Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "jerry perry"

Sacramento Music's Numbers Game

2012-01-17T03:51:30Z

Music promoters in Sacramento gathered Sunday evening to discuss the need to create more local venues and how this would help the local music culture thrive. Time Tested Books hosted the Living Library discussion, called, “The State of Live Music in Sacramento.” Many panelists said that creating more venues in Sacramento is vital and find the city’s regulations to be a huge obstacle.

No chairs were empty, and a crowd stood for the whole two hours of the event. When the moderator, local writer/music fan Dennis Yudt, asked if anyone present was a musician, more than half of the attendants raised their hands.

Yudt spent the first hour and a half prompting the five panelists with questions – music promoters Jerry Perry (who once ran a popular venue called The Cattle Club), Brian McKenna (promoter of many local bands, including Hella), Mindy Giles (who was once vice president of Alligator Records and was marketing director for Tower Records) and Rick Ele (who hosts the “Art for Spastics” show on KDVS). Also with them was Olivia Coelho, co-founder of the music venue and vintage shop Bows and Arrows.

When Yudt asked the panelists what Sacramento has that other cities don’t, Perry had great things to say about the local artists. When looking for Sacramento’s new great band each year, he said he finds 10 or 20 that are up to par.

The conversation quickly switched to what Sacramento lacks, and for all the panelists, it’s a key way of presenting these artists to bigger audiences.

“There’s a 1,500-seat venue that’s the missing link,” McKenna said.

McKenna outlined this missing link as a transition for bands to go from smaller venues to big shows – not necessarily a “huge building to fill every night,” but a new venue open to all genres and all audiences.

Everyone on the panel agreed that supporting the city’s culture and opening more music venues could help revitalize K Street and would be a step toward turning Sacramento into a world-class city.

Ele said that he could easily brainstorm 80 venues in Portland, but not even two dozen in Sacramento, which he finds extremely problematic.

“If (Portland) can rise from the joke of a scene that they were,” Ele said, “there’s no reason Sacramento can’t, too.”

Perry expressed a lot of frustration with the city’s regulations on entertainment. He said that many restaurants would be selling food and alcohol without any trouble, but once live entertainment was involved, suddenly people would worry about minors drinking alcohol.

“What makes you think we’ll let them drink?” Perry said. “They treat us like children…. I wish the city would open their eyes and support us.”

McKenna agreed with Perry’s point, and he said that it is important for the missing link to be all-ages and still provide alcohol.

“Adults don’t want to come out if they can’t get alcohol,” McKenna said, “but it’s the kids that really bring new enthusiasm for music.”

Coelho said she knows this venue struggle firsthand. She explained how tough it was for her to present live music at her store, Bows and Arrows, legally. The process consumed a lot of time and money, sometimes leading to paying bands out of pocket.

“It’s incredibly expensive to make sure bathrooms are up to date and to have sprinklers,” Coelho said. “(It costs) tens of thousands of dollars just to have amplified music in your place.”

Coelho spoke of one victory she had for Bows and Arrows, where she was able to save money by asking the city to allow her one security guard instead of the required two.

When she pointed out that her venue is small and that two guards for so much as two attendants was unreasonable, they listened to her plight and agreed with her.

“Sometimes (the city) will be more responsive than we think they will,” Coelho said.

Despite this victory, the “one-size-fits-all” entertainment permit has to be renewed every two years, even if nothing has changed with the establishment. The application fee is supposed to cover the cost of time the government gives to investigate a venue, she said, and the renewal is $1,400.

“I would be so sad to not be able to bring live music to people,” Coelho said.

Once Yudt finished his questions, the panel turned to the audience. Many hands filled the air to offer ideas and brainstorm new strategies for helping Sacramento’s music culture. One audience member suggested that they file petitions against certain regulations, while another said that the panel could easily be the founders of a special interest group.

One audience member, Michael “LP Sessions” LaPlante, pointed out that theaters in San Jose have several months of off time, and that they supplement income with live music performances. LaPlante said that The Sacramento Theatre Company, Wells Fargo Pavilion, and B Street Theatre could easily do the same.

“We have lots of diverse music in this town,” LaPlante said. “Venues and presenters and bands need to get together and organize.”

Yudt closed by thanking everyone for coming to the event. He asked that they take action to help Sacramento’s music culture, even if it’s something as small as bringing a new friend to a live performance.

“Everyone can have a say to institute change,” Yudt said. “Young, old, regardless of genre… tonight, we’re all in the same genre.”

The next Living Library will be held Febuary 19th, and will have beer historian Ed Carroll, author of “Sacramento's Breweries,” discuss Sacramento’s brewing heritage.

Perry Pays Tribute to Holly

2011-09-24T06:50:10Z

Having had a grandfather who was a nightclub owner as well as a record distributer in the 40’s and 50’s had its benefits. One of which was the wonderful collection of music left to some of his children and grandchildren upon his passing. Some of my fondest memories were listening to the tunes from the juke boxes filled with the old 45’s and later on the turntable from such great’s as Little Richard, Elvis Presley, Sam Cooke, The Big Bopper and, of course, Buddy Holly. As a young child, I’d dance and sing to them all!

Then in 1971 a friend and I were sitting in her room listening to the radio when a DJ from the now defunct Sacramento radio station, KNDE announced, a song by Don Mclean, “American Pie,” a tribute to -----Holly. My girlfriend laughed shoved me in the shoulder and exclaimed, “This song is about you!” We did not hear Buddy, but I remember being moved by the words. It took a conversation with my older brother to finally clarify what the song meant.

Buddy Holly, AKA’s Charles Hardin Holley, was born on September 7, 1936, in Lubbock, Texas. Following a performance at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa, on February 2, 1959, Holly chartered a small airplane to take him to the next stop on the Winter Dance Party tour. He, Ritchie Valens, “Big Bopper” Richardson and the pilot were killed en route to Moorhead, Minnesota, when their plane crashed soon after taking off from nearby Mason City in the early morning hours of February 3. “The Day the Music Died.”

Sacramento Promoter, Jerry Perry, who is as much of a fan of Buddy Holly as I am, organized a fantastic “Tribute” show in honor of the late performers 75th birthday featuring a remarkable line-up of local artists who paid homage to the iconic work of an artist who many consider to be the first true “singer/songwriter” performer of the rock ‘n’ roll era.

And, what an eclectic group of musicians and styles it was. From individuals to groups, washboards, kazoos, guitars and violins each artist and instrument added a unique interpretation to Holly’s songs that was fun and at the same time, truly worthy.

Patrick Walsh opened the show solo, but strong, with his country rugged voice, fierce acoustic guitar and harmonica blowing, “Valley of Tears.”

The three piece rock band Honyock http://www.myspace.com/honyockband stepped up next bringing a fresh turn to Buddy’s ode,” Love Has Made A Fool Of You,” The members of the band are all younger then Buddy was when he died at 22.

Aaron King delivered a majestic guitar solo, with "Maybe Baby" before The Freebadge Serenaders seized the stage with their banjo, washboard and kazoo, took on 3 Buddy Holly ditties including their version of the juke-joint crowd pleaser, "Oh Boy!"

Ole Cotton Dreary, http://www.myspace.com/olcottondrearyocd, rocked with two of Buddy Holly's better known covers, and his signature, "Peggy Sue."

New band Survival Guide featuring Emily (formerly of Tsunami Bomb), stuck with just two songs, but did each with thoughtful distinctiveness. Between Emily’s beautiful voice and their sparsely arranged toy piano/xylophone version of “Lonesome Tears," as Jerry Perry phrased it sounded “almost hymn-like.”

Ricky Berger, http://www.myspace.com/rickyberger , stepped in as a last-minute fill-in for Gerald Pease. Perry said she arrived at 7 p.m. with her keyboard and glockenspiel to practice ” Everyday” in the dressing room until her moment on stage. She delivered an absolutely charming rendition, which was an obvious crowd favorite!

Mike Blanchard and Vinnie Montoya of the Tattooed Love Dogs took the stage next with Everly Brothers-like harmonies.

Another highlight was when David Houston, http://www.myspace.com/davidhouston ,along with a six piece string section did a beautifully awe-inspiring set featuring Buddy’s classics, “True Love Ways” and “Raining in My Heart!”

Legendary singer, Sal Valentino, http://salvalentino.com of the 1960’s group the Beau Brummels then joined David Houston on stage (minus the strings). The renowned vocalist took on Buddy's “Well Alright” and “Words of Love” as if they were his own, and then closed with an energetic version of “Brown Eyed Handsome Man.”

A fine musician, Kepi Ghoulie, http://www.myspace.com/kepighoulie ,seized the stage with an acoustic guitar and harmonica. Ghouli took time out during performing his fun and spirited set to get the crowd laughing with anecdotes of his adventures playing in Texas at the AAA storage. David Houston also accompanied him on tambourine.

The Keri Carr band — which should probably have been called the Keri Carr All-Star Band considering some of the players she had up there with her, including one of my local country favorites, Richard March, http://www.richardmarch.com — executed a Buddy Holly a la Linda Ronstadt set: “That'll Be the Day,” “It Doesn't Matter Anymore” and “It’s So Easy,” with an enthusiastic and polished flair!

The Denver Pilerdrivers, http://www.myspace.com/denverpiledrivers , tore up the stage and ended the evening with their MC5 like rock versions of Not Fade Away, Midnight Shift and Think It Over.

Like Perry, Holly too loved to showcase good talent, and I could not help but imagine Holly sitting back at one of the tables at Harlow’s, taking in the show, sometimes chuckling at the silly moments, like I did, and raising a thumbs-up at a particularly good sound with a smile on his face.

Jerry Perry’s next Tribute show will be to another Rock Icon, Chuck Berry, in honor of his 85th Birthday in October.

Questions arise over Old Ironsides' live music

2011-06-29T00:55:47Z

Sacramento musicians and their followers are waiting to see whether this summer brings an end to an era of live music at Old Ironsides.

Countless local bands broke into the music business at the bar/restaurant known as "Old I" over the last two decades. But there's currently only one weekend show booked for July.

Two shows that had been set for next month have been moved to another location, one has been canceled and future bookings have been postponed for now.

The family that has owned the bar at 1901 10th St. for 76 years is working to replace a rented sound system that was removed Sunday. The Kanelos family rented the system for about 17 years and was unable to negotiate a lower fee with the sound system's owner, a concert promoter said.

Old Ironsides' owners said they hope to know by early next week whether they've got a new system lined up and an installation date set, co-owner Sam Kanelos Jr. said.

"We're just between sound systems," he said Monday afternoon while tending the bar. "You're getting it from the horse's mouth."

However, concert promoter Jerry Perry will be parting ways with Old Ironsides – at least temporarily – after booking shows there for at least a decade.

He won’t book bands there unless the bar brings in a sound system. He doesn’t want to rent systems each night or rely on bands to bring sound equipment because he won’t know how good the sound quality will be each night, he said.

Perry, who owns Jerry Perry Presents, has been booking all the bands at the club on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, except for dance club nights. Perry also books bands at Harlows and Luigi’s Slice Slice at 1050 20th St. He’ll book his first show at the downtown location of Naked Lounge this summer.

He said he moved two shows to Luigi's after he was told by the owners that his July 1 show would be the last there and that the sound system was being removed. He stopped booking shows at Old Ironsides about a month ago in anticipation of that.

"They called me and told me they were done. That they weren't going to be doing any live music anymore, except for open mic and dance nights," he said. "I love Old Ironsides, but until things change there and they get a sound system back ... I won't be doing shows there."

Perry talked with the owners about buying a sound system a decade ago and again in 2007. Until now, he and the bands paid a nightly fee to the bar owners to rent the sound system.

Dozens of musicians and Old I customers posted comments on Facebook last week after he posted a notice that he needed to move shows because the sound system was being removed. Old Ironsides' owners later posted on their Facebook page asking customers to stay tuned for updates on the situation.

"We are just in the middle of switching sound systems and no decision has been made to completely let the night life go," the owners wrote in the post. "As of now, we are still here."

Some customers wondered if the bar was closing.

"We're not going out of business," Kanelos said Monday.

Perry also stressed the bar isn't shutting down.

"I don't like this idea that people are talking about – 'Oh, they're done.' That's ridiculous. They've been there more than 75 years," he said. "I don't want to see Old Ironsides lose any more business."

Recently, he had been working on deals to get the bar a new system. A durable, easy-to-store system including such things as amplifiers, speakers, microphones, mic stands, monitors, cables and a sound board would have cost about $14,000 or $15,000, he said.

One person was ready to install a rented system Monday that could be used until a new system was purchased. But the owners canceled the installation, Perry said.

Perry then told co-owner Billie Jean Kanelos he would have to move his shows. Her father, Bill Bordisso, was issued the first Sacramento liquor license after Prohibition ended for the bar.

Tuesday, Kanelos declined additional comment until the situation is resolved.

Perry said the family hasn't gotten back in touch to say they're bringing in a new system. They last told him they wanted bands or Perry to bring in sound on a night-to-night basis. Equipment would cost $200 a night or Perry would have to find bands with their own system.

That's too expensive and impractical, Perry said. Consistent, high-quality sound can't be guaranteed when working with a different sound system every night, he added.

Business is a bit lean for the bar in the summer – especially during the recession, Perry said.

Many local bands got started in the music business after Perry got behind them and booked them at Old I.

Perry began promoting bands in the early 1980s at the legendary Cattle Club on Folsom Boulevard. He also books the Friday Night Concerts in the Park at Cesar Chavez Plaza, Hot Italian's free Hot Lunch series at Fremont Park and the bands for a three-day art event called Chalk It Up!

Old I brought in bigger crowds in the 1990s after getting the sound system and offering live music, said Evan Drath, who was the bar's head sound engineer from 1995 to 2000. He also played bass guitar for Grub Dog and the Amazing Sweethearts.

Local bands that regularly packed Old I included Mother Hips, Okra Pickles, Sex 66, Magnolia Thunderfinger and Jackpot. It was well-known as a place for up-and-coming bands, he said.

"It established itself as a cultural point in Sacramento," Drath said. "The music obviously was the main part of that. It really brought it to another level nationwide as well as locally."

But now there's more competition, fewer local bands and more virtual entertainment options keeping people at home in front of their computers. Band members are getting older, and other bands aren't replacing them. People in their late-30s and 40s who established Old I as a live music venue are busy with their lives, Drath said.

Old Ironsides can't always pack the house three nights a week like before, added Drath, now a touring sound engineer.

"There's a reason why maybe the Kanelos (family) found it harder to meet the bottom line. It's because the crowd is dwindling," he said. "A different culture around music has developed. It was an actual music experience you were having as opposed to a virtual music experience."

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

Hot Lunch concert series under way

2011-06-04T02:34:23Z

What’s better than a summer afternoon filled with sunshine, great music, and tons of Italian food? Mama mia, it’s Hot Lunch Concert Series in the park.

The Hot Lunch Concert Series is back for its third year serving Tuscan-inspired pizzas every Thursday from 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. from now until Sept. 1 at Fremont Park, 16th and P streets.

A brilliant collaboration of free music and lunch, which includes a pizza and drink for just $10 (including tax) from Hot Italian, located on 16th and Q streets in Midtown.

“Hot Lunch is a standout event because it showcases musicians in the city that really have a presence,” said Roshaun Davis, spokesman for Unseen Heroes, a promotion company working with event organizers. “But it also allows people to see them for free in a relaxing environment.”

“The unique thing about this event is that it is just one band playing at a time for a full 90 minutes,” Jerry Perry, music coordinator, said. “It is catering to a different audience, too, because it's during the day.”

Returning band and crowd favorite Musical Charis started off the summer, Thursday with its fresh indie folk sound. About 60 people sat on blankets and stood around the stage enjoying the performance. The crowd mainly consisted of students, local workers on their lunch breaks and parents with young children.

Some of the main genres of music are indie folk, R&B, jazz, singer/songwriters, rock and roll, and acoustic. Like Musical Charis, most of the bands that come to play are local. Thursday, The Bell Boys will be playing, and 13 other bands will also play as the summer progresses.

“Charis means gifted in Greek. We chose it because we all play several instruments and even switch them with each other,” said Musical Charis bass player and singer, Isabel Solomon, 23. The band recently got back from a two-month U.S. tour through 22 states.

“It’s a great time to relax before hittin’ the daily grind,” said Skylar Mundy, who attended the event Thursday. She said she works two jobs, so the lunchtime concert is perfect for her schedule, and she is a big Musical Charis fan.

“And right after this, I’m going to go get some pizza,” Mundy added.

There are 20 different pizza flavors Hot Italian has to offer, and some can be made into paninis or calzones.

“We make everything with authentic Italian ingredients along with ingredients from local vendors,” co-owner Andrea Lepore said.

“Hot Italian is just right across the street from the park, so it is really convenient for people to get their pizza and drink for only 10 bucks,” Perry said. “People can call in orders, and they provide ready-made lunches.”

“Most people just sit in their office for lunch. Hot Italian is replacing that idea with an option of something different and fun,” Davis said.
The weather is heating up, and the word is spreading.

“It is fun for us because we get to help Hot Italian out and get to help the music community at the same time by providing outlets for them to display their talents,” Davis said.

For more information, visit Hot Lunch Concert Series on Facebook or Hot Italian’s website.

Musical Charis Opens the 2011 Hot Lunch Concert Series

2011-06-04T00:13:13Z

On Thursday, June 2, Sacramento saw the start of another year of the Hot Lunch Concert Series and a new free music event playing at Cesar Chavez Plaza; “Fiesta en la Calle” (Street Party).

The Hot Lunch Concert Series is a collaboration between Hot Italian, Sacramento News and Review and Friends of Fremont Park. Musical guests perform on Thursdays from June 2 to September 1 during the lunch hour (11:30 to 1p.m). Promoter Jerry Perry has put together a great lineup. Fremont Park, located on the corner of 16th and P Streets hosts the event.

Musical Charis was the first band scheduled to perform this year. The weather cooperated and made for a delightful lunch concert. People from around the area brought their lunch or took advantage of being across the street from Hot Italian and ordered their lunch from there.

Musical Charis had already begun their set when I got there and about 100 people or so where sitting in front of the stage. Children were running around enjoying the outdoors on a mostly sunny time of the day.

Locals and others enjoyed the music and company of neighbors and friends. Andrea Lepore, co-owner of Hot Italian took a little time to listen to the band and chatted with Jerry Perry and Tais’ immediate family.

I noticed two outdoor booths from two partners of the concert series; Metro PCS and Sacramento News and Review. Other partners for the concerts include CADA, Yelp, Midtown Business Association and the Sacramento Press.

Blake Abbey from Musical Charis at one point reminded the audience that the Hot Lunch Concerts will be held at Fremont Park. He also mentioned that Concerts in the Park is being held on Fridays at the Cesar Chavez Plaza. Both concert events are free and suited for music fans of all ages.

As they finished playing “Forward”, Abbey said they were going to be playing a few more songs and then a couple of kids from their musical school were going to perform. Musical Charis not only performs but also runs the Musical Charis School for Music. They offer a wide range of music programs including private music lessons, Music 4 Tots (for kids age 5 and below), song writing workshops, vocal boot-camp, recording sessions, recitals and more.

“Anatomy” from their 2009 Electra City Church Bells EP followed as they continued to play in front of the Fremont Park audience.

A harmonica intro started off “Tell Me” from their People People CD. A great mixture of guitar, bass, keyboards, harmonica, tambourines and congas created a great sound as Musical Charis played their set especially when they played their rendition of Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire.”

“I Candy” was introduced by Abbey saying, “This song is about the over abundance of bands that moved to L.A. to try to make it but they ran out of make up so they didn’t make it.”

“We’ve been teaching music classes for about two and a half years in Sacramento. We started in Oak Park but we’re now located at the K Street Mall by the food courts. So if anybody has kids or adults that want to learn how to play music, first lesson is always free, and we’re really nice people on the weekends, and on the weekdays too.” said Abbey as he introduced Shawn and Bradley.

Their first song selection included a great acoustic guitar intro as a Sarah Teasdale poem was made into a song. They followed up with “For Sale” and ended their short set.

Musical Charis came back after their short break and played “Passport”, "Catwalk", "Fish" and "Heavy".

Back on the microphone Abbey said, "Promote local music and local art here in Sacramento. It’s a great place for it and encourage the economy to improve by buying some Hot Italian. Thank you again, thank you Jerry Perry, thank you Hot Italian and thanks to all of you."

Musical Charis ended their set with one of their signature songs “The Life”. As people left you could hear a couple of them whistling that same tune. Musical Charis will next perform on June 4th at the Second Annual "Art Happens" benefit event at the Sacramento Arts Complex located at 2110 K Street.

This was a great kick-off to the Hot Lunch Concert Series. If you plan to attend one of the concerts, you can call Hot Italian at 444-3000 and order any pizza and pick it up before going to the park. You can also get the Hot Lunch (a panini or insalata + a drink for only $10, tax included). Below is the schedule for the rest of the season.

2011 HOT LUNCH Line Up
6/2 – Musical Charis
6/9 – The Bell Boys
6/16 - Walking Spanish
6/23 – Richard March
6/30 – Kepi Acoustic with Dog Party Acoustic
7/7 - Shannon Curtis
7/14 – Gerald Pease Combo
7/21 – Island of Black and White
7/28 – Exquisite Corps
8/4 – The Freebadge Serenaders
8/11 – KB & The Slingtones
8/18 – The Nickel Slots
8/25 – Gillian Underwood
9/1 – Larrisa Bryski & Willie Seltzer

Friday Night Concerts in the Park

2011-05-31T05:14:59Z

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 Sacramento had participated in the Jammies and this was the first time I’ve listened to them. I was looking for a place to watch from the beer garden as they started to play. The sounds of Tower of Power came to mind as these young teenagers started their set.

The Kings of Sacramento soulfully played their set sounding like a much older band. Simon Petty, keyboardist and lead vocal, announced who they were and noted that they were happy to see the large audience in attendance.

Petty, introduced their next song “This is Also Sprach Zarathustra” he said in a slow and low voice pausing for a couple of seconds in between words. These young reincarnated masters of funk impressed many in the audience and I became an instant fan. Their rendition of “Also Sprach Zarathustra” was pure delight.

Simon Petty introduced the band members that includes Richard Whitney, trumpet, the Mesich brothers Emery, alto sax, and Taylor, guitar, Morgan Childers, trombone, Jacob Sweadlow, drums, Kaitlyn Madrid, bass and Simon Petty, keyboards and vocals. The 7 member band played as if they’ve been together for years.

After introducing the band they played AWB’s “Pick up the Pieces” A soulful trumpet began the Instrumental. The Kings of Sacramento are, I believe, in high school and the drummer said he was in junior high.

Before the Freebadge Serenaders came on stage I talked to a couple fo the members from the Kings of Sacramento. Each has come into the current lineup at different times and Simon was one of the last members to join. Petty said, “I joined about a year and a half ago. Emery has been doing this for years.” Simon Petty is the son of Peter Petty ~~Perry~~ who plays with Harley White. Music seems to be at the heart of many of the Kings of Sacramento players and many of them have played together for a while now.

The busy schedule of a high schooler sometimes makes it a struggle to get together. One of them was in Ashland and could not practice for a week and actually came from Ashland directly to the show. I asked them about their experience with the Jammies after making it to the semi-final round. The response was, “We didn’t fit in, and we’re a completely different band than most other participants. We’re not a garage type band.”

One of the members was playing at the Sacramento Jazz Jubilee adn had to leave and others were going to attend to support their mate.

The Freebadge Serenaders were the second band to take the stage. The Serenaders are Greg Sabin (playing banjo, kazoo, and vocals) and Patrick Skiffington (playing washboard, kazoo, slide-whistle and vocals). Zachary Proteau played with the Serenaders on tuba. They were also joined on stage by Bria Skonberg on trumpet for several songs.

Since the Sacramento Jazz Jubilee was in town, Sabin and Skiffington encouraged everyone to go out and enjoy the sounds of jazz in Old Sacramento.

The Serenaders started off their set with their opus “Discount Jazz.” If you’re ever feeling down or have case of the Monday’s put some Freebadge Serenaders music and you’re bound to feel better seconds after you listen to this band. They are pure unadulterated fun.

Their music comes with delightful whimsical lyrics. Using instruments such as a washboard, cowbells, banjo, kazoo and a slide-whistle they brought their party music to Concerts in the Park. For the first time, as they put it, they brought a tuba to the Friday concerts.

As they played their rendition of “Nobody’s Sweetheart” it was great to hear Bria Skonberg on trumpet and Zach Proteau on the tuba. “Cigarette Stew” was a hit with the audience. Cigarette stew could, as their lyrics indicate, provide 3 squares a day and a cigarette too.

Playing their rendition of songs going back to the 1920’s was very enjoyable. At one point during their set they asked the audience if anybody liked rock and roll. Just to show they could play some modern music they embarked on their wonderful interpretation of a horseless carriage band. As they played “Just What I Needed” by the Cars they used just about every instrument they had. A kazoo started off the song with cowbells, banjo, tuba and the slide whistle playing along.

Their classic “Sacramento, CA USA” was the song they decided to end their show with. This is another fun-filled song about our town. Their selection of this song was a great choice to cap a wonderful performance by the Freebadge Serenaders.

Matias Bombell, Master of Ceremonies extraordinaire, filled in between sets and was a wonderful addition to the Concerts in the Park. I’m not sure if this will be his only appearance but he was a great addition to the event. Wearing a straw Matias reminded me of a great MC ala Ed Sullivan. He is a very eloquent MC and his precise use of words was delightful, at times he sounded like a walking encyclopedia.

Matias, as he was ready to introduce the headline act of the evening, relayed a story to the audience. As he was trying to describe what Rick Estrin looked like to a girlfriend of his, Matias said: “If you can remember an old Tex Avery cartoon. Do you remember the wolf with the zoot suit? That would be Rick Estrin.” perfectly stating how I would describe Estrin as well.

As Rick Estrin and the Nightcats came on stage many fans came to the forefront of the stage to dance. Rick Estrin told the audience there was a table set up where Twisted and other of their CDs were for sale.

Estrin played the harmonica when he was not singing. Kid Anderson, guitar and vocals, Lorenzo Farrell, bass and keyboards, and J Hanson, drums and vocals accompanied Estrin on stage.

As soon as they started their energetic performances it brought cheers and shouts of admiration from the crowd. Many dancers, both young and not so young, came closer to the stage to dance to the rhythms of the Rick Estrin and the Nightcats. The band has been around for a long time and are considered Sacramento’s premier blues band.

They played a few songs from their last CD to go along with several of their older tunes. Their performances are always captivating and their shows are exiting. As Rick Estrin played brilliant blues style harmonica performances it’s easy to see how captivating they can be.

Kid Andersen’s great guitar performances ala Jimi Hendrix (playing guitar behind his back and with his teeth) also had J Hanson using one of his drum sticks to play Andersen’s guitar.

Rounding off the band are the rhythmic tunes played by Lorenzo Farrell on the stand up bass and keyboards. J Hanson’s drums cannot be overlooked as he keeps the beat for this great ensemble.

As Estrin and the Nightcats continued their play they made it difficult for the audience to remain seated. People on the beer garden, close to the stage, by the Plaza fountain and all around moved to the music. Blues enthusiasts were treated to a great performance.

Their last song of the evening was “Dump That Chump” which everybody in the audience seemed to know the lyrics to, if not the whole song at least those three words.

Jerry Perry closed the show and summarized the Rick Estrin and the Nightcats performance by saying, “They’re the gold standard of blues in this town, that’s what they are. This is the 20th year of the concerts and every year they’ve been here, or seems like they’ve been here.”

Concerts in the Park continue on June 3 with the great blues maestro Mick ~~Rick~~ Martin and the Blues Rockers. Tess and the Hip Trash along with the Kyle Rowland Band will share the stage with Mick ~~Rick~~ Martin.

Indie rock brings a crowd to Cesar Chavez Park

2011-05-23T05:24:26Z

Local indie bands offered up a hearty dose of energy and a touch of theatrics to the 1,000-plus-person crowd at Cesar Chavez Park Friday night for the latest installation of the Concerts in the Park series.

On the sidewalk leading up to the stage area, vendors were selling gyros, drinks, necklaces and earrings. The CHP had a tented booth, as did radio station Radio 94.7 FM and The Sacramento Press.

The night’s diverse crowd included families, neon-haired teens and seniors, all basking in the glow of live music and sunshine. Friends spread out islands of blankets on the grass, and children ran around with balloons attached to their wrists.

Siblings Juli and Tyler Lydell of The Dreaded Diamond got the night started with their impressive mix of keyboard, drums and emotive, soaring vocals in the vein of indie-pop duo Tegan and Sara.

Tyler played his drums with the finesse of a jazz percussionist, hitting the high hat with exacting strokes of the wrist to produce shimmery and drawn out hisses of vibration. Singer and keyboardist Juli gelled effortlessly with her brother’s rhythm, producing waterfalls of notes and singing heartily from the pit of her stomach with a raw-yet-controlled delivery.

Jerry Perry, the event’s host, called the 15- and 19-year- olds “incredible” as he watched their performance from behind the stage.

Next up, Los Angeles-based Golden Ghosts charmed the crowd with their gracious attitude and twangy Southern-inspired brand of rock ’n’ roll.

Drummer Justin Goings and guitarist Riley Bray were dressed like 1960s rock stars in leather vests and skinny jeans. Bray’s chin-length hair and tassel-adorned vest swayed in unison as he delivered lines like, “You’re gonna miss me when I’m gone,” head swiveling with sass.

Brave audience members danced in front of the stage as hoots issued from the crowd during heady jam “Heart of Coal.”

“We couldn’t have picked a better day and couldn’t have asked for a better crowd,” Bray said.

Between bands, Kasey Cooper from Radio 94.7 took the stage to hand out guitar picks to eager hands and encourage audience members to enter a radio-sponsored raffle for a chance to win a $100 iTunes gift card.

As The Kelps started tuning up their instruments, a youthful crowd formed in front of the stage. Three teens stood side by side in homemade black Kelps T-shirts.

As their set got under way, it became clear why The Kelps appeal to a younger crowd: The energy of their live performance is unstoppable. Singer Cory Barringer’s howling vocals brought to mind an enlivened preacher describing hellfire, bassist Cameron Betts hopped joyfully from one foot to the other, and drummer Tony Reye’s flailing arms conjured images of another beloved bit of sea life: the octopus.

Before headliners Agent Ribbons took the stage, Perry spoke to the audience briefly about his experience touring with them a few years prior, describing it as “one of the great adventures of [his] life.”

Drummer Lauren Hess assembled her pearlescent kit center stage while guitarist Natalie Gordon bent down to sign an autograph for a pint-sized fan who, in a vibrant paisley top and jeans, appeared nearly as inspired by fashion as the women of Agent Ribbons themselves.

The theatrical duo donned pink masks with cartoonish eyes printed on them for set-opener “The World Is a Cigarette,” proving their skill as fine-tuned tour veterans capable of playing their songs expertly, even without the luxury of sight.

The girls delivered a studio-perfect version of “I Was Born to Write Sad Songs,” with Gordon’s throaty croon sailing to the back of the park as Hess rapped heartily on her toms.

This Friday, Concerts in the Park will host Rick Estrin & The Nightcats. Join the fun from 5 to 9 p.m. at Chavez Park on 10th and J streets.

2011 JAMMIES Contemporary Awards

2011-05-16T23:12:22Z

The 2011 Jammies, Night of Contemporary Music, completion took place at the Crest Theatre on Friday the 13th. Danny Secretion hosted the Sacramento News and Review event and Jerry Perry was the director/producer of the Contemporary show.

Finalists at the 9th annual Jammies for the evening were; Smack Jupiter, Jaxx, Into the Open, The Hungry, Southpaw Kings, Zach MacLachlan, Exhale, Conquest and Uncle Tony. A special performance by last year’s winner One Eyed Rhyno was also scheduled that evening.

As guests entered the Crest Theatre they were given ballots with all the nominees on it and they were asked to vote for 3 bands. The show was scheduled to start at 8 and when I got to the theatre a little after 7:30 most seats were already filled in both the lower level and the balcony.

Jerry Perry came to the microphone before the show officially started to let guests know that they had to vote for three bands as some of the ballots already submitted only had one band selected.

As Danny Secretion announced the bands scheduled to perform audience members cheered for their favorites. He also went on and announced the prizes scheduled to be given to the winners. The 3rd place band would receive a gift card to Sk ip’s Music for every member of the band, a gift card to Dimple Records, 3 packages of Sony recording software and the most exciting award, as told by Danny Secretion was a gift of $20 to Vic’s Ice Cream. As the audience cheered Danny said “that is nothing compared to the applause garnered by the bands when they heard that that was one of the prizes. Ice cream still matters.”

Second place would receive all of the same prizes as the 3rd place band plus 10 hours of recording time at Pus Cavern. Danny then said, “And here’s the kicker, $30 to Vic’s Ice Cream.” Danny continued, “First place gets all of that but they get 30 hours of recording time at Pus Cavern, they get a showcase show at Ace of Spades. The kicker, are you ready for this? Drum roll please, they will also receive $50 to Vic’s Ice Cream!” He re-emphasized “$50 of ice cream! Can you imagine the irritable bowel syndrome from that?”

Danny again went over the voting rules and indicated that after the last band played all ballots should be turned in. However just before One Eyed Rhyno, last year’s Jammies winner starts their set no more ballots can be turned in.

Smack Jupiter kicked of the evening’s performances. The band is made up by Brady Corcoran, guitar/vocals, Theo Farnum, bass/vocals, Cole Morse, guitar/vocals and Tyler Ramos playing drums. Their set was energetic and made for a great start to the show.

Each band played a 2 or 3 song set and after each set Danny asked one member of the band some questions as they cleared off their equipment for the next band. Danny was a great selection to be the host for the event as he kept everything light hearted for the most part but also made it a point to ask some meaningful questions. His presence on stage was delightful and often humorous making band members as well as the audience feel comfortable.

Judges for the evening were former lead singer of Romeo Void Deborah Iyall and host of 98 Rock Local Licks Mark Gilmore. Danny later introduced the other judges, KCRA Music Director Josh Krage, Skip’s Music Stairway to Stardom director Larisa Bryski and Sacramento News and Review Music Writer Rachel Leibrock.

Jaxx was the second band to take the stage, Nikkos Savas and Alan Petterle played guitar, Kyle Maxwell was on bass and Jack Petterle played the drums. A raw and energetic performance was given by the group. Danny brought out the one member from the group that everyone else said should not be allowed to speak. As Danny brought Jack back on stage he asked why he had been selected not to speak. It turned out to be a good interview and a fun interchange as Danny asked him about the band and scheduled venues for the near future.

Interwest Insurance Services was another organization that was thanked as well as the Sacramento News and Review. Each time Danny went on stage he had a list of sponsors that he mentioned after interviewing band members or introducing a band to perform.

Into the Open is made up of Sheridan Reed on guitars and vocals, Dane Arnold on guitar, Derek Rambo on drums and Keith Barreras playing bass. Danny asked Keith Barreras about their best and worst shows they’ve played. Keith mentioned that their worst show was when they played at the Capitol and said nobody showed up. Danny quickly commented saying, “You’re the only ones doing any work at the Capitol quite honestly.”

As Parie Wood was about to start her performance some members from the audience wearing tie-dye t-shirts came up to the front of the stage. Other fans soon followed. Danny then encouraged fans to come up and asked guests to move to the front of the stage to encourage their favorites. Parie was one of two solo performers of the evening. She came on stage with her guitar to play two or three songs. The 15 year old said she’s been writing songs since the age of 11. She cited Ani DiFranco and Bob Dylan as being a couple of her influences. Parie said, “Music is my therapy and is something I love to do.” Her passion was apparent during her set.

The Hungry is made up Bailey Zindel on guitar and vocals, Hadyn Johnson on bass, Drew Thomsen on drums and Joey Eccles playing guitar. Their fans came up to the front of the stage to cheer for them. By this time members of One Eyed Rhyno enjoyed some music at the front of the stage. The Hungry has already been through some line-up changes. That’s one of the things about the Jammies is that since these kids are so young they have to leave a band when parents have to move because of jobs and other circumstances. As they get older they have to move on to college. I thought of this as I saw James and Elaine Hunter and their new bass player. It was a bit odd not seeing their former bassist Andrew Daniels with them. Andrew is currently attending college in Utah.

Access Sacramento was filming the event and had a signup sheet for those who wanted to buy a video of the evening’s performance. Danny thanked them and also thanked promoter extraordinaire Jerry Perry.

Jesee Lang plays guitar, Matt Brennan does guitar and lead vocals, Brady Thomas plays drums and Alex Neifer provides bass and backup vocals for the Southpaw Kings. They used most of the stage when they performed and provided another energetic set delighting their fans. Danny talked to Matt on stage about their setup on stage. Matt went on to say that they don’t use the amps we see on most stages. They just plug their vox into an Xbox and take it from there. Danny clarified the process by saying, “What you’re saying is rather than load up these huge heavy amplifiers into a beat up old Dodge Van that gets 8 miles to the gallon and driving 8 hours to play for the bartender and the door man you guys have these little things that you can basically fit in your backpack?” Matt nodded his head and said that’s basically it. They may be the band that’s been together the longest. They’ve been together 3 to 4 years.

Zach MacLachlan was the only other solo act of the night. He cited Buddy Holly as an influence when he selected his musical instrument of choice. As he spoke with Danny Secretion on stage they spoke about grunge music. Of course the topic of Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain playing at the Crest came up and how his shoe prints can still be seen backstage.

Exhale followed Zack and was the first band to break the mold of 4 members in the band. Joseph Mansfield plays guitar, Orrey Severet plays drums and does vocals while Emma Simpson plays the bass and does vocals for Exhale. I enjoyed their punkish sound and their energy as they played.

At this point I had to run out to my car to get a fresh battery for my camera. I usually come prepared with a couple of batteries but this time I forgot my back up. Unfortunately I missed Conquest and Uncle Tony’s performances.

Guitarists Peter Amato and Elliot Minner, bassist Eric, Maddy Kilpatrick does vocals and Dakota Pattinson plays drums for the band Conquest. Their name seems to have come from a song by that name done by the White Stripes.

Uncle Tony who I last saw at Andrew Daniel’s farewell show at Harlow’s with One Eyed Rhyno was the last band to take the stage. Uncle Tony is made up by Carson Bernard on drums, Jason Harris on guitar, Spenser Snow on bass and Jack Davis does vocals.

One Eyed Rhyno had already taken the stage when I returned to the Crest Theatre and watched them perform “Satisfied”. Their new bassist Matt Swartzendruber seemed to fit right in. After “Sweet Spot” they closed the musical entertainment performing “Blood's Thicker Than Wine”. One Eyed Rhyno put an exclamation mark on the musical performances Friday night.

Danny Secretion came back on stage to announce the winners. Third place went to Parie Wood; second place was taken by Southpaw Kings. The 2011 Jammies winner was Jaxx. The judge’s award went to Parie Wood. Those were the official awards. Other awards were also given to the other participants in different categories.

Danny ended the show saying, “Thank you so much for coming out and supporting local music. Thank you! Everyone drive safely or ride safely.” A grand ending to a grand show, Sacramento’s got talent. I look forward to following the careers of these young people as they explode into the Sacramento scene. There was a lot of potential exhibited at the show and it’s great to see past winners come back and perform.

Agent Ribbons, Musical Charis and Exquisite Corps at Harlow's

2011-05-12T22:44:31Z

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. Their string instruments combined with guitar, bass, drums and Bryan’s rhythmically soothing vocals give them an exquisite sound.

As with most local bands playing the local scene they had a merchandize for sale at a table towards the entrance. Bryan indicate that one of their friends, Melissa, had designed their t-shirts being sold along with CDs. He also thanked Jerry Perry for this promotion.

Musical Charis followed Exquisite Corps’ short set. As Musical Charis was setting up on stage there was an unfamiliar person in the front. At first I thought it was one of the guys from the band but it turned out to be someone by the name of Hobo Sapien. He spent a few minutes on stage warming up the audience. He did some poetry which was actually pretty good, he turned out to be a pretty well versed and smart hobo.

Musical Charis played musical chairs on stage as many of their members switched instruments going from one instrument to another. I thought that was pretty awesome as they showed off their versatility. Another thing I thought was awesome was the trumpet player, especially when they played their version of "Ring of Fire".

Musical Charis is a fairly large group and they pretty much used every inch of the Harlow’s stage. After finishing up one of their songs they announced that their set required audience participation and that pretty much summed up the evening very nicely. At one point one of them said “A lot of good musicians in the house tonight. Support local music, keep it going Sacramento it’s [freaking] awesome!" It reminded that you can download and purchase many of their songs via their webpage.

Soon they launched into "Anatomy" followed by "Jezebel" with Jeremy’s guitar starting the song off. One of their songs was dedicated to everyone alive in America and outside of America. The large ensemble played a lively, fun and energetic set. As they finished off their set they played "Changed" and "Catwalk".

Their variety of instruments and their presence on stage is truly enjoyable. Musical Charis is a talented bunch of individuals who seem to always have as much fun (if not more) than their fans. Their musical talents and performances are truly a musical gift.

The prodigal daughters, Agent Ribbons, returned to Sacramento and were welcomed back with open arms by the Harlow’s crowd. They started off with “Shoe Shine Boy” followed by “Buried With You” warming up the audience as more and more people gathered around the stage.

“Man it’s so good to see most of you people in this room.” said Natalie Gordon as she welcomed the audience. A few guitar notes later “Grey Gardens” was qickly followed by the catchy rifts of “I’m Alright”.

Natalie told a story about a show at the Storyland in Fresno, their equivalent of our Fairytale Town and how there were probably more people at Harlow’s. She continued to say that as they played, a spider landed on Natalie’s guitar and scared her. As she continued she said she then dropped her guitar pick and as she was picking it up she stepped on her dress and fell over. The audience laughed as she kept telling her Miss Muffet type story.

Their set also included “Birds and Bees”, “Wallpaper of Skin”, “Obituary” and “Chelsea, Let’s go Join the Circus”. After that they immediately launched into one of their most widely recognized songs, “Don’t Touch Me.” Members in the audience joined in singing the lyrics. This song showcases Natalie’s wonderful voice range.

Lauren Hess’ was recovering from a cold but showed her radiant smile as she played. The Folsom High School graduate played energetically through the set. As their show came to an end they played “Wood Lead Rubber”. Natalie said that when they played a show in Portland everyone formed a conga line and danced. Someone said “Sacramento does not conga” but he was mistaken a conga line was formed and moved in front of the stage.

Agent Ribbons’ à la mode outfits, as always, were truly awesome and their demeanor is very enjoyable. Their 12 song set was fantastic and delighted the audience. The prodigal daughters successfully returned to thrill the Sacramento crowd at Harlow’s show. One of their next shows will take place at Concerts in the Park (CIP) on May 20.

Jerry Perry came to the stage to close out the show and say that Agent Ribbons would be performing for free at Cesar Chavez Plaza Friday, May 20. He thanked everyone for coming to the show and bid everyone goodnight. It indeed was a good night to be at Harlow's and enjoy a great evening of fun and music.

Rock & Roll Tour and Pub Crawl

2011-05-09T09:54:54Z

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 the first Concerts in the Park event. This year marks the 20th year anniversity of Concerts in the Park and Jerry Perry has been promoting the event for the past 15 years.

The series of walks around downtown Sacramento being offered includes one especially for kids, a Speakeasy tour, a Sacramento architecture and art tour as well as the Rock & Roll History Tour and Pub Crawl. It's a walk that explores the history of Sacramento’s music scene. This tour is still being developed but it will run every Friday until the end of May. The day of the tour may or may not change after that depending on how it develops.

The tour guide for the walk is Shawn Peter who’s been with DSP since 2000. John, who also works for DSP, was on hand for the tour as well. Shawn has been part of the Downtown Walking Tour Program since its inception. Besides his vast knowledge of Sacramento’s Gold Rush-era and historical architecture styles, Shawn is well versed in music and is a member of a band named Single Second. His music knowledge of Sacramento and bands who have played here allow him to discuss many genres and time periods of music. During the tour, performers such as Frank Sinatra, the Beach Boys, the Grateful Dead, Rolling Stones, Nirvana, Beastie Boys, Tesla, and many others are discussed and how they fit in the Sacramento music scene.

As we started the walking tour Shawn began by saying, “A lot of people seem to think Sacramento is a really boring town where nothing really happens. You know what? It’s quite the opposite really.” Shawn’s personal knowledge of the Sacramento music scene is immense and through the walk it was apparent that this would be an educational and fun walk as we departed from the corner of 9th and J streets.

Shawn talked about the two radio stations that started the music scene in Sacramento. One of the stations was KBFK who Shawn said had a house band that ended up playing for many of the touring acts that came through town including Frank Sinatra, Jack Benny and others. Shawn was very enthusiastic while relating this and other stories.

As we walked down J Street away from 9th we could still hear Wahnder Lust as they continued their set. Shawn related that the other local station that helped the Sacramento music scene was KROY. KFBK and KROY were basically the only two stations, both AM stations, that played popular music. Shaw continued and passed on information spanning the 1920’s to the 50’s and the places where the bands played.

The tour becomes alive with Shawn’s storytelling as he relates stories that helped create the history of rock music in Sacramento and everywhere else. His stories were so intriguing that I feel like I should relay them to the reader in this article but the best part of the tour is the exchange of questions and stories. You kind of have to experience the tour yourself to get the most from it.

As Shawn talked about rock artists we were able to exchange stories about the artists who came from Sacramento as well as those who visited our town. These exchanges during the walk become meaningful as everyone was able to relate to the subject. We talked about the bands that visited Sacramento and the bands that could attribute their success to Sacramento.

The Memorial Auditorium has been one of the primary venues for bands coming through town and if you have a friend that loves music you’ve probably heard of a story about a band that played at the Memorial. How about you, do you have a memory of attending a musical event at the Memorial that left a lasting impression? One of my first recollections of the Memorial was taking a couple of my kids to go see Offspring and Cypress Hill at a show and seeing Scott Pollard while he was the Sacramento Kings at the concert. I’m sure many readers have a memory of their first concert in Sacramento or one that’s memorable.

KZAP, as Shawn tells it, was one of the first Sacramento FM stations and their original station was located within the Elks Tower on 11th and J. At the time KZAP had a free form format where they played everything from Frank Sinatra to Frank Zappa.

As the walk continued on J Street we turned left on 15th. The Memorial Auditorium was on one side of the street and since this is called a Rock and Roll Tour and Pub Crawl, Shawn talked a little about the Torch Club as we entered the first pub of the evening to enjoy a drink.

Shawn talked about Tesla, the Deftones, Cake and other Sacramento area bands. After the Torch Club, we passed by other venues that have moved to their current site from another part of town. Some of these clubs were the Capitol Garage, the Torch Club and others,

Other venues that have hosted music events were the Cattle Club, Lush, Cal Expo, ARCO, the Convention Center, Tower Records, the Crest Theatre and St. Paul's Church among others. Many of the clubs have a rich music venue history that continues to this day. We also discussed the new clubs that have recently opened and host music venues.

A couple of more pubs were visited and many other rock and roll stories were told. As we winded down the tour we talked about how the walk could be improved as well as what can be left out of the tour. The music scene from the 20’s to present came to light as we talked about Sacramento and music during the tour.

It turns out that there's a lot of history in the few blocks that we walked. Shawn Peter was a great guide and is very knowledgeable about the local music scene. He has over 25 years playing music and says that he does about 100 shows a year with his band.

As we came back to Cesar Chavez Park it was apparent how much fun these type of tour/walks can be. It's also a great way of meeting people and getting to know the downtown area as well as some of its pubs.

This tour takes place each Friday evening during the Friday Night Concerts in the Park season and it's scheduled to run from May 6 thru August 12, 2011. Guests must pre-purchase tickets via Event Brite to secure their place in the tour. The tour lasts approximately 2 hours and participants must be 21 years of age or older. Ticket prices does not include the cost of drinks.

Once back at Concerts in the Park there was still time to enjoy more live music. The tour was scheduled to end in time for the headline act and that was the case. Aaron King & The Imperials had already performed and a young lady by the name of Gabriela was playing when we returned to Cesar Chavez Plaza. Gabriela wasn’t on the schedule and after she finished her set the Tattoo Love Dogs came on stage to end the first day of Concerts in the Park for 2011.

Log on to the Downtown Sacramento Partnership website to view other tours and walks being offered as well as to purchase tickets for the Rock and Roll History Tour and Pub Crawl.

Sactown Rundown - Jan. 20-26

2011-01-20T19:58:59Z

Sac Press Reporter #1: “Coachella is overrated”

Sac Press Reporter #2: “Never having been, I cannot speak intelligently to that contention, but definitely doesn't stir my fancy.”

Sac Press Reporter #1: “Since when has that stopped you?”

Touche!

Drool seems to be filling the gutters from Sacramento all the way down to SoCal over the unveiling of the Coachella lineup, which features the usual diet of indie rock, electro tweak jocks, and a couple jam bands just for fun. And for some reason, Kanye West is a main headliner.

Do you like fishsticks?

Not that we specifically care about the Coachella lineup here at Sac Press – but the impact on our local calendar from some bands who may throw us a gig since they’re already in California that weekend, now that is a different story. Stay tuned to this space for any upcoming local concert announcements from participants of the 2011 LookHowCoolIAm festival.

Now, on to more important matters…

Ra Ra Riot – If you read enough reviews and clips about Syracuse, NY’s Ra Ra Riot, there’s a word that will keep coming up: “Think.” Exactly when did that become a bad thing? You’re going to have to put a little thought into things if you’re going to be an indie rock band with a string section and not let it play out like some absurd collaboration put together for a Grammy broadcast that sounds like a deaf guy playing musical Legos. They’ve been compared to Polyphonic Spree (minus the cult thing) and even more heavily to Vampire Weekend, but if you want to hear what it sounds like when Ra Ra Riot isn’t thinking too much, check out their trio of Daytrotter sessions here, here and here; it’ll give you a sense of what this bouncy outfit is all about when they take the thinking caps off and put on the rock star cups. Givers and Pepper Rabbit join up. 9 p.m. Saturday. Harlow’s, 2708 J St. $15. 21+. www.harlows.com.

Neil Diamond Tribute Show – The Sunday morning after Jerry Perry’s Neil Young tribute show back at Harlow’s, I was over at R15 watching football and chatting with a few randoms at the bar. I told one of them that we had gone to see a Neil Young tribute show the night before, and he started singing “Cherry, Cherry” in response. I like bloody marys too much to throw the one I was drinking at him. Plus, I paid $6 for it. I’d like to find that guy and tell him that if he’s that tuned in to Neil Diamond, his time has come. Even if you think that Neil Diamond is the cheesiest performer on the planet, you can safely bet that you’ve heard several of his songs, be they originals (“Girl, You’ll Be a Woman Soon,” “America”) or covers of Neil songs (“I’m a Believer,” “Red Red Wine”) and enjoyed them without even knowing that he was the one who sang them. Or, maybe you became a fan by watching “Saving Silverman.” Either way, don’t you think a whole bar “bah bah BAH!” singalong will be well worth it? Neil turns 70 on Monday, and Perry had rounded up a few friends to celebrate their favorite songs of the legendary performer: Sal Valentino, Kepi Ghoulie, The Freebadge Serenaders, Gerald Pease (of Bucho), Hans Ebberbach (of The Nibblers), Brian Rogers (of Izabella), Richard March, The Blue Diamonds, Ol' Cotton Dreary, Vinny's Vipers, Jem & Scout, and Jeff Clark. 8 p.m. Saturday. Old Ironsides, 1901 10th St. $10. 21+. www.theoldironsides.com.

Pets CD Release Show – A couple of years ago, Pets were the “next big thing” in Sactown; and just as quickly, they seemed to slip below the radar, although the duo of Allison Jones and Derek Fieth never left town. Guess what, they’re back! With dual guitars, drum machine and more loops than your average children’s cereal, Pets sludged-up, fuzz-coated and sassy (the Allison songs, that is) breed of head-twisting indie garage rock is hard to look past, even for the doubters who think they could do what they do in their own garage and do it better. Try it some time, see if you can pull it in this fashion. Their new CD “Ready the Rifles” is now out and ready to be picked up, and they’re celebrating it with Kepi Ghoulie Band and Dog Party. 8 p.m. Friday. Luigi’s Fun Garden, 1050 K St. (MARRS Building). 21+. Facebook event page.

A Lot Like Birds – Far be it for the Rundown to ignore a band with songs called “How I Parted the Red Sea” and “Ted Bundy’s Thanksgiving Dinner;” do you want to carve or should I? And don’t ask about the cranberry sauce. Kurt Travis of local thrash mainstays Dance Gavin Dance is now a full-fledged member of this raucous post hardcore outfit, and they’ll be holding court at Midtown’s newest all age venue with Not to Reason Why, Early States, Dreaded Diamond, and the Cryptics. 7 p.m. Friday. The Refuge, 1723 L St. $5. All ages. Facebook event page.

Typhoon – Like the Fleet Foxes relegated to a diet of Van Morrison records spread with I Can’t Believe It’s Not Funk and forced to play on instruments found in the trash behind bus stops (Mumlers fans, take notice), this juggernaut of an indie rock band brings their oddly funky and occasionally dingy brand of classically tinged garage pop to Davis, kicking off a four concert set at Odd Fellows Hall, put on by the same folks who provide Sophia’s Thai Kitchen’s consistently awesome summer patio concert series. Stay tuned to the rundown for more on this series, which runs through February 22. With AgesandAges, Brainstorm and Elders. 8 p.m. Saturday. Odd Fellows Hall, 415 2nd St., Davis. $10 adv/$12 d.o.s. All ages. www.sophiasthaikitchen.com.

Mark Your Calendars – February 1 – Holy cow, is this going to be a huge night in this area. Yep, it’s a Tuesday, but if you’re at home watching TV, you’re going to miss all three of these shows: Social Distortion at Freeborn Hall in Davis, Dawes at Odd Fellows Hall in Davis, or Clutch at Harlow’s. To quote Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: “You must choose, but choose wisely.”

If you are planning or promoting a concert in the Sacramento area, or just know of a show you’d like to see featured in the Rundown, shoot me an email.

For a complete listing of Sacramento area music happenings, check out Ann Freeman-Clement’s Concerts, Music Events and the Local Music Scene every Friday on Sacramento Press.

Sactown Rundown - Dec. 9-15

2010-12-09T19:34:38Z

Truth & Salvage Co. plus Monophonics at two different venues in one night equals the most unproductive Sunday in history. There’s your Sactown Rundown math lesson for the week.

It was a heck of a Saturday evening, with Truth & Salvage Co. throwing down an Americana rock wallop of a set last weekend at Harlow’s. It seems like these six guys from North Carolina have officially earmarked Sacramento as a “must stop” when they head out West on tour, so if you haven’t caught them yet, we’ll be sure to let you know next time they come through.

And yes, they did indeed dedicate a song to Sac Press’ Lindol French. Wow.

Soulive – There’s no denying that an album full of instrumental jazz Beatles covers is about as original as the plot of Avatar; and there’s always the danger that, no matter what you try to do with it, it’s going to come off like the soundtrack to your daily elevator ride. Enter Soulive, who have carried the torch of instrumental acid jazz into the '00s virtually unaided (they did have some help from Medeski, Martin & Wood) and have proven themselves capable of plucking some hip shakes out of even the stingiest of naysayers who usually write off similar acts as niche bands for music geeks and blue hairs. The funk-fried trio is cruising through town in support of the aptly-titled “Rubber Soulive,” which find these three mad geniuses trying their hand at some of the heavier, jam-friendly Fab Four tunes (“While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)”), but also finding their softer side (“Something,” “In My Life”). Expect to hear some of these vein-tingling covers, and plenty of their frenetically crafted originals – the kind that have lured out guest vocalists ranging from Dave Matthews to Talib Kweli. All is right in the universe again since they’ve gone back to their original format as the trio of brothers Alan and Neal Evans, and guitar freak Eric Krasno, after ditching their ill-fated attempt at adding a full-time vocalist in 2007 (if I wanted to hear someone chirping into a microphone just to hear the sound of their own voice, I’d just watch FOX News). 9 p.m. Tuesday. Harlow’s, 2708 J St. $20. 21+. www.harlows.com.

Tony Bataska (Full Band Show) – It’s go time! Singer/songwriter Tony Bataska is no stranger to the Sacramento scene, playing regular solo gigs at the Fox & Goose and at the Boxing Donkey in Roseville – but he’s got a lot more up his sleeve than a lone acoustic guitar and some sonic elbow grease. His new album “This Time Around” was designed to be played with a full band, and that’s just what he’s got going on when bassist Dusty Miller and drummer Bart van der Zeeuw (formerly of K’s Choice) join Bataska on stage at one of his favorite haunts out in the Dirty 5-30 (a.k.a. Davis). Full band shows have been a long time coming for Bataska - this should be fun. 10 p.m. Thursday. G St Pub, 228 G St., Davis. No cover. www.myspace.com/gstpub.

Voodoo Glow Skulls – Just one more band that adds to this universal and indelible truth about music: Ska will never die. It will go through its ups and downs (from Buck-O-Nine to Less Than Jake to Slightly Stoopid), but it will absolutely never go away – and who would want it to. The cats from this Inland Empire outfit form the kind of band that already have all the fans they’re ever going to have, but it's a fanbase that will never fade out and will never refuse them a club like the Blue Lamp in a city like Sacramento to dust off the brass and have a party. A guy who knows a little something about the staying power of ska (Jason Boggs, formerly of Filibuster) leads his rowdy sax-charged rock act the Snobs along with BFFs Sex Rat to open up this Sunday night hootenanny. 8 p.m. doors, 9 p.m. show Sunday. Blue Lamp, 1400 Alhambra Blvd. $10 adv./$12 door. www.myspace.com/bluelamp; www.brownpapertickets.com.

Velvet Underground Tribute Show – Take a walk on the wild side, indeed! Jerry Perry is the master of putting together a stellar tribute night, but this one is going to be arguably his toughest challenge yet, in finding bands that can pull of the Velvet Underground/Lou Reed catalog and not look like they’re trying to build a model airplane with a broken finger and no thumbs. Many names on the list signed up to get after it are Perry tribute show veterans, so it appears they know what they’re getting into and have the chops to pull it off. Slated to get weird with it are San Kazagaskar, Universal Steve, Freebadge Serenaders, Exquisite Corps, Smooot Valley High, Saucer, David Houston & Strings, Ol' Cotton Dreary with Captian God, Scotty George, Sacred Appalacian Hands, Jem & Scout, and more. 8 p.m. Friday. Old Ironsides, 1901 10th St. Cover TBA. www.theoldironsides.com.

Mark Your Calendars: Pinback – There’s been rumors swirling of a follow-up to this San Diego outfit’s “Autumn of the Seraphs” from 2007, but nothing has materialized yet. But if they never release another album, this lush and often quirky electro indie act still has a firmly secured reputation within the genre as a power hitter. Dec. 30. Harlow’s, 2708 J St. $15. www.harlows.com.

For a complete listing of Sacramento area music happenings, check out Ann Freeman-Clement’s Concerts, Music Events and the Local Music Scene every Friday on Sacramento Press.

'Shakey' ground: Local artists pay tribute to Neil Young

2010-11-14T16:38:14Z

Neil Young is on borrowed time.

He’s had brushes with death ranging from childhood diabetes to epilepsy to a major brain aneurism that nearly killed him in 2005. Instead of killing him, it gave us all “Prairie Wind.”

Not to mention that the ol’ rock and roll lifestyle isn’t exactly marketing material for your average life insurance firm – and Neil has been a part of it for the better part of a half-century.

Such is the continuing cycle of one of the true legends of rock and roll as he celebrates his 65th birthday, which was on Friday. In commemorating “Shakey's” birthday, Jerry Perry did what he does best on Saturday night at Harlow’s and arranged a troupe of local acts (with a little help from out of town) to dust off their favorite Neil Young tunes and take them for a spin.

The results were at a few small points lost on even the more seasoned Young fans in the room (yours truly included), but overall delightfully demonstrative of the resilient fortitude and raw energy of his enigmatic catalog. There had to have even been a few “oh hey, I know this song” moments from the Harlow’s-for-Harlow’s-sake drifters.

As is usually the case with these tribute shows, the point for the artists was never to “sound like Neil,” but for each act to throw their own style and spin into the tunes of their choosing.

Honyock fired things up with by the book takes on a pair of Young’s radio hits, “Ohio” and the venerable “Cinnamon Girl.” These cats were no doubt chosen by Perry to jump-start a lineup that wouldn’t offer up one of your “greatest hits” type tunes for a fairly long ensuing stretch.

Christopher Fairman’s quirky outfit the Stilts dished out a chunky and properly dirty rendition of “Cortez the Killer” with remarkable flair – and sweet Jesus, was that a guy playing a typewriter? Yep, sure was.

Speaking of interesting sights, did anyone recognize that guy playing the drums for Walking Spanish (grainily pictured above in photo 2)? We’ll give you a hint: He’s been on that stage before, the lead singer is his little brother, and he’ll make just about all of us feel a bit sheepish about our pre-30th birthday achievements in this life.

Here’s a question for you: How many 13 year old kids can go to school on Monday and tell their friends that they got to hang out in a bar on Saturday night? The three dudes from Simpl3Jack can (if they have a problem scoring dates for the dance, there’s something really wrong with the world). There may have been some grumbling about them turning Neil tunes like “My My, Hey Hey” into bar chord amp rompers, but you can’t get mad at a kid who is younger than Neil was when he contracted polio that can handle a Les Paul like that.

Did you ever have anything that cool for show-and-tell? Didn’t think so.

While mentally rifling through Neil’s catalog and taking shots at what songs we might hear, the one I never saw coming was served up by local stalwart David Houston and his trio of string players, as they waltzed through a heart wrenching “Philadelphia,” the song that plays during the conclusion of the Tom Hanks film of the same name.

Way to sucker punch us all in the emotional crotch on a Saturday night there, David – but no complaints about the dirty sweet version of “Southern Man,” led by his firey acoustic guitar that was more distorted than a bachelor party at Badlands.

Equally silky smooth was veteran Sal Valentino and his acoustic trio, crooning “Wrecking Ball” and “Long May You Run.”

Considering the level of talent that is always present, stealing the show at a Jerry Perry tribute is no easy feat, so how come Saucer always seems to pull a Danny Ocean? When they hit the stage, it’s usually time to rock out with your (well, you know the saying), and there was no exception with their to-eleven walloping of “Down By the River” and a collectively energizing sing-along with “Rockin’ in the Free World.”

Saucer also took the time to turn “Needle and the Damage Done” into a juiced up punk rock style number (stick a pin in your preconceptions of how Neil covers should sound and think for a second about what that song is really about, you’ll understand why this worked).

The show was in hyper drive for the remainder of the night, with the delightful Reggie Ginn perched at the keyboard and delivering a haymaker by absolutely owning “Like a Hurricane,” rattling the venue walls with her knee-weakening, soul charged wails. Ginn was the only solo act on the bill and, oddly enough, the only female act of the night (strange when you consider how well Neil songs would theoretically lend themselves to women vocalists).

Ginn resurfaced during Musical Charis’ fun-filled delivery of “Old Man,” and the Neil-love kept coming with Briangle (best band name ever, considering it comprised of three dudes named Brian) wailing out “Harvest Moon.”

Those out of town free agents we mentioned at the start were San Diego’s the Silent Comedy, who seem to have developed a love affair with our fair city - and that’s just fine with us. This wily gang of juke joint hooligans went ballistic with “Everybody Knows This is Nowhere,” went straight for the gut with “Helpless,” and (aside from a pair of unscheduled plug-and-go solo songs from Adrian Bourgeois at the tail end) provided a fitting closer with a raucous and jamming “Tonight’s the Night.”

Just to be pointlessly picky, the only song the Neil faithful may have wanted to hear but didn’t was “Comes a Time,” which has become the unofficial anthem of Young’s annual Bridge School Benefit concerts – but “Comes a Time” or not, Jerry Perry still sent 20 percent of the evening’s door take as a donation to the Bridge School.

Perry also dropped hints about a few upcoming tribute shows he’s hoping to bring to fruition in the coming months, including Burt Bacharach, Carole King, and another famous guy named Neil. Yep, Neil Diamond (oh hell yes!). He also has a Lou Reed/Velvet Underground tribute on the books for December at Old Ironsides.

(Note to self: Never spend four and a half hours filling your brain, heart and loins with the soul food that is Neil Young’s catalog, and then accidentally wander into MoMo Lounge’s back patio. It’s a worse buzz kill than finding out you are actually Tyler Durden).

(Photos: 1: The Stilts, 2: Walking Spanish, 3: Simpl3Jack, 4: Sal Valentino, 5: Musical Charis, 6: The Silent Comedy)

Dead Rock Stars

2010-11-04T10:30:40Z

This Halloween night I did not buy candy for the little trick or treaters. Actually I was not even home to hand out treats instead I went over to Old Ironsides on 10th and S Streets for an evening of music. Old Ironsides hosted their annual Dead Rock Stars Show. It was billed as an evening where musical guests played selections from their favorite musicians, the dead ones.

Jerry Perry, the master of ceremonies for the show, started off by attempting to perform a standup comic routine. Dressed up in Halloween costume he was assisted by his wife dressed up as Poison Ivy. Jerry was dressed up as D. Weed. In regards to his comic routine, one guest put it in perspective by saying “I hope he doesn’t give up his regular job for this.” I agreed. During the evening, and in between acts, Jerry entertained the audience and asked trivia question and also gave out fabulous prizes and introduced the acts for the evening.

Ol' Cotton Dreary started off the night with a tribute to the Doors by starting off with Maggie M'Gill. This was a great starting point for the evening’s musical entertainment. They also played Don’t Stand So Close to Me by the Police. I thought they were still all alive but maybe I missed something while taking a sip of my drink.

After a couple of more songs Perry’s alter ego came back on stage to try more of his humor but alas the Trivia Question might have been funnier (if only I could remember it).

51 Heavy got on stage fairly quickly and were set to go. Many in the audience had just finished watching the 5th game of the World Series as the Giants got one game closer to winning their first World Series in 56 years. On another screen at the Old Ironsides bar the New Orleans Saints had just beaten the Pittsburgh Steelers. Most of the people that remained after the games were there for the music but kept the bar busy.

51 Heavy started off their show with Quiet Riot’s Bang Your Head. I think they did justice to the song. They followed with Nirvana’s All Apologies giving a great rendition of the song. Never Tear Us Apart by INXS was their final song of their set. This was a great start to the musical part of the show.

Jerry Perry took the stage as 51 Heavy was putting their equipment away. “Never host a gig that John Staples turned down” he said and it brought some laughter. I didn’t know what he was talking about but the look on his face made me smile. He kept trying to make people laugh but decided instead to introduce The Onlymen after a trivia question was answered and prizes were given out.

Warren Bishop on guitar and vocals, Todd Weber, playing guitar and doing vocals, Dan Eliott on bass and vocals, and Kevin Gailey on Drums took the stage as The Onlymen. Warren Bishop took to the microphone and declared, “Ladies and Gentlemen we present to you the lost Beach Boys Set”. They came on to play a set of their songs and were finishing up when I came back from the bar.

After another trivia question and prize package was given out it was time for Adrian Bourgeus and Ricky Berger to take the stage. After tuning up Adrian said he was going to do a Led Zeppelin song but we would have to have to sit through 3 ½ minutes of silence before he would do his John Bonham solo since only the drummer has died. So the Dead Rock Stars concept indicates that only one (or more) member of a band would have to be dead. In some cases the audience tried to think of what member of a band was dead. In one case some members of the audience thought Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys was dead.

Ricky and Adrian indicated they had been working on part of their gig the day before the show. I believe they started their set with a nice rendition of Handle With Care by the Traveling Wilburys. Both of them then collaborated to sing Roy Orbison’s Crying. I especially enjoyed Ricky’s tribute to Fred Rogers as she played her rendition of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood theme on the xylophone. Showing her musical talent she played the harpsichord to do a Bach piece. Adrian mentioned that he and Ricky will be playing at the Naked Lounge on November 12. They ended their set with a tribute to Alex Chilton who passed away on March 17 of this year. It didn’t seem like many people in the audience knew who he was. Their Chilton tribute was a good ending to their set for the evening.

The Jet Black Popes started their set with Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Freebird and encouraged the audience to show their lighters. I thought I saw somebody raise their iPod with a lighter app. If I was mistaken maybe that would be a good app for the iPod, who knows it could make somebody some money. They also played INXS’ Devil Inside. The Jet Black Popes finished off their set with a song I did not recognize. Mr. Perry came back on stage to introduce 2 or 3 Guys (the name of the band).

2 or 3 Guys ended up being 4 in number and started off their set with a tribute to one time Folsom (prison) resident Rick James with his song Give it to me Baby. They also included Radio Ga Ga by Queen which I hadn’t heard in years.

A Halloween costume contest followed and my favorite couple dressed up as Mario and the Princess, from Mario Brothers’ fame was eliminated and the winners ended up in a tie.

Breaking Glass turned in one of the best performances of the evening. They started by playing a tribute to the Blonde Bombshell Mick Ronson guitarist for David Bowie (and others). Ziggy Stardust which showcased Mick Ronson's great guitarist skills was the first song in their lively set. They ended their show with a tribute to John Lennon’s (and the Beatles) Helter Skelter. Breaking Glass gave a very energetic show and had quite a following at the event.

The Grand Finale for the evening came by way of I Scream on Sundae. They played a Nirvana tribute starting with Aneurysm. Their rhythmic horn section was a nice touch to this song. Their horn section is one of the things that sets this band apart from all other. Their mix goes well with the rest of the band as well as with their vocals. The whole mix tends to get people out on the dance floor. I’ve seen them perform around Sacramento and they always seem to get the audience moving to their beat.

Another Nirvana song Breed followed suit and I Scream on Sundae gave a great rendition of this song. Heart Shaped Box followed by Drain You ended their set and put an end to a great Halloween musical evening. I was exhausted at the end of their set but nowhere near as much as these guys. A grand finale indeed.

Sactown Rundown - Sept. 9-15

2010-09-10T16:17:07Z

Things that make you go “Hmmm…”: Next year will be the 10th anniversary of 9/11.

Has it really been that long?

But, no need to dwell on negative memories as September 11 falls on Saturday, which also happens to be the date of one of the more jovial afternoon events in Sactown, the California Brewer’s Festival at Discovery Park.

(Here’s an insider’s tip for the brew fest. Get buddy-buddy with the beer pourers, and they might not take one of those wooden tokens that are designed to regulate everyone’s hooch intake).

If you’re still alive after sampling a few (dozen?) tasty NorCal ales, here’s what’s happening on your concert calendar.

Side by Side Benefit Blues Show – OK, so we can probably all agree that a homeless bluesman has more to sing about than one that lives in a three bedroom two bath with central heat and air; in fact, isn’t sleeping under a bridge and being flat busted the quintessential image and songwritin’ fodder of the red-blooded blues singer? But being without a home is no joke and it’s certainly not a gimmick, and that’s what “Side by Side” is all about. The organization provides a safe environment for homeless musicians over at Loaves and Fishes, and this afternoon benefit show at the Torch (where else?) will be raising money for the program. Scheduled performers include Gary Mendoza Blues Band, the Used Blues Ban and the BluSoul Band, with special guests Kyle Rowland, Leo Bootz, The Deacon and Johnny "Guitar" Knox. 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. Torch Club, 15th and I St. $10. 21+. www.sacblues.com.

The Business – It’s Business, it’s Business time (sorry, it had to be done!). Falling downline from breakthrough English punk acts like the Clash and Sex Pistols, the Business were one of the leading imports of the streetwise Oi! punk rock movement of the middle 1980’s. Vocalist Micky Fitz is by now the lone remaining original member of the band, and he still sounds like Elvis Costello having a complete mental breakdown and thrashing all the merchandise in a Harrods with a broken-off guitar neck. They’ve always been an under-the-radar group, staying away from major labels and limelight, all the way up to their newest offering, “Doing the Business.” With the Hollowpoints and Drastic Actions. 9 p.m. Monday. Blue Lamp, 1400 Alhambra Blvd. $10. 21+. www.myspace.com/bluelamp.

!!! – You can argue over both how to pronounce the name (it’s usually sounded out as “chk chk chk,” or perhaps just by screaming really loudly) and where the band was formed, as most bio information will tell you Brooklyn. Reality is, the roots of this maniacal dance rock outfit are right here in Sacramento, as they’ve gone on to become a national fixture of club-razing, spastically hypnotic and dub-heavy electro rock. Without music like this, places like the Townhouse might not even exist – ditto for hipster rags and post-‘80s psychedelic drug habits. This homecoming (of sorts) comes in the middle of a tour supporting their newest release, “Strange Weather, Isn’t It?” 9 p.m. Monday. Harlow’s, 2708 J St. $15. 21+. www.harlows.com.

Mark Your Calendars – Lou Reed/Velvet Underground Tribute – Jerry Perry’s local band tribute shows are never something you want to miss; who knows who he’ll pull out of the woodwork to try their hand at a little Velvet U! Sept. 24. Old Ironsides, 1901 10th St. $10. www.theoldironsides.com.

For a complete listing of Sacramento area music happenings, check out Ann Freeman-Clement’s Concerts, Music Events and the Local Music Scene every Friday on Sac Press.

Raw, loud concert film marks Nirvana at the Cattle Club, 20 years later

2010-08-18T18:35:35Z

When word first hit the streets that long time local promoter Jerry Perry was sitting on a video recording of Nirvana playing at the Cattle Club 20 years ago, it didn’t take long for friends in Sacramento’s music community to begin shouting “here we are now, entertain us.”

“Everyone was asking me ‘can I come over and watch it’ or ‘can you burn me a copy,’” Perry said. “Everyone under the sun was saying ‘I’ll have a BBQ and you bring the movie.’ I probably turned down the BBQ invitation about four times.”

“We did not want to let bootlegs (of the performance) get out everywhere, we wanted it to be really special and we didn’t want to exploit it,” Perry added. “So I thought, why don’t we just try and make it a big movie showing?”

And so it went that the dark, loud and quiveringly-raw concert performance film would be seen at the Crest on August 20, the to-the-day 20 year anniversary of Nirvana’s first performance at that venue (alongside Sonic Youth).

"Nirvana: Live @ The Cattle Club Feb 12, 1990" screens on Friday night at the Crest Theatre, 1013 K St. Doors open at 7 p.m. with the film beginning at 8 p.m. Perry has plans for a Q&A session with the crowd after the movie.

And as Perry would only have it, admission is free.

“I don’t know that I’d ever want to charge for this,” Perry said of the film. “It sounds good, but I’d never put it out on CD and release it. We just got lucky (with the footage) in some parts, but the energy in this is amazing; it really captures the energy of a raw, live Nirvana performance.”

20 years, six months and eight days ago, Nirvana’s performance at the now-defunct Cattle Club (Sacramento’s premiere live, all-ages music venue of the 1990’s) was attended by roughly 60 people, and cover was six bucks.

This was “Love Buzz” territory. It was the “Bleach” tour. It was before “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” before Geffen Records, before the band’s crown-of-thorns superstardom.

Nirvana was still an opener when they returned to Sacramento the next year, to warm the stage for Dinosaur Jr. and local alt-rockers Kai Kln at the Crest.

Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love were barely a public item when Cobain showed up in the wings to watch Love’s band Hole play alongside Smashing Pumpkins at the Cattle Club later in 1991 (how’s this for a little serendipity).

“Nevermind” was released later that year. Nirvana never played in Sacramento again.

Virtually the only public mementos that remain of the iconic rock band’s presence in Sactown are a poster or two in the pool room at Monkey Bar, and Perry’s footage.

The rest of the memories exist in stories told over coffee and beer that emphatically start with the word “dude…”

“We had to make sure the Nirvana camp was OK with it, but Friday before last, we got the word,” Perry said, “so we said ‘let’s give Sacramento this cool little moment of what happened 20 years ago.’”

The one hour and five minute film was shot with two cameras. Perry had set up a stationary camera next to the stage for the show, and crowd-perspective footage was taken by Shayne Stacy. The two stocks of footage were edited together nine months ago by Jim McClain (whom Perry lovingly refers to as “Taper Jim”).

“I was so excited (about the show) that I made it a point to film them; not that I thought they were going to be the next big thing, I just really liked them,” Perry said.

“There was nothing remarkable done to the sound,” Perry said. “Between the two cameras, Jim discerned that the sound off mine was the better sound, so he used that audio track and cut back and forth between the two.

“If you watch either one, they’re OK, the sound is good,” he added, “but the camera (on mine) never moves, and Shane’s is being bumped around in the crowd and sometimes the shots are really dark.

“But when one camera goes dark and you can cut over to the other one, between the two, it was almost like you could hide all the flaws.”

The film opens with a trio of guys decked in flannel and barely of legal drinking age tuning guitars and hanging out – and it never looks back.

“Kurt was kinda quiet, but he was really nice,” recalls Perry. “Krist (Novoselic) was really great, he was a very affable guy; he was totally game to go up to the DJ booth and spin records.”

“No one ever suspected they would be as big as they were, they were just this other cool band from Seattle,” Perry added. “When I found out Kurt Cobain died, it was so sad to me. It wasn’t even ‘celebrity sad,’ like when John Lennon died, it was so horrible.

“I felt like we all kind of had the same vibe about things, no attitude, no nothing, he just came in and rocked. I wish I knew him better.”

(Former Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic will be speaking at Sacramento State on September 23, discussing the effects of social media and technology on the First Amendment. For details, go here.)

CIP Last Show of the Year

2010-08-14T20:33:41Z

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 that makes this possible year after year.

Photos:

1 to 4 - Phantom Jets

5 to 9 - The Brodys

10 to 14 - The Fans

Old Ironsides hosts Beach Boys tribute

2010-08-09T04:03:01Z

Surf music rang from Old Ironsides Saturday night as local bands took the stage to present a tribute concert in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Beach Boys’ inception.

The first band to hit the stage was concert promoter Jerry Perry’s son and his band, On Display, with “Then I Kissed Her.” It was the band’s first night in front of a crowd — they stumbled a bit, but at the end of the song applause rang out all the louder.

The bill focused on showcasing different interpretations of the Beach Boys’ work, many focusing on Brian Wilson’s credits more than other contributors like Mike Love.

A highlights of the night included a great solo performance by local heavy-hitter Aaron King (sans the Imperials), who covered two songs from 1966’s Pet Sounds: “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” and “I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times.”

“I didn’t want to bring the band down for just two songs,” King said before the show. “Jerry said, ‘I’m putting together this show. Do you want to be a part of it?’ and I said, ‘Yeah, tell me when and where!’”

Another nice call on Perry’s part was getting the Free Badge Serenaders. Their amazing onstage antics with a washboard, cowbells, slide whistle, kazoo and banjo earned them laughs and shouts as they trumped through “Heroes and Villains” and “I’m Waiting for the Day.”

An interesting part of the night was that not all of the songs covered were written or performed by the Beach Boys. For instance, the Free Badge Serenaders covered the Jan and Dean hit “Surf City,” which was written by Brian Wilson. Later in the evening, David Houston, with a gorgeous three-piece string section, covered “Miserlou,” a song that any Quentin Tarentino fan would recognize as the opening music to “Pulp Fiction.”

“I like that they played a lot more esoteric stuff,” Tom Blaze, 52, said. “I didn’t expect the kind of music I knew about, not just Top 40, you know?”

The night was marked by multiple cheers from the audience as they recognized songs as they were being played, many people singing along. The singing seemed to become more boisterous as the night wore on.

“I love this song!” Michelle Varner, 27, cried. “‘Help me, Rhonda, help me get her outta my heart!’”

For more information about future events at Old Ironsides, visit their calendar.

Old Ironsides to host Beach Boys tribute with local artists

2010-08-05T01:43:56Z

This weekend, the sounds of summer come back to life as Jerry Perry hosts a Beach Boys tribute concert by local acts, showcasing the talents of Aaron King, Baby Grand, David Houston and many others.

It’s been 50 years since the Beach Boys formed and Perry has made it his mission to generate tribute concerts like this. In the past, he’s organized tributes to The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and even Sam Cooke. He said this one promises to be awesome.

“I can’t wait to see it,” he said. “The bands that are on it are surprising and just really good.”

Perry was initially skeptical about having a Beach Boys tribute, but from a past experience, he knew they could handle it and, what’s more, do it with style.

“I felt like the Beach Boys would be too difficult,” he said. “We did a Sam Cooke one back in January, and I was really surprised how deep the bands dug into the library and yet kept coming up with great, quality stuff. It made me think, ‘If they can take on Sam Cooke, then maybe we can take on the Beach Boys.’ ”

Perry’s tribute concerts bring together multiple bands from different genres and challenges them to perform a certain artist’s work. The night of the Beach Boys tribute, two different numbers will be performed twice.

“Everybody’s doing anywhere from two to five songs,” he said. “There are two songs being repeated, but they’re by such distinctly different acts that can stand on their own and have their own vibe.”

The concert is listed to cover every phase of the Beach Boys’ career.

“It’s really diverse,” Perry said. “It’s everything from the early rock-n-roll stuff to the cool pet sounds era to the ’70s whacked-out Brian Wilson stuff. It’s gonna be a real fun ride.”

Old Ironsides at 1901 10th St. will host the show. Doors open at 8 p.m. ,and admission is $8.

For more information visit here.

Sactown Rundown - Aug. 5-11

2010-08-04T20:39:31Z

NOTE: The Sactown Rundown will appear on Sac Press every Wednesday, with a focus on smaller club shows, festivals and events in Sacramento and surrounding areas.

Before we get into this week’s shows, just a quick mop-up on one that we forgot to mention here in the Rundown last week: 100 Monkeys will be performing tonight (Wednesday, August 4) at Venue (formerly Empire).

If you don’t know them by their zoo of snappy and quirky indie rock, perhaps you’ll recognize lead singer Jackson Rathbone, a.k.a. Jasper from the “Twilight” flicks.

We at the Rundown implore you: Go see them for the music, not the “OMG!” factor. The show kicks off at 7 p.m. at Venue (1417 R St.), and tickets run you $17.

That said, here’s what’s on tap for the next week here in Sacto.

Beach Boys Tribute Show – Just in case you only know him as “that guy who introduces the bands at Concert in the Park,” his name is Jerry Perry, and under the moniker of Alive & Kicking, he’s been promoting concerts in Sactown since Nirvana was in diapers (as a band, that is). About once or twice a year, he’ll throw together a group of local bands for a tribute show, usually centering around a birthday or a significant anniversary; recent sonic celebrations have been for David Bowie, Madonnna, Johnny Cash, Michael Jackson, Dolly Parton, and recreations of the Beatles’ “White Album” and the Clash’s “London Calling.” There’s always a method to Perry’s madness, in that he always knows how to select the right local miscreants for the job, and it makes these tribute shows a screaming amount of fun (there’s probably a more eloquent way to put that, but let’s call a spade a spade). The surf rockin’ California boys who forever changed the landscape of pop rock music get the royal treatment this weekend, courtesy of Aaron King, Adrian Bourgeois, Baby Grand, David Houston, Dog Party, The Free Badge Serenaders, I Scream On Sundae, Jackson Griffith, Jem & Scout, Justin Davis, Ol' Cotton Dreary, On Display, The Only Men, and, a staple of any Perry tribute show, Saucer. 8 p.m. Saturday. Old Ironsides, 1901 10th St. $TBA. 21+. www.theoldironsides.com.

Aaron Beaumont – For some reason, it’s become en vogue to look for the “next” or “new” everything these days; Keifer Sutherland is the “new” Michael Douglas, John Mayer was the “next” Dave Matthews, etc. (Jackie Greene hung up the phone long ago when he was left on hold with that “next Dylan” call). Los Angeles ivory tickler Aaron Beaumont is going to get slapped with the “next Elton John” title up and down the block, purely because he spends his time camped behind 88 keys and sports a voice shinier than a new penny, but that’s where the similarities stop. He’s got the silky songwriting chops and crooning appeal of a Jason Mraz stuck in a time warp, paired with the pop know-how of Lennon/McCartney and the jagged edge of a paved and swept Tom Waits. A nod to Prohibition-era hooch parlors and smoky piano bars, his tunes are forged in pop-jazz pinewood and etched with ragtime bounce with heavy doses of modern appeal. Beaumont will join up with beloved Sacramento product Shannon Curtis, as well as JP Spangler, for an alluring pair of shows. 11 a.m. Thursday. Hot Lunch Concert Series, Fremont Park, 16th and P St. Free. All ages; 9 p.m. Friday, with One Eyed Rhino. Old Ironsides, 1901 10th St. $7. 21+. www.theoldironsides.com.

Mother Truckers – Meet the antithesis to the Keep Austin Weird movement. This is not the kind of group you’ll see out on the streets at South By Southwest exploring their inner Nuclear Rabbit, but this band of dirt-kickers from Texas’ capitol are squarely tuned to the roots rock and country barroom ramble that keeps the Lonestar State’s embers burning. They’re one of the rare groups to enjoy breakout success without dipping their toes into any unfamiliar ponds, preferring to let their primal country rock energy do the talking with heralded live performances and Bud Light chugging honky tonk thump. 8 p.m. Wednesday. Harlow’s, 2708 J St. $15. 21+. www.harlows.com.

Ludacris – We almost didn’t get the memo on this one here at the Rundown, but Chris Bridges, a.k.a. Ludacris is indeed holding court downtown. Continuing to tour in support of his most recent album, “Battle of the Sexes,” Luda has remained one of the fixtures of ‘00s hip hop, with a generally celebratory approach that at times pulls out the wooden spoon and stirs the political and social pot. 7:30 p.m. Monday. Venue, 1417 R St. $35. www.tickets.com.

Mark Your Calendar: The Stone Foxes – A hodgepodge of flesh-eating blues and rock riffs and wails from the days of Led Zeppelin, rebel-rousing Rolling Stones, Howlin’ Wolf and even the White Stripes, this group of four upstarts from San Francisco is poised to go ka-boom behind their juggernaut sophomore album, “Bears & Bulls,” which contains perhaps the best blues-rock tune of the last 20 years, “I Killed Robert Johnson.” With the Soft White Sixties. August 27. The Old Ironsides, 1901 10th St. Cover TBA. 21+. www.theoldironsides.com.

Concerts in the Park

2010-07-25T06:55:28Z

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 Charis played.

As they played their set of what I think were original songs, their music was soothing and also got many people in the audience dancing in front of the stage. They have a recently released cd that was on sale and for those who did not have money, I believe, could get a cd with one of their songs or they could download a free mp3 from their website. Overall their show had a great variety of sounds and their on-stage presence was very upbeat, their set was very enjoyable.

After the Musical Charis played their set it was, again, time to patronize the vendors in the beer garden. At this time it was already beginning to get crowded. Pietra started to play while we were at the beer garden. Their brand of music was a bit more on the hard rock side. Their guitar players (Mat Woods and Henry Skyler) impressively had a hard hitting sound. Vocals were provided by Alex Ayers (also at keyboards) and Brian Breneman played drums.

Prieta has been around the Sacramento area for a while. They were scheduled to play at Old Ironsides on Saturday July 24. At the Concerts in the Park they rocked the audience for quite a while and even if the weather was not so hot their music heated up the place. Their vocals and guitar playing, at times, sound like Soundgarden Sometimes I wonder if some bands, that hear others say that they sound like another band, take the observation as an insult or a compliment. My comparison is meant as a compliment. Follow Prieta on their myspace web page, if you go to one of their upcoming shows, I can assure you that they won’t disappoint.

Friday’s concert was another great Jerry Perry Downtown Sacramento Partnership production. Tonigh I noticed that some venues that take place over a certain amount of time in the same place bring new crowds to the shows. At other events such as Concerts in the Park you see some of the same faces (like mine) over and over. There were some kids walking around that I see time after time so today I decided to ask these kids a few questions. At first I thought they were like interns or something like that because they go backstage quite often. I talked to this kid named Eli who was telling me he was a musician with a band in the works and introduced his bass player, “This guy over here, he’s my bass player Dylan”. Eli was saying that they had taken the place of the Musical Charis at Thursdays Hot Lunch Concert Series and he seemed very enthusiastic as he mentioned that. It turns out that Eli is, in a sense, another Jerry Perry production. Jerry Perry is his dad.

The last act of the evening was Lite Brite. I have seen them play before and they were the band I was looking forward to seeing. I had once read they were branded as a band playing indie rock. When I’ve seen them, to me, they have a much harder sound more like hard rock or punk and at times I can hear the Robert Plant and Kurt Cobain influences in Eddie Underwood’s voice. Matt Underwood plays the drums and they’re complemented with Robert Lander’s bass playing. I’ve seen Robert working at the Starbuck’s on J Street across from the Spaghetti Factory. Seeing some band members at “regular” jobs sort of throw people off. Lite Brite's upcoming shows can be found at their myspace website.

This was one of my favorite nights of the Concerts in the Park series. On Sunday July 25 all the bands that played here will also be on hand at the Beatnik Studios with Goodness Gracious joining them for a benefit concert. Beatnik is located on 2421 17th Street.

Photos:

1 - Jerry Perry Presents Concerts in the Park

2 to 6 - Musical Charis

7 to 10 - Pietra

11 - Eli Perry (left) and Dylan (right) with friends (Megan, Nikki, Sarah and Haley)

12 to 14 - Lite Brite

Human Toys

2010-07-23T07:24:43Z

Old Ironsides hosted an evening of music with artists from as far away as Paris, France and also musicians from here in Sacramento. Tender Cinders, Human Toys and Der Spazm played at this Jerry Perry production.

Tender Cinders (inspired by a Bill Withers song) is made up of 6 members including 2 lead singers, 1 drummer, 1 plays a variety of instruments and 2 percussionists (later another percussionist joined the group). Tatiana and Brian Latour are married to each other and they have played together with this band for only a few months. Each member has been playing music for decades, individually and with other bands. Tatiana (vocals) and Brian (various instruments) have been playing together for 11 plus years. Brian said “We’ve been playing with the current band for a few months. Tatiana and I have been playing music together for 11 years.” Other members include Chad, Esteban (various percussion instruments), Nick (drums), and Mary (vocals). They play original compositions and their music touches, soul, blues, Latin and some fun ballads, my favorite was Ice Cream Man. One of their regular members had a previous engagement and was not able to join the group for this performance.

I spoke for a short while with Nick, who was accompanied by his wife. He was filling me in on the new band and was quite enthusiastic about playing with them. He too has been playing music for the past 10 years or so and has played with different groups. In talking to Nick and other band members it was apparent that they all have a solid musical background. They were a very friendly group. As I talked to Nick I noticed that they were conscientious about their followers and was obvious they had not developed an ego that sometimes follows some musicians. Their rhythmic music and vocals were very pleasant, soothing, and at the same time very upbeat. Be sure to follow this Sacramento band as they begin to book more events in our area.

The percussion was, in my opinion, truly amazing. A Brazilian Carnaval tempo, during at least one of their songs, had all the bells and whistles for dancing and celebrating, and also had everybody on the dance floor. Their next show will be on August 16 at Sacramento’s Press Club at 2030 P Street.

A couple of femme fatales, straight out of Paris France, made their way to the Old Ironsides stage to perform after the Tender Cinders. The Human Toys, made up of Mademoiselle Poupée and Emma Amaretto, came to rock the house (or the club). Mademoiselle Poupée (doll in French is Poupée) was the lead vocalist and did some programming while Emma played guitar, theremin and also vocals. They were a true dynamic duo. Electro influences were a true delight and mixed with a mixture of punk, hard rock, and electronica it had everybody on the dance floor. Harmonic vocals mixed with hard core guitar riffs kept everybody moving. At times Poupée went off the stage and danced with the audience. This doll got everybody ragged and their performance was over before you knew it. Emma and Poupée came back for a one song encore delighting the audience. Human Toys made quite an impression in Sacramento. I can’t say enough about their performance except maybe sacrebleu!

In between acts I got a chance to talk to Emma outside the club about their band. I learned that both members reside in Paris and are here for their American Tour. Their upcoming shows will be in San Francisco (July 22) followed by 2 shows in Oakland (July 23-24) before they go back to France. Follow the Human Toys via their myspace page. As Emma smoked her unfiltered hand rolled cigarette I asked how she got her gig at Old Ironsides. She indicated she has American friends who they help find gigs in France and their friends in turn help find shows in the U.S. for the Human Toys. The evening was cooling off rather rapidly and began to get cold for the first night in weeks. Emma had her arms and legs crossed while holding her cigarette reminding me of an alluring French (or European) commercial. As she spoke, her heavy French accent brought images and memories of people at outside cafés in Marseilles, Niece, or Paris; sitting, talking, enjoying life. I love hearing French accents. Emma and Poupée, like members of Tender Cinders still have that personality that makes them approachable to their fans.

Der Spazm was the final act of the night. I saw a couple of the members dancing to the Human Toys’ music and Dillon (the lead singer) talked about it when he took the stage. Der Spazm, a Sacramento band, is made up of Dillon (guitar, vox), Leticia (guitar), Andy (drums) and Ashley (bass and backup vocals). To me, Old Ironsides has a garage type acoustic sound and it made it the perfect place for the Der Spazm’s sound. I’m not sure how long Dillon and Leticia have been playing together but they complemented each other’s sound. At times they seemed to be choreographing their guitar picking movements, quite impressive. The guitar sound was at the center of their performance but at the same time without Andy’s drumming and Ashley’s bass playing their sound would have been incomplete. Der Spazm’s next show will be at the Fox and Goose on July 31. You can also get more information on their myspace page.

Photos:

1 - Old Ironsides Neon

2 to 5 - Tender Cinders

6 to 10 - Human Toys

11 to 14 - Der Spazm

The White Buffalo plays Old Ironsides

2010-07-18T06:58:03Z

When I hear the name The White Buffalo, I picture things like the The American Old West, Native Americans, and of course, bison roaming the plains. The man Jake Smith, aka The White Buffalo, is a big, bearded guy, and I think that type of imagery suits him. I could picture him sitting in an old saloon, strumming his guitar and playing to a room full of frontier types.

TWB played his first show in Sacramento last Friday night at Old Ironsides. His baritone voiced folk-rock brought a wide range of people out to the show, form hipsters types to an older crowd - I'd say there was more of the latter. When I first heard his songs, it reminded me of the solo work that Eddie Vedder did for the Into the Wild soundtrack, but with less banjo; very earthy, very personal. He's been riding some buzz for a few years now and has built up a dedicated fan base; one woman and her friends had come from Placerville to see the show, and model Angela Lindvall recently mentioned his music in October's Allure magazine (my subscription to Allure just expired, otherwise I would tell you what she said).

TWB was friendly with the audience and bantered frequently, at one point asking the crowd to buy merch so he and his band could have some gas money. He played songs from both the EP and full-length he has out, The White Buffalo EP and Hogtied Revisited. The show was a crowd-pleaser, and chants for an encore came immediately after the set was finished. After going off stage and taking a few swigs of beer, TWB came back on and played a song, solo, and then the other band members joined him for the last song of the night, an appropriate cover of Johnny Cash's 'Folsom Prison Blues'.

Opening band Prieta was impressive as well. Vocalist/keyboardist Alex Ayers easily sounds like Chris Cornell, and the band puts their own Southern rock spin on a tight classic rock/Led Zeppelin sound. Everyone seemed to really dig them, including the front row full of girls. They're playing at Cesar Chavez Plaza next Friday for Concerts in the Park.

The Kelps kicked things off for a sparse crowd around 9:30pm. These three guys appeared to still be in high school but that makes their mature sound that much more impressive. They won over the crowd with their driving bluesy rock and soulful vocals and performance. Now if only they would trade the white t-shirts and khakis for some real rock n' roll gear.

Jerry Perry Presents The White Buffalo this Friday

2010-07-13T05:51:12Z

The White Buffalo, also known as versatile singer/songwriter/guitarist Jake Smith, brings his self-described "darker side of folk" to Sacramento this Friday.

With fan favorites The White Buffalo EP and full-length Hogtied Revisited under his belt, TWB continues to garner buzz by word of mouth and by touring constantly, performing solo and backed by a band (he'll be with a band this Friday).

TWB has previously toured with Donavon Frankenreiter, Xavier Rudd, State Radio and Ziggy Marley, and his songs have been featured on the soundtrack to surfing movie Shelter and on FX series Sons of Anarchy.

The White Buffalo will play Old Ironsides with Prieta and The Kelps on Friday, July 16th, at 9pm. Tickets are $7. For details please contact Old Ironsides.

Photos from www.thewhitebuffalo.com

Free midday concert series "Hot Lunch" back for second season

2010-06-03T19:30:23Z

Sunshine, Italian fare and live music - "Hot Lunch" returns for its second season. The free concert series, hosted by Hot Italian, runs every Thursday 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., beginning today, for 13 weeks.

Music and pizza lovers can spend their lunch break at Fremont Park across from Hot Italian. This year's lineup includes a wide variety of musical genres including alternative, funk, country and jazz. All talent featured in the series are either local or from the West Coast.

Hot Lunch began in 2009, using the Concerts in the Park event as a similar model. The most obvious difference is that Hot Lunch aims to bring people together for music and food midday. To avoid wasting valuable minutes of hour-long lunch breaks, Midtown workers and residents are able to order Hot Italian paninis and salad directly at Fremont Park and are encouraged to call ahead for pizza orders. The food will be delivered to your grassy seat.

"The music is fun and it's a nice place to have lunch," said Jerry Perry, music promoter for the series. "It's a different vibe. In clubs you only really get people who go to clubs. (At Fremont Park midday) we can put bands in front of people that don't usually get to see them."

As for the concept and comparison to the Concerts in the Park series, Andrea Lepore, creative director and development partner of Hot Italian, described the event as "another entertainment option for Midtown."

"There is really nothing else like it," said Lepore, "and Fremont Park is such a good venue." In its second season, Hot Lunch has been extended and begins earlier in the year, Lepore added, to take advantage of the sunshine and avoid the rain.

This year's Hot Lunch performer list:

June 3 - Walking Spanish
June 10 - The Storytellers
June 17 - Richard March
June 24 - Dog Party and Simpl3Jack
July 1 - Synchro
July 8 - The Kelps
July 15 - McDougal
July 22 - Musical Charis
July 29 - Life in 24 Frames
August 5 - Shannon Curtis, JP Spangler and Aaron Beaumont
August 12 - KB & The Slingtones
August 19 - BLVD Park
August 26 - Wahnderlust

Hot Italian is located at 16th and Q streets. Fremont Park, across the street, is on the corner of 16th and P streets.

Photos 1-3 courtesy of Colleen Belcher, Managing Editor for The Sacramento Press.

Photo 4 of Hot Lunch performers (June 10) courtesy of Andrew Heringer and Jerry Perry

3rd Concert in the Park of the season -live video

2010-05-28T21:56:41Z

Join The Sacramento Press for the 3rd Concert in the Park of the summer season.

Starting at 5:30 this afternoon, The Sacramento Press will provide live streaming video of all the action including interviews of the local bands and footage of each bands' performance.

One eyed Rhino starts off the evening of music at this week. Next up is Aaron King and the Imperials.Long time Sacramento music scene favorite Mike Farrell heads the bill.

Concert in the Park , a free outdoor concert series, takes place every Friday of the summer at Cesar Chavez Plaza, 10th and J St. in the heart of downtown Sacramento .

The live music starts 5:30 in the evening and usually lasts until about 8:30. The series ends with headliners The Brodys on August 13th
.
Now in it's 19th season, Concert in the Park features local artists representing a range of genres including rock, pop, punk, blues and folk.

In addition to the fantastic live music and fresh air, come and enjoy the great food and browse the vendor booths.

The famous beer garden is bigger and better than ever this year.

Bring the family... Admission is FREE to this all ages show!”

Free live streaming by Ustream Free video chat by Ustream

Friday Night Concert at Cesar Chavez Park

2010-05-22T09:53:43Z

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 is made up of two sets of brothers. Beto Villegas played the bass while his brother Coki masterfully played the guitar. The drummer is Cassidy Garcia and his brother Rubin is the quite impressive lead singer. Other Garcia family members were in the audience. Gabe Garcia took pictures while Junior Garcia modeled an original Con of Man t-shirt.

Third billing went to Phallucy who, as promoter Jerry Perry indicates, recently got together again. This is their third reunion according to some followers of the band. I’m not sure how long they’ve been together this time but I hope they stay together and develop their hard edge sound.

As the last band was about to set up on stage the audience grew larger. I walked around and as I talked to people in the audience it was clear that the vast majority of the audience came to see Dance Gavin Dance. They did not disappoint their adoring fans. The excitement of the audience became uncontrollable for a while as they pushed their way to the stage and pushed the barriers set up to keep the audience back. Promoter extraordinaire Jerry Perry had to stop the show to ask the audience to settle down and the audience obliged for a few seconds. Dance Gavin Dance was a good closing act for the evening and they finished with a bang.
This was a wonderful show, with an impressive musical lineup, fantastic fans, and a great beginning to the weekend.

Pictures:

1. Desario

2. Jerry Perry

3-4. Con of Man

5. Con of Man Fans

6. Con of Man Junior

7. Phallacy

8-9. Dance Gavin Dance

10-12 Dance Gavin Dance Fans

Concerts in the Park kickoff show this Friday

2010-05-06T04:22:34Z

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. Friday's show will be an electric set for Kepi, which doesn't happen all the time.

Three-member band The Kelps has been around for just over a year and is playing its first Concert in the Park show. Residing in Lincoln, The Kelps' members are Tony Reyes, 19, on drums and percussion; guitarist/singer Cory Barringer, 18, and Cameron Betts, 20, on bass and "second howl."

They said they are extremely honored to be leading the crowd into Kepi's set.

"We're enormous Kepi Ghoulie fans," Barringer said. "There's such an aura around the local music scene regarding Kepi....He's a hometown hero."

The Kelps started out three years ago, playing their first show at a battle of the bands under the name The Captains of Spaceship Earth. They decided to change their name after figuring they'd better "grow up."

Though they usually don't like having expectations for shows, they have no doubt that this one will be good.

"Kepi's playing full electric. He usually plays acoustic," Barringer said. "This is quite something." The band members, who said they like to leave their music genre label open to interpretation by their fans, said it doesn't matter how big the crowd is; they just enjoy playing.

"We'll play to 10 people just as if we were playing to 10,000," Barringer said.

Also playing the show are two garage rock sisters who call themselves Dog Party. Gwen Giles, 14, plays guitar and back-up vocals while Lucy Giles, 12, jams out on the drums and carries the lead vocals. Gwen has been playing guitar since she was 9 years old, and Lucy has been practicing drums for about three years. Their first performance was at a school talent show.

According to their father, Sam Giles, his daughters are "excited out of their minds" about the lineup, seeing as they are "super into Kepi." The girls agree.

"We're friends with SIMPL3JACK and have played with Kepi a few times," Lucy said.

The plan is to play on stage with Kepi Ghoulie again on Friday. They will be assisting him with tambourine and back-up vocals.

When asked how they came up with the name Dog Party, the sisters said, "We have a pug, and he's kind of crazy."

SIMPL3JACK is kicking off the 2010 Concert in the Park series. The three 12-year-old members put down an alternative punk rock sound that, like Dog Party, started out with a grammar school talent show. They have been around as SIMPL3JACK for a little over a year. The band members are friends with Dog Party and have played many shows together. This will be their first show playing with both The Kelps or Kepi Ghoulie. The three members include Cole Apperson on lead vocals, Ryan Kendell on bass and Wyatt Cermak on drums.

"We're going to rock out hard," Apperson said in regards to Friday's show. "I'm way happy with Kepi."

Friday's lineup is full of true rock.

Kepi was unavailable for comment due to being on an international tour.

The 2010 Concerts in the Park Series complete lineup, according to booker and promoter Jerry Perry is:

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 Manikins

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

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

June 25 – Mumbo Gumbo, Not An Airplane

July 2 – The New Humans, Sister Crayon, Chelsea Wolfe, (Sea Of Bees - pending)

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

Aug 6 – The Golden Cadillacs, Light Rail, Johnny “Guitar” Knox and Dave Croall with The Soothers

Aug 13 – The Brodys, The Phantom Jets, This Luxury

Photographs:

1: The Kelps - Courtesy of The Kelps

2: Dog Party - Courtesy of Dog Party

3: SIMPL3JACK - Courtesy of SIMPL3JACK

Jerry Perry Brings Haiti Relief and Sam Cooke to Old Ironsides

2010-01-28T03:52:21Z

Seven local musicians are getting together at Old Ironsides this Friday to not only pay tribute to music legend Sam Cooke but also help with the Haiti earthquake relief effort.

"Havin' a Party: A Tribute to Sam Cooke" was originally going to be just a show about Sam Cooke until concert organizer Jerry Perry saw the destruction in Haiti from the Jan. 12 earthquake. Perry decided to put on a benefit show to help.

"When things like this happen, we like to try to put together relief shows," said Perry, who also organized relief benefit concerts for Hurricane Katrina and Sept. 11.

"Whatever money we can raise through the door, we're going to take and give it to the Red Cross," he said.

The Haiti show was originally going to be on the night before the Sam Cooke tribute, but Perry decided to combine the two.

"I started to put something together, but it was ridiculous," he said. "There was a really good show on the Friday with a lot of bands on it."

The seven artist line-up is a stylistic mix, including The Visceral, Gillian Underwood, David Houston, Nancy Zoppi, Richard March, Four Eyes, The Inversions and Brian Rogers, who were all supportive of using their music to help with the disaster in Haiti.

"Performing at this benefit is an obvious way to show our support for those that are suffering and to share the message to our Haitian brothers and sisters that they are not alone and that people care about what is happening to them and their country," said Rob Klein of The Visceral.

There will not be any shortage of great songs, either.

Sam Cooke was a star in the late 1950s, with 29 Top 40 hits in his career. He was shot to death in 1964, and was known as a pioneer for soul music. He was posthumously awarded with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986. His hits include "Another Saturday Night," "You Send Me," and "Havin' a Party."

The show was originally pitched to Perry by The Inversions as a way to honor Cooke near his birth date of Jan. 22. Now it serves as a way for concert-goers to give to the Haiti earthquake relief effort.

Perry likes that idea, noting that Cooke was a civil rights activist.

"It just felt right attaching the Haiti relief show to this show, and using the music of Sam Cooke to raise money for the relief," Perry said.

Perry, who is a fan of Cooke and his songs, promises a good time.

"It's just going to be a night of great music," Perry said. "It started out to be a Sam Cooke tribute night, and ultimately at its core that's what it is."

"For those that choose to attend the show, be prepared to have a good time and leave a little bit of your heart in Haiti," Klein said.

"Havin' a Party: A Tribute to Sam Cooke" will be at Old Ironsides on Friday at 9 p.m., and there is a minimum donation of $8. Old Ironsides is located at 1901 10th St. in Sacramento. The show is for ages 21 and up.

The return of classic albums, live in Sacramento

2009-12-02T04:27:16Z

Since the advent of radio, MTV and the iPod, personalized playlists and hit singles have taken precedence over the once popular trend of listening to an album as a whole. A recent trend, however, seems to suggest that the album as an art form is coming back.

Last month, Steely Dan played a different classic album each night during three back-to-back concerts in San Francisco.

This month, Sacramento music fans will be able to hear three classic albums in their entirety: Wednesday, Todd Rundgren will play his 1973 album, A Wizard, A True Star at the Crest Theatre; Saturday, a handful of Sacramento bands will play The Clash's 1979 album London Calling at Old Ironsides; Saturday, Dec. 12, The Who-Dunnit will be playing The Who's 1969 rock-opera album, Tommy, at Marilyn's on K.

Rundgren never decided to play the album in its entirety. It was a promoter's idea, he said, in an interview with online newspaper LAist.

"Our promoter approached me with the idea of doing the album once, in London," he said. "By the time word of this got through the internet to all the fans, we wound up doing seven shows in five cities during the first 10 days or so of September. So it went from being a single special event to being a series of dates."

The album is notable for its experimentalism as well as a medley of soul songs, with covers of the Impressions, the Miracles, the Delphonics and the Capitols strung together. "Todd Rundgren becomes a wizard at playing that most complex of modern instruments, the recording studio," said Rolling Stone in a 1973 review.

The Clash's London Calling is known less for its progressive aspects than its eclecticism. The album covers ground from punk to reggae to pop, and yielded some rock classics, including "Train in Vain," "Spanish Bombs" and the title track.

"(London Calling) was beyond a political or protest album, it was just a great rock and roll album," said the concert's promoter Jerry Perry. "I was 15 when it came out. It was like my God. It was everything to me."

This will be the second show in as many years that Perry has put on with local bands covering an entire album. The first featured bands playing The Beatles' untitled album, commonly known as "the White Album."

Sacramento punk rock bands The Secretions and The No-Goodniks will be playing some of the raucous tunes like the title track and "Brand New Cadillac" while rockabilly band Stars and Garters and blues band The Kelps will offer a different take on the classic album. Other bands include Final Summation, Bastards of Young, Armed Forces Radio, Tom Knockoff, Broken Poet, I Scream on Sundae and The Storytellers.

After performing London Calling on Saturday, three or four bands will cover other Clash songs including "Clash City Rockers" and "Tommy Gun," Perry said.

Local band The Who-Dunnit have been playing The Who's music since 2006 and have recently recorded their first record, a cover album of The Who's Tommy.

"There are a lot of other bands who have been tributed: Journey, Led Zeppelin, but not The Who," said Rob Elmore, Who-Dunnit's bass player. "It's intense to play, it's such a challenge which makes it rewarding."

This concert will be the second time The Who-Dunnit play Tommy in its entirety, and the first time they've performed it in Sacramento. After a short break, the band plans to return for an encore, playing material from Who's Next and Quadrophenia.

Will there be a signature Who ending with guitar smashing? Elmore replied, "Yes. If the crowd is good."

Tickets for the Todd Rundgren show are $36.50-$73 and can be purchased here, the Crest box office or 1-800-225-2277. The Crest Theatre is located at 1013 K St. The show is Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.

"London Calling" will be played at 8 p.m. this Saturday. Tickets cost $8. Old Ironsides is located at the corner of 10th and S streets.

The Who-Dunnit will perform "Tommy" Saturday, Dec. 12 at 9 p.m. Tickets cost $10. Marilyn's on K is located at 908 K Street. The first 50 to enter receive a free CD of The Who-Dunnit's "Tommy."

Photos 1-3: The Who-Dunnit. Photo credit Jason Pryor.

'End of Summer Fest' canceled

2009-09-03T21:52:50Z

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 Award-winning punk band who have been together since 1991, were to headline the show.

Secretions' fans, also known as "Secretins," can still catch the band this Saturday night when they will be premiering their music video for "Back in the Day Punk." Click here for information on the all-ages show at the Shire Road Club (5525 Auburn Blvd.), which also includes Aroarah, Flip the Switch, The Phantom Jets and DJ Rob Fatal.

"I can't continue to lose money [because] attendance is down," Perry said. He noted that the California State Fair is going on at the same time, but the State Fair has also been suffering from low weekday attendance.

Perry originally thought the low attendance on the first End of Summer Fest show was due to the show being held on a Furlough Friday. But last week's show lost money due to a low turnout as well, he explained.

"I'm surprised that even a free event wouldn't draw a crowd," he said. "I don't know what it was -- the State Fair, furloughs, hot Fridays [or if] people thought the event was over."

Perry confirmed that he will definitely continue Concerts in the Park and End of Summer Fest next year, but he plans to make some changes. Though he did not specify changes, he explained that Furlough Fridays are supposed to end by June 2010, and that may drive up attendance.

The Nickel Slots, who were scheduled to headline next week's show (Sept. 11), are still scheduled to be playing next week at Old Ironsides as part of a CD release party for their self-titled debut album. Fans can celebrate the album release and view opening bands King Cab and Golden Shoulders for $7 (click for details).

Jackpot, scheduled to headline the Sept. 18 show, currently has no shows or other upcoming performances scheduled.

The Sacramento Press was an official media partner with End of Summer Fest.

Photographs credit Sonny Mayugba. Photographs: Kai Kln headline the inaugural End of Summer Fest show.

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: The Brodys bringing props to the plaza

2009-07-30T17:28:35Z

The Brodys bring more than musical instruments to their Concerts in the Park shows: They also bring props. They like to up the entertainment value of their shows by bringing a little something extra.

One year, they brought a fake 30-foot shark to go with a beach theme. Another year they brought in a Brodys cover band who played the band's instruments while the group listened from the beer garden.

Once, they brought the entire Cal Aggie Marching Band to play a song with them.

"Every year we raise the bar for ourselves; we can't just go back to showing up and playing," said The Brodys' lead singer Tony Brusca. "People coming out will get good music and chuckles, too."

This year they will spend a little extra money building a homemade set out of plywood and paint. "People will not be disappointed," Brusca said, though he did not add any details on what else the set included.

The Brodys will play their 13th Concert in the Park on Friday and will be the headlining band. Opening will be Goodness Gracious Me and The Broken Poet (click links for MySpace).

Goodness Gracious Me plays an indie-garage style rock, while The Broken Poet plays a mixture of piano-based rock.

The Brodys formed in Sacramento in 1994 as a pop-punk rock band. They released their debut album in 1996, playing a number of local shows to support it. In one standout show, they played Old Ironsides with Oleander and Matchbox 20. Then opportunity knocked.

They were invited to open for Cake at Concerts in the Park 12 years ago. Since then the five-piece has played Cesar Chavez Plaza almost 20 times.

"After Jerry [Perry, Concerts in the Park promoter] gave us the opportunity to open up for Cake, people knew who we were," Brusca said. "That [show] put us on the map."

Their 1998 album Goody Goody garnered positive reviews in The Sacramento Bee. Their regional hit "Toss," from an untitled EP released in 1999, was the most requested song on KWOD 106.5 for a month.

Success continued in December 1999 when they played Arco Arena with Incubus, Foo Fighters and 311. In 2001, the band's music was featured on an animated MTV show called "Undergrads."

But after their latest albums, Unexamined Life, 2001, and Stuck in 2005, the band had to change their pace. They were tired of sacrificing everything and making the band priority number one, Brusca said.

"We came to a crossroad where we needed to either reevaluate priorities or call it a day," Brusca explained. "We were a little bit older, some of the guys had families, and being in a local band trying to make it [big] is grueling."

The band decided to continue, but to tone back the schedule. That way the band could keep playing the music they loved while keeping day jobs and families.

"A lot of people ask us why we haven't made it like Cake, Oleander or Papa Roach -- the people around when we started who all made it," Brusca said. "[But] we consider ourselves as having made it."

The band still enjoys one another's company, he added, and have a local following of devoted fans.

"[If we were asked] to tour with Green Day next summer, we would think pretty closely about that, but those days are behind us," Brusca added. "Right now we're just enjoying jobs, kids and life."

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 courtesy The Brodys

Concerts in the Park season extended five weeks

2009-07-23T05:13:53Z

The season of free Friday evening concerts in Cesar Chavez Plaza at 10th and J streets in downtown Sacramento, a summer tradition, just got a bit longer.

Promoter Jerry Perry, who has been arranging the multi-act shows, all featuring local musicians, since 1997, just got permission from the city to extend the concerts another five weeks.

And this time, Perry will be in charge of the whole event, over the five-week series. Called “End of Summer Fest,” it will begin when the current series of concerts ends on Aug. 14.

“I’ve always felt that the season ends too soon,” he said by phone Tuesday. “But I was never completely in charge before.”

The shows are generally sponsored by the Downtown Partnership, with Perry in charge of booking the acts. Other sponsors chip in, and a popular beer garden underwrites the remainder of the cost.

The new series of five concerts, which begins on Aug. 21 and runs through Sept. 18, will be sponsored by The Sacramento Press. Other sponsors will be coming on board during the next few weeks, Perry said.

Artists already signed by Perry to perform during those five weeks are artists he couldn’t book during the original 15-week season, including Jackpot, Agent Ribbons, Shannon Curtis, Mike Farrell and a reunited Kai Kln. More artists will be announced shortly.

The concerts have proven popular, but producing them is still a huge effort, and a risky one at that. Perry says that the cost of putting on the show, with beer garden, food vendors, police, fire and health department inspectors and other costs total roughly $20,000 per week.

And although the shows are free, audiences wax and wane week to week, depending on weather, competing events, the timing of holidays, Furlough Fridays, and even last year’s wildfires, which led headliner Mumbo Gumbo to cancel.

This year, says Perry, “We got rained out one day and rained on two days. If it’s too cold, you don’t sell enough beer, if it’s too hot, people don’t come out. Last week was our lowest beer garden in a few years, I don’t know why. We got hit harder with the heat than anything. When it’s 105 degrees, people don’t want to come down to the park.”

Still, Perry says, being more in charge, while daunting, is allowing him to make a few changes he’s been wanting to make. One is to create a separate food court with tables, accessible only to those who buy food and want to sit down to eat it. He also says that problems with the beer lines have been eliminated.

With the enthusiastic support of the city – Perry says Tuesday’s approval of permits came in a mere seven minutes – the new End of Summer Fest seems likely to continue a tradition that is one of downtown Sacramento’s most popular.

But that doesn’t stop him from worrying.

“I think about the days getting shorter, is that going to affect turnout?” he says. “But I want to take it further, see where we can go with this. It is one of the things that defines downtown Sacramento in summer.”

Local restaurant Jim-Denny’s celebrates 75th anniversary Saturday

2009-05-18T07:21:02Z

“These guys are nuts. I really hope no one throws up. Care for some hamburger with your water?” I thought to myself as I watched eight men sitting in a row, stuffing Jim-Denny’s half-pound hamburgers down their throats, one of who proceeded to dip his half-eaten burger and patty into a cup of water between bites.

On the stage behind them stood the emcee, Sacramento's local music guru Jerry Perry, with a mic in hand, watching with everyone else to see who would clean his plate first.

Pedro Alarcon won the Jim-Denny’s superburger-eating contest at 3 minutes and 41 seconds. Perry handed him a T-shirt for his accomplishment and suggested the rest of the men take their leftovers home. Then the party continued—the 75th Jim-Denny’s anniversary celebration, that is.

Even in the blazing heat, the landmark hamburger joint drew an impressive crowd Saturday to celebrate its many years of feeding Sacramento, providing $3 breakfast and lunch buffets along with a beer garden and live entertainment.

Anyone patient enough to wait in the long buffet lines indulged in Jim-Denny's favorites such as "tiny Jim" pancakes, scrambled eggs and bacon for breakfast, and hamburgers and hot dogs for lunch. Locals and non-locals, regulars and new customers alike showed up throughout the day. The restaurant's co-owner of more than four years, Patsy Lane, said she had never worked with such a wide variety of customers.

Restaurant patrons such as Lee Innocenti, who said he's been eating at Jim-Denny's for 10 years, and Mike Newcomer, who said he'd been eating at the restaurant since 1985 when Denny supposedly still owned the place, were among regulars who came to the event.

While looking for attendees as old or older than the establishment itself, Perry found 86-year-old Scotty Harper from West Sacramento, who surprisingly said he had never eaten at Jim-Denny's before in his life.

Aside from hamburger-eating contests and buffets, bicycle motocross stunts and live music also entertained the crowd throughout the day.

Sacramento’s 2-year-old Cap City BMX stunt team showed off its unique talent before lunch, with riders balancing on their bike pegs as they twirled and flipped their bikes on the asphalt.

The music lineup included bands such as Ol' Cotton Dreary, the Tattooed Love Dogs, the Regulars and the recently formed, young brother/sister duo, Who and the What Now.

Ol' Cotton Dreary even performed a song dedicated to the restaurant, singing a chorus that went something like, "You don't need teeth to eat all meat...Jim-Denny's."

Well-fed and entertained, people lounged beneath umbrella-covered tables and tents late into the afternoon.

Lane, appearing exhausted yet happy by the time she finally had a chance to sit down after the lunch rush, said all the proceeds from the event would go toward an outdoor patio for the restaurant.

Yet another day of serving Sacramento was accomplished-—long live Jim-Denny's.

For a preview article written about the event, see: http://www.sacramentopress.com/headline/7681/JimDennys_celebrates_75th_anniversary

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.