Things are changing rapidly in downtown Indio. New spaces for local musicians are appearing and disappearing—and the latest change is an addition, specifically a new space called the Oasis on Miles.
In-between Little Street Music Hall and the Academy of Musical Performance (AMP) building on Miles Avenue is the brand-new performance space. It’s operated by the AMP team, but they intend for the space to serve as more than just an extension of the local youth music-education organization.
After the Oasis on Miles hosted its first few events, I sat down for an interview with Abie Perkins, AMP’s creative director of music production. He shared some goals for the space.
“Eventually, we’d like to have a wall that goes up, because we’re putting a green room in the back, and then behind the wall, or on the wall, we’d have a screen, and we can use that screen to put the band’s name or images, kind of like the Big Rock Pub does,” Perkins said. “We just hooked it up so the kids now can play Nintendo. We want to make it not only a space for music, but a space to hang, and also a space for people to rent out.
“We got an email today from these ladies. Their dad’s a preacher, and they have something going on with their building right now. It’s getting renovated, and they want to rent (our) space to have church services. So whatever anybody might need the space for, it’s available.”
In its first few weeks, the Oasis on Miles hosted a weekly open mic.
“Every week, it seems like we get somebody new,” Perkins said. “They show up and say, ‘We never heard of this place; this is really cool!’ We had this guitarist, an older gentleman, come in out of the blue. He’s a singer/songwriter, and his stuff is really good. Then you have these kids. We had this young lady, and she actually did the AMP Bash. Her name is Shanti, and she’s a musical kid and sings opera. She’s 15 years old, and she’s amazing. … She wants to eventually take lessons, so it all ties in together, because we get to meet all these talented people, and then they get to hear about AMP. Then we get to see all these talented bands come in. We’ve had so many amazing singers. Some of our coaches have come in. Sam (Gonzalez) from Little Street came in, and I knew he was talented, but he had this looper thing, and it was just amazing. At the end of the day, it’s about bringing the community together.”
Since Music House Indio recently stopped hosting concerts, Perkins is especially happy to add another space for live music on Miles Avenue.
“Me and Josiah (Gonzalez, from Little Street) have talked about doing something around Coachella where (Little Street has) bands; we have bands; and maybe down the road at Rocks and Records, they might have some groups,” Perkins said. “I grew up in Indianapolis, and there was a certain street where every venue had music, and that’s what I think would be awesome. If you have a punk band over here, and you have a jazz band in here, and you have a rapper down there, you have your choice. For me, I think that’s the coolest thing. This street is just up and coming. Every day, there’s something new.”
Perkins is looking for new ways to work with other businesses in downtown Indio. He’s started promoting an Oasis Card, which offers discounts to participating businesses—while raising funds for AMP’s education programs and camps.
“When you come into the Oasis, you get a discount off of our merchandise and everything,” Perkins said. “Little Street is going to honor the card and give, like, 15% off, and I’m talking to Victoria’s (Café), and talking to Rocks and Records. When you present the Oasis Card, it’s bringing the people and the community together. It’s not just coming to the Oasis; it’s helping people check out everything we have to offer on the street.”
Beyond the open-mic nights, the Oasis on Miles has hosted a handful of concerts. Perkins is open to hosting more bands and bookers, and urged anyone who is interested to reach out. (Full disclosure: I’m working on booking a show at the Oasis on Miles.) One of Perkins’ priorities is hosting former AMP students.
“There are some alumni AMP bands out there,” Perkins said. “Israel’s Arcade—he was part of AMP the first year, and his band is huge, so I’m trying to figure out how we can book him. We probably now have about five AMP alumni bands out there. Another huge band is Whitewater.”
“I love what Little Street has done, and I think what we have to offer is a little bit more raw. It’s still raw, but we want to make it comfortable.”
Abie Perkins, AMP’s creative director of music production, about the Oasis on Miles
One of the first concerts that the Oasis on Miles hosted offers a prime example of how the downtown Indio community works together.
“Rocks and Records was going to have their one-year anniversary, and something happened with their power,” Perkins said. “They reached out to us and said, ‘Hey, can we use the Oasis?’ They had three or four bands that night, and one of the AMP alumni was in one of the bands. … Once people know that we’re here and know what the space is all about, it’s not only just going to be open for the AMP kids; it’s going to be open for anybody who wants to play.”
Michele Penn, the executive administrator at AMP, stopped by during our interview and said the Oasis was about to host an AMP spring camp.
“We’re going to be part of the Desert Sands (Expanded Learning Opportunities Program) … and this time, we’re bringing spring camp here,” she said. “It’ll be pre-K to eighth grade, and we said we could take up to 50 kids … over spring break. That will be our test of seeing where the kids fit, and what we can do with them. … We can go from there and see if that worked, or if we need to be off-property to do something like that again.”
Perkins said he hopes the Oasis on Miles can help fill the needs of our desert’s entertainment scene.
“I love what Little Street has done, and I think what we have to offer is a little bit more raw,” Perkins said. “It’s still raw, but we want to make it comfortable. What I like about the open mic is it’s not just about music. We’ve had some comedians; we’ve had people do poetry; we’ve had people do just a little bit of everything, and I always liked that variety. When I first moved out here, one of my very first jobs was emceeing at this coffee house, and they paid me $25 and all the scones I could eat. What was cool about it was getting to meet all these wonderful musicians who were out there in the community.”
Success, for Perkins, will be measured both by the Oasis’ accomplishments—and those of downtown Indio as a while.
“Between what everybody’s offering—between Little Street, the Oasis, and even Rocks and Records, and the Taphouse—what I envision is if we get all these wonderful musicians together, and somehow we work with the city, and we have this amazing Center Stage now, eventually, we could tie that all together,” he said. “I think it would be awesome to have a day where it’s just a full-on concert with all these local artists, and we can have the music start here and just work its way down the street. I’m trying to keep it as community-minded as possible—because for me, that’s where the fun is at.”
The Oasis on Miles is located at 82713 Miles Ave., in Indio. For more information, visit www.instagram.com/theoasisonmiles.
Great article about new music venues in Indio.
I’ve lived in Indio for 35 years and I’m so happy to see the improvements in the Old Town area.
I would love to see Indio become a vibrant center for commerce and cultural events. Thank you to the city planners and entrepreneurs for the revival of our city.