July and August are the slowest months for entertainment in the Coachella Valley, with multiple venues on hiatus—but the casinos and Pappy and Harriet’s are still offering plenty of great events.
Fantasy Springs Resort Casino has a fabulous Independence Day week slate. At 9 p.m., Wednesday, July 3, enjoy a free Independence Day Fireworks Show. The fireworks will be blasting off from the Eagle Falls Golf Course, and The Eagle 106.9 will be playing some great songs to accompany them. Admission is free. At 8 p.m., Friday, July 5, enjoy the rocking flute-driven tunes of Jethro Tull. The band has extended its 50th Anniversary Tour, and considering the band rivaled the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and Elton John in its early years, you won’t want to miss this one. Tickets are $59 to $129. Later in the month, at 8 p.m., Saturday, July 27, Mexican singer-songwriter Gerardo Ortiz will return to Fantasy Springs. The 29-year-old was actually born in Pasadena, and he has two Grammy Award nominations to his credit. Tickets are $39 to $89. Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, 84245 Indio Springs Parkway, Indio; 760-342-5000; www.fantasyspringsresort.com.
Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa Rancho Mirage is offering a busy July calendar. At 8 p.m., Saturday, July 13, Hotel California: A Salute to The Eagles will take the stage. Hotel California is an Eagles tribute band that has been performing for 30 years and is known for masterfully replicating the sounds of the Eagles songs you love. Tickets are $25 to $35. At 8 p.m., Friday, July 19, check out The Ultimate E.L.O. Experience: A New World Record. This is an Electric Light Orchestra tribute, including the lights and all of the string arrangements. Tickets are $25 to $35. At 8 p.m., Friday, July 26, enjoy ’80s R&B and pop at the Freestyle Jam, featuring Stevie B, Trinere, Nu Shooz, Debbie Deb and Connie. These were some of the biggest names in ’80s pop and are often sampled or remixed in today’s digital era. Tickets are $40 to $60. Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa Rancho Mirage, 32250 Bob Hope Drive, Rancho Mirage; 888-999-1995; www.hotwatercasino.com.
Spotlight 29 is hosting a couple of hot July events. At 8 p.m., Saturday, July 20, the Spanish Comedy Slam will take place. The show will feature performances from Alex Reymundo, who recently had his own Comedy Central special; Luz Pazos, a former beauty queen from Peru who has performed at the Comedy Store in Los Angeles and appeared on PBS’ First Nations Comedy Experience; Rene Garcia, who has performed with Tommy Davidson, Ron White and Bill Bellamy; Carlos Rodriguez, a Sacramento native who has been voted the Best Comic by the Sacramento News & Review; and Anthony K, another Sacramento resident who has a one-hour special available on Spotify and Google Play. Tickets are $20 to $35. At 8 p.m., Saturday, July 27, go back four decades during the ’70s Soul Jam, featuring performances by Harold Melvin’s Blue Notes and The Stylistics, as well as Mr. Dyn-o-Mite himself, Jimmie “JJ” Walker. Tickets are $39 to $59. Spotlight 29 Casino, 46200 Harrison Place, Coachella; 760-775-5566; www.spotlight29.com.
Morongo Casino Resort Spa is hosting some great July events. At 9 p.m., Saturday, July 6, country star Lee Greenwood will be appearing. One of his biggest hits is his 1984 song “God Bless the U.S.A.” In fact, a lot of his material is ’Merica themed, to give you those July 4th feels. Tickets are $29 to $39. At 9 p.m., Friday, July 12, Chicano rock-band Los Lonely Boys (upper right) will be performing. The South Texas trio was a staple of contemporary radio in the mid-2000s with “Heaven” and “More Than Love.” Tickets are $55 to $65. Morongo Casino Resort Spa, 49500 Seminole Drive, Cabazon; 800-252-4499; www.morongocasinoresort.com.
Pappy and Harriet’s has a packed schedule; here are a just a few shows you may want to consider. At 9 p.m., Friday, July 5, Welsh musician and producer Cate Le Bon will be performing. Le Bon has toured with acts such as St. Vincent, Perfume Genius and John Grant—if that says something in regard to her talents. While she has a rock sound, she also goes into folk and pop territory. Tickets are $18. At 9 p.m., Saturday, July 20, up-and-coming country performer Gethen Jenkins will take the stage. Jenkins’ bio reads like a character out of a bad ass adventure novel—born in the West Virginia, raised in a rural Indian village in Alaska, a stint in the U.S. Marines, etc. He’s performed with the Marshall Tucker Band, Wanda Jackson and others. Tickets are $15. At 9 p.m., Wednesday, July 31, on the eve of what will be the 15th and final Campout, Camper Van Beethoven frontman David Lowery will be performing solo; Peter Case will also take the stage. Tickets are $25. Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace, 53688 Pioneertown Road, Pioneertown; 760-365-5956; www.pappyandharriets.com.