Mr. Villa stood on the stage, but the crowd seemed to not recognize the man who was in front of the wall that bore his art.  "Don't graffitti it" he told the young skateboarders that were in the park.  Esteban Villa then sang a song that was the "Bakersfield" sound, "Chicano" in its roots, but Bakersfield in its sound.  Professor Emeritus Esteban Villa was at home while he remembered he was sitting under the trees when he thought of the song "Southside Park". Southside Park on Saturday was like a barbecue with benefits.  Skateboards, pretty women, promotions, music, and the locals walking their bikes and stopping to see what all the music was about.  Nearby, the sounds of powwow drums cou

The 2nd Annual CAM Car Cruise happened Saturday, July 31st, beginning with staging and voting at the California Automobile Museum and followed by a street cruise and car show event in Midtown.  Most of the car show styles were represented by rat rods, lowriders, jalopies, muscle cars, experimental cars, and woodies and beemers. Sitting at a sidewalk venue sipping Midtown Red, I saw the cars coming down J Street accompanied by the SPD.  The sun was moving lower in the western sky and the chrome and polished finishes on the autos were sparkling.  I quickly moved into the shade and watched the cruise.  Memories of Sacramento from my teenage years returned, when J Street was a cruising spot a

Friday night, a couple beers, and some music.  The crowd is a mix of young and old, gay and straight, bikers and bankers; one guy who looked like Punkenstein.  Me and my girl kicked up some dust and had some fun.  Ya know I'm talking about the Concert In The Park, every Friday night 5-9 PM. This series has been happening for 10+ years, and I have been a regular for most of them.  Seen a lot of bands and people.  The crowds are always diverse and have been mostly trouble free.  This Friday I saw Rick Estrin and The Nightcats.  Mr. Estrin has been the front man with the Nightcats since the Little Charlie days.  I love his Swing Pachuco look, and the cool juice harp sounds. In the crowd, I

The blues has a home at Vega's club in Old Sacramento.  The location has had many names (Popeye's), and I can remember that "in the day" it was a disco, with DJ and lights and plenty of hookups.  Now the place is family owned and they host the Thursday night Blues Jam.  The Equinox Blues Band is the host band, but they offer up the stage to any blues lover/musician who shows up.  The whole thing is informal so that no one has to feel they need to sign up to jump up on the stage and play, and it is free.   Any Thursday night, the range of musicians showing up to jam can be small or large.  I have seen many great players there, saxophone, drums, guitar, vocal, and harmonica.  The beer is c

The sun was finally making a comeback in Sacto.  My girl and I decided we wanted to see a movie, so we went to the Tower Theater.  First, we walked around the Old Land Park neighborhood to soak up a little sun and outdoors, then went to the movie. Crazy Heart is a story about a country singer who has come to a point in his life where change is coming, but he doesn't want it, at first.  Jeff Bridges is Bad Blake, and he was once a popular country star, but now he drives his old GMC across the Southwest, playing in bowling alleys and honky tonk bars.  I was at once reminded of a country singer I knew as a kid in Sacramento when I played the drums in my garage that looked out at a gravel roa

I never really understood it before, but to live in Sacramento is to be surrounded by water.  That may sound ludicrous, but I have lived here most of my life, spent a lot of time by the water, but not until I saw more of the world did I understand how much water is a part of where I grew up.  The water around here either collects or seeps or flows into our space, and can be seen all around town and really anywhere in the region.  So I like water, I like spending time by it.  Even when I am out in a high desert, I will find water to be near.  Here in town, I will spend a lot of time by the water on a bicycle, fishing, or just standing. Lately, as I have been bicycle commuting, I have notic