Ace of Spades hosted the tour finale of the Glow Sticks for Breakfast Tour Sunday night, featuring performances by Hyper Crush, Benzi, Silver Medallion and Sacramento band Playboy School. Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz's DJ project with Spencer Peterson, Black Cards, was also scheduled to perform, but the duo had to pull out a few days before the show due to an ankle injury. Playboy School kicked things off in the early slot with a lukewarm set as people trickled in. Benzi livened the mood up with an electronic/Top 40 set that had a few guys raging, and a while later Silver Medallion came out and grabbed the mic, adding some organic energy to the stage as he ran around, whipping his lo

Rock 'n' roll filled the stage Sunday at Ace of Spades thanks to Eve 6, The Audition, Hero’s Last Mission and Taking Not Stealing. Chicago-based band The Audition performed right before headlining Eve 6 and came out with a large amount of energy. Lead vocalist Danny Stevens brought passion and artistry to the stage. Alongside Stevens was drummer Ryan O'Connor, guitarists Jimmy Lopez and Timmy Klepek and bassist Joe Lussa. Performing an eight-song set, The Audition gave the audience a mixture of their four albums paired with some of their material from their newest EP, “Chapter II.“ From the beginning, Stevens rocked the stage with strong vocals, opening with the lyrically fierce song "

Building a home recording studio to produce the indie music album of your dreams can take a lot of time and work but the end result is worth it if you want the best sound without sacrificing artistic control. Many bands become frustrated with their recordings at expensive pro studios because the finished product doesn't meet the standards of the music industry or the artist's own expectations. Part of that problem has to do with the clock, which adds stress when studio time is limited. At the same time the clock drains a budget that also may be limited. You can end up with a recording that costs over $10,000 but does not sonically measure up to the major label recordings heard on radio, wh

Critically acclaimed Nashville-based singer/songwriter Mat Kearney has added West Coast dates to his current tour and will make a stop in Sacramento on April 10 at the Colonial Theatre in Oak Park. Sounding at first like a solo effort from Coldplay's Chris Martin, Kearney's latest album "Young Love" is a punchy collection of playful, summer-ready tales of love, pain and redemption. Kearney's current tour has included several sold-out shows at places including the Mayan Theatre in Los Angeles, House of Blues in Boston and Ogden Theatre in Denver. The second single from the album, "Ships in the Night," was recently performed on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" and is the featured music in

Rock ’n’ roll lives and breathes! The Saw Doctors exhilarated Thursday night’s crowd at Ace of Spades with their nearly nonstop flow of rollicking rock. A true love fest between the band and the audience made for a special night. The Irish musicians made their first-ever stop in Sacramento on their 25-city tour. Although the crowd was small, the fans were fervent followers and sang along with every song. At times, the band turned the vocals over to the audience in mutual admiration. The Saw Doctors have been engaging audiences since their 1986 start. Their single “I Useta Lover” (as in, I Used to Love Her) topped the Irish charts in 1990 and has the distinction of being the bestselling s

“The Further Adventures of the Saw Doctors” CD was almost fully recorded, but on one Monday morning, the band scrapped the work and started again. “We were hard on ourselves,” band founder Leo Moran said. “It was worth it. When we listen to it in years to come, we don’t want to regret it.” The band’s attention to quality is evident in this well-crafted seventh studio album. The Saw Doctors offer real Irish roots rock with their songs that portray the places and people of rural Ireland. With its March 2012 U.S. release of “Further Adventures,” the Saw Doctors provide a mix of up-tempo rock tunes and ballads tinged with a darker tone than usual. Their songs suggest a bit of world wearines

"We've got quite a set here," announced MUTEMATH vocalist and keyboardist Paul Meany. "We've been around for eight years. That's a lot of songs to choose from!" Quite a set it was. Making an unconventional entrance from the back of the venue with instruments and Christmas lights in tow, the New Orleans electro-alt rock band went on to do a little face-melting for the packed house at Ace of Spades Wednesday night. The Grammy-nominated four-piece put on a sonic and visual spectacle, covering a massive setlist over more than two hours and sampling a bit from all their studio albums and EPs, including all 13 songs from their latest release, 2011's "Odd Soul." Aided by tons of frantic, colo

Hollywood rapper Mickey Avalon headlined a New Year's Eve show at Ace of Spades on Saturday. Supporting Avalon on the bill were 2ME, Richard the Rockstar, and producer Big Chocolate. Photos by Steven Chea.

A couple hundred people wanting to get an early start on 2012 partying headed down to Ace of Spades on Friday, where Oakland musician and frequent Sacramento visitor, Wallpaper., headlined an eclectic bill. Starting the show was Chaotic Fusion, a drummer and DJ duo. DJ Oasis spun radio hits – "Teach Me How To Dougie," "Ghosts 'n' Stuff," "Last Resort" – while Radio 94.7 on-air personality Casey Lewis drummed along to the beat. Performing next was Oakland-by-way-of-Panama Latin rap duo Los Rakas. Rhyming in Spanish over dancehall and hip-hop beats, the up and coming young pair were well-received by the slowly growing crowd. Headliner Wallpaper. took the stage next, with the men of the gr

107.9 The End's Jingle Ball 2011 went down at Power Balance Pavilion on Thursday night. The concert featured performances by JoJo, Breathe Carolina, Cobra Starship, Gym Class Heroes, and Selena Gomez. Photos by Steven Chea

If you don't know Dirt Nasty (aka ex-MTV VJ Simon Rex), take a look at some of his song titles and you'll know what you're getting into: "Suck My D***," "Baby D***" and "F*** Me I'm Famous." It was all about the lowest common denominator at Ace of Spades on Saturday, as Nasty rapped for a crowd that was about half full. In addition to genitalia and sex, he also covered themes like cocaine use ("1980") and bestiality ("Animal Lover"). But that’s his shtick, so you were either there for the juvenile party raps or maybe to catch a glimpse of the actor who was in “Scary Movie 4” and an episode of “MTV Cribs.” "He's hot! I don't even know his music. I came for him!" said Melissa Renee, 19.

The Sac State Geology Club is shaking things up on November 18th by auctioning off hundreds of rocks, minerals, fossils and more at the 8th annual Rock Auction. This celebration of the natural world is free to the public, begins at 6pm at the CSUS Alumni Center and will include live and silent auctions, catered food and beverages, and children's activities. The room will be abuzz with the chatter of rock hounds, educators, students and gem connoisseurs perusing samples of highly polished petrified wood, purple cubic fluorite, and stunning fossilized coral. “But, you don’t need to be a professional to enjoy the festivities,” says Club President Chris Hughes, “many of our guests are new to

It was a nearly sold-out show at Ace of Spades Sunday night. Thrice, hailing from Irvine, Calif., headlined an excellent post-hardcore bill. Opening for a healthy-sized audience was the band, Moving Mountains, an intriguing group of musicians who captured the room's attention immediately. With a complex and multi-layered sound, their atmospheric rock songs set a great tone for the rest of the night. Atlanta-based O'Brother was musically in the same vein; a melodic three-guitar sonic assault marrying the atmospheric with the distorted. A solid showing, but when they went ambient, they went ambient. At times they seemed to meander as some songs drifted slowly past the five minute mark. Mai

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

After an original Oct. 20 show date that had to be rescheduled, alt-rock powerhouse Foo Fighters performed at Power Balance Pavilion on Tuesday night for about 10,000 fans. Opening the show was fantastic L.A. punk band The Bronx, playing as their alter-ego Mariachi El Bronx, which is less a gimmick than you might think. What started as a lark for the punk band has grown into a love that has seen the band release two mariachi albums and gain a following, and, yes, they stay true to the authentic mariachi style of music as well as wear black charro suits. The band performs in a variety of ways, sometimes incorporating mariachi into their punk set, sometimes performing as a punk band and m

After a slightly flawed but excellent nonetheless One Scary Nite 2, expectations were high for the third annual installment of the "Deon Taylor Enterprises presents: One Scary Nite" Halloween party, which went down at the California Auto Museum Thursday night. Familiar attractions returning this year included "Mad Scientist" Jack Sparx with his Tesla coil, huge propane fireballs and deranged laugh, stilt walkers, fire dancers, go-go dancers and many bloody, gory "staff monsters" and zombies who shuffled around the venue with a vacant look in their eyes, grunting at passing partygoers. Absent this year were the red carpet and arrivals, the national musical act (last year it was Bell Biv D

Although the band lost its original guitar and bass player in 2009, it doesn't appear that Las Vegas' Panic! at the Disco has lost any fans. Performing for a sold out crowd at Ace of Spades Monday night, handsome lead singer Brendon Urie and company had fans in a tizzy from the get-go as a steady stream of clothing landed on stage after the first song. "Wow. Thank you!" said a surprised Urie. Panic!'s set focused mainly on their debut album, "A Fever You Can't Sweat Out" and 2011's, "Vices & Virtues." They played only two songs from 2008's well-received album, "Pretty. Odd." They included "That Green Gentleman (Things Have Changed)" and "Nine in the Afternoon." The Panic! pop was a bi

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 sta

The domestic housewife is modernized, upgraded and vilified through Teri Gender Bender, lead singer of Le Butcherettes. Long, dark tresses do little to hide selected performance attire of black hosiery, floral aprons and bloody makeup. The musical style, just as creative, reflects typical garage punk band elements, and then adds experimental aspects which reflect the “artistic project” explains Bender, that is Le Butcherettes. Emerging out of Mexico City, this trio has been showcased at esteemed festivals such as Outside Lands and Lollapalooza, and has opened for the likes of Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Deftones and currently, The Flaming Lips. Their debut album, “Sin Sin Sin,” released January 2011

If you're looking for an example of a band in the middle of making it big, look no further than The Joy Formidable. Formed in North Wales, the now London-based power trio has been riding a monster wave of success this year, touring and playing major U.K. and U.S. festivals – Reading, Coachella, Lollapalooza – and garnering praise from critics and their musical peers alike.  They made such an impression on Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters earlier this year that he took to Twitter to sing their praises: "I would like to personally thank The Joy Formidable for writing the song of the year "Whirring". xxx Dave". The band will open several dates with Foo Fighters in November. The band has a massiv