S 2013 10 31

last week to vote at

sammies.com

LocaL punks’ sexy-time video goes viral see News, page 9

SacrameNto’S

brony magic! see arts&culture, page 22

DeaD, ever after see Night&Day, page 25 see 15 minutes, page 51

Sacramento’S newS & entertainment weekly

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Volume 25, iSSue 29

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thurSday, october 31, 2013

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October 31, 2013 | vol. 25, issue 29

Kings fan venom Go Kings!

OK, so this paper’s criticism of the proposed new-arena deal is perhaps unequaled. And, yes, to this day SN&R’s editorial board advocates for a vote on whether taxpayers should assist the Kings with more than $300 million to build a new home.

We’re skeptical. I’m questioning.

Still, go Kings!

I’ve rooted for the team as long as I’ve watched basketball. I remember the excitement when Danny Ainge came to my elementary school, and when Chris Webber finally decided to stay, and when Mike Bibby hit that game-five winner in 2002 (we had it!).

But I’m no homer. The past eight years were a misery tantamount to eating breakfast with Robert Horry every day. So, I’m as pleased as anyone by the new ownership, its mojo and (some of) its moves.

What bums me out is a few Kings fans’ venom against us fans who question the arena subsidy.

This past week, for instance, I was called the Kings “public enemy No. 1” on Twitter. Another fan also suggested that I be banned from Sleep Train Arena. Even Vivek Ranadivé’s public-relations director took a shot or two, writing that I’m welcome to be a part of the new Kings era, as long as I “report on it accurately.”

Dang.

I’m also a lifelong, die-hard Oakland Athletics and Raiders fan—and have often criticized those teams, their ownership groups and the city’s proposed public subsidies. Yet, in Oakland, fans seem to err on the side of intelligent, courteous dialogue instead of attack-dog brinksmanship.

The arena debate is hot. I get that.

But, as the mayor says, there are priorities “bigger than basketball.” Such as sportsmanship among fans.

I mean, c’mon, I’m not going to despise fans just because their team gets a city subsidy.

30 32

Creative Director Priscilla Garcia Art Director Hayley Doshay Junior Art Director Brian Breneman Designers Vivian Liu, Serene Lusano, Marianne Mancina, Skyler Smith Contributing Photographers Lisa Baetz, Steven Chea, Wes Davis, Ryan Donahue, Taras Garcia, William Leung, Kayleigh McCollum, Shoka, Justin Short, Anne Stokes

Our Mission To publish great newspapers that are successful and enduring. To create a quality work environment that encourages employees to grow professionally while respecting personal welfare. To have a positive impact on our communities and make them better places to live.

Director of Advertising and Sales Rick Brown Senior Advertising Consultants Rosemarie Messina, Joy Webber Advertising Consultants Meghan Bingen, Teri Gorman, Dusty Hamilton, Brian Jones, Dave Nettles, Lee Roberts, Julie Sherry, Mark vanHudson, Kelsi White, Gary Winterholler Senior Inside Sales Consultant Olla Ubay Ad Services Coordinators Melissa Bernard Operations Manager Will Niespodzinski Client Publications Editor Michelle Carl Client Publications Managing Editor Shannon Springmeyer

Co-editors Rachel Leibrock, Nick Miller Staff Writers Raheem F. Hosseini, Dave Kempa Copy Editor Shoka Shafiee Entertainment Editor Jonathan Mendick Editorial Coordinator Becca Costello Contributing Editor Cosmo Garvin Editor-at-large Melinda Welsh Contributors Ngaio Bealum, Daniel Barnes, Rob Brezsny, Joey Garcia, Blake Gillespie, Becky Grunewald, Mark Halverson, Jeff Hudson, Jim Lane, Greg Lucas, Garrett McCord, Kel Munger,

Client Publications Writer/Copy Editor Mike Blount Client Publications Staff Writer Meredith Graham Executive Coordinator Jessica Takehara Director of First Impressions Alicia Brimhall, Matt Kjar Street Team Jolynn Conrad, Charissa Isom, Anna Lovas, Ashley Ross, Colton Stadtmiller Distribution Director Greg Erwin Distribution Services Assistant Larry Schubert Distribution Drivers Mansour Aghdam, Walt Best, Daniel Bowen, Russell Brown, Nina Castro, Jack Clifford, Lydia Comer, John Cunningham, Lob Dunnica, Chris Fong, Ron Forsberg, Joanna Gonzalez-Brown, Aaron Harvey, Wayne Hopkins, Brenda Hundley, Greg Meyers, Kenneth Powell, Wendell Powell, Lloyd Rongley, Duane Secco, Lolu Sholotan, Jack Thorne President/CEO Jeff vonKaenel Chief Operations Officer Deborah Redmond Human Resources Manager Tanja Poley Nuts & Bolts Ninja Kalin Jenkins Human Resources Intern Aleasha Yates Business Manager Grant Rosenquist Accounting Specialists Renee Briscoe, Tami Sandoval Accounts Receivable Specialist Nicole Jackson Business Intern Allison Hill

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“I was at home wearing sweatpants ... watching a Walking Dead video marathon.”

Asked at Howe ’bout Arden:

What are you really doing when you call in sick to work?

Karri Grant

Nancy Grace McMillan

personal stylist

The last time I called in sick when I could have gone to work, I believe, I was at home wearing sweatpants and a T-shirt, watching a Walking Dead video marathon.

BEFORE

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NEWS

Bierra Brown

multimedia network director

I was home in comfortable clothes that I wouldn’t be seen on the street [wearing], partaking in a marathon session of various favorite movies.

|

F E AT U R E

cosmetology student

Sleep! It was worth it. I feel like if you are not [your] 100-percent self, you are not going to give your 100-percent self.

STORY

Peter Kirby

Rickey Taylor

lawyer

I have been really healthy in the last 10 years. I guess I am blessed to be healthy.

I love working. I love what I do and who I work with.

I do believe in taking mental-health days, but I guess I have been lucky to not need to.

| A R T S & C U L T U R E

Isaiah Bell

order selector

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I never called in sick at this job. Well, in the past, after a party, if I had a hangover or maybe came home late from a party …

I did. I would just chill with my friends.

AFTER

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cosmetology-college rep

A hangover. That is the only time I would not show up to a place I originally said I was going to be.

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SN&R

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5

BUILDING A

HEALTHY S A C R A M E N T O

A Home for Health

BY M I K E B LO U N T

W

ith the Affordable Care Act officially launching in January, many people who are without insurance or under-insured in South Sacramento are shopping for health care coverage through the new state-based health insurance marketplace, Covered California.

But does South Sacramento have enough health care providers to meet the demand of an influx of new patients into the health care system?

Capitol Health Network Executive Director Jim Ellsworth says his organization has been working to address that concern.

Capitol Health Network is a nonprofit partnership of health care providers and organizations that work to provide a safety net for uninsured and under-insured residents in Sacramento. The organization is funded by a Building Healthy Communities grant from The California Endowment.

Part of Capitol Health Network’s mission is helping to raise funds to build new community health centers in South Sacramento. While many patients may experience long wait times to see a doctor, Ellsworth says community health centers provide quicker and better service than you would typically get through a private practice. One recently opened at a new site in South Sacramento. “[Sacramento Community Clinic] is a large site that will be able to handle several tens of thousands of people,” Ellworth says.

“Community health centers offer a rounded set of services that include primary medical

care, but also other ancillary services like behavioral health care and other specialized care, which are not available through a private doctor’s office.”

“COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS OFFER A ROUNDED SET OF SERVICES THAT INCLUDE PRIMARY MEDICAL CARE, BUT ALSO OTHER ANCILLARY SERVICES LIKE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE AND OTHER SPECIALIZED CARE, WHICH ARE NOT AVAILABLE THROUGH A PRIVATE DOCTOR’S OFFICE.”

With patient navigation services and the ancillary services offered through community health centers, Ellsworth says he envisions community health centers being the “medical home” for a lot of the new patients entering the health care system next year. He adds that more community health centers are being planned and developed to be built in the coming year.

“The Building Healthy Communities grant has focused our organization to provide health care in a high-touch, high-value methodology, which has allowed us to collaborate in a way that we have never been able to in the past,” Ellsworth says.

BUILDING HEALTHY COMMUNITIES In 2010, The California Endowment launched a 10-year, $1 billion plan to improve the health of 14 challenged communities across the state. Over the 10 years, residents, community-based organizations and public institutions will work together to address the socioeconomic and environmental challenges contributing to the poor health of their communities.

Jerry T. Bliatout, CEO of Health and Life Organization, meets with Jim Ellsworth and Dr. J. Miguel Suarez, director of development at HALO, at the recently built Sacramento Community Clinic in South Sacramento.

Ellsworth, executive director for Capitol Health Network, says community health centers are a more comprehensive approach to health care.

Photo by Tara Patrick

Jim Ellsworth, executive director of Capitol Health Network In addition to the services offered at community health centers, Capitol Health Network also offers patient navigation services, which help patients find health care providers either through phone assistance or even transportation to appointments. For situations where a cultural barrier may keep a person from seeking medical assistance, counseling is available to help those community members overcome stigma.

Your ZIP code shouldn’t predict how long you’ll live – but it does. Staying healthy requires much more than doctors and diets. Every day, our surroundings and activities affect how long – and how well – we’ll live.

Health Happens in Neighborhoods. Health Happens in Schools.

Health Happens with Prevention.

PAID WITH A GRANT FROM THE CALIFORNIA ENDOWMENT 6

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SN&R | 10.31.13

www.SacBHC.org

Email your letters to sactoletters@newsreview.com.

Death need not be shameful Re “Doctors’ secret” by Melinda Welsh (SN&R Feature Story, October 10): I was a registered nurse for 25 years, the last 12 spent as house nursing supervisor on an 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. shift, in a 300-plus bed Catholic hospital. I have seen so much suffering due to attempts to prolong the lives of obviously nonviable patients.

The difference in letter of doctors and nurses the week is simple: The nurse isn’t allowed to be truthful with families, or we weren’t in 1995, which was my last year as an RN. Doctors were allowed to, but very few did.

Hospitals and doctors may profit from needless long-term care of terminal patients, but nurses do not. We are with the patient and family eight to twelve hours at a time, while many physicians see their patients once or twice a day. We see the endless suffering, and, for me, it became an ethical issue I could no longer tolerate.

Many patients on feeding tubes were fed 24 hours a day, resulting in continuous diarrhea. Patients on ventilators are stuck for very painful arterial blood gases often several times a day. IVs are started and restarted often. The patients are unable to speak, due to the endotracheal tube, and

are often inadequately treated for pain.

Frequently, no matter what directives the patient has signed and documented, they are ignored to comply with the wishes of the family members, in order to prevent lawsuits. We treat our animals more humanely.

My ethics and compassion were pushed to the limit. I agree with the doctor in the story who wanted his directives tattooed onto his body. My husband and son know I do not want to survive artificially if I am in a hopeless situation. I hope families become more informed, and this situation changes soon. It is shameful.

Jayne Sergent

via email

Now is not time to take food away from poor Re “No picnic” by Nick Miller (SN&R News, October 17): Cesar Chavez Park has recently undergone a complete renovation with homeless folks being very much harassed and disallowed in the park. It is the intent of the city to transform the block from what has long been known as “Wino Park” into something more of a sedate downtown park and venue for various events, including a regular farmers market, and also to

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make the park more respectable for the restaurant on its west side. I think this is the prime spur for the disallowance of feeding homeless people in the park. Note, too, that the Cesar Chavez statue has been removed as the park loses its connection to poorer people.

Second, it must be noted that Food Not Bombs is very much not the usual as a provider of a meal to homeless and other poor people. The food that they provide is amazingly healthy (and delicious). Indeed, what FNB provides is the healthiest food one can imagine. Sacramento Loaves & Fishes, in stark contrast, is a great provider of empty calories; a place where homeless people become fat.

Finally, this is not the time for the city to be restricting poor people’s access to food! Cold-weather times are a coming, and the food-stamps program and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is being threatened by the insane House of Representatives. While there are many poor people who have the mental resources and sturdy legs to get themselves to food in our city and metropolis, other folks struggle and suffer and lose their way. There is a season, turn, turn, turn, when it might be OK to rejigger how food is distributed to the poor, but now is not that time.

Thomas Armstrong Sacramento

!

NOW

Light rail a failure Re “Light wail” by Nick Miller (SN&R Editor’s Note, October 17): Are you kidding me? If I wanted to keep my iPhone in my pocket, I would drive my car. Light rail is a failed experiment. In the year-and-a-half I have been a monthly pass holder riding the train weekdays—weekends are out of the question—I have only been asked for my proof of fare four times.

Let’s not even go into the cleanliness of the train cars: I know they make a spray for the smell. If Sacramento is spending the money for a first-class arena, why can’t we see what can be done to improve our public transit, so those that can afford to go to a Sacramento Kings game might consider using light rail?

Bruce via email

Correction In “Secession schmecession” (SN&R Editorial, October 24), we incorrectly reported that the city of Redding is considering such an idea. In fact, the Redding City Council voted secession down, 3-2, on October 1.

@SacNewsReview

Facebook.com/ SacNewsReview

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15

Ooh, aah, oi!

Sacramento punk band’s Westboro Baptist Church sex video goes viral, leads to ‘first of its kind’ local porn company

BEFORE

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F E AT U R E

BuzzFeed, the BBC and even The New York Times.

“And then, through that deal, we actually just got signed” to a porn company, Hunter shared.

Until now, local media has overlooked the band’s shenanigans. (“We haven’t had anyone locally call us yet, but honestly Sacramento has always ignored us,” Hunter said.)

Lush asserts that what she did was more than just a sex act. “The Phelps family and Westboro Baptist Church are ridiculous and do nothing except spread hate,” she wrote on the band’s Facebook page, explaining why she did what she did. “As a bisexual woman and the bass player of a ridiculous punk band, I wanted to spread my legs and cause controversy.”

But when it returned to Topeka in September, the band staked out the church grounds. There was an 8-foot-high rod-iron fence, undercover and armed security guards, and a lot of cameras. But the group wasn’t deterred.

“No one likes Westboro,” Hunter said.

“They’re a family of about 50 people at a church. Even the other religious organizations hate them.” He said that someone even firebombed the church years ago, but the guy only got 30 days in jail for a misdemeanor.

So, when his Westboro video went online earlier this month, Get Shot! received a wealth of new fans and interest. “We’ve had over 1.7 million views in the past weekand-a-half,” Hunter told SN&R last week.

Monarchy, who typically partners with porn creators on the Internet and sells their work to adult stores throughout the country, boasts a staff of 30 in Sherman Oaks.

Kulich wouldn’t discuss money, saying only that it’s a “fairly big company.”

The reason he intends to ink Get Shot! is because Hunter and Co. are, he said, true professionals. They use model releases and the right paperwork, and operate like a real porn outfit. “They’re actually a legit production company,” Kulich said. “They actually know what they’re doing in terms of legality.”

And now, Get Shot! will soon launch a “full-scale porn-production company based out of Sacramento, the first of its kind,” according to Hunter.

SCREEN GRABS COURTESY OF GET SHOT!

What happens when the most notorious religious organization in America, known for picketing U.S. soldiers’ funerals and even by Sacramento’s Jewish Heritage Festival, Nick Miller collides with this city’s sleaziest, raunchiest ni ckam@ punk-rock group? news r eview.c om You get the viral porn video of the year and a new, blossoming Sacramento-based porn-production company, apparently.

Or at least that’s what happened this October, when local four-piece Get Shot! uploaded a porno it videotaped in front of the Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church.

Within hours, the clip—featuring the group’s bassist, who calls herself Laura Lush, masturbating on a beach towel atop a spread of grass in front of a Westboro sign that reads “Fag marriage dooms nation”— drew millions of views. And the ire of Westboro leader Fred Phelps on Twitter.

“We were actually trying to orchestrate a lesbian orgy on Westboro Baptist’s lawn,” explained Get Shot! frontman J.P. Hunter, who founded the band in Sacto in 2007.

This ambitious plan for contentious titillation didn’t pan out: The three other women involved in the indulgence, including an unnamed prominent adult entertainer, got cold feet at the last minute.

But that didn’t deter the band. “‘We’re not leaving Topeka emptyhanded,’” bassist Lush insisted, according to Hunter.

So, on September 30, the singer drove his bassist to Westboro, in the heart of the state’s capital.

The now-famous video shows her naked, prancing onto a kelly-green, carefully manicured lawn with the church in the background. There’s a banner on its facade that reads “godhatesamerica.com.” Lush throws down a towel, as if having a picnic, and then proceeds to give herself a hand.

Hunter filmed the stunt. “The mailman was laughing his ass off the whole time she was doing it,” he recalled of a nearby observer.

After about five minutes, the duo hopped in their van “and got the hell out of there,” Hunter said.

“We did see a bunch of police at a coffee shop down the street.”

They sped off toward Colorado, sevenand-a-half hours away, fearful of reprisal the entire escape. Hunter sat in the backseat, editing the video.

“By morning, it was all over Gawker and [The Huffington] Post,” he said.

The clip, clocking in at 2 minutes, 8 seconds, was immediately picked up by other media outlets as well, such as

“I have never signed a band in my entire porn career. But I’ve never seen a band that’s ballsy enough to shoot a porno on the lawn of the Westboro Baptist Church.”

A local punkrock group’s porn video, shot in front of the notorious Westboro Baptist Church, landed the band a contract with a major adultentertainment outfit.

Mike Kulich founder Monarchy Distribution porn company SN&R wrote about Get Shot! in February 2012, just days after it was banned (temporarily) by Facebook for posting sexually suggestive pictures. The occasion was a gig in Midtown just before Valentine’s Day; Hunter wore only Superman underwear, sang about penises and even invited the crowd to a lingerie party at his home that weekend.

That’s Get Shot!’s game: Rock ’n’ roll meets sexual freedom. Or punk porn, have you.

“We’ve kind of been on a mission of debauchery for a couple of years, and I’m perfecting my talents of being sleazy and being an entertainer,” Hunter explained.

Since then, the group’s launched www.getshotgirls.com, a locally based, notsafe-for-work porn site. It has also toured extensively, including gigs at strip clubs in Portland, Ore., and a “red-state tour” earlier this May, when Hunter first scouted out Westboro’s headquarters in Kansas.

STORY

The video eventually caught the eye of Monarchy Distribution, one of the world’s leading porn distributors based out of Los Angeles (it distributes content for Hustler, according to Hunter). Founder Mike Kulich said he’s close to inking Get Shot! soon.

“I have never signed a band in my entire porn career,” Kulich told SN&R. “But I’ve never seen a band that’s ballsy enough to shoot a porno on the lawn of the Westboro Baptist Church.”

He hopes to release a double-disc video with Get Shot! in January; one DVD will be a porn video, the other will be the band’s album.

| A R T S & C U L T U R E

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AFTER

Most of the content will appear at www.getshotgirls.com, the group’s existing porn website that is free—for now—and is already filled with a “couple-thousand pictures and videos.”

Hunter said that, despite this newfound success and viral fame, it’s still about sharing a punk message to the masses. “We promote sexual freedom; we’re pro-gay.”

He also still is out there promoting the band, which will tour Europe and Australia next year. “Our next local show is at PowerHouse Pub on December 4,” he plugged. Ω

| 10.31.13

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9

Treat yourself to gift certificates up to 75% OFF! Visit www.newsreview.com

by SN&R staff

SCORE KEEPER Sacramento’s winners and losers—with arbitrary points

UnSafeway

Sad Halloween

Robert Briggs entered the Safeway on Alhambra Boulevard on Saturday just after 5 p.m. and proceeded to fill his backpack full of goods. A security guard confronted him, took the bag, then Briggs, 28, left—only to return and assault the guard, who is in his 60s.

Shoppers restrained Briggs, who was later arrested for robbery, elder abuse and violation of probation.

An unpermitted event on Del Paso Boulevard ended with gunfire on Sunday morning, leaving six individuals shot and one dead. The venue, Studio X, was rented out for a Halloween party, according to police. The city does a good job of enforcing illegal parties in Midtown and downtown; let’s not forget to keep an eye on underserved and neglected entertainment districts, too, such as Del Paso.

– 1,100

– 187

Dicked up

Bet big

Locally owned Tank House BBQ and Bar opened recently on J and 20th streets next to the railroad tracks in Midtown. It’s a great spot for a brew, a shot and some brisket. But last week, national chain Dickey’s Barbecue Pit announced it too would be opening in Midtown—on the same street, just on the other side of the railroad tracks, less than half-a-block away. What a dick move by the megafranchise and the property owner.

Sacramento is poised to make its gamblingcard-room-application process a little more transparent— and profitable. On October 15, a city committee inched forward a proposal to add public hearings into the mix, raise the ceiling on the maximum number of tables from 15 to a state-permitted 25, and remove betting limits.

– 1,000,000

+ 21 Bad Absinthe

Ill communication

Employees at restaurant Absinthe Bistro & Lounge in Old Sacramento showed up at work recently to discover a sign stating that the restaurant was closed—after only seven weeks of being open. Ownership didn’t bother to call or email chefs or servers until three days after closing, according to a Facebook post on Absinthe’s page (they didn’t call back Scorekeeper yet, either). The post read: “Let this be a warning to anyone out there that has a fantasy of owning a restaurant. It’s not a game. People depended on the ownership team to take responsibility and they were let down.”

American River College communications professor Geoffrey Stockdale was put on administrative leave last week after a student suffered a head injury during a classroom wrestling incident. Scorekeeper thinks the college’s response is a bit extreme. What’s worse, though, is that Stockdale’s students were told all their assignments so far this year won’t count toward their final grades. Talk about a blow to the dome! All that wasted work and time ...

– 1,023 10 | SN&R | 10.31.13

– 1,000

Power of the purse

BEATS

Sacramento County balances budget as low-income housing programs struggle Life was relatively stable for Shane David Hutchins, until he reached his 23rd year. That’s when impulsive decisions by wedged Hutchins away from his Raheem F. Hosseini newborn daughter and dropped him in a fog of drug abuse. r aheemh@ He would spend the next two newsreview.c om decades in a narcohaze, committing petty crimes just to keep the dope monster fed.

A two-year county-jail sentence last year returned Hutchins to a familiar setting: Rio Cosumnes Correctional Center in Elk Grove, where he spent eight hours a day taking life-skills classes, courtesy of a contract with Volunteers of America.

Political psychology

Those savings helped build a $32.5 million surplus, which the board of supervisors dedicated to traditional agencies—nearly $9.5 million went to hiring problem-oriented sheriff’s deputies, parks rangers and codeenforcement officers, and bolstering the district attorney’s office, among other things.

Meanwhile, county-assisted programs for low-income residents teeter on the brink.

The Salvation Army secured $75,000 to keep its 125 shelter beds at 1200 N. B Street full until the end of the year. Which is a big deal, since the shelter isn’t just PHOTO BY LOVELLE HARRIS

Released with an ankle monitor into one of the VOA’s residential treatment homes four months ago, Hutchins, now 45, says it was the best thing that ever happened to him. He recently landed a job repairing hybrid-car batteries at Greentecauto in Rancho Cordova and is paying both taxes and child support for the first time in 15 years.

“All that stuff’s getting done now,” he said proudly. “I just thank God for VOA.” But assistance programs like the VOA need some assistance themselves.

It was only last month that Sacramento County proclaimed its $3.6 billion budget “back in the black” in a news release. Officials neglected to say they eked out their savings by withholding money once intended for programheavy charities like Volunteers of America.

Shane David Hutchins says he’d be jobless and worse if not for Veterans of America’s residential treatment home. The county recently cut funding to the VOA, among other low-income assistance programs.

BEFORE

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NEWS

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“three hots and a cot,” according to coordinator Maj. Ray Yant.

Those who complete the program—which offers individualized case management and modest health services—transition into permanent housing at a 70 percent clip, Yant said.

At the time Yant appealed to supervisors for help, the shelter had 52 beds empty and 160 people on the waiting list. The major anticipated that number to grow as the season cooled.

His September 10 bid bought the program some time, but he’s already eyeing an uncertain horizon: “Yeah, but what do we do after January?” he wondered.

The county was one of the few municipal beneficiaries still kicking money into the Regional Human Rights/Fair Housing Commission, although far less than it used to. Elk Grove has also reduced its funding, while the cities of Sacramento, Citrus Heights and Rancho Cordova pulled their financial support altogether.

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“[I]t is very possible that we will have to close our doors” by the end of November, interim executive director Betty Gwiazdon told SN&R. “The practical impact is that hundreds of people will have nowhere to go for the service we provide.

“It’s desperate, to put it mildly.”

The commission mediated rental-housing disputes and provided information to 5,300 people this past year alone.

It’s not that county officials were unsympathetic to the shared plight of these service providers. After all, if they were insisting on homeless campers leaving the American River Parkway at dusk and hiring more park rangers to carry that message, there needs to be compassionate alternatives, said Supervisor Phil Serna.

Alternatives like the VOA, a “spiritually based” national nonprofit geared toward veterans with no other place to go. The local iteration, which has existed in Sacramento since 1911, has expanded its reach beyond those who served their country, assisting families, seniors, former foster youth and people with substance-abuse issues. People like Hutchins.

Hutchins spent the last 18 years of his life in and out of jail or prison. In 2006, he pled no contest to felony possession of a controlled substance and was sentenced to two years in state prison, according to online superior-court records. His last local case was in September 2012, when Hutchins pled no contest to the same charge.

“[I]t is very possible that we will have to close our doors.”

Betty Gwiazdon Regional Human Rights/ Fair Housing Commission interim executive director In the half-dozen years between, Hutchins rode an all-too-familiar carousel of drug convictions, probation violations, failed stints in drug court and months behind bars.

It’s an old story, but one with a glimmer of a happy ending: “I just want to be an example; I don’t want to be a number,” he reflected on Monday, during a lunch break at his new job. “That’s what I’m going to try to do.” Ω

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The Sacramento City Council booted a contentious land-use vote initially set for Tuesday on a psychiatric hospital proposed in north Sacramento.

Rather than decide whether Signature Healthcare Services LLC can add a ninth mental-health facility to its nationwide portfolio, Councilman Steve Cohn wrote in an email to his district that significant community input and the applicant’s own requests necessitated a delay to November 12.

Signature has eight in-patient psychiatric hospitals scattered throughout California, Arizona and Illinois. It used to have two more in Michigan, but shuttered them a decade ago due to financial and regulatory issues. Lawsuits and fines have dogged several of the facilities here in California, primarily a Pasadena hospital where eight patients died and several rapes occurred, according to a legal complaint filed by the United States government. A trial is tentatively set for April.

Sacramento County’s public-health and human-services director, meanwhile, outlined multiple concerns with the project during a neighborhood forum last week. Sherri Heller said this area of Sacramento has enough psychiatric beds for the fully insured, and that the real need was for beds that could admit lower-income Medi-Cal recipients, a population Signature doesn’t serve.

As for the beds that exist locally, Heller said they’re serving an increasingly out-of-county population that ends up staying once released. Success rates drop for patients when their families aren’t nearby and participating in their care, Heller added.

According to the California Hospital Association, Signature’s brand of care is needed in the rural perimeter areas of Northern California, where few, if any, mental-health resources exist.

The county has to sign off on the hospital’s authority to evaluate patients for involuntary commitments.

(Raheem F. Hosseini)

Getting connected More than 550 homeless men, women and children converged upon Southside Park Friday and, for once, found themselves welcome on central city public property.

They came to be a part of the sixth-annual Sacramento Homeless Connect, a daylong event put on by Sacramento Steps Forward, which brought together some 50 aid and service organizations. Housing, footwear and eye care were provided, Federico Beauty Institute doled out 112 haircuts, and the day culminated in a hot lunch for hungry attendees.

For the first time this year, Steps Forward and the Sacramento Metro Chamber put on an accompanying Employment Connect event at the Tsakopoulos Library Galleria. According to event organizers, 80 attendees walked away with jobs that morning.

Sacramento’s Capital Region Connect mirrors San Francisco’s Project Homeless Connect, which occurs fives times per year and has helped an estimated 70,000 homeless folks since its 2004 inception. (Dave Kempa)

Talking down Police talked a possible jumper off a freeway overpass bridging Interstate 80 at Truxel Road on Sunday evening.

According to Sacramento Police Department logs, a woman who appeared despondent, climbed onto the outer side of the fence above the thrumming freeway. She initially refused to speak with responding officers when they arrived, but logs say one officer did eventually succeed in talking the woman to safety. She was transported to a local hospital for evaluation.

Westbound lanes of the highway were temporarily closed during the call. (RFH)

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No treat, all tricks What politicians wear on Halloween It would be fascinating to know what costumes California’s political leaders are wearing tonight. Actually, it might be kinda scary.

Not to poach on the turf of doctors Oz and Phil, but Halloween-costume choice speaks volumes about the inner life of the chooser.

Maybe that’s more information than Californians really want about their representatives in Sacramento.

S A C

by GREG LU Halloween dress-up is roleplaying, realizing a fantasy. caplowdown@newsreview.com Elected officials are familiar with role-playing since, as the saying goes, politics is acting for ugly people. Halloween allows closeted personality traits or desires to be released for one night. Commonly, without consequence.

It’s shuddering to consider what dark desire might be left unplumbed by former New York Rep. Anthony Weiner. But if there is one, he seems the sort to indulge it whether it’s Halloween or not.

Elected officials are familiar with role-playing since politics is acting for ugly people.

Greg Lucas’ state-politics column Capitol Lowdown will appear every-other week in SN&R. He also blogs at www.californias capitol.com.

12 | SN&R | 10.31.13

But perhaps there’s a prim California Assembly member who buckles into a body harness and manacles to become Dog Boy, Mistress Svetlana’s devoted pet. For a few hours, anyway. A Republican legislator stymied by the two-thirds majorities held by Democrats might reasonably become Spider-Man, Captain America or Wonder Woman—saviors whose herculean do-gooding is idolized by a grateful populace.

Kids and adults wear different costumes (heavy). Kids tend to go as someone or something they aspire to—princess, cowboy, firefighter, ninja. Adults often use their costumes to mock celebrities, politicians or other public figures. “Kids tend to look up, while adults more often seek to satirize or put down,” is how one psychologist of costuming puts it.

(Speaking of heavy.)

A tea-party type might wear one of those masks of President Barack Obama as a horned devil with bloodied fangs. What are the California Legislature’s so-called pro-business Democrats going to do? They can’t really satirize Republicans without being hypocritical, since that appears

to be their aspiration. Maybe they go as the urban liberals in their caucus who believe they’re so virtuous, government should impose their lifestyle on all other less-enlightened Californians.

Dana Carvey once remarked that Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom was “too beautiful” to be human and therefore either: 1. made of wax, 2. gay or 3. both. What would bubble up from this mediagenic San Francisco Democrat’s inner self? A careworn Mission District denizen wrapped around a Tokay screw top? The patriarch of a hardscrabble Dust Bowl family? Or does he simply don a gauzy toga to set off his chiseledness and glory in the amplified adoration?

Given his modus operandi as governor, Jerry Brown would likely have a number of different costumes on hand, slipping into the appropriate one for the attendees of each Halloween party he visits.

At a chamber-of-commerce type event, Brown wouldn’t even need a costume. He could simply say he’s Mr. Burns from The Simpsons, a character who certainly embodies plenty of fine entrepreneurial traits.

It would be a bit more effort but, he could also claim he’s Gov. Frank Merriam—“Marble Top,” as he was nicknamed because of his baldness.

Back in 1934, when Merriam became California’s governor at 68, he was the oldest man to be sworn into the office. Brown was 72 in January 2011 when he took the oath for his current tour of duty. Although a Republican, Merriam signed legislation creating the state income tax and boosting the sales tax. Brown mostly recently backed Proposition 30, raising both state income and sales taxes.

Temporarily, anyway.

Given his background in ancient Greek and Latin thought, Brown might prefer spending the evening spouting axioms of Cato the Elder, Cicero or Epictetus. He kinda has the profile.

Maybe he could borrow a toga from Newsom, although a bit of hemming might be necessary.

Some politicians are comfortable enough in their own skin that Halloween isn’t anything special.

Connie Conway of Tulare, the Assembly Republican leader, says she requires no therapeutic, one-day personality makeover.

“I ride my broom every day,” Conway tells SN&R. “Have you seen the traffic along Highway 99? Now that’s scary.” Ω

Low power to the people Sacramentans apply for FM, community-radio stations

Considering Divorce?

Sometime around fourth grade, Bites scored a cheap shortwave radio at a flea market, the kind where you plug in different coils to listen to different wavelengths. All sorts of voices, some familiar, some foreign and some downright alien noises, flowed through that weird-looking little earpiece with the flesh-colored plastic and the clear rubber nipple. Like some sort of pacifier for the ear. Contented hours spent adrift on radio ARVIn

by CoSMo G waves. How astonishing it was, then, to learn that scientists used radio antennas cosmog@ newsrev iew.c om to listen to the stars. Still is.

Later, college radio was a lifeline, and a connection to like minds. From there, it was just a nudge up the dial to the local public-radio station, which offered yet another powerful lens onto the world. Today, much of the radio dial is dominated by a few corporations—yes, including the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The Bitescave has more smartphones in it than radio tuners. And while “radio” is still a big part of the day, it’s more likely to arrive by podcast or Internet stream than by antenna. Still, the airwaves hold a lot possibility.

names of any applicants until after the deadline has passed, so it’s hard to tell just who is applying. One Sacramento application is a collective effort of arts and cultural groups, led by the Verge Center for the Arts and the Alliance Française of Sacramento. There are doubtless other applicants out there, quietly finishing up their applications.

Groups who do apply will get extra points if they show they have an established community presence, can produce at least eight hours of local programming every day, and staff a station at least 20 hours a week.

A public-radio station like KXJZ 90.9 FM, or a commercial one like KFBK FM 92.5 FM, transmits at about 50,000 watts. For low-power stations, the rule of thumb is about 100 watts, and a broadcast radius of about 3.5 miles.

So, a low-power station transmitting from Midtown could reach, say, South Land Park, West Sacramento, North Sacramento, south Natomas and Sacramento State University.

Depending on geography and how crowded the dial is at a particular spot, stations can be heard much farther.

“Radio is an old technology. But it’s not going away,” says Jeff Shaw, station director at KDRT 95.7 FM, which broadcasts a mix of indie rock, politics and public affairs (and home repair and history and gardening and other stuff) in Davis.

KDRT is one of a few “low-power” community FM stations licensed by the Federal Communications Commission back in the early 2000s. The FCC is about to issue many more low-power FM licenses, hopefully, including some in Sacramento. The FCC’s window for new LPFM licenses opened on October 15, and will stay open until November 14. Only nonprofits and schools and public-safety agencies are allowed to apply for the rare licenses.

That’s how KDRT got on the air back in 2005, as well as KDEE 97.5 FM, which is run by the California Black Chamber of Commerce Foundation, and covers Carmichael, Fair Oaks, Folsom and Rancho Cordova.

The low-power movement was a response to the rapid media concentration of the 1990s, and the rise of giant firms like Clear Channel Communications Inc. and Entercom Communications Corporation, and the lack of local community voices on the air. A decade ago, resistance from commercial broadcasters to LPFM was intense, and the number of licenses was severely limited. The new rules, signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2010, will potentially allow for hundreds of new community radio stations across the country.

One Sacramento application is a collective effort of arts and cultural groups, led by the Verge Center for the Arts and the Alliance Française of Sacramento.

Shaw estimates the FCC rules will allow for anywhere between one and four new stations in Sacramento. The FCC won’t disclose the BEFORE

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And low-power stations, by nature, are volunteer driven with shoestring budgets.

KDRT pays for operations with underwriters (like the Davis Food Co-op and Varsity Theatre) and donations (about $20,000 in donations last year). Radio is simple compared to the inner workings of the Internet. But a station still requires help from professional engineers, and serving the community well is not necessarily easy. “I think low-power stations that start off with news are going to thrive,” Shaw says, but added that news, in particular, is expensive and hard to produce.

Is it worth it? In the time of streaming content, when anybody can start a podcast or a website, and reach thousands of people on their phones, is radio just a nostalgic, artisanal medium? The Clear Channels and the Entercoms still seem to find it worthwhile.

“It is kind of abstract for people, until they hear it. Why care about radio?” says Shaw. “I think of it as reclaiming a medium that, in some ways, is no longer relevant to people. When people hear good radio, they come back to it.” Ω

STORY

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This Modern World

by tom tomorrow

Media lessons from a millennial That isn’t to say millennials don’t know what’s Al Jazeera America battles for footing on satellite and going on with cable news. If we don’t catch clips cable TV. Journalist Glenn Greenwald leaves shared through social media, we watch pundits by The Guardian to create a new company with Dave Kempa get ridiculed on online feeds of The Daily Show eBay Inc.’s founder. Meanwhile, newspaper With Jon Stewart or The Colbert Report. orgs like The McClatchy Company and Gannett The journalist, not the organization, is the Company drop reporters like loose change at the laundromat, leaving many of us wondering when brand. Media oracles like Jay Rosen and Jeff Jarvis continue to drive this point home. Young and how our roiling media landscape will settle. adults spend less time on news organizations’ We already have a few indicators. We know home pages than they do following journalists the average American’s news diet has pivoted they trust on social media. toward new technology, Increasingly, we’re going to and that the largest share see dogged reporters who have Young adults of this shift is driven become authorities on their by my age group—the spend less beats rise to the top of the media millennials. And as much ladder, regardless of their affilias older generations may time on news ate organization. Which brings think us entitled and organizations’ me to my final point: lazy, it’s going to pay to You are the media. Yes, you. understand our habits. To home pages than If you use Facebook, Twitter begin the conversation, or any form of social media to I’d like to offer up a few they do following share or comment on current observations: journalists events, then you are a part of An online version of this The Web rules all. essay can be found at Newspapers are circling the media landscape. they trust on www.newsreview.com/ This, mind you, is a the drain, and network sacramento/ double-edged sword. When you social media. pageburner/blogs. news is a farce, as most complain about “the media” not of us not enrolled in covering something, chances are AARP know. According you’re wrong. Someone, somewhere is probably to Nielsen ratings, the median ages of primereporting on the topic quite well, and the onus is time cable-news viewers are 59.8 years for on you to find those stories and share them with CNN, 60.2 for MSNBC and 65-plus over at your network. Ω Fox News. (Nielsen stops calculating past 65.)

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Every school a priority SN&R has been hard on Sacramento City Unified School District Superintendent Jonathan Raymond, who announced his forthcoming resignation last week. But we also recognize that running a city’s public-school system in an economic downturn—not to mention political demands, moves for privatization, the end of labor protections for teachers—is a challenging, perhaps thankless job.

It also doesn’t matter much what one’s intentions are: When it comes to education, results are what count.

Let’s look at the facts. SCUSD, with more than 42,000 students, serves a majority of children who are below or barely above the poverty line. Test scores are dipping. And we’ve had way too much of school closures and not enough truly innovative thinking about how to sustain public schools.

Yes, California underfunds education. Those that can do so have left for private, charter, or better-off and less-crowded suburban schools.

Sacramento public schools must find a way to meet the students—despite dropping enrollment—where they are with a supportive and supported staff.

We also urge the SCUSD board—and residents of the district—to make sure that the next superintendent is someone with actual background in education, let alone with districts that struggle for resources. The new superintendent needs to be a leader who recognizes what a school can do for a neighborhood, who understands that closing schools and shifting children to charter and private education is the educational equivalent of a shell game.

Ultimately, every school needs to be a priority. Ω

What’s your excuse?

Elk Grove businesswoman, mother and fitness buff Maria Kang stirred up quite a storm with her recent “What’s your excuse?” Facebook post. The question was superimposed over a photo of Kang, an extremely fit woman, posing with her defined abs exposed and surrounded by her three young sons.

The implication was that if you don’t look like Kang, you’re making excuses. That’s not what she intended, of course. But in a culture where “body policing” is the norm, and people feel free to criticize others for the way they look, that’s how many people took it.

But Kang has a point. As she explained in interviews following the kerfuffle, she prioritizes exercise and fitness because of a family history of poor health related to inactivity. She could use being a busy mother and businesswoman as an excuse to let her values around fitness slide, but she doesn’t.

And that leads to some uncomfortable questions.

Do our activities really reflect what we value? Or are we looking for an excuse not to do the serious work in front of us?

Not everyone can have six-pack abs, and a large number of us don’t want them. But we all have things in our lives that we do want, which means that every day we have to break through the noise, the inertia and the excuses to take action.

And while we’re at it, let’s stop making excuses for judging others’ priorities. Ω | A R T S & C U L T U R E | A F T E R | 10.31.13 | SN&R

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into the Sacramento Kings practice facility recently, 23-year-old center DeMarcus Cousins had just signed a four-year contract extension valued at approximately $62 million. Yet he had a hangdog look on his face of a man who just had $62 million stolen from him via identity theft. Or five grand lifted from his billfold by a quick, agile, gutsy and light-fingered pickpocket.

Surely, somewhere inside this 6-foot-11, 270-pound enigma of a hooper there had to be glee of a few bounds. Cousins was where he wanted to be.

And the Kings had made the bold move to give Cousins a boatload of cash. They’d entrusted him to lead their franchise out of the NBA’s Western Conference’s basement and into the penthouse neighborhood—and, next, the impressive digs they promise their new arena will become.

That’s a lot of faith in a young player who has yet to prove he can lead himself, much less others. Can Cousins deal with such responsibility at 23 years old?

He says he’s extremely comfortable in this new role.

“I’ve got broad shoulders,” he told SN&R. “I can handle it.”

Through three seasons, Cousins has been one of the NBA’s most volatile, unpredictable talents. What he has shown so far this year, however, is an ability to shake off the naysayers and move onward.

In Sacramento’s 91-90 preseason victory over the Golden State Warriors last week, for example, he received a forearm to the throat from Warriors center Andrew Bogut. But then, the referee whistled Bogut and Cousins with a foul.

Instead of getting angry, Cousins just laughed it off.

Is this a new DeMarcus Cousins?

‘I wanted to be here’ New Kings head coach Michael Malone fancies himself a movie buff. During a recent conversation, he referenced a quote by Robert De Niro in the film A Bronx Tale.

“It’s one of my favorite movies,” Malone said. “And in the movie, De Niro says to his son, Calogero, ‘The saddest thing in life is wasted talent.’ And I want to help DeMarcus make sure he doesn’t waste his talent.”

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Another coach, Byron Scott—who has been around the NBA for 30 years as a player, world champion and head coach—is impressed by what he’s seen from Cousins.

“I think he can become one of the league’s best players,” said Scott, also a former Kings assistant coach. “He’s got the total package.”

Of course, Scott reminded that, sometimes, Cousins “loses his head and lets things get to him.”

“But that’s part of growth,” he added. “I think, at 23, it seems like he’s getting things together. And his talent is undeniable.”

Garry St. Jean, a former Kings head coach, Golden State Warriors general manager and current Comcast SportsNet Bay Area commentator, believes he’s seen a positive change in Cousins already.

“It’s refreshing to see how the young man is playing,” St. Jean said. “[The late] Pete Newell used to say it usually took big guys three years to find themselves in the NBA. Sure, Cousins went through stages where he has battled coaches, [referees], fans and teammates. But he seems to be playing, well, almost happy.”

Sixty-two-million dollars would put a smile on most of our faces.

It’s been reported, though, that Cousins did not want a five-year deal and, instead, the fouryear contract was finally agreed upon. On the surface, that doesn’t sound right: $80 million vs. $62 million—which one would you take?

(I’ll take the $80 million all day.) Cousins, however, will not be dissatisfied with life on a $62 million deal, and the ability to become a free agent just before he turns 27.

One of the factors for the Kings in making this deal was their belief that, in a worst-case scenario, they will be able to trade him.

Cousins wouldn’t get into whether he really wanted the five-year deal over the four-year deal. And, as he said, at this point, it’s moot.

“It doesn’t really matter, because I wanted to be here,” Cousins said. “I’m here because we got it done.”

These days in the NBA, players not only want the most money available (not new), but

F E AT U R E

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also want to combine their talents with a group of players or friends to create superteams. This wasn’t a goal for Cousins.

“A lot of people thought I didn’t want to be here,” he said, “but I wanted to be here the whole time. I just wanted things to get better.

We’re on the up now. We’re getting better, we’re moving forward, and I like the way the organization is being run.”

Cousins also believes he’s matured during his three NBA seasons.

“Absolutely,” the bear of a man said. “I don’t know if it’s being more mature as much as it’s about seeing things before they happen.

A lot of times, my first coach, [Paul Westphal], would do things to make me react, and I knew it would happen, and I’d still let him do it.

“I believe now I wouldn’t let that same situation happen.”

Cousins admits different players and people handle adversity and situations better than others, better than he has in the past.

“Some things don’t bother players like they would others,” he said. “Some of the things I let bother me then wouldn’t bother me now. ... I’ve got a better understanding of this business.

“And it is a business.”

‘that face’ Despite the questionable bursts of temper or uncontrollable behavior that have earned Cousins suspensions from both the Kings and the NBA itself, it’s often the face that the big man makes when he’s frustrated that creates a negative perception of him.

Kings guard Jimmer Fredette thinks of the Chicago Bears quarterback when the idea of Cousins’ facial expressions is mentioned.

“It’s kind of like Jay Cutler, when he kind of has ‘that face,’” Fredette said. “It’s not that

he’s mad. That’s just the way he looks. It’s not a big deal.

“Maybe some people look at that and wonder what he is thinking, and then jump to conclusions.”

Many who write about pro basketball have deemed Cousins to be out of control. They have described him as a joke and a player around whom a franchise should not be constructed.

The Kings have taken the unique—critics might say insane—approach to not only give Cousins mega-loot, but also tag him as the leader and face of the franchise.

That decision was not made idly. New owner Vivek Ranadivé, Malone, general manager Pete D’Alessandro, adviser Chris Mullin and even former Kings tormentor Shaquille O’Neal put their heads together and decided Cousins’ talent, skill and character was worth it.

Ultimately, though, it was Ranadivé’s decision. And it’s likely the software mogul did not put together a fortune by making many incorrect decisions.

“I first got to know DeMarcus shortly after the [team purchase] was done,” the owner explained. “The very first thing I did after I knew we had the deal was to text DeMarcus.”

After this, Ranadivé told him what his good friend, the late Steve Jobs, liked to say. “‘Let’s put a dent in the universe.’ I told DeMarcus, ‘Let’s put a dent in the NBA universe.’”

Cousins sent him a text message back.

“Kind of like my kids, he doesn’t say a whole lot,” Ranadivé said. “You send a five-line text, and they give you one line back.”

Cousins wrote: “‘Sounds good, boss.’”

The majority owner has great faith in Cousins’ ability, as well as his character, but Ranadivé has even more belief in his own judgment.

“I think of DeMarcus as being a prototypical 21st-century player,” he said. “He’s one of the most talented big men in the business. [He’s] a big man with skills. He’s one of the smartest players, and he has an understanding of the game that truly is unique.”

And, surprisingly, he did not ask much of Cousins before committing big bucks.

“The only thing I said to him was: ‘DeMarcus, I just want one thing from you. I want you to be the first guy in and the last guy out, because you’re going to be the leader of this organization,’ and he’s done that.”

Both coaches Scott and St. Jean are already seeing improvement.

“I see a smarter defender,” St. Jean said of Cousins. “He’s definitely transitioning better, in terms of getting back on defense. I like the fact that he takes charges. How many big guys do that? And he seems to be taking things in stride.

“62 MILLION DOLLAR BABY”

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Some say DeMarcus Cousins whines too much. That he makes those incredulous expressions on his face after foul calls too often. Others, however, say it’s just a look—and nothing more.

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Scott agrees. “The young man is a beast with all types of skills,” Scott praised. “I think his major battle will be the mental adjustments he has to make. His goals should be to become an all-star and make that team better.”

Malone, who inherited the enormous task of helping Cousins reach heights he’s yet to experience, sees even more potential.

The coach, a down-to-earth, somewhat no-nonsense leader, knows directing Cousins will not be easy.

But he also says he’s learned that what you have heard about Cousins isn’t always true.

“He’s led the league in technical fouls, he’s gotten into [it] with every one of his coaches and with [some of] his teammates at different points. So you hear different things,” he said. “But I really went into this with ... an open heart and an open mind. And none of that happened on my watch. I can only go by my dealings with DeMarcus Cousins.

“[And] all the perception out there couldn’t be further from the truth,” Malone, whose father Brendan recently resigned as lead assistant coach, added. “My challenge to him was to be a leader and to work hard every day. Is he where he needs to be? No. We’re all growing. I’m trying to get better every day.”

Just like C-Webb?

Ultimately, Cousins will be judged on the team’s improvement. Unlike Chris Webber, who became viewed as the major factor in the Kings’ turnaround at the turn of the century, Cousins has not yet been joined by an overall roster makeover. Realistically, the team needed Vlade Divac and Jason Williams (then Mike Bibby), Peja Stojaković, Vernon Maxwell, Jimmy Jackson, and Bobby Jackson and the like to become one of the league’s best.

“62 MILLION DOLLAR BABY” BEFORE

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Most agree that Cousins has the skills to be one of the top big men in the NBA, a true all-star.

“‘The saddest thing in life is wasted talent.’ And I want to help DeMarcus [Cousins] make sure he doesn’t waste his talent.”

Michael Malone Sacramento Kings coach One player, even as talented as Cousins, cannot do it alone.

However, we have yet to see the best of Cousins. At this point, even he is unaware of how good he can become on a nightly basis.

And it’s consistent excellence that will prove the long-term value of his contract extension.

“He has been tremendous all through September and up until today, in terms of his leadership, his coming to work every day, his accepting coaching and his accepting criticism on film. I’ve been real pleased with his attitude, his work ethic and the teammate he’s been to his fellow Kings,” coach Malone said.

But he added: “Now, I’m not naive. It’s a long season, and things happen during the season. But I think he has a good heart.”

Malone says the first thing Cousins ever told him was, “‘Coach, people say I’m uncoachable. That’s not true. I hate to lose.

I’ve just been very frustrated because we’ve lost, and I haven’t really enjoyed how things have been done around here.’”

How’d Malone respond? “I said, ‘OK, well, that’s going to change, but you have to be a part of that change, and things cannot always be everybody else’s fault.

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You have to take ownership in it, and we have to learn from it.’”

It is easy to see where Cousins needs most improvement. His shot selection is consistently questionable. He has a solid face-up jump shot, out to 17 feet, but he tends to settle for that perimeter approach instead of using his power, quickness and agility to get to the basket.

He’s not an exceptional jumper. Had he been blessed with incredible leaping ability, it wouldn’t be fair. Unless his shot selection improves, he’ll continue to have more shots blocked around the basket.

Cousins also never has displayed a legit post game close to the hoop. A go-to move with his back to the basket has yet to be established. He’s strong enough to consistently get good position in the low post, but doesn’t always work hard enough to maximize his ability close to the hoop.

At the defensive end of the court, one of Cousins major problems is it takes too long for him to get there. He’s been known not to be dedicated at busting his rear to get back, which often reflects poorly on the team’s defense.

And he’s not a prime-time shot-blocker, but he does rank highly in charges taken. The big

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man has quick feet and uses them well—when he wants to. The challenge for Malone is to get Cousins to want to use his God-given skills much more consistently on the defensive end.

Next kiNg of kiNgs The old-era Sacramento Kings were a mess, led by an ownership group in the Maloof family that couldn’t get out of its own way.

The team hasn’t made the playoffs since the 2005-2006 season, and even then they were bounced out in the first round by the San Antonio Spurs. Those Kings were led by Metta World Peace, who then was still Ron Artest, and Bonzi Wells and Mike Bibby.

Cousins, who now is entering his fourth professional season, was just 15 years old during that season. Chuck Hayes, John Salmons and Travis Outlaw are the only Kings who were NBA players at the time.

It’s been a long time since the Kings were a winning team, and they recognize it will take much hard work and laserlike focus just to get back into that neighborhood.

Cousins probably is known best by his teammates. They spend the most time with him and have been through battles with the mercurial big guy.

Chuck Hayes, like Cousins, attended the University of Kentucky and sees growth.

“He’s making progress every year,” said Hayes, who joined the Kings in December 2011. “Each year, he’s getting more focus.

From the workouts we’ve had, he’s been a

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vocal leader, and that’s good. We need that from a guy of his presence.”

Hayes said outsiders don’t know Cousins.

“He’s misunderstood,” Hayes said. “The way he is with the reputation he has and the way he’s talked about in the media, that’s not the guy that we see in the locker room.”

But Hayes says Cousins is still “definitely a puppy.”

“He’s still young. He’s [23] years old.

He’s enjoying the game. He’s enjoying life.

He’s just put on such a big pedestal.”

One of the more interesting dynamics among the Kings is the relationship between 5-foot-9 Isaiah Thomas and Cousins.

“We’re kind of like the same kind of guy. … Not just on the court, but off the court,” Thomas said. “We don’t hold [anything] back. We don’t hold our tongues or anything. We’re going to say how we feel.”

That means there are times when Cousins has done things Thomas has disliked, and the short guy has to speak harshly to the big guy.

“Maybe we’re just a little-man-big-man combination that just clicked,” Thomas said.

“We’re great friends. I’m somebody that he listens to, and when I have something to say to him … I can pull him to the side and say, ‘DeMarcus, this is what we need,’ and he’ll do it. I expect big things out of him.”

Thomas said Cousins has to realize expectations have grown with his future paychecks. “He’s a franchise player,” Thomas said. “He’s capable of being a franchise player.

“All he’s got to do is mature and recognize every night, it’s on him.”

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by RAHEEM HOSSEINI raheemh@newsreview.com

Not just for little girls anymore, My Little Pony draws in a new era of fans—including an obsessive legion of adult male ‘Bronies’

C

arlos Alfaro—tall and bespectacled like a college-age Harry Potter—pauses on a shag of ugly carpet inside Sacramento State University’s student union to look upon the animated delirium he’s wrought: Women in shock-color wigs and satin dresses wield empty wine bottles and other curious props like wands. Men in pony-themed earflap beanies debate the political correctness of a cartoon character named “Derpy.” Hundreds of wandering souls clad in bizarre, homemade costumes churn through the union’s conference rooms and gush over a kooky kids’ show that was never intended for them, but is now, irrefutably, theirs.

This is the colorful world of the Brony, the nickname adopted by the adult, often male, devotees of a syrupy little cartoon, My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. (“Bro” plus “pony,” get it?)

In September, Alfaro realized a two-year goal of hosting Northern California’s first convention tailored specifically to this crowd. He raised nearly $2,500 through Kickstarter, booked

22 | SN&R | 10.31.13

notable Brony personalities from across the country, threw open his college’s doors to more than 500 fans and tipped a very large domino.

Another Brony-centric convention is now slated for April in Burlingame (Alfaro’s not involved in its organization, but he definitely plans to attend). Regular local gatherings also happen though Bronies of Northern California’s Meetup page, while Alfaro presides over Sac State’s My Little Pony and Interests Club.

“It’s amazing,” Alfaro enthuses. “I love this community.”

The soft-voiced art major has every reason to.

After all, this cheery cult of obsessives represents the next evolutionary leap in how popular entertainment is consumed—and shaped.

No longer content to sit back and watch, a generation of passionate, social-media-trained fans blur the lines between creator and audience.

But what differentiates these fanatics from your run-of-the-mill “shippers” is that the creators actually listen to them. The My Little Pony brand may belong to a multibillion-dollar corporation, but it’s co-written by diehards.

“The first season was all Hasbro,” says Jon, a Brony from Woodland who didn’t give his last name. “The second season was 50 percent Hasbro, 50 percent Bronies, so everything on there had some Brony stuff. The third season’s the same amount. … We gave them ideas and stuff.”

The result is an evolving, crowd-sourced cartoon that takes its cues from its eagle-eyed fandom—fans who are in it for the pure magic of friendship.

Dolled-up baby horses and the men who love them

Like any modern pop-culture phenomenon, it all started with the desire to pump up shareholder profits. In 2010, mega toy maker Hasbro rebooted its musty 1980s-era My Little Pony franchise for the millennial generation.

The company’s film and television subsidiary, Hasbro Studios, tapped animator Lauren Faust, whose whiz-bang work on The Powerpuff Girls made her a kiddie-toon star, to develop the new version. And Faust did, imbuing the series with the touches she’s known for: squeaky-voiced, saucer-eyed characters that aren’t as damselesque as they appear; surreal, candy-collaged settings; and deliriously positive messages about being nice and stuff.

Hasbro and DHX Media cranked out 26 episodes that first season on the cable network The Hub, and the show did what it was supposed to, getting a new set of girly-girls addicted to its anthropomorphized pony crack. But then, something insane happened:

The cutesy little cartoon about dolled-up baby horses caught fire with adults. Primarily, male adults.

The show smashed several ratings records on Hub, while episodes catapulted to the top of the iTunes sales chart. The Interwebs exploded with fan pages and online discussion forums. Now, with the fourth season scheduled to begin in November, the magic only grows.

“The Brony community itself is an organic organism,” says Ethan Buchanan, a.k.a. Topkick.

Buchanan became a Brony after making fun of a young man watching the cartoon on a laptop. The littler guy stood up to Buchanan, earning both the latter’s respect and curiosity.

While he warmed slowly to the cartoon itself, the fan community sucked him in. The same goes for Woodland’s Jon, who says he was initially put off by the saccharine sweetness.

“I almost punched into the wall to hold in the cuteness,” he cracks.

But Jon, who writes fan fiction that blends the My Little Pony world with video-game franchise Dark Souls, liked the creative departures he saw others take with the source material.

“I love it,” he says of the community, which lets its freak flag fly proudly—and graciously.

Believe it or not, Bronies are crazy cool—warm, welcoming, creative and sarcastic in a way that is somehow still kind.

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“Since she’s different because of her eyes, they teased her,” recounts Michiko Nacol, a fan and artist from Santa Rosa. “But, eventually, they accepted her.

“That’s how we are,” she adds. “We’re different.”

Spare no meanies

DustyKatt, host of Stay Brony, My Friends, an online show devoted to My Little Ponies: Friendship Is Magic, calls himself the “Manliest Brony in the World.”

Carlos Alfaro, founder of Sacramento State University’s My Little Pony and Interests Club, surrounded by some of his very most favorite things.

Photos courtesy of carLos aLfaro

Photo by Lisa baetz

That’s evident throughout the convention: At the “Friendship Is Ebonics” panel, in a packed room with a pungent odor, attendees chuckle at the sound of a MLP:FIM script, filtered through Gizoogle, a site that translates text into “gangster slang.”

“Ah, Spike, you know we ain’t got time for that sort of thing!” a dark-haired woman in a white T-shirt sasses. She then stops, confused by a stage direction. “Do I have to whack him?”

Elsewhere, a frazzled man with a clipboard and red pen scribbles names like “Fluttershy” and “Rainbow Dash” with nary a smirk. He’s at the center of a psychedelic bazaar. Chilled by fluorescent lights, brightly costumed men and women huddle around him, waiting to be signed in for the cosplay contest.

A faceless man wears a dark suit and tie over a green, Lycra bodysuit.

He looks like he’s waiting for a different convention to begin, but someone explains he made himself up to resemble the avatar for anonymous commentators on Brony discussion forums. It’s an inside joke. There are many here.

“Oh yeah, lots of those,” giggles Meredith Ralston, clad in a bright purple wig, eggshellhued gown and matching gloves.

Just then, a dreamy judge in violet contacts and a unicorn horn glides past.

“Does anyone want a banana?” she sings, BEFORE

My Little Pony fans (both male and female) congregated at BronyCon 2013 in September in Baltimore.

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presenting the yellow fruit in a dainty hand.

Everyone laughs.

Such references pinball through this hermetic community like gumballs inside a machine. Yet while nothing in the MLP:FIM mythology translates well to the outside world—as the craning glances from the plebeians in the University Union attest— competing interests make it in.

pony characters in a darkly supernatural world as demon hunters and zombie slayers. Its trippy creator, who calls himself Lil Miss Jay, boasts that he’s been booted from Tumblr at least four times for his art. He’s now back up to 10,000 followers.

“I have an incredibly crazy head,” he says from behind a well-trafficked vendor booth displaying his pieces.

There are Star Wars Bronies, gamer Bronies, goth Bronies, EDM Bronies, even Doctor Who Bronies.

There are Star Wars Bronies, gamer Bronies, goth Bronies, EDM Bronies, even Doctor Who Bronies.

“For whatever reason, with this fandom, you can go so many ways with the source material,” says Buchanan, a military Brony who created an alternate universe in which My Little Pony characters navigate a 1960s military setting.

(More on them later.)

One of the more popular—and subversive— offshoots is called Lil’ Miss Rarity. It plunks

F E AT U R E

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But more impressive are the fan creations that actually make it into the cartoon.

In the show’s very first episode, legend goes that an animation error led to one of the background ponies being cross-eyed. Fans embraced the hinky gray Pegasus as an immediate stand-in for themselves, naming her Derpy. By the 15th episode, the show was intentionally animating the character with crossed eyes. The following season, one of the main characters referred to her as Derpy, and she got her first line of dialogue.

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Around the same time that the costume contest gets going, a less well-attended—but arguably more fascinating—panel starts. In an ambercolored room off to the side, five “military” Bronies quip with audience members as a video presentation queues up.

“Hoo-ah,” a jar-headed Brony by the name of Chris Sargent grunts by way of introduction. He tips his American flag-embossed aviator shades and points out a heavyset man in the middle row. “You, sir, you look like you’re of military persuasion.”

Sargent is right. The middle-aged man with the buzz cut and handlebar mustache is a Navy vet who traveled here from Monterey.

They’re a quippy bunch, these military Bronies, making funny voices from the shadows of their dimly lit stage. They’re all either activeduty or former military personnel—and they’re hard-core My Little Pony fans.

Sargent is a Marine. So is Track Beam, a lance corporal in the artillery division who runs a Facebook page dedicated to military Bronies. He describes the page as an “interface” for Bronies who are already serving or interested in joining the military. There’s also a fan page to just straight-up talk about ponies and share fan art, which depicts these anime-by-way-of-Bratz-dolls ponies dressed in hyper-realistic military gear.

In one of the pictures, a pony character is on her belly, laying down a sheet of machine-gunfire.

The caption reads: “That’s for hurting my friends you meanies.”

Waiting for the projector to warm up, the panelists egg Sargent into an impromptu performance.

“Do you like impressions?” he cheekily asks to whoops of applause. “What do you want to hear?”

Suggestions are shouted: “Skeletor!”

“Morgan Freeman!” “Christopher Walken!”

The last one is greeted with clamoring approval.

Sargent approximates the sticky pauses of the great wacko actor, even warbling a line or two of “Ave Maria.” But it’s not until Sargent-asWalken starts speak-singing the lyrics to another familiar song that the crowd loses it: “I used to wonder what friendship could be / Until you all shared its magic with me.”

It’s the theme song to everyone’s favorite show about talking cartoon ponies. By the end, the whole room is singing along: “You have my little ponies / Do you know that you’re all my very best friends?”

This crowd knows. Oh, how it knows. Ω

you know you wanna: for more information on sacramento brony meetups, visit www.meetup.com/bronies-ofnorthern-california. to learn more about sacramento state university’s My Little Pony and interests club, visit http://sacstate.orgsync.com/org/mlpandinterests/about.

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alloween has come and gone, but Día de los Muertos (a.k.a. Day of the Dead) is here. And perhaps because it falls on a weekend this year, Sacramento is embracing the holiday with tons of jubilation. So, break out the candles, flowers and skeleton figurines, decorate some sugar skulls, and check out some of the following Día de los Muertos happenings this week in Sacramento.

Sol Collective hosts a Día de los Muertos event in front of the Sacramento History Museum (101 I Street) in Old Sacramento. It’ll have community altars (participants are encouraged to bring items to leave in memory of loved ones), food, face painting, vendors, Aztec dancers and a music stage. The free event happens on Friday, November 1, from 6 p.m. to midnight. For more info, visit www. facebook.com/artcultureactivism.

Saturday, November 2, Instituto Mazatlan Bellas Artes de Sacramento presents the Dia de los Muertos Pin Up Girl Fiesta. It’ll feature a costume contest with cash prizes for the sexiest pinup girl, and music by the Midnight Players, B-Side Players and DJ Big Al Ruiz. It happens at 8 p.m. at Estadio Azteca Soccer Arena at 1960 Railroad Drive. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. Find more details at http://nov2pinupfiesta.brownpapertickets.com.

La Raza Galeria Posada’s fourth annual El Panteon de Sacramento (Sacramento cemetery) is on Saturday, November 2, and Sunday, November 3. The two-day event showcases a free display of 60 outdoor altars honoring the dead, created by local families and organizations. It also features guest craft makers; sugar-skull- and mask-making workshops; opportunities to write on a community wall of remembrance; and music by son jarocho artist, Andres Flores, and Mariachi Alas de México. The altars will be located at the parking lot just west of 2020 J Street, and a few events will be held off-site.

Visit www.lrgp.org for more information.

—Jonathan Mendick

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Friday, November 1, through Saturday, November 2 Here’s how it usually goes: Take a photo on your smartphone, review it instantaneously, ARTS & intend to remember CRAFTS the moment forever, but then forget the picture is there.

For the few true memory makers who still print photos, this weekend’s Scrapbook Expo offers various methods to cut, crop and glue your way to a book full of handcrafted memories. Remember: This is a BYOP event—bring your own pictures. $8-$10 for admission, workshops extra; at the Sacramento Convention Center, 1400 J Street; (916) 808-5291; www.scrapbookexpo.com.

Friday, November 1, through SuNday, November 3

tueSday, November 5, through SuNday, November 10

The Sacramento Arts Festival shows off the work of hundreds of artists and craftspeople from all over Northern California. It’s a juried show, with mediums including wood, stoneware, pastels, ARTS and watercolor, oil and acrylic paints. Plus, there are opportunities to shop for wearable art as holiday gifts, listen to music, and eat Greek, Indian and American food from local restaurants. $7-$8, 10 a.m. daily at the Sacramento Convention Center, 1400 J Street; www.sacarts fest.com.

Broadway Sacramento opens its season with Priscilla Queen of the Desert: The Musical. It’s based on the 1994 film THEATER The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert starring Guy Pearce, and tells the story of a group of drag queens on a road trip through the Australian outback. With 500 over-the-top costumes and dance tunes, it’ll probably feel like a weekend bender in Vegas—without the hangover. $21-$88, 8 p.m. on Tuesday, November 5, through Saturday, November 9; 2 p.m. on November 7, 9, and 10; at the Sacramento Community Center Theater, 1301 L Street; (916) 557-1999; www.broadwaysacramento.com.

—Jonathan Mendick

—Jessica Rine

God Loves Uganda WedNeSday, November 6 American evangelical Christians are on a mission—quite literally—in Uganda, leading to the worst sort of culture wars and the “Kill the Gays” bill, mandating the death penalty for homosexuality. The Sacramento chapter of Americans United For Separation of Church and State sponsors a screening FILM of God Loves Uganda, a documentary by Roger Ross Williams, to be followed by a discussion with Sacramento-area faith leaders. Free, but reserved tickets are required; 7 p.m. at the Crocker Art Museum, 216 O Street; http://ausac-god lovesuganda.eventbrite.com.

—Kel Munger

The Dish: The Art of Photographing Food through tueSday, december 10 Somehow, food seems more appetizing when posed and photographed by a professional. If you like to drool over photos of perfectly braised beef brisket or chocolate molten lava cake, the Robert T. Matsui Gallery at City Hall is showing food porn for your pleasure, courtesy of six Sacramento-area photographers who use different techniques to make food look scrumptious ART enough for your tummy to rumble. Free, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Robert T. Matsui Gallery at City Hall, 915 I Street; (916) 808-3992; www.sacmetroarts.org.

—Jessica Rine

—Jonathan Mendick BEFORE

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presents

Dia De Los Muertos saturday, november 2 6:30pm – Close

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A spicy playfulness Stirling Bridges Restaurant and Pub 5220 Manzanita Avenue in Carmichael, (916) 331-2337, www.stirlingbridges.com Stirling Bridges Restaurant and Pub brings in a familyrestaurant type of crowd. The British- and Scottish-themed eatery, which opened several by Jonathan Mendick months ago, offers an adequate beer selection, modern décor and an extensive menu with j o nathan m@ more than just standard deep-fried pub fare. newsreview.c om Perhaps due to its location inside the building that formerly housed Brother Oliver’s Fare & Spirit from 1980 to 2008 (the new owners keep a Brother Oliver’s plaque inside), the restaurant attracts an older crowd, in addition to the younger crowd one would expect at a pub. rating: From the outside, the building exterior is HHH 1/2 styled with Tudor architecture, but the inside dinner for one: is open and modern. A floor-to-ceiling bar $10 - $20 located in the middle of the building dispenses draft beer (copious British selections and a few crafts from the United States), and bartenders serve playfully named drinks (Mick Jagger, 007 Martini, The Sherlock Milagro). And although the restaurant teems with patrons, there’s an attentive staff and never much of a wait.

On my first visit, my dining partner and I ordered Irish onion soup, Prince Edward Island mussels and the house-made veggie burger. Each dish impressed, starting with the H soup, which is basically the same as French flAwed onion soup, but with added Irish whiskey and HH Guinness thrown in to give it extra pizzazz. hAs MoMents The mussels are served in a green curry sauce, HHH an inventive take on standard steamed mussels AppeAling found in pubs. Unfortunately, the accompanyHHHH ing baguette slices were stale. The house-made AuthoritAtive veggie burger, however, featured one of the HHHHH tastiest black-bean patties I’ve ever had, and the epiC Asian peanut-sauce coleslaw paired well as a tangy and crunchy side.

Upon another visit, I sampled a baby-kale Caesar salad and bacon-cheeseburger sliders, which were a special that day. The salad tasted classy with the baby kale offering a subtle bitterness not usually found in standard Caesars.

The sliders were perfectly cooked and seasoned, but its buns didn’t impress: They were neither sweet nor eggy or otherwise notable—just reguStill hungry? lar, forgettable buns. Nevertheless, after a pint search sn&r’s of Hangar 24 Craft Brewery’s Orange Wheat “dining directory” beer, I wished I had a couple more sliders. to find local For my last visit, I came prepared with restaurants by name or by type of food. a group of diners, and we ordered a larger sushi, Mexican, indian, sampling of dishes: fish and chips, steak-anditalian—discover it mushroom pie, Wexford steak, and the most all in the “dining” unusual dish on the menu, the Scottish Mafia section at Pizza—topped with turkey pastrami, potatoes, www.news review.com. cabbage and Swiss cheese.

Stirling’s fish and chips tasted authentic— breaded and fried cod served with house-made fries and tartar sauce. They were good, but a wee plain and required both vinegar and Tabasco sauce. The steak-and-mushroom pie is like a gourmet version of a chicken pot pie—a stew spiced with what seemed like whiskey and pepper, all cooked in a casserole dish and topped with pastry crust. It came with the BEFORE

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vegetable of the evening, Brussels sprouts, which went well with the hearty pie. It was the standout dish of the night.

The Wexford steak, on the other hand, wasn’t particularly inspired. It was a plain steak, with some mashed potatoes and a Guinness-based gravy—something you’d imagine being served at an American diner. Also, despite its uniqueness, the Scottish Mafia Pizza fell short with its too many flat flavors—turkey, potato, cabbage, Swiss cheese—to actually benefit from their unusual pairing. Thankfully, there was that Tabasco sauce on the table.

The house-made veggie burger, however, featured one of the tastiest black-bean patties I’ve ever had.

Stirling Bridges Restaurant and Pub seems to be filling a void left by Brother Oliver’s 2008 closure. Families gather for meals, elderly couples come on dates, and younger 20-somethings come en masse to watch football games, drink, and play pool and darts. Its diverse menu reflects not only the traditional “plain and robust” ethos of British food, but also the spicy playfulness of a modern gastropub. Ω

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A RT S & C U LT U R E

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[PHONE] 916.706.1286 [FAX] 916.706.2359 [TO GO] 916.706.1331 1 4 2 0 6 5 T H S T R E E T # 1 0 0 , S AC 916.400.4829

—Shoka |

SUSHI roLLS

LUNCH SPECIALS

A 2012 Gallup poll asked Americans if they considered themselves vegan. The result? Only 2 percent. Out of a population of nearly 314 million, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, that’s only about 628,000 people. Although the term “vegan” has appeared on the packaging of many food products and menus and has entered the mainstream’s awareness for the past few years, it’s understandable: Americans love their meaty and cheesy food. It’s tradition. And comforting. But consider what psychologist Melanie Joy says about eating meat: It “requires us to be mindless instead of mindful. … It requires us to be apathetic rather than empathetic.” So, in observance of World Vegan Day on Friday, November 1, check out BuzzFeed’s “8 Facts About Food That Will Totally Creep You Out” video at http://youtu.be/jXJSmxi2buc, that will make the mindful second guess their Greek yogurt habit.

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Downtown Downtown & Vine This tasting room

Where to eat?

Here are a few recent reviews and regional recommendations by Becky Grunewald, Ann Martin Rolke, Garrett McCord and Jonathan Mendick, updated regularly.

Check out www.newsreview.com for more dining advice.

and wine bar spotlights the local farm-to-glass movement. Here, diners can order 2-ounce tasting flights of wine. Choose three from the same vintner to compare styles, or mix and match to contrast similar wines from regional wineries. Wines are also available in larger pours and by the bottle. Wine is meant to be enjoyed with food, of course: The menu offers a wide selection of tidbits and hearty dishes.

Worth sampling: the goatcheese stuffed peppers, chilled Spanish-spiced shrimp, and a cheddar-and-apple melt. Or try the ambrosial Wine Country sandwich, with salty prosciutto, sweet fig jam, oozy mozzarella and peppery arugula on grilled bread. There are also a variety of flatbreads loaded with topping combos like capicola, three cheeses, piquillo peppers and green onions. The bread for these is nicely crunchy but not too chewy and comes across as more than a pizza trying to be fancy. American. 1200 K St., Ste. 8; (916) 228-4518. Dinner for one: $10-$15. HHHH A.M.R.

Estelle’s Patisserie With its marble tables and light wooden chairs, there’s an airy atmosphere, casual and cozy. Estelle’s offers an espresso bar and a wide assortment of teas and muffins and rolls for the breakfast crowd as well as sweets, including DayGlo macarons. For the lunch-inclined, there are soups, salads, sandwiches and meat or meatless quiche. One of the authentic touches is the

spare use of condiments. The smoked salmon is enlivened by dill and the flavor of its croissant. Its tomato bisque is thick and richly flavored, and, in a nice touch, a puff pastry floats in the tureen as accompaniment. There’s a lot to like about Estelle’s—except dinner. Doors close at 6pm. French. 901 K St., (916) 551-1500. Meal for one: $5-$10. HHH1⁄2 G.L.

Grange Restaurant & Bar You won’t find any “challenging” dishes on this menu—just delicious local and seasonal food such as the Green Curry & Pumpkin Soup, which has a Southeast Asian flair. A spinach salad features ingredients that could be considered boring elsewhere: blue-cheese dressing, bacon, onion. But here, the sharply cheesy buttermilk dressing and the woodsy pine nuts make it a salad to remember. Grange’s brunch puts other local offerings to shame. The home fries are like marvelously crispy Spanish patatas bravas. A grilled-hamand-Gruyere sandwich is just buttery enough, and an eggwhite frittata is more than a bone thrown to the cholesterolchallenged; it’s a worthy dish in its own right. American.

926 J St., (916) 492-4450. Dinner for one: $40-$60. HHHH B.G.

Zia’s Delicatessen Zia’s Delicatessen isn’t really about trying every sandwich: It’s about finding your sandwich. In addition to a large selection of salumi, there’s the worthy eponymous offering, served with a wedge of zucchini

frittata, a slice of provolone, romaine lettuce, grainy tomato, and a simple dash of vinegar and oil that adds tang.

Order it hot, so that the provolone melts into the bread.

Also tasty: the hot meatball sub with small-grained, tender meatballs bathed in a thin, oregano-flecked tomato sauce that soaks into the bread. A tuna sandwich is sturdy, if not exciting. It is just mayonnaisey enough, with tiny, diced bits of celery.

A rosemary panino cotto with mozzarella could benefit from a more flavorful cheese. For a meatier option, try the Milano: mortadella, salami, Muenster; all three flavors in balance.

The turkey Viareggio has a thin spread of pesto mayo, and the smoked mozzarella accents rather than overpowers. American. 1401 O St., Ste. A; (916) 441-3354. Meal for one: $5-$10. HHHH B.G.

Midtown Hook & Ladder Manufacturing Co. The restaurant, by the same owners as Midtown’s The Golden Bear, sports a firefighting theme (a ladder on the ceiling duct work, shiny silver wallpaper with a ratand-hydrant motif, et al) and a bar setup that encourages patrons to talk to each other.

An interesting wine list includes entries from Spain and Israel; there are also draft cocktails and numerous beers on tap.

The brunch menu is heavy on the eggs, prepared in lots of ways. One option is the Croque

Madame, a ham-and-Gruyere sandwich usually battered with egg. This one had a fried egg and béchamel, with a generous smear of mustard inside. The mountain of potato hash alongside tasted flavorful and not too greasy. The menu also features pizzas and house-made pastas, but one of its highlights includes an excellent smoked-eggplant baba ganoush, which is smoky and garlicky and served with warm flatbread wedges and oil-cured olives. The bananas foster bread pudding is equally transcendent, accompanied by very salty caramel gelato, pecans and slivers of brûléed bananas. American. 1630 S St., (916) 442-4885. Dinner for one: $20-$40. HHH1/2 A.M.R.

LowBrau This place specializes in beer and bratwursts.

Both are done smashingly.

The sausage is wrapped in a tight, snappy skin like a gimp suit, which gets nicely charred by the chefs. Within it lies a beguilingly spicy and juicy piece of meat. Get it with a pretzel roll for a truly exciting experience. There are vegan options, too: The Italian, an eggplant-based brat, has a surprisingly sausagelike texture that no self-respecting carnivore will turn down for lack of flavor.

Toppings include sauerkraut, a “Bier Cheese” sauce and caramelized onions. The idea behind Duck Fat Fries is a glorious one, yet somehow still falls short. You just expect something more when you see the words “duck fat.”

The beer selection is epic. If you’re lost and confused, the staff will help guide you to the right brew via questionings and encouraged tastings.

German. 1050 20th St., (916) 706-2636. Dinner for one: $10-$15. HHHH G.M.

Tank House BBQ and Bar The décor here is “suspenders and suede oxfords”—both homey and eclectic with old wood, new wood and wallpaper that is to die for. A large patio is welcoming and allows diners to bathe in the haze from the drum smoker. You’ll leave perfumed in white-oak and almond-wood smoke; a good thing if your date digs the smell of meat and wood, bad if you have a meeting after lunch. Recommendations include the ribs, which are astounding in texture. The meat falls off the bone with confidence that your mouth will catch it. A lack of salt or spice on the ribs, however, robs them of the chance of being truly astonishing. (An easy fix.)

The brisket is also fantastic— as tender as the first time you held hands with a high-school crush, with a sweet, smoky flavor that’s just as memorable.

Loaded onto the sandwich and served with white American cheese, it makes for an epic meal. Barbecue. 1925 J St., (916) 431-7199. Dinner for one: $10-$20. HHH G.M.

East Sac Istanbul Bistro Turkish chef Murat Bozkurt and brother Ekrem co-own this paean to

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their homeland, with Ekrem usually at the front of the house, infusing the space with cheer. Turkish cuisine features aspects of Greek, Moroccan and Middle Eastern flavors. The appetizer combo plate offers an impressive sampling. Acili ezme is a chopped, slightly spicy mixture of tomatoes, cucumber and walnuts that’s delicious paired with accompanying flatbread wedges. For entrees, try the borani, a lamb stew with garbanzos, carrots, potatoes and currants. The meat is very tender, while the veggies arrived nicely al dente. Also good is the chicken shish plate (souvlaki), which features two skewers of marinated grilled chicken that’s moist and succulent. There are also quite a few choices for vegetarians, including flatbread topped like pizza, with spinach and feta or mozzarella and egg. Turkish. 3260-B J St., (916) 449-8810. Dinner for one: $15-$20. HHH1/2 A.M.R.

North Sac Asian Café Asian Café serves both Thai and Lao food, but go for the Lao specialties, which rely on flavoring staples such as fish sauce, lime juice, galangal and lemongrass, lots of herbs, and chilies. One of the most common dishes in Lao cuisine is larb, a dish of chopped meat laced with herbs, chilies and lime. At Asian Café, it adds optional offal add-ons—various organ

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28 | SN&R | 10.31.13

1315 21st Street, Sacramento 916.441.7100

1830 J ST SACRAMENTO 916.329.8678 www.sawasdeesac.com

Grand Opening AUTHENTIC PHO & VIETNAMESE DELICACIES ASK ABOUT SENIOR & STUDENT SPECIALS (Mon-Wed) 6434 Stockton Road | Sacramento, CA 95823 916.393.9988 Sun-Thu 9am–9pm | Fri-Sat 9am–10pm

South Sac A&A Tasty Restaurant and Bar This Little Saigon eatery boasts such an extensive menu of Chinese and Vietnamese dishes that it’s hard to pinpoint its crown jewel. Notable options include a salty fish and chicken-fried rice entree with stir-fried vegetables.

The fried rice offers copious pieces of the diced salty fish.

This may seem a bit weird to the uninitiated, but the reward is a unique, jolting pungent flavor that spruces up an otherwise boring chicken-fried rice. Elsewhere on the menu, the Vietnamese pork-chop rice plate, served with a small bowl of fish sauce, surprisingly stacks up to similar dishes from other strictly Vietnamese restaurants in the area. The pork is

thinly sliced and tender, easily cut with a simple butter knife.

A&A’s mash-up of hu tieu and huáng máo ji is unusual: The dish is commonplace, yet here it shines when set atop a steaming bowl of noodle soup. Chinese and Vietnamese.

6601 Florin Rd., (916) 379-0309.

Dinner for one: $10-$20.

HHH1/2 J.M.

Skip’s Kitchen You know you’re at an American restaurant when a cheeseburger is one of the healthiest items on the menu.

Sure enough, Skip’s Kitchen features a lot of calorie-rich items, such as fried macaroniand-cheese balls, ravioli, chicken strips, chicken wings and shrimp, plus creamy Oreo milkshakes. There are salads, too, but the best dish on the menu is the burger. All five styles (original, mushroom and Swiss, bacon and cheddar, three-cheese, and Western) are served on a brioche bun and cooked “medium,” unless otherwise specified. American.

4717 El Camino Ave. in Carmichael, (916) 514-0830.

Dinner for one: $10-$20.

HHH1/2 J.M.

Ramen & Rice At Ramen & Rice, a ramen restaurant that also makes Korean dishes, it’s best to stick to the latter. Order the bibimbap with the brown rice—it imparts a delightful nutty flavor. The sliced mushrooms add to the umami of this dish, and the shoyu, mustard and spicy sauces that come on the side should all be used liberally. Meat is very easily avoided here: The restaurant emphasizes the healthful aspect of its dishes, and tofu can be substituted for any meat, as can vegetarian broth in most of the soups. On the Japanese side of the menu, the ramen broth lacked a much-needed, salinated quality, the chashu lacked succulence and the hardboiled egg was served overcooked with an ugly green yolk. A steaming bowl of Japanese curry, however, boasted a comforting flavor, and, unusually, a bit of spice. Japanese and Korean.

salsa bar. Be sure to pick up a glass of the homemade horchata, which is sweet and milky with seductive whispers of cinnamon. You will want seconds. Mexican. 1841 Howe Ave., (916) 924-0108. Dinner for one: $8-$10. HHH G.M.

807 Howe Ave., (916) 922-6227.

Dinner for one: $10-$15.

HHH1/2 B.G.

Arden/ Carmichael

IllustratIon by Mark stIvers

meats, entrails, et al—to three versions of the dish: beef with tripe, chicken with gizzards, or pork with pork skin. The beef salad offers a gentle respite from aggressive flavors, consisting of medium-thick chewy slices of eye of round with red bell pepper, chopped iceberg and hot raw jalapeño. The single best dish here is the nam kao tod, a crispy entree with ground pork that’s baked on the bottom of the pan with rice, then stirred and fried up fresh the next day with dried Thai chilies and scallions. Thai and Lao. 2827 Norwood Ave., (916) 641-5890. Dinner for one: $10-$15. HHHH B.G.

Land Park/ Curtis Park Buffalo Pizza & Ice Cream Co. The eatery, which offers take-out only, keeps the menu simple.

Customers can choose from two types of pies: breakfast or lunch. Breakfast pizzas consist of standard pizza dough, on top of which rests a thin layer of egg, cheese and toppings (read: no sauce).

One pepperoni-and-jalapeños morning pie starts off well, but then the dough disappoints. It doesn’t quite fit in either the “thick” or “thin” category; it’s not yeasty enough and too chewy and firm. A mushroom-andspinach pie offers better texture. Lunch pizzas here are less unique, but still hit a nice mark via a few standout ingredients. The garlic pizza reaches a nice balance of sweet and salty with a creamy white sauce, mushrooms, onions, pepperoni and sausage. Buffalo also offers Gunther’s Ice Cream, side salads, fried chicken and canned sodas, but here, it’s breakfast pizza for the win. American.

2600 21st St., (916) 451-6555. Meal for one: $10-$20. HHH1/2 J.M.

Taqueria Garibaldi One of this restaurant’s biggest pulls is its choice of meats. The chorizo is red, crispy and greasy in all the best ways.

The lengua (tongue) is soft and dreamily reminiscent of only the most ethereal bits of beef. The fish is fine and flaky and the cabeza and pork are herculean in flavor options worthy of note, too. Tacos are small and served on two tiny tortillas (flour or corn, your call) with a bit of house salsa that has all the kick of a pissed off Girl Scout who’s just tall enough to nail you right under the kneecap. Or, feel free to customize, too, courtesy of the fully loaded

Celebrating chefs Some of my favorite celebrities in the food world include television hosts, chefs and writers such as Michael Pollan. Pollan—who was once called a “liberal foodie intellectual” by a New York Times book reviewer in 2006—will be giving a speech in Grass Valley on Friday, November 8, at 8 p.m. The journalist and author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma will be speaking about his newest book Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation, which stresses the social value of cooking. This will be followed by a Q-and-A session moderated by Capital Public Radio’s Beth Ruyak. Rounding out the evening is Johnny Woolman & the Wombats, consisting of students from The Woolman Semester School in Nevada City. Tickets are $45 for Center for the Arts members, $50 for the general public, and $60 for “premium” tickets, which include reserved seating and parking. It happens at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium, 255 S. Auburn Street in Grass Valley. Find out more information at http://thecenterforthearts.org.

—Jonathan Mendick

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FIND OF THE WEEK

Pop-culture catharsis

Payback is a witch the Witch’s spellBook Maybe we’ve just been watching too much American Horror Story: Coven, but suddenly, casting spells WEBSITE seems like an awfully good way to deal with bad people. Luckily, there’s a Tumblr for that. The Witch’s Spellbook neatly categorizes its incantations (“Health and happiness,” “Love,” “Protection,” et al.) and each offers a guide to ingredients and steps. While there are no spells that explicitly promise to put a world of hurt on someone, we’re sure crafty types (or at least those who are overly fond of the 1996 classic The Craft) can channel their inner Jessica Lange and improvise. http://spellbookofwitches.tumblr.com.

—Rachel Leibrock

Twisted mystery Whispering Bodies Even the most casual of punk-rock fans are usually familiar with Operation Ivy, the ’80s-era East Bay ska-punk innovators. While half the band would later form Rancid, Ivy lead singer Jesse Michaels ended up dabbling in other bands as well as fiction. Now, Michaels has released his debut novel, Whispering Bodies (Soft Skull Press, $15.95), an odd but entertaining twisted detective story. Roy Belkin, the book’s highly eccentric protagonist, unintentionally lands in the middle of a murder mystery. And that’s only one of his BOOK big problems: He’s also a paranoid, people-hating recluse who needs to perform a whole series of rituals just to leave the house.

—Aaron Carnes

Artists with abilities Break Barriers–open doors stamps Close your eyes. Now, get up and walk outside. It’s disorienting and frightening to be without sight. Despite the challenges of losing his vision when ART he was an adult, that’s when Sacramento’s Pete Eckert became a photographer. He’s shown his painting-by-light photos internationally, and now his work is getting even more overseas exposure, thanks to the United Nations Postal Administration, which has chosen Eckert’s “Electro Man” to be on one of six stamps in its Break Barriers–Open Doors series. Each stamp in the collection is made by “artists with disabilities”—including a self-portrait of the remarkable painter (and paraplegic) Chuck Close—but after seeing them all, it seems more accurate to call their creators “artists with abilities.” http://unstamps.un.org.

—Shoka

Brandon Bird’s astonishing World of art The day we can all admit we’ve sung a T-Swift song in the shower and sometimes don’t change the channel after stumbling across American Idol will be the day we live in a more honest world. But until then, the best way to deal with your unabashed pop-culture-indulgence guilt? The reART BOOK cently released Brandon Bird’s Astonishing World of Art (Chronicle Books, $14.95).

You could say that it’s part art book, part coloring book, but really, its contents defy categorization: There’s a Christopher Walken mask you can cut from one of the pages, a drawing of Jerry Seinfeld as Bruce Lee, a paint-by-numbers picture of Nicholas Cage hugging a bonobo, instructions for drawing Tom Hanks’ face, an oil-on-canvas painting titled “No One Wants to Play Sega With Harrison Ford,” Law & Order valentines and a painting of Peter Dinklage as Wolverine (pictured), just to name a few highlights.

Bird, born and raised in Carmichael, now lives in Los Angeles “for some reason,” as his website bio puts it, a declaration that seems fitting with the question the book raises: Is it celebrating pop culture or making fun of it? (The answer is yes.)

The quirky compilation is also somehow cathartic, dredging up nostalgia (lots of old-school Care Bears and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle references), while remaining utterly ridiculous, so much so that no matter how immune one is to the treacle of low-brow culture, it’s sure to amuse.

—Deena Drewis

HARRIS CENTER AT FOLSOM LAKE COLLEGE PRESENTS

Happiness, no bitter chasers I am a 60-year-old never-married man who, despite major career successes, has never quite felt as if I fit. I was raised by doting parents, did well in school, have dated, have loved and been loved, yet I feel as if I have missed something vital and central to life itself. Am I neurotic? I do not wish to be told to seek therapy.

I would like your advice.

You have stumbled upon one of the core truths of being

by Joey ga fully human. As the psycholorcia gist Erich Fromm once wrote: “Man is born as a freak of a s kj oe y @ ne wsreview.c om nature, being within nature and yet transcending it.” To exist is to belong, and yet to exist Joey without fully belonging to this world is celebrating the is the awakened awareness of a 17th anniversary of person devoted to the spiritual path. the Ask Joey column.

Or it is, at minimum, the inspiration felt by a person rising to take the first step. Is that where you are?

You have a heart open enough to appreciate your copious blessings: family, education, opportunities and worldly success. At midlife, rather than finding fault with your discontent, let it lead you toward completion.

No amount of happy family life or academic achievement or career success is a substitute for the real work of life.

Here is what is missing from your life: The you who is yearning to be born. No amount of happy family life or academic achievement or career success is a substitute for the real work of life. We are here to round the rough corners of our own personalities and to push out innovative ideas or creative projects that transform the world. We are here to grow in our individual capacities to love and be loved. Yes, that is the meaning of life.

Of course, the drive to ensure a cherished family life or to build personal success can be a container for changes in personality and creative expression that result in spiritual growth. So, no, your sense of something missing is not evidence of neurosis. It’s confirmation that you are human and

Got a problem?

Write, email or leave a message for Joey at the News & Review.

Give your name, telephone number (for verification purposes only) and question—all correspondence will be kept strictly confidential.

Write Joey, 1124 Del Paso Blvd., Sacramento, CA 95815; call (916) 498-1234, ext. 3206; or email askjoey@ newsreview.com.

BEFORE

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NEWS

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Ballroom with a Twist

FRI 11/1 – SUN 11/3 A star-studded evening featuring Chelsie Hightower, Dmitry Chaplin and Oksana Dmytrenko (Dancing with the Stars), Jonathan Platero, Randi Lynn Strong, Legacy (So You Think You Can Dance) and Gina Glocksen and Von Smith (American Idol).

that you are on a spiritual path.

Here you are at age 60, being born again. Welcome home.

I have suffered from depression for most of my life. About five years ago, I fell in love with a woman. Prior to this, I only dated men. I thought that my depression was tied to the revelation that I had been a lesbian all along but had completely submerged my sexuality, because I feared my parents’ response. After being in a loving relationship with my partner for five years, I realize that my sexuality was not the issue. I still suffer from depression. I am on medication, and I see a therapist. But it doesn’t help me with my greatest fear. I am convinced that my depression will become too much, and my partner will leave me. What should I do?

Realize that you are afraid of being happy. You’re not alone. A lot of people assume that if something good happens or if an exquisite joy suddenly permeates their life, a bitter chaser must follow. Some people are so committed to the belief that it’s not safe to be happy, they never fully savor the sweetness of their blessings. Treasured experiences, like falling in love with the right person, provide strength, selfawareness and growth in selflessness. These are among the qualities needed when difficulties strike. So, allow yourself to rest in the reality of the love present in your life.

When you do, your fearful thoughts will be drastically reduced.

Let’s talk about the depression.

You are a woman who sometimes battles, sometimes succumbs to depression. Can you begin to see depression as an occasional experience, rather than a way to label yourself? After all, your partner loves you as you are. It’s time to join her embrace of you. Ω

FRI: 7:30 pm, SAT: 2 & 7:30 pm, SUN: 2 pm

Pacific Mambo Orchestra

Peter Nero

with Tito Puente Jr.

TUE 11/12 – WED 11/13

TUE 11/19

7:30 pm

7 pm

Vivian Lee

A Tribute to Billie Holliday

The Addams Family

FRI 11/22 - SUN 11/24

TUE 11/26 –WED 11/27

FRI: 7:30 pm; SAT: 2 & 7:30 pm; SUN: 2 pm TUE: 7:30 pm; WED: 2 & 7:30 pm

An Irish Christmas

Eddie Palmieri Latin Jazz Band

FRI 11/29 - SUN 12/1

MON 12/2

FRI: 7:30 pm; SAT: 2 & 7:30 pm; SUN: 2 pm 7 pm

Meditation of the Week I was mesmerized by 16-yearold pianist Llewellyn SanchezWerner, who performed during the Sacramento Philharmonic’s Here to Stay: The Gershwin Experience program. Sanchez-Werner, the youngest musician to graduate from The Juilliard School, defines genius.

How do you nurture your capacity for the extraordinary?

F E AT U R E

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www.HarrisCenter.net 916-608-6888

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Dark and anguished

p urchase gift cards for up to 50% off

There’s always plenty of gloom and doom in William Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Now, Capital Stage has brought back the company’s founder by Patti Roberts Stephanie Gularte as director for its first-ever Shakespeare production, and she’s written an original adaptation of the famous Scottish play that adds even more gloomy doom to the tale of treachery and madness.

Gularte takes the story of the 11th–century Scottish royal succession and projects it into a post-apocalyptic world gone mad. Gularte says she was influenced by the dark violence of both real life (9/11) and television series (Homeland, The Walking Dead, Breaking Bad) and wanted to capture the mental, physical and emotional struggles of society gone awry.

4

This is the Shakespeare of the future.

Bacon & Butter: $25 for $17.50 Kupros: $20 for $10 Sawasdee Thai Cuisine: $25 for $12.50 Skybox Grill & Bar: $25 for $12.50 Squeeze Inn: $10 for $5 Macbeth, 7 p.m.

Wednesday; 8 p.m.

Thursday, Friday, Saturday; 2 p.m.

Sunday; $22-$36.

Capital Stage, 2215 J Street; (916) 995-5464; www.capstage.org.

Through November 24.

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production, they are presented as mysterious figures who talk though gas masks and in strange Star Wars-villainesque voices, making it nearly impossible to understand their dialogue.

The production is fascinating, though, and there’s never a dull moment. The supporting cast delivers; the fight scenes are remarkable; the stage is stark and yet imaginative; and the lighting and sound effects bring forth the underlining pulsating beat of war, heart and mental anguish. It’s a Macbeth conveying the future—and the future ain’t pretty. Ω

PhOTO COurTeSy OF Charr CraIl

eat out and save!

Macbeth

So, this is a Macbeth stripped bare in storyline, script, characters, set and costumes. Gone is the emphasis on who will be next king, and in its place, Gularte spotlights the psychological battles of both Macbeths (Mr. and Mrs.) and the physical battles of dysfunctional despots and roving troupes of survivalists.

The success of the tonal and scripting tweaks of this adaptation of Macbeth is mixed—some aspects really work, others need some adjustments to achieve the intended visceral and emotional impact.

Scott Coopwood is Macbeth, and Janis Stevens is Lady Macbeth. Both have played their respective roles a number of times, though probably never like this. Coopwood is explosive, dynamic and emotionally bare— unforgettable, and so passionate, you can see his neck veins pop, though he could use a layer of subtlety at times. Stevens portrays one of the most powerful and devious women in all of theater history, and while she delivers her lines with dramatic confidence, she could add a bit of Breaking Bad badassness.

Perhaps the most obvious miscalculation is with the three witches who are central figures to the play and plot: Their prophecies and incantations give strength and meaning to the dire deeds of the Macbeths. But in this

Turn of 5The the Screw SacImpulse steps away from its history of comedy to get extremely creepy in this aptly timed short engagement of Henry James’ novel of psychological horror, The Turn of the Screw. Adapted for the stage by Jeffrey Hatcher—of Compleat Female Stage Beauty fame—the story relies on language and the skills of two actors to create and intensify a sense of dread.

In short, it’s the perfect literary Halloween show, and SacImpulse does it to deliciously frightful perfection.

As the Governess, Kayla Berghoff (most recently in Sacramento Theatre Company’s A Little Princess) goes from a naif to a nutcase with an amazing alacrity. She shows, from her opening scenes, a mix of innocence and ego that makes her unraveling both predictable and horrifying.

She is matched by Jerry Lee in every other role—something we’ve only seen him do in comedies before this. He is the distant gentleman, the working-class governess, the 10-year-old boy, and, yes, even the sound effects. While his natural turn toward comedy comes through in the earlier scenes, rather than a tone break, this serves to lull the audience a bit in preparation for the terror to come.

Berghoff and Lee use physical and vocal technique with such prowess, that it’s not merely a matter of suspending disbelief, there’s simply no question: We must believe.

Directed by Gail Dartez, The Turn of the Screw is the perfect seasonal show. It’s also an excellent example of blending traditional theatrical arts with classic literature. It’s sure to sell out for its three remaining performances, so get tickets early.

—Kel Munger

The Turn of the Screw, 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday, Saturday; $20.

SacImpulse at Ooley Theatre, 2007 28th Street; (916) 457-2129; www.sacimpulse.com. Through November 2.

www.newsreview.com Now Playing

4

PHOTO COURTESy B STREET THEATRE

The Crucible

This handsome mounting of an American classic features a pleasing mix of community talent, from teens to white-haired veterans. Set amid the Salem witch trials, it’s all about false accusations and rash judgment: The accused can either “confess” and survive, or plead innocent and hang.

F, S 7:30pm; Su 2pm; 10/31 7:30pm; 11/1 & 11/8 10am; 11/9 2pm.

Through 11/10. $10-$15. Falcon’s

Detroit

Detroit is a play with great potential that doesn’t quite deliver the satisfying payoff it first promises. The award-winning play by Lisa D’Amour about the unlikely friendship between two sets of neighbors takes us down a pretty entertaining road, but fails to find the more interesting paths.

Instead, the plot increasingly becomes more sitcomesque with a strange, disjointed ending that feels a bit preachy and tagged on. Th, F 8pm; Sa 5 & 9pm; Su 2pm;

2

Tu 6:30pm; W 2 & 6:30pm. Through 11/17. $23-$35. B Street Theatre, 2711 B St.; (916) 443-5300; www.bstreettheatre.org. P.R.

Manohla Dargis,

FAIR

viscer al force.” claudia puig,

lou lumenick,

4

Down the Road

story that seizes you almost immediately

with a

GOOD

4

Lee Blessing’s unflinching look at America’s fascination with serial killers—we know their names, but forget the names of their victims—gets a well-done staging by EMH Productions. It’s directed by Kara Ow, with Elise Hodge, Jake Lyall and Dustin Miller as the coolly calculating serial killer. Th 8pm.

Through 10/31. $17-$25. EMH Productions at the Geery Theatre, 2130 L St.; www.emhpros.weebly.com. K.M.

“a

3

Tara Sissom (left) and Elisabeth Nunziato in B Street Theatre’s production of Detroit.

game-changinG

movie event.”

FOUL

Eye Theatre at Folsom Lake College, Harris Center for the Arts, 10 College Pkwy. in Folsom; (916) 608-6888; www.falconseye theatre.com. J.H.

3

“A

1

Peter Travers,

++++ “++++

“

WELL-DONE

a bsolutely

5

essential v ie w ing.”

SUBLIME–DON’T MISS

deeply evocative

&

brilliantly

acted dr ama .”

Short reviews by Jeff Hudson, Kel Munger and Patti Roberts.

PHOTO By LINDSEy ByRNES

Feather boas are absolutely allowed.

Cho’s Mother I recently saw Margaret Cho playing the role of a paralegal on the Lifetime network’s Drop Dead Diva on Netflix, and I wondered what had happened to her career. But after watching the comedic drama a bit more, I realized that it was pretty good, and so is Cho. The Korean-American actress has had a diverse and successful career playing strong, outspoken, nonstereotypical Asian characters—a rare feat for Asian-American actors in a world of typecast Hollywood roles for Asian nerds, doctors and scientists.

Cho’s career is all about diversity: She’s also a stand-up comedian, musician, dancer, director, model, podcaster, author and activist. Cho’s comedy is humorous yet tackles LGBT, Asian-American and political issues with indignation.

Her current comedy tour, Mother—which visits Sacramento on Saturday—features honest and comedic reflections on identity, sex and even her own mother. Comedian Jim Short opens. 8 p.m. Saturday, November 2; $49-$69. Crest Theatre, 1013 K Street; (916) 442-5189; www.margaretcho.com.

12YEARSASLAVE.COM

EXCLUSIVE ENGAGEMENTS

START FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1

—Jonathan Mendick

BEFORE

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F E AT U R E

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Copyright © 2013 Twentieth Century Fox. All Rights Reserved.

ELK GROVE ROSEVILLE UA Olympus SACRAMENTO Century Laguna 16 Pointe Stadium 12 The Tower Theatre (800) FANDANGO #906 (800) FANDANGO #516 (800) FANDANGO #2721

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2 5 0 8 L A N D PA R K D R I V E L A N D PA R K & B R O A D WAY F R E E PA R K I N G A D J A C E N T T O T H E AT R E “MAGNIFICENT.”- Richard Roeper, RICHARD ROEPER.COM

“A WINNING COMIC ROMANCE.”

STARTS FRI., 11/1

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YEARS A SLAVE Enough Said - Todd McCarthy, HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

FRI-TUES: 10:30AM, 12:00, 1:10, 3:00, 4:05, 6:00, 7:00, 9:00, 9:55PM “FRANKLY REFRESHING.”

“IMPASSIONED.”

- Daniel Walber, FILM.COM

- Sheri Linden, HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

ENDS THUR., 10/31 WED/THUR: 11:00AM, 1:05, 3:15, 5:30, 7:45, 9:50PM

ENDS THUR., 10/31 WED/THUR: 1:10PM

CONCUSSION INEQUALITY FOR ALL

“WONDERFULLY MOVING TALE.” - Claudia Puig, USA TODAY

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To hell and back 12 Years a Slave There’s a lot of Oscar buzz around director Steve McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave, and if it snags the big prize next March, I won’t be surprised. Not by Jim Lane because it’s the year’s best picture—although it’s awfully near the top—but for reasons that have more to do with the movie colony than with McQueen’s searing, indelible movie.

First, as Pauline Kael once noted, Hollywood is notoriously cowardly, and is always proudest of those movies that celebrate courage. And besides, 12 Years a Slave gives Academy Award voters the chance to scratch an itch that’s been bugging them since the 1960s: It’s an opportunity to “atone” for the 1940 Best Picture winner, Gone With the Wind.

5

SACRAMENTO

(916) 455.4800 STOCKTON

(206) 473.4800 www.davidallenlaw.com

REEL

REVIEWS. EVERY THURSDAY. YOU’RE WELCOME, FILM GEEKS

Agreement The aim and purpose of the Sac Pride/Gay In Sac joint venture has always been to facilitate and promote the numerous events, activities and businesses affiliated with the vibrant community of the greater Sacramento area. After many months of concerted effort, the founders have agreed that their efforts together have concluded, while the work of broadcast production, print publications, event promotions and charitable fundraising continues. The parties remain committed to the uplift and well-being of the community, and expect to productively participate in many facets of community life going forward.

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Director Steve McQueen’s biopic about a 19th-century slave’s quest for freedom is a surefire Oscar contender for Best Picture.

1 Poor

2 Fair

3 Good

4 Very Good

5 excellent

Not that 12 Years is likely to eclipse GWTW’s popularity anytime soon; it’s awfully strong and uncomfortable stuff. McQueen and writer John Ridley tell the all-too-credible story of Solomon Northrup (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a free man of color in Saratoga Springs, New York, who, in 1841, was enticed to Washington, D.C., on the promise of a job as a musician, then drugged, kidnapped and sold into slavery.

That much of Northrup’s story is unfortunately unremarkable; such things were not uncommon in pre-Civil War America. What’s remarkable is that Northrup was eventually redeemed from bondage and wrote a book about it, published in 1853. Ridley, with some minor dramatic license, has adapted Northrup’s memoir into a first-rate script.

The British-born McQueen (not to be confused with the late American superstar of the same name) is just the kind of director to bring this story to the screen. McQueen’s style is a paradoxical blend of compassion and pitilessness. It’s unflinching in its directness (McQueen often employs long takes of five minutes or more, forcing us to confront the action without the subliminal comfort of cutting away to different angles), yet compassionate in its regard for the humanity of even the most inhuman characters.

Another paradox is that this compassion shows even in the treatment of the picture’s least sympathetic characters: the strictly business, ironically named slave trader Freeman (Paul Giamatti), the dog-stupid slave owner Tibeats (Paul Dano), the Bible-thumping Epps (Michael Fassbender) and his wife (Sarah Paulson). These people are presented as they must have seemed at the time, even to themselves; there’s no sense of a 21st-century actor sending out subtle I’m-notreally-like-this signals (I’m thinking of Ed Asner in Roots). Likewise, the handful of decent characters, such as slave owners Ford (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Judge Turner (Bryan Batt), shine by their own lights and not as reflected in the hindsight of 170 years later.

(It helps immeasurably that Ridley and McQueen preserve, and the actors can handle, the archaic vocabulary and rhythms of 19th-century speech.)

Three performances in 12 Years a Slave stood out for me.

The shortest is an incisive cameo

by Alfre Woodard as a black woman who has risen to be mistress of her own plantation, reaching an uneasy, rueful peace.

The most unexpected comes from Lupita Nyong’o, who makes a breakthrough screen debut as the slave woman Patsey, lust-object of the hypocritical Epps and victim of his venomous wife.

Most of all, there’s Chiwetel Ejiofor as Northrup himself.

Ejiofor has been doing solid work since at least Steven Spielberg’s Amistad in 1997, usually in supporting roles. Here, he carries the whole movie and gives it its core of

Chiwetel Ejiofor carries the whole movie and gives it its core of unquenchable humanity. unquenchable humanity. It’s in his eyes as stares in disbelieving horror at where cruel fate has brought him, and as he joins in singing a hymn at the funeral of a fellow slave. What makes the picture bearable for us is knowing what Northrup could not: That it will, in time, be over, and he’ll return to his wife and family. What made it bearable for him, we sense, was luck, the occasional decency, and his own wits, which told him when he could let his intelligence show and when he must conceal it. This, we sense, is what Solomon Northrup must have been like.

Northrup endured slavery for a dozen years. McQueen, Ridley and Ejiofor give it to us for a little more than two hours, and that’s more than enough. Ω

by daniel barnes & JiM lane

4

Captain Phillips

Every word that accurately describes the experience of Captain Phillips makes it sound like the movie beats the hell out of its viewers. It’s an exhausting film, but in a good way. Much as he did in United 93, director Paul Greengrass employs his punishing brand of verisimilitude to immerse the audience in real-life horrors. This time, Greengrass locates his handheld camera 150 miles off of the east African coast, where in April 2009, Somali pirates brazenly commandeered a container ship and took captain Richard Phillips hostage. Tom Hanks plays Phillips, and while his casting may be character shorthand for “decent and dutiful,” Greengrass and screenwriter Billy Ray are after larger spoils. Captain Phillips splits its time between Phillips and his malnourished Somali captor, a violently ambitious pirate played by Barkhad Abdi, who gives one of the most compelling performances of the year. D.B.

3

Ah, yet another Rachel McAdams time-travel flick.

3

Carrie

When he turns 21, a young man (Domhnall Gleeson) learns from his father (Bill Nighy) that the family’s men can time travel back to moments in their own lives, where they get the chance to correct mistakes—but often with unforeseen consequences. Writer-director Richard Curtis’ premise is a bit on the twee side, and he tends to doodle idly with it—running 123 minutes, the movie sometimes threatens to wear out its welcome. But the idea does have its appeal—who wouldn’t like a do-over now and then?—and the cast certainly has charm in abundance to compensate for the occasional spinning of wheels. Gleeson (son of Brendan) is clearly going places, and he holds his own with both the ever-reliable Nighy and the always-radiant Rachel McAdams as the true love he keeps meeting, losing and meeting again. J.L.

Those who love Brian De Palma’s adaptation of the Stephen King novel Carrie will probably regard director Kimberly Peirce’s slavish devotion to the 1976 film as pointless, but newcomers are more likely to embrace this self-aware update.

The De Palma original is a minor classic that overshadows this nearly scene-for-scene reproduction, although for anyone arriving to the new Carrie without baggage, the mostly intact story is still queasily irresistible. There are significant departures here, some of them disappointing compromises, while others show that Peirce and her collaborators have larger goals beyond updating Stephen King’s story for the onlinebullying generation. This would have worked if the actress playing Carrie was anything more than adequate, but Chloë Grace Moretz is overly mannered and false. That same artificiality permeates the proceedings— everyone here looks too pretty, everything feels too polished, and every theme is too obvious and strident. D.B.

3

first Thanksgiving. The current economics of animation often means that what once might have made a good seven-minute cartoon gets blown up to feature length—but this one wouldn’t even be worth seven minutes.

Director Jimmy Hayward and his battalion of animators don’t even seem clear on what a turkey looks like—here some look like pigeons, others like eagles, still others like God only knows what. The script by Hayward and Scott Mosier (story by David I. Stern and John J. Strauss) is weighed down by jokes of dreary lameness. J.L.

Concussion

After a bored lesbian housewife named Abby (Robin Weigert) suffers a head injury caused by one of her children, a deep-seated dissatisfaction is awakened. At first, she turns to outside work, remodeling a Manhattan apartment in order to alleviate her suburban ennui, and finally finds passion and fulfillment working as a high-class call girl for female clients. The illicit eroticism and housewife-to-prostitute story arc of Concussion would not be out of place on Cinemax at 2:35 in the morning, but writerdirector Stacie Passon clearly values quiet introspection over crass titillation. Abby’s dalliance in prostitution becomes a dangerous obsession, which Passon positions as an extension of a middle-aged obsession with exercise and body image. Concussion is a promising work from a filmmaker to watch, but Passon still needs to figure out how to make a film about sterility and dispassion that isn’t sterile and dispassionate. D.B.

2

5

An El Paso lawyer (Michael Fassbender) tries to make a quick fortune in drug trafficking, but the deal goes wrong, and he finds himself—and everyone he knows—the prey of the ruthless Mexican cartel he’s been dealing with. Directed by Ridley Scott and written by acclaimed novelist Cormac McCarthy, the movie is a stylish muddle with a murky plot that seldom makes sense. McCarthy, unfortunately, is out of his element: A star-studded cast (Penélope Cruz, Javier Bardem, Cameron Diaz, Brad Pitt, Rosie Perez, Bruno Ganz) grapples valiantly but in vain with his over-literary dialogue (real people simply don’t speak like this, only characters in pretentious novels).

Diaz is especially unlucky, saddled with an unplayable, unintentionally comic scene that calls for her to masturbate against a car windshield. J.L.

3

A turkey (voice by Owen Wilson) despairs of ever rousing his fellows to resist the annual Thanksgiving slaughter.

Then, he meets one (Woody Harrelson) who has, er, hatched a wild scheme to hijack a secret government time machine, go back to 1621, and get turkey off the menu at the

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NEWS

I’m in Love With a Church Girl

A concert producer and former drug dealer (Jeffrey “Ja Rule” Atkins) finds himself in the position described in the title, the church girl in question being played by Adrienne Bailon. It’s pretty much what you’d expect of a movie with a title like that—not to mention one that gives screen credit to God as executive producer (as if he needs the résumé enhancement). It’s essentially a Sunday-school movie like the recent Grace Unplugged, just as preachy but slightly less awkward about it. Atkins gives a smooth and sincere performance, even in the face of writer Galley Molina’s frequently stilted dialogue (Bailon is less adept at navigating the rocky script). Steve Race’s direction is efficiently pedestrian, and cinematographer Keith J. Duggan gives an unexpected gloss to the movie’s San Jose locations. J.L.

Free Birds

BEFORE

Gravity

Two astronauts (Sandra Bullock, George Clooney) are stranded in space when a debris storm demolishes their space shuttle and wipes out the rest of the crew. Director Alfonso Cuarón, who co-wrote the script with his son Jonás Cuarón, has crafted one of the great whiteknuckle thrillers of all time—as airtight as the pressure suits the astronauts wear, without a wasted syllable and just enough featherlight touches to keep the tension from becoming entirely unbearable. Despite Clooney’s presence, it’s a virtual one-woman show for Bullock, and she’s as brilliant as the movie itself, showing the panic, despair, hope and hopelessness in her character’s struggle to survive. The story is so riveting that Cuarón’s virtuosic touches go almost unnoticed, but they’re there, with stunning visual effects to boot. J.L.

The Counselor

1

About Time

3

Inequality for All

Jacob Kornbluth’s documentary Inequality for All explores the increasing income disparity in America, taking a cheeky tone and glorified PowerPoint approach that is colorful but tired. Fortunately,

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FEATURE

STORY

Kornbluth has an energetic and likable central figure in Robert Reich, the diminutive, longtime friend of former President Bill Clinton and the former labor secretary in his cabinet. Reich is predominantly an author and lecturer now, and the film is structured around his UC Berkeley class on wealth and poverty (cut to students nodding serenely at Reich’s every word), while also wading delicately into his personal life. The film is not immune to the straw-man arguments endemic to advocacy documentaries, and occasionally employs clips from The Daily Show With Jon Stewart in place of salient points. Despite the blatant advocacy and hackneyed approach, though, Inequality for All pulls up the roots of an issue that should transcend political ideology. D.B.

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1/2 off

MaSSage & faCial

Last Vegas

Four old buddies (Michael Douglas, Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Kline) gather for a bachelor party in Las Vegas for the last one to marry, where they unpack ancient baggage in the course of proving there’s life in the old boys yet.

Indeed there is, and writer Dan Fogelman and director Jon Turteltaub should thank God for it. Without these guys—plus Mary Steenburgen as a lounge singer who befriends them—the movie would be less than nothing. (It’s hard to believe that this wheezing retread of The Hangover came from the man who wrote the marvelous Crazy, Stupid, Love.) Douglas and De Niro add some dramatic heft while Freeman and (especially) Kline handle comic relief. Steenburgen blends right in, and has a nice singing voice, to boot.

Joanna Gleason adds bookend cameos as Kline’s wife back home. J.L.

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A Colombian drug trafficker (Manolo Cardona) climbs the ladder of success in the bloody cocaine business, until the love of a good woman (Juana Acosta) makes him want to forsake his life of crime—only to find that it was easier to get into than it is to get out of. Loosely based on the real-life Norte del Valle Cartel, this mostly Spanishlanguage movie has the air of a Scarface wannabe, but without the charisma of Al Pacino, the visual flair of Brian De Palma, or even the brute energy of the earlier picture’s writer, Oliver Stone. Instead, director Carlos Moreno substitutes the sun-faded look of a low-budget TV telenovela, punctuated with the spattering gunplay of a 1960s spaghetti Western. Originally made and released in 2011, it’s only now hitting theaters, having already been released on DVD. J.L.

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A RT S & C U LT U R E

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Need Assistance with Applying for or Appealing Veterans Disability Benefits & Compensation?

Contact: (916) 480-9200 Law Office of Steven H. Berniker, APC Veteran Advisor – Sgt Major (Ret) Daniel J. Morales Location: 2424 Arden Way, Suite 360 Sacramento, CA 95825

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– Dan Lipinski

5XP 4IPXT 8JUI

Danny Secretion rallies the punk community for his 11th annual cancer benefit show Who said that punk rock doesn’t make the world a better place?

Here in Sacramento, for example, the local by Aaron Carnes scene rallies together to raise money for the American Cancer Society as part of an annual benefit show, Danny Secretion’s Lame-Ass Birthday Bash, a three-day event scheduled to take place at Luigi’s Fun Garden from Friday, November 1, through Sunday, November 3. phoTo By mELiSSA uroFF

4USBJHIU / $IBTFS

Giving cancer the big kiss-off

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36 | SN&R | 10.31.13

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Better than just cake and candles: Each year, Danny Secretion celebrates his birthday by fighting cancer with a benefit show.

Check out Danny Secretion’s Lame-Ass Birthday Bash benefit on Friday, November 1, through Sunday, November 3, at Luigi’s Fun Garden, at 1050 20th Street.

The show starts at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and at 6 p.m. on Sunday. The cover charge for each show is $10.

Now in its 11th year, the show has grown exponentially since its inception. Founder Danny Secretion, drummer and singer for the Secretions, sees the fundraiser as a natural extension of punk’s DIY ethos.

“With punk rock, we want to take control of things, and we want to do it ourselves,” he says.

This year, the benefit showcases 14 bands, including Bobby Joe Ebola and the Children MacNuggits, Bastards of Young, and Secretion’s other band, the Knockoffs.

The benefit’s origins are rooted in fun and friendship: In 2002, Secretion decided to throw a bash to celebrate his November birthday. He rented the Capitol Garage, booked a bunch of his friends’ punk bands and made it a free show.

By the following year, however, Secretion had learned that a good friend, local musician Jay Onyskin, had been diagnosed with cancer.

And so Secretion held his birthday show again—but that year, he charged admission and gave all the proceeds to Onyskin to help with treatment.

“[Onyskin] was one of the guys that got me into the punk scene,” Secretion says of his friend, who was in the Sea Pigs and the Lizards, and currently lives in Japan.

The money helped. Onyskin’s cancer eventually went into remission, and Secretion, who decided to stage the fundraiser annually, started donating proceeds to the American Cancer Society.

Now, Secretion says, the amount raised each year grows. In 2011, for example, the benefit raised nearly $2,000. Last year, the donation was $3,000.

The show’s also become something of an event for local musicians.

“It’s always a blast. People might gripe about paying a cover on any other night of the week, … but Sacramento really rallies around this annual event,” says Sean Hills, singer for Bastards of Young.

Not surprisingly, the fundraiser also carries a deeper, personal meaning for many of its participants.

“My grandfather ... died of cancer when I was a teen. It was very difficult for me, because he was like a father to me,” says Corbett Redford, of Bobby Joe Ebola.

Each year sports a theme—usually a loose idea. This year’s, however, offers perhaps the most specific guidelines: Bands have been tasked to cover one Ramones song in their set. The catch? They won’t get to choose the song. Rather, songs will follow the Ramones discography in chronological order, with artists assigned selections based on their set time. For example, the first band on the first night of the benefit will cover one song off of the Ramones’ first album. The first band on the second night (the sixth band to play the fundraiser) will cover a song from the Ramones’ sixth album, and so on. At the close of the benefit’s final night, there will be an all-out Ramones karaoke open-mic jam backed by yet another one of Secretion’s bands, the Moans.

“ With punk rock, we want to take control of things, and we want to do it ourselves.”

Danny Secretion on organizing annual cancer benefit shows The connection to the legendary New York punk band, is personal, Secretion says.

“The Ramones are my religion,” he says.

“I really felt like I didn’t have many friends in high school, and the Ramones really helped get me through every nervous breakdown I had and every heartbreak.”

“We lost Joey and Johnny Ramone to cancer,” Secretion says. “That brings things full circle.” Ω

Sweet Yeezus monday

Yeezus, meet Jesus: Thirty-five dollars for parking, plus my $100 ticket? This was a bad way to start my evening of Kanye West’s Yeezus Tour, which made a stop on October 23, at Oracle Arena in Oakland, but it all went stratospherically up from there.

No space to write about opener Kendrick Lamar, who is a much better studio artist than performer, anyway, so let’s get down to it.

There were all the trappings you may have heard about: outlandish Martin Margiela outfits, including three face-obscuring masks; creepy female dancers; a huge mountain that would be at home on the set of Richard Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen opera; and yes, Jesus and Kanye hug it out.

But in the middle of all these trappings (which are all awesome) exists a charismatic performer who’s coming off an incredibly creative and dark album.

Before the concert, I wondered how West would be able to create a mood that would vibe with his Yeezus album and still be able to pull of any of his lighter hits, such as “Through the Wire.” He did so via the sequencing of his set list, as well as through the set’s colors and lighting, which went from inky and disturbing to glittering rainbow (in a nod to Daft Punk while he performed “Stronger”), to all white.

West performed every track off of Yeezus—the highlight of which was the monster beat drop in “Blood on the Leaves,” which features a sample of Billie Holiday’s “Strange Fruit.” He eventually wound the energy down by talking about the death of his mother and singing “Hey Mama” while prone, and then ill-advisedly went into a long-winded sermon about God and love.

Yeezy had been on stage for more than 90 minutes when some people started to leave. Those people are idiots, because he came back with nine more hits (including “Jesus Walks”).

He finally discarded his mask for the last quarter of the show, which rendered the last songs much more personal—it was also great to see West smile at times.

West chose “Bound 2” from Yeezus as the last song of the show—a surprising choice, as it’s the only track on the album that harkens back to his oldie-sampling younger days. It is, however, a very sweet song, and succeeded in ending the show on a positive note.

NEWS

taco tues $1 tacos, $2 coronas, 2–8pm wednesday

open mic

sign-ups at 7:30pm

—Becky Grunewald

Superexclusive, superfree: When I first heard Life in 24 Frames in 2010, the Sacramento alt-rock six-piece was drawing comparisons to the likes of Sunny Day Real Estate, Built to Spill, Radiohead and Pink Floyd—all fine signifiers of the band’s atmospheric sound.

But each time I received updates from L24F band member Kris Adams, the group’s identity seemed to be in flux—indeed, I was told to expect its sound to change.

Now, having heard portions of the band’s upcoming record Bitter End, I’d consider L24F’s music to be more rustic and pastoral, like Fleet Foxes—yet still holding onto some of the celestial textures that defined its earlier recordings.

Life in 24 Frames has finally completed Bitter End, a record years in the making after recording sessions at The Hangar and the band’s own studio, the Hatch.

To celebrate its completion, L24F is scheduled to hold an exclusive listening party on Friday, December 6, in Davis at a secret location. By exclusive we mean there will only be 100 spots open to the general public to hear the band’s album performed in full for the first time.

Hosted by Imagine Games Network executive editor Greg Miller—the band’s connection to IGN comes via the tech-savvy Adams’ affinity for video games—

thursday

KaraoKe @ 7:30pm happy hour mon-fri 3pm-7pm

open for lunch & dinner 7 days a weeK doors open at 11:30

upcoming shows nov 02 uncle junior nov 15 massive delicious nov 16 island of black & white nov 22 street urchinz facebook.com/bar101roseville 101 main street, roseville • 916-774-0505

the listening party will be free and open to all ages, and the guest list will be

treated on a first-come, first-served basis. RSVP email requests to: band@lifein24frames.com.

Those lucky enough to attend should arrive promptly at 9 p.m.

Life in 24 Frames will perform at 9:30 p.m. During the set, it’ll play the record and host an in-between song Q-and-A session with the guest. If the party fills up and you’re left on the outside, KDVS 90.3 FM is scheduled to air the listening party on Saturday, December 7, at 11 p.m. on its Live From Studio A program.

—Blake Gillespie

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JANUARY 10 CREST THEATRE

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tuesday

YOU’RE WELCOME, NATURE.

BEFORE

trivia @ 6:30pm

Well, I wish that would have been the end, anyway.

Instead, Jesus reappeared at the top of the mountain, and West got on his knees to pray. It deflated the energy he had going, but after more than three hours, we were all pretty emotionally spent.

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SHAWN COLVIN

JANUARY 12TH CREST THEATRE

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4TH CREST THEATRE

ARTS&CULTURE

AARON CARTER

ED KOWALCZYK OF LIVE

NOV 12 · ASSEMBLY

DEC 7 · ASSEMBLY

ANNA NALICK

HOWIE DAY

NOV 20 · HARLOWS

DEC 9 · HARLOWS

BLACK UHURU

JONNY LANG

DEC 6 · POWERHOUSE PUB

JAN 21 · CREST THEATRE

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PHoTo By ELLEN ANE EggEN

01FRI Mazzy Star Harlow’s Restaurant & Nightclub, 7:30 p.m., $25-$30

This Friday night, take a trip back to the early 1990s with Mazzy Star at Harlow’s Restaurant & Nightclub. The group earned success after ALTERNATIVE its single “Fade Into You” made Billboard’s Modern Rock chart in 1994 and was subsequently utilized in many television shows and films. It characterizes Star’s sound well, Hope Sandoval’s melancholy vocals floating gently atop guitarist David Roback’s straightforward echo-laden strumming. With soft vocals and reverb-filled guitar solos on the recent track “Lay Myself Down,” the group sounds like a lazy British afternoon, with heavy rain clouds tinting the sky, and raindrops blackening the concrete. Get there on time: Nevada City-native folk singer Mariee Sioux opens. 2708 J Street, www.hopesandoval.com.

—Jonathan Mendick

01FRI

02SAT

02SAT

Festival of New American Music

The Inciters

Warp 11

Sacramento State University, 8 p.m., no cover The McAllister Keller Guitar Duo kicks off Sacramento State University’s Festival of New American Music—FeNAM for short.

The duo, which will perform Steve Reich’s “Nagoya Guitars” and an original work titled “Events-Mixtures-Foci,” will be joined at this festival-opening show by Sacramento ensemble Citywater and New York-based percussion-and-piano quartet Yarn/Wire. The rest of the 10-day festival—happening through November 10, at Sac State’s Capistrano CLASSICAL Hall—is also free, so don’t forget to check out the forums, lectures and more (no-cover) concerts by artists including Empyrean Ensemble, Gloria Cheng and Timothy McAllister. Capistrano Hall at CSUS, 6000 J Street; www.csus.edu/music/fenam.

—Jonathan Mendick

Marilyn’s on K, 9 p.m., $5

Blue Lamp, 10 p.m., call for cover

Put on your dancing shoes for this blast from the musical past. Santa Cruz-based band the Inciters brings the hippest sounds of 1960s soul to the stage, complete with synchronized dancing ladies. The group plays Northern Soul, a genre inspired by NORTHERN SOUL America’s Stax Records and Motown Records hits, but drives up the backbeat to really get people into the groove. Reminiscent of the Temptations or the Supremes, the 11-piece band settles into its rhythm with the drums, bass and guitar; moves the melody with the trumpet, trombone and tenor sax; and tops it all off with a powerhouse female-vocal section that’s full of soul. 908 K Street, www.facebook.com/theinciters.

Go ahead and admit it—you salivate for women in those funky Star Trek space outfits. Sacramento’s Warp 11 understands this.

As Star Trek fanatics themselves, the musicians in the hard-rock Trek-themed band put sex front and center. Just look at the album titles: Borgasm, Suck My Spock and Boldly Go Down on Me. Warp 11 takes Trek fandom to a whole new level. Of course, there are a whole lot of just random, meticulous Star Trek references in its songs, if you’re just feeling nerdy. This is the group’s 12th annual Halloween extravaganza, so come in your STAR TREK sexiest sci-fi outfit—and that includes you, men.

1400 Alhambra Boulevard, (916) 455-3400, www.warp11.com.

—Aaron Carnes

—Jessica Rine

1000 K Street, Sacramento, CA 95814

WED NOV 06

MAT ZO

DAMAGE CONTROL WORLD TOUR VIP SEATS EMAIL ASSEMBLY@PARAGARYS.COM

9PM | 18 AND OVER

SAT NOV 09

SUN NOV 10

ANDY ALLO

8PM | 18 AND OVER

9PM | 21 AND OVER

UPCOMING SHOWS NOV 22 NORMA JEAN NOV 26 STRANGE TALK NOV 27 ARDEN PARK ROOTS NOV 29 BIG B NOV 30 ORGY

FRI NOV 22

TUE NOV 12

AARON CARTER 9PM | 18 AND OVER

38 | SN&R |

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MON NOV 18

WAKA FLOCKA 6:30PM

VIENNA TANG 7PM | 21 AND OVER

DEC 06 DEC 07

FRINGE ED KOWALCZYK FROM LIVE

DEC 08 DEC 13

METALACHI LOS RAKAS

DEC 20 DEC 22 DEC 28

ROCK FOR TOTS ANDREW W.K. DJ QUIK

FEB 12

BETTYE LAVETTE

Battleme

06WED

PHoTo By SHERviN LAiNEz

PHoTo By THEo MoRRiSoN

06WED

Rubblebucket

The Press Club, 8 p.m., $7-$10

Harlow’s Restaurant & Nightclub, 8 p.m., $13.50-$15

If its songs and music videos are any indication, Battleme just looks at the world through a slightly different lens than most people. Known for off-kilter rhythms and killer riffs, the band’s songs have a gritty rock aesthetic. It’s hard not to imagine tracks like “Closer” being a mash-up of Queen and REO Speedwagon, for example, and the bizarre video for “Touch” makes you feel like you are in the middle of a bad drug trip. Battleme recently released a new EP—Weight on the Brain—and the ROCK video for the distortion- and feedback-drenched rocker “Just Weight” perfectly exemplifies the band’s devil-may-care attitude.

2030 P Street, www.battleme.tv.

—Brian Palmer

If Pop Rocks were digitized into dance music, you’d have something similar to Brooklyn indie-dance septet Rubblebucket. Singer and INDIE DANCE saxophonist Kalmia Traver’s croon surfs undulating orchestral-psych driven by bouncy, propulsive rhythms. The guitar and keyboards billow dreamily, creating delightful tension against the insistent Afro-funk and soul-pop undertow. The combination crackles as foottapping energy and head-lolling texture intersect in a manner appealing to both art-pop and jam-band fans. Since its 2008 debut, Rose’s Dream, Rubblebucket has released two more albums and three EPs, including the recent Save Charlie EP, featuring a “Copacabana”esque version of “What a Fool Believes.”

2708 J Street, http://rubblebucket.com.

07THURS

07THURS

Exhibition Live! Kara Walker

The Parson Red Heads

Crocker Art Museum, 6 p.m., $10

Blue Lamp, 9 p.m., $7

Exhibition Live! Kara Walker brings storytelling into the gallery to complement the exhibition Emancipating the Past: Kara Walker’s Tales of Slavery and Power. It features music by Sammie-nominated emcee Century Got Bars (pictured), the first woman to be nominated in that category. Originally from Detroit, she’s opened for Busta Rhymes, Eligh and Ana Tijoux.

Also, learn how to tell stories with silhouette figures, or watch a live retelling of The People MULTIMEDIA Could Fly, an AfricanAmerican folktale inspired by the slave narrative of Lucretia Hayward, performed by Sacramento State University troupe Sons/Ancestors Players. The group is one of the oldest African-American theater groups in the West. 216 O Street, http://crockerartmuseum.org.

—Chris Parker

1417 R Street, Sacramento, 95814 www.aceofspadessac.com

All Ages Welcome!

Tuesday, November 12

STIcK FIGURE thrive - simPle creation - alific Tuesday, November 5

MAYDAY PARADE Plus sPecial Guests

MISFITS

the attack - the secretions avenue saints - kill the Precedent

Friday, November 6

SoULFLY havok - solanum - kriPPler Friday, November 8

saTurday, November 16

E-40

12/07 Frank Hannon & John Corabi 12/08 Talib Kweli

Plus sPecial Guests

12/11 Blood on the Dance Floor

TRoMBoNE SHoRTY & oRLEANS AVENUE

zuhG - whiskey & stiches - joy & madness tel cairo - and more!

SOON

12/06 The Mowgli’s

suNday, November 17

SNR 22ND ANNUAL SAMMIES

COMING 11/01 Nike’s Never Not & TW’S Nation

Thursday, November 14

AB SoUL & JoEY BADASS Plus sPecial Guests

—Aaron Carnes

—Trina L. Drotar

AcE oF SPADES Thursday, ocTober 31

Listening to the Portland, Ore., band the Parson Red Heads is almost like taking a trip through folk-rock history, with stops at the Zombies, the Flying Burrito Brothers and Fleetwood Mac. The PRH’s sounds are very FOLK-ROCK mellow in execution. It’s the music playing while quietly contemplating your life, riding shotgun in a beat-up van, smoking a cigarette with the windows rolled down. Even when it pulls out drums and heavy distortion, it always has an easy, smooth, thoughtful sound—punctuated by excellent harmonies.

After nine years in the business, the PRH has become top of the game in terms of vocals. It would make the Byrds proud. 1400 Alhambra Boulevard, www.theparsonredheads.com.

12/13 Great White

moNday, November 11

saTurday, November 23

01/15 Tribal Seeds

the sword - american sharks

hodGy Beats - domo Genesis - left Brain

03/30 Reverend Horton Heat

cLUTcH

MELLoWHIGH

Tickets available at all Dimple Records Locations, The Beat Records, and Armadillo Records, or purchase by phone @ 916.443.9202

BEFORE

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NEWS

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F E AT U R E

STORY

| A R T S & C U L T U R E

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AFTER

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NIGHTBEAT

THURSDAY 10/31

FRIDAY 11/1

AVANT, MERCY ME, 9pm-1am, $30

Fringe: a non-stop night of comedy and sideshow, 9:30pm, $15-$25

2003 K St., (916) 448-8790

Tipsy Thursdays, Top 40 deejay dancing, 9pm, call for cover

Fabulous and Gay Fridays, 9pm, call for cover

BAR 101

Karaoke, 7:30pm, no cover

ASSEMBLY

1000 K St., (916) 832-4751

List your event!

Post your free online listing (up to 15 months early), and our editors will consider your submission for the printed calendar as well. Print listings are also free, but subject to space limitations. Online, you can include a full description of your event, a photo, and a link to your website. Go to www.newsreview.com/calendar and start posting events. Deadline for print listings is 10 days prior to the issue in which you wish the listing to appear.

BADLANDS

101 Main St., Roseville; (916) 774-0505

BISLA’S SPORTS BAR

7042 Folsom Blvd., (916) 383-0133

BLUE LAMP

THE BOARDWALK

1815 19 St., (916) 822-5668

RESTRAYNED, OVERWATCH, VANISHING AFFAIR, SKIN OF SAINTS; 8pm

Halloween party, 7pm, no cover

GRAND LAKE ISLANDS, PABLO, SHERMAN BAKER; 8pm, $5 THE SOLOS, A MILLION BILLION DYING SUNS; 9:15pm, $10

THE COZMIC CAFÉ

Open-mic, 7:30pm, no cover

JONNY MOJO, 8pm, call for cover

HOT WORLDS, LOTUS EATER; 8pm, $5

DISTRICT 30

ALY & FILA, 9pm, call for cover

DJ Peeti V, 9pm, call for cover

FOX & GOOSE

WHOVILLE, SOFT SCIENCE, JULIA MASSEY; 8pm, no cover

1001 R St., (916) 443-8825

Hip-hop and Top 40 Deejay dancing, 9pm, $5-$10

SPIRIT OF SAINT LOUIS, MANZANITA FALLS; 9pm, $5

CHILDREN OF THE GRAVE, PEACE KILLERS; 9pm, $5

Open-mic, 7:30pm M; Pub Quiz, 7pm Tu; Northern Soul, 8pm W, no cover

HALFTIME BAR & GRILL

MOTHER MAYHEM, 9pm, no cover

Trivia night, 7:30-9pm Tu, no cover

TEMPEST, 7pm, $15-$18; CITY COUNCIL, B SMOOVE, CAP BIZ; 10pm, $15

RUBBLEBUCKET, 8pm W, $13.50-$15

HARLOW’S

Harloween, 10pm, $15-$100

MAZZY STAR, MARIEE SIOUX; 7:30pm, $25-$30

LEVEL UP FOOD & LOUNGE

Karaoke, 9pm, no cover

DJ Rock Bottom and The Mookie DJ, 9pm, no cover

Hip-hop and R&B deejay dancing, 9:16pm Tu; ’80s deejay dancing, 5pm W

LOWBRAU

NIGHT DRIVE, 9pm, call for cover

1050 20th St., (916) 706-2636

MARILYN’S ON K

MISFITS TRIBUTE, DEATH PARTY AT THE BEACH; 9pm, $5

908 K St., (916) 446-4361

JUKEBOX JOHNNY, 9pm, $5

2708 J Street Sacramento, CA 916.441.4693 www.harlows.com - November 07 -

- October 31 -

ruthie foster

harloween With DJ Oasis $15 • 10pm

- November 01 -

$20adv • 7pm

- November 08 -

mazzy star

the black lillies

Mariee Sioux $25adv • 6:30pm

$15 • 6pm

- November 02 • $15adv • 5:30pm -

- November 08 -

tempest

malcolm bliss Bi.Polar, Death Valley High $8adv • 9:30pm

- November 06 • $13.50adv • 7pm -

- November 09 -

rubblebucket joel the band

$12 • 5:30pm |

Queer Idol, 9pm M, no cover; Latin night, 9pm Tu, $5; DJ Alazzawi, 9pm W, $3

Dragalicious,9pm, $5

STREET URCHINZ, 9pm, no cover

228 G St., Davis; (530) 756-9227

2431 J St., (916) 448-8768

SN&R

HE IS LEGEND, TRACK FIGHTER, BLACKSHEEP, DECIPHER; 7pm M, call for cover

G STREET WUNDERBAR

2708 J St., (916) 441-4693

|

THE CHARIOT, GLASS CLOUD, BIRDS IN ROW, TO THE WIND, WITH WOLVES; 7pm

Laura June Breen Vocal Competition, 2pm, $5-$10

Hip-hop and Top 40 Deejay dancing, 9pm, $5-$10

5681 Lonetree Blvd., Rocklin; (916) 626-6366

40

College Night deejay dancing, 9:30pm Tu; Country Night deejay dancing, 9:30pm W

POLARITY TASKMASTERS, 8pm Tu, $6-$10

DAVE MASON, 8pm, call for cover

2000 K St., (916) 448-7798

THE DICK GAIL QUINTET, 8:30pm, $5-$10 WARP 11, 9pm, call for cover

DOSE OF ADOLESCENCE, WITHOUT CON- A SHARK AMONG US, SERVANTS, BENEATH THE MOON; 7:30pm

FACES

Mad Mondays, 9pm M; Latin videos and Wii bowling, 7pm Tu; Trapacana, 10pm W

Sin Sunday, 8pm, call for cover

Trivia, 6:30pm M, no cover; Open-mic, 7:30pm W, no cover

MOUNT WHATEVEREST, THE SOFT BOMBS, AARON ROSS; 9pm, $10

1016 K St., (916) 737-5770

Hey local bands!

Saturday Boom, 9pm, call for cover

314 W. Main St., Grass Valley; (530) 274-8384 594 Main St., Placerville; (530) 642-8481

MONDAY-WEDNESDAY 11/4-11/6 MAT ZO, 9pm W, $12.50-$15

Friday Night Hype w/ DJs Evolve and My Cousin Vinny and MC Skurge, 10pm

9426 Greenback Ln., Orangevale; (916) 988-9247 CLUSION, BRI, TRAGIC CULTURE, 8pm

BOWS & ARROWS

SUNDAY 11/3

UNCLE JUNIOR, 9:30pm, $5

PSYCHOSOMATIC, LORD DYING; 9pm, call for cover

1400 Alhambra, (916) 455-3400

CENTER FOR THE ARTS

Want to be a hot show?

Mail photos to Calendar Editor, SN&R, 1124 Del Paso Blvd., Sacramento, CA 95815 or email it to sactocalendar@ newsreview.com. Be sure to include date, time, location and cost of upcoming shows.

SOME FEAR NONE, RIOTMAKER, WOLFHOUSE; 9pm, $5

SATURDAY 11/2

10.31.13

Coming Soon Nov 09 Latyrx Nov 12 Alejandro Escovedo & The Sensitive Boys Nov 13 Meat Puppets Nov 16 Jello Biafra & The GSM Nov 17 Mason Jennings Nov 20 Anna Nalick Nov 21 Papa Nov 22 Tainted Love Nov 23 Tainted Love Nov 29 UTZ! and The Shuttlecocks Nov 30 Petty Theft and Zoo Station Dec 01 Church Of Misery / Giant Squid Dec 06 Dishwalla Dec 07 Al Stewart Dec 08 Alasdair Fraser Dec 09 Howie Day Dec 13 Dead Winter Carpenters Dec 14 Two Gallants Dec 31 Lovefool Feb 16 the Duhks Mar 18 Galactic

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THE SLIPPERY SLOPE, THE INCITERS; 9pm, $6

Roger Carpio spinning vinyl, 5pm W, no cover Karaoke, 8pm M, no cover

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VOTED BEST COMEDY CLUB BY THE SACRAMENTO NEWS & REVIEW!

thurs 10/31

archangel death party at the beach children of the grave misfits & black sabbath tribute 9PM // $10 fri 11/01

jukebox johnny

all request covers 9pm // $5 sat 11/02

slippery slope inciters 9PM // $6 sun 11/03

open mic talent showcase 7pm // free mon 11/04

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UPcOMING sHOWs: 11/08 stellar - incubus tribute plush - stone temple pilots tribute

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THURSDAY 10/31 MIDTOWN BARFLY

1119 21st St., (916) 549-2779

FRIDAY 11/1

SATURDAY 11/2

SUNDAY 11/3

MONDAY-WEDNESDAY 11/4-11/6

Get Down to the Champion Sound, reggae and dancehall deejays, 10pm, $5

Elevate: electronic, house and dubstep deejay dancing, 9pm-2am, $5

Gothic, Industrial, Darkwave, EBM, Retro, 9:30pm-2am, $5

Swing or Lindy Hop, 8pm Tu, $6-$10

CORY NORRIS, BRIAN A. BROWN, JORDAN WEEKS; 8:30pm, $5

CLEO CARTEL, TYLER ROBINSON; 8:30pm, $5

Jazz, M; CLEMENTINE MUSIC, TEACH ME EQUALS, DEATH, THE KID; 8:30pm W, $5

Lipstick Weekender w/ DJs Shaun Slaughter and Roger Carpio,9:30pm, $5

Karaoke w/ Sac City Entertainment, 9pm Tu, no cover; Open-mic, 9pm W, no cover

NAKED LOUNGE DOWNTOWN

SEAN KILCOYNE, BE BRAVE BOLD ROBOT, BADGER COEN; 8:30pm, $5

OLD IRONSIDES

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CHILDREN OF THE GRAVE, REBEL PUNK, WILLIAM MYLAR, 5pm, no cover; SICFUS, CRAZY BALLHEAD; 7:30pm, $7 SEXRAT, VAGUE INTENTIONS; 9pm, $6

ON THE Y

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TRULY TERRIFYING, FOR ALL I’VE DONE, RAVEN THRONE; 9pm, $5

Karaoke, 9pm, no cover

MISNER & SMITH, 8pm, $20

ROY ROGERS & THE DELTA RHYTHM KINGS, 8pm, $20

Karaoke, 9pm Tu; Zenith 916 Open Mic Series w/ the GenXbeatNik, 7pm W

DJ Peeti V, 9pm-2am, $15

Karaoke, 9pm-1:30am, no cover

Karaoke,9pm-1:30am, no cover

Battle of the Musicians, 9:30pm Tu; Open-mic, 10pm Tu; Trivia, 9-10pm W

CLEAN SLATE, 9pm, $10

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ACHILLES WHEEL, 3pm, $8; SUPERBAD, 10pm, call for cover

MAXX CABELLO JR., 3pm, call for cover

Country Karaoke, 9pm M, call for cover; DJ Alazzawi, DJ Rigatony, 10pm Tu, $3

THE PRESS CLUB

Top 40 w/ DJ Rue, 9pm, $5

Top 40 Night w/ DJ Larry Rodriguez, 9pm, $5

Sunday Night Soul Party, 9pm, $5

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SAMMY’S ROCKIN’ ISLAND

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SOL COLLECTIVE

SEAN JOHNSON & THE WILD LOTUS BAND, 7pm, $20-$25

2574 21st St., (916) 832-0916

Microphone Mondays, 6pm M, $1-$2; Liberation Permaculture, 6pm Tu

STONEY INN/ROCKIN’ RODEO

BRODIE STEWART BAND, 9pm, $5

Country dancing, 7:30pm, no cover; $5 after 8pm

Country dancing, 7:30pm, no cover; $5 after 8pm

Country dance party, 8pm, no cover

Comedy open-mic, 8pm M; Bluebird Lounge open-mic, 5pm Tu, no cover

TORCH CLUB

X TRIO, 5pm, no cover

TRACORUM, 9pm, $7

JOHNNY KNOX, 5pm, no cover; R.J. MISCHO, 8pm, $8

Blues jam, 4pm, no cover; TESS MARIE & THE POOR MAN BAND, 8pm, $5

LEW FRATIS, 9pm Tu, $5; Acoustic open-mic, 5:30pm W, no cover

1320 Del Paso Blvd., (916) 927-6023 904 15th St., (916) 443-2797

Ab-Soul with Joey Badass 7pm Tuesday, $25.

Ace of Spades Hip-hop

Asylum Downtown: Gothic, industrial, EBM dancing, 9pm, call for cover

DJ EDDIE EDUL, 9pm, call for cover

PINS N STRIKES

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DAX RIGGS, TIMES OF DESPERATION; 9pm, $10

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STICK FIGURE, DEWEY AND THE PEOPLES, Ground Zero snowboard video, 6pm, THRIVE, SIMPLE CREATION; 6:30pm, $14 no cover

LUIGI’S SLICE AND FUN GARDEN 1050 20th St., (916) 552-0317

CRUDE STUDS, THE O’MULLIGANS, THE HARBOR, THE COMMUNITY; 7pm, $10

THE LEFT HAND, THE BAR FLY EFFECT, BRIAN HANOVER; 7pm, $10

SHINE

DEREK THOMAS, BEN PERRY; 8pm, $5

LORDS OF OUTLAND, RAW DATA, THE BONGO FURYS; 8pm, $5

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Open jazz jam, 8pm Tu; Farallon Review book release, 7pm W, call for cover

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Tess Marie & the Poor Man Band 8pm Sunday, $5.

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|

AFTER

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- Cultivators Welcome ’13 9719A Folsom Blvd. Sacramento, CA 916-822-5690 • www.cannmedical.org 10.31.13

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SN&R

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SN&R | 10.31.13

3600 Power inn rd suite 1a sacramento, Ca 95826 916.455.1931

Bring in any competitor’s coupon and we’ll beat it by $5

Anxiety!

Must present competitor’s ad. Some restrictions apply.

I am contemplating using marijuana for my chronic back pain. The medications my doctors have prescribed over the years are taking their toll and are not working anymore.

My problem is: When I’ve smoked pot in the past, I got terrible anxiety, and now I am afraid to go forward with trying to get a card. I’ve done some research, and it appears there are different strains of marijuana that are particularly useful for pain. However, I’m very reluctant. Any advice on where to get a card, and if I do get one, what type of marijuana should I EALUM B IO be looking to alleviate pain? I’ve also heard that A G N by some dispensaries mix up their pot, and when you think you are buying one strain, you get another. That would be no bueno. Any advice is appreciated. ’13 a sk420 @ n ewsreview.c om

—Chris High, Chris. Go get a card. It’s easy. There are ads for doctors specializing in cannabis all over the place.

As for anxiety, I would advise you to stay away from sativa strains, and concentrate on indicas and strains with a high CBD—that’s cannabidiol—content. Most medical-cannabis dispensaries are very careful about making sure their medicine is properly labeled. Also, you might want to look into using some of the cannabisinfused creams, salves and sprays that most dispensaries carry. Using cannabis won’t get you Even when weed externally high and may provide you was illegal, it was some relief. Talk to the doctor about why you want hella easy to find to try cannabis, and he or should be able to offer in Colorado. she you advice. I hope you feel better.

I am traveling to Breckenridge, Colorado, in December and am curious if I would be able to purchase my medication at a dispensary without a problem. I was able to obtain a temp card while in California; not sure what is applicable to Colorado. Please advise if you could let me know specifics.

—D.C. Colorado doesn’t accept out-of-state medicalmarijuana cards. Michigan and Vermont do (and so did Montana, although, I’m not sure if Montana still does). The recreational clubs aren’t open yet, but dude, come on: You. Will. Be. In. Colorado. Even when weed was illegal, it was hella easy to find in Colorado. It’s just that now, the weed is better and locally grown. Ask around. I am sure someone will hook you up. Enjoy your snow-filled bong hits.

Ngaio Bealum is a Sacramento comedian, activist and marijuana expert.

Email him questions at ask420@ newsreview.com.

Hey, man. What’s cracking up in the Pacific Northwest?

—Phil Everything is proceeding apace. Oregon is hashing out (you heard me) the regulations for legal medicalcannabis dispensaries as we speak, and Washington’s legislature has just started going over the recommendations from the committee charged with creating the regulations for recreational-cannabis storefronts. The Washington medical-cannabis community is very upset, because the recommendation would outlaw private and collective grows and force patients to use recreational clubs to get their pot. I am on the side of the medical activists in this argument, but I caution people to not get too worked up. I will write more about this next week. Ω BEFORE

|

NEWS

|

F E AT U R E

STORY

VOted 3rd best ’13 420 physician in sac! ’13

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AFTER

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SN&R

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ATIEN P W E ING N ACCEPT

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SN&R | 10.31.13

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BEFORE

|

NEWS

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FEATURE

STORY

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ARTS&CULTURE

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AFTER

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10.31.13

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SN&R

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45

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ARIES (March 21-April 19): Once when

I was hiking through Maui’s rain forest, I spied a majestic purple honohono flower sprouting from a rotting log. As I bent down close, I inhaled the merged aromas of moldering wood and sweet floral fragrance. Let’s make this scene your metaphor of the week, Aries. Here’s why: A part of your life that is in the throes of decay can serve as host for a magnificent bloom. What has been lost to you may become the source of fertility. Halloween costume suggestion: a garbage man or cleaning maid wearing a crown of roses.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): What

don’t you like? Get clear about that. What don’t you want to do? Make definitive decisions. What kind of person do you not want to become, and what life do you never want to live? Resolve those questions with as much certainty as possible.

Write it all down, preferably in the form of a contract with yourself. Sign the contract. This document will be your sacred promise, a declaration of the boundaries you won’t cross and the activities you won’t waste your time on and the desires that aren’t worthy of you. It will feed your freedom to know exactly what you like and what you want to accomplish and who you want to become. Halloween costume suggestion: the opposite of who you really are.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Are you up

for an experiment? Not just on Halloween, but for a week afterward, be scarier than your fears. If an anxious thought pops into your mind, bare your teeth and growl, “Get out of here, or I will rip you to shreds!” If a demon visits you in a nightly dream, chase after it with a torch and sword, screaming, “Begone, foul spirit, or I will burn your mangy ass!” Don’t tolerate bullying in any form, whether it comes from a critical little voice in your head or from supposedly nice people who are trying to guilt-trip you. “I am a brave conqueror who cannot be intimidated!” is what you could say, or, “I am a monster of love and goodness who will defeat all threats to my integrity!”

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Are you

ready to be amazed? Now would be an excellent time to shed your soul’s infantile illusions, to play wildly with the greatest mystery you know, to accept gifts that enhance your freedom and refuse gifts that don’t, to seek out a supernatural encounter that heals your chronic sadness, to consort and converse with sexy magical spirits from the future, to make love with the lights on and cry when you come. Halloween costume suggestion: the archetypal lover.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Some people in

your vicinity are smoldering and fuming.

The air is heavy with emotional ferment.

Conspiracy theories are ripening and rotting at the same time. Hidden agendas are seeping into conversations, and gossip is swirling like ghostly dust devils. Yet, in the midst of this mayhem, an eerie calm possesses you. As everyone else struggles, you’re poised and full of grace. To what do we owe this stability? I suspect it has to do with the fact that life is showing you how to feel at home in the world no matter what’s happening around you.

Keep making yourself receptive to these teachings. Halloween costume suggestion: king or queen of relaxation.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Unification

should be a key theme for you in the coming weeks. Anything you do that promotes splicing and blending and harmonizing will get extra help, sometimes from mysterious forces working behind the scenes. The more you work to find common ground between opposing sides, the stronger you’ll feel, and the better you’ll look. If you can manage to mend schisms and heal wounds, unexpected luck will flow into your life. To encourage these developments, consider these Halloween disguises: a roll of tape, a stick of Krazy Glue, a wound that’s healing, a bridge.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): What do you

think you’d be like if you were among the 1 percent wealthiest people on Earth?

Would you demand that your government raise your taxes so you could contribute more to our collective well-being? Would you live simply and cheaply, so you’d have

BEFORE

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bRezsny

more money to donate to charities and other worthy causes? This Halloween season, I suggest you play around with fantasies like that—maybe even masquerade as an incredibly rich philanthropist who doles out cash and gifts everywhere you go. At the very least, imagine what it would be like if you had everything you needed and felt so grateful, you shared your abundance freely.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): What if

you had the power to enchant and even bewitch people with your charisma?

Would you wield your allure without mercy? Would you feel wicked delight in their attraction to you, even if you didn’t plan to give them what they want? I suspect these questions aren’t entirely rhetorical right now. You may have more mojo at your disposal than you realize. Speaking for your conscience, I will ask you not to desecrate your privilege. If you must manipulate people, do it for their benefit as well as yours. Use your raw magic responsibly. Halloween costume suggestion: a mesmerizing guru, an irresistible diva, a stage magician.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):

I had a dream that you were in the film O Brother, Where Art Thou? You were like the character played by George Clooney after he escaped from a prison chain gang. Can you picture it? You were wearing a striped jailbird suit, and a ball and chain were still cuffed around your ankle. But you were sort of free, too. You were on the lam, making your way from adventure to adventure as you eluded those who would throw you back in the slammer. You were not yet in the clear, but you seemed to be en route to total emancipation. I think this dream is an apt metaphorical depiction of your actual life right now. Could you somehow use it in designing your Halloween costume?

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): I

invite you to try the following exercise: Imagine the most powerful role you could realistically attain in the future. This is a position or niche or job that will authorize you to wield your influence to the max. It will give you the clout to shape the environments you share with other people. It will allow you to freely express your important ideas and have them be treated seriously. Let your imagination run a little wild as you visualize the possibilities. Incorporate your visions into your Halloween costume.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): In the

course of earning a living, I have worked four different jobs as a janitor and six as a dishwasher. On the brighter side, I have performed as a songwriter and lead singer for six rock bands and currently write a syndicated astrology column.

According to my analysis of the astrological omens, you Aquarians are primed to cultivate a relationship with your work life that is more like my latter choices than the former. The next eight months will be a favorable time to ensure that you’ll be doing your own personal equivalent of rock singer or astrology columnist well into the future. Halloween costume suggestion: your dream job.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Author

Robert Louis Stevenson loved the work of poet Walt Whitman, recommending it with the same enthusiasm as he did William Shakespeare’s. Stevenson also regarded Whitman as an unruly force of nature, and in one famous passage, called him “a large shaggy dog, just unchained, scouring the beaches of the world and baying at the moon.” Your assignment is to do your best imitation of a primal creature like Whitman. In fact, consider being him for Halloween. Maybe you could memorize passages from Whitman’s Leaves of Grass and recite them at random moments.

Here’s one: “I too am not a bit tamed, I too am untranslatable, / I sound my barbaric yawp over the roofs of the world.”

you can call rob brezsny for your expanded Weekly Horoscope: (900) 950-7700. $1.99 per minute. Must be 18+. Touchtone phone required. Customer service (612) 373-9785. and don’t forget to check out rob’s website at www.realastrology.com. |

F E AT U R E

pHOTO by CHriSTOpHer WHang

by ROb

For the week of October 31, 2013

STORY

In death, a touch of life Whenever John S. Huerta starts another painting, he concentrates on the eyes of his subjects first. His reason: Their unwavering glares demand him to finish. The rest of the paintings are similarly arresting. In his piece “Carmen Maria,” for example, vibrant red roses contrast with jet-black hair, but are softened with complementary shades of green that radiate a lively glow. Most of Huerta’s acrylic works center on Day of the Dead-styled renditions of celebrities such as Audrey Hepburn and Elvis Presley. Or sometimes Huerta honors family and friends who are still among the living. Huerta works are currently on display at The California Museum as part of its Day of the Dead: Art of Día de los Muertos exhibit, and Huerta dedicated his pieces in the show to the memory of his late grandmother, Carmen.

SN&R sat down with Huerta to talk about snakes, his use of color and why, ultimately, death should be celebrated through art.

What works are featured in the current exhibit?

Four or five originals and an altar, which is an ode to Frida Kahlo, with candles.

The altar wall is … an original rendition of Frida, but it’s called “Carmen Maria.” It’s called that because it’s basically [about] the two people in my life who made a big impact, Carmen, my grandmother, and Maria, my aunt, who both raised me and my sister.

Who else have you painted a tribute to?

My sister Rosemary passed away in 1999, she had Down syndrome and it was so unexpected. I’ve done a painting … (starts to cry)—I’m sorry—in memory of her. My mother died when I was 4, and then my grandfather died six or seven months later. I always make sure to put a touch of them in my work. It doesn’t matter if it’s a whole painting or a touch of color.

You have a painting called “Snake Charmer”—what is it about?

I did “Snake Charmer” to remember my grandfather. I remember vaguely when I was 3 or 4 [years old], my sister was standing right in front of me, and I heard a [rattle sound]. I didn’t know what it was. All of a sudden, I see my grandfather run from around the corner of the house, he went down and grabbed what I thought was a belt, but it was a snake.

He grabbed it by the rattle-end and he slammed it against a stone. It was right

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by my sister. He actually took the skin off and made it into a hatband. That’s the only memory of my grandfather that I have.

Did painting help you through rough moments when you were young?

I noticed [I started] painting more after [members of my family] died. It was my outlet. [Painting] was a joy, and it was like a state of nirvana. You’re so sucked into it that you don’t hear anything or see anything else.

What reaction do the paintings receive from those unfamiliar with Día de los Muertos?

Some people say [the holiday] looks kind of scary and gory, but it’s not. In my work, I purposely make the flower petals around the eyes very attractive-looking, so that way, it gets people’s attention.

Then ... I can explain that it’s not just about death.

Are you afraid of death?

Death is not a bad thing. I remember at one point in life, I was scared of death, and now, I’m not. I became more understanding of death, especially with my mom and my sister passing. I celebrate their spirit, I celebrate how they impacted my life and I express it in

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my paintings. Every single brushstroke, every single color that I use is in memory of not only them, but everybody else.

Like my two uncles that passed away from cancer, [and] friends and family that passed away when I was in college or not too long ago.

What do you want people to recognize about your work?

The beauty—and that death is not as scary as people think. And the color; just absorb yourself in the colors I use.

What are your favorite colors to use?

My favorite colors are ... red, blue, green—um, basically everything. Oh, [and] pink.

Even though all these things happen in life, I love making people laugh. I try to paint myself as a colorful person, and I try to keep happy and stay positive.

That’s why I keep those colors in mind. Ω

See John S. Huerta’s paintings by at The California Museum at 1020 O Street. Museum admission is $9 for adults, $7.50 for college students and seniors, $6.50 for kids 6 to 17, and free for those 5 and younger. Through January 5. Visit http://johnshuertaarte.com for more info on the artist.

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