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.
Category: Arts
Weekend events: Museum Day, Harpeth Trace @ The Firehouse
A photo of Tom Brady is a blog post’s
ticket to Google success
Two free events coming up this weekend that I wanted to make sure to mention. First of all, don’t forget Saturday is Museum Day. Free admission to 25 local museums from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Forecast calls for rain at least part of the day on Saturday, possibly in the afternoon, so maybe an after-lunch trip to the train museum will be just what the Dr. ordered for your weekend.
Continue reading “Weekend events: Museum Day, Harpeth Trace @ The Firehouse”
Audition Notice: Channel your inner-Liza
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
Netflix has no limits (sort of)
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)…
Another Shins Sacramento connection
I wrote a year ago about the new Shins album and their Sacramento connection — Omnibus records and current Mt. St. Mtn. co-founder Mark Kaiser. Well, that’s probably their coolest Sacramento connection, but as of this weekend it is definitely not their most domestic-abusingest connection. Continue reading “Another Shins Sacramento connection”
“I left my heart in the old CompUSA building”
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.
This forced me to spell-check “Synthesizer.”
Have you ever wondered what it would be like if a tiny band of synthesizer-playing women in Renaissance-themed costumes and drum-kit playing men in white suits crawled out of the speakers at the mall and began to play jazzy versions of Handel’s Messiah, inspiring middle-aged women to compliment one another on their Christmas sweaters? Or are you more the type to wonder what it would be like if Thomas Kinkaide’s artwork went through the video toaster before being projected at a stadium concert? If you’ve ever had these questions, or if you simply enjoy wizardry, Gaelic spellings (e.g. “Faeries”) and being more relaxed than you ever thought you could be in a huge sports stadium, I strongly recommend seeing Mannheim Steamroller next year at Arco Arena. We went last night. I don’t think I need to say much more except there is really very little I won’t do to please my in-laws.
Local connection for “Rock Band”
I played “Rock Band” for the first time last night (with our own The Game Guy, natch). If you have not played “Guitar Hero” or “Rock Band,” you must know that they are probably the most fun things invented in a long time. They are like a video game you would invent inside a dream (like the giant fighting robot holographic gladiator game I dreamt of once). I rocked the drums on “Wanted Dead or Alive” and aped Jagger on “Gimme Shelter” (which was semi challenging as the game made me also sing the female backup vocal).
One of the unlock-able “bonus” songs in the hottest new video game around is “Time We Had,” a track off the latest release by The Mother Hips, a Chico-based California rock band who has rocked the Sacramento area since the early 90s. It got me thinking…what would an all-Sacto “Rock Band” set list look like?
Sac’s got bands
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”
“Rocky Horror” at Big Screen (West Sac)
I do not, repeat: do not, swing this way but it has been a long time since I have mentioned the Movies on a Big Screen series (which has moved to West Sac, but still) and since the curator mentioned that he’s been lax in getting the word out I wanted to pitch in. Starting Friday at 10 pm Shiny Object will be screening “Rocky Horror Picture Show” in their new location at 600 4th Street in West Sacramento. I have yet to attend an indie flick screening at Shiny Object but I love knowing it is there.
So if you’re into that whole Rocky Horror thing, check out Shiny Object Friday night. And stay away from me and my family. 🙂
The Sac Rag 