By Bronwyn Ison
Have you been naughty or nice in 2016? You may have grown up hearing this adage during the Christmas season. If you were naughty you may not expect to find as many presents under the tree. However, if you were nice you may have a plethora of gifts awaiting you. Regardless, you may have been naughty or...
By Sunny Simon
This year you’ll find me happily enjoying the love, warmth and joy of the holidays. I’m eating the gingerbread with reckless abandon, drinking the eggnog (preferably spiked) and singing along with Christmas music on my Pandora playlist as I gleefully add ribbons and bows to presents wrapped with loving care.
If you just read that paragraph and are...
Takes place on January 7, 2017 at Palm Desert Civic Center Park from 10:30 am - 5:00 pm.
The festival is the brain child of Seth Cash, also owner of MyCityEveryday, and his partner Alexandra Miklosova.
Cash shared with me how the idea for this event came about: “The idea came from a need, a need to take care of...
By Esther Sanchez
Birthed from members of multiple bands...some still in existence, others no longer with us, come a group that has become a favorite of music fans across the desert empire over the past year and a half. Let's be honest, people...The fact that 5th Town is fronted by more than one pretty face doesn’t hurt them in the...
By Lisa Morgan
The highly anticipated Big Rock Pub (BRP), located at Indian Springs Golf Club, is creating quite a buzz with their new concept in dining and entertainment and their incredible interior design. With rock and roll fundraisers for Desert Cancer Foundation, live music packing the dance floors weekly, a large outdoor patio with fire pit and outdoor pool...
By Morgan James
Brilliant, over the top, thematic lyrics with a touch of humor and a lot of sass hum through the microphone backed by the pedal tone of a slide guitar. This is no doubt a song by the infamous Jim Holiday. I had the great fortune of first meeting Jim when he signed in to play a song...
By George Duchannes
Saturday December 10 music lovers gathered at the McCallum Theatre for Jimi Fitz and Friends a CV Christmas, which was an amazing experience. Hearing all around town how talented each and every single performer was going to be sure had me excited for what I was about to witness. Before the show everyone gathered around the lobby....
By Eleni P. Austin
When Green Day burst on the scene in 1994, their breakthrough song was “Longview,” a cheerful ode to masturbation, off their third album Dookie, (the title a quaint colloquialism for shit). Nobody could have predicted that these snotty, spazzy kids would not only usher in a second wave of Punk Rock, but that their music would...
By Morgan James
Every week the CV Open Mic Competition at The Block Sports Bar & Grill in Cathedral City thrills performers and cheering fans alike. Live videos fill social media and photos flash, capturing the still frames of the soon to be famous. Audience giveaways from sponsor, Brutal Bee Music Group, get the crowd roaring for a chance at...
By Patte Purcell
What do Cab Calloway, Herb Jeffries, Trini Lopez, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Boney James, Kirk Whalum, Norman Brown, Bobby Caldwell, Al Jarreau, George Benson, Natalie Cole, Michael Bolton, Stevie Nicks, Earth Wind and Fire, Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, Michael Paulo, Peebo Bryson and James Ingram all have in common? They've all toured or worked with Land...
By Angela Romeo
Simon Luckinbill has started to make his mark on the art scene. His career is nascent but it is evident that he has what it takes to compete in the art world.
Simon was born in Los Angeles and raised in New York. He grew up surrounded by artistic talent. His parents are both well-known actors. But Simon...
By BIG ED the Budtender
C.C. RELEAF’S Lead Budtender
When most people hear the word “MARIJUANA” the 1st thing that pops into their head is usually negative. Marijuana is so much more than a plant that gets you high.
When used properly Marijuana can help with all kinds of mental, physical and emotional ailments. There are also many different ways to...
By Janet McAfee
There is no place like a “home for the holidays,” and a little dog named Johnny knows that better than most. Johnny was a stray homeless dog who ended up at the now closed Indio animal shelter. He faced an uncertain future at this crowded high kill shelter. Christmas angel, Lori Weiner, owner of the Pet Hotel...
By Rick Riozza
Hold On! Stop the Presses!! Just when you thought you would have to endure the holiday season with the same wine gifts of corkscrews, wine stoppers, and wine bibs (??), along comes the most innovative vino tool one can imagine! Yes—at the tip of your fingers, you’ll be able to savor and absolutely enjoy any wine in...
Insiders Guide to Good Reads and Good Writing
By Heidi Simmons
Hollywood producers have "Variety," medical doctors have "JAMA" and book buyers have "Kirkus."
Since 1933, "Kirkus Reviews" has been providing honest criticism of fiction, nonfiction, teen and children's books. From Barnes and Noble to local Librarians, Kirkus is the go-to publication to inform those who purchase books to sell and to...
By Dee Jae Cox
Though New York is often thought to be the heart of the American Stage, Southern California and the desert in particular, certainly claims a part of the soul for this great art form.
It is widely known that theater originated in Greece around the sixth century BC, when the followers of Dionysus, the God of fertility and...
By Robin E. Simmons
NOW PLAYING:
RULES DON”T APPLY
It’s no secret that Warren Beatty has nurtured a long-held passion (or is it a compulsion?) to star and direct in a feature film biography of the notoriously eccentric billionaire industrialist, pilot, filmmaker, control freak and ladies man Howard Hughes. It’s easy to assume Beatty’s attraction to Hughes was a recognition that Hughes...
With the recent tragedy at the Ghost-Ship warehouse fire in Oakland, I cannot stress the importance of knowing where your nearest emergency exit is located wherever you go reminds Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna.
As the holidays near, many of us will be attending parties, concerts, dinners, traveling etc. Knowing where your exits are is an essential component of situational awareness....
By Haddon Libby
Who made the most money in 2016?
It looks like it will be Warren Buffett whose net worth increased by $9 billion to $71 billion due to his ownership in Berkshire Hathaway. Casino magnate, Sheldon Adelson, was second on the list as his net worth grew by $8.9 billion to $32 billion. Third was oil fracker Harold Hamm...
By Dale Gribow
Maybe your goal was not about pain and suffering compensation.
Perhaps you hired your business lawyer, or an accident lawyer from LA who just graduated law school.
Maybe you did not call the police, admitted partial fault and didn't take cell pictures of the car's property damage.
Or witnesses left the scene without obtaining information because defendant admitted fault.
Maybe you...
By Flint Wheeler
The Los Angeles Rams finally did what they had to do and, they fired Jeff Fisher — telling a coach with the most losses in NFL history and a guy who couldn’t help but pick a fight with the Hall of Famer who is the face of the franchise to hit the road.
Now, it gets interesting.
These aren’t...
Dear Jenny,
I have struggled for many years not allowing myself to get close to anyone. When I do let someone into my life it always ends up being the wrong kind of man. Mostly, the emotionally unavailable types. I feel like I’m going to be alone forever unless I can learn to let go of my insecurities and trust...
Week of December 15
© Copyright 2016 Rob Brezsny
ARIES (March 21-April 19): "Living is a form of not being sure, not knowing what next or how," said dancer Agnes De Mille. "We guess. We may be wrong, but we take leap after leap in the dark." As true as her words might be for most of us much of the...
By Bronwyn Ison
As we draw nearer to the year’s end, I am more passionate about 2017 than I was about 2016. Closing out 2016 feels extraordinary. It feels exuberant not because the year was not successful but rather it was one of my best years yet. Therefore, I am excited to create my 2017. “Create,” is the operative word....
By Dr. Maria Lombardo
The weather has certainly changed in the last few weeks and winter is upon us. My patients have been talking about how dry their skin is this time of year and wondering what can be done.
The basics of good skin care apply all year round and include…
Daily cleansing: Some people cleanse morning and night but night...
By Sunny Simon
Steven entered my office announcing he was on the countdown. Catching my puzzled expression my client explained it was 19 days and counting until we could advance the calendar to a new year. Scowling he admitted dreading all the upcoming holiday parties where friends and relatives would query how he fared in 2016.
I realized Steven had some...
By Tracy Dietlin
I recently had the opportunity to sit down with one of the desert’s most colorful characters, Alfie Pettit, aka Arial Trampway. In the short time I’ve come to know Pettit I found him to be a very warm-hearted person who cares about his community, supporting numerous charities, and who loves the Cabaret. He is also quite funny...
By Tracy Rector
From her journal on her experiences at Standing Rock
On Sunday, December 5, we had a huge surprise and Obama denied the easement permit for drilling to Energy Transfer Partners. But what's interesting is the CEO announced last night that they will continue drilling. So it's a huge win for the short term but the fight is still...
By Craig Michaels
The Art Place in Palm Desert wants to put the Ho Ho back in your Holidays! They have partnered with the 29 Palms Marine Corps to help bring Christmas to less fortunate families. The mission of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program is to collect new, unwrapped toys during October, November and December each...
COMIC CON PALM SPRINGS… is excited to begin a new chapter with our family and partners the heralded Coachella Valley Weekly the periodical pillar in arts and entertainment. Every month CCPS plans to contribute articles, information, stories, the latest news and info regarding the upcoming Comic Con Palm Springs 2017 and much more all stemming from the pop culture...
In 2011 Alexander Yepremian of AY Productions created Voice of the Valley, a search for the greatest singers in Southern California. In this, it’s 6th Season, he, along with Ben Smith of UK Dance Academy have brought their Vocal Competition to the Coachella Valley.
After three weeks of auditions in Palm Springs, Indio and Palm Dessert and hearing over 120...
By Morgan James
Recording artist and Actor, Shawn Don, has paved his way into an early career in the music and television arenas, achieving incredible successes through hard work, a positive attitude, and a spirit of giving back to his Coachella Valley community. With several roles in shows on MTV and ABC Family over his teens and early twenties, Shawn...
Josh Hall of Thr3 Strykes Launches Solo Project
By Esther Sanchez
As 50% of Thr3 Strykes, one of the most popular hip hop acts to spring up from Coachella Valley soil and recipients of multiple CVMAs, Josh Hall is already an established character on the local music scene. Associated with multiple other musical collaborations such as percussion sensations, Drum Hall (lead...
By Esther Sanchez
Round 2 of CV Showcase at The Hood Bar and Pizza has once again made it wonderfully apparent just how much musical talent is bursting from just about every corner of our beloved valley. The competition was fierce, yet the vibe of the night was unifying and supportive and I don’t think anyone envied the job the...
By Eleni P. Austin
“How well I remember the stadiums we played, and the lights sweeping across a sea of 50,000 souls we’d face/A serious drug you can never kick, or one you couldn’t imagine you’d ever replace… Rock stars don’t ever die, they only fade away.”
That’s Sting on the song “50,000” off 57th & 9th, his first album of...
OUTDOOR LIVE MUSIC SERIES AT SPA RESORT CASINO
Spa Resort Casino presents a new season of Concerts Under the Palms, a series of outdoor live music shows in a unique setting at the corner of Indian Canyon and E. Andreas Road in downtown Palm Springs starting on November 12, 2016, and continuing through April 8, 2017.
Surrounded by a grove of...
By Morgan James
Week #9 of the CV Open Mic Competition was one of the most incredible thus far. The immense support of each performer and of the event itself was so great it made this host have to take a step back in awe. The room was not just packed with close to 70 performers and fans cheering enthusiastically,...
By Patte Purcell
Will Donato won 'Best Instrumental Jazz Artist' at the Coachella Valley Music Awards last May. He is one of the nicest and most talented people I have ever met. We had a great phone conversation last week about what he's been up to. I would like to start with a little background.
I met Will Donato in 2010...
By Rebecca Pikus
Music Publisher/Producer/Songwriter – Drummer - Explorer/Adventurer - Actor/Comedian - Photographer - Tour Guide - Artist/Painter & Sculptor -- Robert Tahar has been living a very fulfilled & rich life so far! Handsome, sophisticated, charming & talented, -- intense(!), animated -- with the demeanor of Marcel Marceau!
Tahar was Born into a Jewish family in French Tunesia (N. Africa). ...
By Slim Man
Or should I say Happy Holidays? It’s hard to know what to say these days for fear of offending or excluding someone. Joyous Festivus for the Rest of Us! Is that OK?
I get confused at Christmas. I’m not sure how the whole Santa thing came to be, for instance. I understand the gift-giving; a child was born...
By Angela Romeo
As art continues on it quest to give back, Fusion Art, a Palm Springs contemporary fine art gallery, will host an Art for Animals Juried Art Exhibition Fundraiser for Charity to support local Coachella Valley animal welfare organizations.
Fusion Art is the vision of Chris and Valerie Hoffman. “We started the gallery out of a passion for art...
By Angela Romeo
Art has always had the power to move people. Raising funds for a cause is no exception. December 7-10 new paintings, Abstracts by Mark Heger, Strange Little People by Christopher Michael will be exhibited at Colliding Worlds Fine Art Gallery. A portion of the sales of the artwork will benefit Desert AIDS Project.
When I was approached to...
By Janet McAfee
On November 16, 2016, a beautiful Basenji mix dog, emerged from a back room in our county shelter, the Coachella Valley Animal Campus, to much fanfare in the lobby. Met by the media and a bevy of onlookers, the dog appeared startled by all the attention. TenKay represented a milestone for Animal Samaritans’ “Adoption Alliance Animal Rescue...
By Rick Riozza
Just the other night, our family was enjoying happy hour at the Cheescake Factory when we spied ice-skaters mixing it up with axel & edge jumps along with combination spins all on the valley’s new festive canvas of ice.
Yep—believe it or not, this season’s unexpected and new activity for everyone is outdoor ice skating at The Renova...
By Tracy Dietlin
I recently attended a sit down media dinner at Miramonte Resort & Spa in Indian Wells where they introduced a few of the new signature dishes that Executive Chef Paul Hancock will be offering at the Grove Artisan Kitchen restaurant. The event was upstairs, outside next to the fire pits overlooking the gorgeous property at one of...
By Dee Jae Cox
In Theater a ‘classic’ tends to be defined as a show that is timeless. It can be performed at any date and still be enjoyed by most audiences. There is much to be learned about the art of theater by watching performances that are not limited to any particular era or audience, but can be appreciated...
NOW PLAYING:
MISS SLOANE
This is a dense political drama set in the high stakes world of power-brokers and lobbyists. Under John Madden’s tight direction, Jessica Chastain plays Elizabeth Sloane, a crafty and determined gun lobbyist who is committed to win no matter the cost.
This drama kicks into high gear when Sloane, who is known equally for her cunning and her...
Bby Heidi Simmons
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When Breath Becomes Air
by Paul Kalanithi
Memoir
and
The Still Point of the Turning World
by Emily Rapp
Memoir
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We are all mortal. Death is inevitable, yet it is something we rarely talk about.
As uncomfortable as death is, two excellent books take the reader to the private depths of despair and the emotional challenges of living with the dying.
A wife honors her...
The lights are likely up outside so now is a good time to look at some safety tips for inside the home as Christmas nears reminds Chief DiGiovanna.
• When purchasing an artificial tree, look for the label “Fire Resistant.”
• When purchasing a live tree, check for freshness.
• When setting up a tree at home, place it away from fireplaces...
By Flint Wheeler
The debates are hardly over, but regardless, matchups are set for college football’s New Year’s Six bowl games, including the College Football Playoff semifinals. I spoke with Rusty Justice, lines manager for an offshore sportsbook and my former co-host on my “Behind the Lines” podcast with ESPN Radio, about the opening lines and early action on the...