Saturday, local band Be Brave Bold Robot hosted a CD release party at the Fox and Goose. The band released its second full-length album, "Take A Deep Breath." With Beer Week coming to a close, it seemed like everyone in Sacramento went out over the weekend in search of frosty pints, and the Fox and Goose was no exception. The bar's side venue, with its narrow entrance hall, featured patrons packed snugly near the stage, over-stuffed booths, and standing on chairs. The band's friends, family and co-workers all attended the party. About 200 people ended up attending the show. I was able to meet up with some of front man Dean Haakenson's co-workers for the state, who only had flattering wor

Be Brave Bold Robot is hosting the release of their second full length album Saturday at the Fox and Goose. Established for six years now, the band is stronger than ever. Started in the shadows of The 24K Cafe, now The Golden Bear bar, Dean Haakenson (front man) and Jeremy Pagan (guitarist) joined their musical forces to play under the name Double Helix Collective. Since their underground start, the band has grown in maturity, popularity, and contributors. BBBR's internal relationship is what sets them apart from your average band. Although the face of the band has been subject to some changes, there is still a maintained friendship between them. Most breakoffs from BBBR have been promp

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 babi

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-hea

 I first ran into the local two-man show, The Evil Do-Gooders, at an Open Mic event at Fox and Goose. To be a little more accurate, my first encounter with band members Ryan and Ruben happened on my way out the door. Let me explain. If you haven't been yet, Monday nights attract a lively round-up of diverse local musicians playing everything from blues and folk to acoustic rock. On this particular Monday, my crew and I were about ready to call it a night at the wee hour of 10 p.m., until two guys with guitars called out for our attention. After watching reporters from The Sacramento Press talk to virtually everyone who played that night, they didn't want to be forgotten about simply becau

 You wouldn’t know it if you were standing outside and looking at the Fox and Goose Pub on a Monday night, but inside, it’s buzzing with people and music. The action is well-contained within those thick walls, and the second you open the door you’re sure to be overtaken with the warmth of the place and the lively rifts within. The way Fox and Goose is laid out, there are two rooms to choose from. The first room contains all the essentials to Monday Night Open Mic; plenty of great pub beer true to England and Ireland, and an on-going line-up of one quality band of musicians after another. The crowd is usually a diverse one, ranging young to old, family or friends of the musicians and newco

 R Street has been a railroad corridor for almost as long as Sacramento has been a city, but it was once part of our flood protection system. In 1854, engineer Theodore Judah planned the first railroad in California, the Sacramento Valley Railroad (SVRR), using R Street as its main line through town on its way to Folsom. However, in the 1850s, flooding was a regular occurrence in Sacramento, and our complex series of levees and street raisings was only beginning. In order to keep the new railroad line above water, a levee was needed along R Street.   The original map of Sacramento included plans for streets as far south as Y Street (now Broadway), but when the SVRR was built there were f