HOT PICKS: The Shins tops this weekend's nightlife May 20-22

Brian Blueskye, Palm Springs Desert Sun
·3 min read

HOT PICK

Friday

Indie: Inspired by ’60s bands such as The Beach Boys and The Zombies, The Shins won over the alternative music scene in 2001 when the group released its debut "Oh, Inverted World" featuring the catchy pop single "New Slang." Audiences couldn't get enough of the band's catchy songs, which propelled members into the mainstream on their subsequent albums "Chutes Too Narrow" and "Wincing The Night Away."

But as seen many times before, success started to derail the band enough to where frontman James Mercer was ready to quit. The Shins went on a five-year hiatus in 2008. Mercer revived The Shins with a new lineup for the 2012 album "Port of Morrow" to critical acclaim and excited fans.

It seems five years between albums is a successful formula for Mercer and other members of The Shins. They released "Heartworms" in 2017 and are touring for the 21st anniversary of "Oh, Inverted World."

The Shins will perform at Pappy and Harriet's on Friday.

If you go: 6:30 p.m. Friday, Pappy and Harriet's, 53-688 Pioneertown Road, Pioneertown. $48.06. 760-228-2222.

BEST BETS

Friday

Country: For those who need an emotional boost or some positivity, consider listening to Lady A's recent track "What A Song Can Do," which was included on the band's recent album of the same title. Frontman Charles Kelley told The Desert Sun he was inspired by the music his parents raised him on such as James Taylor, Carole King, Etta James, and Donny Hathaway while writing the album.

Lady A will perform at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, Calif., on May 20, 2022.
Lady A will perform at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, Calif., on May 20, 2022.

Last year, Lady A achieved a milestone for country musicians by earning membership into the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville during a performance for the NBC special “Grand Ole Opry: 95 Years of Country Music.

Lady A will perform Friday at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino.

If you go: 8 p.m. Friday, Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, 84-245 Indio Springs Parkway, Indio. $79 to $159. 760-342-5000. fantasyspringsresort.com

Saturday

Tribute: For fans of Billie Eilish and The Killers, including Talking Heads and Pixies, enjoy a night with Black Crystal Wolf Kids, a costumed sing-along indie-rock tribute band that has headlined Los Angeles venues such as the Troubadour, Echoplex and Satellite.

Black Crystal Wolf Kids will perform at The Alibi in Palm Springs, Calif., on May 21, 2022.
Black Crystal Wolf Kids will perform at The Alibi in Palm Springs, Calif., on May 21, 2022.

Black Crystal Wolf Kids play a variety of popular indie-rock songs of the ’80s, ’90s and the current era music lovers enjoy. See for yourself on Saturday when the musicians play The Alibi Palm Springs.

If you go: 9 p.m. Saturday, The Alibi Palm Springs, 369 N. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs. $10. alibipalmsprings.com

Saturday - Sunday

Play: Local playwright Andy Harmon's "Freud’s Golem: A Scientific Fairytale” is inspired by Sigmund Freud's case students of Sergei Pankejef (The Wolf Man) and a patient referred to as "The Rat Man." This black comedy imagines Freud psychoanalyzing a vampire, who can be rehabilitated with a sinister cure that would haunt him for the rest of his life.

There will be a reading of this new play on Saturday at Coachella Valley Repertory.

If you go: 7 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, Coachella Valley Repertory, 68-510 E. Palm Canyon Drive, Cathedral City. $15. 760-296-2922, ext. 115. cvrep.org

Brian Blueskye covers arts and entertainment for the Desert Sun. He can be reached at brian.blueskye@desertsun.com or on Twitter at @bblueskye. 

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: HOT PICKS: The Shins tops this weekend's nightlife May 20-22