girl take over ShareKitchen for a oneof-a-kind dining series aptly named “First Mondays”. These Farm-to-Fork dinners feature a different guest Chef monthly who prepares a special wine paired multicourse menu showcasing each Chef’s unique culinary talents.

On April 7th, we proudly present Chef Eric Pamperin of the Coachella Valley Rescue Mission (CVRM). Chef Eric is an accomplished Executive Chef who has worked at some of the finest restaurants on the West Coast. As a former Client of the Rescue Mission, Chef Eric has dedicated his life toward helping others who come through the CVRM doors.

The philanthropic trio of Two Guys and A Jersey Girl - Chef Eric Theiss, Larry Goldberg and Lauren Geller - started this monthly dining experience as their own special way of “paying it forward” to the community. All of the proceeds generated from “First Mondays” go toward building and maintaining a sustainable garden at CVRM which will be used to educate CVRM’s Clients and their families about nutrition and how to work with fresh fruits and vegetables as well as to support ShareKitchen’s programs.

Some past guest Chefs of this dinner

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he Cabazon Band of Mission Indians and Fantasy Springs Resort Casino are pleased to be hosting a benefit supporting injured Coachella boxer Angel Osuna on Wednesday, April 2nd.

This past December, the middleweight fighter was severely injured during his boxing match at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino. Osuna spent the past several months recovering from his brain injury, where he was not able to support his young family. This fundraiser will help provide funds to Osuna and his family during this unfortunate time and alleviate strain with medical costs.

As part of the benefit, the Cabazon Band of Mission Indians will present Osuna with a check donation. Lee Espinoza of the Coachella Valley Boxing Club, Doug Welmas, Cabazon Band of Mission Indians Chairman and Coachella Mayor Eduardo Garcia will be on hand to speak during the benefit.

The benefit begins at 6:00pm inside the LIT Ultra Lounge at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino. Included with the $20 cover charge will be hors d’oeuvres, live DJ, raffle and the opportunity to take photos with the following evenings Golden Boy Live! “Night of the Heavyweights” boxers. All proceeds from the door and raffle will go directly to Angel Osuna.

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The Cabazon Band of Mission Indians is a federally recognized Indian tribe with approximately 1,610 acres of reservation land in the Coachella Valley. The Tribe owns several business enterprises including Fantasy Springs Resort Casino. Goals include growing and diversifying its business ventures to increase employment in the Coachella Valley, increasing the support of community programs, continuing to pursue economic self-sufficiency and preserving and educating the public about Cabazon culture. For more information, call toll free (800)827-2946 or visit www.FantasySpringsResort.com.

CLUELESS IN THE COACHELLA VALLEY

by Diane Marlin-Dirkx

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series are Chef Andie Hubka of Cork & Fork, Chef Gregorio Calderin of Sirocco, Chef Michael Poompan of the Renaissance Long Beach, Chef Raul Garcia of Lavender Bistro and founding Chef Eric Theiss of the Renaissance Esmerelda.

Seating is limited to 24 and always sell out. If you are interested in attending the April 7th dinner where you will get a sneak peak at the name of May’s Chef as well as priority seating for the season finale on May 5th, call 760.910.4222 or email info@2GuysandaJerseyGirl.com to make a reservation. For more information, visit www.2GuysandaJerseyGirl.com.

Interested in creating your own fundraising dinners? Contact ShareKitchen at Share@ShareKitchen.org.

THE MOST HILARIOUS TIME YOU HAVE HAD IN 100 YEARS

WHO: CGH Society and The City of Rancho Mirage Public Library WHAT: The centennial celebration of the Marx Brothers and their worldwide contribution to comedy and laughter WHEN: Saturday, March 22, 2014, 7:00 p.m. and Sunday, March 23, 2014, 2:00 p.m.

WHERE: Community Room of the City of Rancho Mirage Public Library 71-100 Hwy WHY: Funny you should ask...

HOW (MUCH): Free to the Public Rancho Mirage, California-Four score and twenty...wait...five score years ago, our forebrothers (Leonard, Julius, and Arthur Marx) brought forth on stage a new comedy act.

To commemorate that momentous occasion in 1914, when the Marx Brothers made their debut as Chico, Groucho, and Harpo, Marx fans of every breed are being invited to gather together to celebrate 100 years of the Marx Brothers› worldwide influence on comedy and laughter.

Here›s what you can expect to see at the show on Saturday, March 22: a panel of Marx family members and others under the influence of Marx humor, favorite Marx Brothers movie clips, a Q&A session with the audience, and hilarious anecdotes by CGH

Don’t Be

March 20 to March 26, 2014

EVENT CALENDAR

BENEFIT SUPPORTING INJURED events MARX MADNESS IS COMING events COACHELLA BOXER Angel Osuna TO RANCHO MIRAGE

HELD AT FANTASY SPRINGS RESORT CASINO

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

Society President and event host Bill Marx, son of Harpo Marx.

The bonus matinee show will take place on the afternoon of Sunday, March 23, and will feature Bill Marx presenting neverbefore-seen outtakes from Marx Brothers movies, footage from Marx home videos, and long-lost Marx Brothers performances on myriad shows during the early days of TV. This free (for all) event is presented by the CGH (ChicO, GrouchO, HarpO) Society, a nonprofit organization of 501(3)c repute.

Seating is limited and available only on a first-come, first-served basis.

This program is brought to you by the membership of the Rancho Mirage Public Library Foundation. Please consider joining or contributing to the Foundation.

The City of Rancho Mirage Public Library is located at 71-100 Highway 111 in Rancho Mirage. For further information, please contact the Library at 760-341-7323 or visit www.ranchomiragelibrary.org.

o you know what day it is? I will not keep you in suspense. Today, March 20, is the first day of spring! Tra-la! “Spring is nature’s way of saying, ‘Let’s party,’” said Robin Williams. Recently while I was out, a friend stopped by and left a clutch of about-tobloom stemmed buds on my kitchen table that unfurled into bright sun-yellow daffodils while I was eating lunch. Pardon my bliss, but I grinned the grin of joy, unabashed. To calm down and go back to work, I had to remember author Margaret Atwood, who wrote, “In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.” I texted my friend, “I’m daffy over daffodils!”

Tra-La! Forget about the fancy-schmancy definition in Latin that gives the Vernal Equinox as the beginning of the spring season, Spring is here with all the bells and whistles of increasing daylight, warming temps and happy new gardens of flourishing flora and Eden-worthy Fauna.

Go out and play. Here, some spring suggestions! Tra-La!

Friday, March 21, 8pm. “An Evening of Classic Lily Tomlin” stars a line-up of her most memorable cast of characters so get your giggles and guffaws warmed up for Ernestine, Sister Boogie Woman, Ms. Beasley, and that lovable ragamuffin smarty-pants, Edith Ann. Tomlin has built a career in all popular media from television, theater, film, animation, to video. She’s received six Emmys, 2 Tonys, a Grammy and many nominations, 2 Peabody awards and in 2003, the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor presented at the Kennedy Center. At the McCallum Theatre, 73000 Fred Waring Dr., Palm Desert, through the generosity of Harold Matzner. Tickets at $95, $85, $75 and $55 online at www.mccallumtheatre.com, or by calling the box office, 760-340-2787.

Saturday, March 22, 7:30pm. “RESURGENCE Arise Like The Phoenix,” a concert of music of renewal and perseverance performed by the Desert Winds Freedom Band. Founded in the fall of 2001 by musician Gary Moline, the band is currently directed by Dean McDowell and has grown to a large concert band, aided and abetted by a jazz band. Both bands are composed of dedicated musicians, both professionals and amateurs who played an instrument in high school or college. It’s a diverse group open to all gay and gay-friendly people. Prospective members are required to read music, have basic musicianship skills on a band instrument, attend rehearsals and perform in concerts. This event features guest vocalist Francesca Amari in a world premier work by local composer Michael Viens, with pianist Richard Bentley. At the Helene Galen Performing Arts Center, Rancho Mirage High School, 31001 Rattler Rd. Tickets per person, $25. For more info, go to desertwindsfb.org

Saturday, March 22, 10an-5pm. Writing Workshop! Award-winning TV producer/ writer/author Fern Field Brooks will conduct a one-day workshop on “Memoir Writing and Self-Publishing” at Cal State San Bernardino’s Palm Desert Campus. She will be joined by guest panelists and authors Thom Racina and Phyllis Humphrey, Brooks has received multiple awards for producing, including an Emmy and 2 Peabody and humanitarian awards. Most recently, she has garnered much applause as co-executive producer of the TV hit “Monk.”

Brooks, who has moved into the world of publishing with her company Books 2 Cherish, will discuss the pros and cons of traditional publishing versus self-publishing and what an author should do to ensure success. Prepaid admission, $75, includes parking and lunch. Admission at door, $80. More info, email Books2Cherish@gmail.com or call 310823-2460. Seating is limited. A 10% discount will be given to PSWIFT members, PS Writers Guild, Sun City Writers Circle, students with ID, previous participants.

Saturday, March 22, 5:30pm. Mizell Senior Center “rocks” with the show “Stars among Us 2014 – American Graffiti,” starring Sha Na Na and featuring TV’s “Laverne and Shirley” star Cindy Williams, who starred as Laurie in the 1973 iconic teen-film that celebrated a summer of “cruising-the-strip” before cruising off to college. The fundraising event benefits

programs at the Mizell Senior Center. Ticket, #225. It will be held at the Palm Springs Air Museum, 745 Gene Autry Trail, Palm Springs.

For more info, call 760-323-5689, or go to www.Mizell.org Sunday, March 23, 4:30pm. Park it! Head out with your posse, all ages, to the Festival of Opera & Art in the Palm Desert Civic Center Park. It’s a FREE family fun-o-rama with available food, beverages, entertainment and art to view! Just remember to tote sit-upon pillows, blankets, chairs, picnic hampers, and a sun umbrella for a day in the park on a grassy green carpet that may prompt a nap! At the Amphitheater, 73510 Fred Waring Dr., Palm Desert. For more info, call 760-323-8350, or go to www.OperaArtsPalmSprings.org.

Monday – Friday, March 24-28, Call YMCA for Schedule! Got Fun? Sign the Kids Up For Spring Programs. Art Camp! Dodgeball! Nerf Tag! All geared toward Boys and girls, ages 6 to 12 years old with energy to burn! Moms and Dads! This is your chance to make a break for it: A Spring Break! To register and for more info, call today: 760-341-9622. Family YMCA of the Desert, 43-930 San Pablo Ave., Palm Desert. Or go online to www.ymcaofthedesert.org Thursday, March 27, 11am reception, 12pm Luncheon. Visionaries of Tools for Tomorrow presents the 8th Annual Awards luncheon honoring art collector and philanthropist Donna MacMillan. “As the recipient of last year’s Vision for the Future Award, I am so delighted that Donna MacMillan has accepted this year’s honor. She is an amazing advocate for the arts, for children, and for the importance of education in our culture,” says Janice Lyle, Director of Sunnylands Center & Gardens. Tools for Tomorrow, a local nonprofit provides an arts literacy enrichment program integrating music, drama, writing and art, free to “at risk” children in elementary schools from Palm Springs to Mecca. The children will perform and exhibit their creative writing and art work. Luncheon tickets are $125per person.

Call Tools for Tomorrow office: 760-601-3954 or email: andrea@toolsfortomorrow.org.

Friday, March 28, Reception 5:30pm. The American Documentary Film Festival to host Film and live opera event at CSUSB Palm Desert Campus. A special Osher Lifelong Learning event will feature the opera extravaganza, “I Love to Sing,” the critically acclaimed South African documentary and performance film

by Julie Cohen that focuses three of the first black opera students to attend a prestigious post-apartheid opera school for a year in the program. Critics called it “moving and inspiring.” The film serves as as a stirring backdrop for the live musical performance by its stars in the campus’s Indian Wells Theater to conclude the evening. For info, call 760-341-2883, ext.14428 or78121. For tickets, go to the film festival website, www. americandocumentaryfilmfestival.com, or call 760-322-3689. The CSUSB Palm Desert campus is located at 37-500 Cook St., Palm Desert.

Sunday, March 30, 9am-4pm. Vroom!

Vroom! Ready, set, go! It’s time for the thrilling Concourse Italiano, the world’s most extensive exhibit of exotic Italian cars, now being launched for the first time by its creators in our desert, designated by the city of Palm Desert as an official event during Monterey Auto Week, and held at the Shadow Mountain Resort in Palm Desert. Celebrating everything Italian including cuisine and music, as well as swoon-worthy dream cars, this year it will celebrate Maserati’s 100th anniversary, as well as benefitting the nonprofit Desert ARC. Another first: Italian artist Monica Lotti will show her dynamic works of art inspired by her love of automobiles, remembering the auto body shops from visits with her father in her hometown of Sassuolo, Emilia-Romagna.

Disdaining brushes, Lotti applies acrylics using spatulas with quick gestures for energetic works that hang in fine museums and homes.

General admission, $70, El Paseo Club tickets, including access to the exclusive Pavilion, $300. Retired military and Seniors with ID, $20 discount. Available at door. More info, go to www.desertconcorso.com “Don’t Be Clueless” wants to remind you that press releases for inclusion should be in to the Coachella Valley Weekly at least two weeks ahead of the scheduled event! Thanks!

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March 20 to March 26, 2014

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

wlf president Amy Blaisdell Receives Woman of the Year Award

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omen Leaders Forum of the Coachella Valley (WLF) is pleased to announce president Amy Blaisdell has been named 2013-14 Riverside County Woman of the Year in the 4th District - Coachella Valley, by the Riverside County Commission for Women.

Blaisdell, who also serves as communications director for the City of Palm Springs and on the Board of Directors of FIND Food Bank of the Coachella Valley, received the prestigious award on Tuesday, March 18 during the regularly scheduled Riverside County Board of Supervisors meeting in downtown Riverside.

The Woman of the Year Award is given every year to an outstanding woman in each supervisorial district, who has demonstrated exceptional commitment to her community, by working to improve the status of women and their families in Riverside County. Last year’s honoree was Lori Sarner, president of Pegasus Riding Academy for the Handicapped.

Over the past two years, Blaisdell has helped transform WLF into one of the most powerful women’s organizations in the Coachella Valley and is the founder of WLF’s hugely successful Women Who Rule! Awards Luncheon and Scholarship Fundraiser, which since its inception in

2013 has raised more than $250,000 in college scholarship funds for the best and brightest enrolled in WLF’s Young Women Leaders Mentoring Program, in partnership with Pathways to Success, a division of the

Health&Fitness

Coachella Valley Economic Partnership.

More than 350 community leaders attended this year’s luncheon, which honored local philanthropist Donna MacMillan, Kathy Greco, CEO of Desert Healthcare District, Joan Boiko, communications manager for Palm Springs Unified School District, and Susan Stein, long-time fashion editor of Palm Springs Life and producer of Fashion Week El Paseo. In addition, the forum honored longtime supporter James R. Houston with the inaugural WLF Superman Award.

Blaisdell also organized last year’s inaugural City of Palm Springs Rock Out to Knock Out Hunger Fundraiser in support of FIND Food Bank of the Coachella Valley, raising more than $20,000 to help feed the hungry. In addition, she is a member of the Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce’s Athena Awards Committee and a dedicated supporter of a variety of local nonprofits serving the Coachella Valley including the COD Foundation, Mizell Senior Center, Shelter from the Storm, Girlfriend Factor, Desert AIDS Project, and the Palm Springs Art Museum.

“Over the past two years, Amy Blaisdell’s leadership has led WLF to tremendous heights,” said founder Mary T. Roche, Indian Wells City Councilmember. “I can’t think of anyone who has worked harder to promote the WLF mission of empowering

Community

and developing women leaders of all ages and backgrounds in our community and I applaud the Riverside County Commission for Women for recognizing Amy’s outstanding achievement taking the Women Leaders Forum to the next level.”

“This is a huge honor and I want to thank the Riverside County Commission for Women for this fantastic recognition which will most certainly help further raise awareness about the mission of Women Leaders Forum,” said Blaisdell. “It has been my privilege and pleasure to lead WLF and I am incredibly proud of all that we have accomplished over the past few years when it comes to supporting women of all ages and backgrounds in our community. Most importantly, with the help of a wonderfully philanthropic community, WLF is assisting some extraordinarily talented Young Women Leaders receive a college education and follow their dreams.”

Founded in 2001, by former mayor and current Indian Wells City Councilmember Mary T. Roche, over the past 12 years, WLF has raised more than $350,000 for scholarships supporting members of the Young Women Leaders Mentoring Program.

To learn more about WLF and find information about becoming a mentor to a Young Woman Leader, visit www.wlfdesert. org.

by Personal Trainer Karen Creasey

Spring Break Fun Awaits at PDAC Along with Extended Hours

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pring Break is fast approaching and the state-of-the-art Palm Desert Aquatic Center (PDAC) will celebrate with extended hours and services from March 22 – 30. It’s the perfect place to splash into year-round fun in the sun with family and friends from across the valley. The swim center has American Red Cross trained lifeguards on duty during all swim hours and a variety of play features designed to delight water lovers of all ages.

PDAC is an 8-acre facility that includes

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a heated 50-meter Olympic-sized pool for hardcore swimmers; a recreation pool with a zero depth entry, and two large water slides that are exciting to ride for all who meet the 48 inch height requirement; threemeter and one-meter diving boards for some added fun; and a splash playground that fits the needs of families with younger children.

Of course snacks are a necessity when spending the day in the water! PDAC doesn’t allow outside food on the premise

For admission prices and programs offered throughout the year go to their website www.pdpool.com or call (760) 565-7467.

but the concession stand sells combo meals, assorted drinks, various snacks, and even the very popular sno cones! Three large shade structures and numerous picnic tables are available to give you the perfect picnicking experience.

The swim center will maintain regular operating hours during Spring Break from 5:30 a.m. to 8p.m. Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. However, PDAC will include the additional benefit of diving boards, water slides and children’s play areas being open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., for all day fun, during this special spring break week.

Palm Desert Aquatic Center is reasonably priced and open all year round. It’s located at 73751 Magnesia Falls Dr in Palm Desert.

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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY Week of March 20

ARIES (March 21-April 19): “When you plant seeds in the garden, you don’t dig them up every day to see if they have sprouted yet,” says Buddhist nun Thubten Chodron. “You simply water them and clear away the weeds; you know that the seeds will grow in time.” That’s sound advice for you, Aries. You are almost ready to plant the metaphorical seeds that you will be cultivating in the coming months.

Having faith should be a key element in your plans for them. You’ve got to find a way to shut down any tendencies you might have to be an impatient control freak. Your job is simply to give your seeds a good start and provide them with the persistent follow-up care they will need.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): “Thank you, disillusionment,” says Alanis Morissette in her song “Thank U.” “Thank you, frailty,” she continues.

“Thank you, nothingness. Thank you, silence.”

I’d love to hear you express that kind of gratitude in the coming days, Taurus. Please understand that I don’t think you will be experiencing a lot of disillusionment, frailty, nothingness, and silence.

Not at all. What I do suspect is that you will be able to see, more clearly than ever before, how you have been helped and blessed by those states in the past.

You will understand how creatively they motivated you to build strength, resourcefulness, willpower, and inner beauty.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): I bet your support system will soon be abuzz with fizzy mojo and good mischief. Your web of contacts is about to get deeper and feistier and prettier. Pounce, Gemini, pounce! Summon extra clarity and zest as you communicate your vision of what you want. Drum up alluring tricks to attract new allies and inspire your existing allies to assist you better. If all goes as I expect it to, business and pleasure will synergize better than they have in a long time. You will boost your ambitions by socializing, and you will sweeten your social life by plying your ambitions.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): During her 98 years on the planet, Barbara Cartland wrote 723 romance novels that together sold a billion copies. What was the secret of her success? Born under the sign of Cancer the Crab, she knew how productive she could be if she was comfortable. Many of her work sessions took place while she reclined on her favorite couch covered with a white fur rug, her feet warmed with a hot water bottle. As her two dogs kept her company, she dictated her stories to her secretary. I hope her formula for success inspires you to expand and refine your own personal formula -- and then apply it with zeal during the next eight weeks. What is the exact nature of the comforts that will best nourish your creativity?

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): The Google Ngram Viewer is a tool that scans millions of books to map how frequently a particular word is used over the course of time. For instance, it reveals that “impossible” appears only half as often in books published in the 21st century as it did in books from the year 1900. What does this mean? That fantastic and hard-to-achieve prospects are less impossible than they used to be? I don’t know, but I can say this with confidence: If you begin fantastic and hard-toachieve prospects sometime soon, they will be far less impossible than they used to be.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): The Tibetan mastiff is a large canine species with long golden hair. If you had never seen a lion and were told that this dog was a lion, you might be fooled. And that’s exactly what a zoo in Luohe, China did. It tried to pass off a hearty specimen of a Tibetan mastiff as an African lion. Alas, a few clever zoo-goers saw through the charade when the beast started barking. Now I’ll ask you, Virgo: Is there anything comparable going on in your environment? Are you being asked to believe that a big dog is actually a lion, or the metaphorical equivalent?

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In T. S. Eliot’s poem “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” the narrator seems tormented about the power of his longing.

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“Do I dare to eat a peach?” he asks. I wonder what he’s thinking. Is the peach too sweet, too juicy, too pleasurable for him to handle? Is he in danger of losing his self-control and dignity if he succumbs to the temptation? What’s behind his hesitation? In any case, Libra, don’t be like Prufrock in the coming weeks. Get your finicky doubts out of the way as you indulge your lust for life with extra vigor and vivacity.

Hear what I’m saying? Refrain from agonizing about whether or not you should eat the peach. Just go ahead and eat it.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Born under the sign of Scorpio, Neil Young has been making music professionally for over 45 years. He has recorded 35 albums and is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In early 1969, three of his most famous songs popped out of his fertile imagination on the same day. He was sick with the flu and running a 103-degree fever when he wrote “Cowgirl in the Sand,” “Cinnamon Girl,” and “Down by the River.” I suspect you may soon experience a milder version of this mythic event, Scorpio. At a time when you’re not feeling your best, you could create a thing of beauty that will last a long time, or initiate a breakthrough that will send ripples far into the future.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): There should be nothing generic or normal or routine about this week, Sagittarius. If you drink beer, for example, you shouldn’t stick to your usual brew. You should track down and drink the hell out of exotic beers with brand names like Tactical Nuclear Penguin and Ninja Vs. Unicorn and Doctor Morton’s Clown Poison. And if you’re a lipstick user, you shouldn’t be content to use your old standard, but should instead opt for kinky types like Sapphire Glitter Bomb, Alien Moon Goddess, and Cackling Black Witch. As for love, it wouldn’t make sense to seek out romantic adventures you’ve had a thousand times before.

You need and deserve something like wild sacred eternal ecstasy or screaming sweaty flagrant bliss or blasphemously reverent waggling rapture.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Actor Gary Oldman was born and raised in London. In the course of his long career he has portrayed a wide range of characters who speak English with American, German, and Russian accents. He has also lived in Los Angeles for years. When he signed on to play a British intelligent agent in the 2011 film Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, he realized that over the years he had lost some of his native British accent.

He had to take voice lessons to restore his original pronunciations. I suspect you have a metaphorically comparable project ahead of you, Capricorn. It may be time to get back to where you once belonged.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Every now and then, you’re blessed with a small miracle that inspires you to see everyday things with new vision.

Common objects and prosaic experiences get stripped of their habitual expectations, allowing them to become almost as enchanting to you as they were before numb familiarity set in. The beloved people you take for granted suddenly remind you of why you came to love them in the first place. Boring acquaintances may reveal sides of themselves that are quite entertaining. So are you ready and eager for just such an outbreak of curiosity and a surge of fun surprises? If you are, they will come. If you’re not, they won’t.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Before she died, Piscean actress Elizabeth Taylor enjoyed more than 79 years of life on this gorgeous, maddening planet.

But one aptitude she never acquired in all that time was the ability to cook a hard-boiled egg. Is there a pocket of ignorance in your own repertoire that rivals this lapse, Pisces? Are there any fundamental life skills that you probably should have learned by now? If so, now would be a good time to get to work on mastering them.

Homework: What was the pain that healed you most? Testify at FreeWillAstrology.com.

Rob Brezsny Free Will Astrology freewillastrology@freewillastrology.com

March 20 to March 26, 2014

Mind, body & Spirit

by Bronwyn Ison

MAKE IT YOUR YOGA

B

y definition yoga means, union.

Yoga is union of the mind, body and spiritual science of self. The genesis of yoga refers to India with Indian sage, Patanjali. Yoga is a 5,000-year-old practice.

People tend to think yoga is a series of exercises. While this is true the practice of yoga is far enhanced. Yoga happens to be one the fastest growing forms of exercise in the country. Yet, it is important to not disregard the mind and spiritual aspect of the practice.

More than twenty million people in the United States are practicing yoga.

Fortunately anyone can commence yoga at any stage in life. It is never to late or to early to begin a practice. Approaching your mat for the first time may render apprehensive feelings. To ease your mind you should know there is no judgment and competition is obsolete. The beauty of this practice is that you will immerse your mind, body and spirit. The physical and moving part of the practice will challenge your muscles and bones to work in ways that will be unusual to you at first. Your mind will calm and your spirit will open. One should be drawn to the mat knowing you will encompass so much in one discipline. As a yoga teacher and practitioner of 14 years I simply could not imagine not incorporating yoga as a part of my life. Physically I feel amazingly strong and healthy. Mentally I feel confident.

Spiritually I am grounded. There are so many moving parts to the practice that it never tires. One continually grows each time you approach your mat.

The health benefits of yoga are beyond temporal. Health practitioners are beginning to prescribe yoga more and more to their patients. As a studio owner new students repeatedly tell me, “my doctor recommend I take up yoga.” While you don’t have to have a health concern to lead you to a yoga mat, it is refreshing to learn doctors are referring their patients. Yoga reaps benefits to just about every health concern. Most commonly I hear of high blood pressure, arthritis, stress, back pain, and the list continues. Once you adopt a practice you will likely see the world from a different perspective. You may change your diet, your mindset, how you conduct yourself, how you approach your personal life and this list continues.

You will never regret stepping onto a yoga mat. It is gratifying in so many ways that you will be drawn to your mat over and again. You will continue to step foot onto your mat because you will soon begin to feel the mind, body and spirit connection.

Once you step upon a mat, you will never go back.

Bronwyn Ison ~ Owner of Evolve Yoga in La Quinta. www.e-volveyoga.com or (760) 564-YOGA (9642)

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March 20 to March 26, 2014

Life & career Coach

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by Sunny Simon

Reeling in the Rebels W hile walking my dog yesterday I watched a drama unfolding at the children’s playground. An interesting interaction occurred between a mother and her five-year-old twin boys.

One of the boys decided it was much more fun to use the slide going down backward.

This went on for a few minutes before their mom, resting on a bench immersed in a magazine looked up to see the out-ofthe box play style. In a no-nonsense but conversant tone she avoided the “don’t” word and in modern mom speak used a teaching tactic by explaining the preferred and safer way to enjoy the ride was feet first. Thinking she had the situation under control this young mother went back to her magazine. One twin decided mom was right and followed her instructions. The other ignored her speech and continued to enjoy the ride in reverse. Before long she noticed the rebel and asked her son why he chose to disobey. He voiced something about liking it better his way as she quietly escorted him off the playground and sentenced him to a time-out.

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beauty

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by dr maria lombardo

Dr. Maria Lombardo, Lombardo Cosmetic Surgery is located in Rancho Mirage.

She specializes in both surgical and non-surgical cosmetic procedures including (but not limited to) facial, body and breast surgery, Botox, Latisse, and hCG diet program.

For a consultation or more information, visit www.lombardocosmeticsurgery.com or call 760-610-8990. Dr. Lombardo will be writing a bi-weekly column for CV Weekly.

Everything you ever wanted to know about…. Earlobes!

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Ages five to one-hundred and five there are some individuals who refuse to take no for an answer. Although there are circumstances when push-back is warranted, we all grow weary of people who think they are exempt from rules. Refusing to take no for an answer can indicate disrespect for the person or organization tasked with enforcing the rules.

As a life and career coach I am often asked by corporations to collaborate on team issues. In the workplace, respecting company guidelines is important to the success of an organization. Many of us can probably recall an instance where everyone on the team contributed and obeyed the rules except one dissenter. Morale declines when individuals break convention and push the envelope. Additionally, it takes time and energy to bring the lone sheep back into the fold.

I realized some people disregard rules because of the way a message is conveyed.

Few react positively to a wagging finger delivery whether it is physical or figurative.

I admired the way our modern mom omitted the word “no” by saying “not this way.” Obviously it worked, well at least partially. My bottom line for dealing with dissenters is this; first keep rules to a minimum. Secondly, review existing rules for clarity and logic. Lastly, reel in the rebels in your life by repeating the importance of complying. Don’t be discouraged by the few who need to hear the message more than once. Like the mom with her errant twin, her patience was a virtue not a hindrance to the message. It just took a little more time.

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

hen you consider Cosmetic Surgery and facial procedures, the earlobe is often left out of the conversation. But, the lowly earlobe should not be overlooked!

Earlobe surgery is mostly thought to be just for repairing a split or torn ear piercing or for the reversal of large gauge plugs and overly stretched holes. Restoration of a more natural looking earlobe in these situations can be done with surgically removing the hole and suturing the opening back to the closed position. But there are other times when consideration of the earlobes can be useful…

If you have pierced ears, the pierced hole can stretch or elongate especially with heavy or “dangling” earrings. Through the years, this stretching can cause your earrings to sit in a different position or lean forward.

Additionally, the fullness of the earlobe changes in time. Just as we lose volume (fat, muscle and bone) in our faces as we age, resulting in a hollowed out appearance and hanging skin – this same process is happening in our earlobes too.

A common treatment for an improvement of the appearance of the earlobe is to “re-

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do” the piercing. This involves removing the existing hole by excising it, repairing it and letting it heal. Then re-piercing is performed in a new position several weeks later.

Often, the icing on the cake is to add a small amount of filler (Juvederm or Restylane) to the earlobe to restore its youthful fullness.

This can be done even without re-piercing to “hold up” the earring in a better position….

Patients often state that their earrings look “like they used to” after the filler procedure is done. Filler injection to the earlobe will typically last about a year.

Earlobe rejuvenation is almost always included in facial fat grafting procedures as well. When you add volume to the whole face, using the patient’s own body fat, restoring the shape and volume of the earlobe is the finishing touch!

So take a new look at your earlobe: you may be surprised by what you see…

Complimentary consultations are available with Dr. Maria Lombardo – call today to set up an appointment time: 760-610-8990 or visit online at lombardocosmeticsurgery. com

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March 20 to March 26, 2014

Comics

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March 20 to March 26, 2014

MARCH 16 AT 3 PM & MARCH 23 AT 3 PM Indian Wells Theater, Cal State University San Bernardino - Palm Desert Campus Reserved Seating Tickets $40 ONLINE at www.CaliforniaDesertChorale.org For Information and Phone Orders please call 760-346-4933 Tim Bruneau, Artistic Director / Dr. Denis Moreen, Principal Accompanist / Delatour Zimmer, Guest Soprano

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March 20 to March 26, 2014

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