Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "concert in the park"

Friday Night Concerts in the Park schedule released

2011-04-05T23:27:19Z

Things to count your blessings for in Sacramento:

1. The best that the local music scene has to offer, all played free.

2. A giant beer garden that features the best people watching to be found anywhere in town.

3. The fact that we have now finally gotten to the point where, when people say "we're going to the park tonight," no one asks "you mean the Park Ultra Lounge?" anymore.

Downtown Sacramento Partnership has unveiled the lineup for what is and has always been "the park" in this town, the Friday Night Concerts in the Park series, which has been packing thousands into Cesar Chavez Plaza every Friday summer evening for the last 20 seasons. The series begins Friday, May 6 and runs through August 12.

If you were a patron last year, you probably noticed that the beer garden area is overall much larger, which means shorter lines (woohoo!!) and more room to roam. Concurrently, it was noticable that the sound volume and quality was remarkably better in the ol' beer garden last year, correcting what had always been one of the series' biggest things to quibble over (there isn't much else to complain about).

Hey, we hooch goblins like hearing the music, too...despite all the "OMGs" and ancillary chatter you hear in there.

This year's lineup, courtesy again of long time local promoter Jerry Perry, features the usual "them agains" and a hefty stock of "who deys" with an advertised 29 first time performers and six new headliners, including funk jockeys the Nibblers, rock juggernauts Prieta, and the about to go "KABOOM" Walking Spanish.

Perennial headliners include Rick Estrin & the Nightcats, Mumbo Gumbo, and (gotta have em!) the Brodys.

While the series always features all local acts, I've only seen two "cheats" so far: Nicki Bluhm, who resides in San Francisco (but is just too good to ignore), and Agent Ribbons, which currently resides in Austin, TX - but we'll welcome them home with open arms any time.

As began last year, the Downtown Sac Partnership will offer their "Locally Grown, Internationally Known" walking tour that offers a glimpse of the history of live music in Sacramento before each concert, and there are tons of food and drink specials around the neighborhood if you can avoid tearing off that CIP wristband. Details on both are here.

Here is the full lineup for the summer. See y'all at Cesar Chavez...I'll be the guy answering the "who is this band" questions. Hey, DSP, can I get a booth and an "Answer Man" name tag? (OK, I just want beer tickets)

May 6

The Tattooed Love Dogs

Aaron King & The Imperials

Wahnderlust*

May 13

The Golden Cadillacs

Keri Carr*

Miss Lonely Hearts*

May 20

Agent Ribbons

Roman Funerals*

Golden Ghosts*

The Dreaded Diamond*

May 27

Rick Estrin & The Nightcats

The Freebadge Serenaders*

The Afterlife*

June 3

Mick Martin & The Blues Rockers

Tess and Hip Trash*

The Kyle Rowland Band*

June 10

Walking Spanish(*)

Nikki Bluhm*

Island Of Black And White*

Honyock*

June 17

Debora Iyall(*)*

Exquisite Corps*

The Generals

Breaking Glass*

June 24

Mumbo Gumbo

Los Blazing Hangovers

July 1

Kepi Ghoulie Electric

Pets

Dog Party

The Favors*

July 8

The Nibblers(*)

Gerald Pease Combo

The Bell Boys* with James Cavern* and Jesi Naomi*

July 15

The Nickel Slots CD Release(*)

Whiskey & Stitches

Bright Faces*

July 22

Prieta(*)

The Kelps

The Denver Piledrivers*

Jet Black Popes*

July 29

Lite Brite

Mondo Deco*

Simpl3Jack

Jem & Scout*

August 5

Musical Charis (*)

Be Brave Bold Robot*

Adrian Bourgeois

San Kazagaskar*

August 12

The Brodys

Automatic Rival*

A Single Second* CD Release

*29 first time acts
(*) 6 first time headliners

The very last Concert in the Park Live Stream

2010-08-13T20:20:52Z

Here it is, folks. Your very last chance to catch Friday Night Concerts in the Park at Cesar Chavez Plaza! This finale, outdoor, all-ages concert features The Phantom Jets and This Luxury and Headliners The Brodys.

The music and festivities begin at 5 p.m. and run till 8 p.m. The concert features local rock and punk bands.

In its 19th year, Friday Night Concerts in the Park still attracts huge crowds from all walks of life. Interesting vendors, delicious food stands, great live music and the ever-popular beer garden make for a fun and inexpensive summer evening for the whole family.

Stop by The Sacramento Press booth and pick up a free balloon for the kids, enter a raffle, and sign up for our weekly newsletter and brand-new promotion, Deal Ticket.

We will also be live-streaming video of each band’s performance, which can be found here on the day of the show:

Free live streaming by Ustream

Sactown Rundown - Aug. 12-18

2010-08-11T21:21:05Z

Consider this the weekend guide for anyone not heading out to San Francisco for Outside Lands.

For those of you who are descending on Golden Gate Park on Saturday and/or Sunday, these are the bands you simply cannot miss: Beats Antique, Langhorne Slim, Dawes, the Whigs, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, and the Devil Makes Three.

Don’t think, just do it.

For everyone staying in town, it’s Second Saturday and the streets are sure to be packed. A couple of 2nd Sat music highlights include Radio Orangevale at the Bike Kitchen (7 p.m., 1915 I St.) and Ricky Berger at Sugar Plum Café (8 p.m., 2315 K St.). Both shows are $Free.99.

Here’s what else is on deck for the week. Cheers!

The Brodys at Concert in the Park – While due credit is owed to all the acts that graced the CIP stage throughout another killer season (of particular note were throw-downs by Mike Farrell and Golden Cadillacs), they’ve saved the best for last. As much a tradition on The Grid as Downtown James Brown, the Brodys’ annual hootenanny in Cesar Chavez Plaza is a staple of summertime fun. They’ve been clobbering amps for the better part of a decade with their playfully adolescent brand of diet punk and power pop, probably sacrificing their own well-being for the following three days of recovery after pouring blood and Budweiser-infused sweat on the stage with reckless abandon. It’s at times strange to hear high school-themed and frat party lyrics coming from a group of guys who are more at the “pretty nice little Saturday at Home Depot (and maybe Bed Bath & Beyond)” stage of their lives, but there’s no denying that it’s a party everyone wants to be a part of, tongue-in-cheek and beer-in-hand – and they’ll offer up an ‘80s medley that makes Tainted Love look like toddlers with Lincoln Logs. The Phantom Jets and This Luxury get into the act for the final Concert in the Park of the year (but don’t pour one out for summertime yet, there’s plenty more fun to be had). 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday. Cesar Chavez Plaza, 10th and J St. Free. All ages. www.downtownsac.org.

Warped Tour – Speaking of high school themed punk rock, it’s back; the event where there’s enough moshing to knock down the Great Wall of China and enough energy drinks are consumed to power Cleveland. If you’re planning to strap on the checkered Vans and get crazy with it, here’s three bands you don’t want to miss (and why is Everclear involved in this?):

The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band – The guy who looks like he should be selling hot dogs at the concession stands is one of the most unlikely figures you’ll find on this or any other Warped Tour; but it just might be the first punk rock washboard in history. Slinging spastic junkyard blues-tuned guitars, "The Rev" is joined by his wife Breezy on the wash and his brother Jamey on drums (and occasionally buckets) for a blood-rushing hoedown of frenetic rock and roll disguised as Tennessee front porch drinkin’ songs.

Hey Monday – Considering they would fall alphabetically between Herbie Hancock and the Hold Steady on this reporter’s iPod, you’re not going to find them there, but something about this upstart band sets them apart from the waves of other pop-fused mall punk acts and gives them a genuine appeal. Lead singer Cassadee Pope has legitimate spunk and has the “it” quality of a dominant leading lady (we here at the Rundown would love to see her duel it out with Paramore’s Hayley Williams, for a variety of reasons).

Chase Long Beach – A little weird, a little crazy, they’re from SoCal, and there’s a ton of folks in the band. Is there really much more of a formula for a can’t-miss ska outfit? Not so much.

12 p.m. Thursday. Sleep Train Amphitheater, 2677 Forty Mile Rd., Wheatland. $33. All ages. For full list of bands and schedule, visit www.vanswarpedtour.com.

Peppino D’Agostino – Being the purists that they prototypically are, classical guitar virtuosos such as D’Agostino very rarely sport a legitimate crossover ability, and that may well be due to a general unwillingness to dip their toes into the ponds of other genres. This Renaissance man of a performer dives in with his clothes on and splashes his finger-style wizardry with showers of blues, pop and mid-tempo rock, to satisfy both the yearnings for a stroll through a Sicilian countryside and everyone’s inner guitar shredder. 7:30 p.m. Thursday. Harlow’s, 2708 J St. $15. 21+. www.harlows.com.

Fight From Above with the Generals – Some of the coolest shows are the ones where the bands don’t sound much alike, but this one is really a stretch. Sactown’s the Generals are like a peeled-back version of U2, getting at the root of their crafty rock hooks and wailing vocal croon with an inventive and wanderlust spirit. L.A.’s Fight From Above joins up with their bring-home-to-mom Golden State indie rock and cruising-the-pier electro-acoustic hooks, and Amberglance brings a little dose of dance-club vibe with an electronic pop digital circus. 9 p.m. Friday. Old Ironsides, 1901 10th St. $5. 21+. www.theoldironsides.com.

Mark Your Calendars: Dave Matthews Band – Tickets are still available for DMB’s return to the Sacramento area (for the first time in four years?!). Stay tuned to Sac Press the week of the show for the musings of an admitted Dave-head with 30+ shows under his belt – but I’m not going to be as nice to them as you might think. August 27. Sleep Train Amphitheater, 2677 Forty Mile Rd., Wheatland. $35-$70. www.livenation.com.

For a complete listing of Sacramento area music happenings, click here to check out Ann Freeman-Clement’s Concerts, Music Events and the Local Music Scene every Friday on Sac Press.

Free Party in the Park with Outlaw Country Legend Billy Joe Shaver!

2010-06-18T01:18:23Z

You may have heard about Billy Joe Shaver in recent news as this 70 year old songwriting legend was acquitted on aggravated assault charges resulting from a bar room brew ha ha that ended with Billy shooting a man in the face! Outlaw legend is an understatement when it comes to Billy Joe Shaver, who is widely credited with starting the whole “outlaw country” thing in the first place. Rumor has it, at least according to itunes, Outlaw Country was born when Waylon Jennings showed up at a studio with a fist full of Billy Joe Shaver songs & recorded the classic “Honky Tonk Heroes” Album.
Billy most likely would be as well known as Waylon, Willie, Johnny or Merle had the wind blew a little differently. Alas he has remained in the background as his peers and friends have had a lot more glory. But don’t fool yourself, a Billy Joe Shaver show is truly special, and this Friday you will have a chance to find out why & to top it off the show is Free!
You know the songs, You Asked Me Too was made famous by Elvis, Old Five & Dimers was recorded by Bob Dylan & many others, Johnny Cash has done numerous Billy Joe Shaver songs from Old Chunk of Coal to singing duets on Billy’s most recent CD Everybody’s Brother. But Billy is not the only star of Party in the Park.
One of Sacramento’s best kept secrets Bob Wood’s will be bringing his trio to the party, along with some special guests, including the incredible Pete Grant. Bob has shared the stage with Commander Cody & Bill Kirchen as well as Albert Lee, Pete Grant has played and recorded with everyone from Willie Nelson to the Grateful Dead. The Bob Woods trio will put on an incredible show & will get old and young on their feet & out on the dance floor!
But music is not the only reason to come Party in the Park – The Sierra Foothills biggest and best BBQ Pit & Beer Garden is a must do too! Tri-Tip, Chicken, Burgers & more (vegans are covered too!) and of course and in spite of my protests wine will be available too – but they had to have some Margarita’s to get me to relent!
Kids are included too, for a small fee they can have unlimited fun on the giant interactive inflatable devices, and also available are pony rides, face painting and other fun! Grandma and Grandpa may enjoy some of the many craft booths!
The weather will be perfect, the music is great and the company can’t be beat. You do not want to say on Saturday, woulda – coulda – shoulda! No you need to commit and come enjoy the fun!
Party in the Park starts, but rest assured Billy Joe Shaver will not hit the stage before 7:45. It is at Auburn Rec Districts Regional Park, 3770 Richardson Dr., Auburn CA 95602 – visit www.partyinthepark.net or call 530-885-8461 for more info. I hope to see you there, and in the mean time…. Keep Smilin’! Scott - ps Support Local Music!!

Concert In The Park

2010-05-15T14:37:26Z

Friday night, a couple beers, and some music. The crowd is a mix of young and old, gay and straight, bikers and bankers; one guy who looked like Punkenstein. Me and my girl kicked up some dust and had some fun. Ya know I'm talking about the Concert In The Park, every Friday night 5-9 PM.

This series has been happening for 10+ years, and I have been a regular for most of them. Seen a lot of bands and people. The crowds are always diverse and have been mostly trouble free. This Friday I saw Rick Estrin and The Nightcats. Mr. Estrin has been the front man with the Nightcats since the Little Charlie days. I love his Swing Pachuco look, and the cool juice harp sounds.

In the crowd, I see some people I've seen for the last 10 years, some of them seem to have not moved in those 10 years. The beer garden is always the loudest, but the other side of the fence has its share of screamers also. Friday night seemed to have a large amount of hoofers, and they were stirring up the dust in front of the stage; some of them even had be escorted off the stage.

Concert In The Park = Happening Event. Highly recommended that you attend at least once. Peace.

Live Streaming video of community events this summer

2010-04-29T00:48:09Z

The Sacramento Press is excited to be using live, streaming video as a new media tool. We hope that by streaming the events we go to live, it will enhance the connection we have with our current readership, engage the community at these events and encourage new readership not just in downtown and Midtown, but all neighborhoods in the Sacramento area.

Our first live streaming video experiment at the de Vere's Irish Pub's St. Patrick's Day block party was a big hit with The Sacramento Press' readers.

St. Patrick's Day allowed us to realize that live video really helps us to showcase the great events happening in our neighborhoods and entice Sacramentans to get out and explore our community and become more involved with where we live.

Visitors to The Sacramento Press will be able to read an article about an event happening in our community, click on an embedded link in the body of the article and watch the excitement as it happens.

When we live-stream video of events in Sacramento this summer, we plan to bring our readers live footage of all the entertainment as well as interviews with performers, participants, sponsors and involved organizations. We hope to get valuable feedback from our readers on our event coverage as well as opinions on how well The Sacramento Press serves the people of Sacramento.

Join The Sacramento Press via live steaming video or in person at Celebrate California at the Sacramento Zoo Saturday and The Jewish Heritage Festival Sunday on Capitol Mall

Additional events in May:...

Concert in the Park summer series every Friday starting May 7 at Cesar Chavez Park

Celebrate Oak Park, Saturday, May 8 at McClatchy Park

Second Saturday Art Walk at Zocalo, May 8 at 18th and Capitol

Oak Park Farmer's Market Saturday May 15 at 35th and Broadway

Walk-'N' Rock for local children's charities May 30

Events for June, July and August will be announced later on the site.

3 Winning Strategies for Sacramento Area Small Businesses

2009-11-21T23:54:04Z

The Wall Street Journal featured a story recently that held some tremendous promise for Sacramento Area small businesses. The article titled “Three Best Ways to Win Community Support” outlines the some opportunities that small businesses can create or take advantage of. I think these are particularly ripe for those businesses around the Sacramento community.

First off, a recent trend in small business marketing has been to develop community around your products and services. Community is where loyalty comes from. It is why we have newsletters, a social networking presence, and why we all wish there was a bar where everybody knew our name. These tips will help you further to engage your customer outside the confines of your primary place of business.

The articles first recommendation was to hold a contest or event with local flair. Being a New York paper they pointed to the Nathan’s Hot Dog eating contest. Sacramento has an active community. This week my wife has our family signed up to participate in the annual Run to Feed the Hungry. The event is sponsored by numerous local and nationally franchised businesses and is a fundraiser for the Sacramento Food Bank. This is a great example of participating in events with local flair. My favorite new pizza spot in Sacramento is Hot Italian. As a fan on Facebook and recipient of their weekly emails I know that they participate in a lunch hour concerts held in the Freemont Park across the street. Another example may be a Second Saturday event. Monthly these events are hosted all over Sacramento with particular fervor in the Midtown area as well as some Suburban locations like the Fair Oaks Village. People who attend these events often are a good source of repeat business.

The second recommendation: Team up with other local businesses, especially those with complementary products. Every business is looking for that perfect partner. We often forget how teamwork works. One customer of mine is a local Max Muscle. The owner selected a site two doors down from a sports footwear store and shares the shopping center with a soccer supply store. Shortly after moving in the footwear store began to sell sports supplements. Now instead of stores working together to build a successful shopping center they are taking an isolationist approach. Why not offer complimentary products from other local businesses in your store. When local businesses win, we all win. A common mistake of marketing is also that it is done in sort of a self congratulatory manner. Working in community helps us to avoid this pitfall. It turns out that customers listen far more when we begin to talk about others. Find some complimentary businesses to partner with. Generate some conversation about each other. Begin a movement together! And that brings us to recommendation number three.

Join or start a grassroots business alliance. The Midtown Grid is a fantastic example of a business alliance in Sacramento. With a dedicated website at MidtownGrid.com these business has joined together in a variety of campaigns for mutual beneficial causes. One in particular is the Green The Grid initiative. When businesses set aside their own well being and put the community first they will experience the same in return.

I believe that most people want to shop local. Given the option of supporting a local business or not, I think there is a strong desire to participate in supporting a local economy. Show your community that your feel the same. Be a business that contributes to the community and see if the community does not give right on back. So host some parties, build some partnerships, and participate in a movement.

I am sure I have missed some well behaving local examples. What Sacramento Area business have you seen using these principles to better the community and grow their businesses? Please, include a link.

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