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

Sacramento performance artist, David Garibaldi, it was a sobering moment to sell out the Crest Theater on October 27, 2011. Starting out as a local graffiti artist, the now famous performance painter travels worldwide sharing his creativity and ultimately his passion. Debuting his newest show, “Garibaldi Live: A Live Music and Color Experience”, he surely did not disappoint. Lines filled the streets up well into the next block. Many onlookers were hoping to get tickets at the last minute, but the show was completely sold out. Fans of all ages poured into the theater with delight as many shared their personal favorites like his portrait of Albert Einstein and his ever touching portrait of J

Cool winds filled with the sound waves of great live music started the second day of Folsom Live. As crowds gathered at the foot of one of the five outdoor stages booming with jams, groups of friends and couples poured into the party streets lined with local businesses with after-hour specials and eager vendors. Arriving at the event was easier than anticipated for many of the party-goers thanks to valet parking, shuttles and light rail access. For one of Saturday’s headliner, Los Lobos, there was certainly no lack of fans. Screaming and adoring fans were perched over the balconies at the nearby restaurants. The Grammy-nominated group performed a variety of music for all music-lovers and

Joan Jett, one of our reigning queens of rock ’n’ roll and one of only two women on Rolling Stone’s list of 100 greatest guitar players of all time, rocked a full house at Thunder Valley Casino Saturday night. Jett, accompanied by her band The Blackhearts, proved that she still has the energy and free-spirited wild-child persona she adopted during her early days as a guitarist in her first band, The Runaways. Jett donned her signature black shaggy hair, dark eye makeup, a black tank top and Converse as she paraded around the stage, clapping her hands and encouraging the crowd to throw their hands up and sing along. Joining her on stage was lead guitarist Dougie Needles, drummer Tommy Pr

Sacramento native and humorist Jack Gallagher is returning to the 24th St. Theatre/Sierra 2 Center for the Arts & Community after his sold-out performance of “The Joke’s On Me” last year. His encore show, “The Joke’s On Me....Again,” will run twice on Feb. 26. The show will be a combination of music and personal stories, Gallagher said, with a mix of music from the last four decades and will be performed by the Dick Bright Band. The stories will center around Gallagher’s life as a performer. Band members will recount their experiences with some of the original musicians of the covers that will be played. Members of the Dick Bright Band have played with prominent musicians like Todd Rund

Candlebox and Live. The two bands combined have sold over 25 million albums. Candlebox's eponymous debut went platinum four times following its release in 1993, and peaked at #7 on the US Billboard Charts. Live's sophomore effort, "Throwing Copper," released the following year, sold over 8 million copies, reached #1 on the US Billboard Charts, and included four Top 10 singles, two of which ("Selling the Drama" and "Lightning Crashes") reached #1.  (I'm pretty sure that "Lightning Crashes" is – and will continue to be – the only number one hit in American history featuring "placenta" as a prominent lyric.) At the peak of its fame, Live was among the biggest rock bands in the country, if

I started going to rock concerts in the late 70s. Living in the San Francisco Bay Area, virtually every major tour made a stop at one of several large, local venues. Many of those bands have long since disbanded and, unfortunately, many of those musicians have since passed away. However, some have proved resilient and are still performing with the same intensity and passion they did more than 30 years ago. Two of those bands, Heart and Sammy Hagar, graced the stage at Raley Field in West Sacramento Sunday night for a benefit concert culminating Hope Productions Foundation’s Walk ‘n Rock event. Although both groups have undergone personnel changes throughout the years, both have maintained

 Heart and Sammy Hagar. Between them they have sold nearly 100 million albums, not one of which was sold to me.    I knew Heart was from Seattle, and was famous for such hits as "Barracuda," and "that one song" and "you know that other song, the one, with the singer."   Hagar, "The Red Rocker," I knew from Van Halen, of course, but I have always been more of a Metallica guy. I can honestly say that I liked the Hagar incarnation of VH more than the David Lee Roth incarnation, but that isn't really saying much.    Sammy seems like he'd be a lot of fun to hang out with. Diamond Dave seems like he'd do all your drugs then leave with your girlfriend.    Heart and Sammy "co-headlined" a

 Dear "Cheaters", There is no easy way to say this, so I'm just gonna spit it out:  I've been seeing someone else.  I want you to know that I'll always have love for you.  When I was new to town, you took me in, and I'll never forget that.  We'll always have Oregon basketball; who knows, maybe we can ring in the new arena together next fall. You need to understand that it's not you, it's me.  Please, don't cry.  Stop it.  You're a still wonderful bar, I've just found someone I'm more compatible with.   It's been going on a few weeks now. I wanted to watch the Giants game and grab a beer, but it was raining, and I didn't want to go all the way down Folsom to do it. I'd noticed this plac

A week ago, I fell in love with new music for the first time since I stole my brother’s worn copy of Led Zeppelin’s Song Remains the Same album. I was fourteen and was smitten. Recently, a friend who road manages (I love his life), texted me, said he’d be in town with a new project at Marilyn’s on K Street, said he’d put me on the list—Tracy plus one. Normally, I avoid club bands I’ve never heard of, because they’re a dime a dozen and the best you can hope for is good in a sea of mediocre. But my LA pal is cool and has good taste, so I said why not. I wasn’t there five minutes, settling into a cush-backed chair, sipping refreshing water with bubbles, when they began to wail, and I felt tha

Country singer Wanda Jackson first picked up rock and roll when she was barely out of high school and on tour with Elvis Presley, when the soon-to-be King of Rock and Roll convinced her to try the brand new style. And although she scored more than 30 country hits between 1954 and 1973 — as well as a number of Top 40 hits like rockabilly tune, "Let's Have a Party" — Elvis's advice to her has had lingering impact. On April 4, Roseanne Cash inducted Jackson into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and on Wednesday, April 15, the so-called "First Lady of Rock 'n' Roll," now a seasoned 71, is returning to Sacramento to rock the house at Old Ironsides. The show begins at 8 p.m. and tickets are $15.