Author: Stickie

Sad News (Updated! High Speed Chase!)

John McCrea R.I.P.A traffic accident has taken the life of John McCrea, lead singer and songwriter for the band Cake. No official statement has been made by the band’s management, but sources close to the Rag report that the incident occurred last night after their sold out show in Bordeaux, France.

Band members were noshing at a patisserie when a delivery van for the business jumped onto the sidewalk and crashed onto the patio seating. McCrea was killed instantly. Trumpeter Vince DiFiore has reportedly been hospitalized, but his condition is unknown.

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High School Basketball Fever! Catch it!

Tomorrow, the CIF will bring the best high school basketball teams from Northern California to Arco Arena for the NorCal championship games. Next weekend, the NorCal champs will face the SoCal winners in the finals. The Sac-Joaquin Section boasts several teams that have a shot at the state championship, so let’s get pumped and show some support! Woo!

In Division 1, Kennedy has the #2 raked girls team in NorCal. They will face #1 ranked Berkeley High in the semi-finals to see who will face the SoCal champion.

In Division 2 girls, #1 St. Francis will face #6 Archbishop Mitty.

The game of the year is definitely the Division 3 girls semi-final, with the only two undefeated teams in California vying for the NorCal title. #2 St. Mary’s of Stockton (GO RAMS!!!!!) will face #1 Sacred Heart Cathedral (SF).

The Division 3 boys match features a battle of the upsetting underdogs, with #7 Sacramento High battling #6 Sacred Heart Cathedral.

Best of luck to all of our local teams!

Celebrity Freakout!

And you thought LA had all of the fun? No, folks, Sacramento is home to our own Maury-worthy celebrity tantrums.

According to witnesses at Mason’s, local b-lister Ola Ray had a rough time the other night. For those of you who are unfamiliar with her, Ola Ray is most well known as “the girl in the Thriller video”, which just celebrated its 25th anniversary. She was also Playboy’s PotM in June, 1980.

Ola Ray and her companion were entering the restaurant when a fan recognized her and asked for a photo. Ola posed for a picture. Then, for unknown reasons, Ola went ballistic on the photographer, screaming the b-list celebrity catch phrase “Don’t you know who I am!?!?!”

When the police arrived, things reportedly got even worse. One officer attempted an arrest on Ola and received a punch square in the face. Her companion reportedly assaulted another officer and was taken down while attempting to pull the officer’s firearm from his holster.

Good to know that Mason’s/The Park continues to be Sacramento’s celebrity central.

Bach in Blech

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?
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2007 Festival of New American Music

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.

Sacramento Brewers Bring Home the Gold

I spent the last week in Denver at the Great American Beer Festival sampling waaaaaaaaay too much beer, but have returned with my liver swollen and my palate enlightened.

Hats off to Rubicon Brewing and Sacramento Brewing for collecting more awards for their already bulging trophy cases. Rubicon Brewing pulled a major upset by winning gold in the Belgian-Style Sour Ale category, beating out an incredible field from some of the highest regarded brewers in the US. Unfortunately for local beer enthusiasts, their High Mountain Cherry Ale is not one of their regular creations, and I’m not sure if it will be available locally for tasting. But, believe me, it is goooooooooooooood.

Sacramento Brewing took a bronze medal in the Foreign (Export) Style Stout category for their Russian Imperial Stout. In total, California won 43 medals and two brewery of the year awards.

Edit: Rubicon’s plan is to bottle the High Mountain in champagne bottles for public sale at some point in the future. You can bet that I will be first in line to bring home one of these fantastic beers.

Sacramento’s Urban Winery

I was pleased to find a winery two blocks from my house, and hope that I continue to find new wineries throughout Midtown, but that seems unlikely. Too bad, as I can imagine an urban wine country running through Downtown and Midtown, up to the North Sacramento Wineries in Del Paso Heights. Call them microwineries. Sacramento can become California’s Urban Microwinery Country. Say it aloud, and feel it just roll off the tongue!

But, enough of my dreams. Revolution Wines is tucked behind a hair salon on P and 21st. You may have already enjoyed the 2004 vintages that were poured at various Sacramento area charity events during the past year. With a tasting room that opened in July, Revolution is pouring three of Winemaker Jason Fernandez’s 2005 vintages: The Pinot Grigio, that is grown in Clarksburg, an Amador Zinfandel, and Renzo, a red blend. All three are excellent, and I look forward to the December release of a Clarksburg Syrah. Four more vintages will be introduced over the next year.

Revolution Wines
2114 P Street
Thursday 4 PM – 7 PM
Friday & Saturday 11 AM – 9 PM
Sunday 11 AM – 5 PM

Oktoberfest!

This weekend, we’ve got two local Oktoberfest celebrations for your pleasure.

Turn Verein’s Oktoberfest is a long standing Sacramento tradition, with the dancing, the oom-pah-pah, food, beer and wine. If you have never attended, you are definitely missing out.

Brew It Up is also hosting a strong Oktoberfest for a second year, with fifteen hand crafted German-style beers, food, dancing under a Munich-style tent and more of the oom-pah-pah. Reservations are recommended for dining. If you want to try the beers, they are on tap right now. O’zapft is!

Prost!