Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "friday night concerts in the park"

Cesar Chavez Memorial Plaza Renovations Coming Soon

2012-01-28T05:02:41Z

After two years of planning and organization, renovations will begin on Feb. 6 for the Cesar Chavez Memorial Plaza. Since its construction 150 years ago, the park has been renovated many times to maintain it and adapt it to the new needs of the public.

“It’s a prominent public space, and I’m looking forward to giving it a facelift,” said J. P. Tindell, park planning and development manager of the Sacramento Department of Parks and Recreation.

Lisa Martinez, marketing director for the Downtown Sacramento Partnership (DSP), also said that she looks forward to the “beautification efforts” on the park. The DSP is known for holding many events in the park, including Friday Night Concerts in the Park and the Wednesday Farmers Market.

“The city’s doing their best to make sure the community’s aware of (the renovations),” Martinez said, “and to make sure the business community isn’t negatively impacted.”

The renovations are meant to enhance the park by reducing maintenance and improving the functionality for events like concerts and the Farmers Market. One example is the extension of the walkway from the perimeter sidewalk to the center plaza, which will lengthen the walkway by around a third of its current size and provide direct access to the center plaza from 10th street. Tindell said this part of the park is often used for the beer garden during summer concerts, and replacing turf with walkway will minimize wear and tear on the turf.

Tindell said that this park in particular has more traffic than most in Sacramento, and it has to be renovated more often to compensate. There are three phases of renovations, and while they can be extensive – from placing new benches to raising the stage – Tindell said they want to avoid closing the park.

“We’re not planning on closing it,” Tindell said. “We don’t want to negatively impact the community.”

Tindell said the entire cost of all three phases will be around $800,000. Tindell said that the budget funding comes from the Quimby Act funds, which authorizes local agencies to establish laws requiring new development to pay in-lieu fees for parks. City and state law won’t allow these funds to offset staff operation and maintenance costs.

Tindell added that she and others who’ve planned this for years want to recognize all events held in the park and help them, and help all surrounding businesses as well.

“It’s the front lawn of the City Hall,” Tindell said, “and it should be kept at some level of maintenance.”

The city plans for phases one and two to be completed before concerts begin in May, and phase three should begin toward the end of the year.

Sacramento Concerts, Music Events, and The Local Music Scene This Week

2011-07-08T16:45:12Z

Here are some of the many music events happening in the Sacramento area this week. For more detailed information on these events and many more go to www.eMusiConnect.com.

Sacramento Area Concerts & Music Events

Defending The Caveman at Cosmopolitan Cabaret on 1000 K Street in Sacramento. Continues WED-SUN. Show times are at 8PM or 7:30PM with some 2PM matinees. Tickets are $33.00 - $48.00.

Friday, July 8th: Friday Night Concerts in the Park will feature The Nibblers - Gerald Pease Combo -The Bell Boys with James Cavern and Jesi Naomat at Cesar Chavez Plaza at 10 & J Street in Sacramento. 5PM/Free

Friday, July 8th: Bone Thugs N-Harmony with White Minorities at Ace of Spades 1417 R Street Sacramento. Concert at 7PM. Tickets are $25.00.

Saturday, July 9th: Tesla at Thundervalley Resort Outdoors 1200 Athens Avenue in Lincoln. Concert at 8PM. Tickets are $21.00 - $59.00

Monday, July 11th: American Idols Live at Power Balance Pavilion. Concert at 7PM. Tickets are $45.00 - $65.00.

Tuesday, July 12th - Sunday, July 17th: Music Circus presents The Producers at Wells Fargo Pavilion on 1419 H Street Sacramento. Shows at various times. Tickets are $30.00 - $59.00.

Wednesday, July 13th: Fairytale Town presents Twilight Concert Series at William Land Park 3901 Land Park Drive Sacramento. Concert at 6PM. Tickets are $10.00.

Thursday, July 14th - Sunday, July 31st: CA State Fair Concert Series at Cal Expo. Info at www.bigfun.org

Thursday, June 14th: Hot Lunch Concert Series presented by Hot Italian will feature Gerald Pease Combo at Fremont Park on 16th & Q Street in Sacramento from 11:30 - 1PM/Free.

Thursday, June 30th: Fiesta en la Calle (weekly through July 28th) at Cesar Chavez Park on 9th & J Street in Sacramento. 5PM-8:30PM./Free

The Local Music Scene:

Friday, July 8th:

Reggae By The Pool at Red Lion Hotel on 1401 Arden Way Sacramento. This week Yami Bolo with Arden Park Roots. Music is from 5-10PM. $10 Cover/Kids Under 12 Free.

Doey Rock at Harlows 10PM/$10

The Nibblers at Torch Club 9PM/$10

Giant Squid - La Fin - DJ Monde at Blue Lamp 9PM

Little Black Bats - 2 or 3 Guys at Fox & Goose 9PM/$5

3 Dance Floors of DJ Top Hits, Hip-Hop, Latin at Faces $5 before 10PM/$10 After

Notorious at Power House Pub 10PM/$12

CrookOne TGIF at Golden Bear 10PM/No Cover

Virtue & Vices - The Ploymers at Distillery 10PM/$5

Lacy & Mystic Man - 2Me at Marilyns 9PM/$10

80's & 90's DJ Mix at Mix Downtown 9PM

DJ Illest at Dream Ultra Lounge 9PM

DJ David Carvalho at District 30 9PM

For Sayle - The Speak Low - Glorious Flatfoot at Naked Lounge Downtown 8:30PM/$5

Beyond Veronica - Black Market - Sunday Baby at Old Ironsides 9PM/$5

DJ Billy Lane at Park Ultra Lounge 10PM/$15

Roger Carpio & X-GVNR - Jon Droll at Townhouse 9PM/$5

Get Down To The Champion Sound with DJ Esef at Capitol Garage 10PM/$5

Full Blown Stone - Dogfood - Confidential at The Boardwalk 9PM/$8

Andrus Shivley - Alicyca Angel - Chris Bown at Shenanigans 9PM/$5

Sin City at Swabbies on The River at 6PM/$5

Saturday, July 9th

Fascination 80's New Wave DJ Party at Old Ironsides 9:30PM/$5

Ian Moore & The Lossy Coils - Nathan Dale at Marilyns 9PM/$5

DJ Hailey atFox & Goose 9PM/$5

Wonderland at Mix Downtown 9PM

The Geencards at 7PM/$17.50 & The Sizzling Sirens at 10PM/$20 at Harlows

Country Music & Line Dancing 8PM with DJ's on Three Floors at Faces $5 before 10PM/$10 after

DJ Peeti-V at Park Ultra Lounge 9PM

Delta Wires at The Torch Club 9PM/$10

DJ Whores at The Golden Bear 10PM/No Cover

Afro Cuban Funk Band at Power House Pub 10PM/$10

DJ Panic City at District 30 9PM

Mezza Luna - Tragic Culture - Under Pendegast at The Boardwalk 7PM/$10

Appelz at Swabbies on the River 9PM/$5

DJ Larry Rodriquez at Press Club 9PM/$5

The Sleeprockers - ARG - Mahtie Bush at Blue Lamp 9PM

Oh Dang! at Townhouse Lounge 9PM/$3

Sunday, July 10th

Dragalicious Show & DJ Hits at Faces 9PM/$5

Blues Jam at 4PM and Dead Winter Carpenters 8PM at Torch Club/$5

Shana Morrison &Roomful of Blues at Power House Pub 3PM

Industry Night at Golden Bear 9PM

Dubb DJ's International Sundays! at Blue Lamp 9:30PM

Friday Night Concert in the Park: watch Mumbo Gumbo here

2011-06-23T16:26:59Z

Now that summer is finally in full swing, join The Sacramento Press at Cesar Chavez Plaza for Friday Night Concerts in the Park.

Los Blazing Hangovers will open the evening with zesty Latin honky-tonk. Headliners and longtime Northern California favorites, Mumbo Gumbo blend the flavors of Cajun, zydeco, blues, folk and good old rock and roll to create the unique of form of Americana that has kept crowds dancing for 20 years.

This week’s show kicks off at around 5 p.m. and runs until 9 p.m.

Located between Ninth and 10th and I and J streets, this free, all-ages outdoor concert series will run every Friday until Aug. 12. See a full schedule of this season’s lineup here.

Street parking can be a challenge for this Friday night music favorite. To avoid hunting for a spot or parking blocks away from the all the fun, parking is available at the City Hall Garage (10th and I) for $5 after 5 p.m.

In its 20th year, Friday Night Concerts in the Park attracts huge crowds of music lovers from all walks of life. Bring the whole family and enjoy a summer evening full of FREE and fantastic live music, interesting vendors, delicious food stands and some of the best people-watching of the season. The ever-popular beer garden has been expanded for this concert season. Stop by after work and sample a local brew or an old favorite.

This year, the Downtown Sacramento Partnership has launched a new SCVNGR Trek for Concerts in the Park. Download the SCVNGR app before you head out to the show so you can play the “Friday Night Concerts” trek. Complete the challenges to earn points all season long for a chance to win prizes each week.

Stop by the Sacramento Press booth, get a balloon for the kids and sign up for our weekly newsletter and weekly local events page, Go.See.Do. You can even rent a blanket to lounge on the lawn while you watch the bands. All blanket rental proceeds will be donated to charity.

If you can’t make the show, The Sacramento Press will also be live-streaming video of each band’s performance, which can be found in this article on the day of the show:

Come by and check out the festivities!

Free live streaming by Ustream Free video chat by Ustream

Tonight's Concert in the Park cancelled (yep, rain)

2011-06-03T18:35:44Z

Just to maintain a little perspective - while our "summer" weather thus far has been a little abnormal and certainly not conducive to our usual late Spring ballyhoo , we really can't complain that much, can we?

That said, the unseasonably late rains of 2011 have claimed another victim, and it is tonight's Friday Night Concert in the Park at Cesar Chavez Plaza, which has been cancelled due to inclimate weather, according to a news release from Downtown Sacramento Partnership.

Fear not, revelers! Tonight's bill, which was to feature venerable local festival act Mick Martin & the Blues Rockers, Tess & the Hip Trash and Kyle Rowland, has been rescheduled for Friday, August 19. That just means one more Concert in the Park at the tail end of the season.

Need some alternative indoor fun that doesn't involve a fireplace and a game of Scrabble? Ann Freeman-Clement has you covered with Sacramento Concerts, Music Events and the Local Music Scene.

Friday Night Concerts in the Park returns next week with a humdinger of a lineup that includes local breakouts Walking Spanish, Nicki Bluhm & the Gramblers, and Honyock.

Sacramento Concerts, Music Events, and The Local Music Scene This Week

2011-05-20T14:08:07Z

Here are some of the many music events happening in the Sacramento area this week. For more detailed information on these events and many more go to www.eMusiConnect.com.

Sacramento Area Concerts & Music Events

Friday, May 20th: Friday Night Concerts in the Park will feature Agent Ribbons - Golden Ghosts - The Kelps at Cesar Chavez Plaza at 10 & J Street in Sacramento. 5PM/Free

A Grand Night For Singing at Cosmopolitan Cabaret on 1000 K Street in Sacramento. Continues WED-SUN. Show times are at 8PM or 7:30PM with some 2PM matinees. Tickets are $33.00 - $48.00.

Saturday, May 21st: Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra presents Home grown Sacramento at Sacramento Community Center Theatre on 1301 L Stree in Sacramento. Tickets are $16.00 -$97.00. Conert at 8PM.

Saturday, May 21st: Creedence Clearwater Revival at Thunder Valley Resort Summer Outdoor Concert Series. Tickets are $26.00 - $45.00. Concert at 8PM.

Sunday, May 22nd: The Pacific Rim Fest will take place in Old Sacramento and Westfield Plaza from 10AM - 5PM and feature cultural music, arts, food, dancing, art, vendors, and multiple stages of entertainment. Free

Sunday, May 22nd: Glee Live at Power Balance Pavilion. Concert at 7:30PM. Tickets are $52.00 - $92.00.

Wednesday, May 25th - Sunday, May 29th: Sacaramento Ballet Presents Beer & Ballet at Sacramento Ballet Studios on 1631 K Street in Sacramento. Tickets are $35.00. WED - SAT at 7PM. SUN at 2PM.

Wednesday, May 25th: The Fray at Thunder Valley Resort Summer Outdoor Concert Series. Tickets are $29.00 - $60.00. Concert at 8PM.

Wednesday, May 25th: Tony Bennett at The Mondavi Center on the UC Davis Campus. Tickets are $50 - $125. Concert at 8PM.

The Local Music Scene:

Friday, May 20th:

Jerry Perry presents The Kelps - H. Letham - Deer Park Avenue at Old Ironsides 9PM/$5-$7

Tainted Love at Harlows 10PM/$15ADV

Calfiornia Honeydrops at Torch Club 9PM/$7

The Secret Lives of Squirrels - Flounder - Majesty at Fox & Goose 9PM/$5

3 Dance Floors of DJ Top Hits, Hip-Hop, Latin at Faces $5 before 10PM/$10 After

Love Fool at Power House Pub 10PM/$10

CrookOne TGIF at Golden Bear 10PM/No Cover

Get Shot! (CD Release) - Dead Panic - Inferno of Joy - Bezerks, The Stalking Distance at Distillery 10PM/$6

The Family Bandits - Backward Beast at Marilyns 9PM/$5-$8

80's & 90's DJ Mix at Mix Downtown 9PM

DJ Illest at Dream Ultra Lounge 9PM

DJ DJ Kurch at District 30 9PM

The Bellboys - James Cavern - Jesi Naomi at Naked Lounge Downtown 8:30PM/$5

DJ Billy Lane at Park Ultra Lounge 10PM/$15

Roger Carpio & X-GVNR - Jon Droll at Townhouse 9PM/$5

Get Down To The Champion Sound with DJ Esef at Capitol Garage 10PM/$5

Calling Morracco - Miss Lonely Hearts - The Midnight Moonshiners at Luigis Fungarden 8:30PM/$5

All Names Taken - No Beatings from Holl - Apt D203 - Jax - Under Pendegast at The Boardwalk 7PM/$10

Morning Teleportation - Strange Vine at Blue Lamp 9PM

Puzzletree - Misamore - Gearsturn with DJ Alazzawi downstairs at Shenanigans 9PM/$5

Saturday, May 21st

End of Days - Machette - Sans Sobriety at Old Ironsides 9PM/$7

Jeery J Californian - Flight at Marilyns 9PM/$12

A Skylit Drive - Trances - Above The City - A Holy Ghost Revival - Trial By Fire - Pledge The Silenc - Look Alive at Ace of Spades 5:30PM

The Neighbors - Rock Beats Scissors - Rachel Lomax at Fox & Goose 9PM/$5

Abandon Theory - The #1 Blues Band at Naked Lounge Downtown 8:30PM/$5

Wonderland at Mix Downtown 9PM

Tainted Love at Harlows 10PM/$15

Country Music & Line Dancing 8PM with DJ's on Three Floors at Faces $5 before 10PM/$10 after

DJ Spider & DJ Peeti-V at Park Ultra Lounge 9PM

Monophonics at The Torch Club 9PM/$8

DJ Whores at The Golden Bear 10PM/No Cover

Superlicious at Power House Pub 10PM/$10

DJ Este at District 30 9PM

Long Beach Rehab - The Extremeties - Brodi Nicholas at The Boardwalk 7:30PM

DJ Larry Rodriquez at Press Club 9PM/$5

at Blue Cue 9PM/$10

SACRAfice - Kelcz - Chase Moore - Jleake - ARAB - Jauwon Pierre at Blue Lamp 9PM

David Houston & The Strings - Allyson Seconds at Lunas 8PM/$6

Oh Dang! at Townhouse Lounge 9PM/$3

Sunday, May 22nd

Dragalicious Show & DJ Hits at Faces 9PM/$5

Blues Jam at 4PM and Johnny Guitar Knox & The Soothers 8PM at Torch Club 8PM/$5

Papas Garage at Power House Pub 3PM

Close To You Carpenters Tribute 7PM

Industry Night at Golden Bear 9PM

Dubb DJ's International Sundays! at Blue Lamp 9:30PM

Friday Night Concerts in the Park launches SCVNGR Trek and Concert Deals

2011-05-13T21:46:40Z

Tonight, the Downtown Sacramento Partnership (DSP) is adding a new twist to the Friday Night Concerts in the Park. Concertgoers can now compete for prizes in a series of challenges and receive special Concert Deals at local businesses on their mobile phones via the SCVNGR app.

Participants start by downloading the free SCVNGR app for iPhone or Android. To play, look for the “Friday Night Concerts” trek and complete a series of quick concert-themed challenges to earn points. Challenges consist of snapping pictures, answering trivia questions, and social check-ins by bumping phones with friends. Challenges will rotate each week throughout the concert series giving players more chances to win.

Downtown businesses are also offering special Concert Deals for event goers with concert wristbands every Friday night via SCVNGR. Participating businesses include 4th Street Grille, Ambrosia Café, Blue Prynt, Dive Bar, Marilyn's on K, Pyramid, and Torch Club.

“It’s our 20th season this year and while we’re sticking to our roots of live local music, SVNGR is a great new addition to the Concerts. It’s a fun platform that will allow people to interact, compete with each other, and win prizes from local businesses,” said Michael Ault, DSP Executive Director. “It’s all the fun of an old-school scavenger hunt with the bells and whistles of Facebook and Foursquare.”

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

Blue Prynt to open at 11th and H

2011-03-05T00:30:34Z

Sacramento chef Jason Lockard is drawing up plans to entice customers to his new restaurant and bar, Blue Prynt, expected to open this month.

The 30-year-old will use social media marketing, drink specials and tie-ins to popular community events to attract clientele to a somewhat hidden spot where several restaurants have failed.

Lockard, who has been the chef at Brew It Up! for seven years, is opening his first business inside the Best Western Sutter House at 11th and H streets.

After Sofia restaurant closed in that location last September, Lockard is developing plans for events and specials to coincide with the Second Saturday Art Walk and Friday Night Concerts in the Park at nearby Cesar Chavez Plaza.

"Right now, we're kind of on the edge of everything," he said.

Second Saturday events are concentrated in Midtown. He wants to team up with Naked Lounge across the street to expand Second Saturday events to their area. Lockard is working out logistics to host a farmers market, art show, wine tastings and live music starting at 3 p.m. on second Saturdays.

The market will start small, with a few farmers' stands on a front patio and inside a small banquet room beginning in early April. He said he hopes to get the city's permission to close off the parking lot at 815 11th St. so a larger farmers market can be set up there.

He hopes to hold art show openings featuring as many as four to five artists and set up live bands to play in the evening on Second Saturdays. The Citrus Heights resident is also talking with a local farm to see if the restaurant can be a drop off/pick up spot for residents who want monthly produce deliveries.

The restaurant will offer lunch and dinner with an emphasis on quick, affordable lunches for downtown workers.

The menu of appetizers, sandwiches and entrées includes American and French dishes such as crab cake canapés, a blackened pork tenderloin sandwich, burgers, chicken cordon bleu, flat iron steak, fish and chips, and wild mushroom risotto. Prices currently range from $6.99 to $23.99.

Lockard said he will also promote banquet facilities and happy hour to draw customers to linger after work when downtown often empties.

He hopes to turn Blue Prynt into an after-hours spot to bring customers over from Friday night concerts two blocks away. A DJ or band will provide music. The bar will announce drink specials via social media and pass out fliers at Cesar Chavez Park, he said.

"Those things will snowball real quick if sent to the right people and it's a good enough deal," said Lockard, adding that he may launch Friday night specials before the Concerts in the Park begin in May.

The name, "Blue Prynt," is a nod to one of his two investors, who is an engineer. "Prynt" is spelled with a "y" so a martini glass could take the place of that letter, Lockard said.

His father, 52-year-old John Lockard of Auburn, was at the restaurant last week to help get the place up and running. The interior is undergoing some redecorating, with retextured walls, new light fixtures and new paint featuring blue accents. A small lounge area with two new flat-screen TVs has been set up near one of the two bars.

He expects to hold a soft opening within seven to 10 days, once a liquor license is approved – with a full opening March 21. Hours will be 10:30 a.m. - 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10:30 a.m. - midnight Fridays and Saturdays.

Lockard has worked in restaurants for half his life – starting out as a 15-year-old dishwasher at Headquarter House in Auburn. He's getting a chance to use everything he's learned to create his own establishment, he said.

"I've seen a few things that work and I've seen a few things that haven't," he said. "I think I know what people want: quality, comfort and good value."

Suzanne Hurt is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @SuzanneHurt.

Downtown walking tour offers snapshot of local music history

2010-05-13T03:11:36Z

Yes, that really did happen here.

The complaints and rumblings about music in Sacramento have been mounting for years: a perceived disconnect between the local music scene and the community, the glaring lack of consistent all-ages music venues in the downtown area and a debilitating middle child syndrome caused by big name touring acts that often pass the Capitol City over for gigs in the Bay Area.

In the face of the retrospective on local music provided by Downtown Sacramento Partnership’s newest walking tour, it becomes hard to find anything to complain about.

Entitled “Locally Grown, Internationally Known: The history of the Sacramento Music Scene,” this hour-long tour offers not only several nuggets of information on Downtown’s musical past, but a sense of where the Sacramento scene is now, and where it wants to go.

The tours run every Friday afternoon beginning at 4 p.m. The walk begins at Cesar Chavez Plaza at the corner of Ninth and J streets, travels east to 15th and J Street, then back up L Street, ending back at Cesar Chavez Plaza at approximately 5 p.m., right at the beginning of the Friday Night Concerts in the Park, a series that runs through Aug. 13. The cost for the tour is $10. As always, the concerts are free.

“Locally Grown, Internationally Known” is the latest offering in the Downtown Partnership’s stock of themed walking tours, a series that also features tours on early Sacramento history, architecture, public art, kid-friendly spots and more.

According to tour guide Shawn Peter, these specialized tours have been running for about a year and a half, ever since the Partnership decided to break up its large-scale walking tour in favor of shorter, more specifically concentrated jaunts.

“Me being a musician, I pretty much know the history (of the local scene) like the back of my hand,” Peter said. “I’ve been sneaking out and going to shows since about 1990, so that’s 20 years of history.

“Mike has been going to concerts since the late ‘60s. We thought, ‘You know, Mike would be the perfect guy to do the rock and roll tour with me,’” he added, referring to fellow tour guide Mike Becklehimer, who joins Peter in leading this newest tour.

Having been with the organization since 2000, Peter is the Downtown Partnership’s original tour guide and is credited with authoring its Early California History tour, according to the organization’s website.

“There’s so much information between the two of us, so it was like, ‘What are we going to talk about, and what would be the basis of the tour?’” said Peter, who has been game-planning this musical stroll with Becklehimer since January.

The tour embarks on J Street with some snippets about Prohibition-era Sacramento music and a bit of retrospective on topics like the KFBK Radio band, which would back up the likes of Frank Sinatra, Glenn Miller and Duke Ellington when they would roll through town.

Peter and Becklehimer will point out several spots of sonic significance that are now masked by retail facades like FedEx Kinko’s, which was once a booming music store, and McCormick & Schmick’s Restaurant in front of the Elks Lodge, which used to house the “free form rock and roll” of the KZAP 98.5 (now 98 Rock) studios.

The tour provides a heavy dose of history on acts that have come through Memorial Auditorium at 15th and J Streets, where Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards once electrocuted himself (it really should be no surprise that he survived it) in 1965 and Ted Nugent made the ceiling rain chips of plaster in 1977 with the teeth-rattling guitar riffs of “Stranglehold.”

There is even some history at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church across the street, where the Grateful Dead once played an impromptu concert in 1968 after a gig at Memorial was cancelled.

If any well-connected tape traders out there have a recording of that show or know where to get one, the folks at DSP want to hear from you.

Peter and Becklehimer also dish up plenty of info on more recent happenings as the tour moves through the corner of 15th and L, the former home of downtown’s most thriving all-age venue, Capitol Garage.

They can tell you where members of the Cramps used to live, direct you to some postage stamp-sized spots where Cake used to play, tell you about the bands that were getting weird with it at Esquire Grill and even show you some footprints made by Kurt Cobain.

It’s a tour that could easily switch gears from a local history lesson to the kind of rock and roll chat session you’d expect to have at a café table or on a barstool with your concert-going buddies. That’s how well Peter and Becklehimer know their stuff.

Using the tour as an interlude to the current happenings in the Sacramento scene, the two guides can also tell you plenty about the bands that will be tuning up their guitars and warming the amps at Cesar Chavez Plaza when the trek wraps up.

“I like to think that people who take this tour will think, ‘Wow, Sac really is a cool place, and it’s not boring,’” Peter said.

“Maybe we can get people not afraid to go to a nightclub that has a live band,” he added. “You may become that band’s next biggest fan. That’s my own personal energy that I’m trying to get across.

“Here’s some bands at Concert in the Park, and they might be playing down the street in a couple weeks - go enjoy yourself.”

For more information on this and other Downtown walking tours, visit the Downtown Partnership’s website at www.downtownsac.org or call (916) 442-8575.

Grocery Outlet to open 17th & Capital

2010-05-11T01:30:51Z

A mom and pop Grocery Outlet is expected to open in Midtown this summer.

An Orange County family is relocating to Sacramento to open a branch of the chain that calls itself the country's largest "extreme-value" grocery retailer. The store is expected to open July 1 in the former Rick's Uptown Market at 17th Street and Capitol Avenue.

Mindi and Ken Admire want to set their store apart from other Grocery Outlets by operating a family-friendly business and really getting to know their customers. Their children, Kristina and Kenneth, a recent college graduate, will be an integral part of that.

"We hope that we stand out as a different model in that we're going to be completely family-oriented," Mindi Admire said. "We want it to be very intimate. Our entire family is involved in running and operating the store."

The renovation is expected to resume as soon as this week. A little more than a month ago, a construction crew hired by Grocery Outlet removed a five-foot-high section of one of two murals on the building's exterior walls. Admire thought the mural section was removed because it needed repair, but she wasn't sure.

Artists behind the Midtown Murals Project have been working for months to protect the 10-year-old market-scene murals, which were commissioned when Rick's Uptown Market opened.

Grocery Outlet has committed to restore both murals, said the chain's spokeswoman, Melissa Porter, who did not comment further.

The chain has been trying to negotiate a contract with the mural's original artist, Michael Stanford. An agreement has not been reached yet.

"We would really like to keep that mural," Admire said. "We're in conversation with corporate and the city. We're trying our very best to keep that mural."

The exterior may feature outdoor produce bins. The store will be smaller than most Grocery Outlets.

The interior will resemble others in the chain. A tile floor was removed, and the underlying concrete floor will be refinished. A new ceiling and state-of-the-art refrigeration and lighting will be installed.

"It's going to be brand new from floor to ceiling and the smell will be gone," she said.

Ken Admire has worked in the grocery industry for 34 years. He managed a Wild Oats Market in Colorado before Whole Foods acquired the natural, organic grocery store chain. The Midtown store will be the first he or the family have owned, Mindi Admire added. The family chose to move to Northern California partly because his grandparents once owned a walnut ranch in this part of the state.

Like other Grocery Outlets, the store will offer brand name goods at deep discounts. Products will change on a daily basis depending on what's available. But the store is also expected to offer a variety of organic foods, fresh produce, vitamins and other natural products, she said.

"It will feel very similar to any other Grocery Outlet," Admire said. "But the atmosphere there will be very different."

The family members' focus on healthy products and personal relationships with customers makes them stand out, and they've just become a sponsor of Downtown Sacramento Partnership's Friday Night Concerts in the Park, said Lisa Martinez, DSP's marketing director.

"If you see Grocery Outlet commercials ... it doesn't capture the essence of this local Midtown store's brand," she said. "They want something special out of this store."

Friday Night Concerts in the Park return May 7

2010-03-30T20:52:21Z

The Downtown Sacramento Partnership (DSP) has released the 2010 schedule for the Friday Night Concerts in the Park. The free, outdoor concert series will rock Cesar Chavez Plaza (10th and J streets) every Friday night from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. starting May 7 though August 13.

For the latest concert news, visit www.downtownsac.org/concerts.

2010 CONCERT SCHEDULE*

May 7 - Kepi Ghoulie
The Kelps, Dog Party, Simpl3jack

May 14 - Rick Estrin & The Nightcats
Low Down Dirty Dogs

May 21 - Dance Gavin Dance
Phallucy, Con of Man, Desario

May 28 - Mike Farrell
Aaron King & The Imperials, One Eyed Rhyno

June 4 - Method Echo
The Nibblers, Live Manikin

June 11 - The Nickel Slots
Los Blazing Hangovers
Mae McCoy & The Neon Stars

June 18 - Secretions
The Shruggs, The Four Eyes, The Enlows

June 25 - Mumbo Gumbo
Not An Airplane

July 2 - The New Humans
Sister Crayon, Chelsea Wolfe

July 9 - Izabella
Walking Spanish, Inversions

July 16 - Kate Gaffney
Gerald Pease, Autumn Sky, Juliana Zachariou

July 23 - Lite Brite
Prieta, Musical Charis

July 30 - Whiskey & Stitches
Final Summation, Bastards of Young

August 6 - The Golden Cadillacs
Light Rail, Johnny Guitar Knox & the Soothers

August 13 - The Brodys
The Phantom Jets, This Luxury

*Schedule is subject to change.

Produced by the DSP, the Concerts in the Park attract more than 4,500 fans every Friday night during the 15-week concert series. The event is presented by Budweiser and sponsored by Revolution Wines, CBS 13 and CW 31.

Disclosure: Article submitted by DSP Marketing Manager Jennifer Snyder

Concerts in the Park: Rowdy Kate to headline

2009-08-07T03:06:48Z

"Country" music means different things to different people. To Rowdy Kate lead singer Keri Carr, it means feeling at home.

She recalled that during her childhood, her father was a cowboy who rode horses and bulls and listened to country music. After her parents divorced, Carr and her mother moved away, distancing her from her father.

"I missed him a lot when I was growing up," she explained. "It feels like home to me when I sing country music."

Friday night, Rowdy Kate will bring the "back home" country spirit to Concerts in the Park. The band will headline a show that also includes Hellbound Glory and Flounder (click links for MySpace). Hellbound Glory members describe themselves as, a "scumbag country" band that "builds on the roots of honky tonk, bluegrass, rockabilly, and outlaw country." Flounder plays a diverse style of indie rock.

Keri Carr spent her youth moving around with her mother from San Francisco to Ohio, Virginia and Spain before settling in Sacramento in 1990. Her mother taught her how to sing, and was the biggest influence on her singing, Carr said.

"With my mom, I sing rancheras and boleros, and those are representative of my mom's side of the family, which I was distanced from in my upbringing as well," she explained.

Ever since her childhood days, Carr's second creative passion was always hair. She remembers as a young girl always wanting to "fix" people's hair. In 2006 she opened Honey Salon, 818 19th St., where she and her mother have been styling hair ever since. She even styles hair for local music celebrities like Jerry Perry and Kate Gaffney.

"Nick Swimly, the guitarist for the Golden Cadillacs and Hellbound Glory, has got really fun hair," she noted.

Also in 2006, she started Rowdy Kate with her husband Larry Carr, who originally played bass, but now plays drums. The two set out to play rockabilly, but the band naturally moved in a more country direction.

Lead guitarist Geoff Miller, rhythm guitarist Robert Sidwell and bassist Dave Garrity round out the band. Aside from originals that Carr and Miller write, the band covers "old school" country tunes from artists like Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Graham Parsons and Buck Owens, Carr said.

So far, the band has recorded an EP and plans to record a full-length album. The members will schedule their second tour of Europe for sometime in the next year.

A highlight of Rowdy Kate's career so far has been playing Concerts in the Park, Carr explained. "If Jerry Perry likes us, it feels like validation," she added.

The band members said they look forward to Concerts in the Park every year. This will be their third year playing the show.

"It's really different playing in a club where there's two people not even paying attention to you, as opposed to a park where there's hundreds of people all cheering for you," Carr added. "Sacramento should really support Jerry Perry extending Concerts in the Park because he's done so much for the music scene in the town."

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.

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.

Photo credit Mathew Walker

Concerts in the Park continues as "The End of Summer Fest" at Cesar Chavez Plaza every Friday night from August 21 through September 18.

Concerts in the Park: Baby Grand headlining

2009-07-23T20:42:11Z

If Baby Grand keeps their current lineup and releases an album this year, it will be a huge first for the band. It will be the first time one of their albums shares the same lineup as their current gigging band.

This Friday at Cesar Chavez Plaza, Baby Grand will bring their most solid unit ever: a six-piece playing mellow organic pop. Opening for them will be Dog Party, The Poplollys and Ricky Berger.

Dog Party is a duo consisting of 11- and 13-year-old sisters who play original songs and covers on drums and guitar. The Poplollys are a local trio who play Americana style country, while another favorite, multi-instrumentalist Ricky Berger, sings mellow folk music.

Baby Grand first formed back in 1999 by husband and wife Tim and Gerri White. Once a power-pop/punk band, their sound has been getting progressively softer.

"At the point that I joined on guitar, we sort of took the band in a different direction," said Cory Vick, who has been with the band since 2004. "We're still a pop band lyrically, but structurally it's much more acoustic-based, folk-pop kind of stuff."

Vick admitted that the band has struggled to keep a steady lineup, but he's proud that the band's current lineup is the strongest they've ever had.

Vick, who has been the guitarist for Baby Grand on their last two EPs, did not appear on their first album back in 2002. But he's excited about the new album, which consists of twelve songs, because having a steady band means being able to concentrate on recording, he said.

"[The upcoming recording] is the first time we've actually really captured what we sound like live," he added. "[By recording this] it's the first time it feels like a real band."

By bringing down the volume, and learning to use dynamics in composing music, the band has been able to feature Gerri White's soft but soulful voice. "We're not louder, but I think our sound is actually bigger," Vick said.

He's also excited about playing Concerts in the Park to reach a new audience. "It's [going to be a] mix of state workers who get off work in their office attire, your downtown street people and younger kids," he said.

The band has played shows with the other acts before, and they've become friends. "I think while all four bands are different musically, anybody who would come to this show would find something appealing in all four bands," he said.

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.

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.

*photographs credit Ted Angel

Concerts in the Park: The Snobs headline

2009-07-16T04:25:12Z

Leading a band is like managing a kitchen, according to Jason Boggs. As both executive chef of The Shady Lady and lead singer of The Snobs, Boggs is qualified to make the analogy.

"A lot of the same stuff that goes on in a kitchen goes on in a band on tour: drinking, bad tempers and egos to worry about," Boggs said. "You're trying to make a group of guys work together and most of the time they're misfits not [fit] for regular society."

In order for the "misfits" to form a cohesive band, The Snobs created rules. Boggs, who played saxophone for local ska/reggae band Filibuster, was banned from playing saxophone.

"It was the other guys in the band protecting themselves from me [playing reggae]," he said of the ban. "But it's worked out great, and the sound has transformed."

Now, after picking up the saxophone again for The Snobs, Boggs also plays the instrument for the more jazz-oriented band Syncro, who played Concerts in the Park June 12.

Boggs will play saxophone and sing this Friday when The Snobs headline the show. Opening are The No Goodniks, Phantom Jets and The Cockfight Kings, all rock 'n' roll bands. (Click links for MySpace)

The Cockfight Kings have a more rockabilly-influenced set, while the Phantom Jets play surf and garage-inspired rock. "Girlie female vocals" give the The No Goodniks a fun pop punk sound, says Laura Winn of the Examiner.

"It's a blast," Boggs says of Concerts in the Park. "It's about the community, and playing on a badass sound system with a whole lot of people watching you."

Back in 2002, The Snobs formed as a straightforward Rock and Roll band. Upbeats, guitar scratches, and reggae of any kind were banned.

For nearly two years, Boggs sang, but never picked up the sax.

This lasted all the way up through the band's first album, Stepping Large, Laughing Easy, 2004. After constantly being bombarded by questions of "where is the horn?", he picked it up again.

"Being in a rock/punk band, it sets us apart because it's unusual to have a horn," he said. "It adds a dimension - the horn is like a bridge, [allowing] all ages to like our music."

The Snobs are currently recording their second full-length album at Track Shack in Sacramento. Because it's being produced by Jeff Tamelier (Huey Lewis, Eddie Money), it has more of a 1980s sound.

For the album, due in September, the band rerecorded two songs from the first album. They've also updated them, adding saxophone.

Friday Night Concerts in the Park take place at Cesar Chavez Plaza on 10th and J Streets from 5-9 p.m. every Friday until August 14.

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 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-bed room. This deal is exclusively for the Concerts in the Park, and for information on how to book the room, call 916-447-2700.

Photo is credit Marc Kallweit

Concerts in the Park: Golden Shoulders light it up Friday

2009-07-02T16:08:53Z

Golden Shoulders is a "breakup-proof" band. That's because it consists of Adam Kline and whatever friends are standing near him at any given time.

In the past eight years, there have been 48 part-time collaborators, including former members of local bands Cake and Hella, as well as local singer Joanna Newsom. But one time, it was just Kline.

Headlining Concert in the Park Friday night, Golden Shoulders will be a four-piece. The concert also features openers Radio Orangevale, Jeepster and Trainwreck Revival (click links for MySpace pages).

Back in 2001, Kline formed Golden Shoulders with his friends from Nevada City. Since then they've recorded three albums and one EP, toured the U.S., and have been featured on college radio stations around the country.

"It was fun learning that Jeremy Piven was a fan of the band," Kline replied, when asked about the band's greatest moment. "It was amazing playing shows with heroes of mine like Jonathan Richman, Brendan Benson, and Glenn Tilbrook (of Squeeze)," he added.

Earlier this year, the band released Get Reasonable, which mixes Dylan-esque folk lyrics with The Decemberists' indie-pop sound. But their true style is hard to pin.

Different producers worked on different songs, and the resulting album is a smorgasbord of sound. "I just eased my grip on the reins a little bit and let other producers come in and have their way with some of the songs," Kline said.

Friday marks the fourth time Golden Shoulders has played Concerts in the Park.

"It's fun, strange and a great opportunity to check out the latest in arrhythmic interpretive dance moves," says Kline. "It's a good time, and an opportunity to be heard by people who wouldn't hear us otherwise."

Those who cannot get enough of Golden Shoulders can see them play a second gig right after the show. The band will joined by Cowboy Killers and Whiskey Gentlemen for a 21-and-over show at Old Ironsides.

Located at 1901 10th St., the show begins at 9 p.m., and costs $7. Kline said, "We will be playing a completely different set than we'll play in the park."

Friday Night Concerts in the Park take place at Cesar Chavez Plaza on 10th and J Streets from 5-9 p.m. every Friday until August 14.

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-bed room. This deal is exclusively for the Concerts in the Park, and for information on how to book the room, call 916-447-2700.

*photograph courtesy Brook Rivera

Concerts in the Park: Mumbo Gumbo

2009-06-26T01:50:12Z

When thinking of Mumbo Gumbo's gig this Friday, the word "regulars" comes to mind. This year marks the 16th year in a row the band will play at Concerts in the Park.

As the name suggests, the New-Orleans-flavored septet blends many genres to create its sound. From soul to Zydeco and from ballad to boogie, the band has covered the gamut in its nearly 20-year history, during which the members have produced eight albums.

They have been a big part of the Northern California concert scene. Many of the band members have even formed successful side projects over the years.

Guitar player Jon Wood, sax player Reggy Marks and bass player Lynn Michael Palmer recently formed The Nibblers. The seven-piece funk/soul band has been playing clubs around town and will open for Mumbo Gumbo on Friday.

Drummer Rick Lotter is part of Capitol Jazz Project, and lead singer Chris Webster has a solo career - well, had a solo career.

That was until a little over a year ago, when a paralyzed vocal cord forced her to stop singing. Luckily the band had another great singer, Tracy Walton.

"We were in a strange time," Palmer said. "We floundered around, not quite sure when and if she would come back."

Eventually the band decided it would be silly to stop playing, and members discovered they could be strong even without Webster. Walton fronted the band, alone, for a year. But after that year had passed, Webster had healed. She is back for every gig now, and this will be her return to Cesar Chavez.

"She's singing as well as she ever did," Palmer said. "This spring has been an exciting time for us."

On Friday, the band will be playing a lot of songs from its latest album, a compilation called "Fun Pack." It's filled with danceable, "party-flavored" tunes, said former keyboardist Bill Fairfield, who now helps the band with booking.

Fairfield's keyboard work is featured on much of the album, which includes tunes spanning the band's 19-year career. The album also includes three new originals and a re-recorded song.

"Businesspeople, families - a whole cross section of the Sacramento community seems to be out there," said Fairfield of Concerts in the Park. "We look forward to that show because it's always a great vibe."

Added Palmer: "I'm just excited about this season coming up and getting to play with the full band again."

Friday Night Concerts in the Park take place at Cesar Chavez Plaza on 10th and J Streets from 5-9 p.m. every Friday until August 14.

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-bed room. This deal is exclusively for the Concerts in the Park, and for information on how to book the room, call 916-447-2700.

Friday Concerts in the Park: Middle Class Rut comes out on top

2009-06-19T04:41:14Z

"Exhilarating, like running naked through a bee storm," said music magazine NME of Middle Class Rut, or MC Rut for short. The duo headlines Friday's Concert in the Park in which Lite Brite, Consider The Thief and Early States will also play (click links for MySpace pages).

MC Rut's style has been compared to Jane's Addiction and Rage Against the Machine, but the duo evokes a simpler feel than the The White Stripes, a band with similar instrumentation.

Even so, the two-piece packs a fury of sound that never lets up. They recently released an eight-song EP entitled 25 Years and completed a tour of the United Kingdom.

Lite Brite is a rock and roll trio that exudes a punk attitude, but can turn down the amps and write a beautiful ballad as well. Some say Lite Brite sounds like Radiohead while others say the sound is more reminiscent of Nirvana.

Lite Brite released its debut self-titled album last year, and a three-song EP is a free download from the band's website.

Five-piece Consider the Thief released its debut album Signs and Wonders Tuesday. "We decided we wanted to take a leap of faith and write songs that didn’t rely on what had become a crutch for us: screaming and busy guitar/drum work," said guitarist Sean O'Sullivan in an interview with Submerge Magazine.

That doesn't mean that Consider the Thief doesn't shred. The band still brings a sense of emotional, apocalyptic rock and roll.

Early States sounds like U2, but is fronted by a 19-year-old Roseville man. The band will be on the Warped Tour this summer.

Friday Night Concerts in the Park take place at Cesar Chavez Park on 10th and J Streets from 5-9 p.m. every Friday until August 14.

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

Friday Concerts in the Park: A Bucho good time

2009-06-04T20:51:19Z

Friday Night Concerts in the Park have filled Cesar Chavez Park on 10th and J Streets with jammin' bands since the beginning of May and will continue every Friday night from 5-9 p.m. until August 14. In this storyline, The Sacramento Press will preview the concerts and help provide additional information on the artists and their music.

Friday, June 5

Bucho will headline the concert, with Righteous Movement and Happy Mayfield opening (click each band's name for a link to their MySpace page with music samples).

Bucho consists of singer and guitar player Gerald Pease, bass player Josh Lippi, Ben Schweir on the Hammond B3 and Fender Rhodes keyboards and Derek Taylor on percussion, as well as a horn section -- Leon Moore and Anthony Coleman on trumpets and Roger Cox on sax.

"Bucho bridges the gap between old school soul and horn bands of the past with the youth twist of Hip-Hop energy," according to the band's biography on Dig Music, a local label on which they released their last album Omit the Harsh. Bucho was also recently inducted into the SAMMIE (Sacramento Area Music Award) Hall of fame.

Righteous Movement is a SAMMIE-award-winning five-piece hip-hop collective consisting of four Sacramento emcees and one DJ. The group recently released their first full length LP While You Wait... described on their website as a "balance of party jams, introspective verses and addictive beats."

"If you are from Sacramento, then you’ve most likely seen Righteous but might not be familiar with Happy Mayfield yet," said Adam Saake in a concert review of an April 18 show in Submerge. "Happy Mayfield, a funk band to be reckoned with, is a harmonious marriage between singer/songwriter Lee Bob Watson and The Park [which consists of ex-members of local favorites Bucho]."

"To my delight, I discovered upon viewing the stage that The Park was set up to play with Righteous as well," Saake added.

Righteous Movement emcee TAIS will be collaborating musically with Saake, who is also a drummer, in concert Sunday at the Press Club. TAIS was nominated for a SAMMIE both in the category "Best Emcee" for his solo work and also with his group Righteous Movement for Outstanding Hip-Hop Group.

So those who visit Cesar Chavez Park this Friday will be treated with music from Bucho, and ex-members of Bucho (The Park) as part of Happy Mayfield and maybe even backing hip-hop act Righteous Movement.

Also, according to the Downtown Sacramento Partnership, your Friday night festivities can continue if you show your wristband to one of the following businesses. Check out these discounts:

Brew it Up! $4 Drafts, Bacardi, Jack Daniels & 3 Olives cocktails, plus half price appetizers

Fuzio Universal Bistro $3 Drafts, $5 Martinis, plus 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 & half price appetizers

Table 260 Half off appetizer menu, 10% off dinner, $5 drink special on Sac Soul

Toppingz Pizza inside Image Lounge $2.50 Bud & Bud Light, $4 Jack Daniels, appetizers starting at $1

Sheraton Grand Hotel's PMB Bar $3.50 Bud & 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-bed room. This deal is exclusively for the Concerts in the Park, and for information on how to book the room, call the hotel at 916-447-2700.

*Photographs are of Bucho, courtesy Dig Music/Bucho

Concert in the Park Rocks

2009-05-09T05:20:09Z

Sacramento's Friday Night Concerts in the Park came on strong for the huge crowd in Caesar Chavez Park in downtown Sacramento.

Here are some photos taken of The Fortunate Few, an Americana / Rockabilly / Country band featuring Michael Ray Strauch - vocals, Guitar - Bob Wood, Todd "Uncle Buck" Hinton - Upright Bass. and Todd Lewis - Drums.

The main event was Rick Estrin and the NightCats.

Estrin is singer/harmonica player/songwriter with Hansen on drums; Lorenzo Farrell, bass and Kid Andersen, guitar.

Weather will determine if ‘Concerts in the Park’ series at Cesar Chavez Plaza begins today

2009-05-01T09:00:58Z

The first scheduled concert of Sacramento's 'Concerts in the Park' series may or may not occur tonight depending on the rain, according to concert organizer Jerry Perry.

The bands Sol Peligro, Retrograde Revolution and La Noche Oskura are scheduled tonight to play the first of 15 series lined up for this summer's concerts, held every Friday evening at Cesar Chavez Plaza. If it rains, Perry said the series will begin next Friday, and an extra concert will be scheduled Friday, August 14, to make up for tomorrow’s cancellation.

This is the 18th year that the Downtown Sacramento Partnership has hosted the concerts, which are free and open to all ages.

The plaza is located at 10th and J Streets and lined with food and jewelry vendors during the performances. There is also a beer garden adjacent to the stage. Perry said that depending on the musicians' set times, the concerts typically begin at 5:30 p.m. and end by 8:30 p.m.

Perry, who has been booking local acts ranging in genre from folk, rock, reggae, blues, acoustic, to punk at the concerts for the past 13 years, said he feels really good about the performances scheduled for this year.

“My thing is always trying to introduce new bands…I love all the new bands that are out there,” Perry said. Perry has 29 first-time acts booked to play the concerts for this summer.

Notable returning performers will include the Brodys, Bucho, Mumbo Gumbo and Agent Ribbons, according to Perry.

Also scheduled to play this year is renowned Sacramento rock band Tesla, whose performance was cancelled last year.*

The partnership's Director of Marketing, Lisa Martinez, said that in addition to a variety of new venues participating in the concert pub crawl after the performances, there will also be a number of new vendors selling food during the concerts.

It's a great event because it's free, and you can usually get food and a drink for under $10," said Martinez.

According to Martinez, 4,000 people attend the summer concerts on a weekly basis, and a total of 67,000 attend the concerts annually.

The concert series will continue for 15 consecutive Fridays at the park until August 7 or August 14, depending on whether or not tonight’s show is cancelled.

For a full list of this year's performing bands, visit http://downtownsac.org/concerts.

* Editor's Note:Tesla is not scheduled to play this year, nor did they play last year, but have played previously.