I'd heard for years about Modernism Week in Palm Springs. It had taken on a mythological status, this huge undertaking that was super cool and super hard to get tickets for. It was something I thought I might never get to because it sounded so exclusive and such. But I've done a lot over the years in terms of events, so why not this one?
Last year was the first year that I went, and Modernism Week turned out to be pretty low key and not what I expected. Lots of tours, lots of looking at people's home decor rather than hearing about architecture. We did a few activities last year, including two tours in our own Rancho Mirage neighbourhood, and they were all fine. I liked them in differing amounts, but I also was curious what more we could see and do this year.
Happily, the timing of the first weekend coincided with us being back from South America and me having a four-day holiday weekend at work. We didn't want to overload our weekend, however, so we stuck to Sunday only. One tour, once concert. But first, there was brunch. Yay! Fried chicken sandwich and a Bitter Elder cocktail at 1501 Uptown Gastropub, a place we find reliable and enjoyable.
The tour we opted for was one of the Palm Springs signature homes tour. I didn't take photos at all five homes (and we weren't permitted to at the third one we visited, which was also the one we loved, utterly - oh for a lottery win!). I started out at the first home, a 1946 dwelling that had been renovated and remodeled over the years and now was being used (as so much housing stock in PS is) as an AirBnB. I liked what they had done with the outdoor spaces all around the house,
while the inside of the house was fine if a little snug, perhaps.
A nice home. The next home, a 1956 home that was the original Steve McQueen home (and now - surprise! - an AirBnB), was interesting but not especially attractive. The third home was an older one that had been significantly overhauled. Situated in a good neighbourhood, oh, we drooled over that one. Really nicely updated. The fourth house was a newer one (and to be clear: modernism is not necessarily midcentury), and it was terrific, too. There was real care taken in designing it and its lot. And what was sweet was the little Airstream parked out front,
the owner's home while the construction was underway. Finally, we visited a new townhome in a complex we'd seen go from empty lot to its own little community over the years. The townhome was surprisingly spacious, but what was awesome was that the owner, an artist (I believe), had an amazing collection of furnishings and decor in bold colours. While it was hard to know what to focus on in any room, it was so delightful to pick out the details of it all.
We enjoyed the tour, but signature homes? That may be a stretch. We'll see what homes we might see next year if we go again.
The day wasn't done, though. We had a concert to attend at the Annenberg Theater that evening: Samara Joy. I'll admit, when we booked the tickets, we didn't know her at all. I can't recall if I spotted her name on the Grammy nominees shortlist for Best New Artist or if Van did, but it was cool to see that. And then she won. Plus another Grammy. Suddenly, we had tickets for a jazz artist who was surely newly in huge demand. The theater space was perfect for seeing her live. Back by a great trio of musicians, she sang beautifully but also showed so much humour and charm bantering with the audience.
The space sits fewer than 450 people, so although we were essentially relegated to the back row, we had no complaints at all. If you do find your way to this blog, go listen to some of her stuff. If you get a chance to listen to her live, I recommend it.
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