Palm Springs Swings

Festival of Lights

Here's a photoset of the pics I took at last night's Festival of Lights Christmas parade on Palm Canyon Drive. It was appallingly paced — at one point, there was a good fifteen-minute gap between floats — but very charming and fun nonetheless; Carole and MJ and I enjoyed several cups of holiday cheer on the porch of Hamburger Mary's, and got well into the Yuletide spirit. Highlights included a trio of camels, a lights-strewn Builder's Supply truck, and several fine marching bands...

My sad trip to Shields Date Garden

I took a quick trip to Shields Date Garden on Saturday and just about cried seeing all the development on Highway 111.  Ever bit of land is sprouting a new mini-mall, housing development, auto complex or "lifestyle" center.  Not a bit of desert to be found.  Fortunately Shields was still standing proudly with it's 40 foot high welcoming soldier and after a delicious date shake I felt a bit better...until dinner with Peyton and Laine (at Roscoe's which was very, very good) who said that they heard Shields is up for sale.  Tragic.  So, this may be the last holiday with Dates from a desert classic.  I'm bummed.
Buy your dates online at Shields Date Garden or visit them in Indio. 

Back Where It All Began: Avanti Returns to Palm Spring

While we've been cruising around the nabe in our li'l red Alfa (one of the last Giulia Spiders, built in '66) and the ride that Dan likes to call the "JFK Assassination" Lincoln Continental ('63 fo' do' convertible with, yes, "suicide doors), the real automotive heritage of Palm Springs is embodied in the hippest automotive shape of all time: Avanti!

Yes, Studebaker's dream car you could drive home was conceived and designed right here in Palm Springs.  Studebaker was looking for a way to give its line of Larks and Hawks some exotic "aura" and a four seater fiberglass sports coupe seemed just the ticket.  Studebaker's visionary chairman, Sherwood Egbert hired Raymond Loewy to do the design job.  Loewy was a household name, having graced the cover of Time Magazine in celebration of his epochal industrial design career.  The Lucky Strike cigarette package, the Ritz Crackers box, the Coca Cola fountain dispenser. Most relevant to Egbert was the fact that Loewy's team ran Studebaker's styling department from just before the war through the launch of the '53 Studebaker coupe, the absolute pinnacle of post war sleek. 

Loewy, as we know, lived in that great house in Little Tuscany with the pool that intrudes into the living room.  He assembled his design team of young hip cats (by day they designed the Avanti, by night they macked the spring breaking co-eds who invaded the town) who are pictured here with a clay model of the car -- that's Loewy with the mustache. While Loewy swam in his living room, the guys were set up in a small rented house in the flatlands (the address of which I once knew but now eludes me).  Loewy's group came up with what was to become the Avanti in a very short time and the car was put into production immediately after the engineering department back in South Bend figured how to mate the Loewy team's body to the Lark Daytona V8 chassis and drivetain. 

Now, 45 years later that great (and, perhaps, only) moment in Palm Springs automotive history is to be celebrated on a grand scale.  The Avanti Owners Association International brings its annual conclave to town for a week beginning April 23rd. We'll be driving out our '63 Avanti from the city for most of the week in the hope we'll be able to run wild through the streets of town with a pack of Avanti-driving "outside agitators." Our little burg may well host the greatest confluence of Avantis in human history. We'll be there and hope you will, too. We'll just keep that Lincoln and Alfa under wraps until the AOAI stalwarts leave town.  Our little secret, OK?

Modernism Gala: Getting Down for the Cause: Bob's report on the ModCom's Studio 54 party at Leisureland

Save for a dearth of mountains of cocaine and nary a velvet rope in site (thank god for both deficiencies!), Jamie Kabler’s recreation of Studio 54 at his iconic/ironic manse, Leisureland, was a raging (in every sense) success. The occasion was The Palm Springs Modern Committee's (ModCom) annual fundraising gala, coinciding with Modernism Weekend.

We were greeted by klieg lights, happy-go-lucky attendants mounted on Segway people transporters and ushered into the house where we were greeted by the inimitable Mr. Kabler who hosted in casual jeans ‘n t. having shot his sartorial wad the previous evening at the Modernism Show preview in a suit that popped and rocked in no uncertain terms. Drag queens with nail extensions a la Mrs. Barry White were part of the welcoming committee while numerous go- go guys and one “chee ky” go-go girl manned (and womanned) their posts poolside. A gaggle of guys frolicked in the pool and Jacuzzi as DJ Victor Rodriguez got in his spins over a pulsating PA.

We arrived fashionably on time and were glad that the drink supply was mega-plentiful as hot pants attired attendants passed around libations and all manner of snackage. Ritz Cracker adorned with spray cheese seemed like a good idea, as were the tuna, egg salad and PB&J sandwiches.  By the way, the servers’ spangley micro trou with bow in front --to tie up the “package,” get it? -- were designed by Chander Faith, our amazingly talented and entrepreneurial (The Frippery) neighbor.  She had been a bit nervous before the event as there hadn’t been time for fittings and “fallout” was a concern, unfounded, as far as we could tell.  Speaking of art, we noted superstar designer Karim Rashid, decked out in snow blind white, fresh from his opening earlier that evening at M-Modern Gallery. Apart from that, color was the rule of the night with most wearing something garish ‘n groovy.

An army might travel on its stomach but this gang of resolute biped revelers danced on its platforms. Our “equestrifriend,” Amy Treco, in from Silver Lake for championship polo in Indio was one of the ball’s belles with a dress that seemed to have been painted by a Chinese calligrapher with a set of watercolors. Lynda Keeler wore her honey bee yellow quilted jacket and matching pumps. I wore that nutty Lily Pulitzer sport coast with a turquoise lounging lions jungle print that I bought at last year’s Modernism Show (PS I only scored two bow ties there this year!) I was stopped by any number of revelers who gushed over our garb. I have never before encountered so many people who knew what they were looking at. “It’s a ‘Lily,’ right?” I was asked by one unabashed admirer. “Nice call, ya’ll,” my affirmation.

Amy and I were asked to pose for shots for 111 Magazine. Just my guess but I’m thinking that the fact that she’s 6 feet tall and ravishing might have had something to do with the request. I was invited to share the frame with Amy, her modeling days are not that far behind her, mostly due to the intercession of my gal “Lily.” That jacket has opened a lot of doors for me in the short time I’ve had it. Well worth the now forgotten price I paid for it.

Once we heard the strains of “It Takes Two” the James Brown produced track by Lynn Collins a/k/a “The Female Preacher we were up on the dance floor doing our durndest to get down in a mighty manner. Know the song? Pretty much the greatest bass line in the history of West African civilization and also the fundament of Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock’s classic old school hip hop hit of the same title. It’s just about as good as its source material. The Female Preacher “passed,” as they say, last year and we paused to mourn that great loss. Then we had a few more drinks, a tuna sandwich, checked out the poulkie (look it up in your Yiddish-English Funk & Wagnel) on that lone go-go girl, lounged around, had some more drinks, danced some more, chatted with some friendly folks, had our picture taken again and shot some of our own while on a tour of the house including the Barbie guest room, the Raquel Welsh table, the den of inequity, and the master bedroom where a certain CIBA blow-up gave the term “larger than life” a real meaning.

As the night wore on, we noted Jamie, mostly fully clothed, at least as of our pre-midnight departure, gyrating on a pedestal between the pool and the living room. The guy really knows how to throw a great party and it warmed our hearts to see him having at least as much fun as the rest of us.

More on Amanda Lepore, 14 of Gallery of the Absurd and Stone at the MModern Gallery show, Blonde Bombshell

Just downloaded a pic of the increditranny (per Gawker), robosexual (per SucideGirls) and plasticine (per Radar) Amanda Lepore at the MModern show, Blonde Bombshells,  who was posing with Jaime, the founder of the Hollywood 14 Hour Diet and owner of Leisureland, in front of her oversized David LaChappele photo.  Wild art and even wilder people watching.  Stone showed off his fire breathing rocket and our other pal, 14, of the famed GalleryoftheAbsurd had her Courtney Love painting right up front.

Blonde Bombshell in Attendance

This creation known as Amanda Lepore was in attendance at the M Modern Gallery gala on Saturday and I can tell you that I have never seen anything like this being. AND I was close enough to feel like I might've gotten lip gloss on me. TroutPout, thy name is Amanda!

Party at LeisureLand

It looks like the big Modernism party of Sat. Feb 18th is going to be at LesiureLand!  Parteee...

Get more info at: PS Modcom

Blonde Bombshell opening at MModern Gallery

Jay and MiShell of MModern along with David are throwing a party/art opening this Sat for the group show, Blonde Bombshell.  It looks like it will be a blast.  Here's info from their site/blog:

      Hosted by legendary 50's sex-kitten Mamie Van Doren and David Lachapelle muse  Amanda Lepore, the opening reception on Saturday, January 14 is from 7-10 pm. 

  Artist SHAG (aka Josh Agle) will be signing copies of his new book, Shag: The Art of Josh Agle from 4 to 6pm. This is the most comprehensive book of SHAG's original works yet.

     Featured artists and photographers include  SHAG, David Lachapelle, Shepard Fairey, Chris Reccardi, Glenn Barr, Ron English, Dave Burke, George Hurrell and Bernard of Hollywood among  others.

  Go-go dancers in custom Trina Turk  costumes will shimmy & shake to the sounds of Super DJ Victor Rodriguez. Many of the artists and surprise legendary
“Blonde Bombshell”  guests will also be in attendance. A special THANK YOU to Trina for the amazing designs.

More info at: MModern Gallery
Plus check out Jay's blog at: MModern Gallery Blog

 

Cirque du Puree, er, Dreams?

The countdown clock has been restarted, and the show that will allegedly revitalize downtown and make that nasty empty Weissman mall not such a blight is skedded to start on January 11.
It was supposed to start revitalizing downtown on December 26th, but you know how these tempermental artists can be... So, I'm throwing it out there (or down) - who's going to be the first to dip their toes into the rather pricey water ($59 for orchestra, $49 for bench) and let us know if there is magic or mediocrity happening downtown?

It's Christmas Time at the Robot House!

For many of us who live and/or play in Palm Springs, it's just not Christmas until you've paid a visit to the Christmas Village at the "Robot House" on the corner of Cahuilla and Valmonte. It is, quite simply, the most surreal, eye-popping (and, if you're so inclined, thought-provoking) holiday display you've ever seen, a multi-denominational extravaganza featuring everything from bubble machines to inflatable Alien Santas, smoke-spewing demons and a macabre reindeer team fashioned entirely from household and industrial detritus. Oh yeah - and MILLIONS of Christmas lights; you can probably see the place from space, or at least the Tramway. The artist who created the whole thing is very friendly and affects a Doug Henning-like accent and persona, but he's rather touchy about certain topics -- for instance, don't ask him how big his SoCal Edison bills are, and by all means DON'T refer to his hulking creations as "robots" (they're "statues"). Be prepared to make a cash donation to his cause; but for a one-of-a-kind experience like this, a couple of bucks is a SMALL price to pay. Mere words don't do the place justice, so here's a few photos I took on the evening of December 23.