Let's not lie: We Sacramentans have a fairly thick skin when it comes to upstart local bands hanging it up. Sometimes they just gradually fade out, or just seem to kind of stop playing without ever really formally disbanding, or move away and set up shop in another city. Rarely do we get the opportunity for a big farewell party like the one Prieta is treating us to on Saturday, December 17 at Beatnik Studios, which will at least soften the sting of seeing this Sammie-award winning humdinger of a band bounce. In what guitarist Mat Woods calls a "totally amicable decision," the five members of Prieta have decided to hang it up after nearly five years. If you want to follow their progressi

Harlow’s night club was converged upon Friday night by artists, musicians, designers, community leaders and culture enthusiasts to help support and celebrate the creative hub of Sacramento known as Midtown. The 2011 Midtown Business Association Annual Gala included exhibits by various local businesses, performances by local musicians and artists, and a lecture by Elizabeth Currid-Halkett, Assistant Professor at the University of Southern California’s School of Policy, Planning and Development and author of, “The Warhol Economy: How Art, Fashion, and Music Drive New York City.” Harlow’s was elegantly decorated with round tables on the dance floor topped with black linen, centerpieces of w

Neil Young is on borrowed time. He’s had brushes with death ranging from childhood diabetes to epilepsy to a major brain aneurism that nearly killed him in 2005. Instead of killing him, it gave us all “Prairie Wind.” Not to mention that the ol’ rock and roll lifestyle isn’t exactly marketing material for your average life insurance firm – and Neil has been a part of it for the better part of a half-century. Such is the continuing cycle of one of the true legends of rock and roll as he celebrates his 65th birthday, which was on Friday. In commemorating “Shakey's” birthday, Jerry Perry did what he does best on Saturday night at Harlow’s and arranged a troupe of local acts (with a little h

local.indie.music.photos combines photographer Amy Scott's love of both music and photography into a visual glimpse of the Sacramento music scene. As a regular in the Downtown/Midtown scene, throughout the past few years, she has shot hundreds of local Sacramento music shows and has uploaded literally thousands of photos to her Flickr page. Oftentimes you will find her near the stage at the latest show, camera in hand, ready to capture a band in all its glory.    On Friday, June 11, local.indie.music.photos, in collaboration with Luigi's Slice and Fungarden, present a showcase of around a hundred of Scott's local live band shots from the past year and a half. The show will feature live p

Local bands came together Monday night to pay tribute to the late Michael Jackson by playing his music to a packed house at Harlow's. About 250 people filled the room to listen to nearly 40 of Jackson's songs performed by 13 different bands. Some of the more popular songs -- "Dirty Diana" and "I'll Be There," among others -- were played twice to a lively crowd of dancing fans. Upon entering, one could already hear Jackson's songs, both originals and covers, filling Harlow's in-house speakers. Jerry Perry, promoter and a self-proclaimed "big Jackson fan" picked and introduced all the bands starting with Absolute Zero, a four-piece of high-school-age musicians. Each band played between on