With 90+ degree temps, I start to think about summer vacation to escape the inevitable heat. And there’s nothing better than a European vacation like the one we’re giving away with Brandg Vacations on KGAY starting next week with our “Song of the Day” contest.
Flying in and out of Palm Springs International Airport is such a breeze. They’ve partnered with us to provide the airfare for our contest this year. I tell friends that many days I can leave home an hour before my flight departs, park, get through TSA Pre, and still have time for a cup of Coachella Valley Coffee! (Don’t try this at home or in the height of season!)
A big thanks to our friends and fans who came out to K-GAY Desert Guide Night as the Firebirds clinched the top spot in the Calder Cup playoffs. Palm Springs Pride’s Ron DeHarte and I got to drop the (frozen) puck for the game. The online Pride jersey auction benefitted Pride.
Acrisure is pulling in some great shows for the summer. So even if you can’t fly away to escape the heat, a concert in the cool respite of the ice arena will be a good staycation.
Brad Fuhr, your Gay Desert Guide on KGAY 106.5 Palm Springs
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Coachella Weekend 1
The Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival (known around the world as simply “Coachella”) is taking place over the next two weekends, April 12–14 and April 19–21 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio. With a capacity of 125,000, total attendance is estimated at a quarter of a million people over the two weekends. This year, headliners Lana Del Rey, Doja Cat, and Tyler, the Creator are bringing their unique styles to the desert stage, with dozens of acts across multiple stages filling out the weekend of wall-to-wall music. Watch for street closures and additional traffic through April. More info
Desert Gold
The Ace Hotel and Swim Club presents Desert Gold, a “sacred ceremony of far-out sound alongside Coachella,” taking place both weekends, Thursdays–Sundays, April 11–14 and 18–21. This year’s lineup includes REMEZCLA, kicking off weekend one by turning the Commune into a temple of Latine excellence while ride-or-die party partner The Do-Over will fill the Amigo Room with some FRiends. Poolside will be Montreal collective Moonshine, championing Afro-futuristic, bass-heavy and electro-funk sounds while bringing diasporas together under one roof. LA’s own Hood Rave will set it off in the Amigo Room for weekend two, followed by an all-weekend poolside showcase by Franchise. More info
Goldenvoice Surf Club
Also alongside Coachella, and produced by the same company as the big event, is the Goldenvoice Surf Club, on Saturday & Sunday of both Coachella weekends, April 13–14 and 22–21. This curated music program takes place in the music amphitheater of the new Palm Springs Surf Club, with parkwide wellness activities, and all attractions open, including a wave pool, a heated lazy river, and additional surrounding pools. Add to the fun an incredible roster of festival talent, world renowned DJs plus live entertainment! Get tickets
Alan Cumming and Ari Shapiro: “Och & Oy!”
The McCallum Theatre presents Och & Oy!: A Considered Cabaret on Saturday, April 13 at 8 pm. Alan Cumming (Cabaret, The Good Wife) and Ari Shapiro (NPR’s All Things Considered, Pink Martini) both transport audiences to other worlds through their stories. Now, they’re joining forces in song. Witness the critically acclaimed evening of tunes and tall tales, with musical direction by Henry Koperski. Get tickets
Coming Outdoors Hike & Mixer in the High Desert
Joshua Tree National Park Association presents a Hike and LGBTQ+ Mixer in the high desert on Saturday, April 13 from 4–8 pm at the Hi-View Trailhead. This is an LGBTQ event intended to bring community together for an accessible hike and social. The easy/moderate hike ascends 400 feet of elevation gain and reaches a high point with sweeping views of the surrounding mountains, with stops at multiple points to discuss plants, wildlife, and geologic features. The LGBTQ+ mixer follows the hike, from 6–8 pm. Reserve a spot
Recap: KGAY Night with the CV Firebirds
Thank you to everyone who made KGAY Night at Acrisure Arena with the Coachella Valley Firebirds a success! We had great pre-game music and fun, John Taylor was on the microphone entertaining the masses, Palm Springs Pride’s Ron DeHarte and your Gay Desert Guide Brad Fuhr dropped the puck, and the KGAY Pride Jersey Auction featuring this season’s popular Pride-themed Firebirds Jersey reached $1,175 to benefit PS Pride! Congratulations to Matt from the state of Washington, for his winning bid!
Joslyn in Bloom
The Joslyn Center’s annual fundraiser, Joslyn in Bloom, is Friday, April 12 from 11 am–2 pm at Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa Rancho Mirage. This popular luncheon with live auction and fashion show is sold out, but for those of you who are going: look for your Gay Desert Guide Brad Fuhr as host, with DJ Modgirl providing the music!
The Epic Freddie Mercury Tribute
The Epic Freddie Mercury Tribute comes to the Fuego Event Space on Saturday, April 13 at 7 pm. This incredible live entertainment experience features Roy Cruz, who brings you as close as you’ll ever be to the rock icon. Not only does he sing every song authentically, but his costumes, style, persona, and audience engagement all measure up to the legendary Freddie Mercury. Roy even accompanies himself on the piano, just like the iconic Freddie did in his concerts. Get tickets
McCallum Announces 2024-2025 Season, Tickets on Sale Friday
The McCallum Theatre has announced its new lineup for 2024-2025 with a full season of great performances on sale Friday, April 12 at 8 am, starting in October 2024 and going through mid-May 2025, with additional performances to be added throughout the season. The season features touring Broadway shows like Book of Mormon, SIX: The Musical, Dear Evan Hansen and more, holiday favorites and new additions, National Geographic LIVE, Bernadette Peters, Mandy Patinkin, Brian Stokes Mitchell, orchestral performances, a Disney Sing-Along and many more than we have space to mention here. Read the full announcement and plan your season [here].
Glow in the Park at The Living Desert
The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens presents Glow in the Park on select nights through April 28. Step into a magical world of lights with more than a hundred Chinese lanterns hand crafted by artisans. Glow in the Park showcases the wonders of wildlife from across the globe and throughout time, featuring larger-than-life displays inspired by the beauty of nature, dozens of interactive installations, fantastic photo ops, and, of course, the fan-favorite “magic” smoke bubbles. Get tickets
Sherlock Holmes Confidential
Desert Ensemble Theatre presents Sherlock Holmes Confidential, playing Fridays–Sundays, April 12–14 and 19–21. This sparkling comedy was a great success at DET’s 2022 Summer reading series. In an alternative version of the Holmes origin story, a spurned romance leads to someone threatening to unmask the young detective as a fraud. Get tickets
Mr. Parker
Dezart Performs presents Mr. Parker, a new play by Michael McKeever, writer of Daniel’s Husband, Fridays through Sundays, April 12–21. At 54 years old, Terry Parker finds himself at a crossroads in his life. After the loss of his partner of 30 years, he finds himself suddenly single and unable to adjust to a world that has moved on without him. After a night of heavy drinking, he wakes up with a 28-year-old bartender-slash-Uber-driver. These two very different people begin a tentative relationship, and what starts out as a one-night stand becomes a journey of self-discovery. Get tickets
Meghan Murphy – Adventures From A Broad!
The Purple Room Supper Club presents Meghan Murphy – Adventures From A Broad! on Friday and Saturday, April 12 & 13 (dinner at 6 pm, show at 8 pm). Murphy sings an impressive range of songs, from pop parodies to jazz, from Broadway to Beyoncé. Through her dynamic storytelling and old Hollywood Charm, she will thrill and delight you with her vocal prowess and razor sharp sense of humor. She’s an old broad with a new twist! Big Voice. Big Laughs. Big Red. Get tickets
The Boys in the Band
Palm Canyon Theatre presents The Boys in the Band, playing Thursdays through Sundays, opening Friday April 12 and running through April 21. In his New York City apartment, Michael throws a birthday party for Harold, a self-described “thirty-two- year- old, pockmarked, Jew fairy,” complete with a surprise gift: “Cowboy,” a street hustler. As the evening wears on-fueled by drugs and alcohol-bitter, unresolved resentments among the guests come to light when a game of “Truth” goes terribly wrong. Get tickets
Nice Work If You Can Get it
CVRep presents George & Ira Gershwin’s Nice Work If You Can Get It, playing Wednesdays through Sundays, April 10–28. Additional dates have already been added due to high demand, hitting the CVRep stage with Gershwin songs you’ll be humming the whole way home. This screwball comedy features romance, high-spirited production numbers, and a Tony Award winning script that pokes fun at class snobbery in the prohibition era. Our theatre reviewer Stephen Radosh says “As the central couple, Jennifer Knox and Hayden Stanes are charmers blessed with wonderful voices and bring a sense of romance to “S’ Wonderful”, their long dance number which recalls Fred & Ginger as they danced their way to romance.” Read his full review and Get tickets.
