I’m proud to announce today that we have added a new sponsor: California Musical Theatre, producers of Music Circus and Broadway Sacramento. CMT is the largest nonprofit musical theatre in California and we are grateful for their support.
Carmazzi Real Estate: Residential sales and property management, serving the greater Sacramento area for over six years now. For more information on how Carmazzi Real Estate can assist you, call the office today at (916) 736-1417, visit the website or send an email to info-at-carmazzire.com.
California Musical Theatre: Producers of Music Circus and Broadway Sacramento. CMT is the largest nonprofit musical theatre in California. Box office: (916) 557-1999 or buy tickets online at Tickets.com.
I remember fondly going out to an annual breakfast with my dad, The Game Guy, Sr., one special Saturday in December for pancakes and then to a little mall full of non-chain stores to visit Santa Claus- who was the embodiment of ol’ St. Nick if I ever knew one. One of the benefits of being at such a mall was the total lack of crowds which allowed our Kris Kingle to be take his time and actually engage in a conversation with me. After I got done visiting with Santa, my dad and I would then go Christmas shopping for my mom (it wasn’t until many years later that I realized the Saturday alone was probably the greatest gift my Dad and I could have given her).
By the time my sister came along, we kept up this tradition for at least 10 years. And for 10 years, the same Santa Claus. No foolin’- it was the same guy every year, and after a few years, he started to remember my dad (something about the Scotch my dad would bring for him probably was the trigger).
So as I looking towards my first Christmas as a dad, I can’t wait to start this tradition with my own son, Game Boy. Naturally this begs the question: where, dear readers, is the best place in Sacramento for a pancake breakfast (please don’t say Pancake Circus) and an awesome Santa? My first thought was to search out non-chain-based malls to capture the Santa experience of my youth, but then quickly realized that meant Florin Mall which instantly terrified me. So, any other suggestions?
Tip o’ the hat to the “No on 8″ campaigners for their brilliant stunt today on the corner of Watt and El Camino. A great deal of though obviously went into the planning for today’s protest and it totally paid off. For those of you that missed it, here’s a brief rundown.
First, the No on 8 folks went to the nearby Wal-Mart and found the absolute craziest looking folks they could find. We’re talking gap-toothed, elephantized-buttocksed, sloth-jawed creatures who were trotted out to the busy intersection and (here’s where it gets deliciously devious) given “Yes on 8″ and “Protect Marriage” signs. The best was the guy with the radioactive sign tattoo on his shaved dome shouting about the sanctity of marriage. If any rational person were to see this circus sideshow, they’d immediately vote against whatever these sign-wavers were campaigning for in a heartbeat.
Well done, No on 8 campaign. Your skills in the political arena are formidable.
Other than being the title of one of the best and most overlooked Sonny Rollins albums (I know you don’t care about jazz, just humor me), the title above refers to the fact that we’re going to race through your myriad dining options on Sacramento’s Broadway with a no-holds-barred, no-stone-left-unturned, no-child-left-behind attitude. Are you ready?
Let’s go. These will be in no particular order (other than geographically west to east):
Jamie’s Bar & Grill- Decent prices for hearty food. My experiences have been underwhelming, but others swear by it. Expect burgers, sandwiches, barbecue, comfort food, cigarette scarred tables, and waitresses that call you sweetheart. Don’t expect a sign above the door.
Two stars- 427 Broadway
Market Club- If you’re looking for a breakfast dive, you’ve found it. Standard breakfast fare with a few Asian touches (fried rice and fried eggs anyone?). You won’t find a better divey yet friendly place located in a produce warehouse yard anywhere.
Three stars-2630 5th St (off of Broadway in the fenced in produce yard) Continue reading “East Broadway Rundown” »
The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus takes to the rings at Arco Arena Thursday. Tickets are actually pretty cheap, lower level tickets are going for $11.50 and kids under 2 are free.
Though the real circus did away with the freak show long ago, this weekend midtown will also be home to the “2nd Annual Circus Show & Other Atrocities,” an art show “juxtaposing the dark, painful lives of performing animals with the fun, amusing atmosphere of a carnival.” Here are some photos from last year’s event. (Is that Hellboy himself Ron Perlman? I know it’s not, but that would be a sweet get, bigger than Dan Piraro, creator of comic strip Bizarro, who’ll be headlining this year. Although that is a pretty neat get.)
It’s official: Everything sucks. The Cool family is planning a getaway to the Scotts Valley/Santa Cruz area, and I was excited to take my crew to see The Tree Circus, which as a kid I dragged my family to see once. Basically, this was a quaint little garden full of trees shaped into funny sculptures, as you can see at right. Tee hee. My recollection is that I was ridiculed for taking the whole family to see a bunch of braided trees, but I’m sure my family would rather braid their own eyeballs than witness what has become of my beloved Tree Circus…
It’s been a little over a year since I saw Agent Ribbons play, for the first and only time, opening for the Dead Hensons at Old Ironsides. When they had finished their set, I was left with the satisfied feeling that one gets after seeing a very promising band at the beginning. Unfortunately, that summed up what I knew about the band. Shows came and went and I twiddled my thumbs, barely registered their passing until on Monday I finally got the gumption to see them. I even braved the echo chamber that is the Press Club, wary of the fact that I’ve been near deaf for days after going to punk shows there.
Agent Ribbons, of course, is nothing like punk. Their collection of love songs is charming, pleasantly full of sass and embodies a whimsy more along the lines of LA’s the Ditty Bops, though without the signature vocal harmonies and less complex songs. However, the lyrics are intricate and clever; paired with the music, the songs bring to mind the some Anne of Green Gables universe where troubles are something that can be kissed away. Considering that Agent Ribbons boasts a mere two musicians, drummer Lauren Hess and singer/guitarist Natalie Gordon who play without a backing band, they’re also remarkably complete. “Birds and Bees,” a fifties throwback ballad, is filled in on the chorus with a quickly strummed guitar and Lauren’s tom playing keeping time until the music simplifies to the next verse to give attention to the lyrics.
Continue reading “Sacramento’s Darlings: Agent Ribbons at the Press Club” »
We’ve taken our shots over the years at the two ring circus that is “Good Day Sacramento,” but we’ve not told the other side of the story, the side that compares Good Day against the other morning shows in the area to see where each stands in this fence-sitter of a media market. (Are we a small big market or a big small market, who can tell?) This week, a dear friend relayed to me his experiences with a two morning shows, and I’d like to share those with you. Hopefully, this will give you a chance to judge for yourself as to who really rules the airwaves from dawn to coffee break.
First of all, let me set the scene for you. My friend had two appearances lined up last month to promote an event, one appearance on the KCRA morning news on channel 58, and one appearance on Good Day Sacramento. The KCRA news appearance was (as if you couldn’t already see this coming) a bad scene. Rushed for time, fighting technical difficulties and trying to get out his message points despite the woodenness of the broadcast team, my friend did his best to fill the thirty seconds that they wound up giving him. According to him, the crew was a bit scattered, everything was thrown together last minute and the everyone seemed a little stressed. Continue reading “A Tale of Two News Shows” »
In writing about restaurants, one tends to put himself in the work. It’s inevitable, really. Food, restaurants, people, likes, dislikes, cannot be written about with the cold, impartial pen that so many professional journalists carry. There are certain things I like, certain things I love, others I can’t stand, and some I simply tolerate. This makes me human, makes you human, makes all of us human (except for that Chris Matthews guy, who I swear is a muppet). So, this means, every now and then, you may disagree with a review. I’m totally cool with that.
I’ve come to conclusion that there is no way that my expectations, prejudices, leanings, and passions can be superimposed on some faceless recommendee. My opinion is not universal, but I think it’s a good divining rod for a large portion of the eating public. Nevertheless, there will be those that have an entirely different idea as to what the average dining experience should be and to them, I wish nothing but good tidings. In order to be a mature and thoughtful writer, one needs to not only acknowledge that others are entitled to their opinions (a premise on which we can all probably agree), but to understand how those others can actually form opinions different from one’s own. So, to help you figure out where I (and subsequently you) stand, I offer you this list of my favorite places in the Sacramento area. If you’ve gone to these spots and totally disagree with me, then odds are you’re not going to do well by following any advice I dish out. But, far be it from me to stop you from trying: Continue reading “The Favorites List: Proceed at Your Own Risk” »
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