A veteran of the Vietnam War, writer, director and producer, Oliver Stone began his movie career as a screenwriter in the late 1970s with credits that included “Midnight Express,” “Conan the Barbarian” and “Scarface.” He won an Oscar for best director for “Platoon,” his semi-autobiographical film about the ground war in Vietnam. He went on to make a string of successful and controversial films like “Salvador,” “Born on the Fourth of July,” both Wall Street sagas, and “The Doors.” His historical dramas “JFK” and “Nixon” earned Stone a reputation as a historical pragmatic and paranoid conspiracy theorist. Stone is currently producing a movie to be released this summer, “Savages.” The stor

Just moments after Wilco’s enigmatic guitarist Nels Cline had peeled the paint off the walls inside UC Davis' Mondavi Center with a little psychedelic freakout on "Impossible Germany," front man Jeff Tweedy pulled out the line of the night: "You know, something just occurred to me - the guy yelling 'Free Bird!' might help explain the pepper spray incident." Ohhh, too soon? Tweedy asked that too, amidst the smattering of "ohhh's" and groans that were peppered (zing!) in with the laughter and the applause - although there seemed to be a resounding agreement that a little aerosol Tabasco to the face would be an appropriate response for a guy who apparently still thinks it's cool or funny t

Did you ever want to be in the circus, swinging around on ropes and juggling? The UC Davis Mondavi Center is hosting three free workshops Feb. 5 where families are invited to learn some basic circus skills. “They’ll learn to climb a rope, hang from a rope and do aerial work,” said 32-year-old master’s student Kevin O’Connor, who is one of two artists who will teach the workshops. “There will be juggling, too.” O’Connor is using the workshop as a way to explore how the Mondavi Center can be used to bring people in for creative energy that can then be returned to the outside community, a part of his master’s coursework. Other skills taught in the workshop will include making human pyramid

Rock journs dream about interviewing guys that have the mystique of Jeff Tweedy. So why not try and steal a few hundred seconds on the phone with one of rock's most intriguing (living) front men? Because it would have been met with about the same response I repeatedly got in my pre-teen years when sending those letters with requests for a dinner date to Jennifer Love Hewitt, c/o Producers of "Party of Five." Crickets. In principle, Jeff Tweedy wouldn't be the kind of guy to scoff or turn his nose up at anyone who wanted an interview - that's not his style. There is no visible penthouse or caviar in his songwriting, his performance persona, or in the man himself - it's pretty much all ba

The latest offering from the Davis Musical Theatre Company is an enthusiastic production of the blockbuster musical “Chicago.” At Friday’s opening night performance, DMTC handled the show with sufficient grit and guts to bring the tale of crime, celebrity and sensationalism in the Jazz Age alive with fun and razzmatazz. Chicago in the 1920s was a wide-open town where corruption and crime, scandal and bootleg gin filled the headlines. Women were crashing out of their sheltered roles as demure wives and mothers to smoke and drink and wear short skirts, to rouge their lips and bob their hair and demand their freedom to behave as boldly as their men. For two women this freedom extended to mu

Tom Stoppard's 1960s play Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead finishes its run at the UC Davis Department of Theatre & Dance tonight through Saturday at the Main Theatre in Wright Hall. Michael Barakiva, Granada Artist-in-Residence at UC Davis, directs the absurdist comedy that elevates two minor characters in Shakespeare’s Hamlet to central roles. The play features witty fast-paced dialogue and philosophical ponderings that involve meaning, being, and knowing. “There are times when things make sense and there are times when you’re transported from one space to another and reality bends to accommodate desire or fear,” Barakiva notes. “We're using Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Lorca

The short, brisk days and the warm, fall colors in the trees remind us that the holidays are fast approaching. With Thanksgiving upon us, The Sacramento Press went to the streets to ask, “What should Sacramento be thankful for?” “All of the trees,” said Debbie Isley, 59, a retired real estate agent from Placerville. “And the water.” Isley, originally from Southern California, said she appreciates how green the area is, especially after living in the desert for many years. For those native to the area, the answers change a bit. Carolyn Gamble, a retired state employee from Carmichael, has lived in the Sacramento area her entire life. “Sacramento supports everything here,” said Gamble, 6

Editorial Note: This story has been updated since it was published. Newsbeat, a business that some called Sacramento’s last newsstand, closed over the weekend, leaving an empty space in the popular MARRS Building. “It’s a tragedy for our building. A tragedy,” said Pete Haynes, owner of the next-door Denim Spot. “They were a pillar of the Midtown and Sacramento community. We’ve definitely lost a piece of our culture.” The independently owned Newsbeat, 1050 20th St., sold hard-to-find magazines and candies, greeting cards and a mix of other goods. Terrence Lott, co-owner of the store, said that in comparison to his other Newsbeat location in Davis – which remains open – some of the “brea

  In the mood for a low-country Regina Spektor-meets-Jimmy Buffett-on-whiskey act followed by a Dave Matthews crossed with a beached-out Buddy Holly number? Well, you can... this coming Tuesday, November 8 at the Naked Lounge in downtown Sacramento (1111 H St.), starting at 8:30. This all ages show features two of California's up-and-coming, on-the-scene singer-songwriters, Jo Elless (www.joelless.com) and Mike Macchia & Tyler Canaday (Mike's Lost and Found, http://www.youtube.com/TheMikeMacchia). Midwest and northeastern roots, with a little dixie thrown in for good measure, Jo Elless is a Berklee-trained multi-instrumentalist who arranges her songs for wind orchestra (all of the instru

Davis and Sacramento are close neighbors, and some business owners have restaurants in both cities. The differences between opening a business in Sacramento versus Davis comes down to the way city staff work with applicants more than the cost of permits. A significant difference in opening a business in Davis compared to Sacramento is in the assistance new business owners have available at each city. Shawn Eldredge, owner of Capitol Painting and Construction, said Friday that starting a business in Davis is “a breeze” compared to working with city of Sacramento. Some of the local business projects Eldredge has worked on include the Firestone Public House in Sacramento and the new de Ver

Construction on de Vere’s Irish Pub in Davis is about two weeks from being finished, and as the bar, which was custom-built in Ireland and then shipped to California, nears completion, Davis residents said they are excited to see a business fill a long-troubled space. The pub is a new location spawned off the successful de Vere’s Irish Pub at 1521 L St. in Sacramento. “It seems like it’s going to be a pretty good business,” said Matt Johnson, a 25-year-old bartender from Davis. “I’m excited, and I hope they’re successful.” Johnson said the space at 217 E St. in Davis has long been something of a revolving door for businesses, which have had trouble staying open much longer than a year.

After studying for hours learning the computer language of electrical engineering, coding and programming during his freshman year at UC Davis, Benson Chou traded in his seat in the computer lab of Kemper Hall to turn his passion for art and graphic design into a growing business and clothing brand known as The Imaginary Zebra. Chou has created more than 50 T-shirt designs, and he said he has sold about 2,000 T-shirts since his freshman year when he and a few of his friends personally designed, screen-printed, packaged and shipped hundreds of T-shirts. As the demand rose, Chou moved to selling all of his T-shirts online exclusively through his website, which he designed and created. He g

Jonathan Franzen, National Book Award-winning author, acquaintance of Pres. Barack Obama and face of the August 2010 cover of Time magazine next to the caption “Great American Author,” proved to the audience at the UC Davis Mondavi Center Saturday night that he is human. Franzen stepped up to the podium and pulled several sheets of paper out of his briefcase. After rearranging some of these sheets, pausing to find a water bottle, and finally beginning to read from the sheets word for word, it became clear that the critically and commercially successful author was nervous to speak in front of a live audience. “This would be a lot easier if I was doing a reading,” Franzen said. The talk

Who gives a shout out to the Central Valley? Well, someone from the Central Valley. This week, Cake played twice for eager Central Valley crowds. The local band performed for happy Cakesters at Freeborn Hall on the UC Davis campus on both Thursday and Friday nights. Friday night, the Memorial Union hall was at capacity, 1,775 people deep. On Thursday, nearly 1,300 people came out to sway and nod with Cake. An hour before the show on Thursday night, fans were already lined up outside, ready to vie for a good spot in the community center hall. Thursday night drew a devoted crowd with one (especially) veteran fan who declared she’s been to over 20 Cake spectaculars over the years. The alt

Cake. Simple, home-baked, yet such a delicacy. The five member band will start the academic year off right for UC Davis students. The local favorite will perform at University of California, Davis’ Freeborn Hall this Thursday and Friday, October 6 and 7. While the band's tunes are so rollicking and varying that they are essentially without genre, Cake is known for a number of hits including, "The Distance" and "Rock 'n' Roll Lifestyle." "Never There" and "Short Skirt/Long Jacket" also function effectively as cult classics for the current twenty-something generation. (Even if some have now reached their thirties.) The band's newest album, "Showroom of Compassion," was released in Januar

This weekend, Fairytale Town will host the 11th Annual ScholarShare Children's Book Festival. The festival will include hands-on literacy activities for children, dramatic performances and readings and presentations by numerous authors and illustrators. The event will feature a special appearance by Olympic figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi. Yamaguchi will read her first book, "Dream Big, Little Pig!" on Saturday on the Mother Goose Stage at 3:00 p.m. The 2011 release by Sourcebooks Jabberwocky debuted at No. 2 on the New York Times Bestseller List. "Dream Big, Little Pig!" was illustrated by Tim Bowers. Fairytale Town will host the book festival this Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 24 and 25. O

Davis musician Antoinette Clinton, who goes by her stage name, Butterscotch, is releasing her first EP this fall called “Perfect Harmony.” A music video directed by Robyn Twomey for the album’s title track is going to released online in a few weeks. Butterscotch, who is known for her incredible beat-boxing, will be doing a lot more than just recording music. She will also be performing at the fifth annual Davis Jazz and Beat Festival on Oct. 22. The event will include her along with many other performers and will be located at 521 First St. in Davis. In recent months, she has traveled to places as far away as Hong Kong and Germany. “A lot has happened lately,” Butterscotch said, referri

For the next few months, running enthusiasts will have the opportunity to participate in a number of fantastic races across California. The Sacramento region in particular is full of events for people of all ages, skill levels and interests. Whether you are an avid runner or just looking for a healthy way to support the community, consider joining in a local 5K or 10K race. Most races benefit a nonprofit organization, so you will be benefiting your body, mind and spirit! Here are some upcoming events to consider: Gold Rush Fun Run & Walk October 8, 2011, Placerville, CA This family and dog friendly event features 10 Mile, 10K, 5K, and 1 mile race courses along the El Dorado Trail, plus r

Mindy Romero has been appointed the new chair of the board of directors Sacramento|Yolo Mutual Housing Association. She replaces Greg Chew, who remains on the board. A researcher at the Center for Regional Change, University of California, Davis, Romero also is a doctoral candidate in the UCD Department of Sociology. Romero has been on the board for the past three years and was with the Yolo Mutual Housing Association’s board before the two nonprofits affiliated. She lives in Davis. Mutual Housing develops and operates well-designed rental housing for modest-income households. The communities have 2,600 residents, half of whom are children. Through Mutual Housing’s focus on leadership,

Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys opened the Mondavi Center's SummerMusic series at the UC Davis quad Saturday night. Led by Riley's masterful accordion playing, the band kept the crowd on their feet and dancing for their entire set of Southwest Louisiana Cajun French music. Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys have played together for over 20 years, and have three Grammy nominations for their albums.  Touring their most recent album Grand Isle, the cover of which shows a poignant image of an oil-soaked bird, Riley referenced the ongoing effects of the BP oil spill disaster on the local communities. The SummerMusic series concludes on Saturday, August 13 with Non Stop Bhangra. Bhangra