Three bands usually play at the Concerts in the Park series. The scheduled line-up for the Jerry Perry production of the Friday night concerts included the Kings of Sacramento (last minute change), the Freebadge Serenaders and Rick Estrin and the Nightcats headlined the show. The all-ages show, as always, is free to the public and starts at 5 p.m., at Cesar Chavez Plaza. The beer garden was about a third full when the first band was preparing to take the stage. On this evening the Kings of Sacramento were the first band scheduled to perform. I liked the fact that a brass section was on-stage. Accompanying them was a guitar, a keyboard, drummer and a stand up bass. The Kings of Sacramen

Locals boogied to music from Miss Lonely Hearts, Keri Carr and The Golden Cadillacs at Cesar Chavez Park for Concerts in the Park Friday night. The host said that several audience members shook their hips like “country zumba dancers” to each of the bands. Mothers danced with their sons and daughters, couples boogied down and children ran in front of the stage. Around 1,000 people came out to buy food and drinks and enjoy the music. Miss Lonely Hearts band is an experimental country and roots band from Davis. The band includes Wyatt Hesemeyer as the lead singer, Patrick O’Connor on suitcase percussion, Doug Keen on bass and vocals and Keith Cary on lap steel and mandolin. Hesemeyer’s lo

Harlow’s hosted an outstanding evening of music Tuesday night with Exquisite Corps, Musical Charis and Agent Ribbons performing. Jerry Perry put on another great promotion for the many guests that attended the show. Exquisite Corps started the show; actually they did an extended sound check so those who were there got to enjoy some great pre-show music. I’ve seen Exquisite Corps play a couple of times and was intrigued the first time I saw and heard them play. I thoroughly enjoy the mix of the orchestral strings in their music. It makes them unique not only for that but for their overall sound. Their mixture of violins and the deep cello sounds gives their music a rich dramatic sound

Fresh off a tour of Spain and Europe, and having one of their songs featured on a national television show, Agent Ribbons will play Sacramento twice this month. The band is touring the West Coast in support of their 2010 release “Château Crone” The Austin, Texas based duo is playing Harlow’s on May 10 and ten days later at Caesar Chavez Park. The band consists of Lauren Hess (drums, vocals) and Natalie Ribbons (guitar, vocals) and both are Sacramento-area natives, Hess is from Folsom and Ribbons is from Land Park. Hess, 29, lived in Folsom for 15 years and graduated from Folsom High in 2000. In addition, she had her first band while in high school called Miss Conduct. Their music has be

The Downtown Sacramento Partnership (DSP) conducts several walking Tours in the downtown area. The walking tours introduce visitors to people, places and events that have created California history. DSP’s mission is to establish downtown Sacramento as a vibrant business, cultural and entertainment destination in Sacramento via private and public partnerships consisting of residents, visitors and investors. This Friday they conducted a Rock & Roll History Tour and Pub Crawl. The tour began at the corner of 9th and J Streets at one of the entrances to the Concerts in the Park held at Cesar Chavez Plaza. The walk began at 6 in the evening. By this time, Wahnder Lust had begun their set at t

The Sacramento Public Library, located at 828 I Street, will host an exhibition by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES). The exhibition titled “American Sabor: Latinos in U.S. Popular Music” highlights the contributions of Latinos in American music and will be on exhibition from May 25 to August 7, 2011. American Sabor: Latinos in U.S. Popular Music is a creation by Experience Music Project (EMP) and organized for travel by SITES. The exhibition, its national tour and related programs are made possible by Ford Motor Company Fund. A luncheon preview event was held at the Sacramento Public Library on Thursday to introduce the exhibition. Representatives from SI

The last show of the year had 3 bands playing that evening, This Luxury, Phantom Jets and  the Brodys performed Friday night. I got to Cesar Chavez Plaza too late to see This Luxury. Traffic from Folsom to downtown was pretty slow today. Thanks to Jerry Perry for putting on a great lineup week after week. Some of the same people showed up week after week and others were there for the first time, both are included in the shot below. (Mariana, DJ, Amanda, Brendon, Gabe, Damien) The begining of the Concerts in the Park in May signals, to me, the beginning of summer. The last concert of the season likewise may not be the end of summer but for many it's back to shool. Thanks to everyone t

We’re down to the last 3 Concerts in the Park. After the Bastards of Young, Final Summation and Whiskey & Stitches show on Friday the last two shows will be in August. Last year there was talk of the Concerts in the Park going for several weeks after the scheduled events but it only went one week then it stopped. Folsom and El Dorado Hills have Friday Night Concerts as well and they will also end their series in the next couple of weeks (if they haven’t already). For the Friday Night Concert the crowd was small when the Bastards of Young began their performance. With no big crowds, there were no lines to buy beer tickets or to get your beer. Security seems to have increased this week and

One of my favorite Sacramento bands was on the line-up for Friday’s Concerts in the Park. Musical Charis, Prieta and Lite Brite were the headline acts for the evening. We got to Cesar Chavez Park  on time (almost) to catch Musical Charis on stage. The weather, as it has been true in the past few days, was still very warm. Musical Charis had 7 members on stage. Several instruments were being used; a bass, 2-3 guitars, 2 keyboards, drums, and several lead and backup vocals. A definition of charis indicates that it means “that which affords joy, pleasure, delight sweetness, charm, loveliness: grace of speech”. I couldn’t think of anything in that definition that did not fit while Musical Cha

Over one hundred degree weather seemed to have kept many Concerts in the Park aficionados at home (or at least indoor at bars across Sacramento). Concerts in the Park’s line up for Friday included Juliana Zachariou, Autumn Sky, Gerald Pease and Kate Gaffney. As I approached Cesar Chavez Plaza tonight I could hear Juliana Zachariou singing in the background. Juliana was runner up in the Jammies 2010 held earlier this year and I've been lucky enough to have seen her performance before. I heard her singing in the distance as I waited for a traffic light to turn green on the corner of I and 10th streets. Just as I was about to cross the street an ambulance was heading toward the intersection

After a small break, The Sacramento Press will be back at Cesar Chavez Park, 10th and J Streets, for Concerts in the Park featuring Kate Gaffney. This free, all-ages outdoor concert series will run every Friday until Aug.13. This week’s show runs from 5-8 p.m. with acts Juliana Zachariou, Autumn Sky, Gerald Please and headliner Kate Gaffney featuring a full, live band. 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. Stop by the Sac Press booth to spin our prize wheel, enter a raffle, and sign u

Heavy traffic and having to stay over time at work caused us to miss the first act of the night. It gave me and one of my sons time to get a beer before sitting to enjoy the second act though. In the beer garden, of all places, I met a friend from back when I was an elementary school teacher. My friend, Kathy, was also a teacher at the same school and we taught together for a few years. Her husband Steve was there as well and we got a chance to catch up. It so happens that two of my students from the same school were there as well, although at first glance I did not know who they were. Karlee and Katie Wootan were in the (it hurts to say if since it made me feel a lot older) beer garden en

The first Concerts in the Park venue for July included four bands for the evening. The Sea of Bees, Chelsea Wolfe, Sister Crayon and the New Humans made up the line up for the evening. This was the first time I’ve seen or heard the Sea of Bees and I don’t remember seeing their name in the line-up for Friday’s show. The four member group played a very impressive set. Some members of the audience took to the dance floor and this continued through all sets. Chelsea Wolfe is another band I had not heard and their presence on stage was quite dramatic. Chelsea was dressed in mourning including a black veil that prevented the audience, or at least me, from getting a glimpse of her face. Their mu

The capitol mall area was filled with activity Friday Night. A cool breeze was a nice relief after the hot weather from earlier in the week. At Cesar Chavez Park the Concerts in the Park crowd began to gather for an evening of energetic music. The headliner for the night was The Secretions, one of the area’s best punk groups, and a favorite of many who gathered at the park. The Enlows was the first band we saw tonight and they warmed up the audience pretty quick. They seemed to have had a much too quick performance. After The Enlows played their set it was time for the first mandatory beer of the evening. Right after I got my drink (remembered to patronize the vendors at the park) I heard

The Secretions will be headlining Friday at Cesar Chavez Plaza for Concerts in the Park, playing alongside three other Sacramento local bands. Concerts in the Park is a free summer concert event for local bands that goes until Aug. 3, every Friday from 5 to 9 p.m. The Secretions will be rocking the stage, along with The Shruggs, The Four Eyes and The Enlows. "I'm definitely excited to play with the other bands on Friday," said Danny Secretion, drummer and vocalist for the Secretions. "Each of the bands don't play shows that often, so to have all three of them playing in one place, it's going to be awesome." The Enlows, The Four Eyes and The Shruggs have all been around since the '90s an

The weather looked quite threatening with dark clouds hovering over Cesar Chavez Park. After a short shower period the clouds began to move away from the Concerts in the Park event. Desario opened the show and they ended up being the only band that the rain dropped in on. Their indie melody music made you forget about the rain. The four member band played several songs and although this is the first time I’ve heard them play I will, for sure, follow the local band. Con of Man was the second act on stage. Straight out of Woodland these boys brought an energetic beat and played a few songs that brought the audience closer to the front. They seemed to have quite a following. The band itself

Friday marked the day many local musicians and fans had been waiting for: the first show of the 2010 Concerts in the Park series. The 15-week-long summer event takes place annually at Cesar Chavez Plaza at 5 p.m. every Friday. It is free and all-ages. There are also booths complete with henna tattoos and food to purchase, and a beer garden for those 21 and up. This year, 31 bands will take the stage. Friday, four of those bands showed the crowd what they were made of, and the weather couldn't have been more perfect. The four bands were SIMPL3JACK, Dog Party, The Kelps and Kepi Ghoulie. Alternative punk rock band SIMPL3JACK kicked off the series by opening the show. All the age of 12, th

Friday marks the kickoff of the 2010 Concerts in the Park series at Cesar Chavez Plaza, located on 10th and J streets. Concerts in the Park is an annual free, all-ages event that runs during the summer at 5 p.m. every Friday and features local bands of various genres. Leading off this year's series is a lineup of four bands that fall under the indie/punk/hard rock genre. Headlining the show is none other than local legend and pop punk artist, Kepi Ghoulie. Bassist and lead vocalist of the former band, The Groovy Ghoulies, Kepi has continued his musical career and kept his fans. The full band consists of Kepi as guitar and vocals, Dino as bass and vocals, and Atom as drums and vocals. Fri

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 h

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 Aw