Joe Mazzaferro, Sacramento native and jazz educator, started the idea for an open-jam session in 2007. Originally, the night was held at Capitol Garage Grill where a solid group of about fifteen students attended the session. Many of the original group graduated and the Capitol Garage venue did not extend support when numbers decreased. Instead, the jam moved to a more inviting atmosphere at the Naked Lounge downtown. ‘”The Naked Lounge has a more intimate, club vibe. They want to support what we are trying to do,” Mazzaferro said. The new location better supports the original purpose for the session. “It is a steady place to go play. People look forward to hanging out with the other mus

  In the mood for a low-country Regina Spektor-meets-Jimmy Buffett-on-whiskey act followed by a Dave Matthews crossed with a beached-out Buddy Holly number? Well, you can... this coming Tuesday, November 8 at the Naked Lounge in downtown Sacramento (1111 H St.), starting at 8:30. This all ages show features two of California's up-and-coming, on-the-scene singer-songwriters, Jo Elless (www.joelless.com) and Mike Macchia & Tyler Canaday (Mike's Lost and Found, http://www.youtube.com/TheMikeMacchia). Midwest and northeastern roots, with a little dixie thrown in for good measure, Jo Elless is a Berklee-trained multi-instrumentalist who arranges her songs for wind orchestra (all of the instru

Nothing beats the rich aroma of a fresh cup of coffee while you settle into a deep armchair, ready to conquer the territories of essays, math problems and debates that students face each semester or quarter. There are dozens of coffee shops splashed across Sacramento, and The Sacramento Press put together a list of reliable study havens. A delicious and caffeinated beverage, free Wi-Fi and a welcoming space are the characteristics The Sacramento Press looked for on the hunt for Sacramento study spots. Old Soul at Weatherstone 812 21st St. 443-6340 Hours: Monday through Sunday 6 a.m. - 11 p.m. Free Wi-Fi: Yes Old Soul at Weatherstone is located in an early 20th-century brick building

Norcal Noisefest 2011, Sacramento's fifteenth annual gathering of experimental musicians and noise artists, returns this week for a six-day noise marathon featuring over 50 performers from across the continent. Starting on Wednesday September 28 and running every day until Monday October 3, this year's Noisefest has expanded in both time and space: on Thursday night, simultaneous shows will occur in both Sacramento and San Francisco, followed by an on-air Noisefest performance on KDVS, 90.3 FM, in Davis. All other performances take place in Sacramento--at the Naked Lounge downtown, the Geery Theatre in Midtown, Luna's Cafe, and Sol Collective at the edge of Curtis Park. Noise is difficul

Sacramento’s outdoor summer concert scene is growing, as 40-year old Chris Pendarvis, owner of Naked Lounge and Orphan, is adding the Oak Park Concert Series in McClatchy Park. It’s added to a lineup that includes Concerts in the Park at Cesar Chavez Plaza, Curtis Park’s Music in the Park at the end of June and Friday’s kickoff of Pops in the Park in McKinley Park. The organizers of the free Oak Park Concert Series said they hope to revitalize one of Sacramento’s oldest neighborhoods and make use of the hidden treasures in McClatchy Park. Throughout the summer months, beginning on June 18, Oak Park Productions and Naked Coffee will host performances on one Saturday every month through S

Sacramento has long been a treasure trove for indie music. Mixing classic late-1990’s post-grunge  rock and pop, The Resurrection Men’s self-titled EP solidifies the band’s appeal to a hip, mainstream audience, and proves that indie music is no longer solely the refuge of too-cool-for-school hipsters. Opening with “Seroquel,” The Resurrection Men boldly blend rapid-fire vocals with a melodic weave of driving aural bliss. The strong drumming, matched with catchy guitar riffs, makes this fast-paced song an instant attention grabber. Slowing it down a bit with “Disappointed,” lead singer Lucky Calloway delivers deep, soulful lyrics, reminiscent of pre-ballad foreshadowing tracks recorded b

It’s hard to say if the ol’ Rundown screening process is easier or harder when there’s a lot going on – but Lord have mercy, is it a big week here in Sactown! And it’s not just this week either. In addition to last Saturday’s Ra Ra Riot show selling out (as has Friday’s Goapele show), has anyone else noticed that the calendar of concerts at Harlow’s has gone completely berserk in the last couple weeks. Just look at some of the names on deck: Kaki King, ALO, Murder by Death, North Mississippi Allstars, Truth & Salvage Co., Zach Deputy, Young the Giant and Rocky Votolato, just to name a few. There’s one more that’s not listed: G. Love & Special Sauce make their return on April 13. Stay tun

A film crew has been shooting footage inside Naked Lounge, The Shady Lady and Clubhouse 56. The film, “Untitled,” is a collaboration between two Ink Eats & Drinks employees. Theater director Anthony D’Juan Shelton directed the film, and Celia Crain, co-wrote and co-produced it. Nanci Zoppi (New Helvetia Theatre’s “It’s Only Life,” “Tick, Tick…BOOM!” and “Hedwig and The Angry Inch” and “Graham-A-Rama”) plays Angelica De Grassi, a rising singer and the film’s main character. Zoppi and Shelton previously worked together for an Actor’s Theatre of Sacramento production of “Othello.” “Untitled” will be both Shelton’s and Zoppi’s film debut. Shleton said he wanted to make a film about a huma

The Naked Lounge, at 11th and H, opened its music venue last month with a bang. Since February, the locally-owned coffee shop has been serving joe from it's newest downtown location in the Retrolodge. But after fitting a stage and about 50 seats into the space next door and adding beer and music to the menu, it's now turned into Sacramento's newest late night destination. The Golden Cadillacs rocked a packed house on Oct. 15, and has since earned a spot as the venue's house band, a regularly appearing act. Saturday, Oct. 24, Chicago singer-songwriter Joe Pug and Davis musician Katie Jane performed. About 8 p.m., beer bottles began clanking in the darkened room as 25 people settled in f

The name sounds misleading, eliciting imagery of "Little Orphan Annie," or playful puns from Charles Dickens' novel "Oliver Twist". But the food served at Orphan is absolutely no joke.  Chris Pendarvis, owner of Naked Lounge and Naked Coffee in Sacramento, opened his new restaurant on Sept 28.  "Coffee is very competitive," Pendarvis said. "I wanted to move forward on a different level, and round out the Naked Coffee business. We certainly now have all morning needs covered." Orphan is located across the Cannery Business Park in East Sacramento. The space has already been used as a restaurant over the years, Moxie Jr. initially, then the more recent Sapor and Soprattutto Salumeria & Ris

The Naked Lounge is ready to turn it up a notch. On Oct. 15 at their Downtown location on the corner of H and 11th streets, the coffee shop will roll-up their garage doors for an all ages music venue.   "We opened this coffee house in February," said Jenn Fox, General Manager.  "We never wanted music inside the coffeehouse, we focus just on coffee. But then we got to thinking ... it's already next door, it's a great space, let's do a venue."  Over the next few months, the Naked Lounge music venue quickly started to form. The rented space, known as "Retrolodge," is aptly named after the Astro and Elroy motels. The style for both motels was modeled after the 1950s and 60s Palm Springs loo

It's that time of year again - time for "Best Restaurants," brought to you by Sacramento Magazine. After reading the readers' picks for each category, it made me wonder whether the results would be different for readers of The Sacramento Press. Our focus has been primarily on events and coverage of things in the Grid, whereas Sacramento Magazine covers a larger demographic including the suburbs. There were four categories that stood out to me in Sacramento Magazine's Best Restaurants: Best Burrito, Best Pizza, Best Burger and Best Coffeehouse. I live in the Grid and therefore have my own biases about restaurants that live in Downtown and Midtown. I prefer restaurants in this area to tho

One of the most well-known hotspots in midtown Sacramento is undoubtedly the Naked Lounge on Q Street. Now, as of last week, downtowners can enjoy the same Naked proximity with the newly opened Naked Lounge located at the corner of 11th and H. True to its name, Naked Lounge on H Street also gets its coffee from Naked Roasting on 36th and Broadway. "We roast all of our coffee and espresso; whatever coffee, we only serve one particular coffee at a time, and then our decaf," says Naked Lounge barista Justin Short. "We do it all at 36th and Broadway." "We work really hard to keep the coffee consistent, so that people know they're getting good coffee no matter what," he adds. But that's wher