The latest Broadway Sacramento show “Rain: A Tribute to The Beatles” opened to a nearly sold out house at the Sacramento Community Theater Tuesday evening. “Rain: A Tribute to The Beatles” opens with archival film of the Beatles’ first appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show” projected on two large screens flanking the stage. As the curtain rises, the band breaks into a set of the earliest Beatles music. The audience breaks into screams. This is followed by a set of more early music timed to the Beatles’ Aug. 15, 1965, Shea Stadium concert. The two large screens, plus a much larger screen at the back of the stage, and some props and lighting effects set the scene very well. It is still inte

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 do

Before we get into this week’s happenings, a quick observation from this weekend’s Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival in San Francisco: Jackie Greene just continues to get better and better. It really doesn’t seem like that long ago that the wiry young singer in his early twenties was our “next big thing” here in Sacramento, when he was playing regular gigs at Harlow’s and the Torch Club – but doesn’t every town have their own soon-to-fade “next big thing” going at pretty much all times. But now, here he is, playing a main-stage closing spot at a festival that drew an estimated 600,000 people. We tried to tag him as “the next Dylan” or stuff him into the bluesman category, but give Jack

It was 9:00 am when I got the call. “Sonny, it’s Abe. Hey, you want to play guitar for a session with Brian Wheat and me? The session is around noon today. We’re doing a Lennon song and it would be great if you could do it. I’d really appreciate it.” Hmmm, let me think for a second. Play guitar at a fancy recording studio with multi-platinum Grammy-winning rock star Gods or sit in front of a computer at work. Hmmmmm, tough choice. “I’d be honored,” I told Abe. That was how I came to be a part of creating this rendition of John Lennon’s classic reaction to the Vietnam war, Happy Xmas (War Is Over). So this is Christmas And what have you done Another year over And a new one just begun O