The Coachella Valley Independent was born on Oct. 25, 2012.
The very first story to go live at CVIndependent.com was, really, nothing special. In fact, the piece was more of a test piece for us to build the website around than what I’d call “journalism.” It was just three sentences, plus a photo, explaining that Restless Heart was going to be playing a show at the Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa.
The headline, taken from the name of a Restless Heart song: “Tell Me What You Dream.”
I never dreamt that less than a year later, the Independent would be where it is today. This summer, the Independent became the first Coachella Valley publication to ever be admitted to the Association of Alternative Newsmedia. We have now published about 700 stories online—and our October print edition, hitting streets this week, includes about 30 contributors and marks our debut as a monthly publication.
So … It’s time to celebrate.
If you’re free, or if you can get free, I encourage you to head to Clinic Bar Lounge, 188 S. Indian Canyon Drive in Palm Springs, on Wednesday, Oct. 16. From 6 p.m. until midnight or so, contributors to and friends of the Independent will host a big party, to celebrate both our monthly print debut and our one-year online anniversary—and everyone (21 and over) is invited.
The bar will be open (translation: free drinks) from 6 to 8 p.m. But this is not just a drink-and-stand-around event: All Night Shoes (whose monthly Independent Fresh Mix debuted this month) will be DJ’ing all night, and artist Ryan “Motel” Campbell will be creating a live mural—on a 10-foot-by-5-foot canvas—as the party plays out around him.
It’s going to be a great time. I really hope you can be there.
Our switch to a monthly print schedule comes with new features. For example, esteemed music contributor Brian Blueskye will now be offering a look at the upcoming month’s local music events in every print issue; catch the debut of the Blueskye Report in print, or online later this week.
Of course, as we continue to grow, the Independent is looking for people to join the family. We’re always looking for writers who are willing to report on local matters, and on the sales side, we’d love to add another advertising rep or two. If interested, email me at jboegle@cvindependent.com.
As always, thanks for reading—and I hope to see you on Wednesday, Oct. 16.
Congratulations and continued success, Jimmy!