Welcome to the seventh Amado newsletter! Full of things to love and do in the hi desert (™️ forthcoming).
This week my husband and I celebrated our second anniversary of living in the desert. We grabbed a custom sushi platter from FujiSan in the east Yucca Valley Stater Bros (yes, this is real, and yes, it is worth it) and made plans to go to a part of the park we’ve yet to explore. I wrote a reflection on thinking back to this life event on my Instagram, but what you may not know is the inspiration for the caption: what our overall state of impermanence really means.
News broke this month of the passing of Johnny Ray Martin, one of the founding members of Shadow Mountain Band. SMB are a regular staple at Pappy & Harriet’s, and were also the first act I saw on the Mon Petit Mojave stage in 2020 before I began my run as assistant GM. Though my interactions with Johnny Ray were limited, he was always kind to me. That baritone voice he would throw against the dark desert sky littered with stars made my skin tingle every time. MPM was fortunate to have the band perform just a few weeks ago during the 4th of July weekend. It’s bizzare to know now that was likely his final performance.
It got me thinking about how my own last moments may play out like. Morbid, maybe, but one of the only truths of this world. I hope that my own death is a long way from now, but given (gestures wildly around) - shit’s wild and anything is possible. Will I still be here in Joshua Tree amongst my weirdos and brethren I have come fond of? Will I be off the coast of Mauritius instead, stuffing my face with fish caught off the coral reefs and drinking Chamarel Rum? Will I be back in San Francisco, prepping my Columbarium plot or planning to get pressed into a diamond to haunt my future spawn? Will any of it even matter? That’s the actual question I’m asking these days. It wasn’t until I moved down to the brutal, sublime vision that is the Mojave that I slowed down and began to truly face my own existence upfront. The pandemic just ended up putting a microscope on the sentiment.
I don’t have any answers yet. All I know is that to continue living is an act of resistance and resilience. Watch and listen to this beautiful tribute SMB put together in remembrance of their fallen comrade. Rest in peace, Johnny Ray.
HAPPENINGS
Saturday 8/14 - support artists in downtown Joshua Tree as Second Saturdays kicks off, offering a variety of views and do’s for the night:
6pm-8pm: catch “Space is the Place” at Gallery 62 before it closes on August 29. Local artists Gubby Beck, Ben Allanoff, Rose Cefalu, Snake Jagger and more provide their spin on the great unknown of the dark skies above us. This exhibition takes its title from the film / concept album by avant-garde jazz musician and Afro-futurist Sun Ra.
6pm-9pm: “Field of Vibration” opens at Pilates & Arts, showcasing new paintings by Yucca Valley artist Hiroko Momii. Exploring nature and spirituality, creating art for the artist has been a source of meditation. The art opening also offers complimentary beverages and snacks.
6:30pm: Beatnik Lounge is re-opening for their first art show in the brick-and-mortar gallery since March 2020. Group show “OOOF” (Olly Olly Oxen Free) tackles the sound of being greeted by 110ºF Mojave desert salutations, and other desert inspirations. Show runs through August 28, with a virtual component for those wanting to have a charcuterie and art night from home.
7pm-10pm: celebrate at the opening reception for “Searching for the Celestial, the Extraterrestrial, & the Infinite in Between” at La Matadora Gallery. Featuring work by Daniel Martin Diaz and Alexandra Bowers, the show title says it all. Moody music for these unsettling times provided by down-the-grade DJ duo Luna Negra. Show runs through Labor Day.
7pm-10pm: Joshua Tree Night Market has expanded to every Saturday in the month of August. Tonight’s installment welcomes back Le Jazzane Band to The Shops at Zanny’s to provide musical accompaniment for shoppers and community alike.
Sunday 8/15 - 7:30pm: attend the closing night of “Eyeless in Colonus,” the last production as part of the Summer Theater series at the Amphitheatre. Taking place at Wind Walkers Medicine Wheel, this new play by Bruce Bonafede reimagines the death of King Oedipus, where the former King of Thebes is instead a blind beggar who arrives at a hidden grove to accept his fate. House opens at 7:30pm, show time 8:15pm. Purchase tickets here.
Tuesday 8/17 - 6pm: Joshua Basin Water District is hosting a Special Citizens Advisory Council Meeting, where operations updates on current and upcoming projects in the district will be announced. More information about cannabis farms here in the Basin is also on the agenda for discussion. To dial into the meeting, phone 253-215-8782 to listen in, or use Zoom to stream the meeting virtually (Meeting ID 82035020524, Passcode: 040444). To receive future meeting announcements, email bwaszak@jbwd.com for more info.
Thursday 8/19 - 6pm: there’s a new outdoor film spot in town, only available by request. Mojave Movie Nights, run by Mike Bruce Films, provides small and intimate screenings for hi desert cinema buffs and amateurs alike. This month’s calendar, curated by Jesika Von Rabbit, include everything from La Vie en Rose to Rosemary’s Baby. Rubin + Ed screens on August 19, a 1991 film that follows a real-estate salesman (Howard Hesseman) and a hippie (Crispin Glover) hitting the road on a mission to bury a frozen cat in the desert. If that doesn’t sound up your alley, August 20’s offering is Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory. See the full schedule for the month here. Advance RSVP required.
Friday 8/20 - 11am-3pm: the County of San Bernardino returns back to the hi desert and will be setting up shop at the Yucca Valley Community Center for free COVID-19 vaccinations. Shots are available to those 12 and over, and no insurance is required or necessary. Book an appointment by scanning the QR code here or making it online. Walk-ins are welcome.
DON’T MISS THIS
Tumbleweed Sanctuary in Yucca Valley is hosting its first ever Stargazing Lounge on August 21, in anticipation of the sturgeon moon on August 22. The launch party features a drum circle, refreshments, and a full moon ceremony by energy worker Europa Gitte that takes place in the venue’s central labyrinth. Free and open to the public, 7pm-10pm.
Hi-Desert Nature Museum has slowly begun welcoming back visitors into their space. On August 22, the Joshua Tree Early Music Society presents “Post Pestilence Consulere” at HDNM, performing the works of Josquin des Prez, Francesco Landini, Guillaume Dufay, and more. The musical selections, featuring music from the 12 through 15th centuries, finds its inspiration from the time of the Black Death (also known as the Pestilence, the Great Mortality or the Plague) in Europe. Advance registration is required for both in-person or digital attendance to the concert. For more information and tickets, click here (scroll to the Museum > Chamber Music section).
Hand-thrown pottery and ceramics studo ZZIEE Ceramics is opening a showroom. The grand opening on September 6 includes snacks, drinks, and 20% off all pots. Artist Elizabeth Eisenstein previously worked as a production potter at MazAmar Art Pottery in Pioneertown before founding ZZIEE, offering vases, mugs, and other pieces. Visit the new studio and showroom 11am-3pm on Labor Day.
Joshua Tree Retreat Center and Luna Arcana just announced a weekend of events featuring Damien Echols - author, filmmaker, and one third of the West Memphis Three. After his release from prison in 2011, Echols published Life After Death, chronicling his experiences from trial to incarceration, and the role magick, rituals, and the occult played in his journey. “Invoking Angel Intelligences: The Royal Science” takes place at JTRC September 17-19, and promises to be a weekend immersion into the foundational practices of Magick & Meditation. Echols’ current book Angels and Archangels: The Western Path to Enlightenment, released last year, will have a dedicated author talk and book signing event on September 17. Tickets to the event, an in-person retreat, and live recording session can be found here.
Lastly - the Yucca Valley Library is in need of donations. The location is slowly re-opening and has put out a call out for the books, CDs, and DVDs you know you’re not using right now. Donations should be in relatively good shape before drop off. Eligible items will be put into circulation, while the remainder will be sold to the general public through special events. All proceeds go to paying for free community events, from children's art classes and reading programs, to bringing Santa during the holidays. Drop off at the library from Tuesday - Thursday from 11am to 6pm, and on Saturdays from 9am to 4pm.
SHIT YOU SHOULD CARE ABOUT
Pioneertown General Store recently announced that their last day in their physical location is August 29, due to the new owners of their building not renewing the lease in the Likker Barn. Losing any local business is tough, but especially heartbreaking against the backdrop of a pandemic. Owner Sarah Tabbush posted the news on the PGS Instagram: “When I opened my shop in Pioneertown over 4 years ago, there was just a small retail presence on Mane Street. Pioneertown was so quiet! There were days when not a single person would walk down the road-- so many days when I didn't even make a dollar! I worked hard to bring people to town, and in doing so, I helped grow not just my own business, but also the small businesses of my vendors and neighbors on Mane Street.”
PGS’s current plan is to move inventory to their sister store Nitty Gritty Antiques in Yucca Valley after the end of this month. Stop by PGS in person to shop vintage treasures and locally made goodies before they close, or shop online and watch their socials for future pop-ups.
WORTH THE DRIVE
The Palm Springs Cultural Center has been pivoting with the best of them during the pandemic. They were one of the first places in the low desert to offer drive-in movies, partnering films with local food trucks to offer patrons event options outside. As the PSCC has been transitioning back to indoor events (masks and vax card required), their all-ages Sing-A-Long events have taken off. August 14’s musical feature is Bohemian Rhapsody (tickets here), with host Rosemary Galore and featuring songleaders from the Palm Springs Gay Men’s Chorus. If this weekend is too packed for you, buy tickets for other sing-a-longs like Grease and Mamma Mia, or catch a film during the week like the Anthony Bourdain autobio pic Roadrunner screening August 18 and 19.
That’s it for this edition. Thanks for reading!
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About me:
I’m Jenn, a hi-desert orb since 2019. I moved to Joshua Tree completely independent of the pandemic and now can’t imagine being anywhere else.
Amado in Spanish means “beloved.” It was important to me when naming this newsletter Amado that I focus on the center of it all: events that bring us together. As a new person in a new place, I wanted to immerse myself and get to know the community that would be my support system. In my short time as a local, I have found that the heart of the desert lies in its people - and the way we have formed communities to forge our bonds, especially during COVID-19, has been my own personal saving grace.
I love sharing things that I am interested in, and appreciate you are too! Til the next time.
Amado is published every Friday (formerly Thursday), pending an existential crisis. If that’s the case, it may be published on Saturdays. Sign up here so you don’t miss the next issue. Full archive of past newsletters can be accessed here.
Disclaimer: I founded and run The Grand Calavera, an events and production company for hire. Some events listed here from time to time may be special projects I am working on. Like me on Facebook and follow me on Instagram (shameless plug).
Feedback, ideas and more can be sent to thegrandcalavera@gmail.com.