With the rain falling and the mercury stuck at a stubborn fifty-five, I took it upon myself to go out and experience some new things in our fair city this weekend. Undaunted by the wet weather and soggy spirits I managed to eat, drink, and laugh my way to a pretty darn good weekend.

Friday night was a double dip into newness, visiting the newly remodeled Sacramento Comedy Spot as well as sampling the grub from the highly anticipated Suzie Burger.

The show at the Sacramento Comedy Spot was a rousing success. Labeled a “Grand Re-Opening,” the lineup included four different shows to a sold out audience. Shows run most Fridays at 8pm. Check out www.saccomedyspot.com for show details.

Suzie Burger was another story. The newly opened burger joint, brainchild of the Haines brothers, has been “coming soon” for quite a number of months now. The former auto repair shop on 29th and P streets has been teasing me with the thought of burgers and cheesesteaks for long enough. It was time to indulge. Continue reading “‘Twas a Weekend of Newness” »

In our ever-diligent pursuit to keep you well informed about the stuff that we, The Sac Rag board of directors, are planning to do with our down time, and consequently what you, The Sac Rag Readers, should think about doing with your down time since we, The Sac Rag board of directors, are screwed in to the local scene like a CFL bulb (since we respect a flex alert too), we bring you another edition of “Watcha’ Doing This Weekend?” In this edition we talk about college football, comedy, outdoor sports, the parting of a local celebrity, and cheese. Continue reading “Watcha’ Doing This Weekend?” »

FRIDAY- Improv at the Sacramento Comedy Spot, 8pm.  Come check out Sacramento’s best Broadway theater, 1716 Broadway, that is.  It’s only $6 for a hilarious night of improv comedy.  You might also catch a glimpse of fromer local hero Ty Johnson, that’s right, THE Ty Johnson.

SATURDAY- 12 Hours at Cool Night Run, timed to coincide with the Perseids meteor shower .  The race is a nine mile loop, and the more serious of the runners will see who can complete the most laps between 7pm Saturday until 7am Sunday.  Runnergirl will be hitting the trails for this neat event, while I will sit at basecamp, strummin’ on the old banjo. 

Others will be going to the “Coexist Comedy” show featuring none other than Keith Lowell Jensen.  Check website for details.

SUNDAY- If the ultra-sexy Patty Souza is correct, temps should be in the mid 80’s on Sunday, a great day for gardening, outdoor recreation or just sitting in those new lawn chairs you bought at the August closeout patio furniture sale.  In the evening, check out the Sacramento International Film and Music Festival’s “10X10″ show, ten short films by ten local directors.  7:00pm.  $10

While driving back from a meeting in Turlock this afternoon, when I finally regained the signal to Capital Public Radio I was instantly engaged in a story being told on Insight. Continue reading “KLJ: The Perfect Stocking Stuffer” »

(Yes, we’re having a slow day at the Sac Rag offices, so sue us!)

Ever notice how KCRA.com offers up slideshows on their site?  While they are usually your standard “Caught on Tape” wackiness, from time to time I find a few that are funny.  Mainly because they are not really explained or introduced.  They just jump right into their topic.  For example, I noticed two “Most Annoying” slideshows today.  The first was “The Most Annoying Songs of All Time” and the second was “The Most Annoying Celebrities of All Time“.

While we can all agree on Carrot Top, I’m not sure Don Johnson really fits.  And Nathan Lane?

But, be careful.  I still can’t get that darned “Mmmm Bop” song out of my head now…

I just got a little survey from sacbee.com asking me what changes I’d like to see in sacticket.com, the online version of the Bee’s “Scene” section. In thinking about it, I realized that what I’d really like to see is more coverage of local bands, comedians, theaters, artists, writers and performers and less focus on movies, TV and national celebrities which, let’s face it, have become the territory of bloggers, national news outlets and omnipresent marketing campaigns. Honestly, when was the last time you looked to the Bee to plan your movie viewing strategy? And Rick Kushman’s writing on TV? That guy should have a national column.
That being said, here’s a quick note on a new series of improv comedy shows that just started at the Capitol Garage. Every Wednesday, from 9-11, the Sacramento Comedy Spot is hosting an improv show at the Capitol Garage at 15th and K. Cover is $5, but the laughs are free.

Not that I, you know, go out and do stuff or anything, but I noted that The Crest added a second show of humorist David Sedaris on October 29 because the previous night had sold out.

Which reminds me that it’s always important to check on the calendars of the various Borders and Barnes & Noble outlets because although most of the time it’s Hawaiian music (nothing against slack key, but it’s true) sometimes you get something out of the ordinary, such as the David Sedaris live reading/book signing I recall missing out on a few years ago.

So here are a couple of links for bookstore event information:

Continue reading “David Sedaris @ the Crest, bookstore events” »