Musical Profusion & Confusion: Sinatra to Lady Gaga

Lately I’ve been swept up in the world of popular music. I’m referring to a broad swath of music genres typically favored by the youth of America. On the surface it is hardly blogworthy, except that for the past ten years the majority of my interest in music has been exclusively limited to standards, smooth jazz, and a little 80’s stuff. So why the sudden interest in this new fangled popular sound? I jokingly refer to electronica as "that electrical music"; its all part of my move to render all that current sound as irrelevant, citing the Rat Pack era as real music. I still prefer a martini with Frank Sinatra crooning in the background, yet I find myself interested in the likes of Lady Gaga, Black Eyed Peas, T.I. and Rihanna. I am even excited about Paula Abdul’s new single "I’m Just Here For the Music", it has a great energy and is reassuring to hear an 80’s pop queen re-emerge to a new generation.
My sudden shift in music taste had me completely foxed. What was it that triggered this musical flirtation? Like a research scientist, I methodically dissected these past few months and believe I’ve identified the origin of this seemingly out-of-character musical deviance.
It was something I caught while at an uber hip and trendy club in Hollywood a few months ago. It was a night that I went to dinner at one of the hottest spots in Hollywood called "One Sunset", and had no idea what was in store. One Sunset is the sort of place where the beautiful people go. For many patrons. the notion of eating is viewed a necessary component of going out for the evening. You see, these are girls wearing size zero dresses, and guys in really nice fitting jeans. They are so busy flirting with each other, giggling and sipping cocktails that the food course seems like an interruption. Nevertheless, it is part of the evening; I watched several tables as the girls picked at their tiny food and claimed to be full. I wolfed down everything, including a side order of some gourmet mac-n-cheese that I am sure I paid too much for. Eventually the restaurant converted over to a night club, while scores of hot girls utilized every open space to dance and sip cocktails; while the guys plotted their moves.
Watching this scene unfold, I recalled my years as a youngster living in NY when I would go out to clubs with friends. Just then, there. Right there, that was it. It hit me…the thumping music. I was mesmerized by the music and how it affected my mood. It made me feel great. I don’t miss going to clubs and dealing with all that chaos. It was just the music that I missed. I had forgotten how pop/dance music made me feel. It was an awakening. That evening I stayed out way too late, and was so exhausted the next day, but it was worth it.
Ever since, I’ve found myself re-connecting with all this new-fangled music.. With all the time I spend driving between Palm Springs and San Diego I now find myself scanning the pop channels on the satellite radio. I’ve been satisfying my thirst to stay a little more current with music. This brings me back to Lady Gaga. She has exploded onto the pop music scene and is everywhere I look. A few weeks ago she was the featured act at two back-to-back weekend dance concerts in Palm Springs. I’ve even added her to my iPod. So it’s official: I am a Lady Gaga fan. I think I need to get to know her. She might be interested to know she is attracting a broad fan base, not just young people, but even an ascot-wearing, martini-sipping desert rat from Palm Springs.

-Rick Rockhill

An Evening with the Rat Pack in Palm Springs

This evening I attended "An Evening with the Rat Pack", which was a fancy dinner Gala event sponsored by the Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce. The event was held at one of the hotels downtown, with a wide range of Palm Springs business owners and local dignitaries on the guest list. The evening was semi-formal, with many attendees dressing in tuxes, evening gowns, and simple black and white attire.

The Gala's Rat Pack theme included a silent auction of memorabilia from Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr, Dean Martin, Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop. Most notably, the main entertainment was a Frank Sinatra impersonator, who was actually pretty good.

While mingling and perusing the silent auction items, I was stunned to see several women wearing furs. It was 100 degrees outside when I walked in, clearly a bit warm to be wearing a fur stole. It is however, Palm Springs-and the well-heeled women love to show off their furs and be dripping in diamonds.

Above left: Well-heeled woman in a fur stole & above right: girls with exotic jewels and one with a cozy fur wrap, despite the 100 degree temps.

Above left: Fabulous Feathers & above right: check out the groovin' pink glasses on the girl in the middle photo.

Above: My friend Skip and I stopped by the Chi Chi club bar (well ok it was just a backdrop)

During Cocktails, singers Buddy Greco and Lezlie Anders perform for the thirsty crowd. They live in Palm Springs and own and perform at The Buddy Greco Supper Club.

Above: Here is the Frank Sinatra impersonator. He jumped up on chair and sang/danced for awhile.

They had a fantastic dessert table set up as a silent auction, where attendees could "bid" for one of the more exclusive desserts to enjoy after dinner. Each dessert had a bid sheet. When I went up to bid, there was a rather large woman in a Polka-dot dress (see above left) hovering around the cakes. Much to the horror and surprise of a few bystanders, this woman decided she wasn't going to bid-or wait for dessert. She reached out, and sliced a few pieces of the cakes and walked away with an overflowing plate of cake. "I guess she was hungry", remarked one observer. I sniggered while replaying the scene in my mind. This remark caused several people to break into peels of laughter as she waddled away, eating her contraband cake as she moved toward her table. I suppose that reduced the bid price for that cake she pillaged.
After Hours Party at Melvyn's

Above left: Rick Rockhill, the Palm Springs Savant enjoys a martini & above right: Our group chatting away over cocktails.

After we left the Gala, a group of us headed over to Melvyn's at the Ingleside Inn. Melvyn's is my favorite haunt in Palm Springs, it is a fabulous old-Hollywood Palm Springs restaurant. The lounge has live music nightly, and features a great collection of photos of Hollywood actors, legendary singers and public figures who have dined at Melvyn's. The list is long, Melvyn's is an institution in Palm Springs, and has become semi-hip once again. The normal crowd is still an older set, but it appeals to the retro 30-40 year old crowd who long for the good old days when Sinatra reigned supreme on the Palm Springs social scene. It was a fun evening, we sat around in a corner, sipping martinis and laughing all night.

-Rick Rockhill