THE SHENANIGANS

The Shenanigans – Dede Ondishiko, Jason Powell, and Troy Garza invite you to a vibrant evening of Americana magic! Get ready for music, moonshine, and mayhem with special guests and toe-tapping tunes.

"The Shenanigans and their talented guests will have you clapping and smiling from ear to ear during their joyful performance." - Author, Amy Wise

"I love the organic and creative approach to making music that DeDe offers, as well as her excellent harmonies and musicianship. It was such great fun making music with her. " - Performer, Francesca Amari

Email: [email protected]

Full Bar, Small Plates- Arrive Early and Put Your Order In!

DEDE ONDISHKO, Ph.D. (fiddle, keys and vocals) started playing piano at the age of seven at the Peabody Conservatory and went on to Carnegie Mellon University and Eastman School of Music (Ph.D.). Dede is a retired music teacher and continues to enjoy writing concert music. She plays fiddle with both Prickly Pear Jam at O'Caine's on Saturday afternoons and the Scottish Fiddlers of LA seasonally. Dede co-hosts the Bluegrass Jam at Date Palm on the second Sunday of each month. Her favorite thing about music: it connects us heart to heart.

JASON POWELL, Ph.D. is our only true local leprechaun. In disguise during the day hours as a music teacher, musician, author, artist, woodworker, and family man; you can occasionally catch him sneaking about in his true form performing Irish music as "Plastic Paddy's Midlife O'Crisis" or his Irish Duo, "Paradox in Clover" with Dr. Dede Ondishko. ¨Music is the only true magic we have. It brings cultures together, evokes emotions, brings back memories, helps us physically work better, challenges our mental capacities, enhances our faith, brings us genuine happiness, and always meets us right where we are.¨— Dr. Jason Powell

TROY GARZA is a songwriter and bass vocalist, and is a veteran of Broadway's A CHORUS LINE where he spent fourteen years as a performer and dance captain for the show. He was the choreographer at SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE for ten seasons and is best known for the famous CHIPPENDALES sketch starring Patrick Swayze and Chris Farley. Troy writes both music and lyrics for his original, mostly humorous songs.

10.17 - LOWKEY GROOVE - Original Folk and Bluegrass Songwriters

With invited guests: Debbie Martin - singer-songwriter, and Tony Bolivar - multi-instrumentalist

Susan Thoen grew up in Show Business, the daughter of a gifted Jazz Musician. Her background is both rich and diverse. She studied Classical music, reads, writes and uses these influences to bring out the best tones and tempo of every tune and genre played. Influenced early on, by the music of Mose Allison, and Duke Ellington, then as a teenager the era of Hendrix and The Beatles, these cemented rhythm and soul into her heart. As an adult, she studied with classical guitarist Ruben DeAnda, performed covers and her Original songs and has recorded local studios in San Diego. She plays the Double Bass as well as Guitar and Piano. and continues writing the stories of Life and Love!

Steve Mayer started playing piano at age 7. After years of studying classical repertoire, he found joy in learning songs by ear (think Elton John and David Bowie) and writing and improvising new music. He studied contemporary music and computer science at Mills College, where his Master’s thesis featured a duet performance with Steve on piano and a computer responding in real-time using machine learning techniques. Since then, he has focused entirely on acoustic music, writing and arranging songs for piano, guitar and mandolin. His most recent collaboration with Susan Thoen began with a dare to write and perform original music at open mic night, and has grown into a steady pursuit of making great music as an acoustic duo.

11.21 - LA PARTY DOLLS

With invited guest: Tod Macofsky - singer-songwriter

The L.A Party Dolls is a high-energy musical tribute act with 3 female singers that features top hit songs from the Motown and 50s and 60s Girl Groups era. Their big hairdos, sparkly costumes, choreographed dancing, live singing and fun show with audience interaction is perfect for all audiences—there’s something for everyone!

Michelle Giacopuzzi – Hailing from Southern California, Michelle’s love of music and harmonies started when she heard her older sisters singing harmonies and joined in. Along with a lifelong career in music and being a successful voice-over artist, Michelle loves architecture and history and takes advantage of touring by taking in new sights and enjoys meeting people wherever we go. We love Michelle’s “can-do” spirit plus she can pack a car full of gear like nobody’s business!

Rosanne Limeres – Rosie is our feisty red-headed New Jersey girl, whose impressive performing credits include a sold-out one-woman musical show in Los Angeles and acting in numerous roles on national television and Rosie is an in-demand singer who has performed worldwide and has recording session credits on many, many recording projects (Don’t make us drop names…). Rosanne enjoys a nice cup of bold-yet-smooth coffee that helps her get all of her music projects done with time left over to watch a classic retro flick.

Laura Powers – You can blame it all on Laura…It was her bright idea to form the L.A. Party Dolls many moons ago in Los Angeles and she’s still having a blast wearing the black beehive and squeezing into her sequin dresses all these years later. Lured to Nashville with the promise of songwriting and thanks to Southwest Airlines, she manages to write and record her songs when she isn’t touring with the Dolls. Laura loves to travel--especially when it’s performing with the Dolls.

12.12 - TOD MACOFSKY - Singer - Songwriter

With invited guest: Kye Marshall - jazz cellist.

Tod Macofsky is a native of Los Angeles and performed there for over 40 years before relocating to the desert in 2021. After studying theatre directing at UCLA, he began singing in various cruise ship production shows over a span of twelve years. Tod recently played Applegate in Desert Theatricals’ production of Damn Yankees at the Rancho Mirage Amphitheatre, where he also performed as Frank Butler in Annie Get Your Gun for which he received a Desert Theatre League Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical. Tod’s show 1963 was recently featured as part of Modernism Week as well as the Cabaret 6 series at the Revolution Stage Company and was nominated for a Broadway World award for Best Cabaret Show. He has been performing with PS Underground since 2017 and is currently hosting Mid Mod Boozy Brunch at PS Air. Tod wrote, directed and starred in the Rat Pack Holiday Tribute Show with the Swing Tones and he is the co-writer and one-half of the comic cabaret duos Mack & Poppy and Mack & Melba.

Facebook: Tod Macofsky , Instagram: @toddybowl , Tiktok: @toddybowl

Website: www.todmacofsky.com

1.16 - LT COUSINEAU - Singer-Songwriter and Author

With invited guests: Champagne Taylor - Singer, Tommy Dodson - Keys and Vocals

LT Cousineau moved to the Coachella Valley in 2022 after 13 awesome years in Chicago. You may have seen him recently in his acclaimed original cabaret shows Songs from my Closet and Songs from My Holiday Closet at Revolution Stage Company. Last year he appeared at the Palm Canyon Theatre in their productions of RENT (Gordon/Homeless Man/Restaurant Man) and Brigadoon (Charlie). His favorite productions elsewhere have included The Secret Garden (Neville - Robbie award nominee), The Most Happy Fella (Herman), and Grand Hotel (Otto). In addition, LT is a proud member of A Cabbello and Modern Men: Coachella Valley Men’s Chorus. He is also an accomplished book writer/lyricist whose works include All That He Was (Jeff Award Nominee: Best New Musical/Adaptation) Flies! The Musical!! (Jeff Award Nominee: Best New Musical), and 40 is the New 15 (Stagescene LA: Best New Musical).

2.20 - Kye Marshall - Jazz Cellist

With invited guests: Chris Peoples - Irish Fiddler, and Rose Mallett - Jazz Vocalist

3.20 - TBA

4.17 - Contemporary Celtic Duo

With invited guest: Ariss Durazo - Singer-songwriter

Want more?!

From the producers of THE SHENANIGANS start your musical journey and sign up for AMERICANA GUEST HOUSE: OPEN MIC. Find out whose the hottests up and coming musicians in the Coachella Valley at COACHELLA VALLEY RISING. Clink the link for schedules.

If you are planning on attending with a large group please call ahead to make special arrangements and purchase your block of tickets.

Host or Publisher Palm Springs Cultural Center