November’s Second Saturday event continues to attract visitors to Midtown and other areas to enjoy art, music, food and now holiday shopping.
The cold weather kept many art aficionados home this month but some venues continue to bring visitors to their art walk events.
I passed by several galleries and made a longer stop at Union Hall Gallery located at 2126 K Street. Some construction work was being done near the front and guests entered from the back entrance.
The Union Hall Gallery showcased the work of artist Leonardo Ceballos’ exhibition entitled “Un suspiro por México (A sigh for Mexico).”
The art on exhibit showcased things that Ceballos misses from his native Mexico and each piece includes art that is political, cultural or symbolic in nature.
Several guests remained after enjoying the exhibit in the hopes of meeting the artist.
As I walked around Midtown near 20th and J I heard a band playing off in the distance. The music drew me in and I followed the sound that emanated from the Sacramento Bicycle Kitchen (SBK).
The SBK is managed by community volunteers who work to bring do-it-yourself bicycle repair, maintenance and education to members of the Sacramento community. Outreach Coordinator Donald Bybee and other SBK members were on hand to ensure the event went as planned.
SBK has been at 1915 I Street since it began operations in 2006. The bike shop is run by volunteers and donations help pay the bills. Paid services include instructional classes and shop fees that also help keep SBK running.
The Nov. 10 Second Saturday event featured several local bands. The bands I was able to enjoy featured band members who for the most part were 16 years old or younger.
When I arrived at SBK, Sidetracked was already performing. Their lead singer reminded me of a younger Chloe Chaidez from Kitten. The four member band, like other bands, counted on the support of parents, teachers and friends who attended to support the bands.
Sidetracked and other musicians who attended the SBK event participated at Skip’s Music’s Stairway to Stardom this year.
The Sacramento based band claims the music of Nirvana, Paramore, Rise Against and others as influences. Brianna Hernandez-Maldonado, Tucker Lee, Robert Anderson and Tristan Williams make up the recently formed band Sidetracked.
Another band of young musicians was Broken Chains. The four member band includes James Dial, Ryan Smith and brothers Timothy and Jonathan Aldama.
Broken Chains was also involved in Skip’s Music Stairway to Stardom. The young members took turns doing lead and backup vocals. Most of their set included original tunes.
Alive and Burning was, I believe, the youngest band to play at SBK.
Members of Alive and Burning range in age from 10 to 14 years of age.
Their spunky young lead singer Josephine Minnick started off their set with a great cover rendition of Papa Roach’s “Last Resort.” The song showcased Minnick’s energy and the band’s instrumental cohesiveness. Jacob Hite, Anders Swanson and Tristan Warten showcased their musical talent as they played crowd favorites like "Attack of the Fruit", "Zombie Apocalypse" and Green Day’s "When I Come Around."
The headline act for the evening was Dog Party. Sisters Gwendolyn (16) and Lucy Giles (14) continue to amaze and amuse crowds as they play cover and original songs.
The Giles sisters brought copies of their second release and first full length recording of P.A.R.T.Y. to sell at the SBK.
Dog Party has been doing a lot of touring lately and it was great to see them at SBK. The Giles sisters have been part of the Sacramento scene since 2009 and were recently recognized when they won a Sammies award for Outstanding Post-punk.
On Saturday night they showed why they’re considered one of Sacramento’s best young bands. Although they’re still quite young their music continues to impress and their repertoire of original catchy songs are always a hit with fans.
Dog Party can also play an array of cover songs but a personal favorite is X’s “Los Angeles” and I can’t recall but that could have been the only cover song of the evening performed by Dog Party.
The Second Saturday show at SBK was well received and the cold weather did not deter fans from enjoying some mighty fine music by several young up-and-coming Sacramento bands.
The Sacramento Bike Kitchen has been home to great musical venues during Second Saturday Art Walk shows and it offers music for fans of all ages.
Follow Sidetracked, Broken Chains, Alive and Burning and Dog Party at their Facebook pages and also check the SBK site for future events or for classes to help you fix or maintain your bicycles.
