Last updateTue, 18 Sep 2018 1pm






Welcome to the Best of Coachella Valley 2015-2016!




Best Art Gallery

Coachella Valley Art Scene


Runners up:

2. Heather James Gallery

3. CODA Gallery

4. Archangel Gallery

5. Hohmann Fine Art


Best Indoor Venue

McCallum Theatre


Runners up:

2. Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace

3. The Hood Bar and Pizza

4. The Show at Agua Caliente

5. Fantasy Springs Special Event Center


Best Local Arts Group/Organization

Coachella Valley Art Scene


Runners up:

2. McCallum Theatre

3. Palm Springs Art Museum

4. La Quinta Arts Foundation

5. Coachella Valley Repertory Theatre


Best Local Band

The Flusters


Runners up:

2. IIIZ (formerly The Yip Yops)

3. War Drum

4. Thr3 Strykes

5. R. Buckle Road


Best Local DJ

Alf Alpha


Runners up:

2. DJ Day

3. Alex Harrington

4. House Whores

5. One4All/Tommy Locust


Best Local Musician (Individual)

Jesika Von Rabbit


Runners up:

2. EeVaan Tre

3. John Robbins

4. Steve Madaio

5. Kal David


Best Local Visual Artist

Sofia Enriquez


Runners up:

2. Michael Murphy

3. Elena Bulatova

4. Ryan “Motel” Campbell

5. Michael Weems


Best Movie Theater

Century Theatres at The River


Runners up:

2. Cinemas Palme d’Or

3. UltraStar Mary Pickford Stadium 14

4. Camelot Theatres

5. Regal Rancho Mirage Stadium 16


Best Museum

Palm Springs Art Museum


Runners up:

2. Children’s Discovery Museum

3. La Quinta Museum

4. Coachella Valley History Museum

5. Agua Caliente Cultural Museum


Best Outdoor Venue

The Living Desert


Runners up:

2. Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace

3. Empire Polo Club

4. Fantasy Springs Rock Yard

5. La Quinta Civic Center


Best Theater Company

McCallum Theatre


Runners up:

2. Coachella Valley Repertory Theatre

3. Desert Rose Playhouse

4. Coyote Stageworks

5. Dezart Performs

Life in the Valley


Best Alternative Health Center

Palm Springs Healing Center


Runners up:

2. Desert Hot Springs Health and Wellness Center

3. Neuro Vitality Center (formerly the Stroke Recovery Center)


Best Farmers’ Market

Old Town La Quinta Certified Farmers’ Market


Runners up:

2. College of the Desert Street Fair

3. Palm Springs Certified Farmers’ Market (Saturday)

4. Palm Desert Certified Farmers’ Market (Wednesday)

5. Palm Springs VillageFest


Best Local Activist/Advocacy Group/Charity

Palm Springs Animal Shelter


Runners up:

2. Desert AIDS Project

3. Coachella Valley Rescue Mission

4. LGBT Community Center of the Desert

5. Mizell Senior Center


Best Gym

World Gym Palm Desert


Runners up:

2. In-Shape Cathedral City

3. EOS Fitness Palm Springs

4. Palm Springs Fitness

5. World Gym Palm Springs


Best Public Servant

Congressman Raul Ruiz


Runners up:

2. La Quinta Mayor Linda Evans

3. Palm Springs City Council Member Ginny Foat

4. Palm Springs City Council Member Paul Lewin

5. La Quinta City Council Member Robert Radi


Best Yoga Studio

Bikram Yoga University Village


Runners up:

2. Coachella Valley Art Scene

3. Urban Yoga


Best Bowling Alley

Fantasy Springs Bowling Center


Runners up:

2. Palm Springs Lanes

3. Canyon Lanes Bowling at Morongo


Best Auto Repair

Desert Classic Cars


Runners up:

2. TIE

Andy’s Auto Repair

Palms to Pines Automotive

4. European Auto Service

5. OMAG Automotive Machine


Best Car Wash

Elephant Car Wash/Rancho Super Car Wash


Runners up:

2. La Quinta Car Wash

3. TIE

Airport Car Wash

Desert 100% Hand Car Wash

5. Red Carpet Car Wash


Best Plant Nursery

The Living Desert’s Palo Verde Garden Center


Runners up:

2. Moller’s Garden Center

3. Moorten Botanical Garden

4. Bob Williams Nursery


Best Pet Supplies



Runners up:

2. Cold Nose Warm Heart

3. Petco

4. Bones ‘n’ Scones

5. Pet Oasis


Best Annual Charity Event

La Quinta Arts Festival


Runners up:

2. Paint El Paso Pink (Desert Cancer Foundation)

3. Evening Under the Stars (AIDS Assistance Program)

4. Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards Gala (Desert AIDS Project)

5. McCallum Theatre Annual Gala


Best Place to Gamble

Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa


Runners up:

2. Fantasy Springs Resort Casino

3. Morongo Casino Resort Spa

4. Spa Resort Casino

5. Spotlight 29


Best Local TV News

KESQ News Channel 3


Runners up:

2. KMIR Channel 6

3. CBS Local 2


Best Local TV News Personality

Bianca Rae, KESQ News Channel 3


Runners up:

2. Ginger Jeffries, KMIR Channel 6

3. Patrick Evans, CBS Local 2

4. Jenifer Daniels, CBS Local 2

5. Gino LaMont, KMIR Channel 6


Best Radio Station

KCRW 89.3 FM


Runners up:

2. Q102.3 Classic Rock

3. Mix 100.5

4. The Bull 98.5

5. K-News 94.3


Best Local Radio Personality

Jim "Fitz" Fitzgerald, 103.9 FM The Breeze


Runners up:

2. Jeff Michaels, Big 106 (KPLM)

3. Bill Feingold, K-News 94.3

4. Dan McGrath, 103.1 Sunny FM

5. Joey English, K-News 94.3


Best Bookstore

Barnes and Noble


Runners up:

2. Crystal Fantasy

3. The Book Rack

4. Just Fabulous

5. Revivals


Best Retail Music/Video Store

Record Alley


Runners up:

2. Best Buy

3. Barnes and Noble


Best Comics/Games Shop

Desert Oasis Comics


Runners up:

2. Barnes and Noble

3. JB Sports and Varsity Jackets


Best Hotel Pool

Ace Hotel and Swim Club


Runners up:

2. Riviera Palm Springs

3. Renaissance Indian Wells Resort and Spa

4. La Quinta Resort

5. The Saguaro


Best Sex Toy Shop

Skitzo Kitty


Runners up:

2. Not So Innocent

3. Red Panties Boutique

Fashion and Style


Best Clothing Store (Locally Owned)

Bobby G’s


Runners up:

2. Grayse El Paseo

3. Wil Stiles

4. R&R Men’s Wear

5. Glossy


Best Resale/Vintage Clothing


Angel View



Runners up:

3. Gypsyland

4. Resale Therapy

5. The Fine Art of Design


Best Furniture Store

Mathis Brothers


Runners up:

2. Revivals

3. Misty’s Consignments

4. Mor Furniture for Less

5. Scandinavian Designs (formerly Plummers)


Best Antiques/Collectibles Store

The Estate Sale Co.


Runners up:

2. Misty’s Consignments

3. Antique Galleries of Palm Springs

4. Victoria’s Attic Antiques

5. The POP Shop


Best Jeweler/Jewelry Store

Leeds and Son


Runners up:

2. El Paseo Jewelers

3. The Jewelry Bar

4. Hephaestus

5. B. Alsohns Jewelers


Best Hair Salon

J. Russell! The Salon


Runners up:

2. Dishwater Blonde

3. Brien O’Brien Salon

4. Razors

5. Revive Salon Spa


Best Spa

JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort and Spa


Runners up:

2. La Quinta Resort

3. Two Bunch Palms Resort and Spa

4. Studio M

5. Miracle Springs


Best Florist

My Little Flower Shop


Runners up:

2. Rancho Mirage Florist

3. Palm Springs Florist

4. The Flower Company

5. Vaso Bello Celebrations


Best Tattoo Parlor

The Tattoo Gallery


Runners up:

2. TIE

Adornment Piercing and Private Tattoo

Strata Tattoo Lab

4. Art and Ink Tattoo Studio and Design

5. Contrast Tattoo Studios


Best Eyeglass/Optical Retailer



Runners up:

2. Desert Vision Optometry

3. Ooh La-La de Paris

4. Desert Eyecare Center

5. Old Town Optometry



Best Urban Landscaping



Runners up:

2. El Paseo

3. Palm Springs (downtown)

4. Rancho Mirage (general)

5. Palm Springs International Airport


Best Public Garden

The Living Desert


Runners up:

2. Sunnylands

3. El Paseo


5. Palm Desert Community Gardens


Best Place for Bicycling

Palm Springs (general)


Runners up:

2. La Quinta (general)

3. Frank Sinatra Drive


Best Recreation Area

Joshua Tree


Runners up:

2. Idyllwild

3. Indian Canyons

4. Whitewater Preserve

5. Tahquitz Canyon


Best Hike

Indian Canyons


Runners up:

2. Bump and Grind Trail

3. Painted Canyon

4. Palm Springs Art Museum Trail

5. South Lykken Trail


Best Park

Palm Desert Civic Center Park


Runners up:

2. La Quinta Civic Center Park

3. Ruth Hardy Park

4. Demuth Park

5. Francis Stevens Park


Best Outdoor/Camping Gear Store

Dick’s Sporting Goods


Runners up:

2. Big 5

3. Yellow Mart


Best Bike Shop

Palm Springs Cyclery


Runners up:

2. Palm Desert Cyclery

3. Tri.A.Bike

4. Mike’s Bike Truck


Best Sporting Goods

Dick’s Sporting Goods


Runners up:

2. Big 5

3. The Sports Authority


Best Public Golf Course

Indian Wells Golf Resort


Runners up:

2. Desert Willow Golf Resort

3. Tahquitz Creek Golf Resort

4. SilverRock Resort

5. The Lights at Indio GC

For the Kids


Best Playground

Palm Desert Civic Center Park


Runners up:

2. La Quinta Civic Center Park

3. Ruth Hardy Park

4. Demuth Park

5. Cathedral City Town Square


Best Place to Buy Toys

Toys “R” Us


Runners up:

2. Target

3. Mr G’s For Kids

4. Big Lots


Best Kids’ Clothing Store

Old Navy


Runners up:

2. Revivals

3. Crazy 8


Best Restaurant for Kids

Chuck E. Cheese’s


Runners up:

2. Red Robin

3. Islands

4. Ruby’s

5. Burgers and Beer


Best Place for Family Fun

The Living Desert


Runners up:

2. Wet ’n’ Wild

3. Children’s Discovery Museum

4. Boomers

5. Chuck E. Cheese’s


Best Place for a Birthday Party

The Living Desert


Runners up:

2. Children’s Discovery Museum

3. TIE


Chuck E. Cheese’s

5. Peaks Restaurant (Top of the Tram)

Food and Restaurants


Best Casual Eats



Runners up:

2. Lulu California Bistro

3. Stuft Pizza

4. Bill’s Pizza

5. Pho 533


Best Caterer

Lulu California Bistro


Runners up:

2. Lavender Bistro

3. Dash and a Handful

4. Desert Cities Catering

5. Lynn Hammond


Best Diner

Keedy’s Fountain Grill


Runners up:

2. Elmer’s

3. King’s Highway at the Ace

4. John’s

5. Bit of Country


Best Organic Food Store

Whole Foods


Runners up:

2. Sprouts Farmers Market

3. Clark’s Nutrition and Natural Foods

4. Nature’s Health Food and Café

5. Harvest Health Foods


Best Delicatessen



Runners up:

2. Manhattan in the Desert

3. Clementine Gourmet Marketplace and Cafe

4. Real Italian Deli

5. It’s a Deli


Best Custom Cakes

Over the Rainbow


Runners up:

2. Sherman’s

3. Manhattan in the Desert

4. Pastry Swan Bakery

5. Exquisite Desserts


Best Desserts

Manhattan in the Desert


Runners up:

2. Sherman’s

3. French Corner Cafe and Bakery

4. Over the Rainbow

5. Pastry Swan Bakery/Fix a Dessert House


Best Ice Cream/Shakes

Great Shakes


Runners up:

2. Cold Stone Creamery

3. Ben and Jerry’s

4. Keedy’s Fountain Grill

5. Lappert’s Ice Cream


Best Date Shake

Shields Date Garden


Runners up:

2. Great Shakes

3. Palm Greens Cafe


Best Frozen Yogurt

Beach House


Runners up:

2. Tutti Frutti

3. Yogurt Island

4. Jus Chillin

5. Eddie’s Frozen Yogurt


Best Bakery

Aspen Mills


Runners up:

2. Nothing Bundt Cakes

3. French Corner Cafe and Bakery

4. Over the Rainbow

5. Frankie’s Old World Italian Bakery


Best Barbecue

Babe’s Bar-B-Que and Brewhouse


Runners up:

2. Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace

3. Jackalope Ranch

4. Smoke Tree BBQ Bar and Grill



Best Burger



Runners up:

2. Grill-A-Burger

3. Woody’s Burgers

4. Burgers and Beer

5. Smokin’ Burgers


Best Veggie Burger

Native Foods Café


Runners up:

2. Eureka!

3. Grill-A-Burger

4. Lulu California Bistro

5. Woody’s Burgers


Best Sandwich



Runners up:

2. The Sandwich Spot

3. TKB Bakery and Deli

4. Manhattan in the Desert

5. Aspen Mills


Best Pizza

Stuft Pizza


Runners up:

2. Bill’s Pizza

3. Piero’s PizzaVino

4. Matchbox

5. Giuseppe’s


Best Wings

Buffalo Wild Wings


Runners up:

2. Upper Crust Pizza

3. TIE


The Village Pub

5. Lulu California Bistro


Best Bagels

Einstein Bros. Bagels


Runners up:

2. New York Bagel and Deli

3. Townie Bagels Bakery Cafe

4. Manhattan in the Desert

5. Sherman’s


Best Smoothies

Fresh Juice Bar


Runners up:

2. Jamba Juice

3. Juice It Up!

4. Koffi

5. Nature’s Health Food and Café


Best Buffet

Grand Palms Buffet at Agua Caliente


Runners up:

2. Emperor Buffet

3. Fresh Grill Buffet at Fantasy Springs

4. Oasis Buffet at Spa Resort Casino

5. Potrero Canyon Buffet at Morongo


Best Coffee Shop for Coffee



Runners up:

2. Starbucks

3. Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf

4. Ernest Coffee

5. Ristretto


Best Coffee Shop for Hanging Out



Runners up:

2. Old Town Coffee Company

3. Starbucks

4. Ernest Coffee

5. Ristretto


Best Tea

Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf


Runners up:

2. Teavana

3. Koffi

4. Starbucks

5. Ristretto


Best Breakfast

Wilma and Frieda’s Cafe


Runners up:

2. Elmer’s

3. John’s

4. TIE

Lulu California Bistro

Spencer’s Restaurant


Best California Cuisine

Lulu California Bistro


Runners up:

2. TIE


Zin American Bistro

4. Tropicale

5. Copley’s on Palm Canyon


Best Brunch

Spencer’s Restaurant


Runners up:

2. Lulu California Bistro

3. Escena Lounge and Grill

4. Vue Grille and Bar

5. Tropicale


Best Chinese

P.F. Chang’s


Runners up:

2. City Wok

3. Wang’s in the Desert

4. China 8

5. New Fortune


Best Greek

Greek Islands Restaurant


Runners up:

2. Koutouki Greek Estiatorio

3. TIE

Miro’s Restaurant

Nina’s Greek Cuisine

5. Santorini Gyro Hamburger/Greek Food and Grill


Best French

Le Vallauris


Runners up:

2. La Brasserie

3. Pomme Frite

4. Cuistot

5. Chez Pierre


Best Indian

India Oven


Runners up:

2. Monsoon Indian Cuisine

3. Naan House


Best Japanese

Kobe Japanese Steakhouse


Runners up:

2. Gyoro Gyoro Izakaya Japonaise

3. Okura Robata Grill and Sushi Bar

4. Shabu Shabu Zen

5. Sushi Domo


Best Italian

Ristorante Mamma Gina


Runners up:

2. La Bella Cucina

3. Mario’s Italian Cafe

4. Giuseppe’s Pizza and Pasta

5. Trilussa


Best Sushi

Okura Robata Grill and Sushi Bar


Runners up:

2. Gyoro Gyoro Izakaya Japonaise

3. The Venue

4. No Da Te

5. Sushi Domo


Best Seafood

Fisherman’s Market and Grill


Runners up:

2. Pacifica Seafood Restaurant

3. Ruben and Ozzy’s

4. Mitch’s on El Paseo

5.Oceans Seafood Restaurant


Best Steaks/Steakhouse

LG’s Prime Steakhouse


Runners up:

2. Sullivan’s Steakhouse

3. The Steakhouse at Spa Resort Casino

4. Outback Steakhouse

5. Chop House


Best Thai

Thai Smile Palm Springs


Runners up:


3. Blue Orchid

4. Pepper’s Thai Cuisine

5. Le Basil


Best Vietnamese

Pho Vu


Runners up:

2. Rooster and the Pig

3. Pho 533

4. Pho of the Desert

5. Le Basil


Best Vegetarian/Vegan

Native Foods Café


Runners up:

2. Palm Greens Café

3. Nature’s Health Food and Café


Best Upscale Restaurant

Spencer’s Restaurant


Runners up:

2. Wally’s Desert Turtle

3. Lavender Bistro

4. Jillian’s

5. Tropicale


Best Outdoor Seating

Jackalope Ranch


Runners up:

2. Lavender Bistro

3. Spencer’s Restaurant

4. Le Vallauris

5. Tropicale


Best Late-Night Restaurant

Lulu California Bistro


Runners up:

2. King’s Highway at the Ace

3. Smokin’ Burgers

4. Alicante

5. Gyoro Gyoro Izakaya Japonaise


Best Mexican

Las Casuelas Terraza


Runners up:

2. El Mirasol

3. Rio Azul Mexican Bar and Grill

4. Pueblo Viejo Grill

5. La Tablita


Best Salsa

Las Casuelas Terraza


Runners up:

2. Pueblo Viejo Grill

3. Rio Azul Mexican Bar and Grill

4. Loco Charlie’s Mexican Grill

5. Los Pepes Mexican Grill and Bar


Best Burrito



Runners up:

2. El Ranchito Taco Shop

3. El Gallito

4. Rio Azul Mexican Bar and Grill

5. La Tablita

Spirits and Nightlife


Best Beer Selection

Yard House


Runners up:

2. Eureka!

3. Bart Lounge

4. Babe’s Bar-B-Que and Brewhouse

5. Gyoro Gyoro Izakaya Japonaise


Best Local Brewery

Coachella Valley Brewing Co.


Runners up:

2. La Quinta Brewing Co.

3. Babe’s Bar-B-Que and Brewhouse


Best Place to Play Pool/Billiards

The Beer Hunter


Runners up:

2. Bart Lounge

3. Hunters

4. Neil’s Lounge

5. Palm Springs Lanes


Best Cocktail Menu

Lulu California Bistro


Runners up:

2. Eureka!

3. Bar

4. Zin American Bistro

5. Tropicale


Best Gay/Lesbian Bar/Club



Runners up:

2. Hunters

3. Chill

4. Tool Shed

5. Streetbar


Best Happy Hour

La Quinta Cliffhouse Grill and Bar


Runners up:

2. Lulu California Bistro

3. Wang’s in the Desert

4. Hunters

5. Tropicale


Best Dive Bar

The Hood Bar and Pizza


Runners up:

2. Red Barn

3. Neil’s Lounge

4. Score

5. Toucan’s


Best Margarita

Las Casuelas Terraza


Runners up:

2. Armando’s Dakota Bar and Grill

3. El Mirasol

4. TIE

Los Pepes Mexican Bar and Grill

Rio Azul Mexican Bar and Grill


Best Martini

Mastro’s Steakhouse


Runners up:

2. Melvyn’s

3. The Falls (no longer in business)

4. Zin American Bistro

5. Tropicale


Best Nightclub

Bart Lounge


Runners up:

2. Copa

3. Chill

4. Hunters

5. Bardot Nightclub


Best Sports Bar

Yard House


Runners up:

2. The Beer Hunter

3. Burgers and Beer

4. Playoffs Sports Bar and Lounge

5. Score


Best Wine Bar

Zin American Bistro


Runners up:

2. La Rue Wine Bar

3. Sullivan’s Steak House

4. La Brasserie

5. 12th Floor Cocktail Lounge and Wine Bar at Fantasy Springs


Best Wine/Liquor Store

Total Wine and More


Runners up:

2. BevMo!

3. LQ Wine

4. Desert Wines and Spirits in the Go Deli Market

5. Fame Lounge


Best Bar Ambiance

Bart Lounge


Runners up:

2. Bar

3. Melvyn’s

4. Tropicale

5. Chill

Best of Coachella Valley 2015-2016: Staff Picks


Best of Coachella Valley 2014-2015

Published in Readers' Picks

Southern California audiophiles and devout music fans know KCRW well: The NPR affiliate is considered one of the best stations in the country for music-lovers.

Therefore, it’s somewhat appropriate that the station’s music director, Jason Bentley, will be DJing at SoCal’s biggest music festival, Coachella, on Friday, April 10 and 17.

Bentley said he attended an underground party while he was in college, and it fascinated him that people from varied backgrounds and places were all able to come together. It was a positive force that he wanted to be part of.

That led to his DJ career, which in turn led him to festivals such as Coachella.

“There is such a huge surge in festivals now. I’m having festival fatigue,” Bentley said during a recent phone interview. “I understand the dynamics of the industry have changed so much to where recorded music doesn’t sell. … I love playing live festivals and clubs, because it gives me more of the artistic expression, and you’ve got your sound palette: You’re playing more stripped-down tracks and ideas; you’re playing these records, with an emphasis on the word play; and you’re performing the record in a totally unique way. You have control over the EQs, the filters and the arrangement.

“Technology has advanced things so much, and I’m old enough that I remember playing vinyl and carrying around record boxes everywhere I went to DJ—which is now ridiculous.”

What does Bentley show up with at a club or a festival these days?

“I bring all my music on a thumb drive now,” he said. “I keep a couple of thumb drives in my pocket. It’s funny, because when you’d go to get access into a nightclub, you’d walk in with your record boxes and say, ‘Hey, I’m the DJ; let me through.’ Now you’re like, ‘No, trust me, I’m the DJ; here’s my thumb drive.’ It’s comical.”

This year’s Coachella fest features a lot of electronic dance music. Bentley put that in historical perspective.

“In terms of the very first Coachella, it was heavy on electronic music, and that’s where it really started,” he said. “I think Coachella was made possible in large part by the dance culture and rave culture in Southern California—and that wisely provided a larger concept just to attract more people. Truly, the roots of Coachella are in electronic dance music. It’s been interesting to see this music become more important and change the experience. The rise of the Sahara tent to what it is now has just been amazing to see.”

Bentley said he’s had some interesting experiences in that Sahara tent.

“I’ve had a couple of opportunities to stand on the side of the stage during some big sets by young, up-and-coming artists who attract other young people,” he said. “One in particular last year I’ll never forget is Martin Garrix. He’s just another Dutch kid from out of nowhere, has a big hit record that’s all the rage, and somehow has a bazillion fans online. I was there when he started his set, and I’ve got to tell you, the energy level at that moment was just so unbelievable. There’s not much else that comes close to that. Sahara has become this wild frat party on steroids.”

Bentley also discussed the smaller, less-talked-about Yuma tent.

“The Sahara was becoming this gigantic kabuki pinball machine,” he said. “I think they wanted to present something that was more about music that you feel—not a light show or spectacle, but a feeling. Dance music is largely about that. Yuma is just a place that’s a dark room. It’s a discothèque—it’s truly a desert discothèque. There was an interesting disco ball in there last year that was shaped like a shark. They’re doing some interesting things in there, but it’s about nuance and feeling, not about skimpy outfits and big video walls.”

What can fans expect to see from Bentley at Coachella?

“It’s house music. It’s that tempo range of 120 (beats per music), roughly 124 bpm to 126 bpm, so it’s not super-fast or about big synth chords,” Bentley said. “It’s about weirder, underground things—not heavy on vocals. I don’t know; it’s just sort of things that catch my ear. It’s kind of like how I select music for KCRW—things that seem exciting and different.”

Bentley said dance music, in some ways, is his generation’s punk rock.

“Now it’s part of us,” he said. “A younger generation now—the millennials—is coming up, and that’s all they know, and it’s part of their vocabulary. It was exciting for me to be part of the first wave of dance culture (in the 1990s), but it doesn’t make classic rock, blues or folk less important to me. It’s just my view of the field is informed by the ’90s dance-music explosion.”

Published in Previews

The airwaves of Los Angeles’ KCRW reach into the Coachella Valley at 89.3 FM, so you may have heard the work of Jeremy Sole, a delightfully eccentric DJ who plays salsa, disco, jazz, soul and blues.

You may have also heard him at DJ Day’s ¡Reunión! Show, held Thursdays at the Ace Hotel and Swim Club; Sole is a regular guest.

Sole has had an extensive career as a DJ and radio host. He’s performed at Coachella and has been around the world with some big names; in fact, he was the last DJ to open a show for Ray Charles. He’s also worked in the studio with Ms. Lauryn Hill, and has remixed David Bowie, Femi Kuti, Thievery Corporation and many others.

During a recent interview at the Ace just before he took over the mixing board from DJ Day, Sole began with the story of his childhood in Chicago.

“There were no musicians in my family, per se,” Sole said, “but I think from a really early age, my parents realized how much I loved music. My mom would always make a playlist of what she was going to play when she picked me up at school. I’d get in the car, and it would be ultra-corny, like Alice Cooper’s ‘School’s Out.’ It started being really thematic, where every moment of my life had a song to go along with it.”

Inspired by the hip-hop movement in the ’80s, Sole began DJing, in addition to skateboarding and doing graffiti art. He described himself as a “punk” when it came to his home life and school—and he eventually left both for a garden apartment that he shared with several of his friends, which led to him DJing house parties, some of which helped him and his roommates pay the rent.

“We would draw up fliers and go to Kinko’s. In fact, most of the next 10 years back then was spent at Kinko’s,” Sole said. “When we did those house parties when I was 15 years old, we promoted them to other high schools. We’re talking about ’89 or ’90, when there was a big gang problem in Chicago, and we’re promoting in public schools. Schools are assigned primarily based on where you live, and one school would be one gang, and another school is another gang. We had a room full of people where if I didn’t keep them dancing, they were going to be fighting. It did a beautiful thing to me: I realized that music is a great unifier.”

Sole explained that DJing, to him, involves knowing what to play, how to present it, and being able to inspire a crowd. While I was in the same room with him, I could tell that Sole is good at reading both individuals and crowds.

“I’m a sensitive dude,” Sole said. “I have to be to tap into those energies around the room. If multiple people are not on board with my vibe for whatever reason, that’s fine. If there are people who are making fun of me, or they think it’s dumb, I’m picking up on that, too. … I delineate between being a service DJ and the art-oriented DJ.”

Sole eventually got married and moved to Pomona, Calif. He began to throw loft parties that Sole said were attended by “everyone,” including metal heads, punk-rockers and others who don’t often attend dance parties. He also spent a lot of late nights in L.A., which strained his marriage at the time, he said.

His first DJ residency in Los Angeles led to his work with KCRW, an NPR affiliate.

“I was DJing at the Temple Bar in L.A., which was a great club and is now unfortunately gone,” Sole said. “They really did usher in a lot of new and amazing music at the time that has since blown up. Temple Bar opened up a second club nearby, and this one was going to be an all-DJ-based club. They let me pick a night, and I said, ‘How about Fridays?’ They said, ‘Well, we kind of have to book the people who play the hits and pay the bills on Fridays, so how about Thursdays?’ So I did Thursdays. I was blessed by having scenarios where people were coming just for what I was doing. (It turned out) the people who played Fridays weren’t just people who played the hits, but big DJs in town—one of which who happened to be Jason Bentley.”

Bentley is now the music director at KCRW.

“I didn’t even listen to the radio, and I didn’t know he worked at KCRW. One day, I got a call from Anne Litt at KCRW, and she asked, ‘Have you ever had any urge to be on the radio and do a radio show?’ I said, ‘Honestly, no, none at all. I don’t even listen to the radio—no offense to you or your station.’ She said, ‘I think you’ll find that we’re quite the different kind of radio station. Nobody tells you what to do. In fact, you’ve already been vetted, and we’ve been watching your career.’

“It took me awhile to realize how special KCRW really is; The New York Times said it’s one of the most popular radio stations in the world. KCRW is founded on the idea of eclectic radio. If you’re the hard-rock station, there’s no doubt that people are going to tune into that, but this is for everybody, and everybody might not like everything all the time. So we don’t have to just be eclectic; we have to be constantly eclectic.”

Sole’s eclectic taste, style and talent has led to him doing things he never imagined himself doing, such as performing at Coachella and touring around the world. However, Sole remains humble and modest—a man who wears his heart and creativity on his sleeve.

“My success and my career is not just that I’m playing onstage, but that I’m playing on stage with ‘that band,’” he said. “That’s what’s big for me, and I can’t believe I can say that. DJ Day would consider me a friend, peer and equal, but he was a hero to me for so long, so maybe that’s the propulsion that made me realize that I have something to offer, too.

“You’ll always hear me brag that I have the coolest friends in the world; the people I know blow me away constantly. How they chose to surround themselves with me is beyond me.”