GROOVE: Grateful Shred, Dec. 28
L.A.’s premier Grateful Dead tribute band is back by popular demand at Pappy & Harriet’s; Mapache, a young cosmic Americana duo from Glendale, opens.
LISTEN: For Love of Life & Country, Dec. 29
Accidentally sent to Korea as a Marine Private without any combat training, Lt. Col. Dean Hunter went on to become one of the highest decorated officers for heroism in the U.S. Air Force. He shares his story in an afternoon lecture with flight exhibition at Palm Springs Air Museum.
• See related story: Where to Celebrate New Year's Eve
GO: Mildly Wild New Year’s Eve Party, Dec. 31
Don your best 1950s sock-hop ensemble and ring in the New Year with a gourmet dinner and champagne toast amid the mildly wild grounds of Palm Desert’s sprawling Living Desert Zoo and Gardens.
GROOVE: Black Crystal Wolf Kids, Dec. 31
This indie-rock tribute band covers music by everyone from Hozier to the Black Keys to the Pixies. Expect an energetic, over-the-top, costumed performance and plan to sing along. It’s all happening at Pappy & Harriet’s in Pioneertown.
GO: Rockin’ ’80s New Year’s Eve Party, Dec. 31
Spa Resort Casino throws one of the biggest New Year’s bashes in the desert, beneath the stars in downtown Palm Springs. This year’s festivities include a concert of glam-metal covers by the original cast of Broadway’s musical Rock of Ages and pyrotechnics at midnight.
SEE: Santiago Garcia’s Converse Shoes: Where We’ve Been, Jan. 1–21
A pair of beat-up sneakers transforms into a metaphor for travel and relationships in the hands of Uruguayan artist Santiago Garcia. Desert Art Collection in Palm Desert presents this series of vivid paintings in the new figuration style.
MOVE: Mind Body Fitness Conference, Jan. 2–6
Hosted by YogaFit, this conference welcomes pros and budding yogis to the Riviera Palm Springs for four days of master classes, workshops, and lectures. Notable offerings include Advanced Ayurveda and Yoga for Emotional and Physical Trauma.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY YOGAFIT