Happy May! Will you have fun experiencing what the valley’s entertainment scene has to offer this month? You may.
Acrisure Arena features music—and muscles! At 8 p.m., Friday, May 3, Colombian singer and global star Feid will head to Palm Desert. Tickets start at $44.99. At 7 p.m., Tuesday, May 14, alt-pop phenom Melanie Martinez explores the musical stages of her alter ego “Cry Baby,” with opening performances from Beach Bunny and Men I Trust. Tickets start at $95. More desert wrestling will take place at 7 p.m., Thursday, May 30, as AEW (All Elite Wrestling) Collision will suplex, chokeslam and elbow-drop all over the arena. Tickets start at $26. Acrisure Arena, 75702 Varner Road, Palm Desert; 888-695-8778; www.acrisurearena.com.
The McCallum Theatre’s relatively few May events still provide a ton of entertainment. College of the Desert is presenting Guys and Dolls, a musical comedy spanning New York, from the heart of Times Square to the sewers! You can catch the production at 8 p.m., Friday, May 3; 2 and 8 p.m., Saturday, May 4; and 2 p.m., Sunday, May 5. Tickets start at $38. At 8 p.m., Monday, May 6, Bianca Del Rio, known as the “Joan Rivers of the Drag World,” will pull out all the stops for a comedy night to remember. Tickets start at $49.50. At 2 p.m., Saturday, May 11, Tutti Frutti Productions invites families out to the McCallum for The Boy Who Cried Wolf, a funny and enchanting version of the famous story. Tickets are $15. McCallum Theatre, 73000 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert; 760-340-2787; www.mccallumtheatre.com.
Fantasy Springs brings laughs and Latin jams. At 8 p.m., Saturday, May 4, Los Rieleros del Norte will turn Indio into a norteño dance floor. Available tickets start at $39. Saturday Night Live alum Pete Davidson brings his erratic standup comedy to town at 8 p.m., Saturday, May 11. Tickets start at $69. At 8 p.m., Saturday, May 25, comedian Jeff Dunham and his group of zany puppets will grace the Fantasy Springs stage for ventriloquist mayhem! Tickets start at $79. Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, 84245 Indio Springs Parkway, Indio; 760-342-5000; www.fantasyspringsresort.com.
Spotlight 29 Casino has a string of fun May shows. At 8 p.m., Friday, May 3, boy band 98° and special guest All 4 One will heat things up in Coachella. Tickets start at $50. At 8 p.m., Saturday, May 4, comedian and actor Mark Normand will bring the laughs. Tickets start at $35. 1990s band Blues Traveler will travel all the way to Coachella to jam at 8 p.m., Friday, May 10. Tickets start at $35. At 8 p.m., Saturday, May 11, Argentine-Mexican singer-songwriter Amanda Miguel will present an evening filled with music and culture. Tickets start at $25. At 7 p.m., Friday, May 31, pay tribute to the ’70s pop icons with Bee Gees Gold. Tickets start at $10. Spotlight 29 Casino, 46200 Harrison Place, Coachella; 760-775-5566; www.spotlight29.com.
Morongo Casino is providing regional Mexican music—and raging laughter! At 9 p.m., Friday, May 3, Mi Banda el Mexicano De Casimiro and Arkangel R-15 will offer a double-dose of Latin tunes. Tickets start at $59. At 9 p.m., Friday, May 31, funnyman Nick Swardson heads to Cabazon. Tickets start at $39. Morongo Casino Resort Spa, 49500 Seminole Drive, Cabazon; 800-252-4499; www.morongocasinoresort.com.
Agua Caliente in Rancho Mirage features a stacked lineup! Comedy superstar Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias will call the desert home for a weekend, as he’s set to bring his top-notch comedy at 8 p.m., Friday, May 3, Saturday, May 4, and Sunday, May 5. Tickets start at $85. At 8 p.m., Friday, May 10, alternative-rock-indie force Silversun Pickups return to The Show. Tickets start at $40. 1980s British post-punkers The Psychedelic Furs head to town at 8 p.m., Friday, May 17. Tickets start at $25. At 6 p.m., Saturday, May 18, reminisce with 80’s Rock Tribute Fest, featuring Rok Brigade (a Def Leppard tribute band), Completely Unchained (a Van Halen tribute band) and DSB (a Journey tribute band). Tickets are $30. Comedian and podcast host Andrew Schulz will head to the Coachella Valley at 8 p.m., Friday, May 24. Tickets start at $75. At 8 p.m., Saturday, May 25, comedy and sitcom staple Ray Romano brings an East Coast flavor to the West Coast. Tickets start at $50. Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa Rancho Mirage, 32250 Bob Hope Drive, Rancho Mirage; 888-999-1995; www.aguacalientecasinos.com.
At Agua Caliente in Palm Springs, the residencies roll on—and are joined by some big-name comedy shows! Desert Blues Revival Wednesdays bring blues-guitar dynamo Jessica Kaczmarek and her band (May 1), local favorites The Gand Band doing “Beatles and Beyond” (May 8), the American roots of Nathan James Band (May 15), a dynamic duo performance of passionate blues by Shea Walsh and Hope Diamond (May 22) and rocker Tony Saxon Sr. (May 29). Shows are at 7 p.m., and tickets start at $10 to $15, available at eventspalmsprings.com. Carousel Thursdays feature a low-end throwdown with a Double Bass Battle featuring Lakshmi Ramirez and Marquis Howell (May 2), a trip back 70 years with The Dickens 1950’s Western Swing Show (May 9), the return of pop vocal group sensation M-PACT (May 16), an era-encompassing experience from Ashley Anne and the Carnations (May 23) and a slice of New Orleans sounds from Big Butter Jazz Band (May 30). Shows take place at 7 p.m., and tickets start at $15, available at eventspalmsprings.com. And now for the laughs: At 8 p.m., Saturday, May 11, writer, comedian and actor Damon Wayans Jr. brings his comedy to the Cascade Lounge. Tickets start at $40. At 8 p.m., Saturday, May 25, Caroline Rhea will perform an evening of her standup. Tickets start at $40. Agua Caliente Casino Palm Springs, 401 E. Amado Road, Palm Springs; 888-999-1995; www.aguacalientecasinos.com.
Pappy & Harriet’s is exploding with great concerts this month; here are some highlights. At 7 p.m., Sunday, May 5, pop and alt rock trio X Ambassadors are set to perform. Tickets start at $29.50. Electronic goth-rockers Placebo will spend two nights under the desert sky, with shows at 7 p.m., Wednesday, May 8,and Thursday, May 9. Tickets start at $69.50. A member of Bauhaus and Love and Rockets, David J will perform a solo set in Pioneertown at 9:30 p.m., Saturday, May 11. Tickets start at $35. At 9:30 p.m., Friday, May 17, rock outfit Spooky Mansion will electrify the desert. Tickets start at $18, or $15 for a four-pack. Raw, explosive, full-throttle rock will heat up the Pioneertown Palace at 9:30 p.m., Friday, May 31 via a performance from Starcrawler. Tickets start at $15. Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace, 53688 Pioneertown Road, Pioneertown; 760-228-2222; www.pappyandharriets.com.
Oscar’s in Palm Springs features a busy May. At 7 p.m., Friday, May 3, local performer Charles Brown will mix Broadway and pop for an evening of laughs and music. Tickets start at $30. Drag performer and RuPaul alum Tammie Brown celebrates 25 years of performing with a night of hysteria and songs at 7 p.m., Friday, May 10. Tickets start at $35. At 7 p.m., Saturday, May 11, enjoy a double-dose of Broadway in Palm Springs with Nic and Desi, two Broadway vets who will present “Broadway to Hollywood.” Tickets start at $39.95. At 7 p.m., Thursday, May 16, Jack Donahue will perform an evening of cabaret songs. Tickets start at $35. Most shows include a dinner reservation and a food/drink minimum. Oscar’s Palm Springs, 125 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way, Palm Springs; 760-325-1188; oscarspalmsprings.com/events.
Tickets are moving fast for the final month of shows at the Purple Room before the venue’s summer hiatus! At 8 p.m., Friday, May 3, jazz and blues vocal sensation Niki Haris heads to Palm Springs. Tickets start at $45. At 8 p.m., Saturday, May 4, award-winning vocalist Janis Mann will perform the songs of Burt Bacharach. Tickets start at $45. At 8 p.m., Friday, May 24, and Saturday, May 25, Tony Award nominee Ann Hampton Callaway will explore timeless classics and original material during two Coachella Valley nights of song. Tickets start at $60. All tickets include dinner reservations two hours before showtime. Michael Holmes’ Purple Room, 1900 E. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs; 760-322-4422; www.purpleroompalmsprings.com.
