Later this month, Miss Lily’s of NYC joins us to celebrate traditional Jamaican street food at Desert Gold, our annual music and arts festival during Coachella at Ace Hotel & Swim Club in Palm Springs. Miss Lily’s is a multi-faceted gem covering all the bases from a record shop to a radio station, juice stand, restaurant, DJs and events, with a strong activist sensibility. A portion of proceeds from Miss Lily’s goes to the Rockhouse Foundation, the brainchild of Miss Lily’s co-founder Paul Salmon, who also runs the Rockhouse Hotel in Jamaica. The foundation supports the building and maintenance of libraries and schools in Jamaica for school-age children. Watch and learn, and we’ll see you in a couple weeks.
There once were two magicians who lived in a palace in the forest. Together, they worked all day and all night to make the world a more colorful and enchanting place. We knew them well and so we can say from personal experience that they were capable of manifesting the magic whether they were in their workshop, drunk on beer in the flatbed of a truck on the way to the mountains, or giving sage advice while preparing a home-cooked meal for 40 of their closest friends. Their names were — are — Fran and Nick, and the palace they live in is Seizure Palace, where they print all manner of abracadabra all the live long day. This week, they made our Desert Gold flyers and signage, inspired by Jamaica, Brooklyn, Palm Springs and your mom. Here are some live action shots captured by our very own Martie Flores who is also from a magical land that you can visit here.
You can also see the full line-up for Desert Gold and get a room.
The new video for Junior’s Throwin Craze by Woolfy. Out on Public Release Recordings, a record label started by our good friend and Renaissance Man Eug.
Obviously Pussy Riot sourced some of their inspiration from Devo. And who hasn’t? We get up each day and look in the mirror and say “Are we not men?” And when someone says, “No, you are not,” we say “Are we not Pussy Riot?”
On that note, the very one and only Mark Mothersbaugh is designing some pool toys for us to use in the pool and wherever we like during Desert Gold. Just one facet of a big, complicated, cool thing we do once a year during Coachella, April 12-21. You can still nab some rooms, and see the full line-up.
PART II : LINDA GERARD & DJ DAY
Our friend, fashion idol and philosophical guru Linda Gerard serenades devoted fans every Monday night at Sissy Bingo at Ace Palm Springs — a storied songstress of Broadway and Follies fame, she also peppers random lunches and dinners at King’s Highway with show-stopping belters, raising her bejeweled hands to the sky as she slays the final notes of Zing! Went the Strings of my Heart to thundering applause, having, each time, gained a couple dozen new groupies.
Recently, we were shaken by the news that Linda is in the process of kicking cancer’s ass. She was diagnosed earlier this year and is currently in the process of treatment and recovery. We love her dearly and would bend over backward to help and support her. This Monday, join us and her massive posse of friends, family and fans in the Commune for a festival of positivity, love and posse-rallying, with DJ Day, Alf Alpha, Giselle Woo, JP Houston and others. Donations at the door enter you to a raffle with damn good prizes, and proceeds from drinks go toward Linda and all rooms booked for that night at Ace with code FABULOUS are not only 25% off but go toward Linda’s support fund as well. See more about the event on our calendar.
Find here part two of three chapters of DJ Day’s interview with Linda about life, love and Lawrence Welk. DJ Day’s ridiculously great new record Land of 1000 Chances is up on our shop, as is Linda’s Fabulous Selections — which we released recently — and, you guessed it, proceeds from her record and our Sissy Bingo shirt go toward Linda as well.
Read on, show the love and stay tuned for chapter three, forthcoming soon.
Talk about the Rose Tattoo time…
What happened was, when my girlfriend broke up with me in ‘87, I needed a new beginning. I bought the Rose Tattoo in ‘88.
This was in West Hollywood and obviously huge at the time. I mean, Barry Manilow?
They all came. They all came to the Rose Tattoo and it was very, very exciting.
Flying Lotus rhythmically narrates a mediation on the ever-dissipating, ever-amalgamated self; the watercolors running through our veins; the tiny torture of having a bad case of the wants; the control of objects and obstacles; the unattainability of wholeness.
Not only does he do this, and very well, but he also plays at Desert Gold this year at Ace Hotel & Swim Club during Coachella — spinning at our party with Warp Records and with DJ Day at a special DG edition of ¡Reunión!. We still have a handful of rooms open, starting at one hundred and twenty nine tiny tortures. Book online and learn more about Desert Gold.
The Thermals play our lobby in New York tonight at 5pm in part IV of our 5 At 5 series with Martin Guitar and Bowery Presents — that is, after they finish their killing spree. Bear witness here to stills from their video shoot for Born to Kill from their new album, Desperate Ground, out April 16 from Saddle Creek.
We have an old friend named Chris Tucci. He’s not old — we just mean that we’ve been friends for a long time. Chris shares a nickname with our editor — Tino. So we also have in common that we are very tough cookies. Mr. Tucci curates our Sunday Night Live series in the lobby of Ace Hotel New York, and he also is an illustrator, animator and lady’s man with great-looking spectacles. Here is a video he and Steve Merten — no relation — made for Sunday Night Live returning act Turner Cody for his song “Better Days.”
INTERVIEW : LINDA GERARD & DJ DAY
To many, Linda Gerard needs no introduction. She has a cult following of devoted fans who journey to sunny Ace in Palm Springs to catch a glimpse and an earful of this self-described — Older, Wiser Lesbian. She’s everyone’s femme idol, the apple of our eye and one of our favorite human beings. She’s also a ridiculously talented woman with many an industry notch on her belt. That she’s decided to settle down with us in the desert, hosting Sissy Bingo every week and otherwise wowing those in the know as well as virgin ears and eyes, makes us incredibly blessed. Linda’s voice carries the oceanic vibrations of every great Broadway star before her, and she lets it ricochet ‘gainst the walls of King’s Highway when the mood is right. Her penchant for show-stopping eyewear and envy-inducing collection of let-your-light-shine sweaters and blazers leave us swooning.
We recently released a vinyl-only limited edition of Linda’s greatest hits, Fabulous Selections on our shop, and for our mutual dear friend DJ Day — another Palm Spring legend — we also present his first album, Land of 1000 Chances, on the shop. Day and Linda sat down recently to thumb through a bit of Linda’s life story — the stuff of big dreams, massive love, brave independence and a woman from whom we all have a lot to learn — entrusted to a confidante half her age but who’s definitely dancing to a similar drummer.
Find below the first of three chapters — you’ll see more in the weeks to come. And check out Linda’s and Day’s albums on our shop.
Let’s start from the beginning.
I was born in Trenton, New Jersey, in 1938, to a very orthodox Jewish family. Kept kosher, did the whole bit. I was always a performer. I always got up in front of people and sang. So, when I was old enough to get on the train my parents would let me go by myself to study in New York. I studied singing, dancing, acting, elocution and all that stuff. My parents wanted me to go to private school, but I said, “No, no, no. I don’t want to go to private school.”
I went to Trenton High School and I was in all the plays and the musicals and that was fun. Then when it was time to go to college and my parents wanted me to go I said, “I want to be in show business, but I’ll go to college if I can go to New York City.” There was a college in New York City called Finch, and it was on 78th Street between Park and Madison. I knew that if I got in I could sing on the weekends because that’s what I wanted to do. I got into Finch and on weekends I sang at 1 Fifth Avenue. I was always singing. I didn’t get great grades but I didn’t care. My parents cared, but I didn’t care. So the following year I didn’t want to go back. I said to parents, “Let me audition for the American Theatre Wing,” which was a very good school, for musical comedy.
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