This music scribe says you may have a great time experiencing the desert’s entertainment scene this month. Happy May!
Acrisure Arena hosts brawls and boleros. At 6 p.m., Friday, May 22, get your fists ready for the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, billed as the first legal bare-knuckle promotion in more than 100 years! Tickets start at $41.55. At 8:30 p.m., Sunday, May 31, rock en Español icons Maná will share their classic hits. Tickets start at $99.75. Acrisure Arena, 75702 Varner Road, Palm Desert; 888-695-8778; www.acrisurearena.com.
Fantasy Springs offers comedy, country and cabaret! At 8 p.m., Friday, May 8, Mexican comedian Sofia Niño de Rivera brings the laughs to the Moja-ja-ja-jave. Tickets start at $52.50. Internet phenom and recent Broadway star Trisha Paytas will perform her first solo cabaret show, beginning at 8 p.m., Saturday, May 9. Tickets start at $52.50. At 8 p.m., Saturday, May 16, country stars Lady A (formerly Lady Antebellum) return to the desert. Tickets start at $102.50. At 8 p.m., Friday, May 22, the frequently shirtless comedian and podcast host Bert Kreischer will spread the hilarity. Tickets start at $82.50. Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, 84245 Indio Springs Parkway, Indio; 760-342-5000; www.fantasyspringsresort.com.
The Plaza Theatre features various notable acts during a busy month. RePLAY, a script-in-hand performance series, will host a production of Better Late with an all-star cast of Jason Alexander, Lucie Arnaz, Dan Bucatinsky and David Hyde Pierce, at 7:30 p.m., Friday, May 1; and 2 and 7:30 p.m., Saturday, May 2. Tickets start at $58.25. At 4 p.m., Sunday, May 3, enjoy sensational Spanish guitar from Benise, alongside mesmerizing dancers. Tickets start at $57.10. At 6 p.m., Saturday, May 16, have a tail-waggin’ time with Puppy Pals Live, a one-of-a-kind stage show that mixes hilarious hounds with scruffy stunts. Tickets start at $33.80. At 3 p.m., Sunday, May 17, experience globally recognized vocal talent from the Westminster Chorus, a rather bombastic barbershop group! Tickets start at $25. At 7:30 p.m., Monday, May 18, pay respects to two music icons with The Carole King and James Taylor Story, a tribute performance featuring sonics and stories. Tickets start at $78.05.Plaza Theatre, 128 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs; 760-593-5818; www.palmspringsplazatheatre.com.
The McCallum Theatre will soon be taking its summer break, so catch a show while you can! The McCallum’s uber-popular showcase of desert entertainers, the Open Call Talent Project, returns at 7 p.m., Friday, May 1; and 2 and 7 p.m., Saturday, May 2. Tickets start at $28. At 7 p.m., Tuesday, May 5, McCallum favorite Jeffrey Siegel returns for Keyboard Conversations, this time presenting A Few More of Our Favorite Things! featuring classic works from iconic pianists. Tickets start at $33. College of the Desert’s production of musical comedy Kiss Me, Kate will grace the famous Palm Desert stage at 8 p.m., Friday, May 15; 2 and 8 p.m., Saturday, May 16; and 2 p.m., Sunday, May 17. Support collegiate theater! Tickets start at $27; students with ID can get $10 tickets at the box office. McCallum Theatre, 73000 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert; 760-340-2787; www.mccallumtheatre.com.
Morongo Casino is hosting a handful of headliner concerts. At 9 p.m., Friday, May 1, experience banda badass Luis Angel “El Flaco” live! Tickets started at $150.26 as of this writing. At 9 p.m., Saturday, May 2, the Spanish hits keep coming as Roberto Tapia heads to the desert with some regional Mexican jams! Tickets start at $78.75. At 9 p.m., Friday, May 8, Cabazon goes country for twangy troubadour Chris Young. Tickets start at $109.75. Morongo Casino Resort Spa, 49500 Seminole Drive, Cabazon; 800-252-4499; www.morongocasinoresort.com.
Spotlight 29 has the music and comedy goods! At 8 p.m., Friday, May 8, honor the legacy of the late, great Selena with Selena the Show, a tremendous tribute to the queen of Tejano music. Tickets start at $23.30. At 8 p.m., Saturday, May 9, Mexican legend Gerardo Ortiz brings iconic Spanish hits to town. Tickets start at $54.25. At 8 p.m., Friday, May 15, don’t miss Latin Legends, an evening featuring performances from El Chicano, Tierra, Joey Quinones, Malo and Lighter Shade of Brown. Tickets start at $49.10. Honest Goodness Comedy Fridays bring laughs from Bryan Torresdey (May 1), J Valentino: Mama’s Boy (May 8), Jesus Trejo (May 15), The Bald Killers (May 22) and Polar Bear (May 29). Tickets start at $17.32 to $33.84, and you must be 18+ to attend. Spotlight 29 Casino, 46200 Harrison Place, Coachella; 760-775-5566; www.spotlight29.com.
Agua Caliente Rancho Mirage is offering a star-studded lineup! At 8 p.m., Saturday, May 2, Grammy Award-winning songwriter Sheryl Crow is set to perform. Tickets start at $143.11. At 8 p.m., Friday, May 8, catch internet sensation-turned-sensational standup Becky Robinson for a hilarious night. Tickets start at $34.75. The voice of a generation, John Fogerty, of Creedence Clearwater Revival fame, will bring iconic hits like “Bad Moon Rising,” “Fortunate Son” and others to town, at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, May 9. Tickets start at $142.64. At 7:30 p.m., Friday, May 15, enjoy a double scoop of ’70s rock with John Waite and John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band. Tickets start at $44.07. Armenian star Arkadi Dumikyan will share his dual-lingual pop during two exclusive evenings, at 6:30 p.m., Saturday, May 16, and 4 p.m., Sunday, May 17. Tickets start at $80. At 8 p.m., Friday, May 22, witness Yachtley Crew combine high-energy performances with soft-rock hits. Tickets start at $24.43. At 7:30 p.m., Saturday, May 23, Matchbox Twenty’s Rob Thomas will perform a special Memorial Day weekend show. Tickets start at $127.63. At 8 p.m., Friday, May 29, enjoy some old-school comedy from GenX Takeover, featuring six different comics. Tickets start at $29.59. Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa Rancho Mirage, 32250 Bob Hope Drive, Rancho Mirage; 888-999-1995; www.aguacalientecasinos.com.
More residencies equal more fun at Agua Caliente Palm Springs! Desert Blues Revival Wednesdays feature a nod to the ladies of soul music from local star Hope Diamond (May 6), an explosive blues-guitar performance from the Jonny Ransom Band (May 13), horny grooves from Funk Monks (May 20) and soul-stirring vocal power from Kaye Bohler (May 27). Shows are at 7 p.m., and tickets range from $12.51 to $22.11, available at eventspalmsprings.com. Carousel Thursdays showcase fresh takes on the ’30s and ’40s from Pino Noir (May 7), a tribute to beloved songwriter Irving Berlin (May 14), the jazz-bass talents of Hannah Rose Dexter and the True Joys of Life (May 21) and Latin rhythms from Los Chicos del Mambo Orchestra (May 28). Shows are at 7 p.m., and tickets start from $17.85 to $19.98, available at eventspalmsprings.com. Agua Caliente Casino Palm Springs, 401 E. Amado Road, Palm Springs; 888-999-1995; www.aguacalientecasinos.com.
Here are some highlights from the globally adored Pappy and Harriet’s. At 7 p.m., Friday, May 8, the internet-revived ’00s indie band Panchiko are set to perform an intimate show on the outdoor stage. Dead Calm will open. Tickets start at $48.96. Alt-country phenoms 49 Winchester return to the desert at 7 p.m., Saturday, May 9, after rockin’ Stagecoach in 2023. Flying Mojito Bros. will open. Tickets start at $31.86. At 7 p.m., Tuesday, May 12, psych/garage guitar hero Ty Segall will showcase loud hits from his sonic repertoire. Tickets are $45.85. Multi-genre superstar Santigold, behind the insanely catchy “Disparate Youth,” brings undefinable music gems to Pioneertown at 7 p.m., Thursday, May 14. Troy Baker Sound will open. Remaining tickets are $181.08. At 9 p.m., Monday, May 18, punk-rock pioneer HR, of frantic ’80s rockers Bad Brains, will showcase his reggae-heavy solo band. Swingin’ Johnny and Nick Oliveri will open. Tickets start at $32.90. Grunge gurus the Afghan Whigs are on their 40th anniversary tour and will set the outdoor stage ablaze at 6:30 p.m., Sunday, May 24. Mercury Rev is set to open. Tickets start at $60.36. At 9 p.m., Sunday, May 31, the Joshua Tree National Park Association presents the fifth annual Beneath the Desert Sky Benefit Concert. Sin City All Stars, The Ghost Notes and Long Duk Dong are all set to perform. Tickets start at $32.90, and proceeds will support Joshua Tree National Park. Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace, 53688 Pioneertown Road, Pioneertown; 760-228-2222; www.pappyandharriets.com.
Mojave Gold is closing on May 3—but is going out with a musical bang. At 9 p.m., Friday, May 1, experience the ska, reggae and soul selections of The Slackers. Tickets start at $28.96. Celebrate women songwriters at 8 p.m., Saturday, May 2, with A Night of Queens, featuring performances from Amy Jay, Dominique and the Diamonds and Anna Olivia Eve. Tickets start at $12.15. Mojave Gold, 56193 Twentynine Palms Highway, Yucca Valley; 442-205-0192; mojavegolddesert.com.
Oscar’s in Palm Springs is hosting a couple of non-residency events. At 7 p.m., Wednesday, May 20, performers from across the country unite for UNSTOPPABLE: A Drag Spectacle, celebrating the perseverance to perform, no matter the circumstance. Tickets start at $34.95. Oscar’s famous Sunday T-dance hosts a special Memorial Day Monday edition, featuring a performance from pioneering disc jockey Robbie Leslie, at 3 p.m., Monday, May 25. Tickets are $20. Most Oscar’s shows include a food/drink minimum. Oscar’s Palm Springs, 125 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way, Palm Springs; 760-325-1188; oscarspalmsprings.com.
The Purple Room is slated to close for the summer after Memorial Day weekend, so don’t miss out! At 8 p.m., Friday, May 1, and Saturday, May 2, watch Nic and Desi nail Hollywood hits and deliver Broadway beauty! Tickets start at $50.85. Tony Award-nominated singer-songwriter Ann Hampton Callaway will share selections of moving melodies at 8 p.m., Friday, May 8, and Saturday, May 9. Tickets start at $66.30. Purple Room favorite the Marvelous Marilyn Maye brings to town the best show you’ll ever see by a 98-year-old performer, 8 p.m., Thursday, May 14, Friday, May 15, and Saturday, May 16. Tickets start at $97.20. At 8 p.m., Friday, May 22, Star Search alum Sam Harris is set to perform. (His Saturday show is sold out.) Tickets start at $66.30. All 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.
