Happy November! The Coachella Valley and high desert are filled with entertainment options galore. Here’s a sampling of the many, many events gracing the desert this month.
Acrisure Arena hosts music, fighting and basketball (in addition to a full slate of Coachella Valley Firebirds hockey)! At 7:30 p.m., Friday, Nov. 7, viral synth-pop star Tate McRae brings song-and-dance energy to town! Tickets as of this writing started at $103.50. At 8 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 8, Mexican music star Christian Nodal will showcase his unique mix of mariachi and norteño styles. Tickets start at $61.35. At 6 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 15, the gloves are off, because it’s time for the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship. This organization is billed as the first to hold a legal bare-knuckle boxing event in the United States since 1889. Tickets start at $41.55. From Tuesday, Nov. 25, through Friday, Nov. 28, the Acrisure Invitational returns with four days filled with college basketball! Tickets for individual games start at $46.20, while a four-day pass starts at $222.85. Acrisure Arena, 75702 Varner Road, Palm Desert; 888-695-8778; www.acrisurearena.com.
Fantasy Springs is offering sounds, laughs and culture. At 8 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 9, prolific Mexican singer-songwriter and actor Pedro Fernández shares tunes from his impressive 39-album discography. Tickets start at $72.50. At 8 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 15, comedian Sebastian Maniscalco will crack jokes and share stories with his unbeatable wit and Chicago charm. Tickets start at $102.50. From Friday, Nov. 28, through Sunday, Nov. 30, the annual Cabazon Indio Powwow will take place, with Native American food, craft stations, bird singing and other performances, starting at 5 p.m. on Friday, and 11 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The event is free. Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, 84245 Indio Springs Parkway, Indio; 760-342-5000; www.fantasyspringsresort.com.
Spotlight 29 features diverse musical offerings and consistent comedy! At 8 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 1, Night Ranger transports the band’s ’80s hard-rock style to the modern day. Tickets start at $38.80. At 8 p.m., Friday, Nov. 7, Latin rockers Ozomatli, who mix activism and cultural sounds, are set to visit Coachella. Tickets start at $28.50. At 8 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 15, king of the soprano saxophone Kenny G will spread smooth jams in the desert. Tickets start at $43.95. At 8 p.m., Friday, Nov. 21, norteño-sax outfit Conjunto Primavera will share sounds from Mexico. Tickets start at $54.25. At 8 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 29, comedian Willie Barcena will bring the laughs. Tickets start at $28.50. Speaking of comedy, Honest Goodness Comedy Fridays brings Will Burkart (Saturday, Nov. 1), Jamie Kennedy (Nov. 7), Eric Schwartz (Nov. 14), Jeff Garcia (Nov. 21) and Erik Escobar (Nov. 28). Tickets start from $12.51 to $39.19. You must be 18+ to attend. Spotlight 29 Casino, 46200 Harrison Place, Coachella; 760-775-5566; www.spotlight29.com.
Here are some highlights from a busy month at the McCallum Theatre. At 1 and 6 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 2, and 7 p.m., Monday, Nov. 3, kickstart your Christmas celebration with Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical, spreading holiday glee straight from Whoville! Tickets start at $50. At 7 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 5, drag icon Sasha Velour mixes classic theater with raunchy jokes and lip-sync fun! Tickets start at $53. Tickets are moving fast to see the Palm Desert Choreography Festival, showcasing dance from all over the United States, at 7 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 8, and 4 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 9. Tickets start at $33 on Saturday and $28 on Sunday. Enjoy more Christmas tunes, this time by an orchestra, when Mannheim Steamroller performs at 3 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 16, and 7 p.m., Monday, Nov. 17. Tickets start at $58. McCallum Theatre, 73000 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert; 760-340-2787; www.mccallumtheatre.com.
Morongo Casino is offering plenty of interesting events worth the drive to Cabazon. At 8 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 1, actor Charlie Sheen heads to the desert, fresh off of the release of his memoir, The Book of Sheen, and a two-part Netflix documentary, aka Charlie Sheen. Tickets start at $89.50. At 8 p.m., Friday, Nov. 7, Grupo Clasificado and Banda Renovacion team up for Spanish jams all night. Tickets start at $46.75. At 9 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 8, country music duo LoCash brings the twang to town. Tickets are $42.75. At 9 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 20, country star Chase Matthew offers cowboy vibes in Cabazon. Tickets are $26. At 8 p.m., Friday, Nov. 21, rock singer Bret Michaels of Poison fame will sing and shred. Tickets start at $99.50. Morongo Casino Resort Spa, 49500 Seminole Drive, Cabazon; 800-252-4499; www.morongocasinoresort.com.
Agua Caliente in Rancho Mirage is packed with great events, so here are some notable acts coming through. At 8 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 6, experience the energetic sounds of Femmes of Rock, a quartet of rockin’ violinists who perform string-heavy arrangements of classic rock jams. Tickets start at $49.28. Heavy-hitting country rockers ZZ Top will bring grit and groove to the desert at 8 p.m., Friday, Nov. 7. Tickets start at $59.55. At 8 p.m., Friday, Nov. 14, the layered rock sounds of Jefferson Starship are set to land in Rancho Mirage. Tickets start at $48.73. At 8 p.m., Friday, Nov. 21, early ’90s hitmakers Gin Blossoms will spread their jangle pop. Tickets start at $48.73. At 8 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 22, see the Beach Boys celebrate their musical history with remaining member Mike Love and his band. Tickets start at $85.40. Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa Rancho Mirage, 32250 Bob Hope Drive, Rancho Mirage; 888-999-1995; www.aguacalientecasinos.com.
Agua Caliente Palm Springs rolls on with the residencies. Desert Blues Revival Wednesdays feature R&B hits from Hope Diamond (Nov. 5), blues-rock masters The Gand Band tackling songs from Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (Nov. 12) and blues guitar from Brazil performed by Fernando Noronha (Nov. 19). Shows are at 7 p.m., and tickets start from $17.85 to $22.11, available at eventspalmsprings.com. Carousel Thursdays showcase a tribute to Roberta Flack by Sweet Baby J’ai (Nov. 6) and trumpet chops from Dan Delgado (Nov. 13). Shows are at 7 p.m., and tickets start at $19.98 to $24.25, available at eventspalmsprings.com. The Cascade Cabaret series features the return of a local drag great for her final show: Viva Variaté With Tommi Rose takes place at 7 p.m., Friday, Nov. 14. A week later, the 1963! Time Capsule show, at 7 p.m., Friday, Nov. 21, celebrates the music and media of the year with performances from Tod Macofsky and The Desert Crows. Tickets for these shows start at $22.11, again at eventspalmsprings.com. Agua Caliente Casino Palm Springs, 401 E. Amado Road, Palm Springs; 888-999-1995; www.aguacalientecasinos.com.
Pappy and Harriet’s is busy as always; here are some highlights. At 9:30 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 8, funk powerhouse Ghost-Note will spread the groovy, slap-bass gospel. Tickets are $31.86. At 9 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 13, enjoy some sweaty hard rock sounds from Thunderpussy (pictured). Tickets are $26.68. Experience an intimate show by a rock legend, as Dean DeLeo, of Stone Temple Pilots, brings new project One More Satellite to the desert, at 9 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 19. At 9 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 26, local country songstress Kimberly Cofer and her band The Tumbleweeds bring the twang! Tickets are $31.86. Reggae will ring throughout the high desert when Long Beach Dub Allstars perform at 9:30 p.m., Friday, Nov. 28. Tickets are $31.86. Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace, 53688 Pioneertown Road, Pioneertown; 760-228-2222; www.pappyandharriets.com.
Mojave Gold also has a busy November, so here are some notable events. At 8 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 6, cosmic country artist William Tyler brings the psychedelic twang to Yucca Valley. Local experimental steel guitar and upright bass duo Sister John Angela will open the show. Tickets are $24. At 8 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 11, fuzz your face off with high-energy, loud rock jams from Strawberry Fuzz, Jakobs Castle and Strange Case. Tickets are $21. Get deep and emotional with dark crooner jams from Vlad Holiday at 6:45 p.m., Friday, Nov. 14. Haerts will open up the show. Tickets are $18. Stick around, because at 9 p.m., Friday, Nov. 14, you can sing along to your favorite angsty hits performed by Emo Kids, a cover band that plays all things emo! Tickets are $21. At 7 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 15, Cut Chemist, a founding member of Jurassic 5 and Ozomatli, visits Mojave Gold for a candlelight listening party, sharing cuts from his personal vinyl collection. Tickets are $21. Mojave Gold, 56193 Twentynine Palms Highway, Yucca Valley; 442-205-0192; mojavegolddesert.com.
Oscar’s in Palm Springs has a lot going on in November in addition to its normal residencies. At 5:30 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 6, comedian Adam Sank and his hilarious friends bring jokes and jabs to the desert. Tickets start at $44.95. At 9 p.m., Friday, Nov. 7, dance the evening away to a fun-filled set of musical gems from DJ Tracy Young. Tickets are $16.49. Also at 9 p.m., Friday, Nov. 7, Oscar’s is hosting a meet-and-greet with Blac Chyna following her performance at Greater Palm Springs Pride. Tickets start at $125. At 6 p.m., Friday, Nov. 14, drag stars Sherry Vine and Billy L’Amour team up for an evening of parodies, choreographed dances, jokes and more! Tickets start at $32.95. At 7 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 19, the MX Pineapple Cabaret will feature music, comedy and drag performances to raise funds for Pineapple Support, a therapy service for workers in the online adult industry. General admission is free, but reserved seats start at $20. At 6 p.m., Friday, Nov. 21, award-winning singer Natalie Douglas will perform the songs of Roberta Flack. Tickets start at $39.95. Shows include a food and drink minimum. Oscar’s Palm Springs, 125 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way, Palm Springs; 760-325-1188; oscarspalmsprings.com/events.
The Purple Room will keep your weekends busy! At 8 p.m., Friday, Nov. 7, and Saturday, Nov. 8, vocalist Jonathan Karrant will tackle select choices from the Great American Songbook. Remaining tickets are $45.70. At 8 p.m., Friday, Nov. 14, the Black Market Trust will energize hits of the past with their pop jazz sensibilities. Tickets start at $56. At 8 p.m., Friday, Nov. 21, and Saturday, Nov. 22, and at 7 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 23, Purple Room favorite and music icon Marilyn Maye brings her ageless vocals to town. This 97-year-old will bring the house down! Tickets start at $97.20. At 8 p.m., Friday, Nov. 28, and Saturday, Nov. 29, drag superstar Miss Conception kicks off the Christmas season with “Happy Holigays!” Tickets start at $50.85. All ticketed shows include dinner reservations two hours before show time. Michael Holmes’ Purple Room, 1900 E. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs; 760-322-4422; www.purpleroompalmsprings.com.