Issuu

THE AGUA CALIENTE BAND OF CAHUILLA INDIANS PROUDLY PRESENTS THE

RICHARD M. MILANOVICH

A N D

5 K

R U N

Join us in the Indian Canyons for the 9th Annual Richard M. Milanovich Legacy Hike/5K Run

SATURDAY, MARCH 16, 2024 Proceeds benefit the RICHARD M. MILANOVICH EDUCATIONAL FELLOWSHIP

in partnership with

acbci.com/hike

Thank you to our advisory board whose talents, insights, and passions contribute to the quality of this publication. Jacqueline Guevara Executive Director, Joshua Tree National Park Association Barnett English Festival Founder and Director, Joshua Tree Music Festival Dave Catching Owner, Rancho De La Luna Recording Studio & Rancho De La Luna Mezcal, Musician, Producer Mario Lalli Musician, Fatso Jetson, Yawning Man, Mario Lalli and the Snake Charmers Bobby Furst Owner/Creator of FurstWurld, Artist

OUR TEAM: Design Wizard: Jeff Day Web Guru: Chelsea Van Es Staff Photographer: Sandra Goodin Art Writer: Katie Nartonis Angeles: Poetry Corner Creator Owner/Publisher: Lisa Lynn Morgan Owner/Principal: Ray Rodriguez FEATURE WRITERS Barnett English Gabriel Hart Alexandra Martinez Kevin Bone Stan Popovich Lisa Lynn Morgan ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHERS Brandy Lee Dyess Per Schorn / Nele Scott Witter Carly Foulkes Cierra Breeze Penelope Valentine Alexandra Hicks (Rattlesnake Season & Hibernation) Joe Schaeffer (Cover Photo)

WE WOULD NOT BE HERE without our amazing team, the love of this diverse and colorful, supportive community, and the following businesses that have partnered with us. Please, whenever you can, show them some love – lots of it! 29 Palms Inn, 29 Palms Creative Center, Agua Caliente Cultural Plaza, The Saint Boniface Boutique Hotel, Cabots Pueblo Museum, Casuelas Café, Compound YV, Copper Mountain College, Cork Tree Restaurant, Coyote Cone, Desert Dog Coffee, Desert Vacation Rentals, Fans Sports Bar & Grill, Karen Martin of Farmers Insurance, Healthy Generations, Hi-Desert Nature Museum, Karen Lowe of Inspire Realty, Jenifer Halbert Realtor, Joshua Tree Saloon, Joshua Tree Excursions, King of the Hammers, Kitty’s Wildlife Refuge, Larry & Milt’s Western Café, Libby’s Realty, MazAmar Art Pottery, Nature’s Health Food & Café, Palm Desert Bike N’ Brews, Peace of Mind Retirement Planning, Pointed Pearl, Recapitate Hats, Sacred Fire, Stargazing Joshua Tree, Tac/Quila Authentic Mexican Cuisine, Thai Café – Yucca Valley & 29 Palms, and Tortoise Rock/Spotlight 29 Casino. If you would like to partner with Joshua Tree Voice through digital and print marketing, please contact us at (760) 237-0124.

ABOUT THE COVER: “The road goes on forever, and the party never ends.” The Robert Earle King lyric comes to mind as Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters, Nirvana) lifts the bottle of Rancho De La Luna Mezcal in celebration with his friend/fellow music shaman, and the elixir’s co-owner/creator, Dave Catching, at a back yard barbeque. But look deeper into the lives of these two rock smiths, and you’ll see the commonality of an incredible work ethic on multiple platforms and the uncanny knack of surrounding themselves with phenomenal people. Catching, widely revered for his rock and roll beard, and his work with bands Queens of the Stone Age, Eagles of Death Metal, Mojave Lords, and others, is founder and owner of the famed Rancho De La Luna Recording Studio in Joshua Tree, a place Grohl has frequently used to record. Catching and business partner, Bingo Richey, have created Rancho De La Luna Mezcal, arguably the “best Mezcal in the world.” Dave Grohl loves it, as do many. Full story on pages 4-7.

NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER: In October 2022 we celebrated the first Joshuas Honors Gala at the historic Joshua Tree Retreat Center. 22 honors were given, more than 15 acts performed, food and beverages were overly delightful. Everyone on the production team worked hard to make this a special night, but we had no idea what we would tap into. The gathering of creative hearts and minds coming together to lift up those who pour themselves into their craft and this community created an energy we had never experienced before. But then again, we’d been isolated and locked down for a season that lasted longer than anyone expected, and Covid restrictions had just been lifted. October 2023 proved it wasn’t a fluke or matter of timing – the gathering created yet another vortex on the storied property, one of joy, love, and kindness, and we were overwhelmed once again. There were more than 15 performances – not a single repeat from the year prior – and the magic happened AGAIN. If you have not yet been or have been and do not want to miss it, please save the date – Sunday, October 20, 2024. We’ll feed you. We’ll entertain you with a vast array of the area’s incredible talent. Libations will flow. And we will be in awe together at just how deep the love and talent runs in this beautiful kaleidoscope community.

The Magical Mezcal of the Mojave and Its Founding Wizards

Photo: Brandy Lee Dyess

By Lisa Lynn Morgan Magic has, at long last, been captured in a bottle. The award-winning Rancho De La Luna Mezcal is as much a product born from the agave of Oaxaca, Mexico, as it is from the legendary song smithing, collaboration, and kinship cultivated over 30 years at the Joshua Tree recording studio it is named after. At the helm are the highly revered musicians, Dave Catching and Bingo Richey. ABOUT RANCHO DE LA LUNA: If the walls of the Rancho could sing, you’d hear the music of Daniel Lanois, Dave Grohl, Foo Fighters, Peter Buck (R.E.M.), Josh Homme, Queens of the Stone Age, Kyuss, Eagles of Death Metal, Mark Lanegan, Arctic Monkeys, Iggy Pop, Kurt Vile, Victoria Williams, earthlings?, UNKLE, Masters of Reality, Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster, The Duke Spirit, Desert Sessions, and so many more. Here, recording artists glean from the collective creative energy that has saturated the walls over time where rock and roll’s favorite sons and daughters have divined riffs on instruments that lay in wait for the next artist to wield.

Founded by Catching in the early 90s with the late, great, Fred Drake, Rancho De La Luna has become the Holy Grail for musicians around the world. Richey worked beside Catching and Drake from its earliest conception. Bands and artists have stayed at the studio/house for weeks at a time while they record, and Catching has hosted them with food, camaraderie, barbeque, and of course, libations.

THE MEN OF THE RANCHO MEZCAL: David Catching: The Memphis born axe wielder helped start Queens of the Stone Age (QOTSA) with Joshua Homme. They worked together on a single called, “18 AD’ for a compilation record called, Burn One Up. Catching played with QOTSA from 1997-2000, and went on to play with earthlings? (a band he formed with Fred Drake), Mondo Generator, Eagles of Death Metal (20032017), the late Mark Lanegan. In 2013, Catching and Richey formed Mojave Lords, a band whose show with earthlings?, inside Joshua Tree National Park, August of 2021 (a fundraiser for Joshua Tree National Park Association), sold out within an hour. That concert and a follow up concert at Pappy + Harriet’s, was part of a documentary, “No New Normal,” described on IMDB as “Mojave Lords and earthlings? - Underground musical bands from the California high desert embark on their first concert after COVID shutdowns on music venues. The bands are testing the new evolving concert regulations by playing

Bingo Richey & Dave Catching. Photo courtesy of Majave Lords

THE MEZCAL: The Rancho De La Luna Mezcal “…has been judged exceptional, and rightfully so. Smooth, warming, and delicious, it invites camaraderie across the board by avoiding the overly ‘smokey’ trap of many upscale Mezcals. Considering the volume we pour, our guests definitely share my enthusiasm.” Ray Rodriguez, lifetime restauranteur and co-owner of Casuelas Cafe and Cork Tree restaurants in Palm Desert, California. Photo: Dave Catching

on exterior venues and fighting harsh environments, playing a concert inside Joshua Tree National Park Indian Cove Amphitheater - and the desert’s iconic Pappy and Harriets venue. The No New Normal concert documentary tells a story of musicians endurance and a selection of live songs that showcase the spirit of the Californian desert music scene.” “I met Bingo when he first moved to Joshua Tree and started working with Tony Mason at Rancho De La Luna,” Catching shared. “I would go to Pappy + Harriet’s every Sunday to see the Sunday Band featuring Bingo, Victoria Williams, Travis Cline, Ray Woods, Carol Ann Crandall, Bobby Furgo, and a lot of other amazing friends/musicians. Bingo and I became fast friends. He is one of the smartest, coolest, funniest people I have ever met.” “As far as roles go in the Mezcal partnership,” Catching shared, “Bingo is the brains behind Rancho Mezcal and does all the heavy lifting. I help host events and spread the word.” Bingo Richey, raised in Kansas, learned to play guitar along with bluegrass, country, rock ‘n’ roll, and everything that was on the radio. “My first recordings in the early 80’s were pretty experimental,” he shared. “I was working with circuit bending, RadioShack

It’s list of prestigious validations back that assessment up:

keyboards, and even getting into the early stage of digital audio with augmented Betamax four-track stereo recording. Since then, it’s a long story. Fast forward through decades of bar gigs all over the world, and land with me in Joshua Tree in early 2000. I’ve worked with some wonderful people in my life so far: John Cage, Holy Modal Rounders (member), and a lot more. Then, all of a sudden, I’m learning patch bay renovation, engineering and next-level tape recording with Fred Drake and Tony Mason. I’ve gotten to play with Victoria Williams, Thrift Store All-Stars, Mojave Lords, and many of our illustrious Rancho alumni and colleagues worldwide.”

SILVER Medal (2023 San Francisco World Spirits Competition) GOLD Medal (2023 Beverage Testing Institute) GOLD Medal (2023 San Francisco World Spirits Design Competition) SILVER Medal (2023 Bartender Spirits Awards)

“David and I made friends right away,” Richey added, “because we had some common friends, a lot of common interests, and we’re both awesome people that like to have fun and make weird sounds.”

How does one take an idea like that and bring it into fruition? Partnership and hard work – a concept few are better at than these two music crafters.

Richey sees Catching’s role as the “face of the company…(Catching) helps spread the word about all our fun shenanigans, AND he pours a lot of mezcal for the awesome bands and artists that come to work with him on music. I handle all the business stuff... It’s kind of like the group Wham! UK. David is George Michael, and I’m the other guy that does all the computers and shit.”

“I learned about the spirits business by working in the spirits business. I learned about making mezcal by working alongside our Master Mezcalero, Carlos Méndez Blas,” Richey shared. “He is fourth generation mezcalero. His mother and grandmother were both widowed, single women who helped revolutionize mezcal as an industry, and as an art. The story of artisanal and ancestral mezcal is a long one. Mezcal was illegal to produce or sell up until the mid-1990s.

The concept of making their own liquor springboarded from a suggestion to get a liquor endorsement to subsidize the amount of alcohol being poured in hospitality at the Rancho. Richey, known for his hustle, responded, “Why get an endorsement? Let’s make our own liquor.”

Photo: Dave Catching

Our production partners were instrumental in that accomplishment, as well as in the formation of growers and producers’ unions. We are all very proud to be partners.” “Rancho De La Luna Spirits is a privately held company,” Richey noted, “but a couple of our publicly vocal members are renowned musicians/producers Butch Vig (Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Garbage) and Peter Buck (R.E.M.).” Also vocal about the Rancho Mezcal is famed restauranteur and James Beard Award Winning Chef, Christy Vega. “She says it’s her ‘favorite mezcal in the world,’” Richey added. “Rancho De La Luna Mezcal is the house brand for Casa Vega in Sherman Oaks (est. 1958).” “Rancho de La Luna Spirits has been a story of rapid growth leading us through many transitions,” Richey continued. “We are positioned to sponsor live music events on a continual basis all over the US and in several different countries. Much of that support focus will be for local live music events in different towns and cities: open mics, new band nights, and Industry nights are a great place to show love for our community of venues, musicians, and hospitality workers. We’re also

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gearing up with many key retail chains. We ALWAYS love to visit mom and pops too. It’s a fun job.” As with music, Richey is a self-taught entrepreneur. “I continually study business and contract law,” Richey explained. “I handle all our corporate and business management tasks. I read all the fine print, usually a few times, and I ask a lot of questions. Then we pay lawyers to make sure we’re not f*&%! anything up. I’m learning about business by reading, studying, working my ass off, and making a lot of mistakes. Some of my favorite informational resources have been Investopedia, MIT’s Open Courseware, and various trade journals. We also have an incredible board of directors with decades of formal business and law experience. Every step of the way has been an invaluable education.” Together, Richey and Catching are poised to enjoy success in multiple ventures that surround the recording studio and its mezcal. “Rancho de La Luna Recording Studio, RDLL Spirits LLC, RDLL Records/ Media Company LLC, RDLL Holdings LLC, RDLL Licensing LLC, are all the tip of the iceberg for the fun stuff we’re now able to create and facilitate.”

Photo: Tiny Pony Photo Booth

SWEET RELIEF MUSIC HOUR: Richey and Catching have never shied away from offering support to the community of Joshua Tree or their music community. One project that is deeply important to them is The Sweet Relief Music Hour. The RDLL team has put a lot of time into building a channel to support the non-profit, Sweet Relief, that was initially formed to help pay medical bills for renowned musician, Victoria Williams. Williams was diagnosed with MS while on tour with Neil Young in the 90s. After her diagnosis, a group of friends assembled an all-star album of Victoria’s songs, Sweet Relief, which alleviated much of her medical debt. Vic, aware that there were many musicians like her -unable to afford medical expenses and compromised in their ability to work- donated some of her proceeds from the album to found Sweet Relief Musicians Fund. Sweet Relief Musicians Fund provides financial assistance to all types of career musicians and music industry workers who are struggling to make ends meet while facing physical or mental health issues, disability, or age-related problems. * “You’re always just one paycheck away from a bad day,” shares Richey on the video promo. “It’s nice to know that you’re not alone in times like that. To have Sweet Relief step in like that…it’s just a contagious vibe to see Vic take all that she got as love from people with her own health issues, and then just turn around and give it back to people who she thought might need it more.” The Sweet Relief Music Hour (SRMH) will be a monthly, one-hour program, hosted by Steve Agee, that centers around musical performance. The program will include interviews with the artists that are performing, as well as featuring good news reports from artists that have been helped by Sweet Relief in the past. In conjunction with the musical artists for each show, Sweet Relief Music Hour will invite up-and-coming, local, and unique artists, as well as venerable masters of the form to design the posters, commemorative merchandise, overall vibe and set design of each episode. The

Photo: Scott Witter

merchandise will be available for purchase through the Sweet Relief Music Hour website and remain in the catalog ad infinitum to allow fans and collectors to discover and enjoy the ephemera associated with their new favorite show, for years to come. The performances will be presented in conjunction with McMenamins Live Music and Events who have offered several of their best performance venues, along with booking management, and accommodations for the SRMH show performers. The show looks to go into production this summer (2024): https://www. sweetreliefmusichour. com/.

roots of all of it, and is what will make the footprint of Rancho De La Luna, the Mezcal, and these two entrepreneurs inspirationally indelible. Here are some links where you can learn more about Rancho De La Luna and its Mezcal: https://ranchodelalunaloops.com/ https://www.ranchodelaluna.com/ https://www.ranchomezcal.com/ <- 21+ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mr5h1R8PP7E https://www.sweetrelief.org/ Photo: Per Schorn / Nele

Rancho De La Luna and Rancho De La Luna Mezcal is a testimonial to larger ideals than fame and fortune or the ultimate party elixir. The beauty in both these ventures and the men at the heart of them is the foundation of creativity, authentic friendship, integrity, and respect, all applied to create something greater than themselves with the willing work ethic that those aspirations demand. Love is at the

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Copper Mountain College’s “FULL RIDE” Greenleaf Scholarship Open for Morongo Basin Students High school students across the Morongo Basin who are graduating this year have a once in a lifetime opportunity available to them this winter – they can apply for the Greenleaf Scholarship. The Greenleaf Scholarship is not your ordinary scholarship, though there’s nothing wrong with those. This scholarship provides a “full ride” for the recipient, covering nearly all expenses associated with going to college, including tuition, textbooks, fees, and standard living expenses like food, lodging, and transportation, while the student attends Copper Mountain College and then transfers to a university to complete their bachelor’s degree. During a time when the cost of obtaining a college degree can be a significant challenge for many students and families, Copper Mountain College helps keep a college education affordable. There are numerous avenues of support for students who want to obtain a degree to keep their costs at a minimum. Students can obtain any of dozens of certificates to prepare for a career, or associate degrees that transfer to many CSU and UC universities to further their studies, at a very low cost. The Greenleaf Scholarship takes that one giant step further for a Morongo Basin student every year. It covers their costs while attending Copper Mountain College, and then continues to cover their costs while pursuing their bachelor’s degree at a university. It’s a full ride scholarship, made possible by The Roy Greenleaf, Jr. Education Fund, established by the estate of F. Roy Greenleaf, Jr., and administered by the Copper Mountain College Foundation. “F. Roy Greenleaf, Jr., came to the Morongo Basin in the 1970s and started a community bank,” said Sandy Smith, executive director of the CMC Foundation. “His arrival coincided with the beginning of the fundraising for the building of what has become Copper Mountain College and he became a major donor to the CMC Foundation. The college’s library is actually named in his honor.” Greenleaf developed a close relationship with Friends of Copper Mountain College, now the CMC Foundation, Smith explained. “Mr. Greenleaf set up a trust for his estate with the CMC Foundation as its sole beneficiary,” Smith noted. “Roy died in 1996, and his wife Beverly passed away in 2000. With her passing, a $2.5 million endowment was turned over to the CMC Foundation to fund the Greenleaf Scholar Program. We’ve been good stewards and continue to honor the Greenleaf’s wishes.” Some students may worry that their grades aren’t high enough to qualify them for the Greenleaf Scholarship, but Smith explained that GPA isn’t the only factor considered for the scholarship. “Mr. Greenleaf was pretty specific about what a Greenleaf Scholar would be, including that they’re a responsible student interested in learning; a student

GreenleafScholar2: Copper Mountain College’s 2015 Greenleaf Scholar, KamalJot Singh, with the 2022 Greenleaf Scholar, Julianna Jimenez. Photo courtesy of Copper Mountain College.

Yvonne Mullen Graduation UCB 2023: Copper Mountain College’s 2017 Greenleaf Scholar, Yvonne Mullen, graduating from University of California Berkeley in May 2023. Photo courtesy of Yvonne Mullen.

who is well respected by their peers, teachers, and administrators; a student who is success oriented and a hard worked both in, and out, of school; and, a student who shows a desire to return to the Morongo Basin upon completion of their education,” Smith detailed.

completed online at https://apply.mykaleidoscope. com/scholarships/CMCFoundationGreenleaf.

In 2002, Jillian Burkett from Yucca Valley was named the first Greenleaf Scholar. Burkett completed her associate degree at Copper Mountain College and went on to San Diego State University to complete her teaching degree. Since that time, Greenleaf Scholars from all across the Morongo Basin have gone on to obtain their bachelor’s degrees at universities from UC Riverside and UC Santa Barbara to UC Berkeley, Cal State Long Beach to Cal State San Bernardino and BYU. They have obtained degrees in everything from Physics and Educational Counseling to Business Administration, Criminal Justice, Accounting, Applied Statistical Science, Electrical Engineering, Psychology, and more. Greenleaf Scholars have gone on to have careers in education and counseling, serving in the Air Force and working in start-up companies. Yvonna Mullen, the 2017 Greenleaf Scholar graduated from UC Berkely in May 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in Conservation and Resource Studies, and Vanessa Reyes, the 2019 Greenleaf Scholar, followed her in December with a bachelor’s degree in Media Studies. Applications for the Greenleaf Scholarship are open through February 21. All applications must be

For more information, please contact the Copper Mountain College Foundation at (760) 366-3791 extension 4200. Apply for the 2024 Greenleaf Scholarship Who should apply? Graduating high school seniors who are: • Hard working • Involved in the community and school • Goal oriented • Willing to live and work in the Morongo Basin after college Applications are due by February 21, 2024 Apply at: https://apply.mykaleidoscope.com/ scholarships/CMCFoundationGreenleaf For information: (760)366-3791 extension 4200 All applications must be completed online. CMC’s mission is to provide educational opportunities for diverse desert communities and beyond through a comprehensive curriculum and support services that demonstrate a passion for the success of every individual student. Copper Mountain College offers high quality, affordable instruction that enables students to attain mastery in basic skills and career development, and build pathways to associate degrees, certificates, university transfer, and personal enrichment. For general information about Copper Mountain College, please visit www.cmccd.edu.

Authentic Mexican cuisine, cooked to perfection! Proud to announce we are a recommended restaurant in the Michelin Guide for the 2nd year in a row (2022, 2023)

(760)-417-4471

tacquila.com

or book through Open Table 415 N. Palm Canyon Dr., Palm Springs, CA

PARTNER WITH US! Partner with Joshua Tree Voice through print and digital advertising

DISTRIBUTION: 22,000 READERSHIP: 100,000 + and growing Our print distribution covers the greater Joshua Tree area from Morongo Valley to 29 Palms and Wonder Valley The Greater Coachella Valley, from Palm Springs to Indio San Diego County Orange County Los Angeles County To advertise, call (760) 237-0124 or email info@JoshuaTreeVoice.com PO Box 1299, Joshua Tree, CA 92252 To purchase print issues and subscriptions, stay in the loop through our mailing list, or to see our most current distribution list

visit JoshuaTreeVoice.com.

Photo credit: Josh Kizziar joshkizziarphotography.com

ART Reception

Saturday, February 3 at 29 Palms Art Gallery The 29 Palms Art Gallery will host an art reception on Saturday, Feb 3, to celebrate the February exhibition. The gallery will be open all day, and reception hospitality will be served on the gallery patio from 4-6 p.m. The public is invited to attend and meet the artists. Admission is free. Featured in the West Wing in February is photography by Paul Ivanushka of Yucca Valley and photography and paintings by Victoria Sebanz of Landers. Ivanushka creates botanical portraits of wildflowers indigenous to the Mojave Desert, channeling Penn, Mapplethorpe, and Mockel to show the plants as the divas of the desert. Sebanz collects leaves and is fascinated by the metamorphosis that occurs when she plays with shadow, shape and perspective at different times of the day. Layers of leaves, leaves falling, each unique imprint becomes healing, the symbol of Earth, of memories made, of dreams to keep. The East Gallery features oil and acrylic paintings by Susan Frazier of Rancho Mirage. Her first epiphany to being an artist was seeing a Van Gogh exhibit at age 5. She is now inspired by the desert lifestyle, along with Georgia O’Keeffe’s modernism and Agnes Pelton’s

transcendentalism, she says, “My best artwork is just now presenting itself to me.” Twentynine Palms Artists’ Guild members will display a variety of new works in the Members Room this month. The exhibition will be on display at the gallery February 2 to 25, open Friday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The historic 29 Palms Art Gallery is located at 74055 Cottonwood Drive at the corner of National Park Drive in Twentynine Palms, CA. For more information, visit www.29palmsartgallery.com.

Son of the Velvet Rat’s Ghost Ranch

By Gabriel Hart When we think of the term “force of nature,” our blunted, even traumatized sensibilities first imagine the most disastrous of Her efforts; tornados, earthquakes, wildfire, tsunami, and hurricanes. Often, we’ll apply this term to a human being; the overachiever, the psychic vampire, the posthumous negative creep who we deem a force of nature when we can’t think of anything nicer to say at their funeral. Here, let us speak of the even rarer forces of nature who bring reassurance and calm without compromising their shadow sides; those who provide the option of cool shade to balance the scorching desert sun giving us life when it’s not overstaying its welcome. To many, Son of the Velvet Rat (SotVR) have defined our cycle of seasons here in the high desert. Though we are stubborn here, choosing to remain discontent holding on too tight to what we export/import only to create a dust-deviling insular vortex, we knew going into this that we must share SotVR with the Austrians. When, in fact, Austria shares them with us. Precisely why we must never take them for granted. SotVR are their own fifth season, a mysterious subnarrative we must listen to intently every chance we get starting in September because in March, they’re gone, man. With no falling leaves of changing colors here, I only know it’s truly Fall when Georg and Heike arrive. And when they depart, I know it’s time to dust off my wide brim and start drinking extra water. “Can’t say why I must be going/it’s just something that I do.” —A Deeper Shade of Blue

As if we’re replenished by our own perpetual yearning here, fueled by our own perpetual dissatisfaction: in summertime we complain, longing for winter; when winter comes, we shiver stuttering, vowing to never curse the sun again. And one of the most poignant traits of Son of the Velvet Rat—we spend half the year missing them, wondering what they’re doing, what they’ll do next. Which brings us to their new album, Ghost Ranch, one of Son of the Velvet Rat’s most bare-boned albums to date that seems to pre-emptively make up for lost time. With stripped down instrumentation and arrangements, there’s a campfire intimacy to Georg and Heike’s hushed confessionals, which makes them feel like they’re right there with you, even when they’re not. Continuing the divinitive standard of songwriting, these eleven new pieces communicate predestination; a familiarity you can’t quite place yet leaving us with

that inexplicable feeling they’ve always been around. Son of the Velvet Rat’s new album, Ghost Ranch, was recorded at Red Barn Recorders in Morongo Valley/CA and co-produced by Gar Robertson with Jay Bellerose on drums, Jennifer Condos on bass. It features Jolie Holland on backing vocals and violin. Marc Ribot guests on electric guitar. A Pre-Release Party is being held at Spaghetti Western, February 3, 2024, at 8:30 PM. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased on Eventbrite (scan QR code above)

LOUISE MARLER:

WOMAN AND MACHINE By Katie Nartonis

Joshua Tree National Park is my local, quiet, big nature, earth-girl walk, meditation, hide-out. – Louise Anne Marler (aka L.A. Marler)

Joshua Tree based “artographer,” Louise Marler’s photographic + text works create strong imagery with pop colors that evoke a vintage vibe. Her work embraces the nostalgic feelings conjured by our collective analog past. Vintage cameras, typewriters, radios and televisions are her best-known series. The images fill the frame - oversized, simplified and colorized in such a way as they become less physical object, and more playful statement. These machines, which once defined modernity, now conjure a collective familiarity and sentimental aesthetic - which Marler captures with grace and wit.

is totally original.” She notes, “Growing up in the later third of the 20th century meant knowing analog media, broadcast and publishing. Now with the digital era, all that integrity, fact-checking and control is democratized, for better or worse. My art is about this, developed by this, is part of this.”

Louise is originally from St. Louis, Missouri and now splits her time between her desert home in Joshua Tree and the midwestern Gateway City. Growing up, her family collected, repaired and sold typewriters. She notes that these machines became a part of her visual expression naturally - “My career is rooted in our family typewriter business with a letter shop in back, early direct mail. Mass communication, publishing, tools-of-the-trade – the original pop art.”

After leaving a job as part of the newspaper union at a daily St. Louis paper, she decided to go West and she drove her Chevy Cavalier down Route 66 “listening to Depeche Mode.” Once in LA, she rented an apartment and landed a job as a manager at an international magazine.

While her degree was in Business Administration, a choice she now appreciates, she is a self-taught artist and proud of the accomplishment. A curator she worked with once said, “Everyone else is from the ‘school of’… but, LA Marler

Louise acquired technical expertise through work and school and she has always had a strong drive to master fine art printing. In college she took art classes, and later learned on the job working for printers and publishers. She also studied art and design in “museums, galleries, magazines and books.”

With the determination of a pioneer, she had made it to the West Coast. She found the joy of paying her own way, indeed the freedom of designing her own lifestyle. She describes that time as “a new era of being a thirdphase feminist.” Later on, she successfully created and sold a commercial printing company, and scored an art studio in a Santa Monica Airport hanger. It was there that she combined her range of mechanical and

digital techniques – and developed her unique practice of large format mixed media, and limited- edition prints. Eventually, she added painting and pencil to her photos, and is constantly experimenting with new techniques. An avid nature-lover and environmentalist, she had camped and enjoyed modest get-aways to Joshua Tree and 29 Palms over the years. When she met a new desert friend, Izzy - she started to visit the desert more often. He happened to be from the same town where she had graduated college, Cape Girardeau Missouri. He was rehabbing houses in the desert, and he inspired her to start to look around. She recalls, “Izzy had sent me a postage-size photo from his flip-top phone and he went to the court house auction for me in March 2010. I bought the house unseen, using the money I had saved from selling my business – and suddenly, I had a huge new job!” Louise describes the sleepy village of Joshua Tree when she first arrived - “Joshua Tree…was out-back, broken with tumble weeds and biker gangs. After twenty years in the urban jungle, I fell in love with the dust. One-byone I picked up the trash, cigarette butts, broken glass, fed the birds and unwittingly started a second career in home improvement. The neighbors thanked me. As my art career and home improvement work merged, the humble northside home became The Joshua Tree Type

Inn.” The Type Inn is now a writer retreat and favorite short-term rental for visitors. Her hope for the future of the desert community is simple, she entones “Let’s keep it down-to-earth, skygazing dark skies, eye-to-eye friends, environmentalists, active, up-cycling artists that have nice, simple, heathy lives” she remarks. She is also concerned about some of the change she has witnessed, and she notes, “I was hoping to leave the huge egos and what comes with them, such as, entitlement and competitiveness behind. I was also hoping that corporate and luxury would stay in Palm Springs. But that is not happening.” Currently LA Marler’s work is on view at the Rancho Mirage Public Library - now through the end of February. She notes, ‘It is an honor to be invited again for their 10th Writers Fest and be featured during Modernism Week here.” She expresses gratitude that she was first discovered by the Rancho Mirage Library while showing with Bobby Furst, at Furstwurld, during Art Tours in 2013. This generosity and support to and from others is important to her, “there are so many artists like myself who are wildly independent. Yet in order to have a real community it needs to be inclusive regardless of age, income, race, education, or religion.” She continues, “I do suggest that new artists show with others. Less tour stops and more collaborations.” Among the list of collectors of Marlers’ work are film actor Tom Hanks, the Rancho Mirage Library, the Palm Springs Art Museum, the Smithsonian Museum, and Emerson College. Marlers’ unique contemporary style has landed her in national museums and galleries, international private collections, films, and TV Shows, such as: Two and a Half Men, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Mentalist, Criminal Minds, Dear White People,

Arrested Development, and a documentary film, The Typewriter in the 21st Century, in which she is interviewed. Featured in 2021 NBCLX mental health segment, “Why we are sentimental.” Marler’s private studio, adjacent to The Joshua Tree TYPE Inn, is located at 5957 Sunset Road, Joshua Tree, CA 92252. She is available by appointment at her desert studio or at the Rancho Mirage Library during normal hours. For additional information visit www.LAMarler. com. Or, follow her on Facebook at L.A. Marler and on Instagram at @LA_Marler.

Katie Nartonis is a writer, curator, film maker and specialist in art and design. Her most recent documentary film, “Jack Rogers Hopkins: Calfornia Design Maverick,” about the late San Diego based mid-century designercraftsman, premiered during Palm Springs Modernism Week in 2023. She is currently writing “Glimpses of The Joshua Tree Dream,” a book on the way we live in the high desert.

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I Have Ended My Reign Alexandra Martinez

I have ended my reign of screaming into pillows/under bridges with strangers I respectfully tender my resignation — I KNOW THE END. The end is all of this/none of this The end is my throat no longer ravaged my voice no longer shot my fingernails pristinely dirty from doing whatever I want cleaning up after only myself being right, being wrong I know the end the end is silence and the smell of the desert and not this

Alexandra Martinez is the author of HEARTBREAKER (Wax Nine, 2022) and Our Lady of Perpetual Desert (Inlandia Books, 2023). She lives in Joshua Tree, CA. You can listen to her locally run radio show, PEQUENA CRETIÑA on Other Desert Radio at www.otherdesertradio.com Photo Credit: Alexandra Martinez To have your poetry published in our Poetry Corner, submit your piece (300 words max). If you like (please know, it’s not mandatory), include a short three-line bio introducing yourself, a photo of your inspiration, and/or a photo of yourself along with your composition to PoetryCorner@ JoshuaTreeVoice.com. Please understand that submitting does not guarantee publication.

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CHOLLA NEEDLES:

This month’s feature comes from Haylee Ryan Mojave Desert by Haylee Ryan. “The desert is home to so much animas. There is some slow and fast. But all of the animas are safe. Where they are right now.” ABOUT THIS PROJECT: During the 2022-2023 school year, Mojave Desert Land Trust worked with passionate students from Yucca Valley Elementary, Cesar Chavez Elementary, San Jose Charter Academy, and La Contenta Middle School through their Desert Discovery Field Studies (DDFS) program. Their poetry and expressive illustrations provide insight to their experience growing up in the Colorado and Mojave Deserts. Many thanks to Rich Soos, our partner Cholla Needles Arts & Literary Library for bringing one of our Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics (STEAM) lessons to life in the Autumn 2023 edition of Cholla Needles: Young Writers and Artists magazine! Copies of the magazine are available for purchase online. This project was funded in part through grants from the Inland Empire Community Foundation and the Society for Science. Funding for the August 2023 issue of Cholla Needles was also lovingly provided by Bonnie Bostrom, George Kirk, Peter Nash, and Janet Tucker. The Desert Discovery Field Studies program provides students from underserved desert communities with an innovative way to learn about desert ecology and conservation. This immersive program helps students become inspired advocates for the desert they call home. This month, Joshua Tree Voice is featuring art and poetry from Isabela Coronel.

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LOVE YOUR PARK FOOD & DRINK TOUR 2024

Joshua Tree National Park Association (JTNPA) is thrilled to announce their second Annual Love Your Park Food & Drink Tour.

JTNPA also partnered with Z107.7 FM. When Destination Restaurants purchased ad space for the tour, Z107.7 FM donated a portion of the proceeds.

Dine at your favorite culinary destinations and support Joshua Tree National Park!

In 2024, JTNPA is thrilled to extend this opportunity to restaurants in the Low Desert as well! Both Joshua Tree Voice and Z107.7 FM have committed to donating a portion of ad space proceeds this year–we’re so grateful for their support! For more information or to purchase ad space, please contact Lisa Morgan, Owner and Publisher of Joshua Tree Voice at lisa@ joshuatreevoice.com and Cindy Daigneault, General Manager at Z107.7 FM at cindy@z1077fm.com.

The Love Your Park Food & Drink Tour is an annual fundraiser hosted by Joshua Tree National Park Association, Joshua Tree National Park’s primary nonprofit partner. This year’s Love Your Park Food & Drink tour is officially sponsored by Joshua Tree Voice and Z107.7 FM. During the week of Valentine’s Day (February 10th through the 18th), participating Destination Restaurants will donate a portion of sales from a menu item to support initiatives at Joshua Tree National Park. In 2023, JTNPA held the first Food & Drink Tour. They were able to raise $10,000 with the help of 12 HiDesert restaurants, some of which are still serving their “Love Your Park” menu items almost a year later!

The 2024 fundraising goal is $20,000. Funds raised go directly toward the most critical programs and projects as identified by Joshua Tree National Park. To learn more about JTNPA and the 2024 Love Your Park Food & Drink Tour, visit joshuatree.org/services/events. See you on tour!

Participating Restaurants Pappy + Harriets Food for Thought Café at the Joshua Tree Retreat Center Mas o Menos Rocky’s Pizza The Copper Room Roadrunner Grab + Go The Restaurant at 29 Palms Inn The Dez The Tiny Pony Tavern Tost Pizza JT Country Kitchen Campbell Hill Bakery Spaghetti Western Sky High Pie Chef Tanya’s Kitchen Ace Hotel & Swim Club

Hi-Desert Artists

A Phoenix Rises from the Ashes of JTAG By Katie Nartonis “I have been honored to be a part of our steering committee, for the Hi-Desert Artists group, right from our beginning - when we were trying to save the JTAG gallery. This has been a huge learning experience for me…(it) makes me very proud to be doing something worthwhile for our high desert art community.” Snake Jagger, HDA Artist + Volunteer Earlier this year, the MBCAC (Morongo Basin Cultural Arts Council) closed the long running JTAG (Joshua Tree Art Gallery) located in the heart of Joshua Tree. JTAG, a community-run and artist’s led art-space was one of the few places in the high desert where local artist members could take part in group shows and arrange a solo show for a manageable fee. The closing felt sudden, and the artist members were left feeling adrift. Sometimes when things get tough, folks rally. Almost immediately after the closing of JTAG, the artists of the Morongo Basin pulled together and started meeting in person to discuss their options.

Founding HDA member, local ceramicist and arts advocate Ed Keesling explains the genesis of the new Hi-Desert Artists’ organization. He notes, “It evolved from a group of artists that formed a cooperative to save JTAG. The cooperative offered to manage JTAG and to continue to show local artists and pay all of the rent and utilities costs. When the MBCAC abruptly turned us down and closed the gallery, we decided to find a new place to run a gallery.” After months of hard work, this tenacious group established a new 501-c non-profit organization (calling themselves the Hi-Desert Artists or HDA) and already have a strong working membership.

The (HDA) organization is built on the principle of total transparency and involvement of the artists in the planning and operation of the gallery. - Ed Keesling

Ed continues, “The HDA is currently a group of artists who have joined together to found the organization as Legacy members. We have a board of 8 founding volunteer members, approved by the membership. The membership meets on the last Sunday of the month to hear progress reports from each of the directors, and to vote on all major decisions about the operation and management of the organization. Obviously, this is somewhat cumbersome and time consuming, but as they say, democracy is messy at times. The advantage is that all the members are well informed and have the chance to be involved.” In December, the HDA announced that they have purchased the old Route 62 Vintage Marketplace space in Yucca Valley. Cheyanne Sauter, the Director of the group Affordable Housing for Artists, offered to form a partnership with the HDA and to be their fiscal sponsor to apply for the grant to purchase the property. The group plans to provide display and sales space for artists, visual and performing arts classes, events for

the community, and to serve as a support group for all of the other arts’ organizations in the basin. Keesling is thrilled with the new building and notes, “we owe a debt of gratitude to the owner of the Route 62 Antique Mart, Dawn Blevins, for facilitating the purchase of her property which she and her husband Denis have poured their heart and souls into for over 20 years, as a destination for quality antiques, and works of art. During the past few months, Dawn has patiently answered our many questions and hosted many visits form the HDA members and board.” The building has closed escrow and plans are in the works to make the necessary changes to create the interior art galleries with the necessary good lighting and walls for hanging, and to build out the needed ADA restrooms and ramps. The group is moving forward with alacrity and determination, so the community should not have to wait long to visit the Hi-Desert Artists galleries. The current projected timeline includes moving in around the first of this month, next to remodel the space, and if all goes smoothly – the HDA galleries will begin operation in April 2024. The newly elected volunteer HDA Gallery Director, Karin Skiba notes, “We tried so hard to get JTAG, and when that fell through - we just didn’t give up. It has been a ton of work, but we’re excited.” Skiba says that over fifty artists are showing up for the monthly organizational meetings, and “there is a lot of good energy - we are really trying to embrace everyone.” This good energy has not gone unnoticed by the larger arts community, everyone is talking about the new developments. The new HDA space will be a full-fledged art center. There will be four galleries in total - two will serve as member’s spaces for themed shows, one will be a space for solo artist shows, and the last will serve as a high-end store with quality crafts and goods on consignment. There is a large yard in the back of the building where the HDA plans to have music events and other performance art. All members will be required to sit in the gallery from time to time, and to join one of the operating committees. Keesling explains further that “this way the artist members are involved in making it work, and they can help keep the cost of membership lower as we do not have to pay for employees. For the most part, we strive to operate as a volunteer organization, in which all of the members matter, and have a vote.” Newly elected HDA Membership Director and talented artist/photographer Deanna Valdez believes wholeheartedly in the new project - “The HDA will give a year-round opportunity for artists of all disciplines to display work and give back to the community, as well as educate the youth, in a creative way. I am most excited to help develop and create a center - for all to take part in.”

and gallery space are now positioned to support the vibrant arts community here in the high desert. Their location in Yucca Valley will be an added draw to the already established monthly Yucca Valley Arts Walk, slated for the third Saturday of each month. Legacy HDA memberships are now available for $50, and almost 60 artists have signed up so far. For more information, visit: hi-desertartists.com or on Instagram @hi_desert_artists. We can’t wait for the first of many art openings and events at the HDA, and to celebrate the HiDesert Artists!

Katie Nartonis is a writer, curator, film maker and specialist in art and design. Her most recent documentary film, “Jack Rogers Hopkins: Calfornia Design Maverick,” about the late San Diego based mid-century designer-craftsman, premiered during Palm Springs Modernism Week in 2023. She is currently writing “Glimpses of The Joshua Tree Dream,” a book on the way we live in the high desert.

Sometimes it takes a hard challenge to pull people together. The new Hi-Desert Artist’s organization

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Joshua Tree Music Festival By Barnett English Global sounds abound at the Joshua Tree Music Festivals. For the past 21 years, scores of international artists have graced the stage at JTMF. Lido Pimienta (Colombia), Seun Kuti (Nigeria), Jambinai (Korea), Dahkabrakha (Ukraine), Fatoumata Diawara (Mali), Kinky (Mexico), Los Amigos Invisibles (Venezuela), Kraak & Smaak (Netherlands), Trad Attack (Estonia), Nortec Collective: Bostich y Fussible (Mexico), Gaudi (Italy), Sierra Leone’s Refugee All-Stars (Sierra Leone), Oka (Australia), Bomba Estereo (Colombia), Ou (Italy), Vieux Farka Toure (Mali) come to mind. Variety is the spice! Cross-cultural representation on the stage opens us up to new experiences and perspectives, fosters empathy, and creates a far richer experience for the music lovers on the dance (desert) floor.

That said, the greater Joshua Tree area is home to a wildly talented and eclectic array of musical masterminds. The burgeoning music scene here is poppin’ off, and the per capita ratio of musicians here is off the charts. The magical Mojave desert attracts and inspires. So, alongside dazzling international acts, JTMF lineups always feature a strong representation of stellar local talent. The performances by local artists are every bit as spellbinding and dynamic as the global superstars mentioned above. Check out the local artists below, as they will be rocking the the 22nd Spring Joshua Tree Music Festival, May 16-19:

Las Tias

Timeless boleros and Rancheras speak to modern sway in the music of Las Tías. The duo formed by Giselle Woo and Janine Rivera is steeped in Mexican American heritage and deeply rooted in the Coachella Valley. Their musical vision is generous, confident, and closely harmonized. Photo: Cierra Breeze

Anna & Cassie

A harmonious duo, blending the bass and ukulele into heartfelt melodies. Hailing from the urban rhythms of New York and the desert soul of Joshua Tree, their music is a poetic journey through life, love, and emotion. True friends who find their voices through song and share a deep love for poetry.

Abe Tostado Cactus Wine Experience

Cactus Wine Experience is a dirty blues and dusty boots rollickin’ roadhouse revue full of song and dance, wild west romance, and girls that will kick up a row. Cactus Wine brings high energy performance for all you late night lovers for an experience born right out of Joshua Tree, California. Photo: Penelope Valentine

Q.varo

Q.varo elegantly creates harmonious melodies together looping guitar, bass, vocals, and beats into a unique soundscape bound to take listeners on a mysterious and sultry trip. This cohesive alchemy of sound has been weaved into a cascading tornado of creativity with a whole new impression of music, which is heard in their dynamic song writing. From angelic vocals, alluring chaos to hot dance grooves. Photo: Penelope Valentine

Mikey Reyes & The Feeling

If you witnessed their set at the past four JTMFs, then you know this collective is a wildly talented musical force. Their shows are transcendent, diverse and uplifting. Composed of local desert (high and low) denizens, and led by Michael Reyes (Desert Rhythm Project), they pour their heart and soul into weaving a poignant tale of love, loss, fury and the funk. Rhapsodizers, Soothsayers, Truth Players & Popular Prognosticators. Photo: Penelope Valentine

Wildlife Freeway

Using piano, voice, guitar, melodica, kalimba and various instruments, Wildlife Freeway music and performances weave stories and sounds of Earth beings stepping out of time into the present musical moving stillness. Photo: Carly Foulkes

Abe has been playing records since 1986. He’ll play almost anything and everything and has rocked clubs from Amsterdam to London to S.F to L.A. The YV resident’s vinyl DJ sets are dance-floor detonators.

Sister John Angela

Sister John Angela blends trance elements, impressionistic freedom, glimpses of Tejano, and inspiration from the Balkans, bridging timeless folk idioms to the present moment in what’s been coined “Desert Jazz”.

Madame Harlequin

Liesl Clouse emerged as Madame Harlequin in 2020, devoted to sharing love through entertainment, art, teaching, and healing. Her original music is poetic lyricism dreaming aloud over ricocheting basslines; cosmic laughter and divine feminine energy, sex magic spells, and soul power in flow state.

MTN GRL

MTN GRL is a collection of meditative teleportations through lyrics, chords, and the love for natural and synthetic sounds. Spencer Keizer is using the guitar to create songs through sequencers, field recordings, the inspiration of friends, and the ever growing heavies that is motivation to keep connecting and believing in love. Following the voice and the words that gently hug on the heart strings.

JT Hiker:

“This piece came from a story that I heard about a person hiking in the park who slipped and fell off of a cliff, grabbing a branch to save himself. When he looked up, he could see no way to climb back up, and when he looked down, he could see no way to climb down. In desperation he called out “God help me”. A voice came out of the sky saying, “ Let go of the branch, and I will lift you up.”

Ed Keesling

Ceramic Artist and Man of Substance I have a shirt that says, ‘Without Art, the Earth is just Eh.’ For me, that about says it all. – Ed Keesling By Katie Nartonis Local high desert ceramicist, arts advocate and former educator Ed Keesling grew up in Whittier, California. “My (artistic) path started back in Elementary school when I started drawing. By junior high, art was my favorite elective.” Like many successful artists, Ed’s creative future was encouraged by an engaged teacher. He recalls that he was first introduced to the wider history and practice of art by his high school art teacher, Yoshio Nakamura. Ed went on to study painting at Cerritos College, followed by earning a studio art minor at California Lutheran University. After college, like many of his generation, he spent over five years (1966-1972)

serving in the Peace Corps - both in India and Uganda. His education didn’t stop there, later he earned a masters of fine art from Antioch University with a degree in ceramics.

“Since moving to Yucca Valley in the 1980s, I have been inspired by the unique, wide-open spaces, rock formations, wildlife, and the plants in our hi desert environment.”

Ed’s journey to the desert is an interesting story. In the 1950’s, he had an uncle who homesteaded in Joshua Tree and the Keesling family visited him from time to time. In the late 1960’s, Ed’s folks bought a weekend cabin in Yucca Valley. “When I was home on leave from the Peace Corps, I visited the cabin and fell for the high desert. I loved the landscape of rocks, Yuccas and Joshua Trees as well as the wide-open spaces under a bright blue sky.”

After the Peace Corps, and having returned to the United States, Ed learned about a new art school Antioch University opening in Columbia, Maryland. Ed recalls, “when I went to check it out and apply for painting classes, the director told me that the painting studios were not ready, but if I was willing to help as an interior finish carpenter, they would trade some ceramic classes for work on the building. Once I got into the ceramic classes, I was hooked, and never looked back.”

By 1977, Ed had earned an MFA in ceramics, and he took a job as an associate professor at the school. For the next 3 years, he taught clay: hand building, wheel throwing, and worked as a clay tech. “Then, I got snowed into my condo for a full week, and decided that the claustrophobic, snow covered landscape was not for me. So, I gave up my job to move to the wideopen spaces of the California desert.” Ed returned to teaching and became an elementary school teacher in Yucca Valley. For years he taught school, served as the Morongo Unified School District Visual and Performing Arts Coordinator, while his art practice took a backseat.

Covid Totem:

“The Covid totem is about the Covid pandemic. The bottom character represents the present with a masked face. Above that is the historical figure of the plague doctor with the mask filled with herbs to block the smell of death during the Black Death. On top is the skull representing death, and the Vulture on top disposes of the carrion.”

Ed believes deeply in giving back to his community. “While I was growing up, my folks were always volunteering for school and church projects, so I guess it rubbed off. The Peace Corps gave me a great deal of satisfaction - being involved in community development. Volunteering has been a great way to get to know people and a source of satisfaction in being of service to the community.” Later, he got involved with the California Art Education Project, and Keesling served as the Art Coordinator for the Morongo Unified School District. In that role, he won $100,000 in grants for the district art program to develop art standards for the elementary schools, and to do teacher training to enable elementary teachers to be able to teach to the new standards.” He has served as Education Director and President of the 29 Palms Art Gallery board, past President of the MBCAC (the Morongo Basin Cultural Arts Council) and currently serves as an elected Director of the newly formed HiDesert Artists in Yucca Valley. “I believe that the colors of my glaze’s stoneware clay, and the shapes of many of my pots reflect the nature of the desert.” The history of the high desert has inspired Ed’s work. “When I first arrived here, one of the Yucca Valley traditions was Grubstake Days, named for the early prospectors who came to the area to mine for gold.” Inspired by the tradition of California miners, also known as ‘sourdoughs’ he began making sourdough jugs in the stye of traditional early American potters. “Back in the days before cheap glass and plastic, American potters did a thriving business making all sorts of utilitarian ware, including batter jugs which people kept on the back of their wood stoves to have “live” batter for bread and biscuits each day. I’m also inspired by the native American Indians who lived in the area, especially around the 29 Palms Oasis. The Serrano, Chemehuevi, and Cahuilla all lived there from time to time. Their unique designs are found on pottery, baskets, and rock art, and occasionally on my pottery.” Ed’s pottery business, Ed Keesling Clayworks has been in business since 1980. He has shown his ceramic work at craft shows and art galleries in Maryland, Washington D.C, and throughout the Morongo Basin. This past year, 2023, marks his 13th year as part of the Open Studios Art Tours. Locally you can find his work for sale at the 29 Palms Art Gallery, the Rainbow Stew giftshop in Yucca Valley, the Soul Connection in Joshua

Tree and at the Joshua Tree National Park gift shops. The National Park reached out to Ed and together they came up with the design of the Joshua Tree mug. “The mugs have a blue glaze to reflect the sky and an incised Joshua Tree design on the front carved into the raw clay, that reflects the colors of the sand and stones.” Following his retirement in 2008, Ed has refocused his full attention on ceramics. In the spring of 2011, Ed moved into a new studio on Yucca Mesa where he celebrates what he calls ‘the joy of living in the desert.’ He defines this joy as his daily practice - throwing pots on the wheel, creating ceramic tiles, murals, and by making coil sculpture using the “wedged coil” process - a continuation of his master’s thesis study. Wedging refers to the kneading of the clay to remove air bubbles and create a consistent texture. Coiling is the creation of long thin rounded “coil” sections of clay that are then used to build up the shape of the finished piece. The outside surface of the clay object is then smoothed over to create a flat surface.

Animal Farm:

“The Trump figure with a pig nose, and hoofs and a piggy tail is about Napoleon who is the head pig in Animal Farm, by George Orwell. During Trumps first few years in office, I was struck by the parallel between the way he operated in the Presidency, and Napoleon in Animal Farm.”

In Ed’s view, the visual and performing arts are critical tools for communication of our history, culture, and spirituality. The desert community is blessed to have such a dedicated and thoughtful man such as Ed Keesling in our midst – he is an artist, and community member, of deep moral character and substance.

Cabot’s Pueblo Museum Hosts Artists from

MATA ORTIZ

Weekend of Demonstrations and Family Events

Cultural Weekends 2024 engages award-winning artists practicing authentic handcrafting techniques passed down through generations. The Cultural Weekend is a fundraiser for the museum and the artists. Cabot’s Pueblo Museum will host the second of three Cultural Weekends beginning on February 23-25, 2024, featuring artisans from Mata Ortiz, Chihuahua, Mexico. The Cultural Weekend is free and open to the public. Enjoy an exceptional setting interacting with artists, observing master artisans at work, and experience the artistry + ancestry of Mata Ortiz potters. Shop for a cause and support Cabot’s legacy of cultural respect, art, and community. Weather permitting, the artists will fire a pot where you learn more about the process of creating the pottery. After firing, you will have the opportunity to own the pot through a live auction. Meet Lydia Quezada Celado de Talavera. She is the youngest sister of Juan Quezada, the man widely credited for the Mata Ortiz pottery movement. Lydia, a first-generation potter, creates the style of black-onblack pottery, works in white and brown clays, and her pottery is smooth, thin-walled, and light weight—all three hallmarks of quality of Mata Ortiz ceramic. Both Trini and Lila Silveira are second generation potters and sisters. Trini is well known for the simple elegance of her pottery that has precisely painted designs—a combination of finely detailed lines that form a geometric pattern of precision. Most recently, she has been experimenting with liquid gold into her designs. Lila was taught by Juan Quezada, which under his guidance, learned how to dig and refine the clay, develop painting techniques, and fire the pot on the ground in the traditional method. She is proud to carry on the traditions Juan taught, always adhering to the highest standards of quality.

Meet Evelin Silveira, a third-generation potter, who begins her artistic journey under the guidance of her mother, Lila Silveira. She has participated in art competitions throughout Mexica and has been honored to recognized as a young Mata Ortiz potter. Cabot Yerxa was an artist, adventurer, and writer. He was one of the original homesteaders in the Coachella Valley and is recognized as the man who discovered the hot and cold aquifers for which the region is famous. He embraced many cultures and beliefs and was a true friend to the Native Indians living in the region. As a community advocate, he helped found the city of Desert Hot Springs and was instrumental in bringing visitors and residents to the region. Now operated as a nonprofit museum Cabot’s Pueblo Museum is dedicated to promoting the life and accomplishments of Cabot Yerxa. More information is available at www.cabotsmuseum.org. Cabot’s Pueblo Museum is located at 67616 East Desert View Avenue, Desert Hot Springs, and offers guided tours Tuesday through Thursday (subject to availability) at 9:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., and 1:30 p.m. $16 for General Admission, $14 for Seniors, Active Military, and Children ages 6-12. Children under 5 are free. Selfguided tours are available from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. from Friday, Saturday, and on Sundays from 12:00 – 3:00 p.m. $13 for General Admission, $11 for Seniors, Active Military, and Children ages 6-12. For information visit CabotsMuseum.org or call (760) 329-7610. CONTACT: Irene N. Rodríguez Cabot’s Pueblo Museum (760) 329-8100 irene.n.rodriguez@cabotsmuseum.org

In the summer of 1964, Evelyn Conklin responded to a newspaper ad requesting recreation ideas for the Yucca Valley Parks and Recreation Department. Having previously established the Trailside Nature Museum in Los Angeles with her father, Percy “Slim” Conklin, Evelyn responded with an idea for a local nature museum. Hence, the Hi-Desert Nature Museum was born. The Hi-Desert Nature Museum opened the doors to its 800 square foot building at Jacobs Park in October 1964, with its official grand opening occurring on January 21, 1965. As a naturalist and extensive traveler, Evelyn started the museum with many of her own collections. After nine years, the museum expanded and moved into its current location at the Yucca Valley Community Center complex. The museum collection has grown over the years with many donations coming from local community members. From its inception, visitors would come to the Hi-Desert Nature Museum to identify and research local flora and fauna, including wildflowers, insects, and reptiles. Ms. Conklin also established many aspects of the museum

which are still in place today, including the live animal mini-zoo, fluorescent geology display room, and a rotating local artist showcase. Evelyn was curator of the museum for twenty-eight years. The museum has been shaped over the years by the museum supervisors, with Mrs. Celeste Hilderbrand stepping into the current supervisor role in August of 2023. The Hi-Desert Nature Museum continues to be an educational staple for residents and visitors to the Morongo Basin. The museums maintains a rotating exhibit space that highlights themes of nature, art, or culture as well as a permanent local natural history room with displays of geology, fossils, insects, and animal taxidermy. For those interested in local culture, there is a collaborative exhibit done with the Malki Museum as well as information on homesteading and mining in the high desert. Children of all ages are also welcome to explore the “Kids Corner,” which replicates an old pioneer schoolhouse filled educational reading materials and activities encouraging imaginative play.

PROTECTION FOR TODAY, TOMORROW AND THE UNKNOWN

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KAREN MARTIN

FARMERS INSURANCE AGENCY

760-365-7400

(Article Courtesy of the Hi-Desert Nature Museum)

kmartin@farmersagent.com INSURING THE MORONGO BASIN FOR OVER 10 YEARS

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r e d n o W Valley

Lolly Goodwoman (Lindsey Andersen) taking a break after a colorful “StageFright” performance.

By Kevin Bone

In 1976, a graphic designer named Milton Glaser, while riding in a taxi, took a scrap piece of paper and... with a red crayon...drew what would later become the logo for the “I Love New York” slogan: Three simple letters and a red heart. As soon as I stepped onto the streets of NYC in my early 20’s, I got it. It was everything I didn’t know that I was missing in my life growing up in the suburbs up to that point. It had edge. It had funk. It had color. It had love. Intense love. It had people. People of every social and religious identity. People with imagination, dreams. People getting stuff done, making things happen. The punk rock kids sharing space with the “old timers”. New York City had art, seeping through every pore. There was nowhere else I would rather live. I hearted New York. Well, life twisted and turned this way and that way, and nearly two decades later I “found myself” (yes, there was ❤ involved) in the middle of a desert town that by any outsider’s perspective might be the exact opposite of the “Big Apple” and all that the big cities had to offer. And yet, it quickly became clear to me that this tiny desert town...seated in a beautiful, vast landscape (complete with night skies that the big cities

have not known since before the days of Edison) had...funk. Color. Love, intense love. People of every identity. People with imagination and dreams, getting stuff done. The punk rock kids sharing space with the “old timers”. And art, seeping out of every pore. What this little desert town known as Wonder Valley was missing was the traffic. The crowds. The neighbors being on just the other side of your wall. The constant overstimulation. And all of that was and is alright with me. I ❤ WV.

Kevin Bone: When he’s not helping his wife Laura Sibley run The Palms in Wonder Valley, he spends his time figuring out ways to get on a stage, either as a drummer (The Sibleys, Yes-Go’s), or as an actor and story teller, including his successful one-man play, “Kate’s Last Dance.”

Space Cowboy

Space Cowboy Books’ mission is to spread the love of science fiction, literature, literacy and print media. We sell used and new books, publish SF paperbacks, produce Simultaneous Times Podcast, and host all kinds of literary events and film screenings. Opened in January of 2016, they have since hosted scores of events, published a handful of paperbacks and chapbooks, and produced dozens of audio plays and interviews for their podcast. Community minded, Space Cowboy Books always have free books for kids under fourteen at the shop, and they help build libraries for local schools with local nonprofit, Spark Growth. In addition, they provide partial annual scholarships for Clarion and Odyssey speculative fiction workshops. To learn more, got to https://spacecowboybooks.com/

RELEASE DATE: MARCH 29th ALBUM PRESALE: www.heavypsychsounds.com/shop.htm#HPS295

Reggie McAtee Owner/Broker DRE#01503436

760.285.8100 reggiemak@gmail.com

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Jess Tudor

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RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL SALES • PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

For all listings go to our calendar at. JoshuaTreeVoice.com

LIVE ENTERTAINMEN

Open Mic Night Every Su nday. Jasmine & Lorenzo Ever y Friday For event listings, visit:

spaghettiwesternsaloon

.com/events-2-1

83131 Amboy Rd, Wonder Valley 760-361-2810 palmsliveevents@gmail.com

Sat., Feb. 3rd: The Hawk Messengers with The Sibl

Sat., Feb. 10th: John Zulu w/Cassidy Sargeant

eys!

Sat., Feb. 17th: StageFright presents “To Be Continu ed..

a Theatrical Extravaganza “ Sat., Feb 24th: “Thee Ancient Asses” with musical gue sts David Tang, others

ays 1-5 PM d n u S is ic ins at Open M Sign up beg

oor patio. e Cris and on the outd Aldrich of th ys) s ri C y b d e a noon. Host from Tuesd d. (Moved n a b g n a G the

NSHAW

AN EVENING WITH: MARSHALL CRE Fri Feb 16

THE THIRD MIND Thu Feb 1

HOT TUNA - ACOUSTIC Sat Feb 17

DIRTWIRE nok nok Fri Feb 2 AJ LEE & BLUE SUMMIT Matt Michienzie Band Sat Feb 3 BUCK MEEK Sun Feb 4

THE COPPER ROOM

AY 6PM - 9PM LIVE JAZZ EVERY SUND NESDAY - 6PM LIVE BLUES EVERY WED The Co pp erR oo m1957.c om

DIGGIN DIRT Los Poncho Tones Mon Feb 5 SAM GRISMAN PROJECT Thu Feb 8 VIEUX FARKA TOURE Fri Feb 9 THE RURAL ALBERTA ADVANTAGE Mariel Buckley Sat Feb 10 SAY SHE SHE Rahill Sun Feb 11

HELADO NEGRO Sun Feb 18 HUSBANDS Being Dead Thu Feb 22 THE WHITE BUFFALO Fri Feb 23 ALEJANDRO ARANDA FKA: “Scarypoolparty” Sat Feb 24 LONG BEACH DUB ALLSTARS Makua Rothman Sun Feb 25 MITCH ROWLAND Tue Feb 27 S)

EVAN DANDO (OF THE LEMONHEAD Willy Mason Wed Feb 28 OTOBOKE BEAVER Drinking Boys and Girls Choir Thu Feb 29

MICHAEL NAU Wed Feb 14 THE EXPENDABLES Thu Feb 15

For events list, visit: pappyandharriets.com

ertown.com

reddogpione

GIANT ROCK MEETING ROOM For event listings, visit:

giantrockmeetingroom.com

Bella White @ Pappy + Harriet’s Made when she was still a teenager, Bella White’s debut album Just Like Leaving introduced the world to a truly one-of-a-kind musical talent: a finespun breed of country/folk both fresh in perspective and wholly steeped in bluegrass tradition, despite her upbringing in the Canadian city of Calgary. As she began sketching songs for her sophomore full-length, the 22-year-old singer/songwriter followed her instincts toward an even more daring and singular form of self-expression, allowing herself a newly heightened sense of musical freedom. “Even though I’m still so in love with bluegrass and that whole world, I wanted to figure out who these new songs were without trying to fit them into a particular style,” says White, a British Columbiabased musician who took up guitar at age eight and later learned to play banjo. “Once I started stepping outside those margins, it really opened the doors for

me. I felt completely free to explore and experiment, without being held back by any preconceived ideas of what my music is supposed to be.” Produced by Jonathan Wilson (Angel Olsen, Father John Misty), Among Other Things embodies a strangely enchanting sound that fully matches the immense depth of White’s inner world—an element brought to life through her lived-in exploration of such complex themes as searching for purpose, the resilience of the human heart, and the deep-rooted tension between restlessness and inertia. Recorded at Fivestar Studios in Topanga Canyon, the album emerged from her freeflowing collaboration with Wilson and a stacked lineup of musicians, including Big Thief guitarist Buck Meek, indie-folk singer/songwriter Erin Rae, Drew Erickson (a multi-instrumentalist/string arranger known for his

work with Weyes Blood and Lana Del Rey), and White’s longtime bandmate Patrick M’Gonigle (on fiddle, violin, and tenor guitar). “It was especially exciting for me to have Buck involved with this record,” White notes. “He’s got such an incredible ear for weaving through the songs and finding those little empty spaces that could use a touch of magic.” In a departure from the stripped-down sonic palette of Just Like Leaving, Among Other Things unfolds with a gorgeously textured but unfussy splendor, etched with such unexpected details as flourishes of organ and Fender Rhodes, delicate string arrangements, and the wild rumble of timpani. But even its most left-ofcenter moments, the 10-track album showcases the timeless country musicianship White first developed thanks to her father (a Virginia native who played in bluegrass bands all throughout her childhood) and later honed through years of making the rounds at leading roots-music festivals. To that end, each song is firmly grounded in White’s nuanced acoustic-guitar work and deeply affecting voice—an instrument imbued with wisdom well beyond her years, capable of telegraphing soulful world-weariness and wholehearted compassion with a captivating grace. For White, the writing of a brightly swaying and steelguitar-laced track called “Numbers” helped catalyze the unbridled creative energy that permeates all of Among Other Things. “I wrote that song the day that my first record came out, which ended up happening

in the middle of the pandemic,” she recalls. “I started writing about the confusion of nothing as going as planned, and realizing that maybe that’s just the way life is. The way the lyrics came to me was much more stream-of-consciousness than anything I’d done before—there was no pressure to appeal to a certain genre, and that felt like a real turning point. I just felt this incredible vastness.” In a testament to her innate eloquence as a lyricist, “Numbers” encompasses many of the elements that make White’s songwriting so spellbinding, comprising everything from clear-eyed observation (“The flowers my mama bought me/They only keep for two weeks/And then they just become another reminder/That he’s never gonna write to me”) to sharply poignant wit (“You would think that I should feel happy/But the truth is I feel spent/And the numbers they’ve been climbing/ Just not enough to pay my rent”) to the kind of plucky selfawareness meant for free-spirited singing-along (“I’m still no good in lovin’/And lovin’ only leaves me losin’ anyhow”).

her daughter?”). “At the beginning of the pandemic I went to stay at my mom’s house, but she’d gotten stuck in Australia so I was there all alone with my cat,” White says of the song’s origins. “It was Mother’s Day and I was looking out the window and saw a robin building a nest, and I started asking myself all these existential questions about mothers and daughters. It became a song about me trying to make sense of the world, and also just feeling that vulnerability of needing my mother so badly.”

Another breakthrough for White, the raw and mournful “Flowers On My Bedside” took shape as she tapped into the bracing lucidity that sometimes accompanies heartache. “When I was writing that song, I had this odd sensation of feeling really broken and sad about a breakup but also really excited about what I was creating,” she says. “It felt like I was building my own little world within the song and growing as I wrote it. I found so much healing in that experience, I ended up coming up with seven other verses that didn’t make it onto the album.” Meanwhile, on “Break My Heart,” White transmutes her pain into a full-tilt anthem fueled by luminous organ melodies and fiercely uptempo rhythms. “Of all the songs I’ve written, ‘Break My Heart’ is probably the one that’s most explicitly about getting dumped,” she points out. “But then once we got into the studio, it grew into a bit of a rager—it’s a heartbreaker, but it’s also so fun and epic.” Elsewhere on Among Other Things, White wrestles with the quiet turmoil of finding your way in the world, often revealing a poet’s gift for mining volumes of meaning from the smallest of details. On “Rhododendron,” with its lush strings and lilting piano work, she begins by narrating a serene moment of gazing out the window onto her mother’s backyard, then slowly builds the track into pensive meditation on her own capacity for unconditional love (“Could I be a mother or a lover/ To something greater than my own instinct to suffer?/ And would a sheep run if she knew she was for the slaughter/Or would she simply let her soft wool warm

One of the most immediately commanding tracks on Among Other Things, “Marilyn” arose in a feverish burst of inspiration that White experienced on tour in Northern California in 2022. “My boyfriend and I were sitting in a café before soundcheck, and I overheard an older man saying all these very nasty things about his wife or partner,” she remembers. “My blood started to boil and I felt so upset for this woman that I’d never even met. Even though she’s probably a lot older than I am, my maternal instincts kicked in and I felt a real desire to somehow protect her.” Part character sketch, part incendiary outpouring, the gloriously sprawling “Marilyn” channels both sorrow and anger in equal measure, with White infusing so much tenderness into the track’s up-close portrait of everyday emotional violence (sample lyric: “All the time she spent/ Learning to love again/What he thought was awful/Like her belly growing softer/After she birthed their baby daughter/I still cannot comprehend/All the sadness that I feel for sweet Marilyn”). A near-lifelong songwriter who names Joni Mitchell and John Prine among her earliest influences, White wrote all of the songs on Among Other Things entirely on her own, mainly for the sake of preserving the intimacy of each track’s incisive introspection. And in that devotion to excavating her personal truth, White ultimately made her way to a greater clarity on her overall vision as an artist. “When I made my first album, I didn’t have much direction beyond loving that style of music and wanting to create something that showed that,” she says. “But with the new record, I felt a much stronger understanding of what I wanted to say and how I wanted to say it. It made me feel a lot more empowered in the whole process, and it brought me so much joy to see my songs become their own little universes. I hope when people hear this music, it leaves them with that same feeling of empowerment—like they’re completely free to do their own thing.”

Bella White @ Pappy + Harriet’s with Paper Kites

Scan for Tickets

When: Saturday, March 2 (SOLD OUT) Sunday, March 3 Time: 9pm (doors @ 8pm) Tix: $35 wl.seetickets.us/event/the-paper-kites/578119?afflk y=PappyandHarriets www.bellawhitemusic.com

27 39

KARAOKE for a Cause Fundraiser Event at Theater 29:

PERFORM FOR A PURPOSE

Theater 29 is excited to announce its upcoming Karaoke for a Cause Fundraiser event, an evening filled with singing, prizes, special concessions, sneak peak performances, and community spirit. Has it ever been your dream to be centerstage? Well, this is your chance! This will not only be a night of musical entertainment, but also an opportunity to support a good cause. All proceeds from this event will go towards much-needed lighting and sound upgrades for Theatre 29. Not a singer? Not a problem! Simply come and enjoy special concessions such as nachos, cotton candy, and popcorn as you support your favorite Theatre 29 and community performers. Or, for an additional $20, you can become one of ten special guest judges. This exclusive package includes VIP seating, a raffle ticket, and table side concession service. This event will take place on Saturday, February 3rd at Theater 29. Doors will open at 5:30 PM for contest and judge sign-up with the performances starting at 6:00 PM and running until 8:30 PM. Bringing her charisma and energy to the stage, special community guest Sandy Smith will be Master of Ceremonies for this event. The night also includes special sneak peek musical performances from upcoming Theatre 29 musical productions. Tickets are $15.00 for regular admission, $12.50 for Seniors and Military, and $10.00 for children under 12 and students with ID, (a service charge is added). Tickets are available at www.theatre29.org or by calling the Theatre 29 Box Office at 760-361-4151. There are no additional fees for karaoke participation. Contestant and judge sign-ups are on a first come, first served basis subject to space and time limitations. Theatre 29 is located at 73637 Sullivan Road in the City of Twentynine Palms. Founded in 1999, Theatre 29 is a non-profit (501(c) (3)), all-volunteer, community theatre organization. Our mission statement is “to engage, educate, and entertain our communities through performing arts.”

RESTAURANT IS OPEN!

Wednesday through Sunday Inn Between 2-4pm | Dinner 5-8pm

Live Music 5 Nights a Week 29palmsinn.com | 760.367.3505

My Voice 6 Reasons Why You Should Take Your Mental Health Seriously By Stan Popovich Many people underestimate the impact that mental illness can have on an individual or family. It can be difficult to admit that you have a mental health problem in your life. Secondly, it can be just as difficult in getting the people you know to understand your situation without making any kinds of judgments. As a result, here are six reasons why you should make your mental health an important priority in your life.

1. Your situation will improve if you get help:

Your anxieties and fears can be challenging to manage and more than likely you will need some help. Just as you talk to your doctor about your regular health, you should not be hesitant in seeking help for your mental health. If left untreated, your anxieties and fears may not go away.

2. Drugs and alcohol are not the answer:

Drugs and alcohol can make your problems more complicated. Many people have said that drugs and alcohol will only add more problems to your situation. Be smart and learn how to cope with your mental health issues by talking to a qualified professional. There are many health professionals in your area that can give you some ideas on where you can go for assistance.

3. You will save time and money:

Eventually, you will have to confront your fears and mental health issues. Save yourself the time and heartache and confront your problems now rather than later. You will save months of struggling by getting help right away. The sooner you get assistance the faster you will start getting some relief. BIOGRAPHY Stan is the author of “A Layman’s Guide to Managing Fear” which covers a variety of techniques that can drastically improve your mental health. For more information, please visit Stan’s website at www.managingfear.com

4. You are not alone:

Everyone deals with fear, stress, and anxiety in one’s life whether your friends and others care to admit it. In addition, do not be embarrassed that you are getting help. We all learn new things from others on a daily basis and learning how to manage your anxieties is no different. In addition, your goal is to get your life back on track and not to get everyone’s approval. If people start asking you questions, just say your dealing with stress. Most people can relate to dealing with stress and anxiety!

5. Do not make the mistake of doing nothing:

There are many people who struggled with anxiety and other mental health related issues, and they tried to ignore their problems. As a result, some of these people struggled on a daily basis and eventually things became more difficult. It can be scary asking for assistance, but the key is to take things one day at a time.

6. You have a variety of options:

There are many mental health support groups, organizations, and counselors in your area that can help get your life back on track. Talk to your doctor to get more details on where you can go for some assistance. Help is available but you must be willing to make the choice of getting better. Remember that every problem has a solution. You just have to make the effort to find the answers.

We have prepared and served nutritious and original Thai cuisine for over 20 years in California. All of our food is created from original recipes and made from the finest and freshest ingredients to be found. Two locations: Yucca Valley / Twentynine Palms 57069 29 Palms Hwy, Yucca Valley, CA 92284 • 760.369.9566 • Thaicafeyuccavalley.com 73501 Twentynine Palms Highway, Suite A, Twentynine Palms, CA 92277 • 760.865.0737 • Thaicafeusa.com

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Now hosting private & public stargazing tours in 29 Palms, Joshua Tree, Yucca Valley and Palm Springs!

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