Thing of the Week: Gram Parsons's Ghost & Cher

LIZ'S THING OF THE WEEK: Going to a Bar in the Desert Where Gram Parsons & Keith Richards Used to Drink Together

This is actually "Thing of Five Weeks Ago." In the beginning of April my friend Sarah and I went out to the desert to see the Afghan Whigs at Pappy & Harriet's. The show was on a Thursday night and we stayed at a house way deep into Pioneertown and the next day hung around Joshua Tree. We had breakfast at Crossroads and I got the "Parsons Polenta" - not because I love polenta, but because I love Gram Parsons. I can't remember what Sarah got, but I do know that when given her choice of bread product she picked banana bread, which is one of the smartest breakfast-ordering decisions I've ever witnessed. Sarah shared her banana bread with me and it was so warm and I put lots of butter on it. Here is my Gram Parsons breakfast:

After breakfast we went to some vintage store and then to the Joshua Tree Inn aka "the Home of Gram Parsons Spirit." While we were there, just sort peeking through windows and checking out the courtyard through cracks in the door, it started to rain a little. In the desert! But, like, a total of maybe 10 drops of rain, on the exact spot where we were standing. Sarah said that maybe we were being smote (smited? smitten? smit?) but I think it was more like Gram saying hi or "Oh hey, good to know ya" or whatever. I'm sure Gram is the sweetest and chillest ghost.

So the big show of the day was Sarah brought me to this bar where Gram and Keith Richards used to drink - it's called Wine & Roses, though I keep thinking it's War & Roses, and it's literally on an airport runway. See the strip of pavement just outside the window of this pic? That's the runway. No joke.

This is the drink I drank at Wine & Roses, it's a super-stiff whiskey and soda and it cost $3. After we ordered our drinks Sarah went to use the restroom and while she was gone "Under My Thumb" came on and I was in heaven. I love my whiskey glass so much.

We sat at the bar, but there was this whole other room in the back with vinyl booths and little tables with folding chairs.

And here's the view out one of the windows in the big room. It's a romantic view, Joshua Tree looks so dreamy. Joshua Tree bugs me out but through this window, I can totally deal.

See? More folding chairs. And if you look into the mirror, at the left you can see the crazy stage-thing in the main room, whose backdrop is made of all these silver streamers covered in stars. I wore my Rolling Stones shirt that day because I generally find the desert evil and terrifying, but thinking about Mick Jagger makes me feel protected. Also I just really love the Rolling Stones. Lately my favorite Rolling Stones song is weirdly "I Just Want to See His Face."

JEN'S THING OF THE WEEK: a Ticket to Cher

I was planning on writing something about Valerie Solanas, SCUM Manifesto, destruction and humor for this. At 9:08am this morning everything changed. Greg got us tickets to see Cher in September and I am not capable about thinking of anything else. I'M GOING TO SEE CHER...IN LONG ISLAND!!!!!