Category: Arts

Wallpaper. @ Ace of Spades 8/10

Credit: Dan Busta and Ryan Schude

Wallpaper., the Oakland-based “gonzo hip hop/party jam” outfit of Ricky Reed (aka Eric Frederic), is getting the full MTV (“Still into the music thing!”) treatment, as a featured artist in the Push project, which has launched acts like Bruno Mars, Florence and the Machine, and a little guy you may have heard of by the name of Bieber.

Wallpaper. is like Beck going through a heavy electro beats and Autotune phase turned up to 11. It’s one of those acts that skewers its genre with absurd humor, while coloring inside the lines of the genre itself and supplying enough sincerity and skill that it’s impossible to know when you depart the satirical vodka-soaked party bus and enter the … actual vodka-soaked party bus.

Continue reading “Wallpaper. @ Ace of Spades 8/10”

Jumble Sale, Beer, & Pizza! Oh My!

Not your ordinary shopping experience. Pictured are some of the old school duds for sale at the Verge Jumble Sale!

Calling all garage sale junkies, thrift store fanatics, and lovers of fun: come out to the Jumble Sale & Preview Party at Verge Center for the Arts tomorrow (Thursday) night! For a mere $15, from 6pm to 10pm, enjoy first-dibs shopping on throw back goods, beer, and Luigi’s pizza. You can also visit with artists in their studios and dance to live DJ Scott Soriano.

The whole shopping scene just keeps getting better and better in Sac! All this fun benefits a great nonprofit, Verge. (I volunteer there–I’ve seen their greatness first-hand.)

Can’t make the party, but still want to shop? The sale continues Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Check the website for details.

Peter Frampton can save your business

Office Space - The Two Bobs
Tell us what it is that you *do* here at Jackson Rancheria

Interesting stories today in the Bee about the status of local casinos. In “Jackson Rancheria Casino cuts 150 jobs“, we learn that Jackson Rancheria Casino laid off 150 workers after consultants determined it was overstaffed. The layoffs eliminated a little more than 10 percent of the casino’s workforce, leaving 1,250 employees.

As part of a recent $100 million remodel of the Jackson complex, a consulting team examined staffing levels and concluded “there were just too many employees for our size operation,” Elmets said. “The number of employees was just too high, in good times or bad.”

We then learn that Thunder Valley in Lincoln is hiring 100 workers to cope with improvements in business. And that Red Hawk Casino in Shingle Springs is doing so poorly that it has halted payments on a $66 million loan from its outside management company. I wonder why one casino is hiring while another is defaulting on a loan? Continue reading “Peter Frampton can save your business”

Corn dog eating contest

Size has nothing to do with it
Nothing says State Fair like eating corn dogs ’til you puke. This did not occur during the first preliminary round yesterday, but maybe visitors will be lucky during the next two rounds today and tomorrow.

Milo’s Corn Dog, operated by Milo Frank, has been selling corn dogs for four decades. This year, he has staked $2000 (plus a lot of corn dogs) in hopes of finding the area’s best eater. If you want a shot at the crown, the second preliminary round is today at 4pm. Complete contest details, including the liability waiver from a gruesome corn dog related death, can be found here. FYI, the top eaters from yesterday consumed between 6 and 8 corn dogs in 4 minutes. The final round will be 8 minutes long.

A few more pics after the jump…
Continue reading “Corn dog eating contest”

Fair food to be inspected this year

mc-hammer
Creative Commons License photo credit: no-frills marilyn.
MC Hammer takes the stage on July 18th

The California State Fair opens for business today and you should be aware that *this* year, inspectors will start state fair food inspections.

The Sacramento County Environmental Management Department will start inspecting the fair’s more than 150 food vendors when it opens Thursday. And as a cue to customers, vendors get signs to display saying they’ve passed inspection.

What? Does this mean that food vendors have previously been serving their concoctions sans government review? I do like the idea of displaying the signs though. It could be the difference for me in trying the raccoon on a stick, maggot melt or deep-fried scorpions.

Stickie, what say you?

Explosively Fun Art Show this Saturday

Looking for the best of Second Saturday? The coolest party will be at The Urban Hive, 1931 H Street, from 6 to 9 pm, where the talented, outrageous and funny artist Jose Di Gregorio will be joined by musician and visual artist Neil Haydon playing acoustic folk songs.

Di Gregorio, born in Puerto Rico and raised in California, graduated from Herron School of Art and Design in 2006 and currently serves on the Board of Directors at Verge Center for the Arts, where he is also an artist in residence. If you’re familiar with Verge, it’s a local hub for the area’s most talented contemporary artists. Di Gregorio’s residency there, in addition to his outstanding artworks, speaks volumes about his credibility as an artist. His exhibit Saturday will feature 15 mid- to large-scale drip paintings on wood and paper.

Plus, it’s going to be fun. Di Gregorio is not only a painter; he’s also a performance artist. Known for over-the-top karaoke performances and doing cannon balls into pools at fancy affairs where everyone else is dressed in suits (I know; I was there), Di Gregorio entertains. The magnitude of his creativity explodes onto his paintings and into his everyday life with joyful fervor.

Don’t miss the excitement!

Xmas in July: Trust me, it’ll be awesome

My air conditioning has been out all week, so I’m looking for anything to cool off. It turns out, this Friday, one of the coolest events of the year is coming to Sacramento. On Friday, July 15, The Yule Logs, the world’s funkiest Christmas/rock band will be gracing our fair city with a show at Luigi’s Fungarden in Midtown.

I’ve seen these guys before and they are one of the most fun acts you will ever see. Whether it’s December or the middle of summer, there’s no wrong time to see the most rocked out (and clever) versions of your favorite Christmas tunes. Check out their website http://www.yulelogsmusic.com/, for a sampling of their insane, seasonal sound.

Xmas in July featuring The Yule Logs, Uni and her Ukelele, and Musical Chairs

Friday July 15th, 9pm. Luigi’s Fungarden- 1050 20th St, Sacramento

Weekend planner: July 2-4, 2011


Creative Commons License photo credit: Duncan H

Years ago when CoolDMZ and I started this here web log, we didn’t have all of these fancy, integrated web sites to talk about where we lived. Now, there are plenty to choose from. I think my favorite lately is patch.com. You can browse pages devoted to individual cities like Carmichael, Roseville, and Davis. Give them a visit.

Now, back to my point. The Carmichael patch offers up a nice little weekend planner for the holiday weekend. Most of the events pertain to that side of the world, but does include information about the Independence Day event at the California State Military Museum.

Where/When: California State Military Museum, 1119 Second Street, Sacramento, Monday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Why Go: Find out all about California’s military history on the most patriotic day for those of us in the USA. View flags, weapons and exhibits, including memorabilia from the Persian Gulf War, California Cavalry, Spanish and Mexican California and much more—a pitstop at the Major General Walter Story Memorial Library and Research Center on the way out is a must.

Pricing: Free.

Good stuff, worth adding to your favorites. What’s going on in your neck of the woods?

Old Ironsides Cancels Live Music: UPDATED 6/23

According to Jerry Perry, preeminent Sacramento music booker, Old Ironsides, that bastion of rock, blues, folk, country, and everything in between will no longer have live music after July 1. All booked shows will be moved or cancelled.

It’s not often I break out the profanity stick, but what the fuck?

UPDATE: Apparently reports of Old I’s death are somewhat exaggerated. We’ll see if there is a temporary delay in live tunes at Old I or not depending on a situation with a rented sound system. The one thing this story has exposed is that almost half the town has opinions on whether or not Jerry Perry, or the management at Old I is or are douchebags.