The decibel level at Ace of Spades was raised to an ear-splitting high as prog-metal band Mastodon took the stage Wednesday, along with guests The Dillinger Escape Plan and Red Fang. A sea of shaggy-haired metal heads packed the small venue to the brim, and the smell of spilled beer and old leather permeated the crowd. Portland-based band Red Fang took the stage first, to an astonishing large following despite only recently debuting in the music scene two years ago. The band delivered an impressive set, with a heavy sludge metal sound reminiscent of The Melvins mixed with the bluesy riffs of Kyuss. The band got the crowd energized immediately upon opening, headbanging between growled vo

Ace of Spades went up in smoke Tuesday as "The Smoker’s Club" hip-hop tour made its way to Midtown. The tour, founded in the summer of 2010 by a group of like-minded artists big and small, unites those who share a love for hip-hop and medicinal cannabis. Ironically, the tour comes hot off the heels of a serious federal crackdown on medical cannabis taking place in California, shutting down dispensaries locally and statewide. The second leg of the tour kicked off on Oct. 12 and features Method Man, Curren$y, Big Krit and many others. The stage was adorned with a "Smoker’s Club" banner and a lone DJ booth, as attendees lazily filed into the venue for the opening acts. Chicago-based emcee

Meet Joey Cunha (aka Joey Roxx), lead guitarist for the Orange County based hard rock band Burn Halo. While he's not a household name as of yet, this talented guitarist has been in the music scene for quite some time. Cunha also served as guitarist for Sacramento-based band Die Trying, signing a contract with Island Records and releasing an album in 2003 that received moderate exposure before the group disbanded in 2004. Not one to be defeated, Cunha pushed forward and auditioned and landed the spot as lead guitarist for Burn Halo, formed by former Eighteen Visions singer James Hart. Since then, the band has released two full-lengh albums, gone on countless cross country tours, and enjoyed

The corner of 20th Street between J and K Street usually serves as the unofficial epicenter for Second Saturday in Midtown, a monthly celebration that seems to be slowly losing it's focus on the art and music culture aspect of the event in recent years. This past Saturday, however, something was different. The Sammies, Sacramento's annual music awards show, turned 20 this year, and that afternoon there was no mistaking that music and hometown love reigned supreme over excessive drinking and partying. I sat on my patio just around the corner from the celebration, listening to the sweet sounds of the best of the best in Sacramento, before heading out around 7pm. By the time I had reached th

The sun was still hanging lazily in the sky as an enormous crowd filed into Midtown's cozy Ace of Spades venue to see hip-hop legend Snoop Dogg Friday evening. The famed indo-puffing, gin and juice-drinking rap veteran is no stranger to the Sacramento area, as just only seven months ago, the "Doggfather" performed at UC Davis' Freeborn Hall to an enthusiastic college crowd. Now, hot off the heels of his 11th studio album, Doggumentary (which debuted at No. 8 on the U.S. Billboard 200), the rapper returned to show Sacramento he's still one of hip-hop's best in the game. The small venue filled up quickly, with a diverse crowd ranging from young to old, longtime fans to curious new fans. On