Sacramento Events

Norcal Noisefest 2011: Six Days of Noise!

2011-09-27T07:12:56Z

Norcal Noisefest 2011, Sacramento's fifteenth annual gathering of experimental musicians and noise artists, returns this week for a six-day noise marathon featuring over 50 performers from across the continent.

Starting on Wednesday September 28 and running every day until Monday October 3, this year's Noisefest has expanded in both time and space: on Thursday night, simultaneous shows will occur in both Sacramento and San Francisco, followed by an on-air Noisefest performance on KDVS, 90.3 FM, in Davis. All other performances take place in Sacramento--at the Naked Lounge downtown, the Geery Theatre in Midtown, Luna's Cafe, and Sol Collective at the edge of Curtis Park.

Noise is difficult to explain. Like abstract art is to representational art, noise attempts to liberate music from the traditional constraints of musical form, to explore the outer edges of musical experience. Founded in 1995, the Norcal Noisefest features explorers reporting back from those edges, to share their sensory discoveries with the city of Sacramento.

All shows are all-ages, admission is $10 per day and includes earplugs.

An all-week festival pass for $40 includes admission to all shows, a Noisefest T-shirt, a copy of this year's compilation CD "Noise Warning," and a commemorative Noisefest pin--and earplugs. Purchase tickets at the door or online via Brown Paper Tickets:

http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/194346

For updates and more information visit http://www.norcalnoisefest.com

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2011- 8pm
NAKED LOUNGE DOWNTOWN, 1111 H STREET, SACRAMENTO
DELAYED SLEEP (sacramento)
MERDIQUE (seattle,wa)
klowd (sacramento)
SMITE! (sacramento)
KEVIN CORCORAN / WES STEED (sacramento)

THURSDAY, SEPT 29, 2011 - 7:30p - 10p
Wm.J.GEERY THEATER, SACRAMENTO,CA, 2130 L Street
NIGHT NURSE (sacramento)
PETE VON PETRIN (san francisco)
CHOPSTICK (sacramento)
VENETIAN VEIL (sacramento)

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2011 - 8pm
LUGGAGE STORE GALLERY, SAN FRANCISCO, 1007 Market Street
XOME (sacramento)
+ - ERROR (Germany)
MARLO EGGPLANT (olympia,wa)
DARYL SHAWN/LAURIE AMAT (new york/san francisco)

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2011 - 11PM
KDVS, FM 90.3. DAVIS,CA
stream @ www.kdvs.org
MATT KRETZMANN (sacramento)
CHAD E. WILLIAMS (sacramento)
LIVER CANCER (rocklin)
WES STEED (sacramento)

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2011 - 7pm
LUNA'S CAFE, 1414 16TH ST, SACRAMENTO
INSTAGON (sacramento)
MARLO EGGPLANT (olympia,wa)
+ - ERROR (Germany)
NOISEPSALM (camino)
CJ BOROSQUE (richmond)
DARYL SHAWN/LAURIE AMAT (new york/san francisco)
ENDIF (reno,nv)
ONE INFINITE LOOP (medford,or)
DESTROY DATE (los angeles)
LORDS OF OUTLAND (san francisco)
THURSDAY, SEPT 29, 2011 - 7:30p - 10p
Wm.J.GEERY THEATER, SACRAMENTO,CA
NIGHT NURSE (sacramento)
PETE VON PETRIN (san francisco)
CHOPSTICK (sacramento)
VENETIAN VEIL (sacramento)

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2011 - 3pm
SOL COLLECTIVE, SACRAMENTO,CA, 2574 21st Street
BIG CITY ORCHESTRA (san francisco)
+DOG+ (los angeles)
XOME (sacramento)
ACTUARY (los angeles)
THOMAS DIMUZIO (san francisco)
XDUGEF (los angeles)
ENDOMETRIUM CUNTPLOW (northridge)
LIVER CANCER (rocklin)
STRIATIONS (concord)
UBERKUNST (sacramento)
OVERDOSE THE KATATONIC (seattle,wa)
MOE! STAIANO (san francisco)
TRALPHAZ (san francisco)
JOLTHROWER (wet planet)
THE DISAPPEARANCE OF PLANET DWARF PLUTO
(los angeles)
DETH SIKE (seattle,wa)
THE TARAVAL TECHNIQUE (san francisco)
ACCIDENTAL MEMORIES (sacramento)
CARTOON JUSTICE (san francisco)
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2011 - 8pm
LUGGAGE STORE GALLERY, SAN FRANCISCO
XOME (sacramento)
+ - ERROR (Germany)
MARLO EGGPLANT (olympia,wa)
DARYL SHAWN/LAURIE AMAT (new york/san francisco)

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2011, 4pm
LUNA'S CAFE, 1414 16TH ST, SACRAMENTO,CA
VANKMEN (oakland)
HOLLY HERNDON (oakland)
MEDICINE CABINET (tracy)
BLOOD INTO WATER (san jose)
THIRTEEN HURTS (pleasant view,co)
HYPNOTIC INJECTION (sacramento)
ORBLESS (oakland)
WELTSCHMERZ (san francisco)
BABY BEAST (vancouver,CANADA)
THEE AHMISH (huntington beach)
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2011 - 11PM
KDVS, FM 90.3. DAVIS,CA
stream @ www.kdvs.org
MATT KRETZMANN (sacramento)
CHAD E. WILLIAMS (sacramento)
LIVER CANCER (rocklin)
WES STEED (sacramento)

MONDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2011 - 7:30pm
NEBRASKA MONDAY WEEKLY EXPERIMENTAL JAZZ SERIES
WELCOMES NOISEFEST CLOSING NIGHT
LUNA'S CAFE, 1414 16TH ST, SACRAMENTO,CA
RITUAL WASTE [w/Jon Bafus] (sacramento)
LUCIO MENEGON (new york,ny)
ROSS HAMMOND (sacramento)
DONKEY FLYBYE [of Smegma] (sacramento)
LOUD ODD BASS (sacramento)

Disclosure: William Burg is Director of Promotion for the Norcal Noisefest.

Historic Home Tour in Marshall School Neighborhood

2011-09-12T19:57:35Z

Sacramento Old City Association 36th Annual Home Tour
What: A tour of 8 historic buildings in the Marshall School neighborhood, and street fair at 27th and J Street.
When: Sunday, September 18, 10:00 AM-4:00 PM
Where: Marshall Park, 27th & J Street, Sacramento
How Much: $20 in advance, $25 day of event

On Sunday, September 18, the Sacramento Old City Association (SOCA) presents its 36th annual tour of historic homes in Sacramento’s central city. Each year, we offer an inside look into the beautiful and historic buildings that line Midtown and Downtown streets, and some of the newest infill development projects in the city. This year’s tour of the Marshall School neighborhood, in the northeastern quarter of the central city between F and J Street, features homes in the Queen Anne, Craftsman and Neoclassic styles. In addition to seven residential buildings, this year's tour includes a rare inside look at the Sacramento Eastern Star Temple, a National Register listed 1925 Romanesque Revival building.

The tour starts at Marshall Park, at the corner of 27th and J Street. A street fair at the park features local contractors, architects, builders and artisans specializing in historic home rehab and remodeling, local businesses, artists and crafters displaying their wares, local nonprofits, advocacy and local history organizations.

Local musicians Tender Cinders, Garage Jazz Architects, The Freebadge Serenaders, and Emile Dalkey will perform at the street fair in the center of Marshall Park, starting at 11:00 AM.

Those attending the tour will get an inside, guided tour through each building, provided by volunteer docents, including members of the Marshall School New Era Park Neighborhood Association, SOCA, and the Sacramento Art Deco Society. Tour participants can also show their tour wristband for a 15% discount in the restaurants of the nearby Sutter District. The tour costs $25 on the day of the event, or $20 in advance via www.brownpapertickets.com. The street fair is free and open to the public.

Started in 1975, the SOCA Home Tour was created to showcase historic homes in neglected central city neighborhoods. Members showed off their home-repair projects and shared techniques, tools and advice. As these neighborhoods became the Sacramento region’s favorite destination for culture and entertainment, the home tour has grown into a celebration of central city life, including art, culture, business, transportation and transit, entertainment, history, downtown living, and the irreplaceable beauty of Sacramento’s historic neighborhoods. The tour is also a fundraiser that helps SOCA carry out its mission to preserve and enhance a high quality of life for Central City residents, businesses, working people and visitors.

Tickets can be purchased online at https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/187298
For more information about SOCA, visit http://www.sacoldcity.org

Sponsored in part by Midtown Monthly Magazine, The Sutter District restaurants, and Midtown Business Association

Disclosure: William Burg is a board member of the Sacramento Old City Association.

"The Greenest Building" Film Showing at Crest Theatre July 25

2011-07-18T06:55:43Z

What: The Greenest Building Documentary Film, followed by a panel discussion on the connections between historic preservation, green building and economic sustainability.
When: Monday, July 25 at 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM (Movie 7:00 PM, discussion panel 8:00 PM)
Where: The Crest Theatre, 1013 K Street, Sacramento
How Much: Free!

Over the next 20 years, Americans will demolish one third of our existing building stock (over 82 billion square feet) in order to replace seemingly inefficient buildings with energy efficient “green” structures. Is demolition in the name of sustainability really the best use of natural, social, and economic resources? Or, like the urban renewal programs of the 1960’s, is this well-intentioned planning with devastating environmental and cultural consequences?

On Monday, July 25th, “The Greenest Building,” a new hour-long documentary by Eugene, Oregon film producer Jane Turville, will be screened at the Crest Theatre, 1013 K Street, Sacramento. The film presents a compelling overview of the important role building reuse plays in creating sustainable communities. Narrated by David Ogden Stiers, “The Greenest Building” explores the myth that a “green building” is a new building and demonstrates how renovation and adaptive reuse of existing structures fully achieves the sustainability movement’s “triple bottom line” - economic, social, and ecological balance. The film reveals: (a) how reuse and reinvestment in the existing built environment leads to stronger local economies that can compete on a global scale, (b) that sense of place and collective memory, while intangible, are critical components of strong sustainable communities, and (c) the direct correlation between reuse of existing buildings and a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, degradation of the natural environment and overuse of precious natural resources.

If you are interested in buildings, community development, sustainable communities or just plain want to find out if existing buildings really are worth keeping, plan to attend this special event. “The Greenest Building” starts at 7:00 pm. The panel discussion starts at 8:00 PM, and will feature Matt Piner of Pinerworks Architecture, Roberta Deering, LEED AP BD+C, Senior Planner for Historic Preservation, City of Sacramento Community Development Department, Bay Miry of D&S Development, Ray Nalangan of SMUD, Susan Rainier, AIA, LEED AP, of USGBC and UC Davis, and Craig Hausman, AIA, Hausman Architecture. This panel will help relate the ideas presented in the film the film to recently completed and upcoming preservation projects in Sacramento.

From the film's website:

"At the start of “The Greenest Building” narrator David Ogden-Stiers poses the question “Might it be that the greenest building is the one that is already there?” The answer at the end of the film is true for buildings, as well as all consumer products – “Reuse is key to triple-bottom-line sustainability.” Why? When we reuse any consumer product, whether it be a plastic milk jug or a ten story building, we automatically reduce our consumption of natural resources as well as recycle that item either for its original purpose or for a new purpose. An item doesn’t necessarily have to change physically (as in plastic bottles into carpet) in order to be recycled. In fact, synonyms for “recycle” include “reprocess”, “salvage”, “recover”, and “reuse”. In building reuse, it’s often called “adaptive reuse.”"--Jane Turville, producer

This film is presented by the Sacramento Old City Association (SOCA) in conjunction with Wagging Tale Productions and the assistance of the Crest Theatre.

For more information, visit http://www.sacoldcity.org or www.thegreenestbuildingmovie.com.

The Sacramento Old City Association promotes actions that preserve and enhance a high quality of life for Central City residents, businesses, working people and visitors. The organization works to achieve balanced and harmonious relationships among residential, commercial and employment uses in the Central City.

Disclosure: William Burg is a board member of the Sacramento Old City Association.

"Jane's Walk" Urban Planning Walks

2011-05-04T05:27:47Z

Sacramento Jane’s Walk 2011: Saturday, May 7 and Sunday, May 8

Jane’s Walk USA is a series of free neighborhood walking tours that helps put people in touch with their environment and with each other, by bridging social and geographic gaps and creating a space for cities to discover themselves. Since its inception in 2007, Jane’s Walk has happened in cities across North America, and is growing internationally. Sacramento’s Jane’s Walk series incorporates elements of urban planning, neighborhood advocacy, urban history, and architectural history, to demonstrate how a neighborhood’s physical form promotes its walkability, sustainability and economic and social vitality. All tours are free of charge; show up at the starting point at the designated time in comfortable walking shoes. No RSVP is necessary.

In 2010, Sacramento's first Jane's Walk series took place on May 1 with four simultaneous tours. This year, five total tours are being held over two days; except for the Oak Park and Southside Park tours, the tours are held at different times, so people can attend more than one.

Sacramento Jane’s Walk Schedule

Saturday, May 7

Alkali Flat
10 AM – Noon
Tour Guide: Luis Sumpter, Sacramento Old City Association Board Member
Starting Point: Shine Coffee, 1400 E Street
SOCA and Alkali Flat Neighborhood Association board member Luis Sumpter will lead a tour of Sacramento’s oldest surviving residential neighborhood, Alkali Flat. This tour will visit local architectural landmarks, neighborhood businesses, adaptive reuse projects, and new mixed-use projects under construction.

Midtown
2 PM – 4 PM
Tour Guide: William Burg, Sacramento Old City Association Board Member
Starting Point: Mondo Bizarro, 1827 I Street
William Burg, historian and author of Sacramento’s Streetcars, will guide this tour of Midtown’s mixed-use business corridors and adjacent residential neighborhoods, from the days of Sutter through the streetcar era to the present day. The tour will focus on walkability, transit, mixed-use neighborhoods, and Midtown’s legacy as a regional epicenter of creativity and art.

Sunday, May 8

Southside Park
10 AM-Noon
Tour Guide: William Burg, Sacramento Old City Association Board Member
Starting Point: Callahan Bandstand, 7th and T Street, Southside Park
William Burg, historian and author of Sacramento’s Southside Park, will lead this tour, focusing on the neighborhood’s rich cultural diversity, transportation, landscape and urban design, neighborhood activism, and adaptation to changing neighborhood roles.

Central Oak Park Walking Tour
10 AM-Noon
Tour Guide: Tom Sumpter, Oak Park Neighborhood Association
Starting Point: Guild Theater, 2828 35th Street
Neighborhood activist Tom Sumpter will lead a tour of Oak Park’s historic business district along Broadway and nearby landmarks, designed by Sacramento State geography professor Robin Datel and using a tour brochure published by the Center for Sacramento History.

Downtown: From the Railroad Tracks to the Civic Center
2 PM – 4 PM
Tour Guide: Melisa Gaudreau, Sacramento Heritage Inc. Board Member
Starting Point: Sacramento City Hall, 915 I Street
Historic architect Melisa Gaudreau will lead a tour of downtown Sacramento, focusing on Sacramento Heritage Inc.’s new tour of the Civic Center area along H, I and J Street between the historic Southern Pacific passenger depot and City Hall.

About Jane’s Walks
Jane’s Walk USA honors the legacy and ideas of urban activist and writer Jane Jacobs who championed the interests of local residents and pedestrians over a car-centered approach to planning. Jane’s Walk USA helps knit people together into a strong and resourceful community, instilling belonging and encouraging civic leadership.

All Jane’s Walk USA tours are given and taken for free. These walks are led by anyone who has an interest in the neighborhoods where they live, work or hang out. They are not always about architecture and heritage, and offer a more personal take on the local culture, the social history and the planning issues faced by the residents. Jane Jacobs believed strongly that local residents understood best how their neighborhood works, and what is needed to strengthen and improve them. Jane’s Walks are meant to be fun, engaged and participatory – everyone’s got a story and they’re usually keen to share it.

Thousands of people have taken part in a Jane’s Walk USA. Past walks have explored a wide range of urban landscapes, from social housing slated for redevelopment to areas with a rich architectural and cultural heritage, to teen hangouts and secret gardens. Walks are led by individuals and small groups. Some are focused around historical themes more than geographical areas, for instance, some strolls have been built around ideas like the history of the bicycle, gay and lesbian history, places of relevance to the homeless, the history of ‘skid row’, and urgent planning matters facing certain neighborhoods.

About the Sacramento Old City Association
The Sacramento Old City Association promotes actions that preserve and enhance a high quality of life for Central City residents, businesses, working people and visitors. The organization works to achieve balanced and harmonious relationships among residential, commercial and employment uses in the Central City. To achieve these goals the Sacramento Old City Association works to:

•Increase public awareness of the irreplaceable historic, architectural and cultural resources of the Central City
•Gather and disseminate information useful in the preservation of structures and neighborhoods of Sacramento.
•Advocate the policies and positions of the organization to the appropriate public agencies and private parties.
•Build and strengthen coalitions with other organizations working to achieve similar goals.
•Promote a quality urban environment through the encouragement of compatibly designed and constructed housing, commercial and office buildings.

For More Information about Jane's Walk or the Sacramento Old City Association:

http://www.sacoldcity.org
http://janeswalkusa.wordpress.com/

Disclosure: William Burg is a board member of the Sacramento Old City Association.

Review: Eight Views of the Tower Bridge

2011-03-10T07:11:43Z

Sacramento City College's theater department, City Theatre, presents a program of eight short plays at the West Sacramento Community Center "Black Box" Theatre, at 1075 West Capitol Boulevard. The plays all center on Sacramento's iconic Tower Bridge, ranging from the historic to the fantastic.

Because the City College's campus theater is currently undergoing renovation, they have moved their 2011 program to the "Black Box" Theatre, a new facility in West Sacramento. This location provides a most fitting setting for plays with this subject--chances are good that those who attend will cross over or pass within view of the Tower Bridge on the way to the theater.

Eight playwrights composed short one-act plays inspired by the bridge, but each evening is just half of the total program, with four plays per night--Program A and Program B. This review is of Program B (I didn't get a chance to see Program A.)

"Fishing on the Sacramento River", the first play of Program B, introduces the audience to the history of the Tower Bridge via a family fishing together within sight of the bridge. The family's patriarch tells stories of when he worked on the bridge and details of its inaugural day, while his family alternately battles, bonds and tries to catch a fish.

"The Mason Jar" is the story of a group of eccentric friends on a short trip to the Tower Bridge to pay tribute to an old friend, and on the way, make a new one in an unexpected place.

"The Bridge Committee" is a fantasy explanation of the Tower Bridge's origin, portrayed by a group of strange creatures from beneath the earth's surface, attempting to restore their dwindling powers of levitation.

"Roland of the River" is a day in the life of the Tower Bridge's first bridge operator, and a resident of the nearby riverbank, and the bridge operator's lunch.

All of the plays are comedies, featuring a lot of well-delivered and snappy dialogue and more than a few laughs. The student actors were all quite skilled, and the play seemed without technical flaw--if anyone flubbed a line, they covered it well enough to be unnoticed by the audience. Costumes and props were simple and minimal, relying mostly on the audience's imagination to make up for a junior college props budget, but enhanced by projections of the Tower Bridge on the back wall of the theater. There is some adult language and one simulated gunshot in the production, but nothing particularly shocking. All of the stories were themed around bridging the distances between people--between family members, between friends in conflict with each other, between strangers on the street, and between communities who must work together for a common goal. The Tower Bridge's beauty, classic design, utility and history are all acknowledged and celebrated, but all are secondary to the bridge's purpose--to span a gap, and allow people safe passage to the other side.

This weekend is the last weekend of the play's run: schedule is below.

Eight Views of the Tower Bridge: A Local Playwrights Festival

West Sacramento Community Center Black Box Theatre, 1075 West Capitol Blvd., West Sacramento

Program A: March 11, 8:00 PM, March 12, 2:00 PM

Program B: March 12, 8:00 PM, March 13, 2:00 PM

Tickets are $15 general and $12 discount (student ID, seniors, disabilities and SARTA members) for Friday and Saturday evenings, $13 general and $10 discount for Saturday and Sunday 2 PM matinees.

http://www.sacramento365.com/event/detail/441129192/Local_Playwrights_FestivalTower_Bridge_Eight_Views_of_the_Tower_Bridge

Holiday Display at 10th & K

2010-12-09T21:06:04Z

Sacramento County Historical Society's holiday display at 1001 K Street formally opened on November 26, but its operation continues through the beginning of the New Year and it attracted attention from passersby even before the display formally opened.

The display uses figures originally built by the Gaffney Display Company in the 1950s, used in Breuner's Department Store holiday display windows. This tradition began in Sacramento in 1934, continuing until 1974. Gaffney figures were used throughout the Breuner's chain, but have been absent from K Street for decades. More information on the historic Breuner's displays can be found in this article:

http://www.sacramentopress.com/headline/40096/Department_Store_Holiday_Display_for_K_Street

Construction of the display started in early November, utilizing the talents of a team of volunteers. Some were SCHS members with experience in museum display construction and art. Local artists involved with the "Matrix Arts" organization lent their talents. Some filmmakers from local film company TFO Productions took some time off from producing their new feature "Planet of the Vampire Women" to lend a hand. And some were just Sacramentans willing to help out. Mark Gaffney, owner of the figures and the still-operating Gaffney Display Company, provided the figures and his expertise in setting up the display. About 60 individuals, businesses and organizations contributed funds and materials to the display project, both through our online Indiegogo fundraising effort, solicited donations, and an appeal to Historical Society members.

The project, located in the dramatic corner window of Sacramento's landmark 1946 Roos-Atkins building, combines the historic figures with a newly designed setting entitled "Winter in the City." Set in approximately 1910, the display portrays a Sacramento streetcorner, with a department store and movie theater inspired by Sacramento buildings demolished long ago (the Edison Theater and Weinstock-Lubin department store that once stood on the 400 block of K Street.) A Sacramento streetcar, returning from Oak Park, is located on the K Street side. A family is transfixed before the store window, the parents appreciating the holiday lights while the kids detail which of the toys inside the window they want. A young couple exits the movie theater, hailing the streetcar for a ride home. A bell-ringing Santa, inspired by the "Volunteers of America" fundraising Santas, stands on the corner welcoming passersby. The display is intended to portray the era when K Street (and downtown Sacramento) was the shopping, entertainment and transportation hub of the Sacramento Valley, as well as a densely populated urban neighborhood that was busy day and night.

The display operates from 11 AM to 11 PM on weekdays, and on weekends the lights and animated figures keep running until 2:00 AM. The display will remain in operation until the first week of January 2011, when the figures will be returned and the lumber used to create the display will be donated to a local theater company.

This Saturday, December 11, the Sacramento Old City Association and SCHS will host the quarterly Preservation Roundtable across the street at 1000 K Street, inside the Cosmopolitan Cabaret. The Preservation Roundtable includes updates and information from local history and preservation organizations, and runs from 9 AM to noon. The featured speaker of this quarter's Preservation Roundtable is Mark Gaffney, who will talk about the history of the Gaffney Display Company and their involvement with the Breuner's animated window displays, as well as the story of this year's holiday display. The presentation will end with a visit to the display site at noon.

Sacramento Preservation Roundtable

Saturday December 11, 9 AM-12 PM

1000 K Street (Cosmopolitan Cabaret), Sacramento

(Photos 1 and 2 by William Burg. Photos 3-11 by M. Parfitt. Photos 12-14 by Gretchen Steinberg.)

Department Store Holiday Display for K Street

2010-11-05T05:16:22Z

Sacramento County Historical Society
Holiday Window Display Project
Roos-Atkins Building, 1001 K Street, Sacramento CA
Grand Opening of Window Display: Friday, November 26, Noon

This November, Sacramento County Historical Society will recreate a full-sized holiday display window on K Street, using animated figures that once graced the windows of the Breuner’s department store in downtown Sacramento. The display will occupy the window of the former Roos Bros. department store building at 1001 K Street, the northeast corner of 10th and K. Setup will take place during November 2010, with a “grand reveal” of the completed display the day after Thanksgiving, November 26, at noon. The display will remain in place until the first week of January, 2011.

The Downtown Sacramento Partnership is an active participant in this project, with contributions from the Sacramento Old City Association, Capital City Preservation Trust, Midtown Neighborhood Association, Matrix Arts, and SCHS members. The property management and real estate firm Colliers International has provided access to the ground floor picture window of the historic Roos-Atkins Department Store. This enormous window on a feature corner provides an ideal place to celebrate K Street’s legacy and usher in its future.

The theme for the 2010 Holiday Display Window is “Winter in the City,” an urban scene set in downtown Sacramento circa 1910. Store windows containing period gifts and merchandise, a nickelodeon movie theater, a K Street streetcar, and lighted architectural elements will reflect the holiday season. Animated Gaffney Display Company figures will interact with each other and their surroundings. Local artists and SCHS volunteers will create the display setting. The window will also include historic photos of original Breuner’s display windows,other downtown department stores like Weinstock & Lubin, Roos Bros. and Kress, and past holiday celebrations on K Street, provided by the Center for Sacramento History. Interpretive panels will explain K Street’s historic role as a shopping, entertainment and cultural destination. We hope this celebration of K Street’s history can also serve to inspire its future, and recreate the sense of wonder of holiday seasons past.

Sacramento County Historical Society is organizing the fundraising effort. We are close to our funding goal, but we need your help to bring this tradition back to life on K Street. Please consider a tax-deductible donation to this project via Indiegogo.com by using the link below:

http://www.indiegogo.com/Winter-in-the-City-?a=52855&i=addr

The idea for this display window started last year, after a presentation by Gaffney Display at an SCHS meeting that resulted in a smaller window display at Grebitus & Sons Jewelers--see that story below:

http://www.sacramentopress.com/headline/18787/Historic_Holiday_Display_at_10th_L

William Burg, Vice-President, Sacramento County Historical Society
SCHS is a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to promoting and sharing local history through publications, education and special events.

For more information about SCHS, please visit our website at http://www.sachistoricalsociety.org

Photos 1-8: Courtesy of the Center for Sacramento History. Photos 9-11: Taken by William Burg. Photo 12: Author's collection.

Norcal Noisefest 2010: Sandpaper for the Eardrums

2010-09-29T04:49:10Z

On October 1 and 2, Sacramento's annual Norcal Noisefest returns for its 14th festival. Founded in 1995 with a two-year hiatus in 1998 and 1999, the Noisefest (sometimes known as the Northern California Experimental Music Festival) is a weekend-long gathering of experimental musicians from across North America who come to Sacramento to provide an audio experience unlike anything else around. The Noisefest was described by Sacramento News & Review writer Julie de la Torre as "the musical equivalent of taking sandpaper to your eardrum, but in a good way." (http://www.newsreview.com/sacramento/content?oid=1747208) Noise is not for everyone--but for those seeking musical experiences ranging from the subtle to the challenging to the bizarre, the Norcal Noisefest has no equal.

This year's Noisefest takes place on Friday October 1 and Saturday October 2, split into three distinct sets, called "The Good, The Weird, And The Ugly."

Friday night's performance at Luna's Cafe, 1414 16th Street, features acts from the more melodic end of the noise spectrum, like Bay Area free-jazz improvisers LORDS OF OUTLAND, dark ambient industrial from local performer HYPNOTIC INJECTION, or Mexico's DARRYL SHAWN.

Saturday's show at Sol Collective, 2574 21st Street, starts with a set of the weirdest acts to perform at the Noisefest, including Davis' MUCKY THE DUCKY, Placerville's gothic etherealists NOISEPSALM, and Sacramento's favorite teenage noise performer TARANTULA PRINCESS with her new musical collaborator RAT SKULLS. Houston's THOMAS HELTON will provide a break from the unrelenting volume by performing musical experiments on an acoustic stand-up bass, followed by a set-ending ritual by San Francisco's BIG CITY ORCHESTRA.

The final set, also on Saturday night, "THE UGLY," features the most brutal and ear-punishing power electronics, like locals XOME and LIVER CANCER, Portland, Maine's CRANK STURGEON, and Los Angeles' PULSATING CYST. Gabber master VANKMEN from Oakland and Los Angeles wunderkind PEDESTRIAN DEPOSIT will join Sacramento acts like JOLTHROWER and CHOPSTICK to test the abilities of your earplugs to resist unrelenting waves of sonic ugliness.

All shows are all-ages. Admission for each day costs $10, but a full weekend package costing $25 includes not only admission to both days, but also a Noisefest T-Shirt, the 2010 Norcal Noisefest compilation CD "The Junk Drawer Is Open," and a Noisefest commemorative pin.

Tickets can be purchased at the event or in advance via Brown Paper Tickets: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/124396

FREE EARPLUGS are provided upon request, and are highly recommended for those attending the Norcal Noisefest.

NORCAL NOISEFEST 2010

Day 1 - session 1
October 1, 2010
Luna's Cafe
1414 16th Street
Sacramento, CA
STARTS 7 PM

LORDS OF OUTLAND (SF)
+DOG+ (LA)
DENTAL WORK (MI)
PETE VON PETRIN (SF) (formerly FOGNOZZLE)
BASIDIOMYCOTA (LA)
MEDICINE CABINET (tracy)
E YARD (Santa Rosa)
HYPNOTIC INJECTION (sac)
DARRYL SHAWN (mexico)
HOLLY HERNDON (SF)
LIFELINER+ (SAC)
CALM INFERNO ARCHIVES (san jose)

Day 2 - session 2 & 3
October 2, 2010
Sol Collective
2574 21st Street
Sacramento, CA, 95818
STARTS 2 PM

BIG CITY ORCHESTRA (SF)
UBERKUNST (sac)
XOME (sac)
CRANK STURGEON (porland,ME)
EN NIHIL (LA)
VANKMEN (oakland)
INSTAGON:mixer set (sac)
ACTUARY (torrance)
CHOPSTICK (sac)
LIVER CANCER (sac)
klowd (sac)
MUCKY THE DUCKY (davis)
OVERDOSE THE KATATONIC
(seattle,WA)
PEDESTRIAN DEPOSIT (LA)
SHARKIFACE (SF)
JOLTHROWER (wet planet)
WRONG HOLE (LA)
STYROFOAM SANCHEZ (oakland)
THOMAS HELTON (houston,TX)
MAMA BURIES (davis)
NOISEPSALM (camino)
TARANTULA PRINCESS' RAT SKULLS (sac)
CMBLS (oakland)
REPTILE ALIEN (huntington beach)
INK ON SUIT (orangevale)
PULSATING CYST (los angeles)
HEATING METALLURGICAL SCHIONS (riverside)

$10 per day--$25 for full membership including T-shirt, CD and button. All shows are all-ages.

For more information including set times, consult the Norcal Noisefest website: http://www.norcalnoisefest.com

This year's Norcal Noisefest was made possible in part by the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission's "Microgrants" program.

Disclosure: William Burg is director of promotion for the Norcal Noisefest.

photos: 1. Noisefest flyer. 2. Actuary 3. Crank Sturgeon 4. Daryl Shawn 5. Dental Work 6. Instagon 7. Jolthrower 8. Overdose the Katatonic 9. Pedestrian Deposit 10. Pete von Petrin 11. Styrofoam Sanchez 12. Wrong Hole 13. +DOG+ 14. Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission logo

SCHS Presents: Rick Spencer at Gold Rush Days

2010-09-03T05:59:10Z

Rick Spencer Concert at Gold Rush Days, Sunday Sept 5, 4 P.M., Old Sacramento “Tent City” Stage

SCHS is proud to sponsor a public historic music program by historical troubadour Rick Spencer, followed by a 5 PM performer reception/discussion (for SCHS members only) in the Eagle Theater. Rick is known internationally for his work as a historian, researcher, singer, songwriter and performer of music in the American folk tradition. Some of his musical selections for this event will include campaign songs written for the 1856 Presidential campaign of John C. Fremont, early California explorer, one of the first two Senators from California, and the first Presidential candidate fielded by the fledgling Republican Party. The concert is free and open to the public on the "Tent City" stage, and starts at 4:00 PM.

In addition to his work as a musician Rick Spencer is the executive director of the Dr. Ashbel Woodward Museum in Franklin, CT. For more information you can visit Rick Spencer's website at www.catfeather.com. The concert, and the SCHS member reception, are both near Front & I Street in Old Sacramento, on the "Tent City" stage. Gold Rush Days are quite the party (see sacramentogoldrushdays.com ), so come out early for the best parking opportunities. The event runs Friday through Monday, with Sunday’s hours from 11- 7.

For more information about the Sacramento County Historical Society, visit our website at www.sachistoricalsociety.org

Disclosure: William Burg is Vice-President of the Sacramento County Historical Society.

"Promenade on K" plan at Shady Lady

2010-07-09T14:56:29Z

On Saturday, July 10, D&S Development will host an event with information about the "Promenade on K," their proposed project for700 block of K Street. The event will take place at the Shady Lady, 1409 R Street, from 6 PM-8 PM. Complimentary food samplings from local retailers will be provided. The Shady Lady is one of several local businesses interested in joining the K Street project. They propose a mid-sized music venue to fill a much-needed niche in the local live entertainment scene, along with multiple restaurants and bars within the venue. This, along with other local businesses, will provide the retail component, while D&S provides mixed-income housing above and behind the retail stores.

According to Bay Miry of D&S, "The focus of our proposal is for it to be a balance between boldnessand doability. The proposal consists of 136 workforce apartments above unique predominantly locally operated retail. All while historically preserving the existing buildings. Think our 14&R project but albeit on a grander scale. Evidence of equity and financing has been given to the City. The amount of subsidy our proposal requests per unit is significantly lower when compared apples to apples with the other proposals. All ground floor retail tenants have already been identified!"

On Tuesday July 13, the Sacramento City Council will assign an Exclusive Right to Negotiate for the K Street project. The city's selection committee chose the D&S project and David Taylor's 700/800K, LLC, to share the project. An ad-hoc committee of City Council members chose the Rubicon Partners project. The City Council meeting will select a proposal for further work by city staff, an important step towards revitalizing K Street.

D&S has also set up a website where the public can show their support for the project to the city council, mayor, and city manager: www.700block.com

Saturday July 10, 6-8 PM

The Shady Lady, 1409 K Street

What is the Norcal Noisefest?

2009-10-14T20:30:56Z

"So what do you mean by noise?"

That's probably the #1 question about the Noisefest, except maybe "Do you have any earplugs?" The answer to the latter question is simple (yes, we do) but the first question is more complex. People know what noise is in the general sense, but not very many know what noise is in the musical sense. In some ways, the Norcal Noisefest is intended to answer that question by showing people what noise is, instead of simply telling them.

The 2009 Norcal Noisefest, formerly known as the Northern California Experimental Music Festival, is the thirteenth festival in a series orignally started in 1995 here in Sacramento, intended to bring noise music to the public ear. Festivals typically feature at least 20-30 performers; this year, approximately 49 bands will perform at the three-day festival. Since its creation, the Norcal Noisefest has grown from a little-known oddity held at the Guild Theater in Oak Park to a nationally-recognized music festival. The festival has received multiple Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission "ArtScapes" grants and a commendation from the City of Sacramento for its contribution to Sacramento's musical culture and promotion of Sacramento as an arts destination. Most of the performers at the Noisefest are from northern California (both Sacramento and the Bay Area) but performers come from around the country (and around the world.) This year's least local performer is CHINAPAINTING, a collaboration between Jim Goodin of Brooklyn, New York and Daryl Shawn of Oaxaca, Mexico. Other out-of-town performers like Chicago's VERTONEN and Albequerque's FATHER OF THE FLOOD and RAVEN CHACON will join locals like JOLTHROWER, SUPERZAPPER RECHARGE and HYPNOTIC INJECTION. From elsewhere in California come bands like ACTUARY, LACES, RUBBER O CEMENT, THE TRANSHUMANS, and many more.

Day 1, Friday October 16, takes place at Luna's Cafe, at 1414 16th Street, starting at 7:30 PM. Luna's is a small venue, but well-suited for noise and much appreciated by Noisefest regulars.

Days 2 and 3, Saturday October 17 and Sunday October 18, take place at the Greens Hotel, at 1616 Del Paso Boulevard, starting at 2 PM Saturday and 1 PM Sunday. The Greens is a new venue for the Noisefest, and this year marks the return of the Noisefest to Del Paso Boulevard (the 2003 Noisefest was held at 1001 Del Paso and the original Horse Cow Gallery.) At the Greens Hotel, we will perform in a semi-detached courtyard building where performers can play at full blast without disturbing hotel patrons--although most (if not all) of the people staying at the Greens Hotel this weekend will be those attending and playing the Noisefest.

Admission for each day costs $10, and a full-weekend package is available for $40 that includes admission to all days, this year's Norcal Noisefest compilation CD, a double-sided Noisefest T-shirt, and a commemorative pin that allows admission to all shows. Admission also includes complimentary earplugs.

One problem with an event like the Noisefest is that there are absolutely no commercially successful noise performers, so it is impossible to compare noise musicians with anything you would hear on the radio (aside from college stations like KDVS.) Some people consider avant-garde rock groups like Sonic Youth or Radiohead to be noise, but in some ways they are a fusion of noise and rock. If you took a noisy avant-garde rock song and subtracted the traditional musical elements (melody, harmony, lyrics, chorus/verse structure) you would be left with something similar to noise, but it is difficult to explain a musical form by what it doesn't have. Put simply, noise is difficult to explain, but easy to experience--as long as you don't mind the volume. For those who like to stretch their musical tastes to the limit, noise is the final frontier of music. Often, curious visitors who are unfamiliar with noise emerge from the Noisefest with one of two reactions. Some come out very irritated, exclaiming "I didn't know it was going to be just noise!" Others come out intrigued and inspired, struck by the possibilities of music that doesn't play by the rules.

www.norcalnoisefest.com contains full details of this year's Noisefest, including listings of all performers and festival schedule.

Disclosure: William Burg is director of promotion for the Norcal Noisefest.