John Garcia and Billy Steinberg to perform on Sept. 17 at Amy's Purpose benefit show

One day in 2019, Yucca Valley resident and publicist DeAnn Lubell let her two dogs out the back door to her fenced-in yard and was traumatized a few moments later when she saw her 12-pound terrier, Amy, being ripped apart by three coyotes.

Just 48 hours later, Lubell was determined to bring awareness to pet owners on the common threat of predators, so she created the nonprofit Amy’s Purpose. The organization focuses on predator awareness and education and offers grief counseling.

“My original purpose was to make pet owners more aware, but I went through so much grief that we’re now offering grief counseling because to many people their fur babies are their babies, especially single people who live by themselves,” Lubell said.

On Sept. 17, Amy’s Purpose will put on a benefit concert in the Annenberg Theatre at the Palm Springs Art Museum. The concert will feature performances by former Kyuss frontman John Garcia and his group The Band of Gold, as well as songwriter Billy Steinberg.

How common is the threat of predators? An attack can happen anywhere, Lubell said. She mentioned two 2020 incidents in Chicago when a coyote attacked a 5-year-old boy outside a nature museum and another when a man was bitten near Northwestern Hospital. Some common predators are coyotes, bobcats, rattlesnakes, owls and hawks.

In 1999, musician Garcia was the lead vocalist of the local band Unida and titled its first album "Coping with the Urban Coyote" because it's a common issue in the veterinary industry. He said "I can't remember when I haven't heard a story" about owners losing dogs and cats to desert predators.

"You can have Peaches on a leash and they'll come right up so close to you, snatch them right up with the leash pulling it out of your hand and they're gone," Garcia said. "Some survive and some don't. I hear from a lot of senior citizens out here early in the mornings walking their pets, banding together and chasing after [predators] to shoo them away."

Former Desert Sun editor and reporter Bruce Fessier, who is producing the show, reached out to Steinberg. Some of the songs Steinberg has written include massive hits, such as Madonna's "Like A Virgin," The Bangles' "Eternal Flame" Cyndi Lauper's "True Colors" and Whitney Houston's "So Emotional."

"Bruce (Fessier) has always been a good friend and said nice things about my career, and I grew up in Palm Springs," Steinberg said. "I have a certain affection for the community. I also like the charity and the idea of doing something that benefits pets, especially dogs."

Garcia said he wanted to help after speaking to Lubell and hearing what happened to Amy. He and his wife, Wendy, are both animal lovers and veterinary technicians at the Palm Springs Animal Hospital. Garcia and his band, which features Greg Saenz (drums), Mike Pygmie (guitar) and Eddie Lemus (bass), also limit the number of live performances each year because of family and occupational commitments.

"I have to give credit where credit is due. This is a collective thing for all the musicians that play in this band It's going to be cool and everyone is stoked on doing it for the cause," Garcia said.

Addressing a veterinary care shortage

Proceeds from the show will help fund scholarships for a veterinary assistant course taught in the Partnership and Community Education wing at College of the Desert. Veterinary medicine is facing a labor shortage with 18.5 positions available for every veterinarian in the U.S., and animal hospitals often turn pets away from emergency animal care facilities.

Lubell said this issue made it difficult to find care for her American Bulldog. She was turned down by a clinic five minutes away from her home in Yucca Valley and had to drive to Beaumont where the dog was treated.

"I started surveying different groups of people asking if this happened to anyone else and got flooded with stories just like mine," Lubell said. "I arranged a meeting with my veterinarian and asked 'What's going on?' We have a shortage and it's universal, but in the Coachella Valley in the low and high deserts, we have shorts of veterinarians, veterinary techs and veterinary assistants. I'm like, 'Well, how do we fix it?'"

According to Garcia, there's a lot of different variables to the problem. A major contributor was the pandemic, which saw a heavy influx of pets in desperate need of care due to aliments when the lockdown restrictions began to ease.

"It's tough trying to fulfill everyone and have to turn some people away because we just can't get them in," Garcia said.

But as someone who grew up around animals, he said veterinary care is a labor of love.

"Becoming a veterinarian wasn't in the cards for me, but I still wanted to be involved," Garcia said. "Veterinary nursing and technician was a perfect fit for me, and a perfect fit for my wife. I've been doing it for 30 years and Wendy has been doing it for over 30 years. This is the career we've chosen and it's hard work, but it's gratifying. We love what we do, helping the veterinarians and the clients."

An opportunity to see a local legend and eminent songwriter in one night

When Steinberg performs at the Annenberg Theatre, he'll be accompanied by singer Gigi Grombacher, the daughter of Pat Benatar drummer Myron Grombacher. Steinberg described her as an "exciting young singer" with a contemporary pop style. His catalog and live performances feature songs written for Heart, Madonna and more that require an impressive vocal range.

But he quipped "they're going to have to hear me sing some of the songs" and said he never was a magnificent singer, but enjoys appearances at a show called "Linear Notes" at the Geffen Playhouse in Westwood featuring songwriters performing songs they've written."

"Although none of us sing the songs as well as the famous artists who made them hit songs, the audience is always intrigued to hear stories behind the songs told by the songwriters," Steinberg said.

During the early ’90s, Garcia and Kyuss toured the world opening shows for Metallica. Following the band's breakup in 1995, Garcia formed the group Slo Burn, and then joined Unida with local guitarist Arthur Seay, bassist Dave Dinsmore and drummer Miguel Cancino. In 2010, he reunited with former Kyuss members Brant Bjork and Nick Oliveri to form Vista Chino. He's released three solo albums with The Band of Gold.

John Garcia and the Band of Gold recently modified its lineup following the departure of guitarist Ehren Groban, who left the group to finish his college degree. Pygmie, who was the band's bassist, switched to guitar, and Lemus was recruited to fill the open position. The group performed in May for the first time in two years at Desertfest in New York.

"We've already had rehearsals and I'm very pleased with this direction," Garcia said.      "(The band) is still there along the same lines of where we want to be. Even though we lost Ehren, I think it's going to be just fine."

After starting the nonprofit two years ago and throwing its first benefit concert, Lubell said "we couldn't ask for anything better" with Steinberg and Garcia.

"It's so ideal," Lubell said. "Here you have (Garcia) who has a worldwide reputation and performing in at the Annenberg Theatre, and he's a veterinary technician at the Palm Springs Animal Hospital who understands the crisis happening in our desert with the shortage of clinic workers. (Steinberg) is such a gift because he's in the Songwriters Hall of Fame and has written songs for some of the top artists in the world."

If you go

What: Pet Love and Rock 'n' Roll fundraiser

When: 6:45 p.m. reception and silent auction, 8 p.m. show Saturday, Sept. 17

Where: The Annenberg Theatre, Palm Springs Art Museum, 101 N. Museum Drive, Palm Springs

Cost: $50-$250

More info: (760) 325-4490 or https://tinyurl.com/amysrockfundraiser

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: John Garcia and Billy Steinberg to perform at Sept. 17 benefit show