Category: Arts

Friday Night Concerts @ Cesar Chavez lineup

Jackpot
Jackpot the band

Looks like the Friday Night Concert series at Cesar Chavez park started last week with Bright Light Fever, Still Life Projector, The Radio Life, and The Dead Celebrities (that lineup has some top-notch wordplay, kudos to the planners).

Highlights include a June 1 CD release show by An Angle and Spider Silk Dress, and of course the Kai Kln reunion show July 13 (backed by Hot Pistol, one of my new favorite local bands) and an August 3 show by Jackpot (which apparently lost its ownership of the best band URL ever, jackpotswebsite.com, and which also has its own CD release for “Moonbreath” coming up on June 2 and Marilyns). See you in the heat!

Some 80’s Comedians Are Still Funny

Thursday night brought long time comic Will Durst to Sacramento.  Now I’m not as up on stand-up comedy as I used to be (anyone else remember Stand-Up Stand-Up on Comedy Central in the early 90’s), so I wasn’t too sure if Mr. Durst, a purely political comedian who was still telling Reagan jokes the last time I saw him, was still funny.  Turns out he is.

Thursday night’s event at Marilyn’s was a celebration for the “Comic Press News,” a local rag that focuses on nationall political cartoonage (DMZ, remember having to read those things for Carmazzi’s civics class?) which has now changed its name to “The Humor Times.”  The evening was opened up by the local Free Hooch Comedy Troupe, who did some edgy and very salient sketch comedy for the sparse crowd.   Then Mr. Durst came on the stage and did a good hour of solid, current political humor that really killed.  (My favorite local joke of the evening was, “I love Sacramento, I really do.  And I would live here in a second except for one small thing-August…which here happens to last from April to September.”)

Continue reading “Some 80’s Comedians Are Still Funny”

New swanky location on Jay Street

The LoftTaking the bus up Jay street last night I saw “The Loft,” a new meeting/event spot at 727 1/2 J St. That half makes all the difference. A smart move would be to open up “Lofties” next door at 727 1/4 J st., and sell your wares to confused event attendees. I’m glad to see “the loft,” the alternative music venue, make a comeback, even if it is as a completely financially unrelated venue not intended for alternative music.

And since any mention of “the loft” must be accompanied by an unnecessary insult, I should add that one time when I was at “the loft” some cockroaches set up a civilization in the mouth the drummer of visiting band “Monad Nomad.” The roaches were discussing universal health care by the time anyone noticed due to the poor lighting.

(I should officially no longer wonder why people hate me so much.)

Enjoy the silence

Frequent Sac Rag readers know that the Man loves to put his foot down on the people. From preventing our hearts from indulging in heaping helpings of trans fats to sticking hard working, tax paying citizens with bills to fix sidewalks, the madness continues. So much so that this story about banning screaming on thrill rides has me perplexed. Am I shocked? Am I amazed? Or am I just so numb to the comings and goings of government interference (I realize that Scandia is not the Government, but it’s close enough, work with me on this) that I’m better off just pointing my web browser back over to nbc.com so I can watch that hilarious Peyton Manning sketch from SNL a few weeks back for the 100th time?

The new no-screaming policy took effect less than a week ago. Neighbors across Interstate 80 complained the screams were constant, rattling their homes and their patience. Scandia owners took community suggestions and came up with the no-screaming policy and say so far visitors have complied. For those who don’t follow the rules, the ride is stopped immediately and the riders must get off and get back in line.

Now this I gotta see. What level of screamage warrants a ride stoppage? And is it too obvious to mention the name of the ride? You know what I’m thinking Sacramento, right? It rhymes with Play Sassy…

You heard it here first

Back in January of 2006, frequent Sac Rag contributor “Runnergirl” wrote a post about the area’s worst parking lots. Tops on her list was the Natomas Marketplace. And anyone that has ever had the misfortune to shop there has witnessed the Grade A Fuster Cluck (GAFC) that ensues on a daily basis.

Fear not, Sacramento, as the City has listened (probably, maybe) and responded!

The city of Sacramento is taking steps to improve access to Natomas Marketplace, a half-million square foot shopping center with a single main driveway.

Bravo! Now if they could just do something about the drive through line at In & Out Burger (it’s a burger, people, sure it’s good, but it’s a BURGER!).

Tower offers it all

Beginning at 11am this morning, Tower Records will be auctioning off their equipment from the recently shut down stores.

Boxes of DVDs and CDs along with forklifts, desks and file cabinets are some of the items that will be up for grabs.

The proceedings will be webcast by Great American. Online bidders have to register at the Web site.  A quick browse of the auction catalog finds lots of standard office equipment.  You know, air compressors, banding machines, label makers, printers, pornography, etc.

“What!” you are saying to yourself.  I know, I know.  Who couldn’t use a banding machine, huh?  Totally.

Oh, the porno you say?  Yeah, well it appears that, for the right price, Lots 38 and 39 can be yours.  With such hits as “Spanish Fly” and “Deep Inside” topping the list.

Man, it’s worth going just to be there to hear the auctioneer play those up…

It’s Official, Ken Burns Loves Sacramento

On this morning’s edition of “Fresh Air,” the NPR arts and entertainment interview show, Ken Burns, well-known documentary filmmaker, was interviewed about his upcoming project “The War.” It’s a 15 hour look at WWII done as only Ken Burns can, with serious but enchanting narration, closeups and pans of old photos and interviews with crusty old guys with insanely large eyebrows.  Well, in this morning’s interview, Ken was talking about how this documentary focused specifically on four towns in America and how the war affected the people of those towns.  The four towns he chose were Waterbury, MA, Mobile, AL, Laverne, MN and yes, our fair city of Sacramento.  When asked why he picked Sacramento, he said that it was a true crossroads of the West, combining Asian and especially Japanese communities, political machinations, industry and average Americans.  I love that fact that Ken Burns loves us because, really, I love Ken Burns.

Continue reading “It’s Official, Ken Burns Loves Sacramento”

Jackpot’s..err..I mean..Didley Squat’s Gear Stolen by Thieving Dicks!!

(Author’s Correction – The gear did not belong to Jackpot, but to their friends Didley Squat, and Jackpot helped pass along the alert.  I stand by the accuracy of the “Thieving Dicks” part, unless the brigands are revealed to be ladies.  In that case, I will issue a correction to “Thieving Cunts”. – Stickie)

This always pisses me off. Musicians and other artists have a tough life, and I can’t think of anything more professionally devastating than having your gear ganked by some fucking fuckity fuck fuck.

Local faves Jackpot have issued an alert. Please keep an eye out….

$2,000 Reward for the return of stolen goods
No Questions Asked

Last night, Friday March 9th, at 9:15 PM, various pieces of recording equipment, instruments, and laptops were stolen from a vehicle at the intersections of J St. and 48th St. We request the help in recovering these valued items in exchange for $2,000 – No questions asked.
The recovery of these items is extremely important as they have high sentimental value to us. We have no hesitation in exchanging the items for cash.

PLEASE CONTACT US WITH ANY LEADS OF ANY SORT
Contact:
Stuart Nishiyama
Valmuten03@yahoo.com
916-996-9611

Melody Mundy
merry.melody@gmail.com
530-400-8223
and/or

Matt Wrenne
mwrenne@hotmail.com
916-912-0251