Music, art and film in Sacramento

Local artist David Garibaldi motivates at arts community meeting

2009-10-29T01:52:30Z

Sacramento-raised painter David Garibaldi delivered a poignant speech at Wednesday's "For Art's Sake" meeting. The 26-year-old thanked Mayor Kevin Johnson and the city for its support and guidance when he was growing up in Sacramento.

While Garibaldi was a high school student interested in the arts, the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission recognized his potential and sent him to California State Summer School for the Arts on a full scholarship, he said. Garibaldi credited this and his high school art program with helping him redirect a creative fire that led him to graffiti the streets of Sacramento, inspiring him instead to become a performance artist.

The "For Art's Sake" initiative launched in June and holds meetings once a month, the fourth Wednesday of the month from 10 to 11 a.m., in different locations throughout the Sacramento area. "For the next three and a half years, the arts initiative will be something I'm fighting for," Johnson said in a previous meeting.

More than 150 people showed up at Hot Italian pizzeria at 16th and Q streets to see Garibaldi deliver a speech and visual presentation. He is currently a licensed artist with Elvis Presley Enterprises, the Bob Marley Estate and Jimi Hendrix Estate, as well as an official Disney artist in the Disney Fine Art program. He recently performed his art show "Rhythm and Hue" as an opener for Blue Man Group and Snoop Dogg.

After the meeting, Hot Italian served pizza as members of the arts community mingled. The Sacramento Press spoke with some of the attendees.

"It's nice to have a mayor bringing this type of support to the arts," said Jay Bridges, of a film initiative called 916 Hollywood. He said the company will help bring Sacramento to the attention of the film industry, and also praised the level of support Johnson has received from corporations.

"It's really inspiring," said Kathy Ossmann, a singer and president of the Sacramento Master Singers board. "This is the first real support for the arts that raises public awareness and focuses on the arts."

She also addressed questions of whether or not the initiative was accomplishing enough.

"The most concrete accomplishment is being accepted for the Kennedy Center's 'Any Given Child Program,' (but) one year is a short time to accomplish something like building a new facility," she said. "This is much more about public awareness and perception, so I'm not disturbed nothing more concrete has been accomplished."

Next month's meeting will not take place on the fourth Wednesday of the month, due to its proximity to Thanksgiving. Instead, it will be held Nov. 18 at the Sacramento Theatre Company, 1419 H St.

For more information, please visit http://www.cityofsacramento.org/mayor/forArtsSake.

A red carpet affair for Sacramento's young filmmakers

2009-05-13T06:47:10Z

Cameras flashing, limos, tuxedos and dresses: Thursday night at the Crest Theater, a film premier event will roll out the red carpet for a selection of bright young screenwriters, directors and actors.

But there will be no Hollywood A-listers -- in fact, you won't even pay to get into this event showcasing the brightest young filmmakers from Sacramento-area high schools and middle schools.

Sponsored by the Center for Multicultural Cooperation (CMC) and Sacramento Chinese Community Service Center (SCCSC), the premier will display three different types of films: youth voice stories and intergenerational stories that are both several minutes long, and 30-second anti-tobacco public service announcements.

For the youth voice stories, "we give them opportunities to share their voice, their reflections on who they are and their role in their community," said Nicole Jarred, Sacramento Regional Director of the CMC.

The youth voice stories range from a drama about gang violence and drug use to a piece about the high school dropout rate to school violence and bullying. "These students have dedicated tons of hours of service as volunteers after school every day to answer: What is my community?" Jarred added.

Students from schools submitted more than one film, and one high school in particular -- Hiram Johnson High in South Sacramento -- will be sharing three intergenerational story films and one PSA. The intergenerational stories will be on a former field-working Hispanic man who has now graduated from UC Berkeley, a veteran of both WWII and the Korean War, and a Vietnamese man who was forced into a communist re-education camp for 10 years before emigrating to the United States.

"Kids from Hiram Johnson are second-language kids, or they come from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, and when you show them these storytellers, you show them a different world that they don't get to see, so they can see themselves in different places now," said Hiram Johnson High School teacher David Varella, who donated his own cameras to the youth to film their projects.

To round out the night, there are also eight anti-tobacco PSAs, which run for 30 seconds each. After they are all screened, a panel of judges, many of who are from the Sacramento Youth Commission, will choose the best one, and the PSA will be shown in local theaters.

The idea is that "for every dollar you spend in smoking prevention, you save $3 in health care," said SCCSC project director Shane Brock. As part of an initiative called Prop 99, the youth will be "addressing the issue of outdoor secondhand smoke and how to cut back on tobacco use in the youth-rated [G, PG, PG-13] media," he added.

"Tobacco is still the no. 1 preventable cause of death in the United States, and secondhand smoke is the third-leading cause of death for those who do not smoke," said Brock.

Brock also said that more than $1,000 dollars in prizes will be awarded Thursday night, and Mayor Johnson, the city superintendents and board of supervisors were invited.

Local bands pay tribute to Michael Jackson

2009-09-02T03:55:47Z

Local bands came together Monday night to pay tribute to the late Michael Jackson by playing his music to a packed house at Harlow's. About 250 people filled the room to listen to nearly 40 of Jackson's songs performed by 13 different bands.

Some of the more popular songs -- "Dirty Diana" and "I'll Be There," among others -- were played twice to a lively crowd of dancing fans.

Upon entering, one could already hear Jackson's songs, both originals and covers, filling Harlow's in-house speakers. Jerry Perry, promoter and a self-proclaimed "big Jackson fan" picked and introduced all the bands starting with Absolute Zero, a four-piece of high-school-age musicians.

Each band played between one and four songs and each mini-set lasted five to 15 minutes. Songs ranged from the popular ("PYT," "Beat It," "Smooth Criminal") to the less well-known ("Stranger in Moscow," "Childhood") and were played in styles ranging from punk to coffee-shop folk rock to funk.

Bands' wardrobes varied from non-Jackson-inspired clothing to full three-piece Michael Jackson costumes. One musician simply wore a Michael Jackson t-shirt.

However, most costumes included Jackson's signature black fedora; others added a white glove, white T-shirt with suspenders, and black suit. One band even dressed in the costume from the "Billie Jean" music video, black pants with rhinestone stripes and all.

During one song, a dancer named Randy Jackson (no relation) mimicked the quick precision bursts of movement the late "King of Pop" was known for. At the end of the five-minute routine, the crowd roared in praise of his dancing.

"It's the coolest thing I've ever done," said performer Reggie Ginn, whose self-titled five-piece rock band covered "The Way You Make Me Feel."

"It's a very emotional night," said Ricky Berger, who sang a version of the ballad "Childhood" while accompanying herself on piano.

A little before 11 p.m., Perry introduced an unannounced guest, a vocalist and guitar player calling himself JAM, which stands for "Jesus Always Mandatory." JAM, whose real name is Keith McNorton, works for a homeless shelter called America's House during the day, but has been singing for a long time, he said.

McNorton ran into Perry and auditioned for the show Monday afternoon. He told Perry the story of his special appreciation for Jackson and was added to the lineup at the last minute.

During his performance, he belted out a soulful rendition of "She's Out of My Life" before singing an original song dedicated to Jackson. He said he wrote it in the three days after Jackson died.

McNorton is also working on an album that's tentatively titled Props to the King of Pop.

Other fans showed up just to listen to the music.

"It's great [and] a lot of fun," said Danny Barak, 33, of the event. "Let's separate the music from who he was."

"He was an icon who changed the face of pop," said Velvet McKenzie, 32. Though not a big fan of Jackson's music, she said it was interesting to see his music played in different styles.

Usually-solo singer Adrian Bourgeous, who performed a duet with Berger on an acoustic version of "You Are Not Alone" added, "It brings closure."

NOW: 36th Annual Sacramento Jazz Festival and Jubilee

2009-05-22T02:56:21Z

The Annual Sacramento Jazz Festival and Jubilee is a Sacramento tradition that conjures up summer, swinging, and saxophones.

This year's festival, the 36th annual, will feature 600 jazz artists from all over the United States and the world, including the Count Basie Jazz Orchestra, a number of featured performers and about 60 sponsored bands from all over the stylistic map.

With 24 venues total, 19 in Old Sacramento and four at the Sacramento Convention Center, the whole shebang kicks off Thursday night at the Radisson Hotel from 8-9 p.m. The concert featuring the 17-time-Grammy-winning big band will be streamed live on Sacramento's Jazz Station, KXJZ 90.9. Tickets are $45 in advance, $50 at the door and $25 for Jazz Jubilee ticket holders, volunteers and Sacramento Traditional Jazz Society members.

At 10 a.m. Saturday, people should start lining up for the Jazz Jubilee's parade, according to the website. At 10:45, event organizers plan for "joyful noise" to be played from balconies in Old Sacramento, then, around 11:45, Mayor Kevin Johnson will serve as parade marshal.

Jazz bands, marching bands, "fire trucks, antique cars and limousines, clowns, dancing ladies and cakewalk strutters, military color guards and various dignitaries" will parade through Old Sacramento, under Interstate 5, down Second Street, J and L Streets and back to Old Sacramento.

The Festival will continue throughout the weekend, with music going on from 1-10 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and 10 a.m.- 3 p.m. Monday. Special events will be held throughout the weekend such as a Memorial Day celebration, a swing dance contest, jam sessions and a closing ceremony.

Along with professional musicians and bands, 16 groups of developing high school and younger musicians will be playing on the Delta King Riverboat, the California State Railroad Museum and the Round Table Pizza in Old Sacramento.

Besides the Basie Jazz Orchestra, other notable bands include Mumbo Gumbo, Tom Rigney and Flambeau and theBenny Goodman Centennial Tribute.

The full schedule, hotel deals, transit information and more can be found at sacjazz.com.

*photo is a screen capture of sacjazz.com

Sacramento Opera going strong

2009-08-01T02:59:58Z

One local arts organization not in need of financial aid is The Sacramento Opera.

In the 2008-2009 season it not only ended the year in the black, but the organization eliminated all its debt, exceeded its budget goal and grew its ticket sales by nearly 38 percent.

After disappointing ticket sales in 2008, the opera was fortunate to have extra income contributed from private donors such as the Mildred Reis Estate and other corporate sponsors such as Raley's and Marriott. The organization also paid back a city loan incurred in 1992.

Attendance for the season's four feature shows totaled 17,414, while the community programs saw an all-time high in participation with 6,152 audience members. All shows were held at the Community Center Theater, which seats 2,398.

"We were just very fortunate," said Executive Director of the opera Rod Gideons. The success was based on two major things, he said: partly the popularity of the music performed, and also the strength of the social media marketing.

The two popular shows that sold the most tickets were The Marriage of Figaro and The Pirates of Penzance, Gideon said. He also noted that the Opera's Facebook and Twitter websites had more than 1,000 followers combined.

"After everything is said and done, you have to have control of your budget," Gideon added. "If there's anything we've accomplished, it's that we've tightly controlled our expenses."

Single tickets for the Sacramento Opera's 2009-2010 season are currently on sale. Prices range from $18 to $130.

The following is taken from a press release containing information about The Sacramento Opera's upcoming season:

The Elixir of Love is Gaetano Donizetti’s comic and wistful look at the foibles of young love and the misguided belief that true love can be bought in a bottle.

Show times are at 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20, 2009, 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 22, 2009 and 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2009.

The Sacramento Opera will update this gem of the bel canto repertoire to post-World War II in a small town in Northern California’s wine country. The Elixir of Love is a timeless view of passion and longing, pathos and youthful exuberance. Be sure to listen for the famous aria, "Una Furtiva Lagrima."

La Traviata is Giuseppe Verdi's gripping melodrama based on the novel and play La Dame aux Camélias by Alexandre Dumas, Jr. La Traviata is one of the 10 most popular operas in the repertoire.

Show times are at 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 26, Sunday, 2 p.m. Feb. 28 and 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 2.

The story was immortalized in the classic movie Camille starring Greta Garbo and later given a popular update in Pretty Woman starring Julia Roberts. Listen for the famous “Drinking Song” and "Sempre Libera" aria. The story revolves around the relationship between a stunningly beautiful but frail courtesan and her well-born lover. Don’t miss this romantic tale of love, passion and betrayal.

A Russian Affair: Highlights from Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin and The Queen of Spades is opera at its grandest in a Russian double-bill featuring concert stagings of two of Tchaikovsky’s greatest works, both based on the writings of one of Russia’s most acclaimed writers, Alexander Pushkin.

Show times are at 8 p.m. Friday, May 7 and 2 p.m. Sunday, May 9

This production features Tchaikovsky’s stunning music for the lyric stage performed by a cast of acclaimed singers. Eugene Onegin gives us a glimpse of life among St. Petersburg’s wealthy in the 1820s, capturing the essence of a unique world in all its glory and despair. The operatic masterpiece of obsessive love and greed, The Queen of Spades follows an army officer who deviously learns the "secret of the three cards," which costs him his possessions, lover and ultimately his own life. Featured artists include Emily Pulley, Dana Beth Miller, Richard Crawley, Malcolm MacKenzie and Andrei Codrescu (narrator).

Season subscriptions are still available through the Sacramento Opera office, 737-1000. Season subscribers save up to 26 percent off single-ticket prices and receive priority seating, among other benefits.

*Photographs credit: Sacramento Opera/Eleakis Photography

Leverage Sacramento offers open mics, entertainment

2010-01-14T07:51:05Z

What do a Sac State student, an entrepreneur, an emcee, a visual artist, a photographer and a sound technician have in common? They're all part of Leverage Sacramento, a new arts organization seeking to expose untapped local talent.

The group threw a launch party Monday night at Tré Nightclub with several local spoken word performers, comedians, and hip-hop, soul and R&B performers. Hosting the event was The CUF emcee Marc "Crush" Hayes, who also sits on the seven-member Leverage board of directors.

The party, which was only expected to draw 50 people, drew an estimated audience of 200.

The idea of creating an arts promotion company began when 24-year-old entrepreneur Justin Eve was asked to promote a Second Saturday event for Bisla's Sports Bar. He realized that he had several friends involved in art, music and fashion, but none of them worked with each other.

Of the seven friends, three have strong ties with the hip-hop community — emcees Crush and Carlos "Cawzlos" Lopez and Sacramento Hip Hop Congress Administrative Chair Nina Rebultan.

But it's not about hip-hop, or any other artistic genre for that matter. It's about talent.

"We're a very modest board, and we're worried about helping the lives of the music scene in Sacramento," Rebultan said. "Eventually we're making this a non-profit organization. We would like to make money to donate to sponsoring charities, and we're planning to have a quarterly event."

Aside from quarterly events at My BBQ Spot, the group also plans to have weekly open mic nights and a competition for entertainers vying for a prize. Their next event, Feb. 1 at Tré nightclub, will be a free open mic night.

"The goal is to change Sacramento so that every day of the week you'll be able to go somewhere and see entertainment," Eve said. "We're the capital of the greatest state in the world and we have to show people that."

The group will post events on their Twitter and Facebook page, and is developing a website at whatisleverage.com.

"It's unification of every aspect of Sacramento that we're striving for, (and) we're going to lead by example," Eve said. "The more people involved in a process, the quicker things move."

Photographs credit Zaved Khan.

Concerts in the Park: The Snobs headline

2009-07-16T04:25:12Z

Leading a band is like managing a kitchen, according to Jason Boggs. As both executive chef of The Shady Lady and lead singer of The Snobs, Boggs is qualified to make the analogy.

"A lot of the same stuff that goes on in a kitchen goes on in a band on tour: drinking, bad tempers and egos to worry about," Boggs said. "You're trying to make a group of guys work together and most of the time they're misfits not [fit] for regular society."

In order for the "misfits" to form a cohesive band, The Snobs created rules. Boggs, who played saxophone for local ska/reggae band Filibuster, was banned from playing saxophone.

"It was the other guys in the band protecting themselves from me [playing reggae]," he said of the ban. "But it's worked out great, and the sound has transformed."

Now, after picking up the saxophone again for The Snobs, Boggs also plays the instrument for the more jazz-oriented band Syncro, who played Concerts in the Park June 12.

Boggs will play saxophone and sing this Friday when The Snobs headline the show. Opening are The No Goodniks, Phantom Jets and The Cockfight Kings, all rock 'n' roll bands. (Click links for MySpace)

The Cockfight Kings have a more rockabilly-influenced set, while the Phantom Jets play surf and garage-inspired rock. "Girlie female vocals" give the The No Goodniks a fun pop punk sound, says Laura Winn of the Examiner.

"It's a blast," Boggs says of Concerts in the Park. "It's about the community, and playing on a badass sound system with a whole lot of people watching you."

Back in 2002, The Snobs formed as a straightforward Rock and Roll band. Upbeats, guitar scratches, and reggae of any kind were banned.

For nearly two years, Boggs sang, but never picked up the sax.

This lasted all the way up through the band's first album, Stepping Large, Laughing Easy, 2004. After constantly being bombarded by questions of "where is the horn?", he picked it up again.

"Being in a rock/punk band, it sets us apart because it's unusual to have a horn," he said. "It adds a dimension - the horn is like a bridge, [allowing] all ages to like our music."

The Snobs are currently recording their second full-length album at Track Shack in Sacramento. Because it's being produced by Jeff Tamelier (Huey Lewis, Eddie Money), it has more of a 1980s sound.

For the album, due in September, the band rerecorded two songs from the first album. They've also updated them, adding saxophone.

Friday Night Concerts in the Park take place at Cesar Chavez Plaza on 10th and J Streets from 5-9 p.m. every Friday until August 14.

Don't forget that your Friday night festivities continue if you show your wristband to one of the following businesses:

Brew it Up!: $4 drafts, Bacardi, Jack Daniels and 3 Olives cocktails, plus half-price appetizers

Fuzio Universal Bistro: $3 drafts, $5 martinis, plus a selection of $3 appetizers

Marilyn's on K: $1 off well drinks, $3 draft Bud Light

Parlare Euro Lounge: $3 domestic beers, $5 wine, $4 assorted appetizers

Pyramid Alehouse: $2 pints of Curveball

Sofia on 11th: $3 drafts, $4 wines, $4 wells and half-price appetizers

Table 260: Half off appetizer menu, 10 percent off dinner, $5 drink special on Sac Soul

Toppingz Pizza inside Image Lounge: $2.50 Bud and Bud Light, $4 Jack Daniels, appetizers starting at $1

Sheraton Grand Hotel's PMB Bar: $3.50 Bud and Bud Light (bottle or draft), $5 nachos or artichoke dip

Amourath Lounge at Hyatt: $1 off Bud, Bud Light and all appetizers

Citizen Hotel: $99/night weekend rate for Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights in a deluxe king, queen or dual-double-bed room. This deal is exclusively for the Concerts in the Park, and for information on how to book the room, call 916-447-2700.

Photo is credit Marc Kallweit

Mike Doughty tour stops in Sacramento Sunday

2009-05-10T00:13:43Z

Right now Mike Doughty is driving north toward Santa Barbara, which is on fire. It's Thursday, and though 30,000 Santa Barbara residents are fleeing the fire, the former leader of Soul Coughing is driving toward the city. He has no idea whether his gig has been canceled.

Unfortunately, the show has been canceled, but Doughty will continue his west coast tour, which spans from San Diego to Vancouver, stopping in Sacramento on Sunday, May 10 at Marilyn's on K. Doughty will be playing an acoustic set as a duo with cello player Andrew "Scrap" Livingston.

Mike Doughty -- known simply as M. Doughty while leading Soul Coughing -- grew up on various army bases in the United States and Europe. He says he is "peripatetic," and that moving around since infancy prepared him for life as a musician on the road.

"There's also something about traveling that suits me; I just have road legs, and I'm very comfortable when I'm touring," he said.

Doughty went to the New School in New York City to study poetry, where he developed a unique rhythmically-inclined writing style that comes through in his syncopated singing with Soul Coughing as well as his latest solo album, Golden Delicious. Critics say his latest album is perhaps his best solo material yet, and it's his second in a row working with Grammy-award-winning producer Dan Wilson, who has also produced Semisonic, the Dixie Chicks and Jewel.

Golden Delicious embodies Mike Doughty's laid back style -- rhythmic, funky, yet deeply personal. It's danceable, but at the same time, it makes you want to step into a car, drive down the sunny California coast, and sing along with a group of friends.

It must have been the product of working with Wilson, whom Doughty describes as "super-relaxed, an excellent guy with excellent ideas, really smart and fun to hang out with," and having Dave Matthews as a boss at ATO Records, whose priority is that "there be sufficient time and attention to develop each artist and each release," according to their website.

Doughty loves interacting with the audience -- his song "I Just Want the Girl in the Blue Dress To Keep On Dancing" is all about audience interaction -- and he says he's excited "just to hang" in Sacramento, eat some Mexican food, and play "for some good Sacramento people."

Got a question? Cool. His tour consists of what he calls "Question Jar Shows," so before the concert, write down a question on any topic -- "the weirder the better," he says -- and between songs he or Livingston will take the time to answer them.

Although Doughty claims he has "no other marketable skills" besides music, his popular blog and Twitter with over 4,000 followers reveal that he is also a crafty writer.

The duo will be playing Marilyn's on K (and 9th) at 7 p.m. to a 21-and-over crowd. Tickets are $18 in advance or $20 at the door.

Photographs courtesy Mike Doughty.

DJ Rock Bottom spins the wheels of steel

2009-12-24T19:15:27Z

Looking to dance to the beat of a different drummer? Sacramento's DJ Rock Bottom strives to enable you to do just that.

The first and third Friday of every month, Rock Bottom spins a dance party called "Hot Pants" at Level Up Lounge. Whether it's Prince, Black Star or remixes of old-school Motown, Rock Bottom said his goal is to "challenge people to push the envelope, get outside of their box and let go musically."

Rock Bottom, born John Word, grew up in Gary, Ind., about 25 miles from downtown Chicago. He recalls as a child listening religiously to Common Sense (now Common), perhaps Chicago's most innovative emcee. He also emulated a cousin's musical taste by listening to Afrika Bambaataa, one of the three originators of break beat DJing.

In 2001, he came to Sacramento to "find himself." Checking out the music scene, with DJs playing the same songs all the time, Rock Bottom said he realized that the scene lacked originality.

"Instead of (being) hip hop DJs, they would just play these sick songs that would get the crowd going," he said. "I love A Tribe Called Quest, I love hip hop, but it was 2004, and I felt like DJs weren't pushing the envelope."

He got his break when DJ Mad Planet of the Zulu Nation gave him a chance to perform in front of an audience at The Golden Bear.

"I knew I couldn't at the time. I could mix worth nothing," he said. "He gave me a chance. He put his name on the line and gave me a shot. I just wanted to make sure my selection was impeccable. (Afterward) cats were like, 'You killed it at The Golden Bear!' "

Rock Bottom, 31, has been DJing since that moment in 2004. He works as an afterschool team leader at Woodlake Elementary School in Del Paso Heights, and takes classes at Sac City College with the goal of becoming a teacher.

Rock Bottom is realistic about his aspirations.

"If the opportunity came up to become a full-time DJ, I would, but there are no health benefits," he said. "I need to work and DJ."

From 2004 to 2005, Rock Bottom toured as the backing DJ for SAMMIE-award-winning, five-piece hip hop group Righteous Movement. "It was a good learning experience for me, getting to see different places, a lot of good shows, a lot of good food," he said.

Rock Bottom still works with emcee Tais from Righteous Movement, but his energy is largely on Hot Pants. He said it's his favorite gig because Level Up Lounge gives him creative freedom to honor artists dead or alive, known or unknown.

Many of his records come from The Beat, 1700 J St., or Records, 1618 Broadway. Rock Bottom said when he can't find them there, he purchases records online.

"I play (turntables) like an instrument. It is by no means like a guitar, because with an actual instrument, you're limited to that instrument," he said. "With turntables, whatever our imagination allows us to do, with hard work you can do it."

Rock Bottom performs "Hot Pants" every first and third Friday from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. at Level Up Lounge, 2431 J St. The event is free, for ages 21 and older.

Photographs credit Amanda Lopez.

Mayor holds meeting "For Art's Sake"

2009-06-13T04:50:13Z

It was a veritable who's who of Sacramento artists, arts organizations and art supporters inside KVIE Public Television's offices Friday morning.

Nearly 100 invitees gathered to listen to Mayor Kevin Johnson's remarks in a meeting entitled "For Art's Sake."

"Performing arts, visual arts and literary arts -- we need all three to reach the potential of what Sacramento can be," Johnson said in his speech. "Our commitment: We are going to promote the arts in a real way."

The mayor stressed that the arts community doesn't just use city money, it creates revenue for the city. Therefore, the relationship is a reciprocal one.

He then introduced Sharon Gerber, founder of arts and event planning company Six Degreez, as his liaison to the arts community. Gerber introduced herself to the audience and gave a short speech. She then asked each person in the audience to stand and identify themselves.

Members of the B Street Theater, Crocker Art Museum and the Sacramento Ballet introduced themselves. Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission members and Councilman Rob Fong attended.

This was followed by a town-hall style forum addressing the question: What do art organizations need from the mayor and City Council?

What followed was a smorgasbord of ideas.

Some wanted federal money to support artists, who are by the nature of their profession unemployed for extended periods of time. Other groups wanted money to go into new arts facilities.

Some even noted how Second Saturday artists get relatively nothing in return for Second Saturday, and some of the money that the city generates from the event should be given to the artists as an honorarium.

"I interviewed a lot of gallery owners and the community, and the thing that I found was that the galleries and the artists are not really benefiting from that event. As this economy continues to tank, those galleries are going to continue to suffer," said Liv Moe, senior editor of Midtown Monthly and an artist herself.

Several people addressed youth programs. It was brought up that Sacramento needs to recognize young artists in the media, and the youth need money for new art resources and technology in the classrooms.

Others wanted to create a new process for how money is delivered from the city to artists so that when money does become available, nonprofits don't end up with the short end of the stick.

After the comments were made, Johnson announced that this meeting would be the beginning of an ongoing process. This group will reconvene every month for 12 months, build an action plan to focus on key issues and build a leadership team of six to 10 volunteers who can meet more regularly.

"On one hand, there are tremendous challenges, but we're not just going to ask [businesses] for a handout." Johnson said. "We've got to say a little bit more, we've got to get people out to see the project."

Concerts in the Park: Golden Shoulders light it up Friday

2009-07-02T16:08:53Z

Golden Shoulders is a "breakup-proof" band. That's because it consists of Adam Kline and whatever friends are standing near him at any given time.

In the past eight years, there have been 48 part-time collaborators, including former members of local bands Cake and Hella, as well as local singer Joanna Newsom. But one time, it was just Kline.

Headlining Concert in the Park Friday night, Golden Shoulders will be a four-piece. The concert also features openers Radio Orangevale, Jeepster and Trainwreck Revival (click links for MySpace pages).

Back in 2001, Kline formed Golden Shoulders with his friends from Nevada City. Since then they've recorded three albums and one EP, toured the U.S., and have been featured on college radio stations around the country.

"It was fun learning that Jeremy Piven was a fan of the band," Kline replied, when asked about the band's greatest moment. "It was amazing playing shows with heroes of mine like Jonathan Richman, Brendan Benson, and Glenn Tilbrook (of Squeeze)," he added.

Earlier this year, the band released Get Reasonable, which mixes Dylan-esque folk lyrics with The Decemberists' indie-pop sound. But their true style is hard to pin.

Different producers worked on different songs, and the resulting album is a smorgasbord of sound. "I just eased my grip on the reins a little bit and let other producers come in and have their way with some of the songs," Kline said.

Friday marks the fourth time Golden Shoulders has played Concerts in the Park.

"It's fun, strange and a great opportunity to check out the latest in arrhythmic interpretive dance moves," says Kline. "It's a good time, and an opportunity to be heard by people who wouldn't hear us otherwise."

Those who cannot get enough of Golden Shoulders can see them play a second gig right after the show. The band will joined by Cowboy Killers and Whiskey Gentlemen for a 21-and-over show at Old Ironsides.

Located at 1901 10th St., the show begins at 9 p.m., and costs $7. Kline said, "We will be playing a completely different set than we'll play in the park."

Friday Night Concerts in the Park take place at Cesar Chavez Plaza on 10th and J Streets from 5-9 p.m. every Friday until August 14.

Don't forget that your Friday night festivities continue if you show your wristband to one of the following businesses:

Brew it Up!: $4 drafts, Bacardi, Jack Daniels and 3 Olives cocktails, plus half-price appetizers

Fuzio Universal Bistro: $3 drafts, $5 martinis, plus a selection of $3 appetizers

Marilyn's on K: $1 off well drinks, $3 draft Bud Light

Parlare Euro Lounge: $3 domestic beers, $5 wine, $4 assorted appetizers

Pyramid Alehouse: $2 pints of Curveball

Sofia on 11th: $3 drafts, $4 wines, $4 wells and and half-price appetizers

Table 260: Half off appetizer menu, 10 percent off dinner, $5 drink special on Sac Soul

Toppingz Pizza inside Image Lounge: $2.50 Bud and Bud Light, $4 Jack Daniels, appetizers starting at $1

Sheraton Grand Hotel's PMB Bar: $3.50 Bud and Bud Light (bottle or draft), $5 nachos or artichoke dip

Amourath Lounge at Hyatt: $1 off Bud, Bud Light and all appetizers

Citizen Hotel: $99/night weekend rate for Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights in a deluxe king, queen or dual-double-bed room. This deal is exclusively for the Concerts in the Park, and for information on how to book the room, call 916-447-2700.

*photograph courtesy Brook Rivera

Endfest heats up Raley Field

2009-05-11T07:24:37Z

Sunday, May 10 at Raley Field was not your typical Mother's Day. In the heat of the afternoon, high schoolers, middle schoolers, parents and other concert-goers screamed under the glaring sun for Endfest's lineup of popular artists. The theme for the evening seemed to be "undress to impress," as many of the artists took off their clothes or didn't wear much to begin with.

White Tie Affair kicked off Endfest by beginning their set around 4 p.m. to a screaming crowd of mostly girls. Their short set of straightforward rock was over well before 4:30 when 3oh!3 took the stage. That was when it really started to heat up.

3oh!3 singer/rapper Nathaniel Motte described his last visit to Sacramento in an earlier article as being "super hot, and I almost passed out after the show." Motte eerily predicted the fate of Endfest goers that afternoon -- during 3oh!3, and two more times during the early performances, audience members were wheeled away by a medical team after suffering from heat exhaustion.

Flo Rida took the stage around 5:30, fully clothed in a sparkly rhinestone encrusted t-shirt, but during the first couple of songs, he took it off, revealing a white tank top. During one song, he brought up two "lovely girls," one of whom appeared to be no more than 10 years old onto the stage to dance with him.

Audience members loved his music, and his songs "Low" and "Right Round" got most of the crowd up and dancing, a definite high point of the day for the hit-thirsty audience. The scream-o-meter only got louder as Rida took off his tank top, revealing his muscular chest for all of the audience to enjoy.

Lady Gaga's set, which began at around 6:15, was the most diverse of the night.

With dancers, a multimedia video presentation, and three costume changes, Gaga definitely utilized the stage as a canvas for performance art. At one point, she said to the audience, "this is exciting because I'm a city girl and I'm not in fields a lot."

One of the highlights of her performance was when she played a clear upright piano filled with balloons, pressing the pedals with ease in high heels. Gaga also chose to be scantily clad during her time on stage. She knew her way around the keys surprisingly well, but her set was still more flash and sex appeal than substance.

At around 7:30, All-American Rejects rocked the field, which was at that point mostly depleted -- likely because it was past many of the audience members' curfews. Before their set, a video of the band backstage showed lead singer Tyson Ritter shirtless, to the great amusement of another batch of screaming girls.

By the time the Rejects came back for their encore at 8:25, most of the crowd was already gone, but they ended the night well with their songs "Gives You Hell," and "The Wind Blows."

Endfest would be a great concert if you enjoy glamour, sexuality, and dancing during concerts, but if you are looking for more than striptease and sparkle to the background of Top 40 hits, you'd be better off skipping next year's concert.

Wednesday: Sacramento to experience a 'Spring Awakening'

2009-11-03T07:47:06Z

Sex. It's controversial today, and it has been for more than a century. That's why Frank Wedekind’s 1891 play, Spring Awakening, which has strong sexual themes and language, was not produced in the playwright's native Germany until 1906.

It opened to English audiences for the first time in New York in 1917, and closed after one performance.

Times have changed. The winner of eight 2007 Tony awards including "best musical" and a 2008 Grammy for "Best Musical Show Album opens Wednesday as part of California Musical Theatre's Broadway Sacramento season. Well, sort of. Spring Awakening was not offered as part of the season subscription package, because the theater's executive producer, Richard Lewis, said he did not want to "force" the show on an audience.

Christopher McSwain, community affairs director for California Musical Theatre, urged people not to reject the play merely because it deals with sex. It's more about the consequences of not communicating openly with teenagers about sex, he said.

"If asked to give a blanket statement so that people could judge whether or not it's right for them and sum it up in five or so words, we say "recommended for 17 and over," McSwain added. "But if there are 16-year-old musical theater fans who are dying to see it, they will be able to buy a ticket."

As part of the marketing strategy, Broadway Sacramento held a Spring Awakening event Friday at Mix,1531 L St. It featured theme drinks, TV screens playing scenes and stills from the show, and music from the score. (Full disclosure: California Musical Theatre is an advertising partner with The Sacramento Press and The Sacramento Press helped plan the Mix event.)

It's a timeless musical, McSwain said. With a score by pop-rock musician Duncan Sheik, Spring Awakening is geared to a young audience despite the age of the script.

"I hope that the kids who see it recognize the value in actually talking about their lives and finding connections," said Spring Awakening director Michael Mayer. "Without getting preachy, I think this play can have a positive impact on society as well as provide a terrifically entertaining and very, very moving theater experience."

The show's producer, Tom Hulce, echoed this sentiment. Hulce is most famous for playing Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in the Academy Award-winning 1984 film Amadeus.

"Kids have found one of a dozen different things in the play to be particularly meaningful to them, that give them either a hope they didn’t have before, or an understanding they didn’t have before, or an ability to talk to people that they didn’t have before," he said. "The issues of how we raise our children, how we can best answer their needs, and what is the right way to help young people become themselves is universal."

One way to get closer to the story and gain a different perspective is to buy a seat on the stage. "Without joining the actors union, how else do you get on a Broadway stage?" joked McSwain.

Having members of the audience onstage is in keeping with Spring Awakening's theme: It's a story about experiences we all share, not just 19th century German schoolkids. A $25 seat onstage might land you next to the drummer or even a singer, McSwain said.

"What we hear is: Is Sacramento ready for this?" McSwain said. "We figure it's playing Des Moines (Iowa) and East Lansing, (Mich.), (so) if Des Moines can handle it, maybe we can. I think we're at least as hip and edgy as Des Moines, don't you think?"

Spring Awakening runs Nov. 4-15 at the Community Center Theater, 1301 L St. Tickets are $18 to $65, available here.

*Photograph one credit Paul Kolnik. Photograph two credit Joan Marcus.

Concerts in the Park: Gaffney to headline

2009-07-10T04:20:29Z

Playing music outside is like playing to the ocean, local musician Kate Gaffney said. "If you're standing near the ocean, anything that's ever bothering you, you can just toss it out into the sea, and the sea will just engulf it and you won't have to worry about it again."

On Friday, the Philadelphia-native singer/songwriter will be headlining Concerts in the Park. Opening for Gaffney are Boulevard Park, West of Next and Christopher Fairman & The Stilts (click on links for MySpace).

Gaffney first visited California during a college internship, instantly deciding it was the place for her. After earning her bachelor's degree from Penn State, she moved here and took a job at Sacramento County's Child Protective services.

Then one night a coworker convinced her see a rock band featuring another coworker's son. That musician was Jackie Greene.

"It was pretty monumental to see somebody at that age doing [music as a career]," she said. "I thought, maybe I should start writing some songs."

"I was young enough at that point where I knew it was not too late for me to make this switch," Gaffney added.

Over the course of a few months, she decided to quit her job at CPS and concentrate on music. Music makes her life fulfilling, she said.

"I'm stoked on life as long as I'm writing songs that make people happy, or makes them think," Gaffney said. "Hopefully it soothes their soul."

Gaffney's latest album, The Coachman, 2008, is named after and inspired by a summer vacation home in Cape May, N.J., where she spent much of her youth. It features an incredible group of supporting musicians including Jackie Greene, guitar virtuoso Steve Kimock and Ben Harper's backing band The Innocent Criminals, among others.

She recently returned from a three-month-long tour that began as only a handful of gigs. On the tour Gaffney played solo and as a duo with local guitarist Steve Randall, 2006 Sacramento Music Awards winner for Best Guitarist.

After two full-length albums and an EP, she is excited to reach a new audience at Concerts in the Park.

"For me playing music is not just about playing music," Gaffney said. "It's about sharing this beautiful light into the world. It's easier to do outside. It just spreads easier. I like that a lot."

Friday Night Concerts in the Park take place at Cesar Chavez Plaza on 10th and J Streets from 5-9 p.m. every Friday until August 14.

Don't forget that your Friday night festivities continue if you show your wristband to one of the following businesses:

Brew it Up! $4 drafts, Bacardi, Jack Daniels and 3 Olives cocktails, plus half-price appetizers

Fuzio Universal Bistro $3 drafts, $5 martinis, plus a selection of $3 appetizers

Marilyn's on K $1 off well drinks, $3 draft Bud Light

Parlare Euro Lounge $3 domestic beers, $5 wine, $4 assorted appetizers

Pyramid Alehouse $2 pints of Curveball

Sofia on 11th $3 drafts, $4 wines, $4 wells and and half-price appetizers

Table 260 Half off appetizer menu, 10 percent off dinner, $5 drink special on Sac Soul

Toppingz Pizza inside Image Lounge $2.50 Bud and Bud Light, $4 Jack Daniels, appetizers starting at $1

Sheraton Grand Hotel's PMB Bar $3.50 Bud and Bud Light (bottle or draft), $5 nachos or artichoke dip

Amourath Lounge at Hyatt $1 off Bud, Bud Light and all appetizers

Citizen Hotel $99/night weekend rate for Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights in a deluxe king, queen or dual-double-bed room. This deal is exclusively for the Concerts in the Park, and for information on how to book the room, call 916-447-2700.

*Photographs credit Sam Hayashi

Sol Peligro to headline final Concert in the Park

2009-08-14T02:22:44Z

"People are probably going to give me [s***] about this," said Sol Peligro lead singer Sam Miranda. "Watching John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever [at] eight years old, I thought, 'This guy is cool.'"

Though his band Sol Peligro plays reggae-influenced cumbia music -- not disco -- Miranda points to this moment as the first time he knew he wanted to be in a band. Friday night, Sol Peligro will be headlining a Concert in the Park that includes Retrograde Revolution and La Noche Oskura (click links for MySpace).

Retrograde Revolution sounds like a Yellowman-influenced reggae/hip hop outfit, while La Noche Oskura combines punk and ska to sound like a Mexican Sublime.

Miranda formed Sol Peligro in 2004, a year after leaving his previous band, Raigambre, because he was going to be a father. Raigambre had been a success, winning a Sammie, his band mates often practicing up to four times per week.

As soon as Miranda found out that a baby was on the way, he left the band on good terms. It allowed the band to focus on music and allowed him to take a full-time job at a dental insurance company to prepare for the baby.

After 20 years of performing as a musician, Miranda reflected on why this was the wise choice. "Now I have a family to think about," he said.

"Music was a fun thing to do, [but] years ago I used to catch myself being bummed out about it," he added. "I was trying too hard to make it a living, and it took the fun out of it."

So when Miranda formed Sol Peligro, he vowed that the band would simply be in it for the fun. In the first year of its existence, he invited members of different Sacramento bands like Bucho, Sinclair and Filibuster to accompany him.

Once the band made a name for itself and recorded an album, Gritos de mi Pueblo, 2005, Miranda sought out more permanent members. One thing that all 10 of the current band members have in common is a full-time job.

Besides Miranda, the band features a four-piece horn section: two trumpets, sax and trombone. The rhythm section includes a keyboard player, two guitarists, a bass player, percussionist and drummer.

As for the band name, which translates literally to 'dangerous/threatening sun,' "it doesn't mean [anything], it's just a cool name," Miranda said. "It's just a name, so our music, and the content of our lyrics speak for what we stand for."

In 2006, the band won a Sammie for best World/Latin band. "That to me was cool; I contributed enough [to the music scene] that I got recognized," Miranda recalled.

Besides the Sammie, the biggest moment for the band so far was "doing a show at Harlow's with a group out of Texas called Grupo Fantasma," Miranda added. Grupo Fantasma occasionally backs Prince and was nominated for a Grammy earlier this year.

Miranda said he is happy to be playing the last Concert in the Park for the season, but equally excited for the End of Summer Festival, which will continue for the next five Fridays in Cesar Chavez Plaza.

"I saw the lineup and I [thought], 'Oh yeah, that's frickin' great,'" he said. "It's a great opportunity for people to get in there, and it's a great venue, especially for somebody who's starting out."

Friday Night Concerts in the Park take place at Cesar Chavez Plaza on 10th and J Streets from 5 to 9 p.m. every Friday until Aug. 14. The season continues as "The End of Summer Fest" at Cesar Chavez Plaza every Friday night from Aug. 21 through Sept. 18.

Don't forget that your Friday night festivities continue if you show your wristband to one of the following businesses:

Brew it Up!: $4 drafts, Bacardi, Jack Daniels and 3 Olives cocktails, plus half-price appetizers

Fuzio Universal Bistro: $3 drafts, $5 martinis, plus a selection of $3 appetizers

Marilyn's on K: $1 off well drinks, $3 draft Bud Light

Parlare Euro Lounge: $3 domestic beers, $5 wine, $4 assorted appetizers

Pyramid Alehouse: $2 pints of Curveball

Sofia on 11th: $3 drafts, $4 wines, $4 wells and and half-price appetizers

Table 260: Half off appetizer menu, 10 percent off dinner, $5 drink special on Sac Soul

Toppingz Pizza inside Image Lounge: $2.50 Bud and Bud Light, $4 Jack Daniels, appetizers starting at $1

Sheraton Grand Hotel's PMB Bar: $3.50 Bud and Bud Light (bottle or draft), $5 nachos or artichoke dip

Amourath Lounge at Hyatt: $1 off Bud, Bud Light and all appetizers

Citizen Hotel: $99/night weekend rate for Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights in a deluxe king, queen or dual-double-bedroom. This deal is exclusively for the Concerts in the Park, and for information on how to book the room, call 916-447-2700.

photograph credit Stephen Bingen

Arts in River Park on Saturday

2009-05-29T02:49:03Z

This Saturday, Arts in River Park features music, artists and vendors. Held at the Scottish Rite Masonic Center at 6151 H Street, the fifth annual festival will feature some unique family fun including Afro-Cuban dance and percussion, Mediterranean food from Crest Cafe, and the traditional Chinese medicines acupuncture and qigong (pronounced "chee-gong").

It all began when funding was cut from the California Arts Council (CAC), putting many arts organizations out of business in 2003. Brenda Waters, winner of the 2003 CAC Director's Award, felt that the best way to help artists was to bring them together to show off their diversity and promote them at the same time.

So in 2003 she helped organize an event called the H Street Festival in which 50 local arts organizations, artists, and vendors participated. In 2006 the festival moved to River Park and changed its name to Arts in River Park, and it has been held at the Scottish Rite Masonic Center on H Street since 2007.

Last year there were 300 artists performing, and in previous years, between three to four thousand people have shown up. Waters stressed that the entire event is free of charge, and not-for-profit, though performers will earn a stipend or honorarium.

"I put [artists] on a pedestal and promote the heck out of them," Waters said in an interview with The Sacramento Press.

"We take a lot of groups that are not known but would like to be, and we put them on a pedestal, and they get honored by other people, and get jobs," added Waters, who has been an arts promotions coordinator for over 21 years.

"This is their career," she added. "They have to spend a lot of money to buy their supplies and they spend an inordinate amount of time to do their art. I'm not doing this for myself, I'm doing this for the artists, and hopefully I've made a difference [because] arts and culture can really break down a lot of barriers."

One successful artist who has previously performed at the arts festival is Michael Bayard, who is returning this year to play a composition with keyboardist Doug Matson. Bayard, who has performed with such world-renowned artists as Ray Charles, Tony Bennett and Paul Simon, also held the post of percussionist for the Sacramento Symphony for 17 years from 1980-1997.

It was Christmas Eve 2008 when Bayard posted his now famous video "Spin Cycle" on YouTube, which subsequently has been featured on the local PBS station KVIE and still receives regular airplay. Besides creating an educational percussion program called Rhythm Magic, he is now "finding and using unusual objects to create unusual music."

He will be performing a piece called "The Typewriter" for piano and typewriter, which was originally written by Leroy Anderson for the Boston Pops, as well as more traditional music by Gershwin, Cole Porter, and classics from Bennett and Sinatra.

"This Saturday, people will have fun, and I would encourage people to come for a unique and innovative experience," Bayard said of the festival.

"There's a great multicultural element, giving the opportunity for artists to share their talents," he added.

The event takes place on three stages. Here is the schedule:

Outdoors
10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Everyone in Rhythm
1:30 - 4:00 p.m. Sacramento Fire Department Engine 8 display of engine

Main Stage
Emcees:
John Embrey III, Community Volunteer
Nick Toma, Co-host Good Day Sacramento
Mike Montgomery, Board member, River Park Neighborhood Association
Greig Gorman, Stage Manager

9 a.m. Introductions and announcements
9:15 - 9:35 a.m. Ebo Okokan, African Cuban dance and percussion
9:45 - 10:15 a.m. Cherry Fizz, a capella quintet
10:30 - 10:50 a.m. Flying Monkey Productions, youth musical theatre
11 - 11:35 a.m. Earl J. Rivard III, Argentinian bilingual folk singer
11:45 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. The Kennelly School of Irish Dance
12:30 - 1:15 p.m. Michael Bayard and Doug Matson, percussion and keyboard duo
1:30 - 2:15 p.m. Anderson-Gram, folk singers
2:30 - 3:00 p.m. Dragon Fire Martial Arts
3:05 - 4:15 p.m. Prima, band performing original and cover songs combining rock, reggae and ballad

River Park Stage
Emcees:
Alex Read, Board Member, River Park Neighborhood Association
Kristy DeVaney, Assistant Editor/Art Director for Senior Magazine, Chef at RH Phillips Winery, and author of cakegrrl.com

9 - 9:45 a.m. Anderson-Gram, folk singers
9:45 - 10:15 a.m. Tabin Crume, Central Library storyteller
10:30 - 11:00 a.m. Laugh and Sing with Michael
11:15 a.m. - Noon Cousin Jimbo, banjo player/fiddler
12:15 - 1 p.m. Earl J. Rivard III, Argentinian bilingual folk singer
1:15 - 1:45 p.m. Tabin Crume, Central Library storyteller
2:00 - 2:30 p.m. Flying Monkey Productions, youth musical theatre
2:45 - 3:45 p.m. - Singer/songwriter, recording artist Janis Kelly will be joined by special guests for her final appearance in Sacramento

In the lounge area, qigong classes will be taught by licensed acupuncturist Joe Macchiavelli at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m., and free acupuncture at 11 a.m., 1 and 3 p.m.

*Images courtesy Brenda Waters and Michael Bayard

Review: John Legend at Raley Field

2009-09-06T00:32:59Z

A family atmosphere pervaded Raley Field Friday night as neo-soul artists Vaughn Anthony, India Arie and John Legend performed to a crowd of thousands. The diverse audience of fans who attended the show varied in age; much of the audience was made up of young and old couples and families.

Around 7 p.m. Anthony, Legend's younger brother, opened the show with a 20-minute set. As people were still finding their seats, he brought a self-proclaimed "old-school R&B" sound to the Sacramento audience, but he essentially sounded like a poppier version of his older brother.

Arie took the stage for the next hour, dressed in a wig, colorful scarves and bright makeup. She started off with a prayer song from her latest of four albums, Testimony: Vol. 2, Love & Politics.

As Arie warmed up, her soulful vocals increased in intensity to the point that she resembled a melding of Aretha Franklin's power and Lauryn Hill's grace. She played her hit songs "Video," "I Am Not My Hair" and "There's Hope," a cover of Sade's "Pearls," as well as many new songs from her latest album.

In the middle of "I Am Not My Hair," she pulled off a wig to reveal her cleanly shaven head. During "There's Hope," she walked into the crowd and proceeded to high-five audience members.

For the last song of her set, the ballad "Ready for Love," Arie brought out her mother, who sang the last half of the song. It was a seamless transfer, with her mother Joyce Arie (a former Motown singer herself) taking over as beautifully as her daughter played flute.

After an intermission, Legend entered the field through a tunnel usually reserved for baseball players. He walked into the middle of the audience to perform his first song, a cover of Bob Marley's "Redemption Song," while being swarmed by high-fives and hugs.

Then as security guards cleared the way, he walked onto the stage to join an impressive 11-piece band complete with a rhythm section, three-piece horn section and a three-piece, all-female backup vocal choir. He continued his high-energy set with "Used to Love U," and hits like "It's Over," "Stereo" and "PDA," during which he played a grand piano with smoothness and dexterity.

In the middle of his set, Legend and his band backed his younger brother as Anthony sang his original song "If I Were in Your Shoes." During "Good Morning," a song off his latest album Evolver, released in 2008, Arie took to the stage to duet with Legend.

And before the ballad called "Slow Dance," Legend chose a girl from the audience to dance with. After the dance, he gave her a red rose and kissed her, drawing a collective "awww" from the audience.

The highlight of the show came when Legend played his latest single, "Green Light," and segued into The Beatles' "I Want You (She's So Heavy)." During the Beatles cover, Legend left the stage as his band finished the song before exiting as well.

Legend came back to play a solo version of his Grammy-winning song "Ordinary People," accompanying himself on piano. The band came back on stage to perform "Stay with You," a sweet song to cap off a sweet night of love songs, family and couples dancing to the music.

Friday Concerts in the Park: shake it to Shakedown

2009-06-12T01:41:52Z

This Friday, Shakedown is scheduled to headline a Concert in the Park that includes The Kinetics, a traditional Jamaican Rocksteady group, and Syncro, a "Surf/Dutch pop/Shoegaze" band (click on any band's name to visit its MySpace page).

Shakedown has won "Best Sacramento Band of 2007" from former alternative rock radio station KWOD 106.5, and the single "Love to Get Love" has been featured on a GEICO commercial.

"We released the last record (New Sound Delivery, 2007) in haste because we had a lineup change, and wanted to show people what we had," said Shakedown lead singer Mark Kinyon.

Twelve years, four albums and several lineup changes since their debut, the members of the Sacramento six-piece are "buckling down" and making their best record yet.

Adding to a foundation of reggae-rock built by drummer Mike Wilhelm, bass player Garrett Fonda, D.Q. Hayes on sax and lead singer/guitarist Mark Kinyon, their latest album features two new members, Emcee Bles and DJ Mr. Vibe, who give their style more of a hip hop twist.

"We're always going to have a reggae influence, but we're into a little more hip hop and we tried a little more rock and roll in this, too -- not predictable radio rock. We try different rhythms" Kinyon said.

This will be Shakedown's second time playing at Concerts in the Park. During the 2004 show, said Kinyon, the band was able to introduce itself to a new audience due to the family atmosphere.

But that wasn't the only benefit to playing the show.

"We headline many shows, and a lot of people love Shakedown's music, but we usually don't get to go on until 11:30 [p.m.] or [midnight], so we usually go on past people's bedtimes. Last time [at Concerts in the Park] we ended up selling a massive amount of CDs in one day," said Shakedown's producer Rob Farmer.

"We love doing outdoor shows," Kinyon said. "We can have our friends in the beer garden, but we reach a lot of people that wouldn't be able to go out to [see us at] a club."

Friday Night Concerts in the Park take place at Cesar Chavez Park on 10th and J Streets from 5-9 p.m. every Friday until August 14.

Don't forget that your Friday night festivities continue if you show your wristband to one of the following businesses:

Brew it Up! $4 Drafts, Bacardi, Jack Daniels & 3 Olives cocktails, plus half-price appetizers

Fuzio Universal Bistro $3 Drafts, $5 Martinis, plus a selection of $3 appetizers

Marilyn's on K $1 off well drinks, $3 Draft Bud Light

Parlare Euro Lounge $3 Domestic beers, $5 wine, $4 assorted appetizers

Pyramid Alehouse $2 Pints of Curveball

Sofia on 11th $3 drafts, $4 wines, $4 wells and & half-price appetizers

Table 260 Half off appetizer menu, 10 percent off dinner, $5 drink special on Sac Soul

Toppingz Pizza inside Image Lounge $2.50 Bud and Bud Light, $4 Jack Daniels, appetizers starting at $1

Sheraton Grand Hotel's PMB Bar $3.50 Bud and Bud Light (bottle or draft), $5 nachos or artichoke dip

Amourath Lounge at Hyatt $1 off Bud, Bud Light and all appetizers

Citizen Hotel $99/night weekend rate for Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights in a deluxe king, queen, or dual-double-bed room. This deal is exclusively for the Concerts in the Park, and for information on how to book the room, call 916-447-2700.

*Image courtesy Shakedown's MySpace.

Capital Public Radio spins out record sale this weekend

2009-06-25T05:13:36Z

Take a million-dollar inventory of LPs, CDs and DVDs, arrange them on several 80-foot-long tables and place them into a 10,000 square foot room for three days.

This is the recipe for Capital Public Radio's (CPR) annual Used Record and CD Sale.

It will commence on Friday night with a "Preview Party" from 6 - 9 p.m. For a $20 cover charge, people can get a jump start on the musical feast while enjoying live music, food and wine.

On Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., the public can dig in for free and search through the leftovers. It all takes place in suite 172 of the "Howe 'bout Arden" shopping center at 2100 Arden Way.

All-in-all there will be approximately 45,000 vinyl records, 12,000 CDs, movies, cassettes, and "everything else," said event organizer Dennis Newhall, a DJ for KXJZ, 90.9 FM. "Everything else" includes old formats like laser discs, reel to reel, 8 tracks, and even beta.

About 40 percent of the vinyl is classical music, much of which is released only on vinyl, said Newhall. The other 60 percent is pop, rock, blues, jazz and other genres.

The CDs and cassettes include all these types of albums plus newer music like punk and hip-hop.

"The prices are great," Newhall said. They include $4 CDs and DVDs, $2 VHS tapes, and $1 LPs. As the stock dwindles, these prices will also decrease.

"I'm surprised at how many new CDs and DVDs there are," added Newhall, who planned the logistics of the sale.

Though a marketing team of four people is assisting him, the rest of the event is run by volunteers. People can still volunteer by signing up at capradio.org.

All the items were donated by CPR supporters in the last three weeks. They had been collected in bins at local Borders and AT&T stores.

For the last 15 years, people have been lining up at the doors before the sale. Thousands are expected this year.

"You snooze you lose," said Newhall of the sale. "It's just this weekend."

There will also be boxes of free items. These include CDs, cassettes and videos that are homemade or are missing packaging.

All proceeds go to CPR. CPR members will receive 50 percent off entrance to the Preview Party on Friday and 20 percent off all merchandise on Saturday and Sunday.

"Graham-a-Rama" provides unique cabaret experience

2009-09-10T03:44:16Z

Graham-a-Rama, a weekly cabaret show put on by local music director and pianist Graham Sobelman, was only planned to run a few weeks. But after the success of the first few shows in February, Sobelman has continued the show nearly every week since then, has guest appearances confirmed as far out as January and will continue the show until it "runs its course."

It has gained somewhat of a cult following, selling out nearly every show. Most of the audience has been to multiple shows, Sobelman said.

Graham-a-Rama, one of the few cabaret shows in the grid, is a mix of original music, standup comedy, musical theatre and rock 'n' roll covers. The instrumentation consists of Sobelman on a grand piano, a bass player, a drummer and occasionally a guitar player.

"Maybe that's why it's done so well," Sobelman said. "There's nothing else like it."

Each show has different scripted portions with local guest vocalists using a number of costumes and props including an inflatable sheep, and also an improvised crowd participation element including trivia, mad libs and sing-alongs.

It started with a group of musical theatre friends hanging out — Sobelman has been playing piano for musicals in the area since 1994 — taking songs and performing them out of context. Sobelman became friends with theater actress and singer Nancy Zoppi (who will perform in Graham-a-Rama this Sunday), whose father, Bobby Zoppi, helped provide the Geery Theater as Graham-a-Rama's venue.

The theater, located at 2130 L St., is housed in a green Victorian and only holds 49 seats. It's such an intimate performance, during one of the shows, audience members were asked to sit on stage as a nod to the musical Spring Awakening, Sobelman said.

So far Sobelman has staged 25 Graham-a-Ramas, sharing the stage with about 40 guests and performing over 400 songs. The show has received media attention nearly every local media outlet including The Sacramento Press, The Sacramento Bee, Sacramento News & Review, and Capitol Public Radio.

"I'm happy with how it's been," Sobelman said. "I never take anything for granted, and I'm not expecting it to sell out every week."

"I've enjoyed every single show, but obviously I like working with Nancy Zoppi," he said. Sunday will be her fourth time with Graham-a-Rama."

Graham-a-Rama is impressive in its juxtaposition of serious songs with standup comedy. One moment you might be laughing, and the next thing you know, a performer is singing a sad song about unrequited love.

One of the funniest moments, Sobelman said, was during a performance of the ballad "The Sun and I" (click link for video) from the musical Hot Mikado. About 20 seconds into the song with the audience totally silent, an audience member "who was out of her element," wearing a ton of jewelry and sporting a fake tan, stood up and left the theater, he recalled.

The audience (and performers) erupted in laughter.

In subsequent shows, "Ms. Jangles" as she is known now, has become a recurring character in skits. Re-enactments of the whole episode have also taken place.

"We make fun of everybody," Sobelman said. "But we don't set out to offend anybody."

Tickets can be purchased here for $14.50. Mature audience are recommended.

Photographs courtesy Tony Sheppard.

Thistle Dew Theatre offers drama and dessert

2009-11-12T03:58:02Z

You might have heard of Sacramento's dinner theaters: Suspects Dinner Theatre aboard the Delta King, Tommy T's Comedy and Dinner Theatre and the recently closed Garbeau's Dinner Theatre.

So after attending dinner theater, why not stop by Sacramento's only dessert theater?

"As far as I know, we're the only one in the world," said Thomas Kelly, Thistle Dew Dessert Theatre owner, founder and artistic director.

Kelly, now a retired copy/printshop owner, was a playwright for about 20 years before he opened the theater in 1996. In 1992, he and his wife Eleanor Lediard purchased the 1894 Victorian, 1901 P St., where the theatre is housed.

"It had been a drug house before we got it, totally trashed," Lediard said. "It took us a year to remodel it (into) a very small theater with 39 seats, as far as I know, the smallest theater in Sacramento."

Lediard, a family law attorney, has a law office on the top floor of the house, while the main floor of the Victorian sits slightly above ground. The theater is located on the bottom floor, about three feet below street level.

Shows take place Friday and Saturday nights at 7 p.m. and Sunday afternoons at 2 p.m. Exact times and dates can be found here.

About three years ago, needing "new and good material," Kelly started a Monday night playwright group which critiques plays and offers new wordsmiths community assistance. Now, with nearly 80 active members, each meeting averages about 25 playwrights, and five playwrights in the group have had 12 plays published by Massachusetts-based Jac Publishing.

Being able to help Sacramento's budding playwrights is Kelly and Lediard's proudest achievement of the theater, the married couple said. The theatre now shows exclusively original works by local playwrights.

Currently playing is The Trials of Clarence Darrow, produced by the playwright group several years ago. Written and performed by Paul Hauck, the play depicts the life of lawyer and American Civil Liberties Union leader, Clarence Darrow.

"It's very interesting," Lediard said. "I'm kind of biased because I'm a lawyer, but it's really of interest because the issues it deals with - social equality and civil rights - are all current issues.

Next month, the theater will feature Kelly's original work Wake up, Jay! It's Christmas!, winner of four 2006 Elly Awards including Best Overall Production. Given out by the Sacramento Area Regional Theater Alliance, the Elly Award honors outstanding achievements in the local theater community.

"It's (about) two family pets, a cat and a brand new puppy, left alone Christmas eve," Kelly said. "The puppy just goes berserk, has a lot of fun and kids really enjoy it because the puppy just has a blast."

As for the desserts, Kelly recommends the apple pie and the chocolate cake, the two most popular of five dessert offerings. Desserts come with coffee or tea.

Ticket prices are $25 per person and seats must be reserved by emailing thistledewplaywrights@yahoo.com or calling (916) 444-8209.

Those who wish to join the playwright group should view information here. Those who want to audition for plays should view information here.

Sacramento Philharmonic Neighborhood Concert Series

2009-12-05T02:51:04Z

Few concert experiences are as moving as those for live classical music. An orchestra can fill even the largest venue with clear trebles and thundering bass.

The Sacramento Philharmonic is no exception.

Thanks in part to sponsorships by the National Endowment for the Arts, Target and the Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the Sacramento Philharmonic is putting on a first-time venture of five nights in a row of free neighborhood concerts.

The first show in the series was Thursday night at the Benvenuti Performing Arts Center in Natomas. Though the venue could hold many more, about 75 children, parents and couples laughed at two playful introductory pieces before intermission, followed by the hourlong "The Soldier's Tale" by Igor Stravinsky.

The program began with Bohuslav Martinu's "La Revue de Cuisine," or "Kitchen Revue," a 1927 ballet in which kitchen utensils are the main characters.

Sacramento Philharmonic Director Michael Morgan explained the plot: Pot and Lid's marriage is threatened by Twirling Stick when Pot is wooed by Twirling Stick's sweet talk. In Pot's absence, Dishcloth tries to court Lid. After a duel with Broom, Pot and Lid return to one another, while Twirling Stick's affections move to Dishcloth.

Although the dancing portion of the piece was not performed, a sextet conjured up the story with a performance of the jazz-influenced suite.

A grand piano introduces the main theme, while a muted trumpet joins in with quick jazzy runs. A violin, bassoon, clarinet and cello join in the mix, slowing the tempo a bit while the bassoonist plays a warm, emotive solo.

It all ends after a Gershwin-esque ragtime extravaganza that evokes a lighthearted kitchen utensil fight, crescendoing to a halt.

A percussionist, oboist and baritone singer Brian Leerhuber join the sextet for the next piece, Francis Poulenc's 1932 cantata, "Le Bal Masqué," or "The Masked Ball." House lights brighten the room so the audience can read the translated lyrics, in which a man observes and mocks several strange characters at a masked ball.

Backed by an array of purposely chaotic music and unusual percussion (slapstick, castanets, triangle, whistle), Leerhuber steals the show with his powerful voice. He emits a wall of sound that hits even the back row, all while staging unusual impromptu hand gestures in character as a Frenchman.

Leerhuber clenches his fists, shrugs and points his finger during the piece. He dances around his chair before an out-of-character falsetto soprano ending.

After intermission, piano, oboe and cello are replaced by bass, trombone and narrator Mitchell Agruss of the B Street Theatre Acting Company in a performance of "The Soldier's Tale," from 1918. Agruss has enjoyed a long acting career, sharing the stage with Thornton Wilder, Harpo Marx and Katharine Hepburn. He won an 2008 Elly Award for best supporting actor in "Endgame."

"The Soldier's Tale" features a call and response between narrator and band, with Morgan directing Agruss and the musicians. From the middle of the stage, Morgan queues the band to play and Agruss to narrate, sometimes doing both at the same time. It marked the first collaboration between B Street Theatre and the Sacramento Philharmonic.

"The Soldiers Tale" is a cautionary tale in which a soldier bargains with the devil over a violin, unlimited wealth, a magic kingdom and a princess. Agruss performs all the characters -- narrator, soldier, devil and princess -- seamlessly, changing his voice to have a dialogue with himself.

Meanwhile, violinist Igor Veligan and percussionist Amy Stubbs play lengthy and passionate solos to end an amazing evening of music.

Four nights of the concert series remain:

Friday, Dec. 4, 8 p.m. at Oak Park's Guild Theater, 2828 35th St.

Dec. 5, 5 p.m. at Del Paso's Artisan Gallery, 1901 Del Paso Blvd.

Dec. 6, 3 p.m. at Orangevale's Temple Or Rishon, 7755 Hazel Ave.

Dec. 7, 7:30 p.m. at B Street Theatre, 2711 B St.

Tickets are available at the door one hour prior to concert.

Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers play Marilyn's on K Sunday

2009-11-07T06:57:56Z

Stephen Kellogg is not the type to brag about sharing the stage with Melissa Etheridge and hanging out with Carly Simon, James Taylor and Jimmy Buffett. In fact, the musician never mentioned it in his interview with The Sacramento Press.

Kellogg's favorite moment in his 15-year musical career wasn't even playing music. It was a humbling moment watching the drummer in his band help a soldier in the Middle East.

"In Kuwait this past spring, we met this Army Ranger shipping out that night for Afghanistan," Kellogg said. "He was hanging out, listening to us play, and it came up that he played banjo. Boots, the drummer from our band, who also plays banjo, gave his banjo to the Army Ranger. It felt like all the other things we'd done up to that point were leading up to this single definitive moment (where) the person whose life you're touching will never forget."

Fifteen years after his first demo recording, Kellogg will come to Sacramento with his band, The Sixers, on Sunday. They will perform at Borders Books in Roseville and Marilyn's on K, 908 K St.

Kellogg said he grew up in a household full of music by the Grateful Dead, Jackson Brown and Crosby, Stills, and Nash. But it wasn't until attending a Whitesnake concert in the 80s that the idea of music as a job became feasible.

He said it was "fate" that brought him to choose it as a career, and that once he realized you could make a living from it, he never looked back. Kellogg has since released five albums as the Sixers, also known as Sk6ers, pronounced Skick-sirs; three solo albums; one with The Stephen Kellogg band; and one with the Root Cellar Band.

Last year, the Sk6ers were favorably reviewed by NPR: "Their homegrown sound mirrors the folk-rock style of The Band, presented with great humility by a lead man with a Springsteen-sized personality."

Last month, the Sk6ers' new album, The Bear, debuted at No. 7 on Billboard's New Artist Charts.

Kellogg explained the band's readiness to play shows for social causes, for instance, last month's show for St. Louis Children's Hospital. "If we had made it, in terms of becoming a household name early on, I'm not sure our music would have gotten where it's supposed to go.

"You have to do other things that aren't trying to move your career forward," Kellogg said. "If we're going to do this for the long haul and be proud of what we've accomplished, we need to take music and make it different in ways that aren't so ego driven."

Having played about 1,000 shows with the Sk6ers, his life is a "dream life" he said, adding that he feels an obligation to give back.

Though the Sk6ers never have been to Sacramento, they say they're excited to visit the city. Kellogg has a friend from Sacramento who will take the band on a tour of the city, he said.

The musicians will play a free acoustic set Sunday at 1 p.m. at Borders Books in Roseville, because Borders stocks the Sk6ers' albums. "It's a good idea to get the back of those who get your back," Kellogg said.

Sunday's show at Marilyn's on K will begin at 7 p.m. with acoustic rock openers Tyrone Wells and Matt Hires. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the door and can be purchased here.

Photographs credit Welk Music Group Publicity / Vanguard Records

Concerts in the Park: Baby Grand headlining

2009-07-23T20:42:11Z

If Baby Grand keeps their current lineup and releases an album this year, it will be a huge first for the band. It will be the first time one of their albums shares the same lineup as their current gigging band.

This Friday at Cesar Chavez Plaza, Baby Grand will bring their most solid unit ever: a six-piece playing mellow organic pop. Opening for them will be Dog Party, The Poplollys and Ricky Berger.

Dog Party is a duo consisting of 11- and 13-year-old sisters who play original songs and covers on drums and guitar. The Poplollys are a local trio who play Americana style country, while another favorite, multi-instrumentalist Ricky Berger, sings mellow folk music.

Baby Grand first formed back in 1999 by husband and wife Tim and Gerri White. Once a power-pop/punk band, their sound has been getting progressively softer.

"At the point that I joined on guitar, we sort of took the band in a different direction," said Cory Vick, who has been with the band since 2004. "We're still a pop band lyrically, but structurally it's much more acoustic-based, folk-pop kind of stuff."

Vick admitted that the band has struggled to keep a steady lineup, but he's proud that the band's current lineup is the strongest they've ever had.

Vick, who has been the guitarist for Baby Grand on their last two EPs, did not appear on their first album back in 2002. But he's excited about the new album, which consists of twelve songs, because having a steady band means being able to concentrate on recording, he said.

"[The upcoming recording] is the first time we've actually really captured what we sound like live," he added. "[By recording this] it's the first time it feels like a real band."

By bringing down the volume, and learning to use dynamics in composing music, the band has been able to feature Gerri White's soft but soulful voice. "We're not louder, but I think our sound is actually bigger," Vick said.

He's also excited about playing Concerts in the Park to reach a new audience. "It's [going to be a] mix of state workers who get off work in their office attire, your downtown street people and younger kids," he said.

The band has played shows with the other acts before, and they've become friends. "I think while all four bands are different musically, anybody who would come to this show would find something appealing in all four bands," he said.

Friday Night Concerts in the Park take place at Cesar Chavez Plaza on 10th and J streets from 5 to 9 p.m. every Friday until Aug. 14.

Don't forget that your Friday night festivities continue if you show your wristband to one of the following businesses:

Brew it Up!: $4 drafts, Bacardi, Jack Daniels and 3 Olives cocktails, plus half-price appetizers

Fuzio Universal Bistro: $3 drafts, $5 martinis, plus a selection of $3 appetizers

Marilyn's on K: $1 off well drinks, $3 draft Bud Light

Parlare Euro Lounge: $3 domestic beers, $5 wine, $4 assorted appetizers

Pyramid Alehouse: $2 pints of Curveball

Sofia on 11th: $3 drafts, $4 wines, $4 wells and and half-price appetizers

Table 260: Half off appetizer menu, 10 percent off dinner, $5 drink special on Sac Soul

Toppingz Pizza inside Image Lounge: $2.50 Bud and Bud Light, $4 Jack Daniels, appetizers starting at $1

Sheraton Grand Hotel's PMB Bar: $3.50 Bud and Bud Light (bottle or draft), $5 nachos or artichoke dip

Amourath Lounge at Hyatt: $1 off Bud, Bud Light and all appetizers

Citizen Hotel: $99/night weekend rate for Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights in a deluxe king, queen or dual-double-bedroom. This deal is exclusively for the Concerts in the Park, and for information on how to book the room, call (916) 447-2700.

*photographs credit Ted Angel

Hair brings the '60s to Sacramento

2009-07-17T22:56:19Z

The spirit of the '60s was alive Thursday night as the Artistic Differences theater company staged a dizzying performance of the musical Hair to a sold-out crowd.

Second in a series of three summer concerts entitled "Summer of Rock," Hair incorporated the entire Harlow's audience. A six-piece rock band backed a cast of 17 singers who danced through a standing-room-only crowd of more than 250 people.

The "tribal rock concert" opened with a live Jimi Hendrix-like performance of the "Star Spangled Banner" reminiscent of the Woodstock version. It flowed seamlessly into "Aquarius," a hit song in 1969.

Hair's plot revolves around Claude (multiple actors), an East Village New Yorker who receives a draft notice. During a psychedelic drug-induced hallucination, he struggles with the decision, envisioning an unending cycle of killings.

Director Nora Aboali and Music/Artistic Director Maggie Hollinbeck created a multimedia masterpiece for the occasion. A light show, a video projector and props like day-glo joints infused a new generation of technology into the old Broadway show.

On the projection screen, modern images of President George W. Bush complemented a psychedelic slide show of archival images. This juxtaposition of young and old was also mirrored in the audience, filled with diverse people of all ages.

Actors donned glowing bracelets, peace-symbol earrings and ripped jeans. Wireless headset microphones allowed them to move down aisles and continue to sing.

They climbed chairs and poles and even danced with audience members, many of whom were of hippie/baby boomer age themselves. At intermission, they passed out flowers.

During one song, an actor kissed an audience member on the forehead. In another, an actor bear hugged a spectator.

Eleven different cast members sang vocal solos on different songs. Each solo helped the cast build a collective persona.

The night ended with the famous refrain "Let the sun shine/Let the sun shine in/The sun shine in," while the cast held hands to form a ring around the audience.

Artistic Difference's "Summer of Rock" series continues Aug. 13th with Bare, a musical about two homosexual students struggling at their respective Catholic boarding schools. Also at Harlow's, tickets cost $15 in advance and $20 at the door.

Richard March and Tyler Ragle to perform CD-release concert

2009-12-17T05:29:05Z

Local Americana musicians Richard March and Tyler Ragle are not afraid to get political.

Their new song "Gold Star Café" includes a café conversation about politics, praises for President Obama and criticism of the public for not being involved enough in politics.

"Thank God this young man got the vote/But he alone won't save this boat/Gonna take 'all hands' to get her right/So we can sleep at night," March writes.

Saturday at Javalounge, the local country-influenced folk duo will play a CD-release concert for their five-song EP Kings and Thieves, their first release as a duo. Davis-based singer-songwriter Nat Lefkoff will open the show.

March lived in the Bay Area until age 30, when he moved to Nashville to pursue a music career.

After only two months there, he came back to California and settled in Sacramento because his wife was from here, he said. Currently living in West Sacramento, March spent time recently as a substitute teacher and still commutes to the Bay Area every weekend to play music in church.

Ragle grew up in Roseville and worked Skip's Music in Sacramento for five years before becoming a school aid helping autistic children in Orangevale. He has played in several "serious" local bands over the years, which he defined as bands that have played many live shows.

March, on the other hand, has a Bachelor of Arts in Popular Styles from San Francisco State, and hasn't stopped writing songs since he was 18. In 2007, he won a SAMMIE award for best male vocalist.

About a decade ago, March and Ragle met at an open mic night at Old Ironsides, where March asked audience members to name the artist he was covering. Ragle, a self-described music trivia fan and snob, shouted "Springsteen!" and March gave him a free CD as a reward.

The two have been playing music together ever since.

March has four albums, two with Ragle playing bass, but Kings marks the first time the duo have released a collection of songs they wrote together.

With harmonica, guitar, vocals and an occasional piano, Kings has a touch of Dylan, Simon and Garfunkel and the Eagles. The duo's chemistry is apparent on the album and they complete each others' sentences over coffee like an old married couple.

Writing political songs is difficult, said Ragle, 31, in part because certainly the pair are not foreign policy or politics experts. But opinions tend to be best expressed through song, he said.

"There are a couple of songs that people walk away from (when played live)," March said.

"We've had a good reaction to 'Gold Star Café' so far, but it will be interesting how that reaction will change in a year or two," Ragle added.

They both agreed some of their favorite moments in music included opening for folk music legend Ramblin' Jack Elliot and playing Concerts in the Park with Jackie Greene.

In addition to recording another full album, March said he is ready to hit the road and start some serious touring.

"I've never been one to throw caution to the wind," he said. "I'm a square-ass suburban white boy that's fairly comfortable. But at the ripe age of 40, I'm starting to try and tour, travel and focus on (music) full time."

The show begins at 8 p.m. and will cost $5. CDs will be available for $5. Javalounge is located at 2416 16th Street.

Musician Elliot Randall to begin California tour in Sacramento

2009-09-11T05:19:09Z

It was a combination of a songwriting workshop and heartbreak over a girl that jump-started Americana singer Elliot Randall's career.

"I think that every songwriter gets into songwriting because of a girl," he said. "Songwriters can write about heartbreak all day long if (they) experience it."

Heartbreak or not, Randall has made a name for himself in a relatively short time. Since his debut album, Take the Fall, came out in 2007, he's had the chance to open for some of his childhood heroes: Creedence Clearwater Revisited and the Steve Miller Band.

On Friday night, at the Fox and Goose Pub, Randall and his four-piece band will play the first concert of a California tour that he is co-headlining with folk rock singer Gina Villalobos. Local singer-songwriter Kate Gaffney will open the show.

Country music is deeply rooted in Randall's blood -- his father was a country songwriter, and his grandfather was a musician as well. "Once I started getting into songwriting, roots-type stuff just started coming out," he said.

His family moved from the deep South to South Carolina when he was little, and shortly before high school, they moved to California. It was at Santa Barbara City College that he took the songwriting workshop.

"It's a really well-known program run by a professor named Dr. Clark, an amazing songwriting coach and mentor. He really helped me with my craft," Randall said.

Randall mentioned that many people who have taken the class have been successful. One example is pop singer Katy Perry, whose 2008 album, One of the Boys, recently went platinum.

Later, Randall moved to San Francisco, where producer David Simon Baker (ALO, Jackie Greene, The Mother Hips) helped him record Take the Fall. The album reached number 16 on XM Radio's "X Country" charts, and Randall gained a regional following in the Bay Area.

But he won't say that he's successful or that he's "made it." That kind of thinking puts too much pressure on his career, Randall said.

Right now, he's working with Baker again on a new album entitled Caffeine and Gasoline, set for release in October or November. It will feature less heartbreak and include more lively songs, Randall said.

"I don't want to do another singer-songwriter, depress-everyone-in-the-world, sad Grey's-Anatomy-soundtrack record," Randall said of the record. "It's got some sweet ballads, but frankly I don't think there are enough Americana bands out there trying to rock the house, trying to get people moving."

Randall said he enjoys playing in Sacramento because the people who go to his shows (he played at Marilyn's on K Street last time) are willing to have a good time.

"I don't think people (in Sacramento) are as obsessed with being hip as they are in the Bay Area, so it was a nice change. I dig the fact that it's a real hardworking Northern California city, and people have to sort of cut loose a little bit and have some fun."

Randall will debut some of the new songs from Caffeine and Gasoline in the show Friday, which begins at 9 p.m. There will be a $5 cover charge for the show at Fox and Goose Pub, 1001 R St.

Photographs credit Music Fog

Tower of Power to play 'Bump City Dance Party'

2009-09-25T03:57:24Z

Emilio Castillo had no idea his band would last 40 years. "I idolized The Spyders, a local [Oakland] soul band. They got hired to go to Sacramento and play a topless bar for a week. We were like, 'Wow, man, they're going on the road. If we could only get to Sacramento and play a topless bar, we would have made it.' "

"My vision was [only] that far," added Tower of Power's co-founder and leader. "I had no idea what I could do. I just knew I loved it, and I would do it until I dropped. I far surpassed my wildest dreams."

Saturday night, audiences can get a taste of the Oakland-based 10-piece band when it headlines the 17th annual Bump City Dance Party at the Radisson. Sammie-award-winning band Mick Martin and the Blues Rockers will open.

"Every time we play Sacramento, it's happening," Castillo said. Tower of Power recorded its first live album, Live and in Living Color, at the Memorial Auditorium.

"It doesn't matter if we're playing a topless joint, the Memorial Auditorium or the Radisson," Castillo said. "Wherever we're playing in Sacramento, it's going to be hot."

The band started in 1968 when tenor saxophone player and singer Castillo auditioned baritone saxophone player Stephen "Doc" Kupka to be in his band. Inspired by The Spyders and the "godfather of soul," James Brown, The Motowns became Tower of Power to "get hipper [and] get into the Fillmore," Castillo said.

The Motowns originally made its name as a cover band, but once Doc joined, he and Castillo began writing original material. The rest is history, all the way to the latest album, Great American Soulbook. It was released earlier this year and contains all cover songs. Tower of Power's 20th album, Soulbook features tunes originally recorded by Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder, among others.

The band plans to play tunes from its latest album on Saturday, as well as its original classics. Castillo said to listen for a medley of funky Brown covers during "Diggin' on James Brown."

The band's first hit was the Billboard-Hot-100 single "You're Still a Young Man" from the 1972 album Bump City. That same year, the band added 18-year-old tenor saxophone player Lenny Pickett, a self-taught musical prodigy.

On Pickett's signature solos, "he just took off and went to the moon," Castillo said of the musician known for his use of the altissimo, or high-pitched, register. Pickett played on some of the band's most enduring hits, such as "So Very Hard To Go," "Soul Vaccination" and "What is Hip?" before leaving the band in 1981. Pickett has played in the "Saturday Night Live" band since 1985, and is its musical director. He also has reunited with Tower of Power on many occasions.

Castillo recalled one of his favorite moments in the band.

"When we opened up for Aretha Franklin at the Fillmore Auditorium, I remember standing backstage in a doorway. She came to walk through and so I turned sideways to let her slide through. We wound up wedged in the doorway, nose to nose, and she looked at me and said, 'Tower of Power, my favorite band.' "

"I just melted," Castillo said.

Even after backing musicians such as Aerosmith, P. Diddy and The Rolling Stones, and a career spanning more than 40 years, the band's funk and soul power is unchanged.

Castillo attributes the band's success to selfishness.

"We make our music real selfishly, we make it to please ourselves. When we're happy with our music, fans really dig it. It makes it easy; we're doing what we love."

Castillo said the band loves representing Oakland soul.

"We just got it in our blood," he said. "You can take the boy out of Oakland, but you can't take Oakland out of the boy."

Tickets can be purchased at Dimple Records, Ticketmaster outlets online at Ticketmaster.com or at the door. All seats are general admission, $34.

Because the concert is dance party style, seating is limited. The show, at the Radisson at 500 Leisure Lane, begins at 7:30 p.m.

Photograph credit Tower of Power.

Too Short Center of Attention at Center Court

2009-08-03T06:49:50Z

By Andrew Thomas

Fans from all over Northern California gathered to see Bay Area rap legend Too Short perform Friday night at former Sacramento Kings Chris Webber's club Center Court in Natomas. Patrons were in good spirits all night long with hip hop music filling the air as the drinks poured from the bar. TV screens wrapped the walls showing music videos, many of which were from Too Short to get the crowd ready for the legend's appearance. “I’ve been a fan of Too Short since ‘Don’t Fight the Feelin,’” said club promoter Tina Cris from Keen Management. “Don’t Fight the Feelin” was a single off of the rapper's 1988 album “Life Is… Too Short.” This shows how loyal Too Short fans are in Northern California.

It didn’t take long for the club to fill up with fans. “It looked like a sea of people on the dance floor, it was a better turn out than we expected,” said club promoter Richard Beir of EHP Entertainment. Too Short entered the stage around one a.m. being introduced by club owner Chris Webber with fans screaming the rappers name. With no opening act, Too Short started the night off with the lead single from his 2003 album “Married to the Game” song “Shake that Monkey.” With a drink in his left hand, and a microphone in his right hand, the rapper still managed to greet his fans while performing giving hive fives and handshakes to the audience throughout his performance.

Too Short has made a career for himself with rapping raunchy lines and telling stories of sexual prowess. His fans the whole time have loved him for it; men and women both. When the rapper performed “Freaky Tale” from his 1987 album “Born to Mack,” the crowd erupted. The show wrapped up around two a.m. with a pleased audience. Too Short has a career that has spanned over two decades. In an industry where artist are lucky to last one year, he has proven he is one of hip hop legends and is a hero to Northern California.

SAMMIES nominees showcased in series of shows

2009-05-20T00:57:58Z

What do Cake, Deftones, Oleander, and Jackie Greene have in common? Besides that they are all from Sacramento, they are also all SAMMIES (Sacramento Area Music Awards) Hall of Fame members.

Sacramento's music lovers, geeks, and fanatics rejoice -- Sacramento News & Review recently released this year's SAMMIES nominees, and eight shows between Thursday, May 21st and June 27th's awards ceremony and concert in Cesar Chavez Park will showcase the best of Sacramento's music scene.

Thursday's 9 p.m. concert at Old Ironsides will showcase SAMMIES nominees The Generals, with Autumn Sky, Christopher Fairman and The Inversions opening the show.

"I would totally recommend June 6, all singer-songwriters playing short sets, and June 7th, which is all hip hop emcees," said Sacramento News & Review entertainment editor Nick Miller.

"All of the money from the door goes to the bands," he added.

Here are the rest of the dates, from Sacramento News & Review's website:

Showcase: Category 7
Price: $6
Featuring: Category 7, Ambrosia Caprice, Claudia's Ashes, and Man Automatic
When: Wednesday, May 27, 9 p.m.
Where: Blue Lamp

Showcase: Order of the Golden Mirror
Price: $6
Featuring: Order of the Golden Mirror, Lynus, and David Houston
When: Friday, May 29, 9 p.m.
Where: Luigi’s Fun Garden

Showcase: Matthew Tucker
Price: $6
Featuring: Matthew Tucker, Ellie Fortune, Nice Monster, Christian Kiefer, Terra Lopez, Dead Western, and Kris Anaya
When: Saturday, June 6, 9 p.m.
Where: Luigi’s Fun Garden

Showcase: Illecism
Price: $6
Featuring: Illecism, Aquifer, Tais, Izreal, and Mahtie Bush
When: Sunday, June 7, 9 p.m.
Where: The Press Club

Showcase: Boats!
Price: $6
Featuring: Boats!, Another Damn Disappointment, and Final Summation
When: Wednesday, June 10, 9 p.m.
Where: The Press Club

Showcase: Impotent Ninja
Price: $6
Featuring: Impotent Ninja, Jeepster, zuhg, and Kate Gaffney
When: Thursday, June 11, 9 p.m.
Where: Old Ironsides

Awards Show and Music Festival
Price: Free
Featuring: 16 confirmed acts, 2 stages, vendors, beer garden, local fashion boutiques, places to park your bike, afterparty at Marilyn's on K until 2 a.m.
When: Saturday, June 27, 3 - 9 p.m.
Where: Cesar Chavez Plaza

For a full list of the 107 SAMMIES nominees, look here, and vote here for your favorites.

*Photographs courtesy Myspace.com photographs of each artist playing the Old Ironsides gig on Thursday.

UC Davis Alumnus Lyrics Born to Headline "Rock and Rhyme"

2009-02-28T05:40:41Z

On Saturday, Feb. 28 Harlow's will be hosting Rock and Rhyme, beginning at 9 p.m. Lyrics Born, a Hip Hop artist with local connections will be headlining the show at Midnight. Lyrics Born went to UC Davis with Gift of Gab and Chief Xcel of Blackalicious, Lateef the Truthspeaker, DJ Shadow and Jeff Chang aka DJ Zen. In addition to being one half of the band Latryx with Lateef, Lyrics Born has released two albums, three mix tapes, a remix album and a live album as a solo artist. His single "Callin' Out" was featured in a Diet Coke advertisement featuring Adrian Brody, while his single "I Like It, I Love It" was featured in a Playstation 3 advertisement. His rhymes are as diverse as his music, covering a variety of topics ranging from love to politics to partying.

The following is an interview with him, Friday the 27th, the day before the show:

It says in your bio that you've spent time in a lot of different places, but you spent some time here in the Northern California area. How did growing up here affect your music or your style?

Well being that specifically I'm from Berkeley, and being that the Bay Area is just a clearly diverse place culturally, politically, ideologically - it's also diverse musically. So for myself I was never really tied to one style. Obviously I started off in the Hip-Hop vein, but it kind of went everywhere else from there.

Besides Gift of Gab, Lateef the Truth Speaker, DJ Shadow, and DJ Zen [all members of the Davis area Solesides label which later became Quannum] what was the UC Davis scene like, and was it pretty instrumental in making a lot of connections?

Yeah. Certainly, the fact that it was so isolated and the fact that there was basically the Hip-hop community pretty much consisting of the people you just named and maybe five other people in the whole school. I think that had we not attended school there together, my career definitely would not have been what it was, and I think the other guys would all tell you the same. It was definitely a saint, that's the best way to say it.

From your time in Davis or if you've ever been to Sacramento, what were some of your favorite places to hang out?

I always really liked downtown, I always felt like it always had a lot of character. And I always used to buy records; I'm a record collector. We used to always buy old records in Old Sacramento actually. And Sacramento was the closest city to Davis when we were going there. It also had a really talented thriving little Hip Hop community at the time. I remember going to all the open mics and playing at Sac State and doing all that kind of stuff. Some of the best records stores in the entire country are in Sacramento, believe it or not, and thats coming from a record collector.

Tomorrow night, is there anything you're particularly excited about playing in Sacramento?

Well I haven't been in a long time. I think I do feel a certain kinship with that area, and I'm happy to come back and play.

What is like touring with a wife [the formally trained opera singer turned soul singer Joyo Velarde]?

It's great! We're away for so long, I just don't think I'd be able to do it without her. When you spend anywhere between 4-8 months on the road every year, it's really hard to do year round. And when you're together, it makes it do-able.

I was wondering what does it mean to you being Asian American in Hip Hop and how do you and Asian Americans define themselves in the music industry?

I think I just define myself by just who I am. I think that on the one hand it means a lot, because you know, I'm very well aware that there's not that many of us out there in the entertainment business period. I'm very thankful and I'm very grateful that I've gotten to the point where I have, to the point where I probably am one of the more visible among us. But at the same time, it doesn't really mean anything either, because nobody's going to buy my music just because of it. I have to make good music - if my music is bad it doesn't matter what I am. I am well aware of the fact that with every step that I make forward it's a step for all of us forward.

Speaking of your music, very few Hip Hop shows that I've seen have had a live backing band, with the exception of maybe the Roots. How come you switched it up from a DJ to a live band?

For the very reason that you just said. And I think that also for me it was just the next step in my progression as an artist. I still do shows with a DJ and I still love doing that, but I just wanted to vary my repertoire, and I wanted to go into territory I hadn't gone into before. Like you said, I wanted to do something that most other groups are not doing.

I was wondering if you and your band have a pre show routine.

Yeah everybody drinks a 40.

Really?

No not true. We do a little group huddle, we say a little prayer, and we get out there and rip it.

Anything else you'd like to let Sacramento know?

I'm just happy to be back, and everybody should come through because we're definitely going to tear it down.

*photo courtesy ANTI Records.

End of Summer Fest: Method Echo to headline

2009-08-28T04:57:31Z

"I remember the first night we heard ourselves on 100.5 The Zone," said Method Echo lead singer Josh Guerrero. "It was like that movie [That Thing You Do] with The Oneders: Everybody was stoked and pumped up, we were calling each other [saying], 'Oh my goodness we're on the radio.' "

Friday night, Method Echo will be bringing its funky soulful style of rock 'n' roll to End of Summer Fest in Cesar Chavez Plaza. Pop-singing piano player Shannon Curtis and pop-rock vocalist Bobby Zoppi will open the concert (click links for MySpace).

The members of Method Echo first met more than 10 years ago at Harvest Church in Elk Grove (the pastor was guitarist Tyler Hagan's father). Then teenagers, they shared a love for the rock and gospel played at church, and it helped their music develop, Guerrero said.

Two and a half years ago, the five friends decided to form Method Echo. The name doesn't have a meaning, Guerrero explained; it was just a cool name they made up that stuck.

Hagan previously played guitar in a punk rock band while brothers David (drums) and Chris (bass) Moore draw from an R&B background. Keyboardist Daniel Herrera adds an electronic dynamic to the band while Guerrero brings his soulful and stylish pop vocals to front of the group's sound.

The band has been compared to Maroon 5 in the past, but at times its songs sound more like Michael Jackson's layered dance-pop numbers or one of John Mayer's ballads.

"We heard the Maroon 5 label, and initially at first, it was like, 'We want to be more original,'" Guerrero said. "We're not trying to bite anybody, it's just naturally who we are. [We have] rock, soul, pop, R&B and, at times, hip-hop influences as well."

After being featured on 100.5 The Zone, they were asked to open for Chris Daughtry and Lifehouse in 2008 at the Zone's Day in the Zone concert. Playing in front of a crowd of between 8,000 and 9,000 people marked a new high for the band members, as it was and is their biggest audience so far.

After drawing record label attention, the band, now unsigned, is writing as much new material as possible. Guerrero described the new material as "dancy" with a "hip hop element" to it, and he said they will decide in the next few months what to do with it.

Method Echo recently played in Cesar Chavez Plaza at the Guac and Roll festival in May, and the members said they have always wanted to play a show there on a Friday night. They are excited to debut some of their new material there this Friday, Guerrero added.

"I loved looking at Sacramento when we were playing," Guerrero said of playing in the park. "Because we're from Sacramento, seeing the buildings and the trees makes us have a little pride when we play."

End of Summer Fest takes place at Cesar Chavez Plaza on 10th and J Streets from 5 - 9 p.m. every Friday through Sept. 18.

The fun continues after the festival if you bring your beer garden wristband to The Shady Lady Saloon. Details about drink specials to follow.

Photographs credit Karl Schroeder.

Cosmopolitan Cabaret announces 2010 season

2009-11-25T03:44:12Z

On Monday, Cosmopolitan Cabaret announced its 2010 season, the cabaret's first scheduled season with a full lineup of shows. Nov. 30, California Musical Theatre, which runs the Cosmopolitan Cabaret as well as the Music Circus and Broadway Sacramento, will begin selling tickets for the three shows making up the season.

The 2010 season will begin Jan. 26 with My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra, followed by a murder-mystery non-musical play called Shear Madness and end with Suds, an upbeat love story with a 1960s top-40 soundtrack.

Last September, the cabaret began its first show, Forever Plaid, as an open-ended run. It ended after a year, earlier than had been hoped. But it lasted 387 performances and drew 46,000 people before closing as the longest-running, professional-equity theatre production in Sacramento history.

"We were hoping it was going to run for five years and be a smash hit," said Christopher Bower, CMT's director of marketing. "But we didn't really have a certain date in mind (to close), we were just going to see how it went."

Last spring, CMT management decided to move to a normal cabaret season with several productions per year.

"We got hit pretty hard with the economy going down the tubes right after we opened, but it started to get its legs and we decided last spring that it might be better to go with a season format," Bower said.

As CMT executive producer Richard Lewis saw ticket sales dwindling, he decided to close Forever Plaid, according to an article in the Sacramento Bee. On Sept. 22, CMT opened Late Night Catechism: 'Til Death Do Us Part, a one-woman show which ended Nov. 22.

The production featured a minimalist set, with Emmy-Award winning actress Nonie Newton-Breen playing a nun who offers humorous lessons on various Catholic sacraments.

She will reprise her role as a nun for six weeks beginning Tuesday, Nov. 24 in Sister's Christmas Catechism, followed by a one-week encore show of 'Til Death beginning Jan. 5, 2010. Both shows have improvised material with heavy audience interaction.

Bower said that there is much to be learned from the first year, and the CMT won't know if the cabaret is a success until having completed several more seasons. He also said Forever Plaid was so funny and well done, once the word got out, people started buying tickets quickly.

"Artistically, the show itself got great reviews and great audience response," Bower added. "Financially, (the year) had its ups and downs but it's a learning process. We didn't really know what to expect, we'd never run a cabaret-style theatre before."

Cosmopolitan Cabaret is located on the corner of 10th and K streets.

The following is the Cosmopolitan Cabaret's 2010 season schedule and plot summaries, taken from www.californiamusicaltheatre.com:

My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra

Jan. 26 - May 9 (previews Jan. 26 – 28, opening night, Friday, Jan. 29).

The four-person musical review celebrates the music of this icon of cool: a singer whose style, voice and attitude defined much of 20th century music. Two dynamic couples perform 58 songs made famous by the Chairman of the Board, including "Strangers in the Night," "I’ve Got You Under My Skin" and “New York, New York.”

Shear Madness

May 25 - Sept. 5 (previews May 25 – 30, opening night, Tuesday, June 1).

Taking place in a beauty salon, this uproarious whodunit includes colorful characters, spontaneity and topical humor. And the audience gets to solve the crime! "Shear Madness" has had long-running engagements around the country including Chicago, San Francisco, Washington D.C. (9,000 performances and counting) and the original Boston production which opened in 1980 and is still going strong.

Suds

Sept. 21 - Jan. 9, 2011 (previews Sept. 21 – 23, opening night, Friday, Sept. 24)

Suds is a delightful musical about a teenage girl and the guardian angels who come to teach her about finding true love. This bubbly musical set in a laundromat features hits from the '60s including "Where the Boys Are," "These Boots Are Made for Walkin’," "Respect," "I Feel Good" and "Do You Want to Know a Secret."

Subscriptions are available for purchase beginning Monday, Nov. 30, at the Wells Fargo Pavilion Box Office, 1419 H St., Sacramento, or by calling (916) 557-1999.

Subscription tickets are discounted more than 20 percent off the price of the tickets sold separately. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday evening performances and Thursday matinee performances are $79 for the three-show package. Friday and Saturday evenings and Saturday and Sunday matinee packages are only $89. Subscriptions for premium tables on the first tier are $89 and $99 respectively. Discounts are available for groups from 12 to 199 by calling (916) 557-1198.

Single-show tickets for each of the productions will go on sale at a later date.

Music Never Stops Foundation offers scholarships, concerts

2010-01-13T06:06:41Z

School music programs are dying, according to guitar teacher Monty Schmidt. There are rare programs that have lasted for decades thanks to parental support, but in neighborhoods where families struggle financially, you don't see them, he said.

So how does a student who can't afford private lessons learn to play an instrument?

Scholarships. That's what Schmidt's Music Never Stops Foundation aims to give, though not a single student has applied so far.

This Thursday, the group will kick off their publicity and fundraising efforts with a Winter Jazz Concert Series at Beatnik Studios. The Rio Americano High School Jazz Combo will open for Capital Jazz Project and the concert will end with an open jazz jam session.

"I taught briefly as a public music teacher and the resources were very slim," Schmidt said. "The administrators that were trying to deal with holding their programs together didn't have much attention, help or resources."

After years of teaching private lessons in local music stores, he decided to teach music in his own home before opening the Earthtone School of Music in 2006. The school aims to create a studio-like environment where teachers can communicate with other teachers and students can speak to other students.

A group of business owners and some parents and students in the studio, realized there was a greater need, Schmidt said. The group wanted to bring awareness to the community about the lack of resources for music education.

They pooled resources and set out to develop an outreach program to cultivate an understanding that there was a need. In September, the group was recognized as an official nonprofit, with the mission to fund private music lessons using festivals and concerts to generate funds.

The nonprofit will give scholarships to under-18 students who need financial help. Each scholarship will be awarded on a case-by-case basis, with the awards including everything from an experience in a summer jazz camp to a year of private instruction.

The foundation is made up of a board of directors which includes business owners, parents of music students and Schmidt as president. There is also a small event committee to assist in scheduling concerts.

Since not a single applicant has reached the foundation so far, Schmidt hopes the Winter Jazz Concert Series will raise awareness of the organization. The Winter Jazz Concert Series will be followed by the to-be-scheduled Music Never Stops Foundation Festival.

At the festival, a group of musicians will attempt to play the world record-breaking longest jazz song, to prove that "music never stops."

"We will be running the same tune in shifts of musicians," Schmidt said. "The song will start by a particular group of players and, as their shift winds down, the next group will be ready to be passed the torch. It will be 45-minute shifts for 24 hours."

The tentative schedule for the Winter Jazz Concert Series is as follows:

Jan. 14: Winter Jazz Concert Series Kickoff featuring Capital Jazz Project and the Rio Americano High school Jazz Combo. Ends with an open jazz jam.

Jan. 28: Earthtone School of Music Faculty Jazz Ensemble, open jazz jam

Feb. 11: Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey

Feb. 25: Swing Dance Ball with Atomic Jump Revival, dance lessons at 8 p.m., band begins at 9 p.m.

March 11: Folsom High School Jazz Ensemble, open jazz jam

March 25: CSUS Jazz Ensemble, open jazz jam

April 8: Swing Dance Ball with Atomic Jump Revival, dance lessons at 8 p.m., band begins at 9 p.m.

April 22: Adam Jenkins Trio, open jazz jam

All events begin at 8 and end at 11 p.m. at Beatnik Studios, 2421 17th St. Concerts cost $10, $7 for students. $50 pre-sale tickets for the entire series are available at Beatnik Studios and musicneverstops.org. Musicians who show up at the door for the jam sessions with the ability to play at least two recognizable jazz or bebop standards are admitted with a sliding scale donation.

Photograph depicting music students courtesy Earthtone School of Music.

The (Afro)beat goes on

2009-06-25T18:54:06Z

What is Afrobeat? You might not have even heard of it five years ago, but now it's an emerging genre in the United States.

It began in the late '50s when Nigerian musician Fela Kuti created the unique style. His music inspired Nigerians to move in more ways than one.

The groove made people dance, but the lyrics got them to think about politics and react to government corruption. Truly a "world music," it has even inspired San Francisco band Albino.

"It's West African polyrhythms, James Brown horn lines and a great vehicle for social commentary," said Albino saxophone player and co-founder Nathan Endsley. He came across the genre while at UCLA studying music education with an emphasis on jazz.

Friday night at Marilyn's on K, the 10-piece band will give Sacramentans a taste of Afrobeat. Albino will play at 9 p.m.

The band describes their sound as "heavy, heavy Afrobeat." This could be due to a baritone sax player giving the band's four-piece horn section a heavy bottom end.

But Endsley said the band adds Afro-Cuban, funk and jazz flavors on top of an Afrobeat groove. "Each member has their own influences," he added.

Back in 2003, Endsley and two friends decided to spread the music pioneered by Afrobeat creator Fela Kuti, a.k.a. The Black President. They decided to form Albino and hit the road.

"The music has a social purpose instead of just being fun," Endsley said of Afrobeat. "You can say things with this."

Early on, unable to be on the road for as long as the band intended, the other two cofounders left the group. Since that day, Endsley has also been the manager of the band.

"It's a big community-oriented project," Endsley said of his band. "There's no one in the band free of responsibilities - that's the reality of a touring band."

Other members of the band have positions like tour manager, promotions manager and music director. Percussionist Kim Agnew dances on the stage and is in charge of the group's look.

On stage, the band looks like a tribe of sorts. Members wear costumes which have ranged from suits to Sun-Ra-themed garb. They even paint their own faces before their shows.

"A lot of people just think, 'What am I seeing?'" said Endsley of Albino's stage presence. "Face paint changes your perspective a bit - [it says] we're here to say something special."

"Expect to be surprised," he added. "Our goal is to make the musical experience incorporate the audience."

Tickets are $10 and are available here.

*Photographs courtesy Jonathan Costello.

Wynton Marsalis speaks to the arts community

2009-09-24T02:26:21Z

Wednesday's For Art's Sake meeting at the Sacramento Ballet studios feautured a surprise visit from musician Wynton Marsalis. The nearly 100 audience members were treated with a speech from Marsalis, who Mayor Kevin Johnson had previously mentioned in June's For Art's Sake meeting.

After the normally scheduled meeting, Marsalis entered the room to a standing ovation. He gave a 30-minute speech followed by a 15-minute question-and-answer session.

Marsalis, a jazz educator as well as nine-time Grammy winner and Pulitzer Prize recipient, spoke of the importance of music education.

"How can we get kids to our shows?" Marsalis asked the audience early in his speech. "We need to get kids to go to events whether they like it or not!"

California Arts Council director Muriel Johnson noted that California ranks 50th in providing state money to the arts and that music programs in schools have lost 50 percent of their funding in the last decade. She asked if Marsalis could back her up in speaking to state legislators.

"I talk to legislators all the time, and they smile, but they're not going to do anything," Marsalis said. "Our system is based on money, and we have to change [legislators'] consciousness [of the arts].

Marsalis also answered questions about jazz and its importance. "All music is becoming less important because we're not teaching it," he said.

"The root of the arts is humanity," Marsalis said. "I did a better job when I understood all the other jobs connected to my job, understanding the perspective of everyone else."

Marsalis described the arts as a "nourishing soup." It can be "soul food" in that it helps shape a community's intelligence, as well as preserve culture, but its ultimate goal is to create a "healthier populus."

Johnson retold a story of how he first learned about Marsalis in the early '90s when he was in the NBA and Marsalis and was on the ESPN show "Up Close" with Roy Firestone. Firestone called Johnson a hypocrite for speaking of the benefits of education while not finishing his degree at UC Berkeley before entering the NBA.

Marsalis, a devoted Johnson fan, stood up for Johnson back then, arguing that he might be planning to finish his degree after his NBA career (which Johnson did in 1998, earning a bachelor's degree in political science from UC Berkeley.

Ever since then, Johnson has respected Marsalis, and even spoke to him after a concert in Arizona back in the 1990s. Backstage at the concert, Marsalis promised the young Johnson that he would do whatever he could do to help Johnson's career.

Tuesday, Johnson finally took him up on the offer. Marsalis also happened to be in between shows in Monterey and Davis, where he will play this Friday at the Mondavi Center.

The first half of the meeting described the arts initiative's progress: creating a logo, creating a website and developing an "action plan." The action plan will be carried out over the next 12 to 18 months to help the arts in Sacramento secure continuous funds.

After the meeting, Michael Collett, an employee at La Raza Galeria Posada, described his feelings about the arts initiative. More "press and awareness" is always helpful, he said, "but I'd like to see a serious effort from the city to push the envelope."

"It's in the formative stage, but it's gaining a broad base," Donald Sronce, a past chairman of the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission, said of the initiative. "Each meeting has grown, and it's indicative of the community's support."

The next meeting will be at Hot Italian, 1627 16th St., Oct. 28 at 10 a.m. Pizza will be served following the meeting. Those who wish to participate should email Sharon Gerber at sharongerber@sixdegreez.net.

Saturday: festival celebrates Sacramento's cultural diversity

2009-06-26T22:22:01Z

Does Sacramento have its own culture?

Sacramento's culture might be difficult to define, but thanks to the Unity and Diversity Music Festival, we at least know that it's multicultural.

"Having multiple ethnicities is a big part of Sacramento's culture," says Denise Carter, the festival's assistant organizer. "It's one of the most diverse cities in the state of California."

All in one place, local reggae, soca, and R&B bands will share the same stage. The festival will also feature Ethiopian, Indian and Mexican food vendors, handmade soaps and jewelry, and kids booths.

"We're trying to create togetherness," added Carter. "We want to bring everybody together as one."

Sacramento lacks events that promote its culture, says Akita Nichols, the event's head organizer. "With the musicians we selected, we wanted to bring awareness that Sacramento is an area with a lot of culture."

Though originally scheduled for May 2, it had to be rescheduled due to rain. The festival is a go for Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Southside Park.

"Festivities were ready to get started, bands were lined up, vendors and food booths were ready to go," Carter wrote in a Sacramento Press article. "People started lining up at the gate and down it (the rain) came."

Reggae band Mystic Roots had to be replaced with reggae singer Messenjeh Selah as the headliner. Fortunately, artists such as America's Got Talent finalist Butterscotch, Double Lion reggae band, and others, were able to reschedule.

Double Lion consists of reggae duo XSample and King Hopeton, who both grew up in Jamaica. The childhood friends moved to Sacramento to promote Jamaican culture and play music.

"People are warm, and there's something to learn all the time," said XSample of Sacramento. "People really love live music."

"Sacramento has a great welcome vibe," added King Hopeton. "What we're doing [as a band], is not only playing music, [but] having a message of unity and peace, which the world needs today."

Tickets cost $13 online and at The Beat, $20 at the door. Tickets for kids ages 11 to 13 cost $6, and children under 11 are free.

Photographs courtesy Double Lion, and Sacramento Unity and Diversity Festival

Naked Lounge venue mixes music and microbrew

2009-11-04T22:49:24Z

The Naked Lounge, at 11th and H, opened its music venue last month with a bang.

Since February, the locally-owned coffee shop has been serving joe from it's newest downtown location in the Retrolodge. But after fitting a stage and about 50 seats into the space next door and adding beer and music to the menu, it's now turned into Sacramento's newest late night destination.

The Golden Cadillacs rocked a packed house on Oct. 15, and has since earned a spot as the venue's house band, a regularly appearing act.

Saturday, Oct. 24, Chicago singer-songwriter Joe Pug and Davis musician Katie Jane performed.

About 8 p.m., beer bottles began clanking in the darkened room as 25 people settled in for a night of folk music. Jane opened with a 45-minute solo set that put out a Jenny Lewis-like folk-rock sound on piano and guitar.

After a short intermission, Pug took the stage at about 9 p.m. for an hour-long set. The 23-year-old singer exuded a James Dean-like coolness that fit his raspy delivery and astute lyrics.

"They're lines that become more complex and compelling the more time you spend untangling their meanings," an NPR article said of Pug's words. "It's nearly impossible to avoid drawing comparisons between Pug and folk legends like Bob Dylan or contemporaries like Josh Ritter."

After declaring that it was his first time in Sacramento, Pug took off on a set in which he accompanied himself on guitar and harmonica. His intricate finger picking and fairly intimate knowledge of the blues are evidence that he's been playing guitar since the age of 12.

At the end of his set, the audience was left pondering lines like "The first time I saw you/ I saw somebody I knew/ I recognized you, our first glance." Pug stayed after the set, signing T-shirts and his EP, "Nation of Heat."

His debut full-length album is due in February, after he tours Europe.

"(The sound) is really good, and powerful for this type of venue -- about 1,000 watts," said Naked Lounge barista Kalan Sorion and sound man for the shows. He said that in November, the calendar will have events Thursdays through Mondays.

The Golden Cadillacs are scheduled to play every third Sunday, starting in November.

Check the Naked Lounge's calendar for future performances.

Visit from The Queen (of Rock and Roll)

2009-04-14T17:07:14Z

Country singer Wanda Jackson first picked up rock and roll when she was barely out of high school and on tour with Elvis Presley, when the soon-to-be King of Rock and Roll convinced her to try the brand new style. And although she scored more than 30 country hits between 1954 and 1973 — as well as a number of Top 40 hits like rockabilly tune, "Let's Have a Party" — Elvis's advice to her has had lingering impact.

On April 4, Roseanne Cash inducted Jackson into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and on Wednesday, April 15, the so-called "First Lady of Rock 'n' Roll," now a seasoned 71, is returning to Sacramento to rock the house at Old Ironsides. The show begins at 8 p.m. and tickets are $15.

Jackson recently recorded "I Remember Elvis," a tribute album to the King, but it was another Elvis — Elvis Costello — who wrote a letter to Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in support of Jackson's induction.

"She was standing up on stage with a guitar in her hands and making a sound that was as wild and raw as any rocker, man or woman, while other gals were still asking, 'How much is that doggy in the window?'" said Costello in a open letter supporting Jackson's entry into the Hall of Fame.

The Sacramento Press spoke with Jackson about her career, life and sunny California on the Monday before her show at Old Ironsides:

Your manager for the last 50 years has been Wendell Goodman, your husband. Have you also been married for five decades, and what is it like working with your husband?

Well not quite 50, but about three years after we were married, he began to take over the booking and managing job, and he has done it ever since. He also travels with me, so it's hard for him to keep up with everything, but he does a very good job at it.

I read that, along with your father, Elvis helped convince you to sing rockabilly. What did he say to convince you?

I was doing tours with him, several of them for a year and a half between 1955 and 1957, and we'd become very good friends. I could see the excitement that this music stirred up with all the hollering and screaming — girls rushing the stage and everything — so he suggested that I try to sing this new style. I didn't think I could because I had never done anything but just country. I considered myself a country singer. He said basically he was too, but he felt the songs differently.

He took me to his home in Memphis, and we spent an afternoon playing records, singing, just trying to show me the feel of what he did. It was like having private instructions with The King! He convinced me that I should at least try to sing this music because by now young people were the ones buying records. Always before, our marketing was directed to adults. So this was something brand new and it was turning the whole music industry upside down. I thought I would like to give it a try, so my producer gave me the okay to do it if I wanted to, so that's what I did.

Elvis Costello is another Elvis in your life, and he actually wrote a letter to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to help your induction process. What is your relationship with him like, and what is it like having a friend like him, who stands up for you?

It was shocking and caught me by surprise. I had gone to Hollywood to record a new in-studio album, and various artists were calling the record company saying they would love to be on the album with me if I wanted them. The album reads like a who's who of Rock and Roll. Then I found out that Elvis Costello was a big fan of mine. His drummer came into the rehearsal, and he knew that Elvis Costello would love to do a song with me. We corresponded by e-mail and he couldn't be there at that point, because he was being inducted into the Hall of Fame himself.

A little later — about a month — I flew back to California and he was there doing a television appearance and various promotional things, so that worked out good. He brought his band and came into the studio where I'd been recording and we cut this song together, "Cryin' Time." It was really fun and we had no problems singing together. Our phrasing was just alike, and it was [a] very good [experience]. He's such an excellent musician and singer, we just had no problems at all, so we enjoyed it.

Now we're still friends, and I've gone to see him in Tulsa. My husband and I drove from Oklahoma City to Tulsa to see him when he appeared and he brought me onstage and we did our song. I was very delighted that his audience was also very much aware of me and my music, so I got a very nice ovation. Now we correspond through e-mails.

Being that you grew up in California, how does it feel revisiting?

As a little girl, my folks lived in Los Angeles and Bakersfield. It was only about four years, and I started grade school in Los Angeles, and continued in grade school in Bakersfield, and then we moved back to their home, which was Oklahoma, and they chose Oklahoma City, and that's why I lived there, and my husband is from there. But I have always just have had a love for California. I think for anyone who enjoys pretty scenery, nice warm weather, friendly people and good food, there's nothing not to like about California.

Have you visited Sacramento, and if so what are your feelings about playing here?

I've been to Sacramento before, and I've played there. I'll be at Old Ironsides which is a neat place, and I've been there before.

Anything in particular you are looking forward to on the tour, and are you playing more country, gospel, rockabilly, or a combination?

Well I do a little bit of each one of those, but the main body of the concert is fifties rock, things that I recorded in the late fifties. Also I do a tribute to Elvis, because I have an album out called "I Remember Elvis," where I do the songs that he was doing in 1956-57. I also do a gospel song, and my country song "Right or Wrong" — the rockabilly crowd knows that song as well. I put in a yodel song to show them how I started, the type of music that I started off with in the beginning. I try to mix it up, but I keep it mostly rockabilly.

Is there something that I haven't asked you that would like to let people know about your current tour, or anything else?

One thing I would mention you may or may not know about, is that I have a new documentary, currently being played on the Smithsonian Channel, which is on [various cable and satellite networks including] DirecTV. They are playing it at least once a week throughout this month and it will continue to play after that. It is a feature length film and it was done by two great television producers. It's a very nice film, and I'm very proud of it.

There's a lot of interviews like with Elvis Costello, Bruce Springsteen, and some of my fans, and they travel throughout America and also to Scandinavia, so it's a well rounded documentary. I'd like people just to know about it, and hopefully they can find it playing in their area or on their television somewhere.

*photographs courtesy Wanda Jackson

Review: Madea's Big Happy Family

2010-01-14T09:06:38Z

Arco Arena was turned into a musical theatre Wednesday night for Tyler Perry's "Madea's Big Happy Family." The play featured a high-tech set that revolved around the stage to create different scenes for a 15-part cast backed by a 12-part band in the orchestra pit.

Beginning around 8 p.m., thousands, including former Kings players Bobby Jackson and Shareef Abdur-Rahim and current Kings player Francisco Garcia, laughed, cried and sang along to the play.

Perry, who is best known for his recent work as writer, producer, director and actor in a number of Hollywood films (Diary of a Mad Black Woman, Why Did I Get Married, Madea Goes To Jail), wrote this play to honor his mother who passed away last month. Madea, the play's main character and a recurring character in Perry's works, was inspired by his mother, he told the audience after the show.

Madea (played by Perry in drag) is a candid, belligerent smoker who holds the dysfunctional family together like glue. Interspersed through the play's dialogue are musical numbers which range from gospel spirituals to an R&B medley.

At one point Madea jokingly requests Don McLean's "American Pie" for the white people in the audience.

But for every comic element, there seems to be a serious moment as well. The play deals with issues like religion, drugs, and rape. The moral of the play, given by a dying grandmother to her family is, "If you're loving real love, then you've lived life."

The characters have surprising depth during serious parts of the play, but the comic elements remain slapstick. At one point, Madea slaps a drug-dealing young father and chokes his girlfriend for being stupid.

Madea's stage presence is perhaps the most slapstick element of the play. Perry, who is 6'5", is an imposing man who does not possess any woman-like qualities whatsoever, belying Madea's feminine appearance.

The play ends in a sing-a-long of R&B tunes which covered everyone from Rose Royce to Luther Vandross.

During several moments, Perry clearly ad-libbed lines, throwing the band off queue. He later apologized, sans drag, saying, "The show is only a week-and-a-half old."

He also thanked the audience for its energy, and for giving him a standing ovation even though it's been five years since he's graced a stage. The audience left, feeling a little more like a big happy family, with hugs and other displays of affection.

3oh!3 in the 916

2009-05-10T00:55:16Z

Ne-Yo, Rihanna, and the Jonas Brothers -- these are some of the hugely successful artists who have performed at 107.9's Endfest in the past. The radio station's festival consistently brings popular artists as well as up-and-comers to Sacramento, and this year is no exception with Flo Rida, Lady Gaga, and headliner All-American Rejects.

This year the crowd will definitely include a diverse amount of audience-goers, many of them hip youth, who will also be there to see opening bands 3oh!3 and White Tie Affair, both on the brink of the big-time.

Colorado pop duo 3oh!3 recently had their single "Don't Trust Me" go platinum, and White Tie Affair's single "Candle (Sick and Tired)" recently reached the third on Billboard's list Hot Dance Club Play.

Singer/rapper Nathaniel Motte is one half of 3oh!3, the other member is singer/rapper Sean Foreman. The Sacramento Press spoke with Motte by phone on Wednesday:

You guys are really representing "the 303" with your album's cover art [which says 303 on it], and your band's name. Where are you from and how has it influenced you?

We're from Boulder, Colorado, a little college town about half an hour north of Denver, and obviously you can tell we're proud of where we're from. Colorado is a cool place. It's pretty open and a musically diverse place. There were a lot of cool shows coming through. Sean and I grew up and were real interested by all the music. We both were hanging around the underground hip hop scene. And we love where we're from and we'll keep repping it until we die.

In some of your songs there seems to be a Southern hip hop influence. Is that one of your influences?

Yeah, we draw influences from a lot of places. A lot of them are subconscious. I think that definitely one of them is [Southern hip hop]. As a producer I tried to imitate some of the Atlanta Crunk sound, mainly what was going on with Lil' Jon and those dudes down there when they started making it. It's just made rap fun again. It was crazy, hard, edgy, fun and different.

You are a duo. What is the live instrumentation like for the band? Is there a DJ?

It varies a lot. On this tour we've been playing with a drummer and a bass player. Sean and I will be singing. Occasionally [we have] a DJ, and stuff, but the bare bones is just Sean and I onstage with a CD player rocking a party, and making sure everyone goes crazy. That's how we started.

So far, what has the biggest moment for your band been?

There have been so many big moments. It just keeps getting on a bigger scale, but the feeling remains the same. I can remember selling out our local venue, the Fox, in Boulder, 600 or 700 people, and that being amazing. Then being on Warped Tour, and seeing 3,000 or 4,000 people every day in a place we've never been to was incredible. Then just recently we sold over one million copies of our single "Don't Trust Me", and we were presented with plaques onstage. It's like picking a favorite child. There were just wonderful moments throughout.

Ever been to Sacramento before? If so, what did you like about it? If not, what are you looking forward to about the trip?

We have been to Sacramento. We went there on the Warped Tour, and we played the [Convention] Center. It was crazy, it was great, it was super hot, and I was almost passed out after the show. I had to pour ice on myself. The kids are dope, and then we came back, and we were in Orangevale outside of Sacramento on our own headlining tour in the fall. It was great; kids out there go nuts and really appreciate live music, and that's all we could ask for.

Are you looking forward to the Endfest concert this Sunday with Flo Rida, Lady Gaga, and All-American Rejects -- and who are you looking forward to seeing?

They all make great music, music that's fun, so yeah. We've played a couple shows with All-American Rejects, and those dudes are really cool and put on a good show. We love Flo's stuff a lot, and we've been back and forth and in touch because he's actually on our label, a little sub-label of Atlantic.

Recently, you have released a great album in Want, and a platinum single in "Don't Trust Me." What's next for you guys?

I think this summer we're going back out on Warped Tour and that's going to be huge. We played a huge festival called Bamboozle in New Jersey in the neighborhood of 25,000 people in our crowd, watching our set. I just see great live shows, bigger and bigger productions on our part. And then our next single "Starstrukk" is coming out over the summer. I'm really excited to see where that goes. Really, after Warped Tour, we're going to get down and concentrate on writing and producing new stuff, and we've been doing that continuously this whole time, but locking down and getting into the studio for next year. We're always working and excited about making music, because it's what we do for a living, but also what we do for fun.

3oh!3 will be back to Sacramento on the Warped Tour in late summer.

A portrait of Autumn Sky

2009-09-26T03:46:25Z

Most 20-year-olds don't play over 15 instruments or write three songs per week. Nor have they traveled and lived all over the United States. But Sacramento musician Autumn Sky didn't grow up in a so-called "normal" household.

Having played hundreds of shows, the ambitious Sky is on the rise.

Sky (she uses her middle name instead of her last name, Hall) was born in Paradise, Calif. She and her family lived out of a Volkswagen Beetle near Puget Sound in Washington and spent time in Oregon and Wisconson before settling in Sacramento.

She also recalled living in a log cabin in Mendocino as part of a nudist colony.

"There is a whole [photo] album that my parents have and it's all these babies and families just hanging around, only wearing tool belts," Sky said, with a hint of dry humor. "The sad thing is that people who live in nudist colonies are not the people you want to see nude."

Another thing that sets Sky's family apart is that they are high on the autism spectrum. Her father has Asperger's. She is the oldest of seven, with brothers and sisters who also have autism, Asperger's and dyslexia, she said.

"All of those disorders are blessings. There's so much of a stigma [but] I think it makes us all really cool," Sky said. "My autistic brothers are the sweetest people in the world."

It's hard to imagine Sky's colorful background when face-to-face with her. She wears girly dresses, reads poetry (e.e. cummings is her favorite poet) and once worked at Starbucks, she said.

Sky is currently on hiatus from jazz classes at American River College, works at Raley's during the day and admits a guilty pleasure: listening to pop musician/actress Mandy Moore.

Her hobbies include painting and writing and illustrating her own children's books. When she was younger, she had stage fright, and aspired to to be a journalist and author as a creative outlet.

Sky was introduced to music growing up around a grandmother who played piano and a mother who played both piano and violin and sang. She started taking piano lessons from her mother at age 6, then moved to violin at 11.

As a young teenager, Sky started doing open mic nights at her church, but she soon found her niche after moving on to the True Love Coffeehouse, as well as the Fox and Goose pub. "I used to do five open mics a week," Sky said, adding that she gained a sense of friendship among open mic performers.

"What else was I supposed to do?" she added. "Performing is so much fun for me, and it brings me so much joy to bring other people so much joy; it's extremely therapeutic."

"[Sacramento's music scene] is vastly underrated; there's so much potential," she said. "In L.A. I would be a folk singer among 500 others. It's very good for me to be in a place like this. I feel like [people] really cherish the music that comes out of here."

She released an EP, Diminutive Petite in 2008, and a friend from church helped Sky finance and produce her first album All Which Isn't Singing earlier this year. She made the album with most of the Sacramento band All on Seven backing her, creating an upbeat blend of pop, folk, and rock.

Sky is currently working on a follow-up album and is in talks with a label to have it released by next spring. "It has a '60s sound mixed with Tim Burton and Sunshine Pop," she said. If all goes according to plan, she will also be touring the Northwest in the upcoming months, she said.

Sky will be playing at Club Retro, 6521 Hazel Ave., Orangevale, on Saturday at 8 p.m. One can also see her play during her 11 Sacramento-area shows scheduled in October.

She will soon make her journalist aspiration a reality by previewing some of her own shows, here, at The Sacramento Press.

Photographs credit Caitlin Bellah/Autumn Sky

New film from local Documentary Foundation: Diamond in the Dunes

2009-06-01T19:40:26Z

The Han Chinese and the Uighur Chinese minority both live in the city of Kashgar in western China, but they’re worlds apart. Not only do they speak different languages, they also live in different time zones.

So why do they get along fine playing baseball together?

This is the subject of Diamond in the Dunes, a new documentary by local filmmakers Christopher Rufo and Keith Ochwat of The Documentary Foundation.

Their last documentary Roughing It: Mongolia was picked up by PBS and broadcast last summer. In that film, the two young explorers, both in their early twenties, search for interesting people in Mongolia, eventually following a herd of nomads.

But by the time Diamond in the Dunes was ready for filming, Ochwat had a steady job at the Capitol. So Rufo went alone.

“I was there for nine months,” said Rufo in an interview with Sacramento Press.

“The first month it was really about understanding, meeting the people, earning their trust, and figuring out which characters we wanted to follow,” he said.

“The film is about this young man, a 20-year-old Uighur shepherd from the city of Kashgar, who of all things, leads this baseball team. He's kind of struggling against an unequal society, and using baseball as a kind of vehicle to raise the consciousness, awareness, confidence, and spiritual health for his people,” added Rufo.

“Diamond is really taking up a lot of time, it's a big project and it's going to be a great film,” says Ochwat, who has now quit his job at the Capitol to work on documentaries full time.

In fact, the two are going to continue their original series Roughing It with another eight part series in the South Pacific. The trip will take them to Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Malaysia, East Timor, the Philippines, and Borneo.

“Basically we're going to be emulating that same style of getting off the beaten path and meeting the most interesting people each country has to offer," says Ochwat.

“Papua New Guinea probably has some cannibals, [and there are probably] headhunters in Borneo,” he added.

The two are holding a fund raising effort for their foundation on June 7 to be able to bring the film to audiences around the country. They plan to attend film festivals, do an art house theater circuit, and then release it on television.

Diamond in the Dunes is still under production, but will be screened at the Crest Theater sometime in the Fall.

Roughing It: The Great Pacific will begin production next year.

*Photographs courtesy The Documentary Foundation.

Meetings "For Art's Sake" gaining momentum

2009-07-23T02:50:55Z

Wednesday morning Mayor Kevin Johnson held his second "For Art's Sake" meeting, which saw an increase in attendance over last month. More than 100 people crowded into the Verge Art Gallery on 19th and V Streets.

To open the meeting, Dennis Mangers, senior adviser for Senator Darrell Steinberg, summarized the previous meeting. Afterward, Johnson took the podium to lay down his vision for the arts initiative.

"What is our vision? What are our goals? Who do we want to be as an art community? Those are things we are going to start answering ourselves," he said. "Over the next 11 months, we're going to create a sustainable arts community."

He mentioned that as a whole, an estimated $100,000 would be necessary to fund the initiative. This would enable the group to build a website and hire consultants and interns to help organize logistics.

"I need you to understand that there's no 'I' in 'art,' and there's no 'I' in 'team,'" Johnson added. "For the next three and a half years, the arts initiative will be something I'm fighting for."

Johnson then announced the creation of a leadership committee, and five committee subgroups. These subgroups will concentrate on arts issues such as funding, facilities, marketing and education, and one group will concentrate on film.

The film subgroup will meet to ensure Sacramento is perceived as a great filming location for studio productions. Johnson invited Jeremiah Jackson, a Harvard Fellow working with the mayor's office for eight weeks, to speak about the film industry.

Jackson noted that the group will raise the profile for the city, expose youth to the arts, and bring in revenue. Over the past few weeks, Jackson has been studying ways to change the perception of the city and raise the city's profile as a good location for filmmakers.

Each committee will meet at least once a month, and the team's leader will research how to build an "action plan" for the group's issue. Each person who attended the meeting was told to write down two subgroups they would be interested in.

There was a similar crowd at last month's meeting, consisting of representatives from organizations like the Sacramento Ballet, Chalk It Up! and Sacramento Theater Company. Sacramento's Poet Laureate Bob Stanley also attended.

Every fourth Wednesday of the month, "For Art's Sake" will meet in a different venue. Next month the meeting is on Wednesday, August 26 at Capitol Public Radio from 10 to 11 a.m.

Sharon Gerber, the mayor's Arts Liaison will be the point of contact to tie all the subgroups together. Anyone interested in funding the initiative or attending the meetings should contact Sharon Gerber by emailing her at sharongerber@sixdegreez.net.

Submerge magazine celebrates anniversary, 50th issue

2010-01-05T23:52:49Z

For a number of Sacramento's magazines, the phrase "labor of love" takes on a double meaning. Three of the best-known local magazine publications are run by talented couples.

Sactown Magazine is run by husband-and-wife team Rob Turner and Elyssa Lee, and Midtown Monthly is run by married couple Tim Foster and Liv Moe. Sacramento's newest couple-run magazine, Submerge, is run by Jonathan Carabba, 24 and Melissa Welliver, 29, who are unmarried.

This Saturday, their biweekly will be celebrating its two-year, 50th issue anniversary with a party at Marilyn's on K. It will feature live music from hip-hop artist TAIS, dub artist CHLLNGR (formerly Dub Defender) and DJ Mike Diamond.

"I think (working with Welliver) is awesome and a special partnership is beneficial because you learn your roles and feed off of each other," Carabba said. "It's beneficial for both of us, and it kind of goes to show, it's a winning combo (since) Sactown and Midtown Monthly are both amazing publications. We're fans."

Carabba, originally from Santa Cruz and Welliver, from the Mt. Shasta area, met in Chico about four years ago. They were in different graduating classes at Chico State. Welliver earned a degree in graphic design while Carabba majored in music business and minored in marketing.

Soon after meeting, they relocated to Sacramento with the idea that a larger city had more opportunities. They realized that they both had a passion for the arts, and with Welliver's experience in art direction at a publication and Carabba's marketing abilities, they had what it took to start a business.

The magazine-obsessed couple immediately dove into the publishing industry.

"We knew right away what we wanted to do," Carabba said. "It was a matter of doing the research, getting the right people on our team, and really just diving in and doing it. We borrowed money from Mom and Dad, and I would pound the pavement trying to get enough ad dollars to cover the printing bill."

They picked up a senior editor, James Barone, and the three of them formed Submerge's core staff. Submerge employs a team of between six to 12 freelance writers and photographers who contribute to the magazine regularly, but the business looks to expand the number of staff.

With such a small core — Carabba as advertising director and Welliver as editor-in-chief and art director — Submerge has always been a tight ship.

The magazine is created digitally before going to print, so until Carabba began renting office space at the Urban Hive last month, the couple never worked from an office. Submerge's office was Carabba and Welliver's home in the Marshall School area. After moving to the College Greens area near Sacramento State, the couple changed Submerge's address to a P.O. box.

It was stressful and difficult to pay the bills for the first eight months, Carabba said, but their friends and family told them to stick with it for two years before measuring their success. Now they publish nearly 18,000 magazines monthly, which they still load in their Camry and hand deliver. In the last two years, Submerge has conducted interviews with big-name entertainers like Cheech and Chong, Katy Perry and Dane Cook before their respective performances in Sacramento.

What's in store in the next two years?

"In the next two years I think we will have a little office space, a couple more people helping us out full time, interns and a few more pages," Carabba said. "I see growth."

Submerge can be found in local newsstands, coffee shops, record stores and other businesses.

Submerge's 50th issue party takes place at Marilyn's on K, 908 K St. at 8:30 p.m. Drink specials include $2 Bud Lights, $5 Kamikazes and $6.50 beer and shot pairings. 21+

Skinny Singers Strike Again in Sacramento

2009-05-02T04:54:01Z

Jackie Greene has gone from a relatively unknown artist playing the original Marilyn's nightclub on K Street to becoming "Prince of Americana" according to the New York Times, but this Saturday he's back at Marilyn's on K as part of the singer-songwriter duo Skinny Singers.

Skinny Singers -- Greene and Tim Bluhm of the NorCal band Mother Hips -- started as a lark by the two friends. They released an album called Skinny Singers Strike Again! in 2007 and play shows when they're not performing with their respective bands.

In an email interview, Greene said he enjoys playing with Bluhm because it is "much more relaxed and low-key. It's a good escape from the normal hectic shows." One reason it might seem more relaxed to Greene could be the fact that he and Bluhm are long time collaborators, best friends, and neighbors. "We see each other often," he added.

"It's a way for him to be creative and have fun," said Greene's manager Marty DeAnda, who also owns Dig Music, the label which released Greene's early albums.

Greene played many shows at Marilyn's when he was a developing local artist. Asked if he is nostalgic for the club, Greene notes that it's a different venue.

"That was the old Marilyn's," says Greene of the club's old location at 12th and K, which is now Ella Dining Room and Bar. "The new Marilyn's is a lot different. I guess it's just a place that will have us play our music. The old Marilyn's I used to play at a whole lot."

Greene will be playing a variety of instruments including harmonica, keyboards, and guitar, while Bluhm will be playing mostly guitars including bass, acoustic, and electric -- and for this show, they will be joined by drummer Mike Curry from local band Jackpot. They mostly play Skinny Singers material, says Greene, but DeAnda says "people who go to these shows will get a chance to hear new Mother Hips or Jackie Greene material" as well.

According to DeAnda, Greene was a big fan of the Mother Hips who have been around since forming in 1991 at Chico State. So when Greene moved to San Francisco and met Bluhm, the two became fast friends, frequently collaborating on music. When the Mother Hips played at Harlow's last year, Greene played keyboards.

"He's one of the most talented people I know," Greene said of Bluhm. "We like a lot of the same music. He's a special breed of musician and a wonderful human."

The Skinny Singers will play Saturday, May 2 at Marilyn's on K, which is located at 908 K Street. The show starts at 9 p.m. Tickets cost $25.

*Photo titled "Skinny Singers" courtesy Marty DeAnda. Pictures 2, 4 and 5 courtesy Jackie Greene. Picture 4 courtesy the Skinny Singers

Hot Club of Cowtown comes to Sacramento

2009-12-09T05:59:43Z

Despite what the name implies, the Hot Club of Cowtown is not Sacramento's hottest music venue. In fact, it's a jazz-influenced, Western Swing trio that formed in New York City's East Village.

Thursday night, the band will be performing for the first time in Sacramento at the 24th Street Theatre. The Poplollys, a local hillbilly country band, and Hard Clumpin' Litter, a local blues band, will open the show.

The Hot Club of Cowtown formed in 1998 when fiddle player Elana James responded to a Village Voice newspaper ad placed by guitarist Whit Smith. Upright bass player Bill Horton rounded out the trio, but was subsequently replaced by Jake Erwin.

James was born to a violinist mother and grew up in Kansas City around professional musicians. In college she grew fond of Western Swing and Hot Jazz, and she soon realized that her passion lay in music because it brings joy to people, she said.

The Hot Club of Cowtown was formed with the purpose of merely making music and having fun, James said.

"I've never been willing to put a lid on what the band has in store for it or what we're capable of," she said. "We went from busking for tips in San Diego at a park for a year to doing tours with Bob Dylan."

The band is named after Quintette du Hot Club de France, a jazz group featuring gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt and violinist Stéphane Grappelli. "Cowtown" refers to the state of mind of being Western, and the influence of Western Swing and fiddle bands on the group, James said.

Since forming, the band released six studio albums, a live album, a greatest hits collection and a DVD. About five years ago, the band got its biggest break when they were asked to join Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson on tour.

Dylan recognized James' talent and asked her to play with his band for several years beginning in 2005.

"One of the greatest things about touring with (Dylan's band) was hearing the material every night, and how incredibly expressive it can be when they've played those songs thousands and thousands of times," she said.

Hot Club's latest album, Wishful Thinking, 2009, is the band's first in five years, and the first with a drummer.

"The new album, Wishful Thinking, is one of their most polished efforts so far," said a recent London Times album review. "But to catch the Hot Club at full temperature, you really need to see the group in the flesh."

Doors open at 6 p.m., and the show begins at 7 p.m. at the 24th Street Theatre, 2991 24th Street. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at R5 Records and www.inticketing.com.

Photograph courtesy the Hot Club of Cowtown.

Friday Concerts in the Park: A Bucho good time

2009-06-04T20:51:19Z

Friday Night Concerts in the Park have filled Cesar Chavez Park on 10th and J Streets with jammin' bands since the beginning of May and will continue every Friday night from 5-9 p.m. until August 14. In this storyline, The Sacramento Press will preview the concerts and help provide additional information on the artists and their music.

Friday, June 5

Bucho will headline the concert, with Righteous Movement and Happy Mayfield opening (click each band's name for a link to their MySpace page with music samples).

Bucho consists of singer and guitar player Gerald Pease, bass player Josh Lippi, Ben Schweir on the Hammond B3 and Fender Rhodes keyboards and Derek Taylor on percussion, as well as a horn section -- Leon Moore and Anthony Coleman on trumpets and Roger Cox on sax.

"Bucho bridges the gap between old school soul and horn bands of the past with the youth twist of Hip-Hop energy," according to the band's biography on Dig Music, a local label on which they released their last album Omit the Harsh. Bucho was also recently inducted into the SAMMIE (Sacramento Area Music Award) Hall of fame.

Righteous Movement is a SAMMIE-award-winning five-piece hip-hop collective consisting of four Sacramento emcees and one DJ. The group recently released their first full length LP While You Wait... described on their website as a "balance of party jams, introspective verses and addictive beats."

"If you are from Sacramento, then you’ve most likely seen Righteous but might not be familiar with Happy Mayfield yet," said Adam Saake in a concert review of an April 18 show in Submerge. "Happy Mayfield, a funk band to be reckoned with, is a harmonious marriage between singer/songwriter Lee Bob Watson and The Park [which consists of ex-members of local favorites Bucho]."

"To my delight, I discovered upon viewing the stage that The Park was set up to play with Righteous as well," Saake added.

Righteous Movement emcee TAIS will be collaborating musically with Saake, who is also a drummer, in concert Sunday at the Press Club. TAIS was nominated for a SAMMIE both in the category "Best Emcee" for his solo work and also with his group Righteous Movement for Outstanding Hip-Hop Group.

So those who visit Cesar Chavez Park this Friday will be treated with music from Bucho, and ex-members of Bucho (The Park) as part of Happy Mayfield and maybe even backing hip-hop act Righteous Movement.

Also, according to the Downtown Sacramento Partnership, your Friday night festivities can continue if you show your wristband to one of the following businesses. Check out these discounts:

Brew it Up! $4 Drafts, Bacardi, Jack Daniels & 3 Olives cocktails, plus half price appetizers

Fuzio Universal Bistro $3 Drafts, $5 Martinis, plus selection of $3 appetizers

Marilyn's on K $1 off well drinks, $3 Draft Bud Light

Parlare Euro Lounge $3 Domestic beers, $5 wine, $4 assorted appetizers

Pyramid Alehouse $2 Pints of Curveball

Sofia on 11th $3 drafts, $4 wines, $4 wells and & half price appetizers

Table 260 Half off appetizer menu, 10% off dinner, $5 drink special on Sac Soul

Toppingz Pizza inside Image Lounge $2.50 Bud & Bud Light, $4 Jack Daniels, appetizers starting at $1

Sheraton Grand Hotel's PMB Bar $3.50 Bud & Bud Light (bottle or draft), $5 nachos or artichoke dip

Amourath Lounge at Hyatt $1 off Bud, Bud Light, and all appetizers

Citizen Hotel $99/night weekend rate for Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights in a deluxe king, queen, or dual-double-bed room. This deal is exclusively for the Concerts in the Park, and for information on how to book the room, call the hotel at 916-447-2700.

*Photographs are of Bucho, courtesy Dig Music/Bucho

'Deadliest Catch' tour at Harlow's a homecoming for Gift of Gab

2009-11-23T04:42:06Z

In 1987, aspiring rapper Timothy Parker met DJ Xavier Mosley in economics class at Kennedy High School in Sacramento. Parker became MC Gift of Gab and Mosley became DJ Chief XCel and together they formed Blackalicious. In the two decades since that time, the duo has become one of the most beloved groups in hip hop, praised for bringing intelligence back to a music form sometimes panned for its shallowness.

Rolling Stone called Gift of Gab a "phenomenal lyricist who could battle any of today's multi-platinum-selling MCs," and the Village Voice called XCel "technically miraculous."

Gift of Gab, Mr. Lif and Chali 2na (Jurassic 5) will play Monday at Harlow's in a show hosted by fellow rapper Lyrics Born. Dubbed the "Deadliest Catch Tour," it may feature individual sets from all three and a freestyle session with Lyrics Born, if it's anything like Thursday's show in Seattle, according to a review by The Seattle Weekly.

Lyrics Born and Gift of Gab also are known for the musicians with whom they associate. In the '90s, they were part of a KDVS radio station scene which was a hotbed of talent, including DJ Shadow, Lateef the Truthspeaker, Lyrics Born, Blackalicious and DJ Zen.

The group of friends would form the Davis-based Solesides record label, later renamed Quannum. Lyrics Born told The Sacramento Press the crew owes part of its success to sharing time together in Davis.

"I think that had we not attended school there together, my career definitely would not have been what it was," he said, "and I think the other guys would all tell you the same. That hip-hop community was definitely a saint (for our careers), that's the best way to say it."

In a recent side project, Gift of Gab teamed with Lateef the Truthspeaker to form The Mighty Underdogs. The Underdogs' 2008 debut album, Droppin' Science Fiction, features all of Monday's performers: Lyrics, Gab, Lif and 2na.

Harlow's, 2708 J St., 9 p.m. Tickets are $25.

'End of Summer Fest' canceled

2009-09-03T21:52:50Z

Promoter Jerry Perry confirmed with The Sacramento Press Wednesday that the remaining three shows scheduled for End of Summer Fest have been canceled. According to Perry, the first two shows did not draw nearly enough people, resulting in a loss of money.

In fact, the shows were about 2000 people short for the event to even break even, Perry said. "Attendance was about half of what I call 'break even,'" he said. "[During Concerts in the Park] there were times when we had over three times as many people."

As a last ditch effort, Perry tried to relocate Friday's show featuring The Secretions to Old Ironsides, but the band declined the offer. The Secretions, a Sammie Lifetime Achievement Award-winning punk band who have been together since 1991, were to headline the show.

Secretions' fans, also known as "Secretins," can still catch the band this Saturday night when they will be premiering their music video for "Back in the Day Punk." Click here for information on the all-ages show at the Shire Road Club (5525 Auburn Blvd.), which also includes Aroarah, Flip the Switch, The Phantom Jets and DJ Rob Fatal.

"I can't continue to lose money [because] attendance is down," Perry said. He noted that the California State Fair is going on at the same time, but the State Fair has also been suffering from low weekday attendance.

Perry originally thought the low attendance on the first End of Summer Fest show was due to the show being held on a Furlough Friday. But last week's show lost money due to a low turnout as well, he explained.

"I'm surprised that even a free event wouldn't draw a crowd," he said. "I don't know what it was -- the State Fair, furloughs, hot Fridays [or if] people thought the event was over."

Perry confirmed that he will definitely continue Concerts in the Park and End of Summer Fest next year, but he plans to make some changes. Though he did not specify changes, he explained that Furlough Fridays are supposed to end by June 2010, and that may drive up attendance.

The Nickel Slots, who were scheduled to headline next week's show (Sept. 11), are still scheduled to be playing next week at Old Ironsides as part of a CD release party for their self-titled debut album. Fans can celebrate the album release and view opening bands King Cab and Golden Shoulders for $7 (click for details).

Jackpot, scheduled to headline the Sept. 18 show, currently has no shows or other upcoming performances scheduled.

The Sacramento Press was an official media partner with End of Summer Fest.

Photographs credit Sonny Mayugba. Photographs: Kai Kln headline the inaugural End of Summer Fest show.

The Scam to swindle Sacramento

2009-11-04T06:33:22Z

The Scam has done it backwards.

Although the Sacramento-based band has yet to play its first live show, it has already created buzz with its debut EP.

The song, "Make it Last," attracted the attention of DJ Famous of 103.5 The Bomb after the band submitted it to www.mySacLive.com, a website where young artists can win cash, studio and air time.

The band's lead guitarist, Spencer Kilpatrick, said that based on feedback he's received, "Make it Last" will probably win some airtime on the radio.

"We try to do an R&B-type groove and then modernize it," he said.

The young band, ages 18 to 24, usually practices as a five-piece consisting of Kilpatrick, vocalist Olivia Coder, drummer Cory Worrell, bassist Kyle Chase and emcee Flatline. Earl Jackson, owner of Poppafish Unplugged Records, helped the band produce a demo after seeing the group play at the end of other bands' sessions.

Kilpatrick said his guitar licks add an element of blues to an otherwise hip hop and R&B feel, giving The Scam an eclectic Black-Eyed-Peas sound but with more edge.

"I listen to a lot of Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughn, and lately more hip hop (like) Blue Scholars, The Roots and Flobots," he said.

The Scam gets its name from the Steely Dan album "The Royal Scam," Kilpatrick said.

"They've got this young drummer with them, and he's got a band with Jeff Beck's bass player Tal Wilkenfeld, and she's 22," Kilpatrick said. "They're only a few years older than us, and they're great."

The Scam's favorite moment so far was being in the studio to record. They said it was a relaxed atmosphere with the Sacramento hip hop group GMC (Duda, Flatline and D-Strong) freestyling outside Jackson's house, adding vocals to the nascent EP, simply titled "An EP."

"I'm really pushing for something to happen, something to catch on," Kilpatrick said. "I'm really excited to play songs that we really worked on, songs that are our own."

The Sierra College English major, who writes the band's lyrics, said he is also looking forward to previewing his own shows here on The Sacramento Press. The Scam's debut appearance will be on Nov. 28 at a Battle of the Bands show at Club Retro in Orangevale, 6521 Hazel Ave.

The show is all ages and costs $8 in advance and $10 the day of the show. Tickets can be purchased by visiting here.

Photographs courtesy The Scam. Photographs 2 (Duda), 3 (D-Strong) 4 (Flatline) show GMC.

Concerts in the Park: Rowdy Kate to headline

2009-08-07T03:06:48Z

"Country" music means different things to different people. To Rowdy Kate lead singer Keri Carr, it means feeling at home.

She recalled that during her childhood, her father was a cowboy who rode horses and bulls and listened to country music. After her parents divorced, Carr and her mother moved away, distancing her from her father.

"I missed him a lot when I was growing up," she explained. "It feels like home to me when I sing country music."

Friday night, Rowdy Kate will bring the "back home" country spirit to Concerts in the Park. The band will headline a show that also includes Hellbound Glory and Flounder (click links for MySpace). Hellbound Glory members describe themselves as, a "scumbag country" band that "builds on the roots of honky tonk, bluegrass, rockabilly, and outlaw country." Flounder plays a diverse style of indie rock.

Keri Carr spent her youth moving around with her mother from San Francisco to Ohio, Virginia and Spain before settling in Sacramento in 1990. Her mother taught her how to sing, and was the biggest influence on her singing, Carr said.

"With my mom, I sing rancheras and boleros, and those are representative of my mom's side of the family, which I was distanced from in my upbringing as well," she explained.

Ever since her childhood days, Carr's second creative passion was always hair. She remembers as a young girl always wanting to "fix" people's hair. In 2006 she opened Honey Salon, 818 19th St., where she and her mother have been styling hair ever since. She even styles hair for local music celebrities like Jerry Perry and Kate Gaffney.

"Nick Swimly, the guitarist for the Golden Cadillacs and Hellbound Glory, has got really fun hair," she noted.

Also in 2006, she started Rowdy Kate with her husband Larry Carr, who originally played bass, but now plays drums. The two set out to play rockabilly, but the band naturally moved in a more country direction.

Lead guitarist Geoff Miller, rhythm guitarist Robert Sidwell and bassist Dave Garrity round out the band. Aside from originals that Carr and Miller write, the band covers "old school" country tunes from artists like Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Graham Parsons and Buck Owens, Carr said.

So far, the band has recorded an EP and plans to record a full-length album. The members will schedule their second tour of Europe for sometime in the next year.

A highlight of Rowdy Kate's career so far has been playing Concerts in the Park, Carr explained. "If Jerry Perry likes us, it feels like validation," she added.

The band members said they look forward to Concerts in the Park every year. This will be their third year playing the show.

"It's really different playing in a club where there's two people not even paying attention to you, as opposed to a park where there's hundreds of people all cheering for you," Carr added. "Sacramento should really support Jerry Perry extending Concerts in the Park because he's done so much for the music scene in the town."

Friday Night Concerts in the Park take place at Cesar Chavez Plaza on 10th and J streets from 5 to 9 p.m. every Friday until Aug. 14.

Don't forget that your Friday night festivities continue if you show your wristband to one of the following businesses:

Brew it Up!: $4 drafts, Bacardi, Jack Daniels and 3 Olives cocktails, plus half-price appetizers

Fuzio Universal Bistro: $3 drafts, $5 martinis, plus a selection of $3 appetizers

Marilyn's on K: $1 off well drinks, $3 draft Bud Light

Parlare Euro Lounge: $3 domestic beers, $5 wine, $4 assorted appetizers

Pyramid Alehouse: $2 pints of Curveball

Sofia on 11th: $3 drafts, $4 wines, $4 wells and and half-price appetizers

Table 260: Half off appetizer menu, 10 percent off dinner, $5 drink special on Sac Soul

Toppingz Pizza inside Image Lounge: $2.50 Bud and Bud Light, $4 Jack Daniels, appetizers starting at $1

Sheraton Grand Hotel's PMB Bar: $3.50 Bud and Bud Light (bottle or draft), $5 nachos or artichoke dip

Amourath Lounge at Hyatt: $1 off Bud, Bud Light and all appetizers

Citizen Hotel: $99/night weekend rate for Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights in a deluxe king, queen or dual-double-bedroom. This deal is exclusively for the Concerts in the Park, and for information on how to book the room, call (916) 447-2700.

Photo credit Mathew Walker

Concerts in the Park continues as "The End of Summer Fest" at Cesar Chavez Plaza every Friday night from August 21 through September 18.

Dave Brubeck to headline jazz concert at the Radisson

2009-09-17T04:07:06Z

Though the teenage members of the Brubeck Institute Jazz Quintet have played together for less than a month, they have already achieved what many accomplished jazz musicians never will: At the Detroit International Jazz Festival over Labor Day weekend, they performed and shared the stage with legends such as Wayne Shorter, Chick Corea and Christian McBride.

They even spent time with Dave Brubeck when he visited their rehearsal. When Brubeck listened to the group's arrangement of his 1956 jazz standard "In Your Own Sweet Way," he loved it, said Steve Anderson, director of the Brubeck Institute.

"They're good. That's a given," Anderson said of the group, which will be a quartet Friday night when they open for the the Dave Brubeck Quartet at the Radisson Hotel. They will be down one member, however, since trumpet player Nick Frenay will join the New Generation Jazz Orchestra Friday in a performance with Wynton Marsalis at the Monterey Jazz Festival.

Brubeck attended the College of the Pacific (now the University of the Pacific) in Stockton before starting the Dave Brubeck Quartet. The group's most famous song is "Take Five," from the 1959 album Time Out, an experimental record with odd time signatures ("Take Five" is in 5/4).

The Brubeck Institute was formed by a committee at the University of the Pacific in 2000 to honor alumni Dave and Iola Brubeck, who were married in 1942. The institute furthers the legacy of Brubeck through archives, a festival, a fellowship program, a summer outreach program and a summer jazz youth camp, said Anderson, who was part of the founding committee.

The fellowship program selects five students per year to become the Brubeck Institute Jazz Quintet. This year's group includes three musicians from New York: Frenay on trumpet, Noah Kellman on piano and Chad Lefkowitz-Brown on saxophone. Bassist Zach Brown is from Maryland, and drummer Corey Fonville is from Virginia. All five members are 18 or 19.

Though they usually play Brubeck tunes, Friday's quartet will be playing originals and non-Brubeck standards. "Brubeck will do [Brubeck]," Anderson said. In their 35 to 40-minute set, the quartet will play about four pieces.

Brubeck, who turns 89 in December, will also be playing in a quartet. He will likely play one or two songs from Time Out, Anderson said, but he will also play non-Brubeck standards, most likely including some Duke Ellington tunes.

"Even though it's the Brubeck] Institute, when we see him, it's most often not on the campus," Anderson said. "The band meets with him once or twice a year, but it's usually at gigs."

"They're very excited about it; it's a very big deal to be opening for Dave," Anderson added. "This is a group of young musicians that play far beyond their years. They're not an average group [and] they are very exciting."

The all-ages concert begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Radisson Hotel, 500 Leisure Lane. Tickets cost $39 and $49 and can be purchased online by clicking here.

Musician Ryan McCarroll opens up about Sacramento

2009-03-06T23:14:32Z

Local artist Ryan McCarroll was scheduled to play a show tonight at Vintage Cafe, but as this story was being written, the show was postponed to Saturday night. Elation and Divasonic will also be playing sets March 7 at Vintage beginning at 7:30 p.m.

McCarroll, who is playing the middle set in the show has played three shows at Vintage before, and local art and music promoter Kevin Santos-Coy says, "His style is really intriguing in that it gives you kind of a Dave Matthews feel." However, McCarroll himself says he draws from diverse influences such as local artist Kate Gaffney and the late Notorious B.I.G.

He will also be playing next month's Second Saturday in the Sacramento Alley Arts Festival, presented by Santos-Coy's BridgeToArt organization. Featuring live music, fine art, theatre, and film, the festival will take place every Second Saturday from April-September weather permitting.

The following is an interview with McCarrol, conducted this afternoon, the day of his show, or rather, the day before his show.

So you were born in a log cabin?

No. I was born in the city in Cleveland, Ohio, but I've been living in a cabin all summer, since about June this year. Up here in the country I have a friend who owns a cabin out here and he said, "You could stay here when you come out." So I came out to get some writing done and get some songs worked out and stuff. I was kind of stuck in a rut at a point, and moved from to Ohio and came here, and that's where I've been - up in the mountains.

What was living in Ohio like, and how has it shaped you?

I'd would say Cleveland is a wonderful city. There's a good heavy metal scene. I spent a few years there, lived down in North Carolina, the New Orleans area, oversees. Then I came back, and was living in Cleveland, pursuing the music a little bit. But I found it just a little hard, not like California, which has my kind of music. I felt it would be a little better around here, but [Cleveland] is a great city and it will always be home, because my family is there, and I'll be back there, no doubt, soon. So I'm just trying to get the ball rolling out here maybe so I can relocate, and maybe I'll go out there some day.

So why exactly did you move to California?

College basically, and a little excitement. I was ready to get out of the freezing snow and cold of Cleveland. Tuition is actually a lot cheaper out here. And the music - music opportunities out here are a lot greater than where I come from.

Any plans in the near future to make a record in Sacramento, if not where do you see your future in Sacramento?

I'm definitely looking to cut an album here soon, and that would be a goal in the next year I would say. I've started recording out this way a little bit, but I think I'm going to make some contacts when I'm down there, and get some recording done. The goal in the long term, I'd like to start out in Sacramento and stay local. I'd like to make a base in Sacramento that I can expand on.

Who if anyone in the local music scene do you admire?

I guess you could say Kate Gaffney. I've been reading more about her and who she's been working with and where she's been going. Thats a point I'd like to get to someday.

Have you found that California or Sacramento has affected your style at all?

I wouldn't say yet, because I've been kind of cooped up here in the mountains, fermenting. I've really only been down to Sacramento three or four times playing and stuff. I'm actually moving down there in the next month, and I would say it hasn't yet [affected my style], but it definitely could here soon. So I'm looking forward to see if it does change the music in any way.

I read on your Myspace that one of your influences is Notorious B.I.G. How has he affected your style?

I never really listened to him until I moved out here, really. And the guy's confidence is just unbelievable, he's rapping the whole time about how he's the illest emcee, and it just helps me, someone who sometimes has confidence issues like anybody does. But it's good to see somebody like that going out there and making it - and he came from a rougher upbringing than me, and he had a lot more going against him. I just respect the guy; it's just tragic that he was killed. I think he was the best emcee ever, and I listen to a lot of rap actually.

Is there anything else that you'd like to add?

Musicians are here to entertain. You can make your art and everything, but at the end of the day, you're not going to get gigs if you are not entertaining. That's my approach to it, and that's what I work for every time I play - to give people something to smile about, something to get excited about. That's what I look toward in my guitar playing, singing and writing.

For Art's Sake initiative receives funding and community support

2009-08-27T01:56:18Z

The third monthly "For Art's Sake" meeting held Wednesday morning at Capitol Public Radio had a big announcement. Over 100 people stuffed into CPR's conference room to hear the news that $100,000 had been raised for the For Art's Sake initiative.

In addition to the financial support, Mayor Kevin Johnson announced a more active web presence. The initiative has a live Facebook page, and a website is in the works to be launched in the next month, Johnson said.

Familiar faces filled the audience which included the likes of Sacramento Ballet artistic director Ron Cunningham and Sacramento's poet laureate Bob Stanley, as well as new faces such as Keith Ochwat of the Documentary Foundation and Kevin Santos-Coy of Bridge to Art.

Also announced in the meeting were the committee leaders for five subgroups. Dennis Mangers was named funding leader, Steve Winlock facilities chair, Garry Maisel marketing chair, Don Roth film chair (this committee will market Sacramento as a film location) and Ruth Rosenberg education chair.

With 10 months of meetings left, the goal of the initiative is to "craft a city and regional vision for the arts," Johnson said. "There are people dying to support the arts."

He drew this conclusion after each of the first four groups he asked for funds all agreed to donate $25,000, putting an end to the group's fundraising efforts in a mere seven days. In doing so, Johnson fulfilled his promise to raise $100,000 to hire interns, graphic designers and consultants to help with the group's logistics.

Those four donors — Western Health Advantage, AT&T, Wells Fargo and Sacramento Regional Community Foundation — all brought representatives. Each said they were honored to support the group.

"It's no surprise that these four stepped forward, because they've been supporting the arts in Sacramento for a long time," Mangers said. He also introduced the four donors to the audience.

"It's your initiative," Johnson said to the audience. "But they're helping us weather the storm."

Several other guests spoke including Michael Fahn of Fahn & Co., who presented Johnson with a piano key signed by jazz legend Dave Brubeck. Brubeck will be playing a concert in Sacramento next month at the Radisson Hotel.

Darrell Ayers, vice president of the Kennedy Center for Education, a national group, was also on hand to speak to the audience. He said that the Kennedy Center's Any Given Child program will help look at Sacramento's resources to develop a long-range education plan if the group wants to work with the center.

Before closing the meeting, Johnson recognized the courage of the "Lion of the Senate," Ted Kennedy, who passed away Aug. 25. He recalled that Kennedy had a great sense of humor and that it was a joy to have met him.

Each of the 10 remaining For Art's Sake meetings has a different location in an arts-related facility; the next will be Sept. 23 at 10 a.m. at The Sacramento Ballet's studio. Those who want to join the group should contact Arts Liaison Sharon Gerber at sharongerber@sixdegreez.net.

New Helvetia Theatre grows an "Angry Inch"

2009-06-05T04:55:20Z

Swiss explorer John Sutter named portions of Sacramento including Sutter's Fort "Nueva Helvetia" in the year 1840. As of January 2009, Sacramento has a new "New Helvetia" -- only this one is a theater company designed to provide Sacramento with a unique and intimate theater experience and an opportunity to revisit a classic American Musicals.

Its mission: to rediscover hidden gems of musical theater, and to be a birthplace for new musicals and plays. In addition, the theater staff wants to have the educational outreach to build a new generation of theater-goers.

Nonprofit status still pending approval, the group was founded by a young NYU graduate Connor Mikiewicz, who studied musical theater in NYU's CAP21 program, part of the Tisch School of the Arts. On Jan. 17, the group presented New Helvetia's mission and staged its one-night-only debut play Celebration at the Crest Theater. The 1969 play was written by Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones, who created the long-running hit The Fantastiks, and produced and directed by Mikiewicz himself.

Wednesday, June 3 at the Artisan Theater, the young company gave a preview of its first full-scale production, the popular musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch, directed by Matthew Schneider, Mikiewicz's friend and NYU classmate. The colorful story shows the life of Hedwig, a transvestite rock and roll singer whose botched sex change operation leaves her (him?) with a "angry inch," while exploring the nature of love between two human beings.

Local four-piece band The New Humans appear as the rock band The Angry Inch and provide comic moments in the musical, fronted by Christopher Davis Carlisle as Hedwig, with additional vocals by Nanci Zoppi. Though the script is usually monologue, a new multimedia element adds video, art and sound effects to the stage's production, and Hedwig engages in dialogue with several video monitors throughout the musical.

The band is a local band, Zoppi is a local actress, the art was produced by local artists and the photographs were shot by local photographers, director Matthew Schneider mentioned in a phone interview.

"So by employing the best of the best from the area, we've really set ourselves up for a strong production just by choosing the best Sacramento has to offer," he said.

"One of New Helvetia's mottos is rethinking theater, and I think we've created a new theatrical experience that a lot of Sacramento is unaccustomed to or unfamiliar with," Schneider said. "A new theater company is a wonderful thing, any new invigorating force in the arts scene should be supported by the community."

Schneider recently worked on White Christmas and Pride and Prejudice as part of a team and as a featured player and has toured in cities across the United States, so when Mikiewicz asked him to direct, he felt that his work including experience with Broadway directors and choreographers prepared him to make his directorial debut.

"It's also a new professional theater company finding its sea legs in the middle of a recession. I think things like this pop up when people really need it the most. In addition to that, I think the story is particularly current at the moment," he added. “I think the project of equal rights for the transgender community is up and coming -- that's really the future of the human rights campaign in America.”

The Artisan Theater is located at 1901 Del Paso Blvd. Hedwig and the Angry Inch plays Thursday at 8 p.m., as well as Fridays and Saturdays at 7 and 9 p.m. June 6-27.

*Photographs courtesy Brian Kameoka/ New Helvetia Theatre

The Handle District brings music to midtown

2009-10-22T01:57:41Z

One group of local businesses has come together to create a different kind of music venue.

Earlier this month, the Handle District, a collection of 25 business establishments in a two-block area between 17th and 19th streets and L Street and Capitol, created the Midtown Music Walk.

Thursday, the district will continue the weekly event, which premiered Oct. 1. It will feature five bands and one jam session outdoors in buildings and on patios.

Though the name "Handle District" was coined several years ago (it looks like a handle for the Capitol), the idea for the music walk only came to fruition recently. It came up during a meeting between Yogurtagogo owner Eric Heffel and owners of Zocalo and Paesano's on how to bring more business during a recession, Heffel said.

"We figured that Thursdays were a good night given they (are) furlough (days)," Heffel said. "Then we expanded it to nearly all of the Handle District."

Most of the music is outside, but some venues, such as Zocalo and Barber's Alfa Romeo Shop have music indoors, Heffel said. Some of the bands even play in stairwells.

"We have everything from a (full) band to an acoustic band, not busking, but on the street or tucked away in a few buildings that are good acoustically," said Mike Blanchard, one of the music walk's organizers and partner with Barber's Alfa Romeo Shop.

Blanchard, a four-time Sammie-Award-winning musician with the Tattooed Love Dogs, will bring his new band, the Whispering Chingaderos, to Barber's on Thursday, he said.

Businesses agreed the event has brought in more than just commerce.

"For (Barber's) it's more of an advertising opportunity rather than a business opportunity," Blanchard said. "We're in a different situation (because) we're not a bar, but for us it gets people to come into the shop and we can plug our business and cars. On the other side of the coin, it's a great low-stress opportunity (for people) to do something with their family and kids."

Blanchard said families can get a chance to hang out and see music outside the normal club and bar scene and it's also a great chance for local bands to play and get exposure.

"The (Handle) District has been in existence for the last few years, but now we're starting to come together," said Zocalo manager Zoe Hernandez. "These are hard times and we're better off working together to brand the area. It's a win-win situation."

Heffel said the music walk will continue for as long as weather permits and will restart next Spring. However, they will hold a modified music walk during the holiday season.

"We'll be doing Christmas and holiday music throughout December, (and the district will feature) really nice decorations," Heffel said. "It's a place people can come after going to the ice rink at the MARRS complex."

The Midtown Music Walk is a free event and takes place from 6 - 9 p.m. Bands include:

Mike Blanchard and the Whispering Chingaderos, folk and bluegrass, at Barber's Alfa Romeo Shop, between K and L streets on 18th Street.

Jim Goodman, acoustic originals and covers from the 1960s and '70s, Yogurtagogo, corner of 19th & L streets.

Sacrament, soft rock ballads on guitar & fiddle, Chipotle, 19th and Capitol streets.

Sea of Bees and Dead Western, indie and folk, Bows and Arrows, between 17th and 18th streets on L Street.

Taxi de Amor, Latin fusion, Zocalo, 18th and Capitol streets.

Javalounge's "Music Night" players, led by Kim Alexander, will be holding an acoustic jam session on the steps of the 1801 L Lofts on L Street between the lofts and Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates.

Concerts in the Park: Mumbo Gumbo

2009-06-26T01:50:12Z

When thinking of Mumbo Gumbo's gig this Friday, the word "regulars" comes to mind. This year marks the 16th year in a row the band will play at Concerts in the Park.

As the name suggests, the New-Orleans-flavored septet blends many genres to create its sound. From soul to Zydeco and from ballad to boogie, the band has covered the gamut in its nearly 20-year history, during which the members have produced eight albums.

They have been a big part of the Northern California concert scene. Many of the band members have even formed successful side projects over the years.

Guitar player Jon Wood, sax player Reggy Marks and bass player Lynn Michael Palmer recently formed The Nibblers. The seven-piece funk/soul band has been playing clubs around town and will open for Mumbo Gumbo on Friday.

Drummer Rick Lotter is part of Capitol Jazz Project, and lead singer Chris Webster has a solo career - well, had a solo career.

That was until a little over a year ago, when a paralyzed vocal cord forced her to stop singing. Luckily the band had another great singer, Tracy Walton.

"We were in a strange time," Palmer said. "We floundered around, not quite sure when and if she would come back."

Eventually the band decided it would be silly to stop playing, and members discovered they could be strong even without Webster. Walton fronted the band, alone, for a year. But after that year had passed, Webster had healed. She is back for every gig now, and this will be her return to Cesar Chavez.

"She's singing as well as she ever did," Palmer said. "This spring has been an exciting time for us."

On Friday, the band will be playing a lot of songs from its latest album, a compilation called "Fun Pack." It's filled with danceable, "party-flavored" tunes, said former keyboardist Bill Fairfield, who now helps the band with booking.

Fairfield's keyboard work is featured on much of the album, which includes tunes spanning the band's 19-year career. The album also includes three new originals and a re-recorded song.

"Businesspeople, families - a whole cross section of the Sacramento community seems to be out there," said Fairfield of Concerts in the Park. "We look forward to that show because it's always a great vibe."

Added Palmer: "I'm just excited about this season coming up and getting to play with the full band again."

Friday Night Concerts in the Park take place at Cesar Chavez Plaza on 10th and J Streets from 5-9 p.m. every Friday until August 14.

Don't forget that your Friday night festivities continue if you show your wristband to one of the following businesses:

Brew it Up! $4 drafts, Bacardi, Jack Daniels and 3 Olives cocktails, plus half-price appetizers

Fuzio Universal Bistro $3 drafts, $5 martinis, plus a selection of $3 appetizers

Marilyn's on K $1 off well drinks, $3 draft Bud Light

Parlare Euro Lounge $3 domestic beers, $5 wine, $4 assorted appetizers

Pyramid Alehouse $2 pints of Curveball

Sofia on 11th $3 drafts, $4 wines, $4 wells and and half-price appetizers

Table 260 Half off appetizer menu, 10 percent off dinner, $5 drink special on Sac Soul

Toppingz Pizza inside Image Lounge $2.50 Bud and Bud Light, $4 Jack Daniels, appetizers starting at $1

Sheraton Grand Hotel's PMB Bar $3.50 Bud and Bud Light (bottle or draft), $5 nachos or artichoke dip

Amourath Lounge at Hyatt $1 off Bud, Bud Light and all appetizers

Sacramento celebrates DJ AM

2009-09-12T05:07:08Z

The Park put its "no tennis shoe" rule on hold Thursday night. The club's dress code normally requires shoes to be "polishable," but hundreds of Sacramentans came together in all kinds of footwear to celebrate the life of Adam Goldstein, aka DJ AM.

AM, a celebrity DJ, died August 28 of an apparent Oxycontin overdose. He also was known for his love of Nike sneakers. In addition to owning more than 700 pair, he was designing a signature shoe for Nike at the time of his death.

At about 10 p.m., a crowd filled the lounge/club to dance to tunes played by DJ AM's friends.

As part of the "Get Loud 4 DJ AM" celebration, a slideshow depicted him with celebrity friends such as actress Mandy Moore, DJ Steve Aoki and drummer Travis Barker, with whom he formed the duo TRVS-DJAM. About a year ago, Barker and AM were the only survivors of a plane crash that killed four others. They both suffered severe burns in the accident.

TRVS-DJAM performed at The Park in 2007 and AM returned to perform in 2008. AM was scheduled to perform there for a third time Thursday to celebrate The Park's four-year anniversary.

Instead, AM's friends performed, including Sacramento DJ Gave Xavier, who opened for DJ Scene, a popular Las Vegas DJ who has performed with 50 Cent, Nas, Afrika Bambaataa and many other hip hop artists.

DJ Scene played a set accompanied by Sacramento drummer Justin Barnes that was an homage to the instrumentation popularized by TRVS-DJAM. Brian Bassett, music and managing manager for The Park, and Sacramento promoter Nick Willrich, both friends of AM, emceed the free event.

"People asked if we would do a moment of silence," Bassett told the crowd, "but that's not what AM would've wanted. So let's toast to a guy who put Sacramento at this level [of DJ talent]."

"He was a pioneer, a revolutionary, with mash-up skills," said Rob Draper, 29. The University of California at Davis pre-law student first heard of AM two years ago when he attended TRVS-DJAM's performance at The Park.

"He's a person who can make a person who doesn't dance, dance," said Carla Sanchez, 28. She also saw TRVS-DJAM's 2007 performance at The Park. "It was awesome."
Sanchez drove from Vacaville on Thursday to see the tribute. She said she hoped AM's family would be touched by the celebrations of his life happening everywhere.

"It reminds us of New Year's, [hearing music] you're not used to [hearing]" said Sanchez's friend, Christel Prince, 23. "They're trying to re-enact what could have been, but respect his work."

"It's not DJ AM, but it's better than nothing," said Draper. "It definitely brings closure for [AM's fans] from Sacramento."

Crest celebrates 60th anniversary with 'That Midnight Kiss' screening

2009-10-05T05:54:48Z

As a throwback to the 40s, 60 cents will get you a ticket to That Midnight Kiss. For their 60th anniversary celebration, The Crest will try to recreate the atmosphere of the original grand opening event.

After watching a Fox Movie newsreel of the opening night celebration, the audience will watch That Midnight Kiss, the same film screened 60 years ago at the grand opening. Attendees are also encouraged to wear '40s-style clothing and can eat 1940s candy such as Smarties, Flicks and Black Crows, available at the concession stand.

The grand opening was attended by then-Gov. Earl Warren, and Sacramento's first female mayor, Belle Cooledge, as well as the film's stars Mario Lanza and Kathryn Grayson.

Lanza passed away in 1959. Grayson, who attended the Crest's 40th anniversary celebration in 1989, will not be returning Tuesday. The Crest's management put out searchlights during the 1949 grand opening, but those will not be returning either, according to Sid Heberger, manager of The Crest.

"With the light rail in the middle of K Street, it makes it difficult to [put out] search lights," she said. "[Besides,] we don't want to take away from the new marquee."

However, a handful of people who were at the original screening will be honored before the film, Heberger said.

"It just adds to the festivities," Heberger said.

Andy Flink, author of A Century of Cinema in Sacramento, 1900-2000, said the Crest plays a large role in the history of Sacramento cinema. He said he plans to attend and is excited to watch the film, noting that the lead actor, "Mario Lanza, has a beautiful voice."

According to The Crest's website, the film is about an opera singer who falls in love with an opera-singing Italian-American truck driver. There is only one copy of the film reel left, which Heberger said was difficult to obtain.

"We have a good relationship with [Warner Brothers] and they trust us with archive prints," she said. "But they gave us extra warning about taking care of it."

However, Heberger has never seen the film herself. "I've always been the hostess," she said.

"My friend and I have decided we are going to sit and watch it this time," she said. "I'm just really excited to meet some of the people who were here in 1949."

Doors open at The Crest, 1013 K St., at 6 p.m. and the show begins at 7 p.m. Tickets are available at tickets.com, 1-800-225-2277, or The Crest box office.

KRS-One helps out with Washington Neighborhood Center

2009-08-11T08:05:30Z

Social worker, event planner, and occasional singer/rapper Aria Des Jardins scheduled KRS-One to perform a benefit concert Monday night when she heard that the Washington Neighborhood Center was facing total closure. The center has been supportive of Sacramento's hip hop community and had held many hip hop concerts, she explained.

"Hip hop is about people, things that don't have anything to do with entertainment," said Eric Duran, associate advocate for the Temple of Hiphop. The organization was formed by emcee and peace advocate KRS-One, who is known for his Stop the Violence campaign as well as his efforts pioneering hip hop culture.

Sacramento's young people proved that they would have been happy to entertain themselves in Washington Neighborhood Center even if KRS-One never showed up. As they waited Monday night, a diverse group of nearly 200 young men and women break danced, painted graffiti, spun records and rapped.

The Washington Neighborhood Center, whose mission is to "provide a safe and positive environment for youth and adults", recently received a funding cut. As a result, the center, located on the corners of 16th and D streets, was forced to close all but two days per week.

The center provides free art and dance classes, as well as free tutoring. Open since 1955, the center has also been the home to a nationally-recognized boxing program.

Back in March, while working for Wind Youth Services to provide assistance to homeless youth, Des Jardins met KRS-One. She was impressed a speech he gave, she said, so she decided to invite him to help the community center, and he agreed to help.

Half of the ticket revenues made Monday go directly to the community center.

At around 6 p.m. Monday evening, Wind Youth Services, Capitol Roots breakdance crew and the Northstar Chapter of the Zulu Nation, an arts organization promoting hip hop, began setting up booths inside the venue.

After Des Jardins introduced the mission of the event, performances showcased a plethora of local hip hop talent: DJ Kool Kuts, Verbalistic, No Identity, Funky Fresh breakdancing crew, Digital Martyrs, Justlove, Augustus Thelephant, Random Abilities and Butterscotch. Multiple times, microphones were passed around to budding emcees in a cipher, or a continuous loop of rapping.

A little bit after 10:30, KRS-One entered the building quietly to greet Butterscotch, world beat boxing champion, moments before she went onstage to back Random Abilities. He would greet fans, take pictures, and perform his hits late into the evening.

Though the previous night at Rock the Bells in Mountain View KRS-One mingled backstage with the likes of The Roots, Talib Kweli and Nas, he seemed more in his element among the young hip hop fans. Regardless of the venue, performing in a community center gym instead of an amphitheater, his enthusiasm for hip hop remained the same.

Aaron Young: rising Sacramento soul singer

2009-08-05T04:42:56Z

Aaron Young can't stop writing new songs.

"I'm sort of plagued with it," he said. "I write every day, no matter what I'm doing."

It's part of a work ethic that came from growing up on a pecan orchard in Mississippi.

"I don't know if you've picked pecans to make some money, but you need a lot of them to make a pound, so you're out there a long time," he explained. "It taught me how to stay disciplined at something [and] develop patience."

It's Young's patience and discipline that helped him through rough times, like being dropped from a record label and being homeless in San Francisco.

This Friday night, the currently West Sacramento-native soul singer will bring his uplifting lyrics and passionate vocals to Marilyn's on K. Tickets cost $12, and the show begins at 9:30 p.m.

Young's affinity toward music developed from growing up in the South. "Singing in a [Southern Baptist] church choir allowed me to start singing," Young said. "That's where it all began."

In high school, Young said he had already thought about pursuing a career in music.

Back in the 90s, he started a group in high school called Mixture, which earned a record contract and a number of fans. The group's success included opening for platinum selling R&B artist Brian McKnight.

Mixture's record label moved them into a record executive's house in San Francisco.

While in the Bay Area, the group collaborated on a song with Northern California hip-hop icon E-40. Their single "Pop Ya Collar," which also featured Messy Marv and San Quinn, received radio play in the Bay Area.

But then their record label folded and the band broke up. Young was left with the choice of moving back to Mississippi or remain homeless in San Francisco.

"I stayed out here and by staying it made me a homeless guy because I didn't have a place [to stay]," he said. "I bounced around quite a bit until I got another deal, and I went straight ever since."

Since then, Young has accomplished much more than "going straight." He's toured the East Coast with Grammy-award-winning pianist Billy Beck (of Ohio Players fame) in his band.

He's recorded a self-produced album, They Call Me AY, in 2007. Since moving to West Sacramento (conveniently located near San Francisco where he cut his teeth and a short flight away from Los Angeles where a number of major record labels reside, he says), he's also won the 2008 V101.1 FM Homegrown Soul competition.

"That got me where I am right now," he said of the competition. "It got me on the radio, and got me connections with a record label."

That label was Sacramento's DIG Music. Though the label has not signed Young, several people who work for the company are guiding him, including Jeff Trager.

"I want to emphasize the fact that what separates him from everybody else is his material," said Trager, DIG's director of artists and repertoire. "And it's only going to get better because he works at it."

Now 30, Young is currently working on a follow-up album, and playing shows with Vernon "Ice" Black, who will be in Young's band on Friday. Black's credits include playing guitar with such artists as Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock and Aretha Franklin.

"I think he's going to be discovered by some labels as soon as they come out to see and hear him," Trager added. "If a kid has a chance to make it, I think it's a kid like Aaron Young."

*photographs courtesy Aaron Young

Midtown all-ages venue offers a refuge

2009-06-19T03:51:40Z

For mother and Sacramento Bee political editor Amy Chance, journalism is just a day job. At night, she helps organize a space called The Refuge for young musicians to display their talent.

It came about while Chance was driving her son, Brett Chance, drummer for Jammie-award-winning band Dead Scott, to Club Retro in Orangevale. Located in a church, Club Retro is a space where young bands can play to an all-ages crowd.

"It's surprising that there isn't an all-ages venue in Midtown," she said she thought. Pleased with the Club Retro experience, she brought the idea up with her own church, St. John's Lutheran, located at 1701 L St.

The church group consulted Jeff von Kaenel, President and CEO of Sacramento News and Review, as well as Pastor Matthew Oliver of Club Retro.

Members of the church, the youth director and the young people decided to call the project The Refuge, and it was born. The all-ages venue will open Friday, and is booked for two more concerts next month.

"The whole team of parents and youth will be doing the staging, lighting and setup (for Friday's concert)," Chance said. "It basically is a place where younger musicians can play, and high school students can listen to live music."

In addition, she said there will be snacks and a coffee bar called Cafe Rwanda that will donate all proceeds to the Mumea Hospital project in Rwanda.

"I'm curious to see the venue," added Justin Farren, a Sammie-nominated singer/songwriter who headlines Friday's show.

The show begins at 7 p.m., and the cost is $8.

Here is the lineup for the shows at the Refuge, 1723 L St.:

Friday, June 19

Justin Farren, AYO, 61 Trees, Zachariah Holt.

Friday, July 3

Will Craig, Dead Scott, The Squires

Friday, July 17

Autumn Sky, The Shreds, Northern Lights, Josiah James

*Images from myspace.com/therefugesac

'Rent' ends tour in Sacramento

2010-02-05T05:06:12Z

"Rent: The Broadway Tour" stopped in Sacramento Wednesday night, bringing a slice of New York to the Community Center Theatre. An audience of over 2,000 sang along, hollered and gave a standing ovation to the play, which featured the male leads from the original Broadway cast, Adam Pascal (as Roger Davis) and Anthony Rapp (as Mark Cohen).

Led by poignant performances by Pascal and Rapp, the Tony Award- and Pulitzer Prize-winning drama featured powerful acting, dancing and singing. Watching the play was like viewing a prototypical hip-hop song come to life, describing characters in an urban New York City neighborhood dealing with a mosaic of issues including AIDS, drugs and homelessness.

The performance began with Pascal's character walking onstage with a white Fender Telecaster, eliciting a chorus of girls screaming in the audience. Rapp, holding a video camera, entered next, receiving a similar response.

In the background, a complicated set of intertwined clothing, paper lanterns and bicycle frames wrapped around several black staircases to give the stage an authentically New York feel. Gray brick graffitied with a skyline, streetlights and silhouettes allowed the stage to remain minimalist.

Clustering in one corner to the side of the stage, a live four-piece band consisting of drums, guitar, keyboards and bass provided the entire soundtrack. However, the play opened with Pascal's character Roger, a struggling musician, strumming his Telecaster. He began several of the play's songs on guitar, later being accompanied by the band.

A diverse cast portrayed a group of friends, with characters ranging from struggling artists to drug addicts and drag queens. Crowd favorite Justin Johnson played a drag queen named Angel, whose nearly every movement drew cheers from the audience.

Comic relief came in the form of Nicolette Hart, who played Maureen, a clownish bisexual performance artist who dressed in everything from a brightly colored farmer's outfit to a vinyl Catwoman one-piece. She performed a "performance art" send-up called "Over the Moon," which conjured Lewis Caroll's Jabberwocky, while using props like a cowbell, a drum stick and sunglasses to add wackiness.

Quick skits depicting 30-second voicemails left to the characters also provided intervals of comic relief and acted as distractions for the actors to shift props on the stage. Imminent eviction, several love stories and a love triangle drive the plot, though it's really an amalgam of many characters' experiences in New York throughout one year.

Though the film version opens with it, the musical's signature song "Seasons of Love" came later in the stage version, the first song in the second act. Gwen Stewart, another original cast member and soloist on the song, added a soulful falsetto verse and a touch of beautiful gospel.

Elements of the song reappeared during the act as drama unfolds, death, eviction and sickness wrenching apart the characters' lives. After the last song, the audience erupted in applause and other audible praises, over 2,000 people on their feet to show their appreciation.

It was a fitting end to the show, one of the best this reviewer has ever seen in Sacramento. Audiences seemed to agree, with many leaving the Community Center Theatre with "Rent" backpacks, purses and sweaters.

Sunday night will mark the end of the tour.

"Rent" runs through Sunday at 2 and 8 p.m. A limited number of tickets are still available at the Community Center Theater, 1301 L St. Front row seats are available two hours before each performance at the Community Center Theater box office at a cost of $23, cash only, two per person.

Photographs credit "Rent: Broadway Tour 2009"

Dinosaurs Alive in Sacramento's IMAX theater (in 3D!)

2009-04-22T07:26:18Z

Dinosaurs Alive 3D (IMAX)

Written and directed by David Clark and Bayley Silleck

Sacramento Press was fortunate enough to preview Dinosaurs Alive 3D in the Esquire IMAX theater. Narrated by Michael Douglas, this movie journeys from the breathtaking Gobi Desert in Mongolia all the way to the Ghost Ranch in New Mexico.

Through archival footage, the film tells the history of American paleontologist Roy Chapman Andrews, an Indiana Jones-style adventurer who traveled to the Gobi Desert and discovered a large repository of dinosaur fossils. It then follows a team of modern-day paleontologists and their graduate students from the American Museum of Natural History in New York as they retrace Andrews' path.

Although younger audience members may find this film exciting, and it may give them the inspiration to become scientists, archeologists or fossil hunters, the older crowd might see through the contrived narrative of the film.

The part of the film shot in Mongolia is done in a very nationalistic, glamorous and melodramatic fashion with grad students and paleontologists carrying their American flags through the desert. Though its purpose is supposed to be to educate, the paleontologists speak in scripted dialogue that is supposed to appear spur of the moment, but it is clearly prewritten.

Andrews (as shown in black and white archival video footage), who stole dinosaur fossils from another country is an underappreciated hero, says the narrator, because he inspired Americans to research dinosaurs.

Clearly Andrews was simply heroic for being the first to venture into remote areas of the world in motorized vehicles, and discovering some of the worlds oldest dinosaur fossils. Yet it still remains that in some people's opinion he (as was normal in his day for explorers, scientists, and tomb raiders) stole another country's natural history, and this film glances over this.

In other words, the film seems to perpetuate the idea that Mongolia's desolate Gobi Desert, seldom explored since Ghengis Khan, is hiding important findings needing to be hand plucked for our own museums.

If you can get past this film's "Great Game" mentality (where Central Asian land, artifacts and fossils are merely up for grabs) the visuals alone are what makes the movie worth the time.

There was exciting and unique computer generated imagery (CGI) illuminating in realistic detail how dinosaurs interacted with their environment. Also, the modern shots of the desert landscape both in New Mexico and Mongolia are among the most beautiful 3D IMAX footage ever shot.

Dinosaurs Alive 3D also illuminates some common Hollywood misconceptions of dinosaurs - like the fact that velociraptors are usually portrayed as scaled in Hollywood films, but they were actually feathered dinosaurs.

Overall, it would be a great film for teenagers and children under 12 interested in seeing gigantic dinosaurs or learning about how cool paleontologists' work is.

Dinosaurs Alive 3D makes its Sacramento premier at the Esquire IMAX theater, located at 1211 K Street on April 24.

Ukulele Loki Gadabout Orchestra Rocks That Uke

2009-07-12T01:53:14Z

It was a sideshow of sorts in the Guild Theater Friday night. Ukulele Loki's Gadabout Orchestra incorporated balloons, hula hoops and even a saw into their circus-like performance.

The concert, held before a crowd of about 30, was a special presentation held in conjunction with the screening of a documentary Rock That Uke for Movies on a Big Screen. Co director William Robertson was on hand to answer questions and introduce the film.

"This is a documentary about alternative and post punk ukulele bands," he said of the film. "The people in it are not necessarily accomplished."

A performance by Ukulele Loki's Gadabout Orchestra, headed by Aaron (Ukulele Loki) Johnson, followed the film. It included many originals, and a number of Tin Pan Alley-style covers.

Instrumentation varied from song to song, but by the end of the night, no unconventional instrument was spared. Making its way onto the stage were a melodica (a wind-powered keyboard), a saw played with a bow, a washboard, and of course, the ukulele.

After one song, Ukulele Loki made two balloon animals -- a worm and a lion. During another, he performed a spoken word poem.

For one of the songs, the horn section moved to the left side of the stage. On the right side, one of the musicians performed a dance with a hula hoop.

Several of their covers included "Georgia on My Mind," "Shine on Harvest Moon" and the much more modern "Take on Me," the pop song by A-ha. They capped off the night with a version of a Tom Waits tune.

The film, sans the band, will play again at the Guild Theater on Sunday. The show begins at 7 p.m. and tickets cost $5.

'MLS' CD-release show highlights Sac hip hop

2009-12-18T05:32:52Z

Dennis Weaver Jr., better known as Rapper Monotone, has opened for Michael Franti and Spearhead, Talib Kweli and De La Soul. But the 34-year-old West Sacramento resident doesn't usually perform in the big shows that hit the area.

However, people who love the music of Monotone's group, MLS, can hear the musicians play Saturday when they release their EP "Target Practice" at Capitol Garage. Local hip hop acts Mahtie Bush, Tribe of Levi, Izreal, 2-4-1 and Torrance the Poet also will perform. Those in the know can recite the double meanings behind the initials MLS: "Monotone and Lou Slugga" and "Major League Spittaz."

Monotone's a valley guy. He was born in Fresno and moved to Sacramento when he was about 11. Monotone grew up singing in church. In high school, he began sneaking into his brother's room to listen to his EPMD, Kool Moe Dee and NWA tapes.

In his sophomore year, he began purchasing cassette singles such as Nas' "The World is Yours." When Monotone attended Sacramento City Community College, he was introduced to A Tribe Called Quest and Wu Tang Clan. "That did it," he said. "It was a wrap."

From then on, Monotone immersed himself in hip hop culture, learning to break dance, emcee, write graffiti and even mix a little bit on turntables. He said he wanted to be like local hip hop artists E-Train, Soul Clap and N8 the Gr8.

Six years ago, Monotone formed MLS after hearing his brother's friend Darren "Lou Slugga" Heath rap over the phone a cappella: "Some of these fools spit trash/they call me the cleanest/I bring careers to short stops/but not Derek Jeter." Impressed by Slugga's lyrics, the members of MLS began performing and hired DJ Kool Kuts as their DJ.

Their beats sound like highly-polished mainstream hip hop, while their raps are both hardcore and poetic. Kool Kuts brings back the essence of 1980s DJs such as Grandmaster Flash with quick scratching, while the emcees pay homage to vintage East Coast stylings.

MLS gained underground recognition, but its management company "screwed them over," Monotone said, resulting in a two-and-a-half-year hiatus. The group recently started fresh and added a third emcee, Courtney "Century" Turner from New York.

Monotone sounds as starstruck as his students might when he recalls his favorite moment in his musical career -- hanging out with De La Soul all day before performing with them in 2002.

"I was doing (Black Sheep's) 'Flavor of the Month' live onstage live with these cats," he said. "We (got) liquor, I was on the tour bus with them, and we ended up going to a club. I remember calling my wife and telling her, 'I'm not coming home tonight and this is why!' "

It's not all fun all the time, though. A lot of hard work goes into Monotone's music. Nighttime often finds him in his home studio composing beats, rhymes, hooks, designing album graphics and editing music videos.

"I have enough music done (that) you could pick your favorite local rappers (and) I've got enough beats to supply at least 20 artists for their album," Monotone said. "I don't sleep very much."

MLS will release its first full-length recording, Sharpshootaz, on Jan. 15.

Show: Saturday, 9 p.m., Capitol Garage, 1500 K St. Meant for 21-and-older audience. Tickets and EPs are $5.

Photographs credit Monotone

Friday Concerts in the Park: Middle Class Rut comes out on top

2009-06-19T04:41:14Z

"Exhilarating, like running naked through a bee storm," said music magazine NME of Middle Class Rut, or MC Rut for short. The duo headlines Friday's Concert in the Park in which Lite Brite, Consider The Thief and Early States will also play (click links for MySpace pages).

MC Rut's style has been compared to Jane's Addiction and Rage Against the Machine, but the duo evokes a simpler feel than the The White Stripes, a band with similar instrumentation.

Even so, the two-piece packs a fury of sound that never lets up. They recently released an eight-song EP entitled 25 Years and completed a tour of the United Kingdom.

Lite Brite is a rock and roll trio that exudes a punk attitude, but can turn down the amps and write a beautiful ballad as well. Some say Lite Brite sounds like Radiohead while others say the sound is more reminiscent of Nirvana.

Lite Brite released its debut self-titled album last year, and a three-song EP is a free download from the band's website.

Five-piece Consider the Thief released its debut album Signs and Wonders Tuesday. "We decided we wanted to take a leap of faith and write songs that didn’t rely on what had become a crutch for us: screaming and busy guitar/drum work," said guitarist Sean O'Sullivan in an interview with Submerge Magazine.

That doesn't mean that Consider the Thief doesn't shred. The band still brings a sense of emotional, apocalyptic rock and roll.

Early States sounds like U2, but is fronted by a 19-year-old Roseville man. The band will be on the Warped Tour this summer.

Friday Night Concerts in the Park take place at Cesar Chavez Park on 10th and J Streets from 5-9 p.m. every Friday until August 14.

Don't forget that your Friday night festivities continue if you show your wristband to one of the following businesses:

Brew it Up! $4 drafts, Bacardi, Jack Daniels and 3 Olives cocktails, plus half-price appetizers

Fuzio Universal Bistro $3 drafts, $5 martinis, plus a selection of $3 appetizers

Marilyn's on K $1 off well drinks, $3 draft Bud Light

Parlare Euro Lounge $3 domestic beers, $5 wine, $4 assorted appetizers

Pyramid Alehouse $2 pints of Curveball

Sofia on 11th $3 drafts, $4 wines, $4 wells and and half-price appetizers

Table 260 Half off appetizer menu, 10 percent off dinner, $5 drink special on Sac Soul

Toppingz Pizza inside Image Lounge $2.50 Bud and Bud Light, $4 Jack Daniels, appetizers starting at $1

Sheraton Grand Hotel's PMB Bar $3.50 Bud and Bud Light (bottle or draft), $5 nachos or artichoke dip

Amourath Lounge at Hyatt $1 off Bud, Bud Light and all appetizers

A Fabolous night at Azukar

2009-11-07T06:45:18Z

It's hard to describe the sensory overload: Cologne, body odor, marijuana. Flashing lights, minor skirmishes barely contained by dozens of bouncers. Not unsafe, but too much "swagger" and body heat.

Why would Grammy-nominated rapper Fabolous want to perform at a nightclub instead of a larger venue for his first visit to Sacramento? Why would hundreds hang out in a less-than-savory atmosphere until after midnight to welcome Fabolous?

It's hard to recall why much of Thursday night, or early Friday was unique, but it's clear that when Brooklyn rapper Fabolous talks, it makes you want to party. "F-a-b-o-l-o-u-s," as he refers to himself, rocked a mostly-drunk dance party at Azukar, performing nearly an hour of hip-hop hits such as "Young'n (Holla Back)", "Make You Better" and "Throw it in the Bag."

He's not the most lyrically diverse rapper, but at least Fabolous has made an effort to change over four albums since his debut, Ghetto Fabolous, in 2001. Sometime during his career, early lyrics such as "sittin' in the crib, dreamin' about killing you," turned to more heartfelt songs about growing up without a father and vowing never to abandon his own son.

In "Stay," off his latest album, Loso's Way, Fabolous raps, That's when I became a man/ and that's the day he stopped bein' one/ This year I became a father /and I'll die bein' one/ What's up son? Perhaps it's being a new father, or an altercation in 2006 during which he was shot in the leg, but Fabolous seems to have abandoned his old gangster persona for a confident, professional appearance.

On the second floor of Azukar, 1616 J St., Fabolous entered a platform adjacent to the club's VIP area. Dressed in a black T-shirt, jeans and shades, Fabolous, a hype man and a DJ performed a spirited set.

From the beginning of his set, Fabolous and his hype man sent the audience into a frenzy. The audience shouted lyrics, threw their hands high in the air and shook their hips as Fab shook hands with dozens of 20- and 30 year olds.

Fabolous' catalog -- poetic lyrics, braggadocio or love stories -- made people shake it. Before finishing up a little after 1 a.m., Fabolous hugged a birthday girl, slapped some more hands and thanked the audience.

If Fabolous' show were a measuring stick for other performances in Sacramento's nightclubs, this reviewer would suggest attending the Mims concert at Image on Sunday, one of many events at Avalon nightclub and the Snoop Dogg performance next month at Azukar.

Mutaytor conjures spirit of Burning Man

2010-01-30T03:33:43Z

By the time Mutaytor began playing a little before 10 p.m. Thursday, it was unclear who was a member of the band: The woman with the gothic Lolita get-up? Probably. The guy dressed as a sadomasochistic clown? Absolutely. The guy in all vinyl, wearing a cowboy hat with glowing LED lights? Apparently, just a fan.

It wasn't a Black Rock City-run show, it was put on by Abstract Entertainment. But that didn't stop about 100 people from thinking it was Burning Man. Mutaytor, the dance orchestra/visual art project born in Black Rock Desert at the Burning Man festival, was visiting Sacramento for the first time, playing at Harlow's.

Though Mutaytor didn't have its entire team of pyrotechnicians, circus performers and aerial silk dancers, it still packed an audiovisual wallop. The Oingo Boingo rhythm section pumped deep grooves while the audience danced, hugged and mingled with Mutaytor's dancers during the two-hour performance.

The show started with a slideshow of words, inviting the audience to scream. It was followed by a greeting from Mutaytor guitarist Buck Down: "I hope you brought your s****ing pants, because we're going to make you s*** your pants!"

Oingo Boingo bass player John Avila kicked off the music by slapping a funky bass line, on top of which horns, two drummers, a guitarist and keyboardist added a textured groove. At different times, the seven-piece resembled Rob Zombie, Primus, and Sly and the Family Stone. Lyrics were rare, but incorporated into the music, sometimes sung, sometimes chanted.

Several songs into the set, burlesque dancers took to the stage, followed by clowns, belly dancers and a fire spinner who substituted glow sticks for flames.

About 10:30, the number of spectators increased, with among others, several men in high heels, a number of people with LED-lit top hats, and a woman with an LED-lit foam hand (Mutaytor's logo is a hand), roaming the dance floor.

The woman with the hand was dressed in a top hat with a three-inch scrolling marquee that read "Drop the Laundry!!!!!" in reference to a Mutaytor tune. She also was giving away lollipops.

As 11 p.m. neared, a few older couples took off, perhaps in anticipation of what was to come.

First, during "Drop the laundry," a pair of burlesque dancers performed a striptease. Then, after being spanked by the aforementioned sadomasochistic clown, the gothic Lolita danced with dozens of audience members and removed her corset. Before the night was over, she was almost topless, save for hand-shaped stickers affixed to her breasts.

During the last song, minutes before midnight, Buck Down instructed the audience to squat. On the count of three, the audience jumped into the air and onto the stage. People kept dancing all the way through the exits.

Gimmickry aside, Mutaytor is a talented group of artists and a wonderful dance band, deserving of a Burning Man-size audience of 40,000-plus. The next time they perform, it wouldn't be unexpected to see a fireball explode into a tower of flame.

Jammies Showcase High School Music

2009-02-20T18:46:53Z

With our state budget facing in such a dire crunch, music programs in our high schools struggle greatly. Many people overlook the talent of high school musicians, however, the Jammies, "A Celebration of Youth in Music & Arts", gives the community an opportunity to experience the talent of young performers, and support high school musicians.

The Jammies is a two-day concert series showcasing the best high school musicians in the Sacramento area starting Friday and ending Saturday.

At a price of $17-20 per ticket, Friday's concert will be held at the Mondavi Center at UC Davis at 7:30 p.m., and will showcase Classic music, which not only includes classical music, but also more modern jazz. Then on Saturday, tickets are $8 in advance or $15 the day of the show, and the concert will be held at the Crest Theatre at 8:00 p.m. This performance will showcase contemporary music.

Josh Murray, the director of the Rio Americano AM Jazz band, which is the school's top Jazz band, says of the band's upcoming Friday night performance, "We get to go out on a great stage and play for a large audience."

Rio Americano's band program is perennially one of the most talented and well known high school bands. In the past, the AM Jazz band has won the high school category at the Monterey Jazz Festival a record seven times, and it has been recognized as one of the top 15 high school Jazz bands four times since 2001 at the Essentially Ellington Festival at New York's Lincoln Center.

Says Murray of his AM Jazz band's participation at the Jammies, "It's always fun, and we're honored to share the same stage that many high profile musicians play on during the concert season."

Though the budget has pinched funding in small ways, Rio Americano's band program has not been affected for the most part due to private fund-raising events. "We're fairly safe", added Murray.

Rosemont High School Marching Band and Orchestra 21, Woodcreek High School Symphonic Band, Loretto High School Chamber Singers and Davis Senior High School Symphony Orchestra will also be representing their High School music programs Friday evening.

Sherman, another band comprised of Rio Americano students, is playing the contemporary music night at the Crest Theatre on Saturday. The band practices during "Small Ensemble" class at Rio Americano High School which is a class focusing on rock and roll and other modern music.

Said the three members of Sherman to the Sacramento News and Review in its cover story of the event, "We don't have anything better to do fourth period."

Visit Jammies.com for the full lineup and more detailed program information.

Concerts in the Park: The Brodys bringing props to the plaza

2009-07-30T17:28:35Z

The Brodys bring more than musical instruments to their Concerts in the Park shows: They also bring props. They like to up the entertainment value of their shows by bringing a little something extra.

One year, they brought a fake 30-foot shark to go with a beach theme. Another year they brought in a Brodys cover band who played the band's instruments while the group listened from the beer garden.

Once, they brought the entire Cal Aggie Marching Band to play a song with them.

"Every year we raise the bar for ourselves; we can't just go back to showing up and playing," said The Brodys' lead singer Tony Brusca. "People coming out will get good music and chuckles, too."

This year they will spend a little extra money building a homemade set out of plywood and paint. "People will not be disappointed," Brusca said, though he did not add any details on what else the set included.

The Brodys will play their 13th Concert in the Park on Friday and will be the headlining band. Opening will be Goodness Gracious Me and The Broken Poet (click links for MySpace).

Goodness Gracious Me plays an indie-garage style rock, while The Broken Poet plays a mixture of piano-based rock.

The Brodys formed in Sacramento in 1994 as a pop-punk rock band. They released their debut album in 1996, playing a number of local shows to support it. In one standout show, they played Old Ironsides with Oleander and Matchbox 20. Then opportunity knocked.

They were invited to open for Cake at Concerts in the Park 12 years ago. Since then the five-piece has played Cesar Chavez Plaza almost 20 times.

"After Jerry [Perry, Concerts in the Park promoter] gave us the opportunity to open up for Cake, people knew who we were," Brusca said. "That [show] put us on the map."

Their 1998 album Goody Goody garnered positive reviews in The Sacramento Bee. Their regional hit "Toss," from an untitled EP released in 1999, was the most requested song on KWOD 106.5 for a month.

Success continued in December 1999 when they played Arco Arena with Incubus, Foo Fighters and 311. In 2001, the band's music was featured on an animated MTV show called "Undergrads."

But after their latest albums, Unexamined Life, 2001, and Stuck in 2005, the band had to change their pace. They were tired of sacrificing everything and making the band priority number one, Brusca said.

"We came to a crossroad where we needed to either reevaluate priorities or call it a day," Brusca explained. "We were a little bit older, some of the guys had families, and being in a local band trying to make it [big] is grueling."

The band decided to continue, but to tone back the schedule. That way the band could keep playing the music they loved while keeping day jobs and families.

"A lot of people ask us why we haven't made it like Cake, Oleander or Papa Roach -- the people around when we started who all made it," Brusca said. "[But] we consider ourselves as having made it."

The band still enjoys one another's company, he added, and have a local following of devoted fans.

"[If we were asked] to tour with Green Day next summer, we would think pretty closely about that, but those days are behind us," Brusca added. "Right now we're just enjoying jobs, kids and life."

Friday Night Concerts in the Park take place at Cesar Chavez Plaza on 10th and J Streets from 5 to 9 p.m. every Friday until Aug. 14.

Don't forget that your Friday night festivities continue if you show your wristband to one of the following businesses:

Brew it Up!: $4 drafts, Bacardi, Jack Daniels and 3 Olives cocktails, plus half-price appetizers

Fuzio Universal Bistro: $3 drafts, $5 martinis, plus a selection of $3 appetizers

Marilyn's on K: $1 off well drinks, $3 draft Bud Light

Parlare Euro Lounge: $3 domestic beers, $5 wine, $4 assorted appetizers

Pyramid Alehouse: $2 pints of Curveball

Sofia on 11th: $3 drafts, $4 wines, $4 wells and and half-price appetizers

Table 260: Half off appetizer menu, 10 percent off dinner, $5 drink special on Sac Soul

Toppingz Pizza inside Image Lounge: $2.50 Bud and Bud Light, $4 Jack Daniels, appetizers starting at $1

Sheraton Grand Hotel's PMB Bar: $3.50 Bud and Bud Light (bottle or draft), $5 nachos or artichoke dip

Amourath Lounge at Hyatt: $1 off Bud, Bud Light and all appetizers

Citizen Hotel: $99/night weekend rate for Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights in a deluxe king, queen or dual-double-bedroom. This deal is exclusively for the Concerts in the Park, and for information on how to book the room, call 916-447-2700.

*photographs courtesy The Brodys

The Hub: Sacramento's 'secret' venue

2009-12-08T05:11:32Z

The Hub is perhaps Sacramento's best music venue you've never heard about. The location is secret, only members can attend shows and newcomers are invited by word of mouth.

Once you attend a show, you've become an official member. A required $1 fee for first-timers adds your name to The Hub's e-mail list that will send you information about future shows.

The Hub's four founders requested their identities and the location of the venue remain anonymous.

Sunday night, a group of about 50 people braved the rain to see The Ganglians, The Fresh and Onlys and Woven Bones rock a packed Hub. Christmas decorations, a Persian rug and a homemade mural on parchment paper adorned the minimalist one-room club. A merchandise table sold T-shirts for $10 and bands' records.

The stage, complete with a PA system, monitors and a soundboard, took up about a fourth of the room. The only other amenities were a water cooler, about a dozen chairs along the walls and a bathroom.

Earlier Sunday, The Hub held a members-only dinner, the remnants of which remained available for the taking by the time the show began. Outside, a small crowd smoked cigarettes while huddled around a makeshift fire.

Local band The Ganglians started about 9 p.m. filling every nook of the venue with echoing, reverberating, surf-inspired rock. Their spirited caterwauling over catchy rhythms drew a large crowd of dancers, heads bobbing and hips shaking.

The four-piece, which consists of vocalist Ryan Grubbs, guitarist Kyle Hoover, drummer Alex Sowles and bassist Adrian Comenzind, performed a polished handful of eclectic tunes.

Last year the band released a self-titled EP on Woodsist Records, a full-length record, Monster Head Room, and toured the United States, Comenzind said. He added that the group plans to release a new album and tour Europe next year.

Online album review website www.Pitchfork.com said of Monster, "Ganglians are wild men -- they make music that gets fresh air all up in your teeth and gums." The review also compared the group to the Beach Boys and indie rock band Grizzly Bear.

Woodsist labelmates The Fresh and Onlys took the stage about 45 minutes later, sounding like a rawer version of the Killers. The band, who recently backed Stephen Malkmus on his California tour, played ambitious rock anthems that sent an already fervent audience into a frenzy of head shaking and interestingly, swing dance moves.

Woven Bones, an unsigned rock trio from Austin, Texas, began its set a little before 11 p.m. to a much smaller crowd. About 20 people stood outside the venue smoking and talking while the rest of the audience stayed until nearly midnight listening to the psychedelic blues rockers.

With the help of Sol Collective, a nonprofit, arts education center, the Hub's organizers hope to launch a second public music venue near the corner of 21st and Broadway early next year, said one of the club's founders. She also said The Hub has held more than 30 shows.

If you're looking for one of Sacramento's best live music experiences, ask a friend if they know about The Hub. It's a unique venue with a hipster appeal. And with ticket prices under $10, it's worth the hunt.

Photographs 1-4: The Ganglians

The return of classic albums, live in Sacramento

2009-12-02T04:27:16Z

Since the advent of radio, MTV and the iPod, personalized playlists and hit singles have taken precedence over the once popular trend of listening to an album as a whole. A recent trend, however, seems to suggest that the album as an art form is coming back.

Last month, Steely Dan played a different classic album each night during three back-to-back concerts in San Francisco.

This month, Sacramento music fans will be able to hear three classic albums in their entirety: Wednesday, Todd Rundgren will play his 1973 album, A Wizard, A True Star at the Crest Theatre; Saturday, a handful of Sacramento bands will play The Clash's 1979 album London Calling at Old Ironsides; Saturday, Dec. 12, The Who-Dunnit will be playing The Who's 1969 rock-opera album, Tommy, at Marilyn's on K.

Rundgren never decided to play the album in its entirety. It was a promoter's idea, he said, in an interview with online newspaper LAist.

"Our promoter approached me with the idea of doing the album once, in London," he said. "By the time word of this got through the internet to all the fans, we wound up doing seven shows in five cities during the first 10 days or so of September. So it went from being a single special event to being a series of dates."

The album is notable for its experimentalism as well as a medley of soul songs, with covers of the Impressions, the Miracles, the Delphonics and the Capitols strung together. "Todd Rundgren becomes a wizard at playing that most complex of modern instruments, the recording studio," said Rolling Stone in a 1973 review.

The Clash's London Calling is known less for its progressive aspects than its eclecticism. The album covers ground from punk to reggae to pop, and yielded some rock classics, including "Train in Vain," "Spanish Bombs" and the title track.

"(London Calling) was beyond a political or protest album, it was just a great rock and roll album," said the concert's promoter Jerry Perry. "I was 15 when it came out. It was like my God. It was everything to me."

This will be the second show in as many years that Perry has put on with local bands covering an entire album. The first featured bands playing The Beatles' untitled album, commonly known as "the White Album."

Sacramento punk rock bands The Secretions and The No-Goodniks will be playing some of the raucous tunes like the title track and "Brand New Cadillac" while rockabilly band Stars and Garters and blues band The Kelps will offer a different take on the classic album. Other bands include Final Summation, Bastards of Young, Armed Forces Radio, Tom Knockoff, Broken Poet, I Scream on Sundae and The Storytellers.

After performing London Calling on Saturday, three or four bands will cover other Clash songs including "Clash City Rockers" and "Tommy Gun," Perry said.

Local band The Who-Dunnit have been playing The Who's music since 2006 and have recently recorded their first record, a cover album of The Who's Tommy.

"There are a lot of other bands who have been tributed: Journey, Led Zeppelin, but not The Who," said Rob Elmore, Who-Dunnit's bass player. "It's intense to play, it's such a challenge which makes it rewarding."

This concert will be the second time The Who-Dunnit play Tommy in its entirety, and the first time they've performed it in Sacramento. After a short break, the band plans to return for an encore, playing material from Who's Next and Quadrophenia.

Will there be a signature Who ending with guitar smashing? Elmore replied, "Yes. If the crowd is good."

Tickets for the Todd Rundgren show are $36.50-$73 and can be purchased here, the Crest box office or 1-800-225-2277. The Crest Theatre is located at 1013 K St. The show is Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.

"London Calling" will be played at 8 p.m. this Saturday. Tickets cost $8. Old Ironsides is located at the corner of 10th and S streets.

The Who-Dunnit will perform "Tommy" Saturday, Dec. 12 at 9 p.m. Tickets cost $10. Marilyn's on K is located at 908 K Street. The first 50 to enter receive a free CD of The Who-Dunnit's "Tommy."

Photos 1-3: The Who-Dunnit. Photo credit Jason Pryor.

Any Given Child survey for arts education

2009-12-15T23:17:24Z

A little over two months ago, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts chose Sacramento over 27 other cities as the first partner for the "Any Given Child" program. The program, which promotes arts education, will be developed in Sacramento over the next two years before rolling out nationwide.

Mayor Kevin Johnson emailed the following survey regarding participation in the Any Given Child program:

In October, the Kennedy Center announced that it would pilot its Any Given Child program here in Sacramento with the goal of providing access and equity in arts in education to all students. Since then, we've been hard at work focusing on this welcome opportunity to expand arts opportunities for all children in Kindergarten through eighth grades.

Part of the Any Given Child work here in Sacramento is an audit of arts education resources that are currently available in and out of schools. We need your help to gather this information.

If you are a teaching artist, a representative of an arts organization or of community-based organization with an arts program, I ask that you complete the appropriate online survey below by January 8th. The survey should not take more than 8 minutes of your time. The survey is being conducted by Meta Research, an independent research firm.

We expect the data that results from the survey will lead to recommendations for ways more teaching artists and organizations can be more involved in working with students in and out of schools. We will share the survey results with all who participate in the Spring. Your participation is key to a future where ANY given child has access to the arts.

For Art’s Sake Education Initiative Survey Link:

http://www.keysurvey.com/survey/284698/9ac5/

The survey will be open until January 8th. Please fill it out today!

Feel free to forward the survey to others you think should fill it out.

The Crystal Method lights up Harlow's with electric show

2009-06-18T02:39:00Z

Twisting hundreds of knobs, playing several keyboards, and filtering sound through two Apple laptops, The Crystal Method worked at a frenzied pace entertaining the hyped crowd inside Harlow's on Tuesday night.

The diverse crowd donned sunglasses, earplugs, glowing necklaces and even light emitting shirts as The Crystal Method wowed them, distorting breakbeats to perfection and putting on a dazzling performance.

DJ LA RIOTS opened the show at 8 p.m. to a nearly empty dance floor. As the clock neared 10, the crowd had grown substantially in anticipation for The Crystal Method.

Nearly 150 people on the floor and 50 more in the seats cheered as The Crystal Method crept through ambient fog onto the small stage, making quite an entrance.

On the day of the show, rumors that the venue had changed from Empire Event Center to a smaller Harlow's were confirmed by The Crystal Method's Twitter and promoter, Brian McKenna. Switching venues turned out to be a plus.

"This many people at Empire looks like a disaster, but [at Harlow's] it looks pretty good," McKenna said.

As the band began its set, at least six people took out DSLRs. A unique light show offered opportunities galore for photographers to capture the band in an array of red, blue and yellow light.

The Crystal Method, a duo consisting of Ken Jordan and Scott Kirkland, surrounded themselves with electronic music gear. They played a 90-minute set of their hit songs, each song flowing seamlessly into the next.

Each little piece of equipment, knob and keystroke helped to perfectly recreate the band's signature sound.

Several additional sound technicians added to the band's audio presence, including one who manned a soundboard with 50 faders the whole night. Another played the Australian didgeridoo, a tubelike instrument (see photo above).

Kirkland occasionally used a talk-box, a device which made his voice sound robotic. During one song, the two entered a call-and-response dialogue with their keyboards and knobs.

As the bass thumped, many in the audience waved their hands in the air and twirled their wrists in circles. Illuminated by white, purple and pink lights, the audience lit up but never let up.

"Thanks so much Sactown," Kirkland screamed near the end of the show. "It's good to be back."

"Shout-out to my parents!" added Jordan, who pointed at his parents in the audience.

G. Love gets saucy at Harlow's

2010-02-19T03:34:54Z

G. Love and Special Sauce brought summer early to Harlow's Wednesday night.

A packed house of several hundred people crammed into the nightclub, body heat permeating an otherwise chilly winter night. Button-up T-shirts and hats were popular among the mostly 20- and 30-something crowd, most of whom were ironically watching a Winter Olympics ski event by the bar.

Redeye Empire, a Vancouver-based rock group, left the stage a little after 9 p.m. Anticipation grew for T-shirt clad Garrett "G. Love" and his laid-back, summertime-blues band Special Sauce, while images on TV of a snowy Vancouver mountain captivated the crowd, drawing collective "oohs" and "aahs."

At about 10 p.m., G. Love kicked off his set with "Baby's Got Sauce," which instantly sent the crowd into daze of mellow. It was as if Jack Johnson and Jason Mraz duetted the opening lyrics to the song: "Cooling out, cooling out, waiting for my lady."

Not that the audience wasn't wild - people cheered their guts out after every song. But the combination of the mellow songs and lack of elbow room left gatherers only enough room to bob their heads the whole time.

Throughout the night, G. Love played a number of electric guitars, an acoustic guitar and several harmonicas. Though he was constantly chugging several cold beverages (perhaps Gatorade G?), blowing his nose, and spraying some sort of Chloraseptic down his throat, his persona remained upbeat and charming.

He even performed a couple of freestyles and engaged the audience in cliché hip hop call and responses like "Make money, money, money!"

Special Sauce, made up of drummer Jeffrey Clemens, keyboardist Mark Boyce and new (as of this year) bassist Timo Shanko, played everything from blues to reggae and hip hop. G. Love rapped, sang and played simple blues riffs during songs about basketball ("I-76" and "Shooting Hoops"), life ("The Hustle," and "Still Hanging Around") and sex (in a self-proclaimed "dirty" version of "Booty Call").

Special Sauce's ability to move from jazzy A Tribe Called Quest-like hip-hop beats to simple southern blues was in part due to Clemens' simple and steady drumming. During extended solos on the band's closer and debut 1994 hit, "I Like Cold Beverages," the musicians showed the concertgoers their true talent and eclecticism.

Boyce did his best Wild Bill Davis impression, playing his tone-wheel organ like a madman and utilizing a wah-wah pedal, while Shanko moved from his upright bass to tenor saxophone. Surprising to all, his tone and skill on the tenor matched his slap-bass technique, and he sounded like a riffing Lenny Picket in the altissimo register.

The crowd left dazed and impressed by the Abstract Entertainment-run event around 11:40. Unfortunately, the hot, steaming and buzzed audience spilled out of the club to another winter night.

Sacramento's spin on Record Store Day

2009-04-20T04:47:54Z

Sacramento's record stores are world class. On Saturday, April 18, several record stores in the grid proved it during International Record Store Day, a celebration of real, physical record stores -- as opposed to online behemoths or corporations who sell music.

Over 500 record stores across the country participated in the second annual celebration held on the third Saturday of every April.

"Some of the best records stores in the entire country are in Sacramento," Hip Hop artist and record collector Lyrics Born said in a previous Sacramento Press article.

"I think the record store is vastly under appreciated," said former 30-year Tower Records employee Mike Farrace outside of R5 records on 2500 16th Street, Tower's original location. Not only was he visiting R5 for Record Store Day, but he was also there to sell collectibles obtained by his company OptikRock, which has been selling Rock and Roll memorabilia since 2003.

If you are a local, die-hard music geek, you might also know Farrace as brainchild, publisher, and editor of Tower Records' Pulse magazine which ran for nearly twenty years.

But aside from the music intellectuals, record collectors, and the normal customer, there were many newcomers at R5 to appreciate the store. The store also had a handful of live bands playing all day including Silver Darlings (pictured) who drew a crowd.

"Part of the malaise with shopping is that when you go to the mall, there is always the same stuff," said Ernie Boetius, owner of Ernie B's Reggae, under a tent in R5's parking lot. Boetius, who owns a Reggae distribution company which holds a stock of over 300,000 Reggae records and 200,000 CDs, brought a small collection of records which he sold outside the store.

Other record stores like the Beat held slightly lower-key celebrations, but displayed a special Record Store Day selection of exclusive releases all day long. As a bonus for purchasing a record during Record Store Day, the Beat's customers received samplers and goodie bags tailored to each customer's purchase.

"We've been a lot busier because of it," said the Beat's manager, Eric Cadwell.

Two blocks away, Pearl Records, located inside Bows and Arrows clothing store at 1712 L Street, offered appraisals for record collections, and an open invitation to talk about anything record related. The store's owner, Chris Ferris, who has anywhere between 2,000-7,000 records in his personal collection at any time, spoke with Sacramento Press about the record culture in Sacramento.

"Sacramento's record stores are very good. There are many record hounds in Sacramento who search garage sales and record stores for rare records. Tower and Valley Records introduced a large volume of records into the area," he said.

"This should be done several times a year," Boetius added.

Colorstruck: a hit show at the Guild

2009-06-11T23:33:31Z

Colorstruck looks at "idiotic behavior."

That's how stand-up comedian Donald E. Lacy Jr. sums up his one-man show. He looks at why people put emphasis on the color or texture of someone's hair or skin in this society, he says.

"If I had to break it down, I would say it's 55 to 60 percent stand-up, and 25 to 30 percent theater, and the rest is music, movement and visuals," Lacy said of the show, playing at Sacramento's Guild Theater through June 21. Sacramento's reaction to the production since its debut on May 29 has affected Lacy himself.

"They have not only received the material well, but some of the discussions (after the show) have been very stimulating and invigorating for me," Lacy said of the Sacramento audience. "Sunday, a young seventh grader opened up the discussion, and was so articulate and so intelligent, I thought, 'Wow, this is why I do this.'"

The production is an ongoing side project for Lacy, which he performs when he's not on BET's "Comic View," "Def Comedy Jam," or acting in a Hollywood film or television role.

Lacy first got into acting when he had three units to spare at San Francisco State. His friend convinced him to take an acting class.

While doing a monologue from A Raisin in the Sun, he paused for a moment. He found himself crying and banging on the floor, and when he looked up, he saw that the audience was mesmerized. He switched his major to acting and became involved in a friend's theater group.

On the side, Lacy had a job at a mental institution, and was asked to emcee a talent show for the patients. During the show, people started laughing, so he decided to do stand-up between his acting gigs. He hit the road and began a successful career as a comedian, which landed him in Los Angeles.

Last winter in Sacramento, he met Lisa Lacy (no relation) who started Image Productions in 2003. Image moved into the Guild Theater as the resident theater company in 2008, and Lisa Lacy asked him to perform Colorstruck to close the season.

It is important to consider the information accompanying the entertainment, he said. "I love entertainment, but to me, the best art is addressing a societal ill, addressing the human condition, trying to move us forward -- not pointing fingers at each other."

Colorstruck runs until June 21, showing Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. as well as Saturday and Sunday at 3 p.m. Tickets are $25 per person and are available at the Guild Theater at 2828 35th St. or online.

*photographs courtesy Colorstruck.net/ Donald E. Lacy Jr.