Seven local musicians are getting together at Old Ironsides this Friday to not only pay tribute to music legend Sam Cooke but also help with the Haiti earthquake relief effort. "Havin' a Party: A Tribute to Sam Cooke" was originally going to be just a show about Sam Cooke until concert organizer Jerry Perry saw the destruction in Haiti from the Jan. 12 earthquake. Perry decided to put on a benefit show to help. "When things like this happen, we like to try to put together relief shows," said Perry, who also organized relief benefit concerts for Hurricane Katrina and Sept. 11. "Whatever money we can raise through the door, we're going to take and give it to the Red Cross," he said. The

What can you do with a cowboy boot, a hand saw, some metal pipes and string? A whole lot says Mike Silverman, performing as That 1 Guy on Thursday at Beatnik Studios. Don't miss your chance to see this one man band and his invention, The Magic Pipe. Silverman, who grew up in the Bay Area, was introduced to music by his father's vintage stand-up bass. He says he remembers banging on it until he could reproduce sounds he liked. The instrument and being "in the right place at the right time" to his present career. That 1 Guy has performed internationally and has large fan bases in places such as Europe and Australia, as well as the United States. He plays annually at the Woodford Folk Festi

Not having any relatives west of the Mississippi, my family often traveled up to Portland to spend Thanksgiving with old friends. We'd usually pick up a couple books on tape from the Contra Costa library before heading out on road trips like these, but pianist George Winston's albums Autumn and December always traveled with us. Because of these albums' bonding themes – holidays, family, journeys – the music grew into an important memory from childhood. In some ways, it ceased being art for me, in that I couldn't evaluate it with a critical eye as I developed musically. This isn't to say that I think George Winston is a bad composer or pianist. In the same way I occasionally eat at a child

One could make the argument that The Clash's "London Calling" is one of the riskiest moves in rock history. After two well-received and straightforward punk albums, the quartet from London threw fans, critics and the entire rock world a curveball in 1979. Spanning at least three genres in 65 minutes, the double LP was not only twice as long as anything the band had recorded prior, but also about the last thing anybody expected from one of the founders of the British punk movement. It could be considered just as risky, then, that a concert promoter would find it feasible to actually put together a bill of bands of equally varying styles to cover the classic album in its entirety. However,

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

People were "Bubbly" as they came in swimsuits and beared the sun while singing and dancing to the various artists that graced the stage at the 13th annual Day in the Zone concert at Discovery Park. Howie Day, Colbie Callait, Hoobastank, and Train were the performers for the show put on by 100.5 FM The Zone. "I came to see Colbie," Anika Polyak of Serendipity Boutique said. "It's really hot out, and it's not as crowded as last year's show, but it's still good." Callait was definitly the crowd favorite, from her new song "I Won't" atop a firetruck ladder to her acoustic version of "Bubbly." "Colbie should have headlined the show,"first-time attendee Brandon Osburn said. "I bet a lot

MC Hammer brought out a crowd of thousands at the state fair Sept. 3 performing his classics in a live concert. Fans who were unable to buy tickets to the show, which quickly sold out, stood in a line that wrapped around the concert area starting at 3:30 to get a wristband for lawn seating and standing. "I'm so gonna get my dance on," said Hammer fan Janelle Tann. "It's like a childhood rewind, and I get to see an artist that I adored when I was growing up. It's a dream." Hammer performed some of his greatest hits, including, "To Legit to Quit," "Cant Touch This" and "Pumps and a Bump." "Sacramento is like home," Hammer said. "I've been coming her for 20 or 30 years, that's why I agree

"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 Pel

Native Sacramento guitarist, DJ and producer Early Times will return home for a performance at Harlow's on Friday. While his MySpace page lists his genre categorization as "Crunk/Dutch pop/Black Metal," Early Times' music is even more eclectic in reality. The sampling of songs on his profile ranges from the slap bass funk of "Doin' the Nasty," to the Hammond organ-inflected blues of "Black Panties," to the spacey, improviasational jam piece "DUI." His capability to play multiple styles has earned him collaborations with a diverse group of musicians both local (Tesla, Cake) and national (trumpeter Wynton Marsallis). Though he currently resides in New York City, Early spent his years in Sa

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

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 a

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 Nor

It's a good year, so far, for Abraham Quintanilla III, known to many as "A.B." Quintanilla. This 45-year-old entertainer was heavily embroiled in a nasty court battle that dragged on for years until finally winning back the Kumbia Kings this year. This victory came after the loss of a long-time friendship with Cruz Martinez, much negative media buzz, and a hefty legal price tag. At last, he can put it all behind him and concentrate on his current band, Kumbia All‑Starz. Many know Quintanilla first as the brother of legendary Queen of Tex-Mex, Selena Quintanilla, who was murdered in 1995. After her untimely death, Quintanilla took a four-year hiatus from his career. When he emerged in 199

The fliers and advertisements promised big things: “Local arts, crafts and fashion vendors will descend upon K Street, transforming downtown Sacramento into a bustling creative district.” On Saturday, Sacramento News and Review hosted the inaugural Third Saturday Creative Block Party and nudged K Street in the right direction. Despite the scorching heat, more than 40 aspiring clothing and jewelry designers, artists and local businesses set up shop along K Street. “I think it’s wonderful of SN&R to have done this…it brings life to the downtown area. We’re so happy to be here,” said Ginger Wong, president of Transformations Makeup Institute, did makeup, hair and glitter tattoos. Both asp

Peace, love, war, sex and hair -- Sacramento will have a one-night opportunity to revel in hippie counterculture at Harlow's Thursday night. "HAIR: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical" will rock the nightclub in the form of a concert. Local theater company Artistic Differences will perform musical numbers from "HAIR" as part of the company's Summer of Rock series, which kicked-off with "Tommy" at the Crest on Memorial Day. Many of the original cast members from the company's five-week run of the show in 2007 will return to sing the numbers, accompanied by a seven-piece band.   "HAIR" the musical brings to light a group of young flower children who band together as a "tribe" in the East

Ahhh, yes, it's that time of the month again folks. Second Saturday weekend that is! Although there are great things going on all month long throughout Sacramento, many locals will argue that the second weekend of the month in Sacramento is their favorite time to venture out on the town. In addition to the Art Walk on Saturday, this weekend has a plethora of cool things to check out. And for Sactown, mid-July is looking to bring us some relatively mild weather to boot! Take a look to see if any of these events can lure you to venture out...try something different this week! Thursday 7.9 Food & Wine: California Grape & Gourmet -- $50 ($70 day of) Where: Sacramento Convention Center When:

It has never occurred to me that Father's Day weekend always happens at the same time as the summer solstice. Is that by coincidence? The longest, sunniest day of the year falls on the weekend that we celebrate our Dad's. That's kind of cool! At least for those of us who celebrate them. Otherwise, think of it as an extended day for you to be having fun! This weekend is packed with family friendly events for the whole family to enjoy at budget friendly prices. There are a few things I've mentioned that are a little more pricey... but they sound so fun! Whatever your budget is and whomever you'd like to spend your time with, check out what this weekend has in store. Thursday 6.18 Class: Sm

I can honestly say that I am proud to be a Sacramentan. Even more so since I began working on the events calendar for Sacramento at the Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau! I have pretty much lived in the Sacramento area my whole life and never before did I realize that there are so many things going on- all the time! This weekend is packed full of Festivals, fundraisers, music & theatre and hopefully by reading this you are prompted to get out and have some fun! And please do note that there are many more things happening that I may not have mentioned...in order to keep these articles concise, I narrow them down to a few events. Feel free to add events in the Comment section at the bo

Midfest is happening this weekend after organizers won two permits early Friday afternoon, less than 24 hours before the event is scheduled to begin. But Sacramento city staff notified organizers that city employees will be on the lookout for code violations after neighborhood residents complained that a previous event wasn't adequately managed. The Bloc Concert Series permit was awarded to Paragary Restaurant Group for the festivities being held in Marshall Park, 915 27th St., from noon to 8 p.m. Saturday. A separate permit was issued to the Midtown Business Association (MBA) and T & M Organization for the Arts for Sunday's Midfest Summer Celebration at the park. In the final hours bef

Relentless, dedicated, original and professional are a few words that describe the band called Sol’Jibe. With more than 200 shows and festivals under their belts world-wide, they bring their unique flavor of international music to Harlows; a show that will sure to be talked about all summer.   After driving 15 hours straight from their last show in Washington, they arrived last night in Sacramento where we met for dinner at Aura for some tasty pizzas. There’s a reason they’ve been called the hardest working band around. They’ve won “Best Band in the Reno News & Review Reader’s Choice” three years in a row. Last year, they stole the show at the High Sierra Music Festival with a review stat