Fans started gathering at the Dimple Records on Arden Way around 5:00 p.m. in anticipation of Tesla’s latest CD, “Twisted Wires & the acoustic sessions.” Upon entrance to the store, I heard the latest addition to the family singing - or should I say wailing - away as if he were onstage. Four month old Joe Bob Jeffrey Keith, son of lead singer Jeff Keith, was rockin’ the house just prior to Tesla taking center stage. That boy has a set of lungs to rival his dad’s. It took some time but Joe Bob finally calmed down and let Dad take center stage. Lori Townsend, a longtime fan, was standing in line with couple Alfred and Shawna Lyon. They were excited to be there and were buying CD’s so each

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

The Downtown Sacramento Partnership (DSP) conducts several walking Tours in the downtown area. The walking tours introduce visitors to people, places and events that have created California history. DSP’s mission is to establish downtown Sacramento as a vibrant business, cultural and entertainment destination in Sacramento via private and public partnerships consisting of residents, visitors and investors. This Friday they conducted a Rock & Roll History Tour and Pub Crawl. The tour began at the corner of 9th and J Streets at one of the entrances to the Concerts in the Park held at Cesar Chavez Plaza. The walk began at 6 in the evening. By this time, Wahnder Lust had begun their set at t

Christmas is only a few days away and the time of giving, especially to those that have been hardest hit by the downfall in our economy, is coming to an end. On a rainy Saturday morning Nor Cal Clean and Sober held its 3rd Annual Clean and Sober Toy Run. (3rd Annual Clean and Sober Toy Run leaving Harley Davidson of Folsom) Riders from various organizations caught up with each other socializing in front of the Folsom Harley Davidson. A depository was set up inside the store for toys brought in. Other riders also took the opportunity to do some shopping. John O’Mara and his group representing the Christian Motorcyclists Association (CMA) dropped off toys and show their support for this

As a fan of 1960s muscle cars, getting me excited about electric vehicles isn’t easy. But on Friday, I was handed the keys to something that makes my ’66 Mustang feel lethargic and a Prius look like a gas guzzler. And at $138,000, it should. Miki Sofer of Tesla Motors brought one of the company’s Roadster 2.5 models to the Sacramento area, and I was one of the lucky ones to take it for a spin. With an advertised 0-60 mph time of 3.7 seconds, I was all but drooling over the electric car that can travel 244 miles on a single charge that, according to Sofer, costs as little as $5 to replenish. “There are more and more charging stations in the Sacramento area,” Sofer said, “so we’re really

Are you ready for some football? Saturday night, professional football made its triumphant return to Sacramento. The 20,000 fans who packed into Hornet Stadium were treated to a barnburner, as the hometown Mountain Lions battled back from a 10-point fourth quarter deficit for a dramatic victory over the visiting Florida Tuskers. For many fans, the evening was a win long before Daunte Culpepper found Rod Windsor deep down the sideline for the game-winning 33-yard touchdown pass with 37 seconds remaining. Two hours before kickoff, the parking lots surrounding Hornet Stadium at Sacramento State were packed with joyous revelers, basking in the opportunity to cheer for professional football

Greg Saunders of FOX40 News, several radio stations, Jeff Keith - lead singer of Tesla, an American hard rock band formed in Sacramento, Sac Metro Chamber and passers-by, rallied enthusiastically at the west steps of the Capitol today, sending a message to American Idol: Bring auditions to Sacramento! Here's some scenes: Jeff Keith, Tesla, spoke and sang (below). School-kids wholeheartedly supported the cause. Representatives from The Wolf radio station (above) and Metro Chamber (below) lent their support for American Idol to bring auditions to Sacramento. According to the Bring American Idol to Sacramento Facebook page, "American Idol has held auditions in 37 different cities. Sac

There are very few known details about the closing of the Hard Rock Café downtown. Manager Kim Templeton deferred answering questions to a public relations firm. That firm would not answer phone calls. According to a Sacramento Bee article, it will close March 27, but is that before or after the private event listed the same day on the Hard Rock website as "Morgan's Bat Mitzvah?"  One thing is for sure. With the Hard Rock closing, Sacramento is losing several important things: a restaurant, a music venue, a 36-foot guitar with neon highlights and a small museum chock full of Rock 'n' Roll memorabilia. Not to mention an employer. The following is a photo essay depicting some of Hard Rock

The first scheduled concert of Sacramento's 'Concerts in the Park' series may or may not occur tonight depending on the rain, according to concert organizer Jerry Perry.   The bands Sol Peligro, Retrograde Revolution and La Noche Oskura are scheduled tonight to play the first of 15 series lined up for this summer's concerts, held every Friday evening at Cesar Chavez Plaza. If it rains, Perry said the series will begin next Friday, and an extra concert will be scheduled Friday, August 14, to make up for tomorrow’s cancellation.   This is the 18th year that the Downtown Sacramento Partnership has hosted the concerts, which are free and open to all ages. The plaza is located at 10th and J

When Tesla the band launched nationally in 1987 on powerhouse label Geffen Records, few thought that Sacramento’s most successful rock export would still be rocking more than 20 years later. That was even more true when the band broke up in 1995, victims of their own rock star egos and chemical dependencies. Even after reuniting in 2000, some wags dismissed the band’s return as the mere desire to cash in on a well-known name from the classic rock era, which said naysayers considered completely played out. What a joke, they said. But Brian Wheat has had the last laugh. Bassist and manager of the band he co-founded with guitarist Frank Hannon in 1982, Wheat has worked for this decade to r

It was 9:00 am when I got the call. “Sonny, it’s Abe. Hey, you want to play guitar for a session with Brian Wheat and me? The session is around noon today. We’re doing a Lennon song and it would be great if you could do it. I’d really appreciate it.” Hmmm, let me think for a second. Play guitar at a fancy recording studio with multi-platinum Grammy-winning rock star Gods or sit in front of a computer at work. Hmmmmm, tough choice. “I’d be honored,” I told Abe. That was how I came to be a part of creating this rendition of John Lennon’s classic reaction to the Vietnam war, Happy Xmas (War Is Over). So this is Christmas And what have you done Another year over And a new one just begun O