The Palm Springs, CA, area has become a rapidly changing community, known for its abundance of sunny days, gentle winter weather, and previous inhabitants; (Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack, Bing Crosby and Dinah Shore, and former US Presidents; Gerald Ford, John F. Kennedy, and Ronald Reagan).
Centered in the Coachella Valley, it is a year-round mecca of pleasure for those who enjoy an active lifestyle as well as those who prefer to relax amongst the backdrop of the mountains and beautiful trailing, inflorescent bougainvillea.
Just 15 minutes from Palm Springs is the small and thriving Palm Desert, the home of the Backstreet Bistro, a hideaway, and one of the gems of the local area. Upon arrival, attendees receive a welcome greeting from Carlos, the manager. In fact, if you have been there before, he will remember you like an old friend.
Three weeks out of the year in this small, intimate cafe setting, guests enjoy standard American tunes performed by Linda Peterson, vocalist, musician, songwriter, and international recording artist. Linda is a member of the popular Peterson Family of entertainers from Minnesota. She has been performing at the Back Street Bistro every year for a number of years. (Incidentally, the Peterson Family was inducted into the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame in 2019.)
Linda draws a surprising fan base of locals and people from all over the world, including Bradley from Rome; husband and wife, Gene and Judy Olsen, from Montana; sisters, Emma Diener and Eveline Garcia Rodriguez and several new fans from Los Angeles who felt the three-hour drive to hear Linda was well worth it.
Realtor, Pamela Tinsley who divides her time between Palm Springs and Los Angeles said, “I’m so glad to have a place I can frequent, hear good music, and dine. In the three weeks that I have been coming to the Backstreet Bistro, I have met such a warm group of people who appear to, for a moment in time and, in spite of the social distancing are having a really good time.” Pamela has decided to make the Bistro her local dining spot where she can invite friends who prefer hassle-free, abundant parking, not too far from downtown Palm Springs to enjoy the delicious food, especially the Sand Dabs.
After Linda’s performance, conversations revolved around the resumption of arts and cultural activities that so many are looking forward to.
At the end of a beautiful afternoon, Linda graciously thanked patrons for attending as they all promised to be there for her next year for an extended residency.
In the meantime, the Backstreet Bistro is open and ready to serve their delicious Italian dishes. The Bistro emphasizes that keeping their guests and team safe is a top priority. Management suggests reservations be made ahead of time. www.Backstreet-bistro.com
* You have spent 13 years as a talent broker. What did you do
before and how did you come to be in this business?
I was a professional conference organizer with pharmaceutical companies including Bayer and Glaxo. The economic situation changed in Greece and unfortunately, I lost my job and had to quickly figure out another way of income. I teamed up with a couple of local Greece promoters and started booking acts from the USA and that certainly opened a new opportunity for me.
As a side hobby, I used to write for several blogging websites about music and entertainment, and that allowed me to bring attention to my name. A gentleman from New York City read my blog and was impressed with my knowledge and expertise. Once he found out that I was also booking acts, he hired me to assist him in booking Lady Gaga and Bon Jovi for a couple of special events. That is how I got my start in the business.
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* How do you consider your approach to booking talent different from or
better than those of your peers and direct competitors?
I consider myself a professional person with an understanding of how a
business person should operate—with respect, trust, ethics, and in a
timely manner. Over the years, I established a reputation with all the
big talent agencies and managers handling big acts. My work ethic and
experience guarantee a professional execution of booking and taking
special requests into consideration to assure the artist receives what
they require to put on a powerful show.
I really strive to say that I work differently from some of my competitors, my clients trust me due to my work ethic, timely responses, leadership, and respectful attitude. All of my clients are satisfied and consistently return.
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* _You are based in Athens, Greece; do you provide access to talent
worldwide, or do you mainly stick with the European and Middle East
Market?_
My clients are worldwide and my reach is limitless. I have an excellent Rolodex that provides me with access to every need and desired request.
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* _Your agency has worked with many high-profile talents. Who are one
or two of your favorite performers you have worked with and why? _
I can’t praise one artist enough, Toni Braxton. She performed for one of my
clients in Dubai 2017, and she is absolutely my favorite entertainer.
Working with Drake was a pleasure as I booked him to perform in Riyadh
last year (2020), but unfortunately, the event was canceled at the last
minute due to Covid-19.
The Opera singer Evgenia Laguna is not only an exceptional personality
and talent, but she and I are very good friends.
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* What would you consider to be some of the main highlights or
accomplishments in your career as a talent broker so far?_
My personal relationships I established over the years with all the
talents, managers, and agencies worldwide. My professional attitude,
kindness, respect, fast service, ethical behavior all pays off in the
end, to establish my own “fame” as a broker!
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* As a female business owner, have you ever encountered challenges to your knowledge or skill by men in your industry? If so, how did you handle those situations?
I honestly can say, with a big “No”, even though there are not that many women in this particular part of the business doing what I do. I have never encountered any challenges neither in my country nor abroad.
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* With the Covid lockdowns, the event industry was hit incredibly
hard. What have you done over the last year to continue to connect
with your performers, clients, and your audience?
Like many of us in the business, I used the tools that were already
available, the social media platforms. It allowed me to connect with
my old clients and at the same token develop new contacts and new
clients. But since we are not yet out of the pandemic, most projects
are still in a waiting mode for now.
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* You are not only a talent broker but also a fashion
designer. How do you want to use fashion as you move forward?
It is a side project for now and not my main focus. However, I do
enjoy and love fashion, and hope to incorporate the fashion glamour at
some point later. I am concentrating on continuing to build my
talent broker agency.
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* How did you first get started in the fashion industry and did you
have a mentor?
A few years back I thought it would be fun to design my own clothes and
the photos drew attention. The fashion company Vida asked me to
design for them and even today, years later, I am still enjoying my
side business. It is a lot of fun.
No, I never had a mentor. I am very creative and do not lack
inspiration, I try to be myself and different from what other
designers do.
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* How would you describe your fashion brand?
Fashionably timeless and elegant—for the consumer with a touch of
the individuality that enhances their personality and attitude.
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* How do you manage your time between being a talent broker and as a
fashion designer?
It is, at times, a bit of a struggle but manageable; especially now
during Covid. I try to balance my day with a schedule that allows me
to dedicate a certain amount to my fashion, but the main time focus is
my agency. I definitely can say I am a workaholic and at times I have
to slow myself down to take a mental break.
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* What advice would you give your younger self and why?
Great question! I would follow my heart and certainly would have not
waited this long to actually open my own agency. It is important to
evaluate where your passion lies and just go for it.
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* Please share with our readers where they can find Maggie’s
Talent Agency and Maggie’s Fashion Line.
The older I get, the more I realize how brief and fragile life is; I have certainly learned to never take it for granted. I truly understand that every day I wake up in the morning is a gift from God and it’s an absolute blessing.
It’s important to always try to look at the bright side of everything and to look for the good even during the difficult times. No one is immune from challenges and tough times, we all experience storms in life. Unfortunately, some will experience bigger storms than others. There is no such thing as a perfect life.
Hard times will come, but there are things we can do to make them more bearable. We will all experience times when hope seems far away. It’s during those challenging times when we should be open to more opportunities for positive change.
It’s easy to be positive when things are going wonderful, the challenge comes when we are going through difficulties. The question arises, how can one stay optimistic when going through storms in life?
I believe it’s important that we change the words we use to respond. When most people go through difficult times, the typical question is “Why is this happening to me?” A better response is “How can I learn from this difficult time?” When we change to a more positive response, it changes our perspective towards the challenges we’re facing. We learn that these moments of hardship can be great teachers.
It’s also important that no matter what we are facing, we always keep an attitude of gratitude. Practicing gratitude can be an antidote to sadness and negativity. Keep a gratitude journal and no matter what you are going through, write down five things you are grateful for. Make this part of your daily routine.
I have also found that when people go through difficult times, they tend to neglect themselves. Make self-care a priority during challenges, have a positive self-talk. Listen to motivational videos and read good, positive books. Get plenty of sleep and exercise and most of all, do what you love to do.
Too many people, when going through difficult times, tend to flock to pessimistic and negative people. It’s important that you surround yourself with loved ones and people who encourage and lift you up. Your family and friends can be the positive light that you need in life. Reach out to others for support or get around with someone who will make you laugh and enjoy life. Surround yourself with positive people.
Finally, choose to add blessings to someone else’s life. I have found that when we bless other people, it brings true joy to our lives. Helping other people takes the focus off what we are going through and allows us to experience the joy of serving other people. Service is a powerful and life-changing tool, especially in the midst of our own challenges. When we focus on others, it gives us purpose, hope, and strength to carry on.
Every day is a gift, choose to stay optimistic even during the difficult times. Have an attitude of gratitude always.
The new Scuderie Italia, located in Pacific Beach, is now serving a weekend lunch complete with its full menu of flavorful Italian dishes in addition to American dishes available from noon – 4 p.m. Friday through Sunday.
Scuderie Italia serves Napoletana pizzas, handmade Italian pastas, charcuterie, everything made with fresh local ingredients. Well known for their shrimp with garlic, Calabrian chili and crostini; gnocchi with butternut squash puree, pine nuts and sage; handmade ravioli filled with eggplant and topped with pomodoro and fresh basil; prosciutto cotto and mushroom pizza with sauce and mozzarella; and truffle pizza topped with mozzarella, mushrooms, arugula, shaved Parmesan and truffle oil; you will have a fantastic meal and be waited on enthusiastically by the staff.
Lunchtime offerings include: a multigrain salad of farro, quinoa, shrimp, fennel, cucumber, tomatoes and herbs with lemon vinaigrette; a fish sandwich made with locally-caught fish, arugula, pickled red onion and seaweed aioli; pork sausage burger featuring house-made sausage, Gruyere cheese, pickles, lettuce and honey mustard aioli; fried chicken sandwich topped with buttermilk thighs, shredded lettuce, pickles and Calabrian chili mayo; and the PB cheeseburger made with Wagyu beef, muenster cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, red onion and remoulade sauce. Each of the lunch dishes is accompanied with a choice of chips or salad.
San Diego being my home for 20 years, can’t wait till I can get back and have a great dinner here.
Scuderie Italia can be reached at (858) 352-6912 and is open from 4 – 9:30 p.m. Monday – Thursday, noon – 10 p.m. Friday – Saturday and noon – 9:30 p.m. They offer takeout and delivery, as well as third-party deliveries through GrubHub, Postmates and UberEats. Located at 1525 Garnet Ave, give it a try. www.ScuderieItalia.com, as well as on Facebook and Instagram.
Opening this summer, Resorts World Las Vegas has been making numerous announcements as the construction has gone on. Announced this week, the latest is a new food hall concept from the Zouck Group.
Famous Foods Street Eats will be a massive 24,000-sq-foot street food destination, hosting 16 unique food stalls from top chefs and restaurateurs. Along with them, Famous Foods will feature a 16-seat center bar and a speakeasy hidden within the middle of the food hall. It will be a blend of Eastern and Western cuisine and culture.
Famous Foods will also feature two commissioned art pieces by Red Hong Yi, a popular Chinese-Malaysian contemporary artist known for her mixed media interpretations. Anchoring the space will stand a 10-foot tall Lucky Cat sculpture made entirely of gold coins, along with an eight-tone mural made of 18,000 tea bags.
Rio All-Suite Hotel New Branding to Hyatt
The current owners, Dreamscape Companies LLC, have entered into a franchise agreement with Hyatt Hotels Corporation to renovate and rebrand the Rio name to a Hyatt Regency.
The Rio will start massive changes to public spaces, including gaming, food and beverage, retail, spa and fitness, and pool recreation deck. One of the hotel’s towers will be the Hyatt Regency while the other will be rebranded into multiple Hyatt Services.
There has been no timetable released on when the renovations and rebranding will be complete.
I’m always one of the firsts to see new exhibits, or any openings that Las Vegas might offer up. The Palazzo hotel has installed the Museum of Dreams among the shops on the 2nd floor, directly across from Tory Burch. You must purchase tickets by entry times. There is a host at the door to direct you and offer you help taking your photos.
The Museum of Dream Space is one of the famed Instagram museums that is currently exhibiting in Hollywood, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas. They offer backdrops through projectors, different mediums of lights, or decoration. Masks are allowed to be removed for photos but are required to be worn when walking around.
There were two noteworthy exhibits in my opinion — three are just projectors and one is a room filled with curtains and small flickers of lights. The room filled with hundreds of light bulbs flashing various colors is a great photo shoot, along with the gold room.
The museum is strictly for people into social media, but also a fantastic place to do wedding photos. Hours are 2pm-7pm, with extended times on Saturdays and Sundays.
What a positive phrase that is. This past week, I attended a summit with our company and we had some absolutely fantastic meetings. The motto was “The Best is Yet to Come.” How true that is! Everyone was uplifted and optimistic and left the meetings excited about the future.
It’s important in life to have something to look forward to. No matter what level of success or failures that we may have had, our attitude should always be that our future looks bright. As I always say, “It keeps getting better.“
Imagine if you carried that attitude all the time and ended each day by saying that “The best is yet to come.” I recommend starting each day with that phrase. You will find that it leaves you with the positive expectation that it’s going to be a great day.
The longer I have been on this earth, I have realized the importance of always having a positive attitude. It’s not important how old you are, it’s important how renewed your spirit and attitude is. I have met people who are in their 20s or 30s that unfortunately are elderly in their spirit.
On the other hand, I have met other people in their 80s and even 90s who were still young at heart and full of life. Unfortunately, some people talk too much about the good old days and they become pessimistic about the future. They believe their “better days” are behind them. No matter what age we reach or level we’re at, it’s important to maintain the attitude and always say, “The best is yet to come.”
Never fall into the trap of becoming old in your attitude. Yes, it is important to hold on to memories, but let me encourage you to get excited about your future. If we believe that the best is yet to come, it will become a self-fulfilling prophecy and it will ensure us to have a great day.
Now, we’ll all have difficult days; however, the difference lies in how we look at these experiences. Whenever obstacles come your way, never let them hold you back. It’s just a brief challenge that will soon be followed by exciting things and better days, keep looking ahead.
We cannot change things in the past. All the failures that we may have had, we must use them as learning opportunities. Today is the beginning of the rest of your incredible life. Write down all the things that you want to accomplish and make a plan on what it’s going to take to achieve your goals. Once you have that plan in place, get excited about it and go for it!
Your future looks awesome and it keeps getting better! Start out this morning by saying “The best is yet to come.“
Amazon Studios’ Oscar nominated Sound of Metal is one of those rarities in film that somehow turns what you may perceive as a tragedy into a profound message that will linger far after it is over. Perhaps not since Cuckoo’s Nest has there been such a revelation in a film. The story of a heavy-metal drummer and former drug addict (drug of choice – heroin) discovers he’s going deaf, tries desperately not to fall apart so he may save the undying love of his front singer/girlfriend. The film is filled with amazing performances and perfect directing and writing, adding up to a near transcendental experience.
Co-screenwriter/director Darius Marder, co-screenwriter Abraham Marder and story co-writer Derek Cianfrance paint a beautiful and complex picture of two tortured souls who have saved each other, Ruben and Lou. Riz Ahmed and Olivia Cooke both give electrifying and earthy performances. The film opens with the two of them at a club giving a raucous performance. Lou’s shrieking vocals are as tormented as the hammering of Ruben’s drums and cymbals, and the crowd goes wild. It nearly feels cathartic for both artist and audience.
Fast forward to the next morning. They are not just in a band, the two lovers have very different personas off stage. They live in an RV, traveling from gig to gig. Lou is very reserved and likes to sleep in while Ruben prefers to be up early listening to old jazz, preparing a good breakfast and gently waking up the woman of his dreams and slow dancing with her. It’s surprisingly romantic. But, one can tell that there is this agony between the two that lingers there. We can tell by the self-inflicted cuts or scratches on Lou’s arm and the desperation in Ruben’s face.
While playing another gig, Ruben begins to lose his hearing. This would be considered a curse to any musician that could easily drive them mad. Ruben begins to spiral and Lou fears he may return to drugs after four years of sobriety. Ruben seeks out answers to his hearing. He is led to a specialist that performs implants for those losing their hearing. But, the cost is far too high. Meanwhile, Lou looks for a different resolution – a recovery house exclusively for the deaf.
With much resistance, Ruben finally agrees to check the place out. He insists that his problem is not battling addiction, it’s the loss of his hearing. The man who runs the place, Joe, is deaf and a recovering alcoholic. He attempts to explain to Ruben that the shelter is not about recovering what’s lost, but fixing one’s thinking. Joe also explains that Lou will not be able to stay with him, and his RV keys will have to be relinquished along with his cellphone.
Ruben doesn’t care for Joe’s thinking or his rules and walks out. He’s too worried about Lou. He feels obligated to take care of her and fears losing her. It’s only a short while later that Ruben has a fit of rage and Lou insists on him going back while she spends time with her estranged father. This breaks Ruben’s heart, but he submits to her wishes.
Ruben’s time with Joe and the others at the shelter seems life altering. On the surface, Ruben’s experience there seems to open his mind. But, he still cannot get past needing to fix his hearing and is desperate to get the implants. Our journey with Ruben, Joe and the people at the shelter is both heartbreaking and life-affirming. The message left at the end of the film may take your breath away.
Director Darius Marder delivers us Ruben’s point of view and we experience his loss and the frustration of what he is going through. On the other end, we also relish what’s missing and Marder’s sound design works overtime bringing to the forefront rustling trees, a light wind glazing through tall grass with birds chirping and insects playing nature’s songs. It is not just the sounds, but the pictures Marder paints that are so impressive.
Riz Ahmed gives a career performance and his Oscar nomination only establishes it more. Paul Raci as Joe is so compelling and passionate, and he has also been nominated for an Academy Award. In my opinion, Olivia Cooke was criminally overlooked as Lou. Her multi-layered performance is filled with such angst, passion and pain that it breaks our heart and we see why Ruben is compelled not just to be her lover but her guardian as well.
Darius Marder, his writers and cast deliver an emotionally exhausting portrait of the tortured souls of artists and what drives them. But, Marder does not just settle for that. He also gives us hope and life affirmation as well. Sound of Metal is a film to be remembered through the ages and is available on Amazon.
I have been to AREA15 five times now and just toured the amazing Omega Mart, whimsical and crazy.
There are numerous restaurants, zip lining, axe throwing, Brainstorm, Five Iron Golf, Gallery 360, Wink World, and the upcoming Lost Spirits Distillery is on its way. Plenty of activities to keep you entertained for a day—please check out this new experience!
Encounter the Brilliance of Global Sensation
Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience
See it at AREA15 first.
Opening on April 6, take an awe-inspiring journey into the incomparable universe of Vincent Van Gogh, one of the greatest artistic geniuses of the 19th century.
Debuting in Las Vegas after international stops in Asia, the Middle East and Europe, the arrival of Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience at AREA15 marks the first time a digital virtual reality experience of this magnitude and complexity featuring the art of Vincent Van Gogh will be seen in the United States.
Explore his life, his work, and his secrets as never before through cutting-edge 360-degree digital projections, a one-of-a-kind VR experience, and a uniquely atmospheric light and sound show.
GA tickets include socially distanced lounge seating. Upgraded VIP tickets include VR goggles to experience “A Day in the Life of the Artist in Arles, France,” a virtual stroll alongside Van Gogh himself to explore the countryside settings that inspired his artwork.
