Tag: Music

Watcha Doin’ This Weekend?

Sorry for the lapse in entertainment recommendations last weekend.  We hope to make it up to you with a prime time, Sacramento-sized deep fried bucket of weekend entertainment:

FRIDAY– Perhaps the greatest musician to come out of Berkeley High School, and a former Sacramento resident, Charlie Hunter and his ultra funky 8-string guitar (that’s 3 strings of bass and 5 strings of guitar for those keeping score at home) will be performing with his trio tonight at Marilyn’s on K St.  I’ve personally seen Charlie dozens of times, from his formative gigs in Bay Area clubs to his more polished later group outings.  He is one of the most popular figures on the jazz scene and only comes to Sacramento once every two or three years.  Check him out.  Buy tix here.

SATURDAY– (from Runnergirl) If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to run up what people ski down, here’s your chance this Saturday.  It’s the Squaw Mountain Run and it’s a 3.6 mile jaunt up from the valley floor to the Escarpment. At the top, participants will enjoy music, food, beer, and raffles.  The less energetic can take the cable car to the top of the mountain and take part in a three mile “flower walk.” This is also the first few miles of the Western States course, and the views of Lake Tahoe are amazing. Continue reading “Watcha Doin’ This Weekend?”

Just something about this town

The Game Guy was YouTubin’ and sent me a “must post immediately.” I present to you Scottish pop group Middle of the Road with their 1971 hit “Sacramento.”

There’s something about the people
That everybody knows
That gives you a tender feeling
Of the future

It’s so true. Music video (hilariously not filmed in Sacramento… is it even about Sacto., CA?) after the jump…

Continue reading “Just something about this town”

Whatcha doin’ this weekend?

I don’t know what you’re doing, but I’m playing in this show:

Sacramento’s newest and most revolutionary folk band will have their first public concert on Friday, June 29 at 8pm.

The “Dutch Elm Trio” featuring Greg Sabin on banjo, Chris Olsen on guitar and Pat Skiffington on bass will
make its debut at the Sacramento Comedy Spot studio at 1716 Broadway in Sacramento.  The trio’s
interpretation of classic folk has been hailed by themselves as “groundbreaking,” “jaw-dropping” and
“somewhat better than we’d intended.”

Special guests, “The Tip Top Trio,” Sacramento’s favorite rockabilly band, will be following the Dutch
Elm boys and rounding out an evening of musical entertainment.

Tickets are just $5 at the door, and they’ll be going fast, so make sure to get there early.  See you
Friday!

What:  Dutch Elm Trio: World Debut
When:  Friday, June 29, 8pm
Where: Sacramento Comedy Spot, 1716 Broadway
How much: $5

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!

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.)

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…

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

Good luck, Russ

Tower Records, R.I.P.Few businesses in the history of capitalism blew as badly as Tower Records. The Sacramento-founded and West Sacramento-based company went from having must-shop stores in Hollywood, Tokyo and Manhattan to being the current generation’s edition of a buggy-whip manufacturer.

The Bee is reporting that Tower Records founder and Sacramento-area legend Russ Solomon has signed a lease for the former TR site on Broadway, with plans to open a … um … would it still be called a “record” store? For the history-minded, that location would be right across the street from where it all began, in the corner of the Solomon family’s Tower Drugs.

Fergoshsakes, Russ, you’re 81 years old. Why don’t you open an iTunes account like the rest of the world and enjoy your retirement? Still, gotta admire the spirit and wish him the best.

As an aside … isn’t it strange that after all those years Tower didn’t own that property? The family that does has also leased the Tower Books site, to the Avid Reader.