Sacramento Concerts

El Marauder Entertains at Sacramento State

2010-05-06T04:17:15Z

Latin alternative rock band El Marauder capped off the Spring 2010 lineup of California State University, Sacramento, Unique's weekly Wednesday Nooner concert series with an impressive and energetic performance.

The Modesto-based five-piece band showed off its musical talent, utilizing guitar solos and driving drums to sound like a Latin-and-punk-influenced Foo Fighters. El Marauder wasn't afraid to mix it up either, throwing in some reggae as well as a longer experimental song to end their one-hour set, which featured songs in both English and Spanish.

El Marauder played on the outdoor Serna Plaza stage and drew a crowd of around 50. The band members were clearly having a good time, constantly rocking out by jumping and hopping around the stage while dancing to the rhythm.

Many students enjoyed their lunch while watching the band, and the music drew in some students just walking by. Despite a smaller turnout than other Wednesday Nooner concerts, the group tried to interact with the crowd by asking them to sing along or wave their hands in the air and got many audience members to participate.

"They were really energetic, which was awesome," said Kyle Marks, an employee in the University Union's graphic design department. "Even though there weren't a lot of people there, the band acted like it was packed, which made it more fun."

"They sounded good," said Sarah Liu, a student from Taiwan. Liu said she usually leaves the Nooners after a few minutes, but she liked El Marauder so much she stayed the whole time.

"I liked that they tried to make a connection with the audience even though there weren't many people there," she added.

The people who were there were treated to a great show put on by a talented band, ending the semester's Nooner concert series with excitement.

You can find out more about El Marauder on Facebook or MySpace. The band is scheduled to play at the House of Blues in Los Angeles May 20.

Sevenrepeat Plays To Nearly Empty Room at Sacramento State

2010-04-22T02:22:32Z

It was an awkward afternoon for one-man electro rock band Sevenrepeat.

Sevenrepeat played to a virtually empty room at California State University, Sacramento, Wednesday as part of Sac State Unique's weekly Nooner concert series.

About three students were in the room at any time, filtering in and out through the set. While Mac Valentine, the man who makes up Sevenrepeat, must have been disappointed, he didn't give students a good reason to stay.

The sound was heavy and thick, comparable to Nine Inch Nails or a heavy Depeche Mode, but none of it was very creative. The music had droning beats and loops playing in the background as Valentine would add to the noise by playing a distorted guitar or keyboard.

Valentine's voice was grating at times, and his guitar playing didn't always seem to line up with the song's rhythm. His uninspired lyrics and awkward meandering around the stage didn't add to the experience. The songs bled drearily into each other without much contrast. The only thing that saved Sevenrepeat's set from total boredom was the addition of audio clips of movies and news reports that played between certain songs.

The sparse audience was not very enthusiastic. Slava, a student who asked to be referred to by his first name and also the only student in the room at that point, simply shrugged when asked to comment on the set.

"I guess it's interesting that it's a one-person band," he said. "But all his songs sound the same. Maybe he should change it up a bit."

Sac State Unique Programs' Wednesday Nooner series oftentimes has good shows, but this show left a bad impression of Sevenrepeat and his music.

Fortunately for Mac Valentine, virtually no one was there to witness it.

Sacramento State Rocked With Jack's Mannequin

2010-02-13T07:02:19Z

Jack's Mannequin, Fun and Vedera stopped at Sacramento State on Thursday and provided three hours of great indie rock.

1,100-plus fans were at the University Union Ballroom to catch the fifth stop on the "Sing For Your Supper" tour.

Vedera, celebrating the Feb. 2 release of its album "Stages," opened the show with a 20-minute set that showcased the vocal strength of lead singer Kristen May. May's performance was easily the highlight of the set, with the band adding lush piano and guitar pop arrangements that were simultaneously intimate and energetic.

Fun was up next, and it lived up to the name. The band's unconventional arrangements incorporated trumpets, keyboards and a xylophone, along with the standard drums and guitars. Fun got the crowd jumping and singing with its sound that's like Abba mixed with Queen at a carnival.

Fun's set was about forty minutes and featured many songs from its recent album "Aim and Ignite."

After a set change, Jack's Mannequin took the stage.

It was obvious from the crowd's cheering that the piano-rock band was the main reason people showed up. Everybody sang along as the band opened with "I'm Ready." Frontman Andrew McMahon was full of energy, often standing up and playing the piano with one hand and belting into the mic with the other.

The stage was McMahon's playground, as he ran around and jumped off everything from the drums to his piano. The band performed popular songs such as "The Mixed Tape," "The Resolution" and "Bruised" in addition to lesser-known songs "Last Straw" and "Miss California." Jack's Mannequin even played a surprisingly good cover of U2's "New Year's Day."

The audience cheered after every song and got really loud after McMahon announced that an album would be released this year.

After about one hour of solid piano-driven rock, the band played its most popular song, "Dark Blue," before walking off the stage. The crowd did not stop cheering, bringing Jack's Mannequin back for a three-song encore, starting with a piano-only version of "Swim" and ending with the eight-minute-long "Made For Each Other."

Jack's Mannequin, Fun and Vedera gave the audience its money's worth, a fun night for everyone.

Jack's Mannequin Bringing Piano Rock to Sacramento State

2010-02-09T04:27:27Z

Popular rock band Jack's Mannequin is playing at Sacramento State Thursday. The concert is the fifth stop for the "Sing for Your Supper Tour," which also features rock bands Vedera and fun.

fun. member Andrew Dost said the tour has been awesome so far.

"It's been such a joy to play for people who are so accepting of new music," he said. "The bands are good. We have a tremendous amount of respect for Jack's Mannequin."

Dost said fun. is on its second tour with Jack's Mannequin, which is enjoying the success of its second album, "The Glass Passenger." The album has sold over 200,000 copies since its release in September 2008.

Jack's Mannequin formed as a side project of Andrew McMahon, the lead singer and songwriter of piano-punk band Something Corporate, when McMahon wanted to write music that wouldn't fit the Something Corporate sound.

He started recording the debut album of Jack's Mannequin, "Everything in Transit," during a hiatus from Something Corporate. "Everything in Transit" was a success, selling over 250,000 records and earning Jack's Mannequin a large following. But McMahon's life was about to change.

McMahon was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia on the last day of recording "Everything in Transit."

Over the next year and a half, he received constant cancer treatment, started the "Dear Jack" foundation for cancer research, and saw the public release of "Transit." In July 2006, McMahon announced he no longer needed treatment and had made a full recovery. McMahon recently released the "Dear Jack" DVD, a documentary about his struggle with leukemia.

Since McMahon's recovery and the release of "The Glass Passenger," Jack's Mannequin fan base has continued to grow, with people gravitating to McMahon's honest songwriting and catchy rock songs laced with piano hooks.

The "Sing For Your Supper Tour" marks the third time McMahon has played at Sacramento State, once with Something Corporate and once with Jack's Mannequin.

"Both shows were great," said Zenia LaPorte, program adviser for Sacramento State's UNIQUE program. "They were very entertaining and did very well attendance-wise."

LaPorte said the show is going to be great.

"Jack’s Mannequin has great energy," she said. "Most wouldn’t think you could do much with a piano, but this guy really rocks it."

Jack's Mannequin and the "Sing For Your Supper Tour" will be in the University Ballroom of the Sacramento State Student Union Thursday at 7 p.m. Tickets are still available, and are $18 for Sacramento State students and $24 for the general public. You can get tickets at the Sacramento State box office, or at tickets.com.

The New Humans Rock at Sacramento State

2010-02-04T03:28:47Z

From its first note to its last song, The New Humans rocked the Sacramento State campus earlier today.

The New Humans, a Sacramento-based four-piece band that describes its sound as "electro piano rock," played a 40-minute set in the University Union for approximately 150 students.

It was part of Sacramento State's weekly "Wednesday Nooner" free concert series, presented by UNIQUE.

The band opened with an intro that quickly set the tone for the show: Drums, synth and loops swelled until the band launched into its first song, a dance-worthy tune that featured heavy drums and piano hooks.

The rest of the set was filled with energetic songs that showcased The New Humans' ability to mix soaring vocals, funky bass lines, piano riffs and intelligent drumming to impress even the most jaded music critic.

Their sound could be compared to The Killers, but with a little more dance and a little more intensity. The comparison is welcomed by keyboardist Cole Cuchna.

"We love The Killers. They are one of our major influences," he said. Cuchna also credited British musicians Keane with showing his band that you don't need a guitar to rock.

The New Humans, like Keane, don't have an electric guitar, but use a keyboard, synth, bass guitar and drums to write good songs and get the crowd dancing. It was more than enough to entertain the audience, who gave a loud ovation at the set's close.

"It was very good," said student Mike Archibald, a DJ with Sacramento State's student-run radio station KSSU. "I enjoyed their musicianship."

"My mind is blown," student Will Floyd said.

The New Humans loved the opportunity to play at Sac State.

"We were stoked to play," lead singer and synth man Scott Simpson said. "It was great to play for people who normally wouldn't hear us."

There will be more opportunities to view The New Humans, as they are enjoying a busy year. They recently performed at the Sacramento Electronic Music Festival, and are looking forward to more performances, including a show in San Francisco Thursday and a Haiti relief show at Luigi's Fungarden on Feb. 19.

They are also expecting to release an eight-song EP later this year, although you can get their song "Fever" now on the iTunes Music Store and Amazon's MP3 store.

The New Humans are definitely worth checking out. Just remember to bring your dancing shoes and prepare to be impressed.

Sacramento Electronica Music Festival A Great Success

2010-02-02T05:20:29Z

Beats, beards and booze filled the Townhouse Lounge Saturday as the Sacramento Electronica Music Festival wrapped up its third and final night.

The Sacramento Electronica Music Festival ran Thursday, Jan. 28 to Saturday, Jan. 30 offering a chance to check out Sacramento's vibrant electronica scene as well as experience something unique.

Adam Saake, the event's organizer, said the event was born out of a desire to bring Sacramento's electronica musicians together. Saake knew many of the electronica artists in the area, but none of them ever played together.

"The dots weren't connected, and there was never any electronica bill," Saake said. "We could do a really dope electronica festival."

Saake said the show started as a night concert, but as interest grew, so did the plans.

"It snowballed into this amazing thing," he said. Eventually, 17 electronica artists and seven DJs were lined up to deliver the first Sacramento Electronica Music Festival.

The event took place at the Townhouse Lounge, a two-story venue on 21st Street with DJs and a dance floor on the first floor and a live music room on the second floor. It was a fun night and a great introduction to the Sacramento electronic music scene.

Many people were on the dance floor downstairs, dancing to the beats created by various local DJs, including DJs Muppetblast, Crush Delight and I@N. Droning rhythms, throbbing bass and drum loops echoed through the room while pulsating strobe lights matched the beats and seemed to wrap around the whole area. It was very much like a club experience, and many on the dance floor were dancing, holding drinks and enjoying themselves.

Most of the people at the Townhouse Lounge were upstairs watching the live musicians. The majority of the audience consisted of 20-somethings who looked like they just walked out of a Midtown coffee shop, complete with tight jeans, big scarves, wool caps and bushy beards on the men. More than half were holding drinks, and although many gatherers were young, there were a few older couples enjoying themselves.

The packed crowd responded to the music in varying ways. Some people just stood and bobbed their heads, while some were sitting down with their eyes closed. One guy even spent the first hour or so painting on a canvas on the wall, ultimately creating a striking image of a woman's head moving to the side, her hair floating behind her.

Both the music and lights upstairs were usually less intense and created a comparatively more relaxed experience, one which focused almost solely on the live music.

The live music itself was unique and varied, showcasing the various takes on electronica Sacramento has to offer. Seventeen musicians, including CityState, MochiPet, The New Humans, Night Night, Sister Crayon, Tycho and Dusty Brown all contributed to the event with different styles.

Some of the live acts consisted of one guy and a computer, while others had full bands with added electronic elements. The music ranged from peaceful and atmospheric to droning and loud, as well as everything in between.

Homo Erectus, for example, played music that was all about heavy beats and growling vocals. The two musicians wore unicorn masks and pranced around on stage, which made for a very strange performance. Night Night took the stage next and used his laptop computer to add video game samples to a calm rhythm, which made for a more relaxing experience. It was a very different setting from a typical rock concert, which was highlighted when Dana Gumbiner, the man behind Night Night, encouraged the audience to sit on the ground, look up at the ceiling, or do whatever they wanted.

"Don't feel like you have to look at the guy on stage. Besides, I'm just checking e-mail," said Gumbiner while he was on stage.

After his set, Gumbiner said that his live performances combine sequenced beats with live improv sections. "It's kind of like controlled chaos," Gumbiner said.

Gumbiner also said he was impressed with the whole event, the artists and their performances. "It seems pretty clear from tonight that there's a lot of talent here in Sacramento," he said.

The event was a hit with the city as well.

Saake said that more than 1,000 people showed up throughout the whole weekend, including more than 500 on Saturday night alone.

"It was a gigantic success," Saake said. "I'm overjoyed and thrilled, but mostly I'm really, really impressed with Sacramento for coming out and supporting the local electronica scene."

Donald Bell, a writer for consumer technology website Cnet.com, used to play with former Sacramento electronica band Command Collective as Chachi Jones around five years ago. Bell traveled from the Bay Area to see Saturday's show and said he was impressed with the turnout.

"Five years ago, the turnout for this kind of show was maybe a third of this," Bell said. "Maybe we were ahead of our time."

Saake said he was very encouraged by the turnout and said that many people asked if there was going to be another electronica music festival next year.

"Definitely next year, we're going to do another one," he said, filled with excitement. "Sacramento was finally ready for this."

Jerry Perry Brings Haiti Relief and Sam Cooke to Old Ironsides

2010-01-28T03:52:21Z

Seven local musicians are getting together at Old Ironsides this Friday to not only pay tribute to music legend Sam Cooke but also help with the Haiti earthquake relief effort.

"Havin' a Party: A Tribute to Sam Cooke" was originally going to be just a show about Sam Cooke until concert organizer Jerry Perry saw the destruction in Haiti from the Jan. 12 earthquake. Perry decided to put on a benefit show to help.

"When things like this happen, we like to try to put together relief shows," said Perry, who also organized relief benefit concerts for Hurricane Katrina and Sept. 11.

"Whatever money we can raise through the door, we're going to take and give it to the Red Cross," he said.

The Haiti show was originally going to be on the night before the Sam Cooke tribute, but Perry decided to combine the two.

"I started to put something together, but it was ridiculous," he said. "There was a really good show on the Friday with a lot of bands on it."

The seven artist line-up is a stylistic mix, including The Visceral, Gillian Underwood, David Houston, Nancy Zoppi, Richard March, Four Eyes, The Inversions and Brian Rogers, who were all supportive of using their music to help with the disaster in Haiti.

"Performing at this benefit is an obvious way to show our support for those that are suffering and to share the message to our Haitian brothers and sisters that they are not alone and that people care about what is happening to them and their country," said Rob Klein of The Visceral.

There will not be any shortage of great songs, either.

Sam Cooke was a star in the late 1950s, with 29 Top 40 hits in his career. He was shot to death in 1964, and was known as a pioneer for soul music. He was posthumously awarded with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986. His hits include "Another Saturday Night," "You Send Me," and "Havin' a Party."

The show was originally pitched to Perry by The Inversions as a way to honor Cooke near his birth date of Jan. 22. Now it serves as a way for concert-goers to give to the Haiti earthquake relief effort.

Perry likes that idea, noting that Cooke was a civil rights activist.

"It just felt right attaching the Haiti relief show to this show, and using the music of Sam Cooke to raise money for the relief," Perry said.

Perry, who is a fan of Cooke and his songs, promises a good time.

"It's just going to be a night of great music," Perry said. "It started out to be a Sam Cooke tribute night, and ultimately at its core that's what it is."

"For those that choose to attend the show, be prepared to have a good time and leave a little bit of your heart in Haiti," Klein said.

"Havin' a Party: A Tribute to Sam Cooke" will be at Old Ironsides on Friday at 9 p.m., and there is a minimum donation of $8. Old Ironsides is located at 1901 10th St. in Sacramento. The show is for ages 21 and up.