Happy November! As we approach the holidays, expect cooler temps and hotter entertainment! Here’s a sampling of local shows during the month.
Acrisure Arena is feeling sporty and musical! At 7 p.m., Friday, Nov. 6, the desert gains a new professional sports team as the Coachella Valley Lakers (the NBA G League affiliate of the Los Angeles Lakers).play their home opener against the Salt Lake City Stars. Tickets start at $34. At 8 p.m., Friday, Nov. 13, norteño music legends Los Tigres del Norte, fresh off of their poignant performance on Tiny Desk, will rock the desert’s biggest stage. Tickets start at $54.95. The Spanish sounds continue at 8 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 14 with the ’90s Corridos Tour, featuring performances from Lupillo Rivera, Dueto Voces del Rancho and other regional Mexican, norteño and corridos acts! Tickets start at $64.20. At 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 17, pop phenoms Jonas Brothers bring the Disney magic to town, and celebrate their love for the desert, as the band’s 2019 album cover features the trio poolside at a Palm Springs home. Tickets start at $89.99. The Acrisure Series, a college basketball tournament, returns from Saturday, Nov. 21 through Thursday, Nov. 26, with 26 Division I programs, 26 games and tons of ballin’! Tickets start at $46.20. Acrisure Arena, 75702 Varner Road, Palm Desert; 888-695-8778; www.acrisurearena.com.
The Plaza Theatre is as busy as ever, so here are some highlights! At 9:30 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 7, comedian, actor and musician Margaret Cho is set to leave Palm Springs in stitches from laughter. Tickets start at $60.25. (There is also a 7 p.m. show that is virtually sold out.) The star-studded Replay script-in-hand performance series returns at 7:30 p.m., Friday, Nov. 13; and 2 and 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 14, for Fashion. Reading/performing in the musical will be Lillias White, Mary-Mitchell Campbell, Mary Testa, Kate Baldwin, David Burnham, Alix Korey, Ruth Williamson, Mary Faber, Julie Garnyé and Brittany Rose Hammond. Tickets start at $74.20. At 7 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 18, Rachael and Vilray will treat the desert with finger-snapping jazz and a modern-twist on traditional pop. Tickets start at $68.05. At 7:30 p.m., Friday, Nov. 27, get your Christmas celebration started early with a triple threat of vivacious vocal groups: The Drifters, The Platters and Cornell Gunter’s Coasters. Tickets start at $86.55. Keep the yuletide cheer going at 7:30 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 29, when swing-revival band Big Bad Voodoo Daddy hosts a Wild N Swingin’ Holiday Party. Tickets start at $64.90. Plaza Theatre, 128 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs; 760-593-5818; www.palmspringsplazatheatre.com.
Here are some notable events from a packed month at the McCallum Theatre. At 7 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 4, standup comedian Tom Papa will regale the audience with the hilarities of life. Tickets start at $50. At 7 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 11, McCallum-favorite Straight No Chaser will use their a cappella skills at a special holiday show. Tickets start at $70. Lose yourself to dance at 7 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 14; and 4 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 15, at the Palm Desert Choreography Festival. Catch national dancers and local talent as they compete for grand prizes! Saturday prices start at $34, and Sunday prices start at $29. At 7 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 17, three-time Grammy winner Debby Boone will perform selections from her genre-hopping career. Tickets to this McCallum Cabaret show are $184 for a single seat reservation. The evening begins at 6 p.m. in the lobby with cocktails and heavy hors d’oeuvres. At 7 p.m., Monday, Nov. 30, music powerhouse Andy Grammer brings his multi-platinum sounds to the desert. Tickets start at $50. McCallum Theatre, 73000 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert; 760-340-2787; www.mccallumtheatre.com.
Fantasy Springs hosts comedy, music, boxing and culture! At 8 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 7, funnyman Felipe Esparza brings hilarity and real-world stories to Indio. Tickets start at $52.50. At 8 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 14, shock-rock icon Alice Cooper will pull out the costumes, trademark makeup and classic-rock hits! Tickets start at $72.50. At 3 p.m., Friday, Nov. 20, Golden Boy Boxing returns the ring to the Fantasy Springs Special Events Center. While Amari “The Reaper” Jones and DeAundre “Dixianimal” Pettus will headline, show up early for the co-main event, where the Coachella Valley’s Gabriela “Sweet Poison” Fundora will defend her titles, and undefeated record, against Poland’s Jasmina Zapotoczna. Tickets start at $49. At 8 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 22, the modern face of norteño and corridos, Los Dos de Tamaulipas, will share their sensational Spanish sound. Tickets start at $62.50. The Cabazon Indio Powwow returns with Native American dance contests, bird singing and a rich cultural experience at 5 p.m., Friday, Nov. 27; and 11 a.m., Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 28 and 29. The event is free. Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, 84245 Indio Springs Parkway, Indio; 760-342-5000; www.fantasyspringsresort.com.
Tickets are moving fast for shows at Morongo Casino. At 9 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 7, ’50s soul group The Isley Brothers are ready to “Shout” up in Cabazon. Tickets start at $89.75. At 9 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 21, ’90s hitmakers Stone Temple Pilots will rock through their grunge-era gems. Tickets start at $78.75. Morongo Casino Resort Spa, 49500 Seminole Drive, Cabazon; 800-252-4499; www.morongocasinoresort.com.
Spotlight 29 keeps the fun going. At 8 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 7, R&B/soul singer-songwriter, drummer and vocalist Jeffrey Osborne will spread sweet soul jams. Tickets start at $59.40. At 8 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 14, pay tribute to two piano-playing stars in one sing-along show with Billy Joel to Elton John: Face To Face. Tickets are $28.50. At 8 p.m., Friday, Nov. 20, humor and hip-hop combine when Rene Vaca (viral comedian) and That Mexican OT (Interscope Records rapper) share the stage. Tickets start at $90.35. At 8 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 21, the funky R&B group The O’Jays will guide the groove to Coachella. Tickets start at $80. At 8 p.m., Friday, Nov. 27, norteño sensations Conjunto Primavera will perform their sax-heavy ballads and energetic tunes. Tickets start at $49.10. Honest Goodness Comedy Fridays feature Gabby and Bee (Nov. 6), Pablo Francisco (Nov. 13), Jerry Garcia (Nov. 20) and Julian Gonzalez (Nov. 27). Shows are at 8 p.m., and tickets start from $17.32 to $28.50; you must be 18+ to attend. Get tickets for these shows at eventspalmsprings.com. Spotlight 29 Casino, 46200 Harrison Place, Coachella; 760-775-5566; www.spotlight29.com.
Agua Caliente Rancho Mirage features comedy, music, and magic! At 8 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 5, illusionist Leon Etienne will showcase high-octane trickery and high-stakes illusions at Magic Rocks! Tickets start at $61.35. At 8 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 7, actor/comedian Chris Tucker, of Rush Hour fame, is dedicated to cracking you up! Tickets start at $78.90. At 8 p.m., Friday, Nov. 20, one of the hottest modern comics, Adam Ray (Kill Tony, Dr. Phil LIVE!), drops the costumes and makeup for a desert comedy set. Tickets start at $34.55. At 8 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 21, the funk-tastic sounds of Kool and the Gang thump and groove on down to Rancho Mirage. Tickets start at $61.30. At 8 p.m., Friday, Nov. 27, Christmas-music masters Mannheim Steamroller will fire through their holiday hits. Tickets start at $71.60. Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa Rancho Mirage, 32250 Bob Hope Drive, Rancho Mirage; 888-999-1995; www.aguacalientecasinos.com.
Spirit Animal is booked up with unique entertainment! At 7 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 4, adored desert act The Gand Band celebrates the Route 66 centennial with Get Your Kicks!, a night filled with road-trip jams. Tickets start at $23.18. At 7 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 12, hop into the time machine for Time Capsule, the desert’s music variety show dedicated to a specific year! This time, enjoy the sights and sounds of 1976. Tickets start at $23.18. At 6 p.m., Friday, Nov. 13, the Sloshed series—in which actors get drunk or high and then perform in a shadowcast—returns for Friday the 13th LIVE. Tickets start at $23.18. At 7 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 14, catch a devilish dose of exotica sounds from Skip Heller’s Voodoo 5, paying tribute to Peruvian vocalist Yma Sumac. Tickets are $31.72, and include two drinks. At 7 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 19, New York comedian Drew Tessier hosts the (Mostly) Queer Comedy Show. Tickets are $31.72. Some shows include two cocktails with admission, and some shows are 18+ or 21+. Spirit Animal, 150 S. Indian Canyon Drive, Palm Springs; 951-494-0116; www.spiritanimalclub.com.
Pappy and Harriet’s is going nonstop, so here are some standout shows. At 9 p.m., Monday, Nov. 2, a rockabilly rager is set to take place in Pioneertown with Southern Culture on the Skids. Tickets are $31.86. At 8 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 3, the queen of bounce music, Big Freedia, will rock the Palace. Tickets are $51.03. At 9 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 10, it’s a funk-and-disco party in the high desert with Oh He Dead, and local groove collective Desert Friends opening the show. Tickets are $26.68. At 9 p.m., Friday, Nov. 13, pay homage to Fela Kuti, the innovator of Afrobeat, at FELA FOREVER!, a dance party hosted by DJ Rich Medina. Tickets are $27.72. At 9 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 19, catch the record-release show for new desert band &DRUGS, the latest project from E. Ray Béchard of psychedelic group This Lonesome Paradise. Normans is set to open the show. Tickets are $27.72. Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace, 53688 Pioneertown Road, Pioneertown; 760-228-2222; www.pappyandharriets.com.
Oscar’s is hosting two non-residency events in November. At 7 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 14, up-and-coming comic Zeo Niu heads to Palm Springs after adding Netflix Is a Joke Fest, The Comedy Store and the San Francisco International Comedy Festival to her resume. Tickets are $20. At 7 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 20, catch an intimate performance from stage legend Jennifer Holliday. General-admission tickets are $89.95, and VIP tickets, which include a meet-and greet, are $124.95. Doors for both shows open at 5:30 p.m. for dinner and drinks. Oscar’s Palm Springs, 125 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way, Palm Springs; 760-325-1188; oscarspalmsprings.com.
The Purple Room has loads of weekend fun! At 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday, Nov. 6 and 7, esteemed vocalist Jonathan Karrant celebrates a new album of jazz standards. Tickets start at $45.70. At 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday, Nov. 13 and 14, drag sensation Miss Conception is out to Make America Gay Again with covers, parodies and plenty of poignant humor. Tickets start at $50.85. At 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday, Nov. 20 and 21, the enchanting vocals of Jane Monheit will fill the desert air with Christmas classics! Tickets start at $61.15. At 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday, Nov. 27 and 28, The Manhattan Transfer’s Janis Siegel is set to perform. Tickets start at $56. 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.
