Big Conversations, Little Bar

He's got a pretty cherry gig for a guy who was a banker in Cleveland, Ohio and blindly moved to California not knowing if that might work out. Initially a contributor to the Coachella Valley Independent, he would later be the personal-pick of renowned columnist and culture writer Bruce Fessier at The Desert Sun as his replacement. Brian Blueskye found himself in the coveted role of reporting on events that included the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Stagecoach, the Palm Springs International Film Festival, and other concerts and special events taking place in the region for both the Desert Sun and its national parent - the USA Today Network. Then, along came the pandemic. Suddenly, he was responsible for tracking and reporting on infections and casualties. Definitely not what he signed up for. On this episode of Big Conversations, Little Bar, Brian talks with Patrick Evans and Randy Florence about the jump from banker to beat reporter, surviving COVID-19, the state of journalism, and his passion for music and entertainment living in a community where options have just exploded!

Music and entertainment are in her blood. This week’s special guest on Big Conversations, Little Bar with Patrick Evans and Randy Florence is someone who in her half-dozen years in the Coachella Valley has become a desert sensation. Her name is Kellee McQuinn, but many people know her best as DJ Mod Girl.Her relationship with Palm Springs began as a girl in the 1980s after her BFF and soulmate – her grandfather – relocated from New Jersey and purchased legendary trombonist and band leader Tommy Dorsey’s home in Old Las Palmas. She would continue to visit family for many years and eventually she never made it back to live on the beach. Since the early 2000’s, McQuinn founded and has executive produced and co-authored a curriculum of children’s educational programming on television called KidTribe. Wanting to try her hand at something new, she rediscovered herself and has emerged as DJ Mod Girl, creating the soundtrack to hundreds of major events and get togethers across the region, as well as hosting a local radio show.Learn more about this positive, dynamic and kind-hearted force of nature entertaining the masses on this episode from Little Bar in Palm Desert, the center of the Coachella Valley.Visit the Big Conversations, Little Bar website by CLICKING HERE!

The Desert Sun's golf writer for nearly four decades, Larry Bohannan is an institution spanning column inches and 18-hole golf courses across the Coachella Valley and around-the-world. He joins Patrick Evans and Randy Florence on this episode of Big Conversations, Little Bar from Little Bar in Palm Desert, CA.

He grew up in Santa Barbara and she was raised in Upstate New York. Both would end up on a pathway that brought them together years ago in the Coachella Valley. Tim Gross is a veteran musician who has been most active playing the keyboard for Rick Springfield all around the world. Melissa Neiderman has been nicknamed the Palm Springs Princess as her philanthropic community involvement has been overwhelming. She has been a major mover-and-shaker in many organizations and particularly the efforts of the American Cancer Society Desert Spirit. As this weekly episode is released, Neiderman and Gross are producing the 5th Annual Lip Sync for a Cure with an all-star cast taking place at the Palm Springs Cultural Center on April 29th at 6 pm.Husband and wife share great stories from their adventures, their families, and the entertainment industry with Randy Florence and Patrick Evans at Skip Paige's Little Bar in the center of the Coachella Valley, Palm Desert.

March 18th, 2022. It was a big day in the music world, but you might not have been aware of it. Cary Baker retired from a 42-year career as a music writer, performer, and a publicist for some of the most iconic musicians and entertainers. On this episode, Cary drops by Little Bar for a big conversation with Patrick Evans and Randy Florence. From hosting a Blues show on his high school radio station to more than four decades heading up publicity and artist relations departments at iconic companies like IRS Records and Capitol Records, Cary oversaw public relations for artists you may have heard of: REM, Bonnie Raitt, Paul McCartney, Tina Turner, Beastie Boys, and MCHammer just to rattle off a few. He started his own firm, too - Conqueroo, whose artists included Randy’s favorite: Tony Joe White. You’re going to love the stories and the musical history. Cary really did try to retire, but as you’ll hear, he’s been incredibly productive and creative since retirement.

Fred Bell is the Managing Director and a member of the Board at the Palm Springs Air Museum. Throughout his tenure with this historical gem of an institution, he has helped to grow attendance, support and the vast array of military aircraft on display. That includes the overseeing of one of a handful of rare donations by the U.S. Department of Defense of a retired F117A Stealth Bomber now on display. Bell talks with Patrick Evans and Randy Florence on this episode about the museum and his community service in the Coachella Valley, but he also shares a wealth of interesting, entertaining, and outrageous (true) stories about growing up with two famous parents in show biz, and a story you have to hear to believe about an encounter he once had while working at Sea World with an adorable penguin!

Randy Florence and Patrick Evans bring Big Converations, Little Bar to the intersection of next generation entertainment, economic development and pride in the Coachella Valley. On this episode, they welcome the Senior Vice President of Oak View Group John Bolton. He has been involved with OVG's development and construction of the sparkling new sports and entertainment venue Acrisure Arena and talks about how he took a very different path than he intended after his education to get to this great opportunity. Mr. Bolton talks about the challenges and accomplishments building the home for the Coachella Valley Firebirds AHL franchise, top-notch concerts and other special events that will now become part of the region stepping up the major league entertainment offerings in Greater Palm Springs.

On this episode of Big Conversations, Little Bar, legendary journalist Bruce Fessier pulls up to the little bar and shares a wide variety of stories from his more-than-four-decades residing in the Coachella Valley. A writer and editor at The Desert Sun til May of 2019, Fessier has seen and covered it all – especially when it comes to entertainment, the rich and famous, the elected, the powerful... and, the mob. The music and theatre scene in Greater Palm Springs hasn't just been his beat. He's been instrumental in building and growing it. Don't miss this extraordinary episode as he spends 55-minutes with Patrick Evans and Randy Florence.

She started doing Spaghetti Westerns at age 16 and has continued to have a successful career on stage and screen for the past 55 years. On this edition of Big Conversations, Little Bar, daytime and prime time television star Judith Chapman sips Chardonnay and chats with Patrick Evans and Randy Florence about a life full of drama (the good kind!). Chapman also talks about two roles that she was considered for, one of which would have made her galactic royalty! She is also directing a stage play coming up at Oscar's in Palm Springs in March 2023 and adding her own sugar and spice guaranteed to make it a crowd pleaser. Don't miss this episode!

On this episode, Patrick Evans and Randy Florence bring the talents of nationally-known jazz musician Shaun LaBelle into focus as they dig into his musical background, the current single Feel the Breeze and his upcoming album Supermoon. Join Big Conversations, Little Bar for a continued deep dive into the incredible diversity of music and talent in the Coachella Valley and beyond.

After two decades of making an enormous impact on the Coachella Valley region of Southern California as the co-creator of music festivals that millions of people around the world have fallen in love with and attended, Skip Paige has made the Desert Cities his full-time home. The former chief operating officer of Goldenvoice (most noted for its annual Coachella and Stagecoach festivals and the rock superstar event Desert Trip in 2016) retired in 2017. But, that has since opened new opportunities and today he operates the Little Bar in Palm Desert with more food and beverage enterprises in development. On this pilot podcast, co-hosts Patrick Evans and Randy Florence discuss the incredible story about how Goldenvoice was developed, the behind the scenes of the world's greatest music festivals, Skip's love of the Greater Palm Springs area, and what's still ahead for this entertainment entrepreneur.