Jeff Dunham, Ray Romano and more: 4 shows to see in the Coachella Valley this week
Here are my picks for this weekend's can't-miss live performances in the Coachella Valley and surrounding communities.
HOT PICK
Saturday
Comedy: Comedian and ventriloquist Jeff Dunham is one of the most prominent comedians in the world. He's performed sold-out shows in Israel and Saudi Arabia on consecutive nights, has billions of views on YouTube and millions of followers on social media. Many recognize his puppets Achmed, Peanut, Walter, José Jalape?o on a Stick and Bubba J, all of which have their own personalities, anecdotes and a few of them are known for politically incorrect humor.
Dunham has brought audiences together and used his characters to make humor out of every aspect of American culture, even the subjects that make us uncomfortable.
See for yourself when Dunham performs on Saturday at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino as part of his "Still Not Canceled" tour.
If you go: 8 p.m. Saturday, Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, 84-245 Indio Springs Parkway, Indio. $59 to $99. fantasyspringsresort.com
BEST BETS
Thursday
As punk rock began to emerge in England during the late 1970s, The Soft Boys was creating a new sound of its own of psychedelic rock fused with folk music that evolved into new wave before the band broke up in 1981. Frontman Robyn Hitchcock moved on to a solo career and continued to write a variety of surreal and eccentric material. Thirty albums later, he's still a dynamic figure in the music industry.
Hitchcock will perform on Thursday at Pappy and Harriet's.
If you go: 8 p.m. Thursday, Pappy and Harriet's, 53-688 Pioneertown Road, Pioneertown. $32. pappyandharriets.com
Friday
Metal: Local thrash metal band Instigator has come a long way since 2016 when its members met each other at La Quinta High School. Instigator has performed several local shows and in other venues throughout the region. In December, the band performed at The Glass House in Pomona with metal legends Brujeria.
Instigator will perform on Friday at Coachella Valley Brewing Co.
If you go: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Coachella Valley Brewing Co., 30-640 Gunther St., Thousand Palms. Free. cvbco.com
Saturday
Comedy: Many popular TV shows are being reboot, but according to comedian and actor Ray Romano, don't expect to see new episodes of "Everybody Loves Raymond." Romano told Bill Maher in December that a reboot is "out of the question." Since the show went off the air in 2005 after nine seasons, Romano has continued to perform stand-up comedy and appeared in recent films such as "Bad Education" and Martin Scorsese's "The Irishman."
Romano will perform on Saturday at Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa.
If you go: 8 p.m. Saturday, Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa, 32-250 Bob Hope Drive, Rancho Mirage. $50 to $150. aguacalientecasinos.com
Desert Sun reporter Brian Blueskye covers arts and entertainment. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter at @bblueskye.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: 4 shows to see in the Palm Springs area this week
