Not too long ago I had the pleasure(?) of turning 30 years old. I thought long and hard about what to do to celebrate. Since moving to Long Beach about eight and a half years ago, I had yet to really have a birthday “party.” Naturally, I should do something big for 30. Bringing people over to make a mess of my house didn’t sound too great, and local bars are kinda boring for such a momentous occasion. Finally one day it hit me: Pioneertown.
I had been to Pi’town three times last year. The first with Sarah just as a mini-vacation. We went to Joshua Tree and then hung out in town for the night and had a blast. The second was for Clean Air, Clear Stars, my first time with ice cream. After being welcomed so well for that, I returned again for the 3rd annual Cracker/Camper Van Beethoven Campout, another great time.
My birthday fell on March 19, which would be right after SXSW. I thought perhaps a band coming back to Los Angeles from Austin would be willing to stop by that night and play a show. Unfortunately, Pappy & Harriet’s was closed on the 19th, a Wednesday. I decided to reschedule for the Saturday after, but they already had bands booked for that night. Oh well, it’ll still be fun. Luckily for me, the late night band, The Spores, had to cancel and I was able to book a band at the last minute. I wanted to get a couple Long Beach bands to go out, but most were unavailable. Fortunately, The Soft Hands, my friend Matt’s band were available and were excited about the prospect to play. Hooray!
March 22 rolled around quickly and I couldn’t wait to get out to the desert. Phil and Carrie were already there, so when Sarah and I arrived we headed out to Joshua Tree to climb rocks. When we returned, a bunch of people had already started showing up. Pappy & Harriet’s was booked for dinner that night, so we figured we could get the gas turned on in our room and cook dinner. Sarah asked to get it turned on and David at the Pioneertown Motel was kind enough to let us borrow his propane grill, so BBQ it was!
After hanging out barbecuing and drinking beers, it was time to head over to Pappy & Harriet’s to catch the bands. Sara Petite was playing when we arrived and proved to be a great way to get things started. The country music got everybody in the pioneer mood and got a bunch of people dancing. It also got me in the mood for some whiskey, which may have been a mistake.
Meanwhile, Ice Cream Man and crew were taking turns outside giving away ice cream in the bitter cold to anybody who wanted some, which ended up being more than nobody, which is what I expected.
When Sara Petite finished, I felt like I was finished. I had a few shots and several beers already and thought it was time to die. Then, The Soft Hands got started and I was renewed. They had a crowd of people up dancing and jumping around like we were in high school. With such high energy, the set seemed to go by in a heartbeat. As soon as they were done, I had to get out of there, so I headed back to my room and practically fell asleep in the shower.
While I was sleeping, everybody else came back to hang out a little more. I wish I had stuck around a little longer because apparently they all met a time traveler named Xerxes. Man, I love the desert.
Thanks to Robyn and the staff at Pappy & Harriet’s, Pioneertown Motel, the people of Pioneertown and everybody who came out. It was a great celebration.
