Food, wine, community and music in a beautiful outdoor setting all converge at the 22nd Annual Concert Series at the Gardens on El Paseo in Palm Desert. Presented by Agua Caliente Resort, Casino and Spa, the popular music series has helped raise more than $1 million for those in need since it kicked off more than two decades ago.
Some of the organizations benefitting from this year’s outing include Guide Dog for the Desert, Bighorn Cares, the American Cancer Society, Friends of the Desert Mountains and Coachella Valley Volunteers in Medicine, to note a handful. The one-hour concerts unfold at 6 p.m. every Saturday on the center lawn in front of Saks Fifth Avenue. Arrive early. Come with your appetite — food and wine service begin at 5:15 p.m.
“This is unique for the community. Not only do you get to come out for a fun night out with your friends, your spouse, with a date, it’s a great value and you feel good knowing that a portion of your ticket is going to charity, says Deja Kreutzberg, marketing and property specialist for the Gardens at El Paseo. “It’s also fantastic to hire local talent. A lot of our performers have residencies at local venues and we’re trying to keep the wonderful talent local.”
That’s great incentive to attend the events but the music lineup has traditionally been dynamic. The upcoming lineup features crooners singing everything from fan favorites (Mariso Corvo, Feb. 22) to classic rock (John Stanley, March 14). Coachella R&B singer/ songwriter Eevan Tré, who in 2015 became the first Coachella performer to take the stage at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, performs Feb. 15, for an event benefitting Friends of the Desert Mountains.
Tré shares more with Palm Springs Life.
What excites you most about performing in this concert series?
First and foremost, it’s a great cause with the proceeds from the tickets going to many nonprofit organizations. That’s really important.
When did you know you wanted to do this creative work?
There were two things I liked. I liked basketball and performing. I started performing when I was about 15 years old and I’ve done this for so long now that this is who I am and what I do. I kept at it and went along with it and 10 years later I am still growing.
What do you love most about performing?
When you’re doing something love, it’s not “work.” And I love performing. In some ways, it’s unbelievable that I get to do it.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY DISCOVER PALM DESERT
Eevan Tré, who in 2015 became the first Coachella performer to take the stage at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, performs Feb. 15.
What are a few things people might not know about the Valley music scene?
At first, I thought the scene here was more of a rock beat. Recently I’ve seen it broaden to other areas. For instance, there’s a lot of Latin music and Latin music performers out there now, For me, as an R&B artist, I’ve always found it challenging because there are not that many R&B bands out here. It was a bit difficult for me to move around and perform. I see things heading in a new direction or expanding with people like myself and new artists, younger people in particular, and that’s exciting.
What happens for you when you perform on stage?
I feel like an entirely different person. I’m a real timid dude offstage. But when I get up there and perform, it’s almost like, “Hey that’s not me.” It seems like another person.
What do you love most about living in the Valley?
I love that it’s not L.A., where the traffic is crazy. From an artist’s point of view, it allows you to be creative because it’s very relaxing out here. Sometimes a bit too slow. But sometimes as an artist, you need that. You need to be able to take a step back and be inspired. It’s hard not to be inspired here. I really love it. You have access to everything and so many events, particularly now through May. And you can’t say that about a lot of places.
The 22nd Annual Concert Series at the Gardens on El Paseo runs through March 14 at the Gardens on El Paseo, 73545 El Paseo in Palm Desert. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit thegardensonelpaseo.com.
Finesse opened the concert series Feb. 1.