They already serve espresso ranked in quality the best two percent of the top ten percent of the world’s coffee, and now the Naked Lounge has also been dishing out a fair share of awesome talent, as well, in their recently opened Downtown Venue. With shows Thursday through Sunday, there’s a good chance you’re somewhere near this coffeeshop on one of those nights and there is no reason not to pay a minimal cover charge to hear one of these bands. It’s a place to have a beer and meet some interesting people, even if you only talk to the personable staff, some of whom you can also see performing on stage. Admittedly I’m here to promote my girlfriend’s show to be held on April 23, which is fa

Get ready for the 22nd Annual Winter Wine & Food Fest benefiting the Make-A-Wish Foundation® on Saturday, January 30, 2010 at the Sacramento Convention Center. This premiere food & wine event will once again showcase over 60 exceptional local restaurants and food purveyors and 60 of the finest wineries and top area microbreweries. The general admission tasting and extensive silent auction begins at 5:00 p.m. and continues until 7:30 p.m. Live music will be provided by the Over The Edge Band. For an additional cost, the evening continues on with a special VIP Program that also includes an exclusive live wine auction and runs from 7:45 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. The event is attended by more than

Sacramento jazz band, Counter Intelligence, just announced two new shows in Sacramento. The first show will be on Thursday, January 7, 2010 at Oshima Sushi, Natomas, Ca. The band will play from 6-9:30 p.m. The second show is at Revolution Wines in mid-town Sacramento. The band will play from 6:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. Counter Intelligence is a Sacramento based instrumental jazz band. The band has four members: Mark Buchholtz, keyboardist; James Radkins on electric bass; Joe Poteet, drummer and; E.J. Koford playing the flute and saxophone. Counter Intelligence has a history of playing songs ranging from classical jazz titles to blues and funk. The flute and saxophone add an interesting twis

The crowd screamed louder with anticipation Wednesday night at Harlow's as X took the stage in front of a packed house. For a band that hasn't released a new album with original material in over four years and hasn't performed in Sacramento for over two years, the crowd surprisingly sang along to most songs. For over an hour, including an encore, singer Exene Cervenka, singer-bassist John Doe, guitarist Billy Zoom and drummer B.J. Bonebrake performed over 15 songs from their albums including two Christmas songs, Jingle Bells and Santa Claus. Fans from all over Sacramento came for the X show. Sacramentan Craig Russell has seen X countless times beginning in the early 1980s when he lived i

This is it... Sacramento's hottest party of the season is happening tonight! With all this party has to offer, it truly is an extravagant affair that will NOT disappoint. If you don't have a ticket yet, buy it now! 23rd Annual Christmas Party Extravaganza to benefit Diogenes Youth Services TONIGHT Thursday, December 17, 2009 7:30pm - 11:30pm Show: 8:30pm Niello Audi Dealership 2350 Auburn Blvd., Sacramento Tickets: $60 in advance, $75 at the door Buy Tickets Online ***Formal attire please*** FEATURING: Live Music by Utz! and the Shuttlecocks, covering decade hits from artists like Madonna, Dr. Dre, The Killers, and J.T. Gourmet food provided by local restaurants Tuli, Zocalo, Kru, Rail

Few concert experiences are as moving as those for live classical music. An orchestra can fill even the largest venue with clear trebles and thundering bass. The Sacramento Philharmonic is no exception. Thanks in part to sponsorships by the National Endowment for the Arts, Target and the Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the Sacramento Philharmonic is putting on a first-time venture of five nights in a row of free neighborhood concerts. The first show in the series was Thursday night at the Benvenuti Performing Arts Center in Natomas. Though the venue could hold many more, about 75 children, parents and couples laughed at two playful introductory pieces before intermission, followed by the

Here are some of the concerts and music events happening this weekend and next week in the Sacramento area. For more detailed information on these events and many more go to the www.eMusiConnect.com homepage. Get out and enjoy!! Concerts & Music Events This Week: Through SUN 1/3: St Rose of Lima Park Holiday Carnival includes daily carnival games, rides, food, and live music & entertainment. Admission is $7Gen/$6 Under12. More information on www.Downtownsac.org/carnival. FRI & SAT Sacramento Gay Men’s Chorus presents Alleluia at All Saints Episcopal Church on 2076 Sutterville Road in Sacramento. Concert at 8PM $12ADV/$15Door FRI: Sacramento Philharmonic presents A Soldier’s Tale at Gui

"The smokehouse is open — keep on smoking," boomed a low voice from a vendor at Smokehouse Specialties, one of the six rib teams participating in the seventh annual Rhythm and Ribs festival this weekend at Raley Field. "We do a lot more than just baseball," said Nick Lozito, coordinator for the Sacramento River Cats Baseball Club. "We try to use the stadium year-round, especially after the baseball season has ended, to host fun family events, like Rhythm and Ribs." The Rhythm and Ribs festival, sponsored by the California Correctional Peace Officers Association, pits regional rib teams against each other for a chance to win the People's Choice Award of tastiest ribs. Festival-goers can s

For those folks who have a passion for music and a tendency to root for the underdog, the Guild Theater will offer a unique experience in commemorating a four-stringed instrument that has more than served its time outside of the spotlight: the ukelele. Rock That Uke, a documentary on the mystical allure of the ukulele and its gradual evolution into the mainstream music world, features artists such as Camaig de Forest, Sounds from a Random House, Janet Klein, as well as many others. The film will be shown on both Friday and Sunday night at 7 p.m., with a live performance by Ukulele Loki's Gadabout Orchestra beginning at 8 p.m. following Friday's showing. Academy Award-winner Holly Hunter

The weather looks like it will be nice, and I know the music will be great - this will be Sacramentos own Kate Gaffney's "triumphant return", as this will be her 1st show after a 3 month tour, Steve Randall will be accompanying her (Steve is such a great guitarist!) - Please come welcome her back, enjoy the heapin' hospitality of all at the Ridge - there is no charge for the show, Happy Hour runs 'till 7 - great food, great atmosphere, easy access...... - win, win, win! - I hope to see there - as always... Keep Smilin' Party on the Porch, as Kate Gaffney Returns!  Ridge Golf Course & Bar and Grill Address: 2020 Golf Course Rd City: Auburn State: CA, 95602 Event Time 6:30 to 9:30 Contact

Although many of the events this weekend do not really reflect the true meaning of the foundation of this holiday, there are still some great things to do! Whatever your plan is this weekend, do take a moment to reflect on what Memorial Day is about and be thankful for our fellow Americans who put their lives on the line for the sake of our country. Just in case you aren't sure as to what Memorial Day is all about and why it is a National Holiday, here is the definition from Wikipedia: "Formerly known as Decoration Day, Memorial Day commemorates U.S. men and women who died while in the military service. First enacted to honor Union soldiers of the American Civil War (it is celebrated near

On April 18, 2009, R5 Records will be having a huge record swap for the internationally celebrated Record Store Day! Record Store Day is a day where hundreds of independently owned record stores celebrate the art of music. When R5 Records had their celebration last year, over 1,000 people showed up to see tons of local bands play and to get their hands on some awesome music paraphernalia. This year we will once again have a huge lineup of local bands and DJs that are going to be playing great music all day long. Inside the store EVERYTHING is going to be on sale and you'll have a chance to find some awesome stuff in in the Rock n' Roll garage sale we're having. There's also going to be rec

Week 14: April 6-12, What have you got for us?! Better be good... Monday 4.6 Class: Nutrition and Cancer Survival: An evening with Marlene Marcello-McKenna If you or someone you know has been touched by Cancer, you may want to hear what this woman has to say.Marlene Marcello-McKenna is a nutritional consultant and educator. She is also the author of When Hope Never Dies. Marlene is a 23-year cancer survivor of malignant melanoma. Her extraordinary road back to health has baffled the medical establishment. The National Cancer Institute has researched her recovery and decided that further study was warranted, i.e., The Best Case Series of Macrobiotic Survivors. A guest on TV and radio,

Week 13: March 31-April 5 So after a few weeks of experimenting with this Storyline, I’ve decided to tweak things around a bit. Quandary: My initial concept of highlighting an event a day was in response to those flighty and exasperated comments like: “There’s nothing interesting going on in Sacramento” or even more so the: “There’s nothing to do on Mondays (or any other day of the week that doesn’t seem to offer anything new)”. 7 Days, 7 things to do was my attempt to address this boring complaint of the non-creative, unimaginative types. Not to say that I haven’t been there myself! Don’t get me wrong. It wasn’t until I started to get out a little bit that I really became aware of the

This Wednesday April Fools Day, SBL Entertainment and Marilyn’s on K will be presenting a wonderful and special evening of music. The Waybacks will be playing a rare club gig, which is almost sure to provide a great time for all who choose to attend. To categorize the Waybacks is tough, their unique sound is cross-genre as well as cross- generational. While surely not for everyone, (the Metal or Hip Hop crowd may not put this on their must see list), most others would & should. Fans of Americana, Jam Band, Folk, Country (Real Country), Rock-n-Roll, Swing, New Orleans Jazz, Jazz Jazz, Blues, Bluegrass, Funk and / or a few other styles will want to attend. The Waybacks are a 4 piece band th

I see the Sacramentopress as a great resource, that hopefully will spread beyond the boundaries of the fine city for which it is named after.  Just as I often come down to enjoy the many opportunities offered by Sacramento, conversely I hope many in the city  flatlands will take the time to head up the hill, to enjoy some of the opportunities available in the Foothills.  From time to time, I hope to shed some light on some activities, events etc.  This weekend rain or shine would be a great time to come on up.  One event in particular has a special interest to me, as I am helping to put it on!  Saturday, The Ridge Golf Course and Bar & Grill 2020 Golf Course Way, Auburn CA 95602 (530-888-

Thanks to my 14 year old son Patrick's pleading & my passion to partake in live music, he my wife & I headed down to San Francisco last Saturday (2/28) to take in a show featuring Hank III (The grandson of the late great Hank Williams), along with openers "Those Poor Bastards".  What a great evening of fun, family & live music!  The show was held at a new venue to me;  the Regency Grand Ballroom, which is a wonderful spot near the Civic Center area, on Van Ness Avenue.  The hall is one of those old school S.F treasures, a beautiful room, wood floors, high onamental ceilings & walls,  chandeliers & a warm feeling that is hard to explain, but immediatly understood.  There is a perimeter bal

Who has a copy of Kate Gaffney at The Torch Club?  Where can I hear the Dead's 1981 New Years Shows?  Blockbuster doesn't carry my favorite movie "Attack of the Killer Leeches" where do I go?  Quick where can I find a copy of Householders and Landers paper "Mathematical biophysics of the central nervous system"?  These are questions one might find themselves asking themselves, and thanks to the "Internet Archives" ( www.archive.org ) there is now a one stop location that answers these questions and countless more.  Questions you didn't even know you needed to ask! This is what the Archives have to say about themselves: "The Internet Archive is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that was founded to bu

Thursday, Jan. 22, the band Pepper played a show at Empire. Pepper is originally from Hawaii now based out of LA, they have a sound and feel similar to Sublime and Red Hot Chili Peppers. The show was a 16 and over concert venue. The first thing I noticed walking up to Empire was all the high schoolers hiding in the shadows downing coke bottles full of alcohol. I arrived about 2 hours after the show actually started and the line was short and moved quickly after a brief frisking by the staff. Passafire was playing as I entered and I quickly made a bee-line for the bar on the first floor with a good view of the stage. I ordered a vodka-cranberry. It cost $6 and was very weak. To ensure my

 I recently wrote a piece on the "Death of the Record Store." I was very impressed by the amount of feedback that the article received, be it in the Sacramento Press, via email or in person. Inevitably the conversation led to fond memories about fun times and good music. I was reminded particularly of the live music experiences I've had. Along with the demise of too many record stores, I contend there is a serious lacking in the quality and quantity of live music available today, especially in the smaller to mid-size venues, and towns. While the experience of a big Grateful Dead show in Oakland was always a fun time, the smaller, more intimate performances of a Jerry Garcia Band show at