The Origin and Evolution of Death Metal Death metal began in the mid-'80s with Florida band Death, led by the guitarist/vocalist generally credited as the creator of the genre, Chuck Schuldiner. In its beginning, the style incorporated simple, down-tuned riffing, fast drumming that alternated between the snare and bass drum (known as the “blast beat”) and deep growls about gore and generally violent topics. From its primitive early sound, death metal soon developed into a thriving scene in its home state, with bands such as Morbid Angel and Obituary evolving the primitive topics to lyrics influenced by H.P. Lovecraft and the occult. Lyrics weren’t the only aspect of the genre that matur

A Delicate Balance Though they tour fairly regularly and received positive reviews for their 2008 debut, the five members of Conducting From the Grave know that playing their type of music rarely becomes a lucrative endeavor. To make a living, Abernathy and his bandmates work day jobs and play music at night or take breaks from work to tour. “I’m like the one unlucky guy who doesn’t have a job that lets him go on tour and still have the job when he comes back," said Abernathy. So we toured for, like, six months at the beginning of this year for the album, and I came home and had no job. So I just said, ‘Damn, we’re leaving on tour in a few more months again so I won’t even try to find on

Sacramento has occupied space within the large world of heavy music with just two names: Deftones and Tesla. The former, an alternative rock band with metal influence, was a major player in the same mid/late '90s scene that consisted of Korn, Limp Bizkit and, to a lesser extent, Tool. Tesla is arguably the first mainstream band out of Sacramento to be branded “heavy metal," releasing albums throughout the late '80s and '90s and making a comeback in recent years with a three-album streak in 2007. But what about the bands in Sacramento's underground music scene? The one who ply their trade in the underground -- playing to a devoted local following of kids interested in complex, modern heavy

Employing a style he has dubbed “uninformed logic,” stand-up comedian Bill Burr has spent the better part of two decades refining his sardonic outlook on everyday life. An L.A. resident by way of Massachusetts, Burr lived in New York City for nine years before heading west to further his career in television and film. He is set to record his second one hour stand-up special for Comedy Central at the Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco on Dec. 17, but will first do a string of performances at The Punchline in Sacramento Dec. 10-13. “I’ve been working on the new material since the night I said goodnight on my last special, which was November of 2007,” said Burr from Los Angeles Internation

One could make the argument that The Clash's "London Calling" is one of the riskiest moves in rock history. After two well-received and straightforward punk albums, the quartet from London threw fans, critics and the entire rock world a curveball in 1979. Spanning at least three genres in 65 minutes, the double LP was not only twice as long as anything the band had recorded prior, but also about the last thing anybody expected from one of the founders of the British punk movement. It could be considered just as risky, then, that a concert promoter would find it feasible to actually put together a bill of bands of equally varying styles to cover the classic album in its entirety. However,

It must have been a surreal experience for those on the RT at 10th and O streets to spot the likes of John Madden, Carol Burnett and George Lucas walking down the red carpet in their awards-show best at the California Museum for History, Women and the Arts. Anyone who actually got off at the stop may have caught Burnett's signature Tarzan call or had a chance for Lucas to sign any surface capable to be written on. Dozens of others, however, thought ahead and brought glossy “Star Wars,” “Terminator” and sports stills for Lucas, Gov. Schwarzenegger and Madden to sign, respectively. The occasion for this "who’s who" of California’s best, 13 in all, was their induction into the state’s Hall

For the fourth year, the California Hall of Fame will induct a group of individuals who have changed the state for the better. The ceremony will be held on Tuesday at the California Museum, the site of the hall of fame. The 13 inductees are: Carol Burnett (comedienne and actress) Andy Grove (former chairman and chief executive officer of Intel Corp.) Hiram Johnson (California governor and U.S. senator) Rafer Johnson (Olympic gold medalist in decathlon) Henry J. Kaiser (industrialist and founder of Kaiser Permanente and the Kaiser Family Foundation) Joan Kroc (philanthropist and widow of the founder of McDonald's) George Lucas (director and producer) John Madden (NFL player, coach a

To commemorate the end of a month-long celebration of its 75-year existence, the historic bar Old Ironsides held a final party on Sunday. The Sacramento institution melded new and old, representing the vast changes in culture from its 1934 founding though the rest of the 20th century. “Old time” drinks from each decade were back on the menu to give patrons a taste of what past generations enjoyed. Obscure concoctions such as the Moscow Mule (a 1940s drink with vodka, lime and ginger beer) were suggested alongside more popular fare like the Harvey Wallbanger (1970s) and the Washington Apple (2000s). A few waiters kept a constant rotation of sampler platters circulating the two main rooms

If you miss the childlike innocence of Christmas, your chance to be a kid again will begin Friday. The California Railroad Museum’s "Some Assembly Required" exhibit begins Nov. 17 and runs until Feb. 20, 2010. The event will showcase a variety of toys in its main lobby room. “It’s not like our past exhibits because it doesn’t just focus on trains,” said museum librarian Cara Randall, who also researched the history of the toys on display. Most of the toys are from the 1950s, with a few from the early 1960s and the oldest from the 1870s. “Our oldest toy is a puzzle set that a shoe company gave away to customers as a promotional deal when they bought a pair of $3 shoes,” Randall said. “I

After months of careful planning, countless focus groups and likely many sleepless nights, the big day is finally upon Terry Harvego. Today Harvego opens his new restaurant, Ten 22. So with every obstacle overcome but today’s first day of business, one wonders how Harvego feels. “I’m not nervous — I’m very confident and I just want to do this now,” Harvego said at Thursday evening's soft opening. “Sure, there will probably be some mistakes the first day, but it is what it is. I know it will be great." Ten 22’s soft opening the night before its grand opening the next day was a laid-back affair, with the 100 or so attendees inside the restaurant’s simple, refined interior fully living the

If your friends have ever tried to get you to sing karaoke but you’ve been intimidated by the fear of being onstage alone, Rockstar Live Band Karaoke has eliminated your last excuse. Every Tuesday night at Marilyn’s on K, a live band takes the stage to provide backup for anyone who’s had enough liquid courage to sign their name to the sheet and belt out a selection from a growing list of more than 200 popular songs. The band, who also performs as a cover band by the name of Johnny Favorite, is made up of: Adam Donald: guitars and vocals Scott George: lead guitars Gerry Pineda: bass Larry Shiavone: drums and vocals David Van Dusen: keyboards and vocals After a few warm-up tunes beginning

What do The Band, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Rolling Stones, Willie Nelson, The Beach Boys, Frank Sinatra and half of the Beatles have in common? Aside from making some of the finest popular music of the 20th century, all of these artists have collaborated with Leon Russell. The long-haired and bearded organist/singer-songwriter has been working behind the scenes (and occasionally in the spotlight) with an innumerable amount of music’s heavy hitters for half a century. “I've been lucky to work with so many great musicians,” Russell said via email a few days before his show at Harlow’s on Thursday, Nov. 12. Russell began his music career as a session musician, working live and in the studio wi

By now, Bob Saget’s public transformation from blue comedian to household name beloved by millions of families nationwide — and the subsequent corruption of that image with a return to his original style — has been repeated more times than the footage of crotch abuse he narrated on “that video show,” as he refers to it. Suffice to say, Saget’s material is a far cry from his hugs-and-lessons role as Danny Tanner on “Full House,” a character he played perfectly due to his clean cut, family-friendly looks. Nothing is sacred, from his former costars to his own mother, who originally inspired him to go into comedy because he wanted to say things she didn't want him to. “Don Rickles called rig

For the third annual year, local Mexican restaurant Zocalo hosted its Dia de los Muertos celebration on Monday, Nov 2. The holiday (which in Spanish literally translates into “day of the dead”) celebrates the life and death of loved ones who have passed on over the past year. It is largely celebrated throughout Mexico, America and Canada. As with any festival, celebrating Dia de los Muertos properly requires an exacting eye for tradition. Much like its food, Zocalo saw to it that its party was as authentic as possible. Burning candles illuminated the large shrines in the center of the entrance to the restaurant, allowing patrons to read the names on tags hanging from numerous trees arou

A love letter to Minus the Bear: Dear criminally underrated Seattle indie rock quintet, I love everything about you. For instance, the way you balance complex time signature changes and finely honed musicianship with catchy pop sensibility. It takes a truly skilled collective to make music this intricate seem so natural. Or the fact that Jake Snider’s bittersweet lyrics about lost innocence and simpler times are relatable not only to high schoolers who are experiencing the subject matter for the first time, but to grown adults twice their age who have been through it numerous times and have the benefit of hindsight. I love that Snider can make potentially corny lyrics like “It’s rare t

The irony of Flavor Flav hosting a Halloween party is that people actually dress in his everyday outfit for a celebration of this most dark of holidays. The Public Enemy hype man and unlikely reality TV phenomenon arrived at the red carpet for the One Scary Nite Halloween party at the California Auto Museum with business partner Deon Taylor and retired Kings star Bobby Jackson. The trio hammed it up for the row of photographers, Flav flashing his gilded grill and trademark clock necklace while costumed party-goers yelled “Yeah boy!” as they filed into the horror-themed interior of the museum. "I loved to go trick-or-treating when I was younger, but now I have kids so I take them," Jackso

A few weeks before Minus the Bear’s scheduled appearance at the Boardwalk on Saturday, we called drummer Erin Tate to talk about the new record, touring and the influences of progressive rock, new producers and the fairer sex: SP: So what is an average day like on tour for you guys? E: Depends on the day. It can be anywhere from just sitting around doing nothing and watching movies or sometimes we attempt to write music, which doesn’t happen very often. And sometimes we drink a lot of beer. SP: You just finished recording the new album. What can you tell us about that? E: It took us a really long time. [Laughs] It’s definitely a Minus the Bear record. But it’s kind of the first time we

Since 2005, the Sacramento Comedy Spot has offered unique improv, sketch and standup comedy at its original location at 1716 Broadway. Come Nov. 6, the venue will not only be moving, but making a significant upgrade in facilities. That Friday will mark opening night for the club at its new location at the MARRS building at 1050 20th St. "We started talking to Michael Heller, the owner of the building, in the middle of the summer," said Brian Crall, former member of the Upright Citizens Brigade, managing director of the Sacramento Comedy Spot and instructor of the improv classes there. "It was around September when we finally decided to make the move." The new space is considerably large

As Halloween looms over us like a full moon on a blustery autumn eve, we find ourselves in the mood to curl up in front of our favorite slasher film for a healthy dose of murder and mayhem. But if you dare to leave the comforts of home and celebrate the seasonal bloodlust with likeminded souls, the Sacramento Horror Film Festival is here to provide the scares. Now in its third year, the four-day event will be sure to fill your every dark desire. “The city of Sacramento didn't have anything resembling a horror film festival," said Tim Meunier, founder and festival director. "And with my past experience I decided it was time to give the city what I felt it needed. I grew tired of going out

“I remember when I turned 40. Yeah, way back in seminary school,” quipped alt rock legend Mike Watt upon mention of local rock promoter Brian McKenna’s birthday. Then he and his band, The Secondmen, flew into another extended jam. Watt and Co. were part of a celebration of the life and times of McKenna, who hit the big 4-0 Saturday, and also has spent half of those years putting together gigs in Sacramento. That showed at the party, the lineup for the evening read like a who’s who of early-'90s greats, including Kai Kln and NoMeansNo. The Secondmen alternated between laid-back blues grooves and frenetic psychobilly freakouts. Though more than a decade McKenna’s senior, Watt was absolutel