The canceled Jason Isbell show last week was a disappointment to many, but to me it brought two fortunate things. First, was a free poster printed for the gig given as a consolation prize. Like the ones that are handed out in San Francisco after shows at the Fillmore or the Warfield or the more local Asbestos Press silk-screened posters you may have seen around town, it’s printed on thick paper that will last being tacked to the wall for at least a year. The design is a symmetrical mirror image split down the center featuring lightning bolts, oil derricks and the front ends of a classic Ford Mustang all on semi-glossy silver. To be honest, I haven’t had the chance to listen to Jason Isbell’s solo effort that he left the Drive-By Truckers for, but the imagery all fits with the down-home working stiff cowpunk that I’ve come to expect from DBT.

Continue reading “Shows Shows Shows Galore” »

Just got this news over the ‘Wire’ that Runaway Stage Productions is still looking for a few good men and women for their upcoming production of “Cabaret” (now in rehearsals).

Performances are 2/29 (that’s a Leap Year Day!) thru 3/23, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

For those of you who haven’t had the pleasure of taking in a Runaway Stage production, let me assure you that from a community theater perspective- they are top-notch. Far and away, they are one of the best local theaters in the Sacramento area- and totally cleaned house at last year’s Elly Awards for their production of “Chicago.”

An Absolutely FABULOUS Press Release after the break

Continue reading “Audition Notice: Channel your inner-Liza” »

Popular video rental company Netflix apparently is offering its subscribers unlimited access to movies and television shows to watch via the Web on their personal computers (NOTE: This feature is only available to folks using IE 6 or higher!).

The feature will be open to all subscribers already on one of their unlimited monthly video rental plans, with no extra charge.

I currently subscribe to the “2 at-a-time (Unlimited)” plan and am still limited to 14 hours of online viewing. But with instant access to A Fish Called Wanda, Real Genius, and Zoolander, who is complaining?

On a local note, it is always fun to check out what folks are viewing in Sacramento (via Netflix)…

Continue reading “Netflix has no limits (sort of)” »

Has anyone checked out Bodies: Revealed over on Alta Arden?

I saw this exhibit earlier this year in a different city, and it’s a must for anyone in the medical field (or for those of us who feel we’ve missed our calling.  Any other fans of the Mutter Museum at The College of Physicians of Philadelphia out there?)

The bodies are presented respectfully, and they give a close-up view of muscles, nerves, organs, bones, the circulatory system, what certain diseases look like, and a multitude of other fascinating facets of anatomy.  It’s amazing how well engineered we are. I was with a fellow runner, so she and I were pointing out the different things that have ailed us over the years, most notably the piriformis muscle, patellar tendon, and iliotibial band.

The Sacramento exhibit is just one of many exhibitions of actual cadavers that have been preserved and dissected — all bodies used were donated to science.  Check it out, 10am-10pm daily, through March 2008.

Group discounts are available, so here’s a chance for sacrag meet-up, and we can truly see that we’re really all the same inside.

I went out and about to several shows since Thursday and caught some cool acts, which I recommend for your consumption.

Lite Brite: A young Sacramento three-piece band that reminds me of what you might get if Sonic Youth met The latter-period Jam. But they don’t slavishly ape their influences; it’s more the occasional feel to the music here and there. They also pulled off a nice cover of Led Zeppelin’s “In the Night,” not an easy thing to do.

Kevin Seconds & The Altruistics: The latest rock project from Sacto’s resident punk rock legend. The music seems to me a mix of hardcore punk with melodic pop sensibilities. The band is tight, and, as always, Mr. Seconds has a very deft touch with songwriting.
Continue reading “Sac’s got bands” »

This week, the News and Review has sunk to an all time low with their cover story and issue dedicated to Sebastian Bach. If you cannot tell from my homage to both AC/DC and Mad Magazine in the title of this entry, I am precisely the target demographic for an issue dedicated to a washed up, middle aged metal singer who has not had a hit song since 1989 and has found a new career as a reality TV star. Big whoop. And, if I don’t care, how is anyone else going to give a flying fuck about Sebastian Bach?
Continue reading “Bach in Blech” »

Sac State hosts the 30th year of this annual event that brings free music and avant-garde composers to Sacramento with, unfortunately, very little fanfare. With such a dizzying array of musical styles, from orchestral and choral pieces to solo artists and small combos, I am surprised that I have not heard more promotions for this event.

For a calendar of performances, click here. My recommendation is to check out guitarist/composer/professor Derek Keller, who performs Wednesday at Noon. Keller’s most recent work has been a 2007 tour with Kronos Quartet, and he is currently an instructor at American River College and is the curator of the Music Series at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.

Never had I ever listened to Man Man before I stepped into the Blue Lamp the Friday they were playing, which is something I don’t do for shows in Sacramento that cost more than 5 dollars. But I had found the band during a night spent trolling about on Wikipedia looking up the bands listed on the slip handed to me post-TMBG show and the description was promising. A band that dresses up in war paint and doesn’t take breaks during the set sounded worth it to me, so I put it on my concert calendar. Lo and behold, the next day dear sweet Stickie sent out an e-mail informing me that they were “highly recommended.” Chalk another one on the board for Man Man. Continue reading “Controlled Chaos: Man Man at the Blue Lamp” »

For the love of all that is holy!  There are so many things going on this weekend.  Where to start?  There’s the Lincoln Rib Festival, the American River Salmon Festival, the Armenian Food Festival, the Spookomotive, the Auburn Wine Festival, The Northern California Experimental Music Festival, the usual Second Saturday shenanigans, the Sacramento International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, and about 13,000 other things.  But what will we be doing this weekend?

FRIDAY & SATURDAY- Sacramento Comedy Fest: Featuring sketch, improv and stand-up from Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Sacramento.  Shows start at 8pm, $10.  All shows after 10pm, FREE.  1716 Broadway.  I’ll be there, you should too. Continue reading “Watcha Doin’ This Weekend?” »

For me, the first indication of what the evening was going to be like came whilst arriving at the back of the line with TMBG ticket in hand. As I neared the doors, taped to the wall was a sign on paper that could have popped out of any printer you or I bought proclaiming, approximately “This show 14+, by request of THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS.” Which goes to show what kind of guys TMBG are. These are the guys who managed to put out children’s albums and not lose their fan base because their regular albums sound a bit like children’s albums - if the child in question is the baby from Who Framed Roger Rabbit. That the heavily adult audience gave an extended “yeah!” when the band launched into “The Alphabet of Nations” only goes to show that fans found the children’s albums another acceptable entry in the TMBG discography. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Continue reading “They Kind of ARE Giants” »