Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "nightlife"

Valentine's Weekend Events in Sacramento

2012-02-09T20:29:23Z

Looking for a special way to turn your Valentine’s Day into a memorable holiday? There are myriad options out there, but here are a few highlights for the upcoming weekend:

For the foodie (Fri & Sat 6pm): Let GrubCrawlUSA's Pre-Valentine's Sexy Singles Mingle & Consensual Couples Crawl take you on a taste-tastic tour of Sacramento's finest dining spots. Whether you’re single or paired up, there’s a spot for you—Friday is aimed toward singles & Saturday to couples (so, presumably, if you find someone on Friday you can make a return tour on Saturday!).

For the single lady (Fri 9pm): Stroll Now 100.5’s Mile of Men at The Park Ultra Lounge and take your pick from the area's most eligible bachelors. Stay for the afterparty and get your photo snapped in the photobooth manned by Nicholas Wray.

For the sporty sort (Sat 7am): Rise & shine Saturday morning and get your jog on at Race for Justice: 9th Annual Valentine Run, which begins from Country Club Plaza. This fun run has a kids' race component, plus a costume contest for dogs & humans alike!

For the musical type (Sat 10pm): Make your way to Vega's Nightclub & Sports Bar this Saturday night for Valentine's Heartbreak Hotel. Not only you will you enjoy live music by Barrel Fever and the Fortunite Few, you'll also get to see a live burlesque show and participate in a free pin-up photoshoot by Bad Bones Photography.

For the animal lover (Sun 10am-4pm): Head over to the Sacramento Zoo Sunday afternoon for I Heart Sacramento Zoo and watch the animals receive their Valentines, plus participate in informative talks and peruse activity tables.

For the anti-Valentine (Sun 7:30pm): Movies on a Big Screen notes that around Valentine's Day, they like to screen "some kind of movie that might make your date a little uncomfortable with your idea of romance." This Sunday evening, they feature the 1923 silent classic The Hunchback of Notre Dame, which, they claim, is a romantic movie (if you remove all of the violence, murder, mayhem, and obsession, that is).

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Find more detail on these events along with many more at Sacramento365.com, the year-round source for Sacramento events.

Disclosure: Written by Sacramento365.com Assistant Editor, Alison Kranz

"Where We're Born" - Solid Ensemble Brings Big Talent to Small Space

2012-02-06T03:57:09Z

Where we’re born is more than a location, it’s part of who we are.

Where We’re Born, the stage play by Lucy Thurber, is a strikingly simple and honest look at a young woman’s struggle with life change, the desire to and difficulty of leaving the comfort of your home and history—however hurtful it may have been. It is not a story, but a more like a series of snapshots taken during the course of a few days when the relationships and potentially, lives of three people are forever altered.

The catalyst for all of this is Lilly (Jessicah Neufeld), on a quasi-vacation from college. She arrives back in the small Western Massachusetts hill town she calls home just as a domestic crisis is unfolding between her cousin, Tony, (Brian Harrower) and his girlfriend, Franky (Kelley Ogden), but rather than creating a welcome diversion, she unleashes unexpected drama of her own.

The cast of five, under the direction of Lisa Thew, gives solid individual performances, as well as performing keenly and comfortably as an ensemble.

Harrower gives an especially subtle, but emotional and compelling interpretation of Tony, a guy who spends most of his time drinking beer, smoking pot, playing pool, and listening to rock and roll with his best buddies, but also has a deep-seated need to keep all of the women in his life happy.

David Chernyavsky and John Gregory Young round out the cast as Tony’s ever-present pals.

Ooley’s is a little-known theater, intimate, but more than adequate. KOLT Run Creations makes good use of the space, and there isn’t a bad seat in the house. Even the concessions are notable, provided by Num Nums, homemade for each performance and chosen specifically for each show. (Lime mini-cupcakes: To. Die. For.)

Having just seen another local show earlier in the week, it was impossible not to compare and contrast the quality of the productions. The lead actress in the previous show tripped over numerous lines (more than a week into the run) and--along with others in the cast--over the area rug that kept flipping up throughout the show.

Not fatal mistakes, but distracting flaws.

When the lights came up at the end of Where We’re Born, my guest and I turned to each other and marveled that two hours had already passed.

That’s a rare and excellent entertainment experience.

If only there’d been more people there to share it.

Where We’re Born, February 3rd-26th. Ooley Theater, 2007 28th Street (near T Street). Fridays and Saturdays at 8PM; Sundays, February 19th and 26th at 2 PM. koltruncreations.com or (916) 454-1500. This production contains adult content.

Punch Line Teaching Us to Laugh at Ourselves

2012-02-03T05:12:22Z

“Laugh at yourself first before anyone else can.”

Sure, those words were written over five decades ago by gossip columnist Elsa Maxwell, but they still ring true in every comedy club today.

The ten talented comedians who performed at the Punch Line Comedy Club Wednesday night showed how self-depreciation can be one of the most entertaining elements of the show.

Stand-up comedians are notorious for having the gift of somehow making all things taboo sound hilarious, and there certainly was no shortage of racial insults and sexual innuendos directed at each other as well as the audience members. A few of them poked fun at a friendly couple sitting up front who shared that they had been dating for 43 years. The comedians used the fact that they have never been married (and just about everything else they said) as goofy improvisational material.

Many of the performers were African-American and were having a great time referencing racial stereotypes as they celebrated the beginning of Black History Month.

Tristan Johnson talked about growing up in a rough gang neighborhood and referred to himself as "hoodie-two-shoes."

The very animated Andre Bailey took the stage afterward and focused more of his jokes on cigarettes and weed. He sent out a humorous plea for the audience to pray for him in his endeavor to quit smoking marijuana and mentioned one of his recent conversations with God. "Father, as soon as you stop growing it, I quit!"

Eight more witty and vulgar men (including host Lance Woods) and women took the stage to share odd pieces of their lives that most, if not all, patrons in the room found hysterical.

The show included everything from Daniel Humberger taking pride in what he called ”high-brow toilet humor: poop jokes that make you think" and his ideas for chloroform towelettes, to Gina Ritter sharing her recent dating and sexual adventures and her disdain for large mustaches.

"I would rather give CPR to a dead ferret than kiss someone with a Tom Selleck mustache," she giggled.

Each and every comedian had something clever and unique to add to the show. Steve Danner, the only little person at the event, said he could beat Black History Month with December, which is the official month for little people as well as breast cancer awareness.

"What puts more smiles on peoples' faces than dwarves and boobies?" he asked.

With every jab they made at each other and themselves, they seemed to also promote a sense of mutual respect and admiration.

Seems that laughing at oneself makes everyone laugh right along with you.

Getting Righteous at Thunder Valley

2012-01-30T01:30:28Z

Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame member and legendary Righteous Brother Bill Medley brought a crew of extremely talented individuals to Thunder Valley Casino Resort Friday, including daughter McKenna.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Righteous Brothers. The second half of the duo, Bobby Hatfield, died of a heart attack back in 2003; Medley now tours with the 3 Bottle Band and McKenna.

Kicking off the show was a video showing Medley as he made appearances in various shows throughout his career, including the David Letterman Show and the hit television series, Cheers. As the video ended, Medley started to sing “A Song for You” while he was still offstage. After about a minute he started to make his way to the stage, providing for a nice dramatic entrance.

71 year old Medley’s voice has taken a beating over the years. While sounding coarser and a bit rough at times, he was able to make it work. The audience was enthralled with Medley from the start as he continued with “Ready, Willing and Able” and “Soul and Inspiration.” In between songs he would talk about life and joke with the crowd.

For his hit song, “Time of My Life,” from the movie “Dirty Dancing,” Medley brought out McKenna to perform Jennifer Warnes’ part. McKenna did an awesome job and has a very melodic voice with a bit of a country/blues flavor.

McKenna went on to perform solo, singing “Silk Flowers” and “Give Me One Reason.” When McKenna completed her set, Medley sat down at the keyboards and called on band member Bob Gulley to sing some songs with him and McKenna. This is where Medley shined, providing the audience a glimpse of what it’s like to jam with the best.

3 Bottle Band has been playing together with Medley for over 35 years, and it shows. This is a very talented group of musicians including Gabe Rabben (drums), Bob Gulley (bass), Tim Lee (keyboards) and Larry Hanson (lead guitar). Also a member of the band is America’s Got Talent winner Michael Grimm. However, Grimm was not present at Friday’s show.

Saturday: Verge Ahead into 2012

2012-01-19T20:28:22Z

Verge Center for the Arts has remained a consistent hub of creativity for Sacramento since they first opened their doors as a private art gallery in 2009. In 2010 they expanded into their current space—a 22,000 square foot warehouse in Downtown Sacramento—and organized as a nonprofit. Now home to 30 resident studio artists, plus extensive gallery and event space, Verge continues their mission of exposing Sacramento to the contemporary art and artists of the region.

2011 was a particularly big year for Verge. Among many other achievements, they had a more-than-successful Kickstarter campaign ($9,165 raised on a $7,500 goal!), won the First Place award of the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission and Sacramento Region Community Foundation’s Arts Innovation Fund, and Executive Director Liv Moe was named Arts Executive of the Year at the Arts & Business Council’s “Prelude to the Season” event.

This Saturday, celebrate Verge’s 2011 successes and help them “Verge Ahead” into 2012 at the “Verge Ahead Success Party” (6pm-Midnight at Verge, 625 S Street, Sacramento). If you have yet to check out this innovative local arts spot, there’s no better time than this!

In addition to exploring the studios of resident artists, you’ll be able to play “Art Golf” (each hole is specially designed by a Verge artist, and be sure to try for a hole-in-one at the Sac365 hole!), get your photo taken at the photobooth for instant sharing of the fun on your social media networks, see live performances by a multitude of bands (Mom, Christine Shields, Fine Steps, Gentleman Surfer, and Ganglians), and dance the night away to tunes spun by DJ Scott Soriano and DJ Hailey. If that’s not enough, arts collective Future Art Notables will take over the temporary gallery with their installation “Assorted Spaces”, which allows viewers to walk among the pieces, fully immersing themselves in the art.

And, don’t worry, tasty beer is provided for the evening by local brewers Ruhstaller, as well as coffee from Insight Coffee Roasters (each $15 ticket includes two refreshments!). Plus, receive free giveaways throughout the night, and a little something extra if you're among the first 50 to arrive.

Come enjoy this soiree and celebrate Sacramento’s burgeoning arts community.

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Find more detail on this event along with many more at Sacramento365.com, the year-round source for Sacramento events.

Disclosure: Written by Sacramento365.com Assistant Editor, Alison Kranz

Sometimes All It Takes Is One

2012-01-18T18:21:18Z

The first question presented to the panel was "What does Sacramento have that other cities don't have, and what don't we have?", and with that, the passionate discussion about 'The State of Live Music in Sacramento' was off and running. It was one question that fueled one-and-a-half hours of enthusiastic discussion.

On Sunday evening The Sacramento Living Library (curated by Time Tested Books' Peter Keat and hosted by Midtown Monthly Editor Tim Foster) brought together five notable Sacramento music industry insiders to talk about music, politics, venues, history, and demographics. Jerry Perry (legendary Sacramento promoter), Brian McKenna (Abstract Entertainment), Rick Ele (KDVS), Mindy Giles (Swell Productions), and Olivia Coelho (Bows & Arrows), comprised the panel of promoters with Dennis Yudt (contributing writer for Midtown Monthly), acting as moderator. Among the audience members were other promoters, musicians and many, many fans.

Addressing the packed house, the one and only Jerry Perry picked up his mic and responded to the query knowledgeably and passionately, "First of all, Sacramento has the bands, bands that other cities don't have." Certainly Sacramento's music scene has had its ups and downs, but one thing that hasn't changed over time is the fact that there are an impressive array of really, really talented people in this city. Everyone on the panel nodded in agreement with Jerry's succinct and simple answer.

From that point on the conversation tried to answer other portion of the question - "What doesn't Sacramento have?" And over the course of the next eighty-nine minutes it became clear that mainly due to policies and politics that make live music venues the "red-headed stepchild" in a city that has a golden opportunity to become another Austin or Portland (cities that embrace their musical culture), there simply aren't enough venues showcasing live music in Sacramento.

Listening to Olivia Coelho recount her recent trying experiences with the permit process in bringing live music to Bows & Arrows, it's no wonder we don't have more venues. As Olivia put it, "minors have been criminalized"; crackdowns in the downtown area on minors who violate Sacramento’s 10pm curfew make it hard to fill seats at all-ages gigs. Those curfew crackdowns were spawned by Second Saturday incidences which had nothing to do with live music. Additionally, venues with a capacity over 49 persons must provide (i.e. compensate) two security guards on show nights; whether or not there are 5 or 100 people in attendance. (The higher the occupancy the higher the number of security guards is required; however, Olivia was able to work with city and received a modification of this requirement for her 105 person occupancy business.) Still the issue seems to be a lack of respect for businesses that offer live entertainment. Regardless of a venue's record of incidences, any place wanting to bring the art of "amplified music" to the community is instantly subjected to far more regulation and scrutiny than say, a gallery, or a diner.

As fans it is our duty to show support for the venues by showing up, paying the cover, and acting responsibly. But is there more we can do? Mindy Giles cited an article from Irvine.org titled "Getting Into The Act", which promotes an entrepreneurial shift towards 'arts participation': Traditional media outlets are laying off arts & culture reporters so if you want to help your favorite band or artist get noticed you must take matters into your own hands and help spread the word; share invites to shows on Facebook, Twitter a link to a favorite artist’s latest release, write a review, join a street team, start a fan club, start a record label, and if you have the ways and means, by all means open a live music venue.

One audience member pointed to a lack of diversity in Sacramento's live music scene. Mindy’s response made a lot of sense, "There are many diverse and talented bands from Sacramento and coming through Sacramento, but they need "a home." In other words, as Rick Ele reiterated, hip-hop doesn't really have a "home" in Sacramento, nor does traditional Dixieland or a multitude of other genres, so music lovers seeking a place to consistently be able to listen to their favorite type of music face a challenge locating where reggae, or grind-core, or bossa nova, might be happening on any given night. Adding multiple smaller venues to the current mix would greatly benefit the promoters, the bands, the fans, and this city.

Getting those venues approved (let alone encouraged) is another matter entirely. Sadly, it appears that rather than supporting live music in Sacramento, the city is currently planning to charge an even larger "entertainment permit" fee, raising the rate from $1400.00 to a whopping $4000.00. This is a permit that must be renewed every two years! Every promoter, every musician, and every fan in attendance decried this as unfair, unjust, and unnecessary. An unidentified gentleman suggested that a petition be circulated and presented to the city council renouncing the fee increase. All in attendance applauded in agreement. Another participant suggested creating an association which would act as a lobbying group when it came time to publicize and challenge city policies, and champion city politicians whose cultural agenda echoes those of live music proponents in Sacramento.

The State of Live Music in Sacramento boiled down to four major points that are in need of support from the city government and from music lovers across the region are:
1) A larger, scalable all-ages venue; seating 300 - 1500.
2) Many smaller venues to give local and touring musicians a place to call "home" in our fair city.
3) Policy changes to enable business owners to provide "amplified music" without going broke.
4) A way to reach people and get them excited about live music in the city. As Jerry Perry pointed out, the city seemed more "alive" when postering and flyering were acceptable forms of communication. The connection between the band, venue, and fan was made right there on every street corner via those flyers - we need to breathe that colorful life back into the Sacramento music scene!

One question was asked tonight, and after ninety minutes of impassioned, intelligent, inspiring responses, the unified answer I heard from promoters and audience members alike was, ‘The possibility is there, it’s time for everyone and anyone who appreciates live music to participate.’

Disclosure: I am a live music fan. I am not a critic, nor a musician. Just a fan that would love to see Sacramento embrace is wonderfully talented pool of bands and musicians and become a nurturing "home" for more of them.

Motown comes to Thunder Valley

2012-01-16T02:45:19Z

Armed with 20 vocalists, six band members and four crew members impersonating the legends of Motown, RPM Crown Productions brought their Hitsville USA Legends of Motown Tribute Show to Thunder Valley Casino Resort on Saturday.

There was a sold-out crowd of diehard Motown fans there to enjoy some of the greatest hits from the Motown era. It was perplexing that more people weren’t up on their feet during some of the performances. However, after each performer finished their set they were met with more than a few people giving them a standing ovation.

The all-star lineup included acts such as The Four Tops, The Supremes, Stevie Wonder, and even a brief break from Motown for a little bit of Prince’s “Purple Rain.”

With the plethora of tribute shows currently playing across the country, it’s refreshing to see a solid lineup of talented individuals bringing not just one, but nine legendary acts to the stage in one spectacular show.

I was worried that with so many acts playing on one stage we’d be there all night slogging through hit after hit. That wasn’t the case. Each act played full versions as well as shortened versions of their respective hit songs, keeping the show moving at a pretty good clip.

Emceeing the event was Nick Harper, a radio personality from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. As he introduced each act he provided a brief history and highlighted some of their hits.

Kicking off the show was The Four Tops. Decked out in white suits and moving in perfect harmony, they sang their hits, “Sugar Pie Honeybunch,” “Standing in the Shadow of Love” and “Ain’t No Woman Like the One I Got.”

Following The Four Tops were The Supremes in evening dresses singing, “Just Keep Me Hanging On,” “You Can’t Hurry Love” and “Love Child.”

Al Green was handing out roses to a number of the female audience members as he sang, “I’m so Tired of Being Alone,” “Let’s Stay Together,” and “Love and Happiness.”

And so it went throughout the evening as nine artists entertained the crowd bringing hit after hit.
Don’t miss the next tribute show at Thunder Valley Casino Resort, the Legends of Soul Tribute Show. These shows sell out fast, so get your tickets ahead of time.

Below is a complete list of artists and the songs performed.

The Four Tops
“I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)”
“Standing in the Shadows of Love”
“Ain’t No Woman (Like the One I’ve Got)”

The Supremes
“You Keep Me Hangin’ On”
“You Can’t Hurry Love”
“Love Child”

Al Green
“Tired of Being Alone”
“Let’s Stay Together”

Smokey Robinson
“More Love”
“Ooo Baby Baby”
“Tears of a Clown”

The Spinners
Intro to “I’ll Be Around”
“Ghetto Child”
“Sadie”
“Rubberband Man”

Chaka Khan
“Sweet Thing”
“I’m Every Woman”

Prince
“Purple Rain”

Gladys Knight
Intro to “Use My Imagination”
“Save the Overtime”
“You’re Number One (in My Book)”
“Midnight Train to Georgia”
“Neither One of Us”

Stevie Wonder
“Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours”
“My Cherie Amour”
“You Are the Sunshine of My Life”
“Superstition”

The Temptations
“Getting Ready”
“I Can’t Get Next to You”
“Cloud Nine”
“Don’t Let the Joneses Get You Down”
Intro to “Super Star”

CD review: Nathan Dale's "Major Keys Parade"

2012-01-03T02:47:34Z

Nathan Dale is a singer, songwriter and guitarist from Sacramento. Some locals may remember Dale as the founding member of Sweet Vine back in the 90’s. The band went on to sign with Columbia Records, recording their self-titled CD at the famed Bearsville Studios in Woodstock, New York. The band toured nationwide before separating in the late 1990's.

Dale currently tours with The Jackie Greene Band and has recently release his own CD, “Major Keys Parade.” After listening to his new CD, it became quite obvious that Dale is an extremely diverse musician. The album has a little something for everyone including a little rock, folk and even a tad bit of a Hawaiian sound.

The CD starts off with “Him,” a brief instrumental with the sound of an old style film projector starting up. As it happens, the last song, appropriately named, “The End,” is another brief instrumental which winds down with the sound of the same old style film coming off the reel. Nice touch.

As you get into the meat of the album with “Ten Tiny Fingers,” you feel like you just walked under the big top. Sounding more like a circus waltz, this song might have been better played on a calliope rather than a piano. I didn’t care for the circus beat, but about halfway through it faded into the background.

Next was “Major Keys Parade,” which has an awesome driving beat with some equally awesome guitar riffs. Couple that with some great background vocals playing off of Dale’s chorus and you have one pumped up song that is deserving of the title slot.

“My Wonder Girl” is a great tune that really brings home the folk rock, weaving a tale of a young boy in love with a young girl. Followed by “Oh Messiah,” they are both great folk style tunes.

The CD takes a turn to the darker side with “One Bad Day,” followed by an even darker tune, “Way Down.” The latter has some really awesome guitar riffs bringing out the hard rock side of Dale. This song reminds me a lot of some of Alice Cooper’s work - yes it’s that dark - exquisitely so.

“With the Sea,” is a Hawaiian style tune that really rounds out the CD, showing just how diverse of a sound Dale has.

Using his music as his canvas, Dale paints his heart and soul into everything he writes, each song painting a story for all to hear. His latest CD is worth a listen. It’s a great album with some very diverse songs, leaving you wondering what other sounds Dale might have up his sleeve. I guess we’ll have to wait for his next CD to find out.

You can find out more about Dale’s latest projects at http://www.nathandale.com

Catch Nathan Dale at Naked Coffee in Sacramento on January 4th at 8:30. They are located at 1111 H Street.

Sinbad

2012-01-03T02:41:36Z

The purple one was in-the-house at Thunder Valley Casino Resort Friday.

Okay, not The Purple One (as in Prince), but the 55 year old standup comedian Sinbad, who was decked out in a freshly tailored purple shirt. I also wouldn’t say “in-the-house,” more like in-the-tent, since it was held in Thunder Valley’s Holiday Pavilion. While it’s a tent, it’s extremely spacious and exquisitely decorated, complete with several bars, restrooms and a whole lotta seats.

Sinbad put on a great show, playing to a full house of young and old alike. As soon as he hit the stage, he started talking about how this was such a great location for a casino like Thunder Valley.

There’s nothing around for miles except for cornfields and a landfill, he joked. He warned everyone that they should hold their breath when they walk outside and then come back inside and gamble some more, referring to the occasional minor aroma coming from the landfill a few miles down the road.

Continuing his rant about the location, he explained that after he put the address into his GPS, it asked him why he wanted to go there.

Sinbad wanted to know why it is 1200 Athens Road when there’s nothing around. Who came up with the number 1200, he wondered. There’s nothing around for miles, so why not a 1?

As he was going through his routine, bantering back and forth with audience members, he asked the ladies in the audience what made them angry. Several shouted out “Cheating!” To which he replied, if a man cheats or if he leaves the cabinet door open, you’re just as pissed. It’s the same thing, so why not cheat.

He’d rather not, but give us some options, he pleaded.

He also wanted to know why it is that everyone says it’s the man that’s cheating. There’s always a woman he’s cheating with. Sinbad used Herman Cain as his specific example for the evening.

Continuing with his questions for the ladies he asked them what they wanted and in time, dealt with a number of responses; money, communication, sleep and sex among them.

The best part of Sinbad’s shows will always be his interaction with the audience, responding without skipping a beat, and joking about real life situations. A fun time was definitely had by all in attendance.

As Sinbad ages like a fine wine (in his purple shirt), his jokes remain fresh. Add to the mix his quick wit and audience participation, and you end up with a very entertaining night out.

It’s refreshing to listen to a comedian who doesn’t believe he has to be crude to make people laugh. Sinbad is one of the few remaining comedians that puts on a clean and entertaining show.

Say hello to 2012 at these New Year's Eve nightlife events

2011-12-29T22:06:32Z

Can you belive 2011 is practically over? New Year's Eve is this Saturday and if you're still searching for plans, we here at Sacramento365.com have gathered up some activities for you.

If you're looking for a great, family friendly New Year's Eve experience, complete with fireworks, be sure to head to Old Sac for the New Year's Eve Sky Spectacular.

But, for those of you who are looking for some adult celebrations--no kids allowed--here're a few options to greet 2012 (see even more in our Top 10 & Holiday Event Section). Sacramento nightlife is kickin'!

1. New Year's 2012 Bash with Mickey Avalon: Ace of Spades, 7pm
Hailing from Hollywood, Mickey Avalon is known to the world as one of the hottest underground American rappers and has become a fan-favorite.

2. New Year's Eve Gala: Chicago: Davis Musical Theatre Company, 8pm
Ring in the New Year with Broadway favorite: Chicago. The Tony Award winning performance of the “truth-is-stranger-than-fiction” play is opening for a special preview, accompanied by a catered buffet dinner, champagne, dessert, party favors, a live DJ, and more.

3. Townhouse New Year's Eve Party: TownHouse Lounge, 8pm-2am
On the 365th day of the year, The Townhouse presents a very special NYE party with some of your favorite DJs on both floors: Electro/House/Progressive with Mike Diamond & My Cousin Vinny & Indie/Pop/Dance with The X-GVNR (Pop Freq, Get Wet) & Jon Droll.

4. NYE at the Hyatt Regency: Hyatt Regency Sacramento, 8pm-2am
Start the evening with a cocktail in the acoustic lobby lounge listening to the sounds of Quinn Hedges and Ryan Hernandez, then enjoy a gourmet four course meal in Dawson’s, followed by the big event in Sacramento’s largest nightclub with DJ Rated R and the Cheeseballs.

5. New Year's Eve 2012: The Golden Bear, 8pm
What better way to welcome 2012 then spending your evening partying it up at The Golden Bear? There is no better way! Live and direct--DJ Crook on the 1s and 2s spinning all your favorite joints and jams. Cheers with a champagne toast at Midnight, plus take advantage of New Year's Eve drink specials all throughout the night.

6. NYE 2012 Celebration: MiX Downtown, 8:30pm
Celebrate the end of 2011 and the start of 2012 inside Sacramento's favorite rooftop nightclub and lounge, which is also celebrating its third year of amazing parties and fabulous events. Complimentary champagne at Midnight, party favors, and lush decorations get you in the mood for a hands in the air night of dancing and partying with friends.

7. New Year's Eve Bash with John Nemeth: Torch Club, 9pm
John Németh is a rising blues star; a singer steeped in the tradition and reminiscent of B.B. King, Ray Charles and Junior Parker, and a harmonica player of riveting intensity and virtuosity.

8. NYE Dance Party with DJ Larry Rodriguez: Fox & Goose, 9pm
DJ Larry Rodriguez's Dance Party celebrates its 15 year anniversary on New Year's Eve with round, warm sould & funk. DJ Larry Rodriguez is bringing some of Sacramento's favorite dance party kings Mike C. and Tim Matranga to round out the night.

9. Roaring '20s NYE: Crescent Club, 9pm
Take a trip back in time to America's glorious Prohibition Era as you celebrate the New Year with gangsters, glamour, and gambling. The evening’s entertainment includes a Speakeasy Casino, Ballroom Swing Dancing, Gypsy Jazz, Blues, & Cabaret, featuring live music by the notorious Crescent Katz.

10. D30 New Year's Eve with DJ Serafin: District 30, 9pm-3am
In addition to the innovative sound of DJ Serafin, enjoy a huge balloon drop, dazzling confetti rain, complimentary champagne toast at Midnight, delectable confections at Midnight, and complimentary party favors.

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Find more detail on these events along with many more at Sacramento365.com, the year-round source for Sacramento events.

Disclosure: Rachael Lankford is the Managing Calendar Editor for Sacramento365.com, the year-round source for Sacramento events.

Jingle Bells Rock Thunder Valley

2011-12-17T02:39:29Z

Sixty-two-year-old veteran rocker Eddie Money brought his Jingle Bell Rock tour to Thunder Valley Casino Resort on Thursday. Scheduled to appear was former Foreigner frontman Lou Gramm and former Jefferson Starship lead singer Mickey Thomas.

The day before their performance at Thunder Valley, it was announced that Gramm would not be performing for the remaining tour due to acute laryngitis, so Gramm was not in attendance.

As the concert kicked off with Money and Thomas taking the stage, the audience immediately started chanting, “Lou! Lou! Lou!” Money responded by explaining the situation and said they had added a couple of songs to their setlist to make up for the missing Gramm. This was followed by more than a few polite boos – is there really such a thing as a polite boo?

Money exited stage left while Thomas started singing “Jane.” Thomas wore a striped shirt with a loosely worn red Christmas tie, while he banged out “Sara,” “We Built This City,” “Nothings Going to Stop Us Now.” Thomas ended his set with “It’s Christmas Time Pretty Baby,” singing in the style of Elvis Presley.

The 62-year-old Thomas’ vocals really stood out throughout his set, sounding just as good as he did all those years ago, in particular when he sang Annie Lennox’s “Winter Wonderland.”

Backing Thomas was Money’s regular crew consisting of longtime band members Tommy Girvin (lead guitar) and Glenn Symmonds (drummer), with more recent additions Lee Beverly (bass) and Chris Groves (keyboards).

Following Thomas, Money came out singing “Baby Hold On” and “I Wanna Go Back.” As Money sang, he shuffled back and forth across the stage and even pulled out the saxophone to show everyone he can still play.

Rounding out the show, Money and Thomas took the stage together singing “Jingle Bell Rock” and a rocking version of “Jingle Bells.” For their encore they performed John Lennon’s “Happy Xmas (War Is Over).”

While Money’s vocals were not as pristine as Thomas’, he made up for it with his overall stage presence, sense of humor and kindness toward the audience, reaching out to shake hands with a few people in the front row.

Offstage, Money is extremely generous and cordial to all those around him, introducing himself to anyone standing near. His generosity doesn’t stop there.

Money is a strong supporter of the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation and the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, which helps support families of military personnel lost in service to our nation and for severely wounded service members and veterans.

Money is hoping fans will help bring some holiday cheer to heroic members of the armed forces by going to eddiemoney.com and purchasing his single “One More Soldier Coming Home.” All the proceeds will go to the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund.

Air Supply in demand at Thunder Valley

2011-12-12T03:12:11Z

Wow. What the hell happened out at Thunder Valley Casino Resort Friday night?

It seems soft rock group Air Supply, playing to a packed house of lovesick fans, actually came out and rocked the house.

I know. I still don’t believe it, but it’s all true! It was bedlam, I tell you.

“Here I Am” thinking “Sweet Dreams.” What are the “Chances” I would find myself in a “Sanctuary” where “Me Like You” can feel “The Power of Love” “Everywhere,” only to have a real rock concert break out. Seriously!

Air Supply started out innocently enough with “Even the Nights are Better,” and then segueing into “Every Woman in the World.”

OK so far, but as veteran performers Russell Hitchcock (lead singer) and Graham Russell (lead guitar) weaved their hits through the guise of soft rock, I should have noticed the younger band members standing at the ready. That should have been my first clue.

The newest members to the band could have been playing for Papa Roach the way they were attacking their instruments, running and jumping around the stage. This should have been my second clue.

Jonni Lightfoot (bass guitar), CJ Burton (drums), Amir Efrat (keyboards) and Aaron McLain (guitar), all kicked out some serious tunes.
As the band made their way through their repertoire, the crowd started to react more and more with every hit played, but that all changed when Russell went acoustic with their new song, “Everywhere.” Just prior to the song, Russell requested that some audience members crowd down on the floor in front of him, having them sit on the floor.

While everyone was gathering around Russell, he explained how he enjoys sitting on his balcony at home and looking off into the mountains. He pointed to the spotlight, saying it represents the sun going down, and you all are the mountains.

“This song is about how love is all around us, and it’s called ‘Everywhere,’” he said.

Now I know you’re asking yourself, how is this not soft rock? Well, it is, but it’s really rocking in a Tesla/Eric Clapton unplugged kind of way.

But really the trick here is how Air Supply corralled a large portion of the audience to the very front of the stage and between the aisles. As soon as Russell was done with “Everywhere,” the band struck up “The One that You Love,” and Hitchcock headed out into the sea of madness, followed by Russell on guitar, neither of them missing a beat. That’s when they begin working the crowd into a complete frenzy.

Hitchcock was handing out hugs and kisses as he made his way up one aisle and down another. Women were grabbing at him as his crew fought to keep them at bay. Once they made their way back onstage, it was too late for the audience. They were under Air Supply’s spell, swaying to the music, with the periodic fan jumping up to grab Russell as he came close to the edge of the stage.

For their encore they played “Me Like You” and “All Out of Love.” It was quite obvious the crowd was not ready to leave, and there could only have been a handful of people who left before the end of the show.

I hate to say it, but Air Supply is a master of entertainment. There, I said it.

I like Air Supply.

Blame Sally performs at KVIE

2011-12-07T02:30:05Z

Public Broadcasting’s KVIE studios in Sacramento was transformed into a concert venue Saturday night as Blame Sally took the stage for a fundraiser.

This was not your run of the mill fundraiser either. KVIE recorded the performance and will be using the footage to produce a PBS Special, which will ultimately be used in pledge drives across the country and made available in DVD format.

So why choose Blame Sally for such an event? KVIE is using Blame Sally to show women of all ages, middle age in particular, that you can accomplish so much more. In their 30’s and 40’s they put their individual careers on hold to start Blame Sally. As a role model, Blame Sally proves that women in their 30’s and 40’s can get together and form, of all things, a rock band. Let me add – a successful and great sounding rock band.

Not only are they an inspiration to women around the world, but to anyone out there who has thought about walking away from their career to pursue their bliss.

Blame Sally had a large contingent of diehard fans in attendance, with most traveling from the San Francisco Bay Area by car, train and bus. Okay, not so sure if anyone took a bus, but I did talk to someone who took the train from Berkley. It took her four cabs to finally find a driver who knew how to get to the KVIE studios.

This was my first Blame Sally concert, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I had listened to some of their music prior to attending the show to see what I was in for, so I knew I was going to enjoy their sound, which I did – immensely.

What I didn’t expect was the relaxing back and forth banter amongst the group. They looked completely at home as no less than eight cameras were rolling, including a boom camera reaching out over the audience zooming in on unsuspecting band members and concert goers alike.

Blame Sally kicked it off with “Big Big Bed” off of their latest album, “A Speeding Ticket and a Valentine.” Pam Delgado was on percussions, Renee Harcourt on guitar/bass, Jeri Jones on guitar/bass and Monica Pasqual on piano and accordion. All band members share the responsibility of lead vocals and switch off as the song dictates.

I totally missed the fact that there was a man playing bass. Rob Strom, who recently joined Blame Sally, could be seen in the background. All I had to do was focus and look beyond all the stunning beauty at the front of the stage. Not to say Rob isn’t stunning, he is – at least when he’s playing with Blame Sally.

The only case of nerves I noticed? As they were a few chords into their second song, Pasqual shouted “Cut!” stating she started off with the wrong chords because she was just noticing all the cameras.

Pasqual didn’t leave it at that either. Just prior to “Orange,” she was ready to go with her accordion at the ready. Only problem was, the song called for keyboards. It was comical as the band members would exchange barbs back and forth during times like this.

They had plenty of time to exchange those barbs too. Why? In between songs Jones and Harcourt would tune their guitars. Okay, Harcourt would sometimes tune her guitar and then wait for Jones to finish tuning hers, but that was all good. During those times it was as if I was at a comedy club with the jokes going back and forth.

Let me see, there were comments about someone’s new hairdo, wardrobe malfunctions, instrument malfunctions and so much more. You’ll have to wait for the DVD.

For their last song, Delgado led the audience through a chorus of do-da’s and da-doo’s or some such nonsense. Did I say nonsense? I don’t think so. The result was nothing short of amazing. She taught the audience their part and explained that everyone was to start as soon as she signaled to them. The audience started right on cue. As the song started to come to a close, the instruments started to slowly die down with the audience still singing. It was a serious goosebump moment. The song? Again, you’re going to have to wait for the DVD!

If you’re in the Bay Area make sure you catch Blame Sally at Berkeley’s Freight and Salvage Coffeehouse on December 9th. They will be touring out of state during January and February, returning to California in March. Their complete schedule can be viewed at http://blamesally.com/shows/

Give them a listen – you’ll be glad you did, and if for some reason you don’t like them? Blame Sally, not me.

KVIE PBS Teams up with Blame Sally

2011-11-29T04:17:06Z

I was recently approached by Todd Wagner at Ninth Street Opus to help publicize an upcoming event over at Public Television’s KVIE in Sacramento. Ninth Street Opus represents a San Francisco all-female group, Blame Sally, scheduled to perform at the KVIE TV station on Saturday, December 3.

KVIE and Blame Sally are working together to create a pledge program to help raise money for Public Television on a national level. KVIE will be filming Blame Sally during their performance and using the footage to produce a PBS special which will ultimately be used in their pledge drives across the country.

I don’t think I need to go on about the value of public television and what it means for the community as a whole, but I do want to make sure that everyone understands who Blame Sally is and why they were chosen to perform at KVIE.

PBS wants to use Blame Sally as a role model for women everywhere. They are an example of healthy, authentic women, proud of their age and defying the odds by forming a successful rock band in their 40’s and 50’s. What they have accomplished is an inspiration to women across America.

Blame Sally is a little bit country, a little bit of rock, a little bit of folk and a whole lot of heart. They have been compared to the Indigo Girls, Dixie Chicks and even Radiohead - but forget about all that, because one day some all-female band is going to come along and they will be compared to Blame Sally.

The band is made up of four young women, alright, let’s say four not-so-young women. They bring a lifetime of love, happiness, disappointment, trials and tribulations, and really just a whole lot of life to the table. It shows in their music, especially in their latest album, “A Speeding Ticket and a Valentine.”

A few tracks really stood out on their fifth album, “Living Without You,” named for a hard-rocking song about a woman uncertain whether to be devastated or exhilarated by a relationship’s end. “Countdown,” with its driving beat and “Big Big Bed,” which you gotta love simply because of the washboard playing in the background, are just a couple of them.

So who are these women of wisdom and why do they work together so well?

Pam Delgado, on percussion and vocals, wishes she still owned the family car from when she was just a kid. It was a Lavender Pontiac Bonneville complete with a Clamshell from Sears.

Renee Harcourt on guitar, bass and vocals is really the talented one out of the four, but don’t tell the others that. She can juggle, ride a unicycle and whistle loudly with or without fingers, though not all at the same time and hopefully not onstage.

Jeri Jones is on guitar, bass and vocals. I tried to call Jeri but never did get through. All I heard on the other end of the phone was, “Who the &$@%# is calling me before I’ve had my morning coffee!”

I did hear she’s prone to pre-coffee accidents. Luckily all their performances are late in the day.

Monica Pasqual, on piano, accordion and vocals, has started a billion songs and never finished them. There’s something about being superstitious when it comes to songwriting. She has to have at least two good verses and a chorus before she can walk away, otherwise it’s a lost cause.

All the other songs she’s completed? Perfection.

Together these women make up Blame Sally. Granted, they are an odd bunch and there’s not a Sally in the lot, but it doesn’t matter as long as they keep pumping out some really awesome tunes.

Get out there and show your support for Public Television and Blame Sally.

I'll see you there.

You can get more information here.

Where:
KVIE TV Station
2030 W. El Camino Ave. Sacramento, Calif. 95833

When:
Saturday, December 3
7:00-8:30 p.m. and 9:00-10:30 p.m.

Cost:
Regular Admission: Per Show: $25 / Both Shows: $45 (150 seats available)
VIP Seating: Per Show: $100 (Only 50 VIP seats available!)

Christmas with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra

2011-11-21T03:25:35Z

The Trans-Siberian Orchestra mesmerized the audience Saturday afternoon at Power Balance Pavilion in the first of two Christmas shows.

For those of you who may not be familiar with TSO, they are a progressive rock band that incorporates classical, orchestral, symphonic and progressive elements into hard rock and heavy metal. They are famous for their series of rock operas and storytelling.

This was a high-energy show with a combination of lasers, lights, pyrotechnics and video screens all synchronized to TSO’s music.

Dressed in black, the orchestra made their way on stage while chimes were playing. As they were assembling onstage, there were clips of Martin Luther King Jr. from the famous "I Have a Dream" speech, as well as John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan and others, with each round of new faces drawing applause and cheers. Once onstage they started playing “Who I Am,” with video screens and lights blazing in perfect unison.

The talented storyteller Phillip Brandon started weaving a tale of an angel coming down to Earth on Christmas Eve. Brandon’s phenomenal voice, reminiscent of the famous James Earl Jones, drew the crowd into the tale as a hush came over the audience. After the introduction, the orchestra started playing “An Angel Came Down,” complete with lights and lasers.

As the orchestra began “First Snow,” it actually started to snow in the arena. OK, not really snow, but the pretend kind of snow. You know the one with tiny bubbles raining down? Couple that with all the video screens filled with snow added to the sensation of real snow. It was quite breathtaking, leaving the audience in complete awe as they listened to an extremely talented line-up of musicians.

A newcomer to TSO, violinist Asha Mevlana was off the charts rocking it with her purple high-tech violin. As she ended a solo routine, the crowd gasped in unison as she snapped her bow in half over her knee, ending the song. This was so much more dramatic than smashing a guitar to smithereens, since it was completely unexpected.

As they wrapped up the story, the orchestra treated the audience to a number of songs, including a mix from one of their albums, “Christmas Canon Rock,” at which point they brought out founder, composer and producer Paul O’Neill.

This was my first exposure to TSO, and I have to say they left me wanting more, even after a two-and-a-half-hour performance.

Chippendales seducing the ladies

2011-11-18T02:56:36Z

OMG! I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to write this after the Chippendale’s performance at Thunder Valley Casino Resort Wednesday night.

It was only after taking a cold shower and having a glass – scratch that – a bottle of wine that I was able to start thinking clearly.

What? No! The water heater went out and a “glass” of wine is how I like to end my day.

My intent on writing this is to warn any unsuspecting women who may decide to take in a show like the Chippendales’. Don’t. Seriously, nobody liked the show!

It was quite obvious that every woman in the place, which was around 99.9 percent of the people, couldn’t stand the show. I couldn’t believe it! I was completely dumbfounded. They were screaming “Get off!” almost the entire show. The Chippendales never got the message. They stayed onstage the whole time!

The strange thing is when they finally ended the show and did get off the stage, all the women started screaming “More, more, more.” I know, I find women confusing, too. They say one thing and mean another. (Come to think of it, they may have been screaming “Take it off!”)

As for the men onstage, I felt bad for these guys. It appeared to be a little chilly in the room, but that didn’t seem to dampen their enthusiasm. All I can say is I was feeling a tad inadequate at this point.

The biggest criticism I have of the show? It was the most disgusting display of pure animalistic behavior I have ever witnessed. It was really quite a sight to see. None of the women could keep it together. They were falling over in the aisles, standing on chairs, trying to get back stage, onstage, or anywhere close to those big hunks. Now hold on a minute! I’m only referring to them as big hunks because I know that’s how women refer to those large glistening bodies of pure muscle and all their gyrating ways.

I will say there was definitely an excitement in the air as the show progressed, but it’s difficult for me to explain the atmosphere. I liken it to when I receive a package from FedEx that I have to sign for because I know it’s got to be something really cool, otherwise I wouldn’t have to sign for it. Well, that’s the way all the ladies were acting, but I guess they weren’t interested in a FedEx package.

Speaking of packages – the Chippendales were the complete package, with eight of the most physically perfect male dancers all competing for the audience’s attention, all dressed in their trademark bow ties and shirt cuffs with bare torso, at least some of the time.

The opening was quite dramatic with the stage dark and ominous and smoke filling the air. One by one they took center stage with a lone spotlight lighting their muscular curves and superior physique. Is it getting hot in here?

The first few routines found these delectable morsels stripping down to pretty much nothing – why do I keep writing like this? Delectable morsels? Now I’m starting to worry.

As each layer came off, the decibel levels in Pano Hall rose exponentially. People were gathering outside trying to get a glimpse of the show. Quite the curious crowd.

A couple of times during the show, they danced around the audience, going down aisles and over chairs. One of the Chippendales was looking for someone to give an autographed poster to. He found her when he exclaimed she deserved it for grabbing his penis. Yes – there you have it. I said it, now it’s out there for all to see.

Several people had the opportunity to jump onstage. In one case three ladies were in a game show where they were told to complete a task. The first one had to perform her best lap dance on one of the Chippendales. The second had to demonstrate her favorite position when making love, and the third had to demonstrate her favorite way of putting on a condom. The third won due to her technique and the timely fashion of completing her task. Oh – I should clarify. She put it on a banana.

This was definitely ladies’ night out. There were a few men in attendance, and you could tell which ones were straight. They were carrying a ball and chain and didn’t look all too happy. I believe my count was two husbands/significant others in attendance.

The show was so successful that Thunder Valley had to provide additional seats to accommodate the larger-than-expected crowd.

After the show, the Chippendales remained onstage so audience members could have their photos taken with their favorites. I declined. They also announced they would be going to Thunder Valley’s Falls Bar for an after-party. [Insert loud cheers here.]

So at the end of the day I feel like I was able to embrace my inner gayness and survive. As I’m sitting here writing this, I’m convinced that I have no lingering side effects from the show.

Man on the street: If given $100 to spend on a locally owned business in Sacramento, how would you spend it?

2011-11-17T07:11:12Z

Mom-and-pop stores and locally owned businesses are often the ones that suffer when consumers tighten up their budget during tough economic times. With the local economy in mind, The Sacramento Press asked locals if they were given $100 to spend on a locally owned business in Sacramento, how would they spend it?

"I support a lot of the small businesses throughout Sacramento, or mom-and-pop (stores), because they are the bread and butter of today's economy,” Financial Analyst Soua Lee, 27, said.

Lee, a Rosemont resident, said that he would spend it on groceries at Vang’s Market, a grocery store.

"I have to say, I would spend my $100 on a place called Crimson and Clover. It's a really really small store on 16th Street," Barista Terra Lopez, 26, said. "I have a hard time buying stuff for myself, so I would probably buy my girlfriend something."

She said that she would buy her girlfriend some jewelry or nice dresses. With the cheap prices, she said that she could buy a couple pairs of shoes and two dresses and still have some left for jewelry.

"A lot of places have closed – unfortunately – that I really loved," Lopez said.

Lopez, a Midtown resident, said that she loved UnitedState Clothing Boutique – a clothing store on J Street that is now out of business.

"I really like the Toyroom on K Street, but they don't exist anymore," Zoo Fabrication Designer Kevin Holmes, 25, said. "They had an art gallery for local artists, (the clothing brand) Obey got in there a couple of times, and they sell really sick T-shirts."

Holmes, a resident of East Sacramento, said he would spend his money on a local art place. Unfortunately, he said, his favorite closed down.

"I like supporting local art and music," Holmes said. "I would either go to five different rock shows at local bars, or go buy one badass painting."

"I'd probably take a bunch of friends to Pizza Rock for pizza and beer," Downtown Guide Gary Mclaughlan, 57, said.

He added that $100 would probably only go as far as pizza and a couple pitchers of beer.

"(My boyfriend and I) would spend the $100 at G Spot, it's the adult store next to the Hot Rod’s in the Lavender district," Sacramento City College Student Rainie Costello, 21, said.

Costello, a North Highlands resident, said that she would buy some adult toys and clothes and a pair of stripper shoes.

If you were given $100 to spend on a locally owned business in Sacramento, how would you spend it? Share your response in the comment section below.

British invasion causes riot at Thunder Valley

2011-11-15T02:29:40Z

Herman’s Hermits with Peter Noone played to a full house of old diehard Herman’s Hermits fans at Thunder Valley Casino Resort’s Pano Hall Sunday night. That’s not to say everyone in the audience was old, just older than most.

The Noonatics, those who carry around vinyl albums and old Herman’s Hermits 8-tracks, may have known what they were in for, but I sure as bloody hell wasn’t.

The 64 year old rocker joined the British band as the lead singer (Herman) at the young age of 15. You do the math.

I went to see Herman’s Hermits to relax and enjoy some oldies but goodies, so when Noone took the stage and started singing, “I’m Into Something Good,” I was thinking, “Ahhhh, this is perfect.”

Then the bloody bloke started yapping and from that point on there was no relaxing for anyone. All we could do was laugh at the bugger. He’s completely bollocks!

He explained to everyone that a friend told him that Sacramento, Yuba City and Clarksburg were way out in the country and if he wanted to make us happy he had to play some country music. He started singing Johnny Cash’s, “Ring of Fire,” resulting in the audience laughing throughout the song.

Noone was all over the map, singing songs from Johnny Horton, Tom Jones, Mick Jagger, and of course Herman’s Hermits hits as well.

At one point, one of the noonatics in the front row pulled out an old vinyl album cover from years and years ago. Noone, the mad hatter that he is, grabbed the album and stuck it over his face, displaying the old photo of himself. He then started singing and marching across the stage. It was quite comical.

Another rant was about looking like Nick Nolte. He said as he was coming through the casino someone stopped him and asked about the show. They got all excited, screaming as they pointed at him, “Hey! You’re Nick Nolte.”

In between jokes he actually did sing a hit or two. This guy has a great voice and as soon as the band started up any of their past hits, the audience erupted in cheers and clapping.

Those that could still stand did.

Noone sang most of their hits including "Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter," "I'm Henry the Eighth, I Am” and “There’s a Kind of Hush.”

Prior to the show, Noone went out of his way to engage people, shaking their hands and saying hi. You could tell he lives for this stuff and thoroughly enjoys it.

After the show, a path was cleared by the ever so diligent security staff at Thunder Valley to make way for Noone as he made his way to the exit. There he started signing autographs and chatting it up with anyone who would listen. The guy just can’t help himself – It’s who he is. After all, what do you expect from the son of an accountant!

Peter Noone is the real deal. Not only does he sing, but he entertains too – with a smile.

Cirque Shanghai’s Bai Xi

2011-11-14T04:21:33Z

The Cirque Shanghai’s Bai Xi put on a breathtaking show Thursday and Friday night at Thunder Valley Casino Resort, playing to a standing room-only crowd both nights.

Bai Xi translates to “100 amazing acts.” However, I only counted 16, but they were 16 amazing displays of physical strength and grace. The show was full of spectacular colors, talented young men, women and a number of young girls. It was a magical night with some mind-boggling performances and a variety of visually stunning costumes.

As the show opened, the performers started in the back of Pano Hall dressed in spectacularly colorful costumes. Working their way through the audience with a winking parade-style dragon and waving giant flags, they were saying hi to audience members and shaking hands.

Once onstage they immediately started in with their incredible balancing act with a unicycle riding on top of a red umbrella and then appearing to fall off stage.

These guys had everything from contortionists to roller skating, including juggling pottery and even juggling hats!

The contortionists, dressed in yellow, ranged from little girls to young women. They started by arranging themselves in a single-file row from front to back, with the smallest in the front as they spread their arms out. They started climbing over each other, bending into unimaginable positions. It was quite the spectacle.

Next up was a number of young men balancing on a single ladder. As one man made his way on stage, he was balanced on a ladder, wiggling his way to center stage. Once there another man climbed on from behind and made his way to the shoulders of the first man. They finally ended up with four men balanced on the ladder.

At one point a number of young kids came out stuffed in colorful barrels, and I mean stuffed. These kids were very bendable, and at one point there was one in one end of the barrel and another in the other end and then they would trade off balancing each other on the one end. Crazy!

There was an awesome hat routine that was very well choreographed. These guys made their routine look deceptively easy, until they called a few audience members onstage to help them out.

That was when I noticed Rachel Steele, lead singer of local country rock band Road 88, sitting in the audience. As they were looking for volunteers it was obvious that Steele did not have her hand up, but one of the men went right to her and insisted she come up onstage. It was funny watching Steele, who is used to leading, having to follow these guys as they directed her, and three other audience members through several routines.

I’m thinking with fellow Road 88 band members Scott Prentice and Billy Haggard in attendance that they had prearranged Steele’s selection. Steele was definitely caught off guard and very entertaining.

Steele was doing a great job, and you could tell she felt this was in the bag when they had her dancing and clapping her hands above her head. However, once they started showing her their hat routine, she had quite a bit of difficulty duplicating their moves.

The other two audience members didn’t fare any better than Steele, but kudos to the young lady who actually did a cartwheel, much to the audience’s delight.

This was a fast-paced show with stunning acrobatics, gymnastics and a whole lot of grace. The only downside of the night was the height of the stage. During several acts the stage was so low that it was difficult to see what was going on. Luckily there were only a few parts where it was difficult to see.

I’m sure they will be back to perform at Thunder Valley again, and if they do, you don’t want to miss it!

Boston Takes Over the Naked Lounge This Tuesday

2011-11-03T06:38:39Z

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 instruments, of course, she performs herself-- ranging from flutes to tinier flutes to saxophones and various clarinets). Her songs feature musings of foggy, city, subway life and Decemberists-like folk tales of the deserted south. Her latest album, Copley Inbound, received national acclaim, including landing Elless a spot on the cover of the magazine Saxophone Journal. Coincidentally, Boston native Mike Macchia will also perform along with Tyler Canady, in the form of Mike's Lost and Found (it's also his birthday, so join in the party!) follow her with a blend of sultry, acoustic rock sure to get you kickin' back, tapping your toe, and reminding you of past summers in love. It's all this coming Tuesday, November 8 starting at 8:30 at Sacramento's downtown Naked Lounge, 1111 H St. Sacramento CA 95814.

Disclosure: Sacramento music scene columnist

Midnight Star Shines on Thunder Valley

2011-10-31T03:17:55Z

Seventies musicmakers Midnight Star and A Taste of Honey packed Pano Hall at Thunder Valley Casino and Resort Friday night, keeping the audience on their feet for most of the show.

A late start didn’t dampen the crowd’s enthusiasm as Grammy Award-winning A Taste of Honey, featuring original band member Janice Marie Johnson, stormed the stage. Johnson was decked out in a pink sequin dress and high heels and sporting her bass guitar.

As soon as the band kicked into gear, the audience was on their feet, as the band played all their hits like “I’m Talking About You” and “Disco Dancin’.”

After a quick wardrobe change into an orange kimono, Johnson sang her hit song “Sukiyaki” as the audience settled back in their seats.

The audience catapulted out of their seats as Johnson finished the set with their biggest hit, “Boogie Oogie Oogie.”
Prior to the show, Johnson was backstage meeting some of her fans. I’ve attended a number of meet-and-greets, and Johnson was one of the most down to earth artists I’ve had the pleasure of meeting. She asked everyone their name, repeating it back to ensure she got it right. She would give them a hug and then start asking them questions while they were getting their picture taken. Class act all the way!

After a longer than expected break to change out equipment, the audience was back up on their feet as founding Midnight Star members Belinda Lipscomb (vocals), Melvin Gentry (guitar/vocals), Bo Watson (keyboard/vocals) and Bill Simmons (keyboards) took the stage with longtime bandmates Kenneth Gant (bass) and Bobby Lovelace (drums).

Pumping out their signature R&B electro-funk sound, they had the crowd singing and cheering to “Electricity,” leading into a brief version of “Headlines,” “Wet My Whistle” and “Midas Touch.”

I thoroughly enjoy bands like Midnight Star that take the time to choreograph their moves for each song. It adds a completely different dynamic to the performance, and it just plain looks good. Obviously the crowd agreed, because as soon as the band started moving in sync with each other, the audience responded with a round of applause.

After ending their set with “Freak-A-Zoid” and “No Parking (On the Dance Floor),” it was obvious the crowd was quite satisfied with the night’s performances by both bands.

Halloween sizzles at Thunder Valley

2011-10-29T00:58:44Z

Thunder Valley Casino and Resort kicked off the Halloween spirit Thursday night with the sexy Lodi native and star of the reality TV show “The Girl Next Door,” Bridget Marquardt. DJ D-wrek from MTV’s “Wild ‘N Out” was — you guessed it — the DJ, and Tone Loc made a special guest appearance.

Pano Hall at Thunder Valley Casino was transformed into a nightclub, complete with semi-private lounge areas, a couple of dance floors, a popular DJ, a well-stocked bar and a few hot babes thrown in for good measure.

Most of the attendees dressed for the occasion. Some wore evening wear, while others wore their favorite Halloween costume. Myself: jeans and t-shirt (just thought you’d want to know).

Marquardt was a Playboy Playmate and one of Hugh Hefner’s girlfriends, which was the basis for the TV show. Luckily she brought a few of her close friends and playmates along to show off her new line of Halloween costumes called Bridget by Roma.

Marquardt wore her Peacock costume, which she designed with the help of fellow playmate and Hefner girlfriend Holly Madison.

Prior to the show, a number of the “girls” were working the room and taking pictures with audience members, while DJ Dwerk attacked the turntables. There was even a photo booth where people were taking their pictures and having them printed out.

Once the fashion show started, everyone crowded around the runway to take a gander at the new costumes — or should I say the ladies.

Starting off the show was Branae Whitney, a Playboy Live model wearing the Ring Master outfit. I won’t go into all the details of the ensemble other than to say it was red — hot.

There were 11 costumes in all ending with the Fruit Cup worn by Leticia.

Tone Loc took the stage armed with his deep, gravelly voice, a Nike T-shirt, sunglasses and a towel wrapped around his neck. I’m sure a large portion of the crowd was wondering how the rapper was doing in light of recent events.

A couple of weeks ago, Loc collapsed during a performance in Atlanta while singing “Funky Cold Medina.” He had a similar incident at a Pensacola, Fla. concert back in 2009 while singing the same hit.

If I’m not mistaken, Loc didn’t play “Funky Cold Medina” and ended his set with “Wild Thing.”

Loc’s voice has stood the test of time. He sounded just like he did all those years ago, and the audience ate it up. He walked up and down the runway shaking people’s hands while he belted out his hit songs.

He appeared to be in good health and spirits, joking around with the audience and remaining active most of his performance.

Continuing with the Halloween theme, Thunder Valley Casino is hosting a huge Sinners and Saints party on Saturday at 9 p.m. I have it on good authority that the photo booth will be back. Sorry, guys, the playmates won’t be there, but they will have go-go dancers!

Oktoberfest in SactoBavaria

2011-10-10T04:11:51Z

Dirndls and lederhosen on men, women and children of all ages were abundant this Friday and Saturday at the Sacramento Turn Verein (STV). Friday evening and all day Saturday the organization, founded in 1854 as a gymnastics club, hosted its 44th annual Oktoberfest.

The Turn Verein is a place “where folks with German ancestry and people with an interest in German culture congregate.” From the atmosphere this weekend, the STV has made it easy for families in the Sacramento area to keep their German heritage alive and thriving.

Surrounded by Bavarian blue and white, nearly every moment was filled with great German food, entertainment and company. Differing from typical Oktoberfest celebrations, real German beer brought in from Munich and sausages piled high with sauerkraut were only the tip of the iceberg.

The Gruber Family Band was a great addition to the weekend’s events. The band played throughout, integrating various competitions for Oktoberfest participants, a women’s stein holding contest and a children’s yodeling contest included. Nearly all of the participants wore traditional German dress. One got the feeling that the parents of the young yodelers have been training them for years.

One tiny participant, still too young to officially compete as a yodeler, was 17 month old Riley. Her mother, Cyndi McCluskey, found Riley’s tiny dirndl online. When asked if this was a family tradition, McCluskey responded positively.

“Every year!” She said.

Perhaps Riley will be ready for next year’s yodeling contest.

Later on Saturday night, a supposed men’s stein holding contest was announced. Eager participants gathered only to find that they would actually be participating in a yodeling contest. The results were quite extraordinary, really; the final yodel-off involved some mighty fine yodeling.

The Alpentänzer Schuhplattler, a traditional German folk dancing group, performed numerous times throughout the event. Their dances included a grand march, German hat dance, wooden pole dance and a maypole dance, among others.

Friday evening, the 2011 Turn Verein Oktoberfest maxed out at around a thousand people. This doesn’t usually happen on Friday evening, explained Heinz Ludke, Recording & Financial Secretary of the STV, though they usually reach maximum capacity sometime Saturday evening each year. Already at 4:00 on Saturday, the crowds were larger than usual. The Main Festhalle was full already at 4:30 and only got more packed as the night went on.

A lively rendition of “The Beer Barrel Waltz” really got things going Saturday night. Along with the lulling winding and unwinding of the maypole led by the Alpentänzer Schuhplattler, this perfect Oktoberfest only got better as the night went on.

There were German sing-a-longs and American sing-a-longs, the chicken dance and then the young folk dancers were up again. The dance floor cleared and the strapping young lads remained. There was dancing and box jumping, followed by a go at the Bavarian Hat Dance that broke out into a mock fight between two shirtless lads in lederhosen.

At times, if you found a spot on the dance floor you were lucky; a seat was a near impossibility.

In the upstairs hall, the mood was a bit more modern, with AKAlive rocking the room.

For a quiet escape, you could visit the Kaffeehaus for a cup of Jo(han) and a piece of cake.

Joann Schuler, a member of the Turner Harmonie, the choir that performed several times this weekend, helped man the Kaffeehaus. She seemed delighted to be a part of the event and was perfectly willing to discuss German culture, family stories, and best of all – she offered tips on the best German desserts at the Kaffeehaus.

The fruit basket dessert came highly recommended, as did the Black Forest cake, of course, and the Bienenstich, which Schuler described as containing, “almond and honey and creamy yumminess.”

One of the best parts of the event was the family feeling that filled the air. Everywhere you looked there were children, and large families congregating, usually three generations strong.

“Last time I was forced to wear lederhosen at the age of seven,” said Jordan Hess of Sacramento, “and now at the age of 27, I get to enjoy the beer!”

Hess’s parents were married at the Turn Verein and his grandfather participated in the STV soccer league in the 70’s. Saturday night it was just him and his younger sister Aubrey, who recently returned from a lengthy study abroad in Bremen.

Outside, both sides of the hall were flanked by a beer garden. While the white plastic chairs in the Turn Verein Biergarten were less charming than the wooden picnic tables in Bavarian beer gardens, everything else about the event certainly held its own.

I’ve been to the Hofbräuhaus, to a beer hall in southern Bavaria and a biergarten in Munich’s city park, but I never imagined that I would find such an enjoyable event right here in the middle of Sacramento.

“Durst ist schlimmer als Heimweh!” reads a sign in the main Festhalle.

“Thirst is worse than homesickness.”

There are many Oktoberfests that excel in celebrating drinking delicious German beer a liter at a time, but the Sacramento Turn Verein does much more than that - although there was plenty of good beer to go around. They show off the marvelous methods of celebration in Bavaria, bringing out German American families and friends for a night of celebrating what they are and what they have, a shared German heritage.

Late Saturday evening, while the rest of The Gruber Family Band took a break, Michael Gruber played “Amazing Grace” on what can only be described as a super-length beer bong. I had been there for almost six hours and I wanted to go home so badly. At the same time, I knew that if I went home, this magical German world would disappear.

Until next year.

The next event at the Sacramento Turn Verein will be their annual Christkindlmarkt. The Christmas market will include a unique holiday shopping experience, glühwein (spiced wine) and their usual abundance of delicious German baked goods. Admission is free for the whole family with the donation of a children’s coat.

Besides numerous annual events like the Oktoberfest and its spring counterpart, the STV Bockbierfest, the Turn Verein offers German language classes, athletic clubs and various other social activities.

A double dose of Cake

2011-10-08T22:23:49Z

Who gives a shout out to the Central Valley?

Well, someone from the Central Valley.

This week, Cake played twice for eager Central Valley crowds. The local band performed for happy Cakesters at Freeborn Hall on the UC Davis campus on both Thursday and Friday nights. Friday night, the Memorial Union hall was at capacity, 1,775 people deep. On Thursday, nearly 1,300 people came out to sway and nod with Cake.

An hour before the show on Thursday night, fans were already lined up outside, ready to vie for a good spot in the community center hall. Thursday night drew a devoted crowd with one (especially) veteran fan who declared she’s been to over 20 Cake spectaculars over the years.

The alternative rock band, as they are sometimes called - though those who try to truly define the genre struggle to do so in less than 30 words - started the show with a tribute to their local roots. The instrumental, “Arco Arena,” aided in building so much anticipation that one especially excited man nearly jumped up on the stage.

Early in the show, they played several songs from their newest album, “Showroom of Compassion." The song of the same name was first and was a song about “leaving the central valley,” said lead singer John McCrea.

Thus far, the album is proving to be just as addicting as previous albums, the unending commentary of an angry American running throughout. “Sick of You,” in particular, was another great addition to Cake’s sing-a-long favorites. “Long Time” and “Mustache Man,” featuring Xan McCurdy on guitar, were performed as well.

“Sad Songs and Waltzes” was an entrancingly mellow addition to the set list and featured the remarkable trumpeting skills of Vince DiFiori. While his trumpet skills were far more impressive in person, the acoustics of Freeborn Hall did nothing to enhance the experience.

The venue seems to be a terrific place for a college concert, but Cake’s performance was hardly that. There were more thirty-something spectators in attendance than anything else.

Cake played two sets split by an intermission, “Which, I think, is a very civilized thing to do,” said McCrea.

Whether it’s the fault of the genre-less music or audience skill level, it was obvious that Cake fans don’t really dance. The point was made apparent Thursday night during the “dance-off” for a blood orange tree, the most powerful moves being a strong “robot” and a kicky “shopping cart.”

In the end, the band gave Davis local Jacob Belway a healthy, young blood orange tree. On Friday night, the arboreous gift was a lemon tree.

The band played old favorites including, “Stickshifts and Safetybelts” and “Rock ‘N’ Roll Lifestyle,” as well as newbies such as “Federal Funding” that were very well-received.

By the end of the night, the stage was practically dripping with sarcasm and disdain. You almost began to wonder if there really isn’t hope.

At times, it was even difficult to figure out if the band loves the central valley or hates the Central Valley, if they love America or hate America, and if they hate it so much, why they’re still here.

The answer, perhaps, is because misery loves company. If your favorite pastime is serenading fellow comiserators with cynicism and sarcasm, where else could you find such a goldmine of willing listeners than here, in the Central Valley?

Valley soil is caked on their shoes, and it’s not coming off.

There were just a few moments when you got a glimpse of the sweeter side of Cake. “Mexico,” for one, let the audience see that not all hope is lost in the race to an implosive bitter end. The ballad was quite therapeutic after a show filled with so much sarcasm and bitterness.

Perhaps our dear McCrea and Cake will someday find inner peace. Then again, how could we survive without the ever-present Cake criticisms of society?

McCrea reinforced this sentiment Friday night when he finished the weekend in Davis with “I Will Survive,” citing that it was the only hope he had.

Cake. Simple, home-baked, yet such a delicacy. This uniquely addicting group is sure to survive forever and ever, riling and romancing fans for many years to come.

Cake to take on Freeborn Hall

2011-10-05T05:08:14Z

Cake. Simple, home-baked, yet such a delicacy.

The five member band will start the academic year off right for UC Davis students. The local favorite will perform at University of California, Davis’ Freeborn Hall this Thursday and Friday, October 6 and 7.

While the band's tunes are so rollicking and varying that they are essentially without genre, Cake is known for a number of hits including, "The Distance" and "Rock 'n' Roll Lifestyle."

"Never There" and "Short Skirt/Long Jacket" also function effectively as cult classics for the current twenty-something generation. (Even if some have now reached their thirties.)

The band's newest album, "Showroom of Compassion," was released in January of this year. The album was produced in their very own studio, a solar-powered jewel right here in Sacramento. As always, lyrics succeed in making Christians blush and Patriots fume.

Read more on their highly developed website, complete with their regular website polling, mocking and cynical as it is. In addition, the Onion-like news headlines of their website newsfeed keep listeners on their toes.

Whether it's the semi-enthusiastic almost-singing of John McCrea that constantly draws you into a hapless and cynical political debate or the strong rhythmic line intertwining Gabe Nelson's bassline with Xan McCurdy on guitar, spectators are surely in for a great night both Thursday and Friday. Tom Monson will only add to the performance with his driving beat on drums.

Come Monday, the melody of Vince DiFiori on trumpet is sure to be hummed along the cycling paths of old Davisville.

Currently, Friday’s show is already sold out. Tickets for Thursday night’s show can be purchased online or through the UC Davis ticket office either in person or by phone at (530) 752-1915. The show will begin at 8 p.m. on both Thursday and Friday night.

Rock Allegiance at Power Balance Pavilion

2011-09-27T02:37:28Z

The Rock Allegiance Tour pulled out all the stops for the last night of their summer tour.

Sacramento’s Power Balance Pavilion hosted an unforgettable evening of loud riffs and primordial deafening screams. Seven bands were schedule to perform. Drive A, Crossfade, Red, P.O.D. and Puddle of Mud were scheduled to perform, as well as co-headliners Buckcherry and Papa Roach. Puddle of Mud was unable to attend due to an illness. Me be thinking hangover, but what do I know?

This concert was off the charts with people jumping over barriers to get to the bands and the bands jumping over barriers to get to fans. I didn’t know whether I should be watching the bands or the crowd. Both were entertaining, both were over the top and both were screaming at each other. It was a mess!

Out of all the bands, I think Buckcherry had the best performance of them all. While just as crazy as the other bands, they had a modicum of control to the point of sounding like a real band. Not to rip the other bands, but when these guys are screaming into their mics with their guttural growls and flying through the air like Mighty Mouse on crack, it’s hard to hear them because they’re out of breath - or headbanging with someone in the crowd. It was obvious that absolutely nobody agreed with me, since everyone was screaming and singing along with each and every band.

Once Buckcherry took the stage there were a number of people jumping the barriers, only to be rewarded with the ever so gracious security team greeting them and quietly and politely dragging their sorry arse to the curb. Once Buckcherry jumpstarted the crowd into a renewed frenzy, they passed the baton to Papa Roach to finish the night off in style.

Papa Roach hit the stage in full stride and had heads bopping, fans rocking and people jumping off the stage. It was quite an event and all caught on tape, since Papa Roach was filming their part of the show for a new music video. They even had a $100,000+ camera on a boom moving over the crowd to catch all the action.

This really was a night to remember – such a bestial display of pure testosterone all on one stage. As I was heading home listening to the Backstreet Boys I kept wondering what it would be like to fly around like Mighty Mouse on crack, maybe next time.

Vietnamese Autumn Breeze

2011-09-26T07:17:01Z

The Asian invasion was back at Thunder Valley Casino and Resort this weekend with the Vietnamese Autumn Breeze bringing some of the biggest names in Vietnamese entertainment. Most of the show was spoken in Vietnamese, but there was a scattering of English thrown in for good measure.

Due to a pretty cold evening, at least compared to recent nights this week, the audience was somewhat thin. Checking inside, it was obvious that many concertgoers made a last-minute decision to try their luck inside the casino rather than brave the elements outside.

Kicking off the show were the emcees for the evening, Leyna Nguyen and Trinh Hoi. As in past Asian shows I’ve attended, it was fun trying to figure out what was going on. At one point, Nguyen and Hoi were talking in Vietnamese, and Nguyen started saying “chop chop” and using her fingers as scissors. Hoi paled and the audience was on the floor laughing, so you can only imagine what they were talking about. Once I realized what they were talking about, I think I went pale too.

The first artists out of the gate were singing duo Truc Linh and Truc Lam. They brought along with them a small dance troop. The audience was pretty non-responsive through their set, as they were for most of the evening, until the later acts. Linh and Lam are sisters in their mid- to late-20s and got their start in 1992, when they performed for the first time in public for a television program in Saigon.

They sang two songs, “Xin Cho Anh Yeu” and “Bang Bang.”

Huong Thuy, a singer from southern Vietnam known for Ca dao and Cai Luong singing, was up next. Thuy appears frequently on the long-running Vietnamese diaspora variety show, “Paris by Night.”

Thuy sang “Ben Song Cho” and “Hop Mat Lan Cuoi.” The audience was a little more upbeat when she first came out but quickly settled down.

Vu Khanh, one of the crooners of the night, came out singing “Yeu.” As he started his second song, Y Lan joined him and they sang “Chieu” and “Tram Nho Ngan Thuong.” This was met with quite a bit of applause.

Lan finished off with a solo of “What’s Up,” which she sang in English. She did an awesome job, hitting the high notes spot on. This got a partial standing ovation – remember most of these people were freezing.

My favorite act of the night was Tuan Anh. She – scratch that – He came out making a couple of jokes. I have no idea what he was saying, but I was on the floor laughing. This guy is just plain funny with his mannerisms, accents and, of course, his style – very comical, but once he started singing, it’s obvious he’s a singer first, comedian second. He sang “Em Lat Tat Ca” and “I Who Have Nothing.”

Trieu Minh hopped on stage and sang “Chi La Di Vang” and “Tinh Yeu Khong Quat Ve.” She sounded great, and at one point she had the dance crew join her onstage.

Bang Kieu was up next singing “Chuyen Tinh Yeu” and “Nang Hoi.” He was a mix between crooner and pop.

Comedian duo Bao Liem and Bao Vy came out to a cool reception, but by the middle of their set they had the audience laughing. It’s at this point I wish I knew what the two were going on about, since I started laughing without knowing why.

The second crooner of the evening was heart throb Quang Dung – yes, I said dung. Stop laughing! It’s the guy’s name! So, Dung came out singing “Vi Ngot Doi Moi” and “Vet Thu Tren Lung Nguoi Hoang.” I heard many of the women screaming. I’m thinking they must have sat on a cold chair or something.

Headlining the evening’s event was Toc Tien. This young lady wanted to be a doctor as she was growing up and still aspires to do so, but her singing career has temporarily sidetracked her. She has a wonderfully soulful sound and definitely got the crowd going. She was the only performer of the evening who really got the entire crowd cheering. She is an awesome performer and earned the right to headline such an event.

As I’ve said before, although I don’t speak Vietnamese, it was interesting to attend a concert where you can’t understand the language. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what language you speak when listening to music. It’s what moves you that counts.

Girls' Night Out at Power Balance Pavilion

2011-09-26T06:53:46Z

Local radio station V101.1 hosted the Freestyle Explosion at Power Balance Pavilion, with radio personality Dr. Don Sainte-Johnn as the emcee and Expose headlining. Giving Expose top billing was a brilliant idea, since they are credited for bringing the freestyle genre of music to the forefront back in the ’80s.

The Freestyle Explosion revisits the freestyle sound that was popular in the late ’80s and early ’90s, an underground mixture of Latin hip-hop, electronic supplementation and the occasional house grooves. Despite their brief stint in the spotlight, the artists who brought freestyle music to the masses have been immortalized on the club circuit, with a die-hard fan base throughout Europe and in most major cities in the United States.

Friday night was definitely girls’ night out, as hundreds of women packed into Power Balance Pavilion, with a few guys dragged along, to see Expose, Lisa Lisa, Shannon, Debbie Deb and Cynthia. And there was some eye-candy thrown in for the ladies, like Johnny O, and Nice & Wild.

First up was David Torres, one of the three original members of Nice & Wild. He opened with “Diamond Girl,” gyrating across the stage, much to the delight of all the women. I’m not so sure the guys were happy with the opening, but, hey, they could have grown a pair and stayed home. I found his vocals flat, but he put on a good show.

Next up was Cynthia singing a medley of her hits, including “Change on Me” and “Gonna Get Over You.” She was less energetic than the others, but she made up for it with her stellar vocals.

Following Cynthia was Johnny O singing a medley of his hits, which included “Fantasy Girl.” He was joined by Cynthia, and together they performed a great rendition of “Dream Boy/Dream Girl.” Johnny O was very energetic, eliciting screams from all the women and a few men — but I’m sure you’ll never hear them admit it.

Debbie Deb came out with three ladies from the audience. She only introduced them as her backup dancers, without mentioning anyone by name. She sang two of her hits, “Lookout Weekend” and “When I Hear Music.” She sounded great.

The Cover Girls, consisting of Evelyn Escalera, Lorrain Munoz and Sabrina Nieves, came out singing “Wishing on a Star” and a number of other hits, ending with “Inside Outside.” They did a great job and had some old-school choreography going, which I think is just classy.

Shannon came out and sang several of her hits, closing with “When I Hear Music.” Prior to taking the stage, several enlisted soldiers were introduced to the crowd. Shannon and Debbie Deb had performed in Iraq, where she met Specialist Gonzalez, Sargent Gray and Specialist Bradford.

I spoke to Bradford prior to the show, as he was sipping his cocktail – compliments of Shannon. Hailing from the 49th Military Police Brigade, Bradford first met Shannon at Camp Liberty. He said Shannon committed to the troops during her visit in Iraq, and that they were welcome at any show, wherever she was playing. As she tours across the country, her tour manager has been keeping in touch via Facebook and phone, letting troops know her schedule and arranging VIP passes. All three soldiers wanted to be sure I mentioned how thankful they were to Shannon for giving them the opportunity.

Shannon danced with the soldiers during her performance. Having two left feet, as I do, Bradford struggled with his moves, but he gave it a valiant effort. Both Gonzalez and Gray were having a great time, getting down with Shannon.

After a brief intermission, the concert really took off with Lisa Lisa jumping up on stage. She played a number of hits, including “Can You Feel the Beat,” “Lost in Emotion” and “Kiss Your Tears Away.” She had the audience up on their feet the entire set. She sounded great, while her two male dancers rocked the stage. She looked like she was having a great time, showing us her infectious smile. From my perspective, Lisa Lisa should have been headlining, but I get it.

Finally Expose arrived singing “Seasons Change.” They sounded good and had a well-choreographed routine going. They sang several hits, ending with “Point of No Return.” While they did a fantastic job entertaining the crowd, I believe Lisa Lisa stole the show. By the time they were finished, many people had already started leaving. This may have been due to the concert going well past 11:30 p.m.

It was fun watching young and old enjoy a bit of old-school music. I didn’t mind either. Let’s face it — there was a bit of eye-candy there for the guys, too.

Lynyrd Skynyrd at Thunder Valley Casyno

2011-09-24T01:05:21Z

Lynyrd Skynyrd arrived with both barrels blazing promoting their latest album, “God and Guns,” in their Florida’s Finest tour at Thunder Valley Casino and Resort Thursday night. The band entertained and delighted a full house of die-hard Skynyrd fans – a.k.a. the Skynyrd Nation.

It was obvious that their music is enjoyed by a number of generations, as I watched young and old stand up and cheer. Crowds of non-ticket holders gathered in the parking lot area and on the sidewalks outside the amphitheater.

When they took the stage, the crowd erupted into cheers, with the band kicking it off with “Working for MCA.” As they were leading into “I Ain’t the One,” lead singer Johnny Van Zant said hello to the crowd and thanked everyone for being there.

The audience never sat down the entire concert, even through the slower medleys, such as “That Smell.” The band sounded great and had a solid stage presence, keeping the audience engaged throughout the evening.

Guitarist Rickey Medlocke was tossing out guitar picks to the audience and I thought to myself, how does he know they need a guitar pick, let alone that they play guitar? But it didn’t matter. They were gobbled up before they even had a chance to hit the ground.

They dedicated “Simple Man” to our troops as a huge backdrop fell into place showing the U.S. flag and emblems of the various armed services. It was a touching moment, with the crowd going quiet but remaining standing.

Toward the end of the concert, Van Zant waved an Alabama state flag attached to a microphone stand. He was encouraging the audience to scream “Alabama!” to prepare for their next song, “Sweet Home Alabama.” As soon as they started up the song, they were met with the wildest and loudest cheers of the show.

For their encore the band came out with Van Zant taunting the crowd.

“You know what you want to hear,” he said.

“Free Bird!”

“In the words of my brother Ronnie Van Zant, what is it you want to hear?”

“Free Bird!” And with that last request, they started up the song.

Le Butcherettes

2011-09-23T19:01:38Z

Scanning the Harlow’s crowd an hour or so before Le Butcherettes were slated for the stage, you would have found lead singer Terri Gender Bender leaning against a large pillar, her small foot tapping in rhythm with the hard drumming coming from Diciembre Gris, the second opener.

This small metronome action would have been the only outgoing behavior exhibited by Terri, who, off stage, seems quiet, docile and introverted. When approached by fans or curious bystanders, Terri offered the same genuine smile and sweet responses, a reaction surprisingly different from what you would expect to come from a bawdy woman known for her bloody apron uniform.

That is until Ms. Gender Bender got on stage. Quite quickly, drummer Gabe Serbian, bass player Jonathan Hischke and frontwoman Terri Gender Bender transformed what was a quiet, table-seated night at Harlow’s into a frantic mosh pit and interactive musical rock-out.

"Performing lets me get all the demons out,” Terri said.

Her theatrical, but authentic performance included aggressive thrashing about, numerous acrobatic attempts and playing the “trust fall” game where Terri without hesitation, lunged forward, backward, and upside down onto the crowd multiple times.

This dual persona is exactly what Terri tries to express through her artistic project.

“I want to show this shift — the change from domestic housewife who is silent and sweet and who spends her time cleaning the kitchen to this breaking of all feminine duties, to this raging animal release!” Terri said, breaking into Spanish to better express herself.

Jumping off stage wasn’t Terri’s only public interaction. After running through the crowd, singing and shouting, Terri ran out the front door, straight into oncoming traffic on busy J Street, hailing cars and drawing the crowd out behind her. The first car to stop was the Sacramento Police.

A few dance moves and a mad dash back inside, Terri was back on stage with the crowd short on her heels.Soon enough, Terri’s singing was interrupted as she was asked to come outside.

“Umm, sorry, but the police force wants to have a few words with me. Please hold on,” Terri heavily breathed into the microphone.

Minutes passed, and still Terri remained outside, time enough that concerned band members Serbian and Hischke alarmingly shuffled outside too. Onlookers gawked, traffic stopped, and fans shared their frustration.

“C’mon, its artistic expression!” one female yelled.

Eventually Terri was allowed to return to her guitar. Without any sign of anger, she convinced patrons that we should thank the police.

“They look after us and our health,” she said. And then led a screaming frenzy which morphed into possessed rag-doll dancing and spit spraying, scenes only a little short from “The Exorcist.”

But Le Butcherette’s offered a variety of musical compositions. A few, select pieces started slow, with seductive, stand-alone, eerie vocals. But they didnt last long, blasted unexpectedly by fast drums and loud guitars. The energetic ups and downs only added to the musical intensity put on by the trio.

Long-time admirer, Adrienne Beatty shared, “She’s just so nice and sweet. But up there [on stage], its surprising how empowering she is! You get a sense that this is a strong woman-led band.”

Le Butcherettes strong talent has put them on tour with extremely well-know musicians, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Deftones, Iggy and the Stooges, and currently, The Flaming Lips.

“They all are really, really great people. Its been amazing to tour with them. But maybe my favorite has been Deftones. They were just so nice, offering us coffee and joints,” Terri shared bashfully.

Applause goes out to I’m Dirty Too and Diciembre Gris who played alongside Le Butcherettes evening performance.

Catch Le Butcherettes again when they come back to northern Californian this December. In the meantime, head over to Harlow's to see the next fine bands in line.

KC and The Sunshine on Thunder Valley

2011-09-20T03:12:31Z

Singer, songwriter, and keyboardist Harry Wayne “K.C.” Casey brought disco back, for at least one night, as KC and the Sunshine Band took over Thunder Valley Casino and Resort Sunday night. Creating a theatrical display of dance moves that he created back in the 70’s along with four stunning young ladies, KC had the audience putting on their boogie shoes - all under one huge disco ball.

But first, starting off the evening was the venerable Con Funk Shun, an R&B group made up of five frontmen and four band members. The band got their start out of Vallejo, Calif. back in the 70’s, churning out hits through the 80’s. They are responsible for a number of hits including "Chase Me," "Got To Be Enough" and "Electric Lady."

The frontmen, comprised of Michael Cooper, Karl Fuller, Felton Pilate, Paul "Maceo" Harrell and Danny "Sweet Man" Thomas, came out dressed in blue blazers and white pants. Immediately they jumped into a well-choreographed routine that had some audience members cheering. They looked classy performing in lockstep while holding their instruments.

That might not have come out right, but you get the idea.

It was obvious many of the audience members had not heard of Con Funk Shun, but they quickly became fans after the first couple of songs. With their six-part vocal harmonies, horns and more, they blasted out a whole lot of funk, some dance party grooves and a dash of romantic ballads, all to a very receptive audience.

Their set appeared to run long when the announcer jumped in.

“Let’s give it up one more time for Con Funk Shun.”

The band kicked it into another two songs; it was obvious they were up there having a good time and didn’t want it to stop.

During intermission I had a chance to talk to three individuals who I will affectionately refer to as the three stooges. Sporting afros, fake moustaches, headbands and other accoutrements, these guys had a following of their own.

They would only give me their stage names of Stefan, Jethro and Samson. I asked Samson what gives with the outfits.

“We’re f**king fans, baby. It’s disco and that’s why we go man.”

Women were having their picture taken with them almost the entire concert. They were very entertaining.

An instrumental introduction began and the crowd started cheering as, one at a time, each band member slowly took the stage, walked to the front, stopped for a beat or two, and then took their place on stage. This made for a very dramatic entrance. You could feel the tension build in the crowd as they anxiously waited for KC to make his way on stage.

Will he enter on the right, or the left?

People were looking back and forth trying to figure out where he would pop out.

Prior to KC arriving, the Sunshine Girls grooved to the beginning of “Shake Your Booty.” KC finally emerged (from the right) and went straight to the keyboard and started pounding away and doing what he does best – entertain.

A couple of verses into his first song, KC blasted from the keyboard, dancing with the ladies from one side of the stage to the other. As he started into his second song, “Boogie Shoes,” he sounded somewhat out of breath and was breaking out in quite a sweat.

At the end of his second song, KC acknowledge his weight gain and how much older he was. The catch phrase for the night was “What the hell happened?” in reference to how much time had elapsed since he started over 39 years ago.

He also tried to educate all the younger people in the audience as to who he was.

“For you young people, you’re probably wondering who I am. I was your mother’s *NSYNC.”

Going on, he warned them that this is what Justin Timberlake will look like in thirty years.

“I should change the name to KFC and The Sunshine Band,” said KC, referring to his weight.

He said he wanted to play a few slow songs next, but promised that the remainder of the show would remain upbeat. He went on to play a number of slow songs including, “Yes, I’m Ready,” “Let’s Just Kiss & Say Goodbye” and “Please Don’t Go,” before picking up the tempo with “I’m Your Boogie Man.”

At 60 years old, KC has been in the entertainment industry a long time and knows how to put on a great show. While his vocals are nowhere near what they used to be, he makes up for it by sheer energy, musicianship and by surrounding himself with some of the best talent in the industry – the lights aren’t bad either.

Ramon Ayala at Thunder Valley

2011-09-20T02:53:33Z

The “King of the Accordion” and four-time Grammy winner Ramon Ayala played to norteño and tejano fans from both sides of the border, with most fans singing along to every song. A mostly older crowd jammed into Thunder Valley Casino and Resort to watch their old favorite perform. There were a few younger fans peppered throughout, enjoying the music just as much as their elders.

Ayala arrived on stage with his trademark green, white and red accordion. The crowd erupted in cheers and several individuals made their way up to the stage to pay tribute to the man.

Ayala was joined on stage by his band, known as Bravos del Norte. Band members were Mario Marichalar (bajo sexton and vocals), Fidencio Ayala (bass), Jose Luis Ayala (drums and vocals), David Laure (percussion) and Raul Rosales (emcee and percussion).

Ayala played a number of his hits including “Mi Piquito de Oro,” a Latin version of "Cotton Fields," and “Un Puño de Tierra,” which had the entire audience on their feet.

I’m used to seeing Thunder Valley Casino’s outdoor stage packed with instruments, amps and gear of all shapes and sizes, but when I looked at the stage there was a set of drums, congas and some microphones. I thought for sure they hadn’t finished setting up. The band performs with a minimum amount of gear which consists of a set of drums, congas, two accordions, bajo sexto and a bass.

It was fun watching the crowd react to each and every song. You could see couples looking into each other’s eyes. I’m sure some were remembering when they first met, others their first kiss, all to the music they were listening to at the time. Some songs had people swaying in their seats, while others brought them to their feet. It was obvious they knew each and every song.

Ramon Ayala has been singing, composing and playing his accordion for over 45 years. He has recorded over 100 albums and has been featured in thirteen movies. He is considered a legend of norteño music and is one of the most recognized and bestselling artists of the genre.

Dazzling belt buckles at Thunder Valley

2011-09-18T03:47:39Z

Thunder Valley Casino Resort hosted Big & Rich and Gretchen Wilson this Friday night in their outdoor amphitheater. It was a perfect summer night for an outdoor show. Both the performers and the audience fulfilled expectations. The Musik Mafia, as they call themselves, rocked a full house on Friday night.

“Sitting on your ass is extremely prohibited throughout the entire Xtreme Musik Show,” spoke an electronically-enhanced voice that served as a flight attendant style introduction to the concert.

John Rich seemed to lead the performance, the likely choice considering his successful stint on Celebrity Apprentice. Big Kenny sported his usual top hat. His fringed vest and snug pinstriped pants completed his attire and only added to his untamed dance moves onstage.

Gretchen Wilson was a strong and sweet hostess as well, constantly encouraging fan participation and calling out to the other “redneck women” in the crowd. Wilson was loved by the crowd, both women and men. The women were ignited by her enviable confidence and the men loved her as well - probably for the same reason that Shania Twain has always had such a large male following.

Road 88 was the show’s opening act. The local band, recently voted as 2011 Best Local Band on KCRA’s A-List, was well received by the audience. The act stayed around for the rest of the show, enjoying themselves amongst the audience.

Big & Rich, together with Wilson, began the show with “Fake I.D.” They were excited to announce that the recent release will be featured on the soundtrack for the upcoming “Footloose” remake starring Dennis Quaid, Andie MacDowell and Julianne Hough.

Wilson then kicked it up a notch with “Here for the Party,” the title track from her 2004 debut album. Big & Rich and Wilson hopped on and off the stage throughout the show. They performed a song or two before bowing out for a break. This strategy worked well and allowed them to keep the energy and intensity high.

It was almost impossible to decide whether the show was more rock or more country. With so many references to Tammy Wynette and Charlie Daniels, it would have to be marked down as country. Then again, with Cowboy Troy rapping and a couple of background guitarists riffing their way to Cleveland, the Musik Mafia certainly knows how to rock.

While introducing a cover later in the show, Wilson called out, “I’ve got a feeling…you know how to rock.”

A second later, the band launched into the opening of “I Gotta Feeling,” by the Black Eyed Peas.

“I’m not singing that!” Wilson cut in and the band shifted, starting into Foreigner’s “Hot Blooded.”

Whether country or rock ‘n’ roll, one thing’s for sure; these fans know how to party. The Thunder Valley Outdoor Amphitheatre was host to a rowdy crowd that night. The bar, manned by Zebra Club of Sacramento, was serving up Jack Daniels and Crown Royal like there was no tomorrow.

Even the three headliners took a moment to have a drink on stage. The performers took a few minutes to recognize National POW/MIA Recognition Day, which falls on the third Friday of September each year. MSgt. Surita A. Rorie and TSgt. Eric Grant, both currently stationed at Edwards Air Force Base, were brought up on stage for a toast.

MSgt. Rorie quite eloquently spoke a few words, remarking that they would never stop until every single soldier is home.

The show slowed down just once when Wilson invited the audience to join a bit of afterparty on the main stage. She explained that in the trailers after the show, they bring out the acoustic guitars and fiddles. She performed John Prine’s “Angel from Montgomery” with just an acoustic guitar alongside.

Audience members seemed to enjoy the departure. While she does perform this number regularly during concerts, you could tell that she enjoyed it and sang from the heart. One particular couple even made their way to the front to slow dance near the stage.

It was probably good the tender-hearted couple didn’t know that in that same spot a rowdier audience member had prepared to rally for the second half just a few minutes earlier, puke and rally, that is.

Rock ‘n’ roll and rhinestones were the theme of the country show. Between John Rich’s bedazzled suit, Wilson’s glittering belt, Cowboy Troy’s enormous belt buckle and the audience’s similarly sequined attire, the truckload of lights that the group brought in their caravan of semis was multiplied times ten.

The energetic women in the crowd were decked out in cowboy hats and glittering tank tops. The men were huge, tall and burly cowboys and ranchers coming from all parts of northern California and throughout the valley, and there were so many Camels and Marlboros - in back pockets, in bra straps - it was a real country show.

The show ended with Big Kenny shredding his t-shirt and throwing it into the crowd, much to the pleasure of one female audience member.

Gretchen Wilson and Big & Rich, who together comprise Musik Mafia, sport matching bejeweled rings that mark their participation. The combination becomes more united with each passing year. The group nearly creates a new genre of music, so much rock and so much country. Fans have to wonder if the end result will be a country rock band playing under the name Musik Mafia, and if they would really mind if they did.

Country collaboration at Thunder Valley

2011-09-14T19:11:08Z

Thunder Valley Casino Resort will host Big & Rich and Gretchen Wilson this Friday night, September 16 at 8 p.m. The event will take place in Thunder Valley’s Outdoor Amphitheater, an excellent venue for a fun night of country music.

The country duo of John Rich and Big Kenny will perform this weekend as part of their Xtreme Musik tour. The show will be one of just a couple of shows in California before the tour heads north. Grammy, CMA, ACM and AMA award winner Gretchen Wilson is paired with Big & Rich for the evening. Wilson has been co-headlining the tour since it began in mid-June.

The pairing is ideal considering the numerous collaborations among the three of them. “Fake I.D.” is one such example, released earlier this year.

Friday night’s show will also include appearances by 2 Foot Fred and rapper Cowboy Troy, as well as opening act, Road 88.

The event will likely bring country music fans from all over the Sacramento valley. Spectators should be in for a great show, Big Kenny in his top hat rapping hick-hop, Rich in his more traditional country attire but rocking all the same.

Wilson is sure to put on a great show as well. She brings a strong-minded feminine quality to the show, drawing like-minded women from all around. Just a few years ago, at the age of 34, Wilson finished her GED, an accomplishment that had fallen to the wayside as she worked her way through her teens and twenties.

The country artist currently has four albums, “Here for the Party,” “All Jacked Up,” “One of the Boys” and “I Got Your Country Right Here.” The latter is her first release from Redneck Records. Yet another of Wilson’s notable accomplishments is her recently launched label, Redneck Records, which she started in the fall of 2009.

Country fans are sure to see an excellent show this Friday night. For additional ticket and venue information, visit the Xtreme Musik tour website or check out Thunder Valley’s entertainment listings.

Following the Thunder Valley show on Friday, the tour will head to Molalla, OR and Puyallum, WA before heading to Canada where they will perform in various locations in British Columbia.

Iris Dement at CSA Event Center: photos

2011-09-13T02:58:10Z

Folk/country singer Iris Dement played a solo show at the Center for Spiritual Awareness (CSA) Event Center in West Sacramento Thursday night with Jay Shaner opening.

Dement played such crowd favorites as "Our Town" ~~"Our House"~~ from her Grammy-nominated My Life album released in 1994. Accompanying herself on piano and acoustic guitar, Dement's distinctive high-lonesome warble relayed plaintive songs of heartbreak and hard times. Her stage presence is warm and self-deprecating, with a sly humor. At one point she remarked about the venue: "I'm not sure how much more awareness I want," and that she might have enough (spiritual awareness) as it is. This writer would tend to agree.

The Human League

2011-09-09T00:47:43Z

The Human League teamed up with Men Without Hats at Thunder Valley Casino and Resort Wednesday night, playing to a less than packed house.

Both groups are synthpop bands who got their start in the early ’80s. The Human League has had a number of hit songs since and in March of this year released their 10th album, “Credo,” 30 years after their first album.

Men Without Hats kicked off the evening playing a number of their hit songs, including "Moonbeam," "Pop Goes the World" and "The Safety Dance."

The only original band member, Ivan Doroschuk, came out donning a cowboy hat. He was bathed in red or blue light almost the entire time on stage. Doroschuk was very energetic, dancing back and forth across the stage, waving his arms in the air and looking like he was having a good time.

The music was loud, making it difficult to hear Doroschuk sing. I don’t believe he sounded that great, but that may have been because he was being drowned out by his own music. I was really disappointed, and it seemed the audience agreed. Only a handful of people were up on their feet until the last song “The Safety Dance,” when everyone got moving.

I should have known the moment Doroschuk came on stage with a hat that this wasn’t going to be good. Let’s face it, Men Without Hats means men without hats. I kept looking for “America’s Got Talent”’s Piers Morgan in hopes that he could buzz them and be done with it. These guys were more reminiscent of a bad ’70s band than an ’80s revival band.

Once The Human League took the stage, it all changed. These guys put on a great theatrical production, complete with a video backdrop with the drummer playing front and center of the screen. The video splashing all over the drummer made for a great look.

Founding member and lead singer Philip Oakey was dressed in black with a black hood for the first song, “Never Let Me Go.” Oakey started by walking slowly into the spot light singing the chorus, “Go/ go/ go,” and then fading back, out of the light, until the next chorus. The whole time band mainstays Susan Anne Sulley and Joanne Catherall were singing and dancing in unison on both ends of the stage.

The Human League has evolved over the years but remains true to their unique electronic pop sound with smooth vocals overlaying synthesizers and digital keyboards.

They had the attention of the audience from the moment they stepped out on stage. They had several wardrobe changes, various videos playing in the background and good, solid vocals. All the band members were high energy, including Nic Burke, who was jumping from keyboards to guitars and back again.

I would highly recommend checking The Human League out the next time they are in town. They put on a great theatrical production and have a number of hits spanning several decades to enjoy.

Planning Commission to decide on tap room liquor permit

2011-09-07T23:06:08Z

The city’s planning commission will decide whether to OK a permit for alcohol to a proposed bottle shop and tap room planned for a shopping center near the intersection of Howe Avenue and Fair Oaks Boulevard Thursday night.

Capitol Beer and Tap Room is a potential business set to take an empty space at 2222 Fair Oaks Blvd. put together by business partners Ken Hotchkiss and Patti Aguierre.

“It’s going to be kind of a high-end craft beer tasting room and bottle shop,” Hotchkiss said Wednesday.

If given the go-ahead by the Planning Commission, the business could open as early as December, and Aguierre said she plans to participate in Beer Week, in late February.

About 20 beers will be on tap at all times, though the beer selections will rotate, and a website will let customers know which brews are currently being poured. In addition, hundreds of different beers will be available in the bottle shop, according to Hotchkiss.

Hotchkiss said he’d like to carry a large selection of local brews as well as other craft beers.

Some of the breweries whose beers he said he hopes to include are Rubicon, Allagash, Chimay, Sierra Nevada and Russian River.

Food won’t be prepared on-site, but Aguierre said they plan to carry snacks that go with beer as well as some premade deli sandwiches.

According to a city staff report, the state’s Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control noted that the area is overconcentrated with liquor licenses based on population statistics.

The ABC required the owners to get a letter of convenience or necessity from the Sacramento Police Department, which they did.

Nearby business owners said they are happy to see the proposed business and hope it gets approval from the Planning Commission.

“I want it, because it creates synergy,” said Jeff Davis, also known as “Fro,” who owns adjacent Tokyo Fro’s. “If you put a McDonald’s next to a Burger King, both get busy.”

Davis said the only drawback he can see is with parking in the shopping center, which is already busy, but he characterized it as a minor hurdle that is the result of having businesses that draw lots of people.

“I’m rooting for them,” Davis said. “I want to help them, maybe cook food for them. This is a great spot for them, with Ruth’s Chris, Roxy and Banderas all nearby.”

Tony Galuzzo, who owns nearby Atlantic Bay Insurance, agreed with Davis.

“I think anytime in this economy that a new business is opening, it’s good for everyone,” he said. “Being a merchant in the neighborhood, anytime something can go into a space that’s uninhabited, that’s a good thing.”

Hotchkiss and Aguierre said the toughest part of the yearlong quest to open the business was choosing the location.

“We originally looked in downtown and Midtown, but we decided on this,” Hotchkiss said.

Being a mile and a half from Sacramento State wasn’t one of the reasons, but he said it might prove beneficial.

If approved, the 1,500-square-foot space will be composed of two rooms: a tasting room with a bar, and a bottle shop. About 40 people will be able to be seated in the area, including 12 to 14 on a patio.

Live music and entertainment are not planned to be included in the business, but TVs might be added. Details haven’t been decided, pending the outcome of Thursday’s Planning Commission meeting.

Hours are planned to be 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. Sunday.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Twitter @Brandon_Darnell.

Lost in the 80's at Thunder Valley

2011-08-29T02:04:44Z

Friday night was quite the ride down memory lane for everyone who listened to the radio back in the ’80s. The Fixx, Wang Chung and Naked Eyes all played to a packed Pano Hall at Thunder Valley Casino Resort.

You could say this was a British invasion of sorts, since all three bands hail from England. They were a smashing success in the ’80s, all with No. 1 hits. It was quite an impressive lineup, with only one concern: What time will I get home? There’s a whole lotta hits to be played from each band.

Naked Eyes, best known for their first single, “Always Something There to Remind Me," kicked off the evening with “Voices in My Head.” The band’s original members were Pete Byrne on vocals and Rob Fisher on keyboards. Fisher died in 1999, so Byrne is touring with three new members.

During his set he kept telling the audience that it was OK to get up, dance and have a good time. The audience was slow to respond. However, by the end of the set he had a few people on their feet dancing, but only a small fraction of the audience.

Byrne had a good stage presence and was very energetic, but the lack of vocals on some songs hurt his performance. He sounded great on some of his older hits but not so good on others, as he seemed to struggle on the higher notes.

Wang Chung followed with a number of their hits, including “Everybody Have Fun Tonight.” Original band members Jack Hues (vocals, guitar) and Nick Feldman (bass, guitar) were simply awesome. Hues worked up the crowd with his theatrics and excellent vocals, while Feldman did it with pure energy and total absorption in his performance.

The amazing story here is how awesome the band sounded, despite only rehearsing together for one day. I spoke to young keyboardist Dave Appelbaum, and, needless to say, he was quite ecstatic about being able to play a couple of gigs with the talented Wang Chung.

Appelbaum explained his involvement with the band, that it was one of those friend-of-a-friend-type of scenarios, and, before he knew it, he was hooked up with the band along with the drummer who happened to be in the same circle of friends. On Saturday they headed to Fresno to play another gig with the band, and they hope to hook up with them at future concerts.

Each of the “newbies” were armed with MacBooks and referencing their sheet music often. Regardless, they appeared to be playing effortlessly, as if they had been playing the songs for years. Appelbaum looked totally immersed in the moment, pounding on the keyboard and just plain rocking it.

Wang Chung had the crowd worked up in a sweat. Most of the seats were empty, with people filling the aisles dancing. They didn’t sound just like they did when they were younger, but they still sounded awesome with Hues’ deeper, more mature vocals taking center stage. They played “Rent,” a new song off their latest CD, “Abducted by the ’80s.” The song is a very ’80s reminiscent, catchy tune with Feldman throwing a bit of Prince-like vocals into the mix.

With such an exceptional set by Wang Chung, I started to wonder how The Fixx was going to be able to follow such a performance. I didn’t have to wonder long. Front man Cy Curnin was just as animated, if not more so, than Hues. As Curnin sang, his hands were always on the move, telling their own story.

The Fixx stills tours with all its original members: Curnin, keyboardist Rupert Greenall, guitarist Jamie West-Oram, drummer Adam Woods and bassist Dan K. Brown. The band’s dynamic style and high energy immediately created a connection with the audience, bringing the majority of people to their feet. By night’s end there wasn’t a single person sitting.

It was a fun night for all. Pano Hall started out full, but by the end of the night, about a third of the audience had left. I’m sure that was because the concert went past 11 p.m.

Gladiators take over Thunder Valley

2011-08-28T05:52:22Z

“Unleashed” – a Gladiators Challenge (GC) Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) event took place at Thunder Valley Casino and Resort this evening. The fight featured many of the top contenders in the MMA; including four title fights and two contender fights.

“Unleashed” showcased a title match between the GC Super Heavyweight Champion, Rick Vardell, and MMA legend Dan “The Beast” Severn, GC Middleweight Champion James “The Educator” Fanshier defending his strap against Keith “KO Kid” Berry, and a GC Heavyweight Championship fight between title-holder Rob “Caveman” Jackson and fan favorite Deutsch Pu’u.

The packed crowd at Thunder Valley Casino showed their support for the sport of MMA and their favorite fighters. Cheers and screams could be heard throughout the stadium from the first fight to the last.

Marc McLaughlin is a contributing writer and photographer for the Sacramento Press.

Settlin’ for nothing less than Sugarland with a side of Sara Bareilles

2011-08-26T20:57:30Z

The warm voice of Sara Bareilles welcomed fans to Thursday night’s show at Raley Field. Bareilles seemed at home here in Sacramento, perhaps due to the proximity to her hometown of Eureka. There was an extra bounce in her step as she sang away to the ballpark stands, the smell of hotdogs wafting in the air.

She let fans hear, “Love Song,” early on, which made everyone happy, and followed up soon after with “Many the Miles.” Throughout her performance, Bareilles really took liberties with the sound and tempo for both old and new material. She also informed the audience that she had spent all of Wednesday filming the music video for “Gonna Get Over You,” her newest single, which she then performed.

Sugarland fans got a treat when Kristian Bush made an appearance onstage, collaborating with Bareilles on “Basket Case,” a sweet melody on her newest album, “Kaleidoscope Heart."

“Gravity” came next, a title off of her first album, “Little Voice.” As she strummed, there was something adorable about her knee-dipping sway that underscored the fact that she is just a sweet NorCal girl at heart.

Just after sundown, Sugarland came on stage to packed stands at Raley Field. By this time, the heat had begun to subside and the hope of an incoming delta breeze – plus a hard lemonade or two – had the crowd ready for a great sing-a-long show.

Sugarland, led by Kristian Bush and Jennifer Nettles, played all of their big hits, starting with “Settlin’” and “Stuck Like Glue,” as well as, “It Happens,” and of course, “California King Bed.”

Throughout the show, the audience was very engaged - dancing, singing along and letting out so many wolf whistles that it was almost distracting to the show.

Nettles was a great hostess, wishing happy birthday to anyone who asked, sending her well wishes to Indiana and the victims there, and encouraging the audience to get into the show and the music in any way that they could. She brought everyone to their feet on various occasions, some standing for the whole show, particularly those on the floor just couldn’t get enough.

When the duo needed a break, rather than just taking a break, Bush surprised the crowd by giving away his guitar. He took a nice 10 minute break to walk through the crowd looking for a worthy fan, and then they were right back on stage, singing their hearts out.

Late in the show, Sugarland performed, “The Incredible Machine,” the title track of their newest album and the inspiration for this tour. They also covered a number of artists - mashup style - Britney Spears, Simon & Garfunkel and Dolly Parton among them.

All said and done, Sugarland provided a fun night of music for Raley Field spectators. There was hardly a trace of sadness from the unfortunate events earlier in the month, just an infectious display of life, and a desire for peace and happiness for all.

Sugarland finished by bringing Sara Bareilles back on stage. Together, they sang, “Come on Eileen,” the audience belting every word along with them. It was a great audience for a great show; Sugarland would settle for nothing less.

Soul searching for Sugarland

2011-08-24T04:25:08Z

The Incredible Machine Tour, featuring Sugarland paired with one of several other artists, has already been tried and tested. Earlier this month, the band witnessed a tragic accident at the Indiana State Fair when high winds knocked down portions of the stage, killing six and injuring many others.

After almost a week off, Sugarland members Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush turned back to their music for comfort. According to the Associated Press, their show in Albuquerque, the first since the accident, was a somber affair. The group devoted a minute of silence to those lost and injured.

At present, the Raley Field pairing with Sara Bareilles is scheduled to go on, though saddened fans and spectators may find a grieving duo rather than the bright, award winning stars that they were expecting.

A private memorial service is being planned for those in Indiana who were affected by the horrific accident. According to Sugarland’s blog, they got back on the road and back on tour as soon as they could.

“We have always celebrated music as a Healer,” reads their latest post.

Sugarland has sold more than eight million records and has won various CMA, Grammy and ACM awards. In 2011 alone, they won an Academy of Country Music Award for Top Vocal Duo of the Year and a Country Music Television award for Duo Video of the Year for “Stuck Like Glue.”

The country duo will be joined by Sara Bareilles in West Sacramento. Bareilles is a singer, songwriter and pianist, and is most well known for her 2007 single, "Love Song." Raley Field spectators should hear some favorites from her first album, “Little Voice,” as well as new material from her 2010 album, “Kaleidoscope Heart.”

Following Thursday's performance, Sugarland is scheduled to play at the Shoreline Amphitheatre on Friday, August 23. Sara Bareilles will perform again with Sugarland on August 27 in Las Vegas.

Josh Groban, “Straight to You,” at Power Balance Pavilion

2011-08-23T05:10:07Z

Singer and songwriter, Josh Groban, will perform at Power Balance Pavilion on Wednesday, August 24. Groban, a native of Los Angeles, recently released his fifth album. The surprisingly well-established 30 year old continues to expand his skills and interests, co-writing 11 out of the 13 titles on his newest album.

Groban’s rich, classical voice is most often described as a tenor or baritone, his range exceeding the traditional expanse of both categories.

Most recently, Groban made his debut film appearance in “Crazy, Stupid, Love.” He also reappeared in the world of television, starting with his recent role as a judge in “Glee.” He is said to have a role in an upcoming episode of “The Office” as well. Groban’s first acting stint was on “Ally McBeal” in 2001, a role which played a prominent role in launching him into rather sudden stardom.

Groban performed in Sacramento early on in his career, singing “All I Ask of You,” at the inauguration of California Governor Gray Davis in 1999.

In addition to selling over 20 million albums in less than 10 years, Groban was named one of People magazine’s 100 Most Beautiful People in 2008. Pavilion spectators are sure to be wowed Wednesday night, in more ways than one.

Mr. Fluffy puffs up Thunder Valley

2011-08-22T02:20:53Z

The one and only Gabriel Iglesias, better known as Mr. Fluffy, performed at Thunder Valley Casino and Resort on Saturday night, entertaining well over 3,500 people with his hilarious mixture of storytelling, parodies, characters and sound effects. I say well over 3,500 judging by the overflow in the parking lot next to Thunder Valley’s outdoor amphitheater.

Just prior to his performance, Iglesias had over 10 chocolate cakes delivered by fans to his dressing room. He said he performed a routine around seven years ago about a chocolate cake, and to this day fans are still delivering cakes to his performances. The record is 27 cakes at one event. Why do people bring him cakes from a joke made seven years ago? Iglesias said it’s all because of reruns.

As Iglesias took the stage, he told the crowd he was checking his tweets. He found out there was an 11-year-old with his family in the parking lot listening to his show. He apologized in advance for any foul language he may use. For the most part, it was a refreshingly good, clean show with very few offensive words. The four opening acts were Martin Moreno, Alfred Robles, Rick Gutierrez and Noe Gonzalez, and they were a bit more offensive.

The audience thoroughly enjoyed Iglesias’ ability to joke about the local area, including taking jabs at competing casino Cache Creek and joking about Chipotle in downtown Sacramento, where he ate earlier in the day.

This was a fun show with new material that Iglesias is trying out for an upcoming DVD. Even though the audience was falling on the floor laughing, some audience members were chanting for some of his older material. Being the gracious man he is, he did one more new routine and ended the evening with several routines from the past, starting with his Krispy Kreme joke, which had the audience cheering. When he did the Volkswagen routine, the audience started telling the joke in unison with Iglesias.

Normally the bars are hopping, but the audience was completely caught up in Iglesias’ routine and remained in their seats the entire show. As he ended the evening, he was sure to tell the audience that he’s a gambling man and will be in the casino later on. He wanted to make sure that if anyone saw him gambling that he would be honored to have them come up say hi and take a picture with him.

I had a chance to talk to Iglesias prior to the show – my opportunity to ask Mr. Fluffy himself a hard-hitting journalistic type question.
“So what do you think about your new Xbox with Kinect?” Pretty lame question, but he loved it. He has the Zumba dancing game, and he’s been burning up some major calories. He did jokingly say that he was not about to go live with it.

Iglesias was in the fourth season of “Last Comic Standing” and won Comedy Central & Comcast Cable's Comedy Special of the year in 2003. In 2004 and 2005 he was voted into the Top 25 of Comedy Central's “Standup Showdown.”
He also has a brand new series on Comedy Central starting on Oct. 6th called “Gabriel Iglesias Presents Stand-Up Revolution.” The show will feature stand-up routines from Iglesias and other comedians.

Toad had Harlow's Hopping

2011-08-20T01:26:28Z

Years ago when our kids were young, my wife would set their alarm to play Toad the Wet Sprocket’s CD “Fear.” Every morning I was treated to the song “Walk on the Ocean.” Some mornings I would hear just the beginning chorus, and other mornings I’d hear the entire CD. Those were the bad days – not to say the music was bad, but the kids just wouldn’t get their butts out of bed.

Well, the kids are all grown up now and in their 20s. Don’t ask me for their exact age. I’m not wired that way. So it was quite a delight to take a couple of them over to Harlow’s in Sacramento to see Toad the Wet Sprocket on Thursday. Seeing the two of them watching the band that started their day, every day as kids, brought a tear to my eye. I can still hear the CD going off in the morning as if it was just this morning – wait a second, it was this morning – they still live at home! I cried a lot that night.

The evening started out with Garrison Starr, a singer-songwriter from Los Angeles. She did a great job warming up most of the crowd, but there was a lot of chatter going on while she performed. She didn’t appreciate the fact that so many people weren’t paying attention and took several jabs at the audience.

After a brief set change, Toad the Wet Sprocket took the stage with barefoot lead singer Glenn Phillips belting out “Something’s Always Wrong.” This caused the standing-room-only crowd to shout and cheer.

Phillips made his political views clear between songs, describing the Tea Party as an accident between two buses. The first bus was full of libertarians, the second full of Tea Partiers. The resulting crash combined the worst elements of both.

“Great, now I’m going to get my ass kicked after the show,” Phillips said after several more Tea Party jokes.

“Finally Fading” was a tune Phillips wrote during the band’s 14-plus-year hiatus. It was nice to see him perform it with the original members, guitarist Todd Nichols, bassist Dean Dinning and drummer Randy Guss.

Recently Toad re-recorded their original songs, allowing them to distribute and publish their own work, since rights to their original recordings are held by Columbia Records. This has helped them stay true to their original sound. Phillips, despite throat surgery early in his career, sounds exactly like he did at the beginning of his career, over 25 years ago. He doesn’t look like he has aged much since then, either.

Toad is scheduled to release their first new studio album since 1997’s “Coil” sometime next year. They played several songs that are slated to be on the new album. The audience enjoyed the newer music, but it was a completely different atmosphere when they started playing music that the audience was familiar with.

Toad ended the concert with “Walk on the Ocean.” That’s when I woke up. Realizing I must have been dreaming, I reached over to turn off the alarm clock and the music stopped. Once out of bed, I headed to the bathroom and yelled to see if Mom had breakfast ready yet. Ahhh, life is good – waking up to Toad and having a nice hot meal waiting for me. Why leave?

DISCLAIMER: I don’t live with Mom. Yes, I did once. OK, maybe more than once, but I don’t live with her now. I do live with my lovely wife Ruth and too many kids.

Huey Lewis and The News

2011-08-15T02:20:19Z

Huey Lewis & The News rocked Thunder Valley Casino and Resort on Friday, playing to a sold-out crowd of over 3,500 cheering fans.

It was quite impressive watching as no fewer than 10 people (The News) stormed the stage while a booming heartbeat played in the background. As the crowd cheered, Lewis arrived onstage singing “The Heart of Rock & Roll” with the crowd joining in.

The next seven songs were off their new CD, “Soulsville,” which are soul cover songs from the Stax Records catalog. This earned a polite applause from the crowd with some shouts of “Hip to Be Square” and “Heart and Soul.” Starting with “Jacob’s Ladder,” Lewis got a bigger reaction out of the crowd. It was apparent the audience was looking for songs from the early years.

If anyone has seen Lewis perform in concert, then they know he always performs a couple of a cappella songs. Friday’s performance was no different. The audience thoroughly enjoyed the group’s rendition of The Dominoes’ “60 Minute Man” and “Uh-Huh,” both performed a cappella.

About an hour into the performance, Lewis had the audience on their feet with “Heart and Soul” and “I Want a New Drug.” That’s when I realized there was a sizable crowd gathered outside the amphitheater dancing and having a great time in the parking lot. To each their own. They serve alcohol in the amphitheater, not in the parking lot.

With a veteran 10-piece band that includes an awesome horn section, Lewis has a small arsenal at his disposal to perform a very diverse mix of songs. Add to that a 61-year-old voice, which, much like a fine wine, has matured with age. From the moment he hit the stage, his gravelly voice commanded attention and the audience was quite happy to give it.

There were a couple of Sacramento natives in the band. In the horn section was Johnny Colla, who was born in Sacramento and raised in Suisun. He is credited for writing "The Heart of Rock & Roll," "The Power of Love" and "If This Is It." Drummer Bill Gibson was also born in Sacramento and is currently living in Mill Valley.

It’s great to see a band like Huey Lewis & The News still going after all these years, although I was a little disappointed that they didn’t stick to their earlier hits. Playing songs from their “Soulsville” CD was nice, but I believe most people, myself included, would have rather had Lewis stick with the hits that brought him here, but, hey, someone has to keep working for a living.

Peter Frampton

2011-08-08T13:42:22Z

Local guitar heroes Brian Wheat and Frank Hannon from the Tesla showed up to see legendary guitarist Peter Frampton play to a full house of hard core fans Saturday at Thunder Valley Casino and Resort.

The audience was chanting “Frampton! Frampton!” in anticipation of the start of the show. Just prior to the start, William Shatner’s voice came on the loud speaker to explain the no photography or video policy, although even before the end of the performance, videos were making their way on to Youtube.

Some of you may recall Tesla’s “Modern Day Cowboy” making it onto Guitar Hero 6. Well, they followed their guitar hero, who was featured in Guitar Hero 5 with "Do You Feel Like We Do" off his “Frampton Comes Alive!” album. So it was quite a treat to see the boys from Tesla meet one of their favorite guitarists.

Frampton started off the set with “Something’s Happening” and “Doobie Wah,” both songs keeping the crowd cheering and on their feet. “Lines on My Face” had the crowd sitting down, but giving him a standing ovation at the end of the song.

Cheers broke out as soon as he started “Show Me the Way”. In classic Frampton style he started in with his signature talkbox which really got the crowd going. While Frampton wasn’t the first to use the talkbox, he’s credited for bringing it mainstream with “Show Me the Way,” which was record in the ‘70’s. He’s been using it in concerts ever since.

The gracious Frampton said, just prior to starting “I Want to Go to the Sun,” that a guy by the name of Carlos had asked if he could sign one of his guitars, which was the same model used by Frampton. Frampton said not only would he sign it, but he would play it. After the song, Frampton invited Carlos up on stage to give him back the guitar and gave him a big hug.

After the show I was able to talk to Carlos Pereda about how all this came about. Believe it or not, Frampton keeps tabs on his Facebook page. Pereda posted a message on Frampton’s wall and Frampton responded that he would love to sign and even play the guitar. Arrangements were made with Frampton’s management team, and Pereda was able to hand off his guitar just prior to the show.

I heard Pereda telling the gentlemen to treat the guitar well because it was a special guitar that Frampton would be playing that evening. Pereda purchased the guitar used at the Concord Guitar Center several years ago and has always felt the guitar was something special. Well, Carlos, it is now!

The format of the night’s show followed the same format as the 25th anniversary deluxe addition of “Frampton Comes Alive!” including a 13-minute rendition of “Do You Feel Like We Do”. Frampton just recently ended his “Frampton Comes Alive 35” tour, where he performed the album in its entirety, with his performances lasting as long as three hours.

The Rise of Sactown's Social Athletes

2011-08-08T03:47:28Z

The Fall season officially begins this week for Sacramento’s very own sport and social club. Appropriately named the Sacramento Sport and Social Club (SSSC), this unique adult sports experience has something in store for all types of social rec athletes in the Sacramento area.

The idea first arose in 2008 when SSSC founder Brad Satterwhite (“the Commissioner”) and a co-worker of his wanted to get a group of their colleagues together for some good-natured out-of-office fun. They decided on bowling, but when the crew couldn’t find a local league that fit their needs, Satterwhite stepped into the role of league organizer. This league of work colleagues started with 12 teams in what later became known as the Planning, Policy, Urban Development Bowling League (or ‘PUDL for short, named after their career field). Three years later, PUDL is back for the Fall season and more popular than ever before. Longtime PUDL member Jim Clark says:

“PUDL gives you that chance to have a really great time with really great people. You will not find a bowling league that has as much fun both in the alley and out than we at PUDL do.”

But even this is just the tip of the sport and social iceberg... Last year league members started asking about other sports and activities. Recognizing the potential, Satterwhite has since set up leagues that appeal to the socially inclined, coed crowd, adding Cornhole (bean bag toss), Team Trivia, and Indoor Soccer to the mix.

The Club also offers bike and pub crawls, parties, and philanthropic opportunities. The Commissioner also emphasizes rewards and prize opportunities for SSSC participants. Thus, SSSC is creating a niche for itself as THE social league in greater Sacramento. You can almost think of it as a well-organized, never-ending carnival for adults.

If you’re interested in trying something new and fun, now is the time to register for one of SSSC’s upcoming leagues or tournaments.

UPCOMING LEAGUES AND TOURNAMENTS

All of our leagues include two games a night, weekly raffle prizes, awards to season winners, and more. Everyone makes the playoffs. Teams can be male, female, or coed. There is no need to be experienced as our leagues use a handicap-scoring format.

Monday Night Bowling League                       Thursday Night Bowling League
10 week season                                                  8 week season
Teams of 4 (6 on roster)                                    Teams of 4 (6 on roster)
League starts: Sept 19                                       League starts: Sept 8
Registration ends: Sept 12                                Registration ends: Sept 1

These two leagues also include discounted bowling on non-league nights, discounted shoe rental, and discounts at Frank’s Pro Shop.

Cornhole (Bean Bag Toss) League (Sunday Nights)
8 week season
Teams of 2 (4 on roster)
League starts: Sept 11
Registration ends: Sept 8

Indoor Soccer Tournament                 Bowling Tournament
Nov 12th @ South Natomas Arena     Oct 22nd @ Capitol Bowl
Men’s 21 and up                                     Teams of 2, coed, handicap format
Includes 3 games min., medals for Includes 3 games min., pitcher of
top 2 teams, MVP, and best goalie,     beer and pizza, prizes and medals
and free round of beer to winners.       to the top 2 teams.

Visit SSSC online at www.SacSportandSocial.com for registration and more information.

Be sure to “like” Sacramento Sport and Social Club’s Facebook Page!

Disclosure: Erin is an active SSSC league participant.

Doobie Brothers Smokin' at Thunder Valley

2011-08-08T03:21:51Z

The Doobie Brothers performed at Thunder Valley Casino and Resort to a sold-out crowd Friday night.

For those of you who don’t know the Doobie Brothers, they are rock group who formed in the ‘70s and were originally called Pud. Yes, I said Pud. One can only thank the heavens they decided to change their name to the Doobie Brothers. And yes, the name comes from that stuff referred to as pot. When smoked it’s also referred to as a joint, reefer, stick, roach, or a doobie.

Hey, can you spare a doobie, brother? I know. I crack myself up, too.

Opening with “Jesus Is Just Alright,” the eight-man band consisting of two drummers, three guitarists, bassist, saxophonist and keyboardist, kicked it into high gear from the very start. During their performance there were a lot of guitar changes, sometimes several per song. The guitars included four that were set up on their own stands, waiting for those magical fingers of Tom Johnston, Pat Simmons, John McFee and John Cowan.

As the sun made its way down, all the phones and cameras in the crowd were reminiscent of those late-night concerts with everyone holding up their lighters, paying homage to the band. The band got plenty of coverage with all those lights shining in the night.

Toward the middle of the set, the band played a couple of songs off their new album, “World Gone Crazy,” including “Far from Home.” Up to this point, the majority of the crowd had been on their feet. “Far from Home” had everyone sitting down, relaxing to a very mellow soulful sound that was both touching and inspiring. You can hear the band’s maturity both emotionally and musically in the song, as well as others from their new album. It’s obvious these guys are comfortable with who they are.

When they played “Back to the Chateau,” also from their new album, the audience was back on their feet, fists pumping and bodies shaking. The song is a reminder of the Doobie Brothers of yesterday, with a driving beat and pure rock ‘n’ roll. As I was watching the crowd’s reaction, I realized it was a great mix of young and old. There was a young, fully tattooed guy with his fists up in the air, shaking his body, while right next to him was an older, gray-haired guy with his fists up in the air, shaking his body. It’s obvious the music of the Doobie Brothers has transcended a generation — or two.

When the band started “Black Water,” the crowd immediately joined in. Everyone was singing, including bartenders, security personnel and ushers. However, the band abruptly stopped and told security to back away from the stage and let people dance. Johnston kept on security until they moved away from the front of the stage and let people up to the front.

To anyone who didn’t make it out to the concert and thought to themselves, not interested in listening to some old, boring Southern-style rock band, you made a huge mistake. Don’t make the same mistake next time.

Thunder Valley Casino and Resort has both an amphitheater and an indoor stage, bringing the area a wide variety of talent from around the world. Their outdoor concert series is in full swing, with scheduled appearances by Huey Lewis, Gabriel Iglesias, Hall and Oates, Lynyrd Skynyrd and more.

Each Sunday from noon to 5 p.m., you can now party poolside with music, drink specials, giveaways and contests. You can purchase tickets at Thunder Valley or online.

The Tubes

2011-08-01T02:48:55Z

The Tubes, one of the most theatrical new wave rock bands of the ’80s, brought their sometimes offensive and oftentimes outrageous show to Thunder Valley Casino and Resort Friday. They are best known for their onstage presence and hits like “She’s a Beauty,” “Talk to Ya Later” and “The Monkey Time.”

In an extravagant mix of theater, rock and social criticism, Tubes lead singer Fee Waybill started the show with “Haloes,” followed by a rant about the sad state of the economy and how Boehner was going to “f*** us some more.” Almost every other word from him was f*** or b****.

There were those in the audience who loved the show and others who seemed to want to bolt out of the room. However, Waybill’s stage presence kept everyone glued to their seats for most of the concert.

Waybill got off to a rocky start, sounding off key, and I was ready to suggest he retire. However, his second song, “It’s a Man’s, Man’s, Man’s World,” originally recorded by James Brown, left me wondering why he didn’t kick off the show with this song. He did a superb job, with a nice raspy blues sound. I thought this was one of the better songs of the evening.

He lost some of the audience due to his crude language and outrageous outfits. I know last week I said Pat Monahan of Train was in competition with Lady Gaga for multiple costumes changes, but scratch that. Waybill changed multiple times in a makeshift dressing room off to the side of the stage, arriving back on stage in some normal and not-so-normal outfits.

At one point he showed up in a Roman-style costume with barely any coverage in the lower extremities – front or back. Sadly, the front row was in the worst position of all, when at the end of the song Waybill turned to face the band and bowed in thanks, leaving the front row speechless, – or should I say sightless.

I thought Waybill was hit or miss for most of the concert, falling short on some songs and kicking it up a notch on others. I found his monologues mostly offensive due to his absurd views of women. He was also losing some of the audience, but that all quickly changed when he came out singing “White Punks on Dope” dressed as Quay Lewd, aptly named after the drug Quaalude.

As soon as Quay Lewd hit the stage, the crowd went wild, shouting back the chorus line, “white punks on dope,” and pointing back to Waybill. At this point, most people in the audience were on their feet, hands in the air, and moving to the beat.

“White Punks on Dope” has historically been their last song at concerts, so when the band left the stage, some audience members began filing out the door. Those who remained were treated to an encore that totally kicked the crowd into full gear.

Ending with “She’s a Beauty” and “Talk to Ya Later,” Waybill showed up in a costume reminiscent of a carnival hawker. The last two songs had the crowd gathered at the front of the stage dancing and shouting. At the end of the set, the entire band made their way to the front of the stage, where they shook people’s hands and thanked them for being there.

Chicago didn't have to 'Say I'm Sorry'

2011-07-31T06:15:49Z

With classic songs like, “Feelin’ Stronger Every Day,’ Saturday in the Park, Hard to Say I’m Sorry, and Baby, what a Big Surprise” Chicago took the stage at Thunder Valley Casino and Resort Saturday night. While they still perform crowd pleasing and solid versions of their classic hits, Chicago does not have the same stage presence it once did.

Throughout the entire hour and forty-five minute set the band took turns singing their classic tunes (instead of founding member Robert Lamm taking center stage). Although this worked on many levels, the fond memories many of us have of seeing Robert sing center stage with his powerful and addictive voice was lost. The reason is somewhat obvious, Robert no longer has the voice he once did, but he still commands the audience’s attention and it would have been nice to see the show focused around him a little more.

With the negative out of the way, lets be honest – Chicago is still Chicago and it was impossible to not sing along with most If not all of the tunes. Whether they were singing “Hard to Say I’m Sorry” or “25 or 6 to 4” the audience was on their feet reminiscing about their youth. There were the ‘love lost’ eyes, the moans of ‘I love you’ and the fast clap of ‘unadulterated enthusiasm’ abounding through-out the sold-out crowd. Chicago kept the pace moving and the audience enthusiastically thanked them for that.

Once of the strongest aspects of Chicago’s act was their three-member horn section. Not only did they add depth to each and every tune, they hit the notes almost perfectly – creating that relaxed party atmosphere Chicago is known for. With the band fully engaged, and the music flowing, the night seemed to fly by.

The only real odd portion was when they played a Christmas song to help promote an upcoming album release. Although Christmas trees are not uncommon on concert stages, one in July with temperatures in the 80s is. They did a good job with the song, but it definitely could have been left out and just had the upcoming album self-promoted from the mic.

The concert ended with the powerful and instrument laced “25 or 6 to 4.” The audience, of which almost all had stayed, made sure the band knew just how much they appreciated the performance. Standing and cheering they said goodnight to the band.

Marc McLaughlin is a contributing writer and photographer for the Sacramento Press.

It takes two to tango – or Ten 22

2011-07-30T20:46:22Z

Hungry for tango?

Whether you are a tango dancer who loves to eat, connoisseur of South American cuisine or perhaps just a couple feeling romantic, this new Ten 22 and Tango by the River collaboration had something for you. A visit to Argentina without the airfare

Chef Jay Verregge prepared a three-course meal while dance studio owner Donna Williams, lined up the entertainment as Argentine tango singer Ernesto Rassi set the mood for couples on a night out this week.

Chef Jay Verregge’s authentic Argentine meal began with Chorizo empanadas, followed by plates of green salad drizzled in red wine vinaigrette. The main entrée was the highlight, Barbacoa with Salsa Criolla - - slices of steak and chicken marinated in lime seasoned with slivers of garlic paired with Chilean merlot. Rassi’s voice and tango intertwined with the meal. Finally, caramel dulche du leche with whipped crème served with black coffee savored the sweet tooth.

The meal, the music, and the lovely dancing provided just the romantic equation for a South American couple, Jorge and Susan Escobar, who were celebrating 38 years together

“Our favorite part of the meal was the empanadas. We missed them while living in Paraguay,” shares Susan Escobar, who was there with her husband Jorge.

A fairy tale South American romance.

The couple was thrilled with the experience. They’re new to tango dance but not to the romance of South America. Their fairy tale romance began in Stockton and included Chile, Argentina, and Paraguay.

The couple met at University of the Pacific in Stockton in the early 1970s. Jorge studied biology as an exchange student and Susan was completing her teaching credential.

We are interrupted by two women laughing and sipping their wine as they waive for attention for Ernesto Rassi to help demonstrate close embrace in tango. We hear the light clicking of their high heels and the bandoneons in the background as they sway to the sounds of an "orchestra tipica".

After graduation, Jorge returned to Paraguay. Susan on the other hand, taught English in a town in Chile called Temuco. After Jorge got a job with a bank in Paraguay, he decided to surprise Susan with a visit. What he didn’t know was that she was away on holiday in Santiago.

“We literally crossed paths. I stopped by Santiago to get to Temuco in Chile,” he smiles recalling the day. He recalls losing her address. He didn’t give up, instead knocked on all the doors in the neighborhood in Temuco until he met a family who knew Susan. One of the sisters phoned a relative in Santiago. Susan then returned to the village to meet her love.

Just then, Ernesto Rassi breaks out in the finale. Three couples dance in harmony around him, as he sings “Cambalache”. The song is about the life of unpredictability and disorder like the hustle and bustle of bazaars and open marketplaces in Argentina. Rassi’s wife, Cecilia, a Humphrey's scholar from UC Davis translates the final stanza,

Que es lo mismo el que labura
noche y dia, como un buey
que el que vive de los otros,
que el que mata o el que cura
o esta fuera de la ley.

In English,

It's the same the one who works,
day and night like an ox,
than the one who lives from the others,
than the one that kills or heals
or than the one who lives outside the law.

Train Hits Thunder Valley

2011-07-26T01:11:36Z

Grammy awarding winning, Train, not to be confused with the series of connected railroad cars pulled or pushed by one or more locomotives, thundered into town on Sunday and performed to a sold out crowd at Thunder Valley Casino and Resort.

Thunder Valley Casino and Resort really scored with signing on Train to perform at their outdoor amphitheater. Train just finished their Save Me San Francisco tour last month. Taking full advantage of their current success, they headed back out on the road with Maroon 5 and Gavin DeGraw for a summer tour. The band actually performed in Southern California Saturday with the others, drove by bus to Sacramento, then headed back down to Hollywood for a Monday night show with the rest of the group.

Train got off to a fashionably late start. Scheduled to appear at 7:00 p.m., they didn’t take the stage until 7:35 p.m. which I’m sure had everything to do with the sun beating on the stage at that hour of the day. When they finally took the stage, they were met with wild applause and deafening screams.

Guitarist Jimmy Stafford and drummer Scott Underwood took the stage to kick off the show. Already on stage were Bassist Hector Maldonado and keyboardist Jerry Becker. They were joined shortly after by lead singer/songwriter Pat Monahan singing, “Parachute.”

Monahan was nonstop throughout the concert. He was bouncing from one side of the stage to the other, the whole time delivering his uniquely expressive vocals. Monahan being a short and downright skinny dude - got a little assistance from a platform at the edge of the stage.

As the evening progressed, I think Monahan may have changed his wardrobe more than Lady Gaga (if that’s even possible). He started out with a shirt and vest, then went down to the shirt, came back out with another vest, and at one point donned a red jacket similar to the one Michael Jackson wore for thriller.

Being the funny man that he is, Monahan started off joking about how women always show up to their concerts all dressed up, but the men simply wear t-shirts. After Monahan walked out among the crowd, he said every time he does that there’s at least one ass grabber. 80 percent of the time it’s a dude, but today it was a 75 year old lady.

Fifteen lucky ladies who were dancing on the floor ended up dancing onstage. Monahan had them climb a makeshift ladder to get up on stage. One of the ladies actually started climbing with a drink in hand. She made it; the drink didn’t. Once they were all onstage, he instructed them to perform their most sexy dance as he sang, “She’s on Fire.”

This was a high energy show with a lot of audience interaction. On top of being a great singer and songwriter, Monahan makes for a great front man, keeping the audience engaged the entire performance. When they ended their set with “Drops of Jupiter,” it was obvious to me and everyone else that the concert had gone by way too quickly and we all wanted more.

Before the concert, I had an opportunity to talk with lead guitarist Jimmy Stafford about Train’s new venture, Save Me, San Francisco Wine Co. They recently released their first line of wine, Drops of Jupiter Petite Sirah. According to Stafford, their Petite Sirah was featured as the wine of the month at Bonefish Grills across the U.S. and is available at select stores and restaurants. The price tag – $9.99.

Stafford explained that the wine started out as a blend of various grapes from Livermore Valley’s Concannon Vineyards. Once they arrived at just the right blend, it was determined that the wine had a high enough percentage to call it a Petite Sirah (75 percent of the varietal must be present in the wine).

Being the wino that he is, Stafford says there’s nothing like a good glass of red wine before a show. He also told me they would be coming out with a Chardonnay and a Merlot in the near future, so keep an eye out for those.
After the concert, Caroline Logan approached the band asking if they could record a video for her girlfriend who was getting married to the song, “Marry Me.” She was visibly upset and crying, so Monahan grabbed the phone and started recording. He informed her friend that she was at the concert drunk and out of control. He was quite comical during the recording.

The song list for the show was:

Parachute
If It’s Love
Meet Virginia
She's on Fire
Calling All Angels
Latin routine of their various hits
Ramble On
Drive By (off their upcoming album)
Save me San Francisco
Ordinary
Marry Me
Hey Soul Sister
Free
Drops of Jupiter

Go to Thunder Valley Casino and Resort for a complete listing of upcoming events.

Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys at UC-Davis: photos

2011-07-18T06:17:35Z

Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys opened the Mondavi Center's SummerMusic series at the UC Davis quad Saturday night.

Led by Riley's masterful accordion playing, the band kept the crowd on their feet and dancing for their entire set of Southwest Louisiana Cajun French music.

Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys have played together for over 20 years, and have three Grammy nominations for their albums. Touring their most recent album Grand Isle, the cover of which shows a poignant image of an oil-soaked bird, Riley referenced the ongoing effects of the BP oil spill disaster on the local communities.

The SummerMusic series concludes on Saturday, August 13 with Non Stop Bhangra. Bhangra is a traditional Punjabi folk music and dance from India. Based on my experiences at the Rickshaw Stop in San Francisco, this photographer can highly recommend attending. Make sure to get there by 7:30PM for the free dance lessons.

Asian Invasion at Thunder Valley

2011-07-18T02:22:17Z

The Asian invasion continued at Thunder Valley Casino Resort this weekend with the Vietnamese Hot Summer Concert. Some of the biggest names in Vietnamese entertainment were present. Some of the entertainers reside in the United States and cater to the Vietnamese population, so there was some English spoken during the show. I don’t speak a lick of Vietnamese, but I do like good music, so I was in luck.

The MC’s for the night were Nam Loc Nguyen and Bao Chau. In between artists either Nguyen, Chau or both would come out and introduce the next artist. Every time Chau came back on stage, she had a different dress. They were all long, flowing dresses that were quite colorful.

First up was Adam Ho. He came out singing “Hotel California,” and yes, it was in English. His second tune was in Vietnamese. Adam had a lot of energy and really played to the crowd, bouncing back and forth from one side of the stage to the other. At one point, he had a problem with his guitar. It seems he’s not used to using wireless.

Next up was Tam Doan. Doan was born in Vietnam and currently lives in Canada, making numerous trips to California to work on her recording career. She started off with a rumba sounding song entitled, “Can Nha Ngoai O.” Truong Vu joined Doan for her second song, “Mai Lo Hai Minh Xa Nhau.”

Vu did a great job and from what I could tell, he’s a crooner through and through. Much of the audience really enjoyed his song with Doan. After their song together, Doan left the stage and Vu sang “Voc Gac Dem Suong.” Considering the way all the women in the audience were reacting to his smooth vocals, this particular song was a love song.

Khanh Ly, who currently lives in Cerritos, California, came out and sang two songs, the second of which was a duet with Tuan Ngoc, “Nhu Mot Loi Chia Tay.” This was followed by Ngoc singing a solo of “Cry Me a River.”

Things started to pick up when Minh Tuyet started in with a melody that had a great cha-cha feel to it. Unfortunately, she got off to a rocky start. She arrived late and was unable to attend the rehearsal, so she had to work with the band in between songs to ensure they were in the right key. She went on to sing a duet with Luong Tung Quang.
After Tuyet left the stage, Quang started singing “The Gioi Khong Tinh Yeu.” A group of dancers joined him onstage to finish the song.

Thu Phuong played a steamy set, at least it looked steamy to me. I still hadn’t quite gotten the hang of Vietnamese, but by the way the men were reacting it was steamy. Phuong sang “Bai Tho Khong Doan Ket” and “Tinh Ho.”

Following Phuong was Lam Truong performing “Tinh Nhu Giac Mong Tan” and “LK Tinh Phai.” Truong was quite the looker with several women shouting out, “I love you.” The performer took it all in stride, but you could tell he was loving it.

Headlining the show was Hong Ngoc, who currently lives in Texas. Performing, “Chuyen Thuong Tinh The Thoi” and “Cho Mot Lan Chia Ly,” it was obvious she is the pop singer of the group. Her set started out slow and then finished fast with her hips doing all the work. She could give Shakira a run for her money; this girl can move.

Although I don’t speak Vietnamese, it was interesting to attend a concert where you can’t understand the language. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what language you speak when listening to music; It’s what moves you that counts.

The Reverend Horton Heat Holds Mass at Ace of Spades

2011-07-15T05:13:59Z

The Reverend Horton Heat was preaching to the choir Wednesday night at Ace of Spades. The legendary psychobilly phenomenon has been on tour since December 2010 promoting their new album, Laughin’ & Cryin’ with the Reverend Horton Heat, as well as those old Horton Heat classics we love them for.

Mass began with the local Sacramento punk band, Another Damn Disappointment (A.D.D), who seriously tore up the stage. Don’t let their name fool you, there is nothing disappointing about A.D.D. Their high energy act, which channels sounds similar to punk greats like NOFX and Bad Religion, tore into the admittedly small crowd of early arrivals.

A few diehards at the front of the stage made a sad attempt at a mosh pit -which actually ended up being more of a weak shoving match - but A.D.D. kept on with Josh Thompson singing his heart out while the rest of the band accompanied him with furious beats and wild guitar riffs.

As the crowd grew, so did the energy, and about halfway through the performance, the venue was filled with a mix of Sacramento concert goers, about half in skater-urban wear and the other half in Texas style pearl snap button shirts adorned with fedoras, and yes, cowboy hats.

“How ya doing cowboy?” Thompson asked an aptly dressed gentleman. The man tipped his hat to Thompson who continued, “Give it up for country right here!” and kicked off into another frenzied song.
The cowboy did his best to find a melody in the song that he could dance to, but ended up in a bent over sway in front of the stage.

Finally, at about 7:35 p.m., two kids - clearly fans - glided in through the entrance. They converged on the crowd with graceful, yet wildly dangerous moves – arms flailing, knees swinging high, they parted the crowd and the party had officially begun.

This band is high energy and they play hard music; it should be experienced firsthand to get the full effect.

At about 8:00 p.m., San Francisco natives, Swingin’ Utters, took the stage, the official opening act for Reverend Horton Heat. The pace slowed, just a baby step mind you, and by then the full crowd was ready to move. A small mosh pit had started towards the front of the stage and eventually grew to encircle a group of women. The women huddled together in the center of the pit while the moshers encircled them. The whole thing resembled a scene out of an old 1950’s Cowboy and Indian film.

Swingin’ Utters has been together since the mid 90’s and their experience shows. Their down and dirty street punk style adds grit to their slightly more melodic sound, even throwing a couple of faintly pop and reggae sounding songs into the mix. Swingin’ Utters played a great set and a great set of old songs intermixed with some new numbers off of their newest album, Here, Under Protest.

Shortly after 9:00 p.m. the Reverend Horton Heat took the stage. The amount of cowboy hats in the audience had doubled, which seemed fitting, considering the band hails from Texas and their new album, Laughin’ & Cryin’ with the Reverend Horton Heat, seems to be a tribute to the Lone Star State (in an offbeat kind of way).

As the lights dimmed and the music changed to a Johnny Cash ballad, the sound of trumpets flooded the room, like something out of an old Hollywood classic film, fitting for a group that has been recording and touring together for 25 years.

The Horton Heat take the stage one by one; first Paul Simmons on drums, Jimbo Wallace on standup bass and then Jim “Reverend Horton” Heath on lead vocals and guitar. I have had the pleasure of seeing the Reverend Horton Heat four times now, and I will admit, even shamefully, that I did get discouraged with their performances. My first experience was pure magic; my second was the same, exactly the same, even down to the smallest joke. Then again, in Austin, I was greeted with the same lineup, the same jokes, and yes, my loyalty wavered.

I am now pleased to report that the Reverend Horton Heat has made a comeback in my heart (not that they really ever left). This show was new in its content and its material, but kept all of that same charm and talent that makes the band great.

They entered the stage without a word and got right down to business, kicking off their nearly two-hour set with “Marijuana,” picked up the pace slightly with “Baby, You Know Who,” and then went right into “Lonesome Train Whistle.” Their fourth song was a cover called “Nurture My Pig” by the Dallas, Texas band, Loco Gringos, which was bluesy, swinging and hard rocking all in one.

The romantic and sultry sounding music was coupled with questionable lyrics like, “I got a pig baby, you are my pig.”

They played their set chronologically, starting with their first album and working towards their last, continuing with “Cruisin’ for a Bruisin',’” “5-0 Ford,” “Now, Right Now,” “Crooked Cigarette,” “Baby I’m Drunk” and “Jimbo.” Then, of course, came the crowd favorite, the ever popular “The Party in Your Head,” the Reverend Horton “how-off” piece.

As the music started, Jimbo began slapping the bass like he was mad at it. The strings bounced off the neck like they were made of rubber and he began to kneel down, all the while playing a steady bass beat. As the bass was lowered all the way to the ground, Heath got on top of it and rode it like a pro.

Standing tall and proud, he played his Gretsch while Jimbo plucked away without even a break in the beat. At the end of the song, Jimbo stood up, raised his bass in the air like a trophy and then threw it and caught it, as if it were weightless.

This is the perfect transition to their new album, Laughin’ & Cryin’ with the Reverend Horton Heat. They played four songs in a row off the new album, starting with “Ain’t No Saguaro in Texas,” a song inspired by the Saguaro cactus, indigenous and almost exclusively found in Arizona and, you guessed it, found nowhere in Texas. Nevertheless, they are depicted on most Texas inspired artwork. The Reverend prefaced the song with a lesson in all things succulent, including a long list of cacti that do grow in Texas.

Just when we thought that perhaps The Reverend Horton Heat had given up songs about cigarettes, drinking and breakups and had decided to change their image to singing songs about the Texas landscape, they continued their performance with, “Drinkin' & Smokin’ Cigarettes,” and possibly my new favorite, “Please Don’t Take the Baby to the Liquor Store.”

Despite their rough lyrics, The Reverend Horton Heat have got to be the cleanest and most put together guys in the business. Jim Heath plays his Gretsch with seemingly effortless grace, shirt buttoned to the very top button and tucked into pleated and perfectly pressed slacks. His hair neatly combed, he scans the audience, smiling slightly when something strikes him as charming or amusing, even going into “Psychobilly Freakout!” with a stoic expression, just grinning slightly as the crowd goes nuts.

Then, just as the crowd is at their highest point, the lights go out and they are gone, beginning one of the hardest worked for encores in recent memory. The lights black, the crowd began to scream and chant, “Reverend! Reverend!”

It tapers off until someone shrieks from the front of the stage and the crowd is revived, chanting and whistling, until again it dies off. A small flash of light revives the crowd and with another couple of minutes of clapping and cheering, they are back on stage.

“I like to hear that! Thank you!” says Jimbo.

They encore with “Bales of Cocaine,” the most amazing drum solo ever performed by a human - it is truly indescribable and hard to believe unless you truly heard it, and a mashup of “Big Red Rocket” and Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues.”

25 years later, this band is still making magic happen at stages around the world. If you haven’t seen them yet, you simply need to; it’s not even something to consider. Bring a date and get ready to furiously swing dance your heart out. This is a touring band and they plan on continuing, so keep them on your calendars y’all!

Idol Live! a little green, but so pure of heart

2011-07-14T00:06:03Z

Monday, July 11, Power Balance Pavilion hosted American Idol Live! for the tenth time. Spectators waited - thick, glossy programs in hand - for a live glimpse of their season favorite. There were even several devoted fans with binoculars.

Power Balance Pavilion has hosted American Idol Live! every year since its inception. This year, the event exceeded expectations. The 11 young stars sang to a crowd of over 11,000 people.

The evening’s show opened with all five ladies, all in white, singing Lady Gaga’s, “Born This Way.” Naima Adedapo, Haley Reinhart, Thia Megia and Lauren Alaina in a walking cast, helped down the stairs by Pia Toscana, opened the show.

Start to finish, Idol Live! producers seemed to be working hard to allow each performer to shine in their own way. The group never seemed to be acting as a choir, but rather, as a group of collaborating artists. They performed background vocals for each other whenever the need arose.

With 10 background screens, one would have thought otherwise, but the show’s producer also did a good job of the background graphics and video, emphasizing and complementing the beat, but allowing the singing to speak for itself.

Pia Toscano performed early, introducing her new single, “This Time.” Toscano was one of three idol contestants to perform a single during Monday night’s show. Toscano also belted out “Empire State of Mind,” the 2009 Jay-Z, Alicia Keys duet. The version was tweaked to let Toscano shine. While it did not surpass Keys’ glorious vocals, it was inspiring all the same.

While Toscano’s presentation struggled - she missed an entrance slightly and let her eyes linger on the steps below her for a second too long - she got on track soon enough. With a bit more experience, we could be seeing more of this twenty-something New Yorker.

Toscano was then joined by Stefano Langone for “California King Bed,” a song that was performed by Rihanna in a memorable episode this season. It was clear throughout the show that Langone just can’t get enough of the stage. It was refreshing to watch a performer so intent on enjoying the show right along with the audience.

Langone and Adedapo each had their chance in the spotlight as well. Langone sang “Grenade,” a Bruno Mars ballad, performing on the keyboard as well as showing off his vocals.

Naima Adedapo had the most personality of the group. Among all the performers, Adedapo seemed to be the most likely to strongly forge ahead, vote besotted or not; an excellent personal trait for the celebrity world. Adedapo marked her performance with a memorable and spirited dance that pushed the boundaries of normal body movement.

If Adedapo had the most personality, then 16 year old Thia Megia was the most in love with what she was doing. The young singer from Hayward did a beautiful job, though the sound system surely had the worst effect on her voice. Unfortunate, really, considering the lyrics of her first song, “Who Says,” a tune originally performed by Selena Gomez and the Scene.

“Who says, who says you’re not perfect?”

Paul McDonald began his evening by performing “Maggie May,” his voice hoarsely Rod Stewartesque. The way the crowd was responding, it’s hard to imagine why an artist wouldn’t want this type of exposure for their music.

McDonald tried to liven things up, but it wasn’t until Steven Tyler came on screen, his vivid personality shining through in a ridiculous and slightly profane clip, that things really started to heat up. James Durbin came from the depths of the crowd to belt “Sweet Child o’ Mine,” a Guns N’ Roses classic. The crowd was on their feet and Durbin went down in the show’s history as the first big thing. Durbin later performed an outstanding and crowd pleasing rendition of “Uprising” by Muse.

Also in the first half, Casey Abrams and his bass won over the crowd. Abrams seemed to be intent on saluting the 90’s. Santana and Rob Thomas followed by Maroon 5’s “Harder to Breathe,” it’s a good thing he was in Sacramento, a place where there are more 90’s radio stations than anywhere else in the world.

Abrams seems to be an entertainer at heart, and not just because he looks so much like Zach Galifianakis. Abrams also paired with Haley Reinhart for a great duet before Reinhart went solo.

Reinhart sang “House of the Rising Sun” by Animals, and did it beautifully, although the cut of her dress nearly knocked the show up to NC-17. Her well-liked version of “Benny and the Jets,” was next. The Elton John classic charmed, as usual.

The second half started out with a short Lauren Alaina feature. Her incessant climbing up and down the stairs in a walking cast did nothing to enhance the show - or her performance. All around, spectators tittered their worry, astonishment and disapproval. Still, Alaina’s new single, “Like My Mother Does” was well-received.

“If I Die Young,” a song originally performed by the The Band Perry, came next and was beautifully done. Surely, this is not the last that Sacramento has seen of this artist. Alaina has more than enough talent to go around, her voice uncannily similar to that of her very own Idol, Carrie Underwood.

Jacob Lusk got at least a few crowd members to loosen up and groove. He sang several songs, the best of which was Marvin Gaye’s “You’re All I Need to Get By.” Like Adedapo, Lusk appeared confident in his style and abilities and was not afraid to prove it.

The males, McCreery excluded, also collaborated for a song or two. The group seemed to have more camaraderie than the females, where there seemed to be sharp edges, perhaps because it was so hard to walk up and down those stairs.

As the second half progressed, tension built for the big reveal. The audience had yet to see Scotty McCreery, American Idol 2011. It was easy to see and hear that the crowd loved him. There were posters and signs, and outside of the women’s restroom - formerly a men’s room - a young girl sported a puff-painted t-shirt reading, “I love you Scotty McCreery.”

Finally, after a brief overview of every Idol, “S-C-O-T-T-Y” appeared on the center screen and the star himself stepped out on stage. McCreery started with “Your Man,” a Josh Turner melody and his debut audition song.

During his first serenade, it was almost stunning how someone so young, who looks so much like the Mad magazine kid, can already be making it as a ladies’ man in the country music world. McCreery’s adorable presence added to his truly unbelievable vocal skills.

The 2011 American Idol also showed off his single, “I Love You This Big,” and performed “Kiss me or not,” a Thompson Square duet. McCreery has a voice so country and so like Randy Travis that it makes you want to check his lips to make sure that he is actually singing. There is no doubt that McCreery will be making tours and albums of his own in the very near future. The 16 year old’s voice is so big, in fact, that Grand Ole Opry status is imminent.

They called this season a season of remixes, and so it was. Langone and Adedapo began the finale with Aerosmith’s “Walk this way,” and slowly added from there until all eleven were on stage. The cast finished strong together, shifting into a bright rendition of Journey’s, “Anyway You Want it,” each letting their individuality shine through.

All in all, despite the cliché, there really was plenty of talent to go around. Performance skills and confidence were about as green as you could get, but this clearly comes with time. Sacramento was only the fourth stop on the American Idol Live! tour. The first tour just might serve as a rite of passage into the music world. One can only imagine the increased confidence and stair-stepping abilities of the final show of the tour.

Tesla Resonates at Thunder Valley

2011-07-11T02:39:25Z

In the late 1800s, a guy by the name of Nikola Tesla was busy inventing a new kind of transformer, not realizing the level of energy his name would carry into the future.

I’m not going to go into a lot of history since Tesla is a Sacramento band and most readers know who the hell these guys are. They started in the ’80s and, for the most part, were labeled a hair, metal, or glam band. As history has proven, those labels didn’t come close to describing their mix of soulful blues and metal.

While many “hair” bands of the ’80s are balding, gray and pretty much forgotten, Tesla remains one of the few ’80s bands still producing great music, both collectively and as solo artists. Yes, they’ve aged as we all have (thanks to radio personality Don Geronimo for pointing this out, but more on that later), but they’ve never sounded better, and Saturday night at Thunder Valley Casino and Resort was no exception.

Just before the show, the audience was treated to an appearance of the latest member of the Tesla family, Joe Bob Jeffrey Keith. It was kind of a family-album moment, and you could tell lead singer and father Jeff Keith was in his dad element. When he introduced the newest member his daughter Courtney handed off Joe Bob to their father.

The band kicked off the concert with “Forever More,” followed by “Hang Tough.” These guys are high energy and were constantly on the move. Band members were flinging picks throughout the show. I was afraid I was going to lose an eye.

Just prior to “Breakin’ Free,” the band pretty much challenged Don Geronimo. It appears there’s a bit of a tiff between Tesla and Geronimo. It all started when Tesla was asked to play at the Here We Rally at Cesar Chavez Park in support of the Kings. Just before the rally, Geronimo went on a rant about the band members. Bass player Brian Wheat took exception to his comments and posted his response on Tesla’s site.

I guess we’ll see if Geronimo responds. I can see it now. Thunder Valley Casino and Resort presents the “Ultimate Mud Wrestling Championship: Tesla vs. Don Geronimo.” I’ve never heard Geronimo’s show before, but I did listen to the show in question, and I’ve determined Geronimo gets off by demeaning people in general, so I wouldn’t take it too personally. However, what he did say, according to Wheat’s post, is pretty personal. This from a guy who, when he was just starting out, was fired for forging an FCC broadcasting license.

Back to the concert. Like I was saying, these guys are high energy. They were a blur of action until their acoustic set. I thought the audience would start to lose interest going to a mellower sound, but the crowd remained engaged, clapping as guitarists Frank Hannon and Dave Rude flawlessly performed “Love Song” with Wheat joining in.

For their last song, “Signs”, a lucky 98 Rock contest winner was invited to join the band onstage to sing the intro. Jody Snider was thrilled to learn that she had won the opportunity and was joined by a friend. They also had the opportunity to go backstage and have their picture taken with the band. The whole time they were bubbling with excitement.

Like the original Tesla coil, Tesla the band has just gotten bigger and better over time. Both the coil and the band now operate at extremely high-peak power levels with the ability to reach mucho megawatts (just ask the sound guy). They proved that Saturday night with a high-energy show. And to prove they still have it, Tesla will be at Dimple Records on Tuesday signing autographs and performing an acoustic set for the release of their new album, “Twisted Wires & The Acoustic Sessions.” They will be at 2433 Arden Way Sacramento, CA 95825-2411. Doors open at 6:00 p.m.

The CD has six original tracks that were recorded in 2005 at Wheat’s recording studio, J Street Recorders. These were the last recordings with original member Tommy Skeoch. Wheat’s studio burned down last year and, lucky for Tesla fans, not all their recordings were destroyed in the fire. Wheat is rebuilding, and rumor has it the new studio will be named The Trax.

Join the band out at Dimple Records and show them some Sacramento love!

As for Don Gerinomo. Donnie, I've never listen to you before today and I don't plan on listening to you again, but I've been listening to Tesla for over 20 years and will be listening for another 20.

American Idol Live! set to visit Sacramento early in their 2011 tour

2011-07-10T00:53:15Z

This coming Monday, July 11, the Power Balance Pavilion will host the top young stars of the music world. The evening’s events will include performances by the top 11 artists of the recently completed American Idol season, the tenth season of the reality series.

American Idol Live! will feature the deep, country voice of 2011 American Idol winner, Scotty McCreery, as well as fellow country singer and runner-up, Lauren Alaina. Audience members will also have the opportunity to see 2011 stars Haley Reinhart, Naima Adedapo, Pia Toscano, Seattle-born Stefano Langone, Jacob Lusk, Paul McDonald and the all-around musical talent of Casey Abrams. The top 11 are rounded out with James Durbin of Santa Cruz and Thia Megia, the youngest Idol of the group.

American Idol Live! began their post-season tour in West Valley City, Utah on July 6. They will perform in more than 40 cities over the next three months.

For ticket information, visit the Power Balance Pavilion box office or any online vendor where tickets are sold.

Thunder Valley Sets Off Dyno-mite!

2011-07-09T02:32:01Z

I was heading out to the Super ’70s Soul Jam at Thunder Valley Casino and Resort Thursday night, so I donned my rose-colored glasses, bell bottoms and platform shoes.

I packed snacks like Big Hunk, Bottle Caps and Screaming Yellow Zongers before leaving. I knew I would get the munchies since I’m such a burnout and can’t leave home without a joint or three (hey, I have a prescription). I was just hoping I could maintain with all that groovy music playing. The last thing I needed was for some narc to rat me out. As for the concert, it was far out, man, and, I should add, dyno-mite!

Right on. I get it. Not everyone can be as hip as the hipsters from the ’70s, but last night at Thunder Valley everyone was hip and just hanging out with the likes of the Dramatics, the Stylistics, the Delfonics, Heatwave, Carl Carlton and the emcee for the evening, Jimmy JJ Walker. The audience was grooving in their seats and boogieing in the aisles. I think there were a lot of sick people at the concert, since many of the people in the bleachers had the same prescription as me.

To start the night off, Walker took the stage. Most people remember Walker from his role on “Good Times” as James Evans Junior, or JJ. In fact, Walker coined the term “dyno-mite,” which became slang for great or fantastic.

Walker started right off with black people versus white people and didn’t let up throughout the evening. He attacked the criminal justice system and how black people are convicted and sent to prison while white people such as Casey Anthony and Lindsay Lohan walk. During a brief break, he told the black people to be back in three minutes, but white people to be back in 10. It was all in good fun and the audience loved it.

Carl Carlton was next on stage, singing two of his most recognizable songs, “Everlasting Love” and “She’s a Bad Mama Jama.” Right away people were up dancing in the aisles and having a great time. Carlton complained about the heat, hoping the sun would have gone down by the time he started, but they got an early start at 7:30, so no such luck.

Following Carlton was Heatwave with original lead singer Keith Wilder. They performed a number of their hits, including “Boogie Nights” and “Always and Forever.” When “Always and Forever” started, more couples jumped up to dance, including Lonnie and Brenda Prudhomme (see photo). I think Lonnie was a reluctant participant, but that’s just my opinion.

Next up was the Delfonics with founding member Wilbert Hart and longtime member Garfield Fleming. After all these years, they still sounded the same singing their hits “La-La (Means I Love You),” “Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)” and “Break Your Promise.”

When the Dramatics took the stage with original band member L.J. Reynolds, they got off to a rocky start. Not all of their songs sounded quite right, but they did hit their stride with “Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get” and “My Girl.”

Headlining the show was the Stylistics with original band members Herbert Murrell and Airrion Love. They performed many of their hits, including “Betcha by Golly, Wow,” “I'm Stone in Love with You,” “Break Up to Make Up” and a medley of all their hits, ending the show with “You Make Me Feel Brand New.”

By the end of the show, the crowd had diminished somewhat due to the late hour, but those who remained were still up and dancing all the way to the last song. Everyone had a great time and just got lost in the moment, remembering years gone by.

The summer concert series at Thunder Valley Casino is in full swing. The complete entertainment schedule is available on their website.

Randy Miramontez is a contributing writer and photographer with The Sacramento Press.

Kites & Crows at Sophia's Thai Kitchen: photos

2011-07-02T22:13:02Z

Kites & Crows headlined an indie-folk bill on the porch at Sophia's Thai Kitchen in Davis Friday night. The duo of Misner & Smith from Davis (recently relocated from San Francisco) and Portland-based Brooke Parrot opened.

Kites & Crows, hailing from Ashland, Oregon, used lush instrumentals to flavor the haunting lyrical storytelling of singer/songwriter Mysha Caruso. Jesse Baldwin and Nancy Martin distributed banjo, cello, accordion, and vibraphonette duties among themselves.

Paul Oakenfold at District 30: photos

2011-06-29T05:18:07Z

Internationally-renowned DJ Paul Oakenfold played a set Thursday night at District 30 on the K Street Mall in Sacramento. Compared to his year-long residency on Saturday nights at the Rain nightclub at the Palms in Las Vegas, where he presides over 25,000 square feet and around 2,000 clubbers, this was an intimate affair and chance to see one of the world's best at close quarters.

Davis Music Festival: photos

2011-06-27T18:29:38Z

The inaugural Davis Music Festival, consisting of 20 musical acts playing 5 different venues in downtown Davis, was held Saturday. With music ranging from a local band of high schoolers to nationally-known touring bands, this photographer had grand visions of paying tribute to Sac Press writer Lindol French's imminent departure by mirroring his "eating for the cycle" feat at Raley Field earlier this year and listening to music "for the cycle;" but instead chose a more relaxed pace, visiting most of the venues and listening to about a quarter of the acts.

The first annual event was run by a new non-profit organization called Music Only Makes Sense (MOMS), with all profits donated to the Davis Schools Arts Foundation, which provides funding for music and arts programs in the Davis Joint Unified School District.

Headlining act Truth & Salvage Co. closed out the night at Davis Odd Fellows Hall (see Sac Press preview). The LA-based band (but hailing from, among other places, Asheville, NC, New Orleans, and Tupelo, MS) opened for the Black Crowes for their entire 2009 tour and opened for The Avett Brothers for their 2010 West Coast tour. Their self-titled CD was released in May 2010 (see Sac Press preview of their March 2011 show.)

Yolo County-based The West Nile Ramblers brought their diverse musical stylings, self-dubbed "Western Garage," consisting of a raucous mix of country, western swing, bluegrass, jazz, Cajun, and (to this photographers' sweaty ears) Eastern European rave-ups. Their debut CD "Honkabilly Western Garage," was re-mastered and re-released earlier this year. Singer Alex Roth is also known as the Pepper Peddler in Davis, operating a pedal-powered coffee roaster and bicycle delivery service.

Davis country-folk singer-songwriter Rita Hosking played with her band, Cousin Jack at Odd Fellows Hall . She has an extensive touring schedule this summer in advance of the release of her latest CD "Fire" in September. She returns to the area for a CD-release show at The Palms Playhouse in Winters on September 24.

Mr. Glass, a KDVS (UC-Davis) DJ, played a funky down-tempo early evening set on the porch of Sophia's Thai Kitchen, perfect for starting the party and planning the night's activities.

Sacramento based band Fine Steps kicked off the night at the Delta of Venus, playing an energetic set of reverb-y noise pop. The band is currently recording.

[Disclosure: Rik Keller Photography recently took photos for Rita Hosking for her new CD to be released in September 2011.]

Chinese Concert Series at Thunder Valley

2011-06-27T02:41:33Z

A Chinese invasion of sorts took place on Saturday in Lincoln, where Thunder Valley Casino hosted a Chinese concert series starring some of the biggest names in Chinese entertainment.

The stars of the show were Dragon Li, Michelle Kim and Niki Chow. All were well received by the mostly — scratch that — all Asian crowd. That was a good thing since the concert was mostly in Chinese, with only a couple of songs with English interspersed.

At one point I could swear they were talking about me. I usually only get paranoid after taking illicit drugs or riding in an elevator with people talking in a language I don’t understand. Oh well, next time I’ll have to bring a Chinese-to-English translator. Wait, isn’t there an app for that?

The audience loved the show, which was a combination of singing and chatting with the audience. Both Chow and Li started up conversations with audience members while keeping their fans laughing. Several fans ended up on stage dancing and singing. No translator required.

Although I don’t speak Chinese it was easy to follow what was happening both onstage and off. While the stars of the show were speaking in Chinese it was obvious to me when they were telling a joke versus telling a story, or setting up a song. Their body language spoke volumes and once a song began you couldn’t help but sit back and enjoy the music.

It was obvious from the start that Dragon Li was the seasoned veteran. He bantered back and forth with the audience in between songs and was quite comfortable onstage as were both Yim and Chow. He seemed to enjoy the audience participation more than his fellow artists.
Li, an actor and singer, got his start in Hong Kong in the late 1980s when he entered a singing contest, Sing Bao Ji Yei. There he was discovered by a talent manager and later signed with EMI Records. He recorded a number of television and movie theme songs, including “Superstar (Gui Sing),” “Brave (Nan Ji Han)” and “Confused (Ching Mi).” Li also starred in the television series “Journey to the West (Si You Gei).”

Michelle Yim, also known by her Chinese stage name Mai Suet, is a Hong Kong actress. In 1975, Yim joined Commercial Television, and in 1976, Yim acted in “Legend of the Condor Heroes,” a Wuxia TV series adaptation of Louis Cha's novel of the same title. In 1978, Yim started working with Television Broadcasts (TVB) and guest-starred in one of the period dramas, “The Twins,” which later became one of her best works. Her most recent work won her the award for best drama performance by an actress for her role in “Moonlight Resonance” at the Asian Television Awards.

Niki Chow is a Hong Kong actress and Cantopop (Hong Kong popular music) singer. Until recently she was under contract with BMA Records, but she terminated the contract to pursue a new contract with TVB. She has appeared in several movies and television series, including “Hard Fate” and “The Gentle Crackdown.” She won the most improved actress award at the TVB Anniversary Awards in 2005 for her performance in “The Gentle Crackdown.” She has also authored several books and is scheduled to begin filming an Ancient Series [Is this the title? If so, it should be in quotes.] for TVB beginning in July.

The summer concert series at Thunder Valley Casino has just started and tickets are selling fast. The complete entertainment schedule is available on their website.

Randy Miramontez is a contributing writer and photographer with The Sacramento Press.

Lounge on 20's remodel

2011-06-18T08:15:08Z

Midtown’s Lounge on 20, known for its all-white décor and dim lighting and as a place to grab a drink and relax, transformed last month to include dining and incorporate a warmer color scheme.

“We added almost 100 seats for dining, a new menu and (Executive Chef Pajo Bruich),” said owner Ali Mackani. “There are color changes, new lighting, a freestanding sculpture that’s also a fireplace, and we still have areas for lounging.”

He added that a dessert chef, Elaine Baker, formerly of Grange Restaurant and Bar, is also working at the remodeled space.

Also included is an elevated stage for live performances Thursday through Saturday nights.

Careful preparation enabled the transformation to take place over four nights, Mackani said, adding that it reopened to the public on May 20.

The successful lounge concept is still evident, but Mackani said the goal was to bring in dining, and he added that from the outset he wanted it to be unique.

Bruich uses sous vide cooking methods, which allow meats to be slow-cooked for hours at a low temperature to retain their juiciness and flavor.

Mackani said Bruich will also be incorporating “molecular gastronomy,” which is paying close attention to the way foods interact with each other at the smallest level of detail to deliver the exact taste the chef is looking to create.

In about a month, the bar menu will be updated to include demonstrations – such as one where liquids will be turned to gels – and specialty drinks, some of which will be served in glasses made entirely of ice.

The overall effect of the remodeled space, Mackani said, gives a softer touch to the colors and makes the area feel more intimate. Curtains allow some areas to be shielded from the rest of the space for a more private feel.

Mackani said customer response has been very positive.

Customer Desmond Williams of East Sacramento told The Sacramento Press Friday that he loves the addition of food.

“I hope the community really embraces it,” he said. “Chef Pajo’s making really great stuff.”

He said he also likes the space, adding that it does a good job of providing both openness and an intimate feel. When it comes to live music performances, he said the acts start late enough that diners can still have conversations over dinner, then stick around for the music.

Customer Mary Daffin of Sacramento raved about the food selections as well, calling the whole menu a “When Harry Met Sally” experience.

Mackani said he is happy with the renovation of the restaurant and lounge, which originally opened in 2008.

“We just think it’s a great place to come and dine and stay later at night for drinks,” he said. “We want to really be a place you can pick for a lot of different occasions.”

To view the menu and prices, click here.

To stay up to date on events and musical acts, check Lounge on 20’s Facebook page.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Twitter @Brandon_Darnell.

Thunder Down Under roared at Thunder Valley

2011-06-17T06:14:41Z

With a sold-out audience screaming in excitement the ‘Thunder from Down Under (TFDU)’ took to the stage this evening at Thunder Valley Casino and Resort. If you are not aware of whom this group is it would seem that you may be in the minority. TFDU is a group of well-toned Australian men who whip women into a screaming frenzy by gyrating, tantalizing and teasing through individual as well as group strip-tease acts.

This all male revue, which has been in operation for almost 20 years, is Australia's answer to America’s famous Chippendale Dancers. The main difference between the two acts is that TFDU travels world-wide and continually sells-out most of their shows. This global presence, along with a bevy of well-toned and tan men, helped to make them the most well-reviewed and successful ‘male revue show’ in the world.

This ninety minute show was nothing but a bachelorette party done right. The men were there for the women and they knew exactly how to please them. Not only did they work the crowd, they used their machismo to tease as many women as possible; they did this by making the women yearn for more at each stage of the performance. Never did they just ‘take it off’ and say “here I am;” instead, they slowly removed their clothing a piece at a time and kept the woman begging for more. Just when you think that the women would have had enough of the performance, the guys find another way to remove clothes and move around the stage which whips the audience back into a frenzy.

One of the best parts of this show was the fact that it allowed all sorts of woman to let-loose and enjoy themselves. Whether a woman was in a business suit, pair of jeans or a skimpy dress they all seemed to let go of the outside world for a moment and allow the party atmosphere to take over. Although they were there to see the men disrobe, they also got a fantasy show at the same time. For a lucky few who were let on stage, the show was a little more risqué. This mix of fantasy, allure and performance would be difficult to replicate in a female review show – men are just not patient enough to allow the buildup that this kind of show provides. For women it is a completely different story.

Now, although the show was a flesh-filled spectacle designed for women, it should be noted that there were plenty of production problems. The choreography is not going to win any awards and the dancers are not going to be in any music videos anytime soon. However, that is not what the show is about and being tanned, good looking and ripped was more than enough to make-up for the missteps on the stage or in the production. The production problems did not seem to matter to the screaming women in the audience. In fact, it probably would have been difficult to find a woman who would have had any criticism of the show at all.

For the men who were forced to attend the show as the accompaniment of their companion, the mere enthusiasm and joy that their partner exuded this evening should have been enough to put a smile on your face.

Marc McLaughlin is a contributing writer and photographer for the Sacramento Press

Michael Franti mixed it up at MIX Downtown

2011-06-15T00:34:31Z

Michael Franti, the San Francisco singer-guitarist, made a brief appearance today at the MIX Dowtown. The show, which was put-on by Now 100.5, highlighted the reggae style music that Franti is currently known for. Although Franti is probably better known by most for his rocker ways in the Beatnigs and an indispensable rapper in the Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, his reggae style has generated a lot of attention – especially with his dance hit ‘Say Hey (I Love You).’

Like most of the Now 100.5 Playings, the set consisted of four songs and a question answer session with the lucky guests of the show. The first song was ‘The Sound of Sunshine’ followed by ‘Hey Hey Hey,’ ‘I’ll be Waiting,’ and then ‘Say Hey (I Love You).’

Franti is a low-key yet energetic performer who enjoys interacting with his fans. When he picks-up his guitar and starts a song the audience is immediately embraced. Like most reggae music, the beat is mellow yet addictive and seems to create a party type of atmosphere – today was no exception.

Marc McLaughlin is a contributing writer and photographer for the Sacramento Press.

Charity Happy Hour Aboard the Delta King

2011-06-06T19:11:41Z

Join WEAVE and TheGridLife.com on June 9th for a charity happy hour aboard the Delta King! Enjoy your favorite drink in a great atmosphere and meet some of this seasons Sacramento Mountain Lions Cheerleaders! There will be LIVE music by Hans Eberbach. This is going to be a good time for a great cause!

Event Info:
1000 Front Street
Sacramento, CA
Thursday, June 9th 2011
6:00PM-8:30PM

Hosted by: TheGridLife.com
Featuring: Sacramento Mountain Lion Cheerleaders and live music by Hans Eberbach

Watch the video on YouTube

Share the event on Facebook

In full disclosure, this article was written by a WEAVE employee in the hopes of spreading the word far and wide. We are grateful to Sacramento Press for this forum to get the word out!

Old 97’s at Harlow's: photos

2011-06-06T06:30:38Z

Longtime alt-country stalwarts Old 97’s played Harlow's in Sacramento on Saturday night with fellow Texan Sarah Jaffe opening (see Sacramento Press article and photos on Sarah) .

Old 97's are touring in advance of the release of The Grand Theatre, Vol. 2 on July 5.

As has been standard for the shows in the last few months at Harlow's that this photographer has attended (North Mississippi Allstars, The Devil Makes Three, Trampled By Turtles), the packed crowd was extremely enthusiastic. And the band responded: playing over 25 songs in their set (including an extended encore) spanning their 18-year career

Sarah Jaffe treats Harlow's to her smooth voice, sharp wit

2011-06-06T06:08:29Z

In a rustic jean jacket and laced up military-style boots, singer/songwriter and Dentin, TX native Sarah Jaffe took the stage at Harlow’s on Saturday night without introduction. Discretely arranging the mic, she cut through the chatter of the bar’s full house of patrons with the earthy croon of “Paul/The Body Wins,” sustaining heavy notes for seconds at a time.

The opening song was a two-parter of sorts, splitting seamlessly into a danceable second half, featuring looped vocals and a drum-machine beat. The electronic jolt, though an element largely absent in her most current album “Suburban Nature,” set the tone for the rest of her crisp, chest-pounding set.

Having successfully secured our attention with a solo performance, Jaffe introduced the rest of her band.

Using cloth-topped sticks resembling timpani mallets, drummer Jeff Ryan lent a tribal, galloping rhythm to Jaffe’s open-hearted performance. Keyboardist Scott Danbom added an airy, contemporary layer of sound to otherwise more straightforwardly country-inspired songs. Robert Gomez and Becki Howard subtly rounded out the band with backup guitar and elegant vocal harmonization.

Jaffe delivered heavy lyrics like those on the rough and stunning “Under” (sample lyric: “Ain’t nobody’s girl/ I ain’t nobody’s man”), off of the 2008 EP “Even Born Again,” with the same matter-of-fact style that she offered deadpan quips to the audience.

“Alright, goodnight,” Jaffe said one song into the performance, feigning what would have been the world’s shortest set.

“Thanks for letting me come to your open mic night,” she said later in mock self-deprecation.

As comfortable as she was with sarcasm, appeared equally enamored with sweetness. Within moments, the platinum-haired singer went from appearing darkly intense, peering coolly out of blue-green eyes highlighted by high-arching brows, to smiling widely in the wake of a joke, her eyes crinkling in glee.

Jaffe was notably energized during the band’s cover of the sunny Harry Nilsson song “Me and My Arrow,” softening her performance to honor the borrowed tune’s bouncy melody.

Audience members, apparently also fans of the early-’70s Nillson song, bellowed along to its chorus: “Me and my arrow/ straighter than narrow/ wherever we go, everyone knows/ it’s me and my arrow.”

A well-rounded performer, Jaffe seemed just as at home leaning languidly into the electro pop underpinnings of new track “When You Rest” as she did brooding through her murkier tracks. “Pull it together” the song’s lyrics instructs over a tauntingly slow beat.

Watching Jaffe perform is to feel as though you are in capable hands, happily going along for the ride knowing the performer is in full control of her lush musical talent. The tumbling phrasing and plucked melody of new track “Sucker for Your Marketing” kept the audience clinging to Jaffe’s every word.

Though clearly a natural singer, capable of hitting a range of notes with comforting effortlessness, Jaffe doesn’t rest on her vocal laurels. Rather, she gets creative in the way that she holds her mouth while singing, a practice that lends itself to an array of unique aural effects.

For instance, in order to produce the hollow, echoing pitch on “Under,” Jaffe held her lips in an oblong formation. With the jut of her chin, she produced the tighter, shimmery vocals of “When You Rest.”

Though attentive and cheerful in between Jaffe’s songs, the majority of night’s audience members appeared to be previously unacquainted with her work, barely batting an eye as the band broke into the chugging intro of its best known song and usual crowd favorite, wistful crooner “Clemetine.”

But if you looked closely enough, you could spy a small smattering of Jaffe-die-hards positioned directly in front of the singer, whispering every word and smiling warmly.

The night’s highlight came at the end of the performance as Jaffe and her audience harmonized in “church camp” fashion for closer ”Before You Go.” Having never performed in Sacramento before, Jaffe seemed at first uncertain that we would go for the proposed collaboration.

“I know we don’t know each other very well, but I’d like you to sing this last song with us,” she said.

One brave soul towards the back of the venue was the first to pipe up with a smooth singing voice, and the rest of the crowd followed suit. The audience’s repetition of a few lilting bars served as the ghostly backdrop for Jaffe’s delivery of the song’s wary lyrics: “My heart pretends not to know how it ends.”

From behind his kit, Ryan took photos of the audience-cum-choir, as swirling yellow stage lights illuminated us in brief flashes.

Noticeably moved by the crowd’s enthusiastic participation, Jaffe told the crowd its effort was the best she had seen all tour.

“You just beat out my hometown,” she said.

For tour dates, visit Sarah Jaffe's website.

District 30 brings life to K Street Mall

2011-06-06T06:06:04Z

In an attempt to bring vitality to the once desolate K Street Mall in downtown Sacramento, District 30, one of the newest night clubs, is still thriving after four months of business.

You can’t miss the bright lights of District 30. The glowing LED projected sign they have at their entrance is enticing. If it wasn’t your friends who lured you there, or what you’ve heard, it was the sign.

There appeared to be a hustle and bustle about the area which wasn’t too crazy for a Friday night, but it was still early – 11 p.m.

You’re greeted by multiple doormen who guard the black velvet ropes to enter the club.

The cover is $15 unless you sign up on the e-mail guest list days in advance on their website. That’s not a lot for a “premier nightclub and special event venue,” as they describe on their website.

For a club that is relatively new, it has been amping up the downtown scene by bringing in big-name DJ acts like Steve Aoki, The Crystal Method, Benny Benassi and Los Angeles’ LMFAO.

When they aren’t having an event, it’s just another night at the club that is open Wednesday through Saturday.

The District 30 experience is all in the eye of the beholder. It could be hit or miss depending on the crowd, who you’re dancing with, or in this case, the day of the week.

You walk in and everything is plush from the tall ceilings to the carpeting design that mimics hardwood floor. From the art on the walls and the brown and gold glass-blown light fixtures above the bar to the granite bar top and white leather booths lining the walls, it screams modern class.

People were dressed to impress. And they were dressed to attract in their heels, collared shirts and cologne. It was “Flirty Friday” according to their website. There seemed to be more women than men that night.

DJ Cams, the regular Friday night DJ, was spinning new hip-hop, pop and dance music mixed with classic oldies. He went from 50 Cent to Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” to Ke$ha.

District 30 attracts an older crowd mixed with younger adults who enjoy the scene. Jhamey Jones, 30, was leaning against the wall on the disco ball-adorned dance floor scoping out the scene.

“I’ve been here one time before,” he said. “There’s good music variety and different cultures,” he said. He liked it enough to come back, which seems to be the consensus for District 30 club-goers.

Perhaps it’s the music. I could feel the bass vibrating through my body, not surprisingly because of their state-of-the-art sound system with special tri-axial speakers generate sound at various frequencies, creating a fuller sound.

Perhaps it’s the flat-screens, or “one-of-a-kind glowing LED puzzle art” as they describe on their website, on the walls surrounding the dance floor that project visuals and artsy clips, or the colorful array of visual light designs shifting on the dance floor.

It could also be the VIP treatment. That’s what keeps Stephen Northrop, 27, coming all the way from Roseville every weekend.

“I come with a bunch of people, so for $400 bucks my friends and I can get a booth and a bottle for like $50 each,” Northrop said.

If you aren’t VIP, the bar drinks are relatively inexpensive. It’s about $4 to $5 for a bottled beer (they don’t carry any on tap), and cocktails start around $6.

“It’s fun, but for a Friday it’s different,” Northrop said. “Saturday is a better night to come. Usually the line is around the block,” Northrop added.

Doorman and VIP manager Alex Enriquez said there were about 200 people there, which he said is slow considering Wednesdays and Saturdays are the club’s busiest nights, which can be “packed” with up to 600 people.

Regardless of how many people were there, people appeared to be having fun. They were dancing, they were laughing, they were drinking their cocktails and they were on the prowl or on the wall taking it all in.

Beth Q., 34, came with her boyfriend and had been there once before.

“It could be a better crowd, but you have room and your own space to do what you want to do,” she said. “I like to people watch. The vibe is good,” she added.

It’s the kind of place where you can unwind after a long work week if you’re a young professional, or a person just looking for a good time, a new scene and a new experience, or if your friends happened to drag you there. Chances are you’ll have a good time.

KISS in photos

2011-06-01T21:31:26Z

KISS performed live at Raley Field in Sacramento on Sunday night. The concert benefited Walk 'N Rock campaign and was a complete success. Here are a few photos from the evening.

Marc McLaughlin is a contributing writer and photographer for the Sacramento Press.

Musician Sarah Jaffe will bring Texas to Harlow's

2011-06-01T01:18:14Z

Twenty-four-year-old budding musician Sarah Jaffe will bring her folk-inspired guitar, soothing voice and Texas spirit to the stage at Harlow’s on Saturday as part of her summer U.S. tour opening for The Old 97’s, a folk band with a country twang and alternative edge also from Texas.

Jaffe was noted as one of the breakout artists of 2010 by many nationally recognized publications, such as Rolling Stone and Paste Magazine, according to her management Stunt Company. She has also performed at Austin, Texas’, music-conference festival South by Southwest tour four times.

Jaffe said she was encouraged by folk music at an early age and listened to Joni Mitchell and Patsy Cline growing up. This early musical influence led her to self-release her first EP, “Ever Born Again,” in 2008.

She was signed to Kirkland Records, where she released her first full album, “Suburban Nature,” in 2010. The album features her most popular song, “Clementine,” which was named breakout song by AAA Radio, an adult alternative album media company with over 60 international radio stations.

She said she didn’t expect it to be such a hit, and she watched as the song evolved from meaningless to her, but meaningful to fans.

“It was actually written as a filler song that I wrote in about five minutes,” Jaffe said. “We didn’t really think twice about it until people started latching onto it. Sometimes you have those songs that are written on impulse that end up meaning the most later,” she said.

The fame doesn’t faze Jaffe, who said she doesn’t like to look at her rising stardom as a breakthrough experience, but as a relevant experience. She admits she can be a bit of a cynic when it comes to the vision of success, but said she is enjoying the ride – figuratively and literally – in her tour van.

“It’s incredibly rewarding. It’s also very surprising at the same time,” Jaffe said. “You go about viewing yourself, doing what you want, and when it’s rewarded in a positive way, it’s definitely an incredible feeling. It inspires me to keep writing, and it only encourages me more,” she said.

She said listening to her mother sing and watching her father play guitar made her really admire folk artists at a young age, and it was something that clicked with her creatively and personally.

She said she admires folk music for its honesty and minimalist approach, kind of like her hometown: Denton, Texas where she currently resides.

“There’s definitely a humbleness about the town where I live, and a humbleness about the Texas way of life. It’s full of inspirational, gracious people and really humble spirits,” she said.

Like her hometown, Jaffe remains humble. She still remembers performing at an open mic event for her first show and having the next band set up behind her the entire time she was playing. That doesn’t happen anymore.

She said she tries to keep her shows personal by being herself and conversing with the crowd, and doing her best no matter what city or venue she is performing in. For Jaffe, making music was not a conscious decision, but something she said she had to do.

“It’s just something that was in me, and I just consistently pursued it,” Jaffe said.

Jaffe will spend her summer doing what she loves to do, even if it means riding in a van for hours, which she says isn’t too bad because she is able to pass the time by being creative and new writing music.

Look out for these new songs and creativity on the stage and on her upcoming EP, “The Way Sound Leaves the Room,” due to be released in the fall according to a press release from her management company.

“It can be hard sometimes with the traveling and very little sleep, but doing what you want, that’s what makes me love it,” Jaffe said.

“I think what I’ve learned is just to stay positive. I think that at the end of the day, if you’re out there and you’re giving it your best and putting on the best show that you can, that’s all you can do. It’s about enjoying each moment,” she added.

Jaffe will take the stage at Harlow’s opening for the Old 97’s at 9 p.m. Tickets are $20. For more information, visit her website.

Sac City Rollers: Star-Spangled Splatter (photo essay)

2011-05-30T21:37:51Z

The Sac City Rollers (SCR), Sacramento’s first all-women’s flat-track roller derby league, hosted Antioch's Undead Bettys Saturday night at Foothill Skate Inn in Sacramento. The bout, billed as the Star-Spangled Splatter!, featured the Sac City Rollers' Capital Punishers team. The Punishers won the bout 234-103.

The Sac City Rollers league was established in January 2006 and includes over 100 active skaters. The league consists of traveling interleague teams the Capital Punishers and the Folsom Prison Bruisers, intraleague teams the Sweaty Betties and Rude Girls, and the Junior Derby League for girls ages 10 to 17. The Bad Apples held a halftime scrimmage at this bout.

USHER-ing in R&B Music at Power Balance Pavilion

2011-05-29T17:00:51Z

If ever a grand entrance was to be had, last night was it. Usher, the reigning king of R&B, started his two hour concert at Power Balance Pavilion by being pulled across the arena on an elevated platform.

The platform, which started in the back of the arena, rose through a plume of smoke to reveal Usher standing in the middle wearing a black jacket and helmet. As the platform approached the main stage, Usher leaped off and immediately started his first song. About half-way through his concert Usher would once again jump aboard the platform and sing to the audience while hovering about mid-way out into the stadium. This, like every other theatric, had the audience singing and yelling with enthusiasm.

Throughout the entire show Usher showed why, according to Billboard Magazine, he is considered the most successful artist so far this decade. With theatrics like pull-ups, one-arm handstands, wild dancing and continual audience flirting – Usher commanded the audience’s attention and they were not unimpressed. Backing Usher up was a group of scantily clad women and men who slid down ramps, climbed poles and generally used sex appeal to further stimulate the already raucous audience. The entire production was designed for sensory overload and Usher accomplished that without hesitation.

However, the production element of the show was not perfect. With several video interludes, used for costume changes, it felt more like a stage production for a major play and less like a concert; and, like most major music productions today, the music was louder then it needed to be. However, that did not seem to slow the audience’s enthusiasm for Usher, Akon or the production itself.

Overall Usher hit the mark with some great vocal performances: Love in The Club, OMG, Caught Up, Bad Girl and Yeah to name a few. Along with his great vocals, Usher made a point to talk with the audience and make them feel as if they were a part of the production. By spending a moment pointing out individuals by their clothing he had the audience screaming while trying to get recognized. Although not normally a fan of theatrical music productions, Usher has shown me that you can mix style and flair and create something that makes one smile. It all may have been a little much, but it is a ‘little much’ that the audience seemed to eat-up with a vengeance.

Continuing with his tradition of recognizing the greats in music, Usher gave a heart fell Michael Jackson tribute. With sparkly shoes and the well known Michael Jackson dance, Usher did a good job of saying ‘thank you’ to someone who inspired him and many in the audience alike.

Prior to Usher taking the stage Akon performed a forty minute set that got the girls screaming. Besides losing more than one shirt and showing the women his rather well defined torso, he moved around the stage and sang a decent set. Although vocally he is not up-to-par with Usher, his style and performance made up for it.

Marc McLaughlin is a contributing writer and photographer for the Sacramento Press.

An evening with one of the greats

2011-05-27T02:57:59Z

Patrons of the arts had the chance of a lifetime on Wednesday to experience one of the greats, singer Tony Bennett. UC Davis Mondavi Center executive director Don Roth welcomed spectators, who were dressed in their best, and the blue velvet curtain rose as if revealing royalty.

The show began with Antonia Bennett, a jazzy redhead who was so vibrant and whose voice was so rich, I can only expect that we will see more of Tony Bennett’s vivacious daughter in the future. Antonia began her set with “You’re a Lucky Guy,” and dedicated it to her father, standing in the wing.

Following the short opening set, the four-piece band of piano, guitar, bass and trap set transitioned seamlessly to the main act. Bennett stepped out onto the stage to a nearly full standing ovation without having sung a note.

He sang with actions and hand gestures, evidence of his Italian blood, as if telling a humorous personal anecdote rather than singing an award-winning song.

“Rosemary Clooney and I were the first American Idols,” he explained, describing a stint on an amateur talent program.

Later, he explained how he went from being Antonio Dominick Benedetto to “Tony Bennett.” He was discovered by comedian Bob Hope in Greenwich Village in 1949.

“That’s a little long for the marquee,” Bob Hope joked. It was Hope that decided his new name.

“Because of You,” “Smile,” “They All Laughed.” At times, the audience was almost too enthusiastic. On several occasions, Bennett had to extend a hold as he waited for the applause to subside so he could continue, every second appearing that he was surprised by the applause.

As Bennett, in the nearly pitch black auditorium but for a lone spotlight, grandly began “Maybe This Time,” a thought crossed my mind. This man fought in World War II, he was reprimanded and demoted for disobeying segregation laws, he was discovered by Bob Hope, was pals with Frank Sinatra, and here he is, still performing.

I always thought I had missed the Greats, the age that I am. As a perfectly attentive crowd listened to Bennett sing “The Way You Look Tonight,” I saw that we all got to experience at least one Great. I may have missed Frank, and I may have missed Bing, but I didn’t miss Tony.

The entire show was unbelievable. What a performer, and what a voice. At 84 years old, he still had no problem belting it out. This talent is something you just don’t lose.

Following each song, he clapped and wrung his hands thankfully, perhaps thinking the same.

About halfway through the show, Antonia Bennett stepped out again, and they sang “Hey, Old Friend” as a father-daughter duet.

We heard hit after hit, nearly all of them accompanied by a cute story about Hank Williams, Charlie Chaplin or Frank Sinatra. We may have heard shortened versions of a few, enriched by tremendous solos by Bennett’s accomplished instrumentalists. Each member was so into the performance, the passion and gusto were contagious.

At times throughout the performance, all eyes turned toward Bennett’s pianist. Lee Musiker was, without a doubt, the best, most talented pianist I have ever seen, even directing a crescendo or cymbal crash here and there mid-song. I hope Musiker will be producing his own albums as well, and the same for Bennett’s tremendous guitarist, Gray Sargent.

Coincidentally, Wednesday was Musiker’s birthday. Bennett saluted him literally and musically with a rendition of “The Best Is Yet to Come.”

Late in the show, Bennett sang “Fly Me to the Moon” sans microphone, and I heard an entranced woman sitting in front of me sigh audibly.

He ended the show, apart from numerous encores, with the clear choice, “I Left My Heart in San Francisco.” Bennett’s performance was phenomenal and heartwarming at the least. He made each song special, sometimes adding a tap or two and several turns — elegant and smooth — as if he were turning 45 rather than 85.

The Fray

2011-05-26T06:10:23Z

Tonight, one of America’s best selling bands treated fans at Thunder Valley Casino and Resort to a night of hard-hitting, down to earth music that reverberated throughout the revamped outdoor stadium.

The Fray who found stardom with Grey’s Anatomy has continued their meteoric rise with both the fans and the charts alike. This fame landed them the coveted gig of opening-up for U2; one of the biggest rock bands of our generation and helped to solidify their place among the greats.

Even with the increment weather, The Fray started off their set with a hard-hitting, powerful number titled, “Here We Are,” which sounds as if it could be a lead song on their upcoming album (no release date set). The next two songs, “Cable Car” and “All At Once” brought the audience to their feet and started the night off with a punch. Throughout their entire set the band, or more appropriately Isaac Slade, bantered with the audience and made them feel as much a part of the show as the band itself.

If you have ever been to a Fray concert you know just how commanding the stage performance and presence of Isaac Slade is. Whether he is singing “Absolute” or “Fighter” there is no doubt that he feels at home in front of an audience. In many respects it is a lot like watching Bono in his younger years. For the audience this is a fantastic attribute since it means that the band sounds amazingly similar live as they do on the CD; not only do you get a fantastic physical performance but also a vocal one.

For more information on upcoming performance at Thunder Valley Casino and Resort click here.

Marc McLaughlin is a contributing writer and photographer with the Sacramento Press.

Violence and bottles break at downtown Parlare Euro Lounge

2011-05-22T01:01:00Z

Sacramento, CA | Fists and bottles fly early Saturday morning at Parlare Euro Lounge, leaving one person in serious condition.

Just around midnight Saturday, a fight started at the Parlare Euro Lounge on the corner of 10th and J Streets in downtown Sacramento.

“The fight spilled out from the club into the street. One of the security guards was hit in the head with a bottle, subsequently fought with the original suspect who in turn, turned and fought with another suspect who was also hit with a bottle,” Sargent Wendy Brown, Sacramento Police Department stated.

Later the area was deemed a tapped off crime scene with CSI collecting evidence and photos as one of the injured person’s condition worsened. Per Sargent Norm Leong, Sacramento Police Department’s Public Information Officer, the subject is now listed in serious condition.

Vist the scene via raw footage and hear from Sargent Brown about the incident>>

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colaborating with Sacramento Press

Capitol Garage shooting

2011-05-21T23:52:00Z

Sacramento, CA | Friends were saying good-bye for the evening downtown when shots rang out and two people were injured.

As friends were enjoying the wonderful evening air outside Capitol Garage early Saturday morning and getting ready to part ways, a black male wearing a hoody walked by and shot into the crowed, per Sargent Wendy Brown of the Sacramento Police Department.

Brown stated that two women were struck by the shooters bullets. One sustained a significant gunshot wound to the leg while the other woman was grazed in the leg. They were transported to the hospital via paramedics.

“We are assuming the women were not the intended targets. There were no problems going on at the club,” Brown stated.

Officers discovered one slug that had lodged in the trunk of a tree.

The shooter remains at large on got away in a maroon, four door Dodge Intrepid with chrome rims.

Hear from Sargent Brown and visit the scene [video]

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Antigone

2011-05-17T03:41:51Z

Good theatre truly touches the soul, it taps into something deeper inside of us than our everyday hum drum lives have to offer. Antigone accomplishes this beautifully.

A timeless telling of a classic story. The actors are dressed in a time neutral fashion, the set simple, and there are almost no props- leaving our actors nothing to hide behind. Bold and brazen they bare their hearts and their stories for the audience.

This is the story of Antigone, daughter of Odepius, is masterfully narrated by an enchanting Greek Chorus who lays out the events of Antigone as she attempts to secure a respectable burial for her brother Polyneices, even though he is considered a traitor to Thebes. The law forbids both burial and administering any religious rights- upon pain of death. This edict was laid on the land by Antigone's own Uncle Creon, now acting King of Thebes.

So many things are so right about this production. Beautiful lights, set, story, actors and actresses, well directed and crewed. I can absolutely and whole heartedly recommend this production to the more sophisticated theatrical audience in the mood for an impactful and moving theatre experience.

At the California Stage

1723 25th street (25th & R)
Sacramento, CA 95816 Remaining Show Dates:

Friday, May 20 8:00 PM
Saturday, May 21 8:00 PM

Friday, May 27 8:00 PM
Saturday, May 28 8:00 PM

For More Information:

http://koltruncreations.com/

(916) 454-1500

Vélo & Vintage bicycle fashion show: photos

2011-05-09T19:34:38Z

The 2nd annual Vélo & Vintage Fashion Show was held at Hot Italian Saturday night in Sacramento. The show is as much about bicycles as fashion. Lorena Beightler of Sac Cycle Chic founded the event to highlight "urban cycling as a smart, stylish and fashionable mode of transport." Kari Shipman of Juniper James organized the event with Beightler.

Models attired in vintage clothing sourced from local boutiques rode a variety of vintage and newer bicycles into the restaurant and onto the runway.

Each of the ten models showed three different looks ranging from "daytime" to "night" and ending with a "crazy" look that included a wild mishmash of styles, smeared makeup, and plenty of attitude.

Tricia Hedahl, Executive Director of Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates (SABA), made her runway debut.

Vélo & Vintage is one of the first events of the month for the Sacramento region's “May is Bike Month.” The venue for the show is fitting since Hot Italian is the only restaurant in California awarded with the “Bicycle Friendly Business Award” from the League of American Bicyclists.

Bike Month kicks into high gear as The Bicycle Film Festival hits the Sacramento area later this week. The Savage Sprints series, sponsored by the Sacramento Valley Velodrome Association returns to Hot Italian for one night on Friday, May 13th. And the 2nd stage of The Tour of California rolls into Sacramento next Monday, May 16th, with the pro riders favoring an altogether different kind of cycling fashion.

Sage Francis at Ace of Spades: photo essay

2011-05-08T01:07:50Z

Sage Francis played the Ace of Spades in Sacramento Friday night, headlining an all-ages show that also included Who Cares, Ricky James, and Verbal Venom. It was the Rhode Island-based political rapper's first show in Sacramento in ten years.

The show was part dance party, part consciousness-raising, and part therapy session. And judging by the crowd's reaction: all catharsis. During many songs, the crowd rapturously rapped his lyrics back to him in unison.

As connected as his audience is to him, Francis has an strong connection to his audience and frequently interacted with individual members during the show.

An update after the show on his Twitter feed stated: "Having a soldier in the crowd passionately singing along to Makeshift Patriot & Slow Down Gandhi was the highlight for me. Really love that." Those two songs, perhaps his most politically-charged, seem just as relevant in today's global political climate as they did when they were written. A sample lyric from 2001's "Makeshift Patriot" (written after the 9/11 attacks):

"I have to back pedal/
From the shower of glass and metal/
wondering how after it settles, we'll find/
who provided power to radical rebels"

Just as salient are these lyrics from "Slow Down Gandhi" from 2005's A Healthy Distrust:

"Making you think you're crazy is a billion dollar industry/
If they could sell sanity in a bottle/
They'd be charging for compressed air/
And marketing healthcare/
They demonize welfare/
Middle class eliminated/
Rich get richer til the poor get educated"

While throwing political bombshells in his lyrics, Francis also played peacemaker when he spotted an altercation near the stage and sat on the monitor at the front of the stage to try to restore peace.

The show was hard-hitting and visceral, but also interspersed with moments of levity, including Francis declaring he was tired of rapping and wanted to sing for awhile, and then proceeding to half-lip sync/ half-sing a few bars of Mr. Mister's 1980s hit "Kyrie" ("take these broken wings... and learn to fly again...") while dancing around the stage.

He describes another humorous moment on his Facebook page: "I asked all the mothers to raise their hands at the Sacramento show last night. I asked them if they had their kids with them. All of them said no. I explained how they are bad parents for depriving the youth of Uncle Sage's educational experience. It's not Mother's Day just yet!"

Francis spent a good half hour after the show signing autographs, hugging, talking, and taking pictures with fans.

Paul Rodriguez

2011-05-07T01:27:03Z

The legendary Paul Rodriguez celebrated Cinco de Mayo Thursday night in style at Thunder Valley Casino and Resort, playing to a sold out crowd. Joining Rodriguez on stage was Gene Pompa and Dennis Gaxiola, both accomplished comedians in their own right.

Pompa opened the evening and really got the crowd excited. He says he is an old-school, hardcore political activist. For instance, he still won't eat grapes because of the plight of the migrant farm workers. He also won't eat raisins because of the older migrant farm workers. That's how hardcore he is. He also won't eat prunes, but that's for a completely different reason.

Next up was Gaxiola. He really got the ball rolling with his impressions of various marriage proposals. First up was the Mexican proposal: “You gonna keep it?” Then came the African-American proposal: “As the judge in this case, I find the DNA evidence is a match and you are the father.” The cowboy: “Please, don’t tell Mom,” which really got the crowd roaring.

Pompa came back out on stage to introduce Rodriguez. Rodriguez started off by saying it was nice to be back from the Middle East and then simply stated, “We got him,” and that was all it took. Everyone in the crowd knew he was referring to Osama and the audience erupted into cheers. For the past several years, Rodriguez has been working with the USO to help entertain our troops in the Middle East. This last trip was his sixth journey overseas.

With his classic style of comedy, mixing Spanish and English, Rodriguez’s performance was exactly what the audience was looking for. There were a couple of times when it appeared Rodriguez was through for the evening, only to then think of something else to talk about. Then it would be off on another litany of jokes and one-liners leaving no nationality or religion untouched.

Rodriguez took aim at Germans, Italians, Americans, Chinese, Japanese, Koreans (the Mexicans of Japan), and even Mexicans. He also berated the various religions, in particular Catholic priests — I’ll just leave that one alone.

Rodriguez is considered one of the first Latin Kings of Comedy. As an actor and comedian, his career spans over two decades and includes starring roles and featured appearances in over 40 films and countless television series and comedy specials.

Make sure and get out to Thunder Valley Casino’s summer concert series, which kicks off this month with Creedence Clearwater Revisited on May 21, followed by The Fray on May 25.

Randy Miramontez is a contributing writer and photographer with The Sacramento Press.

Mike Watt + The Missingmen @ Blue Lamp: photos

2011-05-02T07:31:10Z

Mike Watt (of Minutemen and fIREHOSE renown) brought his brand of conceptual and visceral art-punk-funk-jazz to Sacramento's Blue Lamp Saturday night. Touring as a 3-piece band with The Missingmen (Tom Watson on guitar and Raul Morales on drums), Watt gave his bass (AKA thud staff ) a thorough workout as he played the 30 songs on the "hyphenated-man" album straight through.

The crowd – heavily male-dominated – listened reverently, seemingly undistracted by the presence of one "yammerer" up front who disrupted the quieter instrumental and spoken word interludes.

Watt, at 53, shows no signs of slowing down. Sacramento was the last stop in the "hyphenated-man" tour in which the band played 51 times in 52 days. He returns to Sacramento as part of the In The Flow Festival at the Press Club on May 12.

Japan XOXO: Dance for Japan

2011-04-27T23:53:20Z

Looking for something to do this Friday night? Put on your dancing shoes, head over to the Blue Lamp, and support a good cause! Japan XOXO is a benefit dance party, with all profits from the door going to the American Red Cross. Join local DJs Shaun Slaughter, Adam J, Sam I Jam, and Taylor Cho as they do what they love to support an amazing cause.

Feel like you could do more about Japan's dire situation? Feel helpless? Japan XOXO offers a very easy solution: COME DANCE.

Expect an evening of fun house, bouncy house, hip house, topsy turvy techno, treacherous techno, and some fun indie stuff mixed in the middle keeping the party going all damn night.

Plus, enjoy drink specials all night--$3 well drinks & $3.50 PBRs.

Feel like giving more? Do it! It's never too late (or too early) to help a good cause.

Specifics:
When: Friday, April 29, 2011, 10pm-2am
Where: Blue Lamp Lounge, 1400 Alhambra Blvd, Sacramento, CA 95816
Cost: $5 (all proceeds from cover costs go to American Red Cross)
Age: 21+

Tipping off Tipsy Tokens

2011-04-26T04:06:08Z

What do you get when you mix drink specials and poker chips? Tipsy Tokens, founded in Sacramento in 2011, is similar to the concept of Groupon, but focuses its promotions on local bars and nightclubs.

What sets Tipsy Tokens apart from the other coupon sites is its social focus, co-founder Robert Cima said.

“Though you’re purchasing something online, there’s a social aspect involved. There are reps on-site at the event checking people in and making sure everyone is having a good time. Also, you’re provided something physical: Tipsy Tokens. These tokens are colorful poker chips with the company logo on them used for buying drinks and playing games.”

According to Cima, the project began about six months ago when Kory Lanzel (another co-founder) was working for the Major League Soccer team Real Salt Lake in Utah.

The team was in the process of doing a deal with Groupon, which gave Lanzel the idea of applying that concept to his social life.

Lanzel called his friends Cima, Steve Gunsch and Nick Baldi, who all agreed that there was a great market for a social buying site that focused on nightlife.

Monkey Bar, at Capitol Ave. and 28th St., is the first bar to feature Tipsy Tokens regularly.

For $10, Tipsy Tokens’ users can get two Wiki Waki Woo's or four draft beers at Monkey Bar on Thursday nights.

Jamie Marcus, the general manager at Monkey Bar and Cafe Bernardo Midtown, noted the Tipsy Tokens program has had a positive impact on business.

“People who normally wouldn’t come here get an opportunity to see what it’s like at a discounted rate,” Marcus said.

“With Tipsy Tokens, Thursday nights weren’t just busy, but very busy, and eventually we started seeing people from Thursdays on the weekends,” added Marcus.

Sacramentan Cole Valadez, 26, works in sales for eye care insurance technology and heard about Tipsy Tokens through a friend who came across the viral campaign on Facebook.

He said he has used the Monkey Bar deal about three or four times.

“I like that they are selling a very specific product and that the deal is available every week,” Valadez said. “The reason I keep coming back is their consistency. And of course, it’s just fun. You can share your tokens, too, and it really brings people together.”

Another difference between the social buying or group buying sites (where companies offer a special deal on products or services if a minimum number of deals are sold) and Tipsy Tokens is that Tipsy Tokens must be used that same night.

Cima said this benefits the business because if the customers don’t use the token that night, the customers lose out on the purchase. It also benefits the buyer, Cima added, because you can see how many other people bought the deal and there is a good chance those people will be out at that particular bar or club that night.

Overall though, the niche nature of the company is a valued point reiterated by several users and potential buyers, as well as the creators themselves.

The consistency was part of the appeal to Blue Cue owner Dominic Vella. Vella came across Tipsy Tokens on Facebook and then noticed that they were doing something over at Monkey Bar.

“I try to be cognizant of what everyone else is doing, and after popping in and checking out the crowd for about five minutes during their Monkey Bar night, I contacted them about setting up a deal for Blue Cue.”

Blue Cue, located at 28th and J, will offer Tipsy Tokens specials on Pineapple Delights, Shocker Deuces and pint draft beers Friday night during the live-band karaoke.

Vella said he is looking forward to not only bringing in new faces, but hopefully turning those newbies into regular customers.

Baldi spoke about taking up the endeavor with his three friends.

“Right now, it’s on the side, just kind of something we thought up and decided it seemed like a great idea for us to all go out and have a great time,” he said.

“Honestly, there’s just us four handling everything from the website to social media to marketing, but our friends have been instrumental in supporting and promoting the idea.”

They said they are currently working on a smartphone application that can help users search for places to go in their area and purchase associated deals.

Lanzel, Cima, Baldi and Gunsch are not only partners, but longtime friends, as well as born-and-raised Sacramentans.

Now back in their hometown, they said they hope to turn this part-time startup into a full-time company.

“We don’t have any investors, but it’s our own thing, and every dollar earned is really exciting,” Baldi said.

For current deals or more information, check out their site.

For Good Again: Devil Makes Three makes rowdy Harlow's return

2011-04-23T00:51:16Z

Big thanks to Rik Keller for the photos from the show. To see more photos, check out Rik Keller photography here.

Are the Devil Makes Three the most local non-local band in history?

It’s hard to know how to refer to this wily trio “from” the Dirty Five-Thirty (that’s area code speak for Davis), as they currently call Davis their home, but originally identified themselves as a Santa Cruz band – and that’s not to mention the rumors I hear of a “Vermontster” tattoo cascading the chest of Cooper McBean.

But if you judge a band’s locality by the devout rowdiness that follows them into a hometown show, Thursday night’s sold out hootenanny at Harlow’s (their second in six months here in the Unclean Nine-Sixteen) would tell you all you need to know about how well they’ve settled in to this area, and dare we say, this local music scene.

DM3 shows have always been rowdy, but it was remarkably loco in there on Thursday, with 300-plus of the band’s closest friends, helping the trio kick off a month long tour with a show that was added fairly last minute and somewhat under the radar. They didn’t even have time to run off tickets and take them over for sale at The Beat.

Word spreads like wildfire when these cats hang out in Midtown, and folks were ready to party, throwing up devil horns and fist bumping the air like it was going out of style – through the course of most concerts, that’s not something that usually happens to a band with a banjo, acoustic guitar, upright bass, and no drums.

Devil Makes Three brought some friends from Rhode Island called Brown Bird to open up the show, and there was some noticeable chirping (had to be done) in the crowd about this duo’s murky, slapchop bluegrass folk rock beats that at times almost bordered on hip hop or techno. Yes, bluegrass techno – it’s something you’ve just got to see. Through and through, this pair is an orchestra of edgy and warmly inventive Americana, playing a siren song to a hooched-up crowd that was there ready to get down, and probably wasn’t expecting something like this.

One thing you’ve got to love about a drum kit-free evening is short set changes, as the venerable Devil Makes Three hit the stage around 10:15 p.m., leading off with “All Hail,” the lead track on their latest album, “Do Wrong Right.”

There are very few bands that can get away with all of their songs sounding very similar, and Devil Makes Three are one of them (Cake, you’re being watched very closely these days on this issue). They’re like a punk rock band that can’t ignore their love for country and blues, settling into snap-paced, to-the-point songs about broken hearts, drinking (in the middle of the day), friends, good times, and drinking…again.

Despite that streamlined country punkgrass theme that runs heavy through their tunes, each song has it’s own distinct flavor, delivered with gusto and buddy-buddy three part harmony by McBean, front man Pete Bernhard and certified bad-ass of an upright bassist Lucia Turino.

“The Bullet,” a noticeable crowd favorite, rumbled on like a freight train, stopping only for beer and cigarettes, on the tracks right to untimely death. Another staple of their catalog and a classic singalong, “For Good Again,” preceeded a seemingly nonstop string of shrieks from the crowd as they plowed through “Statesboro Blues,” “Tow,” and their eponymous “Shades,” which features the line that anyone who’s ever porched-up in Midtown on a sunny afternoon can relate to:

“And what the hell am I doing drunk in the middle of the day.”

Ah, summer!

“We hope you guys are ready, ‘cause we’re gonna play, like, everything we know,” Bernhard said a good hour into their set, met with yelps of approval. “And a few things we don’t know,” he added.

You’ve got to tip your cap to a band that will play their most popular tune, and then still play for another half hour. “Old Number 7,” their ode to Jack Daniels guzzlers everywhere, still yielded plenty of time for the slip ‘n slide romp of “Aces and Twos,” “Do Wrong Right,” and the frisky “Black Irish,” with Turino’s punk rock hair flailing wildly as she became noticeably more energetic as the night wore on.

Clocking in at around an hour and 45 minutes, the show wrapped just a few minutes short of Good Friday, with the crowd only minimally thinned and feet still stomping.

Did they play everything they know? Not quite, but far be it for anyone to complain about the blood and sweat they left behind on the stage, as this laudable group always does.

It’s hard to imagine DM3 ever being upstaged, but believe it or not, it actually did happen when the group played a show at Harlow’s back in late 2007, where their openers were a maniacal duo of Dusty Rhodes and the River Band, and Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band – although anyone who knows anything about those two groups knows that’s a tough act for any band to follow.

To examine the evolution and compare that version of Devil Makes Three to the one we saw last night, it’s hard to imagine them ever being upstaged again.

Devil Makes Three are on the road for the better part of the next two months, but you have a chance to immortalize your cheering when the group sets up for a live recording at the Mystic Theatre in Petaluma on May 6 and May 6 (May 6 is an 18+ show, May 7 is 21+). Info is available on their website.

Man on the street: Mermaid sightings at Dive Bar

2011-04-22T23:55:53Z

The new section of K Street has been open for about three months now with District 30, Pizza Rock and Dive Bar.

Dive Bar is not your typical ‘dive bar,’ contrary to its name. It is actually quite upscale, with a 40-foot-long, 7,500-gallon saltwater tank that spans 18 feet across the entire bar with fish and, sometimes, mermaids.

The whole premise of the bar is that mermaids, and mermen, dive in the tank and swim around. The question is, how often do you see the mermaids? On occasion, bar patrons have gone to Dive Bar just to see the mermaids and have left disappointed upon seeing an empty tank.

The Sacramento Press took to the streets and caught people as they left the bar, asking what they thought of Dive Bar, and if they were able to catch a glimpse of the mermaids.

Angie Rodriguez, 21, full-time student works at Forever 21.

“I’ve been here twice. There was only one mermaid. I think the problem is that they need to hire more mermaids. I think the new K Street Mall is pretty cool. I think it gives it more life, instead of there being one bar over here, and one over there.”

Morgan Valencia, 24, server at Applebee’s

“The mermaid wasn’t there. I love how it’s an oxymoron – ‘dive bar’ – because it’s not a dive bar at all, but I wish the mermaid was there more often. I love that they’re doing a whole re-life of the K Street Mall, because it really needs something. There’s nothing really going on right now, and they need to get it going again.”

Ronald Macom, 46, retired (and his wife Susan Macom, 44)

“I’ve been here before. It’s cool. Oh yeah, I’ve seen mermaids – and mermen. They have them both. Usually they’re here Thursday, Friday, Saturday – those are the main times. The new bars, the entertainment district is very nice.”Tiana Burse, 29, independent radio VJ for 101.1 FM and Access Sacramento, blogger for Tiana’s Closet

“I’ve been here four times, and I’ve seen mermaids four times. There were two mermaids. I actually love the new K Street Mall, because I was here when they had the K Street bar, which was a few years ago, and I was here all of the time.”

Javier Wallbanger, 23, hairstylist, designer, makeup artist and singer.

“I’ve been here before, and I have yet to see a mermaid – been here three times. I think that being here and it’s called the Dive Bar in Sacramento, I think automatically it’s going to be a cheap bar. It’s going to be nice and easy, but going in and buying drinks, it’s not so much that.

“I have yet to see the mermaids diving. I guess it’s a disappointment for people that are coming out on good nights and wanting to see what’s up with the mermaids.”

Albert Garcia, 22, student, and Kristen Romero, 23, state worker

“This is my first time. I didn’t see a mermaid, but I like the fish. I like the scenery. I like the tank. I think it’s still pretty cool without the mermaids,” Garcia said.

I’ve been here before, and I did not see a mermaid. I was very disappointed. I was hoping to see a mermaid. I like the new K Street Mall, though. It’s getting more pizazz. It’s bringing this whole street to life,” Romero said.

What has your experience been like at Dive Bar? Tell us in the comment section below.

Mirah at Sophia's Thai Kitchen: photos

2011-04-16T06:46:32Z

Mirah played Sophia's Thai Kitchen concert series in Davis Thursday night. Girls In Trouble from Brooklyn opened the show.

Mirah's (full name: Mirah Yom Tov Zeitlyn) Davis show was a warmup as she is scheduled for a 24-date tour in May and June with Thao Nguyen (of San Francisco's The Get Down Stay Down) as Thao & Mirah. The tour does not include any Sacramento-area stops but does hit the New Parish in Oakland on May 3rd and the Great American Hall in San Francisco on June 23rd. The tour will be supporting the release of the duo's "Thao & Mirah" album on April 26.

Grammy winner goes acoustic

2011-04-12T04:27:22Z

Monday afternoon at Cafeteria 15L Grammy Award Winner Colbie Caillat delivered a short, but sweet, acoustic set for a select group of fans, contest winners and Now 100.5 station employees. The setting was intimate and allowed the audience to experience a touching performance up close.

Backed by a guitarist, Colbie performed five songs -- Fallin' For You, Realize, I Do, Brighter Than the Sun and I Never Told You – all without missing a beat and with that laid-back warble she is known for. Colbie’s voice and songs are perfectly suited for acoustic performances and she seems to be at ease being close to the audience. For their part, the audience really seems to appreciate the up-close and personal show from someone with Colbie’s talent.

Between songs Colbie answered a few fan questions and chatted about forgetting the words on stage once in a while. The format was casual but the laughter and enjoyment was real. Colbie seemed to resonate well with everyone. After the show she signed autographs and posed with photos before leaving for her next gig.

Marc McLaughlin is a contributing writer and photographer for the Sacramento Press.

Sweaty Betties get a ‘Rude’ awakening at Sac City Rollers’ Honky-Tonk Hoedown

2011-04-11T07:23:17Z

It was a night full of spandex and roller skates during the Sac City Rollers’ Honky-Tonk Hoedown at Foothill Skate Inn Saturday night. The Rude Girls conquered the Sweaty Betties with a final score of 168-159.

Both teams previously played at the Sac City Rollers Shamrock Slam opener, where the Rude Girls defeated the Sweaty Betties 146 - 126.

The raffle proceeds from the bout go to Horses for Healing, a nonprofit therapeutic riding center to improve the physical, mental and spiritual well being of adults and children with special needs through involvement with horses.

Debby Welshons, also known as Dr. Diamond, is the chiropractor for all of the derby girls.

“They always put such a good show on,” Welshons said. “They always make sure the crowd watches a great bout.”

The crowd of roughly 400 people cheered loudly for both teams.

The Rude Girls showed a strong lead in the beginning of the bout, leading 42-6. The Sweaty Betties did not give in so easily, though, aggressively pushing their way to lead 64-51 at 12 minutes and 51 seconds left in the first half.

Rude Girls’ derby girl No. 69, also known as Quick-Fire, contributed a tremendous 20-point lead, bringing the team up to 71, with Sweaty Betties trailing at 64.

Quick-Fire was able to shuffle her way through the teams fast with strong aggressive blocking by her teammates.

Both teams pushed and shoved their way to make several more points, with the Rude Girls leading at the end of the first half 106-80.

In the second half, Lizaster No. 222 moved the Sweaty Betties up a notable five points at the 21:50 mark, closing in on the Rude Girls’ lead at 108-103.

“Let’s go red!” fans yelled as they cheered the Sweaty Betties on. “Take her out!”

The Sweaty Betties took the lead at 19:24, 113-108. Sweaty Betties players Tripping Billie No. 41 and Rock Hell Belch No. 11 helped the team gain even more at 14:07, with 134-127.

With less than nine minutes to go, Minnie Malice No. 128 of the Rude Girls charged the team ahead of Sweaty Betties at 151-137, with a significant 10-point contribution.

In the final moments, the Rude Girls blocked the Sweaty Betties from getting any last points and defeated them.

Fan Guy Franklin came out to support Mad Katter No. 36 of the Rude Girls.

“This is awesome,” Franklin said. “This is the closest you can get to old-time roller derby.”

First-time spectators Brandy Barris and Ron Faull heard about the bout through friends.

“It was good,” Faull said. “Not as aggressive as I through it would be, but close enough.”

“I thought it was fantastic,” Barris said.

The next bout that the Sweaty Betties and the Rude Girls take on each other will be October 22.

The next event for the Sac City Rollers will be April 16 when the Punishers take on San Diego in San Diego.

Bo Bice - B stands for Alabama

2011-04-11T03:02:05Z

Bo Bice, B is for Alabama!

While the latest round of “American Idol” contestants continue battling it out for the top spot, “Idol” alumni Bo Bice played to a full house in Thunder Valley Casino’s Pano Hall Friday evening. The crowd was a wide range of young and old.

For those non-“American Idol” fans, Bice was runner-up in season four, coming second to none other than Carrie Underwood. Being a proud Alabaman, Bice adopted Lynyrd Skynyrd’s hit “Sweet Home Alabama” as his theme during his “Idol” journey. Alabama Governor Bob Riley even declared May 24 Bo Bice Day.

Bice hit the stage with “Keep on Rollin.’” He continued with two more upbeat songs until he got to “Country,” which was a slower medley of various hit songs that influenced him during his earlier years. He played several songs from his latest album, “3,” including “Long Road Back” and “Take Yourself with You,” which is dedicated to his mother. The crowd loved it start to finish and even gave him several standing ovations throughout his performance.

Bice has a great stage presence and never stopped moving, pointing and winking at people and making regular eye contact (an “American Idol” trademark). The only exception was those poor people in the front row. The way he was throwing the mic stand around was a little scary, and they were ducking for cover. OK, maybe not literally, but I bet they were thinking about it!

Bice thanked Thunder Valley several times and mentioned how impressed he was with their lighting system.

Just prior to performing “Sweet Home Alabama,” Bice left the stage to grab a custom guitar with an interesting local story. While visiting local radio station KNCI 105.1 FM last year, he admired another guitar which was custom-made by Woodshop Rocks for country music artist Brad Paisley. The bass guitar was an actual bass guitar, as in the fish variety. Way cool!

Turns out, Woodshop Rocks is a program at Roseville’s Buljan Middle School designed to teach seventh to 12th grade students the value of hard work, one guitar at a time. With woodshop programs getting cut all over the country, it’s refreshing to see a program like this survive, especially one that challenges students in an area that interests and motivates them. Not only do the students learn about woodworking, but math, science and, most importantly, life skills.

Bice contacted program leader Duane Calkins, and soon after student Brittany Brazil began helping design Bice’s brand-spanking-new guitar in the shape of — you guessed it — Alabama. The design includes the images of a number of Alabama music legends, plus the opening notes to “Sweet Home Alabama” on the neck. You really need to check out Brazil’s work.

Earlier that day, Bice had visited Buljan Middle School to pick up his new guitar and treat the students to a performance of “Sweet Home Alabama.” He ended the story by introducing Calkins and Brazil, asking them to join him onstage and letting them know they would be performing “Sweet Home Alabama” with him onstage.

I spoke to Calkins after the show, and he was under the impression nobody could hear him. Oh how wrong you were, Duane. We heard you and Brazil loud and clear! It sounded great, too. The audience loved it, and it was the best part of the performance.

If you haven’t been out to Thunder Valley to take in a concert, you really should think about treating yourself. Next month they kick off their summer series with Credence Clearwater Revisited on May 21, followed by The Fray on May 25.

Set list in the order performed:

• Keep on Rollin’
• Vehicle
• Long Road Back
• Country
• Different Shades of Blue
• Whipping Post
• Who Knows What
• Take Yourself with You
• Get on and Ride
• The Real Thing
• Witness
• Sweet Home Alabama
• Whiskey

Randy Miramontez is a contributing writer and photographer with The Sacramento Press.

Laughing really does matter

2011-04-11T01:07:22Z

On Saturday April 9th, at the Crest Theatre in Sacramento, Fox40 and BloodSource hosted a fundraiser to benefit UC Davis Children's Hospital, (specifically the expansion of the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit) and the Foundation for America's Blood Centers (FABC). This first time fundraiser included Paul Robins (Fox40) as the Master of Ceremonies, local comedian Jack Gallagher as the featured act and Dave Coulier as the headliner. Dave is probably best known for his role as Joey in the 1980's sitcom 'Full House' and for hosting America's Funniest People. However, you have probably heard one of his many voices in cartoons and movies.

The fundraiser brought together many local Sacramentans that came to support these wonderful causes and share a little humor and good times with their friends and colleagues. This spirit was evident from the pre-show meet-and-greet (with Dave and Jack) to the performances themselves. Since the evening was devoted to helping those in need by making others laugh it would seem the show was a raving success.

Before the show The Sacramento Press (SP) had a chance to sit down with both Jack Gallagher (PG) and Dave Coulier (DC); here is an excerpt from those interviews.

SP - Dave, what made you get involved with BloodSource and the Children's Hospital?
DC - It was a simple phone call from an old friend named Lynn Stobener who we used to work with at Laughs Unlimited in Old Sacramento; when she called me up and asked it was simple -- "no problem."

SP - What are you expecting to get or do for the organization?
DC - Money, it is all about money. Money drives this whole machine. I was at the hospital yesterday visiting these kids in the pediatric ward and when you see the work these people are doing it is just heartwarming. It is one thing when we can come here and perform and make people laugh, it is another when you can meet the people who really make a difference. Yesterday we saw a kid who was born on March 19th and was just a little over a pound; you are seeing this baby that is smaller than your hand, hooked-up to all these apparatuses, and in the room is this amazing team of people around who are taking care of her. At that moment, you realize that this is exactly the right thing to do.

SP – Have you had the opportunity to work with BloodSource before?
DC – No, I have not had the opportunity to work with them before. In fact, I had not been to UCD before and I wanted to see the new facility and see what they were doing; seeing it suddenly made things very tangible. Something I didn't know was that BloodSource has been around since 1948 and the sheer amount of people they have helped is amazing. If I can be the conduit that brings money to fuel something that cool then everyone gains something. For me, I gain the knowledge of something I did not know about before and also getting to meet some really cool people. It is all very rewarding for me; we are all here to celebrate and laughter is a great way to do that. If I can help people laugh and forget about their daily troubles than I am happy to do that.

SP - Does this cause touch your heart a little more since you are a parent of a preemie?
DC - How can it not! I do a lot of work with kids and I had a foundation for ten years in Detroit that raised millions of dollars for the Children's Hospital of Michigan. It is easier for me because I know the psychology of what these parents are going through. There is a common bond between parents who have gone through this. As I said earlier, it was a simple phone call by Lynn (Strobener) and the answer was yes.

SP - Does Sacramento still hold a special place in your heart after performing here for all those years?
DC - Yes, yes it does. I came here for the first time in 1981 for a show with Bob Saget and George Wallace. At that time, Laughs Unlimited was downstairs in a banquet hall and the hotel was across the river. Those memories are always a part of your show and the comedian you are. So, yes, it will always hold a sort of fondness for me.

SP - Jack, let's ask the same questions of you.
JG - Same thing, Lynn called me and since I have known her forever the answer was yes. She quickly explained what the benefit was for and how it would help the kids and there was no other answer to give. If it had been someone else who asked, it may have been harder to say yes with my schedule but when someone like Lynn calls - you stop and listen.

SP- Do you have any personal connection with the cause?
JG - My son was not a preemie, but when he was born he spent some time in the ICU; he stopped breathing. In fact, he is still lazy that way. Then, I have a lot of connections with UC Davis because I do a lot of work with the MIND institute. Living in a community changes how you look at kids. I told Dave earlier that it’s like being in a plane and hearing a kid cry, you wonder why they don't quiet them down. Then you have kids and it is a whole different ballgame; you sit there and hope that it is not your kid screaming. Once you have kids it changes your mind about everything. So, when you see kids that are in these dire conditions it just tugs at your heart.

SP – Do you think going to the hospital gave you a different perspective on what these organizations do?
JG – Unfortunately, I was not able to go with Dave. However, as I stated before, I spent a lot of time with the MIND institute, which is a different section of the hospital and circumstances, so I see the work these people do. Everyone is cash strapped right now and if we can help that is what we should do.

SP – Do you have any goals on what you would like to see raised here tonight?
JG – As much money as possible, I know there are some corporate sponsors and everyone is thankful for that. People ask you for money all the time and, you know, if you can give them something in return for their donation then you they should be seeing a great show. I think everyone will have a great time; we will make a lot of money and then call it a day.

SP - If there was one thing you would like the people supporting this cause to walk away feeling or knowing what would that be?
JG – Anybody who has kids and understands the position these kids are in, and the amount of money it takes to treat these kids, can’t help but walk away thinking “I had a good time and donated to a good cause.”

If you would like to donate to BloodSource you may contact them at:

BloodSource
10536 Peter A McCuen Blvd
Mather, CA 95655-4128
916.456.1500
800.995.4420

Marc McLaughlin is a contributing writer and photographer for the Sacramento Press.

Chris Robinson Brotherhood (is not a cult)

2011-04-08T06:56:33Z

Chris Robinson Brotherhood played a show at Harlow's on Tuesday night in front of an exuberant and packed house.

CRB consists of the eponymous once and future Black Crowes frontman, Neal Casal (Ryan Adams) on guitar, Adam MacDougall (Black Crowes) on keys, George Sluppick (Robert Walter's 20th Congress, JJ Grey and Mofro) on drums and Mark "Muddy" Dutton (Burning Tree) on bass.

This was the eighth show on their spring-long pilgrimage throughout the Golden State, and I went into it not really knowing what to expect (other than a great show). As of this writing, youtube only has two videos of CRB, and one of them is a Black Crowes song.

I arrived at Harlow's ten minutes before 9pm, and to no ones surprise, the place was already jumping. Artists of Chris Robinson's stature don't often play at 300+ person clubs. I mean, The Black Crowes are the 92nd greatest hard rock band of all time. VH1 doesn't hand that out to just anyone.

The first thing I noticed upon entering the venue was a mammoth "California Republic" flag flying above and behind the stage, a tip of the cap to the only state that they'll be visiting on their whirlwind two month tour.

I began my pre-show ritual:

1) Hit up the restroom. Peeing during the show is for suckers. (The top of the toilet paper dispenser was covered in green shake. A precursor of things to come.)

2) Hit up the bar. (My beer of choice depends on the crowd. Fair to middling crowd, PBR. Packed house, Racer 5. On this night it was a Racer 5 with a bullet.)

3) Grab a smoke. Smoking during the show is for suckers. On my pilgrimage outside I met Josh, a jam band enthusiast and self described "square" who teaches in Elk Grove and has two kids. I thought I'd met him at Harlow's before, but he scoffed at the notion "nope, this is my one get out of jail card". With all the great jam bands that have been coming through Sac recently, it couldn't have been easy to decide on just one. I saw him later on the dance floor and it was clear that he'd chosen well.

4) Find my photographer. Taking your own pictures is for suckers. Steven had maneuvered his way to front and center, it looked like he'd be in great position to get some killer shots. Alas, it was not to be. Midway through the first set, Steven was approached by a large dreadlocked fellow I can only presume was a roadie for the band. The man informed Steven, in no uncertain terms, that there would be no professional photography on this night. It would be up to me and my spectacularly amateurish pointing and clicking to win the day. What a sucker.

At 9:19 in the PM, Chris and the boys took the stage. The crowd responded with a roar and more than a few clouds of marijuana smoke.

I was immediately struck by how much they look the part. If you saw CRB walking down the street, or at the movies, or painting your house, you would immediately recognize them as a rock band.

Sluppick was wearing a pair of horn-rimmed spectacles and a sports coat to go with his relatively kempt mane. Macdougall had a classic scraggly rocker look with his long hair, beard and many-zippered brown leather jacket. Casal went with a flannel shirt and red corduroy pants to complement his shaggy hair and grey-tinged beard. Dutton sported the ubiquitous rockstar black snap-down collared shirt with jeans that belled ever so slightly at the bottom. The look befitted his Brian May-esque coif perfectly. Which brings us to Robinson. All the other outfits, though screaming "Musician! Rocker! Keep that guy away from my drugs!" could conceivably have been worn by laypeople. I have trouble imagining anyone but a rockstar wearing Chris Robinson's shirt.

Flowing pink tie-dyed open collared shirts just aren't done by "normies". And if you think for a second that he was wearing shoes, you haven't been paying attention.

They opened with an original song called "Tulsa Yesterday", and it became immediately clear that they sounded the part at least as well as they looked it. As they would throughout the evening, to the delight of Josh the "square", they extended the jam to great lengths. "Tulsa Yesterday" featured an epic psychedelic Moog organ solo that really stood out.

After the first song, Robinson chopped it up a bit with the crowd, "I've hit my head on the microphone twice already!" he said, illustrating the point by accidentally-on-purpose hitting his head on it again. "Just a reminder" he joked "The Brotherhood is not a cult, but it would be nice to get tax exempt status".

Up next was their first cover song of the evening, a rip-roaring honky-tonked out take on Bob Dylan's "Tough Momma". "TM" featured another rollicking pedaled-out Moog solo and extended jam with all of the musicians showing off their prodigious chops. It was the second of what would be five 10-minute songs in a row to start off the show.

They returned to the new original stuff with their third song of the evening, the slower, pleading "Beware". This was the one original CRB song that I'd heard before, and it's lovely. At one point, Robinson was singing nearly unaccompanied with just the sparsest musical backing. It was a beautiful, but momentary, interlude before the whole gang came crashing back in.

They mined the gargantuan well-spring of source material that is the Grateful Dead oevre for their next song of the evening, "They Love Each Other". They really knocked this bluesy rocker out of the park. It may have been partly due to my vantage point (right in front of the keyboards) but once again I found myself particularly struck by Macdougal's keyboard wizardry. Just a wonderful song, played both expertly and with great soul.

Possibly in honor of the song's originators, a joint was thrown on stage by an audience member during the Dead cover. It was put aside, whether to be smoked later or discarded later, well, your guess is as good as mine. I didn't see the band smoke it, but I didn't see the band not smoke it either.

As they began their next song, another original called "Star or Stone", Steven was called out by the dreadlocked brownshirt, and decided to take off. I was on my own.

"Tomorrow Blues" was one of my favorite songs of the evening, a raucous blues number that featured a sick Moog solo seemingly culled from the furthest reaches of outer space. Phenomenal.

They capped off the set with a couple songs that were familiar to the Chris Robinson true believers in the crowd. "Appaloosa", the aforementioned Black Crowes song, is a heartfelt ode and was a crowd favorite. They followed that with "40 Days", a hard driving rocker from Chris Robinson and The New Earth Mud, Robinson's side band the last time the Crowes went on an extended hiatus. It was the most searing track of the first set and sent the crowd into a tizzy heading into the break. A sign of things to come.

The band left the stage at 10:34, having taken a cool hour and fifteen minutes to play 8 songs. They don't scrimp on the jams, these cats.

They returned to the stage at 11:00 PM on the button, and proceeded to blow the doors off for another hour and a half. Nine songs this time, including the encore, a rousing version of Elvis's Blue Suede Shoes.

I am going to spare you the blow by blow break down of the second set, in part because I am 1300 words deep already, and in main because I was too busy cutting the rug a new one during the rousing second set to take anything more than the most elementary of notes ("Awesome!" "Epic!" and "guitarist put his flannel back on!" all appear in my second set scribblings")

The set list is pictured.

You'll get another chance to see them for yourselves when they return to Harlow's on May 3rd.

As good as they were on Tuesday, I expect they'll be even better with another month of shows under their belt.

Sutter Angels

2011-03-31T04:58:19Z

A new citizens’ safety patrol group is in the planning stages for the Sutter District.

The Sutter District encompasses J to P streets and 27th to 28th streets, according to Aja Uranga-Foster, assistant director at Midtown Business Association.

The group will be called Sutter Angels and will be modeled after the Lavender Angels team that oversees the Lavender Heights area of Midtown near 20th and K streets.

Tara Golden, 42, the current shift manager for Lavender Angels, will also be the shift manager for Sutter Angels.

“We used Lavender Angels as a sort of a test to see how it would look and how the community will respond, it seems it passed so now we want to try a new neighborhood,” Golden said.

It will follow the mission of the Lavender Angels’ network: to protect the community at night with a direct line to the police by reporting suspicious behavior, escorting or reporting intoxicated individuals, watching out for assaults, making emergency and non-emergency calls, providing homeless services and patrolling the overall night scene, Uranga-Foster said.

The program is driven by volunteers who will need to come out on Fridays and Saturdays between the shifts of 9:30 p.m. to midnight and midnight to 3 a.m. to patrol.

Among other classes, they complete classes on first aid, citizens’ safety and general safety tips, Golden said.

Golden, who is a Midtown resident , talked about the next steps.

“Every neighborhood has a completely different vibe ...I am researching Sutter, walking the streets and trying to see exactly how we are going to have to tweak and custom-make the program for that area,” Golden said. “ (The) first problem is how we are going to get volunteers.”

Uranga-Foster also voiced the same concerns.

“We have the green light financially, the businesses all said yes, (the) only missing link is the volunteers,” Uranga-Foster said. “We do outreach...hoping people will get to learn about what Lavender Angels do and would bond with the program and want to volunteer.”

Any help will be appreciated, Uranga-Foster said.

“If people can do one night a month or even half a shift per month, which would be 9:30 in the evening to 11:30 or midnight until 3 a.m., that would be incredibly helpful, as much or little that anyone can do helps, really,” Uranga-Foster said.

For the most part, anyone is welcome to assist. However, certain people will be best for this type of volunteer.

Individuals who feel at ease in public and do not mind being in crowds will be suitable, Uranga-Foster said.

“I do not want anybody violent, or who will use this opportunity to pick up potential mates...it’s not about that,” Golden said. “I like working with people who are out there for the right reasons. They take it personal when people are hurt – they want people to go out (and) have a good time without worrying about safety.”

Ashley Lamb, 19, from Rancho Cordova, has been volunteering with Lavender Angels for two months now. She said she likes the idea of creating a group of Sutter Angels.

“It’s something that is necessarily in the community and I have free time so I thought I would help out,” Lamb said.

All kinds of people have come out from FBI academy, office workers, correction officers to individual who work in retail stores locally, Foster-Uranga said.

People’s behavior at night can be quit different from the day time.

“It is interesting, you meet wild and unusual people and have a few laughs with them,” Golden said. “It can be fun, talk with people, give them directions, point out where a good restaurant is, help them to their car, if they fall down, give them first aid--98 percent of people like us and respect what we are doing, we get hugs,” Golden said.

However, there is a harsh reality they have to deal with at times.

“The physical aspect is most challenging--walking around, standing and chasing drunks,” Lamb said. “It can be pretty scary, a lot of violence and hatred--Alcohol with violence is not a good combination--carry pepper spray and know your area.”

In the long term there is plans for more Angel satellites around the city.

“Midtown Business Association's goal is to get as many satellites groups going as we can get going over the next three years or so--on a management level there is the harsh reality of budgets, right now it will be maxed out at two--but over time, we may be able to have other funds or grants or re-look at budget and consider expanding it to cover the cost of having an additional staff manager and a couple of other tools,” Uranga-Foster said.

Golden has thought about running the two programs.

“It’s going to be challenging, no question about that. (However) people in Lavender Angel I can trust to lead them (Sutter Angel),” Golden said.

Foster-Uranga hopes Sutter Angels will be up and running by July or August.

Sutter Angels, like Lavender Angels is sponsored by the Sacramento Gay and Lesbian Center and the Sacramento Midtown Business Association.

To contact the Lavender Angels, e-mail lavender.angels@saccenter.org.

Curling comes to Roseville

2011-03-29T04:33:50Z

As an outsider one may be baffled by terms like: lazy handles, wicky wacky woo, broomstacking and hoggers. However, to the curling junkie these just mean a good night is to be had.

So, how does one go about curling? First, you dress warm and get ready for a couple of hours in 40 degree weather. Second, you take a stone that weights approximately 42 pounds and try to strategically push it to ‘the house’. The house is a 12 foot circle at the other end of the ice (similar to a bulls-eye) and is where teams score points. For a team to score, the throwers stone has to be accurate for momentum is all that carries it forward once it leaves their hand.

As the stone slides down the ice there are two guys with brooms (sweepers) that, if needed, sweep the ice in front of the stone (being careful not to touch it). This process of sweeping ever so slightly melts the top of the ice allowing for a slight altering of direction and distance. The goal of the sweepers (as well as the thrower) is to score the most points; however, this is not always done by getting directly in the center of ‘the house’. Instead, sometimes they try to guard ‘the house’ by setting a stone immediately outside or by guarding one of theirs that is already in ‘the house.’ Another strategy is to try and knock the opponents’ stone out even if it means they do not score themselves.

The game is somewhat like chess where you must think four moves ahead and know what your opponent will do. This process goes on for 10 ends (similar to innings) and the team with the most points (with the stones closest to the center circle) wins. Like many sports there are often lead changes and in the end the games are usually really close.

The game (or sport) of curling is something that must be tried to truly appreciate. When speaking with Patrick McDonald from the Olympic Paraplegic Team he stated, “Curling is for everyone; you just come out and enjoy yourself.” Bob Kuhl, a member of the Wine Country Curling Club, also mentioned that, “anyone can do it; you just need to get out and try.”

Well, now you can. Starting next week Skatetown Ice Arena in Roseville will be featuring curling classes on Monday night. For $20 you can receive a basic lesson in curling and then go out onto the ice and learn hands-on. You will experience the weight of the stones, the balance requirements and the excitement as you watch your stone make its way down the ice.

Clinic attendees should wear loose fitting pants, warm clothes, warm hat and leather gloves and clean, close-toed athletic rubber soled shoes such as tennis shoes. Brooms, sliders, rocks and instruction will be provided by the Wine Country Curling Club. Starting in May and ending in July, weekly Curling Pick-Up Games will be held on Monday nights from 5-7:15pm.

When/Where: Mondays, April 4 through April 25 from 5-7:15pm; Skatetown Ice Arena, 1009 Orlando Avenue, Roseville CA

Registration: Space is limited. Register online at www.skatetown.biz or in person

Marc McLaughlin is a contributing writer and photographer for the Sacramento Press.

City, residents discuss Second Saturday, nightlife

2011-03-23T00:56:22Z

The city is addressing concerns about the Second Saturday Art Walk, Midtown nightlife and safety from a variety of angles, city officials said Monday night.

During a meeting with the Neighborhood Advisory Group, City Councilman Steve Cohn and city staff from neighborhood services, police, parks, parking enforcement and community development discussed efforts to combat gang violence and other crime, rule changes taking effect for Second Saturday next month and parking issues.

The measures are a first step toward tackling growing or ongoing problems that have been pinpointed by residents, businesses and the city. However, more steps may be taken down the road if needed, Vincene Jones, director of the city's Neighborhood Services Division, told about 45 people gathered at Hart Senior Center at 27th and I streets.

"Nothing is set in stone. We can make adjustments as we go," she said. "We know we have to start somewhere."

Concerns about Second Saturday and nightlife were thrown into the spotlight last September after a suspected gang member shot and killed someone standing on a sidewalk outside a bar during a gang confrontation. The victim, Victor Hugo Perez Zavala, and two of the three others injured in the shooting after a Second Saturday Art Walk were not tied to either gang.

Even before the shooting, some people had become concerned about the growing crowds gathering in Midtown on Second Saturdays, the increasing numbers of teens staying out after curfew on those nights and a rise in crimes, parking conflicts and other issues.
Galleries and art groups have worried the event has lost its focus on art.

Cohn pointed out that the art walk isn't an event officially put on by the city. Rather, it's grown from an art event started by art galleries to include restaurants and other businesses, individual vendors, musicians and other street performers.

However, the city's Second Saturday safety team has been meeting since the shooting to consider changes to make the art walk safe, reduce problems with crowds and traffic, and minimize the impact on residential neighborhoods, Cohn said.

The September shootings were “really more of a late-night phenomenon. Frankly, they aren't part of Second Saturday," said Cohn, adding the two are "correlated" because some people who go to the art walk continue hanging out in the central city afterwards.

Starting in April, Second Saturday Art Walk hours will be 4 p.m. - 8 p.m. All outdoor amplified sound, primarily from bands and street musicians, must end by 8 p.m., whether the musicians are performing on public or private property.

Also new this year: Sidewalk and street vendors, musicians and property owners allowing multiple vendors to sell on their lots must get permits from the city. The city will now permit vendors to sell only handcrafted, original items, said Teresa Jackson, superintendent with the city's Department of Parks and Recreation.

People who go out just for nightlife on Second Saturdays usually start showing up around 9 p.m., so city officials think ending the art walk and outdoor music at 8 p.m. will encourage minors to get home by the 10 p.m. curfew, Jones said.

However, businesses and vending on private property can continue to operate past 8 p.m.

The city is also working on problems with gang violence. Mayor Kevin Johnson began a gang prevention initiative a few months ago and his office held a forum on gang and youth violence in Oak Park last month, Jones said.

In November, the Sacramento Police Department launched Ceasefire, modeled after a Boston program. Through the program, criminal justice agencies and religious organizations confront offenders with the likelihood that they'll end up dead or imprisoned a large part of their lives – unless they change their lifestyles.

The agencies offer alternatives to help gang members make changes by continuing education or getting job training. Six gang members are now going through the program, said Police Department Capt. Dana Matthes, commander of the city's central and east areas.

To help make streets and sidewalks more safe, the city is installing 86 new acorn-shaped street lights on I and J streets and sidestreets from 20th Street to 27th Street. The lights are being paid for with $406,000 in Community Development Block Grant funds, $47,000 in local transportation funds and $80,000 in funding from the Midtown Business Association. Work is expected to be completed by year's end, according to Sue Brown, director of Cohn's District 3.

The city is also considering changing its parking ordinance to allow city staff to make changes to residential parking zones – such as extending the hours of certain areas to after 6 p.m. – to solve problems without having to get City Council approval.

The process would stay the same. It would still require a request from residents or business owners to be initiated and supported from a certain number of residents to take effect, Parking Services Manager Howard Chan said.

"Second Saturday is a free-for-all as far as parking right now," Midtown resident Dale Kooyman said.

Residents at the meeting disagreed over whether the requirement to have a residential permit should be extended into the evenings. The issue has been brought up twice in the past and residents voted against that, they said.

However, Chan said changes can address small areas and don't have to impact an entire permit zone.

Residents are pushing the city and private businesses to reduce the number of Second Saturday visitors and late-night bar and restaurant patrons parking on residential streets. The city must build awareness of parking garages, while private lot owners could open their lots for free parking to reduce neighborhood impacts such as noise, litter and crime, they said.

"The real problem is the behavior when they return to their cars," said Bill Burgua, former chair of the Marshall School/New Era Park Neighborhood Association.

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

Josh Blue from ‘Last Comic Standing’ gets laughs at Punch Line

2011-03-19T05:31:22Z

Josh Blue has refused to let cerebral palsy keep him from doing what he loves – exploding onto the stage and making people laugh. Although his disability is clearly evident, Josh uses it to his advantage and propels himself into the limelight with off-putting jokes that would make many blush. In 2006 Josh won NBC's ‘Last Comic Standing’ in part due to his ability to laugh at himself and in part to being able to make others laugh. In general, he wins the audience over by being comfortable with the person he is and the hand he was dealt (figuratively and literally) in life.

Friday night’s performance at the Punch Line in Sacramento was no different; Josh got up on stage and immediately made many uncomfortable by openly joking about his disabled arm. However, within minutes, those that did not know of Josh before quickly begin to relax. See, Josh is one of those rare comedians that enjoys making you uncomfortable by using himself as the butt of the joke. By the time he begins to joke about looking homeless or having a bouffant hairdo (using a shamwow as a hair piece) the audience has settled and the laughs become hard to contain.

Also hard to contain is the movement exhibited in Josh’s right arm. As he would put it, “it has a mind of its own.” Due to that, he has many jokes that use the disabled arm as the center piece. One such joke is about going through airport security with his ID in his right hand (the disabled hand). What makes these jokes funny is not the words, but his facial and body language throughout each sequence. As an audience member you can just imagine what is would be like for a TSA agent trying to look at his ID as it is waving around. Another funny bit is when Josh discusses how many people think his son also has cerebral palsy (which he does not). Why, because his son also waves his arm uncontrollably – “Monkey see, monkey do” as Josh says.

Most of Josh’s show is polished but still has some improvision for the audience in attendance. He seems to have a desire to make each show unique and riveting in its own right. The most inspiring part of the evening though is the ability for Josh to show that having a disability doesn’t mean you must give-up on your dreams and desires. Josh could have easily sat back and felt pity for himself, but instead he has garnished national attention by rising above and proving that he has a comic sense that few do. His disability may be a good part of his act, but it is just that – a part of his act. He, the comedian, doesn’t let the disability stop him from loving life and that shows during his performance.

Josh performs all weekend (March 18 – 20) at the Punch Line in Sacramento. If you have the opportunity to go see him it will be well worth your time. Not only will he inspire you, you will likely walk away with a sore stomach from laughing so much.

Marc McLaughlin is a contributing writer and photographer for the Sacramento Press.

Money Flies at Thunder Valley

2011-03-17T04:54:14Z

After 30 years of rock and roll classics, Eddie Money took the stage at Pana Hall inside of Thunder Valley Casino and Resort. The aging rocker and his band cranked out many of his classics: 'Take Me Home Tonight', 'Two Tickets to Paradise', 'Baby Hold On', 'Shakin' and more. Most of the audience was near Eddie's age and he knew how to play to them well.

As an entertainer, Eddie Money's job is to roll back the clock to a time of unadulterated Rock and Roll while making sure the audience has a good time as he does it. When these older performers make you laugh, smile and sing-along then they have done their job. Like many of his peers, Eddie Money is extremely gracious to his fans for supporting him during his career. Whether he is giving a call out or just thanking people, you can tell that he is honestly appreciative.

Although you could easily find fault in Eddie's performance, to the audience it did not seem to matter. Even with Eddie relying heavily on his background band to help power the vocals and also relying on the audience for 'sing-along' support, the nearly 62 year-old found a way to entertain the room. It was not about a set-list or stage presence but more about the man. Like many of the older artists out there, Eddie brings that by-gone era of music to every performance he gives and Thunder Valley's performance was no exception.

For upcoming shows at Thunder Valley Casino and Resort please click here.

Marc McLaughlin is a contributing writer and photographer for the Sacramento Press.

Sac City Rollers: Shamrock Slam photo essay

2011-03-14T06:57:07Z

The Sac City Rollers, Sacramento’s first all-women’s flat-track roller derby league, held its 2011 season home opener Friday night at Foothill Skate Inn in Sacramento. The event, billed as the Shamrock Slam, featured the Rude Girls versus the Sweaty Betties in an intra-league bout.

The league’s competitive season runs from February to December and includes local and national bouts. This season wraps up with the Sac City Rollers-hosted Red Red Holiday Invitational on December 10, which will include skaters from over a dozen West Coast roller derby leagues.

The Sac City Rollers operates as a nonprofit, self-governed organization. League members volunteer their time and raise money for local and national charities, including the Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services, the Sacramento Children’s Home and the Saint Baldrick’s Foundation.

The event filled the 700-person capacity at Foothill Skate Inn, with 100 tickets available at the door on a first-come, first-served basis.

While roller derby is commonly associated with the late 1960s and early 1970s when it was more of a theatrical entertainment than a legitimate sport, it has undergone a grassroots revival starting in the mid-2000s. While extremely competitive, the theatrical side has continued to a certain degree as the players in many leagues skate under derby names that involve puns, innuendo and other wordplay. The playfulness and theatricality extends to team uniforms and many of the players’ identifying numbers.

A roller derby bout consists of two teams with five skaters each simultaneously on a circuit track. The teams are composed of one “jammer” (offense), three “blockers” (defense) and one “pivot” (starts as a blocker but can switch to jammer), each position distinguished by different helmet covers. A team scores points when its jammer passes members of the other team. The blockers and pivots attempt to assist their own jammer through the pack and to impede the progress of the opposing team’s jammer.

A bout consists of two 30-minute halves played as two-minute “jams” with 30-second breaks to reset play and substitute players.

The Rude Girls won the bout 146-121. The next Sac City Rollers league home bout will be a rematch of the two teams on April 9.

For a complete set of higher resolution photos, visit Rik Keller’s on-line photo gallery.

House of Floyd

2011-03-14T06:14:53Z

In the spring of 1994, Pink Floyd embarked on what would be their final world tour, in support of The Division Bell.

I was a sophomore in high school when they played their three-show April run at the Oakland Coliseum and had only recently discovered Floyd in earnest.

Which is to say, I had only recently begun to smoke pot.

I had yet to take acid and listen to/watch “Dark Side of the Moon” synced up with “The Wizard of Oz.” (Or “Alice in Wonderland,” or “Fantasia.” “Gone with the Wind?” I think what “Dark Side” really syncs up with is the acid.)

If they had come through Oakland in June, there is a good chance I would have joined my cooler friends (and our "cool" high school security guard John, who would open the parking lot gates for us at a price, usually a dip — there is a fine line between "cool" and "creepy") at the Coliseum for at least one of the shows.

Alas, my appreciation of Floyd and their tour dates didn't quite sync up, and I never got another chance to see them.

Saturday night at the Crest Theatre, I got something of a reprieve.

The House of Floyd, a Pink Floyd tribute band, was in town, and they offered up as close a facsimile of a classic Floyd show as you can hope to find today, with the possible (probable? certain? probably certain) exception of a Roger Waters gig.

I walked down to the Crest at around 7 p.m., dodging a brutally bastardized combination of Second Saturday lurkers and poop-faced premature St. Patty's Day pub-crawlers as I went. It was just like The Walking Dead out there, except instead of zombies hunting brains, it was jackholes hunting Irish car-bombs. I'm not sure which scenario unnerves me more. (Actually, the latter, because at least you can take a bat to the zombies.)

I was ecstatic when I reached the Crest, unbitten. I surveyed the scene, which was refreshingly free of green top hats, leprechaun vests, "Kiss me, I'm a moron” shirts and nearly all other trappings of the one-time religious, now sophomorically inebria-centric holiday which remained five days away.

The crowd at the Crest was as diverse a group of white people as you'll ever find.

College kids, 20-somethings, 30-somethings, middle-aged couples with their kids, aging hippies, aged hippies. It ran the gamut. Pink Floyd truly has a universal and timeless appeal (to white people).

After a $5.75 Negra Modela, I adjourned outside for a smoke, where I met Jillian and Bryan.

"I thought I was buying tickets for a Pink Floyd laser light show," Bryan said. "I didn't realize it was a live tribute band playing until later."

I took my seat in the auditorium at a couple minutes after 8 p.m.

At 8:09 p.m. the lights went down.

At 8:10 p.m., the band took the stage, the backdrop lit up with a shot of the moon, and through the speakers began the cacophonous intro of "Speak to Me/Breathe" — the heart beat, the clocks, the cash register, the creepily spoken line "I've always been mad. I know I've been mad, like the most of us are. It's very hard to explain why you're mad, even if you're not mad."

By the time the wailing came around and they entered into the meat of the song, I was covered in goosebumps.

"This is amazing!" was my first thought.

My second? "Man, I wish I was stoned right now."

I don't puff at shows I'm covering, even if it is offered (and it is, often). I try to pay great attention to detail in order to paint a more vivid picture and, hopefully, add to your enjoyment of the piece. In this case, dear reader, I feel I may have done you a disservice by being such a straight-edge weenie. I mean, this is freakin’ Pink Floyd we're talking about.

During the course of the evening, the movie screen behind the stage showed a wide variety of images, both familiar and un, that were often spliced with live video of the performers on stage. The common theme throughout? This would look awesome if you were baked right now. A few highlights, all from the first 10 minutes or so:

- One of the first images was of the words "ARE YOU TRIPPING?" with the letters slightly Dali-fied, as if to hammer the question home and increase the likelihood that your answer would be yes.

- Moments later, "Did everything just taste purple for a second?" Classic stoner move, switching a color for a taste or vice versa. I wished everything tasted purple for a second, but, alas, it did not.

- Toward the end of their second song of the evening, the Syd Barrett penned 1967 classic "Astronomy Domine," they started playing the Pink Elephant scene from "Dumbo," which is the first hallucinatory trip we are ever exposed to as children, and has been for more than three generations. And to top it off, it's a bad trip. The first time I watched it, I wigged out. "The pink elephants! They're everywhere! And they won't stop marching! Now one giant elephant is made out of hella little ones, and it's all up in my face! Get me out of here!". I was four.

- Giant melting mushrooms.

"Shine On parts 1-5", another goosebump-inducer, was up next, followed by "Keep Talking" off "The Division Bell". Sheri Showalter and Melissa Hartley, two backup singers who swayed rhythmically while nailing the many female singing parts in the P.F. oeuvre, really got a chance to shine for the first time on the latter number: "Why won't you talk to me? What are you thinking?" It was also the first song (of many) where Joe Bartone brought out the Frampton-y talk box.

The rest of the first set was a doozy: "Welcome to the Machine" led into "Mother," with lead guitarist/vocalist Pat Potter swapping out his electric axe for an acoustic. Since potter already had his acoustic out, Bartone swapped his electric for an epic "Wish You Were Here.”(the opening strains of which were strummed, recorded and used by me as my outgoing voicemail for about half of my junior year in high school. Their version was better.) They plugged in again for "Pigs (3 Different Ones)" and one of my all time favorites, "Have a Cigar", before re-entering "Shine On Pts 6-9" to close it out.

They left the stage at 9:19pm, and returned a little over 10 minutes later. They opened the second set with "Raving and Drooling" the opening song from their 1975 tour. Never recorded, it was changed to "Sheep" for at the Animals album.

They rejoined the mega-hit portion of the program for their next stretch, tapping Darkside with "Time" (more goosebumps), "Great Gig in the Sky" (holy amazing pipes! Sheri absolutely nailed the unreal wordless wailing vocal, laid down on the album by Clare Torry ), and "Money", the last of which afforded vocalist and keyboard player mark Showalter to show off his sizable saxophone chops.

Up next was a stretch from "the Wall", starting with "Another Brick 2", which led to the first dancer of the evening. A lone woman, about four rows back on the floor, at first danced by her seat, attempting, with no success, to start a trend. She soon recognized that she was fighting a losing battle and moved her one-woman dance party to the aisle. Across the venue, I stood up and danced next to the stage. Solidarity and whatnot.

She maintained her post through most of "Empty Spaces> What Shall We do Now?" before abandoning ship before "Young Lust" (The screen behind the band was playing the "Off with their heads/paint the roses red" scene from "Alice in Wonderland. Awesome.).

They finished the second set with "Run like Hell", which got the girl and a newfound partner back on their feet, cutting the rug in the aisle. At 10:19 the band left the stage, only to return 30 seconds later to cap off the evening with "Comfortably Numb", which was mind-blowing to hear live.

I don't know if it made up for my missing The Division Bell Tour, but seeing House of Floyd certainly eased the sting. The guys and girls in House of Floyd do an amazing job of recreating the huge, lush, layered soundscapes for which Pink Floyd is so known, and loved.

Now, it wasn't perfect:

-The laser show, considering Pink Floyd has become almost synonymous with them, was something of a disappointment: It probably would have been considered cutting edge about 30 years ago. Saturday, it was a little sad. They are doing amazing things with lasers these days. H.o.F could take a lesson from the electronica movement and bring their laser show up to date.

-The vocals weren't identical (Not Britishy enough?) to the source material, but what tribute band/replacement singer's are? (besides the Fillipino kid that Journey drafted to the bigs 'cuz he does a better Steve Perry than Steve Perry)

-The venue. Though beautiful, and lovingly restored, The Crest is not the best place to see a show. The sound is good, if a little bass heavy, but it just doesn't lend itself to dancing at all. If they took out the chairs on the floor, leveled off the ground in front of the stage and added a couple bars it could be something akin to a Warfied East. As it stands, The Crest more closely resembles John Lithgow's character in "Footloose".

Minor quibbles all, none of which I took home with me. What I did take home, and will carry with me for a while, is the feeling I got listening to "Comfortably Numb" played live for the first time, in all it's glory.

Maybe it wasn't Pink Floyd, when I closed my eyes, it might as well have been.

House of Floyd will be back in town playing at Harlow's on May 7th. Tickets are $20 and dancing is actively encouraged.