Grnd Sqrl is focused on interesting takes on normal bar food like burgers and sandwiches, alongside a tap list with a selection of beers you aren’t likely to otherwise find locally.

On the way to the concert location, where they expect to get their big break, their car is hit by a school bus. All four are killed—yet the Plaids, now angels, are given a chance to come back to Earth for a day and perform.

Topics addressed include Barbie, worker safety laws, leeches, rental cars—and more!

The first known European sightings of Joshua trees were by Pedro Fages, who led a Spanish expedition into the area in 1772, looking for deserters from the Spanish Army. In 1826, explorer Jedediah Smith led a group of American fur trappers along the nearby Mojave Trail, and other Americans followed.

While none of this year’s crop has generated the buzz of 2024’s Hot Frosty (how do you top a snowman come to life as a rock-abbed Chippendales dancer?), there are still some so-bad-yet-so-good festive flicks arriving this month.

Featuring a knockout performance from Jessie Buckley as Agnes, wife of the aspiring playwright Will Shakespeare (Paul Mescal), Hamnet winds up being one of cinema’s all-time most brutal and despairing depictions of death and loss. It’s also mesmerizingly beautiful.

Jay Kelly doesn’t really offer anything all that new, but with a top-notch George Clooney as the title character, and Adam Sandler as Ron, as his worn-out manager, it’s a good time at the movies.

This year, our wine scribe is leaning into six sparklers that cover the whole spectrum, from cheerful crowd-pleasers to serious, knees-weak Champagne. They’re beautifully packaged and reliably delicious, and each one has a personality—and a setting—where it absolutely shines.

The characters, loosely based on our Peanuts friends, are now in high school, dealing with raging hormones, anxiety, drug use, body image and bullying.

Dylan Garcia’s latest single, “Love Is True,” is a hooky-pop tune, and the music video for the song has Garcia dancing and singing throughout the desert at famed spots like a Coachella mural and downtown Indio.

While the solo artist uses hyperpop vocal techniques and electronic beats in a majority of his musical moments, flashes of rock, indie, funk, R&B, rap and more make it unfair to give Allen Condes a singular-genre label.

CVRep's production of the show that won six Tony Awards is a must-see for lovers of musical theater.

I counted more than two-dozen sandwich options on Duke's menu, along with breakfast options and salads. There’s even a whole separate Mexican menu, with tacos, burritos and more.

Topics broached this week include superhumans, ANTIFA agents, Chat GPT, self-reliance—and more!

The newly opened Plaza Theatre in Palm Springs will host a screening of the Alive in the Catacombs concert film, as well as a behind-the-scenes documentary, on Tuesday, Dec. 9. Homme will attend the screening and take part in a Q&A.

Frank Meyer's debut solo album, Living Between the Lines, features all-star collaborations from Cherie Currie (The Runaways), Lisa Kekaula (The Bellrays) and Eddie Spaghetti (The Supersuckers).

The bluefin tuna carpaccio is simple—just six rolled pieces of wonderful tuna, accompanied by yuzu dressing, ponzu, a sesame sauce and chili oil, with a thin slice of fresh garlic atop each piece.

Trey Kennedy puts relatable jokes about kids, partners, friends, parents and more into both his online sketch videos and his standup set, always keeping things PG.

Season 4 is the series’ best so far, and the jury is still out on Season 5, because, obviously, it’s not complete yet—but the first four episodes are on par with the fourth season’s greatness.

The Desert View Power plant in Mecca has now been out of operation for more than a year. But worries remain: Fustrated community members are seeking the assessment of pollution levels at the plant, and a rapid cleanup of any toxic materials found in and around it.

Our beer scribe had the good fortune to attend Smog City Brewing’s Eighth Anniversary Rarest of the Rare beer fest, in Torrance.

A preview of December's desert entertainment offerings, including Moulin Rouge!, Matt Friend, Broadway Barbara—and more!

A preview of December's nighttime and early morning skies.

In the novel, failed lawyer Robert Green has a plan for the ultimate, fail-safe heist: Crack 300 safe-deposit boxes and sail off to South America with loads of cash and his brilliant, morally flexible sister, Penny. If weren’t for the damned freezing rain …

Topics touched upon this week include lavish gifts, food-cart vendors, comedians, talking Barbies, and more!

Our latest restaurant news column offers tidbits on a new Mediterranean restaurant in Palm Desert; new Italian "fresh cuisine" in Palm Springs; and more!

Here they are: The Best of Coachella Valley 2025-2026, as chosen by you, our readers.

The Independent's staff and contributors offer their two cents on the Coachella Valley's best.

Pass keeps performances fresh and audiences coming back for more by crafting theme nights, from American Songbook evenings to Broadway-themed shows.

The membership-based business offers board games for sale, about a dozen big tables perfect for throwing dice and exploring fantasy worlds, and friendly vibes all around.

History + Community: Sunnylands, a Retreat for Presidents and Celebrities, Reaches Out to Locals With Movies, Dance, Yoga and More Numerous presidents have visited, and the destination hosted the wedding of Frank and Barbara Sinatra. But Sunnylands’ popularity among local residents and tourists…

The overall tone of the film is murky/dark; the musical numbers are so-so; and the story just doesn’t have a satisfying payoff.

Without a doubt, the mesmerizing Rhea Seehorn, who never won an Emmy Award for her excellent portrayal of Kim Wexler in Better Call Saul, will get an Emmy for this show.

After Fred Drake’s passing in 2002, the band continued to make occasional live appearances, with album drops here and there. Now in 2025, a seven-piece earthlings? lineup is embarking on a mini-tour, and is performing in the desert for the first time since 2021.

Topics broached this week include doomsday bunkers, Big Medicine, sea monkeys, clouds—and more!

Powell eventually decided to detail his childhood trauma in a book, titled Red-Headed Stepchild. He published it himself and said the response has been amazing.

Descending from tall, piney ridges at 7,800 feet in elevation, among the lower slopes of the San Bernardino Mountains, the preserve covers 25,500 acres of wilderness that spans into the Pioneertown Valley.

Swingle was optimistic about the date palm’s chances in California. He wrote: “No heat is too great and no air too dry for this remarkable plant, which is actually favored by a rainless climate and by hot desert winds.”

Predator: Badlands features a franchise-best performance from Elle Fanning as two synthetic androids who cross paths with Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi), a “runt” predator on a terrifying alien planet trying to hunt a mystical, unbeatable beast.

After a quick start, the film heads into a meandering middle and, ultimately, a final act that doesn’t save things. In the end, it’s not a terrible movie; but it’s far from good.

You don’t typically see many new TV series being dropped in November; maybe the streaming services are throwing out bonus Q4 content to distract from ever-rising subscription rates and corporate mega-mergers.

When lonely Iowa divorcee Sharon places an ad looking for a roommate, Robyn, an enigmatic lesbian from the Bronx, shows up. They initially seem to have nothing in common.

Topics addressed this week include toddlers, Ikea, consistency, warrants—and more!

Somewhere between the turkey carving and the football game, that bottle of Châteauneuf-du-Pape you’ve been saving for years is about to meet its worst enemy: Uncle Bob, who thinks “Brunello” is a new electric car and describes all red wine as “nice and dry.”

Councilman Zion White, of the Fort Yuma Quechan Tribe, said the goal of the commission is to get tribal values and tribal-land-stewardship expertise incorporated into management practices at the monument, and weigh in on any topics that come up regarding the land.

Director James Owens has cast 12 very talented performers to tell the still relevant and moving story. He keeps the pace of the show moving yet unhurried.

John William Lowery will be celebrating his love for the desert on Saturday, Nov. 29, at Pappy and Harriet’s, when he performs at the iconic venue for the first time.

The Flamin' Groovies' fuzzed-out rock gems in the ’60s and ’70s helped popularize the genre known today as garage rock, paving the way for bands like the Cramps, Cheap Trick and the White Stripes.

Guillermo del Toro takes some liberties as he leans toward the supernatural in his depiction of Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac) and his madness-inspired dance with reanimating the dead.

As Grace, a woman who moves to the country with her husband, Jackson (Robert Pattinson), to find quiet—only to completely unravel after giving birth—Jennifer Lawrence puts it all on the screen.