Sacramento concerts

Monsters of Accordion to Play Luigi's

2009-08-30T03:24:22Z

The accordion is “the most maligned instrument in the world,” according to the Monsters of Accordion's website.

You can find out for yourself if that moniker fits at Luigi’s Fungarden, the music venue attached to the Downtown pizza joint, where the tour will be making a stop on Aug. 31. Seattle-based accordionist Jason Webley organized the tour and is also playing on all dates.

“I meet so many amazing, freaky accordion players in my travels now, and I am lucky to count many of them as my friends,” said Webley via e-mail.

The Monsters of Accordion came together “several years ago” when Webley was invited to play at an accordion shop in Oakland.

“The event was incredibly fun, and was perhaps the first time I became aware that there were other people playing something other than polkas on the accordion," Webley said.

That same night, Webley met two Bay Area accordionists, Daniel Ari and Aaron Seeman. “The next year, we decided to do a tour together, which was the first Monsters of Accordion,” he said.

While the current tour consists of Webley, Steven Iancu, Geoff Berner and Eric Stern, its lineup has changed with the past few iterations.

“It’s hard, actually,” said Webley of the task of picking performers each year. “At first we had the same players on the tour, but now that I’ve been doing the tour for a few years, my goal is to find the right balance between familiar face and new acts.”

Those acts are as unique as the instrument they play, and as such there is not a particular accordion playing music “scene” as there often is with other music styles.

Despite the fact that accordionists of Webley and company’s caliber are few and far between (Iancu hails from Tokyo, for example), the crowds at the shows “can be really diverse, just like the music played on the accordion," Webley said.

Webley takes his claim of diversity to heart. Though his influences don’t often show in his music, he draws inspiration from a broad range of artists and styles.

“I grew up listening to Michael Jackson and punk music,” Webley said. “Later I studied world music, classical music, and I have tried to steep myself in the works of the great singer-songwriters of different eras and geographies. But I think in the end, the earliest influences had the biggest effect on me.”

There are currently no plans to take the Monsters of Accordion tour past the West Coast, but Webley said he would “LOVE to do an East Coast Monster run someday!”

For now, the lucky residents of a few major cities in the west will have a chance to catch the folksy drinking songs, ballads and ribald tales as told by Webley and his equally eccentric contemporaries.

The all ages show starts at 8 p.m. Luigi's is on 1050 20th St. Tickets are $10.

Flogging Molly Whips the Radisson into Shape

2009-09-12T03:32:15Z

“Oi’ve been drinkin’ a bit, I ’ave,” admitted a rather sizable fellow at the ATM in the Radisson Hotel lobby where Flogging Molly was set to perform.

The familiar thup, thup, thup of dispensing bills prompted the green-shirted concertgoer to exclaim, “It’s like the freakin’ lottery and I win every time!” Though once sober he would likely lose his faux Gaelic accent, everyone in attendance was an honorary Irish lad or lass.

Three things are certain at a Flogging Molly show:

1. Incalculable amounts of Guinness will be consumed.
2. A few rowdy fans will engage in fisticuffs at some point.
3. The band will instill a camaraderie in the crowd few musical acts can achieve.

The first two generally go hand in hand. And while our aforementioned friend celebrated the night early and without incident, the same cannot be said for two ladies during the third song of Flogging Molly’s set. Long story short, one tried to cut in front of the other to get closer to the stage; pushing ensued and the offender had her glasses knocked off before the sparrers’ boyfriends could separate them.

Aside from the requisite skirmish, the rest of the evening was a family-friendly affair, with everyone from kilted punks to parents with kids on their shoulders raising their fists and pints to welcome the act to Sacramento.

Rare is the band that can have its audience singing along to the opening song, but Flogging Molly’s rousing opus “What’s Left of the Flag” compelled the all-ages crowd to shout its chorus of “Walk away me boys, walk away me boys/And by morning we'll be free/Wipe that golden tear from your mother dear/And raise what's left of the flag for me” along with frontman Dave King.

The L.A. Celtic punk septet’s notoriously energetic show stayed firing on all cylinders until King announced that they would break things up a bit with something they’d never done in California: an acoustic set.

A gorgeous rendition of “Us of Lesser Gods,” off of last year’s Float album, began the mini-break from Flogging Molly’s faster numbers. King dedicated “The Sun Never Shines (On Closed Doors)” to the song’s subject, his “dear old mum,” and sang with passion in her honor.

While the crowd clearly appreciated the break, they would not be lulled into a false sense of security, given Flogging Molly’s unique ability to transition from sentimental ballad to raucous punk anthem at the drop of a (pork pie) hat. The switch went smoothly, as the refrain of “Laura” had everyone feeling like they “could have danced on the sun.”

The band finished its set but returned soon after among cries of “one more song!” from audience. Our enthusiasm was rewarded with not one but two tunes, the last of which was “Every Dog Has Its Day” from the band’s classic debut, Swagger. Bridget Regan’s fiddle wailed, Dennis Casey tore off a searing guitar solo and King (the act's sole native Irishman) danced a jig as his band brought the night to an end.

Bob Saget melds classy and dirty at the Crest

2009-11-08T02:07:09Z

By now, Bob Saget’s public transformation from blue comedian to household name beloved by millions of families nationwide — and the subsequent corruption of that image with a return to his original style — has been repeated more times than the footage of crotch abuse he narrated on “that video show,” as he refers to it.

Suffice to say, Saget’s material is a far cry from his hugs-and-lessons role as Danny Tanner on “Full House,” a character he played perfectly due to his clean cut, family-friendly looks. Nothing is sacred, from his former costars to his own mother, who originally inspired him to go into comedy because he wanted to say things she didn't want him to.

“Don Rickles called right before this show and said he wanted me to open for him,” Saget said after his performance at the Crest Theatre Friday night. “He said any guy who looks like Clark Kent and says the stuff I say is perfect. And he didn’t even ask – he told me I was opening for him."

Surprisingly humbled words from a guy who has his own openers. Friday, San Francisco-based comic Joe Klocek warmed up the audience.

Klocek’s set was mainly based on his observations as a stand-up in the city by the bay.

“It’s easy being a comic in San Francisco, because all I have to is wake up and look outside,” Klocek said.

Other jokes centered on the city’s homeless population, including a particularly hungry man punching a pigeon out of the air.

“That bird was clearly surprised," he said. "No pigeons send their young out into the wild and warn, ‘Careful, sometimes people punch.'"

Animals were ripe for parody during the evening, as Saget’s notoriously dirty set consisted of numerous references to horses, dogs and even elephants in various compromising situations. The only one of these jokes fit for print was about a video of an elephant backing up until an unsuspecting man behind it was neck deepin its business end. Saget wanted to use the footage for “America’s Funniest Home Videos,” but the producers deemed it inappropriate, so he instead performed the bit using his signature high-pitched narration for the crowd.

Saget’s report with the audience was comprised of deadpan asides to screaming women (“why thank you, witch lady”) and yelling, intoxicated men (“you’ve been smoking that stinkweed, haven’t you?). When an attractive blonde in the front row walked out to go to the bathroom, Saget dropped the microphone and pretended to follow her offstage without missing a beat.

“Seinfeld said that it isn’t a monologue so much as a discourse with the audience,” Saget observed later. “It really is a special thing."

Another “special thing” Saget had in store for the packed house was a closing series of songs played on his guitar, including the classic, “My Dog Licked My Balls."

He even paid homage to his father, who influenced Saget with his risqué jokes that would “cheer us up in tough times.” The song was a running story of false rhymes where the listener anticipates an offensive word at the end of each line but instead gets a continuation without any vulgarity.

The set ended with a heartfelt thank you to all of his fans and a lengthy meet-and-greet session after, made more impressive by the fact that he was standing the whole time only a few days after having knee surgery. While his act may be dirtier than the “backroom” at your local video store, Bob Saget is still one of nicest guys in show business.

Del Tha Funky Homosapien to Help Save the Skatepark Hangar

2009-09-24T04:14:14Z

While the skateboarding and hip-hop worlds have crossed paths many times before, the mix will hit locally Saturday when Oakland underground star Del tha Funky Homosapien headlines a show at the 28th and B Skatepark Hangar.

Tion Torrence, aka Bukue One, is Del's manager, as well as a skater and emcee himself.

"I work with Rich, our main promoter in Sacramento, and I told him that Del and myself were down to do a free event — skate related — and he put it all together for us," Torrence said via e-mail.

"We have been working directly with lots of skate brands to further strengthen the bridge between hip-hop and skateboarding, so [they've] been doing a lot of skate events lately."

Balancing these interests is not only easy for Torrence, but integral to his professional and recreational life.

"The management opens doors for me to incorporate the elements of my life that I love," Torrence said. "If I'm out on the road with Del I'm gonna get to rock a set, as well as check out the local skate parks on tour. If we are at a skate event, performing, I get to perform, manage and skate … they actually go hand in hand."

Torrence's history with Del stems back from 2000, when he was assistant to his previous road manager. "We kept in touch and when they parted, he asked if I'd be down to manage him," Torrence said.

Saturday's show is a benefit to save the Skatepark Hangar. The park has been in financial trouble recently and is taking donations. Del's performance will be the second year in a row he has appeared at the venue.

"Our intention with the event is to give back to the skate community and Del fans in Sacramento," Torrence said. "Rich had informed me that the Hangar was fighting to stay in business and it'd be great if we could do the event there. Perfect!"

Doors for the show open at noon, and it scheduled to end around 4:00 p.m. Local artists Chase Moore and Verbalistic will open up the show, and an array of skaters will also be performing. Entrance is free, but a donation of $5 to the skate park is suggested.

Del's website and a link to a free download of his latest album can be located here.

London Calling gets the tribute treatment at Old Ironsides

2009-12-08T04:12:26Z

One could make the argument that The Clash's "London Calling" is one of the riskiest moves in rock history. After two well-received and straightforward punk albums, the quartet from London threw fans, critics and the entire rock world a curveball in 1979.

Spanning at least three genres in 65 minutes, the double LP was not only twice as long as anything the band had recorded prior, but also about the last thing anybody expected from one of the founders of the British punk movement.

It could be considered just as risky, then, that a concert promoter would find it feasible to actually put together a bill of bands of equally varying styles to cover the classic album in its entirety. However, Jerry Perry, concert promoter extraordinaire, took a huge gamble anyway and collected 11 of the area's finest bands to cover all 19 tracks in sequence. Judging by the sardines-in-a-can feel of Old Ironsides on Saturday night, the payoff was huge for both Perry and every pint-swinging rock fan in the venue.

The Secretions opened things on an appropriately raucous scale with the title track and "Brand New Cadillac," with guitarist/vocalist Paul Filth hoisting his axe in the air, striking the now classic pose on the cover of the album at the end of their two-song set.

Such conciseness and organization was a welcome and unexpected trend throughout an evening stuffed with more bands than the bar's backstage can likely hold. Changeovers were quick and painless, aided by the wise decision to leave the drums and amps onstage, so each act only had to bring their stringed (and, in some cases, brass and key) instruments for each set.

Both Bastards of Young and Stars and Garters brought their own individual sounds to the more offbeat tracks. The former nailed the meandering halftime shuffle of "Jimmy Jazz" while the latter's glittery silver guitar and all-American looks brought out the rockabilly undertones in "Rudie Can't Fail" and "Spanish Bombs."

Underage emo act The Kelps brought the punk back to the crowd, with everyone singing along to the chorus of "The Right Profile" -- "And everybody say, 'Is he alright?'" The young band was entrusted with one of the toughest and most loved songs of the night in "Lost in the Supermarket." They bravely added an explosion of punk energy at the end that brought their set to a satisfying close.

"Funny story about The Kelps: None of them are 21 so they have to get the hell out now," said Perry before The No Goodnicks took the stage to finish off the first disc with the call and response of "Clampdown" and "The Guns of Brixton."

Armed Forces Radio started the second half of the record with "Wrong 'Em Boyo" and "Death or Glory," while The Broken Poet brought an analog Moog keyboard to the urgent "Koka Kola" and the piano driven "The Card Cheat."

To finish off the last side, The Various Artists took "Lover's Rock" and "Four Horseman," and Tom H and Jessi played a rendition of "I'm Not Down" with only guitar and vocals.

Local ska quintet Storytellers squeezed onto the stage for the appropriately laid back "Revolutionary Rock." Trombonist Marcus Faccini throttled his instrument as he leaned into the crowd while the rest of the band maintained the reggae vibe of the track.

Final Summation ended the main show by playing "the song that wasn't supposed to be on the album," "Train in Vain." It was a sufficiently energetic finale that led into a string of miscellaneous songs from the Clash discography. Armed Forces Radio and Bastards of Young both came back to run through a few more songs, while Broken Poets closed the medley with "I Fought the Law," itself a punk-infused cover of a song originally recorded by The Crickets.

Perry took the stage as the band took down the set behind him, not only thanking everyone for coming, but also acknowledging the night's success by adding there may be another similar show in the near future at an all-ages venue so kids like The Kelps could play and stay. The crowd's cries for "one more!" after the last song are certainly an indication of a much larger audience for this musical chairs of local bands.

Interview With Del Tha Funky Homosapien

2009-09-29T05:30:56Z

With six full-length solo albums, a founding role in seminal Oakland hip-hop crew Hieroglyphics and too many side projects and one-offs to count in his two decades in the game, Teren Delvon Jones, aka Del tha Funky Homosapien (or whatever variation of that spelling he feels like using on any given week), has long presided as the gateway between the independent and mainstream.

Del’s first two albums were recorded for Elektra, one of the larger labels in the early 90s, who terminated his contract in 1998 without warning before the release of his third LP, Future Development. Undaunted, Del instead pushed further underground, choosing to put all subsequent material out on Hiero Imperium, a label he co-owns with other similar artists.

While he achieved commercial success with his debut album's single, “Mistadobalina,” Del’s first true mainstream recognition came when he penned the two memorable verses for the hit Gorillaz track, “Clint Eastwood,” in 2001.

In the years following his early millennium comeback, Del occupied himself with the aforementioned side-projects and his first solo album in eight years, 2008’s Eleventh Hour.

The record received mixed critical reception, prompting Del to release his latest record, the sarcastically titled Funkman (The Stimulus Package), for free download from his website. After a recent tour showcasing the new material, Del made his way to Sacramento on Sept. 26 for a brief set at the 28th and B St. Skatepark Hangar.

The Sacramento Press took refuge from the blazing Sacramento afternoon in a climate-controlled white minivan where the somewhat reclusive emcee was waiting and working on his omnipresent laptop after the show.

Clad in a Skull Candy shirt and baggy blue pants with a camo Plan B Skateboards hat over covering his turquoise doo-rag, Del looked more casual than most rappers, eschewing flashy jewelry for the nose and lip ring combination he's had for the past few years.

The Funky Homosapien gave us a candid, one-on-one interview. The following are Del's opinions on various topics taken from the half-hour conversation, which can be heard in its entirety by clicking on the following links. Warning, files contain some profanity:

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

The importance of learning music theory:

If you’re really into the music, you will naturally grow to that point where you’re tired of just working with samples and other people’s music and admire that so much you want to do that yourself. It got to the point where I did as much as I could with samples and I had to step it up to a keyboard.

I can write a little bit and I can read a little bit, but I’m like preschool with it. It takes me a long time to read music. I can read drum patterns better, so I find myself doing that.

But there was a point where I started getting real depressed and I started thinking, “What I got to do to sell?” Once I started learning music theory, that’s when that all vanished.

Sampling sounds in the hip-hop world:

People want to try to sue you for anything. If I sample one tone from somebody’s record because I like the timbre of that tone, that doesn’t mean that you should be able to sue me. You only got seven notes you playing anyway, so if that’s the case then everybody’s stealing from everybody. How many combinations are there? It’s a finite number, actually.

Like if I had a hit song and somebody rapped over it, yeah, I’d want to sue them. Because they’re getting paid off of my song. But if you take a part, and you do it [your own way], like you can tell that somebody did something to it, that’s the whole art of hip-hop.

Respect for hip-hop from other communities:

I definitely want people to respect hip-hop more. I don’t think it should be dying like it is and just fading away.

People in certain communities will look at this like it’s trash. Like if I want to get respect in the classical community they’re going to laugh at me. Like, “That ain’t music, you’re not playing the same old cats’ music over and over again the same way they did it. That’s the only thing that’s dope. That’s not dope."

Unoriginality in hip-hop:

I think the problem is there’s not enough solutions, actual solutions. Everybody’s complaining and they just state the facts. Like, “We dope deal, we shoot up people.” Ok, we know that, now what can we do about that? You don’t have any kind of suggestion or anything? You’re just gonna leave me with that news? It’s already frustrating.

Instead of just complaining about it, like, “Hip-hop is dead,” I’m trying to actively do something to show that it can grow.

They’re still trying to whoop that dead horse. Like, “You gonna keep buying it because it’s gangster.” Like, that’s not why we bought it. We bought it because it was interesting. Now, it ain’t no more, so leave us alone.

Inspiration for lyrics for his different projects:

My regular Del s*** is just everyday. Just real, what’s going on. I just have a crazy way at looking at stuff. But Deltron [a sci-fi-themed project with Dan "The Automator" Nakamura and DJ Kid Koala] takes more concentration, a bit more thought and planning. That’s the reason it ain’t done yet.

Musical tastes and their influence:

Funk is the core. Got a lot of funk, jazz occasionally. I like more funky jazz. The whole realm of black music, but anything that’s funky and got a beat to it I’m gonna fool with. Soul music, in that realm. But I like rock, too. Classic rock, stuff like that. Bands like Cream or Traffic. Frank Zappa is a big influence.

Put it this way: Me personally, I could understand Frank Zappa. So in my mind that tells me that I can do what he do. I’m not saying that I can write a composition the way he do, but I’m sure if he had the ability to use something like Live [music composition software for computers] back then, he’d have been juiced.

Record labels:

Oh, they suck like they always do. I mean, don’t get me wrong. I’m not talking about every single person that works for the industry, it’s just the machine and the people at the top are… they have access to be able to say how something works that they have no idea of what’s really going on. And it’s all based on money.

I want some money, too. But I’m not willing to sell my ass for it. My integrity means more and it lasts longer.

Piracy of music:

“Why don’t you just let people do whatever they’re going to do?” Cause you’re not gonna stop piracy. The whole point of crackers and hackers doing that is to see if they can do it. So the harder you make it to do, the more fun it is for them to crack it! That’s the whole point and they don’t get it. No matter how much you do to it.

There’s been times where I’ve been on the Internet and I’ve wanted to get something, but I couldn’t download it, so I was like, “Ok, I’m supposed to wait for you to send it to me?"

Posting his music online for free download:

I’m proud of my music. I have confidence in my music. “Try it out, you’re gonna respect me,” is what I’m saying.

Making music for enjoyment instead of profit:

That’s how it used to be. People bought these records because these dudes was incredible. But they didn’t make it for money. They made it because they was trying to release what they had to release throughout the day. That was their only joy or whatever. Was just doing their music. Now, it’s just commerce for a lot of people.

Yeah, I mean it’s a fringe benefit that I get some money out of it.

That’s really all I do. Fools write their 16 bars and they think that’s something. “Yeah I got a hot 16.” I’m like, “Dude, come on.” I be throwing away raps, I write so many raps. Hella raps, I don’t even use them. Just to express myself and it’s fun to do. Like, that’s entertaining. Combining rhymes to me is entertaining. So I just do it to entertain myself. It just so happened to turn into something that we could make some money off of.

Defining and developing his style:

I try to keep it as basic as possible, just basic character defects in people.

I mean I rap about the same stuff pretty much, but I go about it a different way because I’ve never been a gangster.

How the hip-hop scene has changed:

More commercialism. Just watered down. And people forgot about the origins. What it was about in the first place. Basically it was about avoiding conflict. “I’m gonna be fresher than you with my mind. I’m gonna break dance fresher than you. I’m gonna beat you with my graffiti piece.”

Attitude towards modern, commercial hip-hop:

I ain’t blind to it. But I don’t listen to radio. Like 50 Cent. He’s rhyming, but that’s like pop now. So it’s just the right place at the right time, but I think it’s gonna need a change in music. People are tired of hearing the same old thing.

Projects in the near future:

Automatic Static is coming out, that’s on the website. That’s three bucks, and I know ya’ll can afford it. Working on an album with A-Plus called Hypnotize, so that’s gonna be tight. Tame One and me did an album, Parallel Uni-Verses. Working with Psalm One, too. Attractive Sin. I don’t know what to do with that, so I might just give it away. And Parallel Thought produced that album. And I’m working on another album with Parallel called Delphonic.

Artists with whom he'd like to collaborate:

Snoop. Sugar Free. I’d love to collaborate with Sugar Free. He’s tight. He does things with vocals and with his voice that other rappers would be scared to try.

Early Times to Play Hometown Show at Harlow's

2009-08-13T04:57:05Z

Native Sacramento guitarist, DJ and producer Early Times will return home for a performance at Harlow's on Friday.

While his MySpace page lists his genre categorization as "Crunk/Dutch pop/Black Metal," Early Times' music is even more eclectic in reality. The sampling of songs on his profile ranges from the slap bass funk of "Doin' the Nasty," to the Hammond organ-inflected blues of "Black Panties," to the spacey, improviasational jam piece "DUI." His capability to play multiple styles has earned him collaborations with a diverse group of musicians both local (Tesla, Cake) and national (trumpeter Wynton Marsallis).

Though he currently resides in New York City, Early spent his years in Sacramento building his reputation in the local scene. His past nominations for nine different Sacramento Area Music Awards, including Best Rock Band, Best Blues Band and Best Jazz Band, showcase the broad scope of his influences. He made the move to Manhattan a year after winning the Critics' Choice Award as Sacramento's Best Guitarist in 1997.

"I try to make it out to Sac once a year," Early said via phone en route to Sacramento from Minneapolis, Mo. MN. "It's pretty much around this time, too. There are plenty of people in the music scene there I'm still in contact with."

As for his categorization, it seems that the wide space of "multi-genre" is the only one Early is comfortable occupying. "You pretty much have it with that classification," Early said of his sound being described to him as "broad and tough to pin down." "When I was in Sacramento, I would play a jazz club for a few nights, then a blues club and maybe a rock club, all in the same week sometimes."

The show this Friday will be a mix of old and new songs from Early's career and will "probably include some improvisations here and there," he said.

Early's lineup will include his longtime rhythm section of Neil Franklin (drums) and Artis "A.J." Joyce (bass). The main guitarist will be The Sacramento Press' own Sales Manager, Sonny Mayugba. Aside from the main lineup, the set will also include appearances from a range of other local musicians. "I'm not sure who will be making it out, but whoever does will be sitting in and joining whenever," Early said. "It's always a big party when I play."

A compilation CD of unreleased tracks, titled Sacramento's Most Wanted: 1990-1997, will be available at the show. "It's pretty much a bunch of stuff I did awhile back but never found a spot for," Early said. "Most of the songs have been played live, and I like them all enough to have them on the record."

His adventurous and unpredictable blend of genres is sure to thrill the crowd at Harlow's. The show starts at 9 p.m. at 2708 J St. It is 21+.

Early Times' biography and samples of his music can be found here:

http://www.myspace.com/earlytimesband

Leon Russell to play Harlow's

2009-11-10T05:29:52Z

What do The Band, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Rolling Stones, Willie Nelson, The Beach Boys, Frank Sinatra and half of the Beatles have in common? Aside from making some of the finest popular music of the 20th century, all of these artists have collaborated with Leon Russell.

The long-haired and bearded organist/singer-songwriter has been working behind the scenes (and occasionally in the spotlight) with an innumerable amount of music’s heavy hitters for half a century.

“I've been lucky to work with so many great musicians,” Russell said via email a few days before his show at Harlow’s on Thursday, Nov. 12.

Russell began his music career as a session musician, working live and in the studio with the previously mentioned acts and many more, but never a permanent member of any one band. His abilities as a versatile performer enabled him to branch out to multiple genres with ease.

When the time was right, Russell was able to make the transition from sideman to full solo artist.

“I was playing on some Joe Cocker records that Denny Cordell was producing,” Russell said. “I had a couple of songs I wanted to submit to him for Joe Cocker, ‘Delta Lady’ and ‘Hello, Little Friend,’ I think was the other one. This was after the session. And when Cordell saw me [perform those] he was kind of flabbergasted because I had been sitting there all quiet and then started doing all this singing and he got interested in me as an artist. And it was because of him I pursued a solo career."

In 1970, Russell released his eponymous debut, driven by the lead single, “A Song for You."

The track has been covered by nearly 50 artists, the most popular rendition being from Herbie Hancock and Christina Aguilera, which was nominated for a Grammy for “Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals” in 2005. Many of his other popular songs have followed a similar path of acclaim, proving his versatility not only as a musician, but composer and songwriter.

“Alan Jackson's recording of 'Bluebird' arranged by Alison Krauss was wonderful,” Russell said when asked which version of his songs was his favorite. “That's the way I should have originally done it."

As for Thursday’s show, Russell has great things planned for his audience.

“We will play some songs by me and some by others,” Russell said. “Mostly ones I like. I have a great band. Jack Wessel (bass) has been with me for 28 years. Chris Simmons is on guitar, Brian Holder on drums and Brian Lee on organ."

With so many years of creativity, one wonders how Russell continues writing new material.

“I am inspired by my family,” Russell said. “My daughter, Sugaree [27 years old], who toured with me as part of my band for over 6 years, is releasing her first record soon (Jan. 5) on Leon Russell Records."

Russell can also count some of the best-known musicians of our time and a legion of fans to be a part of his family as well.

Tickets for Thursday’s show are $35. Doors open at 9 p.m., show starts at 10 p.m. Visit Harlow’s’ ticket page to purchase.

Brian McKenna Celebrates Birthday at Harlow's

2009-10-19T05:02:45Z

“I remember when I turned 40. Yeah, way back in seminary school,” quipped alt rock legend Mike Watt upon mention of local rock promoter Brian McKenna’s birthday. Then he and his band, The Secondmen, flew into another extended jam.

Watt and Co. were part of a celebration of the life and times of McKenna, who hit the big 4-0 Saturday, and also has spent half of those years putting together gigs in Sacramento. That showed at the party, the lineup for the evening read like a who’s who of early-'90s greats, including Kai Kln and NoMeansNo.

The Secondmen alternated between laid-back blues grooves and frenetic psychobilly freakouts. Though more than a decade McKenna’s senior, Watt was absolutely reckless, smashing drummer Jerry Trebotic’s cymbals and putting a few more pockmarks on his well-loved Gibson EB.

Melodic duties were shared equally by Watt and keyboardist Pete Mazich, who hammered away on the keys of his modified Hammond B3 organ. Trebotic kept the performance together, punctuating any lulls in the din with breakneck solos. Give an octopus a sack of amphetamines and drum sticks for half his tentacles and you’re on the right track to describing Trebotic’s sound. The band's every note was played with gusto, whether it was a half-tempo shuffle or dirty, punk-infused bass riff. By the end of the set, Watt had as much sweat on his instrument of choice as his bandmates did on their faces. He calmly put his glasses back on and sauntered off the stage, his gig bag swung nonchalantly over his shoulder.

Guitarist Sherman Loper began Kai Kln's performance by playing “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” with his EBow, but the rest of the local stoner rockers' hourlong set was decidedly not kid friendly. Somewhere around the halfway point, a male stripper appeared from backstage, swaggering back and forth and stopping to sing a few notes into the microphone as the band jammed on another killer riff from the seemingly endless stock Loper and fellow six stringer/vocalist Gene Smith have at their disposal. Men leaned over the stage, extending dollar bills while the unnamed and goateed dancer swatted away their attempts with his whip. Minutes after he exited the stage, the hairy tease emerged again (wearing more clothes this time) to take over vocal duties for “Kong” from Kai Kln’s 1992 full-length Vigoda, which they performed in its entirety. It was a form of homage to the band's origins, back when McKenna organized shows for them. An obvious reference point for the band’s sound is Palm Desert pioneer Kyuss, but the Sacto quartet brought a more party-oriented vibe to the night that fit the occasion.

Not content to relax at his own party, the birthday boy could be seen ducking through doors and running backstage to make sure the evening went smoothly. McKenna He is clearly most comfortable among the rattle and fuzz of rock shows, no matter how stressful the job seems to anyone looking on. What better way to make sure your party is perfect than by organizing it yourself?

The gray-haired members of Victoria, B.C., NoMeansNo closed the festivities, opening their set with a reverb-drenched dirge reminiscent of Seattle neighbors The Melvins. Then they switched pace and kicked into a string of rough-hewn punk tracks, guitarist Tom Holliston tearing off dissonant licks as brothers Rob (bass) and John (drums) Wright sent counterrhythms careening into each other. Experimentation has marked the 30-year-old act, and they brought just about all of their facets to the stage, transitioning from throbbing math rock to thrashy hardcore to an off-kilter sea shanty ballad about “a girl with no face."

Eclecticism couldn’t save NoMeansNo from curfew, though, as a stagehand poked his head through the curtain to signal the end of the night. The affable Rob nodded and proceeded to lead his band into at least three false stops before stomping through another avant-anthem. Finally, the stage lights dimmed midsong and the crowd was forced to stop rocking and vacate, but not without singing “Happy Birthday” to the man of the night, who gave a friendly send-off to a sea of sweaty contemporaries.

High on Fire at Harlow's

2009-08-10T22:00:34Z

As if imitating one of the mighty beasts that haunt his band’s album covers, High on Fire's Matt Pike stands before his audience, arms outstretched, as a devilish grin peeks through his drapes of sweaty, matted hair. Pike proceeds to tear into another crushing riff on his custom nine-string guitar and the crowd responds accordingly; fists pumping to the beat, hair cutting gleaming swaths through the air thick with beer and the unique blend of bodily aromas that only a metal show can provide. Such was the scene at Harlow’s Saturday night.

Before Pike and his band took the stage, the opening acts built up the necessary fervor. Red Tape kicked the night off with an energetic set filled with dirty riffs played with a punk attitude that didn’t skimp on the melody. Guitarist/vocalist Jeff Jaworski even closed the performance with a NOLA-inspired groove straight from the bayous that compelled the early-comers to stomp their boots in unison.

Brooklyn retro thrashers Early Man were next, and the quartet ripped through a string of aggro anthems that echoed the glory days of the Bay Area, complete with Flying Vs, vintage cutoffs and pauses for a few generous gulps of Bud. Frontman and co-founder Mike Conte’s lips were curled in a perpetual Dave Mustaine snarl as he spat throwback gems like “All right, so you wanna fight/My fists are sticks of dynamite.” For 45 minutes, the classy club in downtown felt like a dive in the dilapidated back alleys of San Francisco.

When it finally came time for the headliners to take the stage, the standing area was packed end to end with metal dudes and dudettes eager for the Oakland collective to whip them into shape.

And what a workout it was. Despite its beanstalk appearance, Pike’s shirtless, heavily tattooed form dominated the stage as it writhed to the vicious tom work of drummer Des Kensel and murky rumbles of bassist Jeff Matz.

Five new tracks off the trio’s as-yet untitled fifth album made their second live appearance after a gig in Eureka the night before. The only one that was actually intelligible through Pike’s gravely Lemmy Kilmister growl was “The Mystery of the Elm,” but it and the other four were dripping with as much fury and sludge as anything in the decade-old act’s arsenal.

If Pike is indeed the underground’s Lemmy, and High on Fire is its Motörhead, then the band’s “Ace of Spades” is “Devolution.” The guys ended the night with the track, which opened their breakthrough 2005 record, Blessed Black Wings. Pike perched his foot authoritatively on the monitor as he shot his fist at the crowd to the syllables of the song’s titular refrain. The entire front row shouted the chorus back between bouts of moshing. Pike absorbed the energy and burned it instantly as he sent the night crashing down with one final dramatic rake across his guitar.

Keith Lowell Jensen at the Punch Line

2009-08-25T20:49:16Z

After years in the comedy business, local comic Keith Lowell Jensen is set to release his debut comedy album and is celebrating the career milestone with a CD release show at the Punch Line on Wednesday, Aug. 26.

Jensen's other endeavors include a documentary film about panhandling called Why Lie, I Need a Drink, multiple blogs touching on subjects from his inability (or unwillingness) to keep a job to sea monkeys and a book titled The Atheist Survival Guide, due out in November. It seems Jensen has done just about everything but a comedy album. So why is he just getting around to it now?

"Well, they say, 'Be in the right place at the right time,' and I guess I just decided to be everyplace," Jensen said over the phone, laughing. "I’m a big comedian biography reader, and one of the reasons I got into doing sketch and other stuff was looking at some of the comedians' careers and thinking, 'This is something every comic has in his background, and maybe I ought to try some of this.' I ended up really enjoying it and maybe lost my focus on standup for a bit to get into sketch."

Jensen's first big standup performance came in his teenage years when he was a regular attendee at Spike and Mike's Animation Festival.

"I used to watch Mike [Gribble, the late co-founder of the festival] and be mesmerized," Jensen said. "I guess he saw me and thought, 'Oh, this kid's into it.' After a while he stuck me on stage to introduce a show."

The catch was that Jensen would perform Mike's set. "He knew that I knew his material, and so he put me on stage so I could do it," Jensen said. The experience gave him confidence, and each night Jensen would "slip in one or two of my own jokes until I had my own set."

"I’ve been doing it ever since," he said.

The successful Coexist? Comedy Tour was the next step in Jensen's standup career.

Filling the atheist slot in the lineup composed of Muslim, Christian, Hindu, Jewish and Buddhist comics, Jensen sharpened his set, focusing on religion and science. But the material recorded over three nights in April at Luna's Cafe and Juice Bar differs from Jensen's normal routine in that it focuses more on storytelling and family matters.

"Well I love Cosby, and I’ve had a strange relationship with his influence," Jensen said. "He’s such a storyteller, and the first thing I wanted to do in comedy was to be that, but the first few times I got on stage I got scared away from that because it’s so hard. And just in the last two years I've really come back to it."

The final track on the album is a nine-minute story, a possible step in a new direction for Jensen.

"Religion has always been a part of my life," Jensen said. "I’m an atheist who comes from a very religious family, so the storytelling will certainly have aspects of that in there. But I’m not entirely sure where it will go next, and I’m kind of always surprised."

Wednesday's show at the Punch Line will see Jensen headlining a handpicked lineup of performers.

"Kelly Price will be opening, and she will be doing her own lewd and crude comedy show," Jensen said. "She is just a hilarious female comic. And then Ray Molina, who is one of the most unique entities in the Northern California comedy scene. He has a really mellow, deadpan delivery, but it's very personal. John Ross will also be there, and he was the original Christian comedian on the Coexist? Comedy Tour."

Marcella Arguello will host the party. "She's a finalist in the third round of the Purple Onion Comedy Competition in San Francisco," Jensen said. "I did an all-female comedy show a few weeks ago at Luna's, and she was awesome."

Jensen's headlining slot after openers he picked himself only means one thing to him: "I must be really full of myself to think I can follow all of them. I should have picked the worst comedians so I could look better!"

The show starts at 8:30 p.m. at 2100 Arden Way, Ste. 225. Tickets are $15 and include a free copy of Jensen's album, To the Moon... Live at Luna's. The show is for 18 and over.

The Punch Line's Web site can be visited here: http://www.livenation.com/venue/punch-line-comedy-club-sacramento-tickets/

Dave Brubeck Takes Five at the Radisson

2009-09-20T01:18:57Z

The use of the word legend to describe an artist often draws cries of hyperbole. In a musical climate where acts become blockbusters seemingly overnight and evaporate into obscurity just as quickly, it's all too easy to forget about a truly enigmatic icon like Dave Brubeck.

Aside from a stint in the army during World War 2, the 88-year-old jazz pianist has been composing and performing since he graduated from the University of the Pacific in 1942.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of "Time Out," an album for which descriptors like "landmark," "innovative" and "groundbreaking" were coined.

Critically panned upon its release, the seven-song exercise in odd time signatures single-handedly changed the perceptions of jazz for casual and serious fans alike, and is now considered a classic in the genre, as well as being the first jazz album to sell a million copies.

Paul Desmond's smooth saxophone lines helped ease the jarring time signatures of bassist Eugene Wright and drummer Joe Morello, while Brubeck laid melodic piano runs over each performance. The album -- especially its hit single, the now-standard "Take Five" -- was a perfect melding of odd meter changes and occasional excursions into international music styles, all made accessible with memorable leads that belied the material's complexity. The outlandish post-modern cover art and heady musicianship on "Time Out" cemented it as a cornerstone of the new era of jazz, leading the way into the 60s with a different take on the genre.

On Friday, Sept. 18, Brubeck made a rare Sacramento appearance at the center courtyard of the Radisson Hotel, eschewing his regular performances at his alma mater, which is also home to an institute that bears his name.

A quartet from the Dave Brubeck Institute opened the night. While the members were just barely old enough to vote, they played with a refined touch that mirrored Brubeck's own classic lineup.

Aside from a few covers, the four skilled young players performed original pieces, the first of which was composed by saxophonist Chad Lefkowitz-Brown. The song, called "Still Here," began with a quick-ride cymbal workout from drummer Corey Fonville, which was anchored by bassist Zach Brown to form a sturdy foundation for the lead instruments that gave meaning to the composition's reaffirming title. Both Lefkowitz-Brown and pianist Noah Kellman got a solo, provoking call and response interplay between the two instruments before Fonville took the song home with rolling tom fills.

"315" was next, a tune from Kellman named after his hometown's area code in New York. In keeping with the city theme, the song had a pronounced urban feel to it, with a strong, upbeat tempo and an incredible bass solo. The quartet finally converged into one after a few minutes of rhythmic experimentation and locked into a swinging melody that lasted for the rest of the number.

If Marian McPartland is jazz piano's reigning queen, then Dave Brubeck is, without question, its king. This fact was made apparent once again when Mayor Kevin Johnson gave Brubeck a key to the city of Sacramento in return for the autographed piano key Johnson had once received from him. The award is another in the string of many Brubeck has received over the years, including a recent announcement from the Kennedy Center that he will be honored for excellence in the performing arts on Dec. 6.

All of this seemed to roll off of the man of the night, who seemed to simply want to sit at his throne and play the instrument he has mastered over the years.

When all awards and honors are given and done with, what's striking about Brubeck is his humility. He eased into his piano chair (no longer a stool, presumably for back comfort) and entered his own world, where myriad melodies, tonalities and rhythms cohabited and cooperated in ways which no other living jazz musician can coax with such ease.

Brubeck's set was mostly comprised of a Duke Ellington medley, a nice mix of songs and styles that brought cheers from the 1,000 or so people in attendance, especially when he finished his first solo. He smiled uncontrollably, likely the same expression he's always had during his thousands of previous concerts. At one point Brubeck let out a loud, "Oh!" in reaction to bassist Michael Moore's proficient use of his bow during a solo.

A tune called "Travellin' Blues," about Brubeck's wife, Lola, waiting at home while he toured, was an emotional centerpiece to the concert. The four players hinted at a groove before joining together for the refrain. Saxophonist Bobby Militello played a powerful solo comprised of massive sustained notes that could have easily been a heart-wrenching Bessy Smith ballad had they been vocalized.

In between songs, Brubeck spoke about his life as a musician. The next day's lengthy itinerary had the hard-touring road veteran slightly nervous.

"We're heading to Redwood City to play, and then it's on to Monterrey for the [annual] jazz festival," Brubeck said. "Rather than stay in a nice hotel for the rest of the day, we just keep going onto another gig; but that's the way we live, if you can call that living. Getting there and playing, though, that is the living."

During another break Brubeck mentioned that in 1958, President Eisenhower commissioned his quartet to play in various nations across the globe to spread good will.

One country was Turkey, where he and his bandmates were inspired by the regional music enough to compose Time Out's "Blue Rondo à la Turk." He then announced he would not play said piece that night, citing the tune in the challenging 9/8 time signature as a "real finger buster."

When someone in the front row requested "Take Five" instead, Brubeck responded with mock indignation -- "If that's what you want, then that's what you're going to get" -- before his fingers nimbly counted out the opening notes of the signature number.

Militello echoed the late Paul Desmond's sax melody perfectly and the rest of the band rode the song's groove until they broke for drummer Randy Jones to hammer out an extended solo filled with dramatic cymbal crashes and harrowing snare rolls. The rest of the members were as transfixed as the audience, with Brubeck even standing up to peek around his piano to watch the sticks fly before settling back in to return the piece to its central theme.

Before the audience noticed, almost two hours had passed and the quartet was still playing.

To end the set, Brubeck joked with the crowd by playing the melody of the nursery rhyme "Go to Sleep, Little Baby" before going into a final tune.

In total, the audience rose three times to give a standing ovation before sitting down after realizing that Brubeck was not going to forfeit his throne before he played every last note he could. The man clearly lives for music, whether playing it to audiences the world over or a quasi-hometown gathering. He is, as the Library of Congress has designated him to be, a living legend.

Photo credits to Jonathan Mendick. I don't know what technial wizardry he used to get these shots. He made the best out of a pretty rough lighting situation and came away with some great images.

Stars Wars: In Concert to Come to Arco Arena

2009-10-08T03:40:36Z

"Star Wars" fans will be in for a treat on Oct. 9 and 10 when "Star Wars: In Concert" will make its Sacramento debut at Arco Arena.

"[The show] is a fully multimedia, full-evening concert that takes two hours, which includes a 20 minute intermission," said David Barber, the North American press representative for the tour.

Clips from each movie will be used to tell an abridged version of the story, effectively summing up the entire adventure in roughly one-sixth of its actual length.

"Lucasfilm cut the montages to fit John Williams' cut-downs of the music made for the event especially by Williams — all custom work," said Barber.

Narrating the entire show will be none other than Anthony Daniels, who played C-3PO and will be on stage to guide the audience through the entire show.

"[The] audience will experience the music played live by an 86-piece orchestra and sung by an 80-person chorus, the Star Wars Symphony Orchestra and Choir, to specially edited scenes from all six 'Star Wars' films — including special effects such as laser displays and other surprise effects," said Barber.

Barber also said there will be an exhibit featuring "over 70 items including original concept art, music manuscripts, costumes, props and other archival items," some of which will be shown to the public for the first time ever.

"[The exhibit] is in the concourse lobby areas of the arena — the corridors that go around the outside of the arena seating areas in a circular fashion," said Barber. Each piece of the exhibit travels in its own self-contained box on one of 12 trucks.

The tour started on Oct. 2 and is currently in L.A. at the Nokia Theatre before making the trek to Sacramento. Friday’s show starts at 7 p.m. and Saturday’s at 3 p.m. Doors open two hours before. Tickets are $75, $55 and $35. Pricing determines where the seats are, meaning the most expensive tickets are the closest to the stage.

Interview With Minus the Bear's Erin Tate

2009-10-27T03:21:56Z

A few weeks before Minus the Bear’s scheduled appearance at the Boardwalk on Saturday, we called drummer Erin Tate to talk about the new record, touring and the influences of progressive rock, new producers and the fairer sex:

SP: So what is an average day like on tour for you guys?

E: Depends on the day. It can be anywhere from just sitting around doing nothing and watching movies or sometimes we attempt to write music, which doesn’t happen very often. And sometimes we drink a lot of beer.

SP: You just finished recording the new album. What can you tell us about that?

E: It took us a really long time. [Laughs] It’s definitely a Minus the Bear record. But it’s kind of the first time we worked with an outside producer. On our first record, we worked with Steve Fisk. But since then we’ve kind of just been doing stuff ourselves and working with Matt Bayles, who also used to be in the band [keyboards]. So it was a pretty different process for that reason. We learned an awful lot from Joe [Chicarelli]. He’s a very intimidating and inspiring man. We really dove into sound and into the individual sounds more than we ever have. So we’re all really psyched on it and think it turned out pretty well. It’s my favorite thing we’ve ever done.

SP: Why did you decide to go with a different producer than Matt this time?

E: Just to try something different. We’ve kind of been doing the same thing for almost our whole career so it was just kind of time and even Matt knew it was kind of time. Needless to say, we could go back and do the next one with him. We are all fans of the stuff Joe has done.

SP: A lot of bands who have worked with Matt, like Isis and Mastodon, have switched producers. Is he looking for new clientele?

E: He is still busy as hell. I never see him because he’s always working. Me and him go out for beers twice a week when he gets off work but I tried to make plans with him like three days ago but he’s working straight for over a month. I think the time just kind of came for the bands to check out other people and stuff. We’re kind of at a transitional period where we kind of want to try some different things.

SP: How do you feel like this one is different from your old material?

E: Well, maturity has kind of been a factor throughout our band. I kind of feel like each record we kind of grow up a little more. We are now all officially a group of 30-year-old men. I think this record has some stuff that’s poppier than we’ve ever done. And then there’s some stuff that’s more mellow. Like the new single we released the other day [“Into the Mirror”]. It’s kind of laid back and different than "Planet of Ice."

SP: “Into the Mirror” is going to be on the new album?

E: Yeah, and we’re self-releasing a seven inch [vinyl] that will be available online but then we’ll also have it for this tour. It will be that song and then a B-side song that won’t be on the record.

SP: Why did you guys decide to bring female lead vocals back on “Into the Mirror”?

E: It was something we had been talking about doing for awhile. That section of the song when we were writing it was instrumental. And it was an idea that one of us thought of having a male’s perspective the first half of the song and the female perspective. Lyrically, Jake [Snider, vocalist/guitarist] had the lyrics written out and it just kind of made sense. And we brought the idea to Joe and he totally latched onto it and thought it was a great idea.

SP: So who is the singer?

E: Rachel Flotard. She sings for a band called Visqueen from Seattle and she also sings with Neko Case. We’ve been trying to take Visqueen on tour for years because we love them and Rachel is a really good friend of ours and she’s obviously insanely talented.

SP: Are there any more tracks with her or any other guests on the album?

E: There’s a girl named Ellie from Mexico that sang on a song, too. She’s really talented. We had recorded the song and kind of out nowhere Joe was like, “I think we should have some Spanish singing here. I know this girl who would be perfect for it.” So she sang in Spanish on one of the songs because it has this theme to it that seemed kind of fitting. We sent her the song to do a demo of it and we are kind of like, “That sounds like a really strange idea.” But she sent back the track and it was just f****** great.

SP: What is the writing process like for you guys?

E: It’s been kind of different every record. The first few Dave [Knudson, guitarist] and I would work. Like Dave would have a guitar riff and I would go down and me and him would arrange stuff and I would help him do other stuff. Then the other guys would come in and help put the finishing touches. And then "Planet of Ice" was more of a record where all five us were in the room and it was also our first record with Alex [Rose] playing keyboards instead of Matt, which made a huge difference in the songwriting process.

The new record is kind of a combination of both. One thing that was really different about this record was that normally we’ll start writing a song and work on it until it’s done. Then we’ll go back and see if it needs revisions later, before we record. This record we did large groups of jamming where we would go into the rehearsal space and play a bunch of stuff and basically never finish anything. And the next day we would go back and work on something completely new. We pretty much record everything we do at practice so we have days and days and days of rehearsal tapes so we would go back over and listen to stuff and go, “This is a really good riff so let’s work on this.”

SP: Was your original sound when you first formed just a combination of all your influences from all of your different bands?

E: It’s a combination of where everyone was at the beginning. I think the reason that every record is so different is that reason. Granted we all agree on a lot of music. But Dave was in a brutal metal band, and Corey and I were in a weird, arty, screamy band, and Jake was in a really mellow band, and Matt had never even been in a band at that point. Each time we go into the songwriting process you learn something new each record. So it changes every time and each year that goes on you hear some band that you didn’t think you’d like. Before we did "Planet of Ice" we kind of all had started really getting into a bunch of prog rock stuff that we’d all heard but were not necessarily that into. And all of a sudden it just hit us. Like, “King Crimson is the s***!”

SP: You’re playing Sacramento on Halloween. Do you guys do anything for that holiday? It seems like something you might take advantage of.

E: This will be the eighth year where we’ve been on tour for Halloween and I think we’ve only done something once. Maybe we will this time. Our merch girl, Amy, and I were just discussing it yesterday and she was asking if we were going to do anything. We didn’t last year and we all felt dumb about it. The last time we did we were in Albuquerque and we were in weird outfits and for me personally it was really hard to play because I was being constricted by this weird robe. I think I was a monk or something.

SP: Are you going to play a lot of new songs on the tour to test them?

E: I think we’re playing three. Both the songs from the 7” and then one other new one, which I believe is the opening track on the new record.

SP: Is the record still planned for early 2010?

E: In theory. We’ve got to find a record label.

SP: Suicide Squeeze isn’t putting it out?

E: No. We did everything ourselves and went into it kind of to see what happens. We may put it out ourselves or maybe Suicide Squeeze will put it out, who knows?

SP: Have you found any prospects or anyone you’ve been talking to?

E: Everything is still totally up in the air. We’re just kind of concentrating on getting this next tour done and we’ll figure it out from there.

Minus the Bear stays flawless at the Boardwalk

2009-11-02T20:24:48Z

A love letter to Minus the Bear:

Dear criminally underrated Seattle indie rock quintet,

I love everything about you.

For instance, the way you balance complex time signature changes and finely honed musicianship with catchy pop sensibility. It takes a truly skilled collective to make music this intricate seem so natural.

Or the fact that Jake Snider’s bittersweet lyrics about lost innocence and simpler times are relatable not only to high schoolers who are experiencing the subject matter for the first time, but to grown adults twice their age who have been through it numerous times and have the benefit of hindsight. I love that Snider can make potentially corny lyrics like “It’s rare to feel this expensive/But next to a girl like her/It’s impossible not to” sound earnest and heartfelt. He delivers every line with a soft, no-worries croon that sounds as effortless as his band’s transitions.

Other things that make me love you:

Erin Tate walking a thin line between machinelike precision and manic liveliness on his drum kit and always finding room for jazzy fills between the notes.

The very same guitar taps Dave Knudson used to send neck-tatted hardcore kids into a frenzy at Botch shows in the late '90s have been altered ever so slightly to compel star-crossed teens to sway in each other's arms.

Your fans recognize your songs from the first few taps on said signature golden axe. Said fans sing along to every line of every song as if they’ve lived each narrative. They sang even louder than usual at the Boardwalk on Halloween night to alleviate the abuse on Snider’s sore throat.

You played Sacramento even though you had to cancel the night before because of Snider’s lost voice.

You played in costume for the first five songs until the stage lights proved way too hot for your attire. Cory Murchy’s banana costume was the wacky antitheses to his normally reserved demeanor.

Murchy always raises his right hand from his bass in between songs to give the thumbs-up sign to the crowd as if questioning whether the cheering contingent is enjoying the set.

Alex Rose replaced Matt Bayles on keyboards on 2007’s "Planet of Ice" and has since become an indispensable factor in the band’s maturity. His playing on the new single, “Into the Mirror,” fills the gaps between tapping and bleep, blip, bloop electronics to add an organic, analog feel to the track without overpowering the mix.

You don’t ignore any era of your discography and still play the “old stuff” in equal measure, even though it displays a schoolboy innocence and naivete your more recent material eschews for a darker tone.

You saved fan favorite “Pachuca Sunrise” for the encore and jammed on its ending for another few minutes because you knew we weren’t ready to go home yet. You could have used that time warp when daylight-savings time kicked in to play for all eternity, and no one would have complained.

May you rock every venue like you rocked the Boardwalk on Saturday. Everything was flawless, as usual. My love for you rivals that reserved for my future children.

Sincerely,

Greg