In celebration of Notes from the Desert, Ace Hotel Palm Springs’ summer lecture series, we present an abridged field dispatch from The Mojave Project, an experimental transmedia documentary led by artist and educator Kim Stringfellow exploring the physical, geological and cultural landscape of the Mojave Desert.
Pioneertown is a living western movie set 5 miles above the High Desert sprawl of Yucca Valley—itself about a 35-minute drive due north from Palm Springs on Highway 62. Many visitors make their way up here for Pappy & Harriet’s legendary music and barbecue after a visit to Joshua Tree National Park.
Mane Street in Pioneertown, CA.
Those visiting during the day can walk Mane Street past the pristine but currently shuttered 6-lane Pioneerbowl, a lovely 1940s relict adorned with Wallace Roland Stark’s charming colorful murals, a old barn soundstage where the band Cracker recorded their platinum Kerosene Hat release in 1992 and Red Dog Saloon where in the distant past cowboys regularly rode their horses into the bar, tied up and shared a beer with their horse.
The Pioneertown Bowling Alley in 2006. The playfully stylized wall murals were painted by Wallace Roland Stark in the late 1940’s. In 1961 Brunswick automatic pinsetters replaced the young boys hired to manually set them.
As a film destination founded in 1946 by influential Western singing group Sons of the Pioneers (featuring Roy Rodgers) along with Gene Autry and B-Western actors Russell Hayden and Dick Curtis plus others, Pioneertown understandably drew in a number of interesting characters, such as Dazzlin’ Dallas Morley, a honky-tonk piano player and singer who arrived on a whim on Labor Day in 1949 via Los Angeles. At the Red Dog Saloon Dallas was known for her bawdy renditions of standards, including a lewdly-revised version of “Mona Lisa” made famous by Nat King Cole.
At the Red Dog—which served as a bar most days but shut down on Sunday mornings for church services—Dallas would change into more conservative attire (still sporting faint traces of red lipstick from the night before) to perform standard hymns, until the residing deacon would proclaim at the end of the service, “Bar is open!”
The Red Dog is unfortunately closed but visitors can get some local flavor by checking out Pappy and Harriet’s on its off-nights including Teddy Quinn’s Monday evening Reality Show. One never knows who may show up—Leslie Feist quietly asked Ted to sing one night—before he actually knew who she was. The ever-revolving line up of the Sunday house band has wonderful smattering of talented local musicians. The crowd at Pappy & Harriet’s remains varied with an inspiring mix of folks from all walks of life. Even when the place is packed it somehow continues to feel genuinely hospitable and down-to-earth.
Teddy Quinn and his son Sage at home in Joshua Tree, CA.
To read more about Pioneertown’s musical history check out That High Desert Sound, a February 2016 dispatch that includes a High Desert Playlist for The Mojave Project.
Notes From The Desert continues tonight at Ace Hotel & Swim Club where environmental writer Chris Clarke will delve into the mysteries of the mythic Joshua tree (planted by sloths). On August 26, Kim Stringfellow presents and discusses The Mojave Project. Lectures are free and open to the public at The Clubhouse.
All photos © Kim Stringfellow, 2014–2016.