We moved to the Coachella Valley in August of 2014 and have been enjoying the desert lifestyle of Palm Springs and Southern California ever since. We moved to the Coachella Valley in August of 2014 and have been enjoying the desert lifestyle of Palm Springs and Southern California ever since.
Posts
Welcome to a world of limitless possibilities, where the journey is as exhilarating as the destination, and where every moment is an opportunity to make your mark.
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Tonight felt like the true beginning of the holidays for me. The Vienna Boys Choir performed a program titled Christmas in Vienna at the McCallum Theatre. It included a mixture of classical works by Brahms, Pergolesi, Bruckner, and Mozart, alongside recognizable carols like “Silent Night” (sung with lights dimmed and each boy holding a candle),…
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We wanted something fun for Friday night, so we bought cheap, balcony tickets to see actor Billy Bob Thornton (of Sling Blade and Bad Santa fame) and his rock band, The Boxmasters, at The Show in Rancho Mirage. The stories he told throughout the evening and his clear musicianship made it evident that his passion…
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Last night, my daughter and I had a great time at the legendary Pappy & Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace, where we saw the alternative rock band Young the Giant. This was my second time seeing them, and both times were amazing. Being outdoors under the desert stars made the evening truly magical. Pappy & Harriet’s is…
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Last night’s concert at the Hollywood Bowl was an unforgettable evening. The Los Angeles Philharmonic, led by guest conductor James Gaffigan, delivered an awe-inspiring performance of Mozart‘s “Requiem in D Minor,” featuring the celebrated Los Angeles Master Chorale. The first half of the program was also impressive, with a new LA Phil commission by Ellen…
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Attending The Proms at London’s Royal Albert Hall was a surreal and unforgettable experience. This storied venue has welcomed everyone from classical titans like Tchaikovsky, Mahler, and Stravinsky to popular icons such as The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, and Led Zeppelin — a testament to its place at the heart of musical history. The BBC Proms…
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Last night in the intimate Cascade Lounge at Agua Caliente Casino Palm Springs, the Los Angeles–based rockabilly trio The Centuries played an energetic 90-minute set as part of the Desert Blues Revival series held there every Wednesday. The Centuries—who have been performing at venues and music festivals across the U.S. and Europe since 2011—brought their…
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After spending Friday in Las Vegas, we headed down to Laughlin, NV to see Southern rockers The Marshall Tucker Band perform Saturday night at The Edge Pavilion. Aside from a few songs that had gotten radio play, I wasn’t familiar with most of their music. What surprised me was how seamlessly they blended genres—rock, country,…
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Fatso Jetson headlined Desert Jam 2025 last night at Little Street Music Hall in Indio, topping a five-band lineup. Hailing from Palm Desert, they’re widely credited as pioneers of the desert rock scene, blending stoner rock with punk, surf, jazz, and psychedelic influences into a sound all their own. I was especially excited to catch…
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Last night, a big crowd turned out for the kickoff of the Palm Desert Concerts in the Park Series, which brings live music to the Civic Center Park Amphitheater every Thursday this month. The evening featured TLR, a tribute band celebrating rock legends The Eagles. With perfect temperatures and a gentle breeze, it was the…
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The Coachella Valley Symphony is an impressive, community-driven orchestra made up of professional musicians, talented amateurs, and dedicated volunteers who all come together for the love of music. Their final concert of the season, held last night at the McCallum Theatre, was a lot of fun. The program, titled “Best of Stage & Screen,” featured…
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Last night at the Rancho Mirage Library, the distinguished chamber music ensemble Camarada delivered an invigorating performance of Argentine musical masterworks in a program titled Camaraderie: Tango Obsession. Andrés Martín, the group’s bassist and composer-in-residence, introduced each piece with brief comments about its cultural and historical context. I enjoyed hearing the scintillating rhythms and seductive…
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Music Director Carl St. Clair led the Pacific Symphony tonight in an exciting concert at the McCallum Theatre. It began with an energetic rendition of Beethoven’s Egmont Overture and concluded with the great composer’s uplifting Symphony No. 7. In between, celebrated French pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet delivered a virtuosic performance of Camille Saint-Saëns’ exotic Piano Concerto…
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Every Sunday in March, Sunnylands offers free concerts to the public. It is located in Rancho Mirage and just a short bike ride from home. Sunnylands is a historic 200-acre estate, once the winter retreat of Walter and Leonore Annenberg. Known as the “Camp David of the West,” it’s hosted numerous prominent figures, including presidents…
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On Saturday night, we attended the San Diego Symphony’s concert at the newly renovated Jacobs Music Center. Unfortunately, scheduled guest conductor Michael Tilson Thomas had to cancel. I was disappointed to miss him conducting his own composition, “Street Song” (for Symphonic Brass). Teddy Abrams, Music Director of the Louisville Orchestra, stepped in as his replacement.…
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A brilliant performance this afternoon by the highly regarded chamber ensemble the Euclid Quartet, at the Richards Center for the Arts in Palm Springs. The program included string quartets by Haydn, Mendelssohn, and Schubert. “Entr’ acte” by Caroline Shaw was a pleasant surprise, and the Astor Piazzolla encore was an excellent finale to the concert.
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I’ve seen the band Z.Z. Top in concert 3 times and Billy F. Gibbon’s performance tonight was like seeing them a 4th. This time in a small, outdoor venue, the Agave Caliente Terraza at Agua Caliente Cathedral City, with Mike “The Drifter” Flanigin on bass and Chris Layton on drums. It was chilly outside, but…
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I attended an interesting lecture/concert at the Rancho Mirage Library today that focused on Gustave Mahler’s influence on opera, despite his never composing one. Soprano Natalie Mann provided facts about the topic, and accompanied by pianist Jeffrey Panko, performed beautiful renditions of Mahler’s “Rückert-Lieder” and songs by R. Strauss, Britten, and others.
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Tribute bands are frequent entertainment at local casinos; some are better than others. “One Vision of Queen” featuring Marc Martel, at The Show was one of the good ones. Martel didn’t try to imitate Freddie Mercury, but he sounded like him and delivered the songs with enough talent and passion to make a really enjoyable…
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Thirty-seven years ago today, I saw the pioneering rock band R.E.M. perform at the Sam Houston Coliseum in Houston, TX. I got to hang out backstage with them before the show and happened to get bassist Mike Mills’ signature on my ticket stub. I saw them again at the Greek Theatre on Aug. 9, 1999—same…
We moved to the Coachella Valley in August of 2014 and have been enjoying the desert lifestyle of Palm Springs and Southern California ever since.
We moved to the Coachella Valley in August of 2014 and have been enjoying the desert lifestyle of Palm Springs and Southern California ever since. e moved to the Coachella Valley in August of 2014 and have been enjoying the desert lifestyle of Palm Springs and Southern California ever since.
Music
My interest in music became an obsession in the early 1980s when I started working as the manager of a large record and video store in Houston, Texas called Sound Warehouse. In this job, I formed relationships with record label representatives was able to meet and interact with many different artists who came to that city. Subsequently, I went on to work at a few classical music organizations and ballet companies, including the Los Angeles Opera and, Los Angeles Philharmonic.
Discogs does not reflect the entirety of my music collection. Most of my classical albums and CDs are not listed. I also have a large digital library of classical and popular music. But check it out for fun; I have a few “collector’s items” in the list.
The ticket stubs in this photo represent just a small fraction of the incredible bands and concerts I’ve seen over the years. Click on the image to zoom in and see who some of them were.
All of the wildlife in these photos can be found in the California desert.
April 29, 2025 – Ladder-backed Woodpecker on palm tree. 
Oct. 29, 2017 – Bighorn Sheep near the trail. 
April 7, 2019 – Rattlesnake on Mission Creek Preserve Trail. 
Red-tailed Hawk on the Chuckwalla Trail 
Oct. 6, 2022 – Gila Woodpecker at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix 
Jan. 16, 2022 – Checking out this cute burrowing owl. 
Pelican flying over the Salton Sea 
Dec. 22, 2001 – Coyote in Joshua Tree National Park. 
A Roadrunner in my backyard. 
Big Horn on South Lykken Trail – Oct. 21, 2022 
March 14, 2025 – Female mallard in the backyard.
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