The Sacramento News & Review Music Fest and SAMMIES (Sacramento Area Music Awards) Ceremony made its outdoor debut Saturday at Cesar Chavez Park in the sweltering heat but kept music lovers cool with the help of a dunk tank, beer and wine garden and the park's fountain. In the past, the annual event has been held at the Crest Theatre, but this year, organizers of the 19th annual fest chose to celebrate in the sun, with art and fashion vendors and a huge inflatable slide. The mood was celebra... sonia Jennifer Wade comment-10511 2009-07-10T01:03:06Z 2009-07-10T01:03:06Z Live Manikins rocked it later at Marilyns Jennifer Wade 2009-07-10T01:03:06Z Sonia Lucyga comment-10012 2009-06-30T01:59:32Z 2009-06-30T01:59:32Z Sister Crayon blew me away! I know they are playing at Launch, a music and design festival in July. http://launch.vhcle.com/ Sonia Lucyga 2009-06-30T01:59:32Z Sonia Lucyga comment-10011 2009-06-30T01:57:45Z 2009-06-30T01:57:45Z Thanks Tina! I really enjoyed the event. Sonia Lucyga 2009-06-30T01:57:45Z Tina Armour comment-10009 2009-06-29T22:49:14Z 2009-06-29T22:49:14Z Great coverage! I think you really captured the essence of what the event was supposed to be! =) Tina Armour 2009-06-29T22:49:14Z Sonia Lucyga comment-10007 2009-06-29T22:35:35Z 2009-06-29T22:35:35Z Thanks for a much more accurate estimate! Hooray for brewskie sales Sonia Lucyga 2009-06-29T22:35:35Z Dustin L. Littrell comment-10001 2009-06-29T20:20:58Z 2009-06-29T20:20:58Z The music was great and I thought The Other Poets (T.O.P.) and Righteous Movement just set it off, lots of energy! Dustin L. Littrell 2009-06-29T20:20:58Z William Burg comment-9972 2009-06-29T17:51:34Z 2009-06-29T17:51:34Z Hooray for MOM! William Burg 2009-06-29T17:51:34Z FFT comment-9971 2009-06-29T17:31:28Z 2009-06-29T17:31:28Z SONIA: there were about 2,000 that came and went throughout the day, with a peak of maybe 1,200 around 5 p.m. SN&R sold about that many brewskis! FFT 2009-06-29T17:31:28Z Hawa Arsala comment-9970 2009-06-29T17:11:16Z 2009-06-29T17:11:16Z Surprising to see such a turn out with all the heat! I really wanted to check out Sister Crayon, because I've read great reviews. Do you know how to find out where these artists will be next performing? Hawa Arsala 2009-06-29T17:11:16Z Sonia Lucyga comment-9966 2009-06-29T16:28:42Z 2009-06-29T16:28:42Z Thanks David, my estimation is around 400. I was talking to a group of previous SAMMIE attendees and they said this years turnout was a success despite the heat. I think people really enjoyed the option of having different areas to mingle around and activities to check out. Also, there was no segregating of the musicians and fans, no special blocked off area where they were designated to drink water and look cool before they came on. A band would come right off a stage and be able to immediately talk with their fans and freinds. The result was a lot of love for the community and its talented members :) Sonia Lucyga 2009-06-29T16:28:42Z David Watts Barton comment-9964 2009-06-29T16:04:12Z 2009-06-29T16:04:12Z Sonia, this is a good piece, but it leaves me with one key question: How many people braved the heat to see the concert? 300? 500? 25? 1000? I'm trying to picture the event. David Watts Barton 2009-06-29T16:04:12Z David Watts Barton comment-9963 2009-06-29T16:01:55Z 2009-06-29T16:01:55Z Hi Oracle - Well, it certainly does come off as criticism, but we're not afraid of criticism! But I disagree with your premise: that we cover a lot of local bands. Which ones are you referring to? MC Rut is one, but given that they just won three SAMMIES, that seems fairly justified. You may want to make a more scientific study - we actually cover very few local bands. Sacramento News and Review writes about many more than we do - but you may be disappointed to know that we plan to write about more. Fortunately, there are many other stories to read here! David Watts Barton 2009-06-29T16:01:55Z Oracle comment-9962 2009-06-29T15:22:49Z 2009-06-29T15:22:49Z I could care less about local bands and concerts but the majority of story postings on this site are about just that. Is this what Sac Press is really about? Maybe it should be named Sac Sounds. I hope this doesn't come off as criticism, it's just an observation. I can always read and post elsewhere. Oracle 2009-06-29T15:22:49Z FFT comment-9960 2009-06-29T06:04:46Z 2009-06-29T06:04:46Z Thanks for the write up. More 2009 SN&R Music Fest photos here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/39971689@N08/sets/72157620566144717/ FFT 2009-06-29T06:04:46Z papier comment-9939 2009-06-29T04:09:34Z 2009-06-29T04:09:34Z Props to all the Sammie-goers for braving the Sacramento summer heat to support local artists! Events like this really show how diverse our city is, and it's great to have to those artists that have been touring to come back to their hometown. Woohoo Sacramento music scene! papier 2009-06-29T04:09:34Z