Palm Springs is notorious for its high-quality restaurants and every year it proceeds to bring visitors to the desert for the city’s annual Restaurant Week.

Fortunately we have our own great restaurants right here in the IE—and now we have our own 1st Annual Riverside Restaurant Week, too. Various restaurants have posted their dining specials on the Facebook page, from single items to whole three-course meals. Dig in!

Photo Courtesy of Riverside Restaurant Week

If you’re not sure where to go, here’s a few of our food reviews from the past that might help you choose where to eat.

Café Sevilla

The Hideaway

Bella Trattoria at the Mission Inn

Las Campanas at the Mission Inn

Phood on Main

ProAbition

Salted Pig

Restaurant Week pricing available Thurs, June 20-Sun, June 30. Downtown Riverside; www.facebook.com/Restaurantweekdowntownriverside.

Applying to be one of the proud few who dare to try-out for the infamous Hell’s Kitchen makes you one tough individual. It’s an intense, stress-inducing competition where “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen” means that the anger of Chef Gordon Ramsay manifests in the form of fire blazing from his eyes and mouth like a terrifying dragon with cooking knives in his claws…or, hands.

But fame, glory and one hell of a culinary resume reference can be yours—if you can prove to the show producers that you’ve got what it takes. Experience in the culinary field (whether you’re a top-notch, educated chef or a badass cafeteria worker) is a must, but you’ve got to be determined and unyielding when it comes to criticism. Your chances will probably heighten if you’re a drama queen or king. You might also have a good shot if you’re the kind of person that people love to hate (In TV there’s always one). However if any of you locals make it to the show, we’re rootin’ for you.

Wed, June 19. 9am-2pm. Riverside City College Culinary Academy, 1155 Spruce St., Riverside, (951) 222-8000; www.aacademic.rcc.edu.

Tues, June 25-Wed, June 26. 10am-2pm.Dos Lagos Stadium Theatre 15, 2710 Lakeshore Dr., Corona, (951) 795-4410. 

Last week was E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo), the annual mecca for video game industry professionals meet up in Los Angeles to announce new consoles and games to come for the next year. Intentionally it’s a meeting for investors but hey, it’s about video games—it’s bound to be more fun than your run-of-the-mill press meeting.

Although sadly I didn’t get a ticket into this event, I traveled down to Los Angeles anyway. Yes, I strayed a bit far from our lovely Inland Empire but it was the only location I could find the famous traveling Elder Scrolls Online food truck. Over the years, The Elder Scrolls (TES) games have evolved to take place in different regions of a world called Tamriel, the most recent being The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011) which features the icy northern reaches of the world. And dragons.

Most importantly though, this in-depth role-playing game offers a massive amount of food for a player’s character to gather, eat and use as ingredients for a large amount of dishes. Digital apples, herbs, wild animal meat; even “sweetrolls” are on the menu.

Until now, TES games have all been single-player but in celebration of the multiplayer version (The Elder Scrolls Online which is still in development), a food truck was devised. I present to you a real-world Tamriel delicacy: the Pressed Eidarmelt (aka grilled cheese). Two pieces of toasted bread with melted cheddar cheese between them came with the choice of three sauces: Fire-Petal Dip (marinara sauce), Emperor’s Garden (Chef’s pesto) or Tomato-Mammoth (Bolognese), Corkbulb Crisps (Kettle Chips), Tangy Ninroot (pickles) and Alocasia Fruit Juice (fruit punch spritzer).

The Pressed Eidarmelt (Photo by Ashley Bennett)

The Pressed Eidarmelt (Photo by Ashley Bennett)

The grilled cheese was in fact nothing special and its complimentary marinara sauce just what you might expect. It turns out the food was free, so although it was common in terms of taste, it was still a fun way to celebrate a pending game release. Proof of Skyrim’s food truck event in 2011 might have had better food options with a turkey leg, corn on the cob and an actual sweetroll. You know, hearty food for the icy-cold weather of the north and all.

Similarly to what they say about getting to a man’s heart, the way to get to any gamer’s heart is through their stomach too.

The Elder Scrolls Online cinematic looks amazing and you can view the view here and you can also sign up for the beta for a chance to play the game before its initial release (estimated for 2014).

If you want to see the truck for yourself (and perhaps secure some other free SWAG) it will be in SoCal on two different dates later this year.

Thurs, July 18. Comic-Con International, San Diego.

Fri, September 20. University of California, Los Angeles.

The incident began about 7:50pm on January 30, 2011, when a man called 911 and claimed in frantic whispers that he was in danger of being shot to death by another man. The dispatcher actually received two calls from the same man, according to a prosecutor’s report.

When the dispatcher tried to zero in on the victim’s location, he said he was at “Pete’s house” before being cut off. San Bernardino police worked with dispatchers to trace the call back to a home in the 200 block of South Golden Avenue and dispatched officer Nicole Lindsey to the scene.

A second officer joined Lindsey as backup. Lindsey rolled up to the home and knocked on the front door. A woman answered the door and told Lindsey nothing weird was going on, but according to Lindsey’s account, she didn’t buy it. Prosecutors say the woman was a bit stand-offish at first and not at all helpful, but she eventually gave Lindsey permission to enter the home to check for any problems.

As Lindsey walked inside, a handful of kids kind of flowed out the front door.

Almost immediately, Lindsey heard muffled voices coming from behind the bathroom door. The bathroom door that also just so happened to be locked.

Lindsey told investigators that she identified herself as a cop before asking whoever was in there to open up.

“Hold on a minute,” a muffled male voice replied.

Then a second male voice piped up.

“Please, please. No.” the second voice said.

“Open the door,” Lindsey ordered. “It’s the police.”

At that point, both voices behind the door clammed up.

By now, other officers had arrived to provide more backup. Lindsey spoke to one of those officers, Joey Zink, who went back in with her to check out whatever weirdness was going on behind that bathroom door.

He told a homicide investigator that when he reached the door, he heard what sounded like a muffled argument between two people before one of the voices said, “Help me.”

That’s when he told whoever was in the bathroom that they had until the count of three before he kicked the door down.

No answer. So he counted.

“One . . .”

“Two . . .”

“Three!”

Still no answer, so Zink held up his end of the bargain and kicked the bathroom door in. It splintered, with the lower half of the door caving in and the top half staying in place. Zink stooped to get into the bathroom and what he saw—at least in his account to investigators—is what led him to draw his gun.

Zink said he saw a man—later identified as San Bernardino resident Richard Matus—holding 73-year-old man—called “Z” in the prosecutor’s report—by the head with a knife pressed to his neck.

Now “Z” has an extensive criminal record. He told investigators he lived in the South Golden Avenue home with his two daughters, a son-in-law and three grandkids. He said he had known Matus for about six months, having met the guy at a liquor store. Z said Matus lived over near the intersection of 3rd Street and Tippecanoe.

He said he was sitting at home watch TV when he heard a knock at the door. His daughter answered and a few moments later told Z that a man wanted to speak to him.

It was raining that night and when he got to the door, he recognized Matus, who asked to come in out of the rain. Z’s daughter wasn’t having it, but Z let Matus in anyway.

Matus asked to use the restroom and Z walked him down the hallway. He told investigators he didn’t exactly trust Matus. When they reached the bathroom, Matus pulled Z inside and slammed the door before locking it.

Z told investigators that Matus said someone was following him and was trying to kill him, though he could—or wouldn’t—explain why he believed that. (Not for nothing, a toxicology report showed that Matus had opiates and amphetamines in his system when he died.)

Then Matus pulled out the knife and started sweating a lot, Z said. Matus started pleading with Z, asking for his help. At this point, Z said he was pretty freaked out so he tried to get out of the bathroom. Matus didn’t like that.

“No, don’t,” he said, and the two started to grapple, Z trying to escape and Matus trying to keep the elderly man in place.

Fast forward to Zink counting down outside the bathroom door before kicking in the bottom half. He ducked under the top half, saw the men tangled up together and he saw the knife pressed to Z’s throat. Zink thought Matus was moving toward him in an attempt to back him out the bathroom door. He reached in to try and separate the two men. That didn’t work.

Then Zink tried to grab the knife. That didn’t work either.

That’s when Zink shot Matus, twice in the back. Matus went down, the knife still in his hand.

Zink called for medical aid, but it was two late. The two shots ended Matus’ life; both entering his back and exiting his torso.

On Friday, the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office cleared both Lindsey and Zink of any wrongdoing in Matus’ death, saying he used lethal force to protect Z and himself.

Invested time in your community can pay off in times of need, Steven Webb, 21, local music enthusiast and fixture in the IE hardcore music scene is a testament to that. A regular at local shows, frequenting venues off the beaten path like Rancho Cucamonga’s, The Nitty Gritty, as well as being apart of the exclusive crowd to once stage dive in the now closed down Showcase Theatre in Corona, made him more than just a familiar face amongst the tightly knit scene.

But his involvement with the hardcore music arena doesn’t stop off stage. “Steven and I have been friends for a few years. We always went to the same style shows in the area and became even closer when he toured with my band,” notes Justin Singh, vocalist of Riverside based hardcore band The Great Commission.

The Century Media signed band with two releases under their belt, recruited Webb as a drummer for a state wide tour, hitting many of the places he’d once frequented himself. Days confided to a tour van and nights playing to audiences linked the twos friendship even closer together—making it even more imperative to help out when Webb became extremely ill Last December.

“Exactly halfway to our donation mark in ONE DAY!” writes Gavrielle Graham, on Steven’s donation-Facebook page. Graham, Webb’s girlfriend of nearly six years, has been tirelessly making moves to help alleviate some of the financial strain Webb faces after being diagnosed with ulcerative colitis six months ago. The last few months have been no picnic for the once presumably very healthy Riverside youth. Webb has endured a collapsed lung, an emergency surgery to remove 90 percent of his colon, and most recently, a surgery to create a mock colon. He will be undergoing a third surgery in five to eight weeks, expected to be the last. Upon hearing the seriousness of his condition, friends and family of Webb began stepping up to show support.

“I originally just created a donation page, stevenwebb.net, for friends and family that wanted to donate, but didn’t know how,” notes Graham. She soon began coordinating a benefit show to take place June 14 at Daily Brew Coffee House in Riverside featuring acoustic artist Chris Ryan, as well as The Great Commission. All proceeds designated to funding Webb’s medical expenses.

“Personally, I was really hurt to see the struggle that Steven has had to fight through. In life you don’t think that these things can happen to you, or to those close to you,” adds Singh. “If I or my band can help with that process in any way, then there is no hesitation with that decision.”

Singh speaks on the status of the Inland Empire’s ability to band together from experience. Having lived in the IE most of his life, frequenting the same shows Steven has, the prominence of community importance is obvious for him.

“I can honestly say that there is something different about the people in the IE. We look out for each other, stand by each other, and are always willing to lend a helping hand. There is a sense of community here and among the people that you can rarely find anywhere else. We get the satisfaction of helping out a friend in need, and hopefully with this benefit show, we can help raise the rest of the money that his family needs,” adds Singh.

As word spread of Steven’s condition, the power of social media began uprooting his story from just Inland Empire soil, to neighboring OC as well.

The couple, being avid and true to life die hard fans of The Ducks hockey team, took notice when former team member George Parros started up an apparel brand, Violent Gentlemen (VG,) with a few friends, one of whom being Mike Hammer. “I ended up crossing paths by way of them being VG supporters. When people get behind something that becomes your main focus and passion in life, you develop a special place in your heart for them,” comments Hammer.

He soon began keeping up with Gavrielle and Steven’s journey via social media. “We first got involved because she (Gavrielle) posted that Steven was bummed out in the hospital. We sent a couple shirts and a ‘feel better,” explains Hammer. “Once we realized that things were a lot more serious than we thought, we wanted to get more involved.” In honor of Steven and to express support for his cause, Hammer and his team created a tee shirt for sale on their website, with 100 percent of the proceeds going to Webb’s medical expenses. “It hits home pretty hard when you see a young guy struggling to just get to a Ducks game. Really makes you think about the things we take for granted daily. It was more so about using this platform that people like Steven have helped us build to give back to people like him.”

Two more benefit shows scheduled for Sept.13 and 14, 2013.

Benefit Concert at Daily Brew Coffee House, 2955 Van Buren Blvd, Riverside, (951) 352-7477; www.stevenwebb.net. June 14, 7PM. $10 suggested donation.

Protesters get ready to accuse former Prez George W. Bush of war crimes

A fan of George W. Bush? No? Join a cadre of like-minded thinkers today in the desert as activists and organizers gather to protest the former president’s keynote address at Morongo Casino Resort & Spa. Entitled “Never Forgive, Never Forget: The Trial of George W. Bush,” the protest is slated to gather at the Morongo Travel Center (a gas station) at 49020 Seminole Dr., Cabazon. I’m sure they’re gonna make some noise.

What’s the beef? Organizers cite the estimated 654,965 to 1.5 million lives lost due to the war in Iraq alone—and that blood is on Bush’s hands, activists say. But let the activists put it in their own words: “[W]e the protestors are asking for all of those interested to protest and to never forgive and never forget George Bush’s war crimes. They are demanding justice for the dead and the rest of humanity who continue to bear the tragic burdens of the War on Terror—that will only continue, so long as we obey and ignore its existence,” according to written statement sent to the Weekly.

Bush’s word-dropping comes with a $175,000 speaking fee (from private money) at this event organized by the Western Riverside Council of Governments.

Organizers plan on gathering at the Travel Center at 3pm and have invited the media to meet with them at 4pm.

Protest speakers include Marc Lombardo and LouAnn Annie Edwards of Occupy Riverside, Lorraine Salas of Occupy Coachella Valley, Tom Swann of Veterans for Peace and Michael Prysner of ANSWER LA.

A spoken word presentation by Matt Sedillo—the LA Grand Slam Winner from 2011—and Matt Snyder, of the 28ers is also part of the protest.

According to The Press-Enterprise, the press was not invited to the event nor Bush’s speech.

“We must be absolutely certain that the event is closed to the press and that there is no public ticketing offered,” according to the conditions that had to be met before Bush was confirmed to speak, according to The P-E.

Media blackout? Hey, it’s just like the old days, Dubya!

Need to sync up with the protest? Go here.

Cafe Aroma and Idyllwild’s fresh mountain air makes food taste that much better

We know why good old SoCal is such a desirable place to live—we’ve got beaches, decent weather year-round and nearby mountains for a short winter snow trips (since none of us can stand anything below 70 degrees). However we take the good with the bad and deal with a high population count that results in terrible local traffic—and worst of all is our air quality. The temporary solution? Take a trip to Idyllwild. It’s the kind of place where you might imagine Arrowhead getting its water from. The high altitude with its noticeably crispy-clean air that (temporarily) acts as an airborne palate cleanser, of sorts. While that term doesn’t really exist, the clean air does allow for an enhanced sense of smell. That’s where Café Aroma comes in.

This restaurant properly represents a quaint rustic cabin, the look of which isn’t uncommon for the area. Orange lighting blends with the amber-colored wooden walls which extends into a special room called the “Casey Abrams Jazz Lounge” where we dined that evening. There you’ll find artistic interpretations of the American Idol Finalist, alongside smiling photographs—one of which features Abrams and his melodica (it’s a mini-keyboard and harmonica hybrid instrument). The people of Idyllwild, including chef and owner Frank Ferro, are especially proud to say that Abrams studied locally at the Idyllwild Arts Academy. The bathroom is loosely decorated for the infamous airborne “Mile High Club,” the theme of which inspired a customer to write a hand-written hate note describing how they would never go to the restaurant again and would proceed to tell everyone they knew about how terrible the restaurant is. Café Aroma responded by framing the note and placing it in the bathroom for all to see, which makes me even more excited to admit that the food here is amazing despite how you feel about the decor.

The Casey Abrams shrine and amusing bathroom theme might give Café Aroma a somewhat comical atmosphere but the food sticks to serious presentation. We began with the Aroma Cured Meat Board. It’s a pricey appetizer but the quality capicola, prosciutto and salami make up for that. Each piece has a strong, distinctive taste that mixed well with the complementing aged parmesan cheese and ciabatta bread.

At first glance the dishes are Italian at heart, but some items embrace French, Latin and even a few Asian-fused flavors. It was a tough choice but I couldn’t shake ordering the enticing Casey Abrams Gnocchi Alfredo. I don’t know the story behind Abrams’ themed dish but it seemed only fitting to taste it while dining in the Abrams Jazz Lounge. All I needed was Abrams’ optimistic “Simple Life” tune to play in the background while I dove into this plateful. White alfredo sauce and a good dose of parmesan cheese sprinkled the tender gnocchi dumplings which were complemented by a few good-sized, heavily marinara-marinated meatballs—a mouthful both in word form as well as in reality. The duo of cheesy dumplings and hearty meatball flavoring mixed well. And those gnocchi bites were plenty filling.

My dining partner’s Chicken Cacciatore also turned out to be a perfect pairing of flavors. The boneless chicken in this dish was exceptionally juicy—the way almost all chicken dishes should be. In this case it was thanks to a red wine marinara that the chicken bathed it, which made the dish a bright red creation of crispy vegetables (predominantly red bell peppers) and layered with slices of chicken underneath.

To simmer down our senses thickened with high powered flavors, we had a slice of Cafe Aroma’s Flourless Chocolate Cake. Unlike normal cake, which is often light and fluffy, flourless cake resembles more of a flattened, very thick brownie. It’s is an extremely rich slice drizzled with chocolate syrup and dashed with a little cinnamon. Each forkful is a sweet and luscious rush of dark chocolate.

Although the place employs some great, subtle jokes in a relaxed atmosphere, it’s a serious business with some seriously good food. The atmosphere only heightens the senses and gets you ready for a terrific dining experience, but it’s Café Aroma’s food that ultimately makes it worth a trip to those nearby mountains.

Cafe Aroma, 54750 N. Circle Dr., Idyllwild-Pine Cove, (951) 659-5212; www.cafearoma.org. Open Sun-Thurs, 7am-9pm. Fri-Sat, 7am-10pm. AE, D, MC, V.

Vintage films are known to have an intrinsic cult following. Maybe it’s because they remind us of the matte simplicity that’s fading in our digital society, or it could be the growing appreciation for classic features—when storylines were still unique and theatrics took fearless risks. Either way, we find ourselves attracted to old school cinema and the bold propaganda-esque designs that adorn their artwork. Regardless the reason for our fantastic obsession, posters from motion film’s past have been re-imagined, reinvented and redesigned using various forms of media at “Double Feature: the Mad Art of Midnight Movies.” Twenty-five venturous artists eagerly present their current interpretation of a cult movie classic poster on display, while you can compare them with the exhibited originals. Come recognize the silver screen’s transformation of taste and vision over the years.

Right away, it’ll be clear that these artists are not thinking inside the box, fighting against the structure of a rectangle display and creating large commanding works. Upon entering the Main Street Gallery in the heart of Downtown Pomona, you’ll instantly be directed towards Coma by Matthew Blansett. Using wood, acrylic paint and wire, Blansett emphasizes the hanging man that appears as a mere afterthought on the busy original. The man is suspended by wires to large letters above him that spell out COMA. Purples and blues shadow the suspended man’s body and face, giving off a creepy appeal—which may come from the overall state of mind you have while enduring this strange 1978 film. Spoiler alert: The people hanging by wires in Coma were purposefully put into a coma to be used as organ donors for rich folk—definitely an eerie ending to this paranoia-filled flick.

Nearby, another intriguing piece entitled Escape from Planet of the Apes (clearly reviving the primate movie art by the same title) was created by Joe Forte. He transported this design into the twenty first century with spray paint, stencil work and his chic street style. On top of a background of irrelevant words from what appear to be vintage print publications, layers upon layers of spray painted shapes compile a chromatic ape face that commands the attention of the studio’s bottom floor. Forte’s interpretation is much more thought-provoking than the earliest piece, with endless swirls of color and a hidden image that make you feel like you’re solving a puzzle.

Standing out agleam against the neutral gray wall, Owl by Athena Hahn is also quite dissimilar if not opposite of the model midnight movie artwork it was envisioned from. There’s a silver glow that suggests this character is from a world far more mystical than here, which is spot on—The Clash of the Titans was a hit 1981 fantasy film based around Greek mythology. While the classic art focused on Medusa and Greek gods, Hahn surprises us. She completely refocuses the piece from the main characters of the film to the no less important Bubo—Athena’s heroic owl. While there are many more artists that produced works unalike its predecessor, there are many who kept consistent with the past inspiration.

Some chose to stay true to the timeless vision, while adding much more life and vibrancy. Bill Moore modernized the Invasion of the Body Snatchers movie poster using texture, while keeping true to its dark, disturbing form. Black figures hover above and below the golden ground in his reinvented piece—igniting an uneasy eerie feeling within the viewer’s chest, complete with shivers down your spine.

Artist A.S. Ashley also kept within the same scope in redesigning the cover for the terrifying love story, Magic, by keeping the focus on the mind-controlling murdering dummy named Fats. It goes without saying that ventriloquists and their dummies freak us out, however this rendition is so unnerving, it takes the fear to another level. You’ll be watching your back as you walk away. Using deep and rich colors create a three-dimensional and lifelike portrait, it proves to be the definition of spooky.

Overall, “Double Feature: the Mad Art of Midnight Movies” is full of surprises; we recommend stopping by Amy Maloof’s color photographs entitled, Mattie—an amusing interpretation of supernatural horror film Carrie. This assortment of imaginative and engaging works will be on display through July 27, which includes countless unmentioned film adaptations including Bonnie & Clyde, Barbarella, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, The Elephant Man and many more. These visionary pieces will solidify that art cannot repeat itself—you certainly will not be seeing double.

“Double Feature: the Mad Art of Midnight Movies” Main Street Art Gallery at the Pomona Frame House, 252-C Main St., Pomona, (909) 868-2970; www.pomonaframehouse.com, www.facebook.com/george.cuttress. Thru July 27. Open Tues.-Sat., 11AM-6PM; Sat., July 13, 6-9PM; Closing reception July 27, 6-9PM. Free.  

*above artwork by Vonn Sumner. Pink Moment, oil on canvas, 24×36.

Although big festivals, like Mayhem and Paid Dues have featured a few upcoming Inland Empire artists, the future of the region’s music is actually being written in concert venues, like The Glass House and The Fox in Pomona, and on a smaller scale, coffee shops like Back to the Grind.

Sadly, rock historians don’t immediately point to the Inland Empire whenever waxing eloquent about SoCal music history. In California, they’re more apt to talk about West Hollywood or even Orange County, before ever getting around to the IE—if reaching there at all. And these are just Southern California regions. Let’s not forget the “Summer of Love” in San Francisco, where hippies wrote groove-ily about flowers in hair, and such. Even Bakersfield’s country music, with icons like Buck Owens and Merle Haggard, gets more editorial space than the woebegone Inland Empire.

Nevertheless, none other than Frank Zappa was an intrepid DJ at Pomona College’s radio station once upon a time, while Face to Face first cut its punk rock teeth out in Victorville. Perhaps, the most significant current Inland Empire native is Ben Harper, who – along with his family music store in Claremont Village—has a rich local history to draw from.

So, which act is going to be the next Face to Face or Ben Harper? Better yet, is there even an act with the potential to make rock history, like Frank Zappa?

Not So Adolescent

Well, one worthy candidate is Rancho Cucamonga’s Dose of Adolescence (DOA). This quartet has played punk rock together since 1999. Along the way, it’s self-released several projects and are now signed to Solid Gold Entertainment. Anchored by brothers Timmy and Jimmy Brown, the band has already endured more than its share of tragedy. It lost original guitarist, Stephen Patrick Madigan to an alcohol-related accident. “He was a passenger in a vehicle that hit a pole,” explains the band’s manager, John Flores, “he was the only one that didn’t make it.”

While devastating, Madigan’s death has in turn given Dose of Adolescence a newfound sense of purpose, as the group has committed itself to making sure Madigan’s legacy lives on and his rock dreams are fulfilled. In addition to making great, lively rock & roll, this caring act also raises money for The Gavin R. Stevens Foundation and H.A.N.D.S. On International. Yes, they truly believe in helping the needy, which—come to think of it—doesn’t seem very adolescent at all. After losing their original guitar player, it became even more apparent to live out their friend’s dream and achieve their goal. “Each day we do our best to be a little more selfless, treat people with respect and love them with all our hearts. Never love a band that doesn’t love you back,” says Jimmy.

DOA is headlining The Glass House on June 15 with Assuming We Survive, Grieve for Tomorrow, Iron Sharpens Iron and Revenge of the Nerds. DOA is also joining the Vans Warped Tour, bringing lively and original songwriting and stage presence back to the noteworthy touring festival. They have also performed at SXSW 2013, played X1039’s Merry Meltdown with Lit, P.O.D., Anberlin, Switchfoot, Dirty Headz and Sick Puppies. They have also—in the past—been nominated for best Rock/Hard Rock song for the 11th Annual Independent Music Awards.

DOA headlined Wahoo’s Scion Tour and played Vans Warped Tour 2010 and they made a point to sell over 8,000 records DIY. This powerhouse of passionate young hipsters is bound to make anybody swoon, and Jimmy’s frontman capabilities will guarantee a crowd of lustful girls and mosh-ready guys.

Raw Power

Another act that must be in your crystal ball, if you’re attempting to predict the IE rock & roll future, is Naïve Thieves. With a sound combining the musical eclecticism of hipster groups like Vampire Weekend and Local Natives, along with the droll intelligence of The Strokes, this band recently toured with the acclaimed The Deer Hunter. The group’s latest single is “Anxiété,” grooves like African dance music, yet also includes street smart lyrics. In fact, this High Desert act lists everyone from filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard to Morrissey as influences, so you just know it’s got to be cool.

Divide and Conquer

Riverside’s The New Division is another alt-rock act to keep a close watch on. Inspired by Joy Division (Heck, they even borrowed the second half of that pioneering group’s name!), New Order and Depeche Mode, this four-piece creates moody synth-pop. The group’s recent full-length gained a lot of good press, which makes its upcoming project, Together We Shine—on its own Division 87 Records, no less—one of the most anticipated local releases. The album releases in January of 2014, and its first single is the internationally titled “Stockholm.”

Bloody and Fabulous

For those that prefer their music a little harder—the variety that puts the pedal to the metal, so to speak—there’s the gutsy band Sangre. “Sangre means “blood” in Spanish,” says singer Henry Sanchez. “Our old guitar player’s sister said the name, and we were like, ‘That’s different.’  I mean, it’s cool for bands to have Spanish names, Latin names. Sepultura or even Pantera is a Spanish word.  Sangre is unique, because even though we’re all fans of metal—and there are different subgenres of metal, even different music all across the board—Sangre unites everything. Blood. Blood is a theme which connects generations and people, whatever our race or gender or beliefs are.  It’s always starts with that ancient blood. That’s what flows through all of us. Just like music can flow through all of us. It was a good metaphor, and it works. It was different.”

This act recently represented the IE at the California Metal Fest where it played songs from recent full-length album, Great Tribulation. An album title like that one might lead you to believe Sangre is a spiritual group of some sort. But that is just not what the group’s all about at all.

“It’s based on the Great Tribulation part of The Bible, end of the world,” Sanchez says, when explaining the album’s title track. “It was kind of like I heard everybody talking about the end of the world in 2012, and I wanted to write something that was reflecting, like, okay, well, if it’s the end of the world, we need to prepare. We need to be ready for it. And if you’re religious or you believe and you want to go to heaven, then this is what you’ve got to do. If not, then be prepared to suffer, if that’s what you believe. To each his own. I’m not really a religious person. I grew up Catholic, but I’m not super religious, I don’t press it on anybody.  But I believe in just writing songs people can relate to. People can listen, hear the lyrics, and go, “F@*k, okay, that’s kind of neat.”  But at the same time I don’t do it so subliminally that people don’t understand it.  I want them to know what I’m talking about.”

This group’s Latin heritage has opened up some unique doors; including touring with popular extreme metal band Brujeria for tours in both the U.S. and Mexico.

The King

While surveying the Inland Empire’s local music, let’s not forget about hip-hop. One of the IE’s best rappers is Curtiss King, who relocated to the region after college.

“My stage name, Curtiss King, is a constant reminder of my humble beginnings in music and some not so positive times that I eventually found ways to overcome,” he explains. “When I was younger, I attended Curtiss King Middle School in Carson. During this period, I was shy, awkward and quiet around my peers. Writing poetry and creating music was one of the best weapons I had to overcome those insecurities, which in turn made me a self appointed king of those insecurities from my middle school years. Hence the name Curtiss King.”

He evolved from reciting poetry, to entering beat contests. Eventually, he found himself performing at San Bernardino’s Paid Dues Festival, an event headlined by such high profile artists as Kendrick Lamar. Now signed to independent label Black Cloud Music, King is also in demand as a producer, producing such artists as Noa James, Top Dawg, Ab-Soul, Glasses Malone and Mack 10.

King considers it an honor to be signed with Black Cloud Music, an emerging local music label. “About four years ago, when I first moved from Carson to the Inland Empire, I wasn’t too aware of the local hip-hop scene, but I was invited to perform at The Common Ground by Noa James,” he recalls. “After months of building as a solo artist with Noa James and Black Cloud Music CEO Jynxx, I was eventually asked if I would be interested in joining. At that time Black Cloud Music was three artists and starting to expand. Four years later, I’ve watched it grow into a very diverse independent label of seven solo artists.”

When it comes to King’s music career, though, there’s no slowing down. “Coming off of the success of my debut album Atychiphobia peaking at #61 on the iTunes charts, I felt it relieved a lot of pressure that I felt on my shoulders when creating music,” he explains. “The music on that album was filled with a lot of pain, joy and passion to tell my story. I told my story and the people responded with love and understanding. However, the music I’m working on now is full of celebration. Having an opportunity to see the U.S. on a two-month tour with Murs, getting recently engaged to my girlfriend, and witnessing the energy in the IE circulating Black Cloud Music’s return home has me wanting to write records people can have fun listening to, dance to, party to, etc. There isn’t an album title at the moment, but there will be songs dropping in the near future.”

Cutting Edge

Will any of the aforementioned acts become the next Frank Zappa or Ben Harper? It’s quite possible! Then again, you can look all up and down the Sunset Strip, and not find another individualistic talent like Frank Zappa. When God made Frank, He broke the mold. The same, but to a lesser degree, can be said about Ben Harper. He’s a little like an old blues man, trapped inside a younger man’s body. Even science can’t explain that sort of beautiful freak.

Although big festivals, like Mayhem and Paid Dues have featured a few upcoming Inland Empire artists, the future of the region’s music is actually being written in concert venues, like The Glass House and The Fox in Pomona, and on a smaller scale, coffee shops like Back to the Grind. If you’re waiting for some Victorville or Riverside act to headline the next Coachella Valley Music Festival, you might wait a long time—but these artists are determined to break through—let’s see what they got! Plus, it’s more important to do the right thing and support regional music at these local IE venues. If you do so, you might just be on the cutting edge of the next big thing.

There’s nothing worse than a vacation gone bad, and few vacations go quite as badly as the one in Wish You Were Here, the tense Australian drama that opened Friday, June 7 is essentially the anti-Hangover, because the morning-after pain and regret experienced by each character feels very real and not at all funny. The film is held together by a screenplay that’s clear without being precisely linear, doling out information in a dramatic manner that’s the very opposite of dramatic irony. We know there’s more to the story than meets the eye, but until the characters choose to divulge their secrets, we’re kept in the dark.

It begins just before an ill-fated Cambodian vacation taken by a pair of Australian couples. Yes, Cambodia, a country that is trying to redefine itself as a tourist destination despite its poverty and the enormous number of buried landmines that have been sitting around since that not-so-long-ago conflict, waiting for some poor unsuspecting farmer to take a wrong step.

On the flip side, Cambodia has lovely beaches and beautiful temples, and it’s inexpensive. Also, in this case, Jeremy (Antony Starr) does a lot of importing to Australia from there, and since he’s got a trip planned, he invites his new girlfriend, Steph (Teresa Palmer), to come along. Steph likes Jeremy, but she’s nervous about going by herself, so she talks to her sister, Alice (Felicity Price), who manages to convince her husband, Dave (Joel Edgerton), to take a holiday. Alice is pregnant with their third child, and she thinks this might be her last chance to take a break before the baby arrives.

It all starts out nice enough, and the four are having a great time, but after one drug-fueled late-night party, Jeremy goes missing, and soon Dave, Alice and Steph are back in Sydney, trying to return to their lives and wondering what the hell happened over there. Actually, it’s the viewer who does most of the wondering—we’re pretty sure Dave knows much more than he’s letting on. There are secrets and lies to be found in Wish You Were Here, and some of them are on the surface while others remain hidden, forced to emerge as the tension mounts between the three survivors and questions continue to swirl around Jeremy’s fate.

The non-linear storytelling device has been done to death, but Price and her husband, director Kieran Darcy-Smith, who wrote the screenplay together, pull it off by telling us both stories simultaneously: what really happened in Cambodia and what happens amid the fallout back home. The result is a taut, smart feature debut from Darcy-Smith, anchored by storytelling that keeps you hooked, even as it ratchets up the dread you feel for the characters.

Price and Edgerton are terrific as a couple whose relationship is justifiably shattered. Price isn’t as well known to U.S. audiences, but it’s great to see Edgerton, who’s recently been playing Americans in movies like The Thing and Baz Luhrmann’s recent adaptation of The Great Gatsby, return to his homeland and his dramatic roots. He’s an interesting actor, but the studio films he’s made recently simply haven’t provided him with roles as interesting as those he’s had Down Under (the exception being the surprisingly awesome mixed-martial-arts movie Warrior).

Wish You Were Here is exactly the sort of movie I wish we’d see more of: intelligent, well-crafted, well-acted and focused on solid storytelling. Sure, it’s a bad trip for the characters but a great one for the audience.

That’s because the National Security Agency this week admitted that it is currently collecting telephone records for millions of U.S. citizens on an “ongoing, daily basis . . . indiscriminately and in bulk, regardless of whether they are suspected of any wrongdoing,” according to The Guardian.

In addition, the NSA has been running a classified program called PRISM—which stands for Planning Tool for Resource Integration, Synchronization, and Management— and has been extracting all of your email, audio and video chats, photographs, documents and other private material while working with Microsoft, Yahoo, AOL, Facebook, Google, Apple, PalTalk, YouTube and Skype.

And all this time I thought I had to mail in my taxes. Turns out I can just speak them into YouTube.

Of course our government leaders assure you there’s nothing to worry about.

“Everybody should just calm down,” said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid at a recent press conference. “It’s a program that’s worked to prevent not all terrorism, but certainly a vast majority of it . . . a vast majority of it . . . a vast majority of it.”

Remote-controlled Senator Reid is right! Without PRISM shadowing my every move, how would the NSA ever know that I think the Lakers suck, we’re out of toilet paper or that my mom doesn’t think I call or email her enough? Terrorist plots averted!

I’ll make the NSA this trade: They can record every tweet I make, every FaceChat I take—but when I go to the airport I get to keep on my belt and shoes. (Thanks to the NSA’s spy program, they should already know that I buy my fashionable accessories at Braids ‘n’ Thangs.)

I guess I should be offended by all this invasion of privacy. But, honestly, I can’t imagine why anyone would want to eavesdrop on my life. I’m just not that interesting. Snooping on me would be like stalking a potted fern.

Most of the time I’m only half-listening to myself talk. I can’t even remember what I had for lunch. If I shut my eyes, I have no idea if I’m wearing pants.

And let’s be honest, nobody else is that interesting either. So when a report says that the NSA is recording millions of our phone calls . . . c’mon. Really? Why?

What are they really getting? I only have 220 Facebook friends and most of their status updates are pictures of plates of food, blurry baby videos and misspelled updates about Game of Thrones.

This is our government we’re talking about. These are the same people who mismanaged the DMV and Postal Service, and ran our libraries into the ground. If you’re a librarian, you have a brighter future career working at GameStop.

Just because the government records everything we say, doesn’t mean anyone is actually going to hear it. That vital information you’re so desperately trying to hide? It’s probably going to stay hidden, stuck to the bottom of some G-man’s wingtip, or scribbled on the back of a coupon for X-ray specs.

That the NSA essentially has unfettered access to everything we say, hear, see, record, download, type, like or share is astounding. Not just because it’s an incredible invasion of privacy and our constitutional rights. But more importantly, with all of that insider information, how is Vice President Joe Biden still such a bumbling doofus? And why can’t President Obama ever pick a winning bracket for the NCAA Final Four?

If the NSA is tapping our every move, then the only groups who should still be getting away with crime are the Amish. Yet terrorism and tragedies persist. So what are we really gaining by giving away our freedom?

And the real terrorism here is that we’re not even willingly giving away our freedom. Nobody told the American people we were being spied on.

Our privacy was stolen without warning. It was decided without a vote—and with only some vague notion that we were being “saved” from an even darker, more sinister threat.

I’d encourage you to contact your local congressman. But just start typing on a blank screen. It will get read.

Contact Jeff Girod at finalword@ieweekly.com.

CITIES OF ORIGIN: Rancho Cucamonga, San Francisco and the greater Los Angeles area.

KINDERED SPIRITS: Django Reinhardt and the Dustbowl Revival, Anita O’Day, Charles Mingus, Ron Carter, Modest Mouse, Thrice, Radiohead, Jack Teagarden and many more.

WEBSITES: www.gypsiesandjudges.bandcamp.com, www.facebook.com/GypsiesAndJudges.

FREQUENTS: “The Barn is a great place to play but house parties are always fun too! We have a show at Back to the Grind on June 21 and I’m sure it’ll be a blast.”

Jazz has gone through some dark times in its heyday, but a different kind of darkness is emerging from a rogue group of Gypsies & Judges. These musicians from UCR have managed to diversify a once metal drummer with the steady and traditional rhythm of the upright bass. Hear everything from gypsy to New Orleans style jazz with a singer that channels her inner Billie Holiday on almost every track. The Gypsies are almost done polishing up a few things for its new E.P. that aims to bring jazz back to the masses. Soon, you can be the judge of some great 21st century jazz music.

How did you get involved in music/how did your band form?

Jeremy “Max” Castillo: I started playing in the UCR Jazz Ensemble during my sophomore year of college and met Chloe during my junior year. I overheard her talking about some of my favorite artists which lead to the two of us jamming a couple of times. Chloe then approached Nate, and Nate brought us Eric.

What does the name mean?

Chloe Keedy: “Gypsies” comes from both the influence of gypsy jazz over our style along with the connotations of freedom that come with the word. The “Judges” part is a little more complicated—it comes from the fact that the styles we’re influenced by are largely dying out.

Can you define what it means to be a “dark swing” band?

Nate Guzé: Melancholy lyrics and melodies contribute to “dark swing.” Eric is also highly influenced by metal, which adds a certain degree of “darkness” to our swinging jazz sound that the rest of the band emphasizes.

Keedy: It’s more of a feeling than anything—the swing part is obvious, but the darkness is built on the somber mentality of early jazz (think “Strange Fruit” by Billie Holiday) with the push of frustration that our generation is facing in a modern context.

Would you care to explain the inspiration for the new E.P.?

Castillo: It’s meant to showcase our musical styles and the creativity of each individual musician.

Guzé: Keep an ear out for “Futile Red” and “Mistress.” This isn’t just a debut E.P., but a debut of ourselves.

What about the IE intrigues you?

Castillo: I’ve never before seen a more accepting crowd towards musicians. Everyone who has supported us by coming to our shows have all been great. We’re always excited to play for new people and see them have a blast.

Anything else you would like us to know?

Eric Hyman: Special thanks to my roommates for letting us practice every week. And to all of the Gypsy fans coming through to our shows, it truly means a lot.

Guzé: I’m sure we were obnoxious at some point, but we needed the time and the space. Max put a considerable amount of time and effort into recording this E.P., so we wouldn’t have been able to do it without him.

Keedy: Thank you to everyone that has supported us thus far . . . we couldn’t do it without you.

The scorching summer season is upon us once again, and for Inland Empire concertgoers that translates into a plethora of summer music festivals. Among the horde of shows, there is the Vans Warped Tour—this year celebrating 19 years as the country’s prominent punk/indie rock all day music event.

But, this year, the festival has much more to offer than just punk rock. With an eclectic line-up including five stages featuring over 50 bands and artists, ranging from electronic pop music (3OH!3), ska (Reel Big Fish),  traditional pop music (Allstar Weekend), death metal (The Black Dahlia Murder and, of course, tons more.  Headliners include Goldfinger, The Used, The Aquabats and August Burns Red, Bring Me the Horizon and Motion City Soundtrack.

This year, Riverside local No Bragging Rights—an up and coming metal-core band—spoke to the Weekly about its hometown, the music scene and its part in the Warped Tour, on the Kevin Says Stage (named after the tour’s founder, Kevin Lyman).

According to No Bragging Rights vocalist Mike Perez, the band formed in 1999 in Riverside, but the current line-up of bass player Ryan Warrell, drummer Martin Alcedo and guitarists Christian Lee and Daniel Garrow has been together since about 2005.

Perez said that the band is beyond excited to be part of this year’s Warped line up. “You can’t ask for a better tour to spread your music and message,” he said.

He also told the Weekly there are more than a few that he is looking forward to seeing, including Goldfinger. “I’ve listened to them since junior high so I’m very excited to see them, as well as  Story of The Year because I love back flips and Tonight Alive because they’re Australian and cover a Rufio song!” he said.

Perez said that many other bands he wants to see are friends of No Bragging Rights, including Letlive, Stick to Your Guns, Handguns, Forever Came Calling, Issues, Memphis May Fire, among many others.”I know I’m probably forgetting some,” he admitted.”

Perez mentioned that the band is proud to be from Riverside and representing the Inland Empire, but said he feels distanced from the music scene locally. “To be honest, I don’t know much about the IE scene anymore,” he said. “With The Showcase Theatre in Corona closing and our band touring, it’s hard keeping track. We don’t really have a ‘home venue’ in the IE anymore.”

Perez also said he gives bands from the IE music scene respect. “I feel like it must be difficult for up and coming bands to really get an identity if they go straight from the garage to the road, and I feel like any band out of the IE is strong and has a lot of fight in them. It’s a tough scene.”

According to Perez, the best thing about being a band from the IE was how years ago, there used to be a lot of options for shows. “We used to have the Showcase in Corona, or The Barn at UCR in Riverside and others,” he said. “Lots of times, there was a show you could go to every weekend locally. That was then. It’s a little more difficult now. That’s why it’s awesome seeing IE kids at shows in LA, SD and the OC.”

But Perez did mention that it hasn’t all been an easy path for the band. “The difficult part was trying to figure out a way to stand out in a sea of other bands,” he said. “Being a product of our time and area meant we sounded a lot like our idols. It was good though because it taught us to promote our band as well as playing the best live show possible.”

Perez insisted that band is eager to get on the road, and share the music of No Bragging Rights with fans across the country. “I think people can expect a lot of fun positive energy at these Warped Tour shows we play,” he said. “Hopefully they can something from our music and message. My hope is that anyone who sees us will leave feeling better than when they got there.”

Vans Warped Tour at Pomona Fairplex, 1101 W. McKinley Ave., Pomona, (888) 512-7469;  www.vanswarpedtour.com. June 20-21, 11AM. Tickets $30-75. All ages. 

Even though Riverside’s Measure A was approved by voters on June 4, with around a two-thirds victory, that doesn’t mean all is said and done regarding the controversial initiative. The measure allows the city to continuing transferring 11.5 percent of its revenue from water utility services and pumping it into the general fund—something Riverside was doing for a century, wasn’t supposed to, got caught and called out on it and subsequently pushed through this measure to make such un-legit transfers legit, according to critics and measure opponents.

Now, a group of concerned Riverside residents without a formal name, who were opposed to Measure A are speaking out about plans to sue the city, and have even filed official complaints with the Fair Political Practices Committee and the Attorney General. The group, which runs the blog “Thirty Miles of Corruption,” also alleges that a slick, pricey batch of mailers send to residents—mailers that were essentially pro-Measure A literature in spirit if not letter—were misleading as well as ethically and legally questionable.

According to group member and Riverside resident Dvonne Pitruzzello, who used to work for the mayor’s office in 2003, the main argument against the measure is that it is illegal under Prop. 218, a 1996 statewide measure that requires local governments to secure voter approval for certain taxes, assessments, property-related fees and related fund transfers.

Pitruzzello said that Measure A came was prompted by a lawsuit filed by longtime Riverside residents Vivian and Javier Moreno. The couple sued to stop the city from funneling utility revenue into the general fund, since it violated Prop. 218.

“The city has been illegally taking this money from our water bills as a tax, and using it for the General Fund,” Pitruzzello tells the Weekly. “There, the money is free for them to use as they please. Riverside was breaking the law for 16 years.”

The group plans to challenge Measure A, and insists that a 4-page “informational” packet sent to voters before last week’s election was a distortion of the facts at best . . . and blatant lies at worst. The city claimed that if Measure A was not passed drastic cuts would be made to essential city services such as police and fire services.

According to The Press-Enterprise, the mailer cost $5,680 to print and $18,097 to mail, with all the funds coming from the General Fund.

“In timing, tone and style [the mailer] is a campaign piece, violating a California Supreme Court ruling,” columnist Dan Bernstein wrote in the May 30 issue of The P-E.

Meanwhile, Pitruzzello says the battle against Measure A is on.

“It would be nice ultimately if the attorney general over turned the measure,” she says. “Voters wouldn’t have voted for it they labeled it as what it really is, a general fund tax. No matter what, voters can’t vote for something that violates the law and they did in this case, so we’ll fight it as long as we have to.”

This week, Mayor William “Rusty” Bailey told the Weekly through a city spokesperson, “The most recent vote demonstrates that voters see the revenue transfer for what it is: an important contribution to Riverside’s overall quality of life.”

The “Yes on Measure A Riverside” Facebook page summed up one pro-Measure A position this way: “Bottom line, the city needs the money and we need the services that this money pays for.”

Let’s see how this plays out.

For more information visit www.noonmeasureariverside.com.

Dear Mexican:

—Broad Street Broad

Dear Gabacha: Your letter has been in my ¡Ask a Mexican! archives for so long that your question is no longer needed—but I’ll todavia answer it because it allows me to raise a great point. Last year, Univisión announced it was going to offer English-language captions for most of its telenovelas and even some news programs, although it didn’t necessarily have gabachos in mind. Rather, the move was prompted by Univisión’s realization that assimilation is inevitable in this country, and that if it didn’t acknowledge that English is the ultimate destiny for every Mexican in el Norte, it would become as relevant to the Mexican experience as canned tortillas. It’s not a new tale—the ethnic press has long had a vibrant place in American letters (the first Spanish-language newspaper published in los Estados Unidos goes back to the early 19th century), but the only ones that survive more than a couple of generations are those that understand they’re only temporary phenomena, that their days are numbered. That’s why this infernal column also has a shelf life: when the Reconquista is finally complete, I will turn the burro over to my gabacho intern so he can explain America’s largest and whiniest minority to the ruling Mexi class.

I’m a gringa from Iowa and I’ve been dating my Mexican boyfriend for about three months now. He knows I’m from a background that’s as white as they come, since I’m German-Norwegian mix. But he fell in love with me because I think I shocked him. See, I speak Spanish, I listen to Spanish music and we even met at a club for cumbia and bachata dancing. And he is puro mexicano with no English. He always calls me his “sexi gringa/guera,” pero lately, he’s been calling me his mexicana también when we’ve gone out dancing or for drinks. Why is that?

—Melodia Confusa

Dear Confused Melody Gabacha: Because he loves you—you’re no longer just a gabacha to screw, but a mujer ready to meet the familia. Better make sure you incorporate chorizo into your hotdish—and I’m not talking about your hoo-hah.

CONFIDENTIAL TO: To the East Los Angeles College familia. Ustedes graciously invited me to be your commencement speaker earlier this year—and I stood ustedes up last week through a calendar error all my own. I profusely apologize to everyone at East Los Angeles College for insulting you in this way—you deserve so much better. Perdóname, Profe Godinez, my fellow Chapman University alum, who recommended me as the commencement speaker in the first place. A big ol‘ to the ELAC student on Twitter who asked a very simple question: “Donde estas, buey?” I will apologize for this for the rest of my life, I will never be able to live this mistake down, and I will do everything possible to try and make this up to ustedes. For starters, gentle readers: ELAC is an amazing institution that has long hosted a book festival (where they’ve graciously invited me in the past) and has many amazing teachers and students. Also? I’m the biggest pendejo in the world—but ustedes knew that already!

Ask the Mexican at themexican@askamexican.net, be his fan on Facebook, follow him on Twitter @gustavoarellano or ask him a video question at youtube.com/askamexicano!

Dodgers’ phenom Yasiel Puig comes back to Earth tonight, going 0-for-4 including two strikeouts. Nice while the phenomenon lasted, which amounted to two games—not even enough time for people to learn how to pronounce his name. That’s when the Dodgers, desperate with center fielder Matt Kemp and left fielder Carl Crawford on the disabled list, called up Puig from Double-A Chattanooga as a replacement. They were a nice two days, including a catch-and-throw from right field to first base for a double play that ended his first game with a 2-1 Dodgers win, and two home runs in a 9-7 win in his second game.

THURSDAY, JUNE 6

The price of democracy? The San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters puts it at $222,000—at least, as regards a pair of two separate movements currently gathering signatures to recall City of San Bernardino officials. One of the recall movements is aimed at the San Bernardino city clerk. The other seeks to oust the City Council, mayor and city attorney. If both are approved, they together will nearly double the cost of the general election slated in November . . . when the offices of the mayor and three City Council members already are up for grabs. And when the cost of the recalls (which would remove 10 officials rather than settle for replacing four via the traditional ballot) is combined with the general election, the price rises to $467,000. And that’s before any runoffs, which are likely in the mayoral contest, at least. Estimates from the county and city put the final cost of the recalls, general election and runoffs at about $700,000. Of course, the momentum for these recalls comes from the City of San Bernardino’s messed up finances—it’s still fighting for bankruptcy protection and justifying the reorganization of its debts. Residents are complaining that it’s taking longer for police to respond and that the city is neglecting maintenance on street lights and other infrastructure. Considering all that, are the two recalls worth their $222,000 price tag? Before indulging our emotions and settling for a knee-jerk reaction, let us think on that for a day.

FRIDAY, JUNE 7

Can we have another day to think about San Bernardino? We’ve been too busy thinking about the Dodgers’ Prodigal Phenomenal Son—that would be the aforementioned Yasiel Puig—who hits a home run tonight, which follows the grand slam he hit Thursday night, after which Vin Scully proclaimed, “I don’t believe it!”

SATURDAY, JUNE 8

We have now invested 48 hours of measured consideration to the question, “Are the two recall movements in the City of San Bernardino worth their $222,000 price tag?” And here is our response: “Hell, yeah! Throw the mutha-jumpin‘ kee-rooks out on their keesters!” Or don’t. Who cares? We’re watching the Angels play the Boston Red Sox on ESPN’s national game, and all they can talk about it Yasiel Puig, who’s on his way to going 2-for-4.

SUNDAY, JUNE 9

To mark last week’s 75^th anniversary of the passage of the passage of the Fair Labor Standards Act—the Depression-area law that enforces minimum wage and overtime laws—Press-Enterprise business editor Jack Katzanek posts an item in his Inland Economy blog noting that the U.S. Department of Labor has taken new approaches to investigating charges of wage and hour violations, calling the problem an “epidemic” across the country. Previously almost all federal investigations had been based on complaints from workers. Starting in 2012, the department began looking at what it calls “directed investigations.” This is when the department looks at entire industries and geographic areas. Katzanek reports that DOL solicitor Patricia Smith gave a speech last week at New York University Law School, where she said that 79 percent of investigations that stemmed from a worker complaints found company wrongdoing, along with 71 percent of directed investigations. In such situations, the DOL has begun to respond to violations at one of a company’s facilities by checking out wage-and-hour validity at other plants owned by that company. “Right now I think what we see is nothing short of an epidemic,” Smith is quoted as saying. “It really shows that there are serious problems out there.”

MONDAY, JUNE 10

Yasiel Puig goes 3-for-4 to give him a batting average of .500, along with four home runs and 10 RBI, but the Arizona Diamondbacks score four runs in the top of the ninth for a 5-4 victory that sends the Dodgers to their third consecutive loss.

TUESDAY, JUNE 11

Something about the seriousness of that story by Press-Enterprise business editor Jack Katzanek has been haunting me, so I go back and give it another look. And I realize that the seriousness is not only written all over Katzanek’s blog, but also all over his face, which is shown in a mug shot that runs next to his blog. Aware that the photo is disturbing, The Press-Enterprise posts this explanation: Business Editor Jack Katzanek writes the Inland Economy blog. His coverage of the recession is the reason for the grim expression in this photo, although after hours he is generally full of mirth.

Sat, June 15

Tell everyone that Lesley Gore wants you to know, “It’s My Party.” If you missed that reference don’t feel bad. A lot of people don’t remember that being the number one Billboard song because it debuted back in 1963. People forget things all the time, but wait. If you were born in June of ’63 and have slight memory loss, then that means, oh no . . . you’ve finally hit that age. The dreaded 5-0, being half a century old and being one step closer to over the hill. You could be facing this dilemma by saying, “I’m only 49.999 years old,” but why be ashamed of it? 50 isn’t old anymore; it just means you’re more experienced at life. I guess it can be a scary time, but you don’t have to venture into it blind because Hats! The Musical is preparing you to avoid the possible mid-life meltdown with a little help from some new friends. Some spunky women show the age-fearing main character the five most important F-words that will keep her young (based on the real life philosophies of the Red Hat Society): fun, friendship, freedom, fulfillment and fitness. Celebrate life at every age, expand your bonds, discover and explore new interests, realize your full potential and embrace a healthy lifestyle. It’s that simple.  This musical is for everyone because we all will be (or have already hit) that refined age of 50. So don’t just cry because it’s your party and you’re getting a little older. Find yourself a new hat and tip it down to the age that suits your mood.

California Theatre of the Performing Arts, 562 W. Fourth St., San Bernardino, (909) 885-5152; www.californiatheatre.net. 8pm. $50-$75.

Sat, June 15

It’s time to get down and dirty. Corona is offering the challenge of a lifetime to any and all comers who aren’t afraid of pushing the limits and dealing with what gets thrown their way. In this case, what’s going to get thrown is dirt and mud. A lot of it. The Mach 1 Mud Run is a 5k course on the battlegrounds of the Corona Airport. People who dare face the onslaught must survive dangerous terrain and intense conditions: running, jumping, climbing, swinging, crawling and battling the heat of an average California day. The competitions will be divided into appropriate age ranges to filter out the best of the best. Only the top three in each division will be honored, with one trophy reserved for the fastest of them all. Competitors can even go above and beyond and enter the costume contest in which (so long as they aren’t nude or tasteless) they can win another trophy for a glorified costume caked with mud. Can you handle this ordeal? Everyone who gets through will be rewarded with a pair of dog tags to commemorate their victory against the odds, and a nice T-shirt to complement them. This madness isn’t for nothing, however. Proceeds from this trial will go to the Corona Pilot’s Association and repairs for the Corona Municipal Airport. Something good should come from suffering, right?

Corona Municipal Airport, 1900 Aviation Dr., Corona, (909) 874-5480;

www.machone.cbslocal.com. $65-$300. Gates open at 7am. Races begin 8am.

Thurs/6/13

AMFM FEST

There used to be a two-hour rule with well-known celebrities during the ’50s and ’60s. They could go anywhere they wanted, so long as it was within two hours of Los Angeles. Pushing the distance to a limit, these celebs would travel to Palm Springs and Cathedral City (aka “Cat City”) to escape the hustle and bustle of urban life. The desert community has more than embraced its heritage as a getaway for famous actors and musicians. It’s not just for bragging rights though, Film4Change will present this year’s AMFM Fest as a large celebration of arts, music and film entertainment. Plenty of short films will be shown, including a modern-day interpretation of Donnie Brasco and a 20-year celebration of Dazed and Confused. Check out tunes from the likes of the Miracles Dolls punk band and even our own previously featured Band of the Week, DJ Alf Alpha. Tie it all together with some meaningful poetry, a vendor and exhibit fair and plenty of educational panels for those up-and-comers. You can bet that despite the two-hour rule there will be some celebrities here which includes Viggo Mortensen, this year’s winner of the Dennis Lee Hopper Award. The award recognizes that, as Hopper believed, to be an artist one must participate in all forms of art. Mortensen’s collection of paintings, poetry, photography and a documentary he appears in will all be available for exhibition.

Thurs, June 13-Sun, June 16. $5-$199. Ultra Mary Pickford Theater, 36-850 Pickfair St., Cathedral City, (760) 328-7100; www.amfmfest.com.

Fri/6/14

HUCK FINN JUBILEE

Kick off father’s day weekend with a great American, family friendly event. Everyone will enjoy the live music and Hotrod Huck’s cruising antique and classic car show that’ll satisfy the city slickers. For those that prefer a more traditional Finn, the fishin’ derbies, arm wrestling, river raft building and cow chip throwin’s where you’ll want to be. These plus many more Huckleberry inspired adventures await.

Thru June 16. $25. Cucamonga-Guasti Regional Park, 800 N. Archibald Ave., Rancho Cucamonga, (909) 941-6920; www.huckfinn.com.

Sat/6/15

HELLO, MY NAME IS IMPROV

We’ve got very few outlets for comedy here in the IE. And while we love revisiting celebrities who appear at the Ontario Improv, now’s the time for those up-and-comers to shine. In this case, it’s time for “Hello, My Name is Improv,” a group that is bringing the true essence of improvisation to the stage. Plus hey, it’s cheaper than a movie!

7pm-9pm. $6. Rialto Community Theatre, 150 E. San Bernardino Ave., Rialto, (909) 873-8514.

Sun/6/16

WHY, BRY?

Kevin Smith once played a character of silence but since then he’s acquired quite a voice through various podcasts and is revered as a staple comic-book aficionado (especially after the airing of his show Comic Book Men). In this one-night, stand-up special Smith takes you on a journey into the life of his buddy Bryan Johnson (aka “Beard Guy.”)

7pm. $25. Ontario Improv, 4555 Mills Cir., Ontario, (909) 484-5411; ontario.improv.com.

Mon/6/17

BUTTERFLY PAVILION

Butterflies have long been seen as a beautiful insect (most other bugs are labeled as creepy to most). Check out these local flutterers and explore the many species that roam our landscape. Kids can learn about how caterpillars pupate into butterflies but don’t be afraid to be an adult who simply appreciates the complexities of nature.

Thru July 28. Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, 1500 N. College Ave., Claremont, (909) 625-8767; www.rsabg.org.

Tues/6/18

“GEOGRAPHIES OF DETENTION: FROM GUANTANAMO TO THE GOLDEN GULAG”

Two stories dedicated to a place I hope you never have to experience are on display: jail. Sandow Birk paints the desolate desert prisons of California from afar with “Prisonation” while Richard Ross and Alyse Emdur give you an intimate inmate look from inside the “Architecture of Authority.” Even see 100 years of Guantanamo Bay history and discuss the limits of democracy.

Thru Sept. 27. Gallery hours: Tues-Sat, 12pm-5pm. UCR/California Museum of Photography, 3824 Main St., Riverside, (951) 784-3686; www.cmp.ucr.edu.

Wed/6/19

KID GRAMOPHONE

Sitting on a patio enjoying a cold, refreshing beer and listening to some tunes is the perfect way to spend a night. Move that scenario to a patio filled with fresh Hanger 24 on tap and life gets a little better. Get a traditional brew or try the Belgium Summer Ale or Essence on draft. Kid Gramophone will provide the live indie beats for the night.

6:30pm-9:30pm. Hangar 24 Brewery, 1710 Sessums Dr., Redlands, (909) 398-1400; www.hangar24brewery.com.

And it’s that part of us that compels us to watch motorcycle crashes on YouTube or—at the risk of sounding cliché—train wrecks. And because police chases so often end in fantastic tragedy or failure, we love to watch.

On July 31, 2012, the Los Angeles stations didn’t have their choppers flying anywhere near enough to San Bernardino County to catch the police pursuit that began in Colton. If they had, there’s a strong chance they’d have caught another chase that ended badly, this time for 21-year-old Trevor Michael Taylor.

Colton Police Sgt. Steve Davis was running a regular patrol when he spotted a green Honda Civic just before 11:15am, near the intersection of 9th and H streets. Knowing that Civics get stolen quite a bit in California and just about everywhere else, Davis radioed dispatchers to see if the car was stolen.

The Civic came back stolen, the day before from Rancho Cucamonga, according to a report released by the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office.

Davis called for backup as he continued to trail the car. Two officers—Sgt. Lou Gamache and Officer Todd Smith—fell in behind Davis, following the Civic as it traveled on Auto Plaza Way, over the 215 Freeway into San Bernardino. Davis tried to pull the car over as it reached E Street, heading east. That’s when the pursuit began.

The officers chased the car for 21 minutes, according to the prosecutors’ report. The driver of the Civic pushed the small car as fast as 80 mph down city surface streets. Prosecutors allege the car almost struck an elderly, cane-wielding pedestrian.

Davis tried to use a PIT maneuver four times to stop the Civic, to no avail. He lost control of his patrol car after the fourth try, with Smith taking over the lead role in the chase. As the Civic sped south on San Francisco Street, Smith tried a PIT maneuver, this time with success.

The Civic spun around and the officers boxed it in with their patrol cars. Gamache saw straight into the Civic’s driver’s side window as it aligned with his own and he got a look at the driver for the first time—it was Taylor.

Smith got out of his patrol car and approached the Civic with his gun drawn. He ordered Taylor take his foot off the gas and keep his hands in plain sight. Gamache, still looking at Taylor through his open window, also had his gun trained on the man.

Gamache told investigators that he saw Taylor mouth, “OK,” as he held his hands in the air. Suddenly, Taylor dropped his hands and quickly leaned forward. Gamache thought Taylor was going for a gun. So did Smith.

Both officers fired a barrage of shots at almost the same time, according to prosecutors.

Taylor slumped over in his seat, dead.

A search of the Civic revealed he had no weapon. Instead, officers found a large dog in the car. The animal sustained a gunshot wound to the paw.

As is common for many police departments, Colton elected to have the county sheriff’s department investigate the officer-involved shooting as a homicide, to avoid any possible accusations of conflicts of interest.

Detective Mauricio Hurtado handled the investigation for the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.

Hurtado took statements from at least three witnesses, none of whom felt the officers used unnecessary force in shooting Taylor. One witness told Hurtado that she felt the officers gave Taylor every opportunity to surrender without being shot.

An autopsy report showed that Taylor was struck by 13 bullets fired from two different guns. Many of them struck him in the head and chest. Toxicology reports showed he had amphetamine and methamphetamine in his system when he died.

The District Attorney’s Office cleared Gamache and Smith of any wrongdoing, saying both officers acted in self-defense.