S 2014 08 21

SAC’S BEST

FORGOTTEN PUNK BAND see Arts&Culture, page 22

#FERGUSON see News, page 9 see Editor’s Note, page 3 see Essay, page 15

BREAKING DOWN THE WATER BOND see News, page 11

CROWDSOURCING FOR

THE CURE see News, page 10

Mr. V hopes to take Grant Union High School’s drum line all the way to the White House SACRAMENTO’S NEWS & ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

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VOLUME 26, ISSUE 18

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 21, 2014

LAST CHANCE

TO VOTE! see page 19

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On Ferguson Matt Rexroad doesn’t see the point.

“I can’t imagine an issue that would make me want to march in the street,” the Yolo County supervisor tweeted on August 17. “Doesn’t seem productive.”

Rexroad’s comment wasn’t just insensitive, it was offensively clueless. Clueless about what it means to be a person of color in the United States. Clueless about what it means to engage in civil protest. Apparently, Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1963 March on Washington wasn’t “productive.”

Not that Rexroad, a white male, seems to feel any urgent need to brush up on the history of change.

As a white woman, I’ll probably never know what it means to experience racism or to fear for my safety because of the color of my skin.

Unlike Rexroad, however, I’m at once stunned, angered, heartbroken and heartened by the actions I’ve seen unfold on the streets of Ferguson, Mo. It’s been more than a week since a police officer fatally shot Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager there, and in the days and nights since—amid questions and accusations, power shifts, curfews and autopsy reports—people have taken to the streets to demand answers.

And thanks to those documenting the events—journalists, socialmedia users, et al.—the rest of the country has taken notice. Many have also joined in, staging marches, vigils and protests in a demand for change, answers and justice.

For Trayvon Martin. For Oscar Grant. For Renisha McBride. For Michael Brown.

You don’t have to experience racism firsthand to feel outraged, to feel empathy, to understand that now is the time for a bigger conversation about race and class and equality. The marches and protests and vigils on the streets of Ferguson and around the country have sparked that conversation.

That’s pretty damn productive.

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STREETALK

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LETTERS NEWS OPINION + bites FEATuRE STORy ARTS&CuLTuRE NIgHT&DAy DISH ASK JOEy STAgE FILM MuSIC + sound Advice THE 420 15 MINuTES COVER dEsign BY HAYLEY dOsHAY COVER pHOtO BY LisA BAEtZ

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“Stability. Having a reliable and steady job.�

Asked outside Cal Expo:

What do you need to be happy?

Angie Satay pharmacy tech

Something that has made me really happy this year has been volunteering at Shriners Hospitals [for Children].

I am a therapeutic volunteer, so I play with the kids and help them forget about their surgeries or what they’ve been going through. A lot of the kids have either serious illnesses, accidents or have had major surgeries.

Julianna Ng

Jerad Williams

student

musician

If I could have anything to be happy, I’d want Disneyland in my backyard. It is the happiest place on Earth, so why not? I’m going there tomorrow before I leave to New York for school, so I wish I could take it with me. I need it with me to be happy. It cheers me up.

Vanessa Hernandez

Nathan Phang

cashier

I would have to say my guitar, because I love music.

It is one of the best ways I have to express myself.

I played sports before, but with a guitar, I just feel at home. I love songwriting.

Songwriting isn’t just for my pleasure. I make songs for others. It is for everyone.

Marissa Franklin

student

Stability. Having a reliable and steady job. That way I always know I won’t be broke. One of my main things I worry about is being able to pay my rent, my bills and fix my car. If I were stable, they wouldn’t be as big in my life.

student

Family and friends are what I need to be happy.

They keep you company and you can always go to them if you need anything or just to talk. If you need information or guidance on something, they are there.

My older sister has helped me a lot with college.

In order to be happy, I need to be successful and in a career where I am helping others. I worked really hard to graduate high school a year early. I even got an early admittance to college. That makes me really happy in life because I know a lot of people don’t get to go to college.

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BUILDING A

HEALTHY S A C R A M E N T O

Everyone Can Shop Here

BY B E AT R I C E M . H O G G

M

any people aren’t aware that food assistance programs such as CalFresh and WIC coupons can be used to purchase food from many places — including farmers markets.

The Oak Park Farmers Market opened in May 2010. In 2011, due to the support of the California Endowment, it moved to McClatchy Park. For the past four years, a partnership with Rabobank has allowed the Oak Park Farmers Market to provide a dollar-for-dollar match for CalFresh recipients, helping lowincome families stretch their benefits.

Using CalFresh benefits at the market is easy.

At the market’s info booth, customers swipe their EBT card at a machine and indicate the amount they want to purchase. They are given tokens for that amount and for the matching funds — so $20 in CalFresh benefits gives customers $40 worth of tokens. Tokens do not expire and can be used at a later time.

“We require all of our vendors to accept the EBT card,” says Joany Titherington, the Oak Park Farmers Market manager. “There is no shame in using EBT — it’s just access to healthy food.”

The market has done $30,000 in EBT sales so far this year, a 15 percent increase from last year. There have been many efforts to encourage shoppers to take advantage of the healthy food at the market. One promotion is the “Word of the Week,” which is publicized on the market’s Facebook page and through e-mail. Thanks to funding from the California Endowment’s Building Health Communities initiative, customers are given $5 of “funny

money” if they know the word, which can be used to buy almost anything at the market.

This helps people who fall through the cracks — seniors, those not eligible for food stamps, or people on SSI or disability — to get extra produce at the market.

Sharon Eghigian is community impact manager at NeighborWorks Sacramento, which founded and operates the Oak Park Farmers Market. She says giving shoppers the ability to use EBT cards at the market was critical.

“It has been a win-win for both our families and our farmers,” she says. “Without the support from the Endowment, we would not have the leverage to promote our services.”

also like to see more WIC coupon distribution at the market, as she says only 65 percent of WIC coupons are redeemed.

The Oak Park Farmers Market benefits everyone — families get fresh, nutritious food; farmers get local, eager buyers; and a positive, lasting impact is made on the community. The market, which is disabled accessible, is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday from May through October at 35th Street and 5th Avenue.

“It’s a place for everybody,” Titherington says. “Food is the way we break down walls and barriers.”

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.

Shoppers at the Oak Park Farmers Market are able to utilize their CalFresh benefits by swiping their EBT card and receiving tokens, which are used to purchase fresh food from vendors.

Photo by Louise Mitchell

“THERE IS NO SHAME IN USING EBT — IT’S JUST ACCESS TO HEALTHY FOOD.” Joany Titherington Oak Park Farmers Market manager

The market also has cooking demonstrations, music, yoga, massage and activities for children. Titherington would like to see more Latino shoppers, as onethird of the community is Latino. “There is a perception out there that farmers markets are white and middle class. We do not perpetuate that myth,” she says. She would

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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www.SacBHC.org

Uber, Lyft and feel-good, corporate phooey Re “Ambition as a rider” by Lien Hoang (SN&R Feature Story, August 14): It is always fascinating to see what terms are used for these new taxi services. I see you use the term “rideshare.” I have seen other journalists call them “app-enabled taxis.” Rideshare is not an accurate term. Rideshare is a feel-good term coined by corporate marketing executives. The only things being shared here is large amounts of money into the wallets of the executives of these corporations, and riders’ personal data, which LETTER OF is being mined and resold at large profits.

THE WEEK There are also insurance and liability issues that people surprisingly dismiss in our sue-happy culture. But then, a few milliondollar suits probably won’t hurt these “sharing” corporations. I am sure they just see those as the cost of doing business.

Once conventional cabs get their own apps, these new taxi services will go by the wayside, and the gold rush will end. No doubt the people running these corporations will move onto something else to make a quick buck. I wonder what the feel-good name will be for whatever else they move on to?

Teresa Spencer

via email

Happiness or equilibrium?

Corrections

Re “The science of being happy” by Melinda Welsh (SN&R Feature Story, August 7): The subject of happiness has emerged repeatedly in my most recent history, and I also seem to have gotten a good whiff of the “happiness boom” currently propagating throughout the local culture. Overall, there is of course nothing wrong with pursuing happiness for oneself; nevertheless, the current trend appears deceiving for various reasons, as it seems to be designed to cater to the general capitalistic-materialistic agenda of the present society model. It is geared to sell things, and it deceives by presenting happiness as something sustainably obtainable. And because this is not so, it is sad to see that some psychological professionals are buying into this scheme.

The truth of the matter can be found in a simple folklore proverb: “What goes up must come down.” It is not difficult for anyone to figure out that a state of euphoric happiness is inevitably followed by an emotional drop to the negative side of the spectrum. Any upward bump is pursued by a downward valley. The only thing that can really be done with this fact of life is to minimize the amplitude of the euphoric spikes, so to also minimize the negative repercussions. This is why in Buddhism, the objective is equilibrium, rather than happiness.

Josef Mayr Sacramento

In last week’s Feature Story “Ambition as a rider,” Lyft driver Dora Vaudrin was incorrectly identified as Laura in a caption. That’s our bad. (She and other rideshare drivers also want to point out that they gladly accept tips—and, in fact, you can tip on the apps if you want.)

In “Gimme a crunk beat” by Janelle Bitker (SN&R Arts&Culture, August 7), it was incorrectly stated that Trapacana takes place on Tuesday nights. The weekly dance party actually takes place on Wednesday nights.

ONLINE BUZZ

ON WHETHER KEVIN JOHNSON SHOULD STOP USING THE MAYOR’S OFFICE FOR PRIVATE FUNDRAISING

So should every other politician in office.

And? Wampus Chatter

via Facebook STFU talk about a downer at least he is going to make the Capitol city a Capitol city. It will be better than the bum infested ghost city it is now.

Greg Doucette

Email your letters to sactoletters@ newsreview.com.

Online Buzz contributions are not edited for grammar, spelling or clarity.

via Facebook Good for him...lots of people dont do anything but sit around n do nothing Paul Guevara

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Who needs a doctor anymore?

See NEWS

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Water bond 101 See NEWS

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Oak Park real talk See GREENLIGHT

14

‘Hands up!

Don’t shoot!’

Nearly 200 fed-up Sacramento activists protest the law enforcement in Ferguson Out front of the downtown jail this past Sunday afternoon, activists stood in the middle of story and photos I Street chanting, holding signs and raising by hands in the air. Berry Accius, a black Nick Miller man in a pink polo shirt, yelled so loud, he appeared to nearly lose his voice: ni ck am@ newsr evie w.c om “Hands up!” he shouted.

Others quickly hollered back, “Don’t shoot!”

Traffic inched by in the only open lane, many drivers laying on their horns as the chanting continued for more than an hour: “Hands up! Don’t Shoot!”

“No justice, no peace!”

The sayings are references to the killing of Ferguson, Mo., teenager Michael Brown, an unarmed black 18-year-old who was shot six times by a white police officer on August 9. Brown’s death—according to multiple witnesses, he was shot with his hands raised in the air—has sparked protests in the small St. Louis suburb, a media frenzy on TV, and also a big-picture discussion about race and inequality in America.

This past weekend, after a week of late-night activism and looting, Missouri’s governor implemented a midnight curfew in Ferguson. Hundreds of officers and the National Guard used tear gas, rubber bullets and other tactics to send the protesters back to their homes. Dozens of international media outlets attempted to document the response despite inconsistent cooperation from Missouri law enforcement.

Now, the national media’s coverage of the event is near-constant. Photos and video of mostly white and well-armed police— think ruggedized gear, automatic weapons and armored vehicles—facing off against black residents, some throwing bricks or rocks, are shared all over social-media sites.

Accius is CEO of Voice of the Youth, a local group that helps out inner-city kids.

He’s been watching the protests closely. He and others here in Sacramento say they’ve had enough with how law enforcement is behaving in Missouri.

“It looked like it they were dealing with terrorists that came to attack America,” Accius said of the police response toward the protesters.

He said he was impressed and astonished by the number of people who showed up this weekend in Sacramento to show BEFORE

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Berry Accius leads the crowd in chanting during Sunday’s action protesting police violence in Ferguson, Mo.

harassing black people. “I see a lot of them officer-involved shootings—a policy that is stopping black males, handcuffing them, no longer in effect here in Sacramento. putting on them on the ground. They run Aaron Olgun drove to Sunday’s their name, then let them go. It seems like protest from his home in nearby Vallejo. every Friday it’s the same thing.”

He held a sign showing a picture of She said the Ferguson Police his brother, U.S. Marine veteran Allan Berry Accius Department’s protection of Darren Wilson, DeVillena, who was also unarmed when CEO, Voice of the Youth the officer who shot Brown, is unaccepthe was shot by law enforcement in Palm able. “I would, for once, just like to see a Springs in 2012. solidarity with residents of Ferguson. “The cop brought to justice.”

“He was leaving a parking garage beautiful thing about being out here today During Sunday’s rally, city police with a fellow marine when two bicycle is that all cultures are out here.” allowed the protesters to stand in the officers opened fire on him for no apparIndeed, the 150-plus crowd included road. Officers even shut down two lanes ent reason,” Olgun said. He said people a mix of races and ages—a diversity that of I Street traffic for the group—this can learn more about his brother’s case at belies the reality in Ferguson, where a despite the fact that they did not have a www.ajdevillena.com. majority of the residents are black, but the permit for its action—a far cry from the “We need more people policing the bulk of law enforcement is white. law’s approach in Missouri. police,” Olgun said, adding that his brother “That’s the biggest thing America The event, which began at 1 p.m. is not alone: There’s Oscar Grant, who needs to learn from this,” Accius said, “that outside the county jail near Sixth Street, was shot by a BART cop in the East Bay, racism still exists.” featured dozens of signs: “Stop police and Eric Garner in Staten Island, who South Sacramento resident Maharisha brutality,” “Film the police. Who’s recently was killed by a New York Police Belton told SN&R that she showed up watching them?” and “Justice for Mike Department officer. Plus dozens upon at the rally because what’s happening in Brown.” dozens of others.

Ferguson happens everywhere. “There’s Protesters said they would like to see “The police are their own gang,” Accius just too many bad cops,” she said. cameras documenting law-enforcement told SN&R. “And people are fed up.” Ω Belton rides light rail often and said officers at all times. They would also she regularly witnesses law enforcement like to see independent reviews of all F E A T U R E S T O R Y | A R T S & C U L T U R E | A F T E R | 08.21.14 | SN&R | 9

“The police are their own gang. And people are fed up.”

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Crowdsourcing medicine Sacramento woman joins online diagnostic craze Patient “Hilde” presented the online diagnosticians with a stumper: The 48-year-old Sacramento woman suffers from what she describes as a significantly diminished sense of taste. by Raheem Sweeter foods, especially, had lost their richness, she F. Hosseini explained. “I can even differentiate herbs … but nothing tastes flavorful,” she wrote. “It’s as if I can recognize you ra h e e mh @ and tell you the color and style of your clothes, but my abilne w s re v ie w.c o m ity to see patterns or textures is fuzzy.”

For almost five years now, brick-and-mortar health-care establishments have been unable to provide answers. So Hilde turned to a relatively new website that marshals people’s growing tolerance for crowdsourced solutions to agonizing medical mysteries.

Since launching in April 2013, CrowdMed has hosted more than 400 cases from across North America and Europe. People in pain and discomfort fill out online profiles detailing their symptoms, medical histories, lifestyles and any medications they’re taking, and can offer cash rewards to sweeten the odds of a helpful hypothesis.

After free 30-day trials, users are emailed individual reports with the highest-scoring possible diagnoses at the top, followed by a list of every other suggested answer.

CEO and founder Jared Heyman said most doctors actually welcome the results, but allows that there is another camp. “The other reaction we get is, ‘Oh no, something from the Internet,’” he laughed.

It may sound insane, asking strangers for medical advice, but CrowdMed officials say their buzzy Silicon Valley startup has proven faster, cheaper and more accurate than traditional medicine.

“Of the patients we’ve been able to contact, 80 percent reported receiving accurate diagnostic suggestions, and 50 percent said that we brought them closer to a correct diagnosis or cure,” said spokeswoman Ann Murray.

CrowdMed surveys its users at the end of 30-day free trials and 90-day paid trials.

According to internal figures, the average CrowdMed user was sick eight years, consulted eight different physicians and spent $65,000 by the time he or she came to the site.

A longer version of Those whose cases haven’t been satisfactorily cracked this story is during the free 30-day time frame can keep profiles up at available online at $99 a month or purchase 60-day or 90-day subscription www.newsreview.com. packages.

The website is the creation of the 36-year-old Heyman, who watched his younger sister struggle with an undiagnosed genetic mutation for three years.

The family’s shared frustration eventually inspired the website that counts a Sacramento woman among its 133 currently active cases.

The otherwise healthy Hilde has no allergies and hasn’t undergone chemotherapy. She even passed a smell test at an ear, nose and throat clinic. A zinc prescription did nothing to revive her taste buds.

“My attitude to date has been, ‘if this is my chronic problem, I’m more fortunate that others,’” she wrote. “But I would still like to get at the root cause and try to solve it.”

At press time, her case had been on the website 82 days, with submissions from four medical detectives. Ω

Thirsty for details

BEATS

Breaking down the good and bad of California’s water bond The water bond approved last week for the November ballot has drawn applause from Democrats and Republicans as by Alastair Bland just what California needs in a time of persistent drought.

But the $7.5 billion package contains subtle language that environmental groups warn could be a handout to water-hungry farmers, facilitate the construction of dams, and even grease the way for Gov. Jerry Brown’s twin tunnels in the Delta.

includes $485 million that can be used to buy water from farmers upstream of the Delta and use it for environmental benefits within the Delta.

The concern among critics who have analyzed the bond’s language is that this water could serve a second purpose, too—that of feeding the proposed tunnels, should they be built.

“It’s subtle, but the purchasing of that upstream water facilitates the tunnels,” said Jennings.

PHOTO BY DaviD McNew/iSTOck

The bond—a downsized rendition of a previous $11 billion version—will divert money from education, health care and other social services to fund what some critics say should be projects subsidized by ratepayers.

“People getting the water should be paying for it, not the general public,” said Bill Jennings, with the environmental group California Sportfishing Protection Alliance, whose work is primarily focused on maintaining water flows through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

Jeff Michael, the director of the Business Forecasting Center at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, says he favors some of the projects this bond supports. “But I think it could be paid for in another way,” he said. “This bond takes money from things that are paid for from the state’s general fund.”

The bond’s authors, including state Sens. Lois Wolk and Darrell Steinberg, have said it is “tunnels neutral,” with no money allowed for directly or indirectly supporting the Bay Delta Conservation Plan.

But the bond, which blew through the Assembly at a vote of 77-2 and the Senate with a clean 37-0 sweep,

The drought is a major selling point for this November’s water bond. But some critics say the bond will be a giveaway to Central Valley farmers.

BEFORE

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But even the bond’s firmest critics agree it has its virtues. The package includes $900 million for improving groundwater quality in the Los Angeles region, on the Central Coast, and other parts of the state; $725 million for water recycling; $200 million for storm-water capture projects; and more than $500 million to help provide clean drinking water for communities where the tap water is currently not potable.

Brian Stranko, The Nature Conservancy’s water program director for California, says the bond is a well-balanced compromise. “Everyone wanted the whole pie,” he said. “We had to divide it up to satisfy many, many people, and we feel the environment got a good slice.”

The Natural Resources Defense Council also supports the bond measure, according to the organization’s staff attorney Doug Obegi. He says more than a million Californians currently cannot drink the water from their faucets. These communities, he says, could benefit tremendously if voters agree to the package.

Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, executive director of the group Restore the Delta, also likes parts of the bond

F E AT U R E

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package but thinks it includes too much attached “pork” that will benefit San Joaquin Valley farmers.

“This should have been a smaller bond focusing on clean drinking water and drought-emergency supplies,” she said. “What’s sad is that the people who will be getting clean drinking water out of this will be paraded about as reason to pass this bond, which is overall going to harm the environment and communities in the Delta, and enrich a few special interests.”

One component of the bond that its critics are watching cautiously is the $2.7 billion in funding for surface-water storage infrastructure.

The money is not earmarked for any specific projects but could be used to build two new Central Valley dams.

Water from these projects, according to planners, could be released at critical times of the year to support migrating salmon and steelhead.

“People who will be getting clean drinking water out of this will be paraded about as reason to pass this bond, which is overall going to harm the environment.”

Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla executive director, Restore the Delta Environmentalists warn that such water, before it flows to the sea, could be pumped out of the Delta and into the San Joaquin Valley’s farmlands, making them question the real motives behind building the dams. Jennings says agricultural interests have lobbied for the projects.

Both bond opponents and supporters recognize its potential to cause harm—especially if farmers who sell their water for bond money aren’t carefully watched: They might simply turn on their pumps and pull water from underground reservoirs to continue watering their crops, a tactic called groundwater substitution, which hydrologists say is depleting subterranean reservoirs in places and causing surface water to sink underground.

“We need to be very careful that we don’t gain one water source but just lose another,” Stranko said. Ω

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AFTER

‘Strong mayor’ called weak Sacramento City Council meetings could get a little extra awkward over the next couple of months.

An anti-“strong mayor” campaign called Stop the Power Grab kicked off Tuesday morning by highlighting Councilman Steve Hansen as its leader.

Stop the Power Grab frames itself as a newly formed coalition of neighborhood and civic leaders against Mayor Kevin Johnson’s fourth push for an executive-mayor form of government. This incarnation is set to go before city voters in November as Measure L. If passed, the measure would give K.J. many of the powers currently assumed by the city’s nonelected city manager.

The group says a telephone survey of 500 registered voters shows 62 percent would vote against the upcoming measure, with 32 percent inclined to support it. At least 42 percent had made up their minds on a “no” vote.

“This is a power grab,” Hansen told SN&R. “It’s not necessary.”

The councilman did make a point to say this isn’t about the mayor. “For me, it’s not about being against Kevin Johnson,” he said. He argued that strong-mayor governments make for weak city councils, which is bad for neighborhoods.

“When you put so much power on one person, you take a lot more risks,” he said.

Voters surveyed were also asked their take on individual provisions in the measure, like empowering the mayor to appoint the city manager or veto ordinances passed by the council, with mostly negative feedback, according to a polling memo from David Binder Research, the San Francisco company that conducted the survey.

Hansen says the current form of government, where the mayor and council give direction to the city manager’s office, is effective and does not need to be changed. “I don’t want to work in a system that’s going to be broken,” he said of the possibility of strong mayor passing. “So I have to say something now.”

The telephone survey was conducted August 1-3, using both cellphones and landlines to poll 500 registered voters living throughout the city. (Raheem F. Hosseini and Nick Miller)

Overworked, underpaid Elizabeth Rhose has juggled as many as four jobs at the same time this year to make ends meet. She’s not the only one.

The number of people working multiple jobs has remained about the same since the end of the Great Recession, according to a report released last week by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The 32-year-old Sacramento woman needs to work multiple jobs because she can’t “get 40 hours a week from any of them,” Rhose said. “I barely make enough to pay my mortgage.”

Despite tales of a recovering economy, Rhose’s story is no less common than it was four years ago. In California, 4.1 percent of the workforce holds multiple jobs, making it the only state in the Pacific region with a lower average than the nation’s, which has held at a steady 4.9 percent since 2010. Still, there are fewer doubly and triply employed than a decade ago.

“The percent of the labor force in California with multiple jobs has mirrored the nation [by] steadily declining from 1995 to 2013,” said Todd Johnson, a BLS economist. “The report is another way of looking at what’s happening with employment.”

But California also has a higher unemployment rate than the rest of the nation. The country as a whole currently sits on a 6.2-percent unemployment figure, compared to the state’s rate of 7.4 percent. In the Sacramento area, unemployment ticked up from 6.7 percent in May to 6.9 percent in June, BLS figures show. (Jeff Gonzales)

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Sacramento’s winners and losers—with arbitrary points

Ice, ice, hater

Member vs. mayor

If you’re like Scorekeeper and  roll your eyes at all those folks  doing the “Ice Bucket Challenge�  on Twitter and Facebook, then,  hey, we’ve got something in  common: We’re jerks. The ol’  bucket is a fundraiser for  amyotrophic lateral sclerosis,  also known as Lou Gehrig’s  disease, you see, and it’s  done wonders for the ALS  Association’s fundraising. Skip  the ice and donate here, hater:  www.alsa.org.

Councilman Steve Hansen is leading the  coalition against Kevin Johnson’s “strong  mayor� ballot measure. Not sure whether  it’s passion or politics, or both, that’s  motivating Hansen to speak out and fight  K.J.’s power grab, but Scorekeeper loves  a good City Hall brouhaha.

+4

+ 15,000,000 Smoked out

Cabbie attack

Last week, the Legislature had its  shot to pass some kind of top-down  medical-marijuana regulations. But a  committee killed Senate Bill 1262, a  flawed piece of legislation that would  have implemented contentious new  pot rules in California. This state  needs regulation, sure—but perhaps  1262’s death is a good thing.

As if turf-war challenges by  Uber and Lyft weren’t troubling  enough, on Sunday just before  11 p.m., a suspect strong-armed a taxi driver near L and Fifth  streets and stole some cash.  Police responded and no one was  injured, but the suspect fled,  according to reports.

+ 420

- 916 ILLUSTRATIONS BY BRIAN BRENEMAN

Girls rule!

Scorekeeper friggin’  loves Little League

Baseball World Series phenom Mo’ne Davis.  The Philadelphia girl  is the first in Series  history to ever toss  a shutout. But it’s  not just that: She’s  got attitude and  smarts with the  press, and she’s  quick on her feet,  hilarious. Oh, and  there’s that 70-milean-hour fastball.  We look forward to  girls kicking the boys  around for years   to come.

+ 70

Midtown Batman?

Police don’t advocate for vigilantism, but kudos  to the people on Friday who chased a suspect  vandalizing cars near B and 27th streets. Just  after 9 a.m., residents caught the vandal and  held him down until police arrived. The suspect  is facing felony charges, according to a police  report.

+ 27

Power couple Are K.J. and Michelle the next Bill and Hillary?

When we checked in a couple weeks ago, Sacramento’s Michelle Rhee was coming back to help run husband Kevin Johnson’s St. HOPE charter schools. It’s since been confirmed that she’ll also be stepping away from leadership of StudentsFirst, the education-reform lobbying group she began in 2010. In a memo to staff, Rhee explained she wanted to spend more time supporting aRvIn Johnson’s career.

by COSMO G Perhaps that is because StudentsFirst cosmog@ newsrev iew.c om fell far short of the $1 billion that Rhee boasted she would raise to elect antiteacher-union lawmakers around the country. And Bites suspects that Rhee’s anti-labor, teach-to-the-test brand of education reform was just getting too toxic to be effective anymore.

Then again, toxic may be no big deal for Rhee. While ministering to her husband’s career and running his charter schools, she’s also taken a gig serving on the board of the Scotts Miracle-Gro Company.

Scotts is in the business of selling environment-damaging synthetic fertilizers and weed killers, like Roundup. In 2012, the company was hit with $12.5 million in penalties for violating federal pesticide laws.

Among the violations was selling poisoned bird seed.

Is it at all weird that our mayor pitches Sacramento as the “Farm to Fork” capital and as a sustainable green-tech-loving “Emerald Valley,” while Rhee does marketing work for a multinational chemical company? Yes, of course it’s weird. But very Sacramento.

Rhee’s job shuffle stoked new speculation about Johnson’s future career path. The news site Politico even mused that Johnson might be planning a run for U.S. Senate or for governor. The Sacramento Bee also went on at length about the dynamism of the “bi-coastal power couple,” comparing them to Bill and Hillary Clinton.

But consider that any bid for higher office is going to mean facing a kind of media attention very different from what he’s used to here in Sacramento. At that higher level, there are at least a few professional bullshit detectors out there covering campaigns, some who won’t be starstruck.

They will look again at the wince-inducing transcripts of conversations that Phoenix police recorded between Johnson and the then-16-year-old friend he called “Whiskey.”

They will revisit the unpleasantness of the federal investigations into Johnson’s misuse of AmeriCorps funds. And consider the other material that a well-funded adversary with lots of money for opposition research will undoubtly churn up. Maybe the larger California electorate will be as blasé about Johnson’s past weirdness as the locals have been. Maybe not.

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It’s been a while since we’ve heard from local government-watchdog group Eye on Sacramento. Its latest project is to try and improve citizen access to Sacramento city government. A report from late July complained that the city’s 311 call center is understaffed, and that it’s hard to find the right person in City Hall to deal with a citizen’s problem. “Wait times of 10 minutes or more are both common and unacceptable,” says Eye on Sacramento’s Craig Powell of the 311 backlog.

The city’s 311 manager, Chris Hobson, acknowledged the issue, saying, “We are aware and certainly agree that the current 311 wait times can be too long, especially at certain times of the day.” He said that staffing has remained flat, even though call volume is up, and said the city is looking at changes to staff schedules and fixes like “virtual queuing” to let callers receive a call back instead of waiting on the phone.

Yes, of course it’s weird. But very Sacramento.

Exquisite Cocktails

But Eye on Sacramento may have something even more useful. Using the California Public Records Act, the group got hold of a “hidden directory” with the actual names and phones numbers of city employees.

“By using the city directory, a citizen can easily identify and then directly call the actual human being who is responsible for running the city office that deals with the issue of concern to that citizen,” Powell explained.

Unless and until the city posts the city directory on the city website, you can find it at www.eyeonsacramento.com.

INSPIRING CUISINE | GREAT COMPANY

Interestingly, Sacramento city is one of just 46 local governments in the country recognized by the federal government for its “open data” efforts.

Last month, Sacramento County joined the club, introducing the Sacramento County Open Data Portal to open government data and “increase transparency, citizen engagement and innovation.” Go to www.data.saccounty.net—or www.data.cityofsacramento.org for the city’s data portal—to download all sorts of spreadsheets with crime statistics, business permits, traffic information, census data, vendor payments, you name it. For civic-minded folks with programming skills, the open-data API is available, too. These are must-bookmark sites for engaged citizens, journalists, citizenjournalists and armchair analysts alike. If you find anything interesting, please share. Ω

STORY

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SN&R 14

South Oak Park needs help Sacramento County Supervisor Phil Serna says unincorporated part of neighborhood eventually will see results Sacramento County Supervisor Phil Serna is an unusual public official. I have worked at newspapers for 40 years, and during that time, numerous public officials have asked to show me things. Usually they want to show me things that make them look good or make their opponents look bad.

But Serna is the first politician who wanted to show me how, by his own painful admission, he has failed.

Out of the blue, he called my office asking if he could take me on a field trip to Oak Park.

I wondered why. I like Serna. And I like getting his perspective. I want to know how the board L NE

by JEFF VONKAE of supervisors will be different with liberal Patrick Kennedy replacing conservative Jimmie Yee. “Very j e ffv @n e wsr e v ie w.c o m different,” says Serna. But back to his story.

First, he takes me down to the Broadway Triangle in Oak Park. Here, at Broadway and 35th Street, you can see progress. There are new buildings, McClatchy Park has been cleaned up, and a thriving retail district is developing.

This is the part of Oak Park Kevin Johnson focused on If you are illegally that before he became mayor.

But then, Serna says, dumping in South “I want to take you to a Oak Park, knock it different part of Oak Park, a off. If you are dealing part that has not been making the news.” drugs, quit or go He hands me a city map that shows unincorporated some other place. South Oak Park, nearly completely surrounded by the city. The county sheriffs and county garbage trucks have to drive miles out of their way through the city to reach the estimated 5,600 people who live there. Serna tells me, “I have failed to ensure that these residents receive government services.”

As we drive through the neighborhood, we see scores of boarded-up houses. We see crack houses. We see numerous homes that would never pass a building inspection. We see repeated examples of illegal dumping. Serna tells me that at night, drug dealing is out of control. He is ashamed that he has not done more. But he will.

Jeff vonKaenel On August 5, which was National Night Out, Serna is the president, posted on Facebook, “I committed to constituents from this CEO and neighborhood that the County of Sacramento is redoubling majority owner of the News & Review its efforts to address everything from crime prevention, to newspapers in the need for improved street lighting, to ensuring better Sacramento, code enforcement to combat illegal dumping. The commitChico and Reno. ment is not a hollow one. ... [B]y the next National Night Out we WILL see results.”

I believe him. So, if you are illegally dumping in South Oak Park, knock it off. If you are a landlord with an unsafe building, fix it. If you are dealing drugs, quit or go some other place. If you work at SMUD and are in charge of putting electric lights underground, take a look at South Oak Park. And if you want to buy a fixer-upper, then you might want to look at South Oak Park for a great deal.

Serna is an unusual public official. And he’s made a commitment to his constituents that I believe he will keep. Ω

This Modern World

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The war bros at home Here’s the thing about toys: They won’t stay on the shelf.

Yeah. For a college town of less than I was working in a small college-town 50,000. In Iowa. by police department in the ’90s when the But here’s the thing about gear. Once Kel Munger federal government started handing out you’ve got it, you’re going to use it. And surplus military equipment for use in drug sure enough, the tactical team started being interdiction. Initially part of the “war on called out a lot more frequently. A noise drugs,� the 1033 Program is now part of the complaint at a Black Students Association “war on terror.� party escalated into a nasty scene. We set We heard lots of scary stories about gang up an ex-Marine, FBI-trained sniper because Kel Munger is an sn&r contributor and an incursions into our little white Midwestern of a tip about a planned robbery at the adjunct professor of enclave because of the Fareway grocery store. The journalism at American robber never showed, but river College. Follow nearby convergence Local authorities it was a high-adrenaline her @KelMunger. of two interstates.

Training from the FBI evening for us. are as well-armed warned us about Bloods, Mind you, as a journalist as our troops, Crips, Black Gangster and a professor of journalDisciples. ism, I have actually used but not nearly so Of course, the white my FBI hostage-negotiation well-trained. motorcycle gang that ran training. But, as Radley a local strip club was Balko writes so eloquently in the major source of meth in town, but this was Rise of the Warrior Cop: The Militarization pre-Sons of Anarchy. In the N.W.A era, we of America’s Police Forces, the drug and knew who to fear. I suspect, in that little town, terror wars have created a warrior class in An online version of this most copies of “Fuck Tha Police� were actuour cities and towns. These local authorities essay can be found at ally owned by those of us who wore badges. It are as well-armed as our troops, but not www.newsreview.com/ sure helped us focus our fear. nearly so well-trained—I know. sacramento/ Under the federal program, we got— And, as we’ve seen in Ferguson, Missouri, pageburner/blogs. in addition to riot gear that was used these “toys� don’t stay in the box. against rampaging drunk students—body It’s well past time to ask why local law armor, first-gen Taser-type weapons and enforcement needs urban assault vehicles, and an armored urban assault vehicle for our why we’d ever go to war on ourselves. Ί special-ops unit.

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A one-of-a-kind teacher and unassuming inner-city kids hope to take Grant Union High Schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s low-budget drum line all the way to the White House

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Grant Union High School’s drum line students call James Van Buren (left) “Mr. V.” The group was recently the only drum line in the state selected to play for the president in the National Independence Day Parade in Washington, D.C., next year.

T

his music room is a portal to a low-tech world.

The TV isn’t flat. There are no iPads or digital projectors. But there is a VCR, and you don’t see those often anymore. Broken window blinds reveal blasts of sunshine. In the middle of the room, Grant Union High School teacher James Van Buren hunches over a drum, trying to tune it.

“They really have to be anchored down,” he utters.

It’s recently purchased. In fact, it’s probably the only new thing in the room.

After a minute, he pops up off the ground, wearing black-rimmed glasses and a pressed white T-shirt extending nearly to his knees. “All right, let’s get cracking,” he announces, his voice light but electric. A dozen or so students obey with immediacy: pulling snares over their necks, hoisting tubby bass drums up to their chests, falling in line like boot-camp cadets.

It’s almost 5 p.m. on a ridiculously scorching Friday in July. Most kids around this time are probably trying to find a swimming pool. But the drum line and its leader, who the kids call Mr. V, rehearse:

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“Drum line!” Mr. V yells.

“Yeah?” all the kids answer.

“What’s up?” he asks.

“You know,” they respond.

“Hit me!” he blasts.

Boom-boom, tak. Boom, tak. Boom-boom-boom, tak. Boom, tak. Roaring thuds and rickety taps crank up the room’s blood pressure. The kids swing and sway in unison. Some even juggle their sticks.

Cheerleaders run into the room, pumping their arms and shaking their butts. The scene is magnetic.

Grant’s drum line has emerged in a matter of years as one of the premier music programs not just in Sacramento, but the entire state. It did this not by winning competitions—Mr. V refuses to let his kids compete—but by performing in the community. It’s played at Mayor Kevin Johnson’s events and major union fundraisers, NASCAR races and Sacramento Kings games.

Founded in 2008 with a zero-dollar budget, “the line” makes enough money from these gigs to be self-sustaining. The drum line once earned $2,800 for a six-minute performance.

They’re going to need to do a lot more to meet their latest goal, though: Playing for President Barack Obama at the next Fourth of July parade.

Grant was recently picked to go to Washington, D.C., the only drum line chosen in the entire state.

“We have to raise $100,000. It’s extremely difficult.

That’s a lot of money,” Mr. V says. Drumsticks already cost $10 a pair, and mallets go for $50, and they go through those like the school goes through toilet paper. The first payment is due next month.

It’s a challenge for a high school and a community that desperately needs a positive image boost. Lately, Grant and its neighborhood, Del Paso Heights, get more attention for things like shootings and tuberculosis outbreaks. These inner-city kids from “the Heights,” “the Flats” and “the Manors” probably never grew up thinking about playing drums, let alone for the president. It could be a life-defining moment.

But this story isn’t some cheesy after-school special about a tough-as-nails school, thug kids and a downto-earth teacher who changes their lives. Michelle Pfeiffer isn’t gonna pop through that music-room door with Coolio. Yeah, it’s true that Mr. V loses drummers

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every year to crime. He even has a drummer in jail right now, he says. But he also has kids studying music at universities. These students aren’t that different from rich kids in Rocklin or Elk Grove. They’re everyday kids with dreams and cellphone bills.

The difference is Mr. V, a 59-year-old special-ed and music teacher with an inimitable passion. His Grant Drumline will go to Washington, he promises.

“I’m driven now to take this to the ultimate.”

YOU CAN’T FAKE IT The drum line’s shoulders hang low. Kids file out of the well-worn Grant auditorium, with its old-timey theater chairs and dim lighting, on a cool Tuesday morning in August. No one’s feeling that after-performance high. “That wasn’t our best,” says Michael Turner, a senior who plays the snare drum.

Turner is upset with Mr. V, saying that everyone was late. Or didn’t even bother to show up. He says that Mr. V was late, too.

“Now hold on,” Mr. V interjects. But he doesn’t reprimand, or tell the kids to shut it. He explains his world: how he got up before 4 a.m., picked drummers up at their homes, drove all the gear to the auditorium.

And then how he went back to pick up more gear, again, before the 9 a.m. show.

He treats the kids like adults. And Turner and the others buy into it. “We’ve been doing this for four years,” he says after the discussion. “We’re all a big family.”

Turner first got hooked on banging drums during an eighth-grade assembly, when the drum line visited his junior high. “It was the first line I ever saw play,” he remembers. “That was all it took.”

His story is a lot like 15-year-old Adriana Sepulbeda, who just signed up three months ago and now plays a bass drum almost larger than her. The shy sophomore says she practiced three days a week all summer, for three hours at a time, plus at home every day.

James Mayor, also a sophomore, is on the football team, but he makes time to be on drum line, too, when football season is over. “Mr. V is always cool,” he says. “He’s not continued like all the other teachers on page here; he can relate to

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“I’VE NEVER SEEN A DAY WHERE MR. V DOESN’T HAVE ENERGY.” The family moved to Elk Grove, where V started teaching at South Point Academy, an alternate school for kids with emotional and behavioral issues. At-risk kids. “One thing I learned was that these kids, they really liked music,” V says. He turned his drum set into the centerpiece of the classroom. He taught all subjects—English, math, science— and he incorporated music into his lesson plans. “And before I knew it, it started defining me as a teacher.”

That school was a place where kids would sometimes attack the adults. Under 6 feet, V is barely taller than his students. “It was very intimidating. You have to come up with strategies right away where the students connect with you. Because they’re not afraid of you.”

Mr. V seems like a father to his students. They respect and admire him—but they also kind of see him as one of them, too.

V smiles and laughs. “You know, I’m a big kid at heart.” Then he’s

08.21.14

Kadhir “Raja” Rajagopal vice principal, Grant Union High School

serious. “I have values, I understand what’s right and wrong, but for some reason, I have this uncanny ability to connect with what’s current, with what’s happening out there. I absorb it like a sponge. And the kids read that.

“They understand what’s genuine and what’s fake.”

Mr. V came to Grant in 2007.

He started an after-school unofficial music club where Polynesian kids who wanted to freestyle on drums, and football and basketball players who wanted to rap would hang. In time, they were calling this music crew the Glee of Sacramento. “It was incredible,” he says.

Then one day, the principals asked him: Why not be our drum instructor?

SACRAMENTO’S FLAGSHIP BAND Seven musicians and V squeeze into the living room of a north Sacramento home on a muggy Monday night. The walls are plastered with movie posters and dozens of egg crates—so many eggs!—and it smells of hot amplifiers. The occasion is jazz-band practice for one of V’s side projects, a group called Elements. Funk is first on the agenda. “You’ll feel it,” V says as they kick off “Thank You” by Sly & the Family Stone. He drives the song with a fluttering saxophone melody. Later, he puts the sax down and plays R&B on the flute.

Two observations: V spends a ridiculous amount of time each week playing music, but that’s not why he was at first apprehensive about starting a drum line at Grant.

PHOTOS BY NICK MILLER

anything we do because he’s been through it.”

It’s true that Mr. V, whose friends just call him V, can empathize with north Sacramento life. He grew up in a hard-nosed Kansas neighborhood— gangs, poverty, even segregation—in the ’50s and ’60s. His dad was a touring musician, a drummer, playing with the likes of Ella Fitzgerald and others.

“My father wasn’t around, he wasn’t involved in my life. He was trying to make it happen,” he says.

At 14, though, his dad came back and V moved with his parents in Colorado. He started dabbling with the drums, but that didn’t stick, and he moved on to the saxophone. After a few years, he too was traveling the United States, playing, starting his own bands, and finally even moving to England, gigging with guys who played with Tangerine Dream, Alice Cooper and Paul McCartney. For a while, he lived in Sir Richard Branson’s home. He says you could make up to 100 pounds a day in England, playing the streets by day and the clubs at night.

But that life didn’t last. V’s wife is “a very smart woman,” and he felt the urge to get his degree, too. It took more than 10 years, while working as a cop in Southern California, but he entered his 40s a political-science grad.

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Mr. V leads the Grant Drumline during a recent practice at the Twin Rivers Unified School District headquarters.

This was on a summer weeknight around 7 p.m., probably when other kids were cooling off in the pool.

He just didn’t want the drum line to be boring. To be the same old. He’d seen what other schools were doing with their marching bands and drum corps. It was “really strict, military, straight and rigid,” he says. “That’s cool, but that’s not music.”

Mr. V wanted his classroom to be more like a jazz club. A place where students come in, ask “What key is that song in?” and then jam. “I want my kids to be able to sit down and play with any musician.”

That’s one of the reasons why he lets the kids pick out a lot of the songs. Today, they play Drake, T.I., Outkast, Lil Wayne, even Iggy Azalea, the Australian rapper with the summer hit “Fancy.” You know, the one with the hook “I’m so fancy.”

They want to push it even more and play stuff like YZ, too. Most drum lines just pitter-patter. Grant incorporates electric keyboards and bass, and the campus hip-hop hopefuls get a time to shine on the mic, too.

“We decided to not follow the mold. We’re setting trends. We’re changing what a drum line looks like,” V says.

The drum line first started turning heads during half-time at football games. Then, it started playing political events, 5k runs and even at the Crocker Art Museum. And with the Sacramento Philharmonic. It, at one

VOTIN G E N D S 8.2 5.14 time, was even the official drum line of the Sacramento Mountain Lions football team.

V explains it like this: “When muscular dystrophy calls, they don’t call your choir or your band. They call Grant Drumline. When Make-A-Wish calls, they call us. When the churches call. When the politicians call. Grant High School is the flagship school for music in the community. We are the flagship band for the whole of Sacramento.”

Ego much? “But that doesn’t mean we’re the best. There are plenty of other good drum lines. We just happen to be the busiest.”

The drum line doesn’t have a bus or shuttle, and most of the kids don’t have cars. Mr. V picks kids up in his wisteria-colored Honda Odyssey.

“I am the school bus,” he says. He doesn’t look like he’s about to turn 60.

Clean-shaven, no gray hair, physically fit—he doesn’t look a day over 40.

To play at the California State Fair this year, V made three trips each way delivering gear and students. On his day off, during the summer, paying gas with his own money. It’s a dedication unequaled. And it’s contagious.

“He makes his students want to work,” says Tamara Eugene, who coaches Grant’s dance team, the Pacerettes, and collaborates with Mr. V often. His strategy is almost like a trick, Eugene says. “The way he teaches, it’s like putting on a show.

But there’s substance, there’s learning behind it. He’s one of those teachers you wish that everyone could have what he has.”

Samuel Timoti is a drum line alumni who returns often to his alma mater to volunteer. He says he likes to help Mr. V because it’s all about “pushing kids up, not down.”

V, who has two kids of his own from a previous marriage, keeps it simple: “If you lower the bar, I think all human beings will take the path of least resistance.

“But if you raise the bar ...”

CELLPHONES AND $100 SHOES It’s a Wednesday morning in downtown Sacramento, and the drum line’s just finished performing in front of a few thousand teachers for a union conference at the Convention Center. Gov. Jerry Brown will speak on the same stage the next day. It’s one of those paid gigs that keeps the line afloat. The kids are sacrificing their summer vacation, again, but

they don’t seem to care. They hang backstage, peeking through the curtains at the choir group performing. Afterward, in the loading dock area, they bounce and smile and chat with each other. This is fun. This isn’t work.

Mr. V has a few ground rules that keep drum line juju on the up. He doesn’t allow negative attitudes. You can’t use the N-word or curse. When he’s not instructing the drum line, he also a full-time teacher of at-risk kids, students who’ve gotten into trouble in the past. And just like putting a drum kit in the middle of the classroom when he taught in Elk Grove, he goes about things differently at Grant, too.

“I have a points system in my classroom,” V explains. Kids get grades, but they also acquire points throughout the school year. You get positive points for doing everything you need to, like studying for tests and paying attention. You lose points for being rude to your classmates or if you don’t participate. And at the end of the year, students can cash in points for prizes, like iPods or just money.

All this comes out of V’s pocket.

And he lets the kids adjudicate the points. Did a student disrespect you?

Well, then how many of their points do you want? “That’s what keeps them in check,” V says.

“And it is worth it, because I have a group of kids that listen.” It’s so popular, in fact, that a few other Grant teachers have adopted the system.

Kadhir “Raja” Rajagopal has been a vice principal at Grant for eight years. He calls Mr. V’s approach amazing. “He’s recruited students with behavior and academic challenges. He realizes that kids are hungry to engage things. He’s the real deal. He takes in students who have nothing going for them,” Raja says.

But what impresses Raja more is V’s passion. “I’ve never seen a day where Mr. V doesn’t have energy.”

Grant Union High School is tucked away in one of Sacramento’s most impoverished neighborhoods. The gumbo spot across the street makes a killer stew, but it’s an eyesore shack.

Illegal dumping, slummy apartment complexes and gangs, and the temptation to join, are very real.

V says the drum line can be hard to maintain. “You have drummers, and they get in trouble,” V explains.

But they’re not bad kids. “They want money. They end up going to jail.

Burglary type stuff. They’re smart

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kids, and they can make the grades, but they want money.”

Drum line works because it fills a void. It’s an option that didn’t exist for the kids. Oftentimes during summer drum line practices, there are more girls banging beats than boys. And it’s cool for football players, like Amir Reams, who plays bass drum but is also on the junior-varsity team.

That’s not normal at most high schools, jocks hanging with the “band nerds.”

The kids, most of them from the surrounding neighborhood, where the average wages are lower than most of the city, seem unfazed by the school’s lack of money or the modern facilities you might see at a school in a wealthier neighborhood, such as Granite Bay. Is there a chip on their shoulder? Does inequality motivate?

Foothill High School campus on this Tuesday morning at 7:30. It’s the first training day of the school year for teachers and administrators throughout the entire Twin Rivers Unified School District.

Women in slip-on shoes and shorts and men in golf shirts clutching coffee cups march toward the football field. You wouldn’t blame them for interpreting the choice of music as a kind of cruel joke: Summer is breathing its final breaths. Time to get to work.

The packed bleachers are full of color and chatter and life. Cheerleaders chant.

Mr. V stands near the end zone, behind him a few feet are 14 drummers, all sporting matching blue jumpsuits and spotless white sneakers. The kids play a game where they sneak each others’ phones, snap selfies, then return them.

V takes the moment to reflect. “Six years ago, when we first started, we had 28 drummers, but only six of them could play,” he says. Their equipment was busted: snares ready to break at any minute, drum harnesses rigged together with shoestrings and coat hangers.

“YOU HAVE DRUMMERS, AND THEY GET IN TROUBLE. THEY END UP GOING TO JAIL. BURGLARY-TYPE STUFF. THEY’RE SMART KIDS, AND THEY CAN MAKE THE GRADES, BUT THEY WANT MONEY.” Mr. V Grant Union High School teacher and drum line coach

HIT ME!

“I remember people calling us ‘drum line wannabes’” after a show, V says. This upset the squad; he had five drummers quit the next day. “But now, I look around and every other high-school drum line has dancers, has keyboards and is trying to play hip-hop.”

At 8 a.m. sharp, the line throws on its gear and takes formation. The rally begins, and, of course, the Grant Drumline is the first order of business. Perhaps as it should be. The crew marches out to the 50-yard line, in front of the new Twin Rivers superintendent and a couple-thousand staffers.

V stands tall in front of them, his face uncharacteristically stern, focused: “Drum line!”

“Yeah?”

“What’s up?”

“You know.”

“Hit me!”

The first show of the school year begins. Boom-boom, tak.

DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince’s classic jam “Summertime” can be heard across

Grant Union High School’s drum line is crowdsourcing funds to pay for its trip to Washington, D.C. Donations may be made online at www.youcaring.com/other/

“Kids, for the most part, don’t think about it,” V says. “Rich kids have $100 shoes. Our kids have them. Our kids have cellphones. Other kids have cellphones.”

He says that when he grew up, it was obvious that the world was lopsided: It was segregated. “Kids today, they have access to everything. In fact, they waste a lot.

They don’t compare themselves to some student in Granite Bay. They compare themselves to someone on TV.” But still, they are sometimes wowed.

Mr. V remembers a show a few years ago at the Mondavi Center, where students from other schools arrived in Mercedes-Benz cars and carried their instruments in leather cases. His drum line kids were like, “‘Dang,’” he says.

But he told them not to front.

“You come as you are. We are Grant.”

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by aaron carnes photos by john muheim

ILL IAN CE ON UN LE AS HE D ITS PU NK BR OR RR TE OF S LE TA R DE CA DE S AF TE ILL MA KE S HIS TO RY MP LIC AT ED LE GA CY ST CO D, SA ’S ND BA E TH , SA CR AM EN TO

L

isten to almost any old Sacramento punk rocker, and he or she will probably tell you Tales of Terror was the best band this city’’s ever produced..

The thing is, that’s no exaggeration. The group approached hardcore with a dark, psychedelic, highly dynamic quality that was unique in 1984, and still holds up in 2014.

Unfortunately, it’s mostly just those old Sacramento punk rockers who even remember Tales of Terror these days—them and a handful of other random music fans across the country. The band certainly never made it big.

A couple of those nonlocal fans, however, happened to get really famous in the ’90s—most notably Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain, who named Tales of Terror’s self-titled LP his 32nd favorite album of all time (from a handwritten top-50 album list).

Mark Arm, first of Green River and later Mudhoney, also loved Tales of Terror. Green River covered “Ozzy” on its 1987 album Dry as a Bone. In 2008, Mudhoney wrote a song called “Tales of Terror” in tribute.

And in 2013, Melvins covered the group’s “Romance” on its Everybody Loves Sausages album.

On September 1, Tales of Terror’s lone album turns 30, but even with its admirers and a documentary in the works, the band hasn’t found much of an audience in the years since its release. That’s in part because the record’s been out of print since the group disbanded in 1986, with the exception of a 2009 digital-only release.

But that lack of recognition is only a small piece of this band’s sad, complicated story.

TALES OF TERROR, FEATURING (COUNTERCLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT) GEOFF MAGNER, PAT STRATFORD, LYON WONG AND MIKE HUNTER, PERFORM AT CLUB MINIMAL, CIRCA 1983.

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Comfort-food renaissance See DISH

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Bad neighbors See ASK JOEY

Rancho Cordova, Chinese buffets and other teenage havens Tales of Terror split up after the sudden death of its guitarist Lyon Wong, who, following a verbal altercation, was physically assaulted by a carload of young men in Midtown on the evening of January 5, 1986.

Wong (son of actor Victor Wong) suffered a head injury after falling and hitting his head on the curb. He died in the early hours of January 6. His attacker, a minor, was found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to six months in prison.

Years later, in 2004, bassist Geoff Magner died of a methadone overdose. And just five years ago, singer Pat Stratford (known as “Rat’s Ass,” a nickname inspired by a rat drawing that hung on the wall of his father’s bar) suffered a series of strokes that put him in a coma for threeand-a-half weeks. It left him seriously impaired, with low short-term memory functionality.

When Stratford first woke up from the coma, he thought it was 1985 and he was late for a gig.

Even now, back in the present, he struggles to remember much at all. Stratford lives with his parents in their home in Rancho Cordova—the same house Tales of Terror practiced at in the early days. Stratford’s brother Charlie moved back home for a little while to help out when Pat first woke up; he took over running the Tales of Terror Facebook group. He says he’s been using it as a means to jostle his brother’s memory—but also a way to remind the world of Tales of Terror.

“I just want my brother to get recognized for what he did for the Sacramento punk scene—for the punk scene in general,” Charlie said. “Tales of Terror deserves to be recognized.”

Tales of Terror’s origins, like many other punk bands before it, was one rooted in youthful restlessness. A couple years before the band formed, Pat Stratford played drums in a band called the RC Boys—one of the first hardcore bands in the area. Well, at least the first one in Rancho Cordova.

Punk had long been a part of the downtown bar scene, but the all-ages, DIY hardcore scene was just beginning—and it was happening in Rancho Cordova of all places, at Kins Coloma, a Chinese restaurant whose owners were lax on liquor laws, and would charge kids the low price of their buffet to get into the show.

RC Boys singer Dennis Yudt remembers it as a teenage haven.

“We were the first hardcore band in Sacramento. We were all kids, 15 to 17 years old,” Yudt said. “We played a lot faster than all of our older contemporaries. … We were just bad kids playing music.”

After the RC Boys broke up, Stratford and a couple guys from local punk band Withdrawn formed the Square Cools. Stratford sang and played bass, but they eventually added Magner on bass so Stratford could be untethered in front of the mic.

Kins Coloma had a short run, but boxing promoter Stewart Katz picked up the slack, getting shows for the band. The first gig was with Dead Kennedys in 1981 at the American Legion Hall in downtown Sacramento, with the Square Cools and Rebel Truth opening.

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Sacramento’s all-ages punk and alternativerock scene grew alongside Katz’s production company, Clear and Distinct Ideas. He booked the touring punk acts at various halls, theaters and parks until opening Club Minimal in 1983; there he booked the Square Cools at several gigs.

When the Square Cools disbanded that same year, Stratford and Magner started Tales of Terror with Wong and drummer Mike Hunter.

A second guitarist, Steve “Capt. Trip Mender” Hunt, later joined the band.

Katz booked Tales of Terror a lot. In fact, they were practically the house band at Club Minimal.

“I liked Stratford. He had a certain degree of popularity. … He was charismatic, but selfdestructive,” Katz said.

Girlfriend in a coma See FILM

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The cutting edge See 15 MINUTES

to stuff that was beyond anything anybody else in the band was listening to,” Soriano said.

“When I first met him, I asked him what he was listening to, and he said [blues singer] Lightnin’ Hopkins—I had no idea what a Lightnin’ Hopkins was.”

Onstage, Wong was the most reserved.

Everyone else brought an explosive, chaotic energy, particularly Stratford, who had been a gymnast and a skateboarder. Onstage he was known to do backflips, even on top of club speakers.

The band’s sleazy, glam-rock, thrift-store image—a mix of the Misfits and New York Dolls—predates Guns N’ Roses and other Sunset Strip-era bands. During this time, there was also a steady increase of LSD making its

TALES OF TERROR BASSIST MAGNER (LEFT) DIED OF A METHADONE OVERDOSE IN 2004.

STRATFORD (RIGHT) SUFFERED A TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY IN 2009 AND STILL STRUGGLES WITH HIS SHORT-TERM MEMORY.

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“He thought Tales of Terror was the future,” Katz said. “He thought they were the real deal.”

The album took a long time to make.

Recording in the traditional isolated chambers of a studio wasn’t giving Tales of Terror the takes it wanted. Then the engineer quit because the band was drinking too much. Finally, Ferguson suggested they just record live, with an audience of friends. And so they made the album using a single microphone and no overdubs in a San Francisco studio.

After the album’s 1984 release, Tales of Terror toured the West Coast a few times and also did an extensive U.S. tour. But then Wong died just a little over a year after the album’s release. With no band left to promote it, stores weren’t motivated to keep the record stocked—besides, it just wasn’t selling that well anyway.

After Wong’s death, Tales of Terror’s remaining members drifted. Stratford and Magner moved to Los Angeles to form Pirates of Venus, but never really made it. And the rest, of course, is punk history, mostly remembered via dusty record-store bins and old show fliers.

The aftermath

“I just want my brother to get recognized for what he did for the Sacramento punk scene—for the punk scene in general.”

C HA RLIE STRA TFORD brother to Tales of Terror frontman Pat Stratford

The Square Cools had done well: The group, along with locals Rebel Truth, scored tunes on Maximum Rock N Roll’s Not So Quiet on the Western Front seminal 1982 West Coast hardcore comp.

But Tales of Terror was something completely different. A lot of that could be attributed to Wong, who brought an eclectic influence to the band with his love of jazz and various shades of rock ’n’ roll.

“They were good out the gate,” said Scott Soriano, who published the zine Spamm in the ’80s and currently runs S.S. Records.

“Lyon added an adventurous—but still angry—psychedelic element. He was listening

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way into Sacramento, which the band participated in, particularly when they moved into Midtown’s Stucco Factory, an artist warehouse where they practiced and threw parties. While their approach to punk had always been experimental, this influx of acid pushed them even further out there.

The band’s most lasting artifact, of course, was its record, especially considering that in the ’80s most bands couldn’t afford to record an album. Tales of Terror, however, got help from the punk label CD Presents, after San Francisco promoter Paul Rat introduced them to the label’s owner, David Ferguson. Rat was certain they were going to be huge.

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Now, decades later, there are signs that Tales of Terror could finally get its proper due.

Filmmaker Tyler Lee Osborn, who caught many Tales of Terror shows back in the day, wants to revive the band's legacy with a documentary. Recently, Osborn's worked with cinematographer Dave Seoane, pairing old footage and photos with new interviews from key players.

“I’m hoping this film can get them a wider audience than they’ve ever had,” said Osborn.

“To [this] day, [Tales of Terror put on] some of the best live shows I’ve ever seen.”

Ferguson is also in talks with labels to work out a licensing deal for the record, which he hopes will get released in conjunction with the documentary.

Both Osborn and Ferguson insist that Tales of Terror was a major influence on the Northwest grunge movement. While that might be difficult to prove, the question isn’t so much how they influenced music, but what Tales of Terror could have become if Wong had lived.

“We were just getting a little bit more in grips with who we were and what we could do with music. It was really coming together and starting to gel,” Hunt said. “I saw me doing this until now with these guys. It just didn’t pan out.”

Still, what Tales of Terror did accomplish in its short run remains impactful here. Local musician Charles Albright—too young to be part of Tales of Terror’s scene back in the ’80s—is now a vocal advocate for the band.

“My goal is to turn more people on to Tales of Terror,” Albright said. “They are a band Sacramento can feel genuinely proud about and look to for inspiration—it’s OK to be weird, deranged and yourself. As long as you do it with passion and sincerity.”

Learn more about Tales of Terror at www.facebook.com/groups/214463433224.

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For the week of August 21

WEEKLY PICKS

Paws to Party FRIDAY, AUGUST 22 How much happiness do we owe to gazing upon and cuddling with cute cats and dogs? A lot.

Show your gratitude at FUNDRAISER the Front Street Animal Shelter’s annual party, with food, libations, a silent auction and live music to benefit rescue efforts of our four-legged friends. $45, 6 p.m. at California Automobile Museum, 2200 Front Street; (916) 808-8166; http://pawstoparty.weebly.com.

—Deena Drewis

Race for the Arts SATURDAY, AUGUST 23 The 16th annual Race for the Arts is a chance to raise money for arts programs at the school or organization of your choice. Every cent RACE you pledge goes directly toward reviving these programs. This fundraiser also features a fun run for children and a post-race arts festival with live music and refreshments. $15-$30, 8:30 a.m. at William Land Park, 3800 S. Land Park Drive; www.raceforthearts.com.

—Rudy Raya

A Synchro Wish Upon A Star SATURDAY, AUGUST 23 Yes, of course synchronized swimming is a real sport, as this show—featuring USA Synchro team members Nicole Meza and Noelle Song—will prove.

It’s presented by the Sacramento Synchronized Swim Team, a local competiAQUA SHOW tive swim team. After the event, girls ages 5-18 will be able to jump in the pool and give the sport a try. $5-$10, 6:30 p.m. at Mira Loma High School, 4000 Edison Avenue; (916) 217-8899; www.sacsynchro.com.

—Jonathan Mendick

I

t’s official: There’s only about a month until summer ends.

Although daylight is getting shorter, the good news is we’re finally getting a little break from the heat, and it’s starting to be really comfortable outside. It’s also good that every festival organizer in Sacramento seems to know this and wants to capitalize on this window of opportunity. Sure, this week’s events aren’t the absolute last of the summer (next weekend, which happens to be Labor Day weekend, is full of festivals, too). But these five should at least get you through the denial phase of summer’s end—so make sure to break out the shorts for one last time.

OK, so the Sacramento Film & Music Festival (www.sacfilm.com) doesn’t exactly happen outdoors—in fact, it happens completely indoors the Crest Theatre (1013 K Street). But it’s a great way to spend the whole weekend in case it does get

unpleasantly hot. From Friday, August 22, through Sunday, August 24, the festival features a fashion challenge, short films, feature films, documentaries, music videos and the 10x10 Filmmaker Challenge—10-minute films created in 10 days by local filmmakers.

Tickets are $15 per day.

Woofstock (www.rocklin.ca.us/ woofstock), on the other hand, is an alloutdoor, dog-friendly festival in Rocklin. In addition to an adoption fair, the free event offers an art show, vendors, food, races and a play zone for dogs. It’s also a fundraiser for more than 20 local dog-rescue organizations. It happens at from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, August 24, at JohnsonSpringview Park (5460 Fifth Street in Rocklin).

Lastly, three community festivals celebrate three very different things this week: the Sacramento Culture Fest at the Woodlake Grove amphitheater at the Red

Wake Island Mud Run & Beach Party

Lion Hotel Woodlake Conference Center Sacramento (500 Leisure Lane), Curtis Fest at Curtis Park (3349 W. Curtis Drive) and the Multicultural Festival at Elk Grove Regional Park (9950 Elk Grove-Florin Road in Elk Grove). The Sacramento Culture Fest ($20-$25, 5 p.m. on Friday, August 22; www.sacculturefest.com) is actually a music festival featuring Polynesian music by Valufa, Finn Da Groovah, Samu and more. Proceeds benefit various Sacramento-area community arts organizations. Curtis Fest (free, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, August 24; www.sierra2.org) celebrates the works of 50 local artists, with food trucks, music and a petting zoo.

And the Elk Grove Multicultural Festival (free, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, August 23; www.elkgrovecity.org/ multicultural-festival) honors Elk Grove’s diversity with food, music, art and fashion.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 23 It’s only natural that citizens of the farm-to-fork capital should get very muddy while running a 5k.

Your mother would be appalled, of course, but on MUD top of being a barbaric blast, it benefits breast-cancer research. Plus, there will be sandwiches from Beach Hut Deli, beach volleyball, cornhole and live music. $45-$59, 8 a.m. at Wake Island Watersports, 7633 Locust Road in Pleasant Grove; http://wakeislandmudrun.com.

—Deena Drewis

WWE Live SATURDAY, AUGUST 23 Growing up, choke slamming a younger, frailer family member was practically a rite of passage.

Professional wrestling was life, and guys like “The Rock” Dwayne Johnson and WRESTLING “Stone Cold” Steve Austin were icons. Relive your (or my) childhood this Saturday by watching WWE World Heavyweight Champion John Cena take on 47-year-old Kane in a street fight. That’s right, a street fight. $18.25-$102.25, 7:30 p.m. at Sleep Train Arena, 1 Sports Parkway; www.sleeptrainarena.com.

—Jonathan Mendick

—Rudy Raya BEFORE

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Fire Rock Grill 11275 Folsom Boulevard in Rancho Cordova, (916) 638-4584, www.firerockgrill.com At 101 years old, the building is stately and elegant, with hewed wood beams and gleaming river rock columns. Now, the former Sheepherder’s by Ann Inn, once a hotel, a brothel and many times an Martin Rolke eatery, has been restored to well-deserved glory.

Now called Fire Rock Grill, it reopened in February with the Alimena and Gandy families at the helm. As managers of one of its past incarnations, they saw the promise the grand old building holds and hired Randall Christian Rating: as executive chef; his résumé includes local HHH 1/2 restaurants as well as ones in Los Angeles, Miami and New York City. dinner for one: Because of its massive dining areas and $15 - $30 parking lot, Fire Rock is already a draw for work groups and events, although it gets quite loud with all the hard surfaces. There’s outside seating (albeit facing busy Folsom Boulevard) and a smaller bar area with tables for those seeking less din.

Service on both of our visits struck just the right tone of attentive but not pushy. The servers seem well-schooled in menu details, and the hosts were full of historical trivia about the space.

H While the menu features comfort-food Flawed favorites that don’t push any boundaries, the HH execution is impressive. A simple cup of New has moments England-style clam chowder, for instance, was HHH chunky with potatoes, clams and bacon in a appealing silky cream base, without a hint of gumminess.

HHHH An heirloom-tomato stack featured several authoRitative colors of perfectly ripe tomatoes, milky-fresh HHHHH mozzarella and a syrupy balsamic reduction. A epiC bed of ultra-fresh greens and basil added just the right complement to the gorgeous fruit and cheese.

Even an order of grilled cheese from the kid’s menu showcased thickly sliced bread with real cheddar (no American, thank you!) and nicely charred broccoli with a scattering of sea salt. It even came with juice and dessert— Still hungry? a scoop of Vic’s Ice Cream. search sn&R’s The sandwiches were equally good. The “dining directory” menu lists a juicy sounding Napkin Burger, to find local restaurants by name but we went with the Fire Rock Burger, which or by type of food. we hoped would be just as juicy. We weren’t sushi, mexican, indian, disappointed: It’s one of the better burgers italian—discover it we’ve eaten recently. Half-a-pound of Angus all in the “dining” section at beef cooked perfectly medium-rare, it required www.news at least three napkins to soak up the fingerreview.com. licking juices. Caramelized red onions, pepper jack cheese, pickled jalapeños and chili mayo, plus tomatoes and lettuce, made for a big stack of flavor.

Vegetarians are just as lucky: Our grilled portobello sandwich arrived layered with that high-end mozzarella, roasted peppers, onions and basil mayo on a focaccia bun. Unlike many mushroom “burgers,” this one is just as swoonworthy as the beef variety.

Seared ahi tuna makes for another good choice. It’s available sesame-crusted with watermelon salsa, or on a salad with mango, spinach, avocado and macadamia nuts. The BEFORE

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tuna was expertly just-barely cooked, leaving the majority of the thinly sliced fish bright red.

It paired nicely with the salsa presentation, but was a bit overwhelmed by the goat cheese on the salad.

The roasted corn risotto is another really lovely entree—an excellent example of al dente rice enhanced but not overwhelmed by garlic, herbs and Parmesan. It tasted of fresh, sweet corn without being too heavy. The only drawback was the slightly dry—although nicely flavored— optional chicken on top.

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Unlike many mushroom “burgers,” the grilled portobello sandwich is just as swoonworthy as the beef variety.

Happy Hour

There is a reasonable selection of wine and beer, with many local options. On Monday nights, there’s 50 percent off bottles of wine.

Signature cocktails are curiously listed without prices, but include standards with fresh juices and brand liquors.

There are several desserts, and they don’t seem an afterthought, as in many places. There is a moist house-made olive-oil cake with berries, and a crunchy bread pudding with bourboncaramel sauce. We didn’t brave the fried Oreos.

If you live or work near Rancho Cordova, Fire Rock Grill should be a welcome addition to the area. It may not be a destination spot, but the quality of the cooking and management make it a worthy renaissance for a historical location. Ω

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Hey, bean lover. Let’s make your cool bean stash even cooler by lasting longer without relying on hormone-disrupting BPA-lined cans. Soak a batch of beans overnight, cook them and then freeze them. Use as desired and repeat. It’s pretty simple and time- and cha-ching saving. Sacramentan Erin Alderson has helpful additional tips to the process on her vegetarian website Naturally Ella. Don’t be shy, check it out: http://naturallyella.com. Alderson, a Web developer, photographer and The Homemade Flour Cookbook author (Fair Winds Press, $24.99), includes a vegan section on her site, with appetite-stimulating dishes like sweet potato and chickpea stew with quinoa, and black bean tofu. Plenty of reasons to get them beans out of the freezer and get to work!

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Downtown Blackbird Kitchen & Beer Gallery

Where to eat?

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

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

Blackbird is back with chefowner Carina Lampkin again at the helm. It’s located in its original space with a similar aesthetic, though with more focus on beer and bar food to better complement the seafood-inspired dinner menu.

A burger served with house pickles, seven-day house-cured bacon, cheddar and sweet ’n’ chivey “awesome sauce” make for one of the city’s best burgers, no question. Chowder fries, however, are nifty in theory— fries covered in bay shrimp, bacon and parsley, then doused with chowder. It’s a play on poutine, but a lack of acid and serious sogginess issues mar it from being a landmark dish.

Better yet? Fish tacos featuring fried pollock served with pickled cabbage and chipotle crema. These and a beer will remedy any bad day you’re having. American. 1015 Ninth St., (916) 498-9224. Dinner for one: $10-$30. HHH1/2 G.M.

Midtown Block Butcher Bar This place serves the holy trinity of European cuisine: meat, cheese and alcoholic beverages. Most of its boards and plates are balanced using three basic tastes: salty (meats and cheeses), sweet (honey and jam) and sour (pickles and vinegar). The charcuterie boards impress visually and on the tongue. A recent selection included shaved almonds, neat piles of meat,

mustard, pickled cauliflower and beets, served with small slices of bread. The ’njuda sandwich is startlingly spicy and salty, with rich melted cheese and ground meat spread between pressed slices of bread. Or try the pressed serrano ham, manchego cheese, arugula and salsa sandwich—it’s like a cross between a cubano, a breakfast panini and a torta. Elsewhere on the menu there are fine cocktails, an intimidating whiskey list, and a small but diverse selection of beer and wine, both regional and international.

European. 1050 20th St., (916) 476-6306. Dinner for one: $10-$20. HHHH J.M.

Cafe Plan B This Midtown iteration of the popular Plan B Restaurant in Arden Arcade brings to mind old-school French dining. This should not be read as an insult. The menu runs with salads, sandwiches, mains and appetizers—however, the highlight is the generous array of mussels served in both modern and classic fashion.

The épicé mussels are served in a thick tomato sauce with a rumbling chili-garlic heat.

Coconut-broth mussels are sweet and tangy and worth a visit. A white-anchovy tartelette with shredded fennel and leek dazzles—it’s the sort of light food welcomed in tripledigit heat. The puff pastry it sits on is a means to an end.

Branzino cooked en papillote is also a thing of beauty: light, flaky and served with wisps of lemon and fennel. The wine selection is limited, however, the house white is affordable

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and welcome, pairing well with numerous dishes. French.

1226 20th St., (916) 447-3300.

Dinner for one: $25-$30.

HHHH G.M.

Der Biergarten This spot is a slightly quirky, low-key place with only nine food items on the menu: four appetizerstyle options, four sandwichtype offerings and a sausage platter, plus about 30 cold ones on tap. Patrons order from a building that was built from a couple of cargo containers and dine outdoors on communal benches, traditional German biergarten style. The Derfinater Dog is a gussied-up hot dog, and despite its seemingly excessive number of toppings, everything served a tasteful purpose. The mayo and garlic sauce helped moisten a somewhat dry roll, and the bacon added saltiness, which balanced the sweetness of cream cheese and barbecue sauce.

The pretzel disappointed by being a bit on the flaky and brittle side. The sausage platter was the best item on the menu: a pork sausage, chicken sausage, and a veal-and-pork sausage—much more plump, juicy and flavorful than the frankfurters—served alongside piles of sauerkraut and German potato salad. German.

2332 K St., (916) 346-4572.

Dinner for one: $5-$10.

HHH J.M.

Strings Urban Kitchen This more upscale version of the Gold River-based Strings Italian Cafe chain lands in

the Il Fornaio camp, but with a lower price point.

Recommended options include the Bruschetta Rustico, with chunky toasts layered with seasoned cheese, grape tomatoes, basil and balsamic vinegar. Pizzas are offered at 7 or 16 inches, with lots of optional additions. A small Pomodoro Mozzarella, with sliced tomatoes and marinara, was serviceable with medium-thick crust and plentiful toppings. A signature frutti di mare pie with shrimp, scallops, mussels and seafood sauce is a more unique take on the category. There are also quite a few vegetarian choices, including Vegetale de las Casa. Eggplant, peppers, zucchini and other veg are sautéed in oil and tossed with Parmesan and Gorgonzola. For dessert, try the tiramisu. If you’re feeling generous, order the caffè sospeso (“pending coffee”), in which you pay for a cup for the next guest.

Italian. 1500 Seventh St., (916) 444-6500. Dinner for one: $10-$20. HHHH AMR

East Sacramento Fahrenheit 250 BBQ This barbecue joint ups the ante with attentive table service and highend ingredients. Chef Jacob Carriker serves Southern staples such as pulled pork, brisket and ribs, plus the very California addition of smoked tri-tip. There’s also chicken and trout—all smoked in a 7-foot hand-forged steel

behemoth. The pulled-pork sandwich is moist, smoky and falling apart with tenderness. The half-chicken is a bit dry, but benefits from a shot of sauce. The tri-tip is well-smoked, but not as good as the brisket, although it still makes for a very nice addition to the Market salad, with baby greens, grilled zucchini and onions, and cornbread croutons. Barbecue. 7042 Folsom Blvd., (916) 476-4508. Dinner for one: $10-$15. HHHH AMR

Land Park/ Curtis Park Pangaea Bier Cafe Just as European wines are made to be enjoyed with food rather than sipped alone, the current tsunami of European-style microbreweries feature drinks often best quaffed alongside a well-crafted meal.

Pangaea Bier Cafe recently stepped up its food game to satisfy that need with a revamped menu that includes an ever-changing rotation of seasonal, slightly upscale pub food. Try the Buffalo wings: They’re deeply flavorful fried morsels with a thick glaze.

The mac ’n’ cheese is creamy, with a bit of beer in the sauce and a crunchy topping of herb-flecked breadcrumbs.

The sliders are gorgeous little mouthfuls with Tillamook cheddar and house-made pickles. The main-course cheeseburger, one of the best we’ve had in ages, is made from a custom blend of brisket and chuck. This is a juicy

patty that holds together, yet bursts with flavor. The locally made brioche bun bears up well, and the house pickles and cheddar simply gild the lily.

American. 2743 Franklin Blvd., (916) 454-4942. Dinner for one: $10-$15. HHH1/2 AMR

South Sac Bodhi Bowl This Vietnamese eatery’s menu is all vegetarian and mostly vegan, with plenty of high notes. The Heavenly Noodle is a can’t-go-wrong salad comprising snow-white vermicelli noodles with cooling mint, cucumber slices, house-roasted peanuts and jagged pieces of faux beef. The “beef” actually is slightly sweet, plenty umami and pleasantly inoffensive, as far as fake meat goes.

Nearly everything here has a faux-meat product or tofu element. So, sorry diners with soy allergies—it can’t even be escaped in the papaya salad. Not an issue?

Soldier on with the Hot & Sour soup, a not-too spicy sunset-orange broth that teems with a tomatoey and citrus flavor, chunks of pineapple, semicircles of trumpet mushrooms, cubes of fried tofu and slices of faux crab.

Or, try the stir-fried Eight Fold Path. It features al dente celery, red bell pepper and triangles of the most savory, salty, dense tofu perhaps ever. Vietnamese. 6511 Savings Place, Ste. 100; (916) 428-4160.

Dinner for one: $10-$15.

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place serves its own take on ramen and sushi, with varying degrees of success. The kakuni ramen, which features three thick slices of braised pork belly in lieu of the house ramen’s thin slices of chashu, boasts a nice, sweet marinade; tender consistency; and copious flavor. Be sure to order noodles al dente, and it’ll make for a good option, even with its run-of-the-mill broth. Or amp it up with the spicy tan tan men, which uses a beefy and seafood-tinted soup base that teems with flavor. The sushi rolls here are Western style—a.k.a. loaded with toppings. Try the Mufasa roll. With crab and avocado on the inside and salmon and sauce outside, it’s particularly tasty, seasoned in sesame oil and baked—a somewhat unusual technique for sushi.

Japanese. 2992 65th St., Ste. 288; (916) 455-0288. Dinner for one: $10-$20. HHH J.M.

several shrimp dishes. We tried the grilled and garlic preparations, both served with buttery rice studded with corn, peas, carrots, and plenty of sautéed peppers and onions. We loved the slightly charred flavor of the grilled shrimp, while the garlic ones were marred by an off-flavor that indicated they were past their prime. The beans that accompany many of the entrees are Jalisco-style peruanos. These little yellowish beans were perfectly al dente and served in their own flavorful broth alongside expertly cooked plain rice.

Mexican. 2386 Fruitridge Rd., (916) 393-9090. Dinner for one: $5-$10. HHH AMR

a crunchy texture from all the veggies, a light boost of piquant flavor from a “pepper plant sauce,” and won’t leave you feeling overly stuffed after eating it. American.

8928 Sunset Ave. in Fair Oaks, (916) 241-9365. Dinner for one: $10-$20. HHHH J.M.

Field House American Sports Pub Launched by the same team that raised Shady Lady Saloon, this spot brings a bit more culinary hope to an often forgotten part of Sacramento. The whiskey burger is a mighty sammich of perfection with smoked Gouda cheese and bacon that serve as excellent counterpoints to the achingly sweet maplebourbon glazed red onions.

Fries-slash-chips arrived pencil-thin and fiercely crispy.

If you visit for brunch, don’t miss the signature bloody mary: a 32-ounce bloody mary that doesn’t skimp on the horseradish. It’s served with skewers of beet-pickled egg, sausage and bacon, tiger prawn, pickled veggies, and the most amazing slider.

American. 1310 Fulton Ave., (916) 487-1045. Dinner for one: $15-$25. HHHH G.M.

Arden/ Carmichael Dad’s Kitchen The cooking at

Zazon Guadalajara Grill This place offers a fun experience for learning more about food native to the state of Jalisco, where the city of Guadalajara resides, with an extensive and eclectic menu. The tacos here are outstanding. The cabeza (beef cheeks) and barbacoa are the best fillings—both so tender they practically melted. The chicken tasted rich with dark meat and subtle spice, while the carnitas are flavorful but tend toward dryness. There are also fried fish tacos here. The Guadalajaran influence also shows in

this Guy Fieri-approved joint is consistent and at times technically terrific. Try the Dad’s Burger (lettuce, red onion, tomato, Aleppo chili aioli, and a beef patty encrusted with blue cheese and bacon). With a firm and chewy bun and a sauce with kick, it’s one of Sac’s best burgers. Or get the Hot Blonde. It’s like a subtle, healthier version of a club sandwich, with organic chicken, avocado, spinach, cucumber, roasted onion and Swiss cheese—all set between sourdough bread and grilled on a panini press. It boasts

The Kitchen Diners here don’t receive a menu: They receive a program, divided into seven acts, and, yes, there’s an intermission. Guests all eat together, like a reservationsonly giant dinner party, dining on seasonal dishes such as chilled, minty pea soup, served with creamy pea pudding, cured scallops and

IllustratIon by Mark stIvers

Kansai Ramen & Sushi House This

Sterling Caviar. The offerings, which include the likes of lamb, steak and pasta, change monthly, but the highlights are the chefs’ tasters—small bites scattered throughout the dining area. A recent visit included oyster, faux lasagna bites, citrusy duck, and “kettle corn” cones of puffed wild rice, amaranth and corn with black-truffle caramel, which tasted sweet, salty and positively deadly. American.

2225 Hurley Way, Ste. 101; (916) 568-7171. Dinner for one: $100-$300. HHHH J.B.

Shige Sushi The food here tends to edge more classic than modern. Cooked chicken hearts, skewered and dusted with a bit of chili powder and lashed with lemon juice, make for a juicy and flavorful take on the classic street food.

Fried smelt are crispy and oily in the right way: by way of the smelt themselves and not the cooking oil. It’s a treat that should not be passed up.

A classic Philadelphia roll is packed with crab, avocado and cream cheese—Americanstyle sushi at its finest—and the Ziggy roll, wrapped in a canary-colored soy wrap, is a mix of masago, avocado and crispy soft-shell crab that offers a blend of textures and a creamy-piquant flavor that’s terribly addicting.

Sushi. 5938 Madison Ave. in Carmichael, (916) 331-7300.

Dinner for one: $20-$40.

HHHH G.M.

Winging it

Sacramento already has annual festivals celebrating bananas, chili and bacon. This weekend, it’s finally getting a festival befitting the city’s numerous bros: a chicken-wing festival called Sactown Wings. It’ll serve up 15,000 chicken wings from Chicago Fire Pizza, Blue Cue and Field House American Sports Pub; music is provided by the Crescent Katz, Riotmaker and the Golden Cadillacs. Plus, there’ll be games such as giant beer pong, cornhole and giant Jenga, provided by Xoso Sport & Social League. Ticket options are as follows: A $10 ticket includes admission only, with food available at an extra cost; a $30 “Wing Eater” ticket comes with 15 wings from Chicago Fire and two free beers (refills are $2); a $40 “VIP Wing Judge” ticket comes with numerous goodies including a Wing Eater ticket—plus an additional 10 wings, a T-shirt, and the opportunity to be one of 100 official Sactown Wings judges. It happens at 2 p.m. on Saturday, August 23, at Fremont Park, (1515 Q Street). See www.sactownwings.com for details.

—Jonathan Mendick

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Have the confidence, self-esteem and integrity to ask for the help you need from others. Doing so keeps your heart, mind and spirit in balance.

Change your mind by changing your heart. Start here: Give your neighbor credit for finding and keeping a job. And, yes, her affair was a poor choice, but likely made with the cowardly hope it would get rid of her boyfriend. Your neighbor’s failures in communication and self-management (nasty arguments with her man, not making direct childcare arrangements with you, driving with a suspended license, etc.) explain why she failed to finish her gardening task. That failure is not about you—don’t take it personally. Your neighbor has not learned the basic life skills necessary to be an adult. She even struggles with the foundational skill of following through with menial housekeeping responsibilities, and her messy

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.

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emotional life is evidence of her ongoing struggle.

Of course, you have work to do, too. In the future, don’t overgive. It is essential to share time, talent and wisdom with others. But it is also important to be selfless, at times.

When do you expect something in return, say so: “I am happy to do this for you, and I want you to pay it forward as soon as you can.” Or you can name exactly what you want in exchange for what you offer.

All along the way in life, have the confidence, self-esteem and integrity to ask for the help you need from others. Doing so keeps your heart, mind and spirit in balance.

My dad has a pretty bad temper, and his first response to everything bad is to yell. My mom yells at him for yelling, then he yells back at her, and a horrible fight starts. The only good thing is sometimes they get so mad at each other they forget to be mad at us. My 21-year-old sister has some really bad news to tell my parents, and we were wondering what you thought might be a good way to say it?

Keep the message short—one to two sentences. Be clear and specific: “I took a job as a surrogate, and I’m pregnant.” Or if, say, your sister decided to travel instead of attend university, stick to one response despite whatever questions are fired: “I’m confident that I’ll figure it out, and if I can’t, I will ask the right person for the help I need.” Finally, to avoid a scream fest, pick a public place for the conversation. Your sister needs her own transportation back to wherever she is living. If that’s at your parent’s home, she should be prepared to move out if her announcement threatens your parents’ values or belief system. Ω

Meditation of the Week

ON ALL E-CIGS & E-JUICE!!!

ENDS SUNDAY, AUGUST 31

BEsT of SacrameNTO h on stands 9.11.14

For two years I gave rides to a neighbor who did not have a car during the day.

She confided in me about her mean boyfriend, and I witnessed their nasty arguments. When she took a bartending job, she turned to me for childcare (with no prior discussion). I baby-sat her daughter a few times (never asking for payment), but felt used and stopped. Gradually, I learned

by Joey ga she and her boyfriend had rcia suspended driver’s licenses and several eviction noa skj oey @ ne wsreview.c om tices. When she bragged about cheating on her boyfriend, I Joey saw her as manipulative and limited admires the work my contact. Recently, she trimmed of Celebration Arts vines from her yard and left a giant theater. mess between our apartments. I cleaned half and texted her to do the rest. Days passed. Eventually, my husband did it. After the favors I gave her, why didn’t she do the one thing I asked?

She’s in survival mode. Her mind sprints from crisis to drama and back. There is no energy to ponder the motivation behind the hand you extended to help her. All she sees is her own need to rise above the crappy life she has created and into something more meaningful.

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“Underneath our nice, friendly facades there is great unease. If I were to scratch below the surface of anyone I would find fear, pain, and anxiety running amok. We all have ways to cover them up. We over-eat, over-drink, overwork; we watch too much television,” said Charlotte Joko Beck, an American Zen teacher. Who lives behind your mask?

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REEL REVIEWS. YOU’RE WELCOME, FILM GEEKS.

Let your light shine The Light in the Piazza Sometimes all the elements of a production meld together so well they should be bottled up and used for future productions. Such is the array of actors, singers, musicians, directors and production by Patti Roberts designers who team up for the Green Valley Theatre Company’s current production of The Light in the Piazza.

The Light in the Piazza is a grand oldschool operatic musical which burst onto Broadway in 2005 amid lighter fare and special-effects-laden shows. Based on a novella by Elizabeth Spencer, the story is set in the 1950s and revolves around a motherdaughter trip to Italy and explores past, present and future loves of both women.

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notably Carly Giroux as the mother, who achingly coveys hope and heartache while belting out impressive vocals. Every member of this cast combines noteworthy acting and musical talents, backed up by pure skill. Ω

4The Golden State

PhoTo CourTeSy oF ryAN hArberT/yuri TAJiri

Greed and lust provided playwrights with good comedy material for centuries, and this irreverent play “reinvents” Molière’s 1668 classic The Miser. Playwright Lauren Wilson (who’s trained as a circus performer and lives in Humboldt County) transfers the story to Southern California, land of palm trees and rampant materialism, where it seems everyone is on the make. And, being from the realm of redwoods, the playwright finds plenty of tempting targets to skewer.

Wilson spices the original’s bawdiness by including both gay and straight relationships, and also throws in references to cocaine, immigration, deportation and blazing summer wildfires threatening expensive hillside homes. Gertrude, a greedy widow approaching 60 (Linda Montalvo), is determined to ditch her unemployable adult offspring so she can wed a younger Latino boyfriend (Dann Mead) who’s caught her fancy. But not only is the Latino boyfriend living in his car, he’s also having a fling with Gertrude’s 30-something son Cubby (Paj Crank).

Meanwhile, daughter Sylvia (Lisa Derthick) is tempted to elope with gardener Luis (Ernesto Bustos), who is actually a college-educated professional from Chile, though Gertrude presumes he’s an illiterate Mexican. And saucy housemaids Blanca (supposedly Cuban, played by Julie Anchor) and Ursula (purportedly Ukrainian, played by Katie Hulse) dish dirt about Gertrude and her crazy kids. The superannuated Bunny (Susan Madden, as a rich Viennese dowager seeking a younger man) adds color to the final scene.

It’s a well-executed rowdy romp (replete with wild accents), and some of the jabbing social satire has a sharp political edge.

What would a good love story be without some kissing?

The Light in the Piazza, 8 p.m. Friday, Saturday; 7 p.m. Sunday; $18.

Green Valley Theatre Company at Grange Performing Arts Center, 3823 V Street; (916) 736-2664; www.greenvalley theatre.com.

Through September 7.

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Green Valley’s impressive staging of this odd yet compelling romantic tale of a two-culture mashup manages to overshadow some of the show’s shortcomings, including a rather hinky ending. Coming together is a 10-member cast of gifted vocalists, seamless stage directing, a 12-member live orchestra, and a creative team responsible for wonderful costumes and clever, beautiful stage designs.

This is a challenging undertaking, since the music and songs are not only classical, operatic and soaring, but some of the dialogue and songs are in Italian. But the dual-language aspect isn’t problematic, since the story’s elements are somewhat universal: innocence, romance, family, relationships and dramas.

In fact, the language differences play a major part in the plot.

The twist, which is played out with sweet subtleties, is that a 26-year-old daughter—with a very protective mother—suffered a blow to her head when she was a teenager and has mental and emotional challenges. This doesn’t stop her from becoming the love-interest of a young Italian with a boisterous family, thus the conundrum of Mom: How to discourage an emerging love affair between two adults?

Under a tight directing crew, the cast is a swirl of musical and acting talents—most

—Jeff Hudson

The Golden State, 8 p.m. Friday, Saturday; $12-$17.50.

Main Street Theatre Works at Kennedy Mine Amphitheatre, 1127 N. Main Street in Jackson; (209) 295-4499; www.mstw.org.

Through September 6.

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Wake-up call If I Stay In If I Stay Chloë Grace Moretz plays Mia Hall, a Portland teenager hovering between life and death after an automobile accident kills the rest of her by Jim Lane family. Mia has an out-of-body experience, watching herself in surgery and in a coma in intensive care, while grandparents and friends hold vigil in the hospital. In the operating room, a nurse whispers to her, “It’s up to you, baby, whether you live or die. If you wanna live you gotta fight.”

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“Say ‘cheesy.’”

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Mia has an out-of-time experience, too. In regular flashbacks, Mia relives events leading up to her coma. Her childhood, her budding interest in music, her love affair with the cello and other more earthly love affair with Adam (Jamie Blackley), a slightly older rock musician with the aura of a local star.

The out-of-body angle is the gimmick in Shauna Cross’ screenplay, as it was in the Gayle Forman novel on which it is based. The gimmick is a good one; it infuses suspense into a story that would otherwise be rather bland and unexceptional.

Mia isn’t your typical discontented teen.

Indeed, she has nothing to be discontented about. Her parents are, like, totally cool. Dad Denny (Joshua Leonard) is a former rocker who withdrew from touring to become a family man, while his wife Kat (Mireille Enos) is just the kind of mom a teenage girl loves to have intimate talks with while doing the dishes. Around the Hall household there’s never any stress or conflict, no sibling bickering, no parental tyranny or adolescent rebellion.

Mia takes up the cello as a little girl (played

by Gabrielle Cerys Haslett), when her dogged sawing away upstairs has her parents clenching their teeth at the dining room table. In a rare display of parental exasperation, Mom threatens to gouge her own eyes out (would that really solve anything?). But by the time Mia is in high school, the incessant zoom-zoom exercises have given way to real music, as surely as little Haslett has given way to Moretz, and it’s the intensity of

her playing, straddling her instrument with her head bent over the neck of it, that first grabs the attention of Adam, peeking through the window of the practice-room door. Later, chatting her up in the hallway, Adam chides her, “You can’t hide in that practice room anymore. Too late, I see you.”

Romance blossoms between these two pretty youngsters like a time-lapse film of flowers opening to the sun. We go from first date to steady dating to that big moment of first ultimate intimacy, which director R.J. Cutler films with excruciating delicacy, ever mindful not to endanger the movie’s PG-13 rating and the teenage audience that comes with it.

From there, If I Stay marches through early bliss to the first quarrel, which bubbles up when Adam learns that Mia has applied to Juilliard and has been granted an audition, without having mentioned it to him.

After the squabble, Adam makes up by secretly plastering Mia’s bedroom ceiling with color photocopies that duplicate, like a jigsaw puzzle, the ceiling of the San Francisco concert hall where she’ll be performing her audition—“I figured if you look at it every night, when you get there for real it won’t be so scary.”

It is while waiting to hear from Juilliard that Mia and her family take that fatal drive on those snow-slicked roads, and Mia’s spirit winds up dashing barefoot and unseen among the doctors, nurses and her own surviving relatives (Stacy Keach and Gabrielle Rose play Mia’s distraught grandparents), while trying to decide whether to walk into that white light at the end of the hall.

The out-of-body gimmick is a good one; it infuses suspense into a story that would otherwise be rather bland and unexceptional.

It’s not hard to guess what Mia will decide, or whether she’s been accepted to Juilliard (Gayle Forman has already written a sequel, and there’s sure to be a movie of that, too). To help pass the time, I kept thinking of little spoilsport questions. How long at the copy shop did it take Adam to make all those copies for Mia’s ceiling? How does Moretz manage to run barefoot on those gleaming hospital floors without slipping and falling on her face?

But never mind, only churlish people would dwell on such thoughts. If I Stay is an efficient and satisfying teen tearjerker, well-acted by beautiful people wearing beautiful clothes and speaking sensitive thoughts. Ω

by DANIEL BARNES & JIM LANE

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Boyhood

A seemingly limitless stream of pure empathy runs through Richard Linklater’s transcendental movie event/social experiment/life-affirming headtrip Boyhood.

At the end of the film’s first seamlessly interwoven vignette, 6-year-old Mason (Ellar Coltrane, literally growing up on camera) and his family are moving away from their sleepy Texas town. As the car drives off, Mason’s playmate speeds up on his bike for one last glimpse, barely visible through the tall grasses of fading memory. This is the first of many forgettable friends who will flit in and out of Mason’s young life. Late in the film, when Mason is a college-bound teenager, an adult offers that post-adolescence is “where you find your people,” and Mason can barely refrain from rolling his eyes. The miracle of Boyhood is that we empathize with everyone in this scenario, even with the nameless and forgotten playmate starring in his own alternate-universe movie life. D.B.

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Calvary

John Michael McDonagh’s Calvary asks some challenging questions about the nature of sin and redemption. Are the priests who ignored sexual abusers in their own church just as guilty of their crimes? When Jesus died for our sins, was it tantamount to suicide? If we’re just actors in a play that has already been written, do sin and virtue even exist? “Do you know what felching is?” That last question, asked by an unworldly young priest (“I had to look it up”), is a perfect example of the way that McDonagh balances expansive philosophical ideas against naughty-boy shock humor. Much like McDonagh’s 2011 debut The Guard, Calvary traffics in that borderline surreal dichotomy between the existential and the vulgar. It is a tough trick to pull off, and while there is a lot to like here, too often the results more smugly suited to the proscenium arch than the letterbox. D.B.

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The Expendables 3

On a surface level, The Expendables franchise sounds like a lot of fun.

The premise is irresistible: a multinational menagerie of over-the-hill action stars sending up their images while paying homage to their classic films. That seems mindlessly entertaining at worst, so why is The Expendables 3 so excruciatingly joyless? Sure, the Sylvester Stallone script is another cocktail napkin, too disorganized and disinterested to qualify as satire, and the dialogue is a nonstop barrage of playground putdowns that wouldn’t pass muster on a third-grade tetherball court. And yes, the entire cast, which includes returnees like Jason Statham and Arnold Schwarzenegger, as well as newcomers like Harrison Ford and Mel Gibson, phones it in to an embarrassing-evenfor-them degree. However, the real key to the film’s failure is the unwatchable action—like its predecessors, The Expendables 3 is a nightmarish catastrophe of screen direction and spatial logic. D.B.

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Get on Up

The life of James Brown, from his dirt-poor childhood in Georgia to his reign as the “Godfather of Soul,” provides grist for a standard Hollywood musical biopic. The best reason to see it is Chadwick Boseman’s powerhouse performance as Brown; he goes as deep into the character as the shallow script (by Steven Baigelman and Jez and John-Henry Butterworth) and direction (by Tate Taylor) will allow.

The movie jumps around in time, perhaps to make the cameo roles of Viola Davis (as Brown’s mother) and Octavia Spencer (as his “aunt,” a bordello-keeper) seem bigger than they are. Boseman gets stronger support from Nelsan Ellis as sideman Bobby Byrd and Dan Aykroyd as manager Ben Bart. Aside form that, there’s Brown’s music, which is faithfully reproduced and gives a good sense of Brown’s charisma in concert. J.L.

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The Giver

In a placid future community, a young man (Brenton Thwaites) is selected to be the next Receiver of Memories, but as his training under the present Receiver (Jeff Bridges) advances, he begins to see that his society isn’t perfect at all—in fact, it’s oppressive and (on the screen, literally) colorless. Directed by Philip Noyce and adapted

by Michael Mitnick and Robert B. Weide from Lois Lowry’s award-winning novel, the movie is most charitably described as Aldous Huxley

BEFORE

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NEWS

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What If

A med-school dropout (Daniel Radcliffe), licking his wounds after a failed relationship, becomes infatuated with the cousin (Zoe Kazan) of his college roommate (Adam Driver)—but she’s in a stable relationship with her longtime boyfriend, leaving our hero “just a friend.” Filmed in Canada as The F Word (a better title), the movie plunges deep into When Harry Met Sally… territory, yet it survives thanks to crackling dialogue (by Elan Mastai, from a play by T.J. Dawe and Michael Rinaldi); brisk, light direction (Michael Dowse); and, most of all, the effervescent chemistry between Radcliffe and Kazan. Kazan, who should have hit it big with Ruby Sparks two years ago, is particularly good— quirky, charming, a true original. What is it going to take to make this delightful woman the star she deserves to be? J.L.

for children. Ross Emery’s cinematography, a blend of color and monochrome, lends an intriguing look, but the fuzzy plot demands a suspension of disbelief that only a child can make. Perhaps it worked better on the page with an 11-year-old hero than with the 24-playing-17 Thwaites. Meryl Streep co-stars as the society’s unctuous tyrant. J.L.

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Guardians of the Galaxy

In last year’s hollow and dutiful Thor: The Dark World, the climax took place in a red cloud. In James Gunn’s busy and dispiriting Marvel comic-book adaptation Guardians of the Galaxy, it takes place in a purple cloud. Progress! With an ensemble cast that includes a talking raccoon and a sentient tree, Guardians of the Galaxy is more ostensibly a comedy than other Marvel properties like Thor and Captain America, but it offers roughly the same amount of jokey and juvenile bickering as those other films. Far from upending the Marvel formula, this is just another entry in its spreadsheet, The Avengers minus the monstrous egos.

Gunn juggles several different MacGuffins, but the only point is to create a through line to the next movie: Just like everything else in the Marvel cinematic universe, Guardians of the Galaxy exists solely to advertise its own as-yet-unmade sequels. D.B.

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The Hundred-Foot Journey

A family of immigrants from Mumbai (led by the marvelous Om Puri) moves into a small French village and establishes an Indian restaurant right across the road from the town’s one Michelin-class dining establishment (operated by the equally marvelous Helen Mirren). A small war ensues, with Puri’s son (Manish Dayal) and Mirren’s sous-chef (Charlotte Le Bon) caught in the middle, Romeo-and-Juliet style. Adapted from Richard C. Morais’ novel by Steven Knight and directed by Lasse Hallström, the movie could stand 10 or 15 minutes’ worth of trimming, while less-muted cinematography from Linus Sandgren might have made the culinary atmosphere a lot more mouthwatering.

Still, there’s charm enough to more than offset those cavils, with a nifty balance between old pros Puri and Mirren, and new faces Dayal and Le Bon. J.L.

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Let’s Be Cops

As the events in Ferguson, Mo., have played out, Luke Greenfield’s sophomoric Let’s Be Cops acquired an unexpected topicality, even though its mixture of bad taste and bromance makes it indistinguishable from any other witless comedy schedule-dumped into mid-August. Jake Johnson and Damon Wayans Jr. play Ryan and Justin, go-nowhere

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slackers whose extremely authentic policeofficer costumes get them confused for real cops, a mistake they play to their advantage.

The first half of the film, in which Ryan and Justin roam the streets of Los Angeles as makebelieve cops, at least has a jolt of fascist glee, like Judd Apatow remaking Bad Lieutenant. The idiotic plot, which forces our bumbling heroes to take down a snarling crime lord, takes over in the second half, at which point Let’s Be Cops becomes the Police Academy sequel that even David Graf would refuse to make. D.B.

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REEL REVIEWS.

Magic in the Moonlight

Woody Allen continues his Western European tour of pretty sunsets with Magic in the Moonlight, yet another in his now two-decade-long series of mediocre gimmick comedies. After dabbling in hypnotism (Curse of the Jade Scorpion), hysterical blindness (Hollywood Ending), ghosts (Scoop), fortune-telling (You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger) and time travel (Midnight in Paris), Allen’s latest concerns a snobbish magician (Colin Firth) attempting to expose a button-nosed American mystic (Emma Stone). The problem is not that such supernatural gimmickry is beneath Allen—classics like Sleeper and The Purple Rose of Cairo are as high-concept as they come—but that it’s just window dressing for another of Allen’s wafer-thin, low-pulse drawing-room comedies. At least Allen’s script serves his stars well—Stone is so faithful to the page that she rarely indulges in her usual cutesy, eye-crinkling mannerisms, while Firth gets to show a rarely seen testy cynicism. D.B.

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was produced by Michael Bay, so it’s no surprise that it is choppy, witless, overbearing and casually cruel. However, it was directed not by Bay, but by a faceless hack named Jonathan Liebesman, so the film doesn’t even offer the saving grace of Bay’s insane logistics, fascinating egotism and occasional use of practical effects. It’s just an entry-level Bay knockoff for the Saturdaymorning cartoon crowd, and only the spectacle of CGI creatures acting rings around their human co-stars passes for entertainment. Megan Fox plays April O’Neil, a plucky TV reporter (the embalmed Fox does not do “plucky” well), who unearths a malevolent figure named Shredder while researching a story. Shredder has a nefarious plan that ends with him lording over a corpse-strewn quarantine zone that will make him rich and powerful somehow, which makes as much sense as anything else here. D.B.

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Out of the bedroom

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How I Am Strikes’ Kelly Rosenthal embraced contradiction and discomfort to find her voice Kelly Rosenthal’s bedroom personality is I Am Strikes.

Which is kind of a paradox, given that I Am Strikes is Rosenthal’s stage name and public by Janelle Bitker persona.

“I never want my presence to seem like j a ne l l e b @ a facade, because it’s the opposite of that,” ne w s re v i e w . c o m Rosenthal says. “It’s almost like it represents everything that I am that I can’t be.”

Regardless, I Am Strikes—or Rosenthal— is a new solo artist that’s quickly become a force in Sacramento’s music scene.

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In a good way.

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36 | SN&R | 08.21.14

singing with the most beautiful voices she had ever heard. With a webcam and guitar, Rosenthal already had earned her own YouTube following. She reached out. They met. They bonded. At age 19, Rosenthal moved to Baltimore, and they formed a bluesy pop band called Say Chance.

The trio of new best friends nabbed huge gigs, great press and were quickly becoming a “band to watch.” Their cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” racked up more than a million hits on YouTube.

Two years later, Say Chance broke up. Heartbroken, Rosenthal moved back to Sacramento. Her break from music didn’t last long, though.

“I have so much to say, and if I don’t say it, my head’s gonna explode,” Rosenthal says.

The problem? Rosenthal had never sung before. She thought her voice was awful. Needing to create again, she tried to sing anyway.

“I sat there and thought that maybe I don’t need to be great at this, maybe I don’t need to be a self-proclaimed wonderful singer by most people’s standards,” she says. “Maybe if I could say what I want to say the way I want to say it, that could be enough.”

Onstage, I Am Strikes shows zero hesitation about her voice. She manipulates it to her alternative sound, adds gruffness and doesn’t try to create anything pretty. It works.

Catch I Am Strikes on Saturday, August 23, at 8:30 p.m. at Naked Lounge Downtown, 1111 H Street. The cover is $5; more info is at www.iamstrikes.com.

I Am Strikes is dark. She usually wears hoodies, jeans and tennis shoes and wants to challenge society’s assumptions about female singer-songwriters. She makes songs with titles like “Whatever Makes You Want to Die Less” and “Bitches.” She doesn’t wear makeup. She embraces contradictions and likes taboos.

Her recent EP, Low Standards, comprises two well-crafted, synthy alternative tracks.

One of them, “Love Is Just Another Way to Die,” was featured on The Vampire Diaries season finale and heard by 1.61 million viewers.

“All my vulnerability is in my music— it’s my blood, heart and soul,” she says.

“I’m really trying to put everything out there that makes people uncomfortable.”

Rosenthal’s more common persona— the one her family and friends see, for example—is warm, approachable, smiley.

But the 22-year-old experienced a tumultuous past few years, and her mind is still reeling from it all—I Am Strikes was born in the emotional stress.

After graduating high school, Rosenthal found two Maryland teenagers on YouTube

“ All my vulnerability is in my music— it’s my blood, heart and soul.”

Kelly Rosenthal I Am Strikes Now Rosenthal is running around town, set on paying her dues. She’s focused on her live performance and performing for as many people as possible—in doses. At this point, she says she’d rather play for two people in a bar than for a 5,000-person festival audience.

“I can’t say I’ve ever felt like this before in my life,” she says. “Everything feels new, even if it’s not.” Ω

“an ambitious ride through many of the micro-genres within the Future Bass umbrella that have inspired me lately.” Future Bass, by the way, is all about defying genres.

The second track, “Mob,” is minimalist, subtle, but with a great funky beat. Again, in his words, a “Cali-certified head-nodder.”

North Carolina producer Machinedrum’s remix of Shadow’s classic “Six Days” may actually be the standout. Shadow wrote that he asked Machinedrum for the track as a secret weapon for his live set arsenal.

Sure enough, it ups the tempo and experiments with psychedelic sounds but maintains the beauty of the original.

Stream Liquid Amber for free at www.soundcloud.com/djshadow.

Punks mature, kind of: This column quickly turned into a list of new EPs. Fear not—we’ve got an actual fulllength album, too.

Local self-described band of “party punks” G. Green released its sophomore effort Area Codes last week. Frontman Andrew Henderson has been playing music of varying degrees of quality under the G. Green moniker for the past few years.

He eventually teamed up with Liz Liles—one of the ladies behind Witch Room—to form G. Green’s core, and together they cycled through guitarists and bassists over and over again. They put out Crap Culture, their debut noise-punk album that brought the band some recognition around town beyond being a not very great band. But it was the finalized lineup in 2011 that finally garnered some serious respect for G. Green.

With Mike Morales on bass and Simi Sohota on guitar, G. Green’s tales—of drunken sex, drugs and other stuff that happens at parties—became a little more sure of themselves.

Area Codes still exudes rowdy punk rock—and is definitely still party appropriate—but it’s sharper, tighter and poppier. Not that poppier is a bad thing. At just 32 minutes, the 12 tracks fly by with dynamic speed.

Maybe it has to do with producer Chris Woodhouse of Mayyors fame.

Maybe it’s just because the band has really, finally grown into a legit band.

Celebrate the record release at Witch Room on Saturday, August 30, at 8 p.m. Cover is $5. After that, G. Green goes on tour. Follow the band at www.facebook.com/ ggreenband.

Davis EDM hero: DJ Shadow—the legendary electronic music producer who got his start at UC Davis freeform radio station KDVS—released a surprise EP last week. With said surprise, he also announced his new record label. Both the album and the imprint are called Liquid Amber.

The three tracks—two brandnew originals and one Machinedrum remix—continue Shadow’s expert manipulation of samples with a hiphop bent. “Ghost Town” shows off some trap, but in Shadow’s words is BEFORE

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—Janelle Bitker

jan el l eb @ne w s re v i e w . c o m

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BEsT of SacrameNTO h on stands 9.11.14

Resist not: Saint Solitaire’s EP-listening party last Wednesday night was a sight to behold: 50 friends and music lovers sitting in Kupros Craft House, bobbing their heads, tapping their feet and not saying a word.

Surely it wasn’t just out of respect to Andrew Barnhart, the driving force behind indie dance-rock band Saint Solitaire. It was because the new EP, Versus Resistance, holds some damn fine sounds that demand concentration.

Saint Solitaire does not make background music.

Versus Resistance is the six-piece band’s second release, which officially dropped last Saturday, August 16, at an intimate backyard concert where Barnhart also shaved his formidable beard. (For the record, he said it was getting in the way of intimate moments with the wife.)

Seven tracks make up 25 minutes of experimental pop rock that’s catchy, edgy and still grooveable—which is very important to anyone who has seen Barnhart’s dance moves. And as with Saint Solitaire’s debut EP Full Artistic Control, which Barnhart actually recorded by himself, synthesizers and electronic samples are prominent.

Again, his voice is still dynamic— sometimes soft, sometimes closer to hardcore punk. But Versus Resistance feels more elevated, full and polished.

Particularly notable is the final track, “Full Artistic Control,” which was actually meant to be on the EP by the same name. But the song still needed work, so Barnhart sat on it for more than three years. It’s challenging and richly textured, with samples of Björk to boot.

“I have a lot of feelings right now,” Barnhart said before hitting play for the first time. At the end of the final track, applause abounded and friends threw itty-bitty scraps of white paper—basically confetti, right?—at Barnhart.

Well done.

SN&R

Edgy, genre-defying and too legit to quit

1000 K Street, Sacramento, CA 95814

FOR TICKETS TO ALL SHOWS VISIT AssemblyMusicHall.com For Rentals or Private Parties please contact AssemblyMusicHall@gmail.com

MAC

UPCOMING SHOWS

HERSCH ALL WHITE PARTY FRI AUG 22 @ 7PM

SAT AUG 23 @ 6PM

SAT AUG 30 @ 6PM

SUN AUG 31 @ 7PM

BROODS

PROBLEM

THURS AUG 28 @ 7PM

SAT SEPT 6 @ 7PM

WRINGS

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AFTER

BAD LUCC, JON CONNOR

| 08.21.14

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SEP 09

MOTHER FALCON

SEP 12

DIRT NASTY

SEP 13

JUSTIN FURSTENFELD OF BLUE OCTOBER

SEP 15

THE REAL MCKENZIES

SEP 20

THE SIREN SHOW

SEP 21

AMITY AFFLICTION

SEP 23

TRAPT

SEP 27

AARON CARTER

OCT 01

BEING AS AN OCEAN FIT FOR A KING

OCT 03

TWIZTID

OCT 04

ELUVEITIE

OCT 08

GUTTERMOUTH & VOODOO GLOW SKULLS

OCT 10

ZEROCLIENT

OCT 12

TURQUOISE JEEP

OCT 15

MELVINS

OCT 16

BORN OF OSIRIS

OCT 18

THE SIREN SHOW

OCT 23

CATFISH & THE BOTTLEMEN

OCT 24

BEARTOOTH

OCT 26

BAM MAGERA AND F&CK FACE UNSTOPPABLE

NOV 06

FINCH

NOV 09

RELIENT K

NOV 15

THE SIREN SHOW

NOV 20

FORTUNATE YOUTH

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22FRI

22FRI

23SAT

23SAT

The Pressure Lounge

Sheryl Crow

Yes

Dick Larson

Harlow’s Restaurant & Nightclub, 7 p.m., $8-$10 The Pressure Lounge is not a comedy funk act, though it does have a sense of humor.

Case in point, the group covered Yung Humma FUNK and Flynt Flossy’s hilarious “Lemme Smang It,” and it has an original called “Something She Wants” about a love interest who’s also a kleptomaniac.

The group—which ranges between three and seven members and started just recently— plays easy, slow, sly, danceable grooves with bits of soul, funk, hip-hop, rock and even some Latin influences. This isn’t the kind of band that will bring audiences to tears with quiet contemplative songs about the deep, dark truths of life, but man, will it make you dance (and probably laugh). 2708 J Street, www.facebook.com/thepressurelounge.

Sleep Train Amphitheatre, 8 p.m., $28-$76 Sheryl Crow has been a musical chameleon for more than 20 years. Most people know her from her chart-topping pop hit “All I Wanna Do” off her debut album Tuesday Night Music Club. She followed this up with more rock and folk-oriented records, but 2013’s Feels Like Home is the latest evidence that country music is her passion these days. “We Oughta Be Drinkin’” and “Callin’ Me When I’m Lonely” are perfect fits in the genre just from their names, and “Shotgun” has a Rascal Flatts vibe (who happens to be on tour with POP/COUNTRY Crow). She is still going strong after all these years, and it’s hard to imagine that changing anytime soon. 2677 Forty Mile Road in Wheatland, www.sherylcrow.com.

—Aaron Carnes

Thunder Valley Casino Resort, 7 p.m., $34.75-$85.75 Even though vocalist Jon Anderson is not part of the current configuration of Yes, longtime fans will be pleased to know Chris Squire (bass), Alan White (drums) and Steve Howe (guitar) are still onboard.

Keyboardist Geoff Downes (from Asia and ROCK the Buggles) and new vocalist Jon Davison round out the group and have already shown their durability on the new Heaven & Earth record released in late July. On this particular tour, expect to hear the now-classic albums Close to the Edge and Fragile from 1972 in their entirety, along with new songs. 1200 Athens Avenue in Lincoln, www.yesworld.com.

—Eddie Jorgensen

Shine, 8 p.m., $5 Apparently, local singer-songwriter Dick Larson made a stab at being a band guy, but that just didn’t work out. So he took his talent to the one person he could count on—himself.

Since launching his solo career, the musician, originally from Southern California, has really come into his own. He melds R&B, pop, and light alt-rock into a collection of lush, catchy, feel-good tunes. His high soulful tenor pierces through the music, carrying the whole thing— whether he’s playing one of his gentle ballads, SINGER-SONGWRITER danceable pop tunes or upbeat folk songs. Also on this Saturday-night bill at Shine are Wiving, Tom Cox and Lucky Laskowski. 1400 E Street, www.facebook.com/dicklarsonmusic.

—Brian Palmer

—Aaron Carnnes

The 25th Annual

Your anxiety grows when the bathroom is

Sierra BrewFest

An epic afternoon of sun, suds and fun A unique, unlimited microbrew tasting experience with more than 100+ microbrews Delicious food from some of the best local food trucks and restaurants Featuring blues, soul and rock-n-roll from the Jamal Walker Band

Saturday, August 23 3:00 pm to 6:30 pm Nevada County Fairgrounds, Grass Valley

If you’ve been diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Diarrhea (IBS-D), you can help local doctors evaluate an investigational medication as part of the IRIS study.

To be pre-qualified for this study, you must be A female at least 18 years of age that has a diagnosis of IBS-D, with: - Onset of symptoms of IBS-D at least 6 months ago - Recurrent abdominal pain or discomfort for at least 3 days per month in the last 3 months - Loose or watery stools sometimes or most of the time / always in the last 3 months - More than 3 bowel movements per day sometimes or most of the time / always in the last 3 months

All study-related visits, tests, and medications will be provided at no cost.

In addition, reimbursement for travel-related expenses may be provided.

To see if you qualify, call Allied Clinical Research:

916.281.2262 38 | SN&R |

08.21.14

A benefit for

Music in the Mountains Produced by the MIM Alliance

Tickets and Info: www.MusicintheMountains.org or call (530) 265-6124 Additional ticket outlets at SPD Markets and BriarPatch Sponsored by:

Anderson Valley Auburn Alehouse Berryessa Brewing Company Deschutes Brewery Dust Bowl Brewing Co Firestone Walker Brewing Company Grand Teton BrewingCompany Karl Strauss Brewing Company Lagunitas Brewing Company Lost Coast Brewery Mendocinco Brewing Company New Belgium Brewing Ninkasi Brewing Company North Coast Unlimited Brewing Company Tastings Oak Park Brewing Ol’ Republic $30 in advance Out of Bounds Brewing Company $35 at the door Sierra Nevada Brewery $10 non-tasters Sierra Moonshine Shipyard Kids Free Strike Brewing Company ….And many more signing up every day.

23SAT

26TUES

27WED

29FRI

Hoods

Eric Lindell

Soundgarden

Hot Jazz Jubilee

Blue Lamp, 8 p.m., $6

Harlow’s Restaurant & Nightclub, 8 p.m., $20-$25

Hoods returns to its, ahem, ’hood of Sacramento for a show that will definitely be insane, and will only maybe be violent. The legendary hardcore band got its start in 1995, carving out a reputation for dark words, grinding guitar and murderous vocals. Its several albums—released on a few notable independent labels—teeter on the edge of brutal punk and metalcore. But Hoods maintains that intense DIY work ethic and nonstop energy for touring that makes ’90s hardcore so great. Welcome the boys home from their HARDCORE PUNK stint in Europe on Saturday.

Tried & True, Yankee Brutal, and West Lords are also on the bill. 1400 Alhambra Boulevard, www.myspace.com/sactohoods.

If you’re from Sonoma County or the Bay Area, chances are you heard Eric Lindell before he became a national blues pheBLUES nomenon after moving to New Orleans more than 15 years ago. Although he calls Mandeville, La., his home now, his draw around California and neighboring states has grown exponentially over the years, thanks to his stellar live shows and handy guitar work. With a catalog of nearly a dozen full-length records under his belt dating back to 1996, Lindell has no shortage of material and is perfectly comfortable playing guitar, keyboards, bass and even harmonica. Newcomers should start with his 2006 release, Change in the Weather. 2708 J Street, www.ericlindell.com.

—Janelle Bitker

—Eddie Jorgensen

Sleep Train Amphitheatre, 7 p.m., $20-$113.25 If there ever is a Northwest grunge music hall of fame, Soundgarden probably deserves to be in it along with Alice in Chains, Nirvana, Mother Love Bone and Pearl Jam. Though Soundgarden never quite enjoyed the same level of commercial success as Nirvana or Pearl Jam, its influence on rock music shouldn’t be underestimated. Lead singer Chris Cornell basically helped Pearl Jam take off by duetting with Eddie Vedder in his GRUNGE Temple of the Dog supergroup (consisting of future Pearl Jam and Soundgarden members). Heck, the two groups still share drummer Matt Cameron. Still, Soundgarden’s best asset is surely Cornell’s unmistakable, piercingly clear, soulful voice. 2677 Forty Mile Road in Wheatland, www.soundgardenworld.com.

Sacramento Marriott Rancho Cordova Hotel, 2 p.m., $20-$100 Last year’s inaugural festival sold out the first day, proving jazz isn’t dead in Sacramento (note: Buy tickets early this year). Returning favorites include Tom Rigney JAZZ and Flambeau (pictured), Sister Swing and the Tepid Club of Cool— 2013’s surprise hit. New acts include Wally’s Warehouse Waifs, Night Blooming Jazzmen and the Stardust Cowboys. Enjoy jazz in its varied forms: traditional, Dixieland, improvisational, swing and the distinct Cajun sounds of southern Louisiana. Also new is Friday’s kick-off parade featuring the Firehouse Tribute Band, a vintage fire truck, beads, boas and parasols. HJJ continues through Monday, September 1. 11211 Point East Drive in Rancho Cordova, www.hotjazzjubilee.com.

—Jonathan Mendick

ACE OF SPADES

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

ALL AGES WELCOME!

COMING

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 6

FRIDAY, AUGUST 22

COMMON KINGS TENELLE - KAYASUN

TRIBAL SEEDS

SOON

NEW KINGSTON - THE EXPANDERS

SATURDAY, AUGUST 23

Y&T

INTERPOL REY PILA

THURSDAY, AUGUST 28

S

PRESENT

09/28 09/29 10/01 10/03 10/04 10/11 10/14 10/19 10/25

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 19

RESTRAYNED - FORCE OF HABIT

DUSTIN LYNCH BRODIE STEWART BAND

SATURDAY, AUGUST 30

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 21

EASY STAR ALL-STARS GIANT PANDA TATANKA

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 26

GEORGE CLINTON & PARLIAMENT FUNKADELIC

THE STORY SO FAR STICKUP KID - ELDER BROTHER THE RESTLESS HEARTS

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5

ROACH GIGZ & BAEZA

—Trina L. Drotar

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27 DECEIVER OF THE GODS TOUR

AMON AMARTH SABATON - SKELETONWITCH

10/28 10/29 11/02 11/09 11/11 11/25 11/28 12/03

Parachute O.A.R. & Andy Grammer Kalin & Myles Jimmy Eat World Katchafire Andre Nickatina Dirty Heads AB-Soul Black Dahlia Murder/ Chelsea Grin Airborne Toxic Event Colt Ford New Found Glory Chase Rice Misfits Issues Attica The Birthday Massacre

TICKETS AVAILABLE AT ALL DIMPLE RECORDS LOCATIONS AND ARMADILLO RECORDS, OR PURCHASE BY PHONE @ 916.443.9202 BEFORE

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NIGHTBEAT

THURSDAY 8/21

FRIDAY 8/22

ASSEMBLY MUSIC HALL 1000 K St., (916) 341-0176

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

Fabulous and Gay Fridays, 9pm, call for cover

BAR 101

Karaoke Night, 7:30pm, no cover

TODD MORGAN, 9:30pm, no cover

BLUE LAMP

1400 Alhambra, (916) 455-3400

SEA LEGS, BROKEN VOICE CLUB, WOODEN DAYS, DIRECT DIVIDE; 8pm, $5

THE BOARDWALK

9426 Greenback Ln., Orangevale; (916) 988-9247 TREES, DUST IN MY COFFEE; 8pm

GO TEAM, ERIN JARVIS, OCCUPY THE

TRAPPY, BIG SCRAP, LEO NITIS, MIZZLE; 8pm, call for cover

FALLRISE, PUSHING THE SUN, FOR ALL I’VE DONE, HIGHWAY 12; 8pm, $12-$15

DISTRICT 30

1016 K St., (916) 737-5770

DJs Synchro, BPhree and Cue 22; 9pm, call for cover

DJ Louie Giovanni, 9pm, call for cover

DJ Miles Medina, 9pm, call for cover

DIVE BAR

Deuling Pianos, 9pm, no cover

1022 K St., (916) 737-5999

FOX & GOOSE

1001 R St., (916) 443-8825

JOHN GRUBER, JAMES ISRAEL; 8pm, no cover

G STREET WUNDERBAR

TOTAL RECALL, 10pm, no cover

THE GOLDEN BEAR

DJ Shaun Slaughter, 10pm, call for cover

228 G St., Davis; (530) 756-9227 2326 K St., (916) 441-2252

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

HARLOW’S

2708 J St., (916) 441-4693 1414 16th St., (916) 441-3931

Joe Montoya’s Poetry Unplugged, 8pm, $2

MARILYN’S ON K

908 K St., (916) 446-4361

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

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

LA FIN ABSOLUTE DU MONDE, 9pm, $5

KALLY O’MALLY, BLAME THE BISHOP, MARY MCWALSH; 9pm, $5

LITANY, MASON HOFFMAN, STEP JAYNE; 8pm, $5

CYNTHIA LINVILLE, VICTOR KRUMMENACHER; 8pm, $5

Nebraska Mondays, 7:30pm M, $5-$20; Comedy night, 8pm W, $5

REMIX, 9pm, $10

SEA LEGS, DROP DEAD RED, SIMPLE PIGEON; 9pm, $8

Marilyn’s Talent Showcase, 6pm, no cover

JPNSGRLS, 8pm M, $5; Greatest Stories Ever Told, 8pm Tu, no cover

Goth, darkwave, industrial, electronic deejay dancing, 9pm-3am, call for cover

Swing lessons $6, 7:30pm Tu; Salsa lessons with Nicole Lazo, 7:30pm W, $5

OLD IRONSIDES

Open bluegrass jam, 7pm, no cover

DROP DEAD RED, CLOUD SHIP, GIANNA BIAGI; 9pm, $5

2708 J Street Sacramento, CA 916.441.4693 www.harlows.com

JOSEPH IN THE WELL, ODAME SUCKS

7PM $20 ADV

6PM • $8 ADV

- August 23 -

STEELIN’ DAN 5:30PM • $15 ADV

- August 29 -

SOLSA 9:30PM • $12

- August 30 -

- August 23 -

MAHTIE BUSH NOME NOMADD, RI, MIC JORDAN

10PM • $8 ADV

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08.21.14

ALLAN HOLDSWORTH 6:30PM • $28 ADV

Open-mic, 7:30pm M, no cover; Pub Quiz, 7pm Tu, no cover

ERIC LINDELL, 8pm Tu, $20-$25

LINO ALIBANI, JULIE & AIYANA, PLAYBOY SCHOOL, I AM STRIKES; 8:30pm, $5

COMING SOON 8/28 9/6 9/11 9/13 9/14 9/18 9/19 9/21 9/23 9/26 9/27 9/30 10/2 10/8 10/10 10/12 10/15 10/19 10/22 10/25 11/11 11/14 11/22

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

Dragalicious, 9pm, $5

STEELIN’ DAN, 7pm, $20; MAHTIE BUSH, LARISA BRYSKI, 1pm, $5 NOME NOMADD, RI; 10:30pm, $8-$10

BRAVE SEASON, SO STRESSED, VVOMEN; 8:30pm, $5

SLAM DUNK, THE WARM HAIR

Open mic, 8pm M; MATMOG, FONTAINE CLASSIC, SPRING; 8pm Tu, $5; Trivia, W

THE PRESSURE LOUNGE, JOSEPH IN THE WELL, ODAME SUCKS; 7pm, $8-$10

MARTIN PURTILL, CALLING TEMPO, ALDEN KNIGHT; 8:30pm, $5

THE PRESSURE LOUNGE

DRAG THE RIVER, CELESTIONS; 8pm, call for cover

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

1111 H St., (916) 443-1927

ERIC LINDELL

Trivia Night, 6:30pm M, no cover

REBEL YELL, 9pm-midnight, $5

NAKED LOUNGE DOWNTOWN

- August 22 -

DYLAN CRAWFORD, 2-5pm, no cover

NUNCHUCK TAYLOR, 9pm-midnight, $5

Gothic, industrial, EBM, ’80s, synthpop dancing, 9pm-2am, $3-$5

- August 26 -

Mad Mondays, 9pm M, call for cover

DJ Whores, 10pm, no cover

Panik: deejay dancing w/ Angels of Kaos, Deejay dancing, 9pm, no cover before 9pm-2am, $5 10pm; $5 after 10pm

1901 10th St., (916) 442-3504

Sin Sunday, 8pm, call for cover

DJ Crook One, 10pm, call for cover

MIDTOWN BARFLY

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

MONDAY-WEDNESDAY 8/25-8/27

SKUNK FUNK, 8pm, call for cover

HALFTIME BAR & GRILL

LUNA’S CAFÉ & JUICE BAR

HOODS, TRIED & TRUE, YANKEE BRUTAL, THE WEST LORDS; 8pm, $6

SUNDAY 8/24

SEA LEGS, 9pm, no cover

2000 K St., (916) 448-7798

Hey local bands!

Saturday Boom, 9pm, call for cover

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

FACES

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.

SLAVES, MYKA RELOCATE, ALIVE LIKE ME, YOUTH IN REVOLT; 6pm, $13

2003 K St., (916) 448-8790 101 Main St., Roseville; (916) 774-0505

SATURDAY 8/23

D-LO, STEVEN JORDAN, YOUNG SECO, MR GAME OFFICIAL; 7pm, $17

The Sould Shine Band Tainted Love Sierra Leone Refugee All Stars Midnight Players LoCash Cowboys Afrolicious Irishpalooza Majickat Sean Hayes Jack Gallagher Petty Theft The Lone Bellow Dave Alvin and Phil Alvin Blitzen Trapper David Bazan Tom Rush Jerry Douglas Wayne Hancock Perfume Genius Johnny Cash Tribute Adrian Belew Wonderbread 5 Foreverland

Industry Night, 9pm, call for cover

Trivia night, W, call for cover

Jazz session, 8pm M, no cover; PARIE WOOD, ALEX NELSON; 8:30pm W, $5 Karaoke w/ Sac City Entertainment, 9pm Tu, no cover ; Open-mic, 9pm W, no cover

FRI 08/22 //9PM// $10

REMIX HARD ROCK/POP COVERS SAT 08/23 // 9PM // $8

DROP DEAD RED SEA LEGS // SIMPLE PIGEON RISK EVERYTHING CREW TRAVIS JEAN INDIE ROCK SUN 08/24

SHOWCASE SUNDAY, OPEN MIC COMEDY 6-8PM BAND AUDITIONS 8-12AM // FREE MON 08/25 // 8PM // $5

JPNSGRLS

TUES 08/26 // 8PM // $5

ARC OV LIGHT SHIP OF THE SUN KAREN SANDERS POST-PUNK/ROCK ‘N ROLL WED 08/27 // 8PM // $5

BILLY KINGSBOROUGH HONEY B & THE HIGH GRADE BUZZ COMING SOON:

8/29 SACTO STORYTELLERS, SPACE WALKER, CROSSING THE RIVER

908 K STREET • SAC 916.446.4361 wwwMarilynsOnK.com

ON THE Y

670 Fulton Ave., (916) 487-3731

THURSDAY 8/21

FRIDAY 8/22

SATURDAY 8/23

SUNDAY 8/24

MONDAY-WEDNESDAY 8/25-8/27

Open-mic, 7pm, no cover; Karaoke, 9pm, no cover

DEAD IN SECONDS, ORANGE SCENE, CASH CARTEL, TRIKOME; 9pm, $7

Karaoke, 9pm, no cover

Open-mic comedy, 9pm, no cover

Karaoke, 9pm Tu, no cover

THE PALMS PLAYHOUSE

MIKE JUSTIS BAND, 7:30pm, $15

13 Main St., Winters; (530) 795-1825

THE PARK ULTRA LOUNGE 1116 15th St., (916) 442-7222

PARLARE EURO LOUNGE

Top 40, 9pm, no cover

1009 10th St., (916) 448-8960

PJ’S ROADHOUSE

5461 Mother Lode, Placerville; (530) 626-0336

POWERHOUSE PUB

STEEL ROSE, 10pm, call for cover

614 Sutter St., Folsom; (916) 355-8586

DJ Eddie Edul, 9pm-2am, $15

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

Top 40, Mashups, 9pm, no cover

DJ Club mixes, 10pm, no cover

DJ ZEPHYR, 9pm, no cover

REMIX, 9pm, $5

SKID ROSES, 10pm, call for cover

SUPERLICIOUS, 10pm, call for cover

THE PRESS CLUB

2030 P St., (916) 444-7914

Heckarap w/ MC Ham and DJ Gourmet, 9pm, no cover

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

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

SHADY LADY SALOON

HOT CITY, 9pm, no cover

ROSS HAMMOND, 9pm, call for cover

GOLDEN CADILLACS, 9pm, no cover

1409 R St., (916) 231-9121

SOL COLLECTIVE

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

GUITAR MAC, 3pm, call for cover

KISS THE SKY, FOO FIGHTERS UNAUTHORIZED, CRAZY DOG; 8pm W, $5

Sunday Night Soul Party, 9pm, $5

The Deep End w/ DJs Cue22, Druskee and R3lease; 9:30pm-1:45am Tu, no cover

DOUBLE P REVIEW, 9pm, no cover

DJ Shaun Slaughter, 9pm Tu, call for cover; ARLYN ANDERSON, 9pm W

Julie and Aiyana with Lino Alibani, Playboy School and I am Strikes 8:30pm Saturday, $5.

Naked Lounge Downtown Pop and folk

ARIEL HAWK, GOATMAN, RONJON AND TEDDY B; 6pm, $11-$13

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

SOPHIA’S THAI KITCHEN

Latin Night, 9pm, no cover

STARLITE LOUNGE

HANG THE OLD YEAR, COMPETING, PRACTICE; 8pm, call for cover

GRAVESHADOW, IN THE SILENCE, VALENSOROW, DIRE PERIL; 8pm

STONEY INN/ROCKIN’ RODEO 1320 Del Paso Blvd., (916) 927-6023

THE CHRIS GARDNER BAND, 9pm, $10-$15

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

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

Country dance party, 8pm, no cover

SWABBIES

RIVERGATE, 7pm, no cover

APPLE Z, 6pm, $5

ROGUE, 5pm, $5

LIFE IN THE FASTLANE, 3pm, $5

TORCH CLUB

X TRIO, 5pm, no cover; SAM PACE, 9pm, $6

PAILER AND FRATIS, 5:30-7:30pm, no cover; JACKIE PAYNE, 9pm, $7

AFRO FUNK EXPERIENCE, 9pm, $8

Blues jam, 4pm, no cover; GOLDEN CADILLACS, 8pm, call for cover

WITCH ROOM

LAKES, BROLLY, THE PRESSURE LOUNGE; 7:30pm, $10

RUN RIVER NORTH, 6:30pm, $10

Good Company w/ DJs Jon Reyes, Bodacious Bombshells Burlesque Revue presents Naughty Nocturnes, 8pm, $10-$15 Druskee, Epik, noon, $5

129 E St., Davis; (530) 758-4333 1517 21st St., (916) 706-0052

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Vote for Us!

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Study up High, Ngaio. I heard that marijuana can help with post-traumatic stress disorder. Is that true?

—Sy N. Tist Hmm, while it is still very difficult to study medical marijuana in the USA, the scientists over in Israel are kicking ass and takin’ names. OK, more like smoking grass and studying the results, but you get the gist.

A study published in the medical journal Clinical Drug Investigation last June showed that an oral BEALUM ingestion of THC (they gave 10 patients 5 mg twice

by NGAIO a day) may help people suffering from PTSD. The patients reported less anxiety, better sleep and fewer nightmares. Yes, I know 10 patients isn’t a big a s k420@ ne wsreview.c om sample size, but if we add these results to what we already know about cannabis, this study is another step in the right direction. ’13 There are more good reports out there lately, too.

How about the study showing that traffic fatalities in Colorado are down since marijuana has been legalized; there was recently a story about it in The Washington Post. Yes, we know that correlation isn’t causation. I’m just saying, that’s all.

This isn’t a new study, but a reader commented on my column about bipolar disorder and pointed me to a study from the Zucker Hillside Hospital in New York from 2012: “Results from our analysis suggest that subjects with bipolar disorand history of (cannabis How about the der use) demonstrate signifistudy showing that cantly better neurocognitive performance, particularly traffic fatalities in on measures of attention, speed, and workColorado are down processing ing memory.”

Again, none of these since marijuana has studies are super large been legalized. scale, and there are no conclusive results, but all of these studies show that cannabis can be an effective medicine. Duh. So the bill to regulate medical marijuana top-down stalled in committee. Any other news from the Capitol?

—Wonk Yes. Thanks to pressure from the grassroots, Senate Bill 1262, which aimed to create better regulations but really wasn’t a great bill, has been tabled until 2015. Good job, people!

Now let’s all get behind Senate Bill 1193. I hear it is doing quite well. As of this writing, the law is headed to a vote in the full Assembly. S.B. 1193 would do a few things to amend the state’s Health and Safety Code.

First, if a defendant who’s charged with a pot crime is acquitted, or if the case is dismissed, all that marijuana—and even the bongs and paraphernalia that the cops seize, would legally have to be returned. That’s a big deal—even though the pipes might need a good cleaning, and the weed might not be so fresh.

Also, S.B. 1193 would force the government to pay for damaged or destroyed marijuana, pipes, paraphernalia or whatever. Again, another big win.

I think we can all agree that this is a great idea.

Hopefully, we can get it passed. Call your neighborhood lawmaker today and represent your ’hood. Ω

Ngaio Bealum

is a Sacramento comedian, activist and marijuana expert.

Email him questions at ask420@ newsreview.com.

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Quick Hits

OVER

Smoking vs.

Vaporizing Healthwise, it’s about even.

Proponents of “whole plant” smoking believe that patients get more of the beneficial chemicals found in marijuana (THC, CBD, CBG, etc.) by smoking the whole plant, instead of just the resin glands that are inhaled through vaporizing. There aren’t any real studies to confirm or refute this claim yet.

Products to try

For people looking to try vaporizing, there are some really good products on the market. The Zenpen is very convenient and has a great carrying case.

The Kind pen makes a nice dome-style vaporizer that doesn’t require those little cartridges. For those who want to vaporize the plant instead of concentrates, the Magic-Flight Launch Box is very handy.

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Smoking the whole plant is probably the easiest way to use cannabis. A pipe or a joint are easy to use and carry around. The drawbacks are that sometimes the smoke can irritate the throat, and marijuana smoke is somewhat indiscreet. Vaporizers can be very convenient, especially the newer vapor “pens.” They don’t stink up the room like joints do, and the vapor is definitely easier on the throat than smoke. But vaporizers also require more maintenance, and some of the new disposable models aren’t the most environmentally friendly.

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40

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An accident at the workplace caused Denise Calderon to go on disability. Cannabis has helped her reclaim a “normal” life, free from the side effects of other painkillers.

b y E va n T u c h i n s k y

A New Normal A workplace injury changed Denise’s life, but she’s getting back to who she was thanks to cannabis

T

wo years ago, Denise Calderon was having an average day on the job as an administrative assistant, restocking the supply room at her Sacramento office, when a 50-pound box she was moving slipped off the cabinet. It fell to the floor — with her hand attached.

“It only takes a few seconds to change our whole life,” she says.

Denise got seriously injured. The wrenching pull damaged her neck, clavicle, shoulder, wrist and hand. She lost the use of her left arm, and at age 31, she is on disability.

“There is no surgery to fix me,” Denise says. “It’s just something I am going to have to deal with the rest of my life.”

A stepmother of three, she planned to have a child with her husband when she turned 30. Now, feeling unable to care for a newborn, she’s put that hope aside.

Still, she finds joys of motherhood — and helping hands — with the kids at home.

Denise received physical therapy plus multiple medicines: anti-inflammatories, steroids, narcotics, sleep aids. She didn’t like how she felt on medication, particularly opiates, so she researched what she was taking, as well as alternatives.

Cannabis caught her attention; it’s made a difference. Edibles and capsules

with the cannabinoid CBD (cannabidiol) have provided her with relief without disturbing side effects.

“That has all helped me eliminate medication from my life and kind of go back to being who I was before I was injured, to a certain point, of course,” Denise says. “The pain and the injury itself have had an impact on me, but cannabis has given me some normalcy again.”

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“ It’s just something I am going to have to deal with the rest of my life.”

Denise Calderon, medical marijuana patient

Her dispensary has helped with discounted rates, since medical marijuana isn’t covered by her workers’ compensation.

“I wish they’d pay for this instead of opiates,” Denise says. “Really, it’s less harmful.”

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NEWS

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by JOnathan Mendick

ARIES (March 21-April 19): An American

named Kevin Shelley accomplished a feat worthy of inclusion in the Guinness World Records. While wearing a blue satin martial-arts outfit, he smashed 46 wooden toilet seats over his head in just one minute. Some observers may be inclined to dismiss his efforts as frivolous and ridiculous. But I admire how he playfully mocked his own competitiveness while fully expressing his competitiveness.

He satirized his ego’s drive to be first and best even as he achieved the goal of being first and best. I recommend you try something similar. You’re entering a phase when you’ll be wise to add a bit of humility to your bold self-presentation.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You are

about to make the transition from plodding to skipping; from moping to exulting.

You will no longer be bogged down by cloudy doubt, but will instead be buoyed by giddy hope. To what do we owe this imminent turnaround in your fortunes?

One reason is that it’s Justifiable Narcissism Week—for Tauruses only. During this jubilee, the Free Will Astrology Council on Extreme Self-esteem authorizes you to engage in unabashed self-worship—and to corral a host of other people who want to join in celebrating you, praising you and helping you.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): An eagle

does not catch flies. A lion won’t hunt for mice. A gourmet chef shuns recipes that call for canned soup and potato chips. And I trust that you won’t indulge a hankering for nonnutritious sweets and treats that would spoil your appetite for more robust sustenance. You understand I’m not just talking about your literal eating habits, right? Interpret this oracle metaphorically, please.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Now is an

excellent time to phase out fantasies that bog you down or drag you backward. Are you up for that challenge? Can you summon the courage to leave the mediocre past behind? If so, here are your assignments: Wean yourself of longings to reconstruct bygone pleasures. Forget about trying to be like the person you used to be and to have the keys you used to have.

Stop feeding the feelings that keep you affixed to obsolete goals. Break any taboo that makes you scared to change what needs to be changed.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): The artist Amedeo

Modigliani lived in Paris from 1906 until his death in 1920. For most of that time, he was destitute. Proprietors of local stores and restaurants sometimes accepted his art work as payment in lieu of actual money. They didn’t necessarily appreciate it, though. One food seller used Modigliani’s drawings as wraps for the fried potatoes he sold. Another stashed the artist’s paintings in his cellar, where they turned into feasts for rodents. Too bad for these shortsighted people and their heirs: The worth of Modigliani’s works eventually increased, and some sold for millions of dollars. In the weeks ahead, Leo, don’t be like those food sellers. Know the value of what you have, even if it’s still latent.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): I’ve got

three new vocabulary words for you.

I need them to provide you with the proper oracle. First is the German term Schwellenangst. It refers to timidity or nervousness about crossing a threshold and heading into unknown territory.

The second word is a new English term, “strikhedonia.” It means the joy that rises up when you feel the courage to say “to hell with it.” The third word is Portuguese: desenrascanço. It means the spontaneous improvisation of haphazard but ultimately effective plans. Now let’s put them all together: To conquer your Schwellenangst, you must summon a bolt of strikhedonia and have faith in your ability to carry out desenrascanço. (Thanks to www.otherwordly.tumblr.com for the new words.)

bRezsny

paralyze you. These truths are always good to keep in mind, of course, but they are especially useful to you right now. No obstacle will faze you, no shadow will intimidate you, as long as you feed your holy longing and unshakable compassion.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): On

August 2, 1830, Louis Antoine, Duke of Angoulême, was King of France for 20 minutes. (It’s a long story.) I offer this to you as a cautionary tale. A few weeks from now, I don’t want to have to be comparing you to him. If you hope to hold your new position or continue to wield your added clout for longer than just a little while, you should take all necessary steps. How? Nurture the web of support that will sustain you, for example. Don’t burn a single bridge. Cultivate real empathy, not just the showy kind. Avoid manipulative behavior, even if you think you can get away with it. Be a skillful gatherer of information.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):

Golda Meir was the prime minister of Israel from 1969-1974. Her admirers described her as “strong-willed, straighttalking, grey-bunned grandmother of the Jewish people.” She had a good sense of humor, too. “Let me tell you the one thing I have against Moses,” she said. “He took us forty years into the desert in order to bring us to the one place in the Middle East that has no oil.” I bring this up as a teaching story for you, Sagittarius. If you plan to make any big moves, transitions or journeys in the coming months, I suggest you choose destinations that will allow you to gain access to wealth-building resources.

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

you know what phase of your cycle it is? Here are a few hints. It doesn’t come around often. It’s not characterized by predictable events or boring certainties.

And it may allow you, even encourage you, to take a break from being your usual self.

Give up? OK. I’ll tell you. You have entered the Nicholas Cage Phase of your cycle.

Cage is a Capricorn, but not a typical one.

He’s eccentric and manic and certifiably batty. He refers to his acting technique as “Nouveau Shamanic,” once lived in a fake castle, and owns a Lamborghini that belonged to the legendary tyrant, the Shah of Iran. For our current purposes, he has also testified, “I am not a demon. I am a lizard, a shark, a heat-seeking panther. I want to be Bob Denver on acid playing the accordion.”

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Here’s

one of my goals in life, Aquarius: to show you a type of astrology that does not infringe on your free will, but rather clarifies your options. In this horoscope, for instance, I will outline your alternatives so that you will be fully informed as you determine what course of action will be most closely aligned with your high ideals.

Ponder the following question, and then briskly exert your freedom of choice: Would you prefer to have love make your head spin, knock you off your feet, tickle your X-factor, kick you gently but firmly in the ass, or all of the above?

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): “God

changes caterpillars into butterflies, sand into pearls, and coal into diamonds by using time and pressure,” says pastor Rick Warren. “He is working on you, too.”

Let’s make that idea your meditation, Pisces. If the word “God” doesn’t suit you, substitute “life,” “nature” or “Wakan Tanka,” the Lakotan term for “the great mystery.” The essential point is that you are being worked on and shaped by forces beyond your conscious awareness. Some of them are vast and impersonal, like your culture, the media and the entertainment industry. Others are intimate and close at hand, like your genes, your childhood imprints and the characters you encounter daily. Now is an excellent time to contemplate all the influences that make you who you are.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Desire can

conquer fear. Love trumps cowardice. The power that your tenderness affords you may not completely dissolve your doubt and worry, but it will quiet them down so much that they will lose their ability to

BEFORE

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NEWS

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 JONATHAN MENDICK

by ROb

For the week of August 21, 2014

STORY

Locked, styled and loaded Melissa Langley grew up doing her Barbie’s hair, her own hair and then her high-school friends’ hair. She got her first job at a salon when she was 16, went to Citrus Heights Beauty College, and has been styling tresses professionally for 12 years now. This Saturday, the 30-year-old master stylist and education director at Aveda Willo Salon & Spa in Gold River will compete in the Hair & Fashion Battle Expo, a challenge in which Sacramentoarea salons and designers team up to showcase their work and compete for bragging rights in the fields of hair and fashion. This year’s theme is Hollywood. Her team is made up of 20 people: 10 behind the scenes (stylists, mostly from Willo; costume designers; and makeup artists), and 10 models (some of whom are also stylists), who’ll also be dancing and posing to music. Langley put down her comb and scissors long enough to explain how Styrofoam, seahorses and dancing fit into the competition.

What’s the most popular hairstyle right now?

For men, it’s the pompadour. It’s classic.

Yeah, it’s definitely a very good look for men.

And for women, balayage is in for highlights, which is like a very natural highlight, where the hair just kind of looks like it’s sunkissed. I see a lot of A-lines—it’s where it’s shorter in the back and longer in the front.

It’s kind of like that angled, sharp look.

What’s the worst hairstyle?

I don’t like the textured mullet.

But mullets were generally never good, were they?

They were in for a minute. I also didn’t like this stringy emo thing that people were doing, the one where their hair was always in their face—the old Justin Bieber type of cut.

But I don’t hate a lot. I’m very open to a lot of hairstyles. As long as it looks good on the person, I’m open to it. That’s all that matters.

How’d you get into hair battling?

I went to a hair fashion show by Aveda about five years ago, and I’ve always had this artistic side to me. I styled a model for the show, and it was OK, but I went in there and saw this hairpiece that someone did, and it just changed my world. It was made out of these huge cascading Styrofoam balls, wrapped in hair all the way down, and it just swung so pretty. And I didn’t realize before that moment that I didn’t have to just use all hair—I could use other things but wrap it in hair, I guess you could say. That changed everything for me.

Then, Willo Salon & Spa won first place at Hair Wars, at The Park Ultra Lounge in 2011. That event alone, that really opened |

A RT S & C U LT U R E

up my creative flow on everything, because I achieved a hairpiece that I never even thought was possible for me to make.

Here’s a picture (holds up her phone showing a picture). It was a seahorse. Our theme was animal artistic. It was crazy, because it wasn’t a piece I had worked on for a long time beforehand, but when I did it, everything just came together, and I was like, “Wow, I really love this, and I’m really good at it.” And I knew from then on I wanted to get more into it.

And it’s funny, we didn’t have the stronger performance; the other team had the stronger dancing performance, and we still won.

Dancing? Is that in this upcoming battle, too?

Yes, we have a full-blown performance.

All of our models will be dancing, posing, modeling. I definitely have a lot of confidence. I love what we chose to do. I think we’re going to be pretty good to compete with this year.

So dance, hair and fashion are together in the same battle?

Yeah, we try to coordinate for this show.

We have a costume designer, and [she] and I try to coordinate. I can show you some pieces I’ve done so far for this year.

So this one (shows phone depicting a glittery, silver, conical hairpiece with various objects in it) I’m fully done with.

It’s that tall?

What’s it made of?

The taller the better, because there’s a lot of space you want to take up between the stage and the ceiling. Now, you can only |

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go so tall, though, because the taller, the heavier also. So you just have to use all lightweight materials. Anything lightweight that you can cover with hair: Styrofoam, cardboard, plastic, lots of glue, cotton, wire. Those are your typical craft supplies.

Lots of spray paint. And the person who has that on her head, they’re wearing a corset that’s really shiny, like that hairpiece.

How do you choose your models?

I based mine off of personality. I figure if you put enough makeup and costume and hair on somebody, they’ll look beautiful no matter what. Weight and height isn’t so much of an issue for me, but it could be an issue for other salons. But for me, it’s all about the performance, and everyone showing their personality and that they’re having fun onstage.

What does winning a battle like this mean to you?

I get to brag about it, but there’s a lot of good things that come from it aside from winning. The thing I like the most is the teamwork from within the company. It’s so good for morale, because after you’re done with it, everyone just created this amazing experience together. If we don’t win, it won’t discourage us from doing it again. I learn something new every single battle seeing something that someone else did. I’m only going to get better at it, so winning doesn’t really matter for me. Ω The Sacramento Hair & Fashion Battle Expo is on Saturday, August 23, at 5 p.m. at the Scottish Rite Masonic Center at 6151 H Street. Visit www.hair andfashionbattle.com for more information.

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